Masterchef 11, episode two: between traditions and blunders (and welcome guests: Sarah Cicolini of SantoPalato and Diego Rossi of Trippa)

Mistery Box

All that glitters is not gold, we might say. Just like the Mystery Boxes that welcome the contestants to the MasterChef kitchen counters. Golden caskets conceal 10 condiments from around the world. Little-known sauces, like chimichurri or mole, from which the aspiring chefs must choose one to include in their dish, one that highlights their specific characteristics. A tempting mystery, and not just for the sauces, because the best of the contestants will be able to fly to the balcony and avoid elimination in the invention test. Who will create the dish that will send the judges on a journey and carry them straight to safety? Most of the contestants choose the Japanese ponzu sauce, undoubtedly more well-known than the others. Bruno comes and goes from the pantry as he pleases, as he did last episode, earning yet another warning from Barbieri. At home, one wonders whether his deafness is real, after decades of rock and roll, or rather a cunning innate in his silver fox nature.

The top performers in the competition are: Rita, who decides to leave the home to finally enter the Masterchef kitchen. Her plating is still closely tied (by the umbilical cord) to her children's tastes, but in terms of flavor, she's starting to embrace the spirit of high-end cuisine; Mime, who astounds the judges with a trip to her homeland thanks to her Kyoto breakfast dish; Carmine, who confirms his status as the ugly duckling in the midst of transforming into a swan in the kitchen; Dalia, who feigns surprise at her nomination after attempting to prove herself professionally by using a pastry bag instead of a spoon, earning Cannavacciuolo a cringe; Tracy, with a Norwegian-style cod marinated in butter; Elena, with a mouth-watering breaded meat; Lia, who once again proves her self-confidence with a coconut béchamel sauce that has the judges going wild with its originality. Except for Carmine, all the top performers in the first competition are women. The men, for now, seem too busy styling their quiffs to fully engage in the competition. Among these first-round picks, however, only Mime, Carmine, Tracy, and Lia make it to the balcony. The success of the latter's dish makes Tina frown, and she's quick to direct jabs at her opponent. But, it's true, if you only make dishes that aren't bad or bad, you'd be better off thinking about the beam in your own eye, rather than the speck in someone else's!

Invention Test

This week's invention test kicks off with the presentation of two dishes created by two chefs, both renowned for creating true modern trattorias that offer innovative interpretations of historic Italian cuisine: Sarah Cicolini and Diego Rossi. Chef Sarah Cicolini, whom we know well, is originally from Abruzzo but has adopted Rome as her hometown. As the owner of Santo Palato, she has successfully revived the tradition of quinto quarto (stuffed pork shoulder) in the capital. This ethical choice stems from a desire for more conscious and sustainable meat consumption, not only favoring prime cuts, but also giving new life to offal and scraps with beautiful and delicious recipes. At Masterchef, she's bringing her rigatoni with pajata, a Roman dish that will put the contestants to the test. Chef Diego Rossi, owner of Trippa and the recently opened Alla Concorrenza, has a Michelin-starred pedigree and several awards under his belt. His approach to cooking begins with the selection of excellent raw materials, which in a modern trattoria can be used in traditional recipes with a touch of innovation and modernity. He's bringing his renowned vitello tonnato to Masterchef, a reinterpretation of the classic dish with a glamorous and captivating twist.

Several contestants claim to have never tasted either dish. While this makes sense for pajata, we millennials turn up our noses at vitello tonnato, wondering what kind of '90s childhood they had. The challenge, however, gets off to a bad start: the contestants decide which of the two recipes to prepare, but are instead assigned, unwittingly, the one they had rejected. They must then prepare the dish they're less familiar with, always within the prescribed 45 minutes. Panic spreads, and not just because of the evil prank. Anna, the nutritionist, is hyperventilating at the mere thought of having to assemble a dish containing mayonnaise, oil, and meat ("fat on fat on fat," as she puts it). She declares she refuses to use mayonnaise (for heaven's sake, my lady) to make a lighter version using tuna and a veal sauce. The name of the dish will reference its calorie content, in a constant (and very tedious) skirmish with Cannavacciuolo over his health-conscious views, which seem to have very little to do with health. Bruno, an old wit, immediately understood the judges' malicious intentions and so pretended to choose pajata so he could then cook veal with tuna sauce. So, his hearing works... at least when needed. Mery, who wins the nomination for best of the competition, cooks an excellent reinterpretation of veal with tuna sauce, thinking of her mother, a Roman, who never made her rigatoni with pajata but veal with tuna sauce. Tina maintains her role as the feigned absent-minded person and does her homework, presenting bland veal meatballs, drowned in sauces. She claims it was a deliberate choice, although Barbieri doesn't seem as convinced as she is of her intentions. Dalia presents a passable pajata, but with her usual commanding and military attitude, as if instead of cooking, she were saving someone's life, which, according to Barbieri, prevents her from cooking well. Nicholas seems to be fighting for a role on the than for the apron, with a dish that's not up to par but an impeccable Mariano di Vaio-esque attitude. Rita, who is truly fierce in this episode, manages to pull it off, as do Andrea, Pietro, and Elena. Polone, who was already rubbing his hands together at the thought of finally cooking a nice plate of pasta alla Romana, had to settle for veal with tuna sauce. This, however, earns him numerous compliments for a successful effort. Nicky and Andrea Letizia aren't quite up to par, creating two pajata dishes where the innards are relegated to a sort of garnish. Federico, who spends half his time perfecting his Zoolander-esque poses rather than cooking properly, steals the coconut béchamel idea from Lia's mystery box recipe. He claims to be very confident (as if we hadn't noticed), but the judges immediately point out the plagiarism. He refuses to be told a script, and between penetrating glances, he reiterates that he was merely inspired and is creating his highly original pajata idea. His staunch defense doesn't spare him a spot among the worst, as coconut-flavored pajata would be considered blasphemous in any hemisphere, not just in Trastevere. At the end of the test, it's the pajata itself, and the general lack of confidence with the fifth quarter, that decides the worst: Nicky, Andrea Letizia, and Federico. Federico, however, saves himself immediately, exhibiting a captivating tear of emotion for the camera. The couple then breaks up with the final exit of Andrea Letizia, who had never shone in any of the previous preparations, as she herself admitted at the beginning of the episode. Mery's advantage and the fate of Nicky and Federico are revealed, however, in the final skills test.

