A worker inspects a Tasmanian salmon fillet at the processing plant
A worker inspects a Tasmanian salmon fillet at the processing plant for Tassal Group Ltd located in the town of Dover, south of Hobart June 3, 2014. Huon Aquaculture Group Ltd, Australia's second-largest salmon farmer, said it plans to raise A$133 million ($117 million) in a sharemarket listing in a bid to boost its share of the country's fastest growing marine farming sector. The IPO makes Huon the southern state's - and Australia's - second listed salmon farmer after larger Tassal Group Ltd, which has been growing earnings since it decided to cut exports and focus on the strong domestic market. Picture taken June 3, 2014. Reuters/David Gray

“MasterChef US” Season 7 contestants are in for a set of daunting challenges on Wednesday, as they face a task that would test both their skills and taste level to deliver restaurant-quality plates.

A high-end mystery box challenge seeks to prove just how the top nine amateur chefs have improved so far in the competition. They also have to impress judges Gordon Ramsay and Christina Tosi with their knife techniques and their take on a sweet, delicate salmon dish.

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

Fox posted a sneak peek of Wednesday’s episode, focusing on the upcoming tasks. In the trailer, the contestants lift their mystery boxes and gawk at the expensive ingredients in front of them. Gordon claims the particular mystery box is every chef’s dream – one that would take the competition to a whole new level. Katie Dixon seems to perform well, as Gordon tells her, “This is ‘MasterChef’ cooking in its absolute best.”

She doesn’t seem to be the mystery box challenge winner, as she remains in her station for the elimination challenge. For the top nine, it’s going to be sink or swim – and the only the sharpest home cooks will survive. Kentucky-based Brandi Mudd seems to be overwhelmed with the challenge, as she says there’s no ocean in her hometown. It’s David Williams, however, who’s going to get an earful from Gordon. “You’re a talented cook, but it’s dreadful,” Gordon says, making David wince.

“MasterChef US” Season 7 recap

In the previous episode, the remaining home cooks faced a mystery box challenge that featured Nutella. They were told that they have 60 minutes to whip up a breakfast dish that would hero the hazelnut spread. The contestants were delighted to hear that Christina would cook along with them, even though they won’t be able to watch her closely anyway. As expected, the 35-year-old chef impressed by coming up with three Nutella-inspired dishes [watch below].

At the end of the mystery box challenge, Dan Paustian, Tanorria Askew and Terry Mueller were called for the top three dishes. However, it was Terry's Nutella assortment with French toast, beignets, crepes and truffles that was deemed the winner. Christina admired the 40-year-old handyman for pushing himself and showing off a variety of techniques.

For winning the mystery box challenge, Terry was given the advantage to choose among three rice-based dishes for the elimination challenge. He chose a bibimbap, and the other contestants were told they’d have 45 minutes to come up with their own version of the classic Korean dish. Most of the contestants struggled with the challenge, especially Nathan Barnhouse, who admitted that he doesn’t know how to cook rice. This elicited a snarky remark from David, who said that even his five-year-old daughter can cook rice. Gordon gave the youngest contestant a pep talk, and he quickly picked up his pace.

Apart from Nathan, judges Gordon, Christina and Edward Lee expressed concern over a flustered-looking Diamond Alexander and David who was making a ratatouille-inspired bibimbap. They also worried about Katie, who seemed she had signed up for too many ingredients that she won’t be able to handle in the end. Shaun O’Neale, on the other hand, looked like he was on his element, and when he described his planned dish to Christina, she commented that it seemed he’s on the right track.

It was no surprise then that Shaun was called to be the challenge winner. Edward said that Shaun’s dish, a New York strip bibimbap with pickled radishes and shishito peppers, was something he would get in a Korean restaurant. “That makes me so happy,” Edward said while cutting through the perfectly crispy rice. The Korean-American chef also seemed happy with Shaun’s “sexy egg,” as well as the other elements on the plate. “Keep going this way, and I guarantee you, you will make it until the end,” Edward commented.

As predicted, the bottom three dishes belonged to Diamond, David, and Katie. David was first sent to safety, leaving Diamond and Katie on the firing line. Earlier in the episode, Diamond claimed that she hoped to stand out by not going the Asian route. She did stand out, but not in a good way. In the end, Diamond’s Thanksgiving bibimbap with fried chicken and cornbread was considered the worst dish of the night, and she was promptly eliminated.

Source: YouTube/Fox

Find out what happens next on “MasterChef US,” and stay tuned for episode spoilers. “MasterChef US” Season 7 airs on Wednesdays, 8/7c on Fox.

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