0:00:02 > 0:00:04It's Day 3 on Great British Menu.
0:00:04 > 0:00:08All week, three world-class chefs from London and the South East,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Tom Kerridge, Tom Aikens and Phil Thompson,
0:00:11 > 0:00:16have been striving for the chance to see their dishes at the ultimate street party.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21It's been an epic battle between three Michelin-starred chefs.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26And today promises to be even more extraordinary.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Is this yours, chef? A secret delivery come in?
0:00:29 > 0:00:36Jason Atherton is assessing their efforts this week and following three superb starters,
0:00:36 > 0:00:41they made him struggle yesterday, trying to pick a winner out of three great fish courses.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46It's just been a living nightmare for me to judge this round.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51Now it's the main course which Tom Kerridge took all the way to the banquet last year
0:00:51 > 0:00:54as champion of London and the South East.
0:00:54 > 0:01:01If somebody wants to take that off me, they've got to wrestle me for it because I want to hold on to that.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I definitely want to take that crown from him.
0:01:04 > 0:01:09I know what they can do. I know what they're all about. I'm here to show everyone what I can do.
0:01:09 > 0:01:15Only two of them can face the judges on Friday and it couldn't be much closer.
0:01:15 > 0:01:21That one star dish or one simple slip-up is the difference between going to the final or going home.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37All the chefs this year are facing one of the toughest challenges yet.
0:01:37 > 0:01:44They've been out meeting amazing characters who bring people together through food.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48It's something that we hope will help rebuild and make their community.
0:01:48 > 0:01:54Inspired by what they come across, they must create irresistible platters to get everyone talking
0:01:54 > 0:01:56as they arrive at the table.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59- Scrumptious.- Scrumptious. Ah!
0:01:59 > 0:02:05This week's veteran chef Jason knows just what it takes to get a main course to the banquet
0:02:05 > 0:02:08because he's done it himself in the past.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12I really expect these guys to come out with a big winning dish.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15I think one of them can bring out the number ten.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Tom Kerridge should be feeling confident.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28He won this course last year and has scored 17 out of a possible 20 so far this week.
0:02:28 > 0:02:34But he only leads the formidable Tom Aikens by one point and rising star Phil by two.
0:02:34 > 0:02:40It's bonkers. It is so tight. It's so close. We know in an instant this can all change.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45After the main courses, Phil could be in the lead and I could be at the bottom.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51- Hello, chief.- How are you today, Tom?- Not bad, not bad, not bad.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55- So what is this dish?- Roast hog.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58And when you roast a hog, you do the whole animal,
0:02:58 > 0:03:02- so I'll try and use as much as possible.- Yeah.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- I'll do some baked potatoes, Bramley apple sauce. - We've got some nice trotters.
0:03:06 > 0:03:12I'm going to stuff them with some shoulder, liver and bacon. I'll make some salad cream.
0:03:12 > 0:03:17- Salad cream?- Yeah. - What is it about this dish that gives it the wow factor?
0:03:17 > 0:03:23When you're actually eating it, it should transport you back to English summer afternoons,
0:03:23 > 0:03:28eating a hog roast, drinking cider, having a great time.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30In his usual rustic style,
0:03:30 > 0:03:34Tom has gone for a classic British combination - pork with apple,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37with the modern twist of salt-baked potatoes,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40but is it good enough for the People's Banquet?
0:03:40 > 0:03:46He's got to be extremely careful. There's a lot of meat to get cooked to perfection -
0:03:46 > 0:03:50the head, the trotter, the belly, the stuffing. A lot can go wrong.
0:03:50 > 0:03:56Next up is Tom Aikens, one of London's top chefs and the bad boy of the culinary world.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00He's currently in second place, but plans to change that today.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05To take the number one spot from Mr Kerridge, all I have to do is focus, not make any mistakes
0:04:05 > 0:04:09and there'll be the wow factor because it's a big platter.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16- So what have we got here? - We're doing a suckling pig. I'm using a baby pig.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22I'm going to deconstruct it, so we've got a bit of leg, a bit of loin and a bit of rib.
0:04:22 > 0:04:28That's going to be served with a potato mash with a little smoked bacon in it - crispy, crispy,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30and a bit of lemon zest as well.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35What is it about this dish when you came up with it that you said, "This is the dish for my community,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- "this will make them go..."- "Wow!" - "Amazing!"
0:04:38 > 0:04:41The dish is going to be one big platter.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46It's going to be plonked on the table in front of them and they all dig in.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Tom is staying upmarket with this most expensive cut of pork,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54but Jason is concerned about how feasible it is for the banquet.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Suckling pig, it takes a very high skill level to cook it.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01It dries out in an instant. He's got to be extremely careful.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04The final chef is Dagenham's Phil Thompson.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08He felt the stress in the starter, losing points with silly mistakes,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11but matched his rivals with his fish course.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15I'm two points behind, but I'm only one point behind second.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Second is good enough to get through to the judges.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I've got two more courses to claw my way back.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Hello, Phil.- Good morning, chef.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31- What dish are you cooking?- East End staple diet of pie, mash and liquor.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37- What does that involve?- I've got some "chippies' choice" potatoes - great for mash, nice and fluffy.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42I'll use a nice, cheap cut of meat called the feather blade. I'll caramelise the shallots off.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46I'm going to make a nice red wine and port sauce, give it a bit of luxury
0:05:46 > 0:05:52because I've got a lot of cheap ingredients here, so nice red wine and port sauce.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55It wouldn't be a pie, mash and liquor without my liquor,
0:05:55 > 0:06:00so chopped flat parsley, a tiny bit of tarragon and, of course, a bit of vinegar.
0:06:00 > 0:06:07- It's very simple. What's the wow factor?- The presentation is key. Who doesn't like pie, mash and liquor?
0:06:07 > 0:06:11So Phil from Essex is bringing his Michelin star skills
0:06:11 > 0:06:13to a humble regional favourite.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17Part of his strategy is to keep everyone guessing.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20Is it a deconstructed pie or a classical pie?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22He's not giving too much away.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27I'm looking forward to seeing how he pulls that dish off and makes it a feast for the eyes.
0:06:29 > 0:06:36The London and South East region has won the main course at the banquet twice. Jason did it first,
0:06:36 > 0:06:42then he saw Tom Kerridge capture it last year and thinks the treble could be on this time.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47So, guys, we've never had three Michelin stars together in the same kitchen,
0:06:47 > 0:06:54- competing for London and the South East.- Really?- There's always been one guy who's not had it.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58The pressure's on. It's not just a battle of the Great British Menu.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00It's also a battle of the Michelin stars.
0:07:00 > 0:07:07With only two points separating first and last place, they all need a high score to stay in the race.
0:07:07 > 0:07:13The brief demands faultless cooking, an emphasis on sharing and stunning presentation.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17After Jason docked him points for producing restaurant style dishes,
0:07:17 > 0:07:24the fiercely competitive Tom Aikens has come up with a new game plan and has received a surprise delivery.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36- Is this yours, chef? Have you had a secret delivery come in?- Hello!
0:07:36 > 0:07:38LAUGHTER
0:07:38 > 0:07:41What's all this then, chef?
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Tom's not telling them what he's up to.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Up the ante. No other reason. I want to win and beat these guys.
0:07:48 > 0:07:54- Have you got a delivery coming in, Phil?- That would be telling, but no tricks up my sleeve!
0:07:54 > 0:07:59That's a bit sly, that, chef. Has he got you worried, Tom?
0:07:59 > 0:08:03- No, I've got a delivery of my own coming in later.- I feel left out.
0:08:03 > 0:08:10I might get on the blower to Argos this afternoon, see what I can pick up, just to try and join the gang.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- Chef Tom...- Yes?- Special delivery?
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Just a little secret. I've got secrets up my sleeve, you know?
0:08:17 > 0:08:19This is for the dessert.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23It's just to stand them on something, little mini Baked Alaskas.
0:08:23 > 0:08:29- And then all this?- This is for the pork. You'll have all the different bits of pork down there.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34- Was this something, after being here, you thought, "I need to..."?- A little bit.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39Seeing as how Mr Kerridge did his lobster dish, I wanted something a bit more substantial.
0:08:39 > 0:08:47- I think you might have scared him, Tom.- Eh?- I think you might have rocked Mr Cucumber.- Do you think?
0:08:47 > 0:08:50The guy's a... He's a proven winner.
0:08:50 > 0:08:57He's run across the Sahara in bare feet, naked or something, so he's looking at definitely winning this.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00While Tom Kerridge gets on with the apple sauce for his roast hog,
0:09:00 > 0:09:05he's keeping his own delivery very quiet.
0:09:05 > 0:09:10Across the worktop, his rival Tom Aikens is making yet more changes to his dish.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13He's upgraded his leg of suckling pig to the whole beast
0:09:13 > 0:09:18and Phil, who is quietly working on the pastry for his pies, is surprised.
0:09:18 > 0:09:25It's risky changing things at the last minute, but if you've got the gonads to do it, then by all means.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30Phil wants his pie, mash and liquor dish to be true to its roots
0:09:30 > 0:09:33and he's been doing his research to get it spot-on.
0:09:33 > 0:09:39Traditional pie and mash shops can still be found in London's East End, including Cooke's
0:09:39 > 0:09:43which has been run by the same family for more than a century.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47- Hello, Bobby.- Hello, Phil. How are you, mate?- Good, good, good.
0:09:47 > 0:09:53- That smell makes me hungry as well. - You like that?- It brings a smile to my face.- Yeah.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57I need a few tips. I've got a few ideas, but all I can remember is the taste.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01Bobby Cooke took over from his father 20 years ago.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05He now serves over 1,000 pies a week, all hand-made.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10- This is our bakehouse. - This is where all the magic happens. - That's the dough over there.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13This rolling machine is about 80 years old.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15Yeah, try them, Phil.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19But what Phil is really interested in is Bobby's liquor recipe.
0:10:19 > 0:10:26Some people thicken their parsley sauce with potato water, but Bobby uses a different technique.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30That's the liquor. We thicken it with a batter. Have a taste.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34It's lovely.
0:10:34 > 0:10:40Pie, mash and liquor is food that's brought East Enders together since the 19th century.
0:10:40 > 0:10:47To learn the secret of a great pie, Phil is meeting members of a Pie And Mash Club founded by Nick Evans.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51It's about going to these pie shops in London,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54just seeing, you know, the way pie and mash is.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59It sounds like a simple thing, but every shop does it in a minutely different way
0:10:59 > 0:11:05and I find that really interesting. It's gone from being me and a group of workmates
0:11:05 > 0:11:11to just people who like pie and mash and have come down and taken part, so I've made good friends out of it.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14Phil's been experimenting with his liquor recipe.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17What will the connoisseurs make of his effort?
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Right, there you go, boys.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25- It's a green stodge of some description.- I quite like it though.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27It's not bland, but it's just...
0:11:28 > 0:11:34- Uh-oh!- No, thanks.- No?- No. I'm not being rude, mate. That just ain't liquor to me.
0:11:34 > 0:11:40I would like to see the bits of parsley in the liquor because that's what makes a great liquor -
0:11:40 > 0:11:43being able to see those little flecks of green.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48He's got to appeal to a load of food snobs. You won't impress them with pie and mash.
0:11:48 > 0:11:54I can see the dilemma that he's in. But what can you do with it to ponce it up? Not a lot.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58- Good luck. - I think I'll need it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Luckily, founder member Nick has some words of encouragement.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07- I did enjoy it.- I didn't think it was that bad.- But it wasn't liquor as we know it.- Exactly.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12I'd love you to be there if I got through to the final with my pie, mash and liquor.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I'd be honoured to be invited and I'll certainly help eat the food.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- Thanks again.- Cheers.
0:12:21 > 0:12:26In the kitchen, Phil knows he's got his work cut out if he wants to trounce his rivals.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31He thinks that pie, mash and liquor is perfect for the People's Banquet.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Tom Aikens has raised the stakes
0:12:33 > 0:12:38by going for roast suckling pig on the big platter he had sent in.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41And Tom Kerridge aims to keep his crown
0:12:41 > 0:12:44with roast hog, salt-baked potatoes and apple sauce.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Two pork dishes. They'll have a bit of a head-to-head there.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Phil's take on a deconstructed pie, I'm really excited about that.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56The heat is on and this is getting really exciting.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06The sense of competition is reaching new heights.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Tom Aikens has upped his game
0:13:08 > 0:13:13by going for more variety on a bigger platter, but his nearest rival isn't impressed.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18Has it got the fun factor? It might look nice. It's still got to taste nice.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23He has given himself a lot of unrehearsed extra cooking to do,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26so is he in danger of making a fatal error?
0:13:26 > 0:13:31The pressure will get to some people because it's intense in there, it's not easy.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35It's the one that can deal with it. I can deal with pressure and stress.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39So how is the defending champion coping with it all?
0:13:39 > 0:13:45Those guys are going to try their hardest to beat me. They want to get their dishes on to the banquet.
0:13:45 > 0:13:51- Jason's constant scrutiny doesn't make it any easier. He doesn't miss a thing.- What's going on here?
0:13:51 > 0:13:54- What's that for? - My salt-baked potatoes.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I'm going to bake them in a salt crust that's like a sack.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02- This is very, very creative. - A sack of spuds, chef.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04And you're all on schedule?
0:14:04 > 0:14:07I'll go with "might be".
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Tom's mystery delivery still hasn't arrived.
0:14:11 > 0:14:18Across the kitchen, Phil's applying his Michelin star skill to the aged beef feather blade for his pies.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25What is it about this dish that's going to make pie and liquor so special?
0:14:25 > 0:14:28It's going to bring pie and liquor to the thousands.
0:14:28 > 0:14:33I've got a nice, cheap cut of meat. It's so flavoursome, a feather blade.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36Are you going to surprise me with the liquor?
0:14:36 > 0:14:40- Yeah.- Are you taking it avant-garde or are you keeping it traditional?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44No, I tried taking it that way and I upset a few people,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47so we're keeping it traditional.
0:14:47 > 0:14:54- Have you got some fancy contraption to serve it on?- Chef, that's not me. That's not me at all.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Tom Aikens will be plating up first
0:14:57 > 0:15:01and with characteristic precision, he slices up his crackling...
0:15:02 > 0:15:07..then portions the leg which was originally the main part of the dish...
0:15:09 > 0:15:14..and calmly assembles all his pork delicacies on his wooden board.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21So, Tom, talk me through your dish.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23You have the suckling pig,
0:15:23 > 0:15:30so you've got the little ribs, the cutlet, the loin, ears, the leg, belly and that's the crispy skin.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34- Do you want to grab the mash?- Sure. - I'll grab the plate.- Perfect.
0:15:34 > 0:15:40Tom is gambling for high stakes with a much more complicated platter than he had planned.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Will it win him the day or ruin his chances?
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Tom, this is a bit out of your comfort zone.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51- You don't normally do spiced food like this.- Definitely not.
0:15:51 > 0:15:57- Are you happy with the glaze on that?- Yeah. Everyone thinks I do quite classic flavours,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00so I just thought I'd throw that in to throw them a bit as well.
0:16:00 > 0:16:04- Is that a honey glaze? - Honey and tomato ketchup.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09You don't associate tomato ketchup with Tom Aikens, but he's used it well here.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- Lovely barbecue flavour.- There's a bit of heat in there.- A bit of zing.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17- Are you happy with the seasoning on this dish?- Definitely.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21In terms of all the cooking elements side of it, it came out really well.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24The black pudding is beautiful.
0:16:25 > 0:16:32- The black pudding, the peas and the broad beans - is that the right accompaniment?- Definitely.
0:16:32 > 0:16:38The suckling pig is sweet anyway and the peas and the broad beans add to the sweetness.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Considering it was kind of a last-minute plan, it's come together.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45The only negative thing I could say about this,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47if that got to the banquet,
0:16:47 > 0:16:53- will it all stay hot and could you do it?- If he can pull it off, I'll take my hat off to him.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58I had put myself under a lot more pressure as I was going to just do the roast leg.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03This morning, I just thought, "You know what, I'll go for it!"
0:17:03 > 0:17:09It's reigning champ Tom Kerridge he's gunning for and he won't give up his title without a fight.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14But he's behind schedule and there's still no sign of his secret delivery
0:17:14 > 0:17:17as he rolls out the salt-crust pastry for his potatoes.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21He's got his work cut out with what he's doing.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26He won it last year, so the pressure is on him to produce a better dish than he did last year.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31So, yeah, hopefully, he's feeling it a little bit.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Could Phil be the dark horse here and outflank the two Toms?
0:17:34 > 0:17:39He's putting mushrooms in his meat pie filling, along with a wine sauce,
0:17:39 > 0:17:45not something you'd find in the East End. He's plating up next, so this is the crucial stage.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49- Everything going well, Phil?- Yeah, everything's going to plan, chef.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54I'm just trying to make my mash... ain't like my mum's - no lumps.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Don't make it like MY mum's!
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Is this the sort of food you'd eat at home, what you were brought up on?
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Yeah, it's food I've been brought up on, food that I like to eat.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10We cook with luxury ingredients every day. You don't want that at home. It's comfort food.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15He's downplaying his dish, but the boy from Dagenham only needs one point
0:18:15 > 0:18:19to catch London's superchef, Tom Aikens.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Phil is quietly confident he's got the winning formula, but Jason is not so sure.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28This dish, which is just a pie, has to be super, super special.
0:18:28 > 0:18:35In a bid to make his cheap cut tender, Phil has cooked it slowly before browning it off.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40- OK, Phil?- All good, chef.- Any last-minute changes like Mr Aikens?
0:18:40 > 0:18:46- Any tricks in...?- No, no tricks this time.- Just straight... - Straight, honest cooking, me.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49I'm an honest man. LAUGHTER
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Can Phil steal past him into the lead?
0:18:54 > 0:18:57His main is so different from the two pork dishes,
0:18:57 > 0:19:01it's impossible to predict how Jason will compare it.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15- Pie, mash and liquor, chef. - Happy?- Yeah.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- Shall we go taste it?- Let's.- Great.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Supposedly simple dishes have stormed through to the banquet before.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26Will this one lift Phil into the lead?
0:19:26 > 0:19:30- What do you think, chef?- It looks really nice.- It looks amazing.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33It looks proper tasty.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40Are you happy with the consistency of that? You don't find it too chewy?
0:19:40 > 0:19:46Maybe it's a bit rare for a piece of feather blade, but it's a cheap cut that I'm trying to do justice
0:19:46 > 0:19:50and I know it's got some flavour in there and it packs a punch.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52- It's a little chewy for me.- Yeah.
0:19:52 > 0:19:57I think that's more to do with the cut than the actual cooking.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59- On to the mash...- The mash.
0:19:59 > 0:20:05- Traditionally, you put all the sauce over the top?- It all gets mixed in. It isn't a pretty dish to eat.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- Good mash, yeah? - It's great mash.- Yeah.
0:20:12 > 0:20:19- It's nice with the chilli vinegar. - It's brilliant.- It cuts it through. - Yeah, I've never seen that before.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- It's fantastic.- It's very nice.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- Are you happy with the liquor? Is that the way you want it?- Yeah.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29It's different to the way they do it at the pie and mash shop,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32but the smell and the taste is what I'm trying to get across.
0:20:32 > 0:20:38- Do you think this would stand up to the East End of London?- I had heard they didn't like the sauce.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42But he's obviously listened to what they told him.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46- I would question whether it's a spring, summer banquet dish.- Yeah.
0:20:46 > 0:20:52I'm pleased with how today's gone. I had to produce something out of the bag. I was happy the way it went.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Last to the pass is Tom Kerridge.
0:20:55 > 0:21:01No chef has ever won the prized banquet main course two years running,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03so he is determined to be the first.
0:21:03 > 0:21:09Ever the perfectionist, he is making his own salad cream to go with the hog roast and salt-baked potatoes,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12but is he being over-ambitious?
0:21:12 > 0:21:18I'm a bit concerned that Tom's left himself a lot to do to pull this off to the level I expect him to.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23- How are we going, Tom? - All right, chef.- Back on track time-wise?- I think so.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28I've got a couple of jobs to attend to, but I'm OK.
0:21:28 > 0:21:34Part of Tom's sharing idea is that the guests will have to break into the salt-infused pastry sacks
0:21:34 > 0:21:40to find the potatoes that he's baked inside, but first, he plans to knock out his rivals
0:21:40 > 0:21:44with the special delivery he promised and it's a big surprise.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- There's only two for you, chef. - I got a little delivery for you.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57- And what's this for? - It's to sit on, chef.- To sit on?!
0:21:57 > 0:22:03Well, if you have a hog roast, you're going to drink cider, sit on a bale of hay
0:22:03 > 0:22:08and watch pretty girls in checked shirts dance in a barn.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12- If you get through, will you ask the judges to sit on these?- Of course.
0:22:12 > 0:22:17I'll go in there, remove their chairs and I'll put bales of hay in.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Tom's taking his rural theme to the extreme to try and nail this course.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24He's even decanting cider into stoneware flasks.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28He puts his rolled pork belly on to a board,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32together with pig's head fritters and a stuffed boned trotter.
0:22:32 > 0:22:38Tom's finished platter comes complete with carving tools, gravy on the side and apple sauce.
0:22:38 > 0:22:44Guys, give us a hand. Phil, you bring the cider up. Tom, you bring the sack of potatoes. I'll bring the pork.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50Here we go, chef.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55- What do you call it? - OK, it is roast hog with salt-baked potatoes and apple sauce.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59So, chef, how do we go about serving it?
0:22:59 > 0:23:03We need to cut open the sack of potatoes and pull a spud out,
0:23:03 > 0:23:09a bit of salad, bit of gravy, bit of apple sauce, plenty of cider.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13- Get our fingers in there.- Yeah, that's the whole point. There we go.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19- Take one potato. Shall we go taste? - Let's go. Shall I bring your cider, chef?- Yes, please.
0:23:21 > 0:23:28Has Tom pulled off a winning theatrical coup or is it a case of style over substance?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32We're stood here, leaning against a bale of hay.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36Bale of hay, crispy pork, baked potato and cider.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39What more could you want?
0:23:39 > 0:23:43I'd better not drink too much in case it impairs my judging skills.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45- What do you think?- It looks amazing.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Yeah, it looks really...
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Really impressive.
0:23:50 > 0:23:55- Home-made salad cream. I've never had home-made salad cream before.- Really?
0:23:58 > 0:24:03- Are you happy with the flavour of that?- Yeah, I've been eating it all morning.
0:24:03 > 0:24:09- Shall we try a bit of salad?- Yeah, five-a-day. The home-made salad cream, wasn't it?- Really?- Yeah.
0:24:09 > 0:24:14- It lightens up the whole dish, doesn't it?- Yeah.- Nice and fresh.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19There's a lot of elements going on there. Is that going to be OK for 100 people?
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Yeah, it should be an easy one for a banquet. The work's in the prep.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26If I've got the prep work right, it's doable.
0:24:26 > 0:24:32- Have you got any negatives?- Yeah. - Not enough cider?- Not enough cider. - Have I been tight?
0:24:32 > 0:24:36I was very happy with everything. If Jason's happy, that's another thing.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40I hope it gets a ten, so I can see Matthew Fort sat on a bale of hay.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45All the chefs can do now is wait for Jason's verdict.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48And wait.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53It's still a three-dog race. I don't think there's one outright winner,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56so we're all going to be a little bit nervous.
0:24:56 > 0:25:02I'm happy with what I've done, but you don't know what Jason's looking for, so we'll see.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06This is so tight. I'm so nervous. I think it'll go down to the dessert
0:25:06 > 0:25:10and it will be all three of us fighting for those two places.
0:25:10 > 0:25:15The chefs are about to hear what Jason thinks of their dishes.
0:25:22 > 0:25:28Tom Aikens, your roast suckling pig with broad beans, peas and black pudding...
0:25:28 > 0:25:32If you'd put it on a white plate, it would have lost it for me.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38When it came up on that board, it did everything it was supposed to.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42The one thing that let it down was the mash. It was a little bit dry.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45But when I tasted the pork...
0:25:46 > 0:25:49..it was just great.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Phil, your pie, mash and liquor...
0:25:53 > 0:25:57What can I say about that? It's a typical East End dish.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01It's one of the dishes London and the South East is known for.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05The feather blade on top was just a little bit chewy.
0:26:05 > 0:26:11You need to work on that water bath a little bit more, but having said that, it was a pretty top-class pie.
0:26:13 > 0:26:20Tom... Tom Kerridge, your roast hog, salt-baked potatoes and apple sauce...
0:26:20 > 0:26:26I was worried about the amount of protein there. All I could see was pork and not too much vegetables.
0:26:26 > 0:26:32But I've got to say, the amount of creativity and the fun element, I think for the challenge,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36you've hit it absolutely on the money.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38So we'll go down to the scoring.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Just two points separate you.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Tom Aikens, for your roast suckling pig,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46I'm giving you...
0:26:48 > 0:26:52..a nine out of ten. Well done. It was a great dish.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57Phil, for your pie, mash and liquor,
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I'm giving you...
0:27:00 > 0:27:03..also a nine out of ten.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Tom Kerridge,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08for your roast hog,
0:27:08 > 0:27:10unfortunately...
0:27:12 > 0:27:14..I've got to give you...
0:27:15 > 0:27:19..my first ever ten out of ten. Well done, buddy.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23That was a great dish. It's a big day tomorrow.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27It's all to play for and someone's going home.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- See you tomorrow.- Thank you, chef.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35- Well done, chaps.- That was an awesome dish.- Thank you.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44So with three dishes down now,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Tom Kerridge is still in the lead with 27.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Tom Aikens is two points adrift, but holds on to second place with 25...
0:27:53 > 0:27:58..while Phil is still right there in the mix with 24.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03I've got a ten, thoroughly chuffed, but the other guys both got nines.
0:28:03 > 0:28:09Maybe the pressure is on Tom Aikens to try and step away from me. He's got to match me now.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Am I going to let Phil take that point off me? No.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17Tomorrow's dessert is Phil's last chance to wow Jason.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19He'll need every trick in the book.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24With all three chefs cooking first-class dishes, it's going to be close.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27Everything is riding on this course.
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