It’s episode 50 and the Grand Finale of MasterChef Australia 2023 and the winner has finally been crowned!
Over 49 episodes, the two finalists, Brent Draper and Rhiannon Anderson, have conquered every challenge imaginable, facing off against professionals and being inspired by culinary legends as they have learnt and grown as cooks.
Brent’s son Alfie (who said he missed Mcdonald’s over his dad’s cooking), his wife Shonleigh and his mum and dad, Mandy and David, were on hand to cheer him on.
Rhianno’s husband Deano, daughter Monique and two step-kids were also introduced.
However, before we got to which contestant walked away with the grand prize, here’s what happened during the MasterChef Australia 2023 Grand Final, which saw the final decider fought across two rounds.
The Challenges
In round one, judges Andy Allen, Melissa Leong, and Jock Zonfrillo (in his final episode before his passing) each presented a challenge to the finalists. A mystery box, a secret challenge, or an ingredient. Both Rhiannon and Brent had the power to remove one challenge, ultimately leaving them with a single task.
In round two, the finalists had to face a final Pressure Test challenge to recreate an intricate dish set by global superstar guest chef, Amaury Guichon, who joined the MasterChef kitchen for the very first time.
The cook who amassed the most points scored across the two rounds won the coveted trophy, claiming $250,000 in prize money and the title of MasterChef Australia winner, 2023!
Round One
Brent decided to get rid of Jock’s secret ingredient which turned out to be green ants and Rhiannon chose to turn down Andy’s Mystery Box. This meant they would be cooking Mel’s secret challenge – a dish that tells a story.
“A dish that tastes good is one thing, but a meaningful dish is even better,” Mel said.
With 75 minutes on the clock and 30 points on offer, it was time to cook!
Rhiannon decided to honour her mum and her growth in the competition. Choosing to cook a Crispy Pork Belly with Asian Style Caramel, something that represented both time spent with her late mother and how far she’d come.
Brent decided to tell his story about re-joining the competition after leaving due to mental health reasons during his first season. He decided to reimagine his first dish in the 2023 competition and began cooking a Tamarind Glazed Pork Chop.
With no hiccups, apart from the judge’s concern over Rhiannon cooking the pork belly in the fryer. It was time for judging.
But before that, there was this:
Brent’s dish was the first to be tasted. He cooked a Pork Chop with Tamarind Ketchup Glaze, Roasted Cabbage and Salsa.
Jock said he was “buying the story for a whole host of reasons” saying that he knew “exactly where you were” in the past and how far he’d come. He called it “blindingly perfect” and Mel called the pork “sweet and succulent” and the sauce had depth. Meanwhile, Andy gave him a round of applause.
Next up was Rhiannon with her Crispy Pork Belly, Citrus Caramel, Fennel and Orange Salad and Crispy Shallots.
Andy commended her for bringing the best-looking plate she’d ever delivered and said it was cooked really nicely and the sauce was “really interesting”. His only negative was that there wasn’t enough sauce.
Mel said the story she told was “one of the tropics” and the sauce “sung of sunshine”, but “most importantly it was a dish of love.”
Jock then said Rhiannon’s mum Sue “is very proud”, just as they were and said it was “very smart”.
Round One — Points
Rhiannon
- Jock – 8/10
- Andy – 9/10
- Mel – 8/10
Total: 25/30
Brent
- Jock – 10/10
- Andy – 10/10
- Mel – 9/10
Total: 29/30
Round Two – The Cook
Brent and Rhiannon’s last cook in the kitchen was set by Chef Amaury, who set them one of his most difficult creations ever.
“Have you gone easy on them?” Jock asked, to which Chef Amaury said: “No”.
It was a Pocket Watch made of dessert and just look at this thing!
“I hope we don’t have to make that,” Rhiannon said. Spoiler alert! They did indeed have to make that.
The dessert was all about coffee and chocolate. It was composed of sugar work and chocolate work with a double choc chip cookie entremet, a chocolate hazelnut financier, chocolate cremeaux plus a chocolate mousse and chocolate glaze. But the hardest part? A sugar dome.
Brent and Rhiannon had five hours and 45 minutes to complete the cook with a total possible score of forty at the end of the challenge.
Brent was concerned that he wasn’t a dessert guy and that he hadn’t been in a Pressure Test before; hitting the first hurdle with his caramel which seized during the cook. However, he managed to save it.
Then, Rhiannon struggled with her mousse, pouring extra cream in and with three hours on the clock, she had to… you guessed it! “MOTOR!”
While Amaury said tempering chocolate was a “quick job” (lol), Rhiannon found it a little difficult but managed to complete the task; with Brent powering through making a glossy glaze. He also managed to get through the “scary dip”, sticking a knife into the dessert and dipping it into the sauce.
Rhiannon on the other hand, poured the wrong sauce on the top of hers, with the gantry freaking out…
Amaury then told her how to fix her error, telling her to double dip which wasn’t what the recipe ordered. She then managed to de-mould the chocolate crown without any issues.
While Rhiannon began on her sugar work, she seemed to be creating a faultless bubble…until it cracked. The stress!! While she had to start over, Brent pulled out the perfect dome.
Rhiannon, feeling deflated, struggled once again, not sure how to proceed.
“I need Rhiannon back right now,” Jock told her. “This is the Grand Finale…chirpy Rhiannon. Let’s go!”
And do you know what? It worked. She pulled out a gorgeous and clear dome.
Brent; however, hit a roadblock. He overheated his sugar and it deflated. Unfortunately, with 30 minutes on the clock, he didn’t have time to create another one. He was also concerned about some of his chocolate work.
With 15 minutes left, Rhiannon was ready to assemble the clock face, realising she had a crack in her entremet, but her sugar dome looked fabu!
Brent’s sugar dome was a little disjointed and he once again became worried he’d really “stuffed it up” and was “devastated”.
“You can do it, dad!” Alfie called from the gantry as Brent realised his mistake and went to fix it.
Finally, their last cook for MasterChef Australia 2023 was over.
Round Two – The Judging
Rhiannon was stoked; however, Brent was overcome with emotion.
First up to the judges was Brent who spoke about his journey. While his sugar dome didn’t impress, it did snap, which they liked.
Amaury said overall Brent did a great job and the flavour was close to his, calling it “sexy”. Jock said he came away with a dish that ate really well and he couldn’t be prouder.
Mel said the “theatre” was great and Andy said the “construction” is what made it.
Rhiannon was up next, delivering her Pocket Watch to the four awaiting judges.
They said that it looked more “vintage” than Amaury’s, which was hilarious and very diplomatic.
Amaury said the texture was “all over the place” with Andy saying the biggest mistake was the chocolate dip before the glaze. Amaury then said the flavour was good and it was “still a win”.
Jock agreed, saying everything was all there and the flavour was within “10%” of Amaury’s while Mel also noted that the texture made it lose its “joy”.
Round Two — Scoring
Rhiannon
- Jock – 8/10
- Andy – 7/10
- Mel – 6/10
- Amaury – 6/10
Total: 27/40
Overall: 52/70
Brent
- Jock – 9/10
- Andy – 8/10
- Mel – 8/10
- Amaury – 9/10
Total: 34/40
Overall: 63/70
The WINNER of MasterChef Australia 2023 is crowned!
After an incredible cook, it was time to announce the winner. As expected, Brent was named the victor with a grand total of 63 out of 70.
He won $250k, while Rhiannon walked away with $40k and our boy Declan Cleary was given $10k as the third-place holder.
Congratulations to Brent Draper, winner of MasterChef Australia 2023!
The season ended with the most stunning tribute to Jock Zonfrillo, sharing his mentorship, his cheeky nature and of course, his love of food.
Ending with, “Give it up for Jock Zonfrillo”, it was an emotional yet beautiful end to the season.
Author’s note: Chattr would also like to acknowledge Judge Jock Zonfrillo and his incredible MasterChef Australia legacy. He was an effervescent talent that will be greatly missed by fans across the country.
Stream all episodes of MasterChef Australia 2023 on 10Play.
Want to CHATTR with us? Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for more entertainment news.