MasterChef returned on Thursday night with the first quarter-final of series 22, and fans were left scratching their heads over one particular challenge. The show, which sees celebrated chef Anna Haugh and restaurant critic Grace Dent take over from Gregg Wallace and John Torode as judges, tests 48 of the country's best amateur cooks with an array of spectacular challenges.
Pancake and Salad Challenges
In Thursday's episode, the first challenge tasked amateur home cooks with creating pancakes using fresh produce. However, it was the second challenge that left viewers baffled. Legendary food critic Jay Rayner joined as a special guest and set a seemingly simple task: make a salad. Rayner explained, 'The challenge I've set you sounds very simple. I've asked you to make a salad. But we do not want a limp bowl of lettuce, we want structure, texture, we want a killer dressing... something that will rock us back on our feet.' The chefs were given 90 minutes to create their salads.
Viewer Reactions
Viewers took to social media to share their confusion. One person posted, '#masterchef A salad …, a salad, are you for real' while another wrote, 'Salad? Or a mix of things #MasterChef.' A fan referenced The Simpsons, joking, '#Masterchef You don't win friends with salad, you don't win friends with salad...' Another simply commented, 'A salad?! #MasterChef' and a different fan quipped, 'No good story ever started with 'I was having a salad and then'.'
Standout Salads
Despite the skepticism, contestants Jhané and Sabina impressed the judges with their creations. Jhané made a Thai-inspired salad with grilled pork, pork skin, sugar snap peas, lettuce, mint, fennel, and Thai basil, served with deep-fried rice paper and a lime sesame dressing. Jay praised it as 'clever' and said, 'This is exactly what I was hoping for when I set the salad challenge!' Sabina's 'harmony salad' featured spiced black pea falafel, gem lettuce, carrot, pomegranate, salted chicken skin, beetroot quail eggs, puffed rice, and curry leaves, with a confit garlic and mustard oil dressing. Jay called it 'amazing'.
Results
At the end of the show, Jhané and Sabina advanced to the next round, joined by fellow contestant Jim. Jay admitted, 'It was a tough challenge asking them to make a salad, some of them embraced it brilliantly!' MasterChef season 22 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
