0:00:07 > 0:00:12Welcome to a cooking competition like you've never seen before.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18In one corner, two-Michelin-star chef Marcus Wareing.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22At the end of the day, it is a lot of training,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25a lot of hard work, but also a lot of love and care and understanding.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29He's a top chef at the height of his powers.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32The only thing that is going through my mind now is flavour.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35In the other corner, there's me - Mark Miodownik.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38A material scientist...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42..from University College London.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48During the course of this contest, I'm going
0:00:48 > 0:00:51to use science to try and cook better than Marcus.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56You're saying I'm destroying flavour?
0:00:56 > 0:00:58Cooking does destroy flavour.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01We're going to cook exactly the same dishes...
0:01:01 > 0:01:03but using different methods.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09That is the soup - I guarantee your brain will explode.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11I'll be using equipment from my lab...
0:01:13 > 0:01:16..and techniques based on the understanding
0:01:16 > 0:01:17of cooking at the atomic level.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20- We're going to have to snip them up. - What?
0:01:20 > 0:01:22By a molecular scale.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23Marcus has flare!
0:01:24 > 0:01:27What I want to do now is just control it.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30- Passion. - There's a lot of herbs in there, there's a lot of butter in there.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32And experience.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34I'm listening to it, I want it to sizzle.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36The question is -
0:01:36 > 0:01:40which approach will create the most flavoursome food?
0:01:40 > 0:01:43You've ruined it, it doesn't work, it's disgusting.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45It's disgusting?!
0:01:46 > 0:01:49As we go through our competition, I'm also exploring
0:01:49 > 0:01:53the science behind our experience of food.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55What is flavour?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Woo! That is so strong.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00And how can we manipulate it?
0:02:02 > 0:02:04This is laughing gas.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Ultimately, the question that lies
0:02:07 > 0:02:09behind our competition is this....
0:02:10 > 0:02:12..is cooking a science...
0:02:14 > 0:02:15..or an art?
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Can Mark, who's not a chef - a scientist,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35a professor - cook better than me?
0:02:35 > 0:02:37When I wake up in the morning thinking I'm being
0:02:37 > 0:02:42challenged like that, it gets me worried, but I'm also excited.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46I'm nervous.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I'm up against Marcus Wareing, he's a great chef
0:02:48 > 0:02:52and who am I? I'm a keen cook, I'm a scientist.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54On the other hand, I mean, I'm a professor of materials and
0:02:54 > 0:02:59we're talking about food and food is edible materials, isn't it? So...
0:02:59 > 0:03:01So I know about that.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04The challenge is incredible. It's all about food, it's what
0:03:04 > 0:03:07I do every day, it's what I've been doing for the last 30 years.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09I've got access to lots of kit,
0:03:09 > 0:03:14ways of taking the flavour from food and making new tastes that
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I'm pretty sure he will never have come across.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21But I mean, am I really saying that I can tell Marcus something about
0:03:21 > 0:03:24taste and flavour that he doesn't know?
0:03:24 > 0:03:26I guess I am. I am saying that.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Over the next hour and a half,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Marcus and I will be cooking up
0:03:39 > 0:03:42some of the nation's best-loved dishes -
0:03:42 > 0:03:45from starter to dessert in a head-to-head contest.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54I'll do it the science way, Marcus will do it his way.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57And since it's Marcus I'm trying to persuade,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01it will have to be him who judges which dish is best.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07In my corner, I'm backed up by chef Antony.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Marcus has got the very able Jane.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17So...ding-ding...
0:04:18 > 0:04:19..round one.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Our first item on the menu is tomato soup.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38The ambition is to create a soup that is rich
0:04:38 > 0:04:42and warming yet light, with an intense tomato flavour.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54So, Marcus... what makes the perfect tomato soup?
0:04:54 > 0:04:57From a chef's point of view, the perfect anything is
0:04:57 > 0:04:59only from the perfect ingredients.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03And the core value of this particular ingredient is, for me,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07as a chef, is what does it taste like in its natural state?
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Cut it, taste it, cos then you can know what to do with it.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14There is one main problem with making tomato soup -
0:05:14 > 0:05:18tomatoes are 94% water,
0:05:18 > 0:05:22so the flavour in each individual tomato is very diluted.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27So the challenge is to extract the maximum
0:05:27 > 0:05:30amount of flavour from such a watery fruit.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Marcus is taking a traditional route.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40As a cook, all I'm thinking of in my mind is, "Right, what do
0:05:40 > 0:05:43"I need to do to bring the best flavour out of these ingredients?"
0:05:43 > 0:05:47So what I have done is I've put a hot tray onto the stove, I've cut up
0:05:47 > 0:05:51my tomatoes, I've dropped them into the pan with a little bit
0:05:51 > 0:05:54of oil. I've put then into there some sliced onions and some garlic.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56The onion and the garlic is
0:05:56 > 0:05:58a lovely accompaniment towards the tomato,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00it brings out that flavour.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04Some seasoning and now, erm, that... Jane is going to put
0:06:04 > 0:06:07that in the oven for me, cos I want to slightly roast it.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10I'm looking for a slightly different flavour than just plain tomato.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16So Marcus is getting rid of a lot of the water inside his tomatoes
0:06:16 > 0:06:17by roasting them.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Inside the oven, much of that water is now evaporating,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26reducing the tomatoes and therefore concentrating their flavour.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31But do you know what? I think Marcus has got it wrong.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36I can understand reducing a tomato from a lot of its water...
0:06:36 > 0:06:38- Yep.- ..but it concerns me that all of these cooking processes
0:06:38 > 0:06:43are destroying flavour and a lot of what's coming off them
0:06:43 > 0:06:47is the very thing that has that tomatoey-ness,
0:06:47 > 0:06:48you know, that real....
0:06:48 > 0:06:50So you're saying that because I'm cooking...
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I'm destroying flavour?
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I think, I think you... Cooking does destroy flavour.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00- That's an interesting theory. - Isn't it?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- Cooking destroys flavour? - Yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04I've got my own take on this.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06A scientist's take.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11For me, when you cook something, you don't just lose water.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14You also risk evaporating some
0:07:14 > 0:07:16of the volatile organic molecules
0:07:16 > 0:07:18that help create the flavour of tomato.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24So I am going to make the perfect tomato soup without
0:07:24 > 0:07:27any cooking at all.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30I've set myself a task of making a better tomato soup than you
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and obviously that seems like quite a lot of bravado given
0:07:33 > 0:07:35that you're a Michelin-starred chef.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38- Yes. - But I've got a trick up my sleeve.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42I'm going to use this piece of kit from our lab in the university.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44So it's a centrifuge,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47which basically whizzes around this tomato,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50chopped-up tomato. And it separates it by density.
0:07:50 > 0:07:51What's it in?
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Chopped-up tomato in here, into the centrifuge,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57whizzes it around, it'll separate the tomato by density
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and then we'll be able to distil pure flavour.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02Pulp goes away, left with the liquid, and then what?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- What happens to the liquid? - Oh, that is the soup.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07I guarantee you'll...
0:08:07 > 0:08:08Your brain will explode.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15First, I'm using a hand-held blender to break down
0:08:15 > 0:08:16the cell walls of the tomato.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24This allows large protein molecules to be
0:08:24 > 0:08:29attacked by enzymes in the juice, reducing them
0:08:29 > 0:08:33to thousands of much smaller molecules of glutamic acid.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39It may not sound very nice, but glutamic acid has a rich
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and savoury flavour. It's one of the things that gives
0:08:42 > 0:08:44tomatoes their distinctive taste.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Mark, why did you take the skin off?
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Cos, actually, we're creating flavour now.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Sorry. You're creating flavour? How are you doing that?
0:08:52 > 0:08:56We're not creating... The enzymes are creating the flavour by
0:08:56 > 0:09:01reacting with some of the...interiors of the cells.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Just... Do you know what?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Yeah, I don't know about you guys, but the first thing... When I look
0:09:05 > 0:09:08at that and I see the colour of it, it just says bland to me.
0:09:08 > 0:09:09- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12And I think in my head... I think tomato, I think deep red...
0:09:12 > 0:09:16And I've got this picture of flavour in my mind of what I want
0:09:16 > 0:09:20to taste on my palate and when I look at that, I am...
0:09:20 > 0:09:23I... I can't imagine how that's going to taste.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- Hold that thought, Marcus. - I am going to hold the thought.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33OK...
0:09:36 > 0:09:38- Can I smell that?- Sure.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- Smells different. - It's getting better, isn't it?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47It smells very different to when it was on the board.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49- That's the enzymes. - That is the enzymes.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52That's, that, that... Now you've got my attention
0:09:52 > 0:09:54because I didn't think that would smell as good as that.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57You're making me worried now, I'm starting to...
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- LAUGHTER - Hey, we've got him.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Table's turning, I've got this feeling. I'm shaking my soup.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04It still tastes good. It still smells good.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07But it's fascinating, fascinating.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11But there's more to come. Time to pop my tomato mush
0:10:11 > 0:10:12into the centrifuge.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Speeding up. 300 revs per second, 400, 500.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27So they're whizzing round now.
0:10:27 > 0:10:291,000. So if you trained for space you'd be in one of these
0:10:29 > 0:10:32machines, yeah, cos it's essentially like creating a different
0:10:32 > 0:10:35form of gravity, pulling things down, but we're pulling them
0:10:35 > 0:10:37in opposite directions.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39We're going to get up to about 7,000 revs a minute.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45The tomatoes are spinning round at such high speed
0:10:45 > 0:10:48that different parts of the tomato separate out.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53After about an hour, this is what we get.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57So you get this pulp which has been separated by weight and then
0:10:57 > 0:11:01you've got this beautiful liquid - clear, absolutely crystal clear.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- It's the liquid I'm after. - So what happens now?
0:11:05 > 0:11:07What happens now - we're going to turn it into a soup for you,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10so we're going to strain it through the muslin, we're going to put it
0:11:10 > 0:11:12into a pan, warm it up, season it...
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and you've got your tomato soup.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16I'm discarding the pulp
0:11:16 > 0:11:19because it's mainly made up of cellulose or fibre,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21which contributes
0:11:21 > 0:11:25little to flavour and doesn't even break down in the human gut.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30It's the remarkable liquid I'm interested in.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Because concentrated in this are all those tiny molecules
0:11:34 > 0:11:36of glutamic acid dissolved in water.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44This liquid should be full of tomato flavour.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48But what sort of temperature are you going to go to?
0:11:48 > 0:11:49To about 70 degrees.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51The hotter it gets, the more we're going to lose a lot
0:11:51 > 0:11:54of the aromatic flavours, a lot of the real heady stuff.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- That's all gone in yours, I mean...- Yeah.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58..that's long gone, but we've got it.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06That is a very, very surprising flavour.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10That really packs a massive punch.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12It's almost transparent, it's not...
0:12:12 > 0:12:14And you're expecting that to
0:12:14 > 0:12:17be totally flavourless and that's not what you get.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21I'm not expecting flavourless, but if I was in a restaurant
0:12:21 > 0:12:25and I asked for a bowl of tomato soup, which is what this title is...
0:12:25 > 0:12:27- Yep.- ..I think I'd be very, very surprised
0:12:27 > 0:12:29if that got put in front of me.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31Yeah, you would be surprised.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Because that's not what I ordered. Cos that's not soup.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36But you wouldn't reject it without tasting it.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- Do you know, I think I would. - You would?- Yeah.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45It's not a meal and a soup is a meal, it is there to fill you up.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48That won't, it's just liquid.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53'OK, Marcus, understood... but at least have a taste.'
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- You're happy with that? - Yeah, I think it's great.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01I think that's bland, I think it's tasteless, I think
0:13:01 > 0:13:04you need to try harder. That's not good enough.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09I'd be seriously, seriously disappointed if I got presented that
0:13:09 > 0:13:11in any restaurant.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Just the fact that you've tasted it and seasoned it
0:13:14 > 0:13:17and said you're happy tells me that you're not a good cook.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Well, I'm not a chef, that's for sure.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23At the end of the day, if you break it all down, it is
0:13:23 > 0:13:25a lot of training, a lot of hard work but also a lot of love
0:13:25 > 0:13:29- and care and understanding. And I think that's what was missing. - Ah, OK. Ah... That's what it is.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32That's what was missing at the beginning, you didn't really love
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and understand that tomato.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- OK. - Mark, you didn't even taste it.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39I want that soup to give me a hug. Turn that into a comfort soup.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43- Comfort?- Comfort.- You want comfort? - I want comfort.- OK.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I'll turn it into comfort.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Antony, it didn't turn out so well on that tasting front.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50LAUGHTER We've got work to do!
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I may not have nailed it first time, but Marcus is giving me
0:13:56 > 0:14:01a second bite of the cherry. A chance to improve my soup.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Trouble is, the only way I can see to do it
0:14:05 > 0:14:07feels a bit of a retreat.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13You're going to now do the opposite of what you said you were going
0:14:13 > 0:14:16to do - and that's cook it, to reduce it,
0:14:16 > 0:14:17to enhance its flavour.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- You've forced me into that, though.- I know.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22- LAUGHTER - Very good, in't he?
0:14:27 > 0:14:32Yes, I've managed to extract pure flavour from the tomato.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36But despite that, my soup is just too dilute.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38There's too much fluid.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41So, frustratingly for me,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I'm having to resort to a more traditional approach.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Boiling off some of that water should lead to
0:14:48 > 0:14:52a concentration of those crucial molecules of yummy glutamic acid.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Hopefully I won't lose too much flavour as the volatile compounds
0:14:58 > 0:15:00evaporate off at the same time.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07And to even things up, I'm going to add a few
0:15:07 > 0:15:11other ingredients, just as Marcus did, for added flavour.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23There you go, there's my tomato soup.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24Oh!
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- Very, very different. - Yeah.- Very different.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36- There you go, that's yours. - Yeah, OK.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39'Let's have a taste of Marcus's soup.'
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It's comfort, it's definitely comfort, yeah.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46'And now the big test - what does he think of mine?
0:15:47 > 0:15:51'Have I been able to produce a better tomato soup than him?'
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Mate...
0:15:55 > 0:16:00What you've done here, Mark, is that you have taken the bland liquid that
0:16:00 > 0:16:03I had earlier on and you've reduced it and you've taken this soup
0:16:03 > 0:16:08to a new level of flavour, which is what I'm looking for as a chef.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13I suppose the question is - is this soup better than my soup?
0:16:18 > 0:16:22The answer for me is no - I think that is a far better soup.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24You know what I think, though, that I...
0:16:24 > 0:16:27I know that, for me, that tastes good because I wanted...
0:16:27 > 0:16:28It's the way I wanted it to be,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30but I'm standing here staring at this thinking,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32- "I want to work with this..."- Good.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34"I want to do something, I want to do something
0:16:34 > 0:16:38"with this dish." And I'm thinking, "This does take me and can take me
0:16:38 > 0:16:42"down to my holidays, being in the South of France, being in Italy, sat
0:16:42 > 0:16:47"on a veranda, maybe even chilled, little glass of beautiful local wine
0:16:47 > 0:16:49"to sit with it." You know,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I'm excited by your theory and I'm excited
0:16:52 > 0:16:58by this machine and I will go away today thinking about this dish
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and I'll wake up tomorrow thinking, "How am I going to make it better?"
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I think from a non-chef point of view, you've taken it to
0:17:04 > 0:17:07another level. I think it's really good.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09'OK, I'll take that.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11'I may not have outcooked Marcus,
0:17:11 > 0:17:13'but it feels like I'm in the ball park.'
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Yeah.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21In the end, I did produce a powerful new taste sensation.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25But I had to take on board some
0:17:25 > 0:17:27traditional cooking techniques to get there.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38BEEPING
0:17:40 > 0:17:42As well as our competition in the kitchen,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46I'm travelling the country looking at the science behind
0:17:46 > 0:17:48some of the most intense and intriguing flavours.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I'm going to start with one of the most powerful flavours
0:17:54 > 0:17:56I've ever tasted.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00I remember when sushi used to be one of the most exotic foods around.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I was in my 20s before I even tasted it,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05but now it's in every supermarket.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08And when you open a box, one of the key ingredients is not
0:18:08 > 0:18:11immediately obvious, you have to search around for it.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13And it's this. Wasabi.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22It's really strange stuff.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25Unusual flavour, quite strong...
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Woo!
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Gone up my nose into just that bit of my head and now it's gone again.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33I loved that when I first came across it.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37But what if I was to tell you that this is a fake,
0:18:37 > 0:18:40that there is virtually no wasabi in this packet?
0:18:42 > 0:18:45This is horseradish, mustard, green food colouring.
0:18:45 > 0:18:51And typically, a sachet of this stuff contains 1% real wasabi.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57The vast majority of wasabi sold in this country is effectively fake.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03But why, when supermarkets could presumably have the real thing?
0:19:03 > 0:19:05And does it matter anyway?
0:19:05 > 0:19:10Does the real wasabi taste any different to the one in my lunch?
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- Hi, Nick.- Hi, Mark, how are you? - Pleased to meet you.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16'I'm in search of the real wasabi flavour.'
0:19:19 > 0:19:23So I'm on my way to the UK's only wasabi farm.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Because the secret to the flavour of the wasabi
0:19:29 > 0:19:31is the wasabi plant itself.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- So it's a slightly secret location. - Ah-ha.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40'Nick Russell has been growing wasabi since 2010.'
0:19:40 > 0:19:41Oh, that is a lot of water.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- Yeah.- What? Is this a stream or something, or...?
0:19:44 > 0:19:48Effectively, yeah, it bubbles straight out of the ground.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Wow. So these are the plants?
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Yeah, so these ones are still relatively young.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57They've been in here for about a year or so.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06Wasabi is normally grown in the high mountains of Japan,
0:20:06 > 0:20:11along streams that are rich in minerals and oxygen.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14Conditions that are almost impossible to replicate
0:20:14 > 0:20:17in gloomy old England.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Here it is.
0:20:21 > 0:20:26But Nick has achieved it, and the results are spectacular.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30He has tens of thousands of plants growing here in these enclosures.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37And this one is ready to harvest.
0:20:37 > 0:20:38So how old are these plants?
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- These ones are around about two years old.- Huh.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44Erm, they're about ready for harvest.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46So where's the wasabi? Where's this magical stuff?
0:20:46 > 0:20:49The part we're looking for, the jewel in the crown, so to speak,
0:20:49 > 0:20:54is the rhizome, which is effectively an elongated stem of the plant.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57We'll give them just a little bit of a wiggle.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- There he comes. - Yeah. Wow.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03We'll get loads of little offshoots, but that's the real...
0:21:03 > 0:21:05So these are the roots and that's the rhizome?
0:21:05 > 0:21:07- Yep.- And that's where the wasabi is?
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- Exactly. Let's clean 'em up and take a look.- Sure.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I can really start to see that familiar wasabi green coming out.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Yep, definitely. And as we grate it, that colour will really start
0:21:21 > 0:21:23to come through.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Because it requires almost atomic levels of precision
0:21:26 > 0:21:29in controlling the growing environment,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32wasabi is one of the most expensive plants in the world.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38I'd guess that that one is around about, erm, probably about 100g.
0:21:38 > 0:21:39- 100g?- Yeah.- OK.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41And how much could you sell that for?
0:21:41 > 0:21:43£250 a kilo.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Oh, OK, so that's about £25, then?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Pretty much, yeah. Yeah, at a guess, yeah.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49Wow.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52That's not a bad harvest, is it? Especially if you look around,
0:21:52 > 0:21:54how many of these there are...
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- That's why this is in a secret location.- Yeah.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Yeah, we do try to keep it under wraps a little bit.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06The key to experiencing the real wasabi flavour is its freshness.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12So what we're going to do here is grate some of this up.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14'It's all in the grating.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18'The simple act of grating breaks down the cell walls,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22'releasing an enzyme which creates intense flavours
0:22:22 > 0:22:25'and oils called isothiocyanates.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29'It's these oils that pack the wallop.'
0:22:29 > 0:22:32There we go. There's a lot more of a natural green
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- and you will start to smell it quite strongly...- Yep.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36..as well.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39- So there we go. - Is that going to blow my head off?
0:22:39 > 0:22:41- We'll find out shortly.- OK.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Yeah, a little bit of blowing.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Yep.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50- Woo, that is so strong.- Mm.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52That is... That really clears your nose.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55LAUGHTER And your taste buds, whoa!
0:22:55 > 0:22:56Yeah, it really does,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59it really does get you right up in the sinuses, doesn't it?
0:22:59 > 0:23:00- Yeah.- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03It's amazing that, erm, a simple grated plant can do that.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Yeah, right up your nose, isn't it? Woof!
0:23:05 > 0:23:07It's a fireball.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09But quite a solid, sweet aftertaste with it.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Yeah, you're right, yeah. Yeah, and that's...now it's dying down.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15OK, yeah, and it is sweet, yeah.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16I'm getting a bit of that stuff you get with
0:23:16 > 0:23:18a bit of whisky in your stomach, now.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21- Yep, warming.- Yeah.- Yeah, it's good.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24I've never tasted that effect from wasabi before. While I'm
0:23:24 > 0:23:28remembering all this, I want to just compare it with shop-bought.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30OK, so a much more vivid green colour.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Yep, so a lot of colouring in that.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34A different consistency.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39Oh, yeah, a sort of... Creamy, that's what I recognise as wasabi,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- that's a totally different flavour. - Completely different, yeah.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44None of that vegetably, raw grassiness at all,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46it's much more processed, much more...
0:23:46 > 0:23:48The whole chemical process we're putting together here,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- you can't recreate in a packet. - But here's the rub.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54It turns out that wasabi's unique flavour comes from chemicals
0:23:54 > 0:23:58that are highly volatile - meaning they quickly turn to vapour
0:23:58 > 0:23:59and vanish.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Within just a few minutes, the wasabi hit has
0:24:03 > 0:24:06dwindled away to virtually nothing.
0:24:07 > 0:24:0920 minutes have gone by,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12that wasabi should be a totally different beast now, shouldn't it?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15- Yeah, yeah, for sure, yeah. - OK, let's try it.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Mild. Yep, no blow up the nose.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28- Slight touch of sweetness. - Sweet.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Yep, if you were to sort of mow the grass early spring,
0:24:32 > 0:24:36this is how you think it might taste. That's really it.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Um, but, yeah, it's lost all its power.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40That chemical reaction we were chatting about
0:24:40 > 0:24:43has dropped away completely. It's just the aftermath, effectively.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47So you've got to make it fresh in order to get the real wasabi.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49How do you do this in a Japanese restaurant?
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I think predominantly it's grated at the table,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55so you do have that reaction right with you there as you're dining.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57And I guess that's why...
0:24:57 > 0:25:01the kind of shop wasabi hasn't got the stuff in it.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07'So as well as being incredibly tricky to grow,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09'it also needs to be super fresh.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13'That's why, even if money was no object,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16'the shop-bought wasabi has to be imitation.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21'The vast majority of wasabi plants grown here
0:25:21 > 0:25:26'are destined for the very best restaurants in the UK and abroad.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30'In some cases, selling for up to £5 for a teaspoonful.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34'That puts it beyond the pocket of most of us.'
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Now that I've tried the real deal,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43the idea of eating my sushi with a synthetic wasabi
0:25:43 > 0:25:45doesn't seem so appealing.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47On the other hand, I am an academic,
0:25:47 > 0:25:50so it's going to have to be a rare treat.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Before we get to the next round of our competition,
0:25:59 > 0:26:03I've got an intriguing experiment I want to try out on Marcus.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Could the taste of champagne be affected
0:26:09 > 0:26:12by the shape of the glass it's served in?
0:26:21 > 0:26:24'I've asked him to decant identical champagne
0:26:24 > 0:26:27'into a short, fat glass called a coupe.'
0:26:27 > 0:26:28Lovely.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32'And two slightly different tall, thin glasses.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34'A flute...'
0:26:34 > 0:26:35This is completely different.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37'..and a tulip.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40'He's going to need persuading
0:26:40 > 0:26:42'that the shape of the glass is important.'
0:26:42 > 0:26:47With my experience, it's the balance between flavour and fizz.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Yes, the glass comes into it,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53but I personally am not 100% sure how important the glass is.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56I thought I'd just ask you to taste each one of these champagnes for me
0:26:56 > 0:26:59to see if you think there's a different experience.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19The one that stands out as being completely different
0:27:19 > 0:27:21out of the three is this one.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23It almost has a flatness about it.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25It's sort of started to...
0:27:27 > 0:27:29..go to sleep, flatten.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34And my thought process in my head, the bubbles, the flavour,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37seems to have that better experience
0:27:37 > 0:27:40through these particular two glasses.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44'Marcus can't immediately tell which glass is best
0:27:44 > 0:27:47'but has no problem identifying the worst.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50'It's the short, fat glass, the coupe.'
0:27:52 > 0:27:56So what's happening inside the glass to make such a difference?
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Well, it's all about the magic of bubbles.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Champagne bubbles are full of carbon dioxide,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09a gas made while the drink was being fermented.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13When the bottle is sealed, the gas stays dissolved inside the liquid.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18When the bottle is opened, the gas escapes as bubbles.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Where bubbles come from is really odd.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26This is micro-imaging of a scratch on the surface of a piece of glass.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29You can see how tiny imperfections like this
0:28:29 > 0:28:32are generating bubbles.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35And that has dramatic consequences.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37These are where the bubbles are coming from,
0:28:37 > 0:28:39these are little bubbles, they're being nucleated
0:28:39 > 0:28:42and this is the little scratch. You get trains of bubbles coming out.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45They look like they're coming OUT of the scratch.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47What the scratch is doing is creating a little cavity
0:28:47 > 0:28:50inside the liquid where there's a different environment
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and the carbon dioxide is reacting differently to it there
0:28:53 > 0:28:55and it will depend on the size of that.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- Big scratches aren't effective, it needs to be a certain size.- Really?
0:28:58 > 0:29:01But also, you get dirt, little bits of dirt can be your best friend.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05A dirty glass can be a better glass, in that sense.
0:29:05 > 0:29:06I'm not so sure about that!
0:29:06 > 0:29:08But these little bits of...
0:29:08 > 0:29:11They can be little bits of cellulose from someone cleaning the glass,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13tiny fragments, I mean, microscopically small,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17- but they can be very effective at nucleating bubbles.- Right.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20By putting coloured dye into the champagne,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23you can clearly see what the bubbles are doing...
0:29:24 > 0:29:27..and how they affect the taste of the drink.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31As they travel up, they create vortices and the liquid,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33the champagne liquor,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36is now moving and that's developing flavour.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39And in the coupe, you can see this shape.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41It's obviously developing it in the middle,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44but on the outsides, they're kind of dead zones.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49So that's part of the reason why that's a very different experience
0:29:49 > 0:29:51from these two which, if you look at them,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53we're using the same technique,
0:29:53 > 0:29:57you get the whole of the glass in that mixing, developing of flavour.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00So bubbles have a crucial role
0:30:00 > 0:30:03in mixing flavour inside the glass
0:30:03 > 0:30:05but that is only half the story.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10High-speed photography reveals another major role of bubbles
0:30:10 > 0:30:13in the experience of drinking champagne.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19When the bubbles get to the surface,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22they've collect all these flavour molecules, and they burst.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25And that bursting is really quite dramatic.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28And here's a little video which shows how far
0:30:28 > 0:30:32they can ping tiny bits of liquid up into the air.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35Here's a bubble hitting the surface
0:30:35 > 0:30:38and up it goes, it's launching a mist...
0:30:39 > 0:30:41..and that's the mist you smell
0:30:41 > 0:30:43before the liquid even hits your palate.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51So this is where we talk about the "nose" of a drink of champagne.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53It is dancing around.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55I suppose when you drink it straightaway and it's still fizzing
0:30:55 > 0:30:58you can sometimes taste the little bits of champagne
0:30:58 > 0:31:02- on the end of your nose.- Yeah. You can see why this coupe can be a bit flat
0:31:02 > 0:31:05because a lot of those droplets are diffused. That mist is diffuse here.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08But these two, these two look quite similar on that effect,
0:31:08 > 0:31:10but actually they're subtly different.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14This one comes straight up and all of that's funnelled straight up.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Whereas the tulip is taking a lot of mist
0:31:18 > 0:31:20and concentrating it into the nose
0:31:20 > 0:31:22and that's the logic of this glass here.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Arguably, this is the superior glass to drink champagne with.
0:31:26 > 0:31:30Because it brings it...? Does it roll it round, do you think?
0:31:30 > 0:31:34It's bringing it together, it's concentrating that mist.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37'So, for me, the next time you visit a posh restaurant,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40'you should be as worried about the shape of the glass
0:31:40 > 0:31:42'as the quality of the champagne.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45'Because different-shaped glasses
0:31:45 > 0:31:48'affect the intensity of the flavour.'
0:31:57 > 0:32:01We're back in the kitchen for the next round of our competition
0:32:01 > 0:32:05and this time it's all about who can cook the best steak...
0:32:07 > 0:32:08..medium-rare.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12But first things first. Which cut of meat?
0:32:15 > 0:32:19For me, my first choice is going to be a ribeye steak,
0:32:19 > 0:32:21for many different reasons.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25This has this incredible marbling of fat that goes through it,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28there's a succulent value.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31And what a chef's looking for is that great meat,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34great marbling, but also, a fabulous fat content.
0:32:36 > 0:32:38Who am I to argue?
0:32:38 > 0:32:42This is what the perfect medium-rare steak looks like,
0:32:42 > 0:32:44with a lovely pink interior
0:32:44 > 0:32:47and really crispy, delicious outer shell.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51But this combination is tough to create -
0:32:51 > 0:32:54it's easy to leave the outside not done enough,
0:32:54 > 0:32:56or the inside too done.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01To succeed requires precise timing and temperature control
0:33:01 > 0:33:03every step of the way.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09'Now, I think I can achieve that precision
0:33:09 > 0:33:11'through a novel scientific procedure.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18'Marcus, however, relies on instinct and, well,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21'yes, years of experience.'
0:33:21 > 0:33:24My job as the chef is very little - searing, colouring it,
0:33:24 > 0:33:27getting good flavour on the outside, and just allowing it to rest.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29I don't need to do a great deal.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31I've set myself a task
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- of making an even more delicious steak than you.- Right.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37But I am going to use a deep-fat fryer,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39I'm going to use liquid nitrogen
0:33:39 > 0:33:41and I'm going to use a water bath.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44I'm doing all sorts of things to this steak.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46I'm actually using a very complex process
0:33:46 > 0:33:51in that quest to even get a more delicious flavour than you.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54'Right, Marcus, do your stuff.'
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Pan's nice and hot,
0:33:56 > 0:33:57bit of oil,
0:33:57 > 0:33:59seasoned side down.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02Seasoning again.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12- Turn it over, that's been in the pan what, 30 seconds?- Yeah.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Bit more oil.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16So now I've got to concentrate,
0:34:16 > 0:34:17I've got to stay focused,
0:34:17 > 0:34:19I've got to get the temperature right.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26Now, I've got that under control. I've got the pan roaring hot.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29You know what's also interesting here?
0:34:29 > 0:34:31What I'm also taking on board
0:34:31 > 0:34:33is the sound and I'm listening to it,
0:34:33 > 0:34:36I want it to sizzle. If it's not sizzling,
0:34:36 > 0:34:39then it's at the wrong temperature, and I have to do something about it.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42The other thing is when you put your salt on,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45never put the salt on and leave your meat to sit on the side.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47The salt's going to start to cure the meat,
0:34:47 > 0:34:49it's going to start cooking it,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51but it's also going to bring out the water.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Which then, when you put it into the pan, it's going to dilute,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57and it's going to cool the pan down straightaway.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00What you want to do is keep it at the optimum temperature
0:35:00 > 0:35:02for as long as possible. Just throwing in some garlic now.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04Everything I'm putting in the pan now,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06it's going to scorch a little bit
0:35:06 > 0:35:08but it's also going to start adding a bit of flavour.
0:35:10 > 0:35:11Some rosemary.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Some thyme and bay leaf.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Best bit is some butter.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Plenty of it.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33What I want to do now is just control it
0:35:33 > 0:35:36and rather than searing the meat, I'm now starting to cook it.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39I don't want the butter to burn,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42so I've got to bring the temperature down and get it under control.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45A little bit more butter in there.
0:35:45 > 0:35:46See, you can turn around and say
0:35:46 > 0:35:48"There's a lot of herbs and butter in there."
0:35:48 > 0:35:51The only thing that's going through my mind now is flavour.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53- No, I'm with you. - Flavour.- I'm with you 100%.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55If you're going to order a steak,
0:35:55 > 0:35:57if you go to the trouble of killing an animal,
0:35:57 > 0:35:59you should eat it at its most deliciousness.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04'Inside the pan, the surface of the meat
0:36:04 > 0:36:07'is undergoing an incredible transformation.
0:36:11 > 0:36:15'Proteins and carbohydrates react in the hot oil
0:36:15 > 0:36:19'to produce chemical compounds called ketosamines...
0:36:22 > 0:36:26'..which then dehydrate into something called reductones.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31'It is these caramel-like chemicals
0:36:31 > 0:36:34'which produces the incredibly rich
0:36:34 > 0:36:36'and savoury flavoured outer crust.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40It's known as the Maillard reaction.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41Smell that.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44That's good.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53Oh, that's great...