Skill Test

Tonight's skill test features three staged tests in which the contestants must compete. Only the best are saved and do not have to advance to the next stage, while the others compete until the end of the three tests. Here, Mery's advantage is immediately declared: she has the opportunity to ask a question about their preparation and must decide the fate of the two worst performers of the invention, choosing whether to place them in the second or last stage. Mery doesn't think twice and places Nicky in the second round and Federico in the last, hoping that with the least chance of survival, he will be the one to be eliminated. The common thread linking the skill test tests is only one: honey. Here too, the theme of sustainability and awareness in the use of food returns, as in the fifth stage, with a product that in Italy has the largest global supply, thanks to the biodiversity of the region and the skill of the industry's professionals.

Step 1 – The first stage of the skill test, devised by Bruno Barbieri, is based on evaluating the technique of creaming with honey. As might be expected, most of the competitors make a risotto, with varying degrees of success. Everyone is convinced, without any basis (it's obvious), that they can create the dish of their life and that they possess a profound knowledge of the perfect creaming technique. The goal, however, is much further from their reach than they might think. Most of the dishes lack the correct creaming technique, or the honey, which should be the star of the show, is covered by other ingredients. The only ones to go to the balcony are: Mime, Bruno, Pietro, Tracy, Mery, and, unexpectedly, Tina. Federico and Nicky observe everything from the sidelines, adjusting each other's outfits and highlighting their primary concern in the competition: style. Federico, of course, indulges in comments about what a phenomenal risotto he would have cooked if he had been able to participate from the very first stage, a bit like those sofa soccer players who would have been better at taking penalties than the captain on the pitch.

Step II – The second stage of the skill test, devised by Locatelli, involves the use of honey in two complex techniques: to glaze a food and to preserve it, preventing it from browning, thanks to its antioxidant properties. Those who couldn't resist a second attempt are still shocked by the (deserved) lack of recognition they received in the first. Others are awakened from their stupor and realize they're losing their place in the masterclass. Nicholas, for example, suddenly enlightens about the need to leave his comfort zone and start cooking for real. He says he's focused, determined to show off his skills. Unfortunately, he immediately demonstrates a lack of understanding. He ignores Locatelli's requests, and when it comes to preserving a food, he chooses potatoes, the only ones that wouldn't show any browning once cooked. Rita, aggressor-rita, says she's fond of the lacquered duck because a dish like that has earned her so many likes on social media. It's a shame she presents a charred version rather than a lacquered one. Perhaps Instagram filters have distorted her own expectations. This test seems to reveal all the contestants' issues, displaying excessive self-confidence in their abilities and knowledge. They are guilty of arrogance in listening to the judges' requests, advice, and directives: from Dalia, convinced she could replicate a perfect duck, to Christian with his "brilliant ideas" but never actually implemented. The third and final stage is reached by those considered top of the class (especially by themselves): Dalia, Rita, Elena, Nicholas, Christian. Added to these is Federico, who finally enters the field to take his vaunted penalty.

Step III – The third stage of the skill test is among the most difficult, combining pastry (a stumbling block for all the contestants) with unusual ingredients: mead, pollen, and raw honeycomb. The contestants must create a dessert using all three of these killer ingredients. Despite desperation, mistakes, and setbacks, they all manage to present a dish. The worst performers in the test are Rita and Nicholas. Against all odds, Rita is the one to drop her apron; her dessert is deemed too basic and she loses to Nicholas's.

Thus ends the second evening of competition, with Andrea Letizia and Rita's final exit from the Masterclass. The others go home, stunned by the judges' criticisms and remarks, especially regarding their attitude. If it's true that honey catches more bees than vinegar, in this case a "sour" dressing down for the contestants was in order. Who knows, it might lead to better results in future episodes!