MasterChef Australia (series 9)

MasterChef Australia (series 9)
Country of origin Australia
No. of episodes 63
Release
Original network Network Ten
Original release 1 May (2017-05-01) – 24 July 2017 (2017-07-24)
Season chronology

The ninth series of MasterChef Australia premiered on 1 May 2017 on Network Ten.[1] Judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston from the previous series returned.

This series was won by Diana Chan in the grand finale against Ben Ungermann, on 24 July 2017.

Changes

This series introduced the "Power Pin" in the seventh week. The pin grants the wearer an extra 15 minutes cooking time in the challenge the user chooses to use the pin until the finals.

Contestants

Top 24

The Top 24 contestants were announced on 1–3 May 2017. Chosen contestant Josh Clearihan was a previous auditionee from the eighth series who failed to reach the auditions when he was hospitalized with brain damage after a run-in with a car thief.[2] The series featured other previous auditionees: Pia Gava, Benita Orwell and Eloise Praino.[3][4][5]

Contestant Age State Occupation Status
Diana Chan 29 VIC Accountant Winner 24 July
Ben Ungermann 32 QLD Retail Manager Runner-up 24 July
Karlie Verkerk 26 NSW Copywriter Third place 23 July
Tamara Graffen 28 WA Engineering Officer Eliminated 20 July
Returned 13 June
Eliminated 12 June
Arum Nixon 34 NSW Advertising Strategist Eliminated 18 July
Sarah Tiong 26 NSW Risk Consultant Eliminated 17 July
Eliza Wilson 30 VIC Theatre Nurse Eliminated 13 July
Eloise Praino 32 SA Graduate Law Clerk Eliminated 10 July
Callan Smith 18 NSW Student Eliminated 6 July
Sam Goodwin 25 VIC Construction Coordinator Eliminated 29 June
Nicole Stevenson 24 QLD Medical Secretary Eliminated 26 June
Michelle Lukman 19 VIC Student Eliminated 22 June
Ray Silva 42 NSW Doctor Eliminated 15 June
Samuel Whitehead 26 SA Market Stall Owner Eliminated 8 June
Pete Morgan 31 WA Crane Operator Eliminated 5 June
Jess Butler 29 VIC Nurse Eliminated 1 June
Trent Devincenzo 27 NSW Systems Engineer Eliminated 29 May
Benjamin Bullock 27 WA Lawyer Eliminated 25 May
Bryan Zhu 23 NSW Photographer Eliminated 22 May
Benita Orwell 57 QLD Ex-Ground Staff Eliminated 18 May
Pia Gava 49 VIC Contracts Officer Eliminated 15 May
Josh Clearihan 32 VIC Senior IT Administrator Eliminated 11 May
Lee Behan 29 WA Hospitality Manager Eliminated 8 May
Rashedul Hasan 35 NSW IT Program Director Eliminated 4 May

Guest Chefs

Week Guest Judge Challenge
1 Maggie Beer Auditions Part 2
Anna Polyviou Auditions Part 3
Elena Duggan Top 24 Mystery Box Challenge
2
(Home Cooking
Week)		 Jarrod Di Blasi Immunity Challenge
Johnny Di Francesco Team Challenge
3 Ben Shewry Mystery Box Challenge/Invention Test
Andy Bowdy Pressure Test
Charlie Carrington Immunity Challenge
4
(Sweet Week)		 Kirsten Tibballs Mystery Box Challenge
Janice Wong Invention Test
Christy Tania Pressure Test
Lauren Eldridge Immunity Challenge
Angélique Pereto
Reynold Poernomo
Darren Purchese Team Challenge
5 David Thompson Mystery Box Challenge/Invention Test
Josue Lopez Pressure Test
Clinton McIver Immunity Challenge
6
(Yotam Week)		 Yotam Ottolenghi All Challenges & MasterClass
Blayne Bertoncello Immunity Challenge
7 Curtis Stone Mystery Box Challenge/Invention Test
Deniz Karaca Pressure Test
Matt Sinclair Team Challenge
8
(Heston's Road Trip)		 Heston Blumenthal All Challenges & MasterClass
9 Peter Gilmore Mystery Box Challenge/Invention Test
Paul Carmichael Pressure Test
Ben Devlin Immunity Challenge
10
(Japan Week)		 Tsutomo Kodama Service Challenge
Odaka Takayuki MasterClass
Kagehisa Imada
11 Kylie Millar Pressure Test
Federico Zanellato Immunity Challenge
Clare Smyth Service Challenge
12 Shaun Quade Pressure Test
Peter Gilmore Elimination Challenge
Ross Lusted
Alla Wolf-Tasker
Ashley Palmer-Watts Service Challenge
Curtis Stone MasterClass
Finals Kirsten Tibballs Grand Finale

Elimination chart

Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Finals
Mystery
Box
Challenge
Winner		 Bryan
Callan
Pia
Sam		 Eloise Ray Pete Karlie Karlie Sam Diana Tamara Diana Arum Ben None
Invention
Test
Winner		 None Eliza
Karlie
Sarah		 Eloise
Sam
Sarah		 Callan
Diana
Sam		 Ben
Samuel
Tamara		 Diana
Karlie
Tamara		 Diana
Karlie
Michelle		 None Eliza
Eloise
Sarah		 Ben
Karlie
Sarah		 Arum
Eliza
Tamara		 Arum
Ben
Tamara
Immunity
Challenge		 Lose: Sarah Win: Eloise Lose: Callan, Diana,
Sam		 Lose: Tamara Lose: Karlie None Lose: Sarah Win: Sarah Win: Arum None
Diana Top 24 IN IN Team Win IN Team 2nd Top 3 Team Win IN Team Win 1 Top 3 Team Lose Top 3 Team Win Btm 9 IN Team Lose IN Team Win Btm 3 Top 3 Btm 3 Top 3 Btm 3 Top 2 WINNER
Ben Top 24 IN IN Team Win IN Team Lose IN Team Win Top 3 Team Lose 2 IN Team Win IN Team Lose Top 3 IN Team 3rd Top 3 Team 2nd Btm 3 Top 2 Top 3 Btm 2 ADV Top 2 Runner-up
Karlie Top 24 IN Top 3 Team Win IN Team 3rd IN Team Win IN Btm 5 Top 3 Team Lose Top 3 P.P. Team Win Btm 9 IN Team 3rd Top 3 Team Win IN Btm 3 Btm 3 Top 3 Btm 3 3rd Eliminated (Ep 62)
Tamara Top 24 IN IN Team Lose IN Team 3rd IN Btm 3 Top 3 Team Win 2 Top 3 Btm 3 Elim Team Lose Btm 9 IN Team Win IN Team Lose Top 3 Btm 3 Top 3 Top 3 Elim Eliminated (Ep 61)
Arum Top 24 IN IN Team Lose IN Team Lose IN Team Win IN Team Win 2 IN Btm 3 Btm 4 Team Lose Top 3 Btm 3 Team 2nd IN Team 2nd Top 3 ADV Top 3 Elim Eliminated (Ep 59)
Sarah Top 24 IN Top 3 Team Win Top 3 Team 3rd IN Team Win IN Team Win 2 IN Team Lose IN Team Win Btm 9 Top 3 Team Win Top 3 Team Lose IN Btm 3/Imm. Elim Eliminated (Ep 58)
Eliza Top 24 IN Top 3 Team Win IN Team Win IN Team Win IN Team Win 1 IN Team Win IN Team Win Top 3 Top 3 Team 2nd IN Team 2nd Top 3 Elim Eliminated (Ep 56)
Eloise Top 24 IN IN Team Lose Top 3 Team Win IN Team Lose/Imm. IN Team Win 2 Btm 3 Team Win IN Saved Btm 9 Top 3 Team Lose IN Team Win Elim Eliminated (Ep 53)
Callan Top 24 Top 4 IN Team Win IN Team 2nd Top 3 Team Lose IN Btm 3 IN Team Win IN Team Win Btm 9 Btm 3 Btm 2 IN Elim Eliminated (Ep 50)
Sam Top 24 Top 4 IN Team Lose Top 3 Team Win Top 3 Team Win Btm 3 Team Win 1 IN Team Lose Btm 4 Team Lose Btm 3 IN Elim Eliminated (Ep 45)
Nicole Top 24 IN IN Team Lose IN Team Lose IN Team Lose IN Team Lose 1 IN Team Win IN Team Win Btm 3 Elim Eliminated (Ep 42)
Michelle Top 24 IN IN Btm 4 IN Team 3rd IN Team Lose IN Team Lose 2 IN Team Win Top 3 Team Lose Elim Eliminated (Ep 40)
Ray Top 24 IN Btm 3 Team Win Btm 3 Team 2nd IN Btm 3 IN Team Win 1 Btm 3 Team Win Btm 4 Elim Eliminated (Ep 35)
Samuel Top 24 IN IN Team Lose IN Team 2nd Btm 3 Team Lose Top 3 Btm 5 IN Elim Eliminated (Ep 30)
Pete Top 24 IN Btm 3 Team Win Btm 3 Team Lose IN Team Win IN Btm 3 Elim Eliminated (Ep 27)
Jess Top 24 IN IN Btm 4 IN Team 3rd IN Team Lose Btm 3 Elim Eliminated (Ep 25)
Trent Top 24 IN IN Team Win IN Team 2nd Btm 3 Team Win Elim Eliminated (Ep 22)
Benjamin Top 24 Btm 4 IN Btm 4 IN Team Win IN Elim Eliminated (Ep 20)
Bryan Top 24 Top 4 IN Team Win IN Team Win Elim Eliminated (Ep 17)
Benita Top 24 Btm 4 IN Team Win IN Elim Eliminated (Ep 15)
Pia Top 24 Top 4 IN Team Lose Elim Eliminated (Ep 12)
Josh Top 24 IN IN Elim Eliminated (Ep 10)
Lee Top 24 Btm 4 Elim Eliminated (Ep 7)
Rashedul Top 24 Elim Eliminated (Ep 5)
Eliminated Rashedul Lee Josh Pia Benita Bryan Benjamin Trent Jess Pete Samuel Tamara
1st Elimination		 Ray Michelle Nicole Sam Callan Eloise Eliza Sarah Arum Tamara
Re-elimination		 Karlie Ben
89 points
Diana
90 points (win)

