Tonight, MKR’s final Ultimate Instant Restaurant came down to the wire, with kitchen queens Janey and Maddie fighting for a coveted spot in the top four.
With the threat of elimination hanging in the balance, the competition was intense as competitive brothers Rob and Liam – sitting at the bottom of the leaderboard – hoped the kitchen queens stumbled. “I’m hoping this is classic Janey and Maddie tonight: over promise, under deliver. It’s going to go very well for us,” Liam said.
“Losing out tonight to Rob and Liam is not on our menu.” Janey declared.
Janey and Maddie triumphed with a score of 63 out of 100, and Rob and Liam were eliminated from MKR.
Tonight, the mother and daughter team served up a sophisticated menu of Fettuccine with Blue Swimmer Crab with Lemon and Chilli or Smoked Trout and Leek Tart for entrée, Pan Fried Chicken Breast with Wild Mushroom Cream and Truffle Potatoes or Seafood Pie with Paris Mash and Tomato Relish for main, and dessert of Piña Colada with Coconut Sorbet or Salted Chocolate Tart with Mint Ice Cream.
Judge Manu Feildel chose the fettuccine for entrée, scoring the dish an eight and praising the “absolutely delicious” flavour, but Maddie’s concerns that the pastry in their leek tart entrée was undercooked came to fruition. Judge Colin Fassnidge “loved the essence of the trout and the mixture,” but the undercooked pastry earnt the dish a five.
Back in the kitchen, an emotional Maddie admitted: “I’m just feeling the pressure of it all in this moment. I really want to put up the best food we possibly can.”
Janey acknowledged her focus on getting the dishes out was coming at a cost: “I didn’t listen to my daughter, and I didn’t realise how stressed she was.” Ever supportive of her much-loved daughter, Janey continued: “I’m so proud and in awe of her, that she actually cares so much.”
The seafood pie got mixed reviews. Manu scored the dish a six, admitting: “The filling was delicious” but with undercooked pastry and a tomato relish that “didn’t belong to the dish” let them down. Confused, Viviana said: “I was expecting a pie, but it was a soup with the top of a pie.”
Colin chose the chicken for his main. He praised the dish but noted, “If the potatoes had a bit more love, it would have been an excellent dish.” In contrast, Liam was critical of the chicken dish: “I feel like grandma could have cooked that any day of the week, and what we serve, grandma couldn’t have done.”
After Rob and Liam’s critical comments about the dish, Caz said: “They’ve talked themselves into not enjoying it beforehand because they don’t want to be at the bottom. I wouldn’t want to be in their chairs.”
Determined not to be dethroned by dessert, the kitchen queens rallied. Colin chose the chocolate tart, scoring “their best dish of the night” an eight. Manu scored his dessert of pina colada a five given the undercooked pineapple and issues with the coconut sorbet.
Departing the competition, Liam said: “We’ve proven through this competition we’re great cooks. We had one really bad day. We left the door wide open for everyone to beat us. It’s been a great experience doing it with my brother. Love you, bro.”
Despite their robust rivalry Maddie said: “Sorry guys. It didn’t work out your way tonight, but we think you guys are great, and thank you.”
