Tonight was an immunity challenge with a twist. Tracy’s power apron allowed her to choose who would be in the challenge, she chose herself, Laura and Colin. The first round was a Beer challenge. The contestants had to make a bar snack including beer as the core ingredient.
Laura made chicken skewers with a sticky beer sauce and polenta chips. Tracy is making a beer candied bacon with popcorn chicken and coleslaw sliders. Colin made carbonated beef sliders with a squid ink beer battered capsicum. Halfway through cooking his carbonated beef, the judges hinted that his choice of meat (eye fillet) would turn out dry. He tasted a bit and it was so had to re-invent his dish. He decided to change his dish to a deep fried beef and reduce the carbonated liquid to a sauce.
With seconds to go, Laura just got her polenta on the plate. All the dishes looked a bit average on the plate.
Tracy’s was the first to be judged. The judges loved it, it was “delicious” it was definitely a great bar snack.
Next was Colin’s dish. His beer battered capsicum looked terrible, it basically jus looked burnt. His beef sliders “weren’t good”. The judges didn’t like them at all.
Finally it was Laura’s pollo alla birra skewers (chicken and beer) with polenta chips. The judges loved the dish but there was a slightly bitter undertone. The judges has a tight choice between Laura and Tracy, but the judges chose Tracy to cook off for the immunity pin.
Masterchef Immunity Pin Challenge
Tracy had a choice between two chefs to cook against tonight, James Viola from Biota and Jase Jonesy from Bstilla. She chose to cook against James. The choices of ingredients were heads or tails. There were fish head, prawn heads, lambs brains, pigs ears, ox tongues and some neck. The tails had fish tails, prawn tails, rump, ox tail, an pigs tails. Tracy chose heads.
Tracy cooked beef cheeks with gnocchi and James cooked pork neck and lamb brains. Kylie Kwong was a bit unsure that Tracy would get her beef cheeks cooked in time, she went ahead with it anyway. Half way through, she realised the pressure cooker was releasing pressure because the valve wasn’t closed correctly, she hoped this wouldn’t affect the cooking time.
Laura helped Tracy with her gnocchi by suggesting she chop the potatoes to cook quicker. Meanwhile James was cooking his pork neck four different ways, pan fry, boil, baste and baked. He basted them with a squid ink sauce.
Tracy checked her beef cheek and it had cooked beautifully. She was worried her dish may be a bit humble, but both cooks got their dish up in time.
Judging
Tracy’s braised beef cheeks with pan fried gnocchi were first to be judged. The judges thought it was delicious, the beef cheek was braised prefectly. The roast garlic added a freshness to the dish and the gnocchi was perfectly cooked and they were all the same size. The carrot was diced very precisely.
James’ pork neck and brain puree with egg and leek was a very beautiful dish but the judges said it was about flavour. The lamb puree was delicious, it was “so cool”. The neck was a bit dry, but that was how it was supposed to be cooked to add some texture.
Tracy’s dish scored:
Gary – 9
George – 9
Matt – 9
Total: 27/30
James’ dish scored:
Gary – 9
George – 9
Matt – 8
Total: 26/30
Tracy wins the immunity pin tonight.