[Submitted via press release]
Another Tuesday, another heart stopping episode of MasterChef (5 June). There was a Celeb Chef Cook-Off, and a 3-hour long Pressure Test that Jade did not survive.
Celeb Guest Chef Reuben Riffel and MasterChef contestant, Khaya battled it out in the Cook-Off Challenge. The dish they had to prepare was seafood fricassée with scallops, hake, potato gnocchi and a seaweed butter sauce. Reuben called it a ‘fairly simple dish’ but also told Khaya that because it is seafood, it needs to be cooked just right.
Khaya got a 15-minute head start. She worked quickly, which the Judges and Reuben noticed. It led to Reuben joking: “This is the longest 15 minutes that I’ve ever experienced in my life!” When Reuben started work, the contestants in the gallery admired his skill and efficiency at the work station.
The Judges tasted the meals, labeled Dish One and Dish Two. Dish One gained a score of 22 out of 30 and Dish Two scored 26. It turned out that Reuben prepared Dish Two so even though Khaya did not win the Immunity Pin, she was still upbeat: “I’m just happy that I got to experience cooking with him in the kitchen and for my dish to get such great comments from the judges against his, is fantastic.”
Deena, Thys and Jade went into an epic Pressure Test set up by one of the country’s top pastry chefs, Lorraine Meaney. She is also the Head Pastry Chef at the Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town. She made a divine looking Passion Hazelnut Gateau - a complex chocolate mousse cake with a biscuit base, meringue layer and a passion fruit panna cotta, all covered in a shiny chocolate glaze.
The contestants needed to recreate the same dessert. Lorraine advised they should be precise in their timings, measurements and different techniques.
Unfortunately, someone had to leave the Kitchen and this time it was Jade. There were too many elements on her plate that did not meet the brief. We wish her well!