Chloe Carroll was eliminated from the 2018 season of MasterChef Australia, after competing in an pressure test that saw her recreate sherried marron by Dinner by Heston’s Ashley Palmer-Watts.
The complicated recipe comprised of 90 steps, and the contestants had four hours and 45 minutes to complete their dishes.
Chloe lost out to her fellow Top Five contestants, Jess Liemantara and Sashi Cheliah. Meanwhile, Ben Borsht and Khan Ong watched safely from the sidelines.
Though the judges, and Ashley, were impressed by Chloe’s dish, a lack of balance and a failed tartare saw her sent home.
“I had a feeling it could be my last day in the kitchen,” Chloe, 28, admits. “I just tried to enjoy it as much as I could and take what I could from that cook.”
Chloe reveals the stress of the competition had begun to take it’s toll heading in to the elimination round, saying she was “exhausted” when the challenge came to an end.
“It was a long, long cook! I was definitely exhausted. By this stage of the competition, you’re missing your family and you really need to rely on your mental stamina to get you through.”
Chloe was excited to face the sherried marron challenge.
Despite feeling nervous about the mammoth task ahead, Chloe says she was happy when she found out they would be recreating Ashley’s dish.
“I was excited because I love pressure tests! It’s definitely something I did well in throughout the competition,” she says.
“I think to go out on such a great challenge… I’m definitely happy,” Chloe reveals. “I would have loved to have gone further, but I believe everything happens for a reason and that was my time to go.”
Chloe admits that, while there has been some negative attention directed towards her on social media, the positive “definitely” outweighed it.
“There’s been good and bad,” she says. “I meet so many nice people on a daily basis. I think that is what pushes you forward, for people to come up to you and say you inspire them. I think that’s the exciting thing about MasterChef.”
She continues, “It’s such a positive show which is what I absolutely love. I’m not one to go on reality TV, but this is such a supportive environment. They just want the best for you.”
Of the remaining contestants, Chloe hopes her fellow Queensland native Ben can take out the title of 2018 Australian MasterChef.
“I want everyone to win MasterChef! But I think, if I was to choose, I’m going to be biased and go with Queensland. I’m going to say Ben!”
