MasterChef Episode 8

After a great episode last week that saw the return of the Pressure Test, it was time for an episode that would introduce a new challenge, Recipe Telephone! As this was a completely new challenge, I was curious to see how it was going to work.

How the challenge worked was that each duo would be split up, with one teammate beginning cooking, while the other one waited in a separate room, and halfway through the challenge, the duos would swap places, and the second teammate would have to complete the dish. The only way that the second teammate would be able to tell what is being made is by some culinary clues that the first teammate left.

After cooking time was up, the judges went around and gave final looks to each dish, and from there, they would choose a top three and a bottom three.

The first duo that landed in the top three was Jessica and Jesse. Their dish was a Chargrilled Pork Chop with Maple Glaze, Chipotle Sweet Potato, Broccolini, and Peperonata, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. The judges really liked the dish, as the pork was cooked beautifully, the broccolini had a lot of crunch and a little spice, and the peperonata was fantastic for something that is very hard to make. 

The second duo that landed in the top three was Rachel and Julio. Their dish was a Pan-Seared Chicken Breast with Sautéed Asparagus, Chimichurri Sauce, Tostones, and Bacon Farofa, which is a dish that I would be willing to try. The judges really liked the dish, saying that it looked rustic and charming, as if they had invited them over for Sunday night dinner at their house, and they also said that the chicken was lovely, the asparagus had a lot of flavor, and all the flavors were great. 

The third and final duo that landed in the top three was Tina and Aivan. Their dish was Lobster Garlic Butter Pasta with Lemon Asparagus and Sautéed Mushrooms, which is another dish that I would be willing to try. The judges thought the dish was delicious, saying that the flavors were good, the lobster was tender and perfectly cooked, but they felt that it needed a little more acid.

After that, the judges announced that the duo that won the challenge was Rachel and Julio, which did not surprise me. Then, it was time for the judges to announce which duos landed in the bottom three.

The first duo in the bottom three was Tonna and Cait. Their dish was a New York Strip Steak with Parsnip Puree, Asparagus, Fennel & Carrot Slaw, and Mushroom Red Wine Sauce, which if made correctly, I would be willing to try. The judges said the asparagus was delicious, but the sauce bled into the puree so it was all over the place, the steak was nice, but it would have been better whole instead of sliced, the fennel and carrots were raw, the mushrooms were not integrated, and the wine sauce was as if they had dumped half a glass of cabernet in their dish.

The second duo in the bottom three was Zach and Michelle. Their dish was a Crispy Skin Salmon with Israeli Couscous, Roasted Vegetables, Wilted Rainbow Chard, and Herb Oil, which is not a dish that I would want to try, as I am not really a fan of salmon. The judges said that while the salmon was cooked beautifully and many other components were really good, everything else around it should have been much better, as the couscous was a little dry.

The third and final duo in the bottom three was Kayla and Ryan Kate. Their dish was a Filet Mignon with Garlic Potatoes, Roasted Asparagus, Honey-Glazed Carrots, and Chimichurri Sauce, which is a dish that, if made correctly, I would want to try. The judges said that the dish looked sloppy, the steak was overcooked, there were a lot of fundamental mistakes, and it also felt like Kayla had too much to do, while Ryan Kate didn’t do enough. 

After that, it was time for the judges to announce who was going home, and it was revealed to be Kayla and Ryan Kate, which did not surprise me, as the judges seemed to have the most problems with their dishes.

Overall, this was another good episode of Season 15 of MasterChef, and I’ll see you all next time with a team challenge that will see some contestants cooking on a train!