It’s the time of the week where a pressure test spells the end of yet another contestant.
Following their less than impressive cooks in yesterday’s alphabet mystery box, Christina, Tommy, Matt and Daniel met renowned pastry chef Garreth Whitton and his smoked pecan and butterscotch tart.
After a gruelling two hours, and with 50 minutes left to cook, Christina had slipped behind the group, nervous as she heard tarts going back into the oven but aware she was still working on her frangipane filling. She knew she was letting her emotions get the better of her, but was determined not to give up.
In the final minutes of the cook, the boys removed their tarts from their ovens, thrilled and hopeful they’d be cooked through. Christina gave hers every last moment to ensure it was cooked through, pulling it out with just 30 seconds to spare.
Matt was first to the tasting room. His pastry was beautifully even across the shell and had great flavour. Dan’s pecan placement was considered abstract and chaotic, but fortunately when the judges sliced, it was cooked through and for his first pressure test, it was a simply fantastic effort. Tommy was next and despite a thicker than required crust and a pale top, it held well together when cut and his caramel scored a 10/10.
Christina was nervous presenting her dessert, unsure if the cook time on her tart would be enough to hold it together. Unfortunately, her fears were founded when the judges sliced through revealing a raw centre. Jock was gutted for her as the flavour of her frangipane had a beautifully gratifying and rich intensity.
In delivering the verdict, Matt and Daniel were revealed as the top dishes, and with a raw centre there was little choice but to announce Christina as the fifth contestant eliminated from the MasterChef kitchen.
