Interview with the judges The MasterChef judges, chef John Torode and veg guru Gregg Wallace, put a second round of contestants through their paces in Series Two. Find out why they think firm is fair and what they’d cook to impress.

John: As MasterChef judges, we’ve been working with 132 people who want to learn as much as possible about cooking and food. I feel privileged to be part of it.

Loads of things have impressed me, but one stands out. There was one young guy who was working 'sous vide', which is a professional kitchen process whereby you par-cook the food, say a chicken thigh, in a vacuum sealed bag with butter, in warm water. Then you take it out of the bag and colour the meat in a pan for the last five minutes. That was pretty amazing to see in the competition.

Gregg: The contestants for this series proved to be far more accomplished, of a far higher standard, and much more competent than in Series One. There were scores of people we were not impressed by, though. Hundreds in fact!

John: I tell you, if I hadn’t had all my career experience, I can’t say that I would have stood a chance. Obviously now, after 20 years, I would. But the contestants on the show are seriously committed cooks and cooking way above expectation.

John: Well-sourced, simple food. That's the trick - keep it simple with high quality ingredients.

Gregg: It all depends what time of year it was. In the summer months I would cook a shoulder of lamb with potatoes dauphinoise, runner beans and mint sauce. In the winter months I would cook a chestnut risotto and apple crumble. Any Englishman who says "no" to apple crumble should have his citizenship revoked. It's always best to do a classic well rather than try to be alternative.

Nothing terrifies me more than the words "with a twist". The only twist around your dining room should be Chubby Checker on your stereo.

Gregg: As soon as you've sent off your application form, cook a little bit every single day. Move outside of the comfort zone and learn how to use ingredients that are foreign to you. That way whatever turns up in the mystery ingredients box won't throw you. Great cooks are people who cook all the time and are therefore never fazed in the first round – they're used to handling these ingredients.

Gregg: No way! If it comes across like that we're certainly not aware of it. The editing has lot to do with the final appearance of the show. Sadly we don't have time on the programme for viewers to see the whole judging process. What stays in and what gets cut is up to the editor.

John: No. There's no 'good cop – bad cop' routine. That sort of faking it doesn't work in this context. Like I say – it's all about being honest. I just hope I've smiled enough during the series!

John: I'm honest, that’s all. The only way that someone will develop and improve [as a chef] is if I'm honest with them. If you're wishy-washy with people then nobody benefits. You have to be honest. Look, you don't put mashed potato and avocado on the same plate, you don't put mozzerella on cod – you don't do it! And if someone does, I'll tell them that they're wrong.

John: No, I never feel bad. Look, the finalists we have on MasterChef are good. These are genuine chefs who live and breathe cooking. They do other jobs to pay the bills and then come home and cook all the time because they love food. Without that commitment this would just be another TV reality show, but it's much more. It's the most serious competition on TV.

Gregg: I've never felt bad. My comments are always measured, but I've realised that whatever I tell the contestants, they really pick up on it and it alters their cooking style. I have to be really careful. I now know that when I make a comment I need to follow it with "but don't change your style".

John: Greg and I are very lucky. Our producers believe in us and trust us completely. We're not 'produced' in any way like that. It's up to us who stays and who goes.

John: The new format is an entirely different experience to the old MasterChef. It’s not about cooking for a dinner party. We’re taking people on a massive journey and training them to become professional chefs. People may still think of the old show, but the way it is now is a totally new and unique venture. I certainly feel it's mine and Gregg's show now. We've built it up, and if there's a third series – it’s ours!

Gregg: Some people think of Loyd Grossman when you mention the MasterChef brand. However, the current format is much better and really makes people cook. In the previous format, all it proved was that contestants could do a dinner party and, quite frankly, with a lot of preparation, who couldn't cook two dishes? It didn't really prove anything.

Gregg: No, the public has no right to decide who wins. They would only vote for personalities, not the food. It would make John and I redundant! What about an Eggs Factor, where the contestants have to make an omelette?

John: The programme covers a lot of things, but essentially we are looking to take a home cook and train them up to professional standard. They need talent for food, of course, but also charisma; the ability to work as a team player and to lead in the kitchen. And they need stamina.

From the semi-finals through to the finals we work them incredibly hard. It’s not just about coping with pressure – it’s also about coping with physical and mental demands. In this series, we’ve taken these guys to cook at -15C in the Arctic Circle, to cook on a cruise ship, to cook at Michelin-starred restaurants. It’s been amazing for them – and for me. I’ve been doing stuff on this series that I’ve never done before.

John: My advice is to do what you believe in. Be honest. On the show, you could come on and say you were really into this or that style of cooking, that you were any kind of chef, but, in the end, you really can’t bluff. You’ll be found out. So be honest and believe in what you’re doing.

Gregg: Often I look at a good contestant and think 'you could handle a career', but I wouldn’t recommend them to anyone until the series is finished - otherwise I could be accused of favouritism. I’m sure that many of the better contestants could start a promising career as a chef.

If you make it to the first round you get to work in a professional kitchen for a day. You’ll then find that there’s just no similarity between cooking at home and cooking in a restaurant kitchen. If you’re passionate about food it means you are 30 per cent there. Having a real love of food means you will make it if you want to, and that will carry you through the ups and downs.

Gregg: There were no real disasters in this series and there was nothing I refused to taste. In the first series, John threw one dish straight in the bin without even tasting it. Generally we get under- and over-cooked meals, lumpy mash - it’s par for the course.

On the upside, we had an Indian lady contestant who was great. She had an incredible way of combining spices that worked well with European dishes too. Her kids have all grown up and, after being forced to cook from the age of 13, she has decided to follow a career in cooking.

Gregg: John and I meet socially all the time. We get recognised more together than apart. I’d like to think John and his family would come round to mine for a nice meal. John, more than anyone, understands the social importance of dining. In terms of what I would cook, he would get the best of that season’s produce, and it would be cooked the simplest way possible.

John: Gregg and I argue and have had serious disagreements over who should stay or go, but we’re mature adults. I’ve known Gregg for 15 years, we’re friends; we compromise and we get over it.

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