Episode 16 MasterChef

It's Masterchef knockout week.

After five weeks of heats,

only the 10 best amateur cooks remain.

They've been split into two groups,

and tonight the first five are back

to fight for places in Friday's show.

For the first time, they'll be thrown into a professional kitchen.

It's SO salty, it's unreal!

-It is salty.

-Yeah. Fix it, then.

I was expecting a few teething problems along the way.

Then they will return to Masterchef HQ

to face their biggest challenge so far.

At the end of today,

one of them will be going home.

Now it's up to them to step up to the mark

and forge their name in history.

I'm expecting fireworks, John.

Culinary fireworks!

Welcome back.

This, now, for me,

and for you, is where the competition gets really interesting.

We've seen you do a fair amount of cooking in this kitchen.

Now, for the first time,

we are sending you to cook in a professional kitchen.

Do not mess it up.

This is a tough gig, but I tell you what - we believe in you.

Do us proud.

Good luck.

Cooking in a professional kitchen...

I'm incredibly excited about it.

Quite nervous, as well.

Cooking for actual paying customers will be a real challenge.

There hasn't been a dish that Jack has served up to me yet,

that I haven't really liked.

I think that lobster ravioli was incredible.

Michael's one of those great cooks who take everyday ingredients

and elevates them to something absolutely beautiful.

Pork chop and crackling...

A wonder!

The chef's going to expect standards

as if it was his own brigade working.

It's his restaurant, his reputation.

David - a really interesting cook.

He has made some of the most amazing sauces

I have ever seen on Masterchef from an amateur.

I'm imagining a pro-kitchen is just going to be relentless pressure.

I am just expecting that there's going to be no let-up

for the entire time that we're there.

Ping may have cooked me my favourite dish in the competition so far.

Her Malaysian curry was superb!

She can take Asian flavours and make them wonderful.

She cooks from the heart.

I was hoping to work in a professional kitchen.

Out of all the challenges,

it's one of the things that I really wanted to do.

Theo gets a little bit excitable,

runs around kitchen, makes a bit of a mess,

but his presentation is superb,

and his knowledge of world cuisine is incredible.

Is that even legal?

To allow a group of novices like us into a kitchen,

and ask people to pay for that food?!

Situated at the St Ermin's Hotel in London, St James,

the Caxton Grill specialises in modern European food.

The dishes are created by 25-year-old award-winning head chef

and professional Masterchef finalist, Adam Handling.

Away with the halibut, the beef, and the venison.

I am a very big control freak.

How the tables get set,

to how the menu looks...

In the kitchen, even worse.

One beef, one scallops, a lamb and a halibut, please!

For the contestants, it's going to be very hard.

It's not going to be easy, but I think they'll learn from it.

If they can follow instruction,

I think they'll get on all right.

-Good morning.

-ALL: Good morning.

Welcome to my restaurant.

You're to do your first restaurant service,

serving the food which we serve our normal customers

on a day-to-day basis.

The most important thing is the attention to detail.

These are paying customers,

so they must go out with the same standard as what my guys do.

Do you want to follow me?

The five amateurs will be responsible for serving up

every dish on the menu,

with help at hand, only if they need it.

All of the contestants are getting recipes -

the timings, temperatures, the size you cut things.

They'll have everything in black and white.

And if they need any more help, there'll be a chef beside them.

Not to hold their hand...but just guide them in the right direction.

David will be in charge of one of the three mains on today's menu -

Adam's Scottish halibut and octopus carpaccio,

accompanied by an oyster beignet,

pickled cucumber,

and a garnish of sea vegetables.

Oh, wow.

The most important thing on that dish is the halibut.

-Have you cooked a lot of fish before?

-Not a lot.

I've cooked fish a few times,

but it's not something I cook incredibly regularly.

So, these halibut are fantastic, but they are literally £250 a fish.

-Yep.

-That's a lot of money,

so every little nick is damage to it.

Have you ever filleted fish before?

Yeah, a couple of times, but not... Not a lot of times.

All fish have instructions, and that is,

if you can see the lines on the fish,

that's telling you where to cut.

Use your chef's head,

-follow the lines, the result will be made for you.

-OK.

So we'll probably get 15, 16 portions out of this.

The pressure in here is intense.

Chef says it's an expensive fish, and we've got to serve this.

You're trying not to waste too much of it.

And also to get, you know,

clean, good-looking fillets.

Oh, no.

I've just missed the seam here, haven't I?

-Yep.

-Yeah.

-Because, now, this part here, we cannot use.

-Yeah.

I don't think we'll get any more than one portion out of it, either.

-So, do I need to fillet another one, or...?

-No, no, no, no.

-We'll let Johnny fillet this one.

-Right, OK. No problem.

-The next one.

Pretty disappointed, to be honest.

Just shows the difference in standard

between home cooking and professional cooking.

You can't afford to make even the slightest slip, at all.

Ping will have to make the second main - lobster.

Served on a pressed chicken thigh,

with lobster claw, coconut puree,

cauliflower puree, and curry puree,

accompanied with coconut tuiles,

and a spiced broth.

It's one of hardest dishes to plate,

and it also costs the most to make,

so everything needs to be done correctly.

