0:00:04 > 0:00:07It's been a tough week for three of Wales' finest chefs.
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Ah!
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Young gun Andy Beaumont...
0:00:10 > 0:00:13You don't get nowhere if you don't take risks, do you?
0:00:13 > 0:00:16..and former military man David Kelman...
0:00:16 > 0:00:17I think I nailed it this time.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..went up against returning contender Mary Ann Gilchrist...
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Please!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24..for the chance to cook at a banquet,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27commemorating the 70th anniversary of D-Day,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29at the magnificent St Paul's Cathedral.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35With David ahead of the pack, yesterday's dessert course was
0:00:35 > 0:00:38a closely-fought battle between Andy and Mary Ann...
0:00:38 > 0:00:40- Time to pray.- BLEEP!
0:00:40 > 0:00:43..with veteran Angela Hartnett sending Andy home.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Commiserations, Andy.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Oh, baby!
0:00:47 > 0:00:51Today, Mary Ann and David will go head-to-head...
0:00:51 > 0:00:53I'm a little bit nervous, if I'm honest.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56..cooking all four courses again.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57- Oh,- BLEEP!
0:00:57 > 0:01:00And the judges expect only the best.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Given the importance of this particular dinner,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05those dishes have really got to catch fire.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08To make sure the menus evoke wartime memories,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10is renowned war correspondent Martin Bell,
0:01:10 > 0:01:15whose father's book was prized by soldiers during World War II.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18This reminds them of the country they were fighting for.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20The food should be amazing...
0:01:20 > 0:01:22It's awful. It's awful food.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25It's just perfectly judged.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28..as only one chef can win the last place in the finals.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30The winner is...
0:01:46 > 0:01:49Second-timer Mary Ann has been trailing newcomer
0:01:49 > 0:01:52David Kelman's modern and prop-heavy menu all week.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57So you're working on your presentation, Mary Ann?
0:01:57 > 0:01:59Well, I'm changing one or two small things,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03but it's not all about presentation, it's about the flavours.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Well, I've got flavours and presentation, Mary Ann.
0:02:06 > 0:02:07Ooh(!)
0:02:09 > 0:02:12David's got a close personal relationship with the brief, as the
0:02:12 > 0:02:16last three generations of his family all served in the armed forces.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19I'm doing this for my family, my grandparents past,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21who are looking down on me.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24I've come this far, I've got through to the judges' chamber,
0:02:24 > 0:02:25I'm not going to go home.
0:02:25 > 0:02:26I want to win.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31With over 40 years of experience,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Mary Ann's back cooking for the judges for a second time,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37and is determined to make up for what her menu was
0:02:37 > 0:02:38lacking on her first attempt.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42I cooked for the judges last year, totally missed the brief.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44This year, I think I've nailed it.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Judges Prue Leith, Oliver Peyton
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and Matthew Fort are scrutinising the chefs' menus.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Mary Ann - it all feels a lot better this time, to me.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01She seems to be on-message, so I'm willing her on today.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05But she is up against David, and he has three rosettes from the AA,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09and look at that - I mean, he's really thought about it.
0:03:09 > 0:03:14Well, David, first time cooking for the judges, how are you feeling?
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Er...a little bit nervous, if I'm honest.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19You're filling me with confidence.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Good morning, chefs.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30- Morning.- Morning.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Mary Ann, are you feeling the heat?
0:03:33 > 0:03:35That's probably the understatement of the week.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38My interpretation of the brief is very simple -
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Second World War - waste not, want not.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Very good. David, you come from military background.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Yeah, dating back from the First World War, through to the Second World War -
0:03:47 > 0:03:49myself, as well, Cadets and TA as well, so...
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Are you going to give Mary Ann a run for her money?
0:03:52 > 0:03:53- Yes. - LAUGHTER
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Good man.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57You know what? Our tummies are rumbling,
0:03:57 > 0:04:01and we want some fantastic food, so good luck!
0:04:01 > 0:04:02We'll do our best.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07The chefs are well into cooking their starters,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11a course they both got seven points for from veteran judge
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Angela in the week.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14We both got the same score for our starters,
0:04:14 > 0:04:15so how are you feeling about that?
0:04:15 > 0:04:18I think I'll be able to get it past you this time.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- You reckon?!- Oh, yeah.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22David's first up.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25He's using the popular wartime meat rabbit, serving
0:04:25 > 0:04:29it in a miniature hutch, as a pie with pickled veg and Welsh rarebit.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35Did you take on board Angela's feedback?
0:04:35 > 0:04:36Yeah, completely.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Sorted out the seasoning on the pie, more rarebit -
0:04:39 > 0:04:41she wants to see more. I've addressed that.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Also scoring the dishes today is
0:04:43 > 0:04:46former war correspondent Martin Bell, son of Adrian Bell,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49one of the British soldiers' most-loved authors
0:04:49 > 0:04:50during World War II.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57Martin, I don't think that anyone here has had the personal
0:04:57 > 0:04:59experience of warfare that you have.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Well, I didn't have so much experience of World War II -
0:05:03 > 0:05:04I was quite young!
0:05:04 > 0:05:08But I've done a lot. I've done, I think, 18 since then.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Does that give you a particular sympathy with veterans
0:05:11 > 0:05:15who survived D-Day and what they had actually gone through?
0:05:15 > 0:05:16Absolutely.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19What they went through was much greater than I ever went through.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Did your father fight during the war?
0:05:21 > 0:05:25No, he was 39 and suffering from ill health, so he fought,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29sort of, indirectly, encouraging the soldiers through his books.
0:05:30 > 0:05:34Because this book, Corduroy, gives a slightly idealised
0:05:34 > 0:05:38view of pastoral life before the industrialisation of agriculture.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41And a Penguin edition came out that the soldiers could
0:05:41 > 0:05:43put in their kitbags.
0:05:43 > 0:05:44So he sat in their trenches,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48and he reminded them of the country they thought they were fighting for.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55David begins his starter with Welsh rarebit...
0:05:55 > 0:05:58which he covers with a range of pickled vegetables,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and tops with rabbit belly.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04I remember what it was like when I sent my first course,
0:06:04 > 0:06:05I think I was as nervous as a cat.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08It is nerve-racking.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11He adds water bottles of beer vinaigrette to his rabbit hutches,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13before finally adding his pie to the plate.
0:06:19 > 0:06:20So, so cute.
0:06:22 > 0:06:23Thank you very much.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31# Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run
0:06:31 > 0:06:37# Bang, bang, bang, bang, goes the farmer's gun
0:06:37 > 0:06:41# Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run... #
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Well, I must say, humour is in very short supply in the competition
0:06:46 > 0:06:49so far, so it is very nice to start off with a smile, at any rate.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- PRUE:- I love the little water bottle.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54MATTHEW: It's a little dressing for the salad.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56You don't normally eat your first course
0:06:56 > 0:06:58out of a rabbit hutch, do you?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00- No.- But quite fun when you do!
0:07:00 > 0:07:04I think it's a nice little comedy thing to lighten the mood.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Of course, rabbit wasn't rationed - I had an awful lot of rabbit
0:07:09 > 0:07:10when I was a kid.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12MATTHEW: I think the pie is absolutely delicious.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- PRUE:- Delicious, isn't it?
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Yeah! Pie's good!
0:07:15 > 0:07:17Rabbit can be quite a pallid flavour,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and this is not - this is a punchy flavour.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24The pastry's perfect - very crisp and fresh at the top.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27The rarebit is the bit that doesn't work for me -
0:07:27 > 0:07:28it seems to be an odd texture.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33It's unnecessary and, if anything, it detracts from it a bit.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- You stuck with the Welsh rarebit. - Yeah.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37To be honest, I didn't see the point of it.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Do you think this is a suitable dish of the banquet
0:07:40 > 0:07:42and how do you think the veterans will react to it?
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I think they will react with total astonishment.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48Whether it's suitable, let's see what else we have.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49OLIVER LAUGHS
0:07:51 > 0:07:55Next up is Mary Ann, who's had a setback.
0:07:55 > 0:07:56So what was that, Mary Ann?
0:07:56 > 0:07:58You've got to make some more pastry, have you?
0:07:58 > 0:08:01- I think so. This is just too- BLEEP- short.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04It's unmanageable.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Her Lord Woolton pie is inspired by the wartime original.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13It's named after the Minister of Food who promoted the recipe,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16as it didn't contain meat, which was in short supply.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22That's better.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25She fills her shortcrust pies with a root vegetable
0:08:25 > 0:08:27and cauliflower mix, then bakes them.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30They go onto new blue plates to rest,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32and she adds parsley sauce to a jug on the side.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Angela said the dish was too simple for the Great British Menu.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Do you think just by putting the sauce in a jug and changing
0:08:40 > 0:08:43it to a blue plates has elevated it enough for St Paul's Cathedral?
0:08:43 > 0:08:47I wasn't prepared to change my basic premise.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49I have a terrible habit of sticking to my guns.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Well done.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05PRUE: It's veggie pie, isn't it? Cos it's Woolton pie.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Lord Woolton, he was Minister for Food.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Basically, it was root vegetables in a pie,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13because the meat was so difficult to get.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15I actually think the pie tastes very nice.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18This is at least as good as the rabbit pie.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21It tastes delicious, but surely you're using up
0:09:21 > 0:09:25a lot of your precious butter coupons to make it, aren't you?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Well, that's the 21st-century bit.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29MARTIN: It's really beautiful pastry,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33and the vegetables are surprisingly light and almost airy.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34I'm staggered really.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Lots of parsley - lovely.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Have I got parsley in my teeth?
0:09:38 > 0:09:40- Loads.- Thank you.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45I don't think it's got enough razzmatazz to it, in a way.
0:09:45 > 0:09:46Can you really see this at the banquet?
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Do you know? I can!
0:09:48 > 0:09:50I can see it at the banquet.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53It's austerity cooking but done in a very lavish and luxurious way -
0:09:53 > 0:09:55I think it would make a great starter.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01The fish course is next.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Mary Ann's used to contain herring - a fish she usually avoids.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07You're not eating, Mary Ann?
0:10:07 > 0:10:08Herring disagrees with me.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11But because she didn't taste her dish, she under-seasoned it,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13losing points.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I shouldn't have cooked a fish I don't eat.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Today, she's decided to cook mackerel instead,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22but the mackerel that's arrived isn't up to her standards.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24I'm...er, not a happy bunny,
0:10:24 > 0:10:28but I'm not prepared to cook second-rate produce.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30More mackerel is on the way,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33but it's not certain if it'll make it to the kitchen in time.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Complete nightmare for Mary Ann.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Has the fish arrived, by any chance?
0:10:39 > 0:10:41OK. I haven't got long, sweetheart.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43I wouldn't like to be in that position myself.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48Luckily for Mary Ann, David's up first.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54His dish honours the trawlermen who caught fish during the war -
0:10:54 > 0:10:58he's cooking fried sea bass and mussel croquettes,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00with a squid ink mine, and a potato net.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03On the side, he's serving a brown shrimp chowder.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08So, after Angela's comments. Have you made any changes?
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Well, this is the one she said, "Less is more."
0:11:11 > 0:11:12Oh, yes, that's right.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14So what I've done is reduce it down,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17took a few of the components away and made it nice and small.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22David starts his plate with samphire and mangetout.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26Then adds his mussel croquette, pan-fried sea bass...
0:11:26 > 0:11:29This is really looking absolutely stunning.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30..and potato net.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Next, his squid ink mine.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Finally, the brown shrimp chowder in shells completes his dish.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41There we go.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Thanks very much.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57"During the war, our trawlermen risked their lives to bring
0:11:57 > 0:11:59"food to the table."
0:11:59 > 0:12:02I think that's a fair point, because the front lines were also out in the
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Atlantic - not just the trawlermen, but the merchant marines.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08The loss of life in shipping was quite appalling -
0:12:08 > 0:12:11it was the nation's lifeline.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14There's an awful lot going on here - the little lacework of potato,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17the sea bass with the crunchy vegetables.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21You know, it's... It's like an orchestra...
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- It is.- ..warming up, but they're slightly discordant.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27I don't quite see the harmony emerging from all of this.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28It's how I wanted it.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32I think just bringing it down a portion size, for me, perfect.
0:12:32 > 0:12:34It is absolutely delicious that chowder.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38I actually think it's not, I think it's over-seasoned.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40I think you two are being really unkind.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43The only thing that doesn't work is the squid ink ball,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45not because it looks like a land mine, which is
0:12:45 > 0:12:49perhaps a bit tasteless, but it is actually tasteless.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53I think it's the only dish I've ever tasted in my entire life which
0:12:53 > 0:12:56manages to be tasty and tasteless at the same time.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Mary Ann, the mackerel's arrived.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06Oh, sweetheart, it's too late, I'll never get it done.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09But Mary Ann has no option but to try.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15She's serving mackerel three ways, with bacon, pickled cucumber,
0:13:15 > 0:13:19fried breadcrumbs and beetroot-filled pastry boats,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22all arranged to represent the D-Day landings.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- Oh,- BLEEP!
0:13:24 > 0:13:26The pressure soon starts to show.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30Overcooked.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- I'm not having a good day. - Have you got any more pickle?
0:13:33 > 0:13:34I can make it, it doesn't take a tick.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36I'll sort that out for you.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41I'm hoping to God that nothing else goes wrong.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43I've burnt my toast, I've overcooked the mackerel -
0:13:43 > 0:13:45if anything else goes wrong, that's it.
0:13:47 > 0:13:52With David's assistance, she's ready to plate up in the nick of time...
0:13:52 > 0:13:54starting with white toast.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Then she makes a breadcrumb beach...
0:13:58 > 0:14:00..with pickled cucumber waves...
0:14:01 > 0:14:03..before adding mackerel roe...
0:14:04 > 0:14:06..beetroot boats...
0:14:06 > 0:14:07What else shall I do, Mary Ann?
0:14:07 > 0:14:09I'm all right now. Thank you.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14..mackerel fried with oatmeal, bacon, and last but not least,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17the rescued soused mackerel, saved with David's help.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20There we go.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25- Don't worry.- Star.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34One of the things about Mary Ann is she seems to treat each
0:14:34 > 0:14:36course as if it's the entire dinner!
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Yeah, it's much too much.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40There is a vast amount of food here.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43Gosh...
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Oh, that mackerel has no flavour.
0:14:46 > 0:14:47No seasoning.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50The bacon is clumsy and not very nice.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52The whole dish is terrible, there's nothing good about this.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55A great deal of talent and technique in that first course,
0:14:55 > 0:15:00and then to serve up this is just...irritating, frankly.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Can you mop my brow, please?
0:15:06 > 0:15:08It's awful. It's awful food.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11Martin, you're peering at your dish with a mixture of disbelief
0:15:11 > 0:15:12and horror.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17Sometimes you find a dish which would be a pity to disturb it.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19THEY LAUGH
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Two courses down, two to go -
0:15:27 > 0:15:29the chefs have reached the halfway point.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34I'm living in hope that there aren't going to be any more disasters.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37BLEEP!
0:15:38 > 0:15:40I think that Mary Ann is really struggling.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44I don't think it's all over. Mary Ann has only lost, really, on her fish dish.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46I don't think David's got it in the bag.
0:15:46 > 0:15:47He's been Mr Consistent
0:15:47 > 0:15:52but Mr Consistent is not always the one who gallops home with the prize.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Mary Ann's next with her austerity wartime supper.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00For her main, she's serving rabbit stew with bubble and squeak
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and Swiss chard, which scored another seven in the week,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06as Angela found the rabbit to be dry.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09My main problem was that I didn't braise the rabbit for long enough.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Yeah.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15- Here they are.- Good afternoon. - Is it very nerve-racking for you?
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It is indeed, yeah. Very, very nerve-racking.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21- You're the one with military connections.- I am indeed, yes.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25This dapper fellow, this is my dad, and when the war was over,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27we found, in one of his drawers,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30an envelope stuffed with letters from prisoner of war camps,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32telling him that this reminded them
0:16:32 > 0:16:33of the country they were fighting for.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Then, of course, I got off into the old war zones myself.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40I was going to say - you've seen a lot of conflict yourself.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42This is a younger Martin Bell.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45I feel more comfortable in a war zone than in your judging chamber -
0:16:45 > 0:16:48it gets pretty tense out there.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51I would say the lead has changed.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Anyway, this is a game of two halves, isn't it?
0:16:53 > 0:16:57- Yeah.- Yes. - And so anything can happen...
0:16:57 > 0:16:58- Yeah.- ..and will.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07To finish her rabbit stew, Mary Ann tops with fresh parsley.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14She adds her bubble and squeak to a matching enamel dish,
0:17:14 > 0:17:15along with the Swiss chard.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22It's all served with a wartime staple - a nice cup of tea.
0:17:22 > 0:17:23There we go.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27Happy?
0:17:29 > 0:17:30Well, I got it right.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43- Yes!- I've got the bubble and squeak and you've got the stew.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48Bubble and squeak - this plays to one of my weaknesses.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51This is the sort of dish that makes you want to start singing
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Keep The Home-Fires Burning, isn't it?
0:17:55 > 0:17:57OLIVER: Well, the taste is good.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00And it's been beautifully stewed.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02The bubble and squeak is the best I've ever had.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05It's a very individual thing, what you pine after
0:18:05 > 0:18:07when you're abroad.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10Mine were bubble and squeak and Marmite.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12How interesting.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14I think it's good enough for the banquet.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Good luck, eh?
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Come on - who needs luck?! Tastes delicious.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23If I had this at home, I'd be so happy and so pleased,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26and I think I could have it at home, and that's my problem with it.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28I do not think that this is a dish
0:18:28 > 0:18:30which is suitable for a grand banquet.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32OLIVER: Why?
0:18:32 > 0:18:34That is not just any old rabbit stew,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36it's just perfectly judged.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38- MARTIN:- I think she's excelled herself.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41I think it ain't over...
0:18:41 > 0:18:43until the lady has done her rabbit stew and of course,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46the fact that there are proper bubble and squeak.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51How are you doing?
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Getting there.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56David's main course is inspired by his grandmother, who worked
0:18:56 > 0:19:00in a munitions factory during the war and sadly passed away recently.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04So you think your nan is watching over you today?
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Yeah, she'll be proud of me, I think.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08She's always there.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11He's taken her favourite foreign ingredients from after the war and
0:19:11 > 0:19:15combined them into an elaborate and unusual chicken and banana curry.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Angela scored it an impressive nine,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24with her only criticism being that it was over-complicated.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26So have you taken anything off this dish?
0:19:26 > 0:19:30Taken away the little buttered onions and the tomatoes.
0:19:30 > 0:19:31Good.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34David starts his munitions plate with carrot puree...
0:19:35 > 0:19:39..minted cucumber and butternut squash.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44His chicken-wrapped banana is topped with a quail-egg onion bhaji.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47On the side, he's serving chicken jus.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08"In 1939, the government acquired Rhydymwyn Valley Works
0:20:08 > 0:20:11"in Flintshire to manufacture munitions for the war effort.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13"At the age of 18,
0:20:13 > 0:20:16"my grandmother was one of the 2,000 workers at Rhydymwyn.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20"After the war and until her death at 92 years old,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23"one of her favourite foods was bananas."
0:20:27 > 0:20:30I was a bit apprehensive when I seen the word "banana" on his menu.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33In actual fact, I think it's been a triumph - particularly
0:20:33 > 0:20:37- when you put the sauce on it. - This here, is one of the best gravies we've had.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Yes. Love the potatoes. I think it's a very clever dish.
0:20:40 > 0:20:41I love the skin.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Mm.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45SKIN CRUNCHES
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- Just delicious. - I think I nailed it this time.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48Good for you!
0:20:49 > 0:20:52This is the kind of curry you found after the war,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54after rationing had ended.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Do you remember the end of rationing and your first banana?
0:20:57 > 0:20:59I do and I wasn't quite sure how to unwrap it
0:20:59 > 0:21:02cos I hadn't seen one before - I was about seven at the time.
0:21:02 > 0:21:03It was absolutely wonderful.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05PRUE: Do you like it, Martin?
0:21:05 > 0:21:08There are so many different meals in one here that I think
0:21:08 > 0:21:12it's a little bit too fancy for me, but it's the best Scotch egg,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15or should I say Indian egg, that I've ever tasted.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I actually prefer the bubble and squeak, you see!
0:21:18 > 0:21:19THEY LAUGH
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Next up is Mary Ann with her dessert.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26To evoke nostalgic memories,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29she's serving a classic post-war favourite -
0:21:29 > 0:21:33queen of puddings with raspberry ripple ice cream in a tuile basket.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37Angel scored it a seven yesterday.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Mary Ann's queen of puddings is first on the plate...
0:21:40 > 0:21:42These have come out beautifully.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45..then a dab of meringue to place her tuile basket on.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Next, it's a raspberry coulis...
0:21:50 > 0:21:52and finally, her raspberry ripple ice cream.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56When I tasted your ice cream, it tasted a little bit split to me.
0:21:56 > 0:21:57Did you try and rectify that?
0:21:57 > 0:21:59I managed to get past that.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02It's real ice cream as opposed to that dreadful lardy stuff
0:22:02 > 0:22:05that you were able to get during the war.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Raspberries at the back of the plate, please.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Do you think it's fitting for the banquet?
0:22:13 > 0:22:14Oh, God, yes!
0:22:14 > 0:22:17I think the veterans will lap it up.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Looks like a perfect queen's pud, I must say.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32That's as good a queen of puddings as you're likely to come across.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35What the raspberries bring is tartness,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37which such a sweet pudding needs.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40And the little tuile gives you crunch,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43which you don't have anywhere else.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44I think it's perfectly judged.
0:22:44 > 0:22:49As far as I am capable of doing anything really, really well,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53I was absolutely thrilled to bits with my pudding.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55I'm very pro-Mary Ann.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57She may have let herself down on one of the courses -
0:22:57 > 0:22:59this is fantastic.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02I would say, a queen of puddings from a queen of cooks.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07Last up is David.
0:23:07 > 0:23:08What are you doing there?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11It's only a little bit of a Union Jack to go on the dessert.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12Right.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16His Remembrance-themed dessert includes lemon mousse
0:23:16 > 0:23:21on a raspberry sponge, with a brandy snap, lemon curd and ice cream.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24He scored a near-perfect nine from Angela, who, again, thought
0:23:24 > 0:23:29it was too complicated, and that his poppy should be red, not purple.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31I'm so glad you changed to a red poppy,
0:23:31 > 0:23:35it's so much more appropriate, I have to say.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Next on his plate is lemon curd.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41Then he adds his poppy brandy snap,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45lemon and poppy seed shortbread biscuit, raspberry gel,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48lemon mousse on raspberry sponge...
0:23:48 > 0:23:51I think it'll wow them.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55..and finally, evaporated milk ice cream,
0:23:55 > 0:23:59topped with a new addition of a white chocolate Union Jack flag.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Angela kept saying less is more,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04and now you're adding another element!
0:24:04 > 0:24:05HE CHUCKLES
0:24:14 > 0:24:15Cool.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24I think this looks great.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26- MATTHEW:- I'm not quite so sure.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28It's a creation - is it a pudding?
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I don't know, we'll see. Let's taste it.
0:24:33 > 0:24:34The ice cream's lovely.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- MATTHEW:- I've always wanted to eat a Union Jack!
0:24:37 > 0:24:41- Mm.- That's a rather good one - it's made of white chocolate.
0:24:41 > 0:24:42Oh, it is!
0:24:42 > 0:24:44- PRUE:- I don't think the mousse is very good.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47It's a bit grainy.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51- PRUE:- I don't like the concentrated raspberry gel - it's too strong.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53I don't think the raspberries are necessary.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55- MATTHEW:- What's the lemon curd doing there?
0:24:55 > 0:24:58That lemon curd is totally unnecessary.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Exactly how I wanted it served.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02The perfect end to the perfect banquet.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06He's obviously a person who has learnt his craft very well -
0:25:06 > 0:25:09it's technically great, but it slightly falls down, for me.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Sort of gone over the top, sort of lost it.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15I would have thought that the queen of puddings would have
0:25:15 > 0:25:18a place in this, in the sense that this mishmash doesn't.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27- Oh, I'm- BLEEP- glad that's over!
0:25:27 > 0:25:30One of the most impressive things about Mary Ann,
0:25:30 > 0:25:34the last competition, she completely failed to understand the brief,
0:25:34 > 0:25:39whereas this time, she clearly had it and she'd taken it to heart.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43- I put my heart and soul into it. - Yeah.- As you did, I know.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44Oh, God, yeah.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46David did a fantastic job.
0:25:46 > 0:25:47He comes from a military family,
0:25:47 > 0:25:52and I think all of that really helped him go for it and nail the brief.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56We each interpreted the brief quite differently.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58I think so. I think so.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00Two completely different styles of cooking -
0:26:00 > 0:26:04one is technique-orientated and the other is cooking from the heart.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Well, welcome, chefs.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21What sort of week has it been?
0:26:21 > 0:26:22- A nightmare.- Nightmare?
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- Yip!- David?
0:26:24 > 0:26:26Erm...roller coaster for me - emotions, stress.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29It's something that's really close to my heart, with the family -
0:26:29 > 0:26:31it's something I feel really strongly about.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33We had some really good dishes,
0:26:33 > 0:26:35we had the odd dish which wasn't brilliant,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37but I'm sure that you want to know is which
0:26:37 > 0:26:41one of you is going to represent Wales in finals.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45And so I'm going to tell you that the winner is...
0:26:53 > 0:26:55- ..David.- Yes!
0:26:55 > 0:26:57I told you!
0:26:59 > 0:27:00Thank you very much!
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Seriously, that means a lot to me.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Your chicken and banana curry, we absolutely loved it.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08I gave it a ten.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10OLIVER: I also gave it a ten - terrific dish.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13Oh, good.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Mary Ann, I'm so sorry, you were so close.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18The only problem was the fish course.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20The flavours just didn't work.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22I'm not surprised.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25I was fairly certain I'd screwed that one up anyway!
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Mary Ann, I was rooting for you all the way -
0:27:28 > 0:27:30that's why it was as close as it was.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32- I think you're a complete star. - Thank you, Martin.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36Congratulations, David, and commiserations, Mary Ann.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Thank you all very much.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Thank you.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Yes!
0:27:43 > 0:27:45I know I didn't win,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49but most of it's about the competing
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and I had a whale of a week.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53SCREAMING ON TELEPHONE
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- 'We're so proud!'- Thanks a lot, Mum.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- 'Are you chuffed?' - Yeah, I'm absolutely bowled over.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Thrilled for you, I really am.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05Thank you very much.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07Next week, it's the finals,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09as the regional champions go head-to-head...
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Serious pressure here.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13..to impress not only the judges...
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- I think this is boring.- Hold the front page - "What a shocker."
0:28:16 > 0:28:19- ..but their fellow-chefs... - The beef is really tough.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20- BLEEP!- The sauce is very creamy.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23I think it's fantastic, absolutely delicious.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25..and special banquet guests...
0:28:25 > 0:28:28I'm really hoping I can give tens to everything.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31..to make the shortlist for the final banquet menu.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32Champagne for everybody!
0:28:32 > 0:28:35THEY CHEER AND LAUGH