The judges revealed their star signs, then a deck of cards randomly determined which judge each contestant would cook for.
In the fourth cooking contest of the season, chef South AfricaThe 14 remaining contestants faced the judges' challenge to cook a dish inspired by their star signs, competing for a cash prize of R1 million.
Believers in astrology might think that contestant Zac Ebrahim's fate was predestined: the 46-year-old from North Riding, Johannesburg, was the second to be eliminated after a gruelling final audition.
Zach, a Libra, gave his dish an 8 and thought it deserved to be in the top three, but the judges deemed it “unbalanced” and put his dish in the bottom three.
Judges will be assigned by lottery
At the beginning of the episode, the three Masterchef South Africa Judges Justin Drake, Chef Zola Nene and Chef Katlego Mlambo revealed their star signs, after which each contestant randomly chose from a deck of cards which judge they would cook for.
Justin, a fiery Aries, explained that he loves spicy food, rich flavours, bold presentations and lean protein. At the other end of the celestial spectrum, Zola and Katlego are water signs. Zola, a Pisces, has a penchant for imaginative food and Mediterranean cuisine, while Katlego, a Cancer, prefers home-cooked meals that evoke nostalgia and emotion.
Zach is in danger of being eliminated.
Zac drew the Cancer card, which meant he would be cooking for Chef Katlego. He chose a dish that reminded him of Sunday family meals. His heartfelt dish of lamb knuckle with butter beans, mild curry, basmati rice and honey-glazed roasted carrots fell short despite his best efforts. Zac was eliminated along with Shreya Beakham and Chanelle Brink from Durban.
Chanel, a Leo, also cooked lamb in honour of Katlego's astrological sign, but her ambitious lamb shank, served with tomato sauce, sautéed spinach and amadumbe chips, was a disappointment. The amadumbe chips were particularly problematic, tough and chewy.
Shreya, a Scorpio, cooked prawns for Zola as per the chef's Mediterranean taste. The grilled prawns with Mediterranean sauce, lemon and herb compound butter and bread looked delicious. However, they were undercooked and did not soak up the sauce well.
Nash returns with perfect steak and shrimp
The judges gave Zach's dish the lowest rating, but it didn't soak up the sauce well enough. The carrots and rice, as well as insufficient seasoning, led to his elimination. Zola pointed out that the dish needed more salt.
With Zac in danger of being eliminated, the youngest contestant, 20-year-old Bridget, won the competition with a West African-inspired dish for Justin. Her kingklip with jollof risotto and chakalaka puree impressed the judges with its taste, colour and texture.
Nabila joined Bridget in the top three with another beautifully executed dish. Nash made up for his failure in the last challenge with a nicely cooked steak and perfectly cooked prawns. Previous challenge winners Shreya and Tina didn't fare much better this time around.
*Masterchef South Africa Season 5 premieres on S3 (formerly SABC 3) on Saturdays at 19:30 and repeats on Sundays at 18:30 on SABC 2. S3 viewers can also tune in on Wednesdays at 18:00. Episodes are available to watch on the SABC streaming app.
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