MasterChef may be over for another year, with tech programme manager Jhané Gibson lifting the trophy after seeing off fellow finalists Kristen Dodd and Matt Willett, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring a little MasterChef magic into your own kitchen. Judges Grace Dent and Anna Haugh spent weeks putting Britain’s most talented home cooks through their paces, and these two dishes helped carry Dodd and Willett all the way to the closing stages of the competition.
Australian-born Dodd, a communications director living in Tooting, won fans with bold, globe-trotting flavours inspired by her travels and a love of South East Asian cooking. Her Thai-cured sea bream pairs fragrant herbs, lime and lemongrass with smoked coconut milk and a sharp cucumber granita – a dish guaranteed to impress at a summer dinner party. Meanwhile Willett, a London-based PhD student, showcases a more indulgent side of cooking with his beef tartare, peppercorn sauce and matchstick fries, a clever reworking of steak frites that is every bit as luxurious as it sounds.
