Spoiler alert for episode 1!
MasterChef Australia is back and it kicked off with a bang! The first episode introduced us to the new contestants with a challenge to create a dish that reflected their identities. We were blown away with what these Aussies came up with, and inspired too! Here’s what we want to try making after watching the first episode.
Soy eggs and succulent salad
Nat’s kangaroo larb with soy cured egg yolk and pickled karkalla was the winning dish and we agreed 110% with her win – not that we were able to taste it, but it looked beautiful and filled the brief to a T. Recreating the whole recipe could prove somewhat challenging. You’d have to search pretty hard for some of these ingredients or look for substitutions. Luckily, the kangaroo would be the easiest to substitute. Larb is a meat salad originating from Laos and Thailand. It’s usually made with raw minced beef or pork, which you’ll find easily enough. Nat used kangaroo to give it an Aussie spin. We’d never heard of karkalla, an Australian succulent, but it seems very similar to the South African succulent spekboom. Both can be used in salads and can be pickled, which is what Nat did with her karkalla. Now if the idea of raw meat and raw egg yolk doesn’t appeal to you, you can still try making soy eggs, but using boiled eggs instead. All you’d need is some soy sauce, garlic, and seasoning. Mirin might be a bit difficult to find, but you could use rice vinegar instead. We’re trying it this weekend!
Humitas and chipa
An Argentinian dish that isn’t meat or something sweet? This we gotta try. We are of course referring to Juan’s humitas and chipa, a corn stew and cheese bread. We’ll always say yes to cheese and hello! This is South Africa. Corn is a staple and so versatile, and the premiere episode gave us another way to try using it.
Tarts
Mimi’s raspberry and custard tart and Darrsh’s pear tart with spiced rum sauce and Chantilly cream looked divine. These dishes didn’t get much screen time, but they made our mouths water and made us wonder what we’d put in our tart? We could keep it local, by making melktert. Or what about butternut for a warm, savoury tart, perfect for winter?
What would you put in your tart? Would you try larb? Which dish inspired you the most? Share your thoughts on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok using #MNet101 and #MasterChefAU. Watch MasterChef Australia season 16 on weekdays at 18:00 on M-Net channel 101. Please note: Due to the length of some episodes, it may start earlier. You can also stream the kitchen action on DStv Stream or catch up on the episodes after their broadcast, here.
Images: Getty