Brought to by Nuffnang and MasterChef Australia on Channel Ten
Bianca from Wholefood Simply, Jenny from Ichigo Shortcake and myself were invited to the taping of one of the team challenges for MasterChef Australia in Melbourne not too long ago.
Words could not begin to describe how excited I was to be able to witness my favourite cooking show in its raw form, pre-editing. Watching team challenges at home, I can sometimes get so excited I leap from my couch (yes, I can be that dramatic!) But when you’re on set, the excitement is ten times greater!
{From the left: Bianca, Jenny, Gary Mehigan and I at the waiting shed before entering the set)
The theme of the challenge was ‘Asian Market’. It took place at night in a courtyard, beautifully decorated with lanterns, paper umbrellas and string lights. We weren’t the only ones there for the taping; there were 200 people (which mainly consisted of the MasterChef Australia’s superfans) who were there to participate in the challenge too!
Growing up in Malaysia, I am no stranger to Asian markets. Experiencing this team challenge in person was like taking a trip down to memory lane. The delicious aromas wafting into the open air and the throngs of people lining up were all too familiar. As the night progressed, the chilly weather in Melbourne did nothing to dampen the contestants’ competitive spirits. We all got to taste the food prepared for the challenge which were divided into four main cuisines: Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese.
The icing on the cake was the opportunity to talk to some of the contestants about how they were tackling the challenge and how they came up with all the impressive dishes. Just several months ago, they were everyday home cooks, just like us, and look at them now; their culinary skills are growing by leaps and bounds as the show progresses.
It was a wonderful experience to be cherished and we had a little taste of what it was like to be a judge on MasterChef Australia! We got to cheer and count down with Gary to end the challenge, as well as vote for the best dish. And can I say it is one awesome job to have! *wink*
{From the left: Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris & Kylie Kwong at the judging table. Photo courtesy of MasterChef Australia}
To stay with the Asian food theme, I thought I would share a childhood favourite food of mine, satay chicken. Hope you like it. 🙂
Ingredients
- 270ml coconut milk
- 2 Tbsps Thai red curry paste
- 1½ Tbsps smooth peanut butter
- 500g chicken breasts (sliced into 4 pieces & flattened)
- 2 tsps turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsps cooking oil
- 4 servings of mixed salad leaves
- 2 x 400g canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed with hot water
- 1 large Lebanese cucumber
- ¼ red onion, sliced thinly optional
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk turmeric powder, maple syrup, salt and oil until well combined with a fork. Coat the chicken breasts with the marinate and set aside.
- Add all the dressing ingredients into a small pot and whisk to combine with a fork. Heat over low heat until well heat through. Set aside.
- Heat up a large griddle pan and cook the chicken breasts on both sides until well cooked. Then set aside to rest for a couple of minutes. In the meantime, prep the chickpeas, cucumber and red onion.
- Assemble the salad into 4 individual bowls and serve with the satay sauce dressing.
P/S: The Asian Market challenge will air tonight at 7.30pm. You may even see me on TV with Bianca and Jenny as we were interviewed by the TV crew for our opinions on the dishes! If you spot a lady in a fuchsia sweater, that’s me! Be sure to tune in to find out if we make the cut and which team will win the challenge!
For more information about the show, please visit here for more information. You can also catch up on the past episodes of the current season via the website.
Hi Emily! I am envious of the Satay Chicken Salad! I would love to try to make some of those soon. I’d love it if you’d comment back http://spillovercoffee.com
Hi Ice,
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you’ll like the recipe. 🙂
This sounds like the perfect summertime salad! I absolutely adore all of the flavors in here. Pinned!
Thanks Rachel! Let me know what you’d think about the recipe. 🙂
I made the chicken sate to have with fried rice last night and got a lot of compliments. “That’s a keeper!” was the concensus. Thank you for such a tasty dish.
Thank you Pamela! I am happy to hear that you like the recipe! 🙂
I’m actually trying to stick to a paleo diet because I have something on this coming week. I suspect that I’ll feel much better as I know that I have a slight intolerance to dairy and wheat. So discovering your blog came just in time-thanks!
I hope you will like some of my recipes on the blog, Katie! Please do not hesitate to let me know how you go with the recipes, whether if it is a success or not. If you have any problems feel free to email me via my contact sheet. And welcome to Fuss Free Cooking! 😉