Tonight’s elimination saw a pressure test set by international trailblazer, three-time Michelin star and three-hatted chef, Clare Smyth. It was up to Rue, Cath and Malissa to cook a dish straight from the menu of Clare’s Sydney restaurant, Oncore. Her famous ‘beef and oyster’ dish is inspired by a beef, oyster and Irish stout pie and with 134 steps, it’s extremely challenging to replicate. The contestant that plated up the dish least like Clare’s was sent home.
Rue and Malissa managed to stay on top of the recipe from the start, however Cath made the first error. Instead of melting the fat for the beef sauce over low heat, she burnt hers, which forced her to start again. While trying to catch up, she continued to use her intuition to get her oyster emulsion done. As time ticked down and the seared wagyu component desperately needed to begin, Cath had to choose between focusing on her steak or her oyster crisp knowing she wouldn’t get every element plated, pushing forward with the steak.
In her first pressure test of the season, Rue managed to stay focused and worked clean. With two hours down and only just tasting her reduced ragu sauce, she found it very salty and had to work with limited ingredients to correct it. She eventually used vinegar to balance the saltiness but it put her behind and in an effort to multitask, she rushed elements and made a series of small mistakes. As she rushed to finish, she knew her oyster sauce consistency wasn’t quite right and realised too late that she had forgotten her raw wagyu slices to wrap around the poached oyster.
Now somewhat comfortable in pressure tests, Malissa fared well throughout her cook and found her groove. She was determined not to use her immunity pin and did her best to trust herself throughout the cook. Nearing the end of the pressure test however, and after she completed all the elements, her nerves got the better of her and couldn’t stand the thought of possibly being eliminated with the pin still on her apron. With just seconds remaining she decided to play the pin, making her way to the safety of the gantry.
On tasting, the judges and Clare commended Rue on getting nearly all of the dish complete. While her pie mix was good, the wagyu was slightly under-caramelised and undercooked, and her beef and oyster sauce was runny.
Cath’s sauce was praised for being a good consistency and, in comparison to Rue’s, it was glossier and more viscous. Her oyster emulsion also had great flavour and consistency.
While both dishes missed an element, the one marked difference was the sauce. Cath managed to achieve a close replica to Clare’s, sadly leaving Rue to be eliminated.
Applauded by judges and fellow contestants, Rue’s achievements, including her very own ‘BarbeRue’ sauce being created and stocked in Coles stores nationwide, were highly praised as was her growth throughout the competition.
