Episode 8 Celebrity MasterChef

We've got 16 celebrities battling it out to win the MasterChef crown.

I'm very competitive. I have to win, I have to win.

These celebrities have made a name for themselves in their own professions.

But can they cut it in the kitchen?

I've got my back against the wall, rabbit in the headlights.

If I fail today, I've failed in the competition totally.

Cooking doesn't get tougher than this.

All this week, these four celebrities have been battling to stay in the MasterChef competition.

But at the end of today, one of them will be going home.

Yesterday, I think I clawed back a little bit, but I really do think

all of this depends on today.

I had a great first round,

but since then, I've had a couple of not so great rounds,

so I'm looking forward to redeeming myself.

My journey on MasterChef,

it's just a massive, great learning curve for me.

Well, as Gregg says, it doesn't get tougher than this. He's right.

There's more of George Layton to see. Culinary skills will come forth.

We have two tests for you. Remember, one of you will leave the competition at the end of today.

The first test right now is a classic recipe test.

Your classic recipe today is apple tarte tatin and creme anglaise,

or, in other words, an upside-down caramelised apple tart and custard.

One hour. Let's cook.

Today, no excuses.

All they have to do is prove to us they can follow a recipe.

And none of them want to go home at this stage. None of them.

I think when it comes to the crunch, I'm better at eating desserts than making them.

-Gareth, have you ever had an apple tarte tatin before?

-No, I haven't.

And yeah, I'm a bit... yeah, nervous about it.

-You're working in the dark here?

-Yes.

It is, at the end of the day, an upside-down apple tart and custard.

-Can it be that difficult?

-I'm hoping not.

-Have you made custard before?

Once, and it was very ropey.

-Have some confidence.

-Sure, sure.

Gareth is so nervous. He's chopped the apples up into tiny, tiny little bits.

No caramel colour at all. Caramel is brown, not yellow!

When it comes to cooking, I do like to follow recipes.

Yeah, I prefer to work knowing what I'm doing.

-How did you feel when you realised you had to do a dessert?

-That was my worst nightmare.

There's nothing worse than this.

Really. I don't know what an apple tart looks like, what it should taste like. I've never had one.

-So how are you approaching this?

-Stumbling. I'm trying to stick to this recipe. It's the best I can do.

-You've had to confront your demons here today.

-Yeah. This is not good.

-But it's still quite exciting.

-Laila, good luck with it. Keep your head.

Yeah, thank you very much. Thank you.

She has no idea what a tarte tatin looks like, John.

-She put the apples in with the sugar before it's caramelised.

-Who knows what will happen with that tart?

Halfway, ladies and gentlemen!

I think the biggest gap in my knowledge is puddings and pastries.

I know nothing of them. They are a mystery as deep as the seas.

Today, there is a serious look of competition in your eyes.

It's not that. It's because I think I'm the runt of the litter.

I've got to really make an effort today.

What on earth is that?

I've made an error. My caramel has split.

It's like a brown goo with a sea of despair on top.

-It's my first ever attempt at making caramel.

-It can't get much worse.

SHE LAUGHS LOUDLY

Emma, I think, has had three, maybe four goes at making caramel.

You put sugar in the pan until it goes brown. It's a caramel. What's happening out there?

-Oh, my word!

-Isn't that fabulous?

-What on earth is that?

-I bet it tastes nice(!)

I think my fault, when it comes to cooking, has not been following recipes.

My brain turns to mush. It's like looking at an exam paper and it's all in a foreign language.

George, you've eaten lots of tarte tatin?

Yes, I've had it from time to time.

-So what do you think makes a great tarte tatin?

-I think the pastry is very important.

I think the caramelisation and how you turn it over is very important.

-Are you putting yourself under a bit of pressure?

-Very much so.

-How?

By stopping to talk to you. I've got to get on with it.

The flavours have been good. It's the presentation.

-I've spent a fortune on presentation books. That's what I've got to work on and I have been doing.

-Eureka!

-How big a day is today?

-It's huge. One of us is going home.

If I'm the first one out, I've failed miserably.

-We're leaving you, George. Good luck.

-It's a pleasure talking to you, but I'd like to get on with it!

Presently, we have George in absolute control. I'm really, really impressed with what he's doing.

George is the only one here who is getting anywhere near a tarte tatin.

Five minutes, guys. Just five minutes left. Don't forget your tarts.

30 seconds.

That's it, guys. All done. Step away from your creations.

So we asked you to cook for us a classic apple tarte tatin and a creme anglaise.

The pastry needs to be crisp on the edge, cooked all the way through

with sweetness coming from the caramel and the apples.

The creme anglaise should be a lovely consistency and it should coat the back of a spoon.

-Emma...

-Yes?

-Let's have a look at you.

I love your custard. It's creamy and it's sweet and it's full of vanilla. I love it.

But the apples are too hard, the caramel is too runny, the pastry is undercooked.

-The caramel disaster just cost you so much time, there was no way you would cook it for long enough.

-No.

Your creme anglaise is really good. It's the right consistency, coating the back of the spoon.

It's got the lovely flecks of black running through from the vanilla.

The tarte tatin is undercooked. It hasn't had enough time in the oven.

I think that was the worst I've done since I've been here by a country mile.

I've really piled the pressure on myself now for the last test.

Laila, your turn.

Well, you've managed to get some colour on yours

which I'm really pleased about. It's beginning to go brown.

Yum! Yum, we're almost there!

The apples are soft, there's caramel flavour,

lovely, creamy vanilla custard,

-but your pastry isn't cooked long enough.

-OK.

The edge of your tart is really lovely. Crispy, sugary sweet pastry,

the apples cooked maybe a little bit too much. It's not bad.

Thank you.

All the way through, I have been dreading the dessert round,

so it's done now and I feel better. It's not the enemy any more.

Gareth...

You have a whole vanilla bean on here which we can't eat.

It should have been split and scalded in the milk to get the lovely, black flecks through

because that just won't flavour your custard enough.

The pastry in the middle is not cooked enough.

The apples are cut too small, so they break down very quickly. Your caramel is not dark enough.

Your creme anglaise, there are little, tiny lumps in there

which says that your creme anglaise is just on the edge of curdling.

It doesn't taste like a tarte tatin because it hasn't got a caramel.

It hasn't got any vanilla, but you have got soft, buttery, sweet apples with a sweetened cream.

-Nice flavours, just not the flavours we were expecting.

-Sure.

Pastry and desserts aren't my strongest point,

so therefore, it was hard work from the offset.

George, let's look at your tart.

You have a caramel colour.

Fantastic.

-Thanks, mate.

-Oh! That's good, isn't it?

Do you not just think... one lovely slice and the jug on the side of the plate?

-Gregg loves his puddings, so I thought one wouldn't be enough.

-The custard is a bit thin.

I'm a bit sad because the promise and the look of your tart is a good thing,

but the pastry is not cooked enough, it's gone a bit soggy.

But there we have lovely, dark, rich, sweet, bitter caramel

with those wonderful apples, a little bit of vanilla coming from your creme anglaise.

In part, it's really, really good.

You have by far the best-tasting apples because they're coated in a nice, thick caramel.

However, your custard is too thin and your pastry is not cooked.

I'm disappointed because I thought it looked so right, but I did better than I expected, so I'm feeling good.

Next time, something delicious. Thank you. Off you go.

That was a nightmare.

I really did expect them to do better than that.

George - thin custard, undercooked pastry. Wonderful caramel colour on George's apples, but that was it.

I liked Gareth's presentation, but he had no caramel on his apple

and he didn't open his vanilla pod into his custard.

Presentation is one thing, but execution is really important.

Laila, despite looking really nervous, didn't make a bad attempt at that at all.

Lovely custard with all the black vanilla flecks running through it,

the tart edges, lovely and crispy, but the inside was raw and soggy.

Emma had such an issue with that caramel that she wasn't left with enough time

to cook her tarte tatin properly.

The pastry was almost raw. However, Emma did make great custard.

Their own dishes now in the next round are going to teach us a lot.

This is the first time we get to see your own food, the food that you love, the food that you believe in.

At the end of this, one of you is going home.

Ladies and gentlemen, one hour.

Let's cook.

Laila, what are you cooking for us today?

I'm cooking lamb shank with couscous and a prune sauce, with harissa on the side.

-Whoa! Is this Mum's sort of cooking?

-Mum's cooked this for years, but it's more of a wedding feast.

What pressure is there today?

There's so much to do and I don't know if I'm going to have enough time to do it. That's my biggest worry.

They taste delicious together. I don't want to miss anything out or not do the harissa.

-Why is it so important that you get this right?

-I go home if I don't and I don't want to go home.

If I was to come in and make beans on toast, I don't think I'd get any points for that.

There has to be a certain risk factor to it. Anything can happen.

I love the sound of Laila's lamb shank with Moroccan spices.

If she can bring those great flavours together, if she can make that lamb soft, heaven, heaven!

Emma, how's your confidence after this morning's task?

Rock bottom. Not good.

But I'm hoping I can redeem myself. One thing I don't do is give up.

I'm going to make for you a fish curry. It's salmon and prawns.

-I'm going to serve it with flatbreads.

-Very nice.

That's the first time I've ever made fish stock and it'll be the first time I've ever made flatbreads.

Can you hold your hand out for me?

-You are shaking.

-I know. That's how much it means to me.

-Good luck with those flatbreads.

-Thank you.

Emma wants to deliver really big flavours - prawn, salmon and a wonderful curry sauce.

She's making flatbreads that she's never made successfully before,

but she's got all the right ingredients on her bench.

If she brings those big flavours together, it could be beautiful.

I've got such a lot to do today.

It's going to be really pushing it to get everything out on time.

Look, I know I'm the bearer of bad news, but you are halfway.

30 minutes gone, 30 minutes left.

George has suddenly come to life with his own food - a quail, wild mushroom sauce, mashed potato.

And these little ribbons of vegetables. It sounds wonderful.

A beautiful-sounding dish, but it's got to look elegant

and we can't afford any mistakes like lumpy mash.

Oh!

Who left it on?

George, that pot there, is that your classic Bradford mash?

This is a beautiful, creamy mash and there won't be one single lump in it when I've finished.

Are you more comfortable, George, now it's your own food, or is it more pressure?

It's more pressure. You know we've practised it and it should be 100%, shouldn't it, really?

-How would you feel if you went home today?

-Devastated. We all say that, but you get so wrapped up in it.

-I think you are getting a little bit emotional over this, George.

-I am.

-What's happening?

I've fallen in love with you, Gregg!

You don't realise until you're in a show like this how many elements make up one meal. This is just one course!

What I want to achieve, to do with my own dish is what I always set out to achieve -

amazing taste and fantastic presentation.

-What are you making, Gareth?

-Today, I'm making roasted venison,

potato puree, spinach and ham lardons.

It looks like you are making a sauce of jelly and...?

Yes, redcurrant jelly, game stock and red wine.

-Classic northern dishes?

-Yeah, I'm from up north and I'm used to very hearty and homely dishes.

I hope this recipe reflects that. I don't just want it to look great. I want it to taste amazing as well.

-I'm hoping to really impress you guys.

-Good.

Gareth's got a beautiful winter dish, beautiful food, John, but his touch has got to be just right.

We've got three minutes left. Come on!

60 seconds.

Time's up. Stop. Stop.

George hopes to impress the judges with stuffed quail, spaghetti of vegetables

and mashed potato, served with a wild mushroom sauce.

George, honestly, this is close to stunning.

It's a great-looking dish.

You've got the lovely richness of the quail, almost gamey.

The veg, the mushrooms, all of it, a great combination,

but your potato does have little lumps in it.

It can't have! It went through a tiny hole. I'm stunned.

Textures are very good. Very, very good.

Like the ribbons of vegetable. That little bit of sauce that's there is really deep and really rich.

'I cannot believe'

there were lumps in my mash. Mrs Layton will kill me.

We've talked about that. I can't understand that.

Emma's dish is salmon, prawn and butternut squash curry

served with flatbreads.

-I think it's delicious.

-Oh, gosh!

-I love it. It's got heat from the chilli, sweetness from sugar,

richness from that coconut milk, saltiness from the prawns, oiliness from the salmon,

but the most impressive thing about your dish, Emma, are these.

Brilliant little flatbreads, puffed up, all hollow inside. Beautifully cooked.

-You know what people like to eat and it's tasty.

-Thank you.

Cor! Brilliant flavours, but I find this a bit chunky.

But... I love these flatbreads.

-Really lovely. Well done, Emma.

-Thank you.

The fact that I've managed to put out a decent curry with actual flatbreads

is, for me, amazing!

Gareth has cooked venison and served it with potato puree, ham lardons,

-spinach and a red wine jus.

-I like your presentation, but, Gareth,

what I am slightly confused about is this small amount of mashed potato and a very large piece of meat.

In my opinion, it's all out of proportion.

I love the richness of your fruity sauce, the earthiness of the venison, the smokiness of the ham,

but in the background you've got quite a harsh burnt flavour from that spinach.

With a dish like this, as classic as it is, you've got nowhere to hide.

Sauce, mashed potato, venison, lardons, it's lovely.

-But there is no excuse for there only being that much mashed potato.

-Sure.

-Nothing can be there just to decorate the plate.

-Right.

'I'm disappointed.'

I'm a perfectionist and if anything isn't perfect, I beat myself up about that.

Laila has cooked a spiced lamb shank with prune jam,

almonds, couscous and harissa.

-I do really like food like this.

-Do you?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Let's have a go.

I loved, loved the flavours you've got going on in there.

That prune sauce is just so beautiful and sweet.

The heat and sharpness of the harissa as well. Some of these flavours are magical.

-I'm in a tent somewhere. I love those flavours, but that lamb needs more cooking.

-I know.

It should be falling off that bone.

The flavours are predominantly of the Spice Trail.

They are rich, they are opulent, we've got chillies and smokiness coming from spices,

richness coming from saffron, the crunch of the nuts, sweetness of the lamb

and your jam is delicious.

I think you are this far off one of the most glorious dishes I've eaten in a really long time.

'I got some great comments, comments I really was not expecting.'

I never thought anybody would talk about my cooking like that. It's a huge compliment.

Well done, everybody.

John and I have obviously got a difficult decision to make. Off you go.

-Well?

-Not an easy decision.

-I don't know.

There was some really interesting cooking there. Really, really good.

George, his own food, taking that quail, boning it out...

He's worked really hard on it, he's pushing himself.

He's had to pull out his trump card and he's done it.

I am a bit worried. I think this is too close to call.

Laila's use of spicing was incredible today.

Those flavours were gorgeous.

She put a huge amount of work in, but the lamb itself should have fallen off the bone.

There's no one in the lead. I think it will be really tough.

Emma today, loved those flatbreads. Loved the flavour of her curry. Loved it, loved it, but...

great big chunks of squash, great big chunks of salmon.

I wasn't that concerned. I think the prawn and salmon had to hold together.

The flatbreads were brilliant.

I redeemed myself with the flatbreads. Have to wait and see.

Gareth's venison was really well cooked, with the rich sauce.

But for me the balance was completely wrong - this tiny swipe of mashed potato.

Dishes need to look nice, but they're there to be eaten.

A place in the next round means so much to me. None of us want to leave.

Decision time, Mr Wallace. Are you willing to make a decision?

This is...is so hard.

So, so hard.

Well done.

I've really enjoyed watching you. It's been very hard to judge.

The person leaving us is...

Gareth.

Really, really gutted.

The other three were amazing, you know, so that's fine by me.

It's a shame I only lasted a week, but it's really been a good week.

Yay!

Well done.

Can you even believe it?!

I-I genuinely am astonished.

Absolutely stunned. I just wasn't expecting it.

I'm so excited. Just...let me get at it! Tomorrow can't come soon enough.

Tomorrow night the battle continues...

Whoa!

..as these three celebrities go to the next stage of the competition.

Ow!

They are very quickly going to find out what life in the fast lane of cooking is all about.

It's gone from good to bad!

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