Episode 13 MasterChef

It's the last week of the MasterChef heats.

Out of 60 amateurs, the nine best are already through.

-Guys, congratulations.

-I can't believe it.

Is it wrong if I ask you to slap me? I feel like I need a reality check!

Being here still is just the best.

I don't want to jump the gun and say I could be in the final yet

but maybe it will start to tick over in my mind a little bit.

Bring it on!

Here's to ravioli!

This year the standard is sky-high.

We've found some gems.

This week,

the last group of contestants will begin their battle to join them.

These six amateurs all think they've got what it takes to become

MasterChef.

But at the end of today's heat, only the best will become

quarterfinalists.

Welcome to MasterChef. This is your calling card.

What we want to see is a bit of something special.

One hour, let's cook!

I'm used to cooking with pressure because of my job.

Somebody collapses, you've got to deal with it.

There's nobody else to pick up the pieces.

Whether or not I will get more emotionally involved with

a souffle, we'll have to wait and see!

How are you feeling?

I was all right until you walked up. Now I've gone a bit quibbly.

You look to have all the things on your bench that will make

an Asian dish, coconut and spices and then a lump of smoked haddock.

Yeah, I'm doing a fusion dish.

I'm making kedgeree with toasted coconut and asparagus.

I come from East Lancashire and that's a big Asian population

so I thought I would represent both communities

and do a bit of this and that.

Sheelagh, thank you very much.

What we need from Sheelagh is vibrant spice, smoked haddock,

wonderful and soft and melting in your mouth.

That's going to be seductive, can she do it?

You've had ten minutes. Just flies, doesn't it? Absolutely flies.

Tim, how did you get into cooking?

Just when I met my girlfriend. Um, five years ago.

I thought I would cook us a nice meal and it was rubbish.

I wanted to get better and better and I've ended up here.

What does your girlfriend think of you coming into the competition?

She's told herself I've won, so... I'm on for a winner there.

We've got sea bass fritter,

creamed corn, serving that with a chorizo sauce

and I have no idea what's going to come out of it.

The whole thing is a bit of a mishmash.

I always say two goes at any dish and I'll get it right.

This is the third time I've done this dish, so...!

Megan going for something which is a classic - seafood stew.

A bowl of seafood stew as a calling card shows a brave

and very confident cook.

I think I've got a lot to learn because of my age

but I can't think of many 20-year-olds who would take the time

to make something from scratch that didn't come from a packet.

Megan, why MasterChef then?

I want to see what I'm capable of because being at uni

I can only afford so much and I have a small kitchen

so I can only do so much as well.

I want to see what I'm capable of and how far I can push myself.

Well done!

We are halfway.

When I went to university, over ten years ago, my mum gave me

an Indian spice box and that was the start of my journey.

We've got ourselves a green piece of chicken covered in coriander,

red chicken done with red spices and he's serving with raita and some rice.

If Samir has grasped spicing, I am very excited.

Samir, as far as I know, you're the first person on MasterChef ever to use coal.

-Yes. Are you asking why I am using coal?

-No, I haven't asked a thing yet.

-OK.

Why are you using coal? LAUGHTER

I am going to do some smoking of my chicken.

I've got my pots, I'm going to smoke this with a bit of purified

butter to get a charcoaly taste in the chicken.

You've got just 20 minutes.

I am cooking a chawanmushi.

It's a savoury Japanese custard made with a dashi sauce which is a fish stock with

lots of little ingredients inside which are meant to be surprises.

How have you become a student of Japanese cuisine?

I used to work for a Japanese bank.

I basically was the only English guy in a team of Japanese

colleagues and so I did the karaoke, all the Japanese restaurants

and that's where it took off.

Savoury Japanese custards are wonderful things

but they can be quite dangerous.

It should be velvety smooth,

it can be too rubbery or it can start to split and curdle.

Be really careful, young Edd.

Ten minutes left.

I do have quite a high-pressure job, especially

because I have to handle London Fashion Week so I am quite used

to being under stress and having time restrictions, especially.

Bring it on!

Are there links between fashion and food?

I'd say so. I mean,

every time you're at these fashion parties, everyone...

There's always food there, everyone enjoys it...

I suppose there's lots of food at a fashion party because no-one's eating it!

Yeah, true. True. Well, I do. The only one around the canape tray!

Duck, pomegranate, potato-based bubble and squeak with coriander,

spring roll and barbecue sauce. Wow.

This is not Chinese food, Asian food, not fusion food.

This is a banquet of berserk.

You've got three minutes left.

Just 30 seconds.

That's it, stop, your time is up.

For his calling card, financial adviser Samir has served two

types of chicken - coal-smoked chilli and coriander

accompanied by poppyseeded baby corn and peppers, cumin rice,

and a cucumber raita.

I like the coriander and the zing that's on your green chicken.

I love the heat and the smokiness you've created with your red

-chicken but both chickens are overcooked and dried out.

-OK.

Your chicken's getting lost because it's not big enough and vibrant

enough to cope with the sharpness of the yoghurt with the cucumber.

Like Gregg, for me, your chicken is overcooked and dry.

That wasn't my best cooking.

There's a lot more to come from me, definitely.

Bloody hell!

Analyst Edd has made chawanmushi, a soy and dashi custard

topped with prawn, shiitake mushroom and carrot

and filled with chicken, ginkgo nut, and kamaboko fish stick.

I'm very excited. It's one of my favourite things, I love it.

-It's fantastic, isn't it?

-If it's done well, yes.

That's the trick.

I like the sweet prawn with a bit of ginger on it.

It tastes like a beefy tofu dish.

I love the richness of the flavours of the soy in the background.

-It's really very well-made indeed.

-You've got a big grin on your face, Edd.

-Happy?

-Yes, thank you very much.

PR director Jenny has served duck breast with coriander bubble

and squeak and a pomegranate sauce.

She's also made a spinach and duck spring roll with a barbecue sauce.

There's a huge amount of work on this, Jenny.

The duck spring roll I really like because there's not a great

deal of filo pastry on it so it's not greasy.

What I don't like is your Asian flavoured bubble and squeak.

Coriander in potato, that doesn't quite work for me.

I think what you've done is attempted too much, but what you

have done by attempting too much is show me you can

-do a lot of things pretty well.

-Thank you.

Just watching them chew, it's like, hurry up, say something!

But, yeah, pleased.

Just glad it's over!

29-year-old Tim's sea bass is accompanied by a sea bass

fritter, fennel and dill salad, sesame oil asparagus,

sweetcorn puree and a chorizo pepper sauce.

You've got so many big flavours on your plate

that they are merging into one

and the thing that's lost completely

amongst it all is the fish.

I think in attempting so many things and showing us so many things

you are losing sight of the fact it's supposed to be delicious.

GP Sheelagh has made kedgeree,

served with quails' eggs, asparagus and toasted coconut.

I like the smokiness of the fish which is cooked really well,

your rice is going a little bit over,

just a bit and I think you can afford a little bit more spice.

Don't be scared of it.

We like to be slapped around the face by a bit of chilli

-and turmeric, us two.

-We certainly do.

Sheelagh, I am missing the point of this.

I don't see where all the fusion is apart from

a couple of strings of coconut across the top.

Finally, it's student Megan.

She's made a seafood stew with tiger prawns, mussels, halibut,

courgette, fennel and samphire.

Megan, I think you've got some real promise here

because you've got a vibrancy of spice coming from cayenne,

a sweetness from pepper and a sweetness from onions.

And the saltiness of the sea. But you need to consider me as a diner.

-It's fine that people pull some things out of the shelf, but everything? Uh-uh.

-OK.

However, love the flavours, sweet onions and paprika, very nice indeed.

My whole body went tense and I was like a robot. My muscles hurt from all of that! God!

The general cooking standard I thought was decent,

there's one or two little gems here that are worth keeping an eye on.

Interesting insight into the culinary minds of the contestants.

Now, let's see how they get on with the invention test.

It's at this point we ask our contestants to do a sweet

or savoury invention test. What do you want, sweet or savoury?

-Savoury, please.

-Reveal your ingredients.

John will now have an hour to create a dish from pollack,

sausages, capers, fennel, turmeric,

cherry tomatoes, baby spinach,

couscous, Parmesan and quails' eggs.

What are you going to make?

A crusted piece of fish and I am going to do a fennel sausage ragout.

One hour, mate. Good luck.

You've got nothing to lose but your reputation in front of the nation!

LAUGHTER

You've got such a meaty, big fish

it will stand up to lots of different flavours.

I love that herb crust.

Some meatballs.

-Ten minutes left. Are you ready to serve?

-Just about.

You clever old stick.

From the savoury box,

John has made herb-crusted pollack with a fennel and sausage ragout.

-That's good.

-Thank you.

-That's really good.

That is a very, very good dish, John, and bursting full of flavour.

Six amateur cooks, two boxes full of goodies, I say bring them in.

You have to decide right now whether you are going to make us a sweet or a savoury dish.

Megan, Samir and Jenny have chosen the same box as John.

I don't know if I've got enough components for what I'm going to do.

Just trying to make sure I nail it.

Sheelagh, Edd and Tim have chosen the sweet box which contains

rhubarb, pomegranate, puff pastry,

an orange, semolina, a lime,

flaked almonds and popping candy.

Ladies and gentlemen, one hour, your invention.

At the end of this, two of you are leaving the competition. Let's cook!

You dried your chicken last time, what about this fish?

I'm going to make sure it's bang-on.

Megan, why savoury, not sweet?

I have a good palate for savoury food

so I'm hoping I've got a good idea, anyway.

20 minutes gone.

Do you have the skill, Jenny, to balance those flavours,

creamed spinach, fish and vanilla?

I don't know, I hope so.

Why did you pick the dessert box, Edd?

When you're a kid and you're an Italian family, the first

thing parents teach you to cook is dessert.

Tim, what are you keen to demonstrate to us now?

That I can bring the flavours out and I can put a plate of food

together where everything belongs together.

I am not that confident

because I can't see what's happening behind me.

-I know that what I am doing is OK and it's the best I can do.

-Whoa!

Three minutes left.

Time is up. You are done. Stop.

Jenny, yes, please.

From the savoury box, Jenny has fried the pollack

and served it with mashed potato, creamed spinach,

a white wine sauce and a vanilla bean foam.

Your fish is not cooked.

The skin isn't crispy which means it's virtually inedible

but also the fish isn't cooked which means that's inedible.

You have been heavy-handed with the salt in your mash.

Ugh! Not a good day at the office. Probably not the result you wanted.

No.

There are aspects which I think are quite good.

I like the buttery lemon sauce, I think that's wonderful.

But I've got this sashimi and custard

which is not really a dish that I want to eat.

It was raw. I just...

Well... Yeah.

Megan, yes, please.

Megan has made pollack en papillote with crispy skin

and a fennel, spinach and orange salad.

The bag haemorrhaged so that's all the juice that's come out of the bag.

The word haemorrhage doesn't give anybody any great sense of comfort!

OK.

Your fish inside that parcel is cooked beautifully, as it should be.

You've got a wonderful subtle saltiness coming from soy,

a real depth of fragrance from the ginger

but I am more impressed with things like this, Megan.

Crispy skins of fish, it is done well,

it's been salted really well, it adds texture to the dish.

-Good job, you.

-Thank you.

I'll tell you what, I think you've cooked better in this

-invention test than you did with your own recipe.

-OK.

That is the best feeling ever, just being told my food was lovely

so I don't want to go.

I would be really upset if I went. Really upset.

Samir's dish is ginger and soy pollack with a spinach

and tomato couscous.

GREGG COUGHS

Wow! What on earth are those things on top?

-Ginger.

-That's bits of ginger?

-Yeah.

For crying out loud! Um, your fish is cooked.

It's flaky and it's got a very pleasant, almost smoky-type flavour.

I find the couscous is a bit greasy because there must be oil running

through it and I don't get how the fish and couscous come together.

There's nothing wet to hold it together -

that just doesn't seem to work, for me.

I split the judges, so I don't know what my chances are.

50-50, probably.

From the sweet box, Sheelagh's made a rhubarb and orange pudding covered

in a rhubarb coulis with almond caramel and an orange butter sauce.

You had a nice-looking pudding that came out of the oven.

Why did you then pour all that stuff on the top of it?

I thought it would be nicer with a little bit of rhubarb on

and then I went heavy-handed.

-We've got a great big pink splodge.

-Hm.

What I do like about it is the sharp flavour of the rhubarb with

the orange. I even like the crunch of the pomegranates on top.

But by putting all that stuff on top it's gone a bit gooey which is

a shame because I think some of the stuff you've done is really good.

I think you can cook.

I don't know what possessed you to throw that rhubarb over that sponge.

I did the best I could, really, and at the end I just got flummoxed.

That's the name of the game, isn't it?

Tim's take on rhubarb crumble includes a strip of popping

candy crumb with Chantilly cream, pomegranate jelly,

spun sugar and rhubarb caramel.

That is beautiful and that deserves to taste good, Tim.

I love that pomegranate jelly with your rhubarb.

A bit of popping candy running through your crumb. Fun.

But the caramel is getting lost.

Your work is quite incredible.

Very much like the first round, you are showing some real skill

and dexterity. Mate, it's got to be about flavour as well.

Although perhaps lacking in flavour, I am hoping presentation

and the skill I've shown will be enough to convince them.

Finally, Edd has made a panna cotta topped with almonds and served with an orange

and pomegranate sauce.

Wobbling as it should.

-Perfect, Edd.

-Thank you.

To get that in any round of MasterChef I would be happy.

-To get it in the invention test, I bow to you, Edd.

-Thank you.

We've now got a decision to make, a big decision

because two of you will be leaving us.

Off you go.

The good ship invention sailed and it was stormy waters out there, buddy.

In parts, it was better than their own recipes.

I'll tell you who I definitely want to keep. Edd.

To do classic things well is really, really difficult.

He made it look really easy.

-One of those people I'd like to see again is Megan.

-Agreed.

She is demonstrating some skill and at 20. Good. OK.

-Next up, who do we go with?

-I know. Tim.

His technique is so good that I want to see him cook some more.

I want to give him the chance to deliver flavour.

That means we've got to keep one more person from Samir, Jenny, and Sheelagh.

Samir, his chicken was dry and overcooked in his calling card.

He pulled it around a little with his invention test.

To be honest, I think I'm probably at risk.

There's a lot more experienced people out there than me, I feel.

Jenny, duck two ways and then with the invention test,

we get fish which is undercooked.

Now that scares me.

I just wish I could get through, it was a silly mistake and...

I'm so gutted.

Sheelagh had good ideas with her kedgeree, that lady can cook.

Why did she tip a load of unsweetened rhubarb sauce over her sponge?

I hope I've done enough to stay in the competition

because it really means something special to me to be here.

-Yeah.

-Who are we going to give another chance to?

Whose food are we willing to eat again?

We have made our decision and two of you are leaving the competition.

First person leaving us...

..is Samir.

I think I was a bit out of my depth, to be honest with you.

But still happy with what I've done.

The second contestant leaving the competition...

..is Jenny. Thank you, Jenny.

I knew it was going to be me. I didn't do myself justice.

I wish I could turn back time and do it again!

Congratulations.

This is a tough test.

You are going to be cooking for three champions

and finalists of MasterChef.

Steven Wallis,

Sara Danesin,

and Alex Rushmer.

Today it's going to be like a service.

Four main course orders in one hour and 15 minutes later,

four dessert orders. Your job is to fight for a quarterfinal place.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's cook.

This means more to me than my medical degree

and doing my finals or anything I've done in medicine.

I never wanted to do that in the first place.

This is something I want to do for me,

that I am passionate about, and that I think I am good at.

It means absolutely everything in the world to me

to do well in this today.

What are you going to cook for us?

I'm going to do pan-fried fillets of the sea bass

on a bed of mashed parsnip with... I'll make the cabbage into a crispy

sort of seaweed like the Chinese seaweed they do, but

instead of using five-spice to spice it, I'm going to use garam masala.

