After 17 challenges and what seemed like many many weeks watching the Sunday show the new New Zealand Masterchef was revealed as Nadia Lim.
Nadia leapt to an insurmountable win right from the first challenge correctly identifying 18 of the 20 ingredients that go to make Bouillabaise. From that moment Jax Hamilton had a struggle on her hands.
Jax seemed to come back into the competition with her pork livers on field mushrooms. I’m not a big fan of offal but that did look pretty damn good. But Nadia swung the vote with her pork belly which she did as a confit.
The third mystery challenge was a classic Beef Wellington. I’ve never cooked one of these, but have eaten it many times. They look amazing. Jax, apart from leaving her fillet almost whole, had better presentation and the meat was cooked a perfect medium-rare. Nadia presented hers more like an oversized meat pasty – ugly folded edges that resulted in raw pastry at the ends. Jax climbed back into the competition.
The final dessert challenge was a french macaroon tower – my god – what a challenge indeed! It all looked good until the final whistle. As Jax and Nadia left their bench to hug in tears, Jax’s tower began to drop biscuits like an autumn tree.
The challenge was over.
While in our household Jax was the most popular of the two Nadia’s skill in taste combinations and presentation were always going to keep her in the front. The funny thing is I’m not sure I’m going to be one to buy her cookbook – her food consists of too many ingredients and processes for a man like me who has trouble multi-tasking.
Congratulations to both Nadia and Jax!
