Roll up! Roll up! Pete and Colin are awaiting the teams at Sydney’s Luna Park for the next elimination challenge. They explain that teams are going to give back to Emergency Services' personnel, by serving fun fair food for them and their families.
The best dish as voted by the guests will win People’s Choice, and be free from the next two elimination challenges. The worst two performing dishes will be chosen by Pete and Colin, and will go straight into a Sudden Death Cook Off.
The Emergency Services are in a constant race against time, so it seems only fitting that the teams are too, with Pete and Colin giving them one hour only to serve after their prep time.
Jane and Emma are preparing Popcorn Chicken and Ranch Dipping Sauce. Emma loses focus of their dish as the dishy men in uniform pass by their stall. Apparently it is a ploy to make Steve jealous. Neither Steve nor his hair seem to notice nor care, and so Emma instead puts her energy into the chicken meat. On tasting, the Judges think the chicken is juicy, the crumbed coating is flavoursome and seasoned well, and the accompanying sideshow of salad is fresh, without taking the attention away from the star performing chicken.
Will and Steve, their egos still bruised and Steve’s hair still singed from the most recent Sudden Death Cook Off, are determined not to end up there again. They overcompensate by creating Beef Bombs with Roasted Chilli Mayonnaise. Steve explains it is a sophisticated play on meatballs. On serving, the Judges love the flavor and find it fits the brief by being easy to eat. Pete says it is simple, has integrity, creativity, flair and refinement, and is both Pete and Colin’s dish of the day. Will makes the comment that the feedback is not bad for two Gourmet Geezas. Yes, the boys are definitely bringing some kind of refinement to the competition.
Ash and Camilla are creating upmarket Pork, Fennel and Apple Sausage Rolls, because they want to be different by offering something that will not clog their guests’ arteries. On tasting, the Judges think they have elevated the humble sausage roll with the flavours and fennel seeds they have used. Pete says it is a memorable dish, and one of the best sausage rolls he has ever tasted.
Kool Kat and Understated Andre are cooking Mini Hamburgers with Deep Fried Pickles. During prep, Colin is mortified to find out how involved is their dish. His asking ‘What are you people on?’ is not enough for them to rethink their choices, and they soon find they have deep fried themselves into a pickle. Kool Kat rapidly loses her cool throughout the challenge as time gets away from them, and the realization that what they have bitten off is more than any people are going to get the opportunity to chew. Understated Andre says that Kat is going psycho – or possibly, given the venue, putting the Luna into lunatic. Service starts, and they still have not begun to cook their hamburger patties. Despite their struggle, the Judges find the burgers moist and flavoursome, but they hold no wow factor, and it is just normal food one would find at any ordinary fair.
Spanish Rose and her little cumquat Josh are preparing Churros with Dulce de Leche and Rasberry Coulis. Translation – fried Spanish doughnut with caramel and raspberry sauce. They are confident during prep and service, as this is a dish they make all the time. On tasting, Pete says it is not the best churros he has ever had. Colin says that churros are supposed to be light and airy, but theirs is so light it is just full of air. The churros have also been coated too much in sugar, and Colin thinks the caramel should be darker.
Drastic Drasko and ‘I’ in Bianca are making Chicken Satay with Mango Relish. Unfortunately Bianca forgets to put the wooden skewers in water, and the sticks begin to catch fire during cooking. Luckily there are firemen amongst the guests to control the situation. On serving, the Judges think it is a good-looking dish, generous and juicy. However, the chicken, the sauce and the salad are all too sweet, and overall the dish is not well balanced. Pete says it is not one of his favourite dishes.
Jac and Shaz have thought about the crowd, and have made Banana Spring Rolls with Coconut Custard and Caramel Popcorn. On tasting, the Judges think it certainly provides a sugar hit. The spring roll is soft in the middle and crunchy on the outside, and works well enough without the side of custard and caramel popcorn, which they can take or leave. The guests disagree, and vote Jac and Shaz the People’s Choice for a second time. Modest Shaz says their winning streak is bordering on ridiculous.
Kat and Andre dodge a major dodgem car, with Colin and Pete nominating Drasko and Bianca and Rose and Josh for the Sudden Death Cook Off. Rose is genuinely surprised and in denial, convinced that her and Josh put up a good dish. When asked what she has for Sudden Death that the other team does not, she says she has her son Josh by her side.
When Drasko goes on enthusiastically about how happy he is to have the opportunity to show the Judges what he can do in Sudden Death, Josh modestly interjects, and says that he hopes whatever the outcome, that one team goes through based on their good cooking, and not on the other team’s mistakes. Awe, every mum in Australia just wanted Josh by their side as their son too. Tune in next time to see if team Spain or team Chilli survive the heat in the kitchen during the Sudden Death Cook Off.