0:00:02 > 0:00:03MasterChef is back,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06searching for the country's best amateur cook.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10- How long does a pigeon normally take?- Until it's cooked.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11SHE LAUGHS
0:00:11 > 0:00:13I need some spoons. Two spoons, please.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Bingo.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Each week, ten new contestants battle
0:00:17 > 0:00:20for a place in Friday's quarterfinal.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22I think it's magnificent.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26Only the strongest will make it through to the final challenges.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28JOHN GROWLS
0:00:29 > 0:00:32Can I just say, that's not frightening at all.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34So clever, so brilliant.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37That's what it's all about, great cooks, great food, great endeavour.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40I've lost some weight. I'm ready to get fat again.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53These five amateurs all think they've got what it takes
0:00:53 > 0:00:56to become MasterChef Champion.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Sometimes people thrive under pressure and some people crumble.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I'm hoping I'm a thriver, not a crumbler.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09My strategy is simple,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12just cook food I like and hope everybody else likes.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16My heart's racing. My heart's absolutely racing right now!
0:01:16 > 0:01:18But at the end of today's heat,
0:01:18 > 0:01:22only three will make it through to the quarterfinal.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33H-hey!
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Welcome the MasterChef.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37It's nice in here, isn't it?
0:01:38 > 0:01:40This round, your calling card.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45The dish that you believe reflects you as a cook the best.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50At the end of this, Gregg and I will each choose our favourite dish
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and those two contestants will go flying through to the next round.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56The remaining three will have to cook again
0:01:56 > 0:01:59to try and secure their place in the competition.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Impress me and John as much as you impress
0:02:03 > 0:02:05your family and friends at home.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Cook us something delicious.
0:02:08 > 0:02:101 hour and 15 minutes.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Good luck. Let's cook.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22I cook for the family every day.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24When I come home from work, the girls say,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26"What are we having for tea, Mum?" I say, "I don't know."
0:02:26 > 0:02:29I look in the fridge and I think, "Right, OK, I've got this,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32"this, this and this," and I just throw things together.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37What do you do for a living, Julie?
0:02:37 > 0:02:39I'm a registered nurse and I work in Basingstoke,
0:02:39 > 0:02:43- on an elderly care ward.- Aw. - Yes.- What are you making for us?
0:02:43 > 0:02:48Right, I am making a pan-fried sea bass with crushed new potatoes
0:02:48 > 0:02:52in an olive oil vinaigrette, served with a chilli and tomato sauce.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- Some big flavours. - Yes.- Why MasterChef?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58My family and friends have been saying for years, oh,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00I should go on MasterChef, but I've kept on putting it off,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03but now I've got to the stage where, oh, I'm not getting any younger,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06take the bullet, and bite it and off I went.
0:03:06 > 0:03:07I like these metaphors.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10- Take the bullet and bite it. - Yes!- Perfect!
0:03:10 > 0:03:12- Yes! - JULIE LAUGHS
0:03:20 > 0:03:22That fish is all-important.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26It's got to fall apart, I want the tomato sauce to have a bit of a zing
0:03:26 > 0:03:30from the chilli and I want those potatoes to be really well-seasoned.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31Could be a good dish.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39I can think about nothing else other than food.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42It's the one thing that I wake up in the morning and I think about
0:03:42 > 0:03:45'and it's the last thing I think about when I go to bed.'
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And during the day, it's there constantly.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- John, you're making your own stocks and stuff here.- Yes.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- Yeah, yeah.- What are you making?
0:04:01 > 0:04:05I'm going to make a pan-fried, oven-roasted duck breast.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08I'm doing a duck jus with some buttery mashed potato,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11I'm going to do a pea puree
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and I'm going to do a garnish, which is a bacon gremolata
0:04:14 > 0:04:19with some bacon, some lemon rind, some garlic and some breadcrumbs.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Where did you learn all of these classic techniques?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Well, I haven't learned the classic techniques, I'm trying my best,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28I eat out in nice restaurants whenever I can,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30so I've been exposed to lots of things.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33- This is proper grown-up cooking, John.- We'll see!
0:04:33 > 0:04:34JOHN LAUGHS
0:04:37 > 0:04:39John is going down the classic route.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42In that dish, he's got nowhere to hide.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I just hope for John's sake he's got enough time
0:04:45 > 0:04:47to make that sauce rich and flavoursome.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53You've had 25 minutes.
0:04:53 > 0:04:5525 minutes gone.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Yanique, you seem quite purposeful.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07Yeah, I just have to keep my head down.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11- If I don't, it's all going to go wrong!- What are you making for us?
0:05:11 > 0:05:15I'm making a fillet of beef with, um, pesto
0:05:15 > 0:05:20and a salad with courgettes, beetroot and olives.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Is it challenging, what you're doing?
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Erm, it's out of my comfort zone, yeah, definitely.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I'm used to Caribbean food and this is not Caribbean.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Why would you move away from your normal style?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Well, MasterChef is a big thing.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35There's no point doing the norm,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37I want to do something very different,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39demonstrate different skills and that's the whole point.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43- This is daring. - And I hope you love it.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50I like the fact that Yanique is actually pushing herself.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51She's come on here
0:05:51 > 0:05:53and she's admitted this is outside her comfort zone,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56cos she wants to do something interesting.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00She wants to make her mark right now in this first round.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02Good.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03Hope it works.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10You have to go big or go home, and right now I'm going to go big.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15You are halfway!
0:06:16 > 0:06:21My dish is pan-fried cod in laverbread butter
0:06:21 > 0:06:25over wasabi and soya mashed potato,
0:06:25 > 0:06:27with cockle veloute
0:06:27 > 0:06:29and flambeed garlic and Pernod prawns.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34I'm very confident that this dish will work.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38A lot of people don't know, but cockles and laverbread,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41or seaweed, is a traditional Welsh breakfast.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44- Yes, it is. Beautiful. - Are you Welsh?
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- Yes, from Swansea. - Hey! I like Swansea.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Is there anything else about you I need to know, Cae?
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I'm also a professor of medical devices.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- A professor of medical devices? - Yeah.- Does that actually exist?
0:06:55 > 0:06:57- Can you actually be one of those?- Yeah.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59How far can you go on MasterChef? You seem very confident.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- I'm aiming for the semifinals. - Are you?
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Cae is fascinating.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10Cockles and laverbread, Welsh classic, a liqueur from France,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12mustard from Japan.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14It's an extraordinary combination,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16and if he gets it right, I'll be really impressed.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22You've only got 20 minutes left, OK?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24It's going to fly. Focus, please.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Chris, you seem relaxed, unless I'm wrong.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Yeah, I'm pretty relaxed.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41I'm just treating it as cooking for my loved ones.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43What do you do for a job, Chris?
0:07:43 > 0:07:45I run an altitude training company.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46- Really?- I do, yeah.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49So we pre-acclimatise people to go to Kilimanjaro,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52Aconcagua, Everest and suchlike.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53Is your food going to be breathless?
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Yeah, it's a bit different. I'm making Indian sushi.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- Indian sushi?- I was eating sushi and I'd had a curry for lunch
0:08:00 > 0:08:05and I was like, "You know, the combination of flavours..." You have a curry, you have it with rice,
0:08:05 > 0:08:06so the taste should be there.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10MasterChef always throws up firsts for me.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Even my three-year-old likes it.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Weird. Really weird. Quite out there, quite interesting,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23but there's a load of work to be done.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Indian flavours work. Sushi works.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33I don't see why the two can't work together.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Five minutes! You've got five minutes left, please.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47The first time these guys have been in the MasterChef kitchen
0:08:47 > 0:08:50and they all come in here and really want to impress.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Interesting things, really interesting.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Fascinating things, things I have never tried before.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59And a couple of things that properly scare me.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Three minutes. Just three minutes.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19The duck was a little bit under, so I put it back in for a minute.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I kept on tasting and tasting and tasting,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27so all the flavours are mingling up now.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37You have got 60 seconds to finish up.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38Get it on a plate, please!
0:09:46 > 0:09:50That's it! You've got to stop. Stop, please!
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- It's stressful at the end. - THEY LAUGH
0:09:54 > 0:09:56I've gone greyer.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58Fingers crossed.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59Mine's too big, I think.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07Cae, bring your plate of food up, please, sir.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17University professor Cae has cooked pan-fried cod
0:10:17 > 0:10:23in a laverbread butter, with wasabi mash, garlic and Pernod prawns,
0:10:23 > 0:10:26cockles, and a cockle veloute.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38I love your prawns with the flavour of aniseed.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40I like your veloute. Lots of power.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Your potato mash has got lumps in it.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46I can't taste any wasabi in it whatsoever,
0:10:46 > 0:10:47but in that I'm thankful.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51What I'm impressed about is the way in which you've cooked
0:10:51 > 0:10:55that piece of cod. It falls apart at the seams perfectly.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58It's really well-seasoned.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02I'm, like Gregg, very, very pleased there's no wasabi in the mash.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Because the mash doesn't need wasabi.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08You've got brilliance on this plate. Don't detract from it.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09Thank you very much.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- Tasty.- It is very good. - Yeah, really good.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20I think it's fantastic having good feedback on your first dish.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22I could have done a bit better.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23Me being a perfectionist maybe.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33Ward sister Julie's calling card is fillets of sea bass
0:11:33 > 0:11:36on a bed of crushed new potatoes and black olives,
0:11:36 > 0:11:40served with green beans and a tomato and chilli sauce.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42- That's huge.- Yeah.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45Not often am I presented with a dish that I need a fork,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48- spoon and stepladder to eat. - SHE LAUGHS
0:11:56 > 0:12:00I think it's a pretty unattractive plate of food,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04but, by gosh, it's really tasty. Really tasty.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Lovely salty olives with those crushed potatoes
0:12:07 > 0:12:08and lots and lots of parsley.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Your fish is cooked nicely and well-seasoned.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14The tomato takes the whole lot up and it gives us
0:12:14 > 0:12:17a lovely, fresh Mediterranean flavour.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19- It's just too much on a plate, Julie.- Yeah.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22- You know, it's sort of... shovelled on.- Yeah.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27You've cooked that fish very well. Apart from crisping up the skin.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28- Right.- You've got a good palate.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- You've got to learn a little bit of refinement.- Yeah.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36When I was waiting to present my food, I said,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38"It's too big, it's too big."
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I took on board what they actually said. Less is more.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47Business consultant John has served duck breast
0:12:47 > 0:12:51with buttery mashed potato, a pea puree,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54bacon gremolata and a duck jus.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01Oh-ho!
0:13:03 > 0:13:06You've got saltiness of bacon, you've got so much butter
0:13:06 > 0:13:09in that mashed potato. It's rich and it's opulent.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11You've done your best to squeeze as much flavour
0:13:11 > 0:13:13out of that sauce as you can.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17- I hope this is a sign of things to come.- Thank you.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Your gremolata with the bacon across the top of it is lovely.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26But your duck is tough. When you prepare duck,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- what you've got to do is score all the way through the skin...- OK.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31..and cut right through into the sinew,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33- and your duck won't shrivel up and go tough on you.- OK.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36Get that duck cooked properly and you've got an almost perfect dish.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Fantastic.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44At this stage, a little bit away from perfect is good.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46So I'm pleased with that, yeah.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55Altitude trainer Chris has made a selection of Indian sushi,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59which includes tandoori chicken rolls, tempura prawns,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02stuffed curried calamari,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06tuna cumin rolls and two dipping sauces.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10A tamarind and date chutney and an Indian pepper water.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I like the way you've cooked the squid,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24and it's got a flavour of almost cinnamon in there as well.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26I love the two dips you've made.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29I like everything on there apart from the tuna.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I find your ideas interesting.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35I can't quite get on with curry-flavoured tuna.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38- HE LAUGHS - Fair enough.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Your rice is not seasoned at all.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44As for the rest of it...
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- I think it's ace.- Thank you.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Chris, I reckon there's probably someone out there watching
0:14:50 > 0:14:53the telly right now saying, "I'm going to be opening an Indian sushi
0:14:53 > 0:14:56- "restaurant very, very soon." - It might be me.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- Great comments.- Thank you.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03It was a bit of a risk but no risk, no gain, as they say.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Last up is logistics administrator Yanique,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14who's topped her marinated fillet of beef with an Italian pesto
0:15:14 > 0:15:19and served it on a beetroot, chard, olive and courgette salad,
0:15:19 > 0:15:21with a mustard vinaigrette.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Your beef is cooked brilliantly well and I love your pesto.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38That is big and flavoursome. There is sweet notes in there.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40There are slightly sharp notes.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44There is a big tang of garlic and Parmesan cheese saltiness.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Beef, olives and pesto, I think, are a lovely, lovely thing.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Beef, beetroot and Swiss chard, I think are a lovely, lovely thing.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54But when they all come together,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57they're just becoming a little bit too confusing for me.
0:15:57 > 0:15:58Your cooking is sound.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02I think your flavour combinations are probably a little bit ambitious.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Mm-hm.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07I feel like I could cry right now.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11I'm just praying, fingers crossed, I don't have to cook again.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16That is a good start.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18That's a very, very good start.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25John and I are now going to choose our favourite dish.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Two of you will go straight through.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32The other three, you'll stay here and cook again.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38My favourite dish...
0:16:43 > 0:16:45..was cooked by John.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Well done, mate.
0:16:57 > 0:17:03My favourite dish... for many, many reasons...
0:17:08 > 0:17:10..was cooked by Cae.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Congratulations. There you go.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Cae, John, you guys are safe.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35- Well done, mate.- Well done. Brilliant.- Fantastic.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- That's a relief.- Fantastic. - A massive relief.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43Oh, man, I really did not want to cook again.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56So this is a sweet or savoury invention test, your choice.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Under that cloth are two trays.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00On one tray, ingredients for a sweet dish.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03On the other tray, ingredients for a savoury dish.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06One plate of food in one hour.
0:18:06 > 0:18:07Reveal your ingredients.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15The contestants have the choice of making
0:18:15 > 0:18:18a savoury dish using pigeon,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23or a sweet dish using lemons as the central ingredient.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Make your decision, commit to it.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29At the end of this, one of you is going home. Let's cook.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38When you have nothing preplanned,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41it just puts you in that zone that you don't want to be in.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Everybody is really, really good.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47It's just turning up the gears slightly now, isn't it?
0:18:47 > 0:18:48I've just got to focus on what I'm doing,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51make something tasty and hope it's enough to get through.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06What are you making?
0:19:06 > 0:19:08I'm making you a lemon tart
0:19:08 > 0:19:11with limoncello cream on the side.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Are you an experienced pastry cook?
0:19:13 > 0:19:17I've been making pastry since I was about five or six years old.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18For 20 years now?
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Oh, you lovely man!
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I wish it was 20 years, no a bit longer than that.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Good for you, good for you. What do you feel you have to do now?
0:19:26 > 0:19:28More is less.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- More is less?- Or, less is more. - I think that...
0:19:30 > 0:19:32THEY LAUGH
0:19:35 > 0:19:38It's nice to see Julie making her own pastry,
0:19:38 > 0:19:40making a lemon curd for the filling of the tart.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Fantastic!
0:19:42 > 0:19:44As long as that pastry is thin and crisp,
0:19:44 > 0:19:46the filling is not too sharp
0:19:46 > 0:19:49and that the cream with the booze in it doesn't split.
0:19:53 > 0:19:5520 minutes have gone.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- How are you feeling now, Chris? - Yeah, I'm feeling all right.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08I'm feeling all right. I've never cooked with quail.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10I'm glad you've never cooked with quail
0:20:10 > 0:20:12because we've given you a pigeon!
0:20:14 > 0:20:16What's your dish with the pigeon?
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Roasted pigeon breast with a red wine and pigeon reduction.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Some mashed potato...
0:20:22 > 0:20:24I was going to do a chestnut and mushroom concoction
0:20:24 > 0:20:26of some variety, I'm not exactly sure, with some...
0:20:28 > 0:20:30..cabbagey, kale stuff. Fingers crossed.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Chris doing Indian sushi as a calling card,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I think, is something a brave man does
0:20:39 > 0:20:42and if he's brave enough now, he's going to grab hold of that pigeon
0:20:42 > 0:20:44and do something extremely good.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Halfway - 30 minutes left.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00What are you going to make for us?
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Erm... I am going to make a parsnip puree with pigeons.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07I've literally just roasted it off a little bit
0:21:07 > 0:21:09and fried it off in a pan, just to give it a bit of colour
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and I've put it in the oven to just cook off
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and continuously keep basting it with some butter.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Yeah...
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Yanique's roasting a pigeon in the same way as she would roast
0:21:21 > 0:21:22a chicken. That's a good idea.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25All you've got to do is think the bird is a bit smaller
0:21:25 > 0:21:27which means it'll take a little bit less time.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29How long does a pigeon normally take?
0:21:29 > 0:21:32- Until it's cooked! - SHE LAUGHS
0:21:37 > 0:21:41You've got just 15 minutes left.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Well, I can't taste the tart, can I, so I won't know when it's cooked.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49The ingredients when I was mixing them together tasted OK.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53My concern right now, is around the edges of the tart
0:21:53 > 0:21:56it's all a bit rough and I want to see a bit of finesse from Julie.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Guys, please, you've got five minutes left.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06Come on, guys, get them on the plates, please.
0:22:08 > 0:22:09I like that, that's nice.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19You've got 90 seconds to finish up, please.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30That's it!
0:22:30 > 0:22:31Stop.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36It was tough, that, wasn't it?
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Chris chose to make a savoury dish
0:22:41 > 0:22:43of roasted pigeon breast
0:22:43 > 0:22:46on top of cavolo nero and walnuts,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48served with mashed potato,
0:22:48 > 0:22:50mushroom and sage stuffing
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and a red wine reduction.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03I really like the way you cooked the pigeon breast,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05it's got a little bit of natural sweetness to it
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and that sort of iron-rich, livery flavour is lovely.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10I like your stuffing.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12It's got sweet notes to it, as well.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14- Your cabbage is undercooked.- OK.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Your mashed potato is really well made,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18your sauce could be a bit thicker.
0:23:18 > 0:23:19But, as an invention test goes,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21yeah, not bad. Not bad.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24That's a far departure from Indian sushi.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31It could be better, it could be worse.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33So...it all really hinges on everybody else.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35So, we'll see.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Yanique also opted to make a savoury dish
0:23:42 > 0:23:46and has served her pigeon breast on a parsnip and potato puree
0:23:46 > 0:23:49with wilted spinach and a port gravy.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03You've got a parsnip-puree-cum-mashed-potato
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and that's made very, very well, indeed.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07That's smooth, without lumps.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It's creamy, it's rich. That's very good.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12However, I find that far too sweet.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14Oh, right.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Because you cooked that pigeon so slowly in a low heat,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21it's falling apart and that's a really, really good thing.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Your parsnip puree, it's so very, very sweet.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27It does taste almost like you've got pigeon and dessert
0:24:27 > 0:24:29on the same plate. I like your cooking.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30I like your technique.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34It's the flavour combination thing again, isn't it?
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I knew that was going to be a little bit too sweet.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39I really did.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40I just knew it.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Julie chose the sweet ingredients
0:24:45 > 0:24:47and has made a lemon tart
0:24:47 > 0:24:48with shortcrust pastry,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51accompanied by a limoncello mascarpone cream
0:24:51 > 0:24:54and a shot of limoncello on the side.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Very, very good, indeed.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07You've got a light pastry that's crumbling.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09You've got a lemon curd that's set but still soft.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12You've put lots of booze into your mascarpone,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15giving it real heat and a grown-up flavour.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18- I'd like to see the tart full of filling.- Right.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21I'd like to see the pastry around the outside finished off
0:25:21 > 0:25:24because I think you've got enough time to do it. Just focus a bit.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29It was a real challenge
0:25:29 > 0:25:32and I was glad that I can come up with something.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35At least it showed that I can actually make pastry.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40The first round of MasterChef is always the most difficult.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42But...we have to make a decision.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45One of you will be leaving the competition.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- Thanks very much, indeed. - Thank you.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57An invention test is never easy.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00I think they did very well, these three.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05I think Julie has shown real skill and an understanding of food there,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07because making your own pastry, making your own lemon curd,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10they are obviously the actions of a decent cook.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I'm with you, Julie stays, because I think her food tastes good,
0:26:13 > 0:26:14she's just got to make it look good.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Now we've got the battle of the pigeons between
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Chris and Yanique.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23Yanique's calling card didn't come together
0:26:23 > 0:26:24as a coherent plate of food.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27The invention test, I think's the same.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Parsnip and port together with the pigeon was really sweet.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Her flavours are good, it's just about them coming together.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37If I did go home today I will be gutted.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Absolutely gutted. As you can see I've got tears in my eyes.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41I'm really, really enjoying it.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Erm...
0:26:43 > 0:26:45And I've got so much more to show. So much more.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Chris really surprised us
0:26:47 > 0:26:49with his creativity in his calling card round.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52However... He had some mistakes.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54That cavolo nero, that was undercooked.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57In his calling card it was all about adventure
0:26:57 > 0:26:58and about being daring.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00Then, in the invention test, he goes classic
0:27:00 > 0:27:02but doesn't quite get it right.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04My sort of freestyle is quite diverse.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07There's more in the locker yet. Hopefully, I'll get a chance to showcase it.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11There has been a very decent standard of cookery.
0:27:11 > 0:27:12However...
0:27:12 > 0:27:14one has got to go.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28That invention test was impressive.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29Well done.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34The person leaving us...
0:27:40 > 0:27:42..is Yanique.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43Oh!
0:27:43 > 0:27:45- Thank you very much. - Oh, you're welcome.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Oh, give me a hug.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49Cheers. Bye!
0:27:54 > 0:27:56I'm not disappointed in myself.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59I'm gutted that I'm not here to demonstrate more.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00But, overall...
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I'm 23, I don't think I did that bad.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07Can I apply again next year?
0:28:09 > 0:28:11What are you having at the bar?
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Whisky, no chaser.
0:28:13 > 0:28:14HE GIGGLES
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Oh, dear. Oh, God.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19You couldn't have called it.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22That's... That's a tough one to go out on.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58You are going to cook and present your food, not just to John and me
0:28:58 > 0:29:02but to the final three from last year's MasterChef.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Emma...
0:29:04 > 0:29:05Tony...
0:29:05 > 0:29:07And, of course, current champion,
0:29:07 > 0:29:08Simon.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10THEY CHUCKLE
0:29:12 > 0:29:142 courses in 1 hour and 15 minutes.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Four plates of each course.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Ladies and gentlemen...
0:29:20 > 0:29:21let's cook.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34When I'm at home, yeah, I'm a mum.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36I just put the food on a plate.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38I don't think about the presentation, as such.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41So it's something I'm going to have to work on.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44I'm hoping that I can show them I'm heading in the right direction today.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52How do you feel about cooking for our guests?
0:29:52 > 0:29:54I'm glad I'm cooking for three people who've actually been
0:29:54 > 0:29:56through the same experiences we've been through,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59so they'll have some empathy, I hope.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Menu today, Julie, is?
0:30:01 > 0:30:05Rib-eye steak with a medley of roasted vegetables
0:30:05 > 0:30:08- with a rich Stilton sauce.- Uh-huh.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Then for dessert, I'm doing a vanilla panna cotta
0:30:11 > 0:30:13with a rhubarb and ginger compote,
0:30:13 > 0:30:17rhubarb consomme and a gingerbread biscuit.
0:30:17 > 0:30:19Can you make it look smart, that's the question?
