0:00:05 > 0:00:09Only an elite group of chefs holds two Michelin stars.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Michel Roux Jr is one of them.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14One lamb, two fish!
0:00:14 > 0:00:15ALL: Oui!
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Now he, Gregg Wallace and Monica Galetti
0:00:19 > 0:00:22are on the hunt for Britain's next culinary superstar.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25A professional with the talent to cut it
0:00:25 > 0:00:28in the world's top kitchens.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31Perfect!
0:00:39 > 0:00:42These six chefs have made it to today's quarter-final.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Now the battle really begins.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54It feels amazing to be a MasterChef quarter-finalist.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57But, on the other hand, the pressure's starting to mount.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59This morning, I'm feeling it.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03The competition's pretty serious now.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Everyone in that room wants to get to the semi-finals.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10You need to be perfect or you don't go on in this competition.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14The kitchen is like a boxing ring.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16So you have to fight now.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22First, they must prove to Michel and Gregg
0:01:22 > 0:01:24they've got what it takes,
0:01:24 > 0:01:27with a dish of their own invention.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33Only the best chefs will go on to showcase their food
0:01:33 > 0:01:37for some of the UK's toughest restaurant critics.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39This is magnificent.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42This is an ill-conceived experiment that's gone horribly wrong.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45This tastes fantastic.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09You've done well to get here.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Now you have to cement your place.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17You have got an incredible choice of ingredients.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Guinea fowl, partridge, pheasant.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Beautiful, fresh fish,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26along with an incredible array of fruit and vegetables.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32We are going to give you ten minutes to come and choose your ingredients.
0:02:32 > 0:02:33Go shopping!
0:02:43 > 0:02:46I'm looking at so many perfect ingredients.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49You want to make sure you get the ones that suit your style of cooking.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53I can't walk to my bench with everything,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55so I have to choose wisely.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59You've had five minutes to choose your ingredients. Five minutes left.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05I'm going to push myself today and concentrate on my flavour,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07which I haven't managed to show in the competition yet.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10So create a really beautiful, flavoursome dish, hopefully.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15You've chosen your ingredients.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18One hour, a masterpiece. Off you go.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Morten is a 32-year-old chef from Fife in Scotland.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Morten's cooking so far has been inconsistent.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Yet, when he did his own food, it was superb!
0:03:46 > 0:03:49What I want to see is which Morten is going to turn up in here today!
0:03:55 > 0:03:57The other chefs are good.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I just need to be a wee bit better than them today.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08- What are you going to make, Morten? - A ballotine of guinea fowl.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10In the ballotine they'll be some mixed herbs and some prunes.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15Some potato gnocchi, mushrooms and a celeriac puree.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Today, I want to show you that I can go a step higher.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Start mixing a wee bit more flavours and then show really good food.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25- What's happened to you in this competition? There's a spring in your step.- Yeah!
0:04:25 > 0:04:29I got some really good comments from you and that made me feel special.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I just want to keep proving that I'm a really good chef to you.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Phoar! Morten is fired up. He has got that look in his eye.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41If he manages to get all of that on a plate with some sauce in an hour...
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Hats off!
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Anna is a 25-year-old, part-time chef from Lancashire.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54She's a pastry chef, Michel. That's where her heart and soul is.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58BUT she didn't cook her pastry properly with her lemon tart.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59She can't afford any other mistakes.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I'd like to say I'm feeling confident, but I know I've made errors.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Today, I'm going to have to work
0:05:07 > 0:05:09as hard as I've ever worked in my life.
0:05:13 > 0:05:14Anna, what are you going to make?
0:05:14 > 0:05:19Pan-fried sea bream with a clam linguine and caramelised fennel.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23That sounds delicious! We thought you may choose the pastry route.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28I wanted to prove that I can do more than pastry and I do have a good palate also.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31- You are going for it now, aren't you?- Oh, I'm going for it, yeah!
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I've just got that buzz in me, you know.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38I just really want to do well, make everyone proud of me.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53Craig is a 32-year-old head chef working in Exeter.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59I'm confident with my cooking, seasoning, presentation,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01but I keep making schoolboy errors.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04So if I can produce a dish with no errors,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07then, hopefully, I can redeem myself and get through.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Come on, Craig, tell me what you're going to make.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Roast partridge with a pommes fondant, sauteed beetroot,
0:06:16 > 0:06:21smoked bacon, confit the legs and do a crisp potato galette as well,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and saute some mushrooms with no grit.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Is there any sauce on this? You made a lovely sauce last time.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29We're going to make a sauce, reduce it right down
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and turn it into like a hazelnut vinaigrette.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- Do you want this now, Craig. - I want it more than anything.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Yeah. This a time to raise my game. No more schoolboy errors.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40No time for schoolboy errors now.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Craig chose a partridge to cook.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Very traditional, classic tastes,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51but it has to be totally fault free.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55You are halfway!
0:06:56 > 0:06:5830 minutes left!
0:07:03 > 0:07:07Stefani's a 24-year-old head chef. She works in a deli in Bristol.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Stefani has got the lightest touch
0:07:09 > 0:07:12and her presentation skills are fantastic.
0:07:12 > 0:07:17The point she has to prove today is that she understands flavour.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19She needs to prove she's got a palate.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24I really am desperate to get through to the next round
0:07:24 > 0:07:26and show them more what I can cook.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Because I don't feel like I've fully shown them my full potential yet.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- Hello, Stefani.- Hiya. - What are you going to cook?
0:07:35 > 0:07:40Pan-fried pollock with a clam and smoked bacon sauce,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43a celeriac puree, globe artichokes, beet tops and sea samphire.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- Is this a tried and tested dish? I mean, you...- No.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- Totally off imagination?- Yeah.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53I wanted to make my flavours bolder than I have done with you guys,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57because you haven't tasted my bolder food, so I wanted to prove myself.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Stefani's food needs to be as tasty as it is beautiful.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Now's the time to deliver!
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Karl, 40-year-old head chef from London.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15He's been in the kitchen quite a while, Michel, and it shows.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19I need to nail it today.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22I need to get the timings right, the presentation right,
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and make it look exciting, taste exciting,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29fresh, colourful - it just needs to be perfect.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39- What's the dish, Karl? - It's a guinea fowl breast stuffed with pine nuts, prunes and lardons,
0:08:39 > 0:08:43celeriac puree, a pancake souffle with the thigh of the guinea fowl.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Basically, a souffle recipe folded into a pancake
0:08:47 > 0:08:48and then finished in the oven.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53Karl, that's an incredible amount of work that you are attempting in an hour.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Chef, you said to me in one of tests before
0:08:57 > 0:08:59that I was lazy. I took a shortcut.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Today, I really need to prove to you that I'm not a shortcut taker.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07I believe in hard work, food is my life and I'll cook till I die.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Good on yer, Karl! I like it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:17Karl has got so much to do. His list of work is endless.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Karl is not trying to get through this round.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21Karl is cooking to win the competition today.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29James is a 32-year-old private chef from Northumberland.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33James likes to forage, he likes to hunt and I really want him to have another good round.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38I want him to prove that he really is the quality I think he is.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42I've had some great comments. I started out well.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46That makes it even tougher for me. I've got to really improve
0:09:46 > 0:09:48to carry on in this competition.
0:09:51 > 0:09:52What are you cooking, James?
0:09:52 > 0:09:56I'm doing something dear to my heart - pheasant breast with a mustard leg, some baby veg,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01but I'm also using the stalks and the leaves from the veg as well.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04You must have been very pleased when you saw the ingredients and saw the game.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I just love game. It's wild food.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10But also young vegetables - I love them!
0:10:10 > 0:10:15The leaves, the stalks. Why waste them? They're just as edible as the rest of it.
0:10:15 > 0:10:19- I love your passion, James. Where's it...?- The woods and the fields.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22What I see outside is what I put on the plate.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23Good job you don't live where I live!
0:10:23 > 0:10:25HE LAUGHS
0:10:27 > 0:10:30James has chosen to go the game route. We know he loves game!
0:10:30 > 0:10:34But he didn't talk to us about the sauce with this pheasant dish. My worry is, it's going to be dry.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Ten minutes! Last ten minutes!
0:10:47 > 0:10:49Just five minutes left!
0:10:58 > 0:10:59Stop! Time's up.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08First up is Craig.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11He has chosen to roast the partridge
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and has served it with a potato fondant,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15a crispy potato galette,
0:11:15 > 0:11:19sauteed girolle, baby carrot and beetroot
0:11:19 > 0:11:22with a partridge and hazelnut vinaigrette.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25First off, Craig, initially you told us there would be a confit leg.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28- Mm.- It's not on the plate.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32For me, it wasn't quite cooked enough. I figured it would be better to leave it off.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Fine. Good!
0:11:34 > 0:11:39I like the look of it. It's got a certain elegance to it.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Partridge is well seasoned, well cooked. It's still a little bit pink.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55The girolle mushrooms, grit free! Not overcooked, just right.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59The pommes fondant could have been a little bit more buttery.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01I think if you leave it to rest in the pan with lots of butter,
0:12:01 > 0:12:07- it does tend to soak up the butter and then become a true fondant.- OK.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12Although I like your vinaigrette with the bird, cos it's sharp and it's tangy,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15sharp and tangy doesn't go with a buttery fondant.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Gregg's right.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21A dressing is more salad leaves, vegetables,
0:12:21 > 0:12:24or even the lentil.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26I'm feeling really disappointed.
0:12:26 > 0:12:31I was trying to think outside the box today and do something that was a bit different.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Yeah, just fell short again.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Anna has chosen to pan fry the sea bream.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42She's served it with clam linguine and a cream sauce
0:12:42 > 0:12:45with finely diced fennel and carrots,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48samphire and caramelised fennel.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57You're a trained pastry chef
0:12:57 > 0:13:00and you've decided to go the fish route.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02And I think it's worked.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07Fish, beautifully cooked. Your fennel's delicious.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Samphire's bringing a bit of saltiness to the dish as well.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13The cream sauce - it's just lacking a little bit more acidity.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17So a squeeze of lemon juice or a little bit more white wine.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20That said, it's a very accomplished dish.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24The textures really good because the skin of the fish is crispy.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28I love the little bits of fennel I'm picking up through the pasta.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31It's a really well-balanced, genius choice of ingredients.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Anna, that's really nice!
0:13:34 > 0:13:36You've cooked out of your skin today.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39- Thank you.- You are absolutely made up, aren't you?
0:13:39 > 0:13:40I am!
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Yeah, I'm over the moon.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44Thank you, Anna.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55To get praise like that from Michel Roux Jr, it means everything, you know.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00You really feel like you're on top of the world and you can go and conquer anything.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Morten has made a ballotine.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07He's stuffed the guinea fowl with prunes and served it with spinach
0:14:07 > 0:14:12gnocchi, celeriac puree, girolle mushrooms and a Madeira sauce.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16Morten, first off, presentation. It's looking a little bit untidy.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20A bit scruffy. I think the choice of plate is not quite right.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23If you had a bigger plate, we would have seen more of the white,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26and it would have brought out the ingredients.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38You cut through that ballotine and you get the sweetness of those prunes,
0:14:38 > 0:14:43which is matched by the sweetness of your sauce and then earthy, creamy celeriac.
0:14:43 > 0:14:45Absolutely delicious!
0:14:45 > 0:14:48But I don't want grit in my mushroom.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51I really don't.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53The sauce is very good.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Bags and bags of flavour. The gnocchi, a little bit bouncy.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02A little bit too heavy. Could have done with less flour in them to be lighter.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Attention to detail. There are errors.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08But you can cook.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Tiny wee issues. A wee bit of grit on one of the mushrooms.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17It's a good 85%, 86% today again, yeah.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Stefani has roasted the pollock
0:15:21 > 0:15:25and served it with globe artichokes and a clam and smoked bacon sauce,
0:15:25 > 0:15:30with beetroot tops, samphire and a celeriac puree.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41When you get a piece of that fish with the sweet celeriac puree
0:15:41 > 0:15:45and some saltiness either from the clam or from that bacon, wow!
0:15:45 > 0:15:49It's an explosion of flavour. Saltiness, sweetness.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52There's creaminess. Wonderful.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56For me, there is not enough clam and bacon on there.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04Perfectly cooked fish. Absolutely bang on. That is top class.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07You can't get it better than that.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11We wanted to see taste from you and I think you've delivered.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Thank you...very much.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17I feel really positive about the comments that they gave me.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19I wanted to wow them with my flavour combinations
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and I felt like I did that.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Karl has also made a ballotine of guinea fowl,
0:16:26 > 0:16:30stuffed with pine nuts, prunes and bacon lardon,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32a guinea fowl crepe souffle,
0:16:32 > 0:16:37celeriac fondant and puree and a guinea fowl jus.
0:16:37 > 0:16:42You put in a shift in your hour here. A lot of work.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57I'm going to start with the pancake. Little bit crispy on the outside.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Light and fluffy on the inside. Meaty.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04Nutty. Yeah, I like it. I think it works.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The ballotine is lovely, very well executed.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10It's fresh, it's moist, it's well done.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12The celeriac fondants are beautifully cut.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15I mean, each one is identical to the millimetre,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17which shows a good eye.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21However, the celeriac puree
0:17:21 > 0:17:23is grainy and watery.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25It's not right.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30I've never seen anything like that pancake. It's very rich, creamy,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33yet it still tastes of the guinea fowl.
0:17:33 > 0:17:38It's quite unusual. What I absolutely love, without a shadow of a doubt,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42is the breast of this guinea fowl with the stuffing,
0:17:42 > 0:17:46with the crispy skin and inside you've got sweetness,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49you've got a bit of spice, you've got pepper. It's delicious!
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Then when you put that rich, deep sauce across the top of it as well!
0:17:53 > 0:17:55I mean, it's just beautiful, beautiful stuff!
0:17:57 > 0:18:00I really enjoyed myself today. I did my best out there.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Hopefully, with the level of work that I've delivered today,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07maybe enough to get me through.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11James has roasted the breast and leg of the pheasant,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15and served it with baby turnips, beetroot and potato,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19vegetable stalks and leaves and a red wine gravy.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22James, beautiful colours.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27It's singing out. It is a very appetising plate of food.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37All the little vegetables there taste really, really good.
0:18:37 > 0:18:42I love the leg as well that's been braised in onion and garlic
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and swathed in mustard. It's got a real kick to it.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49Your supreme of pheasant, ever so slightly overcooked.
0:18:49 > 0:18:55But once you manage to find some of the sauce, it's really very good.
0:18:55 > 0:19:00Heaps and heaps of flavour that you've managed to get out of the bones of the pheasant.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04That shows great skill and understanding of making a sauce.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11Sweet beetroot. Hot, peppery turnip. Because it hasn't been overcooked.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I mean, they're beautiful. They've got a crunch to them. Really lovely.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20But I'm lifting up veg and roots looking for a bit of sauce on the plate!
0:19:20 > 0:19:22And it's the second time you've done this to me.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26If you go through, I am going to nick a sauce jug out of Michel's restaurant for you.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31- And I want you to use it. - I'll keep one in my pocket from now on, if I get through.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35A little bit dejected after that one.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41I don't think I really took on board the lessons and this competition's about improving all the way through.
0:19:44 > 0:19:49We asked you to deliver the goods and, I must say, I'm impressed. Well done.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51We have got a really tough decision to make.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Ladies and gentlemen, off you go.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10I tell you what, these guys really step it up.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14The amount of work they went through was just unbelievable. Got some really good food.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19Oh, I was absolutely bowled over by the standard of cooking today. Real skills on show.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Can I tell you my favourite dish?
0:20:22 > 0:20:27It was actually Anna's pasta with the bream and the little clams.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31It was so simple and everything had to be right.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34And, for me, it was. It was delicious.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36I was so nervous before I went in.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40I just channelled it all in the right direction, obviously,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and just pulled it out of the bag.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46James' plate of food was full of flavour,
0:20:46 > 0:20:49full of textures, which I really love.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53And his pheasant was slightly overcooked.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56But everything else on that plate was heavenly.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00And, again, he made a terrific sauce
0:21:00 > 0:21:03and just didn't put enough on the plate.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05But he can cook!
0:21:05 > 0:21:08I like his food.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12I wish I'd served a jug of sauce, it's as simple as that.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17If I'd done a jug of sauce, I'd be laughing all the way and the fact they said it yesterday to me,
0:21:17 > 0:21:19should have sunk in.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Karl is a quality, quality, experienced, seasoned chef.
0:21:24 > 0:21:29The actual breast of the guinea fowl itself
0:21:29 > 0:21:31with that stuffing was superb.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35And the depth of his sauce was just beautiful.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37I liked the pancake. I thought it was good.
0:21:37 > 0:21:43But there were errors there. The celeriac puree was grainy and watery.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46You know, cooking today was great, but it's not enough. I want more.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50So, yeah, we'll see what the result's going to be.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I really enjoyed Stefani's pollock.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56It was cooked to perfection.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Fair enough, it wasn't as elegant as we know she can dress food,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04but it's a very accomplished plate of food.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07We said there was a question mark over her palate.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09Has she put that right today? Has she convinced you?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12She can cook with taste.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I really haven't got a clue where I stand competition-wise,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19because I had negative comments on mine, so maybe I'm near the bottom.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Craig can cook. His partridge was beautiful, moist and well seasoned.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29But that dish he presented to us was not complete.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33I had the unusual dressing which didn't match a potato fondant,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36which in itself wasn't soft and buttery enough.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39He's not a bad chef. It's just this bunch are good.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42He's off the pace, well off the pace.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46I'd love to stay in the competition, but, for me, it's got to be on merit
0:22:46 > 0:22:48and I don't feel that I produced enough.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- I really liked Morten's dish. - But there were errors on that plate.
0:22:53 > 0:22:59The gnocchi were heavy and bouncy, when they should be light and fluffy.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02And, for me, the presentation certainly wasn't great.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Everyone in this competition didn't enter to get thrown out now.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08So, of course, I want to go all the way to the final.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- We've got six very good chefs in the kitchen.- You can't have six!
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Which two are we going to send home?
0:23:29 > 0:23:33Great cooking. Really, really fantastic.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37I can't praise you high enough.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44It's really tough because two of you will be going.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49The first chef leaving us is...
0:23:51 > 0:23:52Craig.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Thank you.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06This opportunity is only ever going to come about once,
0:24:06 > 0:24:11and you either take it or you don't and I didn't take it so, yeah, extremely disappointed.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18The second chef leaving us is...
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Morten.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I'm disappointed that I made these stupid mistakes today.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43What's done is done. I can't change it now, so it's time to go home.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54You are cooking today for a place in a MasterChef semi-final
0:24:54 > 0:24:58and you are presenting your food, not just to Michel and I,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02but to three highly respected restaurant critics.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06This is your chance.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09Two dishes of your own creation.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12Cook your heart out!
0:25:13 > 0:25:16One hour, 15 minutes.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17Go on! Do it!
0:25:28 > 0:25:33At this stage of the competition, we want to see our chefs breaking the barriers,
0:25:33 > 0:25:38giving us something new, something exciting, something that we haven't seen before.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Karl has got a great repertoire. He's got experience coming out of his ears.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Today is a day for Karl to show his experience,
0:25:50 > 0:25:55show all that professionalism and absolutely knock 'em dead.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03The dishes that I'm doing today are great. They really make me smile.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06And I'm really nervous because I've got so much to do.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09It's going to be horrible today! It's going to be so hard.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Right, Karl, what are you cooking for us and the critics?
0:26:14 > 0:26:19Duck three ways. It's the breasts, which are roasted with thyme butter.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22The leg as an egg.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27The other leg is mixed with the liver and made as a ballotine, poached.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31That's going to be served with a beautiful, smooth carrot puree and a morel sauce.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35- And for dessert?- A marjolaine of chocolate, two chocolates,
0:26:35 > 0:26:37and that's with a hazelnut biscuit.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39You haven't got time to do all that to a duck!
0:26:39 > 0:26:43I have. Watch me. I love work. Work keeps me young.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46It keeps me energetic and, er, yeah...
0:26:46 > 0:26:49I don't know how to break this to you, Karl, but you look quite old.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52You're the first one to tell me that, Gregg!
0:26:55 > 0:26:59Karl has seriously got his work cut out. Stuffing a leg, making a ballotine out of it.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Making a Scotch egg out of the other leg.
0:27:02 > 0:27:07- A supreme roasted and crispy skinned. - An hour to do that much to a duck? Is it possible?
0:27:08 > 0:27:12You've had 20 minutes! Sorry, but 20 minutes has gone!
0:27:17 > 0:27:23Stefani's food is always presented with great elegance. Sometimes was lacking in flavour.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Now she has to get both of those together to impress the critics.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32The type of food that I cook is quite quirky.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I like having like an array of cookery books in front of me
0:27:35 > 0:27:40and picking lots of different ideas from each one and creating one dish.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- Stefani, what have you got cooking? - Pan-fried black bream
0:27:48 > 0:27:50with pea and asparagus salad.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Wild garlic puree, braised salsify and tarragon gnocchi
0:27:54 > 0:27:56- with a beurre blanc.- And dessert?
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Date and sweet potato cake
0:27:59 > 0:28:02with cardamom yoghurt
0:28:02 > 0:28:06and a stock syrup of golden raisins and walnuts.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10I really like this cake. It's one of my favourites.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13Have you ever cooked for critics before?
0:28:13 > 0:28:14No.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19People criticising your food is constructive, I know, but I'm really nervous today.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Now I order desserts everywhere I go.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27- I've never come across a sweet potato dessert, ever! - There might be a reason for that.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36James can really cook, especially when it comes down to satisfying the taste buds.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39It's hearty, country-style fare
0:28:39 > 0:28:41with restaurant elegance and I really like it.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46What I want to get out of this competition is recognition from my peers, definitely.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49I've spent the last ten years in the wilderness, so to speak.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51I think it's time I came on to the stage.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56James, what are you cooking for us?
0:28:56 > 0:29:00I'm cooking hanger steak, wild garlic and bone-marrow croquette,
0:29:00 > 0:29:04garden greens, a little Pontac Catsup and a beer gravy.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Pontac Catsup?!
0:29:06 > 0:29:09- Very fruity made with spices, onion...- Wooah!
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Very strong. It doesn't need much. It's two years old, so still young.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15- What's pudding? - A sous-vide poached rhubarb.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18I'm going to take the poaching liquor, sorbet with that, some little meringues.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21Set English custard. There's no vanilla in there.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24And the other thing I've got is a little crumble with the rhubarb.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27Do you think of anything other than food?
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Food is my life. I live it, breathe it, sleep it.
0:29:30 > 0:29:35To the detriment of my social life, definitely. I probably bore all my friends silly talking about food.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39- But that's my life. - Have you cooked for critics before? - No, I've never cooked for critics.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42I just hope that my slant on wild food isn't seen as overdoing it,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45and the flavours balance well.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Very often chefs will go the easy route and take fillet,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52whereas hanger steak takes skill to cook properly.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57If he gets this right, then it's the sign of a really top chef.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Anna is the dark horse. She's come from nowhere.
0:30:04 > 0:30:09If she cooks anything near to that bream dish, the critics will be impressed.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14I just hope today she can deliver the goods again.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18Going into that kitchen is nothing like stepping into your kitchen at work.
0:30:18 > 0:30:23It's in a league of its own. So, hopefully, I can show them that I've got it.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26That I can be MasterChef. You never know!
0:30:27 > 0:30:31- Anna, what are you cooking for us? - Honey-spiced rump of lamb,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35with mango, pak choi, couscous and, for dessert,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38a rhubarb, orange and pistachio cake with poached rhubarb,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41creme anglaise, a grenadine syrup and a pistachio praline.
0:30:41 > 0:30:47Mango and lamb are two of my favourite things to eat in the whole world.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49- And I've never had them together before now.- Have you not?
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Right. Well, first time for everything then!
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Your food in the last round was fabulous.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58- Can you recreate that sort of splendour?- Hopefully.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02I want to go out there and prove to everyone that I deserve a place.
0:31:05 > 0:31:11Anna is cooking roast rump of lamb with mangoes, couscous with lots of fruit
0:31:11 > 0:31:15and a honey and rosemary sauce. All that sounds very sweet and sticky.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18If she can put them together and make something delicious,
0:31:18 > 0:31:21I'll be really happy. I do have my doubts.
0:31:24 > 0:31:2820 minutes and then the first courses have got to go!
0:31:40 > 0:31:43What we're hoping for always is great food,
0:31:43 > 0:31:48that magic extra element which shows you someone knows what they're doing.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51I like food to be
0:31:51 > 0:31:55a joy rather than a piece of art.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58If we see over-complication.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03If we see people trying to be too clever, it reeks of amateurism.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07The critics aren't normal punters!
0:32:07 > 0:32:09They understand every trick of the trade.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13They're not impressed by gimmicks or over-decoration.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16What will impress them is cooking of the highest quality.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Every plate of food has to be perfection.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24The two that get it right, straight into the semi-final.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36Karl, I'm worried about you. 15 minutes till the mains go out.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42"Gressingham Duck Three Ways" - I wonder what they will be?
0:32:42 > 0:32:46One thing that does strike me about Karl's menu is that he's set himself
0:32:46 > 0:32:48a lot to do in just over an hour.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57Karl is sailing close to the wind. I doubt very much if he's going to be serving up on time.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Critics are now waiting.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02I'm going to start plating in four minutes.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06A few minutes over is no big deal, but you don't want to go too far. Come on!
0:33:14 > 0:33:16- Homemade stencil?- Yes, Chef.- Good!
0:33:18 > 0:33:22I like what I'm seeing, Karl. Looks good. Come on!
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Cor, runny Scotch egg!
0:33:33 > 0:33:35- Nice!- It's lovely.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- Go on, go on, go on! Go, go, go! - Go!- Well done.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50- Shouldn't... Too ambitious. - Yeah, but the end result.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53No! Listen, no-one wants to be kept waiting for ten minutes.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58Good afternoon. I'm really sorry about the delay.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Thanks.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Today, we've got Gressingham duck done three ways.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09So the breast is roasted with thyme butter.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12The leg as an egg with morels and shallots.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16And the other leg with liver and as a ballotine.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18Thank you.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23It wasn't what I expected. I didn't expect to see a Scotch egg.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27There's a lot of work in this plate. Amazing he wasn't later than he was.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38This actually tastes fantastic.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40Mash is good.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44The duck sausage, or ballotine, if you're posh, is really nice.
0:34:44 > 0:34:49The duck itself, amazing! It's still really tender, the breast.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52And given the fact he's got so much to do,
0:34:52 > 0:34:56he still managed to get the egg yolk slightly runny, which I think is genius.
0:34:56 > 0:35:02It's complicated, it's ambitious, but he's really pulled it off.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11The Scotch egg is the star of the show. It's fantastic.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Slightly spicy. The puree's really smooth and sweet.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16A lot of very good skills on show here in this plate of food.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Ten minutes late? I think it's worth it.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Now you're going to need to smash into that chocolate, yeah?
0:35:26 > 0:35:30"Chocolate and Hazelnut Marjolaine and Hazelnut Brittle".
0:35:30 > 0:35:33I think if you attempt something like a marjolaine,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36which comes from the classical French canon of patisserie,
0:35:36 > 0:35:37you have to do it absolutely perfectly.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Right, what's left to go on the plate?- Just these three elements now.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52So, cut your marjolaine chocolate dessert and put the hazelnuts on?
0:35:52 > 0:35:57- Yes.- Let's go, go, go! Come on! You're nearly there. Come on!
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Come on, Karl. We've got to go! Got to go, mate.
0:36:04 > 0:36:05Very cunning.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09Karl, it looks great. Well done. Come on!
0:36:09 > 0:36:10Go!
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Well done.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20I'm really sorry about the delay.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Dessert in front of you is chocolate marjolaine, two chocolates,
0:36:26 > 0:36:31- with hazelnut brittles. OK? Thank you.- Thank you very much.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35So here's a marjolaine. Have you ever wondered what it was?
0:36:35 > 0:36:38A sort of chocolatey, sandwichy thingy.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50The chocolate part of it has been nicely made.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54I think the sponge, if that's what it's meant to be, is very dense and compacted.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57This is a sort of dish you might get on a little tea trolley.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00You need either a big dollop of cream or a cup of tea with it.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10It's cool, it's chocolatey, it's got the flavour of booze in it.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13It's also got a slight flavour of marzipan in it.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17The only thing missing, for me, is some toasted hazelnuts in there,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20to give it a bit more depth of flavour, but otherwise,
0:37:20 > 0:37:22that's a really good marjolaine.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28Oh!
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Phh! I'm empty. I've given everything I had in me there.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36I'm exhausted.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Phwoa!
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- Stefani, eight minutes you've got. Are you OK?- Yep.- Under control?- Yep.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51Pan-fried bream, braised salsify, tarragon gnocchi.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54A British pea and asparagus salad and beurre blanc.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58This is like a fantastic display of British flavours on a plate.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01If you were organising a wedding, you'd pick that one.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03This could be a fantastic dish.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05- How long for the fish?- Two minutes.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08We'll probably be in the nick of time, Stefani. Well done.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16- What's the little green leaf in there?- Mint.- Lovely. Aw!
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Mint and peas - sshw!
0:38:18 > 0:38:21- Fish cooked?- Yep.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26- What's left?- Beurre blanc.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29You're off. Go!
0:38:40 > 0:38:43You've got pan-fried black bream, tarragon gnocchi,
0:38:43 > 0:38:47English asparagus and pea salad, braised salsify,
0:38:47 > 0:38:50wild garlic puree and beurre blanc.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52- Thanks.- OK.- Thank you.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57- I think it looks absolutely gorgeous.- Looking forward to this.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08The fish is really well cooked, but there are other things that aren't quite right about this.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10My asparagus is undercooked.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13The gnocchi fails to score
0:39:13 > 0:39:17because the texture is kind of slimy rather than fluffy.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22I don't know what's got you guys! You don't know a good plate of food when it hits you in the face.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25I love the crunch that she's got in the veg.
0:39:25 > 0:39:30The fish is subtle. It's tender. You know, wonderful texture.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33I think the dish works together. I think it sings.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42I love the wild garlic puree. I love the salsify,
0:39:42 > 0:39:46giving almost a nuttiness to it, but the gnocchi are almost shapeless
0:39:46 > 0:39:49and the fish is slightly overcooked.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53The vegetables are delicious - beautifully cooked and seasoned.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56The beurre blanc is practically non-existent. There's nothing there.
0:39:56 > 0:39:58And that's what's missing from this dish!
0:40:00 > 0:40:05- Clear down, get your head together. You've got 15 minutes before the puddings go out.- Yep, OK.- Well done.
0:40:07 > 0:40:12The dessert - sweet potato and date cake with spiced cardamom yoghurt.
0:40:12 > 0:40:18The juices don't flow, cos that sounds like a really heavy, merciless sort of pudding.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23There's a sort of Indian spin and it's got some flavours that I'm excited by.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- Syrup ready?- Yep.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- Nearly there, Stefani. Come on! - I like this.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Smells absolutely lovely. That it?
0:40:37 > 0:40:38Well done.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51It's a sweet potato and date cake with cardamom yoghurt and stock syrup,
0:40:51 > 0:40:55with diced sweet potatoes and golden raisins.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- OK?- Thank you.- Thanks.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02I was a bit in love with Stefani. I thought we had something going,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04till she brought out this insult.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08It looks like someone has just thrown up next to three pieces of cake.
0:41:08 > 0:41:13I think you're being a bit harsh. It's not the most beautiful looking thing I've seen,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15but it doesn't look awful at all.
0:41:25 > 0:41:26Well...
0:41:26 > 0:41:29I think the yoghurt is very nice.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32The cake fails for me on many levels.
0:41:32 > 0:41:36This is like old-fashioned bread pudding,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40only it's without the charm here.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42I don't like the grated cinnamon.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45I don't think the sweet potato is very clever.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50And there's too much of it. This is an ill-conceived experiment that's gone horribly wrong.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52It's unusual, but I actually rather like it.
0:41:52 > 0:41:53SHE LAUGHS
0:41:53 > 0:41:54I know!
0:41:54 > 0:42:00It has a lightness about it and I'm quite enjoying this sticky, reduced
0:42:00 > 0:42:03sweet potato and sultana thing on the side.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06It's peculiar, but I'm actually enjoying it.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13There's lots of cinnamon in there and then there's cardamom,
0:42:13 > 0:42:18which is also a really nice, clean spice that's going through her yoghurt.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21However, the texture is really quite dense.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26We were very sceptical about the sweet potato in a cake and I think we were proved right.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37I feel quite deflated.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Half of that didn't go as well as I was hoping it to.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43So...
0:42:44 > 0:42:46I couldn't have worked any faster or harder.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49I just didn't work fast enough.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55- James, you've got three minutes, mate.- Steak's on.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58I'm going to be, I think, two minutes over, Chef.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04James' menu, hanger steak, bone-marrow croquettes,
0:43:04 > 0:43:08- beer gravy and greens. - Plenty to look forward to there.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12I'm hoping he's taking something simple and will deliver it with some finesse. I hope!
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- How are you going to be serving these steaks?- Very rare.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19That's the way it should be, in my view.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25That's time up. We should now be delivering.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30Come on, James! Come on! Let's go, go, go!
0:43:30 > 0:43:33- Your sauce ready?- Yes, it is.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36- I've got some gravy jugs on your advice, Chef.- Good idea.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38- Greens and a dribble of sauce?- Yeah.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42OK, James. Be careful with that.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Hanger steak, garden greens, Pontac Catsup
0:43:50 > 0:43:53and a potato, wild garlic and bone-marrow croquette.
0:43:53 > 0:43:57- What's Pontac Catsup? - It's an elderberry pickle that's been aged for two years.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00- Thank you.- Enjoy!- Thank you.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04It's a lovely, delicate-looking thing.
0:44:04 > 0:44:08And the star of it, this lovely, ruby red, gorgeous-looking beef.
0:44:15 > 0:44:21I think this is magnificent. This is a beautiful piece of meat. It's been barely cooked.
0:44:21 > 0:44:26As you chew it, it releases flavour after flavour. It's just fantastic.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29And croquettes of which I could eat a dozen.
0:44:29 > 0:44:34They're as light as air and a wonderful little bite of wild garlic coming through
0:44:34 > 0:44:39and a shiver of kind of bone marrow in there, too. They are absolutely glorious.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43Yeah, I'm seriously impressed. It looked beautiful, tasted great,
0:44:43 > 0:44:46yet there's a real originality behind it as well.
0:44:49 > 0:44:52Hanger steak is one of my favourite cuts of meat
0:44:52 > 0:44:56and it should be served rare or blue. He's done that perfectly.
0:44:56 > 0:44:59The bone-marrow croquettes are delicious, but the sauce
0:44:59 > 0:45:02is far too thin and bitter.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05I love the croquettes. Croquettes are amazing.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08That beef is far too rare for me.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14- 15 minutes now, Chef, till the rhubarb and custard, yeah?- Yes.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20James' simple menu description
0:45:20 > 0:45:23follows through to the dessert, which is "Rhubarb and Custard".
0:45:23 > 0:45:28I suspect, however, that James is going to do something a little bit more complicated.
0:45:29 > 0:45:33You've got six minutes to go, James, plenty of time to make this superb.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Just got apple blossom, hawthorn blossom
0:45:42 > 0:45:45and the others are violets out of my wood at home.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50- So that's it! Just the sorbet to go on, yeah?- That's it.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53- One spoonful?- Yep.- Magic.
0:45:53 > 0:45:57- Beautiful colour in that, eh? Woah! - That dessert is wonderful.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00It's like a fairy's garden.
0:46:00 > 0:46:02- Good to go? That's it! Lovely. - Thank you.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04Well done.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18We have pudding - rhubarb and custard.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20We have a little English set custard,
0:46:20 > 0:46:22some sous-vide rhubarb with red wine and sweet cicely,
0:46:22 > 0:46:25little elderflower blossom meringues,
0:46:25 > 0:46:30a rhubarb and pine needle syrup puree and the poaching liquor turned into a sorbet.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33- Enjoy!- It looks lovely. Thank you.
0:46:34 > 0:46:39This looks absolutely beautiful. If it tastes as good as it looks, we're in for a real treat.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42He's really done a show-stopper here.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46But I don't know, yet, whether I approve
0:46:46 > 0:46:49of custard you can slice.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00The custard I think is wonderful. I love the crunchy crumble on top.
0:47:00 > 0:47:06The rhubarb sorbet is incredible. All the little flowers work.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09There's a problem. The rhubarb hasn't been cooked.
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Unfortunately, that tilts the scales in the favour of failure.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16The rhubarb, having been cooked sous vide,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20retains its texture and also retains all the acid you get in rhubarb.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22So that is actually painfully sharp.
0:47:22 > 0:47:27You can't call it a failure of a dish. It's a triumph of a dish let down by one ingredient.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29The guy is clearly very gifted.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41That rhubarb needs more cooking and it needs the addition of sugar.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44It's too firm and it's really sharp.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49The custard is really nice and only just set, so it's soft and not too sweet.
0:47:49 > 0:47:53The meringues are crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside.
0:47:53 > 0:47:57He meant for the rhubarb to be a bit crunchy, but that is too crunchy.
0:48:00 > 0:48:01Phew!
0:48:04 > 0:48:05HE SIGHS DEEPLY
0:48:07 > 0:48:09Wow! Wow!
0:48:09 > 0:48:11That was fun.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16The adrenaline's coursing. I'd forgotten what it was like
0:48:16 > 0:48:18working under pressure in the kitchen.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21But whether I've done enough today, we'll see.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29- Last couple of minutes, Anna. Are we there?- Yep!
0:48:31 > 0:48:34So Anna's doing honey-spiced rump of lamb with caramelised mango.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37I think that's a really interesting first course.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40It's also quite a sweet meat.
0:48:40 > 0:48:45To serve it with caramelised mango, I hope there'll be some balance and something a bit more savoury.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47I remain to be convinced.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52It smells really spicy. Come on, Anna! Nearly there.
0:48:56 > 0:48:57Nice.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01OK. So we've got a bit of sauce over it and we're there?
0:49:01 > 0:49:03That's it, last touches.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06- That's it!- Yeah, that's it. - Nice, clean plates. Off you go!
0:49:17 > 0:49:20I've cooked a honey-spiced rump of lamb with a spiced couscous
0:49:20 > 0:49:22caramelised mango and pak choi.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:49:34 > 0:49:40The lamb is very nice and the little honeyed sauce that comes with it also good,
0:49:40 > 0:49:44but the whole dish is overwhelmingly sweet,
0:49:44 > 0:49:47leaving aside the issue of the mango. No, it just doesn't work.
0:49:47 > 0:49:50I actually don't mind the mango.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54I kind of like that sweetness. It's like having a sweet chutney with lamb.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57I don't think it's a good flavour combination.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08The lamb is ever so slightly overcooked and badly sliced.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12The sauce is too sticky, too sweet - overpowering!
0:50:12 > 0:50:15In fact, this whole plate is just too sweet.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18It's too sweet even for me.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23- You've got the smile on your face. 15 minutes we need the dessert gone. - Yeah. It's fine.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28Wow, look! Rhubarb and custard again.
0:50:28 > 0:50:31Well, she obviously likes sweet tastes.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35She might even be a pastry chef, so she'll have to do something spectacular
0:50:35 > 0:50:37with her rhubarb and custard to end our day.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42- Home straight! Come on! Are you going to be on time?- Yeah.- Well done.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47- So that is grenadine and...? - Rhubarb syrup.- Mmm!- Mm.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58This we like. This we like a lot.
0:51:00 > 0:51:01Mmm!
0:51:01 > 0:51:04- Can you hurry up, so I can taste it? - SHE LAUGHS
0:51:06 > 0:51:09- I like the look of that. Well done, Anna.- Well done, Anna.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11- Be careful. Well done.- Thank you.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14- Do you like that?- Mm.- Yeah, me, too.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25We've got an orange pistachio and rhubarb cake with the rhubarb compote underneath.
0:51:25 > 0:51:29Poached rhubarb, pistachio praline and creme anglaise.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31- Thank you.- Enjoy. Thank you.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36The whole thing looks absolutely lovely.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39It looks like a pudding that's been put together by someone who likes eating puddings.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51This is how rhubarb should be - a balance between sharp and sweet.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53Very satisfying, really good.
0:51:53 > 0:51:57And I absolutely adore the addition of the pistachios
0:51:57 > 0:52:00because it gives you a bit of bite, bit of crunch. The custard is great.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04This is just a really good, English pudding. It's fantastic.
0:52:04 > 0:52:08Altogether, it's a really nicely balanced combination,
0:52:08 > 0:52:11so I think she's really redeemed herself with this.
0:52:11 > 0:52:12Mmm!
0:52:12 > 0:52:14Cor!
0:52:21 > 0:52:24She has made a perfectly rich, creamy vanilla custard,
0:52:24 > 0:52:29beautifully cooked and perfectly sweetened rhubarb and a perfectly light sponge.
0:52:29 > 0:52:32That's very clever pastry work and it's delicious!
0:52:39 > 0:52:43With the main course, I don't know if they'll think it's too much fruit and sweet on a plate.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49But I did as best I could. I just hope it's enough.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Right throughout this week, the level of cooking has been very, very good.
0:52:55 > 0:53:01And it culminates with us having to get rid of two very good chefs.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03My favourite chef today was Karl.
0:53:03 > 0:53:09Even though he was outrageously late, I thought he cooked with real skill.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13I mean, that duck was complicated stuff. The Scotch egg, for me,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15was the pinnacle. I thought that was absolutely delicious.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18That was by far the best plate of food I think we had today.
0:53:20 > 0:53:22Karl's classic chocolate marjolaine was good.
0:53:22 > 0:53:27For me, it was lacking just a bit more praline base, but... Gosh!
0:53:27 > 0:53:31In the time he was allotted, it was a very good attempt.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34I think Karl is the most technically gifted
0:53:34 > 0:53:38and he was the most ambitious. That ambition nearly killed him today.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41I want him in there. I think you do, too.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Today, I bit off more than I could chew.
0:53:44 > 0:53:48I want to deliver amazing food. That's in my DNA.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50That's... Aaagh! That's what I want to do.
0:53:50 > 0:53:55I liked Stefani's bream served on the asparagus and fresh peas,
0:53:55 > 0:53:58flavoured with mint. The vegetables were beautifully cooked.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02The gnocchi were a little bit too light. They were even waterlogged.
0:54:02 > 0:54:08Those sweet potato cakes were like bread pudding!
0:54:08 > 0:54:13It was stodgy, really stodgy! You want something finer than that.
0:54:13 > 0:54:15Sweet potato, what's going on?
0:54:15 > 0:54:18We can see she can cook well. She can dress food well.
0:54:18 > 0:54:23But... You've got to be able to do more than that.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26I really wanted to impress, but I don't know if...
0:54:26 > 0:54:29I feel quite low, actually.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32I don't feel like I've impressed as much as I wanted to.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38James' hanger steak was cooked blue - just how I love it and how it should be.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41But his sauce was too thin and bitter.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44But I did love those croquettes.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49I really liked James' dessert. I thought it looked beautiful.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51I liked the custard and gooey meringues.
0:54:51 > 0:54:56It was just let down by the fact he hadn't cooked the rhubarb enough.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59I'm feeling a little bit down because I wasn't perfect today.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01I wanted to go out there and show I could do it.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05I don't know about Anna.
0:55:05 > 0:55:10I mean, one plate, for me, was a disaster and one plate was an absolute revelation.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14I struggle to find anything that I liked on Anna's plate of lamb.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17It was just far, far too sweet.
0:55:17 > 0:55:20BUT Anna at her best
0:55:20 > 0:55:23was that rhubarb sponge with vanilla custard.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26Lovely. A pudding man's delight.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30I've shown everything I possibly can today.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33You know, I've shown my spirit. I've shown who I am.
0:55:33 > 0:55:37I hope I've done enough to get through, I do.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42I think what makes this judging really difficult
0:55:42 > 0:55:46is that the critics couldn't quite agree, you and I couldn't always see eye to eye.
0:55:46 > 0:55:51So what are we going to do? We're talking about a semi-final place up for grabs here.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54One way or another, we're still having to send away
0:55:54 > 0:55:57two very good chefs.
0:56:15 > 0:56:16You did well, very well.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23The first chef leaving us is...
0:56:29 > 0:56:31Anna.
0:56:31 > 0:56:32Thank you.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42I'm very proud of myself for getting to where I have.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46I've learnt a lot really. I've learnt more about myself
0:56:46 > 0:56:50and the direction I want to take in life.
0:56:50 > 0:56:51It's been a fantastic time.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56The second chef leaving us is...
0:56:58 > 0:56:59Stefani.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09I am really disappointed.
0:57:09 > 0:57:13I didn't feel like I cooked my best today at all.
0:57:13 > 0:57:16There's still an awful lot more of me that I wanted to show.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19But...good luck to the guys that carry on.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25Well done. Well done.
0:57:25 > 0:57:26Yes!
0:57:27 > 0:57:28Yes!
0:57:32 > 0:57:34I just feel like dancing on the ceiling.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40This is amazing. This is awesome. This is everything I wanted.
0:57:40 > 0:57:44Unbelievable to be a MasterChef semi-finalist, wow!
0:57:44 > 0:57:48I've worked on my own for ten years. I've had no other chefs with me.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Maybe what I've spent the last ten years doing has been worth it.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57Next week...
0:57:57 > 0:58:02ten more chefs will compete to impress Monica and Gregg.
0:58:03 > 0:58:07I have very high expectations of you and so does Michel.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12I would rank myself in the world of professional chefs quite high.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15Sometimes my style can be a bit wacky.
0:58:15 > 0:58:18I try not to let my imagination take control of me.
0:58:18 > 0:58:23They really need to dig into a chef's repertoire and be individual and creative.
0:58:24 > 0:58:28I don't know if you've got the makings of a genius or just got very lucky!
0:58:30 > 0:58:34This, for me, is a plate of heaven.
0:58:56 > 0:58:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd