A female duo are to win the current season of MasterChef New Zealand as the last remaining male duo, flatmates Glynn Rudolph and James Cullerton, were eliminated tonight on the top rating TV ONE cooking show.
Teams had one hour to create a pacific inspired crayfish dish on a Samoan beach. They also could only cook on an open fire. Rudolph and Cullerton got their fire underway quickly while other teams struggled and had to call on help from the Islanders.
Rudolph and Cullerton made a crayfish tail cooked two ways with a pawpaw salad. Their crayfish exploded though and turned to mush with judge Simon Gault calling it "crayfish regurgitation". Gault however says the dish tastes better than it looks but it wasn't enough to get the duo into the top five.
Also in the bottom two with Rudolph and Cullerton were mother and daughter team, Nikki and Jordan Shearer. They cooked poached crayfish, puree and salsa under the pressure they had to either be the best or second best team, or they would risk elimination. Getting their fire started sooner than the other duos, gave them an advantage and the they are relieved when the pumpkin puree and crayfish cooked well.
Gault and fellow judge Josh Emett, are impressed that the Shearers took on their advice of tasting the dish throughout cooking. It ends up balancing the flavours and earns the team the title of having the best dish of the day and a place on the menu at Return to Paradise Resort and Spa in Samoa.
MasterChef New Zealand screens Sunday and Monday nights at 7.30pm on TV ONE.
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