Episode 14 MasterChef: The Professionals

'It's Professional MasterChef knockout week.'

'Last night, two more chefs were sent home

'leaving the strongest 10.'

Oh, my days.

'Now, they'll be split into two groups...'

'..cooking as a team for a VIP dinner...'

Right, I'm going to plate up.

You're plating it? I thought I had Arnaud plating?

'..before returning to fight for their place in the competition.'

Wow. What a punch of flavour you have brought to the table.

I think I'm getting a lot better with the pressure.

If I can keep calm and keep focused and I can cook to my best ability.

The competition is ridiculous right now and I want to be able

to set myself apart from everyone else.

I totally didn't, in my wildest dreams, think that I would be on

the verge of being in the semifinals of MasterChef: The Professionals.

I want to see excitement in their cooking. They can't play it safe.

This is when they have to really stand out

from the crowd to be noticed.

Chefs, welcome to the Royal Society Of Medicine.

We've seen you cook as individuals all the way through

the competition but today you're going to have to

work together as a team.

You are here to cook a three course fine dining dinner

for the president and his five guests.

We really want you to impress them today.

It's going to have to be good. Off you go.

Cooking for the president of the Medical Society...

This guy saves thousands of lives potentially

all around the planet so, you know, the pressure's on, isn't it?

I'm really excited about working with these guys.

The wealth of experience that we got between the five of us

is going to be incredible and we're not on our own,

we're in a team today, so, you know, we live and die by that.

'The chefs only have 30 minutes to plan the three course menu.'

-Mm, Interesting.

-Dover sole, man. Nice.

With bread?

'The president of The Royal Society Of Medicine is a vegetarian

'so all courses the chefs create must have a vegetarian option.'

What for the starter, a gazpacho?

-There's some, like, really clean, pickled veg.

-Beautiful.

The amount of ingredients here.

I've got two ideas. I've got sole and I've got lamb.

-Are you going lamb, now?

-Well, two ideas. Just before we start.

I think lamb is better, personally.

For the vegetarian, I'm thinking a miso mash... Asparagus.

But I'm also thinking pear.

How about we make our college cauliflower ice cream as amuse-bouche?

-So cauli-bouche, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

-Great idea.

'As well as the three the team has decided to push themselves

'and add another two dishes to their menu.'

Guys, we've asked you to do three courses.

Why have you introduced a pre-starter and a pre-dessert?

We want to exceed your expectations and that's why we've decided to

-go down the route of five courses.

-Who's the head chef?

That's... I mean, that's not really something we've discussed.

It's been very much a team effort.

You have two hours before your first course is due.

-I suggest you get moving, good luck.

-Right, come on. Let's have it.

-Talk, talk, talk, talk.

-Communication is the key here.

They've got a lot of work, haven't they?

They've got a lot of work to do.

Two extra dishes plus the vegetarian

on top of the original three courses...

Every 20 minutes, there's got to be a course going out of this kitchen.

-I'll be pretty impressed if they can pull that off.

-Yeah.

Has anyone got a timer on?

And then we can see where we're at in an hour.

-Matt?

-Oh, OK.

'Rich is taking charge of the first extra course.

'A cauliflower ice cream pre-starter.'

'The cauliflower is on to cook and he's made

'a start on the ice cream base.'

There's a puree going through the ice cream, I don't want it over set.

And just learn to give it a pass so it's nice and smooth

and then I'm going to get it frozen in the ice cream machine.

Rich, what goes with ice cream, then?

It's literally a cauliflower base and then

I'm going to spice with a bit of nutmeg.

The ice cream's going to sit on cauliflower?

It's going to sit on cauliflower couscous.

-It's all about the cauliflower.

-It's all about cauliflower.

What did everyone think when you came up with an ice cream to start this menu off with?

-The actually all went yeah, that sounds a great idea.

-Rubbish!

-They did! I promise you, I promise you.

-Get out of the way.

They may have said it but I'm sure that's not that they were thinking.

OK, well, they should have said something because it's too late now!

LAUGHTER

The pre-starter is intriguing.

It's different because the mind says ice cream is sweet,

this ice cream is going to have a savoury feeling all about it

so already they're playing on

the minds of our guests, right from the word get go.

It's a palate cleanser all about a cauliflower so

if there's a lot of that you'll have that taste of cauliflower

before you've started the main course.

'Matt is also racing through the prep for his starter of gazpacho

'with pickled vegetables.'

I don't know how I feel about putting chilli into this.

-Yeah, definitely, man.

-Like, one, split.

-Just one, yes.

'Usually, gazpacho is marinated overnight to maximise its flavour

'but Matt only has a couple of hours to perfect his.'

I'm just going to make a quick little veg stock now just

so we get as much labour as we can into the gazpacho and then

I want to make a really, light, sort of roasted pepper and tomato base.

It's quite delicate but it's going to pack a lot of flavour.

I do you like the sound of what Matt's doing.

He's sweating off the onions and he's sweating off the garlic

to get the maximum flavour in the short period of time that he's got

to marinate the soup. My main concern is a cold starter

straight after a cold ice cream of cauliflower...

That would be my only reservation.

