North West Fish Great British Menu

This year on Great British Menu...

-The competition is on.

-Rock and roll.

..24 of the country's top chefs...

..are competing to cook at a glorious Taste of Summer banquet...

Game, set and match, mate.

..celebrating 140 years of the iconic Wimbledon Championships,

the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.

Go, go, go!

This week, battling to represent the North West in the national finals

are Ellis Barrie, a self-taught maverick,

who took an early lead yesterday.

-Woo!

-It was definitely a complex one, weren't it?

Yeah, that was harder than I thought.

Tom Parker, at 26 the youngest chef in the competition,

currently just one point behind.

-Doing the washing up?

-It looks like it, doesn't it?

And classically trained Paul Askew, whose risky,

simple starter saw him crash and burn.

Your dish lacked skill and creativity.

Today, it's the fish course,

and Paul is determined to learn from his mistakes.

This one, for me, needs to be a belter.

But with both Ellis and Tom giving everything they've got...

Take your eye off it and you burn your cauliflower.

Have to go again on them.

..who will come out on top?

Paul, please take some of that off.

To reach the banquet, the chefs need to create outstanding dishes

that evoke a taste of summer

and honour 140 years of the Wimbledon Championships.

After a disastrous starter course, Paul scored only five.

I know that I have to have a great score in the fish course,

and I'm going to make sure that I get those details right

and deliver a fantastic fish dish.

Ellis lies in first on eight,

with Tom just behind on seven.

So, how are we feeling, gents?

Yeah, a good feeling about today.

I'm looking forward to a much more successful day than yesterday.

Ten or bust for me today, guys.

-All or nothing sort of day.

-Exactly.

Judging this week is two Michelin-starred chef

Daniel Clifford,

renowned for his rigorous standards and high expectations.

-Hello, chefs.

-ALL:

-Morning, Chef.

Fish course, I want to see show-stopping dishes,

that's going to show me your personalities.

One of you has got to get to the banquet this year.

Get cooking, good luck.

-ALL:

-Yes, Chef.

Game time!

Self-taught Ellis Barrie is hoping to stay at the top of the leaderboard today,

with a dish celebrating his family summer holidays.

-Hello.

-Chef.

-How are you?

-Very well, how are you?

Good. So you're in the lead?

Yeah. Feeling positive, I'm going to smash it out today.

-What's the dish called?

-You Cannot Be Sea-rious!

-It Was On The Line.

-And why that?

-Line-caught sea bass.

-Right, that makes sense.

So what's the inspiration behind this dish, Chef?

Holidays to Anglesey, fishing with my dad, barbecues on the beach.

I'm the good-looking one on the end!

So, we're having a barbecue?

We're having memories of a barbecue.

I'm not going to barbecue the sea bass,

I'm going to confit the sea bass in a bit of pork fat.

Where's the barbecue flavour come from?

Barbecue is in the cauliflower.

I'm going to roast it right down, get the really deep flavour.

Wouldn't it have been easier just to barbecue it?

Yeah, yeah. The Great British Menu is about challenging yourself.

-I wish you all the best.

-Thank you.

I'm looking forward to tasting it.

This could be a show-stopper.

Ellis' interpretation to get flavours of a barbecue

is to roast the cauliflower and confit the sea bass in pork fat.

I'm not sure it's enough.

He needs this to deliver to stay top of the leaderboard.

Tom Parker is currently just one point behind Ellis.

He's also hoping to impress with a dish inspired by

childhood summer memories -

Game, Set And Catch.

-Hiya, Tom.

-Morning, Chef, are you all right?

You're in second place. Yesterday the nerves got the best of you.

Is this a good course for you?

-It's a good 'un.

-Right.

So it's using langoustines.

-They're beautiful, aren't they?

-They are lovely.

Oysters, sea herbs and a champagne-style sauce,

but made with an English sparkling wine.

-Oh, brilliant.

-Finishes the sauce off really, really well.

So tell me about the sauce, because I see some different ingredients.

Coconut milk is not something that I would have expected to find

with langoustines and oysters.

No, it's quite a complex sauce.

It's got kaffir lime in there, it's got lemon grass,

it's got fennels and stuff.

Like a Thai-based...

The Thai doesn't come across at all, it's all the different floral notes.

OK. This is a big challenge for you.

-Good luck, Tom.

-Thank you.

Tom's got all this beautiful shellfish

and he's making a sparkling wine sauce,

but he's adding coconut and Thai flavours.

My concern is the sauce will overpower the shellfish

and you won't taste anything.

After scoring just five for his overly simple starter yesterday,

Paul's looking to win over Daniel today with a more

dramatic fish course -

A British Double.

-Paul.

-Chef.

-How are you feeling?

-Obviously disappointed for yesterday,

I know you wanted a bit more theatre.

That little bit of extra pizzazz.

That's what I'm hoping to achieve with this dish.

This is a celebration of our two fantastic Wimbledon Champions of 2016.

I've got Andrew Murray, symbolised by the lovely Scottish turbot,

and then Heather Watson, from the Channel Islands,

who won the mixed doubles.

I'm symbolising her with some great oysters from that region.

So, tell me about the dish.

So we've got this beautiful turbot.

I am going to take the fillet off

and then I've got the beautiful sea breeze

of a little steamed oyster, and then I'm going to use the baby courgette

to wrap the oyster after it's been poached

and pop it on top of some nice, little crispy potatoes.

I'm also finishing it off with some caviar.

I'm going all guns blazing on this.

Well, I'm really interested.

You've got some of the nicest ingredients I've seen in the kitchen.

-Good luck.

-Thank you, Chef.

This dish for Paul is critical.

He needs eights, nines and tens to keep him in this competition.

He's got to blow me away.

So, are you guys taking any risks today?

I think you take risks every time you cook, but this one, for me,

needs to be a belter.

At least I'm not first up today anyway, Ellis!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, about that...

I just want to keep the pace fast, just so I'm not lagging behind,

you know, to get it out. Busy, busy, busy, just how we love it!

Paul's hoping to impress Daniel today with a theatrical dish,

centred around turbot, a fish which requires precision cooking.

What about the risks in the fish dish that you're doing, Paul?

It's a very meaty fish,

and there's a danger that it'll either be under or too far over.

I'm not trying to put any more pressure on you, you know,

but it's really hard, that turbot, to cook.

Getting a bit cocky over there, are we? Eh?

Paul starts by filleting his turbot,

which he'll pan-fry at the last minute.

He's serving his dish with seven accompaniments,

including courgette flowers, which he'll deep fry in tempura batter.

Next he boils potatoes for his pommes mousseline,

a fine, buttery mash.

Daniel thinks that I'm a little too classical and a little too safe,

but I'm hopeful with the flavours, the quality of the cooking.

For me, this is a real celebratory dish.

For Tom's French-inspired langoustine and oyster dish,

Game, Set And Catch,

he starts by making a shallot mayonnaise,

before cleaning his langoustines.

I love just eating langoustines,

I could scoff my face full of them all day.

Yeah, fantastic ingredient to work with.

In the hope of adding a summer freshness to his dish,

Tom's also making a zesty lemon puree,

to contrast with his rich mayonnaise.

And courgette strips marinated in parsley oil.

You all seem a bit quiet today, boys, a bit stressed?

-I am, yeah.

-Pushing it as we speak.

For his dish, You Cannot Be Sea-rious! It Was On The Line,

Ellis is attempting to recreate the flavours of a barbecue without

actually using one to cook.

He starts by making a charred cauliflower puree,

but not everything is going to plan.

Take your eye off it and you burn your cauliflower.

Have to go again on them.

Is it a bit more barbecued than you wanted?

Yeah, but don't worry about that, I'll sort that out.

Get this bass brined and then we'll be laughing.

Ellis moves on to brining his sea bass fillets,

before steaming his mussels

and starting his cauliflower puree from scratch.

-Ellis, this is the cauliflower?

-Yeah, about to be blended.

So they're meant to be this colour?

Yeah, I've caramelised them.

And this is going to give us our barbecue flavour?

Yeah, that charred barbecue-ness which you get on the barbie.

It's not exactly where I want it to be just yet,

but I think it's got the right acidity in.

Are you feeling confident?

Yeah, I'm feeling confident, I just need to get it all out.

-You're first.

-I can see you don't really want to be standing here talking to me.

I'm going to leave you alone.

Both Tom and Paul have chosen to feature oysters in their dishes,

but are preparing them in different ways.

What are you doing with your oysters, buddy?

So I've just cooked them in their own juice, if you like,

and a little bit of shallot butter.

How about you, what are you doing?

Making mine into little pearls, so it's just the eye of the oyster,

and just poaching them last-minute.

Clearly mine are going to be better, Tom, cos I need that ten today!

Despite being available all year round,

certain types of oysters are at their prime in the summer months.

To find out more about the variety of native oysters used in his dish,

Paul visited the Menai Oyster Farm in Anglesey.

Marine biologist Shaun Krijnen set up the farm in 1994.

-Morning, Paul.

-How are you?

-I'm all right, thank you.

-Good to see you.

Shaun grows his oysters on special raised wooden beds,

situated in the sea, so the tide rises around them,

where they mature, feeding on the algae,

salts and nutrients they filter from sea water.

So when would you say they're at their peak of their flavour?

The summertime. You've got the most algal production in the water and

they're getting their flavours from there.

Their peak flavour will be at the time when the algae's present.

And what size are they harvested at?

Well, something like this is in the region of sort of 80-90 grams.

This is ideal for London markets, southern markets.

But the more northern markets

prefer something that's topping 100, 120.

-What are you trying to say, Shaun?

-Well, you know, they just

like a bit more bang for their buck.

But if you happen to forget about an oyster and you leave it for a couple

of decades, it can end up like this.

-Good grief! That's a roast dinner for somebody.

-It is, yeah.

With the summer oysters in hand,

Paul is keen for Shaun to sample his dish,

using the freshly harvested produce.

This is the life, isn't it? A nice, warm, sunny day,

a couple of oysters just straight out of the ocean.

-Yeah.

-It doesn't get any better than that.

-Well, there it is.

-Yeah.

-Good health. Cheers.

-Looks really great.

-Hope you enjoy it.

-Yep, thank you.

The oysters are at their peak in the summer.

I think to be using them on the menu,

it really heralds what summer is all about.

Shaun, thank you so much for today, honestly.

-No, thank you, Paul.

-And good luck in the competition.

-Thank you.

-That's really good.

Back in the kitchen, Tom is preparing the seafood elements

for his French-inspired dish,

Game, Set And Catch.

He blanches his langoustines and peels,

ready to cook later.

Next, he starts his sparkling wine sauce.

He's using Thai influences, such as kaffir lime leaves and coconut milk,

to add summery, floral notes to the seafood flavours.

-Tom, how are we getting on?

-All right, Chef, a bit busy.

-What are you making?

-So, making sauce for the langoustines.

Really floral, fresh sauce.

-Is that what you want?

-Yeah, no, exactly.

It's obviously going to get a quick blend on it,

just to get the crustacean flavour in there a bit more.

Tom's sauce, it's very floral, he's right.

I'm just really worried it's going to overpower the delicacy

of the langoustines and the oysters.

Ellis is still working on the technical elements,

which he hopes will give his dish a barbecue flavour.

He blowtorches his brined sea bass,

which he'll cook in pork fat later...

..before passing his charred cauliflower puree to smooth.

It's tense on this fish course,

I've got limited time to get it up and out,

and it's a lot of stuff on the plate.

But if I can nail it,

I don't know...

Having been criticised yesterday for the simplicity of his starter,

Paul's determined to impress with a more skilful dish today.

He's working on one of many accompaniments to his turbot,

deep frying courgette flowers.

Next, he moves on to his delicate potato galettes,

crispy discs made from thin layers of new potatoes.

Paul, what stage are you at?

Just getting some nice little galette crisps

to go on top of the turbot. These are the Channel Islands potatoes.

-Yup.

-Get them nice and crisp,

and that's just going to make a very delicate fan for the oysters

to sit on.

This is what's going to elevate your dish to the next level?

I'm looking for a number of things to elevate it.

I'm looking for the garnish to be perfect,

a little bit of drama and height on the plate,

I'm hoping to stimulate your senses, Chef.

This is a technique I'm really interested in seeing.

-Thank you, Chef.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

I'm concerned about Paul's potatoes.

He's trying to crisp up a new potato.

They're near enough impossible for that to go completely crispy.

Ellis is first to the pass with his dish, You Cannot Be Sea-rious!

It Was On The Line,

which he hopes will taste of summer barbecues on the beach.

As part of his presentation,

he's using seaweed to recreate the smells of the sea.

So what's going on with this seaweed, Ellis?

Just bringing out the real Anglesey seaweed.

It's just a memory for me from my holidays in childhood.

I can smell Anglesey already.

It looks great.

To get a meaty barbecue flavour onto his charred sea bass,

Ellis confits it in pork fat.

Ellis, how are you getting on?

Yeah, about two minutes.

Ellis starts by plating his charred cauliflower puree.

He adds sea lettuce and the confit sea bass.

Next, pickled radish,

and Menai mussels,

followed by three varieties of cauliflower...

..and salted blackcurrants.

He finishes the dish with crispy sea bass skin...

..and raw sea lettuce garnish,

before adding dry ice to the seaweed,

to give an aroma of the sea.

Wow.

-Tom, what do you think?

-Lovely summer colours, smells, aromas.

-Paul?

-It's definitely got the smell of the barbecue.

Let's go and taste it, shall we?

Ellis, presentation, are you happy?

I am happy with it. If I had a little bit more time,

I'd liked to have got the mussels and that neater.

I think the sea bass is absolutely perfectly cooked.

Has it got the barbecue flavour, do you think?

I think it has, for me.

You've deeply caramelised the cauliflower.

Has that delivered the barbecue flavour to the dish that you wanted?

Well, I'm going to say yes, I'm quite happy with that.

The smoked cauliflower puree is very earthy,

I do pick up the smokiness.

The sea bass, is that how you wanted the fish?

Yeah, it's created like a really wow, long-lasting flavour.

The blackcurrants, the cauliflower, the sea bass, does that excite you?

Yeah, I'm just trying to think outside the box.

It's definitely modern, it's definitely innovative.

It's... The jury's out. The jury's out.

I'm really confused.

I've stood in this tasting room

and I've tasted four years of people's food

and I don't think I'd ever had a dish that's done this to me.

I need time to think about this.

-How are you doing?

-Is it home time yet?

That was a hard tasting.

He left saying,

"I don't know how to take this dish."

That was... That's an emotional test.

Tom is next to the pass with his dish, Game, Set And Catch,

inspired by his childhood summer holidays in France.

He starts his plates with lemon puree

and adds warmed peas and broad beans...

..before gently cooking his langoustines in butter.

Next, he adds poached oysters and a langoustine tartare.

What's going on the dish there?

So it's tartare out the claws.

It's dressed like a little mayonnaise.

He places his langoustines onto the plate,

followed by sea herbs and oyster leaves.

Finally, he adds courgette strips

and tops with the sparkling wine sauce.

Grab one of these plates, please.

-Happy, Tom?

-Happy, Chef.

Not sure what to make of the presentation.

It's like a boat. You're looking down onto the sea bed.

I'm not sure if I like it. But let's go and try it, Chef.

Am I carrying?

Yes, please.

I have a problem with the presentation.

OK.

I'm struggling to understand why there isn't a fresh oyster

sitting in this bit here.

I couldn't quite work out the presentation

but it's the glass bottom boat.

Yes, the bottom of a boat, looking down to the sea bed.

This is the langoustine claw meat with the shallot mayonnaise?

Yes, Chef.

Are you happy with the seasoning on that?

It is a bit under seasoned.

The tartare is fantastic.

The flavour of the langoustine just shines through, doesn't it?

This is the langoustine.

I actually quite like it.

Absolutely bang-on for me.

The flavour through it is belting.

And the poached oyster...

Yeah.

It's really, really light. It's not even been anywhere near the boil.

The oyster's nice. I don't feel like it needed to be poached.

I agree, yeah.

The sauce, is that combination of flavour

working with the langoustine?

I think it marries everything together really well.

-I think that's really balanced.

-Yeah.

What would you score your fish dish?

I think I would give it a solid seven.

It's a couple of small mistakes on there

which has dropped the whole dish.

I would have to give it a nine.

I'll give it a nine. If not go for the big one on that one.

You could be right.

-Oi-oi.

-All right, mate?

-Nice dish, that.

-I don't even know any more.

It was really balanced, mate. I really enjoyed eating it.

Ta very much.

Paul is last up to the pass with his dish, A British Double,

his tribute to Wimbledon champions Andy Murray and Heather Watson.

After a disappointing score for his starter,

he needs to hit an ace

and is hoping the seven accompaniments to his turbot

will impress Daniel.

He starts with a spoon of caviar.

Next he places pommes mousseline and wilted spinach into his dish.

Adds fried Scottish turbot.

And his potato galettes.

Not the easiest thing to pull off.

They're very delicate and I just wanted that tiny bit of crunch.

He tops with a lightly poached oyster

wrapped in a courgette ribbon.

And adds his courgette flowers in tempura batter.

A little bit of oyster leaf there as well.

To garnish, oyster leaf...

And, for a final flourish,

bronze fennel fronds.

Paul? I'm going to say something now.

-I'm going to be very honest with you, OK?

-Yeah.

Please take some of that off.

-This?

-Yes.

Please take a little bit of that off because it'll overpower the dish...

I'm not being disrespectful,

I'm just trying to be as honest as I can.

Yes, Chef.

To finish, Paul pours champagne sauce into jugs.

-Shall we go and have a look, Paul?

-Absolutely.

-Are you all right?

-I'm all right.

I'm going to be honest with you now.

-The turbot is such a beautiful product.

-Mm-hm.

With all the stuff coming around the outside, it's hiding the beauty.

-Right.

-With a dish with simplicity where flavours are coming through...

Let them come through. I'll take that on board, Chef.

-Shall we taste it together?

-Sure.

-The turbot...

-Hopefully it's nice and juicy in the middle.

Not overcooked.

-What do you think of the seasoning?

-I think it's nice.

The flavour of the turbot I enjoy.

-Well-cooked fish.

-Seasoned nicely.

-Yeah.

This is the oyster wrapped in a courgette?

Are you happy with that consistency?

I am, Chef. I didn't want to take it too far.

Kept it juicy and plump.

That oyster's lovely. Just left alone.

Potato disc...

Yeah, I just wanted to create a little crisp, if you like,

to go on top of the turbot.

-I like it. The boy's done good for me.

-Yeah.

What would you mark yours?

I'm hoping for a seven. Obviously I'd like more.

I'd give it an eight or a nine, to fair.

I'll go with a solid eight.

-How did you get on?

-Well...

ALL LAUGH

It's a character-building experience, gentlemen, isn't it?

I've no idea what he's going to say again.

No, I'm not feeling as confident as I did.

Hi, chefs. How are you feeling?

Apprehensive. Nervous.

Tired.

Yeah, ready for bed.

Tom, I'm going to start with your dish.

The langoustines were cooked to perfection.

The vegetables were really summery.

Your sparkling wine sauce was delicious.

However...

..I'm not a fan of poached oysters.

I much prefer them raw.

I wasn't keen on the presentation.

I understand your memories of a summer holiday.

But I can't see how you're going to get that message

across to the diners and you need to rethink that.

Paul, your dish.

The turbot was cooked absolutely to an inch of its life.

And I loved it.

The acidity in the sauce works so well within that dish.

Thank you.

However...

crispy potato on the top,

I think you used the wrong variety of potato

and you need something like a Chippers Choice

or a Lovers that will give you

a crisp potato to finish the execution.

If you get to cook for the judges,

making simple tweaks could elevate that dish all the way to the top.

Ellis, your dish.

To take me on a journey where barbecue was an important part

of the dish but not using a barbecue,

that was really confusing...

but brilliant.

You're the first chef in a long time that's stopped me in my tracks.

The fish was cooked perfectly.

The acidity of the puree, I really enjoyed.

This dish took me completely by surprise.

So...to the scores.

Tom...

..I'm giving you...

-..an eight.

-Thank you.

Paul...

..I'm giving you...

..a seven.

Beautiful classical food,

let the main ingredient shine

and you'll climb that ladder very quickly.

Ellis...

..I'm giving you a ten.

Today...you showed some real talent.

I've never tasted a plate of food like that.

You should be very proud of yourself.

It's the main course tomorrow.

There's not a chef in this competition that doesn't want to win the main course.

Good luck. And thank you.

Thank you, Chef.

-That's massive.

-You should be very proud.

Yeah. Good on you.

Heading into the main course, Ellis is top of the leaderboard with 18.

Tom's trailing three points behind on 15

and Paul is in last place with 12.

So the old dog's playing catch-up tomorrow, eh?

Again.

Two points more than I got on my starter is a big step forward.

I'm ready. Ready for action tomorrow.

Yeah, obviously, Ellis got a ten today.

So he's the one to watch.

Hopefully, either I cook really well for the next two days,

or he makes a little mistake. You never know, do you?

I'm absolutely...

I-II... I'm speechless.