It’s time for Masterchef again, where amateur cooks are set a series of different challenges and compete against each other to become the champ! The competitors usually start by cooking their own dish – sometimes with a brief such as food which reminds them of someone or some place or some event, and they move on to different challenges, cooking using a specific ingredient, or cooking a two or three course meal – they are tested a variety of ways. As well as cooking against each other, they are given opportunities to learn different skills and experience different types of cooking – and different types of challenges!
I admire them all, even those who enter thinking they are going to win and with an unwarranted high opinion of themselves. It must be some nerve wracking, so exhausting, so really challenging, because the silly or careless mistakes, the ridiculous ideas which must have seemed so brilliant at home, cooking not just in front of other people but in front of cameras which will capture everything to be beamed across the country. The judges are fair, truthful, and seem to try not to be too harsh, but even so, you are preparing food for experts, and are going to be judged by millions of people!
Much as I love cooking, I would never enter, mainly because I think I would be very nervous, but also because i know my limitations! If, however, somehow I found that I was entered, I would really prepare hard for it – without any expectation of success but trying not to appear a complete idiot (although I’m very used to that!!) However, what I would do, is to prepare. It amazes me that some of teh contestants seem never to have watched the series, and if they have, not to have taken on board anything which could help them, if not succeed, at least not make a complete dingbat of themselves.
Just off the top of my head, here are some of the things I would do to prepare, for example –
- look at different areas of cooking and food prep, and refresh what I knew, but also practice what I wasn’t sure of, and try and rehearse things completely new to me . For example, I don’t think I’m too bad at filleting fish, but I would practice to remind myself, or improve – ditto dressing game, cooking unusual grains and veg.
- practice baking what I think I’m ok with (eg cakes, scones, biscuits) and check I know how to make pastry other than shortcrust, bread using different flours, and breads from other cuisines such as chapattis. And not just know how, but practice to make sure!
- read up on weird fruit, vegetables, grains and flours
- try some of the challenges which previous series have set – eg, take a random food item, a carrot, a cockle, a capercaillie, and prepare a dish featuring it
- practice cooking to a a time restriction – a two course meal/a high tea/a full English breakfast in an hour
Having done that, and having got a brief for a particular challenge I would practice, and practice, and practice that particular thing! I would watch reruns of past series, I would read cookery books (but not too many that I became confused) I would practice the simple things like tasting different spices, identifying weird fruit and veg etc.
The only downside to all this preparation and practice, I would probably be so chubby I’d struggle to get through the door!
Good luck to all the competitors, and may the best cook win!¬
Lois Elsden 