Andy Allen is a name that has come to be synonymous with the world of food in general and with MasterChef Australia in particular. After having won the globally popular culinary competition show in 2012, Andy, 35, has been a judge on the show since 2020, along with Melissa Leong and the late Jock Zonfrillo, taking over from MasterChef Australia legends Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris.
Allen’s journey into the world of food has been intriguing. Originally an electrician by occupation, he was also a basketball player with the Maitland Mustangs. His MasterChef Australia triumph turned a page for Allen, who, besides being a chef, food critic, TV show judge and presenter, co-owns Three Blue Ducks, one of Australia’s fastest-growing chain of restaurants. In 2018, the restaurant was awarded a Chef’s Hat, making Allen the first MasterChef Australia contestant to be awarded the highly sought-after honour.
Earlier this month, Allen was in India on his maiden trip. Even while he joined forces with Fabelle India for their ‘One Earth’ collection and was blown over by the food that the country has to offer, Allen made time for a chat with t2oS. Excerpts:
Welcome to India! How has it been so far?
Andy in India for partnership with Fabelle India
Very good, very good. I arrived about two days ago. I am enjoying my time in India very much. I am a happy man. I am in Bangalore right now. I’ve had a whirlwind couple of days eating a lot of chocolate, which has been unbelievable, and trying as much Indian food as I possibly can.
I know that you are fairly aware of Indian cuisine. What have you enjoyed having the most on this trip?
That’s a tough question! Every meal has been so amazing. The breakfast spread has been really eye-opening. Having a lot of dosa, and then all of the different curries with chutneys and breads and the steamed millet bread. Last night, we went for dinner to Dum Pukht in the ITC hotel here and it was outstanding. The prawns that we had were unbelievable. So yeah, I am loving it, as you can tell.
Have you traditionally been fond of Indian food?
I have eaten a lot of Indian in Australia and a few contestants on MasterChef Australia have a big background in Indian cuisine. So I have been quite lucky there. But obviously, when you get over here, it is on another level. You are exposed to so much. After Bangalore, I am going up to Delhi and I am really looking forward to trying the different cuisines that they have there because I know how different the food in India is, region to region.
You should have had Calcutta on your itinerary....
Unfortunately not this time. I have heard that the food is exceptional there. You are the second person in the last 24 hours who has told me this, so I will certainly put it on my wish list for next time.
Your trip involves the unveiling of a ‘chocolate masterpiece’ as part of Fabelle’s ‘One Earth’ collection. What can you tell us about it?
What we are working on is the ‘One Earth’ chocolate box with Fabelle. The background of the box is that it is all about bringing people together through chocolates from all around the world. There is a lot going on, as you know, in the world at the moment. And what better way to bring people together than food and chocolate?
So we have handpicked 10 different ingredients from 10 different countries around the world and featured that ingredient inside a chocolate and they will be part of the ‘One Earth’ box. It goes from poppy seeds from Bangladesh to macadamias from Australia, which is my personal favourite. We are using oranges from the Netherlands. The fact that we can highlight ingredients from all around the world to try and bring a bit of peace and harmony and unity to what is a pretty crazy world right now, I think it’s a pretty special project.
The team at Fabelle is pretty unstoppable when it comes to premium chocolates and I am super stoked to be partnering with them. I was really interested in not just the technique that they have and the equipment on offer, but also I wasn’t aware that so much cocoa is grown in India as well. We went out and visited the R&D (research and development) department yesterday and they are as passionate as a lot of Indians are about food. It really has come together to create a really awesome product.
Are you a chocolate person?
I have literally had 37 different types of chocolate in the last 24 hours! My favourite is Fabelle’s 85 per cent dark chocolate. Normally, I find that the higher percentage of cocoa chocolates are really bitter and harsh, but the way that they treat the chocolate and the cocoa to create this 85 per cent product is like nothing I have had in my life before. I love that kind of higher percentage, darker chocolate.
Back in Australia, do you make any chocolate yourself?
I make things with chocolate. However, I don’t really make chocolate myself.
From winning MasterChef Australia to now judging it to opening a highly successful chain of restaurants and travelling the world with your expertise in food, one would imagine that you have realised a large part of your food dream. Is there anything that you want to do more of or something that you want to do which is novel in the field of food over the next couple of years?
