A master chef
East Coast kitchen wizard wins ‘MasterChef Canada’
HALIFAX — It may not have been as easy as pie, but winning $100,000 was the icing on the cake for Nova Scotia kitchen whiz Jennifer Crawford who became the season six winner of CTV’s “MasterChef Canada” on Monday night.
Crawford, who was raised in Kingston, Kings County, becomes the first Atlantic Canadian winner of the popular kitchen contest, after Dartmouth’s Andy Hay made it to the runner-up spot last season.
After 12 episodes of cunning culinary challenges, Crawford took the grand prize over Scarborough’s Andre Bhagwandat after a three-hour, three-course finale.
Crawford won the first round with her unique take on ants on a log, with poached figs and blue cheese mousse, which the judges praised for its “restaurant quality presentation” — although her second round Mary’s Little Lamb’s attractive presentation was undercut by an undercooked serving for judge Chef Claudio Aprile.
Bhagwandat’s CaribbeanKorean fusion dish curried goat bo ssam with caramelized kimchi came out ahead as the best main plate.
In the dessert round, both chefs pulled out all the stops with elaborate, multi-layered creations. It was a tough call between Bhagwandat’s deconstructed turon — a Filipino deep-fried banana roll — with Chinese five-spice waffle, caramelized plantains and ice cream, and Crawford’s “elevated treat cereal” made with chocolate soil, puffed rice and tea-smoked milk.
The judges felt the former lacked saltiness, while the latter could have been sweeter.
Ultimately, it was the story told by the three courses, and the competitor’s overall performance through the season’s challenges, that determined the final outcome, with Crawford winning with a slight edge.
“I hope this win shows that actual magic can happen with simply taking good care of your squishy heart, honouring your own weird precious self, and showing up as best you can for others, one day at a time,” said Crawford in a media release.