CONTESTANT James Bell, who grew up on a farm near Toowoomba, was sent home from MasterChef after a high-pressure test challenge last night.

Andrea, Jamie, James and Rose had to recreate Michelin-starred chef Sat Bains' beef and mushrooms.

The intricate and beautiful dish pushed the contestants to their limits as Sat reminded them that the balance of flavours would be key.

The pressure was on from the outset and it was James who was the frontrunner in a chaotic cook, powering through the recipe's many steps. Having grown up on a cattle farm, this was James's kind of food.

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Sat was impressed with James, but the contestants looking on were concerned that he did not taste his elements along the way to ensure he had balanced the flavours perfectly.

James's dish looked gorgeous with all the elements on the plate. But in the tasting, his sauce was judged to be very weak ("like flavoured water") and his ketchup was not blended properly.

Sat commented that the seasoning of his tartare was off-balance while Matt added that nothing was quite in tune with anything else on the dish.

It came down to James and Jamie and while James's dish looked fantastic, the fact that none of his elements balanced together correctly was enough to send him home.

The judges farewelled him, thanking him for the memory of his fantastic French onion soup during the auditions.

Since leaving the MasterChef Australia kitchen, James has done work experience at Gerard's Bistro in Brisbane and is planning future projects to share his love of food.