The lobster, if you look at it, is a circle.

You never get circle lobsters.

They're actually two lobsters glued together.

You think one lobster's expensive - there's two lobsters there.

Pile on the pressure!

Pile on the pressure.

-Have you worked with lobster before?

-Ah, no. Never.

-OK. Have you tasted lobster before?

-Yes.

-Good.

-So you should know what lobster should taste like?

-Yes.

That's a good start.

I haven't worked with lobsters before.

I'm conscious of the cost of them.

I just want them to be perfect.

The lobster dish, for an amateur, is very hard.

I only let my sous-chefs prep the lobsters.

With only three hours' prep before service,

Ping has a massive task ahead of her.

So, how many have you done so far?

I've done seven.

-You know we have 80 lobsters.

-Yep.

-That's a lot of work.

You've got lobster juice all over you.

I know. I'm going to smell nice on the way home tonight!

Michael will be cooking the final main.

Herefordshire beef fillet cooked in a soft herb ash

with a ricotta and duck ravioli,

truffle and burnt vegetables

on an olive oil potato puree,

and accompanied with a compressed beef sauce.

It's really good. It's delicious.

The attention to detail on quite a lot of stuff

is just extremely time-consuming.

The raviolis take a long time because they have to be perfect.

And if one bursts, you're going to die a little inside.

So be very delicate when you do it.

Have you ever cooked anything like this before?

Yeah, I make pasta from time to time, but never ravioli, so... Yeah.

-No, I've never made anything like this before.

-This will be fantastic.

-Looking forward to it.

-Good.

I'm more nervous than I've been in the whole competition so far.

This is clearly a huge amount of work to do,

in terms of prep, for this dish.

So, yeah, I am nervous.

The prep on this dish is very, very hard.

The raviolis... They're definitely a little killer.

So, I'm just making the pasta.

Need to just get this brought together, and in the fridge.

Pastry section, 21-year-old graduate Jack,

and IT recruitment director, Theo,

will be in charge of the two desserts.

Pastry chef Soon will be on stand-by if needed, but will not interfere.

Desserts are like a science.

Everything's done precise.

You can't play around and go with your instincts.

There needs to be recipes followed, and followed correctly.

Jack will be preparing poached pear, hazelnut meringues,

burnt butter cake and raspberry marshmallows,

all placed upon an elderflower panna cotta.

The panna cotta is actually inside of the bowl.

We're going to plate up like it's not there.

The idea is that the customer finds it as they're eating.

-It's like I'm trying to deliberately hide the panna cotta dish.

-Yeah.

-How's your rocher-ing skills?

-Not too bad, hopefully.

A rocher has to be a rocher - perfect, one hand, not two.

If you do two, it's a quenelle.

-I don't want that. I want a clean one.

-OK.

Have you done a lot of desserts before?

I'd say desserts aren't my strongest point,

-so I'm feeling slightly more nervous.

-What can go wrong?

You're in Pastry? It's a science - everything can go wrong.

It's the one where you actually have to follow the recipe to the T.

Follow it, and you'll be fine.

It's an incredibly complex dish

with individual components you've got to get spot on.

So, touch wood.

The element that could go wrong is the panna cotta. They take time.

You have to get that panna cotta in the fridge setting

very, very quickly.

But Jack has decided to start with the meringue.

Once the meringues are in the oven,

he continues to ignore the panna cotta

and starts on the hazelnut cake mix.

For the other dessert, Theo is making chocolate orange truffle

wrapped in a cannellone of orange gel

with dehydrated chocolate mousse,

milk chocolate ganache

and olive oil cake.

It is quite complicated because there's a lot of chocolate work.

-Have you done chocolate work before?

-Not really.

Fantastic. Perfect time to learn.

This whole thing is an absolute first.

-In every shape and form.

-That's a good thing.

But I will do my damnedest to get as close to that as I possibly can.

Theo is starting off with the dehydrated chocolate mousse.

Basically you're making a mousse and then you're drying it out.

Fine. OK, that dehydrate... Got it.

We've not yet hit dehydration stage.

And this doesn't...look like it should, I don't think.

I think the chocolate has gone hard too early.

OK. Is there any way to save this?

-Or is this start-again?

-Er, no.

-You're going to start again.

-Yeah.

Well, this is good.

I was expecting a few teething problems along the way...

..and, so, this is part of the plan. This is one of them.

Getting them out early.

It went a bit pear-shaped the first time round,

the chocolate wasn't warm enough.

It might be all right. It's looking a bit better now.

It's all about confidence, isn't it?

Got to make the chocolate believe it's right.

Believe you're a mousse, and you'll be a mousse.

All the amateurs are now well into their prep.

Last one!

Yay!

With only 90 minutes left until service,

Ping has finally finished preparing the lobster.

This is the last one. Last lobster tail to prep.

Then, on to a million other things to do.

She must now fuse two lobster tails together for each main,

using meat glue.

There's a lot of new techniques - like, this one is new.

I've never done this before.

It's a lot of attention to detail.

I'm looking forward to service.

It's getting nearer to the time now,

and I think it's the calm before the storm.

Michael is preparing his duck parfait and ricotta filling

for the 100 ravioli.

We now need to work quite quickly

so that we get this filling in there before it dries out.

I always knew that today we'd learn so much.

Yeah, it's just... It's not like cooking at home.

For a first attempt at making ravioli, that's pretty damned good.

I am just... Again, attention to detail.

When the ravioli is creased, that's a no-no for me.

But, for your first attempt, that's...that's amazing.

It's about detail. You've got to get the details right.

So, hopefully, no creases from here on in.

It's not an easy thing to be doing.

Got to take a hat off to him - he is doing a pretty good job!

There is now an hour until service,

and the restaurant is expecting over 45 covers.

With the amateurs in sole charge,

they must be on top of their prep

if service is to have any chance of success.

What needs to be done?

I've done the meringue and that's being dehydrated at the moment.

Hazelnut case just got to go in the oven, and next,

I have to make the panna cotta and marshmallows.

-You've not made the panna cotta yet?

-I haven't.

That should have been the first job. You've got to set the thing inside the bowl.

Make sure that as soon as this is in oven, your panna cotta is...

-Has got to be on, yes.

-Definitely.

-I will get that going straight away.

I just need a pan. Are there any pans clean, chef?

I like Jack, but his priorities for his dishes are a little bit out.

He should have done the panna cotta first.

It is a little confusing.

While Jack races to get the panna cottas into the freezer,

Theo is also focusing on the main component of his dessert -

the chocolate orange cylinder.

It's just something I like to whip up now and again.

What did the recipe say, though? To strain the orange zest out.

-Yes, yes, yes.

-Start again.

-OK, right.

Let me get the other stuff measured.

Basically, I didn't follow the instructions

so I need to start that again.

-This is a lesson to learn, not to screw it up again.

-Yes, yes, yes.

Massively.

It wasn't part of the plan.

Right, drain. Drain and strain. Drain and strain this time. Right.

I'm very worried for service tonight

because if he is messing up on the simplest jobs,

the task of serving that is going to be a disaster.

Faster. It's chocolate.

-Remember the temperature of the room.

-OK.

Finally, Theo gets the second batch of chocolate orange ganache

-ready for piping into the cylinders.

-Right, guys.

You both need to get a move on.

Your cake is not even in the oven and it has got to be cold.

Your panna cotta is not even set.

It is a little bit worrying, I have to admit.

I'm late, I'm messy

but I think I might just pull it off towards the end.

Oh!

There's still far too much stuff to be done.

They are not going to be ready for service at all.

Michael is also behind. He still hasn't prepared his beef.

Time is running out, so I am just going to quickly make two of them.

He can make the other ones.

A little bit behind schedule on this dish.

This time, I was hoping everything was done

so we can just set up, have a nice relaxing 15 minutes.

Clearly that is not going to be a reality.

-Do you want to bash on with two more, please?

-Yes.

-Exactly the same as what I have done.

-We're all up against it.

Pretty pushed for time. Just head down now.

Well, it has been head down

since we got here, but we really have to crack on now.

Just getting close to service

so it is going to be a bit of a crazy couple of hours, I think.

For these amateur chefs,

it's their first time in a professional kitchen.

Their dishes will be the only ones on today's menu.

Get ready, because look at the time. Ten minutes, maximum.

-It's busy. I'm worried.

-Of course you're worried.

They've taken over a kitchen and they have got to cook for all these people.

The glimmering shine of stainless steel

and the rattle of knives turns into the ferocity of service.

And suddenly these orders come flying in and,

I tell you what, it is going to be ferocious.

Shall I take the orders?

-Are you ready?

-Can I have the chicken and lobster please?

-Can I get the halibut, please?

-Sure.

-I'll have the beef, please.

-Check on. One beef, one lobster.

-Yes, Chef.

-Second check on.

-Table of four. Two lobster, one halibut, one beef.

-Yes, Chef.

-Yes, Chef.

We're part of a team.

-Make sure each ticket comes up table at a time.

-Yes, Chef.

-So if you are ready, communication.

-Yes.

-Guys, how long on one lobster, two beef?

-Other way around.

-Other way around. Two lobster, one beef.

-Table two.

-Ten minutes.

Ten minutes. OK.

David has to ensure that his halibut is cooked

to Adam's exact temperature specifications.

The fish has got to be at 42 degrees.

So I've got to try and get it at that.

-What temperature was that fish again?

-42 degrees, Chef.

-Fantastic.

For Ping, the challenge is to present her lobster dish perfectly.

-We're going away on four lobster, three beef, one halibut.

-Yes, Chef.

Yeah, coming.

-That looks OK. Well done.

-He said it looks OK. OK is good for me.

Your fish is lovely and seasoned. Well done.

The first plate went OK.

Yes, just make sure I'm kind of ready, basically...

for when the next checks hit.

-Come on, beef. We're waiting on you, it looks like.

-Yes, Chef.

-This lovely cooked fish is going to overcook. Go.

-With all three?

With all three.

Michael now needs his beef fillets

to match the standard of the others.

30 seconds, Chef.

Table five. First table away.

Well done. Keep it going.

David's touch is perfect. Look at that beautiful piece of halibut.

