Wales Starter Great British Menu

This year on Great British Menu...

Deep breaths. Show time.

..the chefs are competing to showcase

the transformation of British gastronomy.

You need a pair of sunglasses for that.

Is this the backbone of Britain? For me, it is, yeah.

I just want to smash it. Oh.

In the year the nation marked the Queen's 90th birthday,

the chefs are celebrating the everyday great Britons

she's honoured for their extraordinary achievements.

Their goal -

to cook at a special banquet held at the Palace of Westminster,

where their dishes must reflect the new era

in contemporary British cooking.

Going for gold all the way, mate.

I'm feeling the pressure.

One little mistake... That didn't go to plan.

..could be catastrophic.

This year, the chefs have travelled to meet the many great Britons

who had been honoured by the Queen for their endeavours.

This is the Queen's gallantry medal, that makes it super special.

I received the Victoria Cross for my action in Iraq.

It was the most amazing day of my life.

Inspired by these great Britons, the chefs must demonstrate

the transformation of British food during the Queen's historic reign.

I can't criticise this dish.

Their challenge, to produce a lasting legacy...

Wow.

..to this new Elizabethan age.

This week, the chefs competing to become

Welsh champion include two returners.

Last year's winner, Adam Bannister,

who is out to go one better this time.

Last year I got to the finals.

This year I feel more prepared, I've got my eyes on the banquet.

And Phil Carmichael, determined not to be beaten by Adam a second time.

I cooked for the judges last year,

now I need to make sure I get through to the finals.

I'm confident I've got the flavour in the food to get me there.

They are both facing competition from newcomer Andrew Birch,

a former Welsh Chef of the Year.

This is a new brief, a new year, and this is my time to shine.

Judging this week is a Michelin-star winning chef.

We don't know who the judge is going to be, it's nerve-racking.

A four-time competitor who reached the finals twice and cooked

at the banquet. Which chef walks through the door,

it definitely is the worrying moment.

Let's hope they hope they like Welsh people as well.

Michael Smith.

Chefs, good morning. Good morning.

Adam, how are you doing? You are the returning Welsh champion.

I just want to try and enjoy myself and do the food I want to do.

Phil, you were pipped at the post last year.

Losing by one point was heartbreaking.

So this year I'm going to give it my all and get through this

final and represent Wales.

Andrew. Hello. A new face to the competition.

You're going to have to be at the top of your game.

Last year was last year, and I'm here to prove what I can do.

Well, good luck, guys. ALL: Thank you.

Could have been worse.

First, Adam Bannister,

who's got his eyes on the banquet with a classic Welsh dish.

Adam. Morning, Chef. Back once more. Yes. For my sins.

What's the name of your starter? So it's called On Cawl.

A play on words, on call, on cawl.

I wanted to honour the National Health Service.

My partner is a midwife, my mum is a nurse, my sister is a nurse.

And for me, they go above and beyond every day.

So I really wanted a dish for them, really. Cawl being a Welsh dish.

So close to the heart. It's a soup with vegetables and lamb.

Talk me through what you've got in your box here, Adam.

OK, so we've got a breast of lamb.

I'm doing pressed breast of lamb.

And then I'm doing some crispy belly as well for a little bit of texture.

I'm doing some cured loin and then I'm doing some poached loin

wrapped in mint, just to make it nice and fresh and light.

OK, and we've got some vegetables here.

I'm just going to make a terrine. Layered potato, swede and carrots.

Welsh cheese. Yes, I'm making a cheese custard.

Sounds like you've got quite a lot of work on.

You know, as I said, the NHS, they go above and beyond,

so I felt I needed to go above and beyond as well. Good luck with that.

Thank you.

He's modernising this dish by using lots of technique,

so it's a really busy starter,

and he's got to nail every one of those techniques perfectly.

Next, Phil Carmichael.

Putting the disappointment of last year behind him, he's hoping

to become Welsh champion with a box of Asian-inspired ingredients.

Phil. Morning.

Back in the room once more. Yes, here we are again.

With this gentleman by your side once more. I know, yes.

Glutton for punishment. So what's the title of this dish?

An Indian Love Affair.

So this is representative of the cultural diversity we have in

Britain at the moment. And the fact that Britain loves a curry.

It almost is Britain's national dish now, isn't it? Exactly.

