0:00:02 > 0:00:03We've got the best...
0:00:03 > 0:00:05It is all about gold medals.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07..the award-winning...
0:00:07 > 0:00:09I do hope it's going to be perfect.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11..and the Michelin-starred.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14- You're confident that will be tender?- Yeah, absolutely.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Putting Britain's most successful chefs...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19I wonder whether I've done too much.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21..through their paces.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24I'll have to pray like I've never prayed before.
0:00:24 > 0:00:25Great British Menu is back.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27BLEEP!
0:00:27 > 0:00:28Wahey!
0:00:28 > 0:00:30One minute.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32The challenge in this Olympic year is
0:00:32 > 0:00:35to push themselves to the absolute limit...
0:00:35 > 0:00:36It's getting white hot now.
0:00:36 > 0:00:42..and create awe-inspiring dishes that reach new culinary heights.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Their gold medal - the chance to cook for our incredible
0:00:45 > 0:00:49sporting heroes at a once-in-a-lifetime Olympic feast.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52For some, it'll bring heartache and failure...
0:00:53 > 0:00:55BLEEP. BLEEP.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59- No, it's pointless. No,- BLEEP- that.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00..others, ultimate glory.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04Absolutely outstanding dish.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06This is Olympic-class cooking.
0:01:06 > 0:01:07I won't mess around.
0:01:07 > 0:01:08I almost started crying.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11But all have their eyes firmly on the prize.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13I haven't come here to make enemies, mate.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15I've come down here to cook great food.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19This week, fighting to represent Scotland, is rising star Mark Greenaway...
0:01:19 > 0:01:21You're not making me feel any better.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23..two-time competitor Alan Murchison...
0:01:23 > 0:01:26My job isn't to make you feel better. My job is to beat you.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28..and determined newcomer Colin Buchan.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Now it's showtime.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Scrutinising them all week is veteran Jeremy Lee.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37You've got three judges who may not love this.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41And, from the off, the most experienced chef begins to buckle under the pressure.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Nobody said, "Come here and have a day off."
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Sanity is quite a nice thing to enjoy.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47Sanity's for the weak, Jeremy.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02In this Olympic year, the chefs' gruelling challenge
0:02:02 > 0:02:05is inspired by the Herculean efforts of world-class athletes.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- Yeah!- You're getting it now.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09We've asked Britain's cooking elite to push
0:02:09 > 0:02:12the boundaries of their art, creating daring dishes
0:02:12 > 0:02:16that reflect the ambition and dedication of our sporting heroes.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19You've got just one chance. Make the most of it, grab it with both hands.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Their groundbreaking menus must be fit for an Olympic feast,
0:02:22 > 0:02:25celebrating the sacrifices made by record breakers
0:02:25 > 0:02:28and the friends and families who've helped them succeed.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32To actually get to the banquet would be one of the milestones of my career so far.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Judging them is a tough-talking veteran of the competition who'll be watching the chefs' every move.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40This week, it's a Scottish-born chef who now has
0:02:40 > 0:02:43a fearsome reputation on the London restaurant scene.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45It's Jeremy Lee.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49I'm looking for stellar cooking, of the highest quality.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Come Thursday, only the two highest-scoring chefs will go through to the judges.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56If I get sent home on Thursday, I will be devastated.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59I have to win this year. I won't be back in the Great British Menu kitchen again.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07First up is Michelin-starred chef Alan Murchison
0:03:07 > 0:03:10who runs L'Ortolan in Reading.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Two steak gourmand and two carp, two mackerel, two venison, please.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17It's crunch time for this two-time former competitor
0:03:17 > 0:03:19who's failed to deliver a dish to the banquet so far.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21For me, I've got to win this year.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23I've got to get to the final banquet.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27It's once in a lifetime the Olympics are going to be in your home country.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Alan, what is the name of the dish you're going to cook today?
0:03:30 > 0:03:32Barbary duck with pineapple.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36You've got quite a big, busy box of stuff here. Is this a terrine or...
0:03:36 > 0:03:39I'm doing a terrine because I know that's perfect for a banquet.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43I'm focusing on an amazing quality duck, and a beautiful garnish,
0:03:43 > 0:03:45incorporating lots of different pineapple techniques.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47And this is ground-breaking?