Episodes and ratings

Colour key:
     – Highest rating during the series
     – Lowest rating during the series
Ep#/Wk-Ep# Original airdate Episode Title / Event[6] Total viewers (five metro cities)[7] Nightly Ranking[7]
Week 1
1/01-1 Monday, 1 May 2017 Series Premiere:
Auditions Part 1 - The ninth series started with contestants cooking their signature dish in one hour for an automatic entry to the Top 24. Each judge awarded contestants with a "yes" or "no". Twenty contestants received three "yes" votes and won their way through to the main competition while the second-chance contestants, with one or two "yes" votes, were to cook again in the next episode.		 1,060,000 #5
2/01-2 Tuesday, 2 May 2017 Auditions Part 2 - Maggie Beer set a challenge for the twelve home cooks who received a second chance to cook either a savoury dish or a dessert in 75 minutes, with lemons as the core ingredient, to secure a place in the competition. The top three dishes were chosen by Maggie and the judges sent their makers to join the Top 24. The bottom three who failed to impress the judges were eliminated while the remaining six competed for their last chance to secure the 24th spot in the next day's Pressure Test. In the end, it was Eliza, Lee and Sarah who received an apron each during the tasting after earning overall praise from the judges with their respective dishes. 913,000 #6
3/01-3 Wednesday, 3 May 2017 Auditions Part 3 - To win the last apron and secure a spot in the Top 24, the remaining contestants faced a Pressure Test set by Anna Polyviou. They had three-and-a-half hours to recreate her intricate firecracker-based dessert with ten technical dessert elements inside the dish. The two hopefuls who delivered the best take of the dish were considered by the judges for the last spot in the Top 24. Arum's dish was declared the best, winning him the last apron. 917,000 #5
4/01-4 Thursday, 4 May 2017 Top 24 Mystery Box Challenge - In their first cook in the competition, the Top 24 contestants faced a Mystery Box that contained ingredients chosen by Elena Duggan (series 8 winner). Cooking with 75 minutes on the clock, the majority of the contestants opted to cook a pasta dish while some opted for an inventive dish. Rashedul suffered a major setback when he dropped a dish containing many of his elements in the final minute of cooking time. In the end, it was Sam, Callan, Pia and Bryan who were declared the Top 4 while Rashedul was sent to elimination along with Lee, Benjamin and Benita. 899,000 #6
5/01-5 Hidden Pairs Elimination Challenge - Benita, Benjamin, Lee and Rashedul competed in the first elimination challenge. Each had to pick an ingredient of their choice next to a cloche that contained a hidden paired ingredient and make a dish in 75 minutes. Rashedul selected mango paired with green peppercorns, Benjamin had walnuts and dates, Benita got peaches and Earl Grey tea, and Lee chose salmon with aniseed. Benita’s risk of producing an ice cream dessert didn’t pay off, forcing her to change it into a custard dish. Benjamin’s katoumari received criticism on his presentation but received overall praise on the taste. Lee’s dish also won praise from the judges. Rashedul struggled to think of a dish, and chose to make a mango, mint and peppercorn sorbet. The judges couldn’t taste the green peppercorn in his sorbet, which meant it did not meet the brief of highlighting both ingredients, and that was enough to eliminate him. 910,000 #5
Week 2 - Home Cooking Week
6/02-1 Sunday, 7 May 2017 Judges' Mystery Box Challenge and Invention Test - The 23 remaining contestants could only rely on the basics of home cooking for the week by using simple kitchen equipment. They faced a Mystery Box Challenge with ingredients like prawns, chillies, pineapple and parmesan, that were chosen by the judges for the 75-minute cook. Sarah, Pia, Diana, Michelle and Eloise were chosen as the Top 5 and Eloise’s Pineapple Tarte Tatin with Pumpkin Chilli Caramel won her the advantage for the choice of the core ingredient for the Invention Test. She chose halloumi (over fennel and mussels). This ingredient caused some of the contestants to struggle throughout the 75-minute cook, including Lee, Ray and Pete, who found themselves in elimination. Eliza, Karlie and Sarah managed to champion the cheese in creative ways and were declared the Top 3. 767,000 #5
7/02-2 Monday, 8 May 2017 Pressure Test: Gary Mehigan's Roast Chicken, Peas and Potatoes - Lee, Pete and Ray had to follow and recreate Gary’s roasted chicken dish without a recipe provided; they had to follow the chef before plating the dish within 10 seconds of Gary to be spared from elimination. Ray struggled throughout, he poured too much cream in the pea custard and his fondant potatoes were cooked inconsistently. Pete fell behind when he tried to prepare his vegetable jus but his dish received overall praise and was first to be declared safe. Throughout the challenge, Lee started well and his dish impressed the judges, but it was his cooking of the chicken that let him down, as he failed to sear the flesh side of the protein at the end of the cook. Because of this, Lee was the second contestant eliminated from the competition. 861,000 #8
8/02-3 Tuesday, 9 May 2017 Immunity Challenge: Jarrod Di Blasi - In the 32-minute first round, Eliza, Sarah and Karlie had to make a savoury dinner plate with just one trip to the pantry. Sarah’s Pan Friend Barramundi with Bok Choy and Vinaigrette won the round and she advanced to the Immunity Challenge against Jarrod Di Blasi, who was the Victorian Young Chef of the Year. She chose one of the judges’ home fridges (Gary’s which contained Asian Ingredients) and with 75 minutes, prepped a XO Marinated Steak with Pickled Mushrooms and Potato Mash while Jarrod made a Sashimi of Whiting with Roast Bone Dressing and Avocado Puree in 60 minutes. Jarrod received overall praise on the creativity of his dish while Sarah’s dish also pleased the judges but her mashed potatoes and her marinade divided the judges’ opinions, giving her 23 points to Jarrod's 27. 979,000 #4
9/02-4 Wednesday, 10 May 2017 400 Gradi Team Challenge - The contestants arrived at the 400 Gradi Pizzeria headed by World Pizza Champion Johnny Di Francesco for a team challenge cooking for 250 guests. The two teams, led by Diana (Green) and Eloise (Red), had four hours preparation and service time to cook and plate an Italian three-course meal: two pizzas, a pasta dish and a dessert. During their first challenge, both teams struggled in prepping their respective pizza dough and desserts. The Red Team’s pizzas received higher praise than the Green Team’s, which had technical issues with the topping and the crust. However, the judges slammed their bland pasta and heavy sponge dessert compared to the Green Team’s, and sent the Red Team into elimination. 876,000 #5
10/02-5 Thursday, 11 May 2017 Potato Elimination Challenge - The losing team members faced a two-round elimination challenge featuring the core ingredient: potatoes. The first round was to cook a classic side dish of chips and dip in 60 minutes. Samuel, Arum and Eloise had the Top 3 chip dishes while Benjamin, Jess, Josh and Michelle served soggy chips, sending them to the second round. After 60 minutes to cook a dish with potatoes, Jess and Michelle delivered exemplary dishes. And while one of Benjamin's sweet potato doughnuts was mushy, Josh's undercooking of his potato resulted in his gnocchi being lumpy and made him the third contestant to be eliminated. 875,000 #5
MasterClass: George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston - The judges individually presented their respective simple dishes to the contestants in their MasterClass: George demonstrated the cooking of broccoli on a grill, Gary presented a dessert that featured chocolate and beetroot, and Matt cooked nuggets and chips. Gary helped George make his Lamb Tortellini with Butter Sauce and Yoghurt Dressing. 669,000 #8
Week 3
11/03-1 Sunday, 14 May 2017 Ben Shewry's All-Australian Mystery Box Challenge and Invention Test - Ben Shewry showcased his Mystery Box that contained Australian ingredients for the contestants. After 75 minutes, the top five were Jess, Tamara, Trent, Nicole and Ray, with the latter winning the challenge. Ray’s advantage for the Invention Test was to choose one of the three cooking techniques that had to be highlighted in the contestants’ dishes. Throughout the second challenge, Ray, despite choosing smoking as the highlight of the dish, was responsible for under-cooked crayfish and under-smoked broth, while Pia failed to plate up all of her elements. Sarah, Sam and Eloise impressed with their inventive dishes while Ray and Pia were joined by Pete in the Bottom 3. 734,000 #5
12/03-2 Monday, 15 May 2017 Pressure Test: Andy Bowdy's "Rita" - Pete, Pia and Ray had four-and-a-half hours to recreate pastry chef Andy Bowdy’s signature twelve element intricate layered cake. The judges were impressed with Pete's dish overall, despite him burning his second batch of candied pecans, and he was declared safe. Ray lost points in the presentation of his cake layers but was praised on the tasting apart from his thick biscuit base. Although Pia’s dish had the best presentation, her bavarois was heavy and her meringue was too grainy. In the end, the errors in Pia’s dessert outweighed Ray’s bulging cake appearance, sealing her elimination. 868,000 #9
13/03-3 Tuesday, 16 May 2017 Immunity Challenge: Charlie Carrington - In the 45-minute first round, Eloise, Sam and Sarah were tasked to cook a dish with the use of a waffle maker. While Sam and Sarah opted for the sweet option for their waffle dishes, Eloise’s savoury take on chicken and waffles with chilli soy caramel won her the opportunity to cook against chef Charlie Carrington of Atlas Dining in Melbourne. Eloise had the advantage to beat the chef by choosing the ‘indulgent’ pantry that had sweet ingredients and, with 75 minutes, cooked a dessert of chocolate and peanut butter. The judges applaud Eloise’s dish over Charlie’s midnight snack dish that left them uncertain of his mascarpone ginger beer foam, awarding her the immunity pin with 28 points to Charlie’s 21. 1,045,000 #4
14/03-4 Wednesday, 17 May 2017 Relay Team Challenge - Four teams competed in a relay challenge where each member had 15 minutes of cooking time and 45 seconds to pass their instructions to the next cook. The captains Diana (Red Team), Benjamin (Yellow), Tamara (Blue) and Benita (Green) were tasked with choosing a dish that featured maple syrup. Benita and Tamara chose the savoury option for their dishes (Green’s Singaporean Chilli Crab and Prawns, and Blue’s Asian Sticky Pork Belly with Bao Buns and Slaw) while Benjamin and Diana opted for Maple Ice Cream desserts. Throughout the following changeovers, Benita’s choice of dish confused her team members when she decided to replace the palm sugar with the syrup at the start of the cook, the Red Team struggled with their jelly element which they failed to plate at the last minute and the Yellow Team provided improvements to their dish. Michelle, who was the third to cook for the Blue Team, struggled throughout and tampered with the elements of her team’s dish, forcing the last two members to salvage it. The Yellow and Red Teams were applauded for their desserts despite the missing jelly in the Red Team’s dish, while the judges praised Diana’s leadership and organization of her team’s dish. The Blue Team’s dish was criticised on their overcooked pork while the Green Team’s maple flavour couldn’t be detected despite using all of the syrup throughout the cook. As their dish failed to highlight the core ingredient, the Green Team were sent to elimination. 958,000 #5
15/03-5 Thursday, 18 May 2017 Time Shopping Elimination Challenge - Arum, Ben, Benita, Nicole and Pete faced an elimination challenge where each contestant could bid part of their 90 minutes' cooking time to purchase their ingredients. Each pantry of ingredients (except the staples) cost different minutes of time. Arum and Nicole spent 20 minutes to cook with ginger, sugar and pistachios. Ben had John Dory, artichokes and vanilla beans that cost 15 minutes. Benita decided to spend 45 minutes for prawns, ginger, coriander and kecap manis. Pete bought cherries, vanilla beans, sugar and pistachios for 25 minutes. Arum's cake was loved by the judges with Ben’s dish also receiving praise, while Pete had issues in plating his cake but stood out in the tasting. Nicole chose a pudding that was crumbled and dry which lacked sauce. Benita faced problems in her allocated cooking time producing an underwhelming dish and despite her efforts of improvising her burnt broth, it was not enough to save her from elimination. 935,000 #5
Week 4 - Sweet Week
16/04-1 Sunday, 21 May 2017 Kirsten Tibballs' Mystery Box Challenge and Flower Affinity Invention Test - The daily challenges in the coming week focus the contestants to cook desserts. Kirsten Tibballs presents her Mystery Box, with chocolate and her chosen ingredients (coconut, raspberries, mint, instant coffee, coffee beans, green tea, nectarines, desiccated coconut and dark rum) along with additional pantry dessert staples, for contestants to make their dishes in half an hour. Bryan, Eloise, Arum, Eliza and Pete were chosen for tasting and impressed with the creativity of their desserts, with Pete winning the advantage in the Invention Test set by Janice Wong. He was rewarded an extra 30-minute head start with Janice mentoring him to make a dish inspired by flowers but it was Callan, Diana and Sam who thrived in highlighting the flowers in their desserts and won the chance to cook for immunity. Samuel and Trent had technical issues with their dishes while Bryan’s dessert had too many elements and the flavours in his dish did not balance together correctly. Therefore, the three of them were sent to the Pressure Test. 839,000 #7
17/04-2 Monday, 22 May 2017 Pressure Test: Christy Tania's Ice Cream Float - Christy Tania showed Bryan, Samuel and Trent her gravity-defying ice cream dessert for them to replicate in three hours, with thirty minutes to make their sugar balloons. The time pressure proved too much for the contestants as they had flaws in their dishes: Trent’s balloon was too small as it dispersed when he presented his dish to the judges, Samuel used excess chocolate to cover the crevice of his cone after he poured his hot chocolate sauce during the cook, and Bryan’s semifreddo was too dense and contained dollops of meringue in the mixture, while he ran out of time to make his balloon. Ultimately, Trent and Samuel scored in taste and presentation, respectively. Despite having a good run in the competition, Bryan's first Pressure Test sealed his elimination. 936,000 #8
18/04-3 Tuesday, 23 May 2017 Immunity Challenge: Lauren Eldridge, Angélique Pereto and Reynold Poernomo - As a team, Callan, Diana and Sam individually competed against one of the three guest pastry chefs for immunity. By knife draw: Sam was pitted against pastry chef Lauren Eldridge, Diana faced chef Angélique Pereto and Callan cooked against KOI Dessert Bar’s Reynold Poernomo (from season 7). In 75 minutes, Diana made a dark chocolate sorbet with orange sauce, Sam cooked a deconstructed black forest gateaux and Callan baked a layered sponge cake with fruits, jelly, toffee and chocolate ganache. In 60 minutes, Reynold made a mango cream with spiced pineapple and lemongrass ginger consommé, Angélique decided to cook a dessert of green tea with coconut and raspberry, and Lauren did a honeycomb with crème fraiche ice cream. When Reynold’s dessert scored 27 points, the judges felt Callan’s use of his chocolate ganache was unnecessary and gave him 16 points. Diana’s dish was liked by the judges but the creativity of Angélique’s dessert highly impressed the judges, giving her a perfect score of 30 to Diana’s 18. While Sam earned rave reviews on his dish, Lauren’s use of two simple elements and precision earned her high praise (27-28). 899,000 #7
19/04-4 Wednesday, 24 May 2017 Edible Dessert Greenhouse Art Team Challenge - Two teams were tasked by Darren Purchese to construct edible dessert art installations in their respective stations for public viewing in eight hours. Sarah’s Red Team chose a Japanese zen garden concept while Tamara’s Blue Team took inspiration of a beehive. During prep time, the Red Team overcooked their first batch of dehydrated strawberry cherry blossoms and forced them to only make 300 blossoms while the Blue Team took too long to make their honeycomb biscuits and to build their cookie cutters. Afterwards, both teams were praised in their creativity by the judges but the Blue Team’s installations lacked balance in the sweetness of each element over the Red Team’s and landed them in elimination. 845,000 #7
20/04-5 Thursday, 25 May 2017 Blind Ingredient Tasting Elimination Challenge - The losing contestants (except Eloise, who used her Immunity Pin) had to correctly guess each ball of a dessert ingredient while blindfolded, to avoid landing in one of three places for the second elimination round. The bottom three: Ray (who mistook grapes for watermelon), Benjamin (banana instead of rockmelon) and Tamara (cucumber rather than rockmelon) had 75 minutes to cook their desserts with the ingredient they guessed incorrectly. Both Tamara and Ray impressed with their dishes but, while Ray struggled throughout the challenge, it was Benjamin’s overcooked bananas that sent him home. 879,000 #4
Week 5
21/05-1 Sunday, 28 May 2017 David Thompson's Mystery Box Challenge and Invention Test - Thai cuisine expert and chef David Thompson set up a Mystery Box Challenge for the contestants to cook their dishes with his chosen Thai ingredients, with Tamara, Diana, Michelle, Karlie and Samuel selected as the top five. Karlie won the advantage in the Invention Test which was the choice between two of Thompson’s dishes to cook an inventive dish with the ingredients of the chosen dish. She chose his pineapple and crab curry (over his tom yum soup) and several contestants prospered with their dishes to compete for three places in the Immunity Challenge. Tamara, Ben and Samuel had the top dishes chosen by the judges. Jess, Sam and Trent had technical errors in their dishes and were at risk of elimination. 737,000 #6
22/05-2 Monday, 29 May 2017 Pressure Test: Josue Lopez's "After the Eucalypt Fire" - Jess, Sam and Trent had three hours to replicate "After the Eucalypt Fire", a 14-element emu dish cooked by Brisbane's Chef of the Year Josue Lopez. Despite his beetroot leaf puree being grainy, Sam was first to be declared safe. Jess' puree was bitter and lacked vibrance but while Trent was praised for the cooking of his emu, his plating was unorganized and the lack of the essential crispy elements in his dish left him eliminated. 765,000 #11
23/05-3 Tuesday, 30 May 2017 Immunity Challenge: Clinton McIver - Ben, Samuel and Tamara had 45 minutes to recreate a classic macaroni and cheese in the first round. Tamara’s chilli mac 'n’ cheese won her the chance to cook off against Melbourne chef Clinton McIver of Amaru. From a choice of herbs, she chose rosemary and cooked Chicken Rosemary Garlic Dumplings with Chicken Broth in 75 minutes while Clinton made a Rosemary Lamb with Pickled Vegetables and Pear in 60 minutes. Both of their dishes were praised on simplicity but Clinton’s modern flavours of his dish beat Tamara's overall quality presentation by 27 points to 26. 874,000 #6
24/05-4 Wednesday, 31 May 2017 South Melbourne Market Team Challenge - Four teams competed at the South Melbourne Market to cook two snacks (savoury and sweet) and sell them to 1000 people, with only two teams to be pronounced safe after they delivered the best dishes and earned the most money from the public. All teams struggled to plan their dishes: Michelle’s Yellow Team attempted to estimate the mass of their ingredients, Tamara’s Green Team took a lot of time to prepare the food and Sam’s Blue Team had issues with the lime curd in their dessert. After service, the teams made $13,728 to be donated to Kidney Health Australia. The judges applauded the Blue Team’s dishes that were free from flaws and declared the team safe. The Green Team was also safe with takings of $4,158, sending the other two teams to the elimination round. 704,000 #10
25/05-5 Thursday, 1 June 2017 Three Dishes from Six Eggs Elimination Challenge - The eight losing contestants faced a three-round elimination challenge to cook dishes in 45 minutes with only six eggs available. Ben, Michelle and Nicole had the top dishes in the first round. Karlie and Samuel thrived in the second round, sending Callan, Jess and Pete in the final elimination round. The judges doubted Pete’s choice of cooking a simple steak and chips with a fried egg but they applauded his dish in the tasting. Callan was also safe with the creativity of his smoked egg yolk. Jess’ flavours of her dish were flat while her egg cracked in the cooking which was overdone, and she was eliminated. 778,000 #6
Week 6 - Yotam Week
26/06-1 Sunday, 4 June 2017 Yotam's Mystery Box Challenge and Invention Test - Celebrity chef and writer Yotam Ottolenghi made his first appearance as this week’s guest judge. His Mystery Box had ingredients that are used in Middle-Eastern cuisine: freekeh, tahini paste, lamb, date syrup, parsley, eggplant, rose water and sumac. After 75 minutes against Michelle, Eliza, Sarah and Ben, Karlie won the challenge for the second time, gaining the advantage of a 30-minute head start to cook a stuffed dish in 60 minutes. She then won the Invention Test, and joined Diana and Tamara with immunity. Pete and Ray, facing their third Pressure Test, were joined by Eloise, after all three served undercooked dishes. 794,000 #6
27/06-2 Monday, 5 June 2017 Pressure Test: Yotam Ottolenghi's Mezze Feast - Eloise, Pete and Ray had one hour to recreate five dishes from Yotam's mezze: lamb koftas, deep fried olives, butter bean hummus and roasted ricotta with broad bean spread. Eloise won praise for the overall taste and quality of her dishes. Ray also won praise with his feast but served large chunks of onions in the koftas and some of his dishes were under-seasoned. Pete’s disorganized plating failed in presentation while his flatbreads and fried olives received praise in the tasting, but overcooking his lamb and pomegranate jam saw him eliminated. 767,000 #12
28/06-3 Tuesday, 6 June 2017 Immunity Challenge: Blayne Bertoncello - Karlie, Tamara and Diana compete in the first round where each of them take turns to name one of the 25 ingredients of Yotam’s pastilla. Diana and Tamara were eliminated in consecutive guesses which left Karlie to cook up against O.MY head chef Blayne Bertoncello. Both of them had to feature the ingredients from the first round to cook their dishes. In 75 minutes, Karlie cooked Braised Chicken with Onion Sauce, Chipotle and Tomato while Blayne made a Tomato Salad with Chicken in 60 minutes. Karlie was praised for the cooking of her dish but received mixed reviews on the blubbery chicken skin. While Blayne’s salad lacked acidity, it received overall praise for its taste and presentation, winning by 35 points to 30. 927,000 #7
29/06-4 Wednesday, 7 June 2017 Vegetarian Feast Team Challenge - Teams had to cook a feast with vegetable-based dishes to impress 10 meat-eating guests and the judges. In the two-hour prep time, Callan’s uncertain leadership and decisions pushed the Blue Team over the edge while both teams had issues in cooking their flatbreads. In the tasting, both teams' dishes were praised for highlighting the brief but their flatbreads were undercooked and, despite Callan’s restrained leadership, it was the Green Team's overuse of the sour plum compote that diluted and imbalanced their fried halloumi dish which sent them to elimination. 868,000 #6
30/06-5 Thursday, 8 June 2017 Visual Perception Elimination Challenge - The seven contestants took turns identifying a chosen sliced cross-section of an ingredient. Incorrect guesses led to three contestants being sent to the elimination round. Arum, Samuel, and Tamara had 75 minutes to cook their dishes from the pantry of ingredients that were guessed correctly in the first round. Arum's apple dessert was applauded, saving him from elimination. The verdict came down to Tamara’s fruit tart with unusual flavour combinations and Samuel’s vegetable tart with disproportionate quantities. The latter was eliminated as a result. 834,000 #5
MasterClass: Yotam Ottolenghi, George Calombaris and Gary Mehigan - Yotam, with assistance from Matt, presented three dishes to the contestants: a salad of cauliflower, shallots, barberries and pistachios, scotch eggs with aubergine and manchego; and a pistachio and rose semolina cake. George cooked one of the dishes from his Press Club restaurant: a potato skordalia, while Gary made a savoury yabby tomato tart. 562,000 #10
Week 7
31/07-1 Sunday, 11 June 2017 Curtis Stone's Mystery Box Challenge and Power Pin Invention Test - Curtis Stone presented the ingredients for the Mystery Box challenge. Sam beat Diana and Ray to secure the advantage for the Invention Test. He chose three core ingredients (kingfish, capers and turnips) from farmers' produce. This season introduces the Power Pin that grants the wearer 15 minutes extra time in any individual challenge until the finals. The best dish in this Invention Test will win the pin. Diana, Karlie and Michelle were named the Top 3 with Karlie delivering the winning dish for the pin. The four cooks facing elimination are Arum, Ray, Sam and Tamara. 605,000 #8
32/07-2 Monday, 12 June 2017 Pressure Test: Deniz Karaca's "Passion for Caramel" - The bottom four were tasked in a three-hour challenge to recreate a chocolate caramel tart by pastry chef and chocolatier Deniz Karaca. While some of the contestants struggled in replicating the elements, Arum got the dish of the day. Though Sam’s tart was too soft and his passionfruit jam lacked flavour, Tamara excluded her tempered chocolate garnishes while her cremeux leaked into her tart shell and her caramel crème was undercooked. Ultimately, the caramelization in the mousse was vital to the dish and Tamara's mistake was enough for her to be eliminated. 847,000 #8
33/07-3 Tuesday, 13 June 2017 Second Chance Cook-Off - The previously eliminated contestants returned to compete for a place back in the competition. In two rounds, they could only choose one core ingredient from the given pantry to cook a first-round savoury dish and a second-round dessert dish. Jess, Samuel, Bryan, Tamara, Pete and Lee had the top savoury dishes and advanced to the next round. The top three in the second round were Bryan, Tamara and Jess. After her elimination in the previous episode, Tamara returned to the competition after producing the best dish. 902,000 #5
34/07-4 Wednesday, 14 June 2017 Pop-Up Restaurant Team Challenge - Season 8 runner-up Matt Sinclair mentored two teams of contestants to create pop-up restaurants and cook a four-course meal to be served to 100 customers in three hours. Tamara, having an advantage after earning back her place in the competition, chose to spare Eloise from the team challenge. Karlie's Red Team were assigned to cook dishes with meat and Ben's Blue Team cooked seafood dishes. Both teams struggled early in the prep time: The Red Team fell behind making their dishes due to a series of technical errors, while the Blue Team had issues of preparing their entrée and delayed their second main dish in preparing the noodles. Both of the teams' dishes show technique and flavour but the Blue Team's delayed tuna dish with technical flaws and confusing apricot flavours of their dessert took them to elimination. 889,000 #6
35/07-5 Thursday, 15 June 2017 Potluck Elimination Challenge - The contestants chose a covered bench of their choice with different ingredients and kitchen equipment, to make a dish without the use of the pantry. Ben received praise for the cooking of his Moreton Bay bug bisque. Tamara’s use of the hibachi grill for her duck dish met with acclaim. Sam succeeded in the cooking of his lamb apart from his use of fruit. Michelle’s crepe dessert was applauded for the use of apple in three different ways. Ray tried to think of a dish with the use of a fryer and an oven, and he decided to cook a simple fish and chips dish, of which the judges were not impressed with its lack of originality. Arum, despite his concerns of the rareness of his steak after having issues with his cooking time, was commended on the quality of his dish. It was clear that Ray’s dish did not match the competition and he was eliminated. 824,000 #5
Week 8 - Heston's Road Trip
36/08-1 Sunday, 18 June 2017 Murray River Mystery Box Challenge and Invention Test: Water - Heston Blumenthal took the Top 12 contestants on a road trip around Victoria for the week’s challenges inspired by the four classical elements. They arrive at Swan Hill on the Murray River for their first challenge based on water. Contestants were given 75 minutes to cook a dish with Heston's Mystery Box ingredients: corn, olives, oranges, Murray cod, currants, saltbush, oats and snails. Diana, Karlie and Sarah produced the top dishes, with Diana gaining the advantage of extra time and mentoring by Heston in the second round. The least-performing contestants from the following challenges will be sent to this week's Elimination round. In the Invention Test, some of the contestants produced inventive dishes but Diana (whose elements in her dessert were disjointed), Tamara (whose technical dessert was too sweet) and Sarah (who served undercooked yabbies) struggled. Consequently, Diana and Sarah were the first two contestants to face elimination. 737,000 #7
37/08-2 Monday, 19 June 2017 Brim Silos Team Challenge: Earth - The remaining contestants arrived at the silo mill in Brim, Victoria for their second challenge. They were divided into pairs and had 75 minutes to cook a main dish and dessert inspired by the earth element. The Purple Team (Karlie and Nicole) were first to be declared safe after impressing with their saltbush lamb dish, and grapes and grains dessert. While the Blue Team’s (Callan and Sam) dessert pleased the judges, their chocolate lamb dish was deemed the worst with undercooked meat and an unnecessary flavour combination. The elements conflicted in the main dish of the Yellow Team (Arum and Ben), however, their refined dessert was enough to save them and the Blue Team was sent to elimination. 839,000 #8
38/08-3 Tuesday, 20 June 2017 Mildura Salt Flats Team Challenge: Air - The contestants arrive at the salt pans of Mildura for their air element-based challenge. They split into two teams to cook a three-course meal, including a salt element dessert, to be served to the guests and the judges. The progress of Eliza’s Blue Team strive in the captain’s poor leadership, composing a small underseasoned entrée. While Nicole’s Red Team were fascinated with their entrée and main dishes, they struggled to cope their team member Michelle in making the dessert - their whipped chocolate ganache was too thick and lacked salt in the plate. Eventually, the Blue Team wins and were pronounced safe with their other course dishes. For the Red Team, their dessert failed to meet the brief and they were sent to elimination. 913,000 #5
39/08-4 Wednesday, 21 June 2017 Jack’s Magazine Invention Test: Fire - Arum, Ben, Eliza and Eloise faced off in their last challenge inside Jack's Magazine from Maribyrnong. The challenge was a two-round Invention Test cooking dishes (savoury and sweet) with the element of fire as inspiration. Ben's dish met with acclaim from the judges with Arum also declared safe while Eliza and Eloise, both had technical issues with their dishes, were sent to the second round to compete and avoid landing the last place of the Elimination Round with Eliza's Peach Ember dessert beat Eloise's Rhubarb Sorbet with Smoked Italian Meringue to join Ben and Arum in the Top 3. 761,000 #9
40/08-5 Thursday, 22 June 2017 Elimination Challenge: Deception - The contestants return to the kitchen after their four-day road trip for the Elimination Challenge. From series 6, the contestants got 75 minutes to cook a dish that focused on culinary deception. While she struggled with her caramel element, Eloise was safe after delivering the dish of the day. Ultimately, Sam and Nicole (both of their dishes had less deceptive creativity) were among the Bottom 3. Michelle, however, presented a frigid parfait when she used cream cheese as the base for the mixture while her coating was butyraceous and that sealed her elimination. 790,000 #5
MasterClass: Heston Blumenthal, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston - Heston presented dishes with different cooking methods of eggs. Gary made a Blue Eye Cod with Bacon and Mussels. Matt showcased his use of molecular gastronomy in making his ice cream bread and baked a self-saucing chocolate pudding. Lastly, Heston served a spit roasted barbecue lamb to the contestants. 623,000 #10
Week 9
41/09-1 Sunday, 25 June 2017 Peter Gilmore's Mystery Box Challenge and Invention Test - Peter Gilmore's choice of ingredients from his Mystery Box tasked the contestants to cook a dish in 75 minutes. After winning the advantage for the Invention Test over Arum and Diana, Tamara was given the choice to pick one of Peter’s three technical dessert dishes that were used in Pressure Tests of previous seasons: Guava and Custard Apple Snow Egg (from series 2), Eight Texture Chocolate Cake (from series 4) and Cherry Jam Lamington (from series 8). She chose his series 8 Pressure Test dish, requiring the contestants to cook a dish inspired by the lamington in 60 minutes. It was Eliza, Eloise and Sarah who won the opportunity to cook for immunity. Callan, Arum and Nicole failed to recreate the flavour of the dish and were sent to elimination. 709,000 #7
42/09-2 Monday, 26 June 2017 Pressure Test: Paul Carmichael's "Bajan Fish Fry" - Arum, Callan and Nicole had three hours and forty five minutes to replicate a Bajan three-course meal - a fried snapper, a charred pumpkin with salted cod, a black pudding with cucumber and a spiced cucumber juice by guest chef Paul Carmichael. None of them managed to complete all the elements in their dishes, particularly in their pumpkin. Arum’s cooking of the fish damaged the presentation, but his dishes stood out in the tasting. After Callan struggled throughout the challenge and won praise for his fish, his accompanying dishes had too much spice and vinegar while his pumpkin was undercooked. However, it was Nicole’s failure in deboning her fish which was the deciding factor in her elimination. 871,000 #9
43/09-3 Tuesday, 27 June 2017 Immunity Challenge: Ben Devlin - Eliza, Eloise and Sarah were given 60 minutes to cook a stuffed dish in the first round. The judges loved Sarah’s chicken wings with mushroom filling and she competed in round two against chef Ben Devlin of the Paper Daisy restaurant. From a choice of similar paired ingredients, Sarah picked prawns and shrimp paste for her 75-minute cook. Both she and Ben received overall praise on their grilled prawn dishes but the professional won the challenge by one point over Sarah (28-27). 894,000 #5
44/09-4 Wednesday, 28 June 2017 Blind Pairing Team Challenge - The Top 10 were divided randomly in pairs for the team challenge. Through the use of communication, they had to cook two plates of the same dish while each member was separated by a divider. None of the teams’ dishes matched completely, but all won praise in the tasting. The split decision came down to the Green Team (Tamara and Sarah) and the Purple Team (Arum and Eliza) with the judges voting the Green Team as the winners. Ultimately, Eloise and Callan's overcooked scallops and Diana and Sam’s misplaced praline sent them to elimination. 904,000 #5
45/09-5 Thursday, 29 June 2017 Time or Ingredients Elimination Challenge - Callan, Diana, Eloise and Sam competed in the time displacement elimination challenge from series 8 where they had to gather their ingredients from one of the following four different hidden pantries on the prescribed time limit. Eloise, Sam and Callan had 60 minutes to cook with herbs, fruits and vegetables while Diana waited for the last pantry (protein) with 30 minutes left to cook. Her risk paid off when her dish was praised by the judges, along with Eloise’s ice cream dessert. The difficult decision was between Callan and Sam as their dishes did not impress. Callan took a risk with odd flavour combinations in his ice cream dessert, while Sam’s execution let him down when his flawed elements impacted the presentation and taste of his dessert. As a result, he was eliminated from the competition. Tamara and Sarah will fly business class for the Top 9 contestants’ trip to Japan after winning the team challenge. 899,000 #5
Week 10 - Japan Week
46/10-1 Sunday, 2 July 2017 Tokyo Eclectic Box Challenge and Invention Test - After arriving in Japan with the judges, the Top 9 contestants each bought one ingredient around Tokyo for the Mystery Box: scallops (by Tamara), lily root (Sarah), soya beans (Callan), honey yams (Arum), cherry blossom radish (Eloise), wagyu (Karlie), sesame dressing (Diana), miso (Eliza) and sake (Ben). After 60 minutes, the three best dishes were cooked by Karlie, Eloise and Diana, who was the winner for the Invention Test’s advantage. She chose wasabi (over ginger and soy sauce). The contestants then had 60 minutes and an open pantry to cook their dishes. Beating Eliza and Sarah was Ben, whose Wasabi Ice Cream with Yam Fondants and Nutmeg Biscuit earned him a chance for immunity. 780,000 #8
47/10-2 Monday, 3 July 2017 Kodama Eight-course Degustation Challenge - The other contestants arrive at the Michelin-starred restaurant of chef Tsutomo Kodama where each must cook a dish of a Japanese eight course degustation menu under mentorship by George. The two contestants who produce the best dishes will join Ben in the Immunity Challenge. Tamara had the first course of shiso with crab and yuzu. Eliza was assigned to cook white asparagus accompanied with a quail egg for course 2. Diana’s assigned core ingredient for the third course were clams, producing a clam broth with spring onions and ginger floss. Mackerel was assigned for Eloise’s fourth course dish, with cauliflower, tomato and wasabi. Karlie had course 5 with mushrooms in different ways. Arum’s dish of marinated eye fillet with sake, broccoli and wasabi was course 6. Callan produced a dessert with matcha for course 7. Sarah was last with a savoury dessert of black sesame for the eighth course. All of their dishes (except Eloise’s and Callan’s, after struggling with the flavours) earned general acclaim from the judges and the customers. In the end, the dishes of Karlie and Sarah won overall praise from the judges and they joined Ben to compete for immunity. 903,000 #7
48/10-3 Tuesday, 4 July 2017 Mount Fuji Immunity Challenge - Ben, Karlie and Sarah arrive at the Obuchi Tea Plantation in the foothills of Mount Fuji for the two-round immunity challenge. In the first round, each must cook a dish with one of the three Japanese fruits of their choice (fuji apple, shiranui and yuzu) to land two places in the second round. Karlie and Sarah had 60 minutes to make a dish that featured tea as the main ingredient. In the end, Sarah managed to claim the immunity pin after beating Karlie’s Tea Poached Chicken Broth with her Tea Braised Pork Belly, Vegetables and Bean Curd. 879,000 #6
49/10-4 Wednesday, 5 July 2017 Shinjuku Food Stalls Team Challenge - The contestants arrive at the food stalls of Shinjuku where they were divided into teams of three to cook three Japanese street foods to be served to 100 diners. The Yellow Team won the challenge with the prize of a private MasterClass and they were first to be declared safe. The Red Team’s beef skewer dish lacked sauce but otherwise, they were also safe. Although the judges applauded the prawn dish of Blue Team member Sarah, it was the technical flaws of her other team members’ dishes that sent them to elimination. 840,000 #6
50/10-5 Thursday, 6 July 2017 Akagi Shrine Elimination Challenge - Sarah decided to participate in the elimination round by not using her immunity pin. She, Callan and Tamara had 75 minutes to make a dish inspired by their personal past and future at the Akagi Shrine. Callan made a sushi-inspired dessert, Sarah made a dish called "steamboat" (pork with mushrooms, taro and wombok), and Tamara made pork dumplings with a spicy broth. In the end, both Tamara and Sarah had outstanding dishes and they were both safe, whereupon Callan was eliminated when his dessert lacked flavour in its roasted rice ice cream. 917,000 #5
51/10-6 Friday, 7 July 2017 MasterClass: Odaka Takayuki, George Calombaris, Matt Preston and Kagehisa Imada - On the last day in Japan, the judges along with local Japanese chefs gave the contestants a MasterClass before the finals. Yesterday, Gary took the Yellow Team members to the Soba restaurant Kanda Matsuya for their private MasterClass with chef Odaka Takayuki who explained the history and demonstrated the making of Soba noodles. The next day, the Yellow Team rejoined their fellow contestants in the next MasterClases at the Tateyama Castle. George made a modern Japanese seafood salad, Matt made three Japanese dessert slices and sushi chef Kagehisa Imada presented the basics of making sushi. 422,000 #14
Week 11
52/11-1 Sunday, 9 July 2017 Shannon Bennett's Mystery Box Challenge and Re-invention Test - Shannon's Mystery Box contained four special ingredients: Moreton bay bugs, porcini, yukon gold potatoes and sunrise lime, for the contestants to cook a dish and after 60 minutes; Eloise, Karlie and Arum delivered the top dishes. Arum won the advantage which is to pick a random dish from the knife block to re-invent the core dish in 60 minutes. Beef Wellington was chosen and he also got an extra 30 minutes to make his dish. Karlie used her Power Pin that she won in her previous Invention test, with an extra 15 minutes to re-invent a dessert version of a wellington. But Tamara, Eliza and Arum received praise in their dishes and were named the Top 3. The challenge was a struggle for Eloise, Diana and Ben and they were sent to elimination. 625,000 #9
53/11-2 Monday, 10 July 2017 Pressure Test: Kylie Millar's "Nest" - Kylie Millar set up a challenging Pressure Test in three hours for Ben, Diana and Eloise to recreate her elaborate 10-element dessert: "The Nest" with 15 minutes to plate it. Both Eloise and Ben struggled in making the honeycomb as well as plating the dish (the cured egg yolk in particular). In the tasting, Diana manage to interpret the dish while Eloise’s panna cotta was grainy while both her honeycomb and parsnip bark were overcooked which made the dish too bitter and Ben’s honeycomb was too chewy. Between the both of them in which their dishes did not score in presentation, the final decision came down to taste. As a result, the bitterness in Eloise’s dish failed to match the flavour profile of the chef’s dish and she was eliminated from the competition. 753,000 #8
54/11-3 Tuesday, 11 July 2017 Fast-Track to the Finals Immunity Challenge: Federico Zanellato - Before Finals Week instead of winning an immunity pin in the second round, a Top 3 contestant from the Invention Test will cook against a guest chef to win an automatic pass to the Finals. In the first round; Arum, Eliza and Tamara had 45 minutes to make a soufflé to advance. It was Arum who won with his vanilla soufflé despite missing out his prune puree. He compete against New South Wales' Chef of the Year Federico Zanellato with the advantage of choosing 10 ingredients of his choice from the available pantry of 20. It was his use of strategy of cooking his seared beef with celeriac, apple, black pudding and pernod to beat the simplicity of the professional chef’s pasta dish that won praise overall from the judges (26 points to Federico’s 24). 779,000 #7
55/11-4 Wednesday, 12 July 2017 Six-Course Meal Service Challenge - The other contestants faced an individual three-hour service challenge on a commercial kitchen with three-starred Michelin chef Clare Smyth as their mentor. Each had a responsibility to cook a dish of a six-course meal to be served to 50 diners and the judges. Clare assigned the pair of ingredients for each contestant to highlight their dishes. By knife pull; Tamara (with marron and ras el hanout) and Eliza (mushrooms and spruce) were assigned to cook entrées, Diana (who had venison and pear) and Karlie (duck and Tasmanian mountain pepper) do the mains & desserts were tasked for Sarah (assigned with sheep's milk yoghurt and bergamot leaf) and Ben (pineapple and coriander seeds). The best performers of the challenge will join Arum in the Finals. The time pressure was great for the contestants as they struggled to prep their dishes. Ben’s performance in the kitchen delivered the dish of the day and advances in the Finals. Tamara failed to highlight the second ingredient: ras el hanout while her couscous was undercooked which derailed the overall grade of her dish, Karlie’s duck was cooked inconsistently and Sarah’s savoury dessert was imbalanced with the use of roasted fennel. They were named the Bottom 3 as a result but Eliza, who overpowered the spruce flavour in her dish with her parmesan custard, has never been into any previous Elimination Challenges (including Pressure Tests) and therefore, she will face in her first if Sarah decided to use her immunity pin. 716,000 #8
56/11-5 Thursday, 13 July 2017 Outdoor Food Memory Elimination Challenge - Eliza took Sarah’s place in the Bottom 3 after the latter decided to use the pin. She, Karlie and Tamara had 75 minutes to inspire their dishes with the memories of their respective vacation with their loved ones for the last two places to advance in Finals Week. Karlie cooked Oysters with Oyster Cream, Cucumber Granita, Gin and Fennel which reflected in her beach living. Eliza’s trip to Sorrento inspired her Beetroot and Gin Cured Trout with Horseradish Crème Fraiche, Fennel Crackers and Beetroot Butter. Tamara’s Macaron Parfait Sandwiches with Strawberries contemplate her honeymoon in Paris. All of their dishes won praise with their creativity, flavour and technique from the judges but unfortunately Eliza’s choice of fish was slightly dry compared to the other contestants’ dishes without receiving any flaws. In the end, her first (and only) Elimination Challenge sealed her fate despite being consistent throughout the competition. 895,000 #5
Week 12 - Finals Week
57/12-1 Sunday, 16 July 2017 Finals Mystery Box Challenge and Free Choice Invention Test - The top 6 finalists must use all of the ingredients from their Mystery Box to make a dish in 60 minutes. All of the finalists chose to make a dessert with these ingredients and three of them (Karlie, Ben and Tamara) stood out in the judging. It was Ben’s unique ice cream dessert that won him the Invention Test’s advantage. The advantage was that he got to choose any ingredient of his choice from the pantry to be a main feature in the dish. Relying to strategy, Ben chose liquorice and despite serving his second ice cream dish that was too soft, it was Diana, Karlie and Sarah who struggled with the core ingredient that sent them to the Pressure Test. 806,000 #6
58/12-2 Monday, 17 July 2017 Pressure Test: Shaun Quade's "Pearl on the Ocean Floor" - Diana, Karlie and Sarah had three and a half hours to recreate “Pearl on the Ocean Floor” – one of the very intriguing signature dishes of the Lûmé restaurant by chef Shaun Quade. The dish is composed of various seafood and lemon marmalade concealed with flavoured sand, mussel foam and a miso pine nut ice cream encased in a small sugar pearl and chocolate. Karlie was the only contestant who manage to have all the elements in her dish while Diana, who discarded the marmalade, and Sarah, who missed out the foam, are named the Bottom 2. However, Sarah's ice cream was pale and lacked execution as this, paired with the lack of foam, ensured her elimination. 853,000 #7
59/12-3 Tuesday, 18 July 2017 World Class Service Elimination Challenge - The Top 5 compete in their places for the Top 4 in the Surprise Elimination Challenge. They each had to cook a dish of a five-course meal (3 savoury and 2 desserts) in two hours of service to impress the judges, Shannon, returning chef Peter Gilmore and other popular chefs: Ross Lusted and Alla Wolf-Tasker. Diana, Arum and Karlie were assigned to mains while Ben and Tamara did desserts. In judging, Diana’s Charred Squid with Peas, Mint and Cucumber and Tamara’s Chocolate Mousse with Orange and Fennel delivered the dishes of the day with Karlie also declared safe with her Pork Loin with Mushrooms and Blueberries. Arum and Ben were the last two remaining. While Ben’s lavender ice cream impressed the judges, his shortbread was undercooked but the fact that Arum cooked his duck (the main element) early before service hinted his meat becoming dry, which meant he was eliminated. 828,000 #7
60/12-4 Wednesday, 19 July 2017 Dinner by Heston Service Challenge - Ashley Palmer-Watts instructs the Top 4 finalists to recreate four signature dishes of the menu at the restaurant Dinner by Heston in Melbourne to be served to 40 diners in 5 hours. Karlie got the Frumenty octopus dish, Tamara recreate the Roast Groper and Green Sauce but she discarded the onion element when she ran out of time to make it and her dish was imbalanced. Diana cut the sirloin for the Beef Royale incorrectly. Ben was tasked to replicate the complexed 105 step Lamington Cake. After being affected and struggled with the recipe, he took control to produce the best replication of the dish which impressed the judges overall and Ben advances to the semifinals. 955,000 #5
61/12-5 Thursday, 20 July 2017 Freestyle Elimination Challenge - Diana, Karlie and Tamara were given the option to design the concept of their own innovative dish with any cuisine and ingredients. After 75 minutes, the two best dishes will secure the last two places and join Ben in the semifinals. In the tasting, Diana's Thai Broth with Crayfish and Karlie's Spicy XO Pork Belly with Rice Cakes met with high acclaim. Both of them were declared safe and advanced while it was Tamara who served underbaked brownies to the judges despite winning praise in the flavour. She was eliminated for the second time in the competition. 980,000 #4
MasterClass: Chefs vs. Contestants - In the last MasterClass of 2017, the semifinalists and Matt set a Mystery Box Challenge with their chosen ingredients for Gary, George and Shannon to cook a dish in 60 minutes. The winning dish was Gary's roti with pepper and tea pork which earned him the title 'Flavour Elevator' from Diana. Curtis Stone returns to join George and Gary to pit against Ben, Diana and Karlie to cook a dish featuring coral perch in a team relay challenge in 60 minutes. In a split decision verdict, the finalists were declared the winners with their Steamed Coral Perch with Spiced Tamarind by Gary's Vote. 841,000 #6
Grand Finale Week
62/13-1 Sunday, 23 July 2017 Semi-Finals: Service Challenge - The semifinalists compete in a four-hour service challenge where they had to cook one main dish and a dessert to be served to 25 diners and to the judges. Diana’s dishes of Wagyu with Mushrooms and Lemon Verbena with Whey Caramel met with overall acclaim in its complexity. Despite struggling in the challenge to prep his dishes, Ben also won praise with his main (Cinder Fillet, Tulip Bulbs, Port Jus and Greens) and dessert (Pumpkin Galette with Dutch Spices, Cream Cheese Mousse and Vanilla Bay Leaf Ice Cream) on his bold flavours. Karlie also struggled throughout in prepping her dishes and, despite the judges applaud her main dish of Crayfish with Ginger Broth, they noted the pieces of pith and the bitterness involved in her mandarin syrup for her black sesame ice cream. This dessert doesn’t match her sophisticated main dish to advance as she was eliminated, leaving Diana and Ben to compete in the Grand Finals. 953,000 #5
63/13-2 Monday, 24 July 2017 Grand Finale - The finale took place over three rounds: In the first round, the finalists had to choose at least one ingredient from a selection of every mystery box they had in 60 minutes from which Ben picked Elena's mystery box and Diana picked Peter Gilmore's mystery box. Ben's Lemon Myrtle Ice Cream with Macadamia Shortbread received 26 points out of 30, while Diana's Abalone with Chinese Broccoli, Mushroom and Green Juice received raved reviews from the judges and got a perfect score of 30 points.

For the second round, there were no rules, with contestants cooking three identical dishes to the judges in 75 minutes. Ben's Cardamom Coffee Ice Cream with Butternut Three-ways and a Dutch Spice Biscuit impressed the judges with his creativity of his ice cream and received 28 points while Diana's Malaysian Oatmeal Prawns with Vegetables in a Creamy Sauce also impressed the judges and received 27 points. Diana took the lead with the total score of 57 while Ben got a total of 54 points.

For the last round, Ben and Diana faced the longest pressure test yet in which they have to recreate Kirsten Tibballs' Trio of Fruits dessert made of chocolate disguised as an apple, pear and mandarin. In six hours, Both Ben and Diana struggled with the final task, failing to make the sugar-crusted liquor center for the apple, which came out like a jelly rather than a liquid. In the tasting, Diana's trio of fruit received praise in flavor but the chocolate in her mandarin is thick and lacking in mandarin flavor. Ben had a better replication despite accidentally covering his pear with too much tempered chocolate. Diana scored 33 points (8 points each from all the judges except Matt who gave 9 points), tallying to the overall score of 90 points. Ben scored 35 points (9 each from all of the judges except Gary who gave 8 points), but it wasn't enough to beat Diana finalizing the score of 89 points.

 1,120,000 #3
Winner Announced - Diana Chan won the title of Masterchef 2017, the grand prize of $250,000 and a monthly column in the magazine Delicious while Ben Ungermann, as runner-up, received $40,000. Karlie Verkerk, who finished in third-place, also received a cash prize of $10,000. 1,303,000 #2

References

  1. ↑ "Returning: MasterChef Australia". tvtonight.com.au. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  2. ↑ "'It was pressure on the day': Josh Clearihan eliminated from MasterChef Australia". news.com.au. 11 May 2017.
  3. ↑ "MasterChef, the cooking show that changes lives and makes food dreams come true". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "Emotional ending as MasterChef Australia's oldest contestant eliminated after prawn broth disaster". News.com.au. 18 May 2017.
  5. ↑ "Doctor, engineer and lawyer among this year's MasterChef contestants as they hope to shift careers". The Daily Telegraph. 2 May 2017.
  6. ↑ Ten, Network. "MasterChef Australia". TenPlay - MasterChef Australia. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Ratings – TV Tonight".
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