Tamarin cooks up a storm on ‘MasterChef’

After 10 weeks of blanching, boiling, and trying not to burn, Tamarin Blackmur has been crowned MasterChef Ireland champion.

In last night’s final episode, the 35-year-old, who is originally from South Africa but has been living here for the past five years, wowed judges Nick Munier and Dylan McGrath with her three-course menu.

Tamarin, who lives in Dublin and works as a PMO co-ordinator for a software company, took a risk by cooking a starter that was almost entirely made from corn.

Despite its relative simplicity, McGrath said it was a dish “full of flavour” that the cook had brought alive.

Munier enthused about the flavour and colour of Tamarin’s main course of poached cod cheeks with salt-baked potatoes, browned butter, and garlic berries.

McGrath said that in her dessert of goat’s milk ice-cream, praline crumble, poached rhubarb, rhubarb jelly, vanilla oil, and celery shavings, she had produced something that “eats very well”.

Overall, he said her food “truly speaks for itself”, adding: “The talent behind the menu is very evident.”

The South African had highs and lows throughout the competition but had impressed the judges in latter rounds.

The outcome was a disappointment for fellow finalists Nicha (Nichapat) Maguire, who is originally from Thailand but now lives in Navan, and Terry Lyons, who is originally from Mayo but now lives in Dublin.

The judges appeared to be disappointed with Nicha’s food as she had been one of the frontrunners throughout the competition but appeared to stutter at the final hurdle.

After being declared the winner, in front of a crowd which included her mother who had travelled from South Africa, an emotional Tamarin said: “I worked so hard for this. I am just in shock that I have won but I am so happy.”