Geva Blackett is a familiar name to many in Aberdeenshire for her council work.
To the delight of the Braemar resident’s close friends, family and colleagues, it was recently revealed that she would be appearing on the nineteenth series of BBC One’s MasterChef.
Unfortunately, the performance did not result in Geva, 66, receiving an apron. But she made it very clear that this wasn’t all she wanted to achieve from entering the show.
She prepared haggis in filo pastry with neeps and tatties, and teamed it with an unlikely element – microwavable hollandaise sauce. Her second dish was pancakes served with apple and pear with salted nut caramel sauce and whipped cream.
I was keen to chat with Geva about the experience. However, I went one step further and was given the opportunity to cook alongside her in her home kitchen.
‘Geva was a delight’
Immediately on stepping inside Geva’s home, located in Braemar’s centre, I felt as though I’d been there a dozen times. The Press and Journal photographer Kenny Elrick and I were welcomed as if it were a second home to us.
We also met one of the councillor’s four daughters during our stay as well as her husband.
Geva was a delight and her passion for the region’s larder and hospitality scene shone through from the outset.
She also addressed the lack in north-east home economics teachers – an issue she is fighting to tackle – and how cooking is a fantastic way to improve mental health.
Her words were inspiring. But amongst these, laughs were had, ingredients were flying, and great food was consumed.
A north-east classic
Preparations were quickly underway to create a batch of Cullen skink and soda bread.
Geva revealed she made both during the MasterChef audition stage, so it was only fitting that we recreated it.
She has also made it often for her family over the years and it just so happens to be one of my favourite dishes. Result.
“I think it’s delicious [Cullen skink] and very north-east of Scotland,” Geva said. “I’m all about showcasing the food that is in the north-east larder in particular.”
She went on to say: “I’ve always felt that food brings families together. And it’s great at the end of the day for people to be able to sit down over a home cooked meal and talk about their day.”
I was pleasantly surprised at just how easy both were to make. And the fact that the avid cook didn’t measure any of the ingredients made the process even more fun and laid-back than I could have imagined.
It also added some excitement. Would it work? Would it not? Of course it did on both occasions.
Did the hollandaise sauce split this time around?
Geva is determined to encourage more people, regardless of age, to take up cooking. This is one of the many reasons MasterChef came about.
“There’s something incredibly satisfying about feeding people from scratch,” she said.
The importance of “pushing boundaries” was also raised by the councillor on several occasions as we prepared and plated up our three dishes.
Many would say Geva did just that whilst on the BBC cooking show as one element she served judges John Torrode and Gregg Wallace was a microwavable hollandaise sauce.
So, the third dish we whipped up (literally) was Scottish asparagus and microwavable hollandaise.
It may have split during the competition, but it was clear as day during my visit that the method does in fact work.
I watched as Geva whisked white wine vinegar, butter and egg yolks in a bowl until silky smooth – after it had been popped in and out of the microwave on several occasions of course.
Paired with the earthy asparagus and topped with fruity pink peppercorns, the dish was a hit. You can even ask Kenny.
Geva was delighted with how it came together.
As the three completed dishes sat before us – after hours of chatting, prepping and dishing up whilst filming – the glimmer in Geva’s eyes said it all. Cooking brings her more joy than anyone could know.
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