Michelle Ben and Chloe faced a challenge when the trio were told they would have to look, listen and most importantly keep up with Gordon. The challenge ended 10 seconds after Gordon finished his raviolo of marron with shellfish bisque, served with spinach and lemon vinegarette.
Michelle was happy starting the cook, pasta is something she has made regularly at home. With one eye on Gordon and one on the pasta dough, and conscious not to miss a step, she sliced her hand inside the food processor, held up as a nurse quickly bandaged her hand. But she lost time as Chloe and Ben continued to work their pasta dough, and to make matters worse Michelle bled into the dough, rendering it unusable. In a challenge about keeping up, she was forced to start all over again, putting her further behind.
Michelle made up time as the other contestants prepared their marron. Chloe struggled, feeling flustered and out of control, panicking as time ticked by. Ben stepped away from his own bench to help her, and she was grateful to be able to remove the delicate meat from the tails.
The bisque was drained and bottled before the group started rolling out their pasta dough. Michelle knew it was a fine line between being too thick and too fine that it breaks apart in the water. With just minutes to go, the trio cooked their raviolo for two and a half minutes, and Gordon asked them to add the shelled claws for 30 seconds, but in her haste to catch up Michelle’s had not been peeled. She raced to finish the dish, and all three plated up quickly.
During the tasting, Ben was impressive, and Gordon was particularly impressed that he took the time to help Chloe during the cook. His dish was delicious, the pasta al dente and the bisque rich and punchy.
Chloe’s pasta was perfect, but her bisque lacked the richness and depth of Ben’s. Last up was Michelle’s dish, with unshelled crab claw that should have been left off as well as raw marron. The dish was well seasoned, but she ran out of time, and in a challenge to keep up she did not deliver, leaving Michelle to become the sixth contestant eliminated from the MasterChef Australia kitchen.
Michelle has launched ‘Fast n Fancy’ on her website. She is also creating seasonal menus in partnership with Toto in Darlinghurst.
