0:00:02 > 0:00:0748 chefs from across the UK are putting their reputations on the line...
0:00:09 > 0:00:10..in a bid to become...
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Professional MasterChef Champion.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Tonight, six more hopefuls compete to impress
0:00:20 > 0:00:22judge Gregg Wallace,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25renowned chef Monica Galetti,
0:00:25 > 0:00:28and two Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35The competition is one of the best in the country,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37so it's definitely great to be a part of it.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41Every single person that entered into this competition wants to win it,
0:00:41 > 0:00:43and it's something that I'd definitely love to
0:00:43 > 0:00:44be able to achieve.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47I don't like losing.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50There's no point in taking part if you're not in it to win.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54This is a massive opportunity.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56I can't wait to see what they're going to produce.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00They're going to have to come in here and show us something special.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Six chefs outside that door,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12- waiting to find out what you're going to throw at them.- Yup.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14This is the 20-minute test, what are you going to get them to do?
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I'm going to get them to make us any pasta dish.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19They've got to prep and use these prawns...
0:01:20 > 0:01:23..and I would like them to use some of the ingredients off the larder,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25to make us a fabulous sauce.
0:01:25 > 0:01:29The key skills I am looking for is going to be the pasta rolling.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33The other skill is going to be the preparation and the cooking of these prawns.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37I hope that they keep it classic and simple.
0:01:38 > 0:01:39It's all right, classic and simple,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42but it's also nice to push the boat out a bit.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44- Ooh.- A little bit.- Really?
0:01:44 > 0:01:46- Yeah, absolutely.- Yeah.- You guys push the boat out if you want,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48I'll have a paddle by the seashore, OK?
0:01:48 > 0:01:50MONICA LAUGHS
0:01:50 > 0:01:52- Show us how it's done. - Right. OK, so,
0:01:52 > 0:01:54first we are going to prep tiger prawns.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I am going to make a sauce using the heads and the shells.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03So, I've only got 20 minutes, but I want a really deep, rich sauce.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05One of the best lessons I learnt from you two,
0:02:05 > 0:02:10is use the trimmings to enhance flavour.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13So now, a little bit of chopped shallot.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15Garlic.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21This, now, is just all about getting as much flavour out of these ingredients as possible.
0:02:22 > 0:02:23SIZZLING
0:02:23 > 0:02:25A little touch more salt, because I've added more ingredients.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29- Twist of pepper.- I'm really enjoying watching this.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31A little piece of chilli, tomato paste.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35Now I'm going to have some brandy.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44You'll nearly end up with a haircut like mine, Chef.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45Oh!
0:02:45 > 0:02:48It's very important that you burn off that raw alcohol flavour.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56That is immediately giving off a strong aroma, it's really powerful.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Take the tiger prawns, score down the outside...
0:02:59 > 0:03:05We'd expect all our chefs to be able to prepare prawns and, of course, remove the intestinal shoot from it.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09You don't want to be eating that when you're eating your pasta dish.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11I'm now going to start making the pasta.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14I mean, we're giving them the pasta dough here.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19Every chef should be able to roll it out and give us some kind of pasta.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21- You'd hope so, wouldn't you? - You would.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26So, what I'm going to be making is a tagliatelle.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Our chefs could make pieces of pasta, they could cut it out, they could make a ravioli,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31they could make tagliatelle, thick tagliatelle,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34they could even cut it into all different shapes if they wished.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41The reason why I've chosen tagliatelle is because
0:03:41 > 0:03:45I want a pasta dish where the sauce is going to wrap around the pasta.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50The other skill is going to be the cooking of these prawns.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I don't want them overcooked, they are going to turn to rubber.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55They can't be undercooked either.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59So, just looking, just to colour them.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02That is a very pretty, pink pan.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04And those little prawns, they're a-calling to me.
0:04:05 > 0:04:10My sauce has got a really great consistency to it now, so I'm just going to pass that out.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14It's a beautiful - it's almost bronze-colour, look at it.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Just into the prawns, a little bit of chilli.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Sage, a touch of preserved lemon.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23And a little bit of sauce.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28You want it to be nice and sticky.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30You are making me very hungry.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37It's really nice al dente.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40So, I just put a little bit of sauce into the pan.
0:04:40 > 0:04:41Just going to drop my pasta into there.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43The most important thing with the pasta now
0:04:43 > 0:04:45is you want it really coated in the sauce.
0:04:46 > 0:04:52- That's it, it's good to go. There's no posh way of serving this, this is just straight in the bowl.- No.- No.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02There we are. There we are.
0:05:02 > 0:05:03There we go.
0:05:05 > 0:05:06Yum!
0:05:06 > 0:05:09Tagliatelle of pasta, with prawns and prawn sauce.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11- Nice.- It certainly is, Chef.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12It certainly is.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14And I know that you like your Italian food.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Oh, yeah, I really do.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Have I got a big enough bit, Chef? - Yeah.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30Mmm!
0:05:33 > 0:05:36The prawns, of course, have that natural sweetness.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40The pasta has got just the right amount of give,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43but the quality and strength and depth of that sauce is beautiful.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47I do love the lemon coming through, the preserved lemon.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49And, of course, the cooking of the prawns, they are just perfect.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51It looks like a simple plate of food,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53but it does take a lot of skill to get it right.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54I think, actually,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58the real challenge here is for them to take a simple bowl of pasta,
0:05:58 > 0:06:02as you've done, and elevate it to smart restaurant level.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04That's the challenge.
0:06:04 > 0:06:05Let's get the chefs in,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08I'm fascinated to see what they're going to make of this, fascinated.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09Me too.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16The first to face the Skills Test, is South African-born Neil...
0:06:17 > 0:06:22..who is currently a head chef at a hotel restaurant in West Sussex.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28I started cooking when I was 15, and I've never done any other jobs,
0:06:28 > 0:06:31it's what I love to do, it's what I'm passionate about doing.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36I first started my career in the Ritz Hotel and then went to Claridge's Hotel.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38It's sort of instilled into me
0:06:38 > 0:06:41the absolute discipline that is needed in the kitchen.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46I'm really looking forward to cooking for the masters of our industry.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Service, please.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51They'll give their honest feedback, so, yeah, I'm looking forward to it.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57- Neil, welcome.- Thank you very much. - How are you feeling?
0:06:57 > 0:06:59A little bit apprehensive, a little bit nervous,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02I'm not going to lie, but, yeah, looking forward to it.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04- This is a 20-minute skills test. - Mm-hmm.
0:07:04 > 0:07:09- Neil, the dish I'd like you to cook is a pasta dish using those tiger prawns.- Yep.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11And I'd like you to make a sauce, as well, to go with it,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14using some of the ingredients behind you.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16- No problem.- You know what you're doing?
0:07:16 > 0:07:18- I hope so, yeah.- Over to you, Chef.
0:07:18 > 0:07:1920 minutes, start now.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28So, Neil, work with pasta a lot?
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Not a great deal, I have a little bit of experience.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33Obviously worked with a lot of Italian chefs,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and sort of picked up the trade from them, really, to be honest.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46I'm really looking forward to cooking for them today,
0:07:46 > 0:07:47and just showcasing what I'm capable of.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53So, Neil, what type of dish are you making?
0:07:53 > 0:07:54I'm just going to do, like, a little,
0:07:54 > 0:07:57simple tagliatelle pasta with some fresh prawns,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00little bit of speck lard on, cherry tomatoes, and sort of like, a creamy,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02creamy-style sauce.
0:08:04 > 0:08:05I like a prawn with my brandy.
0:08:05 > 0:08:06NEIL LAUGHS
0:08:07 > 0:08:10- You've had eight minutes, Neil. - Eight minutes, lovely.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Where are you?
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Probably about four minutes from starting to cook my pasta
0:08:25 > 0:08:29and then it's just a last-minute put everything together.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31Going to slowly start cooking my prawns now, as well.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48You've got just three minutes.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52- You doing OK?- Yeah, I'm getting there.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Just finishing cooking the pasta now.
0:09:03 > 0:09:04Other one, other one.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17You've got a minute, all right, you need to get it in a bowl, finish it up.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28- Listen, time's up, so wipe your plate, that's it, that's the end, you're done.- Yep.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- OK?- Excellent.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Neil has cooked prawn and tomato tagliatelle.
0:09:39 > 0:09:45Served with lardons, lime zest and a shellfish and brandy sauce.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48I like your sauce-making.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Your working was good, your attitude was good.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Your dressing of the plate is something else.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56A bowl of pasta is a bowl of pasta.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59You can't really dress it up with a fork.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02The preparing of the prawns, you can leave the tails on.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05But you didn't remove the intestinal shoot on the back.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16I like the process of what you are trying to do with the sauce
0:10:16 > 0:10:18but I thought the method was a bit backward.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20The herbs going in later, the chopped shallots
0:10:20 > 0:10:22going in afterwards.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25But I like what you were trying to put together here.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28- GREGG:- There's a little bit of sweetness of shallot.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31There's good seasoning and there's a slight hint of garlic.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33The pasta is cooked.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34I like your flavours.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36I like the texture of your pasta.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Neil, you've got a great approach to the kitchen.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I'm actually quite looking forward to seeing you cook again.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45- I think you have potential, Neil. We'll find out later.- We sure will.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- See you in the next round.- Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58He's OK. He's comfortable.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04I felt quite happy, to be honest.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07It was really a privilege for Marcus to say,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09"I like the way you work in the kitchen."
0:11:09 > 0:11:12That means more than anything, so I'm quite happy with that.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Yeah.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Next is 27-year-old head chef Richard...
0:11:23 > 0:11:27..who works at a hotel restaurant in Ayrshire, Scotland.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31My father and my two uncles are chefs.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34I learnt a lot from my uncle David. I was a kitchen porter.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36It turned out I wasn't very good at being a kitchen porter.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39And I got a choice. "Do you want to be a trainee chef, son?"
0:11:39 > 0:11:42So I did. It's a lot of hard work.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45But it really did come natural.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I think I'm capable of winning.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52I think I've got a good plan in my head,
0:11:52 > 0:11:57the right skills, the right basic training and the right habits.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02So, I'm hoping, you know, if I can get by that quarterfinal stage,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05you know, I'll get my teeth right into it.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Richard, I would like you to make a pasta dish using prawns,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14garnish and a sauce of your choosing.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17- Excellent.- 20 minutes. Do you understand the test?
0:12:17 > 0:12:19- Yes.- Off you go, chef.- Thank you.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- Do you make lots of pasta? - Occasionally we do.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35From raviolis to fresh tagliatelle.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Could you tell me exactly what it is you're making, please?
0:12:50 > 0:12:54King prawn tagliatelle with a fish veloute, cherry tomatoes and basil.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59You're halfway, Richard.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Ten minutes left. Plenty of time, right?
0:13:02 > 0:13:03Yeah, well, yeah!
0:13:08 > 0:13:11Why are you hand cutting it and not cutting it through the machine?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14I'm actually just - I'll be honest with you,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I never even noticed there was a ribbon attachment. Sorry.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27- Stuck together, right?- Yes.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33You've got just five minutes to finish the prawns,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35to finish the pasta and get it all together.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43- Come on. Get a move on, chef, please.- Sorry, guys. Yeah.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49You've got just two minutes left, Richard.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52- You're going to have to shift. - Yeah. Come on.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Whatever you want it to be, it's got to be served now.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04You're out of time.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07- Can't believe it! - You can't serve it?
0:14:07 > 0:14:09I need just a wee quick boil with that sauce.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- Go on, then.- Sorry, guys.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Do you want to give that plate a quick wipe?
0:14:22 > 0:14:24- There we go. You done?- Yep.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35Richard has cooked prawn and tomato tagliatelle...
0:14:37 > 0:14:39..with a creamy lemon and fish sauce.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44The working method started off OK and then, again,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46I think the dish just got the better of you, I think.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49- Yep, I would agree.- A little bit of confusion in areas,
0:14:49 > 0:14:53form rolling out the pasta to making your sauce.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56It's not really an accomplished dish, and that's without tasting,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- Richard.- Mm.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Pasta's cooked OK for me. It's got the right amount of give,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12that's absolutely fine. Prawns are OK. Got a bit of give to them.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15The sauce, I don't like, Richard, I'm really sorry.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- MONICA:- The sauce is not right.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21It's so sharp in lemon, it's all you can taste.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23I think the best thing would have been just a bowl of pasta.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25It's nicely cooked, it's been cooked well.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Everything else doesn't fit on this dish.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33- GREGG:- Plenty of chefs are disappointed at this stage and then go on
0:15:33 > 0:15:35to do really good dishes in the next stage.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37That's down to you, of course. Richard, we'll see you
0:15:37 > 0:15:39- in the next round. - Thank you. Thank you.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51It never went as well as I'd hoped.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56I would do it completely differently, had I started again,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59if I'm honest. And get in the right mindframe and go there
0:15:59 > 0:16:00and do what I know I can do.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Italian-born junior sous-chef Claudia...
0:16:09 > 0:16:12..has been a professional cook for just six years.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I stopped my career as a journalist six years ago
0:16:17 > 0:16:19and I start my new career as a chef.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Because I've always been passionate about food.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27I grew up in Umbria, so it's at the heart of Italy,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30a kind of deep passion to do food.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37When I create a dish, I use everything - art, music, emotion,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39and a touch of romanticism.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43Serve this, please. That way, we can put some love inside the plate.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49This is a 20-minute skills test, all right?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Remember to breathe, all right?
0:16:51 > 0:16:55- I will. I will.- Claudia, I'd like you to make us a pasta dish...
0:16:55 > 0:16:58- OK.- ..of your choosing, with those prawns,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00a sauce and garnish of your choice
0:17:00 > 0:17:03- from some of the ingredients behind you.- Off you go.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23You've made pasta before, Claudia?
0:17:23 > 0:17:26- Yes.- OK.- Deep breath, OK?
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Be a chef, yeah? You know how to make pasta...
0:17:29 > 0:17:31- Yes, I know.- Yeah, so, you know.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- GREGG:- You probably made pasta before you were a chef, right?
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I made pasta with my grandma and, probably,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39she's going to kill me if I do something wrong.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41That's for sure!
0:17:44 > 0:17:46- Nine minutes left.- Wow.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- Did your grandmother teach you to cook?- Er, yeah.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56- Was she a good cook?- She was.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Claudia, you have three minutes left.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25One minute.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Right, come on, finish now.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36- Yes.- Finish.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Chilli on. Time's up.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41- Done?- Yes.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43- Finished?- Yeah, finished.- OK.
0:18:45 > 0:18:46Phew, wow.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53Claudia has made hand-cut tagliatelle, with chopped prawns,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55tomatoes and chilli,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58topped with two whole prawns.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Claudia, the pasta's not been rolled down properly,
0:19:04 > 0:19:06so it's still quite thick in parts.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10And you cut it by hand, which is fine - I cut pasta by hand as well -
0:19:10 > 0:19:11but they've all got to still be even.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23I like the prawns. I like the prawns and the sweetness of the tomato,
0:19:23 > 0:19:24I do, but where's the pepper?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Where's the chilli? Where's the more flavour?
0:19:27 > 0:19:30There is no sauce. The flavour is just fish stock.
0:19:32 > 0:19:33You struggled, didn't you?
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- Yeah.- Chin up, eh?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38- And come back fighting later, all right?- Yes, I will.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Off you go.
0:19:49 > 0:19:50Ooh!
0:19:51 > 0:19:52That's not good.
0:19:53 > 0:19:54That's not good.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Wow.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Erm... I was really nervous.
0:20:04 > 0:20:05I can't believe...
0:20:05 > 0:20:09I can't believe I mistake pasta, which is my DNA.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11I really can't believe that.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Probably, my grandma, she's going to kill me, to mistake pasta.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19That's for sure.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24Next up is Steven...
0:20:27 > 0:20:29..a 25-year-old sous-chef...
0:20:30 > 0:20:33..working for a private catering firm in London.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I've been a chef for ten years now.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39It's a long time.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Yeah, I always wanted to be a chef since I was young.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46First got into it when I used to cook for my mum.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I used to love it. And then I went to school.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Obviously, I loved doing it there.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52It's the only GCSE I got!
0:20:56 > 0:21:00I want to prove to myself that I'm able to be up there with the best...
0:21:02 > 0:21:04..and I can cook with the best.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09I'm up for a fight. I'm going to take it to them.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16How do you feel about this challenge, Steven?
0:21:16 > 0:21:18A bit nervous, now that I'm here.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21But, yeah, hopefully I can do it and smash it out.
0:21:21 > 0:21:2420 minutes, Steven - pasta, prawn. Off you go.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36- Right, Stevie, what's the plan? - I'm going to make a ravioli
0:21:36 > 0:21:38and I'm going to put some fresh herbs in there.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40And I'm going to make a sauce. I'm going to put the shells in.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43- A prawn ravioli?- Indeed.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53What made you enter MasterChef, then, Steven?
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Erm, my girlfriend, actually.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- Oh.- She's the one that was pushing me to do it.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00How do you feel about that now?
0:22:00 > 0:22:02- Yeah.- Right now?- Is she still going to be
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- your girlfriend after this? - Yeah, I think so.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13You're halfway, you're going to have to shift if you want
0:22:13 > 0:22:15to make ravioli. You've got ten minutes left.
0:22:23 > 0:22:27- How do you click it in?- It's clicking out.- Yeah, it's just...
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- Oh, it's going that way. - OK, now, Steven?- Yeah.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36- How many are you making?- Sorry.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42You've only got three minutes.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Probably got less than a minute now, Steve.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56- Is it cooked, Steven? - Probably about a minute off.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59You've run out of time, but we can give you another minute.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- Shall we have it on a plate, please? - Yeah.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20- OK, all done?- Yep.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Sorry.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Steven has cooked a raviolo with a prawn, parsley,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32lemon and lime zest filling...
0:23:34 > 0:23:39..served with spring onion and a brandy and cream shellfish sauce.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- That wasn't great, Steven, watching you roll pasta. It was...- Yeah.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46I felt for you there. Is that how you normally make it?
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Definitely not. It's just nerves, I guess.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51You've got to get rid of nerves...
0:23:51 > 0:23:53- Yeah.- You've got to put them to one side.- Yeah.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07The ravioli filling, yeah, it's cooked, but it's not right.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It needs to be broken down a bit more.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12And the sauce is nondescript.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16The pasta's good. It's perfectly sealed.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18And the pasta's good enough for me.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21But the taste is weird. It's far too salty.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25And it's got lime in it, so it tastes like it's Asian, Thai.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29But, of course, there's cream then, which you wouldn't find with Thai.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34- Yeah.- Steven, I'm really willing to accept that this isn't how you work,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37just by the look of such utter disappointment on your face.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39You've still got the next round. But, wow,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42you're going to have to leave your nerves in that changing room.
0:24:42 > 0:24:43Yep.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47- Steven, off you go.- Thank you.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57I think he's much better than this, I really do. I really do.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07I wasn't nervous up until the point when I walked through that door,
0:25:07 > 0:25:08and then - boom!
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Your mind goes completely blank.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I just need to impress them in the next round and, hopefully,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19they like my food and my cooking - eventually!
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- Hello.- Hi, David.- Next is 26-year-old David,
0:25:28 > 0:25:29from South Wales...
0:25:31 > 0:25:34..currently working as a development chef, devising restaurant menus.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39I basically go into people's kitchens,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41help them with menu developments,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and anything to make their kitchen a success.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49It's different to your normal chef's job.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51You get to, you know, explore,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55you know, different dishes, different...new ingredients,
0:25:55 > 0:25:56create different recipes,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59and you implement them in different restaurants.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I feel that I've got enough knowledge
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and I can deal with pressure,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09so this is why I've put myself into this.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16Welcome, David. This is a 20-minute skills test.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18- OK.- Off you go.- Yeah.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24What pasta are you thinking of making, David?
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Erm, I'm just thinking of a tagliatelle.- Oh, OK.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- Are you Welsh? - Er, half-Welsh, half-Italian.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Who's Italian - your mum or your father?
0:26:49 > 0:26:52My dad is from the southern region, Naples.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- You have got nine minutes left, David.- Yeah.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11David, can I ask you why you hand-cut it and not machine-cut it?
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I'm trying to bring on, like, a sort of like a pappardelle.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16Righto.
0:27:21 > 0:27:22- You've got four minutes.- Yep.
0:27:33 > 0:27:34- Finito?- Yeah. Si.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37Thank you.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41David has made a pappardelle pasta...
0:27:43 > 0:27:47..with prawns, courgettes, lardons and chilli.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Nice to see you actually cut pasta, which was good.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Prawns prepped nice - shells off, heads off, and you took out
0:27:53 > 0:27:56- the intestine tube as well, which is always a good sign.- Yes, Chef.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09Like your pasta, like the flavour, love the little bit of chilli in
0:28:09 > 0:28:12there, love the good seasoning. However, this is
0:28:12 > 0:28:15MasterChef: The Professionals and you've got to cook
0:28:15 > 0:28:17like you're going to send it out to customers,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20and I don't believe you'd send it out as scruffy as this.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- No.- Not a good dish, David, unfortunately.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26The prawns are overcooked. The pasta is not cooked very well either.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30It is something you would make at home, which is fine,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33but you've got to bring it to another level here for us.
0:28:33 > 0:28:35- OK.- OK?
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Don't beat yourself up too much.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39- See you in the next round. - Thank you very much.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51I hope he's cooking something Italian in the next round.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Definitely a bit annoyed I didn't, er, execute it properly.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04I'm going to come back strong in the next round.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Last up is 33-year-old Ben...
0:29:13 > 0:29:17..who's been a head chef at a two-Rosette brasserie
0:29:17 > 0:29:19in Oxfordshire for the past three years.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26The style of food I like to cook is quite rustic.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Very homely. Modern British classics, with a bit of a twist.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34What I love about food is everything, really.
0:29:34 > 0:29:36It's making people happy with your food.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40It's a social event, it brings people together.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44It's a competition I never thought I'd enter and...
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Service, please! ..after a few years,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49I think I've finally built the confidence up to
0:29:49 > 0:29:51give it a go, really. Only time will tell!
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Hello.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59- Big smiley face, Ben. You're obviously happy.- Yeah, very.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01- Very happy.- Off you go.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09Much pasta on where you work?
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Er, yeah, we like to use as much fresh pasta as possible.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15Nice squid-ink linguini and stuff like that.
0:30:15 > 0:30:16That's encouraging.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30Tell me what it is that you're going to make for us.
0:30:30 > 0:30:37I'm going to make a creamy prawn, chilli and ginger, garlic sauce.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39- Right, OK.- With fresh tagliatelle.
0:30:39 > 0:30:40OK.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45You know you've only had five minutes? You're doing fine.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Thank you.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02So, why MasterChef, Ben?
0:31:02 > 0:31:06Er, I thought I would try and push myself a little bit further,
0:31:06 > 0:31:09to see where I'm at as a chef personally.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12I've never entered a competition before, so I thought, hopefully...
0:31:12 > 0:31:14- And you thought this would be the one?!- Er, yeah, if you're
0:31:14 > 0:31:17going to do it, I think try and push yourself in at the deep end a bit.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20- Wow!- Although I'm regretting it a little bit now.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Yeah. Try and enjoy what you're doing, though, Ben.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- Thank you.- You know? You're saying it's not as nice as you thought it
0:31:25 > 0:31:27would be, that's because you're nervous.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29- Yeah. Very.- We've never met before.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32If we'd known each other, you'd be a bit more relaxed, wouldn't you?
0:31:32 > 0:31:35- I think so.- OK. Well, now we know each other, can you relax?
0:31:35 > 0:31:36Yeah! Yes, Chef!
0:31:38 > 0:31:39Great advice!
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Good?
0:31:45 > 0:31:46Lovely pasta. Perfect.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58You've got five minutes left.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02- Thank you.- What's that, fish sauce? - Yeah, just a little.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Er, you had your raw prawns on that. Ben, you've just put your cooked
0:32:14 > 0:32:17- prawns back on the tray with the... - Yeah.- ..where the raw prawns were.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Yeah. Silly, schoolboy mistake.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23- Can you put them back in the pan, then, yeah?- Yes, Chef.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34You've got 90 seconds to get this out, on and in.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36Yes.
0:32:46 > 0:32:47- All done?- Yep.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Ben has made prawn tagliatelle...
0:32:54 > 0:33:00..with a chilli, ginger, lime and cream sauce, topped with basil.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03It's not a pasta that's coated in sauce.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05It needed all to come together as one in a pan.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07- Mm-hm.- At least, anyway.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Prawns are cooked OK. Pasta's cooked OK.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20It's a very unusual combination of East meets West.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Because I'm getting fish sauce, ginger, chilli -
0:33:24 > 0:33:28all the flavours I would expect from an Asian noodle dish.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31But then I've got cream, olive oil, basil -
0:33:31 > 0:33:36all the things that I would expect to find in an Italian pasta dish.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38And, er, it's a bit of a clash, Ben.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42Ben, you've got to come back fighting in the next round
0:33:42 > 0:33:45- and show us that you mean business. - Fingers crossed I can do it.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47- See you, then.- Thank you.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Yeah, I don't know what he was thinking.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57I don't know what he was thinking.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03Awful!
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Terrible. Such a bad round.
0:34:05 > 0:34:06Not a great start.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10I've done a fair few pasta dishes before, definitely,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13but I think the nerves and I just went...
0:34:13 > 0:34:14completely blank.
0:34:16 > 0:34:17Right, six bowls of pasta.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22One particularly good pasta, I think, and that was Neil,
0:34:22 > 0:34:23our South African.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28And then we had one attempt at ravioli, which was more ambitious.
0:34:28 > 0:34:33After that, I think it may well be a case of a fair amount of nerves.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37- MONICA:- We are disappointed. We want them to come into this kitchen
0:34:37 > 0:34:39- and impress us and do themselves proud.- They need to
0:34:39 > 0:34:42pull their socks up, they need to get their head together.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45If this competition has taught me anything,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47- it's that things can change.- Mm.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18Now you're cooking your own food and you should fall
0:35:18 > 0:35:19into your own comfort zone -
0:35:19 > 0:35:22with confidence, clarity and a little bit of flair.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26Your cooking now is all about your signature dish.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31You really do have to cook from the heart and excite us
0:35:31 > 0:35:33with what you've got planned for today.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39An hour and 15 minutes to prove just how talented you are.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42At the end of this, three of you will be going home.
0:35:42 > 0:35:43Off you go.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01The judges definitely haven't seen me at my best, no doubt about that.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07I just want to prove that I can cook and I can do it under pressure.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Ben, you looked a bit lost at the end of the last round.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13How are you feeling now?
0:36:13 > 0:36:16Er, a bit more comfortable cooking my own food, I think.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19- I hope, yeah.- MONICA:- It's good to hear. What's the dish?
0:36:19 > 0:36:24Loin of lamb, with pea and mint fregola, charred baby gem lettuce,
0:36:24 > 0:36:26lamb sauce and asparagus.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29What is it about this dish that I've not seen or tasted before?
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Nothing, really, I think you've tasted and seen a lot.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35But I'm just hoping to cook the lamb perfectly and make sure that
0:36:35 > 0:36:38everything tastes as it should and is absolutely delicious.
0:36:38 > 0:36:39OK.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47Ben is cooking a saddle of lamb and he's serving it
0:36:47 > 0:36:49with peas and mint fregola.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52So, it's sort of small, little pieces of pasta,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54and he's going to cook as if it was a risotto,
0:36:54 > 0:36:56which is an interesting idea.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Ben is making a lamb sauce from all of the bones,
0:36:59 > 0:37:03the trimmings, the fat, and he's also using white wine.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Fantastic! That is the wine I want to see in a lamb sauce.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Ben had a tough round in your skills test,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14but he does look much more comfortable cooking his own food.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22The skills test was a good wake-up call that we're here to actually
0:37:22 > 0:37:23compete in a competition.
0:37:25 > 0:37:26One more chance to cook for them,
0:37:26 > 0:37:30and I need to make sure it's spot-on, or else I'm going home.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- So, what are you making?- So, I'm doing whole lobster with potatoes,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38apples, in a rich shellfish sauce.
0:37:38 > 0:37:42There's no... No gigs, no, no...
0:37:42 > 0:37:46big machines, no kit, no... It's just simple, honest cooking,
0:37:46 > 0:37:48and I'm hoping that I impress youse today.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50Where do the apples come into play, please, Richard?
0:37:50 > 0:37:52I like apples with shellfish,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54so that's really my influence for today's effort.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57And make sure they marry well together and they're balanced well.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59What do you want to happen today?
0:37:59 > 0:38:02I hope youse enjoy what I cook for youse.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05And maybe be invited back again.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07- Well, that's the key, and that's down to you.- Yeah, very much so.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Richard, he's got apple gel, confit apples,
0:38:13 > 0:38:16there's also an apple puree going with this lobster dish.
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Does it work? I have no idea.
0:38:18 > 0:38:22My mind is sort of saying, "No, don't do that to the lobster!"
0:38:23 > 0:38:26The key to lobster cookery is, when you're blanching it,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28you've got to make sure you don't overdo it.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30You still almost want it sort of half-cooked,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33so you can finish off the cooking just before you serve the lobster.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37Lobster overcooks, it's tough and chewy.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39The dish will be ruined. No matter what garnishes you put with it,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41it will not come back together.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Guys, you've had 15 minutes, you've got an hour left.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57My dish is raw, from start to finish.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01I'm definitely taking a risk, erm...
0:39:01 > 0:39:04And, yeah, time will tell. Yeah.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Neil, you didn't have a bad first round, did you?
0:39:07 > 0:39:09You showed a bit of potential, I think.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12Er, yeah, I'd like to think so, a little bit there. So, yeah.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- So, what are you going to do now? - A ceviche of scallop,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17with compressed apples, a little bit of apple gel,
0:39:17 > 0:39:19and a little bit of orange in the dish as well there,
0:39:19 > 0:39:22with some edible garlic chive flowers and red-veined sorrel.
0:39:22 > 0:39:24So there's going to be no cooking today?
0:39:24 > 0:39:27It's just going to be raw ingredients, treated in the best,
0:39:27 > 0:39:28most natural form and...
0:39:28 > 0:39:31I know, I know... I know what you mean, I know what a ceviche is,
0:39:31 > 0:39:35- I'm just quite surprised.- Yeah. - I...I would liken it
0:39:35 > 0:39:37to one of the best things I could eat...
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- Mm-hmm.- ..for dessert ever... - Yep.- ..would be a bowl
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- of ripe strawberries in the sunshine.- There you go.
0:39:42 > 0:39:46But it would not demonstrate any cookery skill on my part.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48- Mm. I understand.- There's the risk. - There is the risk, yes, definitely.
0:39:50 > 0:39:51Brave lad, Neil!
0:39:55 > 0:40:00I am really surprised at this because there's no cooking.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03He's used his scallops for his ceviche and it's just a marinade.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08From adding the marinade onto the scallop to serving it to us,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10timing has to be perfect.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14If it's too soon, the scallops will be cooked and won't be edible.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18I am a huge fan of ceviches.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21I want something absolutely knockout.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24It's got to be THE most stunning ceviche we've ever seen.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- If you make a mess, you've got to clear it up.- I will do.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41My signature dish, it's the dish that's always cooked
0:40:41 > 0:40:44with my grandma every Sunday.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49What I really wish, if some of the judge said, like,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52"I can feel your region, I can feel your heart,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55"I can feel where you're coming from."
0:40:55 > 0:40:58This is probably the best compliment that I can have.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03- What is this dish, please? - It's going to be pigeon breast,
0:41:03 > 0:41:07- with pan bagnato, and salt-baked beetroot.- What's pan bagnato?
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Er, pan bagnato is, er, bread,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12basically - soaks the juice of the pigeon.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14That sounds delicious.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Um, this dish is inspired by cooking with your grandma?
0:41:17 > 0:41:19- Yeah.- That's very sweet.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22Does she also serve the raspberry sauce as well with the pigeon?
0:41:22 > 0:41:24No, it's my idea.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27Grandmother is just pigeon cooked like this.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Do you think Grandma would like your interpretation of her dish?
0:41:30 > 0:41:33I think so. Er, if the pigeon is cooked well, yes.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40I'm a big fan of pigeon.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43She's got salt-baked beetroot, which I love as well.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Goes very, very well with pigeon.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47And she's also got raspberry sauce going with it.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Raspberry sauce does work, if it's not too strong.
0:41:50 > 0:41:55Personally, I'd enjoy this dish without the raspberry sauce,
0:41:55 > 0:41:58I don't think it needs it. But, you know, it's her take, I'm curious.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Guys, you're around halfway.
0:42:04 > 0:42:05You've got 35 minutes left, OK?
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Yeah, I'm feeling confident about the dish.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15I think they're going to like it and it's something I've practised
0:42:15 > 0:42:16on a regular basis.
0:42:16 > 0:42:20The only pressure is going to be on myself to produce the best dish
0:42:20 > 0:42:22of my capability.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25- What are you cooking today?- I'm cooking, er, pan-fried sea bass,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28with a chorizo and bean cassoulet, and a crispy hen's egg,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- and some asparagus. - Why is this your signature dish?
0:42:31 > 0:42:35It's just something that...I've developed over the last few years,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38and it's based on flavour and there are some different textures.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40So, I think you'll like it.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48I like the sound of David's dish because when I hear the ingredients,
0:42:48 > 0:42:51I want to eat it. But I also want to be wowed by how this dish
0:42:51 > 0:42:55- is going to look.- It's very important that he gets a really,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58really good deep flavour with the cassoulet,
0:42:58 > 0:43:00and making sure the beans are beautifully cooked.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09The dish could be amazing.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11I think it's a great balance of flavour.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14You've got acidity, freshness, fattiness, you've got everything.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17It's going to... It's going to be an explosion on the palate!
0:43:22 > 0:43:25- Steven, how do you feel now? - Hot. And stressed.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27But I think we're getting there.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29- You're a chef, you're supposed to be hot and stressed.- Exactly.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31- So what are you going to do? - I've got a lamb loin,
0:43:31 > 0:43:34which I've sous-vide, and I'm going to finish off in a pan.
0:43:34 > 0:43:36Lamb belly, which I've just crisped up in the oven.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38We've got asparagus veloute, to keep it light.
0:43:38 > 0:43:41Erm, we've also got stuffed courgette flower,
0:43:41 > 0:43:43which we've got with goat's cheese. Then we've got lamb sauce.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45And then I'm going to make a morel emulsion.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48What?! You've got, like, three different sauces going on here.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51- Yeah.- You've got a lot of work to do here.- I have indeed.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54You may well have come a cropper in the last round because
0:43:54 > 0:43:56you may have attempted too much.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59- Yeah.- Are you attempting too much again?- I've been trying it out
0:43:59 > 0:44:02and everything comes together really nice.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04If not, then I'll look like an idiot, won't I? So...
0:44:08 > 0:44:11There are amazing ingredients on Steven's table
0:44:11 > 0:44:14and they all work well for lamb, but all on one plate?
0:44:14 > 0:44:17I'm not so sure about.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20For Steven to come back with such an adventurous dish in the signature
0:44:20 > 0:44:22round is ambitious, it's brave,
0:44:22 > 0:44:25and it's exactly what we're looking for from our chefs.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Listen up, you have five minutes, just five minutes!
0:44:37 > 0:44:39Agh, it's burst. I left it on the fire too long.
0:44:39 > 0:44:40I'm going to leave it off.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47That's it! Time's up!
0:44:53 > 0:44:57First up is Ben, who's served a loin of lamb,
0:44:57 > 0:44:58with a pea and mint fregola...
0:45:00 > 0:45:01..charred baby gem lettuce...
0:45:03 > 0:45:08..asparagus, pickled ewes' cheese and a lamb sauce.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20Your sauce is lovely, sticky, slight sweetness.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22The little cubes of ewes' cheese
0:45:22 > 0:45:25give it a little bit of saltiness and sourness to it as well.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27That's a yummy, yummy dish.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29That is a fabulous plate of food.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33Beautifully cooked, well executed.
0:45:33 > 0:45:35I love the fregola. Complements the lamb,
0:45:35 > 0:45:37which is also very well cooked.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41You have risen out of the ashes.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43- Well done, you. - Thank you, thank you.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47There is nothing different on this plate that I don't recognise,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50but what I appreciate is the wonderful cooking
0:45:50 > 0:45:52that you've brought to the table.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55And achieving that for us is all we ask for.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58Great cooking. And I thank you for that.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03That's amazing. It's like being dumped and getting back
0:46:03 > 0:46:05together with a girlfriend in one day!
0:46:11 > 0:46:14Richard's cooked lobster, with confit potatoes,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17apple gel, apple balls,
0:46:17 > 0:46:23pak choi, samphire, pastry shards, and a lobster bisque.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38Richard, you've done a lot and you've put a lot
0:46:38 > 0:46:40onto a pretty small plate.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43The lobster itself is too chewy, it's overcooked.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45And the pak choi doesn't belong on this dish.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48The apple certainly doesn't belong on the dish at all.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50It's just not quite coming together.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53The sauce, for me, is the best thing on this plate.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56It's lovely, it's not too heavy on the cream.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58It's just too much and, you know,
0:46:58 > 0:47:00you need to be able to show restraint.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03I'm not enjoying that, I'm afraid to say.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06There's far too much going on, for me,
0:47:06 > 0:47:09to blend all of those flavours and textures together.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12I feel like I'm tripping over one and into another one.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19I've had a bad day. Erm, I know I can do better than that.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21So, we'll just see how it goes.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Neil has made scallop ceviche...
0:47:28 > 0:47:34..marinated in orange, lemon and lime, served with compressed apple,
0:47:34 > 0:47:36apple gel,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38radish and shaved fennel.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Neil, really like the presentation.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53The ceviche, the scallops are very fresh, you get that.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56But I'm not getting enough of the marinade.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58It's also, for me, very bland.
0:47:58 > 0:47:59I don't think it's quite there.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01OK.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05What concerns me is that the scallop does not taste like it's marinated.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07It just feels like you've cut up some scallop and you've put it
0:48:07 > 0:48:09onto the plate beautifully dressed,
0:48:09 > 0:48:13with some fabulous, fresh, vibrant garnishes. It's not paid off.
0:48:13 > 0:48:15- OK.- Unfortunately.- Mm-hm.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17You've had a pretty good skills test.
0:48:17 > 0:48:21With this dish, I think you've actually posed more questions
0:48:21 > 0:48:23than you've actually answered.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29A little bit deflated. I would have liked to have sort of,
0:48:29 > 0:48:31er, wowed all of them with the signature dish.
0:48:31 > 0:48:33But, hopefully, they invite me back,
0:48:33 > 0:48:36so I can actually showcase some real cooking.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40Claudia is serving roasted pigeon breast...
0:48:41 > 0:48:43..confit legs,
0:48:43 > 0:48:46pan bagnato - a bread soaked in pigeon juice -
0:48:46 > 0:48:49topped with offal, baby carrots,
0:48:49 > 0:48:52salt-baked and pickled beetroot,
0:48:52 > 0:48:54and a raspberry pigeon sauce.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Claudia, I think the pigeon itself,
0:49:08 > 0:49:11the breasts are beautifully cooked and tender.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13And that is a real knockout sauce.
0:49:15 > 0:49:16Works beautifully well with that pigeon.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19And I love the idea of the offal on the bread.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22But the bread is just a little bit too fatty and oily,
0:49:22 > 0:49:26which is a shame because the pigeon and the offal are just so good.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31I love everything on this plate, apart from that bread.
0:49:31 > 0:49:36That bread has soaked up so much fat, it's greasy.
0:49:36 > 0:49:41Your pigeon breasts are soft and beautiful, your beetroot are lovely.
0:49:41 > 0:49:46One of them is salty and earthy, the other one is sharp with pickling.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50If we could take the bread away, I'd give you a big hug.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52- Cos I love it. - MONICA:- Claudia,
0:49:52 > 0:49:55it's a delicious plate of food, I think you've done your Nana proud.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58I'd love to see her sit down and enjoy this.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Thanks.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06The compliment of the judge was like, wow.
0:50:08 > 0:50:10This is beautiful.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13This is what I wanted, so...
0:50:14 > 0:50:16..I'm really happy.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20David's dish is a pan-seared sea bass
0:50:20 > 0:50:22with a chorizo and bean cassoulet...
0:50:23 > 0:50:26..served with white asparagus,
0:50:26 > 0:50:29topped with a crispy hen's egg and micro herb salad.
0:50:44 > 0:50:49The fish is cooked nicely, but, chorizo, tomato, egg yolk, fish,
0:50:49 > 0:50:51asparagus... Too much from me.
0:50:53 > 0:50:55- MONICA:- The cassoulet is lacking a bit of seasoning, for me.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58It's a cassoulet that's missing a bit of love and care,
0:50:58 > 0:51:00and you need to taste that a bit more.
0:51:00 > 0:51:04There is really nothing here that's making you go, "Wow!"
0:51:04 > 0:51:07The cassoulet needs to be wetter, it's too stodgy,
0:51:07 > 0:51:10almost sort of overcooked, and the dish is lacking in flavour.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12The fish is beautifully cooked, though.
0:51:12 > 0:51:15It's kept its moisture, you've got a nice crispiness to it,
0:51:15 > 0:51:18but it's just not hitting all the marks to make it
0:51:18 > 0:51:20a really balanced dish, which is such a shame
0:51:20 > 0:51:21because I like your idea.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23OK, thank you.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28I'm feeling a bit deflated. I thought, in my head,
0:51:28 > 0:51:30it would have gone down a lot better than what it did.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34You know, if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39Last up is Steven who has cooked lamb loin...
0:51:40 > 0:51:42..and roasted belly,
0:51:42 > 0:51:46potato fondant, asparagus,
0:51:46 > 0:51:50pickled baby turnips, pea shoots,
0:51:50 > 0:51:53morel mushrooms in a Madeira sauce,
0:51:53 > 0:51:56a lamb sauce and asparagus veloute.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01Weren't you stuffing a courgette flower at some stage?
0:52:01 > 0:52:03I left it in the fryer for a little bit too long.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05- I think it's a good thing it's not on there.- GREGG:- Yup, I agree.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08I think messing it up might be the best thing for the dish.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21I don't really like what you've done to those morels, actually,
0:52:21 > 0:52:23putting them in the Madeira sauce,
0:52:23 > 0:52:26however, everything else on that plate, I absolutely adore,
0:52:26 > 0:52:28from your buttery, soft, little,
0:52:28 > 0:52:31mini fondant potatoes to those lovely,
0:52:31 > 0:52:33highly seasoned bits of belly,
0:52:33 > 0:52:40to the turnip that's slightly sour and salty, really great-flavoured.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42And a beautiful-looking dish.
0:52:42 > 0:52:45- Thank you. - MONICA:- It looks lovely.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47The lamb is nicely cooked.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50The green sauce looks wonderful and, actually,
0:52:50 > 0:52:53it's very light and very different from having a lamb jus.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57There are pockets of cleverness that I absolutely love as a chef.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00I think the belly is clever and delicious.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04I love the morels, because you've made something that is a dry,
0:53:04 > 0:53:07quite bland ingredient become knockout.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13And asparagus veloute shouldn't really live on this dish
0:53:13 > 0:53:18but it absolutely does because it just brings everything in harmony.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20A great plate of food. I'm really, really pleased for you.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28That was a lot better than this morning.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30Wow, I'm overwhelmed.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33- Well done, mate. You've got to be happy with that!- Yeah. Definitely.
0:53:33 > 0:53:37You never think in your wildest imagination that you're going to get
0:53:37 > 0:53:40some feedback like that from Marcus Wareing.
0:53:40 > 0:53:41It's amazing, so I'm chuffed.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46I don't mind telling you, I feared the worst.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52We had some fantastic food, I'm really happy.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56Today, there was two standout chefs. Ben and Steven.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59Steven's lamb dish looked beautiful,
0:53:59 > 0:54:01and to have so many ingredients,
0:54:01 > 0:54:04to have something looking so delicate and balanced
0:54:04 > 0:54:06was a great surprise from him.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08- GREGG:- He's a clever cook.
0:54:10 > 0:54:11- MONICA:- Ben cooked a great lamb dish.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15There was nothing fancy about it, he wanted to give us good cookery,
0:54:15 > 0:54:17and that's exactly what he did.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20- GREGG:- He appears to me to be an extremely competent chef,
0:54:20 > 0:54:23with a really brilliant understanding of flavour.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27- MONICA:- Richard's plate was very confused.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30It was just a lot of different flavours that did not belong
0:54:30 > 0:54:33- with a lobster dish.- The lobster itself, was tough.
0:54:33 > 0:54:38It's such a shame, you know, lobster being such an amazing ingredient.
0:54:39 > 0:54:43I don't think David was good enough today.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45His fish was brilliantly cooked.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47The egg, he did perfectly well.
0:54:47 > 0:54:49I just don't really see the point of it all together.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52- I didn't enjoy it.- The dish didn't come together.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55I'm going to ask you guys, as chefs, about Neil.
0:54:55 > 0:55:01He gave us a really beautiful ring of scallop ceviche,
0:55:01 > 0:55:03but he didn't cook anything.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06- MONICA:- There was just nothing special about the ceviche.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09The flavours didn't come through. It was raw scallop.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11- GREGG:- However, he was the standout from the skills test.
0:55:13 > 0:55:17- MONICA:- Claudia really had a tough round in the skills test.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20Her signature round, the real Claudia showed up.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23Her pigeon dish, which was a bit of an ode to her grandma,
0:55:23 > 0:55:26who taught her how to cook, I thought was lovely.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28The presentation was wonderful.
0:55:28 > 0:55:30I thought the cooking of the pigeon was spot-on.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34The bread was too oily, but I really enjoyed the beetroot.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37And then you've got the knockout sauce that sits with it.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41- CLAUDIA:- Well, everybody wants a ride to the final.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43What I can say,
0:55:43 > 0:55:46I can go better and better and better, that's for sure.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49If I happen to come back in the next round,
0:55:49 > 0:55:54I'll definitely wow them with a few more intense flavours etc, so, yeah.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58Neil had the better first round.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01Claudia had better second round.
0:56:01 > 0:56:03Your call.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17Great signature round.
0:56:17 > 0:56:18Well done, you. Well done.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21We said earlier that three of you would be going home.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23We've made that decision.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26David.
0:56:26 > 0:56:27Richard.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29I'm afraid you are leaving us.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32- Sorry, gentlemen.- Thank you. - MONICA:- Thank you.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41There is one more chef leaving us.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47The third and final chef leaving us is...
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- ..Neil.- Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:57:01 > 0:57:02Definitely frustrating,
0:57:02 > 0:57:06and definitely didn't see sort of my full potential, what I'm capable of.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08But it's an excellent overall experience.
0:57:09 > 0:57:11Massively disappointing.
0:57:11 > 0:57:15Er, however, it's a reflection on how today's went for me, so,
0:57:15 > 0:57:16it's a good learning curve.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Definitely a bit gutted to go out now.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23Would have liked to get through the first round,
0:57:23 > 0:57:25but it is what it is, I suppose.
0:57:27 > 0:57:28That was great.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Mamma mia! Wow.
0:57:33 > 0:57:37It was a good day because I fell down and then I just came back and
0:57:37 > 0:57:40that's made me...really strong.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44Gone from the worst day to the best day of my life so far.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47It's... What a... What a dream.
0:57:47 > 0:57:49It's an unusual feeling.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52I'm so happy. But I know there's a lot of hard work to come.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54And I'm ready for it.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56Ready for the next challenge.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03Tomorrow night, it's the quarterfinal.
0:58:05 > 0:58:10And this week's best chefs return to prove they have what it takes.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12A little bit of genius.
0:58:12 > 0:58:16Those who deliver will earn the right to cook for the critics.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19My taste buds, they might have to go to counselling.
0:58:19 > 0:58:20This is traumatising.