Central Main Great British Menu

This year on Great British Menu...

Boo!

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

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

-Man, I'm nervous.

-I think I'm the most nervous one out of you both.

..celebrating 140 years

of the iconic Wimbledon Tennis Championships -

the oldest and most revered Grand Slam in the world.

This week, battling to represent the Central region

in the national finals are newcomer Ryan Simpson -

out in front after a triumphant fish course...

I'm giving you a score of...nine.

..returning chef Pip Lacey,

whose risky flavour combinations yesterday

saw her fall from the top spot into second place...

It's really deflating,

I was on such a high and then brought back down to earth.

..and first-timer Nick Deverell-Smith -

whose fish dish scored just six, leaving him in third.

-I wasn't seeing a six, but...

-I think that's a bit harsh.

Today it's the main course, and the halfway point...

I'm going to roll my sleeves up and I'm coming after you both.

..but with just two courses left to secure a place in the judges' chamber...

-Quite lively, isn't it?

-Proper flavour of barbecue, Ryan.

..can any of the chefs serve up a perfect ten?

Another shake, why am I shaking?

I've never shaked in my life.

To get to Friday's regional final,

the chefs have to create outstanding dishes,

that capture a taste of summer and honour 140 years

of the Wimbledon Championships.

With two courses down, Ryan has taken the lead, with 17.

I was striving for tens all the way, obviously every chef is.

I want to win and win and win - that's it, really.

With Pip just a point behind, on 16, and Nick on 13,

the race is still too close to call.

You well?

I'm good, yeah, yeah. I've got a lot of catching up to do.

I'm going to roll my sleeves up and I'm coming after you both.

-Well, I'm coming after you.

-I'm going after a ten!

Judging their dishes this week is four-time competitor

and former banquet champion Richard Bainbridge.

-Morning, chefs.

-Morning.

-Morning.

-Morning.

-How are you feeling?

-Good.

-Yeah, good.

-Main course today.

You know, you've all shown glimpses of greatness and I want to see that

-all brought to the pass today. Good luck.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Ryan had a great day on fish yesterday.

Pip and Nick not so much, but if they can put that all behind them,

they can quickly turn this competition around.

Newcomer Ryan is hoping to maintain his lead today,

by elevating a rustic British summer classic

into a dish worthy of the banquet.

Morning, Ryan.

-Hi, Richard, morning.

-How are you?

-Yeah, good.

-Give me the title of your dish.

It's Ploughman's And A Pint.

-Right.

-So basically, there's different elements of it.

My main piece is the ham hock. I'm going to be pressure cookering it,

something that usually takes about four or five hours to cook,

cook it within an hour and a half.

-OK.

-And then I'm going to glaze it with a beer glaze,

so it's actually going to be cooked with this ale...

-Lovely.

-..which represents the pint.

Do you think people are going to get that, when it comes to them,

or are they going to be expecting a pint with their Ploughman's?

No, I think they're going to get it.

-Will they be able to taste the ale coming through?

-Yeah, 100%, yeah.

And then I'm going to be serving it with a piccalilli.

How you going to manage to do the piccalilli?

Well, it normally takes three weeks to make piccalilli,

but I'm going to do it today, so...

Cheese sauce, it's kind of like a mousse,

and I've got some sourdough which I'm going to turn into crisps.

There's no potatoes, there's no real starch in that sense.

No, because if I put potato on, it wouldn't be a Ploughman's.

You guys, you're all listening in, are you intimidated by it?

It sounds like a starter to me,

so hopefully I can get back in the game with this one.

Ooh, fighting talk, fighting talk!

I'm expecting an amazing Ploughman's and a nice pint of beer beside me.

I have no pint.

He's telling me it's in the glaze, is that going to be enough?

Having lost her lead yesterday

after failing to impress Richard with her risky flavour combinations,

today Pip's hoping to regain the top spot

with a dish paying tribute to Wimbledon's most unusual icon.

-Morning, Pip.

-Morning.

-How are you?

-Yeah, good, thanks.

-All right.

A little bit battered, a little bit bruised?

A little bit, yeah, but I've got to get back up and go for it.

Tell me the title of your dish.

The name of the dish is Game, Set And Match, Rufus.

Who's Rufus?

So Rufus is the hawk employed by Wimbledon to get rid of

all the pigeons before everybody comes in and watches the tennis.

My dish is barbecue pigeon, with a pigeon leg pie.

-How are you making that?

-So the Game, Set And Match,

this is the game. The set bit is I'm going to do a jelly,

the same way as like a pork pie, but it's not pork jelly,

it's going to be a summer cup jelly,

with the pigeon leg inside.

Hot water pastry, the whole lot?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I've got some strawberries and cucumber,

mint and orange that goes in the summer cup.

So for your fish course there was strawberry and there was lobster,

but now we're going into main course

and we've now got pigeon and strawberries.

Is this one going to blow me away?

I'm here to open your mind, Richard.

On Pip's main course, one of her biggest risks, I think,

is that barbecuing of that pigeon.

Barbecues can be temperamental at the best of times,

but in that kitchen and in that environment,

this could all go wrong for her.

Yesterday, for the second time, Nick received the lowest mark.

He's hoping his main course, celebrating an underused meat,

will score higher today.

-Nick, how are you feeling?

-A bit battered and bruised.

All you've got to do is keep that passion, keep that drive.

You've made some silly mistakes, if you iron them out,

you can real sail through. So, name of the dish?

When Two Stags Clash Horns.

The title and the theme of Wimbledon is when the two champions

come together, so two stags, clashing horns.

-OK.

-So I've got some beautiful red deer, comes into season in July,

which I really want to champion.

I've got some beautiful heritage carrots,

going to finish with truffle honey and a hispi cabbage.

-OK.

-Some wild garlic butter.

-Yeah.

-Got some beautiful blueberries,

I'm going to make it like a sweet and sour sauce.

All these elements that come together, it does sound autumnal.

It does, but heritage carrots are massive in the summer,

hispi cabbages, as well, all the ingredients are from the summer.

What about the Jerusalem artichokes?

Yeah... Maybe.

Nick's main course on paper sounds autumnal -

the venison, the glazed carrots, the cabbage -

all that is just reminding me of sitting in a pub on a cold

winter's day with a pint in my hand, not at a summer banquet.

Getting the main course to the banquet, what do you think?

-It would be good, wouldn't it?

-Yeah, it would absolutely epic.

-It's the big one for everybody.

-It's the one I think everybody remembers.

You always want to do the main prize.

So far, Nick has struggled to score highly,

after his over-simple starter and undercooked fish dish.

He's hoping his main course, When Two Stags Clash Horns,

will wow Richard today.

I love this dish, and everyone I've given it to absolutely loves it.

If I can knock him sideways with it, then I'm back in the game.

He begins by preparing his venison loin,

which he'll coat in a spice rub made with warming juniper berries.

This is really about what I am.

Getting the veteran to understand it is my biggest battle,

and making it scream of summer, but obviously everybody

thinks that you have to eat venison in the autumn,

which most definitely isn't the case.

Nick's serving his venison with three refined vegetable elements -

hispi cabbage, a Jerusalem artichoke puree

and truffle honey-glazed carrots.

I'm not 100% convinced that Nick's dish is summer, just because

of the way he's finishing the carrots, glazing, honey,

that sort of thing, I associate more that with Christmas.

Ryan has impressed all week with his technically tricky cooking.

Today, he's hoping to elevate his beer-glazed ham hock dish,

Ploughman's And A Pint, into a banquet-worthy main course.

So, I've got loads of worries about whether Richard interpretates it

as a starter or as a main or as a sharing platter,

I'm not really sure, but hopefully we get the beer element across.

Ryan starts by working on his ham hock,

which he's cooking in a pressure cooker along with his vegetables,

apple and ale - the only place beer features in his dish.

Do you wish you'd have served yours with a pint, Ryan?

No, I'm not here to be a barman.

Next, he makes his cauliflower piccalilli,

a condiment which usually takes weeks for the flavours to mature.

In order to recreate the taste in just hours,

Ryan's devised his own method, using a vac pack and a water bath,

which he hopes will compress the cauliflower

and intensify the flavours.

Hey Ryan, is this the piccalilli base?

-Just tweaking it.

-Can I try it?

-Yeah, yeah, go for it, yeah.

Tried to balance it with salt, sugar.

-Is that too strong?

-No, I'm there.

-Piccalilli is one of my favourites, especially with ham.

-Yeah.

Perfect combination.

If there was a pint on the side, it would be perfect.

Pip's working on her dish Game, Set And Match, Rufus,

which combines pigeon with summer cup liqueur,

but after the unusual flavours in her fish course earned her only

a seven from Richard, she's hoping she can score higher today.

Anybody concerned with Richard's comments?

After the previous marks, maybe, but I think he just wants us to cook well,

so I'm using pigeon - it's one of my favourite things to cook,

favourite things to eat.

The central element of Pip's dish is her take

on a pork pie, filled instead with pigeon,

which she confits in oil and thyme.

Next she makes pastry, using boiling water and lard -

a method she hopes will give a crunchy finish,

but she needs to work quickly before the mixture cools

or there's a danger the pies will crack.

She cuts and fills with sausage meat to give the pies their shape.

So, these are your mini pies?

Yeah, and I'm going to make the pies with the sausage meat in

and then take the sausage meat out and refill them.

So why are you putting the sausage meat in it and moulding it around

that and not just going straight for your pigeon confit?

I know confiting the legs would be a better way to cook the legs

rather than straight in here and the risk of them being raw, over...

How's your pastry holding up?

Yeah, I was quite happy with the consistency.

We'll see when they explode in the oven!

The hot water pastry could be the one thing that messes this up,

but if she can pull this off, that confited leg meat in there

and that summer cup jelly could be sensational.

Inspiring Pip's dish is the iconic Wimbledon hero

who's been seeing off his opponents for over a decade -

Rufus, the Hawk, charged with keeping the Wimbledon courts pigeon-free.

-Hi.

-Hi, nice to meet you.

-You, too.

Today she's come to visit him, along with his keeper, Imogen Davies.

So let's go and meet Rufus, he's the reason that you're here today.

-Yeah.

-And here he is.

-What breed is Rufus, then?

He is a nine-year-old male Harris hawk and he's not actually native

to this country, he's native to Central and North America.

Just like reigning champion Andy Murray,

Rufus trains daily in preparation for Wimbledon

and, like all tournament greats, he has his own special kit.

What's this, then, he's got on his head?

So here he's wearing his Wimbledon special hood,

I can take it off so you can actually see him up close.

I think it's about time for you to have a try.

-Yeah.

-If you're ready, I'm going to pop him on your fist.

There we go.

And then...

-Rufus...

-Will fly.

..will fly. Go on, then.

During Wimbledon, Imogen and Rufus take to the courts

at 5am every morning,

and spend the next four hours on the hunt for pigeons,

to ensure the courts are ready for play.

So for Rufus' normal day at work at Wimbledon, what goes on?

Generally he'll go up and have a little scout around the area,

check that there's none that look like they might want to be

hanging around. If there are any, then he'll probably chase them off.

Generally find a nice spot up on the rafters and he'll sit there

and kind of watch, and when they even see his silhouette,

they will not land there either.

Although Harris Hawks don't prey on pigeons in the wild,

it's Rufus' favourite delicacy.

I'm going to pop some on your fist here.

So if you hold your arm nice and strong, and here he comes.

Good boy, Rufus.

He's gobbling that one quite nicely and looking to see

-if we've got any more for him.

-I'm glad he likes the pigeon.

He's a big fan, I think.

-Maybe I can get him to taste the one I'm going to do.

-Absolutely.

Pigeon pie, Rufus, you want some pigeon pie?

Back in the kitchen, Nick's working on the central element of his dish,

When Two Stags Clash Horns, by pan roasting his venison -

a meat traditionally more associated with winter.

I love the look of Nick's dish, it looks really yummy to me,

that I would like to eat on a cold winter's day.

In the hope of adding a summery flavour,

he's serving his venison with a blueberry sauce.

Hopefully the blueberry sauce will just balance with the spice,

yeah, hopefully.

-Hi, Nick.

-Hi.

-So is this your blueberry sauce?

This is your taste of summer.

-Do you mind if I try it?

-Yeah, go for it.

The colour is fantastic, that really deep purpley-red colour.

-Sweet.

-Yeah, it is.

-Really sweet.

It is quite sweet, it's not a sauce or a jus,

it's like a little dressing.

-Good luck.

-Cheers, chef.

Pip's working on the barbecued pigeon element of her dish,

Game, Set And Match, Rufus.

Wow, Pip, now that's what I call a barbecue.

She's hoping to match Ryan's nine from yesterday

for his barbecue flavoured dish, cooked without using a barbecue.

-It's quite lively, isn't it?

-Yes.

Can't wait for Richard to taste the flavour of it, really,

proper flavour of barbecue, Ryan.

Next, Pip checks on her hot water crust pies -

her take on the summer picnic staple pork pie.

My pies, I'd like a bit more colour on them,

but that doesn't mean that the pastry's not cooked.

It might just be, like, the egg wash, so fingers crossed.

Pip removes the sausage-meat filling

and replaces with her confit pigeon leg,

before adding a summer cup jelly.

I never shake, why am I shaking? I've never shaked in my life.

With plating-up approaching,

Ryan is working on the beer glaze for the ham in his homage

to the ploughman's lunch.

He adds honey to his cooking juices, before reducing.

Just got to bring those flavours together,

but it's the last-minute for me.

Next, he starts on his warm cheddar sauce -

his refined take on the cheese in a traditional ploughman's lunch.

-What's that in that jug there?

-So, in the jug here, we've got

the cheese dipping sauce, because a Ploughman's, for me,

wouldn't feel right without a bit of cheddar on the side,

and my idea is you've got a nice glaze of beer,

you've got ham and you've got cheese.

-Yeah.

-And for me, that's a fantastic combination.

Well, good luck.

'Watching the guys in the kitchen, the whole mood has changed.

'You know, they're focused, this is actually'

a big competition and it means a lot to them.

First to plate up is Nick,

who's hoping to get back in the race with his dish,

When Two Stags Clash Horns,

inspired by the on-court rivalries of Wimbledon greats.

Nick, those boards look pretty impressive.

I've had them inscribed, the big battles of Wimbledon,

so, for instance, Sampras versus Agassi.

He starts his boards with Jerusalem artichoke puree,

then adds garlic cabbage,

the honey-glazed carrots and a chive and garlic butter.

-How you getting on?

-Yeah, I'm coming, chef.

Next his pepper and juniper crust venison.

Have you got the shakes over there, as well?

-It's all going on over here, chef.

-You should be at the pass now, yeah?

He finishes with his caramelised blueberry sauce.

Well, what you think?

Wow, they look impressive.

Yeah. Countryside on a plate.

Great, let's go and try it.

-Is it summer?

-Summer, no.

Wimbledon, yeah, I think so, a little bit.

It looks great and it smells great,

-but I think we should dive in and try.

-Yeah, definitely.

So, the red venison, are you happy with the way that's cooked?

It looks nice and pink to me.

Venison's just slightly got that rareness to it, which is perfect.

And I like the spice on the outside.

Would you have liked that to have been a bit stronger?

No, because if it was, I think it would push it

more onto the autumn/winter.

With our discussions earlier, that was my biggest worry.

-It's quite a peppery crust, isn't it, when you get into it?

-Yeah, I like that.

So the venison with the blueberry sauce.

I think when you eat it with the light spice and little a bit of

the cabbage and the blueberries, I don't think it's too sweet.

What you think to the blueberries?

-Yeah, I really like it.

-I think they're a tad too sweet for me.

Yeah?

Do you think you could have used maybe broad beans or peas

or anything to kind of then lift that colour up more,

to make it more summer-like?

Yeah, maybe.

Cooking-wise, he'd get a flying eight from me,

-but brief-wise, maybe a seven.

-Yeah, for the lack of summer taste

on this I think I'm going to give him a seven.

-What would you score that dish?

-I would love an eight.

How you doing, Nick?

I'm not sure if I just convinced him it's 100% summer.

-What did you guys think?

-I thought it was, cooking fantastic,

but was it summer? That's the only thing.

-Slightly missed the brief, I think.

-Yeah.

Next up is Ryan with his dish, Ploughman's And A Pint -

a tribute to the popular summer pub lunch,

served on a picnic-style platter.

-How are you going, Ryan?

-Stressful.

He starts with dehydrated sourdough crisps...

Does it all look as you wanted?

Yeah, it's all coming together. Just got to get it on that plate.

..and adds carrot and celeriac coleslaw.

So you're just glazing up your ham hocks now?

Yeah, just glazing them. I don't want it to burn,

-I don't want it to be too sticky.

-This so that the chef's pint?

-Yeah, it is.

-All sticky and reduced in the bottom of the tray.

Ryan plates his ham hock, then pours his cheese sauce into an aerated

gun and pipes into bowls, before topping with diced celery and apple.

-How you doing, Ryan?

-Just about to put the last element on and I'm there.

-What's the last element?

-The piccalilli.

-Leave it in the sauce as long as possible.

-Yeah.

He adds his cauliflower piccalilli...

Do you think it's got the right flavouring?

-Give me five seconds and I'll tell you.

-It's a bit late now, isn't it?!

..and pickled slices of beetroot and onion,

before finishing with his ale glaze.

Ploughman's And A Pint.

All come together exactly as you wanted?

Yeah, the presentation may be a little bit different.

-Let's go and try it, shall we?

-Yep, let's go.

So, Pip, first impressions?

I like it. I get the sitting on Henman Hill, picnic.

Do you feel you've made just a large starter?

Do you think it could have done with some new potatoes on there

to give it more of that main-course feel?

I could put potatoes on there,

but it wouldn't be a Ploughman's if it had potatoes on.

The ham hock looks so inviting, really,

really interested to see if it's tender, and it comes off the bone.

-Oh, perfect.

-That's always a good sign.

-Yeah.

-The ham hock.

-Yeah.

-Is that cooked as you wanted it?

I wanted it to hold to the bone to an extent,

but obviously be cooked at the same time.

-That's beautifully cooked.

-Yep.

I don't know whether I'd want to eat all that ham hock. I love ham hock,

-but it's very filling.

-Yeah.

Do you think you're getting enough of that beer glaze

to be able to carry off the Ploughman's And A Pint idea?

I definitely get the beer.

I get that bitterness, I get that sort of, like, the ale taste.

-Can you taste the beer?

-No, I can't taste any ale, as such.

Is that piccalilli exactly what you wanted?

No, the texture's lost slightly,

and there's a little bit of bitterness creeping in there.

I don't really like the piccalilli, to be honest.

I think it's too sharp, it's too strong.

-What would you give your dish?

-I'd give it a seven.

-How are you getting on?

-How are you doing? How would you say, Ryan?

It weren't great. What do you guys think?

If I'm honest, maybe a bit more glaze, for me.

-Did you get the beer coming through?

-Not really.

-No?

I would have loved just that beer sauce, just to

bring it all together. Because of that, it wasn't a main course.

Last up is Pip,

who's hoping to score highly with her barbecued pigeon dish,

Game, Set And Match, Rufus -

a tribute to Wimbledon's iconic hawk

who clears the courts of birds before play.

She starts by removing the pigeon she barbecued earlier from the oven...

Oh, my God, it melts my mascara every time, that.

..before slicing.

Are you happy with the cooking there, Pip?

I like my pigeon really rare, but I know other people don't,

so I've taken it a little bit further.

To her plate, she adds blackberries and a cabbage and fennel coleslaw.

Everything going all right, all coming together well?

Yeah, just the final bits.

To represent a summer picnic,

Pip places her dish on a tray surrounded by grass and brambles,

with her pigeon and summer cup jelly pie

sitting in a mini picnic basket.

To finish, she spoons pigeon sauce over the meat.

Everything you wanted it to be?

-Yeah, yeah!

-You seem a little unsure.

Yeah, I think so, just wondering if I've forgotten anything,

-but, no, it's good.

-Shall we go and try it?

-Yep.

So I love these little baskets the pie's sitting in,

and the branches around the outside. You get that sense of summer.

So what do you reckon, then? Taste of summer?

Not sure, I don't normally have pigeon at a picnic.

Do you think it's got enough smoky flavour coming through?

Yeah, I think so, you want to taste the pigeon, as well -

it's quite delicate.

If I'm honest, I wouldn't know it's been cooked on a barbecue.

For me, it comes through right at the end,

I'm getting this slight char flavour.

Are you happy with that pastry?

Yeah, the pastry's crunchy, it's nice, it's light.

I mean, it looks so cute, I mean, that pastry.

-Yeah, really crisp.

-That really sounded fantastic.

Do you think that summer cup jelly is too strong?

Do you think that really works together?

No, I don't think it's too strong

if you have it with the barbecue pigeon.

I don't really get that jelly texture coming across.

The taste is quite nice, though.

Do you think the coleslaw has got enough about it to be a part of the dish?

With the pigeon and the pastry, it's really good.

The coleslaw, it just adds a level of freshness.

I think it's seasoned really well and it's got a good crunch to it.

If you had to score this out of ten, what would you give it?

I think it's really tasty, and it meets the brief.

I'd give it a nine.

-How did it go, Pip?

-I was happy.

-What did you guys think?

-Overall, a tasty dish.

I just thought, as soon as you see brambles,

for me it's bang out of season.

I need a big score today, so, yeah, yeah, I'm praying.

I mean, it weren't my strongest dish, I'm fearful a little bit,

to be honest, cos I think I've dropped a few points here.

-Hi, chefs.

-Hi.

-Hello.

Main course over, how do you feel?

It was tough, very tough.

Hard round.

Nick, your dish...

I got the connection between the stags

and the famous battles at Wimbledon,

and I think that would be a real talking point at the banquet.

The venison was cooked perfectly,

and I really enjoyed that delicate spice of the juniper and the pepper.

But...

the whole dish, to me, still was too autumnal.

I just think you could have used more summery vegetables.

And I felt the blueberry sauce was too sweet.

Ryan, your dish...

You really hit that taste of summer brief.

The ham hock was cooked perfectly.

The cheese sauce was really creamy, really cheesy.

However...

..your dish was called Ploughman's And A Pint...

and I just felt that glaze wasn't strong enough

to be able to pull that beer flavour off.

The piccalilli wasn't the best.

But also, I just didn't feel it was a main course for a banquet.

Pip...

I loved the presentation, and the idea behind the dish.

The cooking of the pigeon was perfect,

and the barbecue flavour was completely on point.

I loved the pigeon pie, that crisp pastry was beautiful.

And the summer cup jelly worked brilliantly.

However...

..I wanted it to be slightly larger.

And I wasn't too sure about that coleslaw.

I think everything else was so refined and beautiful,

it felt too rustic.

For the scores...

Pip, I'm going to start with you.

I'm giving you a score of...

..nine.

Nick...

..I'm going to give you a score of...

..seven.

Ryan...

..I'm giving you a score of...

..seven.

Well done, everyone. It's been a tough day,

and we're going into deserts tomorrow,

and having won this course myself at the banquet,

you know I'm going to be expecting high standards.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

That's expected, for me.

I expected that.

I've hit an eight, I've hit a nine, gone down to a seven.

You can't win them all, but I'm geared up for the next course.

With three dishes down,

a single point separates Pip on 25, and Ryan on 24,

while Nick is in third, on 20.

-Well done.

-Yeah, well done.

-So far.

-That's cool, getting a nine.

You know there's always a but, so his but wasn't that bad,

and that's when I was, like, oh, my God, this could be it.

Now I'm gutted I didn't get ten.

-It's still all open, though, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-I think we've just got to go for it.

So I've misinterpreted the brief,

and it's nobody's fault but my own, but I've just got to keep going.

I've got a smile on my face.

I'm definitely going for a ten now.

Yeah! Someone's got to get one.