Who saw that coming? MasterChef’s self-proclaimed underdog just snuck in with a surprise victory in the grand final – see how it all unfolded.
news.com.au
July 13, 2021 10:12PM
Last updated July 13, 2021 10:07PM AEST
After a mammoth season, it all came down to three – before Masterchef’s self-proclaimed underdog scored a surprise win.
Justin Narayan was the self-proclaimed underdog heading into tonight’s MasterChef grand finale, with 51 points to favourite Pete’s 53.
But in the end, Justin romped to victory with a total score of 125 points to Pete’s 124 and 114 from Kishwar.
He’s picked up a cool $250,000 for his efforts – but it was an admirable showing for all of the top three, who had to do battle with two intense dishes from star chef Peter Gilmore, one of which was a decadent “golden crackle” dessert rightly described as “terrifying” to make.
See how it all unfolded in our live blog below…
Updates
9:53 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
“I’m genuinely going to take a week to process this and let it sink in, and then I’ll, like, write you an email, let you know how I feel,” Justin tells the judges. He commends Kishwar and Pete, saying they were “incredible people to cook with” and telling Pete he was “like my big brother.”
Justin celebrates with his dad.
And luckily, those two don’t go home empty handed – while Justin walks away with $250,000, second-place getter Pete is awarded $30k and Kishwar scores $20k.
And with that good news, that’s it for our MasterChef live blog. Thanks for reading!
9:44 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
Kishwar’s dessert scores three 8s and a 7, leaving her with a final score of 114 – she finishes in third place.
Peter’s dessert is awarded three 9s and an 8, giving him a final score of 124.
Finally, Justin’s dessert scores an 8 and three 9s. He’s done it! The underdog’s won it!
Mel Leong teases it out with her final reveal.
“Justin. You need a nine or more from me to win the title. It wasn’t perfect,” she tells him.
“But it was bloody close! I scored your dish a nine out of ten!”
9:40 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
Kishwar scored 8 out of 10 from all judges for the squid noodles, taking her score to date up to 83 points.
Pete scores 9s from all judges for his squid noodles, taking him to 89 points.
Justin’s squid noodles get perfect 10s across the board, bumping him into the lead – he’s on 90 points!
9:30 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
It’s Justin’s turn to plate up, and he knows the odds are stacked against him: “I have to get the most amount of points if I stand any chance of beating Pete and Kishwar.”
All smiles – but he’s got to nail this to be in with a chance to win.
The judges love his noodles: Peter calls them “perfect… every element is right.” Mel says it was “an experience… if I had to blind taste between (Peter’s) and his, I don’t know that I would pick.”
The golden crackle is “really tasty”, but Peter and Jock note one layer is slightly undercooked.
Can he pull off a surprise victory?
9:16 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
Incredibly, the paper-thin golden layer doesn’t crack, and Pete plates up successfully.
Jock says the noodles are “95% of the way there,” while Andy and Mel agree the squid is “just a shade” overcooked.
Oh to be a tiny rice krispie being judged by Melissa Leong
Onto the Golden Crackle: The judges crack open the outer layer to reveal that it’s… filled to the brim with quivering, uncooked quail meat.
OK, I made that up. It’d be the gag of the season though, right?
No uncooked game here – he got it just right. Peter’s “super impressed.” Jock calls it “beautiful.”
9:00 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
Pete’s running a big risk for his plate-up: Unlike the others, he didn’t make any back-up moulds for his golden crackle, meaning he only gets one shot to assemble it correctly. One wrong move and his hopes of winning MasterChef could come crashing down.
He’s visibly nervous, and drops the super-delicate golden layer while trying to lift it onto the dish. The judges look like they’ve just witnessed a murder.
CRACKLE EMERGENCY
Well, all except Peter Gilmore, whose placid expression suggests he’s thinking “lol sucked in told ya it was hard.”
Peter’s just chillin’
8:57 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
Kishwar’s 25-minute plate-up is tense, as her squid noodle dish falters, but she presents two immaculate looking dishes to the judges. Her golden crackle looks – well, golden:
Does it look like a Ferrero Rocher or am I just a basic bitch?
She says she feels like she just climbed Everest, her eyes filling with tears.
Kishwar out of the room, the judging can begin. Peter Gilmore’s “super impresssed” with her squid, and the judges echo his sentiments.
And her golden crackle is a “very solid effort,” according to Andy Allen. While she’s two points behind frontrunner Pete, Kishwar’s “left herself with a chance” of winning, says Jock.
8:43 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
And that’s it! The judges call time on the main cook – all that’s left is the 25-minute plate up to present their dishes to the judges. They’re all emotional, but Pete especially – after a difficult third round, he breaks down sobbing, crouched behind his bench.
Me in the kitchen making anything more complex than toast
He’s clearly holding a lot of pain inside his golden crackle… and Justin rushes over to give him a cuddle.
Cookin’ up all the feels.
8:34 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
15 minutes left, and Pete is “overwhelmed” and “so stressed” by the pressure. Racing around the kitchen, he takes a nasty stack:
Down he goes.
…but picks himself right back up again, inspecting his food in the oven seconds later. Medical attention can wait!
Walk it off, Pete!
8:31 pm
July 13, 2021
Highlight
Less than an hour to go, and the three are all working on the “terrifying” outer dome of their golden crackles. It’s super-thin and delicate – there’s no margin for error here as it’s lightly blow-torched into shape. They all nail it:
Gorge.
Now they have to individually chocolate coat their rice krispies – with just 40 minutes to go.