Episode 15 Celebrity MasterChef

16 celebrities are battling it out

to win the coveted MasterChef crown.

I suppose it's the ultimate test really, isn't it?

These celebrities have already reached the top of their professions.

But can they cut it in the kitchen?

I'm about to walk into battle without half of the ammunition

that I really need to win the war.

Everything inside me is shaking.

It's not right!

Cooking doesn't get tougher than this.

Throughout this week, these three celebrities have faced

a series of arduous culinary challenges.

But after today, only the best can become semi-finalists.

I've put in quite a lot of effort over the last few weeks

and I think it would all be a bit in vain if I got kicked off now.

I've had a lot to learn.

I didn't realise!

I was really in shock!

Being on MasterChef is potentially a life-changing thing for me.

I didn't come here to prance about in front of the camera, I came to learn something,

and I want to be in charge of my own cooking destiny.

Today there's just one challenge.

The perfect three course meal.

Cor, we've had some ups and downs with these three, John.

Today is about consistency.

Today is about turning it on.

For me, really exciting to see what these three can pull out of the bag.

Today, you have to show us that you've learned throughout this competition.

Everything you've done has to culminate in the here-and-now.

You are cooking your food today not just for John and I

but for three cookery judges from the WI.

Those ladies from the WI are formidable.

Your three courses, one hour 45 minutes.

Let's cook.

The contestants have just one hour and 45 minutes to cook

a three-course menu of their own design.

Today's three diners are all prominent cookery judges

from the Women's Institute.

One of the WI's national cookery judges,

popularly known as the queen of Aga cooking,

is Amy Willcock.

I'm looking for a wow factor.

I don't want anything that isn't 100% fabulous.

Jill Brand is one of the WI's top authors,

specialising in the baking of breads, cakes and biscuits.

I'm looking for some interesting flavours that fill my senses

and that when I leave the table, I think, "I want to eat that again".

Chair of the WI, Ruth Bond, has been a member for over 30 years.

WI standards are very high

and I would hope that the celebrities will reach those high standards.

There have been moments this week

when musician Danny has shown absolute brilliance.

Faultless.

Absolutely faultless.

That's accomplished cooking, mate. Really accomplished.

Lovely mix of ingredients. I think the whole thing is done very well.

That is absolutely delicious.

But he doesn't always hit the mark.

Danny. Danny, come here.

Look at the beans. They're dry. They're dry.

They're no good!

We just lose the fish with all that bread and tomato.

I'm not really that competitive.

I was the kid at school that did the 100 metres

with his hands in his pockets, whistling a tune

and getting told to have an early shower,

but I guess it's kind of building up a bit now

and I am really wanting to do well.

Danny, what are your three dishes?

The souffle and the fish was fairly poncey

and I'm doing slightly more sort of farmhousey cooking for this one.

Slightly more rustic.

I'm doing a scallop and chorizo salad starter

and then I'm doing a pan-fried liver on caramelised onions

with a crumbled mash.

Dessert, I'm doing Pearly's lemon cake

with stem ginger cream and some caramelised peels.

What on earth is a crumble mash?

It's really smooth mash but I'll make some breadcrumbs with some parsley and butter

and make this topping, then bake it with the breadcrumbs on top.

And this lemon cake?

It's my wife Pearl's favourite cake and she makes it.

The kids like it.

I'm trying to sort of vamp up her basic idea of the cake

and try to make it a bit sexier.

Is she aware you think her cake's unattractive?

Yeah, cos we talked about it last night.

Yeah, I'm going to just try to make it a little bit more presentable

-with a few little touches of flair on top of it.

-Good.

-Are you confident?

-Yeah.

I'm highly incomp... Incompetent?

No! I feel confident.

Yeah.

Danny's main course confuses me slightly.

Onions caramelised are sweet.

Sweet potato - obviously sweet.

How sweet is that dish going to be?

Lemon cake...

and ginger cream.

Exciting.

But is it enough?

15 minutes for your first course.

After a tough start, actress Sharon has shown some flair.

For me, the best cooked piece of fish in the room.

That's not bad at all. I'm really impressed.

I'd eat the whole thing.

But yesterday, she failed to impress.

It doesn't quite work. Sorry.

It's not right. It doesn't feel right. It doesn't taste right.

