Episode 8

This next Heat sees four new professional chefs take a punt on MasterChef greatness by battling through two tasks designed to push their culinary skills to the max. Matt, Marcus and Monica will be judging them every step of the way, but only the best of the best can head into the week’s quarter-final.

Before meeting any of tonight’s brave contestants, the judges welcome back 2022 Professionals champion, Nikita Panthakji, to set the skills test. Nikita is a Michelin-trained chef turned supper club entrepreneur, so these recipes won’t be easy.

The first two contestants are tasked with preparing and cooking a bavette steak served with a papaya and noodle salad and crispy noodles. It’s all in the details with this one. Steak and noodles timed to perfection and a salad that punches with flavour. They will have all the ingredients laid out but only 20 minutes to earn themselves glory.

Having watched the action like hawks, Nikita, Monica, Matt and Marcus give their verdicts and summon in the last two chefs for a second and equally challenging test. This time, it’s to prepare Nikita’s falafel served with muhammara, a delicious roasted red pepper and walnut dip, along with flatbread and a tomato salad. Each element here can be prepared with relative speed. However, in this intense setting, it’s very easy for chefs to forget everything they know.

By now, the judges have some idea of what level the contestants are at, but the second task reveals a whole lot more. It’s the signature round, where each chef must deliver one dish they know they cook well, and which will knock the culinary socks off the judges.

Having sampled the goods, it's then the big moment as the judges pick their last quarter-finalists of the week. Nobody wants to leave when MasterChef: The Professionals is just getting fired up.