Chefs All Over the Workplace


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OK, I'm no Jamie Oliver.

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But just how do you make a living out of cooking?

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On today's episode, we're going to find out

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how to make it as a chef, from starting on the

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bottom rung of the ladder to working in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

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We're reaching boiling point as we throw ourselves

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into the world of professional cooking.

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Today's rookies will cater for the masses

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and get a taste of high-end Michelin-starred cuisine.

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They think they can cut the mustard, but can they handle the heat?

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Let's find out as we go all over the workplace!

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Today's rookies are mad-keen cooks

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who not only want to become a top chef,

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they also want to own and run their own restaurants.

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Modest ambitions, then(!)

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I'm Jess, I'm 13, and I want to be a head chef.

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My family has a recipe book

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and it's been in our house for, I think, three generations.

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Soon it will be going on to my mum and then me.

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When I leave school, I want to go into the Navy

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and I want to do cooking on the boats because you get to travel,

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and travelling's a really big thing for me.

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I wouldn't say I'm bossy, but...

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I... I'm a little bit bossy.

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Hi, I'm Louis. I'm 11 years old.

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I'm from Scotland and I want to be a chef.

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When I was in Toulouse,

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I went to this amazing restaurant that was really small.

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There was only one member of staff there, doing all the catering,

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getting everyone's order.

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I kind of wanted to be a chef and he really inspired me.

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So the rookies think they can cook in their own kitchens,

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but can they do it in a professional environment?

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We brought them to Dover to find out.

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Now, I've heard a rumour that you guys want to be professional chefs.

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-Yeah.

-Definitely.

-So what do you love about cooking, then?

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I love how all the tastes just come together in your mouth.

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-I really like making things that go well together.

-Yeah? What about you,

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-Jess?

-I just like making people happy, and food makes me happy,

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so if I cook food for other people, hopefully I'll make THEM happy.

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That sounds lovely, that! I can't wait for you to make me

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-happy with a beautiful plateful of food.

-Obviously.

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OK, so you're pretty confident that you've got what it takes,

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but what do your mum and dad think?

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Louis probably wanted to be a chef when he was about three.

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He did a very good three-cheese souffle.

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He forgets to tidy up after.

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That's my job as kitchen porter.

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She's really good in the kitchen. The food's lovely.

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The state of the kitchen when she comes out afterwards,

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however, is a different matter.

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And she can be a bit clumsy as well

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so we do sometimes hear the odd pots falling on the floor.

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Bearing in mind, you know, it's knives and heat

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and boiling water and things like that.

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I'm amazed that she hasn't had more food-related injuries than she has!

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Both your parents said that you're terrible at clearing up after

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yourselves. You cook something, but there's a mountain of washing-up.

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No, I clean up after myself all the time. My parents are lying.

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LAUGHTER

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There's just certain, select objects that like to stay burnt to the

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bottom of the pan. That's when my mum's speciality comes in.

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-So you clear up everything unless it's really dirty?

-Yeah...

-Yeah.

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And what about you? Why aren't you washing up as you go along?

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You should have a bowl with hot, soapy water in it.

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As you go along is the way to do it.

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-That's what mums are for.

-Mums?!

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There's no mums when you're a professional chef!

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OK, well, it's about time we got cracking with the first task,

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-so are you ready?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Come on, then, let's go.

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Food hasn't always been served in courses.

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In the UK, French service, where all the food is brought at once,

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used to be the norm.

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Russian service, where dishes come out one at a time, was popularised

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in Britain in the 19th century by French chefs

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like the great Auguste Escoffier.

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He was the first person to give cooks individual roles in the

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kitchen, meaning he could serve hundreds simultaneously and make

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sure everyone's food was perfectly cooked and arrived on time.

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Most chefs work 12-hour shifts and many of them work six days a week.

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They also work late at night and early in the morning,

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so if you want to be a chef, say goodbye to your weekends.

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-OK, have you got any idea what your first assignment's going to be?

-No.

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FANFARE PLAYS

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Oh...OK.

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-Ha-ha!

-No...

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No, only joking. Come with me.

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You're actually going to be working...

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on that!

