Episode 2 MasterChef

MasterChef is back...

searching for the country's best amateur cook.

How long does a pigeon normally take?

Until it's cooked.

I need some spoons, two spoons, please.

Bingo.

Each week, ten new contestants battle for a place

in Friday's quarterfinal.

I think it's magnificent.

Only the strongest will make it through to the final challenges.

Argh!

Can I just say?

That's not frightening at all.

So clever, so brilliant.

That's what it's all about - great cooks, great food, great endeavour.

I've lost some weight, I'm ready to get fat again.

These five amateurs

all think they've got what it takes to become MasterChef champion...

It's MasterChef. To be on it's an honour.

Hopefully, I've practised enough.

I'm terrified!

I'm, like, 90% terrified.

My wife thinks I'm mad, crazy and nuts.

Do I think I can do it?

Yeah, I think I can do it.

..but at the end of today's heat,

only three will become quarterfinalists.

Hello, very warm welcome to MasterChef.

This is a great way to start your competition here.

This is what we call your calling card.

It's all about you, your dish,

and a way for you to tell us what sort of cook you really are.

At the end of this, Gregg and I will each choose our favourite dish.

Those two cooks will go straight through to the next round.

The remaining three will need to cook again

to secure their place in the competition.

Should Gregg and I each choose the same dish,

one of us will revert to our second choice.

Ladies and gentlemen, one hour and 15 minutes...

let's cook.

'I would be pleased if they think my food is flavoursome.'

Although I've achieved quite a few things in my life, like -

I've bounced radio signals off the moon -

this would be one hell of an achievement.

Fingers crossed.

-Hello, Joe.

-Hello, Gregg.

Good to meet you. Your accent, where are you from?

I'm from South Wales, from Bridgend.

Are you retired now, Joe?

No, I'm working full-time.

I'm 78 and I'm working, sort of, 40 hours a week.

Why are you here on MasterChef?

I've got five grandsons and I want to demonstrate to them

that they can cook as well as their grandad.

I've got a picture. Can I show you a picture?

Of course you can.

-With Grandad there.

-Yeah!

Fantastic. What are you going to make for us?

This is going to be chicken breast

stuffed with a pistachio mousseline,

then it's going to be served

with a sort of fusion of watercress and mango sauce.

This, actually, is a derivative of a MasterChef recipe

dating back to about 1990.

-MasterChef 1990?

-Yes.

Before our time, that was.

Not before mine.

Looking forward to this, Joe.

-It was nice talking to you.

-And so to you.

Right, let's get on.

I like Joe, I like his enthusiasm.

We've got a chicken breast filled with a mousseline,

which will be light and fluffy, with pistachio nuts in it

and he's serving that with a watercress and mango sauce -

and if it's seasoned well, it could be delicious.

My calling card is a chocolate brownie.

In my opinion, dessert's probably the best part of the meal.

I mean, who doesn't love the chocolate brownie?

I hope!

Natasha, you're coming on here

and you're cooking straightaway with chocolate,

so you're obviously going to win the whole competition.

I mean, I'm really happy to wade knee-deep in chocolate and caramel.

Is it going to end up looking pretty?

Yes, I hope so. I enjoy that bit.

What you do as a day job?

I'm an editor at a publishing house.

What sort of books?

-Science fiction and fantasy.

-Really?

-Yeah!

I just wanted to challenge myself

in a way that is completely different from my job.

Natasha, any girl with a bowl of chocolate

-is welcome in my MasterChef kitchen. Well done.

-Thank you.

A brownie is crispy on the outside and fudgy in the middle,

and that's what it's got to be.

And then she's going to serve that with salted caramel popcorn

and brittle.

I want it to be indulgent and fun.

I'm here cos I want to kind of test myself.

At home, I feel like I'm a good cook, but I think it's different

when you pit yourself against other people

and when you've got professionals judging you.

I don't want to embarrass myself.

It's more a matter of pride, I think.

-Where are you from, my friend?

-I'm from Hull.

Yeah, just outside Hull. A little town called Beverley.

-What do you do there?

-I'm an avionic engineer.

-Are you really?

-Yeah, yeah.

-What are you making?

I'm doing a spiced lamb rack, smoked aubergine puree...

and then it's going with a tomato keftede.

What's a keftede?

It's basically a tomato fritter.

Mike, you look very comfortable.

-Do I?

-You don't feel it?

I think it's like a big facade, if I'm honest.

These tomato fritters, I'm fascinated by.

They sound delicious.

I hope he does them justice.

You've got 30 minutes left.

Listen up, 30 minutes left.

It will fly.

The preparation that I've done for this competition has been immense.

I have been cooking the same dish after dish after dish constantly.

I'm really competitive.

I come into everything giving it my all.

It's the same in work, personal life.

I'm in it to win it, hopefully.

You've got a load of spices here, Katie.

