The focused 29-year-old food blogger from Cape Town tonight became South Africa’s second MasterChef when she narrowly beat the 23-year-old scientist from Mahikeng, Leandri van der Wat, in the final round of MasterChef South Africa Season 2 at the MasterChef kitchen on the beautiful Nederburg wine estate.
In tonight’s 90-minute special Leandri and Kamini competed in three different rounds: a Mystery Box challenge with eleven of Chef Pete Goffe-Wood’s favourite ingredients, including Western Cape rock lobsters, capers, coriander, watercress, fennel bulbs, pink fir potatoes and Nederburg Chardonnay; an Invention Test with chicken as the hero ingredient; and then a final Pressure Test in which they had to recreate an elegant dessert of Chef Andrew Atkinson’s, comprising a choux pastry éclair filled with peanut butter ice cream and topped with glossy pomegranate glaze, an orange reduction, warm pomegranate jellies, a pliable chocolate rope, and candied orange peel.
In the Mystery Box challenge, Leandri presented seared lobster medallions with a lobster custard and herb soup, while Kamini created a lobster tagliatelle with a creamy fennel sauce. In round two, the Invention Test, Kamini plated up a chicken terrine with chicken liver mousse and crispy chicken shards, while Leandri’s offering consisted of a chicken liver brulée with crispy polenta chips and fruit chutney.
The three MasterChef judges scored each round out of a hundred but only revealed the aggregate score at the end of the competition: 83 for Leandri versus Kamini’s 89.
“Thousands of amateur cooks embarked on the journey, but only 16 made it to the MasterChef kitchen,” Chef Benny Masekwameng summed up. “And now one prevailed. She has survived all the challenges we threw at her and Kamini Pather has earned the right to call herself South Africa’s MasterChef!”
“Maybe my mom will even let me cook Christmas dinner this year!” Kamini laughed delightedly.
As South Africa’s new MasterChef Kamini walks away with a prize package containing the following:
From Robertson’s, a cash prize of R400 000; a brand new VW Golf 7; a 5 night luxurious Maia Luxury Resort & Spa holiday in the Seychelles for the winner and a partner, including business class airfares and spending money, courtesy of Tsogo Sun; a year’s free shopping at Woolworths valued at R100 000, as well as a year’s supply of wine and a full sommelier course from Nederburg!
Leandri also doesn’t walk away empty-handed. Apart from being able to call herself the runner-up of Season 2 of MasterChef South Africa, she will go home with R100 000 cash, courtesy of Robertson’s!
