Starter

“You have to constantly innovate!”

When our contestants arrived at the Nederburg doors in their flurry of aproned enthusiasm, it was but a baker’s dozen. Neil, the calm communications consultant, known for his molecular gastronomy knowledge, had gone. This day held an innovation test for the rest.

Neil had been failed on his risotto, when the trio in the pressure test attempted to replicate Pete Goffe-Wood’s pan-fried, line-caught white stumpnose fillets on a fennel-saffron risotto with a tiny, Niçoise-ish salad. The earlier part of the greater elimination round had been identifying Robertson’s spices in prepared dishes, while the ‘safe’ contestants hung out with Chris Erasmus of Pierneef à La Motte at his Masterclass.

Last night, MasterChef judges Andrew Atkinson, Benny Masekwameng and Pete Goffe-Wood delivered the new challenge: the contestants would be rewarded for risks taken and inspiration when cooking a major South African ingredient for special occasions and celebrations: red meat. In this case, beef.

Mains

“If you give us steak, egg and chips, you will find yourself in the pressure test.”

90 minutes were granted to produce innovative dishes of which beef was the hero. The pantry contained almost every cut, style and texture of beef imaginable. (Joani hoped for kidneys, but they proved to be the exception.) Mince, oxtail, fillet, tongue, beefsteak, shin, sausage, boerewors, sirloin, short rib and sirloin were featured in the contestants’ busy minds and on their work stations. Pete remarked on the fascinating variety of cuts chosen. Andrew observed, with some trepidation, the chocolate that Leandri was working into a bordelaise sauce for her fillet.

Amanda worked at producing a seemingly weird boerewors won ton dish while Ozzy was overcoming his problem of non-halaal meat and using his pickling skills learnt at Pierneef à La Motte, incorporating pink peppercorns, sirloin and tongue. Karen composed a Spanish dish with sausage meat and Iberian spices, while Seline created a South African version of beef Wellington with fruity interlayers between the crust and the meat.

It became clear that the time available and the chosen ingredients weren’t all well matched, however, such as Jason’s braised shin and Tiron’s oxtail in pale ale.

Dessert

“Who’s bitten off more than they can chew?”

Ozzy was first, his food appraised and praised. His “damn fine dish”, as well as Amanda’s, Leandri’s and Karen’s were lauded for genius.

Unfortunately Jason’s trio of beef, Sanet’s meatballs and Tiron’s oxtail plunged them into something worse than hot water: tomorrow’s pressure test.

Karen’s beef fillet skewers with patatas bravas and red bean salsa won the day, and she went off to artisan ice cream dreamland at The Creamery in Cape Town for a Masterclass.

Stay tuned on Wednesday night to watch the three pressure test contestants replicate a dish by one of Cape Towns’ top chefs, after which one of them will be ditched. By Maris-Lais Emond Tune in on Thursday morning for a run-down of Wednesday’s episode, and check out our MasterChef SA page, sponsored by Nederburg, for weekly updates.