Yep, this is my take on a katsu curry.

It's breaded chicken, which is coated a little bit

with ginger and garlic.

I'm making a spinach gomae and rice.

Basmati rice.

This was a dish that I tried a few months ago that was different,

it was sweet, so it really met my palate.

-I'm looking forward to this...

-Good.

-..very much so. Do you promise me lots of big flavours?

-Hope so.

-Good.

-OK.

Katie's really pushing the boat out with this dish.

I like the fact that she's taken the dish

and she's changing it and making her own version.

She's making a big, thick curry sauce,

she's deep-frying the chicken, which is a lovely idea.

I hope she gets the presentation right, though,

cos it could just be a bowl of curry and rice.

'I've always wanted to do MasterChef.'

I thought, why not now?

It's as good a time as any.

Utterly terrified...

scared.

Excited, though. I'm looking forward to it.

Where do you live and work?

Whitby. PE teacher, yeah.

Freelance PE teacher.

How do you combine sports, PE teaching and food?

Does it combine?

You've got to promote healthy living somehow.

However, the amount of butter that's going into this recipe...

What are you cooking?

I'm giving you a classic.

I'm doing a roast chicken dinner...

but my style.

Pan roasted chicken breast,

I've got some caramelised shallots...

got a chicken gravy.

How much do you like cooking, mate?

Cooking means, well...everything.

It's the first thing I think about, what I'm going to have for my tea,

and normally we're planning next night's tea

before this one's finished.

That's a love of food, Tom.

Everybody has their favourite roast chicken dinner.

The chicken's got to be moist,

those crispy potatoes in the oven have to be crispy.

I think he's playing with fire and that frightens me a little bit.

Right, guys, ten minutes left, please.

I'm reasonably happy.

I'm just slightly concerned that they won't like it.

Five cooks in the room and not a shy one amongst them.

I've got to say, I love the adventure today.

I just hope the food tastes as good as it sounds.

You have only got three minutes.

Your masterpiece has got to go on a plate right now.

60 seconds.

Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on!

-We'll call time, mate.

-Yep.

Stop, you're finished.

Very close, Tom.

It looks really nice.

How did your brownie turn out, all right?

Gooey.

First up is debt advisor Katie.

Her calling card is her take on chicken katsu curry,

served with coconut rice and a spinach gomae.

I think it's good that you've had a bit of fun with the presentation.

I think you're doing something which is different.

That is officially lovely.

Lovely crispy coating on the chicken -

underneath, the chicken is most.

Lovely flavours of soy and sesame in that spinach -

and a curry sauce that's more sweet than it is hot,

I find a perfect accompaniment for your crispy chicken.

Thanks.

Everything is cooked really nicely,

everything's seasoned very, very well.

You rice is cooked well, I love your spinach salad.

It's a bit of an odd thing, I think,

-to have cold spinach with hot food.

-Mm.

Nah, it's lovely!

-Thank you.

-Very good effort.

-Thanks, Katie.

-Clever.

-Thanks, Katie.

'Yeah, that was brilliant.'

I was reasonably confident,

but it was way better comments than I expected.

'I would love to go through as one of John or Gregg's favourites.'

Gregg particularly liked it,

so I'm holding my hopes up that Gregg's going to pick me.

-Just can't believe that.

-That's amazing.

It was good.

Mike, your turn, please.

Avionics engineer, Mike, has cooked a rack of lamb

and served it with smoked aubergine puree

and a tomato keftede

and topped it with pine nuts, pomegranate

and feta cheese.

Like the colours, love the ingredients you've cooked with.

Not sure you've quite pulled off that presentation.

Your lamb is cooked really well. It's pink, it's lovely,

it's browned on the outside.

However, that tomato fritter isn't cooked inside.

It's just wet.

Your lamb - make sure your fact is rendered,

cos that big lump of fat is not pleasant to eat.

Smoked aubergine puree - you don't get that smokiness,

and I think that's what this dish is slightly lacking,

is another dimension.

-Thanks, Mike.

-Cheers, thanks.

'I'm a little bit deflated, if I'm honest.

'Yeah, just couple of mistakes, which I know I can do better.'

'Cooking a fritter through fully is, you know, it's a bit basic'

and it was a bit of an error in judgment.

Instrument development engineer Joe has cooked chicken breast.

He's stuffed it with a pistachio mousseline

and served it with mangetout and two sauces -

a watercress sauce and a mango sauce.

Your watercress sauce is delicious.

Love that watercress sauce, it's got the pepperyness,

it's got a great texture, it's got the right colour.

I think that's great.

Pistachio nuts with your chicken

and the watercress sauce is a really, really fine thing.

The mango sauce I find a little bit weird,

not in flavour, but in texture.

It's pureed fruit -

and I feel as though I'm starting my dessert

halfway through my main course.

I'm happy with the fruity mango with the chicken.

It's sort of tropical sunshine.

However, I don't want two sauces together.

That's a clash, to me.

Thank you.

'I'm feeling OK.

'I'm just a little bit surprised'

it didn't go off quite as well as I expected it.

Whether it gets enough to get me straight through is questionable.

Still, you know, we'll see what actually happens, won't we?

Deputy publishing director Natasha has cooked dark chocolate brownie

with salted caramel popcorn,

almond brittle, double cream

and a caramel sauce.

Aw, look at that, the crack.

I think it's a really, really lovely thing.

Your chocolate brownie could probably be crispier on top

and it should really be crisp on the outside

and fudgy in the centre -

but I have to tell you, I love the flavours.

-I think it's delicious.

-Thank you.

Caramel, chocolate, brittle...

I mean, it's a pud lover's delight.

Good start, well done.

-Thank you, Natasha.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

-I called it, before they'd even tried it.

-Well done.

-I totally called it.

-It was so scary.

I think I've showed some skill in the dish.

We'll see what happens. Fingers crossed.

Last up is sports coach Tom.

His calling card is roast chicken breast

served with Parmentier potatoes,

caramelised shallots, a roasted carrot and honey puree,

and a chicken gravy.

You were running out of time very quickly,

you were rushing around at the end. It shows.

Listen, give yourself enough time to be able to plate it up properly.

I think your chicken can probably be cooked just a little bit less.

I think you need a bit of work on your gravy.

And I think you need to give yourself a bit more time

-to plate the dish up, Tom.

-Yeah, a bit pushed at the end.

Lovely, crispy potatoes with seasoning.

I like the sweetness of the onions, as well.

However, I find that puree too thick and too sweet.

Not the best start I wanted,

but there were things to be positive about.

I was a bit rushed at the end.

Scruffy chicken.

Well done.

Very, very well done, that's a good standard -

some very, very good cooking.

Two of you will go straight through to the next round.

And three of you will have to cook off

to secure your place in the competition.

So, my favourite dish of this round...

..was cooked...

by Katie. Great katsu. Thank you very much indeed.

Interestingly, Katie, you were my favourite dish as well,

so my second favourite dish today...

..is Natasha.

OK, ladies, you can leave us, thank you very much indeed.

Off you go.

I'm just a little bit shellshocked, still. I don't know.

A kind of relief just sets in straightaway.

Yeah, it was a brilliant feeling.

You know what you've got to do now.

You've got to cook to hold on to your place in the competition.

So, this is a sweet or savoury invention test, your choice.

Under those cloths are two trays.

One tray has got the ingredients for a savoury dish,

and one of them for a sweet dish.

At the end of this, one of you is going home.

Reveal your ingredients.

Oh!

The contestants must now choose whether to make a sweet dish,

using a variety of chocolate,

or a savoury dish, using cooked crab.

Make a choice, please. Sweet or savoury.

HE EXHALES

One hour. Let's cook.

Three's going to become two.

And I've just got to hope I'm not the one who has two leave.

It's just a case of going with what you know.

Try and add a bit of flair

and just not make the mistakes that I've made in the last one.

It's really important to nail it.

Why've you chosen the crab?

Because I didn't know what to do with the chocolate.

I do plenty of desserts,

but actually, chocolate is not one of my best ones.

I'm all right - it's just I'm not the innovator at home, my missus is.

-What are you going to make for us, then, Joe?

-Crab fishcakes.

Serve that on a bed of leeks. With that, a cream mustard sauce.

Slightly caramelised in some butter.

Do you fancy staying in the competition?

I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.

I've got something to prove to my grandsons, that they can do this.

-Best of luck.

-Thank you, Gregg. I'll need it.

HE LAUGHS

Joe can cook - he showed a very good touch

with how he cooked his chicken.

However, two sauces were a little bit wild.

I'd like to see something more traditional from Joe.

Wow, 15 minutes gone, guys.

Come on.

You've got 45 minutes to give us

-a masterpiece that will keep you in the competition.

-Oh, my God.

Are you going to be inventive now?

-Yes.

-What are you going to do for us?

I'm going to do a crab tian - so, set in a circular mould,

so it's going to be nice and fresh with a bit of caper through it.

Lime, chilli. And then I'm going to have another crack at a fritter.

Try not to let you down. Cheers, Gregg.

Yeah, I like Mike's style, but I want flavour.

I want big, bold flavours.

Whoa. Halfway. 30 minutes left.

-Tom, you've gone for the chocolate.

-I did savoury last time.

And I wanted to show you I can maybe do a little bit sweet as well.

What are you going to make, Tom?

I'm going to do milk and white chocolate

-brioche bread and butter pudding.

-Wahey! Serving it with anything?

I'm going to try toasted hazelnut caramel.

Got to get it out on time,

and I've got to get it tasting as strong and as well as I want it.

I don't want to go home yet.

I don't think there's anything wrong with Tom's cooking.

