North East Main Great British Menu

'The heat is on in Great British Menu.

'Three of the North East's finest chefs, Stephanie Moon,

'Andrew Pern and Tim Bilton, are battling it out for a chance

'to create the perfect food to share which will be served at the ultimate street party.

'Yesterday they fought it out for the fish course and Stephanie clung onto the top spot.'

Those boys are right behind me and it's still anybody's game.

I've got to stay focused, stay strong and really push on.

'But Andrew was able to reverse his fortunes

'and the seven points for his dish mean he's now level pegging with Tim.'

The competition's hotting up now. I got top points in the fish course

but it's still there for the taking. It's not over yet.

'Former champion Nigel Haworth has been marking their efforts

'and only the two highest-scoring chefs can face the judges on Friday.'

A good score today can certainly put me in the running

and put one of the other chefs under a bit of pressure that I don't think Stephanie's been under yet.

'Today it's the main course

'and the three dishes hoping to achieve top marks

'are twice-baked Nidderdale lamb,

'suckling pig with pork pies, black pudding Scotch eggs and spare ribs,

'and whole roast suckling pig, apple and calvados stuffing

'served with summer vegetables.'

They've got to really do it today. It's their main courses.

If I don't see two or three star dishes, I'll be really angry.

'This year's competition is all about making the perfect food to share

'and the challenge for the chefs is to come up with a full platter rather than just a plate of food.'

The brief has really tested me. It's really made me look at each individual course

and try and really get something strong. It really is a tough call.

'All our chefs have been going out to meet people who bring their communities together through cooking

'and not only are they fighting for their dishes to win, but also a place at the banquet table

'for these food champions.'

To get to the banquet would be brilliant, not just for me,

but for everybody who's helped out in the community. It's a privilege for me to cook for them.

So if we get a dish from the North East onto the final menu, it'll be brilliant.

'Nigel Howarth, a former champion of Great British Menu,

'is looking for excellence from every dish, but knows this course is the one every chef wants to win.'

It's the real big one. Let's hope we get some fantastic dishes and have a really good day.

'The first chef to arrive is Stephanie Moon.

'She's leading in the points so far but still views herself as the underdog in this competition.'

Today, main course, big day, want to make a good impression.

I like my dish, I think it's good enough for a banquet. Hopefully today is another good day.

Today I'm doing lamb.

Most people like lamb. I think, for a banquet, it's a really good dish

and I'm wrapping it in a salt hay crust.

So I've got some really herby hay, lots of clover, lots of bits in there.

And the flavour from the hay, is that going to be a significant part?

-It's subtle, I'll be honest.

-Subtle?

-Yeah.

And then some Yorkshire asparagus, baby leeks, baby spring onions,

some nice little baby carrots and a real gravy.

I think it's food

that is going to please people.

'Cooking her lamb in hay

'might be the winning touch Nigel's looking for.

'But can Stephanie pull it off to perfection?'

Yesterday she over-smoked her trout.

Could she get the flavours better balanced

and really do a wow dish and get through to the People's Banquet?

'The second competitor is Andrew Pern.

'He had a slow start in the competition, but scoring the highest mark in yesterday's fish course

'has given him renewed confidence.'

What I'm aiming for today is a good high mark, eight, nine, even ten,

but somewhere at the top end. I need to get more points to carry me through for the dessert.

Right, what have you got for us?

Today I'm doing the suckling pig with little black pudding Scotch eggs, mini pork pies.

My idea for the dish is deconstructing the suckling pig.

I've got a lovely bit of loin here.

We're going to stuff this with lemon, nice garden herbs, fresh summery flavours coming through.

You've got lots of different things going on here.

Do you think the dish is spectacular enough, it's got enough in it to get to the people's banquet?

When it comes to the table, it's on a big platter,

you'll see when it's presented, and it's quite spectacular. It's going for the wow factor

with the delivery to the table.

'There are lots of components to Andrew's main course.

'Nigel knows that getting them all ready at the same time

'is going to put him under pressure today.'

Andrew's dish, great dish for sharing,

perfect for the People's Banquet, but lots of elements.

Lots of elements mean things could do wrong.

He's got a lot to do. It's a big ask.

'Last to arrive is Tim Bilton.

'Having started strongly, his fish course received a disappointing five points from Nigel.

'He knows he has to deliver with his main course.'

It's a massive day today. I've been in this position before, I know what to expect,

I've just got to get on, concentrate and pull it out of the bag.

What's your dish and what have you got for us today?

