My Kitchen Rules SA: episode 5
Kelly and Claire sent packing in shock twist!
Tonight on My Kitchen Rules SA, book club besties Kelly and Claire were eliminated from the cooking competition after hosting what was undoubtedly the most difficult – and ultimately disastrous – Instant Restaurant of the season so far. The final score from their fellow contestants and celebrity judges David Higgs and J’Something came to a disappointing total of 54 out of 100 – a whopping nine points behind Rein and Rowan who had occupied the bottom of the log for the past three weeks. With that, Rein and Rowan were safe, while Kelly and Claire had to bid a very emotional, tearful goodbye to the competition.
This means that Bruce and Claudia, Liz and Leanne, Lani and Louzel and Rein and Rowan are the four pairs from the first group of contestants moving into the next round of the competition: MKRSA Kitchen HQ.
Kelly and Claire got off to a confident start, having prepared a classical but technically difficult menu to serve at their Instant Restaurant named “D’Lish”. Their starter of steak tartare – which Kelly had made many times for friends before – with toasted ciabatta and a rocket and parmesan salad yielded a mixed reaction from their fellow contestants, though. “The idea of steak tartare is really not appetising for me,” a reluctant Bruce admitted about the prospect of eating raw meat. “I love steak tartare,” Rein raved, but noted that seasoning is vitally important in a dish that essentially involves no actual cooking.
From the outset, Kelly and Claire disagreed on how to plate the starter, as well as on how much seasoning was required. Claire initially felt that Kelly had over-seasoned the dish, but in trying to correct it, they ended up serving bland meat. Moreover, Claire’s ciabattas did not bake correctly and fell flat. “If you’re going to do such a complex dish, you have to get the flavours correct,” a disappointed David Higgs told the hostesses. “You missed the mark completely, I’m afraid.”
Back in the kitchen, despite trying to get their cook back on track, the wheels fell off completely for Kelly and Claire when it came to preparing their main of duck a l’orange with sweet potato mash and steamed broccoli. In a case of bad planning, mismanaged time, a lot of panic and constant disagreements, the best friends ended up tearfully serving a dish that they knew was completely below par. “Everything just fell apart,” Kelly sadly admitted. Claire agreed: “I didn’t anticipate the enormity of this competition until it was our turn tonight, and I’m cringing at every mouthful that the judges are taking,” she revealed.
Unsurprisingly, the judges were less than impressed with the dish. “When my dish arrived, the first thing I saw was a dirty plate: there was blood on it. Everything was cold and I really struggled to enjoy my meal,” a visibly dissatisfied J’Something told the ladies. “I normally start with the positives of a dish,” Claudia added, “but unfortunately I can’t find any for this meal,” she concluded. The bad reviews kept coming from every team, with the exception of Lani and Louzel who managed to find some elements that they enjoyed.
If Kelly and Claire were to redeem themselves, they’d have to pull out all of the stops with their dessert, which was a simple French apple tart with vanilla custard. They ended up serving “the best dessert of the whole season” according to a delighted David Higgs, but unfortunately they took over two hours to get it to the table after their main meal. While their bored guests were waiting, Louzel almost fell asleep at the table before being roused by her mother, while J’Something took to the baby grand piano in the lounge at one stage, to serenade the table with Leanne’s assistance. Unfortunately for Kelly and Claire, their triumphant dessert was not enough to override their previous disaster dishes and they were asked to leave the competition.
Next week will be the turn of five brand new South African pairs of home cooks to step up to the plate and host their very own Instant Restaurants, showcasing their culinary creativity and some proudly South African ingredients along the way!
My Kitchen Rules SA is broadcast on M-Net channel 101 every Sunday night at 18:00. Viewers can also visit www.mnet.tv/mkr to watch exclusive interviews with the judges and contestants, meet the new group of five couples and follow all the breaking news and conversations around the show on Twitter @MNet / #MKRSA or on the official M-Net Facebook page.
