Stars align for drama: MasterChef SA’s astrology challenge claims its 2nd victim

In the fourth cook-off in the current season of MasterChef South Africa, the 14 remaining contestants faced the challenge of creating dishes inspired by the judges’ star signs, all competing for the R1 million prize.

Astrology believers might see contestant Zak Ebrahim’s fate as predestined. The 46-year-old from Northriding, Johannesburg, was the second to exit after the intense final auditions.

Zak, a Libra, rated his dish an “8” and thought it deserved a top-three spot. But the judges placed it in the bottom three for being “unbalanced.”

Random draw decides judge assignments

At the beginning of the episode, the three MasterChef South Africa judges — Justine Drake, Chef Zola Nene, and Chef Katlego Mlambo — revealed their astrological signs. A deck of cards was then randomly determined for which judge each contestant would cook.

Justine, a fiery Aries, explained her love for spicy food, intense flavours, bold presentation, and lean protein. On the opposite side of the celestial spectrum, Zola and Katlego are water signs. Pisces Zola craves imaginative food and a Mediterranean diet, while Cancerian Katlego prefers home-cooked meals that evoke nostalgia and emotion.

Zak finds himself up for elimination

Zak drew the card for Cancer, meaning he would cook for Chef Katlego. He chose a dish that reminded him of family Sunday meals. Despite his heartfelt effort, his lamb knuckle with butter beans, mild curry, basmati rice, and honey-glazed roasted carrots fell short. Zak found himself up for elimination alongside Shreya Beekhum and Chanel Brink, both from Durban.

Chanel, a Leo, also cooked lamb in homage to Katlego’s star sign. Nevertheless, her ambitious lamb shank with tomato sauce, sautéed spinach, and amadumbe chips missed the mark. The amadumbe chips were particularly problematic, being hard and chewy.

Shreya, a Scorpio, cooked prawns for Zola, aligning with the chef’s Mediterranean preference. Her grilled prawns with a Mediterranean sauce, lemon and herb compound butter and bread looked appealing. However, the undercooked dish didn’t soak up enough sauce.

Nash bounces back with perfect steak and prawns

The judges favoured Zak’s dish the least. However, the dish didn’t absorb enough sauce. The carrots and rice, combined with insufficient seasoning, led to his elimination. Zola noted the dish needed more salt.

While Zak faced elimination, the youngest contestant, 20-year-old Bridget, triumphed with a West African-inspired dish for Justine. Her kingklip with Jollof risotto and chakalaka purée impressed the judges with its flavours, colours, and textures.

Nabila joined Bridget in the top three with another beautifully crafted dish. Nash redeemed himself with a well-executed steak and perfectly cooked prawns after a previous challenge mishap. Shreya and Tina, the previous challenge winner, did not fare as well this time.

*MasterChef South Africa Season 5 premieres on S3 (formerly SABC 3) on Saturdays at 19:30, with a rebroadcast on SABC 2 on Sundays at 18:30. S3 viewers can also watch it on Wednesdays at 18:00. The episodes are available on the SABC streaming app.

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