Masterchef Recap – 26 May 2011
As befits the imminent Elimination Challenge a funereal mood permeates the Masterchef House as the Blue Team don their black aprons, board the black SUV’s and proceed to the Masterchef Kitchen.
Dani spots the 10 benches and correctly surmises they will all be cooking.
Recalling the nipper challenge George announces its time to “plant a flag in the sand and say I’m here to win! Prove it to us, but above all prove it to yourself!”
Hayden declines using his Immunity Pin and Matt Preston makes it clear “if you go home today, you’re gone for good.” He goes on to explain it will be a skills race or “the race of your life,” in 75 minutes they must demonstrate sequentially four pastry skills before serving up a dish of their choice.
The skills in order – sponge, custard, toffee and ganache. Contestants putting up the best of each of these elements and the overall dish will be safe. To make it even tougher only the recipe for the sponge will be provided. Reflecting on the prohibition on multi-tasking Sun is scared.
Peter is having technical trouble as his egg whites “just aren’t peaking up” his concern is amplified as “everyone is going to see I’m in trouble – I know nothing about deserts!” Peter continues to slip behind – “the egg whites are just not progressing.” He makes a decision to bin the first attempt. Starting again from scratch his eggs are soon “looking glossy.”
With sponges into the oven the leaders are moving onto the next element. As Matt explains “it’s all about how the custard performs on the plate and how we relate to it.” Taking this on board Peter is planning a baked custard which he wants to use as a “construction element.”
Sun is having a bad day. Her first attempt at toffee hass crystallised. The sponge is wobbly and her custard tastes like cornflour. She fears she has “cooked herself into a corner.”
Meanwhile Andrew doesn’t want to sound arrogant but he makes great ganaches. Having never made a ganache before Sun’s world of pain continues as her first attempt turns into a hard mass.
Eyeing the room the judges can see Cleo has two elements on the go. She has started her ganache whilst her toffee is still colouring on the stove. George goes over to investigate. Their eyes meet and she knows she’s been busted! Advised of her error she puts the ganache aside and finishes her toffee. Picking up where she left off with the ganache instead of starting over, we can only suspect there could be more trouble ahead.
Time is up and a tearful Sun concedes defeat - “in reality I have no hope.”
Matt has seen some cracking dishes, but it’s time to “decide between who stays and who goes.”
Hayden’s great sponge is let down by sugary toffee. Peter’s “sticky wet sponge, ugly custard” has George lost for words - “wow, I’m speechless.” Billy’s effort is judged “decent.”
Sun approaches with trepidation. George builds the tension noting “it hangs on this dish and this moment.” Asked to explain her toffee technique we hear about sugar sprinkled onto foil and blasted with a brûlée torch. George sadly shakes his head “that is so wrong.” The judges taste and are left wondering. “How can something that was so wrong turn out to be so right?”
Andrew is hoping his “shiny glossy ganache gets him through” and if Kumar survives he will need to spend more time on his deserts.
Soon Cleo is up. After many thoughtful looks the judges decide her penalty. They will only taste the dishes completed up until her multi-tasking faux pas. This leaves only the sponge and custard. Cleo bravely accepts the consequences of her actions.
Time to decide. Having not seen Adam, Craig or Dani’s dishes we assume they must be safe. One by one Kumar, Peter, Cleo and Sun are asked to step forward. Sun is granted a reprieve. She’s made a miracle escape with her glorious toffee. Everything else was disastrous.
Who has cooked their last dish in the Masterchef Kitchen? It’s Cleo.
The survivors return to the Masterchef House. As the Red Team learn of highly rated Cleo’s fate the cameras capture looks of shock and devastation. Craig sums it up “Everyone in the competition will feel the loss of Cleo.”
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