I just want him to make sure he's got his timings absolutely right

and he presents a tidy, decent-looking plate of food.

Four minutes left. Four minutes. Tom, four minutes.

That's it, time's up. Well done.

That looks absolutely fantastic.

Oh, that looks nice.

First up is Mike.

He's cooked a crab tian, topped with a crab fritter,

and served it with pak choi and a mustard vinaigrette.

You've cleaned that crab brilliantly,

there's not a bit of shell in there at all.

You've got flavour in there of salty capers.

There's a big punch of chilli.

That's OK - we're all grown-ups here.

Your fritter, in my opinion, is well made. Very well made.

Crispy on the outside, firm, lots of flavour in there as well.

-That's a decent job.

-Thank you very much.

You've got flavour in your food, that's what I wanted you to do.

I wanted you to deliver something which tasted

and had big, bold flavours.

-That's what you've done.

-Thanks very much. Cheers.

I managed to nail the fritter, which was the problem in the first round.

Fingers crossed.

If I can get through, then brilliant, it would be amazing.

Joe has made crab cakes and served them with new potatoes,

buttered leeks and a creamy mustard sauce.

If that's the first time you've cooked a crab,

-you've done amazingly well, Joe.

-Thank you.

That's not a bad crab cake at all.

It's got a crispy outside, soft in the middle.

I think mustard sauce and chilli, together,

is too much for the crab.

-You're not going to taste crab.

-Hmm.

The thing is, you cook well, Joe, you cook really well.

But I'm with Gregg -

I think the combination of the mustardy cream sauce and the crab

-is just a little bit too much.

-Mm-hm.

I'm feeling OK.

I've never, in my life, made a crab cake before.

Certainly I was taken completely outside my comfort zone.

Tom has made a double chocolate bread and butter pudding,

served with toasted hazelnuts and chocolate custard.

That is thick, it is stodgy, that's quite heavy.

-I actually think it could be a bit sweeter.

-Do you?

-Yeah, I do.

I think bread and butter pudding has that lovely crust of sugar

that sits across the top of it.

Tastes perfectly decent.

However, I don't see the point of two chocolates.

-Because you won't get two different chocolate...

-Flavours.

-..flavours.

One is just going to override the other.

A little gutted. Little bit down.

I did the first thing that came into my head,

and I did the best I could do.

I just wanted to show that I can do different things.

As you know, one of you will be leaving the competition.

We've got two places in the next round.

So we're going to ask you to step outside,

and we'll call you back in as soon as we've made our decision.

Gentleman, that way. Thank you.

I've had a good day.

I think it's been enjoyable, we've found ourselves some good cooks.

Now we've got to make a decision,

because one of them has got to leave the competition.

Mike's food, you really liked. He was very confident with the crab.

Lots of flavour, his little fritter.

It was nice to see a plate of food from Mike

that was full of flavour, and that's what I wanted.

I firmly believe that Mike should go through and join the ladies.

This is between Joe and Tom.

Tom made for us a chocolate bread and butter pudding.

And that was quite solid and quite dense. Tasty.

For me, it could've been a bit sweeter.

It's not that difficult to make a bread and butter pudding.

I'd be gutted if I left now.

It's terrifying, it's scary, but if it all ends now,

then, yeah, it'll be tough.

Joe made for us crab cakes.

He had never pulled a crab apart before. Buttered some leeks.

-Not a bad effort.

-But Joe's concoctions are a little bit odd.

I mean, you know, a mustardy cream sauce with a crab cake?

And that's really been the story so far for Joe.

Do his flavours really belong on one plate?

At the present moment, I think the jury is very much out on it -

but only time will tell,

because I'm up against some pretty good competition, that's for sure.

Who's got more to offer?

You know, who could turn it around?

I've enjoyed today.

I've enjoyed meeting all three of you.

You've obviously worked very, very hard, I applaud you for that.

But we have made a decision.

Two of you are joining Natasha and Katie.

One of you is leaving the competition.

The person leaving us...

..is Tom.

-Sorry, Tom.

-It's been a pleasure. Cheers.

Thanks, Tom. Thanks very much.

Gutted, but not surprised.

I don't think what I did today was good enough,

and those two in there did a great job.

It's fun, it's an experience, but...

I'll carry on cooking at home.

Well done.

Well done, gentlemen. Good job.

Right now is a really good feeling.

To get the nod and to say, "Yeah, you've done good so far,"

and then, "let's see some more of you."

That's a big tick in the box. Yes.

There's going to be five boys in South Wales

very, very proud of their grandad. Well done, Joe.

HE LAUGHS

Yeah, if I could rate it on a scale of 1 to 100,

I'm at 100 at the present moment.

And I think I've just got to get through the next stage.

I'll get there.

God willing.

Today, you guys are cooking for a place in the quarterfinal.

