Game of Thrones doesn’t make my world go round, MasterChef Australia does. Through its six seasons, I have rarely missed an episode of this competitive cookery format and when STAR World threw the Premiere googly at me at the beginning of Season 7, I promptly signed up for their HD feed. There was no question of waiting for months for the show to make its way to STAR World.

Currently midway through Season 7 and poised tantalisingly — the amateur cooks at the beginning of the season are now wowing the judges in every episode whipping up five-star fare and giving professional guest chefs a run for their reputation — the MasterChef menu is now more lip-smacking than ever, churning out fun moments, edge-of-the-seat drama… and of course, yummy-in-the-tummy food. Here’s what we have liked — scratch that, loved! — so far of Season 7…

Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment

A certain Silk (yes, in The Dirty Picture) had thrice stressed on the importance of this 13-letter word and MasterChef Australia delivers it every minute of every episode. Team Challenges, Mystery Box trials, the fight for the Immunity Pin, Invention Tests, Elimination Rounds, Pressure Tests… there’s so much happening on the show all the time.
Whether it’s Ashleigh finding herself at the top of the heap one week and the bottom of the pile the next, Reynold showing that he can do savoury as well as he does sweet, Georgia wowing the judges by using bacon (yes, bacon!) in her dessert or Jacqui whipping up that winning Panna cotta on the brink of elimination… there’s never a dull moment on Masterchef Australia.
“Will that ice cream set?” You bite your nails as nervously as Rose. “Will white chocolate and salmon make a winning combination?” You pray as much as John does. Yes, even seven seasons down, MasterChef Australia continues to be a show that involves you from the get-go and keeps you hooked.

The contestants are family

Starting off as a group of 28, the number of contestants has now come down to half as we enter Week Seven. As we spend weeknights with them, they all seem like friends we have known for a long time. Boy, do they rock the kitchen… and it’s not only with their food. Billy can win you over with her killer smile, Sara’s puppy eyes are oh-so-cute, Rose reminds you of that big sister who is forever worrying about whether you have eaten enough and Reynold packs in some serious swag with that cool hairstyle.
Their drive to follow their common passion for food strikes a chord — many have rebelled against their families to come to MasterChef, some have given up high-flying jobs to pursue their dream…. When it’s time to exit, there is disappointment and tears, but never manipulative melodrama. The life lessons each MasterChef contestant comes with: follow your passion, never give up and take failure in your stride. And you thought it was just a cookery show?

Marco Pierre White... WOW!

Over the years, MasterChef has grown in cred, making the world’s celebrated chefs star as guest judges, mentoring the contestants, hand-holding them and giving them invaluable tips on managing their time in the kitchen. While Matt Moran’s familiar face has been absent so far this season, Shannon Bennett is being seen more often, guiding the contestants in the Immunity Pin round. Maggie Beer’s cheery presence lights up the kitchen ever so often while Marco Pierre White — that genius in all things food — mesmerises every time he makes time for MasterChef... that one week he spent on on the show gets my vote as the best seven days ever in the history of MasterChef Australia.

I also love the way the contestants welcome the guest chefs, cheering, clapping and catcalling. Hey, they sure are rockstars in their own right!

We love the judges...

The flamboyant Matt Preston, the ever-dependable Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris — the man who loves a bit of drama but hates chillies — have all made MasterChef Australia the show it is. Almost always on the same page, the three do have differing opinions sometimes, but there’s none of the ugly arguments that one sees on other TV shows. What we love most? When George pumps up the contestants before a cookout with: “Boom, boom… shake the room!”

...and the food!

Remember Reynold’s sinful ‘Forbidden Fruit?’ Or John’s awesome Pork Adobo with Coconut Rice? Or the Pan Roasted and Confit Quail that Jessica whipped up? Every episode is a delight for the eyes and keeps our taste buds tingling. The downside for someone like me who only gets to catch the repeat episode at midnight? I can’t help but raid the fridge when the show ends at 1am!

A YOUNG CHEF ON MASTERCHEF

A large part of the reason I developed an interest in cooking is MasterChef Australia. The way amateur cooks from across Australia are put into a professional cooking environment makes the show an interesting watch. The winner gets a quarter of a million dollars, a column of their own and the chance of being titled Australia’s next MasterChef. There are a number of mentors in the MasterChef kitchen, from Kylie Kwong to Marco Pierre White… yes, he has trained Curtis Stone and Gordon Ramsay! The show helps make regular home cooks into professionals... and that’s magical. Whenever I have a look at these dishes I have the urge to make them myself... sinful Molten Lava Cake, Orange and Cinnamon Panna cotta or the MasterChef  “death dish”, risotto. The show has helped me refine my recipes and to be honest to my roots, because less is always more.

— Simran Kapur (winner, Young Chef India Schools 2013)

Priyanka Roy
Why do you love MasterChef Australia?Tell t2@abp.in

MasterChef Australia airs Monday-Friday at 9pm on STAR World Premiere HD. Repeats at midnight and 10am

KNOW MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA

A glossary of the words — we otherwise had no clue about — that have crept into our vocabulary, courtesy MasterChef Australia...

A for Acidic: On Masterchef Australia, your dish is either too acidic or it isn’t… both of which mean you haven’t had a good day in the kitchen.

B for Blast Chiller: The sub-zero freeze zone into which contestants stuff their desserts at the last minute. And pray that the Blast Chiller does its trick and sets their ice creams and freezes their granitas.

C for Croquembouche: Super chef Adriano Zumbo’s massive dessert installation comprising Choux Pastry — another term we learnt on MasterChef — and caramel. A nightmare for the contestants to replicate every season.

D for Deconstruct: An MA fave that involves taking apart the individual elements of a dish and combining them together in a totally different way.

E for Emulsify: Combining two liquids that don’t go well together. Like olive oil and egg yolks.

F for Fennel: Yet another MA staple, many a winning dish has been made with fennel, described as a “flowering herb belonging to the carrot family”.

G for Granita: When you want to add some freshness to your dish, granita is the go-to. Lime Granita (in picture) is an MA fave.

H for Hollandaise: You ain’t a good cook if you can’t nail that Hollandaise Sauce —  a combination of egg yolk, butter, lime, salt and pepper. Is versatile enough to go with most dishes.

I for Immunity Pin: That which every MA contestant craves for. Every week, the best performer is pitted against a professional chef. If he/she gets the better of the chef, the Immunity Pin is the prize and an advantage over the other contestants. No one has won an Immunity Pin so far this season.

J for Jus: French for juice. Watch any MA episode and you will come across ‘Jus’ a couple of times.

K for Kale: Said to be a form of wild cabbage, but looks like lettuce.

L for Laksa: This Malay dish (in picture) is the ultimate comfort food, comprising meat/ fish and vegetables simmered in a wholesome broth. Almost every season has had a contestant trying out a variation of Laksa.

M for Massaman Curry: This semi-spicy Thai meat curry with an Indian influence is another MA staple. Remember Sri Lankan contestant Kumar Pereira’s delish Massaman in Season 3?

N for Nougat: Simply put, a candy bar made of chocolate, nuts and caramel that can be used in a variety of ways in various dishes. We still can’t get over Sarah Todd’s Hazelnut and White Chocolate Iced Nougat in Season 6.

P for Poached Pear: If you haven’t been able to poach your pear perfectly, it’s curtains for you on MA.

Q for Quail: Quail is an Aussie favourite and a regular on MA. It’s a bird that reportedly tastes a lot like chicken.

R for Risotto: No contestant has been able to cook the perfect risotto (in picture) across seven seasons. No wonder it’s called MA’s “death dish”.

S for Sous-vide: They love cooking the sous-vide way in MA: wrapping ingredients in a water-tight plastic bag and placing it in a temperature-controlled steamed environment.

T for Tuile: A thin and crisp, sweet or savoury wafer made of dough or cheese. It’s mostly used to pretty up desserts.

V for Veal: Calf meat. Billy and Ashleigh just survived an elimination that had them cooking veal meat.

W for Wagyu: A Japanese cattle breed. Season 6 winner Brent Owens wowed with his wagyu beef skewers.

Z for Zest: The outer skin of citrus fruits like lemon and orange. A staple of many an MA dessert.