'On the other side of the kitchen, Wayne and Arnaud are butchering

'the meat for their main course of lamb cooked three ways.'

We've got the belly and we've got the sweetbreads to go on this

so I'm only thinking, like, literally, one cutlet each.

-So, we'll take it up to here.

-Yeah.

The most important thing about lamb three ways is making sure

that you can taste all three elements - the braised lamb

has got to be beautiful and tender,

the sweetbreads, you can't afford for them to be overcooked because

they'll be like rubber. If they're undercooked, they'll be all slimy.

And then of course the loin has got to be served pink

but the most important thing with lamb is a good sauce.

'With the lamb breast on to braise, Wayne can make

'a start on the extensive prep for the garnish.'

So, tell me, what are we doing?

Currently, I'm preparing artichokes for our barigoule.

We've got Jerusalem artichoke puree,

roasted cep and girolle mushrooms, braised baby gem and peas.

-Baby gem and peas with a barigoule?

-Yes.

-OK.

Barigoule normally has a little sauce to go with it but

he hasn't really thought about that yet, whether the barigoule

is just going to be pretty little artichokes on top of a puree,

or is it going to be completely separate?

He needs to start thinking how this plate of food is going to look.

'As well as the pre-starter, Rich has also taken on the challenge

'of creating the vegetarian main course for the host.

'Its ingredients are pairs and asparagus

'with a miso mash and a ginger emulsion.'

Rich, a fabulous complement to an asparagus dish

is always a poached egg.

-What stopped you from doing that?

-Because it's normal.

My mum's a vegetarian, she hates asparagus with poached egg.

This guy, I predict,

has been everywhere and probably seen everything by now

and doesn't want that sort of run-of-the-mill vegetarian food.

I certainly wouldn't, so I wanted to do something a little bit different.

'Arnaud is not only working on the main course, he's also in charge

'of the second extra course.'

A pre-dessert of creme brulee with the gooseberry compote.

So, I think, there's got to be a bit of texture.

I want a bit of biscuit or some kind of crumb to go with this pre-desert.

'The final course is a Caribbean baked Alaska.'

I am thrilled to be on a dessert today, yes, I've never been so happy

to see some flour and sums sugar in my life so, yes, I'm chuffed.

'Zoe has come up with a cake recipe using chocolate and cardamom

'that will form the base of the dessert.'

Zoe, what are you making?

I've got my mango puree on the go and then I'm shortly going

to get on my coconut ice cream and then just some different little

bits of garnish so we've got the pistachio paste and some

white chocolate which I'm going to decorate with lime zest

-and some black sesame seeds.

-Sounds like a lot of work.

-Yes.

-Are you going to have some help on this?

Yes, I think we've got Arnaud first so I'm going to flip in between

that whilst I'm doing this.

Right, Arnaud? Arnaud! You need to push it, Zoe needs you on here soon.

I'll be there, yes.

Don't be afraid to tell the lads what to do in here, yeah?

Absolutely not, you know, girls have to be 10 times tougher

-in a kitchen than a man does so...

-Yeah, you know it.

'The Royal Society Of Medicine was founded in 1805.'

'It has had a distinguished members including honorary

'fellows Charles Darwin, Louis Pasteur and Sigmund Freud.'

'Today, the society is at the forefront of life-changing

'and life-saving discoveries in the medical world.'

We put on a number of events each year,

many of which are catered and we certainly eat well.

The cooks are under a lot of pressure because they want

to do well and they know that we expect a fantastic meal.

So, we'll wait with anticipation.

So we've got an hour until the first course goes out.

-Are you all on track, Rich?

-Yeah, I'm...

-You're cool?

Yeah, I'm just going to get this softened

then I'm ready to blitz and pickle that so in about half an hour

-a spare pair of hands.

-I'm doing pre-desert.

If you want a hand plating up, I just need to get my sponge on,

that's really the main thing now so that's all right.

Chefs, you've got 50 minutes for your first course to go out.

ALL: Yes, Chef!

'On the meat main, the lamb breast has finished braising

'and Arnaud is working on the sauce.'

Because my sauce is a bit weak but once we put

a bit of butter in there...

Yeah, I know, I really want this to be a "Mmph!" sauce.

-It will. That will.

-Do you need all this liquid?

-No.

-No? OK.

So, think like a chef, to get maximum flavour in that sauce, OK?

Yes.

'There's now less than an hour until service.

'First up will be Rich.'

That ice cream is in, it's working, it's about 10 minutes off,

put in the blast freezer, I'll get some rochers done and then they

can sit in the freezer ready to go. Cauliflower couscous is done,

the charred cauliflower to garnish with is done, job done, boxed off.

'Meanwhile, Matt is still refining the flavours

'of his gazpacho starter.'

-Is too intense?

-No, no, not at all.

It's lovely.

Oh!

There's not a lot of liquid in there, is there?

-Is this just a marinade?

-Yeah, but I've got a veg stock to bring

into it to get more from it.

-Is the veg stock chilling down?

-No, it's not.

Honestly, time just goes just so fast,

just so fast and you just forget.

'Rich is juggling the pre-starter and cooking the vegetarian main.'

