Episode 1 The Big Family Cooking Showdown

ZOE BALL: The British family kitchen.

Whether it's where you love to eat...

This is where we have our family feasts.

..or where you love to cook...

-SQUEALS:

-Ye-e-e-es!

..it's where we all learn to love food.

I've tasted the food of many chefs

in many different restaurants all over the world,

but family cooking...

This one's puffing up.

..this is where real food comes from.

Home cooking does something that fine dining does not.

It creates the heart within the home...

-NADIYA:

-She's eating all the ingredients.

..bringing the family together.

We're searching for Britain's best family of cooks.

Over the next few weeks, 16 families will go head-to-head.

Teenagers and grandparents.

Brothers and sisters.

All cooking their very best family food in their own homes...

-The judges are going to love it.

-Of course they will.

..and here in our kitchen.

Oh, that smell!

That is delicious.

I'm shaking so much.

ZOE: Judging their efforts every step of the way...

-GROANING

-Drama!

..renowned cookery teacher, Rosemary Shrager...

I'm looking for a family who are going to blow me away with

the understanding of flavour, texture and altogether gorgeousness.

..and top Michelin-starred chef...

Hi, Giorgio.

..Giorgio Locatelli.

The food that I want to see is, of course,

very tasty and beautiful,

but the most important thing is to see them cooking with joy.

That's what home cooking's all about.

-NADIYA:

-These are the families who make ordinary food extraordinary.

Utterly delicious.

I learned something today.

The judges have made a decision.

This is The Big Family Cooking Showdown.

Today, two families will go up against each other...

..each represented by three family members.

They'll be tested over three challenging rounds -

here in our kitchen and in their own homes -

after which, the judges will decide who goes through to the semifinals.

Our first food-obsessed family are the Marks.

We like working together.

Yeah, we do. Part of our strategy is to sort of keep my mother

a little bit in sort of check.

Check!

Because that can also sort of be quite challenging.

They're up against the Charleses.

I'm helper - praise and encouragement.

Dan's list-maker and I'm...

-Supervisor.

-..in charge.

-HE CHUCKLES

Betty decided that.

Yeah, and you're to just do as you're told.

I do as I'm told.

A warm welcome to our wonderful families.

The Marks, meet the Charles.

The Charles, meet the Marks.

All looking very calm before the storm hits.

Please meet your judges, Rosemary and Giorgio,

who expect to be served some seriously good home cooking.

We're starting with the £10 Challenge.

Today's theme is weekend lunch.

The judges want to see you come up with something really special -

a family lunch for four for just £10.

You have an hour and 15 minutes.

Let's get cooking.

-WHISPERS:

-Oh, God!

Both families have had time to practise today's dishes.

What do you reckon's going on over there?

Don't look over there.

-JEAN LAUGHS

-Just concentrate on that bread.

The Charles family from Yorkshire are Betty, husband Dan and mum Jean.

Betty is the boss of the kitchen.

Is there any question?

-I'm just not going to say anything.

-LAUGHTER

ZOE: For their £10 weekend lunch,

they're making...

For me, there is nothing better than a risotto to enjoy with your family

on a Sunday lunch.

Well, considering one of the main judges is an Italian...

..Michelin-starred chef...

..absolutely calm and fine about it, obviously.

Perfect risotto is made of simplicity.

This risotto with fennel and lemon,

it will be very difficult to balance the flavour.

-Am I in your way?

-Always.

-I hope so!

JEAN LAUGHS

So, Jean, is this something you do quite often, then, cooking together?

We do. Yeah, we do loads of cooking together, yeah.

They're really, really good at cooking.

I'm all right at cooking, you know, home cooking.

Do you often go to their house and cook?

-Oh, yeah.

-Or do they come to yours?

Either, because we only live about three miles away from each other,

-so we're...

-If someone feeds me, I'll happily stay.

-Well, I will too.

They're very welcome and I'm very... Well, I say I'm very welcome there,

maybe I'm not, Nadiya.

I think they love you. They just can't get rid of you.

-Do you think that's what it is?

-Yeah!

-NADIYA:

-Adventurous foodies Betty and Dan got married last year.

I'd definitely say that our passion for food and cooking

started when we went travelling.

The smells, the colours, everything.

It was just phenomenal.

-Just a massive eye-opener for us.

-DAN:

-Mm-hm.

And you've just always been...

-Just a...

-I've always cooked.

-Yeah, you have, haven't you?

Yes, so I've got four kids,

so I always wanted to try and feed them well.

I'm rolling, I'm pushing.

You're not doing anything that I'm telling you.

We have lots of fun when we cook together.

-We do.

-We make each other laugh no end.

-I'm pushing and rolling.

-No, let it go!

JEAN LAUGHS

Food's a huge, huge part of our lives.

We like to impress.

Yeah, absolutely, yeah. We really go for it.

Yeah, we make an event of pretty much every meal we do.

I think you're more showy than I am with food.

-You're getting a...

-I just really like cooking.

How competitive are we?

I think we'll win the competition.

When we went to Italy, to Sorrento, we were taught to cook risotto.

It was amazing.

She was explaining to us that there's eight steps

to the best risotto.

The base, temptation, then the sigh, then the cooking,

the parting, the buttering, the serving and then the eating.

She did teach me them in Italian.

-Go ahead.

-I'm very... I'm very aware that Giorgio's here.

-Italian?

-Yeah, come on, Betty.

-La base.

-Il soffritto, la tentazione.

-Oh!

-Il sospiro...

Uh, la cottura, la divisione...

-GIORGIO:

-La mantecatura.

-La mantecatura.

Il servire and, uh...

Il mangiare.

Il servire and mangiare. Perfect.

-Yeah!

-CHEERING

-BOTH:

-Get in!

Could you give me the cream, please?

-Don't put it all in.

-Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.

-You do know what you're doing.

-Yeah, I do know what I'm doing.

-NADIYA:

-The Marks family are Oskar,

his mum Jessica, and grandmother Torun.

Today we are making Swedish meatballs.

It is the most national dish ever.

The meatballs will be served with a traditional cream sauce...

I think the most important thing is the sauce.

They're using a beef stock and then they're putting cream into it,

and then on the side, cranberry sauce.

The combination to me doesn't seem to tally together.

But I might be surprised.

-OSKAR:

-I would say these are perfect, actually.

I would say I agree for once.

Now we just have to make some perfectly-formed balls.

-TORUN LAUGHS

-That's a bit big.

That one's a bit big, that one.

I'm interested to know if this is Torun's family meatball recipe.

-Mm.

-You know when families keep recipes to themselves?

-Yeah.

-My family doesn't really have that kind of recipe.

-Do you have like a...?

-My mum...

-Yeah.

-..has lots of recipes but she

doesn't give them to us because she says that we'd just massacre them.

It'd be great if it is a recipe that is something that's gone through

-the years and they've all learnt...

-Yeah.

-Generation to generation.

-Yeah!

The day you get taught the meatball recipe.

-We're sharing that today.

-Yeah. We can see.

That'd be great. That'd be good.

Torun, how do you stay so young?

-I've felt much loved in my life.

-ZOE GASPS

A little birdie told me that you've had four husbands.

-Yes.

-Yeah? All of them good?

-Three, very good.

-Three of them weren't bad?

-Will you marry again, Torun?

-No, thank you.

-OK.

-I've been there, I've done that.

-ZOE LAUGHS

No number five.

-Well, only as a boyfriend.

-OK.

I've got a couple of those going now.

Enjoy making the meatballs.

Isn't she wonderful?

-LAUGHING:

-No, I'm just considered quite mad.

I absolutely adore Torun.

-She is lovely, she looks...

-She's wonderful!

-I need three more husbands.

-Abdal, be afraid.

-Yeah.

-BOTH LAUGH

I'm 86, but I really don't want to tell you that.

She's worried because she's got this boyfriend who's younger than her.

-12 years.

-He doesn't know how old she is.

-Doesn't know how old she is.

I had to do a dinner party for her birthday

and have cake and everything, but we couldn't actually tell anyone...

-But didn't somebody let it slip?

-..that it was her birthday.

Former fashion designer and model Torun

has lived in the UK for over 50 years.

I lived all my adult life in London and I love it here

and I feel now more English than Swedish.

We've a very strong connection with Sweden, though,

cos I've been spending all my summers in Sweden

-since I was born, basically.

-Me too.

In the summer, you have the crayfish season.

Crayfish party time.

It's the same with midsummer.

We would have this huge summer buffet,

so I think food was a celebration

and spending happy times with the family.

Oh, come on, we want to be the best cooking family in Britain.

Of course! Of course!

Torun's in it for the cameras and the lights.

I just want to be the star, my dear.

-Skol!

-Skol.

-Skol.

-NADIYA:

-Back in the Charleses' kitchen,

mum Jean is making the Parmesan crisps to accompany Betty's risotto.

I don't want it too brown and I don't want it too pale.

It can be a bit chewy.

I've got to be vigilant.

-DAN:

-Nobody wants a burnt crisp.

-Don't burn them, Mum.

-How are the Markses doing?

-Oh, God... They've formed the meatballs.

Grandmother is off chatting to people, cos that's what she does.

But, luckily, we've got a contingency plan for her absence.

Just to get on with it!

Oh. I didn't bend it round me rolling pin quick enough,

so it hasn't gone properly circular.

Betty'll be annoyed at that one.

We won't tell her, Jean, we won't tell her.

Right, next one.

-Torun...

-You've answered my question.

-You've got work to do.

-The meatballs are in the oven now.

-Are they?

-Yes, come back to work! No skiving off.

-Oh, gosh!

-We're here to cook.

-So you're going to help Mum with the mash now,

-I believe?

-Why should I help you? You're so good at it.

This is what family food's all about.

It's about enjoying themselves, cooking together.

It feels like Sunday morning.

It does, actually, doesn't it?

We underestimate the power of food.

I'm getting the rice so the rice is really hot

but not coloured, and then I'll add the wine.

There's your wine here, Betty.

There we go.

I've just added my wine, or the sigh,

and that goes in with a little stock.

And just keep going until we're up to the buttering stage.

ZOE: OK, you have half an hour left.

I don't think this is going to be ready.

-DAN:

-Uh, let's hope it is.

-Well... You... It'll...

You've half an hour. That's the long and short of it.

ZOE: Oskar's making HIS version

of a traditional cream sauce for the meatballs.

The sauce, I've made my own vegetable stock.

I've also put some beef into it.

I've put the soy sauce in to darken it a bit

and also to provide some saltiness,

and the redcurrant jelly is for a bit of sweetness.

Oskar is the sauce king.

I love his sauces. He's got a real touch.

He's my adored grandson.

HE LAUGHS

That is delicious.

-NADIYA:

-In the Charleses' kitchen,

Dan's moved on to the tempura fennel fritters.

-DAN:

-I'm just getting ready to make the tempura batter,

so I've just got my plain flour in.

I'm going to get my soda water in. A little bit...

a touch of corn-starch, if Betty's not listening,

cos she doesn't want me to change the recipe.

The sooner you eat them after being cooked,

the crispier and the better they taste,

so I'm planning to leave the tempura till the last five minutes.

Are you REALLY planning on doing that?

-It just...

-It's just how it's worked.

It needs to drain, though. It needs to drain. Put 'em in now.

Oh, God!

-NADIYA:

-Guys, you've got 15 minutes to go.

Oh, my God!

We've had loads of time at home though, like, time to spare.

I don't get it.

My tempura batter looks a bit thin.

Betty, is this OK? Have a quick check.

-Yeah.

-Are you sure?

Yeah.

I was worried the tempura batter was too thin.

Betty told me it wasn't. That was the end of the conversation.

HE CHUCKLES

It's a bit thin, that sauce.

It must be the right consistency.

Well, will you get all those lumps out?

It's a mistake, I think.

We need to get ready to serve now, guys.

-Just got the...

-Lumps.

Lumps, yeah. There's nothing I can do about that now.

You can strain it quickly.

Strain it.

-Oh, come here.

-Are you all right down there, Mum?

Just burning my face off in front of this grill.

As long as you're not burning the food.

-DAN:

-Do it quietly, Jean.

-ZOE: Five minutes.

SHE SQUEALS

Parmesan crisps.

-Got to have our flag.

-Got to have our flag.

They brought a little Swedish flag and everything!

-Oh, have they?

-We didn't bring props.

Right, guys, have a look at it all now.

That looks bang on.

Tah-dah!

Time's up. That's it.

CHEERING

-LAUGHTER

-We did it.

-We did it!

With their £10 budget,

the Markses have made Swedish meatballs

with a traditional cream sauce,

mashed potato with dill and a cranberry sauce.

Incredibly beautifully understated in a very Swedish manner.

-I really like it.

-Mm. Me too.

The meatballs have been cooked a tiny little bit too much.

The using of the meat to make that stock,

it really shines through that sauce.

A little bit more thickness. I know you had a bit of a problem.

I saw you were struggling with that whisk with your grandmother.

-Yeah.

-A little bit, yeah.

You were very polite.

That's very good. Very, very good boy.

-It's delicious.

-Thank you very much.

It's not dry, it's meaty.

You don't need any more seasoning.

You don't need any more flavour.

And with the sauce...

Brings it together.

-Thank you.

-So I think we'll just go for the cranberry sauce.

-It's interesting. LAUGHING:

-Yes.

Do you know what it reminds me of? A little bit of Christmas lunch.

Yes. Absolutely.

This is a piece of Sweden

and the fact that this is a recipe that has been your favourite

for such a long time, it shows.

-Thank you so much.

-Full of goodness and full of love.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you so much.

ZOE: The Charles family have made a lemon and fennel risotto

with Parmesan crisps and tempura fennel fritters.

First of all, I think it looks lovely.

I would love to have this for a lovely lunch, I really would.

-We ought to go to...

-To the fennel.

-..towards the fennel.

Who was in charge of the batter here?

-This guy.

-Was it?

-Yeah.

-Just by the look of it, the batter was a little bit thin.

Needed to be a little bit thicker.

The actual thing doesn't look coated. It looks naked.

-Mm.

-Then we get to these lovely Parmesan crisps.

-Beautiful colour.

-Go on, Mum!

-And... It's very crispy.

-Mm.

It hasn't sweated, so it's not greasy in the mouth.

And it has a fantastic flavour.

-It's difficult to get...

-Yeah!

-But you have managed in this case, so very good.

-Hey!

Go on, Mum!

Well...

-The risotto, should I taste it?

-I think you better taste it.

-Shall I give you a plate?

-I saw you cooking those fennel...

-Mm-hm.

..with a touch of chilli. I thought, "Whoa!"

And the lemon. How many things go inside this risotto?

Yeah? To be overcomplicated, it was my great worry.

OK.

I think maybe I've been proved wrong.

-Yes!

-THEY SQUEAL

Can I have a little bit more?

Yes!

The flavours really complement each other.

The lemons sustain it.

The fennel is there with the sweetness, and the chilli...

That's the... I learned something today.

Very, very well done.

That is bellissimo.

-Oh!

-LAUGHTER

-Buonissimo.

-Buonissimo.

Buonissimo.

I'm absolutely impressed about this risotto.

I'm impressed for the balance, I'm impressed about the cooking,

I'm impressed about the mantecatura,

I'm impressed about the garnishes, the Parmesan crisps...

I would serve this risotto.

-ROSEMARY: Oh, he's impressed!

-Ooh!

-Oh, wow!

Giorgio!

He's impressed. Well done.

ZOE: For the next challenge,

both families must cook a main course and dessert

for Rosemary and Giorgio in their own homes.

-NADIYA:

-The first stop is Bridlington in East Yorkshire -

a seaside town famous for its shellfish

and award-winning chippies,

and home to the Charles family.

I hope they like flowers.

Roll over!

Just taking the dogs for a walk before the chaos ensues.

It's fully mental that we've got Giorgio and Rosemary

coming for dinner today. Jean's obviously a constant worry.

Stan's made a concise list of to-dos.

She's quite easily distracted,

which is why I've wrote "vigilant" on there for her.

If Jean follows the list and I listen to Betty,

then we're all good, yeah.

-NADIYA:

-And for today's Family Favourites,

they've just 90 minutes to cook two courses.

Nadiya's here! She's here.

Go on, then!

-Hey!

-Yeah!

-NADIYA:

-Hi. Hi!

LAUGHTER

How are you? You all right? How are you feeling?

-Oh! Well, you know, all the better for seeing you!

-Excited? Aw!

JEAN LAUGHS

Your house says so much about you,

and you are so in love and that's really nice, actually.

-So what was your wedding like?

-It was just so amazing.

-Yeah.

Dan did, like, the best speech.

I said, it's been an emotional day,

even the cake's in TIERS.

Hey!

ALL LAUGH

That is actually so bad that it's actually good.

It was like that calibre of hilarity.

As you know, the judges would like you to cook your Family Favourites -

a main and a dessert.

You've got one hour and 30 minutes.

-Off you go.

-Come on, guys.

-Right, come on.

Action stations.

Dan and Jean are responsible for the main course...

Just cut that one in half.

-Oh, one's fallen on the floor.

-JEAN LAUGHS

I have my back turned for one minute...

I wasn't very vigilant then, was I?

-NADIYA:

-To help the chicken cook quickly and evenly,

Dan uses a nifty technique.

Are you spatchcocking the chicken?

That's exactly what I'm doing, just cut the bone out and flatten it.

Is this the bit where you go...

That's it. You hear that crack.

The chicken packs in an awful lot of flavour - the chilli,

the garlic, the ginger - big flavours coming through,

but it's very, very important to get that chicken cooked properly.

Chicken's in, guys.

-Oh, gosh!

-Jean, tell me, what are you doing up there?

I was a telephone engineer, towards the end of the '70s,

after they had the Equal Opportunities Act.

I was working for BT anyway and I thought, "Ooh!"

What really attracted me was

I thought you went round people's houses for a cup of tea,

but I didn't realise you were doing a bit of telephone pole climbing.

I don't know if I was the first,

but I was certainly one of the very first.

-Don't lie to 'em, Jean.

-I could have been the first,

-but I don't know if I was.

-OK.

-If they find out you're lying...

-DAN:

-Squash just wants a few minutes getting tossed through the spice mix

and then it's going to go underneath the chicken.

I love the idea of the spatchcock chicken.

It's got spices on it, but she's also spiced the butternut squash.

Let's see if it's not too much.

-NADIYA:

-These are all really familiar smells, Dan.

You know I'm from the Bengal as well?

These are the smells I've grown up with, so I feel right at home here.

Dan's also making a crispy chicken skin.

-DAN:

-So our friendly butcher

just gives us some skin if we ask him nicely.

Spice mix, chilli powder,

garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika,

cardamom pods, some fresh chilli as well.

The trick to crisping it up is to flatten it between two baking trays.

Normally, Betty doesn't do puddings.

Today, she's attempting a childhood favourite with a twist...

Posset, such a British thing.

With two incredible flavours, which is the cardamom and the mango.

I'm expecting something really delicious here.

I love posset, but it's all about the textures.

And the balance of the whole dessert.

If they get it wrong, it will be a disaster.

-Betty, do you not eat?

-No, that's how I stay in shape.

-There's milk.

-JEAN:

-And that's mine.

-DAN:

-It actually is, as well.

No, we just take everything out of the fridge,

turn it up as high as it can to get it as cold as possible

to give it the most amount of chance to set.

I'm not a big dessert person, so this is a big deal for me.

-Right, go on.

-SQUEALS:

-Please set!

-NADIYA:

-The final job is making flatbreads from scratch.

The bread must be really soft and really fluffy.

Beautiful colour,

perfectly seasoned to accompany this dish that carries so much flavour.

-BETTY:

-Don't forget the baking powder!

-Ahem!

-You remembered!

Have a little faith, guys.

Have a little bit of faith.

Guys, you've had half an hour.

-OK! Oh, yeah, baste the chicken!

-DAN:

-I just have.

These lovely recipes, why are they your Family Favourites?

We've always done a lot of travelling out in south-east Asia,

and this is the sort of weekly stuff that we like to cook.

-We like to spice it up a bit, really.

-All the things...

-Yeah.

..that you love that you've picked up while travelling?

-Yeah.

-Mm!

-DAN:

-Betty, the chicken will be ready in, like, ten minutes.

-Will it?

Yeah. We've only got about... 20 left?

Oh, my God! I'm not going to open that fridge.

Don't. The more time it gets, the better, right? So don't touch it.

-Don't touch it.

-Don't touch it.

-DAN:

-The chicken's done.

Brilliant, right, let's get it out to rest.

-Is it done?

-Stick it right in the breast of it.

-DAN:

-Yeah, I've just had it up to, like, mid-70s and now it's...

Put it back in.

-NADIYA:

-Meanwhile, Jean griddles the flatbreads.

-Are we all right there?

-Yeah, tickety-boo.

Nowt wrong with that. You know what I didn't do?

-Go on.

-Didn't put salt in the flatbreads, but we can put

-a bit on the top, can't we?

-Yeah.

-But don't tell anybody that.

Guys, you've got 11 minutes.

Oh, my God! Right, OK.

-NADIYA:

-The chicken's not the only thing that needs more time.

-DAN:

-The chicken skin's still a little soft.

Why have you taken the top off the chicken skin?

To get it hotter quicker.

Do you think that's done?

I'm not in charge of crispy skin.

-JEAN LAUGHS

-What does it usually look like?

That, but crispier!

Pray it says the right number.

It's got to get to 74.

Aw, there we go. 78!

-NADIYA:

-You said you wanted to take your posset out at eight minutes.

Six, maybe.

-DAN:

-Need to start thinking about that now. Six minutes to go.

I'm taking it out now.

-Yes.

-SQUEALS:

-Ye-e-e-es!

-I can't hear anything.

-Yes, yes!

Betty finishes her possets with lime curd,

toasted coconut and a disc of fresh mango.

Beautiful, Betty.

They are ready to be blowtorched. Swap!

Guys, I don't mean to alarm you, but the judges are on their way.

Oh, my God, the chicken skin!

-There, that looks fine.

-These are the bits I was worried about.

-It's still... Oh, no, it's not.

-It's hard.

-Yeah, it's fine!

-My God!

-Smile, Dan, come on.

-Yay!

-Yeah!

BOTH LAUGH

They look a bit...

No, they look fine in there. That's how we eat them.

-Guys, one minute...

-Aah!

-..and it has got to be on the table.

-OK, OK.

-DAN:

-We're done, we're done, we're done.

-OK, OK, OK.

-After you.

THEY CHEER

Well done.

Feeling a bit left out?

Come here, Jean. You'll be fine. You'll be fine.

First on the Charles' Family Favourites menu,

Dan's chilli ginger roast chicken with crispy chicken skin...

..with Jean's Bengali spiced butternut squash

and garlic and herb flatbreads.

This, as a dish...

The presentation would be impossible to get in any family in Europe.

Only in Britain this is happening.

It looks fantastic. Let's see how it tastes like.

The chicken is cooked perfectly.

It is not easy, as well,

to have legs and breasts both nice and succulent

and delicious in taste.

All those flavours are really working together

into something quite special. It's really good.

Squash cooked al dente.

- It's perfect. - Needs a bit of bite.

Yes, that little bit of bite, it really does help.

I really like that skin.

It's crispy. It's like having a piece of crackling.

But it's also so tasty with the chilli

and all the flavours in there.

Who made the bread?

The cooking is fine.

-No seasoning.

-No...

It's just bland.

That takes just a pinch of salt to make it better.

I think this is Britain talking to us, really, from the kitchen.

I tell you something, you know how to cook.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-NADIYA:

-Now for Betty's mango and cardamom posset with lime curd,

toasted coconut topping and caramelised mango.

You call that a posset?

Yeah.

It is exactly what it is.

Oh.

You got it perfect.

SHE PRETENDS TO SOB

Because the mango hits you first and the creaminess comes and,

last in your mouth, is little pieces of coconut, which is incredible.

This is a very,

VERY good dessert.

Oh, my God!

Thank you so much.

Well, fibber, you said you don't do desserts.

-I don't!

-Of course you don't!

-Maybe I do.

-Maybe you do now.

-I think I do.

-You were fantastic.

We all were.

-So, so happy.

-I forgot the salt.

-I know.

Did you not follow your list?

I followed my list but I did forget the salt.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you cook next. I cannot wait.

I'm so excited.

The judges' next destination is the busy suburb of Shepherd's Bush

in West London.

Tucked away amongst the residential terraced streets,

a distinctive warehouse conversion, home to Jessica of the Marks family.

Something that we would always do is have candles, so,

even if we're having lunch, we would still have candles,

and that's quite a traditional Swedish thing.

This is a traditional wooden side plate that we tend to use

when we're eating bread.

-Is it OK?

-Mm-hm.

Thank you, darling.

It's a bit of a family tradition, this dish.

Torun originally taught us

and then we've kind of all adapted it in our own little way.

A little bit nervous.

-I

-don't have any nerves.

As usual.

So, Zoe, welcome to our home.

A-ha! Oskar, how are you, my darling?

-Nice to see you.

-Lovely to see you. I'm very excited.

-Welcome.

-Lovely to see you.

-Lovely to see you.

-Are we ready?

Yeah, we're ready. We're ready.

As you know, the judges have asked you to cook your family favourite

main and dessert in 90 minutes.

-Off you go.

-Great. Let's go for it, guys.

Oskar is responsible for the main course -

his version of a traditional Swedish fish soup,

served with garlic mayonnaise - aioli - and rustic bread rolls.

This is wholemeal flour, and I've added some flax seeds

and pumpkin seeds to give it a bit more texture.

I have practised this before,

and it did go fairly well.

Who knows, this time?

Jessica's in charge of the garlic mayonnaise to accompany Oskar's soup

-and bread.

-It's going to be a garnish, like an aioli.

We've always got this conflict going on with the garlic.

I don't like if it's too garlicky.

Mother likes it very garlicky.

You're probably about halfway, Oskar, aren't you, between the two?

Cor, that's a bit garlicky, Mum.

Well, I think it'll be fine.

It can't be too garlicky for me.

I'm responsible for the soup.

I started by sweating some onions, garlic,

fennel and a little bit of carrot.

That's followed by some spices, actually, some curry powder.

Finally, he adds a fish stock cube.

By choosing fish soup as their main course, if you're going to do that,

you need a really good stock using the fish bones,

because that's where the flavour will be.

You've had half an hour, lovely Marks family.

-Half an hour.

-Half an hour. How's your bread getting on?

-It's rising.

-Great.

For pudding, Torun's making Dotty Grandma's apple crumble

with a Swedish-inspired cardamom-flavoured custard.

I'm looking for a beautiful crumble,

to be moist and really nice underneath

with the apples, and really crispy

and nutty at the top.

How is her apple crumble? I'm imagining...

I love it. I absolutely love it.

-Ah!

-Taste it. It is delicious.

You won't ever stop eating it!

Oh, that is delicious.

Who taught you to cook?

My father, who was actually a lawyer.

He was a great cook. Not my mother.

It was obviously quite a nice pastime for him when he got

-home from work.

-Yes.

Heavy day as a lawyer, come home, cook with his daughter.

-Yeah, he liked that.

-OK. And why do you use a fork?

Because it's easy to break down the butter and the almonds together,

so you don't get the big lumps.

-People love it.

-It's going to be delicious.

But the judges have got to think so.

Exactly. It's all in the taste and the judges.

With the crumble topping done, Torun turns to the filling.

I grate the apples, because I prefer it to sliced.

It becomes fluffier,

and doesn't go like the mashed apple puree.

It's better.

The crumble will be served

with Jessica's freshly-made cardamom custard,

starting with ground cardamom and vanilla extract.

I am addicted to cardamom.

So I just thought, rather than having vanilla sauce...

Excuse me, I... It was MY idea!

You can't take the credit for everything, Torun.

No, sorry.

No, Jessica.

She may well have come up with the idea at the same time,

or even before, but I really did not want to have a vanilla custard.

I'm whisking the egg yolks and I'm boiling up some cream

with some cardamom so that cardamom flavour

can infuse into the cream, and then

I shall be adding it to the eggs.

Just to remind you, the judges are on their way.

Crumble's coming out. Whoops!

They look great.

The fish is ready.

Where's the aioli?

-Ah!

-Quite tense now.

How's the bread?

That looks good, Jessica.

Continue.

Crumble's served.

Time's up. Well done, family. That was fantastic work.

Are you pleased?

Yeah, yeah, I'm pleased.

It looks beautiful.

The first dish to be tasted by the judges is the Swedish fish soup

with aioli and freshly baked bread rolls.

The fish is beautifully cooked.

You've got all the ingredients to make a fabulous soup.

But it's a little bland.

If you'd just got some fish bones and made a proper stock,

then you would have had a proper fish soup.

We've always tried to make it NOT very fishy,

and that's probably silly, for a fish soup.

-GIORGIO:

-You've done a really good job with this bread.

It's really well cooked.

It's got a lovely crust and a lovely colour.

The flavour is delicious with the right amount of seasoning in it.

- I like that. - Thank you.

I'm going to try it with the aioli.

It's got a little bit of bitterness to that.

Maybe too much garlic.

Now for Torun's apple crumble with cardamom custard.

First of all, I love the look of this crunchy top.

That is quite frankly delicious.

-Oh, thank you!

-I like the fact that apple was grated,

so you've got that soft underneath,

real nutty texture on the top...

I'm going to steal that recipe!

-With pleasure.

-That is delicious.

The custard, I can taste the cardamom,

but I do taste a lot of vanilla, but it's still a fantastic custard.

I wish they sold custard like that everywhere!

- Well done. - Well done.

-How do you feel?

-Great.

-Absolutely thrilled.

I, personally, was really happy about their criticisms

-because I learned something.

-You learned something?

-So did I.

-For me, life is a learning process.

-I couldn't have put it better myself, Torun.

-Good.

Today, both families returned to our kitchen for their third

and final challenge...

..after which, the judges will decide which family to put through

to the semifinals.

Just do our best, guys.

That's all we can do, is our best.

But try and do a bit better than your best.

-Right. OK.

-OK?

-GIORGIO:

-The Charleses are great cooks.

There's no two ways about it.

They've set the standard very, very high.

But they have to raise the bar a little bit more in order

to get a place in the semifinal.

What I love about the Charles family is how they have this

passion for cooking.

You could see it in their faces.

But they let themselves down on the small things.

That under-seasoned bread in Challenge Two was definitely

a schoolboy error.

-There's yours.

-Thank you.

-Oskar?

We're really, really hoping to get through to the semifinals.

We must have practised about ten times.

I think what we are doing is quite unusual.

It's not, you know, a typical dish.

We're in it to win it, that's for sure.

I love the traditional but super food that the Markses do.

Totally different from the Charleses.

If they can keep Torun in check, it'll be fine.

The Markses are my kind of family cook.

Food is very simple and very straightforward.

They have a little bit of problems with technicalities,

but that's a small thing.

If they cook well in Challenge Three,

that could see them through to the semifinal.

Hello, families. Welcome back.

I hope you know what you've let yourselves for because it's time

to pull out all the stops.

Yes, it's the deciding round.

It's the Impress The Neighbours Challenge.

Rosemary and Giorgio would like you to create two glorious dishes

in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

So let's get cooking.

Come on, team, let's go.

The peeler, please.

Here's the peeler.

Get the crab out.

Today, each family must make a starter and a main course.

I'm looking for a really good meal.

They've got to impress their neighbours and also impress us.

And both have chosen to make fresh pasta for their starters.

Pasta versus pasta.

I know. Two pastas

for Giorgio, the expert.

I think that they try to show off today.

Cooking pasta for me, I'll be very picky with that.

The Charleses' starter is...

I can feel someone lurking behind me.

Hi, Giorgio! You all right?

Just feeling super-calm about it. Not fazed at all,

while he's just watching me make my pasta.

You know they're making pasta?

I know. Makes it a bit more competitive,

but I'm quite confident in my pasta.

When I learnt that they were doing pasta as well,

I was a bit put out by that, to be honest,

so we'll just see how each of them turns out.

Pasta's a tricky one to get right,

so the fact that they're both doing it,

it's going to be interesting.

I'm excited to see them making fresh pasta.

It's such a lovely process.

Before rolling and filling, pasta dough needs to rest.

Betty puts hers in the fridge.

But Jessica's taking a different approach.

I was actually told that it rests better out of the fridge,

because there's a danger that it can get a bit too moist.

We'll see what the difference is.

Jean helps with the seafood ravioli filling.

Crab? I wish I was your neighbour!

How are you feeling about your other neighbours today?

I know. They're also doing pasta. I feel a bit anxious.

Yeah? You must not worry about what your neighbours are doing.

-No, I'm not going to worry about them.

-You must concentrate.

-I'm trying to be vigilant and stick with my crab.

-Yes.

Seasoning, seasoning, seasoning.

What I'm expecting from the crab and prawn ravioli

is just a really soft flavour on the inside.

One of the most important things when you're making a ravioli

is the filling has to be tasty enough.

Pasta dilutes it a bit.

To get the wow factor, you need that filling to be really delicious.

Where's me wazzer? Just going to wazz it all up now.

-Stop saying "wazz"!

-That's what they say!

-That's not a technical term!

-Everyone says wazz!

-Who says?

Yes, I could put a bit more in of everything there.

Perfect.

Come on!

This thyme's lovely and fresh.

The Marks family pasta is a variety called agnolotti...

..filled with goat's cheese, walnuts, honey and thyme.

Agnolotti, northern Italian.

That's where I come from. Usually the stuffing is meat.

I'm a little bit worried about the goat's cheese

and the walnut and then the lemon sauce, and the pancetta.

It's a lot of flavours coming through.

What do you think?

-Yeah.

-It's got to be perfect.

I think the more simple the dish, the more perfect it's got to be,

-because there's no hiding.

-I agree.

-You've just got to get it right.

The thing is, they're supposed to be impressing the neighbours,

aren't they?

But I think they're trying to impress you more than anything else.

Are you used to impressing the neighbours

with your delights - culinary delights?

I have to say that they all come back.

Something you're doing is obviously right, then, Torun.

-Well, it must be.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Families, you've had one hour.

-DAN:

-Are we on schedule, everyone?

-Yes, Chef.

I feel very nervous today.

I do. I think it's cos it means so much to us,

and it's so important.

I don't get nervous.

It's pointless. I just do my best, and that's it.

Oskar's in charge of the Marks' main course...

It's Skrei Cod, which is cod that's been migrating down from the north,

from, like, Norway. It's only available for three weeks a year.

It's a bit of a delicacy in Sweden.

Now, there's been a big debate about whether we should have the skin on

or the skin off. Because we're going to poach it,

we're going to take the skin off.

Taking the skin off really is going to make it harder to stay together,

-I tell you.

-Well, I personally think it would be better if you did.

You're taking off too much of the fish.

-Yeah.

-Never mind.

-Do you want me to help you?

Well, it's a bit late for that, really. It would have been nice.

Could have been better. Disaster.

-NADIYA:

-With the skin removed,

Oskar starts by poaching the fish in milk with onions and celery.

Fish going in.

I'm really quite excited about that cod.

Hopefully they cook it properly.

-Slow-cooking.

-Slow-cooking.

-Fresh.

-It's got to be firm and white, but flake.

-NADIYA:

-Next, he blitzes cooked peas with lemon juice and butter

for a distinctive sauce to accompany his fish.

So here comes the crazy part,

just getting these amazing fresh pea juices out of this mush of peas.

The actual pea is not going to be eaten, it's just the juice from it.

So, that way, it's really still nice and fresh.

Fascinating sauce.

When I had it the first time, I couldn't believe how delicious.

In the Charleses' kitchen,

Dan's working on the centrepiece - saltimbocca,

a classic Italian dish of veal wrapped in prosciutto with sage.

Dan is using a high-welfare British veal called rose.

The texture of the veal should just be a nice melt-in-the-mouth piece

of meat, yeah. That's just one little portion.

That's that one prepared. Just another three to go.

This screams Italian.

I'm expecting the veal to be really thinly beaten,

to be really tenderised properly.

Otherwise, it could be really tough.

I love saltimbocca, but the most important thing is,

they've got a great sauce to go with that.

You have 45 minutes.

-Crikey.

-Shut the front door.

Oskar, we've only got three quarters of an hour left.

I know. I heard. I heard.

-NADIYA:

-Both Betty and Jessica are at the critical stage

of their pasta making.

I'm just going to roll the pasta out into a very thin strip.

I think the Markses are going to have a problem with their pasta.

The pasta is very soft. The stuffing is very soft.

-That's what I...

-There is no egg in the stuffing,

so when it's going to cook, it's going to soften.

That's what I was worried about, the texture.

It's a proper pasta-off, though, isn't it?

I'm getting a right sweat on.

Oh, well done, Betty.

I've never felt so nervous making pasta before.

Those two are a bit close, aren't they?

-Next bit.

-I'm happy with the thickness of my pasta.

It'll have some bite, but it's thin enough.

So, just blow.

-You can see the ripple.

-How's it going over there?

Can we have a little nosy?

- Hi, Torun. - Are you spying on us, Betty?

I know how to do it now.

Going around, cupping.

Oh, here he is, right at the crucial moment.

The spectre at the feast.

OK, you have 15 minutes.

This is ridiculous.

What's ridiculous?

Everything!

I think the Charleses have left a lot to do at the end.

The saltimbocca needs to be done at the end.

The sauce needs to be finished at the end.

The pasta needs to be cooked and dressed at the end.

They should be aware what they're up against, the timing side.

I'm hoping that they've understood that.

-We are getting pushed now.

-Yeah, we are.

-Right, get your...

-Let's get this mash out.

Jean, do the mash.

It's stress o'clock.

We need to get the fish in the grill.

Oh, my God. Oskar, we've really got to get moving.

Now for the delicate herb crust.

Oskar must place each piece on top of the fish without it breaking.

My hand's shaking. Come on, stay together.

Stay together! Stay together.

Stay together. Yes.

-Stressed.

-Quick.

-We're stressed at the moment.

-Put it in the grill.

Oh, careful. Careful.

-Don't you want to get the saltimbocca on?

-Oh, yeah.

A couple of minutes each side and then I'm going to wrap them in foil

-and rest them.

-Time's running out.

The ravs are on. I would have liked them boiled a bit longer,

if I'm honest. I don't know if I could still take them out

and boil them for a bit more. Yeah, I need to.

-What do you want this on?

-Highest.

-NADIYA:

-Betty is not the only one having problems with her pasta.

These are overcooked.

-They are, did you say?

-They are collapsing.

It's a disaster.

-DAN:

-We need to start plating, guys.

They're plating up at the other side.

With time almost up,

Dan still hasn't made a Marsala sauce for his saltimbocca.

He starts by melting butter, before adding the Marsala wine.

-Guys, you've got one minute left.

-Right, OK.

Right, OK, get it on.

-Ten seconds, ten seconds.

-Get the sauce on. Go, go, go.

Keep going with it, I think.

Just take the best bits of that.

OK.

-Quick, quick, quick.

-Time's up!

Does it not matter?

I haven't got presentation.

You have, it looks beautiful.

It was so much harder, because it just means a lot more today.

We're just so pushed for time at the end.

We've just... We've... I could cry.

Don't cry. Come on.

Oh, don't. You're going to make me cry.

-NADIYA:

-The Marks' starter is Jessica's agnolotti

filled with goat's cheese, walnuts,

honey and thyme, topped with a lemon sauce and crispy pancetta.

If I was your neighbour, I would be very happy with this,

although, I have to say one thing -

these are not agnolotti. These are mezzaluna.

-Oh, really? OK.

-Mezzaluna. Half a moon.

-Half a moon.

-Agnolotti are square or rectangular.

-Oh, OK.

I don't think that the pasta has the right crunch.

It is a little bit soft on the teeth.

That's a bit disappointing.

-Yeah.

-The filling is really delicious.

I had some doubt on it, because I thought it was going to be soft.

But it really holds up.

The walnuts come through, the lemon comes through.

I am really, really happy with that flavour.

It's firmer than I thought it was going to be.

I like the little crunch on the top with your bacon.

That adds another level of texture in the mouth.

That's a very good dish.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

For their main course, they're serving Oskar's poached cod

with a lemon and dill breadcrumb crust, Jerusalem artichoke puree,

crispy carrots and pea sauce.

Oh, that's exactly what I'm after.

You can see every single flake.

That fish...

..is absolutely lovely.

It's exactly what I was hoping it would be like.

The crust is very good,

and that pea sauce has such a strong flavour!

-Mm.

-That really brings it alive.

I wouldn't mind being your neighbour.

Technically, perfect.

I like that sweetness to come through.

That pea and the crust really works very, very well.

This is a very accomplished dish.

Not only have you impressed the neighbours,

but I guess you've impressed the judges as well today.

Thank you.

-NADIYA:

-The Charles family starter is Betty's crab and prawn ravioli,

served in a seafood bisque.

So, how are you?

-Bag of nerves.

-I think the last 15 minutes would have scared

the neighbours more than impress them.

Absolutely.

Silky, al dente, perfect pasta.

Perfect pasta.

A little bit grainy and under-seasoned, the stuffing.

I would expect it to be a little bit more smooth,

but the flavours are there.

I agree with Giorgio with the filling -

little bit grainy, but also dry.

If you didn't have that bisque there, it would be a problem.

I really like the touch.

-Oh, it's good.

-And the little bit of the samphire.

-It's really good.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

For their main course,

they're serving saltimbocca with roasted garlic mash, cavolo nero,

Marsala sauce, and pear crisps.

You cooked the meat very, very well.

Unfortunately, you messed up on that sauce.

The sauce is greasy, split.

And it makes everything a bit greasy.

Melting the butter before, that was wrong.

Put the Marsala, put the juices,

reduce, then you put your butter in it...

-OK.

-..instead of bringing together the sauce as a separate dish.

I'm maybe more disappointed than you about this.

Definitely not.

Very disappointed.

Unfortunately, it's too fatty.

-It's greasy.

-OK.

With all three challenges completed,

the judges must now decide which family

to put through to the semifinals.

This is a really tough decision.

It's going to be very difficult,

because we need to take everything into consideration.

We know we could have done better.

-100%.

-We know... Yeah. It's just so annoying.

The first challenge with the risotto from the Charleses was amazing.

That was one of the best risottos I've ever had in my life.

At their home, the chicken was incredible,

but also, so was the dessert.

-Today...

-I was disappointed with their main course.

We could've done the Marsala with half an hour to go.

Just silly things to forget.

Too much in the last few minutes.

-We have to hope that they'll give us a chance.

-Yeah.

The Marks' meatballs, I thought they were very good.

-But, Rosemary, meatballs are meatballs, come on.

-I know, I know.

The fish soup was very disappointing.

-Hm.

-But their apple crumble, I still remember it.

They really raised their game today.

That fish was amazing.

-Is it good or is it bad?

-I don't know. I can't figure it out.

I felt that they praised us here.

I think both families have made amazingly good food.

Food that comes from the heart.

Families, after a lengthy discussion,

the judges have come to a decision.

The judges have taken into account all three challenges,

and let me tell you, they have found it extremely difficult.

So, this is it.

The family who are staying in the competition and going through

to the semifinal are...

-The Charles family.

-Oh, my God!

No, wait, wait. Sorry, sorry.

-Congratulations.

-Well done, guys. Well done.

-Bless you.

-I'm so happy for you. I'm so happy for you.

-I'm all of a doo-dah.

-You are!

-I can't believe it.

-I'm all of a doo-dah.

-I can't believe that.

-Oh, wow.

It was a really hard decision today,

but I think we take the right decision.

The Charleses, they had little wobble today,

but were good all the way through. Consistently.

We're disappointed, but I'm really happy for the Charleses.

-But that's life.

-I think it's... you know.

-They're lovely.

We'll be rooting for them, definitely.

Oh.

The Markses have done incredibly well.

They've certainly upped their game today,

but it was just a little bit too late.

-DAN:

-We absolutely can't wait to come back and do it all again.

We've had the best time.

I can't believe it. I can't believe it.

I can't believe it.

-There's some love going on, baby.

-It's pizza with love.

Brussels sprouts should not be on pizzas.

-Why not?

-Make sure the meat goes in the pot, please!

Who are you talking to?

Does she not know you're the boss?

Don't panic.

LOUD CRASH