MasterChef - MasterChef: The Classics with a Twist

While judging MasterChef over the years, Gregg and I have met more talented chefs than I can count. This book contains the cream of the crop: eleven MasterChef champions from the last ten years who wowed us on the programme and have since gone on to even better and greater things in the world of food.

To be a MasterChef champion takes more than simply knowing how to cook well. The difference between a good plate of food and an extraordinary dish, between a chef and a MasterChef, is character. Every winner can instinctively take an ordinary recipe and put something of themselves in it, and in the process produce something unique. That might involve drawing upon the flavours of their childhood, swapping in an entirely unexpected ingredient, or plating a dish a certain way. Both on the show and afterwards, our MasterChefs have proven they can do this. They know what it takes to put personality in their food.

But, as you read the recipes in this book, remember: every MasterChef starts out as an amateur. They didnt train for years at a culinary school. They are ordinary women and men with a passion for food and a determination to live up to that passion. They have the confidence to try new ideas, and are patient enough to try again and again and again if those ideas dont quite work the first time around. If you have that same passion, then congratulations: you are on your way to becoming a MasterChef.

Whether you dream of being on the show or simply want to put a twist on a favourite dish, take inspiration from the recipes in this book. Each one has been transformed by one of our MasterChefs from a familiar classic to something extraordinary. Try them for yourself to see how the champions have experimented with presentation ideas and flavour combinations. Once youre ready, have a go yourself. Reinvent your favourite recipe, deconstruct a classic dessert, and dare to inject a little personality into your food. Who knows? One day we might have the honour of judging your food on the show.

Theres a lot of talk on MasterChef about taking a dish to the next level, as if a plate of food could take a ride in an elevator. Really, its all about being brave enough to try new ideas. If a contestant sees an opportunity to do something different, to push their food just that bit further, they should take it. It might work, it might not. But, if it works, chances are theyll end up in our good books.

Next-level cooking doesnt need to mean using expensive or unpronounceable ingredients. It doesnt have to mean adding 27 different drizzles and smears and foams for the sake of it, either. A good dish can easily be ruined with too much fussing about. Sometimes all you need to make a fantastically delicious meal is a handful of simple, good-quality ingredients, chosen well and cooked well.

Many of the recipes in this collection do exactly that. They take known and loved classic dishes and reimagine them, daring to try out something a little less familiar if it means taking those classics to new heights. These brand-new recipes might surprise you with the combination of ingredients, or the way they are presented, but they are not beyond the reach of the average home cook. These are everyday recipes, but not quite as you know them. In other words, they have been taken to the next level.

Are there drizzles and jellies and the like in this book as well? Absolutely. This is a MasterChef book, after all. But, whenever a recipe involves a little bit of fuss, youll notice that those added details dont distract you from the main dish. They are there to enhance the main component, not outshine it. Its all about balance, in terms of both flavour and presentation.

This book contains 100 examples of how you can put a twist on a classic, along with plenty of advice from the MasterChefs, who know exactly what it takes to produce next-level cooking. If you want to do the same, youll do well to follow their example, and to try out their dishes so you can see how its done.

STARTERS

JAMES NATHAN
MasterChef Champion 2008

My favourite way of serving this is to use elegant coffee cups and saucers. The Parmesan galettes need to be wide enough to balance safely on top of each serving cup.

PREP 15 MINUTES

COOK 3 MINUTES

SERVES

250g (9oz) frozen peas or petit pois, plus 1 tsp for the galettes

450ml (15fl oz) hot vegetable stock

a few thyme sprigs, leaves picked

salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 tbsp crme frache (optional)

white truffle oil, to serve

FOR THE GALETTES

80g (3oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated

2 slices Serrano ham

1 packet pea shoots

Small handful of mint tips (the very tiny new growth buds at the end of the stem) or 6 mint leaves

viola flowers

Put the peas in a bowl, then pour over boiling water and leave to stand for about 5 minutes. Drain.

Put the peas (setting aside 1 tsp for the galettes), stock, and thyme leaves in a blender and blend until smooth and combined, in batches if necessary. Add more stock if the soup is too thick. Season well with salt and pepper, and blend again.

Make the Parmesan galettes. Heat a heavy-based non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and sprinkle 4 thin layers of Parmesan to make a galette wide enough for your serving cups. When the cheese starts to melt, wait about 2 minutes, until it turns golden and bubbly. Immediately remove from the heat, leave for about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack.

Finely shred the ham into strips. Scatter each galette with the reserved petit pois, viola petals, pea shoots, and mint.

To serve, stir the crme frache (if using) into the soup, use a hand-held blender to froth up the liquid, pour into serving bowls or cups, and spoon a head of froth over each. Add a few drops of truffle oil to each cup and top with a Parmesan galette balanced on each cup.