We’ve seen some pretty basic Heston-based challenges thus far, but this episode surely makes up for it with one of the most wacky challenge ever competed in MasterChef history. Only in Blumenthal week!
Everyone except Daniel, who won a free pass from this round, will be competing. The contestants walk into the MasterChef kitchen which is completely empty. That’s because today, they will be cooking in a castle! And actual castle! But what they have to cook is far more interesting.
Before that, let’s get to the teams:
RED: Emma, Lucy, Christina & Lynton
BLUE: Noelene, Samira, Rishi & Kelty
Between themselves they decide that the blue team captain will be Rishi and the red team captain will be Lynton.
So, that whacky dish I was talking to you about. Well, it’s a medieval feast for a noble court of ten knights and their ladies. They have to cook a collection of poultry and game birds such as pheasant, squab, turkey and chicken. Tied in with this, they also have to construct one of Heston’s famed centrepieces- an edible garden! It’s impressive and looks JUST like a normal garden. Luckily the contestants will get a recipe but only two and a half hours to do it all in. The losing team will be sent to elimination but Heston will be on hand to help mentor the contestants.
The medieval castle they will be cooking at is Montsalvat. It looks wonderful. The contestants in the red team decide to do a squab pie and a Ballantine while on the blue team; the girls decide to work on the birds while the boys work on the garden.
The contestants have some pretty interesting techniques. Lynton decides to marinade the red team’s turkey instead of stuff it. Meanwhile, there’s a lot of basting going on in the blue team. 45 minutes are already gone!
Red team’s Emma seems to be already behind. She’s struggling to get it done! Gary thinks everyone is working too much on the birds.
Rishi is very adventurous and wants to make his own mayonnaise for the garden instead of using bottled mayonnaise. Unfortunately he does not think he may have enough time to prepare the garden. On the red team, Emma is working on the ‘sand’ but right now, it looks like mud!
Later, Heston warns Rishi, who has hardly started on his mayonnaise, to hurry up! The red team are no better in position. With less than 40 minutes to go, the contestants hurriedly get their garden together. Lynton struggles to be a loud and heard leader!
Meanwhile, the blue girls have fun presenting their birds. On the red team, the girls are worried the turkey won’t be cooked.
At the end of the challenge, the blue’s garden is a bit rushed but the red’s birds look equally as rushed.
It’s now to the feast. Quite dramatic really as the knights and their ladies are from a battle re-enactment group.
The red team are first and yep, the judges aren’t really happy with the presentation of the birds. Hopefully they taste good. Luckily it does and the garden is also praised. The lack of homemade mayonnaise is the only proper negative.
The use of created mayonnaise was a good point from the blue team’s garden. The birds also look medieval- but their turkey is not cooked at all! Looks like Emma was just worrying for the other team! Luckily the rest of the birds are cooked to perfection.
In the end, the uncooked turkey was the bane of the blue team today and they are sent to tomorrow’s elimination.
