‘MasterChef Australia’ 2016 recap and spoilers: Matt cooks 'flawless' dishes; Harry’s stubborn streak costs him a spot in the finale

As this year’s competition draws to a close, three budding chefs fought for a shot to be in the grand finals on “MasterChef Australia” Season 8. In episode 62 that aired on July 25, Matt Sinclair, Elena Duggan and Harry Foster cooked their hearts out, knowing that everything they had to do that day had to be absolutely perfect. In the end, Harry’s refusal to heed Shannon Bennett’s advice led to a massive mistake that ultimately ended his journey in Australia’s biggest cooking contest.

Judges George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston all demanded for an impeccable, intricate and delicious food in a service challenge that decided the remaining “MasterChef Australia” hopefuls’ destiny. After putting out dozens of dishes, Matt and Elena are now going to have one final cook to determine this year’s winner.

Spoiler Alert! This article contains "MasterChef Australia" 2016 spoilers. Read only if you want to know more about it.

Network Ten posted a sneak peek of Tuesday’s episode, focusing on the day that could change the top two contestants’ lives forever. Matt and Elena are set to fight for their future with what could be their most memorable dish, in the presence of renowned chef Heston Blumenthal.

Matt is seen on the last part of the trailer, as he admits that his heart is in his throat while the judges taste his dish. “MasterChef Australia” followers are divided on the person who deserves to win. It can be remembered that the two teamed up during Heston’s pop-up restaurant challenge and almost lost their chance in the competition. [READ: “‘MasterChef Australia’ 2016 recap and spoilers: Matt unwisely takes a back seat and lets Elena lead; their chocolate dessert leaves a bitter taste in judges’ mouths”]

While together they were a mess, they shined individually with their impressive dishes throughout the season.

“MasterChef Australia” Season 8 recap

And then there were three – Matt, Elena and Harry were left to battle it out in the semi-finals. As the judges had warned them the previous night, the remaining “MasterChef Australia” hopefuls faced a service challenge. With this heads-up, they were given time to plan their menu for the day, which was composed of one main and one dessert.

At the kitchen, the contestants were informed that they would have four hours to prepare their dishes for 20 guests plus the judges. Shannon Bennett was present to guide and serve as their mentor. Throughout the cook, all three worked against the clock, having issues with their time management.

When Shannon went over to Elena’s station, he warned her that her dish might be too ambitious. She recognised that it’s a massive challenge that she set for herself, but decided to stick with her idea. She carefully calculated her cooking time, allotting 15 minutes for each major process to be able to finish right when service starts. However, Elena ran into trouble early on with her boiled eggs. She became concerned that peeling the eggs was taking longer than she thought. She also struggled with her tuna as she overthought her dish. From there on until the last few minutes, Elena stressfully tried to pick up her pace and get everything ready in time. Shannon went over again to her bench and read of the elements from Elena’s menu. She realised there were still so many things to do with so little time left and she was completely flustered.

Over on Harry’s station, Shannon voiced his concern over the dish, questioning the contestant’s choice of fish for a mousse. Shannon warned that kingfish is quite oily and fatty, but Harry decided to stick to his guns. Harry was also challenged with time, as he spent precious moments cleaning and preparing his artichokes. He even reckoned of leaving them off the dish, but Shannon advised him against it. The chef-mentor said Harry can’t chuck an element if it’s already in the menu. Harry decided to add Brussel sprouts to his dish to elevate it even more. When it was time to plate up, he chose to hold back in putting the lobster sauce to make sure he’d have enough for all 23 plates.

Even Matt, who was the most composed among the three contestants, also began to feel the pressure of time. He began making simple mistakes, like putting a metal bowl inside the microwave. However, he regained his confidence and picked up his pace in the kitchen. His efforts paid off when the judges loved his comfit duck leg with pumpkin and a date reduction. They described it as an appetising and salivating dish. Upon taking a bite, Gary was over the moon. He said it’s absolutely yum, and was quite impressed with the techniques that Matt used. George couldn’t find fault on Matt’s plate – he could only thank him for the delicious dish.

Harry was up next, and his kingfish and lobster cannelloni with a smoked corn custard and a lobster sauce was served to the judges. When the judges tasted it, Gary commented that he cannot taste the lobster. Harry was surprised to see George going over his bench to taste the sauce in the bottle. He asked Shannon if they can have some more sauce on their dish and the mentor let them. It seemed to make worlds of a difference – the judges raved about Harry’s dish. They said it’s a shame he hasn’t put enough on the dish. George, meanwhile, reiterated what Shannon said earlier – Harry used the wrong fish and it’s too oily. However, it had its few positive points and it was deemed a good dish, according to Matt.

It was Elena’s turn, and the judges were impressed with the presentation of her Oz Meets Nice, composed of seared tuna, Nicoise salad and saffron. After taking a bite, George commented that he loved that she has made an Aussie version of a French salad. The tuna was also perfectly cooked, according to the judges. George loved the bush tomato sauce, while Matt described it as a really nice, fresh and modern dish. Similar to Harry’s dish, the judges hoped Elena put more sauce into her plate.

After all the mains were out, the contestants got cracking on their desserts. This time, Elena and Harry seemed to have regained their control in the kitchen. It’s Matt who struggled in this part, especially with getting his lemon curd to thicken. He tried to add some butter, but Shannon told him that the butter will actually stop the curd from thickening. Shannon informed Matt that he needed to start again. Fortunately, Matt’s second batch of lemon curd had the right consistency.

Matt was again the first one to serve his dish, brioche donut with orange and coffee. His dessert put a smile on the judges’ faces, and it seemed they really loved it. George was quite speechless after taking a bite, and the others commented it’s insanely good. All he could say was that it’s restaurant-quality. Judge Matt agreed and said it’d be a great dish for a food truck. Gary, meanwhile, praised the coffee ice cream and the texture of the doughnut, and said he’d like to have another one.

Elena’s apple, cheese and bickies also scored points among the judges for its complex and modern presentation. Gary described it as lovely, soft and crunchy – he absolutely loved it. George, on the other hand, said he hasn’t tasted anything like that before. Matt loved the little ginger biscuits and reckoned it’s a top dessert.

Harry was the last to serve his dessert, espresso bavarois with marsala ice cream. He succeeded in surprising the judges – Gary said it is not what he expected at all. Matt said it tasted like tiramisu but with great bonuses, and described it as a sophisticated dessert. George paid Harry a compliment by saying its tiramisu on a whole other level.

With all the plates gone, it was the moment of truth. Gary said only one contestant had two dishes that could only be described as flawless, and that was Matt. He became quite emotional as the judges raved about his plates. The other spot for the grand finale then boiled down to Harry and Elena. George said that both of their desserts were worthy of a finale, so the judges decided on their main courses. Kingfish proved to be Harry’s downfall, as it overpowered his dish. He was eliminated from the competition, and Elena was named as the other grand finalist.

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