0:00:02 > 0:00:05'It's the professional MasterChef quarterfinal.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13'These seven talented chefs stood out in their heats.'
0:00:13 > 0:00:16It's just a case of staying as calm as possible.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Try not to overthink things.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21When you overthink, that's when it can lead to trouble and tension.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Now that you've had that taste of being accepted
0:00:24 > 0:00:28and that sort of approval, you crave it a bit more.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30I've done OK so far,
0:00:30 > 0:00:33but I really want to knock their socks off this time.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38'Tonight, they will be pushed even further.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44'First, they will face a reinvention test.'
0:00:44 > 0:00:47I've really enjoyed this. I really have.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51'Those that impress will get to cook some of the country's
0:00:51 > 0:00:53'most discerning food critics.'
0:00:53 > 0:00:57It's fantastic, it's clever, it's original. A very clever chef.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01'Only the best will earn a place in knockout week.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Seven chefs set the standard very, very high.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07I hope that can continue today.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11They should be confident and ready for whatever test
0:01:11 > 0:01:13that we're going to throw at them.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36This is the reinvention test.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40We want you to reinvent a British classic.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42The steak and kidney pie.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47We all know what a steak and kidney pie is.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Show us something we've not seen before.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53At the end of this, three of you are going to be leaving the competition.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55It's going to have to be good.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58You're going to have ten minutes to plan your dish.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01Off you go.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Reinvent it, but it's got to be better,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13so that's where the difficult part lies.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18I haven't cooked it a lot. Not for a number of years.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Just see what happens.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24I'm not a big fan of kidney, but I like pie,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27so hopefully it works in that favour.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36OK, chefs, your ten minutes are now up.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Your 90 minutes start now.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40Good luck. Off you go.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49I don't want them to stray too far away from the main ideal.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52I still want to taste those flavours of the steak...
0:02:53 > 0:02:55..the kidney...
0:02:56 > 0:02:59..beer, pastry
0:02:59 > 0:03:01and a really good, strong sauce.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I know that, technically, I can cook,
0:03:06 > 0:03:08so that gives me a solid ground to be able to be
0:03:08 > 0:03:10slightly more experimental.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17The idea is to stay calm, just relax,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19embrace what we're going through.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24This is a test of thinking on your feet.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26- Yeah.- How do you feel about that?
0:03:26 > 0:03:29It's not a million miles away from how my menus work anyway,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31not that I like to deconstruct or pull apart dishes,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35I like to re-imagine them. One of the things that we look at at work
0:03:35 > 0:03:37is a theme called "playful authenticity".
0:03:37 > 0:03:40So something that somebody will identify with,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43but when it comes to them on the plate, they're a bit surprised.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45So, this is actually quite a good challenge.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Wayne is not going to braise the steak.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53He's actually going to cook it very quickly and serve it very rare.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55He's taking the kidney,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and he's going to braise it lightly in some beer.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04He's also using bone marrow, and he's going to cook the puff pastry.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06My concern is the sauce here.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09He's using the braising liquid from the kidney.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12Now, you're not going to cook that kidney for very long,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15so it's not going to have much of a meaty flavour.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17I don't feel it's got enough oomph.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23I normally kind of turn it on for the competition,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26when you get the brief, then it's time to try
0:04:26 > 0:04:28and think of something that's going to be tasty
0:04:28 > 0:04:30and appeal to the judges.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37I have black spots where nothing actually happens.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Hopefully I don't have a black spot today.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44- Andy.- Hello there.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- So...- Not a lot going on.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48I'm just waiting for the main part.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51Just waiting for the whole ox cheek in there,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54with beer, vegetables, thyme and garlic.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57So that's the crux of my dish. I'm wanting that to be really tender.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Hopefully it's going to be done in time.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01And the sauce is from that.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05I've just got a simple few garnishes and some sauteed kidneys.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Where does the pastry come onto the plate, then?
0:05:07 > 0:05:10I'm not quite sure. I think because it's a steak and kidney pie,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13so it has to be pastry somewhere. So I think just...
0:05:13 > 0:05:15It'll be on there somewhere.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21It's all about the cooking of the ox cheek for Andy.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25He wants to cook it down enough within the time.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29He says he's going to roll it up to make a cylinder, which sounds fine,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32but in doing that, you don't want to dry it out.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38I hope he's going to have a lot of that wonderful cooking liquor
0:05:38 > 0:05:41to sauce over it, to bring it back into the
0:05:41 > 0:05:43wonderful, juicy steak this meat deserves.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Andrew's dish is steak and kidney pie two ways.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53We're going to have some of his dish served in a little pot,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and then some seared bavette and seared kidney on the side,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58with some horseradish pomme puree.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02This is a chef that reinvented a classic Black Forest gateau.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08A reinvention of a steak and kidney pie, if it's as good as his gateau,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11then we're going to be in for a really, really good dish.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12STEAM HISSES
0:06:12 > 0:06:15- Andrew, how are you? - A little bit nervous still,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19but I like taking the classicals and then turning them into modern,
0:06:19 > 0:06:21same as I did with my dessert.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23So just work on that and see how that kind of goes.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26I haven't had time to practise this one,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29so it's a little bit more...harder to kind of get that balance
0:06:29 > 0:06:30of what I need.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34There's a lot of pressure now.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I've got to make sure that my savoury is as good as my dessert.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41I don't want to just be a one-dish wonder.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44OK, chefs, you're now halfway.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53Cooking, creativity come quite naturally to me.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Sometimes, I don't think I'm necessarily being
0:06:57 > 0:07:00particularly creative, but other chefs kind of go, "Oh, wow."
0:07:00 > 0:07:02It just seems to come naturally.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04I don't really plan dishes.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06They just seem to sort of happen.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Max is "deconstructing" the pie.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11He's going to take that pastry case
0:07:11 > 0:07:13and serve it on the base of the dish.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16The steak and the kidney,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20he's searing them quickly, and then serving it on top of the pastry.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24I hope the essence of the steak and kidney pie
0:07:24 > 0:07:27is not being lost in the deconstructing of it.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32When you're not braising a dish,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34how are you going to get a big flavoured sauce
0:07:34 > 0:07:36that we so recognise with a pie?