My dessert is a warm chocolate cinnamon and almond brownie.

Don't feel tempted to do anything unnecessary.

-I won't.

-Promise?

-Promise.

We've got sea bass, cabbage and garam masala

and our parsnip puree.

But then on top of that, we've got brown shrimps

and we've got smoked mackerel.

My concern is we've got so many different flavours against the sea bass,

it is going to struggle to survive.

What are you cooking for us, Tim?

First course is a roast loin of venison

with celeriac puree, wilted spinach,

butternut squash crumble,

and dessert is a vanilla cheesecake with a banana and pistachio topping.

-What's the point you need to prove?

-To give you good-tasting food.

I'm still concerned about flavour. I am - especially about that dessert.

Because banana on a cheesecake is sticky on sticky

and then a banana-flavoured caramel

is sweet-sticky on top of sticky-sticky.

Potentially, it could be a bit too sweet,

but that's something I'm going to have to address

and keep my eye on as I'm preparing it.

Getting there.

Tell us about your main course.

So the main course is pan-fried haddock,

tomatoes with capers and anchovy.

It's something I've eaten since I've been a kid.

It's my mum's sauce.

What is the dessert?

It's a chocolate mousse topped with an orange zabaglione,

with a liquor.

-You're shaking as you're wiping that glass.

-Yes.

-Can you control your nerves, Edd?

-Yeah, I think I can.

I just wanted to get these in the fridge.

Then when it's in the fridge, I'll be happier.

Edd is cooking Italian dishes

for one of the best Italian cooks I've ever seen, Sara -

good luck, Edd.

I know it's quite simple,

but the fact is if I get the fish wrong or get the sauce wrong,

it's just not going to work.

I'm a bit worried about that.

I've seen the other contestants and they cook well.

-MEGAN:

-I am very determined -

I'm very determined to do very well in this,

especially as there's only four of us and half of us are going,

so I just want to prove to them that I can cook

and I can cook very well when I put my mind to it.

-What are you making?

-I'm making a warm beef tataki

and I'm serving it with a Japanese pickled ginger salad.

What's a tataki?

Seared beef that's fried for one minute, either side.

Then for dessert, I'm doing a Scottish cranachan

with toasted oats and orange shortbread.

How do you feel about cooking for people

that have done very well in this competition?

Well, a lot to live up to - they've been where I am,

so they got there for a reason.

I need to show them that I can do just as good, hopefully.

Very little actual cooking going on from Megan -

we've getting a bit of seared beef in her main course,

we're getting a bit of shortbread and toasted oats in her dessert.

I don't mind that, as long as it tastes wonderful.

25 minutes have gone.

The first of today's guest critics

is former intensive care nurse Sara Danesin,

who was a finalist in 2011.

After the show ended,

you had to go back to normality and reality.

I had probably the toughest two months of my life,

of changing job.

After leaving nursing, Sara decided to open a 20-cover home dining club.

I'm the only chef.

I am a very organised person

and I think 20 years as a nurse helped me a lot,

to keep everything under control.

I think MasterChef ignited something that was always with me,

but now I can express it more.

I was ever so slightly disappointed not to have won.

But I've won in my own book, because I did what I wanted to do.

So I've won anyhow.

Steven Wallis became the third winner of MasterChef

back in 2007.

Winning was a great accolade

and what was fantastic was all the support.

Suddenly, wherever I went, there were cabbies and people going,

"Hey, we watched you. You're amazing. Well done!"

He now has his own business

and works as a flavour consultant for major brands and food companies.

A lot of my work involves looking at restaurant trends

and then translating that to bigger food businesses.

But cooking remains his big passion.

The big thing I took away by winning

was that it made me trust my intuition, my creative instincts,

that actually, I can cook and I can cook damn well.

2010 finalist Alex Rushmer

opened his restaurant with friend and chef Ben Maude

just a year after his competition ended.

We opened and that first three or four months

was the swiftest learning curve you can possibly imagine.

We had to learn everything -

I didn't have a day off for seven, eight months.

It was insane and mad, but huge amounts of fun.

Almost immediately, their food began to receive critical acclaim.

