Episode 11 The Big Family Cooking Showdown

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

Go, go, go.

..the people who make ordinary food extraordinary.

You've never seen anything like it in your life!

From teenagers and grandparents...

That is delicious.

..to brothers and sisters

and sons and daughters.

Get in!

16 families have served up their best dishes, hoping to impress

the judges.

Wow!

That is very, very, very competent.

Now it's the last of our semifinals.

Tonight, our remaining families

will battle it out for a place in the final.

You've been cooking on a low heat up to now,

but it's time to turn it up.

And the judges bring back one family as their wild card.

This is going to put the cat amongst the pigeons.

There's so much potential to go wrong.

Oh!

Zoe Ball, you are evil!

Right, we need to be plating up, boys.

They're going to have to listen to each other.

Beef, no, course, yeah. Of course it's, beef and steak...

You've shot yourself in the foot!

Probably not the best thing to do, cooking pasta for an Italian.

-I want to cry.

-I want to cry, too.

But only one can go through to the final.

The family going through are...

This is The Big Family Cooking Showdown.

We're back in the Kent countryside and our last three families will be

put through their paces to cook for a place in the final.

Yeah, I'm very excited.

A bit nervous.

The Bellamores are the first to arrive.

All right? Now, calm thoughts, you two, OK?

The drive here was, well, I had to stop the car

and have a word with my brother to calm him down and say,

"Right, just stop because you've got to enjoy yourself," because

he was getting so nervous, so we've just got to go for it.

They're joined by the Pigott brothers.

-Are you ready?

-Yes, I am.

Have we got a game plan, do you reckon?

Do we have a game plan?

No, I think we're going to go and try and do as well as we can.

-Try not to fall out.

-Try not to fall out, and enjoy it.

Our big thing is to come out still as friends.

And finally, the judges' wild card.

I see they really have a great pleasure of cooking together,

of being together.

There are several families we could have actually chosen from,

but in the end of the day I do feel it should be the Massaccesis.

It means so much, and the fact that we've got here again,

I didn't think I'd ever be like this

because I'm so cool at home in the kitchen, aren't I?

But because it means so much and there's so much up for grabs now.

First, the families will face a challenge that they

haven't been able to prepare for.

Hello, families! Welcome back to the barn.

You've been cooking on a low heat up to now, but it's time to turn it up

for the semifinals.

First, it's the What's In The Fridge challenge.

That's right. Today the judges want to test your creativity

as home cooks.

They've provided you with a limited number of ingredients.

You have one hour to cook a main course for four people.

No time to lose, let's get cooking.

-This is what we have in our fridge at home!

-No.

This is not what we have in our fridge at home.

Each of the families have been given the same ingredients to choose from,

including bacon, blue cheese and beef mince.

We could do, like, an open burger on a puff pastry base.

That's not a thing, is it?

A variety of vegetables such as aubergine, Savoy cabbage

and sweet potatoes.

You could do some sweet potato wedges, would that be all right?

Would that go?

And dry ingredients like tinned tomatoes,

cashew nuts and chocolate.

-We could do a veggie, there's aubergine.

-Yeah.

I think this is the most exciting challenge of all, because before,

they've always had time to practise.

But, because they're going to have to think on the hoof,

one of the most important things is teamwork.

-What about the noodles?

-We don't have to use everything.

They're going to have to listen to each other because if they don't,

they will get into a tizzy about the whole thing.

-Just not sure about blue cheese and beef.

-No.

-Beef and, no, of course.

-Goes nice.

Of course it is. Beef steak and Stilton, yes.

This is the challenge that is going to put the cat amongst the pigeons.

This is difficult, isn't it?

Can you feel the anxiety in here?

It's gone really, really quiet, and no doubt it's going to suddenly

just get hectic and ramp up.

-We could do a lasagne.

-Have we got time?

-Have we got time to do a lasagne?

-With puff pastry.

-No, no.

-We're going to make a pasta.

-I was going to say, pasta.

-We'll make some strips of pasta.

-Yes.

-You make the beef mince and the stock.

-Let's do that.

-Then we layer up.

-Let's do that.

I have a feeling we'll get something quite traditional with them.

From the available ingredients,

the Bellamores have opted to use the minced beef and tinned tomatoes

to make an Italian classic, lasagne.

I'm so nervous at the moment,

I'm just struggling to chop some garlic.

But if we can just calm down and have confidence in ourselves,

we'll be absolutely fine.

But at the moment we're just like...

For Jo, her brother Mark and his nephew Ross, working as a trio

makes a quiet change from family life back in Wales.

THEY CHEER

So, we get together, it tends to be a sort of 50-strong crowd,

so it is literally rent-a-crowd.

Quick couple of phone calls and they're all over the hill,

through the valleys.

-All for under a fiver in a taxi.

-Yeah, exactly!

In the previous round, there were moments of chaos.

All looking good, nice and calm.

BOWL CLATTERS

Don't worry. Don't worry.

But also flashes of brilliance.

You've produced one of the best fish that I've tasted under salt.

I'll come back to your house to have it whenever you make it again!

Mark is in charge of making the main part of their lasagne.

I think in terms of getting the judges' eye,

making your own pasta's pretty challenging, so fingers crossed.

I think it's quite ambitious of Mark to be making his own pasta,

but I know he's confident

and I'm confident that he's going to pull that off.

I've got faith in you, Mark.

-Are you all right at the back there, Mark?

-Oh, great, thanks.

How's your home-made pasta coming along?

The first batch, just re-kneading this,

adding a little bit more flour into it.

Take your time, Mark, take your time. He has a little rush!

-A nervous rush.

-Take your time, that's nice, take your time.

And all the other challenges, you've been able to plan and practise -

-unless you're Ross.

-Still be late, but, yes!

In the kitchen, Jo and Mark,

they're great at the start and then as time slowly ebbs away,

the stress levels go up, the sweat levels go up.

-Good luck with it all.

-Thank you. Thank you very much.

-We could do meatballs and stuff them with blue cheese.

-That's a better idea.

-We can do that.

-OK.

-And do them in a rich tomato sauce.

But then what are we serving it with?

The Pigotts, there doesn't seem to be a natural leader,

-they all seem to just work together.

-They work together really well.

They kind of love it.

The Pigotts are also planning to use the minced beef.

They're adding blue cheese and bacon to make spicy meatballs.

Shall I start making the tomato sauce, maybe?

Yes. They need to be cooked down.

So do you want half an onion in that?

Yes.

Eldest brother Matt, middle brother Ed

and youngest Sam have clearly defined roles in their family.

I'd say I'm the intelligence, Ed's probably the looks,

he's got dazzling looks, and Sam's the wit, he's the fun one.

You might say he's the chef de par-tay!

Yeah, I'll take that.

You've been thinking about that, haven't you?!

-NADIYA:

-They showed their passion for using bold flavour combinations

in the previous round.

What's going in there, Sam?

Allspice, sugar, coriander, Scotch bonnets, garlic, ginger.

-I think that might be it.

-And one, two, three, four,

-five Scotch bonnets.

-Five Scotch bonnets.

Rosemary and Giorgio were impressed that they pushed themselves.

Brilliant! Not too hot, really delicious and, you know,

you've got it absolutely perfectly balanced.

But sometimes they misjudged the basics.

Just by looking at this, I'm going to tell you it's not quite cooked.

It's a bit thick.

What I would do is put the courgettes in with the tomato sauce to go with the meatballs.

Or roast the aubergines to go in it as well, Sam.

-Do you want that?

-Yeah, shall we get the aubergines in to roast?

-Yeah.

So, spirits are good between the three of you.

Do you know what your jobs are?

Yeah, we've all got our things to do.

We haven't completely finished our menu yet.

-Are you winging it a little bit?

-Um...

-Obviously.

-..yeah.

But that is sort of how we deal with life.

If we came to your house now, what would be in your fridge?

-Kebabs.

-Yeah.

I love a leftover kebab the next day.

I think, you know, why let anything go to waste?

I have heated up a curry on a radiator before.

-That is something else!

-When desperate! Good luck.

I was going to say good luck, but you're not the ones that need it.

-So, you need to get going.

-I know.

-So, finely dice that.

-Is this onion too big or not?

-You only need about half.

-Half.

-Yeah, half will be fine.

The Massaccesis are making their take on the traditional Greek dish, moussaka.

This is one of the dishes we do, and we love it, the moussaka, we love it,

I love it. And Niamh actually makes a good one.

She's very good at this one.

Teresa has always been the boss of the Massaccesis.

Will she be in charge today, will she get much choice,

will she tell the others what she thinks they should do?

Do you want to do the meat sauce, or do you want to slice those and slice those?

Because we haven't got much time.

-Well, I don't mind.

-What would you feel easier doing?

Slicing.

Husband and wife Giordano and Teresa have passed down their love of cooking

to 16-year-old daughter Niamh.

I don't really know what we'd do without food, to be honest.

-It's all we talk about.

-It's the one thing we come together as a family.

We talk about it so much that we probably bore other people.

-Do you think we do?

-Well, yeah, they call us the feeders.

Yeah, we are feeders.

In the previous round, stress often got to them.

-Dad, don't go any further.

-No, that's enough.

Really, stop. Honestly, it's enough.

-I'll stop.

-No, you're going too far now because it'll end up splitting.

But the judges were wowed by the Italian family recipes.

The pasta's exactly the right thickness.

It's perfectly cooked.

You must have perfected this for years.

We've cooked it a lot.

And that's why they've given them another chance as their wild card.

They can be just fried in the pan, Niamh,

just fry them off, because there won't be too much time,

otherwise they'll be raw.

Niamh and Giordano are preparing the aubergine

-for the moussaka.

-Dad, you really need to keep an eye on these.

-Yeah, it's OK.

-Look.

-Leave it, leave it.

-Just want to brown it.

-Yeah.

Make sure they're brown on both sides.

-Oh, my God, you're burning them.

-Dad, please.

You haven't cooked them on that side.

This is typical Dad.

All will be OK. We're just doing fine, just...

-Could be dry.

-I've had a quick nosy.

I think there seem to be similar ideas.

I've seen a bit of pasta making.

Oh, dear God!

-MARK:

-Sticking in the machine.

-I want to cry.

-ROSEMARY:

-I want to cry, too.

Although Mark has made pasta before, the judges are concerned about his technique.

He needs to fold them over and then put it through again -,

about five times is about right.

So it kneads it, gets it to a good, you know,

good thing, but he's just taking it down, he's done nothing to it.

-MARK:

-Probably not the best thing to do, cooking pasta for an Italian!

The cheese is slightly too big, so I'm going to break a tad off, I think.

With the Pigotts, Matt and Ed are stuffing their meatballs with blue cheese.

Here are your BIG beef balls, yes!

Rosemary - stop being such a tease, Rosemary, honestly.

Come over and flirt with me!

I wasn't doing that, I wasn't!

No, I wasn't doing that.

They are quite large, though, aren't they?

I've heard that before.

Thank you.

You are so naughty, boys! You are so naughty!

Kind of need to get these meatballs on, don't we?

-I saw you flirting with the Pigotts.

-Thanks very much.

-I did see you!

No, they were flirting with me!

Oh, sorry! They were flirting with you.

-Trying to get on my good side.

-Ah, OK.

We need to get it in the oven. Giordano, you can put a layer of that sauce in.

-OK.

-Right, layer it up with aubergines.

I'm just not sure about the blue cheese.

We'll put a little bit on the top, but not through the layers.

-NIAMH:

-This is quite risky.

-That'll do, I think, Giordano.

-No more, no more, we don't want it to overpower.

-No, Dad.

-OK.

-Right, into the oven. Open the door.

-OK.

-It's not a lot of time, is it?

It's not a lot of time.

When you're going completely from scratch, you're making it up,

you're guessing, then that's not a lot time.

-No, it's not.

-And to get on the table.

-No.

-We need to start getting it up.

-Do you want me to...

-Come on, then, let's get it up.

-What do you want, the layer of meat first?

-You just tell me what to do.

-Layer the meat.

-While I'm here, I may as well.

-OK.

-Just give me a job.

-Mark, let's just get this in the oven, OK?

Brilliant, Jo.

Jo, I need a hand with this, OK?

That's nice and thin, Mark. You done really well there.

Right, the oven's on, yeah?

-Oven's on. Black pepper on top.

-Lots of black pepper now.

OK.

Oh, yes. That's grilling up nicely.

I need to turn that down, now.

We'll be ready on time, hopefully.

All three families have their main meals in the oven and start working on side dishes.

Looking good. We're going to chop these sweet potato skins up really finely,

sort of like matchstick sizes and then cover them in some herbs and deep fry them so they're like

tiny little matchstick chips. We want to try and show that we've done

enough impressive techniques. I've never seen it and I don't know if they're going to be edible

or not, but it they're not, they go in the bin, if they are, they go on the plate.

Is that for the salad?

I just chopped loads of onions - that's what you told me to do.

Is that all right?

Quite hard to eat like that.

I would chop them. Let's have some nice diced.

-So that we get little...

-Like this.

-Lovely, yeah.

Even smaller, Ross, because nobody likes

a big, fat onion in their mouth, do they?

All right.

I wish you'd told me this earlier.

Stop moaning!

Dad, you're burning these.

You need to stay with what you're doing.

-Stop doing other stuff.

-Stop walking away, multitasking.

-Leave that to us.

-Five minutes left,

that's all you've got, families.

Right, we need to be plating up, boys.

-Sam, meatballs in.

-In the big blue?

-Yeah, I think so.

-Put it into that serving dish.

-We're almost there, Jo,

we're going to be right on the money, I think.

They look good.

All you have to do is put it there. That's all you have to do.

Just shake them around and chuck them in the bowl.

We haven't got long.

It's a bit burnt on the top.

That's fine, that's fine.

-Nice. Well done, Sam.

-Made all the difference.

-Beautiful.

-That'll do. Lovely.

Move the cloth.

I see, OK.

There you go.

Right.

Time's up, families.

Step away from the pans.

Hands up!

Theirs looks way more clean than ours.

-It's pretty clean.

-That bit is.

Well done, kids.

Rosemary and Giorgio asked the families to cook a meal for four

using the ingredients available to them.

I think this looks so inviting.

I love the caramelisation on the top, really good.

The Massaccesis have made a beef moussaka served with sweet potato wedges

and courgette, cabbage and bacon.

First of all, the flavour of the tomato is lovely,

but the problem is the meat - it needed more time.

I quite like that blue cheese, but it's a little bit too much for me.

I think it's just overpowered it slightly.

If you had enough time, this could be a very good dish.

The flavours are very good through the dish.

I agree with Rosemary about the cooking of the meat.

As I'm spooning it out,

I can see that it's falling a little bit apart.

This will be a fantastic moussaka tomorrow.

-It's always better the next day.

-Yes.

I must say, it looks fantastic.

It looks like it was born like that, something you've done every day.

The Pigotts have made spicy meatballs stuffed with blue cheese,

topped with crispy sweet potato skins and a raw courgette salad.

The sweetness and that freshness with the chilli, nice and spicy.

It really works very, very well at every level,

especially with those fried vegetables on the top like that,

they really make a difference.

But I wish they were tasting a little bit more like meatballs -

instead they have the consistency of a burger at the moment.

Instinctively cooked, but very, very well done.

I think that sauce is absolutely delicious.

Really getting that right consistency has paid off.

Congratulations with that - you've done well, you've done very well indeed.

If you come home and in one hour, you can produce this for any girls

that you bring home, I'm sure you're in for a good evening.

Well done, chaps. That went really rather well.

It's not an easy task, a lasagne in one hour.

The Bellamores are serving lasagne with a herb salad.

You've got the seasoning right,

you can see the flavour is there, but because the pasta was not made

properly, you didn't knead it in the machine,

the texture and the finish is wrong.

It's a shame, because you've let your techniques go,

and that's quite important.

The overall flavour of the dish is not bad at all.

The meat could have done with a little bit more cooking, that's true.

Unfortunately, the pasta let you down.

You should have tried to work it a little bit more on that machine.

The pasta tastes like you panicked, so a bit disappointed,

especially because I know your standard, that's why.

It's always a risk with Giorgio, cooking pasta, isn't it?

Well, yeah, but, you know, we tried

-and we did our best, didn't we?

-Absolutely.

They were right in what they said -

the sauce needs plenty of time to cook down and we knew that, you know,

we were pushing it, really, doing that in an hour.

Well done, lads, that was really good. I think we smashed that.

-Everyone did well.

-We did.

-Which is nice.

-Yeah.

One down, one locked away.

It's time for the next challenge,

and once again, the families have no idea what's in store for them.

Lovely people, the best family meals are the ones that end with a pudding

and today Rosemary and Giorgio have decided what they will be.

Yes, this challenge is called Perfect Puddings.

Giorgio wants you to cook a buonissimo chocolate fondant,

and Rosemary wants a marvellous lemon meringue pie.

You have one hour and 20 minutes.

They've provided you with the recipes,

the ingredients and all the kit you will need.

The rest is up to you.

Right, let's have a look at that, then, shall we?

Oh, it's an Italian meringue.

They've got the recipe, you'd think it would be straightforward,

but there's so much potential to go wrong.

Zoe Ball, you are evil!

Also, we get to eat the spoils, which is my favourite bit.

So, Ross, if you want to start to prepare the pastry cases.

Hang on, do you want me to do that or what?

Right, so, chocolate fondant - Sam, you read that.

In my book, the interesting part is, how they going to divide this up?

Who are they going to choose to do what?

So, let's get everything we need. I need a big mixing bowl, Giord.

It's very important they choose the right person for the right job,

because if they don't,

everything will begin to unfold and it could be a disaster.

I'll make the pastry because I've made pastry at school.

-Yeah, that's reasonable.

-About ten years ago.

You do the lemon curd and the meringue.

Sam, you're on the chocolate fondant. Grab us if you need anything, OK?

Ed starts by making the pastry for the lemon meringue pie.

This isn't going into small crumbs, it's already coming together.

So, guys - the look on your face when we said lemon meringue pie

and chocolate fondant was monumental.

I'm pleased that we've got a recipe. I think without a recipe, we'd be struggling,

-but we can follow a recipe, can't we?

-We can certainly try to follow a recipe, can't we?

-Yeah.

-How is your pastry?

-Your guess is as good as mine.

-OK, all right, OK.

We're using that saying too many times!

When it comes to desserts,

the Pigotts have been bold with their flavours in the past.

Tell me what's on the menu today.

A pistachio and olive oil cake.

-Guys, you're out of time.

-Cool.

Oh!

Aah! Right at the last!

But their ambition didn't always pay off.

The consistency is not that pleasant.

The texture is wrong in the mouth. It's too oily.

Some improvement needs to be done in this cake.

It says heat gently, swirling until the sugar is dissolved,

-so I won't stir it.

-Has it got water in it?

-No.

Sam is in charge of the brittle for the chocolate fondant.

This is my first-ever caramel and it might not be the best caramel ever.

Maybe - it may be the best caramel ever.

It says you just put it in and heat gently and swirl

and it becomes caramel, but it's sort of not.

Just don't touch it too much, remember?

I really want to stir that sugar.

I really want to stir it.

Are you using this timer? Are there three timers?

In the Bellamores' kitchen,

Mark is getting on with the lemon meringue pie.

-It says roll into a thick disc, cover with clingfilm.

-Yeah.

The lovely Bellamores really need to get some points back here, don't they, because of their pasta?

But Jo, do you think she's got this one in hand?

Oh, my goodness.

I have no idea what I'm doing.

Mark, is that looking all right?

There's a blob of sugar that's not melted.

A little longer.

I don't want to stir it. Doesn't say stir.

-Ross?

-Yes?

-What's the strategy, going into challenge two?

We were all going to have a little chat at the start and then we're all going to get...

break it all down and be completely measured about the whole thing.

-Has it worked out that way?

-No, definitely not.

-JO:

-It's just panic.

-Bundle in - panic!

-Yeah.

The Bellamores cooked a classic pudding in the previous round.

For dessert we've got a tarte tatin,

that's going to be served with a Calvados cream.

-Yummy.

-They proved to be generous with their helpings.

Maybe just a touch more, Jo.

Fine, it's going in.

-You're trying to get them drunk, aren't you?

-Yeah, absolutely.

It's so nice, though, Calvados.

-And it worked.

-You did the cream, did you?

-Yeah.

-Very alcoholic!

The texture of the apple, it's still got a little crunch,

but not, you know, cooked through. It's perfect.

Am I doing this right, now?

Just read that for me quick, what does it say -

tip over the nuts, make sure you coat evenly.

I'm not coating evenly. Oh, God, it's setting. Ouch. Ow!

-Don't touch!

-Ow!

Thank you.

-You all right there, Jo?

-No!

Caramel and mayhem are not a good combination.

No! I know, look at the line!

-Oh, my Lord!

-I know, it's like a worm!

You'll always be able to tell the tale.

-I've got a lovely scar.

-When I was in the barn....

-Yeah.

-There must be a measuring jug.

-Here, here, here.

No, no, cupboard. Giordano, open your eyes, love.

With the Massaccesis, Niamh is on the brittle for the fondant.

-Are they about the right thickness?

-That's fine, Niamh.

-Spread out?

-That's fine.

I love the fact Niamh's just got on with it, you know what I mean?

-Because she's loving it.

-Un-flapped.

-Totally un-flapped.

And she's only 16. Only 16!

I like desserts. It's what I do most in the kitchen so, yeah,

no, it should be OK.

Where puddings are concerned, Teresa likes to take control.

I always make my pastry first, cos it needs resting in the fridge.

I think that's the most important thing to get done first.

In the previous round, she was good at thinking on her feet.

This is much more crumbly than normal.

-It's called patchwork pie today.

-It's a mosaic.

-A mosaic.

-Mosaic!

Do you think the judges will pick up on things like...

-They won't know unless you tell them, Nadiya.

-Oh, never!

I'm on your side!

That's a really nice short, crumbly pastry.

It actually is really, really good.

Have you read the next part of the recipe?

-No.

-Read it out loud for me so I can hear it.

Mix the yolks and cold water together and then measure the...

Sorry, what's the first step? I didn't hear the first step.

For the pastry, for the pastry.

-Yeah.

-For the pastry.

-I've done the pastry. The next step.

Giordano, I've done the pastry, move on.

OK, line the pastry with parchment paper.

-I've done the pastry, move on!

-OK.

All three families have got their lemon meringue pastry cases in the oven.

The next step is the filling.

Shall I make a lemon curd? Would that be a good idea?

-Ross is going to start doing that, Jo.

-Yeah?

Combine the cornflour and sugar in a medium saucepan and stir in the lemon juice and water.

-Am I heating this up?

-Yeah, cook on a high heat.

Basically, it's a bit like making a jam, really, I think,

so you're just combining all the ingredients,

heating up a bit and letting it cool. Sounds easy.

You want 150ml -

I reckon you probably want three to four lemons.

Even a tiny bit more, because I like the lemony.

Yeah. Yeah.

I don't like it sweet. I like it on the slightly tarter side.

But he likes to stick to the rules, I don't.

I think a bit more lemon would be nice.

Families, you have 30 minutes left.

What can I do now?

Meringue, start to whisk the egg whites.

To get an Italian meringue right,

you've got to boil the sugar to 120

and then pour it into the whipped-up egg white.

Now, this is really quite tricky if they've never done it before.

If they don't know what they're doing, they'll find it really scary!

Mark, you need to be quick with it, because I think...

-OK, I'm on it.

-Mark, I think it's separated.

It's split? OK. Let's have a look.

Yeah, let's get three more.

-That's it.

-I think that's nearly it.

-Quick, Niamh, out the way.

-Shall I do a bit more?

-Wait until Mum's finished.

My heart is absolutely pounding.

Really slow, really slow. Slowly, slowly.

It looks like an Italian meringue.

-That's what we're trying to make.

-Yes. That's lucky!

-ROSEMARY:

-The Pigotts seem to be so organised.

I don't quite get it,

because I thought the boys were going to actually

have a problem following the recipe.

-Yeah.

-But they're going with instinct here.

Sam makes a start on the second pudding, the chocolate fondant.

I'm just creaming together sugar and eggs, which I guess, which, well,

you mix them with the melted sugar and butter.

The chocolate fondant is not a cake.

It is very important that the gooey inside

passes through this fantastic chocolaty, soft, warm flavour.

If I get a cake, if it's cooked all the way through,

I won't be very happy with that.

When does thick and creamy and leaving a trail start and stop?

That's the issue.

Lift it and see if it leaves a trail.

-No.

-No, you need to keep going.

Not too much, go careful.

He feels useful, leave him alone.

-Carry on.

-It's still loose.

-Keep going. You're almost there.

# You're almost there... #

# You're almost there... #

# You're almost there

# La, la, la, la... #

Have you ever made fondants before?

I haven't ever made fondants, actually.

I've had some nice fondants off Jo before,

but this is all new to me, so...

How come you're being picked if Jo normally does this?

Hopefully, I can... This is the one task I can mess up the least.

Oh, you're not happy with that.

-Too much powder.

-Yeah, just get it in the fridge

and we'll do that again, OK? Two seconds.

She's the boss.

Don't knock any of the air out.

Trying to keep as much air in there as possible

so it's light and fluffy.

I think.

They're just terms you hear knocking around a lot in baking, aren't they?

Light, fluffy, folding, figure of eight.

Families, you've got ten minutes left.

Right, Ross, these are going to be literally eight minutes.

Yeah, I know. I've got the timer set for eight minutes, ready to go.

-Or six minutes.

-What?

What's happened to the Bellamores today?

-Have you read the instructions?

-It says eight minutes.

-Does it?

The Bellamores are not listening to each other

and I think panic has set in.

So, quickly close the door.

Right, what do we think, boys? Executive decision.

I think that's looking pretty bloody cooked,

on the edge of being too cooked, isn't it?

-I'd say, take that out.

-Ooh!

The wafters. See if you think it's lemony enough.

-Is that all right?

-Oh, it's well lemony. Mmm!

You like it lemony.

I hope she doesn't sort of say, "You didn't follow the recipe."

I love lemon curd. If there's any left over, can I have it in a jar?

-Yeah, you can scrape the bowl, love.

-Thanks.

Do you want to lick the pan?

The final stage is assembling their lemon meringue pies

and Ed is only using half of their lemon curd.

-Are we ready?

-Yeah.

-Right, let's get piping.

-OK.

-What do you reckon, dobs?

-Yeah, just little...

Never piped before.

Just make peaks, Jo.

That's it, that's it, that's it.

Look at their meringue over there, looks beautiful.

Really careful. Further away, further away.

Don't burn it.

Right, I think we need to turn them out,

they're not going to come out of here.

-One, there we go.

-Take your time, take your time.

Nailed it, nailed it.

Time is up, guys. Time is up.

Move away from your meringues.

That was so tough!

You did a good job. You'd never done that before, so...

-Good job, good job.

-I think that's pretty good.

Theirs looks nice. They've nailed that challenge.

Yeah, they've done well.

-NADIYA:

-Rosemary and Giorgio will now judge

each of the puddings the families have made.

First, it's the Bellamores' attempt at chocolate fondant.

The actual shell is really perfectly cooked.

And nice and crispy.

The inside is still nice and gooey

but yet cooked all the way through...

..which allowed the flavour of the chocolate to come through perfectly.

So overall, it's a very good fondant.

-Thank you.

-Let me try this...

..caramel now.

I know it cost you an arm - it was worth it!

I think that fondant is extremely good.

Thank you.

It's soft and gooey - that's what you need.

Well done, you.

Next up, it's the Pigotts.

These are little bit undercooked.

It's a shame. A minute more would have been absolutely perfect.

That's not cooked.

The brittle I'm really pleased with.

A little tip...

..if you put another mat on the top, rolled it with a rolling pin,

you're going to get a really, really thin thing.

And finally, the Massaccesis.

The fondant, very nice,

and the quenelle of cream as well, it's so elegant.

The...

-It's too thick.

-A little bit.

You've got the cooking of the sugar perfect.

Really golden sort of amber colour.

Cooked all the way through.

And it carries an absolutely brilliant flavour.

-Very good job.

-It's such a shame.

I'm being really picky here, but it's just slightly overcooked.

-OK.

-We're talking about one minute.

But yet, it's delicious, absolutely delicious.

-Have you ever made it before?

-Nope.

Well... Congratulations, you've done well.

Next, the judges will try the lemon meringue pie.

First are the Bellamores.

I'm going to be honest with you,

I cannot believe you got this together.

Watching you was agonising from my point of view.

First of all, it has seeped a little bit.

It doesn't sort of hold together when you eat it.

But I think your curd actually tastes incredibly good.

The Italian meringue could have done with a bit more work in it,

not thick enough for me.

But my major problem with this is

I can see this cake in about 45 minutes,

in one hour, falling apart.

OK. OK.

Next, the Pigotts.

Where is the lemon curd?

Um, in... In the panic, we didn't put it all on.

-Why not?

-I'm not sure.

What happened? Whose decision was that?

That was me. That was all me.

Why? You nana!

-Why?

-I know. It was a mistake.

You've shot yourself in the foot!

Shame.

OK. Let's see what at least it tastes like.

That lemon is delicious.

That is a really good flavour.

And I think the meringue is extremely good as well.

The pastry as well needed a little bit of rest.

A bit of a rest in the fridge would have done it very, very well.

Usually when you are doing... In the recipe,

everything on the recipe should go inside the cake, usually.

Yeah?

And finally, the Massaccesis.

I think you've done a really good job with all that piping.

It looks really pretty.

That pastry is extremely good.

-Thank you.

-It's got a sort of good bite to it.

Your curd is really beautifully lemony.

It's not sweet, but it's the most lemony one here.

-So, well done.

-Thank you.

-The flavour is fantastic.

The consistency of the meringue is brilliant.

It's so zesty without being bitter.

And just the right amount of sugar.

-Thank you.

-Thank you so much.

-Yes, thank you very much.

-OK.

Our families will now face one last challenge before finding out

who has earned a place in the final.

I think as long as we stick to the plan, keep to the timings,

and everything goes well, then we are in with a chance.

Yes.

Thumbs up.

I have great belief in the Massaccesis.

I see them become better cooks every time.

They haven't really shined yet on the semifinal

but I have great hope for them.

I'm determined not to perspire today.

Stay calm, relaxed.

We'll keep you supplied with paper towels.

The Bellamores know they can cook and they can cook.

But they get so flustered.

If they can only pull it off and actually just relax

and let it happen, then they are in for a chance.

So, guys, last chance to impress today.

-How do you feel?

-I'm feeling good.

I think we've got some really good recipes.

I think if we cook it well, we're in with a...

We each know our job, don't we? And we've each done our bit, so...

Yeah, if they like it, hopefully we can do well.

If not, then we've enjoyed it.

-Yes. Win-win.

-Yeah, exactly.

It was not surprising the Pigotts managed to produce

such fantastic food from the "what's in the fridge?" challenge

but they did struggle with the perfect pudding

and made little mistakes, and at this point of the competition,

little mistakes can make a big difference.

Families, it's time for your third and final challenge.

Your last chance to impress the judges before they decide

which of you will be going through to the final.

There's no room to hide here.

Rosemary and Giorgio want to see your creative juices sizzling, yes?

It's the nation's favourite, with a twist.

They're keen to find out if you can reinvent the cooked breakfast.

You have one and a half hours - let's get cooking.

Porcini.

The breakfast is the most important meal of the day,

but we are asking them to cook us a breakfast with a twist.

So I'm really intrigued to see what they're going to come up with.

-I'm going to start on my potatoes now, then, guys.

-Cool.

I am salivating.

I feel like I'm in a dream sequence where I'm lying in bed,

had a late night,

someone has gone downstairs and made the most amazing fry-up ever.

-Close your eyes. You are there.

-I'm there, in my pyjamas.

You're not going to get any of it.

-What?

-None of it. Not a bite.

Unlike the previous two challenges,

the families have had time to practise their dishes at home.

-Want me to check?

-Yeah.

-They're a little bit hard, love.

-Slightly.

-Yeah, but... No.

-We need them cold.

-It's not done.

-No, you need to cook them properly.

That would be a disaster, if we had lumps in the potato cakes.

The Massaccesis are serving a cooked breakfast with an Irish twist.

They're making...

I'm doing potato cakes,

so caramelising the leeks at the moment.

I'm not overly keen on cooked breakfast, but in the mornings,

if I'm going to school and I make these the night before, I take one,

toast it and eat it on the way to the bus stop.

To really crown it as an Irish breakfast, the potato cake,

which is one of my favourite things ever.

The outside must be beautiful colour,

crispy and that lovely brown, inviting to bite into that,

and the inside must be fluffy and really flavoursome.

-Hello, Niamh.

-Hello.

How did you come to the recipes that you've got to today?

Me and Mum sat down and had a bit of a meeting.

Then we told Dad what the plans were.

This is what you're doing, Dad. Deal with it.

What makes a cooked breakfast an Irish cooked breakfast?

My mum used to cook this when the visitors came and they were

going back home and it was supposed to keep you going all day

if you were travelling. She had to send them on their journey

-with a big cooked Irish breakfast.

-Good luck, Massaccesis.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you, thank you.

Where's my weighing station gone, people?

Come on. Try to stay organised.

The Bellamores are adding a Welsh twist to their breakfast

by cooking...

Soda bread doesn't need an awful lot of working.

I just want to bring this together today.

It's not like the pasta where it does need a lot of kneading.

The idea is just to bring the flour into the mixture.

We're just going to rest it for a couple of minutes

before it goes into the oven.

What I don't understand is every time Mark has got

his hands on the pastry, the bread, whatever he has produced,

it has not been good.

So why, yet again, he's doing the bread?

-Mark, how are you doing down there, my darling?

-Yeah, good.

You did the pastry, you did the pasta,

-today you have made the bread.

-Yes, yes.

-A theme here.

-I would say we definitely have got some

short straws around the place and I keep pulling them, unfortunately.

Nadiya tells me even I couldn't go wrong with soda bread.

I mean, she might go wrong...

Please don't put any additional pressure on this now.

She might get it wrong.

There's nothing anyone wants more when they're doing a hard job

to have Rosemary standing over them.

You can watch me peel potatoes - that's fine.

You're probably doing it wrong, Matt.

The Pigotts are adding a modern twist with...

So, the egg yolks, to confit them, you put them in individual trays,

oil about halfway up, and then we're going to put a few peppercorns,

maybe a bit of thyme in there.

Then they go in a really low oven and that just sets the edge,

but it should still be runny in the middle.

It's going to be a bit tense while we're doing this.

The Pigotts... And they've got two types...

The eggs, which are confit at 60 degrees for 40 minutes.

Two, three degrees of difference in each side can make

a massive difference in the end.

-Right, eggs on.

-Guys, how are you doing?

-How are you feeling?

-Good, we're all on track.

The eggs are in, the sausages need to go in in a bit,

and then I think that's then everything.

I don't think you've given yourself enough to do.

-No.

-No, could you add another 16 things?

It's like a military operation.

It's like - done this, done that, done this, check, check, check.

We don't want to forget anything. We have written down quite a good...

These are extensive notes.

They're like, sort of, revision for some kind of maths A-level.

Much like their confit eggs, the Pigotts are going with

an unconventional take on their jam too.

At the moment, I'm just cutting up the pancetta,

which is going to go in the bacon jam.

Bacon jam, it's something that we've all tried and enjoyed.

It's not something I cook regularly,

I'm not going to pretend, but it is something I've tried

and enjoyed in various street food-y kind of stalls.

-Have you looked at your mushrooms?

-Yeah.

With the Massaccesis, Giordano is in charge of the portobello mushrooms.

My mother used to do like a stuffed mushroom.

All the stuff that we do in Italy basically is

parsley, garlic and breadcrumbs.

It's an Italian thing with an Irish touch.

The Bellamores are hoping to impress the judges

with their meat-free sausages.

These are Glamorgan sausages.

Glamorgan is a county in South Wales.

During the war, when food was rationed

and people couldn't afford meat and sausages,

they created these little tasty bundles of cheese,

breadcrumbs, leeks.

To serve with the Pigotts' breakfast,

Sam is adding a twist to their beans.

Sam, smoking!

It's smoking, isn't it?

So, what have you got in there? Tell me about this little experiment.

So it is charcoal, hickory chips, cinnamon sticks,

there's a few peppercorns and a few cumin seeds.

You get it to light like this so it's smoking,

put it into the beans, cover the beans,

and you have essentially got a smoker.

And then... So all of that is in the beans.

How do you protect the beans from getting...?

Oh, I see, you keep it in the pot.

-You go like that.

-Of course. Then you put on the lid.

I was like, "I don't know if I want charcoal in my beans."

No, they're not charcoal beans.

This is why I am no expert, expert cook.

I absolutely love the sound of the smoky beans,

because beans can take on those lovely smoky flavours,

but they must get the flavour intense

because it cannot be insipid.

The more I think about this, actually,

the more tricky it's going to be to find a balance.

30 minutes left, families.

-You need to get on, love.

-No, I know. I'm done.

-Do it.

-Feel it.

-Do it, it's fine.

-It doesn't take that long.

-Yeah, but...

-Stop stressing.

I've got eggs to do yet, haven't I?

Actually, I think this is too sticky, but oh, well.

-They need more flour.

-Huh?

They kind of need more flour. Don't you think?

-Yeah. Can I...?

-You do that...

It's because you were like, "Oh, quick, get them in the pan."

Well, that's because you took an hour to do them the other day.

No, I think these definitely are a bit on the loose side.

She did say they felt a bit sticky.

-I did, didn't I?

-She did.

In the Bellamores' kitchen, Ross is in charge of the brown sauce.

So I'm just adding the spices.

We've got a quarter teaspoon of allspice, ground ginger,

half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper to add a little bit of heat.

Now I'm just going to put a little grate of nutmeg in there as well.

I think you've got to have lots of strong flavours in the breakfast.

Kick-starts your day, especially if you've had a few the night before.

They're making their own brown sauce.

This is one of my first quintessentially flavour of Britain

that I tasted when I was 20, when I arrived in this country.

And I still remember that flavour, I carry it with me.

They better come up with something absolutely brilliant

otherwise I will be really disappointed.

My most important role today,

I'm trying to provide a calming influence on the team...

-He's going on about it again!

-..to these two.

For their sauce, the Pigotts have gone for a mushroom ketchup.

When I practised it a few days ago,

I put nearly a whole pack of anchovies in it,

so it turned into a little bit of a fish ketchup, which wasn't ideal,

wasn't very nice. My girlfriend said it was nice, but she was lying.

So this time we're just putting one in,

going to taste to try and then one more maybe,

just being really careful that it doesn't get too much.

You haven't put your porcinis in.

OK, what I'll do is I'll blend them up and put them in.

On the second blend?

Or do you think I should put them in now and blend it?

Yeah, with a stick blender.

Sorry, my bad, I completely forgot the porcinis.

Oh, did you?

I forgot to put the porcinis, the dried mushrooms in.

It was just a bit of an oversight,

they were over on the other side of the counter.

That's a lemon curd mistake, that one, Ed.

Edward works best under pressure.

Edward doesn't work well under pressure.

-Those eggs, Sam.

-Yeah, they're coming out now.

OK, cos that's now the big thing.

You know, Rosemary, the eggs are the most important part

of the cooked breakfast, isn't it?

All three of them, slow-cooks, poached -

timing will be essential at the end of it.

You have do know what you're doing.

That's supposed to be boiling for my poached eggs.

And they need to go on.

-Ready?

-Yeah. Go.

Let's take it off for a minute.

Oh, sugar, it's fallen out.

Sorry, Niamh. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Go. Quick. Go.

Right, five minutes exactly from now.

It's gone. I'm going to do plates.

So do the avocado.

Oh, no, the water's all coming out.

What's happening?

Oh, no!

-Leave the lid off.

-Oh, no, you can't.

-Oh, they're ruined.

-Oh, no.

Quick, we've got time to do it again. Quick.

Oh, no, oh, no.

Oh, poor Teresa, she's panicking. Don't panic.

Quick, just wipe up this. Mind you don't burn yourself.

The Bellamores are also having problems with their poached eggs.

What's that egg doing?

Not happy with the look of these eggs.

I might do these eggs again, love.

I'm really unhappy with those eggs.

-Yeah, do them again, Jo.

-Let's try again.

No vinegar in these.

Don't put vinegar.

How many minutes left?

Two minutes left, families.

Just two minutes.

Jesus Christ.

-I'm not going to make it.

-You are. Just do it quick.

-Keep it calm.

-Right, you do the scrambled eggs.

There's cream in the fridge just to end it up with.

Teresa, take a deep breath.

-It's boiling again.

-Oh, Jesus Christ.

That's it, they're done. They're done, they're done.

-They're done.

-One minute.

We've just got to dish it. Come on, let's not fuss.

-Sam, you're cool about that?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Beans are about to come through.

Right, let me get a spoon for the jam.

# Volare! #

Dad, stop.

Giordano, now is not the time to sing.

Anything we've forgotten, boys?

I think we've got it all on that plate.

They're fine. I think everything else has gone wrong, so...

Time up, families. Step away from the plates.

What a shame.

-I could cry.

-Don't cry.

That was hard, wasn't it? That was so hard.

The Bellamores have made a Welsh cooked breakfast

of Glamorgan sausages, soda bread,

laverbread cakes and poached eggs served with a brown sauce.

Your Glamorgan sausages were delicious.

Really unusual, really good,

especially with the brown sauce.

Good as well. I was worried about the cheese, but it worked.

-Good.

-My wife cooks a mean soda bread.

This is very close to that.

But to cook an egg like that at the end!

That's a sackable offence.

Sorry.

And, you know, redemption, complete redemption is on that brown sauce.

And I'm going to keep some of this for my bacon sandwich

tomorrow morning when I come into work.

-Well done.

-Thank you very much.

The Massaccesis are serving an Irish cooked breakfast

of stuffed portobello mushrooms, potato cakes,

soda bread and a side of avocado,

smoked salmon and scrambled eggs.

I think the portobello mushrooms,

I actually really like that coarseness.

It gives it a sort of texture and I think that really works.

But the crowning thing would have been your little bit of poached egg

-with an hollandaise sauce.

-I know.

Because that would have brought the whole thing together.

Yeah, that little of sauce with the run-around.

The creaminess on top of the potato cake,

the egg yolk dribbling onto that.

-That is exactly what is missing on the plate.

-Yeah, yeah.

But for me, the crowning glory of the dish is the potato cake.

-They are lovely.

-Thank you.

They're very, very light, they're very, very tasty,

and they're super well cooked,

-so you've done a very good job with that.

-Thank you.

So...

I am disappointed for you

because you didn't manage to serve what you wanted to serve us.

-But sometimes it happens.

-C'est la vie.

-Yeah.

The Pigotts have put a modern twist on the cooked breakfast.

They're serving confit duck egg yolk,

bone-marrow-smoked baked beans

with a bacon-jam-glazed Tuscan sausage

and a mushroom ketchup.

When we started, your eggs I was more worried about.

But obviously, I was so wrong, because you are the only one

who managed to actually deliver the eggs as they were supposed to be.

It is perfectly cooked, very well done.

The mushroom ketchup...

..unbelievable.

The idea to put the dry ceps in it obviously worked absolutely perfect.

It actually is one of the best cooked breakfasts

I ever ate in my life.

-Thank you!

-The beans, the depth, the reduction,

the delicate smokiness coming through, using that marrow,

but just enough to give it that flavour, it is brilliant.

I think your lovely bacon jam, which is like almost a chutney,

is, quite frankly, delicious.

I salute you!

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

APPLAUSE

The judges must now decide which family to put through to the final.

Oh, Rosemary.

Who would have thought after two days of such high-level cooking,

the thing that breaks down people is poached eggs?

I think, actually, it's been a very interesting

three challenges and they all lost it on an occasion.

But we cannot forget as well that we've seen

some really excellent cooking.

I mean, the breakfast the boys cooked was absolutely amazing.

We came in to test ourselves and see what would happen.

To get through to the final would obviously,

would be absolutely brilliant, we'd absolutely love to go through.

With the Massaccesis, that lemon meringue pie with the strength

of that lemon zest took it to another level.

We weren't expecting to mess up today...

-No.

-..but the competition is very tough.

Everyone is very good.

Also, the chocolate fondant of the Bellamores

was absolutely delicious, if you remember.

Absolutely perfect.

Everybody is out to win the competition.

-You can't help yourself, it's a natural thing.

-Yeah.

But, you know, we'll have to see it goes.

-We've done our best, haven't we?

-Yeah, we've done our best.

First things first, well done to each of you.

It has not been easy to get here, but you have done yourselves proud.

This is it, the moment is here.

Unfortunately, we have to say goodbye

to two of you lovely families

because the judges have made their decision.

The family going through to the final are...

..the Pigotts.

Thank you very much.

-Cheers.

-Thanks very much.

-The Pigotts were fantastic.

-Absolutely brilliant.

You know, we worked hard, but they really

knocked the socks off it, didn't they?

We tasted their food and it was absolutely incredible.

They have really gone over and beyond

and I think that's what it takes to get to the final.

We did our best, we couldn't have done any better,

so, happy.

I think the Pigotts completely deserve to get through to the final

because they pulled it off in the "what's in the fridge?" challenge,

but also they totally nailed it with the breakfast.

I'm really excited to see the Pigotts going through

because they really showed themselves

through the last three challenges as a great unity and a great team.

They're not scared to push the boundary.

-We did it.

-Yeah, we barrelled our way through.

It's gone wrong sometimes, but, yeah, between us

we've scraped our way through, so, pleased.

-This is it.

-It's the final!

-We're going to raise the bar.

-Make it perfect.

Oh, my God!

Each of the three families deserve to be here.

-Just keep cracking on.

-This is the most stressful part.

You haven't got time to be feeling sick.

Do not drop it.

This is the best I've had in my life.

Can't be in two places at once.

-Go and get the ice cream.

-Guys, it's an absolute puddle.

Complete and utter disaster.

The winners of the Big Family Cooking Showdown are...