A colorful brunch and a refreshing matcha latte for the perfect start to the day
In the second episode of the 12th season of MasterChef Slovenia, the duels for places on the balcony continued. The contestants had 45 minutes to prepare the dish that best represents them, and the first to compete were Ian Polak Rožac and Dominik Gajšek.
Ian took a slightly different approach and served the judges a rainbow brunch. He prepared toasted bread with salmon, chickpea and beetroot spread, pomegranate, feta cheese, raspberries, pine nuts and avocado. He also served an iced matcha latte with mango puree, vanilla and milk.
His combination impressed all three judges. Mojmir Šiftar particularly praised the so-called Barbie hummus. "You brought us something new today. Barbie hummus is excellent, fresh, salty, smooth, full of flavor. The salmon is just right to add that fishy note, and everything you put on it makes sense," he added. The matcha also convinced him: "With the mango puree, I'm sure even those who don't like matcha would like it."
Luka Jezeršek was also impressed by the somewhat unconventional brunch: "I would never have thought of going to a brunch like this at first, but now I would be happy to go because it's different, original and really good." Karim Merdjadi, on the other hand, highlighted Ian's dish's lightness and freshness: "What impresses me most is the freshness, because it's light. It's great."
Dominik tried to convince the judges with a steak in pepper sauce, but Ian was more successful in the first duel, who thus earned his place on the balcony. He did not hide his excitement after the victory, but another somewhat unexpected realization awaited him. "I could not have wished for a better outcome. Then it occurred to me that this balcony is really high and I am really afraid of heights. I am ready to get used to heights in this competition," he admitted with a laugh.
Want to try the rainbow brunch that impressed the judges for yourself? Ian's recipe is waiting for you below.
Ingredients
Barbie humus:
- 1 can of chickpeas - 3 forks of pickled beetroot - 1 tablespoon of tahini white sauce - 1 clove of garlic - salt - pepper - olive oil - 1/2 lemon - bread - 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Other:
- 1 ripe avocado - feta cheese - pomegranate - quinoa seeds
Matcha:
- 1.5 g ceremonial quality matcha - milk of choice - ice - mango - vanilla paste
Preparation process
First, prepare the Barbie hummus by mixing all the ingredients in a blender. Peel the avocado and cut half of it into thin slices. In the meantime, lightly toast the quinoa seeds and bread. Spread the hummus on the toasted bread and generously top it with feta cheese, seeds and pomegranate. Place the avocado slices on top. Season everything with salt, pepper and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Prepare the matcha in 50 ml of water and mix well so that there are no lumps. Peel the mango, put it in a blender and add a few drops of vanilla paste. Mix everything well. Assemble the matcha latte in the following order: mango puree, ice, milk and finally matcha.
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