Well, I was trying to get away from meat and two veg.

John said to me the other day, "Don't play it too safe, Sharon".

Cos if he hadn't said that to me,

I'd have just gone straight into a shepherd's pie!

Big day today, Sharon. The pressure's on.

What three dishes are going to keep you in this competition?

Well, real WI dishes.

I've got fried squid with sun-blush tomatoes and rocket.

And then paella.

Then chocolate fondant with a bit of chilli in it.

Chocolate fondant for the WI.

Heat them up a bit.

That's a real risky dessert though.

I did it yesterday and it worked all right.

Tell me about how big today is.

I've learnt a lot about strategy and preparation and knowledge is power.

I've been devouring information

and I'm trying not for the panic to take over

and so I've learnt a lot in that way.

I actually genuinely know I've done all I can do.

I think you have a lovely, lovely menu.

-What do you think you have to do to do that justice?

-Oh, cook it properly.

I'm here, I'm equipped with my notes.

A bit of love in there?

Oh, definitely.

I'm hoping I'll do a good job.

Sharon's taking a real risk today.

Paella? Do you know what? I've never had a good one.

The tenderness of the meat, I think, is a real issue.

And can she get a successful fondant out of a MasterChef oven?

Anything can happen in here with a chocolate fondant. Anything!

At times, TV presenter Justin can overcomplicate his food.

You're not going to pick up the pineapple and eat it.

The pineapple's not necessary.

You seem to throw things at a plate and it becomes a bit heavy.

Just lighten yourself up a little bit.

But he has shown some talent.

Looks like good food. And it tastes like good food.

It's thick and it's creamy. I like your fish pie.

I've tried to strip away a lot of pomp and ceremony,

having taken on board what Gregg and John have told me.

I'm confident that I can do that.

Whether I can do it within the timeframe today remains to be seen.

Justin. What are you going to cook?

Today I'm cooking pepper and tomato soup

and rosemary-scented scones to go with those.

Scones for the WI.

This is a bit of a risk because scones for the WI are a staple

and they've probably set their whole world around scones over the years

so if I get these right, I can impress them.

Wow. OK. Next course?

Pork tenderloin stuffed with sweetmeat and sausage meat

and I'm serving that with mashed potato with Parmesan and truffle oil.

And dessert, I'm doing a chocolate and hazelnut parfait

with sabayon-esque topping.

And this is you pulling it back?

That's correct.

Wow!

You are really, really throwing everything at this.

I've taken a gamble.

I'd like to impress you boys and the WI ladies as well.

I didn't want to do something that was overly simplistic

that would underwhelm, so I'm trying to find a fine line between the two.

Why has MasterChef become so addictive for you?

I came here as a novice cook. I'm learning to be a good cook.

I want to be a brilliant cook.

I've fallen in love with the whole concept of "yes, I can do it",

and I'm building my opportunity with every day that I'm on the show.

Can you do three courses that will impress everybody?

I'm confident I can pull off three really lovely courses,

cooked in time, and hopefully tasty to the max.

Whoa! What is Justin doing?

John, he's got every possible ingredient you can think of!

Scones for the WI!

Really? Is that suicidal, or what?

He's completely and utterly going for it.

If he leaves this competition, he's going down in a blaze of glory.

First to serve the critics is Danny.

Seven minutes, Danny.

Scallops and chorizo summer salad.

That to me gives this image of lots of vibrant colours.

What if the chorizo is really hot?

I just think that will swamp the scallop.

This little dish, it looks really interesting.

Danny, come on, let's serve, please.

Coming right up!

Danny has served a starter

of scallops, chorizo, rocket and pea salad.

Lives up to its name, doesn't it? It's summery, lovely colours.

Smells delicious.

I'm very sad to say the scallops are slightly overdone.

The chorizo is actually very nice.

It's not too hot, but I really don't like this casing.

But the salad base is very pleasant.

I think the concept was quite nice.

That sausage is not cooked enough.

But I really like the flavours in there.

I love that big, heavy taste of the pea shoots with the sweet pea.

The scallop riding over the top, the sweetness of that sausage

and a little bit of garlic and paprika. Wonderful.

It's a lovely combination. A bit like me and you.

15 minutes then we got a main course, please.

-Good.

-Don't forget your desert.

Your cake is still here and not in the oven.

I know, it's going to go in when this comes out, isn't it?

I don't know, you're cooking it.

They don't look like they like liver.

Calves' liver, I just love, so it's really got to be bad to not be tasty for me.

But I don't want it coming out like shoe leather.

Really looking forward to seeing how the crumble works,

because I don't have any preconception about this.

Let's give him the benefit of the doubt until we've tried it.

Oh-er! That's an unusual-looking thing.

But the caramelised onions, as long as he doesn't overcook them

and brings out the sweetness of those onions, that could be really good.

Any sauce, Danny?

The onions are pretty creamy and the mash is quite creamy.

So, no?

-Is your cake going in before you serve the main course?

-Yep.

Get it in the oven, quick.

Now the cake.

Well done, good luck. Off you go.

For his main, Danny has made pan-fried calves' liver

served on caramelised onions with a potato crumble.

Actually, this looks very appetising.

Here's hoping that the taste is as good as the look.

I think my liver is really nicely cooked.

I think it's really very good.

This is how I would expect it to be done in a top restaurant so I'm very pleased with this.

Far too many onions for me.

Even a quarter of those onions, and I'd have been really happy with this dish.

But the potato and sweet potato crumble,

I rather liked that.

That mash is lovely and smooth, the crispy top,

the liver's cooked beautifully, the onions are lovely, soft and sweet.

But for me, everything is a little bit too sweet, and overpowering that really rich big liver.

Danny, wipe down, dessert, what have you got to do?

-Make the sauce for the cake.

-Come on then, let's go.

Pearly lemon cake with ginger cream. I look forward to that.

As long as he cooks the lemon cake so it's not soggy in the middle.

It will be interesting to see if he gets the lemon all the way through the cake,

that's something we look for when we judge.

-How long have I got?

-Three minutes.

-Three minutes?!

Am I right in thinking we've only got to cut the cake and serve the cream?

Yeah, yeah. I think so.

-Take it out of the tray which is hot.

-Huh?

Take it out of the tray which is hot.

He's got some work to do

with that lemon cake because I think we're going to have our eagle eye on that.

-Come on.

-Hold on.

-What else have you got to do on it?

We've got to move now.

All right? Bye, Danny, good luck. Well done, looks good!

How's it going, all right?

I've done a...

rustic sort of lemon cake with some ginger cream.

A family recipe,

a cake that my kids like eating.

That's ginger...

Danny's pudding consists of lemon drizzle sponge

with ginger cream and caramelised citrus peel.

Mmm.

I think the cake is quite flat

and I'm really worried about the cream.

It's obviously split but in a new and exciting way.

It is definitely lemony. Mm.

It does have the lemon running through the cake, so he has done that well.

But the cream is absolutely disgusting.

The fat is really coming out.

It just tastes like a sludgy mess.

But the flavour of the cream with the ginger in it, it's a shame it's split,

because I like the idea of having the ginger pieces in the cream.

I think the lemon and the ginger is there.

He's given us what he promised, but not probably in the best way

he could have done.

Tastes really good. The warmth of the ginger in the cream

and the real strength and sharpness of that lemon I really like, but,

it doesn't look brilliant, John.

It's a bit ordinary. I expected more from Danny today.

The dizzy heights of raspberry souffle, lemon juice

with cake and cream - really?

Oh, dear.

It's such buzz doing three totally mad dishes I haven't done before.

I don't think it could have gone hugely better for me.

I just worry if the meat was cooked.

I don't want a sort of hurt anyone.

Sharon's menu looks simple but they are not simple dishes to prepare.

-Happy?

-Well, I don't know.

Where's my sun-blushed tomatoes gone?

They're right by me here.

Two minutes. But then you need to be taking your food out.

Where are your plates?

They're over there.

-Come on. Go, go, go.

-OK, OK.

Where's your dressing?

Let's get the stuff out the pan.

Pan-fried baby squid with sun-blushed tomato and rocket. Ooh!

-That sounds delicious.

-Sounds colourful, doesn't it?

If the baby squid is overcooked,

little leather shoelaces come to mind.

Ready to go, Shaz?

Ready to go, Sharon? Good.

Off you go. Good luck.

Hello, ladies.

Be brave!

Courage!

It's pan fried baby squid.

With sunblushed tomatoes and rocket.

Enjoy.

Rubber. Looks like rubber.

It's rubber.

The squid is terribly overcooked, I mean, it's just rubber,

loops of rubber.

The tomatoes are really flavoursome,

but this amount of rocket is overpowering to me.

And I don't think it's dressed with anything,

which again would have enhanced it.

I don't feel it's particularly well put together.

A very simple dish

that should be eaten in the sunshine when you've got some nice wine,

because then it wouldn't really matter!

I love the acidic tomatoes,

I love the saltiness of the squid. I love the pepperiness of the rocket.

But, let's be fair, Gregg, there ain't a lot of skill in that dish.

Doesn't show a great deal of ambition.

Sharon, what's wrong?

Just thinking, just strategising now.

Strategise towards your main course, OK?

I'm trying to.

15 minutes, then we want the main, OK?

Paella can be perfection, or it can be disaster.

If it's overcooked, we've got a problem.

Come on, baby, light my fire!

Will it be a classic paella, will she have a twist?

It's starting to burn a little bit, be careful.

Two minutes, just take your time, take your time.

Two minutes, and you've got to spoon it out.

I know I've got to spoon it out.

Good luck, Sharon, looks nice.

Thank you.

You first, this time.

Thank you very much.

For her main, Sharon has made a chicken, seafood and chorizo paella.

It's very colourful.

It's definitely a wholesome dish but I find this quite disconcerting!

For me, there isn't nearly enough saffron in this dish.

But the base to the dish is lovely.

I like the lightness of the flavour.

I'm afraid, in mine, I had a strong flavour of...

-Bay?

-..the leaves, yes, let's put it that way.

The rice is actually quite nice, though.

And it's actually quite light.

It's not as heavy as I feared it was going to be.

I've never really had a good paella. But this one is quite good.

The chicken is still moist. The rice is cooked well.

I love the flavour of that smoked paprika in the background.

And a little bit of saffron running through it.

It's really quite good indeed.

It's a decent job, it's a good bowl of hearty paella.

Chilli spiced chocolate fondant.

Danger zone. Chocolate fondant, big risk.

This is a dangerous menu. Which, we like a bit of danger, don't we, in the WI?

I would never do this in a competition. It risks so much.

It will show her expertise if she can pull it off.

Will they come out?

It's really quite wet in there.

-Do you think I should put these in for another minute?

-You haven't got another minute.

-Ooh! Oi!

-It's so hot.

Touch them with the cloth, nothing else.

Good luck, Sharon.

I'll do my best.

Would have liked a bit of cream with them.

Thank you very much.

Sharon's dessert is a chilli spiced chocolate fondant.

This is the real surprise.

This lovely oozing in the middle.

The sponge is beautifully light.

I don't think it could be better, really.

The bits of chilli in the actual fondant, quite alarming.

But the flavour is superb.

This is her outstanding dish of the menu, definitely.

Ooh! Look at that! Mm.

Well done, honey.

-Mate!

-Oh, yeah.

That rocks. That rocks because it's perfectly cooked.

Crusty outside, perfect fondant.

Not too rich, a little tiny hint of chilli on the back of your throat, which is really nice.

I would just like a little bit of cream with it.

Who'd have believed that? Not only has she made one,

I think she may have made the best one I've ever tasted.

Nope, that's mine. That's all mine.

Mm, that's good.

'I'm really proud of my effort today, yeah.'

SHE SCREAMS

Actually, I can't believe I've just done that three course meal.

It looked like an insurmountable hurdle.

It's amazing.

Last to face the critics is Justin.

This looks a really interesting menu. It's sort of all over the place.

I think he's got a very busy menu, but it's a very brave menu.

-I'm worried about your spuds for your main course.

-Yeah, me too.

I've cut them smaller, and got them in a rapid boil.

Let's serve it up.

-A minute and a half for the starter.

-Come on, let's serve.

-Serve?

Roast pepper and tomato soup.

Could be very nice.

Warm rosemary scones, make sure that they're nice and light.

Having judged quite a number, you do need the flavour.

If you say there's a flavour in there, it has to be strong.

Now that is the most artistic thing I've seen you do since you got here.

Straight back for your main course, please, Justin.

-Hello, ladies.

-Hello.

Enjoy, then. >

-Thank you.

-Mm.

Justin's starter is a roasted pepper and tomato soup,

topped with chives and cream,

accompanied by rosemary-scented scones.

This looks really lovely.

A good scone should break through the equator,

and that's absolutely how it should do.

The texture of the soup is lovely.

But the pepper flavour is so overpowering that I'm not getting the tomato.

I'm getting orange in this soup,

which is lovely, actually, but a little surprising.

The scones, perfection.

The rosemary did come through.

They might not be the size that we would expect,

but I think they are right with this dish.

Yes, lovely rosemary.

Why not put a little bit of rosemary on top of the soup?

Why put the chives?

I prefer to just carry the theme through.

But, overall, I think it's a good dish.

Mm.

There's richness in there, John,

and there is a real strength and freshness of peppers. I like it.

And I love the rosemary scones.

Rich tomato in the background, lovely and sweet.

But for me, the pepper is just too overpowering.

-15 minutes, then we want your main.

-OK.

Good lamb. It's good.

-Yeah, hot when it comes out of the oven.

-Tongs.

What's in that pot in the front, Just?

Ah, cinnamon sauce.

Cinnamon cream sauce?

It doesn't sound right.

The mincemeat stuffed... Ooh, no.

Then truffle and Parmesan. It sounds like everything is fighting.

I'm quite concerned about that. It almost feels like there's too many flavours there.

OK, so, pork and sauce to go, yeah?

No! Oh...

Take your time, mate. All that work.

Come on, mate. We're going to have to rush you.

-OK, we've got to move now, Justin, OK?

-Sorry?

We've got to move.

Not an umbrella or a pineapple in sight. Well done, you.

Ladies.

Please enjoy.

Justin's main course is pork tenderloins

stuffed with sweet Christmas mincemeat and sausage meat

in a cinnamon sauce

served with truffle oil and parmesan mash and orange-glazed carrots.

Well, at first sight, this looks appetising.

Ruth, I really have to disagree.

I think this doesn't look appetising at all.

Also, if you're going to serve carrots and peel them,

make sure you do a good job of it.

This does not work for me.

The cinnamon flavour is just so overpowering.

It's like having my Christmas pudding with my pork and my mashed potato.

-It's just totally wrong for me.

-The pork isn't bad,

but the stuffing - I'm not quite sure that it's actually even cooked.

I'm not as down on it as you are.

Potato is...well, it's nice and creamy.

The carrots are beautifully done, they're just as I like them.

It's a nice alternative for a Christmas dinner.

SHE LAUGHS

Everything on the plate is cooked really well. The mash is nicely flavoured with parmesan cheese.

The pork itself is beautifully cooked.

But the stuffing inside is really sweet,

and then on the side of that is a really rich cinnamon sauce -

but LOADS of cinnamon. More cinnamon than on your average doughnut.

That's like having a dessert before a main.

I don't know what the ladies would make of it. I can see this easily dividing a room of people.

Chocolate and tiramisu parfait.

That will be interesting to see how he's done this chocolate into it.

Chocolate and tiramisu - both very rich elements.

How will they go together? We'll see.

Is it going to be chilled enough? I don't want something too sloppy.

I would have started with small and gone to large.

All roads lead to the same point.

What is that going on top? Ice cream?

Well, let's go. Let's go, let's go, let's go!

Well done, Justin. Good job.

Let's hope it tastes good, huh?

-Girls... I'll come to you first.

-Thank you.

You're very welcome. Enjoy.

For dessert, Justin has made a chocolate and tiramisu parfait

topped with a meringue sabayon, vanilla ice cream and chocolate shavings,

served with raspberry coulis

and fresh raspberries.

Looks quite nice, yes. Appetising-looking, at least.

Well, I thought it was supposed to be tiramisu.

I haven't quite worked out where the tiramisu is.

I don't think it's a tiramisu at all. I think that's very misleading.

I don't really get the meringue sabayon.

It's...

The bottom of the parfait - it's OK, but it's too solid.

The chocolate and hazelnut is very nice,

but the balsamic vinegar reduction of the raspberries, to me,

is just too sharp.

The vinegar is probably a bit strong,

but I do like it. I like the idea of it.

It's far too thick, far too sticky, far too sweet even for me.

Don't not how he made the ice cream, but it's crumbling. No. That hasn't worked.

I love the look of it, but what it delivers in taste is extraordinary.

It's weird.

I feel quite positive at the moment. I took some risks in there.

I wanted to show them that I could think about stuff differently.

I can't think of anything that I would have changed too much.

I think I've done OK.

I think, today, our three could have done a little bit more,

or been a little more exceptional.

It didn't quite go to the plan I had in my head.

I expected a lot from Danny today.

Maybe my expectations were a bit high.

Liked the salad of chorizo and scallops.

The balance of flavour - really good. But for me,

that sausage wasn't cooked quite enough.

Main course - the whole thing was very, very sweet.

You couldn't really taste the richness that that liver should have delivered.

I liked his lemon drizzle cake. It was very good.

I liked the ginger and the cream, little bit of warmth - I thought that was a nice idea as well.

But I was expecting more.

I'm starting to really believe that, you know, I could go quite far

in this competition, if I really, really start thinking about.

So, maybe there is a spot for me in the semis and maybe in the finals.

Justin started off today with

more ingredients on his bench than anybody else.

I didn't think he would complete the task that he'd given himself.

But actually, he got through them all.

The best part of the first dish were those little rosemary scones.

Tomato and pepper soup, nicely made but, for me,

very, very sweet and very rich with peppers, and not that mellow.

The pork dish with the sweet port stuffing I thought was a really good idea,

but that cinnamon sweet sauce took a little bit of getting used to.

It was all a bit of a mish-mash, really.

The dessert was like a hazelnut chocolate frozen jelly base

with a marshmallow top. I couldn't quite work it out.

And it didn't work.

All I know is I've cooked to the best of my abilities today

and for that, I would love to go to the next stage of the contest.

Sharon - today's starter was about as safe as it gets,

but we need some cookery skill.

That was just really one up from

opening a packet and pouring it in a bowl.

The paella, it had a lovely background flavour,

seafood was cooked very well. Chicken was wonderful,

-rice was cooked nicely.

-It was a tasty pound of food.

Sharon's chocolate fondant was superb.

There was a perfect runny centre

and it had a hint of chilli in the back of your throat.

A delight. I've never seen you as happy over a pudding.

It was a beautiful chocolate fondant.

A bit of vanilla cream would have made it something quite special.

Yeah, of course, if I got through, I'd feel very highly achieved,

and then terrified again.

But if I don't get through,

then I've made a valiant last effort.

It's really hard.

The pure effort of Justin, and then the beautiful dessert of Sharon,

and ALL the good cooking of Danny.

So...who stays? Who goes?

I know who should go, really.

I have to say, some things today were great,

some things didn't quite work.

Tough decision for Gregg and I today.

HE SIGHS

We can't keep everybody, we simply can't.

The person leaving us...

..is Justin. I'm sorry, Justin.

-Sharon, well done, honey.

-I'm sorry, Justin.

No. I'm totally good with it. Triumphant in defeat.

I've had a brilliant time,

-an absolutely brilliant time.

-Thanks, Justin.

I knew that my time had come to conclusion, and I have

nothing but fond memories.

But I think, had I stayed any longer, I might have gone crazy!

I've had an absolutely brilliant time,

but without a doubt, the best two cooks have made it through today.

SHE LAUGHS

-Well done, dude!

-If I didn't have such a bad knee, I'd throw you over me shoulder!

-Oh!

-Congratulations.

Absolutely fantastic. You're through to the next round. It does get tougher.

I'm happy! Of course I'm happy.

I'm really amazed!

-If my mum could see me now, she'd be in shock.

-SHE LAUGHS

I feel really, really happy. Really happy to get through. It means a lot.

I've done some dishes that have worked and I've kind of surprised myself, so,

if all goes well, I don't see why I can't go further.

Make some sensational food.

Next week, the pressure is on for four new celebrities.

Ba-doom boom boom... Right, let's have a little poach up, shall we?

To become MasterChef Champion,

they'll have to prove they've got what it takes.

-Put it dead-centre, not a hint of political prejudice.

-SHE LAUGHS

Oh!

Raw chicken?

Not good at all.

Mmh!

That's good!

I'm blown away by that!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]