0:00:01 > 0:00:02Four of the best chefs in Britain
0:00:02 > 0:00:06are on the hunt for their perfect partner.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Because for the first time ever,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11amateur home cooks will be paired with the best in the business
0:00:11 > 0:00:13for the cooking experience of a lifetime.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Take the risotto off for ten minutes!
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Each day, a different Michelin-starred chef
0:00:20 > 0:00:24will choose their perfect partner from four talented home cooks.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28It's not about what you cooked, it's about how you cooked it.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Then, in the Friday final, all four pairs will go head-to-head
0:00:31 > 0:00:34to cook for culinary royalty, Pierre Koffmann.
0:00:34 > 0:00:39What I look for for a perfect dish is to keep it simple and tasty.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42For the professional chefs, their reputations are on the line.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Bring the home cooks in!
0:00:45 > 0:00:46For the amateur home cooks,
0:00:46 > 0:00:49they're about to be put to the test by the country's finest.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51HE GROANS
0:00:51 > 0:00:52This is Yes Chef.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02Hello, and welcome to Yes Chef. Let's meet today's four home cooks.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06First, it's Jess Tummonds, an air stewardess from Manchester.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11I'm very calm under pressure, I don't let too much get to me.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12I just try and enjoy myself.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Trying to make it look pretty.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17Taking part is fab, but to win would be great.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Next, it's John Cunningham,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22an account manager for a food supplier, also from Manchester.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25I think my strengths are timing, actually.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28I just hope it'll be cooked OK.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31I'd say my weakness is I'm not the most creative in the kitchen.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34I do steal a lot of ideas off other people.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38Simon Heaney is a solicitor from Liverpool.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40I have two weaknesses - timing and presentation.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I'm a bit messy and I can take a long time.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45Time is my enemy.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46My strength in the kitchen is adaptability
0:01:46 > 0:01:48and turning my hand to anything.
0:01:48 > 0:01:50And Regan Anderton,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53a strategy director for a marketing company in Kent.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55I'm quite good at going out for a meal,
0:01:55 > 0:01:57and if we've enjoyed something when we're out,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59coming home and then replicating that.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Whew! I'm getting hot.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04The worst thing that could happen today is I cut off a finger!
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Welcome, guys.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10So, we have our four home cooks. All we need now is our chef.
0:02:10 > 0:02:15He was awarded his first Michelin star back in 1997 at the River Cafe.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17It's Theo Randall.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20OK, new order. Nine sea bass.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Theo Randall grew up in south-west London,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26but it was his childhood trips to Italy that inspired his cuisine.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Service, please.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30My style of cooking's all about the ingredients
0:02:30 > 0:02:32and making the most of the ingredients,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34and letting the ingredients speak for themselves.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Only the very best is good enough for Theo.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39His no-nonsense approach to seasonal, rustic
0:02:39 > 0:02:43and good-quality Italian ingredients has fuelled his success
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and ensures his dishes are unquestionably authentic.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49..With peas, one bavette. It's clear.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55His current restaurant on London's Park Lane
0:02:55 > 0:02:59is celebrating its tenth year, and having won a whole host of awards,
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Theo is no stranger to competition
0:03:01 > 0:03:04and knows exactly what he wants from his home cooks.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06What I'm looking for in the contestants
0:03:06 > 0:03:09is people that really love cooking and are really happy to cook.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11That's it, that's the last steak. Thank you very much.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Welcome, Theo. We're absolutely thrilled to have you here today.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17Thank you for having me.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21These four home cooks will be pulling out all the stops today
0:03:21 > 0:03:24in hope that you'll pick one of them as your partner in the Friday final.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26What will you be looking for?
0:03:26 > 0:03:28They've got some really nice ingredients here,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31so I'm looking for really good seasoning, precise cooking,
0:03:31 > 0:03:33just really great food.
0:03:33 > 0:03:34OK, OK.
0:03:34 > 0:03:35So let's get on with it, then.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38It's round one - Dish Of The Day.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41In this round, cooks, you will be creating the one dish
0:03:41 > 0:03:44that you believe will set you apart from the rest.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Now, you need to make it count, because after this round,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49one of you, sadly, will be going home.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Any last tips, Chef? Yeah.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Just enjoy yourself, relax, and just cook within your means.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56ALL: Yes, Chef!
0:03:56 > 0:03:58So, our cooks are off.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Just trying to get all my first ingredients done
0:04:03 > 0:04:05so I feel a bit more at ease.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09This is the cooks' chance to impress Theo
0:04:09 > 0:04:11with their own style of cooking.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14And for air stewardess Jess, there's only one potential sticking point.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18The only thing I'm worried about is maybe my chicken not being cooked.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21But I've done it a few times and I'm feeling confident.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Hi, Jess. Hello. How are we getting on? All right.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27So tell us what you're making.
0:04:27 > 0:04:33I'm doing a citrus chicken salad with a marmalade sauce.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35And how is the chicken...? Are you just roasting it with the skin on?
0:04:35 > 0:04:41I've taken the skin off, I've put butter, marmalade and garlic on top.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43So that's going to create the sauce. Mm.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And is this a dish that you've perfected over the years?
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Yeah, it's one that I've been cooking for years.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50My mum used to make it for me.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Aww! Oh, lovely! It's one I'm quite confident with.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Oh, good. Hopefully! That's good. That's nice.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58It's a little bit intimidating
0:04:58 > 0:05:01seeing how good everybody is already, really.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Hi, John. Hi.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06How are we getting on here? Hi, John. Hi. You OK? Yeah, good.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Not bad. I'm doing chicken breast, skin on,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12pan-fried and roasted off in the oven.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Nice. With a fondant potato, which is also in there.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17And I'm just doing some nice vegetables
0:05:17 > 0:05:20with some heritage carrots and green beans.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22I'm going to do a white wine and tarragon sauce.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Sounds delicious. Is this something you cook at home?
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Every now and again, yeah. I just love chicken anyway.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30You love chicken? Yeah. It's your favourite? I like the skin.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33It's the skin that gets me every time, yeah.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36But, yeah... Chicken's my favourite, I think.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Brilliant, great. I look forward to tasting it.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41OK, great. Hopefully, you'll enjoy it. Good luck. Thanks a lot.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Everyone looks pretty in control, actually.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Hi, Simon. Hi there. Are you OK? Good, how are you?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55A little bit nervous, but we're getting there.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Are you feeling nervous? Very, yeah. Aww!
0:05:57 > 0:05:59But you're not shaking, that's good.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01That's a good sign. I've got my hand...keeping it steady.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Steadying it! Absolutely. Yes.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Talk us through your dish. What are you making for us?
0:06:05 > 0:06:09I've got pork belly, I'm doing a home-made stock with chicken thighs,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13shallots and carrots, with a reduced down Madeira sauce,
0:06:13 > 0:06:15and then we're going to do some tiger prawns.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Wow. Yeah. And how are you for time? Are you pushed for time?
0:06:18 > 0:06:22I have to say, when I normally do this, I slow-cook it,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25so it does take a few hours, and I'm not good at times, anyway.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27We'll let you carry on and get out of your hair.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Thank you. See you soon.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31I'm going through the recipe in my mind,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34but I feel like there's something major missing.
0:06:34 > 0:06:35Um...
0:06:35 > 0:06:36I don't know.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Hi, Regan. Hello. Hi, Regan. Hi, Theo.
0:06:39 > 0:06:40How are you? I'm good, thanks.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43That's some lovely fresh-looking fish there. It looks amazing.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47Lovely squid and monkfish. Yeah, monkfish, squid, mussels...
0:06:47 > 0:06:49And then I've also got some new potatoes
0:06:49 > 0:06:50that are cooking in saffron.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53This sounds like a fish stew. It is a fish stew.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Ohh! OK.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56Shellfish stew. Yeah, great.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59My kind of food. Very good!
0:06:59 > 0:07:01And is this something that you make often?
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I love cooking fish, cos I think it's like a takeaway food,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05cos it's really quick to cook.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07It's not takeaway food - it's fast food.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Fast food, sorry, not takeaway!
0:07:09 > 0:07:11My husband takes it away!
0:07:12 > 0:07:13Good luck. Thank you.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Trying to peel it without the whole thing going to mush in your hands
0:07:23 > 0:07:25is always hard when it's a raw prawn.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Smells nice round here.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31It all smells good, doesn't it?
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Jess, I like the idea of marmalade with chicken.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38It's kind of inventive. And I love marmalade.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I like the idea of the bitterness in the salad.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I'm not quite sure how it's going to work. She's got very soft leaves.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46And if you put hot chicken on top of those soft leaves,
0:07:46 > 0:07:48it's just going to collapse. Yeah.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50John, I saw him cooking his carrots
0:07:50 > 0:07:52and his green beans at the same time,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55which I don't mind, cos I can't stand crunchy green beans.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58But the carrot's that thick and the green beans are that thick.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00You know, what's going to cook quicker? Yeah.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02The carrot will have a lot more flavour than that green bean.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05But I like the idea of his crispy chicken.
0:08:05 > 0:08:06There's going to be a bit of skin,
0:08:06 > 0:08:08getting that skin of the chicken crispy,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10and his fondant potato sounds nice.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12And, Simon, he's doing a dish that I'm concerned about.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15He's doing a dish that would normally take him two hours
0:08:15 > 0:08:17in 45 minutes, and that could have problems.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21You can't really speed up that kind of cooking, because it's a muscle.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24And if he's going to fry it, it might make it even tougher.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Hopefully, all the stock's getting into the pork and it's cooking.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I like Regan. I like the way she is, I like her attitude.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34She seems very confident.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37And the ingredients she's chosen are the sort of things I would choose.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40OK. I like the way she was preparing.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42She didn't seem flustered at all.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45So, there's some pretty good things out there.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47It's getting a bit too hot, the oil.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50I don't want to burn my garlic.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53For Jess, however, the moment of truth has arrived,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55as she checks to see if her chicken is cooked.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Feeling good.
0:09:01 > 0:09:02Hungry!
0:09:02 > 0:09:07Right, cooks, you have ten minutes left. Just ten minutes to go.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Look at this! You're way ahead of everyone else!
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I am pretty much done here.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14I'm nearly done. Just trying to make it look pretty.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17I can't wait to taste it. Thanks.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19So, with Jess first to the finish line,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Simon still has a long way to go with his sauce.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26It's not reducing as quickly as I want it to.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29The fish just all goes in for the last two or three minutes at the end.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31So I'm just getting my sauce right.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35Time is my enemy.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39And I'm staring at the timer, hoping it'll go slower.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42So while Simon and Regan play the waiting game,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44John is next to plate up.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49OK, done.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56And in the last few minutes, Regan's fish finally hits the pan.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00One minute to go.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05REGAN GASPS
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Sorry!
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Ten, nine, eight,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15seven, six, five,
0:10:15 > 0:10:20four, three, two, one.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Stop cooking, step away from your plates, you've done all you can.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27And in such a rush, Simon does his best with his presentation.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Ran out of time, ran out of time. Sloppy.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37First to be judged is Jess with her dish of the day -
0:10:37 > 0:10:41citrus chicken salad with feta, orange and olives,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43accompanied with a sticky marmalade sauce.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47In you come, Jess.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49You finished with about ten minutes to go, didn't you?
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Yeah, maybe I rushed at the start. I didn't want to...
0:10:52 > 0:10:53Obviously, it's presentation,
0:10:53 > 0:10:56so I just wanted to make sure I had enough time to make it look pretty.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Can I go first? Yes, you can. Thank you.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15OK. It's quite interesting. I like the marmalade.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20And with the chicken, that's really nice.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26But one flavour that I don't quite get is the feta.
0:11:27 > 0:11:32I think the slightly saltiness of the feta doesn't quite match.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38Here you go, guys. How did it go? It looks amazing.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41He didn't really like the feta with it, but I do.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43I think it's delicious.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46It had this strong flavour of feta cheese with the sweet marmalade.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49It was kind of like one of those sort of things you...
0:11:49 > 0:11:51It's not that appetising.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Next is John with his dish of the day -
0:11:54 > 0:11:57pan-roasted chicken breast with pancetta, fondant potato,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00heritage vegetables and a tarragon cream sauce.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Did you enjoy that? Yeah, it was good. I enjoyed it, yeah.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Really nice. The fondant was worrying me a little bit.
0:12:09 > 0:12:10Just hope it's soft. Yeah!
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Apart from that, I think everything went OK.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Shall I put the sauce on the top of the chicken? Yes.
0:12:15 > 0:12:16OK.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23Let's try the sauce.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32The tarragon's nice. It's quite subtle.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36You've made the most of the ingredients.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38So you've made the skin crispy,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41which is important when you're cooking a breast of chicken,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43because it's the one thing that's got a bit of texture to it,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46cos it can be a bit bland sometimes.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49And altogether, with the sauce... I haven't tasted the pancetta yet.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51..it's a good plate, a good plate of food.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52Very nice. Thank you.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54The tasting went really well.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Good comments, and said it was seasoned well,
0:12:56 > 0:12:57so I can't ask for more, really.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59The chicken was cooked nicely.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It could have been cooked a little bit less,
0:13:01 > 0:13:04cos it was slightly dry on the edge, but it wasn't dry-dry.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05But what was nice is,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07he got the seasoning and the balance in the sauce.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11So you had that... You can't taste tarragon in your mouth now. No.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13It just sort of worked really nicely with the chicken.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Time for Simon with his dish of the day
0:13:16 > 0:13:17of pork belly and Madeira sauce
0:13:17 > 0:13:21with tiger prawns and creme fraiche, Dijon mustard and lemon butter.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27How did you find the challenge?
0:13:27 > 0:13:30I was enjoying it until the last five minutes.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31Time ran away from me.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34So the presentation feels as though I've got a bag of cement
0:13:34 > 0:13:35and thrown it on the plate.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39OK. OK. Go on, taste. I'm going in. Go on, go in. OK.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49The pork is undercooked, I have to say that.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51It isn't soft. But it tastes good.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Now, surf and turf is not something that I kind of go mad about.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01And sometimes it works, so let's see if this works.
0:14:05 > 0:14:06And it does. It's nice.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09I think a little bit less Dijon
0:14:09 > 0:14:10would have made it a bit more subtle,
0:14:10 > 0:14:11and a bit more kind of...
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Maybe a bit of lemon juice in there as well
0:14:14 > 0:14:17to have given it more of a balance with the prawn. Yeah.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22The whole thing doesn't look amazing, but it's tasty. OK.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24And that's important. Thank you.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27How did it go? Here we go. Not a lot left on the plate!
0:14:27 > 0:14:29No, no! Didn't make enough.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33The flavour he got in that pork,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35in some ways was kind of amazing in 45 minutes.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37He's turned that into quite a nice dish.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40OK, it should have been soft, it should have had a crispier skin.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The nice thing about him was,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44he was so upset with himself for serving it.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46I think that's encouraging, that shows that someone has...
0:14:46 > 0:14:49they've got passion and they're proud of what they're doing.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51And he really cares. And that's really important. Good.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55And finally, it's Regan with her dish of the day -
0:14:55 > 0:15:00a monkfish, squid and mussel seafood stew, served with toasted sourdough.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Hi. Hi, Regan. Hello. Are you all right?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Yes, good thank you. Did you enjoy that? I did enjoy it.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09I think I probably left too much to the last minute.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12I could have done with probably 30 seconds more.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Other than that, yeah, really enjoyed it.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And is this one of your favourite dishes? Yeah.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20It's one of mine, too! Oh, good!
0:15:20 > 0:15:22I'm going to go in. Pressure! Exactly.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Mmm.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31That monkfish is so tender.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41It's nicely seasoned, and also what's nice is,
0:15:41 > 0:15:42you've cooked the fish,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46and the saffron's there to kind of push it up, you know.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48The spiciness is just tingling,
0:15:48 > 0:15:51gives just the right kind of spiciness.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Good. I'd have just cooked the squid a little bit more.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57But on the whole, it is...
0:15:57 > 0:15:59delicious.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Thank you. Well done. Thank you very much.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04It went really well - I've just had a Michelin-star chef
0:16:04 > 0:16:07tell me he liked my sauce, which was, yeah, amazing.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08Felt, yeah, really good.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Hi! Hi there! Hi there.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13How'd it go? Yeah, it was good. Did he like it? Yeah.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15The only negative was that the squid
0:16:15 > 0:16:17could have maybe done with a little bit longer.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21That monkfish is nice and meaty.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23She's not intense and kind of like,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25"I'm the most competitive person in the world."
0:16:25 > 0:16:29She's kind of like, "I can cook, hey, what's the big deal?" Yeah.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32She seems spontaneous in what she does.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I think that's going to be a key to the next round. OK.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Only three people can be taken through to the next round.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44For one of our home cooks, it's time to leave the competition.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Have you got a bit of an idea who it's going to be?
0:16:47 > 0:16:49I do, unfortunately, yeah. Oh, you do? Yeah, I do.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I'd like to think I've done enough to go through.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54But the competition is very strong.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57But, yeah, now you're here, you'd like to carry on.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01I think I'm probably struggling. I probably could be going home.
0:17:01 > 0:17:06But, fingers crossed, let's just see if the taste brings it through.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10He said he liked the sauce, the chicken was cooked well.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Just didn't like the feta.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18He said that my squid could have done with a little bit longer,
0:17:18 > 0:17:20so if that was the only criticism,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22then I'd like to think that, hopefully,
0:17:22 > 0:17:24it's good enough to go through.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26It is a competition. Everyone knows the rules.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Yes, of course, of course.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31OK, let's go and break the news. OK.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34First of all, I'd like to say a big well done to all four of you.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38However, only three of you can go through to the next round.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42And Theo has made his mind up, so it's over to you.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45For me, to take you to the next round,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47it's very important I know you've got the skills.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Some dishes had more skills than others.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52It's not about what you cooked,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55it's about how you cooked it, and your potential.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58So, the person going home, I'm sorry to say,
0:17:58 > 0:17:59is Jess.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01Oh, Jess.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Your chicken was beautifully cooked,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06but I saw more skills from these three than from you,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08and I'm really sorry.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09Thank you.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14I think I might have played it a bit too safe.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17I don't think there was enough technicality in my dish.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20But I just didn't want to go out of my timeframe.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23I wanted something that I could do in my timeframe
0:18:23 > 0:18:25but, obviously, yeah, it was a bit too safe.
0:18:25 > 0:18:27Well done.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29So that leaves three home cooks.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31They are John from Manchester,
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Simon from Liverpool,
0:18:33 > 0:18:34and Regan from Kent.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38It's round two - The Chef's Challenge.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Now, in this challenge,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Theo has devised a simple test
0:18:42 > 0:18:44to see who has the skills he's looking for.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47So, Theo, what's the challenge?
0:18:47 > 0:18:51The challenge is a potato rosti.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55OK, so it seems very, very easy, but there's a few challenges.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Let's crack on. OK, so we're going to peel the potatoes.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01And then we're going to grate our potato on a box grater,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03so on that sort of coarse edge.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10So, potato in the bowl, then we're going to add some sea salt,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13a nice amount of sea salt, a bit of black pepper,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15and a few thyme leaves.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18And then we're going to put some oil in the pan.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20You can use sunflower oil or olive oil.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23And then we'll pop that in... to the pan.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26SIZZLING
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Can you hear that? Just a light...
0:19:30 > 0:19:31..fry.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33It's very important that you use the starch
0:19:33 > 0:19:36to sort of work together with the potato
0:19:36 > 0:19:39to form this sort of perfect little potato pancake.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41And then are you going to flip it like a pancake?
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Yeah, but I've got to wait for it to cook. OK.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46So, if you just look on the edges,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49when you see the potato going slightly golden brown,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51then that means it's ready to turn over.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Stand back. Stand back. OK, so...
0:19:53 > 0:19:55Move it around the pan
0:19:55 > 0:19:57so you get all of the shape of the pan all over.
0:19:57 > 0:19:58And then flip.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Oh, wow! That's it.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05That was perfection!
0:20:05 > 0:20:09And then, that's what we want, just slightly golden.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12And then just let that cook for the remaining time.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17This is a nice thing to learn, you know, and it's like a simple dish.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20It's simple but, you know, that, with some bacon on top
0:20:20 > 0:20:22and a couple of poached eggs, is delicious.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Oh, my, yeah. OK, we're almost ready. There we go.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28One last toss, make sure it's cooked through.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So it should be soft, it shouldn't be crunchy.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36A little bit more salt on top. A bit of pepper.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41And that's it. Pop it on the plate.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45And that is your 15-minute challenge.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Would you like to have a taste?
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I just don't think mine's going to look like this!
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Be confident. Delicious.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59OK, your time starts now.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08For The Chef's Challenge, Theo is looking for a well-seasoned,
0:21:08 > 0:21:09nicely coloured rosti.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13To achieve this,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16the cooks will need to follow Theo's instructions to the letter,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19because if the consistency is too thin or too thick,
0:21:19 > 0:21:22then cooking the potato evenly will prove tricky.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28I've made Irish potato cakes and stuff like that, but never a rosti.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37The cooks must be patient and let the rosti cook properly.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42The right consistency and a decent seal will give a successful flip.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47How's it going? Not bad. Hopefully...
0:21:47 > 0:21:50I'm just looking for the outside now, and then I'll brave the flip.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Yeah, make sure you get the edges all nice and... Yeah.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56So how's it going? Not too bad. I've got flipping phobia.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00Remember that thing I said about the edges, light golden colour.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02And then you know exactly that it's sealed.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05If you flip that now, it'll just break apart. Yeah.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08So make sure you get that seal, that crust on the potato. Yeah.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11How's it going? Good.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13I'm just trying to be patient and leave it to brown a bit,
0:22:13 > 0:22:14and not touch it, like you said.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17The thing about... You know, when things are in frying pans,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20people just want to move them around or turn things. Yeah.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22If you do that, it lowers the temperature.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Let it seal, get those edges, get that nice sort of golden colour,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27and then you'll be ready to turn it over.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29That'll be the hard bit. No, it won't.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32It'll end up on the wall. It's just a flip! It's a flip.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34OK. OK? Thank you.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43And John is first to attempt to flip.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45Here it goes.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Wahey!
0:22:47 > 0:22:48Success for John.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50And next up to flip, it's Regan.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I'm going to flip. I'm going to now.
0:22:53 > 0:22:54Yay!
0:22:54 > 0:22:56OK. Thank you.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59So, that's two out of three.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01But will Simon's fear of flipping force an error?
0:23:01 > 0:23:02OK...
0:23:02 > 0:23:04Yes!
0:23:04 > 0:23:05APPLAUSE
0:23:08 > 0:23:11They all seem to be doing quite well. They do.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13I think they've listened to what I've said, which is great!
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Yes! I wish my chefs would do the same!
0:23:16 > 0:23:17No, it's really good.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20It's probably going to make your job a little bit tougher.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22It is tough. I think, you know,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24what I'm going to look for is probably the thickness of the rosti.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26They've got 15 minutes,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and I think Simon's one looks a little bit too thick. Oh, really?
0:23:29 > 0:23:30But it's hard to tell,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33because he just flipped it and it looked fine when it went back over.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36But I think I'm going to judge it on seasoning
0:23:36 > 0:23:38and the crispness of the rosti.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42If this goes wrong, I'm never going to make rostis again.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Turn it up, get a bit of colour. SIMON: Yeah.
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Because I've only got two minutes, I think.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Oh, hell!
0:23:49 > 0:23:51I've got it now!
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Cooks, you have just two minutes left.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Two minutes to go. I think I'm done.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Yeah, I'm done.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Confident in his colour and crispness,
0:24:02 > 0:24:03John is first to plate up.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18Cooks, your time is up.
0:24:18 > 0:24:20That's it. It's time to taste.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29You all seem very happy! Which is great.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31OK, well, we'll get started. Shall we get started? Yeah.
0:24:31 > 0:24:32I mean, they all look...
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Let's just look at them first. They all look really nice.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Very even colour.
0:24:37 > 0:24:38Slightly different shape there.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42But on the whole, they look very, very nice.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45So, let's go. Let's taste this one.
0:25:24 > 0:25:25They're all delicious!
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Phew! But there's good and there's very good.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36That's the best. Thank you.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38You're through. Thank you very much.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41Congratulations. Thank you. Um...
0:25:43 > 0:25:46A little bit uneven on Simon's one.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50Nice amount of thyme in there. Very, very fragrant.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54This one's very nice. Could've done with a little bit more seasoning.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I think this is more about kind of confidence.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01And I think...
0:26:03 > 0:26:04..John, you seem very confident cooking.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06You were the first to plate.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10You just go for it, which is kind of really nice to see.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Simon, you seem slightly not quite sure about yourself,
0:26:14 > 0:26:16and you're a little bit anxious about tossing.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21You did it perfectly well, you created a delicious rosti.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27But I'm afraid I'm going to have to say goodbye to you.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29OK. Oh, Simon. Well, well done.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32You did really well. Brill.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36A little bit disappointed, but I've really, really enjoyed it.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39And I loved that challenge, I really enjoyed it, it was brilliant.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41And some great feedback again.
0:26:41 > 0:26:47So I go a little bit sad, but, yeah, I've enjoyed it.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48So, that leaves just two cooks.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51They are account manager John,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53and Regan, who works for a marketing company.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56But only one can join Theo in the Friday final.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Time for our third and final round - The Chef's Special.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Now, in this challenge, our cooks will be given a set of ingredients
0:27:03 > 0:27:05to one of Theo's signature dishes.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Now, the aim of this challenge, cooks,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11is to see what you can make from the same set of ingredients.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14You'll get to see what Theo makes a little bit later on.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17But for you at home, here's today's ingredients.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Theo's chosen ingredients are...
0:27:21 > 0:27:26a squab pigeon, some thyme, Marsala, stock,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28pancetta, garlic,
0:27:28 > 0:27:33fresh pied de mouton mushrooms, Swiss chard, and sourdough.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37Easy enough for an Italian maestro, but what will our home cooks make?
0:27:38 > 0:27:41So, cooks, you have just one hour.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44It's time to reveal your ingredients,
0:27:44 > 0:27:45because your time starts now.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Ohh!
0:27:52 > 0:27:52God!
0:27:54 > 0:27:56So, the clock is ticking,
0:27:56 > 0:27:58and our cooks don't waste any time getting started.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Without hesitation, John gets busy dissecting his pigeon.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Meanwhile, Regan investigates her chard.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10I'm not quite sure what this is.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13So I'm just going to try it to see whether it's the leaf or the stem
0:28:13 > 0:28:14that I'm going to be using.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20But already, John is regretting
0:28:20 > 0:28:23his hasty decision of taking his meat off the bone.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25I think I've messed that bit up.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29At this moment, I think I should have roasted it whole.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Cos they're only tiny, those, so...