You should be under no illusions that it's an easy ride.

Even as a MasterChef finalist,

that brought people through the door.

What's my job is to make sure they come back.

You have got eight minutes until your main courses go out.

SARA: Sheelagh's main is pan-fried sea bass

with creamed parsnip, garam masala "seaweed"

and potted shrimps.

Now, at this level, the sea bass needs to be pan-fried to perfection.

The key thing here that's going to pull it all together

is going to be the garam masala and how she spices that,

cos I think that could either make it or break it.

-JOHN:

-Sheelagh, how much more have you got to do?

That's it - just waiting for the fish to finish frying,

-then I'm finished.

-You have four minutes.

How long have I got until I plate up?

-Now.

-Now.

-Now - oh, right.

Sorry. Thank you.

When we said four minutes,

that's four minutes till it's expected at table.

Oh, sorry.

I'm absolutely loving this. Hope it tastes good.

Well done, mate. Well done.

Hello!

Hello, hello, hello.

What I've done for you today is a pan-fried fillet of sea bass

on a parsnip mash with garam masala seaweed

and a Morecambe Bay prawn and smoked haddock sauce.

-Hope you enjoy it. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

I think it smells really good.

The fish is really well cooked, the skin's crispy.

The seaweed is crunchy.

A little bit oily, which makes the dish...

It gives it a heaviness.

I can't taste the garam masala here

and if it says it on the menu, it should be there.

It's really very distant.

I think it just needs to be treated with a little more refinement

and a little more delicacy, the whole dish.

I don't mind the Indian spiced crispy cabbage,

but the thick sweetness of parsnip is too much -

too much for me, too much for the sea bass.

I'm really sorry, I don't like that at all.

I do not like that in any way, shape or form.

You've now got 15 minutes for this brownie.

I'm not a big fan of brownies - I find them a bit hard...

Not hard, but heavy.

I like it with a cup of coffee.

For a dessert? I'm not so sure.

Steady! We want a sprinkle, not an avalanche!

-Are you happy?

-Yes, I'm happy.

Thank you.

What I've done for you now is a warm cinnamon and almond brownie

with an amaretto cream and an almond nib on top,

dusted with cocoa and icing sugar.

Hope you really enjoy it.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

I like dainty desserts. It's very graceful.

It's very dense and quite rich - once you start chewing it,

it sort of becomes...

It's a bit like clay.

I think it's OK.

What I would like is another couple of flavour points.

Where's the cream? Give me more amaretto cream!

Booze is good in food, so just go for it next time!

GREGG: This dessert is a classic flavour combination and this...

When she does that, she is very good.

Has my palate gone wrong or something?

-For me, that is not sweet enough.

-No.

-Nowhere near sweet enough.

-Yes, it is.

-Really?

SHE CRIES SOFTLY

I did it.

SHE LAUGHS

I'm just exhausted.

But I'm all right.

Oh, bloody hell.

15 minutes on your main course, Tim.

15 minutes, main courses.

Tim's main course, roasted venison with celeriac puree.

I hope the meat is going to be rested,

because I'm not accepting blood on the plate.

I'm wondering if butternut squash crumble

is exactly what it sounds like.

If so, then great - nice to use a sweet technique on a main course.

Three and a half minutes, please, Tim.

What's left now? Just the venison?

And the sauce and the berries.

Looks good again, Tim - is it going to taste good?

That's the plan.

Good work, Tim.

Thank you.

OK - we've got roast venison loin with celeriac puree, wilted spinach,

butternut squash crumble

and a red wine sauce with blackberries.

Thank you.

I think he's done a superb job with the presentation.

For me, this venison -

it's been rested beautifully,

and that's fantastic.

The spinach is really rich and irony

and it cuts through everything.

I do love the red wine reduction

and the blackberries are really just perfect.

There's a sweetness that comes from the butternut.

I think everything on the plate

is seasoned...seasoned pretty accurately,

apart from the meat itself, unfortunately.

It's just so frustrating,

because I think this has the makings of a really, really good dish.

He is a good cook, he cooks well,

and he's managed to get flavour into some of the components of that dish

but that venison needs some seasoning.

-15 minutes for your cheesecake.

-Yes.

-Doable?

-Yes.

I don't know if it's a baked cheesecake or a set cheesecake.

I'm partial to both, to be honest.

I'm not a fan of bananas in dessert.

I find it...I don't know, it's a bit nursery school for me.

Your timing's perfect, Tim.

Well done, mate.

-You happy? You done?

-Yes.

We've got a vanilla cheesecake with a banana and pistachio topping

and a banana caramel sauce.

Thank you.

Mmm...

This is really orgasmic.

That's so luscious, and it's popping...

So full of vanilla.

I mean, this is really extravagant.

And the banana's really subtle, but I actually like it.

I'm eating my words, now.

This is really good. I'm totally with you on this.

There's a tiny, tiny amount of banana caramel sauce on there,

but the amount of banana flavour that's in there is staggering.

Lacking a little bit of a base,

but we're picking on something quite lovely, here.

Tell you what, he's got the flavours right.

He balanced that well. That's slightly unusual.

You're not sure, are you?

I don't get it - that's not modern food.

That's highway robbery.

I've been cheated. I want a banana cheesecake.

I thought the dishes came together well.

Um...and...I hope it was up to their expectation,

taste-wise and flavour-wise, today.

-You haven't got very long left, chef.

-Yes, I know.

Haddock's a tricky fish to cook properly -

it's got very little flavour in itself.

It relies quite heavily on a delicate hand

with the seasoning, this dish.

This reads really quite bland,

and I feel like the French beans are the anomaly here -

I'm not sure what they're doing, what they're bringing.

Edd, you've got three minutes - you're in a bit of trouble here.

I'm going to be about two, three minutes late, I think.

Ah...it's not crispy.

I might have to take the skin off.

-Why?

-It's not crispy.

Why are you shaking your head, Edd?

-What's wrong?

-It's not as nice as I'd like it to look.

It's now three minutes over - Edd, I've got to say,

no-one else is over time.

I'm not happy.

-All right - wipe your plate and go.

-Yeah.

HE SIGHS

Sorry I'm late.

This is a pan-fried haddock with French beans

and a tomato and caper sauce with anchovies and onions.

Enjoy.

The fish is cooked OK.

It's a pity that the skin has been removed,

because it would have added a little bit of texture to it.

For me, the sauce is a little over-seasoned.

There's punches of salt in the capers

and that's...a little too salty, even for me.

Taken with the fish, then they just about balance, but only just.

The tomato sauce, the capers, I think that's going Mediterranean.

The beans feel more classic French.

It's a bit of a messy construct.

That dish had to be built on flavour and there just isn't enough.

I'm disappointed, because I know what a great cook Edd can be.

At least Edd had the common sense

to remove the skin off the fish cos it wasn't crispy.

You can easily make a beautiful orange zabaglione scrambled eggs,

so good luck, Edd.

-You ready to serve the zabaglione?

-Yes.

-You might be on time, Edd.

-I will be, on this one.

Brilliant. That's a turnaround.

I do like that.

-Done?

-Yes, done...done.

Thank you.

This is a chocolate mousse with an orange zabaglione.

Hope you enjoy.

It's a very, very confident dessert, a very bold statement.

That is delicious. And the sweetness of the zabaglione

emphasises the comfort of the chocolate.

There is no booze and it's over-aerated.

It's more to be a custard than a foam.

I think he's tried, possibly, to be too clever with it

and what I've got is something that just maybe

worked in a concept in his head

but doesn't work on the plate.

-EDD:

-It didn't show what I wanted it to show.

That's what it was, so...

Em, so, yeah. A bit annoyed with myself, to be honest.

15 minutes, Megan.

I don't think there's enough on paper

to decide whether I like the sound of this dish.

It's a little bit, uh...enigmatically written.

But I quite like that sort of sense of mystery and intrigue.

-Two minutes, please, Megan.

-OK.

What's going on after that?

-Just my toasted garlic.

-Right, let's go.

-OK.

-All right, can we go?

-Let's go.

-Well done, Megan.

-Thanks.

Hi.

