Episode 2 Celebrity MasterChef

It's Celebrity MasterChef.

We've got 16 celebs all hoping to show off their cooking talent.

I'm really enjoying the competition

but it's much more intense than I thought it was going to be.

They've proved themselves in their own profession.

Now let's see if they can cut it in the kitchen.

If I start something I like to finish it.

I know my skills. Even if I get chucked out I will feel superior.

SHE CHUCKLES

Cooking doesn't get tougher than this.

These four celebrities are competing to become MasterChef Champion.

As much as I'm exhausted, I just want to keep learning more

and challenging myself

and getting better.

The competition so far has just been a real mixed bag for me.

Yeah, I've got one cut and one burn so I feel like I'm...

..I'm doing well.

My kids don't call me Mum any more, they just call me MasterChef.

And I absolutely love that title.

I hope I can get near it.

I do like competition and I like doing things right.

But the way that I think is right is not necessarily the way

that Gregg and John think is right.

We now know a fair bit about the cooking skills of our celebs and we

are just going to turn up the heat!

Four celebs - lots of cooking

and at the end of this, one of them's going to leave the competition.

Today the celebrities are being sent out in pairs

to experience their first lunchtime service in a professional

restaurant kitchen.

I've got my chef whites on - so, yeah, you feel like a proper chef.

Good.

We'll see when I get in the kitchen if I'm like a proper chef.

It's about this time when you go

and get shouted at by a professional chef

for about four hours.

So, erm, I'm really looking forward to that, obviously(!)

I hope we have a really handsome chef today.

Makes it much nicer if you're going to say "yes, Chef" all the time.

Ingredients and presentation I think are the key.

I just put the food on the plate.

Yeah, and say "Eat this!"

Jo and Janet are heading to Butler's Wharf.

They'll be cooking at Le Pont De La Tour,

a contemporary French restaurant on the banks of the River Thames.

-Morning, ladies.

-Hi, there.

My name's Tom Cook, I'm the exec chef here.

We're going to get you doing the lunch service today

so let's get in the kitchen and start cooking.

-All right?

-Great.

Service is in three hours' time. Jo and Janet will each be cooking

one dish from the a la carte menu.

Little bit nervous. We've got high standards here

and we're not going to let them drop today.

So, first of all, we're just going to crack that egg open.

Oh, my God. How fantastic is that?

During service, Jo will have the delicate starter of cauliflower veloute

with poached egg wrapped in wild smoked duck breast,

accompanied by watercress and a sea salt grissini.

You touch it there, you can feel it's still nice and soft in the middle.

Don't want to boil the water too hard and end up with a hard-boiled egg. OK.

Pick up the slices of duck breast. Carefully place the egg inside.

-And the duck over the top. Very easy, isn't it?

-Yeah.

That's going to go on the side of the dish, across like that.

Then a little bunch of the watercress to finish it off.

Then we just pour the veloute in.

You don't really get much soup, do you?

It's only a light starter.

Just try breaking that egg, have a look, see how it's cooked.

-Gosh, that's going to be a tricky one, isn't it?

-Feel confident?

-No.

Worried about that egg and how quick you have to do it

if you've got three orders.

Oh, my God! What have I let myself in for?!

You just want to brown one side.

You do it on both sides, you end up drying out the fish.

Broadcaster Janet, who has struggled with the presentation of her dishes,

will be making the fillet of cod on a ragout of mushrooms

and shallots, with Jerusalem artichoke sauce and a potato rosti.

You want a couple of spoonfuls into the ring.

-Right.

-All right. Now we've got the veloute.

Straight onto the dish.

And then your potato on to finish it off.

Very simple-looking dish.

If you get one thing wrong, it's going to look a complete

mess on the plate.

I can cook but I can't do presentation.

Can't someone help me do the dibbly, dobbly bits at the end?

It's all you. We're not going to do it, you're going to do everything for us.

That's what it's all about.

Who's coming in today? Should I go out the front and warn them?

No-one would have me in their kitchen - too mouthy, don't fit in.

Not part of a team. Have to be a leader, not a worker.

SHE LAUGHS

Across town, Heidi and Katy will be cooking at Gilgamesh in Camden.

They'll be working under the supervision of head chef

Ian Pengelley.

-Hi, Katy.

-Hi.

-Hi, Heidi.

We are a really big Pan-Asian restaurant - today we are going to do 200 covers.

So, it's going to be a very fast and very intense service. OK?

We are going to cook to a very high standard, OK? Are you nervous?

-Yes.

-Now I am.

-Are you ready? OK, let's get on with the preparation.

Follow me.

So, the beef goes on.

OK? So there will be a nice brown texture on it.

So, like I've done here, OK?

Heidi will be making beef bulgogi - a fillet of beef served with chive mash

and a Japanese sauce made from rice wine, soya sauce and chilli.

-We take the beef. See, it's nice and browned-off.

-Yes.

It goes in - eight minutes, OK?

In you go. Mashed potato...

The most important thing is you keep it moving. Keep that moving around.

OK, so the steak's cooked.

When you've cooked it, it's very important you let it rest

for ten minutes, otherwise

when you cut into it, all the juice runs out and it'll be a dry

-old boot and it will definitely get sent back from the customer.

-OK.

Nice and medium rare.

Nice, evenly-spaced slices.

Just a little bit on the top.

-All right, you clear on that one?

-Yeah.

-Good luck, Heidi.

Get on with your mise en place. Thanks.

I'm concerned about getting the timings right on the beef.

Because it's fine if you're just doing one

but you might have 20 in there.

Let's just hope everyone doesn't order beef.

Comedienne Katy has been put in charge of the chicken

and cashew nut stir fry cooked in an oyster sauce.

The chicken in. Dash of wine.

And then put in all the rest of your ingredients.

Cashew nuts, cucumber and chillies.

Mix it all together, very important you keep it moving.

-If you don't move it, it's just going to burn.

-OK.

-And then...

-you've got cornflour here, which will bind it together, OK?

-Uh-hm.

That's looking good.

Got some lotus. Fried lotus chip on top. So, it looks pretty.

Hand it to me on the pass, let me know it's here

and I will send it to the customer.

-OK, clear?

-Yes.

-Good girl. Good luck.

Thanks!

The woks are making me nervous.

That's the first thing. I'm a bit massive-pan-of-boiling-oil-phobic.

And I just want to make sure I keep the temperature right in the wok.

You can just ruin things in seconds and that just adds to the pressure.

It'll be all right. Will it be all right, Jason?

-100%.

-100%.

He doesn't even work here.

It's 12 o'clock and for Janet and Jo, service is about to start.

Oh, somebody's just come in the restaurant!

OK, first check on. The veloute. Yes, Chef.

Jo, we're going to need the first veloute in about eight minutes, OK?

Yes, Chef!

Don't think that's hot enough yet.

Just plate it up like we showed you earlier, yeah?

That's it.

Onto that side plate.

You're dribbling the sauce down the side of the jug.

-Don't try and do that and hide it from me.

-I didn't even see that.

-I don't want that going out into the room. All right?

-OK.

Nothing's going to get past me.

OK? Yes, Chef. Let's go, table six, please. Good start, keep it going.

He said "Good start." I'm so pleased. Shoo, that was a bit...

..tense. That was good. I'll be all right now.

I think I know what I'm doing.

So, Janet, two cod.

-Janet, where are you...?

-I'm doing it!

-Two cod on order.

You need to communicate with us

to make sure we all know what's going on.

I'm doing it!

OK, you've got four away as well,

you've got another two cod just after the other docket, OK?

Janet, you need to answer me. Have you got the next two on...?

-Yes, Chef! I'm seasoning them!

-We don't know if you don't answer.

All right, OK. Do I do this in yet?

We're going to need that dish up in eight minutes, Janet.

Yeah, yeah, yeah!!

Having a timer would be a plus, wouldn't it?

So, make sure all your garnish is seasoned.

What if I don't like it as salty as you do?

It's my restaurant so I'll tell you if it needs more salt.

Yeah, over to these plates.

Quick as you can. I want nice, clean presentation.

Ahh...

Oh, don't, don't, don't! I'll pick it off the plate.

Need to hurry up, it's going to mess all over the plate,

just slow you down.

It needs to be a nice circle.

We need more sauce, that's not enough.

Yeah, but I'm left-handed and the thing's pouring right-handed.

It doesn't matter, left or right,

the amount of sauce is always the same.

Right, service. Little bit messy, little bit slow.

Let's speed it up, OK?

The cooking's not the problem,

it's getting it looking all right on the plate.

Jo, I've got a lot of starter orders.

We need to get it moving, otherwise everyone's going to be

getting hungry.

See what that feels like. Oh, it's broken. Chef, the egg's broken!

OK, you need to get another one in quickly.

Come on, the rest of the table's going to be ready in four minutes.

Get the egg in straightaway.

Straight after that we need to do the next two eggs as well,

the next two eggs in.

-How long for the first veloute?

-30 seconds, Chef.

-Come on.

Now the next table's waiting as well, starting to ask where it is.

Tell them to be patient.

-They are not here to be patient, they're paying money.

-Yes, Chef.

It's not really hot, is it? Get that back in. We need it hot.

I'm not sending cold eggs out there.

Is it hot this time? Yes, Chef.

Yeah, we're just about hot enough.

Tip it straight into another one, it's messy.

We're not sending it late and messy.

All right, onto the plate. Right, service one commis.

OK, guys, you're going to go table eight.

We need the two veloutes straight away, Jo, come on.

The hardest part is making sure you get everything right,

making sure these eggs don't go too hard...

but are cooked, at the same time.

Three cod away, Janet. Six minutes, I want it on the pass.

What have I got coming up? I got three and then two.

And all the fish are different thicknesses, just to wind me up.

That's how fish is - no point in moaning about it.

You've just got to cook it.

So make sure you push them in nicely. Looking a little bit untidy.

It's great little bits of onion.

Do it close in to the shallots and the mushrooms, that's it.

-There you are.

-Nice, nice. Getting a lot better.

You've got another two cod away so we need to get a pan on

so it's hot.

It's hard work cos of the heat, and also him

shouting at you puts you off.

I know he's trying to be helpful but he's doing my head in.

Over in Camden, the restaurant is filling up.

I know what I'm going to choose already.

Heidi, Katy, we've got a really busy service. Are we ready?

BOTH: Yes, Chef!!

-Right, Katy. Two chicken cashew nuts straight out.

-OK, yes, Chef.

I've got two dishes to do on my first order.

I don't want to be too stingy...

..with the vegetables.

Er, hope I've got the quantities right.

I'm just trying to keep everything moving.

My biggest fear is overcooking it.

-Mix it, mix it. Stir-fry, stir-fry.

-Stir-fry.

I think I've just got to add these crispy bits.

-On the pass, please.

-Two chicken cashew nuts.

-OK.

-It's OK?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-A little too much sauce but it's OK.

-Too much sauce?

-First one.

-9-0.

-That's always my problem, too much sauce.

-31.

-31?

-Yeah.

The chef sent it so I guess it must have been vaguely acceptable.

Heidi, I want beef medium rare. straight up.

-One beef away.

-Heidi's beef dish is also proving popular.

Heidi, two bulgogi.

Medium. Rare. Yes, Chef.

How long for the pass, please?

Er...

-Give me a time.

-Three minutes.

-OK.

I've just dropped my mash on the floor.

OK, get a kitchen porter, Tommy.

-Heidi, get some more mash in here.

-I've forgotten how many I'm doing.

You're doing five. So, do two medium and then three more medium.

-That's all you've got to do, off you go.

-OK.

Come on, Heidi, get those little legs moving, come on.

The hardest thing with this is remembering...

how people want their meat.

-I hope I'm getting it right.

-Heidi, come on!

-How long?

-Just plating up now, Chef.

All right. Behind, behind. Right, they look good. Well done.

-Come on. Three more.

-Three more.

-Let's go. Service!

You got a two chicken?

Erm, three chilli chicken to come and then one to follow.

Give me that chicken and cashew nuts. No, that's two.

No, that's no good.

Katy, no good, sweetheart, look at it. Too thick, it's like glue.

-Shall I start again?

-Yeah.

Right. OK. I'm four chickens behind now.

Right.

I'm a little bit hit and miss, to be honest.

Er, getting the temperature of the pan right from moment to moment is

not something I'm very good at.

OK, Katy...

Yes, Chef. Special order, one chicken cashew nuts, no chillies.

OK, yes, Chef. I'll do one without chilli and then...

That's correct. Beef coming here. Server, 28. Let's go.

I think I'm a bit to slow and a bit too inconsistent.

Oh, no! Grrr!

I was supposed to make this one without chillies.

Right, that goes in the bin.

Start again, without chilli.

But at the moment I'm just concentrating a little bit too

hard to really...

..feel quite on top of things.

What have you done wrong? Back in the wok, back in the wok.

Cashew nuts.

Damn it.

-Wohh!

-Come on, Katy, you can do this.

I will never complain about cooking at home or cooking for friends ever again.

SHE LAUGHS

I seem to have caused a fire.

You've caused a fire? Heidi's on fire.

Heidi is also up against it, clearing a backlog of orders.

Heidi...

Got to speed up a bit otherwise customers will start complaining.

Yes, Chef.

I don't want to shout at you, Heidi, how long?

They're not hot, get them under the grill, get that grill right up.

Who turned that down? Keep it up high, yeah?

Table 63 sent this back, it's a little bit dry.

Customer sent this back, says it's a little bit dry.

-Shall I make another one?

-Make another one, medium rare.

-OK.

Obviously, I'm really disappointed cos you don't want to, you know,

not please the customers.

Over at Tower Bridge, service is drawing to a close.

The final order of the day - two veloute, Jo. Make these perfect.

Yes, Chef!

Oh, I don't know if I like that egg.

How long we going to take on this egg now? Must be nearly ready, yeah?

It's nearly there.

The rest of the table is ready to go, we are just waiting on you now.

Really nice and cleanly presented.

-You've done really well today, good job.

-Thank you, Chef.

It's great. I love it.

I think I might get myself a job with this kitchen.

Janet, last ones of the day.

Make sure you get these perfect, show us what you've learnt, OK?

Much tidier.

Massive difference from the first one you plated up, really different.

-Can you see the difference?

-Yeah.

Service, please.

Normally it's a much smoother operation.

I can't really blame them -

it's the first time they've been in that situation.

Jo started off a little shaky

but she was learning as she was going on.

You could see she really cared.

I thought she really got the presentation part quite well.

She got there in the end.

Phew. My God, that was really exciting. It was really hot.

There was a lot of pressure.

I loved it. It was good.

Janet - a bit of a lively one, obviously. Everyone knows that.

A bit of a big mouth at the start of service.

As service went on, she got busier and she went very quiet.

That was quite interesting to see.

Her presentation to start with - really bad.

And then, at the end, you know, quite impressive.

Almost looks like what we do here ourselves so,

I was really happy with her at the end of the day.

I was in his kitchen. I did it the way he wanted it.

And I did improve 100%.

Back in Camden, service is coming to an end

but the customers are not happy.

I sent the beef dish back and I'm still waiting for another one

to arrive and it's been, probably, I don't know, ten, fifteen minutes.

Yeah, it's coming now. Heidi, did you hear that?

Customer wants a medium- rare bulgogi, please.

Customer's waiting, yeah?

And the customer's paying good money for it, Heidi?

Yes, Chef.

Well, that looks nice and juicy. Doesn't look dry.

Heidi, really desperate for the beef, Heidi?

-Right. How was that cooked?

-Medium, Chef.

-Very good.

Your food that's been coming out has been exceptional

but you have been rather slow, all right?

-OK.

-But your food has been good. Well done.

-Thank you.

Katy, last order. Two chicken cashew nut. Yes, Chef.

-Two chicken cashew.

-OK. Katy.

-Yes.

-These are the last ones you're serving and I asked you to do them properly, all right?

-OK.

-What's wrong?

-Oh.

-What's missing? Come on.

Your last dish and you've let yourself down.

Ohhh!

I forgot the cashew nuts again.

Same old mistake. It was frustrating cos that was my last one.

And I messed it up.

Katy, how long to the pass? Come on.

Three seconds, Chef.

One-two...

OK, stop. What do you think? That you should be pleased with those?

Erm, I feel more pleased with that one than that one.

Well, they came from the same pot.

Yes, I feel more of the nicer things went on to that one.

Katy, go back to the box.

SHE CHUCKLES

It's never easy going into a professional kitchen.

They did a lot of covers.

I put them on the hot section and the wok section,

the two most difficult sections.

And so... considering, they did all right.

Heidi - her food was immaculate. She's actually a very neat person.

All the plates were really well presented.

Unfortunately, one every half hour is not great so she was very slow.

I think in a small restaurant she'd be perfect

but for a high-cover restaurant like this - her on a Saturday

night she'd be going down the pan - she'd be outside crying. For sure.

I don't mean to be slow.

But I really enjoyed it. Yeah, I'd come back tomorrow and do it again.

The way Katy impressed me was -

she got a lot of orders on and she didn't fluster.

Didn't bottle it, kept going. Kept trying.

Even when she made mistakes, she tried it again.

So, her commitment to getting a good product was how she impressed me.

Very much. She's tough, Katy.

I didn't feel like there was a second that wasn't tough.

I do feel more confident with the wok and I feel less scared of it.

And I have, at least, learned how to make one dish.

SHE LAUGHS

Service may be over but there's no let up for the celebrities,

who now return to MasterChef headquarters.

I'll tell you what I've learnt so far -

I've learnt how to get a load of onions and make a little circle!

I love being in my kitchen.

But I'm not going to spend the rest of my life putting things in pyramids.

I'd like to show John and Gregg that I've improved

since they've last seen me.

And that I've got a bit more speed

in the kitchen.

I never thought I'd say this but it's a slight relief to be back in

the MasterChef kitchen!

I think I need to improve on...

lots of areas, really.

But, for me to actually try and make my cooking better is very exciting.

What a baptism of fire. Four celebs, two restaurants, lunchtime service.

Our four have learnt a lot.

Their food should be improving.

Their dishes should be getting better and better.

We're about to find out how much better.

Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen.

We have got for you...

a good old-fashioned MasterChef invention test with a difference.

We want you to work in pairs.

And we want a main course and a dessert.

A bit of sophistication, guys.

Something which shows Gregg and I that you've learnt so far in

the competition and, actually, you've got a bit of love and passion for it.

There's your ingredients -

we're going to give you ten minutes to think about it.

OK, what's that?

I'm a bit a worried about making the custard.

You've got eggs, you've got milk.

I've got to remember the amounts.

Their ingredients include prawns, bread, peppers,

courgettes, quinoa

pomegranates, mascarpone,

chocolate and a selection of herbs.

-The best thing is to do something comfortable.

-Yeah.

We've got some coriander, some prawns.

How do you feel about making a prawn curry?

-Oh!

-Oh!

A small prawn curry.

-And a bit of mascarpone.

-OK.

-A side dish.

-We got bread.

-Bread and butter pudding, yeah.

JOHN: Right.

You've had your time to think about it.

One hour and ten minutes...

let's cook.

-I know you'll have almonds in the curry for sweetness.

-Yeah.

That's good.

I'm doing bread and butter pudding but I can't remember how to make it.

SHE CHUCKLES

Lay it in the dish.

-Then you make the custard, then you add it to the...

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I am a good team player. I spent many years on the road

and if you don't work as a team, on the road, your life is miserable.

I am a team player with the right team.

But, Jo...

Yeah, you don't need to put it in there cos you're going to put in on there.

JOHN: Are you-you two arguing?

I can filter it. BOTH: No.

Teamwork, obviously. Great day, today. Two dishes.

What are you going to cook for us?

Well, I'm doing a bread and butter pudding for dessert.

And then we're doing spicy prawns in a cream sauce with er...

sliced fried potato.

-Curry and chips.

-Yeah.

-Not really designed as chips.

-They're crisps.

They're not really chips. They are not common chips.

We want to be slightly different so we thought we'd do it with potatoes.

It's going to be a surprise, John.

It will be cos neither of you are quite sure at the moment.

It's how women cook.

-We've got the ingredients and we'll work it out as we go along.

-Exactly.

I've edited a national newspaper, I'm making a bread pudding!

JO LAUGHS

What do you think you're getting out of the competition, Jo?

I think a lot more about my presentation than I've ever thought.

I'm not going to ask Janet about her presentation.

Well, tell you what, John. I'm going to make an effort.

HEY!!

But, whether my level of presentation meets your

unbelievably picky standards, I just don't know.

Janet and Jo don't have a plan at all.

They've no idea what's going to happen.

That pudding - Janet says it's going to be great,

she's going to present it really, really well.

The issue for Janet is what's going to make it special?

Cos, bread and butter pudding lumped on a plate is a nice thing

but it's not that attractive.

I prefer being part of a team than on my own because you've got

that reassurance that, you know, you are doing the right thing.

In my normal working life I'm used to working a little bit more on my own.

So, if I get really stressed and uptight

I will pull back from the team and just try and sort everything out.

-Katy and Heidi.

-Hi.

Working as a team, obviously. Is one person a boss?

Not really. I could see a pudding I could make.

-You didn't seem comfortable with puddings.

-No.

And so, curry seemed to suggest itself

and you felt comfortable cooking that.

-Tell me, exactly, what your dish is.

-This is going to be a prawn curry.

And we are going to do some quinoa as a side dish.

Dessert is...Katy?

I'm going to try and make a lemon tart.

- Try and make? - Yes.

I have made a lemon tart with a recipe but never without a recipe.

How do you feel about MasterChef now?

Is your confidence growing at all?

I'm not shaking today, which is a bonus.

Cos when I come in this kitchen I doubt everything that I'm doing.

And I've got lovely Katy going, "Yeah,

"you are supposed to do that, that's OK."

Don't...I might be wrong.

-But if we're wrong, we'll be wrong together.

-Yeah.

Quinoa and curry from Heidi - not a bad idea.

Quinoa is really bland so it needs to be flavoured!

Katy is making a lemon tart.

Making her own pastry and making the lemon filling to go inside of it.

That's really ambitious and it's really skilful but it's not easy.

I'll be very impressed if Katy pulls that off.

Right. It's shrunk right down.

What am I going to do?

There is trouble at t'mill. Katy's pastry has shrunk

and now she's trying to patch it up with bits of raw pastry

and how that filling's going to stay in there, I'm not quite sure.

Ahh, I just hope for her sake she's going to be able to save it.

WHISPERS: This is exactly how it's supposed to go.

I have to bake it and hope for the best, I suppose.

You've got just 15 minutes left.

Got to clean this up.

Is that all right? Does that meet your very high standards?

Need a bit more wiping?

This is your final five minutes. Get it on a plate.

Time's up. That's it.

Jo and Janet have made a prawn curry with peas,

coriander and potato chips,

served with a rocket and pomegranate salad and a papaya

and tomato chutney.

I believe those potato crisps should go on this oblong plate.

They most certainly shouldn't be decorated around the outside of a rim of a curry.

I know you are having a go at presentation and

I don't want to tell you off for it but that looks too amateurish.

I really like the creamy richness

and base of curry you've got around your prawns, love that.

-Prawns are overcooked. They're going a little bit like cotton wool.

-OK.

But flavours - great.

I like it a lot. Your chips are lovely and crispy.

My favourite thing from this, though, is this chutney,

which I don't think should work.

Papaya, tomatoes, onions and vinegar, and I don't know how you've done it

but it's really lovely and tasty and goes very well with the curry.

Rocket and pomegranate doesn't really belong but it's a nice little salad.

Good little bits and pieces. Some gems, some sparkling things.

For dessert, they have made an orange and chocolate bread

and butter pudding, served with cream.

I looked at your pudding and thought it was going to be really dry and there wasn't enough custard.

I was completely wrong.

In the bottom of your pudding there's a lovely, sweet, rich egg custard.

The lemon, for me, is a little bit weird in the background.

But bitter orange with the sweet chocolate and the rich custard

and that sort of seedy, oaty bread is an interesting combination.

In think it's a lovely tasting, really moist, yummy scrummy dessert.

Presentation leaves a lot to be desired.

I cut out all the white bits out of my oranges cos

I knew you'd be extra picky about them.

I don't like pleasing men, it just goes against the grain.

But, I realise, in the current situation I've got to.

JO LAUGHS

Janet! You crack me up.

Thank you very much, ladies.

Thank you.

Heidi and Katy's main course is a prawn curry with courgettes

and almonds, served with roast pepper and tomato quinoa.

I really love the look of the curry.

I love the colour and the green of the coriander scattered across it.

Your curry is creamy, smooth.

It's got seasoning of curry powder so it gives it a little bit of heat.

The prawns are well cooked, still got a little bit of give to them.

Very nice.

The quinoa - it's salty, it's sharp with a little acid from lemon juice.

It's got the sweetness of the roast pepper and the sharpness of the tomato.

And I like the flavour. I'm really pleased.

To follow, they have made a lemon tart which has a chocolate

layer at the bottom.

Accompanied by a pomegranate mascarpone cream.

Right...

-Very, very ambitious lemon tart.

-KATY: I know.

I'm impressed with the ambition - the fact of doing it without a recipe

but, Katy, you've got a soggy bottom.

Yeah.

And the issue is your pastry needed to be cooked a little more - blind baked.

You had issues with it, tried to patch it up.

Chocolate and pomegranate don't go together.

Lemon and pomegranate might.

I find it quite pleasant.

Left to my own devices, I would probably munch the living

daylights out of your little tart.

Very, very nice.

Excuse me(!)

LAUGHTER

I think you're giggling cos you're happy.

I'm relieved. That was threatening to go very wrong.

You know what?

I've got to say - you two, you work really, really well.

-You're showing progress, that's really good. Thank you.

-Thanks.

Thank you very much for your efforts. Go and get a cup of tea.

We'll get you back soon for your second test.

Great round. Great round.

And they are getting more ambitious and they are pushing themselves.

Heidi did a really nice curry and I really liked the quinoa.

She's starting to lift her game.

I think I know how to make things taste good

but my biggest downfall in this competition is confidence.

Katy - very ambitious with that tart,

didn't quite pull it off, did she?

Her ambition is a little bit greater than her skill.

But at least she's trying. We can see that.

And we've been impressed with her all the way through so, who knows what can happen?

I'm glad that they felt that I had showed some ambition.

So, that's nice.

But if you can't make good on your ambition then it's

sort of a bit pointless, really.

Janet - you know my issues with Janet.

The lady cooks well, she's got a great palate.

She's got to step up presentation.

I totally agree. Totally agree.

But she's considering it, she's thinking about it.

I thought it went really well.

I think the way I cook is probably the way a lot of people

cook at home.

Today, for the first time ever with Jo I saw a little bit of invention.

The curry was decent but the little chutney affair

she had made was actually quite thrilling.

That went all right, actually.

I'm putting a lot more thought into what I'm cooking

and I'm thinking about it so much.

I want it to be right, I want it to be perfect.

They've learnt a lot and they're obviously developing

but they haven't got that long now till one of them leaves.

It's all to play for.

Over the last two days, these celebrities have faced some

extreme challenges.

I haven't got a clue what to do with crab.

Oh, don't, don't, don't! I'll pick it off the plate.

But now only one test stands between them and a place in the next round.

This is the first time we get the chance to taste the food that

you cook, that you love.

Your own dish.

So, this is important.

At the end of this,

one of you is leaving the competition.

One plate of food, one hour...

..ladies, let's cook.

What I'm doing today is just a bit more refined to what

I would do normally at home for the kids.

I don't want to overdo it and do something that's far too

creative that I'm going to mess up on, not yet.

Jo, what are you going to cook for us?

Chicken sliders.

Which are really just another name for chicken burger.

With fresh tomato sauce, braised cabbage with goji berry

and French fries.

Lots of Asian ingredients here. Fish sauce, coconut oil.

I've been a mad fan of coconut oil for a long time.

I've travelled a lot and I've eaten all over the world.

When I was on tour, we went everywhere.

I actually designed a portable stove in a flight case.

It was a two-burner. Little drawers here, little drawers here

and I'd make Ronnie breakfast - I'd make two-pot meals.

How good a cook do you think you are right now?

I'm a good home cook but it would be nice to progress

and become something better.

-Your food intrigues me.

-Oh, thank you.

Jo's got lovely-sounding chicken burgers on chips, on tomatoes,

on cabbage.

I like the ingredients she's cooking with,

I'm just a little worried how it's going to look.

I don't know how to impress John and Gregg.

I've got no idea what impresses them.

I think presentation impresses them.

I can cook.

But I don't understand this making something

look like a restaurant in your own home.

Tell us about what you are going to cook for us.

I'm cooking a dish I've cooked millions of times before at home

which is pheasant with celery, lentils and apple.

Janet, where have you found time to cook?

I've always cooked because I do lead a really busy life

and I feel comfortable being quiet at home.

I know you find that hard to believe cos I shout at you two all the time

but I like being in my kitchen.

How are you going to make a big pot of stew with some lentils look sexy?

John...

I'm a big woman and I can look sexy if I want to.

JOHN LAUGHS

Janet's dish can't be about presentation -

it's a big pot of pheasant stew.

What she's got to do is make sure it's well flavoured,

well seasoned and that's all I'm after.

Cos it's a big pot of stew - simple.

Last night I was up to about half 12 cooking fish and cooking fish

and cooking fish.

And some were coming out exactly how I wanted

and others were just falling apart in the pan.

So, it's going to turn out right today.

What are you making for us?

I'm going to do a pan-fried sea bass fillet with a chilli salsa.

Vegetable and garlic vermicelli and some sesame pak choi.

Why this dish? Why this particular dish, Heidi?

Just because it's something I would cook at home -

it's not too much - apart from filleting the fish.

-Heidi?

-Yeah.

-Why are you suddenly so nervous again?

-Cos you two are talking to me.

-But your hands are shaking again.

I know... cos you are all round me.

But it-it-it...

-OK, why are you putting yourself through this, Heidi?

-Cos, I want to learn more.

I think it's a really good experience to gain so...

Would you be more comfortable if you sang while you did things?

I'd be more comfortable

if I had...if there was a little bit of music playing.

And my little dog was running around - I'd probably feel a lot better.

Heidi's really surprised me.

The way she filleted that fish was unbelievable, it was beautiful.

As long as that fish is cooked for just a couple of minutes

and it's not dry like cotton wool it's going to be very, very good.

The thing is now - I'm just concerned about her nerves.

Her nerves are her biggest enemy.

Oh, er!

With my dish I would say the trickiest part is getting it

all done in the time.

There's lots of different component parts going on.

Cooking all at once. I've got the schedule of what I need to do when.

Unfortunately, the schedule does not include, at any time, having a chat.

Katy, what are you cooking for us?

An open chicken pie with some colcannon and some cumin carrots.

-What? You made your own puff pastry in 20 minutes?

-Yeah.

But I don't know if it's going to turn out right.

Why do you push yourself so hard?

I need to see if I can do something a bit better or a bit more

difficult than I have done before.

I sort of want to be doing everything for the first time

cos I get the adrenaline

-with the risk.

-You're a cooking-excitement junkie.

-Yeah!

I'm an extreme chef.

LAUGHTER

-Oh.

-Katy really pushes herself.

She's had to make the filling for the pie, she's made her own

puff pastry, she's still got the accompaniments as well.

-It's a tight call in an hour.

-Katy loves to put herself under pressure.

Great for a competition, it's whether she's got the skill.

12 minutes.

You have just over five minutes left.

Guys, that's it, please stop.

Janet's pheasant has been served on a bed of black cabbage,

carrot and parsnip mash with a stew of lentils, celery,

juniper berries and walnuts in a cider stock.

That's a big old bowl of food. I reckon that weighs a kilo.

Well, I don't weigh my food, Gregg.

SHE LAUGHS WILDLY

It tastes divine.

It's really well seasoned.

From the cider you get a sweetness and a sharpness

and I love the crunch of the celery and the sweetness of the parsnip.

I think the food tastes wonderful.

I totally agree with Gregg. It's seasoned beautifully.

I like the bitterness coming from that black cabbage

and the sweetness of your vegetables.

Really good and gutsy.

Not for the faint-hearted, that one.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I don't like her being nice to us, it unnerves me.

It scares me.

I'd rather she was nasty to us - at least you know where you stand.

I'm really, really happy. Didn't you see how smiley I was?

Nice Janet came out.

Obviously, Gregg thought it looked terrible.

That goes without saying. But it tasted good.

Jo has made chicken sliders.

Small burgers stacked with crispy bacon,

sitting on braised cabbage with goji berries, chips and a tomato sauce.

It's unsophisticated.

But it is fun.

Er, you've fed this to your children over the years -

it still looks a little like a children's meal.

Oh, OK.

I think your burgers are made really, really well.

I like your chips cos they're tasty.

I think the cabbage is inspired the way you've cut it all up

almost like a sauerkraut.

You've got crispy bacon, a really nice tomato sauce but for me

the prominent flavour is that coconut oil.

It tastes like I'm walking down Manly Beach

and I can smell suntan lotion everywhere.

I like the coconut oil in it.

-It tastes almost like a Hawaiian tropical chicken and chips.

-OK.

-You are a bit of an alchemist cook, aren't you?

-Yeah.

-I quite like that, actually.

-Yeah, I can see, I can see, Jo.

-Very interesting, Jo, thank you.

-Thank you.

Hmm. Intriguing...

For the first time in my life you want your cooking to be perfect

and it seems like when you want it to be perfect, you know... oh, gosh.

Katy has made her own puff pastry to top her chicken

and mushroom open pie.

And has served it with colcannon mash and cumin and thyme carrots.

Looking down at this, something springs to mind and it's

the word "yummy" and it won't go away.

Those carrots cooked with thyme are just superb.

Still the sweetness of the carrot,

still a little bit of texture but the flavour of the herb just great.

Your colcannon with the cabbage - creamy, really well seasoned

mashed potato with the carrots, really good.

The only issue is you've got bigger flavours in your accompaniment

than your pie.

I'm not going to let that get in the way because to be cooking like this

so early in the competition is great.

What I am impressed about is this flaky pastry you've made

yourself in 20 minutes - it's brilliant, really wonderful.

Really good ideas, just...it needs bigger flavour.

-Thanks, Katy.

-Thanks.

I'm not happy with the outcome of all of it

but overall I do feel good about what I've done today.

Heidi's dish is sea bass on vermicelli rice noodles

and sesame pak choi

served with a spicy tomato salsa.

Heidi, your fish is cooked beautifully. Absolutely beautifully.

Filleted beautifully, not a bone in sight, it's lovely.

I love the spiciness of your little sweet cherry tomatoes and your

chilli but the issue you've got is underneath that is some vermicelli

which is rice noodles and they are very, very bland.

They need more flavour.

And there's raw garlic in it which is really potent.

-I just feel the salad underneath the fish lets the dish down.

-OK.

I took the skin off. I want either crispy skin or no skin at all.

I'd rather it came off. But that fish is cooked perfectly.

-Thanks, Heidi.

-Thank you.

Everything wasn't perfect

but it was by far the smoothest day I've had on MasterChef so far.

Thank you very much indeed.

If you could leave us while we have a chat

and we will call you back in as soon as we've made a decision.

Thank you very much.

-Oh.

-Oh, dear.

-I continue to be impressed by these contestants.

-Yeah.

There's some quality cooking there, John

and there's a real desire for this competition.

Well, this was the first chance for us to see the food

that they actually love to cook and love to eat.

Erm, no surprises from Janet. It was always going to be a stew in a bowl

but it was really tasty.

I do wonder whether she's ever going to present us

with something elegant but...she's got to go through.

If I don't get through, Gregg's got some very weird standards.

I think the other person who's got to go through is Katy.

She's the most ambitious cook.

-I want to see more of her.

-It's been an intense time of cooking.

I don't think I've ever cooked in such as sustained and intense

manner in my life, apart from, possibly, Brownie camp.

That's Katy and Janet in - now let's talk about Heidi and Jo.

As good as Heidi's dish was today, she's nervously stumbled

through every single heat of this competition.

I think Heidi's food looked amazing.

For me, it lacked some flavour and let's be honest - coming

into this, Heidi had a lot of work to do, a lot of ground to make up.

I'd love to stay, I really would.

Doing this has made me

so much more excited about cooking again and erm...

..you know, I want that to continue.

Jo has been a very enthusiastic contestant on MasterChef.

What I've begun to realise is she's a bit of a maverick cook

who's travelled the world and, magpie-like, has taken

flavours from everywhere and you saw that today. Coconut oil, chicken burger and chips.

Look, I really like Jo.

I think she's really enthusiastic, has lots of knowledge.

My issue right now, though, is the question over her palate.

This coconut oil with chips - it did taste like sun lotion.

But take the coconut oil away and it's a brilliant dish.

I'm hoping I've done enough to get through.

I really am hoping.

So, we've got Heidi who is really nervous, can she overcome the nerves?

Jo - who I feel needs a little bit of work on her palate.

Who do you think's the strongest, who do you think's the weakest?

Thank you very much for your enthusiasm and your food

so far in this competition.

It's got to be said that you four are impressive.

Sadly...one of you is leaving us.

The contestant leaving us...

..is...

..Heidi.

-Thank you.

-Sorry.

Thanks very much, Heidi. Take care.

I am proud because I knew it was going to be hard

but never this hard.

There's been tricky moments but I've really enjoyed it

and I've learnt lots of things.

Some really fond memories to take with me.

And it's encouraged me to get excited about cooking again.

I just hope one of our girls wins.

Yeah, I'm secretly chuffed.

I'm looking forward to it - the next stage.

I like a challenge, yeah. Definitely.

Been married four times.

I'm thrilled.

Now it's going to start getting really hard.

I'm feeling happy now, yeah.

God loves a trier and it turns out, I guess, so do John and Gregg - for now.

Tomorrow, the battle to stay in the competition hots up.

Perfecto.

As the celebrities face

their toughest critics yet.

Oh, dear. My scallop's raw.

It hasn't lived up to expectations.

Only the best will get through.

Come on, Katy.

It would have been nice to have warmed the plates, Janet.

-Oh, shut it.

-Righto.

Whoa! What's that?!

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