“Far out… I did it”: MasterChef winner crowned!
Brent Draper has been announced as MasterChef Australia’s winner!
Brent was a returning contestant who had previously withdrawn from the 2021 season of MasterChef, after revealing that he was struggling with his mental health.
For the first round the pair had to make “a dish that tells a story,” a challenge that was set by judge Melissa Leong.
Both contestants presented a dish with a pork base, with Brent opting for a pork chop with tamarind ketchup glaze, roast cabbage and salsa, which the judges deemed “perfectly executed”.
He scored a near perfect 29 out of 30.
Rhiannon went next whipping up a crispy pork belly dish with citrus caramel, fennel and orange salad and crispy shallots.
Although judge Andy Allen called it “the best-looking plate” she’d presented all season, she also received some criticism mainly that she was a bit stingy with the sauce.
She scored 25 out of 30.
The second and final round was more intense as the pair had to recreate a pocket watch dessert made up of layers of coffee, cream and cake.
Both contestants struggled with making the clear “glass” sugar dome that sits on top of the cake. While Rhiannon nailed it after two attempts, Brent couldn’t quite do the same after running out of time, so he had to present a final dish he thought he’d “stuffed up.”
Although his dish was less than perfect, Brent did a “very good job” at recreating the textures and flavours of the cake, which impressed pastry chef Amaury Guichon.
Rhiannon’s dish failed to impress the judges with Amaury saying that the “textures are all over the place,” which Mel Leong agreed was an issue as it meant “we lose the joy of the dish.”
In the end Brent scored 34 points in round two and Rhiannon scored 27.
Brent redeemed himself after withdrawing from season 13 of the show, with a final score of 63.
Rhiannon did her best and had a final score of 52 points.
The finale of this year’s MasterChef ended with an extended tribute to Jock Zonfrillo, which showed a highlight reel from his time as a judge and the message: “Give it up for Jock Zonfrillo.”
The season 15 MasterChef winner took to his Instagram to share his joy and tribute to Zonfrillo.
“Far out… I did it,” he captioned the post.
“This is a big win but it isn’t just for me. Honestly it’s for every single person who backed me, who reached out and shared their hard stuff and stories with me, it’s for all those who never gave up.
“This win is for us and I couldn’t be happier than I am right now in this moment!!”
He thanked the MasterChef judges before adding his tribute to Jock.
"And to the man who’s been the most influential for me on my food and mental health journey, Jock. I’m gutted you’re not here mate and that we won’t get to have a scotch and celebrate this together - but just know that this win is for you.”
“Thank you for the legacy you’ve left behind, for the memories and laughs and just know that you’ll never ever be forgotten in our home ❤️”
Image: Ten