Masterchef is a cookery competition for amateurs. Rounds include 'invention tests', where the contestants have no idea what ingredients they will be using, working a service in a top restaurant and off course cooking 3 course meals off their own design. Masterchef judges Chef John Torrode and greengrocer's son and all round geezer, Greg Wallace, whittle these contests down until eventually a winner is crowned.
First thing I must say is that the Masterchef of today is miles apart from the bland version in the 80s and 90s. I really hated this era as it was incredibly elitist, condescending and patronising. Presented by Loyd Grossman a bunch of smug bastards proceeded to make meals with 40 word titles which Grossman and a guest chef would proceed to eat and use very long words to describe. The set was bland, the pace slow and it was as exciting as grey paint. In 2005, it was relaunched, taken out of the studio and given some oompth! One of the best changes was replacing the up tight Grossman with John and Greg.
John and Greg are 2 very likeable people and work really well together. The balance of a chef judging food (John) and a punter (Greg) works really well and leaves scope for arguments and disagreements, (although not in a nasty way), about what makes a good dish. But it's their on screen chemistry which makes the show as these 2 really do bounce off each other and are obviously good friends off screen.
This was demonstrated with great effect in last year's Masterchef. At the beginning of each episode is a brief montage of the series and explanation of what the competition is, this is usually ended with Greg, deadpan, shouting, (one criticism maybe that they do tend to shout at each other, rather than talk!), 'cooking doesn't get tougher than this'. I don't think this was meant to be a catchphrase, but stuck and is used each series. Last year after Greg delivers this line serious and deadpan as ever, however after a little pause he ends it with a cheeky wink and a broad smile to John. John just falls apart and bursts out laughing. I liked this as the show kicked off with a bit of fun and you can see these two work well together. It was obviously not meant, but was kept in and I for one are glad they did.
The contestants too are much better now. Gone are the snobs and gastric bores and in their place are 'normal' likeable people. Yes we laugh when they mess up a simple dish, (it always amazes me how often they serve undercooked potatoes!), we point and go 'ha ha, it didn't happen to me'. But then, we applaud as the amateurs produce some simply stunning plates of food. Over the years Michelin star quality dishes have been produced, (you may think I'm exaggerating, but when a Michelin star chef tells the contestant such, I believe them). Also, usually, they're damn nice people to boot and you genuinely want them to do well. This year is no exception.
We were, this week, at semi final stage. Going into this round, the red hot favourite was a young chap called Larkin. He has produced great looking and elegantly flavoured Asian dishes, using advanced techniques and processes. Quite simply he was head and shoulders above the rest. But this is Masterchef and you can crash just as quickly as you rise to the top. Larkin nearly fell through the bottom of my TV!
In a 'real kitchen' challenge, Larkin decided to bake a Lemon Tart, sounds nice and if Larkin had remembered to switch the oven on, it probably would have been very tasty! Fortunately he had time to switch the oven on, bake it at a far higher temperature than it should be and get it out, although the end result was too heavy and overdone.
For the challenge of cooking for the critics, Larkin decided to do a chocolate soufflé. Very yum! Now the danger of doing a soufflé is the failure of it to rise properly. Masterchef could do a whole series of failed soufflés! Fortunately for Larkin they rose perfectly, unfortunately the ramekin slipped out of his tongs and he launched it across the room.
Larkin really should have learned that soufflés were not his thing. Previously in the week he had attempted to do a soufflé in a hollowed out mango. Again it rose, again it slipped out of his buttered up tongs! The end result was a creamy gloop of soufflé next to a melted gloop of ice cream. It was definitely the worst plate of food ever seen on Masterchef and this was further compounded by the fact that this round was judged by Michelin star chef, Marcus Wareing, who made sure Larkin knew this fact and refused blankly to even try it!
Fortunately for Larkin, his previous efforts were enough to see him get a place in the final. He's joined by Dale, who had an equally disastrous round with Marcus Wareing, whose razor clam dish was met with an equally razor like rebuke from Wareing. Actually the criticism was very harsh and Dale broke down in what was one of the very few awkward and uncomfortable moments in Masterchef history. Greg ended up consoling Dale and fair play to Greg, showed us that yes this is a competition, but there is still a human side to it. Dale recovered fantastically and made the best dishes of the final challenge. Narrowly beating cheesy quaver and DJ Natalie, who is the most improved cook of the series and has hit top form just at the right moment.
So I like Masterchef for many reasons and the fact this week's final is too close to call is the icing on a well baked cake. Who will win? I think Dale will sneak it but it's so tight between them, picking a winner 'doesn't get tougher than this'.
Masterchef The Final is this week on BBC1, check listings for details.
