Chris Turner Leaves Masterchef New Zealand

Chris Turner Leaves Masterchef New Zealand

3rd April 2012

Chris Turner became the sixth contestant from the Top 16 to leave MasterChef New Zealand on Tuesday 3rd April (7.30 pm – 8.30 pm) on TV ONE.

In tonight’s show it was bonjour to the Top 11’s toughest challenge yet: to cook a French banquet for 100 guests at Auckland bistro La Cigale.

There, the contestants were split into two teams, red and blue, and put to work under La Cigale’s executive chef, Warwick Brown.

Their challenge was to prepare and cook from scratch a three-course French banquet plus canapés for 100 paying guests in just six hours. Dishes included French classics like vol-au-vents, chicken liver parfait, duck a l’orange, lamb navarin, chocolate mousse and crème caramel.

At the end of the evening the guests, many of them culinary heavyweights in their own right, voted for which team’s dishes they liked the best.

The Red Team was named winners of the challenge, and Warwick Brown singled out Charlene McGechan and Matt Gilray as the most valuable performers.

But it was bon voyage for 27-year-old Chris Turner, named by Warwick as being the least valuable.

The Christchurch business development manager had been causing concern right from the start of the challenge. Tasked with making the bitter chocolate mousse, Blue Team member Chris first let the chocolate get too cold, making it difficult to mix together. Warwick Brown was on hand with some cream to fix the problem but Chris was upset by his gaffe.

The incident didn’t go unnoticed by Blue Team leader Matt Gilray “I’m a little bit worried about Chris,” confessed Gilray. “I keep going over and checking on him. He said he was OK but he doesn’t look OK."

Next, Chris ran into trouble when he was pouring the mousse into glass dishes, and realised too late that he didn’t have enough mixture to fill them all. Called in to save the day a second time, Warwick Brown was unimpressed.

“He (Chris) had told me he was a fully experienced pastry chef and that I didn’t need to help him,” grumbled Brown. “If he was working with me we would be having a bit of a rev up!”

Chris’ nerves were now starting to show. “It doesn’t feel great to have to have had help again,” he confessed. “But I just can’t let it get to me.”

But get to him it did. When it came time for the mousse to be served to the guests, Chris realised he was still two servings short. Flustered, and at a loss to explain, Chris described it as one of those ‘oh dear’ moments.

Going into the elimination, Chris said he was disappointed with himself. He’d had a bad day, which only added to his nerves.

Feedback from the judges didn’t help, either. Simon Gault thought Chris’ mousse was too bitter. Ray commented on its almost truffle-like consistency, adding that he thought it should be lighter.

Placed in the bottom two alongside a tearful Andrea Bathgate, Chris was told his performance had not been up to scratch, and that he didn’t seem to have understood the processes of the challenge.

Now in tears himself, he was asked to leave the MasterChef kitchen.

“I’m gutted,” he said, “but this has been my undoing.”

Before going, he thanked the judges for teaching him so much. “I’m sad to be going but I wouldn’t change a thing I’ve done so far,” he said. “I’m so thrilled to have taken part and to have gotten where I am.

“Keep an eye out for me in the future!”

For an exclusive interview with Chris and his thoughts on his eviction go to www.tvnz.co.nz/masterchef-new-zealand

MasterChef New Zealand continues Tuesdays at 7.30pm on TV ONE.

At stake for the remaining contestants is the MasterChef New Zealand title and more than $100,000 worth of prizes. The remaining contestants are: Andrea Bathgate ( Auckland), Matt Gilray (Christchurch), Charlene McGechan (Rotorua), Dave McKinnon (Christchruch), Chantelle O’Brien( Ashburton), Tony Price ( Auckland) Ana Schwarz (Waiheke), Zee Tana (Auckland), Brenton Thornton (Auckland), Chelsea Winter ( Auckland).

ENDS

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