It's the last semi-final and the remaining three chefs battle it out for a place in finals week. Monica and Marcus send the three semi-finalists to the Ribble Valley in Lancashire to spend two days working with chef Lisa Allen at the Michelin-starred Northcote. A head chef at 24 years old, Lisa has led the kitchen at the Northcote for 11 years, retaining their star by showcasing the food of the region in her exquisite plates of food.
Lisa gives each chef one of the dishes on her lunch menu to cook during service. Entrusted with replicating her dishes, the challenge for the semi-finalists is to deliver the precise and elegant plates consistently throughout. With a fully booked restaurant and many customers who have travelled specially to try Lisa's food, they cannot afford to make mistakes.
The challenge doesn't end there - service may be behind them but the chefs return the next day to cook Lisa's own signature dish for her to taste and critique. She doesn't make it easy for them when she sets them the task of cooking her show-stopping dessert of a tempered chocolate cylinder filled with chocolate mousse and sultanas, with sheep's milk ice cream and pulled sugar. The chefs must dig deep to deliver this technically challenging dessert and impress Lisa for the last time.
Finally, the semi-finalists return to the MasterChef kitchen to cook Monica and Marcus two dishes good enough to seal their place in finals week. The judges expect them to come back inspired and serve up exceptional food worthy of their place in the competition. It's a tough fight to stand out in one of the most important hour and 45 minutes of their lives. After tasting their food, the judges must decide who stays and who leaves the competition at this crucial stage.
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