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It’s the third heat week and time to give four more chefs the opportunity of a lifetime. Landing a place in this week’s quarter-final is their aim – but getting there won’t be easy.

The skills test is the first hurdle. Monica has a brilliant recipe up her sleeve and will be asking the first two chefs to prepare a five-spice duck breast, served with a duck heart skewer and an orange sauce. Speed will be of the essence, as they will have just 20 minutes to prove some top-notch butchery, along with a discerning palate.

Marcus sets the next skills test brief, which will see the last two competitors prepare Welsh cakes and serve them with poached plums, a plum syrup and cheese. They will have all the ingredients laid out for them, so even if they’ve never even heard of a Welsh cake, they should be able to work things out. It won’t be easy, though, under the intense glare of the judges.

Next, it’s the signature round, where the professionals are under the spotlight with their own food and are expected to seriously shine. Tasked with cooking two courses that sum them up as a chef, these hopefuls need to prove to the judges that they mean business.

The judges step up to select the best chefs destined for this week’s quarter-final, leaving the others to find their MasterChef journey has come to an end.