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The competition on Great British Menu is ferocious. | 0:00:02 | 0:00:05 | |
The nation's top chefs are straining every muscle | 0:00:05 | 0:00:09 | |
to produce spectacular food to share. | 0:00:09 | 0:00:12 | |
There's been drama and despair. | 0:00:13 | 0:00:15 | |
-And the veteran chefs are very demanding. -This competition is tough, tough, tough. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:22 | |
These guys have got to nail every single dish. | 0:00:22 | 0:00:25 | |
This week, three top chefs | 0:00:25 | 0:00:27 | |
from London and the south east enter the fray. | 0:00:27 | 0:00:30 | |
Last year's regional champion, Tom Kerridge, | 0:00:30 | 0:00:33 | |
went on to cook the main course at the banquet. | 0:00:33 | 0:00:36 | |
But that was last year, and now Tom's being challenged | 0:00:36 | 0:00:39 | |
by two newcomers - rising star Phil Thompson | 0:00:39 | 0:00:42 | |
and the truly formidable Tom Aikens. | 0:00:42 | 0:00:45 | |
It's going to be a titanic struggle. | 0:00:45 | 0:00:48 | |
It's pretty immense. It's three Michelin-starred chefs. | 0:00:48 | 0:00:52 | |
Everyone in there is a winner. | 0:00:52 | 0:00:54 | |
Everyone wants to be the winner of winners. | 0:00:54 | 0:00:56 | |
This year, the chefs' big challenge is to seek out | 0:01:07 | 0:01:10 | |
the remarkable people in their local communities | 0:01:10 | 0:01:13 | |
who bring us all together through the power of food. | 0:01:13 | 0:01:16 | |
The People's Banquet will be for them, | 0:01:16 | 0:01:18 | |
a celebration of their work, and they'll be amongst the guests. | 0:01:18 | 0:01:21 | |
It's very important with a banquet to reward people | 0:01:21 | 0:01:25 | |
who have done a lot for the community. It's been an amazing experience to be part of. | 0:01:25 | 0:01:29 | |
These outstanding chefs have to create dishes | 0:01:29 | 0:01:33 | |
that are ideal for sharing... | 0:01:33 | 0:01:35 | |
-Yeah? -It's delicious. | 0:01:35 | 0:01:38 | |
..platters that will astonish the guests and get everyone talking | 0:01:38 | 0:01:40 | |
at the ultimate street party. | 0:01:40 | 0:01:43 | |
Scrutinising the chefs this week is another Michelin star winner, | 0:01:45 | 0:01:49 | |
one of only three chefs to have cooked two courses at a banquet. | 0:01:49 | 0:01:52 | |
It's former London and south east champion, Jason Atherton. | 0:01:52 | 0:01:57 | |
His scores will determine who faces the judges on Friday. | 0:01:57 | 0:02:01 | |
This is the People's Banquet. These guys have to get the brief right, | 0:02:02 | 0:02:05 | |
and that is sharing food. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:07 | |
If they don't get it right, they're in big trouble. | 0:02:07 | 0:02:09 | |
-One fish and chips, yes? -Yes, Chef! | 0:02:13 | 0:02:15 | |
Today it's the battle of the starters, | 0:02:15 | 0:02:17 | |
and the first contender is Tom Kerridge, | 0:02:17 | 0:02:19 | |
chef patron of the Hand and Flowers in Marlow, | 0:02:19 | 0:02:22 | |
where he serves up his brand of modern British cooking. | 0:02:22 | 0:02:26 | |
Flavour, taste, simplicity. | 0:02:26 | 0:02:28 | |
Those are the things that really, really work for me. | 0:02:28 | 0:02:31 | |
And that approach took Tom | 0:02:31 | 0:02:33 | |
all the way to the banquet with the Prince of Wales last year. | 0:02:33 | 0:02:36 | |
How do you do? I did the main course. | 0:02:36 | 0:02:38 | |
-That was the duck? -Yeah. I did the duck main course. | 0:02:38 | 0:02:40 | |
I loved the pods. | 0:02:40 | 0:02:42 | |
With the peas in. Yeah, it was fantastic. | 0:02:42 | 0:02:44 | |
Tom thinks this year's People's Banquet is made for him. | 0:02:44 | 0:02:49 | |
I'm one of the people, cooking people's food. There has to be room | 0:02:49 | 0:02:52 | |
for one of my dishes on the banquet, if not two, three or all four! | 0:02:52 | 0:02:56 | |
Let's go then, please, service! | 0:02:56 | 0:02:58 | |
-Good morning. -Hello, Tom. What have we got? | 0:03:01 | 0:03:04 | |
Spring lamb broth. Different cuts of lamb. | 0:03:04 | 0:03:07 | |
What are doing with this? | 0:03:07 | 0:03:08 | |
It's kind of a play on Malaysian, Vietnamese street food. | 0:03:08 | 0:03:12 | |
A bit of green chilli, helping to lift the richness of the lamb. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:16 | |
What inspired you to cook this dish for the people? | 0:03:16 | 0:03:19 | |
It's the point of sharing, somebody actually has | 0:03:19 | 0:03:22 | |
to take the top off the bowl of soup, they have to ladle it out | 0:03:22 | 0:03:25 | |
to everybody else. That's where the inspiration for this comes from. | 0:03:25 | 0:03:28 | |
Are you feeling nervous, worried? | 0:03:28 | 0:03:31 | |
Last year, I thought I was going out. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:32 | |
It was one of the worst experiences I've ever had. | 0:03:32 | 0:03:35 | |
I don't want to be in that space again. | 0:03:35 | 0:03:37 | |
Tom's mixing up British and Asian influences | 0:03:37 | 0:03:40 | |
in his soup starter with a pastry topping. | 0:03:40 | 0:03:42 | |
But there's one element of the dish that has Jason worried. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:46 | |
Tom Kerridge, got an unusual dish here - | 0:03:47 | 0:03:49 | |
a soup with raw lamb. The soup's got to cook the lamb. | 0:03:49 | 0:03:53 | |
That's a risky thing to do. I hope Tom's thought about that. | 0:03:53 | 0:03:56 | |
But Tom is facing a much bigger challenge than that. | 0:03:56 | 0:04:00 | |
Next away, one bass, one JD, one lamb, one lamb, yeah? | 0:04:00 | 0:04:03 | |
Next up is Tom Aikens, | 0:04:03 | 0:04:05 | |
the youngest chef ever to earn two Michelin stars. | 0:04:05 | 0:04:08 | |
He earned a reputation not only for subtle and intense cuisine, | 0:04:08 | 0:04:12 | |
but also for being a real bad boy in the kitchen. | 0:04:12 | 0:04:15 | |
The foie gras garnish, please. | 0:04:15 | 0:04:17 | |
At the age of 26, when I was running Pied a Terre, I was a complete loon. | 0:04:17 | 0:04:21 | |
Joe! Can I have the (BLEEP) foie gras garnish? | 0:04:21 | 0:04:23 | |
I'd just bottle everything up and then suddenly go mad | 0:04:23 | 0:04:26 | |
over someone cooking a bit of meat. Now I just go, | 0:04:26 | 0:04:29 | |
"OK, we'll just put another one on." | 0:04:29 | 0:04:31 | |
Hopefully you'll learn not to do it again. | 0:04:31 | 0:04:33 | |
Tom now runs Restaurant Tom Aikens in central London, | 0:04:33 | 0:04:37 | |
and has an unshakeable confidence in his own ability. | 0:04:37 | 0:04:40 | |
No-one can beat me on a good day. No-one. | 0:04:40 | 0:04:43 | |
-So what have we got here? -It's basically a quail consomme | 0:04:50 | 0:04:53 | |
with quail dumplings and spring vegtables. | 0:04:53 | 0:04:56 | |
It looks quite fine dining - you've got foie gras, truffles. | 0:04:56 | 0:05:00 | |
It's not necessarily what people in the community would eat. | 0:05:00 | 0:05:02 | |
-What was your inspiration? -It's not what they'd normally eat. | 0:05:02 | 0:05:06 | |
I want to impress them, hence the foie gras and the truffles. Depth of taste will be the wow factor. | 0:05:06 | 0:05:11 | |
-It'll be a stunning dish. -In the industry, we know about Tom Aikens. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:15 | |
Mr Competitive, runs marathons. | 0:05:15 | 0:05:17 | |
To say that I have a competitive nature is an understatement. | 0:05:17 | 0:05:21 | |
I'm aiming to win, definitely. | 0:05:21 | 0:05:23 | |
Tom's going for an upmarket starter with his quail consomme | 0:05:23 | 0:05:27 | |
with quail dumplings and spring vegetables. | 0:05:27 | 0:05:30 | |
But is it right for a street party? | 0:05:30 | 0:05:33 | |
Got to be about a sharing dish | 0:05:33 | 0:05:35 | |
and not just get lost in this whole Michelin star tiny vegetables, | 0:05:35 | 0:05:39 | |
foie gras, truffle-type way, | 0:05:39 | 0:05:41 | |
but something where people can ladle it out and go, "Wow, this is fantastic." | 0:05:41 | 0:05:44 | |
Four covers du jour, three salmon, one terrine, three beef, one plaice. | 0:05:44 | 0:05:48 | |
THEY CHEER | 0:05:48 | 0:05:49 | |
The last competitor is Phil Thompson who trained under Marco Pierre White | 0:05:49 | 0:05:53 | |
on his way to becoming executive chef at the Auberge du Lac in Hertfordshire | 0:05:53 | 0:05:58 | |
where he delivers French food with modern English twists. | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
I like to cook food that I like to eat. | 0:06:01 | 0:06:04 | |
There's some quirkiness in there. | 0:06:04 | 0:06:06 | |
It's all about having fun, and I think there's a bit | 0:06:06 | 0:06:08 | |
of my personality in every dish I do. It's honest food. | 0:06:08 | 0:06:11 | |
It's an approach that recently won him a Michelin star | 0:06:11 | 0:06:14 | |
and he's hoping that he can win the London and South East heat as well. | 0:06:14 | 0:06:19 | |
I'm up against a two Michelin-starred chef | 0:06:19 | 0:06:22 | |
and the boy that won the main course last year | 0:06:22 | 0:06:25 | |
so I've got my work cut out. Service! | 0:06:25 | 0:06:27 | |
-Hi, Phil. -Morning, Chef. | 0:06:30 | 0:06:33 | |
-So what are you cooking? -The dish I'm doing is pea veloute | 0:06:33 | 0:06:36 | |
with rabbit canapes. Got a lovely rabbit. | 0:06:36 | 0:06:39 | |
Take the livers out, make a parfait. | 0:06:39 | 0:06:42 | |
I'm not trying to go too far. | 0:06:42 | 0:06:44 | |
It's the People's Banquet so you don't want to go too cheffy. | 0:06:44 | 0:06:47 | |
What's your inspiration for this dish? | 0:06:47 | 0:06:49 | |
My dad used to breed rabbits when I was younger. | 0:06:49 | 0:06:51 | |
One day, he'd be playing with Thumper in the garden | 0:06:51 | 0:06:53 | |
and the next day he wasn't there, but the stew we had was quite nice! | 0:06:53 | 0:06:58 | |
And are you nervous? | 0:06:58 | 0:06:59 | |
Very! HE LAUGHS | 0:06:59 | 0:07:01 | |
Interesting. Three soups. | 0:07:01 | 0:07:03 | |
The battle of the "potages"! | 0:07:04 | 0:07:06 | |
Wish you all the best, and it's game on. | 0:07:06 | 0:07:08 | |
Phil's soup is a technically demanding veloute | 0:07:08 | 0:07:12 | |
with several side dishes. | 0:07:12 | 0:07:13 | |
It'll show off his skill, but Jason can see some potential pitfalls. | 0:07:13 | 0:07:18 | |
Phil has to be extremely careful. | 0:07:18 | 0:07:20 | |
A few things can go wrong with his dish. | 0:07:20 | 0:07:22 | |
First thing is using frozen peas, because they can go chalky. | 0:07:22 | 0:07:26 | |
Then we move on to his canapes, which is potentially very dangerous. | 0:07:26 | 0:07:30 | |
The meat can dry out in an instant. I'll be keeping a close eye on him. | 0:07:30 | 0:07:34 | |
The starting gun's been fired and all three chefs know | 0:07:40 | 0:07:43 | |
they're in for a rollercoaster ride. | 0:07:43 | 0:07:45 | |
OK, young Phil, how are you feeling, first day in the kitchen, | 0:07:45 | 0:07:49 | |
first thing going on? | 0:07:49 | 0:07:50 | |
Yeah... | 0:07:50 | 0:07:51 | |
Yeah, feeling good, but nervous right next to you. | 0:07:51 | 0:07:55 | |
Won it last year. | 0:07:55 | 0:07:56 | |
I think we're going to have a little fight on our hands, aren't we? | 0:07:56 | 0:08:00 | |
-Keep it clean, though, yeah? No low blows. -No dirty punches! | 0:08:00 | 0:08:05 | |
They're all eyeing each other up, but watching over all three | 0:08:05 | 0:08:08 | |
is Jason, demanding first-class cooking, | 0:08:08 | 0:08:11 | |
and there's ample scope for comparison with three soups | 0:08:11 | 0:08:14 | |
-on the menu. -That was a bit of a surprise to me, | 0:08:14 | 0:08:17 | |
but what I'm looking for in a soup is the foundation. | 0:08:17 | 0:08:20 | |
They can do all the trickery in the world to jazz it up, | 0:08:20 | 0:08:22 | |
but the bottom line is a soup has to taste great. | 0:08:22 | 0:08:25 | |
It's really important that they get this first dish on the money. | 0:08:25 | 0:08:28 | |
These chefs are amongst the best in Britain, | 0:08:30 | 0:08:32 | |
but they've been catapulted into an unfamiliar kitchen | 0:08:32 | 0:08:36 | |
and they're out of their comfort zone. | 0:08:36 | 0:08:38 | |
Nerves are starting. Trying to look and see what everyone else is doing. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:42 | |
But, yeah, just get my first dish out of the way and I'm sure | 0:08:42 | 0:08:45 | |
the hand will stop shaking! | 0:08:45 | 0:08:47 | |
Tom Aikens isn't shaking at all. He's as cool as a cucumber, | 0:08:47 | 0:08:51 | |
and his rivals can't help but notice. | 0:08:51 | 0:08:53 | |
Tom's got his head down like we all knew he would, working very fast, | 0:08:53 | 0:08:58 | |
getting his job done. | 0:08:58 | 0:08:59 | |
But Tom Kerridge has the advantage of having been here before | 0:08:59 | 0:09:03 | |
so the unflappable Mr Aikens | 0:09:03 | 0:09:04 | |
is probing his rival on what to expect. | 0:09:04 | 0:09:08 | |
Tom, what's it like being in the judges' room? | 0:09:08 | 0:09:11 | |
-It's terribly nerve-wracking. -You've got a lot of contracting muscles. | 0:09:11 | 0:09:14 | |
Yeah, that's it! Yeah, yeah! | 0:09:14 | 0:09:16 | |
-They're cooking at close quarters... -Sorry, Chef, budge up! | 0:09:16 | 0:09:20 | |
..and that adds to the pressure they're under. | 0:09:20 | 0:09:22 | |
But Tom Kerridge isn't worried about putting his rivals off. | 0:09:22 | 0:09:26 | |
It's, uh... | 0:09:26 | 0:09:28 | |
..a bit noisy over here. I'm just minding my own business. | 0:09:30 | 0:09:33 | |
We all know you're here, mate! | 0:09:34 | 0:09:37 | |
(BLEEP), Chef, you've just stolen my pan! (BLEEP) | 0:09:38 | 0:09:41 | |
Thought that got off quickly! | 0:09:42 | 0:09:44 | |
Tom Aikens is busy making his consomme. | 0:09:47 | 0:09:49 | |
Quail, vegetables and herbs are mixed with egg whites | 0:09:49 | 0:09:52 | |
and then slowly simmered. | 0:09:52 | 0:09:53 | |
Tom Kerridge, who's also making a broth, | 0:09:54 | 0:09:57 | |
is keeping a close eye on what his rival's doing. | 0:09:57 | 0:10:00 | |
You can do it boiling. | 0:10:01 | 0:10:04 | |
So you don't bring it up slowly. There we have it. | 0:10:04 | 0:10:08 | |
There's veg, chicken, ice, egg white... Cools it straight down | 0:10:08 | 0:10:11 | |
-so you can then put it into boiling stock. -OK. | 0:10:11 | 0:10:14 | |
I've never seen that before, Chef. I'm so glad you're here. | 0:10:14 | 0:10:18 | |
Phil will be plating up first, and Jason's noticed | 0:10:21 | 0:10:23 | |
-that he's been a bit quiet. -Sweating, Chef?! | 0:10:23 | 0:10:26 | |
-The pressure's on, feeling it. -What's going on here? | 0:10:26 | 0:10:28 | |
-I got my soup ready to go. -Happy with the colour of that? | 0:10:28 | 0:10:31 | |
Erm, yeah, it's... it's nice and bright, nice and light. | 0:10:31 | 0:10:35 | |
How do you feel coming up first? | 0:10:35 | 0:10:37 | |
I'll set the standard and see if the others can follow! | 0:10:37 | 0:10:40 | |
Phil's passion for cooking goes right back to his childhood | 0:10:47 | 0:10:50 | |
in Essex, where his dad was a butcher | 0:10:50 | 0:10:52 | |
and his mum worked as a chef. | 0:10:52 | 0:10:54 | |
It's always nice to come back to Dagenham, even on a... | 0:10:54 | 0:10:57 | |
lovely day like this(!) | 0:10:57 | 0:10:59 | |
The sun is always shining in Dagenham(!) | 0:10:59 | 0:11:02 | |
The first vehicle rolled off the Ford production line | 0:11:02 | 0:11:06 | |
80 years ago and most of Phil's family worked here. | 0:11:06 | 0:11:08 | |
My mum, my nan, my uncle, | 0:11:10 | 0:11:12 | |
my sister, have all graced the kitchens here. | 0:11:12 | 0:11:16 | |
He's arranged to meet his mum and sister Tracy in the canteen. | 0:11:16 | 0:11:19 | |
-Hiya! -All right? | 0:11:19 | 0:11:21 | |
-Oh, you haven't had a shave! -Hello. -Hello, scruffy! | 0:11:21 | 0:11:24 | |
It's all we've ever done in this family is serve people... | 0:11:24 | 0:11:27 | |
-Yeah. -..and try and make people happy with food. | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
Phil's ambition to cook and share food | 0:11:30 | 0:11:33 | |
was born in the works' canteen, | 0:11:33 | 0:11:35 | |
and if he makes it through to the People's Banquet, | 0:11:35 | 0:11:38 | |
he wants the family who nurtured his career to join him. | 0:11:38 | 0:11:41 | |
-I used to go. -Oh, yeah, no, but... | 0:11:41 | 0:11:44 | |
I want you there. | 0:11:44 | 0:11:45 | |
Really?! Serious? | 0:11:45 | 0:11:47 | |
No! Mummy's going to have to sit down and watch ya! | 0:11:47 | 0:11:50 | |
I couldn't stand it, I couldn't stand it! | 0:11:50 | 0:11:52 | |
-Get to pack... -I've got to pull it out of the bag first! | 0:11:52 | 0:11:55 | |
-Don't you let me down! Don't you let me down! -Extra pressure! -Yeah! | 0:11:55 | 0:11:59 | |
Back in the kitchen, Phil's making the rabbit, shallot and herb | 0:12:01 | 0:12:06 | |
covering for the Scotch eggs he'll serve with his soup. | 0:12:06 | 0:12:09 | |
All three chefs are determined to deliver the winning starter | 0:12:09 | 0:12:12 | |
without a hitch. | 0:12:12 | 0:12:13 | |
-Tom? -Yes, Chef? | 0:12:16 | 0:12:18 | |
All going to plan? | 0:12:18 | 0:12:20 | |
Well, so far, so good. It's a little bit hot. | 0:12:20 | 0:12:22 | |
I'm a little bit nervous about doing puff pastry, | 0:12:22 | 0:12:25 | |
but at the minute, it feels OK and looks OK. | 0:12:25 | 0:12:27 | |
I'll bash it in the oven in a bit and we'll keep our fingers crossed. | 0:12:27 | 0:12:30 | |
Tom's philosophy is to take fresh, seasonal produce | 0:12:32 | 0:12:36 | |
and let the ingredients speak for themselves, | 0:12:36 | 0:12:38 | |
and approach the cooking that goes back to his childhood. | 0:12:38 | 0:12:41 | |
Tom grew up on an estate in the West Country | 0:12:43 | 0:12:46 | |
where his mother still lives. It was in her kitchen | 0:12:46 | 0:12:49 | |
that he learned to cook for himself and his brother | 0:12:49 | 0:12:52 | |
while she was out at work. | 0:12:52 | 0:12:53 | |
Me and my brother ended up being what's called latchkey kids. | 0:12:53 | 0:12:57 | |
We used to get in at night and I'd be the person that would cook tea. | 0:12:58 | 0:13:02 | |
Knock, knock! | 0:13:02 | 0:13:04 | |
Hey! | 0:13:04 | 0:13:06 | |
-Hey, how are you doing? -Ooh, God, you're cold! | 0:13:07 | 0:13:10 | |
-How are you doing? -I'm all right, mate. -Good to see you. ..Hey, you! | 0:13:12 | 0:13:16 | |
To get ideas for his banquet menu, | 0:13:16 | 0:13:18 | |
Tom wants to share some cooking memories. | 0:13:18 | 0:13:21 | |
And do you remember this cake that you made? | 0:13:21 | 0:13:24 | |
-I made that cake? -You made that cake. | 0:13:24 | 0:13:26 | |
I made a guide dog cake. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:28 | |
Did you think I'd go on from making guide dog cakes | 0:13:28 | 0:13:31 | |
-to being a chef? -No. | 0:13:31 | 0:13:34 | |
It was a family meal out that first made Tom think of a cooking career. | 0:13:34 | 0:13:37 | |
The waitress took you out into the kitchen and gave you | 0:13:37 | 0:13:41 | |
one of those great, big chef's hats. And you kept it for a long time. | 0:13:41 | 0:13:45 | |
Tom's knocking up a simple supper for everyone. | 0:13:47 | 0:13:49 | |
Could this be a possible dish for the banquet? | 0:13:49 | 0:13:53 | |
Toasted buns... | 0:13:53 | 0:13:55 | |
burgers | 0:13:55 | 0:13:56 | |
and Double Gloucester cheese. | 0:13:56 | 0:13:58 | |
This, for me, is perfect food to share. | 0:13:58 | 0:14:01 | |
I've got to lift the humble burger, which is something great, | 0:14:01 | 0:14:06 | |
into something outstanding. | 0:14:06 | 0:14:08 | |
This looks good! | 0:14:08 | 0:14:10 | |
Thank you. | 0:14:10 | 0:14:11 | |
Mmm! LAUGHTER | 0:14:11 | 0:14:13 | |
-You don't look convinced by that. -I'm not a great fan of beefburgers. | 0:14:14 | 0:14:18 | |
Maybe I could do burgers... | 0:14:18 | 0:14:21 | |
-but not using beef. Yeah. -Good lad. | 0:14:21 | 0:14:24 | |
SHE LAUGHS | 0:14:24 | 0:14:26 | |
-I want more. -Bit more? | 0:14:26 | 0:14:27 | |
In the kitchen, there's a fierce sense of concentration among the three culinary giants. | 0:14:29 | 0:14:34 | |
Tom's frying the sweetbreads to go with his soup | 0:14:34 | 0:14:36 | |
while rival Tom Aikens is perfecting the next stage of his clarified quail broth. | 0:14:36 | 0:14:42 | |
-Mr Aikens. -Hello. -How's it all going? -Good. So far, so good. | 0:14:42 | 0:14:46 | |
-So these are the battened-out quail breasts? And they sit inside the soup, yeah? -Yeah. | 0:14:46 | 0:14:51 | |
-And this is the clarification for the soup? -Yep. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:55 | |
-As you can see, I've already passed quite a bit off. -Crystal. Crystal clear. | 0:14:55 | 0:14:59 | |
Tom's awesome technical skills and unshakeable self-belief, | 0:14:59 | 0:15:04 | |
could prove unbeatable this week. | 0:15:04 | 0:15:06 | |
His ambition goes right back to school days. | 0:15:06 | 0:15:09 | |
-Hello. -How are you, darling? -All right. -Good. | 0:15:09 | 0:15:12 | |
-Are we going in the restaurant? -Yes, come on in. | 0:15:12 | 0:15:15 | |
Tom, who has an identical twin who's a chef in New York, | 0:15:15 | 0:15:19 | |
has been one of London's top chefs for many years. | 0:15:19 | 0:15:22 | |
His mum remembers the early days. | 0:15:22 | 0:15:25 | |
There was one occasion when you came back from school | 0:15:25 | 0:15:28 | |
and you said you had had the most fantastic lunch. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:32 | |
And I said, "What's it called?" | 0:15:32 | 0:15:35 | |
"Cowboy hot pot." | 0:15:35 | 0:15:36 | |
-Oh, is it? -Cowboy hotpot. | 0:15:36 | 0:15:38 | |
-It was liver and bacon! -SHE LAUGHS | 0:15:38 | 0:15:42 | |
The trouble was, when I was cooking, | 0:15:42 | 0:15:44 | |
you and Robert always had to take over. | 0:15:44 | 0:15:47 | |
-Really? -Course you did! | 0:15:47 | 0:15:49 | |
He opened this restaurant in 2006 | 0:15:52 | 0:15:54 | |
and it has something in common with the People's Banquet. | 0:15:54 | 0:15:57 | |
The idea of sharing dishes is at the very heart of this restaurant. | 0:15:57 | 0:16:02 | |
I think the enjoyment of sharing a dish or sharing a platter | 0:16:02 | 0:16:06 | |
is that it's always a focal point, and can be, of a conversation. | 0:16:06 | 0:16:10 | |
One of our sharing dishes is seven-hour-braised lamb shoulder. | 0:16:10 | 0:16:13 | |
It goes to the table with two plates, and you just pick at it and rip it to pieces and eat it. | 0:16:13 | 0:16:17 | |
Very good. | 0:16:17 | 0:16:18 | |
Socrates, take that away, table 68, please. | 0:16:18 | 0:16:21 | |
Being a successful chef has never been enough for Tom. | 0:16:21 | 0:16:24 | |
Having run the Marathon Des Sables across the Sahara last year, | 0:16:24 | 0:16:29 | |
he's now in training for another strenuous adventure. | 0:16:29 | 0:16:32 | |
I'm running from London to Dover, swimming the Channel, | 0:16:32 | 0:16:35 | |
then cycling from Calais to Paris. | 0:16:35 | 0:16:37 | |
All for charity. | 0:16:37 | 0:16:39 | |
And he's planning to bring that determination to this competition. | 0:16:39 | 0:16:44 | |
I'll never, ever stop until I get to where I want. | 0:16:44 | 0:16:47 | |
Three top chefs from London and the South East are creating superb starters to share. | 0:16:49 | 0:16:54 | |
Phil Thomson's hoping his modern, French-style veloute of spring pea and rabbit canapes will win the day. | 0:16:54 | 0:17:01 | |
Tom Kerridge is pinning his hopes on an Asian inspired spring lamb broth. | 0:17:01 | 0:17:06 | |
And Tom Aikens is going for a classy quail consomme with quail dumplings and spring vegetables. | 0:17:06 | 0:17:12 | |
They're all out to persuade former champion Jason Atherton | 0:17:12 | 0:17:16 | |
that their dish meets the brief. | 0:17:16 | 0:17:18 | |
They're here to win. Their reputations are on the line. | 0:17:18 | 0:17:21 | |
They don't want to let down their community - they're here to show how good they are. | 0:17:21 | 0:17:25 | |
Atmosphere's tense. It's a tough, tough competition. | 0:17:25 | 0:17:28 | |
The pressure's really on in the kitchen | 0:17:32 | 0:17:36 | |
and they can't afford any slip-ups. | 0:17:36 | 0:17:38 | |
Tom Aikens is looking cool, | 0:17:38 | 0:17:39 | |
but Tom Kerridge has a lot of flavours to balance, | 0:17:39 | 0:17:43 | |
and Phil is having major issues with his rabbit liver parfait. | 0:17:43 | 0:17:45 | |
A few problems with my parfait. | 0:17:49 | 0:17:52 | |
Problems with the parfait, chef? | 0:17:52 | 0:17:56 | |
It's a bit too loose, but nothing I can't sort out. | 0:17:56 | 0:18:00 | |
Poor Phil. It's his first time. He's shaking a bit. He's extremely nervous. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:04 | |
And he's just going over his dish to make sure he absolutely nails it. | 0:18:04 | 0:18:08 | |
With the tasting looming, | 0:18:08 | 0:18:11 | |
he ladles his frozen pea veloute into a tureen to share, | 0:18:11 | 0:18:15 | |
hoping he's avoided the chalky taste Jason's worried about. | 0:18:15 | 0:18:18 | |
Finally, he finishes off his canapes of rabbit chops | 0:18:18 | 0:18:21 | |
and spinach-wrapped rabbit loin, | 0:18:21 | 0:18:23 | |
plus Scotch eggs made with the leg meat. | 0:18:23 | 0:18:26 | |
-Happy? -Yeah, there's a few things, the parfait, the timing on it, | 0:18:31 | 0:18:35 | |
and maybe I need to blitz it a little bit longer to rise the temperature. | 0:18:35 | 0:18:39 | |
But 90%. | 0:18:39 | 0:18:41 | |
-So, how do we serve this? Just ladle it out? -Yeah, the idea's just to ladle up, | 0:18:41 | 0:18:45 | |
and just pour it straight in, straight over the top. | 0:18:45 | 0:18:48 | |
Shall we go taste? | 0:18:48 | 0:18:50 | |
Has Phil pulled off his sophisticated veloute | 0:18:55 | 0:18:57 | |
and array of complex canapes? | 0:18:57 | 0:19:00 | |
His rivals can't wait to get stuck in. | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
Maybe there's too much going on for a banquet? Looks like it would be a lot of work. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:07 | |
Yeah, it does, doesn't it? | 0:19:07 | 0:19:09 | |
-Spoon? -Yes, indeed. | 0:19:09 | 0:19:11 | |
But it's Jason's opinion that counts. | 0:19:11 | 0:19:14 | |
Happy with the texture of the soup? | 0:19:16 | 0:19:19 | |
Think texture's there. Um... | 0:19:19 | 0:19:22 | |
-Nice consistency of the soup. -You wouldn't be unhappy with that. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:28 | |
-Shall we try the parfait? -Yeah. | 0:19:28 | 0:19:30 | |
Happy with the amount of alcohol in that? | 0:19:30 | 0:19:33 | |
You think the liver's come through enough? | 0:19:33 | 0:19:35 | |
Yeah, maybe just get it done a little bit sooner. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:38 | |
Give it time to firm up. | 0:19:38 | 0:19:39 | |
-Tastes delicious. -It does, doesn't it? | 0:19:41 | 0:19:43 | |
Texture - is that a little bit dry? | 0:19:43 | 0:19:45 | |
Yeah, it's not exactly how I wanted it. But I expected a few hiccups. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:50 | |
-I think that's the weakest thing on the dish. -I think so. | 0:19:51 | 0:19:54 | |
-Do you think you have given this your best shot? -It's 90% there. | 0:19:54 | 0:19:58 | |
I know where I've gone wrong, I know what I have can improve if I get a second crack at it. | 0:19:58 | 0:20:03 | |
If I get a low score, you know, it's what I'm expecting. | 0:20:03 | 0:20:06 | |
I've just got to pick up meself and go again. | 0:20:08 | 0:20:10 | |
Tom Kerridge is up next, and his rustic pastry topping needs to be perfect. | 0:20:10 | 0:20:16 | |
How did that look for you, Tom, in there? | 0:20:16 | 0:20:18 | |
A little flat. | 0:20:18 | 0:20:20 | |
I could have done with it being a bit more of it Dome-esque thing growing on the top. | 0:20:20 | 0:20:26 | |
As it heats up, the steam creates the lift in the puff pastry | 0:20:26 | 0:20:28 | |
and starts to cook. | 0:20:28 | 0:20:30 | |
I think he opened the oven too early so he didn't get that dome. | 0:20:30 | 0:20:34 | |
How are we going, Tom? | 0:20:34 | 0:20:35 | |
Yeah, so far so good. We're almost ready to start plating up. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:39 | |
Puff pastry OK? | 0:20:39 | 0:20:41 | |
Puff pastry's all right, fingers crossed it'll all come together. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:44 | |
Tom's not admitting any weakness to Jason, | 0:20:44 | 0:20:47 | |
and now it's time for him to plate up. | 0:20:47 | 0:20:50 | |
The raw lamb fillets go into bowls. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:52 | |
They'll be cooked by the soup when it's ladled on by the guests. | 0:20:52 | 0:20:56 | |
But the soup's sealed in by the puff pastry top, | 0:20:56 | 0:20:59 | |
so he can't judge its heat. It's a big gamble. | 0:20:59 | 0:21:02 | |
That's a big bowl of soup, chef. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:04 | |
It's a big bowl of soup for sharing, chef. | 0:21:04 | 0:21:07 | |
-Happy? -Yeah. | 0:21:07 | 0:21:09 | |
Flavours - the flavours I know are there. | 0:21:09 | 0:21:12 | |
In you go. Steam, OK. OK. | 0:21:12 | 0:21:15 | |
OK. | 0:21:15 | 0:21:17 | |
-There we go, stick that on the side. -Thank you. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:20 | |
Will Tom's imaginative fusion of Asian and English influences be a hit with Jason? | 0:21:21 | 0:21:26 | |
Or, will his flat puff pastry let him down? | 0:21:26 | 0:21:31 | |
You happy with the seasoning of that? | 0:21:31 | 0:21:34 | |
That could do, actually, with a touch more salt. | 0:21:34 | 0:21:38 | |
Sweetbreads are nice, nice and crispy. Got a really nice flavour. | 0:21:38 | 0:21:41 | |
He got them nice and crispy to start with, so the stock doesn't make 'em too soggy. | 0:21:41 | 0:21:46 | |
-This is the lamb what's been cooked by the broth, right? -Yes. | 0:21:46 | 0:21:52 | |
That's worked out how it's supposed to work out? | 0:21:52 | 0:21:55 | |
I think that lamb's still pink. | 0:21:55 | 0:21:57 | |
Just a little hint of chilli coming through. | 0:21:57 | 0:22:00 | |
Fairly easy for service I think, to be honest. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:03 | |
I think they'll enjoy that. | 0:22:03 | 0:22:04 | |
Do you think this dish has the wow factor, that spectacle? | 0:22:04 | 0:22:07 | |
It's not covered in fireworks but it's something that's very interesting, | 0:22:07 | 0:22:12 | |
it is something, from my point of view, works very well. | 0:22:12 | 0:22:15 | |
Centrepiece, fireworks, no, but a really good start to a lovely banquet. | 0:22:15 | 0:22:20 | |
I'd be happy with a good score with that. | 0:22:20 | 0:22:23 | |
Last to face Jason, is Tom Aikens. | 0:22:23 | 0:22:25 | |
Can he outcook his rivals? | 0:22:25 | 0:22:27 | |
Now you've seen the two dishes, you must be a little bit nervous, surely? | 0:22:27 | 0:22:31 | |
In terms of the other two soups, | 0:22:31 | 0:22:32 | |
I've definitely got a chance of winning, that's for sure. | 0:22:32 | 0:22:36 | |
I'm confident as these two are. | 0:22:36 | 0:22:38 | |
If we weren't, we wouldn't be here, would we? | 0:22:38 | 0:22:41 | |
Fighting talk, but as Tom poaches his quail breast and dumplings, | 0:22:45 | 0:22:50 | |
and blanches his finely cut veg, has he hit the brief? | 0:22:50 | 0:22:53 | |
They look pretty. | 0:22:53 | 0:22:55 | |
When I was younger, I didn't know what a consomme was. | 0:22:55 | 0:22:59 | |
I'd like to have grown up in his household. | 0:22:59 | 0:23:01 | |
Every dish has something that can go wrong, there's always potential. | 0:23:01 | 0:23:06 | |
It'll be interesting, won't it? | 0:23:06 | 0:23:08 | |
Perfectionist, Tom, is determined not to mess up now. | 0:23:08 | 0:23:12 | |
The foie gras-stuffed quail and cabbage | 0:23:12 | 0:23:15 | |
is sliced and arranged in individual bowls, | 0:23:15 | 0:23:17 | |
along with the poached breast, sliced truffles and vegetables. | 0:23:17 | 0:23:21 | |
Finally, the consomme and dumplings go into a big dish to share. | 0:23:21 | 0:23:26 | |
-All gone to plan? -Yes. -How do we serve this? Do we just ladle it in? | 0:23:31 | 0:23:34 | |
There's a couple of dumplings each and a bit of the quail, | 0:23:34 | 0:23:37 | |
confit which you just ladle over and tuck in. | 0:23:37 | 0:23:39 | |
Tom's gone for broke with this luxurious dish | 0:23:44 | 0:23:47 | |
but is a refined consomme the right way to kick-off a people's banquet? | 0:23:47 | 0:23:52 | |
Inspiration for this, Tom? | 0:23:52 | 0:23:53 | |
I wanted to show the technical side of it, my skills as a chef, | 0:23:53 | 0:23:58 | |
so I de-structured the quail. | 0:23:58 | 0:24:01 | |
I think I'm going to have to eat this with a knife and fork | 0:24:03 | 0:24:06 | |
for the breast and stuff. | 0:24:06 | 0:24:07 | |
It's got lots of lovely elements going on. Very earthy. | 0:24:09 | 0:24:13 | |
I've got to get knives and forks for the next bit, chef. | 0:24:13 | 0:24:15 | |
Nice piece of truffle there. We're not being skinflint there. | 0:24:15 | 0:24:19 | |
We're serving the community and they deserve a bit of luxury. | 0:24:19 | 0:24:23 | |
-Are you happy with the seasoning? -It could have done with a bit more salt. | 0:24:23 | 0:24:28 | |
It's a beautiful dish. There's a lot going on. | 0:24:28 | 0:24:31 | |
-There's a lot of different cooking elements to get right. -No problems? | 0:24:31 | 0:24:34 | |
My only concern is, because you've got so many different elements of cooking in here, | 0:24:34 | 0:24:39 | |
that is something that could go wrong in that. | 0:24:39 | 0:24:43 | |
To send 100 of those at once at a banquet... | 0:24:44 | 0:24:48 | |
Rather him than me, mate! | 0:24:48 | 0:24:50 | |
On the cooking side, I was very happy. | 0:24:51 | 0:24:53 | |
I may have needed a little more salt but other than that, | 0:24:53 | 0:24:56 | |
I don't think there was anything wrong with the dish at all. | 0:24:56 | 0:24:59 | |
Jason's thinking deeply about his verdict. | 0:25:00 | 0:25:03 | |
Which of these starters would make a stunning contribution | 0:25:03 | 0:25:08 | |
by London and the South East to the banquet? | 0:25:08 | 0:25:10 | |
The wait seems endless in the kitchen. | 0:25:10 | 0:25:14 | |
This is the part that is the most horrible. | 0:25:14 | 0:25:16 | |
I think I've done enough to get a good mid-range score. | 0:25:16 | 0:25:19 | |
If I score seven, I'd be happy. | 0:25:19 | 0:25:21 | |
I'm not going to say I want a seven or eight, I'm a realist. | 0:25:21 | 0:25:24 | |
I'd like to see a potential eight or nine for the dish, definitely. | 0:25:24 | 0:25:28 | |
We'll start with you, Phil. Your veloute of peas with rabbit canapes. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:43 | |
The rabbit was overcooked a little, as you know, on the loin. | 0:25:43 | 0:25:47 | |
On your rack, it was undercooked a little bit. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:49 | |
But the presentation of the dish, I thought, was fantastic. | 0:25:52 | 0:25:55 | |
Tom Kerridge... | 0:25:57 | 0:25:59 | |
Your spring lamb broth wasn't quite as extravagant | 0:26:00 | 0:26:04 | |
as Tom Aikens' or Phil's dish. | 0:26:04 | 0:26:07 | |
But that is one of the tastiest dishes I've eaten for a very long time. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:12 | |
Tom Aikens... | 0:26:12 | 0:26:13 | |
Your quail consomme with quail dumplings, | 0:26:16 | 0:26:18 | |
as soon as I looked at it, it was a restaurant dish, no two ways about it. | 0:26:18 | 0:26:22 | |
I couldn't really work out in my own mind | 0:26:22 | 0:26:25 | |
if I was meant to start with a knife and fork and finish with a spoon. | 0:26:25 | 0:26:29 | |
But the crystal cleanness of the flavours | 0:26:29 | 0:26:32 | |
and the consomme, was second to none. | 0:26:32 | 0:26:34 | |
Outstanding dish. But, it all comes down to points. | 0:26:34 | 0:26:37 | |
Phil, for your veloute of spring peas, rabbit canapes... | 0:26:40 | 0:26:45 | |
..I'm going to give you... | 0:26:49 | 0:26:50 | |
..seven out of ten. | 0:26:53 | 0:26:55 | |
Tom Kerridge, for your spring lamb broth... | 0:26:56 | 0:26:58 | |
..I'm giving you... | 0:27:02 | 0:27:03 | |
..nine out of ten. | 0:27:06 | 0:27:08 | |
That dish was knockout. | 0:27:08 | 0:27:11 | |
Tom Aikens, for your quail consomme with quail dumplings... | 0:27:13 | 0:27:17 | |
..I'm giving you... | 0:27:22 | 0:27:23 | |
..eight out of ten. | 0:27:27 | 0:27:29 | |
Very good scores boys, it was very high standard. Thank you. | 0:27:29 | 0:27:34 | |
-Well done, Paul. -Congratulations. -Good start, good start. | 0:27:34 | 0:27:37 | |
So, Tom Kerridge has leapt into the lead with a champion nine points. | 0:27:37 | 0:27:42 | |
Tom Aikens, more than respectable, eight, leaves him in second | 0:27:42 | 0:27:45 | |
and despite a strong seven, | 0:27:45 | 0:27:47 | |
Phil Thompson's now bringing up the rear. | 0:27:47 | 0:27:50 | |
One from behind second place is the way I've got to look at it. | 0:27:51 | 0:27:55 | |
Hopefully I get a good score and reel them in. | 0:27:55 | 0:27:57 | |
I'd have taken a seven, so two points more is brilliant. | 0:27:57 | 0:28:02 | |
I want to be in the top place. I want to be number one in the driving seat, full steam ahead. | 0:28:02 | 0:28:06 | |
I want to win it. | 0:28:06 | 0:28:07 | |
In tomorrow's fish course, Tom Aikens and Phil | 0:28:07 | 0:28:10 | |
have every intention of cutting Tom Kerridge down to size. | 0:28:10 | 0:28:14 | |
He can't afford to put a foot wrong. | 0:28:14 | 0:28:16 | |
I've taken a big risk again. | 0:28:16 | 0:28:17 | |
I could choose any fish I wanted, I chose one that I can't eat. | 0:28:17 | 0:28:21 | |
-Do you want us to taste it? -I'd love for you to taste it. | 0:28:21 | 0:28:23 | |
-We wouldn't sabotage it, would we, Phil? -Wouldn't dream of it. | 0:28:23 | 0:28:27 | |
It's heating up and I'm getting excited. | 0:28:27 | 0:28:29 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:28:46 | 0:28:49 | |
Email [email protected] | 0:28:49 | 0:28:52 |