Masterchef: The Professionals: Season 17, Episode 8

17 - 8: Episode 8

Four more chefs are excited to start their MasterChef journey, which, in this episode, begins with two infamous challenges that will test their ability to cope with the pressure. Those that outshine their competitors will move forward into this week's quarter-final.

First up, Marcus will ask the first two to cook-up a skills test dish of Italian blue cheese gnudi dumplings and serve them with a broccoli soup. All the ingredients are laid out in front of them, but it's down to the chefs to work out the correct process. A vibrant green soup with firm dumplings that sing of blue cheese needs to bring a smile to the judges' faces.

It's then down to the last two chefs to show what they are made of, as Monica tasks them with making citrus-cured sea bass tacos, with a vegetable garnish and crispy fish skin. They will have to prep the fish and taco shells from scratch as well, meaning time is of the essence. The judges will be expecting moreish tacos that are easy to pick up and bursting with flavour.

The signature round is next and might give the chefs the chance to redeem themselves. They have 90 minutes to prepare a main course and a dessert that will be sure to linger in the judges' memory. With menus influenced from a real variety of food cultures, including Colombian, Brazilian and Japanese, there is potential for taste sensations for Gregg, Marcus and Monica.

After this, just one task remains – this time for the judges – to name this week's best chefs. They will forge their way into the quarter-final and be in with a shot at the MasterChef: The Professionals 2024 title.