Episode 21 MasterChef: The Professionals

It's the Professional MasterChef Final.

48 ambitious chefs entered the competition.

And now only the three strongest are left.

It's just so amazing to be in the hat.

The only thing that can make it better

will be to get that trophy at the end.

You're cooking against two other chefs

who could lift that title.

I want to lift that title and so do they

so it's going to be a fight.

It would mean the world to me to win this.

I'm just going to cook another three courses for the last time.

I just hope it's enough.

Tonight, only one of them will be crowned

Professional MasterChef Champion 2015.

They have dazzled us all the way through the competition.

We know we are going to eat some fabulous food.

This is going to be one exciting final.

I have been cooking for 15 years now.

I've been sous-chef for four and a bit years

so I really feel ready to take my first head chef role.

I still really enjoy my job.

I just need to find a perfect opportunity for me

so I can express what I do in the kitchen.

And that's the reason why I've done the show, really.

I thought I'd give it a go.

Service!

Here I am!

The first time I walked into the MasterChef Kitchen

I was really nervous.

Shaking a bit and my heart's going.

Scott has been the chef that has taken his time to come forward

and stand out.

I think my worst feedback has been my signature dish.

The ricotta doesn't really have any place on this plate whatsoever.

I don't really understand why it's there.

I'm disappointed that it isn't as "wow" as it possibly could be.

I went home with my tail between my legs.

I thought, "Right! I need to nail everything I do from now on."

I think Scott's always been a fabulous chef.

It just took him a while to find his feet in the MasterChef Kitchen.

Then, all of a sudden, this flower just blossomed in the competition

and delivered some really, really good food.

-Come on, Scott!

-Yep.

Remember Scott in the critics' round,

how he dazzled with that cod dish.

The critics loved it and that takes some going to impress those guys.

I'd love to know where he cooks

because I'd like to eat more of his food.

I think he's fantastic.

For me, the first time that Scott actually stood out

and really meant business was when he spent a day with Lisa Allen.

-OK, Scott. So, this is where it really hits you.

-Oui, Chef.

Perfect. Well done!

He came back into this kitchen

and cooked two of the best dishes I'd ever seen him cook.

Very happy here. I think you've done a great, great job.

If I was a chef in this competition right now,

I'd be very worried about you.

The judges gave me brilliant feedback.

That really gave me a confidence boost.

It's starting to look beautiful.

Enjoy this moment.

I am, Chef. I'm loving it!

They finished every last bit of that dessert.

I thought, "Mate, job well done!"

Absolutely fantastic. This is what MasterChef is all about.

This is a great way to finish.

APPLAUSE

-Bella!

-Grazie.

Italy was an amazing experience.

I'm picking my herbs and topping up my tan

so I can't really ask for much more than that.

It was a very surreal moment, but I really enjoyed it.

Looks nice.

Happy days!

I think I have learnt a little bit about myself.

I feel like I'm a stronger chef.

I feel like I've grown and developed and got stronger as it's gone on.

I just need to keep the momentum up now and see what happens today.

When my parents found out that I wanted to be a chef,

I think they were very supportive.

I left home when I was 16-and-a-half to go to a hotel.

But when I first moved into my first staff accommodation,

my mum walked away crying.

I think doing the competition and, hopefully, winning it,

will really showcase everything I've put into the industry.

All the hard work and the 18-hour days.

Winning MasterChef might change my life.

Service!

It's an incredible competition that many doors will open.

I never thought I'd make it this far.

The first day is always going to be the scariest.

You walk in and it's just Gregg, Monica and Marcus.

It doesn't get tougher than that.

Right from the start he's shone out as a very competent,

knowledgeable chef.

I'm really struggling to find some fault with his dish.

I really am.

If I have to find something to complain about,

please, don't let me share it with these two in future!

This chef just continued to stun and wow us.

Another great dish from you.

Mark has shown an amazing level of skill.

An all-round chef in every single area.

There's been so many highlights in this,

but the critics round was really hard.

It's really difficult to try and produce such quality in such

a short amount of time for some of the best critics in Britain.

Mark, it's looking good here.

This is one hell of a start. I think it's absolutely terrific.

The best dish I've cooked in this competition is

probably my showstopper dish.

Its textures are fantastic.

It tastes great. It looks stunning.

I got some incredible feedback.

ALL: Yes, Chef.

-Mark, you're on, big boy!

-Yes, Chef.

It really elevated me to carry on in the competition.

Fire up your backside, son! I think it's time to move.

Mark's pork dish at the chef's table has got to be one of my favourites.

There's a lot of elements going on there. Wow! This is good.

How he pushed himself to produce that dish

and all those chefs upstairs raved about it.

For me, this is the dish of the evening.

APPLAUSE

Tonight, we needed something special and you delivered that.

There's only been one round

where I believe Mark did not live up to those expectations.

I am absolutely gobsmacked that you have served a tomato salad today.

I just saw Marcus's eyes. Yeah, your heart sinks.

That was a pretty low point for me.

But I've been able to pick myself up.

Very good dish. Very good.

I think Mark is a very, very clever chef.

He has an incredible palate, an eye for detail.

His dishes have been exceptional.

The taste, textures and flavours of what Mark is achieving

is outstanding.

Oh, it's been such a tiring, exhausting, emotional, but fun ride.

I'd love to lift that trophy.

But I've got to other incredible chefs standing in my way.

I'm a sous-chef at a fine dining restaurant. Absolutely love it.

I love going to work every day.

I've done one competition in my life

and it was the Sussex Young Chef Of The Year which I won two years ago.

To be honest, my chef de partie said,

"They're open for MasterChef auditions.

"Why don't you go give it a go?"

I said, "I'm not going to get on that!"

It's a brilliant competition.

It's a real good way of seeing how good you are,

how good you think you are, how far you think you can go and

testing yourself against other guys who think they can win it, as well.

Everybody else was shaking and crumbling.

Nick actually looked very good indeed.

The pressure is there right from the word go and it's mixed with

excitement as well because you're seeing your idols there.

Nick IS the real deal. He's exactly what you look for.

Personality, good, hard-working chef and delivers it on the plate.

Smart dish. Smart guy.

Nick has gone on to show that he is very strong

in the pastry department.

I'm really happy that my desserts have hit the nail every time.

It's a great dessert. It is amazing. It is incredible. It's fantastic!

Here's a chef that has dazzled in pastry, but he's been able to

bring that skill into the rest of his cookery, as well.

It's delicious. I would eat it all.

Going to Edinburgh to work for Tom Kitchin,

it was hard-core. It was straight in there.

-If it's not good, it's coming back, you understand?

-Oui, Chef!

I earned my lunch that day!

Look at that, eh? Saved the best to last. Woohoo!

The toughest was probably the chefs' table.

I tried too hard on different techniques

and probably was a bit too cheffy, to be honest.

Agh!

He wanted to show off, but these chefs have seen it all.

Sadly, not a great dish. It could have been much, much better.

Keep it simple next time.

But the next day, Nick came back in this kitchen

and proved why he is here.

I think it's very creative. A dish I've never had before.

It tastes good.

The experiences that the competition has thrown up

have just been phenomenal.

Italy was mind-blowing.

Wow!

It just opened up pores of my brain that I didn't know were there.

-I love the way he works.

-He cooks with real passion and enthusiasm.

I don't want to let myself down.

I don't want to come this far and fall at the final hurdle.

But it's another round of the competition.

A fresh start to go in there and cook. It's only cooking.

I can do that!

Our final three, coming in for the last time.

This is what they have been striving for, to cook for the final.

Do you know what we're going to see today?

An absolute celebration of the best of culinary talent.

Our tasting is about to become the hottest table in town. Ready?

I'm ready.

Ready?

I'm super ready!

Bring it on!

Welcome, chefs, to your Professional MasterChef Final.

The spotlight is on you. I can only wish you the best of luck.

I am so excited and so happy that you three are our finalists

and I know each of you is going to give me magic.

What you have in front of you is a battle.

A battle to become the champion.

Chefs, you've got three hours. Three plates of food.

Off you go!

I can't recall seeing so many ingredients on the tables.

Our three chefs are really pushing themselves.

I'm going out to get myself a bigger spoon. We are in for a treat.

A real treat.

All the hard work I've put in throughout the competition,

it comes down to three plates of food.

I just want to give it all. All guns blazing!

Nick's starter is mackerel two different ways.

The key to mackerel is making sure it stays moist.

It cannot be overcooked.

He's doing a tartare.

He's going to wrap that tartare in a black radish,

set it to hold its form.

That sounds really neat.

He has to be very careful that he doesn't overseason it

with too much acid otherwise it's just going to cook

while it's sitting on the plate.

He's also making oyster beignets, and an oyster mayonnaise

to go with his dish.

I really like the sound of the oyster mayonnaise.

This is really going to lift this dish with a powerful, fishy flavour.

He's going to garnish it with pickled cucumber

which he's going to marinate in some sugar and vinegar.

And then, compress it.

I love the way that Nick has thought about

bringing these flavours together on his plate of food.

They sound delicious.

There's a lot riding on the mackerel.

How many times do you think Marcus Wareing has had mackerel

and cucumber, you know?!

As much as I've had a cup of coffee, I reckon.

The main course... I've been saving lamb.

If I got to this stage, I wanted to have lamb there.

The rump of lamb is a beautiful cut of meat. Great fat content.

Nick will cook it in the water bath

and then he will render the fat down in the pan.

Perfect way to cook a rump of lamb.

Nick is going to cook down and break down the neck meat

off the lamb and he's going to use it to stuff the courgette flower.

He's going to coat it in a beignet mix and then deep fry it,

he said, to bring more texture to his plate of food.

Neck of lamb would be the one thing I would not put inside a

courgette flower, but I like it when Nick does something different.

You're stuffing the courgette flower with lamb neck?

I didn't know how to get the lamb neck on there and

I've stuffed courgette flowers with lobster mousse before

and steamed them and I had a little play and it worked really well.

For me, you are about flavour.

-You squeeze every ounce of flavour out of every single ingredient.

-Yes.

He's also making goat's cheese croquettes.

I love the marriage of all the different ideas and the flavours.

With Nick, he's going to have to get the balance right.

I know the judges will be expecting a lot with my desserts.

A lot of pressure for me on a dessert, I'm the last one.

I'm sure they'll be waiting for that.

Nick is making a chocolate delice with apricots and hazelnut.

He's going to make a flourless sponge.

We know how great Nick is in the pastry department

and in making cakes.

He's then going to set a chocolate mousse on top and lightly glaze it.

The key is consistency for the sponge,

making sure it's beautifully cooked.

Not too dense.

The mousse itself has to be light, fluffy,

and have a great flavour of chocolate.

And, of course, when you put the bits of chocolate glaze over

the top, you have to make sure that it's beautifully, perfectly glazed.

It is going to have to be like a mirror.

You want to see your face in that glaze.

It's a very skilful thing to do.

I can't wait to see how this dessert turns out.

This is a dessert of just pure skill and technical ability.

Here's one chef that has it all.

Nick, just how good does it have to be?

Oh, it has to be perfect.

I just want to represent myself well in the final cook-off

and I want to be smiling.

I'm cooking happy. It's my food, I love it!

Nick, I want you to cook happy. I love your food, mate.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

One hour gone. You've got two hours left.

It's going to fly.

Because the calibre of chef is so high,

I kind of have to push the limit.

You've got probably about ten different elements on the starter.

There's about nine on the main

and I think there's about 12 on the dessert.

You have to get them right today.

If you don't get them right, you don't pick up that trophy.

Oh! Nice happy smile on your face.

Yeah. So good to be in the final.

-How much would you like to lift this title, mate?

-Oh, it'd be massive.

I've cooked my heart out throughout the whole competition

and it's kind of what I'm doing today -

great flavours, big combinations, stuff that you'll enjoy eating.

Mark's starter is pan-fried scallops with peas, buttermilk snow

and roasted lemon puree.

The roasted lemons, pureeing them down - that sounds delicious.

Mark has got buttermilk which he's making into a snow.

He's mixing the buttermilk with some cayenne pepper

and then he's going to freeze it, and he's scraping it

down like a granita to serve on the scallop dish.

The buttermilk snow, the roasted lemon puree...

Wow, I love the sound of this. This just makes the whole thing fun.

He's brought together classic flavours

that go very well with scallops.

But what Mark is doing is bringing it up to another level.

This is what we want.

We want these chefs to really push themselves and stand out.

Mark's main course is filleted beef.

This will have a beautiful texture going all the way through.

He's going to cook down the rib of beef

and then remove the bone

and compress it so it holds a lovely shape.

The braising of the rib is going to be where he's going

to get his sauce from.

Add the bone marrow into the equation

and it just takes the dish to a new level.

Wow, love it. Love the sound of this.

He's not cooking a barbecue today but he's going to be giving us

the flavours of a barbecue.

Mark is making a charcoal emulsion.

This is something I've never had before.

It's made with very gently heated-through scallops,

charcoal oil.

He's also adding squid ink into the emulsion, as well.

He needs to be very careful of how strong that flavour

comes through this dish.

You like barbecue?

It's like licking charcoal.

-That's quite unusual.

-Ridiculous, isn't it?

It's good, though.

In the dessert, there's every element in the book -

apart from making a souffle.

Mark's dessert is an elderflower panna cotta with a vanilla parfait

wrapped in a strawberry jelly.

This sounds amazing.

We have had an amazing amount of panna cottas in this competition.

To be honest, I thought I'd had enough,

but on reading this one I want to have one more.

Mark is also using strawberries in various different forms.

There is a strawberry sorbet...

..strawberry jelly...

..and he's also making granola.

What I do love is the texture it's going to bring to this dessert.

He's also making a gooseberry candyfloss, as well.

-How's it going, Mark?

-It's going really good.

You can't go wrong with a bright pink candyfloss machine, can you?

-That's pretty bright. Like being at the fairground.

-Yes.

It's good for the kids.

'It's there for a bit of theatre.

'You kind of have to pull out all the stops at the end'

and this one really packs a punch.

I love the sound of Mark's dish

and the fact that every element on it, he's brought something that's

going to challenge, not just him within the three hours, but us.

What I do like about what Mark's doing,

he's pushing himself all the way to the end.

That is what I expect from a chef in the final -

pushing the boundaries, taking risks and delivering it on the plate.

Whoa, mate!

-Have you got time for all of this?

-No. No, I don't. It's...

Yeah, it's head down, crack on.

You really are gunning for this today, aren't you?

Yeah, I have to.

I want to see everyone else do well

and I want to produce my best food...

..and then let the judges kick it out.

-Chefs, you are halfway.

-Oui, Chef.

Hour and a half left.

With my dishes I'm just aiming for excellence.

I want everything to be perfect,

everything to be cooked right, seasoned right

and just executed to the best I can.

So I'm hoping to go out with some fireworks.

-Scott...

-Yep.

-You made it.

-Yeah, I'm here.

You've got to put up with me for a bit longer.

Can you almost touch the trophy?

Erm, yeah, I mean, I've just got to cook my best.

I like this menu, I just hope you guys do.

Scott's menu sounds very interesting.

So, my starter's going to be mackerel.

I've got a bit of a soft spot for mackerel -

it's the first-ever fish I caught as a little boy.

He's going to brine it in a star anise and spice mix...

..and then he's going to torch it, so it should just be cooked.

I love the mackerel cooked this way.

Scott is serving the dish with kohlrabi

which has been wrapped in a salt crust and baked in the oven.

It is then cooled, sliced thinly on the mandolin

and seasoned with a dill powder.

I love the sound of the salt-baked kohlrabi but it's not

one of the ingredients that I would have chosen to serve with mackerel.

Even though mackerel is a big flavour,

kohlrabi has a huge bitterness behind it.

We have vac-packed cucumber...

..we have cucumber essence.

It'll be interesting to see how the balance of this dish will work,

or if it actually works at all.

But mackerel is very close to his heart

and it's a dish he's serving in one of the biggest

competitions of his life so far.

Scott's main course is chicken with a Tunworth Cheese sauce.

Wow.

The chicken is going to be cooked in a vac-pack on the crown

so it'll still stay lovely and moist.

Then he's going to finish it in a pan.

I think this is a great way to serve chicken so it doesn't dry out.

He's also serving the wings with the dish, as well.

So, he's confiting the wings down.

Scott is making a potato terrine to go with his chicken dish.

He has sliced large potatoes, he's put them into a little mould

and he's layered it with duck fat which he's infused with hard herbs,

so rosemary, thyme, garlic and bay leaves.

Hopefully, the crust on that will be lovely and crispy.

Golden, yet still moist underneath.

He's got a chicken jus...

..and a Tunworth Cheese sauce.

A corn-fed chicken is a delicate flavour.

Tunworth Cheese can pack a punch.

My concern with this is how it's going to complement

the chicken itself.

I'm not so sure.

A little bit of truffle on there for a little bit of magic,

and I hope they really enjoy it.

I did think about cooking this dessert for my first

dish in the competition...

..but I sort of held myself because I knew it was quite a strong dish.

I'm hoping Gregg likes this one, being a fan of Italian foods.

Have you got a special dessert for me up your sleeve?

This one is very close to me,

takes me back to my first trip to Italy when I was a boy.

We had fennel, olive oil and lemon salad nearly every day.

It did make me smile when I heard he was taking those flavours

and turning them into a dessert.

That is very interesting, very brave and very, very bold.

The star of the dish is a lemon parfait.

It's going to bring little touches of fennel onto this plate.

He's candying some of the fennel,

he's making a fennel meringue.

Scott is also making an olive oil jelly.

There's going to be the olive oil

and there's also a little touch of lemon juice, as well.

In a liquid form, without a doubt, it works -

it's a classic vinaigrette.

I'm just not sure how that's going to work

as a jelly on a dessert plate.

I'm really intrigued, though, if it works.

And if it does, this is going to be amazing.

For me, as a chef, I think Scott is taking huge risks on such a big day.

But do we want him to play it safe? No, not at all.

We want him to drive himself and we want him to give us something new.

I shouldn't really be complaining, but I am concerned.

If I get everything right then there's no reason why

they shouldn't be the best dishes out of three chefs.

Nick and Mark are two fantastic cooks,

I'm not going to worry about too much what they're doing.

I'm going to just focus on my three dishes.

Everything's got to be cooked perfect.

And I guess that's why you deserve to be crowned

the champion of MasterChef.

Neck's done, chump's done, sauce is on.

OK, that's the crisps done, cookies in, onions are in.

30 minutes left.

-MARK:

-How's it going, Scotty boy?

-Yeah, so far, so good, man.

A lot of speed round here today.

It's a good atmosphere - everyone's buzzing.

We just want to cook our socks off. One more chance to impress everyone.

We've less than 30 minutes to go. How are you doing?

Because you set yourself a mammoth amount of work.

Yeah, I've got most of it done, so it's just finishing off everything.

-Are you under control?

-Yeah, always.

Nick, how are you doing?

Really, really happy, I couldn't have done any more.

Think I set myself a big task.

That's what I wanted to do - that's what I'm here for.

-I'm looking forward to it, Nick. Good luck.

-Thank you.

-GREGG:

-Scott, how are you getting on?

-Yeah, not too bad.

-Just finishing touches now, I think.

-Anything worrying you now?

-Nothing's worrying me apart from your comments.

-30 minutes to go.

-Don't trip up now.

-Yeah, I know.

I am so proud of what these chefs have achieved.

This is quite extraordinary.

Pretty exciting, too.

Chefs, 15 minutes. LAST 15 minutes.

-MONICA:

-I am watching three chefs who are so in control.

This is going to make for a very, very interesting judging.

They've got their plates polished and lined up.

They've got their trays with all their little

individual garnishes on.

Their precision in the cookery, you can see it.

We have got three pros in this kitchen.

Last five minutes.

Oui.

Final 60 seconds.

Right, that's it, your time's up.

-NICK:

-Well done, boys.

Come on.

-SCOTT:

-Good luck, boys.

-Well done.

-They all look banging.

Nick...

Up you come, please, Chef.

Right, my friend.

Look at that.

For his starter, Nick has made charred mackerel

with mackerel tartare rolled in black radish.

They're accompanied by oyster beignets,

oyster mayonnaise,

oyster leaves

and compressed cucumber topped with finger lime.

You have the mackerel which is still under,

you've got the lovely roasted taste from using the blowtorch on there.

I love the tartare wrapped in the radish. I love this dish.

It's so light, it's so flavoursome and I think the way you've

got the textures on this plate, Nick, is spot on.

I love it, as well. It's so subtle.

You have such a lightness of touch.

With this dish, you've enhanced the flavours of the mackerel by adding

all the other things to it, and the oysters, without a doubt,

they bring the ocean to the plate.

Great flavour, beautifully presented and, again, very well executed.

Good dish.

-GREGG:

-This is a brilliant start to a meal.

That's great.

Nick's main is chump of lamb

and the braised lamb-neck-stuffed courgette flowers

on an aubergine puree.

They're served with goat's cheese and potato croquettes,

tomato petals,

cipollini onions

and a lamb and olive sauce.

There's so many flavours that jump out from this plate.

The courgette flower, for me,

I think the filling is still very moist

and you have got the crispy texture on the courgette flower.

The croquette for me could do with a bit more of that cheese -

I'm not getting enough go it.

I think it's a great eating plate of food.

It's delicious, it's tasty - I expect nothing less from you.

I just don't get that wow factor in it.

The flavours on your dish are big as always.

Natural sweet lamb, there's real saltiness on that crust,

there's fruit in it and depth to your sauce.

Delightful.

It has a level of simplicity that I was not expecting today.

But having said that, it is beautifully executed

in all the different areas.

I like the flavours, the sauce is hearty, the olives are there,

I think the lamb is beautifully cooked.

You've delivered a plate of food that is very true to you

and that is what I really like about you as a chef.

Nick's final dish is a chocolate delice,

a flourless chocolate sponge topped with chocolate mousse

and covered in dark chocolate glaze and shaved hazelnuts.

It's served with a chocolate tuile,

cookie crumble,

apricot puree,

poached apricots,

praline curd

and an apricot sorbet.

The thing that stands out for me is your delice. The mousse is so light.

So light, very creamy.

I love the flavours of the chocolate with the hazelnut grated on the top.

I think apricot and the chocolate goes so well.

The sorbet's got a lovely texture to it, brings a freshness to the dish.

I love it and I think any chocolate-lover would love it.

It's a beautiful textured thing

and its flavour of chocolate is a big hit - I like that.

To then go into a fruity sorbet to cleanse your palate,

to go back in and get another big dollop of sticky chocolate

to me is my idea of pudding heaven.

I think that's delightful.

Thank you.

The chocolate mousse is divine, the glaze and the skill and the shine...

I always say, a good glaze,

you should be able to see your face in that.

And if you hadn't shaved the nuts on top,

you probably would be able to see your face in there.

You know what, Nick?

If you ever want to be a pastry chef you can come and work for me

any time in my pastry section.

Thank you, Chef.

Great job.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

I'm really happy. I left nothing behind,

came out there exhausted like the other lads did.

What will be will be,

but I'll go away with my head held high, definitely.

Mark, up you come, please, sir.

That is stunning.

Incredible work.

Beautiful dishes. It's like food art.

Mark's first dish is a starter of roasted scallops with fresh peas,

pea puree,

pea foam,

charred baby leeks,

dried serrano ham

and a roasted lemon puree...

..finished with a buttermilk snow.

The scallop has been cooked perfectly.

The peas are very sweet - you've got them at their best.

But the lemon puree, for me,

and your buttermilk takes this plate of food to another level.

When you've added the extra touches that are you,

you elevate your cooking

and it leaves a really big smile on my face.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

The snow is delicious because it adds the coldness to the dish.

You've got the lovely sweet bitterness of the lemon and,

of course, the natural sweetness of those scallops, leeks, peas...

Again, layer on layer on layer on layer of fabulous flavour.

Great job.

It's a stunningly good dish.

That's a pretty decent start, mate, isn't it?

For his main, Mark has cooked fillet of beef with a bone marrow crust

and glazed beef short rib.

He's serving it with heritage carrots -

salt-baked, roasted, candied and pickled -

a charcoal emulsion and a bone marrow sauce.

I think this is outstanding work. It really is beautiful food.

This beef is delicious.

That short rib literally does melt in your mouth.

You don't need to chew it, it literally just falls apart

and melts into you mouth.

Charcoal emulsion - I don't know a cook's brain that can work

this out, but that is also delicious.

It's a slight bitterness, as if something's come from a barbecue.

It's a delicious, intriguing, beautiful-looking,

very clever plate of food

and I feel myself very lucky to be sitting here

cos that is exceptional.

You've one vegetable on this plate, and that's carrots.

You've salt-baked the carrot, there's roasted carrot,

there's carrots that have been pickled and every one of them,

you know, has brought a different flavour element to

the eating of this beef dish.

It's so, so clever.

Thank you.

The idea of the dish is fabulous.

The choice of beef is interesting, the fillet of beef.

It's never always a big-flavoured meat

but you've enhanced it by adding the rib onto the plate, as well.

The charcoal idea is brilliant.

Sometimes when we add charcoal into a dish it can be completely

overpowering, but I think you've got the balance absolutely right.

I think the sauce is delicious, but I think it lacks a touch of salt.

This is the final and I'm going to look for the finer details.

OK.

Finally, Mark's dessert is an elderflower panna cotta

topped with a vanilla parfait wrapped in strawberry jelly,

poached strawberries,

granola, yoghurt

and gooseberry jelly.

It's served with a strawberry sorbet and candyfloss,

and finished with a gooseberry sauce.

GREGG LAUGHS

That reminds me of a Christmas snowglobe.

I want to pick it up and shake it, see if the bits move.

It's so clever to have such a sharp gooseberry syrup

that you're then pouring over your candyfloss,

and how that then just comes together, I think,

is just lovely. Amazing.

I love the idea of the granola - it brings texture to the dish -

and the little salt that you get in the back of this dish is clever.

The one thing that we really love about creativity

and restauranting and delivering plates of food is

the fantastic theatre that comes with it.

You certainly delivered that today.

Thank you.

That is an incredible taste journey. It's not over-sweet.

The flavour of that is bigger than its size.

I think that's incredibly clever and very, very moreish.

I'd probably have that and order another one.

Mark...

From your very first dish that you presented to us,

I knew you were always going to be in the final.

I can smell a good chef when there's one in front of me

and you are a very good chef.

One thing I'll say to you,

whatever happens today,

you're going to be a star of the future.

You really are.

Well done, great job.

Thank you.

-Well done, mate.

-Well done.

Well done, mate.

It's done, then.

Scott...

please come and join us.

You all right, Chef?

Yep, I will be when this is over.

Scott is serving a starter of brined and charred Cornish mackerel

topped with salt-baked kohlrabi,

a dill powder

and finished with pickled cucumber

and a cucumber essence.

It is so appealing to the eye.

It's so pretty, so beautiful, and when you add your sauce to it

it brings another element to it, just finishes it off.

It's perfect, it's lovely.

That's very good. That's really, really good.

The mackerel is just melt-in-the-mouth,

the kohlrabi is fabulous

and it really adds a fabulous harmony, texture...

But the most important - the flavour - to this dish.

You've not smothered the mackerel with the flavour of kohlrabi.

Thank you.

It's so clever. So light, yet packs so many light flavours.

There's just nothing I can fault on this plate of food.

I don't want to find anything, actually, to fault on here.

It's a great plate of food, I've enjoyed eating it.

It's a shame it's one of the last ones I'm going to have from you.

Pretty dish, interesting dish, unusual dish, delicious dish.

Scott's main course is roast corn-fed chicken and confit chicken wings

served with a potato terrine,

charred, buttered and blanched leeks,

a Tunworth Cheese sauce,

truffle pesto

and a chicken jus.

Your chicken is buttery and soft.

It's delicious, there's good seasoning throughout.

Your potatoes are soft, as well.

I really like the hint of cheese that I get

and I like the way you've charred the leeks and how soft they are.

I love those flavours.

When I got a little bit of truffle, it took me to a magical place.

There isn't, in my opinion, enough truffle on that plate.

I have to agree with Gregg - more truffle.

You know, if you're going to put it on here, smack it on there.

I think the potato terrine is delicious, melts in the mouth.

-I think it's a great dish. It's delicious.

-Thank you.

Scott, I really like the way these two sauces work together.

But there's a lot going on in this dish

and what I was hoping for here was a refined fine-dining plate of food.

You have all the elements here on the plate, but it's just

not as refined as I would have liked it to have been from you.

Yep.

Finally, for his dessert, Scott has made a lemon parfait

served with fennel meringue tubes,

candied fennel,

fennel pollen crunch,

olive oil jelly,

olive oil and lemon powder

and a sheep's yoghurt granita.

Your dessert looks stunning.

It's one of those desserts they put down and you just go, "Wow."

That's the wow factor right there in front of you.

That is magnificent.

I love that olive oil jelly with a little bit of lemon in it,

I love it, but what I really love is the fennel flavour,

liquorice-flavoured spongy tubes. I think that's delightful.

Not what I expected at all - a real surprise

and a really lovely surprise.

That is brilliantly clever.

Cheers.

The fennel, the lemon parfait is delicious.

The crunch underneath, the meringues, your decor,

the plate choice...

I could just go on and on and on. That's a good dessert.

Thank you.

Well done.

I love the lemon, it's so sharp in the parfait.

And then, the hints of the candied fennel is coming through,

the saltiness in the biscuit.

And then there's the hints of the olive oil that's coming through it.

It's such an accomplished dessert.

I think you've finished on such a high note.

Been a pleasure to eat your food and I'm going to miss doing it.

Thank you.

I'm over the moon with the comments.

I'm really, like, proud of that dessert.

It's one I've had in my book for quite a while.

I'm really glad that Monica, Marcus and Gregg got to taste it, so...

Happy days.

That was the nice bit.

Now comes the tough bit.

Ready for a punch-up?

-Yep, I'll referee you and Monica.

-OK.

We'll call you back in once we've made the decision,

the last decision.

Off you go, Chefs. Thank you very, very much indeed.

That was wonderful.

I think there were dishes there that could grace the tables of any

restaurant up and down the country, I really mean that.

Yeah, I wouldn't disagree with you on that one, Gregg.

Great cooking, great cooks and a fabulous day in the kitchen.

-All three chefs did a great job.

-They did, didn't they?

They really, really did.

All three of us love watching Nick cook.

He cooks with such passion, such a look of joy on his face

and that shows in his food.

He's so in love with his craft and what he does.

He has so much enjoyment when he's cooking.

It's about bringing that love

and enjoyment to the people he's cooking for.

-NICK:

-No matter what happens today I think we've all won.

But I'm dead chuffed with it

and to get that trophy would be the icing on the cake.

I think Mark really showed his class here today.

It was off the scale.

Mark is a star-quality chef who has delivered such high levels

all the way through the competition.

Very, very solid, talented, talented cook.

-MARK:

-I'm massively proud. I'm proud of what I've achieved.

It'd be incredible to be called champion.

It's just been such a tiring, exhausting

but fun competition to be part of, so it would just top everything off.

What Scott's done is grow, develop and come to life.

Maybe this is the chef that was never really told

how good he really was.

Once he's got a little taste, look at what he's just grown into.

He is such a talented chef. He's going to have a great future.

-SCOTT:

-Of course I want to win it,

because it's taken over my life for the last month and a half.

It has been really tough,

but I gave it my all today and let's see what happens.

It was always going to come down to this.

We have to pick one winner from three extraordinary,

extraordinary chefs.

Who do you feel in your heart is our champion?

I feel there is one chef that has stood out.

I agree.

I think we are talking about the same chef.

I think we know exactly who our champion is right now.

It has been a fantastic competition

and this today was a celebration of culinary art.

You've done your family proud and you've made yourselves proud,

and you've certainly made me proud.

We have made a decision.

Our Professional MasterChef Champion for 2015...

..is...

..Mark.

You deserve it.

# There's a starman waiting in the sky

# He's told us not to blow it

# Cos he knows it's all worthwhile

# He told me

# Let the children lose it

# Let the children use it

# Let all the children boogie... #

I'm really proud of myself.

Obviously, I wanted to win it - for my family, more than anything -

but I can still hold my head up high and say I've done all right.

I'm a little bit sad I didn't get to lift the trophy,

but I've left the competition on some great comments from

the judges again and, in my eyes, Mark thoroughly deserves to win it.

I'm really happy to lose to a chef like Mark.

I can't believe it.

# Starman waiting in the sky

# He'd like to come and meet us

# But he thinks he'd blow our minds

# There's a starman waiting in the sky

# He's told us not to blow it

# Cos he knows it's all worthwhile

# He told me

# Let the children lose it

# Let the children use it

# Let all the children boogie... #

MasterChef Champion.

-Well deserved.

-Thank you.

You've done an amazing, amazing job. Well done.

-GREGG:

-You are an incredible chef.

An incredible chef, well done.

-MONICA:

-His food is fabulous.

I think this chef has got such a great future ahead of him.

What a talent.

I know one thing - if that chef ever opens up his own restaurant

I would love to be the first customer.

I'm massively proud of myself. It's been such a long journey.

Wow, yeah, it's been phenomenal.

From the start, I've always been the pretty stern one,

so you've got some emotion out of me now!