Central Fish Great British Menu


Central Fish

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The competition continues on Great British Menu.

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-It's all right, it was meant to happen(!)

-Really?

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Three of the central region's finest chefs,

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Daniel Clifford, Aktar Islam and Paul Foster,

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are fighting for the chance to cook at once-in-a-lifetime Olympic feast.

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Yesterday was a battle of the starters

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that saw Daniel fly to the top of the leaderboard.

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-I'm going to give you a nine out of ten.

-Thank you very much.

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But it was a completely different story for returning champion Aktar.

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

-What happened?

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

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Today, it's the fish course and it's war between Aktar and Daniel.

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You feel any pressure today?

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-Obviously, you've got points to gain.

-There is a lot of pressure.

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I need to recreate the magic I had last year. It's going to be tough.

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Some of us are going to sleep well, some of us are going to have nightmares.

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Will Aktar's choice of ingredient be his downfall?

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-It's that risk of smoking beautiful langoustine.

-Too much.

-Yeah.

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-Definitely taking a risk on this one.

-OK!

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This year's challenge is to create ground-breaking food,

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awe-inspiring dishes that reflect

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the ambition of our record-breaking Olympians.

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It's been really hard coming up with the dishes for the menu.

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I've had to push myself.

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Each chef has had to seek out something special for their menus -

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ground-breaking techniques and ingredients worthy of champions.

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Interesting. It's different, it's unique,

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it stands up and I think it fits the challenge.

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Former champion Glynn Purnell is expecting extraordinary things from them today.

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What I don't want to see is the obvious.

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I don't want to see simple combinations.

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I want to see different ingredients, different textures.

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I want to see creativity worthy of a gold medal.

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After yesterday's scores, the pressure is on,

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especially for Aktar, one of last year's winners,

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who is trailing behind with just five.

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How do you feel?

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Yeah, obviously I'm reminded by the board. I came in last.

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-I think it's daunting now.

-I'm trying to block it out, actually!

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First up is Daniel Clifford, an award-winning chef

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with two Michelin stars who's tried and failed here twice before.

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He flew out of the blocks yesterday

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with an impressive nine for his risky starter.

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I am first the moment, but that means nothing

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until I've got that last baton in my hand and I'm running to the finish line.

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I've got, er... I could trip and fall over.

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So, Daniel, fish today, fantastic starter yesterday. You can't dip.

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-No.

-What's going to blow me away this time?

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I've got some beautiful mullet.

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I'm going to stuff them with confit lemon and some Iberico ham.

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Very Mediterranean - roasted artichokes. This is what I'll roll the mullet in.

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-What's that?

-Airbag.

-Airbag?

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It's pork skin, dehydrated.

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So when you cook anything in an oil, it puffs up like a crackling,

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-but it's full of air.

-OK.

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Then the meat glue, what it does is you open the mullet up,

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then you stuff the mullet and glue it back together.

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You'll cut into the fish and have a little surprise inside.

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-Technically, it's pushing the boundaries.

-Totally.

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This has taken me out of my comfort zone.

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But I think the dish is going to work.

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Daniel is going for gold again,

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stuffing fiddly red mullet with lots of strong flavours

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and pushing the boundaries with revolutionary techniques.

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Daniel's using Airbag, a ground-breaking ingredient.

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There's only a handful of chefs who have even heard of it.

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But the dish as a whole, there are lots of strong flavours.

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I'm worried it will overpower the fish.

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In second place is new kid on the block Paul Foster,

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a rising star, whose daring starter gained seven yesterday -

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a score he thinks he can better today.

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I'm really excited about the fish course.

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I've got a dish I'm really happy with.

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For me, it ticks all the boxes with the challenge.

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Hopefully, Glynn will like it, too.

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So what extraordinary, breathtaking fish dish are you going to show us?

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There's a beautifully poached common ray, with sea vegetables,

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wood sorrel, pea mousse and raw peas and crispy chicken skin.

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-You've got some.

-Some chicken skin.

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Scrape it down, get rid of any excess meat.

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Bake them in the oven till they're crispy, nice and salty,

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to contrast against the soft fish. So soft against crispy, salty.

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The ray, I'll take off the bone, brine it to season it and firm it up.

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Cook it in the water bath to its optimum temperature

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and break down those fibres into noodles

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and I've got some lovely foraged vegetables.

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I've got this, which is sea aster.

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Got a lovely acidity, slightly metallic.

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Would you say that this dish has ever been seen before?

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No, not at all, I'd say. It's very unique.

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Just presented in a way that will stand out.

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-Do you think you could reach the dizzy heights of 9/10?

-HE LAUGHS

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I hope so, that's the man I'm aiming for.

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Yeah. OK.

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Paul's come in all guns blazing with his radical ray dish

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with crispy chicken skin and unusual foraged sea vegetables.

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Paul's serving his ray just cooked,

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so I'm interested to see how that turns out.

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Also, with the foraged ingredients and crispy chicken skin,

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what does that bring to the dish?

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Is it going to kill off the flavour of the fish?

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In third place it's self-taught Aktar Islam,

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last year's fish course champion, who cracked under the pressure yesterday.

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I knew it would be tough, but I didn't know it was going to be this tough.

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I need to pick up some scores. I need to put myself back in the game.

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-What's the name of the dish?

-Pickled mackerel, smoked langoustine,

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tomato chutney, cucumber and sorrel.

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Lots of sharp flavours to go with the oily mackerel.

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Talk us through the langoustine. You have had them smoked?

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I'm working with a chap in Scotland.

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And the smoking process really works well with langoustine.

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That, deep-fried, is utterly amazing.

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You think this dish is ground-breaking,

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is it pushing the boundaries?

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I certainly feel it really is pushing the boundaries.

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There's strong, vibrant flavours. The starter, I kept it mellow, but I'm back in there.

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-You're going for it?

-Yeah.

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Let's face it, there are two spaces for Friday. Only two spaces.

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Stop loving up and glove up. Yeah?

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Try and fight for your place in the final. See you in a bit.

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Aktar is daring to use Indian spices on two very British ingredients,

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serving pickled mackerel with specially smoked langoustine.

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I'm slightly concerned about the smoked langoustine.

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Smoking such a delicate shellfish, there is a risk element.

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Whether it will overpower the fish itself.

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We ask them to push the boundaries and that don't come without a risk.

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Cooking under way, all three chefs get to work on their Olympic-inspired fish courses,

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each of them desperate to push out in front,

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or, in Aktar's case, catch up with rival and scoreboard leader Daniel.

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Are you feeling any pressure today? You've got points to gain.

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Yeah, there is a lot of pressure.

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I need to try to recreate the magic I had last year.

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-It's going to be tough.

-And you got a nine last year.

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I did get a nine last year.

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What do you reckon? Nine again?

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Nine, ten, both sound good. Ten sounds better.

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It's Glynn who will be dishing out the points later,

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and Aktar failed to impress yesterday.

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Aktar was sloppy.

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He forgot to put things on a plate,

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let the other guys put pressure on him and he buckled a little bit,

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which is disappointing, because I know he is better than that.

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Aktar is fighting back with big flavours,

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making a spicy red paste to go with his pickled mackerel.

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He's desperate to know what he's up against with Daniel.

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-Daniel, what have we got going on there?

-Filleting the mullet.

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-Mullet, potatoes.

-Potatoes is turning into a Parmesan puree.

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The mullet is cooked with Airbag, which is basically dried pork skin.

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-So it turns into a nice crackling.

-A lot going on?

-Quite a bit.

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It's everything I love about the Mediterranean on a plate.

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-What are we up to?

-I'm just gluing the fillets together.

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The idea is you are not going to see the mullet's been stuffed.

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I've stuffed them with the Iberico, confit lemon and sea purslane.

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So it's a bit of a surprise.

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The difficulty Daniel could have with the dish is balance.

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There's ham, the olives, the Parmesan.

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There are a lot of salty elements going on there.

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I've pushed the boundaries, I've done things that other people might not have done.

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I want my kids to be proud. Winning will be everything to them.

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I've got five, so it's a lot of kisses when I get home if I win.

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Daniel is not the only one with a lot to lose.

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Aktar is spicing his pickled mackerel with a potent red chilli paste

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and serving it alongside risky smoked langoustine,

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which he's had smoked especially for the competition.

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Aktar, what stage are we at?

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Getting the spices together for the batter for the langoustine.

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Because it's a new product, it's not one I've had much time to play around with.

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But I know it's good. I've tried it, I really love it.

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-There is the risk of smoking beautiful langoustine.

-Too much.

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But, at the end of the day, with boundary-pushing dishes, you have to take risks.

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I'm definitely taking a risk on this one.

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Smoked langoustine, very new product,

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it's not something a lot of people would've tasted.

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I hope to win points with that.

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New boy Paul has his eye on the prize, too,

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and showed what he was capable of yesterday.

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He's convinced his unusual ray dish with foraged herbs and sea vegetables is the one to beat.

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-So this is your favourite dish?

-Absolutely.

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It's British, natural, under-manipulated.

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Did you go out and look for the herbs yourself?

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I do a lot of foraging myself. A lot of hedgerow foraging.

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I'm not going to tell you where,

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because I don't want to reveal my secrets.

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He's serving his foraged sea vegetables with common ray.

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-What are we doing now?

-This is the ray.

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See how amazing that meat is?

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Once that is brined and poached, these will flake off individually.

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I will pull them off and they will be as opaque and translucent as they are there.

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Is this dish served hot-hot or more of a room temperature?

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More of a room temperature. It has got an amazing mouth feel like that.

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That is where the brining comes in. Once you start taking it too far,

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-it will start coagulating.

-Absolutely.

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The white protein comes out.

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The brining helps because it's cooked at such a low temperature it kills the bacteria.

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Paul wants to serve his ray lukewarm and just cooked.

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It's crucial the timing and temperature of the water bath

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is bang on, otherwise he will be disappointed, and so will I.

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I've got no worries with this dish. I'm using a very under-used fish,

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doing something unusual with it and foraged ingredients,

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trying to create something people haven't had before.

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Doing well in this year's Great British Menu is important for me

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and for my family and friends, everyone is rooting for me.

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Paul is used to foraging for wild ingredients in the fields

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near his restaurant, but to meet this year's ground-breaking Olympic brief,

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he decided to take a trip to the salt marshes near Lowestoft

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to seek advice from experienced forager Marcus Harrison.

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-Hi, Paul, how are you?

-Marcus, good to meet you.

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I want to find sea vegetables that will take the dish to the next level.

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We'll find something for you.

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Cooking is my life and my biggest passion.

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I'm inspired to create dishes when I go out walking and I see different ingredients.

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I'm thinking what unique things I can do with them.

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There's some sea aster here. There are some young leaves here.

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They're amazing. I like the small, delicate leaves.

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They are nice and salty. A nice bit of acidity to them, as well.

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My food philosophy is about thinking outside the box

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and creating something gastronomic with something humble.

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Trying to make them into some special.

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We've got some sea beet somewhere. That's it there.

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Wow, this is stunning. Sea beet. There is enough now to have a taste.

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A nice bite to it, like cabbage. It's got a lovely saltiness to it.

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It's like self-seasoning the dish, which is fantastic.

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I don't think many others will use this, if anyone.

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Beautiful, bright leaves will be perfect to serve to Olympians.

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To be sure, Paul cooks up a version of his dish with that all-important chicken skin

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and his new foraged ingredients

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to see if they live up to those awe-inspiring Olympic standards.

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So, Marcus, this is the sea vegetables we foraged.

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I've got a bit of pea mousse, which is nice and sweet,

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so it should contrast against the saltiness,

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and some chicken skin for some texture as well.

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So have a taste, give me your honest opinion.

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-That's stunning.

-Thank you.

-Brilliant.

-I'm glad you're a fan.

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It's different, unique. It stands up. I think it fits the challenge.

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It's going to be a winner.

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For me to cook for the amazing athletes Britain has produced

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would be an amazing moment in my career.

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It is so important for me that I push as hard as I can

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and make it all the way to the final banquet.

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-Good luck.

-Brilliant, thank you.

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Back in the kitchen, the pressure is on,

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especially for returning fish course champion Aktar,

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who's currently in last place, two points behind Paul.

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-It's all right, it was meant to happen(!)

-Really?!

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You've got some points to catch up on Paul, haven't you?

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I've got a couple to make up here, so let's see what happens.

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It's going to be tough. I want to be at the banquet again.

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I was so proud to be able to take my city to the banquet.

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I think Glynn was so proud, as well.

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It's about getting points and getting back in that game.

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Hanging on to my lead is important, because that keeps me in that top two.

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I want to be biting at Daniel's heels and keeping Aktar at bay.

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I think everyone's a bit on edge and wants to get this course done.

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Sorry, chef, sorry!

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Oh! Bit of drama there!

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Did he just try and nut Paul?

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Right, it seems really tense in here, to be honest with you.

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No-one seems to be saying much.

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-No-one seems to be...

-Sure it's not the heat coming from that chilli?

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Have you got a bit of spice going on, Aktar?

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-Yeah, there's a lot of spice going on.

-And this is the batter, yeah?

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A lot of that heat, once it's fried,

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you'll lose that heat from the chilli.

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-That will mellow out.

-Daniel, do you want to try this?

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-You're looking like you've just...

-No. I've just tried it.

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Is this going with the smoked langoustine?

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Yeah, so there's no seasoning in it.

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Just lots of lime juice and a few spices.

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-Once you fry it off, you'll lose a lot of that heat.

-Yeah, but now...

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-Right now, you're not.

-Yeah!

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I'm concerned that he's putting a smoked langoustine in a very powerful batter.

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But he's the master of the spice. I'm not.

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It could be absolutely fantastic.

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He's the king of fish and he won it last year.

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That batter could either win him the crown

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or it could knock him out of the competition at this stage.

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It'll be interesting to see the heat once it's cooked.

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Paul's ray is ready to come out of the water bath.

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It's been in there for exactly ten minutes

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at no more than 48 degrees.

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What's happening now then, Paul?

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This is the ray. You can see how beautifully it's cooked.

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Just translucent and moist, opaque.

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This is how it's going to be. I'm just going to dress it

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with chicken stock, soy dressing to bring the flavour out and give it that oomph.

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-Confident with this dish?

-I am, yeah.

-Yeah?

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Yeah. I'm a big fan of this dish.

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Paul's managed not to overcook his ray.

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I'm not sure how the warm

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fish noodles will go down with our Olympic guests.

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The ray's not the only unusual texture on Paul's plate.

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He's using roast chicken skin to add saltiness and crunch,

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a strategy Daniel's using too

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by adding dried pork skin to his red mullet.

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Two of our chefs are using meat on their dishes.

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But this is a fish course

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and I'm worried that it could be overpowering.

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Returning champion Aktar is first to plate up.

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Notorious for his bad timekeeping,

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he only just made it to the pass in time yesterday.

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How long have you got left, chef?

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Final stages, really, just plating up.

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I've got to pan fry the mackerel, deep-fry the langoustine.

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So in time, how long?

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-20 minutes?

-20 minutes.

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21 at a push.

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I did flap a bit towards the end of the starter.

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This course, I'm going to make sure I don't do that again.

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I'm just trying to carry on with my prep as quick as possible,

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just so I'm ready at that pass.

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With the clock ticking, he deep-fries his smoked langoustine

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in its spicy batter,

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gets his pickled mackerel on to fry and sets about creating his dish,

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placing the mackerel next to his spicy red paste

0:16:520:16:54

before dotting the plate with sauce.

0:16:540:16:57

What's the sauce, chef?

0:16:570:16:59

Just an infused coconut milk.

0:16:590:17:01

Then it's on with the langoustine

0:17:020:17:04

and some vibrant herbs and flowers for garnish.

0:17:040:17:06

-The old tweezers.

-Surgery.

0:17:090:17:11

You'll have time for tweezers in the banquet, doing 100 plates?

0:17:110:17:14

I think so. It makes it a lot easier, I think.

0:17:140:17:18

In my opinion, anyway.

0:17:180:17:19

So, early on the pass?

0:17:240:17:26

-First!

-Miracles!

0:17:260:17:29

So, last year, fish got all the way to the final.

0:17:290:17:31

Is this strong enough to go all the way?

0:17:310:17:34

I hope so. Lots of strong flavours in there.

0:17:340:17:37

It's colourful enough.

0:17:370:17:38

I'm sure if it's put in front of anyone, it'll make them smile.

0:17:380:17:41

-So, gold medal?

-Yeah!

-Yeah? Come on, let's go and taste it.

0:17:410:17:45

-Come on, grab one of them.

-Cheers.

-Enjoy, lads.

0:17:450:17:48

Will Aktar's mackerel dish deliver those vital points

0:17:480:17:51

and set him on the path to Olympic glory for the second year running?

0:17:510:17:54

-Looks inviting, doesn't it?

-Yeah, it does.

-It looks exciting and fresh.

0:17:540:17:58

There's a lot going on, in terms of plating up.

0:17:580:18:00

A lot of things to dress at the last minute.

0:18:000:18:03

-Could you do that for 100 people?

-I think so.

0:18:030:18:06

-Bit of practice, I'll be all right!

-Lots of flavours, lots going on.

0:18:060:18:09

-Can you taste mackerel or not?

-It's not the most prominent thing.

0:18:090:18:12

I think the most prominent thing on the plate is the smokiness of the langoes.

0:18:120:18:16

Are you happy with the smokiness of the langoustine?

0:18:160:18:20

Yeah, I mean, if it was to go any further I'd speak with

0:18:200:18:23

the smokehouse and adjust the process, because it's something

0:18:230:18:25

that I've just come across and they're working on as well.

0:18:250:18:29

It really is groundbreaking, moving things forward.

0:18:290:18:31

Are you happy with the temperature of the red paste?

0:18:310:18:34

Are you confident it's not going to kill the fish?

0:18:340:18:37

I, personally, feel it works well with that oiliness of the mackerel.

0:18:370:18:41

You need something to balance that out, otherwise,

0:18:410:18:44

I think the mackerel flavour can be too strong.

0:18:440:18:47

I'm not getting a massive fish flavour.

0:18:470:18:49

-I'm getting heat in my mouth. I don't know if you are.

-Yeah.

0:18:490:18:53

Heat, spices and then smoky.

0:18:530:18:56

For me, it's overpowered by spice.

0:18:560:18:57

Do you think it's groundbreaking enough?

0:18:570:19:00

Yeah, I think this is going to get me back into it, fingers crossed.

0:19:000:19:03

Does this dish scare you?

0:19:030:19:04

Not so much, no.

0:19:060:19:07

All the ingredients were perfect. Totally happy with it.

0:19:090:19:11

So, yes, I'm hoping this is the one that puts me back in the game.

0:19:110:19:14

Back in the kitchen, Paul's baked his chicken skin

0:19:160:19:19

and has everything ready to start plating up.

0:19:190:19:22

He darts his plate with lemon puree and gingerly piles on

0:19:220:19:25

his just-cooked ray, under the watchful eye of rival Aktar.

0:19:250:19:28

Is it a cold fish dish?

0:19:280:19:31

Just above room temperature, really. Just cooked 48 degrees

0:19:310:19:33

for ten minutes, so it's just, just cooked.

0:19:330:19:35

He then squeezes on some vibrant pea puree, carefully places

0:19:350:19:39

his foraged herbs and sea vegetables

0:19:390:19:41

and tops it off with that crispy chicken skin.

0:19:410:19:43

Come on, Paul. Let's have it.

0:19:430:19:46

Happy with how it's turned out?

0:19:490:19:51

I'm very happy with it. Very happy.

0:19:510:19:53

OK, then, I want to go and taste it. Shall we go and taste it?

0:19:530:19:56

OK, cool, let's go.

0:19:560:19:58

Is Paul's unusual just-cooked ray groundbreaking enough for the Olympic feast?

0:19:580:20:03

So are you confident, do you feel happy with the way the fish is cooked?

0:20:030:20:06

Would some people perceive it as undercooked or...?

0:20:060:20:09

There is a possibility of that

0:20:090:20:10

but it's cooked to perfection as far as I'm concerned.

0:20:100:20:14

-I've never had ray cooked like this, I normally cook it a little further.

-Yep.

0:20:150:20:19

As a for the foraging, would each individual foraged item

0:20:190:20:23

really add to the dish, really sort of lift the ray?

0:20:230:20:26

It does, yeah, and I love taking products that are either

0:20:260:20:29

underused or humble, making them special

0:20:290:20:30

and making people think, "Wow! You can do that with these

0:20:300:20:33

"vegetables that grow in salt marshes by the beach."

0:20:330:20:36

I love the colours, it's very vibrant and there's lots of greens.

0:20:360:20:39

Greens to me mean fresh.

0:20:390:20:41

The chicken skin was quite a different twist with

0:20:410:20:44

a piece of fish. How is that adding to the ray?

0:20:440:20:47

Well, you've got that beautiful, soft ray

0:20:470:20:50

and then you've got the sweetness of the pea.

0:20:500:20:52

To contrast that you need some crunch and some saltiness.

0:20:520:20:55

With the chicken skin you get that.

0:20:550:20:57

It's much more meatier than I thought it was going to be.

0:20:590:21:01

Do you get a fishy flavour or not?

0:21:010:21:03

-Hmm, not much.

-No.

0:21:030:21:04

I think that chicken skin's nice and crispy...

0:21:040:21:07

-But it's overpowering the dish.

-You think this is the gold medal?

0:21:070:21:10

This is going to boost them points up?

0:21:100:21:13

For me, perfect spring dish for a banquet.

0:21:130:21:16

Is this your comfort zone or are you pushing yourself?

0:21:160:21:19

-Yeah, this for me is really trying to push it out there and do something unique.

-OK.

0:21:190:21:23

Wow, that was hard.

0:21:260:21:27

Very hard work, but I'm happy with it.

0:21:270:21:30

Very happy with it.

0:21:300:21:31

And again, Glynn wouldn't give anything away.

0:21:310:21:33

I looked him directly in the eye, trying to get a little glimpse,

0:21:330:21:36

but he's got his poker face on today.

0:21:360:21:40

Last but not least, it's Daniel's stuffed mullet.

0:21:400:21:42

He quickly pan-fries it and gets it into the oven to puff up

0:21:420:21:45

its revolutionary pork crackling coating.

0:21:450:21:48

He starts building his dish under close scrutiny from his rivals.

0:21:480:21:51

What is that, Daniel?

0:21:510:21:53

-That's Parmesan puree.

-Can we try a little bit?

-Yeah.

0:21:530:21:56

It's got some impact, that, hasn't it? It's nice.

0:21:580:22:01

He places his baby artichokes, cubes of sherry vinegar jelly,

0:22:010:22:04

slices of lemon, Iberico ham and salty olive puree

0:22:040:22:07

and finishes it all off with his crispy stuffed mullet.

0:22:070:22:10

-Happy with that?

-Yeah, very.

0:22:200:22:22

I don't know about you, but I want to dive in,

0:22:220:22:24

-so we'll leave you with that one and we'll go this way.

-Brilliant.

0:22:240:22:27

Does Daniel's radical stuffed mullet reflect

0:22:270:22:30

the ambitions of our world-class Olympians?

0:22:300:22:33

-KNOCKING ON CRISPY SHELL:

-Are you happy with that texture?

0:22:330:22:36

Yeah, it's exactly how it should be.

0:22:360:22:38

Maybe, slightly, the fish is a little bit over.

0:22:380:22:41

I would've taken it out of the oven 30 seconds earlier.

0:22:410:22:45

Looks stunning.

0:22:450:22:46

Yep, Mediterranean, you can definitely see where that is.

0:22:460:22:49

-It's got the Iberico ham, that's olive.

-Yep.

-Artichoke.

0:22:490:22:52

Are you confident that such a mix of bold flavours

0:22:520:22:56

are working on the plate?

0:22:560:22:58

-Yeah, I'm happy with it.

-OK.

0:22:580:23:00

I've still got that flavour of red mullet in my mouth,

0:23:000:23:02

and I believe THAT is the crucial part of a fish dish.

0:23:020:23:05

You've got salty ham, salty olive, salty sea vegetables

0:23:050:23:09

and salty Parmesan.

0:23:090:23:11

It's very easy to overpower.

0:23:110:23:12

I don't think it needs the ham in the fish.

0:23:120:23:14

I sort of mirror your comments here,

0:23:140:23:16

I'd probably do away with the ham inside.

0:23:160:23:18

-Yeah.

-Cos you've got it out there.

0:23:180:23:20

Iberico ham, it's great on its own,

0:23:200:23:22

you don't really want to do anything to it.

0:23:220:23:24

Do you think it's the right size?

0:23:240:23:26

Yeah, I do, I think size matters,

0:23:260:23:29

I don't think people want to, you know...

0:23:290:23:31

At the end, you don't want to go to a banquet and leave hungry.

0:23:310:23:34

I, personally, would go a little smaller.

0:23:340:23:36

Yeah, could be slightly too big.

0:23:360:23:38

I mean, I'd give that as a main course, I think.

0:23:380:23:41

Do you think it's as good as your starter?

0:23:410:23:43

Yeah, I do. I am that confident with it, I am.

0:23:430:23:46

I think the crust on the fish, that's something that's quite new for me,

0:23:460:23:49

I've enjoyed that.

0:23:490:23:51

I think it's going to be up there.

0:23:510:23:54

Maybe not a nine but I think he's going to be up there, still,

0:23:540:23:58

and he's the one to chase.

0:23:580:24:00

HE EXHALES

0:24:000:24:03

How you feeling?

0:24:040:24:06

Yeah, I'm all right. Tired now.

0:24:060:24:08

-That was lovely, chef.

-Yeah?

-Really enjoyed it, yeah.

0:24:080:24:11

Look, I've been here twice, boys, and been shot down twice, so...

0:24:110:24:16

Some of us are going to sleep well tonight,

0:24:160:24:18

and some of us are going to have nightmares.

0:24:180:24:21

All three dishes tried and tested, there's nothing the chefs can do

0:24:230:24:26

but anxiously await Glynn's verdict.

0:24:260:24:29

We've all got different reasons for being nervous.

0:24:290:24:32

I'm in the middle, I could go either way.

0:24:320:24:34

I think I'm the most nervous, I'm already trailing behind.

0:24:340:24:37

I'm sitting here, fingers,

0:24:370:24:40

toes crossed cos I need to get myself back in that game.

0:24:400:24:42

I'm nervous, but also, it's down to Mr Purnell now.

0:24:420:24:46

Glynn gave Daniel an impressive nine yesterday,

0:24:480:24:51

Paul seven and Aktar just five.

0:24:510:24:54

So have they improved today?

0:24:540:24:56

Gentlemen...we'll go straight in with your fish, Aktar,

0:25:000:25:04

which was the mackerel

0:25:040:25:06

and the smoked langoustine beignets with coconut.

0:25:060:25:10

I thought the pickled mackerel was cooked lovely,

0:25:100:25:12

the spice on it was quite nice as well.

0:25:120:25:14

Slightly concerned about the smoked langoustine,

0:25:140:25:17

I thought the smoking of the langoustine

0:25:170:25:19

took a little bit of the langoustine flavour away.

0:25:190:25:22

It was very ambitious,

0:25:220:25:23

I think the execution of it just let you down a bit.

0:25:230:25:26

Yes, chef.

0:25:270:25:29

Paul, your ray with peas, the chicken

0:25:290:25:32

and the foraged vegetables, herbs.

0:25:320:25:35

I really liked the technique of poaching the fish

0:25:350:25:38

and then stripping it down, rather than a piece of fried fish,

0:25:380:25:42

I thought that was a creative sort of idea.

0:25:420:25:45

Also, for me it was educational

0:25:450:25:46

to try a few foraging bits and pieces which I quite enjoyed.

0:25:460:25:50

I like the idea of the crispy skin of the chicken,

0:25:520:25:54

but I felt once you add the crispy skin then you're into the ray,

0:25:540:25:59

you need another couple of mouthfuls of ray to get the fish back, cos it's quite a delicate fish.

0:25:590:26:04

And I'm concerned on the temperature,

0:26:040:26:06

it was that little bit too... Is it cold, is it warm?

0:26:060:26:08

Daniel, your stuffed red mullet with the pork crust

0:26:100:26:15

with the parmesan puree and the artichokes.

0:26:150:26:17

I slightly questioned the size of it which was maybe just a touch big for a fish course.

0:26:170:26:22

When I first saw it I thought to myself,

0:26:220:26:24

"There's too many big flavours in there,"

0:26:240:26:26

but the balance was brilliant.

0:26:260:26:28

It had the real Mediterranean feel which really hit the mark.

0:26:280:26:32

I thought the end of the fish was slightly over, but the bulk part of the fish was cooked perfect.

0:26:320:26:36

Thank you.

0:26:360:26:38

So next is the scores.

0:26:380:26:40

Aktar, for your mackerel and smoked langoustine, I'm going to give you...

0:26:400:26:47

..a six out of ten.

0:26:480:26:50

Paul, for your poached ray with crispy chicken skin,

0:26:520:26:56

I'm going to give you...

0:26:560:26:58

..a six out of ten.

0:27:010:27:02

Daniel, though it kills me to say...

0:27:040:27:08

..I'm going to give you...

0:27:100:27:11

..a nine out of ten.

0:27:130:27:15

-Thank you.

-I think another exceptional piece of cooking.

-Thank you.

0:27:150:27:18

Aktar and Paul, like great sportsmen, Olympians,

0:27:180:27:23

sometimes you get a knock,

0:27:230:27:24

you've got to get back up and you've got to give it the best you can.

0:27:240:27:27

-Good luck, I'll see you in the morning.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

0:27:270:27:30

-Cheers, big boy. Well done.

-Cheers, boys.

0:27:300:27:32

After day two, Daniel is racing ahead

0:27:360:27:38

with an overall score of 18.

0:27:380:27:40

Paul's hanging on to second with 13.

0:27:400:27:44

Aktar's hot on his heels with 11.

0:27:440:27:46

Two nines, come on, anyone's going to be happy with that.

0:27:460:27:48

I'm not going to let it knock me back,

0:27:480:27:50

it won't affect my confidence.

0:27:500:27:52

I've still got two dishes to cook.

0:27:520:27:54

There's only two points between myself and Paul so, you know,

0:27:540:27:58

still very much in the game, and we've seen points,

0:27:580:28:01

two points here and there easily won and easily lost.

0:28:010:28:05

Tomorrow it's the main course.

0:28:060:28:08

-Are you taking the mickey out of me, are you?

-No, not at all, chef!

0:28:080:28:12

And Daniel's going all-out to set a personal best.

0:28:120:28:14

I've got two nines so far, and today I'm going for a ten.

0:28:140:28:17

-What's going on, Daniel?

-World War III at the moment, mate.

0:28:170:28:20

The fish was tense but today the competition's kicked off.

0:28:200:28:23

A few kicks going on under the table,

0:28:230:28:25

so this is what we like to see in the Great British Menu kitchen.

0:28:250:28:28

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0:28:460:28:50

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