Chaos ensues in the MasterChef South Africa kitchen as people try to recreate Chef Knox's perfect pie.
In a high-risk world Masterchef South Africa In the kitchen, where culinary dreams collide with pressure and precision, the top 15 contestants faced their first tough challenge: impressing a world-renowned Mzansi-born pie maker visiting from London.
Pepper Steak Pie with a Twist
Chef Nokutula “Knox” Madjozi asked local home cooks to recreate her signature dish, an elevated pepper steak pie. Think tender chunks of steak, flaky pastry, mushy peas, pickled cauliflower and a rich red wine sauce. It was a mouthwatering challenge with no room for error.
Melanie's baking battle
Melanie van der Merwe, a keen baker from Stellenbosch, stole the show. Unfortunately, she succumbed to the pressure. She collapsed when trying to recreate the masterpiece created by the famous Pie Room chef. A deviation from Knox's recipe (adding wine to the sauce) raised the judges' eyebrows and she was advised to pay more attention to detail.
Tina Long's Rise to the Top
Meanwhile, Cape Town's “boa queen,” Tina Long, had never made a pie before. But she followed Knox's recipe to the letter and it worked wonders. Sometimes, following a recipe to the letter can pay off, even if Tina admits that it's usually nearly impossible to do.
Kitchen mess
As the clock ticked down during the three-hour cookout, chaos ensued: rookie mistakes, a shortage of pickles (dubbed the “picklegate” scandal) and even a medical emergency (Shreya's finger colliding with a sharp knife) kept everyone on edge.
Tebogo's calculations went wrong, Rona's pie collapsed and Nash struggled to get it out of the tin, and in the ensuing chaos, Melanie's pie remained trapped in the tin, forcing her to present it to the judges as is.
verdict
In the show's tasting room, judges Zola Nene, Justin Drake, Katlego Mlambo and guest judge Knox debated: Who will rise like the perfect pastry?
Amo, previously last in the standings, had made a spectacular comeback: his pie had a delicious filling, impeccable colour and a short, crisp crust. Katlego nodded in approval.
Justin waxed poetic about Bridget's creation, calling it a “lovely sea view,” and the jus (that magic sauce) was a total success.
A pastry novice, Tina wowed everyone. Her ingredients were perfectly seasoned and her deep understanding of flavor shone through. Zola couldn't help but praise her talent.
The fates of Rona, Nash and Melanie hung in the balance. Nash and Rona's pies were wobbly like jelly, but the judges were forgiving. Nash's first pie was a beautiful, crumbly pastry, and Rona's jus was pure bliss.
Melanie, unfortunately, stumbled; her pie jus, which started out fine, turned into “water with just a splash of wine.” Zola suspected she had left the pie in the tin, causing the edges to get undercooked. But her mushy peas were a blessing.
Knox shed a tear as Melanie said goodbye. “Keep chasing your dreams,” she whispered. And so, Melanie left the kitchen, but her culinary journey continued.
*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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