0:00:03 > 0:00:04HE COUGHS
0:00:04 > 0:00:06Is this a tactic, this smokescreen between us?
0:00:06 > 0:00:11Three of London and the Southeast's most celebrated chefs enter the fray
0:00:11 > 0:00:16for the chance to cook at a breathtaking Olympic feast.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19Yesterday, culinary heavyweight Phil Howard
0:00:19 > 0:00:24bulldozed into the kitchen in a bid to scare his rivals.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26I remember judging you, Marcus.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28I'm not intimidated with Phil's reputation.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Go-getter Marcus McGuinness's radical style of cooking came under fire...
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Sounds like a random bunch of ingredients.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40..and Graham Garrett failed to get off to an Olympic start...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42In the last-minute stages of panic.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44..with the lowest score of the day.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Quietly, when Graham gets a seven, I think, "Result."
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Tonight it's the fish course. It's crucial Graham makes a comeback.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55I want to end today in front of the others. That's what I intend to do.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59But his triumph is threatened by an octopus disaster.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01BLEEP
0:01:13 > 0:01:15In this Olympic year,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19our chefs are pushing themselves to their physical and mental limits.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Goodbye, Mr Nice Guy. Come on.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Taking inspiration from Olympian legends past and present...
0:01:26 > 0:01:27Good.
0:01:27 > 0:01:33..in a bid to create ground-breaking food worthy of our world-class athletes.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Woo-hoo!
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Judging them is an accomplished veteran of the competition.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Renowned for his award-winning cuisine,
0:01:43 > 0:01:46he'll accept nothing short of Olympic excellence.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48It's Jason Atherton.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52I want those judges to make sure that dish goes to the Olympic banquet.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56It's not only my reputation, it's the reputation of London and the Southeast.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01After yesterday's close scoring the pressure is immense,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04especially for Graham, who's desperate to make up points.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08- Reckon you're going to catch up today?- I hope so.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12- You two are out there, aren't you? - Not by much.- A point, so you know...
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Plenty of scope for leapfrogging, overtaking.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17I'm glad you think so. It's what I'm hoping.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26First up is Phil Howard, an intimidating culinary force
0:02:26 > 0:02:29with decades of two-Michelin-starred cooking under his belt.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33He's adamant he can transform his classical approach to honest food
0:02:33 > 0:02:36into culinary gold.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40If I pull this out the bag, I have an opportunity to take something modest and make it special.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I've got the edge on this course.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43You're up first, Phil.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47Yeah, I've got plenty to do. I'll see you in there.
0:02:47 > 0:02:48- Good luck, Phil.- Thank you.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53- Hi, Phil.- Here we go.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56You want to tell me what you've got and the name of your dish?
0:02:56 > 0:03:00A tasting of mackerel with oysters, mussels and winkles.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03I think very few people would argue with the fact that a mackerel
0:03:03 > 0:03:08is one of our country's greatest, most abundant and cheapest ingredients.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11- I see horseradish here.- Horseradish is a lovely seasoning to go with.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14One thing we're doing with the mackerel
0:03:14 > 0:03:17is to hot-smoke it, so it's smoked and cooked at the same time.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Season with creme fraiche, celery, salt, horseradish, capers,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24and make a quick mackerel pate.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- We're making smoked mackerel veloute.- You've got a lot to do. - Loads to do.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30What about this dish do you think is innovative?
0:03:30 > 0:03:34We've got gelling agent to make a very thin sheet of jelly
0:03:34 > 0:03:38with the oyster juice to encase the mackerel tartare
0:03:38 > 0:03:41but it's the sheer quality of the dish that you haven't seen before.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Phil's out to elevate the humble mackerel
0:03:44 > 0:03:47with four different cooking methods.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50It's a demanding dish, relying on high-calibre ingredients.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53But has he stretched himself enough for this year's brief?
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Phil's doing a lot of things with the mackerel.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59He's doing a veloute, a pate and a tartare.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02I want to know that Phil's maxed out his inventiveness.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I don't want another two-star dish that looks like it belongs in a restaurant.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07I want to see Phil push himself.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Next up is Michelin-starred young-blood Marcus McGuinness,
0:04:11 > 0:04:16whose no-holds-barred approach to flavour combinations bagged him joint first yesterday,
0:04:16 > 0:04:19something he hopes to build on today.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Jason said that, for the starters, I hit the brief
0:04:22 > 0:04:26and, if I carry on, then hopefully that might push me ahead.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32- So, Marcus, name of the dish? - Pollock, peas, coconut in elderflower.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Looks more complicated than that. A lot of ingredients going on. Run me through the dish.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39A lovely piece of pollock. I'm going to poach it
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and serve it with pea drops and coconut jelly.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46I'm going to make a stock then infuse that with kombu seaweed,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49it just brings a lovely savouriness.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52I'm going to infuse that with some dried elderflowers,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55- an English forage ingredient. - Flowers here?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58I've got some begonia flowers, really acidic.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Some forage salad, so I've got chicory, bittercress, sorrel.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06What component will knock my socks off to say this dish has to go to the banquet?
0:05:06 > 0:05:08The flavours and how they play together.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Hopefully you'll get a beautiful, balanced dish again
0:05:11 > 0:05:15with the peas, the coconut, the elderflower on a level pegging.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17A lovely, light, floral dish to eat.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19Marcus is going all out
0:05:19 > 0:05:22with another revolutionary combination of flavours.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27pollock, peas and elderflower with a Japanese-inspired fish broth
0:05:27 > 0:05:32and fashionable foraged herbs. But has he gone too far?
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Marcus has a box of ingredients that are pretty random.
0:05:36 > 0:05:41Coconut, elderflower, elderberry, pollock, bonito, kombu.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43The list goes on and on and on.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47In the wrong hands, it could be an absolute disaster.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Completing the Michelin-starred line-up is Graham Garrett,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56determined to defend his corner and come back with a winning dish.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58I've got to get that Olympic spirit in my cooking.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01That's what I need to do to win this to get to that banquet.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- Hi, Graham.- Hi, Jason. - Are you ready to go?
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- Ready to go, make my point up. - Good. Run me through the dish.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15It's a salad. It's octopus with blood orange, feta, and black olive salt.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- Tell me what you're doing with him. - I'm going to take the tentacles off,
0:06:18 > 0:06:20cook them in a water-bath, pan-fry them.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Confident it won't be tough? - No, it won't be tough.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Lots of little leaves there.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30Got some micro-watercress, nice and peppery. Interesting salad, different elements to it.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33- A little dice of feta cheese. - Nice and salty.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Then dehydrate some black olives
0:06:36 > 0:06:38which I'm going to whizz up with some salt.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40What's the inspiration?
0:06:40 > 0:06:44I started looking towards ancient Greece when I saw the Olympic thing.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Those ingredients to me sound Greek, Mediterranean, and that was the starting point.
0:06:48 > 0:06:54- What's ground-breaking about it? - I'm going to make a crispy tuile garnish using fish ink.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58That and the black olive salt are the two elements that hopefully will lift the dish.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Graham's channelling the Olympics of old
0:07:01 > 0:07:03with a Greek-inspired salad using octopus,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07a delicacy of the sea not often seen on Great British Menu.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Is this a risky move? Has he pushed himself enough to fulfil the brief?
0:07:12 > 0:07:13Graham is doing octopus.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17I'm quite excited by it but at the same time I'm very apprehensive.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20This is a tough ingredient to get right.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23If he doesn't cook it properly, it can go like leather.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27If he gets it right, it could be a magical, magical ingredient.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38The starter pistol's been fired and the hard graft begins.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Graham gets to grips with his octopus.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Phil fillets his mackerel and Marcus starts work on his pollock.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49With five Michelin stars between them, Jason's expecting great things.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It's the fish course today.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54This is the day they need to start making their move.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57I want to see a ten or nine dish at the very least. Each chef's capable of doing that.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00All three chefs are out to impress
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and Phil wastes no time in smoking out the competition
0:08:03 > 0:08:05with mackerel for his pate.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09- Is this a tactic, this smokescreen between us?- Yeah.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- I'm just sending my sous-chef a message!- Do you smoke your own fish?
0:08:12 > 0:08:15- We do actually.- I take it you've got good extraction at the restaurant.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Yeah, very good extraction.
0:08:17 > 0:08:18HE COUGHS
0:08:18 > 0:08:22When you're smoking anything, the smoke is a very intense flavour
0:08:22 > 0:08:27so if you go too far on the smoke, I equate it to licking the fireplace.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- Phil, a bit of smoking going on there.- Yeah, yeah.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Has this stretched you as a chef?
0:08:33 > 0:08:37Yeah. I've got four components to nail in not much time.
0:08:37 > 0:08:41A dish that packs a punch with subtle flavours is not easy. You've got to get everything right.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47How is Phil going to make something that packs a punch,
0:08:47 > 0:08:51and tastes subtle like the tartare? How is he going to marry those together?
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Marcus is making a jelly using toasted desiccated coconut
0:08:58 > 0:09:02and coconut milk, just one of the unusual flavours in his dish.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Marcus's combination is a challenging one for me.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07He's got kombu, so he's dipped into Japan,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09coconut, which is kind of tropical.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11There's a real mixed bag.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14When I first heard what he's cooking,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17my initial reaction was, "Why would you do that?"
0:09:17 > 0:09:20I think a few people won't get it.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22That's fine. That happens with all food.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25As long as the majority get it, that will make me very happy.
0:09:25 > 0:09:30Graham is keen to prove he can deliver ground-breaking food.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33He's making a cuttlefish in tuile, one of the new techniques
0:09:33 > 0:09:37he's relying on to ensure his octopus salad hits the brief.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38But will it impress Jason?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Explain to me what's in that mixture.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Cuttlefish ink, water, isomalt and Crisp Film.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48- And all that achieves what? - A really fine, brittle crisp.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Where it's dehydrated obviously exaggerates the flavour of the cuttlefish ink and the saltiness,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55along with the black olive salt as a seasoning.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57Mind if I taste it?
0:09:57 > 0:10:01- This is just dehydrated...? - Dehydrated olives and sea salt.
0:10:03 > 0:10:08Graham is talking up the tuile. He's telling me it's ground-breaking.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10I'm a bit more dubious. He needs to prove to me
0:10:10 > 0:10:14that this tuile will be the star part of the dish.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18So Jason has serious doubts about Graham's cuttlefish ink innovation.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22Rival Marcus is hoping his radical flavour combinations
0:10:22 > 0:10:24will be on the money.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28He's made his molecular pea drops and is on to his complex fish stock,
0:10:28 > 0:10:31but is that what Jason's looking for?
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- Is this your fish glaze?- Yes.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- You've reduced it over the pollock bones, right?- Yes, I've made...
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Have you crushed the pollock bones?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42No, just passed it through the sieve really quite strongly.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47It's a nice, tasty fish stock. I'll infuse it with the kombu seaweed.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Then it's infused with bonito,
0:10:51 > 0:10:54and then for the last time it's infused with elderflower.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57He's made a fish stock with lots of strong flavours.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01It was very powerful. It was everything I was hoping it wasn't going to be.
0:11:01 > 0:11:06All I could taste was dehydrated elderflower. I think this could kill the dish.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Marcus's overpowering fish stock has bombed with Jason.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Will he be able to recover?
0:11:15 > 0:11:18A trailblazer on the London restaurant scene,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Marcus is always on the lookout for fresh culinary inspiration
0:11:21 > 0:11:25and can often be found scouring West London parks for wild ingredients.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I'd like to think the judges will be quite impressed
0:11:28 > 0:11:32with some foraged ingredients, especially because it's from an urban setting.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37The competition is all about the Olympics in London so hopefully it will be quite fitting.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42But to really give himself the edge, he wanted to discover something totally unique,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46so enlisted the help of expert forager Yun Hider.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48- Good morning.- Hi.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51First up, his local park, Wormwood Scrubs.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54- I gather it's your stomping ground. You live locally.- I do live locally.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56I come here often for a little forage.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00They may be only a stone's throw away from a busy road,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04but Yun is confident they'll find hidden edible treasures.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Around here, I reckon we're going to find
0:12:06 > 0:12:09at least three or four interesting, tasty plants.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12It's not long before something catches his eye.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14How about this? Cleavers.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Nice little stem of it here. Lovely plant.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23Yun has a novel way of identifying this wild treat.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Absolutely clear as day. Look at that. Sticky Jack.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Cleavers have that really nice, fresh pea flavour,
0:12:31 > 0:12:35so I think this will go really well with the pea and coconut in the dish.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37- I'm really pleased.- Excellent.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Having exhausted the park,
0:12:42 > 0:12:46they head out of town in their search for unusual ingredients.
0:12:49 > 0:12:54- We've found some water, so if we find water, bittercress.- Fantastic.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59And yes, here it is.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03- Try some of that.- Thank you.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09That's really good. That lovely pepperiness.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14That's going to go really well, give the dish a bit more lift. Really pleased.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19Marcus wants to find something that will really give him the edge.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I'm hoping to find some wood sorrel.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I hope we find some because that lemony freshness you get from it
0:13:25 > 0:13:27will work really well with the pollock dish.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I'd hoped to find it and we have.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Hopefully you'll like this.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Oh, that's fantastic. That really sharp, lemony kick.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46- That'll go fantastically well. - Good to hear, mate. Lovely.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49There's absolutely no doubt that with these wild ingredients,
0:13:49 > 0:13:54stuff found from places like this and in nature, you can't go wrong.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57We've had some peppery stuff, some acidic stuff,
0:13:57 > 0:14:01so it's going to give the dish some different elements, a bit of a lift, more character.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Hopefully the judges will be really impressed.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15All three chefs are at full pelt in their effort to deliver an Olympian fish course.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Marcus has prepared his pollock for poaching in the water-bath
0:14:21 > 0:14:24and is now picking his wild herbs.
0:14:24 > 0:14:30You think foraging is the way forward or is it just this year's trend?
0:14:30 > 0:14:34It's very, very rewarding. It brings a lot of yourself.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38You've gone out, prepped it, put it on a plate. You can't get much more personal than that.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43There is a tendency at the moment, like with everything,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45things become fashionable and trendy,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48therefore everybody chucks loads of foraged gear at the plate.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52But it's Jason Marcus has to impress and he's eager to find out
0:14:52 > 0:14:55if the foraged herbs bring anything to the dish.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57- Marcus, going to plan? - So far, so good.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01- With these leaves, do you mind if I taste a little flower?- Please do.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07What is this actually adding to the dish, do you think?
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Well, you get the texture, the freshness.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Chicory tastes like raw peas. Just emphasising the pea flavour.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15I've got nothing against foraged goods, I use them myself.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19I just don't like people playing on them too much.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21They only add things to a dish if they really work.
0:15:21 > 0:15:27So Marcus's foraged herbs could be more yesterday's news than cutting-edge cuisine.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Phil's juggling the numerous elements of his complex mackerel dish.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34He's made his mackerel tartare and, in a bid to deliver on innovation,
0:15:34 > 0:15:40he's experimenting with an unusual jelly, which is unsettling rival Graham.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44- What have you gelled it with?- It's elastic, very similar to Vege-Gel.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47- Do you think the jelly is your secret weapon on this one?- No.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52It is a part of the brief but I would be feeling a bit insecure if it was a secret weapon.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Hopefully it will play a part in keeping Jason happy
0:15:54 > 0:15:57that I've stretched myself and fulfilled the brief.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Is Phil's oyster jelly awe-inspiring enough?
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Has he intimidated his opponents?
0:16:03 > 0:16:07On its own, a mackerel tartare is a classic thing. It's not ground-breaking.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Making the jelly in a different way and wrapping it in jelly,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14that takes it to another dimension.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16So is that enough for Jason? I don't know.
0:16:16 > 0:16:21Graham is first to plate up but there's concern over his dish.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Octopus is a brave choice. It can be quite difficult to get right.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27It can be rubbery.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31As he checks on his tricky octopus, which has been poaching in the water-bath,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34it results in catastrophe.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36BLEEP! BLEEP!
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Can he salvage his dish or is it dead in the water?
0:16:44 > 0:16:49I'm cooking in the water-bath and as I'm taking it out of the bath, the bag's burst.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53I'll admit my heart was in my mouth at that moment. I panicked.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Fortunately for Graham, he's got a back-up which is still intact,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00but he can't afford any more setbacks.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- Graham, is your octopus OK? - Yes, mate, luckily.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10With time running out, Graham pan-fries the water-bathed tentacles
0:17:10 > 0:17:13and can only hope that his octopus is cooked to perfection.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18He plates slices of octopus together with blood orange segments,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21beetroot, feta, micro watercress and chard
0:17:21 > 0:17:25before finishing with a line of black olive salt
0:17:25 > 0:17:28and those all-important shards of cuttlefish ink tuile.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31There you go, Jason.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- Graham, are you happy? - Yes, I'm happy with the dish.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Where's the innovation? What's "wow" about this dish?
0:17:40 > 0:17:44When you eat the combination of the octopus with the cheese
0:17:44 > 0:17:47and then the salt, then you get this nice little crisp ink thing.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51It's just the combination of everything together taking it to another level.
0:17:51 > 0:17:52OK.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Graham's banking on perfectly-cooked octopus,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56a technical cuttlefish ink tuile
0:17:56 > 0:18:00and inventive olive salt to make his Greek-inspired salad stand out.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02But has he done enough?
0:18:02 > 0:18:05- Feeling confident? - Yeah, I'm feeling pretty good now.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07It's a salad. I want it to look colourful and vibrant
0:18:07 > 0:18:10and I think I've achieved that.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14- Are you happy with the texture of the octopus?- Yeah, definitely.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19I love the flavours. Everything goes together very well.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20The octopus is well cooked.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24And the feta, what do you feel that brings to the dish?
0:18:24 > 0:18:26A creamy element, slightly salty,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29and maybe a slightly acidic thing going on with the sweetness.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Again, it's a kind of balancing act.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I think if you were to eat the whole thing,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38actually, the flavour you'd have is probably cheese.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41Not only is it cheesy but it becomes quite salty too.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46I quizzed you a lot in the kitchen about the tuile. What do you think that adds to the dish?
0:18:46 > 0:18:49It's got a nice, crisp texture
0:18:49 > 0:18:51and the ink has a strong saltiness to it and...
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- Too salty?- I don't think so.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58- You can actually taste the fishiness, the ink in it. - Going onto the black sea salt.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01It's a flavoured salt and I think the black olive definitely works.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05I think he has brought innovation in there.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07He's got his tuile, he's got his olive salt,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- but I do think the finesse has let him down on this one. - I think so, too.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14I think seven will be the upper boundary, probably, of his mark.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16It's an Olympic feast.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20Why do you think this dish deserves to be at that banquet?
0:19:20 > 0:19:24I think it tastes great, for one. It looks really good.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Light and salady for me works ideal.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Right, it don't get any easier, does it? You can't read him.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35You don't know what he's thinking. I liked the dish.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37It looks colourful. It's what I was trying to achieve.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43Next to the pass is Marcus with his far-out mix of ingredients.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47He plates his coconut jelly, elderberries
0:19:47 > 0:19:51and spherified pea drops before adding flakes of poached pollock,
0:19:51 > 0:19:54followed by the wild foraged herbs.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Finally he pours that pungent, elderflower-infused fish stock into separate jugs.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- Happy?- I'm happy with everything on there.- Phil, what do you think?
0:20:07 > 0:20:10It's very hard to know. It's absolutely up-to-date, inventive.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15The techniques are there, it's certainly out there on flavour combinations and it looks great.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16It's down to the taste.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Is Marcus's radical combination of flavours
0:20:20 > 0:20:23a stroke of genius or a step too far?
0:20:23 > 0:20:28- A little bit in between a soup and a salad really.- Exactly, exactly.- OK.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34The texture of the fish, would you change that? Would you not poach it?
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- Are you happy? - That's the texture I want.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39I know there's a lot of flavours going on
0:20:39 > 0:20:41but they're subtle flavours, most of them.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45If I started roasting the fish, it's going to change the balance.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Trying very hard to be something.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50It is lovely because it's immaculately cooked.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53The skill factor in the dish, there's no doubting that.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57- Do you think the stock came up too powerful?- I don't think so.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01The fish has a good flavour. It works together just fine for me.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09- That's certainly got a kick to it. - Wow. Extraordinary.
0:21:09 > 0:21:14- Is it ground-breaking? - I think the flavour combinations,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18I personally haven't seen it before with the Japanese influences.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20I think it makes it stand out.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23A very complex dish and a very clever dish.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Not easy to produce for 100 people.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29I think almost to get to that standard is nigh on impossible.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33- As soon as it goes cold, it will die very quickly.- It already has.
0:21:33 > 0:21:38You've got coconut, pea, elderflower, wild herbs. It goes on.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41- Do you feel you've got the balance right?- I think so.
0:21:42 > 0:21:48I didn't think that was too bad. I'm pleased with what I produced today.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51I'm feeling quite confident. We'll wait and see what he has to say about it.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56The final dish under scrutiny is Phil's elaborate tasting of mackerel.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00He's now up against it with four technical components to perfect.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04He wraps the tartare in its experimental oyster jelly skin
0:22:04 > 0:22:06and pan-fries the mackerel fillet for his salad.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Phil looks like a man under pressure.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14Next, he fries the mussel tempura and tops his muffin
0:22:14 > 0:22:17with smoked mackerel pate before adding the pan-fried fillet.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20With so many last-minute elements to nail,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23the pressure finally gets to him with his veloute.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25BLEEP
0:22:27 > 0:22:31With no time to waste, he quickly clears up and it's a dash to the pass.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42- How do you feel?- Yeah, I'm happy with it.- A lot of components.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Doing this for 100 people, you'd be fine?
0:22:44 > 0:22:46It needs a few bodies but I think it's not unrealistic.
0:22:46 > 0:22:51Has Phil lifted the humble mackerel to Olympic heights
0:22:51 > 0:22:54or has he rested too heavily on his classical laurels?
0:22:54 > 0:22:58- Phil, second dish, do you feel more relaxed?- Yeah, I do.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59I knew this would stretch me
0:22:59 > 0:23:03so I'm relieved it's there in front of you and not just in my head.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- It looks absolutely stunning. - It does.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09It is very Phil, isn't it?
0:23:09 > 0:23:13That envelope of oyster jelly has delivered on the taste and texture you expected?
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Part of delivering really special food
0:23:16 > 0:23:18is about presentation and packaging
0:23:18 > 0:23:21and tartare has to be packaged in some way.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22Don't really get the jelly.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- But the tartare is lovely. - Absolutely fantastic.
0:23:27 > 0:23:30Is that going to take this to Olympic heights?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32The vast majority of people will be familiar with mackerel
0:23:32 > 0:23:35but they won't have had it smoked and in the form of veloute.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- Yes, lovely. - That's fantastic. Nice and creamy.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Are you happy with the amount of smokiness?
0:23:46 > 0:23:48I definitely didn't over-smoke it.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53- How do you think Phil's smoked mackerel turned out? - He's got it about right.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56It's a fantastic dish, everything tastes really good,
0:23:56 > 0:24:00but I don't see anything that's pushing boundaries very much.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Do you think you stretched yourself? Is this a bit more ground-breaking?
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I'm not saying it is the most ground-breaking dish,
0:24:07 > 0:24:12but I'm happy that, given the nature and modesty of the original ingredients,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14that's an impressive plate of food.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It went all right. It was a push, I have to say.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Was that dish ground-breaking? I'm happy with it.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27- I'm never going to produce plates of food as innovative as Marcus. - That's not you, is it?
0:24:27 > 0:24:32Young gun Marcus may be confident he's got the upper hand
0:24:32 > 0:24:34when it comes to breaking culinary ground,
0:24:34 > 0:24:36but it's Jason who's doing the scoring.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42So how are we feeling waiting for the scores? A bit anxious?
0:24:42 > 0:24:45More anxious than waiting for the scores on the starter, to be honest.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49We've already got one down and I'm one behind.
0:24:49 > 0:24:54Having seen your two dishes, you know, we'll see.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59In the starter, Phil and Marcus both bagged an eight.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01With Graham only one point behind on seven,
0:25:01 > 0:25:03it's still all to play for.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- Hello, chefs.- Hi, Jason.
0:25:13 > 0:25:19Graham, your octopus, blood orange, feta cheese and beetroot.
0:25:19 > 0:25:20The colours were beautiful.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24The octopus, I know you had concerns about it,
0:25:24 > 0:25:26but I felt it was executed perfectly.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Cuttlefish ink tuile, this was the bit for you that was ground-breaking.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35It did what you wanted it to do, which was add seasoning to the dish
0:25:35 > 0:25:37and it looked great and added texture,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40but to say it was ground-breaking was probably stretching it a bit.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45What I thought was more ground-breaking or more inspiring was the black olive salt.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48I kept having to go back to it to season my own food.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50I thought that was kind of cool. I liked that.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53But essentially, this was a salad
0:25:53 > 0:25:57and at this level, Graham, I've got to be perfectly honest,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- I was expecting to be stretched a bit more.- OK.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Marcus, your pollock, peas, coconut and elderflower,.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Your pollock was cooked to perfection.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11The dish looked beautiful, very modern, very bold,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13delicate at the same time.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Foraged ingredients, just gone a bit too far with the foraging now.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22If a chef talks to me about foraged ingredients, I'm going to chuck myself off a cliff.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24A lot of flavours going on.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27The kombu stock, I felt a bit too much elderflower.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36Phil, your mackerel of oysters, mussels, winkles and samphire.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39Very, very pretty dish. It came up, it was sparkling.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I loved elevating mackerel into something spectacular
0:26:42 > 0:26:45and you did that in bucket-loads.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Oyster jelly, tartare, if that does go through
0:26:48 > 0:26:52I think the judges are going to love the oyster jelly.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I've got to say, out of the two dishes you've served me,
0:26:55 > 0:26:56that's by far the best dish.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Graham, for your octopus, blood orange, feta cheese, beetroot,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06I'm giving you...
0:27:08 > 0:27:11..seven out of ten.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16Marcus, for your pollock, peas, coconut and elderflower...
0:27:19 > 0:27:21..eight out of ten. Very good dish.
0:27:22 > 0:27:28Phil, your mackerel, oysters, mussels, winkles and samphire,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I'm giving you a score...
0:27:33 > 0:27:37..of nine out of ten. Well done. A great dish. Really liked it.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Thanks for making it tough for me and see you on the meat course.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43- Thanks very much.- Cheers.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Well, there you go.
0:27:47 > 0:27:49INAUDIBLE
0:27:49 > 0:27:51Well done.
0:27:51 > 0:27:56So, after day two, Phil's pulling slightly ahead of the pack with 17.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58Marcus is clinging on to a close second with 16
0:27:58 > 0:28:01and Graham's fallen further behind on 14.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03It's still pretty close.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07It's close enough to make it a competition.
0:28:07 > 0:28:08I'm more than happy with my position.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12I'm not sure if you've seen my best yet. There's definitely more in the tank.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14Having come out top at the end of the second dish,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I now actually want to win it even more.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22Tomorrow, it's the main course and Graham's got his work cut out.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25I need those two points. I need more than two points or I'm going home.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28But when big gun Phil slips up...
0:28:28 > 0:28:30BLEEP! BLEEP!
0:28:30 > 0:28:32..will Graham steal the lead?
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd