0:00:02 > 0:00:05Across the country, lots of us are working out what to cook
0:00:05 > 0:00:08tonight from the ingredients in our cupboards.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10To inspire you with throwing away the cookbooks
0:00:10 > 0:00:12and going back to basics...
0:00:13 > 0:00:17..we're pitting three resourceful and creative home cooks
0:00:17 > 0:00:20against one another to see what they can come up with.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Whoever does it best will be our cook of the day.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Ready to prove that they can think on their feet
0:00:35 > 0:00:38are today's three cooks.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Amanda from Plymouth, who wouldn't let you go hungry.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45I'm a feeder. In our family, food is love.
0:00:45 > 0:00:46If I can invite someone over
0:00:46 > 0:00:50and then send them home feeling full and happy, that makes me very happy.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Anna from Carlisle has a passion for spicy food.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58- I just enjoy chillies really. - GIGGLES
0:00:58 > 0:01:01And Will from Bristol, who is in charge of all the cooking at home.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04My wife's a good gardener and a good eater,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07and I've got two kids, so that keeps you on your toes as well.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10First, they'll be cooking from a box of ingredients
0:01:10 > 0:01:13chosen by today's guest, actor Brian Capron,
0:01:13 > 0:01:16who played one of Coronation Street's most notorious baddies.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19- Brian.- Hello, James. - Welcome to The Box.- Oh, lovely.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Obviously you're a great actor, but pretty good in the kitchen, I hear!
0:01:23 > 0:01:24- Is that right?- Well, not bad.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27It was very exciting doing MasterChef, and I managed to get
0:01:27 > 0:01:30through to be one of the finalists, so my wife was absolutely thrilled!
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- So, now you have to do the cooking all the time?- Yeah, yeah.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36So, how did you go about choosing the ingredients for what's in here?
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Well, I just thought - all of the things that I love...
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Let's have a look. So, why sea bass for you, then?
0:01:41 > 0:01:45I particularly like sea bass when it's a nice little fillet,
0:01:45 > 0:01:46as you can crisp the skin up nicely.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49You obviously like your seasonal ingredients because you've got
0:01:49 > 0:01:52things like Jersey Royal potatoes and some wild garlic in there.
0:01:52 > 0:01:53It's just got a lovely flavour.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57So, we're going to send you off to a darkened room. We'll see you in about 50 minutes.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59- You can watch it unfold in front of you.- Wonderful.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01- And then, you get to taste it. - Brilliant.
0:02:01 > 0:02:02- See you in a bit.- See you later.
0:02:11 > 0:02:12OK, guys. Welcome to The Box.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15You're all here because, apparently, you're all creative
0:02:15 > 0:02:17- and inventive in the kitchen, is that right?- Yes.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Now, in front of you is a box of ingredients that's been picked
0:02:20 > 0:02:23by our special guest, who is watching your every move.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26Now, what they want is one dish at the end of this.
0:02:26 > 0:02:27It could be sweet, it could be savoury.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30You don't have to use all the ingredients in the box,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33so you've got 50 minutes to try and impress us. Are you ready?
0:02:33 > 0:02:34Open your box, off you go.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45I've got sea bass, clams, chorizo... I love chorizo.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49It just gives everything a bit of a lift and a little bit of a punch.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Baby broad beans, runner beans and Jersey potatoes.
0:02:53 > 0:02:54And I've got basil and wild garlic.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58It's a very subtle flavour and it gives a nice texture to things,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00so I'm wild about wild garlic!
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Some lovely calvados brandy, lime and mascarpone.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Mascarpone, the best thing about it is it's so delicious
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and it's just got a lovely texture with it.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15Our cooks can use whatever they want from our store cupboard,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19which is packed with the ingredients many of us will have at home.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Great selection of ingredients from the clams to the sea bass,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24the Jersey Royals, the wild garlic...
0:03:24 > 0:03:26All of which go fantastically well together.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28These are farmed bass, which are slightly smaller
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and because of that, rather than fillet them,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33as the fillets are quite thin, I would leave it whole.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37Just keep it really, really simple, but fantastically tasty.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43It doesn't look as though any of them are going to fillet it, does it?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46So, my idea of crisping it up has gone out the window!
0:03:48 > 0:03:52- Right, Anna. How are you doing? - Hello. I'm doing OK.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55- You're doing OK?- I think so. Yeah. - Do you know what you're cooking yet, or not?
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I'm going to do a sort of stew thing, I suppose.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01I'm going to put some chorizo in, I've got the clams over there,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04broad beans, some of these as well. Some of this.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- Do you know what this is? - Kind of spinachy, I think.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11I'm surprised that some of them don't know what the wild garlic is.
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- Taste it.- I've tasted it.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19- Does it taste like spinach?- No. Not really.- It's wild garlic.- Oh! OK.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21I've already got garlic in. I won't put too much of that in.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24- You put it in at the end. It's fantastic in at the end.- Yeah.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26- Are we going to use this sea bass? - No.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- No?!- I don't think she's... Is she not going to use the fish?
0:04:29 > 0:04:31That's quite a surprise.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33I just can't cook that.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36- What do you mean you can't cook it? - I've never cooked a whole fish.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39HE CHUCKLES
0:04:39 > 0:04:41Do you want me to show you something?
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- I could do it and then you can decide...- Oh, OK. Yeah. That sounds reasonable.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49- You can ignore me totally, which most people do.- No, I'll give you something to do.- Oh, thanks(!)
0:04:49 > 0:04:51- Cheers, all right. - SHE GIGGLES
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Right. Well, I'm going to show you how to salt bake sea bass.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56'Firstly start by separating some eggs
0:04:56 > 0:04:59'and simply whisk up the whites and mix in loads of sea salt.'
0:04:59 > 0:05:03And then you just pop this on the tray.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06- Ooh.- Place the fish on, like that. Take the topping...
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Press this all down. So, this is salt baking.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15A fantastic way to cook whole fish.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19And then what happens, when you bake this, this crust goes hard.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22I've never seen this before, with the egg whites and salt.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24I've never heard of it.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- So, that's going to take about 30 minutes to cook in there.- OK.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31- 30 minutes? - And what you do is you break off the salt, open it up and then you take
0:05:31 > 0:05:36the flesh underneath it and you have this amazing fresh, moist sea bass.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- Good idea.- I'll disappear off.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40SHE LAUGHS
0:05:41 > 0:05:44The salt will flavour the fish, but that's what you want,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46but you don't have to add anything else in it.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49You could put a little bit of thyme or rosemary into the salt as well.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53And then when you break open the salt it's lovely and delicate in the middle.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55'Will is also cooking the sea bass whole.'
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Will's taken the fish and just basically stuffed it
0:05:57 > 0:05:59with a few bits of lemon, some herbs,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and then throw it in the oven, wrapped in tinfoil.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03It's cooked en papillote.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Now, the problem is, with bass like that,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08because it's quite small, you really want to roast it open,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11as in, don't wrap it up if you want a crispy skin over the top.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12Make sure the oven's really, really hot
0:06:12 > 0:06:15cos it's going to be in there for only about 18-20 minutes.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19Now, I see you've got the fish wrapped up there.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22I might, if there's time at the end, open it up so that it gets
0:06:22 > 0:06:26a bit more colour, maybe grill the top of it once it's cooked a bit.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Now, you cook a lot at home? You've got two little ones at home?
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Yeah, I've got two little ones, so it's quite a novelty
0:06:31 > 0:06:34cooking without a two-year-old on your ankles asking for her dinner!
0:06:34 > 0:06:37You grow a lot of your own stuff at home, is that right?
0:06:37 > 0:06:38Well, I don't but my wife is the gardener.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40The kids must love that as well, don't they?
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- Yeah, well, they're very good at snail hunting.- Snail hunting?
0:06:43 > 0:06:44Snail hunting. Yeah.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47You need snail hunters when you grow your own food.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49It's a nightmare.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51So we're going to use the broad beans as well?
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Not if I'm using the green beans, I don't think.
0:06:54 > 0:06:55She'd have to double pod these, you see?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58You get these wonderful green beans out of them.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01I'm not sure that time and nerves will allow me to here, James.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03You're too nervous to peel a bean?!
0:07:03 > 0:07:04HE LAUGHS
0:07:04 > 0:07:08- Or do you want me to peel them all? - No, it's OK. - I'm quite happy, standing here...
0:07:08 > 0:07:10If you want to do it, just knock yourself out,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12but I may not use them, even.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13You find it therapeutic?
0:07:13 > 0:07:16I could just create a dish all on my own here!
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Will's lost a point, though, as far as I'm concerned
0:07:19 > 0:07:21for not using the broad beans because
0:07:21 > 0:07:24baby broad beans, I think, are one of the most delicious things.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25And they've got a nice texture.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28- And you've got the chorizo and tomatoes in there?- Yeah.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29Bit of garlic?
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Yeah, a bit of garlic and onion in there as well, a bit of the red wine.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34I'm debating about whether or not
0:07:34 > 0:07:37that might keep the chef going as well. But...
0:07:37 > 0:07:38JAMES LAUGHS
0:07:38 > 0:07:39..it's open. It'd be rude not to!
0:07:42 > 0:07:46Amanda's also decided to cook the sea bass en papillote.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50That is an amazing bit of wrapping, I've got to say.
0:07:50 > 0:07:51I had a bit of a panic about the wrapping.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55- Do you wrap your Christmas presents like that at home?- No.- Right.- No.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57So I'm going to bake that in the oven, and then,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00I've already prepped, but I'm going to do, like, a sauce
0:08:00 > 0:08:02style with the clams and tomato
0:08:02 > 0:08:03and a bit of wild garlic in there already.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06And then I've got some more that I'll chuck in at the end.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08I'm really glad someone's using the wild garlic
0:08:08 > 0:08:10because that's a really special ingredient.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13It'll just give it something a bit different.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- How many are you cooking for? - I like to cook for big groups.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- So I'm feeding everyone, everyone! - Big groups? Coachload, is that!
0:08:19 > 0:08:21- Yeah. I won't put it all on the plate, I promise.- All right. OK.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23HE LAUGHS
0:08:23 > 0:08:25I've got some chorizo in with the potatoes cooking at the minute
0:08:25 > 0:08:27that I'll chuck into the sauce at the end.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29That's a really nice idea
0:08:29 > 0:08:33cos the oil from the chorizo will give the potatoes such a lift.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39I'm watching this and I'm thinking, "Mm. Ooh! They're nice ingredients!"
0:08:39 > 0:08:41HE LAUGHS
0:08:42 > 0:08:45So all three cooks are using Brian's favourite ingredients
0:08:45 > 0:08:49in a similar way but which dish will impress him the most?
0:08:51 > 0:08:53I'll be interested to see how they dish up the actual fish
0:08:53 > 0:08:56and make it look appetising with everything else.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58It's quite tricky, isn't it?
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Five minutes left, guys. Five minutes!
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Time to check if my salt crust has worked its magic on Anna's sea bass.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15Oh-ho ho-ho-hoo!
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Mm-mm-mm!
0:09:17 > 0:09:19You break this off.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22And what you end up with is this amazing flesh underneath.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Now, I'm going to get you to taste this.
0:09:26 > 0:09:28That's really nice. Yummy!
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Do you want to use it or can I take it away?
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Yeah, I do. I'll put it on top of my ragu.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39- Nice and crispy.- You think the people of Jersey will be happy with these?
0:09:39 > 0:09:42- Hopefully, they taste good, so I'd be happy.- Taste good.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46That looks good, doesn't it?
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- I think the fish is OK but the tail fell off a bit.- The tail fell off?!
0:09:51 > 0:09:53I'm really looking forward to meeting them
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and I'm really looking forward to the taste
0:09:55 > 0:09:59cos I think, in the end, Anna's is looking great now.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04OK. Time's up. Stop cooking.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09OK, well done, guys, but you're probably intrigued to know
0:10:09 > 0:10:11who put that box of ingredients together.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Well, I can now tell you that he was a big star in Coronation Street,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17but more recently you may have seen him
0:10:17 > 0:10:20as one of the finalists on Celebrity MasterChef.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22It's a certain Brian Capron.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Brian, welcome back. How was the little room?
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Well, it's great not to be on the other side!
0:10:32 > 0:10:34THEY LAUGH
0:10:34 > 0:10:36I know what it's like under that pressure.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38So what do you think of everybody's dishes on the whole?
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Well, I think they did really well and I thought they were all
0:10:40 > 0:10:44quite calm and cool about it, you know, which I was impressed by.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46Right. Well, first of all, what did you cook, then?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49A sea bass baked in a salt crust, served on a bed of chorizo
0:10:49 > 0:10:53- and clam ragu.- Looks lovely. - No crispy skin but dive in.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Tell us what you think.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00The sea bass is delicious.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01Um...
0:11:01 > 0:11:04I love the idea of the ragu and how it's placed on there.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05Got a nice little punch to it.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08The chorizo is a bit overpowering,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11but all round it goes well with the sea bass, I think.
0:11:11 > 0:11:12But, yeah, pretty good.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16You've got nice flavours in there. The sea bass, to me...
0:11:16 > 0:11:18I love salt-baked sea bass. I'm so glad you used it.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20- Great-tasting plate of food. Well done.- Thank you.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Now, what did we do? The tail fell off!
0:11:26 > 0:11:29The tail fell off but, you know, you can't have everything!
0:11:29 > 0:11:30What did you do?
0:11:30 > 0:11:33I baked the fish, I've done a chorizo ragu,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35some sauteed potatoes
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and some blanched green beans with it.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40I like the little garnish there with the garlic flowers.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- Brian, what do you think?- I think that fish is cooked very well.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50The chorizo ragu tastes very nice.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Nice balanced flavours there, I think.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Well, first of all, the fish, fantastically cooked.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- And then the beans, little bit longer for me for the beans.- Really?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59- OK.- They're a little bit crunchy for me.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01You've certainly got the right flavour with the chorizo
0:12:01 > 0:12:03and the tomatoes. It's fantastic.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- Really well cooked on the fish as well.- Thank you.- Well done.- Cheers.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12Right, Amanda. What did you make?
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I did baked sea bass with a tomato, chorizo and clam sauce
0:12:16 > 0:12:18and then roasted potatoes with some chorizo as well.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29The fish is cooked really nicely. Tastes lovely.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31The stew kind of works, really, with the clams.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- You've just created a lot of it. - Yeah.
0:12:33 > 0:12:34So I just think less of it
0:12:34 > 0:12:36and you get a more intense flavour of the clams.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38That would be really nice.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40But, on the whole, the fish is really the prize of this
0:12:40 > 0:12:42and it's perfectly cooked.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43Good effort.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Now, it's your choice which dish you like the most,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52so what would you go back for more of?
0:12:54 > 0:12:57The actual sea bass, everybody did brilliantly.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08But I picked Will's dish, purely on taste.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12I loved that little bit of flavour that you got in there with
0:13:12 > 0:13:14the sauce, and maybe the lemon gave it a nice lift
0:13:14 > 0:13:19and the nice balanced ragu that went with it beautifully.
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Well done, Will.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25OK, then. Round two.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28In front of me are three boxes of ingredients
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I've gone out shopping for.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31We've got a global box...
0:13:33 > 0:13:34..a vegetarian box...
0:13:36 > 0:13:37..and a pudding box.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40Now, Will, because you cooked Brian's favourite dish,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43you get the power to choose not only what you'll be cooking with
0:13:43 > 0:13:46but what your fellow competitors will be cooking with.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49So, first of all, pick a box for Anna.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02- I think I'll go for the global box for Anna.- Really?- Yeah.- OK.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06- You sound quite pleased with that? - Yes, I think so.- OK.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08That leaves Amanda. Two boxes left.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18I'm not that good with puddings,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21so I'm going to give Amanda the pudding box.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24- Yes, you're happy with that?- Yes. - That was a little "yes"!- Yes.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Which means, Will, surprisingly, you've got the vegetarian box
0:14:28 > 0:14:31and it leaves all three of you just 50 minutes to create a dish
0:14:31 > 0:14:34to impress me this time because I get to choose today's
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Cook of the Day based on what you're producing now.
0:14:37 > 0:14:3850 minutes.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Good luck. Collect your boxes.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55- So, Brian, do you fancy having a go at this?- No!- Why not?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58They're all difficult! It's quite challenging.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01In 50 minutes, it's a big challenge.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06Anna's got the global box which, today, has a French theme.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Inside, it's got a duck leg, tinned snails, petits pois,
0:15:10 > 0:15:15Herbes de Provence, Camembert, apples, puff pastry,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18lavender, lardons and a potato.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22- Now, have you ever cooked French food before?- Um...
0:15:22 > 0:15:25No, I don't think so. Maybe a coq au vin, like, years ago.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27My husband doesn't really like French food!
0:15:29 > 0:15:33Where's my tin of amazing escargots or snails?
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Aren't these the most attractive thing in the world? Taste.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42SHE LAUGHS
0:15:42 > 0:15:45- Now, what are you going to do with the duck?- Pan-fry it with...
0:15:45 > 0:15:46Pan-fried duck?
0:15:46 > 0:15:49The classic thing with duck would be to do a duck confit with the duck leg.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- Yeah, is that in fat? - But you need to salt it first.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54However, you can do a similar sort of thing.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56- If you take the duck, like that. - Yeah.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59Normally, you would do this with duck fat.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03But you can get away with a similar sort of thing.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05We've got some garlic, lovely, thank you very much.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Garlic crushed, throw that in.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13And, basically, you're just going to poach this for about 35-40 minutes
0:16:13 > 0:16:17- and you're going to roast it in the oven with some honey.- OK.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22- Are you going to do anything else with it?- I'm going to try and make a kind of apple tart thing.- OK.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25So, are you feeling more confident now?
0:16:25 > 0:16:27Yes, I'm feeling much more confident.
0:16:27 > 0:16:28SHE GIGGLES
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Anna is doing a variant on a duck confit dish that I had in mind, really.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40I would definitely use the snails, and the snails together
0:16:40 > 0:16:42with the potatoes and those lovely crispy lardons
0:16:42 > 0:16:45work fantastically well with the crispy duck confit,
0:16:45 > 0:16:46and then the apples,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49I would do a wonderful little apple tarte tatin to go with it.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54'Will chose the vegetarian box for himself,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57'which contains chickpeas, tahini sauce,
0:16:57 > 0:17:02'an aubergine, cherry tomatoes, a pomegranate, Greek yoghurt,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05'halloumi cheese, mint and rocket leaves.'
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Why the vegetarian box, then?
0:17:08 > 0:17:09I'm rubbish at puddings
0:17:09 > 0:17:12and I thought that was too much of a gamble.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15I mean, I've got a vegetable garden out of the back of my house,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18I try and eat vegetarian food a couple of times a week, so this is perfect.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Why do you cook vegetarian food a couple of times a week then?
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Economy, you know, save on meat.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Rather than eat substandard meat all the time, eat some better meat,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29but fewer times in a week.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31So what kind of veg are you producing in the garden?
0:17:31 > 0:17:33The wife is - spinach, kale...
0:17:33 > 0:17:35We're lucky enough to have a greenhouse...
0:17:35 > 0:17:37- Do you do courgettes? They go mad. - They go mental.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40They're the easiest things to grow, aren't they?
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I never understand why anyone buys courgettes in supermarkets.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45You can ask any gardener and they'll go, "PLEASE take some courgettes!
0:17:45 > 0:17:47- "Have a bag!" - They just grow on their own.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49So what are we up to?
0:17:49 > 0:17:52There's some tahini in there so I'm going to make hummus.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55I love halloumi cheese as well so I'm going to grill that.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57I'm roasting the aubergines and the cherry tomatoes
0:17:57 > 0:18:00with some onion and garlic in there.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02I'm making like a tortilla as well.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Right, a tortilla/flatbready sort of thing?
0:18:05 > 0:18:08Yeah, hopefully that'll come off in the time.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16The key to this really is getting textures into this.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Well, halloumi is just a simple cheese, really.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Marinating it beforehand does really help.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24You can use a combination of spices, like a little bit of chilli,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27some lemon or lime, a little bit of oil, and then just basically
0:18:27 > 0:18:29very, very quickly get that char-grill really hot
0:18:29 > 0:18:31and place it in there and generally leave it.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34You don't want to overcook it, otherwise it can go quite rubbery,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37but you've just got to make sure it's nice and char-grilled on one side.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45'Inside the pudding box, Amanda has got gooseberries, apples,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49'elderflowers and elderflower cordial, champagne,
0:18:49 > 0:18:53'shortbread biscuits, ground almonds, gelatine and cloves.'
0:18:54 > 0:18:55What are you going to do?
0:18:55 > 0:18:58I've gone for an elderflower and champagne jelly,
0:18:58 > 0:19:01which is hopefully setting in the fridge.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03I've cooked off some gooseberries.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- Are they gooseberries? - They are gooseberries, yes.- Yes!
0:19:05 > 0:19:08- With some elderflower syrup and a little bit of sugar.- Yes!
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- And I'm going to blend them up and make them into a bit of a cream.- OK.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14- I was guessing they were ground almonds.- You are correct.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16So I've gone for a flourless cake
0:19:16 > 0:19:19with a bit of elderflower syrup in it as well.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22And I'm thinking about maybe cooking off some of the apples
0:19:22 > 0:19:26and putting them with it, sort of like an avant-garde cake tatin.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30- I'm making it up as I go along! - Sounds great!
0:19:30 > 0:19:33One thing you didn't mention, we've got these wonderful elderflowers.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I was wondering about trying to do something with them with the cake,
0:19:36 > 0:19:38but I'm not quite sure what to do.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42- These are fabulous if you tempura them.- OK.- In a champagne batter.- OK.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- Please help me.- Help you?
0:19:48 > 0:19:52- Sugar, OK? Sugar and flour, really. - Got a tempura flour?
0:19:52 > 0:19:53Well, you can use cornflour,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56but you can get away with plain flour for this one.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00Plain flour and then you can use some of this elderflower cordial.
0:20:03 > 0:20:04Champagne.
0:20:06 > 0:20:11You mix this together and you've now made a champagne tempura batter.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15And if you take those elderflowers, take a hot pan with some oil in
0:20:15 > 0:20:18- and just flash fry them, they're delicious.- OK.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- And when they come out, sprinkle them with a bit of sugar.- Awesome!
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Now, desserts on MasterChef, did you ever do them?
0:20:24 > 0:20:26I didn't do one pudding, I don't think.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31No, I did do two French tarts and that's what I went out on,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34as it were, so I was let down by two French tarts!
0:20:34 > 0:20:37That's another story, that, Brian! Don't even go there!
0:20:43 > 0:20:45I'm actually liking what I see with this dish, really.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47The jelly could be fantastic,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49particularly with the elderflower and the champagne
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and the key to that really is making sure it's nice and sweet
0:20:52 > 0:20:53so a touch of sugar as well,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56but also you've got the cake and I like that combination.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58How it's going to look on one plate, we'll wait and see.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Which one would you attempt to have a go at?
0:21:04 > 0:21:08- I think I'd probably go for the global.- Yeah?
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Provincial French cooking your thing?
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- Well, yes, it could be.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17'Anna's duck confit and apple tart are in the oven
0:21:17 > 0:21:19'and looks like she'll be serving it
0:21:19 > 0:21:23'with some sort of snail, lardon and petits pois concoction.'
0:21:23 > 0:21:27I don't think Anna's going to take a trip to France any time soon, really.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'Meanwhile, Will's a bit stumped with the pomegranate.'
0:21:30 > 0:21:32I've never actually cooked with pomegranate.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Do you know how to prepare it? I'll show you if you want.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Slice it in half and then all you do is basically hold it that way
0:21:38 > 0:21:40- and whack it.- Sweet!
0:21:40 > 0:21:44'And Amanda's flourless cake has been in the oven for quite a while.'
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- That's not overcooking, is it? - I've put a foil hat on it so it doesn't cook any more.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53- If you turn the oven down, it's usually better than a foil hat. - I've done both.- OK, you've done both.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Two and a half minutes to go.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23OK, that's your lot. Stop cooking. Well done!
0:22:27 > 0:22:31'Anna had to come up with a dish from the French-themed global box.'
0:22:34 > 0:22:35Anna, how are you?
0:22:37 > 0:22:39Yes.
0:22:39 > 0:22:40Yes! Well, you don't need to blame me.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- Blame that chap over there, really. - I have blamed Will.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Now, you got the global box.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48French inspired, particularly Provence. What did you make?
0:22:48 > 0:22:52I did a duck confit and I've done an apple tart
0:22:52 > 0:22:54and the other thing...
0:22:54 > 0:22:58Well, it's just a bit of a mixture of...French things.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01THEY LAUGH
0:23:01 > 0:23:05- Shall we have a taste then? - Er, be my guest!
0:23:05 > 0:23:07I'll cut the duck up.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14Well, it's not bad.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18I think the duck tastes OK, I think you've cooked the duck OK,
0:23:18 > 0:23:21maybe just slightly over.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24This cassoulet-type mixture is actually very tasty
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and that's got a lovely caramel kick to it.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29It tastes not bad, you know.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32The tarte tatin is wonderful. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It's got the right caramelisation, the right amount of cooking.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38It cuts through the fattiness of the duck, it's great.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41The cassoulet, you just suddenly threw everything in it.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44But, for some reason, I don't know how,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47it tastes not bad, really.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Put all these three ingredients together with the apple
0:23:50 > 0:23:54and the duck and the cassoulet thing and that kind of works, really.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- Really, really well done! You should be very pleased.- OK, I feel better.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- You surprised yourself. - Thank you.- Well done!
0:24:03 > 0:24:06'Will chose to cook a dish from the vegetarian box.'
0:24:10 > 0:24:12What did you make?
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Well, I've roasted the vegetables, the aubergine and tomatoes.
0:24:15 > 0:24:19I've made a tortilla flatbread, grilled the halloumi, made a hummus,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22mixed in some mint and pomegranate with the Greek yoghurt
0:24:22 > 0:24:26and thrown on a bit of rocket garnish for fun.
0:24:26 > 0:24:27Shall we have a taste?
0:24:33 > 0:24:36I think it's a lovely combination.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40I think everything is beautifully cooked.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42- I particularly like the aubergine and tomatoes.- Yeah.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44It tastes delicious.
0:24:44 > 0:24:48- The flatbread has kind of worked. It does want brushing with butter.- OK.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50Or oil at the end, just to flavour it.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55- For me, really, halloumi, this is my personal preference, one side.- OK.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- Because when you cook it both sides, it kind of dries it out a little bit.- OK.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Having said that, the hummus is perfect.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Nice flavour, you've got the right amount of lemon, garlic, olive oil.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08- Yeah, it's a great touch, really. You can tell you cook vegetarian food a lot.- Yeah.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11The thing with that is textures and you've managed to achieve that.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16- It's a great tasting plate of food so well done.- Thanks. - You were right to choose it.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26'And, finally, Amanda had to create a dish from the pudding box.'
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Now, Amanda, you got the pudding box.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33- It wasn't your choice, but you did go, "Yes!"- Yes.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35- You didn't do that when you opened up the lid, though.- No!
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- It was a bit of a challenge, yeah. - What did you make?
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Well, I've attempted a champagne and elderflower jelly.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44I've made a flourless cake with some of the elderflower syrup
0:25:44 > 0:25:47using the ground almonds and some apples on the top.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50I've deep-fried the elderflower flowers
0:25:50 > 0:25:52and I made some cream with some of the gooseberries
0:25:52 > 0:25:54that I cooked down in some sugar and elderflower syrup.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- So, shall we dive in? - It has set lovely.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01- Ooh!- You see?- It has set, not bad.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10The jelly is not quite set, it's a bit subtle.
0:26:11 > 0:26:16The apple's cooked quite nicely, that shines out.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19The cake is rather like a kind of a Chelsea bun.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23It's kind of rich and a little bit soggy.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26But it kind of works.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28First thing, I'm going to start with the jelly.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30That is so close to being perfect.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34So close! And that is because you didn't measure the gelatine.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38It tastes fabulous and the combination of the cream
0:26:38 > 0:26:40and the elderflower jelly works fantastically well
0:26:40 > 0:26:43with the gooseberries, but the elderflower fritters are just superb.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48- The flavours all really work together, so well done.- Thank you.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Brian, have you had a good day?
0:26:55 > 0:27:00It's been fantastic and I really take my hat off to these guys
0:27:00 > 0:27:02because to do anything in 50 minutes, I know how hard it is
0:27:02 > 0:27:07- and also I don't envy your job cos this last round is very close.- Very, very close!
0:27:07 > 0:27:10We've got three amazing dishes, I'll be honest with you, and you really did up your game.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15You did really well in round one, but round two was really special.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20And, on the basis of what I tasted, today's cook of the day is...
0:27:26 > 0:27:27..Amanda.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30- Thank you!- Really well done. Congratulations!
0:27:30 > 0:27:34- The flavour of that jelly was just spot on.- Thank you!
0:27:37 > 0:27:40That was pretty tough, pretty tough going. You get to win that.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43- You pleased with that?- I am pleased, yeah. Relieved it's all over!
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- Relieved it's all over!- I've had a great day. It's been great fun.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48A good challenge, but I was so thrilled to win.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52- Yeah, it's been great. - Congratulations. - Thank you very much.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Brian, thanks for coming along. - It's a pleasure.- And that's all we've got time for today.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Join us next time where we meet three more brilliant home cooks,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02more big celebrity names and more boxes of ingredients to cook with.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03I'll see you again soon, by for now.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06And if you'd like to have a go in the kitchen,
0:28:06 > 0:28:12go to bbc.co.uk/dishup for easy recipes and tips.