onight on MKR, kitchen queens Janey and Maddie hosted their Instant Restaurant but failed to dish up a royal experience, scoring 65 out of 110 placing them at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Janey and Maddie welcomed everyone to their Toorak dining room with the hope their fellow contestants felt like kings and queens, “even you Lawrence!”
With presentation high on the menu, the mother and daughter set large expectations at their black-tie event, but an undercooked entrée and underwhelming main brought their scores down.
The entrée of Seared Scallops with Citrus Beurre Blanc and Capers was “a valiant effort” according to Colin, but while the scallops were seared, they were undercooked.
A visit to the kitchen from Colin during preparation of their main – Duck breast with Beetroot and Cherry Sauce – left Janey and Maddie with more doubts after he advised them to double taste everything and don’t overthink the plating compared to the flavour as, “that’s what happened with the entrée.”
Although both judges noted the duck breast was cooked well and Colin “loved the earthiness of the beetroot,” the main was a disappointment. Manu agreed the dish lacked balance as Colin advised they should have taken the duck off the bone to ensure crispy skin.
Deflated, Janey and Maddie tried to recover with their dessert: Liquorice Ice cream with Macaron shells and Raspberry Coulis. The “absolutely delicious” ice cream was a rare jewel in their crown, achieving their highest score of the night: an eight from Colin.
The table talk was hotter than ever with Lawrence attending solo as Hannah wasn’t feeling well. He did not hold back on criticism, as Manu and Colin challenged whether his distaste for the food was purely personal and whether emotion was dictating his critique.
After their scores were revealed, Maddie shared: “I feel like what we delivered really isn’t reflected in that score. Now, we definitely understand what everyone’s been through.”
