That's a wrap

Cooking tips and tricks

● Hydrate gelatin leaves in iced water for five minutes. It must be cold, otherwise some of the gelatin dissolves into the water. Johnny Iuzzini

● Use crushed cream crackers (Sao crackers, for example) rather than flour to thicken curries and wet dishes, because they don't give ''that floury taste''. They're also good for crumbing patties and croquettes. Damian D'Silva

● Add citrus zest late in the cooking process to preserve its aroma. If you blend it too much, it becomes bitter. Johnny Iuzzini

● To make smoke oil, set fire to a pine cone, and once it is smouldering well, douse it in a container of sunflower oil, capturing the smoke as it is extinguished, and sealing it tightly. Infuse for 30 minutes, strain and use the pine-smoked oil. Juan Luis Fernandez

● Adding a little salt to desserts enhances the flavour of other ingredients, without making it salty. A sprinkle of Maldon sea salt over a dessert at the end adds a little texture and crunch but no iodine flavour. Johnny Iuzzini

● When making a spice paste, take the middle out of your blender lid and use a lemongrass stalk to get those itty-bitty bits off the sides of your blender as it is still whizzing away. If any shreds get whizzed off in the process it just adds to the flavour. Damian D'Silva

● Don't over-whip your egg whites for souffle. They should be soft and supple. The "biggest, number-one mistake" home souffle makers make is trying to get every lump out of the whites. Johnny Iuzzini

● Cheat's tip for bagna cauda, the hot Italian fondue made with garlic, anchovies, butter and olive oil - add a little bit of cream to make it ''super, super-delicious''. Luigi Taglienti

● Put plastic wrap on the surface of your custard when storing it to prevent a skin forming. Johnny Iuzzini

What Customs they kept (and what they didn't)

● ''The black limes for one of my demo dishes. But that was minimal, so not a huge loss.'' Christopher Kostow

● Mitch Tonks brought vinegar, olive oil and Nepalese peppercorns. ''We wanted to make use of the produce here and experience it. You can never recreate the experience of your own kitchen, so it's great to try out stuff with new produce.''

● ''I actually got a friend to bring the salmon in for me. We were well over the limit, but she is a lot prettier than me, so it wasn't a problem.'' James Stapley

● Damian D'Silva It took his Singapore kitchen brigade a week to prepare the 65 kilograms of spice paste D'Silva brought with him for MasterClass and a dinner at Tonka with his near namesake, Adam D'Sylva. He was relieved to get it through Customs.

● Rodolfo Guzman brought branches of fragrant tepu wood, which he smoked to serve alongside his dish of veal and milk.

● ''None! I decided to work entirely with native ingredients of Australia.'' Matt Jennings

Where the chefs ate and drank

● Mitch Tonks: ''Loved Chin Chin - great vibe, service, atmosphere and food. Ben (head chef Ben Cooper) is an awesome guy of a new age of cooks. We don't get relaxed Asian like this at home … Golden Fields was great, Rosetta was a great and the European was my kind of place all-round. We have a lot to learn from you guys about training - everyone in Melbourne knew their stuff.''

● Christopher Kostow: ''We went to Attica; seeing their garden and composting efforts was really educational, and the dishes were spectacular. Some of those dishes were so intensely specific and personal to Ben Shewry, flavours you could only experience there. Apart from Attica, we ate at Town Mouse, Cumulus Inc and Dainty Sichuan, among others. We ate our weight in Sichuan food, it was fantastic!''

● James Stapley: ''Brae was excellent - well worth the trip!''

● Matt Jennings: ''Rockwell and Sons' burger was easily one of the best I've had in my life - and I've had a lot. Dainty Sichuan was a blockbuster meal; I went twice!''

Hot ingredients

Kencur

The most aromatic ginger, kencur, or fragrant ginger, is available only in powdered form here, according to Herbie's Ian Hempill. Damian D'Silva adds it to the spicy paste for ayam panggang (roast chicken).

Milk sheets

Pour a drop of whole milk into a hot nonstick pan and let it dehydrate on high heat until starting to colour. Peel off. Make sure the sheets are completely dry before storing in a dry container. Use as an edible garnish for milk-based dishes. Rodolfo Guzman

Nepalese pepper

Also known as timut or timur pepper, these small, dark-brown seed husks have a similar tongue-numbing effect to their close relation, Sichuan pepper, though the flavour is reminiscent of grapefruit or cumquat. UK chef Mitch Tonks uses them to add a piquant note to a dish of cured mackerel.

Smoked salt

Make your own smoked salt by putting two cups of manuka woodchips in a barbecue or smoker and getting it nice and hot. Spread 500 grams of rock salt on a flat baking tray and place it in the barbecue or smoker for an hour, or until it has taken on a smoky flavour. Store in an airtight container.

James Stapley uses smoked salt to dry-cure pork or salmon by rubbing it over the flesh. Substitute flaky sea salt for rock salt and use it as a smoky seasoning or around the rim of a glass for a smoky cocktail. Add water to make a brine for chicken or duck.

Contributors: Janne Apelgren, Larissa Dubecki, Jill Dupleix, Terry Durack, Roslyn Grundy, Sarah McInerney, Nina Rousseau

Togarashi

Jill Dupleix says this Japanese spice mix, from Matt Jennings, Farmstead Inc, Rhode Island in the US, smelt so good, she took Jennings' leftovers from the MasterClass demonstration kitchen.

2 tablespoons sansho (or 1 tablespoon black peppercorns)

1 tablespoon dried tangerine peel

1 tablespoon ground red chilli

2 tablespoons flaked nori

2 teaspoons black sesame seeds

2 teaspoons white poppy seeds

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1. Toast all the ingredients together in a dry frying pan.

2. Grind together in a mortar and pestle until they reach a sandy consistency.

3. Makes an incredibly aromatic spice mix for meats, fish, tofu or rice.

Who's who

Damian D'Silva (Singapore), Immigrants gastrobar
D'Silva draws on the rich immigrant culture and his own family history to create heritage Singaporean soul food.

Rodolfo Guzman (Chile), Borago, Santiago
Guzman's use of natural elements has made Borago number-eight on Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants list.

Johnny Iuzzini (US), Sugar Fueled Inc (his own consultancy)
A former James Beard Pastry Chef of the Year and head judge of the TV series Top Chef: Just Desserts.

Matt Jennings (US), Farmstead Inc, Providence
Named one of America's most sustainable chefs, Jennings cooks modern New England cuisine.

Christopher Kostow (US), Restaurant at Meadowood, Napa Valley
With three Michelin stars to his name, Kostow is considered one of the most innovative chefs in the US.

James Stapley (NZ), Whare Kea Lodge, Wanaka
British chef James Stapley followed his heart to New Zealand, where he turns top-notch produce into beautiful and simple, yet complex dishes.

Luigi Taglienti (Italy), Il Ristorante Trussardi alla Scala, Milan
Taglienti's one-Michelin-star spot melds culinary tradition with his own contemporary approach.

Mitch Tonks (Britain), RockFish Grill & Seafood Market, Bristol; the Seahorse Dartmouth; RockFish Seafood and Chips, Dartmouth and Plymouth
Tonks is a seafood authority, with a series of restaurants and cookbooks to his name.

Mauro Uliassi (Italy), Uliassi Restaurant, Senigallia
He has earned two Michelin stars for his whimsical seafood at his portside restaurant on Italy's Adriatic coast.