Wales Main Great British Menu

This year on Great British Menu...

-Ooh!

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

I don't think you understand how good you really are.

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

-The pressure's on.

-I'm going to flip out!

..celebrating 140 years of the iconic Wimbledon Championships,

the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.

This week, battling to represent Wales in the National Finals

are newcomer Nick Brodie,

whose summery mackerel fish course

sent him to the top of the leaderboard yesterday.

It was a beautiful dish, faultless.

Returning chef Phil Carmichael...

Pressure is an illusion.

..in joint first place,

despite an underwhelming fish dish.

The flavour of every element on that dish needed to go up a notch.

And Paul Croasdale,

whose extravagant dish put him just one point behind his competitors.

You couldn't have cooked it any better.

Today, it's the main course,

and each of them is determined to get ahead.

Is this the bit where everything could go wrong?

-Big time.

-I think every dish needs to be a showstopper.

But with scores so close...

And the shakes are back.

-So they should, Paul.

-..who will come out on top?

There just was not enough of a wow factor.

To win a place at this year's Wimbledon banquet,

the chefs must create exceptional dishes

that celebrate the taste of summer.

Both Nick and Phil are in the top spot with 16 points...

..whilst Paul is just one point behind on 15.

So, guys, you two are obviously in the lead going into the main course.

I've got to catch you guys up.

I think this is going to go down to the wire.

I think it's going to be neck and neck all the way.

Yeah. Close competition, that's for sure!

Ah!

Judging their dishes this week

is renowned chef and former banquet champion, Tom Aikens,

who expects nothing short of exceptional cooking.

-Morning, guys.

-ALL:

-Morning.

-Nervous?

-Yep.

LAUGHTER

As always!

-Close scores.

-Very.

Got to nail this one.

I want to see a ten today.

-Possible?

-Yeah, I think so.

I hope so. Only one thing for it - get cooking.

For the main course,

I want to see some summer inspiration on a plate.

They need to strive for perfection.

They need to show me how good they are.

Returning chef Phil scored highly in the starter course,

but failed to impress with his fish dish yesterday.

He's hoping to pull ahead today with his summer barbecue, Fired!

-Hi, Phil.

-Hi, Tom.

-How are we doing?

-Yeah, good. Good.

How are we feeling after yesterday?

It was tough coming last, but, you know,

there's only one point in it.

Where's the idea come from for this dish?

Can't have a British summertime without a barbecue.

Everybody thinks they're, you know, king of the barbecue,

so I'm going to prove that I am!

-Oh, really?

-Yeah!

-OK!

So, you're doing lamb leg, I see.

So, how are you preparing this?

So, I'm going to marinade that in a barbecue rub,

and then I'm just going to roast it on the barbecue.

That's simply going to be served with coleslaw, potato salad,

beautiful roasted sweetcorn, and a beautiful barbecue sauce.

Do you think that barbecue meat is fit for a banquet?

All very well using water baths and pans and roasting stuff, you know,

but for me, treating a beautiful leg of lamb with fire,

that's, you know, super-skilful.

Let's hope it's well cooked, Chef.

It will be. This is going to pack a punch of flavour,

which was what was missing from my fish course.

Well, I'm looking forward to trying it.

The barbecued lamb, the coleslaw, and the potato salad -

a very, very simple dish.

I would really question if the champions of Wimbledon

would be wanting coleslaw and potato at a banquet.

Nick is in joint first place with Phil.

He's determined to score highly

with his very different take on Welsh lamb -

The Brecon Beacons, The Garden Of Wales.

Hi, Chef.

-How are we, Nick?

-Yeah, very good, thanks, yeah.

-Tell me about your dish.

-I'm going to do summer lamb...

-OK.

-..with garden vegetables,

chive mayonnaise...

and it's as simple as that.

Essentially, all the produce that's so close to me at home...

-..is a showcase of everything that Wales does.

-Yeah?

I think that should be put on the map.

So, we've got lamb, obviously.

The summer lamb is far superior than the spring lamb,

because you've got a better flavour, better fat content.

-Lovely.

-I wanted to use the finest cuts.

-Yep.

-So I've got nice loin, pencil fillets,

and I'm going to go with sweetbreads.

Sounds good. It's the battle of the lamb.

-It is, yeah.

-So you're now level pegging, the two of you.

-Yep.

-Are you feeling confident with your dish,

that you could leap forward?

I think you always have to be confident

in the food you produce to be good.

Nick's cooking his lamb in a water bath.

There is a bit of a technical ability in that.

Lamb can be a very difficult piece of meat to cook.

Lamb loin needs to be nice, pink and medium rare.

If he overcooks it, then I'll definitely mark him down.

Paul is just one point behind his competitors.

Like them, he's also chosen Welsh lamb as the centre of his dish,

celebrating key moments

in the history of the Wimbledon Championships.

Morning, Chef.

-Good morning.

-Tell me about your dish.

The name of the dish is Organic Lamb: 1884, 1913, 1960.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Why's that?

Well, I'm using different parts of the lamb

-for different representations of Wimbledon.

-Interesting.

1913, the first time mixed doubles was played at Wimbledon.

-OK.

-So I've got a female lamb.

And the male part of the mixed doubles?

-And I've made some mutton ham...

-OK.

-..from a male.

1884, the first time women were invited to play at Wimbledon,

so I've got some sheep's curd going on the dish.

Not from 1884?

No, it's a bit fresher than that.

And then everything on the plate will represent 1960,

which is the only time a Welsh person's ever made it to the final.

-Did he win?

-Unfortunately, he lost.

Erm...

So all the garnish on there is from Wales?

Yeah, it's everything that would be growing in Wales in summer.

The lamb - how are you cooking that?

I'm going to poach it in the water bath,

and then I'm going to finish it...

Just put it through the barbecue.

So, you've all chosen lamb.

It's going to be quite difficult, this main course, to judge,

which is nice. I like a tight competition.

And you like lamb, yeah?

-No, I hate it!

-Oh, right! That's cool!

THEY LAUGH

Paul's dish is definitely a conundrum.

He has a reference to Wimbledon,

but I don't think a lot of people,

if he gets to the banquet, will understand the meaning of it.

With all three chefs cooking lamb,

the pressure is on to produce a dish which stands out from the others.

Main course now - how are you guys feeling?

I think Tom's going to have a really hard time

deciding which style he likes best.

We all know Tom likes the finesse,

he likes the fine dining style.

-Does that worry you?

-Yeah, it does, to be honest with you.

For his dish, Fired!,

Phil's hoping to elevate a traditional summer barbecue.

He's decided to cook his lamb entirely on an open flame,

a risky technique, which requires constant attention.

For me, my cooking's all about flavour.

Legs can be a little bit more forgiving on the old barbecue.

It's a slightly tougher cut, higher fat content than the loin.

-Yeah.

-I want to get that real smoky barbecue flavour.

He starts by marinating his lamb in a herb rub,

before placing on the barbecue.

For his lamb dish, Paul is using a different cut to Phil - lamb loin.

Like Phil, he wants a smoky flavour.

But to keep his meat tender, he's cooking it in a water bath first,

before finishing on the barbecue later.

So, Paul, any concerns on your dish, man?

When I go to put the loin on the barbecue,

-that could really send it overcooked quite quickly.

-Yeah.

I'm not looking for the big char and fill, but it's just got to...

It's got almost do what a pan would do, but with a bit more character.

Nick is using three different cuts for his lamb dish,

celebrating the Brecon Beacons.

He starts by cooking lamb loin in a water bath.

Next, he moves on to preparing his offal, lamb sweetbreads.

Do you think sweetbreads will be up for everyone, Nick?

I think if they're cooked nicely,

with a nice, sugary caramel on the outside, then, yeah.

Unlike his competitors,

Nick is using summer lamb rather than the more common spring lamb,

an older animal with a stronger flavour,

which he hopes will give him the edge.

Since moving to Wales and using lamb a lot more...

-Yep.

-..I can seriously define the times when it's best.

-Yeah.

-And certainly, when it goes out to pasture,

summertime is the best time.

To find out more about the difference

between spring and summer lamb,

Nick went to visit Gethin Havard...

Hi, Gethin, it's Nick.

-Hi, Nick.

-..a sheep farmer whose family have been farming

in the Brecon Beacons for nearly 1,000 years.

-What a beautiful place, man.

-Not bad, is it?

Around 3,000 lambs a year are reared on Gethin's farm.

The majority are kept grazing till the summer months,

when the meat is more mature.

Now, I want to put summer lamb on the main course.

It's totally different from the spring lamb.

Now, why is that?

Well, if you take a spring lamb, it's been fed on milk and only milk,

so you don't have flavours of the grasses coming through in that lamb,

whereas your summer lamb, it's six months of age, it's matured more,

but you have to strike a balance between flavour and tenderness.

And as an animal gets older,

the meat tends to become a little tougher,

so I think this is the ideal time to be eating lamb.

So, when do you have the lambs up here?

So, they arrive here when they're a month or six weeks of age,

so they graze peacefully with their mother

until they're four months of age.

And then they're weaned and taken back down the valley

to the richer pastures, where they're finished.

So, Gethin, we're 2,000 feet up here.

I see the lamb down in the valley.

-Can we go see them?

-Absolutely.

HE WHISTLES

Having worked up an appetite,

Nick can't resist cooking a taster of this summer meat

for Gethin and his family.

The smell that is coming from this lamb now, it's...

-It's good, isn't it?

-It's magnificent.

I hope the sheep aren't petrified, though!

They've gone to the far end of the field!

THEY LAUGH

Nick's keen to know what the family think of his unusual choice of offal

for his main course.

These are lamb sweetbreads.

To my knowledge, I've never tasted these,

so I'm really looking forward to this.

-Exquisite!

-Tender, yeah?

-Goodness me!

-That's really nice.

-Yeah? It's good, yeah?

-So, so tender.

The six months that it's taken us to produce this

has been more than justified.

-Thank you very much.

-Yeah.

-Cheers, man.

-Wish you all the best.

-Pob lwc!

-Yeah!

THEY LAUGH

Back in the kitchen, Phil has moved on to the accompaniments

for his barbecued lamb.

He's attempting to create refined versions

of classic sides like sweetcorn and potato salad,

which he's making with a variety of heritage potatoes

to elevate the dish.

My reinterpretation of potato salad and coleslaw is going to be amazing.

But, yeah, I've got to get it all together.

He's also making a smoky barbecue sauce,

which he hopes will capture the taste of summer.

All right, Chef?

-How are we?

-Yeah, good.

-Under the pressure.

-Is this your barbecue sauce?

Yeah, it's not quite ready yet.

Just got to reduce it down a little bit, intensify the flavour.

Yeah?

Once the lamb's barbecued, are you going to glaze that over that?

No, no, this is going to be served

in a little ketchup bottle on the side.

So that guests, you, anybody, can just smother it on,

as much or as little as they like.

Hoping to take the lead for the first time this week,

Paul is going all out with his lamb dish,

comprising 17 different elements,

including four sauces - a mint sauce,

garlic puree, lamb jus, and a garlic emulsion.

He's also serving a home-made mutton ham

to represent the male players in mixed doubles.

All right, Chef?

-How you doing? How's it going?

-Erm, not too bad, not too bad.

So, what have we got here? Got garlic?

Garlic puree. Really light.

Obviously, don't want to overtake the lamb.

So, where is this going on the plate?

-Just thrown on it.

-Thrown on it.

-OK.

-And then the mutton ham.

-So, this is three weeks old.

-Three weeks old?

Yeah.

So, you think these flavours will balance well with your...?

I mean, that's the check, isn't it, trying to get them to balance.

-Great. Look forward to it.

-Yeah.

Looks very nice.

Paul's mutton ham, and I have to say, it's beautiful,

but I'm still questioning and wondering,

how does that tie in with mixed doubles?

Nick has moved on to the sauces for his classic lamb dish

inspired by the Welsh Brecon Beacons -

a chive oil and chive mayonnaise.

-How you doing, Chef?

-What are we doing here?

So, this is going to be for the light mayonnaise

to go on the base of the plate.

-Got a bit of zing.

-Yeah.

You don't think that's going to split, maybe,

if the plate's too hot?

If the plate was too hot, it definitely would, yeah.

Phil is first up to the pass with his sharing dish, Fired!,

which relies on his lamb being barbecued to perfection.

Is this the bit where everything could go wrong?

Big time! Yeah, this is...critical stage.

Phil starts by adding barbecue sauce to serving plates.

Next, barbecued courgette and corn,

and drizzles of mint oil.

That's the most elegant barbecue I've ever seen.

Let's hope Tom thinks so, as well.

He plates his coleslaw,

adds sour cream cheese to his potato salad,

and garnishes with chives.

Finally, he carves his rested barbecued lamb,

and places on a mini barbecue,

which he serves alongside his sophisticated takes

on the classic sides.

So, there you go, Chef - Fired!

-Fit for a banquet?

-Yeah, I think so.

Certainly got the sweat going, that one.

-So, how do you serve this?

-It's just help yourself.

-Sharing?

-Yeah, exactly, sharing.

OK, let's go and try ours.

Guys, you've got yours.

See you soon.

Do you think people at the banquet will get the wow from that?

Yeah, I think so. You know, when the meat comes out

on the little barbecues, it'll have a visual impact.

Hopefully!

HE LAUGHS

Stunning. Really, really cool.

The lamb on the barbecue - it came out how you wanted?

Yeah, it's come out perfectly.

There's a nice crust on the outside, beautifully pink.

That's good, man. That's amazing.

Nice barbecue flavours.

And the portion size?

With lamb this good, you know, you've got to serve a nice portion.

It's very nice.

The vegetables are cooked nice, but they need a bit more marinating.

Coleslaw...

Has it got enough seasoning for you?

A little touch more salt, maybe a little more acidity in there.

The barbecue sauce - got some spice to it.

-Builds up on you, that one.

-Yeah.

Potato salad - it's very refined.

I had to bring a little bit of elegance

to something that anybody can do at home.

What do you reckon for this dish?

I think that's a seven.

It doesn't have the finesse

which I think you should have for any banquet.

Yeah, I'm well different to you.

I'm going to go for a nine for him.

The idea behind it is brilliant.

What would you give your dish?

It's not as refined as I'm sure the other guys are going to do,

but I'll be really disappointed with anything less than a seven.

OK.

-So, how was it?

-Yeah, yeah, nerve-racking.

-Yeah?

-It was probably my weakest dish.

See what he says. What do you guys think?

I'm not into the gimmicky stuff.

As a dish, I liked it.

-PAUL:

-I gave you a nine.

-PHIL:

-Yeah?

Yeah. Tom's not going to give me a nine.

Next to the pass is Paul, with his complex dish,

Organic Lamb: 1884, 1913, 1960,

honouring key moments in Wimbledon's history.

He starts by barbecuing his loin of lamb,

which he's cooked in a water bath.

Does that give it much of a flavour, just, so briefly in there like that?

Yeah, should do.

To a serving dish, he adds the first of his sauces -

mint sauce and garlic puree.

Next, morels...

And the shakes are back.

-Are they?

-And so they should, Paul.

Oh, I didn't know you were here!

PAUL LAUGHS

..followed by baby gem hearts,

sheep's curd, and his home-cured mutton ham.

-BLEEP.

-Paul, stop shaking!

He adds samphire,

then slices the lamb loin, and adds to the plate.

Finally, he garnishes with pea flowers,

and serves with his lamb jus and mint sauce.

So, Organic Lamb: 1884, 1913, 1960.

-Guys, what do you think?

-I think it's very natural-looking.

Looks nice, fresh, vibrant.

-Can't wait to try it.

-Paul, shall we go and try your dish?

-Yep.

-Let's go.

People at the banquet - do you think

they would recognise the reference to those dates?

Well, if you don't know the dates,

I just think it's a massive plate of summer, you know?

That's just an extra part of it, you know?

It's a nice idea but I think you need something visual, you know,

to explain that a little bit.

Yeah.

First tastes - do you like everything,

the way that it's coming together?

There's vinegar, there's creaminess, there's the saltiness.

I quite like it.

Give something away, please!

That lamb is sensational.

-That's some of the best lamb I've ever had.

-Yeah, it is.

The lamb is, you know, beautifully cooked.

Yeah.

The mutton ham - does it have the impact that you had wanted?

It's just supposed to be there to give a saltiness.

So, yeah, I mean, I'm really happy with it.

And this mutton ham.

I love the idea, I love the technique,

-but I just think the flavour is too delicate for this dish.

-Yeah.

The garlic puree - has it got enough sort of oomph?

It doesn't want to be so in your face, you know?

That lamb will just die

if you start putting really powerful flavours with it.

-Yeah, it's nice, that.

-Yeah, it is.

-It's subtle.

Paul, do you think your dish hits the brief?

Erm... Yeah, I do.

I do. There you go. Put it on the line on this one.

A tenuous, dubious link to Wimbledon.

-Yeah.

-But in terms of summer flavours, it hits the brief for me.

-Hello, Chef.

-How are we doing?

-How did you get on?

-Doesn't tell you anything, does he, really?

I loved the dish. I thought there were just

one or two little things in there

-that you just could have got away without.

-OK.

-Do you think it's too many?

-PAUL:

-No, I like it.

-NICK:

-Yeah, I thought it was a great dish, man.

Last to plate up is Nick with his tribute to summer lamb,

The Brecon Beacons, The Garden Of Wales.

At the last moment, he fries his sweetbreads.

Sweetbreads - they've got to have that nice crust on the outside.

-Yeah.

-Great flavour.

Next, he browns his water-bathed lamb loin.

To a serving plate, he adds chive mayonnaise,

followed by his lamb loin.

Happy with that cooking of the lamb?

I think that's beautiful, to be fair, man.

-Yeah, it looks nice.

-Yeah.

Next, the sweetbreads,

followed by potatoes, Swiss chard and peas.

To finish, he drizzles over his lamb jus and olive oil.

-Man of few elements!

-I think every dish needs to be a showstopper.

Does that give summer on a plate?

It's bang in season, tasty, simple.

This is very, very elegant.

Yeah, very refined.

So, remind me what the name of the dish is.

Brecon Beacons, Garden Of Wales.

-I did it for Wales, really.

-OK.

-Let's see if it does it for Wales, shall we?

-Let's see, yeah.

-Looks stunning.

-Yeah, it does.

Got a lot of recognisable summer flavours on there.

How's the lamb cooked for you, Nick?

It's probably as much as I would go on there.

You know, I think you always need to serve it really nice and pink.

I think the lamb needs to be cooked a tiny bit more.

-It's a little bit chewy.

-You told me it was all about, you know,

the summer lamb being a bit more mature than the spring lamb.

Do you think that has come through?

It's certainly got more body.

What do you think of the sweetbreads?

Lamb sweetbreads are really hard to cook.

They've been roasted well, and I think it really gives, you know,

a nice finishing touch.

I mean, these are delicious.

They've got a lovely crust on the outside,

lovely caramelised flavour.

Chive mayonnaise that I tasted earlier.

-Yeah.

-Has it come out how you wanted?

It HAS come out how I wanted, yeah.

Chive mayonnaise coming underneath.

It's really nice. Potatoes are nicely cooked.

Nothing amazing about them - it's just a nicely cooked potato.

Yeah.

And in terms of hitting the brief?

Everything that's on that plate

is from the summer produce that I can get,

so I can't get any more on point than that, really.

Nothing wrong with the dish.

-Just hasn't blown me away, this.

-No, completely.

If you were to score your own dish,

what would you give it?

I think a nine.

Really?

-All right, Nick? How are you?

-Yeah, good, good.

Everybody put up a really good dish,

and I think it could be quad equal along to the very end on this one.

-PAUL:

-I'm still behind by one point,

so I need one of you to drop a point on me.

That's literally all I'm looking for.

-PHIL:

-Yeah, we'll just have to wait and see now.

-How are we?

-Bit nervous.

Very.

We've definitely had the battle of the lamb,

but whose lamb dish is out in front?

-So, Nick...

-Yeah.

The dish had a great look of summer.

It was very light and delicate.

I thought the lamb was beautifully cooked in the water bath.

The lamb sweetbreads were beautifully caramelised,

and they had that really nice sweet, nutty taste.

However...

..you could have slightly caramelised

the outside of the lamb a little bit more.

For me, it felt very much like a good restaurant plate of food...

-Yeah.

-..and not a banquet dish.

OK.

Wimbledon is all about being on the edge of your seat,

-and it just didn't deliver.

-Yeah.

Paul...

..your dish:

Bit of a tongue twister, that one.

But in terms of the summer brief, I thought it ticked all the boxes.

The lamb - very well cooked, juicy, sweet...

..and the mint sauce also added that sweet sharpness.

However...

..this dish lacked that wow factor.

At a banquet, the main course is the centrepiece.

But to be honest, it just didn't spark my imagination.

I definitely liked the way

that you paid tribute to the Wimbledon Championships.

Maybe next time,

make a card so they understand what it's about.

Phil...

..your dish, Fired!...

When you told me you were doing a barbecue,

it sounded very much like a simple dish to prepare,

and not the sort of skilled cooking

that I would expect at the Great British Menu.

However...

..you took the humble barbecue to another level.

This dish had plenty of flavour.

I loved the theatre of the dish, the sharing element.

The lamb was beautifully cooked, really moist.

-Thank you.

-You elevated the potato salad...

..to a really good height.

And if I'm being particularly picky, the coleslaw, I think, lacked,

you know, a little bit of seasoning.

So, to the scores.

Nick...

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

..a score of eight.

OK. Thank you.

Paul...

..I'm giving you a seven.

Phil...

..I'm giving you...

..a nine.

Next up, it's dessert.

The Wimbledon final is full of drama,

so give me some theatre, and maybe we'll see a ten.

Thank you.

-Wasn't expecting that!

-Well done.

-NICK:

-Well done, man.

Phil has taken the lead with 25 points.

Nick is just one point behind on 24, while Paul is third with 22.

Completely gobsmacked by a nine for that.

Really didn't think Tom was going to, sort of, buy into it.

I'm over the moon.

Thought seven was a bit harsh.

It is what it is. It's Tom, isn't it?

I'd love to get through.

There's no point doing this competition

if you don't want to get through.

There's one more course to go. See what happens.

That's down to the wire, isn't it?

-PHIL:

-Yeah!

-NICK:

-The scores are still really tight,

but I really believe I can still get through

to cook for the judges.

It should be a good fight to the end, I think.