0:00:02 > 0:00:06It's been a shocking week for the North West.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08- What's the fish bit? - There isn't a big piece of fish.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09It's not about that.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12- BLEEP- This is not looking good. I'm getting dangerously close
0:00:12 > 0:00:15- to aborting this.- It's the pressure of the kitchen.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Either got it or you haven't.
0:00:16 > 0:00:18We've seen a chef pushed to breaking point
0:00:18 > 0:00:20- 'and walk out of the competition...' - Johnnie.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22BLEEP
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Can I just say something?
0:00:25 > 0:00:28..paving the way for two top chefs to go head-to-head.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31It's like watching a genius at work.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Aidan, you're one point in front.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Today, it's crunch time.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Their technical skill, creativity and passion will all be under
0:00:41 > 0:00:43the scrutiny of the most discerning of judges.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46The perfume of pork coming off that.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49It is an Olympian piece of piggy!
0:00:49 > 0:00:51I don't know what I'm eating. It's wonderful!
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Will newcomer Simon Rogan
0:00:53 > 0:00:56falter in the face of immense pressure...
0:00:56 > 0:01:00- I'm going to have to leave the chilli dressing off.- No way, Simon!
0:01:01 > 0:01:03Aiden's a great chef. We've been neck and neck.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Will it be Aiden's, will it be mine? We'll see.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08..leaving a two-time runner-up Aiden Byrne
0:01:08 > 0:01:10with the upper hand of experience?
0:01:10 > 0:01:12- BLEEP- I've burnt some, haven't I?
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I do have a fight on my hands, because he'll cook
0:01:14 > 0:01:16an absolute blinder.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18There's only one place at the final
0:01:18 > 0:01:21and both chefs will fight all the way.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23The chef going through is...
0:01:35 > 0:01:38North West finalists Aiden and Simon
0:01:38 > 0:01:41have pushed themselves to breaking point to get this far.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44- This is it, mate. D-Day.- You know, it's neck and neck, isn't it.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46You're ahead on courses.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47Yeah, but you're ahead on points.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Returning contender Aiden Byrne
0:01:49 > 0:01:52managed to steal the lead overall
0:01:52 > 0:01:55with his boundary-pushing takes on classic flavours.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58At the end of the day it's a competition and I want to win.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00But with top scores for three out of four dishes,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03innovative Simon Rogan is one to watch.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Just down to the judges, what sort of mood they're in
0:02:06 > 0:02:08and what sort of food they like.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12- May the best man win.- Yeah. Let's get in there. - Good luck.- Cheers. And you, mate.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Both chefs have designed menus to scale new heights of gastronomy,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20to reflect record-breaking Olympic standards.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25To decide who has most successfully raised the bar
0:02:25 > 0:02:27is down to the most critical of judges - Prue Leith,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Oliver Peyton and Matthew Fort.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33This is an Olympic ideal.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36You've got to be the best, the best of the country.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40The reality of the situation is this is an opportunity
0:02:40 > 0:02:43to show Britain as one of the greatest food nations in the world,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46because the quality of our food now is world-class.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48I want this dinner to reflect the excitement
0:02:48 > 0:02:50of the Olympic Games themselves.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52I mean, there you are at the final of the 100 metres
0:02:52 > 0:02:54or 1500 metres or the long jump,
0:02:54 > 0:02:59there's a wonderful involving sense of excitement and joy.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01That's the effect. I want people to have that same
0:03:01 > 0:03:03kind of excitement as they go through this dinner.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Aiden and Simon are facing a gruelling day,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16cooking their complete menus for the judges...
0:03:18 > 0:03:21..something Aiden has done twice before,
0:03:21 > 0:03:22and lost.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25It's the menu that's going to them, not individual dishes.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28I've tried to keep that in mind, the balance and the way it flows.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30I need to get the menus right this time,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32because I don't want to go home.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36Aiden's really pushing for it. This is his last attempt to go through.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39You can see how badly he wants it. I've got to keep fending him off.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43I'm so adamant that this year, it's going to be me going through
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and I certainly don't want to be the one going out of here
0:03:46 > 0:03:48with my tail between my legs.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Aiden's first up and looking to impress with an unusual take on
0:03:51 > 0:03:53a classic dish -
0:03:53 > 0:03:56foie gras terrine and gingerbread,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58spiced cherries and sorbet
0:03:58 > 0:04:01and a daringly sweet foie gras and palm sugar mousse.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03It scored a solid eight earlier in the week,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06which he's adamant he can improve.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07I want to make a change.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10What I'm going to do is more of that palm sugar mousse.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13You know, the palm sugar mousse is the unusual item in the dish.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17- That's the main reason I'm putting more on.- It is quite unusual.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19But with Aiden's mind on his mousse,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22he's taken his eye off his gingerbread,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24an integral element to his dish.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27BLEEP I've burnt some, haven't I?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- What happened?- Me gingerbread... because of the high sugar
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and the honey in there, leaving it two seconds, it's gone.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38- Were you ready to plate up, were you?- Yeah, yeah.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43With seconds to spare he browns another slice,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47while he plates the foie gras and cherry terrine, then the new gingerbread,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49mousse and sorbet.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50A massive relief for him,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54but has Aiden pushed the classic combination too far?
0:04:54 > 0:04:57I want it to go down in front of the judges
0:04:57 > 0:04:59like I'm the judge, please. Be quick,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01that sorbet will go, guys. Thanks.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08I took the decision to make the palm sugar mousse more plentiful.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Hopefully, the judges'll like that.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Gosh, there's lots of very visual disorientation going on here.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23Is it a pudding, is it a starter?
0:05:23 > 0:05:25Is it a slice of foie gras?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Yes, I do believe it is.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29I'm glad to say it's a slice of foie gras
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and presumably this is cherry jelly round the edge?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34This is definitely cherry sorbet.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Which is just wonderful, actually.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40This is a very, very confident piece of cooking.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43What is this?
0:05:43 > 0:05:44I think it's a foie gras mousse.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46It's quite sweet though, isn't it?
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I think it's absolutely awful.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Oh, really, you don't! I love it.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Your palate's being distracted a lot here
0:05:53 > 0:05:55from the foie gras itself.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58But the other flavours are so delicious and the whole thing
0:05:58 > 0:06:01is delicious, that I could quite easily have this for dessert.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Let's match it up to the brief, for a moment.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06It's supposed to be innovative,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08it's supposed to surprise us, to be delicious.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11He's done it. That's exactly what this is.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15To be fair, I do think this chef has tried extremely hard to be
0:06:15 > 0:06:16imaginative and creative.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20But I still rest my case that it should be a pudding.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Aiden's foie gras and cherry dish didn't get sweet talk from all the
0:06:23 > 0:06:25judges, so will this be a chance
0:06:25 > 0:06:29for newcomer Simon to take pole position?
0:06:29 > 0:06:30He's off the blocks
0:06:30 > 0:06:33with a warm salad of grilled leaves and truffle custard.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36He'll top the dish with cheese foam and home-made chilli oil,
0:06:36 > 0:06:38but in a crippling blow, Simon discovers
0:06:38 > 0:06:40some ingredients are missing.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42One small detail in the starter.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45The chilli oil which unfortunately got thrown away by mistake.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49Nobody's fault. Probably my fault for not checking this morning.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Nonetheless, maybe I should have.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52Simon let to pressure get to him
0:06:52 > 0:06:55when things went off course earlier in the week.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58If he panics today, it could spell disaster.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Five minutes, six minutes, going to be all right?
0:07:01 > 0:07:04- Yeah, I'm going to leave the chilli dressing off.- No way, Simon!
0:07:04 > 0:07:07Confident in the dish without it. We ain't got time. We've got to plate.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Without the menu, the judges won't know the chilli kick is missing.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15But will the salad have the wow factor
0:07:15 > 0:07:16to blow them away without it?
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Oh!
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Does it look interesting
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and different or does it look a bit of a mess?
0:07:37 > 0:07:39It's a mixture of grilled vegetables
0:07:39 > 0:07:42and cheese
0:07:42 > 0:07:44and I'm not quite sure what this mousse stuff is.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47This is my type of food, lots of nice flavours.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49It's a lovely little balance to this dish.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It's got that fantastic contrast between that acrid,
0:07:51 > 0:07:55burnt flavour, the soft, moussy texture,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58little bits of nut, little bits of winter truffle,
0:07:58 > 0:08:02an extraordinarily complex series of flavours
0:08:02 > 0:08:05from ingredients... when was the last time you
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- saw bits of burned vegetable served as a first course?- Never, never.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Thoughtful and original. This really does fulfil the brief to me.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- Delicious.- Mmm.- Good, isn't it?
0:08:14 > 0:08:17It's one of these dishes where it goes down, you think,
0:08:17 > 0:08:19"I'm not too sure about this, could all go wrong here."
0:08:19 > 0:08:22And the more it unfolds in front of you,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25the more you realise it's actually a very, very sophisticated dish.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29The contrasts are amazing. It really does push a few boundaries.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33I would be very happy to see that at the final banquet, to be honest.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Do you know, chaps, we're in danger of agreeing with each other?
0:08:37 > 0:08:39When you come across this, what can you do but agree on it?
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Simon swept the board with his starter,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47but Aiden received the best score of the week with his fish course
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and will have all confidence of bringing it back.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54His caviar salmon roll with razor clam and citrus salad
0:08:54 > 0:08:57scored a perfect 10.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Aiden's been here before and knows a technical dish needs to
0:09:01 > 0:09:03be precision perfect every time.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Any risky elements in it that could go wrong?
0:09:05 > 0:09:08You've witnessed it yourself by putting your first course up.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11All that confidence just goes out the window
0:09:11 > 0:09:13- when you're plating up for the judges, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Sticking to his tried and tested dish,
0:09:18 > 0:09:19Aiden manages to keep his cool.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Off you go. Nice and straight.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- Phew!- As good as the last time, d'you think?
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Yeah, absolutely. Fresher, I totally controlled it,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31more so than I did on the starter.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35I'm excited to hear what they genuinely think of it.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Will Aiden's boundary-pushing marriage of citrus
0:09:39 > 0:09:44and seafood have the gastronomic excellence the judges demand?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- Wow!- You know it is absolutely exquisite.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Look at this razor clamshell
0:09:49 > 0:09:54and it's full of the most incredible detailed things.
0:09:54 > 0:09:55There's a bit of crunchy element,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58there's a soft popping of the eggs, there's little chunks
0:09:58 > 0:09:59of sweet razor clam itself.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04This is a complex dance of flavours and textures in there
0:10:04 > 0:10:06that I think is just beautiful.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08The salmon with the caviar in the middle
0:10:08 > 0:10:11and the beetroot colouring is really delicious.
0:10:11 > 0:10:16In fact, I enjoyed the flavour of it more than the razor clam, and I love razor clam.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19But I wouldn't mind eating them both on the same plate, together.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21This is a complete waste of a razor clam, as far as I'm concerned.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25One of the beautiful things about fresh fish is the taste of the fish.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28All I can taste here is the citrus flavour.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30And I think the salmon, Prue, I don't agree with you.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I just don't understand the relationship between the salmon
0:10:33 > 0:10:38and the razor clam. It's just two pieces of fish on a plate that are passing by in the sea.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43Oliver, you've just obviously had a taste-bud bypass.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48There are flaws in the dish, but to be so relentlessly negative seems to me to absolutely miss the point.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50This is a very assured piece of cooking.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Is it a dish which should go through to the final feast?
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Not in its current form, certainly,
0:10:55 > 0:10:59cos I think the two elements need to be somehow brought into relationship with one another much more closely.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03And I have seldom seen anything as exquisite
0:11:03 > 0:11:07as that little line-up of things in there. They were beautiful.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11- If only we had to do was eat with our eyes, that dish would have been a winner.- Exactly.
0:11:13 > 0:11:15So, top marks for Aiden's presentation,
0:11:15 > 0:11:17but mixed reviews for taste.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Will Simon's fish course be able to bring it all together?
0:11:21 > 0:11:25Simon's intent on making a feast of flavour -
0:11:25 > 0:11:27lobster infused with lobster stock gel,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30paired with apple, beetroot and the unusual cuckoo flower paste.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Last time, Simon's execution let him down,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36resulting in his lowest score of the week.
0:11:36 > 0:11:40The worry is making sure it's damn better than the last time,
0:11:40 > 0:11:42so I've just got to concentrate and make sure that happens.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47After faltering on the starter, and now facing the pressure to perfect his fish course,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Simon's lost track of time.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53- What's happened, mate?- I've really got to get this- BLEEP- lobster in.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57But, keeping his head, Simon plates up just in time,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59with the lobster cooked to perfection.
0:11:59 > 0:12:04- What will the judges make of the unusual cuckoo flower it's served with?- OK.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Can Simon improve on his previous attempt?
0:12:10 > 0:12:13A good result here could help put his menu in pole position.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Lovely smell emanating from this dish.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Mmm, lobster and beetroot. Yum.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28There's a sort of apple jelly, there.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32The thing I love most about this dish is the fact that
0:12:32 > 0:12:37each single ingredient has really got a great flavour to it.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40The lobster is very delicate. I think it's a very interesting dish.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43I have never had lobster and apple together.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46It's beautiful, isn't it? It's going to be a classic flavour.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49This chef has obviously, really obviously,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52thought a lot about the flavours involved in this dish.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55And that's what I like about the cooking, here.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58I like the fact that it's a little journey on your palate.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02I think the green stuff is seriously disgusting.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06It's very bitter. I don't like it at all.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07Ah, cuckoo flower.
0:13:08 > 0:13:13- We need to lose cuckoo flower. - Too cuckoo for you, is it? - It's completely cuckoo.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18I don't mind it being cuckoo, I just mind it being horrible.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Simon's lobster and apple had rave reviews,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24but the unusual cuckoo flower may have let him down,
0:13:24 > 0:13:28leaving it very close between the chefs as they head into the main course.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Aiden's a great chef. We've been neck and neck.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Will it be Aiden's, will it be mine? We'll see.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36I think we both want it as bad as each other.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41I really do have a fight on my hands at this stage of the game, cos he's going to cook an absolute blinder.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47It's make or break time.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49The main course.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Another close call which Simon pipped to the post with a nine.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Simon? Main course, mate. How you feeling about it?
0:13:56 > 0:13:59Two of my stronger dishes now, the main course and dessert.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02Obviously, Marcus really liked it.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Simon's up first with his slow-cooked rare breed suckling pig,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08served with clamped vegetables picked in their prime
0:14:08 > 0:14:10and stored underground.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14It's an incredibly daring move to cook and serve his ingredients so simply.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18But Simon is confident the flavours will speak for themselves.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Can I have a little nibble at this pork?
0:14:26 > 0:14:28- It's lovely, isn't it, the pork? - Absolutely stunning, Simon.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Is definitely right up there, this stuff.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33That pork was just melt-in-your-mouth, stunning.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36One of the best flavoured porks I've ever tasted.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39By no stretch of the imagination do I think this competition is over.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43You know, I know this is going to go right down to the wire.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Happy with that?
0:14:50 > 0:14:55Will such a simple dish be deemed banquet-worthy by the judges?
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Ooh! The perfume of pork coming off that!
0:15:02 > 0:15:06That's a nice piece of suckling pig or something, isn't it?
0:15:06 > 0:15:10- Mmm!- The pork is absolutely delicious.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15I think few people coming to an event like this will ever have tasted pork that good.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19It's got a wonderful, meaty note, really running in deep, really deep.
0:15:20 > 0:15:25The vegetables are really, really, really well-flavoured vegetables.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29I just couldn't bear to throw this out, it's so lovely.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31But, this is just roast pork and veg.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36Vintage vegetables, created by using an ancient preservation technique called clamping...
0:15:36 > 0:15:39- Oh, they're clamped! - ..where the veg is buried in sand.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It raises an interesting question.
0:15:41 > 0:15:46This seems to fulfil a perfect brief of food from yesteryear, not food from tomorrow.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49If we get flavour by going back to old-fashioned techniques,
0:15:49 > 0:15:53why can't that be part of the future? It should be part of the future.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Prue, I've nothing against worshipping the past, but it has no place, frankly, on this menu.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Matthew, Matthew, Matthew.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04Come on, top-class level of skill going on here.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07I would love to see this piggy trotting into the final banquet.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11It is an Olympian piece of piggy.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Perfect pork wasn't enough to satisfy Matthew,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20so will Aiden's more technical dish give him a chance to overtake?
0:16:21 > 0:16:24He's taking classic ingredients - veal, ham and peas - to a new level,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27using molecular spherification,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31a risky move that involves controlled jellification of a liquid,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34forming spheres when submerged in a bath of sodium alginate.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41- Are you still doing the spherification?- I'm doing the peas, I'm not doing the ham.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43I couldn't master it, and I'd rather not do it.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47I was going to ask you for some help, cos you're a bit of a master at the old,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49at these techniques, aren't you?
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Yeah, I was going to offer, but I need all the help I can get.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55No, but I'm going to put the diced ham fat in there.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57It's not too dissimilar a texture, anyway.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05Marcus told me that I really need to be disciplined with this dish, cos it is a very simple combination.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09I've got to make sure I get it absolutely spot on.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14It's a gamble Aiden's hoping will impress the judges, but will it be enough to beat the competition?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Right, gents.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Quite quickly, cos it'll go cold, as well.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Will the judges think Aiden's advance on classic ham and peas
0:17:26 > 0:17:29grand enough to take centre stage at the banquet?
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Oh, there's a lovely smell coming from this, again.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I think this is veal fillet.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40- I mean, that's larded.- Delicious. - Because the fat is actually threaded through the meat. Amazing.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44- How often do you taste veal that good?- Almost never.- Right.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47There is... The flavour of the veal is just extraordinary.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49There's a bit of black truffle in there,
0:17:49 > 0:17:53air-dried ham, little bits of fat, peas.
0:17:53 > 0:17:58- What is that?- It's pea puree, isn't it? Made into little balls. - Let's have a look.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00"The pea puree is made into spheres
0:18:00 > 0:18:03"using a molecular technique called spherification."
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Spherification, right.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09I can't help feeling that chef may have bunged in a bit of spherification
0:18:09 > 0:18:11in order to bring his dish up to speed.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15I think it's actually... To me, it's the fat which is a real revelation.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18I would never, ever have thought these little, tiny, little squares
0:18:18 > 0:18:21would add so much, both in terms of texture...
0:18:21 > 0:18:22almost like jelly.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26I'm fascinated to know, Matthew, if you think this is cutting edge cooking,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28compared to the pork dish.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30I think it is MORE cutting edge, yes.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34This is a future-looking dish, and I think the last one was a celebration of the past.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39This is based on old-fashioned techniques. They need bringing back.
0:18:39 > 0:18:43And I think that they can be part of the future, just as I thought the previous dish could.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45- Well, I give in.- Good.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49So, all in favour of Aiden's main.
0:18:49 > 0:18:54It's still a close-run race, the fate of which rests entirely on their desserts.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59Aiden's going all-out for a grand finale,
0:18:59 > 0:19:02recreating his olive oil cake, candied celery
0:19:02 > 0:19:05and orange cannelloni filled with cardamom ice cream.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07It scored well with Marcus,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10but with so many unusual flavours,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- this could easily be hit or miss. - They're either going to love this or hate it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19Yeah. Quite marmalade-y, isn't it? Quite tart.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Some of them might like it, some of them might hate it, so it really might throw them off,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26and it might upset them a little bit, but it's a risk I was willing to take.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Aiden's turned classic savoury flavours on their head
0:19:30 > 0:19:32by using them in a dessert.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Is it pushing boundaries or overstepping the mark?
0:19:35 > 0:19:36OK, gents.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Will Aiden's flavour-filled masterpiece be worthy of a gold medal?
0:19:49 > 0:19:53There's a sort of air of Zen-like tranquillity about this dish.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55It's a very pleasing-looking number, this.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58And there's cake. I do like a bit of cake.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02- It's like a brandy snap. - With ice cream.- Yeah.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07There is a fabulous command of technique, here.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10Little bit of crunch, little bit of softness, and the ice cream.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13The orange jelly, the cake underneath, which I think has got almond in it,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16it's just really, you know, bloody brilliant.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20It's a very, very happy combination of flavours, I think.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24- I love the slight spiciness of the cardamom-flavoured ice cream. - Mmm.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28I think the jelly on top of the cake is a little bit of genius.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32I love the relationship, as well, between flavour and colour.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37The flavours carry through with those colours, so you get this whole sensory perception going on,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39where you've got beautiful colours, beautiful flavours.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Yeah, a very lovely pudding.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45I don't think I've seen a pudding exactly like this before, or anywhere close to it,
0:20:45 > 0:20:46and that's what makes it really radical.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51But this is a big party. Is this bold enough to make an impression?
0:20:51 > 0:20:54I'd be very, very happy to see that on the final banquet.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57- I'm going to make a suggestion, here, now.- What's that?
0:20:57 > 0:20:59I think we have a nailbiter on our hands.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Another full house from the judges,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04unsurpassed results, that Simon will do everything to top.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10He steps up with a cutting-edge dish, bringing together rare British ingredients,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13and high-tech cooking methods.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16A unique combination of rosehip and pear, with sweet cheese ice cream
0:21:16 > 0:21:20and herb-scented snow made with liquid nitrogen.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26He lost points from Marcus for mistakes that he's determined he won't repeat.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30This is a dish that I'm feeling very happy about.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33- It's looking good.- Is it? - It's looking very good.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38You getting me nervous now, yeah?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Marcus told Simon that it's a potential ten out of ten dessert.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45He said it was one of the best desserts he's ever tasted, if he gets it right.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50If he delivers that dessert, that could totally knock me off my pedestal.
0:21:52 > 0:21:57- OK. Go.- Finish on a high, mate. - Yeah.- Well done.- Yeah, that was a bit better than yesterday.
0:21:57 > 0:22:02Will Simon's radical dessert nail his hopes of Olympic glory,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04or leave the judges cold?
0:22:07 > 0:22:09I thought it looked like a little snowfall.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14I think this is so light, and so clean, and so fresh.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- Soft, velvety cream.- I love this.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I don't know what I'm eating. It's wonderful.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24It says, "The rosehips were foraged at altitude for purity of flavour."
0:22:24 > 0:22:29And it is a wonderful, pure, clean...
0:22:29 > 0:22:34- Fabulous.- A sort of, almost apple-y flavour, isn't it?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- This is a very unusual thing. I've never had anything like this before. - No, me neither.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42And, you know, absolutely, this is the type of thing we're looking for, where you have that experience.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45We have to be worried, we are agreeing with each other...
0:22:45 > 0:22:48MATTHEW LAUGHS ..Rather a lot.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52When you're faced with something that is, you know, as good as that, what else, you know?
0:22:52 > 0:22:56- So perfect. So perfect. - Even someone as grumpy as Oliver is bound to be swayed.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00There is no doubt that in our long tenure in these seats
0:23:00 > 0:23:04that we've ever had a day where we've had two better puddings.
0:23:04 > 0:23:10- This has been a battle royal, today. - This is what we asked them to do, which is something different.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Menus complete, the chefs now have an anxious wait for the verdict.
0:23:16 > 0:23:20It's hard, sitting on this side waiting to know what the result is.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Fingers crossed, the judges think my food's better than his. Simple as that.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27They've embodied all their creative spirit into their menus,
0:23:27 > 0:23:31but only one of them can go forward to the final.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Walking into the judging chamber for the first time, feeling pretty nervous.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43It's showtime as the judges find out which dishes belong to those all-important menus,
0:23:43 > 0:23:45still not knowing which chef is A or B.
0:23:45 > 0:23:51If you look at the level of detail in these menus, it is just extraordinary.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56One menu has a sequence of dishes, has a sort of neat precision, visual precision about them.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- And the other looks more casual and...- A bit looser, bit more informal.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Aiden's celebrated classic flavours,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04but pushed them to Olympian levels
0:24:04 > 0:24:06through his innovation and skill,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08while Simon's showcased
0:24:08 > 0:24:10rare British ingredients
0:24:10 > 0:24:12in a trailblazing mix of
0:24:12 > 0:24:13ancient and cutting-edge techniques.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17The judges must decide which menu is the winner,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20without knowing the chef.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- Oliver, have you made up your mind? - Yes, I have.- Prue, have you made up your mind?
0:24:24 > 0:24:26Right, I have made up my mind.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I think we'd better get onto the hard part, and call in the chefs.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- Good luck.- And you, man.- Seriously. - Yeah, best of luck.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36For Aiden and Simon, the long week is finally over.
0:24:36 > 0:24:42For one chef it will be all worth it as they move into the final. For the other, it's game over.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Aiden and Simon, welcome to the judges' chamber.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51You have treated us to an absolutely bravura display of cooking.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55I don't think we've ever done this before, but I think a round of applause is in order,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- don't you think?- Absolutely! - APPLAUSE
0:24:58 > 0:25:00However, as you know, this is a competition.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04It's not about individual courses, it's about individual menus.
0:25:06 > 0:25:10- Now, Prue, have you made up your mind?- I have. It's menu A.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14- Oliver?- Yes, Matthew, it is menu A.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Well, I disagree with you both, because I've gone for menu B.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26However, we don't know who actually cooked menu A,
0:25:26 > 0:25:31so if you pass me the card, I'll put us all out of our misery.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40So, the chef going through to represent the North West
0:25:40 > 0:25:44in the final of the Great British Menu is...
0:25:53 > 0:25:56..Simon Rogan.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Simon, congratulations!
0:25:59 > 0:26:03- Congratulations.- Well done, mate. I'm a little bit shocked, actually, Matthew.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06I've had a bit of a tough day. Well, it makes me very, very happy.
0:26:06 > 0:26:12Very sorry for Aidan, because he's cooked his socks off, and his food was brilliant.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14The brief might have been written for your style of cooking.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19I think the three of us were absolutely knocked out by your first course.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22It was just astonishing.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26It couldn't have said more clearly foraging, freshness, country, all that stuff,
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and yet I know that it took hours.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30I thought the suckling pig was great.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36The vegetables, the whole tone of the dish was really, for me, just modern and confident.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37It was a cornerstone, for me.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40- And can I tell you about my one little complaint?- Yes, go on.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44I'm dying to get it off my chest. The cuckoo flower. The lobster dish was delicious without it.
0:26:44 > 0:26:50I want to talk about Aiden's menu, cos that's the one I voted for. That wonderful foie gras dish.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54The razor clam I thought was absolutely outstanding.
0:26:54 > 0:27:00- You then came back with that absolutely phenomenal veal dish. - Aiden, how do you feel?
0:27:00 > 0:27:05Just the third time here, and third time going home, you know? It's quite sad.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09I think both of you have done an amazing job, and so you have to go away very proud.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Thank you both very, very much indeed. Simon, many congratulations.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Look forward to you very much in the next round.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22Aiden, it breaks my heart, really, to have to send you away, because it was nip and tuck all the way.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26See you at the final, Simon, and Aiden, see you again soon, I hope.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- It's been a pleasure.- Thank you. - Take care.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33CHEERING
0:27:33 > 0:27:36All the best, mate. Well done.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39I'm really gutted. But it's just... it is hard to take, you know?
0:27:39 > 0:27:45But, I'm very, very happy for Simon. Because, credit where credit's due, he is an absolute genius.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49It's a competition, one of us had to go through, and, blimey, it's me. I can't believe it.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53I've got that one step closer, now.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55I'm going to be giving it my all to get to that banquet,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58and giving the people attending the food that they deserve.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Next week, three culinary heavyweights from London and the South East
0:28:02 > 0:28:04are on a collision course.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Is this a tactic, this smoke screen there between us?
0:28:07 > 0:28:10With five Michelin stars between them...
0:28:10 > 0:28:12I guess I'm a big cheese. I remember judging you, Marcus.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16I'm not really intimidated with Phil's reputation.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18..it's a fierce fight for victory.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22I'm going to win the competition, because I'm going to cook immaculate food,
0:28:22 > 0:28:23and that's what matters.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25You know it's the dessert course, yeah?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28- Yeah, I know.- That's why the olives are there, it's obviously a dessert.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31BLEEP BLEEP
0:28:49 > 0:28:53Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd