The hunt for the UK’s finest cooking talent is underway. Celebrated MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace, renowned chef Monica Galetti and Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing are together once again in their search for a champion.

It is the final week of the heats and six more professional chefs from across the UK head into the MasterChef kitchen determined to show the judges they have star cooking quality. The first challenge set to test them is the dreaded skills test. Under close scrutiny from Monica, Marcus and Gregg, the chefs have their skills, knowledge and confidence put to the test.

Tonight’s first skills test has been set by Monica. The chefs are whisking, and quite possibly wishing they had brushed up on their plant-based cuisine, when Monica asks them to cook a braised artichoke with saffron aquafaba mayonnaise.

For the next three chefs, Marcus has chosen chicken schnitzel holstein. The hopefuls have to display perfect butchery skills from the off and, within 20 minutes, cook a dish of beautifully crunchy, golden, breaded chicken with a fried egg on top. The contestants are hoping for a cracking start to the competition, whilst the judges size up their skills.

All six chefs are invited back into the MasterChef kitchen for the next revealing round. This is their chance to really show off with their signature dish. Cooking a tried and tested plate of food for Monica, Marcus and Gregg, any chefs who lost face during the skills test can turn their fate around with their own style of cooking. In an hour and 15 minutes, their future is decided as the judges send three chefs home and settle on which three go through to this week’s quarter-final. All the chefs cook up a storm in their quest to eventually become MasterChef: The Professionals champion 2019. Show less