MasterChef Australia Finale: Winner’s gift to runner up

MasterChef Australia has finally finished for another year and the focus on more youthful contestants appears to have paid off for the franchise. The sixth season enjoyed improved ratings over the 2013 season in Australia and also racked up a loyal following here in New Zealand, despite its slow arrival (the season ended in Australia last July).

There were no major dramas this year, with the cast forming a tight bond in the house (perhaps a little too close, there were rumours of romance between Brent and Emilia and also Brent and Laura) and no major dust-ups.

But then ‘MasterChef Australia’ has always been more about the cooking than the clashes – the most dramatic moment of the competition came when Matt Preston removed his ever-present cravat, revealing a suspiciously smooth chest, or perhaps just another flesh-coloured cravat.

Saturday’s finale saw Brent Owens from Victoria, battle it out against Laura Cassai from South Australia, over three courses.

Their first challenge was to cook a dish in 60 minutes using 8 ingredients of their collective choosing.

Brent took an early lead with 27 out of 30 points for his textures of pearl barley, which featured delicate poached scampi, pickled red cabbage and chervil.

Laura scored 25 out of 30 for her dish of dead sea-roaches thrown on the plate, or as she described the dish, grilled scampi with anchovy butter and roasted garlic cream.

Next up the pair had 90 minutes to cook six plates of food for some mystery VIPs and the judges.

Both contestants were thrilled when the VIPs turned out to be their families, but their enthusiasm waned when they realised they would not only have to please the picky palates of their loved ones but also endure their running commentary.

Laura’s father soon outstayed his welcome with his unwanted encouragement and the 19 year old had to regularly “shhhh’ her overexcited dad.

For the second course, Brent prepared a modern take on a Lancashire hot pot, but his attempts at a potato galette to crown the dish failed three times using three different methods. The judges told him he had been marked down for the omission of the crunchy potato topping and scored him 21 points out of a possible 30.

Brent’s dad said that despite being a meat and three veg man, he enjoyed his son’s exotic dish of meat and three veg.
Laura’s poached lobster with herb butter fared better, earning her 25 points and taking her into the lead. Best of all, she succeeded in satisfying her father who she said is her harshest critic.

Their final challenge was to replicate the chocolate ethereal dessert designed by chef Peter Gilmore. The dessert was a technically difficult creation; five sheets of assorted sweet and sticky confections balanced on a bed of nougat and caramel.

Laura was rattled by numerous errors during the challenge and said she came close to giving up. She also found the encouragement shouted down from the gallery more distracting than inspiring and George had to spur her on to finish.
While she managed to finish the dish, Laura then failed to follow the presentation instructions correctly, serving a log of tooth-wrenching nougat whole on the plate.

Brent’s cook was relatively fuss-free, although he did omit one of the sheets in his duplication of the dessert.

Sadly, it was not the ‘dehydrated milk skin’, which sounds slightly revolting and brings back horrible memories of that rubbery film on your Milo. That sheet needs a serious PR makeover and a name change to something more appetising, like ‘dessicated dairy wafer’ or ‘not actual skin’.

Despite the missing sheet, Brent’s version of the chocolate ethereal best matched the original, propelling him to victory and a score of 35 out of a possible 40 to Laura’s 31 points. With a total of 83, Brent beat out Laura to the MasterChef title by three points.

Judges George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston gathered the contestants from the present season and winners from past seasons outside to present Brent with his trophy; the ‘MasterChef Australia’ platter, etched with the name of every winner and ideal for serving ham at Christmas.

We presumed they were assembled outside so that the enigmatic bearded driver responsible for whisking weeping eliminated contestants off the premises could drive up in Brent’s new Alfa Romeo. But there was no car! They just wanted to party in the carpark like well-dressed bogans, except for Laura and Brent, whose chocolate stained aprons made them look more like plumbing apprentices than chefs.

Along with his new (invisible) car, 25-year-old Brent won $250,000 and a cookbook deal. Runner-up Laura also received a cheque for $20,000.

But it turns out that third place winner Emelia made out better than Laura in the long run (incidentally, Emelia and Laura attended the same high school).

Emelia won $10,000 for placing third in the competition but also enjoyed another payday, thanks to a pact with Brent.
Brent and Emilia made a deal that if either of them won, the winner would gift the other $50,000.

Brent says he has upheld his end of the bargain, telling Australian magazine TV Week, “A deal is a deal. You've got to stick with it.”

And Emilia more than earned her prize in the finale by offering Brent helpful advice from the gallery like, “hurry up, Brent,” and “Brent! Hurry up!”

Since the series ended in Australia in July of last year the contestants have been working on their own culinary projects.

Brent has quit his job as a bobcat driver for girlfriend Madison’s father’s company. He has published his top-selling cook book, ‘Dig In!’ and shares his recipes on his website

Laura also is about to release her own cookbook, ‘My Italian Kitchen’, in April. She also makes appearances at food shows and events.

Emilia Jackson hopes to open her own café called Jackson and Friends and recently tweeted she plans to move to London in May.

Shine Australia, the company that produces ‘MasterChef Australia’, estimated nearly 70 per cent of finalists have gone on to a career in food following their time in the show.

Meanwhile, in local cooking reality show news, ‘MasterChef NZ’ has put out the call for applicants for the 2015 series from its new home at TV3. You can apply here.

Where are they now?
Jamie Fleming from New South Wales is working as head chef at Sydney restaurant Wilhelmina’s. The venue is an off-shoot of Sydney bar Grandma’s where Fleming worked as a bartender prior to ‘MasterChef Australia’.

South Australian Tracy Collins is a contributor to Barossa Living magazine and also sells her culinary creations at local markets and events in the Barossa area.

Ben MacDonald from Queensland (via Whangarei) is currently running the ‘Hard To Find Supper Club’, a pop-up restaurant experience. He has also written for the NZ Herald’s food supplement, ‘Bite’ and has one of the best bios on Twitter: ‘This one time, one MasterChef, I made a campfire out of steak and potatoes.’

Amy Shields from Western Australia offers private dinners and cooking demonstrations through her business, Miss Flames.
Renae Smith from New South Wales continues to run her own brand development consultancy as well as making appearances at cooking shows and culinary events.

Queenslander Sarah Todd has launched her own food blog and has also resumed modelling professionally.