North West Dessert Great British Menu

This week on Great British Menu,

three of the North West's most exciting chefs -

ambitious returning contender Mark Ellis...

-I'm coming for you.

-Bring it on, Mark.

..Michelin-trained young gun Matt Worswick...

I need to do it right and do it well, chef.

..and award-winning executive chef Eve Townson...

I am really focused. I'm absolutely gunning for this one.

..are competing for the chance to cook at a banquet

marking 100 years of the Women's Institute

at London's historic Drapers' Hall.

Yesterday, Matt extended his lead further by scoring

the perfect ten for his lamb dish.

-That's the first ten I have given.

-Wow.

-Well done.

But the main course spelt meltdown for Eve...

-Eve, you are behind.

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

..while returning chef Mark got his highest score so far.

I am giving you a seven.

There is only one person going home tomorrow, so...

Today's dessert course is their last chance at success.

As time creeps on, I think I am getting more and more pressured.

Getting a bit warm, this kitchen.

Eve needs to up her game to stay in second place...

I don't think I could face Sat if I'm not on time again.

..and Mark has to plate up perfection or he is going home.

Make or break time for me.

-BLEEP!

-It is just proving a bit difficult.

This year, the chefs are celebrating 100 years of the Women's Institute,

honouring generations of impeccable home cooks

who helped shape British cuisine.

They have researched the rich history of the institution...

Pleasure to meet you.

Let me introduce two more members of our WI.

So, ladies...

..and taken inspiration from the women in their own families...

If their taste buds are right, they will love it.

..transforming British classics into dishes fit for a feast.

You've got them past me and I'm sure you'll get them past the judges too.

Judging them all week is Sat Bains. A holder of two Michelin stars

and a former banquet champion, he expects perfection.

This week has been a rollercoaster - threes, fives, seven,

a perfect ten. So anything can happen in there - it is not over yet.

So, we're onto the dessert course now. How are you feeling?

Are you still flying high? Ten from Sat.

I'm absolutely over the moon

but I've got to concentrate on my next course.

I think my dessert might be one of my strongest dishes.

My dessert is good. The timing on this is essential.

I think Sat has been quite lenient with you

with your timing so far. I am banking on you stumbling today, Eve.

-I'm coming for you.

-Bring it on, Mark!

First up is Matt Worswick,

who headed up a Michelin-starred kitchen at the age of just 26.

He extended his lead yesterday,

scoring the highest mark of the week with a ten for his main.

Today, his confidence is high.

The dessert course is my favourite course.

I've got the few tricks up my sleeve, so if I get

the food right, it's going to look really good, hopefully,

so I'll get a good score again off Sat.

Matt, how are you?

-I am very well, thank you.

-Big score last round.

-Yeah.

-How are you feeling?

-I'm made up, to be honest with you.

The dish is called Grandma's Humble Apple Crumble.

So from ten out of ten you are just going to peter off

and do a little apple crumble, is that right?

No, it is not quite as it seems.

I have based it around my grandmother's recipe for her

apple crumble but again, a gastronomic twist.

I'm going to do an apple compote.

I'm going to make a spiced bread and half of I'm going to dehydrate

and that is going to be a take on the crumble topping.

The other half, I am going to make a spiced bread puree.

I'm going to pickle some apples,

I'm going to make a cider brandy ice cream.

OK. So you are basically going to try

and elevate your gran's recipe for apple crumble.

With the way I have constructed it, it is a bit of fun,

it's a bit of humour and I think that comes through the dish.

OK. Can't wait to see it.

'I think Matt's playing on the words.

'It's not going to be what we think it is going to be,'

but hopefully it is going to be an elevation there, that you go, "Wow."

Next up, award-winning executive chef Eve Townson.

In second place on 18 points,

Eve has faced criticism from Sat

for a lack of refinement in her cooking,

so her dessert needs to be perfect today.

I have got to get it up on time,

I've got to make sure that all the elements are all coming together.

There has to be a woman in that judges' chamber

and obviously it has to be me.

-Eve, how are we?

-I'm OK.

So, tell me the inspiration behind the dish, and what is it called?

-It is called Lancashire Bobbin.

-OK.

Lancashire - it was well known for cotton mills.

My husband's grandma worked in the cotton mills and also,

you know, it is a craft. The WI are keen crafters.

I'm going to make a white chocolate mousse which is going to

-be set in the shape of a cotton bobbin.

-OK.

-So the bobbin is going to have some cotton on it?

-It is.

I am going to spin some isomalt and then I'm also going to do

some more cotton with the blackberry puree.

Then I'm also going to do a blackberry sorbet

that I'm going to serve on the side.

-The milk chocolate here is for the base of my cotton bobbin.

-OK.

I'm going to mix that with some toasted cereal in caramel.

For another base, I'm going to mix with some hazelnut praline

-and also some feuilletine.

-Matt, are you worried?

It's a complicated box, lots of tricks.

Tempering chocolate, it is never easy.

You're just trying to worry her, aren't you? Pack it in!

-He is just doing an apple crumble.

-I know, exactly - plain sailing.

'I'm concerned for Eve because she has given herself

'so much to do with this dessert.

'If it goes well it is going to be incredible,'

but if any of the elements don't work,

she could crumble like she has done in the past.

Finally, returning contender Mark Ellis,

who is in last place on 15 points after a disappointing week.

He knows today only a top score will prevent him

falling at the first hurdle, just like last year.

I came into this competition with the goal of getting

through to the judging chamber this year.

It's still a possibility, I'm just going to have to give it my all

and hope the pressure gets to Eve more than it gets to me.

-Mark, how are you feeling?

-Erm, a little bit less stressed.

I've got nothing to lose so I have got everything to play for.

Tell me what is in the box, the name of the dish

and what is the inspiration is behind it?

OK. The name of the dish is Save The Bees.

The WI support many good causes, the most recent being

Save The Honeybee, so I wanted to do a real celebration of honey.

So I am going to make a lemon spotted dick.

I'm going to make a raspberry jam

and I'm going to enrich it with an eau de vie raspberry liqueur.

I have got some fantastic bee pollen which is going to go

into a yoghurt mousse and I'm going to make a milk and honey ice cream.

-OK. Guys, are you worried?

-I love honey, so I'm keen to taste it.

I think it will be quite a traditional dish.

I think the WI can associate with it, so it's a bit worrying,

if he pulls it off.

SAT: Steaming a sponge suet... These things are quite heavy, so you need

something like the raspberries and the lemon to cut through it.

The balance here is crucial.

With only two chefs cooking for the judges tomorrow,

Eve and Mark know they have a battle on their hands.

Are you two guys feeling the pressure, then?

Make or break time for me. It's either impress Sat or I'm home.

Matt is doing a twist on his grandma's apple crumble.

He will use spiced bread as a puree and as the crumble topping.

To make the bread, Matt combines butter with sugar, spices,

plain and rye flours.

He then adds orange and lemon zest and the milk

and honey mixture before baking.

Matt, are you doing an apple crumble?

Quite a simple thing to do, but, I mean,

simplicity sometimes is the hardest thing to do, isn't it?

To do well, yeah. Definitely.

Mark starts making his spotted dick,

combining fresh beef suet with flour, baking powder, caster sugar,

currants and milk, before adding lemon zest ready to steam.

It is quite an old-school dish - I have never seen it on a menu.

Is there a reason why...?

When it is done wrong, it can be really, really heavy,

so it is a little bit of a risk.

I got the recipe out of the Women's Institute cookbook,

so if they don't like it, it's their own recipe.

Across the kitchen, Eve is under pressure

to plate up an elegant dessert on time

or she is going home today.

She works on the white chocolate mousse for the bobbin element

of her dish, representing the Lancashire cotton mills

and the crafts of the WI.

-Are you going to be on time today?

-I certainly hope so, Mark.

I don't think I could face Sat if I'm not on time again,

I'm just going to go home.

Next, Eve begins tempering dark chocolate to make some scissors.

Is that a risk in your dessert, Eve, tempering chocolate?

It is just a little cheeky garnish.

I can't see the appeal of a pair of chocolate scissors.

It all fits the brief, Mark, it all fits the brief. Wait and see.

If I can pull off this dessert,

hopefully I will fly past Mark today.

I've not had the best of weeks but I certainly wouldn't take on

my last course tempering chocolate in the heat of this kitchen.

I think that was a very unwise move.

Eve works on her isomalt, a sugar substitute which she melts down

in order to spin into a fine thread using a customised drill.

Wow, a bit of DIY?

That's my turning tool for my cotton.

I'm just getting my isomalt ready now

and then I'm just going to start spinning it,

and as it goes round, it's just going to make the cotton.

-And how are you doing for time? Are you on top?

-I'm really focused.

I'm absolutely gunning for this one.

Last-placed Mark is making ice cream flavoured with acacia honey

to tie in with his Save The Bees-themed dish.

Matt is also making ice cream. His is flavoured with cider brandy.

Next, he begins another modern element for his apple dish.

You know, most people chop the apples.

-These are pickled.

-Oh!

Matt adds his balled apples to a pickling liquor

made from apple juice, cider, white wine vinegar,

sugar and fresh thyme.

So, are you feeling a bit peckish over there, Matt?

Could you not wait for your dessert to be ready or are you just

waiting to pass an apple onto the teacher?

Well, he has already given me a ten, so I don't know what else

I can do to please him, to be honest with you!

He's over there having a laugh!

To find the perfect ingredients for his dessert,

Matt is meeting up with apple expert Clippy McKenna,

who has been working with apples for the last seven years.

I am doing my grandmother's original apple crumble recipe

and I need to find the right apple.

So, we have got a lovely Bramley.

-Look at this whopper.

-And what characteristics has this got?

It is very sharp, acidic.

They marry really well with lots of flavours, so a really good cooker.

The next one is the Indared.

These are great for cooking with and these store for absolutely ages.

Really?

This is the Adams Pearmain. My God, these taste amazing!

-That's great.

-This one is aromatic, so quite nutty, like, almond-y.

Which apple do you think is the ultimate apple for an apple crumble?

-I love these two.

-A Bramley and a Pearmain?

-Yeah, I think so.

And the taste will be completely different.

-That's what I'm after, I think.

-Yeah.

Granny Worswick's apple crumble has been a family favourite for decades,

something Matt's dad remembers.

She used to pick the apples in the mornings, make the crumble.

-In the afternoon, it was gone.

-Really?

-Really.

It was that special, it didn't last long.

Matt has made his take on the dessert for his mum,

dad and wife Eva to sample.

-Delicious.

-Yeah?

Mmm, amazing.

Fantastic - takes me back.

-You think Grandma would be happy with it?

-I'm sure she would.

-She would be very proud.

-That's good. Thank you very much.

Back in the kitchen, Matt moves on to making an apple compote.

But his laid-back demeanour has caught Sat's eye.

-Matt, looking very relaxed.

-Organised, chef.

So you're not just taking it easy

because you think you have guaranteed a place through?

Absolutely not, chef. I'm really worried on the inside.

I need to do it right and do it well, chef.

Worried on the inside, I love it.

Matt has got no excuses -

he has given himself loads and loads of time,

he knows this dish inside out.

I just hope it is brilliant.

Eve has left the heat of the kitchen

to work on the isomalt cotton thread element of her dish.

But she is struggling.

How is it going?

I am trying to spin the isomalt so that it resembles cotton,

but I can't actually see where it is going.

-It is just proving a bit difficult.

-Is it a problem? Are you worried?

Yeah. If I have got time, then I'll come back to it.

If not, then I'll just forget it.

Meanwhile, Mark has taken the risky decision to take on a WI classic,

making his own jam.

Currently in last place, it is make or break today

and he can't afford any mistakes.

Mark, what have we got here, then?

Checking my jam at the moment, that's nearly there.

-Are you happy with it?

-No, it's not quite there yet, chef.

Another five minutes or so, I think.

Well, the pressure is on for the jam

-because the WI is renowned for jam-making.

-Yeah.

So this has got to be better than theirs. No pressure!

-They're big shoes to fill.

-Everything to fight for, Mark.

You need a big score today. Is this going to be a high-scoring dessert?

I have put a lot of thought into it.

-I just hope that the syrup pudding is not too heavy.

-So do I.

Mark needs to make his honeycomb mousse.

He heats yoghurt with sugar and gelatine, folds in whipped cream,

diced honeycomb and bee pollen.

Are you worried, Mark?

As time creeps on, I think I'm getting more and more pressured.

This is my last chance.

I've really, really got to give Sat something that he can enjoy

and something that he can see at the banquet.

First to plate up is Matt

with his grandma's Humble Apple Crumble.

To make the crumble element, Matt dehydrates his spiced bread.

He also uses it to make a puree, boiling it in milk,

cream and spices before blending.

First into the bowl is the spiced bread puree,

followed by the spiced bread crumble and apple compote.

-Using bread as the crumble?

-Yeah.

Bit of a twist on my grandmother's recipe.

Not like you to be twisting things!

It's a good twist, Mark, not a bad twist.

Next, pickled apples, the cider brandy ice cream

and a final sprinkling of crumble.

-How long, Matt?

-Two minutes, chef.

He garnishes with apple blossom flowers

and serves inside specially-made ceramic apples.

Here we have it, Grandma's Humble Apple Crumble.

What do you think, guys?

Really impressed. I think those apples look great.

Is there a special award for props? Because it is brilliant again.

I am not a big fan of props. They have got to add something to it.

-That's right.

-What I am more interested in is what is inside it.

-So, should we go and have a taste?

-Let's do it.

Very nice.

It is definitely more than your grandma's apple crumble.

Let's hope it tastes better.

-Are you happy with this dish?

-I think it is fun, light-hearted.

I think it looks great, it's not too overbearing.

The apple's nice. There's a lot of spice in this crumble.

I like the fact that the apples

have still got a little bit of bite to them.

Are you happy with the ice cream?

I think the ice cream had just enough flavour

for the cider brandy to come through.

It is really strong, that brandy.

I quite like that ice cream.

It is not too sweet, so it counteracts with the apples nicely.

SAT: And this dehydrated bread,

do you think it has got the texture of a crumble?

I think it adds a great texture to the dish.

Are you happy with the puree?

I think it is nice and smooth.

I think it works well as a vehicle to promote the apples.

I think the spiced bread puree is really nice

but I think the crumble that he has used needs to be a lot crunchier.

No, I disagree with you.

I think the bread puree on the bottom is a little bit claggy for me,

but I quite like the crumble on the top.

What would you give this dish out of ten?

I think this is one of my strongest dishes

and I would say it was certainly better than an eight.

I really like it. I'm going to give it an eight.

It's a tasty dish, but I might be more tempted to go with a seven.

-Hi, how did you get on?

-I think it was all right.

-Yeah?

-I hope he liked it.

-Pretty impressive prop.

It's all about the apples, though, isn't it?

It is all about the apples, indeed.

Next to the pass and desperate to cook for the judges is Mark

with his Save The Bees dessert.

He starts the plate with freeze-dried raspberries

and edible flowers.

It looks colourful, anyway.

It is about to get even more colourful.

Mark dusts the spotted dicks with freeze-dried raspberries

and tops with his home-made jam.

Next on goes diced honeycomb, bee pollen

and bee pollen mousse followed by fresh raspberries.

So, where's the honey in the dish, then, Mark?

You've got fresh honey there, you've got a honey pollen mousse

and I'm about to go and get the honey ice cream.

Finally, Mark tops with his milk and honey ice cream

and serves in a model hive.

So, Mark, tell us what we have got.

This is Save The Bees

and it is based on a WI initiative of helping to save the honey bee.

-What do you think, guys?

-It looks really good.

-I think it's brilliant.

Yeah, the bees... And the food looks good.

- And the food looks good! - And the food looks good.

-That helps!

-I think we should go and have a taste.

-Yeah.

-So, are you a fan of spotted dick?

-Not overly, no.

It just reminds me of school dinners.

OK, dive in, let's have a taste.

It's quite crumbly, isn't it?

What do you think to the texture of the sponge? Are you happy with that?

That is what I was after.

It is quite light, as far as spotted dicks go.

They are normally really heavy and stodgy.

So, is that how you remember it back at school?

Yeah, a similar sort of texture but much lighter, actually.

It's still a bit claggy.

That is the honey and milk ice cream.

-Do you think there is enough honey in there?

-I get the honey in there.

I think it is nice and smooth.

I'm not sure with the name of the dish, Save The Bees...

That honey, there needs to be more of it.

Bee pollen mousse.

What do you think to the texture?

It was supposed to be a little bit lighter.

I think it's split, I can feel it.

Look. It's not quite right, that.

The honey mousse has split. Why would that have happened?

It is overworked.

-A bit of nerves, a bit of rushing.

-Are you disappointed with that?

Of course, chef. It's not perfect.

-And what about the jam?

-I'm happy with the jam.

I think the sharpness of the raspberries cuts through

with the lemon and the spotted dick.

It's got lots of acidity.

Has he used that to try and cut through the richness of the cake?

And what would you score yourself out of ten?

I'd really like to get a ten.

I'd probably only give it five or six.

I would give this dish...

a six.

With a bit more refinement,

it will elevate the spotted dick into new heights.

Yeah.

How did your dessert go, then, Mark?

I wasn't 100% happy with the mousse.

I've given that everything,

there's nothing more I can do at this point.

I really don't want to go home after this.

-Counting on you now - you need to fail.

-Ho-ho!

Determined to stay ahead of Mark and avoid elimination,

Eve is last to plate up.

She begins assembling her Lancashire Bobbin,

cutting discs of feuilletine

-flavoured with hazelnut...

-It is getting a bit warm, this kitchen.

..and layers them with white chocolate mousse before spraying

to look like wood.

-Are you going to be on time?

-I hope so.

Next, it's the blackberry cotton made by whisking sugar,

pectin and glucose into blackberry puree.

Eve pipes the mixture into sugar to form separate strands.

-What's this for, then, Eve?

-It's just to resemble cotton.

How are you going to make that resemble cotton, Eve?

It's just going to resemble the old-fashioned strawberry shoelace

that you'd have when you were a child.

First onto the plate is the Lancashire bobbin.

Next it's a pair of scissors made from tempered dark chocolate.

I'm just going to put that little tiny bit of isomalt on.

I've only got enough for one plate. I don't think anyone will notice.

You won't mind, will you?

Last on, the blackberry cotton and blackberry sorbet.

So, Eve, what have we got here?

This is my Lancashire Bobbin and a tiny bit of isomalt.

Is that all you made?

-Yeah, I've just not had time.

-Guys, what do you think?

Interesting looking. I've not seen anything like it before.

-OK, let's have a taste.

-Thanks.

I was really pushing myself on this dish.

-It didn't get easier for you, then?

-Should we have a taste?

MARK: Yeah, I'm looking forward to trying this.

SAT: You happy with the texture of the mousse?

Obviously it needed just a little bit more time to cool it

to room temperature.

I really like the mousse.

I think there's plenty of white chocolate in there, nice texture.

-Are you happy with the sorbet?

-Yeah.

Blackberry sorbet - it has got a good flavour,

really nice and smooth.

Are you happy with the cotton?

-What flavour is this?

-It's blackberry.

I think the cotton I needed to just

shake a little bit more of the excess of the caster sugar off.

I think it has quite a nice acidity

-but I don't really see how it resembles cotton.

-No.

And what do you think the feuilletine adds to the dish?

It's just a different texture.

I really like the chocolate feuilletine dish.

-Yeah, it's great.

-There is a lot of work gone into the dish.

The scissors there,

do you think it's a little bit novel or do you think is needed?

It is just a bit of fun, really.

And it, you know, adds a bit of bitterness to the dish.

It has definitely got a crack, hasn't it, Mark?

They are quick thick, aren't they,

-a big lump of chocolate in your mouth?

-Yeah.

I think she has done a good job of the tempering.

It's got a nice gloss to it, it's nice and shiny.

So, what score would you give this dish?

I don't think it comes together as a dish, so I'm going to give it a six.

I think she has really pushed herself today.

There's lots of skill on the plate. I would score this dish a seven.

That means I need a ten.

Do you think you have done enough to beat Mark?

Our dishes were totally different.

I think mine might just have the edge.

I prefer my dessert.

Whether or not it is four clear points better than Eve's

is up to Sat.

-How was it?

-OK, I think.

I'm not feeling as confident as I was on my main course,

I have to say, about my dessert.

-There were definitely some weak elements.

-Big question, Eve...

-Yeah.

-..have you done enough to stay in front of me?

-Oh, God, I hope so.

I hope not. I really don't want to go home.

-Hello, chefs. The dessert course, how did you find it?

-Hard work.

Matt, I'm going to start with you and your grandma's Humble Apple Crumble.

You decided to try and elevate

one of Britain's most simple homely favourites...

and you didn't pull it off.

When I lifted the lid off that beautiful apple-shaped dish,

I was disappointed.

When I tasted it, I was even more so.

I wanted a deep flavour of sweet stewed apples and it wasn't there.

Your spiced bread crumble was no match

for the traditional buttery topping.

Overall, I don't think you pushed yourself and it showed.

Mark, your Save The Bees.

Presentation was quirky. I don't think it was too gimmicky,

and it worked.

The milk and honey ice cream was beautiful, had a great texture.

The spotted dick was as it should be - proper comfort food.

And I thought the jam was great.

However, the dish was way, way too heavy.

You honeycomb mousse had split.

You should have tested it and tasted it first.

You are a professional chef, Mark - it is hard to overlook that.

Eve, for your Lancashire Bobbin, I loved the white chocolate mousse.

Smooth, airy and delicious.

And the caramel and cereal pieces were fantastic,

added a great texture to the dish.

But for me, dark chocolate scissors unbalanced the dish.

They were too thick and too big.

The blackberry cotton didn't resemble cotton at all.

This dish needs refinement, Eve.

So, to the scores, chefs.

With a score of five,

giving the highest score across the week...

..is Matt.

That means you have got to come back tomorrow and do it all again.

-How do you feel?

-Back to basics for the dessert, chef, I think.

Eve and Mark, only one can go through to the judges.

Eve, going into the desserts, you were three points ahead of Mark.

Mark...

I am giving you a score...

..of six.

Eve...

I am giving it a score...

..of seven.

So, Eve, that means you're going through

to cook for the judges tomorrow.

-How do you feel?

-Elated.

Mark, commiserations.

I think you had some ups and downs and I think you will hopefully

learn from this experience and move on and upwards, so well done.

Thank you.

Matt and Eve, make sure tomorrow you cook every single element

the best you can.

You think I was hard? Them judges are a lot worse.

Cook your socks off and good luck.

-Well done.

-Thanks.

Well done, boss. Thoroughly well-deserved.

That was a hard week, wasn't it?

THEY LAUGH

After a tough battle, it is Matt and Eve

who will cook for the judges tomorrow,

with Mark leaving the competition.

I feel very happy to go through but I need to rework my dessert,

hopefully improve it and make it better.

I think the scoring has been fair all week. I've got no excuses.

'Devastated to be going home at this stage.'

I really wanted to cook for the judges tomorrow.

I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

I needed to be in the chamber tomorrow.

There needed to be a woman - it's the WI.

It's amazing, I just need to push myself.