A very complex dish on Masterchef last night sent the competition to single figures.
After failing to impress in an Asian-themed invention test, Matthew, Rose and Reynold arrived back in the MasterChef Australia kitchen determined to stay in the competition. It was Reynold’s first pressure test, Matthew’s second and Rose’s fifth.
The pressure test was set by renowned pastry chef Janice Wong of Singapore’s 2am Dessert Bar. Janice revealed her signature dish, the cassis plum. The beautifully complex and technical dish featured 10 different textures and the contestants had two hours and 15 minutes to recreate it.
The intricate recipe suited Matthew, who is used to precision, having been a dentist for 20 years. He was calm and controlled throughout and was the pace-setter for much of the pressure test. Reynold started nervously and when his first batch of spheres seemed too thick, Janice told him to trust his instincts. He shelled out another batch, more delicately this time. Rose knew her yuzu caviar element was not perfect, but she moved on to the all-important spheres. However after Gary and Janice inspected them, Rose realised they would not match up perfectly.
After a quick fix, the spheres were back in the blast freezer, but when Rose de-moulded them, they were dented and cracked. Her second tray was better and she pushed on against the clock. Matthew moved through his elements – yoghurt mousse, cassis pastilles, raspberry rice crispies and plum liqueur gel – and was the first to spray his ball and plate up. A stressed Reynold knocked over his cocoa butter mix and was forced to scrape it from his bench in order to salvage it. When time was up, he realised he had forgotten the extra rice crispies.
In the tasting, the judges praised Matthew for his dish and efforts. His shell was impressively thin with great texture and he hit the balance of flavour. Despite Rose’s excellent plating, her sphere was split. The flavour of her yoghurt mousse was good but her caviar was coarse and her sphere too dense. Although Reynold’s spheres were big, they were punchy with a light, aerated texture and his mousse was delicious.
After Matthew was pronounced safe it was down to Reynold and Rose. Reynold’s sphere had the best texture, but his dish missed the additional decorative rice crispies on the plate. Rose’s yoghurt mousse was the best, but her sphere was too dense and lacked the same perfection and construction as the other two, ultimately sending her home.
Since leaving the competition, Rose has opened her family café in Adelaide, making her food dream a reality.
Masterchef airs 7:30 pm Sunday to Thursday on Ten
