Central Judging Great British Menu

It's been a fierce battle for three

of the Central Region's top chefs as ambitious newcomer Jason Hodnett...

I'm classically trained, so I know I can cook it properly.

..and Daniel Clifford's protege, Mark Poynton...

-BLEEP.

-What you doing here?

-I've just come down to say hello.

..went up against former champion Aktar Islam...

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

..for the chance to cook at an honorary banquet

marking 70 years since D-Day at London's majestic St Paul's,

a landmark of hope during World War II.

Yesterday was a fight to the finish for Jason and Aktar

who struggled with his timings all week.

-1:30 left. You going to be all right?

-1:30?

BLEEP.

But it was Jason who, despite a valiant effort,

fell at the final hurdle.

That dessert broke my heart, I must say.

Not half as much as it broke mine.

Today, Mark and Aktar will go head-to-head.

-This is our little war, Aktar.

-Yes, it is, sir,

and I hope to be just as victorious.

Cooking their four courses again...

This is it, I've got to make this one work.

..for the judges who are expecting dishes worthy of war heroes.

Somehow, this food has got to represent wartime triumph

and be suitable for St Paul.

To ensure the chefs capture the wartime spirit,

there's a fourth judge, military historian Max Hastings,

whose father reported from the front line in Normandy.

But most of the time, the soldiers in Normandy,

they battled the civilians at home.

They gave the best food they could come up with for the soldiers.

The food must be delicious...

-I love this pudding.

-Fantastic.

-It just...

-Absolutely wonderful.

It does not look delicious, it does not look pretty...

..as only one chef can go through to the finals.

The winner is...

Having made it to the banquet before

Aktar is determined not to let Mark win a place in the final.

As a returning champion, I have to make it to the judging day.

You've seen the scores, haven't you?

I have, mate, but scores mean nothing today.

There's going to be one winner. And I'm hoping that's me.

No chance.

His third time in the competition,

Aktar failed to get past the judges on his last attempt.

I want to make it through to the banquet so I can say

thank you to the veterans

and I certainly don't want to go home because it is devastating.

But Daniel Clifford's former right-hand man, Mark,

wants to make it through on his first try,

a feat not managed by his former boss.

Daniel's Mr Consistency so I just want to emulate Daniel,

go one better, and get to the banquet first time round.

Judges Prue Leith, Matthew Fort and Oliver Peyton

have high expectations for both chefs.

It's quite difficult looking at these titles to have any

idea of what we're going to get.

Obviously, I remember Aktar from the time he got through

to the final banquet.

And the last time, he completely crashed and burned.

It'll be interesting to see what he does today.

Mark certainly knows his stuff and I rather like the look of his menu

cos there's a sort of narrative running from first course to last.

Let's just hope they rise to the occasion.

What've we got in store today?

The judges, they're very, very critical.

They can't be worse than Marcus Wareing.

Remember, there's four of them.

So, like, four Marcus Wareings?

Yeah. It's a tough day.

30, 25, 27.

It was a pretty competitive week.

Well, I think Mark's amazing there, cos he's got three eights

but he obviously messed up the starter and got a six.

Not as much as Aktar messed up the starter.

I mean, four.

He must have dropped it.

MATTHEW LAUGHS

-Morning.

-How are you all?

Good.

Mark, three eights

What happened to the starter?

Nerves. All about nerves.

I brought it back though, I was consistent.

Aktar, what's your excuse for your first course?

It's not as bad as it looks.

I was deducted a point for being late to the pass.

You absolutely can't let us down.

You are cooking to get to St Paul's.

Does that make you nervous?

More nervous about getting past you first.

THEY LAUGH

-Good luck, guys.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

With four courses each to deliver to the judges, timing is critical.

Mark, you're first to the pass today, how are you feeling?

-I've not been late yet.

-Yet.

I'm organised, and consistent.

I'm feeling good.

Mark's starter course -

a soldier's Packed Lunch

of sausage roll, malt loaf,

chicken butter and beef tea,

scored two points more than Aktar's in the week,

who was penalised for being late to the pass.

Shouldn't you start plating up your starter now, Aktar,

seeing as you're about 35 minutes late?

That's a bit of a over exaggeration, isn't it?

Oh, sorry, just felt like that.

-It was 14.

-Oh, 14.

Award-winning military historian Max Hastings

is joining the judges

to decide which of the chefs will go through.

-Max, how wonderful to have you.

-Hi, how lovely to see you.

Welcome to the judges' chamber.

-Oliver, Matthew.

-Very good to see you.

-You sit here.

-This is very exciting.

So, Max. Your father was actually there.

My father had been war correspondent of a

legendary magazine of those days called Picture Post.

On D Plus One, the day after D-Day, he went to Normandy.

That's Daddy looking at a German shell that had hit a tank.

That's amazing.

Well, I'm remembering Father telling me about how one day

when the rations didn't get through, they cooked and ate a dog

which he said wasn't actually a great success.

We are faced by a slightly different problem today.

Eight courses cooked by two of the finest chefs in the country.

Mark's specially made lunchboxes

reveal a map of the English Channel and Normandy coastline.

Chef, you having a problem with your geography?

Yeah, I'm an Englishman, not a Frenchman.

We need to know where our coast is.

You just concentrate on being on time, big boy.

Mark begins his plating up,

starting with pickled onion jam, spicy brown sauce and malt loaf.

He fills flasks with beef tea,

adds his sausage roll,

and completes the dish with chicken butter and crispy chicken skin.

-Happy with that?

-Very happy.

All right, we have the whole Channel

and the Normandy beaches. How wonderful.

-Goodness me.

-I must say.

Classy little picnic.

Very humble ingredients in the starter - sausage roll...

..bit of malt loaf.

-Do you think the judges will feel that's enough for a banquet?

-D-Day.

It was all humble at the time, wasn't it? You know.

I was quite excited about the sausage roll

and it let me down on all levels.

The malt sausage roll's fine.

I think the pastry's good. The roll part of it...

The meat part of it is a bit dense.

I would have been terribly excited if I'd been given this in 1944.

I'm not quite sure I'm so excited in 2014.

It is a bit confusing, and frankly, who wants beef tea for a starter?

Actually, I've just realised there's a significance to the date,

Sunday 4th June, which is, as you say,

-two days before D-Day itself.

-Oh, yes.

And this is what, you know, you'd have had before you left.

I was old enough to remember beef tea.

We got pretty fed up with it, even when I was a child after the war.

So it's brought back unhappy memories for you.

I just don't think this can possibly be a starter for a banquet.

Presentation was wonderful. Unfortunately it sunk after that.

THEY LAUGH

Next up is Aktar with his

Run Rabbit Run.

This complex dish with rabbit cutlet,

brawn, pie and parfait

inspired by a wartime campaign

to promote this off-ration meat,

was late to the pass during the week.

-How long you got left on the parfait, mate?

-50 seconds, chef.

-Going straight into the chiller, yeah?

-That's it, chef.

-I hope it sets.

-If it hasn't, then alarm bells.

With plate-up fast approaching, Aktar places his rabbit parfait

in the blast chiller to try and set it quickly.

It's never been so close but I'm determined to make sure it happens.

Aktar, you've got good form for being late.

I'm going to disappoint you. I'm going to be on the pass on time.

Aktar starts his plate with pickled veg

and dots of beetroot yoghurt.

Can you just grab that pie out of the oven, please?

Next, he places his rabbit brawn, blowtorches his cutlets...

Two minutes left, big boy.

..and adds rabbit pie.

Finally, he gets his rabbit parfait out of the blast chiller,

but it hasn't set.

Think it might be better piping it, mate.

You know what, I'll leave it out. I'm going to go.

-Best choice, mate.

-All right, cheers.

With the parfait not ready, and to avoid being late,

Aktar is forced to serve his dish without it,

finishing with a rabbit scene cloche.

-BLEEP

-was never going to happen, was it?

It's a cloche!

-Oh, my goodness.

-This is the best cloche I've ever seen.

It's amazing.

'One rabbit has at least 12 young in a year.

'45lbs of meat.

'And it's all off the ration.'

When I see that lovely title,

Run Rabbit Run, I can never forget a story about Churchill.

His private secretary wrote in his daily how

when things were going really, really badly

and one night everybody was utterly depressed and there at Chequers

is Churchill just sitting, puffing his cigar and singing,

# Run, rabbit, run, rabbit, run, run. #

-THEY LAUGH

-And Colville was so touched

the Prime Minister still being able to laugh.

SHE LAUGHS

Think the judges will get the spicing on yours?

Um, yeah. I've left the spicing very light.

The curried pie is delicious.

This isn't the way I remember rabbit in 1940-something.

And it's absolutely wonderful.

I'm not wholly convinced by the saddle,

which I find has sort of a rather mushy texture.

I can't believe that Marcus Wareing gave this a four.

This is a very good dish. I like this a lot.

-There's one of them which is actually missing.

-No liver parfait.

Can't help but be disappointed.

But that parfait is one that's consistently perfect.

It's got a lovely flavour.

Maybe Aktar had to choose between being on time

and making the liver parfait.

Mark's fish course, At The Harbour, is next,

with plaice, langoustine and fennel.

It scored eight from Marcus who felt it was a little safe

and wanted more seaweed butter sauce.

-Aktar.

-Yeah.

-Marcus was right.

This sauce is beautiful, mate.

It is a lovely sauce. I agree with him.

He said that it was so good, he wanted more of it.

To serve, Mark fries off his langoustine.

Then starts his plate with pickled cucumber,

followed by plaice,

adds langoustine,

fennel,

and finally, a liberal helping of the seaweed butter sauce.

Anything I can grab for you, chef?

Just need to get the fennel cress on, mate, and I'm ready to go.

-It was hard work, that one.

-Back into it.

-All right, bruv.

-Hm.

-Mm-mm-mm.

I like the look of this.

Oh, that's good, that.

Sweetness of the langoustine, crunchiness of the fennel on top,

and the seaweed butter...

Do you think the judges are going to appreciate the flavour combination

there? The fish, fennel...

I mean, it's quintessentially British food, you know.

Then you've got the lovely seaweed butter sauce, you know?

This is why, frankly, I'm really pleased that we pulled it off.

You mean this is what we were fighting for?

Yes, exactly.

THEY LAUGH

I'm trying to see the relevance of it for the occasion.

There is a narrative, you know.

You've had the food that you have on your way to going to D-Day,

and now you have the food from the seafront.

I mean, it's a generous interpretation,

but I think it's justifiable

when the food is as good as this.

For me, it's a winner.

I think that's my strongest dish, Aktar.

I really enjoyed eating it and I think it is a strong dish

and it is one that when I saw it, I was quite worried.

I mean, I just can't fault it.

I think it is a perfect restaurant dish.

I would bet my socks that all those D-Day veterans

I've met over the years,

I think they would be absolutely thrilled to get this for dinner.

So are you feeling more confident you're not going to

miss any ingredients and be on time?

It's all hopefully coming together.

Aktar's fish course, Allied Forces, with British mackerel and oysters,

American gumbo sauce, and Indian favourite okra

is a nod to the international war effort as well as

his own heritage.

Do you think they'll like the flavour combinations,

and the components?

Yeah, because I was trying to be honest to the dish

that I took inspiration from. It's a gumbo.

And then flavours from the British Empire at the time,

I think they'll get it.

Despite being on time earlier in the week, Aktar's already running late.

He starts his plate with okra and potato

but he's not yet made the batter for his oyster,

so Mark steps in to lend a hand.

Happy with that, Aktar?

-Do you want it a bit thicker or...?

-Little thinner, I think.

Due at the pass, and with Mark taking care of his oysters,

Aktar places his mackerel fillet,

followed by his rice balls and crayfish.

Yeah, cool.

Is Aktar keeping us waiting?

Well, D-Day was delayed by 24 hours.

THEY LAUGH

As Aktar's plates finally reach the pass, he adds his oysters...

Seven, seven minutes late, Aktar.

..and the gumbo sauce.

-It's done.

-It's done, mate. Better late than never.

We've got a communication on his Majesty's service.

Ministry Of Banquets.

'Allied Forces, the British Empire and the USA formed an

'effective alliance which altered the course of the future.

'This dish is a melting pot

'of ingredients.'

Gumbo.

-Hard work, eh?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

One day I'll learn to make life easier for myself.

HE LAUGHS

I'm a little disappointed with it.

-I think it sounds intriguing and it looks good, but...

-Yeah.

..it doesn't smell very nice.

I think it's a bit of a shame,

cos there's too much happening

but none of it has got a centrepiece to it.

I don't mind waiting for a dish if the result's justified,

but I do mind waiting for a dish

when, actually, I think I could be doing something better.

The mackerel will work better

if they'd just been there on their own without any allies.

THEY LAUGH

Think you got the edge, then?

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

-No disrespect, I'm going to do my best.

-Fair enough.

Got to be on time first, don't you?

At the halfway point, while the chefs are busy

with their main courses,

the judges are considering their scores.

So, Prue, how have you scored today?

I got so excited that I gave someone a ten...

HE GASPS ..and so disappointed

that I gave someone a four.

I thought for one glorious moment that Aktar

really learned his lesson.

And somehow, his next course, it was late.

Talk about this roller coaster ride.

You know, one's had some terrific thrills,

but also, yeah, the disappointment.

Mark's cooking is exquisite.

That fish dish was absolutely outstanding, no doubt about that.

I always find that Aktar has always had one knockout dish

and I hope that's yet to come.

But so could Mark.

I mean, that guy cooks so classically,

I have huge hopes for the main course.

Aktar's up first with his Dream Ration Box,

of beef sirloin, spiced cottage pie

and naan Yorkshire pudding -

his take on a soldier's dream Sunday roast.

Marcus gave it an eight,

but warned Aktar about trying to do too much.

Main course still, Aktar. You made any changes?

I've taken into account what Marcus told me

and what I've removed is the...

the sweet bread.

So I'm hoping that will pay off for me.

With a more focused dish, Aktar hopes to win over the judges,

including Max Hastings.

-Good afternoon, guys.

-Hello, Max.

I must say, you really gave us a masterclass this morning

it's been so exciting.

Your father was at the beach on D-Day, was he?

He wasn't really there on D-Day, he arrived on D Plus One

but he went through the Normandy campaign.

In fact, I've got a picture of him here in Normandy

with a bottle of wine in his hand, the way he liked it best.

But most of the time, the soldiers in Normandy,

they battled the civilians at home.

They gave the best food they could come up with

for the soldiers.

Hopefully we're going to create something really special

for the veterans at the D-Day banquet.

You've had us on the edge of our seats today.

There's been at least one score of ten.

So, well, congratulations on this morning, and

the very best of luck this afternoon.

-Thank you.

-Cheerio.

-Goodbye.

So, Aktar, one of us has got a ten.

-Which course do you think that is?

-If I nailed it,

my fish.

It was a good dish.

Aktar removes his sirloin

from the smoker to allow it to rest,

hoping not to be late again,

he starts by assembling

his cottage pie,

piping mashed potato onto spiced ox cheek.

Next, he layers vegetables for the Dig For Victory garden,

topping with puy lentils

and pea shoots.

-Is that how you wanted it, Aktar?

-It's coming together, yeah.

Just in time, he plates his Yorkshire puddings,

and finally, his smoke sirloin fillet,

all encased in a green wartime ration box.

It was hard work, wasn't it?

Yeah, it's a tough one but I think they're done,

it's got some good flavours in it.

'GBM dream rations. One meal, four great British heroes.'

Well, it's looks like...

The British Army used to have this thing called hayboxes,

insulated boxes, in which...

For about 100 years one saw

the British Army brought its food

in boxes like this.

-Good Lord!

-Oh, wow.

-Isn't it pretty?

-Another presentation sensation.

Do you think the judges will get it?

Amazing presentation.

I hope so. But, you know, you can't eat the box.

It's about the food.

-Right.

-Yeah, this looks good.

-I can't wait.

-Here we are.

-Pass it out.

-He knows how to wow.

-The cottage pie's terrific.

It's really good cottage pie.

I think this is such a good dish.

I mean, my only complaint really is the smoking of the meat

because I think it's a pity to do it.

So, I was able to put a little bit more smoked flavour into the...

-the beef.

-Yeah, I could smell that.

Yeah, so I hope it's not too much, though.

Is this a series of sensations, or is it a dish?

-And I... I'm not sure that it's a dish.

-No, I totally agree.

-I give it a seven.

-Oh, come on.

Yeah, a seven. And that's, I think, being generous, to be honest.

Mark's main course, Operation Overlord,

combines an unusual

Glasgow fillet cut of beef

with beef ragout, carrot and stout sauce.

In the week,

Marcus gave him an eight

but was concerned diners

wouldn't understand his unconventional choice of meat -

a forgotten cut, popular during the war.

So, what changes have you made, if any?

-Put the story on the side of the plate.

-Yeah, I noticed that.

What does it say?

It says, "Dear Aktar, none of your business."

He-he.

He starts his plate with potato and bacon terrine,

followed by carrot

on a bed of tarragon powder,

then a quenelle of beef ragout

and potato cannelloni

filled with prune puree.

Last but not least, he slices and places his Glasgow fillet.

Fantastic dish, chef.

I think that looks really boring.

Do you?

No, I'm glad to see a dish in one plate.

SHE LAUGHS

What's the green stuff?

Tarragon mud.

What about the tarragon?

The powder, yeah, you need a bit of acidity. So, that's why we did it.

I think tarragon is best left as a leaf, not as a powder,

I must say.

I hope the judges appreciate the research

I've done into that forgotten cut of meat, you know?

Perhaps we should, in fairness,

read the little message that came with it.

It says, "Operation Overlord."

Well, we all know what that is - Normandy landings.

"This beef and prune hotpot celebrates the forgotten

"Glasgow fillet, which should not be confused with fillet

"as we know it today."

I mean, to be fair to the chef, I do understand.

He's trying to use an unusual cut.

This idea of Glasgow fillet, I admire him for that.

I just don't think it's a celebratory dish.

I don't even think it looks very nice.

But are you three,

you are telling poor Mark that Operation Overlord has failed?

THEY LAUGH

Keen to impress and desperate not to be late,

Aktar's going all out for his dessert.

Aktar, Aktar, Aktar, Aktar.

Aktar's serving his take on the

classic Queen Of Puddings

with a spun sugar crown

and a Winston Churchill-inspired

chocolate cigar.

But things are already going wrong

with the custard for his pudding.

What's wrong, Aktar?

Ah, it's split.

Not enough time.

I need to be getting my Queen Of Puddings in now,

to be honest.

Aktar's second batch of custard goes in the oven,

but the set back means he's left the sugar for his crowns to harden.

-BLEEP.

-You all right, Aktar?

Sugar set?

Yeah, it's playing up.

With time running out, Aktar finishes his cigars with

chocolate ganache, popping candy and a topping of dried raspberry.

His Queen Of Puddings finally out of the oven, he adds crumble,

meringue, spoonfuls of jam, and a quenelle of raspberry sorbet.

-It's nine minutes over, Aktar, we're ready, aren't we?

-Yep.

His spun sugar crowns complete his dish.

Well done, mate.

It's over, man. It's over.

MUSIC: Land Of Hope And Glory

'If the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for 1,000 years...

'..men will still say, this was their finest hour.'

I'm tempted to ask,

is this their finest pudding?

12 minutes is better late than never.

I agree.

And I strongly recommend you don't eat the coronet,

which is what I've just done.

So, we've got the crown for the monarchy

and then the chocolate tuile

for Churchill.

I hope they agree victory is definitely sweet.

And what I really love

are these melting meringues

-which are so indulgent.

-Yes.

And there's popping candy in the cigar as well.

-Oh, is there? I haven't...

-Yeah, I love this pudding.

This is fantastic. Absolutely wonderful.

Absolutely, pushes all of my buttons.

You think, why's he bothered doing that?

And then you just taste it and then you go, "Yeah, great. Bring it on."

But you know Churchill's alleged line,

I'm not sure he ever said it, "This pudding has no theme."

Well, I don't think we could say this.

This pudding does have a theme.

I think I love absolutely everything about this dish.

Cakey crumbs and the custard are perfect.

The texture's just delicious.

And it's not too much.

It's the perfect pudding.

It could be down to the last spoonful.

Mark's final assault is his wartime carrot cake recipe, Duke Pudding,

with brown butter ice cream

and carrot cannelloni with Calvados foam,

Served on a box containing the D-Day date,

etched out in Normandy sand.

I'm quiet... I'm quietly confident, you know. I've...

I'm organised, I'm on time.

Marcus gave the dish an eight during the week,

but criticised Mark's caramel for being too sticky.

I've noticed you've actually changed the caramel.

Yeah, I didn't reduce it as much.

You know, the biggest thing about this, the presentation is the date.

-Yeah.

-And that's the significance of that. And it finishes your story.

Exactly.

With his Duke Pudding in place,

Mark adds carrot cannelloni

and brown butter ice-cream,

then delivers his final course.

It's vitally important you don't get it upside down

cos the date won't make any sense.

Thank you.

Fantastic.

-We got the beaches on the table.

-I was going to say,

it's the Normandy beaches under there, isn't it?

I'm going to confess, after the joy

of the Queen Of Puddings,

the Duke is undoubtedly inferior

in terms of visual appeal.

I don't know. I'd have thought it's

a rather exciting bit of theatre.

How much more original can you have than saying,

"Well, here's your pudding on the sands?"

I hope they can appreciate the effort and the story

and the way it all works together.

I think it's all a bit brown and it's a bit mean looking.

Particularly in a pudding, you want to eat with your eyes.

It feels like something you have with a cup of tea.

If you ask any Normandy veteran,

"What do you remember from the Normandy campaign?"

Apart from being terrified,

one of the things that they'll all talk about is the Calvados,

because they all got absolutely boss-eyed on the Calvados

whenever they could get it.

I think that Mark has actually provided us with

a very, very thoughtful piece of cooking today.

He's taken us from, you know,

the home front, to the beaches,

to D-Day, and then into Normandy.

And that's, in fact, one of the most original approaches

to the brief that we've actually had.

You see when I said to you at the start of the week

this is going to be a gruesome week?

Doesn't even come close to it, Aktar.

Doesn't even come close to it.

Well, I think we've had some amazing dishes today, we've had some...

-poor dishes.

-Yeah, one or two things have been a bit disappointing,

but then the heights have been very high.

You're right.

And the thing that will stay with me is

Mark's plaice and langoustine dish.

If I don't make it, it would devastate me.

It would really hurt.

I've cooked some of the hardest dishes ever in my life.

I'm just hoping that the judges see fit that my story was good enough.

Given the pleasures that we've had today, I think it will be

really tough to send one of those chefs home.

-Good luck, chef.

-Thanks.

Well, welcome, chefs.

-Aktar, you're here again.

-I am.

And you made it through to the final. Can you do that again?

I'm hoping there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

And Mark, you have worked for Daniel Clifford.

Do you think you'll reach his heights?

Daniel never made it to the judges' chamber first time so,

hopefully I can continue to carry on beating him.

So, here goes.

The winner is...

..Aktar.

Well done.

It was really close the whole way through

and what actually clinched it was your pudding.

And in fact, I gave it a ten.

I gave it a ten as well.

-I gave it a ten.

-I gave it a ten.

And Mark, commiserations.

And you must be disappointed.

I am, I am.

But I'm happy to be here.

As we've all been saying, it was the pudding that done it.

But it was that memory of that

wonderful plaice and langoustine

that's going to go down the motorway with me tonight.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, chefs.

And congratulations, Aktar.

Just be on time with your dishes in the final.

I'm gutted. Devastated.

But, you know, I lost to a great man, a former champion.

I hope he goes all the way.

Ah, what a day!

But if it's tough for us, imagine for them.

I mean, they looked absolutely shattered.

To make it through, it's just absolutely...

I mean, it's mind-blowing really. It's...

I just can't sum it up.

I'm one step closer to saying that thank you

that I wanted to say to the veterans.

-Chef.

-Well done, mate.

-Thank you. Thank you very much.