After failing in the invention test, Eloise, Diana and Ben found themselves in a pressure test set by MasterChef Australia season four alumni Kylie Millar.
The challenge was to recreate Kylie’s dish called The Nest. The contestants had three hours to prep the intricate dish, consisting of a cured egg yolk with rum caramel, macadamia and parsnip panna cotta, parsnip skins, whey caramel, parsnip cake, obulato (fine rice paper), golden syrup honeycomb and marshmallow skins.
Eloise needed a clear idea of how the recipe would unfold, so while the others started cooking, she carefully and methodically read through all of the steps.
Diana toasted macadamia nuts and peeled parsnips for her panna cotta to kick-start the cook. Ben ticked off the same step, with a photo of his family on his bench top for inspiration. Both their panna cotta milk mixtures looked perfect as they went into the moulds, but when Eloise got to this step, hers seemed much thicker.
In the final 30 minutes, Diana was tracking well, with all elements on the go and her honeycomb coming together. Eloise was also preparing her honeycomb but took it too far and was concerned she had burnt it. As she pulled her parsnip skins out of the oven, she realised her oven was too hot and they were slightly darker than Kylie’s skins.
With 15 minutes each to plate up, Diana was first, carefully using a syringe to remove three millilitres of egg yolk from the cured egg, before filling it with three millilitres of the rum caramel. As the other elements were layered onto the plate, she was happy with how it came together.
Eloise was next and her heart sank when her first yolk broke. Her hands were shaking as she repeated the step, frustrated when it broke again. She was onto her third yolk and it worked, but it had taken up most of her plating time and in the final three minutes she raced to get her elements on.
Despite a rocky presentation, Ben’s yolk had been well done and George commented that his parsnip was the best. There was not as much honeycomb as there should be and it was a downfall, but Gary said the panna cotta flavours were bang on.
It was time to deliver the verdict and after creating the best dish of the day, Diana was first to be named safe. It was down to Eloise and Ben and while her marshmallow skins were well-coloured and her obulato vibrant, her panna cotta was grainy and her parsnip and honeycomb overcooked, leaving the dish bitter. In the end, that was enough to send Eloise home from the MasterChef Australia kitchen.
Eloise has now started her own dessert business, Burning Pirate Ship Sweets & Treats, and is planning to open a dessert and whiskey bar.
