0:00:02 > 0:00:06The hunt for the next professional MasterChef champion continues.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13And these six chefs all believe they have what it takes to win the title.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20Tonight, they face two challenges set by judge Gregg Wallace
0:00:20 > 0:00:23and two of Britain's best chefs -
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Monica Galetti and Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31Nobody likes losing.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33Everybody's all about coming up on top and, obviously,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35that's what I want to do, at the end of the day.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40There's a certain amount of excitement, but let me promise you,
0:00:40 > 0:00:42there's also a massive amount of fear and nerves.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Brand-new set of contestants who are walking into this kitchen
0:00:47 > 0:00:49and we need to find one shining star.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Our chefs have got to be at the top of their game.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57They need to be focused, they need to want this more than anything.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Tough test time, skills test.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Monica, what are you going to set them to do?
0:01:10 > 0:01:14I would like our chefs to fillet and cook this sea bream
0:01:14 > 0:01:16and serve it in an escabeche style.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18Now, escabeche is a cooking method
0:01:18 > 0:01:20when it's actually sort of pickled gently.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24It's got vinegar in it and then you marinate the fish in it overnight.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27We're not good to have the time to leave this overnight
0:01:27 > 0:01:30so I'm happy for them to make an adaptation of an escabeche.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- And the fish can be grilled and then served with it.- I love this task.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35I think filleting the fish will be the toughest part.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38That's not an easy fish to fillet at all, and do they understand
0:01:38 > 0:01:41and know what an escabeche is?
0:01:41 > 0:01:42Off you go, Monica.
0:01:42 > 0:01:43The first thing I'm going to do
0:01:43 > 0:01:45is get the liquor out for the escabeche.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47I'm going to use some cumin seeds.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52To add to this I have some white wine and a touch of vinegar.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55And they want to be careful, you know, with the acidity.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59If you add too much, it will just overkill the whole dish.
0:02:01 > 0:02:06A little bit of Demerara sugar. Some shallot.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10The vegetables I'm using, I'm slicing them very thin.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11The carrot as well. I use pepper.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14The reason being is they should be cooked very quickly.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Looking at this being made, thinking,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18there's lots that could go wrong here.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Trust you to put a downer on everything, Gregg!
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- I don't think I'm a downer. - I think I'm a realist.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25SHE CHUCKLES
0:02:25 > 0:02:28So first, I'm going with the peppers cos they're thicker.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35I'm going to drop in just a small pinch of saffron.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39It comes off the heat. They'll want to cool it down.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44And so now, onto my fish.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48Very simple, from behind the head and along the backbone.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51If there's anything that would be tricky on here, it would
0:02:51 > 0:02:54be where the belly is. Repeat on the other side.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56You could do this, Greggy!
0:02:56 > 0:02:59I could. Not as well as you.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04So, then they need to pin-bone it.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08There's nothing worse than having someone choke on a fish bone.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12There's a lot of work to do here, Monica, in 15 minutes.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16They can cook the sea bream any way they like
0:03:16 > 0:03:19but I am going to put mine under the salamander.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Right, and I'm ready to plate up.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Look at the colours! Wonderful!
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Here we have it - my grilled sea bream in an escabeche.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59Look at that - light, pretty, colourful. Fabulous!
0:04:07 > 0:04:11That, for me, is absolutely delicious and the crunchiness of the vegetables
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and the acid going through, finished with the herbs, is great.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Find it funny cos the finishing of putting the oil at the end
0:04:17 > 0:04:20just brought a smile to your face and it just felt complete.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22And it's that little touch at the end that just makes the dish.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24We don't have to bring the chefs in now, you know.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26We could open a bottle of wine.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28THEY GIGGLE
0:04:31 > 0:04:34First into the kitchen to face Monica's test
0:04:34 > 0:04:39is 21-year-old chef de partie Jamie, who works in a hotel in Colchester.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46My uncle was a chef, my sister's boyfriend is a chef
0:04:46 > 0:04:47and he used to come home and show me
0:04:47 > 0:04:49these pictures of all the food he cooked at work
0:04:49 > 0:04:52and it would amaze me, intrigue me, and I wanted to learn more.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56So I started catering college and went from there. Here I am now.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Being a professional chef is my career, it's my job, it's my life.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03I love it. I wouldn't change it.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05- HE RINGS BELL - Service!
0:05:05 > 0:05:08I'm young, fearless and, hopefully, that will work as my advantage.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- Jamie, welcome to MasterChef. - Thank you.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18What I would like you to do today is to fillet and cook the sea bream.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21- Yes.- OK? And I want you to serve it in an escabeche.- Yes.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23- Do you know what an escabeche is? - Very mildly.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26- I've not actually done it myself but...- What do you think is?
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I'm thinking it's not too different from a ratatouille.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30- It's like a pickling liquid.- OK.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Pickling's not something I've done much either.- OK. Do your best.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- Thank you very much.- 15 minutes. Off you go.- Thank you.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48- Getting stuck in there, young Jamie. - Yes, no problems so far.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51- Calmed your nerves a bit? - I'll let you know soon.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- Jamie, you've had five minutes. - Thank you.- Ten minutes to go.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17- How long left, please? - Three and a half minutes.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21You're running out of time, young Jamie.
0:06:38 > 0:06:39- Jamie?- Yes?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42The time's up but we want you to cook that fish,
0:06:42 > 0:06:43- get it on a plate, please. - Yes, Chef.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Come on, then, Chef! Let's have you!
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- Finished?- Yes. - You're two minutes over, Jamie.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Not happy at all, to be fair.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18- For me, it looked like you're a bit out of practice with filleting.- OK.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22You got most of it off. Not the neatest way to fillet.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25As to making your escabeche garnish, you've used the shallots,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28the carrots and the peppers, which is great to see.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31You need to consider the fact, when we're cooking these vegetables,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33what's cooking first.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36The carrots you put in last but they need to cook a bit more, OK?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39- Yes, OK.- The lemon twist, well, I haven't seen that in a while!
0:07:39 > 0:07:41No, I don't know why I did it. It's completely irrelevant.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44It has no input on that plate whatsoever, does it?
0:07:56 > 0:07:57I don't think the fish is cooked well.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01It's got bones in, the skin wasn't crispy at all.
0:08:01 > 0:08:02Jamie, when we serve an escabeche,
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- you want quite a bit of that liquor.- Yes.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07There's not a lot here but, in saying that, because it's
0:08:07 > 0:08:11- very strong, you wouldn't need very much on your dish.- Yeah.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16Jamie, you have another round that is now taking on
0:08:16 > 0:08:21real importance because you, I believe, have got a point to prove.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Yes, definitely. It's not nice, you know,
0:08:23 > 0:08:25top chefs and food critics telling you your food's not good
0:08:25 > 0:08:27so, of course, there's room for improvement
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- and those comments will only make you more determined.- Thank you.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- We'll see you again. Off you go.- Thank you.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40However young and inexperienced,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42you should be able to fillet a fish and cook it.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Well, that's what we're expecting.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Not my best, by any stretch of the imagination.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Filleting fish tends to be one of my fortes.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52I've grown up at college doing it and my grandad was a fisherman,
0:08:52 > 0:08:54so I'd like to have thought I'd have done him
0:08:54 > 0:08:56a bit more proud than what I did.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Overall, yeah, not a good round.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- Hiya.- Hiya.- Hello, mate.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Next is senior chef de partie Alex,
0:09:11 > 0:09:15who cooks in a high-end fish restaurant in London's Mayfair.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Life as a chef in London is busy.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24We work a lot of hours, start very early in the morning,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26finish very late at night.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29The passion is the only thing that keeps you in the job,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33really, I think. Probably be a bit mad to not have any passion
0:09:33 > 0:09:34and be working in a kitchen.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40I entered the competition because, you know,
0:09:40 > 0:09:41why don't I give it a shot?
0:09:41 > 0:09:45You know, I'm a good cook, I feel confident now, so see what happens.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- 15 minutes. Off you go.- OK.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Right. Um...
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- I need to just think about what I'm going to do for a sec.- Mm, yeah.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- GREGG:- Yeah, sure.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Alex, what section are you working on at the moment in your kitchen?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04- Fish sauce.- Ah!- Ah!
0:10:06 > 0:10:07Um...
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- You filleted fish before, Alex, yeah?- I have, yeah. Um...
0:10:14 > 0:10:18- I'm just really nervous.- It's the same as any other fish.- Yeah.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32- Feeling any better, Chef? - Er... Not yet.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33HE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- You've had five minutes, Alex.- Yeah.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- Alex, are you all right? - Yeah.- Are you sure?
0:10:55 > 0:10:56No.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11- All done?- Yeah. Sorry.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Alex, it's not a bad effort.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19I love the colours of what you've done here
0:11:19 > 0:11:21but it's quite evident you're trying to hide the fish.
0:11:30 > 0:11:35The flavours of cumin and saffron are lovely, absolutely lovely,
0:11:35 > 0:11:36and the fish is cooked really well.
0:11:36 > 0:11:41I don't think you have a reason to be as nervous as you are.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44I actually quite like it. The fish is cooked really nicely.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48It's flavoursome, it's got a flavour of all the things that we want.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52So you should use this round to get rid of those nerves
0:11:52 > 0:11:55because that's not a bad attempt.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- Thank you.- Thanks, Alex.- Thank you.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05He was so scared. He had a panic attack there.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07I think he did a good job, though.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14I was just really nervous and I wasn't happy with what I did,
0:12:14 > 0:12:16really.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19I think they were being nice to me, the judges.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Yeah.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Last to take on Monica's test is chef de partie Josh,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36who cooks in a gastropub in Cheshire.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38I've been a chef for about three years now,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40so not a long time, really.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I used to be a canoe instructor.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46I don't really think I cooked a proper meal
0:12:46 > 0:12:49before I kind of went to college to learn.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51I used to just bang it in the oven!
0:12:52 > 0:12:54But I took to it, I loved it.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Now I'm a chef.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- HE RINGS BELL - Service!
0:13:00 > 0:13:03The challenges I can practise for, I'm OK,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06but it's the ones that you can't that get you a bit nervous
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and I've just got to try my best and go for it.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11Yeah. Scary!
0:13:15 > 0:13:18- Josh, how many are in the team in your restaurant?- Two.- Two?
0:13:18 > 0:13:21- Just me and the head chef.- So you cover a bit of everything, then?
0:13:21 > 0:13:25- Yeah.- That could work in your favour, then.- Yeah, I guess so.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- Josh, you have 15 minutes.- OK.- OK?
0:13:28 > 0:13:32Fillet, cook the fish, serve it in an escabeche style.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51- Is that sugar?- Taste it.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59- That's quite a mouthful of salt you had there!- Yeah, it was. Yeah.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08- Josh, you're halfway. You've got seven and a half minutes left.- OK.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10- How's it going?- Yeah, OK, I think.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32- All done?- Yes.- With nearly three minutes to spare, Josh.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38So you've filleted the fish.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40We normally tend to remove the pin bones
0:14:40 > 0:14:43using these things called tweezers.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46So I think, when we taste this, we're going to have to go round
0:14:46 > 0:14:49the sides because I'm not a fan of choking on fishbones.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52What I do like is the care you took in chopping your vegetables,
0:14:52 > 0:14:54getting them all nice and neat.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58- What would have been good to see was some of that liquor.- OK.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00- Aya!- Aya!
0:15:00 > 0:15:02- COUGHING - Ooh!
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Josh, that is really just harsh, harsh vinegar!
0:15:12 > 0:15:13OK.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19I cannot emphasise enough you tasting, OK? Taste! Taste!
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- Cos you can't send that... - No.- ..to anybody.- OK.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Josh, I'm really struggling to find something good
0:15:26 > 0:15:28to say about this, some positives to sort of give you
0:15:28 > 0:15:32- a bit of a lift apart from just pull yourself together, OK?- Yup.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37- This round, you're lucky cos nobody goes home.- OK.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41- I expect a whole lot more from you in the next round.- OK. Thank you.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49I can understand getting things wrong,
0:15:49 > 0:15:50but not taking the bones out,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53not tasting what you're throwing on that veg bothers me.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00I don't think I did very well at all, to be honest.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03I think I made major mistakes and, yeah,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05made myself look like a bit of a fool.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15- Marcus, now it's your test.- Yes. - What is the test?
0:16:15 > 0:16:18I want my three chefs to cook a watercress soup with a poached egg.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21- That's a lovely thing.- Mm. - Could you show me how it's done?
0:16:21 > 0:16:23- I certainly will.- Thank you.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26So, in this pan here, we have some very, very light chicken stock
0:16:26 > 0:16:29and into that, we're just going to add a little bit of cream.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34The reason I put the cream into it is to give it a little bit of body,
0:16:34 > 0:16:38but also I don't want the chicken stock to colour the potatoes.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41The reason why I'm slicing the potatoes really thin is
0:16:41 > 0:16:43cos I want them to cook quickly.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44If the potatoes aren't cooked,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46no matter how much you put it into this blender
0:16:46 > 0:16:48and you try your hardest to pass it through a sieve,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51it will never be smooth, and that's what we're looking for.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53What makes a great soup?
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Asking for a watercress soup, we want to taste that watercress.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00We don't want more potato.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02- The potato here is a thickening agent.- So in they go.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07What I'm doing now is crack some almonds.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I'd be very interested to see if any of our chefs have seen
0:17:10 > 0:17:11and used a fresh almond.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15If they haven't seen them, they've got to work out
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- that the husk needs taking off. - That's right.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20If they're not sure, my advice to a chef is just taste it.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26And they're nice and soft. Now we add in the watercress.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30They want the soup to cook as fast as possible.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35The main reason is that I want to retain the colour of the watercress.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39I'm going to be serving it with a poached egg.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42I'm just going to put a little bit of vinegar into the boiling water.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Vinegar is what you want to keep the egg together.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Good. I've drained the stock out.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52If I add all the stock, it may be too loose.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I just want to just put the stock in gradually as we go along.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02If they put it all in the blender together, what's the problem?
0:18:02 > 0:18:06That it won't get a thorough, rich, silky consistency?
0:18:06 > 0:18:10You need to puree first then turn the puree into a soup.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- Wow!- See the colour?- Yeah!
0:18:18 > 0:18:19I'm going to add some mustard
0:18:19 > 0:18:23because this is the flavour I want to have in the background.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28So we'll just add a few knobs of butter, just at the end.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Take our soup off.
0:18:34 > 0:18:35Wow, that is green!
0:18:38 > 0:18:41It's good to go. You can always trim up the egg.
0:18:41 > 0:18:46I never, ever considered trimming the egg. I never considered that!
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- Really?- Never!- Ah!
0:18:48 > 0:18:50THEY GIGGLE
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Now I'm going to dress the dish.
0:18:58 > 0:18:59Stunning, isn't it?
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Mm!
0:19:07 > 0:19:10And there we have our watercress soup with a poached egg.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19That is stunningly, stunningly beautiful!
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Oh, the flavour is incredible!
0:19:33 > 0:19:38The soup, in itself, is smooth, and the texture, it's wonderful.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42- The addition of the almonds was not expected in the dish.- No.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45I'd be happy, like Marcus, if they can poach the egg nicely
0:19:45 > 0:19:49and make a good soup. I'll be really impressed if it looks like this.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54- I really want to see what they can do.- Let's get them in.
0:19:59 > 0:20:06First to take on Marcus's skills test is 33-year-old head chef Gayle.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08I first got into cooking...
0:20:08 > 0:20:10My mum's going to hate me!
0:20:11 > 0:20:12..because my mum couldn't!
0:20:12 > 0:20:17And if you wanted a nice tea, then you had to make it yourself.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24It feels insane to be cooking for people like Marcus Wareing!
0:20:24 > 0:20:28I may have to ask him for a hug, just to, like, break the ice.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Hopefully that'll work and he won't kick me out of the competition!
0:20:32 > 0:20:37- All right?- Yeah.- OK, Gayle. Well, this is it. You're here to cook...
0:20:37 > 0:20:42- Yup.- Watercress soup with a poached egg, fresh almonds, 20 minutes,
0:20:42 > 0:20:43off you go.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55- You've never used those before?- No, not fresh. No, definitely not fresh.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58Why don't you take one of those other almonds
0:20:58 > 0:21:00- and give them a good hit, crack it? - Right, OK.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05- There we are.- There we go. There we go. Thank you very much.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06That's all right.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12- How long you been a chef, Gayle? - 19 years.- Wow!
0:21:12 > 0:21:14- You'll get the hang of it. - Maybe one day!
0:21:20 > 0:21:23You've had five minutes but you've got 15 minutes left.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27- Watch your fingers!- Mm-hm.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40- Stop the lid. - Stick the lid in.- Oh, that one?
0:21:40 > 0:21:44- SHE LAUGHS NERVOUSLY - You were just about to create Vesuvius!
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Gayle, you're halfway. You've got ten minutes left.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03Ooh!
0:22:06 > 0:22:07Eek!
0:22:17 > 0:22:20- How's that, Chef? - Good...I think, I hope.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33- You're done?- Think so.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43- Gayle, how was that?- Intense. Very intense.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45- It looked it.- Yep.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49I am amazed you've managed to retain that colour.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52I think why you've retained the colour is you didn't boil it
0:22:52 > 0:22:54- when you put it back in the pan. - Right.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56The almonds, you've left the husks on.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59You needed to peel that off to get that beautiful white almond.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01It's great that you've actually got there.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04You have got a soup on the plate but it's going to be in the eating.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07There you are. Look at that.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Gayle, what I get is there's a lot of the watercress flavour
0:23:18 > 0:23:21but it's that raw watercress that's quite pungent, quite strong.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24I think you've seasoned it quite well.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Great to see the mustard in there as well.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28The poached egg could have been done a bit nicer
0:23:28 > 0:23:31but the yolk is still runny, which is very important.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Gayle, this is the first round of MasterChef.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37That's not bad, OK?
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- No-one's going home right now. - Good.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- Thank you very much and off you go.- Thank you.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I made some schoolgirl errors, which I shouldn't have,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56and I think it was just purely the pressure.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Next into the kitchen is junior sous-chef Dean,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08who works at a one-Michelin-starred restaurant in Castle Combe.
0:24:12 > 0:24:14I'm originally from South Africa.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17My parents are both British, so we moved back.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21I started off just cooking in a little pub for my parents.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24From there, I just fell in love with it all. I couldn't get enough of it.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I work in a Michelin-starred kitchen.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Everything's got to be precise cos not everybody gets that opportunity
0:24:31 > 0:24:35to eat in a Michelin star, so you want it to be perfect for them every time.
0:24:36 > 0:24:37Service, please!
0:24:39 > 0:24:43Dean, I'd like you to make a watercress soup,
0:24:43 > 0:24:45- serve it with a poached egg and fresh almonds.- OK.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49- You've made soups before?- Yeah. - You've poached an egg?- Yes.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53- Should be easy, then.- Hopefully! - 20 minutes, off you go.- Cool.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09I've never prepped a fresh almond.
0:25:12 > 0:25:13Not bad.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Dean, five minutes gone. You've got 15 minutes left.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- Dean, you're halfway. You've got ten minutes left.- Yeah.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12- All done?- All done. - Couple of minutes to spare.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15- No, I think I'm happy. - Happy?- Happy.- Good.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Overall, Dean, I think you've delivered
0:26:17 > 0:26:19a very good-looking plate of food.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21There's just one fundamental error that you did
0:26:21 > 0:26:24that is the reason as to why that soup is that colour
0:26:24 > 0:26:27and not dark green, is that you didn't cook the watercress.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30But that is it. So I think you've done a really good job.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32I love the way you worked around your bench.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34You looked like a proper professional chef.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Dean, the soup is so smooth.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50Yes, it's missing the watercress, but it's been seasoned so well.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53The poached egg has been done very well. It's still lovely and runny.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56I loved watching you work, the tasting.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00- You've done pretty good today there, Dean.- Thank you.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03- You can take confidence from this, Dean.- Yup. Thank you.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07- You've done a great job, Dean. Well done.- Thank you. Thank you.- OK.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08- Thank you.- Thanks, Dean.- No worries.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- Good boy.- Good cook.- Good chef.- Yep.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19I think, overall, they were happy.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23I delivered things, but obviously I'm not after just getting by.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24I want to be perfect.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- Apron?- Oh, sorry.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39Last to face Marcus's test is gastropub head chef David.
0:27:39 > 0:27:43I started cooking with my dad when I was 14 in France.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45My dad had a restaurant
0:27:45 > 0:27:47and I've been cooking now for 26 years.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52I watch MasterChef all the time and my daughter says,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55"Dad, you should enter it. You could do it."
0:27:55 > 0:27:58And I thought, "Well, why not? Let's have a shot."
0:28:00 > 0:28:01OK, service!
0:28:01 > 0:28:05I never entered a competition, so, I mean, the way I see it,
0:28:05 > 0:28:07I'll take it a step at a time, you know,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10see what's being asked and just do my best.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- You've got 20 minutes. Off you go.- OK.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20So why did you pick Great Britain in the first place?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23I've been with school and stuff... you know?
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Exchange. And I really, really like Britain.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34See, that's something I never actually...
0:28:34 > 0:28:37- You haven't come across them before? - Never.- No?- No.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41David, we want the almonds.
0:28:41 > 0:28:46- Yeah.- OK.- I was just being a bit silly, you know?
0:28:49 > 0:28:52I'm not sure if I should blanch it really.
0:28:53 > 0:28:54Hmm.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59The almonds...that's the garnish on the soup? Yeah.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07- You're halfway, David, you've got ten minutes left.- Sure.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Finish this soup.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12- Nearly there?- Not far off.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25BLENDER HUMS
0:29:33 > 0:29:35- Five minutes left, David.- Yeah.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49- You all done, Chef?- Yeah, finished.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56- David, how was that for you?- OK.
0:29:56 > 0:29:59Not too sure about the almonds though, really not sure.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02- Yeah, the almonds were a bit of a struggle, weren't they? - Very much so, yeah.- OK.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05The first thing I'd like to bring up was the starting off and the potatoes.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07Whenever we're going to make a soup,
0:30:07 > 0:30:10slice the potatoes as thin as you can possibly get them.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Then they cook, the job can get done.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16You can visually see the grain going through it, so the soup has
0:30:16 > 0:30:19a coarseness to it and it's a little bit on the light colour as well.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23- It's probably down to the fact it's not cooked enough.- Right.
0:30:25 > 0:30:26Just...
0:30:35 > 0:30:36Not a great soup, David.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39It lacks flavour in every department here,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41but you're adding these bits in.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44You're adding mustard, you put cream in. You added a bit of lemon juice.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47- You added the seasoning. You did it. - Not enough.- ..but not enough.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51David, there's just no depth here.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54It's not a good soup, I'm sorry, David.
0:30:55 > 0:30:59It doesn't taste of watercress. It's quite bland. It's a shame.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04- Thank you. We'll see you again. - Thank you.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17Very stressful really, didn't do too well.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20I made really silly mistakes and...
0:31:20 > 0:31:22but...what's done is done now
0:31:22 > 0:31:25and I have to do better on the next round.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30That's the skills test done.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32By and large, I think a decent standard...
0:31:32 > 0:31:34No? You're not convinced, are you?
0:31:34 > 0:31:36No, I'm not 100% convinced, I thought there was
0:31:36 > 0:31:39a huge amount of errors from quite a lot of the chefs.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42- Probably bar one.- So, your skills test, you're happy with one?
0:31:42 > 0:31:46- Your skills test, I imagine you're only happy with one?- Only just.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50But everything can change in the next round
0:31:50 > 0:31:52- when they cook their own food. - Really can.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Chefs, this is it. Your signature dish.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16A dish chosen by you...
0:32:16 > 0:32:18so you should be confident.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20If you can cook your best today,
0:32:20 > 0:32:22you've got a chance of going through.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25My bit of advice is leave your nerves in the changing room.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Give it your best shot, only three of you are going through
0:32:28 > 0:32:31and three of you are going home.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34You have one hour and 15 minutes to cook your way
0:32:34 > 0:32:37into a MasterChef quarterfinal.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38Off you go.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56I think the judges at the minute think
0:32:56 > 0:32:58I'm a little bit inexperienced.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02Hopefully after the skills test I can change their minds completely.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06They can see that was just down to nerves and it's not who I am.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08I'm not a clumsy chef or anything like that.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13Josh, what's your signature dish today?
0:33:13 > 0:33:15My signature dish is lamb rump with a orange carrot puree
0:33:15 > 0:33:17- and then roasted purple carrot... - Yeah?
0:33:17 > 0:33:20..then pickled yellow and pickled shallots.
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Are you serving a sauce with this as well, as such?
0:33:22 > 0:33:25Yes, yeah... I've got one sauce on the go here.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28Why did you choose to come on MasterChef?
0:33:28 > 0:33:32- My head chef told me to come on. - Oh, right, OK.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34- He believes in me, so why not try? - Great.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36Go on, Josh, fighting talk, go on, son.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41Josh has put his lamb into the water bath.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44It's a good way of cooking, but we do like it to go through the pan
0:33:44 > 0:33:46to get some colour on there and get some flavour.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50The sauce he's making with mince
0:33:50 > 0:33:53so it should be quite heavy and rich.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57The signature dish has to be a standout dish.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59I hope I remember this dish.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06You have had 20 minutes already.
0:34:06 > 0:34:0720 minutes gone.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Cooking my dish for the judges is going to be quite intense
0:34:18 > 0:34:21because at the end of the day it's me on a plate and obviously having
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Marcus and Monica criticise your dishes
0:34:23 > 0:34:26is always something which is going to be nerve-racking.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Dean, your skills test went rather well, didn't it?
0:34:31 > 0:34:33Yeah, it went all right, better than I thought it would.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35Tell me about your dish today, please, Dean.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37I'm doing a sweet potato fondant,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40curried sweet potato puree to go with it.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43Poached and roasted chicken breast, curried chicken veloute
0:34:43 > 0:34:46with some baby onions and a bit of golden raisins.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50Tell me about you because when I looked at you, I thought, yeah,
0:34:50 > 0:34:55classic cook, and now, I'm looking at pak choi and sweet potatoes.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58I don't really follow any style influence, I just kind of hope
0:34:58 > 0:35:02for just...I'm more about just trying to give big, bold flavours.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- Let's start with a perfect curried chicken.- Thank you.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10I didn't expect Dean to come to the table today with a signature dish
0:35:10 > 0:35:14of what is basically curried chicken with sweet potato.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18I do like the flavours of curry and chicken.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20He's poached the crown of the chicken
0:35:20 > 0:35:22and then he's going to remove the breast.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25I think it's a nice way to do it, especially in a curry.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28You still want that chicken meat to be moist.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31The hardest thing with curry is the balance, getting it right.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35If you don't know how to use a curry leaf, it could ruin the flavours.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37It could be too strong, too powerful.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48I think in the signature dish round I just need to prove that I can...
0:35:48 > 0:35:50control the nerves. Just breathe.
0:35:51 > 0:35:56And think about what I'm doing and not concentrate on...
0:35:56 > 0:35:58- on the eyeballs on me. - LAUGHS
0:36:04 > 0:36:07- Gayle. Here we are, signature dish. - Yeah.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10- You look a bit more relaxed now. - Yeah, a lot more.- Yeah?
0:36:10 > 0:36:12- Yep, definitely.- What's the dish?
0:36:12 > 0:36:16It's a langoustine and baby squid laksa.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Nice and spicy, nice and flavoursome.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20Vermicelli noodles...
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Thai basil, shrimp paste,
0:36:22 > 0:36:24all the...usual suspects.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Why would you pick this as your signature dish?
0:36:27 > 0:36:29I really enjoy it personally.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31I just think, if I enjoy it,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34- hopefully you guys will enjoy it too, so...- Fair dos.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Gayle's making us a laksa.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42She's using Scottish langoustines, which, for me,
0:36:42 > 0:36:44are quite a delicacy in their own right and my concern
0:36:44 > 0:36:48is going to be the power, the heat, all of those different flavours
0:36:48 > 0:36:51are going to camouflage such a beautiful ingredient.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53What I would like to see here is...
0:36:53 > 0:36:55is the laksa brought up to another level.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57What's so great about this dish
0:36:57 > 0:36:59that's it's going to be your signature dish?
0:37:02 > 0:37:04You are halfway.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08So, you've got less than 40 minutes.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Jamie...fish again?
0:37:16 > 0:37:18Yes. Absolutely. I'm confident with fish.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22Last round wasn't strong but I'd like to prove myself in this round and show you what I can do.
0:37:22 > 0:37:27- Good. Good, so, what are you cooking for us, Jamie?- I'm going to do a sous vide supreme of hake.
0:37:27 > 0:37:31Do some cockle fritters and on top just to cut through everything
0:37:31 > 0:37:34I'm going to be doing a lemon foam.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37What do you think you've got to do now after the skills test
0:37:37 > 0:37:40- to get yourself a quarterfinal place?- Perfection. Perfection.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Nothing less.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45How many times have you achieved perfection, do you think?
0:37:45 > 0:37:50I don't think I've ever... achieved perfection...yet.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Jamie says he's worked quite a bit with fish.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Wasn't evident in the last round so he's got a point to prove here.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Water bathing fish...not my favourite way to cook fish.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06I prefer it in a pan.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08I love the sound of the cockle fritters.
0:38:08 > 0:38:11Hope they've got a little bit of acidity in them as well
0:38:11 > 0:38:13so they're almost sort of pickled cockles.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16One of the things that slightly concerns me
0:38:16 > 0:38:19with this dish is the lemon foam.
0:38:19 > 0:38:20Foams just disappear straightaway
0:38:20 > 0:38:24and personally, I don't think they bring much to a dish at all.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32I've never done the dish as a whole before. I have practised it.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34So...
0:38:34 > 0:38:37We will see. It'll be interesting. Hopefully I'll pull through.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48- Alex, you were very, very nervous earlier on in the skills test.- Yeah.
0:38:48 > 0:38:49How are you feeling?
0:38:49 > 0:38:52I'm still fairly nervous. I just want to get my dish finished.
0:38:52 > 0:38:56You, despite your nerves, had a good start to this competition.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01- He's thinking now...what?- Yeah.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03I wasn't really happy with what I did.
0:39:03 > 0:39:04I think you guys were being nice.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08Do I have the reputation of being nice, Alex? Nice?
0:39:08 > 0:39:11- I hope to redeem myself anyway. - So, your dish, what is it?
0:39:11 > 0:39:13I'm doing a piece of halibut with fennel puree,
0:39:13 > 0:39:17fennel potato rosti on top of that. The halibut with some brown shrimps,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21some sea veg and I'm doing, like, a little cockle and mussel garnish.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23OK. Just do me one thing. Just relax, yeah?
0:39:23 > 0:39:27We're here to eat good food, that's all. Just treat us as customers, OK?
0:39:27 > 0:39:30- Chef, thank you.- I love the sound of this.- Yeah, sounds delicious.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34I really like the look of Alex's table
0:39:34 > 0:39:37even though he's incredibly nervous.
0:39:37 > 0:39:38Beautiful little plate of herbs
0:39:38 > 0:39:41and garnishes all portioned out ready to go.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46If Alex can control his nerves and he focuses on the cooking,
0:39:46 > 0:39:48we could have a great dish here.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50A rosti that's cooked well is delicious.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52Veloute made well is delicious.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Cook a bit of fish well... we've got a winner here.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01I've practised my dish pretty much every day at work for the last week.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03I can do it in under an hour,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06so I know I can do it well within the time limit.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11So, fingers crossed for me.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16You've got 25 minutes left
0:40:16 > 0:40:18to prove how good you are.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25I just want to show the judges, you know, I can do some nice food.
0:40:25 > 0:40:26It'll mean a lot, for me,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29just already to be here and it'll be even better
0:40:29 > 0:40:31if I could go through to the next round.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38- David?- Yes.- How are you? - I'm good, thank you.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41You look very calm but you were quite calm in the first round.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44I say, yes, I was calm but I didn't do too well, so...
0:40:44 > 0:40:45So, what are you making for us?
0:40:45 > 0:40:49I'm making dark chocolate and pistachio parcel, so it's a parfait
0:40:49 > 0:40:53coated in candied pistachio and it's wrapped into a thin biscuit.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58- Oh?- With champagne, vanilla and pink peppercorns sabayon.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01- Why have you come on MasterChef? - Maybe a midlife crisis?
0:41:01 > 0:41:03I can't afford to buy a motorbike or Porsche,
0:41:03 > 0:41:06so I thought, let's try MasterChef, you know?
0:41:06 > 0:41:08- Third in line, it's not bad.- So...
0:41:08 > 0:41:12Listen, this sounds yummy, to me.
0:41:12 > 0:41:13OK? I wish you the best of luck.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15- Thank you very much. - MONICA:- Good luck, David.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21David is making a chocolate pistachio parfait and then
0:41:21 > 0:41:25he's going to wrap it in a very thin biscuit like a tuile.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29This sounds like a very technical dessert.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32What concerns me is when you put the parfait inside the tuile,
0:41:32 > 0:41:33it's still going to be quite warm.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37It could melt the parfait but if he gets it right, it sounds delicious.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42You have just five minutes.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45That's five minutes to completely plate and finish.
0:41:45 > 0:41:46Five minutes.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Come on, you're cutting it a bit fine, some of you.
0:41:55 > 0:41:56Move!
0:42:10 > 0:42:13These are the final touches to your plate.
0:42:13 > 0:42:14Come on, come on!
0:42:21 > 0:42:23That's it. Stop! Stop!
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Stop!
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Jamie, your turn. Up you come, please, Chef.
0:42:42 > 0:42:4621-year-old chef de partie Jamie's sous-vide hake
0:42:46 > 0:42:49has been served with its crispy fish skin.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53There is a garnish of samphire, sauteed Jersey Royals,
0:42:53 > 0:42:57cockle fritters and a lemon foam.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58Foam is never really always
0:42:58 > 0:43:01the best thing to put on any dish, I don't think.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04It does have a tendency to disappear.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07The fish doesn't look too fantastic, looks like it's a little bit broken.
0:43:07 > 0:43:08I completely agree, yeah.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20Jamie, a basic dish done well is a good thing.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22What we have is a basic dish done very badly.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27The fish cooked like that, in the water bath,
0:43:27 > 0:43:30the texture of it is not pleasant to eat.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33The only good thing I can say about it is it's seasoned well.
0:43:33 > 0:43:34Even the fish skin is burnt.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40The foam has now turned into quite a sharp, vinegary, sharp puddle
0:43:40 > 0:43:44and the potatoes aren't cooked. You do have issues here, Jamie.
0:43:45 > 0:43:46Heart goes out to you.
0:43:49 > 0:43:51The feedback was terrible.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54I didn't need them to tell me where it had gone wrong, I already knew.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58Unfortunately, it's just how it goes. You win some, you lose some.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06Dean, up you come, please.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18Dean has poached and then roasted a chicken breast
0:44:18 > 0:44:21and served it with curried sweet potato puree,
0:44:21 > 0:44:25sweet potato fondants, button onions,
0:44:25 > 0:44:29rehydrated golden raisins and baby pak choi.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32It's finished with a curried veloute.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38A nice presentation, Dean. The sauce has brought it to life.
0:44:38 > 0:44:41It's not what I envisioned in my head, but that's a good thing,
0:44:41 > 0:44:43that's not a bad thing, so I'm really pleased
0:44:43 > 0:44:46with the way you've presented it. It looks good.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53Dean.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56I really like the balance of the mild curry sauce,
0:44:56 > 0:45:00the sweetness of the potato puree and the raisins.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02For me, the raisins really does
0:45:02 > 0:45:04bring the extra bit to your dish here.
0:45:04 > 0:45:08If anything, a pinch more of salt on that chicken breast,
0:45:08 > 0:45:12- but, overall, I think you've done yourself proud today.- Thank you.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15I think the sweet potato is beautifully cooked. Chicken -
0:45:15 > 0:45:17I like the way you did that on the crown
0:45:17 > 0:45:18and then finished it in the pan,
0:45:18 > 0:45:20and the curry sauce is very delicate,
0:45:20 > 0:45:22very mild and I think the lack of warmth has retained
0:45:22 > 0:45:25the beautiful flavours that you've brought on the plate
0:45:25 > 0:45:26and I really like that.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28I like that dish a lot. Well done.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35I love the puree with the chicken, I love how the chicken is cooked.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39Curry sauce with a puree - I'm not convinced.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44I can't find fault with it, but I'm not excited by it.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49Making Marcus smile has, obviously, made my day.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53I feel all right. Feeling good.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56Gayle, would you come and join us, please.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Next, it's Gayle's seafood laksa
0:46:06 > 0:46:09with roasted Scottish langoustine
0:46:09 > 0:46:12and five-spice dusted deep-fried squid,
0:46:12 > 0:46:14served on vermicelli rice noodles,
0:46:14 > 0:46:19with a garnish of red chillies, spring onions and fresh lime.
0:46:22 > 0:46:26I think bowls of food are virtually impossible to present
0:46:26 > 0:46:30in a stylised way, so we've ended up with a great big,
0:46:30 > 0:46:33hearty bowl that doesn't actually look refined.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36Gayle.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Come on.
0:46:41 > 0:46:43This is MasterChef Professionals.
0:46:53 > 0:46:55Gayle, I do love the laksa that you've made,
0:46:55 > 0:46:57but there's just not enough of it in this bowl of food.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00You've got the hotness of the chilli in there,
0:47:00 > 0:47:03the ginger comes through and it's lovely and warm,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06but the rest of the dish just hasn't worked
0:47:06 > 0:47:10and it's not at the level of cooking that I want from you.
0:47:12 > 0:47:17I'm looking for, as a chef, a lot more than some raw chilli on top,
0:47:17 > 0:47:19some raw spring onion, some lime
0:47:19 > 0:47:21and a couple of heads of langoustine.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24That is one of Scotland's best products, a langoustine,
0:47:24 > 0:47:28and I don't think, personally, you've done it any justice.
0:47:28 > 0:47:33You're using Chinese five spice, you've got Thai fish sauce.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35You're mixing the flavours of Asia
0:47:35 > 0:47:37and it's resulting in a very muddied plate.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43I'm feeling disappointed in myself.
0:47:43 > 0:47:48A bit eager, if I do get through, to show them what else I can do.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50Josh, would you come and join us, please.
0:47:58 > 0:48:0223-year-old Josh's signature dish is a rump of lamb
0:48:02 > 0:48:06with heritage carrots prepared three ways -
0:48:06 > 0:48:08an orange carrot puree,
0:48:08 > 0:48:12roasted purple carrots and pickled yellow carrots.
0:48:12 > 0:48:16It's garnished with crisp potatoes, roasted and pickled shallots
0:48:16 > 0:48:20and is served with a lamb sauce made with a mince base.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22It's an intricate detail of garnishing,
0:48:22 > 0:48:25beautifully presented and the beautiful colour of the pink lamb.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26Yep.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35Josh, I love the cooking of the lamb, it's lovely and pink,
0:48:35 > 0:48:37it's been seared.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40That sauce is so intense. There's a lovely shine to it,
0:48:40 > 0:48:43that could be very heavy for the lamb dish,
0:48:43 > 0:48:44but I think it really works well.
0:48:44 > 0:48:49And the roasted purple carrot, I really enjoyed that.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52I'd like to find something wrong with it. No, I wouldn't.
0:48:52 > 0:48:54There's nothing bad that I have to say
0:48:54 > 0:48:56- about this plate of food here, Josh. - Thank you.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01Personally, I wasn't expecting a big, bold, brave,
0:49:01 > 0:49:04kick-ass dish like that from you.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07- Oh, good.- It's got flavour.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10To pull yourself up off the canvas after YOUR skills test,
0:49:10 > 0:49:14and deliver that and smash us all round the chops...
0:49:14 > 0:49:15Good job!
0:49:15 > 0:49:18- Thank you.- I fell in love with that at the first bite.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20At the absolute first bite.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23If that was served up to me, I'd eat that, leave a big tip,
0:49:23 > 0:49:26say, "Thank you," to the kitchen on the way out.
0:49:29 > 0:49:30I was shocked.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33I was doubting my dish, to be honest, when I put it up
0:49:33 > 0:49:36and they loved it. I wasn't expecting it at all.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41Alex, your turn, please. Up you come.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52Alex's dish is pan-fried halibut with a panko and parsley crumb,
0:49:52 > 0:49:56on a thyme-infused potato rosti with a fennel puree
0:49:56 > 0:49:59and a brown shrimp and butter sauce.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03Served with sea purslane, samphire,
0:50:03 > 0:50:06oyster leaves and a cockle veloute.
0:50:08 > 0:50:12- Is there something missing from this plate?- Yeah, there's...
0:50:12 > 0:50:17- cockles and the garnish is missing from it.- You ran out of time?- Yeah.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21It's a real shame but, nonetheless, I still like
0:50:21 > 0:50:24what you've presented to me, even though it looks incomplete.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35I think the fish is beautifully cooked,
0:50:35 > 0:50:39I like the colour that you've got on the top of it and I think that
0:50:39 > 0:50:41the puree is beautiful and rich and smooth
0:50:41 > 0:50:43and almost sweet-like in a way.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45You've really used what you've got on the plate very, very well
0:50:45 > 0:50:50and the other ingredients would've enhanced it to another level.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53Loved the shrimps, the rosti. There's so much flavour in there.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56The heads of the thyme coming through it as well,
0:50:56 > 0:51:01and add to that the sea veg - it's an accomplished dish.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03My feelings are a bit mixed.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07I was so close to getting my actual shellfish garnish on the plate,
0:51:07 > 0:51:08but I ran out of time.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13David, up you come. Dessert time.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Finally, David's dessert is chocolate parfait
0:51:24 > 0:51:27wrapped in tuille biscuit parcel.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30Served with a champagne pink peppercorn sabayon,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34candied pistachios, fresh raspberries,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38chocolate-coated physalis and a sugar spring.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40That parcel doesn't look refined enough for me
0:51:40 > 0:51:44and it's breaking here at the edge. It's a big old lump of a parcel.
0:51:44 > 0:51:47- I don't think we'd get it through the letterbox.- No.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56I like the flavours.
0:51:56 > 0:51:59That chocolate parfait is not too sweet, it's not too bitter,
0:51:59 > 0:52:02I think there's a nice balance, however, the parfait,
0:52:02 > 0:52:06it's not solid, it's gone to liquid. You know, we've got issues here.
0:52:08 > 0:52:12It's got errors all over the plate from having just too many things
0:52:12 > 0:52:16going on and I'd rather, David, that you just focused on the main event.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20A sugar spring is totally unnecessary
0:52:20 > 0:52:23when the main event is not great.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26I would love to love this plate,
0:52:26 > 0:52:28because when you told me what it was,
0:52:28 > 0:52:32I was sold on the idea, but you've not executed it well at all.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38Feeling pretty gutted, to be honest.
0:52:38 > 0:52:43Just messed up badly. I don't know...
0:52:43 > 0:52:44Just a big mess, really.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51Well, a tough day in the MasterChef kitchen.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53I'm going to ask you to step outside
0:52:53 > 0:52:55while we decide which three of you are going through.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Off you go. Thank you, chefs.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11Well, it's fair to say, chefs, it was a day of ups and downs,
0:53:11 > 0:53:13weren't it?
0:53:13 > 0:53:16Not all of it was a disaster. We did get some good plates of food.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19I think Dean definitely was the stronger of our chefs
0:53:19 > 0:53:22- today in both rounds. - Yeah, I think Dean's a good cook.
0:53:22 > 0:53:26I think he works well and he could be the real deal.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30Can I just point out one young fella
0:53:30 > 0:53:34who didn't have a good skills test at all
0:53:34 > 0:53:37and, actually, when he got to cook his own food,
0:53:37 > 0:53:40shone in this competition and that's Josh.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Big, big, big plate of food, big flavours, big, bold
0:53:44 > 0:53:47and not expected from him, so good on Josh.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51- So we put Dean through, we put Josh through.- Absolutely.
0:53:51 > 0:53:56Gayle did not do well in the skills test and she really had to
0:53:56 > 0:53:59bring it in the signature round and, unfortunately, she didn't.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03None of us enjoyed her laksa.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05It was scruffy and I don't believe
0:54:05 > 0:54:07she got the flavours right either. Not great.
0:54:08 > 0:54:14David, I was really excited when I saw him attempting a dessert.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18It tasted OK but it looked scruffy and it didn't work.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21It was a bit of a mess and I'm not too sure whether David really was
0:54:21 > 0:54:23just maybe just trying a little bit too hard today.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26I think we all agree here,
0:54:26 > 0:54:29David and Gayle are definitely out of the competition.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31Jamie, young chef, didn't have a great skills test,
0:54:31 > 0:54:34he had a lot to prove here in his signature dish.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38He made mistakes - undercooked potatoes,
0:54:38 > 0:54:43- foam that didn't quite work.- Gregg, if he can't cook a potato right,
0:54:43 > 0:54:46how are you going to be able to cook some fish?
0:54:46 > 0:54:48Yeah, of course I want to stay in the competition.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51It means a lot to me, but if it's not my time, it's not my time.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53I'll come back again, try again, bigger, better, stronger.
0:54:54 > 0:54:59Alex was so nervous today that it almost crippled him
0:54:59 > 0:55:01and his timing ran away from him.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03He had the clams and the mussels cooked,
0:55:03 > 0:55:05but he didn't get them on the plate.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07Apart from that, what he put on the plate, I thought
0:55:07 > 0:55:11it was actually very good. Great balance of flavour.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14Cooking my own food for the judges was very nerve-racking.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17If I stay, you know, I won't make the same mistake again,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20I'll make sure that everything gets on the plate
0:55:20 > 0:55:21that is meant to be on the plate.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27Which one is going to overcome their issues quicker?
0:55:27 > 0:55:32Is Jamie going to learn quicker than Alex is going to shed his nerves?
0:55:46 > 0:55:50It's not easy coming in here, cooking, but it's about
0:55:50 > 0:55:54who we can take through to the next round
0:55:54 > 0:55:56and that can only be three of you.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01The first chef that is going home is...
0:56:04 > 0:56:05..Gayle.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16The second chef leaving us today is...
0:56:18 > 0:56:21- ..David.- Thank you. - Thank you, David.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34The last chef that is leaving us today is...
0:56:41 > 0:56:42..Jamie.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44- Sorry, Jamie.- Thank you.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53Not feeling too brilliant, of course, but on the day,
0:56:53 > 0:56:55better chefs went through.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57They deserve their place, I didn't do well today.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02Very gutted, to be honest, but, you know, obviously,
0:57:02 > 0:57:04I just had a bad day.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07It's been emotional and it's been stressful and it's been
0:57:07 > 0:57:13a roller-coaster, but I tried, I came, I done it, so there we go.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21Congratulations. Well done. You are MasterChef quarterfinalists.
0:57:27 > 0:57:29Yeah, relieved. Still nervous,
0:57:29 > 0:57:32but...happy I'm in, happy I'm through.
0:57:34 > 0:57:35It was a lot harder than I thought today,
0:57:35 > 0:57:40the pressure, but it has been an incredible experience as well.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43I definitely had a bad start but I brought back.
0:57:43 > 0:57:47It paid off in the end, so, yeah, happy.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51Well done, guys.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56Tomorrow night,
0:57:56 > 0:58:01another six professionals fight for a place in the quarterfinal.
0:58:07 > 0:58:08Sorry, chefs.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13Don't get caught short!
0:58:13 > 0:58:15I like the dish a lot.
0:58:16 > 0:58:18Get it on a plate!
0:58:19 > 0:58:22I reckon I could come back tomorrow morning, you'd still be here.