0:28:35 > 0:28:36Hi. Hi.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38How's it going? OK.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42I think I'm going to use what I think is a guinea fowl,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46cover that in some of the pancetta, cook the guinea fowl whole,
0:28:46 > 0:28:49fry off some of the mushrooms and the garlic with a bit of the...
0:28:49 > 0:28:51I think that might be brandy.
0:28:51 > 0:28:54OK. You feel quite confident? Yeah, I think so.
0:28:54 > 0:28:55Good. Best of luck. Thanks.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Hey, John. Hi. How's it going?
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Chef!
0:29:05 > 0:29:08I think I should have just roasted that whole,
0:29:08 > 0:29:10but I thought I'd try and take the breast off and do something different.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13OK. So I'm going to grill the bread with some oil,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16I'm going to try and get some sauce on the go,
0:29:16 > 0:29:18and then get the mushrooms in there
0:29:18 > 0:29:21and try and make some kind of saucey thing. Nice.
0:29:21 > 0:29:24Nicey, nicey. I bet you can't wait, can you?!
0:29:24 > 0:29:27So, do you think you've identified all the ingredients?
0:29:27 > 0:29:30What do you think this is? I think that's a guinea fowl.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33And I'm not quite sure what that is, to be honest.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Are you going to do something with that, whatever it is? I am.
0:29:35 > 0:29:38Even though you don't know what it is.
0:29:38 > 0:29:39I'm going to use everything. Oh, good. Great.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41Good luck. Thank you very much.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45So, both cooks are intending to serve up guinea fowl.
0:29:45 > 0:29:49Which could prove tricky, given that they're actually cooking pigeon.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51No, I've not cooked with these ingredients before.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53So, yeah, this is a real challenge.
0:29:53 > 0:29:57And with her pigeon taken care of, Regan has an idea for her bread.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59Croutons.
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Out of the two, whose dish excites you the most?
0:30:03 > 0:30:06I'm a little bit worried about John, cos the first thing he did,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10he saw the "guinea fowl" and started to take it off the bone.
0:30:10 > 0:30:11And there's nothing wrong with that,
0:30:11 > 0:30:14but he kind of left a lot of the meat on the bone,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16so he's got these tiny two little breasts.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18I'm not sure what he's going to do with the rest of the carcass.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21He's sort of panicked, done a few things,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24and then is thinking, "What am I actually going to make with this?"
0:30:24 > 0:30:26So we'll just wait and see.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Regan, I love the way she's so confident,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31and she yelped with excitement when she saw the ingredients.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33It wasn't like, "What am I going to do?"
0:30:33 > 0:30:35She was like, "Wow, I haven't got a clue what they are,
0:30:35 > 0:30:37"but I'm going to cook something!" Yeah.
0:30:38 > 0:30:43John tries to salvage his dish, bulking it up with some wings.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47It tastes a bit tart, but I think once everything goes in,
0:30:47 > 0:30:48then it should be good.
0:30:51 > 0:30:57And as the pressure builds, Regan starts getting tactical.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00I'm just having a look at what his bird's like!
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Was that very pink when you cut into it?
0:31:02 > 0:31:03Not bad.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10I want to cut it, but I also want to let the meat rest.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Cooks, you have 15 minutes to go.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16So this is going to go back in for another five minutes.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18I think it just needs a little bit longer.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23It isn't very good, this.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25It's gone too thick. I did it too early, really, the sauce.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30It's OK to serve rare, so I'm going to go with what I've got.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35Meanwhile, John decides to ditch his toasted bread
0:31:35 > 0:31:38in place of some roasted croutons he made earlier.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41God knows what it's going to taste like.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43But we can only try.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47And with just a few minutes to go,
0:31:47 > 0:31:50Regan decides to quickly pan-fry her meat.
0:31:53 > 0:31:5530 seconds left.
0:31:56 > 0:31:57The sauce has split!
0:32:06 > 0:32:08OK, cooks, your time is up.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12Look at the mess!
0:32:12 > 0:32:14Well, it smells absolutely delicious, doesn't it?
0:32:14 > 0:32:16It does. It's time to taste.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20First, it's John.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23He's made pancetta-wrapped roasted pigeon breasts,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25mushroom in Marsala,
0:32:25 > 0:32:28crispy croutons, and a shot of crispy fried wings.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32There we go.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34How did you find that? Tough.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35Yeah? Yeah.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37I felt the confidence draining out of me.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Good luck. OK, well, tell us what you've made.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Well, I took the breast off the bird,
0:32:41 > 0:32:43which I think was a guinea fowl.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46OK. And I wrapped it in the bacon.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48I cooked the mushrooms with the garlic,
0:32:48 > 0:32:50and I've done a nice shot of wings.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Shot of wings! Shot of wings! That's a first!
0:32:54 > 0:32:59So, it wasn't a guinea fowl. No. It was a squab pigeon. Oh, right.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02They have got a very sort of lovely, subtle flavour. Right.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05And they are actually quite tender.
0:33:05 > 0:33:06OK. Right.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09So, let's tuck in. You go first. I'm going in there.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23I love your croutons. They're really, really tasty.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26They've taken on the fat of the pigeon. Yeah. It's delicious.
0:33:29 > 0:33:30It's nice flavours.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34The mushrooms - they're really nicely cooked.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36You've done them really nicely. Thank you.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39What do you think about...? Are you going to have a...?
0:33:39 > 0:33:41I'm not sure about the serving vessel,
0:33:41 > 0:33:43but I love anything on the bone.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48That is...crispy and delicious.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52It's delicious. Thank you.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55Well, if you'd like to go back to the waiting room for the last time.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57We will see you shortly.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Thank you very much. Well done, John. Thanks a lot, thank you.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01The tasting went very well.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04Really surprised, seeing as I didn't really know what I was doing
0:34:04 > 0:34:05with the ingredients.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08So, yeah, it went very well, it came out all right in the end.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11And finally into the tasting room is Regan,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14who's made roast pigeon on a bed of Swiss chard,
0:34:14 > 0:34:17with garlic croutons and mushrooms in Marsala.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23My dish. How did you find that challenge?
0:34:23 > 0:34:26Quite hard, just because there were a couple of things on there
0:34:26 > 0:34:30that I didn't really know what they were, and I hadn't had before.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33But it was good. OK. Yeah.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Well, it looks delicious. It was actually squab pigeon.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40OK. I'm going to try it. Yes. I hope it's nice.
0:34:52 > 0:34:54Mmm.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57That's really nice. The nice thing is, you've got the chard.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59The chard's really important with it,
0:34:59 > 0:35:02because you've got this sort of quite sweet flavour from the pigeon.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05You need that kind of earthiness in there, and you've got that.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08How did you find the mushrooms? Did you...?
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Yeah, I kind of wish I hadn't cooked them for as long as I had. Mm.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Actually, could have cooked them a bit longer, actually. OK.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Really nice. I mean, you've cooked the pigeon nicely,
0:35:21 > 0:35:24you've cooked it on the bone, which is interesting,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26and the sauce is delicious, so really well done.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31It was good. I was quite pleased with the comments that I got.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35A couple of little things that I probably could have improved on,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38but, in general, he seemed to like it, which was good.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40So, with the last challenge complete,
0:35:40 > 0:35:42it's just left for Theo to decide
0:35:42 > 0:35:44which of our two remaining home cooks
0:35:44 > 0:35:47will return as his partner for the Friday final.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51He kind of used his initiative and used the juices from the pigeon
0:35:51 > 0:35:54to kind of make the croutons taste really good.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57And the mushrooms were delicious, I must say. Mm.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Her sauce was lovely. Mm. There was a bit of finesse there.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Did you notice the croutons were all exactly the same colour?
0:36:03 > 0:36:04Yeah. Absolutely perfect.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Do you feel like you've seen enough of what they can do
0:36:07 > 0:36:09to make your decision?
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Yeah, I think I have. I think I have. OK.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14But before Theo announces the winner,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18it's time to reveal what he makes with those ingredients.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19So, it's over to you, Theo.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21OK, so we've got the squab pigeon.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23I'm going to chop off the head.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27Then we take off the wings, and then you cut down the wing,
0:36:27 > 0:36:30and you sort of dislocate the leg bone.
0:36:30 > 0:36:31It sounds very gory, doesn't it?
0:36:31 > 0:36:34It does a bit! And then you just pull the leg bone out,
0:36:34 > 0:36:37and then you sort of go down to the breast.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38You don't really want to cut it.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41You just want to use the knife to sort of push the meat off.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43That way, you don't waste too much meat.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46You go over the breast bone, and then under.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49And again, dislocate the leg bone.
0:36:49 > 0:36:50And then just pull.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53And there is the carcass.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56What I've done now is I've then marinated the pigeon
0:36:56 > 0:36:58with some thyme and some Marsala.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01Right, so... Sea salt, black pepper.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06And then I'm going to pop that in the pan skin side down.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Now, inside, there's the most delicious liver inside a pigeon,
0:37:10 > 0:37:13so we're going to just pop that on the side of the pan, there.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16And then I'm going to get some lovely sourdough bread.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20So, it's the best fried bread in the world!
0:37:20 > 0:37:22LAUGHTER
0:37:22 > 0:37:25OK? And then we just turn the pigeon.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29Pop a little bit more thyme. Chop the liver in half.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Put the liver on top of the bread, and just slightly sort of smear it.
0:37:33 > 0:37:39Then we'll pick this up, pop that in the middle, pop the pigeon on top.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41And then I've got some pancetta.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44I'm putting this on raw, but what's going to happen is, as it's cured,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46as there's salt in there,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49it's going to actually season the meat as it cooks.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52Then we're going to pop that in an oven for about ten minutes
0:37:52 > 0:37:54at 180 degrees Celsius.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Now, I've got some Swiss chard here.
0:37:57 > 0:37:58Would you use the stalks as well?
0:37:58 > 0:38:00This is what I'm going to do. Oh, OK.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04The stem, the stalk, is actually incredibly sweet.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08So we'll pop this into some boiling salted water.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10And chard stalks, in it goes.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12We'll cook that for a couple of minutes.
0:38:12 > 0:38:15And then we add the garlic in a pan, a bit of olive oil.
0:38:18 > 0:38:19OK, then we've got our mushrooms.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21These are called pied de mouton,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24which are basically like lambs' feet.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26So we're going to just fry them gently.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28You first started working in a kitchen
0:38:28 > 0:38:29when you were about 14 years old?
