0:00:03 > 0:00:05This week on Great British Menu,
0:00:05 > 0:00:07three of Northern Ireland's finest...
0:00:07 > 0:00:09It has to deliver, period.
0:00:09 > 0:00:11..eager, young newcomer Will Brown...
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Hopefully, no schoolboy errors today.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16..Richard Corrigan's head chef Chris McGowan...
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Catch me if you can.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21..and last year's Northern Ireland winner Raymond McArdle...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23I got really close to getting to the banquet last year
0:00:23 > 0:00:26- and I can nearly taste it. - ..are fighting it out...
0:00:26 > 0:00:27I need a ten.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30..for the honour of saying thank you to our World War II
0:00:30 > 0:00:34veterans at a banquet commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-Day
0:00:34 > 0:00:38to be held at the magnificent St Paul's Cathedral.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Yesterday, Raymond shot out in front...
0:00:42 > 0:00:44You nailed it, it was spot on.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47..leaving his competitors trailing in his wake.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50It wasn't much better than supermarket quality.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Today, the battle is for the fish course...
0:00:53 > 0:00:54If I get a five on this fish here,
0:00:54 > 0:00:56I'll be in big trouble.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59- ..and young head chef Will...- BLEEP!
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..is going all-out to regain ground...
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Excuse me. It's not on properly anyway.
0:01:05 > 0:01:06..but will it all go up in smoke?
0:01:21 > 0:01:24This year, the chefs are paying tribute to the brave heroes
0:01:24 > 0:01:28who fought for our freedom on the beaches of Normandy 70 years ago.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32They've been challenged to produce patriotic dishes that evoke
0:01:32 > 0:01:34the spirit of wartime Britain...
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Look at this.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39..and have been inspired by people in their communities
0:01:39 > 0:01:43who experienced this momentous period of history first-hand.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46Well, a lot of them went away to the war, the fishermen.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49My father was in the Home Guard.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Judging them all week is two-Michelin-starred
0:01:51 > 0:01:56and twice banquet main course champion Tom Kerridge.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- How are we doing, chefs? ALL:- Morning.- Are we OK?- Yeah.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04- And yourself, Will? - Yeah, I'm looking forward to today.
0:02:04 > 0:02:05Can't wait to get started.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07- Learned from your mistakes? - I have indeed.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11I'm just looking forward to putting them right today.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12So, it's fish course.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16I'm sure you all know I have a shellfish allergy...
0:02:16 > 0:02:19so I've asked a great mentor and a great friend to come
0:02:19 > 0:02:20and help me with this.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Tom's brother-in-arms is a fellow two-Michelin-star-decorated chef
0:02:26 > 0:02:29who's known for not taking any prisoners.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Marcus Wareing.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37Well, thank you for inviting me.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40- Ray, I heard you had a good day yesterday.- I had a good day.- Yeah?
0:02:40 > 0:02:42And the rumour was that you two had a bit of a tougher day.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Yeah, we did.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45It's a pleasure to be here
0:02:45 > 0:02:47and I'm really looking forward to your dishes.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50- Good luck. ALL:- Thank you.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Tough one there. The toughest judge we could get is Marcus Wareing.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00It needs to be absolute perfection for this man.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03If it's not...the dream is over.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11First up is last year's Northern Ireland winner Raymond McArdle
0:03:11 > 0:03:14who managed a strong eight points with his starter.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17He knows from experience that he must maintain his lead.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Last year, I got an average score for my fish and it brought me
0:03:20 > 0:03:23back down to Earth very quickly after a really good
0:03:23 > 0:03:25score in the starter so I'm determined not to let that
0:03:25 > 0:03:29happen this year and I'm just really determined to keep the scores going.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- Hello there, Ray.- Morning. - What's your dish? Name it.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36It's Memories Of Normandy.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37You know, to really fit into the brief,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39I went to all the sights in Normandy
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and I wanted to bring something back and create
0:03:41 > 0:03:44something from there married with some British ingredients.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47I'm doing halibut.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48OK, there's the halibut.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53- So, how many portions are you going to get out of that?- Three.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57One for me, one for you, one for Chef Marcus?
