GourmetGuys

Samantha Nolan continues to dominate the MasterChef kitchen.

Samantha made quick work of her competitors in the taste test with a third round knock out blow as she confidently stepped forward to the Star Anise for her choice in the taste test. The contest had already seen Deena Naidoo taken out at the first hurdle as he, to his complete embarrassment, declared that 99.9% of all curries are made with Ghee. The curry they were tasting was an Indonesian Rendang which traditionally consists of caramelised beef and is rich in spices. What no doubt threw Deena is the that fact that although it is called a curry, Rendang is technically not a curry at all.

Samantha and fellow Cape Cabal members, Sarel Loots and Sue-Anne Allen made their way to the peanut oil along with Khaya Silingile. This caused some confusion amongst the majority who had headed straight for the Ghee with Ilse in particular a little puzzled. Seeing her Red Team compatriots choosing the peanut oil seemed to make her wish that she had held back a bit before making a final decision.

In round two it was Khaya who found herself all alone in front of the Asafoetida, also known as “devils dung”, “stinking gum” and oddly enough “food of the gods”. It is the dried gum from tap roots and originates in Afghanistan. It has a pungent, unpleasant smell when raw, but in cooked dishes, it delivers a smooth flavour,similar to leeks.

In the third round Samantha cleaned up as Sue-Ann and Sarel went for for cloves while it was the Star Anise that would have seen them stay in the mini competition and choose the main ingredient for the curry challenge.

In 2011 CNN International  held an online poll and 35,000 people  chose Rendang as the number one dish of their ‘World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods’ list.

Related:

Beef Rendang Recipe

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