The best recipes from My Kitchen Rules 2025

Lol and Lil pulled out all of the stops in the hopes of making it through to the grand final, and decided to bring two desserts together.

While Manu said the pastry work was a “10 out of 10”, and Colin also liked it, they were sadly sent home.

Ingredients

250g strawberries, quartered

Edible flowers, to decorate

Tart shells

225g plain flour

50g icing sugar

125g cold butter, chopped

1 egg yolk

Vanilla creme

250ml milk

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

3 eggs

75g caster sugar

25g cornflour

25g unsalted butter, chopped

Berry panna cotta

400g fresh mixed berries

220g caster

sugar 250ml thickened cream

125ml milk

6 gold strength gelatine leaves

Berry compote

300g frozen mixed berries

55g caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease 6 x 10cm loose-bottomed tart pans.
2. To make tart shells, pulse flour and icing sugar in a food processor to remove any lumps and combine. Add butter and process to form fine crumbs.
3. Add egg yolk and 2 tablespoons chilled water, then process until mixture comes together in a smooth ball. Enclose in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and use to line prepared pans. Chill for 15 minutes.
4. Line tart shells with baking paper and fill with baking weights or rice, then bake for 10 minutes or until pale golden brown. Cool completely.
5. To make vanilla crème, heat milk and vanilla in a saucepan until just simmering. Whisk eggs, sugar and cornflour in a bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk in hot milk. Return to saucepan and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Transfer to a bowl and cover surface with cling wrap. Cool completely.
6. To make panna cotta, soak gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes to soften.
7. Place berries, sugar and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until berries are broken down and mixture is soft. Pass through a fine sieve.
8. Place the cream and milk in a measuring jug. Add enough berry puree to make 500ml. Pour mixture into a clean saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Squeeze excess water out of gelatine leaves and add to mixture. Stir until dissolved. Strain into a jug. Pour into six x 80ml panna cotta moulds. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight.
9. To make berry compote, stir berries and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat until soft. Cool completely.
10. To assemble, spoon vanilla crème into tart shells. Unmould panna cottas and place on top. Serve with berry compote. Decorate with strawberries and edible flowers.

Maria and Bailey were determined to make it through to the semi-final, and decided to keep it simple.

Their pasta was a showstopper, and along with their dessert, earned them their place in the final round.

Ingredients

25g butter

1 tbs olive oil

200g mixed wild mushrooms, sliced

Finely grated parmesan and truffle, to garnish

Pasta

300g 00 flour

2 tbs porcini powder

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 eggs (about 100g) Egg yolks, to bring total egg weight to 185g

Plain flour, for dusting

½ fresh black truffle, thinly shaved

Mushroom Cream Sauce

20g dried porcini mushrooms

160ml boiling water

50g unsalted butter

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

100g fresh cremini mushrooms, finely chopped

60ml dry white wine

200ml double cream

40g parmesan, finely grated

Method

1. To make pasta, pulse flour, porcini powder and salt in a processor to combine. Add eggs and yolks. Process to form a crumbly dough.
2. Knead dough on a lightly floured bench for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (it will lose its rough, floury texture). Stand, covered, for 20 minutes to rest. Divide into eight portions. Pass portions through a pasta machine on the widest setting, dusting dough with flour between rolls, increasing settings until the last but one.
3. Place pasta sheets on the bench. Grate the fresh truffle over half the sheets. Top with remaining sheets. Pass through the pasta machine again to join the sheets.
4. Pass pasta sheets through a tagliatelle cutter. Place tagliatelle on a lightly floured tray (or hang) for 15 minutes, to dry a little before cooking.
5. To make sauce, soak porcini in the boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, reserving the soaking liquid. Finely chop porcini.
6. Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add shallot and garlic and cook until softened. Add porcini and cremini mushrooms and cook, stirring, until moisture evaporates and mushrooms start to caramelise. Deglaze with wine and cook until reduced by half. Add reserved mushroom soaking liquid and cream. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in parmesan. Season.
7. Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add mixed wild mushrooms and cook until soft. Season.
8. To cook pasta, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook tagliatelle in batches for 2–3 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladle of cooking water.
9. Toss pasta in warm mushroom cream sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed to coat evenly.
10. Divide tagliatelle and sauce among serving bowls. Top with sautéed mushrooms. Garnish with parmesan and truffle.

Justin and Will wanted to impress everyone and showcase their best in the semi-finals.

It all paid off, because they are competing in the grand final!

Ingredients

Chocolate ice cream

375ml thickened cream

25g cocoa powder

135g caster sugar

Pinch of sea salt

85g dark chocolate, chopped

2 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel whiskey sauce

250g caster sugar 80ml water

150ml thickened cream

50g butter

2 tbs whiskey

Chocolate souffles

110g caster sugar, plus extra for coating

40g butter, plus extra for greasing

2 tbs plain flour

250ml milk

200g dark chocolate

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg yolks, lightly whisked

4 egg whites

Sifted icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. To make ice cream, whisk cream, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan until smooth.
2. Place over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil, whisking occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 seconds.
3. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
4. Strain mixture into a heatproof bowl. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold.
5. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
6. To make caramel sauce, place sugar and water in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and cook, without stirring, for 4–5 minutes or until a golden caramel forms. Take off the heat, then carefully stir in the cream, butter and whiskey.
7. Preheat oven to 200C. Grease six 9cm round ramekins with butter and coat inside with extra sugar, tapping out excess.
8. To make soufflés, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate, salt and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Cool slightly. Stir in egg yolks.
9. In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 110g of caster sugar, 1 tsp at a time, until mixture is glossy and firm.
10. Fold one-third of the whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen. Gently fold in remaining whites until just combined.
11. Spoon into prepared ramekins. Run your thumb around inside edge of each to help soufflés rise evenly.
12. Bake for 12-15 mins or until risen and just set. Dust with icing sugar. Serve immediately with ice cream and sauce.

Going into the Ultimate Instant Restaurant round, Danielle and Marko had something to prove.

After they narrowly beat Michael and Reilli, they were determined to show everyone that their first Instant Restaurant success was not a fluke.

Unfortunately, they were disappointed with their final score of 62, which was six points lower than Lol and Lil.

While some of their dishes failed to impress, their snapper was praised.

Ingredients

4 skin-on snapper fillets

2 tbs olive oil

Steamed broccolini and lime wedges, to serve

Sliced red chilli, to garnish

Marinade

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs tamarind paste

1 tbs honey

1 tbs lime juice

1/4–1/2 tsp chilli powder

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp paprika

Cajun Cream Sauce

1 tbs olive oil

1 eschallot, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

250ml thickened cream

60ml chicken stock

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbs lime juice

Sweet Potato Mash

1kg sweet potatoes peeled, chopped

125ml thickened cream

3 garlic cloves, crushed

25g butter

Method

1. Lightly score fish skin. Season with salt.
2. To make the marinade, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Brush flesh-side of fish all over with marinade. Set aside, skin-side up, for 15 minutes to marinate.
3. To make Cajun cream sauce, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add eschallot and garlic and cook until soft. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes or until slightly reduced and flavoursome.
4. To make sweet potato mash, cook potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and allow steam to evaporate. Return to pan and mash until smooth.
5. Place cream, butter and garlic in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 mins. Add to potatoes and mash to combine. Season.
6. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add fish, skin-side down. Cook for 5 minutes or until skin is golden and crisp. Turn and cook for a further 2 minutes or until just cooked through.
7. Serve snapper and mash with Cajun cream sauce, broccolini and lime wedges. Garnish with chilli.

Lol and Lil ‘s Ultimate Instant restaurant was certainly one to remember – Maria and Bailey finally admitted that they’d been strategically scoring dishes.

Drama aside, it was full of ups and downs for the Logan friends.

While some of their dishes failed to impress, their bao buns and this dessert earned them 10s from the judges.

Ingredients

4 firm ripe beurre bosc pears

Edible flowers and dried orange slices, to decorate

Ice Cream

300ml milk

300ml cream

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

6 egg yolks

150g caster sugar ¼ tsp sea salt

Almond Crumb

75g dark brown sugar

50g rolled oats

75g raw almonds, chopped

50g self-raising flour

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp mixed spice

pinch salt

60g butter, melted

Poaching Liquor

50g brown sugar 4 cinnamon sticks 2 star anise 10 cloves 10 peppercorns 10 cardamom pods, cracked

2 chai flavoured tea bags

1.5L water

Salted Caramel Sauce

165g caster sugar

125ml water

75g chilled butter, chopped

125ml thickened cream, at room temperature

¼ tsp sea salt flakes

Method

1. To make ice-cream, stir milk, cream, vanilla bean and seeds in a saucepan over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Whisk egg yolks, sugar and salt until pale and creamy. Slowly add hot milk mixture, whisking continuously. Return mixture to saucepan. Stir over a low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain. Cool. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Preheat oven to 180C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
3. To make the almond crumb, combine the sugar, oats, almonds, flour, ginger, mixed spice and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the butter until well combined. Spread mixture onto prepared tray in a single layer.
4. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cool on tray. Crumble into pieces.
5. To make poaching liquor, place all ingredients in a saucepan (just big enough to snugly fit pears). You may need to add a little more water depending on the size of your saucepan, as pears will need to be submerged once added. Stir mixture over low heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes to allow flavours to infuse.
6. Peel pears and trim bases, so they sit flat. Add pears to poaching liquor and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes or until tender.
7. To make caramel sauce, place sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring and brushing down the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush occasionally, for 5 minutes to dissolve sugar. Increase heat to high and cook until dark golden. Add butter and whisk until melted and combined. Stir in cream and salt. Bring to a simmer.
8. Serve poached pears with almond crumb, caramel sauce and ice cream. Decorate with edible flowers and dried orange slices.

Justin was reduced to tears over Manu’s feedback during his and Will’s Ultimate Instant Restaurant.

They served two different meal options for each course, but it was Justin’s tribute to his Ouma for their main course that stole the show.

He made his beloved Ouma’s seafood hotpot recipe, which completely won over Manu.

The judge said the dish deserved to be featured in a recipe book as he heaped praise on the meal, reducing Justin to tears.

Manu even called Justin’s father to say that he had done his family proud in a very emotional moment.

Ingredients

Steamed basmati rice, to serve
Fried shallots and coriander leaves, to garnish
250ml vinegar
60g raw sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tbs curry powder
1 tbs Thai red curry paste
1 tbs Rogan Josh curry paste
500ml fish stock
300g calamari tubes, cut into 2cm pieces
2 lobster tails, halved lengthways
400g ling fillets, coarsely chopped

Method

1. To pickle the onion, stir vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic and peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in onion and set aside to cool completely. Strain to serve.
2. To make hotpot, heat oil in a large heavy based saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until dark golden brown and very soft. Stir in tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until soft and thickened. Stir in curry powder and curry pastes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in stock. Bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes to develop the flavours. Add calamari and cook, covered, for 3 minutes. Add lobster and cook, covered, for 4 minutes. Add ling and cook covered for a further 3-4 minutes or until all seafood is cooked through.
3. Serve hotpot with rice. Garnish with fried shallot and coriander leaves.

Danielle and Marko narrowly managed to avoid elimination by beating Michael and Rielli during the elimination cook-off.

They impressed with their eye fillet banquet, which was described as “delicious” by Manu as they nabbed just one point higher than their rivals, securing their place in the competition.

“The beef was cooked perfectly, though I would have given it a nice caramelisation,” Colin added.

Ingredients

2kg potatoes, peeled, quartered
2 tbs semolina
1½ tsp kosher salt
150g duck fat
1.6kg beef fillet, at room temperature
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs garlic powder
60g butter, chopped
10 garlic cloves, crushed
25g butter
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
2 tbs plain flour
200ml milk
400g spinach
100ml cream
1 tbs olive oil
1kg button mushrooms
Sliced 50g butter
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbs teriyaki sauce
2 tsp red cooking wine
1 tsp garlic salt
160ml extra virgin olive oil
80ml white wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbs olive oil
30g unsalted butter
4 shallots, peeled
Finely chopped, 2 tbs black peppercorns
Crushed 125ml brandy
360ml beef stock
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
250ml thickened cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Place potatoes in a large saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to a boil. Boil until almost tender. Drain in colander, shaking to roughen edges and allowing steam to evaporate. Sprinkle with semolina and kosher salt.
3. Place duck fat on a large roasting tray in the oven for 5 minutes to melt. Add potatoes, tossing to coat. Season. Roast for about 1 hour or until golden and crisp, turning halfway through.
4. Rub the beef all over with olive oil and garlic powder. Season.
5. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook beef, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until browned all over, adding butter and garlic for the last 5 minutes and basting throughout. Transfer to the oven and roast for about 6-8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 55C on a meat thermometer (medium-rare). Set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Slice.
6. To make creamed spinach, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and cook for 5 mins or until smooth and thickened. Place spinach in a colander, pour over boiling water to wilt, then drain well and roughly chop. Add to sauce with cream. Bring to a boil. Simmer until thickened. Season.
7. To cook mushrooms, heat oil in a large deep frying pan over medium heat. Cook mushrooms until browned. Add remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until mushrooms are very tender. Season.
8. To make chimichurri, whisk all ingredients except parsley in a bowl. Stir in parsley and season to taste.
9. To make peppercorn sauce, heat oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and peppercorns. Cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add brandy. Simmer until reduced by half. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until thickened and flavoursome. Season. Stir in juices from rested beef.
10. Serve sliced eye fillet with potatoes, spinach, mushrooms, chimichurri and peppercorn sauce.

Justin and Will came out on top during the dessert round of the Woolworths Pick a Fridge challenge.

Judges Colin and Manu were left impressed by the delicious flavours, firmly putting them ahead of their rivals, Lol and Lil, and Danielle and Marko.

“That was a master stroke,” Colin gushed about the dish.

Ingredients

175 g pitted Medjool dates, finely chopped
375ml plant-based milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g plant-based butter
100g brown sugar
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp salt
125g plant-based butter
120g brown sugar
1 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs bourbon whiskey
125ml coconut cream
40g cornflour
375ml plant-based milk
400g can of coconut milk
110g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of ground turmeric
80g plant-based butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
2. To make pudding, place the dates, milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until dates are soft. Add butter and sugar. Stir until melted and combined. Combine flour and spices in a large bowl. Sift into a second bowl to ensure they are thoroughly combined. Remove date mixture from heat and pour over the flour mixture. Mix until well combined. Spoon in to prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
3. To make sauce, place butter, sugar, syrup and whiskey in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, until melted and combined. Whisk in coconut cream. Bring to a simmer.
4. Using a skewer, poke holes all over sticky date pudding. Pour over half the sauce. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Cut into slices.
5. To make custard, combine cornflour with 2 tablespoons of the plant-based milk in cup. Place coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, turmeric, remaining plant-based milk and cornflour mixture in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, whisking, until smooth, combined and thickened. Whisk in butter.
6. Serve pudding with custard and remaining sauce.

Maria and Bailey certainly came out on top during the Woolworth’s Pick a Fridge challenge.

They were pitted against Michael and Rielli, and Tan and Mark during the main course round, and won by a landslide.

Manu described the flavours as “strong” while Colin praised their decision to use a prawn stock in their tasty dish.

They avoided the elimination cook-off and received nothing but praise for their prawn and lemon risotto.

Ingredients

Micro herbs and finely grated lemon zest, to garnish
1 brown onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
10 thyme sprigs
½ bunch parsley stalks
1L water
2 tsp salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
12 extra-large prawns
1 ½ tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
250g tomatoes, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
125ml dry white wine
2 tbs tomato paste
2L fish stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup basil leaves
40g basil leaves
25g flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tsp olive oil
20g aged Parmesan, grated
2 tbs olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
300g Carnaroli rice
30ml dry white wine
500ml lemon stock
500ml prawn bisque
30g butter, chopped

Method

1. To make lemon stock, place all ingredients apart from zest in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Boil until reduced to 500ml. Remove from heat and add lemon zest. Set aside for 30 minutes to infuse. Strain and discard solids. Return to the pan over low heat to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, to make bisque, peel and devein prawns, reserving heads and shells. Place the prawn meat in a bowl with 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Season generously and refrigerate, covered, until required.
3. Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan or stock pot, over medium heat. Add the prawn heads and shells, onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes and garlic. Season. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 mins or until the onion softens. Add the wine and simmer for 5 mins or until reduced by half. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 mins or until well combined.
4. Add the stock and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 mins or until slightly reduced and flavoursome. Remove from heat and add basil.
5. Use a stick blender to carefully blend bisque until smooth (alternatively, cool slightly and blend in a blender in small batches). Strain mixture through a sieve back into a clean pan, pushing down on solids, to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard solids. Return to a clean saucepan and simmer until reduced to about 500ml.
6. To make basil sauce, place basil in a bowl. Cover with boiling water. Drain immediately and transfer to an ice bath. Drain again. Transfer to a small processor with remaining ingredients. Process until smooth. Season.
7. To make risotto, heat half the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallots until soft.
8. Dry fry rice in a large deep frying pan with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in eschallot. Add stock and bisque, alternately, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly between additions, until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender but still al dente. Remove from heat and add butter and the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Stir quickly to emulsify and create a creamy texture. Season.
9. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Cook prawns for 1-2 minutes or until just cooked through.
10. Serve risotto topped with prawns and dots of basil sauce. Garnish with micro herbs.

Lol and Lil narrowly saved themselves during the elimination cook-off after impressing with their two-course banquet.

They made a Sunday roast and a profiterole tower for the judges, but it was their main course that secured their place in the competition.

Despite a huge hurdle of initially undercooking their chicken, their final result was mouth-watering and left the judges wanting more.

Cooking a roast dinner is no easy feat, and if you’ve ever struggled, why not try Lol and Lil’s very own recipe?

Ingredients

Rosemary sprigs, to garnish
2 tbs vegetable oil
1kg chicken wings, chopped into 3 pieces
1 carrot, chopped
1 brown onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
250ml dry white wine
2 tbs plain flour
1 litre chicken stock
1 litre of water
25g butter, cubed
25g butter, softened
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 lemon, chopped
5 sprigs thyme
5 sprigs of rosemary
500ml chicken stock
1kg potatoes, peeled, halved
2 tbs olive oil
8 heirloom carrots, scrubbed
6 parsnips, peeled, halved lengthways
1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
½ jap pumpkin, coarsely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
150g plain flour
250ml milk
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
80ml vegetable oil
400g finely chopped day-old white bread
1 tbs olive oil
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
45g dried cranberries
250ml chicken stock
50g melted butter
2 eggs, whisked

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. To make gravy, heat oil in a large heavy based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken wings. Cook, turning until browned. Remove and set aside.
3. Add carrot, onion, celery and garlic to same pan. Cook, stirring, until golden brown.
4. Return chicken to pan. Add wine and simmer until almost evaporated. Sprinkle mixture with flour and stir to combine. Stir in stock and water. Season. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until thickened to form a gravy. Strain into a clean saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk in butter a cube at a time until sauce is smooth and glossy. Stir in any juices from rested sliced chicken.
5. To prepare roast chicken, combine the butter and garlic in a bowl. Season.
6. Gently loosen skin of chicken over breasts and evenly spread butter between skin and meat. Stuff cavity with onion, lemon, thyme and rosemary. Tie legs together with butcher’s string.
7. Place in a large roasting pan, breast-side up. Pour in stock. Roast for about 1 hour 15 minutes or until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 75C on a meat thermometer, basting half way through.
8. To prepare roast potatoes, place potatoes in a large saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to a boil. Boil until almost tender. Drain and allow steam to evaporate. Transfer to an oven tray and drizzle with oil. Season. Roast for about 1 hour or until golden and crisp.
9. To prepare roasted vegetables, place the carrots, parsnips and garlic in an oven tray and drizzle with oil. Season. Roast for 30 minutes. Add pumpkin. Roast for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
10. To prepare Yorkshire pudding batter, whisk flour, milk, eggs and salt in a bowl until smooth. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest.
11. To make the stuffing, process bread to form coarse crumbs.
12. Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the celery, onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Transfer to a bowl with breadcrumbs, herbs and cranberries. Stir to combine. Whisk stock, butter and eggs together. Add to breadcrumbs mixture and stir to combine.
13. Spoon into a greased baking dish. Bake for 35 mins or until stuffing is heated through and golden and crisp on top.
14. Increase oven to 220C.
15. To cook the Yorkshire puddings, divide the oil among 6 holes of a Texas muffin pan. Place in the oven for 5 minutes or until smoking. Remove from oven and carefully pour batter into holes. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden.
16. Serve chicken, potatoes and vegetables with Yorkshire puddings, stuffing and gravy. Garnish with rosemary.

During the first Kitchen Headquarters, the teams had to pick a fridge at random to determine which ingredients they could use.

Maria and Bailey opened the bacon fridge for dessert, leaving them disappointed, but their dessert still beat their rivals – Anne and Maree, and Mark and Tan.

Colin and Manu heaped praise on the flavours as it ranked the highest out of the three dishes, saving them from facing the cook-off.

Ingredients

4 rashers streaky bacon
1 tbs maple syrup
2 tsp brown sugar
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
150ml warm milk (not more than 30C)
2 tsp fresh or dried yeast
55g sugar
1 large egg
40g butter, softened
320g flour
½ tsp salt
160ml thickened cream
180g white chocolate, chopped
Pinch salt
100g caster sugar
100ml thickened cream
¼ tsp salt
50g butter, diced

Method

1. To make donuts, stir milk, yeast and sugar in a small bowl to combine. Set aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes or until frothy.
2. Transfer mixture to bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the egg and butter. Sift in the combined flour and salt. Mix on low to form a soft dough. Increase speed to medium and mix for about 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Cover the bowl and set aside in a warm place for about 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.
4. Meanwhile, to make ganache, heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat and add chocolate and salt. Set aside for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth and combined. Transfer to a piping bag. Refrigerate until cold.
5. Place bacon on an oven tray. Brush with syrup and sprinkle with sugar. Cook under a hot grill for about 5 minutes or until caramelised and crisp, turning half way through. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Finely chop.
6. To finish making donuts, line a large tray with baking paper
7. Punch dough down and roll out on a lightly floured surface until 2cm thick. Cut out 7cm rounds, rerolling dough as necessary. Transfer to prepared tray. Cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until risen.
8. Deep fry donuts in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper.
9. To make salted caramel, melt sugar in a frying pan over medium heat, swirling pan to keep caramel cooking evenly, until dark golden brown. Add cream and salt (mixture will splutter) and swirl pan until mixture is melted, smooth and combined. Whisk in butter, a cube at a time.
10. Pipe ganache into donuts, then dip in the salted caramel and allow to set. Sprinkle with chopped bacon.

The first week of Kitchen Headquarters got off to an explosive start as the teams competed to avoid the dreaded cook-off.

And Justin and Will managed to save themselves as they beat their rivals, Michael and Rielli and Lol and Lil, in the main course round.

Judges Colin and Manu deemed their delicious meal – a South African Lamb Curry – as the “best” of the three by far.

Ingredients

300g plain flour
1 tsp salt
250ml boiling water, cooled for 5 mins
40g butter, softened
2 tbs vegetable oil
25g butter, melted
3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbs vegetable oil
800g diced lamb leg
1 large brown onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves
4cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
1 bunch coriander, roots and stems finely chopped, leaves picked
400g can diced tomatoes
400g can of coconut milk
2 bay leaves
200g basmati rice, rinsed
375ml cold water
1 stick of cinnamon
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp salt
25g butter, cubed
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded, cut into 1cm dice
1-2 small red chillies, finely chopped (seeded if desired)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped coriander
1 tsp caster sugar
2 tbs red wine vinegar

Method

1. To make roti, sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Combine the water, butter and oil in a jug. Add to the flour mixture. Stir to combine and form a dough. When cool enough to handle, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Place in a bowl and cover with a clean tea towel. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
2. To make curry, dry fry spices in a small frying pan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant.
3. Heat half the oil in a large sauce pan over high heat. Season the lamb and add half to the pan. Cook, turning, for 5 minutes or until brown all over. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining lamb.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining oil. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, coriander root and stem. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins or until onion is softened. Add spice mix and season generously. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer. Return lamb and any resting juices. Simmer for about 45 minutes or until lamb is tender and oil is visible on the surface.
5. To prepare rice, place the rice in a saucepan with the water, cinnamon, turmeric and salt. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 12–15 minutes, without lifting the lid. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in butter.
6. To make sambal, combine all ingredients in a bowl. Season.
7. Divide the rested roti dough into eight portions. Roll each portion into a 2mm-thick round.
8. Heat a large heavy based frying pan over high heat. Add a roti and cook for about 30 seconds or until bubbles appear. Turn, brush with melted butter and cook for a further 30 seconds or until lightly browned. Transfer to a warm plate and cover with a clean tea towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining roti.
9. Serve curry, rice and roti with sambal. Garnish with coriander leaves.

It wasn’t Amy and Lara’s week, and their Instant Restaurant ultimately saw them sent home, but one dish managed to impress the judges.

Their entree – a Ceviche Betel Leaf with Pork Crackling and Peanut Relish – proved to be a strong start to their three-course meal, before things went awry.

“I loved the dish, it was full of flavour, juicy, crunchy,” Manu gushed.

While Colin added, “You promised a flavour explosion, and that’s exactly what we got!”

Colin gave the dish an eight overall, while Manu awarded them a nine.

Ingredients

250g sashimi-grade coral trout, cut into 1cm dice
1 tbs lime juice
2 tsp lemon juice
12 betel leaves
Sliced red chilli, to garnish
500g pork skin, scored, cut into 5cm pieces
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
100g roasted peanuts, finely chopped
2 ½ tbs lime juice
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp grated palm sugar
1-2 small red chillies, finely chopped
3 tbs finely chopped coriander
2 tbs lime juice
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp grated palm sugar
1 eschalot, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
½ tsp finely grated ginger
½ cup coarsely chopped Vietnamese mint
¼ cup coriander leaves
1 green apple, cut into matchsticks

Method

1. To prepare pork crackle, pat the skin dry with a paper towel and place it on a rack over a tray. Sprinkle with a generous layer of salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, for several hours or up to overnight. Brush off salt and pat dry.
2. Deep fry in small batches until golden and crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Coarsely chop.
3. Combine trout, lime and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to cure. Strain and discard any liquid.
4. Meanwhile, to make peanut relish, combine all ingredients in a bowl.
5. To make salad, stir lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl until sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients. Toss to combine. Season.
6. To assemble, divide the ceviche among the betel leaves. Top with salad and peanut relish. Sprinkle with pork crackle and garnish with chilli.

While Michael might call himself the “Meat Master”, Rielli once again proved she was the “Dessert Queen”.

Her choice of French dessert, a Paris-Brest, left the judges blown away, with Manu saying it “melted in the mouth”.

“It was a classic dessert done well and a great end to a good meal,” Colin added.

Manu awarded the dish a generous nine while Colin followed closely behind with an eight.

Ingredients

1 egg, lightly whisked (for egg wash)
1 tbs milk
180g hazelnuts, toasted
180g almonds, toasted
90g corn syrup
70g granulated sugar
50ml water
¼ tsp salt
1/3 tsp bicarbonate of soda
300ml whole milk
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
4 egg yolks
60g plain flour
½ tsp salt
100g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
125ml water
50g butter
70g strong flour
½ tsp caster sugar
¼ tsp salt
2 eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 190C. Line a large oven tray with baking paper and draw six 10cm round circles on paper. Flip paper over so tracing is on the underside.
2. To make choux pastry, place the water and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until butter melts and mixture just comes to the boil.
3. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add to the butter mixture and use a wooden spoon to beat until well combined. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, for 1-2 mins or until the mixture forms a ball and begins to come away from the side of the pan. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cool to 60C.
4. Whisk eggs in a small bowl. Add half to the flour mixture. Beat on medium or until just combined. With motor operating, gradually add enough of the remaining egg, beating until the mixture just falls from the paddle, but still holds its shape. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm-diameter round piping nozzle.
5. Lightly flick the prepared tray with a little water. Pipe dough onto traced circles and use a water-moistened finger to smooth down the join in the circles. Combine the lightly whisked egg with the milk and brush over choux rounds.
6. Bake for 30 mins or until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and turn the oven off. Use a skewer or a small knife to pierce the base of each choux to release the steam. Return the choux to the oven and leave for 15 mins to dry out. Remove the choux from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut choux rounds in half horizontally.
7. To make praline paste, line an oven tray with baking paper. Spread nuts on tray in a single layer. Place the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until dark golden brown. Carefully pour over nuts on prepared tray. Cool. Break into shards. Process to form coarse crumbs. Remove and set aside 4 tablespoons of these coarse crumbs for assembly. Process remaining coarse crumbs to form a smooth paste. Place half in a piping bag. Reserve remaining paste to add to pastry cream.
8. To make pastry cream, stir milk, sugar and vanilla paste in a saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot.
9. Whisk egg yolks, flour and salt until smooth and combined. Gradually whisk in hot milk in a thin steady stream.
10. Return mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring, over low heat until thickened. Whisk in butter a cube at a time. Pass through a sieve and into a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Whisk in half the praline paste.
11. To assemble, pipe a little of the praline pastry cream into the base of the choux rings to fill any holes in the pastry. Smooth down with a spatula. Pipe a ring of praline paste on top of this and finally pipe on rosettes of praline pastry cream. Sprinkle with reserved coarse crumbs of praline. Top with choux ring tops. Dust with sifted icing sugar. If desired you can decorate by piping on any remaining praline paste.

After being at risk of elimination in their first week, Lol and Lil made a comeback with their second run.

They saw a huge improvement in their scores, but their winning dish was their main course, a pumpkin and ricotta ravioli.

Colin gushed that the pasta was cooked “beautifully” while Manu described the brown butter as “delicious”.

“Love the flavour overall, a classic done well,” Colin concluded, before scoring them an eight.

Manu agreed and issued the same score, leaving the girls thrilled.

Ingredients

40g pine nuts, toasted
40g chopped walnuts, toasted
300g flour
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 small Jap pumpkin (900g), peeled, coarsely chopped
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
250g ricotta
50g finely grated parmesan
160ml thickened cream
½ cup fresh basil leaves
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbs finely grated parmesan
125g butter, chopped
16 sage leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. To make pasta, sift flour and salt onto a clean work bench. Make a well in the centre. Add eggs and whisk lightly. Gradually incorporate flour into centre, adding a little water if necessary, to form a soft pliable dough. Dough is correct consistency if your thumb comes back clean when pushed into it.
2. Knead dough on a lightly floured bench for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (it will lose its rough, floury texture). Stand, covered, for 20 minutes to rest.
3. Preheat oven to 180C.
4. To make ravioli filling, place pumpkin on an oven tray. Roast for 30 minutes or until tender and lightly caramelised. Cool. Transfer to a processor. Add spices and season. Process to form a coarse puree. Stir in ricotta and parmesan.
5. Divide rested pasta dough into quarters. Pass quarters through a pasta machine on the widest setting, dusting dough with flour between rolls, increasing settings until about 2mm thick.
6. Place one of the pasta sheets over a ravioli mould. Fill indents with filling and top with a second pasta sheet. Press gently around filling to remove any air and seal the ravioli. Cut out ravioli squares using a sharp knife or pastry wheel. Transfer to a lightly floured tray.
7. To make basil cream, place all ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, over low heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from heat. Season. Set aside to infuse for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve. Pour into a squeezy bottle.
8. To make sauce, melt the butter in a large deep frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 mins or until butter begins to foam and turns light nutty brown. Add the sage leaves, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Season.
9. Cook ravioli in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes or until al dente.
10. Transfer to pan with sauce and toss to coat. Divide ravioli and sauce among serving plates. Dot with basil cream. Sprinkle with pine nuts and walnuts.

Gatecrashers Mark and Tan certainly made an impression during their MKR debut.

They blew the judges away with a near-perfect menu, but it was their main course that stole the spotlight.

They left their competitors wanting more when they served up Khao soi, a Thai noodle soup with crispy noodles.

Manu said the chicken was cooked to “perfection”, adding, “I just loved the soup itself, the creaminess of the coconut and all the different spices you put in there, absolutely delicious.”

While Colin gushed, “Did I like it? No. I loved it!”

And their scores matched their feedback, as Mark and Tan were awarded perfect 10s from both judges.

Ingredients

700ml coconut milk
250g chicken stock
4 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
8 chicken drumsticks
Peanut oil, for deep frying
Coriander and sliced spring onion and chilli, to garnish
Lemon wedges, to serve
450g wheat flour
½ tsp salt
3 large eggs, lightly whisked
1 tbs peanut oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 small red chillies, chopped
3cm piece of galangal, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 stick lemongrass (white part only), chopped
1 bunch of coriander roots
1 tbs shrimp paste
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
2 tbs fish sauce
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs brown sugar
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp yellow curry powder
½ tsp ground cardamom

Method

1. To make noodles, sift flour and salt onto a clean work bench. Make a well in the centre. Add eggs and whisk lightly. Gradually incorporate flour into centre, adding a little water if necessary, to form a soft pliable dough. Dough is correct consistency if your thumb comes back clean when pushed into it.
2. Knead dough on a lightly floured bench for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (it will lose it’s rough, floury texture). Stand, covered, for 20 minutes to rest. Divide into quarters. Pass quarters through a pasta machine on the widest setting, dusting dough with flour between rolls, increasing settings until about 2mm thick. Pass dough sheets through a spaghetti cutter. Place noodles on a lightly floured tray (or hang) for 15 minutes, to dry a little before cooking.
3. Meanwhile, to make curry paste, blend or process all ingredients until smooth.
4. To make sauce, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Stir in coconut milk, chicken stock and lime leaves. Bring to a simmer. Stir in seasonings. Add chicken. Simmer, partially covered, for a further 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
5. Preheat deep frying oil to 180C. Deep fry a quarter of the noodles, in batches, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel.
6. Cook remaining noodles in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes or until just tender. Drain.
7. To assemble, divide noodles among serving bowls. Top with chicken and curry sauce and fried noodles. Garnish with coriander, spring onion and chilli. Serve with lime wedges.

Maria and Bailey’s second turn in the kitchen fell flat, and they got some less than enviable results.

However, the dish that impressed the judges the most was their starter, a modern twist on a moussaka.

“I loved the textures, I loved where you were going with this, and overall it wasn’t a bad start to the meal,” Colin said.

He awarded the dish a score of seven while Manu gave it a five overall.

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil
1 eggplant, thinly sliced
1kg brushed potatoes, peeled
500g ghee
75g tapioca flour
2 tsp onion powder
75g fresh basil leaves
150g grapeseed oil
2 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
500g beef mince
2 tbs tomato paste
400g can chopped tomatoes
200ml beef stock
1 eggplant, cut into 1cm dice
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
Pinch ground allspice
¼ cup chopped flat leaf parsley
60g butter
50g plain flour
600ml warm milk
Pinch ground nutmeg
50g grated parmesan

Method

1. To make potato layer, using a processor fitted with a coarse grating plate, shred 750g of the potatoes. Transfer to a large bowl. Change to a chopping blade and process the remaining 250g of potatoes. Add to the shredded potato in the bowl. Cover with cold water and stir to release the starch. Drain. Place potato in a clean tea towel and gather up sides. Twist to wring out excess liquid.
2. Place the potato and ghee in a large heavy-base saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until 100C. Drain potatoes through a large sieve over a bowl. Transfer potato to a bowl. Add tapioca and onion powder. Season generously. Stir to combine.
3. Line a slice pan with baking paper. Add potato and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate, covered, for 3 hours or up to overnight to firm and solidify.
4. To make the basil oil, place the basil and oil in a small blender with a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a small muslin-lined sieve set over a bowl. Set aside for 1 hour to drain. Transfer oil to a bottle. Discard solids.
5. Meanwhile, to make Bolognese, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until soft. Add beef. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned. Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 mins. Add tomatoes, stock, diced eggplant and spices.
6. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until thickened and reduced. Season. Stir in parsley.
7. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook eggplant slices for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and tender. Season.
8. To make béchamel sauce, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring, until mixture bubbles. Gradually whisk in milk to form a sauce. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Whisk in nutmeg and parmesan. Season. Transfer to a piping bag.
9. Invert potato onto a chopping board and cut into rectangles. Deep fry in batches until golden and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper. Season.
10. To assemble, place potato rectangles on serving plates. Top with eggplant, Bolognese and béchamel. Blowtorch béchamel until lightly browned. Drizzle with basil oil.

Gatecrashers Danielle and Marko made an impact with their meal, despite first being told they struggled with confidence.

However, they made quite the comeback with their dessert, which was described as a “perfect” end to their meal.

The tasty and unique flavours nabbed them scores of nine from both Colin and Manu, leaving the OG contestants nervous of the talented gatecrashers.

Ingredients

Sliced strawberries, to garnish
75g sesame seeds, toasted
40g cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla extract
500ml milk
150g caster sugar
375ml thickened cream
300g dark chocolate, chopped
150g butter, chopped
2 tbs white miso paste
200g caster sugar
75g brown sugar
3 eggs
100g plain flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
2 tbs white miso paste
250ml thickened cream
100g caster sugar
60ml water

Method

1. To make ice cream, blend sesame seeds in a small blender to form a smooth paste. Add cream cheese and vanilla. Blend to combine.
2. Place the milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat. Add sesame mixture and whisk to combine. Stir in cream. Cool completely. Transfer to an ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Preheat oven to 180C. Line base and sides of a 20cm square cake pan with baking paper.
4. To make brownie, stir chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until smooth and combined. Remove from heat and whisk in miso. Whisk in sugars. Whisk in eggs.
5. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into bowl. Add to chocolate mixture. Stir to combine.
6. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked, but still slightly soft in the centre. Cool in pan. Remove from pan and cut into squares.
8. Meanwhile, to make miso caramel sauce, whisk miso paste and ¼ cup of the cream until smooth and combined.
9. Place the sugar and the water in a small heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Cook, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Use a wet pastry brush to brush down any stray sugar crystals on side of pan.
10. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil, without stirring, until dark golden brown. Add remaining cream (mixture will splutter) and cook, stirring until melted, dissolved and smooth. Whisk in miso mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
11. Serve brownie and ice cream with sauce. Decorate with strawberries.

Mel and Jacinta had a difficult week which saw them eliminated, but their star dish was their Bang Bang Cauliflower starter.

Colin described the sauce as the “star of the dish” while Manu said he enjoyed the “combination” of flavours.

The cousins were awarded a seven out of 10 from Manu and a six from Colin.

Ingredients

1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
Sliced spring onions, coriander leaves and black sesame seeds, to garnish
Sesame oil, to drizzle
150g raw cashews
125g coconut yoghurt
1 small red capsicum, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 small red chilli, chopped
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tsp sesame oil
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
¼ tsp black sesame seeds
125ml rice vinegar
2 tbs maple syrup
¼ tsp salt
75g gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp smoked paprika

Method

1. To make the spiced cashew sauce, place cashews in a bowl. Cover with hot water. Set aside to soak for 1 hour (or up to overnight). Drain.
2. Meanwhile, to make cucumber salad, place the cucumber, onion and sesame seeds in a bowl.
3. Place vinegar, maple syrup and salt in a small saucepan over low heat. Bring to a simmer. Pour over cucumber. Set aside to cool. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold. Drain to serve.
4. To continue making cashew sauce, place cashews and remaining ingredients in a small processor or blender. Process until smooth and creamy, adding a little hot water if necessary.
5. Preheat an air fryer to 200C.
6. To make batter, combine flours, baking powder and spices in a bowl. Gradually whisk in soda water to form a smooth batter.
7. To make the crumb mixture, combine all ingredients in a bowl.
8. Working in batches, dip cauliflower florets in batter and allow excess to drip off. Roll in crumb mixture.
9. Arrange in the air fryer in a single layer. Cook for about 35 minutes or until golden and crisp, turning halfway through.
10. To assemble, spoon cashew sauce onto serving plates. Top with cucumber salad and cauliflower. Garnish with spring onions, coriander leaves and sesame seeds. Drizzle with sesame oil.

Lil and Lol proved they have a talent for all things sweet with their tasty dessert.

The judges were left impressed by their lemon meringue pie, which was inspired by Lol’s late grandmother.

It earned plaudits for its presentation, earning them a seven out of 10 from both Colin and Manu.

Ingredients

Dried lemon slices
125g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
125g butter, at room temperature
125g caster sugar
4 gold strength gelatine leaves
440g caster sugar
200g butter, chopped
4 eggs, lightly whisked
2 tbs finely grated lemon rind
250ml lemon juice
2 eggs
40ml milk
185g plain flour
40g icing sugar
125g unsalted butter, chopped
1 egg yolk
2 tsp iced water
50g sugar
50ml water
2 tbs glucose syrup
2 egg whites
110g caster sugar
60ml water

Method

1. Lightly grease six holes of a 160ml capacity silicone loaf pan with vegetable oil.
2. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 20cm square cake pan. Line with baking paper.
3. To make sponge cake, combine flour and baking powder in a bowl.
4. Place butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until pale and creamy, scraping down sides as necessary. With motor operating, add eggs one at a time until combined. Add flour mixture and milk and fold to combine. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool in pan.
5. Remove cake from pan and cut out six small rectangles, slightly smaller than the dimensions of your silicone pan holes. Reserve remaining cake for another use.
6. To make lemon curd, soak gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes or until soft.
7. Place the sugar, butter and eggs in a saucepan. Add the lemon rind and juice. Cook, stirring, over medium heat for 5 mins or until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat. Squeeze excess water out of gelatine leaves and add to curd. Stir until melted and combined. Strain the curd through a fine sieve into a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a piping bag.
8. Half fill the six prepared silicone mould pan holes with lemon curd. Add sponge rectangles. Top with curd. Freeze until firm enough to unmould easily.
9. Line a large oven tray with baking paper.
10. To make pastry, process flour, icing sugar and butter until crumbly. Add egg yolk and enough of the water until a dough comes together. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
11. Roll out dough between two sheets of plastic wrap until about 5mm thick. Cut out six rectangles, the same length as the pan holes, but 1 ½ times the width. This will allow room for the meringue to be piped alongside the lemon curd bar, once it is sat on top of its pastry base. Place pastry rectangles on prepared tray.
12. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cool completely.
13. To make sugar glaze, stir all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat until smooth and combined. Cool completely. Lightly brush over the unmoulded lemon curd bars to glaze.
14. To make meringue, whisk egg whites in an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
15. Stir sugar and the water in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to 115C.
16. With motor operating, drizzle hot syrup into egg whites, whisking until meringue is thick and glossy. Transfer to a piping bag.
17. To assemble dessert, place pastry rectangles on serving plates. Top with glazed lemon curd bars and decorate with a dried lemon slice. Add a row of piped meringue. Blowtorch meringue until golden.

Maria and Bailey left the judges impressed with their high-scoring entree.

The pair started their three-course meal strong with their spanakopita ravioli, which was described as “absolutely delicious” by Manu.

“Technique, flavour and textures – tick, tick, tick,” he gushed.

He awarded the delicious dish a perfect 10 while Colin gave it a nine out of 10.

Ingredients

½ leek, thinly sliced (white part)
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
½ cup dill leaves
125ml light olive oil
160g 00 flour
1 tsp salt
1 whole egg
3 egg yolks
150g feta
150ml thickened cream
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 tbs olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
½ leek, finely chopped (pale green part)
100g baby spinach, finely chopped
150g feta, crumbled

Method

1. To make the dill oil, bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add herbs and cook for 20 seconds. Drain and transfer to an ice bath for 2 minutes. Remove from ice bath and squeeze out excess water. Transfer herbs to a small blender with the oil and pinch of salt. Blend for 2 minutes. Pour mixture into a muslin-lined sieve set over a bowl. Set aside for 1 hour to drain. Transfer oil to a bottle. Discard solids.
2. To make pasta, pulse flour and salt to combine in a processor to combine. Add eggs and yolks. Process to form a crumbly dough. Sift flour and salt onto a clean work bench. Make a well in the centre. Add eggs and whisk lightly. Gradually incorporate flour into centre, adding a little water if necessary, to form a soft pliable dough. Dough is correct consistency if your thumb comes back clean when pushed into it.
3. Knead dough on a lightly floured bench for about 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (it will lose it’s rough, floury texture). Stand, covered, for 20 minutes to rest.
4. Meanwhile, to make feta crème, place the feta, cream and nutmeg in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until hot. Transfer to a tall heatproof cup. Use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Strain into a siphon gun. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until cold. Charge siphon gun with cartridges and shake vigorously (to evenly distribute gas) when ready to dispense.
5. To make filling, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook eschallot and leek until soft. Stir in spinach until wilted and combine. Season. Transfer to a bowl. Cool slightly. Fold in feta.
6. Divide rested pasta dough into quarters. Pass quarters through a pasta machine on the widest setting, dusting dough with flour between rolls, increasing settings until about 2mm thick.
7. Divide filling into four portions. Place portions at 2cm intervals along half the pasta sheets. Lightly brush around filling with a little water. Top with remaining pasta sheets and press gently around filling to remove any air and seal the ravioli. Cut out ravioli rounds using a 10cm round cutter. Transfer to a lightly floured tray.
8. To prepare crispy leek, place sliced leek in a single layer on paper towel. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside for 5 mins. Pat dry with paper towel. Deep fry in small batches until golden and crisp.
9. Cook raviolo in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water for 2-3 mins or until tender. Drain.
10. Place raviolo on serving plates. Top with feta crème and crispy leeks. Drizzle with dill oil.

Michael and Rielli had a mixed review of their Instant Restaurant, but won the judges over with their dessert.

The couple scored a nine out of 10 from Colin and a perfect 10 from Manu for the dish.

Reilli took the lead and perfected their Raspberry Gel and Chocolate Mousse Dome.

“You could sell [this] in a French pastry shop, it was that beautiful,” Manu gushed.

Ingredients

70g fresh raspberries
2 tsp icing sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
250g and 1 tbsp caster sugar
180mls water
6 gelatine leaves
120g plain flour
60g pure icing sugar
40g cocoa powder, sifted
20g hazelnut meal
100g cold butter, chopped
4 egg yolks
½ tsp vanilla extract
100g dark chocolate, melted (for brushing)
100ml thickened cream
100ml milk
120g dark chocolate, chopped
150g glucose
50g white chocolate
100g condensed milk
60g neutral glaze
Red food colouring, to tint
Freeze-dried raspberries and gold leaf, to decorate

Method

1. To make raspberry purée, blend or process all ingredients until smooth.
2. To make simple syrup, stir sugar and the water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Cool.
3. To make raspberry jelly, soak gelatine leaf in cold water until soft, then squeeze out excess water.
4. Place raspberry purée and simple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to 80C. Remove from heat and add gelatine. Stir until dissolved.
5. Divide mixture among eight holes of a 3cm-wide half sphere silicone moulds. Freeze until firm. Once frozen, remove half spheres from mould. Heat a small frying pan until hot. Remove from heat. Place the flat surface of two spheres onto the pan for a few seconds to melt slightly. Stick together to form a whole sphere. Refreeze until firm.
6. Meanwhile, to make chocolate hazelnut sablé, place the flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder and hazelnut meal into a small processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse to form coarse crumbs. Add egg yolks and vanilla extract and pulse until a dough forms. Shape into a disc and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
7. Preheat oven to 180C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
8. Roll out dough between two sheets of baking paper until about to 2.5mm thick. Cut out four 7cm round discs and place on prepared tray.
9. Bake for 12 minutes or until firm. Cool on tray. Brush one side of the cooled discs with melted chocolate and allow to set.
10. To make chocolate mousse, whip cream to soft peaks and refrigerate. Place chocolate in a bowl.
11. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until soft and creamy.
12. Heat milk in a small saucepan until hot. Remove from heat and gradually whisk milk into egg yolk mixture. Return mixture to pan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until temperature reaches 82C on a candy thermometer. Strain over chocolate in bowl. Set aside for 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is combined. Cool to 35C. Fold in a quarter of the whipped cream. Fold in the remaining whipped cream. Divide mixture among four holes of a 7cm-wide half sphere silicone moulds. Push a raspberry jelly sphere into each one, just until it is immersed in the chocolate mousse. Freeze until firm.
13. To make red mirror glaze, soak gelatine leaves in cold water until soft, then squeeze out excess water.
14. Place the glucose, sugar and the 80ml water in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring to dissolve the sugar and until mixture reaches 103C. Remove from heat and add gelatine. Stir until melted and combined. Add chocolate, condensed milk and neutral glaze. Set aside for 2 minutes. Blend with a stick mixer until smooth. Stir in gelatine until melted and combined. Tint red with food colouring. Strain into a clean saucepan over low heat. Bring to 35C.
15. Unmould frozen mousse domes and place on a wire rack over a tray. Pour over glaze to evenly coat each dome. Set aside for a 10 minutes to set.
16. Place hazelnut sablé discs on serving plates and top with glazed mousse domes. Decorate with freeze-dried raspberries and gold leaf.

Anne and Maree got the first 10 out of 10 score of the 2025 series for their Chargrilled Octopus with Spanakorizo.

Colin awarded them the perfect score for their entrée, saying the octopus had the “perfect texture”.

Though not another 10, Manu gave the dish a generous 9 out of 10 and described it as “delightful”.

Ingredients

1.5kg octopus, cleaned, portioned
4 tbs salt
250ml red wine
2 red onions, peeled, halved
2 tsp black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
125ml lemon juice
125ml and 2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs dried oregano
4 garlic cloves, crushed
½ tsp flaked salt
1 leek, finely chopped
1 brown onion, finely chopped
100g medium grain rice
250ml chicken stock
1 tbs finely grated lemon zest
Extra olive oil, to drizzle

Method

1. Place octopus in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the salt and massage into octopus for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain.
2. Place the wine, onions, salt, peppercorns and bay leaves in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add enough water so that octopus will be submerged once added. Bring to a boil.
3. Slowly dip the tentacles in and out of the water three times (this will help them curl), then submerge completely. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until octopus is tender when pierced with a skewer.
4. Meanwhile, to make marinade, combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add boiled octopus pieces and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours to marinate.
5. To make spanakorizo, heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leek and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned. Stir in rice, stock and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until rice is tender and stock has been absorbed, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in spinach.
6. Bring an oiled charcoal barbecue to medium heat. Cook octopus pieces, turning occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until charred.
7. Serve octopus with spanakorizo. Drizzle with olive oil.

Justin and Will were the first contestants of the 2025 series to cause a stir with their menu.

But their best dish was their main meal – Red Duck Curry with Coconut Rice.

Colin called it “near perfect” while Manu described it as “wonderful” as they both scored it a nine out of 10.

Ingredients

4 duck breasts, skin lightly scored
360g jasmine rice, rinsed under cold water
800ml coconut milk
250ml water
½ tsp salt
Toasted shredded coconut, to garnish
4 dried chillies
1 stick lemongrass (white part only), chopped
1 tbs grated galangal
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbs and 2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbs chopped coriander stems and roots
2 eschallots, chopped
1 tbs peanut oil
1 quantity Thai red curry paste
4cm piece fresh ginger, grated
250ml chicken stock
8 lime leaves, bruised
2 tsp white sugar
120g green beans, trimmed, halved
1 cup Thai basil leaves
12 fresh lychees, peeled, seed removed
Extra Thai basil leaves and sliced chilli, to garnish
Charred lime halves, to serve

Method

1. To make coconut rice, place rinsed rice in a bowl and cover in cold water. Set aside for 1 hour to soak.
2. Meanwhile, to make curry paste, place chillies in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Set aside for 15 minutes to soften. Drain and reserve 60ml of the soaking water.
3. Place chillies, reserved soaking water and remaining curry paste ingredients in a processor. Process to form a fine paste.
4. Preheat your oven to 200C.
5. To continue with the rice, drain it well. Transfer to a 20cm cake pan.
6. Place coconut milk, water and salt in a saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer. Pour over rice and stir to combine. Cover with foil.
7. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from your oven and set aside for 10 minutes to steam and finish cooking. Remove foil and fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with toasted coconut to serve.
8. Meanwhile, to make curry, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry paste and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes or until aromatic and slightly darkened in colour. Add stock, coconut milk, lime leaves, sugar and fish sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer.
9. Place duck in a large cold frying pan, skin side down. Place over a medium heat and cook until the skin is golden, crisp and fully rendered. Turn and cook for 1 minute. Transfer duck to an oven tray and roast for about 5 minutes or until cooked as desired. Set aside to rest, for 5 minutes. Slice thickly. Stir any juices from the rested duck into curry sauce.
10. Add beans to curry sauce and simmer until tender. Stir in basil leaves and lychees.
11. Serve curry and duck with rice and lime halves. Garnish with basil leaves and chilli.