0:00:03 > 0:00:05It's the MasterChef quarterfinal...
0:00:07 > 0:00:10..and this week's best home cooks are back.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13I'm a doctor, I'm a scientist
0:00:13 > 0:00:16and now I'm a MasterChef quarterfinalist.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20If I want something, I will give everything that I have.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23This competition, it really lights a fire inside you
0:00:23 > 0:00:25and I'm really excited to get in there and cook.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30Definitely want to stay and I just want to get better and better.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32And I just want to be pushed until I go home.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Tonight, they will face just one challenge -
0:00:38 > 0:00:42to cook an outstanding dish from a brief set by
0:00:42 > 0:00:45renowned restaurant critic Grace Dent.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Quarterfinal day, you and I have high expectations.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Once they've put their heart and soul into this competition,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56it becomes more and more important.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58One slip-up and you're gone.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23Congratulations, all of you, on making the quarterfinals.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29You've been set a brief to cook comfort food.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Something that you would either cook for yourself at home,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38cook for loved ones or always order from a menu.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45That brief was set by journalist and food writer Grace Dent.
0:01:46 > 0:01:51And, actually, she's coming in to taste your food and help us judge.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57All six of you are cooking for a place in knockout week,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and we'll take the best cooks with us.
0:02:00 > 0:02:0490 minutes, comfort food...
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Let's cook.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I think the brief with this is quite difficult,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14because what is comfort food?
0:02:14 > 0:02:16It's so open.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22This food has to be big, bold and it has to be satisfying.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28I eat out three or four times a week and, yes, I am very spoiled.
0:02:28 > 0:02:35But what I tend to be served are these bowls of style and technique.
0:02:35 > 0:02:41Smears and stains and foams - these are all very nice in their own way.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42It's not what I want on my day off.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Nawamin loves the food of Thailand -
0:02:49 > 0:02:52that's where he grew up - and the flavours he's produced so far
0:02:52 > 0:02:54have been truly impressive.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59I want to stay in this competition until the final.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01I have to be unique.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03I'm going to cook Thai food.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Very authentic.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07If you love Thai food, you will love me.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11Nawamin, what is comfort food?
0:03:11 > 0:03:15So comfort food's like when you have like a bad day
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and you come back home, you want a bowl of something
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and sit on a sofa and eat it.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23So I'm going to make you pad thai.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Delicious Thai stir-fry noodle.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29We make pad thai sauce from tamarind, palm sugar
0:03:29 > 0:03:34and fish sauce, and then we add prawn, tofu and things, and hoy tod.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37- What's hoy toy?- Hoy tod.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39- High toy?- Hoy tod.
0:03:39 > 0:03:40Hoy tod!
0:03:40 > 0:03:42That's perfect! Impressive.
0:03:42 > 0:03:43High-five. Yeah.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Hoy tod is crispy mussel pancake,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48but I have a little surprise for you.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52So I'm wearing this butterfly shirt for some reasons.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54I'm intrigued.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Pad thai, classic street food.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Rice noodles have to be soft and slippery and not falling apart.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04So, this is your butterfly surprise?
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Yes.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Nawamin's talking about presenting his dish in a very unusual style.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11A butterfly in a pad thai?
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Who knows!
0:04:17 > 0:04:19I like Simon - he impresses me.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22He's got real cookery technique and a point of difference.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27Steak tartare with Asian flavours - that was clever.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29This competition definitely grabs hold of you.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32It really sort of becomes part of you quite early on.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34It's only the third time in the kitchen, but it's what
0:04:34 > 0:04:37you think about, it's what you dream about,
0:04:37 > 0:04:39so it really is pretty all-encompassing.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43What is comfort food?