Look. Lovely, absolutely lovely.

The beef is very rare, which I quite like.

Michael has worked really hard

to get this dish right, really hard.

I'm just waiting on some more orders to come through.

We will get bombarded again any second, I'm sure.

But we've got the ones out so far.

-Right now I need five lobsters, four fillet.

-Yes.

-Then, after that, I need five more lobsters.

-Sorry. Yes!

People sure love lobsters!

At the moment, I think the other guys are getting absolutely slammed

and I've only had a couple of orders.

I'm really enjoying it, but I don't want to make a mistake, you know.

It's half an hour into service and a new rush of orders comes in.

We've almost got 30 people on. This isn't good in the slightest.

-Just start bringing everything up.

-Yes.

We're going to plate everything from now on up here.

-I need three beef, four lobsters.

-Coming! 30 seconds.

We're not far off on these ravs, Chef.

-Chef's taken over the plating while we're getting the food out.

-Let's go.

Customers are waiting, so that's why I'm plating up myself.

I mean, this is proper drowning by numbers, isn't it?

I mean, this is properly frightening.

Because you've got a full dining room

and in that kitchen, five amateurs.

I never want it on there. Get it on a plate, get it on a tray.

But before I get the fillets, how about getting the mash?

-I will get you more things.

-Please do.

-Ravioli, Chef.

-Ping, bring that lobster up, please.

-Wait!

-I've got 14 lobsters on order.

-I need your sauce.

-Just give me a big pot of sauce. I will do the rest.

-Frantic.

Yes, it's really just remember where you are

with so many dishes at the same time. It's a real challenge.

-Just keep that sauce coming, yes.

-Yes.

Just keep everything coming.

Three halibut. How long on three halibut?

I thought it was two, Chef.

You have another one, let's go. So how long is that?

-That wasn't a number.

-Sorry, Chef. Nine minutes.

A little quicker than that would be great.

I'm just trying to do what I can to get my orders on time. It's mad, yes.

-How long on the halibut?

-60 seconds, Chef.

David's not had that many checks on so I don't understand

why he's not a little bit faster.

-Your fish is cold.

-Fish is cold.

-Quickly just warm it up.

-Yes, OK.

-In the pan?

-Yeah.

I put the fish on too early and it has taken me too long to plate up.

It is cooked, he said. Just quickly heat it up in a pan, is all.

-Hot foaming butter?

-Yes.

I'm not too disappointed in myself.

Obviously I do want to get better, get it pretty much spot on.

-What's with the temperature of your fish, man?

-Sorry, Chef.

-Sort it out. Take it away.

-Sorry, Chef.

While David has a third go,

Ping is managing to juggle the most orders.

Yes, this is 21...check.

You have two minutes to get that lobster up.

Lovely, plate up. You can work with me.

Plate them up nicely. Keep them all the same.

This looks lovely. Ping's amazing.

Them little lobsters are coming out fast.

So, no, she's doing very well.

Hopefully it's edible. I'm sure it is edible.

Who could complain about lobster? It's delicious.

This chicken and lobster dish is really intricate

and actually, the flavours are right up Ping's street.

And Ping has done a great job.

How long on this mash for the beef?

Send that one if there's enough there.

If not, I can get this one to you in 30 seconds.

Did you taste this? It's so salty, it's unreal. Give it a taste.

-I just tasted it. It is salty.

-Is it?

-Yes.

-Fix it, then.

-It's so salty.

-It's a salt field.

I've added some more potato, some cream,

let it back again slightly.

-Still a bit salty.

-Still a bit salty.

Just now, we have so many orders.

-We just focus on getting people food that they need.

-Is it salty?

-No, that one's OK.

-Much better. Well done.

-Michael. Carve three beef.

-Yes, Chef.

The potato is finally right.

Now Michael needs to do the same with the beef.

That meat is completely underdone.

Does that need to be rewrapped and get it back in?

No, just leave it. I think it's ruined now.

-Just get some more ones. Three beef right now, please.

-OK.

Michael's section is struggling, I don't understand why.

It's only cooking some beef but it seems to be going right down.

-I really need this beef, please.

-These are ready to go, Chef.

Fine.

-Three beef, Chef.

-Let's just go. Table four.

The beef is very tender and juicy and has lots of flavour.

Service is in full swing, but there's a large backlog of checks.

We're horrifically behind schedule.

Some checks have been on nearly one hour.

I don't want to peer inside that kitchen

cos right now, service out here is at a snail's pace.

I am truly not surprised it's a bit slow.

I mean, think about the enormity of this task.

Lovely looking food... if you can get it.

Who just put them on?

They're not coping at all, very well. How long on these fish?

60 seconds, Chef.

Two halibut, Chef.

That is exactly the same.

Stone-cold and way overcooked and just looks a mess.

Um, right, OK.

Just give me the garnish. I'm plating up. I'll do all of it.

-I'm messing it up royally, aren't I?

-No, no.

Don't get your head down. Keep doing what you need to do.

Three more lobsters. Don't relax.

Coming! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

I've got one to go up in two seconds and then we've got ten more to go.

You are looking fantastic.

The last of the tables are about to be served.

