Too much heat in the Maggi Food Court kitchen

The Maggi Food Court Caribbean is known for high drama, great food and camaraderie. However, episode six was fiery and very unpredictable. There were flames, flashing lights, and a host of emotions.

The two men on the floor were Ricardo Hepkins, who was the winner of the roasting challenge and Marlon Timothy, who won the braising competition. After the grand introduction, judge Jeronimo Green got the men started on the 75-minute challenge to create the five-star appetiser and entrée. The jurors, Ockino Petrie, Brian Lumley and Natash De Boug, watched with great anticipation as they already knew what the defendants were capable of.

Hepkins, the 25-year-old who spends the better part of his days as a chef at Broken Plate, was quite calm and collected despite the major challenge on the table. He told the judge he made it into his kitchen, and so he was comfortable. Not giving much information on what he was doing, the judge poked around to find pork, fish and a hefty stash of Maggi products on his workstation.

Timothy, who shared that he was never intimated in the kitchen, took some time to find his bearings. He openly admitted that he was on autopilot, but was somehow sure that he would end with a masterpiece.

Halfway into the trial came the judge with a shocking ruling. Contestants were made to switch their workstations and decide quickly if they were going to complete their opponent’s dish or restart.

Both decided to continue cooking, but they were noticeably confused and somewhat annoyed with the turn of events.

Hepkins shared that there were actually similarities in the dishes, so he was not overly bothered about the switch. On the other hand, Timothy tried to get started but his efforts were thwarted.

Timothy realised that Chef Hepkins had a pot of oil on the stove that was smoking. He reached for it, dropped it immediately and ended up scorched his hand.

There was an instant break in production as crew members gathered to assist. The Trinidadian tried to continue using one hand, but the medic on the set said he had to stop and go to the emergency room. After he was seen by a doctor, he ruled that he could not compete based on the severity of the burn.

There was a cloud of disappointment in the kitchen. Both the production crew as well as Hepkins were sad about the incident and expressed heartfelt sympathies. Of course, both contestants were sad that they did not get a chance to showcase their finished dishes.

In the judge’s address, he outlined the importance of the safety and well-being of the contestants. He also shared that by virtue of the court’s laws, Hepkins would then move on to the grand finals where he would battle Trinidad’s Simone Edwin for the top spot of US$10,000.

With the expertise and skills displayed by the two finalists, the last show promises to be a culinary treat and a display of unmatched skills.