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Just something... I think Sunday afternoons,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48you've had a big weekend of any type.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49Exactly.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Just something that's really hearty and comforting,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- gives you a bit of a hug. - What's your comfort dish?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58My comfort dish is a chicken, bacon, mushroom and leek pie
0:04:58 > 0:05:00with a cheddar and thyme pastry,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03some pomme puree, which is basically just fancy mash,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06and some caramelised Brussels sprouts.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Why are you serving sprouts?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10I think they're massively underrated.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I love sprouts. So what I'm going to do is use bacon fat to caramelise
0:05:13 > 0:05:15the sprouts to get a nice char on them.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I've turned a lot of sprout haters into sprout lovers,
0:05:18 > 0:05:20so I want to maybe try and create a few more.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Simon's our technical cook and today is lots and lots of technique.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28He's got lots of elements to get absolutely right.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Got to get his pastry right, got to get his filling right,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33got to get the sauce of the filling right, and then he's got to put it
0:05:33 > 0:05:35all together and make sure it's baked in time.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37On top of that, mashed potato and gravy.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Hopefully he won't have time to do the sprouts.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44It's all smelling great, guys.
0:05:44 > 0:05:4730 minutes gone, one hour left.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53I'm really hoping that Moonira's comfort food
0:05:53 > 0:05:56is very similar to the food she's already given us -
0:05:56 > 0:05:57very exciting and spicy.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I'm coping with the pressure OK.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03It's tough and I felt it in the last round,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and I think I am going to feel it today as well.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10But I'm a pharmacist - my job is to work under pressure.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13So I'm hoping that will help me carry on.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Moonira, this is comfort food, but you look anything
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- but comfortable right now.- I think I've got a lot to do in the time.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24So what's comfort food for you today?
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Right, for me, comfort food is something called haleem,
0:06:28 > 0:06:33which is a spicy barley and lentil broth with lamb inside,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35served inside a cob, a bread.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Alongside, I'm going to serve you some stuffed chillies
0:06:38 > 0:06:42and I'm going to dip them in batter and deep-fry them.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Anything fried is always comfort.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Why have you given yourself a lot to do?
0:06:47 > 0:06:49Because giving you just a bowl of soup wasn't enough.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56I think Moonira has given herself a huge amount of work to do.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59If she pulls it off, I'm going to be really pleased.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Stew and bread.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Who doesn't love that?
0:07:04 > 0:07:07David's food is adventurous.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09We've had meatballs with chermoula,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12we've had a smoked chicken and beetroot sorbet.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I don't know what David's comfort food's going to be,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16but I'll tell you what - it's not going to be the norm
0:07:16 > 0:07:18and it's going to be thought-provoking.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20You can guarantee that.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26David, funny enough, I don't see you as a comfort-food sort of cook.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- Are you?- Yeah, everyone has their own comforts, don't they?
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Steak and chips is probably my comfort.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- What are you making?- I'm just doing pork cheeks sat in a bed
0:07:34 > 0:07:37of caramelised cauliflower puree with blue cheese croquettes
0:07:37 > 0:07:39and a stuffed Savoy cabbage.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40Why aren't we getting steak and chips?
0:07:40 > 0:07:42I know there's a lot of comfort food dishes.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I just thought this was a bit more interesting than steak and chips.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53I just hope that I've paid attention enough to the brief and it tastes
0:07:53 > 0:07:56good enough, they can't really knock you down for sticking
0:07:56 > 0:07:58to the brief and making a good plate of food.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Braised cheeks of pork, Iberico pork,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06soft as you like. Serve that with lots of gravy,
0:08:06 > 0:08:11a puree made from cauliflower - it sounds more like a restaurant dish.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I hope it's not too complicated for Grace's brief.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18You've got 40 minutes left.
0:08:18 > 0:08:1940 minutes.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Nick's truly ambitious.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25We saw that in the first round with his lemon meringue pie.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27He's got the attitude.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30The fact is, he's got to give himself enough time to finish
0:08:30 > 0:08:33the dishes so they are smart and they are complete.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Nick, what is it about comfort food?
0:08:38 > 0:08:40I think it's about happy memories from childhood,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43things that, you know, you ate with your family and your loved ones.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Obviously Mum's cooking's normally your ultimate comfort food.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48What's your comfort dish?
0:08:48 > 0:08:52Today, I'm doing a duck, wild mushroom, roasted butternut squash,
0:08:52 > 0:08:58toasted walnut and spinach lasagne, with an egg-yolk ravioli on the top.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Why would you stick one pasta dish on top of another?
