MasterChef Australia - S13E49 - Keeping up with Curtis Stone

 Here we go with apparently the biggest immunity challenge ever. Mel explains that Sunday is a double elimination! Insane to do this when you are in the top 10! But then, I have lost any semblance of hope of any sense from this season.

Now I totally expect Depinder and Pete to get eliminated and we can expect a Minoli vs Kishwar one trick pony curry off for the final.

Anyway, today they have to keep up with Curtis Stone. He is of course not here and they have to literally follow his instructions from a big screen. So basically, exactly like following a cooking video on Youtube. Surely they could have got someone local for this challenge – following a chef is hard enough to do that off a screen is crazy.

Now we have the mandatory comment on Curtis’s good looks – the only good thing is that Sabina (the most entertaining contestant left) has zero filter and is openly thirsting for him exclaiming “Sexy man!” as he comes on screen.

The winner doesn’t only get immunity from the weekend elimination, but also gets TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS …….worth of groceries from Coles. Lulz – how this show has fallen from the heights of Gary, George and Matt – in those days, they would travel to Japan and to the US – or et 10k EACH for making the top 10. And now this.  Hilarious.

Anyway - Curtis starts off – on his Chicken Roast dish.

He says he is going slow for their benefit. Sabina seems to be on track …… and it is soon evident that she is the only one on track. Curtis slows down because everyone but Sabina is fucked – yeah, this is totally fair to the one person who is not fucking everything up.

Kishwar has fallen multiple steps behind – and Andy is telling Kishwar how to make the compound butter. Why are the judges helping contestants?

Curtis hopefully asks how they are doing –  they are nowhere close to him, except for Sabina who is killing it.   

Tommy says he is in the weeds, Linda is also really struggling to keep up.

Kishwar is also in bad shape but now Jock is going to help Kishwar. He is literally taking her knife and cutting her potato fondant for her.

This is utterly ridiculous. You can’t go around saying inane bullshit like “You got to motor” and “you are in trouble” to others and actually do the cooking for others.  

Sabina says her chicken thighs are not caramelized enough and tells the gantry to shut the fuck up – for she knows what she is doing. Perhaps they should make themselves useful and help the other 3 who are fucked beyond measure.

Kishwar is happy that she has caught up all by herself (COUGH COUGH) and now she has cut herself. As if the extra help she was getting from the judges wasn’t enough, now Jock is back at her bench cooking for her. 

When the same thing happened in S10 with Michelle – Gordon Ramsay just continued cooking, and no one helped her. She eventually got eliminated on that challenge – because that’s how these challenges are supposed to work.

This favouritism is appaling. 

Linda cannot wait for this challenge – for the sauce, she has of course missed what Curtis was saying, and  Depinder from the gantry tells her 1. What marsala is and 2. To not put too much. She promptly puts in too much and we might as well stop following her.

Curtis has started plating – Tommy is struggling to throw things on the plate, Linda is also struggling but has forgotten to add her fried chicken to the plate.

Sabina and Kishwar (with help from Jock) are done with their plating.

For good measure, Kishwar has started crying because that’s what this episode was really missing.

The Tasting:

Linda brings up her dish. Andy says the thigh is very nice and the breast and oyster were also spot on. But she is missing 2 elements on the plate and her sauce is garbage – it is basically booze. She’s surely out of contention.

Kishwar says she kept up with Curtis (after Jock helped her). Mel says the flavours are fantastic and  everything was nicely cooked. Jock is smiling and asking if she is ready – this alone is enough to make her cry again. Not that anyone cares but Jock says the flavour of sauce is great, but there is no sauce. Its just creamed mushrooms.

Sabina,  ever entertaining, out loud once again calls Curtis “a spunk”! Hilarious! What will we do when she inevitably gets eliminated in favour of some run of the mill Bengali curry.

Mel says everything was nicely cooked – every part was beautifully done. Jock says oyster is perfect, the mushroom sauce is perfect. The potato is a bit off – caramelization is too blonde.  Andy commends her on not listening to him on the chicken thighs.

Tommy -  Jock says the breast meat is perfect, thigh also cooked perfectly, drumstick and wing beautiful, oyster – very very tight, rock solid. Jock says oyster is the only problem on the plate. Andy says the sauce is also really nice. Mel also says its very close to Curtis’s.

Surely Sabina can’t lose this on the potato! Surely, even these judges would find it hard to justify handing Kishwar a win here. Yup – she wins. Glad someone deserving got the nod.