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The second week of heats is here, and a new batch of ambitious professional chefs are about to undertake two challenges that would make the most experienced chef quake in their whites. A quarter-final place is the reward for those who show enough potential.

The four fearless contestants will be thrown in at the deep end, as first up are the skills tests, with just 20 minutes to complete the task. The tests have been set by 2020 professional finalist Philli Armitage-Mattin, who came to the judges’ attention with her playful and inventive Asian-inspired dishes. She loves the flavours of the region so much, she’s written a cookbook, Taste Kitchen: Asia, and even called her cat Kimchi.

It’s no surprise that Philli asks the first two chefs to prepare grilled cod’s collar, tempura cod cheeks and a gochujang Korean-style barbecue sauce. This is a recipe full of technique that requires a deft touch when it comes to balancing flavours. Top-notch filleting skills are also required if the chefs want to do the cod’s collar and cheek justice.

Philli’s test for the remaining two chefs is also true to her culinary passion – in the form of mushroom and kimchi-filled dumplings with a chilli dipping sauce. As always, ingredients are provided, but it’s whether the chefs are able to use them in the right quantities that will count. Dumpling cases are not easy to make, and the chefs want the filling to sing of kimchi, not be drowned out by other spices.

Next up is the signature dish round, with 90 minutes for the chefs to show the judges what they are made of. They know these dishes like the back of their hand, so there can be no excuses for poor execution. If their skills test was undercooked, now is the time to impress.

The heat will end with Marcus, Matt and Monica tasting the signature dishes, followed by a deliberation on the day’s cooking. They will need to pick wisely, as the chefs who make it into this week’s quarter-final will have an even tougher job on their hands if they are to move another step closer to becoming the 2026 MasterChef: The Professionals champion.