It’s episode 32 of MasterChef Australia 2023 and Ralph, Malissa and Rhiannon are cooking for their spot in the top eight.

Known for his whimsical creations around fairy tales and storytelling, tonight’s Pressure Test was set by chef Nelly Robinson from Sydney restaurant, Nel.

Drawing inspiration from the classic children’s tale Peter Rabbit, the contestants had to recreate his Mister McGregor’s Garden dish detailing Peter Rabbit’s adventures stealing carrots from the garden.

As usual, whoever cooked the dessert that is least like Nelly’s in taste and appearance would be eliminated from the competition.

What the Pressure Test involved

The dish included eight key elements to complete: carrot cake, carrot and ginger sorbet, vanilla yoghurt foam, charcoal crumble, tempered chocolate branches, sweet potato and chocolate oak tree leaves, crystallised carrot fronds and pickled carrot ribbons.

The contestants had two hours and 15 minutes to cook, with seven minutes to plate up in the tasting room.

The Dishes and the Cook

As soon as the clock started ticking, Malissa kicked into high gear. Worried about mastering the chocolate, she seized every moment for all its worth.

Finally, with time to spare, she breathed a sigh of relief, looking at her accomplishments with pride. Her plating wasn’t quite a masterpiece like Nelly’s, but the judges were still wowed by her equally impressive flavours and flawless technique.

Rhiannon, who had previously been to Nel, knew that her cook style was very different from Chef Nelly, however, since the dish spoke to her English heritage, she felt a bonding moment with the cook.

Although her plating style wasn’t the best — a little “rustic” as Judge Mel Leong pointed out, the taste of her carrot cake, sorbet and foam was on point.

Despite the fact that her charcoal crumble was a little crispy, the judges were impressed.

Ralph went into the dessert challenge knowing that his skills with sweet treats weren’t his strength. He set to work with meticulous attention, but his precision came at a price and his bake was slow to cook.

As he scrambled to catch up, Ralph tried to save time by cutting corners, but when it all came together, he lacked attention to detail. Unfortunately, the Judges were not impressed by his undercooked cake or his charcoal crumble.

The Verdict

Overall, Ralph’s dish missed the mark on each element and lacked the balance that was achieved in other dishes and he was sent home.

MasterChef Australia airs Sunday – Thursday at 7.30pm on 10 and 10Play.

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