Leaving the MasterChef Australia competition was heartbreaking for lively and vibrant Dot McHugh, but there was one silver lining waiting for her at home – her wife, Katie.
“Katie was excited to have me home again, and honestly, I was excited too,” Dot, 31, tells TV WEEK. “We’d only just gotten married, so getting back home and starting our married life together felt like the silver lining.”
That perspective helped soften the blow of an elimination that came as a shock to both Dot and viewers alike.
When Dot walked into an Australiana-themed elimination challenge overseen by Robert Irwin, the MasterChef kitchen was buzzing with excitement.
For some contestants, Robert’s infectious energy inspired them to step outside their comfort zones and deliver standout dishes. For Dot, however, it may have been the very thing that led to her downfall.
“I think I got swept up in the excitement of the day and forgot what was at stake,” she admits. “Robert brought so much energy into the MasterChef kitchen – it was infectious. I wanted to create something fun that celebrated native Australian ingredients, but unfortunately I didn’t execute it the way I’d hoped.”
The senior graphic designer chose to make river mint doughnuts with raspberry ooray plum jam, river mint and white chocolate crème pâtissière, and river mint sugar.
While the concept impressed on paper, Dot was ultimately too heavy-handed with the river mint, causing the ingredient to overpower the dish and ending her time in the competition.
“I’d never cooked with native Australian ingredients before,” she says. “But I had made doughnuts within that timeframe before. Because they were yeast-raised doughnuts, everything looked fine until the final five or 10 minutes.
“Then the wheels started coming off. The dough hadn’t risen the way I needed it to, and I remember thinking, ‘This could be it.’”
Despite the disappointment, Dot leaves the competition proud of what she achieved and excited about what comes next.
Now back home, she’s enjoying quality time with Katie, a healthy dose of her mum’s lasagne and the chance to reflect on an experience she’ll never forget.
“I’m excited to keep building my cooking community through Instagram,” she says. “I’d love to explore supper clubs, pop-ups and whatever opportunities come my way. I’m keeping an open mind and looking forward to seeing where food takes me next.
“This definitely isn’t the end.”
