In the third elimination of Channel 10’s MasterChef: Dessert Masters, the chefs are making movie inspired desserts. Who’s dessert will be a blockbuster hit and who’s will flop?
Tonight’s the third elimination and you have been invited to the movies!
“From the silver screen to the Dessert Masters kitchen, you need to make a show stopping dessert inspired by one of these movies. You have two and a half hours”, Judge Melissa Leong explains.
Today’s challenge is a conceptual challenge. Amaury knows the contestants can make delicious dishes but he wants them to make a dessert that has a strong link the movie of their choice.
After winning immunity in yesterday’s chocolate challenge, the Chocolate Queen herself Kirsten Tibballs is immune from tonight’s elimination challenge. Amaury offers her some popcorn to watch the drama unfold from the gantry.
Adriano Zumbo chooses Grease. He wants to create a fully edible milkshake cup, with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. It’s Grease, it’s 50s, it’s simplicity at its best. Except, he’s having a hard time creating the chocolate cups. The chocolate keeps contracting and breaking as he sprays the cups in the spray booth. The milkshake is leaking through the cup when he serves it to the judges. He’s nailed the concept but the cup is having major structural problems, the judges love how the whole thing is edible but it’s a mess. Adriano might be in trouble.
Gareth Whitton is also doing Grease but while Zumbo tackles the milkshake, Gareth is trying a deceptive dessert burger. ‘Rizzo’s got a bun in the oven.’ “This is a masterful plate of food, that’s for sure.” Melissa praises.
The Godfather has always resonated with Andy Bowdy and he is creating an Italian orange inspired dessert.
In The Godfather, “Oranges appear in the scene whenever something big is happening or someone is going to die. Someone is going home today so this feels appropriate.” Gareth shrugs. Amaury encourages him to push himself with presentation but Andy decides to stick to his guns and rightly call the dish ‘impending tragedy.’ His dish is orange, pistachio, olive and cannelloni. The judges wince, is it too much?
“I hate him, he’s so clever,” Melissa smirks after tasting his dish. It’s a beautiful tasting dish and the combination of ingredients is flawless and nails the brief even though it lacks in appearance.
Reynold Poernomo is a Trekkie at heart and he wants to make a space and planet themed dessert inspired by Star Trek. Everything’s going well until Reynold’s caramel compote doesn’t freeze because “caramel doesn’t freeze” (I didn’t know that either). He tries dipping it in liquid nitrogen instead and things go from bad to worse and he contemplates playing his immunity pin. Miracles happen and he powers through, deciding not to use his immunity pin. “This is by far one of the hardest cooks.” Reynold wipes the sweat from his forehead.
“I don’t think this is the most finessed dish from Reynold.” The judges are expecting more from him when he first presents his dish. Luckily his textures and flavours are flawless and he finds himself safe.
Jess Liemantara is using ginger, honey and passionfruit to make a bumblebee inspired dessert from the movie Transformers. Her final plate is called ‘Humblebee’. Amaury loves how balanced the ginger flavour is with the honey. It’s amazing.
We all thought Anna Polyvou would have done Pretty In Pink but that’s just too predictable. She’s decided to create her plate from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and likes the whole elegant, New York. Melissa warns it better be spot on, considering Anna hasn’t seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s and she’s missing the brief.
There’s a lot going on and she’s forgotten to put baking powder in so her scones haven’t risen. She ends up turfing out the scones but she’s still serving baked cheesecake, passionfruit compote and chocolate brownie. “This was meant to be breakfast at Tiffany’s but I feel like I’m part of titanic.” She’s served lots of delicious high tea food but Melissa’s still concerned she has not hit the brief and risks elimination.
Kaylene Tan is making a Pretty In Pink pavlova. Everything is great but she’s struggling a bit with the champagne part. She nails the concept but her champagne jelly is a bit of a miss. “I buy the story but the champagne jelly is grainy.” Amaury winces.
The Results:
Top of the class: Jess
Middle of the pack: Andy, Gareth and Reynold
Bottom three: Kaylene, Anna, Adriano
The time constraints and the structural issues saw dessert heavyweight Adriano Zumbo go home, disappointing the remaining contestants and viewers. It’s sad to see Australia’s dessert Daddy go home so soon.
Adriano Zumbo left reflecting on his time spent behind the contestant benches in the MasterChef kitchen.
“From years of being a judge, it’s been great to walk in contestant shoes. It was Fun.”
I can’t believe Adriano got eliminated and that Andy bower is still through, I have never liked any of his desserts especially the one with taking out the trash, that was ghastly. He never comes out of his comfort zone, whereas Adriano Zumbo is just brilliant. I am devastated, I don’t know if I want to continue to watch now as it seems rigged
I agree Zumba should’ve never got eliminated for his dessert !!! The Kathleen who served a grainy champagne in her pretty in pink dessert should’ve gone . I think that Amauri has had it in for Zumbo right from the start, not once has he made an appreciative comment to Zumbo. Have some respect , without Zumbo desserts wouldn’t have been where they are today without him . In my eyes Sumbo is and always be the dessert king and should’ve been a host rather than a competitor !!!
Sigh, with Zumbo out it seems the judges has their favourite, some of the contestants like Kaylene, come on when is a Milo dinosaur a chocolate dessert, it’s a popular drink in Malaysia. She is given too many chances.