Elena is our MasterChef

MasterChef Australia winner Elena Duggan has had less than 24 hours to celebrate, but she has already mapped out plans for the future.

MasterChef judges Gary Mehigan, Matt Preston and George Calombaris with 2016 MasterChef Elena Duggan. Picture: Channel Ten

MasterChef Australia winner Elena Duggan has had less than 24 hours to celebrate, but she has already mapped out plans for the future.

The 32-year-old from Baulkham Hills beat fellow finalist Matt Sinclair to take out the victory in last night’s series finale of the Network Ten reality cooking show.

Ms Duggan initially scored 23 out of 30 for her entree of marron two ways with smoked vegetable salad and dashi dressing, while Mr Sinclair, who she auditioned with at the very start of MasterChef, scored 26 out of 30 for his entree of pan seared quail with confit legs, corn and chorizo salsa and Pedro Ximenez glaze.

Elena Duggan, of Baulkham Hills, celebrates her win. Picture: Channel Ten

In the second round, both Mr Sinclair and Ms Duggan achieved perfect scores out of 30 for their mains, leaving Ms Duggan still with three points to catch up in the final round.

Ms Duggan’s ability to keep a calm in the kitchen helped her to victory when it came to the 91-step Verjus in Egg dessert, created by one of Heston Blumenthal’s head chefs Ashley Palmer-Watts.

Both contestants made mistakes in the five-and-a-half hour cook but it was Ms Duggan’s ability to bounce back that led her to receive a score of three eights out of ten from the MasterChef judges and an impressive nine from Heston Blumenthal and Palmer-Watts — securing her two-point win.

Ms Duggan watched the series finale in Melbourne last night with her sister and said she enjoyed watching the series unfold on television.

“I pretty much watched every episode with (partner) Eric or my sister or both and some of my friends as well,” she said.

“It has been lovely to watch it back and share the experience with them.”

After an unsuccessful audition for MasterChef Australia’s seventh series, Ms Duggan researched, practised and improved her skills — and the hard work ultimately paid off.

Since filming for MasterChef wrapped up, Ms Duggan said she has been “taking a little bit of time” to work out her next move.

She said she had been “cooking a lot, looking at what my next steps and moves are, looking at where I may go do work experience”, as well as making contact with some of the “incredible people and places” she met during her MasterChef journey.

Elena with her top three teammates Matt Sinclair and Harry Foster. Picture: Channel Ten

Ms Duggan wants to eventually open her own farm cafe, and hopes to combine her background as a teacher with her love of cooking by employing and training young people.

She has planned to visit a few farm cafes and restaurants around Australia, such as Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop in South Australia and Biota Dining in Bowral.

She also hopes to return to California — one of the highlights of her MasterChef experience.

“I’d been before but sharing it with foodie people and through foodie eyes was an entirely different experience,” she said.

Ms Duggan worked with a number of high profile chefs on the show, but she said meeting Dominique Crenn, who runs Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, was a “privilege”.

“I think I was most moved by Dominique Crenn … the way she thinks about food and family and connection and art and poetry, it is really exquisite and inspiring,” she said.

Elena with her fellow contestants Chloe Bowles, Matt Sinclair and Mimi Baines. Picture: Channel Ten

Ms Duggan grew up in Queensland but moved to Sydney when she was 17 to pursue her career in art and education and eventually became the head of creative and performing arts at Galston High School.

She said she received many messages of support from locals after the finale aired last night, including “students and parents of students and current colleagues and past colleagues”.

Before MasterChef, Ms Duggan would often pick up fresh produce from farmer’s markets and roadside stalls in the Hills, as well as from the agricultural students at Galston High School.

Locally, she said she loved eating at The Baron in Castle Hill and The Tuckshop in Glenhaven, as well as Wild Pear Cafe in Dural.

“I had a beautiful meal recently at the Wild Pear Café,” she said.

Keep up to date with Ms Duggan’s culinary adventures on Instagram or Facebook.