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Because the egg yolk, I think, just evokes comfort
0:09:03 > 0:09:05when it's running down the side of the dish.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07It adds luxury and a richness to it.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09It's already quite a rich dish, I'll be honest,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13but who doesn't want a rich dish? That's my understanding of comfort.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Growing up, we always ate dinner at the table as a family,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23and one of my favourite meals from my mum was her traditional lasagne.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26But obviously this is MasterChef, so I've had to tweak it and try
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and elevate it to MasterChef sort of levels,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and hopefully I've managed to do that.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Nick's comfort food is lasagne.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I hope it's not too complicated,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39because what we all love about lasagne is the meat sauce,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42the white sauce, the cheesy bits, the crispy corners -
0:09:42 > 0:09:43that what it's all about.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49I think Sesi is a class act.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Her food is clean, it's crisp and it has lots of flavours.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58I think the standard of the quarterfinals is definitely higher.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01You have to keep asking yourself -
0:10:01 > 0:10:03am I doing enough for the time allocated?
0:10:03 > 0:10:06The last thing you'd want to be at this stage is safe or complacent.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15I'm making a roast chicken with some oven-roasted vegetables,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18a honey-whisky gravy, mashed potato
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and a bacon-and-potato crumb.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22So why this dish?
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I'm trying to marry together the feeling
0:10:24 > 0:10:28I get from both my Nigerian and my British influences.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31In Nigeria, chicken is a real celebration dish for us.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34And from the British side, some of my best memories are eating
0:10:34 > 0:10:37a huge bowl of mash with my husband,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40because it's comforting to have that with a bit of gravy on the side,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and it makes you feel warm and we have a laugh together.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49We know that Sesi can cook a roast chicken with mashed potato
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and carrots and gravy because she did it in the first round.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55I hope this has a point of difference.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Guys, you've got just 12 minutes left.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01Six cooks, one dozen minutes.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11I'm really pushed for time at the moment, so I just need to crack on.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Listen, this is the quarterfinal and you have just five minutes.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23Guys, you've got 60 seconds.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Ah! Stay!
0:11:37 > 0:11:38Stop!
0:11:47 > 0:11:48That's amazing.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- Beautiful!- Thank you!
0:11:50 > 0:11:52- Oh, wow! Lasagne. - It looks such a mess.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54No, it looks very rustic.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56- It looks so decadent. - Just like, mmm!
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Now I'd like to introduce you to the person
0:12:02 > 0:12:05that set this challenge in the first place.
0:12:05 > 0:12:11Ladies and gentlemen - writer, food expert, critic Grace Dent.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22You cut a very formidable figure.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I've had a lot of practice.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Simon, up you come.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39Stay-at-home dad Simon has made a chicken, bacon,
0:12:39 > 0:12:44mushroom and leek pie with a cheddar and thyme pastry,
0:12:44 > 0:12:48potato puree and caramelised Brussels sprouts,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50served with a chicken sauce.
0:13:01 > 0:13:07I didn't expect to like something as much as that so early on.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10I love the look of this and, perhaps unusually,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13the thing that's making me very happy are the Brussels sprouts.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I love that there's colour in them.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I could eat all of those and go back for more.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Comfort food is supposed to give it that "aw" factor.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25That's what it's supposed to be.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27I mean, buttery pastry with a slight tang of cheddar.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31Your sauce is rich and it's slightly fruity,
0:13:31 > 0:13:35and your innards of your pie are all soft and delicious as well.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37You couldn't want for much more.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39Perhaps less Brussels sprouts.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43I think it's a great dish.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I like the cheesiness of your pastry,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49I think your filling is great and I love the mashed potato.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Simon, thank you very much for the pie.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55- You can keep the sprouts. - Thanks, John. Thanks, everyone.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Wow! That was just unbelievable.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Did not expect that.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I hoped they would like it - I didn't think they would love it.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09I can die a happy man now. I'm just like...
0:14:09 > 0:14:10Oh, wow.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18Doctor Nawamin has made pad thai -
0:14:18 > 0:14:21stir-fried noodles in a tamarind-based sauce,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25with prawns, tofu,
0:14:25 > 0:14:27beansprouts and peanuts,
0:14:27 > 0:14:31and hoy tod mussel pancakes, served with chilli sauce.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36I love that it has fancy flares to it,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39because it has to be something that would make me keep going back...
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- Exactly.- ..to a restaurant time and time again.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53This has hits to it and it has misses to it.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57I loved your mussel butterflies -
0:14:57 > 0:14:59I could eat an entire tray of those if they were served
0:14:59 > 0:15:00to me at a party.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02And I love the sauce.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05The noodles, for me, were where it fell down.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07I thought they were a little bit dry.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13I like those crispy pancakes with the sweet chilli sauce.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15I like that, and then when you get down on those mussels,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18you get a little bit of salt as well. I like that.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20I find the noodles too dry.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23I get a little bit of sour tamarind and I get some saltiness,
0:15:23 > 0:15:24but it's missing a zing.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29I really like the way you cooked the prawns, because they're lovely
0:15:29 > 0:15:30and crunchy still.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34I'd like those noodles to be a little bit more unctuous,
0:15:34 > 0:15:35- but I like the flavours.- Thank you.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42I'm pretty happy with the dish and they loved my mussel pancakes.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Youth worker Nick has created a duck, wild mushroom,
0:15:52 > 0:15:56butternut squash, spinach and red onion marmalade lasagne,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58with crispy sage leaves,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01girolles and toasted walnuts,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04topped with an egg-yolk ravioli.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17It's a very strange plate of food to look at
0:16:17 > 0:16:18and to work your way through.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21However, there's some lovely things happening.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24You know, your butternut squash is lovely.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28By no means is this a lasagne, but it is lovely pasta.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33If this was sitting in my fridge going cold, I would probably
0:16:33 > 0:16:35eat this by myself with a fork.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Perhaps wearing tracksuit bottoms, but that's our secret.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44It's flavoured well. I like sage, I like the truffle,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46I like the woodland mushrooms.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48But underneath there's the onion, there's egg running out
0:16:48 > 0:16:52of my pasta, toasted walnuts, got duck skin, I've got duck.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Look, I appreciate your efforts, I appreciate your inspiration,
0:16:55 > 0:16:57but this is really confused.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59OK.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02You most certainly have skill,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06because an egg-yolk ravioli is one of the toughest pastas to make
0:17:06 > 0:17:09and yours is perfect. But all of these things together
0:17:09 > 0:17:14are far too much for me, and the biggest and most overpowering
0:17:14 > 0:17:17is almost jam-like sweetened red onions.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19I mean, you've chucked far too many flavours at that.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25It was a bit of a mixed bag.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29I'm chuffed that I got every single element of my dish up on time, just.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31But far too many ingredients.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38Trainee paediatric surgeon Sesi has cooked pan-roasted chicken breast
0:17:38 > 0:17:43with mashed potatoes, baby mushrooms and carrots,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45a bacon and potato crumb
0:17:45 > 0:17:49and micro herbs, served with a honey and whisky gravy.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Sesi, it's very similar to your first-round dish.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03I would eat Sunday lunch at your house.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05I don't know if I'm invited - I'm inviting myself.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08I love the chicken, I love the sauce.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11The mushrooms and the cress are puzzling,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13but I just ate my way around them.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18I'm really happy with the way you cooked your chicken
0:18:18 > 0:18:20and I love that sauce.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22I would like more mashed potato.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25If you love mashed potato - and I love it -
0:18:25 > 0:18:29I'd like the chicken sitting on a mound of mashed potato.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35I think there's good bits to this, Sesi, I really do.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38My concern is it's really, really similar to the first dish
0:18:38 > 0:18:40that we ever saw you cook.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42In fact, almost identical.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51I'm feeling a bit disappointed because I was quite hoping to
0:18:51 > 0:18:54show them something that showed some diversity and some skill,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57but I've ended up cooking almost exactly the same dish
0:18:57 > 0:19:02that I made in the beginning, which I'm absolutely kicking myself about.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10Pharmacist Moonira is serving haleem -
0:19:10 > 0:19:14a lamb and barley broth in a freshly baked bread bowl,
0:19:14 > 0:19:18with battered Anaheim chillies stuffed with spiced potato,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and served with cucumberita,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23pickled onions and cucumber,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25and a lime water drink.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It looks like a banquet fit for an emperor.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Wow! You did this in 90 minutes.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35You work quickly.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48That is a pearl barley lamb,
0:19:48 > 0:19:52almost Scottish stew, that's, like, gone OTT
0:19:52 > 0:19:54with the spice of a mulligatawny.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Absolutely stunning.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00These, that look like whole fried bananas, are delicious!
