COOKING THE LAST SUPPER

MASTERCHEF fans are a loyal lot. It’s genuinely accepted these days that the show only becomes compulsive viewing in the final week, so top marks if you’ve managed to stay the course again throughout its 12th series.

At least there have been plenty of variety in the tasks, as increasingly svelte pudding-king Gregg Wallace and sidekick John Torode have gone about their business whittling down the original 64 contenders.

There have been Calling Cards, Invention Tests, Critic’s Meals and Chef’s Tables, as well as heats, knockout weeks, team relays and trips abroad.

Some would say it’s almost as confusing as the cooks’ complicated dishes.

This week has already been a gruelling one for the finalists attempting to bake, fry, steam, roast and boil their way to success.

On Monday, the remaining five went to Winfield House, the official residence of the US ambassador to the UK, where they had just four hours to serve a five-course dinner with an American theme for the diplomat and his guests, under the watchful eye of Michelinstarred chef Paul Ainsworth.

Then on Wednesday, the surviving four embarked on a culinary adventure in South Africa, where their skills will be pushed to the limit in three demanding tests involving a braai (a traditional South African barbecue), a lunch service at The Test Kitchen, ranked as one the world’s top 25 restaurants, and a dinner fit for Cape Town’s cultural and culinary elite.

Then last night, the chefs were whittled down again as they faced the toughest challenge of the competition – the Chef’s Table.

First, they were out to impress judges Wallace and Torode with a classic dish that bears their own personal stamp.

Then the remaining trio got the chance to cook an exquisite three-course lunch menu alongside modern culinary legend Sat Bains at his two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Nottingham.

However, to add to the pressure, a table of the UK’s finest chefs – Shaun Rankin, Steve Groves, Tom Kitchin, Paul Ainsworth, Ashley Palmer-Watts and Clare Smyth – were waiting with knives and forks in hand to sample their efforts.

Tonight, the formidable seven-week contest reaches its climax and the finalists are pushed to the limit one last time.

This is their chance to show everything they have learned, and over three hours demonstrate what sort of cook they have become.

They must produce three exceptional courses, push the culinary boundaries and give the judges an awe-inspiring tasting.

Then it’s over to Wallace and Torode to decide which of the trio deserves to succeed last year’s victor Jane Devonshire and be crowned MasterChef Champion 2017.

More than a decade since its reboot from daytime show into a prime-time franchise, MasterChef remains a slick entertainment machine.

Tension builds, as the hot-under-the-apron contestants dash around gleaming kitchens, applying finishing touches with trembling fingers.

Narrator India Fisher breathily describes dishes, while the judges spoon in mouthfuls, and then groan in pleasure or disappointment.

Long pauses reveal who is going through, and who is going home.

Despite MasterChef the series being a slog at times, this final should, like any mouthwatering starter dish, leave fans wanting more.