Episode 17 MasterChef: The Professionals


Episode 17

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It's the professional MasterChef semifinals.

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Last night, Gareth and Leo were sent home.

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Now, the best six will be sent to cook

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for some of the most inspirational chefs in the country.

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Absolutely amazing.

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You know, it looks exactly the way that we do it.

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I need you to pick up the pace.

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I need you to find a second gear -

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third gear, fourth gear would be great.

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Tonight, the first three chefs battle to secure their place in finals week.

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27-year-old sous-chef Jamie,

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25-year-old corporate chef Steven,

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and 28-year-old private chef Matt.

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Now, it's in the final six, you just want it more.

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The end is in touching distance.

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To be safe, there can be no mistake.

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Everything has to be perfect.

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I've put everything into this competition.

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It's incredibly important for me to get that place in the finals.

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The pressure is on, the stress levels are high.

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They are going to have to be on their A-game.

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It's early morning

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and the three chefs are in Darlington, County Durham,

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heading to one of the country's most unique culinary destinations.

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Look, what does that brown sign say?

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It says Raby Hunt!

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-Raby Hunt.

-Yes.

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In 2017, the Raby Hunt was the only new restaurant in the UK

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to win two coveted Michelin stars,

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and the first in the north-east to hold such an accolade.

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It's led by self-taught rising star James Close,

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who gave up a career as a professional golfer eight years ago

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when his family bought a humble country pub.

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When we opened up originally it was just me and my mum doing steak and chips,

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just like real, like, easy-going food.

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It was... It was an experience, but my mum, you could just tell,

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didn't want to be in there.

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So after about a year we kicked my mum out, in a nice way,

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and I started to take control of the menu.

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Despite having no formal training, James refined his cooking

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by eating out and obsessively studying the techniques

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of the world's finest chefs.

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Three years after opening he won his first Michelin star.

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I put everything I had into it, and it was just, you know,

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constantly trying to get better every day.

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And I always think, you know,

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you've got to be better than you were the day before,

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and that's the same philosophy doing the restaurant.

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As well as gaining his second star in 2017,

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James was awarded the prestigious Good Food Guide Chef of the Year.

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For me it's been an amazing achievement,

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and to do it in the north-east, it's just great.

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You know, I didn't have to go to London,

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I didn't have to go to, you know, abroad to do this.

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The menu's inspired basically by what comes into my head.

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The detail going into it,

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it is quite refined but it's still quite simple in execution.

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I am a self-taught chef. I don't follow the rules.

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For him to have achieved that two-star level,

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he must be doing something incredible

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and I'm looking forward to seeing what that is.

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Having to drop into a two-star kitchen and hit the ground running,

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it's a massive challenge.

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I've not had any Michelin-star experience, but I'm going

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to just have to be a sponge and absorb everything around me.

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It's going to be a push, but hopefully we'll get there.

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Unscathed!

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Good morning, chefs.

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And you guys are the first chefs that don't work for me

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that I've ever invited into this restaurant.

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What we expect today is excellence, all right,

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so every dish that I give you,

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we want it to be done exactly the same way that we would do

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in a normal service, all right? So are you ready?

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-Yes, Chef.

-Let's go.

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Today, the three semifinalists have the honour

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of becoming part of James' brigade for lunch service.

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At the end of the day they're sending my dishes.

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We want them to try and push it as close as they can

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to what we do in the restaurant every day.

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Each contestant will be responsible for one of the dishes

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from the 14-course tasting menu.

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London-based sous-chef Jamie will be making James' intricate razor clam starter.

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Cooked razor clams with brown shrimp, pickled celeriac, girolles,

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almonds, samphire, frisee - a type of chicory -

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pea shoots, and chopped parsley.

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There's a lot of ingredients going to go on this dish, right?

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So you've got to be very focused to get it right.

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But the main thing with this dish is to get the razor clams cooked perfectly.

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The razor clams go in...

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First, the razor clams are slowly cooked in a spiced butter,

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before adding the brown shrimp.

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The worst thing about razor clams is if they start to overcook,

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so we want to keep them very soft,

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and then just get the seasoning right on that dish.

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If you get the seasoning right, it's perfect.

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Next, the girolles and samphire are gently cooked in a butter emulsion.

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The razor clams and brown shrimp are presented in a shell with almonds,

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pickled celeriac, girolles, and samphire.

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So a little frisee then in between the pea shoots.

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The final presentation of that dish has to keep everything inside

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the shell, nothing to fall off it.

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If you do that service, 30 of them today,

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-we're going to smash it out, yeah?

-Yeah.

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Yeah, obviously there's a lot of elements on this dish,

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and they all have to be perfect,

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and they all have to be on there in the right place.

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So 30 of those.

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Steady hand!

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Steven works in corporate dining,

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and hasn't done a restaurant service in five years.

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He's in charge of rack of lamb, served with anchovy emulsion,

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spring greens and spinach powder.

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The lamb's going to test anybody that does that

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because they've got to be right on it.

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That dish all revolves around the cooking of the lamb.

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The lamb, it's been in about 45 minutes,

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and now we're going to put it on the Japanese barbecue.

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The barbecue will be very hot.

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We've got to make sure we don't burn the skin,

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but we want to get a little bit of smoke just coming onto it.

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You see that it's now starting to get a little bit of colour on the fat.

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That's what we want.

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That flame's nice - we don't want it to burn it too much, all right?

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While the lamb rests,

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the spring greens are lightly coated in butter emulsion,

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and steamed in an oven at 130 degrees.

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We always probe it before we send it.

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I'm going to be there with a probe to make sure that it's at 54 degrees

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when it gets sliced, so if it's not, you know,

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the guy will have to do it again.

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Nice.

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The plate is dressed with anchovy emulsion,

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and dusted with spinach powder...

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Put the rack nicely there.

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..and finished with the spring greens, lemon oil,

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black olive oil and a lamb sauce.

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Very nice.

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-It's an amazing plate of food. It's amazing.

-Thank you.

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You reckon we can do this?

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Yeah, I've never used the barbecue before, but...

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You must have had a barbecue at home, Chef - come on!

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Private chef Matt will be in the pastry section,

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and will be in charge of two desserts.

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The first is a warm chocolate mousse

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with black olive and sheep's yoghurt ice cream.

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So first if you just lightly dust the tuile,

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just a black olive powder with chocolate in as well.

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The warm chocolate mousse is topped with fudge,

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and drizzled with orange oil.

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This bit's got to be done very fast,

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because a warm chocolate mousse has got to go out warm.

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There's no point doing a warm chocolate mousse

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that's going to go out cold.

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They've got to be finished with a little perfect rocher,

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which under the stress of a two-star restaurant,

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anybody's going to find that hard.

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I know what that's like.

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His second dessert is a summer berry tarte, consisting of strawberries,

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raspberries, black and red currants,

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placed around a soft cow's milk cheese mousse, with pistachio cream

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and a strawberry gel.

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Really carefully, watch the way that Marie is presenting this

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and building it up, all right?

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Because it's got to be the same.

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This is the one dish that if it doesn't look right,

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it's never going to go out.

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The tarts, which are all made to order, are finished with a rocher,

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or one-handed quenelle of lemon verbena ice cream.

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The idea with this is to eat it with your hands.

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How do I tackle this?

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You can eat it with a spoon as well, Chef. I was only joking!

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It is delicious.

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So much going on. A very complete dessert.

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Really good. Bravo, Marie!

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The first customers are due in less than half an hour.

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It is all anticipation now. The start of service is creeping up.

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It is a bit overwhelming, really.

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You've got to remember where you are,

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the level that you're cooking at.

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It is not your everyday restaurant,

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these aren't your everyday ingredients, dishes, customers.

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I think the challenge is just the whole complexity of it,

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just getting everything right, and just speed and precision, I think.

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It is a full restaurant. Chef's tables, you know, booked out.

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They're going to get lots of orders coming on at once,

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which is the way we like it.

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They are going to get very, very tested, we're going to get tested.

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This is going to be probably one of the most important services of my life, maybe.

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So I just need to concentrate and nail it, really, today.

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And hopefully I can do that. Oh!

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-You ready to heat?

-Yes, Chef.

-Yes, Chef.

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We are going to start six portion of razor.

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Yes, Chef. Straight in at the deep end, really.

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Straight away, Jamie has six orders of razor clams he must cook to James's two-star standards.

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I want them really nice and delicate, all right?

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-Yeah.

-Give it another little stir.

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Just get a little bit of heat on that again.

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What we are looking for is exactly how the chef cooks them,

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that really delicious, soft texture.

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As well as keeping an eye on the razor clams,

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he needs to quickly cook the samphire and girolles,

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so the dish is ready to plate at the same time.

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He now has moments to delicately balance all the elements

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inside the razor clam shell.

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If he doesn't get it out quick, he will be doing it again,

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cos they're going to overcook, all right?

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-Going to have to come in here and give you a hand, all right, to get it out.

-Yes, Chef.

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I know I've put you in at the deep end with this six,

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but this is where it's at right, all right?

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-Yes, Chef.

-Everybody's here.

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Got to get it served.

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Right, service.

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Go to table eight, please.

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Table two, please.

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And these are going to table four, please.

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You just need to just speed up, all right?

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But you've done it once now, so from here on

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-we're going to get to another level, yeah?

-Yes, Chef.

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Went OK. Not quick enough, obviously, but I am finding my feet.

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It's all very intricate.

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It's all very delicate. It's details.

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And the details are really what matter at this standard and at this level.

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Right, Stephen, we are going to go with you next.

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It's going to be lamb, OK?

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-I want you to get me six up on the pass, yeah?

-Yes, Chef.

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Using the Japanese barbecue,

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Stephen has to bring the temperature of his lamb racks

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up to precisely 54 degrees.

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Charring the skin without burning it.

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As soon as they come off the barbecue, spring greens straight in the oven.

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-Yes, Chef.

-Got to be able to do more than one thing at once.

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-Yes, Chef?

-Yes, Chef.

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It is a bit of a juggling act.

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It is the moment of truth for Stephen's lamb.

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Just put these back on the barbecue for longer, please.

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They just need a bit longer at cooking.

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I need to feel it, get a couple of dishes out,

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and then I'm sure we will be flowing, and we will be all right.

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It is about managing the coals as well.

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Making sure that you've got that right heat there.

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Right, Stephen, this is it.

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Right now we want to see that barbecue flavour,

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but we don't want any overcooking.

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-Yeah?

-Yes, Chef.

-We want it perfect.

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-At rest, it'll get there.

-Yes, Chef.

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Let's go, Chef.

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With the lamb now at the correct temperature,

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Stephen needs to move fast to get his six plates out on time.

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-People are waiting now.

-Yes, Chef.

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If everybody starts waiting, it's going to be a backlog.

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-I'm just going to help you get this out.

-Yep.

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Right, come on, we need speed, we need to go, all right?

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That's it. Let's go. We're doing this now, yeah?

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Yes, Chef.

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It looks really good.

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This is it.

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Right, service, let's go with these, please.

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We're going to table eight, two, and four.

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That was really good.

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Really good. Let's get that barbecue up a bit, yeah?

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Let's get the heat up and then we are there, all right?

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-Yes, Chef.

-Well done, seriously. Well done.

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That's good.

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Really good.

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This was a bit of a push, but I just need to...

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There is a few little things that I needed to improve on,

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cos I am going to be juggling a lot soon.

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It's going to get intense for me soon.

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Right, Matt, first dessert, are you ready?

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-Oui, Chef.

-Right, let's go.

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On pastry, Matt, like Jamie and Stephen,

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has to assemble all of the elements of his dish moments before serving.

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That'll do.

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The chocolate mousse must be served warm.

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Right, Matt, you've got to be quick.

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This is going to get cold, all right?

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Go straight on with the tuile.

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And with a steady hand,

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he must precisely place the black olive tuile

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before quickly executing a perfect rocher of sheep's yoghurt ice cream.

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You are going to have to stop.

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Hold that, hold that.

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You need to get another tuile on this.

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-Let's start again, all right?

-Oui, chef.

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All right, this is it, Chef.

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Right now, yeah?

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Loads better.

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That is great. Really good.

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Really good.

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Service, please.

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We just want to get those rochers a little bit quicker on the plate.

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-Yeah.

-But seriously, well done.

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A bit shaky. I never shake.

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Well, sometimes I do, just got to take a deep breath, calm down.

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But there's no respite for Matt.

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He must produce six summer tarts to James's exact requirements.

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We get the right amount of pistachio, the right amount of raspberry gel,

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the right amount of strawberry gel. All right, we can do this.

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We're going to have to just speed up just a little bit, all right?

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-Cos a dessert check's come in. All right?

-Yes, Chef.

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So really push, push to get these out.

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Right, you can put them on a plate.

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And then serve with the ice cream.

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Yeah.

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Right, that looked really good. Really good, yeah.

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-Just keep going, yeah?

-Table eight, go.

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All right, service, please.

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These are going to table two.

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Amazing, absolutely amazing, Chef, yeah?

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It looks perfect. Go.

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Oh, yeah. Done.

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Looks simple, but it's quite delicate,

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and you've got to do it all last minute.

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The final lunch guests are arriving.

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And with each semifinalist responsible for a part of the tasting menu,

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Jamie is under pressure with more starter orders.

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Four razors, please.

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I want it nice, soft, delicate again.

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Four more razors straight in.

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Not feeling more comfortable. You can get comfortable.

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It's good, but I want those razors next time softer, all right?

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They are taking on a little bit too much heat.

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-Ready.

-Service. Go.

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SERVICE BELL RINGS

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Yeah, he's doing really well, he's nearly there.

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It's only a two-star dish.

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Last razors were just a....

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..a touch firm. Just not gentle enough.

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I think a little bit of pressure got to me.

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Stephen 's got four more lamb on order.

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The barbecue's hard, juggling the heat.

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Getting it cooked right without overcooking it.

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After undercooking his lamb the first time,

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he's under pressure to hit 54 degrees.

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If it is not right,

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it won't leave the pass.

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When you're probing, you have got to go in the middle. You go here...

0:19:200:19:24

It starts going down, all right?

0:19:240:19:26

Just put that back on again.

0:19:260:19:28

It needs to be accurate every single time.

0:19:300:19:33

That one or two degrees makes a difference, a huge amount.

0:19:330:19:36

So it is about getting it perfect, really.

0:19:360:19:38

All right, chef, what are we on over there?

0:19:380:19:40

Just probing now.

0:19:400:19:41

That's perfect. Let's go.

0:19:540:19:56

The lemon, the lemon sauce, yeah?

0:20:030:20:06

All right, that's great, that's really good.

0:20:060:20:08

Pick the furthest two over there, going to table 12.

0:20:080:20:10

Absolutely perfect that, yeah.

0:20:120:20:13

You're getting the hang of it. Handling the barbecue and

0:20:150:20:17

-everything, all right? Well done.

-Cheers, Chef.

0:20:170:20:20

On pastry, Matt is also feeling the pressure

0:20:210:20:25

to turn out the perfect rochers as the orders mount.

0:20:250:20:29

It's just all about speed, that last minute.

0:20:290:20:32

Really good, yeah. Just keep going.

0:20:320:20:33

Yeah.

0:20:330:20:35

We are going table one.

0:20:350:20:37

Two is probably OK for one person, but if you are doing four,

0:20:380:20:41

you kind of need eight hands.

0:20:410:20:43

And then straight after that you have got to do the tart!

0:20:450:20:48

It is one of those dishes that, you know,

0:20:520:20:54

you've just got to get right every time. The look literally...

0:20:540:20:58

-Yeah, I feel like I...

-You have got to keep the speed up as well,

0:20:580:21:00

you know what I mean? So you've got to get it amazing-looking,

0:21:000:21:03

-but you can't sit around with it.

-Yeah.

0:21:030:21:05

As lunch draws to a close, Jamie is almost over the finish line.

0:21:130:21:18

It is the last razor to come for the day.

0:21:200:21:22

-Yes, Chef.

-Make these the best ones you've done of the day.

0:21:220:21:24

Yes, Chef.

0:21:240:21:26

This is what it's like working in a two-star Michelin kitchen,

0:21:270:21:30

do you know what I mean?

0:21:300:21:31

I would do this every day if they ask me.

0:21:330:21:35

Let's go. Perfect. Absolutely amazing, Chef.

0:21:380:21:41

All right, quickly. Jamie, absolutely amazing, all right?

0:21:430:21:45

-Thank you.

-Well done. You just got better and better through service.

0:21:450:21:48

And at the end of it, you smashed it.

0:21:480:21:50

-All right.

-Cheers, man, thank you.

0:21:500:21:52

Chef's happy. If Chef's happy, I am happy.

0:21:520:21:54

I loved that. I want to do dinner service.

0:21:560:21:58

This is my last table, so I'm just trying to make sure it's perfect.

0:22:020:22:07

It's going to be the best plate of today, hopefully.

0:22:070:22:10

We are looking for about 54 degrees in the middle.

0:22:180:22:20

That is spot-on. Really good.

0:22:220:22:25

Yeah. Service. Right, let's go.

0:22:350:22:36

Table three, and then table six.

0:22:360:22:38

Stephen, absolutely amazing.

0:22:380:22:40

All right? You got better and better as we got through that service.

0:22:400:22:43

-Cheers.

-Extremely well done, all right?

-Thank you very much.

0:22:430:22:45

That's been the best I have ever sent out, like...

0:22:470:22:49

Yeah, it was amazing.

0:22:490:22:50

I loved every minute. I loved every minute.

0:22:500:22:53

Can I come back, Chef?

0:22:530:22:54

Yeah, you can. Do you want a job?

0:22:560:22:58

STEPHEN LAUGHS

0:22:580:22:59

With all the starters and mains cleared away,

0:23:010:23:04

the focus is now on Matt to deliver his final desserts.

0:23:040:23:08

These are the last ones of the day, yeah?

0:23:090:23:10

Make them the best ones of the day.

0:23:100:23:13

Oui, chef.

0:23:130:23:14

Let's get some really good rochers.

0:23:150:23:17

Right, that looks really good.

0:23:210:23:23

The rochers through the whole of this service

0:23:230:23:25

just got better and better.

0:23:250:23:26

Just nail these and then I can relax.

0:23:300:23:33

Looks amazing. Absolutely amazing.

0:23:350:23:37

You know, it looks entirely the way that we do it.

0:23:370:23:39

Right, service, please.

0:23:400:23:42

Table three.

0:23:420:23:43

Excellent, Matt. Really well done. You should be proud.

0:23:460:23:48

Done amazingly well. Got better and better as it went on.

0:23:480:23:51

Well done. Seriously, well done.

0:23:510:23:52

-All right?

-A pleasure to work in your kitchen.

-Cheers.

-Thank you.

0:23:520:23:55

I really enjoyed myself.

0:23:550:23:56

I was a bit nervous at first, because I really wanted to do well.

0:23:560:23:59

I am actually buzzing.

0:23:590:24:00

One day, two-star kitchen, unbelievable.

0:24:040:24:07

You know, that's a great achievement for those guys.

0:24:080:24:11

It is day two in Darlington.

0:24:240:24:27

And Matt, Stephen and Jamie have one last chance to impress James...

0:24:280:24:34

..cooking a version of his signature dish, a seasonal salad,

0:24:350:24:40

consisting of up to 15 ingredients

0:24:400:24:42

which vary according to the time of year.

0:24:420:24:45

This is my favourite dish.

0:24:460:24:48

Every time I look at it I get that wow factor

0:24:480:24:50

and that buzz off it.

0:24:500:24:51

The challenge is to understand each ingredient by using different cooking techniques,

0:24:540:25:01

showcasing textural variation and balance of flavours.

0:25:010:25:05

The base of the salad is a scallop crumb.

0:25:070:25:10

The scallop taste is amazing.

0:25:100:25:12

It takes it away from just being vegetables.

0:25:120:25:15

It's then built up in layers of the raw,

0:25:150:25:17

pickled and cooked vegetables.

0:25:170:25:20

It's going to be different every time cos it's a salad dish

0:25:200:25:22

it's a natural dish. It doesn't get boring.

0:25:220:25:25

It's like every season changing.

0:25:260:25:28

It's all about the balance of the dish because you've got to get the

0:25:320:25:35

acidity, the crispiness and all of the combinations have to work.

0:25:350:25:39

If you get it right, it looks amazing.

0:25:390:25:42

It looks alive and it looks like you've just walked through the garden and you've picked the herbs.

0:25:420:25:47

To use as a guide, the contestants have been given a basic recipe.

0:25:470:25:51

I don't want to see a version that's similar to what I do.

0:26:020:26:06

I want them to really become creative with it.

0:26:060:26:09

I want to get like really nice colour on them.

0:26:150:26:17

Lots of barbecued, charred flavours running through it.

0:26:170:26:20

I'm only going to cook it about halfway, so quite al dente,

0:26:230:26:26

so it's still got like a nice fresh crunch in there.

0:26:260:26:30

It's going to have a nice caramelisation as well.

0:26:300:26:33

So I was going to get the vegetables that need to go into the emulsion

0:26:330:26:36

sort of like gently poached off.

0:26:360:26:37

You're not cooking them, you're just warming them through, really.

0:26:370:26:41

Just taking that tiny little bite off them.

0:26:410:26:43

The scallop crumbs, we get the Isle of Mull scallops and we roll them up

0:26:430:26:47

into a ballotine. We freeze the ballotine and then we grate

0:26:470:26:51

the ballotine into liquid nitrogen.

0:26:510:26:53

That's a cool texture.

0:26:540:26:56

We put that in oil at 160 degrees.

0:26:560:26:59

If it goes too dark you lose all the flavour and you cook it all out.

0:27:000:27:03

Obviously don't want to burn it. It's going to make it really bitter.

0:27:050:27:11

When you're at this level, if you can balance

0:27:110:27:13

all these ingredients, then that's kind of one of the reasons why you have two Michelin stars.

0:27:130:27:18

Everything, when you eat it, needs to flow.

0:27:180:27:20

It needs to work together,

0:27:200:27:22

so it's the biggest challenge about the whole dish, I think.

0:27:220:27:25

The world is endless with this dish.

0:27:250:27:27

We want to see them be really challenged by it.

0:27:290:27:31

I'm just going to stop,

0:27:320:27:33

if not I'm just going to put like too much stuff on.

0:27:330:27:36

It looks fantastic. It's very different to the way I do mine,

0:27:580:28:02

but that's what I wanted to see, something a little bit Jamie.

0:28:020:28:05

It really is a good dish.

0:28:160:28:18

The scallop crumb is great, but just lift it

0:28:180:28:20

with a little bit more seasoning because vegetables can

0:28:200:28:23

be so bland if you don't get that seasoning. So, just a touch more.

0:28:230:28:26

But really good execution.

0:28:260:28:28

You can tell you've got that little bit of refinement skill,

0:28:280:28:31

which is what you want.

0:28:310:28:32

You've done an awesome job

0:28:320:28:33

and it's been a real pleasure working with you.

0:28:330:28:36

Cooking a two-star chef's signature dish without any preparation

0:28:390:28:43

whatsoever is a little bit crazy,

0:28:430:28:45

but I'm proud, proud of the plate that I've put up today.

0:28:450:28:48

So many textures in the mouth, so many flavours going on.

0:28:560:28:59

Smokiness, freshness, sweetness, like there's a lot going on.

0:28:590:29:04

It's hard to...

0:29:120:29:13

I'm struggling, like. I don't know.

0:29:140:29:16

I don't like the way it looks at all.

0:29:180:29:20

The biggest challenge was getting it all on the plate and looking nice.

0:29:260:29:30

I failed, like for me, anyway.

0:29:300:29:31

We'll see what he says.

0:29:310:29:33

Maybe the scallop on the crumb on the edge here, a little bit random.

0:29:580:30:02

It just feels like it's not part of the plate.

0:30:020:30:04

It's got that little bit more freshness on it

0:30:130:30:16

than I was expecting.

0:30:160:30:17

The acidity's there but also with this dish you've got the seasoning.

0:30:170:30:21

It is there.

0:30:210:30:22

You've got a really nice char on your courgette and your carrot.

0:30:230:30:26

You can see your cauliflower is caramelised really well.

0:30:260:30:29

It just gives that extra dimension to the dish which I'm looking for.

0:30:290:30:33

All the vegetables to sing and done different ways.

0:30:330:30:36

Great, great attempt. Really good.

0:30:360:30:38

Thank you very much, Chef.

0:30:380:30:39

-Right, cool.

-Thank you very much.

-Good luck!

0:30:390:30:41

It was a really good experience cooking his dish for him.

0:30:430:30:45

I feel very happy with the comments that I got, but for me,

0:30:450:30:48

I didn't do that well.

0:30:480:30:50

I could have done a lot better than that.

0:30:500:30:51

All right. That is everything.

0:31:020:31:04

Everything's seasoned.

0:31:040:31:06

Now comes the hard part.

0:31:060:31:07

Is that all the flowers? I think so.

0:31:340:31:37

It looks tidy. I'm happy with it.

0:31:420:31:43

Hopefully, it's not too small for him.

0:31:430:31:45

Hopefully, he can taste everything.

0:31:450:31:47

Good afternoon, Chef.

0:31:500:31:51

Looks quite, quite refined.

0:32:070:32:09

Very different to what I do.

0:32:090:32:11

Just visually, maybe everything's just a little bit too small.

0:32:110:32:14

You've just chopped everything up a little bit too much.

0:32:140:32:17

It's getting that balance between refinement and, you know,

0:32:170:32:21

keeping that veg in its natural form a little bit.

0:32:210:32:24

The acidity's there.

0:32:350:32:36

You've got that freshness of the elements on the top.

0:32:360:32:39

Just cos you've cut it a little bit too small, I probably want a little

0:32:390:32:43

bit more barbecue flavour coming into it.

0:32:430:32:45

The scallop cream hasn't been quite enhanced in the dish

0:32:450:32:47

to give you that umami flavour coming through.

0:32:470:32:50

-Yeah.

-Maybe you've just cooked it a little bit too much.

0:32:500:32:52

But it is a really good attempt and it's quite interesting

0:32:520:32:56

to see your style.

0:32:560:32:58

It was really interesting. Really eye-opening

0:32:580:33:01

and I've had a great time and I'd love to come back one day.

0:33:010:33:04

Thank you very much. We'd love to have you back.

0:33:040:33:07

I feel quite good. I kind of figured that I didn't put enough scallop

0:33:070:33:11

crumb on there, because I actually really liked it,

0:33:110:33:13

but I just didn't want to overpower it.

0:33:130:33:15

But then I was happy with the way it looked.

0:33:150:33:18

It was too refined, rather than under refined.

0:33:180:33:20

All three of those chefs have got amazing talent,

0:33:220:33:25

and they, if they want it, they can get it.

0:33:250:33:27

I'm a great believer if you've got the desire

0:33:270:33:29

and you've got the passion, you can get what you want.

0:33:290:33:32

Stephen, I think he's got a lot of potential because he looks like he

0:33:320:33:36

loves it. You know, he looks excited when he sees those ingredients.

0:33:360:33:39

You can just see him looking at the lamb dish yesterday and he got inspired.

0:33:390:33:43

I was a bit nervous and anxious coming into the kitchen

0:33:430:33:45

cos I've never been in a Michelin star environment before.

0:33:450:33:48

But I feel like I can go away with my head held high, so, happy days.

0:33:480:33:52

Matt is very methodical.

0:33:530:33:56

So he still managed to get the refinement of my dishes perfect.

0:33:560:33:59

So he understood the way it looks has to be the same every time

0:33:590:34:03

and he was very good at that.

0:34:030:34:05

James as a head chef, really inspired me.

0:34:050:34:08

The way he runs his kitchen, and being a self-taught chef,

0:34:080:34:11

it's like a real eye-opener,

0:34:110:34:12

it's what you can achieve and what you can do in your career.

0:34:120:34:15

For Jamie, I was watching him during service yesterday and he was keeping

0:34:160:34:19

everything very clean and tidy as he worked, which I like to see.

0:34:190:34:22

By the end of it those razors were becoming very refined

0:34:220:34:26

and looking great.

0:34:260:34:27

It's been a really good experience.

0:34:280:34:30

When you come to a restaurant like this,

0:34:300:34:32

like, you're inspired from the minute you get here.

0:34:320:34:35

All the guys are all just going to leave just so excited to go back into the MasterChef kitchen.

0:34:350:34:40

Our chefs will have been inspired working with James,

0:34:540:34:56

but now I want to see that inspiration back here in the MasterChef kitchen.

0:34:560:35:01

I really hope that they've come back enthused, excited,

0:35:030:35:07

ready to battle it out.

0:35:070:35:09

As ever, it's all down to you.

0:35:190:35:23

One hour and 45 minutes,

0:35:240:35:27

and just two dishes separate you

0:35:270:35:30

from a place in Professional MasterChef finals week.

0:35:300:35:35

And I'm sorry to say,

0:35:380:35:40

that we're going to have to lose one of you at the end of this round.

0:35:400:35:43

Off you go.

0:35:500:35:51

It was a massive opportunity going to a two-star kitchen.

0:36:000:36:03

James's dishes were very refined.

0:36:030:36:05

Everything was precision and everything was perfect,

0:36:070:36:09

and I think I need to show that in my cooking as well.

0:36:090:36:11

No space for errors at this point in the competition.

0:36:130:36:15

-Tell us about your two dishes.

-Yes, of course.

0:36:190:36:21

So the chicken, I'm going to confit down the legs, crisp up the skin,

0:36:210:36:24

and with the breasts, I'm going to stuff it with truffle.

0:36:240:36:29

I'm going to have a sauce that is reduced.

0:36:290:36:30

I'm going to glaze it nicely.

0:36:300:36:32

Different variations of sweetcorn.

0:36:320:36:34

Dessert is strawberries and cream.

0:36:340:36:36

I've got strawberry consomme, a basil jelly, frais du bois.

0:36:360:36:41

I've also got some compressed strawberries on there, some crispy strawberries,

0:36:410:36:44

and then we've got just a Chantilly.

0:36:440:36:46

Stephen, I love it, right,

0:36:460:36:48

I feel like I've fallen asleep and woke up in food heaven,

0:36:480:36:52

but have you got time for all of this?

0:36:520:36:54

Oh, yes. Yes, yes, I have got time for this.

0:36:540:36:57

I love the sound of Stephen's menu.

0:37:010:37:03

Chicken, sweetcorn, strawberries and cream.

0:37:030:37:07

This is a chef that is going to let the ingredients sing for themselves.

0:37:070:37:10

My main concern is the wow factor.

0:37:140:37:16

How he's going to make those ingredients taste even better than they already are.

0:37:160:37:21

Push, push, yeah. Push, push!

0:37:210:37:23

Stephen as a chef has always given us tasty, delicious,

0:37:250:37:28

beautiful looking food, but it's always been based on classic flavours.

0:37:280:37:31

And it's always been something special when we eat his food -

0:37:330:37:36

he's got to do that again.

0:37:360:37:37

What did you take from your experience with James?

0:37:520:37:57

I was on pastry and the desserts, they looked very simple to the eye,

0:37:570:38:00

it's harder to make something look simple.

0:38:000:38:02

Good point. Now we're going to get into the complicated bit.

0:38:020:38:05

-Yes!

-What are you cooking?

0:38:050:38:07

There's a lot of ingredients, I've got a lot of stuff to do.

0:38:070:38:10

I'm doing guinea fowl with yeast, hay and maca.

0:38:100:38:12

-What's maca?

-It's a Peruvian tuber.

0:38:120:38:14

It grows above 4,000 metres,

0:38:140:38:16

so it's just got loads of natural health properties.

0:38:160:38:18

I'm doing a liver parfait, parfait out of the livers,

0:38:180:38:21

quite classic, actually.

0:38:210:38:22

I've got hay oil and a burned hay kombucha vinegar.

0:38:220:38:25

So dessert is chocolate, skyr, cherimoya and parsnip.

0:38:250:38:29

Skyr - is that Scandinavian yoghurt?

0:38:290:38:32

Skyr is Icelandic yoghurt, 0% fat,

0:38:320:38:34

with a little bit of the cherimoya mixed into it, custard apple.

0:38:340:38:37

It's called cherimoya, but some people know it as custard apple.

0:38:370:38:39

So, really sort of simple presentation which is what I kind of picked up from Raby Hunt.

0:38:390:38:43

Matt's come away saying simplicity on desserts is what he's learned most from James.

0:38:460:38:52

We love simple things,

0:38:540:38:55

as long as there's a mind-blowing experience to go with it.

0:38:550:38:58

I'm intrigued by the dish and I like the idea.

0:38:580:39:00

Matt's main course is guinea fowl.

0:39:030:39:05

You have to very careful with guinea fowl.

0:39:070:39:08

It can be a very dry bird if it's overcooked.

0:39:080:39:10

He's using the livers to make his parfait.

0:39:140:39:16

He's cooking the parfait with port and Madeira.

0:39:160:39:19

We've also got hay running through the dish in various different forms.

0:39:210:39:25

The maca powder's new to both of us.

0:39:260:39:28

I'm really curious whether it's going to bring something special to this dish.

0:39:280:39:32

Obviously, there is a risk using different ingredients that they haven't heard of before.

0:39:340:39:38

I'm looking for something different, something that's going to stand out.

0:39:380:39:43

I used sheep's dung, I cooked a vegan dessert for Gregg Wallace,

0:39:430:39:47

so it's kind of paid off!

0:39:470:39:48

One hour's gone.

0:39:500:39:51

45 minutes left, please, 45 minutes.

0:39:510:39:54

I'm just going to have to work my backside off today.

0:39:590:40:03

I've got so much stuff to do.

0:40:030:40:05

My main course is Iberico presa,

0:40:070:40:09

which is this really great cut from the shoulder of the Iberico pig.

0:40:090:40:14

It's quite a difficult piece of meat to cook.

0:40:140:40:18

We're going to make a ajo blanco sauce,

0:40:180:40:20

which is essentially like a bread, apple and almond soup.

0:40:200:40:23

I'll have a date, stuff it with smoked almonds,

0:40:260:40:29

wrap it in smoked streaky bacon and fry it off when I finish the pork.

0:40:290:40:33

I'm going to make my own style of Bombay mix,

0:40:370:40:39

but instead of using puffed rice,

0:40:390:40:41

it's going to be using puffed pork skin.

0:40:410:40:43

And then the sauce is going to be made with Manzanilla,

0:40:450:40:48

it's a sherry wine made in the south of Spain.

0:40:480:40:50

The dessert, I'm going to make a meringue.

0:40:530:40:56

It'll have a yuzu curd.

0:40:570:40:59

It's filled with a sharp raspberry gel.

0:40:590:41:01

Aerated white chocolate...

0:41:020:41:03

..and then quite salty peanut sable, finished with milk ice cream.

0:41:050:41:09

It's just completely refreshing.

0:41:110:41:12

What worries you most about these two dishes?

0:41:160:41:19

Um, the texture of the Iberico pork.

0:41:190:41:20

It's like, it's not like if you ordered a fillet steak in a restaurant,

0:41:200:41:23

it's like if you ordered a rump steak.

0:41:230:41:25

It's not going to be like soft and melting and boring.

0:41:250:41:27

-It has texture.

-You're the only chef I've ever met

0:41:270:41:30

who describes soft and melting as boring.

0:41:300:41:32

What is it about a final that makes you want to fight for it?

0:41:330:41:37

I'd not really thought about it until we went to the Raby Hunt.

0:41:370:41:40

Sort of, I don't know, re-lit the furnace, like that fire in my tummy,

0:41:400:41:44

and I couldn't wait to get back in the kitchen.

0:41:440:41:47

How fab!

0:41:470:41:48

The shoulder needs a lot of time to cook, nice and slowly.

0:41:500:41:53

The water bath is the perfect place for it.

0:41:530:41:56

Love the sound of the white cold soup that he's making from

0:41:560:42:00

milk, bread, smoked almonds, a little bit of garlic.

0:42:000:42:03

There are some very strong flavours and you want to be able to taste

0:42:030:42:06

all these little treats that are on the plate.

0:42:060:42:08

Jamie's dessert - using yuzu for his curd.

0:42:100:42:13

Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit, lovely fresh, vibrant flavour.

0:42:130:42:17

There's a raspberry gel going on the plate as well.

0:42:180:42:21

This sounds delicious.

0:42:210:42:24

Guys, you have five minutes.

0:42:240:42:26

Very intense in this kitchen.

0:42:320:42:34

Everyone's going for it today.

0:42:340:42:35

Are you a little bit under pressure?

0:42:360:42:38

No. Yeah, of course I am, yeah!

0:42:380:42:40

You've got less than two minutes.

0:42:440:42:45

Less than two minutes.

0:42:450:42:46

It's got the wobble factor.

0:42:510:42:52

That's my hands!

0:42:520:42:53

Your time is...

0:43:060:43:08

..up!

0:43:080:43:09

Stop.

0:43:100:43:11

Oh, mate!

0:43:110:43:14

That was a push.

0:43:150:43:16

My God, you've done loads!

0:43:160:43:18

-How was it?

-Tough! Yeah. Really tough!

0:43:180:43:22

-How was it?

-That was literally down to the wire.

0:43:240:43:27

Sexy.

0:43:270:43:28

For a place in finals week, Matt has cooked hay-roasted guinea fowl,

0:43:310:43:36

served with chicken liver parfait,

0:43:360:43:38

sitting on top of compressed kohlrabi,

0:43:380:43:42

kombucha vinegar gel infused with burnt hay,

0:43:420:43:45

hen-of-the-woods mushrooms

0:43:450:43:47

and chicken jus with yeast and Peruvian maca powder.

0:43:470:43:51

The guinea fowl is very well cooked.

0:44:020:44:05

The parfait has a lovely flavour.

0:44:050:44:07

Now whether that was to be maybe a little bit more cooked, a bit more

0:44:070:44:10

set, either way, it adds a lovely flavour to this dish.

0:44:100:44:13

You've got a very big flavour of the yeast extract, the maca,

0:44:130:44:16

in a very light, textured sauce.

0:44:160:44:19

It's almost too big in flavour,

0:44:190:44:21

but it does work once it's actually on the plate.

0:44:210:44:23

The maca, you know, is sort of malty...

0:44:240:44:27

it goes very well with the hay.

0:44:270:44:29

It is very strong on its own,

0:44:290:44:31

but as a dish it comes together and mellows out.

0:44:310:44:34

I particularly love those gels.

0:44:340:44:36

They taste to me like cider, and then sometimes sharp with apple,

0:44:370:44:42

and then a little bit of sweetness.

0:44:420:44:44

But although I love the rich flavour of that parfait,

0:44:440:44:47

I want it a little firmer than this.

0:44:470:44:49

Mm-hm.

0:44:490:44:50

For dessert, Matt has served a chocolate indulgence

0:44:540:44:57

with set Icelandic yoghurt,

0:44:570:44:59

topped with discs of cherimoya, a custard apple...

0:44:590:45:02

..and a parsnip tuile dusted with citric powder.

0:45:030:45:07

It's brave, it's simple.

0:45:080:45:10

-I just want to dive in.

-Please do!

0:45:110:45:13

You've got the smooth texture of the chocolate underneath,

0:45:240:45:27

and then this yoghurt with the custard apple going through.

0:45:270:45:31

You can taste everything individually, yet very harmonious.

0:45:310:45:35

You've got citric powder across the top of that parsnip,

0:45:360:45:39

which is, it's sharp.

0:45:390:45:40

You've got the custard apple, which is itself slightly sharp.

0:45:400:45:44

That amount of sharpness before the comforting indulgent chocolate is

0:45:440:45:48

just a little too zingy for me.

0:45:480:45:51

The texture of the chocolate is brilliant.

0:45:520:45:55

Interesting ingredients, using a custard apple, the citric acid,

0:45:550:46:00

and then throw a parsnip into the equation.

0:46:000:46:03

Why not? For me, this dessert works a treat.

0:46:030:46:06

Actually stoked, really pleased with the comments that I got.

0:46:100:46:13

Well done, mate.

0:46:140:46:16

To have your food critiqued like that

0:46:160:46:18

is a really pleasurable experience, so, yeah, more of that, please!

0:46:180:46:22

Jamie's main is Iberico presa pork,

0:46:250:46:28

served with morcilla black pudding fritter,

0:46:280:46:31

dates stuffed with smoked almonds wrapped in bacon,

0:46:310:46:36

purple potato mash,

0:46:360:46:37

Bombay mix with puffed pork skins, smoked almonds, dates and apple,

0:46:370:46:43

a smoked ajo blanco - a cold, white, almond soup.

0:46:430:46:47

All finished with a sherry sauce.

0:46:470:46:49

Love, love that date, with the almond.

0:47:030:47:06

Like the texture on the meat, like the seasoning on the meat,

0:47:060:47:09

like the way the sweetness of the date matches the little bit

0:47:090:47:11

of sweetness that you've got in that black pudding.

0:47:110:47:15

I find it delicious.

0:47:150:47:16

I find it absolutely delicious.

0:47:160:47:19

I'm trying really hard,

0:47:190:47:20

but there is nothing I don't like on this plate of food!

0:47:200:47:24

You know, it looks lovely.

0:47:260:47:29

And it's just very cleverly put together,

0:47:290:47:31

and like Gregg, I really like it.

0:47:310:47:33

Thank you.

0:47:330:47:35

I tasted the almond soup on your bench, and it was absolutely delicious.

0:47:360:47:40

Why is there not more of it on this plate? I would eat that

0:47:410:47:44

and feel disappointed that I'd been short-changed,

0:47:440:47:47

but I'd have had a great dish at the same time.

0:47:470:47:49

I like everything about the dish.

0:47:490:47:50

The Bombay mix is delicious.

0:47:500:47:52

You've got your pork scratchings, you've got pork, you've got apple,

0:47:520:47:56

you've got smoked almonds,

0:47:560:47:57

and then you've got the spices running through it.

0:47:570:47:59

And I'll tell you something else, it's the first dish I've ever eaten

0:47:590:48:03

in this kitchen where I've actually enjoyed purple potato.

0:48:030:48:06

For dessert, Jamie has served a yuzu curd with raspberry jam,

0:48:080:48:14

aerated white chocolate, meringues, burnt butter parfait,

0:48:140:48:19

peanut sable and milk ice cream.

0:48:190:48:22

I really like the yuzu coming into this dish.

0:48:300:48:32

It's refreshing, and it's light, and the curd is just delightful.

0:48:320:48:36

And it works very well, I think, with the jam.

0:48:360:48:38

The meringue is beautifully made,

0:48:380:48:40

the ice cream has got lots of flavour to it.

0:48:400:48:43

Really good, very good.

0:48:430:48:44

I've got a custard, and ice cream and a meringue, and they're all wet.

0:48:470:48:53

I just want those flavours to stay in my mouth a little bit longer,

0:48:530:48:57

wrapped around some texture.

0:48:570:48:59

Everything you've put on this plate works very well.

0:48:590:49:01

It is delicious, it's a nice follow-up to your main course.

0:49:010:49:05

I can't find an issue with it at all.

0:49:050:49:08

If this was like the first day, and I'd heard that feedback,

0:49:120:49:16

I'd be thinking, "Get in, I'll smash this, like, when's the next round?"

0:49:160:49:20

Um, but today to feel confident about going straight through is,

0:49:200:49:24

it's not happening right now!

0:49:240:49:26

Finally, it's Stephen.

0:49:280:49:30

He's cooked a glazed chicken breast stuffed with truffle,

0:49:300:49:33

crispy chicken thigh and skin, king oyster mushroom, sweetcorn puree,

0:49:330:49:40

charred sweetcorn salsa, creamed sweetcorn with truffle,

0:49:400:49:44

wilted spinach and a chicken and Madeira sauce.

0:49:440:49:48

The chicken is perfectly cooked. You've even managed

0:50:010:50:03

to shove some truffle into the centre of it as well.

0:50:030:50:06

You've got a side order of sweetcorn covered in truffle - yes, please!

0:50:060:50:11

It's indulgent, it's fresh, it's got a little crunch to it.

0:50:110:50:14

Then you've got this little salsa version,

0:50:140:50:16

bringing some zing into the dish.

0:50:160:50:18

The puree is like silk.

0:50:180:50:20

Stephen, it's brilliant.

0:50:210:50:24

Thank you very much, Chef! Thank you.

0:50:240:50:27

The chicken sauce is slightly sweetened by the Madeira,

0:50:270:50:31

but it's not strong.

0:50:310:50:32

I find the puree has got little hints of saffron coming through it.

0:50:320:50:36

I think it's very clever.

0:50:360:50:37

Thank you very much.

0:50:370:50:39

That's a great dish.

0:50:390:50:40

Sweetcorn, sweetness, a little bit of crunch there,

0:50:400:50:44

the indulgence of truffle, beautifully cooked chicken as well.

0:50:440:50:48

Mate, that is a cracker, you know that.

0:50:480:50:50

That's an absolute cracker.

0:50:500:50:51

Well, that didn't go very well, did it, Stephen?

0:50:520:50:54

-Let's hope for better with the dessert.

-STEPHEN LAUGHS

0:50:540:50:57

For dessert, Stephen has cooked strawberries and cream,

0:50:570:51:01

compressed and wild strawberries,

0:51:010:51:04

strawberry meringue, strawberry curd,

0:51:040:51:08

freeze dried strawberries, Chantilly cream,

0:51:080:51:11

basil jelly and finished with a strawberry consomme.

0:51:110:51:15

You've got the big, fat juicy strawberry.

0:51:280:51:30

You've got the wild strawberries as well, which is more intense flavour

0:51:300:51:33

but not as juicy. You've got strawberry running through the meringue,

0:51:330:51:38

and you've got basil in the leaf and in the jelly as well.

0:51:380:51:41

Finishing on the notes of basil is perfect, absolutely perfect,

0:51:410:51:45

marriage made in heaven.

0:51:450:51:46

Strawberries and basil, throw in some cream - heavenly.

0:51:460:51:50

Everything about this dish, I absolutely adore.

0:51:510:51:54

You've cooked food here at a level that I would consider

0:51:540:51:57

to be at a two-star level.

0:51:570:51:58

I think that went rather well.

0:52:000:52:02

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much, cheers.

0:52:020:52:05

Love it! Well done.

0:52:080:52:10

Smashed it.

0:52:110:52:13

Wow. It's out of this world, them comments.

0:52:130:52:16

-Yeah!

-STEPHEN LAUGHS

0:52:190:52:21

I'm pretty confident that I speak for all three of us here,

0:52:220:52:26

when I say we don't want to lose one of you.

0:52:260:52:29

We really, really do not want to lose one of you.

0:52:290:52:31

I think you have set this competition on fire.

0:52:310:52:33

I'm going to ask you to take a break.

0:52:350:52:36

We have got to make what I think is going to be...

0:52:360:52:39

..a very hard decision.

0:52:410:52:42

Off you go, guys.

0:52:440:52:45

This is not easy at all.

0:52:560:52:58

On what parameters do we judge them, when all three of them,

0:53:010:53:05

as we well know, are incredible?

0:53:050:53:08

What do we do? I don't know.

0:53:080:53:10

I am really stuck.

0:53:100:53:11

There is one chef in here today who I think,

0:53:130:53:16

even in a room of good cooks just looked amazing.

0:53:160:53:18

Dishes looked amazing, tasted amazing -

0:53:180:53:20

and that is Stephen.

0:53:200:53:21

-MONICA:

-Loved Stephen's main course.

0:53:230:53:24

Very inventive, very thoughtful,

0:53:240:53:26

taking something that is very classic,

0:53:260:53:28

your basic match, which is sweetcorn and chicken,

0:53:280:53:31

and elevating it to something very beautiful and delicious.

0:53:310:53:33

Dessert - a delight.

0:53:330:53:34

Strawberries and cream,

0:53:340:53:36

the bitterness of the wild strawberries,

0:53:360:53:38

the lovely jelly from the basil,

0:53:380:53:40

the Chantilly, it's great.

0:53:400:53:42

I mean, there's just nothing not to like about it.

0:53:420:53:45

He's excelled.

0:53:450:53:46

I really enjoyed Jamie's pork dish.

0:53:470:53:51

Really liked the sauce, even liked the little purple potatoes.

0:53:510:53:55

Thought it was a delicious, delicious pork dish.

0:53:550:53:57

Really enjoyed the Bombay mix, loved the seasoning.

0:53:570:54:00

Love the freshness of the little apple going through it as well.

0:54:000:54:02

The dessert is a dessert that I absolutely adore.

0:54:020:54:06

The yuzu with the raspberry centre, so easy to eat and enjoy.

0:54:060:54:10

White chocolate, crunchy white chocolate was excellent,

0:54:100:54:13

and that beautiful sorbet, milk sorbet.

0:54:130:54:15

But I thought it was lacking in texture.

0:54:150:54:18

-MONICA:

-I enjoyed Matt's main course.

0:54:200:54:22

The guinea fowl dish with the flavours of hay running through it,

0:54:220:54:25

the flavours of malt and also the yeast extract,

0:54:250:54:28

I thought it was very clever.

0:54:280:54:30

I've still got an issue with the texture of his parfait.

0:54:300:54:36

That was almost like a sauce.

0:54:360:54:38

That hadn't set.

0:54:380:54:40

Was that an error?

0:54:400:54:41

Or was it supposed to be?

0:54:410:54:43

But then you go to his dessert.

0:54:430:54:45

Wow. Pure brilliance.

0:54:450:54:47

What wasn't there to like about it?

0:54:470:54:50

The chocolate, the richness, the smoothness at the bottom,

0:54:500:54:53

and then the yoghurt and the custard apple on top.

0:54:530:54:56

And then that very clever parsnip with the citric acid.

0:54:560:54:59

We both loved that dessert.

0:54:590:55:01

I think this is the most brutal elimination stage.

0:55:010:55:06

If it's not enough, then I'll be proud of what I've done, but, yeah,

0:55:060:55:08

I'm not ready to go home yet.

0:55:080:55:11

For me to get through to finals week would be mind-blowing.

0:55:110:55:15

Just thinking about it puts a smile on my face,

0:55:150:55:17

and I hope I can get there. I hope I've done enough.

0:55:170:55:19

I'd be devastated if I went home today.

0:55:190:55:22

If somebody goes and gets 100% feedback on both dishes...

0:55:220:55:25

..then that's it. Taxi.

0:55:260:55:29

We have three very talented chefs here,

0:55:290:55:31

who have cooked at a level that you normally see in a final.

0:55:310:55:35

How on earth do we take two forward...

0:55:350:55:39

..and say goodbye to one?

0:55:400:55:42

Today has been absolutely incredible, outstanding cookery,

0:56:000:56:04

true professionals all three of you.

0:56:040:56:06

This judging has been tough, really tough, and just so close.

0:56:100:56:15

The chef leaving us...

0:56:230:56:25

..is Matt.

0:56:330:56:34

Best of luck, guys.

0:56:360:56:37

Cheers, man.

0:56:370:56:40

Good job, man.

0:56:400:56:42

Thank you very much, Chef, it's been a pleasure.

0:56:440:56:46

You've got a great future in front of you, Matt.

0:56:460:56:48

You've absolutely excelled yourself in this competition,

0:56:480:56:50

and you've grown into a fabulous young chef.

0:56:500:56:52

-Thank you very much, Chef. It's a pleasure.

-Well done.

0:56:520:56:55

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

0:56:550:56:56

I knew today was going to be super, super tough.

0:57:010:57:03

They're all exceptional talents.

0:57:030:57:07

All my dishes have had like a talking point

0:57:070:57:09

and that was no exception today.

0:57:090:57:11

I've learnt a lot.

0:57:130:57:14

It's probably one of the best experiences I've ever had.

0:57:140:57:17

Jamie, Stephen, you are in finals week!

0:57:190:57:24

Just overwhelmed with emotion at the moment.

0:57:300:57:32

I need to let it settle in and I think like ten o'clock tonight,

0:57:320:57:35

a massive grin will just come across my face and I'll be like,

0:57:350:57:38

"Oh, my God, that actually happened today!"

0:57:380:57:41

-STEPHEN:

-To be in the final four of MasterChef,

0:57:410:57:43

just hearing that sounds crazy.

0:57:430:57:45

There's no words for it to explain it, it's just an amazing feeling.

0:57:450:57:49

Congratulations!

0:57:490:57:50

-Thank you.

-Well done, boys.

0:57:500:57:52

-Cheers.

-Congratulations.

-Well done.

-Thank you very much.

0:57:520:57:55

Tomorrow night, the semifinals continue,

0:57:590:58:03

as the second group of chefs take on one of the most

0:58:030:58:05

prestigious two-star kitchens in the world -

0:58:050:58:10

Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

0:58:100:58:12

I need you to pick up the pace, I need you to find a second gear,

0:58:120:58:15

third gear, fourth gear would be great.

0:58:150:58:17

Only the best will go through to the finals.

0:58:170:58:20

There are things in life that just come natural.

0:58:230:58:25

I think cookery comes natural to you.

0:58:250:58:28

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