Episode 9 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. 

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?

Click here to jump straight to episode 9 and skip the summaries of the previous 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.

In the eight episode contestants were asked 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. Nash, Chanel and Lona cooked the top 3 dishes and Bridget, Tebogo and Naledi found themselves in the bottom three. 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. She did need to beat Herman Lensing at his game - Herman has published several cookbooks and three with air fryer recipes specifically so he is South Africa’s leading expert on cooking with air fryers. This is when mysterious guest rode in on a Pick ‘n Pay asap! scooter… me!

I took two paper bags out my Pick ‘n Pay asap! scooter, one with a “Land” and one with a “Sky” sticker on them. With that, the judges left to the back and I was left to be the referee for the challenge. Chanel chose “Sky” and needed to cook with duck, whilst Herman Lensing was given lamb.

Returning to the MasterChef kitchen

Ultimately Chanel did not manage to beat Herman but who could blame her as she cooked against a true professional who does this for a living. Tebogo was eliminated from the competition.

It was great to be back in the MasterChef kitchen, and even better considering I wasn’t at risk of being eliminated.

After this episode, Gugu Mhlungu interviewed me on “Weekend Breakfast with Gugu Mhlungu” on 702. If you missed it, you can listen to the recording and read the questions Gugu asked (and my answers) in my blog!

MasterChef South Africa Episode 9

With episode 9 we have reached the halfway mark of the competition. The top 10 walked in in white aprons for a non-elimination challenge, but one that came with quite a twist in the form of a cash reward of 50,000 rand to the best dish.

The Challenge

The contestants were tasked with making a plant-based dish using the humble cabbage as the hero ingredient. And while the focus initially seemed to be just cabbage, but they could choose any member of the cabbage family - all brassica; in other words all members of the extended cabbage family, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, collard greens, kale and turnips. These vegetables are known for containing substances that could protect against cancer, so a valuable challenge at the least! Contestants were given 90 minutes to cook their dish and as a surprise, the contestant who would make the most comforting, five-star dish would win R50,000!

The MasterChef Contestants’ Dishes

After the clock ran out, the contestants had dished up everything from beautiful cauliflower steaks to homemade ravioli to dumplings and more. There was not an overcooked Brussels sprout in sight. The vegetarian dishes included

Because there’s no went out of his way to try make the cooking something he could resonate with as he doesn’t generally cook vegetarian, ensuring he included salty, creamy, crunchy and hearty elements. To include some tang, he created a chimichurri to break through the acidity with some cream.

Zola loved the different textures and colours and called it a “happy dish” reminiscent of Nash’ character.

The Bottom Three

Amo, Nabila and Shreya found themselves in the bottom three. Amo’s Cauliflower Steak with Peanut & Chilli Sauce, Hollandaise, Cabbaga & Dill Oil missed the mark as his peanut sauce was overpowering his cauliflower overcooked and the dish “not cohesive enough” - according to Katlego Mlambo.

Shreya’s Brassica dome with roasted sesame biscuit, cauliflower mousse, braised cabbage, red cabbage & apple veil showed a lot of technical skill, but her dish “confused” the juddges, said Zola Nene. Both the flavours and the combinations were confusing and the dish did not elevate cabbage the way it was intended.

Nabila’s Cabbage gyoza with cabbage, mung beans, ginger, garlic, soy sauce & daikon radish was a “great idea” and “looked really good”, but the flavours didn’t come together and nothing stood happily on its own - according to Justine Drake.

Katlego Mlambo reminded these contestants that while no one was going home this challenge, and everyone was safe, this needed to serve as a reminder that in the MasterChef kitchen, you are only as good as your last dish. Something Tebogo learned the hard way when he was sent home in the last episode, despite doing really well in previous challenges.

The Top Three and the Winner of the Challenge

Up next, the contestants who cooked the Top Three dishes were called forward by Zola: Refe, Chanel and Lona.

Refe’s Cabbage-filled Potsticker with Vegetable Broth, Mushroom Soy, Crispy Shallot, Chilly Oil & Pickled Cabbage was well-loved by Katlego - the filling was tasty, the pickle was tangy and the broth brought everything together.

Lona managed his flavours and textures well in his Cabbage Delight with roasted red pepper, coconut dream, sesame oil dressing, sprouts & red onion marmalade and Justine reminded him that he had come a long way.

Chanel’s Baked cauliflower with cashew & dahl sauce, feta chilli oil & broccoli pickled in Pineapple Vinegar was “sensational,” said Zola.

All three cooked extraordinary dishes, but only one could win the cash prize, and it was Lona, who very proudly said he was going to spend on spoiling his son for his 10th birthday celebration. It was so sweet to see him finishing the show with his message to his son and share in his joy in having been given the gift of being able to spoil him like that:

A Non-Elimination Challenge

As it was a non-elimination challenge, no one went home this time. But next week, this will be different.

MasterChef South Africa episode 10

Looking ahead, the preview of the tenth episode of MasterChef South Africa gave us a hint of what the next episode will be about: South African Italian cooking! The contestants will be asked to combine the culinary traditions of Italy and South Africa. The MasterChef contestants welcomed none other than celebrity chef Alessandro Khojane, also known as “The Sotho Italian” and owner of Gemelli in Bryanston.

I’m looking forward to this Italian South African episode, as I love cooking Italian - have a look at some of my recipes, like the

• How to make your own pasta

• Homemade Vegetarian Ravioli Recipe

• Roasted Parma Ham, Creamy Spinach and Pine Nut Gnocchi

• Stone-Ground Pizza with Blistered Tomatoes, Parma Ham, Basil and Mozzarella

• Squid Ink Spaghetti with Blistered Vine Tomato, Chargrilled Asparagus on a rich Tomato and Aubergine Sauce

• And let’s not forget a Risotto, I have done a few cook-with-me demos in which I shared the five steps to make a good risotto!

I also love combining South African flavours or cooking techniques into other cuisines - have you tried my South African-inspired paella yet?

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

• Episode 9 - Cabbage, cabbage, cabbage! (this page)

• 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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