Episode 20

The finals continue with the four finalists back in the UK, where they will be taking on their biggest task to date - a task that would cause even professional chefs to quake in their aprons: Chef’s Table. This will be followed by their most important cook-off to date as the contestants fight for a place in the final. Only three of them will make it, meaning one will be saying goodbye to their hopes of being crowned champion.

Chef’s Table is first on the agenda, and Anna and Grace have whisked the final four off to Opheem, a two-Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the heart of Birmingham. They will be put through their paces by chef patron Aktar Islam, who has designed a menu for the guests, who are six of the nation’s greatest chefs and hold a magnificent eight Michelin stars between them, including Daniel Clifford (Midsummer House, two stars), Nieves Barragan (Sabor, one star and Legado, one star) and Paul Ainsworth (No. 6, one star).

This is the first time any of the amateurs will have prepared food at this level, and they will have just hours to master the techniques required and will need to adhere to the same standards as any professional chef working in Aktar’s kitchen. The finalists will take on one course each that includes a sand carrot prepared in eight ways, monkfish cooked delicately over coals and a venison course that has a to-do list as long as the saddle itself. Each plate also requires impeccable working methods and processes to be adhered to, as well as perfect attention to detail. The pressure is immense, not to mention that the amateurs are cooking for some of their idols. Anna and Grace will be hoping to taste some of the finalists’ best food to date.

Having had what will undoubtedly be the experience of a lifetime, the finalists must compose themselves, as next up is their most important cook-off yet. This is the time to prove themselves, as they now have to fight for a place in the final cook-off, and there’s only space for the best three. Anna and Grace’s brief is for the amateurs to cook one dish: a classic but with their own twist. Classics carry that name for a reason: they are tried, tested and loved the world over, so any tweaks by the finalists must be done with caution. Play it too safe, and the cooks risk flying under the radar, but taking too many risks could ruin the essence of the dish. It’s a tough call for the finalists, who attempt to do their own version of some of the world’s best-loved dishes, including buffalo wings, coq au vin and a classic pasta dish that is bravely tested with Thai flavours. It’s for Anna and Grace to decide who stays as one chef says their goodbyes.

The three remaining can rest easy for now, but they will need to get match fit again pretty sharpish, as the biggest day of their lives is just around the corner. The MasterChef final is up next, and one of these three exceptional cooks will be crowned champion.