Ash Mair – Masterchef Pro 2011’s worthy Champion

Lo, the judgely tastebuds have had their say, and Ash Mair was revealed as Professional Masterchef 2011, as many expected.

He also did it in style, with another round of exquisite yet somehow hearty food that showcased the ingredients as much as it showcased his own skill. Merging often delicate Michelin star standard cooking and presentation with a plate of serious substance seems to be an elusive skill, yet Ash manages to pull it off time and time again.

I’m told that look on his face isn’t angst, it’s concentration and grim determination to pull it off.

But, I think it was a close call, as all three finalists pulled the stops out to make an amazing three courses.

I loved the look of Claire‘s smoked pigeon – getting the cooking and smokiness just right must have taken some serious timing and judgement. It’s something I’d have happily ordered in a restaurant. Great looking chocolate and coffee marquise for dessert as well, that would have tied with Ash’s “Spanish pain perdu”. Even though choc and cherries are a classic combo, Claire is clearly clueful when it comes to what works with pastry – just think of that lime cheesecake and bitter chocolate sorbet she did! Sadly, I wouldn’t have touched the oysters – they just aren’t my cup of tea, unadventurous prole that I am.

Steve‘s starter of confit salmon was right up my street, and the duck with braised chicory got my mouth watering. But his dessert – an abstracted peach melba – looked a lot on the plate, a bit too cluttered.

If I’d have walked into a restaurant and been presented with a menu composed of the dishes from all three finalists, I’d have had a tough time choosing – especially for main course!

Ash has been commenting on Twitter about the whirlwind which he now finds swirling around him, and it’s not just the howling south-westerlies we’ve been having earlier this week: He was on BBC Breakfast with Michel Roux Jr this morning, and I don’t know if it was just his laid-back Aussie style, but he still seemed almost stunned!

While Ash is the worthy Champion, the other two are still winners: Hopefully Steve is now on the road to his ambition of a small country house hotel with fantastic food, and as for Claire, I think the world’s her oyster. Just as long as I don’t have to eat any.

Update – 24th Jan 2012:

A lot of the searches which hit this page are wondering where to find Ash so you can go and eat his food. From this recent tweet it seems like he’s off to Barcelona to consult for a restaurant there. So, it may be a bit longer. There is a basque restaurant opening up in London, but so far, Ash doesn’t seem to be associated with it.

The other frequent search term landing here is for Claire’s chocolate sorbet. Sadly, it looks like that recipe is a secret known only to Claire, and now Michel Roux Jr. But, a selection of Claire’s recipes from Masterchef (including the rather good looking chocolate moelleux) can be found on the BBC Food recipe database, along with selected dishes from the other finalists.