Episode 5 MasterChef: The Professionals

The Hunt for the next professional MasterChef champion continues.

And these six chefs all believe they have what it takes to win the title.

Tonight, they face two challenges set by judge Gregg Wallace

and two of Britain's best chefs,

Monica Galetti and Michelin-star Marcus Wareing.

I've definitely got fighting spirit, yeah.

I'm going to go out there and do my best.

I'm competitive. I want everything to be immaculate on that plate.

I'm excited to meet our chefs

and see what talent we're going to uncover.

I hope they can enjoy it, relax and serve some fantastic food.

We're about to meet some chefs.

They are very keen to show us

how passionate and talented they are.

Monica, three of them are going to do a skills test set by you.

Marcus, three of them are skills tests set by you.

What are you going to get them to do?

I am going to get the chefs to cook scallop three ways.

I'd like them to make a scallop mousse

and to put that inside a courgette flower and steam it,

-sauteed scallop and a scallop tartare.

-Wow.

I'm going to give them 15 minutes to do this dish.

The challenge, really, is to keep it nice and simple and fresh

-and true to the flavour of the scallop.

-Five minutes a scallop.

The first thing I'm going to do is make the mousse.

I've got my small scallops in there. I'm just going to blitz this.

This is a great test.

Scallops, we expect our chefs to have cooked at some point in their career.

The struggle they might have is cooking them

-in three different ways.

-I'm now passing the mousse through the tammy

to make sure it's nice and smooth.

A small splash of cream.

Pinch of salt.

I'd just like you to taste this in its raw state,

just a little cream and seasoning.

Spread it on a bit of crostini, Chef, and I'm done.

I'm going to put the mousse inside the courgette flower.

Just to make sure this is all cooked at the same time,

I'm just going to put two...score the courgette or cut it down,

so that allows the steam to get through inside.

Taking our flower.

Just bring the ends together and just drop that onto there.

Courgette flower sits in there for about four or five minutes.

Stage one done. Now we come to the tartare.

I'm just chopping up a bit of fresh chervil

and I'm adding that to the diced scallop which is our tartare.

-Liking it so far.

-Good glug of oil.

Twist of lemon in there.

-Basically, what we have is almost like a little dressing.

-Lovely.

You want to watch them taste, season, taste, season, yeah?

Yes, there is no point in coming here if you ain't going to taste.

-You're going to be going home pretty quick.

-Very quick!

The last thing I'm going to do is cook the scallops.

-Always start at 12 o'clock and work your way round.

-Can I ask why?

Because that's the first one you turn, second, third, fourth, fifth.

That's the first one out the pan and that's the last one out the pan,

so they've all had exactly the same amount of time in the pan.

Turn them over.

Scallop, flower, tartare, coriander.

-Now we can dress the plate.

-That was rapid!

Mmm.

Coriander cress.

Little bit of oil on top of that.

So, here we go. Scallop three ways.

Scallops mousse, which we've stuffed the courgette flower with,

-scallop tartare and pan-fried.

-It's all about the ingredients.

If we look at the plate, it's simple but it's lovely.

Beautiful! Magic fingers, Chef.

-Thank you.

-Magic fingers. Great touch.

Three techniques. It's so delicious. It's a wonderful plate of food.

Let's get them into the kitchen and see what they can do.

First up is Richard, who's been a chef for 34 years.

Stick that apron on, Chef.

I'm currently working at a wee seafood and grill restaurant

in East Kilbride,

which is in the west of Scotland. I've been here two and a half years.

It's a nice little family-run restaurant, about 30 covers,

and I thoroughly enjoy it.

I suppose I'm head chef, but there's only two of us, so it's a bit...

you know, tenuous to say head chef.

I'm definitely passionate about my work.

I love responding to that challenge

and I'd never lose my enthusiasm for the fight on a Saturday night,

which is what it is in most restaurants, you know.

By entering the competition, I feel I've got something to prove

to myself that I haven't really reached my capabilities.

I've played safe most of my career. Dessert for table two.

I'd like to think, in the MasterChef environment,

I will be able to create something which I've never done before.

Welcome to MasterChef, Richard. This is the skills test, OK.

A lot of chefs get nervous at this stage.

This skills test has been set by Marcus.

Richard, I would like you to prepare us a scallop dish,

preparing the scallops three different ways -

a mousse with which we're going to stuff the courgette flower,

a pan-friend scallop and a scallop tartare,

-presented your way. Familiar with any of this?

-Yeah, not too bad.

OK, one scallop dish, three different ways.

-Yeah.

-15 minutes. Off you go.

Did you expect to find three of us waiting here for you

when you came in the door?

It feels like an ambush, I'll be honest!

-Richard, you've had five minutes, so you've got ten minutes left.

-Thanks.

-How old were you when you started as a chef?

-16, 16 and a half.

I started straight from school and did my basic training

with a local hotel company and I've not done anything else, really.

-Where are we up to?

-I'm just searing the scallops off.

I'll give them a minute and a half each side.

I was hoping for a bit of butter and white wine

for a butter sauce but I don't see any, so...

-Quite nice scallops.

-Two and a half minutes left.

-60 seconds. You've got to get it on a plate, Richard.

-OK.

-Silly boy.

-What's the matter?

I shouldn't have put the sauce by the tartare.

-Time's up, Richard.

-That's fine. OK.

It's not what I was looking for, in areas.

The mousse... When you're steaming something, such as fish,

it doesn't go near a pan.

-It's steamed for a reason, to keep it nice and fresh.

-OK.

I have no idea where the cream sauce come from

-because it's not what I was looking for.

-I'll be going home then.

-Don't give in just yet.

-I never give in.

-Good.

I find you sort of charged at it, a bit rough around the edges.

I think you walked in and thought, "Right, got to get this done."

That's exactly what I did.

The mousse is nice, it's got a bit of texture to it.

It should have been passed and the tartare lacks lemon juice,

it lacks oil and should not have cream anywhere near it.

-No.

-The tartare is something that's eaten almost raw

and if you're going to add something extra of your own, make sure

it's going to bring something amazing to the dish or don't bother.

We appreciate that you're going to be nervous in the first round.

No-one is going home right now, nobody.

We want to see you cook your own food

-before we make that sort of decision.

-OK, thanks.

-Thank you.

I'm a bit disappointed with myself,

because I made fundamental errors there, you know.

But I just rattled right into it

and I made mistakes I shouldn't have done.

I'm reasonably optimistic for the next dish.

Next is 26-year-old head chef Josh.

I first went into the kitchen as a pot washer at the age of 13.

Soon I was onto starters,

so I went to catering college to further my knowledge.

Then worked in a kitchen ever since, really. I'd say I'm very ambitious.

I like to push boundaries

and to almost fool the customer into what they're eating.

I haven't done any competitions before.

This will be my first one,

but I don't enter a competition not to win.

OK, Josh, one scallop dish prepared three different ways.

15 minutes. Off you go.

Is this the kind of food you're familiar with?

Yeah, I'm familiar with it all.

Different textures, different combinations,

different temperatures, so I think I'll be OK.

When was the last time you cooked with a courgette flower?

It's probably a similar time to this time last year.

Did it with a stuffed crayfish mousse,

so, hopefully, it should be quite good again.

That's interesting.

You've had five minutes.

Josh, you are halfway.

What are you shaking your head at??

I'm not happy with the caramelisation on the scallop.

I don't think my pan was hot enough when I put it in.

Five minutes left, Josh.

Two minutes left.

-Josh, how did that go?

-I've done OK.

-You've done OK?

-Yeah.

Not sure about that.

First of all, we're looking for a courgette flower

-with a light mousse in there.

-Yeah.

That looks to me like it completely deflated or split inside

-and the courgette doesn't look cooked either.

-OK.

It's wrong...in every point.

Courgette's not cooked, mousse is grainy and split,

the pan-fried scallop isn't cooked and the ceviche's not...

Well, whatever, it's not great. Not a good dish.

The scallop is very undercooked.

It's kind of warm and not nice to eat.

I want some amazing cooking from you in the next round.

There can be no faults.

-This wasn't great, but I kind of get the feeling you know that now.

-Yeah.

-Chin up.

-I feel I can bring it back in the next round.

-I like that.

Well, he's got to pick himself up, he's got to dust himself down.

I think Josh will go back there and kick himself.

I'm feeling a bit deflated really, cos I didn't show what I can do.

I made silly mistakes.

I know that I can do a lot better than that, really.

The final chef to face Marcus's test is 23-year-old Liam.

I am a sous-chef

in a one Michelin-star restaurant in Kensington.

We seat around 90 covers on a busy day.

I've been working here now for just over a year.

Before this, I was working in a two Michelin-star kitchen.

Obviously, the hours, working in a Michelin-star,

everyone knows they're long hours, couldn't say how long.

I wouldn't do it if I didn't love it.

I think I'm going to stand out in the competition

because I think chefs are getting too complicated these days.

I think if you keep it simple,

it's definitely going to make me stand out.

-Liam, welcome to MasterChef. Are you OK?

-Yeah, I'm good.

-You look like you're ready to go.

-Yeah.

-Great attitude.

-Yeah.

-Good luck.

You work fast, Liam. You've come out the traps running, mate.

-I've got 15 minutes, no?

-It's those socks, look.

You've had five minutes, Liam.

Liam, you've got seven and a half minutes left, all right?

-Plenty of time.

-OK.

-Are you making a second one?

-I'm not happy with the first one?

-What's wrong with it, Liam?

-It's slightly split.

The mousse has started to seep out a little bit.

-You've got five minutes left.

-OK.

Chef, three minutes left.

Come on, son. Come on!

-Are you done?

-Done.

I really liked the way you've worked. I love the presentation.

I'm really pleased that you decided to refill the flower

and you've presented a really nice-looking dish.

Thank you.

Good job, Liam. Very good. The mousse is delicious.

Beautifully seasoned and the courgette underneath is really nice.

The tartare, for me, was just missing a little bit of acid.

Just needed a bit more sharpness going through there.

Overall, a very, very good dish, well executed, beautifully presented

and a fantastic effort for your first time in the kitchen.

-Well done.

-Thanks.

For the cooked scallop, you got it spot-on.

The seasoning is wonderful.

I think you ought to pat yourself on the back.

-It's been a pretty good, strong round for you.

-OK.

I stand beside loads and loads of chefs watching them work.

You look like the real deal to me.

-Good work, Chef. Off you go.

-Thank you.

Those socks!

Feels awesome to get such good compliments straightway,

first challenge and getting compliments like that,

so only going to get better, so it's going to be good.

Marcus, we've seen some of the chefs attempt your skill test.

Monica, what's yours?

Today, I would like our chefs to come in and make a sweet sabayon

which is a dessert made from either sweet wine

or wine with sugar and egg yolks.

Then I would like them to glaze it

and serve it with any of the fruits in front of them.

-We're going to give them 15 minutes.

-Go on, Chef.

-Let's do it.

I'm going to make my sabayon in the pan. It's how I'm used to making it.

But I'd expect them to use the bain-marie.

So, in the pan, I've got sugar, champagne and egg yolk.

-How high is the heat on the stove?

-I would go gentle, yeah. Not too hot.

Interestingly, you didn't measure or weigh anything out there.

They have to taste. I'm doing this and then I'm going to taste

if it needs more champagne or more sugar.

So, you can see it's coming up just like it would

if it was on the bain-marie here.

That's a fair amount of work there, Monica.

You're not a shrinking violet

and you've been pumping away for a few minutes.

You can't walk away from any sabayon,

same when you're whisking a hollandaise.

You walk away from it and it will scramble on you.

I assume what we're looking for is the ribbon stage.

We're taking it to the ribbon stage.

So, that's the ribbon stage.

As it's falling into the pan, it's keeping its ribbon shape.

-That's right.

-Gotcha, gotcha.

-Yumsterville!

-You don't need much cream, just a little bit.

-That's going to help it glaze even more.

-Crikey.

So this cream, I'm going to whip it up and fold it through the sabayon.

It's not just a question of whether the chefs have learnt how to do it,

it's whether they can hold their nerve.

I'm going to serve my sabayon with the apricots

and mixed with the raspberries and the fresh almonds here.

You just need to crack, peel them.

They're delicious, absolutely love them.

-I'm going to add them into my mix.

-Nice mixture of fruit.

So, that's the fruit and the almonds in the bowl.

The sabayon's got the cream through it

and I'm just going to pour that on.

Mmm, splendid.

-Absolutely splendid.

-A little bit of lime zest on the top.

-Mmm.

-And that's going under.

If they haven't made sabayon before,

it's unlikely they're going to be able to work it out.

If they don't know, they just don't know.

It's a good point.

If they really don't know, a bit of encouragement -

"Cook some egg yolks with some sugar."

I suppose this test isn't really there to knock them over,

it's there to understand who they are.

And there we have it, guys - a sweet champagne sabayon with fruit.

-Mmm.

-It's good. I love the aroma coming off the lime.

It looks fantastic.

So nice and simple, but a really interesting challenge.

Oh, man!

It's lovely! That's divine! That's divine.

It's a fantastic light balance.

The fruit is so light and delicate in flavour

and the sabayon complements it in such a way, it's fantastic.

-Wow.

-Are you going to eat all of that?

I'm going to eat it very quickly

before we get the chance to get the chefs in.

-Shall we get them in?

-Absolutely.

First up is 31-year-old Nick.

I'm currently the executive sous-chef.

We are a quintessentially English steakhouse.

I started out cooking by accident.

I fell into the job, washing up in a hotel, back in my hometown.

One day they were short of chefs and asked for my help

and I've not looked back. I've been doing it every day since.

My experiences have varied from three-star hotels

in small towns through to the hotel we're in now

which is a five-star property and I like to do simple but classic food.

I would like to think I can win it,

but there will be serious competition, I know that.

-OK.

-Nick, welcome to MasterChef.

This is the skills test, set by Monica.

-OK.

-What I would like you to do today is to make us a sweet sabayon.

-OK.

-And then serve it glazed with the almonds

-that we see in front of you and any of the fruit there.

-OK.

-Have you done pastry before?

-Yeah, a fair bit.

-Are you classically trained?

-I'm not classically trained, no.

-I'm self-taught in the pastry.

-OK.

-Are you a self-taught chef in general?

-In general, yes.

-OK.

15 minutes. We want a fabulous sabayon. Off you go!

Can you tell me where you're up to?

I'm going to make a gentle syrup with the champagne and the sugar,

whisk the yolks almost to peak and then add the syrup into that

and then I'll cook that through on the stove without splitting it.

-Righto.

-In theory.

You are halfway, Chef.

You have five minutes left.

-I think that's it. I'm happy with that.

-Are you done?

-I think so.

-It's definitely not a Gregg portion, that.

-No, certainly not.

My concern is not enough of that hot syrup

when you were whisking into the egg yolks to really cook it through.

You've used the almonds. However, almonds, you need to peel them.

The key to a good sabayon is, when the sabayon's on top of the fruit

and it's glazed, it stays on top of the fruit and doesn't go flat.

I think this is a really good example of an undercooked sabayon.

I'm really worried to eat it. I might be getting omelette and fruit.

What concerns me is that you'll probably eat all of it

-cos there's not a lot there.

-Shall we have a go?

Nick, I think it's a real shame you didn't cook that yolk out

to really lift the sabayon,

cos you can taste the sweetness of the champagne syrup you have there

and it's not quite cooked out on the plate.

The issue I've got is there's not enough sabayon to properly taste it.

I agree. It's very underwhelming. It's sort of very flat.

It's like some fruit with a bit of cooked egg on top of it

and that's just a little pff, really.

-Nick, come on.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

-Off you go, my friend.

I'm used to having people watch me but having them

in such close proximity was very, very nerve-racking.

It did make me feel nervous, I have to say.

Next up is Jason, who grew up and trained as a chef in Barbados.

It's 15 years now, I've been a chef.

I've been freelance for the last six months

and it's taken off dramatically.

I travel a lot and I build up quite a following on social media,

so that is where most of my work comes from.

In five years' time,

I want to have the first Michelin star for Caribbean cuisine.

I want to prove that Caribbean cuisine has a different side.

It is complex and it's just not about heat.

-Jason, you look a bit nervous. Are you OK?

-Yeah, I'm good.

Just the first time meeting you guys is quite exciting

and intimidating at the same time.

-Try and forget about us and focus on the task, OK?

-OK.

What I would like you to do is to make us a sweet sabayon.

-When you say a sabayon...

-Sabayon is like a whipped egg...

-As I understand it, we're doing something like a custard.

-Yeah.

Do you know what, I'm not the chef here,

-but I reckon we should just let him go with it.

-Yeah, I think.

You've got 15 minutes to make your version of the sabayon.

-Off you go, Jason.

-Thank you.

-Where did you train, Jason?

-In the Caribbean.

-Which island? Barbados.

You've been in some posh places then, haven't you?

Yeah, but mostly, I just worked my way up.

-Champagne sauna there, Jason.

-Yes.

-Jason, you've had five minutes. You've got ten minutes left.

-Yes.

-Stop shaking.

-I'm just getting a bit nervous.

You've got five minutes left.

-Are we done?

-Yes, finished.

I can't... Simply defeated.

Rule number one.

When using a salamander, don't turn your back on it,

which is why it has now caught and burnt

and won't be delightful to eat in any possible way.

Mmm, oh!

Your sabayon has burnt, but underneath that,

there was a very light sabayon starting to come through.

It's not great. You're disappointed. I'm guessing you're going to go away

and seriously read up on more pastry skills.

-Yes.

-You didn't know what it was at the beginning,

but you have delivered it. Not great, not perfect,

-but it's there and that's better than nothing.

-Thank you, Chef.

Nobody is going home at this stage.

You've got a chance to make a big impact cos you need to now,

-after this.

-Yes, definitely need to.

-Jason, we'll see you again, chin up.

-Thank you.

Where's he going?

The skills test has caught me a bit off-guard,

but I think I'm still in the game.

My signature dish will be quite good,

so I think I still have a good chance of being in the competition.

The final chef to face Monica's test is Chris from Nottinghamshire.

I'm the executive chef of three gastro-pubs

in the East Midlands.

I'm currently looking after a team of around 18 to 20 chefs.

We have to cater for the masses,

so we have to be realistic in what the people do want to eat

but at the same time, we do like to push the boat out

and make some crazy bits and bobs.

I started off on a flambe trolley in Leicestershire when I was 16.

It's where I learnt the fundamentals of cooking.

The reason I entered the competition -

I just want to see how I fare

against some of the best chefs in the country.

-Chris, do you have any experience in pastry?

-A little, yes.

It's something I've worked hard on over the last couple of years.

OK, that's great,

-because what I would like you to make today is a sweet sabayon.

-OK.

-Made a sabayon before?

-I have, yes.

-What's your experience, Chris?

-Are you classically trained?

-I'm self-taught.

-Never worked under another chef.

-You came in straight at the top?

-Yeah.

-Huh.

-It's been a journey.

-Wow.

We're about to find out what you've learnt along the way,

-or what you've taught yourself along the way.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Right, are you ready, Chef?

-I think so.

-Chris, you have 15 minutes. Off you go.

-OK.

That was pretty quick.

-Use a lot of fresh almonds?

-To be honest, no.

Try cracking them.

-So you've never tried them fresh?

-No.

You have five minutes left.

-What is going on?

-I have no idea.

-Is he making a creme brulee?

-Mmm.

All right?

-Phew! Are you done?

-Yeah.

So, Chris...how did you find this?

When I set off, I thought I knew what I was doing.

But it became apparent pretty quickly

-that I didn't know what I was doing, so not great.

-You've summed it up.

Clearly, you had no idea what a sabayon was and how to make it.

What you have done, Chris, is whisk up some egg yolks and sugar

and warmed it gently on the stove

so, in fact, this is still egg yolk and sugar.

I can't get my head round what you were attempting to do.

I don't want to taste that because that's raw egg yolk and sugar.

That's a disaster.

I make sabayons for ice creams all the time,

-but somewhere along the... You know.

-Don't make sabayons for ice creams.

You're free to go. Get yourself out of here.

-We'll see you next time.

-Thank you.

CHRIS SIGHS

If you don't know, you don't know.

Your chances of working it out as you go along are slim, aren't they?

Oh, Lordy.

That was horrible, just horrible. I don't know what happened.

That was interesting.

These skills tests had some serious ups and downs, didn't they?

We had varying degrees of competence

between highly skilled and no knowledge at all.

We know that the skills test is a tough challenge.

I'm looking forward to the next round.

Our chefs will have calmed down a bit more

and focus more on the task. I think they'll be great.

To be perfectly frank, that wasn't the best skills test.

Put it behind you. Now is your chance to turn that around.

This is your dish, it's your ingredients, it's your creation.

-It's about who you are.

-Only three of you will go through.

The other three will go home.

One hour, fifteen minutes. We're looking for three quarterfinalists.

-Off you go.

-Good luck.

I hope the judges are thinking I'm a good competitor

and that I'm going to see this to the end.

I came here to win, so I hope that I've made an outstanding impression

in the first competition, so it can only get better.

Liam, did the skills test go to plan?

It wasn't what I was expecting, but I think it went really well

so I'm going to take it all the way and win it.

Hopefully you'll wear those socks when you lift the trophy.

-I hope so, too.

-Liam, what are you making for us today?

Pan-roasted turbot with a courgette and basil puree with crispy squid.

Do you expect to be a quarterfinalist?

-Yes, wouldn't be here otherwise.

-Liam, don't mess it up.

-Thank you.

Liam had a cracker of a start to this competition

and that's carrying on now with the next test, his signature dish -

turbot, courgette and basil puree and crispy squid.

Turbot's such a beautiful meaty fish, I'd hate to see this fish overcooked.

That would ruin the whole dish.

It's really interesting watching Liam work. It's almost tiring.

He's jumping around, he's active, he's non-stop.

Here's a chef that has a rocket in his backside.

But, do you know what, if he's going to dance around the kitchen all day

and cook great food, be my guest.

My signature dish, ironically, is scallops again.

I have a chance to get it right second time with the scallops.

There's a few twists and turns on the plate.

But I think it's fairly original. It could hit the spot.

Richard, what's your dish?

Pan-fried scallops, butternut squash puree, asparagus vinaigrette,

lemon emulsion, deep-fried sage leaves and pancetta.

What do you have to prove now

that you may not have done in the skills test?

That I'm better than I WAS in the skills test.

I've got something to prove to myself. I'm here to do my best.

We want this, right? Richard's first scallop...

-Richard's second scallop...

-Yeah. I was miserable, that is correct.

-Good luck.

-Thanks.

Richard's going to be serving his scallops

with a butternut squash puree.

He's also mentioned he's going to be using the roe.

He loves the texture, he loves the flavour of the roe.

I'm just not too sure whether deep-frying it

is the right thing to do with the roe.

Scallops with a lemon emulsion and asparagus dressing,

butternut puree. This sounds like a very busy plate of food.

I really do hope all these amazing ingredients

are all going to help embellish the wonderful scallop

and not overpower it. TIMER RINGS

You've had 15 minutes.

Josh, tell me about this plate of food.

-Tell me about your signature dish.

-Got a nice loin of lamb.

I'm doing a broad bean hummus,

raw broad bean and asparagus vinaigrette

-and I've got honeycomb going with it as well.

-Why honeycomb?

I think honey works very well with lamb. It's a traditional garnish.

Why can't you do honeycomb? A different texture,

-and hopefully, it'll bring something to the flavour.

-Wait a minute.

-Did you say honey works really well with lamb?

-With lamb, yeah.

-I've never had it.

-I've never had honey with lamb.

-I've had it.

I've had it before and I'm competent with this

-and I'm very confident with it.

-Lamb and honeycomb, ooh. Let's see.

-Yeah, let's see. Hopefully you enjoy it.

-Good luck.

The dish, I've practised it a ridiculous amount of times.

I've done a lamb and honeycomb dish before and I know that works

so, hopefully, it'll prove it'll be good.

I love the sound of Josh's dish - everything except the honeycomb.

Apparently, it's very "traditional".

I've been in this country 15 years

and I've missed that one. THEY LAUGH

-Chris.

-Hiya.

-Are you feeling OK?

Yeah, I'm just trying to move on from the skills test

-and just show that I can cook.

-That would be good.

-It would be good.

-That would be very good.

-Fingers crossed.

On that note, Chris, what are you cooking for us?

I'm doing pan-roasted hake supreme with celeriac fondants,

pickled celeriac and a celeriac puree.

I'm doing that with a wild nettle pesto and some honeycomb.

-Pickled celeriac and honeycomb.

-Yeah.

-Are you sure?

-Yeah, I'm sure.

Tell me why honeycomb.

I've tried it with and without the honeycomb

and in my opinion, it works. It all marries together really well.

If I served you honeycomb as a dessert

and I put some fish with it, what would you say?

-I probably wouldn't like it.

-Ooh, there's food for thought.

I think I'm pushing myself with the dish.

I'm not using any of the modern gastronomy, as such.

I'm sticking to big, bold flavours and nice presentation.

Hopefully, that will be enough to put me through on the day.

Chris is serving us hake with celeriac three ways. I do like hake.

Hake is an underused fish and, in good hands, it's delicious.

Again, we've got honeycomb. Why? I'm not sure at all.

One thing I do know

is that honeycomb does not work with fish at all.

Honeycomb and fish - that is a new one on me.

Guys, 20 minutes left. Seriously, it's going to fly!

I'm quite excited to cook my own food and crack on with it.

-Oh, oh, oh!

-GREGG GASPS

I just want to show the world a different side of Caribbean cuisine.

I'll show the judges a different side

and I think they're going to like it.

-What is the title of your dish?

-My title of my dish is a mild jerk.

Chicken with Caribbean root vegetables, calalu puree,

-chicken demi-glace.

-Calalu is like a spinach?

-Yeah, it's a superfood.

It's like spinach but a bit more fibrous.

-You're serving it with plantain?

-Yes, with green plantain,

sprinkled with some Scotch bonnet salt that I grind myself.

Why do YOU love Caribbean food?

I love Caribbean food because, for me, it has a lot of history.

I find it quite challenging, in a way, to refine the dishes

and for people to understand them, but you're going to get

Caribbean food that you've not seen in a long time.

-I am very much looking forward to this, Chef.

-Yes. Perfect.

Jason's using his own spice mix which is a Scotch bonnet.

It's a very hot chilli. I just hope it doesn't set my mouth on fire.

I don't mind hot food, but sometimes there is a limit.

Nick, what is your signature dish?

I'm making John Dory with celeriac and watercress.

I'm serving it with a few fresh morels

-and some lentils with some different flavours layered through there.

-OK.

Are you going to be cooking the John Dory, on the bone?

No, I've taken it off the bone,

because it's quite a delicate plating operation.

Do you think this is the dish to get you through?

I hope so. I hope so. I'm very confident that you'll be impressed.

Good. I like that. You've come back fighting

-and I think that's important.

-Thank you.

-Thanks, Nick.

-Good lad.

I'm a fighter, so I will be going for it.

Obviously, I entered the competition with the aim to win it.

The only thing that can really go wrong with this dish today

is overcooking the fish. That would be sacrilege.

My advice with John Dory is to cook it on the bone.

He's taken it off the bone. He's going to be pan-frying it.

He needs to be very careful it doesn't overcook.

You have four minutes.

Two minutes.

A couple of you are making me a bit nervous.

That's it. Stop.

Josh, come up, please.

First up is Josh, who has cooked lamb loin,

served with a broad bean hummus, asparagus,

feta cheese, charred baby gem lettuce,

an asparagus and broad bean oil and honeycomb.

It's very colourful.

It's got an interesting presentation, the cheese stands out

and I'm really looking forward to trying the hummus.

-Josh, everything about this dish works, apart from the honeycomb.

-OK.

I've absolutely no idea why that's on the plate.

Honeycomb does not, for me, go with lamb.

But, having said that, the lamb is beautifully cooked

and nice and pink. The cheese works really well.

I love the burntness of the little baby gem lettuce,

the asparagus and the hummus is delightful.

If we can remove the honeycomb,

you've got yourself a really good dish here.

-Thank you.

-I loved the cooking of the lamb.

I think you've got that spot-on, it's lovely.

The hummus, I think, is a neat little touch to this dish

-and I think maybe just a little bit of wild garlic through that...

-Yeah.

-..instead of honeycomb.

-Forgive me, guys, one minute.

I like the honeycomb with the lamb.

What I don't like is the honeycomb with the saltiness of the feta.

I think they're too extreme. But I'm impressed with this.

I'm impressed with you. I'm pleased for you.

Josh, I asked you, at the end of your skills test,

if you were going to come back fighting.

You've certainly done that all right. Well done.

-Cheers. Thank you very much.

-Thanks, Josh.

-That's better, isn't it?

-Oh, it's a lot better, yeah!

I'm very happy with what I've done today.

Saying the lamb's cooked perfectly from two respected chefs,

it's a great honour.

Richard pan-fried the scallops and has served them

with deep-fried crispy roe, lemon emulsion,

roast and puree butternut squash with pancetta,

sage and apple butter sauce, dry-roast asparagus and garlic.

It's certainly a big plate of food, Richard.

Richard, the scallop is lovely and golden.

You must be much happier in cooking that scallop.

What's thrown me was the slice of garlic

that I had on top of it, which I found very strong.

The roe - you got wonderful crispiness from that

-but I can't taste the roe inside the breadcrumbs.

-OK.

Butternut squash, apple, bacon, garlic, for me, my opinion,

is too powerful for that scallop.

It doesn't work for me.

You can't taste the scallop and you can't taste the roe.

I'm feeling a bit disappointed

and almost a little behumbled, I would say.

The feedback wasn't great.

And, um... Yeah, I'm disappointed, to say the least.

Liam has cooked roast turbot

with crispy squid, baby artichokes,

courgette and basil puree and girolle mushrooms.

It's a very nice plate.

My only complaint there, is I'd prefer a much bigger piece of fish.

Liam, the fish is cooked really well, still moist, seasoned very well.

The crispy squid, it's lovely, it has a little bit of spice through it.

The pickled veg, I like that as well. Everything has been cooked properly.

-Overall, I think it's a pretty good dish from you.

-OK.

The fish is beautifully cooked. The courgettes are nice.

The puree is delicious. The squid is crispy.

I think you've got some wonderful flavours here.

This is a work well done. You've had a good day in this competition.

-Thank you.

-Are you happy about that?

-Could have been better.

I feel I've shown myself as a chef with that plate,

but I know there's more I can give.

Nick has made John Dory served with lentils, a celeriac puree,

pickled celeriac, watercress sauce and a morel mushroom garnish.

I think that's a lovely plate of food. It looks great, really does.

-Thank you.

-Pretty good presentation skills there, Nick.

-Thank you.

I'll start with what I DO like, and that is the celeriac puree

with the lentils and the bacon and pickled celeriac that you have -

it's lovely and it's light. Together, I think it's delightful.

What I don't like is the way the John Dory has been cooked.

It's overcooked, the butter has burnt,

the colouration is not good on the piece of fish.

-But I do like the idea of your dish.

-Thank you.

Nick, all the elements of the dish really do work.

Having said that, the fish is overcooked and it is burnt butter.

I love your ideas, I love your presentation,

I love the flavours you've created there.

Can we forgive what you've done to the fish? That's the question.

-Happier?

-Not really.

The judges said the fish was overdone. I completely agree.

If I'd pulled it off a minute earlier, it would have been perfect

and rightly so, they've pointed out my mistake, which I'll pay for now.

Chris has pan-fried his hake

and served it with celeriac fondants, pickled celeriac

and a celeriac puree, wild nettle pesto and honeycomb.

It's a massive plate of food here, Chris. The fish itself is enormous.

It's not an appealing plate of food.

It looks like you plated that with your eyes closed. Not good.

I've just lifted a bit of honeycomb with that fish

and honeycomb and fish does not work.

It doesn't work as a flavour because it's far too sweet,

neither does it work as a texture.

I'm sorry, Chris, but this is a disaster.

The honeycomb, first of all, isn't made very well at all.

It's bitter and it's overcooked.

Honeycomb and fish - no way.

Did I enjoy it? No, I didn't. Would I try it again? No, I wouldn't.

It all went wrong.

I tried to be too daring, tried to be too different

and just...none of it worked, so...

Jason, come and join us, please.

Jason's dish is mild jerk-stuffed chicken breast,

served with Caribbean root vegetables, calalu puree,

a sweet potato fondant and a reduced demi-glace sauce.

That is the smartest plate of Caribbean food I have ever seen.

This is how I see Caribbean food

and I think it can be refined to different levels.

Jason, I really think you understand that chilli, the Scotch bonnet.

You've take something that's incredibly dangerous and hot

and you've used it very, very well.

The chicken tastes great, it's beautifully stuffed,

the spice inside works really well. This could have gone one of two ways

and I think you've really delivered the dish very, very well

-and you've got the balance of that chilli spot-on.

-Thank you, Chef.

The heat is just right for me

and I think that balance was essential in making this work.

The calalu puree - I really enjoyed that.

I think it's a wonderful attempt to showcase your food.

-Hey, Jason, well done to you.

-Thank you.

I've met many cooks, chefs,

who tell me they're going to refine Caribbean food

and none of them have ever successfully done it for me before.

-You are the first.

-Why, thank you.

-You are the first.

I really, really like it.

I'm feeling a lot more confident now.

I think I just had a good second round.

I think the judges liked it

and I think I accomplished what I came here to do,

already on the first day, so you can kill me now.

Well, that was a lot, lot better than the first round, wasn't it?

Well done. Thank you. Off you go, Chefs.

Wow! This is what we want to see.

Quite a few of our chefs struggled in the skills test,

but they've come back fighting on their signature dishes

and now we've got one hell of a judging ahead of us.

Richard. None of us really enjoyed

the scallop dish that he did here today

and I think Richard is out of his depth here.

Chris, he's got some unusual ideas in flavours.

We were universal in our condemnation of honeycomb and fish.

I thought the food he put on the table today was very average.

The lack of understanding really showed through.

I think you're being very kind calling that dish average.

With Richard out and Chris out,

that means we are talking about four pretty decent chefs, I think.

Liam - I really liked his main course.

The fish was cooked well, the garnish underneath complemented the turbot.

I thought he displayed great skills in his cooking.

He definitely CAN cook.

To be in the quarterfinals would mean everything to me.

I came here to win it and I'm still standing by that.

I want to take it all the way to the final.

Josh cooked a very nice piece of lamb

with some wonderful accompanying vegetables.

However, he put honeycomb with his lamb.

The only error on the plate probably was the honeycomb.

The rest was beautifully cooked. I can forgive him for the honeycomb.

If everything else was wrong on that plate,

I wouldn't have been happy, but everything else, he did really well.

To go out now would be very disappointing.

I feel I've done enough to get through and I'm happy to go on,

even get through to the quarterfinal and, possibly, the semifinal.

For me, Jason was the biggest surprise of all.

I didn't expect him to come up with a dish

that tasted as good and as well-balanced as that jerk chicken

and I'd agree with you, Gregg -

that's the best jerk chicken I've ever tasted. That was very good.

I think Jason did a great job today.

I think I've done enough to keep myself in competition,

I don't know, but I think it might just be enough.

Nick's flavour combinations with his fish were very, very good.

We enjoyed it. However, you both pointed out the fish was overcooked.

I think Nick had the makings of a fantastic dish here.

I think, if he had executed the fish properly,

that could have been the dish of the day.

I'd love to stay in the competition.

To go out at such an early stage would be a disappointment.

However, the calibre of the chefs here is very, very high

and I could understand why I'd be sent home today.

Right, three places up for grabs in the quarterfinal.

I know how I feel, but it might not necessarily be how you feel.

We only have three places.

We have made that decision, although it wasn't an easy decision to make.

So, the first chef that is going to leave us today is...

-Chris.

-Thank you, Chris.

-Thank you.

The second chef that is leaving us is...

-Richard.

-Thank you.

-Thanks, Richard.

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

-Nick.

-Thank you.

-Thank you, Nick.

-Nick, thank you.

-Thank you.

Obviously, I'm desperately disappointed

to be leaving the competition at this point in time

but I've learnt some things today

which I'll take forward for the future.

I don't think I did myself justice in any shape, way or form,

to be honest, and I'm going to get ripped for that, but I gave it a go.

I'm feeling disappointed but not devastated.

I knew the writing was on the wall, so I'm not overly surprised

and I congratulate the three guys that have got through.

Well done! What a great effort. You're through to the quarterfinal.

It's a great achievement to get through and the relief is unreal.

Right now, absolutely buzzing. Ready to come back and do it again.

Today has been Christmas morning and one of the worst days of my life

but, at the end of it, it all finished at Christmas night,

so it's been brilliant.

Tomorrow, it's the quarterfinal

and the chefs must prove themselves to Marcus and Monica.

Beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

You're kidding me! 20 minutes over and my fish is raw!

Only the best of them will get to cook for the critics.

This dish is utter perfection.