MasterChef Aus S11E17 – Recap

It’s the immunity challenge for Legend Week, and Tati, Abbey, Steph, and Larissa are fighting for the golden pin.

The four women walk into the kitchen to applause from the other contestants. Standing at the front waiting for them is the trio of judges, Gaz, George, and Matt.

George is wearing a grey suit jacket, black jeans, and a black shirt.
With more colour is Gaz, wearing a black suit and a pale green shirt.
Kooky as ever, in a blue suit, is Matt, wearing a white shirt, a black cravat with little circles on them and a matching pocket square.

George introduces the mentor of the day – Matt Sinclair. He’s wearing a white t-shirt, a blue overshirt, and white/blue jeans.
He has cooked as both a chef and a contestant in immunity challenges.

Today’s challenge to decide who will face the Legend is all about appliances. Trying to emulate their old lives, they will have 45 minutes, a microwave, a kettle, and a sandwich press, to create something as if they were cooking in their lunch break in the office. There is no other applications available except for these ones – no stove, no oven.

The montages starts, and everyone tries to figure out something they can do.

Larissa forgets about her popcorn in the microwave, so it burns.
“How can you burn microwave popcorn?” she asks, throwing the bag away.
It’s pretty easy to burn popcorn. Instant noodles, however?

Steph says, “I’ve seen people do this at the office, and I always thought they were kind of loopy. Guess that’s me now.”
I love it, and I love her.

ANUSHKA WATCH: Anushka, the cute woman who owns an optical business, is wearing new glasses today, I think. They’re thin gold wire frames. Her hair is up, and her top is a grey/green/brown kind of colour.

Time is up, and it’s tasting time.

Larissa is first.
She made popcorn grits with panfried calamari, picked radish, and speck.
The judges try it, and all agree it tastes pretty great.

Next is Steph.
She’s done an eggplant curry, coconut chutney and chapati. It’s unanimously delicious.

Abbey is up.
She made a snapper with cauliflower and pickled vegetables.
“That is insanely delicious, it’s really well balanced, and you would not think it had come off a sandwich press,” George says.
“I love the cooking of the fish,” Matt Cravat says.

Last but not least is Tati.
She made a Vietnamese pancake.
“Haven’t you entered the completion!” George exclaims. Everyone starts to applaud. “Oh. My. God.”
“Tati, can you go and make three?” Gaz asks. “I could eat a few of those.”
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” Matt says.

The boys go to deliberate. George, Matt Cravat, and Gaz all have different flavours, so it’s all up to Matt Sinclair to be the tie-breaker.

It’s announced that Tati is the winner.

They start to read the guest chef’s resume, and it’s pretty impressive.
It’s Donovan Cooke. The trio and Matt Sinclair go and shake his hand, before getting started.

Tati gets to chose an ingredient from the garden to be a feature in the dishes. Donovan will have 60 minutes to cook, and Tati will have 75 minutes.

The trio leave, and let Matt Sinclair take on over, and Donovan’s banished until it’s time for him to cook.

Tati goes into the garden and choses the spiciest chilli she can find. I’m worried for George who will sweat up a storm.

Once she’s picked, time starts, and so does the montage.

Highlight of the cook is the flashback of how Donovan lost to the contestant, because he didn’t get the fish on the pan. He’s here to win, to redeem himself, even if it means George will have to sweat from his skull for that to happen.

Finally, time is up, and everyone is getting ready to taste.

First is Donovan’s dish, the pan fried whiting with muscles and Thai green chilli.
“That’s just harmony on a plate,” George says.
“We love it,” Matt says, before they all start to score.

Dish two is Tati. She did a Thai green grilled spatchcock.
Gaz didn’t really like the presentation.
“I do like the marinade,” Gaz says when he tries it, “and I think the dressing is lovely.”
Matt asks, “But is it a complete, harmonious dish?”

It’s time to get the scores. Tati get’s 7’s all round, leaving her with a total of 21.

Donovan gets 9’s all round, and wins with 27 points.

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As always, my recaps are unedited as they are written as soon as possible and posted straight away.