After the shocking final results of last week’s fashion-themed MasterChef South Africa food challenge, in which Capetonian Tina Long – who judge Zola Nene described as “one of the best home cooks on the show” – exited the competition because of her baking falling flat, the contestants are rounded up for an exciting adventure at Durbanville Hills Winery Estate.
Marking a new chapter in the MasterChef South Africa contestants’ culinary journey, this is an adventure of many firsts: they leave the familiar surroundings of the MasterChef Kitchen, work in teams, have to cook for a crowd and match food with wine.
It’s also new beginnings for Durbanville Hills Winery, which sets the table for a sophisticated event celebrating the first harvest of Cellar Master Pieter-Niel Rossouw whilst paying tribute to his predecessor, the legendary Martin Moore, a giant in the South African wine industry.
For this team challenge, hosted in the winery’s spacious, award-winning Tangram Restaurant, the contestants are divided into two groups of six. The good news is that the winning team will be safe from elimination in the next episode. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be drama aplenty. As Nash, one of the remaining twelve contestants, explained, “You know that expression about too many cooks, spoiling the broth.”
Each team is assigned an interactive buffet table where they must re-invent old-style buffet combinations and pair their innovative gourmet food with wine from the Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve range. With these pairings, they receive invaluable advice from Pieter-Niel and Tangram’s distinguished chef, Chef Tamzin Ehlers.
In creating this unique harvest table, they have to prepare seven dishes for the Durbanville Hills Winery team and thirty of their guests. These dishes must represent the symbol of the Tangram restaurant, a seven-piece geometrical pattern. While the centre-piece must be a protein, they must also whip up five gourmet side dishes and a show-stopping dessert.
Besides being scrutinised by the show’s three judges – Zola Nene, Chef Katlego Mlambo and Justine Drake – the guests will also judge the teams’ buffets.
Which team will crumble under the pressure and be up for elimination next week?
MasterChef South Africa Season 5 is proudly sponsored by Pick n Pay. The premiere episode is on S3 on Saturdays at 19:30, and the rebroadcasts are on SABC 2 on Sundays at 18:30 and S3 on Wednesdays at 18:00.