She may have arrived on the show as a Fan, but tonight, Keyma left the MasterChef kitchen as one of our favourites.
It was the big elimination before the MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites semi-final, and with Billie securing a spot in tomorrow’s challenge following her victory last week, Keyma, Sarah and Daniel arrived knowing that only two spots remained.
The trio were thrilled and terrified to see Peter Gilmore of Quay and Bennelong walk through the door, a guest chef whose former pressure tests are famous for being some of the most illustrious and punishing in MasterChef Australia history.
At the helm of a restaurant which has held three chef hats for 18 consecutive years, Peter revealed both a savoury dish – raw Abrolhos Island scallop, katsuobushi cream and sea cucumber crackling, and a sweet dessert – “Moo”. The dishes were intricate and layered with complex flavours, complete with various textures and elements. The contestants had two and a half hours to recreate both dishes, plus three minutes to plate up the dessert ahead of tasting.
When it was time to taste, Daniel was first to present his dishes and the judges were impressed. Daniel’s savoury dish was close to being an exact replica of Peter’s, his katsuobushi cream couldn’t be faulted, and his dessert was beautifully layered and whipped.
Sarah started the cook strongly but found herself rattled towards the end, and she was concerned about the whipped cream on top of her dessert. In the three minute rush to assemble her dessert, she ran out of time, leaving her a biscuit short. Peter was thrilled with Sarah’s efforts, in her savoury dish the katsuobushi cream was well balanced, her scallops well dressed and the dish in its entirety was perfection. The ice cream in her dessert was identical to the original, but Andy admitted it was hard to distinguish between the elements.
Last up was Keyma who struggled with a number of elements during the challenge. The judges and Peter agreed that her savoury dish didn’t look as refined as the original, but her crackling was perfectly crispy and walnuts beautifully peeled, however the lack of katsuobushi cream had left the dish unbalanced. The caramel in Keyma’s dessert was wonderful, the cream was whipped nicely and her biscuits were great, but the ice cream was a little icy.
When it came time for the verdict, Andy said that on a day like today every decision mattered, and it was Keyma’s slip ups during the cook that saw her eliminated from the MasterChef kitchen, leaving Sarah, Daniel and Billie in the semi-final tomorrow nigh