Hi there.

-Thank you.

-Sorry - thanks.

This is an Aberdeen Angus warm beef tataki

with a Japanese marinade and a pickled ginger salad.

Enjoy. Thanks.

The beef is really good -

you can tell that it's a seriously quality piece of meat.

One of my favourite things to eat is som tam, which is a Thai salad,

and this is sort of reminiscent of that.

I think there's some lime in there, there's plenty of fresh red chilli,

there's pickled ginger.

There's a bit of sweetness coming through.

It's a very well-balanced salad.

The flavours are fresh and, actually,

this is the kind of food that I love going to restaurants and having.

I do love this.

That beef is just falling apart in my mouth,

doesn't even need chewing.

The salad has got heat and it is alive.

I absolutely love that.

I'm questioning the cookery skill that went into it,

but the palate that did it is sublime.

(Sorry!)

-ALEX:

-I've never had cranachan.

I think it sounds really good.

For me, I think the experiences I've had,

it's been horrible and chewy.

Two minutes. OK.

-OK, shortbread?

-Yeah.

-Quick, quick, quick.

Well done, Megan.

-Thank you.

-No bother.

This is a Scottish cranachan with raspberries and toasted oats,

with some orange shortbread as well.

-Hope it's OK. Enjoy.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

There's a real...you get these wafts of the toasted oats

-and it just invites you in.

-Like a big kiss on the cheek.

Mmm...

For someone who isn't much of a fan of cranachan, actually,

this is really delightful.

The raspberries are beautiful, the cream's nice,

the oats are lovely and toasted.

I think it really works.

Fantastic balance of flavours, it's not overly sweet -

well done, Megan.

That's lovely. I could do with a few more oats, to give it body,

but there's no denying that girl's taste buds.

I think my palate is strong,

but to get through to the next round...

I don't know. I think I need a few more years' experience, maybe.

I don't want to believe that, but I think I might.

I can't believe, after ten years,

we are still surprised when things don't turn out as we expected.

Do you know who has really surprised me and really delighted me?

That is little Megan.

I don't know how much she knows, but there's one thing I do know -

she has the ability to serve up delicious food.

-Yeah.

-Her food tastes fantastic.

-She's consistently getting better.

Sheelagh gets through loads of work.

I don't always agree with some of her flavour matchings, I really don't.

I'm not sure at all about her palate,

because that sea bass and parsnip, I didn't like.

For me, I didn't really like the brownie, but you loved it.

See what I mean? It's conflicting, with Sheelagh.

I sincerely hope I've done enough to get through to the quarterfinals.

If I have, I'll be ecstatic.

I don't know what happened with Edd.

Main course today - the green beans,

washing away all those delicious flavours.

Chocolate mousse with a zabaglione - that was nice, actually, I liked it,

but for me, it didn't overcome

the disappointment of the main course.

And, I have to say, Sara hated the dessert.

But his calling card was absolutely amazing,

his invention test was startling...

Things flip on a coin, don't they?

Yeah, it's everybody's game, so...

We'll see. Crossed fingers.

Tim came in here and had a job to do,

and that was to serve us food with flavour.

I believe he's making progress. He's getting there, John.

Couldn't call it.

I think today's going to come down to mistakes,

and I know I did make a few, so...

So, what are we going to do?

You've now all cooked for us three times

and we can see some real potential in this room.

Our decision is that one of you is leaving the competition.

The person leaving us...

..is Sheelagh.

I'm sorry I didn't go further in the competition.

I thought I could have done better.

But at the end of the day, all you can do is do your best

and pat yourself on the back, isn't it?

Congratulations - you three are quarterfinalists. Well done.

I think I am really, really lucky, to be honest.

Really lucky. Happy, but I'm still in shock.

Relief - I didn't expect it at all.

I must admit, I thought I was going today.

I think, after today, anything is possible now,

and I just want to prove to myself that I can actually do it.

Tomorrow night, the last six hopefuls

will battle for a place in Friday's quarterfinal.

Thank you very much. I think it's absolutely wonderful.

It is looking dangerously deconstructed.

We're a wobble away from a triumph.