VITAL INGREDIENTS

JOHN TORODE AND GREGG WALLACE ARE BACK TO PUT THE NATION’S HOME COOKS TO THE TEST…

We always feel like we learn a lot from watching Masterchef every year, even if we rarely go on to put any of it into practice in the kitchen. And as we quiz judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace about the new series, they tell us it’s always an eye-opening experience for them too…

“Every single year you end up with stuff that you’ve never seen before,” reveals John. “We had one guy who came in and made us something he called kahk, and something called muhammara – a Syrian dip, with a Syrian biscuit. There’s stuff from all over the place, with incredible flavours and tastes – stuff that’s just fantastic.”

“We had squid with ricotta,” adds Gregg. “Flavour-wise it’s okay, but the texture is just odd! And we had a wild mushroom and blue cheese risotto with tempura veg – tempura by design is supposed to be crispy, and risottos are wet-ish. Crispy and wet doesn’t work!”

The competition begins once again with the market challenge, where the contestants’ first assignment is to select from a variety of produce in the studio and cook one dish for John and Gregg to taste. “One of the most common early mistakes is the contestants don’t have confidence in themselves,” hints Gregg. “Even though they’re good cooks, they try to posh up their dishes, and then they’re in danger of ruining them – whereas if they just had the confidence to cook like they do at home, then we would like them.”

“If you’re really good at what you do, your style will be fine throughout the competition,” insists John. “But first impressions count, and if you try too hard? It’s like walking into a party and going ballistic – you’re only going to last about 10 minutes!”