LONDON – A British-Pakistani woman has won the 2017 edition of prestigious cooking competition Masterchef in United Kingdom.
Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, a mother of one, wowed judges at the contest with her visually appealing and equally delicious platter in the final round to finally win the competition.
The 29 year old, who is a medical doctor from Waterford, has been cooking since the age of 12 and has also won School Chef on the Year competition at 15.
Judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode, impressed with her three-course final meal, called her dishes “extraordinarily good” and a “class act.”
Saliha competed with 64 cooks in the competition, finally winning the prize by beating competitors Giovanna Ryan and Steve Kielty in the final round.
Here are the dishes that were part of her final meal:
Venison shami kebab, with cashew and coriander green chutney, chana dal and a kachumbar salad, which she says is in memory of her grandmother’s house in Pakistan.
Kashmiri-style sous-vide duck breast, with crispy duck skin, spiced with dried barberries, walnuts and coriander, cherry chutney and a duck and cherry sauce.
Saffron rosewater and cardamom panna cotta, served with a deconstructed baklava with various condiments – a dessert she says was inspired by her childhood love of baklava.
