MasterChef Season 12 finalists reveal favourite comfort food and their recipes
Before MasterChef’s final three go into the semi-final, Laura Sharrad, Emelia Jackson and Reynold Poernomo have revealed what they make when the cameras are off.
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We’re used to seeing MasterChef contestants whip up out-of-this-world creations, such as in Sunday night’s pressure test devised by three-hatted guest chef, Martin Benn. It’s a toffee apple, but of course it’s not the traditional sweet treat found at school fairs. It’s been 10 years in the making and is based on the five elements of taste: salty, sour, sweet, umami and bitter.
Fortunately, when we asked this year’s final three – Laura Sharrad, Emelia Jackson and Reynold Poernomo – for their favourite winter comfort food recipes, they served us up much simpler, but still super-delicious, fare.
It’s no surprise that Sharrad’s go-to comfort dish is gnocchi. The pasta queen says it’s her ultimate winter dish.
“Get me in front of the fire on a cold winter’s night, with a wine and a big bowl of pasta, and I’m very happy,” she says. And her gnocchi with spiced pork ragu evokes happy memories. It’s based on the recipe of her husband Max’s nonna, and is on the menu at her Adelaide restaurant, Nido.
“It just sings comfort,” Sharrad says. “I never had the privilege to meet (Max’s nonna) but this dish also really reminds me of the way my Nonna used to cook. They were both from northern Italy, so it’s really nice to have that connection and a bit of both of us in a dish.”
Jackson confesses her true comfort food is chocolate, but jokes she could hardly give us a recipe of one chocolate bar – as simple and delicious as that would be. Instead the acclaimed pastry chef loves nothing more than whipping up meatballs as a midweek meal for herself and boyfriend Craig Gersbach.
“They’re just super easy to make and it’s nice and warm, and you can make it super carby, which is so nice in winter,” Jackson says.
And while we’ve been wowed by so many of Poernomo’s magical creations in this Back to Win season, most of us aren’t game to tackle them – The Snitch, anyone? His scrambled egg bowl is more within our grasp. “It’s just cheap to make and the flavouring and the seasoning goes so well together,” Poernomo says. “And we add a little bit of butter to add that extra richness. It’s just awesome.”
So awesome that on his break the talented pastry chef ducks from his KOI Dessert Bar next door to the family’s Monkey’s Corner to tuck in to some.
“If I feel bougie, I shave a bit of truffle on top,” Poernomo says. “We serve it with foie gras as well sometimes to make it extra luxe.”
MasterChef Australia, Sunday-Monday, 7.30pm, Ten
LAURA SHARRAD’S GNOCCHI WITH SPICED PORK RAGU
Serves: 6
INGREDIENTS
Gnocchi
• 500g royal blue potatoes, peeled, halved
• 125-150g 00 flour
• Pinch of salt
Spiced pork ragu
• 1 brown onion, finely diced
• 2 sticks celery, finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 650g pork mince
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground clove
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
• Grated parmigiano cheese, to serve
METHOD
1. Put potatoes in pot of salted cold water, cover and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Strain potatoes and pass through a drum sieve or ricer.
2. Gently incorporate the flour and salt into the potato, without overworking the mixture, to ensure you have light, fluffy gnocchi.
3. Roll the gnocchi into long, 2cm-thick noodles, and cut to desired size.
4. When you’re ready, place in salted boiling water and cook until they float.
For the ragu 1. Fry off onion, celery, carrot and garlic in olive oil until golden. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add pork mince and spices to the vegetables. Brown mince, stirring, then deglaze pan with wine and add tomatoes. Allow to bubble away on a low-to-medium heat for 1 ½ hours, or until reduced and thickened.
3. Serve ragu with gnocchi and grated parmigiano cheese.
EMELIA JACKSON’S SPICY PORK MEATBALLS WITH TOMATO SAUCE
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
• 500g pork mince
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbs chilli oil or chilli flakes
• ½ tbs crushed fennel seeds
• 45g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra, to serve
• 1 jar tomato passata
• Salt and pepper
METHOD
1. Mix together well the pork, onion, garlic, parsley, egg, chilli, fennel seeds and Parmesan.
2. Roll into small meatballs, about the size of a 20c coin.
3. Heat a large pan with a lid over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the pan then cook the meatballs until nicely golden.
4. Pour passata over the meatballs and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, with the lid on, for 20-25 minutes. Remove the lid and reduce the sauce for 15-20 minutes, until thickened slightly.
6. Serve meatballs with extra Parmesan and smashed sweet potato, mashed potato, polenta or spaghetti.
REYNOLD’S SCRAMBLED EGG BOWL
Reynold says: At Monkey’s Corner (the bar he runs with his brothers) we use koshihikari rice for this dish because not only is it low GI, the flavour and texture is unbeatable.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup koshihikari rice
• 1 cup water
• Unsalted butter (optional)
• Kewpie mayonnaise
• Scrambled egg (recipe below)
• Black pepper
• 1 tbs furikake seasoning
• 1 tsp fresh chives, finely sliced
Scrambled egg
• 2 whole eggs
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of dashi powder (optional)
METHOD
For the rice
1. Place rice in a sieve and wash under running cold water until water runs clear.
2. Put rice in rice cooker or claypot and add water. If using a rice cooker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If using a claypot, place on stove over low heat for 15-20 minutes.
3. Once the rice is cooked, stir and, if desired, add unsalted butter to add richness. Cover with tea towel and set aside.
For the scrambled egg
You’ll definitely need a non-stick frypan for this and a silicone spatula.
1. Lightly beat eggs with a fork. Place in non-stick frypan
and cook over low heat. Sprinkle with salt and dashi powder, if using.
2. Once the egg begins to set on the bottom, use a spatula to gently push the egg from the edge to the centre. Repeat until all the egg is starting to set yet is still runny on the top.
Assembling the bowl
The best part.
1. Grab a small bowl and use a rice spoon to serve your desired portion of rice.
2. Lightly wet the spoon, gently pushing the rice and shaping until rounded. Squeeze a dollop of mayonnaise on the middle.
3. Carefully lift the scrambled egg and add to the rice. Using a spatula, gently tuck the edges of the egg into the sides of the bowl.