Smoked Octopus With Lemon Cheesecake Anyone?

Masterchef Recap 22 May 2011

It’s been 71 hours since the Masterchef Dream ended for Seamus, so it is with much anticipation we await the start of a new week of Masterchef Australia.

Not much happening in the Masterchef House this morning, apart for Kumar reading the paper, so without further ado we find ourselves in the Masterchef Kitchen. 

Matt Preston welcomes the contestants hoping that everyone has “a fresh head and a full tank” and announces it will be a team challenge.  Cut to looks of shock on the contestants faces which is confirmed by Ellie “that’s a bit of a shock I definitely didn’t see that coming.”

60 seconds are granted to form seven teams of three, then it’s over to George to explain the challenge – “a cooking lucky dip” in the form of a pressure test combining a single ingredient mystery box and a specified cooking technique.  Nervous laughter as we realise this could throw up some shocking combinations.

Time to see what’s in store.

First up is Sun, Peter & Craig who to much relief draw pork and to gasps of surprise a technique of en papillote – goodness “pork in a bag!”

Next we have Arena, Alana & Kate – who get lamb and frying. Adam, Billy and Kumar select another classic combination of roast venison.

Surely this lucky run can’t continue and sure enough Chelsea, Ellie and Rachel get a shocker – smoked octopus!  After a stunned silence Ellie turns up her nose and observes that this “seems absolutely ridiculous!”  Quickly following this is another unusual combination of scallops and braising to be cooked by Mat, Shannon and Andrew.

With only two combinations left Michael, Hayden and Jay are next up.  Lifting the mystery box lid we discover a beautiful snapper.  Asked what technique he is hoping for Jay thinks perhaps poaching.  He could be in luck.  Matt confirms this is one of the remaining techniques.  The cloche is lifted and we have en croute Jay has absolutely no idea what this means but guesses that “it sounds French.”

We know that Cleo, Dani and Danielle will be poaching it only remains to discover it is the little known squab.

With 75 minutes on the clock and only a 15 minute open pantry there is furious activity as it appears the objective is to transfer all that beautiful produce and quality ingredients to the workbenches.  Ellie sums this up “we all just grabbed anything we could see.”  All too soon that big grey pantry door with the Masterchef motif is sliding closed and locking resolutely.

Next is a blur as the cooking is underway.  Matt Moran offers a demonstration of en papillote effortlessly creating a delicate bundle. Peter suggests an alternate approach which has George muttering “I know what I’d do,” sowing some seeds of doubt.

Onto the tricky octopus challenge.  George confirms that smoking following by braising will work, but doesn’t think a tomato sauce is the way to go for preserving the smoked flavour, so wisely the girls get busy on a red wine braising liquid.  Meanwhile the smoking is underway with Rachel poking away at some giant tentacle chunks.  Time is running out.  Need to get it into the pressure cooker. 

Time for a glimpse of Mat working delicately with some zucchini flowers which he plans to stuff with a black pudding and scallop mousse.      

The lambs fry girls are planning a stuffed lamb cutlet.  Both George and Matt Moran think this is interesting...neither of them have had a stuffed cutlet before.

Dani is working on a sauce for the squab.  Cleo thinks it’s too oily and Dani agrees that it is disgusting. 

With five minutes to go George reminds everyone what’s at stake and issues the instruction to plate up “three perfect portions of your perfect dish.”

Time to find out how they fared.

First up we have the en papillote team who serve up delicate paper parcels of minced pork balls and pork belly.  As Matt Preston opens the bag we know he likes it “wow, what a beautiful and pleasant surprise” noting that it is ”already a contender for dish of the day” – I guess it helps being the only dish sampled thus far!

Onto the lamb.  We learn from Ellie walking up to the judges with a pan fried stuffed lamb cutlet and deep fried brain that her “heart is pounding so hard.”  Sadly Matt Moran “didn’t get the overcooked lamb chop” fortunately George thinks the lamb’s brain is better than his mum’s.

Michael is “sweating bullets” as the en croute pastry enclosed snapper with boudin blanc (white pork sausage made without blood) is put up.  The boys look glum as the fish in pronounced as being a little overcooked, and “missing the grandeur from the central combination.”

Next we have poached squab on a bed of lentils with a squab sausage.  It looks a little pink.  Whilst Matt Preston notes that chef’s just love cooking squab “very, very, very rare” for him it was just too raw.

Four tasted and three to go, as the braised scallops with black pudding and scallop mousse in zucchini flowers is presented.  A “brilliant idea” opines Matt Preston.

Adam is supremely confident “It has to be something pretty special to beat us today” as the roast venison with celeriac puree is tasted.  George doesn’t like the “vegemite sauce” and “raw red wine” but fortunately the venison was “beautifully cooked.”

Finally the dish we are all waiting for – smoked octopus with lemon and ricotta served on pasta. Chelsea “hopes it tastes good, because it sure as hell doesn’t look good!”  The smokiness comes through but Matt Moran thinks there are three elements which “just don’t talk to each other.”

Time for judging.  Best dish of the day goes to one of the hardest combinations with Sun, Peter and Craig triumphing with their pork parcels. They can look forward to a triple immunity challenge.

The final word before judging of the worst dish goes to Ellie who firmly states “I’m not going home, I’m just not!” before the screen bursts into flames for the final time.  Well tomorrow morning she will be packing her bag for the elimination challenge together with Rachel and Chelsea. The biggest problem wasn’t the octopus but the choices. Hard Man Matt Moran is scathing in his criticism noting “the lemon and ricotta flavours could have been mistaken for a cheesecake!”

Ellie’s “confidence is on the floor” and Chelsea has a few tears before some consoling words from George as the girls leave arm in arm.

Just enough time remaining for a teaser for the coming week – looks like we’re going to see lifeguard Hayden in his budgie smugglers!