OK, I've got the miso mash, I've got the pear,

I've got the blanch variations of asparagus,

-I got a little pickle there, and I've got the ginger butter.

-Yeah.

We're doing it. I don't not how we're doing it, but we're doing it.

Oh, no! Sponge!

'In the pastry section, Zoe has made the chocolate sponge

'but still has three main elements to make for the baked Alaska.'

Tempering some chocolate now, these are going to be little shards that

are going to come around the dish, sponge is done, it's cooling down.

Arnaud is helping me out now, he's on the meringue.

My ice cream mixer is now on the go,

I just need to get that chilled down and get

that churning as quick as possible. That's my only main worry right now.

'Arnaud is also making great progress with the pre-dessert.'

-What's in the bottom?

-Creme brulee.

-And what's this.

-A chilled berry compote.

-So that's cooked?

-It just hasn't been set, it's cooked.

-In the oven?

And then we've got the apple gel for on top of it.

If we have time, we'll make a little nougat or something for texture.

-We'll see how we get on with the rest.

-Cool.

You have just 30 minutes before your first course is due to be served.

-It went in cold.

-It went in cold but it's not churned yet.

But it's not churned yet, no.

'Time is ticking away and the cauliflower ice cream

'for the pre-starter is still not set.'

It's been in for a long time now.

-OK, you're going to have to get that...

-Big-time.

This is your first course, this is the course you didn't need to do.

I'm just paranoid about it not setting,

it looks too loose. It's been in for a while now as well.

-Is it the mix, though?

-It could be the mix, it could be.

-Arnaud, are you pretty much on it, are you?

-Yeah, I am on it, yeah.

Marcus and I would have been impressed with three perfect

courses, five is the added pressure that might just send our

chefs down a spiral that we don't want to see them go on.

Chefs, listen up, I'd like you to know that your guests have arrived.

Have you done your ward runs and stuff today?

I did my rounds, yes.

What are we hoping for today, do you think?

-I am hoping for great innovation.

-Hmm, OK.

-Something I've not had before.

-Yes.

-Me, too.

And plenty of it!

With service imminent, the first course is still up in the air.

You have 20 minutes before this ice cream is due to be served.

You need to make a decision as a team -

are you going to chance it and just leave it in here

and see what happens in 20 minutes?

-Worst case scenario - have we got a canister...

-A gas gun.

A gas gun that we can pop it in?

And then pop it in the blast freezer before it goes...

-That's a perfect idea.

-Let's do that, well done.

It's started to go.

20 minutes could be the difference between a set ice cream and not,

at the end of the day, so if it is set, it's set.

If it's not, if it's a little bit loose,

we're going to blast freeze it.

It'll be aerated and frozen - it should be, in theory.

That's the best we can do at this stage.

The pressure's on and if this ice cream is not what they want,

none of these chefs are going to be happy.

Unfortunately, it's going to have a ripple effect

through the whole menu.

There we go.

On the main course, there's still concern

about the quality of the sauce.

Should it be boiling like that?

It shouldn't be boiling.

-I think something else has gone into it.

-What is it?

-I think more liquid has gone from the pan.

-Oh, no.

No, no, no, all I've done...

All I've put in there was that and then I've reduced brandy right down.

-OK.

-There's no more liquid gone into it.

-Literally what was in that has gone into that. That's all.

-OK.

-It'll be fine.

-We've still got time.

Chefs, you've got seven minutes for your first course.

This does not look like a kitchen that's about to start service.

In seven minutes, I want to see the first course up.

Right, it sounds like we're starting with

an essence of cauliflower as an amuse bouche,

which is a challenge cos I actually don't like cauliflower.

Try and do it in that corner if you can.

I think it's going to be something looking very light,

but actually probably tasting absolutely fantastic.

-Full of flavour.

-Yeah. You may be a convert to the cauliflower.

-Ice cream?

-Coming now, Chef.

You got it?

You've got less than two minutes.

Well, that last ten minutes has just saved their bacon.

-Happy, Rich? It's worked?

-Praying to the ice cream gods!

What else is there to go on here?

Just the basil oil and the cauliflower.

-Come on, come on, come on.

-Let's go, guys. Cheers.

The amuse bouche is cauliflower ice cream,

rainbow cauliflower couscous

and caramelised cauliflower shavings, finished with a basil oil.

-Very beautifully presented.

-It is.

-It's lovely.

It looks great, doesn't it?

And nothing like a cauliflower, which is wonderful.

The main body of it isn't as much flavour

-as I thought it was going to be.

-It's very salty.

It's dominated by salt

and you don't get the strength of the cauliflower

-that you might have anticipated.

-Yeah.

To start a meal with it, I think I'm not sure about that.

So, you're not a fan of salty cauliflower?

It hasn't converted me as yet.

That's a big plate.

Quite a bit of seasoning in the background.

I find that the actual ice cream doesn't have the impact

or the flavour, but because he's got the shavings,

it really does follow through

and you've got the cauliflower flavour there.

Matt, you've got 15 minutes for the next course - your course.

Yes, Chef.

I love gazpacho so I have very high hopes of this.

I'm interested in these pickled baby vegetables.

I think they'll make or break it.

Why is there garnish on the edge of that plate?

We wanted the bowl to be a little bit shallower

and ideally to go across.

-How do you eat it?

-Just push it in. Get involved.

Guys, you have three minutes before the next course is ready.

Backs.

Do you want more in the bowl? You want more in the bowl?

-Matt...

-Gaaah!

Er, guys, you're cutting this very fine.

-Are we ready?

-Yeah, let's go. Service, please.

The starter is red pepper and tomato gazpacho.

Served with pickled vegetables, there's baby beetroot,

heirloom tomato and chilli,

finished with basil oil and a beetroot pickling liquor.

The smell is phenomenal. Oh, it's so intense and... Yes, it's beautiful.

-Absolutely beautiful.

-Oh, yum-yum!

Mmm!

And I really like the flavour of the basil oil

and I think that the red that was going through it,

I think that is intense beetroot.

That's a lovely combination.

The pickled vegetables work really, really well in this

and it's got a lovely texture.

That is an outstanding gazpacho,

possibly one of the best I've ever had.

It really does take gazpacho to another level.

You can taste the sweetness of the tomatoes

and the roasted pepper coming through. I think it's a nice soup.

It's a really well made gazpacho.

-I wasn't very happy with that starter.

-Why?

-I don't know.

-It looked beautiful.

-It tasted amazing.

Yeah, so what are you worrying about?

All right, guys, clean down and get ready.

Main course is going 20 minutes from now.

On the vegetarian main, Zoe is helping Rich

by caramelising the pears

while he puts the finishing touches to the asparagus.

That's a very unusual dish.

I don't think I've ever had this combination of asparagus, miso

and ginger and so I think that's going to be a very interesting dish.

Now, Wayne and Arnaud need to cook the lamb to perfection for the main.

Right, good caramelisation on that, OK.

44 degrees at 160, all right?

There is still a debate between them over how to finish the lamb sauce.

-The thing is, look at the layer of fat on top of it.

-Yeah.

If we add butter into that, that's going to be more fat.

It'll thicken it, yeah, for sure.

I would put butter in, but if you're happy with it, keep it to that.

-See? It's raw.

-Just stick it on 200. Just get it in there.

-Are we going to be ready?

-Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef.

Wayne, how are we looking?

Yeah, we're about four minutes off, I think.

The main course - lamb three ways?

It'll be interesting to see what the three ways are

because most of us love lamb, I guess,

but to make it really interesting will be the challenge here.

I can see the meat and the sauce. Where's the garnish?

Everything's going to be cooked in about one minute.

Do you want to plate with him so then we can get it out quicker?

-Yeah, sure.

-Yeah?

Chefs, can I just a question?

Do we know what this plate of food is going to look like?

-And, if so, who's in charge?

-Right, I'm going to plate it.

You're plating it? I thought I just heard Arnaud plating.

Are you going to plate it, Arnaud?

-I need to do the nougatine.

-OK, fine.

I'm going to plate up the main course for the vegetarian now.

-Right, OK.

-Both of them. You ready?

-Yeah, let's go.

All right, guys, we are supposed to be going. The guests are waiting.

Yes, Chef.

-How's the lamb?

-It's a touch overcooked.

-Who cooked the lamb?

A team effort, that one was.

-Are you going to serve it?

-I'm going to serve it cos...

You're going to serve overcooked lamb?

Well, it's part of the dish, unfortunately.

I'm really disappointed with the cooking of the lamb, though.

Service, please.

Come on.

The main course is lamb three ways -

roast loin,

braised breast

and pan-fried sweetbread,

Jerusalem artichoke puree with a garnish of artichoke barigoule,

charred baby gem and peas,

finished with a lamb and Armagnac reduction.

The vegetarian main course is pickled asparagus ribbons

and spears on a miso mash with caramelised pear,

a soy and chilli reduction and a ginger emulsion.

Once again,

I think they've absolutely won with presentation again.

That's really strong and it's almost a sort of organised chaos.

I'm really looking forward to trying it.

The presentation is absolutely fantastic.

I'm trying to work out what's what here.

There are some things here that are obviously going to be a surprise.

Yes, vegetarian food is often sometimes the better option.

-I'd be very curious to see how...

-You're jealous already, aren't you?

I am jealous! I am jealous! I'm sort of thinking, "Ooh!"

So, I think the actual fillet is beautifully cooked.

I would probably have mine a little bit pinker.

Personally, I would have liked it maybe a little less cooked.

But flavour, quality of meat -

it's absolutely superb.

-This is absolutely delicious.

-So, what flavours do you have in that?

Well, you can taste the ginger,

you can taste the miso and the asparagus is perfectly cooked.

But it really is delicious and very unusual.

-Oh, how lovely!

-So, you can stay jealous.

The lamb fillet is slightly over, but I love the sauce

and I love the sweetbreads - my two favourite things on this place.

The sauce is nice, it's got a lovely flavour in the background.

I think all the effort was worth it.

Guys, don't take your foot off the pedal.

Let's go.

It's a pre-dessert. I hope it is sort of more a dessert than pre!

It's got things I absolutely love - gooseberry, apple and creme brulee.

I would have chosen that on a menu

so I have high expectations of that.

All right, guys, pass them this way, then I can cream them,

otherwise I've got to get in between you.

Yes, Chef.

-Yep, time's up now. Yep, ready?

-Ready to go, yeah.

-You happy with that, Arnaud?

-It's exactly what we wanted to do.

-Yep?

Yes. Service, please.

The pre-dessert is creme brulee with gooseberry compote, apple gel

and Chantilly cream, topped with macadamia and hazelnut nougatine.

-Mm-hm.

-The secret is to delve.

-Mmm.

-This is stunning.

-This is exceeding my expectations.

The fantastic flavour of gooseberries there,

but it goes so well with the apple and the creme and the brulee.

This is clever, this is very good.

Well, I think this is a surprise

and it's a jolly good surprise and I'd like more of it, please.

It's delicious and the levels...

I think Arnaud's done so well here,

running around and helping out on every section,

yet still being able to focus on his course.

All five chefs can now pull together to get out the final course.

-It tastes good, Zoe.

-Is it set?

-No, it's not set yet.

-At all?

Yeah, it is set partially.

The ice cream hasn't chilled down as much as we'd like.

It's obviously really hot in here today and unfortunately

the blast chiller isn't as great as we thought it would be.

Zoe, do you want me to get them onto a tray

and then get them blast frozen sort of solid?

-You can, yeah.

-Yeah?

Dessert is a Caribbean baked Alaska.

The baked Alaska I understand,

the Caribbean twist is going to be curious.

I think it's a great way to end a menu because none of us know

what it's going to be, really, so that really will be a surprise.

-Yeah.

-How runny is that ice cream?

-Take a look.

-I didn't want to open the door any more.

-Oh, man!

-Exactly.

So, shut the door, let it freeze like that and then set it on top.

-How are we doing?

-Yeah, we're ready to go.

I'm going to start plating up on garnish now.

The ice cream could set a little bit harder,

but unfortunately it's not quite cold enough in that blast chiller.

All right, you going to leave it to the last minute?

-Last minute, yeah, absolutely.

-Let's go out with a bang, yeah?

Absolutely.

Is this all pending on the ice cream setting in time?

This is pending on the ice cream setting in time, absolutely.

Chefs, we've got a couple of minutes left. Are we going to be ready?

Yes, Chef. We're going to be ready, aren't we? Yes, Chef.

Coconut's on the pass.

Ooh...

Are you happy with the ice cream?

I could be happier with it, but it's OK. It's going to stay put.

That ice cream should be rock hard

before it goes inside a baked Alaska.

Are you willing to send it out?

I don't think we've got another choice

-at the moment.

-OK, let's go, guys.

-Can anyone else do the...

-Yeah, guys, can we get...

Let's get the ice cream going. This is what it needs to look like.

Another blowtorch, quickly.

We've got to go now, guys. Go, go, go.

MAN SIGHS

That was a struggle, weren't it?

Anyway...

-Oh, wow!

-Oh, my gosh!

Look at this!

Dessert is Caribbean baked Alaska.

A chocolate and cardamom cake,

topped with coconut ice cream and Italian meringue,

served with mango puree, pistachio cream and white chocolate shards.

It's phenomenal.

It's so much anticipation now about what this contains

because there could be all sorts of hidden gems in there

and we don't know what it is. I think it looks gorgeous.

-Wow! Now, that is a surprise.

-Oh, wow!

-It's quite heavy and there's not enough ice cream.

-Mmm.

There's a base of cake, which is nice, but there's a lot of it

and then meringue and those are the two dominant features of this dish.

I would have preferred to have finished with the gooseberry.

-Yes, definitely.

-Yeah.

I don't recall ever receiving a dessert this big,

unless my mum was making it for my brothers and I.

The sponge is a little bit on the thick side,

the meringue is beautiful and light.

We all know baked Alaska works when it's done well.

Unfortunately, today, it just didn't quite work for Zoe

and the team because this was a team effort.

-Well done, guys.

-Not bad at all.

-We done good.

-That was good.

APPLAUSE

On behalf of my colleagues,

I'd like to start by thanking you all for a wonderful meal.

We've thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

If this was a restaurant, I think all of us would come back.

Thank you very much indeed. Thank you.

That was a tough day in the kitchen today.

This challenge was never going to be easy.

I thought they did a great job.

Yes, they added an extra two courses,

which just added the extra pressure that was not needed.

There were issues in the kitchen, but they worked them out.

We've all shown that we're not here to make the numbers up.

The idea of pushing ourselves was to be able to demonstrate that

to Marcus and Monica and to each other, really.

It's been great making a bond with the guys,

but it is a competition so it's not going to be a problem

for me going back in the MasterChef Kitchen at all.

I want to win!

Working as part of a brigade was great,

but we do all know that it is an individual competition

and, at the end of the day, someone has to go home and it will be sad

to see them leave, but hopefully it won't be me.

This competition's become very addictive

and I want more and more and more

and if it's the last day today, I'll be very disappointed.

The semifinal is literally one judgment away

and I don't want to mess that up.

Chefs, it was really, really good to watch you cook as a team.

You're now on your own. This is it - the showstopper dish.

This plate of food between you and the semifinal.

You have 90 minutes and it's got to be your best dish yet.

Off you go.

Matt's food is super-simple in its presentation,

but it certainly packs big flavour.

I think if he just adds a few more elements, a couple of twists

into his food and we're going to be in for some special eating today.

I guess the simplicity of my food

means that I haven't got anything to hide behind.

Everything's got to be on point, seasoned perfectly.

I've put my head on the block.

But hopefully, fingers crossed, it's my day again today.

-Matt.

-Hello.

-What is your showstopper dish today?

Roasted halibut, spinach, samphire, lobster bisque sauce.

I'm doing an aioli with that and Spanish carabineros prawns.

I like the sounds of the dish,

I love the ingredients that you're using,

but there's nowhere to hide on this dish, is there?

No, there's nowhere to hide

and that's what I've said from the start -

that I'm not masking it with anything.

I'm just sort of wearing my heart on my sleeve with the food that I do.

I'm surprised to be this far so I'm just going to enjoy myself

and hopefully deliver you a phenomenal dish today

-as a

-showstopper. Let's hope so.

The halibut is a beautiful flat fish.

We want it lovely and moist and just falling apart.

The carabinero prawns, if he cooks them just right,

they'll have the beautiful bright red colour coming through.

You don't want the bisque to be too reduced,

you don't want it to be too rich.

The bisque could kill this dish if it's too strong.

Chefs, you've had 20 minutes. 20 minutes gone.

Arnaud as a chef is growing through the competition.

If Arnaud can keep developing his style,

we're going to be in for a great plate of food today.

I feel I need to be a lot more forceful in my cooking.

I need to fine tune it.

At this time in the competition now, there's no space for mistakes.

Arnaud, what is your showstopper dish?

So, my dish is roasted quail and langoustine

with caramelised endive and quail agnolotti.

-Agnolotti?

-Yes.

-Where has this dish come from?

I love langoustines and I love quail so a bit of a dilemma

and, actually, quail and langoustines work really well,

but they are both quite sweet in flavour

so my food process is introducing an endive

should balance out both flavours.

Can you manage that? Cos you're all about big, bold flavours.

I've realised that all the dishes I've done so far

have been very bold and very strong.

I need to show you that I'm a more delicate chef as well.

-Are you nervous?

-I'm not nervous. One has got to go.

Hopefully, it's not me.

If it is me, I've done quite good.

I like the idea of the fact that Arnaud's using the whole quail.

He's making a sauce

that he can glaze these beautiful little ballotines

that he's going to make with the quail leg.

He's also going to be making some little agnolotti of quail.

Agnolotti is a beautiful, delicate little parcel and you want three,

maybe five little ones on the plate.

You're going to have a very bitter endive,

which is going to braise down.

It sometimes can just overpower the other flavours on the plate.

Arnaud wants to show us his delicate side.

I just hope he can because if this bouillabaisse sauce

is too strong or too heavy, it can overtake the whole dish.

Chefs, 40 minutes have gone. You have 50 minutes left.

Rich is an exciting chef.

He loves to push the barriers with his food from the countries

that he's very passionate about. He has some amazing ideas.

I love the way this chef makes me think about food.

That's why he's still here.

You think that you know yourself when you get to my age

and this competition is showing me that you really don't.

I'm growing with it and it's teaching me a hell of a lot

about myself as a person, that's for sure.

Today, I'm going to do a bacon dashi risotto.

I'm doing that with half-poached langoustine tails

with a black garlic emulsion and some avocado puree.

And there's grapefruit in the risotto.

Grapefruit juice instead of lemon or lime, yeah.

-I've never had a dish like this. Have you?

-No.

-But that's not surprising coming from you, Rich.

-Yeah.

-Do you really think this dish has it?

-I think so.

The flavour combinations with the risotto,

I think it's an amazing dish and I hope you guys do, too.

Wow! There's a lot happening on this plate of food.

Grapefruit is the one ingredient here that I'm not too sure about.

Grapefruit is a very strong, acidic flavour.

A risotto as a showstopper? I'm not yet convinced.

But if there's one thing we know about Rich,

it's that he's always pushed us to think outside of the box,

to challenge us when we are eating his food.

I'm worried, I'm excited and I'm nervous.

Chefs, you've got half an hour left for your showstopper dish.

We've seen some fabulous cookery from Wayne in this competition.

This chef has really come into his own.

His food is big, it's bold, it has depth of flavour.

He really wants to stay in the competition

and go through to the semifinals. He is hungry for that place.

I don't think anybody cooking now is going to be making any mistakes

so you have to make sure that everything you do

is absolutely perfect.

I'm feeling confident, I'm feeling happy and I'm quite calm

that I've got it within me to do that.

Wayne, showstopper dish - what is it?

I'm doing roasted pork tenderloin with langoustines,

burnt onion, pea puree, apple and chorizo salad and endive.

Where's this dish from, Wayne?

This is a dish that I've been toying with for a while so, yeah,

I think it's time to unleash it.

Wow! Salad, pork, langoustine -

there's also a bisque going on there as well.

There are three bisques in this kitchen today.

Wayne's got to get this tasting delicious.

I've not had bisque with pork before

so this is going to be an interesting tasting for me.

Pork tenderloin, I'm always a little bit wary.

It's a very lean meat with hardly any fat in it whatsoever.

It's got to be spot on.

Chefs, you've got 20 minutes left.

The further and further you get in this journey,

the more commitment you find yourself giving it

because, you know, you are so close to that finishing line.

So, yeah, I'm giving this competition

everything I've got at the moment.

Zoe, our development chef who's gaining more confidence

as the competition has gone on. I admire her spirit.

She's come in here ready to fight it out for that place in the semifinal.

-How are you, Zoe?

-I'm very well, thank you.

-Cooking with a smile.

I'm always cooking with a smile when it's dessert.

What are you making for us, then?

So, today is going to be my take on high tea so I'm doing you

a pistachio and olive oil cake, which will be covered

with a chocolate golden dome and then I'm doing you

a raspberry jam jelly with chocolate macaroons, chocolate gravel,

white chocolate sesame seed mousse and a chai chocolate tea,

-which we'll pour over the dome.

-You are pushing yourself, Zoe.

It's the showstopper and if today is not a day to push yourself,

then I don't know what is so I'm going all out today.

The theatre that Zoe is bringing to this dessert

is when she's going to pour the tea over the chocolate dome.

It should melt away to reveal something beautiful underneath.

Pistachio and olive oil cake - this is a cake of balance.

It needs to be moist. You can't afford to have it too dry.

You want to taste the pistachio and the richness of olive oil.

Chocolate work takes a lot of skill.

We know it goes very warm within this kitchen.

She's got to get the temperatures right of that chocolate

so it's going to hold.

The important thing with the macaroons is the texture.

They should be crunchy, yet still very soft in the middle.

You have just five minutes left.

Chefs, you've got two minutes.

That's it. Time's up. Step back.

-You all right?

-No.

Come on.

I think my mousse didn't set hard enough.

You can't change anything now.

First up is Wayne, serving pan-fried pork loin with poached langoustines.

There's a salad of endive, chorizo and apple, fresh peas,

a pea puree and charred onion.

It's finished with a langoustine bisque.

Overall, the combination of flavours -

the pork, the langoustine,

the freshness of the apple on the plate

and the lovely background flavour of the chorizo - I really like.

The pork's beautifully cooked.

It's getting a little bit dark around the outside.

The bisque is big and bold in flavour.

It's a strong, rich sauce, almost a little bit too strong,

but then the chorizo and the apple sort of brings it all back.

I'm liking this dish, I'm just not loving it.

The langoustines with the pork work very well.

I think you've just been a bit heavy-handed

on this very strong bisque sauce.

I hope I've done enough with that dish.

I haven't made any mistakes, it's just small little detail.

So, yeah, hopefully I've done enough.

Next, Arnaud has prepared quail three ways - a ballotine of thigh,

pan-fried breast

and agnolotti pasta filled with quail

and pickled walnut, served with roasted langoustines,

braised endive and broad beans,

finished with a bouillabaisse sauce and a quail reduction.

Can I just say I really like the presentation?

You wanted to show a lighter side, a lighter touch

and you've achieved that within dressing your plate of food.

I think the quail has been cooked beautifully.

The breast is lovely and pink.

You still captured that sweetness that a langoustine has

when it's been cooked perfectly.

I think you've done a great job here.

I like the combination of the quail and the langoustine -

I've not had that before. I definitely think it works.

For me, I felt the pasta parcel was a little bit flat

and probably not needed on this plate.

You were juggling with the sauce and with bisque and weren't too sure

which way to go and I think you're just

a little bit unsure of your own self.

I'm very confident with my dish today.

I think it's worthy of the semifinals,

but that's just my opinion.

I just hope that they're going to give me a shot

and give me another chance.

Matt's dish is roast halibut, poached lobster,

Spanish carabineros prawn

with a garnish of samphire and spinach,

served with lobster bisque and a garlic aioli.

Matt, I've got to say

-that is a very, very simple looking plate of food.

-Yeah.

But what a punch of flavour you have brought to the table. Wow!

-Thank you.

-It's big and bold and absolutely full of great execution.

I love the sweetness of the bisque.

It's dark and earthy and almost angry.

The fish is beautifully cooked, but what I think is very clever

is the way the aioli cuts through

the richness of that big, bold bisque.

You've made a wonderful bisque and aioli,

but there's got to be something more to this dish

and I hope you're going to find that in you, OK?

I think I won the battle of the bisques.

So I think, from a flavour point of view, it was a showstopper.

From a visual point of view, maybe not so much.

Rich has made a bacon dashi risotto with Parma ham crisps,

poached langoustine, confit pickled quail's egg yolks,

pickled black radish, avocado puree

and a black garlic emulsion,

finished with grapefruit juice and a chilli and avocado powder.

Well, Rich, I've got to say I don't think I've ever seen

a risotto look like that before.

The cookery of the risotto, I think it was very good.

I like the bacon and the dashi that comes through.

The grapefruit is not evident for me, which I think is a good thing.

You've got the black garlic and the avocado,

but there's not enough of those elements

to actually make this an outstanding risotto.

I think this is the type of dish that Monica and I

could debate all day long because it's just so out there.

I like the cooking of the rice,

I like the dashi and the bacon going through it.

I love the beautiful langoustines that you've put on top

and I like the bacon crisps.

I think everything around the outside of the plate

doesn't really need to be there.

Monica and I are going to need

to debate this one a little bit further.

It's hard to take on the chin.

It's like, you know, your dad telling you you're rubbish.

At the same time, you've got to listen to all the positive things

that they say, too, otherwise the competition would ruin you,

-wouldn't it?

-HE CHUCKLES

Finally, Zoe's dessert is a pistachio and olive oil cake

covered with a golden chocolate dome,

accompanied by chocolate gravel, chocolate macaroons,

raspberry jelly and a white chocolate and sesame seed mousse.

It is served with a chai chocolate tea.

What happened to the mousse?

It melted.

This has the making of a really good dish.

The macaroons are a little bit on the hard side.

I love the flavour of them, though.

I love the raspberry tang in the jelly.

The mousse has melted a little bit,

but it still adds a nice flavour onto the plate.

Where's the cake? Where's the pistachio cake?

You had a beautiful piece of cake on your bench and you've cut it

all down to this little incy-wincy portion. Zoe... Aargh!

You've tried so hard,

you've given us so much and you're running round at 10,000mph.

I just wish you'd have slowed down a little bit.

The pistachio cake, the raspberry jelly

and the flavours of the chocolate all work,

but the execution has let you down.

You needed to pace yourself.

You were getting really stressed in the last 5-10 minutes.

You can't afford to let that catch up with you

because it'll cost you your plate of food at the end of the day.

I knew that dish wasn't perfect when I put it up, you know.

It's heartbreaking.

It's heartbreaking when you know how good that could have been

so, yeah, not a great day.

I think our chefs really felt the pressure in the kitchen today.

The tension of the competition is massive right now.

Wayne has started to grow in confidence

and it's starting to show within his cooking.

Everything was beautifully cooked on the plate today from Wayne.

I just wasn't 100% convinced that the sauce worked with this dish.

I really enjoy Arnaud's cookery.

I understand the classic background that he has.

What I want to see from Arnaud

is the refinement of his fabulous cookery.

That was a first for me, quail with langoustines.

It actually worked very well.

I was disappointed there was not enough of that bisque

to taste on the plate, but Arnaud is getting there.

Every time he comes back in this kitchen, he's getting stronger.

Matt's cooking is very good, but when you give me a plate of food

that looks like it did today, it's predictable.

You and I knew exactly what we were going to eat with Matt's dish.

We knew exactly what it was going to taste like

and there was no surprise.

This is for a place in the semifinal and if Matt's going to continue,

he's going to have to give us a little bit more on the plate.

If I was to get sent home, I'd be gutted, like, genuinely,

I'd be gutted.

But I've cooked to the best of my ability

and if that's not enough and it's a competition,

then, you know, so be it.

Zoe really did challenge herself today.

There was a few things on the pate that weren't working for her.

The tempered chocolate wasn't working,

the mousse was starting to melt.

We asked for a showstopper dish and that's what Zoe wanted to deliver.

She just didn't quite get there.

I think she just put on a bit too much work

in the time allowed for her today.

Today, I wanted to bring that, you know,

theatrical element to it and, unfortunately, I think, you know,

maybe style over substance today and I think I shot myself in the foot.

Rich frustrates me and his cooking excites me at the same time.

He doesn't have to show all his ideas in one dish.

He's got to be 100% certain every time

he puts an element on the dish, it's there for a reason.

One thing I do like about Rich - he's digging his heels in.

He wants to stay very true to what he believes in.

Let's hope that doesn't knock him out of the competition.

I think that the judges know that the cooking's there,

it's just are the ideas too much?

They either want to see it again, they either want to see

where it goes from here or they've had enough.

Chefs, thank you for a great cook-off today.

No matter what happens,

hold your heads up high that you've done so well to be in our final ten.

The chef leaving the competition...

..is...

..Zoe.

-Thank you very much.

-Best of luck, Zoe, thank you.

-Thank you, Zoe.

To leave at this stage is terrible, but, at the same time,

I've had such a wicked experience.

Maybe I should have simplified things today

and I would have got a different response,

but I wanted to go out with a bang and I think I did that.

-Well done, guys.

-Well done!

-Well done, Rich.

I'm kind of feeling happy, but it hasn't sunken in just yet.

I'll probably wake up tomorrow and jump for joy.

It's great, I'm really, really quite chuffed.

I feel very lucky to have got through today.

I stuck to my guns, which I always said I was going to do,

but I feel very fortunate to be through, definitely.

Yeah, I'm pretty relieved.

Wow! I don't really know what to say.

To be in the semifinals is like, "Wow!"

I totally didn't expect it at all.

I'm not going to take it for granted

and really sort of focus and push on.

Well done, guys.

Tomorrow night, the second group of chefs battle it out

for a place in the semifinals.

It could make me or break me, really.

It's not going to be pretty and it's not going to be easy.

I think this dish is just wrong.