There’s a surprising reason why contestants didn’t have any input in the new project.

Channel 10 has announced the release of a brand new cookbook, MasterChef at Home. Photos: Channel 10

This year’s season of MasterChef Australia might be over, but fans will soon be able to bring the magic of the competition to their kitchen. It was recently announced that a new cookbook, MasterChef at Home, will be hitting shelves across the country later this year.

The collection features over 100 mouth-watering recipes from your favourite contestants, including vibrant salads, hearty mains, and show-stopping desserts, and is suitable for both beginners and seasoned home cooks. It’s currently available to pre-order for $49.99 at select bookstores and will be released on October 28.

While fans will have to wait for the book’s release to see which dishes made the cut, 10’s website offers a preview of three recipes: Brent Draper’s bourbon barbecue-glazed chicken skewers from season 15, Audra Morrice’s dark chocolate and cherry port jelly tart from season 4, and the Blue Team’s red emperor on potato roti from season 16.

The new cookbook features over 100 mouth-watering recipes from your favourite contestants. Photo: Channel 10

Do the contestants make any money from the cookbook?

MasterChef viewers might assume the contestants had a say in which of their recipes were included; however, this isn’t the case. In fact, it’s believed that none of the former competitors were even given a heads-up.

Joshua Clarke, who was part of the Blue Team in season 16, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that he didn’t have any input in the inclusion of his red emperor recipe and won’t be receiving a profit from the cookbook’s sales.

“It’s pretty cool for me personally to know, as well as the other members of the team who participated, but I don’t think anyone else will know because we aren’t specifically named,” he says, adding that he has no plans to buy a copy.

“I was first made aware of the cookbook’s announcement when I was emailed directly for a pre-order link.”

Surprising clause in the MasterChef contract

An anonymous participant explains to Yahoo Lifestyle that the reason why MasterChef can include contestants’ dishes in the cookbook without paying them for the rights is because it’s all part of the show’s contractual agreement.

“Every recipe we produce on the show, we agree it belongs to MasterChef,” they share. “Recipes that have been cooked on screen are MasterChef property, and we have agreed from the beginning. In a way, it gives us the window to showcase them.

“Also, being part of a MasterChef book is an honour that not every contestant will have.”

MasterChef Australia has been producing cookbooks featuring recipes from the show since the inaugural season, with the release of MasterChef Australia – The Cookbook: Volume 1 in 2009. The cookbook contained recipes from the top 20 contestants, as well as top Australian and international chefs, and included behind-the-scenes stories and cooking tips.