Harry Foster’s Rockpool dish on MasterChef looked like something out of a Michelin starred restaurant, but unfortunately it ended up being the dish that sent the 25-year-old home.
The Queensland chef had too many flavours fighting on the plate and became the fourth person to be eliminated, but in a chat with Now To Love Harry reveals the behind-the-scenes secrets of the show including the hectic filming schedule plus, why the experience was “about a thousand times harder” the second time around.
Harry’s dish of poached, dashi glazed and torched lobster tail with lobster coral cream and granny smith apple ribbons was a feast for the eyes.
(Image: Network Ten)Now To Love: We thought your Rockpool dish looked the most incredible, are you pleased you went out with a bang?
Yeah, you and the rest of Australia! I could not have done better – I could have done differently but for that challenge and that dish, I couldn’t have done better.
I guess I hit the mark on presentation but I could have done something differently like a super delicious fried chicken – you can’t lose on fried chicken! That’s the kind of food I was cooking whereas the dish I cooked last night was quite complex, it was very over-the-top and fancy and showy. I think that’s my downfall – I tried to make it too fancy to stick to the brief but it wasn’t authentic to me.
“The challenges, the expectation and the judges’ critique was all on another level.”
(Image: Network Ten)This is your second time back on MasterChef, how does the pressure and intensity compare to last time?
It was about a thousand times harder. The challenges, the expectation and the judges’ critique was all on another level. Of course that’s what it has to be because it’s the All Stars season but it was so full on.
What were the new judges like with their critique compared to Gary, George and Matt?
I really liked the judges’ enthusiasm and passion, it’s refreshing to have new judges but I don’t think their critique was particularly different. All of their critique is authenticity based so everything they say is usually pretty genuine. It’s not manufactured and they’re sticking to their own personal beliefs and judgements.
“It was about a thousand times harder,” Harry said of his second stint on the show.
(Image: Network Ten)You mentioned on Instagram that you were exhausted from the previous challenge so what does a typical day look like for a MasterChef contestant? How long does filming go for?
The days can be massive. Sometimes we’ll start at 5.30am and finish at 8pm, a 14 or 15 hour day isn’t that unusual so the days are pretty full on. There’s a bit of downtime in between for filming periods but it’s a weird beast because we’ll film for 12 hours of the day and then you only get 15 minutes of television in an episode.
We’ve seen some massive players leave the competition early on. Are you happy with the amount of time you had on-air?
I mean I would’ve liked to have stayed longer but that’s the way the cookie crumbles really. You can be an incredible cook, you can have your own TV show or book or restaurant however you’re only as good as the dish you put up on the day.
WATCH BELOW: MasterChef‘s Ben Milbourne reveals what he’s learned during his second time on the show. Post continues after video…
Who would you love to see take the title this year?
Absolutely Tessa. She’s a fellow Queenslander, she is the queen of seafood and she is just really knowledgable – she knows her stuff. She’s not afraid to get into it and I really appreciate her actually.
COVID 19’s affected all of us but especially those in the hospitality industry. How has life changed over the last few months?
It’s been a crazy ride. Since I finished filming the show I was up in Noosa working on Makepeace Island and I was there for a good six-eight weeks and then COVID hit and of course it being a hospitality business we had to close. I had nothing, I had to go down to the Gold Coast for a few days and spend some time with my parents at their place and now I’m out at central NSW with my partner. It’s honestly been wild.
Harry would love fellow Queenslander Tessa to win this season.
(Image: Network Ten)So what’s next for you post MasterChef?
I’m making an online series on YouTube called Off The Beaten Coast and it’s essentially going to be about my nature adventures that I normally do except I’m going to film it now.
I’m going to take people to catch and cook – we’ll catch fish, go spear-fishing, catching lobsters and mud-crabs and then cooking them up on the beach.
Fancy learning how to cook fresh seafood with Harry?
(Image: Instagram @0ffthebeatencoast)Hungry for more MasterChef 2020 content? Check out the links below:
Grab your aprons! We finally know when this season of MasterChef Australia is kicking off
Meet the MasterChef Australia contestants for 2020
Meet the new judges for MasterChef Australia Season 12
MasterChef Australia: Where are the past winners now?
MasterChef behind the scenes secrets: What happens to all the leftover food will shock you!
Is MasterChef real or fake? The answer will surprise you
MasterChef contestants will bank HOW MUCH by going on the show?! The answer will shock you