0:03:57 > 0:03:58- Correct.- OK.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00What else are we doing with it?
0:04:00 > 0:04:05I'm braising ham in Normandy cider, dressing of apple, celery
0:04:05 > 0:04:09and tapioca and then I'm going to do a camembert cheese sauce.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Are you a camembert fan, chef?
0:04:12 > 0:04:13Not with fish.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16- It's OK, Chef, we've got a reblochon here as well.- Oh, even better.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19- Big, powerful cheese?- Yeah, I thought the halibut could stand up to it.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Fish and cheese is a very difficult thing.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I mean yesterday was a great score so we need that to continue today.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- Good luck with that.- Thank you, chef.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Memories Of Normandy.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36There's some great flavours there, the apples, the cider,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40the ham, the cheese, and then he puts it with fish.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43The cheese is the big Achilles heel there for me. Could it work?
0:04:43 > 0:04:46It's not a classic combination that I've come across much before
0:04:46 > 0:04:49so he'll have to get the balance of this dish right.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56Next up is Richard Corrigan's head chef Chris McGowan with more
0:04:56 > 0:04:59than 20 years' experience on the London restaurant scene.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03His menu is based around wartime slogans but he failed to meet
0:05:03 > 0:05:06the brief with his starter, putting him second on just five points.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Yesterday was yesterday.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10I really want to push on and make it happen today.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- There we go. How are we doing, Chris?- I'm good.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18- OK, what's the name of your dish? - This is Captains Of Our Soles.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20It's an old Winston Churchill saying,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22it was one of his slogans during the war.
0:05:22 > 0:05:23It's a play on words, obviously,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26I've used soles as in Dover sole which is going to be butter-poached.
0:05:26 > 0:05:31- What else have we got in here?- We have horseradish, long neck clams.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33There's not too many ingredients in this box,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35trying to keep it quite simple like the first course?
0:05:35 > 0:05:38My style of food is about clarity of flavours.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40These are luxury, fantastic, British ingredients.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42The veterans, you know, you want to spoil these people.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I've just got to nail it now.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47OK then, Ray. Got you scared? Got you nervous?
0:05:47 > 0:05:51- Well, I expect him to come out fighting.- Edging his way back.- Mm.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57So, Chris' dish, We Are Captains Of Our Soles.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58He's got great ingredients.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00I'm very interested to see what the clams are all about.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02But he really needs to step up his game today
0:06:02 > 0:06:04and make sure he fits the brief.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09Last up is determined,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13young newcomer Will Brown whose overcomplicated starter
0:06:13 > 0:06:17and schoolboy errors put him in last place with a score of four points.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I have to do better than my starter course.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24There's no two ways about it. I have to achieve on this fish course.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28- How are we doing, young Will? - Great, thanks, chef.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- What's the name of your dish? - It is Smoke On The Shore.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33It's a vision of what it might have been like on the beaches in them
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- days. - The Normandy invasion you mean?
0:06:35 > 0:06:39- Yeah, I'm making sand for the beach. - Sand for the beach?- Uh-huh.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42We have had a seashore dish come up to Great British Menu in this
0:06:42 > 0:06:43kitchen before.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Two years ago,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47Johnnie Mountain served Marcus a seashore-themed dish...
0:06:47 > 0:06:49MAN COUGHS
0:06:49 > 0:06:51..that famously failed spectacularly
0:06:51 > 0:06:54- and on receiving a score of only two points...- BLEEP.
0:06:54 > 0:06:59..was the first contestant ever to leave the competition halfway.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Does that make you a little nervous?
0:07:01 > 0:07:04It does indeed but hopefully this will be a lot better than that one.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06The main element is the mackerel.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09I'm taking both fillets and putting some ham inside.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- And then some...?- Clams. - Some clams and some cockles.- Yes.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15We've got some langoustines and then some mussels.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- Some mussels for the sauce. - It's quite a lot of ingredients here.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Yeah, it looks a lot but when you see it on the plate,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25it really isn't. A lot of this is going into the flavour in the sauce.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27Any thoughts, Mr Wareing?
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Don't you just love youth?
0:07:28 > 0:07:29THEY LAUGH
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- Youthful enthusiasm.- Yeah.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37Smoke On The Shore.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42I love mackerel, the issue is it's a beach scene, chef.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Am I speechless? I'm not sure.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Nervous? Yeah. A lot going on.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50I hope he can stay focused on the ingredients and cook well.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Battle has commenced in the kitchen and the chefs are still
0:07:58 > 0:08:02reeling from the news of being judged by a second veteran.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I think if any of us are going to get a dish through to the
0:08:06 > 0:08:08banquet, we're going to have to be judged by people
0:08:08 > 0:08:10who are at the top of their game and Marcus Wareing
0:08:10 > 0:08:13is at the top of his game and has been for a number of years.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Definitely no schoolboy errors today, Will.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- Well, hopefully no schoolboy errors today.- He'll cane you.- He will.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25I have to worry about a few flavours.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27You have to worry about a bit of sand.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31For me, it was about honouring the people that went away for us.
0:08:31 > 0:08:32Yeah, and for me,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34it's about showing what we can do with what they fought for.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37So, Raymond, what was your fish dish last year?
0:08:37 > 0:08:39William, would you believe it or not, it was a beach scene.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43It absolutely bombed. It got five.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45So, do you think you'll get a five, William?
0:08:45 > 0:08:49If I get a five on this dish here, I'll be in big trouble.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51I need a ten.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Am I worried about Marcus' comments?
0:08:55 > 0:08:58I think anybody would be but it would be some achievement
0:08:58 > 0:09:01if you could change his mind, wouldn't it?
0:09:01 > 0:09:06Like yesterday, eager newcomer Will is the busiest chef in the kitchen.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09He has four different types of seafood going into his
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Smoke On The Shore mackerel fish course,
0:09:12 > 0:09:13representing the success of D-Day.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19- How you doing? - Yeah, doing great. Pushing on.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21The sand, I'm sure you're glad to know, there's not
0:09:21 > 0:09:26- a lot of it on the plate.- What's in here?- Smoke oil, kombu, breadcrumbs.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29OK. And the presentation?
0:09:29 > 0:09:32This is the board that I'm going to be plating up on.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- Inside the box, we just have a tray. - OK. The dry ice is in here?
0:09:36 > 0:09:40The dry ice is in here. This goes on here like this.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- The smoke comes through these three holes.- Create a dish.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44Lots to do, you've got a lot on.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46It seems like a lot going on but, really,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49it's concentrating on the flavour of the sauce.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Quite interesting talking to Will.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53For me, he looks like a rabbit in headlights.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- Have you really thought about this? - Yeah, I've thought about this.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59I think so, yeah.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03The dish does concern me, the presentation concerns me.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06It's quite gimmicky, no real substance to the whole thing.
0:10:06 > 0:10:07It seems all bitty.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Will's not the only one taking a risk today.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Returning finalist Raymond is marrying halibut with
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Normandy ingredients including a pungent camembert
0:10:18 > 0:10:22and reblochon cheese sauce that has already made the veterans sceptical.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26- Hello there, Ray. So, this is the cheese sauce?- Yeah.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28- Can I have a little try?- You can.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37You're not worried that's too cloying or too powerful a flavour?
0:10:37 > 0:10:39I scaled it back in my practice sessions.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42At the very start, it was like boom, you know, cheese.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I think it's a nice compliment for the ham that was
0:10:45 > 0:10:49cooked in the Normandy cider and the vinaigrette with a Normandy vinegar.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50OK.
0:10:54 > 0:10:59That cheese sauce is very powerful but in texture, in density,
0:10:59 > 0:11:01it's quite light, it's all about flavour.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03I hope he gets this right.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Too much of that sauce will completely overkill the fish.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Chasing Raymond's tail by three points is experienced head
0:11:11 > 0:11:14chef Chris who missed the brief yesterday.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16He's sticking to British ingredients,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18serving sea vegetables and rare long neck clams,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21alongside the English Channel classic, Dover sole.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27- How you doing, Chris? What have we got?- So, this is the brown butter.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28The fish is going to be cooked in there.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I've just added a little bit of horseradish to it now,
0:11:30 > 0:11:32a little bit of lemon and seasoning.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33These are the long neck clams
0:11:33 > 0:11:35so these have been cooked at 35 degrees
0:11:35 > 0:11:39so what I want to do now is just open it and release the juice
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and let the juice drop into the poaching liquor.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Do you think you captured the brief here?
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Are you going to bring these guys back to something that they
0:11:46 > 0:11:49may remember or they'll all feel a bit nostalgic about?
0:11:49 > 0:11:51I suppose there's not anything tangible on the dish that
0:11:51 > 0:11:57says 1940s Normandy but these ingredients are British
0:11:57 > 0:11:59ingredients which these people fought for.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01I really like the sound of Chris' dish.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05Chris' is the one that could be suitable to the veterans more
0:12:05 > 0:12:07than any of the others because it's very straightforward,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10very simple and ingredients that they'll probably
0:12:10 > 0:12:12recognise when they see it on the plate.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16While Richard Corrigan's protege Chris is now London-based,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19both his competitors cook on the Northern Ireland coast.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21Chris, see where I am, I'm totally spoiled.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23I mean out the door of our restaurant, we're on the beach.
0:12:23 > 0:12:26I love to get the fish course cos see back home, I am spoiled.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30I'm just on the shore at Strangford Lough and there's everything.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Everything you could ever dream of so it'd be an honour to get
0:12:34 > 0:12:35the fish course.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Will lives down the coast from the village of Ardglass where
0:12:43 > 0:12:46fishing has been the main industry for the last 200 years.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Its heyday was the years leading up to World War II when it all
0:12:50 > 0:12:54took a turn for the worse as historian Michael Howland explains.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57This place would have been full of boats coming from all over the UK.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- I would have loved to have seen it. - Oh, it's very impressive.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03And then once the war came in, the numbers in the fleet starting
0:13:03 > 0:13:06dropping cos they were going away to naval duty.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10All over the North Sea, different places helping the Admiralty.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13With fishing boats called on to help the war effort, there was
0:13:13 > 0:13:15a substantial drop in the amount of fish
0:13:15 > 0:13:20coming into Ardglass as 87-year-old local resident Hilda recalls.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- There wasn't very much in Ardglass at that time.- Yeah.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Well, a lot of them went away to the war, the fishermen.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30My father was in the Home Guard.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Nobody had any money then, not very much.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35And then when the war ended, did it come back to normal
0:13:35 > 0:13:40straightaway or did it take it time to get back to good days?
0:13:40 > 0:13:47It took a time to get the fish back again and it was much better then.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Well, I hope to do my fish course justice
0:13:50 > 0:13:53and do the Ardglass harbour justice by cooking a stunning dish.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Will's hoping the mackerel element of his Smoke On The Shore
0:13:58 > 0:14:02fish dish will bring back happy memories for Hilda.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05So, here we have a little bit of the fresh mackerel with a little
0:14:05 > 0:14:08salad just for you to taste.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09I hope you enjoy it.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16What's the verdict?
0:14:16 > 0:14:19Gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- Hilda, that's exactly what I wanted to hear.- Mm.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25I'm totally determined to do the fish course justice.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Meeting a lovely lady like Hilda has just made my day
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and I cannot wait to get started.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40With plating up fast approaching, Will is testing out
0:14:40 > 0:14:43the smoke for his mackerel and shellfish fish course.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48How's that looking?
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Yeah, it's looking great but it's whether the judge likes it or not,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54you know, so let's just hope the food matches what that looks like.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- Well, I did sand. Can I taste your sand?- Of course you can, Raymond.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05It's quite smoky. It is very smoky.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06I just worry for Will a wee bit
0:15:06 > 0:15:09because the rest of the dish looks great, the presentation looks great.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12I hope he pulls this one off and doesn't put too much on it.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24I got really close to getting to the banquet last year and I can nearly taste it.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Like I scored a perfect ten and still didn't get to the banquet.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Do you know what that's like? It's soul destroying.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32- Ten's going to be difficult today. - From Marcus Wareing?
0:15:32 > 0:15:34It's going to be impossible, fellas.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38He gave out two tens in the history of this competition.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40- Well, we're up against it today then.- Yeah.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Ham, cheese, tapioca, apple and celery dressing.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46He's either going to love it or hate it.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49- It's your big chance today. - Whose chance? My chance?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- Your big chance to catch me. - Catch me if you can.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01Under the watchful eyes of the two Michelin-starred veterans,
0:16:01 > 0:16:03London-based Chris is first to plate up.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07It has to deliver, period.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10He's got three points to gain on returning finalist Raymond,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13and starts his plate with spinach and sea vegetable puree,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16then adds his butter-poached Dover sole.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18I'm expecting to turn it around today.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21These flavours are really simple flavours. When cooking fish,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23the complication is cooking it properly.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Next, his unusual long-neck clams.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32A croquette made from bechamel sauce and clam meat,
0:16:32 > 0:16:36and finally he garnishes the plate with more sea vegetables
0:16:36 > 0:16:38and long-neck clams in horseradish butter.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45Do you think this dish is a worthy dish for heroes, Chris?
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- I would be happy to come home for that.- You, boys, what do you think?
0:16:49 > 0:16:52- It looks fantastic, yes. - Shall we go and taste it?
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- More like shall I watch you and Marcus taste it?- I think... Yeah.
0:16:55 > 0:16:56I'll be your waiter.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59You guys, crack on with that one.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04Captains Of Our Soles.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Winston Churchill said it in a speech once during the war.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Looks beautiful. Very clean, fresh, vibrant.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- So the cooking of the fish? - I deliberately butter poached it,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18trying to add moisture rather than drawing it out of it.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22It is a wee bit undercooked, you know.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28There's not a lot of components to that. To me it's about marrying those flavours together.
0:17:29 > 0:17:35Yes, very nice. Very tasty. It accompanies the fish very well.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38The veterans at the banquet, do you think they're going to enjoy this?
0:17:38 > 0:17:41It's quintessentially British on a plate. They'll love that.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44I don't think it's got anything to do with Normandy and D-day.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47It's a taste of the sea. I like it.
0:17:47 > 0:17:51If you were Marcus, what score out of ten would you give that?
0:17:51 > 0:17:54I need a ten, because if Raymond comes out and knocks it out of the park,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57then we're all in big trouble. I need as high a score as possible.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01I'd give it an eight or nine. It's a great dish.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07- If I was to score this dish, I'd give it a six.- OK.
0:18:10 > 0:18:16- All right, boys.- All right. - How did you get on?- I hope very well.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- They're tough cookies, you know. - Yes.- Marcus was complete poker face.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22- Give anything away? - Absolutely nothing.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26Eager newcomer Will is up next
0:18:26 > 0:18:30and out to prove his worth against his more experienced rival chefs.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35He needs his elaborate Smoke On The Shore mackerel dish to impress after yesterday's disaster.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- Is that your sand?- Yes, it's my smoked sand. It's not too strong.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41As long as it doesn't overthrow the dish.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44It doesn't overthrow the dish. I know Mr Wareing so I think I'll be OK.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51But Will has plenty of other ingredients to worry about.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55His mackerel isn't ready until he's pan-fried it with a brioche crust.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- How are you on time, Will? - Probably about three minutes away.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Three minutes later, there's still no end in sight.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10BLEEP!
0:19:10 > 0:19:12- How are we getting on, Will? - One minute, please.
0:19:23 > 0:19:27- That's been a minute, Will. - Yes, sorry about that.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Finally Will puts his mackerel onto his edible sand.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34How are we doing? That's been another minute, chief. Come on, be honest.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- Is it going to be two or three? Let us all know.- One minute, please.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Will adds poached langoustine,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43cockles,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45sea vegetables,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48and finally a shellfish foam,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51before getting the drama ready for his sandy shore.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- Excuse me.- It's not on properly.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02OK, Chef, so we have Smoke On The Shore.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06- That's it on now.- Certainly got visual impact, hasn't it, Chef?
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Trying to use different techniques,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12trying to produce good food with a little bit of theatre on the side.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Well, this looks like a valiant effort to me.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17I'll carry it through and you and Chef Marcus can try it
0:20:17 > 0:20:20and you two boys can push on with that one. Come on, chaps.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26- It was a little bit late coming up to the pass.- Indeed.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Completing that for a banquet, do you think you can do it?
0:20:30 > 0:20:32For the banquet I'd be able to do it, yes.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Would you do that for a banquet?
0:20:36 > 0:20:37If I was a bit crazy.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41- Does it tell a story of D-day? - I think so, yes.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I'm sure it was an absolute nightmare
0:20:43 > 0:20:46when they were attacking the beaches, you know.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49It adds a wee bit of theatre.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54He's talking about D-day landings. It was just mayhem. I get all that.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Is the sand what you were looking for?
0:20:56 > 0:20:58That's exactly the amount that I wanted.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- Do you like the sand? - It's not unpleasant. Not urgh.
0:21:02 > 0:21:06- The cooking of the fish, is that what you are looking for? - Pretty much, yes.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09The mackerel seemed quite fiddly and he broke the structure of the fish.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Sometimes a step too far with food is what can damage a dish.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17- Was that in your head? - It was in my head
0:21:17 > 0:21:20but really, if you think about it, it's quite a simple dish.
0:21:20 > 0:21:21Just cockles, muscles, prawns.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Do you think he's learned from his lesson on the first course?
0:21:24 > 0:21:27- There's quite a bit going on there. - I don't think he's learned.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31I think his menu is his menu and his style of food. I think that's Will.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35So would you say where there's a Will there's a way?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- All right, guys?- How did it go? - Giving nothing away again.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46- After the scores yesterday, I'd like to see an improvement on that.- Yeah.
0:21:46 > 0:21:48We just need to wait and see.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Finally, it's last year's Northern Ireland winner
0:21:53 > 0:21:57and current leader Raymond with his Memories Of Normandy dish
0:21:57 > 0:22:00of halibut, braised ham and French cheese sauce.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03- Do you think you'll equal your last score?- I don't know.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05- I would like something in around that.- Yes.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11He starts his plate with ham braised in Normandy cider.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Next on is his pan-fried halibut,
0:22:14 > 0:22:18which he tops with an apple and celery tapioca dressing.
0:22:18 > 0:22:19Feeling confident, Raymond?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Yes, I've kept it nice and clean and simple.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Finally he adds caviar
0:22:24 > 0:22:27and finishes the plate with his controversial French cheese sauce.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Memories Of Normandy. Is it going to be a gastronomic victory?
0:22:36 > 0:22:40- I certainly hope so.- What do you make of it, boys?- Looks beautiful.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- Looks lovely and fresh.- OK.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47So me and Chef Marcus and yourself will go round and taste this.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49You boys can get on with that one.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56How does this dish pay homage to Britain's culinary journey?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Our troops when they hit Normandy came across cheese and ham
0:22:59 > 0:23:02and the locals gave them cider on the way up the road.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05They'll be used to those ingredients.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11Everything on this plate, he went to Normandy and he brought the ideas back.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15As you know, we were a little concerned about how powerful that cheese could be.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- Do you think it works? - I think it does.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23Either it needs a bit more sauce or it needs to be stronger for me.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26- Tell me what you've done with the ham.- I braised it in the cider
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and then shredded it down and cooked it down in its juice.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- The ham is really meaty.- Halibut is quite a meaty fish.- Exactly.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37I think there is too much of the ham on the plate.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41The celery garnish, do you think the flavour of that comes through enough?
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Yes, because there's celery in the dressing with the apple.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47What flavour is that? Apple?
0:23:48 > 0:23:50It must be apple.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55- And a score out of ten, what would you give it?- Ten.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00- Seven.- We need it to be less than that.- I know.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04- What would you go for? - I think a six.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13- How was that?- They seemed happy. - Think it's a good score?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I don't know. I wouldn't like to say.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20Yep.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Before Tom can give scores, he must consult with Marcus.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31I think the execution was something that needed to be taken into consideration.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37- Tough day.- Tough day today. - Tough two days.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42There were so many different things going on there that really didn't need to be there.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45I really hope I maintain my lead even by one point.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Well, we need points, we need to get our points back here.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57How are we doing, Chefs?
0:24:57 > 0:25:01- How did it feel being judged by the great Marcus Wareing?- Fantastic.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Phenomenal.
0:25:03 > 0:25:08OK. I'll start with you, Chris and your We Are Captains Of Our Soles.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12I thought it was a real respect to British ingredients
0:25:12 > 0:25:16and I could see that going onto a D-day banquet
0:25:16 > 0:25:20specially for those veterans and to make them proud.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23The clams were tender, the croquette was excellent.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Marcus said he could have eaten a whole bowlful of them.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29But...
0:25:30 > 0:25:34The puree on the plate, wasn't sure it was smooth enough.
0:25:34 > 0:25:38I love Dover sole but I love it being cooked on the bone.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Will, for your Smoke On The Shore,
0:25:44 > 0:25:47the idea of it representing a Normandy beach,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51I could see where you were going with that.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52Marcus pointed out to me that the sand,
0:25:52 > 0:25:55he was a little worried about that at the start
0:25:55 > 0:25:57but he thinks you've got away with it.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03However, I thought you struggled for service here.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07To represent that dish at a banquet I think you'd find very hard.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11I think you're still doing too much on the plate.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Some of the flavours didn't work.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20Worst of all for me, the mackerel was overcooked.
0:26:23 > 0:26:29Raymond, your Memories Of Normandy, I thought it was a great idea.
0:26:29 > 0:26:34The fish tasted good, the style of cooking was fantastic.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37I was worried that the French cheese would be too powerful
0:26:37 > 0:26:40but actually that sauce was really well-balanced.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45However, some of the flavours didn't work.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48The ham overpowered things for me.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52The garnish on the top I think was a little bit pointless.
0:26:56 > 0:27:03Chris, for your We Are Captains Of Our Soles, I am giving you...
0:27:04 > 0:27:06..eight points.
0:27:08 > 0:27:15Raymond, for your Memories Of Normandy, I am giving you...
0:27:17 > 0:27:18..six points.
0:27:20 > 0:27:26Will, for Your Smoke On The Shore I'm giving you...
0:27:29 > 0:27:30Four points.
0:27:31 > 0:27:36- If you'd kept it simple, that score would be much, much higher.- OK.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40Tomorrow's main course day. Let's get some nines and tens, boys.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45- Well done.- Thank you. - Well done.- Thank you.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49With two courses down, Chris is just one point behind Raymond
0:27:49 > 0:27:51while Will has a lot of ground to make up.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55I'm really, really, really ecstatic about the score.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- Tide turned. - Not sure it's turned yet.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Getting a six was mixed emotions.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03It keeps me still in the running, could have been better.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06- Ready to fight another day?- Yes.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08Obviously I'm very disappointed with my first two dishes
0:28:08 > 0:28:13but there's still two to play and I honestly feel I can pull it back.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Tomorrow it's the main course
0:28:15 > 0:28:18and Raymond is going all out to maintain his lead.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22I've got lots of little elements in it and I really need to pull them all together.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25But will the heat of the battle get to last year's regional champion?
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Where's all my pickle gear?
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Where did you put my casserole?
0:28:30 > 0:28:32He's left it out. Yes, he has.