Masterchef 2014 finals week – Day 2 Who was eliminated? 1

It’s masterchef 2014 finals week day 2 and someone will be eliminated. Tracy, Laura, Brent, Jamie and Emelia are the remaining contestants and will cook off tonight to stay in the competition. Gary asked the contestants what they would like to cook tonight. The contestants answered him with their own ideas, but the challenge tonight had no rules. It had to be a spectacular dish and they could cook anything they liked. They decided as a group to give themselves 90 minutes to cook and the best dish will have an advantage in tomorrow nights cook.

The pantry was packed with ingredients. Jamie said it was the best pantry contents they have had yet.

Laura decided to cook a grilled quail with artichoke and a tuscan bread salad, a dish that she had been waiting to cook for the judges.

Jamie decided to cook “autumn on a plate” with a duck and a collection of bright vegetables.

Emelia wanted to cook a dish for her mum. She has Greek heritage and decided to cook baklava with praline, burnt honey spheres and a sorbet.

Tracy was cooking a poached and pan fried lobster tail with potato puree and two sauces.

Brent decided to cook the “light at the end of the tunnel” that he was going to make in Heston week. It was going to be squid ink coloured seafood with a citrus “light”.

At the start of the challenge Tracy burnt her Beurre blanc and had to start it again. Jamie found some wood sorrel growing wildly in the Masterchef garden and worked it in to his dish.

Jamie smoked his duck with wood chips, he was a bit worried his duck may not cook in time. Brent had never cooked his dish before, and hoped he could pull it off.

Laura cooked her artichokes in the oven but overcooked, she didn’t think she had enough time to cook more.

Emelia was doing too many things at once and her sorbet melted while she was mixing it.

Laura finally decided to cook her artichokes again.

Tracy was frazzled, she wasn’t happy with her Beurre blanc. The judges thought she was doing too many components and they may get lost together.

Brent starts plating up. His presentation has to be perfect. He puts his white ball in the centre of the and paints his prawns black. He places them carefully around the white centre.

Tracy made a mistake plating up and wasn’t happy with its look. The other contestants got their dishes on. Emelia’s sorbet wasn’t completely set, but the rest of her dish looked good.

Judging

The first dish to be judged was Jamie. He was proud of his dish, “autumn salad with smoked duck”. The judges commented that it was a spectacular looking dish. The duck was cooked well. Matt loved the attention to detail in the dish. It was cooked very carefully and every element was cooked properly, it was “so clever”. George loved the fact that he worked so meticulous, like a real chef.

Next was Emelia’s interpretation of a Baklava, a “baklava parfait with chocolate sorbet”. Her sorbet was melting on the plate. She was happy to have cooked the dish for her mum. George thought the interpretation of baklava was “exceptional”. It was “modern hellenic food at its heart”. He said it was better than his mum’s.

Laura was next. Her dish, “Grilled quail with artichokes and mushroom panzanella”. She maintained she was cooking who she is. George said it looked homely but sophisticated. Matt said it looked amazing, it was a dish that would appear in any modern Italian restaurant. Gary said he was in heaven, it was “god-smackingly, incredibly good”. George said it was spectacular. It was beautiful food.

Next was Brent. He said it wasn’t the dish he had been envisaged and hoped that it wont send him home. His dish had a “powerful story” and the judges were proud he could deliver something with so much emotion. His white “light” scallop had been accidentally touched by the squid ink. Matt thought the creativity was great and the scallop was in the centre was good. George said it was “prototype number 1”, the dish needed to be refined. He was happy that he didn’t take the safe option.

Finally it was Tracy’s dish. She was happy with all the elements but wasn’t happy with the plating. Her dish was lobster with citrus Beurre blanc and lobster bisque reduction. The judges weren’t sure of the two sauces. Gary loved the potato and the bisque. The lobster was very clever and comforting, but the reality was that it was not quite there. George thought the dish wasn’t “finished”.

Emelia, Jamie and Laura were safe and Laura won dish of the day.

Tracy was eliminated from Masterchef tonight.