Scotland Fish Great British Menu

This week, on Great British Menu:

three of Scotland's top chefs.

Classical heavyweight Stevie McLaughlin...

So, you're the one with the two Michelin stars?

-That puts a big target on my head.

-Definitely.

..unconventional Neil Rankin...

I have to get good scores, otherwise there's no point being here.

..and experienced chef Jacqueline O'Donnell...

I think you'll be right in with a knife.

..are fighting it out to get their dishes to an honorary banquet

commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-day

at London's magnificent St Paul's Cathedral.

Yesterday, Neil and Stevie underestimated Jacqueline.

I expected it a bit more rustic.

Ooh! SHE LAUGHS

-And was shocked when she got the highest score...

-Eight.

..leaving them in joint second place.

Today, it's a fight for the fish course.

I work best under pressure.

Can Jacqueline hold on to her two-point lead?

That's quite extraordinary.

-She keeps on pulling them out, doesn't she?

-Yes.

Or will her rivals steal her advantage?

My first jelly didn't set, and I'm furious.

This year, the chefs are paying tribute to those who fought for

our freedom on the beaches of Normandy 70 years ago.

They've been challenged to produce dishes that tell

the story of World War II.

I can see we've got the blackout created.

And have been inspired by people with personal connections

to this momentous period of history.

I cannot tell you how I felt immensely proud.

Judging the Scottish chefs this week is straight-talking

Great British Menu veteran Jeremy Lee.

It's vital that they hit the brief today,

because the starters were good but not brilliant.

So, I've got huge expectations for today.

Feel good today, Jak?

-I do, I feel good.

-Well, you should. That is worrying for us.

I know, we're going to have to pull out all the stops today.

-You've given us something to shoot at.

-OK, fire away!

THEY LAUGH

First up is two-Michelin-starred Stevie McLaughlin.

Despite having the most impressive credentials in the kitchen,

he scored a low six yesterday for an overly rich dish

-that was lost in translation.

-New course, new day.

I know what needs to be done.

Cook strong, cook straight and narrow,

And let your dish do the talking.

Stevie! Good morning, how are you?

-Very good, how are you?

-Very well indeed.

What are you doing for us today?

This dish today's called Food To March On.

This one's purely inspired by the population living from rations.

Ah, rationing.

This is all about giving something back to those

-who didn't have much to eat.

-Good.

We are going to fillet the mackerel, and do a dry cure with some salt.

-And a wet cure with lemon and curry.

-Oh, right!

We're going to very lightly cook the claws of the crab,

serve it in nuggets. The spoots, I'll cook...

Spoot's an east coast name for a razor clam.

I think it is, I grew up with spoots.

These are going to be cooked very gently, leaving them nice and soft.

We've got some aubergines which we're going to roast

and make a nice, creamy aubergine puree.

Serve that along with a nice soft, quite spicy tomato mousse.

-Aha!

-We'll use some nori, some cumin, to spice up

a seaweed Celtic-style mustard.

So, Stevie, yesterday,

I was sort of having to fight my way through what the story was.

-Do you think this is a much clearer story you're telling today?

-I do.

The presentation's coming in a ration tin.

I think it's something everyone in the room will recognise.

Ultimately, there's the element of surprise

when the lid comes off and what's inside,

something they wouldn't have even thought of ever getting.

And so, if it's coming in a humble style,

you seem to like to hide your light under a bushel,

as a grand seigneur of one of the greatest kitchens in Scotland.

So, the modesty becomes you?

-Er, it can do.

-JEREMY LAUGHS

-Well, good luck with it.

-Cheers.

-I look forward to eating it.

Stevie's Food To March On has got some gorgeous fish

and shellfish in there, with a cold tomato mousse.

Is it going to tell a better story than yesterday?

I'll be intrigued to see.

Next up is cutting-edge Neil Rankin,

an unconventional chef who specialises in barbecuing.

He's attempting to hit the brief with a menu celebrating

the modern spoils of World War II.

But, like rival Stevie, he scored just six points for his starter.

Massively determined to improve my score.

I was a bit shattered about getting a six.

So, I've really got to up my game on this one.

-Good morning, Neil! How are you after yesterday?

-Yeah, OK.

What are you going to do in the fish course?

My dish is called From Dover To Normandy.

I'm using the best ingredients from Normandy and from Dover,

-and I'm doing a Normandy fish stew.

-Aha!

I'll be using primarily Dover sole.

As far as I'm concerned, one of the best fish we've got.

And I'm going to be deep frying the bones.

-I'll be serving all the seafood back on top of it.

-Oh, wow.

Is this a slightly Chinese method of doing things?

Yeah, it is. So, you can eat it afterwards or you can leave it,

it doesn't matter. It'll look nice.

I've got cockles, mussels. I'll grill some prawns.

-Ah, you're back on the barbecue again.

-Back on the barbecue.

-I'm going to make a seafood oil to season the fish.

-Seafood oils?

I'm going to infuse the heads of the prawns,

some crab shells, scallop roe, and the heads of the fish.

And it's going to be dressed with a Normandy sauce

which is, as you know, a little bit of curry in there, very light.

What is interesting, gentlemen, is you are level pegging at the moment.

-Yep.

-No sweat on a brow on that one?

-Not yet.

-Good-oh.

I'm very intrigued to see what you both pull out of the hat on this one.

Neil's Dover To Normandy sounds like an exuberant dish.

Frying the bones,

I'm not quite sure how this is going to manifest itself on the plate.

Very unusual thing to see.

Last up is experienced chef Jacqueline O'Donnell

whose modern take on a classic yesterday pushed her

into the lead by two points.

She's hoping for a repeat performance today

with a dish inspired by a local legend.

Today, I've got to keep focused on winning.

I'm hoping that the story that I've put into this fish course

will tick all the boxes.

So, the dish you're cooking is called?

Black Market Silver Darlings.

-I have the Silver Darlings.

-Which is the herring, what a wonderful fish.

The research and inspiration behind my dish is that I found out,

during the war, when there was a black market for Silver Darlings.

Rumour has it they traded the silver for the gold.

-So the silver is the herring, and the gold is the whisky?

-Yes.

So I'm making tartare of herring and top.

-So, a raw herring?

-Yep.

-Are you going to spice that up at all?

I'm just going to use fennel tops, some chives, and a wee bit of lemon.

And good old herring and oatmeal.

It's the old-fashioned way.

-I thought that would be a great way to say "then and now."

-Ah, right.

I'm going to use this cucumber,

and I'm going to pickle some of it in the whisky.

Then I'm going to make a cucumber jelly

-with the other half of it.

-Aha.

Stevie and Neil have both got a spectacular array of shellfish.

Do you feel your dish is going to romp ahead of them?

I'm hoping that the humble beginnings is going

-to rock these boys' boats.

-THEY LAUGH

Humble beginnings versus royal bounty.

THEY LAUGH

Jak's choosing herring.

Herring has a powerful presence, and needs quite careful seasoning.

I hope she attends to that.

Neil and Stevie are still reeling

from Jacqueline's starter course success.

So, Jak, you're ahead at the moment,

you've got to be feeling confident about this, yeah?

Do you know what, guys? Pink's not a colour, it's an attitude!

NEIL LAUGHS

I'm feeling under more pressure than I did in the starter course.

I've got a bit of ground to make up, but I work best under pressure.

-I've got the story on the plate.

-I think I do too.

Yesterday was history, today's a mystery!

NEIL LAUGHS

I think I've taken Stevie and Neil by surprise.

I'm hoping I can do it again.

Jacqueline's pushing for another victory

with a nod to the black-market trading of herrings and whisky

she's heard could have taken place during World War II.

Scoot through.

Again, she's updating a traditional dish using modern methods.

She cures slices of cucumber in whisky,

and combines cucumber juice with a setting agent

to form her cucumber jelly which she leaves to set.

Before moving on to her herring tartare.

I know mackerel tartare very well,

but it's very unusual to meet a herring tartare.

Have you come across it a lot?

No, I've never come across it until I started working with this.

We all know herring and oatmeal,

and this was bringing in a lighter option.

It's got quite a punchy flavour, herring.

-It's not going to be too big a surprise?

-No, I don't think it is.

This is quite subtle.

Raw herring is something I've never come across before.

And when she said she hadn't made it before,...

..that gave me a slight pause for thought.

Innovative chef Neil is hoping to push past Jacqueline

with a deconstructed fish stew celebrating the seafood

of Dover and Normandy.

True to form, he's using an unusual technique

that's caught the eye of his rivals.

Neil's frying fish bones, and it's something you're supposed to eat.

It's nothing I'd ever contemplate doing.

-So you can eat the bones?

-You can eat the bones.

They'll be exactly like crackling, and they taste fishy. Beautiful.

-Really!

-Where's that from?

-It is a Chinese thing.

-Do you want a wee taste?

-Yes, please.

-Can I get a taste?

Yeah, grab it.

It's crunchy.

-It's bony.

-It tastes bony?

I've got a bone in my fish.

THEY ALL LAUGH

Double Michelin-starred Stevie is also determined to steal Jak's lead

and march past Neil.

He was marked down for failing to tell a story on a plate yesterday.

He can't afford another low score.

Full steam ahead with his Food To March On,

an intricate affair of exotic flavours.

He's working on a roasted aubergine puree, and a spicy tomato mousse.

So, guys, are we all pretty confident

-that our dishes are suitable to honour the war veterans?

-Absolutely.

I think my dish was a little bit bigger yesterday.

I'm going to reduce it in size a little bit.

But the flavour's all there. Mind you,

I think the veterans would want a big feast.

What they've done for their country, the least we can do is give them

-a decent bit of tea.

-Yeah. I mean, for me, portion size can be altered.

-Yep.

-If you're not hitting the brief, then

there's no point in starting.

In search of his wartime story on a plate,

Stevie's research took him to the historic town of Anstruther in Fife

which was a thriving fishing port before the outbreak of World War II.

My grandfather was a cook in the Merchant Navy

during the Second World War.

Fishing's in my blood.

I'm over here to learn about how

the marine communities coped during the war.

Stevie met up with local historian and ex-fisherman Ian Murray.

When the war came, all these boats were taken away for service.

-I mean, effectively, fishing just stopped.

-Yep.

So, with so few fishing boats coming in,

what would local people have been eating?

-Some of the older men would still be out fishing with hand lines.

-Yep.

And what they caught was for the community. It wasn't rationed?

No, no, they would share them around. That's what happened during the war.

They would gather in some crabs and stuff.

So, Ian, for my dish, I'm choosing to use brown crab,

-would that have been caught locally?

-Oh, yes.

Lots of brown crabs were found out here.

To find out more about the war,

Stevie went to meet Ian's wife Sybil, whose father was one of

the brave men who fought for our freedom on D-day.

This is a photograph of my father and myself aged 18 months.

He was the sergeant in 4 Commando.

They landed at Sword Beach.

Their object was to take the town of Caen.

That was where my father was blinded.

It's the sacrifices of men like your father that have given us

our freedom today.

I cannot tell you how I felt immensely proud.

Having lost the sight of his right eye,

Sybil's father spent the rest of the war in a training role,

and left the Army in 1946.

He and my mother bought this chip shop.

He went from being a commander sergeant to frying fish and chips.

It was cod, haddock and crab.

-It was very simple food but it was very pure food.

-Yeah.

Stevie hopes the crab, sea vegetable and aubergine puree element

of his dish will get Sybil's approval.

-Do you like crab?

-I love crab.

-Really?

-Yes. Yes, please.

-Lovely.

-Is it nice?

-It tastes of the sea.

Good. That's what I wanted to do.

'It hit home to me today I'm not cooking for restaurant customers,

'it's for veterans.'

The food has to be relevant towards them

and the food that they maybe even remember.

Determined to create a fitting tribute to the D-day veterans,

and beat his rivals, Stevie's fish course is a celebration

of the plentiful seafood and ingredients around today.

He's moved on to his mackerel which he's dry-cured in salt,

placing it in a wet cure of lemon, vinegar and cumin.

He's getting technical with his razor clams too.

There's a sight you don't see very often.

Spoots in a vac pack, steamed open like that.

Not the old-fashioned way in a pan.

Cook them nice and slowly.

And your crab shells, they're being cooked.

What's happened to the rest of your crab?

Purely for garnish on the plate.

And are we going to see the whole story unfold on the plate?

Yeah, definitely. This one's instantly recognisable.

I think Steve is making a much more cohesive story

than he did with the first course.

Across the kitchen,

Jacqueline is attempting to maintain her lead with a nod to

the local folklore that whisky was traded for herring during the war.

With plate-up fast approaching, she checks on her cucumber jelly.

But there's a problem.

It's not right. Something not right.

My first jelly didn't set. Normally it sets really quickly.

So, I've just had to quickly do it another way.

I would say a cucumber jelly is quite challenging.

Every cucumber has a different ratio of water to gelatine.

So, something that seems so simple and straightforward

can backfire quite easily.

Everything's riding on this one setting. I've got no cucumber left.

I think, potentially, there's a lot of risk in this dish.

But, after seeing Jak's first course,

I don't doubt it for one minute at all.

Wanting to outdo Jacqueline and Stevie

with his unconventional fish stew, Neil spices up

his classic Normandy sauce with cayenne pepper, coriander seeds

and turmeric, before moving on to his fish oil seasoning.

-You've got lots going on here.

-Lots at once.

-And is this your fish oil?

-Yeah.

So that's just the heads of the prawns, the scallop roe in there.

-It just lifts the fishiness.

-Good.

All going to plan so far?

I mean, it's fish, so it can muck up at any time.

Indeed, sir. Right to the last minute. Good luck with it.

But it's not long before Neil's words ring true.

Guys, I need a few more prawns. I've just burned the oil.

BLEEP!

Neil tries to keep his mistake under his hat, but it's too late.

Neil, how's your fish oil?

Erm, well, I went a wee bit over with the fish oil, actually.

-So you burned it then, Neil?

-Yeah, yeah, I burned it.

-Honesty's the best policy!

-NEIL LAUGHS

Yeah, the seafood oil was an essential part of my dish.

I'm going to have to watch this like a hawk,

I definitely cannot burn the second one.

As Neil keeps a close eye on his second batch of fish oil,

it's Jacqueline who's first to plate up.

She quickly combines herring, shallots and herbs for her tartare,

and sets it aside.

Then fries her herring fillets topped with oatmeal.

And, with time slipping away, checks on her remade cucumber jelly.

Yeah, that's perfect.

Once again, she is attempting to raise the bar

with a World War II-inspired presentation.

-Thanks.

-What's that you've got there?

I heard herrings were smuggled in hay bales during the war.

-So that's your story on a plate, is it?

-Yeah.

She keeps on pulling them out, doesn't she?

This could be the final straw!

Jacqueline layers whisky-cured cucumber with herring tartare,

cucumber jelly, and crispy oatmeal herring fillets.

And places the delicate parcels inside her hay bales,

alongside a wee dram of whisky.

Look at this!

What have you within your hay bale? JACQUELINE LAUGHS

That's quite extraordinary. Boys, what do you think?

-Great presentation.

-Yeah, looks great.

Shall we get this tasted without further ado?

-See you later, boys.

-Cheers.

An extraordinary-looking presentation.

Black Market Traded Silver For Gold.

-It's great.

-It's cracking.

It looks sensational.

Do you think this is a brilliant rendition of your dish?

I think this is up with a good chance to be at the banquet table.

-Salut!

-Salut!

Everything tastes of what it's supposed to be,

-but it doesn't taste at its best.

-No.

Is there anything you'd like possibly to change in this dish?

I think it stands alone.

I think she's forgotten to add salt.

Jak, are you happy with the seasoning in this dish?

I think I would put a wee bit more salt through that tartare.

-I don't think she's tasted it.

-You're right.

The palate was so strong in the first course.

-Do you think the amount of cucumber jelly is correct for the dish?

-Yes.

I don't understand why she's done a jelly.

This is not got the right texture, it's brittle.

What score would you give this dish?

-A six.

-A six?

-Mm-hm.

-The whisky's good.

-The whisky is great!

-All right, Jacqui?

-All right.

-How did that go?

-OK.

What did you think about the seasoning in the dish?

It just didn't have enough, and I'm furious.

I spent way too long making cucumber jelly,

and didn't taste the tartare properly.

Ha-ha. I think you'll be right in with a knife

and twisting it in my armour today.

Next to plate up is Neil

with his unusual take on a Normandy fish stew.

He's desperate to do better than yesterday when he scored just six.

Yeah, big pressure.

I've got to get the good scores, otherwise

there's not much point in being here.

In the nick of time, Neil's strained his new batch of fish oil.

He barbecues fennel and red onions on his special indoor barbecue.

Followed by fillets of Dover sole.

And fries his scallops in butter.

But he's forgotten to grill his prawns.

How are you getting on, Neil? It's all very last-minute.

Yeah, it's all last-minute. Everything is nice and warm.

-Everything's seasoned.

-SHE LAUGHS

Right, chef.

With the clock ticking,

Neil starts his plate with his deep-fried fish bones.

And tops with the grilled Dover sole,...

..an array of sea vegetables. clams, mussels and crab meat.

He drizzles his fish oil over the top,

and finally pours his spiced Normandy fish sauce into jugs.

Neil, how are you feeling?

I'm feeling OK. Everything's spot on.

-STEVIE:

-It smells amazing.

Is this the dish to take you through to the finals?

I think this is perfect for the banquet.

Shall we put your money where your mouth is?

NEIL LAUGHS

-Shall we pour the sauce on?

-Yes, please.

-It looks great. Fish on the bone.

-Yeah.

Ooh, it's got quite a wee bit of heat.

-And has the sauce come out as you wished it to?

-Yeah, I think it is.

It's got the curry flavour, but it's not too spicy.

The Normandy sauce is incredibly hot.

I think it's going to be a bit too overpowering

-for some of the things there.

-Yeah.

You've cooked scallops in a frying pan, did they come out as you wished?

Yeah, you can still taste the sea in them, I think it's great.

-Where's the prawns?

-Yeah. I was expecting to find that in there.

I thought actually you'd stolen it!

Coming from Glasgow doesn't mean I'd steal anything!

-Might there be a prawn missing?

-Yeah.

I've forgotten to put the prawns on the plate.

And then, the sole on the grill, has that come out as you wished?

It's still a bit rare inside. It's just how I wanted it.

-I feel it's not got the barbecue flavour you maybe hoped for.

-Yeah.

CRUNCHING

Do you think that serving this dish on the bones is a wise manoeuvre?

Yeah. It's a nice crispiness.

-It's not for me, the bones are not from me.

-Yeah.

What would you score this dish, do you think, my dear?

Erm, I think it's a good eight.

-All right, guys?

-How did that go?

-Erm...

Obviously, I forgot the prawn.

I shouldn't have missed it but, yeah.

-Do you want some prawns for that, Stevie?

-Please!

NEIL LAUGHS

Classical heavyweight Stevie is last to plate up

with his Food To March On, a celebration of seafood

that he hopes will earn him a higher score than his starter.

He makes a seaweed mustard by mixing dried nori with cumin and Dijon.

In an attempt to tell a clearer wartime story,

Stevie fills special tins with layers of spicy tomato mousse,

aubergine puree, and sliced, cured mackerel.

I love the wee tins, did you get them specially made?

I manage to find somebody who'd be able to do me

almost a modern-day ration tin.

I think it's a great idea.

He tops with sous-vide cooked razor clams, and crab meat.

Then delicately adds his samphire, aster and purslane.

Now you're bringing out the tools from your own kitchen,

putting things on with a tweezer.

Finally, he dresses with seaweed mustard,

and serves on fishing-themed chopping boards.

Look at this!

-Is there history on this plate?

-I think there is.

Troops, what do you reckon?

I like the ration book. It's all in the taste.

And, on that note...

Look at this, Stevie.

-Is this the dish you wanted to present for the competition?

-Yes.

For me, the fish is nailed on the head.

The razor clams are cooked perfectly.

-What about that seaweed mustard?

-That's lovely, that's really good.

-Have all the elements worked in here?

-Yes.

All the textures, for me, are there.

If anything, I'd take a bit of the aubergine out

and replace it with more seafood.

The aubergine doesn't really taste of very much.

The overall flavour of this is tomato.

Do you think all the flavours are pronounced enough?

I'd maybe take a little bit of heat out of the tomato mousse.

Do think it hits the brief?

The presentation hits the brief.

I'm not sure of the contents of the tin.

-A bit weird.

-Yeah.

-Is the story very clear?

-Yeah.

Ration book? My goodness, what are we getting? They open it.

It's giving back to those, who didn't have, what they can now have.

Stevie, what would you give it?

I'd score that a seven-and-a-half.

I think it's probably a six or a seven at the highest.

-JACQUELINE: All right, Stevie?

-Aye, all right, not bad.

-How do you think it went?

-Feel good putting it up.

When he questions you, makes you question it...

NEIL LAUGHS Yeah.

..that's when you do start to doubt.

We went into today with me two points ahead.

Do think you've done enough to close that gap?

It is hard to tell.

You've made mistakes on this one, I've made mistakes. I don't know.

Hello, cooks.

Fish course done. I always think this is something that Scotland

should absolutely excel in.

Jacqueline,

for your Black Market Silver Darlings of herring and cucumber,

I loved the story behind it.

And the use of herring, inspired.

All in all, a delicate dish.

However...

..highly underseasoned.

Really let the dish down completely.

And the cucumber jelly,

I'm not sure why it was there and what it was doing.

Neil.

From Dover To Normandy. Dover sole, mussels and clams.

The Dover sole was nice, if a touch undercooked.

I'm not convinced by fishbones on the plate.

Then, lo and behold,

the discovery there was no prawn! HE LAUGHS

And I think they were notable by their absence.

However, it was a very handsome plate of food.

Loved the sauce.

Stevie.

For your Food To March On,

with clams, crab and mackerel.

I was puzzled when the tin arrived, thinking, where is this going?

But, when I opened it, I thought it looked tremendous.

Thank you.

Cured mackerel, delicious.

And the razor clams,

tender as can be, I really like that way of cooking them.

I have to say, I wasn't mad about the chopping board.

It seemed more seaside rather than a D-day landing.

And, aubergine puree and tomato mousse?

I have to say, there was too much of it.

So, the scores.

Jacqueline.

We have Black Market Silver Darlings.

I'm giving you...

..seven.

Neil.

From Dover To Normandy.

I'm giving you...

..eight.

Stevie.

For your Food To March On.

An eight.

So, jolly well done.

-Thanks, Jeremy.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

-A bit happier with that.

With two courses down, Jacqueline is now just one point ahead,

whilst Stevie and Neil remain neck-and-neck.

I'm happy with an eight.

If I don't make any mistakes tomorrow, I think

I'm on for a nine or ten.

I agree with him.

My bones, as well, they were a neat trick.

But, actually when eating it, it was like, am I enjoying this?

I'm over the moon with an eight, excited to be back in the race.

I'm going to kick on from here.

-Less salt.

-Less, less salt, more lemon on it!

I'm ahead by the skin of my teeth, just, and no more.

Tomorrow it's the main course.

-A bit of pressure?

-A wee bit of pressure.

Will Jacqueline increase her lead?

I am one point ahead, young man, and I'm going to keep that.

-It's only one point though, isn't it?

-One point's enough.

Or will have rivals triumph?

You're my first ever ten!