Game Day Gourmet

After four rounds of auditions, it was finally time for the MasterChef competition to officially begin! I was looking forward to this, as whenever the competition officially starts, that’s when the season really kicks it up a notch. 

To let you all know how the episodes are going to work, the home cooks are in four groups of five with each of them representing different global territories, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, and The Americas. How it will work, at least for the first few episodes of challenges, is that the judges will choose the top dishes from each territory, and from there choose a winner, who will win the Immunity Pin, and end up saving the other contestants in their territory from elimination for that night. And from there, the bottom three will be called out, with the contestant who does the worst going home.

For the first challenge of the season, the contestants had 60 minutes to make elevated versions of classic stadium foods inspired by their own cultures. The reason why it was stadium foods specifically is because, again, this season was made to tie in to the World Cup, which is airing on Fox. 

Before long, the first cook time had started, and all the contestants ran into the pantry to get whatever ingredients they needed. Things got very crazy in the pantry, so much so to the point that a bottle fell and broke. After all the contestants had grabbed what they needed from the pantry, Peter accidentally returned to the wrong station that he wasn’t cooking at. I know that this is ultimately unimportant, but I just felt like sharing it because I want to include as much as possible.

While the judges only called up the top four dishes and the bottom three dishes, other contestants were highlighted during the cook time, so I will now explain to you all what they made as well. 

Camilo made a Chicken Carnitas Taco, which I’m sure is a dish that I would be willing to try. 

Maria made a dish called Coxinha, which is a Brazilian street food consisting of Shredded Seasoned Chicken Filling encased in a Fried Dough. I would absolutely be willing to try this dish. If you’re curious what it looked like, here it is.

Ted made a Gyro Burger with Loaded Greek Fries, which is another dish that I would be willing to try. 

Basia made Paszteciki Z Mięsem, which is a Polish Meat Pie made from Yeast Dough and stuffed with Seasoned Minced Meat. This is yet another dish that I would be willing to try.

Daniel made Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken Nuggets, which is something that I would definitely try. Here’s what his dish looked like, in case you’re curious.

Rita made Spiced Beef Pie with Tomato-Pepper Reduction and Chipotle Aioli, which is another dish that I would be willing to try.

Nora was then shown to be all over the place with her cooking, as while she was cutting Eggplant, she accidentally cut her finger. The medic put a band-aid on her finger, and told her to put a glove on, which she never did. This is very important foreshadowing by the way.

Heidi then said that she was making a traditional South African Sausage called Boerewars with Parmesan Truffle Fries, and this is another dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. If you’re curious what the dish looked like, here it is.

Foo then said that he was making a Marinated Banh Mi Sandwich with a Spicy Aioli and a Pho Au Jus, which is another dish that I would be willing to try. Here’s what it looked like, for those of you who are curious.

Jamie then said that she was making Salt & Pepper Tiger Shrimp with Hot Honey Sambal Sauce and what she called an Edible Boat that appeared to be made from what looked like Rice Paper. I would be willing to give this dish a try. Here is what the dish looked like, in case you were wondering.

A little bit after that, Nora called for the medic again, as her band-aid fell off and she needed another one. I could not be foreshadowing what’s coming any more than I already am, and I think some of you have already figured it out. 

Shompa then revealed that she was making a Tandoori Spiced Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Coleslaw Raita and Tamarind Chili Glaze, and it was also going to be a Sandwich with a side of Chaat Masala Chips. I’m not sure how willing I would be to try this, as while I love Fried Chicken, I’m not a big fan of spicy foods. Joe also informed her that since she was cooking with Chicken Thigh, it was going to take a while to cook. That point will become important later on. And if you’re curious as to what her dish looked like, here it is.

After time was up, the judges walked around and took one final look at all the dishes, in order to choose a top four and a bottom three. 

While they were walking around, they asked Jake if he was happy with the cook on the Steak, to which he responded that he believed he was happy with it, as it was coming up to temperature as time was ending, to which Chef Ramsay asked him again if he was happy, or if he believed he was happy, to which Jake again said that he believed he was happy.

While Dave didn’t get a chance to say what his dish was, he did say that the Sauce that coated his Chicken was called Daghmira, which is a Thick Onion Sauce, it was shown up close, and it looked good to me. Here it is, if you’re curious.

From there, the judges called up the top four.

The first home cook called up was representing Asia-Pacific, and was revealed to be Aishu. The dish that she made was South Indian Potato Bonda with Coconut Chutney and Cilantro Mint Chutney. For those of you who don’t know what they are, Bonda is a Deep Fried Snack filled with Spiced Potato Mixture, and Chutney is an Indian Condiment. This is a dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. I mean, just look at it below. 

The judges all loved the dish, praising the color, the texture, and the balance of sweet and savory the dish had. 

The best dish from the contestants representing Europe belonged to Aghata, and the dish she made was Spanish Potato Tortillas with Caramelized Onions and Red Pepper Aioli, which is another dish that I would be willing to try. I mean, just have a look at it.

The judges loved this dish as well, saying that the flavors were great, but Chef Ramsay told her to be careful with Aioli, because once she had Prosciutto on top, it went soggy. 

The best dish from the contestants representing Africa belonged to Peter, and the dish he made was Yaji Spiced Chicken Tenders with Fries, Maggi Ketchup Aioli, and Creamy Mustard Sauce. This is another dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. Have a look at it right below.

The judges loved the dish, praising the cook on the Chicken, the two Sauces, and the fact that he took something so simple and elevated it to the level he did.

The best dish from the contestants representing The Americas belonged to Tkaiya, and the dish she made was Jamaican Beef Patties with Cabbage & Carrot Slaw, Cheddar Mornay Sauce, and Barbecue Sauce. For those of you who don’t know what they are, Jamaican Beef Patties are Semicircular Pastries with various fillings and spices inside a flaky shell that is tinted golden yellow. This is another dish that I would absolutely be willing to try. Here’s a picture of what it looked like.

The judges loved this dish as well, including the fact that the Patties were golden brown and the crust looked proper, and the spice was delicious, and while Joe did say that he felt they could have used more filling, he then added that the crust was so good that he didn’t even mind. 

From there, the judges had to pick a winner, and after some discussion, the home cook who won this challenge was revealed to be Aishu, which meant that she now had the Immunity Pin and was safe from elimination and didn’t have to participate in the next challenge, and that the other home cooks representing Asia-Pacific were safe from elimination tonight. Chef Ramsay then told Aishu that she would have an advantage in the next challenge, and then told Shompa that she was very lucky that Aishu won, because otherwise, she would have ended up in the bottom.

From there, the judges called out the Bottom Three. 

The worst dish from the home cooks representing Europe was from Julia, and the dish she made was Loaded Crispy Polenta Fries with Blue Cheese Mousse, Candied Pancetta, and Fig Coulis. Not even joking, I feel like if this dish was cooked properly, I would be willing to give it a try. For those of you curious as to what it looked like, here it is.

The problems the judges had with the dish included the fact that the Polenta Fries were undercooked, the Pancetta was burnt, and the Mousse was over-whipped. The judges also made it a point to say to each other that she should have done well on the challenge, as she works in a stadium.

The worst dish from the home cooks representing The Americas was from Jake, and the dish he made was Filet Mignon with Birria Consommé, Cotija Corn Puree, and Birria Tortilla Chips, which he said was inspired by a Birria Taco. If this dish was made correctly, I would be willing to give it a try. If you want to see what the dish looked like, here it is.

The judges acknowledged that everything on the plate looked dark, the Steak was overcooked, and the Tortilla Chips were overdone, though they did admit that the Sauces were delicious.

The worst dish from the home cooks representing Africa was from Nora, who made a Haddock & Maakouda Sandwich with Chermoula Mayo and Mediterranean Salad. For those of you who don’t know, Maakouda is a Moroccan Potato Fritter made from Mashed Potatoes mixed with Spices. If this dish were made correctly, I feel that I would be willing to try it. For those of you who are curious, here’s what the dish looked like.

You remember how I said last week that there was something in the trailer for this episode that made me scream, and all the foreshadowing I have already done with Nora? It’s now time for the answer.

Initially, the judges criticized the fact that the dish was all over the place, as it was way too big, the Salad needed to be part of the Sandwich, and it felt like three dishes in one, and then Chef Tiffany looked a little closer at the dish, and made her horrifying discovery. 

Right there, in the Sandwich, was a band-aid. 

Yes, you read that correctly. Initially, I was thinking to myself, “How do the judges not see it?!” Then I was also thinking to myself “They just took so many bites of it. How did they not immediately see it?!” Nora then admitted that she knew her band-aid fell off, but she thought it fell on the floor.

From there, it’s pretty obvious what happened. Nora was the first home cook eliminated this season. 

Overall, this was a great start to the competition, and I’ll see you all next week when the home cooks all have to make their own take on Eggs Benedict!