Recipes were laminated, girls pitched against boys, Jenny's kitchen was commandeered and beers were opened in readiness.
Team Boy got off to a good start, barricading themselves in the kitchen while the girls loitered in the bedroom talking tactics, but we were soon neck and neck.
Beef Wellington is a pretty convoluted recipe so we began by dividing up the tasks and preparing the different elements: crepes, a mushroom pate thingo, seared beef etc.
Meanwhile some of us chipped in to help Shari make some delicious chorizo and potato bombas. YUM.
After pausing for our starter we got on with the task of assembling the Beef Wellington. First the seared beef was basted with mustard. Then it was wrapped in the mushroom layer encased in proscutio.
After popping it in and out of the freezer, wrapping it in crepes, pastry and making a little 'valve' for the top, they were ready to go into the oven.
It was about 11.30pm at this stage so we were pretty hungry. We'd also neglected to find an impartial judge to decide on the winner, so instead we each had a slice of the boys' and the girls' beef wellington. To be totally honest with you, they were both delicious, and we were too full of pride in our achievements to declare an overall winner.
Not to do things by halves, the girls also prepared dessert: chocolate cake with raspberry coulis, whipped cream and raspberries dipped in melted chocolate.
What a fun way to spend a day! The recipe was so complex I probably never would have tried it on my own, but the combination of teamwork and healthy rivalry helped egg us all on. I'm hoping this becomes a regular occurrence, as I love cooking with friends and trying new recipes. Looking forward to the next Masterchef challenge!
cx
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