Potli Heat 3 Alex Polizzi: Chefs on Trial

Hiring a head chef can make or break a restaurant.

Service.

-Costing?

-I don't know.

When I point at a plate,

I want you to tell me how much that plate cost me.

-Can I have it now?

-HE BANGS THE WORKTOP

-It's a nightmare trying to find a chef.

-But, now, help is at hand.

Good morning.

Alex Polizzi has 25 years of experience

in the hospitality industry.

-Why is the plate cold?

-Schoolboy error.

She will work with four restaurants which desperately need her help...

This is a real interview process.

Where and what did you cook for the Queen?

I can't actually remember what we did.

..as they try and hire a new head chef.

I have one word to say which is "yummy."

This week, Alex is in London to help find a head chef

for an Indian restaurant with a difference.

Potli is a restaurant serving authentic Indian market food,

not the Anglicised version found on so many high streets.

Service.

Owners Jay Ghosh and old friend Uttam Tripathy...

Here's some onion bhaji for you.

..have devoted the past four years to realising their dream

of bringing Indian marketplace cuisine to the capital.

We take inspirations from the various marketplaces in India, showcasing

recipes which have been passed on from generations to generations.

They now have big plans

and feel the time is right to open a chain of restaurants.

It's not just a dream, it's a mission,

a mission to bring the best of Indian market food to the UK.

But with Jay confined to the kitchen six days a week,

it leaves him little time to help concentrate on the business.

For me to grow the business,

I want somebody equally competent as me who is focused on quality,

who is passionate about spices, who wants to create something unique.

We will do whatever required to get the best possible

individual for this particular position.

We will not compromise even a bit on that.

They are now desperate to continue their dream

and put an end to a six-month search for a head chef.

This is everything to me.

To find the right head chef at this juncture is absolutely crucial.

The right head chef can make or break a business,

especially one that's looking to expand or improve.

The owners have a vision of about five establishments

over the next five years

and to do that they need to find their first essential head chef.

After advertising the post, nine applicants have been selected...

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

..and will all undergo a daylong interview.

Yesterday, our second trio of chefs went head-to-head.

Stuart showed promise...

He knows his costing, he knows his margin, so he's a complete package.

..but his korma didn't cut it.

I would have expected a lot of sauce and less lamb in there.

Arabinda's seafood was a spice delight...

Your fish is very soft and tender and every mouthful is of equal joy.

..but there were doubts over his desire.

I'd like you to say something to convince me of that,

if you see what I mean.

What makes your blood boil? Does anything make your blood boil?

And Kuldeep's biryani blew everyone away...

I love that, it's delicious.

And, as for the venison, I mean, for me, that is cooked to perfection.

..but his figures cost him.

Kuldeep, when you are applying for a head-chef position,

you should have done your costing.

In the end, it was a close call between Arabinda and Kuldeep.

The winner for today's heat is

-Arabinda.

-Oh, thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done, chef, well done.

Arabinda will now go through to the final

interview at the end of the week.

It's day three

and our last three chefs are about to be put to the test.

Are there particular skills that you're looking for in this chef?

In terms of the skill set,

I would like to see a chef who has this sort of experience in terms of

Indian food, is knowledgeable about spices, it's very important.

That's how we differentiate, we create our own bespoke spice mixes

and that's how the food is served in India.

Believe you me, each region, each state,

each household has its own spice mixes and, at the same time,

you've got to have the attitude to roll up your sleeves

and make sure they deliver consistent quality of food day in, day out.

With a long day ahead, it's an early start for our three chefs.

-I've got three candidates for you today.

-Yup.

Let's see what you think of them.

We've got Sudha Saha from Birmingham.

Sudha has been a professional chef for 16 years.

He thrives on giving ethnic cuisine a modern twist and is hoping today's

interview will take him a step closer

to a new challenge in his career.

Well, I'm 100% determined to do well and get this job because

that's the reason I have travelled all the way

from Birmingham to come down

to this place, so let's see how it works out but I'm quite confident.

At the moment, he is a consultant chef.

I'm interested to know how much cooking he's done recently.

-I mean, how much time he has actually spent at the range.

-Yes.

Rather than directing a kitchen team, for example.

As you go up the ladder, you tend to lose your interest in cooking

-and focus on other things.

-You become a manager.

You become a manager and we don't want a manager,

we want someone who is going to be passionate about cooking,

-so that's really important for us.

-OK, good.

The second candidate is Bini Ludlow from Somerset.

Bini has been running her own successful cookery school

and supper club for the past three years.

I have travelled a lot and I have eaten a lot of different foods

from around the world, actually.

So maybe that's my strength that I have.

-Hello.

-Hi, morning.

-Good to see you.

-Same to you.

Having been taught to cook by her mum from the age of seven,

she thinks this job would fulfil her ambition to bring her

home cookery skills to a professional kitchen.

The thing I love about cooking is using different spices

in particular, that's my specialism.

I think you'll be impressed by her passion,

about her knowledge for spices, I mean,

she's particularly keen on Gujarati cooking, which is her background.

-Yes.

-But I think you'll be impressed by her fluency...

-Yes.

-..in spices.

That's a very big plus for us but the only thing I'm a bit

concerned about in her CV is that she's never worked in a restaurant.

I've got the same thing written down.

So the rigmarole, how well she copes up to this sort of demand.

Our last one is Mark Robinson from Sussex.

Although Mark has never worked in an Indian kitchen before,

he believes his wealth of experience will be an attraction for

Jay and Uttam's ambition to grow their business.

-Oh, hi. Hello, there.

-All right? Nice to meet you, I'm Mark.

-Hello, Mark, my name's Bini.

-Lovely to meet you, Bini.

-Hi, Sudha.

How are you doing? You all right, mate?

I've been cooking professionally for 30 years now, so I have picked

up spicings and seasonings, you know, from lots of parts of the world.

I love Spanish cooking, Moroccan cooking,

obviously the Indian cooking...

I've dabbled in them all.

-He has been a head chef since 1991.

-Yup.

-And he has been a chef director since 2003.

-Yup.

And for him to come back in 2015 and join as a head chef,

-it's just doesn't add up.

-I know.

I think, realistically, that your business plan is very interesting.

You want to be able to develop more restaurants.

I think people who have that instinct in them, which he

clearly does because he's developed a lot of initial ideas,

you know, it's quite addictive.

The only thing is, does he know Indian cooking or not?

-That is the important thing.

-We shall find out.

-Yes.

-So, are you from London?

-Erm, not at the moment. And you?

-I am from Birmingham.

-From Birmingham?

-Yeah.

-I bet you cook a mean curry. I'm in trouble.

-Balti!

Today's chefs will be tested on how they use their spices,

cooking a preplanned signature dish

and put under the spotlight in a face-to-face interview.

The process we're using to find the right head chef is a process

that one would use in the real world.

CVs can only tell you so much and the most important

thing about a chef is how their food tastes, what their food

philosophy is, whether it gels with the owners,

and that's what I'm testing.

Hi, chefs, morning.

Hello, good morning, all of you, thank you very much. So this is Jay.

Before we even start talking to you, it would be nice to see how

familiar you are with spices, which are Jay's particular passion,

so would you like to explain

what you'd like these chefs to do, please?

Yeah, today, the first challenge that we have for you is to make

a popular, authentic tandoori chicken.

In terms of the actual chicken cooking,

I am looking to use all of these spices that are on the tray here

because that's how it gives the product a different flavour.

What I would like to see is the butchery skills of getting

sort of two portions out of one bird, the use of spices,

we will also watch your tandoor skills,

as to how you skewer your chicken

and we have got a live charcoal tandoor ready for you.

OK, off you go.

The chefs have just one hour to prepare a traditional

tandoori chicken with an appropriate side dish.

I'm quite relieved that it's actually chicken.

It's one of those staple meats that you could use and, yeah,

I'm happy with that part of it.

I'm a bit concerned about the tandoori oven

because I've never used one before.

Obviously, each chef's got a different style of spicing it.

At the end of the day, the flavour should come right.

Now, in terms of tandoori chicken, it needs to marinate overnight

and that gives a more intense flavour to the tissue

but, anyway, we are trying our best within one hour's time.

I can't remember the last time I made tandoori chicken.

I've certainly never done it properly on the skewers

in a tandoori oven, so it's totally new to me.

Do you have any idea with the tandoori oven which bit has

the chicken? Obviously, it's probably there, isn't it?

-Because that's the...

-Put in this way.

-Yes.

-About there you'd say?

-Yeah.

-And you know?

This first task will not only test the chef's ability to use

the tandoor oven, it's a chance to demonstrate their understanding

of spices and marinades to Jay, who has perfected a two-stage process.

-So the first marination is to tenderise?

-Yes, because...

once we tenderise your meat and then, with the second marination,

once you flavour it, you've got the best of both worlds.

You've got a tender meat with a flavourful...

Mouthful of flavours in there. Some turmeric powder.

-Turmeric powder also acts as a tenderiser on its own.

-Does it?

-I didn't know that.

-Yes.

-Chilli powder.

-Brilliant colour.

-Yes, it's very bright.

So this is my tenderising marination and it sits in this nice

-marination for 20 minutes before I put in the second one.

-OK, fine.

So let's say after 15 to 20 minutes, then what happens?

Then the magic begins.

Once the first marinade has tenderised the meat,

a second will add the favour which comes primarily from a garam masala

-and yoghurt mix.

-Everybody has their own garam masala mix.

-Do they?

-Garam masala literally means...

"Garam" means hot and "masala" means spices.

It's my secret I have learned over the years.

We have got cloves, we have got green cardamom,

we've got your royal cumin seeds

which is shahi jeera, black peppercorns,

-we've got black cardamom, cinnamon, mace blades and...

-My favourite.

-Your favourite, nutmeg.

-Yes.

With the meat tenderised and flavoured, it is then

skilfully weaved onto a skewer before cooking.

The whole idea is to sort of defy the gravity

and to make sure that the chicken is still clinging on to your skewer

til the point in time it is getting cooked.

That goes in. It's about 25 minutes.

So you've got the...

breast and the...

leg.

This is what I would expect in one portion of tandoori chicken

-from the chefs.

-Mmm!

It has to stay moist throughout the cooking process

and also it has to be well seasoned and every mouthful is a joy.

Under the scrutiny of Jay and Alex,

the chefs must show they have both the right skills

and desire to match the restaurant's drive for authentic Indian cuisine.

Sudha is drawing on his award-winning 16 year career

to prepare a dish set to impress.

Cooking is something... It's my passion.

I sleep, I eat, I drink... Everything, I even dream of cooking.

-If I get the job, I'll be over the moon.

-Is the pressure on?

-No, not really.

-OK, brilliant.

-This is a dish you're comfortable with?

Yeah, I've done it so many times.

-And what sort of side have you thought of?

-Chickpea salsa.

-OK.

And the chicken on top...

just give it a bit of nice "up".

-OK, brilliant.

-I'm looking forward to it, thanks.

Chef Sudha seems confident, that's good.

Bini hopes to showcase her childhood cooking influences

from the Gujarat region - an area synonymous with Indian market food.

I make Gujarati food. This is my specialism, really.

Gujarati food in particular has that complex spicing.

Having the proper flavours, the sweet and sour and all the textures,

you can play around with it.

If I was given the job, I'd be really excited and it'd be a new

opportunity, a new role, something different I've never done before.

I can showcase how Indian food should be eaten.

How are you?

Hi, Alex, I'm doing all right. Hello, Jay.

I'm doing all right, thank you.

I've got my first marinating already, I'm on my second one now

-but whether it's what you want, I have no idea.

-And what side dish?

I've gone with cauliflower and potato curry with tomatoes,

so it has a sauce with it.

Why are you interested in trying for this job? I mean, I'm fascinated.

It's a challenge. But I have a lot of experience working with my mum.

And all the aunties and all of those girls

have taught me a lot of skills.

If you're looking for home-cooked food, I can do that.

-So that's where my specialisms are.

-We'll let you get on with it.

-All the best.

-Thanks very much.

Hungry for a new challenge, Mark feels this is the perfect

opportunity to broaden his culinary knowledge of Indian cuisine.

I want the job, I want it a lot

cos I think it's going to be exciting and a big change.

It gives me a chance to explore new avenues, it would be

an amazing opportunity and a great challenge.

-How are you doing?

-I'm great.

What has been your love affair with spices?

Have you used it before in your kitchens?

I've always been interested in food from anywhere.

-Northeast Asia, India. I've travelled in India.

-Wow.

I use these spices regularly, so...

What is the side dish that you're planning on?

Erm, the side dish... I'm going for a salad-type side dish.

-I'm doing kachumber.

-Great.

-Kachumber.

And I'm doing yoghurt with it. Simple, plain yoghurt.

I not going to raita it up or anything,

I'm just going to do yoghurt.

-Great.

-It will be incredible.

-All right, Mark, we'll let you get on.

All the best.

With the chicken marinated, it's down to the all-important skewering.

Hmm, this is going to be a challenge.

I've never done this before.

Sudha's expertise of weaving through the meat is becoming clear...

You need to put to the bone, so that it becomes tight.

It's a bit slippery, isn't it?

..and Bini is quickly getting to grips.

But is Mark's inexperience now beginning to show?

I'm going to be in a problem, aren't I?

Because they're going to be touching too much, they're not going to cook.

-Yeah, just make a gap. Didn't you put a gap?

-No.

I thought that you had to use everything you had,

so I've cooked the whole bird

on the skewer and when I've done that, what I've done is

I've had to cram them up too close

and so they're not going to cook well.

To accompany their tandoori chicken,

the chefs have been asked to prepare an appropriate side dish.

For an expert opinion, Jay has invited close friend Asma Khan.

Asma runs a successful supper club which regularly gives

Jay food for thought.

So this is the lentil pakora to be had with both the chutneys, OK?

She knows more than most that the perfect Indian meal is based

upon complementary dishes.

Side dishes are very important, they must complement the spices.

The other thing that a head chef has to think about is texture.

Am I going for something smooth? Am I going for something crunchy?

And the taste.

You're mixing up flavours,

so you've got to end up with something really beautiful

and that's really important cos your side dish has to complement

in a really serious way because it can go hideously wrong otherwise.

The one thing that you'll always find accompanying tandoori chicken

is a raita. So raita is a generic word.

You know, anything that's got yoghurt with bits in it is a raita.

It brings some moisture back into the meat and it works,

it kind of gives a coating to the meat.

Textures that are not helpful are things like a very wet daal.

It's going to ruin the dryness of the tandoori chicken

because it's going to make it wet.

Head chefs always keep that in mind.

Looking for the perfect pair, Sudha is preparing a side dish

of chickpea salsa to complement his chicken.

Basically, the concept is you've got chopped onions,

chopped tomatoes, the spices with chillies and the chickpeas.

-So a very chunky kind of texture?

-Yes, bit of robust things.

And it goes to sit on the plate... presented nicely,

in the middle of the plate.

-You're going to try and keep it dry so it stays in one place?

-Yeah.

Because that's one thing with chickpeas.

It won't be like floating around but it stays at one point.

Sounds wonderful, good luck. I am looking forward to tasting it.

Thank you.

I like the chickpea salsa and it's...

In a traditional Indian, chickpeas is normally wet

but he's giving it a twist by adding chopped onions to make it

look like a salsa with tomatoes, making it a bit tangy.

It's an unusual combination and if he gets the spicing right

and the flavours right in the salsa,

I think it's going to be really nice, the combination.

Good. What do you think of him so far?

I think so far what I've seen of Sudha

is he's confident on his spicing,

he understands the basic methodology of how to marinate first

and second, so, yeah, looking forward to his dish.

Using home cooking influences, Bini is making a traditional

vegetable-based side dish called a sabzi.

It's my mum's sort of recipe, the combinations are really lovely.

-It's quite heavy on the coriander.

-Which is a very Gujarati thing.

-It is, yes.

-Because every region has its own kind of combination.

-Yes.

-And I know coriander is...

-Is big.

So I'm just going to pop that in if that's ready,

I'm just going to check.

-Bini?

-With Bini, the first thing

that really struck was her infectiousness.

She is very excited, very passionate,

that is one of the attributes of a head chef.

You've got to have that attitude, that drive, that passion.

She has marinated first and second - so basics are in place, that's good.

-I'm not sure about her side dish, though.

-What is it?

The side dish the Bini is doing is a sabzi -

basically, a traditional, Indian sabzi.

It's not something you normally would eat with tandoori chicken,

because it's going to be wet.

It's going to be wet and the texture is not crunchy and fresh.

Even if you can manage to keep your cauliflower crunchy,

it doesn't go with the whole dish.

Because with the aubergine and the potato,

the general texture will be quite soft and mushy.

So I'm a bit concerned about that.

Hoping to bring something new to the table,

Mark is preparing a kachumber salad,

deep-fried chilli and black salt kohlrabi tops,

and salsify with toasted coconut and yoghurt.

-This is my salsify, ready to be deep-fried.

-OK.

I'm going to add a little bit of the fennel to this now,

hopefully that's going to give it a nice, interesting

aniseedy flavour to it as well.

-It's underused in Indian cooking.

-Underused?

-Yes.

-I think it is. I've not seen before.

It is underused, because it's not local.

Mark is clearly our wild card here,

because he has very little experience with Indian cooking.

As he was bashing up his green cardamom pods...

-Your face was a picture.

-Yeah, I was quite amazed.

I actually think that out of all the three, the kachumber salad,

which is what Mark is making, is my top pick.

What is a kachumber salad?

Kachumber, it's a chopped salad - closest to a salsa.

But without the kind of tanginess you would associate with a salsa.

The important thing is - and I'll be interested to see

whether he gets that right - is all the red onions, tomatoes,

cucumber and pomegranate seeds - they all have to be the same size.

This is really important, my grandmother would always notice

and say, "This is not right."

Because if you've got any of the vegetables

slightly bigger-looking than the others, it was always sent back.

With Mark the exciting thing is he's taken the challenge on,

and he's trying his best.

With chefs, that is a very important attribute. To pull yourself up

when you're at the dead end and really deliver.

There are just a few minutes left for our chefs to plate

and present their food.

-BINI:

-This is not going to be cooked in time, that's my problem.

I think that they'll definitely be impressed with the dishes.

Sudha knows what he's doing, yeah. With a tandoori, for sure.

Time is up.

The chefs will be judged on their skills to prepare and cook

an authentic chicken tandoori with correctly spiced marinade.

And their ability to serve a complementary side dish.

Great. Let's try the first dish, please.

To accompany Sudha's chicken, he is serving a bed of chickpea salsa.

Having the most Indian cuisine experience, expectations are high.

The dish looks good in terms of the visuals.

I would say the chickpea salsa complements well with your chicken.

But, sadly, Sudha - the chicken doesn't deliver.

To me, it's on the drier side.

It's important to have chicken which is moist,

which is succulent and which is well-seasoned.

Yes, it's a bit dry.

-I actually liked the chickpeas a lot.

-I love the chickpeas.

It's fabulous, and I think that's the huge redeeming factor.

But I think your chicken lets you down.

-Shall we go on?

-Yeah, the next one.

Bini is hoping her side dish of a traditional vegetable-based sabzi

with aubergine, cauliflower and potato curry will be

the perfect accompaniment to her tandoori chicken.

But does her home cooking style have the professional edge?

I fail to understand why did you just have two thighs?

A, it's traditional to use breast and the leg,

but also, at the same time,

if you are looking from the cost point of view, from one bird,

if you're using two legs, what would you do with the two breasts?

That's true. It's a good point, actually.

The flavour is better.

It has got the reddish hue that I am looking for in a tandoori marination.

-Not sure on this though.

-I was hesitant when I saw you making it.

Because I think that this is not a dish that one would have with

tandoori chicken. The second thing is that this seasoning is low.

Especially when you're cooking aubergine,

you've got to check the salt more than once.

With Indian food, we've got to keep tasting.

It's so much about taste and touch.

You've got to keep tasting it and getting it right.

Lastly, Mark has chosen to complement his chicken with

a side of plain yoghurt, a kachumber salad, deep-fried chilli

and black salt kholrabi tops, and salsify with toasted coconut.

But will it convince he has the authentic touch?

I can imagine the first comment.

Go on.

The chicken's quite dry.

Yes - I think the chicken is dry.

The marination is not really coming through.

Your kachumber salad with the topping is really different.

But your tomatoes should be the same sizes.

I was just about to say, would your grandmother approve?

My grandmother wouldn't approve,

because one of the classic things about kachumber,

which I've mentioned before, is that they all have to be the same size.

Some of your tomato pieces are a bit bigger,

but you're forgiven because the flavour - dead right.

And all those subtle touches of garlic, of chilli, of black salt -

that's really adding up. It's really fantastic.

It's held together, perfectly balanced.

Kachumber, the simplest of things

are actually quite difficult to get right.

Very, very good.

Guys, I think what we'll do is we'll let you try each other's,

and see what you think of each other's.

-And we'll come back and find you in a moment.

-Thank you.

-BINI:

-One there, and I'll take yours.

So, you never can tell.

It just shows - let's go through them. Sudha, very disappointing.

The expectation was here, and the delivery was here.

So there was a big gap for him to fulfil.

I tried my best, and each individual has got different palates.

I can't dictate my palate to someone else's, if he likes it or not.

Bini, much the least-experienced in a restaurant situation.

-However her chicken was the most tender.

-Yes, that's a big positive.

Bini's chicken was tender, had much more flavour, had the depth.

The veg are nicely cooked, especially the cauliflower.

It's not mushy.

I must say, I slightly disagreed about the side dish that I produced.

I didn't think that the vegetables were mushy.

But then, everybody's subjective, and we all have our own opinions.

And the third one, Mark, who frankly we thought was going to fall

flat on his face at the first hurdle, has surprised us all.

These crispy elements are a really good twist.

With Mark, the expectation was here, but his delivery is here.

So that's been a big change, and that's what we want to see.

The way he did the side was incredible.

It was disappointment that the chicken went dry.

It was a big disappointment.

But very pleased that they loved the kachumber salad,

and they loved all the crispy bits on it and everything.

So, that's great.

The next opportunity for our chefs to impress

is the face-to-face interview.

Candidates will be grilled by Alex, Jay and Uttam

on their suitability for the role of head chef.

First up is Sudha, who hopes his current executive chef role

will speak volumes about his capabilities.

-Hello.

-Hello, good afternoon.

-Please.

-Thank you.

-Welcome.

Have you done some research on the menu?

The food, the dish, the principle, the philosophy?

From a business point,

I would say I don't know which direction you want to go in.

Do you want to do something different,

for example a tasting menu,

or something like a signature dish?

Then also, rather than stopping at one corner, like,

it's winter and a game period - make some game evening or a game week...

I think, Sudha, on a few aspects, I think you're a bit misinformed.

Because we do a lot of set menus, we do weekend menus,

we do signatures, we do specials.

If it's Christmas period, we do Christmas specials

and things like that. Our menu keeps changing on every season.

Sell yourself to us - why should Jay and Uttam give you the job?

If they think that skills, attitudes or the business brain

which I've got - obviously, they're businessmen as well -

which can help to grow further.

-Probably looking for another chain in the future...

-Yes.

..I can put myself in that bracket and grow the business,

so why not? It's teamwork.

-Him can't do the marathon job alone, so you need team.

-Yes!

That's what we're looking for.

That's what the need of the head chef is, to grow and develop.

You need teamwork. It's like, ten fingers, more strength.

One finger doesn't have much strength.

-Mmm-hmm.

-Is that OK?

Excellent, yes.

I think he was very honest.

He has a CV which is quite decorative,

and he's quite keen and passionate about what he does.

-Hello, you all right?

-How did it go?

-How was it?

-All right?

-Yeah, OK?

He's a very safe pair of hands, he appears to me.

-Confident about it? Went well?

-Yeah.

-You should be confident in your life.

-Exactly, yeah. Positive.

My only concern is whether he would be able to look for, and adapt to,

our way of working, our style of cuisine, our marketplace concept.

We must remember that you always said, from the very

beginning of this process, you said you can train anybody to do it

your way, as long as they have the skill set and the right attitude.

-That's right, yeah.

-So let's keep that in mind.

-Options open, yes.

Next is Bini.

Can she convince the panel her home-grown talent

can work in a busy, professional kitchen?

I've never interviewed for a chef's position,

so I have no idea what kind of questions they're going to ask.

But I'll have some answers. Positive ones.

When I go upstairs, I'll have a feel of whether I'm the right person

for them, and whether I can work with them.

It's a two-way thing as well.

-Hello.

-Hello.

-Come and sit down.

-Hi.

Have a seat.

Bini, you have never worked

-in a restaurant or a similar environment, have you?

-No.

You would be subjected to chefs of a combined

-experience of over 120 years.

-Wow!

How would you deal with them?

I think, well, you work as a team.

They have skills, I have skills -

and I'm not going to say my way's always the right way.

I'm happy to listen, because these people have lots of...

100 and however many years we've got of experience.

Why would I want to put that on the back burner and not use it?

I think all businesses are ones where you use

the strength of the people.

To be honest, I think if I was coming here,

if you're going to take that gamble, I would need some help.

-And I'm not being, you know...

-No, no.

-I'm going to need some help.

But I tell you, my food will sing.

And if today my signature dish doesn't do it,

-then I'm not the right person.

-OK. That's great, darling.

Thank you. I love you throwing it on the table like that.

-I love it!

-I'm very matter-of-fact, you know.

-Yeah, I love that.

-Thank you, Bini, thank you.

She's very honest and very straightforward.

She said what she can do, what she can't do.

Ah, phew!

And, as a person, seems quite unflappable.

I was just surprised with the energy she possesses.

Absolutely brilliant.

-So no high-pressure questions then?

-No, you'll be fine.

And she's also said very honestly to us,

if we like her food, then we can talk.

So I think that's all we can wait and see.

Finally, will Mark's extensive head chef experience

make up for his lack of Indian culinary know-how?

There's people-management, all the paperwork that goes with it,

the costings.

It's standard for me, I've been doing it for at least 15, 20 years.

-Hello. Come and sit down.

-Thank you, hi. Good to meet you.

So, why would you like to be a head chef

in an area of Indian cuisine where you have no experience at all?

I suppose because where I am at the moment, it's not expanding.

So, this sounds great to me,

because this is a business that is expanding.

And it sounds like you've got a great plan.

And it sounds like you want to do that.

-Growth is an important factor for you?

-Yeah.

It brings me on as well to what involvement

would the head chef here have in the expansion

and running the business as it grows?

-That's important to me.

-That's a very good question.

The best practices from here would be transferred to the other units.

So you might be needed to train the other staff in the new unit,

you might be needed to do a training documentation

so that everybody's on the same page, and everybody's doing the same thing.

Hopefully, I've got enough knowledge and experience as a chef

in what I do, that I'd be able to pull it off and learn it and do it.

-All right, thanks.

-Thank you, Mark.

He's the only one of the three who asked questions of you that

showed the thought processes that one needs to go through to

really establish this as a group.

He came right in, what's in it for him? What's the job role?

How is he going to develop, how's it going to expand?

Having that sort of person on board is going to be extremely

important for our own growth as well.

I think he asked more questions than we asked him.

So, just to sum up, our three candidates.

We've got Sudha, who seems like a very safe pair of hands.

We've got Bini, who's got all the passion,

but has admitted herself that she'd need a lot of help.

And then we've got Mark, who has got zero knowledge,

-really, of Indian cooking.

-Yes.

It's anybody's game, at the end of the day,

so we would now look at the signature dishes.

And, yeah - it's pretty much open.

The final part of the interview

will be to prepare a preplanned signature dish.

This will be the candidates' last chance to prove

they are head chef material.

The restaurant's main dishes are typically priced under £15.

To achieve Jay's expected gross profit margin of 70%,

chefs' ingredients must total no more than £4.50.

What are we hoping for from these dishes?

I really hope that a dish which really stands out here also

-delivers on the terms of the business and the costing model.

-Great.

Sudha hopes to leave a lasting impression

with his dish of pan-fried sea bass, spiced salsify and asparagus,

along with tomato and red caviar achar, and a moily sauce.

I've cooked this dish many times before.

And every time I got a good result, people liked it.

I improvised this dish when I was working

in a Michelin star restaurant, so that gives me

quite a bit of upper hand in terms of presenting this particular dish.

I need to perform, I need to showcase my skills, my thinking,

my imaginations, my creativity.

And this is the best way to show.

I'm really looking for this one.

-Hi!

-Hello.

Tell us about your dish.

I'm cooking a sea bass.

Obviously, sea bass is a wonderful fish.

I'm doing some salsify with spices.

And then I'm making a sauce which is influenced

of southern part of India - moily.

You know, coconut...

And this is something that you've done before?

That's what I do play with...

Not play, that's where I try to break the boundaries. Getting...

I wouldn't say fusion,

it's a contemporary, modern twist of Indian cooking.

So, in your plate, we can taste a bit of India.

You've got south Indian influence,

you've got a bit of a north Indian influence...

-It's combined, exploding the flavour in your mouth.

-Very nice.

-Good, it sounds lovely.

-Yes.

-I'm looking forward to trying it.

-All the best, Sudha.

-Thank you.

Sudha, we've got quite a lot going on.

Because it's also with a mushroom and spring onion rice.

What I'm worried about is whether the moily sauce

-will go very well with the fish...

-Fish.

..which has got a mustard flavour, or mustard marination.

I've never had one like that before.

Looking at the costings, his total food cost, he thinks, is £5.

And he's recommending a retail price as £14.50.

-Also, he hasn't included the VAT, which is my particular bugbear.

-Yes!

-You know, 20% is a lot to lose off the price of the dish.

-Right.

True, and to get the percentage to what we want,

-and to add the VAT, we'll be going past, or very close to, £20.

-Yes.

That's quite a lot for the kind of food we serve here.

And the kind of clientele that we've got here.

Bini is preparing a fusion Gujarat dish.

Combining lamb and spinach curry

with a side of okra and potato curry, mixed vegetable rice,

and vintage cider roti.

My signature dish has lots of influences,

from the Gujarat, and also from Bradford, and from Somerset!

I thought, why not put them all together and combine them

and showcase that you can use local ingredients, and with Indian spices

you can really bring out the best of everything.

Creativity - the dish says creativity and passion.

Bini, tell us about your signature dish.

Well, the signature dish is a lamb and spinach curry.

I've just spent about half an hour, 25 minutes, just getting rid

of the impurities of the lamb,

so when you have it, it tastes wonderful.

Tell us what else is going in?

-What else I've prepped also is the okra.

-I love okra.

I'm going to do okra and potato curry.

-Do you know what it's called in India?

-Fingers...?

Lady fingers, yes!

I think her dish is very traditional, from where she comes from.

And lamb and spinach curry is an ideal combination.

So if she gets it right, if she can pull this through,

this can be a real cracker of a dish.

Look, they're like whoopie cushions!

Her total food cost is £3.62, which seems very reasonable...

-..considering she's cooking with lamb.

-Yes.

She's suggesting a retail price of £17.86, including VAT.

So, obviously, she's overcooked it slightly, hasn't she?

She's got a lot to prove with this dish, let's face it.

I have practised this a couple of times.

It's not working in my favour, so...

I just hope it works.

Mark is aiming to build on the success of his morning's efforts

by cooking chicken ajwain, served with a popular Punjabi dish

of chana masala, and accompanied by Jaipur sprouted-bean slaw.

I haven't chosen my signature dish necessarily to impress anyone,

I chose it from my own knowledge

of what I've learned from Indian cooking,

and what I think I'm capable of producing.

Hopefully, that will impress and they will like it.

I'm determined to get this job, yeah. It's very exciting.

-You're busy, we can see that.

-I am, yes.

I'm just going to do roast chicken,

sort of going on a British tilt here.

I've just roasted it very simply with ajwain seeds.

-Personally, I would use ajwain seeds with fish and seafood.

-Yep.

-You've never done it with chicken?

-I've never done it with chicken.

So if comes out well, probably I've learned something from you, Mark.

Wait til you taste it, I'll tell you, it'll knock your socks off.

And what else with it?

I'm doing a Jaipur slaw.

From the Pink City in Rajasthan.

It's done with beetroot and red cabbage.

So when you add the lime juice and sugar and salt,

it bleeds out, so it goes nice and pink.

-I'm doing a raita with green banana, or plantain.

-Green banana raita?

-Yeah.

-I've never heard of it! How do you make it?

-I made it up.

-Wow! That's great, that's what we want.

-I love it, that's got real chutzpah!

-Yeah, I made it up.

Fantastic, can't wait.

I think Mark has got a very interesting combination, Alex.

Luchi bread, that is something I'm really looking forward to.

Because that is a bread that comes from my native state,

and luchi basically means a puffed-up bread.

A selling price for a roast chicken dish of £12.58 is very reassuring.

Let's see what the portion sizes are.

-With all the accompaniments, yes.

-Yes.

And one other interesting aspect that Mark is doing is the chicken

with the skin on.

In Indian cuisine we don't have a chicken being cooked with

-the skin on, because the skin hinders with the...

-Absorption.

..absorption of the curry.

-So hopefully this time also he will be able to surprise us.

-Good.

With the final touch able to make all the difference, this is the last

opportunity for our chefs to impress with their cooking abilities.

Everyone had their own strong points and their weaknesses.

So it is quite balanced, I think.

The successful applicant will need to demonstrate the correct

kitchen skills required to deliver a meal that can sit alongside

the authentic dishes already served on the restaurant's menu.

First dish under scrutiny is Sudha's.

-There's the sea bass.

-Thank you.

-Great.

Enjoy.

Sudha has served a pan-fried sea bass, spiced salsify and asparagus,

tomato and red caviar achar,

with a moily sauce.

It's accompanied by mushroom and spring onion rice.

Sudha's struggled to keep costs below Jay's recommended £4.50.

But will taste and presentation be on the money?

It looks great.

I think the plate presentation is perfect.

You've got the sauce, you've got the visuals, various colours going on.

You can see the crispiness of the skin,

-which I love to see in a fish that's been filleted.

-What do you think?

I think, from a diner's point of view,

it looks very simple and quite appealing.

So I think the presentation point of view, it is fantastic.

I think this dish is really, really, really good.

It delivers in terms of your texture, flavour, taste.

Especially the moily sauce.

-Having that flavour of mustard going through is beautiful.

-Thank you.

I must say, that is a dish I would eat with pleasure.

This dish would cost about £5?

£5, because I'm using a farmed sea bass,

as you know, it's not expensive. You can find it throughout the year.

For a sea bass like this, I think

we can happily sell this dish in our restaurant

at about £13.50, £14... Below £15.

So I think the costing is a bit out in terms of what

we expect in our restaurant, and I think, if we deconstruct

this dish, and take a few components off, the cost might come down.

-That's a wonderful dish, congratulations.

-Thank you, Sudha.

Thank you.

-Good.

-I think he redeemed himself quite a lot.

The dish was perfect,

it had got the flavour, the balance, the seasoning, everything going on.

Hey! How did it go?

Yeah, well, very good.

I enjoyed it, what more can you say?

-Obviously, the costings need tweaking, as we discussed.

-Yes.

But he made a dish that we'd like to eat.

We can always help him doing the costings.

But the fact is, that's one of the best moily I've ever tried.

That was fantastic.

Next to present her dish is Bini.

My hands are shaking! But it's because I'm passionate.

-Is it passionate, or you are panicking?

-I'm panicking.

Wish me luck, boys.

-Good luck.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-ALEX:

-Hi. Thank you.

Bini has prepared a Gujarati kadhi,

consisting of lamb and spinach curry, okra and potato curry,

served with vegetable rice and red onion relish,

with cider roti.

At almost £1 under budget, it provides a healthy 75% margin.

I'm not a huge curry fan, and I have to say I'm really enjoying lamb.

Thank you.

There is bits of spinach in there, it's not a typical saag lamb,

where you've doused the lamb in a lot of spinach,

so you lose the entity of the lamb in itself.

And the flavour is quite clean. It's good.

This is really nice.

-You like the bread?

-An excellent innovation.

You can smell the cider - I would have never have thought in my dreams

to have a roti made with cider.

It takes a poor man's bread, like a roti, into a new territory.

I would be disappointed with your curry.

I had an expectation, because for a Gujarati curry,

this is way too thick. I would expect it to be much thinner.

And much cleaner.

It was actually quite thin, and then I had to go

and make the chapatis in the other kitchen, so it carried on boiling.

Those are the nuances of our kitchen.

-I know.

-You've got to do a lot of components at the same time,

but dish out a product which has got no excuse.

-UTTAM:

-You have overdone with the rice,

in the sense that you've made it overcomplicated.

-But, overall, this is quite a tasty food that you've made.

-Thank you.

You threw us a challenge in your interview, you said that

if you don't like the spinach and lamb curry,

then I'm not the right candidate.

But I would like to tell you that

I personally like your lamb and spinach curry quite a lot.

-We all did.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I think she's shown us that she can cook.

-What Bini created was nothing more than home cooking.

-Yeah.

Very simple home cooking. Apart from the lamb and the spinach,

-which she really made it absolutely brilliant.

-Yes.

Would our customers like to eat that? I doubt it.

For Bini, performing under pressure has taken its toll.

I'm going to get upset, and I don't want to get upset.

PRODUCER: Why are you upset?

Because I'm passionate about my food,

and things didn't come out right.

And I shouldn't be upset.

-Why did you have a cry, darling? Was it overwhelming?

-Yes.

I'm so sorry.

Aw, darling, we don't want to overwhelm anybody.

-I hope you didn't...

-It's all right.

Are you not happy?

No! I just think the whole build-up of it was quite a lot.

It is good, I think you gave yourself a big task here,

-and I'm really impressed at how brave you are for doing it.

-Yeah.

-Well done, you.

-Thank you.

The last dish to be put to the test will be Mark's.

I think I could learn their way and adapt myself to how they want it.

That would just take time, and patience, and support.

Up against the other two, I think I stand in the middle.

-Ta-dah!

-Ta-dah!

Thank you.

Mark has cooked roast chicken ajwain,

with chana masala and Jaipur sprouted-bean slaw.

It's accompanied by baked cauliflower with turmeric and cumin.

And his own pomegranate and green banana raita,

with a puffed luchi bread.

Well, the chicken doesn't look a great deal

INDIAN-Indian marination to me.

It's not. It's definitely not. It's roast chicken.

It's roast chicken, yes.

But, yes, I would have wanted this plate to be a little more

-lighter, brighter in colour.

-That's not bright enough for you?

It's not bright enough for me, no.

At just over £3 to make,

his dish is the cheapest of the three.

In your luchi, you've got almost a raw layer of dough.

I took a big risk doing it.

I took a big risk, because it is a tricky number to pull off.

He said that.

With the seeds that you have added, it has really not helped.

Cauliflower - turmeric is raw.

Turmeric is one spice which takes the longest to cook.

So, in my cooking, I always add turmeric at the beginning.

Your raita - exceptional.

I had my doubts. It has the crunch, and the seasoning that really works.

You haven't chosen an easy way out,

you've chosen quite traditional dishes, and you have done well.

-ALEX:

-I have to congratulate you on one thing -

you are the only chef who knows how to do a proper costing.

So I was very happy you hit the price point absolutely.

That's very encouraging, that you understand your ingredients,

you've costed accordingly, and you've researched price points

which is on the similar lines of what you have suggested.

-So that's, again, a big positive.

-Thank you very much, Mark.

-Pleasure, thank you.

-Thank you, Mark.

Mark, I was very disappointed with the presentation more than anything.

Even before I started tasting it, it just looked like a mess, that dish.

I think he had a very ambitious dish, sort of West meets the Empire.

Wherein he had a lot of elements to juggle with,

lot of components to play around.

And that's where I think he went a bit wrong.

I don't think they really understood my concept

of British meeting Indian together. Empire sort of food.

Given time, I feel that Mark can come up and show us

much better cooking.

Obviously, Mark is very passionate, ambitious,

he understands the business, he understands the numbers.

He understands how a restaurant works, how a kitchen works.

And he's worked in some of the best places.

So he's got a lot of pedigree behind him, which is great.

With the interview process now complete, which candidate has

proved they should go through to the final interview for head chef?

Now we have a decision to make.

I think we agree, all of us, that Bini's out of the running.

Yeah, sadly, I think Bini has lost out a bit.

Obviously, it's a bigger gamble taking Mark on to the next

round of interviews than it is Sudha.

-So I'm going to leave you two to discuss it.

-OK.

'I think this decision's very difficult,

'because this is their place, this is their passion,'

and they want to find the right candidate.

And there's a lot to say for both Sudha and Mark.

I personally feel Sudha is a safer option,

in terms of choosing between the two.

-SUDHA:

-I've done my job. A few ups and downs,

but it all depends upon them, whether they like my

style of cooking or whether they liked me as a person, I don't know.

But, on the flip side of it, I think that Mark has got the passion,

the determination and the expertise that a head chef needs to have.

-MARK:

-I think that I could bring a lot to the party for them.

It will have to work both ways, and it has to be that I'm right for them

and they have to be right for me as well.

But do we have the luxury for him to get trained,

get the ground running in three months' time?

My experience as a head chef

hopefully will give me the edge over them.

But I think with me up against an Indian chef from Birmingham,

it's a tough call.

I don't want to advise you.

Do you think we can talk to them as well?

I think that's a brilliant idea.

Darling, the boys would love to have a quick word with you upstairs.

Go up and talk to them, thank you.

Hi, Mark.

Mark, we have got a decision to make.

Before that, we just wanted to find out a bit about you.

-I really want to know whether you want this job or not.

-I do.

I think I would bring something fresh and new to your restaurant.

And with your willing, we would be able to change it for the better.

Not that there's anything wrong with it, but bring it a new freshness.

-Thank you, can you please call Sudha, please?

-Thank you.

-Hi, Sudha.

-Hello.

-Just a quick chat before we make the final decision.

Just a question of you convincing us as to why you want this job.

I have gone to a stage where I can't grow further in Birmingham,

because they've got limited market.

I'm looking for opportunity where you can excel my skills further.

That means, given this job, would you take it and relocate to London?

Yes.

-Thank you very much, Sudha.

-Thank you, Sudha, all the best.

Thanks.

MARL: I think you've got it.

-Me?

-Yeah.

-Yep.

I'm not so sure.

Are you two to in agreement?

-Yep.

-Yes.

Chefs, thank you all so much.

It's been a pleasure tasting your food today - I've really

enjoyed it, we're all very grateful for you taking the time.

So I'm going to hand you over to Jay and Uttam

to tell you their decision.

I think each of you chefs have got their own positives and negatives.

Everything was there in various aspects in the dishes that you

have demonstrated to us.

Bini, your passion is infectious.

You have the energy, the enthusiasm.

Your personality really comes through,

but it's a different setting.

I think we can say that, Bini, you lose out.

Sudha.

I think your tandoori chicken was a big let down

considering the skill set and the level of experience that you have.

But you redeemed to a great extent with your signature dish,

and I think that you should be very proud of that dish.

Mark, in terms of your signature dish -

overall, the dish didn't really add up that much.

But you have surprised us all.

In the first challenge, your chicken was all right,

but you kachumber salad was the key, and it was incredible.

We kept on talking about it for the whole day.

-So, we have to make a decision. Have you made one?

-Yes, we have.

The person who's going to be going to the next round, is...

-Mark.

-Wow! Brilliant!

Congratulations, Mark.

-Congratulations, Mark!

-Thank you.

I am more than a little surprised, yeah.

I was certain it was going to be Sudha. But I'm elated.

He was someone who wanted this job, he wanted to prove himself.

He has to prove in the final that he can actually cook Indian food now.

I think it's a very brave choice.

And actually makes me like Jay and Uttam a lot.

Because it shows that they have courage in their own abilities,

and they're really determined to take this project forward.

Next time, it's the final interview.

It's going to be tricky, but I think I'll just go with the flow here.

And a surprise call for one lucky candidate.

We have decided to give you a second chance for our second round.

But which chef will ultimately handle the heat?

Mine has already gone cold.

This is the moment where we really see what a chef is made of.

And who will be the new head chef?

One plate is no good for me.

Come on, guys - we've got a table waiting.

It is the usual confusion.

Taking everything into account, we have come to a decision.