Episode 7

Heat 3 is upon us, which means one thing: six exciting new amateur cooks have left their home kitchens ready to compete for one of four coveted MasterChef aprons. The lucky few who succeed have one more hurdle to jump for a place in this week’s quarter-final. The creative competitors include a musician, an artist and an actor. However, a place in the next round rests on one thing only: the culinary skill that only a MasterChef champion possesses.

Anna and Grace kick things off in style with the signature dish round. This is all about one dish that showcases what these amateurs are made of. What would they serve to impress friends or family? Given the standard of food in the competition so far, these dishes need to be tip-top in every sense, reveal ample skill and be bursting with flavour. The two dishes that taste as good as they look and give the others a run for their money will earn those cooks an apron and their ticket into the next round.

It’s not game over for the other four, but they need to regain their composure sharpish for their next task: the classic recipe test. This is all about whether the amateurs can navigate their way around a recipe, which is an authentic salade niçoise. This might sound simple, but they only have 45 minutes to bring together multiple elements, including seared tuna, potatoes, olives, anchovies, a soft-boiled egg and a perfectly balanced mustard dressing. All the ingredients are laid out for them, but they need culinary intuition and some expert timing to impress. Anna and Grace pick their favourites, and the two best cooks claim the last of the aprons on offer.

The four still standing head into the heat finale, where it soon becomes clear whether their success so far has been down to luck as they cook their best two courses for Anna, Grace and three special guests. This time, 2016 MasterChef champion, Jane Devonshire, 2017 champ, Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, and 2020’s winner, Thomas Frake, take their place in the dining room ready to taste the amateurs’ dishes. All three are willing the cooks to deliver, but they also know from experience that even the best cooks sometimes fall by the wayside.

Having tasted the competitors' food and considered the skill and technique on offer, the judges, armed with the diners’ feedback, make their final decision. With only three places in the quarter-final up for grabs, one more cook says their goodbyes as the hunt for this year’s champion continues.