MasterChef Aus S12E48 – Recap

Alrightyo. So, I had planned on getting all the recaps done before the finale, and that didn’t happen…

But, MasterChef is going to start airing in the UK next Monday, I think, (hi UK readers!) so I’m going to go back to doing one recap at a time, because I’m not in a time crunch, and I’ll go back and add a “previous ep” and “next ep” for each recap, if I can be bothered lmao.

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The contestants walk in to see the judges standing in front of a table of one inch cubes.

Mel tells us that round one is a taste test. There’s 60 cubes, ranging from easy to hard. They’ll be tasting one at a time, and blindfolded.

The first four to get it wrong will go into the next round.

Callum calls it Russian Roulette with food.

Jock walks around with a bag full of numbers, and each person picks out their order.

1. Callum
2. Brendan
3. Poh
4. Laura
5. Reynold
6. Tessa
7. Emelia

The first cube is taken over to Callum. As the game progressed, a cube is brought to each contestant and they smell, touch, and taste the food before guessing.

Now, this is just the order in which we see them (you’re so lucky I’m such a stickler haha) but at 19, Mel calls it number 31, and I feel cheated that we didn’t see more to be honest, but it be like that I suppose. Feel free to skim the list, or skip altogether, I’ll say who’s in round two after the tasting anyway.

1. Carrot – guessed correctly by Callum
2. Apple – guessed correctly by Brendan
3. Banana – guessed correctly by Poh
4. Beetroot – guessed correctly by Laura
5. Orange – guessed correctly by Reynold
6. Celery – guessed incorrectly by Tessa, who guessed Celeriac, making her the first into round two.
7. Tomato – guessed correctly by Emelia
8. Pineapple – guessed correctly by Callum
9. Zucchini – guessed correctly by Brendan (although Jock jokingly said it wasn’t, causing panic)
10. Pumpkin – guessed correctly by Poh
11. Cauliflower – guessed correctly by Laura
12. Lamb – guessed correctly by Reynold
13. Beef – guessed correctly by Emelia
14. Rock Melon – guessed correctly by Callum
15. Cucumber – guessed correctly by Brendan
16. Bacon – guessed correctly by Poh
17. Avocado – guessed correctly by Laura
18. Feta Cheese – guessed correctly by Reynold
19. Radicchio – guessed correctly by Emelia
20. Chicken – guessed correctly by Callum
21. Salmon – guessed correctly by Brendan
22. Blue Cheese – guessed correctly by Poh
23. Cheddar Cheese – guessed correctly by Laura
24. Ham – guessed incorrectly by Reynold, who guessed Turkey, making him second into round two
25. Broccoli – correctly guessed by Emelia
26. Lemon – guessed correctly by Callum
27. Tuna – guessed correctly by Brendan
28. Salami – guessed correctly by Poh
29. Pear – guessed correctly by Laura
30. Strawberry – guessed correctly by Emelia
31. Radish – guessed correctly by Callum
32. Lime – guessed incorrectly by Brendan, who guessed Pomelo, making him third into round two.
33. Liquorice – guessed correctly by Poh
34. Parmesan Cheese – guessed correctly by Laura (cube 41)
35. Pawpaw – guessed correctly by Emelia
36. Brussel Sprout – guessed correctly by Poh
37. Kiwi Fruit – guessed correctly by Laura
38. Pork Belly – guessed correctly by Emelia
39. Grapefruit – guessed correctly by Callum
40. Durian – guessed correctly by Poh
41. Cream Cheese – guessed by Emelia
42. Star Fruit – guessed correctly by Callum
43. Persimmon – guessed correctly by Poh (cube 52)
44. Fried Tofu – guessed correctly by Laura
45. Parsnip – guessed correctly by Emelia
46. Horseradish – guessed correctly by Callum
47. Feijoa – guessed correctly by Poh
48. Honey Dew – guessed correctly by Laura
49. Kohlrabi – guessed incorrectly by Emelia, who guessed Daikon on cube 58, and is the fourth and final person into round two.

The final two cubes where Bitter Melon and Hekima.

Poh, Laura and Callum head upstairs with Reece.

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In round two is Tessa, Reynold, Brendan and Emelia.

Behind the judges are five tables that represent basic taste. In order: bitter, salty, sweet, sour, umami.

They need to cook a balanced dish from each of the pantries. The key focus is balance.

Andy reminds them of what’s on the line – a position in the top seven.

They have 60 minutes, with the regular staples and the foods on the tables – no big pantry and no garden.

Time starts.

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Ok, look, I was really trying to watch the cooking, but I just didn’t care, so I watched TikToks instead (I’m @FelicityFeiner, but it’s mostly just LGBTQIA stuff).

First to taste is Tessa.

They really like it, and find that there is a balance with all the different types of tastes.

Mel calls it sunshine on a plate.

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Next is Reynold.

Jock says although it’s not the most interesting dish, it is very well balanced. Andy agrees.

Mel says visually it is dramatic.

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Third is Brendan.

The judges say it wasn’t balanced enough, and was too umami, which would be fine any other day, however as the challenge is to balance, it’s just not there.

Mel and Jock talk about how having a umami bomb is great, and chefs search for how to get that, and Brendan has it absolutely, but it’s a hinderance in this particular challenge.

Brendan could be in trouble,

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Finally, Emelia.

She’s a bit worried about having done such a risky dish for the judges, but it’s in their hands now.

The judges first talk about the skill, howe the Vegemite brings just enough salt. Mel calls the texture a luxury to consume, and Andy compliments the balance.

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“There’s no doubt,” Andy says, “that the pressure has gone up a few levels.”

First, the best of the day – Tessa. Confident cooking, perfectly combining all the balanced elements.

However one dish missed the brief, although a lot of umami is normally wonderful, Brendan just missed it today.

Which means Brendan is eliminated. Mel enthuses about his dumplings and says it’s the best that this kitchen has ever seen.

The judges give him an elbow bump each, and the contestants clap as they also give him elbow bumps on his way out.

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So, Plate of Origin (P.O.O.) is set to debut soon, with Matt and Gary at the helm, along with Manu from My Kitchen Rules.

Now that MasterChef has ended for the year, I’ve thought about doing POO recaps, or if I’m just not feeling the first episode, then a review, but I want to know if this is something you’d be interested in.

While I’ve got you here, I’d really appreciate a quick click from you for the poll below. Thank you!

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As usual, this recap was written as I watched the episode, so there will be spelling and grammar mistakes.

You can read last years recaps here, catch up on this season here, and watch this season over here, at shvideos.net.

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