(Photography: Network Ten)
Kirsten Tibballs brought the heat during the first MasterChef Pressure Test of the season. She revealed her most challenging recipe yet – a beautiful chocolate and coffee caviar – and when we say it looked like a real, freshly opened caviar tin, we aren’t kidding.
It was full to the brim with tiny, coffee pearls and the tin was made of thin, tempered chocolate. Inside were decadent dessert layers of chocolate cake, soaking syrup, mascarpone cream and chocolate mousse. Sound complex? It was. Ben, Sarah, Darrsh and Sav were up against one another to create a replica dish as similar to Kirsten’s as possible.
But despite giving it her all, Sav was eliminated from the MasterChef kitchen and it was one simple mistake that was her undoing.
The caviar downfall
Sav didn’t have a great track record when it came to pressure tests, but she went in determined to give it her all. She was off to a good start, carefully tempering her chocolate, but it all went downhill when she forgot to put the tempered chocolate moulds in the fridge. This was a key step to ensure the chocolate contracts, which would as a result allow the chocolate tins to slide out of the mould effortlessly.
When Sav tried to unmould her tins – they cracked. That mishap, along with uneven layering inside, meant sadly, it was her dish that was the least like Kirsten’s.
In our interview with Sav, she shared that although her time on the show was shorter than she hoped, she is glad she gave it another go.
“I came back because I don’t believe in saying no to opportunities, especially ones that push me,” Sav said. “Even though I exited second, I still stand by my decision. Every moment in that kitchen helped shape the cook I am now, and I’d do it again.”
Sav’s favourite MasterChef moments
While her second time round was full of exciting moments, Sav shared her favourites are all from her first season.
“Making my mum’s steamed egg curry was deeply personal and emotional because it made it for the first time since she passed whilst on the show [and] making lamprais to qualify for the semi-finals was a huge moment. [I felt] pride to showcase such a complex Sri Lankan dish on that platform,” she said.
She also revealed a moment from this season that didn’t make it to air, right after she served up lamprais.
“All the judges told me what a privilege it was to eat it and Andy gave me a hug to say thank you. That moment was incredibly humbling.”
What Sav’s cooking for dinner
If there’s one thing we love over here at BHG, it’s a quick and easy, go-to dinner recipe and Sav revealed what she cooks when she simply can’t be bothered cooking.
“Kiri bath with Laoganma and a fried egg! It’s nostalgic, comforting, and comes together in no time.”
Sav’s next chapter
Her MasterChef journey has come to an end, but there’s still “so many pots on the stove, so to speak!”
Sav is diving into more pop-ups, product development and collaborations that centre on Sri Lankan flavours in fresh, accessible ways.
“If I could go back, one thing I’d do differently is I’d stop listening to the voices questioning why I chose to represent my culture so strongly. That choice will always be a non-negotiable for me,” she shared. “My focus is still on preserving authenticity while evolving how Sri Lankan food is experienced in Australia.”
MasterChef Australia: Back to Win continues Sunday at 7pm, and Monday to Wednesday at 7:30pm on 10 and 10 Play.
