For police Inspector Steven Johnson of the Lake Illawarra Area Command, the answer is far from certain.

He was pipped in yesterday's showdown by Senior Constable Leigh Dal Bon, whose succulent gnocchi dish got her out of jail in front of a crowd of several dozen onlookers.

"Now I know how it feels to be on MasterChef," Insp Johnson admitted.

"Cooking in front of a crowd and under pressure, I was beaten by a better cook on the day."

The cook-off was part of a fund-raising event in support of a Wollongong-based colleague diagnosed with cancer.

MasterChef top 24 contestant Dalvinder Dhami lent a celebrity flavour to the judging panel, which also included Wave FM host Jade Papesch, Senior Constable Mick Emin of the Lake Illawarra Command and two representatives from the NSW Police cultural diversity team.

There was scarcely a doughnut in sight, with the quality of dishes leaving Ms Dhami impressed with the cops' culinary skills.

"They put a lot of passion and love into their cooking. It's great to see the police come together for their fellow member."

Insp Johnson got his love of cooking from his grandmother and German grandfather.

"'It was great to be able to piggyback on the MasterChef final [on Wednesday night] and the support from local businesses has been outstanding," he said.

Lake Illawarra senior communications officer Merika Fulton took overall honours, with her bruschetta entree and gnocchi arrabbiata main judged the best of the dishes. Ms Fulton regularly cooks for colleagues during night shifts.