0:00:02 > 0:00:05It's been a week of psychological battle on Great British Menu.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08You know it's a dessert course, yeah?
0:00:08 > 0:00:12I'm going to win because I'm going to cook immaculate food
0:00:12 > 0:00:13and that's what matters.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17Phil Howard, a culinary tour de force, who's held two Michelin stars
0:00:17 > 0:00:20for the last 14 years, has led from the gun.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Nine out of ten. It's a great dish.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27With Marcus McGuinness snapping at his heels.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31- It was absolutely beautiful. - And with the bar set sky high...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33BLEEP!
0:00:33 > 0:00:34..Graham Garrett took a tumble.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Well done, Phil, it's been a pleasure, mate.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Now, the judges are facing a really difficult choice.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46- That is just a beautiful thing. - The simple skill.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47This is a master at work.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Utterly delicious.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Will they favour the radically modern style of Marcus McGuinness?
0:00:54 > 0:00:57I've come all this way. I'm facing Phil Howard in the final.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58I really want to beat him.
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Or be blown away by Phil's confident, classical precision?
0:01:02 > 0:01:04It'll be a clear and outright win.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Having endured this week, there's no other option. I have to win.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11However, close the race, there can only be one winner.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14So the chef going forward is...
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Phil only beat Marcus by one point coming into this showdown
0:01:32 > 0:01:36for a coveted place in the Great British Menu final.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Feeling confident?
0:01:38 > 0:01:41I quietly felt there was a natural pecking order.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44I think the results came true to how I hoped it would come out.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48For me, it's a just very strange... Little old me
0:01:48 > 0:01:51- up against Mr Phil Howard. - That's good to hear.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55But is it time for the old master to move over?
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I've got some new and inventive flavour combinations going on,
0:01:58 > 0:02:01a few modern techniques that Phil hasn't included in his menu.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05So I think I have a very good chance of winning.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08But Phil has a great track record as a classical chef
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and he's sticking to his guns.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14If we all used liquid nitrogen and spherification, it would be incredibly boring.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18There've got to be able like me, banging different drums
0:02:18 > 0:02:19and going for a different cause.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23- Good luck, mate.- Good luck.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30The judges are demanding innovative, awe-inspiring food.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Oliver Peyton, Prue Leith and Matthew Fort
0:02:32 > 0:02:36want outstanding menus worthy of an Olympic banquet.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39One of the great things about the Olympics is that it gives
0:02:39 > 0:02:42an opportunity to showcase British food, British ingredients
0:02:42 > 0:02:44and I hope the chefs rise to the challenge.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48And as people have memories of great Olympic feats in the past,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52I want them to have great memories of this feast.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04The brief hasn't changed today but the adjudicators have
0:03:04 > 0:03:08and it's their take on the two different styles that matters now.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12So, judges - do you feel they're suited to your style?
0:03:12 > 0:03:14That we'll have to wait and see.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Obviously, they're not of a generation that was brought up
0:03:18 > 0:03:22- with this sort of style of food. - You're saying they're old like me?
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Er... Yeah, go on then.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28You're on one end of the spectrum and I'm on the other end of the spectrum.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30There's no common ground, if you will.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33If that is the case, it'll be a clear and outright win.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36- Hopefully, it'll be me, eh? - HE CHUCKLES
0:03:36 > 0:03:39It's always good to dream.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Marcus's plan to live that dream
0:03:41 > 0:03:45starts with iced lamb's liver parfait
0:03:45 > 0:03:47malt loaf and rose geranium.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49It earned him joint first place on Monday,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52despite its very modern minimalism.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55So, are you going to serve a starter-sized portion today?
0:03:55 > 0:03:59- That's a little bit harsh, my friend.- Just a question.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00Set the tone for the day, eh?!
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Amongst a range of unusual ingredients,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Marcus is using strongly flavoured lamb's liver in his parfait,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12Australian fingerling limes and malt loaf in three different ways.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Phil disapproves.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18The best place for malt loaf is about 4:15, any day of the week,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20with about half of an inch of unsalted butter on top.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22That's where it should be.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25But Marcus is also using flower power
0:04:25 > 0:04:29in the form of a groundbreaking geranium jelly.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31How's your plants? Will you make any changes to the jelly?
0:04:31 > 0:04:34- No, I was happy with the jelly, man. - I thought the jelly was great.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36I just use it in a pudding.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45Marcus lays down a base of malt-loaf paste and a rose geranium gel
0:04:45 > 0:04:46and crumbed malt loaf.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49The dish is decorated with salad leaves and, finally,
0:04:49 > 0:04:51the lamb's liver parfait.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58That way, please. Thank you very much.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00I'm confident today.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I increased the size a little bit and it should go down well.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11Will the judges think that Marcus's team of lamb's liver parfait,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14malt loaf and rose geranium reaches Olympian heights?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- That's ridiculous.- I know.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20What appears to have happened is this little quenelle
0:05:20 > 0:05:24of chicken or duck liver parfait seems to have slid down
0:05:24 > 0:05:25before coming to a stop!
0:05:25 > 0:05:28The thing that slightly annoys me about this,
0:05:28 > 0:05:32you get this tiny, little garnish of dried bread,
0:05:32 > 0:05:33when in fact you've got quite a big...
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- Lump of pate.- Yeah.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38You think, "How am I going to eat this?"
0:05:38 > 0:05:42This is almost like a compendium of all modern cooking
0:05:42 > 0:05:45from technical wizardry put on one plate.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49- Mm. - The jelly tastes like rose petals.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52All those flavours are delicious. I'm not quite sure they go together.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Anyway, let's have a look at this. Now...ah!
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- It's lamb's liver. - Lamb's liver!
0:05:57 > 0:06:02- I have never ever come across that before. - That explains why it's so powerful.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04I think it's style over content.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05There's a lack of love in the dish,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08it's more about technical prowess rather than
0:06:08 > 0:06:11expressing your joy of food and love of making people happy.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14It's like a sort of adventure for the palate.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18But I'm not really enjoying it, I'm just interested in eating it
0:06:18 > 0:06:20because it's so extraordinary.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27So Marcus's bold attempt to steal an early lead hasn't come off.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Can the seasoned campaigner Phil seize the initiative?
0:06:31 > 0:06:34His salad with goat's milk puree, pickled asparagus
0:06:34 > 0:06:38and quail's eggs came joint first with Marcus's starter in the week.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40To meet the brief, Phil gave it a few twists,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44like celeriac wrapped in gold leaf, so they looked like medals.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Anything I can do to help, Phil?
0:06:46 > 0:06:50- MARCUS LAUGHS - It's a fiddly process.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53How's a going with the gold leaf, Phil?
0:06:53 > 0:06:55They're all right.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58If you get through, my friend, are you going to get someone else to do these?
0:06:58 > 0:07:01- What was that "if"?! - MARCUS LAUGHS
0:07:01 > 0:07:05Having prepared the salad, Phil's adding another modern touch
0:07:05 > 0:07:09with a watercress bavois, which is like a savoury mousse.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12There are egg-filled pastry Olympic torches, too,
0:07:12 > 0:07:14to be served on the side.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17The main part of the salad is a medley of top-quality ingredients,
0:07:17 > 0:07:22carefully arranged to look relaxed and free form.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25There we go. Thank you.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30But the pressure of the competition has got to Phil.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32He left part of his dish in the fridge.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36I find my watercress bavois, which is irritating.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39And, yes, it's there to bring some richness,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41but it's not critical, but irritating.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43There it is...in all its glory.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- HE LAUGHS - I do feel a little bit sorry for Phil
0:07:46 > 0:07:48but if it's one of those things
0:07:48 > 0:07:52that enables me to pip him to the post, then so be it.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Will Phil's omission affect the balance of the dish?
0:07:55 > 0:07:59And is a salad with gold medallions and torches
0:07:59 > 0:08:02the innovative Olympic starter the judges are looking for?
0:08:02 > 0:08:04It's quite big for a first course.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Except it's all veg. And a little quail's egg.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11What's in the parcel, that's what I want to know?
0:08:11 > 0:08:16- It is delicious. - Oh, celeriac, or something.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I think this is really delicious.
0:08:18 > 0:08:23Very fine, crisp pastry, lovely, cold scrambled egg.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25The flavours on this dish are wonderful.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Where is the creative vision here? It's an extraordinarily dull dish.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31- That's good.- Yeah, it's fine, but it's a canape.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34You know, it's nothing special.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39I'm enjoying it very much but it isn't rocking my world.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43I think the gold leaf thing is absolutely awful.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46It's like, you know, it's a bit like bling on a salad.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49And it's to start off a banquet,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53- which is to be- the- banquet of the century and what do we get?
0:08:53 > 0:08:55An English country garden. It's not good enough!
0:08:58 > 0:09:01So Phil's underperformed with his starter
0:09:01 > 0:09:04and they are neck and neck as they go into the fish course.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07Earlier in the week, Jason felt
0:09:07 > 0:09:09there were too many foraged ingredients
0:09:09 > 0:09:10in Marcus's pollock dish
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and that the elderflower sauce was too strong.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17So, Marcus, are you going to tinker with your the fish dish,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19based on what Jason had to say?
0:09:19 > 0:09:22I think the only thing I'm going to do, Phil,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26is just make the elderflower broth slightly less intense.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28- That's it?- That's it.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30It doesn't look like a lot but, in terms of balance,
0:09:30 > 0:09:32a little can go a long way.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Balancing spherified pea drops with the delicate taste
0:09:36 > 0:09:39of pollock and coconut jelly, herbs and flowers
0:09:39 > 0:09:42is a tough act, but Marcus is confident.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45I think when the judges first see the dish, they'll be impressed.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49It's a visually stunning dish. Yes, it's complex,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53but it's got depth and, as a dish, when you eat it, it works just fine.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57Marcus isn't neglecting the presentation, either,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00as he carefully pipettes on the coconut oil.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04He knows that first impressions can make a big difference.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06Thank you very much.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Has Marcus found a winning formula
0:10:12 > 0:10:16by toning down his elderflower fish sauce?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19This is more like it.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23- That is just a beautiful thing.- Isn't it pretty?
0:10:23 > 0:10:28It's quite a Japanese dish - the fish sauce, the dried skin.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33I think the globes - of pea, I think - are absolutely delicious.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Well, I'm going to be absolutely controversial here.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39I think this is potentially a delicious dish,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42which is completely ruined by inattention to detail.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46The fish sauce is almost inedibly disgusting.
0:10:47 > 0:10:51I wouldn't go as far as to say it's disgusting, I think it's a very...
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Ah! This is like a really pretty person,
0:10:54 > 0:10:58who, when you sit down, turns out to be as dull as ditchwater.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59The fish tastes rather good.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03The veggie bits are beautiful,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06and I like the spherified pea puree.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10The only thing that's wrong with it is the sauce.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13This dish is like someone running up the pole vault
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and spectacularly soaring underneath the bar.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I think this chef has tried extremely hard
0:11:19 > 0:11:22to be really innovative. If the sauce was humming,
0:11:22 > 0:11:24all the ingredients would work extremely well.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25I agree with you.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32So Marcus' fish course has put a cat amongst the pigeons.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Can Phil sprint into the lead with a complex mackerel
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and shellfish dish which earned him nine points in the heats?
0:11:39 > 0:11:43The smoked mackerel pate, freshly baked muffins
0:11:43 > 0:11:45and oysters are among many elements
0:11:45 > 0:11:47that Phil is bringing together,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50along with a mackerel tartare wrapped in oyster jelly.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54I think Phil's putting himself under a lot of pressure.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56He's a perfectionist. He wants to win.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Phil carefully positions mackerel fillets
0:12:00 > 0:12:03on his samphire-and-potato salad,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06followed by mackerel tartare parcels.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09He tops with tempura mussels and finishes with a mackerel veloute.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Two o'clock for the soup. Thank you very much.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19Will the judges think that humble Cornish mackerel
0:12:19 > 0:12:21can be an Olympic winner?
0:12:23 > 0:12:26I think it looks good. It looks exciting, actually,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30It's drawing me in here. The soup is delicious.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34- It is delicious. - Beautiful balance between richness and intensity.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Mm-mm. That is good.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38Oh!
0:12:38 > 0:12:40This is utterly delicious.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43What do you think is inside the little jelly bag?
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Mackerel tartare.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48I think the soup is a triumph.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52I think the jelly, the mackerel tartare, is absolutely fabulous.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54I really like the potato salad.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57This is a thing of great beauty. Fabulous.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- Dish of the day, so far. - Absolute dish of the day
0:12:59 > 0:13:01and it is magnificent.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The simple skill. This is a master at work.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08One of the radical things about this is taking mackerel
0:13:08 > 0:13:12and elevating it to a place right at the top table of food.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Many people at the banquet will not have tasted anything like this.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I think that is a key thing for me -
0:13:17 > 0:13:20making sure that the people at the banquet
0:13:20 > 0:13:23are sort of amazed by the gastronomy of Britain
0:13:23 > 0:13:25and I think this dish does that.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30So Phil's mackerel dish has united the judges.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Has this given him the edge going into the main course?
0:13:33 > 0:13:35- Two down, two more to go, eh?- Yeah.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38In an ideal world, I would love the judges
0:13:38 > 0:13:40to have scored my two dishes higher than Phil's.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43One can only hope and pray.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51The arena is set for the big event, the main course.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Phil's going first with roast lamb,
0:13:53 > 0:13:57served with lamb pie and vegetables.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59The only real innovation is mint sauce in a sphere of jelly,
0:13:59 > 0:14:04which collapsed in the week when he left it in the oven too long.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- How's the jelly getting on today? - PHIL LAUGHS
0:14:07 > 0:14:08- Lovely.- Yeah?
0:14:08 > 0:14:11It's exactly the same stage it was at yesterday.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13I'm just going to try not to roast it.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Marcus had his own problems with undercooked beef,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21but he's determined to keep Phil on the back foot.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Make sure you don't forget anything this time, eh, Phil?
0:14:24 > 0:14:29There's no suitable vocabulary in my response to that.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32You just keep focused on your beef.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Phil's convinced he's got nothing to worry about.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41On that dish, there's also tiny, golden, sweet-and-sour jellies
0:14:41 > 0:14:43encased within another jelly
0:14:43 > 0:14:45infused with mint.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49If that's not a genuine bit of edge and modernism, I don't know what is.
0:14:49 > 0:14:54He plates his vegetables, followed by the parsley mash and lamb pie.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Lays his roast loin on a bed of wilted nettles
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and tops with pea-and-mint jelly.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06Thank you.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10No mistakes this time but will Phil's modern touches persuade
0:15:10 > 0:15:14the judges this is a 21st-century dish worthy of the Olympics?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I'm slightly disturbed by these blobs of jelly.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19It does look remarkably unappealing.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21It's the mint sauce to go with the lamb.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24Actually, the lamb itself is absolutely beautiful.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27And it's quite firm, which I quite like.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- It's almost perfection, actually. - Mm.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- Very nice. And this...yes, it is a rosti.- What's inside the rosti?
0:15:33 > 0:15:36I would think that's braised shoulder, or something.
0:15:36 > 0:15:37- Yep.- It's very delicious.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41It's quite soft but there's enough texture in there
0:15:41 > 0:15:44to give your teeth a bit of a work-out.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I think the thing that let's it down - lack of fat.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48You can't have lamb without fat.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52I'm really enjoying this. This is meat and two veg, isn't it?
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- But...- Is it innovative?
0:15:55 > 0:15:59Is it Olympian, is it worthy of this great feast?
0:15:59 > 0:16:01And my answer is no.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02I think it's a boring dish.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07I think it's conventional stuff given a bit of a make-over
0:16:07 > 0:16:09by a few blobs on the plate.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13That is not enough for me to want this to go to the final banquet.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20More bellyflop than swallow dive for Phil, then,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22and a real chance for Marcus to make a splash.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24His beef dish cooked in hay
0:16:24 > 0:16:28and served with beef tendons and beetroot is truly radical
0:16:28 > 0:16:32and could be a stroke of genius, if he can make it tender.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36So what happens when it comes carving time and you try a bit...
0:16:36 > 0:16:39- And it's tough?- ..and it's tough?
0:16:39 > 0:16:40I'll leave it off.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- PHIL LAUGHS - So, either way,
0:16:43 > 0:16:45I think it's going to be fine.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48Confident in his ability,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Marcus has strained every sinew to master his cheap cut of beef.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Looks better.
0:16:55 > 0:17:00And eats better. Very good. It's like a completely different beast.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- Not good for me but good for you. - That makes me happy.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Very happy.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10The height of Marcus's vaulting ambition is to wow the judges
0:17:10 > 0:17:12with something very unusual -
0:17:12 > 0:17:16beef tendons cooked until they're really soft, like bone marrow.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20In the heats, he encased them in batter topped with anchovy.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22And the tendons that came with a lovely anchovy.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26- Is that still going in there? - No anchovies today.- No anchovy?
0:17:26 > 0:17:27Marcus!
0:17:27 > 0:17:30- There's enough flavour going on. - Is that what you felt,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- or is that what Jason said? - That's what I felt.- Really?- Yeah.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- I'm disappointed in you.- Really?
0:17:38 > 0:17:41But it's the judges who Marcus is trying to impress.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Calm and measured as always, he plates up the beef blade,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47tendons and beetroot, and hits the pass.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51Thank you very much.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57Can Marcus carve out a commanding lead
0:17:57 > 0:18:00with his adventurous beef and beetroot dish?
0:18:01 > 0:18:05- Fillet of beef.- And five different types of beetroot.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11This dish is a tragedy, really. The beef, it's shocking. I think, er...
0:18:11 > 0:18:12I can't taste the beef.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14HE GROWLS
0:18:14 > 0:18:16I'm sort of... I'm quite upset here.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21The beetroot's all right but what's this all about?
0:18:21 > 0:18:22I don't think the beetroot's all right.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27This is just a bit too raw, rather too bitter.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Not all beetroot is sweet.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Can we just have a look at that card?
0:18:31 > 0:18:33I need to be put out of my misery here.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38- Oh!- 'Showcasing rarely used beef tendons.'- I love marrow,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41so I'm going to have a go.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- PRUE GULPS - I'm sure some people love that.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48I do! There's a hysterical reaction going on here.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52I can understand you have an objection to the texture of it and that's fine.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54But he's put it in there for a purpose
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and I think it works in this purpose.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59I don't think it deserves the odium and dislike
0:18:59 > 0:19:01that you two are heaping on it.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04This is a dish trying to be different for the sake of being different.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I would be absolutely ashamed
0:19:07 > 0:19:10if we put this down for an Olympian feast.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13I don't understand your prejudice. A bit more flavour on the beef
0:19:13 > 0:19:17and I think this is on its way to being a really good dish.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24So Marcus's main course has divided the judges.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28Is the field now open for both chefs to amaze with their desserts?
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Phil's gone for rhubarb-and-rice- pudding souffles,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34served with ice cream in Olympic-torch cones.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36It's an ambitious choice.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41My attempt on the brief is to serve a magnificent souffle
0:19:41 > 0:19:43to 100 people at the same time.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46There's an element of risk but, come the banquet,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49you make your mix beforehand and you test it and test it again
0:19:49 > 0:19:51and if it works, it will always work.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53But getting the mixture of rice pudding,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57meringue and rhubarb right for a souffle is only half the battle.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01They need to rise properly, too, which didn't happen in the week.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03It's crucial his souffles work today,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06otherwise, it could scupper his chances.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09So feeling confident about reaching the banquet, Phil?
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Always confident, always confident.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- Yeah.- Souffles are in.- I put four. There's scope for error on one.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21The souffles have risen but not as they should have. Again.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Service. Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- They just ain't quite rising, for some reason.- Really?
0:20:30 > 0:20:32No, no, there should be more.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36Will Phil's hopes sink with his souffles?
0:20:39 > 0:20:41It's a brave chef who sends a souffle out
0:20:41 > 0:20:43into the judges' chamber.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45But doesn't that look beautiful?
0:20:45 > 0:20:48It's like a rhubarb crumble, only with a soft top.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Yeah, it is beautiful. Mm-mm.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53I love it.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57The whole thing is perfect. Really, really, you cannot fault it.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59But you cannot possibly say it is suitable
0:20:59 > 0:21:01for such an important occasion.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05Simply because absolutely no innovation here whatsoever.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09There is also a big technical problem of trying to get
0:21:09 > 0:21:13souffles of this perfection out in front 100 people at once.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15I think if challenged the chef would say,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19"I have been innovative, I've got this Olympic torch of a cone
0:21:19 > 0:21:21"with a bit of the ice cream inside."
0:21:21 > 0:21:23That's where the innovation begins and ends.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- It's an ice cream cone!- I know! - With ice cream in it.
0:21:27 > 0:21:33It is a dish of wonderful, quiet pleasures, but not of the fireworks and razzmatazz
0:21:33 > 0:21:36and general excitement you associate with the Olympic Games.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42Phil's made his last throw. Marcus will need to surpass him
0:21:42 > 0:21:46to have a chance at a place in the final.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Radical to the end, his dessert features asparagus,
0:21:48 > 0:21:50goat's curd and black olives.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I like the fact you are serving asparagus dessert
0:21:54 > 0:21:55in a matter of minutes
0:21:55 > 0:21:58and you've got raw asparagus staring you in the face.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01More asparagus mixed with white chocolate and salt
0:22:01 > 0:22:04is sieved over liquid nitrogen.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06This is state-of-the-art modern cookery
0:22:06 > 0:22:09and Marcus really believes in it.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12So, Phil, have I convinced you with asparagus for dessert?
0:22:12 > 0:22:14I was far more convinced than I thought I was going to be.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17With olive, as well, or is that a step too far?
0:22:17 > 0:22:21Olive's a step too far. Stretching my poor classical palate.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25It'll be divisive. Those kinds of things are.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29It's time to plate up. Marcus has conjured up
0:22:29 > 0:22:32all his modern magic in one last thrust to reach the finals.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Now for the lap of the gods. Once again.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Will Marcus's revolutionary dessert
0:22:43 > 0:22:48run Olympic rings around Phil's souffle?
0:22:48 > 0:22:53- Asparagus as a pudding, that's a first.- It certainly is.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57Is this cheese? Almost impossible to tell.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00What are the dark, little blobs? Hang on.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03PRUE LAUGHS The prime ingredients are
0:23:03 > 0:23:05- asparagus.- Yes.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08Black olives and goat's curd.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Well...
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Don't even start, Matthew. I mean, come on.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17This is just absolutely terrible.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20I think it's a cheese and a pudding course rolled into one.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24If you put everything together, it tastes delicious.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27What you need to do is... He needs to make a tartlet case
0:23:27 > 0:23:30out of the biscuit and they'd have to have it all
0:23:30 > 0:23:32when they took mouthful.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34- It's like asparagus cheesecake. - Exactly.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36That would be a wow. That would be an eyebrow-raiser.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38That would be fantastic.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42To me, the secret of that is the olive, because olive gives it
0:23:42 > 0:23:45a touch of saltiness and that pulls everything together
0:23:45 > 0:23:46and makes it work.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50The bits are there, they just need to be pulled together.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54With the cooking over, the chefs are left to reflect
0:23:54 > 0:23:57on their performance, while the judges deliberate over the results.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01I've come this far, I've got to walk back into work tomorrow morning
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and, er, you know, I'm going to have to spill the beans
0:24:04 > 0:24:06and I want to win.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11It's strange to think I have a chance of making it through
0:24:11 > 0:24:13to the final and I want to get there.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15Heads or tails?
0:24:15 > 0:24:17- Heads, I win.- Yeah?
0:24:21 > 0:24:22I'm off to the Olympics.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30It's time for the judges to review the dishes on each menu.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33One menu, you might say, is more radical than the other.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36One was, I think, more skilfully done.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Phil's menu uses classic favour combinations
0:24:40 > 0:24:42with modern touches
0:24:42 > 0:24:44embellished with Olympic symbols.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46While Marcus has come up
0:24:46 > 0:24:47with a radically modern menu,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51bringing surprising ingredients together.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55But the judges will only know which chef created each menu
0:24:55 > 0:24:57once they've chosen their winner.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Enough chat. Matthew, have you made up your mind?
0:25:00 > 0:25:03- Yes, Prue, I have.- Oliver?
0:25:03 > 0:25:04Prue, I sure have.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Let's call in the chefs.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10For Phil and Marcus, the long wait is over.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12One chef will go on to the final -
0:25:12 > 0:25:17just a step away from cooking at the fabulous Olympic banquet.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19The other will be going home.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24Welcome, chefs. We have had a pretty heated debate today.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29We haven't always agreed about every dish but it's not about individual dishes,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33it is about menus and we have to choose by the menu.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Matthew, have you made up your mind?
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- I have, Prue, and it's Menu A for me.- And Oliver?
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Prue, it's also Menu A for me.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Well, I have Menu A, as well, so we have a straight winner.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52But you don't know, and we don't know, who cooked Menu A,
0:25:52 > 0:25:53so let's find out.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57Ha!
0:26:00 > 0:26:05So the chef going forward to represent London and the South East
0:26:05 > 0:26:08in the Great British Menu finals is...
0:26:20 > 0:26:21..Phil Howard.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Congratulations, Phil.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26Well done, my friend.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28So, Phil, what does feel like?
0:26:28 > 0:26:30I haven't been in this position for a long time, I have to say.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34My own boss for over 20 years, it's like going back to school.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36On one level, I'm genuinely shocked.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- There was some outstanding cooking by Marcus.- Marcus?
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Yeah, disappointed, but, for me, no shame at all.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I'm more than happy losing to Phil.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48The tone of the two menus - one had more perfectly realised dishes
0:26:48 > 0:26:49than the other.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53I think that, Marcus, your menu had the exuberance of youth.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55It was fizzing with ideas
0:26:55 > 0:26:58and, sometimes, not all the ideas married up together.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01We had exactly that debate the whole way through today -
0:27:01 > 0:27:04innovation and fireworks against classic cooking.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08But, frankly, what finally did it for you, Phil,
0:27:08 > 0:27:13was things like that mackerel dish, which was the dish of the day.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14It was an outstanding dish.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18It may not have been quite as radical and innovatory
0:27:18 > 0:27:21as Marcus's menu but it gave so much pleasure all the way through.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23- OLIVER:- I think
0:27:23 > 0:27:27if we take the vegetable starter going forward in the competition,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30there is an element of creativity that's needed to come into play.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32I think you should rethink that dish.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36It's just not exciting enough. It was a lovely brasserie salad.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39So, chefs, thank you for a great day.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42Commiserations, Marcus, and congratulations, Phil.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44- And thank you. - Thank you very much.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49I am very disappointed I haven't made it through to the final.
0:27:49 > 0:27:54I lost to Phil Howard. I'm happy with that. My head's held high.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Well done, mate.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58I feel absolutely chuffed to bits, I have to say.
0:27:58 > 0:28:03This week has been a steep learning curve and I will build on it
0:28:03 > 0:28:05and come back bigger and better.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09Next week, Wales's finest enter the ring -
0:28:09 > 0:28:14returning contenders Richard Davies and James Sommerin.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17- We're using liquorice. - Do think Angela likes liquorice? - I don't know.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Can I 'fess up? I don't like liquorice.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23And facing up to one-time banquet winner Steve Terry.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Nearly everybody's had lemon meringue pie and trifle.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Not my lemon meringue pie and not my trifle, all right?
0:28:29 > 0:28:33- And it's personal.- They're gunning for me. The young guns want to get the old boy out.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd