Full-blooded Pinoy Making Strides in MasterChef, Cooks Pancit and Adobo

No Filipino cookbook is complete without pancit and adobo, and these two dining table staples became the ingredients for a Pinoy’s success in the American reality cooking show, MasterChef.

Ralph Xavier Degala, a 29 year-old senior accountant based in Houston, Texas, is currently competing in the show’s 9th season.

Degala is the only full-blooded Filipino to reach this level in MasterChef. He proudly describes himself as the son of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) – born and raised in Saudi Arabia, and in 1999, his family migrated to the U.S.

Before he joined MasterChef, he was posting videos of him cooking Filipino food on his YouTube channel. He credits his culinary knowledge from his family, particularly his parents, and the home-cooked meals they share during family gatherings.

This is what influenced him to cook a shrimp and chicken-based version of pancit for his audition to MasterChef. “You had one dish to really represent yourself. I was going to do a Filipino dish and picked pancit because it was doable in 30 minutes, but also it was one of the first dishes my dad taught me how to make. It also represents a long and prosperous life in the Filipino culture so I chose this one!” said Degala, in an online interview with a local TV network.

The celebrity chef judges found the pancit too oily for their tastes, but Chef Gordon Ramsay described the shrimp as “delicious”. He still questioned if that was enough to give Delgado an apron and a ticket into the competition. Chef Aaron Sanchez, on the other hand, said that the dish was seasoned beautifully with tons of garlic and lemon, saying “what’s not to like”?

In the end, it was chef Joe Bastianich who took on Degala to be a part of his team, telling him, “You and me might have a future.”

During his stint in the show, Degala has already won 2 team challenges. He showcases his upbringing by adding Mediterranean and Southeast Asian tastes to his dishes. “But whenever there was a chance to incorporate some of the spices and seasonings that we have, such as soy sauce, bay leaves, vinegar, ginger, lemon grass, and of course GARLIC, I would do so!” said Degala.

Chicken adobo, which traditionally is a dish that depends on garlic, was one of his latest entries to the competition. Delgado said that it was a “no-brainer”, adding that adobo is synonymous with Filipino culture.

“The amazing thing for the show is that the judges thought the dish was very good and I was so proud [to] have made it for them,” said Degala. He considers it a privilege to showcase Filipino food in an internationally watched show like MasterChef.

“It is very rare for Filipino food to be seen in the mainstream,” he said. “The only disadvantage for Filipino food is that sometimes it takes longer to cook since we have a lot of braised dishes and stews, but the advantage is that we have very unique flavors that is a result of all the different cultures that have influenced Filipino cuisine.”

Degala also had the rare opportunity to work directly with his coach-judge Joe Bastianich in one of the episodes where all contestants were grouped into couples except for him. They prepared Chicken Milanese, a very personal dish for Bastianich. No previous contestant had been partnered with a judge for a cooking task, and Degala said that it was one of his most unforgettable moments in the show.

Degala adds that another unforgettable moment was when Chef Ramsey yelled at him. Ramsay is known for his frankness and at times curse-laden dissection of dishes not just in MasterChef, but in other shows as well. However, he later called a dish of Degala’s “near perfect”.

“I would be lying to you if I told you I wasn’t nervous, but to hear the feedback made me a stronger cook or chef,” says Degala, “but when they praise some of your cooking, IT IS very empowering, talagang on top of the world feeling ang [binibigay] nila.”

Degala’s performance on the show is pretty good so far, as he has never landed in the bottom three in the challenges. “I definitely think I have the momentum now to be one of the top runners [in] the show! Just as long as I don’t hit a baking challenge, that is definitely my weakness,” he said.

Other Filipinos have been part of MasterChef. Stephanie Willis, a half-Filipino bartender from New Jersey, was also part of season 9, but was eliminated in June. In 2014, Francis Biondi, a Filipino-Italian server was considered a frontrunner in season 5, but was booted out, much to the dismay of Filipino followers of the reality show.

Degala said that whether or not he wins the coveted MasterChef title, the competition has been an unbelievable journey since he never imagined auditioning for the show which he has long been a fan of.   

Degala plans of opening his own chicken shawarma restaurant in the U.S. “[It] is a dish that always reminds me of my childhood in Saudi, but also a great reminder of the sacrifices and hard work that my parents to help us go through school and college. For many OFWs in the Middle East, that;s one dish that always brings us back,” he said.

Season 9 of MasterChef airs Wednesdays on FOX in the U.S., and Thursdays on FOX in Asia.

via ABS-CBN News / Anjo Bagaoisan