0:00:03 > 0:00:06- This year on Great British Menu... - Come on!
0:00:06 > 0:00:10- ..an army of talented chefs... - Feeling the pressure?
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Massively, massively, massively.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15..are putting their finest culinary hours on a plate...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17- Blimey. That's really good. - That's really good.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21..for the chance to cook at a glorious commemorative banquet
0:00:21 > 0:00:24marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day at London's St Pauls,
0:00:24 > 0:00:28an iconic bastion of British wartime resilience.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Going head-to-head this week to represent the Central region
0:00:32 > 0:00:35are ambitious young gun Jason Hodnett...
0:00:35 > 0:00:38I think it's fair to say I'm the underdog out of the three of us.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40..Daniel Clifford's former right-hand man,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Michelin-starred Mark Poynton...
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Please, God, work. Please, God, work.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47..and previous champion, Aktar Islam...
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Chef, I'm here for a reason, and I'm here to win.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53..who is back for the third time to regain his crown.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56But with a reputation for being late, can he banish old demons?
0:00:56 > 0:00:59I'm killing myself putting it together, I hope it counts.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02And take on new competitors determined to make their mark?
0:01:02 > 0:01:06- It's about balance.- So when are you going to find the balance?
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I found it many years back when I went to the banquet.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25This year, the chefs are paying homage to the soldiers who
0:01:25 > 0:01:28fought for our freedom on the beaches of Normandy 70 years ago.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35They've been challenged to produce a very modern tribute
0:01:35 > 0:01:37to the sacrifices made during World War II,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- both at home...- I would have liked to have given them
0:01:40 > 0:01:44a pat on the back to say, "God, I didn't realise that you did this."
0:01:44 > 0:01:45..and abroad.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50It really is the most emotional place to be standing here.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Battling for glory this week are former champion Aktar Islam,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01determined to put the ghosts of the past behind him.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04I've been here twice before, I cooked at the banquet
0:02:04 > 0:02:06and I've also fallen at the first hurdle.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09This time I'm back, and I'm going all the way.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Michelin-starred newcomer Mark,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13aiming to make a big first impression.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16I might be the only chef the kitchen with a Michelin star,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18but I'm not going to rest on my laurels today.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21And young gun Jason Hodnett, who has a personal connection
0:02:21 > 0:02:23to this year's brief.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Both my dad and grandad were Army chefs,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29so it's time for me to get a dish to the banquet and do them proud.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- How are you?- I'm all right, how are you?- I'm OK.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38Judging the chefs is one of Great British Menu's most
0:02:38 > 0:02:39formidable veterans.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42For me, first time here, not knowing who the veteran is,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45- that's a big deal.- Whoever it is, you know it's going to be tough.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Previous dessert course champion...
0:02:48 > 0:02:51I've had a run in in the past with Marcus Wareing,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53so better not to repeat that.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56..and two-Michelin-starred legend...
0:02:58 > 0:03:00..Marcus Wareing.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06- Good morning.- Good morning, chef. - How are you?- Very well, thank you.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Welcome to the Great British Menu kitchen.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11- Aktar, you've been here before. - I have.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16- You got knocked out on the Thursday. - I did, yes.- So, huge focus for you.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20- Yes, chef.- Mark, you've been Daniel Clifford's head chef for a long time.
0:03:20 > 0:03:21Seven years.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24He's going to give me a lot of stick if I don't give it my all.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Jason, you're the new boy on the block.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Yes, there are a few nerves, shall we say.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31OK, guys, this is all about the war veterans.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Great food for some amazing people. I wish you the best of luck.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45First up is former fish course winner Aktar Islam,
0:03:45 > 0:03:48who's struggled before with his timings...
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- How are we looking for time? - I'm being fashionably late.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54..and been at the sharp end of Marcus is fearsome judging.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59The meat was dry, I'm going to give him a three.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00How are you doing?
0:04:00 > 0:04:03- I'm well, thank you very much. - That is a big box of ingredients.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06There is quite a bit going on.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Tell me, what is the inspiration behind your menu?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11In my opinion, one of the reasons we fought the war was to
0:04:11 > 0:04:16maintain the freedom that we have today, so it's all
0:04:16 > 0:04:19part of the legacy of the sacrifice that people made at the time, and
0:04:19 > 0:04:20allowing people to enjoy flavours
0:04:20 > 0:04:23and experiences from all over the world.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- OK. Tell me, what is the name of the dish?- Run Rabbit Run.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30We were encouraged to turn to rabbit as a source of meat.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33This is where I got my inspiration,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36it's a poster encouraging the nation to eat rabbit.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40- In my opinion, it is an unsung war hero.- OK.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45- There it is.- The legs, we're going to do a pie. Lightly curried.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49We're doing a roasted French trim rack.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52With the shoulder and the meat of the neck, we're doing a brawn,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54and with the liver,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57we're going to do a liver parfait served with some vegetables.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01You are a veteran chef, you've been to the banquet, the second time
0:05:01 > 0:05:05you got knocked out on the Thursday, you've come back with a new focus.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07I have, I've come back with the same attitude
0:05:07 > 0:05:09I had in the first year, just go in there and give it your all.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10Looking forward to it.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Aktar's box of ingredients looked incredible.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Run Rabbit Run, it sounds like there is a lot of work for him to do.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20I really hope he's not going to be late.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Next up is first timer Mark Poynton,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28aiming to go all the way to the banquet with his classical cookery.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32- Hello, Mark.- Hello, Marcus.- What is the inspiration behind the menu?
0:05:32 > 0:05:36The menu is all about the journey from the first day when they left
0:05:36 > 0:05:37home to landing on Normandy beach.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- What is the title of the dish? - Packed Lunch.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42It's about the soldiers leaving home.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44The wife waving them off, saying goodbye,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46giving them a packed lunch, hopefully see you soon.
0:05:46 > 0:05:47- Simple as that.- Simple as that.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50OK, so tell me about the ingredients we've got here.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52- This is shin beef, we're going to make a beef tea.- Right, OK.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- What else? - We've got a lovely pork loin.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59We're going to do a take on a sausage roll, make a pork mousse,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01wrap it round that. We've got some tamarind,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03going to make my own version of a brown sauce,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06and we're going to make a nice malt loaf.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09We're going to roast these chicken skins and make a chicken butter,
0:06:09 > 0:06:10serve it on top of the malt loaf.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- You really put some thought into this.- Yes, a lot of thought.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17The soldiers didn't have the rations like everybody else,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20- they needed nutritious food. - Is this going to keep them going?
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Keep them going until they get to the harbour.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28Mark's Packed Lunch,
0:06:28 > 0:06:32I now have a vision of the soldier leaving home with his packed lunch.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Does it live up to its title?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37The sausage roll, when you start adding things to it,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41it could work, but he has to be very careful with that particular item.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Finally, it's 28-year-old fellow newcomer Jason Hodnett,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48who is hoping to draw inspiration from his family's background
0:06:48 > 0:06:51in Army cookery, to make a big impact in the competition.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- Good morning, Jason. Nervous? - A little bit.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59First of all, tell me the inspiration behind your menu.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04My dad and my grandad were both military chefs, so I wanted to draw
0:07:04 > 0:07:08on that as inspiration and hopefully a dish that can do them proud.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11- What is the title? - It's called Grow Your Own.
0:07:11 > 0:07:16So, firstly, there's the rabbit, abundant, plentiful, not rationed,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20and this is going to be almost like a little garden.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Things that the rabbit would eat, the carrots, different types of baby
0:07:24 > 0:07:27carrots. Everyone was growing things of their own,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and that was really important for the war effort, so I'm going to
0:07:30 > 0:07:32use the whole rabbit, all of the carcass, to make a hay bale.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34A hay bale?
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Yes, we're going to pressure cook it down, wrap it in potatoes.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41A nice black pudding, we're going to make a soil from the black pudding,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43going to use the livers to make a nice parfait.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Aktar doing rabbit, are you bothered?
0:07:46 > 0:07:48I think he's doing it differently, so no.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Jason, Grow Your Own, I like the idea of a hay bale,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57but rabbit is a delicate meat.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59How long you leave it in the pressure cooker for -
0:07:59 > 0:08:04you start eating overcooked rabbit, you've got a problem on your hands.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12With no time to lose, the chefs get straight to work
0:08:12 > 0:08:16on their wartime-inspired starters, aware there is no room for error
0:08:16 > 0:08:19if they want top marks from the veteran today.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Do you think we got the short straw getting Marcus as our veteran?
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Marcus is a hard person to please.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29I remember Marcus got through to the Queen's banquet with a custard tart.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33- I remember watching that. - You must've been about four, surely?
0:08:33 > 0:08:37- How old are you? 52?- 52 going on 32.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39Not as old as Aktar though.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42You've got history with Marcus, no?
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Correct, but I still made it to the banquet.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Not this year, not this year.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Aktar's attempting to impress Marcus and regain his crown with
0:08:52 > 0:08:56an extremely complex rabbit dish, but with eight different elements
0:08:56 > 0:08:59to get to the pass, including a marinated rabbit rack and
0:08:59 > 0:09:03fiddly rabbit brawn, he may have bitten off more than he can chew.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09Really, really rushed off my feet at the moment, got so much going on,
0:09:09 > 0:09:13have to make sure every element I've set up to deliver, I do deliver it.
0:09:13 > 0:09:18I'm up against Marcus Wareing, let's hope I get it on time.
0:09:21 > 0:09:25Self-taught, Aktar Islam cooks innovative Indian food
0:09:25 > 0:09:28in the heart of Birmingham at his restaurant Lasan.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31He is taking a big risk competing for the third time.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33The last time I was in the competition,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37it felt terrible to go home on the Thursday night,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40but, British bulldog spirit, I'm here to give it another go,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44do my best and hopefully replicate my successes from my first year.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Aktar has a personal reason
0:09:46 > 0:09:49for wanting to get to this year's banquet.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53If it wasn't for the sacrifices that people made, I probably wouldn't be
0:09:53 > 0:09:57here, my great-grandfather may not have chosen to settle in the UK.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00It is paying respect to that, really,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02and appreciating the sacrifice people made for us then.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06He's thought long and hard about his D-Day-inspired menu
0:10:06 > 0:10:08and come up with dishes that marry the best of British with
0:10:08 > 0:10:12exotic spices - flavours that some of our World War II soldiers
0:10:12 > 0:10:15would have experienced for the first time overseas.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19And he's been practising them on some of his friends.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22You won't believe that some of the recipes that people were
0:10:22 > 0:10:26cooking involved curry and spices even back then.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30- I need you to be very critical. - That will be difficult!
0:10:30 > 0:10:32I really worked on it, practising all the elements,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34trying to put it all together.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39- If I lose, it's not for the lack of trying.- That is fantastic.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42This banquet, it is all about pushing yourself to the limit,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45because that is what we asked our heroes to do back then.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49A lot of them paid the ultimate price for the freedom
0:10:49 > 0:10:52and luxury and liberty that we have today.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54It would be lovely to be able to say thank you to them.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57You are in it to win it, no doubt about it. You keep going.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04Aktar is getting ready to cook his rabbit liver parfait,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07the third element on his complicated Run Rabbit Run dish.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15- Aktar?- Yes, chef?- You're putting your parfait into a bain marie.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19- That's right, chef.- Is it a main element?- It is part of it.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20The biggest element will be the pie,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22you will get two or three bites out of it.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25Then you've got the rack and the terrine.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27The parfait, I didn't want to waste the liver.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30- What's the presentation? - You will have to wait and see,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32but it will definitely tie in with the story,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and they will understand exactly where I'm coming from.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36I can see behind you you've got a lot going on.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39- I will leave you to get on with it. - Thank you.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43A lot of ingredients, I really hope he's not going to be late.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45I don't want to have to take away points
0:11:45 > 0:11:47because he's far behind in his timing.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Aktar is not the only chef cooking rabbit today.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Young gun Jason is attempting to tell a story on a plate
0:11:56 > 0:11:58with his Grow Your Own garden scene,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02complete with quirky rabbit hay bales cooked in a pressure cooker,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05and a miniature wheelbarrow of rabbit parfait with plum jam
0:12:05 > 0:12:07and black pudding soil.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Jason, you're both doing parfaits, do you think yours
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- is going to be better than Aktar's? - Well, there's a big difference.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16I'm classically trained and he's not. I know I can cook it properly.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18So you're saying Aktar is going to mess around with his food?
0:12:18 > 0:12:21I'm saying we've seen it before, I'm sure we'll see it again.
0:12:23 > 0:12:24Too many ingredients and all that.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28I think we'll have to get a time-out area for Jason. Getting too excited.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Jason's dish of rabbit is difficult. Easy to over cook, it can be dry.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37He's serving soil, I don't want to eat soil of any type.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39We will see when we taste it.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42I think it's fair to say I'm the underdog out of three of us.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48I've just got to try to keep focussed. This banquet is important.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Yes, I think you've got a very personal connection with it,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52from we discovered earlier on.
0:12:54 > 0:12:5728-year-old Jason Hodnett cooks inventive, playful food
0:12:57 > 0:12:59at The Raven Hotel in Shropshire,
0:12:59 > 0:13:02where he's been head chef for just under a year.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04Whether I'm the oldest or the youngest,
0:13:04 > 0:13:07it makes absolutely no difference, I will represent myself
0:13:07 > 0:13:10and the Central region the best I possibly can.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15The theme of the banquet this year, for me, it couldn't be better.
0:13:15 > 0:13:19My dad and grandad were military chefs, so for me this is perfect.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23With a family history of military cookery,
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Jason didn't have to look far to research his menu.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30His granddad's stories about the war have directly inspired
0:13:30 > 0:13:32the main ingredient for his starter.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Living in the country,
0:13:35 > 0:13:39at least we had the chance of getting different types of food.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Rabbits were a delicacy in a lot of ways, even though
0:13:42 > 0:13:45you used to get fed up of it.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Having the opportunity to speak to people like my grandparents
0:13:49 > 0:13:51has been really inspiring.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55To be able to translate that into a menu for me is really lovely.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57It's more than just cooking.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Girlfriend Lorna also brought along her grandparents
0:14:00 > 0:14:03to help paint a picture of wartime experiences.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07One of the children in our class had a coconut sent through the post.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10We thought that was amazing.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13We hadn't got a clue what they were like inside.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18To get to the banquet for me would probably mean more than for most.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21To do them proud, to do myself proud, absolute dream.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27It's time for Jason to start constructing the miniature
0:14:27 > 0:14:29wheelbarrows for his Grow Your Own garden scene,
0:14:29 > 0:14:31complete with black pudding soil.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- All right, Jason?- Yes, chef. - What are these for?
0:14:36 > 0:14:40The little wheelbarrows are going to be filled with the parfait.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42I want to do 35g of each.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I notice you've not made your black pudding, you brought it.
0:14:45 > 0:14:46Is there any reason for that?
0:14:46 > 0:14:50It's a product I've used before, so, for me, it's a good product.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53- I will let you carry on. - Thanks, chef.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I actually thought at this level I would expect a chef to come here
0:14:59 > 0:15:01and make his own black pudding.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03I hope there is going to be more to the dish,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and I'm not 100% convinced at the moment.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Fellow newcomer Mark is attempting to hit the wartime brief
0:15:08 > 0:15:12by elevating a humble packed lunch to Michelin-starred standards.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16For his updated sausage roll he is wrapping pork tenderloin
0:15:16 > 0:15:20in pork mousse and Parma ham, ready for the water-bath, a cooking style
0:15:20 > 0:15:24he learnt under former champion and one-time boss Daniel Clifford.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Obviously, you've got a very good relationship with Daniel.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30No doubt he's given you some tips and pointers.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31He's given me a few, yeah.
0:15:31 > 0:15:36He told me not to listen to you, not to let you bully me.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39You being the old boy and all that.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Classically-trained Mark Poynton is chef patron of Alimentum
0:15:43 > 0:15:44in Cambridge,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47where for the last six years he has cooked award-winning food.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I think I've got the edge in the competition
0:15:49 > 0:15:52cos I've got one Michelin star, three AA Rosettes.
0:15:52 > 0:15:53It's food like this, which is really simple,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56three or four flavours, that is what my food is about.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59With a busy restaurant to run and a young family,
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Mark's found researching his D-Day-inspired menu hard.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Speak to daddy later, before you go to bed.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07I found the D-Day brief quite tough
0:16:07 > 0:16:10because there is no generation of my family alive I could speak to.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13So it took a lot of research with a food historian.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14I've tried to bring that into my food.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18But he's got an ace up his sleeve in the form of two-time Great
0:16:18 > 0:16:21- British Menu winner Daniel Clifford. - Hello, chef, how are you?
0:16:21 > 0:16:25- You all right? How's it going? - It's been a challenge.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Thinking about food from the 1940s is not easy.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31Let alone the rations and everything else they had to go through.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35Daniel offered to help Mark by taste testing his starter.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- Hopefully represents the '40s quite well.- No, it's beautiful.
0:16:38 > 0:16:39Really beautiful.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Hopefully give them a better experience than what they had then,
0:16:42 > 0:16:44but still remember what they had.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46If there is any advice, it's just practise, practise, practise.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48He's won this twice before.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51I want to be able to showcase to everybody that I can win it,
0:16:51 > 0:16:53so get through to the final and get to feed the ex-servicemen.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55There is no greater honour than doing that.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Mark is aiming to emulate the success of his old mentor
0:17:02 > 0:17:04Daniel with his packed lunch.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07He's removed the pork tenderloin for his elevated sausage roll
0:17:07 > 0:17:10from the water-bath, wrapped it in pastry
0:17:10 > 0:17:13and put it straight in the onion without giving it time to rest.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Daniel is the only person that I get nervous cooking for.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Possibly apart from Marcus Wareing today.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23With his sausage roll cooking, Mark moves onto his malt loaf.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Hello, Marcus. It looks quite heavy. It's really sticky.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32Do you feel this is a dish that can be elevated to banquet standard?
0:17:32 > 0:17:33This is my hardest dish.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36- If it all comes together... - Get yourself in front. Brilliant.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41My reservation with Mark is the packed lunch idea. Is it good enough?
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Has it really got a place on the Great British Menu banquet?
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Rivals Jason and Aktar are working on their respective rabbit dishes.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Jason has removed the rabbit for his Grow Your Own garden
0:17:54 > 0:17:56scene from the pressure cooker,
0:17:56 > 0:18:01and is busy making rabbit hay bales wrapped in potato spaghetti.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04- You boys looking like you're going to be on time?- Yes.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07It's going to be touch and go, but hopefully.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10But with plating up fast approaching,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Aktar's Run Rabbit Run dish is still far from ready.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16He's rolled the pastry for his rabbit pie
0:18:16 > 0:18:18and made its curried filling,
0:18:18 > 0:18:21but has yet to get construction under way.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Aktar, previous form of being late?
0:18:23 > 0:18:25I hope to be on time, that's all I can say.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Luckily for Aktar,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Jason is first to plate up his Grow Your Own rabbit starter.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38He deep fries his rabbit and potato hay bales, spreads plum sauce
0:18:38 > 0:18:43onto his set rabbit parfait and adds raw and cooked mini veg.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- Jason, how are we doing? - Yes, one minute to the pass, chef.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48I don't want to be deducting points for lateness.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Next, his controversial shop-bought black pudding soil.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56And he finishes it off with the deep-fried rabbit hay bales.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03Wow, there you go, first dish up. Jason, how are you feeling?
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Relieved to get the first dish done and out of the way.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08- What do you think, guys? - It looks like a garden.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12- That's the idea, chef, that's the idea.- Shall we try it?- Let's do it.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15Are the vegetables raw?
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Some are, some aren't.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22The parfait under there - pretty. What do you think about the flavour?
0:19:22 > 0:19:24I'm not blown away by it, to be honest with you.
0:19:24 > 0:19:25Plum is the major flavour.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29- Texture wise, the parfait, would you change anything?- That is what it is.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32A very true dish, I think.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34The black pudding, it's not really adding any flavour.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Yes, it adds a nice fresh crunch.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- I would perhaps cook the black pudding slightly less.- Why?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It's slightly too textured.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48- All right, we've got another element.- You first, mate.
0:19:48 > 0:19:49Hay bale with the rabbit.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51The whole rabbit, we've used all of the rabbit,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55- the loin, the legs, everything. - It's quite dry.
0:19:55 > 0:19:59I think it needs some stock in there, give it some moisture.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Any reason why you didn't make a rabbit stock?
0:20:01 > 0:20:04In the pressure cooker, it's almost creating its own stock with
0:20:04 > 0:20:07- the rabbit.- Do you think it works? - Yes, I think so.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09I can't imagine a war veteran thinking,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13- "Eating out of a wheelbarrow reminds me of the war."- It misses the mark.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15- I agree.- What are you going to score this dish?
0:20:15 > 0:20:19This is my weakest course. A seven or an eight.
0:20:23 > 0:20:28- How did you get on, Jason? - A daunting man, he is a daunting man.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Next up is Michelin-starred Mark with his modernised Packed Lunch,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35a dish inspired by the journey of the D-Day troops,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38lined with imagined newspaper articles from 1944.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41Aware of the consequences of being late,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43- he is racing to beat the clock. - Please, God, work.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Please, God, work.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48He starts plating up by pouring his beef tea into a hip flask.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54Slices his malt loaf and removes his updated sausage roll from the oven.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Bring that chicken butter straight over, please.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01He quenelles the butter and sprinkles with crispy chicken skin.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02At the last minute,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06he slices his sausage roll to complete the package.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15- A packed lunch.- What do you think, guys?- Yes, it looks very good indeed.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Are you happy with all that?
0:21:17 > 0:21:19I think this dish nails the brief 100%,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22and they will reminisce about what they had in the '40s.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Fantastic. Let's go.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31- Cheers.- All right, cheers.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Like a cup of tea. Beef tea.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37- That was very nice. - Very smooth, very clean.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39There is a little bit of Worcestershire sauce
0:21:39 > 0:21:41in there for a background hint.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48- Sausage roll.- I wish the pastry was slightly crisper, if I'm honest.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Are you happy with the texture, the pastry of the sausage roll?
0:21:53 > 0:21:56I think on the top it was nice, on the bottom it's a bit soggy.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58That's cos the pork wasn't rested. I still want it to be pink,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00but I need to get the timing right of that.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03What do you think the old boys will think about pink pork?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08- I don't know. - Let's try this malt loaf.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Are you pleased with the way it's come out?
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Yes, I think it's a good malt loaf, it's got a nice crust to it.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18The malt loaf I would say is done very well.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20I think I lose a lot of the chicken butter though.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23- Do you think the whole thing comes together?- I think so.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25It's a packed lunch done in a modern way,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28but you can still see 1944 in it.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I think that is what the brief is.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33I would go probably six.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35I would have probably gone for seven.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41- How did it go?- He doesn't give much away. He ate it all.- A good start.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42That's got to be something.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Last up is former champion Aktar with his Run Rabbit Run,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52but he's only just finished making his rabbit pies.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55You look like you're not going to be ready, mate.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58My pies take 15 minutes in the oven.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04Living up to his reputation for being late with Marcus looking on,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Aktar starts his plate with pickled veg.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- We'd do anything for you, Aktar, you know that.- Yes, I'm OK, thank you.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Well, I'm not all right, but I've got to deal with it.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16- Aktar, ready to go?- A few minutes away, chef.- How long have we got?
0:23:16 > 0:23:17Five minutes now.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21I cannot believe that Aktar's come to the Great British Menu
0:23:21 > 0:23:25for the third time and started off by being... he says five minutes
0:23:25 > 0:23:28behind, but I think we're going to be looking at 15 minutes.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31With his pies still not ready, Aktar plates up his rabbit brawn
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and hastily blowtorches his rabbit cutlets.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38OK, we've had 10 minutes now since you said you would be ready.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Two minutes, chef.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44With the pressure mounting, Aktar adds his rabbit parfait,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47dots of beetroot yoghurt and finally his rabbit pies.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Before bringing his wartime story to a close with an elaborate
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- rabbit meadow cloche. - That's a very slow rabbit.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Are you happy, taking the time out of the equation?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- I could have made it a little tidier.- Shall we go and try it?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Yes, chef.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11The pie was the hot thing, so shall we go with that?
0:24:11 > 0:24:17Rabbit with raisins, and it's got a slight coronation flavour to it.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Worth waiting for?
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Yeah. You wouldn't know it was rabbit. Could be chicken.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25It could be anything.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27What do you think of the texture of the pie?
0:24:27 > 0:24:29I think the filling, I could have put a little bit more
0:24:29 > 0:24:32sauce on it to make it a little wetter.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35I think the little rack of rabbit, although it looks nice,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39I don't really see that it plays a massive part on the plate, do you?
0:24:39 > 0:24:41It's difficult to eat.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43And it's supposed to be cooked like that?
0:24:43 > 0:24:48- I did it at 54 in the bath, yes. - Parfait. Happy with that?
0:24:48 > 0:24:51Cuts with a knife quite well, so...
0:24:51 > 0:24:54The parfait is lovely, I do think it is lovely.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I just would like some more of it.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59What are you going to do with this dish?
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- Certainly something needs doing. - I appreciate that, completely.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05A couple of changes need to be made to simplify the process.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- I think probably a six. - How are you going to mark that?
0:25:10 > 0:25:14- I don't know. Six, perhaps.- OK.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21- How you feeling, mate?- Battered.- He didn't look very happy on the pass.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25- No.- For me, it was tougher than I thought it was going to be.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30- What do you think? - Maybe not as optimistic as I was.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Let's see what he says.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Hi, guys. I'm going to start with you, Jason.
0:25:43 > 0:25:49Your Grow Your Own, with rabbit parfait, plums and black pudding.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51I love the title.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55The idea of the hay bale was fun.
0:25:55 > 0:25:59The vegetables were a great idea, the raw and cooked.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00But...
0:26:02 > 0:26:05..I thought that the parfait lacked flavour.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Hay bale was dry.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Very surprised that you didn't
0:26:12 > 0:26:15attempt to make a fresh black pudding.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20I suppose the question is, was it a case of style over substance?
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Mark, for your Packed Lunch, with sausage roll, beef tea,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31malt loaf, I think the idea is very clever.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36I thought the beef tea was very nice.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39The malt loaf was delicious, I loved the crispiness around the outside.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41But...
0:26:42 > 0:26:44..should a sausage roll be undercooked?
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Thinking about the veterans, what their expectations are going to be.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53I thought the pastry could have been a bit flakier.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57The one thing I thought about the whole dish was I wanted more of it.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03Aktar. For your Run Rabbit Run rabbit pie, parfait...
0:27:05 > 0:27:09..I liked the title. I thought the brawn was really nice, I liked that.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13I also thought the parfait was really smooth.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19But...I thought the pie was a bit on the dry side.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23The cutlet I thought was completely undercooked.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27I actually thought the whole dish was disjointed and I think
0:27:27 > 0:27:30as you know the worst part about it for you today was the timing.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- I appreciate that, chef.- Jason.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39I'm going to give you...
0:27:42 > 0:27:43It's going to be a five.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48Mark...
0:27:51 > 0:27:52..I'm going to give you a six.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Aktar.
0:27:59 > 0:28:00A five.
0:28:00 > 0:28:06But I'm going to take a point off you as well. You go down to a four.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10There is lateness I can accept, but this was a stage too far for me.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15Get a good night's sleep, and I will see you in the morning. Thank you.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17All over. Well done.
0:28:17 > 0:28:18A six puts me in the lead,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21so now I need to push on and stay in the lead tomorrow.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23I think we all knew that was coming, to be fair.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26I'm disappointed, but I'm not last.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30I'm feeling absolutely battered.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32I was late, and I have to deal with it
0:28:32 > 0:28:35and hope for the best on the other three courses.