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It's a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy and you're going to be

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in the galley, helping to prepare a meal for almost 200 hungry sailors!

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-How do you feel about that?

-It's going to be brilliant!

-Really good.

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Well, come on, then. Better get cracking.

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Launched in 1998, HMS Kent is one of the newest Type 23 frigates

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within the Royal Navy.

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There's no nipping off to the shops for a pint of milk

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when at sea, so these guys have to be well-stocked.

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In fact, during a seven-month deployment,

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the crew ate 20,000 sausages and 30,000 eggs!

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These guys really are hungry sailors.

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Our rookies will have their work cut out.

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Captain Dan Thomas meets Jess and Louis on board

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before leading them to the galley to meet their first mentors.

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This is Leading Chef Jones.

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He's going to be in charge this afternoon.

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Best of luck and I'll see you later on.

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Leading Chef Jones has cooked his way to the top

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within the Royal Navy.

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During his 12 years of service, he's earned two medals,

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cooked on five ships

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and visited over 50 countries, spanning five continents.

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Hello, everyone. I'm Leading Chef Jones.

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Welcome to HMS Kent's main galley.

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We've got a very busy day ahead of us today, but first things first,

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-want to get into these whites we can get started?

-OK.

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Have you got one for me?

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-Er, no.

-OK...

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OK, then, both, before I get you peeling all these potatoes,

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these are my top three tips to becoming a chef.

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First one is teamwork.

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This is absolutely paramount, being a chef.

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Secondly, organisation.

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If you're an organised chef, it will make your life a lot easier.

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Thirdly, patience. You're going to have chefs

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from all sorts of backgrounds, different skill levels.

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You need patience when you're teaching people in the galley.

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So Chef Jones's top tips are...

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organisation - there's lots of preparation

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and getting dishes out on time.

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Teamwork - you've got to work as a unit in this game.

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And patience - a chef won't learn everything overnight

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so you've got to be willing to put the time in.

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OK. This is a potato rumbler.

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This is a vital bit of equipment in the galley, OK?

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This saves a lot of time with rumbling spuds,

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everything from 100, 150, 200 sailors, OK?

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-So take a handful of the potatoes and throw them in.

-Yeah.

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-Why don't you use a potato peeler?

-Cos this saves so much time.

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-How long is the training?

-About seven to eight months.

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You join the ship as a junior chef, a bit wet behind the ears,

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not really knowing much, and then the leading chefs like myself

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will progress you, moving from dish to dish to dish

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until you feel comfortable as a competent chef.

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Do you have to have any cookery... prior knowledge

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-to come into the Navy?

-No, absolutely not.

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The Navy will provide all your chef training

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if you want to progress with your catering career.

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It's a fantastic thing, will be handy.

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To come from the Armed Forces into civilian environment,

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it's going to stand you in good stead, like.

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That's it, all the way up.

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Wahey!

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Good, that's another batch done.

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Louis has been paired with Chef White

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to slice the beef for the stroganoff.

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Watch those fingers, Louis!

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-Do you have any other jobs during the Navy?

-Yeah, we get lots of jobs.

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We can either be a first-aider or a firefighter.

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If there's a fire, you have to put on a fire suit

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and go to the incident.

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And Jess has been partnered with Chef Parsons to prepare

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the chicken roulade.

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Literally, a little pinch of cheese just over the top of the peppers.

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-Just like this?

-Yep, that's good.

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Do you prefer, like, cooking in bulk, for loads of people?

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People that work in restaurants,

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I don't really understand how they do it.

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Someone could order ten different things at one table.

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What's the difference between a galley and a restaurant

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-and a kitchen?

-In a restaurant, you get a rush between lunchtime at 12

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and all through the night, but onboard, your rush is constant

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so it's breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.

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If you're in defence watches, which we do sometimes,

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-you serve four meals a day...

-Oh.

-..so it's a constant rush.

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I was always driven by all things in the kitchen.

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I remember growing up as a kid as a sort of nine-year-old boy,

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it was my favourite place.

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'I think food and cooking is perhaps

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'one of the most important life skills

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'that we can all teach ourselves or someone else can teach us.

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'The best moment of my career's got to be about the Dragons' Den

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'when I came on, but I think the most fulfilling part is

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'when I went to a high-street store'

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and saw my product, my brand,

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'in there and outselling one of the major products, you know,

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'of a similar kind in the store'

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so I'm very proud of that moment.

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Our rookies are getting to grips with the quantities in feeding

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a hungry ship's crew.

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-When will you know that you've got enough chocolate on there?

-Never.

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-MOUTH FULL:

-I think we need a bit more chocolate.

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That's all the cooking complete now. Now comes the cleaning.

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This is all new territory for you, isn't it?

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-Cleaning up after yourselves.

-Yeah.

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Ah, no, come on, put your back into it.

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There's all bits here. Look at the state of it!

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Don't just do the bottom,

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the whole thing's got to be as shiny as a new penny.

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Final garnishes are applied before the hatch is opened

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to the hungry hordes.

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And it's up to the rookies to dish up the grub.

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Stroganoff for me, please.

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-Is that it?

-Yep.

-Is that...

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Have you seen that?

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-Hiya, what would you like?

-Can I have some veg?

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-Er, yeah. Would you like all of it?

-Yes, I'm going to need it!

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-Is that it?

-Yeah.

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Alex, when you're onboard ship, you have to earn your supper.

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It's very nice.

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It's more like a starter. Look at the size of it.

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Well, thankfully, no-one else seems to be complaining.

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I found my first assignment really good,

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just learning the different dynamic of the boat.

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It's so different to working in a kitchen, in the confined space.

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Everybody's talking, but at the same time there's also, like,

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a sense of urgency to, like, get it done.

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Cleaning up for me was a whole new experience.

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I'm a very lazy boy

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and it's probably not the best for being a chef.

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I've never considered working for the Navy, but now I think I might.

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Louis, I think you did a fantastic effort today.

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You responded well to orders and you did fantastic on the meat.

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Jess, I think you worked well in a heated environment.

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I think you'd do well as a future chef.

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Not all chefs get to slave away over a hot stove

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in the kitchen of a posh restaurant.

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People NEED to eat, whatever it is they're doing,

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and there are loads more jobs out there, cooking for all sorts

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of different people in all sorts of different places.

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How do you fancy working in a school, a college or even a prison?

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Things have changed since the Dark Ages when I was at school,

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and now there are tonnes of tasty and healthy dishes to be made.

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Why stay indoors when you can serve food on the move, like on a train?

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Incredible dishes can come out of the back of trucks

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and you can choose your backgrounds, like festivals,

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funfairs or any kind of event.

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If you don't like dealing with diners or if you can't handle

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the heat of the kitchen, how about making your own product?

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Conserves, jams, cheeses, hams, pickles, cakes and ready meals -

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you can pretty much sell anything...

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if it tastes good.

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Thank you.

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If cooking isn't your thing, but you still want to work with food,

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there are other job roles to consider.

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Take the food critic, which doesn't involve any cooking at all,

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just lots of eating.

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Mm!

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Having earned their stripes in the Navy, we're now turning up the gas.

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The rookies travel to London for their next assignment.

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OK, have you any idea what your next assignment is going to be?

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-No.

-No. Something to do with cooking.

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Very good.

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You're actually going to be working in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

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-Wow.

-Wow, that is amazing.

-Come on, then, let's get on with it!

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Highly regarded, Michelin stars are what restaurants earn

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if they consistently serve top-quality posh nosh.

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Alex and the rookies are at a Michelin-starred fish restaurant.

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People come from all over to sample its fishy delights.

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Everything from yellowfin tuna tartare

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to halibut with cracked wheat, brown butter,

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winkles with parsley and garlic sauce.

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At the helm is super-chef Tony Fleming.

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He used to work under the formidable Marco Pierre White

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so he knows a thing or two about discipline.

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He's now worked his way up to the top of his game

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and gained his first Michelin star in 2013.

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Let's hope our rookies meet his high standards.

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OK, guys, we've got lots to do today.

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Always starts with the fish delivery,

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which comes up from Cornwall.

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We have to unpack it, wash it, dry off the fish, then we have to start

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prepping it, filleting it, portion it, ready for lunch service, OK?

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Nothing but the finest ingredients in this restaurant -

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octopus, prawns and crab to name just a few.

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All the big meat in here, smaller meat here,

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brown meat's in the head.

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I started off literally washing the fish

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and watching other people prep it and watching professional guys

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that have been doing it for a long time,

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picking up tips from them, and then they'd let me do a little bit,

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bit by bit by bit, and the best way to learn is to do something.

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You can read books, you can watch TV, anything, but the best way to

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learn how to cook or prep, do it yourself and get your hands dirty.

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It's quite a disciplined place. It's a bit like the Army.

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There needs to be strict discipline. Everyone needs to know their jobs

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and everyone's got to do their jobs every day.

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Jess, I'll introduce you to Niamh,

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our chef de partie on the larder section where we do all

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the cold starters. We're fully booked for lunch

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and the section needs to be ready for 12 o'clock for service.

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-We have the salads, we have clementine segments.

-Yep.

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The bottom of it.

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-Then just peel off the skin and then put them into there.

-Yeah.

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-Why do you peel off the skin?

-It just makes it nicer to eat.

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-Right, Louis, this is Anna. Anna, this is Louis.

-Hello.

-Hiya.

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She's a commis chef, she's actually still at college, studying,

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so she's quite junior, but she still runs the section

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and she's going to make some lobster dumplings.

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All right, so in this mix, we've got lobster, chives, chilli, ginger.

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We're about to chop some prawns up to put in it as well.

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Chop them in half and then in half again.

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-And you just do that for those ones.

-Yeah.

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So how long does it take you to start prepping food?

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In the morning, we start about 7:30 and service starts at 12,

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-so from 7:30 till 12, we're prepping all morning.

-OK.

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I started here on the larder as a commis chef

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and then I've worked my way up to chef de partie here.

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Oh, OK.

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During prep, chefs prepare the components for dishes

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on the menu, which will be cooked to order when the customers arrive.

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-Why do you enjoy cooking so much?

-I don't really know.

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It's something different most days.

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I kind of get a thrill out of it.

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-Do you want to give that a mix?

-Yeah, sure.

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And then what we're going to do with this, is we're going to blitz

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the rest of the prawns...

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George O'Leary was Observer Young Chef Of The Year 2015.

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He now works for food hero Tom Kerridge.

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My three top tips for being a chef, is being patient,

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being hard-working and enjoying what you do.

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My hero is Tom Kerridge, the reason he is my hero is

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because he taught me everything I wanted to know, anything

0:16:260:16:28

I have ever got a question or query with, I speak to him

0:16:280:16:31

and he will take the time to show me,

0:16:310:16:33

take the time to get the things in to teach me,

0:16:330:16:36

and the best thing is I have got to work with him for five years.

0:16:360:16:38

He has taken me under as a 17-year-old apprentice

0:16:380:16:40

and I have worked my way up to now running the meat, fish and sauce.

0:16:400:16:43

It is nearly midday, and the guests are arriving.

0:16:430:16:47

The temperature in the kitchen is rising.

0:16:470:16:49

You are going to do the tuna.

0:16:490:16:51

Together with Neve here, we have customers coming in right now,

0:16:510:16:54

so Neve will show you how, you do one together,

0:16:540:16:56

and when the orders come through, do that with Neve,

0:16:560:16:58

-all the way through service, yeah?

-Yeah.

0:16:580:17:00

I will leave you with that now, yeah? OK, thanks.

0:17:000:17:02

This is the tuna, we dice it fresh every morning,

0:17:020:17:04

take some diced chilli, apple, chives,

0:17:040:17:06

spring onion, pickled ginger, and normal ginger.

0:17:060:17:10

All right, next to the trees, it is straight down.

0:17:120:17:15

You want to get smaller as you go. You need nine dots.

0:17:190:17:21

Flatten it down, so when we take the ring off, it all stays together.

0:17:230:17:26

-That's it!

-All right.

0:17:290:17:30

-Check on, one eel, one tuna tartare and two halibut.

-Whey!

0:17:300:17:36

-Is there another tuna?

-Yes.

0:17:410:17:43

Put it with the back of the spoon.

0:17:430:17:45

Make sure it is in the middle of the plate, yeah?

0:17:450:17:47

Two cod, monkfish, halibut.

0:17:470:17:50

Nice Michelin-star plating, how does it feel?

0:17:510:17:54

Really good.

0:17:540:17:56

-Right, you do the next one, I will do this one, yeah?

-Sure.

0:18:050:18:08

-Cucumber, shallot, capers, keep it inside the green line, yeah?

-Yeah.

0:18:080:18:13

That's that halibut that came in earlier? Then put it in the middle.

0:18:130:18:17

-Service, table eight.

-First two main courses done, yeah?

-That was good.

0:18:170:18:22

Let's go. Right, next up, do exactly the same again.

0:18:220:18:25

It is one o'clock, it is the height of lunchtime,

0:18:310:18:34

it is really frantic, it is really busy and hot and sweaty,

0:18:340:18:37

and Louis and Jess are literally getting stuck in,

0:18:370:18:41

they are preparing food, plating up, sending it out,

0:18:410:18:44

and it is not like they are part of a TV show,

0:18:440:18:46

they are actually working in this kitchen like proper chefs.

0:18:460:18:48

Really impressive.

0:18:480:18:50

Louis, what impressed me most about you was your enthusiasm, you were

0:18:520:18:55

brimming with enthusiasm, you look like you loved being in the kitchen.

0:18:550:18:59

You were looking at everything, you were asking questions,

0:18:590:19:01

and you did not seem shy about getting stuck in at all.

0:19:010:19:04

Jess, I thought you did very well today.

0:19:040:19:06

At first, I thought you were nervous, so I was not sure about how

0:19:060:19:09

you were going to get on, but I was pleasantly surprised.

0:19:090:19:11

You copied what Neve showed you straight away,

0:19:110:19:13

and replicated it first time.

0:19:130:19:14

So, I was very impressed. It was a very good start.

0:19:140:19:16

Louis, you did really well today, really enthusiastic and I think

0:19:160:19:20

if you carry on with the drive you have got, you will get very far.

0:19:200:19:22

Jess, you did really well today,

0:19:220:19:24

you approached the dishes with great enthusiasm

0:19:240:19:26

and executed them brilliantly during service, so, well done.

0:19:260:19:29

Jess and Louis' first taste of service is over.

0:19:310:19:34

Now, Tony wants them to create their own dish.

0:19:350:19:38

A piece of salmon, or do you want to serve it broken up in a sauce?

0:19:380:19:41

Like a tortellini or something?

0:19:410:19:42

-What do you think?

-Yeah, that would be good.

-Have you done one before?

0:19:420:19:46

Yeah? Are you sure? It is feeling a bit dry to me. My mouth is dry.

0:19:460:19:49

I think with a fishy stock.

0:19:490:19:51

Do we want to do it like a broth, so it is...

0:19:510:19:53

Sauce? Exactly, do you want a broth? Not like a creamy sauce, no?

0:19:530:19:56

-No. What is the one that is clear?

-Consomme.

-Consomme.

0:19:560:20:00

Something like that.

0:20:000:20:01

What I saw today that might go well with it is crispy skin.

0:20:010:20:04

-It tasted really good.

-Vegetables or...

0:20:040:20:07

Maybe, like, what's... Samphire.

0:20:070:20:09

-..herbs or Salad?

-Samphire, yeah, exactly.

0:20:090:20:11

What else is inside the tortellini?

0:20:110:20:13

-Those little baby brown shrimp sort of things.

-Yes, brown shrimps, OK.

0:20:130:20:17

-Lemon, I think, goes really well.

-Lemon?

-Lemon.

-What about a herb?

0:20:170:20:20

-Parsley is, like...

-Parsley, that is the one I was thinking of.

-Parsley.

0:20:200:20:23

Salmon and shrimp tortellini,

0:20:230:20:25

with crackling, fish consomme,

0:20:250:20:27

-samphire, almonds, and a bit of lemon, yeah?

-Yeah.

0:20:270:20:30

OK, guys, that is a great idea. Let's go shopping.