I've got a whole roast baby suckling pig

with garden patch vegetables.

What I'm trying to recreate here, Nigel, is we do a street party up at Epworth.

-I'm looking to recreate that.

-Tell me why you think this is going to be good enough to get through.

I think the whole pig coming out,

being served at the table, it'll certainly get people talking

-when it arrives.

-It'll certainly get people talking, I think!

Stephanie, two pigs against a lamb or a sheep. What's your thoughts?

I think it's going to be a tough round.

'In a repeat of yesterday,

'both Tim and Andrew are making very similar dishes.

'Tim will have to call on all his experience catering for large events

'to make his stand out.'

Tim's doing the same as Andrew, suckling pig,

but Tim's put all his eggs in one basket.

If he doesn't produce a crispy, moist suckling pig, he's out of here.

'All three chefs know that this is the course that could seal their fate in the competition.

'Nigel will be sending one of them home tomorrow,

'missing out on the chance to cook for the judges.

'They're all determined it won't be them.'

I think Stephanie's my main challenger. She's a few points ahead.

But I can soon catch her up and overtake her, maybe.

I think this next course could be Tim's strong course.

I think he's one to watch.

Stephanie's the one to catch. Points can be won and lost easily today.

How is she going to handle it? I don't know.

'Cooking for the People's Banquet is a tantalising prospect for any chef.

'With so much at stake, nerves are definitely on edge.'

Tim, are you confident?

Er, I'd like to think so.

I think it's a really nice dish that I'm doing.

Not as complex as the dish you're doing. But I'm happy with it.

I think the whole roast pig that goes out, I think it'll be a great spectacle.

-It's that wow factor, that feast for the eyes.

-That's what I'm looking for.

'Yet again, Tim and Andrew are going head-to-head.

'Yesterday it was the fish stew wars.

'Today it's the battle of the suckling pigs.

'They're both planning to execute their dishes in a completely different way.

'So whose recipe will come out on top?'

I'm very confident with the flavour. I've got nice elements in there,

some nice calvados, some nice apple and a little bit of orange and sage.

They really marry well with the sweetness of that suckling pig.

So, flavour-wise, I'm very confident.

'Tim packs the deboned pig with his fruit-flavoured stuffing before sewing it back together.

'He's hoping that serving the whole animal will give the wow factor he needs to impress ex-champion Nigel.'

You've had the great honour of getting one of your dishes onto the banquet on The Great British Menu.

How does that make you feel? It must give you an enormous sense of pride.

I think it does. I think it's such a big event.

Let's hope that you're going to produce a dish that's equally capable of getting there.

Tim asked me about the banquet. I think he's forgetting he's got to get through to the judges first

before he gets to the banquet. So he's got a few steps to go yet.

'Across the kitchen, Andrew is equally sure that he's come up with the winning dish.'

The suckling pig will have a lot of excitement. People are going to say, "Wow!"

The board is brilliant, it looks the part. It gives that medieval thing. There's a bit of theatre to it.

And hopefully people will be clapping their hands

and throwing their knickers in the air and doing whatever!

'He's taking the opposite approach to Tim and taking everything out of his pig.

'The only recognisable part on his plate will be the head,

'which will be used as a garnish.

'After stuffing the loin with herbs and lemon zest, he turns his attention to his mini pork pies.

'He's quick to remind the others of his self-belief.'

I'm confident it's something that will appeal to the masses and be perfect for the banquet.

'Stephanie starts by cooking her shoulder of lamb on a bed of carrots, celery and leeks

'before covering it with red wine and then placing it in the oven.

'Both the boys know that she's set a high benchmark with her first two dishes.'

I don't think you've felt that pressure yet, Steph.

No. I hope I don't have to.

-HE LAUGHS We do!

-It's not nice.

No, I can imagine it isn't.

'They are definitely gunning for me, but I believe in my dish

and I'm not going to let those two bother me,

I'm just going to stay focused. I think, as a chef, you've got to have inner belief

in your culinary ability, otherwise there's no point doing it.

'And she has her doubts about Tim and Andrew's choice of meat.'

They're both doing pork and this is the People's Banquet.

Would you serve pork? I don't know. It's a risky thing.

Not every person eats pork.

'Convinced her lamb would be a more popular choice, she now turns her attention to the salt crust

'in which the meat will be cooked for a second time. She mixes the dough, adding the salt

'and the unusual ingredient of chopped hay,

'then fashions it around the meat.

'This is the process that Nigel seems more concerned about and wants to know more.'

Do you think you'll get the flavours by cooking it off before and then reheating?

I think it does, yeah.

You said earlier that you're after a very delicate flavour of hay.

It's a lovely flavour, but too much of it isn't necessarily a good thing.

OK. I'll leave you to it.

Lamb is one of those meats that very seldom comes back to its best once it's reheated.

My concerns are that she could produce a sweaty piece of lamb

in a baked hay crust that's not going to be at the heights that we're looking for.

'But Steph is convinced that she's on the right track

'as she's already served this dish to a tasting panel with strong opinions.

'The chefs aren't just competing to get their dishes on the banquet menu.

'They're also battling to bring along a special guest of honour, someone they've met in the community

'who already uses food to bring people together.

'Steph teaches part-time at a catering college in Leeds.'

Hello, Steve. How you doing?

'She's travelled there to meet Steven Taylor,

'a volunteer for Simon On The Streets, a charity that provides hot food for the homeless.'

Sometimes it can be 20, up to 50, just depends on the weather.

'After having problems with their usual kitchen,

'Steve's come to Steph for help.'

-Have you ever given them lamb before?

-We have, once.

-How did it go down?

-Quite well.

-I'm not going to get lynched, am I?

-No, it went down quite well.

-Yeah? So you think a hot lamb sandwich will be a good thing?

-Oh, yes.

-Good.

-They'll soon disappear.

That's what we definitely want.

'Steph has roped in some of her students to help get everything ready.

'They start by making vegetable soup.'

It feels really good to give something to the homeless.

It's nice to make sure that they're keeping warm with some good food.

'But before taking it to the streets,

'Steph wants to find out what her students make of her lamb.'

I think it's really nice but I'd maybe cook it at a lower temperature for a bit longer.

I thought the lamb was very nice and tender.

'Then it's time for Steve and Stephanie to get the food to the people who need it most.'

-Would you like a sandwich?

-Thank you.

I think it's been a real humbling experience. Some of these guys, you can tell, they've got nothing.

They're just very gracious, very polite.

They've come back for two lamb sandwiches, so that's a good sign!

-Lamb's the best meat, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

I think Steve and the team are doing a hell of a thing here. It really is good to see.

'As Steve would be her guest of honour at the banquet,

'Steph's now more determined than ever to get a dish on that menu.'

-One or two?

-SHE LAUGHS

'In the kitchen, all three chefs are bent on producing the best main course.

'But whose will be most suitable for the People's Banquet?

'Will it be the twice-baked Nidderdale lamb

'in a salt and hay crust with potatoes and gravy

'that Stephanie's been slaving over?

'Or Andrew's roast suckling pig with all the trimmings,

'mini pork pies, black pudding Scotch eggs,

'sticky spare ribs and asparagus?

'Or Tim's take on a whole suckling pig,

'stuffed with apples and calvados, served with summer vegetables?

'Now is the time for all the chefs to raise their game

'and impress Nigel with their endeavours.'

Everything's a little bit too calm. Let's hope the adrenaline starts to go and they produce fantastic dishes.

We need a bit of oomph to get there.

'This year's challenge to create food to share is putting all the chefs under pressure.

'Andrew and Tim are chasing Steph's lead, but they're both cooking very similar dishes.

'Andrew is facing an uphill battle to get the many elements of his ambitious platter ready on time.

'And Tim has gone for broke by making his stuffed suckling pig the centre of attention.

'It has to be perfect. But when he takes it out of the oven, he can see immediately that there's a problem.'

I'm a little bit concerned that its back's split a little bit.

Yeah. Do you think, when you take the string off, it'll fall in bits?

No, I don't think so. It's just come from there.

Sometimes, if the skin's a little bit thin,

and the heat there, it just splits it a little bit.

I've just got to deliver on flavour. So, erm...

Hard. Hard.

'Although Tim is desperately trying to put on a brave face, Nigel is concerned.'

He might have just cut too deep when he was boning out his pig and it's split.

And also he might have put a little bit too much stuffing in. That can happen.

It's a big ask now to make this dish a winner.

'Meanwhile, Steph is aware that her lead could be snatched away at any moment,

'so she's keeping a close eye on Andrew.'

-Are you hard-boiling the egg or soft-boiling it?

-Soft-boiling and then we deep-fry them,

-so it's going to cook on again, so within the timing...

-That is a tough thing to do.

'Andrew still needs to finish his black pudding Scotch eggs, prepare his side of fondant potatoes

'and cook his stuffed pork loin.'

Hopefully Nigel hasn't got any concerns about my dish.

There's quite a lot of work to be done, but so far, we're on schedule.

Says he's in control. My worry always is, when you've got so many elements,

are you going to produce all those elements to the highest standard?

Because, ultimately, one bad garnish can ruin the whole thing.

'Luckily for Andrew, Tim is first to the pass today.

'His suckling pig has split down the back, damaging its presentation, and he knows it.

'He's desperate to get a good score from Nigel to keep his ambitions alive.

'His baby garden patch vegetables sauteed in butter and herbs

'are carefully placed in individual pots.

'Then he ladles his pork roasting juices into small jugs.

'Will Nigel think Tim has added the finesse to this course that he's looking for

'or will the split pig skin see him marked down?'

Whole roast baby suckling pig, garden patch veg, served with its own juice.

-How are you feeling?

-A little bit disappointed in the split there.

-That's not going to affect, you don't think, the execution of the dish?

-I think it might have done

because we may have gone too thin on its back. I'm a bit disappointed with myself.

-Happy with the rest.

-OK. This could be the tricky bit.

-It's a little bit of theatre, as well.

-Yep.

Being in the position I am at the moment, it's tough.

-Let's hope it's not tough.

-Exactly.

-We don't want that.

-Shall we go and try?

-Absolutely.

-Come on, then.

Eating is always the acid test, isn't it? Are you pleased with the eat?

-I'm not blaming the oven, but it's the first time I've used it.

-You feel it's slightly overcooked?

-Yeah.

Tastes a bit dry to me.

-The stuffing's lovely.

-It is. The stuffing's sensational.

Tell me about your stuffing.

The stuffing that I've got in there is an apple, calvados and orange stuffing.

-The orange is strong, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is.

-But, again, it gives you that sense of summertime, as well.

-Mm.

-Give it to me like that and I'd happily eat that.

-That's lovely.

-I don't know about that.

The People's Banquet, I don't know.

Has your main course got enough wow factor?

Because this is the big one. This is the main course.

Without a shadow of a doubt. How often do you see a whole roast pig being brought to your table?

It's going to get people talking straight away. Yeah, I am excited. I think people will be excited.

-The pig is the thing.

-It is.

-And that's what he was relying on.

-He's hanging his heart on this one, isn't he? And it is a shame.

-Yeah.

I don't think I've done myself justice today at all.

Nigel has already given Andrew a four. I think I could get a four, as well.

'But Tim will have to wait for his score, as Steph will be the next chef to serve her dish.

'She removes the lamb from the heat, trims the salt crust to form a lid

'then places it all on a bed of hay.

'The vegetables are seared then steamed in their own heat.

'And finally, her rich wine gravy, thickened and seasoned and strained.

'Will Steph's dish excite Nigel's palate sufficiently to keep her in the lead?'

-Wow.

-All right, Stephanie, what have we got?

Twice-baked Nidderdale lamb in a salt hay crust,

blooming white potatoes, gravy and some spring vegetables.

-Shall we have a look?

-Yeah.

-OK, here we go.

Are we all right to just...

It certainly keeps its heat in there.

It's shared food, it needs to keep hot.

-You're quiet, lads.

-I know, yeah!

-Pressure's building, Nigel, pressure's building.

-Come on, let's go and try one.

-Flavours, Stephanie?

-Subtle but effective?

It's certainly not a prime cut, is it, for a celebratory meal?

-It tastes good, though.

-HE LAUGHS

From a wow factor, presentation-wise...

I like the old lift the lid up. It's groovy.

-I was a little bit disappointed when Nigel took that off there.

-Looked quite pale.

Yeah. It didn't jump out at me at all.

And your vegetables? You've scorched them instead of just boiling them.

Yeah, my thought there was I want to do something a bit more inventive.

The fact that it's baked in hay, do you think that makes much difference?

No. The lamb's quite powerful, anyway.

-You're getting the hay but it's delicate.

-Yeah.

I can't get it any stronger unless I put herbs in.

-And you don't want...

-I don't think that's the point, is it?

So is this dish special enough, Andrew?

I think it'll appeal to a lot of people, but I'm not sure if it's that celebratory sort of food.

Is it just reward for the people who have helped us out in the community?

I think it's a strong dish. For a table sharing dish, I think it fits that brief.

Looking at the other guys, what they're doing, it made me feel quite nervous before I served my dish.

Now, quietly confident? Yeah, maybe.

'Plating up last will be Andrew.

'He blanches his asparagus then wraps it in thinly-sliced York ham.

'He tops his pork pies with apple chutney, then finishes each one with a sage leaf.

'After carving his loin, he adds everything to the platter,

'balancing the black pudding Scotch eggs on the side of fondants

'before adding his sticky ribs and trickling scrumpy gravy over the meat.'

Steady as you go.

'Will this be the dish that allows Andrew to take the lead?'

Wow. It's a feast for the eyes, Andrew.

That's the idea. That's the criteria.

-So what have we got?

-We've got our little suckling pig

with black pudding Scotch eggs, little pork pies and the York ham and asparagus bundles.

-Shall we have a little try?

-Please do.

-How many pieces of pork are we getting?

-Probably two per portion.

Little black pudding Scotch egg there and then these little pork pies topped with posh apple sauce.

-Chef, is there enough on there for you?

-I think there's plenty on there.

Well, it looks spectacular, Andrew. Shall we go and see if it eats spectacular?

-How are you feeling?

-Happy. Good. It's gone to plan.

-Wow. Absolutely stunning. He's certainly pulled it out of the bag.

-He has.

For me, the most important thing is that pork loin. Is that working for you from a tenderness point of view?

I think it's somewhere near what I would like.

It's a smaller loin, so you need to get it out as soon as it comes out of the over and keeping hot.

But yeah, I think it's there.

The depth of flavour and the glaze on that is sensational.

Sticky ribs are exactly what they are. They're stunning.

Some people might like the hot spicy, some people might like the pork pie, Scotch egg.

He told me this was going to be a soft-boiled egg. But it's still a lovely thing.

-There's a few components to get through.

-Yeah. You'll be full by the end of it.

I don't know if he's got his crackling how he'd like it, to be honest.

-Are you happy with the presentation?

-Yeah. I think it works well.

Whoever would be serving the pork at the table, the work's all done for them.

-They've come to enjoy themselves, they don't want to hack pork and get splattered with gravy.

-Yep.

-It's arguably the best dish so far.

-It's certainly a feast for the eyes

and a feast on the plate, as well. You've got the whole pig there.

It's a very strong dish, it speaks of the north and the suckling pig being a bit of a showpiece

which hopefully the guests at the People's Banquet will be able to appreciate.

'Tasting's over. All three chefs must now wait nervously

'to see whether they will move up or down the score board.'

I'm very happy with what I produced. But then seeing Andrew's going up there shot mine out of the water.

It was superb.

Having tasted the main course, the other two have gone a bit quiet.

Maybe a bit pensive about the whole thing.

I'm back in the running.

It's Andrew's course. If that dish does not get a nine or a ten,

I'll be shocked.

-A tough and challenging day, I think.

-Mm.

-Very.

Tim, we're going to look at you first.

I think your suckling pig, you got the crackling crispy,

your vegetables were cooked well.

I felt your stuffing was a little bit overpowering and, unfortunately,

-the suckling pig was overcooked.

-Yeah.

I think, overall, it probably didn't hit the heights we were looking for.

Stephanie, presentation was fab.

Vegetables well cooked, your meat was interesting

and I thought that the potatoes were delicious.

The one big negative that I had was your twice-baked lamb.

It sort of left some of the flavours in the bread instead of being in the lamb.

Andrew, it really looked fantastic.

The challenging thing for you was all the components you had and could you hit the high marks

with doing so many different components.

So let's go to the key component, your suckling pig.

Unfortunately, it was a bit tough.

The crackling wasn't crispy.

So that left me a little bit "hm".

And I thought most of the small elements were interesting

but things like the sticky ribs were overcooked again and quite dry to eat.

As for your marks, Tim...

..I'm going to give you five.

Stephanie...

..I've got a seven for you.

And Andrew...

..you've got a six.

So it's still very close. A lot rests on the desserts.

Thank you very much.

Andrew, I...

'So, after an intensely fought main course,

'Stephanie continues to lead the score board with 20 points.

'Andrew edges into second place with 17.

'While Tim has fallen to last place with 16.'

I'm just amazed.

Delighted. Absolutely over the moon.

Six out of ten, not ideal.

A couple more points would've been better. I put a lot of effort into it.

But Nigel's the judge, he's in charge, so whatever he says goes.

One dish left.

Bit of a big hill to climb, but...we'll get there.

'The battle continues tomorrow over the desserts

'and one disappointed chef will have to leave the competition.'

-It's mind games now.

-Absolutely.

Having seen their dishes, I'm not worried.

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