0:00:03 > 0:00:06This week on Great British Menu -
0:00:06 > 0:00:10three of the North West's finest chefs.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Matt Worswick, the reigning regional champion...
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Are you in hand? No, organised chaos.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17I've pushed myself as much as I can.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..is up against two determined newcomers.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24Kim Woodward, a head chef for Gordon Ramsay.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Need anything doing? No. No.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27I don't need your help.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30And Simon Rogan's protege, Adam Reid.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Act confident and everything else will come with it.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37In the year the nation celebrated the Queen's 90th birthday,
0:00:37 > 0:00:41the chefs are paying tribute to the everyday Great Britons
0:00:41 > 0:00:43honoured throughout her reign,
0:00:43 > 0:00:47and competing for the chance to cook at an opulent banquet
0:00:47 > 0:00:49at the Palace of Westminster.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55Adam is in the lead after scoring eight points for his Indian-inspired starter.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58It was a fun thing to eat.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Matt is one point behind, leaving Kim in third place.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04I'm going to give you a six.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09Today is the fish course and Kim is out to produce a winning dish.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Are you challenging yourself on this one, Kim?
0:01:11 > 0:01:14I want to make sure that I am going to deliver great-tasting food.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16I'm confident I can pull it off.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Matt is leaving nothing to chance.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Have you practised this dish at all?
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Yeah, I actually tried it on someone who has been honoured by the Queen.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Adam is determined to hold on to his lead.
0:01:27 > 0:01:28I don't want to leave anything to chance.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31The competition is heating up.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47The chefs are competing to create dishes
0:01:47 > 0:01:50to honour our modern Elizabethan age,
0:01:50 > 0:01:54and to celebrate the transformation of British cuisine
0:01:54 > 0:01:56during the Queen's 64-year reign.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Judging the chefs this week for excellence and contemporary cooking
0:02:02 > 0:02:03is Phil Howard.
0:02:03 > 0:02:08A former fish course banquet winner, Phil has the highest expectations.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12The banquet is for the Great Britons who have been honoured by the Queen
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and these guys have got to cook their hearts out in that kitchen
0:02:15 > 0:02:19to produce dishes that are worthy to be there alongside them.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21You are one point ahead.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Kim is only one point behind.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24It's not much. Everything can change.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27The next couple of courses, I'm just going to give it my all.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30The challenge is on. It's not a fish curry for the next one, then?
0:02:30 > 0:02:31It's not a curry.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37First up, Kim Woodward.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39In third place with six points,
0:02:39 > 0:02:42she was criticised for failing to make the most
0:02:42 > 0:02:45of luxurious ingredients.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47I'm going to come back fighting with this course.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49The fish course is one of my favourites.
0:02:49 > 0:02:50I want to just deliver it.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Hi, Kim. Hi. How are you feeling after the first course?
0:02:55 > 0:02:58A bit more confident now. I'm ready to go in for it.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01You could still get three tens. There's still so much to go for.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04There's so much for me there. This dish is called Great Miners.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07OK. It's about honouring the coal miners in the North West
0:03:07 > 0:03:09and what they have actually done for Britain itself.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Coal fields in the North West played a huge part
0:03:12 > 0:03:16in the Industrial Revolution and we use charcoal even to date
0:03:16 > 0:03:18to modernise our cooking.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19It's exciting for me.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22Talk me through it. What I've chosen is halibut.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26I hope you're going to serve me a lovely prime, plump piece of halibut.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29I'm going to be choosing the best bit, right in the middle of the fillet.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34I'm going to put some of the spices around it and cook it on charcoal.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37OK. I'm going to use a garnish of potatoes,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40which I'm going to turn into a lookalike of charcoal
0:03:40 > 0:03:43using the squid ink, and serving it underneath the actual fish.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47OK. Also I will be making a little bit of charcoal bread,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49again using black squid ink.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51All very black. Yes, definitely.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Very black. You've got a spanking piece of seafood there.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Do some justice to it. Thank you very much.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02I think her take on the brief is interesting, it's real,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04it's got relevance to her,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08but I really hope she lets the halibut sing loud and clear
0:04:08 > 0:04:09and take centre stage.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Next is Matt Worswick.
0:04:12 > 0:04:17He made it to last year's finals and this year he hopes his reimagining
0:04:17 > 0:04:21of British classics will get him to the banquet.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26But his liver and onion starter failed to make a big enough impact.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29I'm going to give absolutely everything.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I really hope that Phil can give a nine or a ten.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Kim and Adam are really good chefs but hopefully it's me.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41How's Matt? Good.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43How do you feel after the first course?
0:04:43 > 0:04:45You look a bit less stressed than when I last saw you.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47I was under the cosh a bit with the timings,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51really up against it so hopefully I can get a better score for this dish.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55This is prawn cocktail, a classic British dish using
0:04:55 > 0:05:00amazing British langoustines, evoking our culinary heritage.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Everybody can associate with a prawn cocktail.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04I couldn't agree with you more, but we are however standing
0:05:04 > 0:05:06in the kitchen of the Great British Menu,
0:05:06 > 0:05:09so how are you going to take this box and get it to the banquet?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11I'm going to make a lemon oil
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and then poach these langoustines in a water bath.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16When I had prawn cocktail when I was a kid there was always a real
0:05:16 > 0:05:19cold element, normally because it was served straight from the fridge.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23Absolutely. So I want to try and evoke that so I'm going to make
0:05:23 > 0:05:26a classic Marie Rose sauce but then I'm going to pipe that
0:05:26 > 0:05:28into liquid nitrogen so when you taste it...
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Cold element and then Marie Rose sauce that we all love.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37OK. I'm going to do an iceberg lettuce puree
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and serve it with some cucumber flowers.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Are you confident that you're going to be able to refine it to make it
0:05:43 > 0:05:45worthy of this competition?
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I think if I can bring it up-to-date and show it a bit of love...
0:05:48 > 0:05:51I look forward to seeing what you do. Good luck. Thank you.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53He's got a good take on the brief.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I understand what he's doing but there are reasons why
0:05:56 > 0:05:59the dish does work and so to change it so drastically
0:05:59 > 0:06:00is obviously then a risk.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Finally, Adam Reid.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Winning the starter course has given him an early boost
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and he is planning to build on that success.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14I really want to keep those scores high so I'm going to push
0:06:14 > 0:06:15as hard as I can.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Adam, currently in pole position.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24Yep. Feeling confident?
0:06:24 > 0:06:25Yeah, I think so.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27You need to be. I've seen what you're up against.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Well, that's my worry.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31My dish is called By The Seaside.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34As per the inspiration for my whole menu,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38I want people to be able to relate to this so I remember going to
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Bridlington as a family, we would usually get drenched.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44That's what it's all about. Typical British weather.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45So, is this a take on fish and chips?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48No, not at all. This is a walk by the seaside.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52I want people to be able to eat this and by the end of the whole dish,
0:06:52 > 0:06:56I want them to have had all those little experiences that you get
0:06:56 > 0:07:00with a walk by the seaside. The main elements of the dish is the fish.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I'm using hake. How are you going to cook it?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I'm going to poach it in a bath of clarified butter.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08This, what's happening here?
0:07:08 > 0:07:11It's not for drinking, although I might feel like it by the end of it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13I'm going to make some scraps.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Obviously scraps are just the rag ends of the batter from the chippy,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20but I want them to be really light and a little bit more refined.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23So instead of water, I'm using gin and malt vinegar
0:07:23 > 0:07:26which are going to evaporate a lot quicker and so puff up the batter
0:07:26 > 0:07:28and make it really light and airy.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29The pickle cockles,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32again, classic seaside fodder really.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35Very much so. Then I'm going to make a tartar sauce
0:07:35 > 0:07:38but a bit more refined, nice and aerated, more like a mousse.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40Sounds interesting. So, we've got fish, we have got batter,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42we have got tartar sauce.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45There's no chips. Yes, we've got fish with a capital F.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Good luck. Thanks, Chef.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49I'm surprised he has chosen hake.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It's a fragile thing to deal with.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55I wouldn't have done it but a piece of pure fish with a wonderful
0:07:55 > 0:08:02tartar sauce and scraps can be a really magnificent thing to eat.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03It's all in the execution.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08The filleting begins,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12alongside some early nerves about cooking a perfect dish.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14So, Matt, are you not running around this course?
0:08:14 > 0:08:17I'm not out of the woods yet, I'm panicking in my mind.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20You look a little bit red-faced. You're not going to have any issues this time round?
0:08:20 > 0:08:24It's just the pressure. I like this dish and I need to do it good.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30As head chef of one of the UK's most famous grill restaurants,
0:08:30 > 0:08:35Kim is hoping her trusted charcoal will deliver her more points.
0:08:35 > 0:08:40This dish just highlights great cooking using charcoal is
0:08:40 > 0:08:44a big influence for me, especially when it's from the North West.
0:08:44 > 0:08:49Kim is achieving a charcoal look by blackening the yeast dough for her
0:08:49 > 0:08:51bread rolls with squid ink.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54It's always a tight call making bread.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I'm confident I can pull it off.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Let's make sure it is proved, it is baked, has rested,
0:09:01 > 0:09:03so that it can be what you intended it to be.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06That's what I'm going for, the light, fluffy element of a nice piece of bread.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08It's nice to have one baker in the house, Matt.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15Matt's decided not to bake his own bread for the croutons
0:09:15 > 0:09:18for his modern take on prawn cocktail.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21He has opted to use shop-bought instead.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24It doesn't really bother me about making your own bread.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27If you make really nice bread, it's one of the best things in the world.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28If you make really bad bread,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31it's one of the worst things in the world.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35Adam is out to celebrate the country's contemporary cuisine
0:09:35 > 0:09:38by capturing quintessentially British flavours.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40And, so far, it's working well.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42I'm feeling the pressure because I was worried about my starter.
0:09:42 > 0:09:47It has gone well so now it has given me the confidence to really push
0:09:47 > 0:09:50everything else, so I just want to smash it.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56Adam's fish course is inspired by a day at the British seaside.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00He salt-cures his delicate hake
0:10:00 > 0:10:04and cooks the cockles before pickling in malt vinegar.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Adam blends classic tartar sauce ingredients with eggs
0:10:10 > 0:10:14before emulsifying with a mixture of sunflower and parsley oil.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17He transfers the sauce to a whipper.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18Is it a take on fish and chips?
0:10:18 > 0:10:20No, there's no chips.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Just fish? It can't be fish and chips if there's no chips.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23Just seaside? Yeah.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Next, Adam tests the batter for his banquet-worthy scraps,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34traditionally the leftover bits from the fryer
0:10:34 > 0:10:35served in fish and chip shops.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Intrigued by the scraps.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41They'll be fine scraps.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45The gin and the vinegar and no water achieves what
0:10:45 > 0:10:47that wouldn't otherwise happen?
0:10:47 > 0:10:51The vinegar gives it that lovely acidic flavour that you like to get
0:10:51 > 0:10:54on your fish and chips. The gin is really there
0:10:54 > 0:10:57because alcohol evaporates a lot quicker than water
0:10:57 > 0:11:00so it wants to get out and puffs it up a lot better.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02You've got to get the elements just right.
0:11:02 > 0:11:07Matt is poaching his langoustine tails in lemon oil with star anise
0:11:07 > 0:11:09and thyme. Then he vac-packs them.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12They will be cooked later in the water bath to ensure
0:11:12 > 0:11:14the cooking temperature is precise.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18He is also making over the classic Marie Rose sauce
0:11:18 > 0:11:20which he will freeze with liquid nitrogen.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23There she is. So, Matt, have you practised this dish at all?
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Yes, I have actually.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I actually tried it on someone who has been honoured by the Queen,
0:11:28 > 0:11:30so I was a bit nervous but I think it went well.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36In his quest to serve up the best for the Great Britons
0:11:36 > 0:11:40at this year's banquet, Matt met one of the youngest to be honoured,
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Justice Williams.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Hi, Matt. Hi, Justice. So lovely to meet you.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48In 2009, after years of tireless work in her community,
0:11:48 > 0:11:53Justice was awarded an MBE, aged just 28.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Were you nervous going to meet the Queen?
0:11:55 > 0:11:58My whole thing going through my head the whole time was,
0:11:58 > 0:11:59"Do not fall over."
0:11:59 > 0:12:02Don't fall over, yeah. Everything else was just irrelevant.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05After a brush with the law as a teenager,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Justice turned her life around to become the multi-award-winning
0:12:09 > 0:12:12social entrepreneur she is today.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15By the time I got my MBE, I had worked with about 3,000 young people.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16That's incredible.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19So, services to young people in Birmingham that were involved
0:12:19 > 0:12:23in guns and gangs, for young people who were not aware of their rights,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and also for helping people with disadvantaged backgrounds
0:12:26 > 0:12:27turn their lives around.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30Where is it that they are currently getting that service from?
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Justice continues to help and inspire young people
0:12:34 > 0:12:37through various projects, and runs workshops
0:12:37 > 0:12:39teaching them how to start their own businesses.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41You need to think about,
0:12:41 > 0:12:44"Is the customer and the consumer the same person?"
0:12:46 > 0:12:48As one of the guests at the banquet,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Matt was keen to get her feedback on his fish course.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54When people say prawn cocktail, you just think of the traditional,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56old-fashioned. Yeah.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59The idea is to get all the flavours and the nostalgia
0:12:59 > 0:13:02of a prawn cocktail but, like, bring it up-to-date.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10That is delicious.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12HE LAUGHS Fantastic.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15I want to eat it all now.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Matt, you're on the right track with that one, definitely.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Yes!
0:13:19 > 0:13:20THEY LAUGH
0:13:21 > 0:13:25In the kitchen, Matt is preparing his lettuce puree which he hopes
0:13:25 > 0:13:30will take the much-loved prawn cocktail to new culinary heights.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32How are we going, Matt?
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Good, Chef. I'm intrigued by the lettuce puree.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38This is still in process but nearly there.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It's just a bit of spinach, iceberg lettuce and salt.
0:13:44 > 0:13:45What sort of ratio is it?
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Is it iceberg puree, spinach puree?
0:13:47 > 0:13:49So, it's an iceberg puree with a touch of spinach,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51just for colour really.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54I'm going to do some raw iceberg lettuce discs.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56You know when you have the prawn cocktail and you get
0:13:56 > 0:13:59that really fresh, crisp... That is what I am trying to emulate as well.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01The proof is in the eating.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08Kim has to get the proving of her bread rolls right in limited time -
0:14:08 > 0:14:11too little and they will be stodgy.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14It is proofing nicely so I am just going to keep an eye on it and keep
0:14:14 > 0:14:18turning it. I want a crisp bread, I want it light and fluffy.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Are you challenging yourself on this one, Kim?
