The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Angus Masterchef star tells of love of steak pies.
Angus chef back on screens tonight as he battles it out for BBC culinary crown
As a globetrotting private chef, Dean Banks has experienced the best of culinary fare, but the Carnoustie kitchen star said nothing beats a steak pie in Dundee’s City Square.
The 29-year-old, who will be back on TV screens tonight for the knockout rounds of Masterchef: The Professionals will never give up the Tayside staple.
He wowed judges Marcus Waring and Monica Galetti with his signature dish of sea trout topped with nori seaweed in the first stages of the contest and audiences have been impressed at his calmness under pressure.
He said his own tastes are far simpler. “I can cook the fine foods but there is nothing better than having a steak pie,” he said.
“When I’m in Dundee, I usually spend my Saturday in City Square with a pie and a yum yum.”
A former Dundee University student, Dean has cooked in several celebrated kitchens including the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and the Tides Lodge in Tanzania.
“One of my favourite locations to cook in was Switzerland,” he said. “I was there for seven years and I liked the lifestyle, the time off and the better pay.
“When you go into a supermarket in Scotland you see huge aisles of frozen ready meals but healthy eating is part of the lifestyle in Switzerland.”
However, Dean said he is happy to hand out cooking tips to the public, who have come to recognise him more since the show began.
He said: “When I was in Dundee just last week, I was recognised in a supermarket and three people came up to me in the pub.
“People sometimes ask me for tips on how to cook Christmas dinner and I don’t mind sharing.”
Dean will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of another local chef, Jamie Scott, the 2014 Masterchef champion who owns of The Newport restaurant in Newport-on-tay.
Tonight’s episode on BBC One at 8pm features an “invention test” where the remaining contestants are given one hour to invent a meal from a set number of ingredients.
Dean said: “I’m excited but nervous about the next stage of the competition. We’re taking away all the modern kitchen equipment and taking it back to the basics.”