Scotland Fish Great British Menu


Scotland Fish

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This week, on Great British Menu:

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three of Scotland's top chefs.

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Classical heavyweight Stevie McLaughlin...

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

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-That puts a big target on my head.

-Definitely.

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..unconventional Neil Rankin...

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

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

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

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

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commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-day

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at London's magnificent St Paul's Cathedral.

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Yesterday, Neil and Stevie underestimated Jacqueline.

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I expected it a bit more rustic.

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Ooh! SHE LAUGHS

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

-Eight.

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..leaving them in joint second place.

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

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I work best under pressure.

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Can Jacqueline hold on to her two-point lead?

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That's quite extraordinary.

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

-Yes.

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Or will her rivals steal her advantage?

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

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

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our freedom on the beaches of Normandy 70 years ago.

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They've been challenged to produce dishes that tell

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the story of World War II.

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I can see we've got the blackout created.

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And have been inspired by people with personal connections

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to this momentous period of history.

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I cannot tell you how I felt immensely proud.

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Judging the Scottish chefs this week is straight-talking

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Great British Menu veteran Jeremy Lee.

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It's vital that they hit the brief today,

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because the starters were good but not brilliant.

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So, I've got huge expectations for today.

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Feel good today, Jak?

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-I do, I feel good.

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

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

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-You've given us something to shoot at.

-OK, fire away!

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THEY LAUGH

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First up is two-Michelin-starred Stevie McLaughlin.

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Despite having the most impressive credentials in the kitchen,

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he scored a low six yesterday for an overly rich dish

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-that was lost in translation.

-New course, new day.

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I know what needs to be done.

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Cook strong, cook straight and narrow,

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And let your dish do the talking.

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Stevie! Good morning, how are you?

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-Very good, how are you?

-Very well indeed.

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What are you doing for us today?

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This dish today's called Food To March On.

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

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Ah, rationing.

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This is all about giving something back to those

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-who didn't have much to eat.

-Good.

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

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-And a wet cure with lemon and curry.

-Oh, right!

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

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

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

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I think it is, I grew up with spoots.

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

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

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and make a nice, creamy aubergine puree.

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

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-Aha!

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

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a seaweed Celtic-style mustard.

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So, Stevie, yesterday,

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

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

-I do.

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The presentation's coming in a ration tin.

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

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Ultimately, there's the element of surprise

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when the lid comes off and what's inside,

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

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

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

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

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So, the modesty becomes you?

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-Er, it can do.

-JEREMY LAUGHS

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-Well, good luck with it.

-Cheers.

-I look forward to eating it.

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

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and shellfish in there, with a cold tomato mousse.

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Is it going to tell a better story than yesterday?

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I'll be intrigued to see.

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Next up is cutting-edge Neil Rankin,

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an unconventional chef who specialises in barbecuing.

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

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the modern spoils of World War II.

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

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Massively determined to improve my score.

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I was a bit shattered about getting a six.

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

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

-Yeah, OK.

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What are you going to do in the fish course?

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My dish is called From Dover To Normandy.

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

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-and I'm doing a Normandy fish stew.

-Aha!

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I'll be using primarily Dover sole.

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

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

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

-Oh, wow.

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Is this a slightly Chinese method of doing things?

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

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

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

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

-Back on the barbecue.

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

-Seafood oils?

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

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

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

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

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

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-Yep.

-No sweat on a brow on that one?

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-Not yet.

-Good-oh.

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

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

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Frying the bones,

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

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Very unusual thing to see.

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Last up is experienced chef Jacqueline O'Donnell

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whose modern take on a classic yesterday pushed her

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into the lead by two points.

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She's hoping for a repeat performance today

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with a dish inspired by a local legend.

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

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

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will tick all the boxes.

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So, the dish you're cooking is called?

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Black Market Silver Darlings.

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-I have the Silver Darlings.

-Which is the herring, what a wonderful fish.

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

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

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Rumour has it they traded the silver for the gold.

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

-Yes.

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So I'm making tartare of herring and top.

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-So, a raw herring?

-Yep.

-Are you going to spice that up at all?

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

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And good old herring and oatmeal.

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It's the old-fashioned way.

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

-Ah, right.

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I'm going to use this cucumber,

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

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Then I'm going to make a cucumber jelly

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-with the other half of it.

-Aha.

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

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

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I'm hoping that the humble beginnings is going

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-to rock these boys' boats.

-THEY LAUGH

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Humble beginnings versus royal bounty.

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THEY LAUGH

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Jak's choosing herring.

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

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I hope she attends to that.

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Neil and Stevie are still reeling

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from Jacqueline's starter course success.

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

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

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

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NEIL LAUGHS

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

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

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-I've got the story on the plate.

-I think I do too.

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Yesterday was history, today's a mystery!

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NEIL LAUGHS

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

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I'm hoping I can do it again.

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Jacqueline's pushing for another victory

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

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

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Scoot through.

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

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She cures slices of cucumber in whisky,

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and combines cucumber juice with a setting agent

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to form her cucumber jelly which she leaves to set.

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Before moving on to her herring tartare.

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I know mackerel tartare very well,

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

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Have you come across it a lot?

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

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We all know herring and oatmeal,

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and this was bringing in a lighter option.

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It's got quite a punchy flavour, herring.

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

-No, I don't think it is.

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This is quite subtle.

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

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

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..that gave me a slight pause for thought.

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Innovative chef Neil is hoping to push past Jacqueline

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with a deconstructed fish stew celebrating the seafood

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of Dover and Normandy.

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True to form, he's using an unusual technique

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that's caught the eye of his rivals.

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

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It's nothing I'd ever contemplate doing.

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-So you can eat the bones?

-You can eat the bones.

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

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-Really!

-Where's that from?

-It is a Chinese thing.

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-Do you want a wee taste?

-Yes, please.

-Can I get a taste?

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Yeah, grab it.

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It's crunchy.

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-It's bony.

-It tastes bony?

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I've got a bone in my fish.

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THEY ALL LAUGH

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

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and march past Neil.

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

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He can't afford another low score.

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Full steam ahead with his Food To March On,

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an intricate affair of exotic flavours.

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

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So, guys, are we all pretty confident

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

-Absolutely.

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I think my dish was a little bit bigger yesterday.

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

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But the flavour's all there. Mind you,

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I think the veterans would want a big feast.

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

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-a decent bit of tea.

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

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-Yep.

-If you're not hitting the brief, then

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there's no point in starting.

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In search of his wartime story on a plate,

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

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

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My grandfather was a cook in the Merchant Navy

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during the Second World War.

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Fishing's in my blood.

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I'm over here to learn about how

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the marine communities coped during the war.

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

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

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-I mean, effectively, fishing just stopped.

-Yep.

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So, with so few fishing boats coming in,

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what would local people have been eating?

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

-Yep.

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

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

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They would gather in some crabs and stuff.

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

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-would that have been caught locally?

-Oh, yes.

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Lots of brown crabs were found out here.

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To find out more about the war,

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

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

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

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He was the sergeant in 4 Commando.

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They landed at Sword Beach.

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Their object was to take the town of Caen.

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That was where my father was blinded.

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

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our freedom today.

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I cannot tell you how I felt immensely proud.

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Having lost the sight of his right eye,

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

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and left the Army in 1946.

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He and my mother bought this chip shop.

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

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It was cod, haddock and crab.

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

-Yeah.

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Stevie hopes the crab, sea vegetable and aubergine puree element

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of his dish will get Sybil's approval.

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-Do you like crab?

-I love crab.

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-Really?

-Yes. Yes, please.

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-Lovely.

-Is it nice?

-It tastes of the sea.

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Good. That's what I wanted to do.

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

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'it's for veterans.'

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The food has to be relevant towards them

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and the food that they maybe even remember.

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

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

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of the plentiful seafood and ingredients around today.

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

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

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He's getting technical with his razor clams too.

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

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Spoots in a vac pack, steamed open like that.

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Not the old-fashioned way in a pan.

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Cook them nice and slowly.

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And your crab shells, they're being cooked.

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What's happened to the rest of your crab?

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Purely for garnish on the plate.

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

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Yeah, definitely. This one's instantly recognisable.

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I think Steve is making a much more cohesive story

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than he did with the first course.

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Across the kitchen,

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Jacqueline is attempting to maintain her lead with a nod to

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

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

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But there's a problem.

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It's not right. Something not right.

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

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

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I would say a cucumber jelly is quite challenging.

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Every cucumber has a different ratio of water to gelatine.

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So, something that seems so simple and straightforward

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can backfire quite easily.

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

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

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But, after seeing Jak's first course,

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

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Wanting to outdo Jacqueline and Stevie

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with his unconventional fish stew, Neil spices up

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his classic Normandy sauce with cayenne pepper, coriander seeds

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

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-You've got lots going on here.

-Lots at once.

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-And is this your fish oil?

-Yeah.

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

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-It just lifts the fishiness.

-Good.

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All going to plan so far?

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

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

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

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

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BLEEP!

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

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Neil, how's your fish oil?

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

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-So you burned it then, Neil?

-Yeah, yeah, I burned it.

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-Honesty's the best policy!

-NEIL LAUGHS

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

0:16:310:16:34

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

0:16:340:16:36

I definitely cannot burn the second one.

0:16:360:16:38

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

0:16:380:16:41

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

0:16:410:16:43

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

0:16:440:16:49

and sets it aside.

0:16:490:16:51

Then fries her herring fillets topped with oatmeal.

0:16:510:16:53

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

0:16:550:16:59

Yeah, that's perfect.

0:17:000:17:02

Once again, she is attempting to raise the bar

0:17:030:17:06

with a World War II-inspired presentation.

0:17:060:17:09

-Thanks.

-What's that you've got there?

0:17:090:17:12

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

0:17:120:17:17

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

-Yeah.

0:17:170:17:19

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

0:17:190:17:21

This could be the final straw!

0:17:210:17:23

Jacqueline layers whisky-cured cucumber with herring tartare,

0:17:240:17:30

cucumber jelly, and crispy oatmeal herring fillets.

0:17:300:17:34

And places the delicate parcels inside her hay bales,

0:17:350:17:37

alongside a wee dram of whisky.

0:17:370:17:40

Look at this!

0:17:430:17:44

What have you within your hay bale? JACQUELINE LAUGHS

0:17:440:17:47

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

0:17:470:17:50

-Great presentation.

-Yeah, looks great.

0:17:500:17:53

Shall we get this tasted without further ado?

0:17:530:17:55

-See you later, boys.

-Cheers.

0:17:550:17:56

An extraordinary-looking presentation.

0:17:590:18:01

Black Market Traded Silver For Gold.

0:18:010:18:03

-It's great.

-It's cracking.

0:18:030:18:05

It looks sensational.

0:18:050:18:07

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

0:18:080:18:11

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

0:18:110:18:17

-Salut!

-Salut!

0:18:170:18:19

Everything tastes of what it's supposed to be,

0:18:270:18:29

-but it doesn't taste at its best.

-No.

0:18:290:18:32

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

0:18:330:18:36

I think it stands alone.

0:18:360:18:39

I think she's forgotten to add salt.

0:18:410:18:42

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

0:18:420:18:46

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

0:18:480:18:52

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

-You're right.

0:18:520:18:54

The palate was so strong in the first course.

0:18:540:18:56

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

-Yes.

0:18:560:19:01

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

0:19:010:19:03

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

0:19:030:19:05

What score would you give this dish?

0:19:050:19:08

-A six.

-A six?

-Mm-hm.

0:19:090:19:12

-The whisky's good.

-The whisky is great!

0:19:130:19:15

-All right, Jacqui?

-All right.

-How did that go?

-OK.

0:19:180:19:22

What did you think about the seasoning in the dish?

0:19:220:19:24

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

0:19:240:19:27

I spent way too long making cucumber jelly,

0:19:270:19:30

and didn't taste the tartare properly.

0:19:300:19:33

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

0:19:330:19:35

and twisting it in my armour today.

0:19:350:19:38

Next to plate up is Neil

0:19:390:19:41

with his unusual take on a Normandy fish stew.

0:19:410:19:44

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

0:19:440:19:47

Yeah, big pressure.

0:19:470:19:49

I've got to get the good scores, otherwise

0:19:490:19:51

there's not much point in being here.

0:19:510:19:54

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

0:19:540:19:58

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

0:19:590:20:03

Followed by fillets of Dover sole.

0:20:030:20:06

And fries his scallops in butter.

0:20:060:20:08

But he's forgotten to grill his prawns.

0:20:080:20:10

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

0:20:100:20:13

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

0:20:130:20:17

-Everything's seasoned.

-SHE LAUGHS

0:20:170:20:19

Right, chef.

0:20:190:20:21

With the clock ticking,

0:20:210:20:22

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

0:20:220:20:26

And tops with the grilled Dover sole,...

0:20:260:20:28

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

0:20:290:20:33

He drizzles his fish oil over the top,

0:20:330:20:36

and finally pours his spiced Normandy fish sauce into jugs.

0:20:360:20:39

Neil, how are you feeling?

0:20:420:20:43

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

0:20:430:20:46

-STEVIE:

-It smells amazing.

0:20:460:20:47

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

0:20:470:20:49

I think this is perfect for the banquet.

0:20:490:20:51

Shall we put your money where your mouth is?

0:20:510:20:53

NEIL LAUGHS

0:20:530:20:55

-Shall we pour the sauce on?

-Yes, please.

0:20:570:20:59

-It looks great. Fish on the bone.

-Yeah.

0:20:590:21:02

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

0:21:040:21:07

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

-Yeah, I think it is.

0:21:070:21:10

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

0:21:100:21:13

The Normandy sauce is incredibly hot.

0:21:130:21:15

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

0:21:150:21:18

-for some of the things there.

-Yeah.

0:21:180:21:20

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

0:21:200:21:24

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

0:21:240:21:26

-Where's the prawns?

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

0:21:260:21:29

I thought actually you'd stolen it!

0:21:290:21:32

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

0:21:330:21:36

-Might there be a prawn missing?

-Yeah.

0:21:360:21:39

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

0:21:390:21:42

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

0:21:420:21:46

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

0:21:460:21:50

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

-Yeah.

0:21:500:21:55

CRUNCHING

0:21:560:21:57

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

0:21:580:22:04

Yeah. It's a nice crispiness.

0:22:040:22:06

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

-Yeah.

0:22:070:22:10

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

0:22:100:22:13

Erm, I think it's a good eight.

0:22:130:22:16

-All right, guys?

-How did that go?

-Erm...

0:22:190:22:21

Obviously, I forgot the prawn.

0:22:210:22:24

I shouldn't have missed it but, yeah.

0:22:240:22:26

-Do you want some prawns for that, Stevie?

-Please!

0:22:260:22:28

NEIL LAUGHS

0:22:280:22:30

Classical heavyweight Stevie is last to plate up

0:22:320:22:35

with his Food To March On, a celebration of seafood

0:22:350:22:37

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

0:22:370:22:41

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

0:22:430:22:48

In an attempt to tell a clearer wartime story,

0:22:480:22:50

Stevie fills special tins with layers of spicy tomato mousse,

0:22:500:22:53

aubergine puree, and sliced, cured mackerel.

0:22:530:22:57

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

0:22:570:23:00

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

0:23:000:23:02

almost a modern-day ration tin.

0:23:020:23:04

I think it's a great idea.

0:23:040:23:05

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

0:23:050:23:09

Then delicately adds his samphire, aster and purslane.

0:23:090:23:13

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

0:23:130:23:15

putting things on with a tweezer.

0:23:150:23:17

Finally, he dresses with seaweed mustard,

0:23:170:23:19

and serves on fishing-themed chopping boards.

0:23:190:23:22

Look at this!

0:23:220:23:23

-Is there history on this plate?

-I think there is.

0:23:230:23:26

Troops, what do you reckon?

0:23:260:23:27

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

0:23:270:23:29

And, on that note...

0:23:290:23:31

Look at this, Stevie.

0:23:360:23:37

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

-Yes.

0:23:410:23:45

For me, the fish is nailed on the head.

0:23:450:23:46

The razor clams are cooked perfectly.

0:23:460:23:49

-What about that seaweed mustard?

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

0:23:490:23:53

-Have all the elements worked in here?

-Yes.

0:23:530:23:56

All the textures, for me, are there.

0:23:560:23:58

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

0:23:580:24:00

and replace it with more seafood.

0:24:000:24:02

The aubergine doesn't really taste of very much.

0:24:030:24:06

The overall flavour of this is tomato.

0:24:060:24:08

Do you think all the flavours are pronounced enough?

0:24:080:24:12

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

0:24:120:24:14

Do think it hits the brief?

0:24:140:24:16

The presentation hits the brief.

0:24:160:24:18

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

0:24:180:24:21

-A bit weird.

-Yeah.

0:24:210:24:24

-Is the story very clear?

-Yeah.

0:24:240:24:26

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

0:24:260:24:29

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

0:24:290:24:32

Stevie, what would you give it?

0:24:320:24:34

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

0:24:340:24:36

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

0:24:370:24:40

-JACQUELINE: All right, Stevie?

-Aye, all right, not bad.

0:24:440:24:46

-How do you think it went?

-Feel good putting it up.

0:24:460:24:48

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

0:24:480:24:51

NEIL LAUGHS Yeah.

0:24:510:24:52

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

0:24:520:24:54

We went into today with me two points ahead.

0:24:570:25:00

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

0:25:000:25:03

It is hard to tell.

0:25:030:25:05

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

0:25:050:25:08

Hello, cooks.

0:25:130:25:15

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

0:25:150:25:18

should absolutely excel in.

0:25:180:25:19

Jacqueline,

0:25:210:25:22

for your Black Market Silver Darlings of herring and cucumber,

0:25:220:25:25

I loved the story behind it.

0:25:250:25:28

And the use of herring, inspired.

0:25:280:25:30

All in all, a delicate dish.

0:25:320:25:33

However...

0:25:350:25:36

..highly underseasoned.

0:25:380:25:39

Really let the dish down completely.

0:25:410:25:44

And the cucumber jelly,

0:25:440:25:46

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

0:25:460:25:49

Neil.

0:25:520:25:54

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

0:25:540:25:58

The Dover sole was nice, if a touch undercooked.

0:25:580:26:01

I'm not convinced by fishbones on the plate.

0:26:030:26:05

Then, lo and behold,

0:26:070:26:09

the discovery there was no prawn! HE LAUGHS

0:26:090:26:12

And I think they were notable by their absence.

0:26:120:26:15

However, it was a very handsome plate of food.

0:26:170:26:21

Loved the sauce.

0:26:210:26:22

Stevie.

0:26:260:26:27

For your Food To March On,

0:26:270:26:29

with clams, crab and mackerel.

0:26:290:26:32

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

0:26:320:26:35

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

0:26:360:26:39

Thank you.

0:26:390:26:40

Cured mackerel, delicious.

0:26:420:26:43

And the razor clams,

0:26:450:26:46

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

0:26:460:26:49

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

0:26:500:26:53

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

0:26:530:26:57

And, aubergine puree and tomato mousse?

0:26:580:27:01

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

0:27:020:27:04

So, the scores.

0:27:050:27:08

Jacqueline.

0:27:080:27:10

We have Black Market Silver Darlings.

0:27:100:27:12

I'm giving you...

0:27:120:27:14

..seven.

0:27:160:27:17

Neil.

0:27:190:27:21

From Dover To Normandy.

0:27:210:27:23

I'm giving you...

0:27:230:27:25

..eight.

0:27:270:27:28

Stevie.

0:27:290:27:31

For your Food To March On.

0:27:310:27:33

An eight.

0:27:350:27:37

So, jolly well done.

0:27:370:27:39

-Thanks, Jeremy.

-Thank you.

0:27:390:27:40

-Well done.

-A bit happier with that.

0:27:420:27:44

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

0:27:440:27:47

whilst Stevie and Neil remain neck-and-neck.

0:27:470:27:51

I'm happy with an eight.

0:27:510:27:52

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

0:27:520:27:55

I'm on for a nine or ten.

0:27:550:27:56

I agree with him.

0:27:560:27:57

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

0:27:570:27:59

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

0:27:590:28:02

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

0:28:020:28:05

I'm going to kick on from here.

0:28:050:28:07

-Less salt.

-Less, less salt, more lemon on it!

0:28:070:28:11

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

0:28:110:28:15

Tomorrow it's the main course.

0:28:160:28:18

-A bit of pressure?

-A wee bit of pressure.

0:28:180:28:20

Will Jacqueline increase her lead?

0:28:200:28:23

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

0:28:230:28:27

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

-One point's enough.

0:28:270:28:31

Or will have rivals triumph?

0:28:310:28:33

You're my first ever ten!

0:28:330:28:35

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