Episode 12

It’s time for the week’s six best cooks to dig deep and deliver in the last quarter-final of the competition. Their next goal is a place in knockout week, but there are two more challenges to overcome before that can happen. The judges want to see them thrive in both tasks to feel confident that they can cope with what comes next. Knockout week is as brutal as it sounds.

First up, it’s the invention test, but with a fresh twist. Grace and Anna want one plate of food that features an ingredient sure to test their skills: fruit. To aid them, the MasterChef market has opened its doors and been replenished with a bounty of some of the world’s greatest produce, including mangoes, clementines, pears and pineapples – you name it, they have it! The amateurs’ dishes can be sweet or savoury, but the fruit element must be the star of the show, elevated and complemented by whatever else they choose to put on the plate. If the contestants can think on their feet and deliver a cohesive plate with flair and technique, they might be on to a winner!

Next, Anna and Grace have one more challenge for all six cooks. This time round, they have called on top restaurant critic Leyla Kazim to set the brief. Leyla would like the amateurs to create an outstanding dish showcasing an ingredient they really used to dislike when they were kids. The cooks must tap into old, perhaps emotive, memories and show they can now give that ingredient the love and respect it deserves.

Having proven they have conquered their childhood fears (or not!), Anna and Grace will deliver their final verdict. Which cooks do they think can cope with the pressure of knockout week? Only the best will be selected to move forward and compete for the title of MasterChef champion.