Episode 3 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...

Come on. Out. 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're excited. Huh? You're excited! 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...

Mmm.

-So, how many have you done?

-One, so far.

-You've done one?!

Yeah, but I... Sorry, chef.

..before they compete against each other to see

who has the best protege.

This week, it's Tom Kitchin's search

and he's returned to his old catering college in Perth,

where he's shortlisted five of the best students.

It's stunning. I couldn't have cooked that when I was 16, 17 years old.

You should be really, really proud of yourself.

I am so happy! I mean, I've been waiting for this!

It's Tom's last day at Perth College before he selects

the strongest students to take forward.

Morning, guys.

Morning, chef.

-How are we? Busy?

-Yes.

He's asking them to do just one thing. Cook their favourite dish.

He's then going to tell them how to improve it.

I worked extremely hard to get this knowledge.

If I'm going to pass it on to the next generation,

then they have to want it as much as I wanted it.

Tom's first mentor was the legendary Pierre Koffman,

who taught him that a protege not only needs skill,

but the ability to take on board what the mentor is trying to teach.

I've never experienced anything like it before. It just pushes you.

Just pushes you to want to try harder.

I seemed to do quite well in the first challenge.

So I'm hoping today that I can impress him further.

Fingers crossed that I do well.

I just want to prove that I can do it.

And that I will learn from him.

It's a great experience to learn from him.

So hopefully I can keep going and get quite far, yeah.

I'm nervous because Tom's going to be tasting my food

and I want it to be nice and hope he enjoys it.

OK. We're all ready.

-Iain, how long, please?

-One minute.

-One minute.

I don't like to be kept

and the customers don't like to be kept, yeah?

Yes, chef. Sorry, chef.

-You have to live by the time.

-Sorry, chef.

-Harriet. OK?

-Yes.

-How was it?

-Nerve-racking!

-Nerve-racking?

-OK, tell me about your dish.

-It's venison flambeed in sloe gin.

-Parsnip puree with carrot crisps and redcurrants.

-Good.

-Sloe gin is a nice combination with venison. Very traditional.

-Yes.

-Look at that. You happy with that?

-Yes.

-I'm very happy with that.

Well done.

-What do you think?

-I think my puree needs to be a bit more pureed.

-It's got some lumps in it.

-Maybe it's not quite cooked out enough.

-Because if it's not cooked, or passed, you don't get that really creamy kind of flavour.

-Yes.

The sauce is excellent.

The redcurrants, they go really well with the venison.

But instead of going from the parsnip to the carrot,

let's just concentrate on the parsnip.

So we'll do parsnip crisps and maybe something green. A bit of spinach.

Just to really bring the dish to life. The foundations are brilliant.

-Let's just take it to the next level. OK?

-Yes.

-Well done.

I'm definitely getting a sense of Tom's style now.

He likes a theme to run through the dish, obviously,

the dish to be cooked well and presented cleanly.

-Shaun.

-Hello.

-How are we doing, big man?

-I'm all right, yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-What have we got? We've got a pea puree?

-Lamb with a herb crust.

I've got creamed cabbage with mushrooms, fondant potatoes,

red wine and shallot sauce.

OK. Look at that. Perfection.

-You've nailed it. Well done.

-Cheers.

Right, let's taste.

-The sauce and the lamb are the two best elements of this dish.

-Yes.

Everything else is forgettable, for me. There's no seasoning here.

-Absolutely none, there is zero seasoning.

-Yes.

You've got to find your palate. For me, there's too much going on here.

We're going to get rid of the cabbage, get rid of the tatties,

and we're going to do something called a fricassee of peas.

-So we're going to concentrate on peas and lamb. Two flavours.

-OK.

-OK?

-Yes.

-It's going to be brilliant. OK?

I did think when I was plating it,

there was a bit too much on the plate.

So reducing it and focusing on two key elements will help

improve the flavour.

Iain. You're late, chef.

-Yes, the mousse took a bit longer than I anticipated.

-Yeah.

OK, tell me about your dish, Iain.

I've got a fillet of halibut, broccoli mousse there,

Dauphine potatoes, and cockles in a butter sauce.

OK. Let's taste.

-So, tell me.

-The mousse is slightly undercooked.

-The halibut seems all right in itself.

-Mmm-hmm.

-Still quite moist.

Do you know, I came and I saw,

-you used the cooking liquor from the clams to make the sauce.

-Yes.

Brilliant. Honestly. Fantastic. The broccoli timbale, we're in 2012 now.

You're the next generation, OK? That's like 1980s, 1970s, you know?

-How old are you?

-20.

-20 years old. Goodness me.

So broccoli timbale, bin. Let's make a lovely broccoli puree.

Pommes Dauphine, bin. Let's concentrate on that halibut.

-And exactly the same sauce that you've got.

-Right.

And there we are going to have,

if you replicate what I've just said, the dish of the day.

Thank you very much.

It wasn't too bad.

I'm going to give it my all today

and do as much as I possibly can to impress him.

Jordan, how was it?

-I think it came out well.

-Came out well? Good. Tell me about your dish.

Chocolate fondant with bramble ripple ice cream

and a bramble compote.

The presentation is nice and clean. Let's taste.

-Is that because it's been sitting? Or was it...?

-I'd say so.

-OK.

-How do you feel?

-Overall, I'm pretty happy with it.

-You're happy?

-Yes.

Do you know what? For me, that is bang on. The ice cream is fantastic.

-You've got a sensational dish there. Well done.

-Thank you.

-Well done.

Maybe we could add a kind of little crumble in there.

Just for a little bit of texture.

But if you get that fondant right, we've got a fantastic dish there.

What a way to finish a meal. Well done.

Overwhelmed. Don't think it could get any better.

To get positive comments from a Michelin-starred chef

is just amazing.

-Jamie.

-Yes.

-You're a bit of an artist? What's this?

-The paint brush technique? You've been reading the cook books?

-Yes.

-Good. So tell me, what is the dish?

-It's like a dark chocolate cylinder.

Basically, just a ganache on some vanilla sable.

Where is the cylinder?

Well, that's the cylinder. But it's not come out perfectly like it.

OK, shall we taste it? And what's this?

It's just a malted white chocolate.

-OK. So, shall we taste?

-Yes.

Everything's sweet. The ganache is so sweet. The foam is exceedingly sweet.

-The caramel is sweet.

-Yes.

-The biscuit is sweet.

-Yes.

The chocolate painting, paint brush, is sweet.

I don't know if I would feel very well after eating all that. Huh?

How are we going to bring this back?

-Maybe some sort of fruit in there just to sort of cut it.

-Mmm.

-Probably take away the foam.

-Let's bin the foam. Let's bin the caramel.

Let's concentrate on your ganache, which is not bad.

-Let's get some red berries. Lovely.

-Yeah.

-All right?

-Yeah.

-Take it on board.

-Cheers.

-Thank you.

It was quite tough, actually.

I've got to prove that I can come back from that

and just show Tom that I'm willing to take his feedback on board

and change my dish.

Like all catering colleges, Perth has a training restaurant.

Tom is going to get his students to cook the improved dishes

for lunch service today.

It will give him an opportunity to see just who deserves his mentoring.

It's only been a few days we've been working together,

and these kids are now doing things that they'd never even dreamt of.

But now I need to see what happens when I put that pressure on them.

Whether they can hold it and give me what I want.

Iain, your cloth should be on your apron. OK? You know, when I see this,

It's like a chip shop, isn't it? It's like a pizzeria. You know, the pizza.

-Huh?

-OK.

My finger will be in every pot, in every pan,

checking on every meat.

This is service.

-So we just want to cook that so it's nice and soft, OK?

-OK.

Harriet has been one of Tom's star students.

And he wants her to serve a more refined parsnip puree with her venison.

Look at that. Velvety puree. Yours was stodgy, heavy.

-It smells so much better.

-It smells lovely.

And when we swipe that across the plate,

it's going to look delicious, isn't it?

The parsnip's changed to be nice and sweet now.

It's really smooth and it's just completely different

to what I made this morning.

Next, we're going to do your parsnip chips.

Just use your fingers to coat the flour nicely, OK?

In with the parsnips.

And using a fork, you just want to move the vegetable around.

Yeah, mine were kind of flat and horrible.

-You made yours in a pan, didn't you?

-Yes.

-OK.

-100 times better than mine.

-100 times better?

-Definitely!

-Excellent.

Interesting, because I'd done mine a completely different way,

and it didn't work.

So it just shows that Tom's way of doing things is much better

than my way of doing things. Mine just tasted burnt and horrible.

Harriet's safe as houses. I mean, she is Miss Steady Eddie.

Now she needs to take that jump, take that step into the unknown.

Tom banned all the garnishes on Shaun's lamb dish

and is now teaching him how to make a pea fricassee,

beginning with a pea puree.

The big thing that we're looking for here, Shauny,

-is that bright green, vibrant colour.

-Yeah.

So when you eat it, it's like, wow, peas!

-Already, it's got a wonderful taste of pea. Do you get it?

-Yes.

-OK, what does it need?

-A little bit more salt.

-A bit more salt, chef. Good lad.

I'm having a good time, yeah. I'm learning a lot.

It's a good experience and I'm really enjoying myself today, yeah.

-Look at that. Is that not phenomenal?

-Yeah, it's great.

-OK, good. Well done.

This classic dish is finished by adding the puree to whole peas,

bacon, and shallots.

And then last, but not least, in with the lettuce.

OK? It just gives a lovely textural crunch. It just screams out, peas.

Now just bring that together. Look at that. Look at you, you're excited!

-Huh? You're excited!

-Yes.

-Hallelujah!

-Right. Come on. Seasoning.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

Iain. Your water. It's not seasoned.

I put a bit of salt in it.

-I'll put more in.

-Don't tell me what you did and what you didn't.

I'm telling you it's not seasoned. OK? Taste the water.

The key messages that I've been trying to get across

have started on day one. Cook the pan of water, season the pan of water.

Taste as you go. Taste as you go. Are they listening to what I'm saying?

-It needs more.

-Sorry?

-I said, it needs more.

-Yeah.

-Do you get any salt?

-No, I didn't taste any.

-OK, you didn't taste it

cos there's no salt. You need to get that.

-That's what I'm trying to get across to you, OK?

-Yeah.

-OK?

When I say something, don't question it, OK?

Jamie's like the frustrated,

three-star-Michelin-want-to-be young chef.

He's already concocting dishes in his head. I really like Jamie.

I think it's my job, as a mentor, to say hold on, 17 years old,

let's learn the basics.

And everything else, in due course, will fall into place.

Tom wants Jamie to take some of his sweetness

out of his chocolate cylinder dessert.

Just put a little bit less chocolate into the ganache mixture.

I put a little bit of butter through it, so it wasn't so strong.

In, perfect.

OK. Out. Wipe it.

That tastes better, you know. Excellent.

Well done. So what are you going to do here?

I'm going to make a granita, a raspberry granita.

It's like a frozen raspberry syrup.

-What do you think?

-I think that's a little bit too sweet.

No, it's beautiful. It's beautiful.

I've planned the dish,

I've got a picture in my head of how I'm going to plate it.

So I'm a bit more confident this time.

OK, we'll still use your paint idea,

because you're a bit of a Picasso, aren't you?

Jordan, he's like a pot coming to the boil. Slowly simmering at the top.

Really, really steadily just coming up. Very impressed with his dish.

-How's the crumble? It's in the oven?

-Yes, chef.

-Let's have a look.

Perfect. So we can just break that off a little bit.

And that will be really nice against your ice cream

and against your bramble syrup. That'll be delicious. Great work.

-What about that, chef?

-Yeah, I need to still scrape that out.

You know if I'm in my kitchen, and I see that, at the pot wash...

-It's a waste.

-Not only is it waste, it's flavour.

That extra chocolaty flavour, look at that. Mmm?

Sometimes, Jordan, the difference between good and brilliant

is miniscule. OK? And we're chasing perfection here.

You can tell that he's got that as a passion.

Everything he cooks is just from the heart.

And I'd like to get that way myself someday.

Look at the colouration on that halibut. Huh? You see that?

Beautiful.

Iain was late serving his dish earlier.

But Tom liked it, with the exception of his retro garnish,

Which he wants brought up to date with the addition of a puree.

I can imagine it will be better than my broccoli mousse that I'd done earlier.

-Right. Look at that. Isn't that beautiful?

-It certainly is.

Really get in there, make sure you get all those portions out

because anything you leave in there, that's money.

-OK?

-It's nice.

-Good?

-Mmm.

-Happy?

-Yeah. Very happy.

-Excellent.

-Well done.

-Thanks very much. The broccoli puree's very nice.

It's a bit more up-to-date, as well.

The college restaurant is supported by the local community.

Tom's former teacher, Ian Gibb,

is in for lunch today with lecturer Clive Lamb.

What I'm actually expecting from the service today is total excellence.

I really want to see them excel today.

They can choose from three mains.

Harriet's venison dish, improved with parsnip crisps and spinach.

Shaun's lamb, now served with a pea fricassee.

And Iain's halibut and 70s broccoli mousse,

now served with fresh broccoli, and as a puree.

-I'll have venison, please.

-The venison.

-The rack of lamb.

-That's my favourite.

-Fillet of halibut, please.

-So, three covers. One venison and two lamb.

-Yes, chef.

-Thank you.

Harriet, concentrate. You have one venison on. Speak together.

The venison cooks a lot faster than the lamb.

So, you're in charge of saying how long, OK?

Service is service.

This is the money moment. This is where it happens.

And this is where the real pressure will kick in as well.

Three minutes, chef.

If you're not going to make it, you have to tell her. Do you understand?

-Yes, chef.

-So you're going to make it in three minutes? Yes or no?

-No, I'm not going to make it.

-You're not. So can you tell her, please?

-Sorry, it's going to be more than three minutes.

-OK, that's fine.

You have to communicate.

Hello? Jamie! Don't stand there yawning, young man.

-Get in there and help them.

-I'll ask them.

-Come on!

Get in there and help them. Herb crust on the lamb there, yeah?

We're working as a team now.

Is it going on both sides, yeah?

-No, just that one side.

-Just the one side.

You need any help?

-No, I'm good, cheers.

-Watch you don't burn yourself.

Can I start to have the warm plates up on the pass?

-Do you want me to take any up to the pass for you?

-Yes, please.

You could take that up to the pass for me.

Remember, when you pass it to me, you're happy with it, yes? Shaun!

Yes, chef.

What are you missing?

The lettuce.

I forgot the lettuce in my peas. It's one of those silly mistakes.

But I'll remember for the next one.

Yeah, I want that venison cooked a little bit more for the next one, yeah?

Yes, chef.

-Don't cover the meat up, OK?

-I think the first one looks fine.

So hopefully the rest of them are going to be the same.

Shaun! Come on, Shauny!

-Have you tasted that, chef?

-Yes.

-Service. Go, please.

He's pushing everybody. He really wants the service to work.

It is a pressure situation.

OK, dress, dress.

Away. Service, please.

Shaun, that's not easy what he's doing.

But really proud of him, really proud of him.

This is how I'd like to be presenting my food.

But it doesn't always work out like that!

That is just amazing.

It was a dish years ago, Clive, that we actually did ourselves when we were training.

It's an excellent colour. The peas are just incredible.

It's so tender. It's just beautiful. Absolutely lovely.

We are very busy, team.

Let's listen and concentrate, OK?

Tom's attention is now on Iain,

who needs to execute the halibut just as he was shown.

-Why is it not golden, like I did?

-I'm going to turn it back over.

-No, do it exactly the same way as I did.

-OK.

-OK?

You're a young man, just try

and learn gastronomy before you change gastronomy, OK?

Yes, chef.

When you're teaching them something, "I did that, no, I did that."

No, listen, I'm the chef. You do as I say, OK?

One halibut, now.

Let's start to dress, please.

People DO make mistakes, but are they going to learn from those mistakes?

That is the vital thing.

Feel that broccoli. Feel the broccoli.

It's stone cold, chef. Stone-cold. Huh? Quickly. Move.

Quickly, Iain. Come on, let's go, let's go, let's go.

Get that sauce over the fish.

It's starting to look a wee bit tatty there, chef.

A wee bit tatty. Come on! Service, please.

You're not in a pizzeria, young man. You're a chef. You're a chef.

You're under pressure, you still work like a chef. You understand?

-Sorry, chef.

-Come on, clean up.

Yeah, my heart was going a lot faster than it usually does,

trying to impress him. And not let him down.

-You wouldn't like to do a swap, would you, dear?

-Certainly not.

-That looks really lovely.

-As a good husband, I may consider it.

And I've just considered it. No!

It is excellent.

Compliments to the chef. Thank you.

Pastry.

-Get ready, there, OK?

-Yes, chef.

The two desserts on offer are Jordan's chocolate fondant

with the addition of a biscuit crumble

and Jamie's chocolate cylinder, now with a raspberry granita and coulis.

I'm definitely going to have the dark chocolate with the Perthshire raspberries.

Chocolate cylinder, please. Thanks.

I'll go for that one as well. Thanks very much.

The first puddings will be two fondant and one chocolate.

Let's start to cook the fondant, please.

-Make sure your ice cream's ready to go there, OK?

-Yes.

-Have we checked that ice cream?

-Yes, it's all soft in the middle.

Do not put the granita until he puts the ice cream, yeah?

-Does that make sense? OK, Jordan.

-Yes, chef.

-This handle keeps falling off.

-Bring the machine here, then.

Look at that. Just a little quenelle. On, OK?

Fondant. Look at that. Delicious.

-Speak to him, speak to him.

-How long, Jamie?

One chocolate there, that's ready to go when you are.

Up on the pass.

That fondant's really decadent!

Really sexy, I think it's gorgeous.

It certainly hits the spot, doesn't it?

I don't know whether to eat it or frame it!

Mmm!

OK. Away, please. Everything depends on you, Jordan.

-You've got the fondant. You're doing the cooked dessert, OK?

-Yes, chef.

What's the matter with your plate?

I've just realised I've done them differently to the ones I've done previously.

Fondant. Ice cream. Granita.

The last tables are waiting.

And Jordan has three fondants on order.

Sorry, chef, I've only put two fondants in, chef.

Concentrate there, Jordan. You've had nothing to do all service. Mmm?

-You have to cut your losses and start all over again.

-Yeah.

-Now your customer has to wait.

-Sorry, chef.

Five minutes, Jamie.

I don't like making mistakes. It means it slows us down.

It means that I've messed up Jamie's timing as well.

-But I've kind of got to move on with it.

-A simple mistake as well.

Just forgot to put it in, aye?

Aye.

I just misheard.

-How long?

-Two and a half minutes, chef.

-Two and a half minutes.

A minute and a half, Jamie.

Come on. Let's go. Go!

Service is over.

And Tom now needs to decide which students to take forward.

It was really fascinating, you know,

because they all really embraced the changes in the dishes.

And I think they were genuinely really excited about it.

For me, the most talented cooks are Harriet and Jamie.

Shaun has pulled himself through by rising to the challenge today,

which was a very difficult dish.

So, really, between Jordan and Iain.

As a mentor wanting to take on a protege,

there has to be more than just the cooking.

It has to be about the relationship.

I have to thrive on seeing them proceed to the next level.

Iain.

Chef, I'm afraid I'm going to have to let you go.

I want you to take the positives. You've really embraced it.

You have made such gigantic steps since we first met.

You've got a big future ahead of you, young man.

It's been a great experience.

-It's been a great experience. Don't let go now.

-I won't.

I'm quite disappointed.

One thing Tom told me, which I will remember,

was always to cook from the heart.

We're down to four. You've done incredibly well. OK?

-Get ready for the next stage.

-Well done, guys.

-Well done.

Absolutely speechless. I didn't expect it, and I'm just so happy.

I'm pretty shocked, actually, to still be here.

You know, it's given me a real buzz just to want to push on

and do as well as I can.

I'm really happy that I'm here.

I'm over the moon. I'm really excited.

Amazing, just, I'm learning so much.

I really want to be his protege now, yeah.

-Well done.

-Well done.

Tomorrow night,

the four students come face-to-face with their competition.

I can't wait to see what we're up against.

This is quite simply the biggest cooking day of your life.

No pressure(!)

As Tom's hunt for his protege continues.

-Would Granny bake her crumble off separately?

-Definitely not.

-Excellent.

Whoever cooked this has got really good taste buds.

This is what the excitement of being a chef is. Did you get it, Jamie?

Did you get it?!

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