0:36:53 > 0:36:55- My job's done.- Yeah, wow.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58All I need to do is just let it sit there, rest
0:36:58 > 0:36:59and watch you cook yours.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Your turn.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04You got the Maillard reaction to work on both sides,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07flipping it back and forth, and that's fantastic,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09you've managed to get a large amount of flavour.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12What we potentially can do when we deep-fry it
0:37:12 > 0:37:14is actually get the Maillard reaction
0:37:14 > 0:37:16to happen evenly all around the sides.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18So one of the things we've got going for us
0:37:18 > 0:37:21is that we will have more area of flavour.
0:37:22 > 0:37:23Ah-ha!
0:37:23 > 0:37:25I can see you're worried!
0:37:25 > 0:37:26- Um...!- No, I'm not.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30'Well, we'll see.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34'My approach involves an innovative and complex scientific process.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38'The first stage is to vacuum-pack the steak...'
0:37:38 > 0:37:39Love these machines.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43'..to seal in the juices.
0:37:43 > 0:37:49'Now, into a water bath set at precisely 55 degrees,
0:37:49 > 0:37:52'using a method of cooking called sous-vide,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55'which is relatively well-known to chefs.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00'Inside the bath, heat is moving from the water to the steak,
0:38:00 > 0:38:04'gently heating it to 55 degrees from edge to edge.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11'Now, this is the exact temperature at which beef is cooked medium-rare.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18'S, one hour later, my entire steak is cooked to perfection.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23'We could eat this right now,
0:38:23 > 0:38:27'but we don't have the nice charred stuff on the outside
0:38:27 > 0:38:30'that gives steak its wonderful flavour.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33'So here's my problem.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36'How can I create that crispy outer shell
0:38:36 > 0:38:39'without cooking the inside any further?
0:38:41 > 0:38:44'Well, this is where the real science comes in.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49'I'm going to protect the inside using liquid nitrogen.'
0:38:49 > 0:38:51I understand the process of the water bath
0:38:51 > 0:38:53and the deep-fat frying,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56but I'm really struggling with why you need liquid nitrogen.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58I'll try and draw a diagram, because it's how my brain works,
0:38:58 > 0:39:02but, essentially, the theory is this - here's the steak,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05we've cooked it perfectly as mediumrare.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08But now, we need to create all this flavour
0:39:08 > 0:39:11and we're going to deep-fat fry it, but as we deep-fat fry it,
0:39:11 > 0:39:13the outside is going to be very hot,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16and it's going to start cooking all this in here
0:39:16 > 0:39:18and it's going to get dry and not be so delicious.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21So we want to create a barrier to that
0:39:21 > 0:39:23and that's why we put it into liquid nitrogen -
0:39:23 > 0:39:25all this is going to be frozen.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29And if we get the thickness of that layer...
0:39:29 > 0:39:31that frozen layer, it gives us time.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34It gives us time on the outside while it's in the deep fat
0:39:34 > 0:39:37to get the Maillard reaction to happen all the way around.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39And, of course, getting that thickness right is how long
0:39:39 > 0:39:41we put it into the liquid nitrogen.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43The longer we put it in the liquid nitrogen,
0:39:43 > 0:39:45- the thicker that layer will be. - Right.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47If we can finish the Maillard reaction by the time this is thawed,
0:39:47 > 0:39:50we'll have a perfectly cooked steak in the inside,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53and perfectly delicious on the outside. Da-da!
0:39:54 > 0:39:57You have a massive risk here of serving steak
0:39:57 > 0:39:59that's going to be beautifully coloured, it's going to look great,
0:39:59 > 0:40:03it's going to be soft and perfect on the centre,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06but you could have this inner layer of it being frozen.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09That is our big risk. I agree with you.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13Ah, I found it! I knew there's going to be a point of...precision.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16The precision of my cookery
0:40:16 > 0:40:18is identical to the precision that you have.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21You've got it in your hands and your eyes,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24and we've got it in these measurements.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Mark, this is the first time you've actually started
0:40:37 > 0:40:40to look like a scientist.
0:40:40 > 0:40:41I'll take that as a compliment.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Goggles, gloves, shirt...
0:40:46 > 0:40:49'Timing and precision are paramount.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55'Remember, the aim here is to stop the inside of the steak
0:40:55 > 0:40:58'from being cooked any further by freezing the outside
0:40:58 > 0:41:00'to create a kind of a protective barrier.'
0:41:03 > 0:41:05OK.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07- Right, you ready for 30 seconds? - Yeah.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09'We've had to rehearse this
0:41:09 > 0:41:13'but I think now we've got our timings about right.'
0:41:13 > 0:41:14In we go.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Must be close. Are we?
0:41:20 > 0:41:2221, 22...
0:41:23 > 0:41:26..25, 26, 27,
0:41:26 > 0:41:30- 28, 29, 30.- OK.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48How long in the fat now?
0:41:48 > 0:41:51Well, we've got to try and get the Maillard reaction to happen...
0:41:51 > 0:41:52There we go!
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Getting there, getting there,
0:41:56 > 0:41:58getting there, bit more.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Yeah, ten seconds more, I think.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06- TIMER BEEPS - There you go.- Yep.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10Out she comes.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Done.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21HE LAUGHS Your perfect steak, Marcus.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24I've got to say, it looks pretty good.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28I think that's ready for eating.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- Yeah, I think we need to eat that now...- Now!
0:42:33 > 0:42:36'Will my steak taste as good as Marcus's?
0:42:38 > 0:42:42'Frankly, I'm a bit worried about all the extras he's added to his,
0:42:42 > 0:42:44'especially all that butter.'
0:42:58 > 0:43:00Try it?
0:43:00 > 0:43:01Can I?
0:43:16 > 0:43:18THEY CHUCKLE
0:43:21 > 0:43:24It's very good and it works.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27So you have achieved everything that you wanted to achieve.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29It's not frozen, you've got the colour,
0:43:29 > 0:43:31you've got it cooked perfectly well,
0:43:31 > 0:43:33I'm racking my brains to find a fault.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37- Wow, that is, um... - I suppose it's my turn.- Yeah!
0:43:55 > 0:43:57- Try it?- Yeah, I'd love to.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11That, for me, has a better flavour.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15But I think this process is fascinating.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18I think it's intriguing, it's exciting,
0:44:18 > 0:44:20I'm looking at the same cuts of meat,
0:44:20 > 0:44:22completely different colour.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26I know why that tastes better and it has a lot to do with the butter,
0:44:26 > 0:44:28all of these herbs and probably the quantity of seasoning
0:44:28 > 0:44:31that I've incorporated into the cookery.
0:44:31 > 0:44:32But I think that's brilliant.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37'Well, you know what? My technique worked.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41'From a technical point of view, the steak was perfectly cooked.
0:44:41 > 0:44:46'My science-based approach is getting closer to Marcus's standard
0:44:46 > 0:44:48'but it's still not quite there.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51'Using a deep-fat frying pan to create the Maillard reaction
0:44:51 > 0:44:53'meant that I couldn't use any butter or herbs.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56'So cooking steak the traditional way
0:44:56 > 0:44:58'can still give you more flavours.'
0:45:09 > 0:45:12What is the perfect steak without the perfect chip?
0:45:14 > 0:45:16Crispy and golden on the outside,
0:45:16 > 0:45:17hot and fluffy within.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23Normally, you'd just use a deep-fat fryer,
0:45:23 > 0:45:25but science can improve on that?
0:45:27 > 0:45:31So, before we go to the next challenge,
0:45:31 > 0:45:35I want to show Marcus how science can make the perfect chip.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43You're fast.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46Even at peeling, I can't match Marcus.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49'Proper chips are cut thick
0:45:49 > 0:45:52'so each chip has got a large surface area
0:45:52 > 0:45:53'for the hot fat to work on.
0:45:53 > 0:45:58'It's this reaction that makes the chip crispy on the outside.
0:45:58 > 0:46:01'But I think I can increase the surface area of each chip,
0:46:01 > 0:46:04'and, therefore, make them even crispier.'
0:46:04 > 0:46:07I'm going to get this water here. I'm adding some salt to it.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11'First, the chips go into a bag with a bit of salty water.'
0:46:13 > 0:46:14So, in goes the salty water.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23Right, so vacuum-packed with the brine in there.
0:46:23 > 0:46:24- Right, that's what that is.- Yep.
0:46:24 > 0:46:27So now, it's going to go into the water bath.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29'This is sous-vide cooking,
0:46:29 > 0:46:31'the same principle as the steak.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35'Careful temperature control means the inside of our chips
0:46:35 > 0:46:38'are perfectly cooked, light and fluffy.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40'They will also be infused with salt,
0:46:40 > 0:46:43'so, in theory, they won't need any seasoning.
0:46:45 > 0:46:49'I've got the inside just right. Now the tricky bit.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52'How to make the exterior even more crispy than usual?'
0:46:53 > 0:46:56So, after 15 minutes, Marcus, this is what they look like,
0:46:56 > 0:47:00and feel like. You can see that they're now delicate
0:47:00 > 0:47:01so we've got to be really careful.
0:47:01 > 0:47:04We're now going to try and roughen the surface up
0:47:04 > 0:47:08in order to give us more surface area to get more crispiness
0:47:08 > 0:47:10- in the final stage of cooking. - Right.
0:47:10 > 0:47:13And we're going to use something called an ultrasonic bath.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16And what this does, it fires sound waves at these chips.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19It's like firing mini torpedoes at the chips
0:47:19 > 0:47:21and their surface will start to break up.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25All I see is a piece of metal and some water. How does it work?
0:47:25 > 0:47:29I'm still struggling cos I don't see anything in there.
0:47:29 > 0:47:32It's exactly like sound, but it's a pressure wave
0:47:32 > 0:47:33that you can't see and hear
0:47:33 > 0:47:36but it's travelling through this medium.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39So it's a bit like playing music that you can't hear.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42- But the potatoes can hear. - It's pretty pointless.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46No, because it's singing the song of the potatoes!
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Off we go.
0:47:56 > 0:48:01Would you believe this machine is often used to clean jewellery,
0:48:01 > 0:48:04but here, ultrasonic waves are moving through the water,
0:48:04 > 0:48:08creating tiny air bubbles on the surface of the potato
0:48:08 > 0:48:10which then burst.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12It's a process called cavitation.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17Frying this expanded surface area
0:48:17 > 0:48:19should give the chips incredible crunch.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26'Now for the deep-fat frying.'
0:48:26 > 0:48:28I've got to say, I've never known anyone
0:48:28 > 0:48:30to be so delicate with chips as you.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32These are the perfect chips!
0:48:32 > 0:48:34I'll never cook for a Michelin-starred chef
0:48:34 > 0:48:36in my life again, I'm pretty sure. In they go.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45In theory, they shouldn't need seasoning.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48The perfect chips.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55Go on.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03What I find amazing is the seasoning point of view.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05It's quite unusual to have a potato
0:49:05 > 0:49:09- that's penetrated with salt like that all the way through.- Yeah.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12What we always do is try and get a potato crispy or a chip crispy,
0:49:12 > 0:49:15We think, "We'll leave it in the deep-fat fryer a bit longer."
0:49:15 > 0:49:18Eventually, it will come out, it will be crisp,
0:49:18 > 0:49:22but it will be soggy within a matter of seconds, straightaway.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25They look like that chip, but they've actually stayed very crispy
0:49:25 > 0:49:29so your theory... your theory has worked.
0:49:29 > 0:49:30The chip.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36- Great flavour.- We'd better leave some for the crew.- No.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40- No, I don't think we should. - MARK LAUGHS
0:49:40 > 0:49:42They're still crunchy. Mm.
0:49:46 > 0:49:48- Happy now?- Very happy. HE LAUGHS
0:49:54 > 0:49:56I'm back on the road. This time, I'm in search
0:49:56 > 0:49:59of a deeper understanding of what we mean
0:49:59 > 0:50:01when we talk about flavour.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04How it's formed,
0:50:04 > 0:50:05what it is.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08I think, to figure it out,
0:50:08 > 0:50:11you need to understand the taste processes
0:50:11 > 0:50:13going on inside your brain
0:50:13 > 0:50:16and not just the obvious ones.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21If I was to ask you how you detect flavour,
0:50:21 > 0:50:23you'd probably mention your taste buds
0:50:23 > 0:50:27and you might also say, "Well, sense of smell's important too."
0:50:27 > 0:50:30But there's another sense that's vital - the sense of sight.
0:50:32 > 0:50:34Colour messes with our senses
0:50:34 > 0:50:37in all sorts of complex and surprising ways.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40In fact, there's a theory that not only does colour influence
0:50:40 > 0:50:42our perception of flavour,
0:50:42 > 0:50:44it can actually CHANGE flavour.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52So I've come to Greenwich Market in London
0:50:52 > 0:50:55to put this hypothesis to the test
0:50:55 > 0:50:58and to hand out some ice cream with a difference.
0:50:58 > 0:51:01First things first, I've got my jacket,
0:51:01 > 0:51:03I've got my hat,
0:51:03 > 0:51:05and I've got...
0:51:05 > 0:51:07ice cream.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12It's home-made,
0:51:12 > 0:51:15it's strawberry, and it smells delicious.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21Can I interest you in some ice cream? Free ice cream?
0:51:21 > 0:51:23'Luckily, there are quite a few people here
0:51:23 > 0:51:26'who are willing to try some free samples.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29'But do they recognise the flavour?'
0:51:29 > 0:51:31It's not a trick question.
0:51:33 > 0:51:34Strawberry?
0:51:34 > 0:51:36Strawberry.
0:51:36 > 0:51:38Is it strawberry?
0:51:38 > 0:51:40- Strawberry.- Yes!
0:51:40 > 0:51:42So far, people have been very happy
0:51:42 > 0:51:45trying my red strawberry ice cream
0:51:45 > 0:51:47and they've had no trouble identifying the flavour.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50But what if I offered them one of these?
0:51:52 > 0:51:54'What I'm really interested in
0:51:54 > 0:51:58'is what effect the colour of the ice cream has on its taste.'
0:51:58 > 0:52:00You, sir, can I give you the blue?
0:52:03 > 0:52:05Somewhat like mango. Is it?
0:52:06 > 0:52:08Butterscotch or something?
0:52:08 > 0:52:11- I ain't got a clue.- I want to say banana, but...- Is it kiwi?
0:52:11 > 0:52:14- Banana.- Raspberry, maybe?
0:52:14 > 0:52:17- It's a kind of nut. - Peanut butter?- Strawberry.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19Strawberry! And you?
0:52:19 > 0:52:21Vanilla.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23People have really enjoyed the ice creams I gave them,
0:52:23 > 0:52:26but they almost all got the flavours wrong.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30And that's because my multicoloured ice creams were a bit of a con.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Regardless of their colour, they were all exactly the same flavour
0:52:33 > 0:52:36and that flavour was strawberry.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40The power of the human brain is incredible -
0:52:40 > 0:52:44all of our senses are bombarded with information.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47But sometimes that can lead to confusion.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50Better try this myself.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55It's so weird.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57That does not taste of strawberry at all.
0:52:59 > 0:53:02It's like there's just too much information for my brain
0:53:02 > 0:53:06to kind of handle, so it's kind of taking a short cut.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08It's skipping over one sense
0:53:08 > 0:53:11in order to favour the other, so what my eyes see
0:53:11 > 0:53:14is not what my taste buds detect
0:53:14 > 0:53:17and it's just going with what my eyes see.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20Very strange.
0:53:22 > 0:53:25OK, so far, I've been dealing with
0:53:25 > 0:53:30how the way we see things can actually change the taste of food.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34But later on, I'm going to really up the ante...
0:53:36 > 0:53:39..with an experiment into how a very different one of our senses
0:53:39 > 0:53:41may affect what we taste.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44Our sense of hearing.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57But right now, before our next challenge,
0:53:57 > 0:54:00I've got some more surprising science to show Marcus,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02and it's all about red wine.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06Normally, and for me, ANNOYINGLY,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09we're told to let it breathe before drinking it.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11But that can take half an hour
0:54:11 > 0:54:14and, hey, in today's world, who's got the time?
0:54:14 > 0:54:16So here's a little trick.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19I've got a little technique over here
0:54:19 > 0:54:21which is going to breathe this wine
0:54:21 > 0:54:23in about 30 seconds.
0:54:23 > 0:54:25GLUGGING
0:54:25 > 0:54:27'Yep, it's going into a blender.'
0:54:35 > 0:54:37The theory is this -
0:54:37 > 0:54:40that by allowing wine to breathe,
0:54:40 > 0:54:42oxygen in the air reacts with tannins -
0:54:42 > 0:54:45bitter chemicals from the skin and seeds,
0:54:45 > 0:54:49altering them so they no longer taste so strong.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54Well, I'm going for the same effect using this.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07'I'm asking Marcus to compare the taste of wine
0:55:07 > 0:55:09'after a few seconds in the blender
0:55:09 > 0:55:12'compared to wine straight from the bottle.'
0:55:21 > 0:55:23So this is the blended wine.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26It changed the wine, there is absolutely no two ways about that.
0:55:26 > 0:55:29You aerated it, it mellowed, it's tight and strong.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32You've done exactly what you wanted to do.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35But I don't like what you did with the bottle of wine.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38It is completely the wrong thing to do.
0:55:39 > 0:55:40But, surely, taste is all.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44Surely, if this works, it doesn't matter what it looks like,
0:55:44 > 0:55:46it doesn't matter how it sounds.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49What really matters is what it tastes like.
0:55:49 > 0:55:50I guarantee you,
0:55:50 > 0:55:53you will never ever, ever convince a wine waiter
0:55:53 > 0:55:55or anyone that loves wine to do what you just done.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58You're not going to be using this technique
0:55:58 > 0:56:00- in your restaurants? - Absolutely not.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02- Go on, you can drink yours. Chin-chin.- Oh, cheers.
0:56:08 > 0:56:09That's bizarre.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11Thank you very much!
0:56:14 > 0:56:16Well, I've managed to impress Marcus
0:56:16 > 0:56:20with a couple of pieces of science. First with the chips, and now wine.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24But it's time to get back to the main competition.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27I'm bobbing and weaving back in the kitchen
0:56:27 > 0:56:29and ready to take the fight to Marcus.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35This time, the challenge is who can make the smoothest,
0:56:35 > 0:56:39most delicious mashed potato known to man.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42First, we must choose our weapons.
0:56:49 > 0:56:53I'm using Yukon Gold potatoes, so a waxy potato.
0:56:53 > 0:56:54And I'm going to bake them in the oven.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57- OK, yep. And then scoop them out the skin?- Yep.- OK.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00I'm going to be using a little new potato,
0:57:00 > 0:57:04a Ratte potato, a waxy potato, and it's got a lovely texture to it.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08It's not too wet, and I'm going to steam mine...in the skins.
0:57:10 > 0:57:11'OK, game on.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15'Now, the problem with potatoes is that, on their own,
0:57:15 > 0:57:18'they're just dry and claggy.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20'I know what Marcus is going to do,
0:57:20 > 0:57:24'but do we really need to add oodles of butter?
0:57:26 > 0:57:31'I'm going to make a velvety smooth mash using no dairy at all.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33'And I'm going to do it by breaking
0:57:33 > 0:57:36'the potatoes down at a molecular level.'
0:57:41 > 0:57:43These are delicious potatoes, but one of the problems
0:57:43 > 0:57:46is that the starch in them
0:57:46 > 0:57:50is in the form of granules, and in order to get that velvety taste
0:57:50 > 0:57:54in the mouth, we need to break those granules down.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56This is a picture of the cells of the potato
0:57:56 > 0:57:59you're now peeling, and very similar to this.
0:57:59 > 0:58:03So those things that look like stones are the cells,
0:58:03 > 0:58:09the potato cells, and inside those are the granules of starch -
0:58:09 > 0:58:10those red blobs.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14And they're quite big, they can be almost a tenth of a millimetre
0:58:14 > 0:58:16and I'm guessing the way that you're going to do it,
0:58:16 > 0:58:20you've got the same problem, is by pushing it through a sieve first,
0:58:20 > 0:58:23and then probably, maybe, another sieve and another sieve.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25That's right. How do you get round that?
0:58:25 > 0:58:29- We're going to have to snip them up molecularly.- What?- Yeah.
0:58:29 > 0:58:33In snipping them up, we're going to get a velvety, ultra-smooth puree.
0:58:33 > 0:58:36I don't understand when you start talking about potatoes
0:58:36 > 0:58:37and you say you're going to "snip them up".
0:58:37 > 0:58:41We're not snipping THEM up, we're snipping the starch granules up.
0:58:41 > 0:58:43And this is the magic ingredient over here,
0:58:43 > 0:58:46- it's called diastatic malt powder.- Oh, no...
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Like all these things, I've got to get it exactly right.
0:58:49 > 0:58:50- Course you have!- It can go too far.
0:58:50 > 0:58:53We don't want to snip it to the point where it's a liquid.
0:58:53 > 0:58:56'The diastatic malt powder
0:58:56 > 0:58:59'is mixed with the potato, ready to be cooked
0:58:59 > 0:59:01'sous-vide in the water bath.'
0:59:10 > 0:59:12Mashed potato in the making.
0:59:16 > 0:59:19Into the water bath for ten minutes.
0:59:19 > 0:59:21- What temperature?- 52 degrees.
0:59:21 > 0:59:24So that temperature is the optimum temperature for the enzyme
0:59:24 > 0:59:29to start working at these granules of starch and breaking them down.
0:59:31 > 0:59:33Right now, inside the water bath,
0:59:33 > 0:59:37something astonishing is taking place.
0:59:37 > 0:59:39At precisely 52 degrees,
0:59:39 > 0:59:41an enzyme in the powder has been activated...
0:59:43 > 0:59:47..which is speeding up the way starch molecules fall apart.
0:59:48 > 0:59:51But unless it's deactivated in a short while,
0:59:51 > 0:59:54it could turn my potatoes into mush.
0:59:59 > 1:00:01'Meanwhile, over there,
1:00:01 > 1:00:05'Marcus and Jane are having to force their potatoes
1:00:05 > 1:00:07'through sieve after sieve,
1:00:07 > 1:00:10'trying to squeeze every last lump
1:00:10 > 1:00:12'into submission.
1:00:12 > 1:00:15'That's an awful lot of elbow grease.'
1:00:18 > 1:00:20So this process in my kitchen is...
1:00:20 > 1:00:24My chefs do it every day and they find it incredibly painful.
1:00:24 > 1:00:26Because it's hard work.
1:00:26 > 1:00:28On the other hand, on our side of the table,
1:00:28 > 1:00:32we're relaxing! The water bath and this malt powder's
1:00:32 > 1:00:34doing all the hard work for us, snipping away.
1:00:34 > 1:00:36It's like going to the gym, Mark,
1:00:36 > 1:00:39the pain of it you don't like.
1:00:39 > 1:00:42But, God, the results at the end can look good.
1:00:42 > 1:00:44- This is going to taste good.- OK.
1:00:59 > 1:01:02So you're doing what? You're taking it out of your bag?
1:01:02 > 1:01:04Yeah, now we've got to deactivate the enzyme
1:01:04 > 1:01:07by taking it up to 75 degrees centigrade.
1:01:07 > 1:01:11That will stop the pureeing process at the molecular level
1:01:11 > 1:01:14and then it's all about just...you know,
1:01:14 > 1:01:16serving it up, really.
1:01:16 > 1:01:18I would love now, I really would love
1:01:18 > 1:01:20to be sitting at home watching my father's face
1:01:20 > 1:01:24when someone like you says, "I'm going to deactivate the potato."
1:01:24 > 1:01:25He's just not, you know...
1:01:25 > 1:01:28He's just not going to comprehend what you're talking about.
1:01:28 > 1:01:30Mark, it's a spud.
1:01:30 > 1:01:33It's a spud, it's one of the best vegetables around, isn't it?
1:01:35 > 1:01:37'But I am getting a little worried.
1:01:37 > 1:01:42'In principle, my mash will be velvety smooth and slightly sweet,
1:01:42 > 1:01:46'but taking all the butter and cream out is a big ask.
1:01:48 > 1:01:51- How is it? What are you thinking, Antony?- I'm a bit...
1:01:51 > 1:01:52I'm talking to Antony.
1:01:52 > 1:01:55What do you think, Antony? Is he talking rubbish?
1:01:55 > 1:01:56Come on, talk to a chef.
1:01:56 > 1:02:00- Antony, tell me. And, Antony, don't lie to me.- OK.
1:02:02 > 1:02:04- What you going to do? - I'm going to tell him the truth.
1:02:04 > 1:02:06- Yeah, OK.- It's delicious.
1:02:07 > 1:02:12'Oh, it sounds like Antony might be putting on a brave face.
1:02:13 > 1:02:17'And Marcus, he's just baiting me with his butter.'
1:02:19 > 1:02:21Are you sure you don't want any of this?
1:02:23 > 1:02:25- My goodness me.- Oh!
1:02:25 > 1:02:29'And he's not finished, there's more going in.
1:02:29 > 1:02:32'A mountain of butter to seduce his customers.'
1:02:34 > 1:02:38We just want to give them really good-tasting food. .Thank you.
1:02:38 > 1:02:40But they want to taste the potato, don't they?
1:02:40 > 1:02:42They do, and do you know, to be fair,
1:02:42 > 1:02:44even though I've poured a packet of butter into this, almost,
1:02:44 > 1:02:48and half a pint of milk and I'm going to add some cream into it
1:02:48 > 1:02:50and lots of salt. It still tastes like a potato.
1:02:50 > 1:02:52- It does.- This is done.
1:02:54 > 1:02:56Isn't it?
1:02:56 > 1:02:58Antony suddenly doesn't look so sure!
1:03:01 > 1:03:02Antony, what do you think?
1:03:02 > 1:03:05It needs a bit of a...whisk.
1:03:05 > 1:03:08But the potato flavour's there.
1:03:09 > 1:03:11'I'm beginning to feel a little queasy.
1:03:11 > 1:03:13'Marcus is almost ready.'
1:03:14 > 1:03:17- Right, you ready?- It's the best we're going to get, I think.
1:03:17 > 1:03:19Don't say, "Best we're going to get"!
1:03:19 > 1:03:21I'm ready, OK, yeah.
1:03:21 > 1:03:22'Here goes with my mash.'
1:03:26 > 1:03:28Beat that, Marcus Wareing.
1:03:29 > 1:03:31Wow.
1:03:32 > 1:03:34No dairy at all, no milk,
1:03:34 > 1:03:36no butter, no cream,
1:03:36 > 1:03:38but look how creamy this is.
1:03:40 > 1:03:42'I'm just trying to convince myself.'
1:03:43 > 1:03:46- Are you ready? Yeah. - ANTONY GROANS
1:03:48 > 1:03:49Wow.
1:03:59 > 1:04:01Do you know what, Mark?
1:04:01 > 1:04:03I know for a fact I've won this one
1:04:03 > 1:04:04and I haven't even tasted it yet.
1:04:04 > 1:04:06MARK LAUGHS UNCOMFORTABLY
1:04:09 > 1:04:11That's heresy from your lips!
1:04:11 > 1:04:13The taste is all!
1:04:13 > 1:04:17Yours does look better, I agree with you. But does it taste better?
1:04:17 > 1:04:20- Which would you rather eat? - We do eat with our eyes.
1:04:20 > 1:04:22Yeah, we do eat with our eyes, yeah.
1:04:22 > 1:04:25- So which would you rather eat first? - Well...
1:04:25 > 1:04:28- Tell the truth, come on. - They both look interesting to me.
1:04:28 > 1:04:30A couple of sausages nearby, you know, I'd be in there.
1:04:30 > 1:04:32Exactly. Home-made.
1:04:32 > 1:04:35Yeah, that's true, it has a more of a rustic feel, more of a...
1:04:35 > 1:04:37I tell you what, does feel like,
1:04:37 > 1:04:39- when you go into it, it feels really soft.- Yeah.
1:04:44 > 1:04:46Oh, my God.
1:04:46 > 1:04:48You're kidding me?
1:04:48 > 1:04:49Can I try?
1:04:49 > 1:04:50Oh, yes.
1:04:50 > 1:04:52You're serious?
1:04:52 > 1:04:54It... It's potato-y.
1:04:54 > 1:04:55No, it's not.
1:04:57 > 1:04:58Do you know what comes out first?
1:05:00 > 1:05:02- Sweet.- That is sweet.
1:05:03 > 1:05:07'Hmm, I knew the starch granules would break down into glucose,
1:05:07 > 1:05:11'which is a kind of sugar, so I was expecting it to be a bit sweet.
1:05:13 > 1:05:17'What I got was sweeter than a sugar boat sailing on a sea of honey.
1:05:18 > 1:05:21'And my super-smooth texture is just gloop.
1:05:23 > 1:05:27'But science is all about experimentation.
1:05:27 > 1:05:31'Things went wrong this time, but tomorrow I'll start afresh.
1:05:31 > 1:05:34'Right now, though, I'm just going to have to face the music.'
1:05:36 > 1:05:37I can't taste potato.
1:05:38 > 1:05:40You've completely ruined
1:05:40 > 1:05:42those beautiful five potatoes you had earlier.
1:05:42 > 1:05:46It's so unfair, you know what you should do now? You should apologise.
1:05:48 > 1:05:51- Go on.- Obviously, this is work in progress.
1:05:51 > 1:05:53- You're not going to convince me, Mark.- Yeah.
1:05:53 > 1:05:55Is there anything about this,
1:05:55 > 1:05:57- anything at all...- No. - ..of merit?- No.
1:05:57 > 1:05:59No. Nothing. You've ruined it.
1:05:59 > 1:06:01It doesn't work, it's disgusting.
1:06:01 > 1:06:03- It's disgusting! - You should be ashamed.
1:06:03 > 1:06:05HE LAUGHS
1:06:07 > 1:06:09- Must try harder. - "Must try harder."
1:06:09 > 1:06:13- Yeah, you know, I take it, I'll take it.- Are you going to apologise?
1:06:13 > 1:06:16- Don't apologise. - I am very sorry, potato.
1:06:16 > 1:06:18I can sleep at night now.
1:06:18 > 1:06:21That's not good, that's not good.
1:06:21 > 1:06:23Right, I'm going to ask someone else now.
1:06:23 > 1:06:25- It's work in progress.- Antony... - Oh, it's disgusting.
1:06:25 > 1:06:28- ..you've been standing there... Thank you.- It's disgusting.
1:06:28 > 1:06:31Do you know what, I've had sleepless nights over this!
1:06:31 > 1:06:33THEY LAUGH
1:06:33 > 1:06:37'OK, so he's got me on the ropes and I'm three rounds down.
1:06:37 > 1:06:41'At least I showed him what I can do with a potato with my chips.
1:06:43 > 1:06:46'And there's still one round to go.
1:06:46 > 1:06:48'The hardest dish on our menu.
1:06:49 > 1:06:51'Dessert.
1:06:51 > 1:06:54'My last chance to land a knockout punch.'
1:07:03 > 1:07:04But before that,
1:07:04 > 1:07:07we know that our sense of smell -
1:07:07 > 1:07:09and even how we see things -
1:07:09 > 1:07:11can affect how food and drink tastes.
1:07:11 > 1:07:14Now, I want to try something out on Marcus
1:07:14 > 1:07:16which is even more extraordinary.
1:07:18 > 1:07:21At the forefront of science is a radical new idea.
1:07:22 > 1:07:26That what we hear can also affect what we taste.
1:07:28 > 1:07:30Small piece of chocolate.
1:07:34 > 1:07:37Just let it melt in your mouth and I'll play this sound.
1:07:37 > 1:07:39HIGH-PITCHED, NEW AGE STRUMMING
1:07:41 > 1:07:44'OK, so this sound is kind of high-pitched.'
1:07:53 > 1:07:56OK, now I'm going to give you another piece of music
1:07:56 > 1:07:59and the same chocolate. Goes in. OK.
1:07:59 > 1:08:01DEEP BASS TONE THROBS
1:08:01 > 1:08:04'This one has a lower pitch.'
1:08:07 > 1:08:11'Does Marcus notice any difference in the taste of the chocolate?'
1:08:18 > 1:08:19What do you think?
1:08:19 > 1:08:21HE SIGHS
1:08:21 > 1:08:23It did taste different.
1:08:24 > 1:08:27- The second noise. - That's the low noise.
1:08:27 > 1:08:31The lower note felt like it dulled the flavour down,
1:08:31 > 1:08:34it wasn't as sharp, it wasn't as fresh.
1:08:34 > 1:08:38Astonishingly, it appears that our sense of taste isn't fixed -
1:08:38 > 1:08:41it's flexible - and what we think of as one flavour
1:08:41 > 1:08:45can actually change depending on what we're listening to.
1:08:45 > 1:08:47Quite a lot of people get this effect
1:08:47 > 1:08:51where the higher notes are associated with sweeter flavours,
1:08:51 > 1:08:54the lower notes with the kind of bitter, lower...
1:08:54 > 1:08:58But is that your mind telling you, or is it really happening?
1:08:58 > 1:09:01Our senses, the hearing, the taste, the smell,
1:09:01 > 1:09:03all come into the brain,
1:09:03 > 1:09:06but they sometimes sort of cross over and what you can hear
1:09:06 > 1:09:07can actually affect the taste,
1:09:07 > 1:09:11because the wiring in the brain is not...
1:09:11 > 1:09:14They're not completely independent of each other.
1:09:15 > 1:09:18- That is a fascinating experiment. - It really is amazing, isn't it?
