MasterChef 2019 – Week Three Quarter Finals

Week Three of MasterChef is over, and 56 amateur cooks from around the country with a range of backgrounds have started to battle it out to be named the MasterChef 2019 Champion.

In the critics test, the amateur cooks are going face to face with the daunting test set by critic Jay Rayner, to make a pasta dish.

After cooking their dish and hearing if they have managed to rise to the challenge and meet expectations, only the best cooks with go through to knockout week.

Let’s see how the chefs got on…

Ajay loves South Indian food and his flavours are really delicious.

Signature Dish: Farfalle pasta in a pea, pancetta and butter sauce, with purple basil, breaded chicken and pesto meatballs, finished with parmesan and black truffle.

Jay liked the flavours that accompanied the pasta, unfortunately the farfalle were too ‘dense‘.

Gregg enjoyed the idea of the cook’s meatballs but they were just ‘slightly too dry‘.

John agreed with the chefs but mentioned all the pasta needed was a couple more minutes.

Sonia makes comfort food and she thrives on making good classic flavours.

Signature Dish: Saffron tagliatelle in a sauce made from prawn heads and scallops, with asparagus, scallops and king prawns.

Jay was confused by Sonia’s dish, as the pasta sauce was ‘dull’ and the scallops were ‘well seasoned by undercooked‘.

John suggested that the ‘asparagus disappeared and the scallops and prawns should of been diced up in the pasta, as it was is a seafood dish‘.

Gregg was happy with the pasta making and saffron flavour, ‘however the fish sauce wasn’t there’.

Elliot knows what people want to eat and he understand big flavours.

Signature Dish: Black peppercorn tagliatelle, with lamb, beef and pork meatballs in a tomato ragu and deep fried camembert in breadcrumbs.

Gregg was happy with the flavour and texture of both the meatballs and pasta, but disappointed in the lack of sauce.

John agreed with Gregg and needed a lot more sauce as there wasn’t ‘much of it‘.

Jay Rayner gets the idea behind the dish, but was feeling left out that he didn’t get to try the ‘cracking sauce’.

Rebecca has technique and creates stylised looking plates.

Signature Dish: Carbonara flavoured ravioli that’s filled parmesan and ricotta mouse and an egg yolk, with crispy pancetta, parmesan and black pepper tuille, a sage butter sauce and a side of rosemary and garlic flat bread.

Jay applauding the cook on her egg yolk success, and didn’t have much to say as he just wanted to ‘carry on eating her food‘.

Gregg loved all the flavours coming from the dish and praised the chef on her technique and skill.

John was happy with her technique and ‘appreciated’ her cooking.

Thomas has skill, knowledge and ambition.

Signature Dish: Ravioli filled with a mushroom mousse and an egg yolk, topped with deep-fried pasta with mushrooms, chicken, shallots, pea shoots and a chicken consommé.

Jay was happy with the ‘classical technique‘ Thomas presented. All-round the food critic thought it was an ‘impressive plate, and the best pasta dish of the day‘.

Gregg thought the dish was ‘beautiful‘ and said ‘I think you are approaching skills of that of a professional chef‘.

John loved the all the elements within the dish but noticed it was ‘rushed‘ towards the end.

Paul is a sculptor but his food is rustic and daring.

Signature Dish: Lobster and shrimp ravioli, in a lobster bisque garnished with chopped nasturtium leaves and parmesan and nasturtium flower tuilles.

Jay Rayner noticed one of the pastas had spilt, and finished by saying ‘I could do a lot of damage to that dish if I was left by myself in a quiet room‘.

Gregg thought Paul’s bisque was ‘fantastic‘ and loved his ‘cheesy tuilles‘, but couldn’t ‘pick up‘ any nasturtium.

John loved the flavours inside the ravioli and said the cook had done ‘really really well‘.

The judges and critics all agreed that the 5 chefs going through to the knockout stage would be; Rebecca, Thomas, Elliot & Paul.
Unfortunately saying bye and good luck for the future to Sonia & Ajay.