MasterChef: The Professionals names first two semi-finalists

MasterChef: The Professionals spoilers follow.

MasterChef: The Professionals returned for yet another riveting episode tonight (November 4) as five chefs battled to wow the critics and secure their place in the semi-finals.

In tonight’s quarter-finals, contestants Parminder, Owen, William, Jonny and Anastasia first went through an Invention Test where they had to think on their feet and create a standout brunch dish.

They had just ten minutes to choose their ingredients from a selection of fish, fruit, vegetables, eggs and breads, and create a brunch dish that was not the standard fare you normally see in pubs.

William, MasterChef Professionals

Parminder went with some Indian flavours as he’d never made brunch before and created a baked salmon marinade with an Indian twist that managed to wow the judges. Owen opted for a poached smoked haddock with truffle hollandaise and picked asparagus that the judges weren’t particularly crazy about, but his innovative flavours still held their attention.

Anastasia made a mushroom on toast that was infused with Asian flavours that the judges were thoroughly impressed by, while Jonny created a goats cheese mousse with beetroot four ways, which the panel loved but thought was too little to feel full.

But in the end, it was William who had to bid the show adieu as his puff pastry did not manage to impress. It was a mix of flavours that didn’t marry well and the judges had particular issues with the tomatoes in the dish as they felt they were unnecessary.

Once the Invention Test was over, the remaining four chefs moved onto the next round where they were tasted with cooking for three of the UK’s biggest restaurant critics: Jimi Famurewa, William Sitwell and Tom Parker Bowles.

Parminder, MasterChef Professionals

They had to create a main course and a starter, and by the end of the session, only two of the four would make it through to the semi-finals.

Parminder once again leaned into his Indian roots and created a sweet potato chaat as a starter that wowed the judges, but his main course of tamarind ribs and khichdi did not live up to the hype as he ended up having to rush and even went over by two minutes.

Owen made a poached cod loin as a starter and a roasted venison loin as his main, both of which impressed the judges. Anastasia, however, was the star of the show as she did a crab filo pastry tart for a starter and beef tenderloin with bone marrow chimichurri as her main dish, which left every single judge and critic impressed with no bad note.

Jonny didn’t have such luck as even though his langoustine ceviche blew the judges’ minds, his main course of chicken dinner and cheesy cauliflower puree just did not go over well.

So in the end, Jonny and Parminder ended up leaving the competition, and Owen and Anastasia managed to breeze through to the semi-finals.

MasterChef: The Professionals airs on BBC One.