1:09:18 > 1:09:21That is the first thing I'll wake up tomorrow morning thinking about.
1:09:25 > 1:09:28I want to show you what's behind these locked doors
1:09:28 > 1:09:29because it's really exciting.
1:09:33 > 1:09:36It's a room full of cacao beans.
1:09:36 > 1:09:39These are from Venezuela,
1:09:39 > 1:09:41these are from Peru,
1:09:41 > 1:09:43and this is what they look like.
1:09:43 > 1:09:45Actually, they look a bit odd,
1:09:45 > 1:09:47a bit unprepossessing.
1:09:50 > 1:09:53They don't taste of chocolate at all,
1:09:53 > 1:09:55sort of a bit nutty...
1:09:55 > 1:09:58Actually, remarkably plain, and that is the odd thing.
1:09:58 > 1:10:00How... How does something like this
1:10:00 > 1:10:04get turned into my favourite indulgence, chocolate?
1:10:07 > 1:10:09'Chocolate may be a familiar flavour,
1:10:09 > 1:10:14'but turning the humble cacao bean into the chocolate that we love
1:10:14 > 1:10:18'is a complex process perfected over centuries of experimentation.
1:10:21 > 1:10:23'Luckily, I'm in the right place
1:10:23 > 1:10:27'to find out how this magical transformation is performed.
1:10:29 > 1:10:34'Willie Harcourt-Cooze is one of only a handful of small-scale
1:10:34 > 1:10:38'chocolatiers who make chocolate from bean to bar in the UK.
1:10:39 > 1:10:42'And he's going to show me how it's done.'
1:10:43 > 1:10:46- This is the chocolate factory. - Lovely.
1:10:49 > 1:10:51'Like his namesake, Mr Wonka,
1:10:51 > 1:10:54'Willie has got all the gizmos.
1:10:56 > 1:10:58'First, you've got to roast your raw bean.'
1:11:00 > 1:11:03This is the first step of the chocolatier.
1:11:03 > 1:11:05And it's basically the roasting of the bean.
1:11:05 > 1:11:07I mean, it's a giant step,
1:11:07 > 1:11:09I want to say for mankind,
1:11:09 > 1:11:11but a giant step for the cocoa bean, really.
1:11:12 > 1:11:14And if you try it now,
1:11:14 > 1:11:17it's got a very different flavour than five minutes ago.
1:11:17 > 1:11:20It's slightly crunchy. Some of that acidity's been driven off.
1:11:20 > 1:11:23So, important you roast them properly.
1:11:25 > 1:11:28'Then remove the shells.'
1:11:31 > 1:11:33Smell that.
1:11:33 > 1:11:35That is a completely different aroma, you know?
1:11:35 > 1:11:39- It's completely different, yeah.- Now we're getting somewhere.- Next stage.
1:11:39 > 1:11:41'Now things start to get interesting.'
1:11:41 > 1:11:44Now, we're going to release all of these flavours.
1:11:44 > 1:11:46I'm definitely up for that.
1:11:47 > 1:11:49The back roll goes really slowly,
1:11:49 > 1:11:52the next one goes a little bit faster, it picks it up,
1:11:52 > 1:11:56and it rolls it between the two rollers to refine it.
1:11:56 > 1:11:57And then it's coming out here,
1:11:57 > 1:12:00and if you were to have a little try of that...
1:12:04 > 1:12:06Oh, that's good. That is lovely.
1:12:06 > 1:12:09There's a lot of flavour. There's a lot of flavours going on in there.
1:12:09 > 1:12:11'That's better.
1:12:12 > 1:12:15'This is chocolate in its purest form.'
1:12:17 > 1:12:20This is like your roasted, shelled,
1:12:20 > 1:12:24ground, refined, pure mass cacao mass.
1:12:24 > 1:12:27When we take it to the next stage and re-warm it,
1:12:27 > 1:12:29it will just turn into a sea of chocolate.
1:12:29 > 1:12:31Oh, wow! OK, OK...
1:12:33 > 1:12:35'To turn it into a shiny chocolate bar
1:12:35 > 1:12:39'requires two more ingredients and, crucially,
1:12:39 > 1:12:41'an amazing piece of chemistry.'
1:12:43 > 1:12:47- What on earth is this? - My favourite machine.
1:12:49 > 1:12:51'In the wonderfully named conching machine.
1:12:51 > 1:12:55'The chocolate is aerated to help develop flavour.
1:12:56 > 1:13:00'The smooth texture comes from added cocoa butter
1:13:00 > 1:13:02'and it's made sweet with sugar.
1:13:06 > 1:13:08'But here comes the special part.'
1:13:08 > 1:13:10So, spread this out.
1:13:14 > 1:13:18'The fat inside chocolate is polymorphic,
1:13:18 > 1:13:23'which means it can exist in different crystal forms
1:13:23 > 1:13:28'but, crucially, one of the crystals has superior taste and texture -
1:13:28 > 1:13:31'the one known as Type V".
1:13:32 > 1:13:35'And by manipulating the chocolate
1:13:35 > 1:13:38'while carefully controlling temperature
1:13:38 > 1:13:40'in a process known as tempering,
1:13:40 > 1:13:44'Willie can promote the formation of these particular crystals.'
1:13:45 > 1:13:49What you're trying to do here is try and create Type V crystals
1:13:49 > 1:13:53- by having it cooling on this marble, is that right?- That's right.
1:13:53 > 1:13:55Yeah, we've started off at 45 degrees,
1:13:55 > 1:13:59so there's no crystals at all and as it cools,
1:13:59 > 1:14:01it's forming crystals.
1:14:01 > 1:14:03So these are the cocoa-butter crystals?
1:14:03 > 1:14:08These are the cocoa-butter crystals. I want to evenly cool it.
1:14:08 > 1:14:11This temperature control is absolutely crucial.
1:14:11 > 1:14:14Absolutely crucial. You're probably familiar with chocolate
1:14:14 > 1:14:17which has bloomed - it's where it looks unsightly and white
1:14:17 > 1:14:19and that is where the fat molecules
1:14:19 > 1:14:22and the solids haven't crystallised together
1:14:22 > 1:14:25and they've separated, and that's what the white is.
1:14:27 > 1:14:32'It is these crystals which give hard chocolate its crunch appeal...
1:14:34 > 1:14:36'..and melt-in-the-mouth flavour.'
1:14:37 > 1:14:39Those crystals are now going to solidify?
1:14:39 > 1:14:42These are all going to solidify. Let's go over here.
1:14:42 > 1:14:45'The chocolate is cooled down and, fingers crossed,
1:14:45 > 1:14:47'we'll have solid chocolate
1:14:47 > 1:14:50'made from the very best crystals.'
1:14:50 > 1:14:51So.
1:14:51 > 1:14:53Look at that. Wow.
1:14:54 > 1:14:56Yes! Beautiful!
1:14:56 > 1:14:59- Do you want to have a little snap? - Yeah, let's try that.
1:14:59 > 1:15:01- TINY SNAP - Yeah. Do you hear that?
1:15:01 > 1:15:04That's part of the taste, just hearing that.
1:15:04 > 1:15:07How about catching the aroma? Cos if you're going to try chocolate,
1:15:07 > 1:15:10you want to hear the snap, see the shine, smell the aroma...
1:15:10 > 1:15:14And then just pop it in your mouth and let it melt,
1:15:14 > 1:15:18and slowly infuse those flavours around your mouth.
1:15:20 > 1:15:21I'm speechless.
1:15:21 > 1:15:24- It's the freshest chocolate you've ever tasted.- It is.
1:15:24 > 1:15:28- Handmade by a genius. - By us. By us.- Oh!
1:15:37 > 1:15:40We're back in the kitchen for the final round
1:15:40 > 1:15:42of our competition of cookery.
1:15:42 > 1:15:46And I've saved the hardest dish until last -
1:15:46 > 1:15:48the infamous chocolate fondant.
1:15:55 > 1:15:58With its light outer cake layer
1:15:58 > 1:16:00and signature gooey centre,
1:16:00 > 1:16:02it's a pudding that has out-foxed
1:16:02 > 1:16:05some of the greatest chefs in the land.
1:16:07 > 1:16:10This particular chocolate fondant recipe is, for me,
1:16:10 > 1:16:12it's probably one of the most difficult ones
1:16:12 > 1:16:14that I've ever worked with
1:16:14 > 1:16:16and it goes back all the way back to the beginning of my career
1:16:16 > 1:16:18when I was working in a restaurant
1:16:18 > 1:16:20and we wanted to try and get this fondant on the plate,
1:16:20 > 1:16:22into the restaurant without it splitting,
1:16:22 > 1:16:25without it breaking. And it was just trial and error.
1:16:27 > 1:16:29The skill is this -
1:16:29 > 1:16:33to create a sponge that is beautifully light and airy,
1:16:33 > 1:16:37yet strong enough to support and contain
1:16:37 > 1:16:41that dense chocolaty centre without it leaking.
1:16:41 > 1:16:43It sounds hard.
1:16:43 > 1:16:45In fact, it's even harder than that.
1:16:47 > 1:16:51'So difficult is this dish that we have each got a secret weapon.
1:16:51 > 1:16:54'Marcus has bought in his specialist,
1:16:54 > 1:16:56'Chantelle Nicholson,
1:16:56 > 1:16:58'and I've got...
1:16:58 > 1:17:00'a microwave.' MICROWAVE PINGS
1:17:00 > 1:17:05I reckon I can do as good a fondant as you
1:17:05 > 1:17:08with a beautiful, creamy, chocolate-flowing centre
1:17:08 > 1:17:10and a light sponge -
1:17:10 > 1:17:13the lightest sponge in the world, using a microwave,
1:17:13 > 1:17:16and it'll take me just about ten minutes.
1:17:21 > 1:17:24First, we need to make the centre of the chocolate fondant.
1:17:24 > 1:17:27That then gets poured into the mould and frozen solid.
1:17:27 > 1:17:31So when we're cooking the fondant, it just beautifully melts.
1:17:31 > 1:17:35I'm making my fondant centre not as luxurious as yours
1:17:35 > 1:17:37and I'll just crack on with that,
1:17:37 > 1:17:40it's pretty much the same process.
1:17:40 > 1:17:42'Now, no need for me to use top-quality chocolate here.
1:17:44 > 1:17:46'The beauty of this recipe
1:17:46 > 1:17:49'is that it requires really basic ingredients.
1:17:51 > 1:17:54'OK, so, chocolate centres done
1:17:54 > 1:17:57'and into the freezer.
1:17:57 > 1:18:00'So far, so simple, but now what?
1:18:04 > 1:18:07'Chantelle's recipe relies heavily on military timing.
1:18:10 > 1:18:13It takes hours to prepare and then bake.
1:18:13 > 1:18:17'But if she overcooks it by just a few seconds, it can be ruined.
1:18:19 > 1:18:22'The secret is to get the sponge just right...
1:18:23 > 1:18:26'..and that's all about creating bubbles.
1:18:26 > 1:18:27'To make it light and fluffy,
1:18:27 > 1:18:30'we need to get plenty of air into the mix.
1:18:31 > 1:18:33'Chantelle achieves this by whisking the egg whites
1:18:33 > 1:18:35'until they are nice and stiff.
1:18:38 > 1:18:40'But are they stiff enough?'
