Celeb MasterChef

Season 10 BBC Lifestyle (*174) 20:00 Reality

MasterChef UK (2005-present) judge John Torode is no stranger to British and Australian foodie crowds. The 51year-old Aussie native has been with the reality franchise since episode 1 and he has seen and tasted it all when it comes to kitchen hits and misses. We chatted to the chef-turned-presenter when he was in SA earlier this year and got some tips on the perfect roast…

Professional chefs often like simple dishes. [Laughs] I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen since I was 16 and I’ve worked with more ingredients than I can name. But when I’m at home and with my family, there is nothing more delicious then a simple roast chicken. How do you make a “simple” roast chicken? Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Add crème fraîche (soured cream) and a cut lemon in the cavity. Then, and a lot of people don’t do this, rub the chicken with oil and place on the roasting dish breast up. Halfway through, drain the crème fraîche and add your veggies – continue roasting until done. See? Simple! Have you ever not been able to taste a dish on MasterChef? No, not at all. And that is the beauty of it. I like food and I can stomach most foods, regardless of what ingredients are in the dish. And what have you been up to between the seasons of MasterChef? I filmed a 10-part series about my tour to South Korea – it was an extraordinary journey. I was dropped into a world that I knew very little about and I learnt a huge amount and not just about food. Each hourlong episode is based on a theme, be it a season of the year or an ingredient. I cooked alongside people, had dishes prepared for me and even got to try a couple of new recipes.