My Kitchen Rules moved into its first Kitchen HQ challenge on Tuesday night, with seven teams facing a fast or slow cook and the prospect of elimination.
Krysten and Lucy’s attempt to use their advantage to secure a favourable matchup backfired, leaving the Queensland mother and daughter facing Harrison and Oliver in the elimination cook-off.
After Tiffany and Giancarlo selected the two-hour slow cook, Krysten and Lucy were given the power to decide which round the remaining teams would compete in, having secured the highest Instant Restaurant score of 92.
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The teams head into their first Kitchen HQ challenge, with the fast and slow cooks determining who will face the first elimination cook-off on My Kitchen Rules (image – Seven / Paul A. Broben)
The pair opted to place the teams they considered weakest alongside themselves in the 30-minute challenge, leaving the stronger cooks to compete against each other.
“I think what we should do is we should put the weakest teams in the same round as us,” Krysten said.
“And then the strongest teams all against each other,” Lucy added.
Krysten and Lucy selected Angus and Simon, Sheridan and Ted, and Zoe and Zac to join them in the fast cook, while Mary and Golden and Harrison and Oliver were left to compete against Tiffany and Giancarlo in the slow round.
The strategy appeared to put the mother and daughter in a favourable position, but their salmon fishcakes with wasabi mayonnaise and papaya and avocado salsa quickly became a problem.
The dish attracted criticism from the other contestants, with the fishcakes described as dry, lacking seasoning and having a soft texture. Judges Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge were similarly unimpressed.
“I know it’s what you cook at home and you love it, but this is not home. The salmon was overcooked, seasoning was devoid,” Colin said.
Despite Zoe and Zac failing to plate their coconut rice, Krysten and Lucy’s fishcakes were ultimately judged the weakest dish of the round, sending the pair into the elimination cook-off.
The result came as a shock to Lucy, who admitted the pair had been confident in their performance.
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“I’m just really embarrassed because even after our cook, we felt confident. We made it clear that we were confident. That was the last thing that we were expecting,” she said.
Sheridan and Ted, meanwhile, managed to overcome a frantic cook to deliver Japanese fried chicken and waffles that impressed the judges.
“That chicken was juicy and crispy, well-seasoned. That dish made sense from A to Z,” Manu said, confirming the Western Australian mother and son were safe.
Angus and Simon also delivered a strong performance with their sticky soy and garlic pork, although Zac criticised the portion sizes and chilli-heavy flavours.
Mary and Golden celebrated their Filipino heritage with pork adobo, garlic rice and crispy kangkong, earning dish of the day.
“Just having the plate in front of me just made me smile,” Manu said.
“The pork was cooked very well. It was just falling apart and sticky and salty and sweet.”
Mary said the pair were proud to showcase their national dish, with Manu telling them their community would be proud of their effort.
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In the slow cook, Tiffany and Giancarlo returned to the competition with chicken maryland, polenta and a fennel and orange salad.
While the cheesy polenta attracted criticism, the judges praised the chicken and the salad’s crunch and acidity, allowing the pair to avoid elimination.
Harrison and Oliver, however, struggled with their prosciutto chicken maryland, stout wedges and radicchio.
Although the chicken was moist, the bitter radicchio, watery sauce and competing flavours undermined the dish, leaving the NSW mates at the bottom of the round.
With Tiffany and Giancarlo safe, Harrison and Oliver were left to face Krysten and Lucy in the elimination cook-off.
“I’m gutted. This is the last thing I wanted to do, and now we have to take on people that we not only respect, but are seriously good cooks,” Harrison said.
Next on My Kitchen Rules, Krysten and Lucy face Harrison and Oliver in the first Kitchen HQ elimination cook-off, while a comment from Angus leaves Mary speechless.
My Kitchen Rules continues at 7.30pm Monday – Wednesday next week on Seven and 7plus.
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