Masterchef UK Professionals
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King Oyster Mushroom Katsu Curry with Radish and Apple Slaw
Ismail, a head chef at a London gastropub who moved from Rajshahi, Bangladesh 16 years ago, struggled with this skills test due to unfamiliarity with Japanese katsu curry. He defaulted to Bangladeshi curry techniques, blending onion, garlic, ginger, and chili into a paste before cooking — a completely different approach to katsu. Critically, he left the carrots on the bench, missing the essential sweetness that defines katsu sauce. His nervousness was visible — he mentioned being 'shaky' — and as the clock ticked, fundamental errors mounted. The sauce became too salty, which he attempted to fix with honey. His presentation was poor: he dumped the sauce directly onto the plate and piled everything on top rather than using the jug provided, causing the slaw to become 'lost into the sauce' with everything tasting the same. The one bright spot was the king oyster mushrooms themselves — 'delicious' with a 'nice crunchy bite.' Ismail has a newborn baby at home and acknowledged afterward that he could do better and needs to 'pull everything together.'
Gary Maclean: 'You're missing a few of the elements. One of the most important ingredients in there is the carrot. We'll get a curry sauce, but unfortunately, it's not a katsu.' Monica Galetti: 'It's made the king oysters. They're delicious. It's got nice crunchy bite to it, but the salad you can make really sing with the ingredients on the table. Unfortunately, the way you've plated it's all lost into the sauce. Everything tastes the same.' Marcus Wareing: 'We've got a curry sauce. We've got the mushrooms breaded, but your seasoning is not great. And I'm not sure about the presentation. Just dumping the sauce on the plate and put everything on top of it. The jug was there. That's where we'd like to see the sauce.' Greg Wallace: 'Mixed bag. But don't be disheartened. We very much look forward to seeing what you have for us in the next round.' End of Episode Summary — Marcus Wareing: 'Ismail struggled a little bit. Katsu curry — made a different type of curry. And as the clock ticked, you could see the pressure build. He was forgetting all those fundamental basics — over-seasoning and things like that.'
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