Let the ultimate braai begin
WELL known as Masterchef SA judges, Benny Masekwameng and Peter GoffeWood will join Justin Bonello for the fifth season of The Ultimate Braai Master.
The South African Film and Television Awardswinning show is an outdoor cooking show where teams compete against one another in a variety of outdoor settings to create the most delicious dish.
The various teams of two, each made up of a Braai Buddy and Braai Master, travel to different parts of the country and cook up different dishes on an open flame.
The teams are given different cooking challenges and each week, the weakest team faces elimination.
Viewers get to watch the contestants enjoy the road trip of a lifetime, creating beautiful memories.
Hosted by Justin Bonello, who is also a judge, the show promises a jam-packed and delicious season with prizes worth R2-million up for grabs.
Teams hailing from KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Gauteng and the Western Cape will be competing for the winning title of Ultimate Braai Master.
The show will be broadcast on e.tv starting on Sunday February 5 at 4pm.
“The award-winning show will give our viewers an introspective look into our unique cooking culture while exploring the magnificent landscape of South Africa,” managing director of e.tv channels division Marlon Davids said.
The teams were selected from thousands of hopeful contestants who auditioned for the show and will be expected to creatively come up with braai dishes that will wow the judges and inspire viewers.
Contestants travelled to tourist attractions like the Drakensberg Mountains, Gamtoos River in the Eastern Cape, Letsatsi Game Lodge in the FreeState and Wavecrest Hotel & Spa on the Wild Coast of Eastern Cape among others.
The Teams:
Spice Girls – A team of two women, Pretty and Precious Zondo, derived their name from their love for spicy, hot food. They hail from Durban and are looking forward to exploring the country and learning new ways of using braaiing as the only cooking method. One of their pet peeves is burnt meat.
Monante Cuisine – The two chefs from the Saxon Hotel, Surprise Mogano and Corvin Pietersen, are looking forward to a sizzling adventure and consider their signature braai dish as their wholegrilled chicken with homemade barbecue basting.
The Muttonheads – Durbanites Tersian and Tarlan Baker regard braaiing as a big part of their tradition. Their killer biryani and a cold beer is what completes any braai in their opinion.
The Explorers – Gugu Ngobese and Samkelisiwe Cele, both from Springs, are looking forward to exploring new methods of cooking in the new season of The Ultimate Braai Master.
Their braai pet peeves includes meat falling inside the braai stand and flame outbreaks.
Ebony & Ivory – This team of foodies has been together for seven years, and they enjoy braaiing over wood. Brian Muller and Sfiso Nsele are both chefs residing around Kruger National Park.
Pretty Griddy – The team made up of a butchery manager and a housewife from Somerset West, hate braaiing with incomplete braai tools. Desiree Ingram enjoys preparing side dishes and salads while Peter is confident over the flames.
Smoke n’ Hot – This team, consisting of sales manager Randhir Parbhunath and beautician Surika Singh, claims their signature dishes include marinated chicken and pineapple alongside a helping of brown mushroom skewers.
They both enjoy experimenting with their cooking and are extremely competitive. They are from Stanger and Chatsworth in KwaZulu-Natal.
Salty Flames – Chanel Marais, from Milnerton Ridge in Cape Town, and Nick Perfect, from Amanzimtoti in Durban, enjoy travelling, and derived their name from the salty seas where they spend most of their time. Their pet peeves include braaiing under-seasoned meat and overcooked steak.
Outlaws – Brothers-in-law Wouter Pretorius and Bertus de Vos are looking forward to cooking, being competitive and travelling to amazing destinations. Wouter resides in Pretoria North while his teammate is from Randburg.
Empire – Belinka Forbes and Merle Rancke, both from the Western Cape, prefer braaiing over wood compared to gas or coal. Their signature braai dish is “Can in a chicken meal” and they believe any braai is incomplete without roosterbrood and cupcakes.
The show will kick off in Cape St Francis with a series of challenges at Gamtoos River Mouth.