Episode 8 of MasterChef South Africa aired last week and - news flash - I featured in the episode! After winning the fourth season of MasterChef, it was great to return and not have to cook for a change.

Another 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, or read the summaries from the previous MasterChef episodes if you’re trying to catch up.

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.
From November, episodes will air at 8:30 pm every Saturday, with the rebroadcasts on Sundays on S2 at 6:30 pm and on Wednesdays on S3 at 6:00 pm. The last episode (the finale!) airs on 23 November at 8:30 pm on S3, but each episode is available on catchup for about a week (select Saturday and S3 to find it).

Looking back - What happened on the previous MasterChef episodes?

In the first episode, 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. 

In the second episode, contestants had to use the single humble ingredient of an apple, and think of the apple of their eye in their life when cooking. The contestants were allowed to make something sweet or savoury. No contestants were eliminated and Naledi won the mystery box challenge.

In the third episode, Naledi was up in the gantry as a reward for winning the mystery box challenge in the previous episode. The remaining contestants were challenged by guest judge Chef Nokx Majozi in a pressure test to recreate her signature Pepper Steak Pie. Tina, Bridget and Amo had made the best pepper steak pies, and Tina won the elimination challenge. Nash, Lona and Melanie found themselves in the bottom three and Melanie was eliminated. 

In the fourth episode, the contestants were asked to pay tribute to and draw inspiration from the judges’ star signs when creating their dishes in this challenge. They couldn’t choose which judge’s star sign they were going to base their dish on, but it was an elimination based on chance as they had to choose a card in order to determine which protein they would be cooking. Chanel, Shreya and Zak found themselves in the bottom three. Zakariyya Ibrahim (Zak) went home as his curry failed to deliver. According to Judge Katlego, the lack of seasoning was his downfall and both the rice and carrots were overcooked, and the dish was not balanced.

In the fifth episode, guest judge Jackie Burger challenged the contestants to use fashion models and their incredible outfits to make their own creative interpretation of the outfits. Nabela, Ketsia and Tebogo were in the top 3 and Amogelang Maluleke (Amo), Tzu Ting Long (Tina) and Penny in the bottom, with Tina from Home Bao going home in the end.

In the sixth episode, MasterChef contestants competed in their first team challenge. The episode took place at Durbanville Hills wine estate. Contestants were welcomed to the award-winning Tangram restaurant by cellar master Pieter-Niel Rossouw and Head Chef Tamzyn Ehlers. Tebogo was Team Captain for the Blue Team (made up of Naledi, Chanel, Amo, Shreya and Nabila) and Nash headed up the Red Team which also included Penny, Ketsia, Nash, Bridget, Lona and Refe. Contestants needed to create a ‘Buffet of New Beginnings’ which was basically an interactive buffet table re-inventing old-style buffet combinations and pairing creations with wine from the Durbanville Hills Collectors Reserve range. Ultimately, the blue team took home the victory.

The seventh episode saw Penny, Ketsia, Nash, Bridget, Lona, Refe and Nash battling it out against each other in a elimination challenge. They were given an hour to showcase their creativity by whipping up a gourmet meal from the judges’ typical month-end leftovers and were only allowed to use 20 classic frugal South African staples. Ultimately Ketsia’s flatbread and tuna salad dish did not meet the mark and she was eliminated from the competition.

MasterChef South Africa Episode 8

Air fryers have become a staple in most South African households. Other than making it extremely easy to put a quick meal on the table, they also use less than half the amount of energy as a conventional oven, helping reduce your carbon footprint. In this episode, the MasterChef contestants each had an air fryer on their counter top. Chef Katlego announced that they would find a clue to the challenge inside the AirFryer baskets. And indeed, each contestant found a humble potato inside.

The Challenge

The contestants’ challenge was to embrace the air fryer revolution and use it as their main cooking method to reinvent a classic potato dish to a modern bistro-worthy delight. They had access to a limited pantry and were given one hour to complete the challenge. While contestants were allowed to use a microwave, they could not use a standard oven, and also no deep-frying. Most importantly though they needed to use an air fryer as the main cooking method for their potato bistro dish.

The MasterChef Contestants’ Dishes

Nash made chips on a stick, with onion, paprika & cheese sauce. Even thought he thought it “might not be the best dish, Justine called it ”super clever” and confessed that she could eat “that sauce…by the spoon load”. Zola called it “definitely spicy for me” but could see where Nash was going with the paprika. Katlego’s only critique was on the sage. “If it doesn’t serve a purpose on the plate, don’t put it on,” he said. Back in the diary room, Nash humbly referred to this as “pretty okay feedback..”

Lona was proud of his dish: “my plate looks beautiful.” He had made a two way potato: Roasted potato rings, milk, herbs onion sauce & paprika. “I’m happy. I just hope that my seasoning is good.” Lona had impressively used all elements of a potato in his dish, including using the potato skins as garnish. The judges were divided, whilst Justine complimented his use of all elements of the potato, she criticised the “straw chips” for being burnt and said that she would’ve “just left it off.” Katlego disagreed, saying “I don’t mind a bit of charredness.”

Next up was Bridget - who presented her rendition of a pomme soufflé. She had made one with sweet potato and chorizo and another with anchovy, béchamel and some honey and garlic. Zola preferred the one with chorizo and potato, saying it seemed “more flavourful,” whilst “the other one was very fishy". On the one hand, she complimented the sauce for its “good flavour” but also criticised it saying Bridget should’ve cooked the flour longer to get the flour taste out. For Katlego, a pomme soufflé needs to be crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside and on the anchovy one he would have wanted more crunch, but “it was just soft soft soft”. The chorizo one was a favourite for him too though, it “was delicious.”

Nabila - had made pommes anna with green sage oil with lemon zest, onion duck fat & bacon fat. Justine said it was brave to recreate this classic French dish of thinly sliced potatoes in an airfryer.

One contestant made a potato salad with anchovy onions, rosemary, vinegar, stuffed potato, cheese and aioli which was very nice according to Justine.

Shreya’s gnocchi had very good flavours, but Zola did feel that Shreya could’ve done a vetter job putting the dish together.

Penny’s dish Zola loved, who said it screamed bistro.

Naledi was very proud of the plate she presented, saying it would be very flavourful plate. She made a frittata with bacon & amasi caramelised onion sauce. But her inexperience never having used an air fryer before meant that she served undercooked potatoes. Whilst the onion sauce was a good idea, it was very sweet. The judges comments hit her hard, as she “put my heart in that cook”.

Tebogo’s creamy mash with bacon bits, with cheese sauce, boiled eggs & anchovy duck fat confused the judges, who didn’t know where on a bistro menu would this feature. Although Tebogo said it could feature as a starter, Justine wasn’t sure about that as you eat the potato with a fork and the boiled eggs with your hands. She also referred to the anchovy duck fat as “not your finest hour”. Tebogo knew he was in trouble and expressed that he hoped he wasn’t going to go home.

Last but not least, Chanel served her potato dauphinoise with chorizo caramelised crisp and a little bit of lemon. She was not happy with the presentation as she had wanted a bit of greenery but with the limited pantry in this challenge, she had to make do with the ingredients available. Katlego complimented Chanels’ dish for meeting the brief, saying that the challenge was to create something worthy of a high end bistro, and that her dish was something i’d happily serve andhappily order in a bistro. Justine commended her, saying it was very clever idea to make a chorizo praline.

The Bottom Three

Bridget, Tebogo and Naledi found themselves in the bottom three.

About Bridget, the judges said that while they were usually so impressed with her plating, as she had toned things down a little bit in this challenge and her flavours confused the judges, she was in the bottom three. Tebogo’s downfall was presenting mashed potatoes as a starter. Naledi’s concept for a brunch menu item was good, but as the potatoes were el dente she was also at risk of going home. 

The judges did not yet reveal who would go home though.

The Winner of the Air Fryer Potato Challenge

Up next, the contestants who cooked the Top Three dishes were called forward: Nash, Chanel and Lona.The judges loved Nash’ fun and quirky potato stick, Chanel’s potato dauphinoise was “absolutely delightful” as it looked and tasted amazing. Lona’s presentation had improved incrementally each week. Ultimately though, Chanel won the challenge with her potato dauphinoise with chorizo caramelised crisp and a little bit of lemon and she was given the opportunity to win an Immunity Pin.

Herman Lensing

Winning the potato / air fryer challenge was not enough to win an Immunity Pin though. This is MasterChef after all. Chanel needed to win a cook-off against one of South Africa’s top-selling cookbook authors and celebrity chefs, Herman Lensing.

Herman is well known as an award-winning food editor. He’s published several cookbooks and three with air fryer recipes specifically. Herman is basically South Africa’s leading expert on cooking with air fryers so beating him at his game was going to be no easy feat.

The Immunity Pin Challenge

Herman and Chanel’s challenge was to prepare a two course meal for the judges. Their meals needed to showcase their exploration of the culinary possibilities and versatility of an air fryer. In keeping with the theme of the day, their two course meal also needed to be something that would fit on the menu of a high-end bistro. They were given one hour to complete the challenge, but before starting the clock another surprise was announced.

This is when mysterious guest rode in on a scooter… me! As the winner of the previous season of MasterChef South Africa, and Pick n Pay brand ambassador for the last two years, it was my role to provide Chanel with two choices, and to support her during the challenge so that the judges could leave and have a blind tasting at the end.

I took two paper bags out my Pick n Pay asap! scooter, one with a “Land” sticker and one with a “Sky” sticker on them. Chanel chose “Sky” and her bag contained duck. This left Herman Lensing with the bag with the “Land” sticker on, which contained lamb. I personally would’ve chosen land and felt worried for Chanel as she had not cooked duck before.

Throughout the challenge I was not only the time keeper but could also help Chanel a bit and I did advise her to bring the temperature 10-15% down to a normal oven temperature as I was worried she would overcook the duck otherwise.

Herman Lensing’s Air Fryer Dishes

You can see that Herman published three cook books on air fryers - he made two beautiful dishes and if you didn’t know it, you wouldn’t guess they were made in an air fryer.

He presented Roasted Lamb, Ravioli, with a Mint & Basil Pesto. For Katlego, it ticked all the boxes as it included some texture, sweetness and bitterness. His Chocolate Tarte with Guava, Chocolate Ganache and Meringue looked exquisite and was also well-received by the judges.

Justine’s initial comment on Chanel’s duck didn’t bode well for Chanel: “How very odd to add dill to an Asian dish,” but she seemed to surprise her with an “incredible blend of flavours -,” as Justine called it delicious after all. The judges did seem to quickly catch on whose dish it was, commenting that “the plating says amateur” as a chef would’ve put the puree at the bottom. 

Chanel’s dessert was a Sugar Tuile with Guava Mousse and Mint, which had an interesting texture. Justine called it a “very underwhelming dessert.”

Ultimately, the judges scored Herman 8, a 9 and an 8 (so 25 out of 30), and Chanel received a score of 5 the judges scored Herman 8, a 9 and an 8 (so 25 out of 30), and Chanel received a score of 5/10 for each dish, giving her a total score of 15 out of 30. 10 for each dish, giving her a total score of 15 out of 30. The dessert lacked finesse and style, and the duck was a tad too tough.

After this scoring, the judges asked Herman and Chanel to confirm who was sky and who was land. Chanel did not beat Herman at his game but who could blame her as she cooked against a true professional who does this for a living. Although she didn’t get the immunity pin she could be very proud of herself.

The Elimination of Tebogo

Up next, Justine reminded the contestants of their unfinished business. Earlier that day contestants had been asked to embrace the air fryer revolution, and Bridget, Naledi and Tebogo had ended up in the bottom three. One by one, Bridget and Naledi are told to their relief that they are safe. Tebogo is not that lucky and is eliminated from the MasterChef competition. Justine: “you have real talent. You’re calm under fire. You showed amazing leadership qualities. some of your presentation was quite startling.” Despite being eliminated, Justine sees great things in Tebogo’s future: “If you love it, if you show the passion and the will to learn, you will go far.”

Rejoining the MasterChef kitchen

After winning MasterChef South Africa in 2022, I became brand ambassador for Pick n Pay and so it felt very fitting to drive in on a Pick n Pay ASAP! scooter. It doesn’t show it on the episode, but it was really challenging to ride the scooter over the slippery studio floors. I’m sure it looked like a smooth ride to you but let me tell you, it was not easy at all! These electric motorbikes really have some oomph and I struggled to stay upright.

I’ve been asked a lot what it was like to be back in the MasterChef kitchen again. Of course it was different as I was now standing on the judge’s side looking at all those terrified faces, when not that long ago I experienced the stress and anxiety of possibly being eliminated myself. It did take me back to back then and although you might think it would be triggering, it actually brought back the adrenaline kick. I felt like I wanted to start cooking again in the competition too, but it was also fun to be able to support Chanel instead.

MasterChef South Africa episode 9

Looking ahead, the preview of the ninth episode of MasterChef South Africa gave us a hint of what the next episode will be about (“cabbage, cabbage, cabbage”) as Zola announces that the contestant with the winning dish will win R50 000.

Who will win MasterChef South Africa season 5? Time will tell…

MasterChef Season 5 Episode Summaries

Click here read up more about the MasterChef season 5 contestants, or read the summary from the previous MasterChef episodes 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

• 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 (this page)

• 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.
From November, episodes will air at 8:30 pm every Saturday, with the rebroadcasts on Sundays on S2 at 6:30 pm and on Wednesdays on S3 at 6:00 pm. The last episode (the finale!) airs on 23 November at 8:30 pm on S3, but each episode is available on catchup for about a week (select Saturday and S3 to find it).

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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