After failing to impress in the Janice Wong invention test, Trent, Samuel and Bryan faced a pressure test fit for a MasterChef Australia finale.
The challenge was to replicate Christy Tania’s floating ice cream, comprising a vanilla ice cream cone dessert with chopped cognac-soaked cherries, pink vanilla white chocolate ganache, dark chocolate sauce, a chocolate cherry bon bon and tempered chocolate cone, all hanging underneath a gravitydefying sugar helium balloon. The contestants had three hours to recreate the dish, with 30 minutes to make their balloon just before it was served at the tasting.
Samuel took the lead early, while Trent knew following the intricate recipe was critical to surviving the cook. Bryan fell behind early in the cook, nervously making small errors. He split his cream and broke egg yolks into his whites, forcing him to redo the steps.
Bryan worked hard to temper his chocolate, but struggled to cool it down, and resorted to standing in the freezer to try and bring it down.
With 30 minutes left, the contestants raced to complete their ice cream cones. Samuel misjudged his chocolate temperature and melted his cone after pouring warm chocolate in it. He patched up holes as Trent and Bryan made their finishing touches.
Each were given 30 minutes to blow up their sugar helium glitter balloon to sit atop their ice cream cones.
Samuel nailed it, Trent was able to present a small one to the judges, but Bryan’s poor cook continued as he was unable to blow a balloon. His semifreddo was dense and icy and he became the sixth contestant eliminated from the MasterChef Australia kitchen.
Bryan is enjoying work experience with MasterChef Australia alumni Reynold Poernomo at KOI Dessert Bar. He is now recipe testing and researching venues for his own dessert bar
