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The cookery competition continues its tenth series with the first quarter-final, and the four talented heat winners have no time to rest on their laurels as they continue to fight for their place in the competition.

First, they must prove their mettle in the fiendishly difficult palate and skills test. Chef John Torode cooks his jungle curry with coconut and lime rice, a dish made up of 18 different spices and herbs. Without seeing him prepare it, the amateurs are given just a few minutes to taste this dish before being asked to write down exactly what is in it, using their palate and sense of smell. Then they are asked to recreate John's dish without a recipe in just one hour and fifteen minutes, selecting from ingredients that may or may not belong in the dish.

For their second challenge, the four must go head-to-head to cook their own show-stopping dish for John and Gregg, as well as a surprise judge. In this episode the incisive and feared food critic William Sitwell faces the contestants in the flesh for the first time, and tells them exactly what he thinks of their food.

At the end of this quarter-final, only the best amateurs will go through to the next round and take another step closer to being crowned MasterChef champion 2014.

For the rest, the MasterChef dream will be over.