After failing in the team challenge, Diana, Callan, Sam and Eloise raced against the clock in the elimination.
With four concealed pantries to choose from, the contestants’ challenge was to cook using the ingredients in the pantries. The first pantry came with a 75 minute cook time, the second with 60 minutes, the third with 45 minutes and the final huge pantry allowed access to everything but with just 30 minutes.
The first pantry revealed herbs and spices, which no one chose. The second pantry was opened to reveal fruits and vegetables. Eloise decided to use the herbs from the first pantry to create a basil ice cream with a tarragon biscuit and an ice cream sandwich, alongside a beetroot caramel and blackberries.
Five minutes passed and Sam decided to join Eloise and also chose a dessert. He wanted to serve strawberries three ways alongside a basil ice cream. He did not want to make his ice cream too sweet given its herbaceous flavour, so he cut down the sugar in his anglaise.
Callan decided to make a coriander ice cream with crispy curry leaves, a spiced brick pastry and fragrant syrup.
Still yet to cook, Diana waited patiently for the third pantry. At the 45 minute mark it was revealed to include dairy and sweets and she was disappointed. Diana continued to wait and at the 30 minute mark she was delighted to find seafood and protein. She had just 30 minutes and decided to whip up a red emperor fillet with chilli paste.
Sam poured half his anglaise into a blender alongside blanched basil before popping it into the churner, but was concerned when the judges wondered where the texture was in his dish. He decided to mix egg whites and sugar to make a meringue. Sam was also worried by the texture of his ice cream and thought the water in the basil had affected its consistency.
With time wasted fixing his ice cream, Sam did not have time to whip up his planned lemon granita so he headed back to the pantry to look for another option, settling on watermelon.
With the ice cream still too icy in texture, he decided to make it into a cream-based granita. He poured it into a baking tray and put it in the blast chiller.
During the tasting, the judges taste loved Diana’s plate and its flavours, and Eloise’s decadent dessert.
Callan’s dish was overcomplicated and Sam’s was a murky mess, with granita which had not held. With technique letting him down, it was Sam who was sent packing and he became the 15th contestant eliminated from the MasterChef Australia kitchen.
Since leaving, Sam is now doing work experience at Three Blue Ducks alongside MasterChef Australia season four winner Andy Allen. He looks forward to opening a café on the Bellarine Peninsula.
