0:00:02 > 0:00:08MasterChef is searching for the country's best amateur cook.
0:00:09 > 0:00:15After five weeks of heats, the strongest 12 have made it through.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20Yesterday, the first six went head-to-head.
0:00:21 > 0:00:27- The first person going through to the next round is Larkin. - Oh, my God!
0:00:27 > 0:00:29..is Saira.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Dale.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32..is Shivi.
0:00:33 > 0:00:39Tonight, the remaining group are back to fight for their place.
0:00:40 > 0:00:45Farhana, up to this point, has given us some amazing flavour combinations.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48This is the biggest thing I've done in my life.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52I will carry on going and cook every day as if it's my last.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Dave has got a good touch. His food is delicious.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00It's a privilege to be here. I don't want to waste it and ruin it.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03I want to go as far as I possibly can.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07It would be nice if Louise can carry on being that bit different.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10My desire to win is getting stronger as each day goes by.
0:01:10 > 0:01:15Everybody is stepping up their game, so you have to run with that or get left behind.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20There is no doubt that Rukmini does stunning-looking plates of food.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Potentially winning the competition, that would just change your life.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Natalie is an adventurous cook.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31I think about food all day long. I don't sleep very much.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34My whole life's been consumed by it.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Ollie is a really interesting cook. He's a daring cook.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41I want to spend the rest of my life in food,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44but I have to win this competition. I can't go home now.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50Only the best will go through to Friday night's showstopper.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55You can't rest on your laurels, not on MasterChef. You have got to fight for your place.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07It's early morning and the six contestants are travelling west.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Today, they face their first mass catering challenge.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Welcome to the Fire Service College here in Gloucestershire,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37one of the biggest fire and emergency training centres in the world.
0:02:37 > 0:02:44You six are going to be responsible for cooking lunch for 200 fire-fighters this morning.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49Today is about mass catering, but today is also about teamwork.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Teams...
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Ollie, Louise, Natalie,
0:02:56 > 0:03:00and then Dave, Farhana, Rukmini.
0:03:00 > 0:03:07Each team today is going to be responsible for cooking 70 main courses, 30 vegetarian dishes
0:03:07 > 0:03:11and 100 desserts.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14That is 200 plates of food per team.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Lunch is at one o'clock.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19You have just two-and-a-half hours.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22I say to you, ladies and gentlemen, get to it!
0:03:26 > 0:03:33There is a lot of pressure because we don't want to let the firemen down. They save our lives every day.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37The biggest number I've cooked for is 17. That was Christmas dinner.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39This is a bit bigger than that!
0:03:45 > 0:03:47OK, OK!
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Each year, over 6,000 trainees take part in over 100 courses,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57dealing with every type of major incident.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06OK, good morning, guys.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10We've got a really busy morning, a lot of work to do.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14The customers today expect and deserve a good standard of food.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19We've only got two-and-half hours to prepare and serve the meals, so let's get a move on.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Right, what have we got?
0:04:26 > 0:04:32Each team now has to come up with a main course, a vegetarian option and a pudding.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Actually, Louise, look, dessert. You're the dessert queen.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41This is ace.
0:04:41 > 0:04:47I'm most worried about not getting things in on time and it not being up to standard.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51It's not just one dish, it's 100 dishes that could go wrong.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56John, listen, unless you're a professional chef, who has cooked for 200 people before?
0:04:56 > 0:04:58Nobody cooks for 200 people.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01It's about organisation, technique and planning.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05They haven't got a clue what they're walking into, John.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- It's like information overload. - Yeah.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10So who wants to be team leader?
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I don't mind doing it. I'm quite vocal.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- Then keep checking up and jumping in with everyone.- Sounds cool.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26- OK, so, menu, what have you decided on?- We're going to do a fish pie.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31Then we've gone Italian, so we'll do garlic bread and a spinach and ricotta pasta bake.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35Then for dessert, we'll do a spiced plum upside-down cake with custard.
0:05:35 > 0:05:40Wow, this is ambitious! You've probably made enough fish pie for four people.
0:05:40 > 0:05:47- How about for 70 people?- One of these makes 25 portions, so we're going to do three trays of fish pie.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51But the pasta, we're going to boil. We'll make the sauce off the hob
0:05:51 > 0:05:56and just put it in for browning on the top, so it'll be a last-minute "whack in the oven".
0:05:56 > 0:06:02- You sound like you know what you're talking about.- I'm thinking of what I cook for my grandad.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08- All the fire-fighters round here are like your grandad?- He likes feeding, so it's like big, homely food.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16That's a lot of work between three people, a lot of work in two-and-a-half hours.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20They've been clever with their menu. I would get in a queue for it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:26They've got it absolutely right. Let's see what it looks like when it comes out of the oven.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29They're so blunt.
0:06:29 > 0:06:35DJ Natalie begins the mammoth task of skinning over 70 fillets of haddock...
0:06:35 > 0:06:39- Ollie, can you sharpen knives? - Yeah, let's give it a go.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Mate, these are blunt.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I still can't get it off properly.
0:06:45 > 0:06:51..while graphic designer Ollie starts prepping the potatoes for the fish pie's topping.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56- How many kilos of potatoes are you doing?- Five trays. - What's five trays equal in weight?
0:06:56 > 0:07:00- 15 kilos.- So, 15 kilos into 70...
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- That's 200 grams of potato each. - Yeah.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09So, have we decided on this main?
0:07:09 > 0:07:13The other team have nominated policeman Dave as their leader,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17but struggling to finalise all three of their dishes,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20they've lost half an hour of prepping time.
0:07:20 > 0:07:25- Pears and syrup sponge. Does that go? Like a steamed syrup? - Yeah, it will.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31- I'm not sure about the pears and the sponge.- I know what you mean.- The chocolate worked.
0:07:31 > 0:07:37- Do you think maybe steamed pineapple pudding? - Yeah, yeah, brilliant.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41- We should get started soon. - Yes, we should.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45- Dave, I hear you're team leader. - I am. I'm boss for the day.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49- What's the menu?- We're going to be doing a chicken and rice curry,
0:07:49 > 0:07:53so we're frantically getting the onions and butternut squash.
0:07:53 > 0:07:59Secondly, we have like a vegetable with chickpea tagine and rice which will be Moroccan-spiced.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Then for the dessert, we'll have the pineapple chilli syrup on a sponge.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08- My concern is you've got two curries and rice with both dishes.- Yeah.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- Don't just chuck everything with rice.- Right.
0:08:11 > 0:08:17- Anything else you could use?- Let's have it with a lemony couscous and put a load of coriander through it.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20- And then flavour your rice.- Yeah.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26And I'm sorry, guys, you can't do a sponge. The other team is doing one. You can't do the same dessert.
0:08:26 > 0:08:33- We'll do an exotic fruit cobbler. We'll use the pineapple and the mango and do a cobbler.- Fantastic.
0:08:33 > 0:08:39You need to somehow work out who's doing what because now you've got an hour and 45 minutes.
0:08:40 > 0:08:46The team of Dave, Rukmini and Farhana took a long while to get going, John.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48They couldn't agree on a menu.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53Two dishes were virtually the same. Technically, that's a right muddle!
0:08:53 > 0:08:58I've got a lot to prep for the vegetable dish. Rukmini's going to get on to the cobbler now.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02So, hopefully, we're going in the right direction... Finally.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11On the other side of the kitchen, Natalie's team are well into the prep for their fish pie.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15- Have you got the potatoes in, Ollie?- Potatoes are in, chef.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17- How long?- 20 minutes more to go.
0:09:20 > 0:09:26Natalie has put HR adviser Louise in charge of making the plum sponge and custard.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29We need to get that cake in by midday.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32I've got the measurements. I'm on it now.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Will you be all right on your own? - I should be.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41Oh, my God! I can't believe the quantities that are going into this.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44100 portions of the dessert,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48so I've just got to get my calculations right,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52and then once the sponge mixtures go in, I'm doing my custard.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55So...a lot to do!
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- I wouldn't dice it that fine.- No? - Don't dice it that fine.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- Keep it a bit chunkier.- Yes, chef.
0:10:02 > 0:10:07Natalie has been fairly quiet in the MasterChef kitchen, but today, she's being really vocal.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11She is a natural leader. She's a little general.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Who's got the salt?
0:10:15 > 0:10:20On Dave's team, Farhana is frying off the spices with the butternut squash for the curry.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24- A bit of chilli in there!- Yeah. JOHN COUGHS
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Oh, yeah. This is just looking amazing.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Exactly how I wanted it!
0:10:32 > 0:10:38But they haven't worked out how to cook their Moroccan vegetarian dish.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- Which pot have we got on? - This one.
0:10:40 > 0:10:45- This'll be the vegetarian dish. - Do you think that's enough for 30? - I think so.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52How are you going to do this with just that pot? That's not going to be enough for 30.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56By the time you get all the veg in that pot, it'll be overflowing.
0:10:56 > 0:11:02Aubergines need to go in, chickpeas, tomatoes. I'll have to transfer it, which is not something I want to do.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04Look for the equipment, young man. Look like this.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Look at the size of this cooker! It's amazing.
0:11:13 > 0:11:18Dave has got stuck into this North African-style vegetarian dish,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22but do they have time to get that rich, lovely flavour in those veg?
0:11:22 > 0:11:25It's not enough time to get flavour in chickpeas.
0:11:28 > 0:11:35If we've got a compartment that's under pressure, hot gases, that pressure will certainly leak out.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40With half an hour to go before lunch, the firemen are in full training mode.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47Our staff carry out a lot of practical training
0:11:47 > 0:11:49that is physically very demanding.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- 'They burn a lot of calories.' - OK, OK!
0:11:52 > 0:11:54We've got 200 people on site today.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59They will be keen to get away as quick as they possibly can back to their training,
0:11:59 > 0:12:05so they'll be hoping the meal is served on time and it's of the right quality for them.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14Back inside, Louise is still on the plum sponge pudding.
0:12:14 > 0:12:20I'm panicking a little bit just about this cake. I want to get this cake sorted. It's not going to cook.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25- The cake's not in yet?- She's got two portions of the cake in. There's one more tray to go in.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29- Then you've got to get the mixer clean for the mashed potatoes?- Yeah.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34- Nat, how are we doing?- All right. Is that cake in the oven?
0:12:34 > 0:12:39- What's going on with the mash? - Just worry about your cake and starting that custard.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43We might need to decide whether we do home-made or powdered custard.
0:12:45 > 0:12:51Natalie is trying to finish their fish pie, but needs Ollie to start the ricotta and spinach pasta bake.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53- What about the pasta?- Pasta?
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- Is it in? - No, it's not, chef.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- What about the water? Is it boiled? - No, it's not.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- Right, can you get on it?- Yeah.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04It is hard work. I'm sweating like a race horse!
0:13:05 > 0:13:12- We need to make some space here. We've got to get this potato off. I need to get that fish out now.- Yeah.
0:13:15 > 0:13:21This is frightening right now. They have to concentrate, calm down and re-organise themselves.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- Farhana!- Sorry!
