Marine pilot Eddie Scott became the 18th winner of MasterChef this evening after blowing the judges away with his fusion of French and Indian dishes.
John Torode, 56, said that the contestant was a "culinary powerhouse" whilst fellow judge Gregg Wallace, 57, branded the champion of the series "a born cook".
The BBC competition had last seven weeks, during which he saw off 44 other amateur cooks including Pookie Tredell and Radha Kaushal-Bolland - who placed as runners-up.
Eddie said his win felt like "everything". He explained: “My whole life I feel has been building up to this moment. I can’t believe I’m standing here as the MasterChef champion.
He further commented about the experience: "It's just been the most stressful and the most enjoyable! I feel like I’ve just discovered who I am as cook. It’s the best feeling ever."
Torode said that Eddie was a deserving winner, commenting: "His love of classic French food blended with the spices of India has made us really stand up and take notice."
He had further praised that the winner of the latest series of the BBC culinary show - which concluded tonight - is "daring, adventurous" and "doesn't play it safe."
Wallace gushed: "When I look at you, I can’t honestly imagine you doing anything else but cooking, you are a born cook. I can’t pay you any better compliment.
"I think we've just seen the birth of a future great chef. [He] impressed from the moment he set foot in this kitchen. He’s hardly put a foot wrong throughout the competition."
Eddie said he's spent years building up the courage to apply. "I think every amateur cook secretly dreams of having the chance to go onto a show like MasterChef," he commented.
The marine pilot stated that the popular BBC show - which was launched in its initial format in 1999 - is that "one chance of totally changing your life in what you love doing."
He further commented about the show: "It's been life's greatest pleasure to sit here and cook for you both the food that I love. It's the best thing I’ve ever done."
In the past week, Eddie travelled to Ireland to learn the philosophy of Irish chef Myrtle Allen and also worked with Gordon Ramsay, host of this year’s Chef’s Table.
Under enormous pressure he produced dishes for some of the country’s best chefs, with former three-star Michelin legend Pierre Koffmann describing his consommé as: “Ten out of 10. A lot of chefs cannot do it as well as that. Perfect.”
Eddie, who grew up in Leicestershire, now lives in East Yorkshire with his fiancée. He spent eight years as a navigation officer in the Merchant Navy and for the past five years has piloted ships on the Humber.
His love of cooking comes from his family - from his mother’s baking skills, to his father's experimental dishes and his grandparents' perfection of Punjabi classics.
He recalled of his youth: "Growing up, we'd pack up our little Ford Fiesta and spend summer holidays camping in France.
"I was astounded by how the French presented ingredients and how delicious dishes in the simplest cafés and restaurants were. The way food was ingrained in French culture was a total revelation.
“I wanted to recreate it and that’s how I really got into cooking. I so admire classic French and Indian cookery and like to create my own fusion of the two fascinating foodie cultures.”
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He is now hoping to get a job working in food. "It would be amazing to be able to cook in a top restaurant - it would also be exciting to write about food or even do some more TV. What I’d really love is to own my own restaurant.
"I always knew one day I wanted to pursue a career in food and now MasterChef has made me realise that this can be a reality."
Last night's victory was secured after he cooked a three course menu which kicked off with a starter of turbot, topped with caviar, tempura oyster, cucumber compressed in dill oil and a champagne beurre blanc.
Tasting it, Wallace declared: "You are cooking to a standard here that many professional chefs haven’t reached."
The main course was a Hyderabadi Dum - a caraway and nigella seed pastry-topped chicken biryani, spiced basmati rice with crispy onions, chicken thigh cooked on the bone.
The dish had been flavoured with saffron, Kashmiri chilli powder and cardamom, with a cucumber raita.
Torode said he simply couldn’t get enough of it: "I have a problem with this dish - in that I just want to keep shovelling it into my mouth. It’s so extraordinary and addictive."
Eddie’s “absolutely delicious” dessert was chocolate mousse with a prune purée centre, prunes soaked in Armagnac, almond frangipane, and an almond and Armagnac crème Chantilly.
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