Episode 5 MasterChef: The Professionals

Only an elite group of chefs holds two Michelin stars.

Michel Roux Junior is one of them.

-Ca marche! Two Saint-Jacques au passe now!

-Oui!

Now he and MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace are on the hunt for Britain's next culinary superstar,

a professional with the talent to cut it in the world's top kitchens.

Perfect.

This week's chefs all believe they've got the skill to cook at the highest level.

I'm prepared to do absolutely anything necessary to make it to the top.

Service!

In five years, I see myself with a Michelin star.

Service!

My passion for cooking is non-stop.

Food is on the brain constantly.

Away, table four. One pork, one smoked duck.

Being a chef, you can't always be the nice guy.

In this competition, I'm going to go for it. I don't care who gets in my way.

But first, they'll have to impress Michel's sous-chef Monica Galetti

who has set them two tests to prove they are good enough to cook for Michel.

Everybody knows how hard this competition is now. We've got chefs from all over the country.

We could be uncovering the new stars of the future.

It's a professional series. I expect nothing less.

Ready...?

Let's get 'em in.

Welcome to Professional MasterChef.

This is your first test.

In front of you are six ingredients.

You'll get 50 minutes to make a dish with some or all of the ingredients. It can be sweet, it can be savoury.

Chefs, uncover your ingredients.

Guys, you've got prawns,

mango, chilli,

micro-coriander.

There's dark chocolate,

lime

and the limited larder.

Ten minutes' prep time starts now.

I don't want to see ten of the same dishes here. Show me what you can do. Show me your individuality.

Show me a dish that I would be happy to put in front of chef Michel.

Your 50 minutes' cooking time starts now.

I want great cooking here today with the biggest attention to detail, all the way down to the plate.

If I was cooking, I would make a huge ravioli with those prawns.

You could also use the heads to make a great cream sauce.

If I was to go sweet, I'd make a tart, I'd make a sable.

Or you could make a souffle. Lots of options.

To win this competition would mean the world to me, to my family.

That's why I'm here to show I can do it and I want to do it.

-What are you going to make for us?

-I'll do a pan-fried prawn.

I'll make a fritter, then a mango puree to keep it fresh and zingy.

-You seem very happy and passionate cooking. Is that you?

-Yeah, I love it.

-Why are you here, Steve?

-I want to showcase what I can do and to win.

-You're animated. You fill me full of passion. Well done.

-Thank you.

I've been watching Steve. He has know-how. I like the way he's working.

I hope he carries it through and delivers us a great plate today.

I'm from India and India has so many cuisines,

so many cultures.

I'm quite a creative chef.

Swami, what do you love to cook? How do you love to cook?

I don't go by too many rules. I like a lot of freedom when I cook

because it's an expression of happiness and joy, so I don't believe there's any restriction involved.

-What are you making for us?

-I'm cooking sauteed prawn with chilli and mango dressing

-and a bit of boiled egg on the side.

-Prawn, mango and boiled egg? Swami, I can't wait!

I'm a bit unsure about the egg. I'd like to see how this turns out.

Ten minutes gone already.

Jonny, what are you going to make for us?

I'll do some pan-fried king prawns with salsa and some bitter chocolate and chilli sauce.

-I like to get different flavours and weird things to come together. That's what I do best.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

I'd say I'm quite creative. I can produce some wacky things.

People might think that might not go.

I'll be looking to do that on this competition.

I've been working in kitchens for five years.

I decided to go back to uni, so I've got both skills. I've got the kitchen and the business head on me as well.

-Claire, what are you making?

-I'll do roasted prawns with mango puree,

mango diced, mango sliced. Lots of mango!

Your bench is really neat. Michel would love that. Are you good enough to cook for him?

-I hope so.

-OK, Claire, good luck.

-Thank you.

I'm terrified of Monica.

She looks really terrifying.

Hopefully, she'll like what I cook.

Ben, what are you making?

Roasted shellfish bisque, chilli and mango salsa to liven it up

and the remaining prawns, saute them in a coriander marinade.

-Where are you from, Ben?

-Halifax, West Yorkshire.

-Do you bring Yorkshire classics into your food?

-Yorkshire mentality, generosity, honesty.

-I'm serious about good ingredients. The mentality's Yorkshire.

-Is that Latin, Ben?

-Yeah, it's "carpe diem".

"Seize the day." A good mentality for today.

You are halfway.

I like to experiment my style of cooking.

I like to try different things on a plate.

Hopefully, it'll stand out.

David, what are you making?

Pan-fried prawns with a mango and coriander salad, a rich chilli chocolate sauce, prawn bisque.

-Why MasterChef?

-I just want to see how good I am.

-Any dreams of winning it?

-I'd love to win. Who wouldn't? I'm quite competitive.

I don't like losing, but in a competition like this, you're up against fantastic chefs.

-Good luck with this, mate.

-Thank you very much.

I perform quite well under pressure.

Stress, no stress, I enjoy it, so it'll be fine.

Hello, Lori. Head chef of a seafood restaurant in Eastbourne, so this should be right up your alley.

-When I saw the prawns, I did feel quite comfortable.

-Good, Lori. I expect good things.

Thank you.

Lori, this is her comfort zone. She should be coming out, showing us the most amazing plate.

I'm currently head chef for the NHS, a hospital chef.

My background lies in high-end stuff.

Currently, I don't do that. I'd really like to get back into that.

-Jon, what's that going to be?

-A ravioli.

-Good man. What goes with your ravioli?

We're having prawn, mango, chilli ravioli with a nice, fragrant broth with coriander and lime.

Something different. Very brave. Are you used to making pasta?

I've made it before, but not under this pressure.

Jon's pasta did not work out. He can't make a ravioli.

Hopefully, he manages to deliver a dish because he's under a lot of pressure now.

Your last 15 minutes.

Use them well.

-Seb, what's your dish?

-Lime shortbread with chilli dark chocolate ganache and a sweet Chantilly cream.

-No prawns?

-No, I'm sticking with the sweets.

-You are the only man not cooking with the prawns. Well done.

-Thanks.

-And something sweet. Is that for me?

-Yes, it is. I know how much you like sweet things.

-I don't know what Michel and Monica will make of your earrings, but you sound like a chef.

-Thanks very much.

I like to think my strengths are pastry at the moment.

People think pastry is a girl's job, but it's not.

It's one of the hardest sections I've done in the kitchen.

You've got ten minutes left.

I've never entered any cookery competition before in my life.

I think the nerves may let me down.

But I'm very confident in my ability to win.

-Chris, what are you making?

-I'm doing seared prawns with a chilli lime pancake.

I've got a mango salsa, a mango puree and a coriander salad and a fish cream sauce.

-Wow! Is this your style?

-It's a reflection of my style, yes.

-Very classical, traditional. It's what I do.

-What do you want to do?

-I want to open my own restaurant. It's time for me to go for it, to be the best.

-Can you be?

-Of course.

-Can you win the competition?

-Yes, that's why I'm here.

Chris is doing prawns with crispy pancakes.

He's burnt two or three pancakes already. He needs to really calm down and focus on this task.

Last five minutes, please.

30 seconds.

That's it, your time's up. Stop. Stop, stop, stop.

NHS chef Jon has chosen to cook the prawns,

serving them on top of a prawn, mango, chilli ragout with dumplings.

Jon... It was not a good day at the office for you, was it?

-No.

-You were going to make ravioli. The pasta didn't turn out and you made this dumpling.

The dumpling's raw. You should have forgotten the dumplings altogether.

The filling to the ravioli would've been much better in the ravioli.

The prawns are overcooked and it's more like a salad than anything.

What I'm seeing here is a rescue mission. It's damage limitation.

It's not what you set out to do. Your ravioli didn't work, so it's very difficult for me to judge you.

Luckily, there's another round to go.

-Jon, thank you.

-Thank you.

I've given myself too much to do. I made a pig's ear of it.

Not good, not happy.

Seafood chef Lori has pan-fried the prawns and served them on top of mango, chilli and lime salsa

with a prawn cream.

I like it. But something creamy and rich with something sharp and acidic?

I don't like them both together.

Prawns cooked perfectly. Can't fault it.

But you've put a cream sauce with something very sharp. It's not something I'd serve to Michel.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

I'm really disappointed. I thought make it simple, but the simple I did wasn't even good enough. Eugh!

That's quite a knock.

Jonny has also pan-fried the prawns and served them with a mango salsa,

but he has added a chilli and chocolate sauce.

The presentation is a bit odd for me. The way the prawns are all hidden under your salsa

shows a bit of sloppiness.

Chocolate with prawns - a whole new thing for me. I really like that.

It does sort of come together.

-I love the way the prawns are cooked. Wow. A very nice flavour combination.

-Thank you.

-It's got to look better, but it tastes great.

-Thank you.

-Jonny, well done.

-Thank you.

Their comments will inspire me and push me on for the next round.

They're both happy. I'm very happy. I loved that.

23-year-old David has given his prawns and mango salad a twist

by adding a side of prawn bisque, a poached egg and a chocolate chilli sauce.

Em...wow, David.

That's a combination I have never had before. Poached egg with chocolate sauce?

I don't think there's enough thought going in to what you're doing here or there was too much thinking.

It was not necessary to put everything on here.

OK.

Mmm.

Mmmmm!

Yeah.

It's like a chocolate creme egg on acid.

We like boldness and creativity, but...

there are things on this plate I have never, ever seen before in 25 years of eating out.

'I feel a little bit disappointed,'

to be honest with you. In myself.

But this is the game. This is the test. So... I'll get over it.

Swami has adapted the prawns and mango salsa combination

by tossing the prawns in an onion and cream sauce, dressing it in a chilli vinaigrette

and boiling the egg.

I'm a bit thrown by that egg.

The prawn, um, is wonderful. I love the sauce that's underneath that.

The egg is perfectly cooked, but it throws off from your dish.

I'd happily send that to Michel minus the egg. It's not necessary.

Thank you.

I think that's rather delicious. You obviously know how to build flavour.

-I'm looking forward to seeing you cook again.

-Thank you.

'I'm feeling pretty happy that I did a good job.

'I'm looking forward to the next competition.'

I hope I get the chance to cook for Michel.

Pastry chef Seb has gone for the sweet option, using the chocolate

to make a chilli ganache-filled shortbread with lime Chantilly.

-I'm very happy that you've stepped out of the comfort zone and made something different.

-Thank you.

Seb...

I can't fault it. The flavours are fantastic. I'm very happy to eat it.

I like the flavour combination of the lime, the mango. You only get a touch of the chilli.

-Chilli and chocolate. A match made in heaven. Michel would enjoy this. I loved that.

-Thank you.

Seb, mate, that's as good a start as I've seen anyone make.

-Thank you.

-That's great.

Cheers.

-Thank you very much, mate.

-Thank you.

She said that would be a dish that she would eat. That coming from her is...amazing.

Ben's coriander-marinated prawns

are served with a mango and lime salsa and a lightly-spiced bisque.

The creamy bisque with the acidity of the salsa clashes. It doesn't work, but I love your presentation.

Good bisque. Good salsa. Nicely cooked prawns.

Bisque and salsa don't work together.

'I genuinely thought in my head that everything would balance.'

In hindsight, yeah, a bit silly.

Chris has deviated from the group by serving his prawns with chilli lime pancakes.

He's dressed it with two sauces - a prawn cream sauce and a mango puree.

The prawns are cooked nicely. I love that you're being different. You made the chilli pancakes,

but quite dry, isn't it? You need more cream sauce to moisten it.

I think you've got some nice ideas. I think you understand flavour combinations.

-I'm not sure you've completely pulled this off.

-OK.

I felt quite intimidated with Gregg and Monica standing there, but I think it went OK, actually.

Steven has used his prawns to make fritters and served them with pickled chilli

and mango dressing.

Steven, nice plate. Very nice plate. There's a lot of technique in this plate.

Steven, I like your dish. I like the fritters. The only thing is,

the prawns, you've butterflied the wrong end, so they've opened like that. But a very nice plate.

Would I serve it to Michel?

It's just a bit off perfection, which is what we are looking for.

I love it. I absolutely love it.

It's got crunch in there, texture.

You can taste the sweet prawn. Little hints of chilli.

-Lovely dish.

-Cool.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

'One mistake. It's a bit annoying.'

A technical error which I wouldn't normally do. It's annoying, but I have to move on.

Finally, it's Claire, who has pan-fried her prawns and served them with a mango puree,

a chilli and lime dressing and slices of mango.

What I see is a very simply presented plate. Too simple.

The combination of the chilli, the lime and the mango goes very well.

Unfortunately, it's not a complete dish, but what you have here is very well made.

Monica wants to see more skill, more technique from you.

I, however, think that is wonderful.

I think that tastes fantastic.

-Claire, thank you.

-Thank you.

'I think it went OK.'

I was just disappointed because it was a very yellow plate.

Hopefully, I've learnt from what I've done today and show them more next time.

Well done, guys. I realise I must come across quite harsh,

but you must understand the level of cooking that Michel is expecting.

No one goes home right now. You all get a chance to prove yourselves again.

Thank you. Off you go.

-I really enjoyed today. I ate some good stuff.

-We have great potential.

-My favourite out of the lot was Seb, who actually made a dessert.

-He did something different.

-That's what I wanted to see today.

-'I think if I carry on going'

the way that I'm going, I've got a better chance than anybody.

Jonny...Jonny surprised you. Chocolate with his prawns.

But actually his food tasted great and the grin on his face I thought was wonderful.

Some of them definitely have a point to prove if I am to put them through to Michel.

I don't know what David was thinking of.

I just cannot understand why he's adding all those things.

It's definitely not what I wanted to see today. The complete opposite.

I think I could do better next round. That means pressure on, big time, in the next round.

Jon tried to make ravioli. It didn't work for him, so his dish then was just a rescue mission.

That failed.

I feel really lucky that we do have another opportunity.

I'll certainly redeem myself now.

Jon and Dave need to step it up, but I'm genuinely excited

to see some of these guys come back and perform the next task.

The first test is over.

Now the ten chefs will be split into two groups.

Tomorrow the first five are back to face their final test...

I really do not have a clue what I'm doing.

I'd say you'd never cooked before.

That's...fantastic.

..before Monica decides who will cook for Michel.

If you are serious about this competition, now is the time to show it.

It certainly is up there with one of the best dishes I have tasted.

Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011

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