MasterChef final trio reveal their recipe for success

Just 10 weeks ago there were 16 chefs hoping to roast, bake — and the new must-do, “sous-vide” — their way to the title of MasterChef Ireland champion.

With just three left, tonight sees the first of two episodes which will culminate tomorrow with the winner being crowned.

The finalists cook individually in one-star Michelin restaurants in London before travelling to Stockholm to cook together in a two-star establishment. Then it is back to the MasterChef kitchen for the final push.

This year’s final has a distinctly international feel.

Nisha (Nichaphat) Maguire, 35, is originally from Thailand but has been in Ireland for 11 years. The mother-of-three lives in Navan, Co Meath, where she runs her own business.

Tamarin Blackmur, 42, is originally from South Africa, but has been living here for the past five years. Based in Whitehall, Dublin, she is a PMO co-ordinator for a software company.

The third finalist, Terry Lyons, is a 36-year-old from Mayo. The former telecommunications engineer lives in Dublin.

Throughout the course of this second series, there have been tears, tantrums, and triumphs for the various contestants but one of the most striking differences compared to last season is the level of brutal honesty from judges Nick Munier and Dylan McGrath.

“Any criticism is hard to take no matter who it is coming from,” said Tamarin. “I think they were hard enough but I think we really valued their opinion.

“Sometimes we did not like what we heard and it was upsetting but we got over it because they were right in what they were saying and were only trying to help us.”

Terry said he believed the two judges were harsher than other versions around the world. “But every bit of feedback I have had, I have taken it onboard and it has made me stronger for the next task,” he said.

As well as the criticism, all three contestants found the delays were one of the hardest parts of the show.

“The toughest part would be the waiting around,” said Nicha. “It is a long day. You are on edge all the time, nervous because you don’t know what is going to happen on the day.”

For Terry it was the time between turning off the hob and facing the judges. “The toughest part for me was waiting for the feedback because that could take three or four hours from the time you actually finished cooking your dish, and then you might have to wait for everybody else to get their feedback before you got yours,” he said.

So what advice would the finalists have for future contestants?

“Calmness is a key. Stay focused. Practice,” said Nicha. “A lot of people hope that they will learn a lot. You don’t learn that much until you get deeper into the rounds of the competition. If you want to stay in longer than others you have to be well prepared.”

Tamarin said one must not lose sight of the fact it is a television show. “You have to take the good with the bad.”

And unsurprisingly for Terry, given the feedback he received during some of the middle rounds, it is trying to cook from the heart. “Show a bit of flare and passion rather than reverting back to a recipes and notes. If I was doing it again I would try to be more myself. The last two weeks have gone well for me when I was cooking from my heart.”