My Kitchen Rules NZ is into sudden death challenges, where two teams cook for VIP guests.
The teams competing this week are Hera and Tash and Chris and Bex, the teams will cook at the same time in the same kitchen.
Chris and Bex are aware of their competition.
“We’ve said it right from the beginning, that these girls are in it to win it, they’re huge competition, so it’s anyone’s game,” Bex tells the judges.
Both teams have two hours to make three courses, so it’s safe to say there’s no mucking around.
Chris and Bex.
The teams jump straight into their entrées.
Chris and Bex are making rabbit roulade with spicy sausage, pancetta, cauliflower puree, carrot chips, pumpkin sauce and sweet spices.
For their main, they are making aged beef with roasted garlic chips, bone marrow sauce, fondant potatoes and pea puree.
Last, but not least, their dessert will consist of chocolate and peanut butter mousse with salted peanut honeycomb. Yum!
Chris and Bex share a quick kiss before jumping into their cooking.
Meanwhile, Hera and Tash are also straight into preparing their entrées.
Their entrée consists of crayfish tails, coriander, garlic butter with sisters secret sauce and tempura karengo tio.
For their main they are making baked snapper with crispy skin on a risotto.
For dessert, the girls are serving manuka honey poached pears with crumb and vanilla mascarpone.
The contestants and judges discuss Chris and Bex’s entrée saying it’s “too busy.”
“It’s quite a mouthful,” Sophie says.
“It reads like a small novel.”
“F***ing Chris and Bex,” says Heather. Woah!
Sophie reacting to Heather’s comment. Our sentiments exactly, Sophie!
“Our entrée, it’s ambitious for sure, but we don’t wanna hold anything back,” says Bex.
The contestants chat about who the VIP guest will be.
“I don’t wanna make small talk with them,” Heather says. Once again, you could probably hear a pin drop.
Pete visits the girls in the kitchen.
The VIP guests arrive – Shortland Street stars – and the contestants are star-struck.
The VIP guests.
It’s time to present the entrées and Tash and Hera are happy.
“Our plates look great,” says Hera. Confidence is key, girls!
Chris and Bex are relieved also.
“We’ve actually done it,” Chris says.
Tash and Hera share a hug.
Overall, the reactions between the contestants, judges and VIP guests are mixed.
Heather believes the roulade was too dry, whereas Jaryd is impressed with it.
Teal isn’t too pleased with the secret sauce, saying it’s still a secret. Um… we think that could be the point Teal!
Next up, it’s main time!
Hera and Tash present their mains.
Hera and Tash’s seafood main seems to be a hit among the contestants and judges, however there’s a few concerns with Chris and Bex’s beef.
“It’s raw,” Heather says to Mitch.
“I thought the meat was completely raw,” Sophie also says. Uh oh, that’s never good.
Here’s hoping dessert goes better for Chris and Bex.
Manu and Pete try the desserts.
“We really have fought and done our best,” says Tash.
“Hopefully our flavours are gonna fight through,” says Chris.
Across the room, feedback is once again mixed.
Tash and Hera’s dessert of manuka honey poached pears with crumb and vanilla mascarpone seems to be a hit.
Chris and Bex’s dessert is also a hit, well, almost.
“It was so sweet, Mitch and I both had a nudge at this and there’s still half left,” Heather says.
Now for the scores.
Tash and Hera scored an 8 out of 10 from the Shortland Street guests and their fellow competitors, a 23 out of 30.
Both Pete and Manu give the entrée a 7. Manu says it was, “amazing.”
Their main is given a 7 from Pete and an 8 from Manu.
Finally, Tash and Hera’s dessert is a fair success, but just there’s just one let down on Manu’s end.
Manu says that the, “pear wasn’t shining enough” but gives it a 7. Pete also gives it a 7.
All up, this gives the girls a score of 74. Well done, Tash and Hera!
The girls are pleased with their score.
Chris is beginning to feel the nerves.
“I don’t think we’ve taken the girls,” he says.
The Shortland Street stars have given them an 8 out of 10 and their competitors a 19 out of 30.
“That’s not a very good score, that’s a bit deflating,” says Chris.
Bex cries on Chris’s shoulder.
Pete says he loved the entrée and scores it an 8, Manu is also impressed, calling it “beautiful” and scores it a 9 – phew!
It seems these two are on a roll, the main was a success. Manu says the sauce is some of the best he’s tasted in the competition.
Pete and Manu both give it an 8.
Pete says the desserts were: “perfect, but too intense.”
“Why on earth do you wanna fill up the glass?” he says.
Both Manu and Pete score it an 8, giving Bex and Chris an all over score of 76.
This means the pair are through to the next round. Congratulations you two!
A relieved Chris and Bex.
Unfortunately this means Hera and Tash are eliminated.
“I’m just so proud of us,” says Tash.
“We will continue to grow,” adds Hera.
“I’m happy and I’m proud.”
Great approach girls, you’ll be missed!
