Season 5 of MasterChef South Africa is coming to an end and of course I have been sharing my views with episode summaries each week. Granted, some weeks I've been running behind a bit in writing the summary blog post, but I have been glued to my TV each Saturday! This is an overview of all the episodes, in case you missed a few.

As the contestants walk into the MasterChef studio, they see big towers filled with cream puffs. The special guest for this episode is Pastry Chef Jared Melamed, who tasks them to recreate his signature patisserie Tarts au Choux Noisette.

In episode 17, Chef Vusi Ndlovu was a guest judge. The remaining MasterChef contestants (Chanel, Nabila, Lona, Penny, Refe, and Bridget) were challenged to create a spicy African-inspired dish.

In episode 16, the top six remaining MasterChef contestants (Chanel, Nabila, Lona, Penny, Refe, and Bridget) go to Bertus Basson’s restaurant Clara’s Barn.

In episode 15, the six remaining MasterChef contestants (Chanel, Nabila, Lona, Penny, Refe, and Bridget) are pushed to their creative limits. The contestants are tasked to surprise the judges with a dish “that is steeped in illusion, deception, secrets and masquerades between savoury and sweet”. Their dish must also include a molecular gastronomy technique. 

The MasterChef challenge of the week is to make a bougie brunch spread consisting of three dishes: a brunch classic with a twist, a reinvented classic cocktail presented as a dish, and a fresh take on avocado toast. Their dishes must appeal to the demanding millennial brunch aficionado

Episode 13 of MasterChef South Africa aired last week and of course I have to share my views. Having been part of the fourth season of MasterChef, I can’t help but compare while watching the show. Chef Moses Moloi is the guest judge and the contestants have to replicate his dish “Enchanted Forest Elegance”. This breathtaking creation consists of mushroom ragu and featuring a blend of king oyster, shiitake, and butter mushrooms. 

Episode 12 of MasterChef South Africa aired last week and of course I have to share my views. Having been part of the fourth season of MasterChef, I can’t help but compare while watching the show. Read my episode summary below. The competitors are lined up with blindfolds on and Katlego stands in front of them with a small plate with a cube of an unidentified ingredient. One by one, the contestants smell and taste their mystery ingredient, and guess what they have been given.

The contestants are tasked to making 1.5 kgs of wors, cooking it on the hibachi, and serving their with modern side dish of a heritage starch and a tasty sauce or gravy. Last but not least, they are required to make a true South African delicacy: skilpadjies. All of this, needed to be done within the 2.5 hour time frame.

This episode is all about a fusion of two of my favourite cuisines as contestants will be asked to combine the culinary traditions of Italy and South Africa. The MasterChef contestants welcomed none other than celebrity chef Alessandro Khojane, also known as “The Sotho Italian” and owner of Gemelli in Bryanston. In a surprise twist, two contestants leave the MasterChef kitchen in this episode.