Jess Hall

A group of home cooks prepare their signature dishes in the first of two audition shows, hoping to get a place in the main competition.

Three cooks who failed to impress the judges in the last challenge find themselves facing a pressure test - a complex but delicate dessert set by professional pastry chef Darren Purchese.

The contestants are outside the studio for the first time, preparing a feast for the 150 volunteer truckers of Lions Need for Need, who deliver fodder to farmers in need across Australia.

The winners of the Mystery Box and Invention Test face today's Immunity Challenge and MasterChef history is made when the judges choose who will cook against Young Chef of the Year, Max Sharrad.

The contestants are tasked with cooking a dish they would eat for the rest of their lives if they found themselves on a deserted island; they have an open pantry and 75 minutes to create something delicious.

The cooks face a mystery box challenge, choosing from ingredients including lemons, tarragon, calamari, spatchcock and mangoes.