MasterChef Australia fans have slammed the stingy size of a dish in one of the competition's first challenges.

The second episode of 2024's season saw a service challenge for a group of former contestants including Julie Goodwin, Sashi Cheliah, Khanh Ong and Emelia Jackson.

The purple and burgundy teams worked together under Jamie Oliver to prepare creations that featured mushrooms for entrée, cashews and capsicums for main course, and grapefruit for dessert.

While the contestants were put under the pump in the tense challenge, viewers took to social media when they noticed the amount of scallops the burgundy team proposed as entrée.

'ONE SCALLOP??' one fan protested on X (formerly Twitter), with many others echoing the sentiment.

'I'm sorry, ONE scallop per person for entrée??' wrote another person on X.

Another user posted a gif of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson saying 'are we in hell?' with their own complaint, 'One scallop...no dumplings yet...'

'You can't just serve Khanh one scallop!' wrote another, before referencing Ong's recent appearance on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! 

'He's just come back from being starved in the jungle!' the X user wrote, despite MasterChef having been filmed before the latest season of I'm A Celebrity.

'I can't believe they thought one scallop was acceptable!!' another incredulous viewer declared. 

Meanwhile, someone else made a joke out of the seemingly stingy portion size:  'Cost of living crisis - you get one scallop on MasterChef.'

It comes as MasterChef judge Andy Allen returned to the Channel Ten cooking show alongside some new faces in a panel shake-up.

He is joined by French celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, Melbourne-based food critic Sofia Levin, and MasterChef season one runner-up Poh Ling Yeow.

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Jamie Oliver is also set to join the 2024 series as a guest judge for a handful of episodes in an exciting twist.

His two-week stint on the coming season will be the longest appearance by any guest judge in the show's 14-year history.

Jamie first appeared as a guest judge on MasterChef during season four back in 2012.

Poh has replaced Melissa Leong on the 2024 series of MasterChef in a major shake-up as the former judge plans to focus on her show Dessert Masters instead.

Twenty-two contestants took to the screen on Monday to compete for the coveted title and the $250,000 cash prize.

Ten have also teased a mysterious 'priceless prize' for the lucky winner as they will be given as yet-unnamed opportunity of a lifetime.

MasterChef Australia continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on 10 and 10 Play.