Episode 7

Heat three 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 will then 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 will 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 will 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 tonight is an authentic salade niçoise. This might sound simple, but they will 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 will need culinary intuition and some expert timing to impress. Anna and Grace will pick their favourites, and the two best cooks will claim the last of the aprons on offer.

The four still standing will head into the heat finale, where it will soon become 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 will take their place in the dining room ready to taste the amateurs’ dishes. All three will be 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, will make their final decision. With only three places in the quarter-final up for grabs, one more cook will be saying their goodbyes, as the hunt for this year’s champion continues.