Episode 10

It’s the final week of heats, which leaves just 12 amateur cooks still with a chance of storming their way to MasterChef stardom. It’s no easy journey as the first group of six are about to find out. They must win over the judges and earn the right to wear a MasterChef apron. With the competition kicking up a gear, the contestants are battling for a place in the last quarter-final.

This heat’s six amateurs will need to be ready from the get-go, as Anna and Grace have only two aprons for the taking in the signature dish round. This plate should be a winner at home – the type that has dinner party guests begging for the recipe. Whether they can deliver the same quality of food in this pressure cooker of an environment is about to be tested, but whatever is served up will need to show enough potential for the judges’ heads to turn. Mouth-watering flavours and a look to match! The dishes in this round include a posh cheese sandwich and a middle eastern dessert, making for varied and interesting judging.

With two aprons having already been whisked away by a couple of their fellow competitors, the remaining four cooks have one last chance to stay in the competition. Their chance lies in the classic recipe test.

The amateurs have all the ingredients and basic instructions on their bench to make a meringue roulade – imagine a swiss roll made with meringue – with lemon curd and a raspberry coulis. However, the instructions include no timings, meaning this task requires a bucketful of culinary instinct for a chance of success.

They only have 45 minutes to create the perfect roulade, despite the time limit, high-pressure environment and finicky details. The judges pick their favourite two, who win the last two aprons, leaving the pair with the least impressive dishes heading home.

Having fought tooth and nail to secure their aprons, the four amateurs will now need to prove they are quarter-final-worthy by each cooking two courses for the judges, and a trio of guest diners: 2018 semi-finalist Nisha Parmar, 2015 finalist Tony Rodd and the 2015 champion, Simon Wood. All three have succeeded in building careers in the culinary world and will be expecting the amateurs to deliver polished dishes with a distinct level of technique and balanced flavours.

With the esteemed diners’ feedback noted, it’s down to Anna and Grace to decide who stays and who goes. Only the very best will continue into this week’s quarter-final.