Celebrity MasterChef is ostensibly a test of whether famous people can cook. Two heats into this year’s series, it has proved almost as useful at establishing what they cook when nobody is watching.
For Gladiators star Emily Steel, that began with the Thai cooking she knows from home. Her first signature dish – fillet steak marinated in soy and oyster sauce, with sticky rice, papaya salad and nam jim – contained enough heat to briefly deprive judge Grace Dent of feeling in her mouth. The flavours survived the assault. Steel went on to produce a chocolate brownie with salted caramel, black sesame praline and miso ice cream that Giorgio Locatelli called “faultless”, before securing a place in the semi-finals.
Former Royal Ballet dancer Eric Underwood had a less straightforward route. An attempt to cook at Locatelli’s pace left him floundering, before a return to the American soul food of his childhood transformed his fortunes. Scotch bonnet fried chicken with Parmesan mash and a chickpea pancake proved one of his strongest dishes, helping carry him into the quarter-final, where a troublesome red wine gravy eventually sent him home.
Mac and cheese, however, is rather more familiar territory. Underwood learnt to cook by watching his mother and remembers fried chicken, collard greens and mac and cheese as the first meal he made for his family. He has since declared that he “excels” at the latter – and, before entering MasterChef, said his dish for impressing friends would be his “famous mac and cheese”, perhaps with lobster. The version here makes good on the promise, pairing the two with four cheeses and hot honey cornbread.
And on Tuesday night another five celebrities enter the kitchen, among them YouTuber and comedian Max Fosh, who admits his culinary upbringing involved “a lot of beige food”. His chicken parmo – breaded chicken buried beneath tomato sauce, béchamel and Red Leicester, with garlic-salted chips – suggests he has not entirely abandoned the principle.
Here are three recipes from this year’s Celebrity MasterChef contestants, from Steel’s seriously fiery Thai steak to Underwood’s lobster-loaded comfort food and Fosh’s magnificently beige parmo.
Emily Steel’s Thai marinated fillet steak
open image in galleryServes: 2
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus overnight soaking and at least 2 hours marinating | Cook time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
For the sticky rice:
200g glutinous (sticky) rice
Cold water, for soaking
For the Thai marinated steak:
2 × 180-200g centre-cut fillet steaks
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp Thai thin soy sauce
2 tbsp Thai oyster sauce
2 tsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the nam jim sauce:
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp palm sugar
2 tbsp finely minced shallot
1 tbsp uncooked glutinous rice
2 bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped coriander
Pinch of crushed chilli flakes (optional)
For the papaya salad:
300g green papaya, peeled
1 garlic clove
2 bird’s eye chillies
25g palm sugar
2 tbsp Thai thin soy sauce
3 tbsp tamarind paste
Juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp fish sauce
35g roasted unsalted peanuts
To garnish:
Fresh coriander leaves
Lime wedges
Method:
1. Soak the rice: place the sticky rice into a bowl, cover generously with cold water and soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
2. Marinate the steak: crush the peppercorns and garlic into a paste using a pestle and mortar. Mix in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and vegetable oil. Lightly score the steaks, coat well in the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.
3. Cook the sticky rice: drain and rinse the rice. Steam in a muslin-lined bamboo or Thai steamer for 20–25 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking. Keep warm.
4. Make the nam jim: toast the uncooked rice in a dry pan until deep golden. Cool and grind to a coarse powder. Stir together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar until dissolved, then add the shallot, chillies, coriander and toasted rice powder. Add chilli flakes if desired.
5. Make the papaya salad: shred the papaya. Pound the garlic and chillies into a rough paste, then add the palm sugar. Stir in the soy sauce, tamarind paste, lime juice and fish sauce. Fold through the papaya and peanuts, gently bruising the salad as you mix.
6. Cook the steaks: pat the steaks dry. Heat a heavy frying pan until smoking hot. Sear for 2 minutes on the first side, then turn every 30 seconds until cooked to your preferred doneness (around 6–7 minutes total for medium-rare). Rest for 8–10 minutes before slicing.
7. Serve: mould the sticky rice into bowls and turn out onto plates. Slice the steak, serve with the papaya salad and Nam Jim in a small dipping bowl. Garnish with coriander and lime wedges.
Max Fosh’s chicken parmo with garlic and salted crisps
open image in galleryServes: 2
Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
For the garlic and salted chips:
3 large Maris Piper potatoes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of MSG (optional)
For the béchamel sauce:
25g salted butter
25g plain flour
250ml whole milk, warmed
40g Parmesan, finely grated
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the tomato sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tbsp tomato purée
150ml passata
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
Pinch of sugar (optional)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the chicken parmo:
2 chicken breasts
75g plain flour
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of MSG (optional)
2 eggs, beaten
120g panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
100g Red Leicester, grated
Method:
1. Prepare the oven and chips: preheat the oven to 200C conventional (180C fan). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Peel and cut the potatoes into chunky chips, rinse under cold water, dry thoroughly, then toss with the oil and a generous pinch of salt. Spread in a single layer and roast for 35-40 minutes, turning halfway, until crisp and golden.
2. Make the béchamel: melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes until it resembles wet sand. Gradually whisk in the warm milk until smooth. Cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, then stir through the Parmesan and nutmeg. Season and leave to cool slightly.
3. Make the tomato sauce: heat the olive oil, gently cook the garlic for 30 seconds, stir in the tomato purée, then add the passata, oregano and basil. Season, adding a pinch of sugar if needed, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare the chicken: flatten the chicken breasts to about 1cm thick. Season the flour, place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into separate bowls, then coat each breast in flour, egg and breadcrumbs, pressing firmly for an even coating.
5. Fry the chicken: heat 2cm of oil in a frying pan to 170-180C. Fry the chicken for 2–3 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
6. Assemble the parmos: place the chicken on an oven tray. Spread with tomato sauce, spoon over the béchamel and finish with the grated Red Leicester. Bake for 10-12 minutes until bubbling, then grill for 2-3 minutes for extra colour if desired.
7. Finish the chips: season the hot chips with the garlic powder, extra salt and MSG if using, tossing well to coat.
8. Serve the Chicken Parmos immediately with the garlic and salted chips and a crisp salad or creamy coleslaw.
Eric Underwood’s lobster mac’n’cheese
open image in galleryServes: 2
Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
For the lobster mac and cheese:
2 small lobster tails (or 1 large lobster tail)
180g elbow macaroni
300ml whole milk
30g salted butter
1 egg
½ tsp white wine vinegar
60g Gruyère, grated
60g mild Cheddar, grated
40g Manchego, grated
30g Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra for topping
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the hot honey cornbread:
120g fine cornmeal
45g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 egg
120ml buttermilk
½ tsp white wine vinegar
40g salted butter, melted
10g unsalted butter (for greasing)
100g runny honey
½ Scotch bonnet chilli
For the garlic butter extra fine beans:
200g extra fine green beans
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
30g salted butter
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped parsley
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 190C fan (210C conventional/Gas Mark 7). Lightly butter a small ovenproof baking dish for the macaroni cheese. Grease a small cast-iron skillet or baking tin for the cornbread with the unsalted butter and place it in the oven while it heats. A hot pan gives the cornbread crisp, golden edges.
2. Prepare the lobster: using sturdy kitchen scissors, cut along the underside of each lobster tail and remove the meat in one piece. Cut into bite-sized chunks and refrigerate until needed. Reserve the shells to flavour the milk.
3. Infuse the milk: place the lobster shells, milk and butter into a saucepan. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing the shells to extract every drop. Leave to cool until warm, not hot.
4. Make the hot honey: warm the honey and Scotch bonnet over a very low heat for 10-15 minutes without boiling. Remove the chilli and set aside.
5. Make the cornbread: mix the dry ingredients together. In a second bowl whisk together the buttermilk, egg, vinegar and melted butter. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Pour into the hot greased pan and bake for 18-22 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
6. Cook the pasta: cook the macaroni in well-salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain well.
7. Assemble the mac and cheese: whisk together the egg, vinegar and warm lobster-infused milk. Stir in the Gruyère, Cheddar, Manchego and half the Parmesan. Season with black pepper. Fold in the pasta and lobster pieces, transfer to the baking dish and top with the remaining Parmesan. Bake for 18-20 minutes until bubbling and golden. Finish with chopped parsley.
8. Cook the beans: blanch the beans in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes. Melt the butter, gently cook the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the lemon juice. Toss the beans in the garlic butter, parsley and seasoning.
9. To serve: allow the macaroni cheese and cornbread to rest for 2-3 minutes. Cut the cornbread into wedges, drizzle generously with the hot honey and serve with the garlic butter beans.
Celebrity MasterChef continues on Tuesday 1 September at 9pm on BBC One, with the next heat airing on Wednesday at 9pm and the quarter-final on Friday at 8pm. Episodes are also available on BBC iPlayer.