London South East Fish Great British Menu

This week on Great British Menu...

Three of the most exciting chefs on the London

and South East restaurant scene -

Michelin-starred returning contender Matt Gillan...

I'm just on fire, mate, I'm sorry.

..head chef at Marcus Wareing's two-star restaurant

Mark Froydenlund...

It's tough, you know, I didn't know what to expect.

..and rising star Lee Westcott...

It is a lot of pressure, eh?

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

celebrating 100 years of the Women's Institute at London's

magnificent Drapers' Hall.

For yesterday's starter course, young gun Lee

stunned his Michelin-starred rivals by taking a two-point lead.

I think you really pulled it off.

In today's fish course, Lee is desperate to stay on top.

I'm first up and I am already feeling the pressure.

But returning contender Matt is out to topple the new

kid on the block and impress former boss Daniel Clifford.

Five from the starter is not where I wanted to be.

My battle plan for today is to absolutely nail my dish.

Whilst ambitious Mark is determined to keep his cool in the kitchen

and claw back valuable points.

Two points isn't a lot, but it does seem like it right now.

This year, the chefs are

celebrating the centenary of the Women's Institute and paying

tribute to those pioneering women

who've helped put British cuisine on the map.

To research the history of the organization,

they have visited local groups...

We have had several campaigns to promote British milk.

I joined immediately when I left school.

I'm not saying how many years!

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

Hey, hi, Mum. Hi, how are you?

..to take home cooked classics...

Shepherd's pie.

..to new gastronomic heights.

-It tastes really...

-It is like cake in a glass!

-Perfect.

Judging them all week is Daniel Clifford,

holder of two Michelin stars and twice a banquet champion.

I am looking for home-cooked fish, that is

what I think this brief presents.

I just hope that they don't bring restaurant dishes to the pass

that don't represent the WI.

-Guys, how are you feeling?

-Little deflated after the starter,

but fish course next,

so I'm raring to go on this one.

Now I know what he is looking for,

hopefully he is going to like this dish a lot more.

Two points ahead, you must be wanting to keep that lead, though.

Of course. I'm going to try to do everything I can to sort of keep you

guys at bay. But, you know, I am still really nervous.

First up is rising star Lee Westcott.

His menu pays tribute to the crafts and causes of the WI.

It does feel good knowing that I am two points above the other two.

I'd like to keep that lead.

It would be a nice confidence boost.

-How are you?

-Yeah, good. How are you feeling?

Excited, nervous.

-Well, you are in the lead.

-Yep, I am.

-So you've got to keep it now.

Maybe that is a bit more pressure, eh?

So explain the dish to me.

-This, Chef, is called A Modern Bouquet.

-OK.

The idea behind that is the Women's Institute did a lot of

crafts, and flower arrangement was one of them.

So for me, I just wanted to kind of honour that

and do a bit of a take on it.

-First of all, we have got the mackerel.

-Yep.

I'm going to classically pan-fry it. I'm going to do that with fennel.

-Is that going to be raw, cooked?

-This is going to be confited.

Adds a little bit of texture to it.

-And then with the dill, I'm going to make a broth.

-OK.

You have got some passion fruit here.

I do a dish mackerel and passion fruit.

-And what is this one here?

-This is quinoa.

-OK.

-I'll be deep frying it.

And that is my texture to the dish.

And then I am going to make a Japanese dressing.

Here we have some yuzu dressing.

-OK, how are you going to dress this?

-So that's two plates.

The bowl underneath will have a few petals, moss,

and then you've got some edible flowers.

It is A Modern Bouquet, I want them to enhance the dish at the end.

There will be dry ice underneath.

Is that going to go into the room smoking or is it...?

-That will go into the room. I want that theatrical...

-OK.

-..factor.

-This one... I'm feeling pretty confident about this one today.

-OK.

He has called it A Modern Bouquet.

I am really excited about it. It is whether he can

deliver the impact

and the story I am looking for.

Next is returning contender and Michelin-star holder Matt Gillan,

whose menu is inspired by the WI's history over the last century.

Yesterday, he scored five for a starter

Daniel thought lacked flair.

I am absolutely determined to make sure that everything is perfect,

Daniel loves this dish and I creep ahead of both boys.

So, tell me the inspiration about this dish,

cos it looks like a massive box of ingredients.

-This is Jamming And Canning. This is the next step in my timeline.

-OK.

This is based around the time when preservation was

-huge for the Women's Institute.

-Yep.

And jam is one of the things they are probably most famous for.

Every ingredient in this box will have some sort of process

-of preservation applied to it.

-OK.

So we have got salmon.

-I'm going to do three techniques with the salmon.

-Three?

-Three.

I'm going to take the fat from the salmon

and I'm going to cure it, poach it in duck fat.

A confit but in duck fat.

A confit but in duck fat. And then pan-fry it.

Take some of the belly and tinned anchovies. Again, the canning.

And we'll make a ballotine.

And with the tail, I'm going to cold smoke it,

freeze it and grate it over the top.

So just a hint of smoke going through the dish as well.

Cor, you've got a lot going on here.

I know. That is just the salmon. So moving on to the jam.

-I am doing two jams.

-Two jams?

-Yeah, two jams.

-I'm going to do a bacon jam.

-Bacon and fish?

-Yeah.

-OK.

And the second jam is a tomato jam.

And this is going to be made in a much more classic way than

-the bacon jam.

-OK.

I came across a recipe while I was looking through the WI's history

for salted runner beans.

And it wasn't very nice!

-So they used to preserve these to keep them for longer?

-Yes.

-And you tried it and it's not very nice?

-It's...

And then you put it on the menu.

-So I have adapted the technique.

-OK, yeah.

I am quite taken aback, actually.

I'm going to quite enjoy standing there, watching you cook.

-What do you think, Lee?

-I am intrigued.

-I'll be honest,

-I think he is going to be a really busy boy.

-I do as well.

Jamming And Canning. I am really interested in this.

On Matt's starter was one flavour,

and it went throughout the whole dish. This one,

he's got 100 things going on.

It could be a touch of genius.

Or it could be a complete car crash.

Finally, head chef at Marcus Wareing's two-star restaurant

Mark Froydenlund.

His menu is inspired by the women in his family,

but he scored just five points for a starter Daniel felt was too rich.

It is a lot less technical than the starter.

And it is a bit lighter as well, so hopefully that should fit in well

with what Daniel is looking for.

So, Mark, take me through your box.

So this is going to be a dressed salmon.

Dressed salmon is something you read up a lot about?

Most of what I'm doing is based on a sort of a family memory

of dressed salmon. If we were having a birthday or a big celebration,

-Mum always wheeled out the dressed salmon.

-Really?

-Yeah.

It wouldn't be a proper celebration without it.

I've only ever done one myself. And it was a disaster.

How are you going to do it?

It is not going to be traditionally presented.

First of all, with the fish, I'm going to cure the whole thing.

I'm going to take off the belly, pickle that.

And that is going to be charred.

-And then I'm going to have poached pieces of the salmon.

-Yep.

And then some pickles, pickled pieces of flesh as well.

-So it is not going to be a dressed salmon as we know it?

-No.

-Right.

But then I will be using the bones as part of the presentation.

And then all the other garnishes are just taken from the classic

dressed salmon. Instead of lettuce leaves round the outside, I'm going

to make a lettuce puree. And then instead of peeled prawns

around the outside, which is what Mum would've done,

I'm going to make a shellfish emulsion -

so roasted lobster bones,

reduced down and then blended into a mayonnaise.

And then the pickled cucumber.

Instead of scales on the fish, I'm going

to do some ribbons of cucumber, pickled.

For some extra flavour, the cockles,

which I think are just a great ingredient.

So they are going to be crispy.

-OK. Is this a strong dish for you?

-I think it is.

As a centrepiece for a banquet, it is perfect.

Mark's Party Piece - he is making a classic dish that everybody knows.

He is going to put some twists on it.

It is whether them twists actually make the dish better.

You've got a massive challenge ahead of you.

He's got to go 100 miles an hour,

but you are not far behind him.

Let's see some great dishes. Good luck.

With cooking underway,

the chefs know they're at a crucial stage in the competition.

It's super important, this fish course.

Coming off a five from the starter is...

is not where I wanted to be going into this.

This is a tough one. I think fish is hard. There is a lot to do.

The flavours are strong. I think that is going to be an advantage.

I am happy with what I got last round, but I am first up,

and I am already feeling the pressure.

In joint last place,

returning contender Matt is out to overtake his rivals with

Jamming And Canning - a highly complex fish dish

containing 14 elements.

He is cooking salmon three ways as well as two jams - tomato

and an unconventional bacon jam.

You know, Matt, he's a great cook. He knows exactly what he has got to do.

He has clearly practised this dish.

I'm just concerned - there is so much going on,

is there going to be a fight on the plate or is this going to be harmony?

Rising star Lee took the lead over his rivals with his starter.

Today, he is hoping his simply cooked mackerel with floral

presentation will keep him in front.

He works on a Japanese dressing to complement the fish

and deep fries quinoa.

-How are you getting on, Lee?

-All right, Chef.

Prepping the mackerel now while I have a bit of time.

-Japanese dressing? You happy with it?

-Yeah, I am really happy with that.

-What do you think?

-It's different.

He is really calm in there. He is pushing himself.

But is it going to be WI? I'm not 100% sure.

Yesterday, Mark, who heads up Marcus Wareing's

two-Michelin-star kitchen, forgot a crucial element on his starter.

Determined to make amends, he is pushing hard with his

Party Piece dish - a modern take on dressed salmon.

He starts his lobster emulsion and cockle sauce.

It is really hot in here, which definitely doesn't help.

It only adds to the pressure.

Both Mark and Matt cure salmon chunks in salt mix before chilling.

I don't think there is a comparison.

I think salmon springs to a lot of people's minds

when they think of the WI, think of home cooking.

And that is why, I think, we have seen two salmon dishes here today.

To find inspiration for his spin on a dressed salmon,

Mark travelled to Leigh-on-Sea to visit his mum, Karen.

Hello, darling. How are you?

Excellent to see you.

Here you are, Mark, making your home-made beef burgers.

I think you were about ten there.

They look good.

This is the one I remember - the dressed salmon.

That was Dad's 40th birthday.

And Nan, my mum, she said, "You must have a dressed salmon at the party."

I think that is why it is such a perfect dish to have

at the banquet because it is such a centrepiece.

It will really suit the celebration.

To see if his version is up to scratch, Mark is prepping

a sample to take to a local WI group.

How long did it used to take you to put yours together?

Well, um, I have a little confession. Really...

I didn't used to make the dressed salmon. I used to buy it in...

-Used to buy them?

-..from the fishmonger's.

-Mum!

At the South End Sisters' branch of the WI,

they are celebrating their group's third anniversary.

Hello.

Good evening.

Happy birthday.

From humble beginnings, the South End Sisters have

grown in number, as Mark learned from secretary, Felicity Squire.

There were four friends, we lived in the area,

and we wanted to join the local WI, but it was completely full

and had a waiting list, so we thought,

"All right, let's just find out how you open one."

And three years later, here we are.

Amazing. At 100 years old, the organisation is still going strong.

Finally, the moment of truth.

Mark is hoping to get the group's seal of approval for his salmon.

Lovely.

My salmon doesn't come out like that.

-Do you think it is worthy of the WI banquet?

-ALL: Definitely.

I am really pleased that the South End Sisters liked

the dressed salmon. And it sort of confirmed to me that it is the

right dish to celebrate the centenary of the WI.

Back in the kitchen, Mark, who is joint last with Matt, is working

on the lettuce element of his dressed salmon, a puree with fennel.

-Mark, how's it going?

-Yeah, not too bad.

-What is going on here?

-Got a lettuce puree.

-Oh, this is the lettuce puree?

-Yeah.

-Does this work?

Yeah, yeah.

It's not that strong in flavour,

but it is going to go with strong flavours.

You've got the cockle sauce...

-So it has got to compete with all of that.

-OK.

It's clear it is a family favourite. He has turned it on its head.

Is this going to be too simple to win him the fish course?

Guys, where are the vac pack bags, please?

For current leader Lee's mackerel dish, timing is key.

He must cook his only fish element to perfection at the last minute.

What is your major risk point on this?

It is cooking the mackerel and just getting there on time

cos it is embarrassing being late, isn't it?

-It is a little bit embarrassing.

-It doesn't make Daniel happy.

Across the kitchen, Matt is pushing to impress Daniel

with his complicated Jamming And Canning dish -

his homage to the WI's preserving techniques.

I don't know about you guys, but I have got a fair amount to do.

He vacuum packs runner beans in salt and sugar.

Before moving onto his ballotine of salmon and canned anchovy.

Which he then chills.

But it is his jams that have caught Daniel's eye.

-So, Matt, where are you?

-We are jamming.

-We are jamming?

OK, so, bacon jam.

-What makes this a jam, then?

-It is not a classic jam at all.

I have it within the context of the dish.

I think it will be really enjoyable.

-Have you tasted these, boys? BOTH:

-No.

Well, give them a go. Is that a jam to you?

-What is this one, Matt?

-That is a tomato jam, Lee.

-That's a jam?

-Yeah, it is, yeah.

-And this one?

-That is the bacon jam.

Strange texture.

But I like the flavour.

It is all about the flavour.

All right.

-I am happy with it.

-Good luck.

Thank you.

The jam tasting session unnerved me a little bit.

The bacon jam was a little bit controversial.

Hopefully, in the final dish, I can win him over.

And, yeah, he will be jamming.

To claw back points with his Party Piece dressed salmon,

Mark is pushing hard.

He takes his cured salmon and pickles chunks in sugar,

vinegar and lime.

Time is still the pressure.

And there is a lot to put together at the last minute, yeah.

Then purees lobster emulsion mix, ready for piping.

Maybe the pressure has got to him a little bit

cos he's two points behind me.

Two points isn't a lot, but it does seem like it right now.

With time running out,

Matt vacuum packs salmon chunks with duck fat for his confit.

While Lee works on two cucumber elements of his mackerel fish -

compressed balls and a cucumber and fennel water.

You know, Lee has all these beautiful tastes and textures.

My only concern is, does this come together as a dish at the end?

Lee is first to plate up his Modern Bouquet fish dish,

inspired by the crafts of the WI.

And he has yet to cook the centrepiece - pan-fried mackerel.

Slightly nervous.

But I think I am on track on this one.

He plates up pickled cucumber, confit fennel, cucumber balls

and passion fruit gel before topping off with crispy quinoa.

Lemon, please, Sam!

Finally, he gets his mackerel fillets into the pan,

before placing them flesh side down in a warm Japanese dressing.

He adds dry ice to a presentation bowl

and crisps the skin of the mackerel with a blowtorch.

You've got a minute to the pass, Lee. Yes, Chef.

He tops with mackerel and garnishes with passion fruit seeds.

-How long, please, Chef?

-I need you to come to the pass now, really.

Then serves his cucumber and fennel water in teapots.

And adds edible flowers.

-You want a hand?

-Yes, please.

-Finish off.

-OK.

An extra layer of crispy quinoa goes on

and finally, he activates the dry ice with scented water.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

-Yeah? What do you think, boys?

Impressive.

Is this dish possible for a large amount of people?

Um, I think if this was to get through to the banquet, it would

have to be adjusted.

-There is a lot in there, isn't there?

-There is quite a lot, yeah.

-Are you happy with the balance of flavours?

-Yeah.

I think maybe a touch more salt on the mackerel, if I am very honest.

-More salt?

-Tiny bit more salt on the mackerel.

-I think it is light, but it's where it should be.

-It is bang on.

Quinoa, the consistency of that, is that right?

Yeah, it is very crispy.

It could do with more quinoa.

It wants a bit more of that, bit more texture.

-Do you think it needs the flowers?

-I think it does.

I think it gives a nice floral taste at the end,

just that little...that lingers in your mouth.

I'm not really sure the flowers add anything to the taste of the dish.

You think the WI would appreciate your cooking?

I think they will love the theatrical part of it.

I would personally give this a nine.

Maybe with how harsh Daniel has been, it is going to be an eight.

What would you score that?

I'd score that between a seven and an eight.

-Hey, man.

-Hey, boys, you all right?

-How was it?

-I don't know.

-I don't know what he thinks, you know? He doesn't give much away.

-No.

Next to the pass is Mark.

In joint-last place with Matt, he is hoping his Party Piece -

a tribute to his mum's dressed salmon -

will push him ahead of his rivals.

-How are you feeling?

-Yeah, all right.

-You ready?

-Get in there, yeah.

Mark starts by deep frying cockles

and charring his pickled salmon pieces with a blowtorch.

Onto a serving platter, he arranges the salmon head and bones,

pickled salmon chunks and pickled cucumber ribbons.

He then pipes on lobster emulsion and adds crispy cockles.

-How long you got to be up in the pass?

-Two minutes.

He adds lettuce puree

to a serving plate, with lobster emulsion

and garnishes with a crumble of olives and cooked fish skin

before adding the poached salmon

and filling serving jugs with cockle sauce.

-There you are.

-OK.

-That is The Party Piece.

-How do we eat it?

So it is to share. Just take in each of the elements here.

-A poached piece there.

-OK.

-A bit of the charred belly.

A bit of the pickled fillet.

A perfect dish for the banquet.

This is your interpretation of a British classic.

Yeah, this is The Party Piece.

Just to enhance the flavour more, we have got a cockle sauce.

Do you think the guests will be a bit frightened of the whole salmon

-head looking at them?

-It is a little bit scary. Isn't it?

Yeah, it is. It is quite intimidating.

-This is the poached salmon, yeah?

-Yeah.

To be honest, that is perfect. Texture, everything was there on it.

The pickled salmon, are you happy with the pickling of that?

Yeah, I think it is enough.

I quite like it. It's different.

It is a bit of a surprise as well, actually.

-Charred belly.

-You feel that is cooked perfectly?

Yeah, I think this is the best part because it is full of flavour.

Here we have a crispy cockle, is that the texture you were looking for?

I think they're still nice and crispy.

They could've been a bit crispier.

That is a lobster emulsion, a lobster mayonnaise.

-Tasty, that.

-That's lovely.

Your lettuce puree, is that adding to the flavours?

I think the flavour of the lettuce could be brought out a bit more.

-I'm going to give this an eight.

-I think an eight.

Visually, it needs a little bit of work.

-Hi, Mark. Hi, guys.

-How did it go?

-I was pleased.

I think the dish is as it should be.

It is just whether he thinks it is suitable for a banquet.

Returning contender Matt is last to plate up,

determined to overtake leader Lee with his Jamming And Canning -

a complex mix dish of 14 elements.

Matt deep fries canned anchovies.

And finishes the cured salmon in the pan.

-How are you getting on, Matt?

-Yeah, all right.

I'm just hoping I have done enough.

Onto a salt serving block, he centres seaweed yogurt

adds a slice of salmon and anchovy ballotine, followed by bacon jam,

tomato jam, shallots and caper dressing and salted runner beans.

It's always horrible when you stand here and watch.

He adds cured salmon.

Anchovy beignet.

And finally grates on frozen smoked salmon trimmings.

So, how are we going to eat this?

Knife and fork, just dive in.

Matt, do you feel the WI will understand exactly what

you are saying by the visual impact of your dish?

Yes, with the salt block and everything.

But if you were to put that dish on a plain white plate,

then maybe it wouldn't be so obvious. Um...

I think that might be quite difficult to eat off.

I think I want you to taste the tomato jam first.

-Are you happy with the texture?

-Yeah, I quite like it.

It works nicely with the dish.

-This is the bacon?

-This is the bacon jam.

Do you think the WI are going to give you a gold medal for that jam?

I think if you put it into a jam-making contest, then no.

I think the bacon jam is pushing it a bit.

This is the cured, confit, pan-roasted salmon.

-Is that the consistency you are looking for?

-Yep.

You have a nice crispy skin on there, but it hasn't touched the pan

anywhere else, so you get two textures within

that one piece of fish.

This is the belly of the salmon with the tinned anchovies,

ballotined and rolled in seaweed.

Are you happy with the seasoning of that?

With this seasoning, yeah.

You can really taste the seaweed on the outside.

You definitely get it at the end.

And these are the salted runner beans.

Is that the consistency you were looking for?

It could've been a tiny bit crunchier.

Really good. Not salty at all.

The grated smoked salmon, does that add something to the dish?

Not as much as I thought it would, actually.

I think you get a tiny bit of the smokiness,

but by the time we got to eat it, it was pretty much gone.

-What would you score it?

-I would score this dish an eight.

-An eight?

-(Yeah.)

I would give this an eight.

I think I'd probably give it a seven.

Hey, Matt. How was it?

I don't know, to be honest. I went into this dish confident.

I am hoping this is going to pull it back for me.

I was happy with my fish dish.

But I definitely need a higher mark than I got for the starter.

I really hope my fish dish keeps me a little bit ahead of you guys.

It would be nice to go into the main course with that

-sort of safety net.

-Yeah, I bet it would!

HE LAUGHS

-So, for the fish course, how did you find it?

-It was tough, very tough.

-Another tough one.

-I'm going to start with you, Lee.

And your Modern Bouquet.

The mackerel was perfectly cooked.

The quinoa brought a lovely crunch to the plate,

I really enjoyed that texture.

And the passion fruit really worked with the fish. It had theatre.

I really believe this hit the brief.

However...

I think the dish needs a little bit more thought.

There's parts where you are all over the place,

trying to get the last elements on the dish.

You just need to organise yourself before you go into service.

Mark.

For your Party Piece...

The cooking, I thought, was very skilful.

The salmon had a real melt-in-your-mouth texture.

The crispy cockles, brilliant idea,

really brought a wow factor to that dish.

Mark, you have taken a classic dressed salmon

and you have modified it radically.

This was a big risk.

And I'm not 100% sure you pulled it off.

Matt, for your Jamming And Canning...

The elements of your dish tasted great.

The tomato and the bacon jam were really pleasant.

The runner beans, and they are not my favourite, I think

are probably the nicest runner beans I have ever had.

However...

I felt like it was all going to fall off the side of the plate.

It was near enough impossible to eat from.

So, for the scores...

I am going to start with you, Matt.

I am going to give you a score of...

..seven.

You just need to work on your presentation.

Mark...

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

..seven.

The dish was delicious.

But the whole fish is going to be slightly off-putting to the

rest of the guests.

Lee...

I'm going to give you a nine, Lee.

HE EXHALES

All the flavours worked really, really well together.

I thought that was the dish of the day.

It is a big day tomorrow.

The main course is the one that everybody wants to win. Sleep well.

-Well done, mate.

-Tough one.

-Yeah, the main course is the biggie.

-Is it the course everyone wants to win?

-Oh, definitely.

It is the main event.

I am really happy I got a nine for the fish course.

I worked really hard to make sure that it went

up as good as I wanted it to, you know.

With two courses down, Lee has held his lead on 16 points,

with Mark and Matt trailing on 12.

I need to be getting an eight or nine.

I am super confident with my main course.

If I get it right, I will leave the boys standing.