North East Starter Great British Menu

This year on Great British Menu...

It's hot in here.

The pressure in the kitchen is ridiculous.

No!

..the country's best chefs are competing to showcase

contemporary British cooking.

You look like you're praying.

I am.

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.

It is the most amazing thing you could ever receive.

The prize, to cook at the ultimate banquet held at the country's most

iconic building, the Palace of Westminster.

Here they must demonstrate the coming of age of British cuisine.

Going for gold all the way, mate.

You think you're on track and all of a sudden something's missing.

Are your hands all right there, Russell? You've got a shake on.

That was a stunning dish!

Our chefs have travelled the nation,

meeting everyday great Britons commended for their achievements.

Your turn next.

I'm trying to keep up with the speed.

Since the Coronation, more than 60 years ago,

countless outstanding individuals have been recognised

on the Queen's honours list.

This is the Queen's Gallantry Medal.

That makes it super special.

-This is the MBE...

-Wow!

..which Prince Charles gave me.

-What an honour.

-It was an honour.

Inspired by these great Britons,

the chefs must highlight the transformation of British cuisine

during the Queen's reign...

It looks fantastic.

..to produce a lasting legacy, to this new Elizabethan era.

Each taste...it's just delicious!

I just want to eat more and more.

This week, competing to become north-east champion

are three ambitious chefs.

Returning contender, Mini Patel,

who has his sights set on the judging chamber.

Bitterly disappointed about last year, going out on Thursday.

This year, I've got four amazing dishes,

I'm going to knock it out of the park.

Making his competition debut, Tommy Banks,

whose food philosophy lies close to home.

I grow my own food, I forage my own food, I preserve food.

I think my ethos could take me all the way on Great British Menu.

And, finally, fellow newcomer Chris Archer,

who hopes his competitive nature will push him through.

I've worked for some of the best chefs in the country

but I'm not a copycat. I'm my own man and I've come here to win.

Judging this week, a chef who's acclimatised to the heat

in the Great British Menu kitchen.

How did it feel last year, being judged by the veteran?

It was scary. I was really nervous.

I do feel for you both!

I'm saying this now but as soon as the judge walks through,

I'll still be doing my...!

Former banquet champion and the youngest British chef

ever to earn two Michelin stars...

Tom Aikens.

Hello, chefs. How are we feeling?

A whole lot different to five seconds ago!

Who were you expecting, the boogey monster?

Yeah, quite possibly.

So, Mini, been here before.

-Nervous?

-I wasn't...

-I am now!

-Tommy...

you got a Michelin star at the age of 25,

I got two at the age of 26.

Are you up to the competition?

Yeah, I'm nervous but I'm really excited,

I want to get in the kitchen now and get cooking.

-Chris?

-I'm very confident in my dishes.

I've not come here to go on home on Thursday, that's for sure.

Guys, I know exactly how you're feeling. I've been here before.

Good luck. Cook your hearts out.

Above all, smile, and enjoy.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Chef.

-Phew!

-Yes!

That is an intimidating character.

We'll have to be on top of our game to get good scores.

I don't think we'll be getting any freebies.

First up to face the veteran is returning chef Mini Patel.

-How are you doing?

-I'm very well, thank you.

Explain your dish and your inspirations behind it.

-The name of the dish is Charity Begins At Home.

-OK.

My inspiration is about the Queen and all the charity work she does.

She's a patron of over 600 charities.

The dish is based around a food bank and a food kitchen.

-They nearly always start the meal with a soup.

-OK, interesting.

The base of the soup is going to be guinea fowl.

-Is it a broth?

-It's a broth. It's a broth.

I've got leeks, fennel, some celeriac,

that's going into the broth,

but, also, the celeriac, I will be making a puree with it.

We'll be setting some of the broth into a sphere,

which will have a bit of the leg meat and vegetables inside,

and then you're going to be pouring hot broth

-onto the cold and that's when it releases...

-The magic?

-Yeah.

And then there's a take on the bread element,

-which is going to be a toasty.

-OK, interesting.

I actually did a consomme for my starter, for the banquet.

-I got a nine.

-Right.

-I don't want to put any more pressure on you.

No, I'll get nine...easy!

Good, that's the spirit!

The only question I have about the execution of the dish

is the celeriac puree,

because if you've got a beautiful, clean-tasting broth,

you don't really want to add anything else to it

that's going to dilute the flavour.

Next up is competition newcomer Tommy Banks.

-Hello, Tom.

-Hi, Tommy.

First off, give me the title and the inspiration behind it.

-OK, the title of the dish Oeufs Drumkilbo 2016.

-OK.

-Oeufs Drumkilbo is a dish that's been eaten at a lot of royal banquets.

-OK.

It's supposed to be the Queen Mother's favourite dish.

-Let's hope it's my favourite dish then!

-I hope so.

The dish originally is like a prawn cocktail with slow-cooked eggs.

I'm going to put my twist on it.

So I've got these lovely duck eggs here,

-I'm going to slow cook them in the water bath for an hour.

-OK.

The langoustines, I'll just use the tail and that will be pan-fried.

Lovely.

I've got some nice radishes here.

I'm just going to shave them really thinly and pickle them.

I understand you grow a lot of your produce.

Yes, this is a kohlrabi that we grew at work.

-I think they're great, a really sweet flavour.

-Interesting.

-I've never been a fan.

-Have you not?

-No.

-Maybe you'll change my mind.

-I hope so.

Mini, what do you think?

He's got a very interesting box of ingredients.

-Nervous?

-I think that we're doing two very different dishes.

Mine is definitely banquet worthy. I've not seen his,

-so I am not going to comment!

-Competitive there already.

-Yeah.

-I like it.

-I'll let the dish do the talking.

Tommy's dish, a lot of interesting components,

but they all need really delicate cooking.

The langoustine, the duck egg, even the kohlrabi,

if it's overcooked, it's going to be horrible.

Last up is another keen contender, Chris Archer.

-Morning, chef.

-How are you, Chris?

Nervous, but ready to go.

So, tell me the title and the inspiration behind your dish?

So the dish is called Gold.

It's to pay honour and tribute to great British athletes and sports

people and, more specifically, cyclists,

because I'm a keen cyclist myself.

What are the ingredients?

-All the elements are around the Gold theme.

-Yeah.

So we've got golden beetroot - I'm going to make a consomme,

using a new technique that I discovered where you clarify it

with agar, not with egg whites.

The consomme will be served separately in a tureen,

-which is inside a velodrome.

-Wow!

-I've got some hens' eggs, which I'm going to slow cook...

-OK.

..and take the white off and just use the yolk itself.

-Curry powder.

-Curry powder?

-It's for the sweetbreads

which I'm going to batter and deep fry.

-Then we've got some girolles...

-Yeah.

-..we're going to deglaze with maple syrup.

-OK.

Chris' dish, he's got to get the flavour of the beetroot consomme

spot on because it's a subtle flavour.

Yet he's marrying that with some strong

flavours from the curry powder,

He may be brave and foolish but if he gets it right,

it could be a winner.

As the chefs start cooking,

Mini's experience in the competition is the focus of the conversation.

You must be clear favourite here, Mini, with your past experience.

Are you having a laugh? I don't feel like the clear favourite.

After failing to make the judging chamber last time,

Mini is pushing himself this year with a technically challenging starter in the kitchen.

I want my broth to be clear.

The celeriac puree, it's got to be the right consistency.

Mini starts by preparing the rarebit filling for his toastie,

blending Cheviot and Riva cheeses

with cream, mustard, Worcestershire sauce

and north-east brown ale and truffle.

Tom Aikens is famous for his precise cooking, his technique,

so that's what he's going to be judging us on.

I definitely think so far as veteran judges go,

he's going to be one of the hardest ones to please.

I think he'll definitely get the best out of all three of us.

Having left early last year,

Mini Patel is determined to stay in the competition.

Disappointed last year, a few low scores, sixes and fives.

I need tens and only they will do.

Currently the head chef at The Pointer restaurant

in Brill, Buckinghamshire,

Leeds-born Mini is adamant he'll be the chef to

come out on top for the north-east.

I'm carrying more determination this year, more concentration,

more focus. Not getting through for the north-east is not an option,

not this year.

Mini's menu this year celebrates great Britons who've been honoured

in different walks of life.

For his starter, he was inspired by charity workers,

after spending time at a soup kitchen.

We've got soup, we've got pasta, tea, coffee,

and it looks like it's going to be a busy night.

Does anyone want some more soup?

How often do you do this?

We do it every day, it's every evening.

-That's amazing.

-Do you want some milk in your tea?

Yeah, thank you very much.

That's all right. See you later.

This is exact what makes Britain great,

is people giving up their spare time to feed these

vulnerable, homeless people.

Back in the kitchen, Mini starts his guinea fowl spheres.

He adds thigh meat to blanched vegetables

and pours over a reduced broth, to set.

-Those are the spheres?

-Yeah.

Although they'll be served chilled,

the last-minute addition of a hot consomme will melt the spheres,

to make the final broth.

The ones that I did the first-time round,

were three times as big and just didn't melt!

Do you know what I mean?!

Across the kitchen, Tommy's starting his take on the traditional

Oeufs Drumkilbo, an egg dish named after Drumkilbo House,

a grand historic home in Scotland where the first recipe was created.

He starts by slow-cooking his duck eggs in a water bath

and separately pickles finely sliced radishes

and blanched mustard seeds.

Next, Tommy prepares his home-grown kohlrabi,

a member of the cabbage family.

It's not a favourite of Tom's.

So Tommy, veteran judge takes a bit of a dislike to the kohlrabi.

-How do you feel about that?

-I like kohlrabi.

Maybe I'm on the back foot already.

I really believe in my ingredients. I grew this one myself.

I really hope he likes it. I'll be gutted if he doesn't.

26-year-old self-taught chef Tommy Banks

runs the Michelin-starred Black Swan in Oldstead, North Yorkshire.

Service, please.

Having grown up on the farm his parents still run next door,

Tommy's entire food philosophy comes from the land.

There's purple sprouting broccolis here, there's cabbages...

runner beans...

The focus is almost as much on the growing side of things as

it is on the actual cooking.

I think I hold as much value by a perfect carrot that we grow.

That, for me, has just as much value as a fillet of beef.

Each dish in Tommy's menu stays true to his belief

in home-grown British produce.

And his family couldn't be prouder.

Tommy wasn't interested in food.

We couldn't get him to eat his sausages even when he was young.

Now, he's the most passionate chef.

He hasn't been classically trained but he has got a feel for food

and people who come just look and see what he's doing

and they think, "Wow."

Back in the kitchen, Tommy's making a vinaigrette

by emulsifying rapeseed oil with mustard and chicken stock.

I'm happy with that, happy with that.

Next, it's onto another delicate process, finishing his duck eggs.

How are we doing, Tommy?

-Yeah, all right.

-Duck eggs?

I've water bathed them for an hour now.

-So now I'm going to smoke them, using some oak wood chips.

-OK.

There's obviously, a little bit of worries with smoking.

Totally. If it's not there at all and I've told you I've given you

a smoked egg, it's not going to be very good.

-Obviously over smoking, as well.

-I'll be watching that.

-Good.

TOMMY CHUCKLES

Someone else using eggs in their starter is Chris.

Unlike Tommy, he's using hens' eggs, and will only be serving the yolk.

There's a lot of gold in your dish, Chris.

It is all about the gold theme.

How did you come up with the number of elements on your dish?

Did you run out of gold things, or...?

There was an element of running out...

How many more ingredients are actually gold?

Chris begins his consomme by cooking down golden beetroot,

with golden beetroot juice, white port, stock and carrots.

The consomme's not going to be gold but it's going to have

a level where it's not yellow, it's...

Could it be silver or bronze?

Going for gold all the way, mate, gold all the way!

27-year-old Yorkshireman Chris Archer has worked with some of

the best chefs in the industry.

But he believes his modern European style

sets him apart from the rest.

I'm a classically trained chef,

but with the way that the food world's moving now

there's inspirations from all over the world.

If I'm a protege of anything,

I am a protege of the food industry as a whole.

I'm my own chef with my own ideas.

Chris is currently head chef at the acclaimed

The Cottage In The Wood restaurant in Keswick,

and believes the camaraderie amongst his young team

is key to its success.

Myself and my three chefs get on really well.

We spend 14 hours a day in the kitchen.

We go cycling together which really helps with team-building.

Chris is using the great British spirits of striving

for excellence as inspiration for his menu.

I've done my dishes to the best of my ability.

I believe every single one of them's a ten.

If anybody sees me as anything other than a genuine contender

then they're going to be in for a massive shock.

Back in the kitchen, Chris coats blanched sweetbreads

in flour and a mild curry powder

and will fry these just before plating up.

But by far the most risky element of his dish

is his beetroot consomme,

which must be crystal clear.

This is a really, really new technique to me.

-You have practised this, though, haven't you?

-Yeah.

-Once!

-LAUGHTER

Chris passes the consomme through a fine cloth,

before braving an ultramodern clarification technique.

-How are you doing, Chris?

-I'm just about to clarify my consomme,

with a not particularly well tried and tested method.

What I've got is the agar, which you hydrate and then boil,

and then add to the rest of your liquor.

It'll set it like a curd,

if it works. The agar holds what you don't want,

-and the juice comes out clear.

-OK.

And it needs to, because it won't be gold without it.

Mini, what do you think to this, er, modern technique

of clarifying?

-Hopefully it'll make it clear, which is what he's after.

-Same here!

-I hope so, too.

-Thank you, Chef.

Mini is also working on his broth

by cooking guinea fowl with chicken stock,

white port, white wine and an assortment of vegetables.

You're doing a consomme, you're doing a broth.

What's the difference between those?

The clarity of the flavour is what I'm trying to get.

-You're wanting that to be crystal clear?

-Yeah.

-You want a consomme?

Yeah, I want a clear broth. I want a clear broth.

Unlike Chris, Mini's using the traditional method of clarification,

by using a raft made of egg shells,

egg whites and vegetables to achieve the required clarity.

-Is that the broth consomme?

-Yes.

It's clear. Is it what you wanted?

Yeah, absolutely. The taste has got a real depth to it.

It's got a real nice shine, gloss, clear...

As you know, I did a consomme for my banquet dish

and it was a winner.

So, er, I'll leave the rest for you.

MINI CHUCKLES

The final component of Mini's starter is his celeriac puree

which he makes by cooking down celeriac with thyme, chicken stock,

lemon and cream, before blending.

-This is a practice to see how the foam holds, is it?

-Yeah.

I might look like a lemon if I don't get it right.

Celeriac puree needs to be a very, very precise consistency

in order for it to drip over the sphere

but not drape and actually run off.

It's crunch time now for Tommy, as he's first to plate up his starter.

He finishes off his kohlrabi in a pan with butter and chicken stock

and pan fries the langoustine tails.

Happy with the way it's gone?

Yeah, so far.

There's time yet, though, eh?

Into ceramic egg-shaped dishes,

Tommy first adds the kohlrabi.

Next, the smoked duck egg

and a layer of lightly pickled radish slices.

I just want to get this first one up on time, it's important.

Tommy then adds the langoustine and pickled mustard seeds.

To finish, he dresses with the rapeseed vinaigrette

and garnishes with fresh leaves.

As a final flourish, Tommy adds oak wood smoke.

And...it's ready to serve.

This is the Oeufs Drumkilbo 2016.

It's an old royal dish, dating back to the '50s.

Hopefully I've given it a modern spin.

Now, guys, first impressions?

Loads of colour, vibrancy.

-Shall we go and try it?

-Please, Chef.

-The smokiness of the egg...

-I'm happy with that.

I think it has to be there, it's important it has a smoked

flavour throughout the dish, and it's worked well.

With the smoke, I thought it was going to be really intense.

Actually, it's very, very delicate.

What do you think really the kohlrabi brings to the dish?

What I like about kohlrabi is it's really sweet

and it goes well with more acidic things,

like the pickled mustard seeds, the pickled radishes.

If you're not a fan of kohlrabi

then it's not going to overpower, it won't stand out too much.

Happy with the langoustine?

-The flavour?

-Yeah.

I think it's light, it's fresh, it looks great.

Great texture.

To me, the star is the langoustine.

What score would you give your dish?

-I'd like an eight or a nine maybe to start with.

-You would?

I would, of course I would.

Next up to the pass is Chris,

who's putting the finishing touches to his tribute to British cycling -

Gold.

-Now then, buds, all right?

-Well done.

Cheers, mate. So it's quite intense in there.

-First one down.

-Tom Aiken's eyes, they don't give anything away,

but they go straight through you.

Chris deep fries his lamb sweetbreads

and glazes girolle mushrooms with maple syrup.

How are you getting on, Chris?

The nerves are starting to pick back up again but I should be OK.

First onto the plate, is the slow-cooked egg yolk.

Next, cubes of golden beetroot.

And the maple-glazed girolle.

Chris adds real gold leaf to his beetroot consomme,

which he serves in a specially designed tureen.

Finally, the crispy lamb sweetbreads.

So the name of the dish is simply Gold,

to reflect the professional cyclists of Great Britain.

Let's go and try your dish.

Thank you.

It just looks like a really pretty plate of food.

I think that's the only thing tying it to the brief as a trophy.

Do you think people at the banquet will understand

your idea on this dish?

There's a possibility that the cycling theme could be missed,

but the idea stemmed from sportsmen in general

that have won gold medals.

The consomme, a different technique to you, but it looks clear.

-Yeah.

-it does look clear.

He's got it clear, I think he'll be happy with it.

I think he's nailed that.

The sweetness OK for you?

I think golden beetroot's a sweet flavour.

I like it, but with everything else,

hopefully it's not overpoweringly sweet.

-Sweet, isn't it?

-Yeah.

I don't know if some of the maple...

He's put maple syrup on the girolles.

-Was it?

-Yeah, he did.

The sweetbread, if I'm being perfectly honest,

I think it could have been crispened a little bit longer.

I think the flavour of the sweetbread's good,

-but it's gone a bit soggy in the broth, hasn't it?

-Yeah.

What score would you give your dish?

I'd like a ten, but I know it's not a ten.

If I'm being honest, I think I'd probably give it a seven.

Can you see that going out at the banquet?

No, I can see mine going out!

THEY LAUGH

Last to the pass is Mini.

After failing to cook for the judges last year,

he's hoping for higher scores this time.

He assembles his toasties -

white bread filled with rarebit and truffle.

-Hey!

-Guys.

Did it go all right, mate?

I'm surprised, I'm surprised!

I'm still alive, I made it out of there.

I think he might have enjoyed it.

Mini, what's the score, what are you doing?

I'm making my toasties.

You're making sandwich lollipops.

These little bad boys are supposed to put a smile on your face.

Mini starts plating up his dish by lining a bowl with black truffle

and pan-fried garlic porcini mushrooms.

How are the toasties, Mini?

What do you think, Chef?

Next, it's on with the spheres of guinea fowl thigh

and assorted vegetables.

How's your sphere?

They've set.

But it's just as important for them to melt.

Mini garnishes the dish with micro tarragon

and finishes with his aerated celeriac puree.

The guinea fowl broth will be served separately.

There we go. Charity Begins At Home.

This is really what it's all about.

I've got a quote here from the Queen but, alongside it,

some quotes from other charities.

Delicious? Let's hope so, yeah?

-Shall we go and try?

-Yeah.

OK, let's go.

What that's going to do is melt this sphere

-and it's going to turn it into a broth.

-OK.

-CHRIS:

-Let's have a sandwich.

Smells like posh cheese on toast.

It does and you can smell truffle as well.

Crispy.

It's very tasty.

Happy with the flavour?

Yeah. I don't think I should have reduced it any further.

The flavour's there.

I think what's maybe watered it down is the jelly on the sphere.

-I almost wish there was more substance to it.

-Yeah.

The vegetables - are they cooked correctly?

Yeah, I think so.

They're not just there for the colour.

-CHRIS:

-There's a bite to them.

-Yeah, they're fairly raw, aren't they?

I quite enjoy that. The carrots have still got a sweetness.

The celeriac mousse - do you think that adds

really anything to the dish?

I think the celeriac didn't come through as much

as I was anticipating for it to do.

So, a funny one to clarify the stock and make it perfectly clear,

which he has done, and then pour it over a cream-based foam.

It looks like the raft's back on the top of the consomme.

What score would you give your dish?

I thought it was going to be ten at the beginning of the day.

But the celeriac's thrown me a bit.

I'd give myself an eight.

Now, then... Was it all right?

Yeah. I actually thought he was quite kind!

Do you know what I mean?!

I didn't think he was that tough!

I have a feeling that the meanness might be still to come.

You can breathe, guys.

-How are we feeling?

-Anxious.

Yeah, probably more nervous now.

So, Tommy, I'm going to start

with your Oeufs Drumkilbo 2016.

I liked the presentation and the theatre of the dish.

The smokiness of the egg, I thought worked really well.

The acidity that you brought into your dish

through the pickled radishes and the mustard seeds

was a really nice touch.

As for the kohlrabi,

it had a sweetness that I wasn't expecting.

You actually converted me.

-Oh!

-So well done.

But...

..it lacked the finesse that I want on a really good dish.

Chris, on to your Gold.

The slow-cooked egg yolk was perfectly cooked.

The sweetbreads - you got the flavour right,

but the crispness wasn't quite there.

The consomme...

..was as clear as it should have been.

-So, well done.

-Thank you.

But...

..I think with a consomme,

the agar that you used just didn't show enough skill.

I'm a traditionalist at heart.

Overall as well, the dish just needed

to have a little bit more acidity to bring it all together.

And the story behind the dish,

-I just didn't quite understand it.

-OK.

Mini - Charity Begins At Home.

I love the idea and it really hit the brief.

The sphere in the broth...

a nice, contemporary touch, a good idea.

But...

the cheese and truffle toastie

just didn't really have an impact on me at all.

The vegetables inside the sphere were a little bit too crispy.

Battle of the consommes.

Great flavour.

But you go to all that effort to make the broth,

and then you put celeriac puree over it

and it makes the consomme cloudy.

So, to the scores, guys.

Chris, I'm going to give you...

-..A six.

-OK.

Mini, I'm giving you a score...

..of six.

Tommy, I'm scoring you...

..an eight.

So, chefs, I want to see more skill and more excitement on that plate,

and I want to see a ten.

-Chef.

-Thank you, Chef.

That's intense, isn't it?

Well done!

Absolutely delighted to get an eight. From Tom Aikens as well.

He said everything was cooked great, so I was really pleased about that.

It's still all to play for.

You've only got to beat one person to get to Friday.

I'm a little bit deflated that Tom didn't get the message that I was

trying to convey, but there's three more courses to go

to do my food justice.

The level of scrutiny is so high.

You got an eight. First course,

-an eight's an epic start.

-You've got to be happy with that.

-No, I'm pleased.

-I'm happy for you.

Gutted. Gutted.

I thought it was a really, really strong dish

but Tom didn't agree.

I've got to pick myself back up again.