We spoke to Gregory Czarnecki about what life has been like since the award-winning The Restaurant at Waterkloof closed its doors.

Tell us a bit about your involvement in MasterChef SA – how did it come about?

I was really surprised and honoured to be selected as a judge. I have worked with some of the cast and crew before, and there was great energy from the start. My role was to bring some international and fine-dining elements to the judging panel.

What other projects have you been involved in over the past year?

It was the first time in many years that I had some free time, so I took full advantage of it by travelling and discovering some hidden corners of this beautiful country. Professional highlights were being a mentor at the S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy competition in Italy, which took place after being postponed many times.

Do you have plans to open another restaurant?

Being a chef is who I am so I will always be involved in the industry. A new restaurant is hopefully in my near future…

What did you learn from being a MasterChef SA judge?

It reminded me about the importance of nurturing and guiding people who have a passion for food. I also discovered some interesting local producers and enjoyed seeing how contestants interpreted the challenges and their creative minds at work.

What qualities should a MasterChef SA winner have?

Creativity, versatility and passion were some of the most important aspects I was looking for.

What is one technique that every aspiring top chef should learn how to master?

It would be impossible to limit to just one. I think it’s important to be organised and clean, to have great knife skills, and to plan properly to get the most out of each product.

What dish would you be the most critical of because it’s your all-time favourite?

My mum’s duck a l’orange… I can’t even get it right myself – and it’s not for a lack of trying!

What is the most challenging dish you’ve ever prepared?

Whole salmon fillet cooked in clay. The execution was quite straightforward, but the difficulty lies in the cooking and resting time as it keeps on cooking out of the oven – and all of this during the rush of service. You only had one chance to get it right. And back in the day, we didn’t have those fancy temperature probes!

MasterChef SA starts 28 February at 6pm on M-Net, DStv channel 101.