Shawn Godfrey claims MasterChef title

Congratulations to business entrepreneur, author of The Roasted Dad and father of three Shawn Godfrey, who walked away with the R1-million prize. Read our exclusive Q&A with Shawn to discover what he’ll be whipping up this Easter weekend.

What does Easter mean for you?

Of course Easter means that Jesus has risen. For us as a family, we celebrate by being together, and ating great food. It’s all about taking some time off from work and spending quality time with the family.

What did you imagine the Easter Bunny to be when you were a child?

I always had this vision of the Easter Bunny as this MASSIVE fluffy bunny that was still and then would suddenly come alive.

What’s your favourite Easter memory from when you were growing up?

Definitely the Easter egg hunt! My mom used to hide tons of eggs all across our garden and that was always hugely exciting as a child.

Have you had more recent egg hunts?

Last year we were away for the long weekend, on a farm in Montagu, and we did an Easter egg hunt there. The guys who run the farm surprised the children by putting chocolate Easter eggs in the chicken coop, which amazed my then three-year-old son. It took some time before we could convince him that not all chickens lay chocolate eggs!

What’s your favourite Easter egg?

Caramel eggs.

Which dishes remind you of Easter time?

I grew up with Easter Sunday lunch as a huge tradition. There would always be cheese, crackers and pickles for starters and then a large leg of lamb for lunch. The usual trimmings were roast potatoes, salad (my mom sometimes made weird concoctions like Hilda from 7de Laan, “lekker soet suur”), peas and rice. For dessert, my dad loves chocolate cake so that was almost a guaranteed feature.

With your love of SA ingredients, is there something local that you think is perfect

to use in dishes this Easter season?

Sorghum! It’s hugely under-rated and almost unknown in many communities in South

Africa. Change out your rice for red sorghum or make a beautiful salad as a change-up

from the traditional quinoa.

How will you be spending the Easter weekend this year?

I am desperate to get away for a little family trip. Of course this season of winning MasterChef has been hugely exciting, but also quite taxing on us as a family and so I’m longing for some R&R. I also need to try out some concepts that I would like to serve in my pop-up restaurant – The Chefs’ Collective – that I’ll be running for three nights only with Callen Austin and Darren Badenhorst.

Visit Shawn on Instagram.