Inverness home cook makes finals of MasterChef with buttery biscuit base
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A home cook from Inverness has made the prestigious final round of MasterChef 2022 after surprising judges with a savoury dish.
Marketing consultant Sarah Rankin (47) was the only one of the remaining six competitors to not do a dessert in the last round of the semi-final heats.
The brief for one of the last cook-offs this series was inspired by the top 40 mash-up song Buttery Biscuit Bass which features clips of judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode on the show.
The song was released ten years ago and made it to number 37 in the charts.
While everyone else opted to go for a sweet - more in line with the lyrics of the song - Sarah went savoury.
She served up braised beef cheek with an oatmeal and chestnut brown butter crumble, buttery bone marrow mash, a deep fried potato nest, crumbed confit carrots and charred leeks with a horseradish emulsion - finished with a beef sauce.
Sarah said: "This brief I found extremely challenging.
"When I first heard the song, immediately to me, buttery is mash.
"I just thought, of nice buttery mash."
Despite her presentation being criticised, the dish proved a hit and she was praised for taking a bold approach by not going sweet.
The mother of two, who now lives in Kinross, now joins four others for finals week starting on Tuesday at 8pm, followed by shows on Wednesday and Thursday.
Speaking of her time so far on MasterChef, Sarah said: “I think during lockdown, like many people, I had a reassessment of my life. I am fast approaching 50 and wanted to do something that challenged me and pushed me to the edge of my comfort zone and beyond it.
"MasterChef certainly did that, in the best way. I am sometimes rather lacking in confidence about my abilities, so it was a real challenge for me to do it. I am grateful every day that I did."
And on the heat in the kitchen, she added: “Cooking for John and Gregg at first was so daunting.
"They have seen and tasted almost everything, but they are both very warm and welcoming and I learnt so much.
"I just went there to be myself and cook the food I love to eat and make for others, so it was lovely to know they enjoyed it too.
“When I got through to the finals, I was completely overwhelmed. The quality of the cooking was exceptional. I was genuinely amazed that John and Gregg felt I was worthy of a place in the final five.
"It remains one of the best experiences of my life. The contestants forged very strong bonds in the later stages and feel honoured to have been in the company of cooks with such incredible skills.”
As for what the future may hold, viewers will need to tune in next week - but Sarah has no plans to hang up her apron anytime soon.
She said: “I feel strongly about issues around food security and access to quality food. I would like to get involved in making quality, local, fresh food much more affordable and accessible.
"I'm going to be working with a local anti-poverty charity and I hope I can help do some good in my community.
"I would love to write a food column to show off my recipes and what I do in my kitchen at home, as well as being able to showcase Scottish produce and promote the food scene in my area of Scotland.
"Running some private dining experiences would be really fun too and I have some lovely ideas for a cookbook. I'm super excited to see where life after MasterChef takes me!”
Watch the original video for Buttery Biscuit Base by Swede Mason here:
The final five MasterChef 2022 contestants are:
· Eddie from Beverley, East Yorkshire and originally from near Leicester
· Ioan from Salford and originally from North Wales
· Pookie from Solihull
· Radha from Bradford
· Sarah from Kinross, born and bred in Inverness
MasterChef, The Finals, Tuesday 3, Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 May, 8pm, BBC One and the series is available for catch up on iPlayer
