Season 2 of MasterChef SA kicked off last night. Here's our take on the very first episode.

Starter
The set of the new season of MasterChef SA is splendidly dark and gleaming, and the pace has been set at a slick rate. Higher standards were quickly insisted on by our three judges, who are familiar from the first season, but Pete Goffe-Wood and Benny Masekwameng are certainly a few sizes sleeker and Andrew Atkinson a glint more polished.

First we were treated to a speedy resume of the 2012 winners’ and finalists’ commercial successes since their exit from the competition. Last night’s new intake, all seemingly better skilled at things like skinning and filleting, began competing for 50 white aprons – a cull of half the number of contestants. The apron-wearers will then take part in the MasterChef bootcamp.

Each contestant had 45 minutes to prepare their dishes and five minutes to finish them in front of Andrew, Benny and Pete. “If two of us like it, you get the white apron.”
 
Mains
Kicking off the contest was Zahir (24) from Cape Town and his smoked rack of lamb. His was a natty presentation but he wept, sweated and even whimpered before the judges. Andrew delivered his first no, considering the lack of seasoning and treatment. Benny, however, was for the sweet elements of red currants, garlic and beetroot, and gave a yes. Here we already had the perfect cliff-hanger for the first contestant: what would Pete do? Give a yes, of course. And so, the first white apron was awarded.

The stand-out contestants who got through were a previous contestant, confidently back, brandishing a prawn rissole dish; two sisters, the second of whom presented a wonderfully enticing open snoek ravioli dish; a man who undauntedly pan-fried his lemon sole perfectly before the judges; a man of molecular gastronomy leanings, whose sea bass was submerged in 49-degree water and seemed to be an outright winner; a food blogger; and, finally, a woman with purple hair and prose to match, who almost flunked out emotionally but impressed all three with a stunner risotto.

Dessert
The judges have mastered each of their looks: Andrew’s disappointed, Benny’s incredulous and Pete’s baleful. None of them necessarily mean no. One contestant whispered, “Those eyes!”
Tonight will see more white aprons hard-won to make the MasterChef bootcamp 50-strong.

By Marie-Lais Emond

Tune in to Eat Out on Thursday morning for a run-down of Wednesday night’s episode, and check out our MasterChef SA page, sponsored by Nederburg, for weekly updates.