0:20:00 > 0:20:04You've put spiced mashed potato inside a chilli,
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- battered it and deep-fried it.- Yes. - Amazed.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13I've eaten haleem before in a place in central London.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17The chef will kill me, but I think I like this one better.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Aw, thank you.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21I think this is just fantastic.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25I love the fact that that lamb broth tastes almost like
0:20:25 > 0:20:28a lamb and barley stew, but then it's being curried.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30The fact you made bread, good on you.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34You know what? I would be really happy with that all on my lap
0:20:34 > 0:20:36watching the telly on a Friday night, in my shorts.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44Well done!
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- Well done!- Thank you. - You've done so good.- Thank you.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50I've got a lovely smile.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52My cheekbones are hurting now, I'm smiling so much.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54No, I'm really, really pleased.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01Pilot David has cooked Iberico pork cheeks
0:21:01 > 0:21:05in a Marsala sauce on cauliflower puree,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09with a cabbage leaf stuffed with apricots and pine nuts,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and a blue cheese and potato croquette.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27I love the colour that you got in the marinade on here and the sauce.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30It looks inviting. I think tasting it, it lacks something.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33I think I wanted it either to be sweeter or something.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35It needed a bang and there was nothing there
0:21:35 > 0:21:36that really grabbed me.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I liked what you'd stuffed the cabbage with.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41It's beautifully seasoned.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45This isn't personal - I think that the whole of the restaurant world
0:21:45 > 0:21:48needs to apologise for cauliflower puree.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50However, I can see that you can cook,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54and this is something that I suspect you really like
0:21:54 > 0:21:57and you have just hit on ingredients that I really don't.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Pork cheeks, stewed down like that,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05soft and wonderful with mashed potato,
0:22:05 > 0:22:06I'd be very, very happy.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I admire the fact that you're pushing the boat out,
0:22:09 > 0:22:10I really do.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14But when you start to play with sweet apricots,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16salty, strong blue cheese,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20smoky, almost burnt cauliflower alongside sweet wine,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23with a pork cheek and cabbage, it becomes dangerous.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30I love the sweetness of the apricots with the blue cheese.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33It tastes to me like a cheese board with some fruit in it.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I like the almost bitterness and maltiness that you've got from
0:22:36 > 0:22:39your cauliflower, and your pig cheeks are well cooked.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41But I'm the only one here who likes it.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44In the previous round, you completely divided
0:22:44 > 0:22:47the guest judges and us.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50If you can ally your technical ability to food
0:22:50 > 0:22:53that everybody says, "Cor, that is fantastic,"
0:22:53 > 0:22:55you're a MasterChef champion.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59If you can't, you're always going to be flirting with danger.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I think, in two days in a row, I've completely split the judges
0:23:07 > 0:23:08down the middle.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12So, I don't know, maybe I'm doing something right and people are just
0:23:12 > 0:23:14catching up or maybe I'm just wrong.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Well done. You know what comes next.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21You go and sit and wait and bite your nails, and we talk about you.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22Off you go.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30Thank you, lovely to see you.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- Thanks for having me. - Real pleasure, thank you, Grace.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35- See you out and about. Bye.- See you, guys.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44I think today we have got a couple of cooks in here
0:23:44 > 0:23:46who were bang on the money.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Let's talk about Simon,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51because Simon's dish was the dish of the day.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Simple elegance, and then when you eat it,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56it just takes you to such a fantastic place,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58and that's the sort of stuff we want.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Simon understood the brief, he loved the brief,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and he is going straight through to knockout week because of it.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08For me, the outstanding dish was Moonira.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10I wouldn't have thought it was humanely possible
0:24:10 > 0:24:13to get that many things done in an hour and a half.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15What a star.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18I think Moonira did a fantastic job, and I think we both agree,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20she's going straight through to the next round.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22Nick achieved lots and lots.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26He did mushrooms and onion jam, he made ravioli with an egg yolk in it,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29all sorts of things, and then he put them all together in the name
0:24:29 > 0:24:31of lasagne, and that is a real shame.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- He got that wrong today. - Yes.- Badly wrong.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Sesi said that she loves bowls of mashed potato and gravy.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Where's all the mashed potato?