0:07:37 > 0:07:39- We'll have to see, won't we? - Is that a secret,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41or you've not thought about it yet?
0:07:41 > 0:07:43No, no, no. I've got the sauce on,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45and then it's just a case of tweaking it as I go.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- OK.- So obviously... because without the braising,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49you don't get that heavy sauce, so I'm just going to do...
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- So why not braise, then?- That was the whole point of the dish,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55was to turn it on its head, so the complete opposite of how you would
0:07:55 > 0:07:57make a steak and kidney pie.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08I've taken away from when I've put my signature dish forward is,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10less of style over substance.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14I tried to overcomplicate it.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17What I need to do is strip it back a little bit.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19Keep it a little bit more simple.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25I think that reinventing something
0:08:25 > 0:08:27doesn't mean you need to change what it is.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30So, we've asked for a reinvention of steak and kidney pie,
0:08:30 > 0:08:31and you're not going to do it.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33I think a steak and kidney pie should be a steak and kidney pie.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I'm doing a pie, but I like the kidney pink.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38- You don't get that with a pie.- True.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I think that's quite a nice element to add to it.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46He wants to stick to the tradition of a pie.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51This pie, however, has got to be the best steak pie
0:08:51 > 0:08:54that we have ever had.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56He's got some beautiful roasted carrots.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58And he's also got some horseradish chips
0:08:58 > 0:09:00that he's going to put with it.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07I had great feedback on my signature dish
0:09:07 > 0:09:10so, hopefully, I can repeat that success.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I do quite a bit of development,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17so I'm just given words on a piece of paper
0:09:17 > 0:09:19and have to develop the dish from scratch,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23so hopefully I can use those skills and create a great dish.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Simon, do you like a steak and kidney pie?
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Yeah, I do, but I don't eat them that often.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32They're not good for the waistline!
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Yeah, I do like a steak and kidney pie.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36How are you going to reinvent this?
0:09:36 > 0:09:40I'm doing an ox cheek pie, with kidney and Stilton and mushrooms,
0:09:40 > 0:09:42in a little ramekin pot.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Still working in my head
0:09:45 > 0:09:49but, hopefully, I should give you a good dish when we get to plating up.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58I think Simon's inventing this dish as he goes along.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00He didn't seem 100% sure.
0:10:00 > 0:10:01That slightly concerns me.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03But I love to be surprised,
0:10:03 > 0:10:05and I hope Simon's got something up his sleeve
0:10:05 > 0:10:07that we've not seen before.
0:10:08 > 0:10:1230 minutes for your reinvention of steak and kidney pie.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19I think I'm very creative as a chef.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23I remember, notoriously, at college,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25I was always known for being the person
0:10:25 > 0:10:27that overcomplicated everything.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33So, if someone else has done something,
0:10:33 > 0:10:34then I want to do it my way
0:10:34 > 0:10:36and try and do it a bit better.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44I thought, well, what else is similar to a pie?
0:10:44 > 0:10:46I love a dessert, so I'm going to try and create
0:10:46 > 0:10:49a steak-and-kidney millefeuille aspect.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Try!
0:10:51 > 0:10:53- Delicious.- It sounds very creative.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56A classic French millefeuille,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00which is cooked puff pastry layered up with creme patissiere.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02So you're taking away the sweetness and the custard,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05and you're going to be filling it with your steak and your kidney.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- Absolutely.- Wow. - Thank you.- Very creative!
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Thanks very much.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15I really love the sound of Zoe's dish.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20She's also made some little fondant potatoes,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24and a bacon jam that she's making from the oxtail.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27So you've got a big sticky sauce
0:11:27 > 0:11:31added to that beautiful-looking beef that she's got on the bench.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Out of all the dishes in the kitchen,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37this is the one dish I can picture in my head.
0:11:37 > 0:11:38I love the sound of it.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Chefs, you've got seven minutes left!
0:11:46 > 0:11:49You've got to start plating up your food.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06That's it, time's up! Stop cooking.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21First up is Adam, who's made a traditional steak pie,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26alongside pan-fried kidneys, pomme puree, horseradish crisps,
0:12:26 > 0:12:30carrots and a beer sauce.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Adam, are you happy with this dish?
0:12:33 > 0:12:37- No.- What's wrong?- I think the pastry could be cooked a little bit more
0:12:37 > 0:12:40- and I had a nightmare getting it out of the case.- OK.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52The meat and the kidney is a little bit
0:12:52 > 0:12:54on the under side for me, personally.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57You know yourself, the pastry's not cooked.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Having said that, though, I like the flavour that you've made inside.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02It's quite intriguing.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05There's a bitterness going on there, and I think it's your sauce,
0:13:05 > 0:13:06beer that you've used,
0:13:06 > 0:13:10and it's just about getting away with it with the pastry.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14I wanted you to give me the best damn pie you'd ever made, Adam,
0:13:14 > 0:13:15because you love pies.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18For me, I'm disappointed because I know how great this dish
0:13:18 > 0:13:20would have been if you had got that right.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26I should have put my pie in sooner.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29If that pie was cooked, then maybe I could have done enough.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Max has served seared bavette steak on top of a disc of pastry,
0:13:36 > 0:13:42with pan-fried kidneys, pommes purees, Swiss chard, girolles,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45carrots, and a red wine and beer sauce.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Please tell me you like it!
0:13:56 > 0:13:58I think the dish tastes great.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00I think the beef is beautifully cooked.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04The pomme puree cuts through the bitter tinge
0:14:04 > 0:14:07that is on the back of that sauce, because you've used the beer.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I love the vegetable garnishes, the kidney's beautifully cooked.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13But when you poured that whole jug of sauce on there,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17that said "pie" to me, Max's way. Well done, good job.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19I really like that dish a lot.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22- Thank you very much.- So you've plated it in a way you wouldn't
0:14:22 > 0:14:24recognise a steak and kidney pie,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28but it has to capture that memory of when you eat that dish,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30and I think you've done that.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32I think it was very well done.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Thank you very much.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37That's what dreams are made of,
0:14:37 > 0:14:39when you have two chefs at that level telling you
0:14:39 > 0:14:42everything was good, everything was perfect.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Yeah, it was amazing, brilliant.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Andrew's made steak and kidney pie,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52along with pan-fried steak and kidney,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56together with horseradish mash, pickled chard, carrots,
0:14:56 > 0:15:01charred shallots, and a sauce made with blackberries and redcurrants.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14The pie is dry, and it's undercooked a bit on the base of the pastry.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17The carrots and some of the veg is undercooked.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19I had hoped there was more sauce there.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21I went looking for more sauce to pour into the pie.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24I think that would have helped it a lot.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27You've added the blackberries and redcurrants into the sauce.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29You've balanced it out beautifully well.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31I just wish you'd have put it inside that pie,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and made the filling taste better than it does.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Pretty down, not going to lie.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Too many complications to go with what I was trying to do.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Just didn't really work.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49Wayne's dish is roasted bone marrow with seared bavette steak,
0:15:49 > 0:15:56braised kidney, puff-pastry shards, shallots, roasted artichokes,
0:15:56 > 0:16:00chard and a braised kidney and beer sauce.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12I like the idea of the dish. I like the bone marrow, the bavette.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14You've cooked the kidney very well
0:16:14 > 0:16:16and you've got a little bit of chard on the plate there,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19you've also got some artichoke as well, the Jerusalem artichoke,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21but the thing that hits me more than anything
0:16:21 > 0:16:23is the bitterness in your sauce.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27Possibly the beer. It's been over-reduced a touch.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31I love bone marrow, and it brings a different element to the dish.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35When you eat that together, the marrow, the steak and the kidneys,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38for me, are wonderful, and it's just a shame about that sauce.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Thank you.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46Silly mistakes that I shouldn't make.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Let's just hope somebody else has made bigger mistakes,
0:16:52 > 0:16:54otherwise I'll be going home.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Andy formed a cylinder with his braised ox cheek
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and topped it with puff pastry,
0:17:01 > 0:17:05served with sauteed kidneys, cocotte potatoes,
0:17:05 > 0:17:08bacon girolles, shallots
0:17:08 > 0:17:10and a red wine and beer sauce.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21You OK?
0:17:24 > 0:17:27I can't eat that. It's not nice.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31- Yeah, that's cool.- The cartilage of the cheek, which is super-tough,
0:17:31 > 0:17:34it has to be removed, especially if you've picked through the meat,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37you find them and you know we have to leave those bits out.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39They never break down.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42The kidneys are so undercooked, it's not nice.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46It's not, Andy. I can't eat that. And I love kidneys.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50You've got a nice sauce.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53You've used a cooking liquid, which is what we want.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56You've made it really moreish,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58and that's sort of the flavour that you get with a good pie,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01but that's about it, Andy, unfortunately.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- Sorry.- And I think you know that. - Yep. Yeah.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08I should have looked more closely and tasted more of the meat.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Yeah... No.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Bad mistakes, but you have to live with them.
0:18:15 > 0:18:21Zoe's reinvention is steak-and-kidney millefeuille,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23served with fondant potatoes,
0:18:23 > 0:18:29carrots, shallots, rainbow chard and a bacon jam.
0:18:42 > 0:18:48This dish is crying out for a sauce. Screaming for a sauce!
0:18:48 > 0:18:51It needs it. And secondly, your beef's not cooked.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53It's not braised enough.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56It's just a little bit on the chewy side.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58I like the idea, though, Zoe.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Fabulous little garnish to go on the side.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Bit more cookery and a big sauce
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and you would have absolutely, probably, nailed the brief.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11What I really like about this is your bacon jam.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14That, because it's sat on the pastry for a bit...
0:19:14 > 0:19:16You know when you get the bottom bit of the pie
0:19:16 > 0:19:19and then the pastry that the liquid's sort of soaked through it?
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I love the bacon jam.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Could have been worse but not great.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29As soon as I plated it up,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32I knew that there should have been a sauce at the side so, yeah,
0:19:32 > 0:19:34all very valid comments.
0:19:36 > 0:19:37Last up is Simon,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41who's filled his pastry-topped pot with braised ox cheek,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Stilton and chanterelles,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47alongside bone marrow with parsley, baby carrots,
0:19:47 > 0:19:52celeriac puree, and an ox cheek beer sauce.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05The actual little pot here, for me, is quite a treasure.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06I'm finding little bits of mushroom
0:20:06 > 0:20:09and then I've got a bit of the kidney coming through,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13and the pastry, which is still lovely and light on top,
0:20:13 > 0:20:15and then I took some of that marrow and ate it
0:20:15 > 0:20:17with the rest of this, it's quite indulgent.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I've really enjoyed this, I really have.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22You've over-delivered on the idea
0:20:22 > 0:20:26and you've really taken the steak and kidney pie to new heights.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28Just fabulous combinations.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29Good job, you.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Thank you.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Can't quite believe it, that it went so well.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37It feels fantastic.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Best news ever.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45What an interesting round.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48This quarterfinal was a tough one for our chefs,
0:20:48 > 0:20:50but some definite stars here today.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57I think Max and Simon were the two-star cooks in the kitchen today.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00I really enjoyed both of their dishes.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Two very different dishes, two very different takes,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06but very interesting, good cookery, and very inventive as well.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09So, Simon and Max definitely through?
0:21:09 > 0:21:12I think so. They ticked the brief, they did a great job.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16I feel that Andy today underperformed with this challenge.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19The beef cheeks still had the cartilage, which you couldn't eat,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21and my kidneys were raw.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Big expectations for Andrew today in the kitchen.
0:21:24 > 0:21:25This was a dish full of errors.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27He was just trying too hard to impress
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and didn't focus enough on the key elements of cookery.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34Andrew and Andy are definitely leaving.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35Without a doubt.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37We have Adam, Zoe and Wayne left.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41We have to send one of these chefs home.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Really frustrated that Adam didn't put that pie in the oven sooner.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47Ten more minutes and that pie would have been cooked,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49it would have been delicious.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54There's a slim chance, but then that's the judges' decision.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58I've done my bit and now I just need to wait for the consequences.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Today, Zoe sold us a great idea, the millefeuille,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07and she achieved some wonderful cookery as well.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Her bacon jam I still can't forget.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12But it was about steak and kidney pie,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and those elements weren't quite right today on Zoe's plate
0:22:16 > 0:22:19as well as missing a great sauce to complete it.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22I know not all the elements were executed correctly
0:22:22 > 0:22:24but I hope I've shown enough flair
0:22:24 > 0:22:28for them to see what I could be capable of.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31There was some good positives on Wayne's dish.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Well-balanced, chose the right ingredients.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35Just didn't quite come together
0:22:35 > 0:22:38because of the bitterness in the sauce, unfortunately.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41There's some really strong dishes in there and,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44at this stage, even the smallest of mistakes
0:22:44 > 0:22:47can be enough to send you home, so not good.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50And we can only take through the chef that could cope
0:22:50 > 0:22:52with cooking for the critics.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Thank you for today, chefs.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08Tough round but a great round.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13The first chef that is leaving us is...
0:23:14 > 0:23:16..Andy.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I've learnt to just keep going, like I always have done.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Just keep pushing and just trying to open doors.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32The second chef leaving the competition is...
0:23:35 > 0:23:36..Andrew.
0:23:38 > 0:23:43Feeling a little bit gutted, but I knew it was coming.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47I'd have liked to have gone further and try and win it but... Oh, well.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55The third chef leaving the competition is...
0:24:07 > 0:24:09- ..Adam.- Thank you.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Didn't think I did enough.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Thought there was a slim chance but very, very slim.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Tried my best. Just hasn't worked today.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Well done. Good job.
0:24:38 > 0:24:43This is a chance for you to cook for three of the country's top critics -
0:24:43 > 0:24:46Tracey MacLeod,
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Jay Rayner,
0:24:48 > 0:24:50William Sitwell.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54You have an hour and 15 minutes to cook us
0:24:54 > 0:24:59two of the best dishes so far in this competition.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Unfortunately, we will lose one of you at the end of this round.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I wish you the best of luck.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07Off you go.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17These four chefs, when they've cooked their own food,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19have really stood out.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23If they could do that today,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26we are going to have a really exciting cook-off.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30I've never cooked for critics so, yeah,
0:25:30 > 0:25:32it's quite daunting to cook for these guys
0:25:32 > 0:25:34that are obviously in the public eye,
0:25:34 > 0:25:37and what they say, people take notice.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40William Sitwell seems a pretty cool guy.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42I find the others a bit grumpy.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47- How are you, Simon? - Yeah, good, thank you.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Tell us about your menu today.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53I'm doing pan-fried turbot with fresh peas, baby gem, asparagus,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55and I'll serve that with a warm tartare dressing.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58And then, for the dessert, chocolate and salted caramel.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01So a chocolate mousse, salted caramel ice cream, chocolate crumb.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Is there something in these two dishes that Marcus and I
0:26:04 > 0:26:08are going to look and think, "Wow! We weren't expecting that"?
0:26:08 > 0:26:10There might be, I'll have to wait and see.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- You don't want to give too much away, do you?- No.- OK.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Well, that's all right. We like to be nicely surprised.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- NICELY surprised. Good luck, Simon.- Thank you.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26I really do like turbot. I think it's a fabulous fish, cooked well.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30The spring vegetables, you want to maintain that beautiful green.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Fresh peas, asparagus,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37then he's got some beautiful morels.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40Simon is also going to be incorporating some potatoes
0:26:40 > 0:26:41through his tartare sauce.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47I'm really excited about potatoes going through that
0:26:47 > 0:26:50beautiful tartare sauce, with the capers and gherkins.
0:26:50 > 0:26:56There's the acid on the dish to cut that beautiful, rich fish.
0:26:58 > 0:27:02And then a chocolate mousse with salted caramel ice cream.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05Ice cream, as we know,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08he's got to make sure he gets that in on time and early enough
0:27:08 > 0:27:10so it sets.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14This sounds delicious to me.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18We've seen Simon when he cooks great food,
0:27:18 > 0:27:23and I hope he can do that here today for us and for our critics.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I'm slightly nervous, I'm not going to lie,
0:27:31 > 0:27:33but you always are, going into that kitchen.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35There's a smell about it.
0:27:35 > 0:27:41It smells like fear, quite frankly, and the unknown.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43But it's my food,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46and I can do it the way that I love doing it.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49So you can't ask for anything more than that.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55So for my main, I'm going to be doing
0:27:55 > 0:27:57smoked haddock, cooked sous-vide,
0:27:57 > 0:28:02with a confit egg yolk, black quinoa, crispy chicken skin.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03And then for my dessert,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07I will be doing a white-chocolate and tonka bean ganache
0:28:07 > 0:28:11with pink peppercorn shortbread, a macadamia nut butter,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14honeycomb and a strawberry jus.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Wow! I like the sounds of your menu.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19It sounds like you're keeping the main course nice and simple,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23so your focus and your strength here is your pastry, isn't it?
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Absolutely. If this competition is nothing else,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28it's an opportunity to show what you can do.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Great stuff. I think it's a lovely way to look at it.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32- It's an opportunity.- Absolutely.
0:28:35 > 0:28:38Zoe is super-excited to be cooking for our critics,
0:28:38 > 0:28:40and that's a great attitude to have.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45Zoe's main course, she's cooking us smoked haddock,
0:28:45 > 0:28:47serving it with a confit egg yolk.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51It sounds like a safe dish
0:28:51 > 0:28:53but it's about getting all the elements nicely cooked
0:28:53 > 0:28:55and served well.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59If she can do that and get us a great main course,
0:28:59 > 0:29:03she can then focus on the star here, and that's her dessert.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07White-chocolate tonka bean ganache.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11The key to a ganache is making sure that it's not too heavy.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14If it's too stodgy, too heavy, too sweet,
0:29:14 > 0:29:17it could be overpowering for what goes with it.
0:29:19 > 0:29:22She's serving it with a peppercorn shortbread.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25She's also going to be making some honeycomb as well.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29The strawberry jus will freshen this dish up.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31It's intriguing, it's interesting,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34and it's the dessert you want to try.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41They're solid dishes. I've tried to keep them technical,
0:29:41 > 0:29:42but simple enough to get out,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45because it's such a short timeframe.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48But I'm good with flavour, so, hopefully, yeah,
0:29:48 > 0:29:50I can win them over with that.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Max, for his main course, is cooking us a fillet of cod.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58And serve it on some Jersey Royals.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Some raw asparagus shavings, and some cooked asparagus as well.
0:30:04 > 0:30:09Then he's making a cucumber, dill and avocado gazpacho.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15A gazpacho is a very difficult thing to make in a short period of time.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19He's got no time to marinade his ingredients.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23You've got to bring them together, season them up, blitz them.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25Fingers crossed they taste good.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31Max's dessert is a dark-chocolate and hazelnut panna cotta.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35He's serving it with some strawberry coulis
0:30:35 > 0:30:37and Chantilly cream.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39You've got three things in this dessert
0:30:39 > 0:30:41that can thicken that panna cotta.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Chocolate is a thickening agent, hazelnut is a thickening agent,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46and you've got the gelatine.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49The balance of these ingredients has to be spot-on.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53The dessert is my wife's favourite.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56I made it a couple of years ago and she absolutely fell in love with it.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58So every time we have a dinner party, she's like,
0:30:58 > 0:31:01"Can we have hazelnut panna cotta?" So I wanted to do that.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05And then the cod dish, I wanted to do something really...
0:31:05 > 0:31:08I tend to go for really big robust, heavy, autumn, winter flavours,
0:31:08 > 0:31:11and I thought I'd do something a bit more spring, summery and fresh,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13and a little bit more delicate,
0:31:13 > 0:31:16to show you I can balance delicate flavours as well.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Have you cooked these two dishes together within this time limit?
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- No.- OK.- But I've cooked and timed them separately,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25so hopefully those two timings will come together. But we'll see!
0:31:30 > 0:31:33In the short space of time that I've been here,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37it's given me a lot more self-belief and confidence to really put myself
0:31:37 > 0:31:40out there and prove that I can do it.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50- How are you, Wayne?- At this point, I'm a little bit stressed,
0:31:50 > 0:31:52if I'm being honest!
0:31:52 > 0:31:53- That's normal.- Yeah.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56I've got a couple of elements that are all coming together at once.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59- What is the dish?- It's roasted cod with blowtorch scallop,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02cauliflower two ways, blue cheese and caviar cream.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05Dessert, I'm going to go for a chocolate ganache
0:32:05 > 0:32:06with poached rhubarb,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09white-chocolate custard and a chocolate crumb.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11There's great chefs here, as well.
0:32:11 > 0:32:12The competition is really high.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15So to get through this stage would increase my belief in myself
0:32:15 > 0:32:17that one step further.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21I hope Wayne does well,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25because I think this will give this chef a great boost of confidence,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27which he really does need.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30It's all about the execution of the cooking today.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33He's got great ingredients, some wonderful scallops.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Beautiful piece of fish.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41And bringing the blue cheese element to it,
0:32:41 > 0:32:44we both know this works very well in the right hand.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47It's all about getting that balance right.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51This is about the bitterness of the ganache, not being too soft,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and definitely not too hard.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57The sweetness of white-chocolate custard,
0:32:57 > 0:32:59then beautifully counterbalanced by
0:32:59 > 0:33:02the bittersweet flavour of poached rhubarb.
0:33:02 > 0:33:06It's all about three, four, five different elements and textures
0:33:06 > 0:33:09that should all and can work together.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12The question's going to be, can Wayne get it right today?
0:33:28 > 0:33:30They don't need to worry about fads and fashions
0:33:30 > 0:33:32and what the food looks like.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36If they genuinely believe in the food they're cooking, it'll work.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40There should be a restaurant critic's prayer -
0:33:40 > 0:33:43give me something different but not too different,
0:33:43 > 0:33:46take all the bounteous ingredients of nature
0:33:46 > 0:33:49and transform them into something miraculous.
0:33:50 > 0:33:54The funny thing is that I am actually quite easy to please.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57You need some simple, straightforward ideas on the plate.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Don't overthink it.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Do something that really tastes nice.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Don't do something that's just showing off.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12Simon, you've only got 15 minutes left before your main course is due.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Do you think you're going to be on time?
0:34:15 > 0:34:17- Yeah, I think so, or thereabouts.- OK, good.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Roast turbot, pancetta, summer vegetables
0:34:24 > 0:34:26and warm tartare dressing.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29There's a confidence about what Simon's doing.
0:34:29 > 0:34:31The warm tartare dressing
0:34:31 > 0:34:33almost a sort of chip-shop fish accompaniment,
0:34:33 > 0:34:35giving it a bit of a cheffy spin.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- Can you just...? - Can you just...?
0:34:44 > 0:34:46- Chef, just...- Calm down. - Yeah, calm down.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49You might as well throw it on the plate there.
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Are you happy with your plate of food so far?
0:34:58 > 0:35:00- Yes, I think so.- Oh.
0:35:04 > 0:35:05- That's it, yeah.- OK.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12Hi.
0:35:17 > 0:35:22I've got roast turbot with morels, peas, pancetta, asparagus,
0:35:22 > 0:35:26baby gem and a warm tartare dressing with potato through it.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Got a mouthful of bones.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42- Did you? - That's not really good enough.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45You should be able to trim and prepare fish properly.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48This is a very pleasant plateful of food.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50The fish is pretty accurately cooked,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53the vegetables are nice and crunchy.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Pleasant does sound like I'm damning with faint praise,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58and I think I am, slightly. It doesn't fly.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01I was kind of quite excited about the idea of having
0:36:01 > 0:36:02this warm emulsified sauce
0:36:02 > 0:36:04bringing the whole thing together
0:36:04 > 0:36:06and, really, we're not getting anything of that.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08I may not remember this in five years
0:36:08 > 0:36:12but he's a reliable chef, and there's a lot to be said for that.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15We're looking for more than reliable at this stage, surely?
0:36:15 > 0:36:17Presentation, for me, is really disappointing.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20It's just thrown on the plate.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22It's not cutting edge by any stretch of the imagination
0:36:22 > 0:36:26and there are no surprises on this dish whatsoever.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33- You've got 15 minutes left, Simon. Are we going to be good?- Yeah.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37We don't know what it is. It says chocolate and salted caramel.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40It's just two ingredients that we know go beautifully together.
0:36:40 > 0:36:42It is a cliche, it's a lovely cliche.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Let's hope it's a delicious cliche.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47- Ice cream's churning?- Yes.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57- How are we doing, Simon?- I'm just waiting for the ice cream.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59- It's not quite set yet.- We've got three minutes left.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00Is it going to be on time?
0:37:00 > 0:37:03I may just pour the custard over the top instead.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Simon, time's up now.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33You're going to have to finish your dessert and take them out.
0:37:37 > 0:37:38Happy?
0:37:38 > 0:37:41- As I can be.- All right. Good luck.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56We've got chocolate mousse.
0:37:56 > 0:37:57Unfortunately, my ice cream didn't set
0:37:57 > 0:38:00so I've just poured it on as a cold custard,
0:38:00 > 0:38:02with a chocolate crumble and a chocolate tuile.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04So the ice cream, was that salted caramel ice cream?
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Yes, it was, yes. So it's now just a salted cream.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Technically, it just hasn't worked.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22The mousse isn't airy, the ice cream is just cream.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26If you pick up a piece of the chocolate crumb,
0:38:26 > 0:38:28it just tastes like pan scrapings.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31- It's not nice. - It's just not good enough.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35It's a creamy something in the bottom of a glass bowl.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39I can't taste caramel and I can't taste salt.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42The crumb doesn't really bring anything to the dish.
0:38:42 > 0:38:43Shame.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Intense. I thought I was doing OK
0:38:51 > 0:38:54and then it got to plating up and I just panicked
0:38:54 > 0:38:56and just started throwing things on the plate,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59which is not like me. So it didn't go down too well.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07Zoe, you have ten minutes till your first course is up.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12Smoked haddock with pea and watercress puree, black quinoa,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15pan-fried asparagus, confit egg yolk and chicken skin.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18I think it sounds absolutely fantastic.
0:39:18 > 0:39:21Chicken skin, properly crisp - there's not going to be any of that
0:39:21 > 0:39:23left on my plate if she's done it properly.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36- Are we on track?- Just about, I think, if I can find a spoon.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39- You do not stand still, do you? - No. Absolutely not.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Really need to get this dish finished.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53- Off you go.- Thank you.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Today, you have a sous-vide smoked haddock with pan-fried asparagus,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12watercress and pea puree, a confit egg yolk,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14black quinoa and a chicken skin.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16Hope you enjoy it. Thanks very much.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30The haddock is just smoked haddock. Nothing else tempering it.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32The quinoa is just a bit of pointless texture.
0:40:32 > 0:40:34Oh, dear.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37It hasn't quite reached the heights that she was hoping for it.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39But I do like chicken skin.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42Then again, I've always liked chicken skin.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44SKIN CRUNCHES
0:40:44 > 0:40:47The asparagus, I don't mind the crunch, I quite like them like that.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49The quinoa is also well cooked,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51and the yolk has got that nice texture to it
0:40:51 > 0:40:53when it's been confit.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55The crispy skin has also been cooked really well.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57It's got a nice crunch to it. Unfortunately,
0:40:57 > 0:41:00I find the whole plate just wholly under-seasoned.
0:41:00 > 0:41:04The combination of ingredients work, without a doubt.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Unfortunately, today, she just didn't quite hit the mark.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12How was that?
0:41:12 > 0:41:15It was OK. I'm just going to concentrate,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18get my dessert out on time and just hammer it through, so...
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Tonka bean and white-chocolate ganache,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25peppercorn shortbread, honeycomb and strawberry juice.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28She's going to fire all these weapons at us.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32Everything she's ever cooked, every ingredient she's ever got hold of
0:41:32 > 0:41:34she's going to shove on the plate.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Let's hope there's a little bit less than it seems.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50Right, Zoe, you have three minutes left.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54- Oh-oh!- Is that a happy "oh-oh" or a worried "oh-oh"?
0:41:54 > 0:41:55Slightly worried.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58I don't like putting stuff in these pipettes.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00They tend to take a little bit of time.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08- OK, your time is pretty much up now, Zoe.- OK.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26So, today, I have for you a tonka bean and white-chocolate ganache,
0:42:26 > 0:42:30a pink peppercorn shortbread with fresh strawberries,
0:42:30 > 0:42:34macadamia nut butter, honeycomb, a pipette of strawberry juice.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37You've also got some freeze-dried strawberries on there
0:42:37 > 0:42:40and a smashed strawberry lollipop. I hope you enjoy it all.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42- Thank you.- No problem.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46Don't know what we're meant to do
0:42:46 > 0:42:49with the turkey-baster of strawberry juice.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58This shortbread is well made
0:42:58 > 0:43:01and buttery and has a really nice, crisp texture.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04There's lots of lovely strawberry sort of flavours
0:43:04 > 0:43:07from dehydrated and fresh strawberries.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10The tonka bean ganache is so sweet
0:43:10 > 0:43:13that she has made some of the best honeycomb that I've had
0:43:13 > 0:43:17in a very long while, and her biscuit has a nice crunch.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20Yeah, I agree with Jay. The honeycomb is absolutely sensational.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24I would buy honeycomb from her for the rest of my life.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29I really do like the shortbread and the pink peppercorn on it.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31I would happily just eat that
0:43:31 > 0:43:34with the hazelnut butter and the strawberries.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47That's just crazy amounts of pressure.
0:43:47 > 0:43:48What I did today was a gamble.
0:43:51 > 0:43:52So, we'll see.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59Max, ten minutes to your first course.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03Fairly classic combination.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06Cod, Jersey Royals, asparagus.
