Aussie cooks grilled as show goes Down Under

Victoria Guild considers whether an Australian version of a popular British reality cooking show measures up.

If you've ever watched an episode of Masterchef, you would know the immense pressure these amateur cooks are under to produce dishes good enough to get them through to the next stage.

The dishes don't just have to be good, they have to be excellent. As well, the judges have to sense a spark within the contestant - that extra little something that will see them worthy of the title of masterchef.

The most recent winner was New Zealand-born Mat Follas who, in the finals, produced dishes that were simply stunning.

Until now, we've seen the British series of Masterchef, Masterchef Goes Large and Celebrity Masterchef, but this week saw the launch of Masterchef Australia. Already it looks like a different kettle of fish.

There are three judges two chefs and a food critic and a host, similar to what we find on the American show Top Chef.

Auditions were held around Australia for 50 places in the semifinals, and 2500 turned up in New South Wales alone.

Contestants had an hour in the preparation kitchen, then five minutes to impress the three judges with their passion and their ability.

The auditions resembled an Idol format, with contestants needing two "yes" votes to get through. As is often the case in Idol, this format allowed the inclusion of a few kooks, and others with interesting tricks to try to get noticed.

Reece, from Canberra, hoped to wow the judges with his unicycling ability, but adding chilli sauce to a creamy fettucine dish soon saw him told to get on his bike. There was a mix of good home cooks, pretentious wannabes and people crumbling under the pressure.

One contestant who knew all about pressure was former pro-golfer Lucas Parsons. The judges were sceptical about how much he really wanted to be a masterchef, and really grilled him on his dish of Singapore chilli mud crab. But this guy had played alongside Tiger Woods - and beaten him - and the crab was a hole-in-one.

Michelle was asked why she came on Masterchef, and she gave probably the best answer so far: "I don't want to think I'm the best, I wanna know."

The judges gave some contestants a second chance - particularly those with an ethnic background who had attempted a dish that didn't represent their culture.

The contestants were sent home to mum to get some ingredients and prove whether or not they could cook. It was thumbs up for one, but not even the hummus was good enough for the other.

Already this week we have seen thousands whittled down to 50, then 50 whittled down to 44. It'll be interesting to see the format the show takes from here.

Certainly the big warehouse kitchen is impressive, and some of the dishes served up look to have the goods. I just hope they don't lose the essence of what makes the United Kingdom version so good.

Already each show is just over an hour long (compared with the UK's 40 minutes). The judges need to be critical but encouraging, the food needs to be inspiring, and most of all the contestants need to be keen, competent cooks with a burning passion to be the best. A warning: Masterchef can become addictive.

ONE TO WATCH: Marcus Lush finds remarkable characters, interesting stories and stunning scenery as he continues his deeply personal journey around Southland (South, Sunday, 7pm, TV One). This week he tells the story of the Manapouri dam the workers, where they lived and the tales they told.

- © Fairfax NZ News