Scotland Dessert Great British Menu

It's crunch time on Great British Menu for three of Scotland's

most talented chefs.

Former regional champion Michael Smith...

No pressure, Michael.

..self-proclaimed joker Tony Singh...

Hello, lads! Do you need a hand?

..and ambitious molecular chef Mark Greenaway.

If I were you, I would score this dish a 9.

All week, they've been striving to create culinary works of art,

with a sense of humour...

Squeeze my nose, would you?

..for a special banquet celebrating 25 years of Red Nose Day

at the magnificent Royal Albert Hall.

Yesterday's main course saw dazzling highs for Michael.

I'm going to give you 9 points.

And Mark.

Hello. I think that's very good.

I'm going to give you 8 points.

Whilst Tony risked it all on an untested dish.

-Was this not something you'd practised before?

-No.

A gamble that didn't pay off.

It was your weakest dish. There is more in you than that.

And saw him plummet from first to last place.

I'm giving you 5 points.

With one last chance to get back on top...

I hope I get through this time.

..will joker Tony have the last laugh?

It's a custard pie. If that's not comedy, what is?

Or is his technically challenging dessert a risk too far?

(BLEEP)

(BLEEP)

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

gastronomic masterpieces that will also raise a smile.

And the chefs have all done their bit to help raise

money for Comic Relief.

Can I do that again?

Only two chefs can cook for the judges tomorrow,

and today's dessert is their last chance to impress Michelin-starred

chef and veteran of the competition, Angela Hartnett MBE.

I've been on the judging panel in the finals for the last few years,

and it always surprises me - some of the most amazing chefs

in this country can let themselves down with terrible desserts.

It's a very important course in the Great British Menu,

and it will seal the fate of one of these chefs and send them home.

Former regional champion Michael Smith

regained the top spot yesterday with an impressive 9 for his main course,

a success he's confident he can repeat with his dessert.

I've got a 3-point lead.

I've also done quite well in the competition when it comes to dessert.

I'm going to try and maximise on that. I'm going to get to that judging chamber.

So what's the name of your dish?

-Dooking For Your Doughnuts.

-I know what a doughnut is. What's the 'dooking' part?

It's a very traditional Scottish party game.

If you think of the spirit of ducking for apples...

I would rather reveal it when I present you with the dish.

-Fair enough.

-They've also got comedic factor. They have a certain humour themselves.

-OK, so what have we got in here, then?

-We've got oranges, limes...

-We've got exotic fruits, so we've got the limes, the oranges.

-Passion fruit.

Passion fruit, pineapple, obviously.

-And chillies? What are you doing with these?

-I'm going to try and make them more gastronomic

-and fitting for the banquet by giving them unusual toppings.

-OK, And what's this? What's your alcohol?

A sweetened rum. It's quite fragrant.

And I use that as an icing for one of doughnuts.

OK, and this is...?

This is a coconut one.

But there's a little treat for the diners at the end.

-I'm going to make frozen cocktails for them.

-OK.

And how are you feeling at the moment, because you're ahead?

I was really delighted with the main course yesterday,

and I just want to make sure I maintain that today

with this pudding so it gets me through to the final.

-I'm expecting great things from you, Michael.

-OK. Thank you.

Michael is looking to stay out in front with his Scottish party-game-inspired dessert

featuring tropical-flavoured doughnuts

and a pina colada cocktail.

To make a good doughnut does actually take a lot of skill,

and to my mind, I've tasted some of the best doughnuts in the world,

so Michael's got a lot to live up to.

Mark Greenaway's technically ambitious dishes have a been a bit hit-and-miss this week,

but after leap-frogging into second place with an 8 for his main course,

he's feeling confident and he's got a trump card up his sleeve.

I'm an ex-pastry chef. It should be plain sailing.

I've practised this so many times. Nothing can really go wrong.

What's your dessert called?

'Knot' Chocolate Tart.

This is very playful.

-Filling the brief.

-It's very playful, it's very fun.

There's a few little surprises hidden within it,

that when you eat it. I've got some chocolate,

Scottish. I'm pairing it up with some kumquats,

so I'm going to caramelise these, and then puree them.

-And you want it quite bitter, cos these are bitter?

-It's going to be quite an intense flavour.

And this? White chocolate?

I'm doing some... It's called white chocolate soil.

And that's what I'm using the tapioca flour for.

That will dissolve as soon as you eat it,

and I'm also going to be doing some frozen chocolate chip cookies.

Frozen, so they'll be frozen on the plate?

Yes. And I'm going to do pressed candyfloss as well.

Pressed candyfloss? So, what... so it's flat?

Yes. Rather than fluffy.

Feeling confident?

Yes. Well, I used to be a pastry chef, so I love this dish.

I've practised it. I feel it's one of my strongest dishes.

Mark's exploiting his dessert skills

and using every technique in the book in a bid to outwit

the competition with his twist on a chocolate tart.

Mark used to be a pastry chef,

so I'm really expecting him to deliver fantastic dessert.

He's got a lot of stuff to do, and it worries me whenever there's

so many things going on a plate that it detracts from the main element.

Risk-taker Tony's had a rollercoaster week,

but when yesterday's gamble didn't pay off

he found himself in last place, and can't afford any more mistakes.

I'm a bit shocked I'm in third place going into the dessert course,

and I've got a bit of an uphill challenge today

because it's very technical, what I'm doing.

(BLEEP) I'll be going home.

So, what's the name of your dessert, Tony?

Right In The Eye!

Right In The Eye. What's on right in the eye? What is that?

It's comedy. Slapstick. It has to be a custard pie.

-So as in...

-Yeah, right in the eye. It's a custard pie. If that's not comedy, what is?

I'm putting nutmeg in the pastry. I'm doing a savoury pastry.

-Right.

-A bit of salt there, cos it's quite sweet. I'm doing some sugar work as well.

-OK.

-So I'm making a sorbet.

-So is this what all this stuff is for, the glucose? What's this?

Isomalt. That's an inverted sugar.

That's what I'm going to use to pull sugar with.

Last time I pulled sugar was 11 years ago. I use tartaric acid and everything.

So you've practised this dessert, if the last time you pulled sugar was 11 years ago?

But then you were using tartaric acid and everything like that,

but in this space of time, and the moisture in the kitchen,

this is a bit more stable.

OK. Quite a few little chemical products here,

which is unusual for you.

It is a bit difficult. It is a bit technical, so this is it.

It should end on a high.

OK, so this is it. Well, good luck, Tony.

So joker Tony is staying true to form with a slapstick

comedy-inspired custard tart, which he is hoping to blast to gastronomic

heights with some technically challenging pulled sugar.

For Tony there's a lot more going on in this dish than his other

courses, so he needs to be on top of it and he's doing this dyed

pulled sugar - quite technical.

He's got to get it right, and he's got to be organised.

Good luck all of you. Don't lose focus. It could all go either way.

All three chefs are desperate to get through to the judges.

With the most ground to make up,

Tony's going all out to claw back vital points with his risky pulled

sugar, and his extra kitchen kit has got his competitors interested.

What's going on here, Tony?

That's a hot lamp for the sugar.

What amp bulb?

That's a 250 watt hot lamp. Keeps the sugar malleable.

Fantastiche!

I didn't know Tony was doing that. It's a little bit of a surprise.

If he nails it, you know, I think I should be worried.

With only one point between him

and Tony, Mark knows he's not home and dry yet.

So with eight tricky elements to juggle,

he gets straight to work on his kumquat puree and chocolate jelly.

I'm doing all these techniques, but all the techniques in the world,

if they're not right, won't help you.

A couple of well-executed techniques can always outshine something that's a bit bells and whistles.

-Lots going on for you.

-I don't know why I do it to myself, I'd really don't.

Yes, but you've got pastry, so I'm expecting great things.

There's a huge amount of pressure on me today. Everyone's expecting a lot.

I just need to deliver.

Whilst Mark's capitalising on his technical knowledge, Michael

has opted for a simpler dessert, a familiar sweet treat - doughnuts.

Do you think this is going to be sophisticated enough for the banquet?

I'm using doughnuts in the dessert, because I'm presuming everybody loves doughnuts, but do you?

I don't have a sweet tooth, but the one thing I do like are doughnuts.

Good to know.

You can argue that doughnuts aren't very gastronomic.

It's not a certain that Michael is going through.

If Mark and Tony pull it out of the bag,

and do an amazing dessert, then Michael could be the one going home.

Like his competitors,

risk-taker Tony is determined to succeed today, and is going

all-out in a last-ditch attempt to get through to the judges.

He's making the glucose

and isomalt base for his tricky pulled sugar, but there's an issue.

(BLEEP)Who switched the stove off? (BLEEP)

(BLEEP)

It was me, Tony. Sorry, mate.

Damn and blast! Can somebody make sure it's on?

It's crucial the sugar is heated to exactly 180 degrees,

a precision technique Tony has to get right.

-Mark, can I jump on yours?

-Of course you can.

-What happened there, Tony?

-The stove was off.

Someone tried to stitch you up, mate.

No, I think it was a mistake.

Oh, was it?

I hope so.

Currently in last place, Tony can't afford any slip-ups with his dessert.

As well as competing to cook at the banquet,

the chefs have gone out of their way to demonstrate how the money we

raise each year through fundraising changes lives here in the UK.

I went along to the Living Memory Association,

a little project in Edinburgh.

Some inspirational people, you know?

-They're the sort of people you want to be cooking for the banquet, right?

-Definitely.

The Living Memory Association Mark visited

is one of over 15,000 groups supported by Comic Relief.

Based in Edinburgh, it encourages the elderly to remain

active in their community through sharing their memories of the past.

We've worked with lots of community groups, lots of care homes,

people telling us their own wee stories about their lives.

It's quite therapeutic.

Inspired by his childhood memories, Mark wanted to evoke a real

sense of nostalgia with the final dish on his menu.

As a kid, I would always love walking about, almost making myself

feel sick with a big lollipop stick, with loads of candyfloss on it.

My dessert for this year, I've really sort of focused on the whole

flavour element, the fun element of eating the dish.

It's all childhood memories. It will bring a smile to your face.

And it was these childhood memories that Mark wanted to share

with the elderly people at the Memory project.

Everybody's been to a fairground. You know, you've had candyfloss, and hopefully that will take you

back and evoke those sort of memories for yous.

Cobwebs are appearing.

So who would like to try the candyfloss first?

-George.

-George - you should try it first.

George - there you are.

It's nice and sweet.

Mm! It's lovely and warm, isn't it?

I know. It's so warm - I'd forgotten that.

You have to sook your fingers to get all the juice back off.

It would be a summer evening if you were at the fair.

Yes. And that would be part of it.

Big treat to go to a fair.

And you would hear the music all around you as you were eating it.

I remember a candyfloss stall in a big sports field, and the

rain started to come on, totally dissolving all this pink froth!

We used to be able to buy it, and it was a bit pink, blue, and white

and you were convinced as a kid that it tasted completely different.

But really, it all tasted exactly the same.

You know what they say - a moment on the lips,

and a lifetime on the hips!

And I think that especially applies to something like candy floss.

Inspired by George, Ruby, and Jean's memories,

Mark decided to host an afternoon tea at his restaurant

to raise some much-needed funds for Comic Relief

and to get some valuable feedback on his dessert.

So, guys - make sure you dig deep.

It is for charity, and I hope you all enjoy the dessert.

Thank you very much, thank you.

Mm. It's lovely.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

I can feel it bursting.

It's going to keep you bouncing until quite some time!

Today's been a great day.

We've raised loads of money for Comic Relief.

I've had some great feedback for my dessert, so Tony, Michael, watch out!

I'm going to be at the banquet.

Back in the kitchen,

Mark is spinning the candy floss for his cutting edge chocolate dessert.

-And that's not going to disintegrate?

-I'm going to dehydrate it.

So you're going to dry that, so it's really crispy?

I'm going to put another mat on top, then roll it,

so it's really thin, and then it'll almost look like paper.

-Yeah.

-And then cut it into shapes.

Mark is making too much work out of candy floss. He's rolling it,

he's drying it, and he's making it into wafer-thin paper.

Could be doing too much work for something that may not add

anything to the dish.

Across the kitchen, Tony is also taking a risk with

his slapstick-inspired custard pie and delicate sugar-red nose.

He's working on his pulled sugar, a complex process of boiling,

setting, and remelting his dyed glucose

and isomalt mixture before it's ready for the next stage.

Is that not quite tricky in this temperature?

Very, that's why I was finding it hard.

As it cools, Tony must work quickly, repeatedly kneading

and folding the hot sugar until shiny and flexible enough to pull.

Braver than I am, Tony, I tell you. A braver man than I am.

All we can do is but try. It's just an absolute nutter!

-Well, we know that.

-What was it Angela said? He's as mad as a box of frogs!

Never a truer word said!

More like a lorry-load, mate!

Michael is hoping to finish on a high with his tropical dessert,

featuring doughnuts, jelly, and a pina colada.

But risk-taker Tony has spotted a chink in his opponent's armour.

So Angela is a doughnut fiend. She's expecting the best.

Angela likes doughnuts, so he's got a high benchmark.

It's going to be hard for Michael. Quite a pressure on you!

Mark's dish is first under fire today,

and he has a lot of elements to plate-up.

He drizzles white chocolate over his frozen chocolate cookies,

and sandwiches together with kumquat puree.

He pipes more puree onto the plate along with salted caramel.

He adds a line of caramelised chocolate puffed rice,

and popping candy,

and ties his tricky chocolate jelly knots,

before adding to the plate with the white chocolate soil.

He finishes with his frozen cookies

and a cylinder of creme fraiche parfait.

But with so many elements to plate, he's forgotten a key component

of his dish - the dehydrated candy floss.

That's my 'Knot' Chocolate Tart.

Right, let's go. Bon appetit.

One thing - candy floss, where is it?

I forgot to put it on. Just in such a time constraint.

Where's the fun side in it?

I think the whole fun is the eating of it.

The presentation of it, the look of it. It's just fun.

He's not put the candy floss on it.

-He's not forgotten, has he?

-I think he has.

There's a lot going on on the plate, Mark.

D'you think that's going to be too confusing?

No, that's the fun part of it. Each mouthful should be there.

And balance? You don't think that's too sweet?

No, I don't. I think you've got the bitterness of the chocolate, the orange.

Let's try the knot. That's the Scottish chocolate?

-Do you think it's slightly over-set?

-Yes. I like the salted caramel.

I like the popping candy, as well. That's nice. Very nice.

I put popping candy in mine, a little bit. Concerned there.

D'you think that's going to take you through to the judges' chamber tomorrow?

I think it deserves to.

Fantastic restaurant dish, fantastic pastry work,

but it has no attachment to the brief for me.

-No.

-You want a big impact. You want a showstopper, don't you?

Yes. You want something funny right at the end.

Really happy with what I've done.

Forgot one of the elements on the dish,

but you know, these things happen.

Next to be scrutinised is Michael.

He dots his chilli and lime doughnuts with rum and lime icing.

Are you nearly ready to go?

I'm just at the crucial stage right now.

Michael fills his round doughnuts with passion fruit cream,

tops the passion fruit jellies with diced pineapple and mint,

and pours the pina colada into frozen glasses,

before assembling his surprise presentation.

He ties his chilli and lime doughnuts onto his kilt frame with candy laces,

adds the passion fruit doughnuts, jellies,

and pina coladas, and he's ready to serve.

This is Dooking For Doughnuts. So, you're not allowed to use your hands.

Dook a doughnut!

Hey!

Well done, Mark. Well done.

Right, let's go, Michael.

I'll give it a go.

I mean, I just imagine 80-odd people, all in a line,

all dooking for the doughnuts at the same time.

I'm sure it's going to raise quite a bit of hilarity.

And the consistency of the doughnuts?

Yet, the doughnuts are light.

Textbook doughnut. It really is. Textbook. Perfect.

I love the passion fruit as well.

What's in the wee jelly?

Quite tart. It goes well with all the sugar.

And the chilli flavour's coming through?

Maybe the chilli could be a little bit more spicy. Just a little bit.

Are you happy with the level of alcohol in there?

It's got a little punch.

-Slainte.

-Cheers.

-Very tropical.

-Strong, eh?

Lovely. That's nice.

I'm taking all of that away. And I'm left with two doughnuts, and a drink.

I think Michael can do better than that.

Do you think you're going to go through to the judges' chamber now?

Last to the pass is Tony with his slapstick custard pie and sugar

red nose, and he's reached a crucial point with his complex sugar work.

His pulled sugar is ready and he's now tackling the delicate

technique of blowing it into red noses.

It looks like you know what you're doing here. You must have practised this a lot.

Not for a while.

Blowing sugar is a precision technique with no margin for error.

So that's cooling it down?

-That's cooling it down.

-OK. And that's blowing air into it.

Tony is pulling out all the stops here, and he's really showing some technical ability with that red

nose - whether that's enough for him to get to Friday has yet to be seen.

This is the most dangerous bit.

Cos you're starting all that work, and then you've got to pull it off.

Holding his nerve, Tony must remove the fragile sugar

shell from the air pump without breaking it.

Is that solid now? I don't want to damage it.

Very clever, I have to say.

I'm really impressed by Tony's sugar red noses,

but it's not the element to his dish, so we'll see what he comes out with.

Time for Tony to serve, and he can only hope he's done enough.

He fills the delicate sugar red noses with raspberry sorbet,

popping candy and chocolate drops,

before piping Italian meringue on top of the custard pies.

And he's got one last trick up his sleeve.

There you go. One Right In The Eye!

Nice plates.

-The kids made them.

-Very good. Your kids are very talented.

Very talented. They take after their mother.

-Right, let's go and eat it.

-Let's go.

So, right in the eye.

Right in the eye.

OK.

Ah, I see where you got all your little bits of extra bits and bobs.

I was worried about it being too thick, but it's just right.

And the surprise is in there.

They've worked for you, feel they've gave the effect you were wanting?

Yes, they crackled, they popped.

Ho ho! I didn't expect that.

Some sort of balloon.

D'you think that's enough meringue, too much?

It's a lot there, but that's where the strawberry is really sharp,

-it's the whole fun thing.

-And the pastry is cooked enough, crunchy enough?

That's crispy. The base isn't soggy.

What you think of the pastry?

The bottom just seems a bit under, which is a shame, because...

-The filling is spot on.

-Yes.

-That's set perfectly.

Very smooth.

Do you think this is fit for a banquet?

Yes, I think it's fit for a banquet.

It does reflect Tony's personality.

There's a clown's face. He loves to clown around.

I don't think it's his strongest dish.

That was a hard one.

I thought I would have got more of a giggle out of Angela with the clown face and the nose.

Everybody - full-on today for the desserts, eh?

-Always the hardest I find.

-Well, it's the last push to get there.

That was a huge day-to-day, and I think it's D-Day. It's really tight.

-In the hands of Angela now.

-Couldn't agree more.

So Mark...

..your 'Knot' Chocolate Tart.

I thought it was inventive.

It was a cheeky little pun.

You love the technology, you love trying things out.

I thought the kumquat worked really well - it had that acidity.

I thought your parfait was delicious,

but for my palate, it was far too sweet.

I really thought you could've taken half that garnish away

and been left with a great dessert.

It was very rich, and I was quite happy when I realised there was

no candy floss because that's another sweet element we would've had to eat.

Tony, your Right In The Eye.

In lots of ways your pudding was to my palate.

Your custard had great consistency, I thought it was delicious.

I liked the salty/savoury pastry. I thought it was smart, it worked.

And the plate - it was fun.

But, you know, it wasn't a hugely finesse dessert.

Could you have concentrated a bit more on just sophisticating

the dish altogether?

So Michael, for your Dooking For Doughnuts.

Fun presentation, without doubt.

I can see lots of people at a banquet really enjoying that

- 80 people bobbing away trying to eat their doughnuts,

and I thought the frozen drink, the pina colada, was great.

I thought the cream in the doughnuts was lovely,

and the little bit of chilli on top, it worked well.

Could have been a bit more chilli, really. And they were good doughnuts.

They weren't the best doughnuts in the world, but they were good.

Only two of you can cook for the judges tomorrow.

And with a score of seven,

which puts him through to the judges tomorrow...

-..is Michael. Congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Cheers, thank you.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you.

So that leaves two chefs.

Mark, I thought your dessert, for my palate, was too sweet.

And in lots of ways, Tony, your dessert was ideal for my palate.

But it's not necessarily about my tastes.

So Tony, for your Right In The Eye,

I'm going to give you seven points.

Mark, for your 'Knot' Chocolate Tart...

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

..eight points.

Which means Mark, you're through to tomorrow to cook for the judges.

-Congratulations. Huge commiserations, Tony, thanks guys.

-Thanks, Angela.

Thank you.

Good luck.

-At last.

-Tony, commiserations, brother.

-Congratulations.

We've got the judging chamber tomorrow. First taste of that. Well done.

Hugely disappointed. I thought I'd have got through, but that's the way the cookie crumbles. What do you do?

I'm so excited to be in the judges' chamber tomorrow.

The one reason I came down here was to get my food at the banquet.

There's only one man that now stands in my way.

I've got to the judges' chamber. I know what it's like,

and I'm going to use that experience to my advantage.

I'm determined to go all the way for Scotland this year.

Tomorrow, it's the final showdown for Michael and Mark.

-Are you going to the final, are you?

-Yes, for a good time.

And the judges are unleashed.

This is a stonkingly clever piece of cooking.

It's a car crash.

It's exciting.

Actually, I'm in quite a generous mood,

I'm going to say, I think this is one of the worst dishes we've ever had.

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