MasterChef Australia: June 16 – 20

Next week it’s Kids’ Week on MasterChef with guest chefs Curtis Stone, Shannon Bennett and Stephanie Alexander.

It is Kids’ Week on MasterChef Australia and the remaining 15 contestants have a challenging week ahead, including being critiqued by the fussiest judges yet – children. A pitch black pantry means that imagination must be a core ingredient in Monday’s immunity challenge, and special guests Shannon Bennett and Curtis Stone lead the charge in Tuesday’s Tuck Shop Challenge. All this plus chef, food writer and food education advocate Stephanie Alexander is special guest in this week’s MasterClass.

Sunday 16 June, 7.30pm
Round one in tonight’s challenge sees a Mystery Box in the form of a lunch box. Upon opening, the contestants discover a typical kid’s lunch items: carrot and celery sticks, hummus, cheese and rice crackers, an apple, a plum, a box of sultanas, chicken sandwich on white bread with lettuce, an Anzac biscuit, a choc chip cookie, yoghurt and an orange juice box. They have 60 minutes to make the best dish they can using these ingredients. The judges will only select the six most appealing dishes to taste and choose the Dish Of The Day.

Round two sees the contestants split into three categories of kids’ most hated foods with the challenge of turning these items into something appealing – anchovies, brussel sprouts and liver. With special pint-sized judges on board to decide who can do justice to these ingredients, five contestants will go into tomorrow’s Immunity Challenge.

Monday 17 June, 7.30pm
The top five contestants from yesterday’s challenge prepare for the first Immunity Challenge of the series. The judges tell them they have access to the pantry, but it is a pantry with a difference. This pantry is pitch black.

They have one visit to the pantry and whatever they bring out is what they will be cooking with; they have 60 minutes to make the best dish they can. The contestant who cooks the best dish wins the Immunity Pin.

Tuesday 18 June, 7.30pm
As the contestants arrive at Penleigh and Essendon High School, Gary introduces two very special guests: Shannon Bennett and Curtis Stone, former students at this school. As each guest leads a team, an old school playground team pick ensues one contestant left is unhappy to be chosen last.

The challenge today is to feed 450 starving students. The contestants have four hours to prep under the guidance of Shannon or Curtis. Both guest chefs have prepared a menu which the contestants can choose to use or not.

Wednesday 19 June, 7.30pm
Yesterday’s losing team from the Tuck Shop Challenge face elimination today. The challenge is in two parts. Round one involves an egg whip challenge. The first seven contestants to separate yolks from white and then whip the whites to achieve stiff peaks escape round two and elimination.

For round two it’s replicating Bernard Chu’s tricky lolly bag cake from LuxBite’s patisserie in Melbourne. Each layer of his cake represents a different sweet from your classic kid’s lolly bag. Slicing the cake reveals just how complex this challenge will be, leaving the contestants petrified.

Thursday 20 June, 7.30pm
In tonight’s MasterClass we are joined by the wonderful Stephanie Alexander.

Stephanie’s passion for children to learn about food early in life saw her establish the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation. Tonight she and Matt Preston cook a spinach and potato torte.

George shows us how to have some fun with brussel sprouts, Gary treats us to the perfect pancake and a classic warm winter chicken salad, and Matt delights us with a cheat’s sorbet.