‘MasterChef Australia’ 2016 recap and spoilers: Chloe Bowles’ meringue mess gets inthe way of historic second immunity pin

All eyes were on Chloe Bowles in the 28^th episode of “MasterChef Australia” Season 8. The 24-year-old nanny sought to be the first contestant ever in the competition to win two immunity pins. On June 7, she battled head to head with a professional chef, who proved to be a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen.

Her fate rested on the hands of judges George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston, who engaged in a blind taste test at the end of the cook. Despite cooking her heart out, Chloe’s attempts to make “MasterChef” history fell short and she wasn't able to replicate her previous success.

However, she doesn’t have much time to dwell on her defeat, since another tough team challenge is coming up. The “Masterchef Australia” hopefuls will go out of their comfort zones once again as they face a massive task that would involve a combination of skills, savvy and sheer luck.

Spoiler Alert! This article contains "MasterChef Australia" Season 8 spoilers. Read only if you want to know more about it.

Network Ten posted a sneak peek of Wednesday’s episode, wherein contestants are greeted with much fanfare and music. They are informed that the team challenge will be to prepare a Chinese New Year feast, with the help of Aussie chef Kylie Kwong, dubbed the “Empress of Chinese cooking.” The trailer shows that the contestants will be divided into two teams: red and yellow.

In a challenger where fortune favours the brave, it’s all about taking risks for the upcoming task, hoping that those pay off. However, one team’s bad decision lands them in hot water, which could send them straight to the pressure test.

“MasterChef Australia” Season 8 recap

Spirits were high as Chloe, along with Brent Carter and Trent Harvey, entered the “MasterChef Australia” kitchen with a determination to win the much-coveted immunity pin. The judges informed them that in round one, they have to serve the best-looking and best-tasting eclairs – be it savoury or sweet.

The contestants breezed through the task, and encountered no major hitches except for Trent, who had trouble with his choux pastry. However, he managed to salvage it in the end before time ran out. Brett finished ahead of the three, and even had the time to add something that would make his dish pop – a few flowers from the “MasterChef Australia” garden.

While the three home cooks earned positive comments from the judges, it was Chloe’s cream cheese and dulce de leche eclairs with a toasted pecan praline that blew them away. They said her choux pastry was spot-on, and even Chef Shannon Bennett commented that her dish was of patisserie standard. The judges unanimously voted for Chloe to go through the next round, and she found herself one cook away from the second immunity pin.

However, she had to outshine first top chef Morgan McGlone, known for his Southern American style cooking. When asked to choose between tea and coffee, Chloe chose coffee as the cook’s core ingredient. Both played to their strengths – Chloe decided to prepare dessert while Chef Morgan made a savoury dish.

It was a cool, calm and collected battle with both competitors focusing on what’s going on in their respective benches. However, Chloe hit a snag when she over-whipped her Swiss meringues, the centrepiece of her plate. With only a few minutes on the clock, Chef Shannon advise Chloe to make another batch. Looking at her plate, she knew she was in trouble. “It doesn't look right,” she said. “But I have to use this meringue because I don't have time to make another one. And I'm just hoping that it hasn't split.”

In the end, her coffee bomb with chocolate sauce and brandy to flambé paled in comparison to Chef Morgan’s fried quail with butter-poached cauliflower and red-eye gravy. While the judges commented that Chloe’s dish was a really good idea conceptually, her meringues spelled the difference between winning and losing that day. When it was time to reveal the verdict, Chloe received 18 points, which was behind Chef Morgan’s 22 points. “With those scores it means that no history is going to be made today,” judge Matt declares.

Find out what happens next week to “MasterChef Australia,” and stay tuned for episode spoilers. “MasterChef Australia” Season 8 airs every Sunday to Thursday at 7.30pm on Ten.