A LANCASHIRE woman appeared on BBC Masterchef earlier this week, bringing her vegan dishes to the television judges.
Preston-born Meg Long competed against eight contestants in a bid to secure the MasterChef apron.
Sadly, the radio producer didn’t make it to the next round of the competition but says she is “proud” to have even have been selected for a show that she has been a fan of for over a decade.
Meg, 24, said: “I am so proud to have even been on the show.
"I had a Facebook memory pop up the other day from 2011 saying 'can't wait to watch MasterChef'.
“It's funny to think I've been on a show I've been such a fan of since I was 13. It is a surreal feeling to imagine your younger self would be proud.”
On the episode, which aired on Tuesday, she got to cook two vegan dishes.
She said: “I got to cook dishes that I love and the judges loved the flavours of my signature cauliflower dish, which is such a compliment.
“I created all the recipes myself and feel I got to show how inventive I can be with vegan food.
“It was such an incredible experience and I am so overwhelmed by how supportive everyone has been.”
Meg, who was the youngest person in this heat of the show, served up spiced roast cauliflower on a bed of crushed Bombay potatoes.
Speaking on the show, Meg said: “I really want to prove that you can cook something that’s delicious and meat free.
"I think I am pretty inventive, I think you are forced to be when you are vegan.”
One judge, TV favourite Gregg Wallace, praised her flavours but critiqued her presentation.
He said: “I am loving your flavours. I particularly like the sharp tamarind around the apple.
"Your cauliflower puree is getting almost kind of toasty – almost biscuity and buttery.
“I think you’ve done really well on your flavours but we need a better looking dish.”
Fellow judge, celebrity chef John Torode, said: "The cauliflower across the top, for me, is overcooked. It’s become too soft and we have lost our texture.
“But I love the apples and the Bombay potatoes I think are really nicely made; good start.”
Next on the menu was Meg's dessert, a piped chocolate ganache, cherries, chocolate biscuits and a cherry sorbet, which received mixed reviews from the judges.
John said: “Really love your sorbet – that’s nice and sharp like a proper sour cherry should be.
"The biscuits are a little bit soft still which is a shame.
"Your ganache is nicely made but so very rich with dark cocoa… It needs something else on here to soften the blow."
Greg said: “You changed the dish. It hasn’t quite worked for you, we can see that – but you have some lovely ideas and you have shown some skill.”
On the show, Meg said she was “disappointed” to leave but has ambitious plans for the next decade.
She said: “Give me 10 more years and I could be the best cook.”
Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Meg said she will keep cooking and updating her food Instagram blog, @offtheeatentrack_.
She said: “I am going to carry on creating vegan recipes and sharing them on my Instagram page.
“The judges overwhelmingly liked the flavours I created and that's the sort of recipes I create, they’re big on flavour.
“I'll continue to be a champion for vegan food tasting delicious and I am excited to see what is in my future!
“I would love to one day create a cookbook but for now you can find all my recipes, completely plant based of course, on Instagram."
MasterChef continues on BBC One and the series is available on iPlayer.
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