0:44:06 > 0:44:07Would sound a bit boring
0:44:07 > 0:44:11if it wasn't for the idea introducing that cucumber gazpacho.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17You seem in control.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20Panicked but in control, yeah. Organised chaos, I think.
0:44:24 > 0:44:28This is going to need a really light touch to make it sing...
0:44:30 > 0:44:33..because, otherwise, it's just going to look like
0:44:33 > 0:44:35fancy wedding food.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45- You've got to finish these plates. - Yes, 30 seconds.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50- Ready?- Yeah.- Off you go.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00- Good afternoon.- Hi.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06- Thank you.- OK, today, we have roast cod loin.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10We've got Jersey Royal potatoes with shallot and parsley,
0:45:10 > 0:45:12cooked asparagus, raw asparagus,
0:45:12 > 0:45:14and a cucumber, avocado and dill gazpacho.
0:45:14 > 0:45:16- Thank you.- Hope you enjoy.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27Cod, when it's cooked like this, is just the best fish, for me.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30This really has so much flavour.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Really perfectly cooked.
0:45:32 > 0:45:34The asparagus is bang on, the potatoes...
0:45:34 > 0:45:36I like the fact that he's created
0:45:36 > 0:45:38this little cluster with the Jersey Royals,
0:45:38 > 0:45:41and then you've got this gazpacho, which isn't watery,
0:45:41 > 0:45:44it's creamy and it's really original.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46I've never had it before, and that's such a pleasure,
0:45:46 > 0:45:49to come on this show and have one's eyes opened.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52It's a very straightforward piece of cooking
0:45:52 > 0:45:54which makes a serious amount of impact.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59This dish is light, it's fresh, it's vibrant,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01I think it's absolutely fabulous.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04It's nice to see that Max has challenged himself
0:46:04 > 0:46:07to do something different to what he normally does.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11Chocolate and hazelnut panna cotta,
0:46:11 > 0:46:14hazelnut and pistachio praline powder,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16strawberry coulis and Chantilly cream.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20There's only one thing he's got to do there, which is the panna cotta.
0:46:20 > 0:46:23If it's not perfect, I will blow raspberries at the plate.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30How's your wobble on your panna cotta?
0:46:30 > 0:46:32It started to freeze on the outside.
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Now I've had it out at room temperature for ten minutes or so,
0:46:35 > 0:46:37so, hopefully, it should be OK.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49Max, last minute.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51- You all right?- Good.
0:46:55 > 0:46:57That's it. Done.
0:46:57 > 0:46:58Done? Off you go.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07Hello again.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11- Thank you.- So, the dessert is chocolate and hazelnut panna cotta,
0:47:11 > 0:47:15strawberry coulis, a hazelnut and pistachio praline,
0:47:15 > 0:47:17a hazelnut crumb, and Chantilly cream.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29Well, it's a really lovely, well-made panna cotta.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Absolutely silken with that nutty chocolate.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33It's really, really good.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35This is perfectly nice.
0:47:35 > 0:47:39It's a good panna cotta, it's a good quenelle of cream, nice coulis.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42I would have preferred to have seen a few more fireworks
0:47:42 > 0:47:44when it came to dessert.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47This is not a dessert that legends are made of
0:47:47 > 0:47:50but it is very good. I think Max is a very good chef.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53If I was in a fast-ascending balloon with Jay Rayner and Max,
0:47:53 > 0:47:55I'd chuck out Jay.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00Possibly, he has just played it safe but you know what?
0:48:00 > 0:48:04Sometimes the eating of a good plate of food is all you want.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07The texture of this panna cotta is great.
0:48:07 > 0:48:12I can taste chocolate, I can taste hazelnut, and we've got the wobble.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20There was a lot of hard graft.
0:48:20 > 0:48:24They were pretty much exactly how I wanted them.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27If it's not good enough, then I'm not good enough and I'm out,
0:48:27 > 0:48:30but I think I've done enough. Fingers crossed.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36OK, Wayne, you've got ten minutes to your first course.
0:48:39 > 0:48:43Roasted cod, TORCHED scallops, cauliflower, samphire,
0:48:43 > 0:48:45blue cheese and caviar.
0:48:46 > 0:48:49He doesn't just cook his scallops, he TORCHES them.
0:48:51 > 0:48:53You don't often see that written on menus.
0:48:53 > 0:48:57"I'm torching my scallops! Get ready, boys - and girl."
0:48:57 > 0:49:00I'm scared.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05Wayne, you've got two minutes.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08- Are we going to be all right? - I'm looking on track, yeah.
0:49:08 > 0:49:09Good.
0:49:21 > 0:49:23You're happy with your plates so far?
0:49:23 > 0:49:26- Yes, so far, so good. - They're looking good.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31Times like this, the shakes come in handy.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33- Yeah!- Good job.
0:49:48 > 0:49:52OK, for you today, we have roasted cod fillet with blowtorched scallop,
0:49:52 > 0:49:55samphire, cauliflower two ways, puree and raw,
0:49:55 > 0:49:57caviar cream and blue cheese.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00- Where's the blue cheese?- It's crumbled underneath everything else.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02- OK.- Thank you.- Enjoy.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09Very clean and tidy, and it smells terrific.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13There's a big waft of seafood coming off this.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22There's an awful lot of positives on this dish.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24The fish is perfectly cooked.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27- I really do like what he's done with the scallop.- It's a huge thing.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31It's about an inch deep, and quite hard to cook that
0:50:31 > 0:50:33so it's cooked all the way through.
0:50:33 > 0:50:36It tastes like everything that you hope a scallop will taste
0:50:36 > 0:50:39when you order one in a restaurant, and very rarely does.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43I think carved onto Wayne's sarcophagus will be the words
0:50:43 > 0:50:46"blue cheese and caviar sauce".
0:50:46 > 0:50:48It's fantastic, it's clever, it's original.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52I wouldn't have thought it worked, but it works beautifully.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54He's a very clever chef.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56The blue cheese is a risk.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59I think it works. It makes the dish incredibly rich.
0:50:59 > 0:51:01It almost takes it to another level.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03The best-dressed plate of food today.
0:51:03 > 0:51:04I think it looks fantastic.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07I think Wayne has done a great job here.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09I like this dish.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13- Are you all right, Wayne?- Yeah.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16Are we going to be all right for dessert?
0:51:16 > 0:51:17I hope so, yeah.
0:51:17 > 0:51:20The answer I want is yes.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23- Yes, we are definitely going to be ready for the dessert.- Perfect.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25A classic MasterChef pro -
0:51:25 > 0:51:28I've got to come up with a pudding.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30It's dark-chocolate ganache, poached rhubarb,
0:51:30 > 0:51:33white-chocolate custard and chocolate crumb.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35It's a lot of slippery things in a bowl.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39Wayne, you've got five minutes left.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41- How are you looking?- I think I'm looking on course.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45- I just need to cut my chocolate and then I'm good.- Brilliant.
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Wayne, you've got two minutes.
0:52:02 > 0:52:04- Is that it?- Yep.- OK, off you go.
0:52:04 > 0:52:05Thank you.
0:52:17 > 0:52:21OK, for dessert, we have dark-chocolate ganache,
0:52:21 > 0:52:22poached rhubarb, a rhubarb gel,
0:52:22 > 0:52:26white-chocolate custard, chocolate tuile and smoked salt.
0:52:26 > 0:52:27Right.
0:52:27 > 0:52:30- Phew.- OK. Thank you.
0:52:30 > 0:52:32- Please enjoy.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44Everything tastes really vivid.
0:52:44 > 0:52:47That white-chocolate vanilla custard...
0:52:47 > 0:52:49The ganache is fantastic and it's very clever,
0:52:49 > 0:52:53that smoked salt, which is creating that salted caramel effect
0:52:53 > 0:52:56but just with the sparest little serving of it.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58It's no mean thing to poach rhubarb perfectly
0:52:58 > 0:53:02and then you've got this little white-chocolate custard.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05He's very inventive, he's brave enough to be adventurous
0:53:05 > 0:53:09on this show, which we need. His capabilities stretch quite far.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12I would be interested to eat his food again,
0:53:12 > 0:53:15and that's the best I can say of any competitor on MasterChef.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17They ganache is just there.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19It has still held and it's got a smoothness to it.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21I love the rhubarb.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24It's kept its shape and form, but it's much too sharp.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36Oh... Where does the time go?
0:53:36 > 0:53:37You just...
0:53:39 > 0:53:40One minute, it's like 15 minutes,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43and then it's, "OK, are you plating up?"
0:53:43 > 0:53:44"What?!"
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Every round brings something completely different.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55A different type of pressure, a different type of challenge.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59And our cooks adapt accordingly,
0:53:59 > 0:54:01some better than others.
0:54:05 > 0:54:08Max today was probably the star cook in the kitchen.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11I'm so pleased for Max. He delivered great cookery today, and our critics
0:54:11 > 0:54:15- loved him, too.- Another chef that I feel did well today is Wayne.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18I couldn't fault the main course.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20It tasted amazing.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22A couple of little issues with Wayne's dessert
0:54:22 > 0:54:26but his main course was probably the best-looking plate of food today
0:54:26 > 0:54:28and he also backed it up with great flavours.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31Wayne and Max, without a doubt, go through to the next round.
0:54:31 > 0:54:35So, Marcus, that leaves us with Zoe and Simon.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38What surprised us both today in the kitchen was Simon's approach.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40It was just a little bit blase. I felt like, here was a chef
0:54:40 > 0:54:44that just wanted to finish service and just get it over and done with.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46Simon's dessert today didn't work.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49The ice cream wasn't set, his chocolate crumb - slightly burned.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52Plus, his chocolate mousse lacked depth.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54It means everything to me to go through.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57I've worked hard for this so, hopefully, I can get there.
0:54:57 > 0:55:01Zoe's menu sounded incredible. These are the two dishes
0:55:01 > 0:55:04that I would have chosen if I'd seen them on a menu.
0:55:04 > 0:55:09I just felt that today, Zoe, maybe, was trying a little bit too hard
0:55:09 > 0:55:12- to impress.- But if you dissect and look what Zoe made,
0:55:12 > 0:55:14she put a lot of work into this.
0:55:14 > 0:55:18Ultimately, I'm hungry for it and I want it.
0:55:18 > 0:55:22If you don't give it your all in a MasterChef competition,
0:55:22 > 0:55:25then when do you?
0:55:25 > 0:55:27Zoe and Simon both had mistakes in their dishes.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31We can only take the one through
0:55:31 > 0:55:34who we think is going to make a difference.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50Cooking for our critics was always going to be tough
0:55:50 > 0:55:52but you all stepped up to it...
0:55:53 > 0:55:56..and brought some wonderful cookery into this kitchen.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01The chef that is leaving the competition is...
0:56:10 > 0:56:12..Simon.
0:56:17 > 0:56:19Shock to the system.
0:56:19 > 0:56:20I'm feeling upset with myself
0:56:20 > 0:56:23for not delivering what I could do today.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34It's just unbelievable. You're standing there
0:56:34 > 0:56:38and it's not your name and... and it's just incredible.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40I'm doing something right.
0:56:40 > 0:56:44Not 100% sure what it is, but I'm just going to keep going.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46I'm really proud of myself.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49Really starting to believe, so it's a case of transferring
0:56:49 > 0:56:51all that belief into the next round
0:56:51 > 0:56:55and just hitting whatever gets thrown at me next out the park.
0:56:55 > 0:56:58As my nephew would call me,
0:56:58 > 0:57:02for a pub chef to get to knockout week of MasterChef pros
0:57:02 > 0:57:04is absolutely phenomenal. I can't believe it.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06Yeah, very happy man.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13Next week...
0:57:13 > 0:57:17another six professionals fight for a place in the quarterfinal.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22There is only so far a bald head and glasses can carry you, you know?
0:57:22 > 0:57:24Breathe.
0:57:24 > 0:57:28I love the dish. That sauce is massive.