-Right, I need three halibut.

-Three halibut.

Also that's three beef as well. One lobster, right here.

And then we're done!

-Just to let you know, this check is for my family.

-OK.

-I'm putting all the garnish together. Are you cooking the fish?

-Yes.

-Chef is cooking the fish. Start bringing them up, yeah?

-Yeah.

More leaves. Take it back. More garnish, more garnish.

Vegetables on the fish.

My missus had this dish yesterday. Got to make sure it's done neatly.

-Beef are good to go, Chef.

-Three beef, 21. That is the last.

Well done.

-Now relax. Well done. You got there in the end.

-Thank you.

That fish is much better, don't you think?

Yes, yes. Much better. Much better.

Almost the end now.

All these are ready.

-You're like my little superstar today.

-Thank you.

Service. Last check, table 21.

Thank you. Thank you for your help.

I couldn't do it without you.

It's been an amazing day.

There's nothing I have done that it compares to

in terms of pressure. Yeah, my first professional service was a...

It was difficult.

Real admiration for what these guys do, twice a day, every day,

-in hotels seven days a week.

-Right, guys.

That's all the main courses gone. Thank you very much.

Now time for desserts.

-Are you ready to order?

-Indeed, yes.

-Can I have the chocolate orange, please?

-And then the pear, please.

Pastry. 20 of each, six at a time.

You've got quite a few orders on.

Yes, it's going to be quite a push now, to get it all out on time.

Both Jack's panna cotta

and Theo's chocolate orange truffle desserts require a perfect rocher -

a one-handed quenelle which is perfectly smooth.

Hurry up, because the sorbet is going to melt. Go, go, go, go.

Come on, Theo. Come on.

On the pass.

-They look amazing. Well done.

-Thank you, chef.

It all looks beautiful.

Exactly what I'm looking for.

I'm getting through it. I've got a knack to it.

It's a bit of an adrenaline rush. Yeah, it's good fun actually.

It's a great dessert. It's got loads of different textures

with lovely panna cotta. It's really beautiful.

-Once chocolate orange please.

-Oi!

Give me a time.

Er...one minute.

So that will be five minutes.

-Chef, two.

-That's horrendous.

Fix them, please.

They weren't good enough. Not up to the standard.

Theo's attention to detail with them desserts is not good at all,

so I've got Soon giving him a hand to get him to push it out quickly.

Calm down. No pressure.

I'm helping you out. You tell me what you want, I'll get it for you.

-You plate up, OK?

-OK. I need the chocolate on these.

-Beautiful.

OK.

Chef.

Much better. Thank you very much.

-Keep it that way. Much better.

-Yeah.

It's just a beautiful infusion of chocolate.

It tastes divine.

With Soon's guidance,

Theo is now starting to get to grips with his dessert.

I have a newfound respect for the kitchen...beyond belief.

Speed up a little bit, I think.

Two minutes.

That's it. Your plating up skills are really good now.

That's amazing. Carry on.

Well done, Jack.

39.

Chef's been quite pleased,

so just need to keep up and get these last ones out.

Beautiful. You're looking good.

Table six.

Table 37.

Table 31.

Service, please.

Last check. It's for my family.

-OK.

-Make sure they're right.

Come on, buddy. We're almost there.

-Finito!

-Fantastic.

-It's not done till it's on the tray yet.

-Yeah.

-Let's go.

Thank you very much. Well done. End of service.

-Thank you.

-We got there in the end.

-Thanks, Chef.

-Thank you very much. You were a star.

-You were fantastic. That was very well done.

-Thank you very much.

-21, yes?

-21.

-Let's go.

These are very complicated dishes.

These are bordering on scientific, John.

Jack and Theo must have had a to-do list as long as your arm.

Yum.

I think I just aged, like, 40 years. It was very stressful.

I think probably the hardest service I've done in a long time, to be honest.

The prep, Michael was fantastic.

As soon as service hit, he actually sank extremely quickly.

It's so easy to get swamped.

There are definitely easier ways to earn a living.

With Theo I was terrified.

I didn't think he would be able to manage at all,

but he pulled his socks up.

He executed his dishes very well.

Yeah, yeah. Look, there was a lot of teething problems right at the beginning,

and there was a few problems towards the end and the middle as well.

Jack really did impress me today.

The panna cotta dish was executed tremendously well.

I was pleased because it was very stressful,

and to get through that and to get out the other side of it,

yeah, it's a great feeling.

I was very impressed with Ping,

always trying to help and get right in there.

She was definitely a little star tonight.

That was fantastic. I love it.

It was... It was brilliant.

David on the fish was really, really bad.

Three halibut dishes.

He got flustered with the most small numbers.

I feel a little bit let down with myself,

but it just makes the next challenge even more important for me.

-JOHN:

-The first time they've been in a professional kitchen.

You know, the food may have taken time to come out,

but when it was delivered, it was extraordinary.

That was tough, but what comes next is going to test them

to the absolute limit.

Welcome back from your first big MasterChef adventure.

We're hoping you've been inspired,

and we'd like to see that inspiration in your food.

Today we're going to ask you to do just one thing...

invent for us one exceptional dish.

Ten minutes now to select your ingredients...

and there's lots of them.

Right, up you come.

The ingredients consist of a variety of meats and fish,

including grouse,

squab pigeon, pancetta, gurnard,

sole, oysters,

a selection of fruits and vegetables,

as well as an extensive larder.

Because the competition's getting serious now,

we're bringing in the big guns.

Two-starred Michelin chef Marcus Wareing

will be coming in to taste with us.

Today is really important...

because at the end of this,

one of you is leaving the competition.

I know what we expect.

I know what Marcus is going to expect.

You have 80 minutes. Off you go.

I've seen Marcus Wareing on TV and he frightens the life out of me.

He's not going to pull any punches

and I think he's going to be brutally hardcore honest.

So I'm building up a thicker skin at the moment,

preparing myself to take a few knocks.

Theo, you look more nervous than I've ever seen you before.

Yeah, I feel like I've got something to prove today.

It was a really tough service challenge.

I didn't walk away proud from what I achieved,

so I feel like today I've really got to deliver.

-Amazing set of ingredients.

-What are you going to make for us?

Fish soup.

It needs to be a good fish soup.

Marcus seems like...a serious guy.

I think he's quite a scary bloke.

What I'd love is not to be annihilated.

If someone can stand there and say,

"It's not perfect, but it don't look bad

"and you've got some good flavours on there."

-That I'm pleased with.

-Job done.

Theo is making a fish soup, and he's also make alioli -

garlic mayonnaise - to go with it.

We've got little bits of ripped-up fish,

a tiny little segment of sole.

Has he gone mad?

20 minutes has gone. 60 left.

Cooking for Marcus Wareing, I think

it's safe to say I'm absolutely terrified.

If I cook as well as I can cook, I will be fine,

but that's a pretty big if.

This is a first for Michael because we usually just see him

using everyday ingredients...

and now we've got him cooking with a grouse and a truffle.

He's playing with fire here.

Marcus is one of those guys, he sees a grouse

and a truffle on the same plate, he expects perfection.

Michael, what are you hoping Marcus will see in this?

I'm hoping that he'll see an understanding of flavours that work.

I think what I'm making today is pretty rooted in classical cuisine.

There's nothing wildly experimental here.

I want to take what I learnt from Adam in a professional kitchen.

I want to show a progression.

Cooking in a professional kitchen was hard.

It was probably my worst round of the competition so far,

so I've got a lot to do.

I've got a lot to make up.

What is it you're going to make for me, John and Marcus?

A roast grouse with butternut squash fondant,

butternut veloute and some wilted chard with pancetta.

We know how good you can be when you're on form. Are you on form?

Let's go with yes. Yeah, let's go for it.

I'm sure, if he puts his mind to it, he can cook that grouse really well.

What concerns me is the use of butternut squash

in that he's got a fondant and a veloute -

that's a lot of sweet butternut squash on one plate.

You are halfway. You've got 40 minutes left.

I feel a little bit nervous about another invention test.

You can't prepare for it and you just have to react on the spot.

You have to think clearly and think, "What will work together well

"and how can I impress Marcus Wareing?"

Tell us the dish you're going to make from all those ingredients.

Today I'm making squab pigeon with beetroot three ways

and a sauce to go with it, a pigeon sauce.

-Have you cooked squab many times before?

-I haven't cooked it once.

You've never cooked a squab before?

Never cooked a squab, so I'm taking quite a bit risk today.

Jack has chosen the pigeon to cook today because he likes to eat it,

but he's never cooked one before in his life.

There is a huge difference between eating a pigeon and cooking it.

Guys, you've only got 30 minutes left.

Whoa! That's gone fast.

To have Marcus Wareing there today, and I know he's tough,

and it just puts on the pressure.

I'm very excited about the challenge,

but there is a bit of me that goes,

"Actually, I want to crawl back into bed and say thanks.

"Thanks, but no thanks."

You look very comfortable, Ping. Are you?

Er...no, not at all.

Looks can be deceiving.

It's something that's out of my comfort zone.

Oh, my word. What does that mean?

It's not remotely Asian at all.

Today I'm going to do fillet of sole,

oyster beignets and a braised courgette.

Wow!

Very French, Ping.

Why, today, would you want to do this?

The competition is getting tougher and everyone's a good cook,

and you need to raise the game all the time,

so I hope to show something different today.

Ping is cooking a dish which has no Asian feel, flavours, nothing.

She is going with a very French-style dish,

really inspired by her time in the restaurant with Adam.

We want to see Ping move on and that's exactly what she's doing.

Let's just hope she's going to make it work.

You've got just 15 minutes to go.

All sorts of stuff going on around the room

and some of it is really exciting,

some of it is very daring,

and one or two things are frightening.

Guys, you've got just 90 seconds.

90 seconds to finish off your plates.

That's it. Step away from your benches, please. Time is up.

Wow! That was an eventful 80 minutes.

Well done.

Shall we get this tasting under way?

Good to see you, Gregg. John.

It's been so long.

David, would you bring your plate up, please?

David has roasted the grouse and served it with a butternut fondant,

Swiss chard with pancetta,

wild mushrooms, braised baby fennel

and a butternut veloute.

I really like the fact that you've used vegetables.

I see grouse as a very earthy, down-to-earth ingredient,

and it's great to see down-to-earth vegetables. It's really nice.

I like the fact there's a fondant on there.

It's nice to see some greenery, some wild mushrooms,

captured the earthiness of what we expect with a grouse dish.

But the veloute doesn't work with the dish at all.

For me, personally, I would love to see a nice meat sauce on there

or some sort of a jus made from the bones.

But one of the most important things I'd like to say to you is

never, ever throw a carcass of a grouse away.

Use it. It's got great flavour. I hate flavour not being used.

-But nicely cooked, nicely executed.

-Thank you.

I'm really happy with how the grouse is cooked, I'm really happy,

and I love that fondant.

It's really like caramel sweetness on the top. I love it.

My only concern is that...

that veloute doesn't pack much of a punch.

You're a master with sauces

and I was hoping today you would marvel Marcus with one of them.

-Stay with your strengths, David.

-Yeah. Thank you very much.

The comments were perfectly fair.

I executed what I had intended to do...

possibly my idea was just a little bit off.

Michael, could you bring your plate up, please?

Michael has also chosen the grouse.

He's served it with cabbage parcels

stuffed with the braised grouse leg and pearl barley,

a bread sauce and a grouse jus.

-Have you cooked grouse before?

-Yes, a couple of times.

-And have you used the carcass?

-Yes, I've used the carcass in the sauce.

-I also braised the legs in what became the sauce.

-Thank you.

I think the seasoning's good, I like the bread sauce.

I quite like the parcels.

You could have used part of the leaf that probably wasn't so dark,

maybe more inner leaf. I also like the fact that you've used a sauce

and used the carcass and the legs for that.

Only one thing - I would have liked a little bit more of it.

I'm a Northerner, we like our gravy.

I'm a Midlander - I should know better.

If you're going to serve grouse, we want lashings of gravy.

That's where all the big flavour is.

It's there to sit with the dish all the way through,

not just little speckles of it.

But I think, as an overall dish, I like it. It's really nice.

If you want a little bit of sauce to decorate your plate,

fine, give us a jug.

That is such a beautiful, almost sweet, sticky, deep sauce,

and we've got three little puddles. That's criminal.

I'm with Marcus on this, and with Gregg,

generosity of spirit with your sauces.

Let people indulge in it. Let people bathe in it.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done, Michael.

To put my plate up in front of the three of them today,

it felt really good.

Delighted with the feedback.

Really, really pleased.

Jack, it's your turn, please.

Jack has cooked roasted pigeon, a potato fondant,

beetroot puree, roasted beetroot and beetroot crisps,

Swiss chard and a pigeon jus.

Where is the rest of my pigeon?

There's at least one leg missing. Where's the rest of it?

-I didn't put it on the plate.

-Why?

-I didn't want it to get overcrowded.

And is the rest of the dish on your apron?

I know. I seem to have got myself in a bit of a mess.

It's OK. It's nice.

From a technical point of view, I think it just lacks skill

and thought, and the understanding of the pigeon itself,

the understand that you need to serve the whole thing.

I don't like fondants that are big towers.

I think you should have made it a little bit shorter.

You want it to sit in the pan and the whole thing to absorb.

You've really got to focus and stay focused

on the most important thing about cookery

and that's A, understanding the ingredients,

but B, flavour, flavour, flavour all the way.

You prepared two whole pigeons, a stack of crisps,

three whole beetroot, a stack of chard, whole bits of bacon,

and two fondants, and we've got half a plate of food.

It needs more.

The breast is cooked brilliantly for me, and it's livery, gamey,

and then there's the sweetness and earthiness to the beetroot,

then there's almost a bitterness to your sauce.

I really, really like those flavours. I really do.

Could you now tell Marcus how many times you've cooked a pigeon before?

-I haven't cooked it before.

-Never?

-No, never.

Ever eaten one before?

-Yeah, I ate it for the first time last night.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-You're brave.

-I know. I thought I'd...

-I thought I'd give it a go today.

-Well, I like that.

That's courage and I like that.

You've never done it before. For that point, you've done a great job.

-Thank you very much, Marcus.

-Well done.

Cheers, guys. Thank you.

Overall, I'm not too disheartened by it.

There were some positive sides of it,

but I'm kicking myself at some of things that I didn't do.

It's not difficult to give somebody more pigeon,

especially when it's been cooked. I did all the hard work.

Ping, your turn, please.

Ping has prepared pan-fried sole with oyster beignets,

braised courgettes,

little gem lettuce and a tarragon and cider sauce.

What I find interesting about this dish, I think the ingredients

that you've brought together here,

for me, is a marriage made in heaven,

with sole and oysters and lettuce.

I think the sauce is very good

and I like the way that you've utilised everything -

the bones, the head, the whole thing.

The only thing is is the cream element for me.

You want to just polish the whole thing off,

but I don't want to because it's just too creamy and just too heavy.

But I think the dish has a huge potential.

I love the way you've cooked everything.

Those oysters with a little crispy covering.

I think they're delightful. The sole's cooked nicely.

