0:00:02 > 0:00:05The challenge continues on Great British Menu.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Three of the North West's best and most competitive chefs,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12Lisa Allen, Bruno Birkbeck and Johnnie Mountain,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16are battling for the honour of cooking at the ultimate street party.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21The struggle for the starter left all three chefs level pegging
0:00:21 > 0:00:22on eight points.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27Last year's champion Lisa has her work cut out to gain the lead.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29To get an eight on the first course is brilliant.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33You've set that benchmark for yourself so you want better.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Newcomer Bruno is snapping at her heels.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39It's going to be very hard. It's like basically your first day again.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Returning chef Johnnie is determined to win this time.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46We won't talk about last year. This is a new day.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48We're going to crack on.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Scoring them is double-Michelin-star holder
0:00:51 > 0:00:53and Great British Menu veteran Marcus Wareing.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57The heat's on. If they don't raise their game, it's curtains for one of them.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01Today it's the fish course and the fight's between a barbecue of oak-smoked salmon,
0:01:01 > 0:01:06fish soup with rouille croutons and salt-baked rainbow trout.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Going into the fish course all square, I'm excited.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Because if I pull this dish off, I really will forge ahead.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27This year's competition is all about making mouth-watering food to share.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30The hardest thing about the brief is that it's so wide open.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33There's so many interpretations of sharing.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36It's going to be an incredible experience of what people bring to the board.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Each chef has sought out local heroes from their community,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43who cook their hearts out to foster links in their neighbourhoods.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48- How's your food?- Yeah, very good. - I'll have a taste in a minute.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51And the winning chefs will get the chance to invite
0:01:51 > 0:01:55the inspiring individuals they've met to attend our celebratory feast.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I'd like to ask if you'd like to come to the Great British Menu banquet?
0:01:58 > 0:01:59Wow.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05To get ahead in today's fish course, they must rise to the task
0:02:05 > 0:02:07and impress discerning chef Marcus Wareing,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09famous for taking no prisoners.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12There's still everything to play for,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14but I think this is the toughest course.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17This is the time I want a real level of excellence.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19They have set the bar really high.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28First up, it's former champion, Lisa Allen.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31She showed her experience in the starter,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34comfortably earning eight points for her crispy pork pancakes.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37And she'd love to nail the brief again today.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40I hope this dish is going to give me a few marks more than the others.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42You know, it's my favourite dish.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45It's one of those that gives the surprise element
0:02:45 > 0:02:47and would fit a banquet.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52- How are you, Lisa?- Good, thank you. - What's your fish dish?
0:02:52 > 0:02:57I'm doing salt-baked rainbow trout with cockles and a potato salad.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00I'll lightly cook off the cockles and put into the bottom.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02- Into the belly.- Yeah.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04The surprise is they crack the salt off at table.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- They peel back the skin and serve themselves.- There's a bit of a show?
0:03:08 > 0:03:10- Yeah.- You have kept things plain and simple.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13I have taken dishes that I think people would eat at home
0:03:13 > 0:03:15and put my twist on them.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Lisa's whole rainbow trout dish is designed to get the guests
0:03:20 > 0:03:22interacting, as they break through the salt crust at the table,
0:03:22 > 0:03:24but is she taking a gamble?
0:03:24 > 0:03:25Once it's cooking, Lisa won't be able to see,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27because it's completely sealed.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29She's never going to know whether it's cooked or not.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32She's just going to go on the fact she's practised it enough.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34That's a big, big risk for a banquet.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39Up next, it's new recruit Bruno Birkbeck.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41A few years back, Lisa worked under him.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Now they're equals, as he also bagged an eight yesterday
0:03:43 > 0:03:47for his cheffy take on a classic ploughmans.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Will his fine dining approach put him in the lead today?
0:03:51 > 0:03:56To get another high score, I just got to put me head down, concentrate, get every element right.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- What have we got?- You've got my take on a barbecue today.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04- Barbecue?- Yeah. Some salmon, just going to smoke it.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Going to bar mark the salmon, put it in a barbecue.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10I'm going to fill the barbecue with smoke and take it to the table.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- A hot barbecue?- It's not hot. It's just the theatre of it.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Is there enough of a sharing platter here, the big wow factor?
0:04:17 > 0:04:20You got your big barbecue, centre of the table.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23You're going to lift up the barbecue, smoke will come out, you've got the smell.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27It's a bit more of a wow factor, you know.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30So Bruno's desperate to steal the show with his dramatic
0:04:30 > 0:04:31oak-smoked salmon,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35but is it a step too far to serve his dish on a barbecue?
0:04:35 > 0:04:37If he's going to do barbecued fish,
0:04:37 > 0:04:40I'm hoping there's barbecuing within the recipe and I hope it's
0:04:40 > 0:04:43not just gimmicky theatre, because that's not good enough.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Finally, it's maverick Johnnie Mountain.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Knocked out first last year,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52Johnnie's eager to impress with a daring global menu.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Yesterday, his spectacular Indian feast of finger foods also
0:04:56 > 0:04:58earned him an impressive eight.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01I think the other two are a little more wary of me now, especially Lisa.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03She'll be a bit more scared now.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07That's a box of tricks, isn't it?
0:05:07 > 0:05:10You don't come light, do you? What is the dish? What are you doing?
0:05:10 > 0:05:14It's my take on a bouillabaisse, a classic fish soup,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16but I've stepped it up a little bit.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18How have you stepped it up?
0:05:18 > 0:05:21The classic bouillabaisses are with cheaper fish.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23I want to show off some of the great produce we've got.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26You got your John Dory, turbot, monkfish.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- Live langoustines, live lobsters.- For...?
0:05:30 > 0:05:34- For the crouton, for the rouille. - Speaking French now?- French now.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38- We're back in Europe now? - Yeah, I'm back to Europe.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40- Are you coming back to England? - I might do.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Johnnie's going against the grain by taking the French classic
0:05:43 > 0:05:45bouillabaisse upmarket.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Will his unconventional approach cost him?
0:05:49 > 0:05:52I'm not sure about top-quality fish for a classic bouillabaisse,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54which is peasant fish, almost.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Why Johnnie is changing that, I've no idea.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06In the kitchen, the cooking begins. With all three chefs neck and neck,
0:06:06 > 0:06:10they're equally determined to outshine their rivals this time.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12How do you feel about the scores?
0:06:12 > 0:06:15I think it's definitely made people push a bit harder now.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- Obviously, all of us are level pegging.- Cat amongst the pigeons.
0:06:19 > 0:06:26- How do you feel, Johnnie. Pretty good?- I feel numb. I feel numb.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28To get an eight off Marcus Wareing is superb.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32I'm quite busy now, so if you don't mind not talking to me for a while...
0:06:32 > 0:06:37Lisa begins by de-boning her trout ready to be baked in salt.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41Bruno purees beetroot to accompany his barbecue salmon platter,
0:06:41 > 0:06:47while Johnnie fillets his fish, the bones of which he'll use as the basis for his soup.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Johnnie's determined to keep his head down and with good reason,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53as veteran Marcus is scrutinising his every move.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57He'll be holding all three chefs to his exacting standards.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00'The pressure's on. Nerves are going to be high.'
0:07:00 > 0:07:04What I'm looking for, as always, is excellence.
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Preparation is key for the success of these dishes,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10and Johnnie has already put himself under pressure
0:07:10 > 0:07:15with the sheer number of fish that he has to fillet and trim.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20- You've got a lot to do for this course, Johnnie?- Just a little bit.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24I know Johnnie is quite quiet now. I think he's concentrating.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Getting an eight, he wants to get another.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I think we've all got something to worry about.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35I don't know what Marcus thinks about me.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I know what I think about myself - head down, crack on.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40That's why I'm quiet. I really want to push on.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44It's a really important competition.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49Johnnie's newly subdued manner might have disconcerted his rivals.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Reigning champion Lisa is determined to hold him back with skilful technique.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57She's tunnel-boned her rainbow trout through the back,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00allowing her to serve the stuffed fish upright.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Rather than doing one dressed whole fish, it's nicer to do something different with it.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07The theory behind it is a bit of butter on the cockles
0:08:07 > 0:08:08will create a sauce.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10It's a tricky dish that Lisa's got.
0:08:10 > 0:08:15She's cooking a trout with salt crust. It's a tricky one. There's stuff that might go wrong.
0:08:15 > 0:08:22While Lisa's hoping to make a bold statement by serving her fish whole,
0:08:22 > 0:08:27her ex-colleague Bruno Birkbeck is putting a fine dining spin on his salmon barbecue.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- Those skewers look fiddly, Bruno. - Yeah, a bit fiddly, yeah.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32It's just a little touch for the barbecue, like.
0:08:34 > 0:08:40I think with Bruno there's a wanting to impress with his fine dining cookery,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44rather than the actual brief itself. It's about a sharing banquet -
0:08:44 > 0:08:46it's not about what he does in his restaurant.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49And Johnnie's dish also has Marcus worried.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52With so many types of fish to cook,
0:08:52 > 0:08:56does he have the technique to get the best out of his ingredients?
0:08:56 > 0:09:01OK, Johnnie? What are you making the soup from - these?
0:09:01 > 0:09:04- I'm making it from these. - Where's the heads?- Heads are out.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08- I don't do heads.- OK. - Blood, I'm not into that.
0:09:10 > 0:09:16I can't believe anyone making bouillabaisse is not prepared to put in a fish head,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19where all of the flavour of the fish is practically in the head.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21There's no fish heads going into his soup.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24He's got basic bones, the skeleton of the fish.
0:09:24 > 0:09:28This is one dish that he will not be able to sneak past me as a wing and a prayer,
0:09:28 > 0:09:33because I know what a good bouillabaisse is supposed to be like.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38This year, the chefs are celebrating food's ability to bring people together.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41And they've looked at their own communities for inspiration.
0:09:41 > 0:09:47- I went to revisit my old Scout group. - Were you Scout master?
0:09:47 > 0:09:53- No, no, I went to Cubs, went on Scout camps.- A proper outdoors boy. - Yeah.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55Girls Guide, Boys' Brigade - what were you into?
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- As many as you could get your hands on, you, probably. - LISA LAUGHS
0:09:59 > 0:10:02To make sure his fish course hit the mark,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Bruno headed back to Kendal in Cumbria, where he grew up.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Bruno's early passion for good food was fuelled by meals
0:10:09 > 0:10:12cooked in the great outdoors and shared around the camp fire.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15So what better way to road-test his fish barbecue
0:10:15 > 0:10:19than a trip down memory lane to visit his old Scout group?
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- Hello, how are you doing?- I'm Bruno.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Alistair MacKenzie is the current group leader.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26So you used to be part of this Scout group, did you?
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Yeah, yeah, yeah. We used to come up here camping.
0:10:29 > 0:10:35The food we used to cook was rabbit stews, hot dogs and onions sizzling on the stove.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37It got me very interested from an early age.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Hello, there! How are you doing?
0:10:40 > 0:10:42- Hi.- You've gone all quiet now.
0:10:42 > 0:10:43LAUGHTER
0:10:43 > 0:10:48Basically, we've got Morecambe Bay shrimps and sea bass. Take guts out if you like.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Bruno hopes encouraging the kids to get stuck in
0:10:52 > 0:10:55will fire their imaginations and get them interested
0:10:55 > 0:10:59in cooking and eating as a group, just like it did for him.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- Who wants a go at gutting? - Me, please.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04That's it.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05Good effort. Well done.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- That's the spirit! - Eurgh, that's minging.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11It's not long before everyone's got over their squeamishness
0:11:11 > 0:11:14and they're working together to prep the evening meal.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15Scallops in the pan there.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Will any of these connoisseurs of camp fire food have any tips for the pro?
0:11:19 > 0:11:25- How do you think I could make this look spectacular?- Don't burn it. - Don't burn it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:31- That's a good idea. Well done, fella. - You could maybe put some herbs on it.- Some herbs.- Spices.- Some spices.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36For Bruno, it's great to see Alistair inspiring a new generation to cook,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39so they can look after themselves in the great outdoors.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Are the kids are interested in cooking?- They love it.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47Any time we do cooking or anything, they're very interested. We do backwoods cooking.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Basically, we make a bag out of tin foil and fill it with mince,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53potatoes, carrots, onions, whatever you want, and put it onto the fire.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56That will be beautiful.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02- So shall we have a little taste? CHILDREN:- Yes!
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Now that they've had a chance to share Bruno's food,
0:12:06 > 0:12:08it's the moment of truth.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11- How was that, lads?- Brilliant. Very, very nice.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14- I liked the lemon in the shrimps. - The food was really tasty.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20I liked it how he did it how he thought it would taste nice.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24I think Bruno can win the Great British Menu, because he's got
0:12:24 > 0:12:28really good quality and he obviously enjoys making his food.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31To inspire little...young ones and hopefully, you know,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35if you get one chef out of the group or somebody even that's just
0:12:35 > 0:12:38interested in cooking back at home or something like that,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40then I think it's been a worthwhile day.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45And he's got a final surprise in store for Scout group leader Alistair.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48I'd like to invite you, as guest of honour, to the banquet.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52- Thank you very much. - It'll be a fantastic thing.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54- Hopefully, we can get through and win.- Best of luck.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56What he does here is absolutely fantastic.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00He's putting in something to the kids and to their future.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It makes me push myself a bit more and definitely want to get a dish at the menu.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Three of the North West's best chefs are hard at it,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13preparing very different fish dishes, each convinced theirs
0:13:13 > 0:13:17is perfect to represent the region at the people's banquet.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Reigning champion Lisa Allen's hoping her dramatic whole trout
0:13:21 > 0:13:24will get guests excited, as they smash the salt crust.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Maverick Johnnie Mountain's desperate to impress
0:13:27 > 0:13:31with an indulgent soup made with top-quality fish and shellfish.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34And newcomer Bruno Birkbeck is depending on skilful technique
0:13:34 > 0:13:38to pull off his quirky take on a salmon barbecue.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42Scoring every dish is former champion Marcus Wareing.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45He'll send the top two through to the judges on Friday,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48but one chef will be going home.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Somebody needs to be edging forward now.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54And I want to see someone shining through above the other two.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55So it's make or break point.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07With one course battled to a draw and Marcus's verdict looming,
0:14:07 > 0:14:11all three chefs have to prove they can deliver the wow factor.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Despite Marcus's concerns, Johnnie continues to simmer
0:14:17 > 0:14:22his unconventional soup base using only fish bones but not the heads.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26He then whisks up a traditional Provencal rouille accompanied
0:14:26 > 0:14:30by combining egg yolks with garlic, oil, mustard and saffron.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38Bruno lights the fragrant oakwood chippings to hot-smoke his cured salmon fillets.
0:14:38 > 0:14:45And Lisa is steaming cockles in white wine and herbs before stuffing them into her whole trout.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48But Marcus has spotted a possible problem.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- Aren't you allergic to these things? - I am.- You put gloves on?- Yes.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55- No eating?- No.- No touching them?- No. Done the dish, hopefully, five times.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I got several people to try it.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03I'm quite shocked she's using a product that she can't taste. I think that's mad, truly mad.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Lisa's shellfish allergy means she's never tasted her own dish.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13With this fish dish for me, Lisa's cooking completely blind - big risk for Lisa.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20Across the kitchen and keen to make an impact, Bruno is marking his cured salmon
0:15:20 > 0:15:25with a hot skewer to give it the look of being chargrilled.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26What are you doing?
0:15:26 > 0:15:31Just branding the salmon, really, so it gives it a bit of a flavour and that barbecuey look,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- you know what I mean?- Yeah.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37I've seen that at Harvester - it uses the same method...
0:15:37 > 0:15:39He said to me he's going to bar mark his fish.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43If you're barbecuing, that should do it automatically for you.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46I think with Bruno, he's young. He's a lot to prove.
0:15:46 > 0:15:52He wants to make a big impact. It could be his making, it could be his downfall - we'll see.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59As the time to plate up gets closer,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Johnnie sieves his stock of fish carcasses and vegetables.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07- What have you done with your stock there?- That is my base to my soup.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11I'm going to blitz some very light tomatoes through there.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13- It's a light, summery soup, you know.- Yeah.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Cos the depth and body and everything will come
0:16:15 > 0:16:19from these lovely pieces of fish that I'm about to cook.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23It is like a very weak, bland fish stock.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26That is not a soup, and it is certainly not a bouillabaisse.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28If he carries on this way,
0:16:28 > 0:16:30he's going to be in for a real shock with my marking.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Fine dining chef Bruno is hoping to win extra points
0:16:36 > 0:16:40for his surprise serving dish, an unlit back garden barbecue.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45- This is the barbecue. - So it's not on?- No, it's not hot.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49Little barbecue, centre of the table.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54I don't understand putting the barbecue on the table and it's not lit, you know.
0:16:54 > 0:17:00A cold barbecue sits in a garage. It seems a bit...childlike, really.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02On the other side of the kitchen,
0:17:02 > 0:17:07Lisa is calm under pressure as she applies the salt crust to her fish.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11- What salt is this? - It's ground-down rock salt.
0:17:11 > 0:17:16Lisa is playing a very cool, safe game here.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18She doesn't look like a chef worried about her dish at all.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Johnnie can't resist the opportunity to seed some doubt in Lisa's mind.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24You sure your timings? Nine minutes -
0:17:24 > 0:17:27will it get through that density of that salt?
0:17:27 > 0:17:30It's a bit tricky if you get it wrong, you don't know the ovens...
0:17:30 > 0:17:31There's a good bit that might go wrong.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- Good luck.- If I didn't like you, Johnnie, I'd hit you.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39It's not the baked trout that will be judged first today, though -
0:17:39 > 0:17:41it's Bruno's barbecue salmon dish.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44But despite the name, the fish is actually smoked over oak chips.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49The only time it will see a barbecue is when it's served on a cold one.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- How long are you going to give that in there?- About six minutes.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I want it to be nice and pink in the middle.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59Time against him, Bruno pan-fries his langoustines
0:17:59 > 0:18:03and covers his barbecue fish platter under a dome of cold smoke.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12- Are you happy with this?- Yeah, hopefully, it's good.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14- Wow.- Excellent.
0:18:14 > 0:18:20- So...- Simple, really.- Somebody's got to be mother and put it onto a plate.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25- Little bean salad.- That's fine bean and shavings of asparagus and the pickled beetroot.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- Let's have a taste, then.- Fantastic. Thank you.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32Marcus and Bruno will taste the dish in private.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Because of Lisa's shellfish allergy,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37it will be up to Johnnie to rate Bruno's efforts on her behalf.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Do you think that's a dish to take you through?
0:18:39 > 0:18:40I'm happy with the dish.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44It all came out quite nice, especially with the smoke.
0:18:44 > 0:18:45That's what I was looking for.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51- The bar marks... - Should bring something.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56- Nice?- The best I've ever tasted. The best salmon I've ever tasted.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Quite jealous I can't eat it.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00It's really spot on.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07- The bar marking... - When you put a piece of fish on the barbecue itself,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10you know, you're going to get some bar marking.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- Have you actually barbecued anything, though?- No, there isn't an element
0:19:14 > 0:19:18that is a barbecue - it's just the theatre of the barbecue.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20OK. What's the dish called?
0:19:20 > 0:19:26- Yeah, it's called a barbecue... - Barbecued fish.- Yeah, that's maybe a down point.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30The langoustine doesn't bring much to it,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- because it's quite similar to that salmon.- What about the skewer?
0:19:34 > 0:19:37It's neither here nor there, without being rude.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40It's some shrimps with a bit of salmon. It's nice.
0:19:40 > 0:19:43Marcus won't be revealing his scores until he's tried all three dishes.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47- He's a tough man to second-guess. - He doesn't let anything out.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49He doesn't smile too much, does he?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Every course worries you, you know.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54I got a good mark for my starter, so, this course,
0:19:54 > 0:19:55I could do with a good mark.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58Next to serve is Johnnie Mountain,
0:19:58 > 0:20:02who still has a whole basket of fish to pan-fry for his soup.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Have you got a wow factor?
0:20:04 > 0:20:08It's all about well cooked fish. That's what I'm trying to achieve.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Is it one of those dishes, lastminute.com?
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Always.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14- What's in there? - Turbot, dory, monkfish.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18That's a lot of fish to get right, that.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21Next he puts cooked fish at the bottom of his tureen and covers it
0:20:21 > 0:20:26with his soup, before serving with a spicy rouille and giant garlic croutons.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29He's definitely thought about its presentation,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32but it's the flavour of the soup that has Marcus concerned.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- The fish, is it take whatever you want?- It is.
0:20:38 > 0:20:43I put really beautiful dory, turbot, lobster, langoustine, squid,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46slightly undercooked it, so it was still translucent.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49You'll end up, hopefully, with a perfectly cooked piece of fish.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Are you not too fussed that everyone'll get different bits of fish?
0:20:53 > 0:20:57- No, that could start a conversation. - Are you happy with that, though?
0:20:57 > 0:20:59- Yeah, 100%.- Let's go, Johnnie.
0:20:59 > 0:21:04Will Marcus find that Johnnie's novel take on a French classic
0:21:04 > 0:21:07is magnificent enough to earn him a place at the people's banquet?
0:21:07 > 0:21:11The methods you've used in the flavours of the saffron - everything sings bouillabaisse.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15The bouillabaisse I read about, is using cheaper cuts of fish.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17- Why didn't you do that? - I'm not really into that.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20- I think it's too dirty.- Really?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23If we're cooking for people we love at this great street party,
0:21:23 > 0:21:25I want to give them bit of a treat.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27Why are you using a bouillabaisse garnish then?
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Because I think it works perfectly with the dish.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36Definitely a sharing dish. Would you have put that much fish in it?
0:21:36 > 0:21:41Myself, maybe not, no. It is a very expensive dish, you know.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44You chose not to use whole fish in the soup.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47You chose to throw the heads of the fish away.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I tried to make it better, what I thought was better.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53- Do you think you've made it better? - For me, yes.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00The fish is cooked well.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02- It looks perfectly cooked. - Fantastic piece of turbot.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05It's not a bouillabaisse. What is the name of this dish?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08This is my fish soup, Johnnie Mountain's soup.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13- Johnnie Mountain's fish bouillabaisse soup.- With spicy mayonnaise and toast.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18I feel that I've definitely executed my fish course
0:22:18 > 0:22:20to the best of my ability.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22If Marcus isn't happy with it,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25there's no pleasing all the people all the time, is there?
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Last to plate up is Lisa,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31whose salt-baked rainbow trout is out of the oven and resting.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Next, she spoons her new potato salad into scallop shells,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37which she tops with fennel, radish and samphire.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40Easy, tiger.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44With time running out, she finally transfers the whole fish
0:22:44 > 0:22:46to a custom-made board to serve.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49The baked salt crust has to be chipped away
0:22:49 > 0:22:52to reveal the fish underneath.
0:22:52 > 0:22:57- OK.- This is what the guests are eating out of?- Yes.- No plate?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00- No.- So it's dissecting this and putting a piece of fish on there.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Yes. Bang it a couple of times. You need to hit it quite hard.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Pull the salt with the spoon and the fork into the wells.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- Peel back the paper.- That's clever.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Hopefully with people doing this, it'll give them
0:23:12 > 0:23:15a bit of "oohs" and "aahs", "are you going to do it?"
0:23:15 > 0:23:19- Have I done a good job?- Excellent. - Shall we go and taste it?- Yeah.
0:23:21 > 0:23:26Has Lisa's high-risk cooking strategy paid off?
0:23:26 > 0:23:30If this is the dish that you'd have on your menu, this is yours,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33you can't touch any of this, really.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37Yeah, I can't taste it cos the cockles are inside and I'm allergic to shellfish.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I don't think that, as a chef,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42should stop me from using some of the fantastic ingredients.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44You need faith in your cooking ability.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- That's just fantastic. - The fish is perfect.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Yeah, and the cockles, they're lovely, like, aren't they?
0:23:55 > 0:23:58To get that accurate, she's done it so many times that it is perfect.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01- Spot-on. - She's pulled a good one out of the bag.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03- Big bag she's got. - Aye!
0:24:05 > 0:24:11The fish, the cockles, potato salad, what's the reasoning for the flavours?
0:24:11 > 0:24:13I wanted to let the ingredients speak for itself.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Rainbow trout is such a lovely fish.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19Also, it's ingredients that people know.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22At the banquet they could relate to what's on the plate.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27Putting this sort of dish, it really honours them, the community people
0:24:27 > 0:24:32to see something... They'd never have seen something like this. Mind blowing.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Not at all. It is definitely a strong one.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39I'm a bit anxious now waiting for the fish course,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42cos obviously it's going to set the bar between us.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Then the race has started.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47With the tastings over,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51the chefs are desperate for extra points to edge ahead.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52It all hangs on Marcus's verdict.
0:24:56 > 0:25:01Just wanting to do well. It's what I've practised and concentrated on.
0:25:01 > 0:25:02Yeah, I'm nervous, without a doubt.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04JOHNNIE: It's agonising.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08You can't do any more. You feel almost like a helpless child.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- OK, guys. You had a good day? - All right.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Time to find out who has taken the lead.
0:25:22 > 0:25:27Bruno, presentation was nice and quirky.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31For me, barbecuing is a piece of meat or fish cooked over coal or wood.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36I don't personally think that's what you did. The salmon was beautifully cooked.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40You got the element of smoke around it, but not barbecue flavour.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Yeah, OK.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49Johnnie, what I found really odd about your method is that you chose
0:25:49 > 0:25:51to throw away the fish heads.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56For me, there's more flavour in a fish head than in the bone.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I felt the presentation was fantastic. Loved the large croutons.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02I felt it was fish stock rather than a soup.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Lisa, your sea trout, the presentation was outstanding.
0:26:09 > 0:26:14- I thoroughly enjoyed the process, a fun thing to do.- Thanks very much.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Of course, there's always going to be the downside -
0:26:16 > 0:26:18that you can't taste the cockles.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22You'll never know whether it's right or wrong.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25But to the main point, which is the scores.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31Bruno, for your barbecue salmon and shrimp with langoustine...
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- ..I'm going to give you a five. - OK.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Johnnie, for your fish soup...
0:26:45 > 0:26:46..to be really honest,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49I was very disappointed with the soup.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- I thought it was very bland. - OK.- For me, it's all about flavour.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57For your fish soup...
0:26:59 > 0:27:02..it's going to be a four, mate.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Lisa, for your salt-baked trout...
0:27:10 > 0:27:13..it's been the dish of the North West so far.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Absolutely fantastic.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17For that,
0:27:17 > 0:27:18I'm going to give you...
0:27:22 > 0:27:23Nine.
0:27:25 > 0:27:29- Thank you very much.- Well done. A dish worthy of the final. Excellent.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Guys, you've got a lot to do. Thank you and good luck.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39- Thank you very much. - - All right, big man. - It's me and you.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42So after day two, it's all change.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46Lisa is in first place with 17 points.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Trailing Lisa by four points is Bruno with 13.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52And Johnnie is in last place with 12 points.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56To get a comment like that and to get a score like that,
0:27:56 > 0:28:00it's just made me determined to fight even harder now.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Hey, Marcus is the man. He knows what he wants. He's a hard judge.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05That's why he's here, isn't he?
0:28:05 > 0:28:09For the effort and thought I put in this year, I'm really gutted.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14To get a four for all that work and effort, but I think Bruno, he's my one now that I have to catch.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19Tomorrow the fight continues with the main course bout.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22Have you got a sweat on? Are you all right?
0:28:22 > 0:28:24I'm going to come out fighting. It's going to be cracking.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28- The chefs are pulling out all the stops.- Now it's to fight for.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29They've got to really go for it.
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