MKR Episode 1 recap: Lucy’s pastry dessert saves Krysten and Lucy on Channel 7 – Queensland mother and daughter Krysten and Lucy have opened the new season of MKR (My Kitchen Rules) with an ambitious menu at their Gold Coast hinterland Instant Restaurant, Puggles.
The pair endured an uneven entrée and main course before self-taught baker Lucy delivered the dish they needed. Her mango and coconut sweet rice croissant puff earned eights from both judges and helped the team post the season’s first leaderboard score of 72 out of 110.
The opening Instant Restaurant also established an early divide at the table. NSW food stylist Jane and teammate Shane quickly emerged as exacting dining critics, while South Australia’s Alisha and Deanne pushed back against what they saw as food snobbery.
Krysten and Lucy open their Instant Restaurant
Krysten and Lucy began with beef tartare served with quail egg and truffle flatbread. The use of raw beef and raw egg made the entrée a calculated risk.
Manu Feildel praised its presentation and flavour. However, he and Colin Fassnidge agreed the tartare needed more moisture, seasoning and sauce. Each judge awarded six out of 10.
The evening also began with a surprise when Colin revealed that he already knew Jane. He immediately ruled out any suggestion of preferential treatment.
“A score’s a score. It doesn’t matter if I know you. You’re all fighting for your own position in this competition.”
Jane and Shane’s polished approach soon put them at odds with Alisha and Deanne. Jane said presentation mattered because diners eat with their eyes, while Deanne questioned whether food snobs had arrived at the table.
Paella puts the Queensland team under pressure
Krysten and Lucy served paella for their main course. The oversized prawns became an immediate concern when Colin asked how long they had been cooking.
Krysten removed the seafood before it overcooked and later said the move had saved the dish from disaster. Manu praised the seafood and described the giant prawn as perfect.
Colin liked the prawns and mussels but found the paella a little wet. He also wanted the crisp socarrat that is traditionally prized at the base of the dish. Both judges again scored six.
Away from the kitchen, Jane attracted attention by saying she was more of a taster than an eater and leaving much of her food behind. The tension continued when she explained that she did not enjoy sweet food and would prefer cheese to dessert.
Lucy’s croissant puff delivers redemption
With the team’s position resting on the final course, Lucy knew the pastry needed to have the right texture.
“If the pastry doesn’t have that crunch, this is going to be a disaster.”
The mango and coconut sweet rice croissant puff delivered the strongest result of the night. Manu praised the layers Lucy achieved and called the technical effort an amazing job. He declared it the best dish of the night.
Colin enjoyed the sweet, crunchy topping and also called dessert their best course. He wanted more mango and a looser coconut sweet rice, but joined Manu in awarding eight out of 10.
MKR Episode 1 scores
Manu and Colin each awarded six for entrée, six for main and eight for dessert. That produced a judges’ score of 40 out of 60.
- Angus and Simon: 7/10
- Tiffany and Giancarlo: 7/10
- Alisha and Deanne: 6/10
- Mary and Golden: 6/10
The guest teams contributed 32 out of 50. Combined with the judges’ total, Krysten and Lucy finished their Instant Restaurant with 72 out of 110.
My Kitchen Rules continues at 7.30pm Tuesday 29 September on Channel 7 and 7plus.
For more TV Central Channel 7 news, head here. Watch My Kitchen Rules on 7plus.