I just wish you hadn't have put the cream into the sauce.

Not because it would make me feel ill -

I could eat 16 chocolate cakes one after the other -

but because I think you've actually detracted from the depth of flavour.

The richness of the cream inside, what I've seen today, Ping,

is a huge departure from your style of food.

It's not perfect...

but, at this stage, I don't expect perfection.

-But I tell you what, you're getting there.

-Thank you.

-Thanks, Ping.

-Thanks, Ping.

-Thank you.

To have Marcus Wareing taste my food and to say positive things about it,

and there are some things I can learn from, it's huge for me.

It's...it's fantastic.

Theo, please could you bring your plate up?

Last up is Theo,

who has prepared a creamy Mediterranean fish soup

with ballotine of sole,

fried fillet of gurnard,

oyster beignets,

thyme aioli, carrot,

oyster leaf and a side of some more fish soup.

Er... I really don't know what to think of it, to be honest with you.

I'm slightly confused. I don't know if it's

because there's a lot of things going on on the plate,

but I find a lack of skill actually, to be really honest with you.

Rolled-up sole, not a great beignet of oyster.

It's not very crispy at all.

And I'm a little bit confused

as to why the dish has the sauce in the bowl,

and then there's this big jug here, on the side.

Because, in theory, if I poured that into there,

this dish becomes practically a soup.

It was intended to be a soup,

but I wanted to present it slightly more refined.

Then surely you would have all of the soup out...

and then you'd pour onto it, so the dish becomes two stages.

In theory, there's no surprise because you put the dish complete

and then you've asked us to pour in a whole jug of sauce.

-HE SIGHS

-Gregg.

I think there's some decent cooking in there,

and I think you've got some decent flavours going on,

I'm just not convinced they all live together

quite happily as one plate of food.

That oyster leaf is probably the most powerful thing on the plate

because they are like eating a whole oyster.

Now that, with an oyster beignet, in a sauce which, for me,

is over-seasoned and salty.

I feel like I've taken a head-first plunge into the sea

and been tumbled over by the surf.

And I've come up, shaking my head, wondering where I am

-and what's going on.

-Yeah, fair enough.

I think I chose the wrong sort of set-up for the dish on this occasion

and I think I might be out of lifelines.

We now have a big judging job to do.

Thank you very much. Off you go.

I think the standard has been great and the criticisms have been small.

But at this stage of the competition, wow.

-What could be around the corner?

-Thanks a lot.

-Thank you very much.

Gregg. Thank you.

One of these five is leaving the competition.

One person who we know is not leaving the competition is Ping.

I've got to tell you, she did a dish which showed off classic technique,

a big move away from the food of Malaysia and into French cuisine.

I agree. Ping's dish looked beautiful,

was cooked brilliantly, tasted great.

I really want to get through this round and go to the other round.

The more I do it, the more I want it.

My next heads up has to be Michael

because, Marcus, you and I agreed that his dish was wonderful.

That food today from Michael, that grouse, was delicious.

He's got to stay in the competition.

With every round, the desire to go through kind of intensifies, so...

Yeah, it's fair to say I want it more now

than at any other stage, I think, yeah.

Now we've got a conversation about David,

Jack and Theo.

Theo did a lot of work today. I know Marcus wasn't over-impressed.

There was actually nothing wrong with the things he cooked

and he'd cooked them well.

Theo's mind, as we know, it's whizzing all the time,

and his food today was doing the same.

It didn't have a place. It wasn't concreted in anything.

It had no sort of foundation and that's where the issue was.

I was trying to make it more restaurant-fied

and tart it up a bit when, really,

I should have just chosen a direction with it and stuck to it.

I liked Jack's food today. He is inexperienced.

It was silly not to serve the whole pigeon, it really was.

I think Jack today has learned a lesson,

but has that lesson come too late?

To continue in the competition, and to continue to learn more,

go on exciting challenges,

it would mean a lot to stay in. But, yeah, you never know.

-David.

-Hmm.

Frustrating.

David's a good cook, but he's in a competition full of good cooks now

and you can't afford to slip.

David's gift, for me,

in this competition is he makes the most amazing sauces.

Today he almost broke my heart.

For me, I think it really depends on how everyone's done.

I hope I've done enough, but we'll see.

At this stage in the competition, we can only really take

the cooks through who we think have a chance of winning it.

Who's the weakest of the three?

The competition is tough...

and the standard this year is sky-high.

The cook leaving the competition...

..is Theo.

I'm equal measures of proud and gutted really.

It's a sort of a bittersweet moment.

Today was phenomenal.

I'm the happiest I've been at any stage in the competition.

Who would have thought I'd be in the final eight of MasterChef?

It feels fantastic. I just want to continue on.

I never thought I would get this far.

I feel so proud, to be honest.

Awesome.

Really pleased that I got through...

but there is a long way yet to go.

I have a feeling it's going to get tougher.

Tomorrow night,

the next five get their taste of life in a professional kitchen.

Two trout now. We go, we go.

Not going under. I'm not letting the nerves get to me any more.

It is absolutely crazy.

They will then have to face their toughest critic so far.

I don't think it's very skilful at all.

I don't think you've pushed yourself either.