Yotam Ottolenghi is the MasterChef Australia 2017 guest chef for the sixth week of the award-winning show. Ottolenghi is a renowned Israeli-British chef, restaurant owner, and recipe writer.
Ottolenghi’s food has a specific taste, feel, and look. He gets influenced and inspired which helps expand his cooking skills. Know more about this talented chef in our Yotam Ottolenghi wiki.
MasterChef Australia Season 9: Yotam Ottolenghi Week
MasterChef Australia’s Yotam Ottolenghi Week included the Mystery Box Challenge and the Invention Test. In episode 26 of season 9, his Mystery Box included ingredients used in Middle Eastern cuisine. It consisted of freekeh, date syrup, parsley, tahini paste, lamb, eggplant, rosewater, and sumac.
Karlie Verkerk was the winner of the Mystery Box Challenge and the Invention Test. She joined Tamara Graffen and Diana Chang for the Immunity Challenge. Ray Silva, Pete Morgan, and Eloise Praino served undercooked dishes. As a result, they lost the challenge and had to face the Pressure Test.
For the Pressure Test in episode 27, the trio had to create five dishes from Ottolenghi’s Mezze. The time limit for creating the dishes was 60 minutes. Morgan’s dishes lacked in presentation, and his kofta was overcooked. It included an excess of pomegranate jam that had caramelized.
Silva presented his dish well, but his butterbeans weren’t seasoned. Also, he did not dice the onions in the kofta properly.
Ottolenghi compared Praino’s presentation to that of his own. Her dishes had the perfect flavors and textures. Morgan’s presentation led to his elimination.
The level of cooking of the MasterChef Australia 2017 contestants and their competence stunned the chef. He said the contestants aren’t on the show to be on television, but they know what they are doing.
Yotam Ottolenghi Wiki
- Yotam Ottolenghi was born in Israel. He started his career as a pastry chef at the Michelin star restaurant, The Capital Restaurant.
- Ottolenghi doesn’t like cooking competitions that don’t include learning, growth, and discovery but likes MasterChef Australia because it is more positive and humane. He says the show isn’t only about competing against each other but focuses more on the development of the contestants.
- He likes intense food that includes spices, but they should be well balanced. His vegetable meals contain many different flavors, and his pomegranate molasses is particularly famous. To add instant flavor to any dish, he uses black garlic, miso, or tamarind.
- He will be releasing his new book called Sweetin September. It will include recipes for cakes, biscuits, and desserts. Yotam Ottolenghi has authored four cookbooks until now.
- Ottolenghi was the co-judge of BBC Radio 4’s Food and Farming Awards 2016.
- For his dinner, Ottolenghi’s experiments with kitchen leftovers or just rice, parmesan, nuts, and a glass of wine.
- His signature dishes include butternut squash salad with red onion, tahini and za’atar, char-grilled broccoli with chili and fried garlic and meringues, as well as roasted aubergine with turmeric yogurt and pomegranate seeds.
- His favorite vegetarian meal which he can eat every day is mejadra. It consists of sweet caramelized onions, lentils, lots of spices, and rice.
- Yotam Ottolenghi has received a cluster of awards. He received the Best Cookbook Award for his cookbookPlenty from Observer Food Monthly.
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Sources:
Enker, D., “Yotam Ottolenghi doesn’t like cooking competitions, so why is he on MasterChef?” Sydney Morning Herald, June 1, 2017; http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/yotam-ottolenghi-doesnt-like-cooking-competitions-so-why-is-he-on-masterchef-20170526-gwdw2o.html.
Wallace, F., “The world’s favourite cult-chef Yotam Ottolenghi answers all your cooking questions,” Vogue, May 31, 2017; http://www.vogue.com.au/vogue+living/entertaining/yotam+ottolenghi+chef+how+to+cook+
his+recipes,43034