It was the season’s most anticipated instant kitchen, but things didn’t go as planned for My Kitchen Rules contestants Jane and Shane. Their duck egg entrée didn’t set, and they overcooked their pigeon, but it was their cocktail-inspired tomato dessert that became the surprising star of the meal.
Tomato isn’t an ingredient most people expect to see in dessert. So why did it work so well?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Jane and Shane’s tomato sour dessert was their best dish.
- They served tomato sorbet with meringue, strawberry jam and finger lime.
- Their duck egg chawanmushi entrée didn’t set properly.
- An overcooked pigeon main cost them a perfect score.
- Cocktail-inspired desserts are a growing trend.
The tomato dessert no one expected
Jane and Shane might not eat dessert themselves, but they definitely know how to make one worth talking about.
“It’s a riff on a cocktail,” Jane told the cameras, explaining their tomato sour dessert.
They made their own tomato sorbet and served it in a coupe glass with a meringue disc, strawberry jam, finger lime, and a dusting of tomato powder. The colours looked amazing. Taking a risk on an unusual ingredient paid off because this ended up being their best dish of the night.
What our expert says
Better Homes and Gardens food editor Sarah Murphy says cocktail-inspired desserts have become increasingly popular because they balance familiar flavours with an element of surprise.
“It’s a trend that’s become increasingly popular, and it’s such a fun way to create a talking point at the end of a meal,” says Sarah.
“I have to applaud their creativity and willingness to think outside the box here. It is a cooking competition, after all, so it’s great to see the team trying something a little different!”
Tomato in dessert isn’t for everyone, but this dish still impressed the judges.
“Tomato ice-cream is definitely a bold choice,” says Sarah. “But pairing it with more familiar flavours and textures, like strawberry and meringue, is a clever way to make an unusual dessert feel more approachable.”
Where the other dishes went wrong
As the judges said: the menu read well, and in theory their main, if executed correctly, would have been a 10.
But the duck chawanmushi with king crab caviar didn’t land. While Jane’s presentation won praise, the savoury egg custard didn’t set properly, making the texture hard for the judges to get past.
Unfortunately, the pigeon was significantly overcooked, overshadowing what the judges felt was an otherwise promising dish.
Cocktail-inspired desserts are everywhere right now
Inspired by Jane and Shane’s tomato sour? We’ve rounded up some of our favourite cocktail-inspired desserts, from an Amaretto Sour bakewell tart to an Aperol Spritz drizzle cake and Pimm’s Punch tiramisu. If you’re looking for a fun dessert to impress guests, these recipes are the perfect place to start.