0:14:21 > 0:14:22I want to make sure with this course
0:14:22 > 0:14:25that I'm going to deliver great tasting food.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It may look a little bit black but that's what I'm going for.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Kim boils her potatoes using squid ink and vinegar,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36which will make them look like lumps of coal.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Then she brushes her black dough bread rolls
0:14:39 > 0:14:43with charcoal-infused oil and sprinkles with smoked salt.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Are you confident about your bread?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Yes, it has proofed enough for me. I'm happy, so here we go.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Adam started this course in the lead but he is having problems now as he
0:14:54 > 0:14:59attempts to refine the famous chip shop scraps.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02I'm really conscious that I am first up,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04so I don't want to leave anything to chance.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07These scraps are a lengthy process.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11Just getting them really light and airy, so I just want to get everything right.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12I'm running around.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Now that is like a basketball.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16That's what we're looking for.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Finally satisfied,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22Adam fries his salt-cured hake and finishes it
0:15:22 > 0:15:24in a bath of clarified butter.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30He prepares the presentation for his dish, By The Seaside.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35The butter-poached hake is first onto the plates.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Next Adam adds sea greens.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39What is the newspaper element of it?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41To celebrate the lady I found out about,
0:15:41 > 0:15:43called Connie Brown.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46She used to run the local chippy and she was still working there
0:15:46 > 0:15:50into her mid-90s and she got an MBE for her services to her community.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Finally, Adam garnishes with pickled cockles and the scraps
0:15:56 > 0:15:59then wraps it all in newspaper.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07And also, as we like a bit of sauce with our fish,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10there's a nice aerated tartar sauce to go with it.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12I'm going to let you spray me with foam
0:16:12 > 0:16:14rather than the other way round.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17OK, that's not the tartar sauce I know.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20Feeling threatened at all? It's all in the eating, I suppose.
0:16:20 > 0:16:21OK, let's do exactly that.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30There's no chips. There's no chips.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32By the seaside, you expect fish and chips.
0:16:32 > 0:16:33I would.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Its classic ingredients...?
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Are the flavours. OK.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47It's quite smooth, isn't it?
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Normally you would expect tartar sauce to have a bit more texture.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52I think it looks great but I don't get that bite,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55that vinegary bite which I'm expecting.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56Hake is an interesting choice.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00The reason that we go for these lesser fish if you like,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04they've got bags of potential and if you cook them right,
0:17:04 > 0:17:05they are beautiful.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Is that cooked right? For me, yes, it's moist, it's juicy.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I'm happy with that.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14I'm quite intrigued by these scraps.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22The vinegar that was in the batter, has that come through strong enough
0:17:22 > 0:17:25to provide the acidity to nip through the richness of the sauce?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27When you take everything else with it,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30it gives you that piquancy you're looking for.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31Nice and crispy.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34At the banquet, Great Britons, are they going to get why
0:17:34 > 0:17:37this is a world-class competition-winning dish?
0:17:37 > 0:17:43I think any Great Briton would relate and be nostalgic
0:17:43 > 0:17:45about what is quintessentially British.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47I think the fish is cooked perfectly.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I love the sea vegetables, I love the scraps,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53but is it special enough for a banquet? I don't think so.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58I'd be happy with an eight, maybe it could be pushing nine.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00OK, you're confident with that?
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Matt is next to plate up.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08He's hoping his reimagining of the retro prawn cocktail will be deemed
0:18:08 > 0:18:10worthy of the banquet.
0:18:10 > 0:18:11Hopefully I've gone down the right route.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14I'm worried about getting it right for Phil, really.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I want to get a better score than a seven.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20How was it? Yeah, intense. It's difficult coming out first.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22There's absolutely no stopping,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24but I was happy with the way it came out.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Matt reveals his psychedelic presentation,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30complete with coloured lights.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33It's even more colourful than my starter.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36You associate prawn cocktail with the '60s, '70s,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38flower power, psychedelic.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Matt is using modern techniques,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44including freezing his Marie Rose sauce with liquid nitrogen.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47It freezes it in little rocks so that when you eat it
0:18:47 > 0:18:50as a whole dish, you put it in your mouth... It dissolves.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Yeah, that's the idea.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56Matt pipes the iceberg lettuce puree onto his plates
0:18:56 > 0:19:00and tops with lemon-poached langoustine
0:19:00 > 0:19:02and discs of iceberg lettuce.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Next are the brown bread croutons.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Your bought-in bread come out all right?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Yes, the bread is really consistent.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Finally, Matt garnishes with cucumber flowers,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17lemon oil and crushed segments of frozen lemon.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23You'd need a pair of sunglasses for that.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Are you really telling me that's what you wanted to produce?
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Absolutely.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Matt. So this is my prawn cocktail.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Prawn cocktail, as far as you're concerned?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Yeah. Colourful. It looks amazing.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38It's certainly prawn cocktail the like of which
0:19:38 > 0:19:41I've never seen before. Let's go and dip into it.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48You know, you get the vibe from it.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51It's what you expect prawn cocktail to remind you of, I suppose.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Large langoustines like that are without a doubt one of nature's
0:19:54 > 0:19:56most spectacular ingredients.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59You've chosen to cook them at a very specific temperature.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01What's the need for that?
0:20:01 > 0:20:07So I cooked the langoustines at 56 degrees so it's not chewy.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Wow, that langoustine - beautifully cooked.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Yeah. Can't argue it.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Let's have a look at the Marie Rose sauce.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21That what you're looking for? It does exactly what I wanted it to.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25As soon as you get it, you get bags of flavour and a cold aspect.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29The only thing I maybe would say is that once you start eating
0:20:29 > 0:20:32a lot of the Marie Rose sauce, it's very acidic.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38Do you think that the amount of lettuce puree that you've got there
0:20:38 > 0:20:40gives it enough presence on the plate?
0:20:40 > 0:20:44As well as the lettuce puree I put raw iceberg lettuce that's on there
0:20:44 > 0:20:46as well so you get more texture.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48I think Matt's on for a nine.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Yeah, I would definitely give that a nine.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Is that dish as it stands fit for the banquet?
0:20:56 > 0:20:58There's always room for improvements but I think, yeah,
0:20:58 > 0:21:02I do think that's a banquet dish.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Kim is last to plate up her halibut dish,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09dedicated to the coal miners of the North West.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13She gets her black bread rolls out of the oven,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16knowing the bake needs to be perfect.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19It's black, so for me it hits the brief of what I'm doing
0:21:19 > 0:21:22for this course so, you know, I'm excited about it.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Here he is. How we doing?
0:21:24 > 0:21:27How was that? He doesn't say anything, does he?
0:21:29 > 0:21:32How you getting on? Calm and collected?
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Any concerns? Everything's good.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37I've just got to cook the fish. Just the small aspect of the fish.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39Yeah, you know.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Kim brushes her halibut fillets with charcoal oil,
0:21:43 > 0:21:48then coats them in a mix of fennel seeds, paprika and celery salt,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50before cooking on an indoor barbecue.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Has it made you anxious seeing Matt's great dish go up there?
0:21:56 > 0:22:01I just want to bring my dish up and get your opinions.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06Next, Kim makes her brown butter sauce, adding capers,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08lemon juice and chives.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Anything you need doing, Kim?
0:22:10 > 0:22:12No, just building it now.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Then, she pipes butter mixed with black garlic and squid ink on top
0:22:17 > 0:22:21of the rolls and garnishes with a gravel of black olive and rosemary.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26First on the dish are the crushed charcoal potatoes,
0:22:26 > 0:22:31followed by the fish and more of the gravel garnish.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34The bowls are served in mini coal carts.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38To complete the dish, Kim spoons brown butter sauce into pots.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Here we are.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47I'll have to take the sunglasses off for this one.
0:22:47 > 0:22:48THEY LAUGH
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Impressive. Exactly what I wanted.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52Good.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01So it's just going to go... Yeah.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Do you like a lot, little? Good, I like a lot.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15You definitely get that barbecued... Yeah, cooked well.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17It's quite risky, actually, cooking it on the barbecue.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20There's a lot of things that can go wrong.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Are you happy with the piece of fish that you've got in front of you there?
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Yeah. For me, I've carefully watched it
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and I feel I've cooked it spot-on.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32You were going to say "perfectly" there, I could see the 'p' on your lips.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36The bread's there to be shared between two.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40You've got potatoes, you've got bread.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42You could argue that that's a double-up.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Playing the bread on the side for me was the fun part of it and, yes,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50it is about the fish course, but also the bread that the miners would have eaten.
0:23:50 > 0:23:51The bread's nice and light.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55For me, I would probably do less olive as a balanced fish dish.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59You know, the halibut's the star of the show.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00I know what I'm going to give it as a mark.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02What are you going to give it?
0:24:02 > 0:24:04I would give it a seven. There's three points missing there.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Where are you going to make them up?
0:24:06 > 0:24:08For me, I would make the bread obviously a lot smaller.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12I think is quite big, even though that's for two people.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15I think she's come back fighting with this one.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26How was that? Looking back at the bread element, for me,
0:24:26 > 0:24:28it's always about a bit of fun,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30but whether or not I need it or not for the dish,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32it's kind of thrown me, I think.
0:24:34 > 0:24:35Again, strong food.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Yeah, massively strong food.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41I thought I'd nailed it and then you two put your dishes up and it's just
0:24:41 > 0:24:42put me back in my place.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Scary.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46You just keep seeing really good dishes all the time.
0:24:46 > 0:24:47It's really annoying.
0:24:56 > 0:24:57Hello, chefs.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Hello. Hello. Feeling a bit more relaxed after the fish course?
0:25:01 > 0:25:03No. Done and dusted.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07Adam, we'll start with you with your dish, By The Seaside.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09It met the brief.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Simple. Clever.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13Hake...
0:25:13 > 0:25:18I think it's a risky fish because it's just an inconsistent fish to buy.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21It was cooked perfectly. I wasn't sure how the aerated tartar
0:25:21 > 0:25:24was going to work out but on the dish it did just the job.
0:25:26 > 0:25:27But...
0:25:29 > 0:25:34I did think that there was a lack of lift and vitality.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38For the fresh scraps, I didn't taste much vinegar,
0:25:38 > 0:25:40which is so important with the scraps.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43It just lacked presence and impact.
0:25:45 > 0:25:46Matt, your prawn cocktail.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Presentation...
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Boy, it was naff!
0:25:53 > 0:25:58But the truth is, I think prawn cocktail was always naff,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00so it was cool, I liked it.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Lettuce puree - a bit worried about where that was going to go.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08The truth was, it was used in the right way.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12The Marie Rose sauce, I thought that was absolutely spot on.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14But...
0:26:16 > 0:26:18The langoustines. Sometimes when you cook things
0:26:18 > 0:26:21at these gentle temperatures, yes, it's tender and sweet,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25but it hasn't got the character that a pert, plump,
0:26:25 > 0:26:26pink langoustine tail could have
0:26:26 > 0:26:29if you'd cooked it at a higher temperature.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32The croutons - I don't know whether they really brought anything.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37They were a bit rough and ready, there was so much finesse elsewhere.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41Kim, your dish, Great Miners.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44The rolls weren't great.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I do think they were ultimately under-proved.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53However, the piece of halibut with the sauce was one of those things
0:26:53 > 0:26:56that you just... That's what cooking's all about.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58It was special.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02I thought the black had impact.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04It all worked.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07So, to the scores.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Matt, for your prawn cocktail I'm going to give you a score of...
0:27:16 > 0:27:18..eight.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19Thank you.
0:27:22 > 0:27:27Adam, for your By The Seaside, I'm going to give you a score...
0:27:29 > 0:27:30of seven.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Kim, for your dish...
0:27:40 > 0:27:43..I'm going to give you a score
0:27:43 > 0:27:44of nine.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48Take on the brief was great and it certainly deserves a nine.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Thank you. That means, if my maths is right,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54all equal, halfway through.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Wow. Everything to go for.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Well done. Well done. Wow!
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Great score. I got a seven.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07It's the lowest out of the three of us but it doesn't matter.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09It's a good score, that's all you got to keep doing.
0:28:09 > 0:28:10I'm still confident.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Wow. Well done, mate.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14I'm absolutely made up with that to be honest with you.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17Phil's such a hard judge, so eight's a great score.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21A few tweaks then hopefully that could be better if I get through to Friday.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23It's all even now, anyway.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24I know, why did we even bother with today?
0:28:24 > 0:28:27It's just... We should have just started with the main course.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Wow, to score a nine, I mean, I'm super-excited now.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33It feels like I'm right back in the game.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34It's all about tomorrow now.
0:28:34 > 0:28:36Yeah.