South West Starter Great British Menu

This year, the country's top chefs

are striving to produce 21st century dishes...

Chef, I'm here for a reason, and I'm here to win...

..to honour our war heroes.

So, how do you know Sir Winston Churchill?

-Well, he was my grandfather.

-No!

At a commemorative banquet marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day

at the incredible St Paul's Cathedral in London,

a bastion of British wartime resilience.

Under the watchful eyes of ferocious former champions...

-Pressure on you, Mary Ellen?

-Yeah, it is...

-BLEEP.

-It is.

-..there'll be heartfelt triumphs...

-You are my first ever ten.

Thank you!

..and devastating disasters.

-Are you happy with what you put up?

-No.

BLEEP.

Battling it out this week to represent their region

are three of the South West's highest ranking pub chefs.

Experienced heavyweight, Dominic Chapman.

Feeling the pressure?

Massively, massively, massively.

-Determined newcomer, Josh Eggleton.

-It's do or die.

And returning contender, Emily Watkins...

You know, I'm very nervous.

..who just missed out on a place in the national finals last year,

-and is coming back fighting...

-Fingers crossed.

..but has two Michelin starred rivals, and her nerves, to beat.

-Oh, my God, now I'm terrified.

-I hope so.

This June marks 70 years since D-Day,

the momentous battle that saw British and Allied troops

attempt to bring an end to World War II.

The chefs have been tasked with

producing their finest hour on the plate.

Would this honour the war veterans of D-Day?

I think it's my take on a proper British pudding.

To pay homage to the bravery of those who fought

and they've delved into the past for inspiration.

Both at home...and abroad.

How did you feel when the allied troops liberated?

MAN SPEAKS IN FRENCH

Competing this week for the chance to cook

at the commemorative D-Day banquet is returning chef Emily Watkins,

back to prove a point.

This time I'm going to get to the final.

First timer, and Heston Blumenthal's former head chef,

Dominic Chapman.

I've got the most experience in the kitchen and I intend to use it.

And, ambitious newcomer, Josh Eggleton,

a rising star on the British restaurant scene.

I'm here to win and show the other two what I'm made of.

Judging the chefs as ever is one of the Great British Menu's

formidable veterans.

-It's quite nerve-racking waiting, isn't it?

-Who is it?

This week, it's one of Britain's most respected chefs.

Former starter course winner, and holder of two Michelin stars...

..Sat Baines.

Hello, chefs.

-Good morning.

-Well, you all know why you're here...

Some of the best chefs in the country.

So, I want to see amazing food, and I'm not going to hold back

on the scores, but it's down to you...you've got to deliver.

So, good luck, guys.

Thank you. Cheers.

-How do you feel?

-Great.

-You're not intimidated then?

-No.

-No, not at all.

Second timer, Emily Watkins, is first up.

She made it to the judges chamber last year...

..despite nerves getting the better of her during her starter course.

It's not good enough. It's going to haunt me.

-Good morning, Chef.

-Good morning, Emily. How we doing?

So, how do you feel about the starter?

Cos it wasn't your strongest dish last year.

-No, that's very fair to say.

-So, a lot to prove this year?

Yeah, a lot to prove. I really need to concentrate,

really need to focus on what I'm doing.

So, what's your inspiration behind the menu?

Well, the menu's a bit of a culinary journey through the war,

and the starter begins with the simple life, back on the home front.

Dishes called luncheon meat and jelly...It's all about nostalgia.

-Yeah.

-Whenever I talk to my granny about the war and things,

she used to always bring up Spam or other products in a tin.

-So, there's the pork belly.

-Yep.

Brining it, slow-cooking it,

-and then kind of going to make it into a rillette.

-Yep.

Basically set in a jelly.

-So, we've also got some crab apples here.

-Yep, from our garden at home.

Just like they did in the war, using everything which was available.

I'm just going to be doing something a bit different to them

to give them really nice finish to a dish.

OK. So, what are these potatoes for, Emily?

These are for my potato bread.

During World War II, they substituted potato

in place of flour.

The recipe I'm doing for this is totally authentic.

-So, a classic combination of pork and apple, really.

-Basically, yeah.

OK, do you think that's kind of modern enough to celebrate

-the war veterans? Think it's going to nail it?

-I hope so.

-Well, good luck.

-Thank you, chef.

Emily's luncheon meat and apple jelly...it's quite plain.

You've got pork, mustard, apples...

I think what she's got to put on the plate has to be really high standard

to make sure that she's nailed the brief, number one,

and also given me something that's really flavoursome.

Next up is first timer, Dominic Chapman.

An accomplished chef hoping to use his 19 years

of cooking experience to his advantage.

So, what's your inspiration behind the whole menu?

My inspiration is basically D-Day and celebrating great British food.

So, in creating my menu, I wanted these veterans to enjoy

the food that was around in those times.

So, what we got in here for the first course?

Obviously, in the war everything was mock

because they couldn't really get the real stuff,

so, I'm going to do a mock turtle soup.

Which is basically a clear soup made from a calf's head

and then making it with a shin of beef, some ham hock, the tongue...

And what's the anchovies for?

The anchovies, I'm going to serve an anchovy sauce, basically.

And then, I'm going to garnish the soup with sweetbreads and brains.

Brains...it's quite adventurous.

Do you think the veterans will say it's a celebratory dish?

The way I want to prepare them...

I think it is a huge celebration,

and there's a lot of love gone into this dish.

Dom's mock turtle soup is right up my street.

I've known him a while, he's a top chef.

I think he's got so many elements in there...

Tongue, foot, sweetbreads, brain...

he's got a clarified stock to make a delicious soup...

if any of them go wrong, he could ruin his whole dish.

Last up is ambitious new chef, Josh Eggleton,

who was awarded a Michelin star for own his pub restaurant

when just 27 years old.

So, what's your inspiration behind the whole menu?

Well, my dishes are going to form a journey through the war.

So, were going to start in England and move through France,

-and then come back to England.

-Really? OK.

First dish is called rations on the home front.

So, that's inspired by food items that were eaten during the war.

This is a brined pig's head, and what I'm going to do with that

is effectively just make a brawn,

but the inspiration for that is a Spam fritter.

So, you go to the fish and chips shop

and normally have it with some peas, I guess.

So, I'm going to do a chilled pea soup.

I'm also going to do some pickled baby beets.

And that's all going in a little jar, so, that's going to put acidity

to cut through the richness...

Do you think this dish has got that kind of wow factor to

put in front of these veterans,

to say that we're celebrating their efforts in the war?

Yeah, absolutely. I think it's going to take them back to the war,

but in a good way. Hopefully put a smile on their face.

And I also got spelt flour here,

so, during the war, they used to have the National loaf.

Everyone got moved over to National Flour.

So, I'm just going to make that, I'm going to do some small loaves

with some nice seeds on the outside...

-Same as Emily.

-Yeah.

-You've not being corresponding with each other?

-No.

Josh's dish is very similar to Emily's.

They're going to be compared a lot by me, on bread, the pork...

The food sounds quite basic,

so, I think they've got to deliver on presentation and flavour.

My starter got three tens by the judges, so, no pressure.

But, I'm looking for something absolutely spot on.

-So good luck, guys.

-Thank you. Cheers.

The three chefs get straight to work

on the World War II inspired starters.

-Is that on full whack, Josh, yeah?

-I think so.

They're all determined to cook at this year's banquet

to give something back to the nation's war heroes.

I think it's pretty fair to say that we enjoy quite a lot of freedom

to eat as a result of everybody fighting so hard for us

during World War II, isn't it?

-We are incredibly lucky, aren't we?

-Yeah, absolutely. You know...

even after the war we were still on rations for 10 years.

There didn't seem to be much moaning about it either, was there?

-It was just, go on with it.

-Yeah, that's the old...

stiff upper lip British, isn't it? You know, just get on with it.

But, nerves are already setting in for returning contender,

Emily, whose nostalgic luncheon meat starter is very similar

to that of her Michelin starred rival, Josh's.

Quite tough competition, isn't it?

Cos they are going to be able to compare the ingredients

and how we've produced them.

Yeah, so we have got some new ingredients,

but I do think our technique could be different, hopefully.

It'll be amazing at the end,

-actually how different they are, probably.

-Yep.

You know, I'm very nervous...

all three us cook in quite similar styles,

and Josh and I are using a lot of similar ingredients.

There's a lot of Michelin stars on that side of the kitchen,

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

Emily Watkins cooks traditional recipes using modern methods

at the Kingham Plough in Oxfordshire...

OK, one more rabbit, two smoked veal terrine going to table one, please.

..where she lives with husband Miles, and her three children,

who are her biggest supporters.

-Daddy, try this.

-OK, I'll try that.

That is yummy!

I think it's definitely a winner.

Like last year, Emily is up against some formidable opponents.

So, the other two chefs have both got Michelin stars,

and it makes me absolutely terrified.

But, this time she's really done her homework.

I read a lot of World War II cookbooks

and it's incredible what these men and women put themselves through

in World War II for the sake of their country.

Seeing just the way they used absolutely everything.

Some of my dishes are very, very simple, and I'm hoping

that authenticity is what's going to come through at the end.

Emily has even more reason to want to cook at this year's banquet.

Both of my grandfathers were in the Navy during World War II.

During the D-Day landing,

my paternal grandfather was involved in the planning of it,

and my maternal grandfather was sat

in a prisoner-of-war camp during the time.

So, it's a great thing to remember what they all did,

what they sacrificed, and to be able to say "thank you",

and to be able to cook for these people...

It would be an incredible opportunity.

You're exhausted.

Newcomers, Josh and Dominic,

are convinced returning chef Emily has the upper hand.

Is it an advantage being in the kitchen before?

Feel a little bit more relaxed?

Yeah, I know where I am a little bit more.

-We don't have that, do we?

-Yeah.

But, after Emily's disastrous start last year, Sat is worried for her.

Emily, how are we getting on? How's the pressure?

All right, I'm just kind of keeping myself a bit more focused this time.

-Trying to get each element...

-And what's this here, the potato bread?

This is the potato bread, so it should be coming out of the oven

on to the pass so they're lovely and golden...

-No concerns...you're on top?

-I wouldn't say I'm out of the woods

until everything is done and on the pass and...

just tackle each obstacle as it comes.

Culinary heavyweight, Dominic, is hoping to honour the war veterans

with his version of mock turtle soup,

an old-fashioned recipe made with beef, not turtle,

as the name implies, and he's using every part of the animal,

including the brain.

How do you feel about serving brains?

Yeah, it's a bit risky, it's a bit risky.

But, the brains are not in your face.

And, you know, the older generation seems to like things like that.

I understand what Dominic's doing. Brains, awful...off cuts.

There's no waste, it's kind of hitting the right chord.

He's done his homework.

You know, he's come here to win and that's it...full stop.

That's away on seven. Come on now, boys. Yeah? Let's go.

Dominic Chapman heads up the kitchen at the Royal Oak Pub in Berkshire,

where he gained his first Michelin star in 2010,

much to the delight of owner Sir Michael Parkinson.

Team Royal Oak. I think Dom is the best of British.

I think he's the best of the South West.

-He's a brilliant chef.

-This is my mock turtle soup.

It looks wonderful, actually.

The thing about Dom is that he doesn't just cook a recipe,

he investigates the recipe.

He's a kind of food historian as well.

Old English food is my bag. I love that.

So, when I got the opportunity to look at D-Day,

that was really exciting.

And my menu, I hope, represents Britain

and food at the time of D-Day.

Dominic's research even took him to the heroic beaches of Normandy.

To get the opportunity to go to Normandy,

actually see the beaches... it was hugely inspirational.

And our boys...they did an amazing job.

And I'm very grateful for what they've done.

So, to get to the banquet, and say, "Thank you", you know,

that's special. Really special.

That was good, eh?

Back in the kitchen,

Dominic's clarifying the consomme for his mock turtle soup,

with a mixture of egg whites and vegetables,

a classical technique that helps draw out impurities.

But, only if it's brought to the boil slowly.

-BLEEP.

-Come on.

You all right there, Dom? What's going on?

I've got a boiling consomme, which isn't amazing.

Dom, how're we getting on?

Took my eye off it for a second and my consomme boiled.

-But with the egg whites in?

-Yeah.

-Which is a

-BLEEP

-disaster.

You would almost say a schoolboy error, Chef.

Massive schoolboy error. This goes wrong, I'm finished.

He'll be kicking himself for this.

If you boil it, consomme will go cloudy, and it will get greasy.

You can rectify it, but you really need to pull it together

to deliver that dish.

Ambitious young newcomer, Josh,

is hoping to make a big first impression

with his nostalgic, ration-based starter,

which returning contender, Emily, is keeping a close eye on.

His mini bread loaves are ready for the oven,

but he still has his pea soup to make,

along with the key element of his dish, pig's head terrine,

which needs to set in the fridge so he can slice and fry later.

-Josh, how're we getting on?

-Going well.

Going to start picking my pig's head, going through it...

-Is there setting time?

-Fingers crossed.

30-year-old Josh Eggleton is head chef and owner

of the Pony and Trap in Bristol,

where he cooks British food with a playful twist.

..scallop tasting, followed by table 16.

Younger sister, Holly, runs front of house,

and when the pub was awarded a Michelin star three years ago,

it came as a huge surprise.

It was something that we'd never expected.

Josh was completely overwhelmed.

To be fair, I didn't believe it, actually.

I thought they were just winding me up to be honest.

Determined to continue his winning streak,

Josh has sought inspiration for his menu from his nan...

-Hello, Nan.

-Josh! How are you, love?

-I'm all right, thank you.

..who was brought up on rations during the war.

So, the main aim for my dish is to take some of those things

that they ate during the war and put my twist on it,

elevate it to the next level.

Was everything rationed, or...

Well, bacon was rationed, butter was rationed, lard was rationed.

This brief is important because we can never forget the great sacrifice

that that generation made, so to win the competition would be fantastic.

It would also be great to do it for my grandparents, as well.

To see the dishes that they gave me inspiration for

to get to the final banquet.

New boy Josh is busy pressing his pig's head mixture into moulds.

As is rival, Emily.

She's hoping to elevate her simple luncheon meat starter

to new heights by serving it with old-fashioned potato bread,

and miniature crab apples coated in toffee.

But, with plating up fast approaching,

there's not much time for the sticky coating to set.

Can I just put these over here somewhere to set?

It's so hot in there.

Dominic has been trying to rectify the consomme for his mock

turtle soup.

And, after a brief hairy moment, seems to be back on track,

but needs to start dressing his plates.

What are all those boards all about?

My starter's is dedicated to Juno,

one of the beaches that the troops landed at.

Every dish is dedicated to all different troops

who landed on the beaches.

-Do your dishes reflect that?

-Um, I'm trying to make them reflect that.

With the clock ticking,

Dominic deep fries his pane sweet breads and calves brains.

-Feeling the pressure?

-Massively, massively, massively.

Then, places caramelised calfskin, tongue, and ham hock into bowls,

garnishing with pickled shallots, parsley, and lettuce.

-Dom, how's it looking?

-Really good, I'm...

-Are you on time, Chef?

I'm coming up right now, Chef.

He adds anchovy sauce...

..crispy brains and sweetbreads, and then...

it's the moment of truth.

-Are you happy with the consomme, Dom?

-Yeah, it's all right.

OK.

OK, Dom, is this your finest hour on the plate?

Well, at the moment, yeah.

So, I think we should have a taste. I'll take the bowl.

Do you think it tells a story?

I think it does. Juno is one of the beaches in Normandy,

and this course is dedicated to the troops that landed at Juno.

So, do you think Juno has a connection with the dish?

I think what Dom's doing is paying respect. I think it looks beautiful.

It's exactly like Dominic Chapman on a plate.

It's got the old methods of doing it, but done to absolute perfection.

So, that's my mock turtle soup, that's my consomme.

The bottle's quite hot.

That's pretty hot...I don't know

whether people pouring that might struggle...

-I've tested this several times, and it worked.

-I'll try this soup itself.

Do you think the consomme is clear enough?

Considering I had a few issues in the kitchen,

I'm really happy with how it's turned out.

Certainly enough flavour there. Um... What do you think?

It's got the anchovy sauce in there.

It's actually really nice having the contrast.

The anchovies just cut through it.

-We've got sweetbreads and brains here.

-Delicious.

-Crispy enough for you?

-Yeah, yeah.

It's amazing how light the flavour of the brain is.

It's not really...it's really nice.

Do you think that this is a good enough dish to see at the banquet?

I really love this dish.

-It's absolutely superb cooking, isn't it?

-Are you a little worried?

Yes, to sum it up.

So, first course down, I hope you're not man down.

Yeah, me neither. Hope not.

Returner, Emily, is next to plate up,

with the first of two luncheon meat starters.

So, Josh, Emily's presentation is looking pretty good.

What have you got up your sleeve?

I'm going to be using a meat tin to present the fritters in.

Sounds quite similar.

Yeah, they are quite similar. The fact is, it's frightening.

I think Emily has been spying on me this week.

Emily tops her pressed pork belly rillettes with apple jelly,

and grinds pork crackling into a powder...

..to go on top.

-And whose crackling is the best?

-I've done mine more like puffed pork.

Get plenty of crunch.

She starts her plate with slices of bacon, mustard,

and pickled baby onions.

Can I ask you to get those apples for me next door?

Emily adds butter and potato bread loaves...

..and finishes with the pressed pork belly rillettes,

and her tiny toffee crab apples.

OK, Emily, think you'll be flying the flag for Britain with this dish?

-Well, I'd love it if it was.

-So, should we go on and get a taste?

Yes, please.

So, Emily, do you think this is celebratory enough

to actually give a work veteran?

For me is because it's kind of the nostalgic starter.

-Here we are.

-OK, this is a direct competition for me.

Really cidery, that jelly.

The terrine is quite fatty,

so you've got something quite sharp that just goes straight through it.

And then you've got crackling on top.

Think there's enough crackling in there?

I wanted to crackling to be more of a seasoning to it,

to give it that lovely, rich pork flavour at the end.

I think the crackling might have been better if it was left whole...

-Yeah.

-..rather than done as a dust.

And are you happy with the bread?

-Yeah, it's an authentic World War II recipe.

-I love the bread.

The potato bread is really good.

-And these are the crab apples?

-Toffee crab apples.

-It's quite sticky actually.

-The glaze is getting stuck on my teeth.

I'm not sure about that.

Well, I'm so relieved that we've done the first course,

and I was happy with what I've puts on the plates...

the individual components.

I'm really nervous about how it was received, though.

Last to plate up is determined first timer, Josh.

And, Emily wants to know just what she's up against.

Yeah, so your terrine's come out well.

-It's not had any setting issues.

-No, nice and firm, really happy with it.

-Would you like to try some?

-I would.

I'm slightly terrified because this is what's so similar in our dishes.

It's really tasty, it's absolutely...

-Oh, my God, now I'm terrified.

-I hope so.

Josh dips his sliced pork terrine in egg, flour,

-and breadcrumbs before deep frying.

-Got to keep an eye on these.

He then carefully fills jars with

pickled onions, beets, and red cabbage,

and tops his pea soup with fresh peas and chives.

It's immaculate. It makes mine look really rustic.

Next is butter,

his mini loaves,

puffed pork crackling,

and crispy pancetta.

How're you feeling now seeing the other two?

Of course I'm worried.

Finally, Josh places the pigs head fritters into tins,

and finishes his presentation with a wartime ration box.

Would you say that's history on a plate?

-It is for me, yeah.

-Let's go.

-OK.

-Here we are.

-Hey.

-Wow.

-Wow.

-That is incredible.

You happy with that smoothness of the soup?

Yeah, it's been blended well,

and I just wanted to get loads of texture for the top.

I got puffed pork, I've got some pancetta, and a few chives as well.

That pea soup is lovely. It's got a really nice minty flavour in it,

-and even the crackling in there...

-Adds the texture.

-And the bread...this is the National loaf?

-This is the National loaf.

So, this is just my take on it, you know.

Smells good. It is quite dense.

This is the brawn.

Seasoning OK?

It's on the high side.

The red cabbage and onions have been pickled in sweet sherry.

For me, the pickles just need a little bit more flavour,

maybe a little bit more vinegar, just a little bit more lift.

Yeah, I agree with that.

Do you think the pickling has had long enough?

The pickles are a real quick pickle, done today.

I just wanted it to lighten it up, not to be too heavy.

I've got to give it an eight. I think it's a good dish.

-I think it's probably worth a nine.

-Nine?

-I do think so.

-It's a good score.

-I think it's amazing.

If you had to give yourself a score out of 10, what would that be?

Um...I don't know. I would give myself an eight for this one.

-There he is.

-How was it?

-Yeah, good.

-Happy?

-Yeah, he gave me a 10.

-Did he?

Yeah.

No.

-I'm looking forward to hear what Sat has got to say.

-Yeah.

I really hope my score isn't so bad

that it's really hard to claw back from.

How's everyone feeling?

A little anxious.

Emily, for your luncheon meat and jelly with rillete of belly pork...

..the pork was lovely, the potato bread was very nice...

..and I like how you used an original wartime recipe.

It was a nice tasting plate of food, but...

..the meat lost something in texture.

You made some amazing crackling, but I don't know why

you didn't use it in its entirety instead of grinding it up.

The toffee crab apple stuck in my teeth, as it did with you.

I think the dish overall was a little bit safe.

I was a little underwhelmed by it.

Dom...

Mock turtle soup with sweetbreads and brain fritters...

..the consomme,

you were quite worried that it over boiled in the kitchen.

But it was perfectly clear

and had an amazing depth of flavour in there as well, so, well done.

The sweet bread and brain fritters,

delicious and really hit the brief.

And, a real throwback to wartime cooking.

But, the glass jar for the consomme was too hot.

Holding that was a real issue for health and safety.

The link to Juno Beach felt a little bit odd.

I couldn't see the correlation there.

I think you need to marry the nostalgia with the presentation.

OK. Thank you.

Josh...

for your rations on the home front with your pig's head terrine...

First up, just check your sharp edges on the tin

to make sure they are not dangerous.

The pickled veg was a little bit dry for me.

However...

..when you lifted the box off...

fantastic.

I loved the pea soup. The terrine was spot on.

Fantastic texture. You really hit the brief. Well done.

So the scores...

Emily...

For your luncheon meat and jelly...

I'm going to give you a five.

It was nicely cooked,

but this dish just wasn't special enough for a banquet.

Dom, for your mock turtle soup...

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

Superb cooking, just make sure serving the dish really reflects

the nostalgia you're going for.

Josh...for your rations on the home front...

I'm giving you an eight.

Sort out the pickles and the practicality of eating it,

and this could be nudging onto a 10.

So, Emily, not a great start, but it's early days.

You know, you're a very talented cook,

so I want you to really push yourself and go for it.

-Thanks, Chef.

-Good luck, guys.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

-Well done, guys. Good cooking.

It's a good start, you know, but there's still loads of work to do.

I was delighted...brilliant.

I don't think I could've hoped for more, really.

-Let's get on with it now.

-Yeah.

I feel quite gutted,

so I'm going to try to do better on the next courses.