Billie McKay won MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favorites after three tumultuous months in the kitchen. She received the $250,000 prize money and made competition history by becoming the first person to win it twice (she won Season 7 in 2015). After having to take a sabbatical when she gave birth to her daughter Ada in 2020, like many new mothers, McKay recently stated that competing this season allowed her to rediscover her passion for cooking.
After winning the competition in 2015, McKay spent six months working at the Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant owned by British celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal before returning home and returning to her family's dairy farm. "After that, I matured, got hitched, and had Ada. I had just been enjoying working on the farm and living on a farm. She recently spoke with Refinery29 Australia. "But I always knew how much I liked cooking and wanted to work in food," she said. But it didn't actually occur. I was in love with the farm but had no idea how to get there, she said. She's thrilled to be back in the culinary industry as a result of her reality TV comeback. "I know that seems cliché and a little dull, but it's true", She remarked, "I'm forever grateful for that. I know it sounds cliche and a little dull, but it has really made me fall back in love with cooking and given me a bit more of a direction now”.
The contenders had to be inventive and quick in the kitchen during this year's finale's two rounds, while previously eliminated contestants and family members watched from the gantry. Sarah Todd came in second place, but the judges still gave her a prize of $30,000. In the first round, Billie and Sarah had a choice of a mystery box, a recipe they had to follow, or a cloche containing one or two random ingredients that had to be used in their dish. The two decided to follow the instructions and prepare a dinner that was both savoury and sweet.
The judges Jock Zonfrillo, Melissa Leong, and Andy Allen enjoyed Sarah's Sticky Wingettes with Sweet and Savoury Gravy, which she prepared. Jock remarked, "Very brave to do chicken wings in the finale." "You have given them luxury by what you did. The fact that you can still taste the chicken wings and that it is white, clean, and fresh makes it one of the finest things about this”.The first round saw her earn 26 out of 30. Cumin Panna Cotta with Rosemary and Rhubarb was prepared by Billie, who is well renowned for her inventive sweets. Sadly, her panna cotta wasn't properly set. The panna cotta is really more like a thick custard, according to Jock. Melissa chose to compliment Billie on other aspects of the meal instead of saying, "That's a really tough pill to swallow, but the flavours are really sound". "My final taste sensation right now is the honeycomb. Although it wasn't sticky at all, it was really crunchy "said she. "Furthermore, it just departs with a delightful fragrance of sweetness and a touch of spice. A great deal of expertise is required to balance. Very clever, in fact."
In the first round, she received a 21/30 rating. The contestants have five hours and fifteen minutes to recreate Heston Blumenthal's famous Taffety Tart as part of the second-round challenge. After plating hers first, Sarah was the first to serve the dessert.
Jock tasted Sarah's creation and declared, "First of all, I think she's done an excellent job." He pointed to Heston and said, "The fluid gel, texture and flavour, is as wonderful as yours."
There are many pros here, said Andy in his mixed review. I'm going to jump right to the drawbacks, though. Is the loose ice cream going to let Billie in because she didn't book-fold the pastry as neatly as she could have, or what? he wondered.
Sarah received a 7 from Andy, a 7 from Heston, an 8 from Jock, and a 10 from Melissa. As a result, the final score was 30 out of 40 for this round and 56 out of 60 overall.
After struggling to perfect every component during the cook, Billie was ready to serve her rendition. Melissa tasted it and added, "I think when you're five points down, you can either declare defeat right then and then or you can push." "She has no desire to give in. Everything is present, perfect, and there. layers that are quite clear, and lovely textures."
Andy continued, "I think it's safe to say that Billie's meal is better than good. Is it excellent enough to make up those five points? is the key question. Billie received a 9 from Heston for her dessert, a 9 from Andy and Jock, and a 9 from Melissa for a total of 37 points in this round, crowning her the champion of MasterChef 2022.