(Photography: Network Ten)
MasterChef Australia contestant, Rhiannon Anderson competed in Sunday night’s elimination challenge, where she saw the end of her time in the kitchen. Setting the challenge was seafood master extraordinaire Josh Niland, with his own creative take on Surf and Turf.
As the king of fish, he unveiled perfectly butchered cuts of beef before delving into a masterclass on butchering tuna just like the beef. The point was to encourage everyone to think about using whole fish in new ways and they each had to create a modern surf and turf dish.
In an interview with Rhiannon, she said, “I wanted to come back [to MasterChef] as I came second last time and wanted to try and take the title this time. MasterChef Australia changed my life and I wanted to see where back to win would take me.”
So far this season, Rhiannon has achieved so much, from impressive dishes to meeting some renowned chefs and forming strong friendships with other contestants.
“When the judges told me my superpower is flavour and to always use it, that was a piece of advice I’ll always remember. It really made me think about how I can get as much flavour into every element every time I cook.”
Why was Rhiannon eliminated?
Hoping to impress Josh, Rhiannon served up lobster wontons in an Asian-style beef broth. Too simple? That’s what the judges suggested mid-cook, so in a frantic panic, Rhiannon added raw lobster meat to the dumpling wrappers in the hope it would be a little more inventive. That tweak resulted in a very wet texture and split dumplings on the serving plate.
“I think I really felt the pressure of having Josh Niland in the kitchen so that definitely affected what went wrong,” she said. “I also got rattled when Josh and Andy came to the bench asking if I featured the lobster enough, so I panicked and added lobster meat to my dough which then made the wontons split. I would have liked to showcase more of what I’ve learned from Josh but just ran out of time.”
While the dish ultimately sent her home, Rhiannon said, “I had perfectly cooked lobster meat, my beef broth was really flavourful and I was happy with my dish prior to being rattled.”
During her five week MasterChef journey, she shared a variety of experiences that are sitting in her top moments. “Meeting, hugging, and cooking for Gordon Ramsay, getting a top five dish with my coral trout wontons and curry broth, and I loved meeting all the new contestants and judges,” she said. “I was so happy with this season. I really wanted to enjoy myself, which is what I did. I think the three things I’d do differently would be to not let the pressure get to me, put more time into thinking about my plating and get more experience with restaurants to learn more skills.”
Rhiannon’s go-to dinner
It’s a quick and easy supermarket hack that anyone can do at home.
“I always have frozen wontons in the freezer so I boil them and add chilli sauce,” she shared.
What’s next for Rhiannon?
While this journey has come to an end, she’s ready to embark on a fun adventure with her family.
“I’m travelling around Australia later this year and filming a YouTube channel with my husband and daughter,” she said. “We’ll be showcasing local farmers markets, telling farmers stories, beautiful scenery, waterskiing and cooking delicious food. We’re looking to do a minimum of 14 months on the road starting in Tasmania. I’m also doing live cooking demonstrations in Townsville featuring local fresh produce, judging events and working with my local shopping centre.”
