Tuesday’s “Vive La Pressure Test†episode of MasterChef Canada was about strong culinary knowledge and will to win the title of the best home cook.
The Top 8 entered the MasterChef Canada kitchen wearing black aprons. What did it mean? Why there weren’t any judges in front of them? They got to know in a second when chefs Claudio, Alvin and Michael appeared behind them and revealed their challenge for the day. Tonight, the home cooks would go through three different tests. Do it or you won’t survive!
The first test began with chef Alvin. It was all about France; French technique and precision was a must. The challenge was to cook a plain French omelette. What was so hard about that you say? It’s only two ingredients: eggs and butter. The chefs had four minutes and one set of ingredients to show the judges they deserved to go to the balcony. The secret was to whisk the eggs through really well and not to leave any whites. Everything should be perfect, starting from seasoning and finishing with the heat of cooks’ pans. Beccy was the first one to finish the dish, but was it a mistake? The judges tried the omelettes. The simplest dish was now not so easy for the contestants. Eugene and Beccy made the best, were safe and chosen to be Team Captains for the next challenge. Andy and Michael G. also made it through.
The next elimination challenge was from Chef Claudio. The goal was to cook a steak to medium rare inside with beautiful crust on the outside. The home cooks had 15 minutes to cook their protein to perfection: two minutes to bring the pan to high heat, eight minutes to cook and five minutes to relax. That is how you cook the perfect steak chef Michael’s way. Everything could go wrong; the heat could be too high, there could be not enough seasoning or it could be overcooked. So many things to worry about! The judges tasted the steaks from Jonathan, Marissa, Nadia and Jen. Only two of the home cooks advanced and Nadia and Jen were the lucky ones. That meant Jonathan and Marissa had to fight and prove they deserved the last free spot in the competition.
The last challenge was a sweet and delicious crème caramel with chef Michael. In 30 minutes, the home cooks needed to make a perfect dessert. That was all about time management. There was no place for mistakes. Marissa was ahead, while Jonathan was making mistake after mistake. The judges went to the stations and tested the dishes. Marissa made it to the top while Jonathan went home.
MasterChef Canada airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on CTV.