Tonight Amina, Sam and Andrew are all up for elimination in a challenge cooking a Christine Manfield dish. Will everyone’s favourite Amina be safe? Who will get redemption and who will be sent home?
Andrew is here after his attempt at a chicken and mayo sandwich, Sam for his giant crabmeat and prosciutto hot dog and Amina for her sushi in the Dude Food challenge.
Amina is going to tackle her first elimination challenge as if it was an immunity challenge – which is a positive and hopefully successful way to take it on. She also has her lucky wooden spoon that her friend signed “Matt Preston is hot”, but as Amina points out, her friend also thinks that Margaret Fulton is hot – Poor George is laughing so hard I think he may break his spleen! Andrew thinks his family would be really proud of him, while Sam is nervous but excited.
Matt explains that todays pressure test will have a chef who has won New York’s best cookbook and who’s Sydney restaurant is one of their personal faves – It’s (shock) Christine Manfield.
Matt asks who’s a fan – and they all raise their hands. Bit bloody rude if they didn’t! Christine announces it’s not a dessert and they are all very happy.
The Dish -
Christine Manfield’s Smoked river trout, mussels and a turmeric and lemongrass broth.
They taste the dish, and even though it looks simple, Christine explains that it isn’t. That they need to be precise and be extra careful when filleting their fish. They have 2 hours and it starts NOW.
My Lord, the broth alone has vegetable stock, garlic, ginger, turmeric, tomatoes, celery, carrots, two types of peppercorns, olive oil, vegetable oil, chillies, onion, spring onions, fish sauce, shitake mushrooms, water and lemongrass! Cripes – glad it’s them and not me.
Sam is also in his first pressure test and explains that you need to make a stock and a paste and then combine them to make the broth. Andrew is happy his stock is clear and compares it to his wife (?), Christine tells Sam to watch his texture with the paste and Alice thinks he’s making mistakes – with that he drops his chillies.
At this point Andrew looks like he’s going well, Amina is crying about the pressure test (just kidding – it’s the onions) and Sam is sweating like a piglet so George gives him a neckerchief. Amina looks like she has added too much pepper and Andrew is stressed about filleting his fish and Sam has boiled his stock – a big no-no as it makes the stock cloudy.
Filleting -
Andrew has done a perfect job, Amina has butchered one side and is having major problems, the fillet is thin and she has taken major chunks out while de-boning it.
Smoking -
Andrew and Sam are on target, yet Amina is struggling and running out of time.
At this stage, with 15 minutes to go, Andrew does look like he is in the best position. Sam seems to have redeemed himself while Amina looks flustered. They all plate up in time and it’s the last time one of these three will cook and I am scared that it will be Amina.
Now to judges table and first up is -
Sam -
He’s happy but knows he doesn’t have the clarity in the stock.
George – Interesting plate of food and wonderful presentation
Gary – Done a good job, the river trout is cooked really, really well and beautifully rested through. The broth is very strong.
Matt – There is no smokiness to the fish.
Christine – The broth has been cooked at a too higher temperature and by reducing have intensified all the wrong flavours.
Amina -
Knows that the fish got her in trouble and she would give up nursing for cooking. Christine tell’s her to follow her heart and don’t let anyone sway you.
George – Love the dish, it’s beautiful. Cooked perfectly.
Gary – The stand out is the smoky fish, well cooked.
Matt – Loved the smoke on the fish. It works perfectly with the broth, but for me way too much white pepper
Christine – The balance is good.
Andrew -
Andrew found the challenge exciting and Matt wants to know why he cooks his best when in a pressure test.
George – Mussels cooked perfectly but found a beard.
Gary – Beautifully cooked trout. Wow, balance is perfect.
Matt – The smokiness of the fish with the strong lemongrass is a lovely match.
Christine – Too much broth
All three are called back in and are all told did well in some things, could have done better with others. Andrew is praised for fish, criticized for the amount of broth and the beard. Sam had perfect presentation but the broth was too intense. Amina was out of her depth with the filleting of the trout and the broth had too much pepper, but it had clarity.
The first one safe is Andrew!
Now who will no longer be in the running for Australia’s next top model – oops MasterChef?
The MasterChef journey is all over for Sam!
He seems happy enough though and Andrew is like a cat with nine lives. Audra is so tense waiting to se if best buddy Amina is there and all are emotional. The boys are upset at Sam’s departure, but at the end of the day he is back home with his “Princess”
Tomorrow night Tregan will go head to head against “Dude Food” pioneer Daniel Wilson. They will have to do three courses and will she have what it takes?
Sorry it’s not your usual recap – Fear not, Courtney will be back Wednesday night.
Loading ...