0:24:39 > 0:24:43It's virtually the same as the dish she's done before.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45Now, what is that? A lack of ambition?
0:24:46 > 0:24:48No progress at all?
0:24:48 > 0:24:51John, we're going through to knockout week.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53David has got ambition.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Look, you know that I liked his combination of apricots,
0:24:57 > 0:25:01blue cheese and cauliflower, but I also have to admit
0:25:01 > 0:25:03I was the only one who did.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06I admire the amount of work he puts into his dishes.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09There is some promise, but he is wacky with flavours, Gregg.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13Nawamin, he's got some great ideas, some real flamboyance.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I loved his pancakes with the mussels in the shape of a butterfly.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20The noodles, I don't think he quite delivered the Thai street food
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- that he promised. - No, I think you're right.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25I think the noodles themselves need to be wetter,
0:25:25 > 0:25:29but what we did have was lots of process going on.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31There is a sense of ambition about him.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37I hope I have done enough to stay in the competition
0:25:37 > 0:25:40but, you know, like, it can go either way.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43I'd feel disappointed in myself if I went home today,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45because I feel like I could have pushed the boat more
0:25:45 > 0:25:49and really put more heart and soul into it.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I really want to continue in this competition
0:25:51 > 0:25:54and see how far I can push myself to improve.
0:25:54 > 0:25:55Only time will tell.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I'll be really disappointed to go home, but I've given
0:25:59 > 0:26:04it everything, so, you know, hopefully I'll get that next chance
0:26:04 > 0:26:06and get back, prove them all wrong.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19We've decided that four of you are going through knockout week,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22which means that two of you will be leaving the competition.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30There's two people today that truly impressed not just Gregg and I
0:26:30 > 0:26:31but also Grace.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Moonira...
0:26:35 > 0:26:40..Simon, congratulations, you're going through to knockout week.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41Fantastic food, both of you.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45David...
0:26:46 > 0:26:48..Sesi, Nick...
0:26:49 > 0:26:50..and Nawamin...
0:26:52 > 0:26:54..we have two more places to give.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01David...
0:27:03 > 0:27:04..Nawamin...
0:27:06 > 0:27:08..you're both going through to knockout week.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Nick, Sesi, I'm so very sorry. Thanks a lot.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20I think, for me, the competition,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23you completely underestimate how much pressure there is.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26But it was a great experience and I've loved every second of it,
0:27:26 > 0:27:27so no regrets.
0:27:29 > 0:27:34When I made the dish I did, I knew I hadn't pushed myself enough,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37so even though I would like to continue in the competition,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I'm still proud, and I feel at peace with it all.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51I did do a lot of work in the 90 minutes, and yeah, that's me -
0:27:51 > 0:27:52I'm a little whirlwind!
0:27:54 > 0:27:55I'm feeling ecstatic at the minute.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Going forward, I think I've probably just got to rein it in a little bit.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00I've just got to keep getting better.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02That was good for today. It hit the brief,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04but the brief will be very different next time.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05I'm just so happy.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09Luckily, my butterfly crispy pancake
0:28:09 > 0:28:12brought me to the next round, so thank you, butterflies.
0:28:17 > 0:28:23Next week, seven new cooks battle it out for a place in the quarterfinal.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26Blimey, it's a big 'un.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29- Has it set?- Yes!
0:28:32 > 0:28:37You've got to get these starters out, mate. They're waiting for you.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39That's probably the best fig tart I've ever had.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41That is absolutely superb.