What a season it has been and as we prepare for next week’s epic finale, we finally have our top two in this year’s Masterchef South Africa competition. As we wrap up the third season of Masterchef South Africa, viewers can tune in next year to watch a special celebrity edition of the show which will feature an array of local celebs.
Before we get too excited though, we first need to find a winner for the show’s third season. Cape Town domestic worker Siphokazi Mdlankomo (39) and Durban train driver Roxi Wardman (26) emerged as the two MasterChef South Africa Season 3 finalists tonight after a spectacular two-hour culinary extravaganza that saw ad exec Ian falter in a pastry challenge, and life coach Philippa stumble over raw food.
In the first half of the show, the Top 4 were challenged by Head Pastry Chef at the Cape Grace Hotel Lorraine Meany to replicate her sumptuous cardamom lemon chocolate gateau.
Ian got himself into trouble almost immediately when he started whipping up a zabaione and then turned his mixer off while he sieved together the flour and coffee powder to add to the mix. “You should actually never stop a zabaione, ever,” a concerned Chef Lorraine pointed out to the judges, “because then it just starts deflating, because it’s just eggs.”
After that things steadily went from bad to worse and the time ran out on the challenge before Ian could put the finishing touches to his cake. “I really wanted to deliver more than I did, so I’m disappointed in that regard,” he admitted after hanging up his apron. “But I’m proud of all my dishes that I delivered along the way.” After the show, Ian dedicated his MasterChef performance to his late father, Jock Young, who sadly passed away during the airing of the show.
Then the Top 3, Sipho, Roxi, and Philippa, were tested in a raw food challenge by the legendary Chef Margot Janse from the award-winning Le Quartier Français in Franschoek. “We’re being asked to ‘cook’ ingredients using heat processes of less than 48 degrees, or acid. Or raw,” Philippa explained. “Jeepers, creepers! It’s quite scary!” Sipho exclaimed. “I’m used to having heat!”
Sipho just could not make the mental transition to raw food and doggedly tried to “cook” parsnips in a sous-vide bath, which is set at only 47 degrees, to make parsnip purée.
Philippa, however, faltered even more disastrously with her Yellowtail Three Ways dish, as she ran out of time and didn’t get to plate all of her elements, thus securing Sipho a spot the Final with Roxi, who knocked it out the park with herstrawberry and basil dessert plate.
And what a Final it will be! Roxi and Sipho will be put through three separate challenges on one action-packed day, guided by a titan of the culinary world as a special guest: none other than culinary legend and MasterChef Professionals judge Marco Pierre White!
Each challenge will be scored by the judges and then the winner of MasterChef South Africa Season 3 will be announced LIVE on air on Thursday, the 11th of December, as we cross live to the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg to reveal the final scores!
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