Episode 2 of MasterChef South Africa aired last week and of course I have to share my views. Having been part of the fourth season of MasterChef, I can’t help but compare while watching the show. 

A fun fact - my lighting company LLSA supplied all the lights in the pantry and around the studio, and we are mentioned as a sponsor in the credits. 

Spoiler Alert

If you are behind, I recommend you stop reading now!
Click here read up more about the MasterChef season 5 contestants.

Want to Watch MasterChef South Africa?

MasterChef South Africa Season premiered on Saturday July 13 at 7:30 pm on S3, and new episodes are aired every Saturday.
If you miss it an episode, it will be rebroadcast every Sunday on S2 at 6:30 pm and on Wednesdays on S3 at 6:00 pm.

Looking back - What happened on the first MasterChef episode?

In the first episode of MasterChef South Africa season 5, contestants had to make a chicken dish with a sauce or a broth, but for it to be at MasterChef-worthy standard. They were given 90 minutes and their dish needed to include a mirepoix (a mixture of diced vegetables cooked on a low heat in oil or butter) and it needed to include a Bouquet Garni, which is a bundle of herbs. In traditional French cuisine this includes parsley, bay leaves and thyme but other herbs can be added too. 

What was most shocking about this first episode, is that the contestants went down from 20 to 15 in one go. The contestants who were eliminated in the first episode were Lucas, Lesego, Robyn, Andrew and Ella. 

MasterChef South Africa Episode 2

The second episode of MasterChef South Africa episode 5 started off with a beautiful display of apples. It made me think of my wife’s Dutch Apple Pie straight away, which is something I would love to recreate on the show. The crust is like shortbread and it’s just so delicious! Tebogo clearly was not too thrilled and worried about the prospect of being asked to make an apple tart. 

The Challenge

Despite the contestants making a chicken dish in the first episode of MasterChef South Africa already, this challenge was called “the first actual MasterChef challenge” and a Mystery Box challenge. The Mystery Box is a regular feature on the show (especially on MasterChef Australia) and usually is a box filled with the ingredients that contestants need to use in their dish. This time though, it was a small little box, and when the contestants opened it, it had a small origami heart inside. 

The judges explained that as cooking is a love language, they needed to put their heart on a plate. The challenge was to use the single humble ingredient of an apple, and think of the apple of their eye in their life when cooking. Contestants were allowed to make something sweet or savoury. 

As usual, contestants had full access to the MasterChef pantry, which was stocked with Pick n Pay produce. 

Tina explained then when she has a tough day, her family is her anchor. She felt the need to redeem herself as she was not happy with her cook in the last challenge, and wanted to avoid the mistakes she made then. As her daughter has a sweet tooth, and her husband a son love savoury, and she owns her own bao bun factory, Tina decided to make two bao buns: one sweet using apple custard and one savoury using pork belly. 

Nash thought of the message he received from his child when he left. 

Tebogo decided to make a lamb shank for his girlfriend, who is a vegetarian, which made us all laugh, including the judges. His thinking though was that he hopes that one day she’d be able to have meat with him. 

Amo’s story really pulled at our heart strings, explaining how he grew up with his grandmother and older sister, who inspired him every day. As she suffered from epilepsy and became immobile, yet didn’t give up, Amo stated he’s “doing this for her” and of course as viewers we were all rooting for him at that stage!

To put their minds at ease, the contestants were told that there were no eliminations that week, which was a welcome relieving message I’m sure after last week’s shocking episode that saw five contestants go home. 

Lona had the right approach, saying that he’s still telling himself that there will be an elimination. This was exactly how I would’ve handled it. On season four I saw first hand how contestants were eliminated the moment they gave up or stopped caring. 

Kitchen equipment malfunction

It is not a true MasterChef challenge without some kitchen appliance malfunctioning, am I right?

In this episode, Penny had some trouble with her smoke gun, and called out to the other contestants to help after a foot-long flame came out. MasterChef definitely isn’t for sissies! I love using a smoke gun so I was really interested to see in what way Penny was incorporating it into her dish. 

Tebogo struggled to open his pressure cooker. I think he likes living on the edge. It was so nice to see the contestant camaraderie when Tebogo finally managed to open it and Tina was elated too. 

The Judges’ take on the MasterChef dishes

Bridget’s pastry was tough and seen as “not the right choice”. 

Tebogo’s was missing apple flavour.

Bridget, Tebogo and Lona were in the bottom three and they were lucky it was not  an elimination round. “Next time you won’t be so lucky.”

Naledi won the mystery box challenge and will spend next elimination challenge up in the gantry. 

MasterChef South Africa episode 3 (next week)

Looking ahead, the preview of the third episode of MasterChef South Africa gave us a hint of what the next episode will be about. The table in front of the judges showed a crystal ball and a treasure chest. In the background, three art canvases show symbols behind three different types of proteins: lobster, buck and fish, three as well as referring to the star signs: Cancer, Aries and Pisces.

MasterChef Season 5 Episode Summaries

Click here read up more about the MasterChef season 5 contestants, or read the summary from the previous MasterChef if you’re trying to catch up:

• Episode 1 - Twenty MasterChef contestants cook a chicken dish, but only 15 remain

• Episode 2 - The MasterChef contestants cook for the the Apple of their Eye in a mystery box challenge (this page)

• Episode 3 - Chef Nokx Majozi Signature Pepper Steak Pie

• Episode 4 - Paying tribute to the Judges’ Star Signs

• Episode 5 - Translating Fashion into Food with guest judge Jackie Burger

• Episode 6 - Buffet of New Beginnings at Durbanville Hills wine estate

• Episode 7 - Leftovers and South African staples

• Episode 8 - Potatoes, Air Fryers, an Immunity Pin and two Special Guests

• Episode 9 - Cabbage, cabbage, cabbage

• Episode 10 - A fusion of South African and Italian

• Episode 11 - Heritage Trinity: Wors, Skilpadjies on the Hibachi and a Starch

• Episode 12 - Life’s Tiny Pleasures - a Taste Challenge and Micro Fine Dining

• Episode 13 - A Pressure Test cooking Chef Moses Moloi’s “Enchanted Forest Elegance”

Want to Watch MasterChef South Africa?

MasterChef South Africa Season premiered on Saturday July 13 at 7:30 pm on S3, and new episodes are aired every Saturday.
If you miss it an episode, it will be rebroadcast every Sunday on S2 at 6:30 pm and on Wednesdays on S3 at 6:00 pm.

Or click here read up more about the MasterChef season 5 contestants.

About Shawn Godfrey

Shawn Godfrey is an entrepreneur based in Cape Town, South Africa. After the Covid-19 lockdown saw his business in financial distress, cooking was the creative outlet that helped to keep him sane. To keep track of his recipes, and encourage friends and families to join him, he starts his instagram account The Roasted Dad.

Fast-forward to late 2021 - on a whim Shawn (encouraged by his wife Lianne) enters MasterChef South Africa. It is a crazy time of life: running a 200 people business and struggling to keep it profitable, two small children with a third on the way, and about to move into a new house. But when Shawn gets selected to be one of the 20 contestants participating in the fourth season of MasterChef South Africa, he decides to go all in. Leaving his 7-month-pregnant wife to look after their then three and one-year-old children, he battles it out and comes back home five weeks later with the trophy and a million rand prize money in his pocket.

It all started with an Instagram account, but The Roasted Dad is so much more now. Shawn has stayed his entrepreneurial self and whilst he hosts Private Dinner Parties and Cook-with-Me Demos, does Restaurant Take-Overs, he still runs the lighting company and several other businesses.

On his blog, Shawn shares Restaurant Reviews and Accommodation Reviews, and gives an insight into the wild and wonderful life he leads together with his wife Lianne, and their three children Aiden (6), Olivia (4) and Harvey (2).

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