0:00:02 > 0:00:05This week on Great British Menu,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08three of the north-east's top chefs -
0:00:08 > 0:00:11returning contender Colin McGurran...
0:00:11 > 0:00:14G'day, mate. Chuck another shrimp on the barbie!
0:00:14 > 0:00:17..ambitious newcomer Paul Welburn...
0:00:17 > 0:00:18No added pressure there, yeah?
0:00:18 > 0:00:21..and Michelin-starred Frances Atkins...
0:00:21 > 0:00:24So, this is what's driving us to get to the banquet.
0:00:24 > 0:00:29..are going head-to-head for the honour of saying thank you
0:00:29 > 0:00:32to our World War II veterans
0:00:32 > 0:00:35at a banquet commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-day
0:00:35 > 0:00:38at the magnificent St Paul's Cathedral.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Yesterday, Frances's personal story hit the brief,
0:00:43 > 0:00:46but failed on execution.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49..and it was an unrefined plate of food.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51And while Paul's dish also let him down,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Colin's technical masterclass stole the show.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57About as technical as you'll get in a competition like this.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Today's the fish course,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01and Frances needs to deliver to stay in the running.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I'm in a happier place. Yes, let's say that.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07But with Colin aiming to stretch his lead...
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Keep in mind that he's been to the banquet.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11No added pressure there, yeah?
0:01:11 > 0:01:14..and the competition hotting up, will the cracks begin to show?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17LOUD BANG BLEEP
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Banquet? THEY BOTH LAUGH
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- Arrrhhh... - Yep, OK.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36This year the chefs are paying tribute to the generation
0:01:36 > 0:01:38whose efforts ensured our freedom
0:01:38 > 0:01:42by commemorating 70 years since the D-day landings.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Hello, Tom. Pleased to meet you.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Absolute pleasure.
0:01:46 > 0:01:47Their challenge?
0:01:47 > 0:01:51To produce patriotic dishes that tell the story of wartime Britain.
0:01:51 > 0:01:53Wow.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Inspired by personal memories of the Second World War.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58That's lovely!
0:01:58 > 0:02:00I think Grandad would've been blown away.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Give you a gold star.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Judging them all week
0:02:07 > 0:02:11is two-Michelin-starred former fish course winner, Phil Howard.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14There has to be a stunning piece
0:02:14 > 0:02:17of pure fish on the plate -
0:02:17 > 0:02:20simple, but with intelligence -
0:02:20 > 0:02:22a brief-related twist.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Well, it's no secret I wasn't very happy with my starter course,
0:02:30 > 0:02:32but onwards and upwards.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Three points different at this stage means nothing. I promise you.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38I'm hoping I can get closer to you
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- and put some water between myself and you.- I'll be on your heels.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48First up is Michelin-starred Frances,
0:02:48 > 0:02:52with a menu inspired by her soldier father's experience in World War II.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56Yesterday nerves hit and she struggled with her execution of her starter,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59scoring a disappointing five points.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Just think about service at work,
0:03:02 > 0:03:03you have to get on with it
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and make sure you don't have another one.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So, slightly rocky start.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15You must now draw on your very considerable experience of cooking
0:03:15 > 0:03:16at the very highest level.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19So, what have you got in your box, and what are you cooking?
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Well, this is called On The Boats,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26and this is a continuation of my father's journey during D-day,
0:03:26 > 0:03:29as he's sailing over the English Channel,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32desperately trying to cheer himself up,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34and thinks about a lovely dinner
0:03:34 > 0:03:37that he had with his fiancee,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and it was a Dover sole
0:03:40 > 0:03:42with squid and clams
0:03:42 > 0:03:47- and these little cheery beech berries.- And these are...?
0:03:47 > 0:03:50- These are buckthorn. - Buckthorn.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54And I've got something else also going into all this -
0:03:54 > 0:03:57kuzu dumplings - seafood dumplings.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59And why did you choose kuzu?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Because the brief was to push boundaries.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04There's some honesty.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Good.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Frances's is a collection of ingredients that I like.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Unfortunately, she needs to instil some belief in me
0:04:14 > 0:04:18that she can actually deliver under the pressure of the competition.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Next, it's ambitious newcomer Paul, with a menu paying tribute
0:04:23 > 0:04:26to his grandfather, a soldier in World War II.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27Yesterday he scored a steady seven
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and today he is focusing on going one better.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33The fish course I'm confident with. I've practised many times.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35There's a couple of pitfalls, and nothing will get past Phil.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37It's got to be cooked perfectly.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38Give me the title of your dish.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Title of the dish is Preservation Of British Waters.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43OK. Explain.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46It's my link to the preserving techniques during the war,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and how we can take those techniques
0:04:49 > 0:04:51and use them in modern cooking.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The main part of it is some lovely Scottish salmon.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55What's the thinking behind salmon?
0:04:55 > 0:04:58For me, it's a banquet fit for veterans.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00For me, I'm using the king of the fish.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04So, I'm going to basically cure it in salt
0:05:04 > 0:05:07and different citrus fruits.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Basically, complement that with some surf clams.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- Pickle those along with some cucumber.- Yep. Oysters?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- These will be served with a watercress puree.- Yeah.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19This I'll do two ways - with a yoghurt,
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and the claws in a brown crab butter.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24So, Paul, you're middle of the ranks.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26A simple one point behind Colin.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Fish course. Fresh opportunity.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Yeah, fingers crossed.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35I understand where he's coming from.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38I'm just not quite sure how it's all going to come together as a dish.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42Needs some deft judgment to pull it off.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Last up is Colin, a former banquet winner
0:05:44 > 0:05:47who failed on his second attempt in the competition.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Yesterday, he took the lead with a technical dish
0:05:49 > 0:05:52inspired by a soldiers' ration packs and his grandfather,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54who was a stoker on a ship on D-day.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I think my fish course is a strong contender.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58It's going to hit the brief.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02I've got all the best chance of staying ahead in this competition.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04So, come on, tell me - the title of your dish?
0:06:04 > 0:06:06From War To Peace. It's all about the beaches.
0:06:06 > 0:06:09If you go back 70 years, to what the beaches were like then,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13the monstrosity there, compared to - forward 70 years -
0:06:13 > 0:06:16people enjoying them as beaches should be enjoyed.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19So the fact we can get wonderful produce like langoustines
0:06:19 > 0:06:21and we've got beautiful lobster.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Fantastic produce that perhaps we couldn't afford all those years ago.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30So, with this dish, it's all about enjoying a barbecue on the beach.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33We're going to barbecue the langoustines - or should I say,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37YOU'RE going to barbecue the langoustines, as the diner.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Just talk me through that. How is that going to...?
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Basically, in the plate, we'll have coal
0:06:42 > 0:06:45so you can actually sit and barbecue your langoustine -
0:06:45 > 0:06:47cook it how you like.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Next to that were going to have a savarin mould of shellfish,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52which will be in linguini.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54So we'll make a pasta with my squid ink,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56and we'll have little textures -
0:06:56 > 0:07:00little crackers and... to give the texture of the beach and the sand.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03- So, good day yesterday? - Thank you, yes.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Although I appreciated it, and I'm glad to be ahead,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09I know that it can turn like this in this competition.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10You're absolutely right.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14- I've seen the other baskets and they have some great stuff coming.- Yeah.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19By Colin McGurran.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21The barbecue element, I like.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24It needs to be intelligently thought through,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27otherwise it'll be clumsy, and certainly at banquet level,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29just not viable.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33There's an awful lot of labour going in to create a squid ink tyre.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Not quite sure what its relevance is.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Having yesterday failed to execute the technical aspects of her starter,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48today Frances is pulling out all the stops
0:07:48 > 0:07:50with her multi-element Dover sole dish.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I think, after the downs of yesterday,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Frances is a lot more focused today.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Are you confident today?
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I'm in a happier place, yes. Let's say that.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05- What about you? - Yeah, fantastic. Good.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Seeing your calmness has calmed me, as well.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09Frances is attempting to elevate her dish to banquet standards,
0:08:09 > 0:08:11with the inclusion of sea dumplings
0:08:11 > 0:08:16and using an unexpected thickening agent - Japanese kuzu root.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- Frances, you're using kuzu in your dumplings?- Yep.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22Another technical ingredient?
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Stepping out of your comfort zone again?
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Yes. Perhaps I shouldn't have done that.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28HE LAUGHS
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Got to give it a go, haven't you?
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- Exactly. It's a competition. - Yes.- You got to take risks.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- Is that right, Colin? - It is. Yeah.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37- This is the place to do it. - You're not, though, Colin.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40You look really, erm...
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- ..sorted. - This is definitely not, erm...
0:08:43 > 0:08:45relaxing and cool.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Returning champion Colin is cooking another highly technical dish,
0:08:51 > 0:08:55lining savarin moulds with squid ink linguine,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59ready for a seafood mousse - a fiddly process.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02I'm looking forward to seeing this at the banquet.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08You need a bit of patience and a bit of skill to do it, erm...
0:09:08 > 0:09:10but it's all worth it in the end, I think... Oh.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Well, the reality is sometimes you have to put in a huge effort
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- to achieve a very subtle effect. - Absolutely.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21And it's tricky... Turn them out the wrong way and they all unravel
0:09:21 > 0:09:23and you end up with spaghetti on the plate.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Yeah, yeah. I'll come back at that point, then!
0:09:26 > 0:09:28That's very kind, thank you. A bit of pressure.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Aiming to hit the wartime brief using great British ingredients
0:09:34 > 0:09:37is newcomer Paul and his dish, Preservation Of British Waters.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39He's preparing crab two ways -
0:09:39 > 0:09:42mixing the white meat with yoghurt, herbs and lemon,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and cooking the claws in a water bath with brown meat and butter -
0:09:45 > 0:09:48processes veteran Phil is keen to question.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51One thing I'm not quite sure about on your dish is temperature...
0:09:51 > 0:09:54- How's it all coming together? - It'll all be room temperature.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57The only item that will be slightly warm, or tepid,
0:09:57 > 0:09:59will be crab claw in the butter.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00It's not going to be hot.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- So you won't get a contrast of hot and cold.- OK.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05But it all comes on one plate, does it? So to speak?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08That's right. And I'll garnish it
0:10:08 > 0:10:10- on those little decorative sandbags. - OK.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Brings that sort of feel of the beaches.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I know what Paul's doing.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22It'll be lovely, but will the veterans get a little confused
0:10:22 > 0:10:25as to whether it's a hot or cold dish?
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Hoping his choice of salmon will win him the points,
0:10:29 > 0:10:32Paul is using a traditional salt cure for his fish,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and to give it his own twist,
0:10:34 > 0:10:38he's also adding lemon and orange zest for extra flavour.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Obviously, during the wars
0:10:40 > 0:10:43they had to use techniques to preserve fish
0:10:43 > 0:10:46because it was a luxury item.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49I think that's why I have taken that idea of the luxury item
0:10:49 > 0:10:52- to say it would be fit for a banquet.- Yes!
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Honouring the soldiers.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00Paul visited Billingsgate fish market in London to find out about
0:11:00 > 0:11:02the fish trade during the war,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05a subject with a direct link to the man who inspired his menu.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08Yes, my grandfather, after the war, after the prisoner of war camp,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10after everything he went through,
0:11:10 > 0:11:15he actually supplied fish to many businesses in Scarborough and the area.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19This is the real inspiration for me.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23He met Roger Barton, a trader at the market for over 50 years.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26So, what happened with the actual supply of fish during the war?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28Well, there was still a supply of fish.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32It was limited because they just didn't have the boats,
0:11:32 > 0:11:33you didn't have the men.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35You had to be so careful where you went.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38I'm using salmon in my dish as one component.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- You can't beat wild salmon. - Fantastic.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- That's the finest in the world. - Fantastic.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46To learn about the availability of his chosen fish
0:11:46 > 0:11:49in World War II, Paul visited Lance Forman
0:11:49 > 0:11:52at H Forman & Sons smokehouse, a family run business
0:11:52 > 0:11:56which has been in continual operation since 1905.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Salmon has always been a scarce commodity.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Right the way through the '40s, '50s, '60s, '70s
0:12:01 > 0:12:04cured salmon - smoked salmon - was that number one item
0:12:04 > 0:12:08that you would see on any important banquet or feast.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09But during the war,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12what was a luxury became a super-luxury in many respects.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Obviously, knowing it was a luxury item then,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17would be great for a banquet to celebrate the end of the war.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Absolutely.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23With a better understanding of the history behind his dish,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26Paul wanted Lance to taste-test his salmon.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Mm! It's really... I mean, you're getting the freshness of the salmon,
0:12:33 > 0:12:35which is what you should be tasting.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39Great. It's a perfect balance of flavours.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41I don't see how you can better it, actually.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43So much great feedback,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47and I'm more confident than ever my dish is a winner.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57With his fish element under control,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Paul's playing with the visual side of his dish.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Wow, dry ice.
0:13:03 > 0:13:05Yeah, I'm just experimenting.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07I wanted to get the effect of a sea fret
0:13:07 > 0:13:09coming out of the sandbags.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11To be honest, it's a last-minute addition.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15I don't really want it to come out like Count Dracula's laboratory,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17I just wanted little vapours.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Just put a little bit of water in there...
0:13:20 > 0:13:22should get it started.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24But Paul's attempt to bring theatre to his dish
0:13:24 > 0:13:26isn't quite working out.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Paul, the dry ice, if you need any advice,
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I've done it twice in the competition.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32Normally stood me in good stead, actually, so...
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Keeps reminding us that he's been to the banquet.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37No added pressure, there, yeah?
0:13:38 > 0:13:41At this level, he probably should have practised,
0:13:41 > 0:13:43to make sure it was going to come out.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47If he hasn't practised it, at this stage, it's kind of wasted, really.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Working with a different smoky effect is Frances,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55who's smoking chervil root over oak chips.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59Like all her menu, it's thoughtfully linked to her father.
0:13:59 > 0:14:05- And why the oak smoke?- Because oak runs throughout all my dishes.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10- My father was mentioned in military dispatches for bravery.- Oh, OK.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14And for that, you get the tiniest little oak leaf, a bronze oak leaf.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16OK.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Fascinating. Thank you.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24It's nice. I'm still not convinced it has a place on that dish.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27I'd love to have that with some loin of venison.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29That's where that should be.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Not in a little trip to the seaside.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Also using a smoking technique is Colin.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37He's incorporating a miniature do-it-yourself barbecue
0:14:37 > 0:14:38on his technical shellfish dish,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40and threading langoustines onto skewers
0:14:40 > 0:14:42which will be served on the dish uncooked.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46If it went to the banquet, I could see this being a grand part of it -
0:14:46 > 0:14:48everyone sitting there, cooking their langoustines.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51I understand they're going to cook their own langoustine.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Do you think they'll know how to do that?
0:14:54 > 0:14:56I think everyone loves a barbecue, you know?
0:14:56 > 0:14:58In my opinion, anyway.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Even if they don't know how, I'm sure they'll have a go.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03It's a bit of fun.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05It's a risk, obviously, in a banquet.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07If they're going to cook them right.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Cook them over, cook them under, burn themselves...
0:15:09 > 0:15:12But it'll be great theatre if he pulls it off.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15First to plate up his Preservation Of British Waters
0:15:15 > 0:15:18is ambitious newcomer Paul, who's hoping his combination
0:15:18 > 0:15:22of great British ingredients and props will impress.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25I hope you're not playing it too safe, Paul.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27I'm playing it safe in the service of it,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29but certainly not in the preparation of it.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32He portions his cured salmon and places on the plate,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35along with salted and pickled cucumber and pickled clams.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Next, the white crab and yoghurt mix,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43finishing with a sprinkle of sea herbs
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and dots of watercress and oyster puree.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Is the sea fret happening? Is it whizzing up?
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Erm... I'll try it on the pass and see.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55He serves the plates on mini sandbags.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01I'm going to try this... see if it works.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Hmm... OK. OK.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Will victory be yours, with this dish?
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- I hope so.- Come on, then.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18There's only one way to find out. Let's go taste.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24I don't think the dry ice has worked as much as he wanted it to.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29It's not quite how I had it in my mind.
0:16:29 > 0:16:30The salmon's just lovely.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33It's got a nice outside-shell flavour to it.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37The clams bring a bit of liveliness to the salmon.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38Does the flavour of the oyster
0:16:38 > 0:16:41come through enough in the watercress puree?
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Could be maybe a touch more on the plate.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Do you think of everything being at the same temperature -
0:16:47 > 0:16:50if it was to go to the banquet - it'd be welcomed?
0:16:50 > 0:16:53I think anything that tastes well, is welcomed.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57I tell you what, I've missed off the brown crab.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Obviously, with the pressure in the kitchen...timings...
0:16:59 > 0:17:01..sometimes things slip your mind.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05- You'd have thought he'd remember to put the brown crab meat on.- Yes.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07But, having said that, it's a nice dish,
0:17:07 > 0:17:11and it doesn't seem to have stopped you from eating it all, does it?
0:17:11 > 0:17:13- Can you see veterans eating this at the banquet?- Definitely.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16OK, so give it a score.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18If it had the brown crab claw on there,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20I'd probably say... an eight.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26I think, for food, I would score it may be, give it seven or eight.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29For me, there's no real brief there.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33- I'd drop him a point and give him a six.- I'd agree with that.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38- How did you get on, Paul? - Yeah...
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Couldn't believe it.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Forgot me brown crab butter claw.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Actually, I thought, it maybe didn't need it, you know?
0:17:48 > 0:17:50I didn't either. It was lovely.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Very diplomatic of you. I'm so frustrated at myself!
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Next to plate up is returning contender Colin.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59His dish From War To Peace
0:17:59 > 0:18:02symbolises how the Normandy coastline changed
0:18:02 > 0:18:04from the scene of conflict to a place of enjoyment,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07with a DIY beach barbecue.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13First on the dish is prawn and langoustine powder.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19He breaks up crackers made from starch paper, dried seaweed
0:18:19 > 0:18:20and shrimp,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24and dresses the dish with nasturtium flowers and sorrel.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Did you have these designed specially?
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Yeah, this is clay from the Humber Bridge.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31Under the Humber Bridge there's a tile place, next to me.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Funnily enough, they look like a U-boat.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Not meant to be, but I'll take anything.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Colin then carefully places hot coals.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43G'day, mate. Chuck another shrimp on the barbie.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45FRANCES LAUGHS
0:18:45 > 0:18:48He covers the coals with safety wire,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50drizzles langoustine oil onto the skewers,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53and adds the dish ready for cooking.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Finally, he removes his delicate shellfish mousse
0:18:56 > 0:18:58from the savarin moulds, and adds...
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Drum roll...
0:19:01 > 0:19:03Ah, cool. Fantastic.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08There we go.
0:19:08 > 0:19:09How are we supposed to eat it?
0:19:09 > 0:19:13You put it on there, cook it how you like, enjoy the aromas.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Let's go. Let's go and taste this thing.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22I'll turn this over for you...
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I don't want you shouting if it's overdone, chef.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Do you think you'd have to give any kind of instruction at all, with it?
0:19:29 > 0:19:32I would hope that's quite self-explanatory.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35FRANCES: It won't be chefs at the banquet cooking langoustine.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37And they won't know how long to cook it for.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40- And achievable for a banquet? - Yeah.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43FRANCES: It's a fine line between what is beautiful
0:19:43 > 0:19:46and what is sensible for a large party.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- How you wanted it? - Yeah. I think beautifully cooked.
0:19:50 > 0:19:55FRANCES: Oh, look! It's so lovely. And he studied so accurately.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57- The flavour of the mousse is fantastic. It's lovely.- Yeah.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00And those small shrimps are amazing.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Barbecued langoustine?
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Yeah. I think it's delicious.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10So, do you think it hits the brief from the idea behind it?
0:20:10 > 0:20:13No, I wouldn't understand it, if I hadn't been told.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Veterans... Do you think they'll...get it?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18I think I love it. You know...
0:20:18 > 0:20:19LOUD BANG
0:20:19 > 0:20:22- Oh, hello. - Oh, that's nice...(!)
0:20:22 > 0:20:24LOUD CLICK Oh!
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- Well, obviously, it's just the heat.- Yeah. OK.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31Banquet? PHIL LAUGHS
0:20:31 > 0:20:33Arrhhh...!
0:20:34 > 0:20:36- Oh, dear. - Bit of drama.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Final score?
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Me? I really believe in this dish.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42I would love to, you know, achieve a nine on this dish.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44OK.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- What would you give it? Seven.- Yeah. Seven.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54I hope that Phil can see through that, and judge me as a cook.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Very disappointed.
0:21:00 > 0:21:01Here he is.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03Your dish was a cracker!
0:21:03 > 0:21:04Hehehe!
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Last to serve is Michelin-starred Frances,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12who's telling the story of her father's journey into Normandy.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15Having failed with the execution of her starter,
0:21:15 > 0:21:18it's imperative she gets her fish course right.
0:21:18 > 0:21:23So, Frances, are you happier coming up last today, rather than...first?
0:21:23 > 0:21:24It prolongs the agony!
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Frances starts her plate with a brush of squid ink sauce,
0:21:30 > 0:21:31the Dover sole,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34and sea dumplings made with scallops, herbs
0:21:34 > 0:21:36and the Japanese kuzu.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Next it's chopped squid, scallop,
0:21:41 > 0:21:43and smoked chervil root.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47She dresses the dish with buckthorn berries and samphire.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53And finishes with clam sauce, razor clams
0:21:53 > 0:21:54and shrimp powder.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03"Darling, my orders were to take men across the waters to Normandy.
0:22:03 > 0:22:06"It was June, and the sea rough,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08"I thought of you as I stared at the cold sea,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11"of the lovely fish that we shared together.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13"You are with me constantly. Tom."
0:22:13 > 0:22:15This is my father, again.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18And he's going to arrive on the beaches at Normandy.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22I have written these letters, but it was true. Obviously, I have...
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- It's a bit of...- You've accessorised it for the banquet.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27- That's fair enough. - Yes. Yes.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30- I think we must go and taste this one.- Thank you.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Do you think they will understand its relevance to the brief?
0:22:36 > 0:22:37Yes. I do.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40I quite like the stories. Nice little touch, really.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Dover sole is a lovely fish.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Yes. Maybe I've cooked it slightly too much.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49- She's managed to keep the razor clam tender.- And the sole?
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Probably slightly overdone, for me.
0:22:51 > 0:22:52So, the sea dumplings...
0:22:52 > 0:22:55- You were a little apprehensive about them.- They're fine.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57She's used that kuzu.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- It's tasty. - Very nice.- Mm.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02Odd ingredient out, for me, was the chervil root.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04That's still got a place on the plate for you?
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It acts as an antidote, if you like,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10to the saltiness, the sea flavours.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12- Delicious.- Lovely. - I could eat it all day long.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15The buckthorn berries, are they playing the role you intended?
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Very much so. I love the flavour.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22Whoa...!
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- These sea buckthorn berries are very sharp!- Wow!
0:23:25 > 0:23:29Are you confident it's a dish to help you catch up with the other two chefs?
0:23:29 > 0:23:31I feel I'm back on track.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Cooking flavours - seven.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35For the brief - six.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37If you were in my shoes, what would you give your dish?
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Hmm... Eight.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50- Hello.- Hello, there. - How was that?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52- OK.- Better?
0:23:52 > 0:23:56Fine, yes. Yes, I feel in my heart that I cooked better.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I think we all cooked very good today.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00It depends on the scores.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03You might be a clear leader by the end of it all.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Well, I hope so.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Paul, start with you.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30With your Preserving Our British Waters
0:24:30 > 0:24:33with salmon, crab and clams.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Lots of positives.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38The slow-cooked salmon...
0:24:38 > 0:24:41It had that lovely translucent look of a cured piece of salmon.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Full of flavour.
0:24:43 > 0:24:45The white crab meat from the body.
0:24:45 > 0:24:46Those components came together well.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50But - and we know there's a big "but" -
0:24:50 > 0:24:54we were missing an exciting component of the dish.
0:24:54 > 0:24:57The crab claw is a special and luxurious thing,
0:24:57 > 0:24:59it was one of those dishes and perhaps,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02because it didn't have all its components,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06where the whole was slightly less than sum of the parts.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09And again this was perhaps a little bit restaurant-y.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12It has to have an element of extravagance or flair.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14A very accomplished plate of food,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17but to get to the banquet, it's got to be more than that.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Colin, next, for your War To Peace
0:25:20 > 0:25:23of langoustine and shellfish mousse.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30Again, another witty and strong take on the brief.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33A stunning plate of food, in general.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36It's not often that you put something in your mouth
0:25:36 > 0:25:37that is really absolutely perfect,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40and I thought that langoustine was just...
0:25:40 > 0:25:42It was a cracking thing to eat!
0:25:44 > 0:25:49On the downside, I think, you have to focus at the savarin...
0:25:49 > 0:25:52For all the work and the labour that goes in there,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54it just underwhelmed.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58But most importantly, I think, is the logistics of it.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00The plate cannot crack,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02the coals have to stay hot enough,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04We can't burn St Paul's down -
0:26:04 > 0:26:07there's some very real issues with that dish to be addressed
0:26:07 > 0:26:09to make it a genuine contender.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16Frances, for your On The Boat with Dover sole, squid and scallops.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18There is an undeniable deliciousness
0:26:18 > 0:26:21about a piece of well-cooked fish
0:26:21 > 0:26:23and a sauce made from the juices of shellfish with cream.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26And it worked a treat.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28I was unconvinced about the chervil root,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30and I couldn't quite see how it was going to fit in,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33but the truth was, the whole thing came together.
0:26:33 > 0:26:34The downsides perhaps are,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38I just find the buckthorn berries too much for me. Too aggressive.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I thought the squid got a little bit lost in there,
0:26:41 > 0:26:42a little bit inconsequential.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45If you're going to get a dish to the banquet,
0:26:45 > 0:26:47it has to somehow out-dazzle and outshine
0:26:47 > 0:26:51everybody else's dishes, and what it was was just a wonderful plate food
0:26:51 > 0:26:53that was really fit for a restaurant.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56So, to the scores.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02Paul, for Preserving Our British Waters, I'm giving you...
0:27:05 > 0:27:07..a six.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Colin, for your From War To Peace,
0:27:14 > 0:27:17I am going to give you a score...
0:27:20 > 0:27:21..of eight.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Frances, for your On The Boat,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29I am going to give you a score...
0:27:31 > 0:27:32..of seven.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36OK, so next, the main course.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37It's game on.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39See you tomorrow.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Thank you.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- You can't question it. - You can't knock, can you?
0:27:45 > 0:27:48I knew the crab claw would come back to bite me.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Quite literally!
0:27:50 > 0:27:52Two courses down, and Colin stretches his lead,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54with Paul three points behind
0:27:54 > 0:27:56and Frances four points from the top spot.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58I'm three points ahead.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00I feel confident and I feel comfortable.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Disappointed with the score.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05Hopefully, I can claw that back tomorrow.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07I think that was fair,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10but I want my scores to climb.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12Tomorrow it's the main course,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and Colin is banking on his family connection to maintain his lead.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17I'm feeling the pressure now -
0:28:17 > 0:28:19this has got to be the best pie that Phil's ever eaten.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22But with Paul and Frances out to catch him...
0:28:22 > 0:28:25I'm determined to do the memory of my father proud.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27Who will emerge victorious?
0:28:27 > 0:28:29I'm going to give you a score of 10.