Matt Preston, George Colombaris, Shannon Bennett, Justine Schofield, Larissa Takchi and Adam Liaw;we’ve seen some amazing talent come out of the show we love to watch, hate and love. Here’s our pick of the best recipes to come from MasterChef’s best.
MasterChef's Sashi Cheliah's jaggery cheesecake
An Indian twist delivers sweet results in a cheesecake from MasterChef winner Sashi Cheliah that might see you go weak at the knees.
Mussels and 'nduja
MasterChef‘s Larissa Takchi serves up a tasty seafood snack that would fit right in to an afternoon of good food and good company.
Matt Preston's cheesy lasagne recipe is definitely worth the work
"Lasagne is without doubt the heavyweight champion of Italian food," says Matt Preston. Begin this recipe 4 hours ahead.
This chocolate peanut caramel tart is everything you love about Snickers and more
"This is an absolute treat, an incredibly rich tart that will mend even the most broken of hearts ... well, it doesn’t really, but it’s yum," says Khanh Ong. This is an edited extract from A Gay Guy's Guide to Life, Love, Food by Khanh Ong. Published by Plum, RRP $34.99, photography by Lauren Bamford.
This crazy-good dessert only has three ingredients
It sounds impossible, this delicious recipe results in a cakey loaf with a crunchy crust - Matt Preston
Justine Schofield's roast pork belly with chargrilled peach salsa
“I love changing the hero protein on the table. Pork, with its succulent meat and crispy crackling, is paired here with a hint of spice,” says Justine Schofield.
Pistachio and rose halva
MasterChef ‘s Larissa Takchi whips up an Arabic staple that can boost any dish, from simple breakfasts to sweet snacks.
Matt Preston's choc malt tiramisu
"To me, there is only one exemplary dessert in the Italian kitchen. It is tiramisu – a dessert that popped up in the ’60s. The trouble is that the classic combination of biscuits, coffee and mascarpone is looking a little tired these days. Even with the modern addition of a liqueur such as Strega, Marsala, Kahlúa, amaretto or Frangelico, it needs a little updating" - Matt Preston
Honey vinegar pie with spiced whipped cream
MasterChef ‘s Larissa Takchi discovers the genius of using vinegar in lieu of lemons in a Stateside dessert that’s sweet and sharp.
MasterChef Gary Mehigan's monkfish with kohlrabi, cauliflower and dates
The MasterChef judges went head-to-head last night, with Gary Mehigan coming out on top. Here's what he cooked – we hope you're not scared off by the number of steps!
Adam Liaw's Green tea ice cream
Although green tea ice cream is now found all over Japan and in Japanese restaurants abroad, it only really became popular in the 1990s. It’s simple to make at home.
Shannon Bennett's porcini mushroom soup
Black truffle adds a layer of decadence to this dish.
Spaghetti with pipis
Inspired by childhood memories of hunting pipis in the sand, Elena Duggan creates a simple shellfish dish with more than a hint of Italian about it.
Matt Preston's banh mi
“The carrot and daikon ideally need at least an hour to pickle, but they're still fine after just 10 minutes.”
Shannon Bennett's famously secret cheesecake recipe
Introducing the baked white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake. “I have kept this recipe since my days as an apprentice at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne," Bennett says. "It was, in fact, the speciality of the hotel."
Lamb rack with sprout salad and crispy potatoes
In her final delicious. column, MasterChef winner Elena Duggan bows out with a recipe that puts her own spin on a classic Aussie lamb roast.
Korean lava wraps with crispy rice cakes, avocado and jalapeno
Matt Preston's mouth-watering Korean lava wraps with crispy rice cakes, avocado and jalapeno recipe is a dinner party must!
George Calombaris' saganaki hot dogs with beetroot relish
Fried cheese hot dogs, need we say more?
Crispy potatoes with salsa verde and fried rosemary
"Hearty salads to go with frilled seafood or slow-roasted meats are still our go-to for hosting at home, and it reminds us of our time in Oz with friends" - George Calombaris.
Matt Preston's self-saucing chocolate pudding
"When I arrived in Australia over 20 years ago, I was blown away with this country’s love of a good chocolate pudding, sticky date pudding with butterscotch sauce and the rightfully venerated lemon delicious! That same self-sauciness blesses this pudding that’s based on a recipe found in a vintage cookbook from Victoria." – Matt Preston
Koulourakia (Greek bread with sesame seeds)
I love the fact that to this day there are single industries in Athens. The sock man sells the socks, and the mushroom lady sells the mushrooms. When I was in Athens, I would visit the platia (square) every morning and buy a koulouraki. The round piece of bread, crusted in seasame seeds, was a little bit chewy but so good. I found it incredibly inspiring to walk through the ancient city eating such humble traditional food. Start this recipe the night before so the dough can prove slowly in the fridge.
Popcorn chicken with basil
Taiwanese food is a great mix of local dishes with influences from China, Japan and Southeast Asia.Popcorn chicken is a popular street food in Taipei, and once you try it you’ll see why. The crunchy texture of the sweet potato flour coating is incredible.
Cook Shannon Bennett's MasterChef chocolate peanut bar at home
In a pressure test to secure the final white aprons for MasterChef Australia 2016, contestants last night had to recreate Shannon Bennett's intimidating chocolate peanut bar. Now you can try it at home.
Lamb shank pies
This is an edited extract from The Slow Cook by Justine Schofield, (Plum, $39.99), Photography by Rob Palmer.
Potato tortilla
“For best results, cook the potatoes in a large frying pan so they become crisp all over, then switch to a smaller frying pan to end up with a nice thick tortilla” - Justine Schofield. This is an edited extract from The Weeknight Cookbook by Justine Schofield with photography by Jeremy Simons (Plum, $34.99).
Matt Preston's trofie with nasturtium and macadamia pesto
Matt Preston throws nasturtium leaves on prosciutto pizza instead of rocket, tosses flowers or leaves into salads that need a peppery bite, and even adds them to green smoothies. Plant some this weekend. They will not disappoint.
Butter chicken moussaka
"With moussaka, it's the idea that it's warming – it makes you feel fantastic. It's not fine dining; it just really hits the soul." – George Calombaris
Matt Preston's strawberry sour spritz
"Vanilla, black pepper and lemon are three flavors that both ripe strawberries and whisky love. Here they provide a bridge between the two in the long vibrant version of a whisky sour," says Matt Preston.
Matt Preston's miso corn fritters with chilli bacon caramel
"If insight confirms Mars is made of miso, what will we do with all that miso paste?" - Matt Preston.
Matt Preston's Mexican black bean and corn nachos
This nacho tray bake might be the greatest Mexican dish of all time! Just go heavy on the corn, sour cream and greenery to make you feel better about its 3am postprandial decadence. Vegans: use melty vegan cheese and mash two avocados with the lime juice to make a creamy ‘mole’, says Matt Preston.
Mr Papadopoulos' lamb souva
For this recipe, George makes his own chips and pita bread, but store-bought versions are a great substitute.
Slice of chocolate with caramelised peanut ice-cream
Matt Preston credits three Michelin star chef, Brett Graham for this clever no-fail chocolate dessert.
Shannon Bennett's rib-eye with anchovy butter and roasted cauliflower
Adding Shannon Bennett's recipe for rib-eye with anchovy butter and roasted cauliflower to your repertoire can turn cooking weeknight dinners into a piece of cake.
Matt Preston's sashimi tuna with wasabi avocado
This Japanese-style sashimi tuna salad is best prepared as close to serving time as possible, so the nori sheet doesn’t lose it’s crunch. Adjust the wasabi based on personal preference.Matt Preston’s sashimi tuna with wasabi avocado
Matt Preston's Korean brisket and kimchi burger
Matt Preston loves street food. Here, he combines Korean kimchi with a timeless western classic: the humble burger. The result? A unique fusion of flavour.
Shannon Bennett's 15-minute prawn nage
Want good food on the table in the shortest amount of time with no waste? Shannon Bennett's 15-minute prawn nage will get you sorted.
Stavros peppers, feta, sherry vinegar, pine-nut crunch
This recipe is by MasterChef judge and restaurateur George Calombaris. He says: "We named these Stavros peppers because a man by the name of Stavros grows them for us in northern Queensland. In Greece you would find similar peppers in Florina, and I guess that’s where the idea for the dish comes from. It’s important that the peppers are cooked so they become nice and sweet."
Matt Preston's ice cream brioche rolls
Buttery brioche loaded with ice cream and topped with torched meringue is a surprisingly simple dessert with serious show stopping looks.
Ultimate cheese toastie
Just when you thought you didn’t need another reason to make a cheese toastie, Billie McKay goes and raises the bar.
Matt Preston's Egyptian rice pudding
Matt Preston looks back with this old-fashioned rice pudding.
Mayo-roasted chicken with Waldorf salad and tarragon
This mayo-roasted chicken with Waldorf salad and tarragon is a foolproof dinner for the whole family. It's quick, delicious and packed full of flavour.
George Calombaris' carrot tzatziki
"This dip is made with some pretty simple ingredients, but it is so important to roast your garlic before you use it. Roasting removes the astringent flavour that can be a little overpowering. There is nothing worse than going out for meal and tasting it again the next day, if you know what I mean." George Calombaris
Pasticcio croquettes
This recipe is by MasterChef judge and restaurateur George Calombaris. He explains: "I hate waste. My mother always taught me that you should never waste food. We are lucky to have it so we should always respect it. Chefs who throw food out get a yellow card from me and if they get a second it’s a red card, and you know what happens next. This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover pasticcio , if you have some. My preference is to use the panko crumbs here rather than regular breadcrumbs as they give the croquettes a nice crunchy coating."
Black buns with smoked trout
Matt Preston re-invents French pastry chef Gontran Cherrier's jet black buns in this strikingly different recipe. He give the buns an Aussie twist by filling it with trout, cream cheese and fresh cos lettuce.
Shannon Bennett's wild mushroom spaghetti
This wild mushroom spaghetti by Shannon Bennett is a quick and easy mid-week recipe guaranteed to please the entire family.
