Heidi Muston puts South Africa on the plate with show-stopping MasterChef finale dessert - IOL

South African chef Heidi Muston brought a taste of home to the "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet" finale with a mirror-glazed marula liqueur mousse, brownie crumble, raspberry coulis and pistachio dust.

For South African chef Heidi Muston, the final course of her MasterChef journey was more than just dessert; it was a taste of home.

Muston, who made it to the final three of "MasterChef: Global Gauntlet" Season 16, brought a distinctly South African touch to the competition with a mirror-glazed marula liqueur mousse, served with brownie crumble, raspberry coulis and pistachio dust.

The sophisticated dessert allowed the Durban-born chef to showcase a flavour deeply connected to her South African roots while competing on an international stage.

The use of marula liqueur was particularly significant, transforming a distinctly African ingredient into an elegant fine-dining dessert and giving the judges a taste of the country she grew up in.

In a clip of the moment, shared on Instagram by Masterchefonfox, Muston tells Gordon Ramsay, host and judge of the cooking competition, how marula would be used back home.

" You would just get drunk on it," says Muston.

It was a fitting final chapter for Muston, whose journey throughout the competition saw her blend her South African and Indian heritage with the international culinary influences she has encountered throughout her career.

"Every emotion you can imagine is running through my body, but I'm confident in what I've put on that plate. It really represents my country and I feel so proud of what I've done here."

Earlier in the competition, Muston impressed the judges with her take on Eggs Benedict, pairing crawfish with a peri-peri hollandaise, another example of how she incorporated South African flavours into globally recognisable dishes.

For Muston, cooking has long been about more than simply putting food on a plate. Her culinary identity has been shaped by her Durban upbringing, her heritage and years spent travelling the world through her career in the luxury yacht industry.

Her MasterChef journey ultimately ended in the final three, where she competed against chefs from around the world while carrying a piece of South Africa with her in every dish.