Masterchef Recap - 3 August 2011
And then there were three. We find them drinking champagne and eating canapés to celebrate the demise of Dani.
Kate can’t believe we’re at this point – we’re so close!
The festivities are interrupted by a big man bearing three envelopes relating to either Entrée, Main or Desert. The contestants will decide who cooks what. Not surprisingly both Kate and Alana want desert. Michael is quick to bags the main. Scissors, rock, paper will decide the desert – it’s Kate. Alana will be cooking an entrée.
The challenge is explained. Each must design a dish to be served at lunch at a Sydney Three Hat restaurant.
Each contestant is granted an audience with their executive chef to discuss their plans. Kate is cooking desert at Quay. She feels like she’s won already. Michael is thinking about “winter on a plate” at Est, whilst Alana is told to report for service at 5am at Marque.
Kate arrives with a diagram of her dish. There are lots of elements, which she spits out so rapidly it was impossible to note them all down. We caught something about coffee.
Alana is doing a cold smoked citrus tuna. She starts with the biggest piece of tuna we have ever seen, and under guidance from the sous chef proceeds to make it into a much smaller piece of tuna and roll it in gladwrap after putting in a cold oven for five minutes with a plate of burning kindling.
Michael plans roasted venison with beetroot done two ways and pear.
We learn Kate is doing ice-cream with her coffee desert.
Meanwhile Alana has some Jamon ham which she is putting through a dehydrator. Kate has found some gadgets of her own. She is blowtorching her jelly and has found an industrial juicer. Looks like there might be a few more must have gadgets for wannabe Masterchef’s this Christmas. What are the chances of a Masterchef branded dehydrator we wonder?
The dishes are wondrously complex. It looks like the final three have really stepped up a level. We however wonder how much off camera assistance they are receiving. Soon enough they get some on camera help as well. Gary is dipping his fingers into Michael’s sauces. He can’t taste the juniper and the puree looks a bit thin. Michael feels “a bit thrown” by this.
Alana is experimenting with garnishes. She feels like she is out of her depth. George comes to her aid and helps by scoffing some tuna. He can’t detect much smokiness.
Kate is in a “good place” (although not as good as the tables out the front with the view of the Opera House). She’s completed three major elements but still has three minor elements to go. George stops by. He thinks the jelly is a bit cloudy. The coffee biscuit crumbs taste of biscuit. Not coffee.
Michael is running late. Peter Doyle is not happy. He’s also feeling really out of his depth.
Alana’s tuna has been cut unevenly. More disturbingly her chef opines that her hazelnut vinaigrette looks a bit vomit like. Her tuna also needs more smoking.
Kate is not sure whether she will be able to pull this off. Her jelly is not only cloudy but yellow instead of the desired orange. Peter Gilmore suggests she try again with orange blossom.
Michael thins his sauce and is happy he’s on the right track.
Alana meanwhile has found some truffles in the pantry and is thinking of a truffle vinaigrette. It’s pretty acidic, she’s not sure how to repair it. Instead she’s told to start again. After all it’s only truffles.
Kate’s second batch of coffee biscuits still taste of biscuit. Peter Gilmore comes to the rescue with two quadruple expresso’s for the next attempt.
Alana is struggling with her knife skills in cutting the tuna. The ever helpful George advises her to “calm down, and get motoring.”
Michael is now worried that Peter Doyle doesn’t like his dish. He’s worried his boat is about to sink.” We think at this point he has enough to worry about with his cooking without worrying about his yacht. Fortunately Peter is now much happier than he was a few minutes ago. He thinks it’s nice.
Guests arrive and our three contestants plating up is under the microscope. Fortunately they manage to get their dishes through the pass.
The dishes will be judged by Matt Preston and the editors of the SMH Good Food Guide.
Alana’s entrée is first. She has to set the bar high so Kate and Michael can’t step over it. The judges like the shine on the tuna. This is special talking tuna. The dish says “springtime.” But it is a lazy dish. Not every flavour on the plate is working for it’s living. But they conclude for an amateur cook it’s unbelievable.
Michael’s venison is next. The contrast of well cooked and crunchy vegies provides little surprises all the time. The meat is beautifully cooked but the judges question the walnut puree. Perhaps not the perfect counterpoint? Nevertheless the dish is adjudged as tasting like it belongs and worthy of being on the table in Est.
The judges are intrigued by Kate’s desert description – “Coffee & Cadamom. Perhaps she couldn’t remember that long list of elements either. It has a lightness of flavour but plenty of it. The sticky crumb biscuit is good. The texture is good. The figs are an inspired crowning moment but the smoothness of the ice-cream is the hero of the dish. The judges sound pretty impressed, but still Terry Durack is looking for that extra hidden unexpected element.
The decision will come down to four elements. Kitchen performance, presentation, taste and fit to the menu/chef’s philosophy.
We learn from Alana that she would like to go straight through to the finale and know that her position is secured. Who would have thought it?
There is time for some final feedback from the judges before the decision:
Alana was nervous and missed the mark in terms of technical sophistication.
Michael could have been faster but he listened to the chef.
Kate needed guidance and her dish needed tweaking. But her desert was wow! Her ice-cream was impossibly smooth and her dish looked like it could snuggle down in a blanket like a puppy and go to sleep there! Is this a polite way of saying her dish was a dog?
Well not a complete dog anyway. Alana is first to elimination. The big drawn out tension build up starts. We get ready to put the kettle on. But a huge shock. Michael has been announced the winner! Before an ad break! He’s hopping around like a madman. Straight into the finale. It’s the happiest day of his life. We don’t get to hear what happened to his boat.
No comments:
Post a Comment