ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

The second heat of the week begins with eager new contenders ready for their first taste of cooking in the MasterChef kitchen. MasterChef aprons are up for grabs, but it will take a deft culinary hand to win one. Those who succeed will get the chance to cook their two-course menu for three critical diners and be in with a shot at a place in this week’s quarter-final.

The first task will truly test their mettle as they turn an everyday ingredient from Basic to Brilliant. Can they reimagine their chosen items to create a dish worthy of an apron? In this heat, the selection includes beans, chicken and spinach. The ingredient they choose will need to shine, but also gel with the rest of the dish. The strongest cooks will be handed aprons, safe in the knowledge they are through to the next round.

The fate of the others will be decided by one more challenge: the Mystery Box. They will have just 45 minutes to cook a dish using at least one of the secret ingredients. Chicken, peppers and apples are the delights, which should spark some interesting ideas. The dish can be embellished with incredible larder ingredients, so the amateurs’ creativity can run wild. For those who don’t outdo their competitors, hopes of a MasterChef title will be dashed.

The heat will reach a crescendo with a challenge that pushes the remaining contestants to their limits. A sumptuous two-course menu must be presented to the judges, plus three guest diners: 2015 champion Simon Wood, 2017 champion Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed and 2015 finalist Tony Wood. If the hopefuls impress with plates that sing with flavour, a quarter-final place could be theirs for the taking.

As the best three menus rise to the top, leaving the rest to hang up their aprons, the race for the title of MasterChef Champion 2025 continues.