So I've got these beautiful British quails.

I'm going to take the legs off, make a bhaji batter and then just

cover that in a batter, deep fry them. Roast the quail on the crown.

And what else do we have in here?

A couple of beautiful mangoes, some ginger,

I thought I'd make a mango chutney puree.

Sort of cut through the richness of the tomato sauce with the lentils.

And some little pastry poppadoms.

How is this dish going to be elevated to honour those

great Britons?

It is going to be elevated by the precision I'm going to do.

It's going to be simple, beautiful cookery. Good luck with it.

Thank you very much.

I love that he's trying to represent the UK's diversity.

I'll be interested to see how he can skilfully use those spices

and not overpower the delicate flavour of the quail.

Finally, newcomer Andrew Birch with a box of traditional ingredients.

Andrew. Hello, Michael. Welcome to the kitchen. Thank you very much.

A little bit nervous, but looking forward to it.

It's good to be nervous, it'll keep you sharp and focused.

So, if you could give me the title of your starter, please.

It's 21st-century Cauliflower Cheese. OK.

Tell me what exactly you're going to do to that to elevate it to

honour these Britons.

Rather than just using a bog-standard Cheddar cheese,

I'm using this amazing Tunsworth cheese,

which marries amazingly with cauliflower. Not Welsh?

No, it's not Welsh, no. Quality out-balances locality.

Well, that almost sounds like fighting talk to begin with there.

What else have you got in your box here?

I've got this amazing English truffle.

Cauliflower and truffle work well together.

I'm going to be making a breadcrumb to go on the top of it. OK.

What else do we have?

I'm going to be using golden raisins and capers,

so it is my way of bringing an acidity to the dish. OK.

A bold move to try and reinvent a very,

very traditional cauliflower cheese.

You've got to take risks in this competition.

He's got some wonderful inspiration from British ingredients,

so who knows, he may pull it off.

As the chefs get busy in the kitchen,

they are hoping first-day nerves don't get the better of them.

I am obviously a little bit wary because you two know the kitchen,

so I've just gone in with an open mind,

do the best I can and hopefully it will be a good day.

Not as nervous as I was this time last year.

But we are in the goldfish bowl, so anything can happen.

You are right, you can make a mistake quite easily.

Adam is slicing potato, swede and carrot for the terrine.

One part of his modern take on cawl,

a Welsh soup made with lamb and vegetables.

Last year you were running around like a headless chicken.

Soon as we started, run in to the oven door.

A little bit too much to do.

I'm still pushing this year,

but I've tried to rein it in a little bit.

Adam's layered terrine needs to go through

a number of processes to ensure it sets perfectly.

So what's the biggest risk with this?

Not being cooked and chilled and set in time, I suppose.

Good luck, let's hope it doesn't fall apart. Cheers.

Adam Banister is chef proprietor of Slice in Swansea,

along with business partner Chris Harris.

The name is from the shape of the building.

The difference in this restaurant to most others is the fact

you are served by a chef.

So me and Chris take it in turns in the kitchen and in the restaurant.

Adam reached finals week on his first attempt last year,

but struggled with his nerves.

This year he's hoping he's got them under control.

He should be a bit more calm this year. Hopefully, anyway.

Not run into an oven. That'll be a bonus.

Adam's dish has been inspired by NHS workers,

including his girlfriend, Kate, who is a midwife.

I'm incredibly proud, I think he came across really,

really well last year, you are true to yourself and the food.

I suppose I need to have a little bit more belief in myself.

You know, this dish is quite close to the heart.

It's all about you and the people in the health service,

about going above and beyond every day.

There we go. Lovely.

I do really, really like the crispy texture,

it gives it a different texture to your normal cawl.

And I like the Welsh connection. I hope it does go to the banquet.

Thank you very much.

Adam is busy preparing lamb five ways

to lift his cawl to banquet standards.

As his consomme reduces, he poaches lamb loin

then presses the shredded lamb in a tray,

leaving some to deep-fry for a crispy garnish.

The final preparation is an unusual cured element.

How are we doing, Adam? OK, Chef, you? Is that the cured loin?

Yes, that's correct, yes. Salt, sugar and rosemary.

So I can have a little taste? It is quite salty. Quite salty?

Yes, there is a saltiness about it, but I'm not using a lot of it.

