MasterChef: The Finalists

Larkin I don’t know why I love cooking so much. I could easily cook all day every day for the rest of my life. As a nipper, I used to watch cooking programmes back to back for hours on end. Despite this, owing to the commitment needed from my job as a solicitor, cooking took a place on the backburner and, strangely, before MasterChef I rarely cooked. However, that passion never died and I still day-dreamed, on a daily basis, about new dishes and concepts. I applied for MasterChef to see what I could achieve if pushed to the very limit. My Guinea Fowl and Lobster Smoked Paella with Citrus Air (page 139) is an example of that.

I came up with the idea on the train back from the masscatering challenge. I had a week to learn how to perfect a paella and to get the balance right between the smoke and the citrus.

I would finish work and dash home to cook until the early hours and going into that showstopper round I still had a few tweaks to make. However, on the day I knew I had nailed it and I couldn’t contain myself as a result. I improved so much during the competition but also learned that I still had a lot to learn.

However, it has only made me want it more. I handed in my notice at work, and I am forging ahead to pursue a career in food I always dreamed of.

I was over the moon to be asked to write new recipes for this MasterChef cookbook. I think these dishes further reflect my personality and background: from The Triple Crown (page 106), which is a play on a ‘rugby boy delicacy’ and a nod to American fast food, to a Slow-cooked Beef Brisket (page 121) inspired by my childhood. For the Asian-themed dishes, it may take a trip to your local Chinese market or an online supplier, but it will be well worth it: the flavours are simply incomparable. Happy cooking!