1:18:40 > 1:18:44- Wow that looks amazing, that looks absolutely...- Cheers.
1:18:44 > 1:18:46This is where she could lose her job.
1:18:47 > 1:18:49- There you go.- Ha-ha!
1:18:52 > 1:18:54That's gorgeous, isn't it?!
1:18:56 > 1:18:58'Gently melt the chocolate and butter,
1:18:58 > 1:19:00'add the meringue and all the rest.
1:19:00 > 1:19:02'With Chantelle aerating it further
1:19:02 > 1:19:05'by folding and mixing and folding again,
1:19:05 > 1:19:07'she's having quite a work out.
1:19:14 > 1:19:17'Finally, it's piped into parchment-lined rings.
1:19:24 > 1:19:27'In goes the frozen chocolate centre...
1:19:27 > 1:19:29'with more mix on top.
1:19:30 > 1:19:33'Now, it's just a question of waiting.
1:19:38 > 1:19:39'Right, my turn.'
1:19:40 > 1:19:43Starting point is a standard cake mix,
1:19:43 > 1:19:46this is nothing special, the sort of cake mix you can buy in any shop
1:19:46 > 1:19:49and I'm just going to pour this in here cos it's all weighed out,
1:19:49 > 1:19:52all mixed up. Just makes it very, very easy.
1:19:52 > 1:19:55Just add water, some oil and some eggs.
1:19:55 > 1:19:59'Now, for me, as a material scientist,
1:19:59 > 1:20:02'sponge is just an edible kind of foam.'
1:20:02 > 1:20:05This delicious thing, the flour and the eggs
1:20:05 > 1:20:07and the sugar are going to mix together
1:20:07 > 1:20:10to create this lovely sort of pastry-like material,
1:20:10 > 1:20:12and then we're blowing it up into a foam,
1:20:12 > 1:20:16the same kind of foam that you sit on at home on your sofa
1:20:16 > 1:20:18or the mattress of your bed.
1:20:18 > 1:20:21It's a bit like scooping some foam off your bubble bath
1:20:21 > 1:20:23and it turns out to be edible, and you whack it in your mouth
1:20:23 > 1:20:26and it's delicious! That's the cake I'm making!
1:20:27 > 1:20:29I think it's miraculous because it's so fast
1:20:29 > 1:20:32and this has taken me a few minutes while chatting to you.
1:20:32 > 1:20:35It's pretty much ready now.
1:20:35 > 1:20:37'And I've got a trick up my sleeve -
1:20:37 > 1:20:39'no need for all that physical effort.
1:20:39 > 1:20:43'I'm going to max out on the number of bubbles in my mix
1:20:43 > 1:20:48'by priming with nitrous oxide loaded into a whipping siphon.'
1:20:52 > 1:20:54How does that siphon work?
1:20:54 > 1:20:56This is nitrous oxide. This is laughing gas
1:20:56 > 1:20:59If you've ever been to the dentist...
1:21:00 > 1:21:03We're going to supercharge this cake using it.
1:21:03 > 1:21:05And the nice thing about this technique
1:21:05 > 1:21:09is we can control the amount of gas and the amount of bubbles we get.
1:21:09 > 1:21:12You're controlling it too, but there is... This is, perhaps...
1:21:12 > 1:21:13- Exact.- ..a bit more... Yeah.
1:21:15 > 1:21:17Yeah, Antony's going to do that.
1:21:18 > 1:21:22You were a cocktail waiter in your time, I can tell.
1:21:22 > 1:21:24'Because I'm using a microwave,
1:21:24 > 1:21:25'I can't use metal plates.
1:21:27 > 1:21:29'So I've opted for paper cups...'
1:21:29 > 1:21:33Right. So then, all we have to do is squirt this in.
1:21:33 > 1:21:35'..which I half-fill with my pumped-up mix,
1:21:35 > 1:21:37'ready for the chocolate centre.'
1:21:39 > 1:21:43And then just place this on top.
1:21:43 > 1:21:48'I'm expecting the frozen chocolate pellet to sink down into the cup.'
1:21:48 > 1:21:51And off we go. MICROWAVE BEEPS
1:21:52 > 1:21:56'Into the microwave for 40 seconds.'
1:21:56 > 1:21:58Oh, yeah, OK.
1:21:58 > 1:21:59That's it.
1:22:03 > 1:22:07- What do you reckon?- Yes. - Run your knife round the edge.
1:22:08 > 1:22:11Yeah, that's fine. Gently, gently.
1:22:11 > 1:22:13Gently, gently, gently.
1:22:13 > 1:22:16- Put the plate on top...- Yeah.
1:22:25 > 1:22:29'Remember, I'm after the lightest, fluffiest sponge possible,
1:22:29 > 1:22:32'with that gooey liquid right in the centre.'
1:22:39 > 1:22:40Smells great.
1:22:43 > 1:22:47'Chantelle's puddings are out of the oven.
1:22:47 > 1:22:48'This is the big moment.
1:22:48 > 1:22:50'Has she got it right?'
1:22:52 > 1:22:55- The fact there's no chocolate on there is a good sign.- Nice.
1:22:58 > 1:23:00One down.
1:23:01 > 1:23:02'Oh, dear.'
1:23:08 > 1:23:11Oh-oh...
1:23:11 > 1:23:12Two down.
1:23:12 > 1:23:14This is more tension
1:23:14 > 1:23:16than whether it's a boy or a girl that's coming out!
1:23:36 > 1:23:38'Success!'
1:23:44 > 1:23:48'The most difficult and delicious pudding known to humankind
1:23:48 > 1:23:52'and the result of hours of preparation and baking.'
1:23:54 > 1:23:56Go on, you break it open.
1:24:00 > 1:24:02Ohhh... HE WHISTLES
1:24:15 > 1:24:16It's good.
1:24:20 > 1:24:23That is to die for, there's no doubt about it.
1:24:23 > 1:24:25It's rich and moreish...
1:24:25 > 1:24:26Yeah.
1:24:26 > 1:24:29..and slightly bittersweet as well.
1:24:29 > 1:24:30That's going to be hard to beat.
1:24:36 > 1:24:38It's not perfect.
1:24:39 > 1:24:41'It's not quite right.'
1:24:41 > 1:24:43- Do you want to taste it?- Yes.
1:24:43 > 1:24:46'It looks like an amazingly light sponge all right,
1:24:46 > 1:24:47'but maybe too light.'
1:24:50 > 1:24:52- It's like a bouncy castle! - ALL LAUGH
1:25:02 > 1:25:05It's really... It's incredibly light
1:25:05 > 1:25:08but there's almost like a lack of chocolate sauce
1:25:08 > 1:25:11- to the quantity of...- It's absorbed it, yeah.- It's absorbed it.
1:25:11 > 1:25:13And that's really interesting.
1:25:13 > 1:25:16The sponge has absorbed the chocolate sauce straightaway.
1:25:16 > 1:25:19'I'm the victim of my own success -
1:25:19 > 1:25:22'my beautifully light outer layer
1:25:22 > 1:25:26'just isn't strong enough to hold the gooey liquid in the centre,
1:25:26 > 1:25:28'and it spread.
1:25:28 > 1:25:31'But science can yield unexpected results.
1:25:34 > 1:25:36'The way my pudding tastes
1:25:36 > 1:25:39'seems to trigger something from Marcus's past.'
1:25:44 > 1:25:48What I like about your cake is it's familiar.
1:25:49 > 1:25:51- It's comforting. - There's a comfort to it,
1:25:51 > 1:25:55there's a sense of familiarity to it, you taste chocolate cake,
1:25:55 > 1:25:57hot desserts in many different forms, whether it be in...
1:25:57 > 1:26:00All the way going back to school meals and hot chocolate sponge
1:26:00 > 1:26:03with the chocolate sauce, all the way through to Mum, Gran,
1:26:03 > 1:26:06shops, coffee shops, so on and so on.
1:26:06 > 1:26:09And there's a familiarity to it that I actually really like.
1:26:09 > 1:26:10I love the idea, different...
1:26:10 > 1:26:14Both of these desserts are incredibly challenging
1:26:14 > 1:26:17and I think my dessert is made for the richness
1:26:17 > 1:26:19and the skill factor of being in a restaurant.
1:26:19 > 1:26:23It's not easy to make. As you can see, you can have problems with it
1:26:23 > 1:26:26- as much as you can have problems with yours.- Yeah.
1:26:26 > 1:26:28But I'm going to call this one a draw. I like them both.
1:26:28 > 1:26:31I think that's very good. It's very clever.
1:26:32 > 1:26:34- Yes!- I'll take that!
1:26:35 > 1:26:37Very nice.
1:26:41 > 1:26:43'We're coming towards the end of the show.
1:26:46 > 1:26:48'And for a few final thoughts,
1:26:48 > 1:26:50'we've stepped outside for a cup of tea.
1:26:52 > 1:26:55'But I couldn't resist the temptation
1:26:55 > 1:26:57'to use a fancy machine.'
1:26:59 > 1:27:01Yes, why wouldn't you?!
1:27:01 > 1:27:03There it is.
1:27:04 > 1:27:07Even pours it in a realistic way, with a realistic sound.
1:27:07 > 1:27:09Wow.
1:27:11 > 1:27:12Perfect cup of tea.
1:27:12 > 1:27:17'So my scientific approach only managed to really convince Marcus
1:27:17 > 1:27:19'right at the end with my dessert.'
1:27:21 > 1:27:24That's pretty good. That's really good.
1:27:24 > 1:27:28'But what has Marcus made of my very different approach to cooking?'
1:27:28 > 1:27:31There's a couple of things that I've seen along the way...
1:27:31 > 1:27:33I think the steak was incredible,
1:27:33 > 1:27:36the whole process there that I could really relate to,
1:27:36 > 1:27:38and that really got me excited.
1:27:38 > 1:27:40I thought the wine was very clever,
1:27:40 > 1:27:43albeit, I'll never do it.
1:27:43 > 1:27:47I would NEVER promote that crazy idea, but it sort of worked.
1:27:47 > 1:27:49The chips were brilliant.
1:27:51 > 1:27:54'So science does have something to contribute,
1:27:54 > 1:27:56'even to a chef as good as Marcus.
1:27:58 > 1:28:00'But I have to admit
1:28:00 > 1:28:03'that he did bring something extra to HIS cooking.
1:28:07 > 1:28:10'You might call it "accumulated knowledge" or "experience".
1:28:12 > 1:28:15'You might even call it the "art of cooking".
1:28:16 > 1:28:18'But I think there's another name for it.'
1:28:20 > 1:28:22I see a scientist in you.
1:28:22 > 1:28:24The way you cook and the questions you ask
1:28:24 > 1:28:27and your control over temperature and time
1:28:27 > 1:28:30and your observation, that is science!
1:28:32 > 1:28:35'And that's what comes out most strongly for me.
1:28:35 > 1:28:39'The realisation that even the art of cooking
1:28:39 > 1:28:42'is really all about science.
1:28:44 > 1:28:47'So the reason why Marcus has won is because,
1:28:47 > 1:28:52'in terms of cooking, he's a better scientist than me.'
1:28:52 > 1:28:55- I'll drink to that. - Cheers.- Cheers.
1:28:59 > 1:29:03- And that's not bad, too.- Yeah. - In fact, it's very good.- Yeah.