South West Main Great British Menu

It's day three on Great British Menu. Three chefs from the South West,

Andre Garrett, John Hooker and Paul Ainsworth,

have been doing battle for the chance to cook at the ultimate street party.

On Monday, there was drama over the starters.

-Oh...

-BLEEP

And yesterday's fish course brought out Andre's competitive streak.

We've got a bit of work on to topple the master.

It earned him top score for the day, but John had a complete disaster and even forgot part of his dish.

If I'd put that jelly on, maybe I'd be a point closer.

Today is the main course and so far, Paul is top of the leader board.

I'm determined to keep hold of first place, more than ever.

Awarding the points this week is two Michelin star holder Michael Caines.

This is the main course. This is the time for the chefs to step up and produce something spectacular.

The dishes vying to be served at the People's Banquet today

are rib of beef, pommes Anna and English peas,

Great British pork "head to toe", and Dexter beef with a tongue and cheek pie and creamed horseradish.

Can Andre or John surge up the points table?

I need a very good score for my own confidence and to keep me in the game.

I've got to cook some good food, push those boys out the way and get to that judges' chamber.

All the chefs this year have been exploring their local communities,

meeting inspiring people who already bring us together through food.

Food was what gathered people round the table and started conversation.

They've been road-testing their dishes to see if they'll go down well at our street party,

but standing between them and the People's Banquet is Great British Menu veteran Michael Caines

whose restaurant was recently voted the best in Britain.

I don't want to send anything through that's not good enough to represent the South West

and I really expect these guys to up the ante.

First in today is classically trained Michelin star holder Andre Garrett.

Two courses in, he's in second place and he's got a clear aim for the next two heats.

I'll be very happy if my scores are consistent and high and just in there to get myself through to the final.

-Hello, Andre.

-Hello, chef.

-Main course - what dish are you doing?

I've got a rib of beef. I'm doing that with a pommes Anna potato.

I've got black truffle. And I'm doing a take on a petits pois a la francaise

-with a parsley and a bone marrow custard.

-I'm thinking about that brief of dishes that can be shared.

-How will you take that challenge on with this main course?

-I want to use some black truffle.

I want these people that we're cooking for to enjoy themselves, to give them a bit of luxury.

It's going to be a tough day today. The main course is always difficult. I'm expecting great things from you.

Andre is drawing on his knowledge of classic French cuisine

for his dish which he sees being carved at the table family style.

But is he playing it too safe?

Is this beef dish too simple? Will it deliver that wow factor that I expect for the main course?

Second in line is Paul Ainsworth. He's been in the lead since day one.

But he's finding it tough at the top.

The boys are pushing real, real hard,

so I just hope that I can maintain that position and I just hope that I can finish first place.

-Hi, Paul.

-Hi. How are you, Michael?

-Good, thanks. Feeling confident then after the last two courses?

Yeah, definitely. Especially with this course. I've really got high expectations for this one.

-What are you cooking for us?

-Great British pork "head to toe".

So I'm going to kind of... The cheek's in there, the ears.

-Yeah.

-Really beautiful free-range pork.

Here I've done the belly. I've got the fillet which I'll cook on the bone. It gives a lovely flavour.

I'll put it all together, so it looks like the pig, then I'll make a sausage roll.

You've really embraced the sharing, but there's a lot to do. Are you going to be OK for timing?

Yeah, I think I'm going to be OK for timing.

Not only do I think it's a great flavour,

but the pressure cooker really cuts down the time and lets me showcase these ingredients.

Paul's piggy platter features four different cuts of pork,

but for the third day running, it's a complicated dish.

If he has bitten off more than he can chew, it could cost him dearly.

I'll expect all those elements to be done to absolute perfection and I'll be marking him accordingly.

Last up is John Hooker. So far, he has failed to prove he can adapt his restaurant style for the banquet,

leaving him three points behind Andre in last place, but he is not beaten yet.

It's only three points, I'm not climbing Everest and I can do it with these next two courses.

-Good morning, John.

-Morning, Michael.

-Trailing a bit. A bit of pressure.

-Head down and push on today.

Main course - what are you cooking?

It's Dexter beef from the West Country with a tongue and cheek pie.

-What's the inspiration behind this dish?

-It's my grandmother, the old pot roast brisket she used to do.

-Got a bit of horseradish with that?

-Classic flavours, some creamed horseradish to go with it.

-Asparagus?

-Asparagus, baby leeks, seasonal vegetables.

Today is all about sharing. It's on a big platter.

-You've made that a real focus?

-A huge focus. This is the main event and I've got to nail it.

John is sure that this time his dish of local Devon beef is on the money.

He's even using a favourite family recipe,

but it's going to take a lot to convince Michael.

What John needs to do is embrace that celebration, the sharing concept. The other two have done it.

John seems to be stuck in his restaurant mode. Let's hope he can come to banqueting mode.

With just five points separating the top and bottom scores,

all three chefs know that their performance in this course could swing the competition

and they're watching each other closely.

Andre has found his stride after his fish course. That's given him a massive confidence boost.

I would love to overtake Paul, but I know he's a damn good chef.

I'm chasing both guys. They can't rest on their laurels.

Although Andre and John are getting stuck into their beef dishes,

they're taking a keen interest in leader Paul's pork.

I think this was one of my easiest ones to come up with. Pork is one of my favourite things to cook with.

I love that whole nose to tail sort of thing.

How many different things have you got going on?

I've got the ears, the belly, the cheek. I've got fillet on the bone.

-Are you pressure-cooking it all then?

-Yeah.

Paul has shown he is not afraid to be unconventional all week

and he has managed to surprise his rivals again with his choice of cooking method.

A very old-fashioned way of cooking.

My mother used to cook like that - put something on, go to work, come back, it was still ticking away.

I don't use a pressure cooker, but let's see how it comes up to the pass.

In the starter, both John and Andre cooked pork. John came out on top.

Now it's the battle of the beef, but who has picked the best cut?

-John, that beef looks beautiful.

-It's aged on the bone, 28 days hung.

It's Dexter, it's smaller, it gets loads more marbling and flavour into it. I love this breed.

-What cut have you gone for?

-I'm going for something different, what my butcher calls the deckle,

which is the flank of the rib-eye. There's a lot of flavour running through that.

I want to showcase something quite special.

I think today is going to be very competitive.

I think we're all very strong on our meat courses. I think it's probably the strongest course all round.

It's going to be a good competition today.

It's the main event.

I'm so happy with my course, but you can feel it in the air. It's full on today.

It means a lot to everyone. We're here to do the South West proud.

Classically trained Andre is stuffing his beef

with luxurious black truffles and cured Italian pork fat

in a bid to lift his dish out of the ordinary, but Michael is yet to be convinced.

Andre has chosen to use black truffle, a prime ingredient.

It'll be interesting to see how the flavours come through and if that adds value to the dish.

Rival Paul's trademark so far has been quirky, humorous touches

and his little twist today is a sausage roll in the shape of a trotter, filled with black pudding.

So, Paul, is black pudding something that everybody likes?

This black pudding I'm using is beautiful.

It's pinhead oatmeal and it's got a really nice sausagey taste.

With it being in a sausage roll, everybody loves sausage rolls, don't they?

Paul's dish carries a bit of risk. He's using the ears, black pudding,

which are things that people may not have tasted before or be used to. That's going to be a challenge.

Across the kitchen, John has been quietly grating the horseradish to go with his beef dish.

He knows he needs to deliver a knockout platter today and claw back some points

and the strain is starting to show.

-John, where are you up to?

-I've got my emulsion on for my mash. The cheek and the tongue are all in braising.

This is cream, butter, then I'm finishing it with dripping.

You seem a little subdued. Feeling a bit of pressure?

I'm concentrating on my food, then up to the pass with a great dish today.

I want to see that bubbly John and I want to see that come through in his dishes -

embrace that banquet and that sharing concept and really deliver a fantastic-tasting dish.

There's a lot resting on me to do well today. Inspired by my grandmother's pot roast beef,

I'm taking it to a different level, but I don't want to let them down or myself. I have to cook like a madman.

Like all the chefs, John has been looking for ideas for his menu in his local neighbourhood.

Back home in Tavistock in Devon,

he invited his mum round to raid the family recipe archive.

-Hi, Mum.

-John's gran, who recently passed away,

used to make a fantastic beef pot roast and he wants to use the recipe.

I know Gran never used garlic or thyme, but that's me being cheffy John.

Back then, you didn't use garlic.

-Was it a big deal for Gran when she cooked for all of us, ten grandchildren?

-She loved it.

The end result was having all the family together

and seeing everybody and enjoying a meal and sharing everything.

After a few hours at 150 degrees, it's time for a taste.

-Do you reckon I'll do Nan proud with this dish, Mum?

-Nan would be very proud of you. It's gorgeous.

But John wants feedback from outside the family circle, so he's off to meet a group in Tavistock

who are compiling a book of local recipes.

It's great what the community is doing to treasure these old recipes, people's memories, people's passion.

Every recipe in the book will have a story with it

and John would like his gran to be commemorated in this way.

He's brought his version of her pot roast to a tasting session for possible entries.

-This is your pie?

-Yes.

-Beautiful pastry, Wendy.

The local recipe book is being compiled by two ladies called Wendy and Sue.

-I'd love to contribute a recipe to it.

-It's not a typical cookery book.

-It talks about how people came by their recipes.

-Right.

John's gran's pot roast fits the bill perfectly, but what do the tasters make of it?

-Is everyone ready to get stuck into my dish?

-Yes.

-That is so nice.

I think John's dish was absolutely amazing. It tasted beautiful.

-Take a big bit.

-What do you intend to serve it with?

-I don't know yet.

I've done it in its basic form. I'm going to use it as part of my dish.

The meat was... They say down here "as tender as a woman's heart".

It's a hit with the group and moved by Wendy and Sue's hard work, John has a proposition for them.

If I get to the banquet, Wendy and Sue, I'd love to invite you two

-for your dedication and enthusiasm, for organising this whole cookbook.

-That would be wonderful.

I'm absolutely thrilled that we've been invited if he gets through.

I hope he does. If he takes our beef from Devon, I think he's got a chance.

What a great experience, meeting those guys, everything they're doing for the Tavistock community.

I feel like I've done my gran's dish justice. I must take it to the next level and get it on that banquet.

Three top chefs from the South West are fighting to make the ultimate main course,

one that the guests at the People's Banquet will want to share and enjoy.

Michelin-starred Andre is hoping to push into first place

with a rib of beef, pommes Anna and peas.

Newcomer Paul is defending his lead

with a full-on platter of pork, including a witty take on trotters.

And Devon boy John is hoping Dexter beef with a tongue and cheek pie,

based on his Gran's recipe, will get him back in the running.

They are desperate to impress Michael Caines

who won't be satisfied with anything but the best.

I've got a massive expectation from these chefs. I expect them to push each other every step of the way.

In the kitchen, they're all concentrating hard.

Paul is making intricate roundels of crackling.

Andre is slicing potatoes for his pommes Anna

and John is ricing potatoes for his pie topping.

John knows that unless he gets some points back today, he'll be in big trouble.

And he's unusually quiet.

John needs to believe in himself and learn some of the lessons from the last two courses.

The other guys have given him a real lesson in how to embrace that spirit of the banquet

and he needs to heed that advice.

He's paying close attention to his rivals' progress and it hasn't escaped his notice

that Andre is working on a very tricky dish.

-All right, chef?

-All right, chef.

-Pommes Anna?

-Yeah, one of the old classics.

-Named after a French lady, innit?

-Yeah. I'm not quite sure who,

but it's something I like cooking.

-Are you going to turn this out, nice, crisp, golden potato?

-Yeah, it's going to be served whole.

-Then people can cut into it like a cake.

-Wedges of potato?

-Yeah.

Andre's mastery of the classics may be daunting, but he's been marked down for lacking the fun factor.

Could John edge into second place with his hearty pot roast?

-Hey, John. How are you getting on?

-I'm good.

Ox cheek's on, confit's done. I'll put my pies together in a minute.

My beef's resting. It's cooked up beautifully with the dripping.

-I'm just bringing it all together. Ten minutes to go.

-I'm really interested in the pie.

-I've braised the cheek, pressed it, sliced it.

-What's the braising liquor?

-I've seared it.

Then I marinaded it in port wine, Bordeaux wine, rosemary, garlic, and cooked them really slowly.

That's the base for the bottom of the pie.

That strip loin is a real fantastic showpiece.

-Yeah.

-How will you serve that?

Double steaks. Not too rare. Nice and pink right the way through.

Then just carving it down with seasonal veg and a beautiful pie on the side.

-You're serving that pre-carved?

-Yeah, pre-carved.

You really feel that's going to showcase the spirit of these sharing platters?

Beautiful Dexter beef will be on a big board in the middle of the table, then the little pies one between two.

You'll have that sense of theatre.

I've found out about John's beef and I'm disappointed that he's chosen to cut it into big, thick steaks.

I thought he was going to roast the whole joint and put it on the table for it to be sliced.

He's going back to that restaurant instinct and that might cost him.

There's no time for John to change his plans now.

As plating up approaches, he pipes his horseradish cream into little jars

and despite Michael's reservations, slices up the beef into individual portions

and arranges them on his platter.

Finally, his gran's pie takes pride of place.

So let's just go through how we're going to serve this one then.

These are one between two on the day.

So everyone will be helping themselves to this, pick up the veg,

beef...

-That's my tongue and cheek pie with Dexter beef.

-Great. Let's take that away. Come on, John.

Will John's Dexter beef help him claw back points?

Or is his choice of presentation his dish's fatal flaw?

-Happy with the texture of the beef?

-Yeah, it's beautiful.

-It eats really well. The flavour's there.

-Shall we taste this pie?

-This pie, yeah. The do-or-die pie.

-I think the textures of the tongue and cheek are nice.

-Yeah.

-He's done his grandma proud.

-Very much.

If it was a big banquet, maybe serving it on the bone... Why didn't you do that?

The beef's good enough to get enough flavour out of that rendered dripping into it. I stand by my convictions.

Is this enough of a wow factor? Would you have carved the beef?

I would have left it whole.

I think Michael will pick up on the beef being sliced.

Again it's a bit "restauranty", dressing the veg over like that.

I'm so proud of that dish. I put my heart and soul into it. Let's see what the scores bring.

Now the pressure is on Andre and he's determined

to use his Michelin-starred skills to knock Paul off the top spot.

But Michael is worried his classical fine dining approach

might be too refined for a fun-filled street party.

-OK, Andre, this is the pommes Anna?

-Yeah, all good.

-So it's got the truffle through this?

-No, the truffle's through the beef.

-OK.

This is just a basic pommes Anna, sliced potato, molten inside, cooked with duck fat and butter.

-Andre, you're using a lot of French influences. Is that right for the Great British Banquet?

-I think so.

It's the way I cook. It's the way I've been trained.

Paul did a Chinese-style duck with South West products.

I'm using South West products, cooking a French way.

I think it's giving back something spectacular to people.

Convinced he's on the right track and with time against him, Andre is ploughing on.

He brushes his pommes Anna with olive oil

and slices the well-done ends off his beef with truffles and cured pork fat,

ready for the guests to carve themselves.

Finally, the pea, carrot and parsley custard is poured into decorative copper pans

and his platter is ready for the pass.

So we have a deckle or a rib of beef

with truffle and lardo di Colonnata.

We have fresh peas and onions, carrots in a parsley and bone marrow custard.

But where's the inspiration for this dish?

I wanted to give them something to reward them. Truffle is something we don't eat every day.

-A lot going on, chef. Was it a push to get it out?

-I was OK with this one.

-You weren't sweating like me!

-Shall we go taste it?

-Yeah.

Is this the sharing platter Michael wants to see from Andre?

Or has his preference for classic French cooking been his undoing?

Does this dish really represent the South West in all its glory?

It represents the best of what the South West has to offer.

-Do you think the bone marrow is right for the People's Banquet?

-Yeah, I do.

The thing about it is it tastes of dripping and Yorkshire pudding.

-Are you happy with the cooking of the beef?

-Very happy.

I've cooked the main muscle slowly.

I want to keep all that flavour in there and sear it at the end.

-I'm not sure if I get the truffle.

-I had a little bit of grit.

-Yeah.

Some might scream, "What, no gravy?"

Here we are with our marrow bone custard.

-That's perhaps a controversial choice here.

-Yes, a daring move.

The meat has quite a lot of moisture and you might detract away from the flavour.

-I think a dark sauce or a gravy would just tie the dish together.

-Yeah, without a doubt. Definitely.

I think my execution was good. I think I was brave with my cut of beef.

The bone marrow and parsley custard and everything was really good. It was all on time. I'm very happy.

Two contenders down, one to go, and it's Paul's turn to step up to the plate.

He's in the lead, having delivered two outstanding platters so far this week,

but that just adds to the pressure as he tries to deliver yet another ambitious dish.

-It's a tricky balancing act.

-Yeah.

-What's going on?

-I'm just pressing down my pork.

-All that pork in one pot under the pressure cooker, that's worked well for you?

-Yeah, I believe it has.

The cheeks haven't lost too much of their shape.

They're nice and plump still and they just keep that fantastic flavour without it disappearing into the pan.

-Feeling confident?

-Yeah.

-Good. I'll leave you to get on with it.

-Thanks.

As well as cooking pork in four different ways, Paul is serving potatoes mashed with cream,

a pickled pear and onion compote and lettuce mixed with peas,

and he doesn't have time to talk.

Is it all going all right, chef?

Yeah.

Lovely.

He starts assembling his deconstructed pig at the trotter end and builds his way forwards.

His competitors are praying for a mistake as he puts the finishing touches to his platter.

-There we are, my Great British pork "head to toe".

-Just remind us of the inspiration behind this dish.

I just wanted to showcase the whole animal and I went with the cheeks and the ears.

I went for a different texture on the ears with the polenta and paprika.

I did the crackling, so it comes out a bit different and nice and easy to eat as well.

-Can you see it being paraded through that banquet hall?

-Definitely.

When that goes down, I think it will just be a real talking point.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, so let's have a taste.

Has Paul pulled off yet another winning dish

or has he over-reached himself this time?

-So this is the ear here.

-Yeah.

You've paned it with the polenta and a little bit of smoked...

Smoked paprika and a bit of rock salt.

It's nice. People who might normally turn their nose up at ears...

The polenta just adds a total different texture.

-And those pigs' ears...

-Very nice with the polenta, a nice crispiness.

There is a lot of pork, a lot of food. Is it too much for the amount of people there?

-It's a banquet, it's a special occasion.

-You've got Henry VIII sat there, tapping their bellies.

Are you pleased with the presentation?

Yeah, I am. I would like people to just pick that up

and eat it like that. You get that lovely glaze on the belly. You put it down and you might come back to it.

I'm not sure everyone will like the black pudding, but there is a lot going on.

Moving to the loin, you've served it medium-rare.

Are you not worried that might put people off?

I would have liked to have taken that just a touch further. I think that is a fair point.

I'm really made up with it. I gave it everything I've got.

If I get a low score, I get a low score. I'm hoping for a high score. I really am.

All the chefs are on tenterhooks now as they wait for Michael's verdict.

I would love to overtake Paul, but I know he's a damn good chef.

It was really nerve-wracking today. I really want and need a good score today.

It's imperative that I get one, so it's shaky times.

The chefs are about to hear what Michael thinks of their dishes and how he's marked them.

Well, gentlemen, what a main course! That was really tough.

John, your seared Dexter beef with your tongue and cheek pie...

A little bit of the joy was taken out from the beef when you cut it in two. It took away the fun of it.

I was hoping to see that presented whole and served on the platter.

Andre, your rib of South West beef...

Did it really need that Italian pork inside the beef there?

It kind of took away some of the flavour of the beef itself.

Perhaps if you'd used some of the beef-rendered fat, it might have given a more beefy flavour to it.

Paul, your Great British pork "head to toe"...

The presentation was stunning.

I was just a bit worried. I think you slightly undercooked the pork.

Gentlemen, this by far was the toughest of all the courses so far to judge.

John, your seared Dexter beef, I'm going to give you...

..seven out of ten.

Andre, your rib of South West beef...

I'm going to give you...

..eight out of ten.

Paul, your Great British pork "head to toe"...

I'm going to give you...

I'm going to give you eight out of ten.

So with three dishes down, Paul is still in the lead with 24.

Andre is two points adrift, but holds on to second place with 22

while John has a tough job ahead with a total of just 18.

An exceptional score. I'm really, really pleased, scoring eight.

Getting an eight on the main course was stuff that dreams are made of.

I've still got to try and catch them. I'll just be the best that I can be.

Tomorrow is their last chance to pick up points and Andre is worried.

Mine's more of a classical approach. These guys have more of a modern approach.

It's all still to cook for.

Anything can happen. Things can get dropped, burnt, broken. You've got to be in it to win it. I'm still in it.

I have no room for error on the dessert. I want to really showcase it and impress everybody.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd 2011

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