0:30:19 > 0:30:21I will try, try my utmost.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29Cooking four steaks, all at the same time...dangerous.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34And if you're going to make a panna cotta,
0:30:34 > 0:30:38you've got to make sure it's a perfectly light, perfect wobble.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46The invention test was difficult.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48I think it's nice to be back cooking your own food.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51It's food you're passionate about, it's food you know a lot better.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Slightly less pressure, although I've given myself
0:30:54 > 0:30:56a lot to do and so it might be panic stations
0:30:56 > 0:30:58with five minutes to go.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01So we are going classic for the main.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05I'm doing a walnut gnocchi with a wild mushroom sauce
0:31:05 > 0:31:08and a sage cracker.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12Then, for dessert, I'm making a chocolate soil
0:31:12 > 0:31:13with banana ice cream.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15I want it to be a bit theatrical
0:31:15 > 0:31:17so I'm putting a tempered chocolate disc on the top
0:31:17 > 0:31:20and then pour the caramel sauce on top so it melts through.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22What are the danger points of your menu, Chris?
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- Tempering the chocolate. - You're not concerned about gnocchi.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Because I spent a lot of time in Italy and I got taught to make
0:31:28 > 0:31:31gnocchi by my nonna, so I'm quite confident in the gnocchi.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36I've never had a nut gnocci before.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40This boy doesn't do things by halves, does he?
0:31:40 > 0:31:42Today is about being focused
0:31:42 > 0:31:45and planned and being a little bit courageous.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47And Chris may do that.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54I'm very driven. I'm very competitive.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56The more I cook in this competition,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58the more I want to succeed and go further.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05You look a little tense, mate.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09I've just got to concentrate on producing four spectacular dishes.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10What's your menu?
0:32:10 > 0:32:12OK, I'm cooking sous vide salmon
0:32:12 > 0:32:15and a cooked cucumber and dill sauce.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18And my pudding is an Earl Grey and whisky rice pudding
0:32:18 > 0:32:21with teabag biscuits
0:32:21 > 0:32:24and chocolate ganache sugar cubes.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26This is a very ambitious menu, Cae.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28I normally cook this at home in the dishwasher,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30so I sous vide the whole salmon and, when it comes
0:32:30 > 0:32:34out of the dishwasher, pull it straight off the bone and serve.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36- Does that work? - It works really well.- Genius!
0:32:39 > 0:32:43His main course, salmon cooked in a water bath could be a lovely thing
0:32:43 > 0:32:45as long as that salmon has got a bit of texture.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51Whisky and Earl Grey tea rice pudding, that's the delight.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53I think he may be wanting to add to the list
0:32:53 > 0:32:56of Greg's favourite ever puddings.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59It was a dream start for me.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01When Gregg picked my dish,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04he kind of referenced the fact,
0:33:04 > 0:33:06"Is this going to be the standard that you're going to produce
0:33:06 > 0:33:09"going forward?" So a bit of pressure, I think, there.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13- So, John, what are you cooking for us?- Er, liver.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15It's going to be served with a bean mash,
0:33:15 > 0:33:17shallot rings, deep-fried,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20- with bacon and a whisky cream sauce.- Mmm.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Dessert?
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Er, a poached pear filled with raspberry puree
0:33:24 > 0:33:25and mascarpone infused with lime,
0:33:25 > 0:33:27with some pineapple foam on the side
0:33:27 > 0:33:30and a little bit of raspberry puree.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33I take it that you've eaten pear, raspberry,
0:33:33 > 0:33:35lime and chocolate before, have you?
0:33:35 > 0:33:37- Yes.- And pineapple?
0:33:37 > 0:33:39- And pineapple, yes, of course. - Yes, yes.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44John's decided to go classic with his main course
0:33:44 > 0:33:47and quite adventurous with his dessert.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51A poached pear with chocolate, that's a wonderful thing.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54However, that pear has also got lime,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56raspberry and pineapple.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59My fear is, it's one, two,
0:33:59 > 0:34:01probably three fruits too many.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05We've got four really interesting cooks today.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07Really interesting cooks.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09They're not here just to impress you and I,
0:34:09 > 0:34:12but to impress three people who fought their way to the
0:34:12 > 0:34:15end of the competition, who understand the pressure.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30Today, for me, was my toughest day throughout the entire competition,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33so I know what these guys are going to be going through.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35Calm down, son, you're panicking.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38They actually didn't like what I made at all.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41The creme de menthe shouldn't be there, in my opinion.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44I think it's just ruined the whole of my dish here.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47You're going to feel, at some point, that you're out of control
0:34:47 > 0:34:49and you can't cope with it but that's when...
0:34:49 > 0:34:52you find out if you've got it in you to do it.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55That's when you'll find out if you've got what it takes
0:34:55 > 0:34:56to be the champion.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Looking back it's probably one of my fondest memories
0:35:02 > 0:35:05actually of the competition, was the first time I fed the critics.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I could polish off this dish quite happily.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12If I get it in the restaurant, I'd be a very, very happy girl.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14When John said, "Let's cook."
0:35:14 > 0:35:16You know, nothing else in the world mattered at that point,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19it was just, literally, head down and focus.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21You have to be very focused.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26I remember cooking for Shelina
0:35:26 > 0:35:28and I think she thought it was a bit basic.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30It's meat and veg, isn't it?
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Everybody understands that
0:35:32 > 0:35:34MasterChef is THE cooking competition
0:35:34 > 0:35:37and that it's certainly not a thing you can take lightly.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39At the same time, as soon as you get here,
0:35:39 > 0:35:41you realise that it's on another level.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44Erm, and you really can never prepare enough.
0:35:50 > 0:35:51I'm hungry.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55I skipped breakfast just for this.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02- Julie, you've only got five minutes. - Yeah, I know.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05It smells good, Julie.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09- Hopefully the taste is as good as the smell.- Smells good.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12Julie's serving rib-eye steak with wilted spinach
0:36:12 > 0:36:14and herb roasted vegetables in a Stilton sauce.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19Four steaks cooked to order in a MasterChef competition,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22you've got to be brave for that.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24Are the steaks cooked?
0:36:24 > 0:36:26It depends how you like them cooked.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30- WELSH ACCENT:- Oh, that's tidy.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32- SHE CHUCKLES - Diolch yn fawr.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Yes, most certainly.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36What does that mean?
0:36:36 > 0:36:38- "Thank you very much."- Oh.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48I like your presentation.
0:36:48 > 0:36:50- It's definitely prettier.- Good.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55- Yay!- Well done.- Like it!
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- Well done.- Good job.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06I need Super Glue to stick the things to the plate.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09- I'm sorry it was positioned... - Thank you very much.- OK.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13I am serving pan-fried rib steak
0:37:13 > 0:37:16on a bed of wilted spinach
0:37:16 > 0:37:20with a medley of herbed roast vegetables
0:37:20 > 0:37:23and a Stilton cream sauce.
0:37:23 > 0:37:25- Enjoy.- Thank you.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28I love the look of the sauce.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30It's got a nice, little shine on it.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33My steak's got a nice bit of caramelisation on it. Yours hasn't.
0:37:43 > 0:37:44Rare enough for my liking.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47It's just a shame about the caramelisation on the outside.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49I think the sauce is actually really nice.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52I think she could have gone a bit stronger on the blue cheese.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54I have to say, I only get a hint of it.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57But this little pot of vegetables is absolutely delicious.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00The vegetables and the sauce are the absolute stars.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Too many steaks in one pan, not enough heat.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07It needs a bit more oil and a bit more "glurgh".
0:38:07 > 0:38:09I like the sauce, I like the steak, I like the veg.
0:38:09 > 0:38:12Love it that she's having a go at presentation.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Moment of truth... Come on, girl!
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Oh!
0:38:22 > 0:38:24She's got to get that panna cotta set
0:38:24 > 0:38:26and not overset, as well.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30A consomme, that's a challenge.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32If she can pull that off, I think that's a winner.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39Two minutes left. Are your biscuits going to cook in two minutes?
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Yes, should do. I've turned the heating up a bit.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56- Well done, Julie.- Thank you.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03- EMMA:- Thank you very much.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06Now what I'm actually serving you, is a vanilla panna cotta
0:39:06 > 0:39:08with a rhubarb and ginger compote,
0:39:08 > 0:39:09rhubarb consomme
0:39:09 > 0:39:11and a gingerbread biscuit.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- Thank you, enjoy. - ALL: Thank you.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19It's got a good wobble on it, the panna cotta.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28My panna cotta was absolutely bang on.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31I don't think the consomme tastes of much
0:39:31 > 0:39:33and I don't think that we need both of these,
0:39:33 > 0:39:35the compote and the consomme together. Just one of those things
0:39:35 > 0:39:38and that would have been a perfect dessert for me.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40The biscuit tastes great, but it's undercooked.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43But I think in terms of the flavours she's put together,
0:39:43 > 0:39:44I think she's done really well.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Creamy, vanilla panna cotta, sweet, sharp rhubarb, really lovely.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53There's a couple of things that aren't quite right,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56but I'm impressed with Julie today, really impressed.
0:40:00 > 0:40:01Oh, God, that was stressful.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03That was really, really stressful.
0:40:03 > 0:40:07It's the quickest 1 hour and 15 minutes I've ever had in my life.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09It went in a flash.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14Do you know how I'm doing for time, Gregg, by any chance?
0:40:14 > 0:40:15You've got 20 minutes, Chris.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20Our main course is a walnut gnocchi,
0:40:20 > 0:40:23wild mushroom sauce and sage cracker.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25This really excites me.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28But that gnocchi, it can't be too rubbery.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31It's got to have the right texture for me.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Oh, I'm not overly happy with this gnocchi, I have to say.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39Ah...
0:40:39 > 0:40:41I'm just going to have to serve it, aren't I, now?
0:40:49 > 0:40:51Three minutes, please, Chris.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10OK?
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Just disappointed with how it looks but...
0:41:14 > 0:41:16..it should taste all right.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28Thank you very much.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33So we have walnut gnocchi
0:41:33 > 0:41:35with a wild mushroom and cream sauce
0:41:35 > 0:41:36and a sage cracker
0:41:36 > 0:41:38with roasted walnuts on the top.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40I hope you enjoy. Thank you.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42- Thanks very much.- Thank you.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44I'm confused by the gnocchi colour
0:41:44 > 0:41:46because it's quite brown, isn't it?
0:41:54 > 0:41:57I'm not quite sure how he made this gnocchi but it's not good.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01I agree, I think the gnocchi, texture-wise, it's not good.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Erm, and I've got a lot of grit in my mushrooms, as well,
0:42:04 > 0:42:05which is slightly off-putting.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08It's the technical side of things that have let him down.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10The cracker, doesn't crack.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13I think he's given himself too much work, which is a shame
0:42:13 > 0:42:16because, flavour-wise, this one could have been a real winner.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21They are wet. They are soggy.
0:42:21 > 0:42:22They're a bit fried.
0:42:22 > 0:42:23And they're nasty.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25That's a disaster.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27It's a disaster.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Dessert - banana ice cream, chocolate soil,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38tempered chocolate caramel sauce. It does all sound really sweet
0:42:38 > 0:42:41but I like the sound of it. There's some ambition there, actually.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48Aye-aye!
0:42:54 > 0:42:57OK, I'll stick it on a plate and we're good to go.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Very nice.
0:43:05 > 0:43:06There you are.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11So we've got a chocolate soil, banana ice cream,
0:43:11 > 0:43:14tempered chocolate and a caramel sauce.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17And the idea is to pour the caramel sauce on the chocolate
0:43:17 > 0:43:18so it melts through into the dish.
0:43:18 > 0:43:22- Lovely, thank you. - I hope you enjoy. Thank you.
0:43:25 > 0:43:26Come on chocolate, give.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28- I think it's going.- Yay!
0:43:29 > 0:43:30- It's quite cool.- Yeah.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33- Oh, yeah. - Yeah, that's how it should be done.
0:43:38 > 0:43:39Mmm.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43I really like it.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45I have got a really, really sweet tooth
0:43:45 > 0:43:49but the banana and the crunch of the chocolate soil,
0:43:49 > 0:43:51with the caramel,
0:43:51 > 0:43:54I'm loving it. I'm probably, I'm probably going to eat the lot.
0:43:54 > 0:43:57I really like the theatre behind it, but, for me,
0:43:57 > 0:43:58it's far too sweet.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00I'll have yours as well, then.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02Gregg will be having a field day.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06That'll do.
0:44:06 > 0:44:07I'm really impressed with that.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09He's done everything he said he would do.
0:44:09 > 0:44:12He's got chocolate soil, he's got the banana ice cream.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15He's got a hot, caramel sauce that's melted the chocolate wafer.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17He's done it, he's done it.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21Is it enough to rescue him from the really ugly plate of gnocchi?
0:44:24 > 0:44:28I was disappointed with the gnocchi, it wasn't how I wanted.
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Certainly, I mean, it looked like a dog's dinner, let's be honest.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33It should taste nice and I'm happy with the second dish.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35HE EXHALES
0:44:41 > 0:44:45I'm a little bit nervous of Cae's main course.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49Sous-vide salmon, I just don't like salmon in the sous-vide,
0:44:49 > 0:44:53I think it... Texturally, it's a bit...flobby.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58They are classic flavours - watercress, cucumber and dill -
0:44:58 > 0:45:00and they are flavours I love.
0:45:13 > 0:45:14You are one minute over.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16- 60 seconds.- No, over.
0:45:16 > 0:45:18I know, I'll be 60 seconds more.
0:45:21 > 0:45:22What has got to go on there?
0:45:22 > 0:45:25Himalayan salt, then I'm done, and sauce, then I'm finished.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33That looks stunning, off you go.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37He makes me tense!
0:45:43 > 0:45:45- Madam.- Thank you very much.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51Hi, you've got sous-vide salmon, cucumber and dill sauce,
0:45:51 > 0:45:54on crushed potatoes with Himalayan salt.
0:45:54 > 0:45:55- Thank you.- Thank you very much.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07I'm not crazy about this salmon at all.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10I don't think there's a whole lot of flavour on it.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13You get the odd little bit where it has been blowtorched,
0:46:13 > 0:46:16by the look of it, where you get a smoky flavour, which is nice,
0:46:16 > 0:46:17but I would have liked some more of that.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21I think where the salmon isn't full of flavour,
0:46:21 > 0:46:23that dill and cucumber sauce packs quite a punch
0:46:23 > 0:46:27and then you've got the saltiness and the butteriness in the potatoes.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!
0:46:29 > 0:46:32I don't like the sliminess of that fish.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34It's all slippery and slimy in my mouth.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37- That's odd because I really like it. - Do you?
0:46:37 > 0:46:39I really like the cleanliness
0:46:39 > 0:46:41and the flavours of the cucumber and dill.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43I like the buttery potatoes.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Well-presented dish, I really like it.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Whisky and tea flavoured rice pudding
0:46:52 > 0:46:55isn't something that I've ever tried.
0:46:55 > 0:46:56I'm intrigued by that one,
0:46:56 > 0:46:59that's got my imagination going a little bit.
0:47:03 > 0:47:04Two minutes.
0:47:06 > 0:47:07Very nice.
0:47:13 > 0:47:15- Is that it? Let's go! - Thanks, Cae.- Let's go!
0:47:24 > 0:47:25Thank you.
0:47:29 > 0:47:33This is an Earl Grey and Welsh whisky rice pudding
0:47:33 > 0:47:36with a vanilla shortbread biscuit
0:47:36 > 0:47:38and chocolate ganache sugar cubes.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41- Hope you enjoy, thank you very much. - Thank you.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45I can smell the shortbread - lovely, buttery shortbread.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51I actually quite like it, I thought the texture
0:47:51 > 0:47:53of the rice pudding was good, really like the flavour of it -
0:47:53 > 0:47:56the tea, you can taste a little bit of whisky.
0:47:56 > 0:47:59These little chocolate ganache sugar cubes are really good.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02Perfect squares, every one looks the same.
0:48:02 > 0:48:03He's done well.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Cor, that's lovely! That's lovely!
0:48:09 > 0:48:12Sweet, not too sweet, the rice is cooked perfectly
0:48:12 > 0:48:16and it's got the undercurrent of strong whisky
0:48:16 > 0:48:18and actually, as you start to concentrate, you've got
0:48:18 > 0:48:21a little bit of Earl Grey in there as well. That's very lovely!
0:48:21 > 0:48:25For a boy out of his own kitchen - inventive, interesting, exciting.
0:48:28 > 0:48:33It went well. I banged the dessert, that's fantastic.
0:48:33 > 0:48:35So I'm happy. I'm happy.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41Five minutes, John.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46How is your liver?
0:48:46 > 0:48:49Yeah, it still got another little minute there.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52John has gone quite classic - liver, onion, bacon. Great combo.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55With liver, you've got to get that just right.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58I'm looking for it to be a little bit pink in the middle.
0:48:58 > 0:48:59You can easily overcook it.
0:49:09 > 0:49:10Bacon and onions to go.
0:49:10 > 0:49:11Bacon, yeah.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20Very good, very good.
0:49:20 > 0:49:22Go, Big John! Good dish, mate.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29- Ladies first, obviously. - Oh, thank you very much.
0:49:33 > 0:49:35I've made you liver with bacon and onion,
0:49:35 > 0:49:38a bean mash and a whisky sauce. Please enjoy.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40- Thank you.- Thank you very much.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55It looked good, it smelled good, but...
0:49:55 > 0:49:58flawed there by just overcooking that liver
0:49:58 > 0:50:00and not even just a little bit on mine.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02The beans are way too garlicky.
0:50:02 > 0:50:04- Yeah, he can't have tasted those. - No.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07I can't taste the whisky in the sauce, all I can taste is garlic.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10I think, unfortunately, he has missed an opportunity with that.
0:50:12 > 0:50:13The liver is overcooked.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20As much as I love the saltiness of the bacon and crunch of the onions,
0:50:20 > 0:50:24I don't actually like the whisky sauce, it's a little too sharp.
0:50:24 > 0:50:25- HE EXHALES - Right.
0:50:31 > 0:50:33Pear, chocolate, pineapple, raspberry.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36Quite interesting to see how those flavours all marry
0:50:36 > 0:50:38as one complete dish.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43I hope it's not too much style over substance.
0:50:46 > 0:50:50- What have we got? Pineapple foam? - Just a little bit at the side, yeah.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55- Anything else to go? - Little bit of raspberry.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59That came out a bit quicker than I expected.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03- Are you ready to go?- Yes. - Come on, let's go!
0:51:12 > 0:51:14I'm serving you today poached pear
0:51:14 > 0:51:16on a chocolate hazelnut soil
0:51:16 > 0:51:19with some pineapple foam, and some raspberry coulis
0:51:19 > 0:51:24and the pear is stuffed with mascarpone, walnut and lime.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:51:35 > 0:51:36I think the pear is poached well.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39I really like it on the chocolate soil, actually,
0:51:39 > 0:51:41the pear and the chocolate together is really nice.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44I quite like the pineapple foam, I think it adds another element to it
0:51:44 > 0:51:48and then, of course, you've got all the little extra flavours in there
0:51:48 > 0:51:50from the spicing in the poaching liquor
0:51:50 > 0:51:52and the flavouring in the mascarpone.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56He's made a lot of ingredients and processes work really well together,
0:51:56 > 0:51:57he's done really well.
0:51:59 > 0:52:00Hmm.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04The cinnamon-scented pear with that sauce is great,
0:52:04 > 0:52:05but the rest of it? Don't need it.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08He has poached that pear well
0:52:08 > 0:52:10and that soil is also very clever.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13HE EXHALES
0:52:15 > 0:52:18It's indescribable how difficult that is.
0:52:18 > 0:52:20Hopefully the liver is cooked right.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22I couldn't test it, so I don't know.
0:52:25 > 0:52:29This round is notoriously tough. I don't want perfection at this stage,
0:52:29 > 0:52:32I just want to see a glimmer of hope.
0:52:35 > 0:52:37I think Julie, by and large, had a decent round.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39The steaks could have been browned a bit more,
0:52:39 > 0:52:41but I really liked her sauce
0:52:41 > 0:52:43and I really liked the roasted vegetables.
0:52:43 > 0:52:44Loved the panna cotta,
0:52:44 > 0:52:46could see very little wrong with the panna cotta.
0:52:46 > 0:52:47She had cleaned the plates up,
0:52:47 > 0:52:50they weren't as messy as her previous two rounds.
0:52:50 > 0:52:51If Julie goes further in the competition,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54we need to see it become a little bit more ambitious.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57If I go away today, I have learned new skills,
0:52:57 > 0:52:59I've learned new techniques,
0:52:59 > 0:53:02but I really, really am up for going on now!
0:53:02 > 0:53:04Chris's idea of nut-flavoured gnocchi
0:53:04 > 0:53:07with a wild-mushroom creamy sauce was a brilliant idea.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11However, that was scruffy. The gnocchi weren't made very well.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13The dessert, however... Bit of theatre.
0:53:13 > 0:53:15He is showing he can do lots of things.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17If I go home today, obviously I'll be disappointed.
0:53:17 > 0:53:22Hopefully I have done enough, but honestly, I have absolutely no idea.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24Cae's salmon...
0:53:24 > 0:53:27You didn't like it, our guests didn't like it, I did.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30My issue with the salmon was not one of flavour,
0:53:30 > 0:53:32the dill through the cucumber sauce was great,
0:53:32 > 0:53:36it was the salmon that, for me, was a bit jelly-like and sloppy.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39However, the concept of his rice pudding was good.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42I absolutely loved it!
0:53:42 > 0:53:44I mean, maybe the best thing I tasted.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47I'm pleased with the dishes I put out.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49I can't do any more.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51I think that John played a bit safe.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54For me, there wasn't the style and the ambition
0:53:54 > 0:53:56that I saw in that calling card round.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Well, I wanted a really nice piece of pink liver from John
0:53:59 > 0:54:02and what he actually gave me was an inner sole for a slipper.
0:54:02 > 0:54:04Interesting, the dessert,
0:54:04 > 0:54:07because there were bits of it I liked, you liked.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09Poached pear is a beautiful thing.
0:54:09 > 0:54:11The chocolate soil was lovely.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14However, everything else was an unnecessary addition.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18To get into the quarterfinal... it would just be brilliant.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20I mean, I've seen folk doing it
0:54:20 > 0:54:22and I've thought, "That's a great achievement."
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Having now stood on this side of the camera,
0:54:25 > 0:54:28it's an even greater achievement than I thought!
0:54:28 > 0:54:29We've actually got a decision to be made
0:54:29 > 0:54:32because one of them is going to leave the competition.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35We've got to go, or I've got to go, with a gut feeling.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38Who appears, to me, to not quite be ready?
0:54:54 > 0:54:58You guys have equipped yourself very, very well - good standard.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01As you know, we only have three quarterfinal places.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12Our first quarterfinalist...
0:55:15 > 0:55:17..is Julie. Congratulations.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28Our second quarterfinalist...
0:55:33 > 0:55:35..is Cae.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45One quarterfinal place left.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51Our third quarterfinalist...
0:55:57 > 0:55:59..is Chris. Congratulations.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04Well done. Congratulations.
0:56:04 > 0:56:06Thanks, John.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10Nothing prepares you for the pressure that goes on in there,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13but, no, I'm proud of what I achieved.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21I feel like I've dodged a bit of a bullet with my dodgy gnocchi!
0:56:21 > 0:56:24But I'm through and looking forward to the next round,
0:56:24 > 0:56:26get back in the kitchen again.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29I did it, I got through!
0:56:29 > 0:56:31And I'm so happy!
0:56:33 > 0:56:36Being here right now as a quarterfinalist is surreal.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40Is this really happening? Wonderful!
0:56:44 > 0:56:49Tomorrow, five more cooks battle it out for a place in the quarterfinal.
0:56:53 > 0:56:55Come on, come on, come on, come on!
0:56:58 > 0:57:01It's got quarterfinal written all over it, Gregg.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07- Honestly, it reminds me of a pizza. - THEY LAUGH