Episode 9 MasterChef: The Professionals

Only an elite group of chefs holds two Michelin stars.

Michel Roux Jr is one of them.

Tomas, two St Jacques au passe now.

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 respected within the army as one of the best chefs,

so I'm very confident I'm going to win.

Service!

There's a saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I'm a young dog, biting at the bit.

This competition means a lot to me. I'll put my heart and soul in it. I'm entering to win!

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

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

We have got some very ambitious chefs dying to show us how good they can be.

I know what Michel likes, and I cannot put through anyone who can't make that level.

Get them cooking straight away.

Throw them in the deep end!

See what they've got!

Welcome. This is it. Your first test on professional MasterChef.

In front of you, you have six chosen ingredients.

We're going to give you 50 minutes to make one dish,

sweet or savoury.

Please uncover those ingredients.

You have pork...

..chicken livers,

apples,

almonds,

parsley

and blue cheese

as well as a limited larder to use.

Your ten-minute prep time starts now.

I don't want to be seeing ten of the same dish. Be individual.

You need to show me why you are good enough to cook for my boss.

Your 50 minutes cooking time starts now!

I want the best standards possible today.

If they think as a chef, there's a few options there.

You can make lovely tagliatelli, pasta,

perfectly cooked livers on top.

If someone decides to go sweet, there are ingredients to make choux pastry,

dip it in caramel. There's apples. Make a lovely puree of them.

I'm hoping I can pull a dessert out the bag, to get Gregg on side, maybe impress Monica as well!

I'm just excited to be here. I just want to cook!

-Jon, what are you going to make?

-A toffee apple crumble.

Jon, me and you might be great mates!

-Hopefully.

-Where are you from? Are you Welsh?

-Cardiff born and bred.

-Any Welsh passion with your food?

-Definitely. I'm a big purveyor of Welsh produce.

-I'm quite excited, mate.

-Good.

-Good luck.

-Thank you.

Jon is a pastry chef, so I've got very high expectations from him.

It takes skill to make a decent crumble. Let's see what Jon can deliver.

Being one of the younger chefs,

it doesn't daunt me.

It just makes me the underdog.

Is your hair representative of your food?

Yes. I like to put different ingredients together. A little spice of me in it.

-What are you making?

-Stuffed pork, apple fondant,

-pan-fried chicken livers and a Stilton cream.

-Thank you.

She knows her flavour combinations. I hope it's not too much contrast.

I'm curious to see what she comes up with!

Ten minutes gone already.

Getting to MasterChef was incredible.

It's a life-changing opportunity.

You have to take it.

-David, what are you making?

-It's a take on an apple crumble, an almond sponge,

-and apple dice and butterscotch sauce.

-If you get that right,

-I'll be very happy!

-I'll do my best for you!

-What's your dream, your ambition?

-I'd like to open a molecular gastronomy restaurant.

I like to change the textures of food, understand what food is all about.

-I look forward to seeing some of it. Good luck.

-Thank you very much.

I've got a hell of a lot of respect for Monica.

I've worked with scarier people!

So bring it on!

Steve, what are you making?

Caramelised apple compote, blue cheese sauce, keep the livers plain.

-And a puree of almonds and parsley.

-You've got the livers and three wet things with it?

-I think it'll work.

-As long as you believe in it, that's the main thing.

-Thank you.

You're half way. You've got 25 minutes left.

-Shaun, are you head chef somewhere?

-In the British army.

I'm thinking the pressure here doesn't mean a lot?

Oh, there's pressure. A different kind, but it's pressure.

-Why MasterChef if you've got a career in the army?

-It's a stepping stone for the future

-to work with the best chefs in the country.

-All right. Good luck. Keep your head down!

I will do!

Yes, very competitive. I want to win, to produce the best food.

I'll keep those young ones on their toes. I'll teach them a trick or two!

I'm ecstatic to be on MasterChef.

I can't wait to crack on.

-Chris, feeling the pressure?

-No, cos I've done competitions in the past.

-Hands and balls of steel. Is that right?

-Aye.

-What are you making?

Pan-fried pork with white onion puree, apple sauce, parsley sauce and cream.

Good lad, Chris.

Cream and apple sauce and a parsley sauce.

Sounds a lot, but I've seen his sauces and they look wonderful.

He's got skill. I hope he delivers to the end and he shows us a wonderful plate.

I've been working in my career as a professional chef for 12 years.

I'm very confident in cooking everything.

I can't say I'm not, otherwise I wouldn't be here.

-Why MasterChef, Kim?

-I'd like to run my own restaurant. British seasonal produce is what I like to use.

So I'm about what works, and if it works, why confuse it?

-If it works, it works. Let's hope that works! Good luck!

-Thank you.

Kim's doing pan-fried pork with glazed apples and a blue cheese sauce.

Sounds very safe. I'm hoping she has a twist on it that makes it stand out from the rest here.

I think she's got serious competition today.

I think I've got what it takes to be a great chef.

If I just get past these nerves,

I should shine through.

-Hello, Matt. What are you making today?

-Blue cheese tortellini,

-apple puree, caramelised apples, lardons.

-Lots going on, Matt.

Yes, but apple, bacon, Stilton, it works.

Makes bold. Fingers crossed.

I love blue cheese and tortellinis. I hope his pasta is made properly.

If it's too thick, it won't be pleasant to eat.

You've got ten minutes left!

The game plan is to rise to the challenge.

The nerves is mainly on Monica cos she's a top chef.

Harley, you look part-chef, part-pirate!

-I need a haircut, I think.

-A shave and a haircut, Chef!

-I'll show well for the next stage.

-What are you cooking?

-Custard tart, almond brittle and toffee apples.

-Lovely.

Not sure about your haircut, but I like the sound of your dishes.

-Thank you very much.

-Good luck.

-Thanks.

Harley is making a custard tart. Yummy!

I hope he gets every element of this dessert right because he could be on a winner.

I want to be the very best. I'm young,

enthusiastic. I want this really bad.

If I get criticism, I'll take it on the chin and go with it.

Rob.

Looks good. What is it?

I'm doing pan-fried pork, liver and onion ravioli, roasted apple

-and a nice caramelised onion puree.

-Are you pushing yourself?

You only get this opportunity once. I don't want to copy.

Feet on the floor, do what I know, and hope you like it.

-You sound like a chef! Best of luck.

-Thank you very much.

Last five minutes, please.

30 seconds.

That's it. Your time's up. Stop.

Stop, stop, stop.

Chris has chosen to use the pork, pan-frying it and serving it with three sauces.

A white onion puree, a parsley sauce and an apple sauce.

He's also creamed the livers as a side.

So, Chris,

apple and pork, classic. It works.

The apple with the creamed livers and the parsley sauce also works very well.

All of them together, it's too much. It should not happen. Ever.

I don't doubt you can cook, Chris, and I want to see you cook some more

because your touch is good. But all the sauces together become a muddle.

Chris, thank you.

Thank you.

Next time, I'll blow their socks off. Show them what a good chef I am and what I can do.

Steve has pan-fried his livers and also served them with three sauces.

A balsamic apple compote,

a parsley almond puree and a lardon blue cheese cream.

I don't like the way it's presented. The way you dressed the livers, and the compote,

it could be anything.

It's not a plate I'd want to put in front of my boss.

The blue cheese sauce is great. Lovely sauce.

The parsley sauce, also very well done. Nicely seasoned.

However, everything together, it's too much.

It doesn't work as a whole.

-OK.

-Steve, thank you.

-Thank you.

To be honest, I'm a bit disappointed. I got over-excited

and tried to over-do the plate.

I really need to pick my game up in the next round to have a serious chance of going through.

David, who aspires to open a molecular gastronomy restaurant,

has made a deconstructed apple crumble and an almond sponge.

He's used the olive oil to make a caramel

and served it with a Chantilly.

That is a lovely, lovely plate.

I hope it's going to taste as good as this plate looks.

David, you've made my day. That cake is so wonderful.

You get the almond through there.

Your crumble, I can't fault it. The crumble is fantastic.

Well done to you.

Thank you.

Yes, that's very, very nice indeed. Good cake. Apple, cream,

crumble, nuts running through.

Good cake!

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Chef.

-Thank you.

It went really well, actually, better than I was expecting.

I knew everything worked together on the plate, so that's the main thing.

20-year-old Leah has stuffed the pork with a liver and parsley pate

and served it with a blue cheese sauce.

She's also made a Stilton crisp to go on top of her fried liver

with an apple puree.

Your pork with the pate stuffing,

great idea, great skills.

I like it. The thing is, I don't think your cheese sauce is the right one for this dish.

The livers, there's not a grain of seasoning on there.

Pay attention to the smallest detail and focus on your flavours.

I think you've got an imaginative cook's mind, Leah.

It's a little fussy, maybe it doesn't need the cheese sauce,

but I'd really like to see what else you can do.

I was hoping that the first dish I made, there would be positive feedback

and there was, which was good!

Army chef Shaun has made a Stilton tart topped with glazed apples

and served with toasted almonds

in a parsley oil and balsamic reduction.

Shaun, that's a very lovely plate. I hope it will taste as good as it looks!

Shaun, great pastry. The colour is even, nice and golden.

The filling is perfectly cooked. It goes very well with the apple.

I can't fault this dish.

I'd love to give that to Michel.

What Monica has just said to you, I've heard probably twice!

I don't know what to say!

Mmm! Mmm! Yes, that is delicious!

Little bit of sweetness from the fruit there.

Saltiness from the blue cheese comes in there.

It's creamy. Really, really quite delicious, Chef.

-Thank you very much.

-Well,

the army's loss might be MasterChef's gain!

Hopefully, yes.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you very much.

I'm very happy. Happy with my flavours and what I produced.

To get great praise from Monica - absolutely fantastic.

Matt is aiming to show technical skill by making apple and Stilton tortellini

and serving them with caramelised onions,

balsamic apple puree and crispy pork.

The flavours of the tortellini with the onion and the bacon, pork, goes very well.

But what really offsets and lifts this dish for me

is the apple puree.

That really brings us up to another level.

There's a lot of potential in you.

Thank you.

I really love those blue cheese tortellinis. They're fantastic.

I'm not sure they need everything else you've stuck on that plate.

You're a couple of ingredients too far.

-Matt, thank you.

-No worries.

Head chef Jon has gone for a sweet option of toffee apple crumble with a butterscotch sauce.

-You are a pastry chef?

-I have been.

-Have been? OK.

I was expecting great things from you. This plate doesn't do it for me.

Definitely will not do it for Michel.

I hope it tastes better than it looks.

Lovely texture in the biscuits. Very crumbly. Perfectly cooked.

Wonderful apple. With the caramel, it's the perfect match.

I could kick you because you've ruined it with the presentation.

Great flavour. Great texture. For crying out loud, tidy it up!

Thank you.

I let myself down on presentation. I got ripped for it, as well.

I have to step my game up, make sure I'm on the ball for the next challenge.

20-year-old Rob has served the pork with an apple and liver ravioli

on top of a roasted apple and caramelised onion puree.

That is a wonderful dish. I like the flavour combination you've gone for.

The apple, the livers, they all work well with the onion puree.

Your ravioli is not the best looking ravioli,

but when you cut into that, it's lovely and thin.

You have parts you need to tidy up on.

But I think your flavours are great.

Mmm. 50 minutes, first time on here,

all that work and those good flavours, Rob, impressive.

-Well done. Thank you.

-Thank you.

I can't describe my feelings to have comments like that off such a chef!

I really want to do this competition. I want to go far in it.

30-year-old Kim has also pan-fried her pork

and served it on caramelised onions with balsamic roasted apples

and a blue cheese sauce.

From the start, I said I wanted a plate that'll go "Wow".

This plate doesn't scream that to me.

It looks like a plate I'd see in the amateur series.

OK?

We're in a competition where you're vying to cook for a two-Michelin-star chef.

I cook for him all the time and I know I would never be able to give him a plate like this.

Kim, you can cook, OK?

Your sauce is lovely. It goes very well with that pork.

However, the creaminess and richness of that cheese sauce

next to this very sweet balsamic and apple does not go together.

-I like your flavours. I really wish your plate looked prettier, Kim.

-Yes.

Thank you.

I feel a little crushed, because obviously I want to produce great food.

But the next round, I will be a lot better.

Finally, it's 20-year-old Harley,

who has made a custard tart with almond brittle,

toffee apples and a caramel sauce.

Nice, clean, simple plate. I like it.

A lot of skill jumps out from this plate.

Definitely looks better than you do. You need to shave, cut your hair, next time you see my boss.

Yes, Chef.

Harley, that is a fantastic dessert.

Thank you very much.

Fantastic. Can't fault it.

The pastry is perfectly cooked.

I love the caramel sauce as well.

I'd happily give this to my boss.

I'm really honoured. Thank you.

Mmm!

Mmmm!

Mate, that is mellow, sweet, just heaven to me.

-Thank you very much.

-Really lovely.

-Thank you.

-Right.

You hippy! Sort yourself out. Carry on cooking like that.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thanks.

It's a good day.

I'm feeling quite pleased with myself.

They enjoyed my food. I'm happy for that.

They complained about my hair.

My mum's a hairdresser, so I should get that done fast!

This has been a very good day.

I realise I might have been harsh with some of you.

But you must understand the standards that Michel is looking for from you at all times.

And that starts here and now.

No-one goes home right now.

You all get a chance to prove yourselves again. I've really enjoyed today.

Thank you very much indeed. Off you go.

We had real creativity from these guys. They really pushed themselves. I'm pleased.

I asked them to be very creative, bold and individual.

Today, quite a few of them delivered that.

Shaun did the blue cheese tart. Fantastic.

Matched by Harley, with the custard tart with caramel sauce and apple.

Mate, that was heavenly.

I loved it. The pair of them have got real, real talent.

I've done myself justice for this challenge, but it'll be a big challenge next

and I hope I get through.

I saw a great range of skills. Not all of them great.

Some needed work.

Kim's food - nothing wrong with it,

but it was dull in a room full of cooks trying to shine.

There's a relief that no-one goes home today.

But I'm definitely going to have to up my game.

Then we have Jon. The presentation did nothing for those flavours that he had on that dish.

That was a major let-down.

If I didn't get to cook for Michel Roux, I'd kick myself.

I think I can show the judges I can present a dish as well as I can cook it next time.

This was the opportunity to stand out and shine.

Some have, some haven't. At this level, there can be no fault.

I'm definitely looking forward to having this lot back again!

The first test is over.

Now the ten chefs will be split into two groups.

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

By the look on your face,

-you've never done this before.

-Nope.

..before Monica decides who will cook for Michel.

You may think we've tested you so far.

We haven't even started yet!

It's not good.

You have shown that you know how to cook great French classics.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd