Upon their return to the MasterChef Kitchen after their long Ethiopian adventure, the Top 6 were surprised to see an impeccably set table waiting for them, laid with an exquisite array of cakes and pastries for tea, and even more astonished to be served tea by the remarkable Prue Leith.
Over tea and some sumptuous South African goodies like melktert, koeksusters and ‘vetkoek-and-mince’, Chef Leith told the Top 6 that she ascribes her success to being a South African.
‘Because South Africans are enthusiastic, generally, and keen to say yes, and generally ‘up for stuff’,’ she declared.
For their Elimination Challenge Chef Leith challenged the Top 6 to turn any kind of iconic South African ingredients into a dish worthy of a Michelin Star.
Leandri, the 23-year-old scientist from Mahikeng, was especially inspired by Chef Leith’s tea-time encouragement and she presented an extraordinary composition of Apricot and Brandy Ostrich Fillet with Roast Sweetcorn Sorbet, Pea Mash, and a ‘Pampoen Poffertjie’.
Chef Leith admitted that if someone had told her at the start of the Challenge that one of the Contestants would want to put six elements on the plate, she would have thought it was overly ambitious.
‘I was wrong!’ she told Leandri. ‘It’s perfect!’
Unfortunately Tiron had a less successful day in the Kitchen.
He came up with a pan-seared Medallion of Venison with a Biltong-and-Rosemary Crust, Rooibos-Infused Sweet Potato, Buttered Asparagus and a Meebos Red Wine Jus, but some lackluster plating and an under-reduced red wine sauce saw him having to hang up his apron.
But Tiron departed the MasterChef Kitchen with a new vision for his future.
‘I just feel like whatever weights were holding me down before are gone.’