Standing beside three fellow chefs, Sav knew she was in for a tough challenge the moment the guest chef stepped through the doors.
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A fan-favourite in the competition, Kirsten Tibballs is known for crafting some of the toughest and most game-changing pressure tests—ones that have even caused highly skilled chefs to crack… their tempered chocolate, that is.
Advertisement The fact that Kirsten Tibballs is setting the challenge this early on just goes to show you the calibre at which we’re expected to perform, and that’s very, very daunting, On a regular season, Kirsten doesn’t appear until towards the end!
Sav told 10 Play
Sav also shared that she has a “very complex relationship” with pressure tests. In her original season last year, she was eliminated while trying to replicate a Darren Purchese creation—only to fight her way back into the competition and take on two more pressure tests.
I’m not comfortable, I don’t think anyone’s comfortable with pressure tests, but some people take to them a bit better, But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; it doesn’t matter what the challenge is. I don’t give up.
Sav said
When Kirsten lifted the cloche, she unveiled a dish she had previously made on Dessert Masters: an incredibly realistic coffee and chocolate caviar tin, complete with pearls, an edible tin and spoon, and even melba toast.
Having made pearls using cold oil before, Sav wasn’t too worried about creating the caviar. However, she knew that tempering the chocolate would be a major challenge—one she had to nail, or the entire dessert wouldn’t come together.
It’s super technical, but there wasn’t a huge amount of elements, so there was literally nowhere to hide, you can’t cut corners on a dessert like this.
she explained, adding
As the pressure mounted, Sav made a crucial mistake by leaving her chocolate tins on the bench instead of refrigerating them. This misstep forced her to retemper the chocolate and start over, setting her back behind the other three chefs.
“Look, I hated that it wasn’t perfect, but I was actually really proud of myself that I got it done,” Sav admitted. “The tin was a bit wonky, the base was not as perfect as Kirsten’s, and I know I didn’t have enough time to be precise with my layers. I knew all that.
“But I am so done being self-critical in this kitchen, so I gave myself a pat on the back for getting it done. Not only finishing the tin but spray painting it gold as well.”
As the second chef to leave the competition this season, Sav described her elimination as a bittersweet moment. While it was tough to hear she’d be leaving the kitchen again, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
It’s hard to explain the feeling of being in the MasterChef kitchen because it’s a lot of pressure and it really tests your resilience, but it’s also this amazing, magical place and it pulls at your drive and ambition.
I kept saying I wasn’t there for a long time, but I was there for a fun time and, my gosh, I had a lot of fun, And meeting all these people I had admired across all these seasons, to be competing against them was absolutely wild!
Sav laughed
Having competed in back-to-back seasons, Sav’s biggest bucket list item was to make her Lamprais, which she successfully did during the semi-finals qualifier last year.
I just needed a cook that would get me enough time to execute a Lamprais from scratch, that’s my life’s work, the crown jewel of Sri Lankan food, and I needed to make it, To have that dish so loved, so well received and the explosion it had on social media as well, I did my part.
she said
“When I went on Masterchef in 2024, I knew who I was as a Sri Lankan cook, and I knew who I was with the burden of grief weighing heavily on my shoulders,” Sav continued. “The gorgeous thing about MasterChef was that I actually got to shed a lot of that grief during the process of cooking because I got to honour my mum so much, and I got to celebrate my culture so unapologetically with judges that were open to receiving that from me as well.
“To me, it feels like I’m beginning my life post-MasterChef properly now.”
During the brief break between seasons, Sav did pop-ups, spent significant time in Sri Lanka to lay the groundwork for opening her own restaurant, and has been working as a private chef full-time.
I quit my job in the corporate world and started chefing full-time. It’s really nice, I get to do all these different events and parties, and bring people together over food.
MasterChef Australia: Back to Win airs Sundays at 7pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7:30pm on 10 and 10 Play.
Source: 10Play