By Joseph MosselsonIt was a no-nonsense cook-off on MasterChef SA as the top three were challenged to try their hands at dishes prepared by renowned chef Margo Janse. After a decadent three course meal at Margo’s restaurant at Le Quartier Francais, it was straight back to the MasterChef kitchen, where Deena, Sue-Ann and Manisha each chose one of Margo’s dishes to recreate.
Sue-Ann chose the starter of beetroot sponge and spinach puree with buttermilk labne and dill and cucumber granita. Manisha went for the main course of quail and braised fennel with porcini, liquorice root puree and liquorice glaze, while Deena chose the dessert of baobab pear parfait with pistachio crumble, honey jelly and mango gel.
All three were challenging dishes and all three contestants cooked their hearts out over the 90 minutes that had to prepare them. Adding to the pressure was that each contestant was required to make four servings of their chosen dish, to be served to the judges as well as Margo.
Sue-Ann and Deena both struggled with the timing of their dishes. Deena overworked his parfait while Sue-Ann’s sponge was in danger of not setting on time. Manisha, meanwhile, cooked her quail perfectly, but undercooked her fennel and forgot to add an important element to the dish. In terms of flavour, Deena got it spot on, while both Sue-Ann and Manisha failed to produce dishes that were up to Margo’s exacting standards.
Ultimately, Manisha’s dish contained too many errors. She was eliminated, leaving Deena and Sue-Ann to battle it out next week for the title of South Africa’s first MasterChef.
Meanwhile, on twitter, fans were quick to offer encouragement to Manisha following her elimination:
Don't miss the final episode of MasterChef South Africa, Tuesday at 19:30 on M-Net and M-Net HD. For more in the lead-up to the finale, check out the official MasterChef South Africa website.
