0:00:02 > 0:00:0648 chefs from across the UK
0:00:06 > 0:00:09are putting their reputations on the line
0:00:09 > 0:00:13in a bid to become Professional MasterChef Champion.
0:00:15 > 0:00:22Tonight, six more hopefuls compete to impress judge Gregg Wallace,
0:00:22 > 0:00:29renowned chef Monica Galetti, and two Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33A lot of my chef friends that I talk to don't really
0:00:33 > 0:00:34cook the same way I do.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36I'm definitely hoping that the judges will get it.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40I know how to handle my nerves...
0:00:40 > 0:00:41..sometimes!
0:00:44 > 0:00:45I'd say I'm competitive
0:00:45 > 0:00:46at pretty much all things.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50I just want to get in there now and show them what I can do.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53This is a massive opportunity.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57I can't wait to see what they're going to produce.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00They're going to have to come in here and show us something special.
0:01:07 > 0:01:1020-minute test. We've got six chefs waiting to come in here.
0:01:10 > 0:01:11This is your challenge.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13What are you going to get them to do?
0:01:13 > 0:01:16I would like our chefs to prepare and cook this rose veal sweetbread.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20And serve it with a garnish and a sauce of their choosing.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23There are two types of sweetbread, there's in the stomach,
0:01:23 > 0:01:26and then there's in the throat. This is the throat sweetbread.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Well, you've given them a lovely larder of ingredients there.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Baby carrots, turnips, fennel, baby leeks, lots of lovely herbs.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35It's the mustards there
0:01:35 > 0:01:39and the goat's curd and the pickled walnuts that excite me.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41But they're going to have to be used sparingly if they use
0:01:41 > 0:01:43them, because they're big flavours!
0:01:43 > 0:01:46The sweetbreads are quite versatile once you know what to do with them.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48And I think as long as they understand flavours
0:01:48 > 0:01:51that work with offal, you can make it match.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54- Are you hungry? - Mate, I'm always hungry!
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Please, show me how it's done, Marcus.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58The key is to remove the membrane.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01If they don't remove the sinew,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04it just tightens up and the whole thing will start to curl up and will
0:02:04 > 0:02:06be very difficult to cook.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13It's basic technique, isn't it, to remove sinew, to cut off trimmings?
0:02:13 > 0:02:15It is basic technique.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Looking at veal kidney or calves' liver as well, you know,
0:02:18 > 0:02:22you've always got that covered with some kind of membrane that you need
0:02:22 > 0:02:23to remove.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Little bit of flour, salt, pepper.
0:02:28 > 0:02:29I've got vegetable oil in the pan.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32I really want to get this to quite a high heat.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35If it's under, it's not going to be good.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37I don't want it soft and jelly-like in the middle.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39- No.- I want it cooked all the way through.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42I'll put in all these little trimmings.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49So I want to get the colour on the sweetbread before it goes into the
0:02:49 > 0:02:52oven. I'm going to put some knobs of butter in there,
0:02:52 > 0:02:53wrap it up in some butter paper
0:02:53 > 0:02:57and then just allow it to cook gently in the oven.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02The focus is all on that sweetbread and it's all on that pan.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Your eyes haven't left that.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06No. And it's not going to until it's in the oven.
0:03:09 > 0:03:10Wow.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Do you like a slice of sweetbread with your butter, Monica?!
0:03:16 > 0:03:19- I do, actually!- What you want to do is to encourage the foam to start
0:03:19 > 0:03:20coming up just like that.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23- Yeah.- Into the butter paper.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26- Look at that!- Turn it over, and then into the oven.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29And for probably about five, six minutes.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Now I can focus on my garnish and my sauce.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- You really enjoyed yourself then, didn't you!- I did!
0:03:34 > 0:03:37So my garnish for the sweetbread is going to be baby leeks,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40pickled walnuts, curd.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43And for the sauce, I'm going to use veal jus reduced...
0:03:44 > 0:03:46..with some sliced shallots, garlic,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48and just a little bit of thyme leaf going through it.
0:03:53 > 0:03:57I'm going to put a splash of sherry vinegar into the sauce.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01So the sweetbread's
0:04:01 > 0:04:02had enough time in the oven.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Just by touch,
0:04:06 > 0:04:07I know that's ready.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- Just springy.- Springy?
0:04:10 > 0:04:12- Springy.- If our chefs have worked with sweetbread,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15they'd know it has to be taken to this colour.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Sort of my colour, lovely and golden.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18Not like you and Marcus!
0:04:18 > 0:04:19Pasty white!
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I think we're pretty much ready to go.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Sweetbread on the plate.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32- Yeah, go on!- The goat's curd.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Lovely.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41That's it.
0:04:42 > 0:04:47Rose veal sweetbread, charred baby leeks,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50curd, and the sherry vinegar sauce.
0:04:58 > 0:05:04It is just buttery soft, melt-in-the-mouth beauty, isn't it?
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It is just such a luxurious thing to eat.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10It does need care, it really, really does.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12So that's what I'm going to be looking for from my chefs,
0:05:12 > 0:05:13is just a little bit of TLC.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15If they can cook sweetbreads properly,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I'm in for the best day on MasterChef I've ever had.
0:05:18 > 0:05:20- Get them in! Get them in. - Let's get them in!
0:05:21 > 0:05:25The first to face the skills test is 24-year-old Callum...
0:05:27 > 0:05:31..who's currently a junior sous-chef at a hotel restaurant in Harrogate.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Ever since school, I know I've wanted to be a chef.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39For my 12th birthday, I got an ice cream machine.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41For my 13th birthday, I got a pasta machine.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45I mean, I've always been interested...
0:05:45 > 0:05:47..how will they do stuff?
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I can't see myself doing another job, ever.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53I'm looking forward to the challenge.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55And I've got to make the most of it.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57It is exciting.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Callum, welcome to MasterChef.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00This is a 20-minute skills test.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- OK.- And this particular one was set by Marcus.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05What I'd like you to do is cook a sweetbread dish.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08- Uh-huh.- With a garnish and a sauce of your choice.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11- Right, OK.- Use any of the ingredients on the table to your left.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- Have you cooked sweetbread before? - Yeah.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17- Prepped it before?- A long time ago, but, yeah, I've prepped it before.
0:06:17 > 0:06:1820 minutes. Off you go.
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Tell me, what is it you're doing now?
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Just taking the sinew off the sweetbread.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36The bits I want to saute off.
0:06:36 > 0:06:40Coat it in some flour, some spices over there that I might use,
0:06:40 > 0:06:42and just then some butter, nice and brown.
0:06:47 > 0:06:48- That's the sauce, is it?- Yes,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51so I'm going to reduce the veal and chicken stock down.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53And just do a sherry sauce.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56You've had five minutes, Callum.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05So, tell me where we are, you've got your stock reducing.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Yeah, stock's reducing.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Braised peas that I'm going to do with these lardons.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12Callum, you're halfway.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13- Right, OK.- You've got ten minutes left.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19What made you enter MasterChef?
0:07:19 > 0:07:23I said last year that I wouldn't do any competitions with the birth
0:07:23 > 0:07:26of my son. And this year,
0:07:26 > 0:07:29my ability as a chef has developed a lot in the last year,
0:07:29 > 0:07:31so I thought I'd test myself a little bit further.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- How old's your little boy? - He was one two weeks ago.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- Callum.- Yeah.- You've got just five minutes.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01You've got just two minutes, Callum, so let's get it on a plate, please.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11- Finished?- Yeah.
0:08:12 > 0:08:13Bang on time.
0:08:15 > 0:08:22Callum's fried sweetbreads are served with braised peas, lardons,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24pickled walnuts, and a sherry sauce.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29You've got a really good approach to the kitchen, Callum.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Your garnish choice, your peas and your bacon,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34is a nice addition to the dish.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Your sauce making is something to be questioned, though.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- Right, OK.- Reduced stock with reduced wine,
0:08:38 > 0:08:40it's just a little bit lazy.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42You need a sauce that's got some shallots running through it,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44you've got garlic, you've got lots of herbs.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Clearly they were still raw when you took them out of the pan,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53you could tell when you touched them.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55You know, they're very soft when you start,
0:08:55 > 0:08:56you need these to cook, to firm up.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01I like your choice of ingredients.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04The pickled walnuts give a lovely sharpness to it,
0:09:04 > 0:09:05really, really nice.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08But the sweetbreads themselves are undercooked.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13You've got, you know, elements there that you did very well.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16You've made a sort of pea ragout, you've put the sauce back through,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20a little bit of stock, so you've really worked hard on the peas.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21But that attention to those peas,
0:09:21 > 0:09:25if you just transfer that over to your sweetbread,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27you'd have had a really good dish here!
0:09:27 > 0:09:29- Thank you.- Thank you.- Off you go.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36- Why are they not cooked?- Cos he was looking at his peas!
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Should've maybe took my time a little bit more and just calmed down a bit.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44For a first go, you can't accept that.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53Next is 33-year-old head chef Chris, who works as a fine dining hotel
0:09:53 > 0:09:55restaurant in Edinburgh.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I've been a chef now for 17 years.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02And I kind of got into it by accident.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05They were organising work experience through school and I was actually
0:10:05 > 0:10:08off ill the day everyone got to pick theirs.
0:10:08 > 0:10:09So when I got back to school,
0:10:09 > 0:10:12it was either a kitchen assistant or a shop assistant.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15And I didn't fancy stacking shelves for a week.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19Check on, guys.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24I'm a good all-rounder, you know, being a head chef,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27we need to be kind of prepared for anything and be ready to step into
0:10:27 > 0:10:28any section.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33But, obviously, the skill test, it's a completely different ball game.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36So, I'll wait and see.
0:10:39 > 0:10:40- Welcome, Chris.- Thank you.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Sweetbread dish, garnish of your choosing, with a sauce.
0:10:43 > 0:10:4520 minutes, Chris. Off you go.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Can I ask you, Chris...
0:10:52 > 0:10:53- Yes?- What's that water for?
0:10:53 > 0:10:55I'm just going to
0:10:55 > 0:10:58blanch the sweetbreads before I cook them in the pan with some butter
0:10:58 > 0:11:00and make them nice and crispy.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12- And what's the garnish? - I'm doing a jus with some peas,
0:11:12 > 0:11:16some of the snaps here and I'm still working on the rest!
0:11:16 > 0:11:17No problem.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22So, no sweetbreads on the menu in your restaurant?
0:11:22 > 0:11:23No, I'm afraid not, no.
0:11:27 > 0:11:28How are you going to make this sauce, Chris?
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I'm going to reduce a little bit of Madeira.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Add the veal jus here.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35And I'll finish it off with a bit of the sherry vinegar.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39So why MasterChef, Chris?
0:11:39 > 0:11:44I think it would be a really good opportunity to kind of showcase what
0:11:44 > 0:11:47I can do and to get some feedback from yourselves.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50Oh, you're going to get that all right!
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Chris, you're halfway, ten minutes left.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57OK, thank you.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01So, Chris, we've got the sweetbreads in the pan,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04we've got the sauce reducing and you've got some blanched peas.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Yeah, now we're going to use a little bit of the curd.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10I think that's it, really.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Are you getting a mind block?
0:12:12 > 0:12:13A little bit, yeah.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18- How are they looking?- Good.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20Getting there, I think.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Five minutes left, so, got to think about bringing it together, yeah?
0:12:28 > 0:12:30Yes.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Yeah, come on! OK, that's it.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Are you done, Chef?
0:12:46 > 0:12:47Yes.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Chris has served his sweetbreads with goat's curd,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57peas and a sherry jus.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04- How did you find it?- It is possibly the scariest thing I've ever done!
0:13:05 > 0:13:09You seasoned it, you put the flour on and you cooked them very, very well.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12You had herbs in there, you had garlic, you had oil, you had butter,
0:13:12 > 0:13:15so really good attention to the cookery, I like that.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17You've got a really nice colour to the dish.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28The sweetbreads are lovely. Really lovely.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32I mean, they've got just the right amount of give as well and all that
0:13:32 > 0:13:35butter on it as well has just made them richer.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39The sauce making is not the best but the sweetness of it and the little
0:13:39 > 0:13:41bit of the vinegar makes sense.
0:13:41 > 0:13:42Great first round, I think.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45- Thank you.- I'm really pleased with that dish.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48I think it is a dish that you would get in a really good restaurant.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50It is very good for a skills test.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52See you soon. Off you go.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53- Thank you.- Well done.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00They were definitely really good comments.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02I wasn't sure what to expect,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06so I think it will give me a little bit more confidence and hopefully
0:14:06 > 0:14:07help me settle down a little bit,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09because I was a little bit erratic in there.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Next up is Finnish-born Sarah,
0:14:16 > 0:14:19a 28-year-old head chef working in Cardiff.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Dad really wanted me to study science and go to university.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Instead, I stayed in the restaurant industry.
0:14:31 > 0:14:35The food that I cook here, it changes quite a lot.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It depends on what kind of customers we have, really.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41From buffets to canapes or
0:14:41 > 0:14:43three, four-course meals.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Competitions are a really good way
0:14:46 > 0:14:49of learning and challenging yourself.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51I like to be nervous, I like to be excited.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56I have to have something that I am excited about all the time going on
0:14:56 > 0:14:58in my life.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Do you know what that is?
0:15:04 > 0:15:05Sweetbreads?
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Yes. Have you prepped a sweetbread before and cooked one?
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Once. Once.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12You have 20 minutes.
0:15:12 > 0:15:13- 20 minutes.- Off you go.- Thank you.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26So, what's your plan, Sarah?
0:15:26 > 0:15:30I'm going to coat it with flour then I'm going to fry it in a quite heavy
0:15:30 > 0:15:34oil and do, like, a creamy pancetta sauce.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39What got you into being a chef?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Just an accident, really.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45I was applying for a job as a waitress and they accidentally put
0:15:45 > 0:15:46me in the kitchen.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49- You could have got out! - Yeah, I loved it, though.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53- I loved it.- Did you then go and get any training in college?
0:15:53 > 0:15:55No, I didn't go to cooking school.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56Right.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03You are halfway.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- Thank you.- You've got ten minutes left.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14How do you know when your sweetbreads are cooked?
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I'm just trying to feel it.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- What are you feeling for?- I don't want it to be really hard,
0:16:20 > 0:16:24but I don't want it to be really... bouncy, either.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It's quite salty.
0:16:51 > 0:16:57- Too salty?- I like food to be a bit too salty for normal people.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00And do your customers want it really salty?
0:17:00 > 0:17:02They haven't complained so far, so...
0:17:02 > 0:17:04You like it to be really salty for them, did you say?
0:17:04 > 0:17:06Oh, yeah, my cooking is very salty.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Chef, you have five minutes left.
0:17:13 > 0:17:14Thank you.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33- There you go.- Are you done?- Yes.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38To go with her sweetbreads, Sarah has made pickled radishes.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41And a lemon cream pancetta sauce.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45You've not trimmed the sweetbread
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and you've not taken any of the sinew of it at all.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51And your cooking... you can see there's black.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54The sauce-making, I felt that you weren't too sure,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57add a bit of cream, put it back, add a bit more cream, put it back,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59add a bit more cream and it just went on and on and on.
0:18:04 > 0:18:05Wow!
0:18:07 > 0:18:11I don't understand a chef who says to me that they enjoy sending out
0:18:11 > 0:18:13salty food to their customers.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15I really...
0:18:15 > 0:18:16Because I can't eat that.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20What I really don't like at all is this sauce.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23So much cream, with so much salty bacon,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26it's far too strong for a sweetbread,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28but also it's got acidity of lemon.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30I could take it on a cake, cream and lemon,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32I can't take it in a savoury dish here.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38And I feel, with this dish, that you were just sort of winging it along,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41the bacon doesn't work with the sweetbreads
0:18:41 > 0:18:42and the sweetbreads are burnt.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47It's your dish next and it's your chance to come out and shine with
0:18:47 > 0:18:49your food and your recipe, so...
0:18:49 > 0:18:52..just let's hope it's a little bit better than this one.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53- It will.- See you in the next round.
0:18:53 > 0:18:54Thank you.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Um...
0:19:05 > 0:19:06I was surprisingly bad.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10Shame on me.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14I wasn't after that kind of start at all.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16But what can I do?
0:19:18 > 0:19:23Next up is Tom, a 29-year-old junior sous-chef
0:19:23 > 0:19:26working in a three-rosette country house restaurant in the Cotswolds.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Took a Saturday job helping out in the kitchen and then it kind of all
0:19:33 > 0:19:35lead from there, really. Did an apprenticeship,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37worked my way through various kitchens,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39moved to Spain for a year and then
0:19:39 > 0:19:41finally ended up here in the Cotswolds.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45I've entered other competitions in the past and I've done well in them
0:19:45 > 0:19:49but ultimately not well enough, and so I want to use this competition
0:19:49 > 0:19:51to win and to prove myself, really.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58I mean, at the end of the day, this is a national platform and you don't
0:19:58 > 0:20:00want to make a fool of yourself in front of your peers.
0:20:03 > 0:20:04Cooked sweetbread before, Tom?
0:20:04 > 0:20:06- I have, yeah.- You know how they work?
0:20:06 > 0:20:07- Yeah.- Good, good, good.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11- I hope so.- Right, well you've got 20 minutes to cook a sweetbread dish,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13with a garnish and sauce of your choice.
0:20:13 > 0:20:14Off you go.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18What's the plan, Tom?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21The plan is to quickly blanch it, remove the membrane,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23and then I'm going to pan-fry it.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32So, you're dropping that into boiling water for what?
0:20:32 > 0:20:34To remove the membrane there.
0:20:42 > 0:20:43Calm down a little bit, Tom.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Yeah...
0:20:47 > 0:20:49What sort of garnish are you thinking of, Tom?
0:20:49 > 0:20:53Turnips, and a few of the peas,
0:20:53 > 0:20:54and a bit of watercress on top.
0:20:57 > 0:20:58Tom, five minutes have gone.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09Are you feeling a bit better now you've started cooking?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Er...no!
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Tom, you are halfway. You've got ten minutes left.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17Yeah.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22You've got to cook those sweetbreads, cook the veg, finish your sauce.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26- Tom.- Yeah.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29What do you think it takes to cook perfect sweetbread?
0:21:29 > 0:21:31You want a nice, crisp exterior.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Nicely cooked in the middle.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- All right, are you going to start plating?- Yeah, oui.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47You've got a couple of minutes.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- Are you done?- Yeah.- Dish finished, you've stopped shaking?
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Yeah, just about.
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Well done.
0:22:07 > 0:22:13Tom has served his sweetbreads with turnips, peas, leeks,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16and a mustard and sherry sauce.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Mmm...
0:22:22 > 0:22:23The sweetbreads,
0:22:23 > 0:22:27I like that you blanched it to remove the membrane on the outside.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29But there's a sinew that runs deep into it which you need to trim,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33unless you sort of gently remove it, which you've left there as well.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36The cooking of it, you were very careful with it,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38but it's not cooked properly.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40It's not cooked all the way through.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41The sauce is all right.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Love your sauce, love the flavour you've got in there as well,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49that mustard just gives it a little bit of heat and a little bit of
0:22:49 > 0:22:53sharpness. But you've got to get those nerves under control.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Tom, if this dish was cooked well, it would be fantastic.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01I love the combinations of the peas and the vegetables that you brought
0:23:01 > 0:23:04to the dish, and the mustard sauce is a delight.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06You've got the makings of a really good dish.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09So get your nerves together, get yourself together,
0:23:09 > 0:23:11and just cook the way you cook at work.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- We'll see you in the next round, Tom.- OK, thanks.- Thanks, Tom.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25I think that's the most nervous I've ever been in my life.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27I don't think I'll ever be more nervous than that.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30It's ridiculous!
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Originally from Mumbai,
0:23:38 > 0:23:43Soham works as a sous-chef at a three-rosette restaurant in London.
0:23:44 > 0:23:45My duties as a sous-chef,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48which is covering six parts of the operations in the hotel.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54I like to do classic food, but I'm very much open to the new trends.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59MasterChef, it is going to be very intense.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00That's what I want,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03that's what I want to see, how I'm going to react myself.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07Whatever test comes to me, I'll try to do my best.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Sweetbread dish, garnish and sauce of your choice.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14Off you go.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21When was the last time you prepped a sweetbread?
0:24:21 > 0:24:25In my previous places, and it's in the menu as well.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27- How long ago?- Just, like, one month.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28Good.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33It's a 20-minute challenge, you've prepped your sweetbreads,
0:24:33 > 0:24:37I've got to tell you you only have 19-and-a-half minutes left.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40- Yes, Chef.- You prepped that in about a minute!
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Yes, needs to be quick.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54You do have 20 minutes, you know.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06Soham, tell me what it is you're doing,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08and then what it is you've got left to do.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10I'm going to make pan-fried sweetbreads
0:25:10 > 0:25:12with a garnish of the bacon,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15a bit of a jus, and a bit of summer vegetables with it.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18You look very comfortable. Are you feeling OK?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20You are making me comfortable.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Oh! Gregg gets that all the time.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26- You are halfway, you've got ten minutes left.- Yes.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52You've still got seven minutes left. You're doing very well.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56The fastest chef in the competition.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57I try.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01- Dish complete?- Yes.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02- All finished?- Yes.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04- Are you happy?- Yes.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Soham has served pan-fried sweetbread
0:26:09 > 0:26:13with lardon, peas, turnips,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15and a red wine and veal jus.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21I think your working methods are absolutely fantastic to watch.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24My only criticism would be your speed,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27because you attacked the sweetbread with so much energy, it's almost...
0:26:27 > 0:26:29..you're butchering it, in a sense.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I love the way you cooked first the sweetbreads in the pan,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43and then used the same pan to cook the bacon lardons,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45so you've got the flavours of the bacon
0:26:45 > 0:26:47running through the same butter.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Your sauce is lovely, the flavours are lovely.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53Your vegetables are cooked nicely, they've got a really good texture.
0:26:56 > 0:26:57Sweetbreads are under.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03And you had the makings of a sensational dish there.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05But your rushing around let you down.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17It's just a schoolboy error of cooking raw sweetbreads,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20so I think I can do much better, yeah.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21Let's see how it goes.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28Last up is 28-year-old Matt...
0:27:29 > 0:27:32..who works as a private chef in the Lake District.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36I'm cooking for people who live in a house full time,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39so I basically bring the restaurant to them.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40I haven't got anyone to fall back on,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42I haven't got a pastry chef to make pastry,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I haven't got someone to do the sauce.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46So, yeah, I can only rely on myself.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I'm treating this exactly the same way as how I'm training for my
0:27:52 > 0:27:55marathon at the weekend. You just need to put in the hours.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00I was in BBC Young Chef Of The Year at the age of 20.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03I came second in the end.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06Hopefully this time, eight years on, I've got a lot more experience.
0:28:06 > 0:28:07Hopefully I can do one better.
0:28:09 > 0:28:14I just want to tell you something. You are the last skills test of
0:28:14 > 0:28:19- this competition.- Hopefully it won't be the worst.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22- That would be nice.- Right, sweetbread dish, 20 minutes.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23Matt, off you go.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Have you always been a private chef, Matt?
0:28:40 > 0:28:44No, not always. I started off in a Michelin background.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45Right.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50Then I went to do a ski season, basically.
0:28:50 > 0:28:52From there, I got offered a job in the south of France
0:28:52 > 0:28:55and I was like, "OK, I'll take this on, do that."
0:28:55 > 0:28:56It kind of snowballed.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58It snowballed after the ski season?
0:28:58 > 0:28:59Yeah!
0:29:03 > 0:29:04You've had five minutes, Chef.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Thank you.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10What's the plan for your dish?
0:29:10 > 0:29:12Cook these turnips, blanch some peas,
0:29:12 > 0:29:15and then I'm going to make a dressing with pickled walnuts.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25Right, you're halfway, you've had ten minutes.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30What got you into being a chef in the first place?
0:29:30 > 0:29:33I was working in a hotel as a waiter,
0:29:33 > 0:29:35and I just found that I was at the pass all the time,
0:29:35 > 0:29:37asking questions about the food and stuff.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41And I found that I was just really into cooking.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Tell us about your sauce that you're making.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49I've just started off just sweating off onions and garlic,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51a little bit of thyme, and then some white wine,
0:29:51 > 0:29:54two different types of mustard, just for a bit of piquancy,
0:29:54 > 0:29:55just to cut through.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02You have got just five minutes left.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05- OK.- OK?
0:30:05 > 0:30:06Just five minutes.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22- Can you do it in two-and-a-half minutes?- Yeah.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31One minute left, come on, Matt!
0:30:36 > 0:30:38Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47- All done?- All done.
0:30:49 > 0:30:56Matt's sweetbreads have been served with turnip tops, peas, radish,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00pickled walnuts, and a mustard and veal jus.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05I thought, Matt, your approach to the kitchen was very professional.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07I feel like you did have a plan,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10but you have to be very careful with your timing,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12because you left the sweetbread right to the very end there.
0:31:12 > 0:31:13Yeah.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23Love your sauce, really do.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27Love that sharpness with the pickled walnuts, and a little bit of heat,
0:31:27 > 0:31:29"piquancy" I think you called it, of the mustard.
0:31:29 > 0:31:31Yeah, I think that's really nice.
0:31:31 > 0:31:33You were really slow getting these sweetbreads in.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35- Yeah.- We need another minute.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39I like the flavours that are coming through,
0:31:39 > 0:31:40I like the mustard that is in there.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43But I think you spent a lot of time tasting your sauce,
0:31:43 > 0:31:45but forgot about the sweetbread.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47You can't take all that time to make something, and to taste, taste,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50taste, and then sort of throw it on the plate in the last 30 seconds.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53It just defeats the purpose, doesn't it?
0:31:54 > 0:31:56There's a lot of flavour in this dish,
0:31:56 > 0:31:58but I love the crunch of the vegetable tops
0:31:58 > 0:32:00that you've put with it.
0:32:00 > 0:32:01The shallots going through the sauce.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04I think that's probably one of the most creative skills tests
0:32:04 > 0:32:06- I've seen today. - Thank you very much.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08The only let down is just the sweetbread,
0:32:08 > 0:32:09it's not cooked well enough.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11- Off you go, Chef.- Thank you.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22It could have gone better, but it could have gone a lot, lot worse.
0:32:24 > 0:32:25The sweetbreads in the end just...
0:32:25 > 0:32:28If I'd nailed them, it would have been, like, awesome.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36Listen, that was good.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40- Very good.- The only thing that let quite a few of them down was the
0:32:40 > 0:32:41actual finishing of the sweetbread.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45There's quite a few undercooked, but I think that was just a timing issue.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48One or two need to slow down a little bit, and a couple I think,
0:32:48 > 0:32:51you know, they've got something to prove in the next round.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54But I think at least three or four of these chefs showed that they've got some skills.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57It's going to be a good round, this signature dish.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18Chefs, welcome back.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21For those of you who started well in the skills round, keep it going.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24A few of you have got a little bit of work to do.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26Good luck.
0:33:26 > 0:33:27Signature dish,
0:33:27 > 0:33:32you've chosen this dish to cook and show off what you can do.
0:33:32 > 0:33:35I just hope they're good enough to get you through to the next round.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40At the end of this, three of you will be leaving the competition.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43One hour and 15 minutes.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45All to play for.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46Off you go.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01I'm just hoping that they appreciate my style.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04I'm trying to incorporate a health element into my cooking,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07so rather than having, like, cod cheeks with fish cream sauce,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10I'm trying to offer an alternative and for them to think like, yeah,
0:34:10 > 0:34:12that could work in the future.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15You've got a bright green fish, Chef.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17Yes, so I'm doing cod cheeks three ways.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20This one is with some spirulina,
0:34:20 > 0:34:22which is like a really healthy seaweed.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23Have you smelt this, Marcus?
0:34:23 > 0:34:25I've never... Put your nose in there, Chef.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28- It's unbelievable. - It's like sea and truffle.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33Yeah. And then served with kale, variations of turnip, sea truffle,
0:34:33 > 0:34:34and then kombucha.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38- What's kombucha?- It's a drink, it's a fermented tea.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40Lots of people drink it instead of alcohol nowadays,
0:34:40 > 0:34:42and I drink it every day.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45- Does it get you drunk?- If you ferment it correctly, yes.
0:34:47 > 0:34:48It's quite different.
0:34:51 > 0:34:52Do you feel better?
0:34:52 > 0:34:54I think I'd rather have a pint of beer, to be honest!
0:34:54 > 0:34:56There you go.
0:34:58 > 0:34:59Matt's dish is quite a complicated dish.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02There's a lot going on here.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04He's got three cod cheeks to go on the plate,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06one of which he's pan-fried,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08the second one he's blowtorched,
0:35:08 > 0:35:12and the third one he's got like a seaweed powder that he's put on top
0:35:12 > 0:35:13of the fish itself.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17It's quite unusual and it's very, very interesting.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19The question is, will it taste nice?
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Cooking your own food for the judges is a brilliant opportunity for me.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37It is a pressure in the moment, but, yeah, I'm going to do my best.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40I'm trying to make sure that this is going to be good.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Soham, have you stopped running around at 1,000 miles an hour?
0:35:45 > 0:35:47- Just trying to get it done.- You've got a lot on your bench.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51- Yeah, just a little bit. - What is the dish?
0:35:51 > 0:35:54The dish is a lamb rack with some braised neck,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56I'm adding in some kiwi.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Did you just say
0:35:59 > 0:36:01"neck of lamb with kiwi"?
0:36:01 > 0:36:05Yeah. The kiwi helps to tenderise it a bit faster.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08Seriously? Kiwi tenderises lamb?
0:36:08 > 0:36:12If you soak them for one hour, then you can easily get the flaky lamb.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15I have to say, though, Soham, that's a lot of work there.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17You do work quickly, I'll give you that.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19- Thank you so much.- Thank you.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23I love lamb. As long as it's all cooked properly, the neck,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25I want it tender, I want it falling apart.
0:36:25 > 0:36:30Rack of lamb, pink, it's got to be seared nicely on the outside and rested.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33There's a lot of different things here.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38Artichokes, turnips, he's got girolle mushrooms, he's got lettuce.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40They do work, and they should work,
0:36:40 > 0:36:41but I think the question is always going to be,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44is it all going to come together? Because there's so much going on.
0:36:47 > 0:36:48You've got an hour left.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57The skills test wasn't good at all.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58Not at all.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04I need to make sure now that they can see that I do have the basic
0:37:04 > 0:37:06skills, even though I haven't been in school.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08The timing is...
0:37:08 > 0:37:10The timing is everything.
0:37:12 > 0:37:15Chef, what's the dish that's going to set the competition on fire and
0:37:15 > 0:37:17get you through to the next round?
0:37:17 > 0:37:19I'm making duck and cherries with onions.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21I'm using the duck in three different ways.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24What's the three different ways that you're cooking the duck?
0:37:24 > 0:37:26Pulled duck, which is going to go with the caramelised onions,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29and then I have the duck breast which is in a sous-vide,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33and then I used the duck liver on the sauce.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Fine, fine, fine.
0:37:35 > 0:37:36Can you turn it around?
0:37:38 > 0:37:39I sure will try my best.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41You're still in the running.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43- Yeah, I know.- You're still in the competition,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45you've got a huge opportunity to take it back.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49A lot of it has got to do when you've got a great attitude in the kitchen it shows in your cooking.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51Definitely. I agree.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54I really like the sounds of Sarah's dish.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56I love duck, I love cherries, I love the garnish.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59I hope she's making equally a great sauce to go with it.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Sarah needs to get her seasoning right.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06She needs to pull back on the salt and realise that she's not cooking
0:38:06 > 0:38:09for herself today, she's cooking for us, and it's got to be right.
0:38:12 > 0:38:13Chefs, you're halfway.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22Callum is using a lamb loin, peas that he's taken out of the pod,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24done with very, very small dices of potato,
0:38:24 > 0:38:29and he's making this buttermilk sauce.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Interesting sauce, I've never had it with lamb before.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Where is your food idea coming from?
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Love of lamb, and Yorkshire produce as well from where I'm from.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43This dish has gone through a series of stages.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45At one point, it had goat's cheese with it,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48and just refining it and refining it to get where I'm happy with it.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52How determined are you to nail yourself a place in the next round?
0:38:52 > 0:38:54Very. After this morning, very.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56I've had a long, hard word with myself.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59I need now, yeah. I want to get through, I want to get through,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01so I'm determined that this goes right.
0:39:01 > 0:39:02- Do your best, Callum.- Will do.
0:39:07 > 0:39:08I'm very confident with this dish.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10I've practised it a lot.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14I know what I'm doing. I've got a list of things, ticking off as I go,
0:39:14 > 0:39:16so hopefully it'll all go smoothly.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Chefs, you have 25 minutes left.
0:39:27 > 0:39:28Really excited about cooking my own food.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31I've practised the dish a few times, and I'm quite happy with it.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34It looks quite impressive.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36So I just need to try and keep my nerves intact,
0:39:36 > 0:39:38and hopefully they'll see what I can really do.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44- You all right, Chris? - Yes, thank you.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46So, tell us about your dish now.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50I'm doing a sous-vide halibut with a seaweed butter,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53oyster mayonnaise with some dill, with an oyster shell,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56two types of cucumber, one charred and one fresh,
0:39:56 > 0:40:00and I'm also doing a chicken skin crumb with pine nut and lemon to go
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- on top of the fish.- So this is your style of cooking we're going to get?
0:40:03 > 0:40:06Yeah, it's quite light, and quite refreshing.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08You had a very good skills test.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10- Yes.- What do you feel you have to do now?
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Just continue on from that.
0:40:12 > 0:40:13I had a couple of basic errors,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17so I'm looking to get rid of them and show that I can do some
0:40:17 > 0:40:18good cooking.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23The crispy chicken skin is a lovely addition to a fish dish.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25It just brings a lovely meaty flavour,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27and works very well with fish.
0:40:29 > 0:40:31The key to this is getting the balance right,
0:40:31 > 0:40:34and the cooking of the halibut has to be spot-on.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Guys, you've got just ten minutes, please.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37Only ten minutes.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43I'm cooking a loin of lamb.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46You know, you get a lot of lamb dishes and they have the same
0:40:46 > 0:40:48garnish, so it's like, wanted to mix it up a bit.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53I'm just hoping the whole dish wows them, really.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55That's all I can aim for and nothing less.
0:40:58 > 0:41:04I'm cooking lamb with turnips, pecan nuts and verjus and white grapes.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Lamb, grapes and pecan nuts.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Where has this come from, Tom?
0:41:09 > 0:41:11I had a dish in my head and worked on it,
0:41:11 > 0:41:14and then added a few things to it, and then it came from there, really.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Where do the pecan nuts come in your lamb dish?
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Well, I've basically just roasted them and I've smashed them up,
0:41:20 > 0:41:23they give a different texture and a slightly different flavour.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26OK. You seem so calm and controlled.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28I don't feel it, I'm not going to lie to you.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36Lamb loin, pecan nuts, grapes, turnips.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40Got to be very careful that the balance is right.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Sweet things with lamb, for me personally, don't work.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46Chefs, you've got just five minutes.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06You guys have got one minute.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15That's it, time's up, stop.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24- How'd you get on, buddy?- Yeah, good.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25- How was it?- Stressful.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33First up is Chris.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37He's made seaweed butter-poached halibut,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40topped with crispy chicken skin and pine nut crumb...
0:42:43 > 0:42:47..served with Jersey Royals, compressed and roasted cucumber...
0:42:48 > 0:42:50..oyster and dill mayonnaise...
0:42:51 > 0:42:53..and a buttermilk and lemon dressing.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04I really do think you've got a fabulously cooked piece of fish there.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08It's stunning. I love the flavours of the oyster in the dish,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11the little chicken skin on the top as well.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13I think the dish is absolutely delicious.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17- Thank you.- The only criticism is that there are certain things and
0:43:17 > 0:43:19- this plate that need seasoning.- Yes.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24So much to admire on that plate, Chris, the textures and flavours.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27I'm a big fan of halibut, and it's cooked really, really well.
0:43:27 > 0:43:31The idea of the crispy chicken skin across the top with herbs,
0:43:31 > 0:43:35- really like that.- The crumb is nice, the buttermilk is wonderful,
0:43:35 > 0:43:38the potatoes, the cucumber with the charred outside.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42But I was looking for where that salt was that was going to balance
0:43:42 > 0:43:45this dish out. That's the only thing that's missing,
0:43:45 > 0:43:46and that can be fixed.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:43:48 > 0:43:49No, thank you.
0:43:55 > 0:43:59Very frustrating getting something like seasoning wrong, especially,
0:43:59 > 0:44:01you know, I'm a head chef.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04I go on to everybody else in the kitchen every day about that,
0:44:04 > 0:44:05how important that is.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09But really happy with the rest of the comments from the judges.
0:44:12 > 0:44:18Callum has cooked loin of lamb on a bed of braised peas, diced potatoes,
0:44:18 > 0:44:20and anchovies...
0:44:22 > 0:44:25..served with a lovage oil and buttermilk sauce.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29Whoa! That's a statement, Callum.
0:44:29 > 0:44:30That's a serious statement.
0:44:36 > 0:44:38I think the lamb is nicely cooked.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40It's nice and pink.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42The garnish underneath is quite interesting,
0:44:42 > 0:44:45there's a lot of textures coming through it, and it sort of,
0:44:45 > 0:44:47kind of, works.
0:44:47 > 0:44:50The buttermilk, when it's all mingled together with what you have
0:44:50 > 0:44:52here, it's kind of confusing.
0:44:52 > 0:44:55There are pros and cons, I'd definitely give you that.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59The lamb's well cooked, you've got a lovely pink colour to it.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02I just think that the buttermilk doesn't work with this dish.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04It doesn't, for me, complement it.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07I don't like the dish as a whole, but I really enjoy elements of it.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12This ragout underneath is really sharp.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15The sauce itself is sharp.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19So the lamb has only become a texture.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21Callum, I think you've got some great ideas.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24I think, unfortunately, this one is a work in progress.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29It's gone through so many stages, that dish,
0:45:29 > 0:45:32developing it and getting it to a certain stage.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33But, yeah, they didn't like it,
0:45:33 > 0:45:36so just got to take it on the chin and see what's next.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37But it's not looking good.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44Soham's dish is roasted lamb rack...
0:45:45 > 0:45:49..onion stuffed with braised lamb neck and sweetbreads...
0:45:50 > 0:45:52..courgette puree,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55charred baby gem lettuce,
0:45:55 > 0:46:00artichokes, girolles, turnips...
0:46:01 > 0:46:02..and a lamb sauce.
0:46:12 > 0:46:15Soham, you definitely know how to dress a plate of food.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19But, the glaring problem that I have is the lamb.
0:46:19 > 0:46:24Look at that. That is just pure raw lamb meat.
0:46:25 > 0:46:26The artichoke has completely oxidised.
0:46:26 > 0:46:28It's lost its colour, it's gone brown.
0:46:28 > 0:46:32The lettuce as well just looks like it's losing a bit of love.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35The sauce is nice, you've got a lovely flavour going through there.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38The dish has great ideas, you've got great ingredients.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41You have just not executed them very well.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Nothing's been seasoned nicely.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47It's almost like you went at it again 100mph and forgot to
0:46:47 > 0:46:51taste everything, and it doesn't taste as good as it looks.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57I like your sauce, that's got depth and a slight acidity.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59I love the lamb neck.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01That's soft, and I could have some more of that.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03The lamb,
0:47:03 > 0:47:04I can't eat it.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07You know, you're an experienced chef,
0:47:07 > 0:47:09these seem like silly mistakes to me.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Mistakes I don't think you would probably make
0:47:13 > 0:47:14in your own kitchen.
0:47:18 > 0:47:20That was intense, yeah.
0:47:20 > 0:47:24The comments were positive and negative as well.
0:47:24 > 0:47:26A bit of errors in the lamb,
0:47:26 > 0:47:28it's a big thing. So, yeah.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37Tom has served a loin of lamb with salt-baked turnips...
0:47:38 > 0:47:40..pickled turnips,
0:47:40 > 0:47:42sheep's yoghurt,
0:47:42 > 0:47:44roasted pecans...
0:47:45 > 0:47:47..white grapes in a maple verjus...
0:47:49 > 0:47:50..and a lamb sauce.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04The cooking of the lamb is just there, it's just medium.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07The grapes are all right because there's only two of them,
0:48:07 > 0:48:09so it's not as fruity as I thought it would be.
0:48:09 > 0:48:12I just find the nuts really odd, a nutty lamb dish.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15There's a lot of it too, the pecans on there.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18You've got a lovely lamb sauce,
0:48:18 > 0:48:20you've got a lovely little bit of acidity going through it.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24The lamb needs a bit more flavour in it, more butter, garlic, thyme,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27rosemary. Add flavour, add flavour, add flavour, because it needs it.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30I really like this.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32The lamb's cooked perfectly for me.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36I like your sauce with that little sharp grape finish,
0:48:36 > 0:48:37I really like that.
0:48:37 > 0:48:41Nuts? Yeah, I can't see what the nuts are bringing to it.
0:48:41 > 0:48:44However, I like your flavours, I like your textures.
0:48:48 > 0:48:51I'm happy that Gregg liked it, that was good.
0:48:51 > 0:48:52I mean, I thought...
0:48:52 > 0:48:55I was quite happy, I thought everything was all right.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57I was reasonably pleased.
0:48:59 > 0:49:02Sarah is serving pan-fried duck breast...
0:49:03 > 0:49:06..pulled duck leg,
0:49:06 > 0:49:08a cherry salsa,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11confit pearl onions,
0:49:11 > 0:49:12onion rings...
0:49:13 > 0:49:14..and a duck liver sauce.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23I love the sweet cherries through the duck.
0:49:23 > 0:49:27Your duck leg is soft, and I love those little sharp onions.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31I think you've proved a point here, this is a nicely cooked dish,
0:49:31 > 0:49:32and it tastes great.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35- Thank you.- The duck is nice and pink for me.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38I did get a little bit of that sauce, and I liked what I got.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41There was a bit of sweetness in it, but there wasn't enough to really
0:49:41 > 0:49:43distinguish what the sauce was about.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46Which is a shame, because the third most important element of the dish
0:49:46 > 0:49:48was in that sauce, and that was the liver.
0:49:48 > 0:49:49I like what I have,
0:49:49 > 0:49:52I just feel like you could have done so much more to it.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55You've got great duck cookery on the breast,
0:49:55 > 0:49:58but then the leg is just a little bit on the boring side.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02I can't taste any sauce on this plate, it isn't on the plate.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05I think there's so much you could have done with the ingredients that
0:50:05 > 0:50:07you had on the table.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09I feel like something's missing.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15I wanted to show that simple is good,
0:50:15 > 0:50:20but I do agree with them that I should have had a little bit more
0:50:20 > 0:50:23into it, like, through those ingredients that I already have.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29Last up is Matt,
0:50:29 > 0:50:32who has made cod cheeks three ways.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36Blowtorched, pan-fried,
0:50:36 > 0:50:39and marinated in sea truffle and spirulina seaweed powder...
0:50:44 > 0:50:46..served with smoked kale,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49kale crisps,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51compressed turnips,
0:50:51 > 0:50:56garlic and kombucha vinegar gel, and a beurre noisette foam...
0:50:57 > 0:51:01..garnished with kale cress and apple marigold.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13Each of those cheeks is just buttery soft and really well seasoned,
0:51:13 > 0:51:17and I've got little, sweet, sharp notes coming up all over the place.
0:51:17 > 0:51:24That tastes as exciting and elegant as it looks, and it looks amazing.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Matt, you've got a certain style already on its way here.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31You're getting sharpness and pickles here,
0:51:31 > 0:51:34then there's a bit of sweetness coming through.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36Do I like it? Yes, I do.
0:51:36 > 0:51:37Thank you very much.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41That is absolutely superb.
0:51:41 > 0:51:43The cod cheeks are beautiful and light,
0:51:43 > 0:51:46the best one is the one with the seaweed and the truffle on top.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49And the star of this is just the freshness of the garnishes.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52There's crispiness, there's little bitter elements of the turnip,
0:51:52 > 0:51:54and then there's the zing of the apple.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59That's the best signature dish I have ever eaten in MasterChef.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03Signature dish.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12It was incredible. That's, like, the sort of stuff you dream of.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16That couldn't have gone any better for, yeah, the first round.
0:52:18 > 0:52:19Seriously insane feedback,
0:52:19 > 0:52:21it was so good.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34We've only got three places in the next round.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36Who do you want to go through?
0:52:36 > 0:52:38One of them is obvious.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Matt wowed me today.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42This chef has got a unique style.
0:52:42 > 0:52:43It's exciting.
0:52:43 > 0:52:48Those three cod cheeks, with, like, that sea truffle,
0:52:48 > 0:52:49where has he come from?
0:52:49 > 0:52:51I don't want to tempt fate,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54but I think we've discovered a very talented young chef here.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57Matt today was absolutely outstanding.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00I have to say, Chris did a great dish.
0:53:00 > 0:53:05It looked lovely and everything was balanced on that plate.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07It was just a pinch of seasoning away
0:53:07 > 0:53:10from getting it absolutely perfect.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13Somebody had a tough day in here today, really did, and that was Sarah.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18Duck and cherries was OK, I mean it's a tried and tested formula.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21But it wasn't special enough to save her skin, was it?
0:53:21 > 0:53:24I was so looking forward to that sauce with the offal,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27- and it wasn't really there.- I just felt she could have brought so much
0:53:27 > 0:53:29more to her cooking,
0:53:29 > 0:53:33and she is not up to the standard that we've got in this room today.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37Three chefs left and, funnily enough, three lamb dishes.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41Callum, Tom and Soham.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Callum intrigues me, because he cooked his lamb really well.
0:53:44 > 0:53:49I loved it. The vivid green sauce, like, really,
0:53:49 > 0:53:53it was like an electric green ring illuminating a night sky.
0:53:53 > 0:53:54It was like, wow!
0:53:54 > 0:53:59And then we had this really quite unusual ragout of potatoes,
0:53:59 > 0:54:00peas and anchovies underneath.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04It was, like, an odd ragout with lamb, and it didn't make sense.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07The potatoes with peas was really nice, and I liked the lamb cookery.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10The buttermilk sauce was just greasy on my palate,
0:54:10 > 0:54:11it didn't work with the lamb.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16Soham, I don't know what to make of him now.
0:54:16 > 0:54:18- Why?- Well, he had one of the best skills tests,
0:54:18 > 0:54:21and then he made us a beautifully presented lamb dish,
0:54:21 > 0:54:24some good ideas, and he undercooked the lamb.
0:54:24 > 0:54:28I had really high hopes for Soham, I really did.
0:54:28 > 0:54:32Can he pull it back? Can he be like the chef that we saw in the skills
0:54:32 > 0:54:34round? That's the question.
0:54:35 > 0:54:37Tom was incredibly nervous in the skills test,
0:54:37 > 0:54:39the most nervous of all the chefs.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41This round, he was completely different.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45I did like Tom's lamb cookery, and I also liked his sauce.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48He just had the right amount of verjus in there.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51Now, my issue was there were just so many pecan nuts,
0:54:51 > 0:54:54and I don't think you need pecan nuts with a lamb dish.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00Yeah, I really want to stay in,
0:55:00 > 0:55:02prove them wrong and show them that I can do it.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07If I was to go home today, I'd be absolutely gutted.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10I've come here to progress and go far.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15I'd like to stay a lot, because
0:55:15 > 0:55:17I think I can do much better.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21Which one of them do you think may have what it takes?
0:55:21 > 0:55:24In my head, I know exactly which chef. He's been on the fence,
0:55:24 > 0:55:26but I know exactly which one.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46We can only take our strongest chefs through to the next round.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49We've made our decision.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53The first chef leaving the competition is...
0:56:02 > 0:56:03- ..Sarah.- Thank you.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05- Thank you, Sarah.- Good luck, guys.
0:56:06 > 0:56:07Thank you.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Even though I'm sad to go home, I do have, like,
0:56:15 > 0:56:17positive feelings from today.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23The second chef leaving the competition is...
0:56:28 > 0:56:29..Soham.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42It's a great experience, it's a pleasure to cook for the judges as well.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46So, overall, it's all good.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52And the final chef leaving us is...
0:56:56 > 0:56:58..Callum.
0:56:58 > 0:57:00Thank you, boys, good luck.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09Absolutely gutted.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11Not a lot of other things to say.
0:57:11 > 0:57:12Yeah.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18Just highs and lows all day today.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25Well done, mate.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27Congratulations, you are quarterfinalists, you three.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29- Dude, you're in! - Skin of my teeth!
0:57:31 > 0:57:34Absolutely delighted to get through to the next round, really is.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37I mean, I thought I was going home, so it's a bonus.
0:57:37 > 0:57:39And anywhere from now is even better.
0:57:42 > 0:57:43To get the feedback that I did,
0:57:43 > 0:57:46I'll certainly go into the next round feeling a lot happier.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51I've set the bar very high,
0:57:51 > 0:57:53now all I can try and do is just keep cooking the same level.
0:57:53 > 0:57:54Just push on.
0:57:56 > 0:57:57I could barely stand.
0:58:03 > 0:58:07Tomorrow night, it's the last of the quarterfinals,
0:58:07 > 0:58:12and this week's best chefs return to prove they have what it takes.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15You've really hit the nail on the head with this challenge.
0:58:15 > 0:58:19Those who deliver will earn the right to cook for the critics.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23If this is what happens when sheep dung gets involved in cooking,
0:58:23 > 0:58:24I want more of it.