Scotland Starter Great British Menu

This year, the country's top chefs...

-Feeling the pressure?

-Massively, massively, massively.

..are striving to produce 21st-century dishes...

Looks like blood, sweat and tears have gone into this one, chief.

..for a commemorative banquet

marking the 70th anniversary of D-Day at London's iconic St Paul's,

a bastion of British wartime resilience.

-From triumphs...

-I'm going to give you a 10.

It absolutely blew me away.

-..to disasters.

-BLEEP!

The fan in the oven's just blown my tuiles.

Please, God, work. Please, God, work.

All under the watchful eyes of ferocious former champions.

-For me, he looks like a rabbit in the headlights.

-BLEEP!

Battling it out this week to represent Scotland are three newcomers.

Double-Michelin-starred Stevie McLaughlin.

I'm cooking from the heart here. I'm cooking for homage.

For those that suffered. I'm not cooking for awards.

Unconventional Neil Rankin.

I was expecting to be putting my feet up by this stage.

-That's not happening.

-And experienced Jacqueline O'Donnell.

I want to give you boys a run for your money.

Who's hoping her traditional approach will take her all the way.

Have I worried you at all?

But with two Michelin stars and a trailblazer to beat...

-BLEEP!

-..can she prove she's got what it takes?

Do you know what guys?

Pink's not a colour, it's an attitude.

In June 2014, the nation will commemorate 70 years

since the D-Day landings.

The chefs have been tasked with producing dishes that

honour our WWII heroes.

They've delved into the past for inspiration, both at home...

It was completely blasted out of the ground

-by a high explosive.

-..and abroad.

Standing here looking at this memorial

and coming to Normandy, it's quite moving.

Competing this week for the chance to cook

at the commemorative D-Day banquet are...

Head chef at Scotland's only double-Michelin-starred

restaurant, Stevie McLaughlin.

What I get out of bed for is cooking perfect plates of food.

One of Scotland's most respected and experienced chefs,

Jacqueline O'Donnell.

I've been running my own kitchen for 17 years,

so whatever the boys throw at me, I'm ready.

And a leading force on the London restaurant scene, Neil Rankin.

I'm not afraid to be different in the kitchen.

I've got my own style of cooking

and it's nothing like you've ever tasted.

Judging the chefs is a highly-acclaimed

veteran of the competition.

-So we're about to find out who the veteran is.

-I'm feeling nervous.

A classical chef who's a stickler for perfection.

Jeremy Lee.

A-ha! Scotland's finest.

LAUGHTER

-Morning.

-ALL: Morning.

The brief is to cook for a banquet for the veterans in St Paul's.

How you feeling? Confident for that?

-Looking forward to it.

-Oh, good.

It would be very nice to have Scotland there, I think.

All four courses would be quite good,

if you possibly can pull it out of the hat, so to speak.

Good luck to you all. I'm looking forward to it.

Food to challenge and food to win. Thank you.

-Are we ready?

-Yeah. Let's go.

Glaswegian classical heavyweight Stevie McLaughlin is up first.

At the top of his game with two Michelin stars,

he's got everything to prove.

What's your inspiration for this whole menu?

The whole menu is paying homage to everyone involved in the war.

My dish is called, Normandy 1944.

The inspiration for the dish is not every day they want to eat their ration packs,

so as they march through the country, they're picking up bits and pieces.

I'm just going to create a little bit of a luxurious homage

to what they may have picked up along the way.

What are you going to be cooking for us?

I've got this beautiful artichoke from Normandy which I'm going to peel down.

-Once it's cooked, I'm going to scoop it out.

-Oh, right. I see.

The exciting part for me is the cheese. Normandy camembert.

We're going to make a warm cream with that

and we're going to serve a warm,

airy mousse inside the heart of the artichoke,

cover it with crispy fried onions.

We're going to dress it with some cured pork

and make a calvados butter sauce.

I'm going to blitz down button mushrooms,

add a few drops of soy sauce

and a few drops of red wine vinegar as a condiment.

Oh, wow!

Sounds like a some derring-do going on in that dish, if you ask me.

As the only two-Michelin-starred chef who's competing,

do you think this is the dish that will carry you through?

I think it's part of a menu that will carry me through.

Stevie's cooking a dish called, Normandy in 1944.

It harks back to great classic cooking.

Whether it's a winning dish remains to be seen.

Next up, another Glaswegian.

A traditional chef with over 30 years of cooking experience,

Jacqueline O'Donnell.

So, the inspiration for the whole menu is...?

The journey that Britain has made from rations

to the abundance that we have now.

And my gran used to say we were lucky to have a bowl of sugar.

So this is where I've come up with,

Not Quite Your Mammie's Liver and Onions.

-Is that that name of your dish?

-Yes.

So I've chosen calf's liver

for the strength that it gave to the soldiers and the iron.

And as a breakfast, they would have it.

How are you going to cook the liver?

I'm going to cook it in some butter, some thyme, a wee bit of garlic

and keep it quite pink.

I decided to add a granola topping to it.

And we have some pecans, some pumpkin seeds, some sunflower seeds,

some basil, some Parmesan just to help with a wee bit of the saltiness.

Some cream, some onion juice just to keep the flavour.

And then puree the onions down and make a crisp with it,

again, with some textures.

I'm going to finish it with a sauce using creme de cassis.

Is this the dish that will take you marching through to victory?

Absolutely. I think this would keep a smile on all the veterans' faces.

I think with Jac's starter,

there is a possibility it's a pretty rich starter.

And as an opening gambit, might be too much.

Last up is Edinburgh-born Neil Rankin,

an unconventional chef who specialises in gourmet barbecuing.

Your inspiration for the menu you're going to cook?

The whole menu for me was about the spoils of victory,

rather than focusing on the war itself.

I think that translates better into delicious cuisine.

The title of this dish?

This is Pork Pie With Crackling.

Inspiration behind it is what I think troops would be dreaming of

when they're eating their Spam and biscuits out of their rations.

-And, Neil, barbecue?

-Yeah.

I'll be barbecuing something in most of my dishes,

but this one, I'll be doing the beetroot.

I'm using my little piggy here.

So I'm going to smoke the cheeks of the animal.

I'm going to make some nice crackling with it.

And then I've got some smoked ham hock, as well.

We've got some lardo to line the pie.

How are you going to make the pastry for this to elevate it?

I'm doing a traditional hot water pastry.

How are you going to make that magnificent?

It's all presented very nicely.

It's going to come with a beer, as well.

I've got some beautiful apples.

I've going to make a nice terrine. I'll make a salad out of them.

Good. And then will you be able to avoid bashing your hat

-and your brow, like this?

-Hopefully. We'll see how it goes.

-I know.

Do you think a Scotsman should be wearing a baseball cap?

So Neil's Potted Pork Pie And Crackling.

A whole pig's head and then rendered into a pie, delicious.

A starter for a banquet? Interesting.

Well, we do want to win.

We want to excel and we want to put Scotland to the fore.

A lot rides on this and I think as the curtain goes up,

dish one is what sets the pace for everything that's to follow.

As the chefs get to work on their starters,

it's not long before Stevie's in the firing line.

So you're the one with the two Michelin stars.

-Are you the one to beat?

-I think that puts a big target on my head.

-Definitely.

-And we're going to shoot it.

-Absolutely.

Do you not think there a chance you might get a little bit carried away and miss the brief a little?

There's every chance of that.

I don't know many veterans that eat in two-Michelin-star restaurants.

I'm cooking from the heart here. I'm cooking for homage.

For those that suffered, those that are still suffering. I'm not cooking for awards.

Now it's kicked off, there's a wee bit of one-upmanship going on.

It's good. It's all healthy. It's competition.

I feel confident, but I'm more determined to win this than ever.

Stevie McLaughlin is head chef at Andrew Fairlie's

two-Michelin-starred restaurant

at the highly-prestigious Gleneagles Hotel.

The pressure's on us every single day.

Customers come with huge expectations.

Seriously, if I don't win it,

I'll never hear the end of it from this lot.

ALL: Wahey, Chef!

-Do you think I'm a crazy chef?

-Yes.

-You do?

Away from the kitchen, Stevie's got the full support of his wife

and two young children.

He has a family background that makes getting to this year's banquet all the more important.

Grandpa McLaughlin, my dad's dad, he was a cook in the Merchant Navy.

Stevie's grandpa was on the Donaldson liner, Athenia,

which was torpedoed by a German submarine

within a few hours of war being declared.

Many of those on board were the first casualties of WWII.

If he wasn't a survivor, then I wouldn't be here today.

What I want to do with my menu is make as much reference

to what these people had to go through,

but kind of bring it into modern-day context.

I want them to think, "Well, he's genuinely cooking for us."

Determined to honour the veterans with his homage to a D-Day

soldier's journey through Normandy, Stevie's starter is

a decadent affair of classic French flavours, featuring artichoke,

Camembert mousse and cured ham.

Have you got story on your plate though on all your courses?

In my eyes, it's done.

With military precision, Stevie prepares his artichoke hearts,

the base of his dish,

before turning his attention to his mushroom sauce -

an unusual element that's caught the eye of Jeremy.

-What have you got here?

-I've got button mushrooms.

-So this is raw?

-Yeah, it's raw mushroom juice.

-So mushroom ketchup?

Kind of fermented, salted, kind of flavour.

It's like a soldier's paste.

'Stevie's mushroom wonder, I'm not sure what to make of that yet.'

I'm going to be quite intrigued to see what he pulls out of the hat with that one.

All three newcomers are gunning to make a big first impression

with their starters.

Experienced chef Jacqueline's hoping to elevate her old-fashioned

classic, liver and onions, with an onion puree.

I've put a lot of work into this brief

and I want to give you boys a run for your money.

Unconventional chef Neil hasn't left anything to chance

with his tribute to when the D-Day veterans returned home.

I've done this pork pie 94 times now.

I certainly wasn't coming here with my eyes shut or anything.

I've done my preparation.

I really want to get through to these finals, which means, getting through to Friday.

Originally from Edinburgh, Neil Rankin is based in London,

where he's gained a reputation for his inventive cooking

and cutting edge grilling skills, which he harnesses

at the critically acclaimed Smokehouse, in Islington.

My style of cooking is modern eclectic barbecue

and I'm the only guy in the UK doing it right this moment.

Fine dining's kind of on its way out.

Big cooking's kind of on its way up. That's what it's all about.

One omelette, medium rare, and one lamb stovies.

I've never represented Scotland at anything.

I grew up with Chris Hoy,

so he represents Scotland at everything, so this is my turn!

Wanting to do his country proud,

Neil took his menu research seriously

and spoke to people with first-hand experience of World War II, like Joe

Renshaw, who volunteered in mobile canteens during the Blitz in London.

So I put the tin hat on my head and the next thing,

I learned that central Hampshire was bombed and was destroyed,

and I got out and I scrambled over all this up where my room was

and all that was left of my personal possessions was a little fibre

suitcase and I had literally nothing else, except what I stood up in.

Sometimes, we don't realise how lucky we are.

I found the brief pretty good this year.

Strikes a massive chord, to think about the war, the people who lost their lives, and to be representing

that for people that have fought in the war, that's huge.

Set on honouring the troops with his 21st century take on pork pie,

Neil smokes cured pig's head, which he'll later mix with ham

hock for the filling, in a special indoor barbecue.

I think the pork pie, flavour-wise, it will be spot on.

Everything in the dish are things he cooks every single day.

He's really playing to his strengths on that one. Takes out the worry.

Neil turns his attention to his hot water crust pastry,

made by combining hot water and fat with flour.

Are you going to be able to get this pastry thin enough, for a pork pie, for a starter?

Yeah, absolutely. It's got to have a little bit of thickness to it.

It's got lardo on the inside, which is going to give it a little extra thickness.

'There's a worry you'll get far too much pastry and not enough filling, which is you really want.

'And then with lardo in there as well, this could be quite hefty.'

Experienced chef Jacqueline is hoping her nostalgic nod to

a soldier's breakfast, Not Quite Your Mammy's Liver And Onions,

will push her out in front.

But she's starting to feel the pressure.

The mood's changed tonight, so I'm feeling quite nervous about it all.

We're all very focused and I think that's the big change.

Got a job to do. Quite nervous.

Jacqueline soaks her calves' liver in milk,

an old-fashioned method thought to mellow the flavour.

Before using a modern technique to make onion tuiles,

by dehydrating onion puree.

Liver and onion - I wouldn't start a banquet meal with liver.

Convinced he's onto a winner with his classical approach,

Stevie moves on to his decadent Normandy Camembert cream,

which he'll later turn into a mousse.

And a keepsake of Jacqueline's has caught his attention.

Who's that pic over there?

That's my Nana and Papa, who had so much inspiration

-and has helped me with this wee dish.

-Did they have any part in the war?

My Papa was in both wars,

so it means a hell of a lot to me to do them proud in this competition.

Jacqueline O'Donnell has worked in professional kitchens for over

30 years and owns two well established restaurants in Glasgow.

My cooking style, I always say is not fancy, it's just kind of soul.

It really relates to the brief because it's quite old-fashioned,

it's quite traditional.

Jacqueline's memories of her late grandparents have inspired

her wartime menu.

While reminiscing with sister Pauline, she recalls how it

was her grandmother who first introduced her to cooking.

She taught me how to make soup, you know, ham hocks and chicken broths.

All these old-fashioned things.

For the brief this year, it's been really helpful for me to understand

how lucky we are now, compared to what Granny had to cook with then.

Wanting Pauline's opinion on her liver and onion starter,

Jacqueline decided to give it a trial run.

-I think it's a classic dish, isn't it?

-Oh, absolutely.

And I thought, if I could give something hearty to the veterans...

Mm. I love sweet, salty. I would have it any day.

My menu for this year's brief is about honouring the ladies

and gentlemen who fought for our country and lived without

so many things that we take for granted now.

For my granny to be part of my inspiration, I think

she would just be incredibly proud.

With plate-up fast approaching, Jacqueline's attempting to

update her liver and onions with another modern twist -

a savoury granola made from baked hazelnuts, pecans and seeds.

Do you honestly think they had this in 1944, darling?

No, this is my modern approach to what we do have now.

Not quite "Mammy's", no!

-Is this cool enough to try, my dear?

-Just watch. It's very hot.

It's quite sweet. Onions are quite sweet and the granola's quite sweet.

Just trying to figure out where the savoury comes into it.

-Savoury will come in...

-And cassis is quite sweet as well.

The Parmesan's quite salty, the basil's quite strong.

That's where the seasoning comes in.

'There's a lot of sweet going on in this recipe,

'which I'm quite surprised at.'

This dish isn't working for me, yet.

But it's two Michelin starred Stevie who is first under fire today,

with his starter, Normandy 1944.

He places his artichoke base on wilted spinach

and lines with cured ham.

I think Stevie's kind of safe

and I can't see how he's going to make me excited.

Next, mushroom ketchup.

Are you happy with the way it's gone, Stevie?

Yeah. So far, so good. Crucial last 90 seconds.

Followed by creamy calvados butter sauce.

I think Stevie's dish is quite a simple dish.

I would have expected to see Stevie maybe a lot more under pressure

and pushing himself.

Stevie transfers his Normandy Camembert cream into a siphon gun

to make his mousse.

Finally, he tops with crispy onions.

-First one up.

-Spirit of a bistro!

-Absolutely.

-Well, I think we should test the proof of the pudding.

-Shall we?

-Yes, let's do it.

-How are you feeling?

-Feel good, it's done. Glad that part's over!

It's nice to cross that first bridge, isn't it?

Do you think the story you're trying to tell is beautifully

-illustrated with this dish?

-I think it does.

I wanted to encapsulate everything that soldiers would chance upon and put on a plate.

Not quite sure I get how it's on brief,

but it certainly tastes great.

-If I'm not mistaken, this is your mushroom ketchup.

-Yes.

An old-fashioned condiment.

-That's intense.

-Oh!

-Is this ham from the north of France?

-Classic north of France ham.

And how do you think the ham works with the dish?

-It's quite salty.

-Are you happy with how the Camembert has come out?

It has the effect of a hot-baked Camembert. So I'm happy with the texture.

Stevie, do you see this going down on a banquet table at St Paul's?

A room full of veterans, definitely, yeah.

If I was judging on the food and not thinking about the brief, that would be an excellent dish.

I don't get the story. I would give it seven or eight.

I don't know, a six or a seven.

What would you give this out of ten?

I would say...7.5, moving on to eight?

-How are you doing, Stevie?

-Tell you what, guys, first one out the tank.

-Glad that's over. He gave nothing away.

-Oh!

Next to plate up is unconventional chef Neil,

with his 21st century take on pork pie.

He fills his pie cases with smoked pig's head and ham hock filling.

And with the clock ticking, deep fries his pork crackling.

-How are you doing, Neil?

-I'm a little further behind than I thought I would be.

I was expecting to put my feet up by this stage! But that's not happening.

He tops his crackling with caramelised apple terrine,

smoked beetroot, pickled celery and mustard leaves.

Finally, Neil serves his pie with glasses of beer on special

wartime-inspired telegram coasters.

-This is Welcome Home Troops.

-It's for two people,

you take half a pie each and then you take what you can.

Without further ado, let's go and try them.

This is the dish that you would welcome the troops back in 1945.

Exactly what I wanted to do. And it's a cracking dish.

And do you think using a telegram for a coaster...?

Well, the telegram is from a guy who arrived home

from the war in Scotland and he arrived home safe and sound.

-It's definitely a welcome home.

-Yeah.

Hot water crust. Are you happy with how this has come out?

Initially, I thought it was a little thick, but I think it eats really well.

I like the way that the lardo actually gives it that undercooked layer underneath.

-For me, the pastry's too thick.

-Mm.

The crackling, Neil.

It's usually a three-day thing, whereas this is my balance,

-right between, which I think is pretty much perfect.

-LOUD CRUNCH

That puffed crackling is so light.

And the apple terrine, with the beetroots and the lardo?

I just had to get some sweetness in there.

Although the apples are sweet, I needed something more punchy.

Do you think the scale of the dish works as a starter for a banquet?

I think it does. I could eat half of that

and then I'd be ready for the rest of the course.

-Scores?

-I would give this a seven.

I would give it a seven as well.

-What would you score this dish out of ten?

-Nine.

-All right, guys?

-All right?

-How did you go?

-Glad to have it over with anyway!

-I hear you.

-It's a good feeling, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's good to get it out the road.

-Yeah.

Last to plate up is experienced chef Jacqueline,

with her updated spin on old-fashioned liver and onions.

Personally, I love liver and onions. I eat it all the time.

But for a starter for a banquet? I think it's a risky dish.

Jacqueline fries her calves' liver in butter, garlic and thyme.

Deglazing the pan with cassis, she adds chicken stock

and reduces, before pouring into pots.

Finally, in miniature serving pans, she places onion puree,

liver and granola, seasoned with basil and Parmesan.

A refined presentation style that has been noticed by rival Stevie.

You're very quiet over there. Have I worried you at all?

You've certainly sent a flare up!

She finishes with an onion tuile garnish.

On a toot sack, no less! Boys, what do you reckon?

-I wasn't expecting quite the presentation!

-Really?

I expected a little bit more rustic from Jacqueline,

-but that looks great.

-Ooh!

-A bit of a stealth bomber!

-A little bit!

Wow, well, I think without further ado,

-we should take this and try it out.

-OK.

-Do you think this fits the bill?

-I think this is perfect.

-She's a dark horse.

-Yeah, for sure.

-Is the liver cooked enough for you, Jacqueline?

-For me, yes.

-Beautifully cooked.

-Yeah.

This granola effect on top, how do you think that works with the dish?

I think it brings another side to liver and onions.

It's a nice touch. It needs the crunch cos this is so soft.

-It needs some sort of texture.

-Yeah.

Do you think the puree, the sweetness of the onion

and the tuile, and then the adding of cassis adds a degree of too

much sweetness to this?

I think with the spice and the saltiness that's through

the granola helps to balance out the sweetness.

Does this capture the essence of the story you're trying to tell?

I think this captures everything about my menu

and my interpretation of the brief this year.

-Does it worry you?

-Elements of it do worry me.

-I mean, the level of cookery, I'm surprised by.

-I'm a bit worried what she's

-going to come up with the rest of the time.

-Yeah.

-HE CHUCKLES

-All right, Jac?

-Yup.

-Happy with it?

-That was tough.

You surprised me a little bit with your presentation there.

-You're a stealth bomber in your pink pinnie!

-LAUGHTER

First one's done and it's out there.

-First time I've done this as well.

-Yeah.

-All of us.

-Yeah.

Well, my bonnie cooks, one dish down.

I'm clearly dealing with three brilliant talents here.

But have you delivered?

I'm going to start with you, Stevie.

And your Normandy 1944, artichoke, Camembert and ham.

The artichokes, I thought were beautifully cooked.

Cured ham, nice.

But it didn't take much cooking, shall we say?

The mushroom ketchup, which I thought was delicious,

but then kind of got lost in this excessive ham.

And the Camembert and artichoke together, I thought was so rich,

along with that excessive ham, made it a very rich starter indeed.

I could see where you were coming from with the Normandy picnic,

but I think on the plate it was lost in translation.

And then Neil.

Your potted pork pie with crackling and beer.

Crackling was great. Apple terrine, nice touch.

Pie was good, lovely filling.

But I did wonder for a banquet, a pretty hearty starter.

And the beetroot and apple, I thought was quite a daunting prospect,

even for two people to get through, as a starter.

I did wonder that the pastry came out slightly too thick,

the lardo within then became slightly excessive.

I felt then that the story was kind of lost

by trying to get a great many ingredients on the plate.

Jacqueline, for your Not Quite Your Mammy's Liver And Onions,

with granola and tuile...

Presentation and nostalgia,

I thought it hit the nail on the head, beautifully done.

The liver's well cooked, lots of flavour.

Granola, nice crunch, and the onion tuile, unexpected.

However, with the cassis, I thought there was

an almighty presence of sweetness to the dish.

The scores.

So, Stevie, for your Normandy 1944...

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

..six.

OK.

Neil, for your Potted Pork Pie...

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

..an equal six to Stevie.

Jacqueline,

for your Not Quite Your Mammy's Liver And Onions, I'm going to give you...

..eight.

-You today are our winner. Well done, Jac.

-Thank you.

Thanks very much.

-Everyone got a punch on the nose.

-We got a wee bit more of a punch!

-Yeah, a punch in the stomach!

-LAUGHTER

I'm disappointed with a six, obviously.

So I'm going to be aiming a lot higher for the next one.

-Bit of work to be done.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Being given a six, a little bit disappointed.

I thought Jeremy was a touch harsh. Take on the chin, move on.

Congratulations.

I'm so pleased I got an eight for my starter.

That makes me two points ahead of the boys.

But I've still got three courses to go, so my head's got to stay on!