Tonight, contestants will have to cook a two-course meal chosen by chef Donovan Cooke in a challenge set especially for Final’s Week for some very special VIP customers. How will they fare?
The contestants are up very early and head to The Atlantic. Donovan Cooke and the three judges await them. They will have to plate up 60 dishes each. The winners of today’s service challenge will get an advantage in tomorrow’s semi-final!
Emma will be cooking Carpaccio of kingfish and pan-fried scallops and ragu mushrooms.
Lynton will be doing Moreton Bay Bugs and olive oil confit salmon.
Rishi will be doing 3-pepper seared tuna and spanner-crab risotto. No one has yet cooked a perfect risotto on this show.
Samira will be cooking an escabeche of prawns and wood fire grilled-snapper.
They all try to keep a clear mind for this challenge. Samira is hoping she will get all her prep done in time. Donovan is already cracking into them.
Time is draining away and Emma is the furthest behind after only prepping a couple of ingredients at this stage. The good news for her though is everyone gets in that boat some time or another. Emma however can’t seem to get out of that hole and she breaks down. Luckily Donovan has a soft soul.
Service now starts and it’s all hands on deck. Donovan isn’t afraid to send back imperfect dishes. Samira’s prawns are slammed for their colour and there’s nothing she can do about it. The first disaster. Meanwhile, Rishi loves this service.
All this time, the judges taste. Lynton’s entree comes out first. The Moreton Bay bug is first. He cooks them to absolute perfection. Gary is underwhelmed by the pasta. Matt actually didn’t get a good Moreton Bay bug.
Rishi’s tuna is next and it’s fresh and consistent. Samira’s prawns follow and it’s a bit flat. The Carpaccio from Emma is last. Despite her worries, she’s done well.
Mains now follow. Can Rishi do the perfect risotto? Nope, another fail.
Lynton’s salmon is next. It looks beautiful but the sauce hasn’t been cooked right.
Emma is struggling because the ovens are too ‘high tech’. The dish the judges get is a good but not great dish. It is tasty.
Lastly are Samira’s snappers. She does well and it’s a redemption of her average night tonight.
The challenge soon comes to an end.
The winner of the advantage tomorrow is… Rishi!