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Well, there's going to be elements and textures
0:03:49 > 0:03:51that will challenge you.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52How many elements in this?
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Four textures of duck and about five textures of pineapple.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58Cos duck and pineapple seems a vaguely new one.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02Duck likes fruit but pineapple seems fairly out there.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I think it's beautiful. I've practiced and researched this dish.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Putting yourself through it again.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Read the brief, push boundaries - that's what I'm trying to do.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13Alan's hoping to blaze an Olympic trail with his complicated
0:04:13 > 0:04:17duck terrine and pineapple cooked multiple ways.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Duck and fruit is very classic.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Erm, ground-breaking?
0:04:21 > 0:04:25The worry with Alan is it could be a little bit overambitious.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26Just too much going on.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Right, check on. One spelt, one terrine to follow, hake, pork.
0:04:30 > 0:04:35Next up is a fast-rising star on the Scottish food scene.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Mark Greenaway's restaurant, 12 Picardy Place in Edinburgh,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40has been open for just over a year,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and has won rave reviews for its molecular gastronomy.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46I think the advantage I've got is the brief this year
0:04:46 > 0:04:49really suits my style of cooking.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52So Mark believes he has the edge with his
0:04:52 > 0:04:54scientific approach to food.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57What are you making for us this morning?
0:04:57 > 0:05:02It's a play on pork and apple so it's braised pork cheek, hot apple jelly.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Hot apple jelly. Isn't that an oxymoron?
0:05:05 > 0:05:08No. It's firmer in texture than a traditional jelly...
0:05:08 > 0:05:09Yeah.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11..because I'm actually serving the pork cheeks cold.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14We've got sea buckthorn which is one of those
0:05:14 > 0:05:16ingredients that you'll either love or hate.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Is there something in here that is going to take you
0:05:20 > 0:05:21way into the 22nd century?
0:05:21 > 0:05:26Hopefully, the processes that I use, you know, the beetroot carpaccio,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28the sea buckthorn, will take it that far.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Mark's serving cold pork cheeks and hot apple jelly with
0:05:33 > 0:05:37risky berries that have failed to impress the judges before.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Sea buckthorn, it's astringent, very powerful.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42That's the holy grail.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45If you can find the recipe that makes sea buckthorn delicious,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47the whole world is going to tremble.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Our last contender is another newcomer to the competition.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Colin Buchan is head chef at York & Albany in Camden, London.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56OK, so that's two mackerel, main course,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58one plaice, one fish and one beef.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02Colin's a classically trained chef, now pitched against two competitors
0:06:02 > 0:06:05who have a reputation for innovation.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08I've not got a lot of secret weapons. I think I've got to go in there positive,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11maybe try to put the other chefs off, by being the
0:06:11 > 0:06:14underdog and put little snippets in that will put them off guard.
0:06:16 > 0:06:17What are you going to be cooking?
0:06:17 > 0:06:22Today, I'm going to excite you with a smoked squab pigeon breast,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25and my piece de resistance - I'm going to use the pigeon heart.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Have you ever tasted pigeon heart before, Jeremy?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31I love all gizzards but hearts are interesting.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34They can be bitter. They can be sour. Is this a gamble?
0:06:34 > 0:06:36It's good to take risks and hopefully it'll work.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38Is this a stinging nettle I see before me?
0:06:38 > 0:06:44Yeah. I get these from a forager in Norfolk and I'm going to make a little veloute with them.
0:06:44 > 0:06:45And the techniques for all this?
0:06:45 > 0:06:48What my aim is, is to try and do a ground-breaking dish.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50It's something that I've not done before.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Hopefully it will bring an element of surprise later on.
0:06:53 > 0:06:54Not to mention a bit of jeopardy.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Colin's strategy for a breathtaking banquet delicacy
0:06:57 > 0:07:00is to smoke the breast and heart of a squab pigeon
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and serve with an unusual nettle foam.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05The ingredients that Colin's going to use,
0:07:05 > 0:07:08a lovely one is nettle, which I adore.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12There's an element of jeopardy in using pigeon innards, that's for sure.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16I'm consumed with curiosity to see what he's going to do.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24With no time to waste, the rival chefs set to work.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28Molecular expert Mark Greenaway is preparing to
0:07:28 > 0:07:29marinade his pork cheeks.
0:07:29 > 0:07:34Your starter, braised pig cheeks - a lot of people would think that's a main course.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37It's actually a really light starter. I'm serving the pig cheeks cold.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39What is it you're doing today, mate?
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Today, I'm doing a smoked squab pigeon.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44How are you cooking the heart?
0:07:44 > 0:07:49I'm going to basically smoke the whole bird with the heart inside it.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53Classically trained chef Colin Buchan is starting the smoking process
0:07:53 > 0:07:58which he hopes will make pigeon suitable for the Olympic banquet,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00and it's caught Jeremy's eye.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02- Can I lift this up?- Yeah, of course.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04These pigeons are intact. Well, they're gutted,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06but you've left everything on.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- And there's oatmeal and muscovado sugar?- Yes, it is, yeah.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13- And these are your hearts? - These are all pigeon hearts.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14I'll just fry these quickly.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16I'm going to pan-fry them and confit the legs.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I understand. I see now.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23There is this interesting business with the heart of the squab.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26They have a tendency towards bitterness
0:08:26 > 0:08:29so I'll be intrigued to see quite what he does with that.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Pigeon heart? It's a bit of offal at the end of the day.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36Would I serve up heart to 100 people? I don't know if I would.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40He's using a piece of the bird that's generally thrown away.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Michelin-starred chef Alan Murchison is making a start
0:08:46 > 0:08:49on his complicated duck dish.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- How many techniques are you using in this dish?- Nine.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53I don't believe you. I think there's more.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Nobody said, "Come here and have a day off."
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Remember that sanity's quite a nice thing to enjoy.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Sanity's for the weak, Jeremy.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04The worry with Alan is just too much going on.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08So keen to win but it might be a step too far.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Alan's strategy is to strive for absolute perfection in every dish
0:09:11 > 0:09:13he puts forward for the Olympic feast.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I've practised more than I've ever practised before.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20I've put hundreds of hours into getting the dishes exactly how I want to get them.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23This is a fiercely competitive chef,
0:09:23 > 0:09:28obsessed with getting through to cook for the banquet this year.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32Hopefully, this year, third time cooking - third time lucky.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Alan knows that Olympic records can be broken
0:09:35 > 0:09:38in fractions of a second so he's spent months trying to push his dishes
0:09:38 > 0:09:42to new levels of excellence, to mirror the spirit of the Games.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45You talk about 1%, marginal gains,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48so if I can apply that principle to this competition,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50I should do very well.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53He applies the same drive outside work, too.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Alan runs 50 miles every week and his training buddy
0:09:57 > 0:10:01just happens to be British Olympic marathon hopeful Louise Damen.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04He doesn't put a limit on what he can do, basically.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I've noticed that when he runs and obviously when he cooks as well.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I mean, yeah, there are no limits with Alan Murchison.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11This year on Great British Menu,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15we're being challenged to create a cutting-edge dynamic menu that pushes boundaries
0:10:15 > 0:10:18and I want to try and take some of the details
0:10:18 > 0:10:21that we apply in running and training to the kitchen.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25Today, Alan's asked Louise back to his kitchen
0:10:25 > 0:10:29to see if she's impressed with his Olympic starter.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33What I've done with this is made a pineapple crisp.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Wow! That's, like, melt-in-your-mouth stuff, that is.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40It's really good to get Louise's feedback on the dish.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43What I'm looking to do is to take the brief and learn from her.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46It's really important that the dish hits the brief,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48but also excels and provides a wow factor.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Knowing Alan, knowing his competitive nature, I think he'll
0:10:52 > 0:10:56get the bit between his teeth and really, really go for it.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02But, back in the kitchen, could Alan now be struggling to juggle
0:11:02 > 0:11:06all the elements of his complicated starter?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09- It's all- BLEEP- up at once. - BLEEP.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12He's trying to keep an eye on the smoking process for his duck
0:11:12 > 0:11:16while preparing five separate combinations of pineapple.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- Is that all right, Alan? - It's absolutely fine.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Smoking out the opposition!
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Once you start to play around with food too much,
0:11:24 > 0:11:28you start to take that initial...product, of what it is,
0:11:28 > 0:11:29it might be too much.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I've really pushed the boundaries with regards to timing
0:11:32 > 0:11:36and brioche, gels and purees and jellies and all sorts of stuff.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40I've actually left myself quite a lot to do.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Across the kitchen,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45risk-taker Mark's going to cook sea buckthorn berries
0:11:45 > 0:11:48in a slow vacuum pack in a bid to transform their sour flavour.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- It's an intriguing, elusive smell, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55- It really is quite unlike anything else.- Yeah.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Controversial ingredient.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- I think it's...- And you've got three judges who may not love this.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04I think before it was the juice that was used which is so strong.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05Potent, if anything, isn't it?
0:12:05 > 0:12:07This won't be anything like that.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10'Sea buckthorn - not my favourite thing.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12'I think it's very powerful, very astringent.'
0:12:12 > 0:12:15And to go with something lovely and yielding,
0:12:15 > 0:12:16like pork, which is very subtle.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21Sea buckthorn? Have you not done your homework on sea buckthorn?
0:12:21 > 0:12:22I have, yes.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27Sea buckthorn was done by one of the best chefs in the UK, Mr Nathan Outlaw.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30But Nathan used the juice. I'm using the berries.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Would you not be worried, if you got to cook for the judges,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36that they had such an adverse reaction to sea buckthorn?
0:12:36 > 0:12:39A two-star Michelin chef couldn't get it to work.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44But this is a chef who's renowned for innovation
0:12:44 > 0:12:48and who isn't usually fazed by the competition.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I'm definitely a dark horse. I want to win a massive amount.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55I've got a lot to prove, nothing to lose and we're there to win.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I'm not entering this not to win.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02Mark's expertise in molecular gastronomy has led him to lecture on
0:13:02 > 0:13:06this scientific approach to food at a cookery school in Edinburgh.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10He's even given a masterclass about the unusual hot jelly he's going to serve,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14with the pork and sea buckthorn in his Olympic starter.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Has anyone heard of a hot jelly before?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20So, normally, a jelly would melt when you heat it up.
0:13:20 > 0:13:21This one doesn't.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24The key to Mark's hot jelly, like so many of his recipes,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28is a natural ingredient with unusual properties.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Gellan gum's derived from seaweed and it's heat-stable
0:13:32 > 0:13:35so it'll dissolve and disperse into liquid.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38When the liquid goes below 75, it sets into a jelly.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41That jelly won't then re-melt.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45The way that you're able to display food with the techniques that
0:13:45 > 0:13:48we're being shown today were just brilliant.
0:13:48 > 0:13:49He seems like an innovator.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53So, with this year's challenge asking the chefs to create
0:13:53 > 0:13:57an innovative menu that takes food to new, extraordinary heights,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Mark feels the brief suits him to a T.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03A lot of the elements of what they're asking us to do
0:14:03 > 0:14:05within the challenge, I already do anyway.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08I might as well just give it absolutely everything I've got
0:14:08 > 0:14:11and hopefully come out the other end at the banquet.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Back in the kitchen, Mark's making hot apple jelly,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19a technique that's caught Jeremy's eye.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- You've got potions and powders going on.- Yes, hot apple jelly.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- We're also doing a fluid gel, as well.- What is a fluid gel?
0:14:25 > 0:14:28In simple terms, a fluid gel starts as a hot jelly.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32The gellan gum, the sugar, the apple juice, all goes in cold,
0:14:32 > 0:14:36bring it up to the heat, as soon as it thinks about boiling, take it off.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- There's a lot of components to all these dishes.- Yeah.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Colin is now pan-frying his smoked pigeon hearts.
0:14:44 > 0:14:49He's convinced his use of underused ingredients like heart and nettle
0:14:49 > 0:14:52demonstrates enough innovation to be worthy of Olympians.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Any comments on my dish?
0:14:55 > 0:14:57- I like squab. I don't think it's used enough.- Yeah.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Are you quite a fan of foraging? Obviously I'm using nettles.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04- I'm not a great lover of nettles, I'll be frank with you.- Uh-huh.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07I always come across them out running and they get your legs.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09I'm quite excited to do something different with my dish,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11especially the pigeon heart.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15I think there'll be a lot of members of the general public, a lot of Olympians,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18who might be a little bit off-put about eating a heart.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Glaswegian Colin Buchan was hand-picked by Angela Hartnett
0:15:21 > 0:15:24to be her head chef at a leading London restaurant
0:15:24 > 0:15:28and she's optimistic about the chances of one of her star proteges.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32I think Colin can be quite progressive. I think he's got sparked imagination.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I think he's got the potential to do it.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38In some ways he's an underdog. He's not a Michelin-starred chef.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41He's up against some of these boys that have done it before.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Colin believes he can punch above his weight.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49His strategy is to use unusual ingredients to crack the banquet brief.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52I want to come up with these ground-breaking dishes.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56I want to do something I've never done before and I want to win it.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00Smithfield market in the East End of London is where Colin
0:16:00 > 0:16:03found his foraged nettles and pigeons.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- Do these have hearts in them? - They do, yeah.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08They have the main guts removed but still come with the heart in.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11- Well, this is the... - It's not a question I've ever been asked before.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13What are you using the heart for?
0:16:13 > 0:16:18- I'm going to be smoking these. Have you ever had them smoked before?- No.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22He was surprised. He did mention that I'm breaking the mould.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26That's what I'm hoping to achieve in the competition,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28to get that prized reaction.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31That's what I want to carry through all my dishes.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Back in the kitchen, Michelin-starred chef Alan has taken his foie gras,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38one of the elements of his duck terrine,
0:16:38 > 0:16:43out of the fridge and Jeremy's quick to spot a big problem.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Are you slightly in the wars with that?
0:16:45 > 0:16:48It shouldn't be breaking up like that.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52It's just slightly brittle. I'll just put it in a blast chiller.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55The main thing to do is just get it right.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58It needs to be reasonably pliable when it goes in the fridge.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I'm not sure what was happening with Alan's foie gras.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05He was slicing it and then these cracks and crumbles appeared.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07It doesn't seem to have the structure
0:17:07 > 0:17:08of a recognisable foie gras.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Alan's desperately hoping his complicated terrine
0:17:12 > 0:17:15will still hold with the crumbly foie gras.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19Meanwhile, newcomer Colin is about to start preparing
0:17:19 > 0:17:21his unusual nettle foam.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25- Your nettles?- These are the nettles, yeah. I've got these picked here.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Once I make the sauce, the veloute we've got there,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31with some shallots, white wine, coriander.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34Add some double cream, when that comes up to the boil,
0:17:34 > 0:17:35put some nettles in.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39It seems very ingredient-led and very driven by that
0:17:39 > 0:17:41so, ground-breaking?
0:17:41 > 0:17:42Not so sure.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Mark's sea buckthorn berries have finished cooking
0:17:46 > 0:17:48and Alan is keen to try them.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54- Did you just try two?- Mm.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55Really?
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Really nice. You've done all right there.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Good man.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03It's a thumbs-up for the sea buckthorn from Alan
0:18:03 > 0:18:05but will Jeremy think the same?
0:18:05 > 0:18:10Colin's first to plate up. He's made a date puree as a bed for the dish.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14On top of this, he serves the smoked duck breast,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17then a portion of the brown buckwheat is added,
0:18:17 > 0:18:22with nettle foam, and, finally, the pigeon heart.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27So, Jeremy, here we have
0:18:27 > 0:18:30smoked squab pigeon, buckwheat and lovely pigeon heart.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33You've got a javelin here which is very impressive.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Yeah, spearing the heart there.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38And this is the starter cos that's quite a hefty-looking dish,
0:18:38 > 0:18:39do you think?
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Quite generous portions.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43I think, going to dinner, you're very hungry,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46so if you get a good portion of a starter,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49then you're on to a winner, you know?
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Will Jeremy find Colin's hefty smoked pigeon breast and heart
0:18:52 > 0:18:56to be an awe-inspiring banquet starter?
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Your first dish - how are you feeling?
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Very happy with it, being the first chef up there,
0:19:02 > 0:19:04under extreme pressure, may I add?
0:19:06 > 0:19:08I've never had heart before.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11You go for heart. I'll go for asparagus.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14The heart's not as strong as I thought it'd be.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16It's mild, very mild.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19The pigeon breast - you'd think with something smoked,
0:19:19 > 0:19:21it'd be slightly more intensely cooked.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23It is very light.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27I think you've got to be very careful when you're smoking meat, it becomes too tame,
0:19:27 > 0:19:29then it overpowers the actual flavour of the bird.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Do you feel a hundred people would want to eat a heart?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38I don't know. I think they'll try it.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42I seem to recall you were describing that the nettle would be a foam.
0:19:42 > 0:19:46This is much less structured than that. It's actually a sauce.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50I don't want it to be too much of a foam and looking artificial.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- I lost the nettle, to be honest. - I don't get nettle.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59- Gold, silver or bronze for this dish? - It's the first day. Silver.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01You're a very kind and generous man.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03You?
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- I'm not convinced it would get on the podium in my book.- No?
0:20:06 > 0:20:09It's very nerve-racking cos you don't know what he's looking for.
0:20:09 > 0:20:13You don't know what he's expecting. He might like it, he might not.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15He doesn't give too much away, unfortunately.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Mark's next to plate up a starter that's packed with modern elements.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22He begins by serving the cold pork cheeks,
0:20:22 > 0:20:26wrapped in a wafer-thin beetroot carpaccio.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Next, it's his cold apple fluid gel with a hint of tarragon.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- What's that? - It's the hot apple jelly.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It's Mark's piece de resistance,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41the apple jelly that stays set, even though it's hot.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44How long do you reckon you'll be before you serve?
0:20:44 > 0:20:4530 seconds. This is it.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49Finally, after a sprinkling of apple blossom,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Mark adds the controversial sea buckthorn berries.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Here we are.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Look what you've done,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59as a starter, for a banquet to celebrate the Olympics.
0:20:59 > 0:21:00Yep. I think it's fitting.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05I think I've used something as humble as a pork cheek and elevated it to,
0:21:05 > 0:21:10hopefully, new heights, which is what Olympians do so, I think so.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14So, do Mark's cold pork cheeks, served with hot apple jelly and an
0:21:14 > 0:21:18infamously sour berry, make for a revolutionary concept in cuisine?
0:21:18 > 0:21:23Is there anything about this dish that you might want to rethink?
0:21:23 > 0:21:24Erm, no.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33- Good-looking dish, actually. - Very eye-catching. I'm intrigued by this hot jelly.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Is it still going to stay hot if you're doing it for 100 covers?
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- Have you had the sea buckthorn yet? - It's just going in.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42It acts like a little chutney.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45I mean, it bursts in your mouth and you get the juices coming out.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49For me, that's what it's about, that's why I'm using it.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53Try this sea buckthorn.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- Apple.- Yeah. - Sea buckthorn - I like it.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Little bit of tartness in the shallot there and the berries,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05which actually cuts through the meat.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06It's a nice dish.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10Cold pork cheek? That's quite bold, isn't it?
0:22:10 > 0:22:12For me, it's pork terrine.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Do you know what I'd do with that?
0:22:16 > 0:22:18I'd stick it in the oven and warm it up a bit
0:22:18 > 0:22:21cos that is quite a big slab of cold braised meat.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25- Do you see this going through to the banquet? - It would be a great honour if it did.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30So, first day over, first dish out. I think he liked it, I'm not sure.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32You have to wait for the scores.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Now all eyes are on Michelin-starred chef Alan Murchison
0:22:36 > 0:22:41as he gets ready to plate up his duck and pineapple starter.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Will the crumbly foie gras mean his duck terrine has failed to set?
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Have you cut into the terrine yet, Alan? Is this...
0:22:49 > 0:22:51It could all end here.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Could be going home today.
0:22:55 > 0:22:59- Anything I can do to help you, Al? - You can pray to the God of terrine.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03I think this could be our golden ticket, Mark.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06This is where we see, boys, what we're made of.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08It's moving a wee bit.
0:23:08 > 0:23:09Has Alan pulled it off?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11That's not a bad effort, is it?
0:23:11 > 0:23:13That looks lovely.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14I'm shaking.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17The terrine seems to be holding.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20Next, Alan serves the flat pineapple jelly
0:23:20 > 0:23:24and a spoonful of the tangy pineapple chutney.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Pineapple crisps are added for a flourish,
0:23:27 > 0:23:30together with the toasted hoops of brioche.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38This is my take on an Olympic ring.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42So, for me, good local duck, a bit of fruit, bit of showmanship.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Boys, now that you've got your dishes down, what do you reckon?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48- Very nice dish.- Visually, stunning.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53Time for Alan's technical duck terrine and pineapple starter
0:23:53 > 0:23:55to be scrutinised by Jeremy.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58A stroke of genius or a step too far?
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Is this the gold-winning dish?
0:24:00 > 0:24:03I'd like to think I've delivered on the brief.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Attention to detail, which is the Olympic spirit,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08it's making everything 0.1% better.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10I've tried to do that.
0:24:10 > 0:24:11There's a lot of textures there,
0:24:11 > 0:24:15a lot of flavours through the duck. Is it too much? I don't know.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Is it too sweet with a lot of pineapple in it?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19It's like half of this is a dessert.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23The pineapple is there with that sweetness, the acidity,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26the texture to cut through the richness of the duck.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30This morning, there was a slight issue with your foie gras. Is that a future concern?
0:24:30 > 0:24:32When you look at the Olympic spirit, you'll have challenges.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35You're not always going to get it right.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37I've delivered when I had a challenge.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41The duck's a little bit chewy. Quite dry.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45With this, do you feel you've really broken new ground and entered new territory?
0:24:45 > 0:24:48When you taste the different textures of duck there,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52I think what they will give you is just a beautiful balance.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55You wouldn't expect anything less from Alan.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57- He's here to win.- Yeah.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59- We all are. - And we're here to stop him!
0:25:01 > 0:25:06Well, I just finished with Jeremy now and I think it went reasonably well.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10I like the flavours of it and I thought the delivery of the dish was spot-on.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14So, for me, I'm quite happy. Jeremy? That's a different matter.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18All three starters have been sampled
0:25:18 > 0:25:21and the chefs are anxiously awaiting Jeremy's verdict.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- It's not nice, this bit.- No.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28I'm quite nervous about, obviously, the scoring.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32I think if I was to score myself at all, it would be a silver.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34I had a little problem with my foie gras
0:25:34 > 0:25:36and it's about who deals with the challenges best
0:25:36 > 0:25:38that's going to win the competition.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Jeremy's come to a decision.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Will one of the chefs make an early break from the pack on day one?
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Colin, I thought your pigeon this morning...
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Great cooking, pigeon was lovely,
0:25:59 > 0:26:02even that rare, which I thought was interesting,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05considering it was smoked, and then fried again.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Pigeon heart's a lovely idea
0:26:07 > 0:26:11and I particularly liked it with the bulgur wheat and the nettle.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Loved the use of the javelin. Thought that was very funny.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19But the one issue is the actual whole dish was enormous.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24I thought it had more the element of a main course and I wish the
0:26:24 > 0:26:28nettle had come through more because I thought it was so delicious.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31And I think it's not quite sure whether it's a foam or a sauce.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Now, Mark.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Your pork cheeks...
0:26:38 > 0:26:42What a lovely idea and a very, very beautifully cooked piece of pork.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47I thought there was a slight struggle with how the dish was working,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51and I thought this thing of a cold pork cheek is quite challenging.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53I kind of want pork cheek to be warm.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55And then the sea buckthorn,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59which is this very curious devil of an ingredient.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01It's going to cause mayhem and, indeed, it did.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07And then, Alan.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Your terrine fulfilled the brief absolutely for a starter,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13for the beginning of a four-course Olympic banquet.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17I thought it fulfilled the brief absolutely brilliantly.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20But I'm not convinced by duck and pineapple.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22I think the acidity of the pineapple
0:27:22 > 0:27:25kind of required the skin to be back on the duck.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Colin, for your pigeon, I would like to award you...
0:27:37 > 0:27:38Seven out of ten.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40Thank you.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41Mark...
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Five out of ten for you.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49And, Alan..
0:27:51 > 0:27:54I also give you seven out of ten.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55Thank you very much.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- Congratulations.- Well done.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02So, with a score of seven points each,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06Michelin-starred chef Alan is level pegging with newcomer Colin...
0:28:06 > 0:28:10What can I say? On the same mark as Alan Murchison - that, I didn't expect.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11Seven out of ten's an OK start
0:28:11 > 0:28:14but I'm not here to do OK in this competition.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17..while Mark is trailing on just five points.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Did I think I'd be in last?
0:28:19 > 0:28:21No. I didn't come in to lose, I came in to win.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Tomorrow, it's the fish course
0:28:23 > 0:28:27and Alan's playing mind games in an attempt to push ahead.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29You being comfortable is not in my game plan.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Alan, you're not making me feel any better.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34My job isn't to make you feel better. My job is to beat you.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd