The summer of tennis is over, Home and Away replays another life-threatening cliffhanger… it can only mean one thing: it’s time for another season of My Kitchen Rules.
By Kate-Marie Thorpe
Now in it’s sixth year, the ever-popular culinary gameshow pitts teams from different states against each other in the ultimate cook off. Is it a contest? A drama? Soap opera? Call it what you will; MKR has all the ingredients to make for truly entertaining reality television.
From dummyspits to Michelin star dishes, loveable personalities to loathable narcissists, 2015 is set to see the same melting pot of triumphs and tribulations as previous seasons.
Meet the teams going head-to-head for the supreme honour of touting ‘My Kitchen Rules’:
THE TEAMS
Queensland: Jac and Shaz
Mt Isa Cousins
Happy-go-lucky cousins from the deep north in Queensland, these two ladies couldn’t be further from mining mums. “You’ll often hear Shaz before you see her,” says cousin Jac, who owns the local fashion boutique. Boisterous Shaz adds “We like to party. We’re the party mums.”
Western Australia: Kat and Andre
Happily Engaged
Never a dull moment between them, suave and sophistication aren’t really this pair’s forte. Kat admits: “I’m not really cool with offal. Like I can’t even eat pate. It freaks me out and I know it’s really uncool to say that because everyone’s like, ‘Pate is fancy’ but it’s just like it’s eww.”
New South Wales: Robert and Lynzey
Texan Dad and Daughter
This crafty cowboy and his daughter will be whipping up a storm – if they can catch their ingredients for dinner! “My dad used to say, ‘Anything you can’t do off the back of a horse is not worth doing,'” Robert says when preparing for a hearty Mexican meal.
Victoria: Ash and Camilla
Sassy Socialites
Well-travelled and outspoken, the Victorians won’t hold back when it comes to dishing out criticism this season. Lovers of fine food and French cuisine, Ash admits “I actually have no patience, like just day to day, zero patience.” That should make for some interesting teamwork…
South Australia: Annie and Lloyd
High School Sweethearts
Hailing from Adelaide, this couple’s relationship really shows that food is the key to anyone’s heart. Lloyd gushes “I started cooking stuff for Annie… cause that’s the popular way to woo a woman, bake her a cake and bring it over.” Adorable. Heart-shaped cheesecake, anyone?
Australian Capital Territory: Gina and Anna
Competitive Mother and Daughter Duo
Looking to fill a huge gap in the market, this two Canberrans are determined to make their love of food into a successful business venture. ‘Sometimes when you go out in Canberra, you order it and you get disappointed and it’s like, ‘I could’ve done better.’ says Gina.
THE FIRST EPISODE: A RECAP
It’s a sunny, windswept day in Mt Isa as Jac & Shaz prepare to serve up 36 perfect meals in just shy of 8 hours. Their smiles keen, their eyes nervous, the pair think themselves lucky the local shops are only 5 minutes away in case of any last minute disasters.
Their shopping trolley is a precise tossed salad of butter sticks, lamb shanks, juicy pears and Gorgonzola under the watchful eye of Shaz. ‘She loves telling people what to do, and I work better being told what to do, so we’re a perfect team,’ says an anxious Jac.
They race back to the home kitchen to begin their meal preparation. Set against a backdrop of rolling hills, the picturesque mining town awash with red ocre is the inspiration for the restaurant name ‘Stack’. ‘It’s the first thing you see,’ says Shaz when speaking of her beloved hometown.
The MKR clock signifies 3 hours until the guests arrive – time to get cooking. While the cousins cut pear slices, prepare potatoes and soak the lamb, long-time judges Manu Fidel and Pete Evans review the North Queensland menu.
Both intrigued by the entree, both comment that they love a good rosti and will be watching for how the first dish of the competition is plated up. Manu loves his meat (although not as much as his sauce, some may argue) and reveals that a good piece of lamb has ‘rendered fat, is juicy and melt in your mouth.’ Not impartial to a sweet treat, Pete is focused on what the pear crumble dessert will be paired with: ‘Maybe some ice-cream, maybe some whipped cream, maybe some double cream… or maybe something completely different!’ Do the ladies have a surprise for you, Pete…
As the clock winds down to arrival time, Jac worries she’s begun cooking the lamb much too early. There’s no margin for error being first on the chopping block. ‘There’s not a whole lot of technical choices on the menu,’ Shaz admits. Do they take it out of the oven? Turn the temperature down? No time. That all too familiar sound of the dreaded doorbell signals the arrival of their competitors, so poker faces on.
Once seated, the teams chatter amongst themselves and size up their biggest threats. Just before death stares make an appearance between the teams from Canberra and Victoria, a second ‘Ding Dong’ of the doorbell means it’s down to business: The judges have arrived.
A nervous but clearly excited Jac and Shaz welcome the judges and introduce their fellow contestants to their instant restaurant. Impressed, many teams comment from the thoughtful decor they are ‘expecting a lot’.
A quick glance over the menu sees a change in thought. ‘It’s quite a safe menu,’ pips Anna from the ACT. Fiercely competitive (and a kickboxer to boot), it’s clear the feisty Canberran is expecting a lot. Well-travelled, salmon loving socialite Ash from VIC is also hoping the fish will be a self-smoked effort. “We can smoke our own salmon,” Ash proudly exclaims.
Within reasonable time, the entree is served. The stack of zucchini and potato rosti is layered with smoked salmon and not-so-delicate creme fraise. ‘None of them have fallen over, so that’s what you want…’ says Lloyd, one half of the Adelaide couple who’s lives are oddly reminiscent of a Nancy Drew novel.
ENTREE: Zucchini and potato rosti stack with smoked salmon and creme fraise
A few glances, a prod of the fork, and a mouthful all the while staring at Jac and Shaz, the judges taste their first bite of the entree.
After a painstaking silence, Pete starts. ‘There’s consistency all the way around the table. I loved it, I honestly did… yes it’s simple, but, it works! Mt. Isa should be proud of you to start it off this way.’ And Manu? ‘Not a big fan of stacks, it’s dated… the way the layers were done, was amazing. Perhaps too much creme fraise compared to salmon.’ The ladies were happy with their praise.
As for their fellow contestants, the reviews were mixed. ‘They didn’t smoke their own salmon,’ retorts the other half of VIC vixens Camilla. ‘Would I order it from a restaurant? No.’ New South Wales cowboy Robert was slightly less critical. ‘Everyone here sounded like a bunch of horses eating oats.’ Is that supposed to be a compliment? In the Texan’s eyes, it sure is.
Waiting for the next course is slightly tense, as everyone around the table continues to size each other up. Some, however, are more intimidated than others. ‘She has intense eyes, intense hair… everything is just, intense!’ Anna tells of Ash. At least we know her hair isn’t full of secrets; the Victorian is far too outspoken to withhold her opinions.
Course number two emerges from the kitchen, and the table reacts accordingly. What can only be described as ‘hulk lamb’ is situated around a bed of crushed potato and lemon green beens.
MAIN: Rack of lamb with crushed potato and lemon green beans
‘I don’t even want to watch them taste the food,’ cries Jac. ‘I know what we’re capable of, and that’s not it.’
Manu reacts. ‘Big portion,’ is all he says.
‘Mining size, ‘Shaz saves face.
Then the critique: ‘I’m quite disappointed. I think you struggled with the lamb. There’s big pieces of underendered fat… and raw garlic.’ The Frenchman adds ‘If you’re going to keep it simple, make sure… it’s done… very well.’
‘You set the bar high,” Pete offers “with simple, beautiful home cooking. I’m struggling to identify what all those ingredients in there are in the sauce. Luckily [the lamb] is beautiful and pink and melt-in-your-mouth.”
Forks dig into the lamb around the table, or at least attempt to. ‘Is it me or is it slightly tough? There’s fat everywhere…’ the Canberran mother complains. Ash offers a well-educated, literate opinion, complete with eye roll: “Ow, my fingers… The potatoes, um yeah, I can’t even…’ We’ll take that into consideration at home, thanks. Kat from WA is more optimistic. “Slightly sideways and call me silly, but I really enjoyed that!” she beams.
With the night drawing to a close, the final course is served, and can be smelt from a mile away. The secret ingredient to this humble pear crumble? Gorgonzola. The team from Victoria prod at the top layer. Camilla asks ‘What’s that stuff?’ to which Ash replies quietly ‘Blue cheese’. Camilla responds with a simple ‘…Why?’ Lloyd also agrees the scent and taste are too pungent for him. He dismays “It’s really become a blue cheese crumble.”
DESSERT: Pear and walnut crumble with pear wafers
But harsh as their fellow contestants may be, the judges have the last say. Manu comments ‘You definitely got the combination of flavours right, a marriage made in heaven…. for a cheese platter. Would I do that? No way.’ Ouch. Pete responds similarly. ‘I’m just struggling with it. The cheese is so dominating. Where’s the pear? I’d go back to basics… Don’t try to be too inventive.’
It’s time for the teams to score Jac and Shaz. With some giving points for nerves and the sympathy of being the first cab off the rank, reviews are mixed: ‘really well done’, ‘underwhelmed’ and ‘disappointed’ are the most commonly used phrases. A score of 28 out of 50 from contestants isn’t a half bad effort, the Queenslander think.
Finally the judges reveal the figures: 8’s from both the judges for their stack, a 5 from Pete, and harsh 4 from Manu for their main course.
‘I’m really feeling for Jac and Shaz right now, I can tell that they’re heartbroken.’ Annie offers in support of the cousins.
The final course grants a 3 from both judges. Pete explains ‘My biggest problem with it was the gorgonzola. In this presentations it just didn’t work.’ Shaz admits she’s crushed to have received such a low score for her signature dish.
Bringing their total to 59/100 overall, the only way is up for this North Queensland pair if they want to stick around in the competition. Better luck next time, ladies.
Tomorrow night we’re off to Perth, where Kat and Andre will host the next instant restaurant. What can we expect? One thing’s for sure, it won’t be offal…
Images Sourced from yahoo.com/my-kitchen-rules
