Episode 6 MasterChef: The Professionals

Only an elite group of chefs holds two Michelin stars.

Michel Roux Junior is one of them.

HE BARKS OUT INSTRUCTIONS

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.

Ten professional chefs have faced their first challenge

to prove to Monica Galetti that they can cook at the highest level.

Now, they've been split into two groups.

Today, five of them will face the final test,

to decide who is good enough to cook for Michel Roux Junior.

At the end of it, one of them will be going home.

'The pressure is always going to be high in this competition'

and you've just got to take every day as it comes.

'If someone was to say, who is Lori?'

Chef. That's it.

'So, winning this would just complete me.'

'My dreams and goals are really just to get to the top.'

I want to get a Michelin star. I want to be the best I can be.

How are you going to test them?

Today, I'd like them to make us a dish using these marrow bones,

to prepare them and cook them using any of the ingredients we've got here.

-How many chefs do you think would have dealt with marrow?

-If any of these five

are going to go through and cook for Michel, they need to be able to prepare this ingredient,

even if they've never come across it before.

The first thing I'm going to do is cook the marrow. I'm going to pop the marrow out.

These marrow bones have been soaked overnight.

It draws the blood out from the inside of the marrow.

-What's the best way of cooking it?

-The best way is poach it in water.

To fry it straight away - there's a lot of fat in there, if you put fat in a pan, it'll just shrivel up.

You can use it like that, but it's not the best way to present it.

They've got to keep one eye on the marrow, make sure it doesn't overcook. And while that's cooking,

they've got to get on with the rest of their dish. They've got to think on their feet.

I'm going to serve mine with ceps. I'm going to use a bit of garlic, shallot, on a nice piece of toast.

Can I feel?

Sure.

That's so delicate.

Nice.

Very nice.

How do you know when it's ready?

It should be slightly opaque, a light touch of pink in there, no more than that.

I have some parsley, some breadcrumbs. I'm putting it under the grill to gratinate it lightly

and if it's still pink in the middle it's going to finish cooking.

-How long have they got for this one?

-12 minutes.

Hm.

There you have it, Gregg. Marrow bones on a crouton with ceps.

Right, let's see who knows what they're doing. Let's bring 'em in.

Pastry chef Seb has only been cooking professionally for four years,

but in the invention test he impressed with an outstanding dessert.

For the next challenge, my worst nightmare

would probably be some sort of meat preparation.

Mainly because working as a pastry chef for the last year, I haven't done a lot of meat,

so I'm a little bit rusty on that.

Have you ever cooked bone marrow before?

I have cooked bone marrow before. Not by myself, under the supervision of my executive chef.

Good to hear that you've worked with marrowbone before.

Bad news is, I'm expecting a very good dish from you.

12 minutes, off you go.

It's all right, I've got it, I've got it.

You're halfway, you've got six minutes left.

60 seconds left.

OK?

Glad it's over?

Yeah!

Marrowbone is very high content in fat,

so with a very fierce heat, as you saw, it's just going to melt and separate.

This is why the patty that you made was just not holding.

This marrowbone we have here is only partly cooked.

If you see the big pieces through that, they're still raw.

Not your round this, Seb. You knew how to remove the bone marrow OK,

but you really didn't know how to cook it.

I can't eat that. It's raw.

Even the way you cooked the mushrooms bothered me

because whole big mushrooms like that are never going to fry without slicing them first.

Seb, I do like your presentation, but the only thing I could eat on there would be that toast.

Thank you. Off you go.

Thank you.

That was hard. That was really hard.

I don't think I've ever felt pressure like that, not even when I was at school doing my GCSEs!

Lori is head chef of a seafood restaurant that has been awarded two AA rosettes.

She cooked her prawns well in the first round,

but the cream sauce and citrus salsa were not a successful blend.

I'm really confident in my skills, I really am.

I think I've gone quite far just off my own ambition,

so, yeah, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't confident.

So, we want one bone marrow dish from you,

anything you want, in 12 minutes.

Whoa.

Have you cooked and prepared bone marrow before?

Um...I've only roasted it before and served it in the bone,

so, that's about it.

Ah, OK. Well, you won't have time to do that in 12 minutes, will you?

-No, no.

-Right, well, good luck.

You're about halfway, just over six minutes left.

When you started mincing the marrow, took it out of the pan, have you done that before?

I haven't, really. I just thought to myself,

maybe make kind of like a pate.

Unfortunately, Lori, there's just not enough marrow on here for me to get a clear taste.

I get a lot of salt, I get a bit of the garlic on there,

but not a big whack of marrow, which is what I'd like.

The ceps could do with a bit more cooking, as well.

What I think has been your saving grace

is the fact your plate looks neat and it's presented well.

That works.

That works!

We've got mushroom with a hint of marrow.

It would have been nice to have it the other way around, but I am really impressed.

Really impressed.

-Thank you very much.

-Thanks.

I think I did...OK.

The ingredient had to shine, and mine kind of faded away,

but I did what I did, and I'm happy with it.

Inspired to cook by his gran,

sous chef Steve now has 10 years' professional experience.

He's already shown promise

with his technically impressive prawn fritters.

I'm very confident in my skills.

I've done every section in the kitchen. Nothing scares me.

Even if I haven't done something before,

I would just try and do it to my best ability.

Have you worked with marrow before?

-No, I haven't.

-Off you go.

-Halfway, chef.

-Right.

-Six minutes left.

Are they cooking in there?

They're going down to nothing.

Two minutes, Steve.

-All done?

-Yeah.

Steve, I realise you haven't worked with marrow bone before,

but I commend you on the way that you worked.

Your method of cooking it, you had it in the oil,

so you were basically confiting it slowly in there.

It was just about right, because it needs steady cooking

through a steady temperature, otherwise it will just melt.

Steve, that marrow bone is how it should be. It's wonderful.

It just melts in your mouth.

And the breadcrumbs around it gives a lovely light crunch to it.

You've clearly shown that you've taken your chef's intuition

and thought about how this could work for you.

Cool.

That's really good. Really good.

A hint of garlic first, little saltiness,

then the real meatiness of that bone marrow.

I'm impressed, Steve.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

I think I've done myself justice, you know?

If I don't progress,

I've done my best, and that's all I can ask for, really.

David works as a head chef in France

and dreams of opening an Alpine restaurant,

but his combination of egg and chocolate

left the judges questioning his palate.

I feel very sick at the moment, and my mind's pretty blank.

I just can't wait to get in there and get it done, to be honest.

Big sigh there from you, David. Have you cooked bone marrow before?

No, Gregg.

Do your best. Show me why you deserve to go through and cook for Michel.

I don't have a clue what I'm doing.

That's fine. You need to relax. You need to push this out.

-There you go, chef.

-OK?

That's embarrassing.

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

You're halfway, so you've got six minutes left.

Three minutes left, chef.

It's all right. You can leave it there.

I'm just going to put some bread on the side.

I'll hold it. Cut a piece of bread, go on.

Ooh. Steady.

-All right?

-Sorry.

Looking at the state of this table, I'd say you'd never cooked before.

Michel would not be having a good day if he walked past a table like this.

Honestly, I don't normally work like that. No excuse.

You did a great job on the griddle because it was not that hot.

You can see it still held together.

The big bit here you can see is slightly under,

yet the smaller ones, quite nice.

You've got a massive bit of shallot, slices of bread on the side.

-It's not a nice plate.

-No, it's not.

-It's not a nice plate.

I actually don't believe you work like this.

I'm pretty sure you don't. Let's have a go at this.

There are still solid lumps of shallot in with the mushrooms.

You've actually cooked the bone marrow OK.

You've been quite gentle with it.

The rest of it, I think we're going to have to draw a line under.

Thanks for your time.

Intense.

Oh, my god.

As you can see, I'm still a bit shaky now.

Monica said then she doesn't think I can cook

because of the mess I made, and she's got a fair point.

It's just because I panicked. It's my own fault. No excuses.

Chichester-based Jonny has been working in professional kitchens for nearly 15 years.

He also used chocolate in the last round, but with greater success.

I'd rather stand out from the crowd than be in that crowd.

I want to do something different to impress.

Have you cooked bone marrow before?

A couple of times.

Right.

Show us why you deserve to go through and cook for my boss.

Halfway, six minutes left, Jonny.

-Finished, Jonny?

-I'm finished, Gregg, thank you.

It's a good plate, but it's not yet perfect. Work on that presentation.

You started adding things like this to your plate.

It was already looking fine as it was.

Jonny, that's fantastic.

It's perfectly cooked. I love the garlic coming through that.

There's so much butter

you'd feel so guilty with every mouthful you'd eat of that,

but, damn, it's good!

Thank you.

Yum! Nicely seasoned, soft, beefy, buttery.

Very nice.

-You're happy, mate, ain't you?

-I am.

Take care.

Top of the world. Really good.

There are a few little points which I need to brush up on,

but, yeah, over the whole thing, yeah, I'm very pleased.

Honestly, it was a good day.

A few people let me down, but otherwise,

I was quite impressed, actually.

Most of them did not know how to prepare the main ingredient today,

yet they still managed to deliver the test.

I agree. I absolutely agree.

My favourite cook here today was young Steve.

He's managed to deliver us a fantastic dish

just by using his chef's intuition. He made my day being here today.

Yeah, I loved him. He goes through, yeah?

-Oh, definitely, definitely.

-Good.

I tell you who else I liked, Jonny.

He said he'd handled bone marrow before and it showed.

He was basting the whole thing with butter, lots of butter!

He served the whole thing on a piece of toasted bread. Very nice.

If anything, he needs to control himself.

He started adding big leaves of parsley.

He should have just stopped where he was.

But it tasted wonderful, didn't it?

I think there is definite, definite potential in Jonny.

Nice to see you smile. It doesn't happen often.

But it's nice when it does.

Jonny's through, young Steve's through. Can I suggest another name?

Go on.

Lori.

She wasn't sure how to cook the marrow.

In fact, she had the pan too hot and it was getting smaller,

but her chef's brain took over.

From adversity, she actually managed to deliver a decent plate.

Her presentation was wonderful, and it's what saved this for her.

Are you willing to put Lori through to cook for Michel?

Yes, I'm willing to put Lori through.

We've got one place left and we've still got David and Seb.

Seb tried to make patties, but with that heat, there was no way

that this marrowbone was going to hold together.

I want to go all the way. I'd be disappointed if I went home now.

Obviously, I don't want to go home.

David managed to at least cook some of the bone marrow,

but he had rubbish and mess everywhere.

From his work methods to the final plate,

I was not impressed with David.

I'd like another shot at it.

I'd love to cook something I know what to do, so I can show them that I can cook.

Neither did very well today.

Is there one here that you would give a chance in front of Michel?

Yes.

One of you is leaving us today.

The chef leaving us today is...

..David.

Thank you.

'Not being able to cook for Michel's gutting.

'But I couldn't even impress his sous chef.'

So that obviously would have been a bit of a nightmare.

One or two of you have not had a very strong round.

You need to prove yourself worthy to be here.

There are classics that should be part of every professional chef's repertoire,

and Michel Roux Junior is looking for chefs who aspire to cook them

at his two-Michelin-star level.

A classic recipe I want our chefs to cook today are oysters Kilpatrick and oysters Rockefeller.

Oysters Kilpatrick, a national treasure of Australia.

A true delicacy.

Oysters Rockefeller, named after John Rockefeller,

the American millionaire, because the sauce was rich.

Michel's dish combines two classic oyster recipes.

The Kilpatrick oysters are encased in a fine blend of brioche crumb

and smoked bacon.

The Rockefellers are served with spinach and a pastis cream sauce.

Oysters are traditionally served cold.

This test will determine which chefs can cook them with precision.

The first thing to do, open the oyster.

Get your oyster knife in here and lever it open,

applying pressure on the point.

It really would be criminal if they didn't know how to open an oyster.

And that beautiful oyster should be intact.

I'm now just going to sear them in their own juices

for about 30 seconds, no more.

It just intensifies the flavour.

This is critical. They must not overcook the oyster.

We're talking a matter of seconds and this dish could be ruined.

Coming up to a simmer and straight off immediately.

For the Rockefeller, we need the sauce.

We have this intense oyster liquor,

finely chopped shallots

and then this lovely pastis, or Pernod.

It's got that good kick of aniseed.

That has to boil down and then we add the cream.

Mm! It's good.

And now the spinach.

I don't want brown, overcooked spinach.

A little bit of nutmeg.

And moisten it with a little bit of the cream.

The spinach needs to be fairly coarse,

not a puree.

To this I add a little bit of chopped parsley.

It is a balance of flavours. I don't want one overpowering the other.

And now we sit our oyster on top.

They have to go back into the shells the same way as they came out.

It's that attention to detail that makes the difference.

Now, the sauce.

The egg yolk is going to give the sauce more richness

and it's going to give it a lovely glaze and colour.

You can't skimp on the sauce here. It has to be brimming.

Now, for the Kilpatrick.

I want this bacon quite fine.

Mm!

There's something about the smell of bacon!

The fat has rendered. It's starting to go brown.

That's it.

This is what we're looking for, a sand texture of crumble.

That's what I'm going to be sprinkling on top of the oyster.

For the bed of the oyster,

I'm going to be adding some Tabasco and a bit of Worcester sauce.

We have our lovely crumbed sand,

and that's going to crisp up under the grill.

To this, I add a tiny bit of butter.

Just a smidgen.

And now these go underneath a grill.

The glazing of the oysters really is the last second, the last job to do.

You can't hang around. They're ready, they get served.

OK. That's it.

Beautiful aromas coming out.

There we have it,

three oysters Kilpatrick and three oysters Rockefeller.

I just hope that our chefs will be able to recreate this dish properly.

'Butterflies in my stomach!'

It feels like the first day of school!

HE LAUGHS

'Cooking for Michel Roux Junior, it's a dream.'

I want to do it perfectly and I want him to enjoy it.

'I feel like I'm here now.'

This is really where it starts and this is where the cooking begins.

If you are serious about this competition,

now is the time to show it, because we are taking it up a notch.

You, now, are going to cook one of my favourites.

Oysters Rockefeller and oysters Kilpatrick.

I am expecting perfection.

This is just the first of two classic tests.

At the end of those tests, one of you will leave the competition.

One hour.

Off you go.

'I'm confident in certain areas of classic cuisine,

'maybe not in all of it.'

But I have enough experience and enough potential to take any challenge and do well.

All right, Seb? Do you understand the theory behind hot oysters?

Yeah, I understand the theory of hot oysters.

I've eaten hot oysters. I've worked in a seafood restaurant.

I was trained in a seafood restaurant.

I've not cooked them, but I've seen them being done.

What do you now want to prove to us?

I'm not just a pastry chef.

I don't want to be a pastry chef, I want to be a good chef.

I want to prove I've got what it takes to go the distance.

Even though you look a bit nervous, that's the occasion, not the dish?

Not the dish, just the occasion,

which I'm sure you understand and get quite a lot. I'll be fine.

Seb has mucked up on three of his oysters.

They look as if they've been chewed up and spat out again,

which is such a shame. I just hope Seb can overcome those nerves. Deep down, I think he is a good chef.

15 minutes have gone.

'Cooking for Michel Roux Junior is the highest standard.'

If I hold my nerves, keep cool, calm and collected, I think I can impress.

-All right, Jonny?

-Hello.

When did you know you had to be a chef?

From a young age. When I started, about 15.

I just got right into it and I loved it.

Every day's different. Every day's a challenge.

There are always new things on the horizon. If I ever got an opportunity, I'd grasp it.

I'm 29 now, so I would really like to prove myself.

-29, you're virtually past it(!)

-I know!

I feel it, sometimes!

Time to put your slippers on!

Jonny took his time to open the oysters, but they're all perfect.

Now, he just has to cook them properly

and I'm sure he's going to give us a really good dish.

Half an hour left, guys.

Classics have to be perfect and that's what's daunting about this challenge,

especially with him being a classical French chef.

It's going to be highly pressurised.

Right, Lori. Have you been trained in the classics?

My experience is from myself, really, so I haven't really had any influence from any one professional,

so I don't have maybe the finesse or those classic techniques, but I do know how to cook.

-Where do see yourself in a few years' time?

-I think I've taken it as far as I can on my own.

-I definitely don't know everything, so I want to learn.

-Good luck.

-Good luck, Lori.

Lori, not classically trained at all, but she's not fazed by this.

She's trusting her instincts, her intuition.

That could stand her in good stead.

Cooking for Michel Roux Junior, I think, anyone would be lying if they weren't nervous

and won't feel the pressure, but I'm confident in anything I cook, even if it's a classic dish or not.

-Hi, Steve.

-Hi, Chef, how are you?

How does this recipe fare, then?

If I'm honest, it's probably not my bag,

but I'll try and use my tastebuds and use my brain, my knowledge.

I'd love to know what your dream is?

My dream is just to be successful and be the best

and just cook good food. I want to be the best.

In this world there's no point doing something if you're not committed

and you don't want to be the best, especially in this job. I'll take all criticism on board.

I'm not the sort of chef who thinks you talk rubbish.

I'll just take it all on board. I'm like a sponge.

-I'll just absorb it and just crack on. I'm trying to improve myself all the time.

-Good.

I've got to go, Steve, I've got a taxi coming at half seven.

Steve is exuberant and loves food. You can see that.

But I don't think he's opened many oysters before

because some of them look a little bit chewed up.

It's your last ten minutes, please.

Listen, you've got one minute left.

Stop, your time's up!

We asked you to cook oysters Kilpatrick and oysters Rockefeller.

The oysters should be cooked through,

but not overcooked, gratinated to perfection

and with the addition of a garnish of beautifully fried leeks.

Steve, you first.

First off, presentation, Steve.

They should all be the same way to make it easy for the customer

to eat the oyster.

The bacon in there is far too big, too chunky. It should be a crumb.

Your Rockefeller's lovely. There is a tang in there.

There's a slight taste of Pernod.

But they are just backing notes to that soft, salty, sweet oyster.

Well, I could do a dozen of them!

Your Kilpatrick oysters are cooked properly,

but the breadcrumbs haven't been gratinated or crisped up enough.

No, they're not right.

I tried my best, but just silly mistakes. I'll just keep my head up

and don't get too down about it because otherwise I'll be depressed.

Jonny...

Very neat presentation. A couple of things, though.

The oysters come to the customer,

they should be seasoned perfectly and have the right level of acidity.

You shouldn't need to put a piece of lemon on the plate.

Secondly, I asked for fried leeks. I've just got a few token, almost black, pieces of leek there.

The Kilpatrick have got a little bit too much crumb.

It has got a good kick. You can taste that Worcester sauce and you can taste the Tabasco,

but not too much. Well judged.

I think the oysters have been beautifully cooked.

You're not far off.

Your Rockefeller, it's rich, creamy, a slight bit of acidity.

Maybe a little bit too much acidity.

I'd eat them all.

If you get good feedback, it's amazing, you know?

It lights a fire inside you. It keeps it burning.

It gives you a bit of drive to prove again what you've got.

Right, Seb...

I watched you open the oysters, Seb, and you looked very nervous and I think it shows.

Three of those oysters looked mashed.

Take your time when it's like that.

Your leeks are overcooked. You can see that.

In fact, they look a bit pitiful at the bottom of the plate there.

Oh!

Kilpatrick, you could have a little bit more crumb in there on top just to crisp it up.

The bacon is cut really small and fine, which is nice.

Your oysters are cooked properly.

A little bit too much Worcester sauce there, but not a bad attempt.

The spinach does need seasoning and there's bits of shallots that need more cooking.

I would eat those, but those Rockefeller are far from perfection.

I managed to show a bit of skill to Michel Roux Junior today, yeah, definitely.

Enough skill that he's got a little bit of confidence in me.

Lori...

I think that's beautifully presented.

The oyster shells in the correct manner.

A superfine julienne, crispy, blonde, lovely.

Hm. The Kilpatrick is perfectly seasoned.

The crumb is crispy.

The bacon has been chopped up superfine, which is nice.

It's spicy. It's got the depth of flavour.

Oh, I'm sorry, Lori, but the Rockefeller does not explode on your tongue.

It actually lacks flavour.

It lacks a Pernod tang and it lacks seasoning.

It doesn't give you a kiss, it steps up and shakes your hand.

I think I could have done better.

It's a tough one, though, because it's quite hard to find the balance.

Is it under seasoned, is it over seasoned?

There's such a fine line and I don't really know it yet.

Now you are going to cook your choice of a classic dish,

a dish that shows off your skills.

At the end of this, one of you will be going home.

One hour, off you go.

OK, Lori, what's your choice of classic dish?

I'm going to do Sole Veronique.

-Sole and grapes with sauce?

-Yeah.

I had Sole Veronique

and fell in love with it for the first time last week.

Oh, OK!

Is it a dish you serve at the restaurant where you are now?

I did it once as a starter, but I kind of modernised it to my own way.

I'm definitely making it a lot lighter than the classic.

I'm not doing a veloute or anything like that.

I'm just doing a reduction with the cream and the wine.

I've decided I was going to put basil with it as well

because I like to do my own little thing to things sometimes.

You're going to see it's quite vibrant and the flavours are just going to liven up on your palate.

-You've got a lot to live up to with this.

-OK.

Lori works in a fish restaurant, you could see that, beautiful filleting of fish.

I just hope she can cook it, just right, because lemon sole,

if it's overcooked, can be cotton wool.

I have to do this right, I really do.

I didn't choose something that is over the top,

so if I can't get this right, I'm not going to look good at all.

You've had 15 minutes, quarter of an hour gone.

This is the dish properly showcasing skill and knowledge as a chef.

If you follow the recipe, it can't go wrong.

Seb, what are you cooking as your classic dish?

Canon of lamb Wellington with buttered summer vegetables

and roasted potatoes with a lamb and elderflower jus.

Hm.

Lamb and elderflower jus?

I think elderflower has got a nice, subtle taste to it

and I think it complements the flavours in my dish.

Is this a dish that you've cooked time and time again?

To be honest, I've never done this specific dish.

I've done all the components of this dish together, but not with lamb.

This is the right time to experiment?

I think any time is the right time to experiment, really,

and, hopefully, I am confident enough to do it right and do it well for you.

-You're filling me full of confidence, Seb. Good luck, mate.

-Thank you very much.

I am surprised that Seb is using lamb in a Wellington.

I've never come across that. I'm not sure it's going to work.

That will be a push in an hour.

You're halfway.

You've got half an hour left.

Right, Jonny, what classic dish are you cooking for us?

Lobster thermidor with saffron risotto and a roasted lemon.

I love lobster. It's delicate, it's got good flavours.

I just think today I'm going to add a little of a twist with the saffron risotto,

something a little bit different

and, hopefully, you'll enjoy it.

Jonny's dish is going a little bit crazy.

How do you balance cheese, risotto, lobster and lemon?

Skilfully, hopefully!

There are a lot of things in there that could go wrong.

Undercook it, overcooking it, not getting your sauce bang on.

The risotto has got to be al dente, and it should marry up pretty nice.

Steve, what classic dish are you cooking?

Roast chicken with petit pois a la Francais.

Well, chicken breast in itself isn't a classic,

but petit pois a la Francais, yes, I'd say is a classic.

Yeah, this is my take on a classic, so, I'm doing it differently.

I want a few surprises in there for you.

-You're confident, you've done this before?

-I'm confident.

It's a dish that I love to eat.

It is a big risk as I've got to cook the chicken bang on,

I've got to make sure the vegetables are seasoned nicely.

I've got to make sure my little things in the fridge are going to be how I want them to be.

Oh! There's a little thing in the fridge!

I'll crack on with this, do it to the best of my ability. I hope you like it.

Steve's doing French peas. He's doing a chicken.

I hope it's not too simple. I hope he's got some clever surprises,

because otherwise we've just got chicken and peas

and, as much as I like him, that won't be enough.

Last ten minutes, guys.

Last 60 seconds.

Time's up!

Stop, stop, stop, stop!

Steve has made roast chicken served with Boudin blanc

and his take on petit pois a la Francais.

Petit pois a la Francais are classically braised peas

with chicken stock, bacon, lettuce, onion.

It's quite a rich dish.

You've made it to your interpretation as a light dish.

-It looks beautiful.

-Thank you.

Chicken, beautifully cooked, moist, crisp skin.

Your Boudin blanc, or your little chicken mousse,

you've not just poached it, you've pan fried it as well to give it a different texture.

Gosh, there's even little details of deep fried tarragon leaves.

For me, there's one thing missing on there,

and that's a jus to bring it all together.

That would have brought the dish right up there to the top level,

but this is knocking on the door, mate.

Thank you.

That is absolutely stunning, my friend.

Sweet pea, a little bit of salty, crispy skin on the chicken,

chicken is moist, but inside that chicken mousse you've got truffle flavour!

It's lovely.

Absolutely lovely.

Thank you.

I'm speechless because they were just amazing comments that I didn't expect at all.

I was confident in what I was doing, but, still, it was amazing.

Jonny has chosen to serve his lobster thermidor

on a bed of saffron risotto accompanied by a roasted lemon.

Jonny, for me, a risotto should be served in a bowl,

not with half a lobster on top.

And, as a customer, I'm looking at this and I'm thinking, "Where are my claws?

"I've paid for a lobster, where are they?"

The lobster is sweet, succulent and tender, well cooked.

That Mornay sauce has got a little bit of mustard in,

you just get a hint of the cheese in there as well, which is good.

It's a good lobster thermidor, yeah.

It is good, but sitting on top of a risotto which is dry,

for me, doesn't work.

I'm sorry, Chef, a little bit of cartilage in there, which shouldn't happen.

We'll forgive you. It tastes heavenly.

Your cheese sauce just gives it a hint of tanginess

and then you get that sweet, lovely lobster afterwards. I love that.

Great lobster. Risotto, I think, was always a bad idea.

Gutted. Really gutted.

The risotto has blown me out of the water, let me down big style.

Lori has made Sole Veronique, which has been garnished

with amaranth herbs and drops of grape and basil jus.

The sole is very delicate. It's just right.

The sauce is, I feel, just a little bit too heavy,

but the grapes are peeled, which is a good touch.

And, what I think really balances this dish out perfectly

are the few drops of grape and basil juice.

It brings a freshness to this dish.

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

-Whoa! Really?

-Very good.

The fish is very, very soft.

The mashed potato is buttery.

I think, aesthetically, it's a work in progress,

but, I do applaud a chef who manages to bring grapes, fish, butter

and mashed potato together!

I'm very happy. I'm very happy.

I just feel humbled that they would say those things about my food.

I just feel humbled.

Seb's lamb Wellington's been wrapped in a mushroom duxelle pancake

and served with roasted potatoes, carrots, leeks, asparagus

and a rosemary elderflower jus.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that lamb went in with about 15, 20 minutes to go.

Yeah, it did.

Which was never going to work. Let's have a look at it.

I'm sorry to say, if that came up to me in your restaurant,

I would send the lamb back because I'd want it more cooked than that.

That elderflower is giving something slightly floral,

slightly sweet against the rosemary background in that jus.

-I think it's lovely, clever and quite original.

-Thank you.

The pastry isn't cooked enough. It's soggy and the pancake there is very, very thick.

The mushroom duxelle, chopped mushroom,

has got an overpowering taste of rosemary.

It's far too strong.

The lamb jus, I'm surprised. It actually works.

But, obviously, the lamb Wellington in under an hour is really pushing it and it's just not right.

Happy, but disappointed. Relieved, but stressed.

The standard here today was very good.

Yes, there were errors, but I genuinely think that all four of those guys are talented chefs.

There is one, I think, quite precocious young talent...

And that is Steve. Wow!

Steve's interpretation of petit pois a la Francais

was a very modern, eclectic way of doing them.

But it worked. It showed a lot of character and it showed imagination.

We've got a contender for the title, Michel.

I have definitely got more to give.

There's no point peaking too early. I've got more to learn and more to give, really.

Steve should definitely be cooking again for us.

Lori's Sole Veronique, her choice of classic dish,

I thought was really good.

The cream sauce, ever so slightly too thick,

but with the basil and grape jus,

that really brought the dish together.

I had never seen that before and I think that was an inspired touch.

This is the best and biggest thing that's ever happened to me,

and I just want to do myself proud.

It's everything. It's everything to me.

I'd like to see Lori cook some more.

Lori and Steve go through.

So, either Seb or Jonny are leaving us.

Seb's oysters were not the best.

He did mash up three of them.

His lamb dish was very rushed, was severely undercooked. That's not fine dining, that's not finesse.

That jus made with rosemary and elderflower shows me

he has a creative mind.

Is that enough to put him through?

I've had sleepless nights over this competition so far.

I don't want it to be for nothing.

I can't ask for anything more in the world right now than to get through to the next round.

I don't understand why with Jonny, after a classic test in which he took two classic oysters

and did them very well, he then did another classic of lobster thermidor

and put it on top of a saffron risotto!

It didn't look right at all.

Jonny has obviously got the knowledge,

but there are little errors that have crept in which gives me doubt.

I hope I've done enough to stay in.

If I get the opportunity, I'll have to raise the bar.

There's obviously potential here, we agree.

Who could set the competition alight in a quarter final?

For me, the choice is simple.

There is talent in front of me.

I'm sorry that one of you has to go.

The decision has been made, though.

The chef leaving us today is...

Seb...

Thank you.

I think the judges made massively the right decision.

I think I gave myself too much to do.

You live and you learn.

Congratulations, you are quarter finalists!

Very lucky.

Very, very lucky. The skin of my teeth.

I'm over the moon. It's amazing. Getting through is a dream come true.

I'm in the quarter finals now. I can't believe it. It means so much.

I'm feeling like I can do this, I can really do this.

Tomorrow, the five remaining chefs are back to be tested.

Bits of that fish are see-through and I would send it back.

Before Michel Roux Junior sets them a classic recipe.

This is a really difficult one. They have got their work cut out.

Now is the time for you to deliver.

I don't really need to tell you this,

it's nowhere near the level that we're looking for.

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