Dee Williams

Q: What have you learnt from the internationally renowned chefs that you’ve worked with? And what components of that knowledge do you put into use?

A: I have learnt about ingredients and various techniques from different countries, and how to use them to get the maximum flavour into a dish; and there have been many tips and tricks of the trade.

For example, I’ve learnt how to prepare food efficiently and effectively in a short time frame; and how to cook with limited ingredients.

When Curtis Stone appeared on the show, I learnt how to make béarnaise sauce – something I’d never made before until I had to prepare it for the ‘pressure test.’

Q: Which Sri Lankan dish is the hardest to prepare?

A: Sri Lankan love cake. When it comes to cooked consistency, it varies from person to person, and oven to oven.

The hardest part is to know when the cake is fully cooked since we can’t use the skewer test – because if the skewer comes out clean, it means the cake is overcooked by Sri Lankan standards. It will taste good but there won’t be the moist centre that is typical of this confection. You need to rely on the timing of cooking as well as instinct.

Q: Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

A: I launched the catering arm of my business late last year. Now I’m able to cater for private functions, birthday parties etc. Another part of the business provides customers with lunch and dinner takeaway packs.

The events section of my business allows customers to visit the premises and host private functions, and I’ll cook a three course meal or anything they want. I can create a menu to cater to their needs.

And the media division creates cooking and product review videos. Through videos, I can collaborate with various brands and cook meals with their products. I’m also planning to launch a range of spice mixes and curry pastes.

MasterChef has opened up a variety of opportunities and given me the confidence to pursue my food dream. I’d love to visit Sri Lanka sometime and work on a cooking show with a Sri Lankan television network or be a judge at a Sri Lankan version of MasterChef.