MasterChef goes ‘back to basics’
Aussie reality show highlights why there’s now a generational divide when it comes to cooking, writes James Croot.
Ithought it best to get the controversy out of the way first. The actions of one of Gary Mehigan’s MasterChef Australia co-hosts have caused ructions in our household.
According to my nine-year-old daughter, Matt Preston’s beard must go.
Mehigan laughs, admitting that he does look like a bit of a pirate or Robinson Crusoe with his newly minted facial fungus. ‘‘However, I actually think it makes him look distinguished,’’ the affable 50-year-old Englishborn restaurateur says after composing himself.
‘‘Once you get used to it, you go, ‘you know, I like it’, especially because there is plenty of grey in it.’’
When asked whether he’d consider such a radical style change, Mehigan admits that maybe, after nine seasons of MasterChef Australia, he is due.
‘‘I’m not tempted yet to copy Matt’s style cues – he’s far too fancy for me. Plus, I’m there as the proverbial bank manager on the show – I just have four grey and blue suits. However, I’m blind as a bat and, looking at my computer screen through my glasses now, I’m thinking, ‘geez these are blurry’.’’
But we’re here to talk food rather than fashion and I remind Mehigan of our discussion last year when he revealed that he, Preston and fellow judge George Calombaris sit down for a meal together before each season to discuss strategies. What was on the menu this year?
‘‘We got a bit fed up with all the deconstructed dishes last year, so we thought, ‘let’s try a bit of construction or reconstruction’ – so we kind of made it clear to everyone that’s the way we wanted to go. We also wanted to make sure we brought the show back to basics early and ground our contestants with skills, with the expectation that they would produce big, bold flavours and then go off on their own creative courses.’’
Impressed once again with the standard of applicants, Mehigan says he finally noticed a real generational divide this year.
‘‘It finally dawned on me that anyone under 25 or 26 thinks completely differently about food than anybody over that age. Whether they are Malaysian, Anglo Saxon or Chinese, our older contestants are much more traditional and reluctant to play with flavours or combine things together, whereas the younger ones are prepared just to jam things together and just see how they work.
‘‘As an old guy myself, I kind of look at that and go ‘hmmm’ – but now I’ve stopped being suspicious of it all because most of the time they prove themselves right and me wrong. Then I have to go, ‘I have to give it to you, it actually tastes bloody delicious – who would have thought?’’’
Happy to give away some of this season’s secrets, Mehigan says this year’s overseas trip to Japan was probably one of the judging trio’s favourite ever excursions, while they were also delighted to add two new international guests to the already impressive lineup.
‘‘We secured Clare Smyth, who was the head chef at Gordon Ramsey’s Chelsea restaurant and maintained three Michelin stars for 10 years, and had also been after Yotam Ottolenghi for a while. We rang him and he said he’d love to. Turns out he’s a good friend of Nigella Lawson and she’d said he had to do MasterChef.’’
Mehigan says the BritishIsraeli chef more than exceeded their expectations. ‘‘Yotam has to be, to date, my favourite guest for a week. He was such a lovely man and his food is totally amazing. Heston [Blumenthal] does crazy, whimsical and conceptual food – Yotam is all about, ‘it doesn’t matter if doesn’t look great, but taste this’. We just went, ‘oh yeah, I can’t cook like that – that’s just amazing’. He made this pastilla, a kind of Middle Eastern pie, on the show and I tell you what, I’ve got to make that – that was insane. There’s a reason why I’m slightly chubby and it’s stuff like that.’’
Ottolenghi also inspired Mehigan and Calombaris to go visit a couple of local pottery makers in Melbourne. ‘‘Turns out he and Nigella go to a pottery course together. George and I became a bit obsessed about that and went off to talk to a couple of artisan potters about how we could use their skills to enhance presentation at our restaurants.’’
However, Mehigan says, he’ll leave the creative side of it to the experts. ‘‘And I don’t really think I can see George Calombaris throwing a pot – although I know I’m now picturing that.’’
Barring a sudden ratings slide or career-ending controversy, Mehigan and co are almost certain to be back for a 10th season in 2018. Does he have any wishes to mark the big anniversary?
‘‘We’ve got a hitlist and managed to touch base with DanielHummbefore his Eleven Madison Park won World Restaurant of the Year earlier this year. I’ve also planted a little seed in our executive producer’s ear about going to Portugal. I secretly want to get his wife to put a recording under his pillow, with me saying, ‘go to Portugal, go to Portugal’. ● MasterChef Australia Tuesdays to Saturdays, TVNZ1.