Episode 16 MasterChef: The Professionals

These six talented chefs have made it through to today's quarter-final.

Room 408.

I don't think luck has got anything to do with it.

I've definitely earned my place to be in the quarter-finals.

I don't feel like I've reached my absolute potential

of what I can achieve. That's yet to come.

Getting further here, it means more to me and more to me.

I want to just keep going until the end, really.

If I trip up once, it could be all over.

The final is where I want to be. I won't stop till I'm there.

First, they must prove to Michel Roux Jr and Monica Galetti

they've got what it takes with a dish of their own invention.

Mediterranean meets Scottish modern!

That's one car crash, isn't it?

Only the best will get to put their dishes up for scrutiny

before some of the country's harshest food critics.

You've got this Italian meringue which is Type-2 diabetes sweet.

My pancreas is about to give up.

Just two of them will become semi-finalists.

Welcome to your quarter-final, chefs.

This is another invention test for you.

In front of you, you have bone marrow, chicken thighs,

oysters, whelks.

Some goat - I don't know if you've cooked that before, but be careful if you haven't.

You also have mangoes, white chocolate, dates, macadamia nuts,

along with some other larder ingredients.

Up to you to choose. Give me that dish that's going to propel you into the next round.

Two of you will be leaving us.

We're only looking for perfection. That's all.

We'll give you ten minutes to get your head around this.

It starts now.

Just trying to take it all in.

It'll be a work-in-progress, for sure,

but I have an idea.

I've never used goat before, but I'm going to use it. Why not?

Right. One hour to cook the perfect plate of food.

Off you go.

Jack. There's something about this young chef.

His attitude and his enthusiasm in the kitchen.

He runs around, but he delivers.

That bourride that he cooked for me was delicious.

I just hope today he can rise to the occasion.

You can't go into a situation like this and be relaxed about what you're going to do.

You need to be fired up.

And I need to use my nerves to my advantage, not my disadvantage.

Right, Jack, what are you making for us?

I'm making a gnocchi coated with a celeriac cream.

Chicken thigh stuffed with dates and an alcohol mix.

And I'm thinking of making a butter with the bone marrow and some macadamia nuts.

-Is this something you've done before?

-No, never before.

I don't want to play it safe, cos you never get anywhere playing it safe.

I hope I can keep a lid on the pressure and the nerves and show you what I can do.

Great. Mmm!

Jack's bouncing round in the kitchen as usual

and he has got a great menu.

Chicken thighs stuffed with dates.

He's using the bone marrow with macadamia nuts to put on top.

He's also making a gnocchi which he's going to serve with creamy celeriac sauce.

Sounds absolutely divine.

I'm looking forward to this.

Patrick can cook. However, there's always a little mistake creeping into his plates of food.

And his approach to presentation is a bit scattered.

I've yet to be convinced by Patrick.

He served me a raw sausage.

I've got away with some silly mistakes so far.

But with each round going by, you get more confident, less nervous.

What are you making for us, Patrick?

I'm cooking chicken stuffed with bone marrow,

a salt-baked celeriac, roast garlic puree

and wilted spinach.

What about your presentation?

Less scattered, neater.

Most importantly today, I've got to show you I can cook a bit of meat.

I heard about the sausage episode!

-Yep.

-She's still talking about it!

-Yeah.

-Terrible!

-Well, I'm expecting good things from you today, Patrick.

All right. Thank you.

Patrick's taken the chicken thighs and stuffed them with the bone marrow and Parmesan cheese.

I'm a bit worried about that, because bone marrow melts very easily

and we may end up without any stuffing whatsoever.

I'd be happy if he serves me with something that's cooked all the way through!

-He's certainly going to have to impress you, isn't he?

-It's do or die!

30 minutes gone.

Adam cooked the most beautiful plate of venison last time for me.

You'd have been happy, I tell you.

He's got talent. This is a chef that I'm watching and I think could even go all the way.

Can't afford to have a bad round, though.

I didn't really imagine it to go so well at all.

I'm becoming crazy more competitive.

I want to stay in and win this competition pretty damn bad!

Adam, what are you making for us?

I'm doing something I've not done before.

I've eaten goat before, but I've never cooked it.

I'm doing that with confit celeriac and deep-fried bone marrow.

And I'm going to do a croute of tomato.

Do you think it's time to take a risk like this, using a meat you've never cooked before?

Yeah.

I'm showing that I'm versatile and that I can do other things.

That's what it's all about. Land on your feet!

Adam's focused. He means business.

But he's never cooked with goat before! Now that is a risk.

He's vacuum-packed it and put it in the water bath.

I just hope he crisps it up a bit to give it more flavour.

Because kid goat can be a little bit bland.

But it all sounds good.

He's got great elements. Marrow, celeriac.

Every time he's delivered, so it scares me the next test that he might trip up

and I don't want that to happen. I expect good things from him every time.

Ooh, Nick, I wasn't convinced by his sausage three ways.

Saying that, he did well on the skills test.

Well, he has got the experience, Monica.

He's the eldest one of the six today.

I hope we get a dessert from Nick because he's shown he can do pastry.

If he doesn't perform well today, he's definitely in trouble.

I definitely have something to prove to Monica.

I came here to do well.

Going out at this stage is not enough for me.

-All right, Nick?

-Very good, thank you.

I saw you earlier when you were looking at the ingredients and you looked a bit baffled.

Yeah, there's a couple of ingredients I haven't worked with.

The goat. I took your advice when you said, "If you've not cooked it before, be careful."

So I decided to go down the dessert route.

I'm going to make a millefeuille of mango,

with some chilli and lime through it

and also white chocolate mousse

and a sweet basil pesto on the side.

Pastry route again. Are you going to achieve the same standard?

-Hopefully, if not better.

-Definitely sounds better than sausages!

-Indeed, yes.

Mmm!

I'm expecting a great dessert from this chef

because he's confident cooking a pastry.

You and I love mango with a touch of chilli in.

A white chocolate mousse, yes.

If he gets this right, ooh, he's in.

Adam, another chef who's got something to prove for me today.

He's got a palate, but sometimes style over substance.

He just needs to bring it all together.

I'm not usually competitive in my normal life,

but I do feel there's a streak now coming out in me.

I am feeling a lot more confident and a lot more "take no prisoners" kind of attitude.

I really want to push it and win.

Right, Adam. What are you making for us?

I'm going to make some oysters poached in a beurre monte.

Some whelks in a bone marrow sauce

and some anchovy allumettes. I'll stand them up and cut them into triangles.

-Can you make more than one allumette?

-I've made six for this!

I'll have five!

I'm curious. How are you making your whelk sauce?

I used some fat from the bone marrow, instead of oil.

I've melted it by accident before, so I thought I'd try and melt it on purpose this time!

I love the idea. It's adding flavour.

I want to prove that I'm as good as I'd like to think I am, really.

Adam's dish sounds great.

I love the fact he's making anchovy allumettes, or anchovy toast.

And I like that he's making a sauce using the whelks.

Oh, heaven!

I just hope there's enough acidity, just a squeeze of lemon juice,

in that sauce, to bring this dish together.

15 minutes left.

Alex from Aberdeen is undoubtedly a good chef,

but she needs to up her game and really needs to put her marker down.

The amount of pressure you're under to produce an excellent dish is daunting, it really is.

I can only just strive to go further

and hopefully go through to the final.

Alex? You're looking hot and flustered!

-I've got a lot of work to do!

-Tell us what's going on.

I've done an anchovy and thyme garlic-stuffed chicken thigh.

-So using the anchovy almost as a seasoning?

-Yes.

-Got to be careful how much anchovy you put in there, though.

-Yes.

And I've got a tomato compote with parmesan mash

and roasted bone marrow.

So slightly Mediterranean mixed with a bit of Scottish modern cooking.

Mediterranean meets Scottish modern.

That's one car crash, isn't it?

Hopefully not, no!

We'll see today.

-Confident?

-Yes, I am.

Little bit worried about Alex. This idea of modern Scottish meeting Mediterranean.

Ooh!

Two minutes!

Time's up. Finished!

First up is chef de partie, Adam.

He's chosen to use the winkles, cooked in bone marrow,

alongside butter-poached oysters,

salted anchovy allumettes,

pomme puree and a spinach froth.

Adam, I like the presentation but I have reservations.

There's a lot of anchovy allumette there. It should be in balance with the dish.

There is a bit of meatiness to the sauce, and richness as well from the bone marrow.

Most of all, I like the fact that you've taken great care in cooking the oyster and the whelks.

But lacking a hint of acidity for me.

Something to give it a zest.

And the anchovy allumettes are not quite cooked enough.

Instead of being crunchy and crisp,

it's gooey and soft, which is a shame.

You've done the shellfish justice.

It's not quite there, though.

'It wasn't great, and it needs to be great, at this point.'

And that's kind of un-nerving me slightly, at the moment.

Jack, a 21-year-old chef de partie

has chosen the chicken thighs,

and stuffed them with dates in a red wine sauce.

They're served with potato gnocchi

in a celeriac and parmesan cream

and topped with a bone marrow and macadamia nut butter.

Presentation-wise, Jack, it's one-dimensional.

It looks just creamy.

Jack, I really like your chicken and the flavour from the dates and the alcohol through that.

That's the star of the dish.

I think your gnocchi, you could have pan-fried it

to give it a nice texture and a more caramelised flavour.

Hmm. It's not very often this happens,

but I'm going to disagree with her!

I don't particularly like the chicken.

I find the dates a bit too sweet.

But I actually like the gnocchi that hasn't been pan-fried

in the cream sauce.

Tell you what, you have the chicken with the sweet dates in,

-and I'll have the cheesy gnocchi.

-Solved!

'They were divided with what they liked and what they didn't like.

'It's making me feel a bit nervous.'

I just hope I've done enough.

Sous-chef Alex has also used the chicken thighs,

which she has stuffed with anchovies and garlic.

They're served with a parmesan mash, roasted bone marrow

and a tomato compote.

Alex, it's not doing it for me. It really isn't.

It's missing a bit of colour and no sauce, either.

Alex, I like the marrow

and your tomato compote which you have underneath.

But unfortunately the whole dish has been destroyed by the amount of anchovy that's in this chicken.

Ah, dearie me!

The anchovies we gave you were packed in salt.

I don't know if you rinsed the anchovy before you used it,

but that's what you should do.

And there's a heck of a lot of garlic in there.

It's those two very strong flavours fighting with the chicken thigh.

Sadly, the chicken thigh is the loser.

'I'm kicking myself.'

I did what I did, and I can't change that now,

so I've just got to take the consequences.

Head chef Nick is the only chef to make a dessert.

A mango, chilli and lime millefeuille

with a white chocolate mousse and sweet basil pesto,

topped with deep-fried basil and candied macadamia nuts.

Nick, the millefeuille could have been a bit neater

and your chocolate mousse is a bit too big.

Yep.

I like the crunch from the pastry, the millefeuille and the mango.

Not enough chilli.

It's not hitting quite the right notes for me.

The white chocolate mousse is very, very rich.

The pesto I'm not really blown over by. I don't think it adds anything to this dish.

Maybe a little coulis or a lime syrup would have brought this together.

I did make a coulis, but I didn't get it on the plate in time.

Aghh!

Not quite there.

'Clearly feeling deflated.'

I'm on thin ice.

So it's a wait and see job.

Sous-chef Patrick has made chicken kiev, using garlic and bone marrow for the stuffing

and chicken skin for the crust.

It's served with celeriac fondants

topped with a potato crust,

roast garlic puree, wilted spinach and a celeriac veloute.

Patrick, this is a total change to your scattered approach of presentation.

I'm not bowled over with this presentation, either.

It's not the neatest plate of food I've seen.

I'm wondering if this chicken has been cooked well enough on the inside because it looks very pink.

Your chicken is pink, but it is cooked.

You get the bone marrow going through it.

I do find it, however, bland.

It's lacking in seasoning. It really is.

I think the cream sauce is also very bland.

It needs more oomph to it.

I do like the celeriac with the crumble on top,

but nothing really...

..wows me.

Yeah.

'It wasn't seasoned enough.

'I've already said if I went out of the competition because I'd made silly mistakes,'

I would be really annoyed about it.

And there's a good chance that's going to happen.

Head chef Adam has chosen to use the kid meat.

It's served with a bone marrow crisp,

spinach and basil,

a parmesan puff croute

and a chicken and red wine sauce.

Adam, that is a very nice plate.

Very, very neat, it's elegant,

it screams out "class".

I like the fact that you've used the kid and cooked it correctly,

even though you've never cooked one before.

The chopped up spinach and basil which you have on here

is great, it's refreshing.

And I love the deep-fried bone marrow.

I could easily have a bowl of that!

That puff pastry strip is, quite simply, delicious.

And a sauce that's actually damn good.

That is cooking that you should be really proud of.

Thank you very much!

'I work damn hard to get comments like that.'

I feel tremendous. Absolutely tremendous.

Wow! That was an interesting one, Monica, wasn't it?

One outstanding plate.

-Adam through.

-Without a doubt, Adam is through.

If Adam shone, I think Alex had a bad day.

The bone marrow with the spicy tomato compote

actually worked very well.

But I'm afraid that is just not enough.

She's out of her league.

'I know that I could do better, but it just didn't show through today.'

My gut feeling is that I'll be going.

Alex is leaving the competition.

-Definitely.

-What do you say about Jack?

You liked the stuffed chicken. I didn't.

I liked the creamy cheesy gnocchi. You didn't.

I like what I see in this young chef.

'I feel a bit nervous,

'but I'm sure they can take what I've done before'

and that it'll be enough to get me through to the next round.

-I think we should put Jack through.

-So do I.

What do you think of Adam, then, and those oysters and whelks?

He cooked his shellfish well, didn't he?

It's a shame the puff pastry was a bit raw in the middle.

But there's something in this kid, and I think he's another one that deserves another chance.

I think I've done enough to stay on.

But I don't know!

OK. We agree. Put Jack through and the two Adams.

That leaves us with Nick and Patrick.

Patrick. He couldn't cook a sausage for me within an hour

and this chicken was only just cooked.

But I loved the concept of the dish.

Using the bone marrow instead of butter in the chicken kiev.

Great idea.

But it didn't work!

No seasoning.

'I'd be really gutted if I go home now.'

To know that I didn't perform to how I can is just the most disappointing thing.

And you'll always... Always going to regret it.

With Nick, he made me a plate I wasn't all that convinced with.

Sausages three ways.

So I wanted an amazing dessert from him today.

It didn't work. There was not enough chilli, not enough lime syrup.

There were errors.

But I've seen him work before.

I know he can deliver goods. He's a good chef.

'I think even the smallest error is enough to send you out of the competition at this stage.'

It's tough.

We have to base our decision on how far we think a chef could go.

And will they be able to impress the critics in the next round?

Thank you, chefs. Highs and lows.

The first chef that is leaving us today is...

..Alex.

'Obviously I'm a bit gutted.

'But the experience has been phenomenal.'

Now I can use the constructive criticism I've received

and just push on and make it positive.

The second chef leaving us today is...

..Patrick.

'I'm just so disappointed.

'I'm most disappointed about putting up a poor dish, really.'

I really didn't want to go out of the competition that way.

Congratulations, guys. Well done.

Critics next.

No nerves, no faults.

You have just one hour and 15 minutes to do two courses.

Off you go.

Food critics, by their very nature, find fault.

They'll dissect each plate of food and they'll look for that little error.

If they get this right, these critics will be looking out for them in the future.

What more can a young chef want?

'In no way I think my dishes are safe.'

It could totally bomb and they'd hate it.

But I've got to take some risks to try and progress in this competition.

Jack, what have you got on your menu for us?

For the main course, I'm doing sole fillets

which will be poached in an onion seed and saffron fish stock.

Some chive mash and a leek which is covered in leek char,

topped with creamy scallops and brown shrimp.

And for dessert is rhubarb. So rhubarb meringue, rhubarb jam, dehydrated rhubarb,

freeze-dried rhubarb, poached rhubarb, rhubarb!

So is there going to be rhubarb in your dessert?

Just a touch(!)

I just need to work as if I'm on fire!

-Well, we're used to seeing that.

-Let's hope we don't have to put you out!

-Yes, let's!

Have you got enough time to do all that?

If I work very quickly and don't have any interruptions, I'm sure I can get it done in time!

Is that a polite way of telling us to shove off?

I need to get things done. Yes, Chef!

Thank you!

What an unbelievable menu!

I got lost there were so many ingredients being thrown at it, and so many processes.

Jack's poaching his sole in an onion seed and saffron stock.

He has to be careful, because that's quite strong.

It could overpower the delicate flavour of the sole.

I love poached fish.

You've got to make sure the temperature is even, and not too hot.

Otherwise, it's going to be overdone and can actually make the fish tough.

His dessert is rhubarb with rhubarb and rhubarb. And more rhubarb!

I hope he doesn't go too modern and too crazy!

Critics are notoriously difficult to cook for.

There's so much to prove.

Hopefully, they're open to a bit of invention today.

In terms of flavour combinations, it's a little bit risky.

Today, I'm going to do a fillet of sea bass,

sea fennel, a fennel puree,

mussels and vanilla and spinach.

Did I hear you say vanilla?

-Mussels with vanilla. One of my favourite combinations.

-Really?!

-Really?

I've had lobster with a vanilla beurre blanc, which works.

-I'm looking forward to this.

-Hope you like it.

-Dessert?

-A muscovado cheesecake using muscovado sugar to get a light toffee flavour,

with roasted plums with a bit of anise for it

and a tarragon Anglaise.

Tarragon Anglaise? Again, combinations I haven't tried before.

Something a bit different, but I've listened to what you said in the last rounds.

Keep it simple and get the right balance of the elements.

-You want your place in the next round, don't you?

-More than anything.

It's there for the taking, Nick.

I'm ready.

Nick's menu seems very straightforward.

Sea bass with fennel.

Creamed mussels.

Then in comes the vanilla.

It can work. But it's a very fine line between working and a disaster for me.

For dessert, he's preparing a cheesecake flavoured with muscovado sugar.

I love muscovado sugar. It's got that aniseedy, nutty taste.

Serving with it some roasted plums.

And a custard, or creme Anglaise, flavoured with tarragon.

Tarragon has got that aniseed taste

which could work really well with the muscovado sugar and the plums.

Faster!

30 minutes to go for those main courses.

'I'm a chef who likes to take risks'

and I think that's where I excel in the kitchen.

I think I can pull off something quite special at the end of it.

Right, Adam, how do you feel about cooking for critics?

Pretty nervous, to be honest, Chef. I'm a bit of a Jay Rayner fan.

Lucky for you, Jay's waiting to try your food today.

Great!

What's going to impress Jay Rayner, then?

I'm going to do lamb cannon roasted in hay

with couscous made from cauliflower,

fresh peas and girolles and a verjuice and wholegrain mustard vinaigrette.

This is your style of food, then?

Yeah, absolute classic British kind of comfort dishes, in a way.

And then just given a slight twist. That's what defines me as a chef, I think.

What are you making for dessert?

I'm going to do a lemon tart

with an Earl Grey kind of foam sauce thing

and honeyed mascarpone.

I've just got to make sure I can absolutely pull it off.

Good.

Adam is taking what he would call "normal British dishes"

and putting his own twist on it.

Lamb with couscous.

But he's making his couscous with a cauliflower.

Some crispy potato strings.

And he's roasting his lamb in hay.

Infusing it with the flavours or the sense of the meadow.

At least, that's the theory!

He's not saucing the lamb. He's making a vinaigrette with verjuice,

which is soured grape juice.

Great touch.

Adam is preparing a lemon tart, but a lemon tart with a difference.

He's got mascarpone cream going with it and an Earl Grey foam.

I hope it pays off today and it's not going to be too quirky for the sake of the critics.

15 minutes to go, chefs.

I'm terribly nervous about the dessert.

It takes four hours to do it

and I'm cramming it with the main course in an hour and 15 minutes.

It's a stressful little thing, isn't it?

I've practised and practised.

I need to keep my socks pulled right up and pull my finger out!

I'm doing lamb and courgettes

with a little bit of mashed potato.

I'm using a lot of basil.

Courgette flower as well as normal courgettes.

I'm going to stuff the courgette flowers with honey and goat's cheese.

It's just good, honest cooking.

And chocolate orange for dessert.

Sounds simple?

No, it's not, at all.

It's a dish where all flaws are going to show up.

-Do you ever get flustered?

-I'm flustered now!

-You're flustered now?

-Yes. Four eagle eyes staring, watching my every move!

Adam is cooking a loin of lamb...

..with a red wine jus...

..a courgette and basil puree...

..mashed potato and a courgette flower stuffed with goat's cheese and honey.

All sounds beautiful!

I like the sound of the goat's cheese and honey put into that crispy courgette flower.

-I'm looking forward to this.

-Knowing Adam, there'll be a few twists and turns on his chocolate orange!

He's got some orange oil there.

He'd better go easy on it, cos that is intense.

To top it off, my personal favourite, salted caramel.

Let's hope he gets the balance right, cos there's a lot of strong flavours going on.

We want Adam to please the critics as much as he's pleased us.

Anybody who enters a competition like this reckons themselves.

If they really think that, they better prove it to me here, in this dining room.

These chefs, I think there's a danger, when they're cooking for the restaurant critics,

that they feel they need to show us everything they know in one dish.

Powders and foams. But it isn't necessarily what we want to see

here in this room.

I'm looking for a bit of originality, a bit of spark.

And I also want to see things delivered

that are promised on the menu.

I like what I'm seeing here, Jack.

Everything is coming together on time.

-Brilliant.

-Yes, Chef.

Jack's main course is saffron and onion seed poached sole

with charred leak and chive mash.

It sounds quite simple.

But it's very easy to overcook fish.

-TRACEY:

-I like the taste of leek. I don't like the taste of char much.

So I hope the balance between his char and his leek is OK.

That smells good. Oooh!

Right. Creamy mash.

Keep it going.

-Ready, Chef.

-Fantastic. Well done.

So we have poached sole in a saffron and onion seed stock.

Charred leek, creamy scallops with brown shrimp

and a chive mash.

Thank you.

I really like the look of this.

I think it's very pretty.

It's an attractive plateful, but I've got fish envy!

I've got a tiny bit of sole here

which has folded over and died on itself!

Something's missing, and that's flavour.

The chive mash isn't chivey enough,

the saffron sauce isn't saffrony enough.

Poaching the fish in saffron doesn't seem to have left it with any real distinctive flavour.

Slightly overcooked, as well. It's mealy.

The leeks are undercooked and the ash, to me, is just actually nasty.

Overall,

it's a plate that won't linger in the memory for very long.

It's a bit of a "haah", a bit of a sigh, rather than a shout.

MICHEL: The little coiny scallops are really nice

and the shrimps, as well.

But the leeks are practically raw and the sole is very, very overcooked.

It's a real shame. I was expecting a lot from Jack today.

-Nearly there, Jack?

-Yes, Chef.

Jack's dessert is the scariest thing on MasterChef - one word.

It just says "rhubarb".

Who knows? He could be building the Eiffel Tower out of rhubarb!

My instinct is "You're a liar."

You are not going to serve us rhubarb. You're going to serve rhubarb as complicated as you can.

Because if you just served us rhubarb, it would be terrible!

-Two minutes, Jack. You'll be all right?

-Yes, Chef.

-Good.

There is a rhubarb meringue in the centre

with poached rhubarb, a rhubarb jam,

freeze-dried rhubarb, and dehydrated rhubarb.

-OK. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Well, we knew it wasn't just going to be a lump of rhubarb on a plate!

But actually, rhubarb meringue, I like the idea of that.

This fails a basic dessert test, which is lusciousness.

In the middle, you've got this Italian meringue, which is Type-2 diabetes sweet.

My pancreas is about to give up.

And you've got these kind of rubbery bits of freeze-dried rhubarb

which stick in the teeth

like a kind of nasty, cheap sweet.

And you've got the rhubarb,

which is, you know, raw. Inedible.

It's a shame, because he described his dessert as though he was going to reveal to us

the innermost nature of rhubarb.

In fact, none of it really tastes very much of rhubarb.

It's not good enough, really, at this level, is it?

This is a dish labelled "rhubarb".

So where's all the rhubarb?

I'm disappointed. Really disappointed.

My heart's racing, at the moment, after doing that.

There were a couple of things that I could have done better.

So I'm a bit nervous about what they think.

But I was happy with it, so I hope they are.

I feel with Adam's main course,

English lamb, cauliflower and lemon thyme,

peas, girolles, roast potatoes and verjuice.

-That's Sunday lunch!

-If he's as straight and as honest as his menu description,

we could be in for a treat.

MICHEL: Oh, we've got potato. Ooh, maybe not!

Keep it going. You are a bit late, now. Come on.

-Okey-doke?

-Right. Ready.

Good afternoon.

A rump of lamb roasted in hay,

with cauliflower couscous, cauliflower puree,

peas and flower, girolles and a vinaigrette made out of verjuice.

-And the roast potatoes?

-I burnt the roast potatoes, I'm afraid.

-I do apologise.

-OK.

-Hope you enjoy it.

If you were hoping for a Sunday lunch thing, you'd be bitterly disappointed.

No roast potatoes, and instead,

you know, flowers(!)

That's not going to fill you up, is it?

This guy knows what he's doing. This is good.

There is a problem with the lamb being slightly flavourless

because it's lost its fat.

But that verjuice is just making the whole plate come alive.

-It's a lovely plateful.

-Beautiful piece of lamb.

Really well cooked. The peas are a wonderful example to all chefs out there

how to not overcook your peas. He seems to be able to cook quite well.

It could have been that touch towards brilliance.

If the fat had been left on and crisped, and I would have liked a little roast potato!

Just one!

That lamb. Not enough of that hay coming through.

But I like the mustard dressing.

It really does bring something to this dish.

I like his cauliflower puree, as well.

The flavours are nice. I really like the flavour.

It's good cooking, yeah.

Adam's dessert. Lemon tart,

honeyed mascarpone and Earl Grey.

I pray for the moment when somebody just does the best lemon tart you've ever had.

Crisp pastry, and a very light cream inside.

Just a bit of a wobble and a proper citrus kick!

What he's going to do with the Earl Grey that will add something extra and distinctive remains to be seen!

Ready?

For dessert, we've got lemon tart with honeyed mascarpone cream

and Earl Grey foam.

And it has a pine nut base.

Thank you.

I thought we were promised a lemon tart.

I can't see a lemon tart here!

-There's a lemony thing.

-Look, it might taste lovely.

But just looking at it, it's the worst this competition can throw at us.

It's a plate of disappointment and micro-herbs.

There's one really lovely thing on this plate,

which is that delicious lemon cream.

It really has a beautiful texture and it's perfectly judged.

What you want with it is crisp pastry,

instead of this slightly tooth-coating biscuity one.

Without any hint of the pine nut that he champions,

and he mentioned Earl Grey.

There's as much Earl Grey in this as there were roast potatoes with the main course!

Adam is a great chef who's scared of being considered boring.

-That's a good lemon tart.

-I think that lemon tart is a star.

All the other stuff on top, frivolous, not necessary.

That was the scariest thing I think I've ever done in my life.

My only major regret is that I burnt my roast potatoes.

That was shocking. I couldn't believe I did that.

-OK, Nick. How are we doing?

-Good. Two minutes.

Nick's main course is basically bo-ho seashore chic.

Bit of sea bass, bit of fennel, bit of samphire. Mussels and vanilla.

The seafood/vanilla combo,

if it's done right, it works really, really well.

But it can make the whole dish taste soapy.

So that no longer are you having a main course,

you've stepped into somebody's bathroom and you're sniffing in their medicine cabinet

and it's not nice at all.

-Good afternoon.

-Hi.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

So we've got fillet of sea bass

with a shallot and fennel puree,

sea fennel, spinach, mussels and vanilla.

-Great.

-Thank you.

It's not a bad-looking plateful of food.

I've got a problem with the way it smells.

It's like a very rich vanilla custard.

It's off-putting.

There's a strange kind of rubber-necking quality to this dish.

You start tasting the mussels with the vanilla cream, and you think, "Really?"

And it's quite interesting.

But it's also quite nasty.

I actually think the vanilla sauce is pretty good.

But it's a bit overpowering because he's got so much of it on the plate.

Everything else, I would say, is great.

The sea bass, it's so crisp and the meat of the fish is so tender.

The cooking of the fish is terrific.

I do like the shallot and fennel puree.

I think what it really needs is some good crisped carbs. Or chips, as they're called!

And less of the vanilla.

I'm really happy with that piece of fish. Crispy and golden.

But you've got to be so careful when you use vanilla on savoury courses.

Mm. This is just too rich, too intense, too heavy.

And it doesn't work.

Nick's dessert. Muscovado cheesecake, roasted plums,

tarragon and candied pine nuts. I'd order that.

-All right?

-It's rock solid.

-How's it supposed to be served? Frozen?

-Today it is!

Come on! Get out!

Roasted plums, if they're beautiful and sweet, will be wonderful.

I'm worried about the tarragon. I'm not sure that will work.

-Nearly there, Nick?

-Yeah.

-Good.

Thank you.

-NICK:

-We've got muscovado cheesecake with anise-roasted plums,

tarragon Anglaise and candied pine nuts.

-Thank you.

-Thank you. Cheers.

This is a nice-looking pudding.

Everything on it is tempting me.

It looks beautiful.

There is one rule, though, that's broken.

Every ingredient on a plate should be there to be eaten.

And no-one would put a whole star anise in their mouth.

There are good things and bad things about this.

The plums are very nice. Quite tart, and they work with the tarragon.

Quite a clever touch. The outside of the cheesecake is really nice.

You get into the middle and it's frozen.

That's a mistake.

It's not a bad cheesecake at all.

My main issue with it is it doesn't taste quite enough of muscovado sugar.

I'd wanted that cheesecake to really kick

with that caramel toasted muscovado flavour.

I'm not so keen on those plums.

-To me, they're over tart.

-You ate all three of them!

Well, I had to be sure!

There are really, really good things here,

but there's a slight lack of balance that's pulling it all off-centre.

Wow! Those plums are sour!

But it's a really smooth cheesecake

and a really nice classic biscuit base.

Shame there's not enough muscovado sugar on there.

Gosh. And the choice of tarragon would not have been my first choice

to put in a custard cream,

but I don't find it as unpleasant as the vanilla in the mussels.

The risky elements were the flavour combinations.

So I think we've got to wait and see on that.

But everything came out more or less as I'd like it to.

You should be serving now, so you're five minutes over.

Yep.

Is everything going according to plan?

No. Just a little bit behind schedule.

Adam's main course of lamb...

-Nice and pink.

-Nice and pink.

..courgettes, basil, goat's cheese and honey

has a very nice simplicity to it.

There is a sort of Mediterranean hue about this dish.

Goat's cheese and honey are not things that we tend to partner lamb with in this country,

but they both work extremely well with lamb.

Sounds interesting.

Come on, Adam! The food's going to get cold.

You're going to be about ten minutes over, so you'd better be apologetic!

-Ready?

-Yep.

Apologies for the lateness.

It's a kind of lamb with courgette flower, goat's cheese and a basil and courgette puree.

And the jus?

There's a little red wine reduction with some lamb juices through it.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Most stressful thing I've ever done in my life!

This is a really pretty plateful which makes loads and loads of sense.

It speaks to me. What is says to me is,

"Eat me now!"

This is just heart-warmingly amazing.

He's made an absolutely spot-on gravy.

He cooks the lamb perfectly.

He's able to stuff that courgette with the goat's cheese

and that cheesiness goes perfectly with the lamb.

Mmm! Yummy!

He's got what is the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch.

Everything is in harmony

in a slightly unexpected way.

It's lots of really, really good things

put together with very little artifice

and done really well.

It's the dish of the day, isn't it?

Oh, Adam is a talented chef.

He can cook. Even when he is flustered!

Adam's giving us chocolate orange, hazelnuts and creme fraiche.

Who doesn't love a chocolate orange?

I have a problem with chocolate orange.

There is a nonsense that the orange brings out the flavour of chocolate.

It doesn't. It makes chocolate taste like orange.

Maybe today will be the day that changes my mind. I doubt it.

Salted caramel.

That is precision personified.

Shaky hands!

That's my take on a chocolate orange.

It's finished with some creme fraiche

and a slightly salted caramel,

sour orange gel as well.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

This is beautiful. I don't know whether to eat it or take it home and hang it on my wall!

Everything is very, very precise.

And I do like this strand of sugar.

I know it's just a thing,

but it does show that someone gives a damn.

The attention to detail that's gone into it,

down to the extent of a single flake of sea salt on the caramel,

I'm really impressed.

This tastes as good as it looks.

That sour orange gel, it is SO perfectly judged.

He's done it again. This really is a lovely combination of tastes.

This is a seriously good pudding.

My worry about chocolate orange aside,

the texture of the chocolate is beautiful

and these gels are just little bits of genius.

It's one of the best executed puddings I think I've had on this show.

I really like it. Just needs to hold back on that sharp orange flavour.

-I think it's too much.

-And, for me, there's not enough salted caramel.

But we really are nit-picking.

It's a damn good dessert!

I have no idea. I don't know how... I don't know what...

I don't think I've done enough. I can't even get my words out!

I tasted everything. It seemed all right.

But ten minutes over. I'm my worst critic.

I have to keep things permanently on a high or I just get really...

Well, I don't like it.

There was some good cooking in here today, Monica!

I'm a happy chef. Tell you what, that Adam H, he can cook, can't he?

He did wobble, and he was ten minutes late.

But he delivered. Adam's roasted lamb loin was absolute perfection.

Everything was seasoned well.

I love lamb when you keep the fat on and it's crispy like that.

Good cooking.

And the chocolate mousse was really dark and intense. Not too sweet.

He's got to go through, hasn't he, Monica?

Adam is through.

The pressure is absolutely crazy.

It's still fun, but you're just eager to know what they think.

We're all pondering in our mind what's going on.

'I think Jack has had a bit of a disaster.'

-My word!

-We had the fish, which was just falling apart, it had no texture.

And for me, that whole dish was lacking in oomph!

As for the rhubarb, we were expecting a rhubarb fest.

And what did we get? A few bits of poached rhubarb,

sour and not quite cooked enough.

And then that really sickly, sweet meringue.

I could have gone in there and just played it simple.

But if I've not pushed myself enough, they won't keep me in this competition.

I'm afraid it just didn't work for him today.

I think we've got to let him go.

That leaves us with Nick and Adam.

Both tried to be a little bit different.

And it didn't work.

I have to say, though, Nick can cook a good piece of fish.

Lovely, golden and crispy.

And not over-done.

But the overriding taste of vanilla just didn't work.

That cheesecake was good.

It needed more muscovado because it said muscovado,

but it was a good cheesecake.

I've done the best I can today.

The dishes I've shown are very close to what I'm about.

I want the semi-final place more than ever.

Adam's main course. The lamb was cooked very well.

Nice and juicy and pink.

He was going to put some crispy potatoes on top, but they'd burnt.

But it was a good dish. I enjoyed eating it, and I know the critics did, too.

Now, Adam's dessert.

That was a good lemon tart.

Hm. What didn't work for me was the Earl Grey froth.

That lemon tart was good enough to be on the plate on its own

as it was.

Now that it's over, it's such a weight off my shoulders.

But it's spurring me on to want to do just better and better.

I just can't leave now. I really can't!

Well, both of them did cook the key element of their dishes well.

But the vanilla and the foams, is that a step too far?

Both of these chefs, Nick and Adam, they can cook.

It's the little add-ons that I'm worried about.

We have made a decision.

Two places in the semi-final.

The first chef that is leaving us today is...

..Jack.

This competition does do strange things to you.

It is very hard and tough out there.

But I'm still young and I've got a long career ahead of me.

I can use everything from this. I've gained a lot of experience.

The second chef leaving us today is...

..Nick.

I thought I had one more round in me, if I'm honest.

I don't think I could have won it.

I thought I could at the start, but there's a couple of really good chefs.

I've gone as far as I can, and I'm going away with no regrets.

Semi-finalists!

-Well done.

-Congratulations.

-Thank you. Thank you very much!

Well done. Well done, guys.

I feel incredibly happy.

I kind of had it in my head that I was gone.

I don't know. I'm just buzzing. Completely buzzing.

I can't stop smiling. My knees are still shaking. I'm over the moon.

'It means a crazy amount for me to be in the semi-finals.'

I'm shaking. If I jump up and down, I'll fall on the floor!

Words can't describe how much I want to be in the final.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

Next week, the semi-finals begin.

The best eight chefs are back

to cook for a diner who knows what he wants.

You can feel the stress mounting in this kitchen!

I don't think this is the time to be playing Willy Wonka.

This is what happens when the pressure is on and you get your timings wrong.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

This is varying degrees of chocolate and butter cuddles.

And two more chefs will leave.

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