Central Starter Great British Menu

The competition on Great British Menu is fierce.

-Are you taking the mickey out of me?

-Not at all, Chef!

The nation's top chefs are striving to produce groundbreaking food

for a dazzling Olympic feast. There have been ups...

This is an Olympian dish. It is absolutely perfection.

-..and downs.

-Fire!

And the veteran chefs are as candid as ever.

The young pretender snapping at your heels!

This week, fighting to represent the Central region is

-rising star Paul Foster...

-I don't want to reveal my secrets.

-..award-winning Daniel Clifford...

-I'm a master at this, boys!

-..and last year's champion Aktar Islam.

-Sorry, Chef, sorry!

It's going to be a battle of Olympian proportions

and last year's champion is feeling the pressure from the start.

Can I get another one of my legs?

-What happened?

-The other one just popped slightly.

This year, the eyes of the world

are on Great Britain as we host the London 2012 games.

Inspired by this momentous event, our chefs

have been challenged to demonstrate their creative and technical skills

in innovative awe-inspiring food that matches the Olympic ideal.

I know it's going to be a mega challenge,

it's going to be really, really, really tough.

They've travelled far and wide in search of daring ideas

-for their cutting-edge menus...

-Yes!

..and sought inspiration from world-class Olympic athletes,

past and present, who know exactly what it takes to win.

We've just got to relax, just stay confident.

-Good shot! Some power in there, mate.

-Their ultimate goal -

the chance to cook for the country's sporting heroes and their friends

and families who supported them every step of the way.

Cooking at the Olympic banquet is

most definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

and it's something that I don't want to miss out on.

Judging them is a veteran of the competition,

who'll taste and score their dishes every day.

He's renowned for his bold, innovative cooking.

It's two-time champion Glynn Purnell.

I won't put up with anything average. Average doesn't win medals.

I want to see groundbreaking, unbelievable food this year.

Come Thursday, he'll be sending the two highest-scoring chefs through to the judges.

'Whoever goes home on Thursday gets bronze.'

There's no point coming second! I might as well come first

and that's what I've come to win - I want the gold medal.

-We'll go...

-First up is culinary heavyweight Daniel Clifford

of two Michelin-star Midsummer House in Cambridge.

Can you get this sauce quite reduced, yeah?

A returning contender who's already tried and failed twice

on Great British Menu, he's determined to be first over the finish line with

a boundary-pushing menu he believes celebrates the Olympic ideal.

It's a stake in the heart when you lose, so this year, I'm going to put 110% in.

I'm using ingredients that I haven't seen on the programme before.

Salad, let's go.

It's a risk, but if you don't take risks, you don't get anywhere.

-What are we cooking today?

-Caramelised veal sweetbreads.

Onion-and-cinnamon puree with some burnt onions.

Veal tartare and some wood sorrel.

This year, we're looking for gold medal dishes,

looking for breaking boundaries.

Serving sort of burnt onion, that certainly sounds unusual.

It came from a hot dog I had with the kids.

I was at the market and I tasted it and thought it was phenomenal.

What are we going to do with this?

A little veal fillet. So basically serve that tartare.

So raw veal - people are going to love it or hate it.

Is it groundbreaking? I think it's unusual.

Daniel's kicking off his trailblazing Olympic menu with

raw veal, caramelised sweetbread and burnt onion.

A dare-devil dish that might not be to everyone's taste.

Daniel's going to give these fantastic Olympians,

you know, raw veal, burnt onions.

I mean, he's taking a massive risk. I mean, let's just hope it pays off.

-Two lamb. Gap of three minutes.

-Yeah.

-Next up, and new to the competition,

is award-winning Coventry lad Paul Foster, a bright young thing

on the cusp of greatness, making waves at Tuddenham Mill in Suffolk.

OK, let's go. Lamb, table 11.

The dark horse of the Central region,

he's determined to make a big first impression

with a daring menu that uses unusual ingredients.

So...you're the new boy. What's the name of the dish?

I've got a pork neck carpaccio.

I'll make scratchings with the skin, a croquette with the head.

-So neck?

-Yeah.

-So that's...?

-Like the collar, really.

-OK, cool.

-It's like a carpaccio, so quite different, it won't be braised.

And I've got this ingredient here.

-I don't know if you ever heard of this one. Ribwort plantain.

-OK.

-No.

-It's one of those things you'll have walked past every day and it has this powerful cepe mushroom flavour.

-Is this dish going to take gold?

-I think so.

There's elements that will stand out and make it something unique that Olympians would love to eat.

Paul's daring to tread new ground

in pursuit of glory, cooking rarely-used pork cuts

and unusual wild ingredients that few people will have tasted before.

Paul's dish is a complete mystery to me. He's using neck of pork, which most chefs'd steer clear of.

Foraged ribwort plantain, which I've never heard of. I don't know

what it tastes like. I don't think many will know that either.

Last up, it's Aktar Islam, self-taught head chef

at Lasan in Birmingham, who last year surprised everyone by

storming all the way to the banquet with his Anglo-Indian cuisine.

-Well done.

-Thank you, Chef.

-The pressure's off. Enjoy the day.

-Thank you!

-Have a good time!

He's back and determined to win gold

-with a menu that takes Indian food to Olympic levels.

-'This year,'

it's all about creme de la creme,

the best, but I like a challenge, I'm not one to run away from it.

I've tasted success before and I want to go for it again.

-Here he is - the reigning champion.

-LAUGHTER

-No pressure.

-No pressure. Morning, Chef.

-Are you all right?

-I am.

So what are we cooking today, Aktar?

We've got squab two ways and then we've got three stages of sweet corn.

I've got some really interesting garnish items, so this is a, er...

-a water-ice lettuce.

-OK, cool.

Spicing's going to be very, very light.

I just want it to support the squab. Squab is the main one here.

-Well...

-Thank you, Chef.

-..good luck. And, boys,

also you're playing for our region. Let's see a good scrap, all right?

-Good luck.

-ALL: Cheers, Chef.

Aktar is breaking culinary boundaries,

serving squab pigeon with specially-grown garnishes

and fiddly stuffed pigeon legs.

Is it groundbreaking? Is it pushing the boundaries?

For me, there's a danger that it's over-complicated

and I'm really worried whether he's going to get the dish out on time.

Battle underway. All three chefs get straight to work.

Daniel is hell-bent on winning this year

and is determined to push out in front of last year's champion Aktar

with an ambition veal-and-onion dish.

So, Daniel, third time back, mate. Um, how are you feeling?

I'm feeling confident. I've practised my dishes.

-I know my timings are right.

-Is that a dig?

I haven't come here to make enemies. I've come here to cook great food.

Aktar is kick-starting his Olympic menu with fiddly pigeon,

serving the breast and the leg which he'll confit and then stuff.

-Confident in your starter, Aktar?

-Yeah, I think it's a good combination.

But do you think, er, it's going to push boundaries?

It's certainly pushing boundaries when it comes to my style of cooking.

They've been asked to push the boundaries,

try different techniques, use unusual combinations,

so I'm keeping a real close eye on all of that.

New boy Paul's daring to do something different

with rarely-used pork cuts and wild ingredients

and he's keeping his cards close to his chest.

-Is this going to be Paul Foster on a plate?

-Yeah, absolutely.

Seasoned rival, Daniel, is employing

bizarre techniques to create an original medley of onions,

something veteran Glynn is keeping a close eye on.

-The balance of it needs to be on the money, cos, obviously, onion's a strong flavour.

-Yeah.

I've put cinnamon in with the puree. You'll see over there.

-Yeah.

-It just gives it a really nice light spice to it.

-Yeah.

It's something I saw on Aktar's website.

LAUGHTER

Obviously, burning ingredients

isn't what you would normally do to put on a plate,

so I'll be keeping a keen eye, but that's a key point to Daniel's dish.

Daniel Clifford is no stranger to taking risks.

He's been cooking cutting-edge food

at his award-winning restaurant in Cambridge for the last 14 years,

but success hasn't come without sacrifice.

Getting two stars was a massive highlight of my career,

but it's a big strain on my family, on my life, because I've put

a lot of time in at work, but you know, that's why I do it.

I love the restaurant. It's like my sixth child, so I love it to bits.

He strives to take everyday ingredients and classic flavour combinations

-to new gastronomic heights.

-BICYCLE BELL RINGS

'Basically, I'll go to the market,

'get some new stuff that we haven't used before, get it in,

'give it to the staff to see what they can do.'

Morning, boys. 'You get wacky ideas, but sometimes get brilliant ideas.'

So, Mark, if you can do some of the fruit. Scott, you take the salad.

'Every dish has to be brilliant. You can't go down with one strong dish,

'you've got to have four brilliant dishes and, for me,'

this year is about doing something that is going to blow people away.

He's trained hard for this year's competition,

like the Olympic athletes he longs to cook for.

To be a part of the Olympic feast would be amazing,

like me winning my own gold medal, and that's the challenge this year.

I've got one opportunity to win it and that's what I want to do.

Back in the kitchen, Daniel's cooked his sweetbreads

and is grinding his burnt onions into a powder.

He's kept his starter relatively simple,

unlike newcomer Paul, who's busy making pork neck carpaccio

scratchings with the fat and pig's head croquettes.

But Glynn's more interested in a certain foraged ingredient.

I've come in looking for this, er...

-What's it called again?

-Ribwort plantain.

-Ribwort plantain!

It's in here. So I've got shallots sweated down, then the ribwort buds.

I've hydrated them with some chicken stock and milk,

bring the flavour back out. Don't add much,

just a little bit to give that creamy mushroom flavour.

-You got enough saved, just in case it gets through to the banquet?

-No.

LAUGHTER

Paul's brought the ribwort, so I had that at his restaurant

and it was beautiful and I think, if he's brought that to the party, I just hope he burns it.

And ribwort isn't the only trick Paul has up his sleeve.

Paul's using pork neck, which needs to be cooked perfectly.

This is a real brave move for a first timer

and I really hope he pulls it off.

HE LAUGHS

Paul's quest to create a cutting-edge menu

for our Olympic athletes started on his doorstep

at Dingley Dell Pork Farm in Woodbridge, Suffolk,

50 miles from his restaurant.

I've come here to source unusual pork products,

cuts that are often ignored, something that I can turn

something humble into something gastronomic and make a really special dish.

He's going for gold with rarely-used pork neck on his starter.

The neck's got a very similar make up to the pork belly

and has a nice ratio of fat. It's quite underused

and I want to do something really special with it.

So it's almost like a neck fillet, if you like?

It's this willingness to try things other chefs might not consider

that makes Paul perfect for this year's competition.

'I feel the food I'm cooking

'pushes boundaries in terms of the ingredients I'm using.'

It's different, unique, it's not run-of-the-mill food and this isn't a run-of-the-mill challenge.

-This ambitious young chef wants to go all the way.

-'It's great

'to win gold, silver or bronze, but I don't want anything but gold

'and gold, to me, is getting to the banquet.'

Back in the cook-off, Paul's stripping the meat for his pig's head croquettes

and doing his best to ignore Aktar and Daniel.

Did you forget to turn the stove on? So you've stitched me up already?

-There's a little corner over here.

-Cheers, buddy!

Aktar's busy stuffing his pigeon legs, a tricky technique

that could see last year's champion fall behind schedule.

-How are we getting on, Aktar?

-I'm getting on well.

-What've you done to the legs so far?

-I've confit'd the legs down, got some duck here.

I'll combine some of that and blitz it down into a soft rillette,

then put it back on, like, a little lollipop, so you pick up the bone.

'I'm ripping the leg apart, taking all the muscles out and stuffing that skin.'

And I've got to make sure that skin holds and, when I fry it up,

it holds its shape, so that's what I'm really worried about.

Self-taught Aktar's Anglo-Asian cooking

won him a place at the final last year.

But this year's challenge requires new feats of excellence.

I'm definitely the underdog this year.

I'm up against Daniel with two Michelin stars,

Paul with his Michelin background,

and all I can do is really just push myself, push my food

and, hopefully, that will be enough to get me through.

He's hoping to improve his chances with exciting new ingredients,

grown especially for him at Westland Nursery in Evesham...

-All right, mate? How's it going?

-Good, man.

'They'll literally grow whatever I want, however I want it.

'We're talking real bespoke veg and herbs here, which I know'

will totally blow the judges away.

There'll be things that people have never seen.

..pioneering new produce he hopes will elevate his food

to a world-beating level, like water-ice lettuce...

This is proper bling bling. The water from this is just going

to explode in your mouth and spread that all over your palate.

..and tender forced sweet corn shoots.

You've absolutely nailed the flavour as well. That lovely sweetness of sweet corn just coming through.

Aktar is counting on these unique flavours to get him

to the Olympic feast.

I don't come from a traditional background,

I've not worked in starred kitchens and I don't have a star,

but I've got will, I've got desire, and I've got the passion to win.

In the kitchen, three of the Central region's top chefs

are racing for the chance to cook for an awe-inspiring Olympic feast.

I'm really excited about this year.

I think, to cook for the Olympians, it's just full-on, let's have it,

stripped-to-the-waist Queensberry rules, that's what I want to see.

Gloves are off!

They're all hoping their starters

have what it takes to take them all the way to the final.

-All about the Olympics this year.

-Yeah.

-I love the Olympics.

I've watched it since I was a kid.

This banquet, once again, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I mean, these people are sporting heroes,

people who've represented the country in various ways.

This is like a thank you from us, really,

for doing what they do for our nation.

-It's one worth being at.

-The Olympics is something for everyone as well.

Everyone's got a connection with it, got something they like about it.

I think we should've all been in here with our Lycra on, don't you think?

-LAUGHS:

-I tell you, you don't want to see me in Lycra!

With plating up fast approaching,

Daniel's putting the finishing touches to his veal tartare

and appears to have everything under control.

Unlike rival Aktar, who's still stuffing those tiny pigeon legs.

-Still look like you've got lots going on over there, Chef.

-Yeah...

You look very relaxed.

I'm always relaxed until they say, "Time for food at the pass!" Ha-ha!

But the clock is ticking.

So we're fast approaching the time, boys. Is everyone going to be ready?

Yeah, should be bang on time.

What about you, Aktar? We, um, we on time today or...?

Yeah, we're doing well, we're doing well.

No, the question was, "Are we on time?" That was the question.

That's like the number one question! All I'll say is, we're doing well.

Aktar's looking quite nervous, but then again, he is the champion.

He's the one that's defending his gold medal,

but, um, he seems to be plodding on, but does look tense.

Newcomer Paul is the first to plate up.

He's planning to elevate

the humble pork scratching to the very top of the podium.

Not pork scratchings you know, but really light, fluffy, full of air,

like a puffed crisp, but I want that impact of flavour.

So what I'm doing is grinding down some pork scratchings, cos they've got the most amazing flavour.

I'll make it into a powder and season the pork scratchings with it.

-So the actual scratching itself is off the neck?

-Off the neck skin.

-Then you roll it in the scratchings?

-Yes, and thyme and salt as well, so you get a real impact of flavour.

So it's like a scratching in a scratching?

Paul seems to be doing quite well in his first time in the kitchen.

I'm slightly concerned whether his pork scratching

will be this sensational pork scratching as he says it will be.

Is it going to be a humble bar snack

or is it going to be this puffed up magnificent piece of pork?

Paul's serving his starter on wooden boards with wild ribwort plantain

blitzed into a puree, an ingredient Glynn's curious to try.

He looks calm and focused, thinly slicing his rarely-used pork neck

and dressing his plate with his own take on pork scratchings.

But will Glynn think his rarely-used cuts

and that eagerly-awaited ribwort puree a gold-medal-worthy dish?

OK, then, Paul...

-OK, guys.

-Cool. Happy with that?

-Yeah, I'm very happy with that.

Let's just hope it tastes as good as I want it to.

Will Paul's unusual pork dish qualify for the Olympic feast?

-So these are the pork scratchings?

-Yeah.

And happy with the way they've puffed up, the air inside them?

Yeah, I'm happy with them.

-What do you think, Chef?

-No, I like it, I like it. I just...

I don't think it's ticking every box of the brief for me.

-The ribwort, is it unique enough?

-Hmm, it's very unique.

I don't know anybody in this country who's using it at the moment.

It's something that I've got in the meadows at the restaurant, so I pick it myself.

-Do you think this has taken it to a new level?

-It's ribwort, isn't it?

That, for me, is definitely groundbreaking, cos it's something I've never even come across before,

-but everything else I have tasted before.

-Yeah.

Do you think the neck should've been slower cooked?

I cook it at the temperature I do cos I want to leave a bit of that fat in.

It's the best part of it for me.

AKTAR: Bronze, silver or gold for you?

I think it's a lovely plate of food. Change the plate, bit more green

and he's got a beautiful dish there. That's my opinion.

Is it gold-medal winning? Is it groundbreaking?

I think it is, yeah.

There's things that people won't have heard of, like the ribwort.

-I think it's a podium dish.

-A podium, so bronze?

LAUGHS: No, gold.

Always aim for gold, Chef.

Glad that first one's out the way. It went well, though.

Yeah, I'm happy with that, very happy with that, so...

but Glynn's a cool character, so he doesn't give much away.

Daniel is up next

and putting the finishing touches to his risky veal tartare.

He has fewer elements to bring to the plate and has

everything ready bar his veal sweetbreads, which he quickly

caramelises in onion juice, one of three onion elements, including

his unusual burnt onion powder.

I'm sort of concerned with Daniel's starter.

If he overplays the onion, or puts too much onion on,

it'll kill the flavour of them sweetbreads.

A controversial ingredient in its own right,

not to mention his raw veal tartare, but Daniel hopes that

his veal and burnt onion dish will surprise everyone and sweep the gold.

-All right, Daniel, let's have a look.

-There you go, Chef.

-OK.

-Everything come out the way you wanted to?

-Yeah, I'm happy, yeah.

The burnt onions?

It's all there, Chef, on the plate, just gotta wait to taste it.

So will Daniel's gamble pay off

or has he burned his chances of Olympic glory?

-Well, I think that looks absolutely amazing.

-It's really clean, isn't it?

It looks really fresh, spring. Have you seen anything like this before?

Not in this combination, no.

Do you think, um...

the onion element is well balanced? Is it groundbreaking?

Yeah, I do. I think it's quite clean.

-It's rich.

-You seem very happy?

-I am happy.

-What do you think of the onion powder?

-For me, I'd probably use

a little less, just cos it's very, very powerful.

Is it unique enough?

I think it's pushing the boundaries, something I haven't seen before.

Yeah, I like it.

Definitely pushing boundaries, I'd say.

-Yeah.

-He's taken something that's very classic

-and taken it to the next level.

-Moved it into something new.

-That's what it's about.

-Yeah, absolutely.

-So Olympians push themselves. Have you pushed yourself?

-Yeah.

-Nervous, worried, excited? All that, all the above?

-Yeah.

Emphasis on worried. PAUL LAUGHS

Well, it's gone exactly how I wanted. I've practised it enough.

I think, er...

Yeah. Yeah, I'm happy.

Last to plate up, all eyes are on Aktar, the returning champion,

as he puts the finishing touches to his fiddly pigeon dish.

He's hoping his bespoke vegetables

will boost his dish to Olympic heights, but will Glynn agree?

Aktar has sourced all these specially grown micro herbs

and vegetables and the really disappointing thing for me,

he's only used them as a garnish.

But that's the least of his worries, when the cooking

of his delicate stuffed pigeon legs turns to disaster.

-Can I get another one of my legs, please?

-Another one in?

-Yes, please.

-You putting another leg on?

-Yeah.

-What's happened?

The other one just popped slightly, that's all.

He has got another one, but time is against him.

Five minutes, five minutes!

He quickly slices his pigeon breast

and adds his bespoke sweet corn shoots

and ice lettuce to his one good plate.

He makes it just in time, but in his rush to get to the pass,

forgets the bespoke garnish for his second plate.

Chef, there's... green missing off that one.

-Happy with that?

-Yeah, I'm very happy with that one. Obviously,

I had to put a leg on really last minute,

but, um, it's all about the flavour, hopefully.

Guys, let's go and taste this, yeah?

-Well done.

-Cheers.

So what will Glynn make of Aktar's stuffed pigeon?

Will the returning champion stumble at the first hurdle?

-What d'you think?

-It looks nice, looks fresh.

The only slight concern, he had a bit of issue with his leg,

it's a risky thing to do, isn't it, with a big amount of covers?

I should try the leg, so...

Happy with the amount of stuffing inside the leg?

Yeah, you know, I was...

looking to, at the most, get one or two bites out of it, at the most.

Has that got meat inside it?

What is that?

I'm not sure.

-It's just a little flabby, a little chewy, unfortunately.

-Hmm.

Were you happy with that cookery of the squab?

Was it too pink or was it pink enough?

For me, personally, I think

that will... Anyone can eat that and not have a problem with it.

So do you think this is an original dish to the challenge?

It's really nice, garnished with some beautiful products,

like the sweet corn leaves and the ice lettuce is beautiful.

They're unique to me. I didn't know sweet corn had shoots.

Did you feel your two plates that come up to the pass were consistent?

Yeah. There was slight differences between the two.

I think the pressure got to me. Um...

But you know, it is something that can easily be remedied.

But if you want gold, you've got to swallow pressure.

Great to get the first course out the way. Um...

Yeah, a bit disappointed the way it came together in the end.

Both plates, one was pretty good

and the other could've been better, but you know, it's the first course.

All three starters tasted,

all the chefs can do now is anxiously await Glynn's verdict.

Very soon, we're going to know where we stand.

Just waiting to see what the big man says.

-Right now, Glynn's the man to please.

-Yeah.

He's made his decision.

We'll start with...Paul.

Your neck of pork with the ribwort plantain

and the asparagus and pork scratchings.

I thought the textures on the plate were exceptional.

The flavour of the pork was good.

I thought the pork scratching was lovely.

They weren't fatty, they were very clean.

I thought the ribwort was interesting,

but didn't really sort of, like, blow me away.

Unique, but could've been a bit more unique.

Daniel... your veal and your onion dish,

I thought the dish itself was...was fantastic.

The flavours were there.

I thought the balance was perfect.

A bit too much onion powder on the asparagus.

-I think, if you eased that a bit...

-Yeah.

-..it'd be even better.

It was a very clever dish.

Aktar...the squab pigeon with the tomatoes, the chilli and sweet corn.

I thought your puree was tasty and the pigeon was cooked really well,

but the rillette was really tasty and you got a miniscule amount

on your mouth. You've done all that work

and give us like a fingernail of meat, you know.

I was just a bit concerned with everybody watching you and I think the pressure got to you.

I think you caved in a bit and I think that sort of reflected on what you put on the plate.

So, Paul, for your pork dish... I'm going to give you...

..a seven out of ten.

Daniel, for your, um, for your veal and your onion dish...

I'm going to give you...

-a nine out of ten.

-Thank you very much.

I thought it was exceptional.

Aktar... for your squab pigeon dish...

I'm going to give you...

..a five out of ten.

I thought, if this was the final of the 100 metres,

Daniel Clifford, you'd be competing in the final

and you boys would be trying to qualify for the final.

I think there was a bit of a gap there today, so next is

the fish, so we're looking for more uniqueness, more creativity,

so good luck and I'll see you then.

-Thank you.

-OK.

-Cheers, Chef, see you later.

-Well done, man.

-Cheers, Daniel.

-Well done, Daniel.

-Cheers.

-Well done.

So, after day one, Daniel's taken gold with an incredible nine points.

New boy Paul's landed the silver with a respectable seven.

And former champion Aktar's had to settle for bronze with just five.

I won't let it dishearten me. I'm just going to put it all aside, new course, new scores.

Seven out of ten's not the best and Daniel's got a brilliant score,

er, but it means there's more pressure on me now to do it.

I feel that, er, this could be my year.

Tomorrow, it's about to get even harder with the fish course.

Aktar's determined to win back his crown.

Whoa! Sorry, Chef, sorry.

Whoa, a bit of drama there!

-I'm definitely taking a risk on this one.

-OK!

And there's no room for error.

It'll be really tough, it'll be a scrap till the last dish.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd