Northern Ireland Main Great British Menu

This week, three of Northern Ireland's best chefs.

Returning regional champion Chris McGowan...

Every day is a day at school, yeah?

..rising star Danni Barry...

Keep watching, Chris. You'll learn more.

..and ambitious newcomer Ben Arnold...

I've got to do it. I've got to pull it off.

..are all battling to get their dishes to a banquet

celebrating 100 years of the Women's Institute

at London's historic Draper's Hall.

Yesterday's fish course saw Chris triumph again...

Well done.

..but Danni failed to impress...

I still don't feel you're pushing yourself.

..and it all ended in disaster for Ben.

Your timing is way out, Ben.

Yeah, I know, Chef. Apologies.

-Yeah...

-BLEEP.

You forgot not one, but two elements

and for a professional chef, that is unacceptable.

In today's main course, Ben is determined to fight back.

-Are you gunning for a ten on this one?

-Yeah, I am.

But last year's regional champion is intent on staying in front.

Trust me, you're going to get every ounce of me today, mate.

This year the chefs are celebrating the centenary

of the Women's Institute

and paying tribute to the women

who've helped make British food great.

They've been inspired by local groups...

-Am I underdressed?

-Not at all.

-No?

..and the women in their own families...

-Grandma.

-Good to see you.

-Hello, lovely.

..to reinvent classic home-cooked dishes.

It's delicious.

Judging the chefs is a two Michelin-starred holder

and former banquet winner, Phil Howard,

who has high expectations.

Exciting day, the main course, today.

They've all demonstrated that they've got huge potential,

but I really want to see a nine or a ten.

I want to see some great cookery.

-How are you feeling, Ben?

-I slipped up yesterday.

I've got to come back in here, knock you off your post,

knock you off your pedestal and, you know, get back on top.

You're not going to leave anything off your dish today?

No, Chris. You know what? Let's let the food do the talking.

I just want to keep myself in front. What about you?

I'm not going to let you catch me, Ben.

I'm definitely going to try and catch up with you.

Yeah, hopefully, the piggy in the middle ends up on top.

Up first is ambitious newcomer Ben Arnold

who's in last place with 11 points.

His starter failed to impress Phil

and yesterday, he scored just five

for an unfinished fish course delivered late to the pass.

Feel a bit down about my score, a bit deflated.

You know, I've got it all to do today. I've got to come back.

Fighting fit, cook the best, come out on top.

-Morning, Ben.

-Morning, Chef.

-Goodnight's sleep?

Yeah, feeling rested, you know? Yesterday was...not...

-not my finest moment.

-But that's history. That's yesterday.

Today's a fresh start. Let's have the name of your dish.

-Lamb Revolution.

-Tell me all about it. Let's go.

OK, so the WI were all about encompassing everybody.

Wasn't just about the upper class, you know?

It was top, middle and bottom.

So, I'm trying to bring that together

using three different elements of lamb.

Rack of lamb, I'm going to render the fat down, roast it,

rest it, nice and pink.

-Plain and simple.

-Plain and simple. Yeah.

I've also got this beautiful lamb shoulder,

so I'm going to make a mid-weight pie.

You know, like a classic shepherd's pie.

Last but not least.

-Lamb sweetbreads, a real crispy sweetbread.

-OK.

So, there's your three cuts of lamb.

-Go through the rest of it.

-OK, so, port, Madeira, and red wine.

I'm going to make a reduction of this, finish with red currant jelly.

That's going to form the basis of my sauce.

The one thing you haven't mentioned here is this little tub there,

which has got a rogue ingredient from my perspective.

OK, so with the cardamom, I'm going to make a carrot and cardamom puree.

-It works for me. Let's see if it works for you.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

So, Ben's dish, Lamb Revolution.

Ben is clearly staying very true to the roots of WI

with good, honest home-cooking,

but for it to work in this context,

he's obviously really got to deliver as a chef

with quality finish and great flavour.

Next up rising star Danni Barry who's two points ahead of Ben.

Her menu celebrates the activities and causes of the WI,

but so far she has produced underwhelming dishes.

Phil said I really need to push myself,

so that's what I'm going to come and do with my main course.

I've definitely got eyes on Chris.

He's confident now and strong,

so yeah, absolutely, he's the one to watch.

-Morning, Chef.

-That's a busy-looking box.

Yeah, I'm going all out today, Chef.

OK. Tell me about it. What's the dish called?

This is Win A Pig.

-OK, inspiration behind it?

-WI competitions at county fairs.

There was one held

for the Northern Ireland Golden Jubilee celebrations

in Northern Ireland.

They got the chance to enter

the recipes in a competition

and they won a pig for the freezer?

So tell us all about your pork, then.

My dish is pork Wellington,

so I've got a nice tenderloin of pork here.

I'm going to stuff that with my own home-made black pudding.

For the black pudding,

I have dried pig's blood,

some nice fresh suet,

got some apples going in there.

Then to season the black pudding,

I've got some ground mace

and cayenne pepper.

Just a little bit of spice to add, you know,

a new flavour to black pudding.

-Give it a bit of lift.

-Yeah, really lift it, yeah.

-OK.

-Be gentle with me. I've got a delicate, little palate.

-Oh...

I'll put the black pudding through the middle

and then I'll wrap the pork in some ham.

OK.

Also I've got some pork cheeks,

so I'm going to braise these in the pressure cooker with my sauce

and then glaze them down and serve them underneath the mashed potato.

So, that's a sharing dish?

Yes, it's going to be one Wellington between two people.

A Wellington can be a majestic dish with great impact.

You've got to make sure that you can get that box of ingredients

into a real...a real showstopper of a main course.

Danni's Win A Pig, if she gets everything absolutely right,

it has got potential to be delicious,

but pork fillet is an unforgiving lean meat

and she is interfering with it already by stuffing it.

And if she overcooks it at all, it'll be dry

and it'll be hard work to eat.

Last up is returning Northern Irish champion Chris McGowan.

Although he is in the lead on 15 points,

his nostalgic dishes have been criticised by Phil

for lacking finesse in their final execution.

My main risk on the main course is it's only a pie,

so it's, kind of, making sure that's elevated to banquet level.

Really determined. Wanting to stay ahead.

I can give myself a buffer going into the dessert.

-Morning, chef.

-Morning, morning.

-Yeah.

-You good?

-Yeah, good, good.

-Good.

-Good.

-OK, Chris, come on, let's have the name of the dish.

-Pie-oneers And Pickles.

-Pie and ears? Or pie on ears?

Pie-oneers, as in they were pioneers of the time.

-Oh, I see. OK.

-So, play on words.

-Tongues and kidneys...

-Ears would have been unfitting in there.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-Everything but that. Yeah.

-OK, and the inspiration behind it?

The humble pie, really.

The WI were pioneers of their time.

You know, a real movement of force to be reckoned with.

That's where the inspiration came from.

Great stuff. OK, tell me all about it.

I'm making a tongue and cheek pie.

So, we have some fantastic cheeks.

We have some lovely tongue.

-Has that been brined or is that...?

-Yeah, this has been brined, yeah.

And some kidney, which will go into the sauce

and then being Irish, potatoes.

So, I'm going to make a champ,

but I'm going to bake the champ.

I can see the contents of the pie.

What kind of a pastry are we going to... be using?

So, I'm going to make a puff pastry for this.

OK. Where's the pickles?

Yeah, pickles are...

pickles are here.

Only you, only you. One box is clearly not enough.

So, I'm doing three chutneys and relishes.

-Just the three(?)

-Just three.

Just three cos, you know, I'd like you to judge them.

It's a pastime of the WI that they get a lot of pleasure out of.

So, let's hear about them.

The first one is a ladies' relish.

Sweet-and-sour, but not to aggressive.

And then I'm going to move onto a, kind of, piccalilli.

I love piccalilli, but it is one of those things that varies enormously.

So, yeah, looking forward to seeing your take on piccalilli.

Yeah, and then I'm going to make a, kind of, pickled red cabbage,

but finish it with horseradish. Horseradish and beef is fantastic.

Yeah, sounds to me right quite a brave dish.

I love the sound of Chris's dish - Pie-oneers And Pickles.

He is firing on all cylinders. He is a brave man.

There's a huge amount that could go wrong,

but if he gets it all right, it could be magnificent.

It's the crucial halfway point in the competition.

And as cooking gets underway,

it's clear the returning champion is going all out to win.

So, Chris, you are coming at us with both barrels today

or both boxes, anyway?

Is it wise to be doing so much, Chris?

When I decided to do the pie, I just...

I knew I'd have to do pickles.

We're here to push ourselves

and trust me, you're going to get every ounce of me today, mate.

I bet I will.

Chris's main course almost made it to the banquet last year,

so the pressure is on today.

He works on the puff pastry for his ox tongue-in-cheek pie

before moving onto his three types of pickle.

I could try and keep myself here, just a couple of bits here.

-OK to get on the ends. I don't want to...

-Yeah, no, no.

-I know.

The returning contender feels that he owns the kitchen.

Being a woman, I can just cope.

WI-inspired. I'll just crack on.

-Hi, Chris. Are pickles sitting?

-Yeah.

The ladies' relish is over there,

the piccalilli is on here and then the red cabbage.

A couple of things in the starter

-that just weren't quite polished enough, refined enough.

-Yeah.

-I hope we're not going to get the same thing today.

-I hope not.

It grated me, but I want to push myself.

I want to deliver it, you know?

I understand that, but to win, it's got to be perfect.

Yeah, no, I appreciate that, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah.

I just don't think he's given himself the time to be able

to focus on anything to produce the refined plate of food that I want.

And the piccalilli is just a pan of rough chopped vegetables.

There are pieces of cauliflower and they're the size of golf balls.

After his disastrous fish course,

it's also essential that Ben impresses Phil today.

I've got to come from behind. I've got to...

I've got to come out on top, you know? Simple as that.

Ben is hoping to jump from last place with today's main course

using three cuts of lamb.

He is working on the stock for his lamb sauce.

Three elements of lamb, you know, loin, shoulder, offal.

I'm trying to encompass lamb to fit all budgets. Lamb Revolution.

Chris, you have kidneys. I have sweetbreads, you have black pudding.

There's an awful lot of offal, yeah?

We should see how long we can go with offal jokes.

I reckon an 'offal'-ly long time.

An 'offal'-ly long time. There you go. Ba-boom!

After a slow start to the week,

second-place Danni is also under pressure to excel today.

Chris has been on top now for two days.

If anybody is going to take the lead from Chris today,

I want that to be me.

Hoping to outshine her rivals,

Danni's main course involves braising pig cheeks in a sauce made

from a Northern Irish honey mead.

And making her own black pudding stuffing for her pork Wellington.

I made my own black pudding last year that went down really well.

-Mine's going be better than yours, anyway.

-Tom Kerridge said

-it was the best he had ever tasted.

-Oh, right, OK. Oh!

-Yeah.

Phil said he wants me to push myself, so today, I'm really,

like, I'm giving it everything.

Danni's main course is inspired by a recipe she found

in an old Women's Institute cook book

while researching this year's brief.

I came across this competition that was held to celebrate

the Golden Jubilee of the Northern Irish Women's Institute.

It was called Win A Pig,

so I decided that I'll go with pork.

You know, they have high standards and particularly

when it comes to their competitions, so it's just really good.

It's that competitive aspect that we are bringing into this competition.

After some digging, Danni has tracked down Maura Ellis

who wrote that winning recipe and hopes to get her seal of approval.

I have a photograph from the competition.

-Is this from the actual day?

-That's from the actual day.

I even have a letter from HQ, headquarters,

here congratulating me.

I won a porker pig. And the second person, half a pig.

And I just can't remember what the third person got.

The leg of a pig.

-THEY CHUCKLE

-Probably.

-You must have been very proud.

-Yes.

Anyone enjoys winning.

Yes. Yeah, I know.

Hoping for her own victory and some expert advice from Maura,

Danni rustled up a taster of the pork element of her main course.

Well, you eat with your eyes. It looks good.

Your recipe was the starting point for this dish,

so I've just tried to use some modern techniques

and made it, you know, obviously, fit for a banquet.

Very good.

THEY CHUCKLE

I'll be competing against two others, two male chefs,

-so I have to...

-Ooh, interesting.

..I have to represent the women of Northern Ireland.

I think the most important thing is to keep calm.

Your preparation is very, very important

and of course, keep your eye on the clock.

Good advice.

Aiming for a top score for her Win A Pig pork Wellington,

Danni prepares the blanched cabbage

to wrap around her black pudding stuffing using a technique

that has caught Chris's eyes.

What are you using the pasta machine for, then?

To make a Wellington, you want to keep your pastry nice and dry,

so I roll it through a pasta machine.

-It takes all the water out.

-I haven't seen that before.

-Mental note to self.

-Oh, keep watching, Chris.

-You'll learn more.

-Every day is a day at school, yeah?

Danni wraps her black pudding in the cabbage

and stuffs her pork loin before rolling in ham.

Unlike Chris who has made his own pastry, Danni is using ready-made.

But there is a problem.

Danni put her pastry in the bin a couple of times today.

What's going on there? Is it too hot for her in here?

You know, if she can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen.

-Ben Arnold, when you get home.

-THEY LAUGH

How are we looking?

Yeah, not too bad. I just...

It's really, really hot in the kitchen,

so I'm struggling with the puff pastry at the minute.

Confident there's enough time to cook the pastry

without overcooking the pork?

Yeah, that's why I latticed the pastry, so that it's really thin.

There's not loads of pastry on there,

but there's still enough to get a really nice finish and texture

-whenever you cut it and eat it.

-OK.

Danni is struggling a bit with her pastry.

But I can't see the love going into her dish.

The WI is all about home-cooking and passion and I just don't feel it.

I'm not convinced it's quite going to deliver what I hoped it was.

With plating up fast approaching,

Ben is concentrating on his carrot and cardamom puree...

..taking his eye off of his lamb sauce - a key element of his dish.

What's happened, Ben?

-What happened with the sauce?

-My sauce has slightly over reduced.

After yesterday's fish course disaster,

Ben can't afford any mistakes today.

Feeling the pressure now, Ben?

Ha, I've got to make a sauce from scratch.

Something that has taken him a lot of time -

reduced bones, stock, getting flavour, depth into that

and now he's going to have to recreate that

in a fraction of the time. So, that's a big ask.

With the clock ticking, both Danni and Chris need to get

their pastry centrepieces into the oven.

Is this on roast?

-Is it at 180?

-It's at 190, Chris.

-190, OK.

-So, I can get in there after you, yeah?

-Yeah, yeah. After.

With a new batch of sauce on the heat,

Ben works on the lamb shoulder ragout for his shepherd's pie.

This is obviously one of those things that every single woman

-in the WI is going to have a big opinion on.

-Yeah, everyone's going

to have their own personal version, you know?

That's got the Worcester and the brown sauce to the levels

-that you want?

-Yeah, I just want that very subtle hint, you know?

I don't want it to overpower.

-OK. Thank you.

-Thank you.

I'm confident that the WI will not criticise my shepherd's pie

because it rocks.

Danni is also more determined than ever to impress Phil.

She is first to the pass today with her take

on an old WI competition-winning recipe.

-Any worries, Danni? Any concerns?

-The big worry is the pork.

-Yeah.

I mean, it's the centre of the dish. Just got to get it right.

Danni brings her pork Wellington out of the oven to rest.

-Have you a spare one in case it's under?

-No.

-No.

Don't have a spare 20 minutes, either.

She fills flasks with mead sauce

and starts her special serving tins with mashed potato

followed by mead-braised pig cheeks.

Next cavolo nero, baby turnips, carrots and parsnips

and finally a slice of pork Wellington.

-Is this dish going to win you a pig?

-Hope it wins a place at the banquet.

-You want to bring the plate, Danni?

-Yes.

Is that how you were expecting it to be?

It's all come together today.

I've cooked how I wanted to, you know? I'm happy with everything.

Could try the Wellington, I suppose.

The cooking of it looks OK, doesn't it?

Ah, I think the pork is just about...bang on.

It's so key with the cheek that it's got the time to cook,

so that it's tender. Has the pressure cooker worked its magic?

Yeah, I'm happy with that.

-That's cooked to perfection.

-Yeah, beautiful as cheeks should be.

-Yeah.

You happy with the ratio of the cooking of the pastry to the meat?

Yeah, I am. I think I've got a nice...a nice colour on the pastry

and I think it's... Yeah, I'm happy.

I think you should really make your own pastry.

-Yeah, I mean, WI are champions of home-cooking.

-Baking your own pies.

Give yourself a score out of ten.

I'm really happy with what I put up today,

-so yeah, I think it's an eight or nine.

-OK.

I give it a strong seven.

Yeah, so would I. It's been well executed.

-How did it go?

-Yeah, I mean, I'm glad that's over with.

-Yeah, I'm...happier today, so...

-Yeah.

-I just have to wait and see.

You can't tell. It's poker-face Phil.

Reigning Northern Irish champion Chris is next to plate up

with his dish Pie-oneers And Pickles.

But Chris, you are going to manage

to juggle your 25 different components?

Listen, chef, you've got to be in it to win it, you know what I mean?

And I am definitely giving it all today.

Chris plates his ox tongue and cheek pie...

..fills pots with buttered kale and honey-roasted root vegetables.

Next, his baked champ and a kidney sauce.

Finally, Chris spoons his piccalilli, ladies' relish

and pioneers pickles into jars.

And they're ready to be judged with special WI-inspired rosettes.

Is that a pie fit for the queens of the WI?

I think it's what they are used to

and I hope they see the craft that's gone into it.

Danni, Ben, feeling threatened?

Yeah. It looks good. Let's see how it tastes.

Is that how you wanted it?

Yeah, I think so. It's obviously very meaty.

I think it is packed full of flavour with the cheek and the tongue.

Really beefy. The sauce is really rich.

Very rich, yeah.

You made three pickles. Does that work well on the plate?

I think so, Chef. They don't necessarily have to...

all have three, but I wanted to give them an option that then

they could discuss at the table and then judge them accordingly.

I think the members of the WI will enjoy judging the chutneys

and passing them round. For chefs, as a dish,

we might not think it works.

-So this one is the ladies' relish.

-Yeah.

I, kind of, wanted to take... a take on gentlemen's relish,

but a little bit more refined and be not as pungent.

Hoo! It's hot. Mustard seed, chilli.

Spicy ladies' relish.

-Are you feeling like a lady after eating that?

-No!

And good old piccalilli. You happy with the vinegar content in there?

I am, yeah. I am, Chef. I don't think it's too sharp.

HE COUGHS

Oh, what was that you got there?

Just a lot of vinegar.

Chris, what would you score this dish out of ten?

-For effort, ten.

-THEY CHUCKLE

But realistically, I'd love, again, a seven or eight.

I would give it a strong seven.

-How are you feeling?

-Relieved to get out of the way.

The pie looked awesome, tasted amazing.

-Yeah, it was very good, Chris.

-CHRIS:

-Yeah?

Is it what Phil thinks, though?

Last to plate up is Ben with his Lamb Revolution.

Yesterday, he misjudged his cooking time

and forgot key elements of the dish.

Mistakes he can't afford to make again.

But he has already had a setback.

His second batch of lamb sauce isn't quite ready.

-I need it to boil like

-BLEEP.

Ben dips his sweetbreads in an egg and mustard mixture,

tosses them in parsley breadcrumbs before deep frying.

He slices his lamb rack into cutlets

and pipes home-made mint jelly into jars.

-You going to be on time, then, Ben?

-Yes, Danni, I am.

Ben starts his plate with carrot and cardamom puree

followed by rainbow chard and heritage carrots.

-Are you gunning for a ten on this one?

-Yeah, I am.

You know, I've got to...I've got to do it. I've got to pull it off.

Finally, Ben drizzles his dish with his rescued lamb sauce.

-Ben, now is your time, yeah?

-Yeah, no problem.

His shepherd's pies are served on boards featuring

the WI of Northern Ireland's anthem.

-Are we complete, Ben?

-Yes, Chef.

-Let's go and try it.

Just quickly explain to me the presentation,

the relevance of this in relation to the main plate.

OK, so the Country Woman's Song is sung by every WI

at the start of their morning or afternoon meetings.

This is the way it's made. You know, he has

the Women's Institute of Northern Ireland,

their song instead of Jerusalem.

-Don't ask me to sing it.

-THEY LAUGH

So, here we have got the rack of lamb.

It should be supremely tender.

-Is it?

-I think it is tender.

-It is great lamb.

-It is great lamb, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Sweetbreads, do they work for you?

Yeah, it brings another texture to the dish. A little bit of crunch.

-The sweetbread is really good.

-It is soft, it is creamy.

It is... Yeah.

The carrot puree has got cardamom in it to the right level?

Yeah, I wanted a subtle flavour, not an overriding, dominant...

And I think I have achieved that.

-Yeah, I think that it's delicious.

-Yeah, that is lovely.

That is my port, red wine and Madeira reduction.

He struggled with his first sauce, he over reduced it.

So this is obviously the second one.

Do you think he got enough flavour in the time he had?

There is a lot of flavour there.

I'm not sure that it is a predominantly lamb flavour.

Shepherd's pie, is this your family recipe?

This is a shepherd's pie as I remember it.

I just elevated it by using a lamb

-shoulder instead of a lamb mince.

-OK.

-Loads of lamb flavour. Proper shepherd's pie.

-Yeah.

-And would your mum be proud?

-She'd even say it was better than hers.

HE LAUGHS

For me, it's his best dish so far. I can see this at the banquet.

Let's hope it is. What would you score it, then?

I think it could be touching a nine here. I really do.

To come back from the five yesterday, I think

he has really pulled it back.

Feeling better about that?

-Yeah.

-Do you think you have done enough to get back in the race?

I definitely cooked a dish that can certainly pull level.

It is just up to the big man now.

Hello, Chefs.

How did we find it?

-Tough.

-We pushed today, tough.

Let's start with you, Danni, with your Win A Pig.

I thought the Wellington...

was very well executed.

The sauce was outstanding.

And I really liked the cheeky little piece of cheek tucked underneath.

But I found the Wellington for two,

as a showpiece, a little bit underwhelming.

I thought the pork...the seasoning on the pork was right on the edge.

And perhaps also a little bit disappointed that what is such

a key part of the dish, the pastry, was not homemade.

Next, Chris.

With your Pie-oneers And Pickles,

I thought you absolutely hit the brief with this dish.

The idea of serving a huge central showpiece

with all the little accompaniments was a really great one.

Loved it.

And the homemade pastry was crisp, well risen, golden.

It was wonderful.

Again...

overall...

the dish still lacked the finesse I was looking for.

The relishes, so much work there,

just haven't got the time to cut the cauliflower down into little

-florettes or do something a bit more polished with it.

-Yeah.

And finally, Ben, with your Lamb Revolution,

it's a really nice take on the brief.

I loved the fact that you used three different grades of meat

to represent the all-inclusive nature of the WI.

The rack of lamb was every bit as good as it should have been.

The shepherd's pie was outstanding. I love food that nourishes my soul.

And the carrot and cardamom puree was absolutely spot-on.

But...

I thought the lamb sauce was...

It was too boozy and too thin.

It actually didn't have any real lamb flavour to it.

Somehow for me, the sweetbread was a bit lost underneath

the mustard and the crumbs.

But overall, the thing that concerns me most is your last minute

moments of service that you get flustered and a bit disorganised.

So to the scores...

Danni.

Going to give you...

..a score of eight.

Thank you.

It was a good dish.

Somehow you've got to work out how to take it a bit further.

Chris.

I'm going to give you a score...

..of eight points.

Another great dish, but you are not going to get a higher score

until there is more finesse in the overall finishing of the dish.

Ben.

Going to give you a score...

..of eight.

Again, it was a good dish.

The pastry is normally the most divisive of the four courses.

You are all in the competition. Let's get out there and deliver.

-Good luck.

-Thank you, Chef.

-Thank you, Chef.

-Good scores.

-Well done.

ALL: Well done.

So, with just one course to go, Chris remains in the lead

with Danni second and Ben in last place.

I'm really buzzing about getting an eight for my main.

You know, any chef would be proud of that.

I am still behind, though.

I have got to pull it out of the bag. Again.

Still very close. I am so relieved.

There is two points in it either way. You now, it is

still very much game on.

I would have loved a nine or a ten for it. A good result for me.

It just kept me ahead of the other two, which is great.

What I wanted, really.