Ever watched a MasterChef Australia contestant plate up something extraordinary and immediately wished you could make it yourself?
Well, now you can, and we’re going to break down all of the techniques that make our favourite dishes sing.
So that means after each episode, you can start planning how you make it at home, while the inspiration is still fresh.
As you know, all of the recipes can be found on the show’s Pinterest page.
From quick bites to showstopping centrepieces, the recipes cover the full range of what’s been served up this season. Each recipe has a full ingredient list, equipment guides and step-by-step instructions.
These are our favourites, and we are sure that you will love them too.
Petro’s Prawn Bisque Pasta: The key to Petro’s bisque that it was silky. To avoid remnants, blend your bisque and put it througha fine sieve. While the recipe suggests using an immersion blender, if you don’t have one, your home blender will do the job.
Lydia’s Charred Octopus : The judges were worried that the octopus wouldn’t be evenly cooked, but they were proven wrong. How did she achieve it? By braising it for 30-40 minutes before grilling it. If you don’t have a hibachi grill at home, you can achieve an incredible char with cast iron pans, flat-top grills, and electric griddles.
Jackie’s Black Sesame Yuzu Chiffon Cake: The key to a light cake is folding your meringue into your mixture in thirds – that way you don’t overmix it and the meringue is evenly distributed.
Bella’s Hazelnut, Coffee and Fennel Seed Mille Feuille: For the best rough puff dough, Bella advises to initially freeze it for 10 minutes before rolling it out to a one-centimetre thickness. When you roll and fold it five times, chill it in the freezer for five minutes between each turn and fold. When you make your coffee mousseline, it must reach 82°C while it is being stirred over a hot stove. When you assemble everything, pipe three dots of the mousseline to cover your puff pastry, because it will flatten and spread when it’s assembled.
Lucy’s Fakeaway Beef and Mushroom Noodles: Lucy exclusively told New Idea that this was her favourite dish she made in the competition, which was named as one of the top dishes. For those wanting to make it at home, she said it’s important to balance your sauces, and that the meat is crispy.
Vinnie’s Pâté en Croûte with Bitter Leaf Salad | Classic French Terrine: perhaps you won’t make this in 75 minute like Vinnie did. To achieve the perfect dough, make sure you carefully stream the hot liquid into the flour mixture until a smooth dough forms. Make sure there are no air pockets when you line your tin, and keep your layers of filling tidy.
Olaolu’s Beef Efo Riro with Semo (Semolina): This dish won Olaolu $10,000, and is incredibly close to his heart. If you want to eat it traditionally with your hands, the semolina needs to be smooth and stretchy, which can be achieved by pressing it against the side of the pan, and then letting it steam. You also want to avoid a crust forming on the top once you portion it.
Dot’s Chicken Momos with Tomato Chutney and Chilli Oil: Momo dumplings are staples in Nepali and Tibetan cuisine, and can be replicated at home. For perfect momos, the dough must be elastic and rested 20 minutes before you add the filling. Steaming them for seven minutes, or until cooked through and glossy, is also key.
Pat’s Ricotta And Cavolo Nero Tortellini with basil Oil: for the silkiest pasta possible, the thinnest pasta machine setting is a must.
Casper’s Tsukune Dolmades with Ponzu and Yuzu Kosho: The secret to dolmades that stay together is that the left and right sides are folded over before you roll them. When you piece three down the middle with a skewer, keep them half a centimetre apart from one another so they don’t roll around.
Miin’s Crab Curry with Spinach Flatbread: Even though the judges thought the spices were intense, they adored this dish. If you’re looking for a sign to make the flatbread, Rick Stein said it was the best he’s had in years! To achieve this at home, coil your dough sheets into spirals . For the perfect curry paste, break up tamarind seed pulp in the hot water by hand.
