Many MasterChef fans were a bit taken aback earlier this month when a former judge put the reality competition show on blast. Michelin-starred chef Marco Pierre White, who has worked as a judge on several versions of the show, called the series “a fantasy” and said the dishes often sit three or four hours before the judges even get a chance to taste them.
Not surprisingly, his quotes to The Daily Mirror caused quite a stir amongst those who weren’t familiar with the judging process. As a huge MasterChef fan, I was personally a little taken aback too. I knew there was a delay as production changed set-ups, but the multi-hour break was still a surprise to hear. I mean, how are you supposed to properly judge food that’s not been sitting that long? Well, upon further review, it’s actually more complicated than that.
Kelsey Murphy, who won Season 11 MasterChef: Legends, did an interview with her local Fox affiliate following her victory, and she clarified how the process works. You know how we’re shown the judges wandering around and talking to the contestants and examining their food after the cook is over? Sometimes we see them try a sauce or take little bites here or there. Well, apparently, that process continues after the cameras stop rolling.
The judges apparently go through more thoroughly and try everything that’s available without the contestants present. They take a look at the finished product, talk amongst themselves and use their experience as chefs to figure out what was cooked properly and what wasn’t. Afterwards, all the food is taken to be photographed. The cameras are repositioned and the judges try the food on camera a few hours later, at which point it’s, of course, cold.
It’s obviously not a perfect judging system, but within the confines of reality television, that’s definitely not the worst system I’ve ever seen. Besides, as a fan actually watching the show, it’s pretty obvious by looking at the dishes and watching people cook who should be at or near the top and who should be at or near the bottom. It’s not like Top Chef where most of the food is properly prepared and they’re judging world class chefs based on minor flavor differences. In Gordon Ramsay's world, a lot of times people are going home because they didn’t properly poach an egg or their chicken is quite clearly underdone.
If you haven’t been watching this season of MasterChef, I’d highly recommend getting on it, as it's back after the hiatus. In the latest of several new wrinkles, the contestants have been divided into teams based on their ancestry, and it’s been really fun watching everyone talk about the dishes they grew up eating with their families. You can check out new episodes on Fox, which are airing as part of the TV schedule on Wednesday nights.
