Episode 11 MasterChef

MasterChef is back.

Hundreds auditioned, now the best 50 amateur cooks are through.

Let's cook.

Get your pudding spoon out and man up.

You either stand out or you're knocked out.

Each week, ten new contestants

battling for a place in Friday's quarterfinal.

I don't want to eat it.

I already feel nervous for them.

This is just...bang.

Only the strongest will make it to the final challenges.

Come on, we have got to move now.

You've got six minutes left.

Oh!

Cooking does not get tougher than this.

I love days like today.

MasterChef quarterfinal and we have got ourselves four great cooks.

This quarterfinal could be incredible.

I want them to really set this competition on fire.

'Today is the quarterfinals.'

I am so excited and I am so nervous in, sort of, equal measures.

'This is an opportunity of a lifetime.'

I am really, really up for the challenge ahead.

Everyone obviously wants to go all the way in the competition.

You have got to be competitive.

'I never knew how tough the competition would be.'

The pressure is immense. It's like nothing I've done before.

I believe you four are extremely talented amateur cooks

and I have been really looking forward to this quarterfinal.

You are cooking today for people who truly understand what

MasterChef is all about, because they have won the competition.

Your two courses - one savoury, one sweet -

in just one hour and 15 minutes

We will only take the best cooks with us. Ladies and gentlemen, let's cook.

Today's MasterChef champions are James Nathan, Tim Anderson

and Thomasina Miers.

So far in the competition, singer/songwriter Shivi's

eclectic flavour combinations have made her stand out.

It's fabulous. It really took me by surprise.

Shivi, what are your two dishes?

Today I am cooking pan-fried medallions of monkfish with a

callaloo ravioli, a lime beurre blanc with okra crisps

and then, for dessert,

coconut souffle, buttered rum ice cream, caramelised pineapple.

So, basically, a pina colada in a dessert form.

Why, out of all the dishes, would you pick these two?

A lot of me is Caribbean, so I want to bring flavours that

I have grown up with and present them in my way.

This is very representative of who I am.

-Shivi, good luck, cos you have got a lot to do.

-Thank you very much.

I am intrigued by Shivi's food.

A lime beurre blanc - it's worrying the life out of me.

A butter sauce flavoured with lime? Are you sure?

She is really pushing it. If she achieves this, I'll tell you what,

that's going to be very, very impressive.

I really want to convince John and Gregg that

'I have some really interesting creative ideas so I am being quite

'ambitious with it and I hope it all'

works out the way I want it to.

Solicitor Larkin has impressed the judges

with some stunning and complex dishes.

Oh, my word, your food is beautiful.

It's the sort of plate you see photographed in magazines.

-Beautiful stuff.

-Thanks.

-What are you making, Larkin?

-A duck curry, rice and chips,

half and half. It's one for everyone back home in Wales.

-We came down to Wales.

-WELSH ACCENT:

-Curry half and half.

-Yeah, that's the one.

-Curry, half rice, half chips.

-That's right.

You can't get it in England,

-I've discovered, cos I've moved up to Bristol.

-OK, and your dessert?

My dessert is a poached pair with, sort of, Asian spicing, basically.

I'm going to do a stem ginger ice cream with that

and some candied hazelnuts.

Why would you choose these two dishes, Larkin?

I just want to make something a bit fun, really.

It's very different to the last dishes I have cooked.

-I just wanted to show another side of me.

-Good luck, Larkin.

Thanks very much.

Curry with rice and chips hardly sets the culinary world on fire,

which is a good reason why nobody outside Wales has ever seen it.

We know Larkin has got an eye for presentation,

but will he be able to actually make those two dishes look amazing?

Today, I just want to cook fun food, accessible food,

'cos I don't think I have done that yet.'

Young grandmum Tess has delivered some original, bold dishes.

I think you have got some really well-worked flavours on that plate.

I really love it.

I have certainly had ups and downs throughout the competition, but I'm

hoping it's going to be turning more ups than downs from now on.

Tess, your two dishes are?

I have got a tomato relish with pan-fried duck breast

and a shallots dauphinoise and I am doing profiteroles with

a lime cream and a chilli and chocolate sauce.

In what way do you think you need to improve since the last round?

Not panicking is probably the biggest deal I have got to get over.

What would you like to get out of this competition, Tess?

I just want to take it that one step further and know, really,

whether I am just a legend in my own kitchen and to stay there or

-whether I have got a future.

-Well, look at you, Tess. This is exciting.

-Can you do it?

-I hope so.

These two dishes have been invented by Tess.

I just hope that every element is right

cos there's nowhere to hide for her.

Duck, potato, relish. Profiteroles, sauce and filling. That's it.

Police officer Dave has impressed with some of his own inventions.

Lots of good ideas,

but you haven't quite yet figured out how to posh your home food up.

-Dave, quarterfinal day.

-I know.

Three past champions sitting inside, hungry. How does that feel?

Pressured. They have been where I am, so I'm hoping they're going

to just have a little bit of pity on me, but I doubt it.

Dave, what are your two dishes?

To start, it's basically lamb neck fillet and mash

with some peas, with some leek and carrot.

Then for dessert, it's a chocolate liqueur mousse

but it is in tiers, so it is going to have the mousse layered with

brittle and coulis and hopefully a tuile on the top, as well.

Have you enough time to get the brittle done and the tuiles?

-Hopefully I will have enough time in that.

-Really?

-Yeah. Hopefully.

You're a copper, Dave. Are you going to nick it today?

I hope so. I genuinely hope so.

I feel like I've got a lot to prove and I've not really touched

on how I like to cook yet and that's kind of what I want to show you.

Neck of lamb on mashed potato with veg.

That's a lovely thing, but it's a little bit Sunday lunch.

'I am trying to show a little bit of precision

'and I am hoping that that's what they kind of see -'

that it's not just lamb and mash, that there is a few extra steps

gone in there to try and get the flavours out as much as possible.

You've got 30 minutes to go.

'I am looking for good, clean flavours,'

a really sexy-looking dish that kind of really sings to all my senses.

'Today, I'd like to see the green shoots of chef ability.'

The basic flavour has to be there.

There has to be a good level of competence shown

and nicely plated up.

'I am just hoping that we will be served food that has got some

'excitement and some ambition.'

I don't want to see or taste

any food that seems sort of boring and bland.

Shivi, for your first course, what have you got left to do?

I have just got to do the tempura

and then my ravioli, I'm just going to drop in now.

-OK, and what about dessert?

-Dessert, I have got to make my souffle.

-Have you done the base for the souffle?

-Not yet.

-Wah!

I know, I know.

So, Shivi's main course of medallions of monkfish

with crab ravioli, lime beurre blanc,

it's got a kind of Caribbean feel to it.

I'm worried that there might be a little bit too much going on.

It's all about the execution on this.

You have got five minutes.

Where's my bloody knife?

Good work. Incredible amount of work.

-OK, can we go now?

-Yeah, we can go.

-Good, let's go. Good luck. Well done.

-Hello.

-Hi.

What I have prepared for you today for your main, it is

pan-fried medallions of monkfish with a callaloo crab ravioli,

a lime beurre blanc, crispy pancetta and okra fries.

-I hope you enjoy it.

-Thank you.

It's colourful. It smells amazing. I really want to tuck into this.

It looks really good.

Yeah, I'm seriously impressed with this.

She has beautifully cooked the monkfish.

It is tender, it's juicy, it's just the way it should be.

That ravioli is lovely. It's really sweet.

The pasta is really light and soft. It's good.

I would happily have paid for this, actually.

Everything on there is cooked very well.

The beurre blanc is beautifully made, the fish is lovely and soft,

the ravioli is a really nice thing.

It needs a good grind of pepper.

Souffles, pineapple, ice cream and tuile.

-Are we going to get it all done?

-Hopefully.

You have got 15 minutes before this dessert goes out.

Get moving. Good luck.

A souffle is risky at the best of times,

and in MasterChef, that's a big, big gamble.

-How long have those souffles got to go in for?

-Nine.

You have only got five or six minutes left.

You're going to be late on this dessert. And pineapple to do, yeah?

Yes.

-Happy?

-I hope it has set in the centre.

-Oh, look at those.

Go, go, go, go, go. Go, go, go.

-I am really sorry about the delay here.

-That's all right.

We have here, basically, my favourite cocktail -

a pina colada - but in dessert form.

So I have a coconut souffle, caramelised pineapple

and a rum butter ice cream.

Thank you very much.

Oh.

That ice cream is incredible. Buttered rum ice cream.

It's smooth, it's perfect, it goes so incredibly with that souffle.

-God, I'm loving this.

-Every one has a very unique and specific taste.

It's brilliant. Really impressed.

I take my hat off to Shivi, cos that looks absolutely fantastic.

The ice cream is absolutely beautiful.

I love the caramelised pineapple.

It is still crunchy and fresh, but sweet with that brown sugar.

I think that woman is an extraordinary cook.

Oh!

'Oh, my God. That was the quickest hour and 15 minutes of my life.'

I hope I did myself justice, but I know I can always do more.

Larkin, do you know you've only got five minutes till your first course?

-No.

-OK, how are you doing, then?

Struggling.

So, Larkin's main course is a duck curry, rice and chips. Half, half.

Whatever that means. I love a curry, I love chips, I love rice.

It sounds like great pub food

but I'm thinking he's going to make it a bit more special.

Very exciting.

What have you got left to go on here?

Just the duck and the chips and the rice.

How many plates are you going to have to carry in?

I was hoping you guys would give me a hand, actually.

OK, mate, let's go, please.

Hi.

You have got duck curry, rice and chips, half and half.

In Wales we have rice and chips, half and half.

-Hopefully you're going to enjoy it.

-Thank you.

-Thanks.

-So, this is what a duck curry looks like.

-Yeah.

-It looks good.

It's actually kind of elegant.

It's not refined dining. I'm not complaining, I'm a hungry chef.

But, yes, it's bold.

You can taste a lot of distinct spices, you know?

-It's not just curry.

-And it is just...

It's packed with flavour, isn't it?

Both the chips and the rice are well-cooked,

so what's not to like, really?

We have never had anybody come in and do a dish like this.

It is a gorgeous sauce. It's rich, it's opulent.

It's not the finished article, but I think it is really clever.

You have got about 11 minutes for your dessert. OK?

Larkin's dessert looks really nice.

The poached pear, stem ginger ice cream, candied hazelnuts.

I am loving those flavours.

-Look at the shine on that, son.

-It's not set properly.

-Oh.

-You've got about two minutes left, my friend.

-OK.

-How are your nuts?

The caramel hasn't worked.

I've burnt it, so I'm going to scrap them.

Right, off you go. Go on.

I have done a poached pear.

I made a stem ginger ice cream, as well, but it's a bit melted.

There were supposed to be some candied hazelnuts on there, as well,

-but I ran out of time, you see. I hope you enjoy it.

-Thank you.

There is a textural dimension lacking here that the hazelnuts

would have provided, and I think he definitely knows that,

so it's a shame that he couldn't finish them.

The flavour of the ice cream is really wonderful. I love it.

-He just needs to notch up the execution a bit, doesn't he?

-Yeah.

Surprisingly light for a dessert. Good lad.

HE SIGHS

'That was so difficult. I was firefighting all the way through'

so I'm glad it's over, actually.

-Tess, you have got five minutes on your first course.

-OK.

Tess is cooking pan-fried duck with tomato relish

and shallot dauphinoise.

That duck has got to be perfectly cooked,

that shallot dauphinoise has to be perfectly made.

It's going to be...not easy to pull off, even though it reads simple.

-Happy the way they're cooked?

-Yeah.

OK, it should be going now, Tess, cos your time is officially up.

-Good, lovely. Knock 'em dead. All right, ready?

-Yes.

I have a pan-fried duck with tomato relish with ginger and lime

and shallot dauphinoise. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks.

SHE SIGHS

This is a dish of two halves.

The duck goes on to that tomato relish really well,

and then you have got creamy dauphinoise and the two together,

it's two different meals.

The dauphinoise is, I think, a bit of a write-off.

Mine is not cooked all the way through.

I think that maybe nerves got to her and she made a bit of a mess of it.

It's a nice little dinner-party dish that you might do at home,

but it's difficult to present this into MasterChef, I think.

I would like the duck a little pinker.

The main problem is the potatoes in the dauphinoise

are still a little bit firm.

The dish, actually, really, is a little bit lacking.

I'm sorry to say, it's not very good.

Tess, dessert time. That's it. There you go. Showtime. Let's do it.

Go on, you've got 15 minutes, Tess, please.

So, Tess's dessert is lime profiteroles

with a chilli and chocolate sauce.

I'm just wondering, where is the magic going to be in this dish?

What is going to really set my taste buds alight?

Profiteroles. Disaster.

Profiterole disaster? What's the matter?

They are tiny. They have not lifted enough. It's like the egg hasn't...

-Shall I go again?

-Have you got the time to make them again?

Not really, but I'll do it as fast as I... No, it's not going to cook.

It's not going to cook. What do I do?

You have got the cream, you've got the sauce,

you got a profiterole of type.

-Yeah.

-You have now got to be a little bit creative.

Don't let your chin drop, Tess. Come on. Come on, you can do this.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

-Good.

-Full credit to her. She has actually rescued that.

-She has.

I'll just get your chocolate sauce.

OK, that is my take on profiteroles with a lime cream

and a chocolate and chilli sauce.

Oh, chocolate sauce, my favourite. Oh, look at that.

These are the tiniest little profiteroles

I think I've ever seen in my life. But they are good.

This is nice, punchy flavours.

I really didn't think the lime cream

would work with the chilli and chocolate.

And actually, the two together just seem to blend really beautifully.

I think Tess should make mistakes more often,

cos that is absolutely delicious.

'I am exhausted after that challenge'

and absolutely devastated about my choux pastry. Disaster.

I just hope it's not one too many disasters.

Dave, ten minutes till your first course goes out.

Dave is cooking pan-fried lamb neck fillet.

It sounds like home cooking, but that is not to say you can't

refine it and make it something really lovely.

-Happy with your lamb?

-Yeah, yeah, I am, actually.

Dave, let's push it now, buddy. Come on, we've got to move.

