If MasterChef judges Gary and Matt came to my house for dinner I would make.... something ultra simple, like a whole roast a chicken served with buttery mash potatoes. For dessert I’d go and buy cookies and cream icecream and make doughnuts to have with it. I know what they love: rich, tasty, hold-your-belly food. To drink, I’d have cold beer in the fridge. That’s about it.
If I were trying to blow their socks off int he MasterChef kitchen I’d cook...the smoked salmon dish I have on my mind at the moment, because it always changes. The salmon is smoking at the table and it takes 60 seconds. It’s mind blowing! It’s creative and got a lot of soul in it. It’s all about the theatre.
I know someone’s ruined a dish when they...add mayonnaise to a tin of tuna and hot boiled pasta. I never go to my friends’ homes and not eat what they put in front of me because my mother taught me to have respect. But the day that was served up, I struggled.
Items I always have in my fridge are...pickled cucumbers, Japanese mayonnaise, strawberry jam, and sparkling mineral water. I feel like I’m pregnant! [laughs] I have two fridges, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney and they have identical things in them. When I get home from work, I love just peeling a carrot and squeezing Japanese mustard on it.
I start the day with…an espresso and bran or porridge.
The best aroma is…freshly pressed olive oil. It’s one of the most beautiful ingredients.
One thing my mum will always cook better than me is…her egg and lemon soup.
If I was a food I’d be…a doughnut. Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.
When I come home late from work I go straight for…toast, toast, toast, smeared strawberry jam. It has the crisp and crunch I love.
If I came face to face with Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen I would…shake his hand. We’re good friends and as cooks we have a mutual respect.
The kitchen tool I couldn’t do without is…my tasting spoon.
One food I will never eat again is…pickled eels. Gary [Mehigan] fed it to me in London so he’s to blame. It was disgusting.
The person I’m most nervous cooking for is…God. I don’t know him or her. Otherwise I’m not scared of anyone.
A Greek meal isn’t complete without…lemon juice and olive oil.
My secret food addiction is…ham and pineapple pizza. The whole sweet and sour thing - it’s wrong but I love it.
I watch what I eat by…not eating rubbish. I’ll taste everything but I won’t waste calories on bad food if it’s cooked incorrectly, not in season or flavourless.
You would be surprised to know…my grandmother is Italian so I grew up with Greek Cypriot food as well as Italian. I’ve been fortunate to have the melting pot of both cuisines.
The one dish I’d still like to perfect…doesn’t exist. I’ve never perfected anything, the reason why is as soon as we touch something, we imperfect it. The perfect thing is a fig kissed by the sun, or an oyster pulled out of the water and served immediately. It’s about when you pick it and shuck it. I’m constantly striving to have my food close to perfection as possible.
I love it when my girlfriend Natalie makes me…veal or chicken cotoletta [breaded cutlet]. It’s all about the crispy crunch on the outside. Even eaten cold the next day, it’s the best!
The contestants who have what it takes to win MasterChef are…Callum and Marion. I think they’ll be in the top four but you never know who’ll take it out.
George will be cooking alongside fellow MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan at the Good Food & Wine Show in Sydney from July 16 to 18 and in Adelaide and Brisbane in October and November. Visit www.goodfoodshow.com.au.
