0:00:01 > 0:00:04Britain's top chefs are braving the heat
0:00:04 > 0:00:06in the Great British Menu kitchen...
0:00:07 > 0:00:12..pitting their skills against each other to produce the ultimate food for sharing.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13BLEEP!
0:00:16 > 0:00:17As the sparks fly...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19You've got two minutes to go.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21- What's your point?- Oh, you're getting aggressive.
0:00:21 > 0:00:26..the renowned veteran chefs scrutinise all, demanding perfection.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30You have to deliver every dish on the money.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31Mediocrity is not going to work.
0:00:31 > 0:00:37It's a new week and three of Wales's finest talents are running the gauntlet.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39They know there's no margin for error.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41- BLEEP!- My Glamorgan sausages.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43What's the penalty for being late?
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Round one is the starters, and new challengers Hywel Jones and Gareth Jones
0:00:47 > 0:00:52are both determined to take the crown from returning Welsh champion, Aled Williams.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55I'm absolutely 110% committed to winning this.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57This competition means everything to me.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00It'll be a gruelling week, but I'm up for the fight.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14This year's competition is about bringing people together through food,
0:01:14 > 0:01:18creating fantastic platters for sharing at a glorious street party.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21The challenge this year has been really hard for a lot of chefs.
0:01:21 > 0:01:25I've practised tirelessly, lost sleep over this.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28The chefs have been inspired by the Big Lunch -
0:01:28 > 0:01:31an annual event that encourages people across the nation
0:01:31 > 0:01:33to throw a party with their neighbours.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34THEY CHEER
0:01:34 > 0:01:39But to make it to the banquet, the chefs first have to impress a veteran chef,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42who knows exactly how demanding this competition is.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45This week, it's the formidable Angela Hartnett,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Britain's top female chef, who holds both a Michelin star
0:01:49 > 0:01:51and an MBE for her dedication to the craft.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55She's twice flown the flag for Wales in the Great British Menu kitchen.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58Fundamentally, the food has to taste amazing,
0:01:58 > 0:02:00so they've got to cook at the top of their game.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Come Thursday, she'll be sending the two highest-scoring chefs through to the judges
0:02:04 > 0:02:06and one chef home.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10There's nowhere to hide. We just have to do justice to our dishes.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16The roe deer and the hake...
0:02:16 > 0:02:19First up, and new to the competition this year, it's Gareth Jones.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Table 24, Freddie.
0:02:21 > 0:02:26The head chef at Bodysgallen Hall, a renowned country house hotel
0:02:26 > 0:02:29set in stunning country surroundings near Llandudno in North Wales.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Gareth is determined to go all the way
0:02:31 > 0:02:35with a hearty menu of refined Welsh party food favourites.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37With the menu I've created,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41what I've tried to do is keep it close to Welsh traditional dishes.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43I've tried in every dish to have some interaction,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46something to get people talking over the dish.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Lots of pork, I see. What dish are you doing?
0:02:50 > 0:02:53We're doing Conway pork hotchpotch pie
0:02:53 > 0:02:54and pig dippers in a pot of pickles.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56What's a hotchpotch pie?
0:02:56 > 0:02:59So, hotchpotch, it's a really nice pork pie.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03- So what are you putting in there? Ham hock?- That's going to be a nice ham hock.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Some nice pig's cheeks, and Conway black pudding.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Wow, they look great. What are you doing with the pigs' trotters?
0:03:09 > 0:03:12- They're going to be part of the pig dippers.- Right...
0:03:12 > 0:03:15We're doing trotter, brazed and deep-fried, they're nice and crispy,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18then some nice shards of crackling.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21- Then some little pickled onions, pickled eggs...- Yeah.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23..and pickled Snowdonia mushrooms.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Jeepers, a lot of pickling going on.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28What about for sharing, will it work with that?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31What I'm looking to do with my dishes is the interaction.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35- Yeah.- So everyone's getting their elbows in. It's good sharing food.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Everyone has to get in there, really.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41New boy Gareth is hoping to make his mark on the competition
0:03:41 > 0:03:43with a picnic of porky bits and pickles.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45The dangers for Gareth
0:03:45 > 0:03:48is there's a lot of meat. It's purely meat.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Everything is, bar the little quail eggs and mushrooms,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53so it might be too heavy for a starter.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Next up is Hywel Jones,
0:03:56 > 0:04:01executive chef at the prestigious Lucknam Park hotel near Bath.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Service.
0:04:03 > 0:04:07Although another first-timer to the competition, he's the most decorated chef of the bunch
0:04:07 > 0:04:11having held onto a coveted Michelin star for more than five years.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13The sauce ready?
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Hywel plans to use his impeccable culinary mastery to his advantage
0:04:17 > 0:04:22in a competition menu of Welsh classics with contemporary twists.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I've taken a lot of inspiration from the dishes I remember from being a child.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28Some of it is dishes I enjoyed sharing with my family.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Others I've been trying to get that wow factor into them.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36What are you going to be cooking today?
0:04:36 > 0:04:38I'm doing my version of the classic Welsh cawl.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40So, tell me what cawl is.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43It's a lamb and vegetable stew or broth.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46That goes in the centre, a big bowl everybody helps themselves to.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50In the individual bowls I'll put the bits of cawl that are my favourite.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52OK, so, are you like making your mother's recipe?
0:04:52 > 0:04:55My mother will probably cringe when she sees this.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Right, what have we got here?
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Lamb sweetbreads. Lamb tenderloins, I'll lightly smoke those.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I'm going to make a little leek and Carmarthen lamb ballotine,
0:05:03 > 0:05:06braised cabbage bowls, stuffed with minced lamb.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08So how does that work for sharing?
0:05:08 > 0:05:11At home, we have a big pot of cawl in the middle of the table
0:05:11 > 0:05:13and we all sort of tuck in and pick the bits we want.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Hywel's kicking off his menu with a bold update
0:05:17 > 0:05:19to the home-spun broth, cawl,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22but will it succeed as the perfect starter to share
0:05:22 > 0:05:23at the people's banquet?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26It is just a bowl in the table, help yourself.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Once the lamb broth's in the bowl, that's it, you're going to eat.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34So it doesn't continue the sharing elements throughout the starter. That's what I'm worried about.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39Last, but by no means least, it's returning Welsh champion Aled Williams,
0:05:39 > 0:05:43the former head chef at Plas Bodegroes in Pwllheli.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50Aled's returning to the competition determined to improve upon last year's finish,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54with a technically ambitious menu of Welsh sharing platters.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I got two dishes in the top three last year.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58So close for me, but I didn't quite get there.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02This year I'd love to go one step further and get a dish on the banquet.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04How are you?
0:06:04 > 0:06:06I'm going to do guinea fowl four ways.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08So what are the four ways you're doing it?
0:06:08 > 0:06:10One of the legs slowly braised with lemon thyme,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14and then turn it into an oggy, so it is like a little pasty.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18The other leg I'll bone out and make a ballotine with some Welsh chorizo sausage.
0:06:18 > 0:06:24Then a little buttermilk, crispy deep-fried wing. Sorry, the liver parfait as well.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27Have you got enough time with all of these plates?
0:06:27 > 0:06:29We're going to have to push on.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Do you think this is going to work for a sharing dish?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I hope so. It's going to be served on Welsh slate
0:06:34 > 0:06:37and more of an appetiser-style.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39To retain his title,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Aled's opening gambit is to serve one bird four ways,
0:06:43 > 0:06:45but in taking on so much, is he risking failure?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48With guinea fowl he's got to make sure it's not dry,
0:06:48 > 0:06:53but if he gets one of those elements wrong and it's dry, he's going to lose his crown.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02In the kitchen, the three chefs are sizing each other up.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Veteran Angela is scrutinising their every move.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Will they live up to the challenge?
0:07:11 > 0:07:13They've got to prove themselves,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16to make sure that what they serve today is spot-on.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Breast. A little bit of bacon fat.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20With someone of that calibre judging you,
0:07:20 > 0:07:25the level she operates at, she knows what's good and what's bad.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28One of them is going to get voted off,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31so they've got to make sure they're up to the mark.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36As newcomers to the competition, Gareth and Hywel
0:07:36 > 0:07:40have their eyes firmly fixed on reigning champion Aled.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43Obviously, Aled is a big threat. Coming off the win last year,
0:07:43 > 0:07:46he's the Welsh champion, he's the man to beat this year.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49What did it mean to be the Welsh champion last year, then, Aled?
0:07:49 > 0:07:52An awful lot. I love Wales. It's where I'm born and bred.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57Representing my country, it's like the chef Olympics, really.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59I was up there flying the flag for Wales.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03So, Gareth, you obviously have a Scouse twang to your accent,
0:08:03 > 0:08:06how are you connected to Wales?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Well, my dad's Welsh.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12I spent a lot of time as a child in Wales at my grandmother's house.
0:08:12 > 0:08:17I live in North Wales, work in North Wales, even though I don't sound particularly Welsh.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21As long as you wear the dragon on your heart and your sleeve, I don't mind, mate.
0:08:26 > 0:08:31Aled, pushed, with four separate starters to prepare,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34has noticed Gareth's staking it all on a single centrepiece pork pie.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40There's one thing having a pork pie, if it's a good pork pie.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42If it's dry, it might not be a good pork pie,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46so, you know, he might be, you know, in trouble.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53- Are you doing the jelly inside? - Not jelly, I don't need to.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57This will fill the whole pie so I won't need to put jelly on the top.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- I do enjoy a good pie. - You can't tell!
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Gareth is confident that kicking off the people's banquet with his pork pie picnic
0:09:04 > 0:09:07would best reflect the spirit of the event.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09I think that my starter will fit well with the banquet
0:09:09 > 0:09:12because it is, my dish is almost party food, really.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14It's a nice pork pie, pot of pickles.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18But it's Angela who'll decide which dish best fits the brief.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20OK, what are you doing in the water bath?
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Re-warming the trotters.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24These are the dipping element?
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Yes, so we can clean them all up,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29so we can cut 'em into nice strips for deep frying.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30What's this here?
0:09:30 > 0:09:34That's going to be the pie mixture, pork mince, pig's cheek, ham hock.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Where are your mushrooms and stuff?
0:09:36 > 0:09:38They're all pickled.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Nice!
0:09:40 > 0:09:42I think we've all pushed it. We've all got a lot of elements.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46I think we're all taking risks, but that's what it's all about.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49All the chefs have drawn on their own experiences
0:09:49 > 0:09:52to inspire their stunning street party platters.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Gareth spent his childhood over the Welsh border in Blacon.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59He headed to the estate where he grew up
0:09:59 > 0:10:02to meet his father Colin, for a chat about his roots.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05- Were you surprised when I said I was going to be a chef?- I was,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09because you never cooked an egg, really. I'm not quite sure where it came from, really.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13- It was a job, wasn't it? - It was a job! - THEY LAUGH
0:10:13 > 0:10:16While Gareth's choice of career might have come as a surprise,
0:10:16 > 0:10:20cooking up food for sharing is definitely something that runs in the family.
0:10:20 > 0:10:25Nanny used to be in the Red Cross, she'd do turkey dinners for old people.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27- Old people from the community? - That's right.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- Nan used to help with the cooking? - That's right, yeah.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I'd come home from school and help set the place up
0:10:33 > 0:10:37- and try to nick what turkey was left at the end.- Nick the scraps!- Yes!
0:10:37 > 0:10:40It's this cooking heritage, along with a menu of unfussy
0:10:40 > 0:10:44party food that he hopes will take him all the way to the banquet.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Service!
0:10:46 > 0:10:48My style of cooking is modern British.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Nice, simple, good flavours.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53I don't think a lot of the chefs in the competition will know
0:10:53 > 0:10:55or have heard of me. It's a great advantage for me.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00Hopefully by the end, they will know who I am and they will know what I can do.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Back in the kitchen, Hywel is working on the garnishes
0:11:03 > 0:11:06for his traditional Welsh cawl broth.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08There is a bit of smoke coming on here.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11It's the lamb tenderloins. I want to use them as a garnish in the cawl.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14My smoked lamb is going to add a different dimension.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17I'll try to build a few layers of flavour into the dish.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20This competition is hugely, hugely important for me.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23It's a chance to pit myself against the best chefs in the UK.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26If I'm to succeed, I know I really have got to be on top of my game.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30He's bringing a technical precision to his cooking by wrapping
0:11:30 > 0:11:34his sweetbreads in potato spaghetti before deep frying them.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37- What are they?- Sweetbreads which have been braised.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42Nice and soft, so a juicy sweetbread with a nice crispy potato outside.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Ultra-competitive rival Aled
0:11:43 > 0:11:47thinks Hywel's taken a leaf out of his recipe book.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50I had a lot of success with that potato-spinning machine last year.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54I did my crab bon-bons with the same. The judges loved it.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56It got us in the top three of the final.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Let's see if it pleases the judges as much as I managed to.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Well, you know, Aled has been here before. He has represented Wales.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05He got through to the final the last time.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08So he is clearly the one that I need to be looking at to beat.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14Top drawer Michelin chef Hywel Jones's first experiences
0:12:14 > 0:12:17of sharing food were from his childhood in Newport, Wales.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18Sharing food should be
0:12:18 > 0:12:20a huge part of family life.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24It's important to make that effort. It was always a huge part of my upbringing.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27It's something that we make an effort to ensure, that my children enjoy the same.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31To help him plan his perfect menu, he's asked his sister Bet
0:12:31 > 0:12:34and her children, to join him and his kids
0:12:34 > 0:12:37and reminisce about good times spent at the family table.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40The first memory that I can remember is going to Nan and Grandpa's.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42- Remember the chips? - And Black Forest gateau.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- They wouldn't let anyone else cook them.- Cooked in lard.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48- They were the best. - They were delicious.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50So many amazing memories of going to Nan and Granddad's for dinner.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Having a big Sunday lunch with Mum and Dad.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57What I need to do now is get how I used to feel at the time across,
0:12:57 > 0:13:00the passion that went into what Mam and Nan used to do.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- If I can do that, I think I'm on to a winner.- Well, best of luck.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08- Let's get some lunch, then. - Come on, boys.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11You want some of that, don't you?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- Who's stew is the best?- Nanny's!- You prefer Nanny's stew to my stew!?
0:13:14 > 0:13:19- I like Daddy's stew.- You like Daddy's stew, do you? - And I like your stew.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Having drawn inspiration from great family feasts,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26he's looking to recreate them in a sophisticated menu.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29I'm determined to go all the way to the final four.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31I've put a lot of thought and effort into my dishes.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33I'm going to practise them religiously.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37Dishes that he thinks are true to his Welsh heritage.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Every Welshman is proud, but they don't come much prouder than me.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Snap me in half, I'd have Wales written through me like a stick of rock!
0:13:45 > 0:13:50Back in the kitchen, defending champion Aled is finishing off his liver parfait.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Battling against the clock,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58it's just one of his four ways with Guinea fowl.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03You have quite a few bits and bobs on your dish, haven't you?
0:14:03 > 0:14:08I've got four elements, this is the filling for inside the oggy. So we have the slowly brazed legs...
0:14:08 > 0:14:12- It sounds like something you shout at a rugby match. - That's where it came from.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15- Is that it, oggy, oggy, oggy?- Yep. I know I'm up against it today,
0:14:15 > 0:14:16but at the end of the day,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- I'm here to win.- Wow! Fighting talk.- So, let's push on.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21You can be as confident as you like,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24but you've got to really fulfil it on the plate.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27He's making a pastry, making a ballotine, stuffing a leg. There's lots to do.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31So he's got the pressure on to make sure every element is tip-top.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35If one of the elements of the dish is not up to standard,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38then it's going to bring the whole dish down. So I'm really pushing
0:14:38 > 0:14:41to get all four elements to the perfection I want.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Aled's quest for menu ideas took him
0:14:46 > 0:14:49to a famous landmark with some very special memories.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51We've got Snowdonia mountain range here.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54It's the largest mountain in Wales. It's absolutely stunning.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57For me, this is where I know I'm home.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59I can think of worse places you would want to be.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Aled grew up an hour's drive north on the island of Anglesey
0:15:03 > 0:15:07and his passion for great food has always been linked to his love of the Welsh landscape.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09I guess this is where it all started.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13On the weekend I used to spend time with Dad. Chill out here, do some fishing.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18We used to catch the fish, a mackerel, turbot, a sea bass, if you were lucky.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Straight home to Mum's house, I used to prepare it with my father
0:15:21 > 0:15:25and then my mum would cook it. We would all sit down at the table. It would bring the family together.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Just kind of, just brilliant memories, really.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31These boyhood fish suppers
0:15:31 > 0:15:34helped set him on the path to a cooking career.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40- Mam?- Hiya.- Good? You?- Fine, thank you. What have you got there?
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- Oh, fish. Lovely.- Fish for you for your dinner.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- It's not slimy and flappy, as they used to be.- Great.- It's all ready to go.
0:15:46 > 0:15:51His mother and grandmother were his first tutors in the kitchen.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55We used to go to Nain's house. She used to have a fabulous home-cooked Sunday lunch.
0:15:55 > 0:16:01Traditional style. All of us sitting there, saying how good the crackling was on the pork.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04The crackling on the pork. Remember the queue in the kitchen?
0:16:04 > 0:16:06- Who was going to get the biggest piece of crackling?- Exactly.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09He's gone on to great success, including winning the Wales title
0:16:09 > 0:16:13last year, but can he repeat the triumph?
0:16:13 > 0:16:16I've got a bit of experience, maybe all eyes will be on me this year,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18but at the end of the day, it's what you produce on the day,
0:16:18 > 0:16:22and hopefully my food will be fantastic!
0:16:24 > 0:16:29Three talented chefs in the kitchen and three very different starters.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Which will be the most spectacular platter to
0:16:31 > 0:16:34share at the people's banquet?
0:16:34 > 0:16:38Will it be the seriously skilful, Hywel's refined cawl broth?
0:16:38 > 0:16:44Gareth's hearty hotchpotch pork pie with pig dippers and pickles?
0:16:44 > 0:16:48Or reigning Welsh champion's Aled's ambitious guinea fowl four ways?
0:16:50 > 0:16:52All three chefs are confident in their dishes,
0:16:52 > 0:16:55but it's Angela who'll be scoring them and she's keeping an open mind.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00I want to see a bit of imagination. It's got to be this one big amazing dish
0:17:00 > 0:17:02that straight away you judge with your eyes.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Hywel will be the first to the pass today.
0:17:10 > 0:17:16He's got six separate garnishes to make for his take on the Welsh classic, lamb broth of cawl.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19You're up first. The pressure is on.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24- What's this one? - That's from my smoked lamb loins.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27- I bet that is something your mother never used to do, did she?- No.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- What's this one over here?- This is the little stuffed cabbage balls.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32- Wrapped in cling film tightly?- Yes.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36Hywel's got to make sure that the garnish doesn't overpower the broth
0:17:36 > 0:17:40and also to really make sure that broth is absolutely amazing.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Cool under pressure, Hywel puts the finishing touches to his garnishes.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52He wraps baby leeks in Carmarthen ham and pan fries until crisp...
0:17:52 > 0:17:56then braises his minced, lamb-stuffed cabbage leaves
0:17:56 > 0:18:01and loads them into the individual bowls along with the sliced lamb tenderloins.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04The sweetbreads are on the side.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08He's serving the broth separately in a large sharing tureen.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Is it the perfect dish to break the ice at the people's banquet?
0:18:15 > 0:18:21- Wow!- Thank you.- OK. So this is the cawl, then?- This is the broth.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- I tip all this in there?- Yes, and that becomes the dish.- OK.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29So, do you think this is a dish that people will get involved in and excited about?
0:18:29 > 0:18:33I think it's going to be a bit of intrigue where people are saying, "I wonder what that is?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35"What are those squares? What's inside the bowl?"
0:18:35 > 0:18:38All right, I'm going to take that and we'll go and eat.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Angela and Hywel will taste the dish in private giving his rivals
0:18:42 > 0:18:45free rein to size up the competition.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48So, first impressions. Do you think it's a feast for the eye?
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- Really simple presentation.- It's not trying to be anything it's not.- No.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54It's not over the top.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Do you think that when you put that on the table it's going to have that wow factor?
0:18:58 > 0:18:59I think it will.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03I think it's so intriguing, people are going to be asking questions.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07- They have to get involved to help themselves to the broth.- Do you think people know what cawl is?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I think it's relatively well known, even outside Wales.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- Do we know what's inside here? - It looks like a sprout.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17It's a Savoy cabbage.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22So, the leek and the Carmarthen ham roll is really nice, full of flavour.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I had a tiny bit of grit in mine which is unfortunate for Hywel.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27We'll see what Angela thinks of it.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And you have the smokiness of the lamb?
0:19:31 > 0:19:35I didn't want it to be too strong, I didn't want it to distract from the rest of the dish.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38It's quite a mildly flavoured dish, really.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- I'm a fan of sweetbreads. - I love sweetbreads.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Nice and soft in the middle, nice and crispy on the outside.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- Very simple, but very effective. - Does it make your nervous?- Oh, definitely.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52Has Hywel's chefy take on a Welsh classic hit the mark?
0:19:52 > 0:19:56To get a good score for the first course is very important, it's like anything,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59if you start a rugby match, you've got to start well,
0:19:59 > 0:20:02it's the first ten minutes that breaks the back of the game.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04I don't want to be playing catch-up in the second half.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Next to put his dish in front of Angela is Gareth and he's feeling the pressure.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10I'm glad that's over.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14You understand what the competition is all about now. The pressure in the kitchen.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Gareth's got quite a bit going on.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20He probably seems the more nervous out of all three of them.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23He seems the more frenetic, the more frenzied.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Obviously we don't cook like this every day, do we?
0:20:30 > 0:20:33He's adding drama to the dish with a brightly coloured mayonnaise,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35made with a special Welsh ingredient.
0:20:36 > 0:20:41Can I have a look at that? I've never seen bright red mustard before.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- Have you got any idea what makes it so red?- I think there's red wine in it.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49- Colouring.- There you go, then. - There you go.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Gareth's pinning his hopes of hitting the top of the leader board
0:20:53 > 0:20:56on a party-style platter of pork, including a pie,
0:20:56 > 0:21:02deep fried trotters and crackling, topped off with a pot of pickles.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05You need your little spoons and forks.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09- So we've got the Conway pork hotchpotch pie.- Hotchpotch pie.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Hotchpotch. With pig dippers and a little pot of pickles. It comes together well.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- A feast for the eyes when you put it down on the table?- I hope so.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20The idea of the dish is that everyone tucks in and pulls it apart, really.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24So, I'll give these guys a plate here. Then we have the mustard.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27- That's for to dip everything in? - Do whatever.- Sharing together.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- All right, bon appetit. Follow me, Gareth.- OK.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36Is Gareth's pork feast the right dish to get the banquet started?
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- Obviously we've taken it off the board and plated it. - It doesn't look the best now.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44The idea is that it is picnic style, that everyone grabs something.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46How do you feel that's going to work as a sharing platter?
0:21:46 > 0:21:51I think it works well. Just dig in really, is what I'm looking for.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57- Nice, crispy pastry. It is tasty.- It is definitely meaty.
0:21:57 > 0:22:03- This is the trotters.- The trotter. Nice texture.- I love crackling.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Sometimes when you do crackling it can smash your teeth.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08It's crisp but it's not going to break any teeth.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- That's nice, that.- Quite good.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14What about the balance of the meal, starting with a pork dish?
0:22:14 > 0:22:17I don't know your menu, so you feel that's not going to be too heavy?
0:22:17 > 0:22:20It's possibly a little bit of a heavy starter.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23But there's a really light fish course
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and quite light main course as well.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29If that was put down in front of me in the banquet I'd be happy to eat it.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33Whether I'd be going home and telling my children about it,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35- maybe not. - It is certainly a technical dish.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37There is a lot of work and processes in it,
0:22:37 > 0:22:40but whether it's got the wow factor, I'm not 100% sure.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45But it's Angela who will decide if the dish has the imagination she's looking for.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I'm not too sure how Angela took it, she didn't give too much away.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51There's a lot of things that could have gone wrong today,
0:22:51 > 0:22:53but luckily didn't. We're just hoping for a good mark.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57To try and retain his crown as the Welsh champion,
0:22:57 > 0:23:02Aled has given himself the massive task of serving Guinea fowl four ways,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06with oggies, ballotines, deep fried wings and liver parfait.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Another minute, please. Even-golden will be great.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13The other chefs are happy to crank up the pressure.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Aled, you've got quite a lot going on in this dish, haven't you?
0:23:16 > 0:23:19- There is quite a few elements. - Can you manage it for 100?
0:23:21 > 0:23:23You feeling the pressure, Aled, or...?
0:23:23 > 0:23:28- I don't want to let myself down, so there is a bit of pressure on! - HE LAUGHS
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Aled, completes his dish by deep- frying the confit wings
0:23:33 > 0:23:34in traditional Welsh buttermilk.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35One minute, please.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40And finally he serves up all four dishes on a piece of Welsh slate.
0:23:41 > 0:23:50- Yes. Four ways.- Wow.- So here we have a parfait made from the livers.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Here we have one of the legs with a chorizo sausage made in Wales in the centre.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58The oggies, which is the other leg braised with nice lemon thyme
0:23:58 > 0:24:02and Welsh vegetables and then we have the crispy buttermilk wings.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06- The truth is in the taste.- Do you think for 100, that's a possibility?
0:24:06 > 0:24:10- I totally think it's a possibility. - You want this served on a crouton?
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Yeah, just a little scoop of that.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- Let's go.- Lovely, thank you very much.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Each of Aled's four ways with Guinea fowl will have
0:24:19 > 0:24:21to be as good as the next to impress Angela.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Do you think this works as a sharing plate?
0:24:23 > 0:24:26I think it would be a good conversation starter,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30you have the different elements of a bird which is, in my opinion, underused.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34- Maybe they've not heard of on oggy. - Are you happy with the consistency of the pastry,
0:24:34 > 0:24:35that's how you want it to be?
0:24:35 > 0:24:40Maybe a couple of more minutes. It could be a little crispier.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45- All right, this one is the ballotine. So that was the leg boned out. - Yes, and chorizo sausage.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49What do you think of the skin?
0:24:49 > 0:24:53- It's a bit chewy.- But it's cooked nicely, it is nice and moist.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Then you've got the parfait made with livers.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59This is a little bit too runny.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- I prefer it a little firmer, if I'm perfectly honest with you.- Yep.
0:25:02 > 0:25:08- Shall we try the wing next?- Yeah. - I think that is very good.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11- A nice, light crispy batter. - I'd be happy with a bowl of them!
0:25:11 > 0:25:17You believe it's going to give that wow factor of this is a great sharing dish for everyone?
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I'd hope so, for me it would be a great banqueting dish.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25I care so much about representing my country at the end of the week.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28I'm a little worried about the scores, we've had three cracking dishes.
0:25:28 > 0:25:34Tastings done, there is nothing the chefs can do, except hope for a good verdict.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37It's now the waiting game, to see what Angela,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40a massively respected chef, thinks of our dishes.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Trying the other two dishes definitely has made me
0:25:42 > 0:25:47realise how much of a task I've got on my hands if I'm going to be successful in this.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52To get a below par score would possibly knock your confidence, but it is important that it doesn't.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59OK, guys. How are you all?
0:25:59 > 0:26:04Hywel, your cawl, I thought it was a lovely sharing dish.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Especially I like the idea it was your mum's recipe.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10The smoked lamb, I thought maybe a tad more smoky,
0:26:10 > 0:26:12it could have come through a bit stronger.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16The only thing I think you missed is that feeling of presentation,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19that feeling of this is this amazing wow factor.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Although it was beautiful it tasted great,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25you are essentially putting soup in a bowl.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Gareth, your pork hotchpotch pie with pig dippers and pot of pickles,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I thought it really, out of all of the dishes,
0:26:33 > 0:26:38really had that sort of feel of this is a sharing platter.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I thought that the pastry tasted fantastic on the pie itself.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46You might need to think maybe it's a bit heavy for a starter.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51And Aled, your Guinea fowl four ways with shallot marmalade.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55A great concept. The leg was lovely and moist, you know, the little wing
0:26:55 > 0:26:58was fantastic as well, but I love the idea of this oggy.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00This Welsh equivalent of a Cornish pasty.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04The lemon thyme was slightly strong, one of the down sides
0:27:04 > 0:27:08I thought was the parfait. I think you knew that yourself. It is thinking on your feet.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12If I realised it was that soft, I would have maybe kept it in the jar.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21So, Hywel, for your cawl...
0:27:23 > 0:27:25..I'm giving you seven out of ten.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31For Gareth, for your hotchpotch pie
0:27:31 > 0:27:33and pig dippers...
0:27:34 > 0:27:38..I'm giving you seven out of ten as well.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41And for Aled, for your Guinea fowl four ways...
0:27:43 > 0:27:46..I'm giving you six out of ten.
0:27:47 > 0:27:51So next it's the fish course, guys, good luck with that.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54With their starters behind them, first timers Hywel and Gareth
0:27:54 > 0:27:58have made a strong start in joint first place with seven points,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02leaving returning champion Aled trailing behind with just six.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06I'm up the top with Hywel at the moment, fighting.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08A really good start, I'm really happy with a seven.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12I know Aled won't be happy with dropping a point at this stage.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14So I'm sure he's going to be gunning for us now.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I'm going to be coming back fighting tomorrow in the fish course.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Basically, I know I need to raise my game.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21I'm one point behind the other two chefs.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25In tomorrow's fish course, Aled will be pulling out all the stops
0:28:25 > 0:28:27to hold on to his title.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31Wow! Look at that, you could put a small dog in that, couldn't you?
0:28:31 > 0:28:34Everything to win, everything to lose, game on, boys.
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