Time's up, Dave, so get that sauce on, please.

Well done. Go on, boy.

-Ready to go?

-I am.

-Yeah.

-Go, Dave.

-Thank you.

Hi, good afternoon, sorry about the delay.

That's all right.

Enjoy.

So, I have done pan-fried lamb neck fillet

and it is on a bed of pea and mint puree.

On the side, there is creamy mashed potato, some vegetables

and redcurrant jus. Thank you. Enjoy.

-It looks good.

-I mean, look at that pinkness of that lamb inside.

This plate could have been seriously butch

and, as it is, it is a very refined, very beautifully cooked dish.

The mash is really smooth. The pea puree is just yummy.

The veg are really sweet and delicious.

The sauce is deep, rich and gorgeous and the meat is just incredible.

-John, it's good quality, decent cooking.

-You know what?

I like it, I want to eat it and I think it is good food.

Dave, what have you got to do for your dessert, mate?

I have got to put the mousse together. It shouldn't take long.

Well, come on, then, you have got 15 minutes!

Layered chocolate Chambord mousse with a raspberry

and Chambord coulis. I am a massive fan of chocolate.

I mean, it sounds great. It sounds like a good pudding.

We have got to be going now, mate, please.

What else has got to go on there?

Another bit of mousse and then the brittle just crumbled on the top.

Last one. Dave, well done, mate.

It's a raspberry liqueur chocolate mousse with coulis

and some crumbled-up pecan brittle on the top.

I can only apologise about the lack of the tuile. I ran out of time.

And the presentation is not quite how I wanted it to look.

Thank you. Enjoy.

It is hard to present a chocolate mousse in an elegant way.

You get a real caramel hit from the nuts. It smells good.

I do wish it had a little bit more balance, either from the bitterness

of dark chocolate or a little bit more acidity from the raspberries.

For me, that chocolate mousse just doesn't deliver those brilliant

flavours of pure chocolate, but the brittle is great, I really like it.

I love that sharp raspberry with the sweet chocolate.

I really like the creamy mousse with the liqueur in there, John.

That has got real depth.

And I like the crunch, the sweet crunch on the top of it.

'The challenge has taken it out of me.

'I am absolutely physically and mentally drained.'

I have been chasing my tail

and, subsequently, I missed out my tuile at the end of the dessert.

A very exciting day, as we predicted.

We had some brilliant food, but not everybody lived up to their billing.

If we look at Shivi and the amount of work that she achieved in

an hour and 15 minutes, you can't help but take your hat off to her.

We had two very complex courses. Shivi is a class act.

That experience just now was incredible, and I would be quite

sad if, at this stage of the competition, I had to go.

Tess had problems today. She had issues.

The duck was a bit overcooked,

the potatoes weren't cooked all the way through.

She nearly was in a state of collapse

when her profiteroles didn't rise properly, but

they ended up being a dainty little morsel that tasted really good.

'If I got through and Gregg and John'

could see that I have got potential, I'd be ecstatic.

I can't tell you what that would mean to me.

I think that Dave did an exceptional job.

Every single thing on that plate was cooked really beautifully.

The plate itself was presented with real style.

But that dessert did not look good enough.

Tasted great, you could bury your spoon in it.

He definitely needs work on presentation.

'Through every stage, I'm understanding more and more'

how much this means to me and I really don't want to go home.

I want to be here till the end.

I really enjoyed eating Larkin's food.

I thought the flavours were fantastic.

That sauce for the duck was delicious.

He had a really nice poached pear

and he made a very, very good flavoured ice cream

but that beautiful, elegant presentation

I had seen from him before had disappeared.

'I would absolutely love it if I stayed in the competition.'

It's everything I thought it would be,

so I would be gutted if I go home today.

Right now, Gregg, I'm finding it really difficult to narrow it down

to two cooks. I don't see how we are going to do that today.

I really don't.

I think you showed great skill today,

real endeavour and I loved it.

I loved every bit of it.

So, decision time.

The first person leaving us...

..is Tess. Thanks, Tess, very much.

I'm disappointed to be leaving the competition

'but that was completely the fairest decision.

'I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience'

in between the blood, sweat and tears of it all.

It has to be said today that to watch you three work has been a thrill,

an honour and, based on that,

all three of you are going through to the next round.

'I am shocked, but hearing that you're through is just brilliant.'

I just don't want to leave. I want to go as far as I can.

Oh, my God. It's incredible. I'm just on top of the world at the moment.

'As excited as I am,'

I know that the competition is going to get tough from now on.

I'm absolutely gobsmacked. This is unbelievable.

The best thing that's ever happened to me. Amazing.

Shivi, Dave and Larkin will be back for the semifinals.

Next week, another group of amateurs will battle to earn

a place in the quarterfinal.

He thinks the lamb's pork.

It has left me in a state of flux.

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