“Celebrity MasterChef 8” already has a winner. Laura Londono was crowned this Thursday, November 30 in the grand final of gastronomic talent by managing to overthrow another great favorite of the edition in a very exciting gastronomic duel: Alvaro Escassi. After making half the world fall in love with him by playing Gaviota in “Coffee with a woman’s scent”, the Colombian actress and singer achieved something even more difficult: conquering the judges’ palace. His secret? Self-demand, perfectionism and a lot of dedication to each test. Londoño was one of those who shone the most during the 12 weeks of competition, an effort for which she received the reward in the form of victory.
In the first challenge of the finals, the duelist’s first jacket was put into play. To achieve this, a classic of the finals was needed: the leader’s follow-up test. From El Celler de Can Roca (three Repsol Suns and three Michelin Stars), Jordi Roca appeared in kitchens with a spectacular avant-garde version of strawberries and cream that Álvaro Escassi, Laura Londoño, Toñi Moreno And Daniel Illescasthe four finalists had to respond to the pace imposed by the chef, who cooked in front of them.
Everyone remained surprisingly focused during the first part of the cooking, but nerves eventually played tricks in Cádiz. He lost the first error, conditioning the rest of the test. Almost finished, Escassi’s challenge also went wrong when making the cream and he then struggled with the caramel, the hardest part. A succession of dramatic errors that resulted in an aesthetically ugly creation. “If they blindfold you, it’s delicious,” he noted. Pepe Rodriguez.
The duel therefore took place between Laura And Daniel. However, the “influencer” made a rookie mistake by putting the dessert in the oven with the paper towel rolled up.
The methodical and perfectionist Londoño received a “wow” from Jordi Roca upon seeing him, a sign that he had “an extraordinary and impeccable appearance.” And above all, he was “very rich, very rich”. It was a near-perfect reproduction of Jordi Roca’s dessert, or in other words, a non-stop ticket to heartbreak.
Cooking in a three Michelin star restaurant
For the other three finalists, the last hope of occupying a place depended on the success of the outdoor test. The competition led the three candidates to Atrio, the restaurant run by Toño Pérez in Cáceres, which last year obtained its third Michelin star.
The chef had designed a menu exclusively for this challenge with very complicated preparations which required the full attention of the finalists. Lobster with red fruits and pepper emulsion; Iberian pork with carrot and orange; and kalamansi ganache, lemon cream and detox smoothie, among other dishes, were some of the preparations they faced.
As if that were not enough, the guests who tasted the dishes were neither more nor less than nine chefs awarded three Michelin stars: Martín Berasategui, Pedro Subijana, Joan Roca, Elena Arzak, Sergio and Javier Torres, Jesús Sánchez and theirs Jordi Cruz And Tono Fatherz.
For the second time that night, the first to have a problem was Tony. The presenter refused to peel the lobster and burst into tears because he was so upset. “I’m in deep shit right now,” he admitted. Even though he promised Grandpa, He couldn’t give 100%. Even less so when he was burned with a tray. Cooking was like a “Greek tragedy” for her.
A visit to Jordan to the stoves of Daniel This showed that the model was not progressing much better. He had made several decisions and the judge advised him to repeat the developments.
The most advantageous was Alvaro, and this was reflected in the flavor of the dishes. He was by far the finalist who best reproduced the menu. Toño Pérez, and therefore the one that received the best reviews after the tasting. The second jacket already had an owner, who broke down dedicating it to his mother, who died during the recording of the program.
Laura vs Álvaro, the favorites face each other in the final duel
All the luck was already gone. To win, the two duelists designed and prepared a complete and free menu consisting of a starter, a main course and a dessert. As their only requirement, the judges asked that their creations reflect what they have learned throughout their career and speak to their stories and roots.
Laura Londono He paid homage to his land, to his essence, Colombia. Alvaro Escassi He was inspired by his life and his family to design his dishes, with the sea as the protagonist. Both arrived at the duel with their homework done and many hours of dedicated preparation, promising a very close final.
After a cooking session where the duelists knew how to manage the pressure and achieve maximum concentration, the tasting arrived. “I’ve won before, to get this far is impressive,” Escassi said.
Generally speaking, the balance and evolution stand out in their dishes. Of the talent and courage of his companion. In fact, regarding the actress’s second dish, a soup with pine pollen and flower honey with which she paid homage to Medellín, the jury highlighted that “it is the most complex dish we have ever try”.
They were very balanced, but the impressive dessert presented by the actress, an intricate representation of a gold coin from a pre-Hispanic culture with hidden treasure, tipped the scales in their favor.
Pepe Rodriguez, Samantha Vallejo-Nágera, Jordi Cruz and the Brazilian chef Alex Atala (two Michelin stars), who visited the program for the first time, savored the dishes of the duelists and then made the most important evaluation of the edition, since it followed the legendary phrase: “The winner of the 8th edition of “Celebrity MasterChef” East…Laura!”
