Under Bench Staples: Episodes 1-5, Now Live!

We've a week under our belts of the newest season of MasterChef Australia as it broadcasts in our part of the world –– have you tuned into our post-show podcast yet?

The frantic energy has mellowed, the faces are becoming familiar, a global superstar guest judge has come and gone and we’ve had immunity and elimination already –– plus Covid rolling right back around with a big ‘ol mic drop moment, too. It’s been a week!

MasterChef Australia Season 15 is well underway and we’ve been keeping up with each episode so far in our brand new podcast. You can subscribe to Under Bench Staples on the major podcasting apps if you want to tune in as they get published, like on Spotify, GoodPods, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Amazon Music imminently).

Instead of sending you a separate email every day a new episode drops (as we’re coinciding as closely as we can with same-day publishing –– so each episode goes out on Channel W/UKTV Play at 7pm UK time, so we aim to follow from 8pm with that episode’s reaction) we’ll combine a couple of episodes into one post. Then, we’ll email you every couple of days –– just to spare your notifications and inboxes…

You’ve already had the first two-in-one episodes in our previous mailing (and above) where we delve into the new contestants and dish on guest judge Jamie Oliver, now we’re updating you with the rest of the week’s excitement:

In our second episode it was all about flavour bombs and vying to get the chance for immunity and a supplementary immunity pin. We witnessed the first colour-coded aprons of the season and a couple of highs and lows, plus we talk about how we would take on this challenge, from a harissa-enriched minestrone soup to a pesto pastry knot or burek and we also delve into RISSOLES, both the Australian and Irish versions.

For the third episode it was the last chance for immunity and a call to arms to fridge raid! We kick off by declaring we’re at peak pasta already and it’s only the first week plus we question whether this episode is one of the first times there’s been blind judging in the last couple of seasons. Shannon Bennett makes his welcome return to the kitchen as mentor and we fall even further in love with Disney Prince himself, Hugh Allen. We swim in the chaos that is Cath in the kitchen and we’re not super set on the sweet dishes presented…

In our fourth episode we’re at the first elimination of S15 and kicks off with the gut punch GAG that Covid has wreaked havoc on the set and half the contestants can’t participate. We were nearly dead on arrival and the episode had only begun, then Andy Allen called his childhood self a “little ratbag” and we weren’t sure this episode could have gotten any better… We talk a little about the validity of those who arrive to professional cookery having not been hanging off the apron strings in childhood, we’re still keeping score of the hibachi heroes and we are NOT here for the microwave snobbery. Then, we dream about a sweet take on Taiwanese coffin bread and share the majesty of Carluccio’s’ Prosecco-infused panettone.

Episode five of Under Bench Staples and it’s a bloody UNDER BENCH STAPLES mystery box! What a good name, eh? We kick off whilst trying to remember what Lloyd Grossman’s iconic “deliberated, cogitated and digested” line was and we talk about our observations on Queen Poh during Back to Win, which mostly revolve around blue cheese pastry crust. We wax lyrical about sticky coffee pudding and wonder why waffles aren’t made more on MasterChef Australia.

Are you enjoying S15 so far? Let us know…