The week began in the MasterChef kitchen, with a Mystery Box Challenge testing the skill and resolve of the contestants. With pork the hero ingredient of the task, the hopefuls got down to the business of creating something that would convince the judges they were worthy of an Invention Test advantage. Dalvinder managed to do just that, her Pineapple and Tomato Jam Pork with Egg Dumplings getting a resounding seal of approval.

Yet despite being able to cook with any ingredients she pleased in the ensuing challenge, Dalvinder sadly wasn’t able to reproduce the same magic. One contender who did bring their A-game, however, was Sam, who finally showed his title credentials with his Seafood for Two dish.

Monday saw the contestants whisked off to Tasmania for the start of a very special week offsite. Their first challenge: to pull in the punters with their food at Hobart’s Salamanca Markets. Throwing even more fuel on the ‘Red Team Curse’ fire, the Blues stole the show, with few dishes getting a better reception than Kylie’s Mini Hotcakes with Caramel Apples.

It was every Blue Team member for themselves on Tuesday as they competed for the right to cook in the Immunity Challenge. Having to first net a salmon and then make it the hero of a dish, Amina’s decision to keep things simple and fresh paid off as her Sashimi was deemed the challenge highlight. Unfortunately her Immunity Challenge effort wasn’t quite enough to earn a precious Pin.

On Wednesday the Blue Team yet again proved the superior force with a win in the Afternoon Tea Challenge, with Audra’s Apricot Tarts the star of the show. While in Thursday’s Elimination Challenge, the performances and sportsmanship of Andy and Sam were so exemplary that in a MasterChef first, the judges declared the contest a tie and kept them both safe.

It was back to the MasterChef kitchen for the week-ending MasterClass; Gary cooked up a Fire Roasted Pork Rack and George Salmon Two Ways, as the contestants tried to absorb as much wisdom as they could while reflecting on a week they’ll never forget.