Northern Ireland Main Great British Menu

This week on Great British Menu,

the Northern Irish chefs continue to battle for the regional title.

One of you boys will be going for a walk today.

Former banquet winner Chris Fearon...

It's good fun food that'll taste great.

..his old boss, Raymond McArdle...

No disasters in this one.

..and ambitious new boy Ian Orr.

I'm not going for a beer or a laugh.

The challenge - to combine wit with gastronomy

and present spectacular dishes.

The prize - the chance to cook at a special banquet,

celebrating 25 years of Red Nose Day.

Yesterday's fish course saw Chris flounder...

BLEEP!

..foiled by his props.

And Raymond's King Of Fish was a royal let down.

A five.

The tide came in, washed my dish up and washed me with it.

But ambitious new boy Ian stole the show with his witty

gastronomic dish.

Definitely got the shakes down a little bit.

Nothing like a bit of pressure.

Heading into the main course, former champion Chris Fearon

is trailing behind.

Yes, it's a pie, but it will be a damn good one.

Is his confidence misplaced or will his pie pull him through?

-That looks fit for a king!

-Or an army!

Ian and Ray are determined to keep him at bay.

I'm here to win, lads, I'm focussed. Are you writing yourself off?

At the minute, I'm not making life easy for myself.

I was just going to say that.

Just like that!

This year's challenge is to create a performance on a plate -

gastronomic masterpieces that make people smile.

The chefs have joined forces

with some of Britain's best known entertainers...

Fantastic!

..to raise a laugh and some cash for Comic Relief.

Judging them this week is Michelin-starred,

two-time former champion Glynn Purnell.

I'm expecting in the kitchen some serious fireworks.

I'm thinking they've had a good night's sleep, they've realised

the mistakes they've made. I'm expecting three fantastic dishes

and three hungry chefs.

It's still all to play for, but tomorrow one of them

won't make the cut.

I just feel as if I haven't got started yet.

It's a pity, cos it's halfway through.

This is your strongest course?

The next two are my strongest course.

The last one, I thought that was strong, too.

It was going well up until the end, you know?

Hopefully, the prop doesn't let me down.

What about you, Raymond?

Titanic smoked venison.

-Titanic?

-Uh-huh.

Who's going to be the iceberg, Chris, to knock him off?

Knock him down, sink him.

I'm going to re-write the history books today.

-It's definitely going to come home.

-It's sailing home.

Dark horse Ian Orr, a new boy to the competition,

is currently in the lead with 13 points.

His accomplished dishes have scored well so far,

but he needs another good score today, to stay out in front.

It's made me nervous,

I was the underdog and I suddenly feel like I'm kind of the leader,

so I don't know how that'll affect me today.

-Morning, Glynn.

-Morning.

I wore these to put a smile on your face,

but obviously you've already got that because you are in the lead.

I'm just nervous that I'm actually in the lead now,

so I feel under more pressure.

Yesterday I was definitely the underdog. Today I feel

-that the two boys...

-Oh, they are definitely coming for you.

There are two spots in the final. I don't want to make you more nervous,

and they're coming for you today.

What are we cooking today?

Lamb baked in hay with a smoked red nose.

I am using a beautiful rump of lamb, baking the rump in hay.

I'm braising this down.

I'm a bit of a pasta man, so making a potato tortellini

from the lamb neck.

I have a beautiful little cloche, that I've made a little bale of hay.

I'll put the comical red noses in it.

-And I'm going to smoke it in hay.

-Put the nose on?

-Put the nose on.

So that is my kind of fun element.

Pressure is on. You need to maintain that lead.

I'd love to get through to see the judges on Friday.

I'll focus, make sure everything's perfectly cooked today,

hopefully it is enough to keep the lead going.

-Thanks, Glynn.

-Good luck.

Ian hopes his gimmicky smoked red nose will enhance his dish

of roast lamb baked in hay

with potato flour tortellini, crispy sweetbreads and champ.

I am slightly concerned the ravioli could be a bit tough. I've never made it with potato flour,

and there's a lot of starch in that,

so that could be something to look at.

In second place is experienced chef Ray McArdle.

His Northern Irish inspired food has so far been hit and miss

with veteran Glynn Purnell, so will his main course today

help him sail into the lead?

I am cooking smoked venison.

If my venison is overcooked, I'm going home.

End of story.

-Morning, Chef.

-How are we?

-I'm very good.

-What are we cooking today, Ray?

-Titanic smoked venison, tongue and cheek.

-What cuts have we got?

I have the saddle, the loin.

Tongue, which I'm going to brine and cook down

-and then put into the pie mix.

-Oh, so you're making a pie?

-Yeah,

-tongue and cheek pie.

-OK, so that is the joke element, tongue-in-cheek.

-Yeah. And wild honey.

-You have got some sweet bits as well?

Yeah, and I'm going to soak them down with the honey last second

in the carrot.

What about... We're smoking something, are we?

I don't want to disclose the whole...

OK, so you want to leave a couple of surprises to the end.

Yeah, I think it is nice for the judge.

I like a good surprise and I like a good joke,

so we'll wait for that. I won't push you anymore on that.

You have called it Titanic Venison or Venison Titanic?

Last year was the centenary year of the Titanic,

so thought it was very relevant.

And it is the fun element of the dish.

Hopefully, this main course is going to be titanic,

but not the one that sank.

-No, this is going to sail home, Glynn.

-Good luck.

-Cheers.

Ray is certain his technical smoked venison sweetbreads

and tongue and cheek pie has the right

combination of gastronomy and humour to bring him into the lead.

I am actually looking forward to tasting Raymond's

because he seems quite determined

and he has got the bit between his teeth.

He is almost on the edge of aggressive.

Former champion Chris is finding his previous success

in the competition a hard act to follow.

Currently in last place,

he has come back to the kitchen determined to claw back his ground.

Yesterday's fish course, the prop let me down at the last second.

So I can't let that happen again today with my main course.

It has to be perfect, high-scoring, otherwise I'm going home.

Morning, Glynn.

-So, Chris, what are we cooking today?

-Cowboy pie.

Big horns stuffed in it.

Using beautiful beef cheek layered up with some ceps,

some really slow-cooked onion, nice beef fat short-crust pastry.

Got two pies, so there is bit of a pie-of.

Got some similar sort of elements as you.

It is a big pie. I'm doing barbecue beans with it

and some barbecued sweet corn.

You are cooking a pie,

-which is kind of a brave thing to do on the Great British Menu.

-Yeah.

Obviously, you need to make sure it is the ultimate pie.

The last thing you want to do is to be eating humble pie at the end.

Exactly. I think it is pretty luxurious.

Good quality pastry and a really clever presentation.

I think this is a good pie and I think it meets the brief.

Thanks. Thanks very much.

Chris and his cowboy pie of beef cheeks and ceps,

accompanied by barbecue beans and sweet corn need to earn top

marks to bring him back into the competition.

I'm hoping Chris is going to concentrate more on his food

and he needs a solid dish to get some points back on the board.

Today, lads, the main course, the big one today.

Me and you, Raymond, especially,

we need to get a few points on the board,

keep up with big Ian there.

He is galloping way into the front.

Yous boys have nothing to lose at this stage, have you?

It's halfway through the competition

and anything can happen at this point.

Last year I trailed and then on the second day I came back,

worked my way up towards end of the week

I just got through by the skin of my teeth.

I would like to taste a wee bit more of that this year.

But I'm not making my life easy for myself.

I was just going to say that.

Well, Chris, you'd be enough happy not to go home.

You'd be happy for us if we made it through.

I'd be over the moon for you.

-I know you would, you're that type of guy.

-He is that type of guy.

He is that type of guy and, well, he is two out of two

for Northern Ireland.

-Two out of three ain't bad, boys.

-Are you writing yourself off?

Not yet.

I've been really good on the main course.

Everything's coming together really well. I'm feeling confident.

I think I can pull it back today.

The main course is really important. This is like the star of the show.

I've never had the main course on a menu,

so what a fantastic opportunity to pull your socks up

and get a great dish on the pass.

The heat in the kitchen is making Ian's potato flour pasta hard

to work with.

But he seems more concerned with the quality of the chefs

in this year's competition.

If we get through, Ray, we'll be up against Michelin-starred chefs.

That won't faze me. I would love to get an opportunity to meet them guys.

I think the best food has to come through

because you are up against guys with one and two stars.

You can't start looking silly. You've got to be able to compete.

Otherwise, you know, we are going along for a beer

-and a bit of a laugh and a singsong.

-I'm not going for a beer and a laugh.

I know you were trying to get me to the bar last night, get me drunk,

but I am here to win, lads.

-I'm focused.

-Ray, how are you getting on?

-I'm motoring today.

Definitely yesterday was a motivation to push me on.

I think I was a wee bit too chilled about the whole thing

and needed something to happen to me to wake up a wee bit.

I think Ray went to the beach yesterday, went for a walk.

-Got lost.

-One of you boys will be going for a walk today, too.

If new boy Ian is going to maintain his lead,

he needs to concentrate on making his roast lamb dish perfect.

-Hi, Ian, how are we getting on?

-A bit of a nightmare at the start.

Just the fact that I'm using potato flour,

so it went very dry straightaway.

Ian is using potato flour to make his pasta.

I'm not surprised, it dries very quickly, that he

has had a few problems with it this morning.

It just tends to crack when you're moulding it.

And sometimes you have to be very careful with the filling.

The pressure maybe seems to push him a little bit.

The pasta has gone a bit dry. He seems to be shaking quite a lot.

So I am hoping the pressure isn't going to get to him.

Former champion Chris has already started assembling his pie.

But is he concentrating more on the presentation than the gastronomy?

Yes, it's a pie, but it will be a damn good one.

I'm getting the waiters dressed up as cowboys

and the guests dressed up as bandits.

The pies come down, big horns on them.

You pass them around the table. A bit of sweet corn,

beans getting handed out.

Interaction, fun. You know, it's brilliant.

Is that the way you looked at the brief?

Well, I did, until I did the fish course, there.

I'll have to rethink that one.

-Definitely an easy one for a banquet.

-Yep.

Chris has to turn it around. He's doing a massive pie.

It looks amazing, but, as we know, it is all about the food.

That pie has to be delicious, nicely cooked. So we'll see. We'll see.

Chris is confident his beef cheek pie filled with ceps

and braised onions will impress veteran Glynn.

But rival Raymond is also banking on a miniature pie filled with

venison tongue and cheek to complement his smoked loin.

Raymond, what is happening with this cut?

I am just giving it a wee tie to keep it in shape.

And I am sort of looking at that as a portion.

-And ready for smoking.

-Oh, smoking?

-Yeah.

-Is that part of the surprise?

-Yeah, but that is not just the surprise.

-Oh, OK.

We've got lots of different cooking methods going on,

so I'll leave you to it and I just hope you get them

all on the plate exactly how you want them.

Yes, thank you. Everything so far this morning is as I want it.

It was like that yesterday until I went to plate it

and I discovered I'm not overly happy with that.

There is tension in the kitchen, and so there should be.

I'm not accepting any badly cooked food today at all.

Former champion Chris finishes the layering of his cowboy pie

and tops with puff pastry.

Ian, can you get that door for me, please?

-That's...that looks fit for a king.

-Thanks very much, Raymey.

Or an army.

As well as competing to cook at the banquet, the chefs are doing

their bit to raise some cash and support Red Nose Day.

Chris is at Queens University Belfast to raise money for charity.

He is going to run a pub quiz

and provide food to encourage generous donations.

Coming to lend a hand and also help Chris with his competition

nerves is legend of screen and stage, Roy Walker.

APPLAUSE

Welcome to the Great British Menu quiz here for Comic Relief.

Thanks for coming along, taking part in it.

Here is your first one.

What is the name of the official national anthem

of the United States of America?

I'm glad that Roy is here today to help me.

He has got big charisma, he's got a lot of self-confidence.

Hopefully, he's going to try to beat that nervousness

that came to me last year.

It is Chris's turn to ask the questions.

OK, guys, how many millions were raised by the first televised

Red Nose Day - one million, nine million or 15 million?

You are doing well here, but cut out the river dance, OK?

OK. Stand still.

Busy feet. Busy feet.

While Roy continues to quiz the students,

Chris repairs his barbecued sweet corn and beans.

Welcome back with the food, Chris!

This is a Great British Menu competition

and this is part of Chris's main dish.

I hope you enjoy it.

Well, you know, there is no such thing as a free lunch,

so we're going to have a collection now, OK?

This is for Comic Relief, guys, you know, a good cause.

Fantastic. That is really generous of you.

His food goes down well and the students dig deep in their pockets.

Thanks to Chris, our new quizmaster.

APPLAUSE

And from me, Roy, thanks very much for Comic Relief for all your

contributions and for your attention and your time in the quiz.

-Say goodbye to everybody, Chris.

-"Goodbye, everybody, Chris."

LAUGHTER

Finally, it is time for Roy to give Chris his feedback

on the barbecued sweet corn and beans.

Look at the butter.

-That is finger-licking fantastic.

-Good!

Yeah, I think the combination of the two,

the sweet corn and those beans,

that is a winning dish for sure.

Really good fun, really good energy out of Roy.

Yeah, I had a really good time. It was really beneficial today.

If your taste buds have been tickled and you'd like to get

involved with Red Nose Day, then why not take part in Menu Relief?

To do your bit whilst enjoying an evening out

at a local restaurant, just go to...

..and find out how to join in the fun, too.

It is getting close to plating-up time

and new boy Ian's roast lamb in hay is nearly ready.

-I saw the lamb come out of the oven.

-Yeah.

-It's finished, it's cooked?

-No.

I want to give it a good rest and then a wee bit extra just in case.

It smells nice, got a really nice aroma of the hay.

You won't give me extra points if you get hay in your lamb.

I'm not saying anymore.

Just looking at Ian's lamb, I was slightly concerned.

It felt a little undercooked,

so I'm hoping he's going to get that cooking degree perfect.

First up to the pass is Ian's comedy prop.

Ian has scattered his plate with toasted hazelnuts

and adds the champ and tortellini.

Then the lamb, cooked in hay.

He then adds sweetbreads in a herby crust.

Pours on the lamb sauce.

And adds the finishing touch to the comedy prop.

Happy with that?

I'm happy. That there is a base of wood chips and hay.

On its own, when you smell the nose, it's too harsh,

so there is a little mint oil. That is a fun factor for me.

-We're going to taste it?

-Yep.

-Guys, you taste yours.

Lovely, let's go.

-Before I taste it, I put this on?

-Yeah, put that on.

You get a little bit of mint there.

Here, buddy, have a go at that.

HE LAUGHS

Apart from me talking like this, is it going to hinder me eating it?

-As in the flavours.

-I'm not too sure what way I want people to use it.

Well, for me, it is a little bit tight, so I'm going to take it off.

Yeah, there is a wee, faint smell of the smoke and the mint off it.

I know what you mean.

I hope we are laughing later on.

So, are you happy with the pasta?

I'm not a big fan of tortellinis being al dente,

but for some reason the pasta flour has a bite but is very soft.

When pasta dries like that, it gets tougher.

It is firmer than traditional pasta.

You think you have got the right balance of flavours?

A touch more salt maybe in the lamb.

I did season with some rock salt on top of it.

Maybe a bit more, but overall, I'm pretty happy.

As a chef judging a chef, it is not edgy enough

and it is not nothing you haven't seen before.

He has played it very cool.

He has gone for steady sixes and sevens, and that wins competitions.

That worries me, because I need to be hitting a high score today.

You are in trouble, big lad.

You are not out of the woods yet, chief.

I know!

Are you looking over your shoulder too much?

You're not going to lose focus?

Just proved yesterday that a big prop put people behind,

maybe today my prop might be too simple and I might score less.

That was another tough one. Not too sure about the noses.

That was the only criticism I got, the nose.

You know, we can change that, but we'll see.

Next up is Chris who is busy preparing a sweet

and spicy butter for his flaming sweet corn surprise.

-How are you going, Chris?

-How is it going?

-Not too bad.

Chris, you are going to be making beans

and sweet corn quite gastronomic?

It is barbequed beans and barbecued sweet corn.

You know, popcorn, butter. It's fun.

It isn't Michelin-star food, it is good, fun food.

-Good, fun food.

-That will taste great.

We have got some hay,

so are we in for some sort of interesting presentation?

Presentation, maybe a hint of flavour.

It is more for the wow factor.

It is not going to overtake the flavour the food?

-No, not at all.

-Well, I'll wait and see. Good luck.

-Thanks very much.

With his barbecue beans and sweet corn ready, it is

the moment of truth for Chris's cowboy pie.

And he has comedy props to match.

The ponchos here, first of all. Just throw them over the your head.

Clint Eastwood.

Get these over there.

Come on, Glynn, you are the sheriff.

Dressed up and ready to eat,

the posse await Chris's dramatic presentation.

Three seconds, boys.

And Chris has another trick up his sleeve.

His flaming sweet corn campfire surprise,

with lashings of sweet and spicy butter.

-That is a heart attack and a half.

-Yep.

Cow pie, barbeque beans,

two cowboys,

beer, glasses, plates,

sheriff, mug.

That was an amazing entrance. You've got to agree, boys, yeah?

BOTH: Yeah.

So let's round them up and have a taste.

-Yee-haw!

-Come on, let's go and have a taste.

You said there were no props, this seems the most outrageous

one you've done. Do think it has panned off?

I think I got away with it this time, yeah.

I say that nervously, but the proof is in the eating, Chef.

-The proof is in the pie, yeah?

-The proof is in a pie.

To serve that at a banquet would be very disorganized.

It is never going to look pretty on the plate.

It is going to be bang on there, lift this, put that on.

There is a fun element to that, to the Comedy Relief side,

but it also is meant to be gastronomic.

A little bit of pastry there.

I just wanted it to be a proper bloke, cowboy, man pie,

just over the top, go for it, you know what I mean?

Let's have a few of these beans.

-What did you think of the beans?

-The beans are lovely, Ray.

It is a big pie, man. I can picture a couple of cowboys sitting

around a campfire, drinking moonshine, beans, farting,

eating a big pie, you know what I mean?

It's proper, man, it's proper.

It takes a lot of guts to serve that.

I mean, you have to take your hat off to him.

I like that.

Is it gastronomic enough?

At this minute in time, Glynn, I don't know.

-Are you worried about this dish?

-Definitely worried about it,

the fact that he got a better fun factor than my dish.

Chris has got a lot riding on this.

This has got to be a massive score today.

It couldn't have went any better.

And, yeah, it is just up to Glynn, what he thinks of it.

Last to the pass is Raymond,

and he has a presentation surprise up his sleeve, too -

his titanic smoker for his venison loin.

Some piece of kit here.

Yeah.

That's a hot smoker.

And I wanted to smoke the venison,

and I thought a box smoker is ugly.

So I thought I would get a smoker designed around the actual Titanic.

You should put a big red nose on the end of it, to cheer it up a wee bit.

Yeah, cheer it up.

The Titanic reminds me of death.

-Well, it's celebrated, Chris.

-I know, but people died on it.

It is a big coffin, like.

-It is not going to sink, that one.

-No, no, no.

I can't see it, boys.

Unfazed by rival Chris's sombre observation,

Ray puts his venison loin into the Titanic smoker.

How is it getting on over there, Ray?

Is everything coming together at the same time there for you?

This one is going to burn, the first one sunk.

-I think a red nose would look great on there.

-I know.

With his venison smoker in position, Ray dresses his plate with

carrots and cumin puree, adds pickled damsons

and honey,

stuffed sweetbread carrots, his tongue and cheek pie...

..and finally, the smoked venison loin.

So, unlike the Titanic,

you're hoping this one is not going to be a disaster.

-No disasters in this one.

-Should we go and taste it?

-Yeah.

-Let's go, Raymond.

Good luck, lad.

The connection between yourself and the Titanic, obviously,

from your region.

What is the connection to Comic Relief?

Well, the venison will come out in the Titanic, smoking

into the room. And I think everyone will instantly recognise

that's from Northern Ireland. So that is the comical side.

And the waiters will lift it off and serve the venison from it

onto each plate.

I don't find the Titanic funny. I find it a tragic story.

-You know, it is not fun at all.

-You are the prop man.

If I asked you now to do one, how would you change it?

Spray it pink, turn it into the Love Boat, put Christmas tree

lights all around it, Barry White playing from underneath it.

That would be brilliant.

Do you think your venison is smoked enough?

I just wanted it there, Glenn, I didn't want it,

you know, banged right out. Yeah.

The smoking is very evident

-and the flavour of the venison comes through.

-Yeah.

I love the smoke on it, actually, buddy.

Let's tuck into the pie.

Oh, God, it's a very thick pastry.

Raymond, the pastry on the pie, are you happy...?

You've got the right thickness?

No, I could have got that thinner, Glynn.

And I knew when I was making it, it was slightly thick.

Just a wee bit.

What do you taste? Nothing.

Got some honey on the side of the plate there.

It is quite continental to serve honey on the side of the plate.

I think it is a nice touch.

What is the craic with the honey?

HE COUGHS

I can see you were focused, I can see there was a lot of work

going on, are you happy the way it's turned out?

I am happy.

Yeah, uh, really pleased with today.

Woke up this morning with real grit and determination

and do what I normally do.

And busted it out. And I am really pleased with that.

I really need a strong score today to be in with a shout

going into tomorrow's dessert, otherwise it will be a nightmare.

I think Chris has secured enough to get a place in the judges,

but it would be great if me and Ray was in, someone different,

spices it up a little bit, something for the judges.

My prop is actually functional plus it is theatrical.

If that came out into the room

and the smoke is coming out of the funnels and you lift the meat out,

it is serving a purpose.

So it is not just like serving something in a duck or something.

Hello, Chefs.

-Nervous?

-Yeah.

Shaking. The shakes are back.

Let's go straight into it.

Ian, for your lamb baked in hay with the smoked red nose...

I thought the lamb was seasoned really well. The tortellinis,

I was worried they were going to be dry, but they were quite nice.

The champ was nice. The smokiness of the skins in

the potato was really nice.

But...

I wasn't completely convinced and bowled over with the nose.

I thought having the nose on, it stifled my taste buds a little bit.

I felt it was just sort of there.

I thought the dish was nice. To be called nice isn't, you know...

-I'd rather be called rock 'n roll, wouldn't you?

-Yeah.

Chris.

The cowboy Supper.

I thought the presentation was great.

The pie looked absolutely magnificent

and it looked as good as it tasted.

I thought it really represented you to a tee.

The question is, was it gastronomic?

And for me...

..it really was.

Raymond, your Titanic smoked venison.

I thought the cooking degree and the smoking

was really technically executed really well.

The pastry on the pie, for me, was a little too thick.

But I think you know that.

I think that's something you realise when you served it.

The venison sweetbreads, they don't really work for me,

there's not enough flavour in them.

And I don't think you really needed the honey on the plate,

because you had the sweetness of the carrots.

Going back to the Titanic, I thought the presentation

and the way it came through the room would be pretty amazing.

For me, I wasn't sure on where the humour would fit in

with Comic Relief.

So, for the scores...

Ian.

For your lamb...

..I'm going to be scoring you...

..a six.

Thank you.

Raymond.

For your venison...

...I'm going to score you...

..a seven.

Chris.

For your Cowboy Supper,

I'm going to be scoring you...

..a nine.

Like I said at the start, this is a good scrap. Everyone is on 19.

So at the end of the day, guys, it is all about the dessert.

So may the best two go through and come out fighting. So good luck.

-Thank you.

-Cheers.

-Well done, boys, back on again.

-BLEEP!

-So, we are all even Stevens.

-We'll have a scrap of it. BLEEP!

See if that fish course didn't let me down yesterday...

I am so raging even more now with that fish course.

So, returning champion Chris has put himself back in the running

with a total of 19 points.

And the three chefs from Northern Ireland are back

at the starting line going into dessert.

Wow, a nine for my main course, I am over the moon.

It brings me right back into it again and it is all to play for.

I did expect Chris to come out fighting,

and he did, and proved that he got a great score.

I didn't see that coming at all, level scores going into the dessert.

That is a different ball game now.

Tomorrow, with the dessert course, Ray pushes Chris to the edge...

Just be careful with that sponge in there, OK?

-I didn't know it was a sponge, honestly.

-No problem.

-Just be careful when you go in.

-I' didn't know.

..as mayhem breaks out.

Don't open that top oven, please, use the bottom oven, all right?

It is absolutely wild!

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd