Following his triumphant victory on MasterChef Season 13, Chef Grant Gillon returns to the FOX cooking show as a judge. Ahead of MasterChef Generations’ Blue Moon Challenge, the talented chef shared his thoughts on cooking with beer, his role as a judge, and some recipe suggestions for using Blue Moon in a dish.
When Grant won the MasterChef title, fans of the popular cooking show will remember that two of his three final dishes included beer. By using an Italian lager in one dish and a stout in the other, Grant was able to enhance the overall flavor of the dish with the beer.
Given his experience on MasterChef and his own connection to cooking with beer, it was a perfect decision for MasterChef to bring Grant back for this special Blue Moon integrated episode. He kindly spoke to me about the experience ahead of the broadcast.
Across the bar, Grant said his return to MasterChef was “definitely less nerve-wracking. It was a huge honour to return, especially as I’ve watched the show since it launched. Winning last season was incredible and to be able to share the stage with Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez and Joe Bastianich is even hard to put into words.”
Unlike his season, MasterChef Season 14 celebrates generations and their approach to cooking. While there may be age differences between the amateur chefs, the culinary knowledge is vast.
When asked why the generational concept is so exciting for MasterChef fans, Grant replied: “I believe everyone can learn something from all generations. Viewers will see how each generation cooks.”
As a member of the millennial generation, Grant may lean toward a particular generation, but he fully appreciates the past, present and future of cooking styles. Whether it’s memorizing tips and tricks from older folks or scrolling through social media feeds to find the latest hack, becoming a better cook requires constant learning.
Having returned to the MasterChef kitchen as a judge for the Blue Moon Beer Challenge, I was curious to know what Grant thought would be the biggest challenge for the home cooks. His answer was straightforward.
“I think some people might be quick to get carried away with frying a dish. Most people think of something battered in beer. That’s a dish that’s easy to make. As you saw in the finale of last season, I showed how beer can be used in many different ways, similar to how you use wine and beer in cooking. As long as the chefs can bring out the nuanced flavor of the beer, it’s all good.”
While many people use a lager or stout when cooking, Blue Moon has a different flavor profile. Grant says it would be smart to highlight those distinctive notes when incorporating the beer into a dish.
He said: “At Blue Moon, coriander and orange peel offer so many different flavor combinations.” It will be exciting to see how the chefs combine these ingredients with other elements.
Typically, chefs tend to either complement or contrast flavors when pairing food and beer. Grant prefers complementing flavor profiles.
He revealed how he would approach this challenge specifically. “I would have chosen the wheat beer with the orange slice on top. An Asian orange chicken would also work well. Most likely I would braise the chicken in the beer and bring out all the other flavours.”
While the Blue Moon and MasterChef competitions don’t necessarily offer a wok, there are a few tools that can help the home cook feel more confident in the kitchen. Sometimes appearance does affect the final product.
Additionally, Grant mentioned that this episode featured a Blue Moon Mango that would pair well with a dessert or even a salad. He recommended using this particular beer in a vinaigrette or pairing it with a light dessert to bring out the tropical notes.
At the same time, Grant advises chefs to be cautious when cooking with beer. The biggest mistake he sees people make is reducing the liquid too much. He explains: “When you reduce beer, the bitter characteristics come out. They need to be balanced with something sweet, like honey or sugar, and something sour. It’s important to keep tasting to make sure all the complementary flavors of the beer come through.”
This culinary creativity makes people hungry for Grant’s food. Although he hasn’t opened his own restaurant yet, he has done several pop-up and private events. Grant appreciates that these smaller events give him more time to interact with people and express his culinary creativity.
There’s also a ton of content on his social media channels. Grant says: “It means the world to me that Grady (his son) is interested in working with me in the kitchen. Grady is so passionate about food and flavours. He’s a great example that anyone can learn to cook, no matter how old you are.”
What will MasterChef fans learn about cooking with Blue Moon beer? Don’t miss the episode on FOX, Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and you can stream it on Hulu the next day.