0:20:300:20:33

So, here we are in one of London's biggest and oldest markets,

0:20:350:20:39

look at some produce and maybe stuff you have not seen before.

0:20:390:20:42

It'll maybe inspire you to pick something up

0:20:420:20:44

and we could maybe put it on the dish.

0:20:440:20:45

You have a lovely selection of mushrooms.

0:20:450:20:47

Do you recognise any of these? Do you see anything familiar?

0:20:470:20:50

They all look familiar, but I couldn't name them.

0:20:500:20:53

You have chanterelles, you have pied blue, you've got girolles,

0:20:530:20:56

these are from Scotland. When you are creating a dish,

0:20:560:20:58

it is important to think about seasonality,

0:20:580:21:00

and the time of the year.

0:21:000:21:01

You don't want to be eating strawberries in December,

0:21:010:21:04

you don't want to fly asparagus in from the other side of the world.

0:21:040:21:07

A good example this time of year is pumpkins and squashes,

0:21:070:21:10

nice and autumnal, I was thinking this could be quite good,

0:21:100:21:12

-I don't know what you guys thought.

-Butternut squash.

0:21:120:21:15

Butternut squash? It is quite sweet.

0:21:150:21:17

And it could be quite rich and go well with the consomme.

0:21:170:21:20

-A puree.

-A puree, so...

-I would go for the butternut squash.

0:21:200:21:23

Yeah, and make a nice creamy puree.

0:21:230:21:24

Grab a couple of butternut squash, then.

0:21:240:21:26

See anything here that you recognise?

0:21:290:21:30

-BOTH:

-The prawns.

0:21:300:21:31

Some prawns we saw yesterday, here we have some lovely sea bass.

0:21:310:21:34

Check the gills of the fish as well, make sure it is fresh as well.

0:21:340:21:38

-Slimy.

-Slimy is good. Slimy is good. And it shouldn't smell fishy.

0:21:380:21:42

We need to get some salmon as well, for the tortellinis.

0:21:420:21:44

Let's see if we can find some salmon.

0:21:440:21:46

Can we get some salmon fillet, please?

0:21:460:21:49

-Yeah, mate.

-I would like 400g, please. Just off the fillet.

0:21:490:21:52

This is from lovely Shetland Islands, salmon.

0:21:520:21:56

-We were going to cut chunks, weren't we?

-Yeah.

-Big pieces of that.

0:21:560:21:58

-We'll do, like, scallops.

-Scallops... You get the fish.

0:21:580:22:01

-Get your wallet out, you.

-Eh?

0:22:010:22:05

-How much?

-That was 8.40, mate.

-How much?

0:22:070:22:09

Right, guys, we have our ingredients.

0:22:110:22:12

Peel that onion for us, Alex. Shall we take the skin off, yeah?

0:22:120:22:15

And then cut that into cubes.

0:22:150:22:16

-About that sort of size?

-Yeah.

0:22:160:22:18

I just chopped some celery up and peeled an onion.

0:22:190:22:22

Like a chef.

0:22:220:22:23

This is the nice side of being a chef, making recipes,

0:22:230:22:26

doing nice dishes, being creative, but to do it as a profession...

0:22:260:22:29

Stressful environment sometimes, can be quite pressured.

0:22:290:22:31

You are working a lot of the time

0:22:310:22:33

when your friends are off in the evenings or off at the weekend,

0:22:330:22:36

the chances are you will be working if you're a chef,

0:22:360:22:39

because that's when everyone likes to go out and eat.

0:22:390:22:41

-Look at this, here, look at this!

-That is terrible!

0:22:410:22:43

Look at these two guys, look how they work, with nice little bowls,

0:22:430:22:46

you wouldn't last a minute in my kitchen!

0:22:460:22:48

I was just about to do that!

0:22:480:22:49

It is a way of life, being a chef, it is not just a job,

0:22:490:22:52

it is a decision, it is a lifestyle.

0:22:520:22:55

Right, this is going to be the base for the consomme,

0:22:550:22:57

-so chuck in the bay leaves. Do you know what these are?

-Star anise.

0:22:570:23:00

Star anise, with coriander seeds.

0:23:000:23:02

Yeah.

0:23:020:23:04

Really strong flavour, really strong yellow colour, as well.

0:23:040:23:06

Put a little bit of this mixture in.

0:23:060:23:08

Whisk it in.

0:23:080:23:09

So, all that, put it on the stove.

0:23:090:23:10

So, all of that has to cook together

0:23:130:23:15

and you just gently simmer and, as you do that,

0:23:150:23:17

it will get clearer and clearer. What we're going to do now, then,

0:23:170:23:20

-we'll make the filling for the tortellini, shall we?

-Yeah.

0:23:200:23:23

-Scallop mousse.

-Is it?

-No.

0:23:230:23:24

Right-hand side, top shelf.

0:23:240:23:26

Yeah.

0:23:300:23:31

Ladling off the nice, clear, amber liquid.

0:23:310:23:34

Michelin-star cooking is very different than

0:23:340:23:36

cooking for big volumes of people,

0:23:360:23:37

-like you did in the Navy, where you were cooking for 200 or 300.

-Yeah.

0:23:370:23:40

We're cooking for, like -

0:23:400:23:42

the biggest table would be, like, an eight or a ten.

0:23:420:23:44

So we'd only do about, sort of, 25, 30 covers an hour,

0:23:440:23:46

but we have, you know, 10, 12 chefs...

0:23:460:23:48

Yeah, I didn't realise before we came in here that teamwork is

0:23:480:23:51

-such a big part of a restaurant.

-Yeah.

0:23:510:23:53

-I thought you were all, sort of, given your own roles...

-Yeah.

0:23:530:23:56

..and you got on with it, but it's so much teamwork.

0:23:560:23:58

You'll see that a lot in good kitchens.

0:23:580:24:00

That's the mark of any good team.

0:24:000:24:01

When you get Manchester United, they all play together.

0:24:010:24:03

Lots of good people are all doing it together,

0:24:030:24:05

-all going towards... in the same direction.

-Yeah.

0:24:050:24:07

Any good kitchen, any good team, have to work together.

0:24:070:24:10

Then you get all the credit.

0:24:100:24:11

-I get all the credit for it cos I'm the boss.

-Wahey(!)

0:24:110:24:13

So, work hard, then one day you'd better do the same.

0:24:130:24:16

OK, looking good. We've got enough there to

0:24:160:24:18

do a couple of portions, so it's time to cook this up and serve it

0:24:180:24:20

and then we'll get the other guys to taste it

0:24:200:24:22

-and we'll get the professional opinion on it, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Let's go.

0:24:220:24:26

All right, so, now, we need to bring everything together.

0:24:260:24:29

-Remember, this is your dish, not mine, yeah?

-Yeah.

0:24:290:24:31

So if you want to say something

0:24:310:24:33

or you've got any ideas, just shut me up.

0:24:330:24:34

-Look how clear that is now.

-Yeah, that's lovely.

-Really quickly.

0:24:340:24:38

There we go. If you start putting it on the plate.

0:24:380:24:40

That's it, spread it out a little bit. You have to work together.

0:24:400:24:42

Remember what we said about teamwork, yeah?

0:24:420:24:44

Both do it at the same time, otherwise it's going to go cold.

0:24:440:24:47

-OK.

-That's it. Yeah, and then a few almonds, I think.

0:24:470:24:50

-Oh, that looks really good.

-When we were round that table

0:24:500:24:53

having that little brainstorming session,

0:24:530:24:55

-is that what you were picturing?

-Yeah.

-Yeah. That looks really good.

0:24:550:24:58

Yeah, I think that's quite a good conclusion.

0:24:580:25:00

'Judgment time is approaching.

0:25:000:25:02

'Niamh, Anna and sous-chef Tom

0:25:020:25:05

'are going to give Jess and Louis's masterpiece the once-over.'

0:25:050:25:08

Yeah, that's nice. It's very simple.

0:25:110:25:13

There's not too many strong flavours.

0:25:130:25:15

For a Michelin-star restaurant, it had to be a little bit more

0:25:150:25:18

refined and a little bit more flavour into the dish.

0:25:180:25:22

You had that really nice consomme, and then the puree,

0:25:220:25:25

and then it mixes together, so maybe that wasn't the best idea.

0:25:250:25:28

It needs something else with a bit more punch.

0:25:280:25:30

This is one of those dishes

0:25:300:25:31

we'd have to do a couple of times more, but good start.

0:25:310:25:33

-It's not just about a beautiful plate of food.

-Yeah.

0:25:330:25:35

It's about, as a business,

0:25:350:25:36

can we actually make this dish cost-effective?

0:25:360:25:39

-Is it going to make us money? Are people going to eat here?

-Yeah.

0:25:390:25:41

Looking at that, I'd say you've ticked all the boxes on those,

0:25:410:25:44

-definitely, but we need to tweak it a little bit.

-Yeah.

0:25:440:25:46

I think my final assignment went really well.

0:25:460:25:48

It was really, really fun and really exciting

0:25:480:25:50

and it's nice seeing something you've worked really hard on

0:25:500:25:53

being on the pass and being tasted.

0:25:530:25:55

My final assignment has been really, really fun.

0:25:550:25:57

I've really enjoyed the whole experience

0:25:570:26:00

and just meeting a Michelin-star chef has been a dream come true.

0:26:000:26:04

Louis, you were very keen, very enthusiastic from the outset -

0:26:040:26:07

designing the dish, loved the market,

0:26:070:26:08

loved seeing all the produce.

0:26:080:26:10

As you were, sort of, getting involved,

0:26:100:26:12

you saw that your skill level wasn't quite there yet.

0:26:120:26:14

You knew you had a lot to learn

0:26:140:26:15

but I think, with your enthusiasm, the skills will come in time.

0:26:150:26:18

Jess, you were really loving every part of the process,

0:26:180:26:21

I think, with the menu design and in the market as well,

0:26:210:26:23

and you were asking lots of questions,

0:26:230:26:25

which I really like to see with a chef.

0:26:250:26:27

You were good with your hands and made really good tortellini.

0:26:270:26:29

I think you need to have a bit more confidence

0:26:290:26:31

in yourself and you can go very far.

0:26:310:26:33

'Our rookies have gone from one culinary extreme to the other -

0:26:330:26:37

'cooking grub for hungry sailors and creating gourmet fare

0:26:370:26:40

'for discerning diners in a Michelin-starred restaurant -

0:26:400:26:43

'but do they really stand a chance in this industry?'

0:26:430:26:45

From what I've seen today, I'd say you'd be fantastic candidates

0:26:480:26:51

to join the Royal Navy in the future and we hope to have you.

0:26:510:26:53

Louis, overall, I'm really impressed with your enthusiasm,

0:26:530:26:56

and your knowledge at such a young age is,

0:26:560:26:58

like, really impressive as well,

0:26:580:26:59

but the reality of being a chef is really tough.

0:26:590:27:01

It's going to be long hours, lack of sleep,

0:27:010:27:03

going to bed late and getting up early

0:27:030:27:05

and I think that's something you need to come to terms with

0:27:050:27:07

and, if you can, then you've definitely got potential.

0:27:070:27:10

Jess - lovely personality, really engaged, so keen,

0:27:100:27:12

asking lots of questions, and really hungry for it, which is good,

0:27:120:27:16

but what you need to realise is that you do need to

0:27:160:27:18

start at the bottom, and if that involves picking spinach,

0:27:180:27:21

peeling potatoes and washing pots, then that's what you've got to do.

0:27:210:27:24

There's no fast track to being at the top of being a chef.

0:27:240:27:26

You've got to work your way up the hard way.

0:27:260:27:29

OK, Louis and Jess, you've both had a really good go

0:27:290:27:31

at the cooking industry, and you've found out

0:27:310:27:33

some of the positives and some of the negatives,

0:27:330:27:35

-so do you still both want to be chefs?

-Oh, definitely.

-Definitely.

0:27:350:27:38

I just want... It's just made me want to pursue it more.

0:27:380:27:40

I tell you what, I'm not half peckish.

0:27:400:27:42

-Shall we go and get some fish and chips?

-Yeah.

-Go on, then.

0:27:420:27:45

Come on, then.

0:27:450:27:46

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