London South East Main Great British Menu

This week on Great British Menu,

three of the most exciting chefs on the London and South East restaurant scenes...

Michelin-starred returning contender Matt Gillan...

I feel like there should be, like, kind of dramatic music.

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

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

..and rising star Lee Westcott...

I think the pressure's on now.

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

celebrating 100 years of the Women's Institute

at London's prestigious Drapers' Hall.

Yesterday's fish course saw young gun Lee plate the winning dish

and maintain his lead over his Michelin-starred rivals.

I thought that was the dish of the day.

In today's main course, Lee's vying to stay in pole position.

These guys are gunning for me. They want my spot. And I want to keep it.

And Marcus Wareing's protege Mark is determined to show

he can handle the heat in the kitchen.

Are you trying to smoke me out or what, boys?

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

But returning contender Matt is out to prove his pedigree

and impress former boss Daniel Clifford.

-You look like you are so under pressure, it hurts.

-It does hurt!

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.

-Good to meet you.

-Likewise.

To research the history of the organisation,

they visited local groups...

-Fantastic.

-They look very grand, don't they?

-Yes, they do.

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

..to lift home-cooked classics...

Shepherd's pie!

..to new gastronomic heights.

-It tastes amazing!

-It's like cake in a glass!

Judging them all week is Daniel Clifford,

holder of two Michelin stars and twice a banquet champion.

I want dishes that represent 100 years of the Women's Institute.

That's a tough call.

These women are great home cooks and they will be expecting perfection.

So a new day today, boys.

How are you both feeling being four points behind me?

-Oh, he had to go there, didn't he? He had to go there.

-Yeah.

It adds to the pressure.

You know, even if it was level pegging, it's a big day, the main course.

It could be won and lost on this, I think.

First up is rising star Lee Westcott.

Yesterday, ambitious Lee nailed the brief

and impressed with his presentation

to pull ahead of his Michelin-starred rivals.

Having a four-point lead makes you feel very comfortable going into the main course.

It's a nice little safety net to have four points above the other two boys.

Today's presentation is inspired by a cooking technique

championed by the WI.

-Morning, chef.

-Morning, chef.

-How are you?

-Very well, thank you.

-Main course.

This is the big one. This is the dish everybody wants to win.

-So, Daniel, this one's called Hay Box Pigeon.

-OK.

So, for me, the whole inspiration behind my menu

was looking at some of the aspects that the WI focused on.

Back during the wars, there was a technique called hay box cooking.

It was a wooden box, you'd fill it with hay,

heat up whatever you were cooking, you'd put that into the hay,

wooden lid on top and you'd leave that overnight.

I've just sort of spun that on its head a bit,

did a bit of a modern take on it.

Star of the show, the pigeon.

The crown, I'll sous-vide that. Use all the bones for the sauce.

I'll be taking the wings and the legs off, be confiting them.

With that, I'll be making a crispy feuilles de brick.

That will be deep-fried.

So I've got some hay here.

I'm going to slightly dampened this a bit

and then burn it with a blowtorch

and then I'm going to infuse that into butter and make a beurre noisette out of it.

And I'm going to kind of use that to dress most of the elements.

-Make sure it's all there and the whole dish.

-That's it.

The box I've got, it's the pigeon breast in there.

I'll be smoking the box with hay.

You'll open it up, you'll smell the hay.

You know, it will be theatrical.

Another star of the show, I'm doing cauliflower

in a few different textures, as normal for me.

This is concerning - mint. Where's that one coming up from?

You say concerning, but this is probably my favourite ingredient.

I honestly think cauliflower and mint, they work really well.

So I'm going to serve that raw and then I'm going to make an oil.

And then I've got some grapes here.

I'm going to pickle these and then dehydrate them.

You've got your work cut out again. You'll be running around like a headless chicken.

Or a headless pigeon!

Lee's dish, Hay Box Pigeon.

For me, the only concern is when he delivers that dish,

he's going to smoke it in a box.

How does he control the smoke penetrating the pigeon?

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

Mark Froydenlund.

The richness of his starter and the presentation of his fish dish

have let him down and he remains in joint last place.

The main course will be a real good turning point for me, in terms of points,

as long as I nail the presentation.

I'm looking for an eight or a nine for the main.

Morning, chef, how are you?

-Yeah, good, thanks.

-Take me through it.

So the dish is Jerusa...Lamb.

It's based on a recipe I found with the WI from 1945

-for lamb's tail pie.

-Lamb tail pie?

-Yeah.

So take me through the dish, chef.

Starting with the lamb tails, which are going to be the base of the pie.

Really small, but loads of flavour.

So these are getting braised down.

I'm using some ox tail, as well, to help with the flavour of the pie

-and to give it a bit more meat, as well.

-OK.

-Where are we putting the shanks?

-These are being braised, as well.

Some of that is going into the pie, then the rest of the shanks are going to go into a rissole.

This is a memory of my grandmother.

She cooked loads of homely dishes using leftovers, rissoles.

Pease pudding. The peas are going to be braised with the shanks, as well.

It's kind of a one-pot dish.

-Is it a pastry top?

-Yeah, it's going to be really traditional.

And then, on an individual plate, we're going to be using the tongues.

-What are you serving with it?

-For the lamb, I've got Brussels sprouts.

-The breadcrumbs, what are these for?

-That's the coating for the rissole.

OK. So we've got three different types of meat going on.

-Lots of garnishes. You're going to be a busy boy.

-Yeah.

-Are you up first?

-I am.

Big push, then.

He's doing lamb tail pie.

Is there enough meat on the bone to make sure he can make a pie that tastes as good as it looks?

Last up is Michelin-starred returning contender Matt Gillan.

Poor presentation on his starter and fish course has kept Matt in joint last place.

Now he's determined to catch first-placed Lee.

It keeps the pressure on today. I have points to make up

and I've 12 elements going on this dish

and it's going to be full-on.

His dish is inspired by his heritage in St Helena

and the minimal waste ideals of the WI.

-Good morning. How are you?

-Morning, chef. I'm good, thank you.

What's the name of your dish?

-My dish is Teaching And Preaching.

-OK.

So the Women's Institute educated its members to get the most out of their produce.

-No protein.

-Just a moment.

OK.

-Right...

-Is that enough protein for you?

It's quite a bit, yeah! That'll please me.

So to demonstrate getting the most out of the produce,

I'm going to use a whole billy kid.

So we start with the leg.

I'm going to do a salt-baked leg.

The shoulder, I'm going to salt that, ras el hanout spice.

Everyone knows goat and curry, so just a little spice in there.

-So this is like a nod to your mum, as well?

-Exactly.

You know, for us, when we used to get together as a family, it was goat curry.

So it's a normal ingredient for me.

-The loin, pan-fry the loin.

-OK.

And I'm going to make a dumpling with the goat fat.

And with the fillet and the kidneys,

I'm going to make like a boudin, a sausage.

So take me through the rest of the ingredients.

OK, so we've got the pineapple.

I'm going to pickle this and then water bath it.

So these ingredients here,

Worcestershire sauce, tomato juice, tomato puree,

so these are going to be the base for the ragout.

-Are you up last today?

-Yeah.

Thank God for that!

Matt's dish, Teaching And Preaching,

he's got a real connection to this dish.

It means a lot to him with his family and his heritage.

My concern is

that he's got so much to do.

Will every element be as perfect as it needs to be?

You've all looked at the brief in a completely different way.

But just remember, we need dishes that would make your mum proud.

Good luck, everybody.

With cooking underway, the chefs are firmly focused on the brief.

What would it mean for you two to get a dish to the banquet, you know?

For me, it's going to be a big thing.

I think to have a dish inspired by the ladies that we're cooking for, it'll be a real honour, actually.

-If you get there!

-No, Mark. When! When!

Right, yeah. When!

In joint last place, both Mark and Matt need to claw back valuable points with their main dish.

They've both taken inspiration from the WI's "waste not, want not" ethos.

The starting point for this dish was a recipe I stumbled across in the Women's Institute archives

for lamb's tail pie.

With me, it just resonated so much with everything the WI does.

You know, using the whole animal...

I've got quite a similar inspiration, really.

You know, it doesn't have to be about prime cuts

and the majority of it wasn't about prime cuts at all for the ladies.

Lee is hoping to maintain his lead with his pigeon dish,

where his presentation and flavours pay homage to the hay box technique championed by the WI.

He starts with a beurre noisette to complement the pigeon,

made up of butter and toasted hay.

I'm feeling the pressure, yeah.

These guys are gunning for me, you know? They want my spot.

And I want to keep it.

He then preps the pigeon crown,

which he'll smoke at the last minute in the hay box.

He vacuum packs with thyme, beurre noisette and toasted hay,

before cooking sous-vide.

I don't know if I'm worried about this dish.

I think it will taste amazing, his food always does.

But I just don't know if this is the right dish for the banquet.

Marcus Wareing's protege Mark is gunning to get back in the competition with his lamb tail pie,

his take on a classic WI recipe.

He coats the tails in flour and pan-fries

before slow-cooking in the oven with stock, carrots and star anise.

For me, my biggest worry is it's going to be too home-style cooking.

Is this going to be a pie that's fit for a banquet?

At the end of the day, he needs to up his presentation for him to get great points today.

Yesterday, returning contender Matt dropped points for impractical presentation.

Today, he's determined to redeem himself with Teaching And Preaching,

a complex goat dish featuring 12 elements.

Matt has got a lot to do but, to be honest, he's got his head down.

He's making me a bit nervous. Look at him. He's like a machine!

Having butchered the entire billy goat,

he adds a spice rub to the shoulders, before sealing on the barbecue.

Then minces leftover trim for the ragout element of the herder's pie,

his take on shepherd's pie.

Did you go home last night and think about presentation?

Yeah, it's all I've thought about.

It's going to look nice, but it's much simpler and for a banquet, it would be so easy.

It doesn't look easy from where I'm standing!

I think chefs cook best when they're totally under pressure

and you look like you are so under pressure it hurts.

-It does hurt!

-Yeah.

Matt's got a lot of work to do.

I'm just worried, has he overstretched himself?

And is this a bridge too far?

He moves on to the goat legs, cooked two ways...

baked in salt dough

and in a boudin sausage with kidney fillet,

that he pipes into strips and cooks in the oven.

Matt's goat shoulder is almost finished

and, despite using an indoor barbecue, it's very smoky.

-BLEEP,

-Matt, are you doing this on purpose, or what?!

Are you trying to smoke me out or what, boys?

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

I didn't want my lamb smoked, but I don't think I've got a choice now!

It's all right, mate. There's a winning dish over here that will help you out!

The inspiration for Matt's goat dish comes from childhood memories of his mum's cooking.

A recent surge in the popularity of goat's milk has meant that male goats or billies

are routinely slaughtered as they are of no use to the dairy industry.

But there are farmers like James Whetlor,

who disagree with this practice and have spotted an opportunity.

-These are the billies?

-These are the billies.

Traditionally, they would have gone to waste.

Our solution, raise them up to meat and sell them to restaurants and people like yourself.

Is there any chance we can go grab some, Mark?

Yeah, yeah, of course.

So I think what James is doing here with these billy goats is amazing,

taking a product that was going to go to waste

and it just ticks so many boxes of the WI's ethos on sustainability.

To get the seal of approval for his billy goat course,

Matt's cooking a sample of the spiced shoulder for the woman who inspired his dish,

his mum Pat, along with his Auntie Dorothy.

Absolutely lovely.

I had some good teachers.

That really is nice.

We're going to need some more!

Yeah, by all means.

This is Matthew's second time in this competition

and I know he'll go all-out to win this time.

And if he goes all the way, I will be so, so proud of him.

My mum and my auntie really enjoyed my goat.

Just makes me even more determined to get this dish to the banquet.

Right...

In the kitchen,

Mark is pushing hard to impress Daniel with his lamb dish.

He's glazing lamb tongue before vacuum-packing and cooking sous-vide.

The lambs' tongues are a bit of a concern. It's not everyone's taste.

But I think especially ladies at the WI, will appreciate use of the tongue and the flavour, as well.

I think it's quite a nostalgic flavour for them.

-Mark, where are you up to?

-Just picking down the lamb tails now.

You don't get a lot off them, that's why we've got the oxtail and the shank in there.

-Are you using this for flavour or because you can?

-A bit of both.

It's a really nice sweet meat and I think, yeah, because it's different.

It's something that the WI have used in the past.

I think it's important to show where they've come from.

Mark's using cheap cuts of meat in his pie.

He's got to remember, the Women's Institute have been doing this for years.

So they are going to be super critical of him. This has got to be perfect.

Current leader Lee's complex pigeon dish

also draws on the WI's minimal waste ideals.

He's making cauliflower five ways and using all the trim.

Cauliflower, is it going to be everyone's cup of tea?

It's a basic ingredient they would have grown on the allotments. I'm just bringing it to another level.

Lee's doing cauliflower five ways. Is that a risk?

It's just, is it going to be too much cauliflower on the plate?

With many elements to juggle,

Lee works on the pastry for his crispy feuilles de brick rolls,

which will be filled with a pigeon leg and shallot confit.

The meat's got to get up on time. I'm a bit worried maybe it won't.

I've got a lot to do.

In joint last place, Matt's determined to claw back points

with his billy goat dish, which uses every cut of meat.

BLEEP.

But there's a problem...

So I've overcooked my fillet and kidney mousse.

It's an added little bit of stress that I really don't need at the minute.

With enough leftover mix, Matt pipes the boudin again

and a fresh batch goes in the oven.

Matt's got a lot to do. I don't think he can afford to be doing things twice.

It's a race against the clock for Lee and his complex pigeon dish.

He preps pigeon leg confit,

while the pickling liquid for his grapes simmers.

And catches more than Daniel's attention...

-Setting the place alight, chef?

-Nearly!

-You look totally up it.

Happens to the best of us, chef.

Lee looks completely unorganised.

I haven't seen him working like this.

Is this pigeon dish too much for him?

Across the kitchen, Mark is also up against it,

prepping his lamb's tail pie.

I am feeling the pressure of the kitchen. The pie has got to go in the oven.

He layers pease pudding, lamb shank,

tongue and tail with oxtail and braising juice.

Then covers with hot water pastry

and cooks in the oven.

He then moves on to prepping lamb shank rissoles,

inspired by his grandmother,

followed by Brussels sprouts,

some of which he pickles in vinegar and sugar before frying.

He then uses the remaining pickling liquor to make a mint jelly.

It's so busy, they're so stressed,

I just hope they don't forget anything.

Mark's first to plate up his Jerusa...Lamb dish.

After disappointing yesterday with an unusual presentation,

he's hoping his take on a classic WI recipe will impress Daniel.

-That pastry looks like it's come out all right, Mark. It looks nice, that.

-Yeah, I'm pretty pleased.

He tops his pie with braised oxtails.

Onto a lamb-themed serving plate,

he adds mint sauce...

..pease pudding, pickled Brussels sprouts,

lamb shank rissoles

and slices of lamb tongue.

He then garnishes with crispy Brussels sprouts

and Brussels sprout leaves.

I wasn't expecting two different elements to it, actually.

-Pretty much all of this is in there, as well.

-So a double whammy.

Next, he pours lamb gravy into serving jugs and brings to the pass.

JERUSALEM PLAYS

To the sounds of Jerusalem, the WI anthem and playful title of his dish.

Are you happy, chef? Is this WI on a plate?

I think so.

-What do you think, boys?

-I think it looks amazing.

-So this is the tail?

-Yeah.

-Lovely.

Look at that...

-All right, boys, enjoy.

-Enjoy.

-Happy with the presentation today?

-Yeah, I was. I put a lot more thought into it.

And with the added music, I think it brought a nice atmosphere to it.

It's all really nice. It just ties in really nicely.

I think this is a dish where he's really hit the brief.

The lambs' tails coming out of the pie, what's the thought process behind that?

So these here are just actually the top of the oxtails.

And they're there really just for the presentation.

Oh, there's no way you're going to be able to eat that.

I'm not sure we're going to get to try this meat.

To make pastry for the WI, it's a big risk.

Do you feel your pastry is good enough?

A little bit of a crust on top, soft on the bottom,

which is, I think, what you'd expect with a pie like this.

The pastry, for me, it's underdone.

Me, I'd like it as it is on the top all the way through

And a little more crispier.

-This is...?

-The rissole.

-You happy with that?

-Yeah. Maybe a little bit more seasoning.

Wow! Bags of flavour. You've got tarragon in there, mustard...

The mustard really comes through. Lovely.

Lamb's tongue, is that what you wanted?

Yeah, I think it's important to show nose-to-tail eating on the plate.

-You can't fault that lamb's tongue.

-The lamb's tongue is really well cooked.

-What would you score that?

-It should be a seven.

-So how would you make it better?

-Maybe taking off the tail at the top.

I'd give this dish an eight.

I'd give this an eight, as well.

-Hey, guys.

-How was it?

Yeah, it was tough. Did you enjoy it?

If I was you, I'd be very happy. That was a lovely dish.

You set the standards today, boy.

That's what I needed to do, to catch up with Lee.

Next to plate up his complex pigeon dish is Lee.

Having taken the lead in the first two rounds,

he's hoping the hay box presentation and smoking technique will be a winner.

To a serving plate he adds yeasted cauliflower puree,

capers and mint leaves.

-How are you getting on there, Lee?

-All right.

I just need to make sure I get it all on the plate.

Next, he adds raisins,

raw cauliflower florets,

pickled grapes,

roasted cauliflower,

sliced cauliflower and crispy cauliflower.

-How much time have I got left, boys?

-One minute.

The cooked pigeon breasts go onto the hay box.

Are you happy with how the pigeon has come out, Lee?

I just need to let it rest a little bit more.

He pours pigeon sauce into serving jugs.

You should be at the pass now, chef.

And fills feuilles de brick crispy rolls with two types of confit,

pigeon leg and shallot,

then drizzles with mint oil

before finally lighting the hay

to smoke the pigeon breast in the serving box.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

-What do you think, boys?

-Amazing. It smells good.

-So I just open this up?

-Open it up.

-You can really get that hay smell coming through.

-Yeah.

Right, let's go and enjoy it.

The roasted cauliflower, is that how you wanted it?

Yeah, that's certainly how I wanted it.

-It's got really good flavour to it, the roasted cauliflower.

-He's got that bang-on, there.

-The pigeon, is that cooked the way you want it?

-Yeah, nice and pink.

Is there a danger of that being over smoked?

Not for me, no. If I would have done today again,

I would have smoked it for a little bit longer in the box.

I was expecting it to be a bit more smoke flavoured from the hay.

-Crispy feuilles de brick, will that stay crispy?

-Yeah. You've just got to do them beforehand.

-It's very, very nice. But there's a lot of layers of richness.

-Yeah.

-These are the raisins.

-Is that what you're looking for?

-Yeah.

They've got a good acidity to them.

This cauliflower with the mint oil, is the mint working?

For me it does, yeah.

It didn't come through for me. Maybe a little bit of style over substance on this occasion.

-What would you score that?

-I'd give this dish an eight.

-Where's it missing the last two points?

-I'm just being modest.

I never want to say a ten, Daniel!

-Probably looking at about an eight for this.

-I'd give it a nine.

In the kitchen, Matt is still working on his Teaching And Preaching goat dish, featuring 12 elements.

He separates the goat leg from the salt dough

and finishes on the barbecue.

Next, he assembles his spin on a shepherd's pie,

the herder's pie of ragout topped with mashed potato

and browns in the oven.

-You all right there, Matt?

-I'm happy. I was on time.

But going up after Mark's, he did a lot of technical cooking in his.

Last to plate up, Matt starts with dehydrated goat's cheese rind

and goat's cheese,

a strip of goat jelly and caramelised pineapple.

-Matt, how are you feeling last up? Are you feeling ready?

-No!

But I intend to be on time. I've never put up a dish late.

I don't intend to start now.

Onto a sharing platter, he places herder's pie,

baby leaf spinach,

sliced salt-baked leg, loin and shoulder.

-Matt, that's it. You are due at the pass now.

-30 seconds, please.

He adds goat fat dumplings and kidney fillet boudin,

before finally pouring goat sauce into serving jugs.

Deep breath, deep breath!

-I can't really believe that you actually got it to the pass.

-I can't believe I did!

Right, so, how do I serve it?

OK, so everyone's getting a plate like this.

So a piece of shoulder, a piece of loin...

So, literally, we have every part of the goat on here?

-Every part of the goat.

-OK, enjoy it, boys.

Last main course of the day, eh?

-Matt, it looks like you've put everything into that.

-Everything is on the plate,

everything is how I wanted it to be on the plate, as well.

This one he was busy on, eh?

Yeah, it's been a lesson on how to get everything together.

And this is the salt-baked leg.

Do you think the salt has penetrated that enough?

The idea is not to penetrate through.

-It was just to kind of give a seasoning without adding more salt to it.

-OK.

Loads of flavour. Really good caramelisation on the outside.

Really tender.

-This is the shoulder, yeah?

-Yep.

-Is that the consistency you were looking for?

-Yeah.

-Oh, it's really tender.

-Instantly in your mouth, it just melted, really.

Yeah.

-And this is the...

-Fillet and kidney boudins.

Do you feel it all works well together?

I think it works really, really well.

-Quite intense.

-Yeah.

Got some spices in there.

-Will the WI understand the message you are trying to deliver?

-Yeah, I think so.

Do you think he's pulled his A-game with this?

Yeah, I think he has. He's put absolutely everything into it.

-I think it does worry me.

-I'm also worried. Definitely.

What would you score this dish?

I would be disappointed if it was anything less than a nine.

For me, this is a strong nine.

I think a nine is about the right score.

-Hello, guys.

-How are you doing, mate?

-Yeah, I'm so glad that's over.

So what do you think, lads? You reckon you've caught up?

I hope I've closed the gap on you.

I've got to get a nine or a ten if I'm in with a chance of getting through to Friday.

Yeah, it's the same for me.

I was hoping for a ten today. That would make my day.

Hello, chefs.

How are you feeling?

-Shattered!

-Yeah.

I'm going to start with you, Lee.

Hay Box Pigeon.

I like the idea and I like the presentation.

The pigeon was cooked perfectly.

I wouldn't have put mint on a dish like that.

And today you've taught me

that, sometimes, thinking outside the box really works.

I loved it.

However...

..I'm not 100% sure that this dish is doable for a banquet.

And I've been to a banquet and for you to do large numbers of them,

I'd like to be there to watch that.

Matt...

..for your Teaching And Preaching...

..it takes true skill to take a whole animal, especially a goat,

and break it down.

The story of your dish, Matt, is amazing.

When you explained the story to me, I really get it.

However...

..I get it when you tell me about it. But I don't get it on the plate.

Mark...

for your Jerusa...Lamb,

the rissoles inspired by your nan,

I did find them slightly dry.

The tail coming out of the pie, great idea,

but I wanted to be able to eat it.

However...

..it was a fantastic pie.

The pastry, I think you're going to give the WI a lesson in how to make pastry.

For me, this has been your strongest dish and it really hit the brief.

So for the scores...

I'm going to start with you, Lee.

I'm going to give you an eight.

Matt...

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

Mark...

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

For me, that's been your strongest dish to date

and it was a pleasure to eat.

So dessert day tomorrow.

Let's make sure those points are really high.

Thank you very much.

I'm sitting on third place. I've been here once before,

going into the dessert course and it's not a nice place to be.

Just hasn't been quite enough.

With only one course remaining, Lee is holding on to his lead

with Mark trailing in second

and Matt one point behind in last place.

So I got an eight for my main course. I'm very happy.

I would have been happier with a nine or ten but, you know, you can't win them all.

The main course is done, out the way. I got a nine.

And now I feel like I'm in a much stronger position going into the dessert.

-It makes dessert interesting, though.

-Yeah.