And you think this is elevating that wonderful piece of Welsh lamb?

And showing how to cook it and how to utilise how good it is.

Interesting. I'll let you get on with it. Thank you.

Phil is forsaking his Welsh roots and taking inspiration from

Britain's love affair with Indian food,

hoping it will get him off to a winning start.

He's making mango chutney to go with his own version of poppadoms,

circles of fried pastry with black onion seeds.

Make a sort of mango chutney puree out of it. OK.

So it will be a little bit of acidity to the dish.

A little bit of sweetness.

Inspired by daal, he's hoping the lentil sauce will appeal to

veteran Michael's taste buds.

Here we have got the base for the lentil sauce.

There's tomatoes, cumin, coriander, coriander seeds.

Chilli, onion, ginger. This is before you've added the lentils?

Yes.

So I will use this sauce to bind the lentils, then we'll put some fresh

coriander in there, fresh tomato concasse in there,

just to make the sauce.

So it's not quite finished yet? No, not at all.

Adjust the seasoning, maybe get a little bit more heat in there.

You seem very focused. Yes, always. Have to be.

Phil Carmichael, originally from south Wales,

has cooked all over the world.

He now works under former GBM veteran Jason Atherton,

running the kitchen at Berners Tavern in London.

Rabbit, potatoes. Oui? Oui!

I produce food I want to eat, personally.

It's solid, robust, packed with flavour.

Competing last year on Great British Menu brought out more

of a competitive streak in me.

I've written a menu I think is good enough to get

me through to the finals.

Phil has turned to fiance Claire

to help him prepare for the competition.

She's a pastry chef so she's got a set of skills that I don't have,

which she's constantly ribbing me about.

There was quite a lot of chat amongst our friends and everything.

And Phil's mum...

We all sort of thought that Phil should've got through.

With Claire's expert palate,

Phil is hopeful he can produce a winning dish.

Why did you choose quail to go with curry?

Quail, being a poultry bird, would go well with the curry.

Instead of just doing chicken.

That's really good.

Fingers crossed, that'll be a winner.

Definite winner, winner, chicken dinner. Well, quail dinner.

High-five.

Phil is preparing the quail.

The delicate meat of this small bird requires precise cooking.

If the quail is either overcooked or undercooked,

dish finished. You know, me going home.

But Phil is having a problem with the batter for his quail legs

and Adam's noticed.

So what are you doing there, Phil? Another batter?

Caught me out.

Yeah, it was a different ghee to the one I've used previously.

Put it in and it set like a brick, so I've had to substitute some

of the ghee for milk. So is that going to put you behind a bit?

No, should be fine.

Newcomer Andrew is making a caper and golden raisin puree

and a luxurious cheese sauce with white wine and truffle.

He's hoping his take on the British classic cauliflower cheese

will be special enough for the Queen's Great Britons.

I want it to caramelise nicely.

And you are happy with the colour on the cauliflower?

I'll pick the ones out that are a little bit dark, to be honest.

One or two are slightly too dark. Not yet.

Check on, guys. Two covers in the restaurant. Two bouche, one lobster.

Andrew Birch grew up in Swansea but now cooks at

Fishmore Hall Hotel in Ludlow, Shropshire.

My food is bold, full of flavour, seasonal and very tasty.

One lobster away, please, Payton.

Having worked in a Michelin-starred kitchen,

he believes he has the talent and skill to beat his rivals.

I'm very competitive and we always have little competitions in

the kitchen, whether it be press ups or arm wrestling.

We're always trying to outdo each other.

Andrew's love of food goes back to his school days in Swansea

with his favourite teacher, Heather James.

Mrs James, can you show me can you show me how to light this, please?

Can't remember, can you? OK.

First thing I cooked in this classroom

was spaghetti bolognese and I remember asking you,

could I bring my mother's wok in and you said, "No."

Because you don't do spaghetti bolognese in a wok. In a wok.

I was a bit upset because that's how my mother cooked it. I'm sorry.

It was you and my mother, which were a big influence on me.

As my mother isn't around any more,

I don't think I'd be cooking if it weren't for you.

Ah, that's lovely. You were an excellent student.

Very determined.

Andrew is hoping for an A* from his old teacher for his

contemporary cauliflower cheese.

The cheese is beautiful.

It's much nicer than just using Cheddar.

I think you're going to do very well with this dish.

It's a definite winner. Thank you very much.

In the kitchen, Andrew has decided to change his recipe by

adding apple to his dish.

Andrew. Hello, Michael. How are you getting on?

You settling in OK? I think I'm doing all right.

I'm just trying to put my head down and crack on for this course.

Apple, I don't remember that being in your box?

It will give it a bit more texture. Vac packed it.

It's going to keep all the juices into the apple.

It's a Granny Smith apple,

it's a British favourite with apples as well.

So it's adding acidity? Yes, it will be adding acidity to the dish.

A fruitiness and sweetness.

I don't want to just give you a cauliflower cheese. No.

Well, I get that and I'll leave you to it. Thank you very much.

In this competition, you need to be well rehearsed.

It's a risky thing to modify that dish at this stage.

Andrew has no time to make any more changes as he's the first to

plate up his refined cauliflower cheese.

He starts with the cheese and truffle sauce, golden raisins,

the new addition of diced apple and capers.

Then caper and golden raisin puree.

Are you OK, Andrew? Yeah, I'm spot-on, mate.

Next, the roasted cauliflower florets with more puree and garnish.

You can taste everything at the same time and you haven't got to

search around for individual ingredients.

Chive oil, more cheese and truffle sauce,

crispy panko breadcrumbs and grated truffle finish the dish.

Just coming up now, Michael.

Well, so, Andrew's first dish up in the competition. Got it up on time.

A bit more pressure on you two, to be honest. This is for you guys.

Thank you very much.

Shall I just get stuck in? Yeah, definitely.

The cauliflower, has that come out the way you'd hoped for? Yes.

I think it's got the right cooking on it.

The cauliflower, maybe slightly a bit more even colouring

so it's all roasted around.

So the apple, you don't think it is one ingredient too far?

No.

Do you like the apple with the cheese? And the cauliflower?

For me, not particularly, no.

The sauce, is it balancing out with the other big,

big flavours in there? I think it's a match made in heaven, personally.

For me, I like a much stronger cheese flavour in

my cauliflower cheese.

Do you think each individual flavour is identifiable on the palate?

I think they are.

It's nice, it smells nice.

For me, this is a side dish.

This is not something that I would want to sit down and start,

you know, a four-course banquet with.

You think this is something befitting of such an

honourable banquet? Yeah, I do.

It has not blown me away.

I think I'm going to give it a six. I'm going to give it a five.

All right, guys? All right, Andrew?

How has it been in the tasting kitchen? Yeah, it was good.

He said he absolutely loved it. Yes? No.

He didn't give anything away, guys. They don't.

Phil is next with his Indian-inspired starter celebrating

the diverse influences on British cuisine during the Queen's reign.

First on the plate is mango chutney puree and roast quail breast.

Is the quail how you want it?

Yeah, I always serve quail quite pink.

It is important to keep the moisture in the there.

Quail legs deep-fried in spiced batter are next followed by

the lentil and tomato sauce.

Phil adds poppadoms as a garnish along with coriander shoots.

You happy? Yes. Smiling? Yes. It looks lovely.

We'll have to taste it.

Well, I'll tell you what, I'm getting some lovely aromas coming from it. Shall we?

Yeah, let's do this.

So the presentation is nice, clean, simple-looking. The breast?

Is it tender? It's still nice and pink. Still nice and moist.

I just think it's a bit pink. I think the legs are a bit tough.

I did think the batter was going to be a little bit more crispier.

You pleased with the leg? Has it got enough crunchy coating for you?

Yes, yes, it's good. I like that. The mango chutney?

Brings a little bit of sweetness, a little bit of acidity to the dish.

I like the mango chutney. It's nice.

And the lentils,

there to add moisture to the dish as well as flavour? Yes, absolutely.

Could probably have put a little bit more on, if I'm honest.

And these are the poppadoms.

It's not a poppadom.

I think he maybe could have made poppadoms.

And the spicing?

It's not too overpowering. You can still taste that quail.

The look and the presentation is important but, you know,

it's the flavour that people are going to remember.

I think the level of everything is just about right as a starter.

I just don't know if it sits right as a starter in the banquet.

Adam is last to plate up.

He's hoping his complex dish with lamb prepared five ways will get

his defence of the Welsh national title off to a strong start.

Can I have another piping bag, please? You all right, Adam?

Just had a little accident, yeah.

Tapping down the cheese and the bag split open.

All rights, guys? How was that? Nerve-racking.

Ideally, I would have liked to have rested the quail for

a little bit longer. Fingers crossed for a good score.

Hurricane Adam in full effect? Harsh. Harsh but fair, Phil.

Harsh, but fair.

Adam's modern take on a classic cawl honours those who go above

and beyond for the health service.

People like his girlfriend, mum and sister.

He is serving on dishes designed with a medical theme.

Using a new bag, Adam pipes cheese custard onto his pressed lamb breast

and tops with cured lamb loin.

Next on the plate is potato, swede and carrot terrine. You all right?

Yeah, if the shakes would go away, I'd be all right.

The final element is poached lamb loin rolled in mint and topped

with a garnish of crispy lamb belly and celery leaf.

The lamb consomme is served in a syringe.

You look like you had a bit of a sweat on there, chef.

I'm good, I'm happy. I got it to the pass how I want it, so...

What do we think, gentlemen? I like it. I love the presentation.

My mother never used to do cawl like that. Do you know what I mean?

MICHAEL: Let's try.

First of all, visual impact.

There's a fun side to it and I wanted a little bit of that to it.

The root vegetable terrine. I like the flavour that you get from it.

That potato, swede and carrot terrine is perfect.

Yes, it's very tasty.

So we're going to try the lamb loin. Is it tender?

I'm very happy with it, yeah. I really like that. It's really tasty.

That slow-cooked lamb breast, that's phenomenal.

The cheese itself, do you think that flavour is necessary?

I just want it in the background and I feel I've achieved that.

The flavour of the cheese does actually work with it.

It's really nice.

With the consomme,

it's crucial that it's crystal clear and packs a real punch.

You managed that with this one? I think that packs a punch. Wow!

Beautiful flavour, beautiful colour, top consomme, that.

There was quite a lot going on just as you were plating the dish up.

Is that going to be an issue if you are doing it in the banquet?

I think if you're at the banquet, you're not so nervous then.

I'd imagine... You think?

I know we're only on first course, this is the dish to beat.

I can see this going all the way.

Hello, Adam. How was that?

It's nervous. What is he thinking? Because you don't know. Confident?

I want to get a good score today.

Nerve-racking standing there waiting.

The pressure, it just builds and builds and builds.

How are you doing, chefs?

Nervous now about the results

but relieved to get the first course out of the way.

I'll go straight onto the scoring. Andrew, a new dish.

21st-century Cauliflower Cheese.

This was a really tasty dish.

I really liked your approach and the inspiration behind it.

The cooking of the cauliflower was the way I like it.

However, the raisins lacked a bit of piquancy and I think,

ultimately, the late addition of the apple,

if that had been on its own, I think it would have had more impact.

As a banquet starter, it was slightly underwhelming.

I was looking for something way beyond everyday cauliflower cheese.

Phil, your dish, Indian Love Affair.

I love the idea of representing the diversity of cultural influences

from around the UK.

You promised big flavours and you delivered.

The spicing, for me, was spot-on.

However, the poppadoms, I would have almost liked to have seen

an miniature pile of them as you would get in an Indian restaurant.

The quail, I thought it was a touch underdone.

I think you missed a trick with the presentation.

It could have just been a little bit

more of a visual impact for a banquet.

Adam, your dish On Cawl.

The cured lamb, I thought that was an interesting addition

but I'm not sure if it was absolutely necessary.

The cheese was strong, possibly a little too strong.

However, this dish really told a story.

The lamb loin with the fresh mint was spot-on.

It really delivered on all the flavours and it was very enjoyable.

Onto the scores. Andrew...

..I'm going to score your dish...

..six points.

Phil...

I'm going to give your starter...

..seven points.

Adam, for your dish...

I'm going to award you...

..eight points.

I've enjoyed all your cooking. Delicious flavours so far.

I'm really looking forward to some spectacular fish courses. Good luck.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I think, as a chef, you always want more, but to have a lead is great.

Calm my nerves. Push on for fish course.

We're all still very, very close, very tight. Anything can happen.

Happy to get first dish out of the way, to be honest.

First time cooking in the kitchen and I got a six.

It could have been a lot worse than a six.

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