Mimi, Karmen, Elise, Trent and Matt faced a high stakes elimination challenge, as the survivors from the challenge headed straight MasterChef Australia’s Top 10 for 2016.
With a twist on a classic time auction challenge, the judges explained they would reveal one pantry of ingredients, every 15 minutes.
If the contestants chose the first pantry they would have 90 minutes to cook; if they waited for all five pantries to become available their cooking time would be cut to just 30 minutes.
The first pantry of ingredients was herbs. All five cooks chose to wait for the next reveal. The second pantry unveiled was vegetables and Matt, Trent and Karmen started cooking. At 60 minutes, fruit was unveiled and Elise and Mimi began cooking.
Matt plated up a roasted carrot tortellini with leek and butter sauce, which the judges thought was delicious. Trent chose to serve up a pumpkin and ricotta rotolo with cauliflower.
Karmen set out to make an inventive tomato and ricotta mille-feuille dessert with a basil icecream. Her plating came down to the wire, as she left herself less than a minute to pull it together.
Mimi created a beetroot parfait with rosemary shortbread and beetroot caramel, which impressed the judges. Elise’s charred apricot parfait with passionfruit curd and a strawberry and a thyme crumb was tasty but confused, with so many fruits.
With Mimi, Matt and Trent safe, it came down to Elise and Karmen. The judges thought Karmen’s basil ice cream lacked an intense, fresh flavour, and they were confused by the sweet meringue on an already sweet dish. This was enough to send her home.
Karmen plans to launch a dessert bar in Perth later this year. She has also completed work experience at Perth’s Restaurant Amusé.
