Tonight on My Kitchen Rules, South Australian best friends Alisha and Deanne’s hopes of redemption unravelled when a disastrous apple tart sent them to the bottom of the leaderboard on 54 points.
Back at their Adelaide Instant Restaurant, Hot Mess, Alisha and Deanne were determined to beat their first-round score of 68 and prove they could deliver more than big personalities.
Their menu featured Tuna Tartare for entrée, Birria Tacos for main, and Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert.
“Not only do Dee and I look like tens, but we also can serve up tens,” joked Alisha.
But their entrée hit an early hurdle when Deanne added too much Dijon mustard to the mayonnaise. A second batch was combined with the first in a bid to balance the flavours, but the finished sauce overwhelmed the tuna.
While judge Colin Fassnidge praised the beautifully cut fish, fellow judge Manu Feildlel said the dish fell short: “This entrée had everything to be a great entrée. It’s about understanding how to put all the elements together.” Both judges scored it five.
The pair’s family-favourite Birria Tacos offered a chance to recover. Generously filled with beef and cheese, the tacos impressed guests, with Simon calling the dish “a big improvement on their last cook”.
Manu praised the work involved but wanted thinner, crispier tortillas and greater depth of flavour. Colin suggested reducing the stock to intensify the sauce. The main earned six from Manu and seven from Colin.
The feedback left Alisha in tears. “I’m not feeling good. Just feeling frustrated. I believed that our main definitely deserved a ten.”
Their hopes of finishing on a high then fell apart with the apple tart. When the pastry crumbled during preparation, the pair pressed it into the tin and hoped for a miracle. But thick, undercooked pastry and half-cooked apples proved impossible to disguise.
Despite praise for the caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, the judges delivered their toughest scores of the night.
“The pastry hasn’t been rolled thin enough; it’s undercooked; it’s not even a tart,” Manu said.
“Unfortunately, the last course was really a hot mess.”
Manu awarded dessert three and Colin four. With the guest teams’ score of 24 out of 50,
Alisha and Deanne finished with 54 points, securing Sheridan and Ted’s safety.
“Bottom of the leaderboard again,” Deanne said. “You know what? I’m starting to get a pillow and a blanket down here.”
With two Instant Restaurants remaining, the pair’s MKR hopes are still alive. “As we know, you’ve picked people off before,” Colin reminded them. “It’s definitely not over yet.”
Away from the kitchen, Angus and Simon reignited their rivalry with Zoe and Zac, with
Simon calling Zoe “the weakest link at the table”. Zoe challenged the comments as disrespectful and asked for an apology, but Simon refused: “No chance. I think you’re being phoney.”
