To level up in this competition, a surefire way to get a few impressed eyebrow raises is cooking from scratch. A few of the teams have tried it, and if it didn’t work out for the best, at least they know they put in the extra effort. Here are a few of the items we watched the teams cook from scratch. Perhaps it will inspire you to step into the kitchen and try it for the first time...or the motivation to try again, if your first time was a fail. As you'll see: it's not always easy!
Puff pastry
Back in the very first episode, Karen and Tenille set the bar for cooking from scratch, by making the puff pastry for their chicken pie from scratch. However, considering that some felt chicken pie was too simple a dish, it was perhaps the least they could do to elevate the dish and showcase their skill. It also came back as a point of contention when Tenille wondered whether Brett and Aidan were making their phyllo pastry from scratch.
Jam
Palesa and Palesa had a disastrous night in the kitchen, especially when it came to their dessert. Making jam tarts for the final course of their Instant Restaurant, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Nevertheless, they were still commended by the judges for making their jam tarts’ jam from scratch.
Ravioli
Despite mild panic in the kitchen that the pasta was too thick, Stella and Jeff’s ravioli sat well with the judges. And they made it from scratch, which makes it all the more amazing in our books – especially considering how pressed the teams are for time. Want to try it for yourself? Get Stella and Jeff's ravioli recipe here.
Mayonnaise
This is such a staple in our fridges we often forget it doesn’t just magically appear in a bottle. And it can even be homemade, which is just what Lebo and Lesego did for their hake bite starter. Sadly, in their rush, they used the wrong oil – olive oil instead of sunflower or canola – but props to them for making it from scratch, even if KB thought store-bought would be better.
And even if the teams don't get it right all the time, judges David Higgs and J'Something always praise them for making the effort. Check out some of their cooking-from-scratch tips below.
What will we see next in the #MKRSA kitchen? Will more teams cook from scratch? Watch the teams dish up food and drama every Sunday at 18:00 on M-Net channel 101 or stream the episode with DStv using any connected device.
Follow the conversation on social media using #MKRSA.