MasterChef Season 16 Episode 3

After another great round of auditions last week, it was time for the third round of auditions for the contestants representing Africa! I’m going to be completely honest with all of you reading right now: before the episode aired, I had very little familiarity with African cuisine. I have never been to any African restaurants, and very few of the cooking shows that I watch had challenges where contestants had to make African dishes. So, I was going into the episode with absolutely no idea of what to expect in terms of what foods would be made, but I was also really curious and excited to learn about African cuisines. 

Much like with the other two audition episodes so far this season, eight contestants were auditioning for an apron in the episode, and only five would get one. 

The first home cook auditioning was Nadine, who was representing Sierra Leone, and the dish she made was a Peanut Butter Soup with Chicken Coconut Curry and Rice. For those of you that don’t know, Peanut Butter Soup is part of West African Cuisine, and is made from a base of Peanut Butter blended with Broth, Tomatoes, Ginger, Garlic, and Chili. 

Anyway, the dish is something that I would seriously consider trying. I mean, just have a look at it. 

Joe Bastianich immediately said that it looked great and he loved the color of it and the contrast, and the Rice also looked clean and fluffy, and he also said that Coconut Milk and Peanut Butter were two things that ignited his palate, so he was looking forward to eating it. Unfortunately, Tiffany said that she couldn’t taste any spices in the dish, so Nadine didn’t get an apron.

The next home cook auditioning was Nora, a former model from Las Vegas who was representing Morocco. Her dish was a Braised Lamb Tagine with Quail Egg and Couscous. For those of you that don’t know, Tagine refers to both the dish and the pot it is traditionally cooked in, and it is a Slow Cooked Aromatic Moroccan Stew that features Lamb Shoulder, Fragrant Spices, and Dried Fruits. 

This is another dish that I would consider trying. I mean, have a look at it below.

Chef Tiffany Derry immediately commented that the dish looked good, but her fashion was on point, as they were both wearing the same exact pink jacket shirt with a black shirt underneath. 

Chef Ramsay then said that the dish looked beautiful and was fragrant, but she was taking a massive risk cooking Lamb in the pressure cooker, as it now needed to fall apart in order to be cooked properly. She then said something that in my mind does not make a good first impression, as Chef Ramsay asked her how long she cooked the Lamb for, and her response was that it was supposed to cook for 30 minutes, but she didn’t pay attention to how long it was actually cooking. 

Chef Ramsay then said that the Lamb looked good after he cut into it, and Joe then said that he loves when a dish represents or reflects the person that cooked it, as it was stylish and elegant. The judges then said that they were all a “Yes,” meaning that Nora had won the first apron of the night. 

The next home cook auditioning was Rita, who was from Brooklyn and was representing Nigeria. Her dish was a Jollof Risotto with Suya Spiced Steak and Broccolini. For those of you who don’t know what some of these components are, Jollof Rice is a dish from Senegal that is made with Long-Grain Rice, Tomatoes, Chilis, Onions, Spices, and other Vegetables or Meat, and Suya Spice is a Nigerian Peanut-Based Dry Rub that is used to season Grilled Meat, Chicken, and Fish, and is made from Crushed Roasted Peanuts mixed with Chili Powder, Ginger, Garlic, Onion Powder, Cloves, and Paprika.

Again, this is another dish that I would seriously consider trying. Just look at the image below, because that is a great looking dish.

Immediately, the judges were confused by her choice to incorporate Risotto, an Italian food, into the dish, with Joe asking where the Italian came in, also asking if she stopped in Italy on the way over. She then explained that when she was 15 years old, she went to an Italian restaurant and wanted to eat Rice, but they only had Risotto on the menu, which she had never heard of, but then it came and it tasted amazing.

Chef Ramsay then said that the Steak was beautifully cooked, and the Nigerian Spice was delicious, but he had no idea why she went down the Risotto route, asking her if she was in love with Joe Bastianich, to which she immediately said that she wasn’t, which prompted Joe to walk off. 

Gordon and Tiffany then both said that they would have liked the dish better if she had just stuck to Long Grain Rice and Jollof as well, to which Joe said that he disagreed, as the Steak was cooked perfectly, and he thought the Risotto was great, so he was a “Yes.” From there, Tiffany and Gordon gave their opinions, even though I thought that they had already made up their minds and were both a “No,” and they then revealed that they were both a “Yes” as well, but they wanted her to stick to her roots next time. This meant that Rita had won the second apron of the episode.

The next home cook auditioning for an apron was Dave, a former music industry executive turned content creator from Chicago who was representing Morocco and Algeria. The dish that he made was Anchovy Tagra with Moroccan Chermoula Sauce. For those of you who are curious as to what some of these components are, Tagra is the clay pot in which the dish is cooked, the dish itself contains Anchovies and Tomatoes, while Chermoula is a Pungent Herb and Spice Marinade.

I’m going to be honest with all of you: I’m not the biggest fan of Fish, and Anchovies are definitely not something I would ever want to eat, but if you want to see what the dish looks like, here it is.

The judges immediately commented on how impressed they were by the dish, with Joe even saying that it was authentically correct. When they tasted the dish, they were even more impressed, and all three judges almost immediately said “Yes,” meaning that Dave had won the third apron of the episode. 

The next home cook auditioning for an apron was Abel, who was from Atlanta and representing Ethiopia. The dish that he made was Awaze Tibs with Ethiopian Scallion Pancakes. For those of you wondering what that is, it’s an Ethiopian Stir-Fry Dish with Cubed Beef or Lamb Sautéed with Onions, Peppers, Garlic, and Ginger in an Awaze Sauce, which is made from Berbere Spice Blend, Wine, or Citrus.

This is another dish that I would seriously consider trying, I mean just look at it.

Chef Ramsay said that it was a dish that is steeped in history, but it looked like some of it was missing, as there were no juices or cooking liquids. Abel then responded that Awaze is very spicy, so he wanted to make sure that it was more palatable and well balanced, to which Joe responded that he misjudged them, as they are wild and want all the heat and pan drippings. Because of this decision that he made, all three judges were a “No.” 

The next home cook auditioning for an apron was Heidi, who was from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was representing South Africa. The dish that she made was a Chilean Sea Bass with Shrimp and Curry Beurre Blanc Sauce. I’m not sure how I feel about this dish, as I am not a fan of Fish, but I love Shrimp, and I’m not sure if I will ever want to have Curry. Just look at the dish below and see what you think of it.

Heidi then said that the big inspiration behind her dish was that where she grew up in South Africa, Durban, had a lot of Indian influence, and she had lived on a boat for many years, so she decided to incorporate the two into her dish and elevate it. She then started sucking up to Joe, saying that she had just read his book Restaurant Man and loved it, to which Gordon said that it came out fifteen years ago, to which Joe responded back by saying that it actually came out twelve years ago and was a New York Times bestseller. Naturally, this brought me Google, because I had to know who was right in this scenario, and the answer is… Nobody! His book actually came out in 2012, which is way too long ago to be twelve years ago, and not enough years to be fifteen years ago.

Heidi also then said that she listened to the audiobook too, and that Joe did a great job with the narration, to which Chef Ramsay tried to get them back on track with the actual dish. 

Chef Ramsay then said that it didn’t look like a Curry, but it looked good. He then said that the Chilean Sea Bass was cooked beautifully, and the Curry Beurre Blanc tasted good, but he would have preferred it if the Fish was actually cooked in the Sauce, and while he admitted that it was a great dish, he was also wondering if she went too far with the dish, as it didn’t remind him of South Africa, which Tiffany and Joe agreed with, and Joe even said that on any other season of MasterChef, the dish would have given her an apron right away. At this point, I couldn’t believe that there were two contestants in one episode who jeopardized their chances of immediately getting an apron by not making a dish that was directly representative of their culture, and much like with Rita earlier, all the judges ended up saying “Yes,” and admitted they were taking a shot on her, and were going to see if it paid off.

This meant that Heidi had won the fourth apron of the episode, and there was now one left. 

The next home cook auditioning for an apron was Meryhan, who was from Pleasant Hill, California and was representing Egypt. In her interview segment, she shared a very sad story about how she went into organ failure at 19 due to complications from diabetes and spent 10 days in a coma, but is now fully healthy and determined to accomplish everything she has ever dreamed of.

The dish that she made was Samak Sayadieh, which is a Cumin & Tahini Marinated Branzino with Spiced Rice, Egyptian Salad, and Tahini Sauce.

This is also a dish that I would not be willing to try, as I am really not a fan of Fish, but if you’re curious as to what it looks like, here it is. 

Chef Ramsay said that it looked appetizing, and he liked that she had the confidence to cook the Branzino whole, as it took him back to Cairo. He then said that the Fish was cooked beautifully, but he had a problem with the Rice, as it was too sweet, and while he knew that it traditionally contained Raisins and Pine Nuts, he felt that she did not get the ratio right with the Cinnamon, as it was bordering on a dessert, which was a sentiment that Tiffany also shared. Joe then said something completely unexpected, even for him, as he said that the Rice was technically wrong, overcooked, starchy, and crunchy, and he loved it. He said that he loved everything about the weirdness of the Rice, as it was like nothing he had ever tasted before, and was blowing his mind, which led to him saying that he was a “Yes.” The other judges could not be easily convinced in this case, so Meryhan did not get the final apron of the episode.

The final home cook auditioning for a white apron was Peter, who was from Atlanta and was representing Nigeria. He also spent five years working as a senior consultant at a bank, but he recently lost his job, and with no idea how he would pay his bills, he decided to focus all his time and energy on cooking. The dish that he made was a Suya Spiced Duck Breast with Parsnip and Onion Puree, Tomato Chutney, and Tamarind Jus. I have never had Duck Breast before, but I sometimes wonder if I should, and I certainly think the dish looked good. I mean, just look at it for yourselves.

Chef Ramsay quickly pointed out that even though he was no longer a banker, he still dressed like one. This will become important, just wait. 

The judges loved the dish, with Joe calling it “unusual” and also loving the contrast of flavors, and Tiffany also saying that even though she wanted more Suya in the dish, she could taste Nigeria in it. So, they were both a “Yes,” and it was now time for Chef Ramsay to give his answer, and he literally ripped Peter’s shirt off, by pulling it apart so hard that the buttons popped, and then gave Peter the final apron of the contestants representing Africa.

Overall, this was another great episode of MasterChef, and I’ll see you all next week for the final round of auditions with contestants representing The Americas!