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Kelly Young - Source: ONE News
Bubbly aerobics instructor Kelly Young was not surprised to be the fourth contestant eliminated from MasterChef New Zealand after having a "nightmare" in the kitchen.
On Wednesday night's show, the top nine contestants faced a Mystery Box Challenge, requiring them to make their own pastry and cook two pies - one savoury and one sweet - for judges Ross Burden, Simon Gault and Ray McVinnie, and guest judge Judith Tabron of Soul Bar & Bistro.
They had two and a half hours to make their two pies with ingredients they chose from the pantry. With a wide range of ingredients on offer, the contestants used their imagination to create some truly unusual and innovative recipes. Unfortunately for Young, her idea didn't work.
Young started creating in her head and grabbed a range of things from the pantry - for her sweet, she chose to make a pumpkin pie, and for her savoury, she made a stuffed chicken breast pie with ham, mash, peppers and mushrooms.
It was a brave move for Young who had never made a pumpkin pie, or even eaten one, before. Young knew her dish wasn't up to scratch before she approached the judges.
When McVinnie asked her what she had created, he noted that she didn't even call it a pie. He said it was basically a chicken dinner with pastry that it didn't need. Guest judge, Judith Tabron, said a pie requires a sauce, which hers clearly didn't have, and she declined to try it. As for her pumpkin pie, Gault said it was possibly the worst he'd ever tasted.
Young said it hurt to hear the judges' comments, but she knew they wouldn't be impressed.
"My head just wasn't there, I wasn't ready to make a pie. I don't know why I tried pumpkin pie since I've never even tasted it before."
Young said she knew it was going to be her going home. "I felt like there were no ifs and buts about it. I just had that feeling, it's pretty disappointing - no-one wants to lose.
"It's such an emotional roller coaster, but it's been an amazing journey. I have grown so much and to have come this far, when I never thought I would, is just wicked. I'm going to make it to where I need to be, and that's to be a Michelin Star chef, and one of New Zealand's top chefs, and it's going to happen. Just watch this space."
For eliminated contestants' thoughts on their eviction; the winning recipes; and exclusive MasterClasses, head to the official TVNZ MasterChef New Zealand site
MasterChef New Zealand continues Wednesdays at 7.30pm on TV ONE.
