Don't watch this one in order to be provided with easy-to-follow recipes. It can give you ideas but it will be up to you to find out the details later. A cookery course for beginners it is not.
What you will see is a flavour of some highly inspirational cookery.
It is rare to find a fully vegetarian meal although some of the components or individual courses are suitable for vegetarians. But with a bit of time and effort it is possible to use these dishes as a starting point to make your own veggie meals. A chicken curry on the show can give you the impetus to search out (and cook) a meat-free version.
The programme zips along at a frantic pace and provides a whistlestop tour of professional cooking (as attempted by amateurs). The section in the established restaurant illustrates particularly well the challenges and stresses of a career chef.
The presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace have an abrasive style. Any contestant who underachieves can expect to be shown no mercy but this is what makes it compulsive viewing. The long drawn out "Who will be leaving us?" routine could be dispensed with, however. Although they take no prisoners, Torode and Wallace do impart their love of good food and their enthusiastic approach and knowledgable comments make them worthy judges who insist on high culinary standards.
Watching Masterchef can improve your food knowledge and remind you of the importance of good ingredients and presentation. It is a fast-moving and visually exciting challenge which can become genuinely tense.