0:00:05 > 0:00:09Only an elite group of chefs holds two Michelin stars.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Michel Roux Junior is one of them.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15- Ca marche! Two Saint-Jacques au passe now!- Oui!
0:00:15 > 0:00:23Now he and MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace are on the hunt for Britain's next culinary superstar,
0:00:23 > 0:00:28a professional with the talent to cut it in the world's top kitchens.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31Perfect.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Ten professional chefs have faced their first challenge to prove to Monica Galetti
0:00:44 > 0:00:48that they can cook at the highest level.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53Now they've been split into two groups.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Today, five of them will face the final test
0:00:57 > 0:01:01to decide who is good enough to cook for Michel Roux Junior.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06At the end of it, one of them will be going home.
0:01:11 > 0:01:17I am probably the most excited man you have here. I want to go through.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21You can't imagine. I want to make a dish that has been judged,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24even if he destroys it, by Michel Roux.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27I'm quite philosophical about it.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29I messed up badly the other day.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33I don't want to go home because I messed up in every situation.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37I've seen what everyone else is doing.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42I can do better. I can be MasterChef champion and I'm in it to win it.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55This is the skills test.
0:01:55 > 0:02:02- I love it.- I want to see them make three caramel decorations and use them to decorate these panna cottas.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04OK, let's see how it's done.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07First of all, I'm going to make the caramel.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11I'm going for a dry caramel which is just sugar.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- I bet that burns easy.- It does.
0:02:14 > 0:02:20They need to be able to control that temperature of the sugar. Excuse me, Gregg. Very hot!
0:02:20 > 0:02:23How do you know when to take it off the heat?
0:02:23 > 0:02:29A professional chef should know when to stop it. You can see it starting to caramelise.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34Depending on how far you want to take the colour of the sugar, that is when you should stop.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37The first decoration I'll make is a nest of caramel.
0:02:40 > 0:02:46I'm criss-crossing, back and forwards, then you want to go in the opposite direction.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50- So that sugar sets as soon as it hits that ladle?- That's right.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54- Wahey!- That's one done.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57I'll do another one. You need to be able to work the sugar.
0:02:57 > 0:03:03If it sets, put it back on the heat and bring it back to the right consistency.
0:03:03 > 0:03:09That's what's hard. It's knowing exactly what consistency the caramel has to be for each discipline.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11That's the hard bit.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Just back and forth.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22You know what that is? That's edible art.
0:03:22 > 0:03:29Then all I want to do is then grab that and I'm going to make a little ball with it.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33And that's it. That's going to sit right there.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Lovely. That's two. What's the third one?
0:03:37 > 0:03:43I'm going to make a spiral. With the coldness of the steel, that will set even more.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46You're just pulling the sugar as you go along.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54There you have it. Ta-da!
0:03:54 > 0:03:55Hey!
0:03:55 > 0:03:58And there you have it - my three decorations.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Let's get them in.
0:04:07 > 0:04:1234-year-old Dan teaches cookery at a prison. In the previous challenge,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16he failed to impress with his overcooked duck.
0:04:16 > 0:04:22I'm here to prove to myself and to everyone that I know that I can cook and I can cook at this level.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25This is a skills test.
0:04:25 > 0:04:32- What we've got there is three panna cottas. We want you to decorate those panna cottas with caramel.- OK.
0:04:32 > 0:04:39- We're going to give you just ten minutes.- OK. All right then, I'll give it a go.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41- Dan, good luck.- I'll need it.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56- Getting there, Dan?- Slowly, yeah.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14You've got five minutes left.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42You've got 60 seconds left. You're going to have to move yourself.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06You started off with the decoration, a swipe, a drizzle.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12However, the caramel had not quite cooked enough and you can see there's still grains through that.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15And it's just about crystallised.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19The same thing when you tried the last part. Was it a caramel sauce?
0:06:19 > 0:06:22That was the idea, yeah.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25It was more of a syrup than a caramel sauce.
0:06:25 > 0:06:30Dan, if it came up to me, I'd be OK, I think, apart from the one with the shard.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35The shard is awful. I thought your spun sugar work was getting there.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57Disappointed. I didn't do particularly well, but it couldn't have been a worse challenge,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00especially when I needed to pull something out of the bag.
0:07:00 > 0:07:06French-born Sebastien moved to the UK six years ago to pursue his dream.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11His first dish of cinnamon and leek duck showed some promise.
0:07:11 > 0:07:17It's very important for me to stay in the competition because I'm a self-trained man.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22I used to be a banker five years ago, so I want to show that I can do it properly.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Ten minutes, chef. Off you go.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41- Halfway. You've got five minutes left.- Thank you.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10You've got a minute left, so get your decoration on.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27- OK, finished.- Thank you.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Have you made caramel before?
0:08:37 > 0:08:41- Yes.- Decorations as well?- No.- Ah!
0:08:41 > 0:08:46OK. I think you did a great job of trying to do your spun sugar,
0:08:46 > 0:08:52but had you flicked a bit more with the wrist, there would be less of the grains going through your sugar.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55You made two decorations, one of them very good.
0:08:55 > 0:09:02The other decoration, the shards, it just looks too amateurish. You could have done so much more.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07I like the idea of three different textures on each panna cotta.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12But I'm wondering why, as a customer, my plate looks so messy.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25I think that was pretty messy.
0:09:27 > 0:09:31It's great fun, but not something I was expecting, so...
0:09:31 > 0:09:34You can always do better.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Cornwall-based chef Ben learnt to cook at the age of seven.
0:09:41 > 0:09:47Except for too much sauce, his duck dish was one of the highlights of the day.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I'm nervous about seeing Monica again
0:09:50 > 0:09:57but I want to go in there full steam ahead, give 100% and hopefully come out on top.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00OK, chef, down to you. Off you go. Ten minutes.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18You've got just over five minutes left, OK?
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- Your time's up.- OK.- Your time's up.
0:11:05 > 0:11:11Ben, as a customer, as a punter, you have no idea what's going on behind the kitchen wall.
0:11:11 > 0:11:17If I was sat down and this came up to me, Ben, I'm really sorry, I would probably giggle.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21I love the spiral. This brooch affair is massive.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25And there's no decoration on the third.
0:11:25 > 0:11:31It took too long because you just kept adding and adding more sugar.
0:11:31 > 0:11:37The more sugar you add, the more liquid you add, the longer it's going to take to cook.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42It's a shame because had you more time to concentrate on these decorations,
0:11:42 > 0:11:47I bet they'd be a hundred times better than what you managed today.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52- Ben, thank you very much. Off you go.- Thank you.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Pressure-wise, it was pretty tough.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05We only had ten minutes to produce three sugar decorations.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08I've worked with sugar a couple of times before,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12but given a ten-minute deadline, it really put the pressure on today.
0:12:14 > 0:12:1825-year-old Steve has been a chef for six years.
0:12:18 > 0:12:24His duck and confit leek dish was well cooked, but lacked imagination.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26I became a chef by accident.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30I was a waiter and they needed help in the kitchen, so I got on with it.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34Now I'm a head chef. To win MasterChef will be so difficult.
0:12:34 > 0:12:40I've only been here for Heat Two and the amount of pressure that it puts on everybody
0:12:40 > 0:12:45and the amount of work that we have to put in to get there, it's going to be hard.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47It's do or die now.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51You've got ten minutes, chef. Off you go.
0:13:33 > 0:13:37You've got a minute left. Don't ruin it now. Come on.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Wahey!
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- All done?- Done.
0:13:54 > 0:14:01Looking at your plate, Steve, I can say two of those decorations are spot-on and very well done.
0:14:03 > 0:14:10Your cage, obviously, the caramel was still too hot, too runny when you started that,
0:14:10 > 0:14:14but your spiral is perfectly done and your spun sugar is wonderful.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18I think you've got great skills. Well done.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Thank you very much. Well done.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It went quite well. I got some good remarks.
0:14:38 > 0:14:44There was room for improvement again, but I got some really good remarks, so I'm pleased.
0:14:44 > 0:14:50Last up is Oli who has been working in high-end kitchens for the last seven years.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55His duck dish reflected strong technical ability, but the presentation didn't.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58When I moved to London, I did my training in Claridge's Hotel,
0:14:58 > 0:15:03so I got a lot of my classical cookery skills and knowledge from there.
0:15:03 > 0:15:09Cooking is my life, my passion. I'm in the kitchen early in the morning till late at night.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12You have to enjoy it if you're doing it for a career.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Ten minutes, Oli. Off you go.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54- You've got five minutes left, Oli. - Yeah.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32- You've got ten seconds. You haven't got time to make another one.- Yeah.- All right?
0:16:42 > 0:16:47I've never seen a hot caramel poured over a set panna cotta before.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53For me, that's just madness. You can see it's set solid now.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00This basket may prove you do have the skill,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04but the other two panna cottas, no, that's not right.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09I wouldn't be very happy as a customer. I wouldn't be very happy paying for it.
0:17:19 > 0:17:26I'm gutted that I messed up. It wasn't what I was expecting and it didn't go too brilliantly.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30I've not really done sugar work before, so I did the best I could do.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39Very rarely do any of these, even the winners, get off to a flying start. They get nervous.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43One really stood out for me today and that was Steve.
0:17:43 > 0:17:49He made us a basket and he made us a really nice spiral. Very impressive guy.
0:17:49 > 0:17:56The only thing that let Steve down was his cage decoration which was too thick. The caramel was too hot.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59But the other two decorations were wonderful.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03- He's got to go through, Monica. He's the best one.- He has to go through.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07I like Sebastien. I think his technical know-how is pretty good.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11His final presentation, though, is a bit lacking.
0:18:11 > 0:18:17I like the fact that Sebastien, who's never made caramel decorations before, did not give up
0:18:17 > 0:18:20and he gave us two different caramels.
0:18:20 > 0:18:26Oli gave us a comedy moment where he poured the hot caramel on to the panna cotta and melted it,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28but his basket was very, very good.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34Oli made a great caramel, but this is where it ends. None of those decorations were complete.
0:18:34 > 0:18:40- I have issues with him.- But is he the weakest here? I don't think so. Has he got promise? I think he has.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47Ben made a decoration and a perfect spiral on another panna cotta.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52He managed to make a spiral and a big decoration, but that decoration was too large.
0:18:52 > 0:18:57Because it took so long to make the damn caramel, he ran out of time.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Dan got a bit nervous. His caramel never got to the right colour,
0:19:01 > 0:19:06but he did manage to decorate all three panna cottas which is more than some of them did.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11He tried to make a decoration when the caramel wasn't cooked properly.
0:19:11 > 0:19:17It started to crystallise. If he had just relaxed a bit and moulded that nicely, it would have been fine.
0:19:17 > 0:19:23OK, they were all nervous, it wasn't perfect, but who deserves to go home?
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- I think I know who's going home. - Good.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45Very tough for Monica and I. We have made a decision.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55The person who's leaving us today is...
0:20:02 > 0:20:03..Dan.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Cheers.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17I'm absolutely gutted that I won't get to cook for Michel,
0:20:17 > 0:20:21but I've not earned the place to be there, I don't deserve to be there,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24so that's my problem, I have to live with it.
0:20:24 > 0:20:30Guys, you're going through to cook for my boss. You need to up your game a bit.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34You've had two chances. Third one out.
0:20:37 > 0:20:43There are classics that should be part of every professional chef's repertoire.
0:20:43 > 0:20:49And Michel Roux Junior is looking for chefs who aspire to cook them at his two Michelin star level.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55Today, I'd like the chefs to prepare a starter of mackerel three ways,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59using classical techniques and the ingredients I'm going to give them.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Mackerel is such a versatile fish, it's a beautiful fish to work with.
0:21:03 > 0:21:08It has a delicate flavour, yet can take strong accompaniments.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12This dish will be made up of an escabeche,
0:21:12 > 0:21:16mackerel that is marinated and cooked in the same sauce,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19a sashimi and a tartare.
0:21:19 > 0:21:25They will allow Michel to test the chef's knife skills, palate and presentation.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29First of all, filleting the mackerel, going down
0:21:29 > 0:21:31and straight across.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Very easy. Beautiful fillets.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39And there should be hardly any meat left on the bone.
0:21:39 > 0:21:46So now I've got my two fillets for the tartare, one for the escabeche and one for the sushi.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Now...a little bit of coarse sea salt,
0:21:50 > 0:21:53sprinkled on top.
0:21:55 > 0:22:01The sea salt will extract the moisture from the fish and obviously season it.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06The next step is to prepare the marinade for the sashimi and I use a bit of ginger,
0:22:06 > 0:22:12and then equal quantities of mirin and rice vinegar.
0:22:13 > 0:22:18So we go back to the sashimi and this fillet of mackerel now is sopping wet.
0:22:18 > 0:22:25The salt has extracted all the moisture, all the water from the mackerel. It's firmed up the flesh.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29And it goes into...the marinade.
0:22:29 > 0:22:35So now I'll prepare the escabeche. Often marinades will get thrown away after the cooking process,
0:22:35 > 0:22:41but in an escabeche, it is an integral part of the dish and should be served.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47So I'm going to be pan-frying the mackerel, skin side down only,
0:22:47 > 0:22:53so that it gets that wonderful, golden, intense colour with the flavour,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56and then poaching it in the marinade
0:22:56 > 0:23:01which will have dry white wine, carrot and shallot and a hint of coriander.
0:23:01 > 0:23:08Once we've got that lovely colour on the skin, it goes into the marinade.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13The third element of this dish, the final part, is the tartare.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17Tartare has to be done at the very last second.
0:23:17 > 0:23:23As soon as you season it, I think you've got about ten minutes before it can be served,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25otherwise it will be ruined.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29I will look to see how the chefs chop up their tartare.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34It has to be fine, but not a paste.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38A touch of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice...
0:23:38 > 0:23:41pepper and taste.
0:23:46 > 0:23:47Perfect.
0:23:47 > 0:23:54So for the garnish, we've got green apple. I want super-fine matchsticks, super-fine juliennes.
0:23:54 > 0:24:00Attention to detail at this level is so important.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02Now for the assembly of the dish.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37That is it - three mackerel starters,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39classic recipes,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43involving all the skills you need to be a true chef.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13Given the opportunity to cook for Michel Roux Junior is absolutely fantastic.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16There's no better chef to be judged by.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24I'm very happy to have got through to cook for Michel, but obviously, I'm still very nervous.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44We have two tests for you now, two classic recipe tests.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48And at the end of this, one of you will be leaving the competition.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Now we really expect you to deliver.
0:26:09 > 0:26:16Your first test is to cook one of my classic dishes - mackerel three ways.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21The dish is three different starters made with mackerel,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24but they have to be singing in unison together.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29You have got an hour and ten minutes.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33You know what's at stake here. Good luck.
0:26:52 > 0:26:59It's pressurised cooking for someone with two Michelin stars because they obviously do know their stuff.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04It's about getting it right on the day and making sure it is exactly how they want it.
0:27:04 > 0:27:12- In the last round, you did the best out of everybody. Can you keep it up?- Hopefully. Only time will tell.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16- Steve, have you had classic training?- No, none whatsoever.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20This is my biggest weak point, so I'll have to really try harder.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25- What training have you had? On the job?- Just on the job. Absolutely on the job.
0:27:25 > 0:27:31I was a waiter, then I moved up from working as a waiter into the kitchen and loved it, so stayed there.
0:27:31 > 0:27:37- Interesting how they say, "I was a waiter and I moved UP." - I was thinking that.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41I thought, "No, don't be offensive, Gregg. Don't say anything!"
0:27:47 > 0:27:52Steve has had no formal classical training and he is looking a bit nervous,
0:27:52 > 0:27:58so I hope he has read the recipe properly and adheres to it or it will be a disaster.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16The pressure's going to start because cooking for Michel, it's what I was dreaming of,
0:28:16 > 0:28:20so this pressure is the pressure I would like to have every day.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24- Hi, Sebastien.- Hello. - Do you understand the recipe?
0:28:24 > 0:28:30Yes. I like escabeche. Tuna escabeche from Marseille, it's classic. My mum used to do it when I was a kid.
0:28:30 > 0:28:36- I understand the sense of the dish, the idea behind it.- Good. You're feeling very confident?
0:28:36 > 0:28:38I'm feeling as confident as I can.
0:28:38 > 0:28:43I have to deliver the highest standard I've delivered because I'm cooking for you,
0:28:43 > 0:28:48so I want to make sure I give it the best to show you that I can cook the best.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52What is it that you want to show right here?
0:28:52 > 0:28:57I trust my palate and I would love to have somebody that can see there is something in me
0:28:57 > 0:29:02and take me to the next level because I do believe I can be a good chef.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Sebastien understands the recipe thoroughly.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10He's from France. He knows what an escabeche is.
0:29:10 > 0:29:15He loves Asian food, so he's done sashimi and sushi before. He should nail this.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Chefs, you've had 30 minutes already.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Half an hour gone.
0:29:25 > 0:29:32I'm glad to have got past Monica. I made a few mistakes, so there were a few critical points,
0:29:32 > 0:29:36but she thinks I'm good enough to cook for Michel Roux. Pressure!
0:29:36 > 0:29:40- How confident are you on the classics?- Fairly.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44I've done each of these elements before, just not together.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47What would be a terrific outcome?
0:29:47 > 0:29:54For today, just to get this dish perfect and nail it perfectly and to show you what I can do.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58In the long run, to get as far as I can in the competition.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Do you feel you've a point to prove or you just want to keep going?
0:30:01 > 0:30:06I've definitely got a point to prove. I've slipped up on tasks.
0:30:06 > 0:30:13I haven't quite got the finished product how it should have been. It's time to show what I can do.
0:30:16 > 0:30:23Oli is the only one of our chefs with some formal, classical training and he looks very confident.
0:30:31 > 0:30:36What style do you like, Ben? What would you like to eventually do?
0:30:36 > 0:30:42The style I like and what I do at home in my own restaurant is I use a lot of coastal cuisine,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45a lot of fish and shellfish.
0:30:45 > 0:30:49- Where on the coast are you? - Cornwall. We're right on the coast.
0:30:49 > 0:30:54We get our fish straight from the harbour, so quite lucky really.
0:30:54 > 0:30:59- So you've worked with mackerel before?- Absolutely. Mackerel's quite a big thing where we are.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03- No stranger to mackerel.- We've got high hopes for you, Ben. Good luck.
0:31:07 > 0:31:14Ben is the head chef of a fish restaurant in Cornwall. He's got to be able to do this.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24Your last 60 seconds.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38That's it. Finished. Stop. Stop!
0:31:59 > 0:32:03I asked you to prepare a trio de maquereaux - mackerel three ways.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06A starter with finesse and elegance.
0:32:06 > 0:32:12The escabeche, classic French cooking. Golden skin, poached in white wine with aromates.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16It should be soft, tender and cooked through.
0:32:16 > 0:32:22A sashimi. Marinated in coarse sea salt and then a mirin marinade.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26It should be sweet, tender, very fresh and glistening.
0:32:26 > 0:32:33And, finally, a tartare. The secret to the tartare is in the texture and the seasoning.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Oli, we'll start with you.
0:32:57 > 0:33:05Oli, it's very well presented. I can see that you have a good eye. Very neat, which I really enjoy.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18I like your sashimi. I like your tartare as well. Well flavoured.
0:33:18 > 0:33:24But there is a flavour lacking from your escabeche - acidity, sharpness.
0:33:30 > 0:33:36Your escabeche is well cooked. Again, lacking a bit of seasoning.
0:33:36 > 0:33:41I don't get that punchy sharpness from the white wine or coriander seeds,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44pepper... It's lacking in seasoning.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49'I thought it went quite well. Good comments.'
0:33:49 > 0:33:53I enjoyed the positives and I'm going to work on the seasoning.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Steve, your turn.
0:34:05 > 0:34:11Your sashimi... has been cut and then re-assembled. Then you've taken the skin off.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16It almost looks like it was chewed up and then put back on the plate.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19It does not look appetising.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23Your tartare could have had some decoration on top.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28You've chosen to give me a quarter of an apple there. Beautifully cut,
0:34:28 > 0:34:32but does not belong on this dish.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35OK, let's taste.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49Your sashimi, although it doesn't look nice at all,
0:34:49 > 0:34:54it's beautifully seasoned and the texture is just right.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57The escabeche is dry.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03The tartare...love the texture.
0:35:03 > 0:35:09Love the seasoning. I think you have very good taste buds, a good palate.
0:35:09 > 0:35:14Everything on this plate tastes exactly how it should taste,
0:35:14 > 0:35:18but problems with execution and presentation.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25I really like your sashimi.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Really like the flavouring there.
0:35:28 > 0:35:33But I don't know what happened with your escabeche.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35'Never cooked an escabeche before.'
0:35:35 > 0:35:41Was a little bit unsure about the whole cooking method. I don't think I've done that badly.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45I did have some good points, but have they shown through?
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Sebastien.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Sebastien, this is really top presentation.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05It's small, light. It is a starter.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10Each component is individual, yet harmonious.
0:36:17 > 0:36:22The sashimi is beautiful. You can see it's raw, but it's firm.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26It's been long enough in the salt to extract the moisture.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31Lacking just a hint of acidity. Possibly you overdid it on the mirin
0:36:31 > 0:36:39and could have a bit more rice wine vinegar. Very good escabeche. Your grandmother would be pleased.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45The tartare, again, very good seasoning. Beautifully cut mackerel.
0:36:45 > 0:36:50At the level we're looking for, you really are not far off.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00Mmm.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04The star there is your tartare, which is just lovely.
0:37:04 > 0:37:10Absolutely lovely. There's a bit of acidity, a bit of sweetness and a bit of heat from horseradish.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13That is absolutely lovely.
0:37:15 > 0:37:21I know that my palate is right, but I wanted to hear it from somebody and I hear it from him,
0:37:21 > 0:37:26from Michel Roux Junior. Nothing better could happen to me today.
0:37:26 > 0:37:27Now for Ben.
0:37:38 > 0:37:43Ben, it's slightly too big. There's a lot of mackerel there to eat.
0:37:57 > 0:38:03You work with fish on a daily basis and it shows. Your filleting and pin boning...
0:38:03 > 0:38:06..is perfect.
0:38:06 > 0:38:11The tartare, very well seasoned, but it's sloppy.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17The texture is not right.
0:38:23 > 0:38:27There's great flavour everywhere. Ben, your issue is texture.
0:38:27 > 0:38:32I'm chewing too much on a rubbery skin on your sashimi.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37And your tartare, which tastes beautiful, you've made it into a mush.
0:38:37 > 0:38:41I almost want to spread it on a piece of toast.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45'I certainly think'
0:38:45 > 0:38:47that the bar has been raised now.
0:38:47 > 0:38:54I definitely think we've got to push and work a lot harder to meet the standards Michel's looking for.
0:39:05 > 0:39:12You've now cooked my classical recipe. You now have to cook your own classical recipe.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16It's your last chance. You've got an hour to cook a classic,
0:39:16 > 0:39:20to impress us. Off you go.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43I'm feeling really excited about the classic dish challenge.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47We get a chance to cook our own food now. We get to show off our skills
0:39:47 > 0:39:51and what we're really made of. Really looking forward to it.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56- Tell us your dish, Ben.- The dish I'm doing is classic Beef Wellington
0:39:56 > 0:40:01in a really good red wine sauce and I might do some braised shallots.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05Listen, I'm not a pro chef, but I'm worried about that in an hour.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09- Me, too!- What skills are you going to be showing off?
0:40:09 > 0:40:13I'm going to show I can cook a great piece of beef to perfection,
0:40:13 > 0:40:17I can get the balance of my sauce right - consistency, thickness.
0:40:17 > 0:40:24- Mate, it's a dish I love and many people love, but it's got to be bang on.- I'll try my best, Gregg.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33I worry for Ben. Beef Wellington in an hour will be very difficult.
0:40:33 > 0:40:39One good thing is that he has wrapped the beef in a pancake, which should absorb the moisture
0:40:39 > 0:40:43and let the puff pastry rise and become crisp.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05Oli, what classic dish are you cooking for us?
0:41:05 > 0:41:11Today I'm cooking trout hollandaise served with green and white asparagus and new potatoes.
0:41:11 > 0:41:18That's a great French classic sauce. What's the key to a great hollandaise?
0:41:18 > 0:41:23Obviously not to cook it too quickly, the right amount of clarified butter
0:41:23 > 0:41:28and just the right sharpness with the reduction. Not too sharp.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32- Mm.- And if one part of this is going to go wrong, what'll it be?
0:41:32 > 0:41:37My hollandaise could split. I could overcook the fish. Many things, if I'm not concentrating.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41- Will it be good enough to see you through?- I hope so!
0:41:41 > 0:41:48- My seasoning needs to be perfect. I'll show you that I can cook. - Looking forward to it.
0:41:49 > 0:41:55Oli is doing a lovely trout with asparagus and hollandaise and turned potatoes,
0:41:55 > 0:42:02but he has given himself double the amount of work of the others. It's whether he can get it done.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06'I need to cook the fish perfect'
0:42:06 > 0:42:11and if I season it perfect and everything is good, it'll be a very well done dish.
0:42:24 > 0:42:31For my own classic, what I need to do is deliver every ingredient as good as I know I can do it.
0:42:31 > 0:42:37But I have much more pressure now to deliver at least as good, if not better, as what I have done.
0:42:42 > 0:42:48- Right, Sebastien, what classic dish are you going to cook for us? - I've chosen an English classic dish.
0:42:48 > 0:42:55It is the poached smoked haddock with mashed potato, spinach, poached eggs and hollandaise sauce.
0:42:55 > 0:43:01When you read it, it looks simple, but when you actually break it down, there's a lot of skills there
0:43:01 > 0:43:06and a lot of places where it could go terribly wrong.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10After Michel's recipe, what do you want to prove?
0:43:10 > 0:43:17That I can do it on more than one dish. That I can deliver great textures and great flavour.
0:43:22 > 0:43:29Sebastien is doing smoked haddock on mashed potato, poached egg, spinach and hollandaise.
0:43:29 > 0:43:35It's not the most refined dish, so Sebastien's flavours have got to be perfect.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43Guys, you have just 20 minutes left.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57I'm going to have to execute it perfectly. It's quite a simple dish,
0:43:57 > 0:44:02so it has to be perfect, it has to taste amazing. Or I'm out.
0:44:06 > 0:44:11- Right, Steve, what great classical dish are you going to show off? - A fish pie.
0:44:11 > 0:44:17- A fish pie?- I stuck to what I know best. That's what Mum cooked for me. That's as classic as it gets.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21- So it's Mum's recipe?- Almost!
0:44:21 > 0:44:27- How are you going to guarantee the utmost flavour?- I've been saving everything that I'm cooking.
0:44:27 > 0:44:34I steamed the mussels, saved the wine. I roasted off the shells from the prawns. I'll get that in.
0:44:34 > 0:44:40- What are those crisps doing there? - They're going to be game chips, but I'll attempt at the last minute
0:44:40 > 0:44:46- to do some little salted crisps just to go with it. - For me, it's a great idea.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50It's going to be down to your execution and your palate now
0:44:50 > 0:44:57to see if you can take it up to that really... Take it to the pinnacle of the fish pie level.
0:44:57 > 0:45:02- No shame in serving a fish pie, but it has to be...- Perfect.- Yes.
0:45:08 > 0:45:14Steve has got some beautiful ingredients in his fish pie. Wonderful tiger prawns, scallops,
0:45:14 > 0:45:19salmon, haddock. I'm worried, though. Is this going to prove to us
0:45:19 > 0:45:24and show off skills that mean he goes through to the next round?
0:45:42 > 0:45:46One minute, guys. Plate up, come on. One minute left.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58Stop. Time's up. That's it. Stop!
0:46:09 > 0:46:17For his classic, Oli has made trout hollandaise with green and white asparagus and turned new potatoes.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Very classical presentation.
0:46:21 > 0:46:27Starch on one side, vegetables the other and the protein in the middle of the plate.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36That fish is perfectly cooked. It's very moist, tender.
0:46:36 > 0:46:42It's not easy to cook trout properly. That's been done very well, I must say.
0:46:42 > 0:46:48The hollandaise has enough acidity in it. It's light, creamy. Perfect accompaniment.
0:46:48 > 0:46:55I think your classic dish has achieved, in many respects, the required standard.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Mmm. Mmm.
0:47:01 > 0:47:07Oli, that is delicious. That is absolutely delicious.
0:47:07 > 0:47:13You've got creamy, creamy sauce, but the flesh is just moist, well seasoned,
0:47:13 > 0:47:19the potatoes are soft and well seasoned. Absolutely lovely, Oli. Absolutely lovely.
0:47:21 > 0:47:25I feel chuffed just to get those comments from Michel Roux Junior.
0:47:25 > 0:47:31An icon of the industry told me he loved my food and I nailed it. Perfect.
0:47:32 > 0:47:39Ben's classic dish is a Beef Wellington, served with braised shallots and a red wine sauce.
0:47:39 > 0:47:45It's not easy to present Beef Wellington in a beautiful way, but one thing that I do think is
0:47:45 > 0:47:51we should be able to see the meat. You've covered it up here with albeit beautiful roast shallot
0:47:51 > 0:47:56and some onion rings. So it's a shame that way.
0:48:04 > 0:48:10The flavours are lovely. It's well seasoned. I like the little mustard around the beef.
0:48:10 > 0:48:15It gives a little bit of a kick. The beef is cooked, I think, beautifully.
0:48:15 > 0:48:19It's medium rare, which is lovely. Your sauce, a little too powerful,
0:48:19 > 0:48:26of rosemary in there and thyme. It's overpowering. It's taking over the taste of the beef
0:48:26 > 0:48:29and of the red wine sauce.
0:48:37 > 0:48:42You've surprised me that you got this done in time. I'm really impressed,
0:48:42 > 0:48:47but this sauce is too strong with rosemary.
0:48:49 > 0:48:56I tried my best. I gave it 100%. And I feel like I did reasonably well.
0:48:58 > 0:49:05Steve has made fish pie with a mix of prawns, mussels, smoked haddock and monkfish,
0:49:05 > 0:49:07served with game chips.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15There's not much we can say about presentation. It is big, it's huge.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19It's bold. It's a fish pie. Game chips - not sure.
0:49:19 > 0:49:27Not really sure that chips of any sort should go with a potato-based pie.
0:49:32 > 0:49:35Your mashed potato is very heavy.
0:49:35 > 0:49:40It's dense, the texture is very dense, in fact.
0:49:40 > 0:49:46I think that's probably from the cheese and not putting enough milk and cream in the potato
0:49:46 > 0:49:49to lighten it up and fluff it up.
0:49:49 > 0:49:55Your fish is beautifully cooked. You've not overcooked it.
0:49:55 > 0:49:58That takes some doing, so well done.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03I find it ever so slightly...
0:50:03 > 0:50:06one-dimensional in flavour.
0:50:14 > 0:50:21It's lovely. There's good seasoning in there, that fish is really soft. There's a sweetness to the fish.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24You've tried to get real flavour in and it's great.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27I'd eat your fish pie.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30And I'd order another one tomorrow.
0:50:30 > 0:50:35But would it ever show your skills in their best light?
0:50:39 > 0:50:46I really do think that I'm at the bottom. I do believe I'm the weakest link in the chain at the moment,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49so I'm quite sure I'll be the one going home.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55Sebastien has served smoked haddock with hollandaise sauce,
0:50:55 > 0:51:00mashed potato and sauteed spinach, topped with a poached egg.
0:51:01 > 0:51:05There's not much you can say about presentation. It is what it is.
0:51:05 > 0:51:12Presentation-wise, in fact, I don't think you could really embellish it.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16The beauty of this dish is in the eating.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24One thing missing. Just one.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29Mm. Hmm.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33A lovely big slice of bread to dunk in there.
0:51:33 > 0:51:38Absolutely delicious. The fish is cooked perfectly.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42It's translucent. The overall combination is excellent.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44It's a classic for a reason.
0:51:50 > 0:51:55Yeah, that's lovely. That is lovely, lovely, lovely.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59You can't use too much seasoning because you've got the fish.
0:51:59 > 0:52:04Rich egg yolk covering the lot. Really nice creamy hollandaise.
0:52:04 > 0:52:10Really buttery, soft mashed potato and the prominent flavour still, the star of the show,
0:52:10 > 0:52:15is the strength of that really nicely-cooked fish. Very yummy.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18'I have to say that today'
0:52:18 > 0:52:22I have cooked this dish, which I have done a hundred times.
0:52:22 > 0:52:29The flavours I've put through my mash, the fish, even the spinach, are probably the best I have done.
0:52:29 > 0:52:35So it happened that it's today that I nailed the perfect dish, which I needed to do. I'm really happy.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00I enjoyed that, the classics. I've eaten well.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04I'm going to leave a stone heavier, but nowhere nearer a decision.
0:53:04 > 0:53:09They're good chefs. They proved to me today that they have the skills
0:53:09 > 0:53:12and they have the knowledge of classic cooking.
0:53:12 > 0:53:19Sebastien had a decent round today. He made a very good fist of your classic recipe,
0:53:19 > 0:53:26of the mackerel dishes. I thought that Sebastien's mackerel tartare was outstanding,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29by far the best of the four.
0:53:29 > 0:53:35Sebastien's choice of classic, I thought it was an accomplished dish.
0:53:35 > 0:53:42I definitely think he's done enough to go through. He's shown the required skills.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45Oli seemed to grow in stature from one round to the next.
0:53:45 > 0:53:52He did OK with your mackerel, but just OK. But that trout dish...
0:53:52 > 0:53:57That was by far the best thing I ate today. Really, really good.
0:53:57 > 0:54:03Those potatoes were soft and the fish was still moist and the hollandaise...
0:54:03 > 0:54:06It was a delicious plate of food!
0:54:06 > 0:54:13It's very difficult to cook a trout to that degree of perfection. And he nailed it.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16I think he should go through.
0:54:16 > 0:54:21Coming into this, Steve was the strongest contestant.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25He did the best job with his caramel sugar work, by far.
0:54:25 > 0:54:32Steve's interpretation of my mackerel three ways wasn't entirely right. His sashimi was hacked.
0:54:32 > 0:54:37It certainly didn't look nice, but it tasted great.
0:54:37 > 0:54:43And he had a quarter of an apple on the plate, which was just not right.
0:54:43 > 0:54:47As for his fish pie, he did a very good job of cooking that fish
0:54:47 > 0:54:52and that is very difficult, to get the fish still slightly underdone.
0:54:52 > 0:54:59He should never have put those game chips on that tray, though. Chips and mashed potato don't work.
0:55:01 > 0:55:08To be sent home after the classic food would be the worst because I haven't shown what I can do.
0:55:08 > 0:55:14Ben had really good presentation, very good presentation skills when he did your mackerel dish,
0:55:14 > 0:55:22but he made a big mistake with the tartare. The texture was like pate. I wanted to spread it on toast.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26It was chopped up to a pulp and had far too much cream in it.
0:55:26 > 0:55:31So it wasn't very nice to eat, but the seasoning was very good.
0:55:31 > 0:55:38He made a very good Beef Wellington, but his rosemary in his sauce was far too strong.
0:55:38 > 0:55:43It certainly wasn't a red wine sauce that should be served with beef.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47Hopefully I've done enough. It's down to the judges.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50I respect their decision. And the decision's final.
0:55:50 > 0:55:55- Aargh! What are you going to do? - I've seen a very good level today,
0:55:55 > 0:56:00but I do feel there is one that's slightly behind the others.
0:56:19 > 0:56:26I've seen some good cooking today. It wasn't totally fault-free, but it was difficult to choose.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31The chef leaving today is...
0:56:41 > 0:56:42Steve.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58A little bit disappointed, as I said,
0:56:58 > 0:57:01that I didn't get to go further.
0:57:01 > 0:57:08I just don't feel... To go out after doing classics, there's a lot more I could have done,
0:57:08 > 0:57:10but that's part of the game.
0:57:12 > 0:57:20You're through. You're going through to the next round. Well done. It won't get any easier!
0:57:28 > 0:57:32It means so much to be in the quarter-finals. I've entered to win,
0:57:32 > 0:57:36so it means a lot to just keep progressing.
0:57:36 > 0:57:42Getting through today has given me a huge boost to my confidence. They can see the potential in me.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45Hopefully I can go all the way.
0:57:45 > 0:57:50It's been a long day, it's been a stressful day, but it's been a great day.
0:57:50 > 0:57:56And it ends with qualifying to the quarter-finals. Absolutely brilliant.
0:58:00 > 0:58:05Tomorrow, the five remaining chefs are back to be tested...
0:58:12 > 0:58:16It's not a plate I'd like my boss to see.
0:58:16 > 0:58:22..before Michel Roux Junior sets them their first classic recipe.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25I hope our chefs will be able to recreate this dish properly.
0:58:27 > 0:58:31Now we expect you to really raise your game.
0:58:36 > 0:58:40You've shown a lot of skill today. That's exactly how it should be.
0:58:56 > 0:59:00Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011
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