I don’t want to sound cliched, but I must say that I do want to spend so much more time in India. I have been wanting to come to India ever since I won MasterChef (Australia) back in 2012. I know how popular the show is in India and it has always been on my bucket list to get over here and meet people and do work over here. But it just hasn’t happened for one reason or another.
So for me to finally get here and to be introduced to Indian culture, Indian cuisine, different types of Indian food... it’s really just opened up, hopefully, so many possibilities to come back.
I am hoping that it is the start of a really awesome relationship. I wish to come back over here and really immerse myself in cuisine and culture. Indian people are so passionate and as soon as I got off the plane, I was met with big smiles and a lot of positivity. The hospitality has been amazing and I just really want to spend more time over here.
Have you been surprised by the kind of popularity that MasterChef Australia enjoys in India?
Yeah, I was. Many of my colleagues on MasterChef (Australia) have been here and also (the show’s previous judges) Matt (Preston), George (Calombaris) and Gary (Mehigan) have spent a lot of time in India. I knew it was popular, but it really took me to touch down and immerse myself in the people and the culture to really understand how passionate Indians are about MasterChef Australia.
It has been a really pleasant surprise. I have always known it as being popular over here. But when I set foot in Bangalore, I was like, ‘Wow, this is actually on another level than I thought it was!’.
If you had to pinpoint one favourite in Indian cuisine that you could eat regularly, what would it be?
On this trip, I have been introduced to black dal (Dal Makhni). Oh my gosh! That is my new favourite comfort food. It is so rich and velvety and it really does just scream comfort food. I had that for the first time yesterday and I was blown away, especially knowing that it gets cooked for 16-18 hours. There’s a lot of time and effort and labour involved.
Having that, sitting on the couch, with some beautiful buttery naan bread is my idea of comfort. That’s just one of the many things that I have been introduced to on this trip. So, I need to get back and I need to explore more and come and see you guys in Calcutta as well.
What do you think needs to be done to make Australian cuisine more popular globally?
With MasterChef Australia co-judges Jock-Zonfrillo, Melissa-Leong
Australia is a very multicultural country. We are quite a young country, we are only about 300 years old. However, our indigenous culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world. So that is where I feel there is much potential in really growing Australian cuisine with the indigenous foods that we have on offer that have been around for thousands and thousands of years.
So, introducing people to Macadamia, introducing the world to Finger Lime and Davidson’s Plum. These are all really unique Australian ingredients. I will be honest, they are only just starting to kind of poke their head out and be acknowledged in Australia And I feel like once we do that, we can really take them overseas and all around the world. So it’s exciting, it’s exciting.
What is your comfort food, something that you really like to eat at the end of a long day and is easy to whip up?
I eat a lot of pasta because it’s quick, it’s simple, it is easy. I have a really strong relationship with anchovies. My wife and I bond over that, which is kind of strange (laughs), but I am being very honest here. So, yeah, a beautiful bowl of pasta.
Right now, of course, I am loving all the Indian curries and dals and dosas that I have been exposed to over here. I will be going to Delhi and I am looking forward to trying what could become a new comfort food for me. You guys are so lucky, you have so much variety in your food!
What is your favourite food memory from childhood?
Honestly, I didn’t grow up with food being a major part of my household. My parents were working-class people... they didn’t have a lot of time and we didn’t have a lot of money in the house, and that led to quite plain food. But that’s why I got interested in cooking. I wanted to experience something that I had not seen much of in the house while growing up.
My memories of childhood are a lot about living by the ocean. So being able to go out fishing, get hold of some crabs and go back to the house and cook that for the family... that is really where the passion for food started for me. It was about researching and discovering the different ways in which we could cook our catch. That’s something that I still do today and cherish.
Is there a dish that you have experimented with and wouldn’t like to taste a second time?
There are not many, but I don’t really like tube wasabi. I get the fact that a lot of people use it for convenience. But I am all for fresh wasabi and fresh horseradish. Tube wasabi feels like it is attacking my brain! (Laughs) I just don’t like that feeling.
Is there a certain cuisine that you have not had much of and would like to try more?
Indian, actually. I am not saying that just because I am here. I always thought that I knew enough about it but this trip has been an eye-opener for me. It’s just so vast and diverse. And to think that I have been in India for only 24 hours and to just one city... I can only imagine what it must be like everywhere else. Indian food is all about flavour, colour and texture and these three elements are so essential to any kind of cuisine.