From the past few days, I’ve seen many social media posts where people are grateful that MasterChef exists. Well, I agree with them. Episode after episode, the cooking show keeps getting more interesting and challenging. Last week, the home cooks had to impress the Superstar Chefs and show’s alumni by making delicious and striking dishes. In MasterChef Australia Season 13 Episode 11, the competition got more complicated yet full of excitement for them and us.
The episode starts with judges Andy Allen, Melissa Leong, and Jock Zonfrillo telling the contestants that Brent won’t be a part of today’s challenge as he got exposed to a COVID-19 hotspot. Instead, he will directly join them during Sunday’s elimination challenge. Also, to make it fair, he will be a part of next week’s pressure test, even if he cooks the best dish.
After giving them Brent’s update, the judges reveal the challenge for MasterChef Australia Season 13 Episode 11. The challenge is called the Six Course Meal Race Team Challenge. The team challenge was nothing like anything we have seen before. The judges formed three teams – blue, green and purple. Every team member has to play to their strengths and cook a six-course meal – one course each to be made by each team member.
The six different types of meals and times allotted to them were – 8 minutes for mayonnaise, a fish dish in 15 minutes, 30 minutes for a steak meal, a pasta dish in 45 minutes, a curry in 60 minutes and 75 minutes for dessert. Whichever member from every team makes the best dish in each category will get the point. The team that earns the lowest point will be facing the Pressure Test in the next episode.
Contestants in the blue team were Wynona (mayonnaise), Scott (fish fillet), Amir (Steak), Elise (pasta), Depinder (Curry) and Tom (dessert). The green team consisted of Justin (mayo), Aaron (fish fillet), Pete (Steak), Pasta (Linda), Jess (curry) and Tommy (dessert). The green team also had 7th member Dan. However, he sat out the challenge as the team had to be only of 6 cooks.
The purple team cooks were Eric (mayo), Sabina (fish fillet), Connor (steak), Maja (pasta), Kishwar (curry) and Therese (dessert). The winner of the mayonnaise round was Justin (green), Sabina (purple) nailed it with her fish fillet, and Pete’s (green) steak turned out to be the best. For the pasta round, Elise finally won one point for the blue team.
The 5th course of curry round from MasterChef Australia Season 13 Episode 11 was the trickiest for the judges. They loved Depinder, Jess and Kishwar’s curry dishes equally. But Depinder’s burst of flavours from the South Indian chicken curry, rice and her pakoras helped her win one more point for the blue team.
The sixth course (dessert) was going to decide the fate of all the teams. Blue and Green teams had 2 points, and the Purple team had only one point. Sadly, Tommy couldn’t present a complete dessert as sweet dishes are not his strength. But the team had no choice as no one else in their team were good with desserts.
Therese (purple team) decided to make a chocolate cake but failed to impress the judges as it was undercooked. Hence, Tom won the dessert round and helped the blue team earn 3 points. His mouthwatering dish that made the judges happy was Sticky date pudding with vanilla ice cream and bourbon butterscotch sauce.
The blue team won the challenge saved themselves from the Pressure Test. However, despite failing to present a good dessert, the green team also got saved as they had two points. Therefore, the purple team will be going into elimination in the next episode.
MasterChef Australia Season 13 Episode 11’s Six Course Meal Race Team Challenge was one of the best team challenges I’ve seen among all the seasons so far. Till the end, you have no idea who will win or lose. The episode also showed me how sometimes cooking the simplest dishes can be a challenge to the cooks. But the blue team truly deserve the win as even on the screen; their dishes looked tasty AF!
MasterChef Australia Season 13 Episode 11: What’s next?
In the next episode, Eric (mayo), Sabina (fish fillet), Connor (steak), Maja (pasta), Kishwar (curry) and Therese (dessert) will be given a twisted challenge by judge Jock Zonfrillo. All the cooks are talented, so it will be upsetting to see one of them bid goodbye so soon!
MasterChef Australia Season 13 Episode 11 is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
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