After a temporary delay caused by the heartbreaking passing of Judge Jock Zonfrillo, MasterChef Australia has made its triumphant return to our television screens.
Originally scheduled to debut on May 1, the show graced our screens on May 7, preceded by a touching tribute episode of The Sunday Project.
Now, after a first week full of cooking, challenges and a surprise visit from Jamie Oliver, it’s time for the contestants to face their first elimination.
Who will be the first to say goodbye to the MasterChef kitchen?
Andrea
Nine contestants battled it out in their first elimination challenge of the season.
Eight contestants who were recovering from covid will be facing a separate elimination later in the week.
The first elimination challenge of the season saw the contestants cook a meal using either Kumquats, Vegemite or Panettone: three ingredients that were close to the judge’s childhood memories.
After 60 minutes, the three least impressive dishes were sent to cook in an additional round, after which one chef was officially sent home.
After a tense first round, Andrea, Amy and Robbie began a high-stakes second round. Following a disappointing dish from Andrea, he was unfortunately the first contestant of the season to be sent home.
Jessica
Although the Seafood Stew challenge saw Larissa rejoin the competition, another contestant was eliminated. Unfortunately for Jessica, her choice to make an eggless pasta with bread flour proved to be her undoing and she was officially sent home.
Larissa
The pastry elimination challenge made Larissa the second contestant to be eliminated this season.
Although Larissa’s unbalanced sweet choux may have seen her sent home – it’s not *quite* official yet. Luckily she had won a second chance apron earlier in the week, allowing her to cook in the next elimination challenge for a chance to rejoin the competition.
The following week Larissa earned her right to rejoin the competition during Julie Goodwin’s Seafood Stew elimination challenge, however, she was eliminated once again during Eddie Stewart’s Tokyo Lamington Tower pressure test.
Amy
The overnight elimination challenge saw contestants have 45 minutes to prepare a dish of their choice and then 60 minutes to cook it the next day. Amy’s Mexican and Japanese pork braised tacos failed to impress the judges and she became the fourth contestant to be eliminated this season.
Alice
Chef Donato Toce set the pressure test this week, which required Alice, Declan and Grace to recreate his Messinetta in four hours and fifteen minutes. Whilst Declan was declared the winner, Alice’s dense and icy gelato saw her become the fifth contestant to be eliminated this season.
Robbie
Youth Support worker Robbie became the sixth contestant to be eliminated following week five’s Aussie Classic Elimination challenge.
Robbie had initially planned to prepare curried sausages for the competition, however, his confidence wavered when he worried the judges would notice that it was a repetition of his previous curry dish. Consequently, he decided to switch gears and attempt a prawn cocktail using his curry sauce as a base for the mayonnaise. However, the prawns ended up being overcooked, and the flavor of the curry sauce didn’t harmonize well with the texture of the lettuce.
Phil
After receiving a masterclass from the renowned chef Rick Stein, the contestants were tasked with creating a calamari dish in this week’s elimination round. Although Phil’s initial dish impressed the judges with its technical execution, he fell slightly short of perfection and found himself in the second round, alongside Ralph, Malissa, and Declan.
In the second round, the contestants had the chance to choose one out of five locations inspired by Rick’s extensive travels. Their task was to craft a dish that showcased the authentic cuisine of the selected country.
Unfortunately for Phil, his spaghetti con anatra saw him become the seventh contestant eliminated.
Grace
Unfortunately for Grace, it was a tricky Phở that saw her become the most recent elimination on MasterChef. “Practically, it was browning off my bones…which left it quite fatty at the end,” shared Grace with WHO. “Not being super familiar with the cuisine is probably where I came down.”
And whilst her time in the kitchen may have been cut short, Grace’s experience on MasterChef saw her form close friendships with Amy, Theo, Brent and Phil. “We were able to share lots of awesome dinners and coffees in the morning,” she explained, before hinting that she and her her pals were cooking up some future plans together.