0:13:26 > 0:13:31You've got to get this cooked. Spread it out. You've got bits that are raw on top.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- I needed to... - How long is it going to cook for?
0:13:35 > 0:13:38See, look, raw bits, look.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41- Yeah.- Then you've got to thicken your sauce up.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46- Are we going to be ready?- Yeah. - Yeah?- Yeah.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48I hope so.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00I'm scared. The desserts haven't gone in the oven and they take a good 45, 50 minutes to cook.
0:14:00 > 0:14:05The fish pie hasn't even got the sauce on it yet. Stuff that's too wet needs thickening up.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09I could go on and on.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15Rukmini is in charge of getting the exotic fruit cobbler prepared and into the oven.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19We've not got much time at all. It needs to go in in ten minutes.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- Thank you. - We'll get through this now.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26- Whole strawberries, is that all right?- Yeah, that's fine.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Dave has taken his eye off the vegetarian tagine.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36- It's catching a little bit. - Let's get the temperature down.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Oh, hot water!
0:14:38 > 0:14:43- You're not supposed to put that water...- Yeah, the brine's going in. - I've put salt in there.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47- You've seasoned it already?- Yeah. - Right, we'll just have to see...
0:14:47 > 0:14:53There doesn't seem to be a great deal of communication. Dave is not team leader.
0:14:53 > 0:14:59Working at this rate, John, they won't be in time for tea, let alone lunch. This is worrying.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04There is only 20 minutes left until service.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- Ollie, how long for the pasta? - 15 minutes.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12We ain't got 15. We need to do it quicker.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17Just get it in the oven and get it out there. These guys will be hungry. We need to feed them.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Come on!
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Where's the steamer? Steamer, steamer, steamer...
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Chef!
0:15:29 > 0:15:31- We're trying to get... - Watch your head.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Get the other frozen one. That's it.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38It's all gone a bit...thingy.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40We've got 15 minutes, so...
0:15:40 > 0:15:43We've just got to hope for the best.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53- Can you check on my cakes?- Yeah.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56Louise, your oven's been turned down.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- What?- It's on 142 degrees.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03It needs to be on 180. Who's turned that down?
0:16:03 > 0:16:06- It won't be cooked in the middle. - It's going like that.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Chef!
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Guys, you've got five minutes. You should be on the counter by now.
0:16:19 > 0:16:25With moments until service, Rukmini is also struggling.
0:16:25 > 0:16:30They don't have a bowl that I can use to whip the cream in. The whisk won't fit in that.
0:16:31 > 0:16:37- I just can't even get it to fit on. - Hold on, hold on. - Can you find the chef?- OK.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48- Rukmini, I've got this.- It's too late. There's only five minutes. Could you help me pour these out?
0:16:48 > 0:16:53- You can carry on cooking the... You can carry on whisking if you need that pot.- No...
0:17:00 > 0:17:02We are two minutes late.
0:17:05 > 0:17:12It's just after 1pm and 200 fire-fighters are queueing for their lunch.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15We usually have lunch at one o'clock.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20It's important that we eat at one, so we can maintain our schedule for the afternoon.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Ow!
0:17:25 > 0:17:28That broccoli needs a bit longer.
0:17:34 > 0:17:41We've got to be back out on the drill yard by two. There are a lot of hungry bodies out there.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44We're all getting impatient.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Yeah, I've got it, I've got it.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50- Are we ready to go?- Yes, chef. - You're ten minutes late.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54We need one out there and one in here to back up. Yeah?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Let's get this out. Let's go!
0:17:56 > 0:18:02- Take that one. I'll take the other one. Give me the tea towel. - Are you all right?- Yeah, go for it.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15The fire-fighters have been queueing for 15 minutes
0:18:15 > 0:18:19and finally, both teams are ready to serve.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23- Fish pie! Come on, boys. - Yeah, yeah.- Loads of veg.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Fish pie, please.
0:18:27 > 0:18:32Natalie and Ollie's poached haddock and prawn fish pie is an instant crowd-pleaser.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35It's got a nice bit of haddock and prawns in there.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38There you go, darling.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Very tasty.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52Superb. It's sated my appetite. What more can I say?
0:18:52 > 0:18:56The proof is in the pudding - empty plate, so thumbs up. Very good.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08- Nice. Tasty.- I like the sweetness of those leeks.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12The mash is all buttery, quite fluffy. The taste of fish is there.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15For 70 portions of fish pie, that's pretty good.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20Staff canteen, over 200 people coming through here, that is a decent plate of food.
0:19:22 > 0:19:27- All veg, yeah? - Italian spinach and ricotta pasta. - Bit of garlic bread!
0:19:28 > 0:19:35The spinach and ricotta pasta bake, infused with lemon and nutmeg, is also doing well.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Some pasta? Yeah?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45There you go, sir. Enjoy.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55It was really nice, really tasty. Nice and filling for a lunchtime.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Hmm! Hmm! I really like that.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05I'm really surprised. The dish looks good. You've got crispy cheese across the top.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09There's richness from the ricotta, a heavy, salty but sharp taste.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13There's a grind of lemon on the side of it and nutmeg.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17If Ollie's put that together in 30 minutes, that's amazing. Very good.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Right, OK. Anybody for chicken curry and rice?
0:20:25 > 0:20:32On Dave's team, Farhana's butternut squash and chicken curry with saffron-spiced rice is flying out.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38- The chicken curry, please.- There we go, sir.- Lovely. Thanks a lot.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42- Can I have the chicken curry, please?- Chicken and rice?
0:20:44 > 0:20:46- Thanks very much.- Thank you.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Chicken and rice?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01I tell you what, boys, that chilli is warm!
0:21:01 > 0:21:08I chose the chicken curry because I like spicy food. I got a little bit of salad on the side as well.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10And it's really tasty.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13It was excellent, really, really good.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19I really like the sweetness that comes from those onions and the fruit.
0:21:19 > 0:21:24I like the spiciness from the chilli and the wonderful smokiness from the rest of the spice.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28I like that sweet butternut squash against the well-cooked chicken.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Nearly 100 plates of canteen curry? That's a decent curry.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Chicken and rice?
0:21:36 > 0:21:39There you go, sir.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- Sorry, guys. The chicken curry's finished. - No more chicken curry. Sorry!
0:21:50 > 0:21:54- I'll have some of the tagine, please.- Vegetarian, yeah?
0:21:54 > 0:21:56There you go, sir.
0:21:56 > 0:22:02Dave's vegetarian dish is a Moroccan-style chickpea and aubergine tagine,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05served with lime couscous.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Thank you.
0:22:13 > 0:22:19There was no chicken left, so I had to get this vegetarian dish which is not that tasty.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27That looks and tastes to me like a rushed after-thought.
0:22:27 > 0:22:34What should be a really luxurious, opulent, spiced tomato mixture tasting of the Middle East
0:22:34 > 0:22:39has become quite a damp, dull, over-reduced tomato sauce.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41The best thing on there is that couscous.
0:22:41 > 0:22:47I get the almost smokiness of the aubergines from that tomato sauce and I get plenty of pepper.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49It just is a bit dull.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56With the main courses over, the competition between the puddings begins.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Plum sponge and custard!
0:22:59 > 0:23:05Come on, girls, we'll sort you right out. Let me quickly do this for you. There you go, lovey.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Do you want some spiced plums, darling?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- Spiced plums?- Thank you.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- And for you, darling? - And for me, please.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26It was absolutely gorgeous, so I went up and had a second helping.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28LAUGHTER
0:23:30 > 0:23:35Hmm! That is a really moist, fruity-flavoured, really moreish sponge.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40The custard's a little thick, but that's a pretty good sponge.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45- Exotic fruit cobbler, people. - Pineapple and mango.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Thank you very much.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Thank you. Brilliant.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Thank you.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06I had the cobbler. It wouldn't be my usual choice, but it was gorgeous.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11Hmm!
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- You like that?- Hmm.- Do you?- Hmm. - How can you?
0:24:14 > 0:24:20It's a bit stodgy, it's a bit too sweet. For me, not a very nice thing at all.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22You're going to love it, aren't you?
0:24:22 > 0:24:28There's stewed fruit that's mellow, soft, slightly sweet, shortbread on the top, cream on the bottom.
0:24:28 > 0:24:33I mean, that pretty much is a big, old-fashioned, stodgy, sweet British pudding.
0:24:33 > 0:24:38It's the sort of stuff we were brought up on over here, John, and I love it.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46High five, guys!
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Whoa!
0:24:50 > 0:24:52You were a good captain.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55I'm not hungry now, I tell you that!
0:24:55 > 0:24:57I can't believe we pulled that off.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01I don't know how we done that, but we done it.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Of all the challenges we've done, this has to be the most chaotic.
0:25:08 > 0:25:14They pushed themselves. It was madness in the kitchen, it was madness behind that counter.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19I've got to say, by both teams, it was a really good job. Decent quality dishes en masse!
0:25:19 > 0:25:26For me, today, the person who walked into this competition the quietest and the most understated
0:25:26 > 0:25:29suddenly became this roaring lion. It was Natalie.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34I hope I've impressed John and Gregg. Especially like today, I don't want to let them down.
0:25:34 > 0:25:40It was also for the firemen. Hopefully, maybe I stepped up to the challenge of being team leader.
0:25:40 > 0:25:46Ollie grafted. He rolled his sleeves up and really got stuck in. He was here, there and everywhere.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Ollie listened to orders. He played the team member. He did very well.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54It's hard getting that amount of food out and feeding hard-working people.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57I'm proud of what I did today - feed the fire-fighters.
0:25:57 > 0:26:03Louise was in a strong team with Natalie and Ollie and she did her bit,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06but I would like to have seen her make a bigger presence.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12It's not my forte having to think on my feet. I like to plan. It took me really out of my comfort zone.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15I don't think Dave is a natural leader
0:26:15 > 0:26:21and trying to oversee everything, as Dave did, I actually think he took his eye off the ball.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26We held, but it was hard work. Once I sit down, I don't think I'll be getting up for a while.
0:26:26 > 0:26:31Farhana didn't really seem as if she was part of a team.
0:26:31 > 0:26:37She quietly went about her own business and came up with a very well flavoured, very good curry.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41The highlight for me was seeing the bottom of my curry pan.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46Everything went to the last bit. Everything went.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Rukmini did not handle the pressure and the pace well at all today.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55She got herself in such a tizz. She was in virtual meltdown by the end of it.
0:26:55 > 0:27:00The pressure of cooking for 200 people is unbelievable.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03You know how to cook for maybe ten people at a time,
0:27:03 > 0:27:08but this, the volume of prep, was something like I've never done before.
0:27:26 > 0:27:32The six contestants are now facing their second mass catering challenge.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37Only three of them will go through to Friday's showstopper.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04As you can see, you are in the same teams.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07You have done mass catering for fire-fighters.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10Now we want you to do it for us.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13We want breakfast!
0:28:13 > 0:28:19From the ingredients in front of you, we want you to devise, cook
0:28:19 > 0:28:23and deliver 20 plates exactly the same.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28At the end of this round, the strongest cooks will go straight through.
0:28:28 > 0:28:34The weakest ones will have to cook off against each other to secure their place in the competition.
0:28:34 > 0:28:40Ten minutes to work out what you're going to cook and then one hour of cooking. That's it.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43You can't be late on this one.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47Good luck. Off you go.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Each team has the same ingredients to choose from -
0:28:54 > 0:28:57a range of smoked fish,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00bacon, berries,
0:29:00 > 0:29:04vegetables, bread and eggs.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08We've got eggs, we've got the milk. We can make a nice scrambled egg.
0:29:08 > 0:29:13So we're thinking sourdough sliced, nice scrambled eggs with herbs in,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15smoked salmon on top.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19Should we make three different elements of the dish?
0:29:19 > 0:29:24What I can do with this is cut it up, fry it with butter, mushroom and onion. That's one element.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29- But we can't just choose three random.- Right, OK. - We've got to work together.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33- I'll use the onions as well.- You can't say that. We have to decide...
0:29:33 > 0:29:39- We can't just decide one dish and we work round. We need to come together to get a dish.- OK.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44- You think poached egg will be quicker or fried egg? - Poached egg.- It'll be nicer.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48- Shall we do poached eggs? - No, poached will be too complicated.
0:29:48 > 0:29:53- Why don't we do scrambled eggs? - Yeah. Keep it simple, but really good.- OK.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56- The mushroom sits on top of it? - And the bread on top of that?- No.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59You've got 60 seconds, guys, to make your decision.
0:29:59 > 0:30:04- Shall I do the poached eggs? - Are you good at poached eggs? - I've never done 20, but we'll see.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06Let's do it.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10Your planning time is up.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Your cooking time of one hour starts now.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Take all the ingredients over here, guys.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Time-wise, 20 eggs is a big deal.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Fantastic.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34It's a team challenge, but we'll be looking at individual performance.
0:30:34 > 0:30:39They need their cookery skills, but their organisational skills must come to the fore.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44- Do you want me to do the bread first?- Do the bread first. Then cut these up as well.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01- What have you decided to make? - We're going to be doing smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.
0:31:01 > 0:31:08We'll serve it on toasted sourdough with baby roasted tomatoes and a bit of sour cream and chives on top.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12Out of all the breakfasts there are in the world, why that?
0:31:12 > 0:31:16Because smoked salmon is fit enough for a king and it tastes good.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19Right oh. And what did you learn from yesterday?
0:31:19 > 0:31:21We need to be quite focal.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24We need to try and stay calm.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And we all need to share out the workload.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- Natalie, are you in charge again? - No, Ollie's in charge today.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33- Ollie, are you happy being leader? - Yeah.
0:31:33 > 0:31:38I've led a lot throughout my whole life, whether it's in sport or in school or whatever.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42I enjoy giving orders and making sure the whole thing comes together.
0:31:45 > 0:31:49It's a really nice, modern, breakfast-cum-brunch dish.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54The issue we're going to have is all the hot component parts coming together,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57so they're lovely and warm and delicious.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00Let's hope they finish on time because they didn't yesterday.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04You're halfway. That means you've got 30 minutes.
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Rukmini, what's the menu?
0:32:21 > 0:32:27We are doing a parsley and butter roasted mushroom on top of a nice bit of fried bread,
0:32:27 > 0:32:31a spinach sauce and some crispy bacon on top.
0:32:31 > 0:32:36- With poached eggs?- Yeah. - Poached eggs for 20 people - whose idea was that?
0:32:36 > 0:32:40- That was a joint idea.- Yeah. - Why poached eggs?
0:32:40 > 0:32:46- I love poached eggs in the morning. It's my favourite thing.- When did you last cook poached eggs for 20?
0:32:46 > 0:32:48- Never.- How are you finding it now?
0:32:48 > 0:32:51The good and the bad. I'm getting there.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54How did this dish come together?
0:32:54 > 0:32:57- A bit of everybody's idea. - You wanted to do the mushrooms.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01I love garlic mushroom with bread.
0:33:01 > 0:33:06Dave, you like poached eggs for your breakfast. What do you like, Rukmini, for your breakfast?
0:33:06 > 0:33:12I like pancakes for my breakfast, but I also absolutely love mushrooms and bread.
0:33:14 > 0:33:20I would rather see Dave's team working to one person's direction
0:33:20 > 0:33:24than all three of them putting what they want on one dish.
0:33:24 > 0:33:29- There's about six different bits there that will take about an hour to plate up.- Come on!
0:33:29 > 0:33:34Rubbish! I wish I hadn't volunteered for the eggs.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37You've got ten minutes left.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41- We've got ten minutes. - Let's start plating up then.
0:33:43 > 0:33:48- You'll do bread, bread, bread. I'll do scrambled egg, scrambled egg.- I'll do the garnish.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51- Then you follow behind with the tomatoes.- Cool.
0:33:51 > 0:33:57- How many have you done so far? - I think it's in the late teens, but there's a few I'd rather not use.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Watch your bacon, Dave.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06Grab that one and do those two there. Thank you.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22I'm still not sure Dave's team will get it out on time.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27I've got 16 and 17 here. 18's in bad shape. How many have you got?
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Two on now. One will be done in a second.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35Right, are we finished?
0:34:40 > 0:34:44Can you put the eggs on and I'll follow you with the sauce?
0:34:53 > 0:34:56- One here.- We need two eggs, there and there.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04Oh, my God! Oh, my God!
0:35:04 > 0:35:07Time's up.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11Oh, my God!
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- That was wicked.- Yeah.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20- It's a disaster.- No, it's not. Overall, it's...
0:35:20 > 0:35:23The yellows broke.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25- There's no uniformity.- You're right.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28At least we tried, anyway.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Dave, Farhana and Rukmini
0:35:35 > 0:35:41have made poached egg with a roasted garlic and parsley mushroom,
0:35:41 > 0:35:45served on fried bread, topped with a spinach sauce and crispy bacon.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51You can see it's rushed. They all look very different, these plates.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Some eggs are broken, some yolks are sticking out.
0:35:54 > 0:36:01In saying that, that's not unappealing and I'd happily tuck into that if it was served up to me.
0:36:03 > 0:36:05Well done, Dave.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13I actually like it.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18I like the strength of the spinach, I like the garlic that's over everything
0:36:18 > 0:36:22and I like the richness from the butter. It's quite opulent.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24You've invented a new dish.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28I tell you what I really like about your dish - I love the textures.
0:36:28 > 0:36:33That nutty seed bread sitting underneath that spongy mushroom
0:36:33 > 0:36:37with that oozing egg and that wonderful creamy sauce is brilliant.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40My issue are the flavours.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45I think there's way too much garlic and way too much lemon in that iron-rich spinach.
0:36:45 > 0:36:52I'm surprised by you lot today because after yesterday, I thought you would have worked more as a team
0:36:52 > 0:36:56and with a bit more teamwork, your dish would have been a lot better.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10Natalie, Ollie and Louise have made scrambled eggs and smoked salmon
0:37:10 > 0:37:16on toasted sourdough bread with sour cream and chives and roasted vine tomatoes.
0:37:19 > 0:37:25Your teamwork today was brilliant. Ollie, you ran with the troops, you got it together.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28I'm pretty impressed with the consistency of presentation.
0:37:28 > 0:37:3120 virtually identical plates.
0:37:40 > 0:37:47I really like the smoked salmon against the well-seasoned, creamy, buttery scrambled eggs
0:37:47 > 0:37:51and the bread underneath is soaking up some of the butter.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55I don't like the sour cream across the top, but I love the taste of it.
0:37:55 > 0:38:00It's absolutely beautiful, really well made and I admire your teamwork.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04I think it's a really thought-out dish, not too complicated.
0:38:04 > 0:38:10I think your eggs are cooked really well. I love the bit of smoked salmon sitting on top.
0:38:10 > 0:38:17I even like the different textures of that cooked smoked salmon which is quite chalky with your rich egg.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19You've done really, really well.
0:38:28 > 0:38:32Taking into consideration both mass catering challenges,
0:38:32 > 0:38:37we believe there are two cooks who deserve to go straight through to the next round.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41The remaining four will need to cook off against each other.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47The first person is...
0:38:52 > 0:38:54..Ollie.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12The second person is...
0:39:18 > 0:39:19..Natalie.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Congratulations. Well done. You two can take a break.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59Oh, my God!
0:40:01 > 0:40:06I am so happy, I'm absolutely relieved. All the weight has just been taken off.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09And I'm so excited.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13The feeling now of getting through to the next stage is unbelievable.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15I'm just shocked, really.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18Yeah, it's just a bit unreal, really.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23I feel disappointed because I really want to get through to the next level. I really want it.
0:40:23 > 0:40:29But if I have to do it, I have to do it. I'll just get my head in the right place and do the best I can.
0:40:29 > 0:40:34I will do everything I can to not go home and be the best I can.
0:40:34 > 0:40:40If I mess up and it's my fault, I'd be devastated with that because I want to show my best.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45It's going to be stressful, but I'm already juggling ideas in my head,
0:40:45 > 0:40:50so hopefully, you know, my back-up plan will work.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Oh! Your destiny's in your own hands.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00You four are now going to cook off against each other
0:41:00 > 0:41:05for the one remaining place in this competition.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08Create for us one dish using the same ingredients.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13At the end of this, one of you will go through to the next round.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15You have one hour.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Ladies and gentlemen, let's cook.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44I'm feeling quite nervous. The standard is really, really high.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47There's not very much margin for error.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54Rukmini, you set off with real gusto. What are you going to make for us?
0:41:54 > 0:41:59I'm making a plum brioche pudding. I've not quite decided what to do on the side.
0:41:59 > 0:42:05I'd like to do something with pecans and butterscotch and a berry compote with the raspberries.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Why would you start out and not have a finished dish in your mind?
0:42:09 > 0:42:14I knew that I wanted to do the plum and that needs 20 minutes to cook.
0:42:14 > 0:42:20I can get on with all the other things to go with it and everything should be ready at the same time.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26Rukmini got some brioche, got some plums, made herself a custard.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29From there on, she has no idea what she's doing.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33Right now she needs to get some clarity. Which way does she go?
0:42:35 > 0:42:3715 minutes gone.
0:42:41 > 0:42:48I think I need to show John and Gregg that I can give more and there is so much more to come.
0:42:48 > 0:42:54I'm going to give it the best... I'm going to give it everything I have.
0:42:55 > 0:43:01I'm making potato rosti with pan-fried spinach, mushroom and red peppers
0:43:01 > 0:43:05with a bit of garlic and cream and smoked haddock on top.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10- Have you cooked this dish before? - Yeah, I've cooked it with salmon before.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Guys at home like it. Hopefully, you two will too.
0:43:16 > 0:43:22I'm concerned for Farhana because I don't really understand where her dish is going.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24We've got a crispy potato rosti.
0:43:24 > 0:43:30We've got mushrooms and peppers that are done in a cream and garlic sauce and on top of that, smoked haddock.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34That sounds very confused to me.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36You've got 30 minutes.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47If I was sent home today, I'd be devastated.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52I'm not thinking too much about it because if I do, it's going to blow my head,
0:43:52 > 0:43:57so I'm going in calm, I'll try and take my time and just take it in my stride.
0:43:58 > 0:44:04- Dave, you took an age to decide. - Yeah.- We were almost up to halfway. What was going on?
0:44:04 > 0:44:07Desserts and fish are not my strongest two.
0:44:07 > 0:44:12- Dave, what are you cooking for us?- I'm doing a bread-and-butter pudding.
0:44:12 > 0:44:18The custard is flavoured with a bit of cardamom. Some slightly sugared pecan nuts are running through it.
0:44:18 > 0:44:22What do you feel that you need to prove now with this dish?
0:44:22 > 0:44:26It needs to be quite refined, to look nice and to taste nice.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28I don't want any glaring errors.
0:44:28 > 0:44:33If there's anything wrong with the custard or it burns, that'd be a tragedy.
0:44:33 > 0:44:38- How long does a bread-and-butter pudding take to cook, Dave? - About 40 minutes.
0:44:38 > 0:44:43- You had 30 minutes when it went in the oven.- Yeah. - Is that not a worry?- Yeah, it is.
0:44:47 > 0:44:53Dave's concerned the pudding won't be cooked in time. He's burnt some caramel. He hasn't got a sauce done.
0:44:53 > 0:44:58It's a dangerous time for Dave to be doing something which isn't really his strength.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05You've got 15 minutes left. 15 minutes.
0:45:12 > 0:45:16There's a huge amount of pressure at this point. If you make any errors
0:45:16 > 0:45:20and it doesn't matter how small now, you could be going home.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24And because you want it so much, it just makes it even worse.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Louise, you look a bit upset to be here.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31Yeah. I would have loved to have gone through, but it wasn't a surprise.
0:45:31 > 0:45:38- Why not a surprise?- Because I've been really out of my comfort zone in the last couple of challenges.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42- You might have seen me revert into myself a little bit. - What are you making now?
0:45:42 > 0:45:48An open ravioli of mushroom and it will kind of be like a mushroom gratin thing,
0:45:48 > 0:45:51then I'm going to layer it up with a tarragon cream.
0:45:51 > 0:45:57Unfortunately, I've messed up my first lot of mushrooms with some whipped double cream and some egg.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00It's gone really watery, so I've got to start again.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03Louise, you can cook. You've got to get out of a flap.
0:46:03 > 0:46:09- You've got pasta to make, a sauce to finish off, a lot of work to do. - Absolutely.- Will you get it done?
0:46:09 > 0:46:12Yeah, I'm going to try my very best.
0:46:15 > 0:46:21I do like the sound of really nicely seasoned mushrooms in a creamy sauce with pasta.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24I just can't see how she turns that into a dish.
0:46:24 > 0:46:30I'm not confident with the dish Louise has got and she's got so much work to do that she's in danger
0:46:30 > 0:46:33- of not completing the dish. - Where's the flour?
0:46:37 > 0:46:39You've got ten minutes left.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50This is going to be so difficult.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09Yes!
0:47:27 > 0:47:30That's it. Stop, please.
0:47:41 > 0:47:47Rukmini has made a plum and brioche pudding with poached plums,
0:47:47 > 0:47:49spiced cardamom custard,
0:47:49 > 0:47:52raspberry and cranberry compote
0:47:52 > 0:47:54and pecan brittle.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11What I do absolutely love is that cardamom custard.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13I think that is divine.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17I love the texture of your brioche pudding.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20That's soft and gooey and comforting.
0:48:22 > 0:48:24You have shown skill.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29I love the texture of your custard. It's beautiful.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33It's thick like condensed milk and perfumed with cardamom and cinnamon.
0:48:33 > 0:48:39I like the stack. You've got crusty bits on the outside, soggy, gooey, almost doughy bits on the inside.
0:48:39 > 0:48:44Your poached plums are delicious, flavoured and fragrant.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49And I like the crunchy brittle stuff you've got around the outside with the pecan nuts.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57Farhana has prepared a smoked haddock Scotch egg,
0:48:57 > 0:49:00served with a potato rosti
0:49:00 > 0:49:03on pan-fried mushrooms, spinach and peppers.
0:49:06 > 0:49:12- This Scotch egg idea came to you in the last ten minutes. It wasn't what you told us you would do.- No.
0:49:12 > 0:49:18After speaking to you, I said, "I'm going to push myself a bit more and see..."
0:49:18 > 0:49:21It's just... I don't know what I was thinking.
0:49:22 > 0:49:23Oh...
0:49:25 > 0:49:27Lord help...
0:49:28 > 0:49:30Yes, it's a runny yolk.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Wow!
0:49:38 > 0:49:42I really love the idea of the smoked haddock Scotch egg -
0:49:42 > 0:49:46a boiled egg inside with smoked haddock round it.
0:49:46 > 0:49:51It's normally the other way round, an egg on the haddock, and that works.
0:49:51 > 0:49:57You've then got a dish of a crispy rosti, there's pepper in there, chilli, nice mushrooms,
0:49:57 > 0:50:02and sweet bits from pepper. That's another nice flavour combination.
0:50:02 > 0:50:08You've got some nice ideas. It's a bit mangled up when you put the whole thing on one fork.
0:50:09 > 0:50:15It's quite confused, Farhana, I've got to say. There are some interesting flavours.
0:50:15 > 0:50:21I like your chilli-spiced rosti, but then we've also got these vegetables around the outside.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26It's like there's three different things happening on a plate and it's not coming together.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34Dave's dish is a brioche and sugared pecan pudding
0:50:34 > 0:50:40with a spiced cardamom custard and a caramelised pecan garnish.
0:50:50 > 0:50:54I really like that crispy, sugary top with that sweet brioche,
0:50:54 > 0:50:58the nuttiness from your pecan nuts and the sweetness of your custard.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00It's too dense.
0:51:00 > 0:51:07That custard is taken up by that brioche, that sweet bread, and it's become too much of a mush.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13- I mean, that should really fall apart, shouldn't it?- Yeah.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Let's be blunt. That's pretty hefty.
0:51:18 > 0:51:23I like the sweetness. I like the toasty nuts on it as well. I really do.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26I even like the hint of cardamom in the custard,
0:51:26 > 0:51:30- but that's a bowl of nicely flavoured stodge, mate.- Hmm.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40Louise is serving an open lasagne
0:51:40 > 0:51:45with sauteed mushrooms, fresh herbs and a tarragon cream.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54- Louise, a long, hard day.- Yeah. - An emotional, hard day.- Yeah.
0:51:54 > 0:52:00It's not bad, actually, considering where you were with five minutes to go.
0:52:06 > 0:52:11The mushrooms are lovely. The pasta is slightly too thick.
0:52:11 > 0:52:18The tarragon cream is really nice, but there's not enough sauce on there and it needs a sauce
0:52:18 > 0:52:20because it's bordering on a little bland.
0:52:22 > 0:52:27I really like that tarragon cream sauce, rich with aniseed and slightly peppery.
0:52:27 > 0:52:33I like the woodiness of those mushrooms, but then we have this very bland world underneath.
0:52:33 > 0:52:38The pasta is bland because it doesn't have any real flavour to it. It's not thin enough, the pasta.
0:52:38 > 0:52:42And that's the thing, actually. It's not quite right.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53We need to make a decision,
0:52:53 > 0:52:55a big decision.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59Who stays and who goes?
0:53:00 > 0:53:02Thank you very much.
0:53:11 > 0:53:16You have to fight for your place, you have to deserve your place.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20Who in this kitchen right now deserves a place in the next round?
0:53:20 > 0:53:26Dave took a risk because he did a dessert and he said desserts aren't his strong point.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30There wasn't a sauce besides some custard. There was a nut on top which was caramelised.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33That was it. It was tasty enough, but it was stodge.
0:53:33 > 0:53:39I'm not sure if I've done enough to get through to the next stage. I've made a few little mistakes.
0:53:39 > 0:53:42So, kind of a bit nervous and worrying.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47Louise put something tasty together there.
0:53:47 > 0:53:52It needed more sauce, the pasta was slightly too thick, but it did taste good.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57She proved she's got a good palate, but I'm not sure she's got the skill.
0:53:57 > 0:54:02If I was to go home, I'd be absolutely gutted. I can feel myself getting emotional now.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Yeah... Yeah, it would just be awful after all this hard work.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12Rukmini isn't really comfortable with mass catering challenges
0:54:12 > 0:54:16and when she produces her own food, she's fantastic.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20I really liked the idea of what she was doing - plums in a sort of brioche stack.
0:54:20 > 0:54:25She made some cardamom custard which was fantastic, poached some plums, nice idea.
0:54:25 > 0:54:28I feel like I've got quite far in the competition.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32It would be a real shame to go home without showing John and Gregg
0:54:32 > 0:54:35that I can take on their feedback and produce beautiful food.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39I really liked the idea of Farhana's fishy Scotch egg.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43It was the cleverest and most inventive thing in the room.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47The rosti was well made and there was chilli in with the peppers
0:54:47 > 0:54:49and that tasted nice.
0:54:49 > 0:54:54The two didn't match, but there might be something about her.
0:54:54 > 0:54:59We saw a brilliant curry from Farhana in the mass catering challenge, but it's inconsistent.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03We've got some extraordinary dishes and some really weird combinations.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07Do you know what? I feel really nervous.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09I think...
0:55:10 > 0:55:15I don't know whether I've done enough to go to the next round. I really don't know.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18It's crunch time now.
0:55:20 > 0:55:26We need to make a decision as to who should join Natalie and Ollie in the next round.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44Three of you are going to be leaving us.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Rukmini...
0:56:03 > 0:56:05Congratulations. You're in.
0:56:05 > 0:56:09Thank you. Thank you.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38When you put it into perspective and you think about how many people applied for this,
0:56:38 > 0:56:43to get to this amount of people left is just a huge achievement
0:56:43 > 0:56:49and although I might feel a bit funny today when I walk out, I will remember that.
0:56:50 > 0:56:56I've learnt so much and I'm going to keep on cooking. I'm going to take all this forward with me.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58That's the way I look at it, yeah.
0:56:58 > 0:57:03I'm going to be a bit glum for a few days, but I'll get myself together.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07You know, it's onwards and upwards. I'm certainly not stopping.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09Well done.
0:57:09 > 0:57:15I mean, euphoria again. Every stage, every kind of success is a new success to build on. I love it.
0:57:17 > 0:57:22It's a bit like a dream. It's like you're watching the TV and it's not happening.
0:57:23 > 0:57:28I've worked really hard to get here now and just double my efforts.
0:57:28 > 0:57:32I'm going to put everything into the rest of this competition.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41Tomorrow night, the battle really begins
0:57:41 > 0:57:45when the seven best amateur cooks in the country come together
0:57:45 > 0:57:50to fight for a coveted place in the semi-finals.
0:57:52 > 0:57:57It's the biggest day so far in the competition, one of the biggest days of my life.
0:57:57 > 0:58:02This, I think, is the most exciting cook-off we've ever had.
0:58:02 > 0:58:04This is the clash of the titans.
0:58:34 > 0:58:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd