North West Main Great British Menu

This week, three of the North West's top chefs -

returning contender Mark Ellis...

You just let yourselves down with the seasoning there a little bit.

..award-winning newcomer Eve Townsend...

We definitely need 10s, Mark, to even, like, to close the gap!

..and Michelin trained young gun Matt Worswick...

If this goes wrong it's game over for me.

..are fighting to get their dishes to a banquet

celebrating 100 years of the Women's Institute at London's Drapers' Hall.

Yesterday, Matt came up trumps again with an inspired lobster dish.

The presentation was great. I'm giving you a 7.

But for returning chef Mark, fish spelled disaster.

It's split. The mousse has split, I can't serve that.

I'm giving you a 3.

Today, it's a battle for the main.

The proof is in the main course, is that what you're doing today,

or are we having a pudding?

Executive chef Eve is determined to deliver refined cooking on time.

Written my time down in a few places so I'm hoping that might help me out.

My pie hasn't even gone in the oven yet.

And Mark must pull off a top score today

if he's to stay in the running.

I think it's the best dish I've put up all week.

-Do you feel threatened by that, Eve?

-We'll wait and see.

Who will let themselves down?

I'm not sure if that dish went to the banquet

you'd get it out on time.

And who will hit new heights?

I'm giving you a 10.

In 1915, the Women's Institute was founded to encourage women to

produce and preserve food during World War I.

Today, the Institute is known for its trustworthy recipes that

have helped make British food great.

Hello, ladies.

The chefs have explored the 100-year history of the organisation...

They're out there digging in their long skirts.

..and been inspired by important women much closer to home...

-Hey!

-Hi, Mum, hi, how are you?

..to create plates of perfection to celebrate the glorious WI.

Not a problem at all. Right, see yous later on.

Judging the chefs this week is Michelin starred Sat Bains,

a former banquet champion with impeccable standards.

So this is it, main course.

I'm not interested too much in gimmicks,

I'm interested in absolute brilliant cooking.

Flavour, depth -

this is where the true skill of the chef is going to come out.

This is the main event, the main course.

Is the pressure higher for this course than the others?

Yeah, and don't forget, the North West produced the main course

banquet winner for last year, so certainly big shoes to fill.

It's all to play for still.

I just hope that I can refine what I'm doing.

Timings are obviously proving to be a bit of an issue for me.

I'm really going to try and stretch me lead out today,

get higher than a 7.

I'm planning on getting a 10 today and hopefully catch you up.

First up, Mark Ellis,

in last place on just 8 points after a nightmare with his fish course.

He crashed out of the competition last year

and must up his game to avoid the same happening again.

It's absolutely essential that I do well today.

It can't get any worse than getting a 3 for the fish,

so it's only onwards and upwards from here.

-Morning, chef. How are you?

-Very well, thank you.

-How you feeling?

-Good night's sleep, got over the dramas of yesterday,

can't wait to get this done today.

That's what I want to hear. OK, what have we got today?

We've got Making Ends Meet, a thrifty dish based on the

frugality of the Women's Institute,

erm, and a dish inspired by my nan.

It's essentially steak and kidney, corned beef hash and beans.

Your starter was a play on a breakfast,

your fish course was a play on a dessert.

Is this going to be, like, what it says on the tin?

This is just straightforward good home cooking, chef,

-with a little refinement.

-Good.

-What we've got, I'm going to take a nice piece of bavette steak...

-Yeah.

..I'm going to water bath it

and then just quickly roast it in a pan with butter at the end.

I've got British brisket,

-and I'm going to make my version of corned beef hash.

-OK, yeah.

I'm going to marinade some kidneys in tarragon mustard, er,

got some fantastic haricots blancs and cannellini beans,

they're going to be cooked down with tomatoes.

-So it's like baked beans, in essence?

-Yeah, very much so.

-I'm really looking forward to it.

-Thank you.

I think Mark, with this dish, is taking it back to basics.

I think he's been prone to too many gimmicky elements, and I think

he's learned his lesson the hard way, you know, with the scoring.

Next up, with 11 points, is executive chef Eve Townsend.

Despite being second, Eve has had disappointing scores so far.

She's determined to nail her main course

with a dish close to her heart.

This dish is probably my most sentimental dish.

It's all about strong women in my life, my mum, my nan, you know,

and everything I want my little boy to kind of

look up to me as, you know.

-Hey, Eve, how we doing?

-Hi!

-You OK?

-Yeah, not too bad.

First and foremost, what's it called, and what's the inspiration behind it?

-Well, it's called A Quintessential English Countryside.

-OK.

I'm making a shepherd's pie that my mum used to make, my nan,

my great grandma.

-I make it for my little boy, er, it's one of his favourites.

-OK.

How are you going to refine it?

Erm, I'm doing it in a short-crust pastry case, top it with potato...

I'm using heather-fed lamb, so I've got two cuts.

-The neck mince is going to be used for shepherd's pie...

-OK.

..and then I've got a chump,

-which I'm going to cook in the water bath...

-OK.

..and then just finish it off in a pan.

What's the artichokes for?

-Jerusalem artichokes, I'm going to make a puree.

-Mark, you nervous?

Yeah, it's a fantastic box of ingredients.

-You're not having second thoughts, are you?

-No, not today.

You're not going to make a blancmange or anything, are you?

A blancmange of beef?

Eve needs to get her timing right for this dish

because there's lots of elements.

She knows about it, she's aware of it,

and I think she's going to nail it.

Last up is newcomer Matt.

Currently in first place with 14 points, and with two courses

still to go, he has his sights set on scoring big today.

I really need a higher score than a 7.

It's very frustrating with the silly mistakes that I've been making,

but I'm going to try and fix those today.

-Morning, Matt.

-How we doing, chef?

-How d'you feel this morning?

Very positive about this one, I think.

So what's this dish and what's the inspiration behind it?

So the dish is called Shall I Be Mother?

The inspiration for this is based upon my grandmother

-and her association with the WI.

-OK.

-I've brought along her own recipe book.

-OK.

I'm going to use a hotpot recipe.

So, obviously, another traditional dish.

How are you going to make this dish gastronomic?

-The money piece is a boned out best end of lamb.

-Yeah.

I'm going to make a stuffing, do it with apricots...

I've got some spinach,

and then I'm going to mince some shoulder of lamb.

I've got some great lamb's liver, some kidneys.

So is the hotpot going to be an accompaniment?

-The main event is definitely the best end of lamb.

-OK.

And the hotpot is a homage to me grandmother.

So, hotpot, Eve, isn't that more Lancashire?

It's all North West, chef.

We'll wait and see.

It's going to be really interesting to see how Matt's

going to deliver his dish.

Is it going to be a classical, is it going to be innovative,

is it going to be modern? Ultimately it's got to be flavoursome.

It's got to be delicious.

Chefs, you're all doing classic dishes here

so what you've got to think is refinement, elevation.

So cook your hearts out and good luck.

All three chefs are doing their take on traditional British recipes,

and all of them have multiple elements.

So, what dish are you doing, then, Mark?

I'm doing, erm, steak and kidney,

and corned beef hash and beans.

Does it not sound like two dishes in one?

No different than serving a hotpot and a best end in my opinion.

At the crucial halfway point, Eve and Mark are desperate

to catch leader Matt, and the competition is fierce.

There was definitely, er, a bit of a lack of seasoning in your dishes,

both of you, yesterday, which took me a bit by surprise.

I'm just going to concentrate on my food and try

and get it right rather than seeing what everybody else is doing.

Both Matt and Eve are using local lamb,

whereas Mark has chosen to cook beef.

I'm thinking the question ultimately is going to be which do you prefer,

-beef or lamb?

-The proof is in the main course, as they say.

-Or are we having a pudding?

-No, I've moved away from that, I'm afraid.

-It really is right back to basics today.

-I'll believe it when I see it!

After yesterday's ambitious fish course failed,

Mark has decided to go back to his classical roots today.

-Mark, how we doing?

-All right, chef.

-Good.

-Better than this point yesterday.

-You're looking very calm.

Really organised today, chef.

So have you stripped away all the gimmicky stuff

and just gone straight for the jugular?

I think it's essential, especially after yesterday's result,

that I come out and show everybody what I can do.

Good luck. Thank you, chef.

I think with Mark, he's gone through a journey.

You know, he started off quite confident

and he's realised quite quickly that the novelty value wears off.

For once he could actually deliver what it says on the tin.

Mark gets started on his corned beef hash, dicing beef brisket

and mixing with potatoes, shallots and parsley.

So, Mark, is that kidneys that you're just prepping over there?

Yeah, I'm just skewering them up.

I'm going to do them sort of barbecue style,

a little bit of charred flavour in there.

Current leader Matt is also using kidney

to stuff his best end of lamb.

A prime cut of meat, it has to be cooked perfectly.

So, Matt, you're going to stuff your saddle now, are you?

-What's in the mix?

-So I've got me kidneys in there, I've got me liver.

-Yeah.

-I've got the...a bit of the mince shoulder, the mince fillet,

some apricots.

The risk here is that's not cooked enough,

that's under or overcooked.

-Sure.

-So how are you going to guarantee?

I fried some off in a pan to do a test.

Cos if this doesn't work the whole dish is ruined, isn't it?

-This is the money piece for the dish.

-OK.

If this goes wrong then it's game over for me, unfortunately.

Matt stuffs his best end of lamb and for added flavour rolls it

in caul fat, a thin membrane that surrounds an animal's stomach.

He then ties it with string ready to roast.

Matt, you look like you've got quite a bit to do. Are you OK?

Just concentrating, Mark, to be honest with you, trying to get me

head down for the first bit and then, you know, see how we get on.

Another chef using lamb is fellow newcomer Eve,

who's keen to show Sat there's refinement to her food.

What about you, Eve? Have you got any risks today?

The only risk really for me today is just cooking it right, timings,

and, er, just making sure I remember to season it.

She starts with her vegetables,

cooking down purple heritage carrots in carrot juice, butter and sugar.

The WI are renowned for their exemplary standards of baking,

and Eve's taking a big risk making her own pastry

for her shepherd's pie.

Eve, how we doing? That's what I like to see, some pastry.

Hopefully it'll come out nice and crisp and golden,

and then obviously the shepherd's pie,

as moist as a shepherd's pie would be that you'd tuck into.

-Well, good luck.

-Thanks.

A couple of timers over here, Eve,

if you want to borrow them for when you're going to open the pack.

Well, I've written my time down in a few places

so I'm hoping that might help me out today.

Eve went to visit the farm in Goosnargh, Lancashire,

where for nearly 20 years, she's sourced fine local produce.

'The Lancashire countryside is a big influence on my cooking style,

'and it's been a huge inspiration for this particular menu

'and especially my main course.'

The farm was set up by Winnie Swarbrick,

an active member of the WI for most of her 82 years.

Winnie's son Reg now runs the farm.

Haven't seen you for ages.

-I'm all right, are you well?

-Great to see you.

-Thank you.

I remember coming here and seeing Winnie in the kitchen and stuff.

She was a great inspiration to me.

Yeah, well, she's always worked exceedingly hard.

Would bake one minute, next minute she'd be driving a tractor.

Strong Lancashire girl like myself.

-Absolutely, yeah, she'd have been proud of you, Eve.

-I hope so.

Reg introduced Eve to two more strong Lancashire women -

Winnie's sister Nelly and Auntie Pat.

I've come to talk about Winnie today.

Oh, yes, the great, lovely Winnie, yeah, Auntie Nelly's sister.

-She was in the WI.

-Yeah, all of us have been in the WI.

-I've been a member, this year, 50 years.

-Wow!

She was a great cook, wasn't she?

There was always stuff laid out on the table when you came round.

Everybody was always welcome at the table, weren't they,

to have lunch, a shepherd's pie or hotpot or whatever, didn't they?

Eve wanted Nelly and Pat's WI seal of approval on her shepherd's pie.

Ooh, it's very tasty.

Oh, it is, it's lovely.

-What's in your mashed potato?

-Egg yolk.

-Egg yolk.

Very, very tasty and a good WI dish.

-Let's hope it's a winner.

-Yeah.

THEY LAUGH

It's been great meeting Nelly and Pat and talking to Reg,

and, obviously, Winnie's been such a great inspiration for my menu

I, er, I really need to make them all proud.

Back in the kitchen, Eve is making her artichoke puree,

whilst Mark blanches cabbage

and finishes the gravy for his nostalgic dish inspired by his gran.

I want to taste your sauce.

I think I've got just the level of depth of flavour that I want.

For his baked beans, Mark browns lardons with garlic

and onion then reduces with vinegar, stock, red wine and tomatoes.

Finally he adds cannellini and haricot blanc beans.

It's not really like Mark not to use any sort of gimmicks or tricks or,

you know, frivolity, so he seems to be playing it very,

very simple, very safe, so should be interesting to see how it plays out.

Eve is making the topping for her shepherd's pie

by mashing potatoes and enriching with egg yolk.

Fellow newcomer Matt is also using the classic combination of

lamb and potatoes.

So, Matt, I don't know if you know,

a hotpot's actually made its way to the banquet before.

The comments were that was the pinnacle of a hotpot.

Well, I feel very positive that it's got the potential to go

all the way, but there's more pressure again to do

me grandmother's hotpot justice and take it all the way.

-Well, good luck.

-Thank you very much.

For the hotpot filling, Matt's cooked down diced lamb neck

and shoulder, with carrots, onion and veal stock,

which he now tops with thinly sliced potatoes.

Mark is first up to the pass with his dish of Making Ends Meet.

He griddles his kidney and red onion brochettes, basted in honey

and mustard, and finishes his bavette steak with butter and oil.

-D'you need anything doing, Mark?

-I'm OK, thanks, mate, all on track.

Next, he char-grills blanched Hispi cabbage

and serves his corned beef hash and baked beans in tins.

Mark, is everything as you want it? Are you happy with it?

Really pleased, chef, can't wait to give it to you.

Mark starts his plate with the char-grilled cabbage

before adding baby leeks and baby yellow carrots.

Got 15 seconds.

That's 10 seconds too long, chef.

Next, the kidney and onion brochette,

and thin slices of bavette steak.

Finally, a garnish of baby broad beans and red wine

and pig's trotter gravy.

-OK, Mark, you happy?

-Yeah, really happy.

-Best food I've put up all week.

-Looks nice, really colourful.

Very colourful, yeah. Shall we go and have a taste? Yes, chef.

I'll grab the basket.

-How do you feel about this dish?

-I'm really pleased with it.

It's very different to what he's put up before, isn't it?

Oh, yeah, definitely.

Actually like he might have stayed a little bit classical!

SAT: Do you think the beef is cooked enough?

That's exactly how I like it.

That's very pink.

I don't think my gran would eat it like that.

I don't think mine would either.

SAT: D'you think the kidney's cooked enough?

I think it could probably do with a touch more, I think, maybe.

I think the kidneys are too pink for me.

-I don't really like 'em like that.

-Shall we try the corned beef hash?

-It's very flavoursome.

-Yeah, packed full of flavour.

SAT: D'you think this is a well-balanced dish for a main course?

I think there are quite a lot of elements

but I think that makes it interesting.

It's quite a busy plate of food.

I would certainly struggle to finish all that food.

For me, I'd probably go 7, too much going on.

It's not a refined plate of food. 7 at best.

Matt takes out his best end of lamb and leaves to rest

while he works on his veg.

-How was it?

-No matter what score I get,

-I'm really happy with that plate of food.

-Yeah?

Yeah, I think it's the best dish I've put up all week,

-so, who's up next?

-Me.

-You?

Although I'm going to be late

if I don't start getting the pastry out the oven.

What I like to hear, I might nick a point or two there!

Eve's taken the risky decision to make her own pastry

for the shepherd's pie in her Quintessential English Countryside.

But once again she's miscalculated her timings.

-I'm going to be late.

-How long?

-About another 10 minutes.

Before she can fill them with shepherd's pie mix, the pastry cases

have to be egg washed and baked again to seal them.

-Eve, am I right in thinking you're behind?

-Yes, sorry, chef, behind.

-How's that happened?

-My pie hasn't even gone in the oven yet.

With Eve feeling the pressure, Matt and Mark come to the rescue.

What else d'you need doing?

-Is it just your pastry, yeah?

-Just waiting on my pastry.

-Empty that pan out, Mark.

-What, this butter pan here?

-Have you got your plates hot?

-Yeah.

Matt helps fill her pies

and pipes on mashed potato before browning in the oven.

-What else have you got to do?

-Can you just pass my puree?

While Eve griddles her baby leeks, Mark passes her artichoke puree.

Come on, keep positive, let's go.

She then whisks cold butter into her lamb jus,

and Matt finishes off the lamb chump in a pan.

-How are you forming these, Eve?

-Just into three slices, please.

Get everything else on the plate, I'll pull 'em out.

First onto the plate is the Jerusalem artichoke puree.

-How long, Eve? Give me a time.

-Plating now, two minutes.

-OK, let's go, let's go.

-Two minutes.

Next, it's the individual shepherd's pie, followed by baby turnips

and baby leeks dressed with grated truffle.

Then it's the heather-fed lamb chump,

and the glazed purple heritage carrots.

-You ready?

-OK, we can go.

Finally, lamb and port wine jus is served in a sheep tea cosy.

How you feeling? EVE SIGHS

Stressed.

-Under pressure.

-So, what d'you think, boys?

-Looks beautiful.

-It was probably true WI spirit there

that you all helped out so I can

only say thank you very much, and I think we should have a taste, Eve.

-What d'you think?

-Yeah.

-What happened?

-I crashed and burned!

-That was tough.

-I was in that position with the fish course

and it's really not nice

when the pressure gets to you like that.

SAT: So let's have a taste,

this is the bit I'm really looking forward to.

Yeah, the shepherd's pie.

You happy with the pie?

The pastry's nice and short.

If anything, it could have just done with being

a little bit more juice in there.

It's delicious.

That is one of the nicest things I've tasted all week.

Are you happy with the cooking and the seasoning of the lamb?

Yeah, yeah, I'm really happy with that lamb.

-Nice and tender.

-Yeah, lovely.

-Mm, very nice.

I'm finding it very, very hard to find anything wrong.

I think the flavours are perfect, I think the women of the WI

would definitely associate with, erm, that plate of food.

-You've talked about the strong women in your life.

-Yeah.

D'you think this has represented them?

Yeah, I think, you know, my mum would be really proud.

I'm going to give it a 9, I can't really fault it.

I think it's a very good dish. I would also give it a 9, I think.

I think she's ticked a lot of boxes there for me.

-I'm worried as well, to be honest with you.

-Yeah?

-That's a good dish.

-How are you, Eve?

-Ooh, thank you so much!

-You OK, you all right?

Yeah, yeah, now. Have you time for a thanks?

That was really nice, it was really good.

-Did you like it?

-Really good, yeah, really, really good.

-Can I do anything?

-No, I'm good, thank you very much.

Matt is last to the pass with his dish of Shall I Be Mother,

a homage to his grandma.

Matt's determined to extend his lead so he's gone all out with the props.

-Oh, God!

-Come on, come on.

Hang on, slide it towards me.

Watch me sheep, watch me sheep!

Wow!

Matt finishes glazing his root vegetables with thyme,

and carves his roasted best end of lamb, stuffed with kidneys,

liver, spinach, apricots and rosemary.

He's going for it with this one, isn't he?

Thought about everything, ain't he?

He's even got granny spoons in the middle of the field.

First on the sharing platter are glazed carrots, potatoes,

turnips, roasted garlic and baby red onions.

Then it's the sliced best end of lamb.

-You on time, Matt, yeah?

-I am.

While Eve gets Grandma Worswick's hotpot out of the oven,

Matt serves the lamb gravy in her old teapot.

-Wow, someone's brought the park in!

-OK, let's go.

This goes there, hotpot goes there,

and gravy's in me, er, grandmother's teapot.

So, what d'you think, over-the-top or...?

MARK: I think it's well over-the-top.

-Totally over-the-top but it's actually brilliant!

-OK, let's go.

Quite rustic for Matt.

I'm really surprised that Matt's put that plate of food up.

That doesn't look to me like Matt's personality on the plate.

His other two courses have been really refined.

Here is the best end.

SAT: Do you think it's cooked to the right degree that you wanted?

In order to get a heat through to the centre, you have to

carry it on normally more than what you would, and I think it's worked.

MARK: The stuffing's great.

-The lamb's maybe cooked a little bit more than I'd like it to be.

-Really?

I think that lamb's absolutely delicious.

Really juicy, the stuffing packs a punch with the flavour.

SAT: So this is the hotpot.

-Are you happy with it?

-I'm very happy with it, yeah.

MARK: Great flavour, it's a nice hotpot.

I just don't think there's quite enough of it, it's nearly all gone.

I'd quite like them to bring that, er, that pot back

-and then we can have a bit more.

-Yeah.

SAT: So do you think you can see this dish as a main course at the banquet?

I think this would be absolutely amazing.

I think it'd put a smile on all the women's face from the WI.

Just needs a touch more seasoning and it probably would have been a 9 in

terms of cooking, but I don't really see the brief in the food, so 8.

I'd go an 8, a strong 8.

-How you doing?

-All right, how are you?

-Good, I enjoyed that.

I do think they're the three best dishes all week, actually.

Fingers crossed that I scored a little bit higher but we'll see.

Definitely my best dish. It's definitely more refined,

I think I've taken on board what he said.

As long as it's above a 7, I'm happy!

So we definitely need 10s, Mark, to even, like, try to close the gap!

It'd be nice to take a 10 off Sat, wouldn't it?

-Hello, chefs. How are we?

-OK.

So, I'm going to start with Mark, and your dish, Making Ends Meet.

The bavette had great flavour, I think it was really well seasoned.

The corned beef was as it should be, a nice hit of nostalgia.

The sauce was fantastic, had depth and richness.

But...

..the baked beans were a little underdone.

The kidneys were a little undercooked, hence they were chewy.

For a banquet, it's a bit of a gamble.

Eve...

For your dish, A Quintessential English Countryside...

..the shepherd's pie was amazing. The meat was perfectly cooked.

The pastry case was fantastic.

The chump was beautifully seasoned

and really tender.

The leek and truffles, a classic combo, they were delicious as well.

But...

..you were lucky, Eve, you had such gentlemen working with you.

I'm not sure if that dish went to the banquet you'd get it out on time.

Matt...

For your dish, Shall I Be Mother...

..I love the idea of all these green fields arriving at the banquet.

It was homely but had real theatre.

I think a sharing platter for the main course hits the WI brief.

Your nan's hotpot was delicious.

The stuffed lamb was wonderful, the offal in there added a real

texture to the dish, and it had fantastic flavour.

So, to the scores.

Mark...

..I'm giving you a 7.

Eve...

I'm giving you a 7 also.

It would have been an 8, but you had a lot of help from these two guys.

Matt...

..I'm giving you a 10.

CHEFS LAUGH

-It's the first 10 I've given, so well done.

-Thank you very much.

Really good dish.

One more course to go, guys, it's dessert,

so it's your last chance now.

Keep your heads down, do your mums and your nans proud.

So, good luck.

-Wow!

-That's really, really good.

-Well done, boss.

-Oh, my God!

I feel absolutely on top of the world.

All the hard work has finally paid off,

and the big Sat Bains is like, "Yeah, it's a 10."

Going into dessert, Matt has a clear lead on 24 points,

Eve is still second with 18,

and Mark is bringing up the rear on 15 points.

I was hoping for an 8 or a 9 on that dish,

so losing the point which takes me to a 7 is, er, is quite a blow.

It leaves me quite a bit of work to do with dessert course,

but Eve's been late three times already, so I'm hoping for a

little blip from her, and it might just give me the edge on this course.

There's only one person going home tomorrow, so...