Episode 12 The Chef's Protege

Getting to the top of any profession takes not only skill

and determination, but a few breaks along the way.

Show me what a good cook you are.

Tom Kitchin, Theo Randall and Michel Roux, Jr, have all been

helped in their careers by someone who believed in them.

I think it would be very difficult for any chef to achieve greatness

without a mentor.

Put it through one more time.

Now, they want to give someone else that same chance...

Out, out, out.

..by going back to catering college to find a young student they can

each take under their wing as their own protege.

It's such a gruelling industry.

If you want to get to the top, you need to work with the best.

Look at you, you are excited, you are excited, eh? Hallelujah.

Tom, Theo and Michel are searching for someone who

they think is a worthy apprentice.

-Happy, Chef Shona?

-I think so.

They each have a week to select and train up their strongest candidates...

Two things on the go at the same time, come on, come on,

or even three things on the go.

Multitask, come on.

..before they compete against each other to see who has the best protege.

This week it is Michel Roux' search.

Hello, young man.

Yesterday, he arrived at University College, Birmingham,

to meet some of their strongest degree students.

Normally I use a microwave.

HE GASPS

Both of you, be careful.

He chose 18-year-old Rhys,

21-year-old Jodie, and 18-year-old Sophie to take forward.

The addition of a little bit of beurre noisette is absolutely delicious.

Today, he's back to meet the final three students that UCB

believes have the potential to be his protege.

I've got to see that sparkle.

I've got to see something that means that they will be able to

take on board my philosophy, my DNA, almost.

To get a sense of the students,

Michel has devised a first test of them.

To cook an omelette.

Let's learn how to walk before we run.

If they've got the base skills right, if they've got a good palette

and a good presentation skill, then we can work on that.

First up is 21-year-old Rebecca,

a degree student in culinary arts management.

Hello.

Hello, what's your name, Rebecca? Right, come with me, Rebecca.

So, Rebecca, the long have you been at the college?

I've been at the college for three years now. This is my fourth year.

What do you eat at home?

Lots of southern French cuisine.

French cuisine?!

Yes, my family spent a lot of time in Provence, so we have lots of

ratatouille, and gratin dauphinoise is very standard in my house.

-Have you got my books?

-Yes, they're like classics in my home.

-The one with the raspberry ganache tarte...

-Hmm.

..I've probably been eating that since I was about ten.

I'm going to put you to the test.

A very simple test.

-I want you to cook an omelette.

-OK.

-Yes?

-Yes.

-Got a few ingredients there,

mushroom, herbs, a bit of pancetta.

-OK.

-Yes?

-Yes.

Both my parents are doctors, and I was actually

horrific at science at school, so, they're very supportive of me

wanting to be a chef. I don't think they can wait till I have a

restaurant because I think they are expecting free food along the way.

So, do you cook omelettes?

I didn't actually eat eggs for ten years, because I had a bad

scrambled egg experience with a microwaved scrambled egg...

Oh, don't talk to me about microwaved scrambled eggs...

The smell and the flavour of it just put me off.

The secret to the omelette not sticking to the pan

is that it should be hot and smoking.

The omelette should be cooked on the outside and then

when you cut into it, runny - baveuse.

And just a little bit of colour. It is an art.

-Is it going how you want it?

-I think so.

It seems to not be getting any crispy, golden colour,

-I don't know if you like it like that?

-How do you like it?

With or without colour?

I think, because I usually do them without colour,

I think that's how I would eat it.

This one might have a bit of colour now, saying that...

HE INHALES

Sorry, chef.

-Is that my omelette?

-Yes.

-Are you pleased with it?

Apart from the crispy bit in the middle.

I think that's a bit overcooked, where it has peeled

and stuck to the pan.

It stuck to the pan because your pan wasn't quite hot enough.

And if you season your pan with a little dribble of oil, you can

get the pan very hot. Then you put your butter in.

-It's not an omelette I would want to serve in a restaurant.

-No.

And you know that it's not right.

But, I like the shape of it,

I like the choice of your ingredients,

I like the pancetta, you cut it in very thin slivers, which was

nice, I like that, and you showed good knife skills.

Don't be totally disheartened.

-Rebecca, pack your knives and off you go.

-Thank you, chef.

Thank you, see later.

I like Rebecca.

I like the fact that she loves her food

and she has got a great enthusiasm. Hmm.

Her omelette wasn't the best, but I can see that she cares,

and that's important.

Very nerve-wracking, but it went OK - I made some silly mistakes.

He makes you want to learn, I could just sit and listen to him all day

talking about food, so, hopefully he will want to teach me more, too.

Alex has worked part-time in restaurants since he left school.

-Good morning.

-Morning, chef.

-Alex?

-Yes.

-Follow me. Come in.

So, tell me a little bit about yourself.

I'm 21 years old and I'm doing a culinary arts management

course here at the university. I've been here for six years.

So you are one of the old boys here?

One of the old boys, yes, a piece of furniture, as they always say.

-Well, I am going to ask you to cook an omelette.

-OK.

I'm sure you've cooked a few omelettes before.

-Yes.

-You don't look too...

No, I know what I'm doing.

-Yes?

-Yes, he says.

MICHEL LAUGHS

Got to go in with confidence.

OK, let's go. Omelette time.

I'm really passionate about the industry

and I managed to get the nickname The Sponge,

because I just want to soak up every bit of knowledge that everybody had.

So, have you cooked many omelettes in your time, do you reckon?

Yeah, I have cooked a few, but none for as high a calibre as you.

That's the nervous part about it.

Why do you think I have got you to cook an omelette?

An egg is a very simple ingredient but can be elevated to a very high

level if it's treated with the same respect as maybe a piece of venison.

Exactly that.

Ah-ha! Right.

-Are you pleased with it?

-Yes.

I like the colour, nice, bright, it's not too dark on the bottom.

I like the fact that it is very baveuse, that's a

French way of cooking that's really runny, very runny.

You did put a lot of butter and a lot of oil in the pan, though.

But, seasoning, cooking, very good.

It would be quite bad after six years

-if I can't cook an omelette at a catering college.

-It would.

-Pack your knives up, and off you go. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Cheers, Alex.

Mmmm.

What a charming, focused, young man Alex is.

That boy knows and cares about food.

Alex has definitely ticked all the boxes for me.

I'm over the moon with that,

I mean there is not many times you get to cook for

two Michelin star chefs in your career, so, to get positive feedback

at the same time is great, really, so, I'm absolutely buzzing.

Last to meet Michel is fourth-year degree student, Emma.

-Hello, Emma.

-Lovely to meet you.

-Nice to see you.

Right.

-Put your stuff here.

-Thank you very much.

-So, Emma, what's your style?

Have you got a signature dish?

Something that you really like cooking?

I do like Asian food,

my dad is from Malaysia, I've been to Malaysia a couple of times,

tried the food, just love it, absolutely love it there.

I love Malay food, I love the Malay flavours,

beautiful. Hmmm, good, I want a delicious omelette.

-Go for it.

-Thank you very much.

I'd like to think that I'm a perfect student.

I'm very patient,

and I like to listen and take on board everything that I'm told.

I'm just hoping to find a young chef that has got the enthusiasm

that I had when I was a young chef.

I'm really passionate and really keen and really,

really eager to learn. I am not really offended easily.

If something is not right, I'll take that on board,

I don't think I'm right at everything.

-So, you're thick-skinned?

-I'd lie to think so.

Chefs have to be thick-skinned.

-All right?

-Think so.

-Good.

Good. All done? Lovely.

-Are you pleased with that one?

-I think so.

No, you can't be, "I think so," pleased.

Are you, or are you not pleased with it?

I'm pleased with my omelette.

-There's nothing you would change about it?

-No.

-Good.

It looks a little bit sad, it looks a bit small,

it looks a bit flat - an omelette should be plump and bouncy.

It's interesting the way you cooked it, as well,

they way you cooked the bacon with the mushroom in the pan

and then poured the egg on top of it,

rather than taking your garnish and putting it in the middle,

and then folding it around, it's not the way I would have done it.

You sprinkled a bit more salt on the top,

but, you had already seasoned the omelette quite a bit.

It is salty, though.

Very salty, I think a lot of people would find that too salty.

Saying that, your omelette is not overcooked,

it's got a nice colour,

just a hint of colour on it.

-Hmmm, off you go.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

I like the fact that she worked very neatly, tidily.

Her omelette was too salty, though. The jury is still out. Hmmm.

Bit disappointed that I over-seasoned and everything.

I didn't do it the classical way, which I'm a bit annoyed about myself,

and I should have known, but, unbelievable to meet him

and to cook for him and to have him criticise something that

I have made, just an absolutely unbelievable opportunity.

Having a mentor means more than just being taught basic cookery skills.

It is the opportunity to learn the secrets behind their food.

The French classics are at the heart of Michel's style, in particular,

perfecting the art of the sauce and the elegance of presentation.

Before he makes a decision,

he wants Rebecca, Emma

and Alex to recreate his classic dish of roast rack of lamb

with sauteed potatoes, courgettes and green beans,

served with a tarragon lamb jus.

I'm going to show you a dish that will show more of what I am about.

Now, I am a believer in sauces,

I think the French gastronomy was built on sauces.

My father, is what I would call, the master of all masters

when it comes to sauces.

It's something that's been handed down to me,

I guess, the love of sauces.

So, rack of lamb, I don't know if any of you have done butchery...

A little bit.

So, what is this called that I'm doing?

-A French trim?

-Indeed, French trim.

So, the bones have to be lovely and clean and white, yes?

That is important for starting off with a beautiful piece of meat.

Season the lamb.

The lamb rack is pan-roasted with garlic, thyme

and the lamb trimmings.

All this is to add flavour, to add another dimension to the roast.

It is important that it shouldn't burn, but we want some nice colour.

Hmmm.

That's smelling good, isn't it, already?

In the oven.

-How long?

-Four minutes.

Cor blimey, how do you like your meat, still going baaaaa?!

A rack of lamb that size will take no more than about eight minutes.

So, whilst that is getting ready,

I'm going to make some little courgette ribbons,

without using a mandoline.

Simple things, done well, make a big difference.

Yes?

Let's have a look at the lamb.

It's got a bit of a spring to it, you can see, cos it's very tight,

and it needs to rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

So, have you seen any stock on my bench?

How do you think I'm, going to make the sauce?

With the roasting juices.

With the roasting juices, yes.

In our roasting pan, I've added a little bit of shallot.

Caramelise that. Now is the time for the next layer of flavours.

Tarragon vinegar.

Next, white wine. Not too much. Just enough.

Hmmm.

The sauce. Through a chinois, expecting every last drop.

The consistency of the sauce has to be syrupy,

but I don't want to thicken it with any starch.

That is done by reduction.

A knob of cold butter in the sauce which gives it a lovely sheen

and shine.

See how little I've got, so, it is intense flavours.

Nice pink all the way through. Not a centre part that is rare.

Just a little bit of sauce, not too much.

Have a taste. Go for it.

Do you like it?

THEY LAUGH

Yes, it's really lovely.

Are you sure, you're not just saying that just to please me?

The lamb is so tender.

And juicy.

Does it excite you, this kind of food?

-Its simplicity?

-Yes.

That is me on a plate.

If you want to be my protege, you are going to have to grasp that.

Off you go.

I had better try my best, and we will have to see.

It might not taste as incredible as his, but as long as I follow

all the steps he did, hopefully it will come out nicely.

I think it's going all right, I think it's going OK.

I'm just trying to remember everything that I need to do.

The one thing I want my students to understand is the basics, the

foundations, the building blocks of French gastronomy, of great cooking.

If I can teach them that, then I think we're onto something.

I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself,

really, to get this right first time.

If there are any mistakes I will probably magnify them

by 100 times, but that's just me in general.

Where are you up to, Alex?

I've just got the meat into the pan with all the trimming,

so, I'm just heating that up and then I'll get it into the oven for the eight minutes.

Remember, timing is not gospel, you know,

it depends on the size of the lamb.

It's just more of a guidance?

It's more of a guidance, yes, and feel. Use your feelings.

-Good.

-Thanks, chef.

Are you pleased with those bones, nice and clean?

I think so, and they should go nice and white when they are baked.

Well done, lovely.

I can teach knife skills, I can teach how to make a sauce.

But, that willpower, that passion is definitely from within.

The students must prep and cook all the vegetables exactly as Michel

has shown them in the time it takes to cook the lamb to perfection.

Just to remind you, in case you had forgotten, when you think that

Chef Michel is a really nice guy,

one of you, unfortunately, will be leaving.

So, make sure you get it right, nail it.

If they have listened to Michel, the students will know

they need to get maximum flavour into the lamb cooking liquor.

Sauces are so difficult to master.

It can take a lifetime to become a really good saucier,

a master of the craft of making sauces.

The students must add just enough tarragon vinegar and white wine,

so that when the jus is reduced, the flavours are perfectly balanced.

The lamb's got to be roast beautifully pink,

French beans cut precisely,

the courgette - everything has just got to be perfect.

I'm not difficult, I'm just looking for perfection!

-Do you feel like you want to be sick right now?

-Uh-huh.

I know what I've done wrong, that's the annoying thing.

And when you are just cooking, and going,

"I can see it," I knew,

as soon as I went to put it on the plate, I could see, straightaway.

Let's go for you, Rebecca.

Well presented, beautiful butchery work, lovely, clean bones.

French trimmed, bang on.

Little roast potatoes, put on their side there, it looks elegant,

I think that looks really nice, very smart.

Hmm.

Let's have a look at this sauce.

-Now, it looks very thin.

-Yes.

Very insipid.

There's the merest hint of tarragon, the merest,

distant hint of tarragon.

But, your French beans are really nice, potatoes are

beautiful. Really, really beautiful.

Your lamb's bang on, cooked beautifully.

Your omelette this morning wasn't bad. Wasn't bad.

Hmmm.

Even though there were a couple of negatives,

it was still an amazing experience, being with him in the kitchen today.

I could learn so much from him.

Hopefully, he would want to teach me, so, we will see.

So, Emma.

The first thing I see is that your lamb is very rare,

for me it is underdone.

Hmm, I think that's not a bad attempt for the sauce,

because it is holding, it's not split.

A little bit too much butter, your French beans are cooked just right,

-well seasoned. The potatoes could have done with a pinch more seasoning...

-OK.

..and your lamb is well under, well, well under.

Yes, I don't know about you, Emma.

Your omelette, you made mistakes,

and there are mistakes in this plate.

But I like your enthusiasm, hmmm.

Grrrr!

I undercooked my lamb, and as soon as I started carving it I knew it

was undercooked, but I knew there was nothing I could do about it.

I was so nervous, and when you're nervous you're not thinking

straight, and I should have just taken a breath

and step back a little bit

and just thought everything through a bit more,

instead of trying to rush.

OK, Alex, let's have a look at your plate.

Nicely presented, good butchery skills, the bones are nice

and white, and your lamb, nearer to medium than pink.

You've cut the courgettes slightly longer,

and I must say they look as if they had been cut on a mandoline,

but you didn't, you used your knife, because I watched you.

Yes, thank you.

Very precise.

All the seasoning's good, but here we have an issue.

Yes, I knew that from the start. The sauce has split.

The sauce has split, yes, we've got half an inch of butter in there

and then a really sticky, meaty glaze at the bottom.

-So, you know what has happened?

-Yes.

-What has happened?

I over reduced it to start with and then too much

butter into the hot sauce, so it has split from there.

You could have got it back, a little drop of cold water,

or cold liquid, but you learn by your mistakes.

Yes.

I just want to push myself to be that perfectionist,

so, to have something that came up not 100% great is a bit

gutting for me, really.

Going to be sad to see one of you leave, actually,

because I like all three of you.

I like all three of you.

It's not going to be easy for me. Off you go.

They have all made silly mistakes but I've got to make

a judgement call and I have got to make sure I make the right call.

This morning Alex was my number one, I could see the passion in him

but, this afternoon, that sauce was terrible.

He will be well cut up about that.

Because he cares, that's important.

I like Rebecca, she loves all that is French.

And that is a big plus for me.

And she absolutely nailed that rack of lamb, it was cooked perfectly.

Emma did give us the best sauce, but, Emma's lamb was very rare.

Surely, when she was cutting that lamb, she should have seen it,

and put it back in the oven for a couple of minutes.

Simple as that.

Michel must know let them know who is still in the running.

Ultimately, he is only looking for one protege.

-I knew it, it's all right.

-Oh, little Em'!

-Unlucky.

-It's alright, babe.

-Congratulations.

-Cheers.

-Not too cut up?

-No, I knew I made mistakes.

-Hey, you have got a great career in front of you.

-Thank you.

You know that? You have. Most definitely.

And one day I want to see your face up here. On this Hall Of Fame.

SHE LAUGHS

-Yes?

-Yes.

-See you again!

-Yes.

THEY LAUGH

Absolutely unbelievable opportunity,

and I am just disappointed with myself that I made stupid mistakes.

Where I went wrong today, I will definitely learn from it,

don't make the same mistakes twice.

I have to take with me the two that I think understand my philosophy

and that I will be able to trust.

It's my reputation on the line, I want to win this. Simple as that.

Tomorrow night, Michel's search for his protege continues as

he brings his top five students together for the first time.

I'll be there to encourage them and help them and guide them,

but, I want to see a vast improvement.

I like these challenges, it's good.

-Nice duck, love it, very good.

-Thank you, chef.

You're working back to front - that's rare, now, off!

Whoa! What's going on here?!

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