You are not just cooking for John and I today,

we have invited three guests.

They are the three MasterChef finalists from 2010.

Tim Kinnaird, Alex Rushmer

and Dhruv Baker.

Two courses, one hour and 15 minutes.

Your first course in one hour, second course 15 minutes later.

At the end of this, one of you will leave the competition.

Ladies and gentlemen, let's cook.

'I'm sure we'll feel the pressure today.'

It's all about the timings, and plating up four dishes,

it's a lot different to plating up one dish. It's going to be tough.

-Katie, how are you feeling about this task?

-Nervous. Pressured.

It's very close today,

so it is about getting everything done to my schedule.

What's your two courses?

My main is venison with stewed plums

in a blackcurrant and port sauce,

garlic mashed potato and parsnip crisps.

And the dessert is passion fruit filled profiteroles,

with a passion fruit coulis and chocolate sauce.

You're going to make choux pastry and fill them

-full of passion fruit cream?

-Passion fruit cream, yeah.

And as long as the choux pastry goes right the first time, I'm fine.

-If it doesn't, then we have a problem.

-Hmm!

We've got venison, meaty and rich, cooked pink,

with a plum sauce with a creamy mashed potato.

It could be really delicious.

What is going to push Katie is those profiteroles.

Looks simple - not easy in any way.

'To call yourself a MasterChef quarterfinalist would be amazing.'

I need to show the judges that there's more depth to my cooking,

so not just relying on a couple of techniques.

There's a lot more to it.

This is a very cramped bench.

Mike, you've got a lot of stuff here, mate.

Yeah - a lot to do, but I need to show off today, hopefully.

What are you going to feed us, Mike?

I'm going to do a beef fillet.

I'm doing that with a pearl barley risotto,

and then there's a beetroot and horseradish puree,

so you've got a nice peppery bite to go with the steak.

Dessert is a shortbread millefeuille,

piped lemon cream cheese filling with basil through it

and then it's all dressed with strawberries, as well,

so you're alternating cream, strawberry, cream, strawberry.

-Have you timed this, Mike?

-Yes.

-Seriously?

-Yeah.

-And not much to spare, I shouldn't imagine.

-No, not at all!

-Good luck.

-Cheers, thanks very much.

A stack of shortbread that he's making himself with cream,

flavoured with not only lemon, but also basil.

Possibly could work.

I quite like the fact that he's pushing it really, really hard.

He wants to show off process

and he wants to show us a good he really is -

but I hope it's not just about showing off.

'Yeah, I think today's going to be really tough.

'If I was giving myself time to do this,'

I'd give myself a lot longer than an hour and 15 minutes,

so that's where the pressure is coming from!

-We know that you can produce really good sweet fruit.

-Yes.

-You love desserts.

-Yes.

-We don't know anything about your savoury cooking, though.

-No.

So, what are you going to make for us?

I am making for you a leg fillet of venison

with a red wine and blackberry sauce,

celeriac puree and girolles.

-And dessert?

-It's a lemon posset.

It's going to be really pretty, I hope.

I just want to plate four really good mains

and four really good desserts, and whatever happens after that,

we'll see.

Dessert, I think, sounds great.

Lemon posset served with lemon curd and meringue.

But we know she can cook sweet things,

I want to see what she can do with a bit of savoury.

She's giving us venison with a fruity sauce

and a celeriac puree.

There's some chestnuts in there as well, some mushrooms.

I'll keep my fingers crossed. I'm looking forward to it.

'I would like to go further.'

I'm confident that my dish is all right.

If I can present these dishes the way that I want to present them,

I'll be very happy.

-G'day, Joe how you doing?

-I'm doing fine, thanks very much.

What are you going to cook for us, Joe?

Pan-fried pork loin fillets,

and that's going to be with some sauteed potatoes

and some green beans

and a very nice creamy mushroom sauce.

And then for dessert?

Oh, I'm going to do raspberry souffle

served with a summer fruit compote.

This is your second day on MasterChef

-and you're going to make four souffles?

-Yes.

-For the previous finalists of MasterChef?

-Yes.

Joe, you are one of the bravest men I've ever met on MasterChef.

That I don't...find hard to believe, but actually if you say it, yeah.

-I can do it.

-Ha!

I have no concerns whatsoever about Joe's menu.

Pork fillet, which is a lovely piece of meat,

and he's going to serve it with potatoes.

The raspberry souffle, as well, I think that sounds wonderful.

What is dangerous right now is timing.

Today's past finalists all now work in the food industry...

but this is where their journey began.

Being back here is fantastic.

It still never fails to surprise me,

just that kind of array of emotions

as you come through here.

When I had to cook for the critics,

I remember this like it was yesterday.

I still occasionally wake up in the night in a cold sweat.

Take yourself a breath.

You'll be fine.

That's better.

There were a couple of raised eyebrows,

and Kate Spicer, in particular,

took a very strong dislike to it.

Her face - she looked like she'd just eaten

the most disgusting thing on earth.

This puree...

How could he have made this mistake?

I'd like to think that I can spot talent on a plate,

but they've got to get that consistency,

and they've got to be able to get each plate

looking just like the last one.

I remember cooking for the critics,

probably more strongly than any other round in the whole show.

-How are your nerves?

-Shot to pieces.

I remember being really harried and trying to get everything together.

It's a first hint of what it's really like to be a chef

and cook professionally.

It's great to be back.

I remember cooking this round very well.

It was a bit of a sticky moment for me

and I remember almost not going through.

It's sort of heading towards being a trifle

without all the bells and whistles.

You're not going to get the finished article, now,

in the cooks that are in there today.

I think you just want to see a spark of food genius.

How long have I got?

Eight minutes, Katie.

So, Katie's main - venison fillet with blackcurrant stewed plums,

garlic mashed potato and parsnip crisps.

With venison, it's going to be down to how well it's cooked.

I feel lucky. Yeah, I'm ready to plate up.

I think I'm good to go, I'm on track.

-So, we're happy then, right?

-Yes, reasonably happy.

I like this.

What have you got to go on?

Just my sauce...

and the parsnip crisps.

Wahey! Look at the shine on that sauce.

Well done - on time, good-looking plate.

Go get them, girl.

-Well done, you.

-Thanks.

Nice.

-Very nice.

-Nice dish.

This is a fillet of venison with a garlic mash,

stewed plums in a blackcurrant and port sauce

and parsnip crisps.

-Enjoy.

-Thank you.

It smells incredible and I think it looks great.

I think this is a good silence, isn't it?

It's really tasty, yeah.

The cooking on the venison -

maybe another minute or so in the pan,

but everything just works so well together.

The shine on the sauce is incredible.

The parsnip crisps are crispy and crunch and nicely seasoned.

The mash is smooth and well seasoned.

A little bit of garlic, not too much.

I think it's top tasty food.

-That's an outstanding first dish from Katie.

-Mm.

Good-quality old-fashioned cooking.

The venison I'd like to be cooked just a little bit more.

That's my opinion. But a good dish.

-15 minutes.

-15 minutes.

-Profiteroles, yeah?

-Profiteroles.

Go!

I'm a bit of a choux pastry nerd,

so I shall enjoy seeing how well she makes her profiteroles.

-Nice, Katie.

-Thank you.

Happy?

Yeah, yeah.

-You've done very well on timings.

-Thanks.

-Off you go.

-Good, thank you.

-Well done.

-Not even a bead of sweat upon your brow.

-Well done, Katie.

So this is profiteroles with passion fruit filled cream,

passion fruit coulis, and a chocolate sauce

with a little bit of pistachio.

Enjoy. Thank you.

That is a good fill on the profiterole.

She's got all the technique right. The choux pastry's great.

She's clearly got the talent.

The sharpness and the right balance of sweetness

with the passion fruit, the chocolate.

I'd have been really chuffed

to have cooked those two dishes in this round when we were on.

It's tasty food.

It's good.

Well cooked choux pastry, nice flavoured filling,

good chocolate sauce.

Works for me, mate.

It's good. The girl's good.

-SHE LAUGHS

-I'm feeling relieved -

and I got it out all on time,

so, phew! Hopefully brownie points for that.

How are you doing on timing?

Yeah, not too bad, I think.

Mike is cooking for us a beef fillet

with a spinach and asparagus pearl barley risotto,

a beetroot and horseradish puree,

Parmesan crisps, and a red wine and thyme sauce.

Yeah, there's a lot going on there.

Reads busy.

-You've got three, Mike.

-Yep, no problem.

I like that.

I like that, mate.

Go on, mate. Let's go.

-Ah, I forgot something.

-What have you forgotten?

I knew it didn't look right.

Quick, quick, quick, quick, come on.

-Told you you were pushing it, didn't I?

-I did, yeah.

Just wanted to try and do as much as possible.

-Go, go, go.

-Good job.

Good effort. Good effort.

Today, gentlemen, I've cooked for you beef fillets,

spinach and asparagus risotto,

there are some pan-fried girolles,

and a beetroot and horseradish puree.

And on the side there is a red wine and thyme sauce.

Thanks very much. Cheers.

I think the balance of flavours is interesting.

It's quite brave.

The beef is cooked really nicely,

and this pearl barley risotto has got a really good texture.

But there are some mistakes here.

The sauce is a little disappointing.

It's possibly a little thin.

And actually, I don't know if the dish benefits hugely

from having the sauce on it.

I think it's a bit over-thought and a bit over-clever for me.

Just needs a notch down, for me.

It's a well cooked steak.

However, neither one of those sauces is particularly powerful.

The beef itself, I think,

could probably do with a bit more seasoning,

and if you're going to serve me horseradish, I want to go hoarse.

-15 minutes, yeah?

-Yeah.

-For your shortbread and cream.

-Sure.

So, Mike is cooking for us, for pudding,

a strawberry shortbread millefeuille.

The kind of worst-case scenario would be anaemic, undercooked,

thick shortbread with some, you know, whipped cream

and strawberries shoved into it.

Time will tell.

Good-looking plate, mate.

It's got quarterfinal written all over it, Gregg.

-Let's go. Well done.

-Go! Go, go, go, go.

-Look at that.

-Good on him.

OK, gents, I've served for you my take on a millefeuille,

with a lemon and basil cream,

fresh strawberries

and a strawberry and orange coulis on the outside.

Hope you enjoy. Cheers.

The shortbread is a bit underbaked.

Just kind of comes back to dough in your mouth.

But the cream's actually delicious.

You've got the lovely citrus notes in there

which sit alongside the strawberry -

but there's also a kind of savoury note.

Honestly, it reminds me of a pizza.

THEY LAUGH

-What?

-Seriously!

-What?!

There's a slight cheesiness in the cream

and there's a dominant taste of basil.

I think it reminds me of a Margherita pizza.

I don't think it's worked.

I like the work that's gone into it. I find it pleasant.

I find the basil slightly uncomfortable.

-I can live with it.

-The basil doesn't worry me that much.

He's trying to show his technical ability,

and I'm pleased about that.

It pretty much went to plan - near enough, yeah.

I'm not fully sure if all the elements came together...

but, yeah, fingers crossed they liked it.

-Stressful, though.

-HE LAUGHS

How are you doing, Natasha?

Erm, I'm a bit stretched for time, actually.

-Have you not got your mushrooms done?

-No.

Natasha's main course is venison leg steak

with red wine blackberry sauce, roasted chestnuts,

celeriac and girolles.

I hope it tastes as good as it reads on the menu.

Don't lose control, now. You're fine, OK?

I'm shaking.

It's messy.

Worth waiting for. Little bit over.

-Sorry.

-Come on! Are we ready to go?

I'm ready to go.

-Well done, Natasha. Go on, take those two. Go.

-OK.

Great.

Thank you.

I've cooked for you venison with celeriac,

girolles and roasted chestnuts.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Bye.

It's not a winner for me, I'm afraid.

-No.

-The venison is cooked reasonably well.

Unfortunately, the meat itself

is let down by the rest of the dish.

The chestnuts, I just couldn't eat some of them,

cos they were too hard.

Girolles, under-seasoned, and the puree was just really watery

and not having any real flavour.

It's a shame, really, cos she's cooked the meat well,

but the other bits have just kind of fallen off a cliff a bit.

The celeriac puree is lumpy.

The chestnuts are a bit dry and overcooked.

I like the rich sauce, but it could do with a bit of finesse.

That is a dish with a cook that has run out of time.

Oh, the main just didn't go to plan, I'm afraid.

It looked really messy. And that's my favourite bit, so...

Are we going to have possets in 15?

I think.

Natasha's dessert is lemon posset with lemon curd,

meringue and blueberries.

I've had a very similar dish to this at a restaurant quite recently,

and it was fantastic.

-So I do have a...

-Yeah.

-..benchmark for this dish.

Well, that's a really pretty dish.

-Thank you.

-REALLY pretty dish.

Happy?

Yeah, let's do it.

-Good.

-Well done.

-Hello again.

-Hello.

Thank you.

You've got a lemon posset

with lemon curd, blueberries

and meringue kisses.

-So hope you enjoy. Thank you.

-Thank you.

-It's properly lemony.

-Mm-hm.

And it's not easy to make a lemon curd -

certainly not in that length of time.

The posset's got a beautiful set on it.

The meringue's nice and gooey.

For me, I'd like the meringue a little bit crisper,

cos there's lots of soft textures, and you want something

that's much more distinctly crunchy, crispy.

But the flavours are spot-on.

Sharp, sweet, refreshing.

Clever cooking, and well executed.

Beautiful dish.

Not too sweet.

You get a little burst of blueberry juice in there, as well.

She's made it pretty, she's made it delicious.

I think it's a lovely, lovely thing.

That's one of the most difficult cooking experiences of my life.

I just gave myself too much to do,

and I never want to cook within an hour again.

SHE LAUGHS

Joe, 15 minutes on your main course.

Joe's main - pan-fried loin of pork fillet

served with Parisian potatoes, green beans

and cream mustard sauce.

I think the concern here is that the pork will be overcooked.

You're supposed to be serving in three minutes.

-You're a bit behind, aren't you?

-I am behind.

How long are we going to be?

-On the basis of this, probably about another three minutes, John.

-OK.

The plates should have gone. This is the end of normal time.

-Right, OK, I'm sorry.

-You're on borrowed time now, Joe.

Ugh, dammit.

So I'm keeping these guys waiting.

-We're about eight minutes over now.

-Oh, my God.

-Almost there?

-Almost, yes.

And that - that's very late,

-but that's very nice.

-Good.

-Can we go?

-OK. There we are.

Come on, Joe. Go on, mate.

-Hi, folks.

-Hello.

-Humble apologies for the delay.

-Don't worry.

-It's all right.

-Thank you.

Thank you.

What I've prepared for you is actually pan-fried loin of pork,

caramelised potatoes and sauteed green beans.

Enjoy it.

-Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

Very classical presentation.

It's a bit...home cooking.

I love the fact that the pork is still nice and pink.

I mean, mine's cooked beautifully.

The potatoes - crispy on the outside, lovely herby flavour,

lovely and fluffy in the middle.

We've got actually quite a clever sauce.

But I remember cooking something really similar at this stage,

and I just wonder whether the ambition of the chefs

cooking in the competition now might slightly eclipse it.

That's too rare for me.

I don't mind the cooking of the pork.

Love the potatoes with all that rosemary.

-Right.

-Right, souffles now, yeah?

-Yes, John.

-Are they going to take 10 minutes in the oven, Joe, are they?

-Yes.

It's not that easy to execute souffle.

I'm rooting for him. I hope he nails it.

Look at that!

It's a souffle on the rise.

I'm tempted to take them out.

Well, either shut the door and commit

or not shut the door and commit.

Heeey, look at that!

Get in there.

It's a pretty plate.

Come on, Joe, let's go. Before they drop.

-You're all right. Let's go.

-OK.

Right, OK. what I've actually done today is a raspberry souffle

with a summer fruit compote.

-Have a great time.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

-Thanks.

It's far from being a perfect souffle.

I think it's a little heavy on the egg white,

-and there's not enough of the custardy base to it.

-Yeah.

I think, as a dessert,

compared with the other three that we've eaten today,

I don't think it quite matches up.

But I kind to want to forgive him all, cos he gave me a butterfly!

Team Joe.

I like that, the sharp fruit with the sweet souffle.

It's a good thing.

I mean, Michelangelo finished the Sistine Chapel

faster than Joe finished his souffle, but it's a work of art.

It's taken a lot longer

than I thought it would take.

I got myself out of sequence, and so I paid the penalty, I think,

for actually being rather late.

We thought in the earlier round that we had uncovered some talent.

Today, I think, proves it, and we are left with a difficult job

of dismissing one of them from the competition.

Katie started off the whole shooting match,

and she did very, very well indeed.

Her profiteroles were lovely and crispy.

She looked to be in control.

She had no timing issues.

Katie appears to me to be a class act.

It would be amazing to get through to the quarterfinals.

Time will tell. Time will tell. Fingers crossed.

Mike gives himself so much to do

that he doesn't focus on the most important part of a dish,

and that's what it tastes like.

But as far as clarity is concerned, and clean plates of food

and organisation, Mike is strong.

Not knowing what the other guys have cooked and how well they've done

kind of leaves you out there and not knowing.

There's no doubt in my mind Natasha likes desserts

a lot more than she likes savouries.

Her main course wasn't quite right.

The celeriac puree was a bit lumpy.

The chestnuts were bit dry -

and its presentation wasn't quite right.

The venison was so messy.

Yeah, no, I do feel a bit down about that.

We'll see.

The boys in the dining room enjoyed Joe's pork dish

a lot more than I did.

The souffle, however, was great.

Sharp berry compote, rich with the taste of raspberries -

great dessert.

Well, I know I'm up against some pretty tough competition.

I know one thing - I've done my very best.

Three places in the quarterfinal.

That means we're going to lose one of our cooks today.

Who is going to cope in the next round? That's the point.

Congratulations.

At the start of the day I said you had to stand out,

and today you have.

Three quarterfinal places to give

means that one of you is leaving the competition.

The person leaving us...

..is Joe.

Thank you very much.

-Take care.

-Well done.

Well done, Joe.

Oh, I'm immensely proud of where I got to -

considering my age.

I really had a great time.

Only wish I could have lasted a bit longer,

but actually, I'm happy.

You are MasterChef quarterfinalists. Very well done.

-Whoo!

-THEY LAUGH

To be a MasterChef quarterfinalist is amazing.

Just thrilled. Really happy.

It feels amazing, yeah. I was totally surprised, if I'm honest.

I thought I was a goner.

But I'm ridiculously excited and super chuffed.

-KATIE:

-It hasn't sunk in. It's just surreal to think about -

I'm a MasterChef quarterfinalist!

It's brilliant.

Tomorrow night it's the quarterfinal,

and Mike, Natasha and Katie

will join Kei, Julie and Chris

to battle for their place

cooking for one of the country's top restaurant critics.

I need some spoons. Quickly, please. Two spoons, please.

Absolutely sublime.