Now, as we near the halfway mark for the season, fans are starting to guess who will take out the top spot and be crowned MasterChef for 2023. For Grace, she’s hopeful either of her friends still in the competition, Theo and Brent will win. “I’m really hoping that either of them will go super well and make it to the end.”
Antonio
Antonio became the ninth contestant to be eliminated on this season of MasterChef Australia. During the Maggie Beer Gamble Elimination Challenge, the software developer’s puff pastry was ultimately his downfall, with the consistency more like a shortbread.
Ralph
Nelly Robinson’s Pressure Test saw contestants recreate his complex dessert and unfortunately, Ralph’s slow and steady approach saw him fall behind. Rushing near the end to make up for lost time saw Ralph create a dish most unlike the original and was eliminated.
Adi
31-year-old Melbourne doctor Adi was the next contestant to be eliminated on MasterChef. Taking to Instagram, she shared her two goals for she set for MasterChef and a sweet tribute to her time on the show.
“MY 2 GOALS FOR MASTERCHEF 2023:
1) Make top 10 – ✅ Pass, and then some
2) Don’t cry on national television – ❌ Hard fail 😂”
“I was sitting around my apartment in 2020 Lockdown, needing to pick up a hobby, watching MasterChef Back To Win. And so cooking became my hobby, being on MasterChef became my goal. It was so very surreal to live it out. I’m so proud of (many of) the dishes I put up (and others we will pretend did not happen 😄).
To all the lovely fans of the show who messaged me – from Australia, India, and all over the world – thank you so very much. Your kindness and support has meant SO much. Thank you also to the @masterchefau team, to the other contestants, and to my Rue-mmate. Huge thank yous to my family, friends and colleagues who have supported me ever since I uttered the thought “I reckon I want to apply for MasterChef“.”
“Where to from here? Let’s see! I have so much more to share 😊 food, travel and beyond.”
Rue
After enduring a gruelling five-hour pressure test orchestrated by her esteemed idol, Clare Smyth, the time had come for Rue to bid farewell to the MasterChef kitchen. The stakes were high on Tuesday night as Rue, Malissa, and Cath were tasked with conquering Clare Smyth’s Beef and Oyster dish. With a tight time constraint of five hours to complete the culinary masterpiece and an additional 15 minutes to present it to the judges, the competition reached an epic climax that pushed all three chefs beyond their familiar territory.
However, Malissa’s possession of the immunity pin added a weighty decision stand in the final moments of the challenge, she made a bold move, utilizing her pin and retreating to the gantry, leaving Cath and Rue to battle it out.
Malissa
Malissa’s impressive ice cream sandwich missed the mark thanks to an overpowering taste of baking soda. “I obviously had mixed up my measurements and put a little bit too much in there in the rush of trying to get everything done,” she shared with WHO. “It was extremely disappointing because I worked so hard on that cook, I was so determined, I was really focused and I was really proud of the dish that I put out.”
Making it to the top six in the competition, Malissa only has one thing she would have done differently if given the opportunity to compete again.
“The only thing that I would change would be not believing in myself as much. I had a lot of moments of self-doubt and a lack of confidence and I wish I could go back and smack that out of me!”
Cath
The first elimination of finals week saw contestants face a two-round challenge. First, the chefs were faced with an Anchovies & Dijon Mustard cooking challenge. The bottom two contestants were then given 75 minutes to cook a dish without any rules.
Unfortunately for Cath, accidentally placing her parfait in the fridge, rather than the freezer saw her become the fourteenth contestant to be eliminated from the season.
Theo
Peter Gilmore set the pressure test of finals week, which saw Declan, Rhiannon and Theo recreate his XO squid with scallops and pipis in 2 hours and 15 minutes without a recipe.
Unfortunately, Theo struggled to remove the membrane from the quid when preparing the dish which resulted in a loss of cooking time and undercooked seafood, making him the latest contestant to be eliminated.
Interested in more news about MasterChef Australia? Check out the stories below!
Meet the contestants of MasterChef Australia: Secrets & Surprises
How MasterChef Judge Andy Allen fell for his wife Alex
How MasterChef Australia will honour Jock Zonfrillo
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