MasterChef 2019 – The Final

MasterChef presenters Gregg Wallace and John Torode have come together yet again to find the Uk’s finest culinary dining skills.

It’s the MasterChef final and after a seven-week journey, the search for the country’s best amateur cook reaches it climax.

For one last time the cooks have to push themselves to the limit to impress the judges. The final 3 cooks have to produce the best three-dishes and push their culinary boundaries further than they ever have before.

Lets see how the chefs got on..

Delia

Starter: Prawn bisque risotto with smoked paprika and almond crusted scallops, chorizo crisps, wild garlic, sea fennel and lemon caviar.

Gregg was very happy with the ‘right about of bounce‘ in the scallops, but the beautiful bisque is the beauty that ‘holds the dish together‘.

John really loved the balance of flavours, making the dish ‘fantastic‘.

Main: Rabbit loin dusted in set powder, potato and truffle terrine and a quince puree, with a side of rabbit crumble, rabbit legs, with chestnuts and herbs, topped with breadcrumbs, finished with a rabbit sauce and black truffle.

Gregg loved the presentation, cooking of the rabbit and the quality of the sauce which is ‘king‘. Unfortunately for Gregg the potato needed more cooking.

John thought the rabbit was ‘perfect‘ and was sad about the potato.

Dessert: Goats cheese and vanilla panna cotta, with pistachio cake, fig jam with lavender, scorched figs and a pistachio and thyme crumb.

John had noticed Delia had ran out of time, meaning the caramel sauce didn’t make the plate, however was ‘very impressed with the flavours‘.

Even though Gregg knew Delia wasn’t happy with the dessert, he enjoyed the flavours and textures saying, ‘nothing would stop me from eating 2 of these‘.

Jilly

Starter: Seared tuna fillet, carpaccio of tuna topped with capers, a garlic and anchovy sauce, black olives, quails egg dipped in smoked paprika, lettuce, roasted cherry tomatoes and a potato tuille.

John loved the tuna that went very well with the garnish, and feels likes he is ‘in the south of France on holiday‘.

Gregg liked the ‘flavour explosion‘ from the dish , but wished for more flavour from the carpaccio.

Main: Roasted breast of partridge, a partridge leg and black pudding pie,  poached pear, braised red cabbage, parsnip puree, cava Nero and a partridge sauce.

Gregg thought the red cabbage was a beautiful accompaniment to partridge and thought the star of the show was the ‘old fashioned pie‘.

John enjoyed the combination of ‘earthy and sweet‘ flavours.

Dessert: Lemon tart, topped with raspberry and lemon jelly, raspberry sorbet, confit lemon, cream with raspberry powder, raspberry sauce and a sugar tuille.

Gregg couldn’t get enough of the sharp lemon tart, but with the sharp raspberry the flavour was ‘too intense‘ for the judge.

John agreed that the sharp and sour flavour combination ‘wasn’t for the faint hearted‘.

Irini

Starter: Red mullet with a squid risotto, confit tomatoes, rosemary and garlic sauce, with grey mullet roe and an aged balsamic foam.

John thought the red mullet was ‘beautifully seasoned and beautifully flakey‘, but wished for more roe.

Gregg enjoyed the fish but wished for ‘more sweetness‘ in the foam, but overall is a real ‘summer dish‘.

Main: Grilled rosemary lamb chops, with puree, cracked wheat in soured milk, peas, confit herb tomatoes, pearl onions, crumbled feta and a lamb and tomato jus.

Gregg loved the ‘posh greek‘ dish, bright pink lamb and the quality of Irini’s sauce.

John ‘absolutely loved it the flavours‘, but was a little ‘underwhelmed‘ by the presentation.

Dessert: Fig and hazelnut parcels with roasted honey fig topped with Chantilly cream and candied fig, a fig leaf ice-cream, syrup on a hazelnut ice-cream.

Gregg loved the celebration of the fig especially the fig lead ice-cream.

John agreed with Gregg and found it ‘delicious, addictive and moreish‘.

Gregg, and John both agreed that the MasterChef Champion 2019 would be; Irini Tzortzoglou.
Unfortunately saying bye and good luck for the future to Delia & Jilly.