0:38:29 > 0:38:32I think I was about 15. About 15. Yeah.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35A friend of mine worked in this restaurant, this little kind of French bistro,
0:38:35 > 0:38:37and they needed a kitchen porter on a Thursday night.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39And I thought, "Ooh, I can earn a bit of pocket money."
0:38:39 > 0:38:41So I went down there,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44and I remember just loving the atmosphere of this kitchen.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46It was like a theatre.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49This crazy guy sort of telling the waiters what to do,
0:38:49 > 0:38:51and the waiters telling him... It was just brilliant.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53And so I kind of fell in love with kitchens very early on.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56So I sort of went to a chef called Max Magarian,
0:38:56 > 0:38:58who had a restaurant called Chez Max.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00I remember going there on my 18th birthday and having dinner there
0:39:00 > 0:39:03and saying to him, out of the blue, I just said, "Can I have a job?"
0:39:03 > 0:39:05He was, like, "I can't give you a job in the kitchen,
0:39:05 > 0:39:07"but I can give you a job as a waiter.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Now, I was the world's worst waiter.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11I did my time on the floor,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14and luckily enough, I got in the kitchen. Yeah.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16And then I went to a restaurant
0:39:16 > 0:39:18that had sort of just opened on the Thames
0:39:18 > 0:39:19called the River Cafe.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21And, you know, it was one of those places
0:39:21 > 0:39:24that was being in the right place at the right time.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26And then, in 2006,
0:39:26 > 0:39:29this site came up at the InterContinental on Park Lane,
0:39:29 > 0:39:32and they offered me the space. It was one of those moments
0:39:32 > 0:39:34where you think, "Should I do it? What shall I do?
0:39:34 > 0:39:36I thought, "Just go for it."
0:39:36 > 0:39:38That's amazing. All very exciting. Yes.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40Right, so - pigeon.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43You can see the fat's sort of quite rendered down a bit,
0:39:43 > 0:39:44like a duck, almost.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47So we'll take one of these, pop that there.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51And then put a bit of the chard... Do a little scattering.
0:39:52 > 0:39:53And then get our pigeon.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56We're just going to cut it through the middle,
0:39:56 > 0:39:59so you get that lovely bit of the breast.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Nice. Put a few of the mushrooms around the plate,
0:40:02 > 0:40:07and then we're going to put on our beautiful, juicy pigeon.
0:40:07 > 0:40:13And then we'll get some pancetta, and then get some of that juice.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18And there you have my version of the pigeon!
0:40:18 > 0:40:19Amazing!
0:40:21 > 0:40:23Absolutely amazing.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Well, let's have a taste!
0:40:25 > 0:40:27Do you want to dig in?
0:40:29 > 0:40:31Oops! You've got the bone. I've got the bone.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Yay!
0:40:33 > 0:40:34Beautiful.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Really, really stunning. Yeah, delicious.
0:40:37 > 0:40:38Wow! That's how to do it.
0:40:40 > 0:40:43Thank you so much, that was absolutely delicious.
0:40:43 > 0:40:44My pleasure. But now it's time to reveal
0:40:44 > 0:40:47who you're going to pick as your partner for the Friday final.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50But before you do, let's have a quick recap
0:40:50 > 0:40:52of what our cooks made earlier.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55John produced an impressive and well-balanced dish of the day
0:40:55 > 0:40:57in the first round.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01He was first to plate up his rosti in the second.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05But lost his confidence with his pigeon in the final challenge.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07At this moment, I think I should have roasted it whole.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10It'd mean the world to win today,
0:41:10 > 0:41:12because to cook with Theo in the Friday final would be fantastic.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Meanwhile, Regan impressed Theo
0:41:14 > 0:41:18with her classic seafood stew in the first round.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20It is delicious. Thank you.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Made a perfect potato rosti in the second.
0:41:22 > 0:41:26And balanced her earthy flavours well in round three.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28I hope I've got a chance of winning.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31I like to think so, after the comments that I got.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33They all seemed quite positive.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36So, Theo, it's time to declare your winner.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Our cooks have completed three challenges,
0:41:38 > 0:41:39they've done extremely well.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43Very well. But you can only take one of them to the Friday final.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45So it's over to you.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47So, you've both been brilliant, I have to say,
0:41:47 > 0:41:49you've both been amazing.
0:41:49 > 0:41:50You've cooked really well,
0:41:50 > 0:41:53you both have passion for food, which is really nice to see.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56The person going through to the final...
0:41:58 > 0:42:00..is Regan. Well done.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Thank you so much. Thank you very much, and well done. Well done.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Thank you. Be proud of yourself.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09I feel amazing. I can't believe I've won.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12I didn't really think there was that much between our dishes,
0:42:12 > 0:42:14so really, really happy that I've won.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Disappointed to be out, but Regan was a great cook,
0:42:17 > 0:42:18and I think she was more overjoyed
0:42:18 > 0:42:21to see the revealed ingredients more than I was.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24So, I think because of that enthusiasm for the ingredients,
0:42:24 > 0:42:27she did a bit of a better plate of food in the end.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30So, Theo, are there any last tips you'd like to give Regan?
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Listen to what I say and look at my eyes. Yes, Chef!
0:42:33 > 0:42:35So excited about working with Theo,
0:42:35 > 0:42:38I think I couldn't have had a better chef to work with.
0:42:38 > 0:42:39Yeah, can't wait.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Tomorrow on Yes Chef,
0:42:42 > 0:42:46four more home cooks go all out to impress top chef Aiden Byrne.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49It's a bowl of flavoured water. Mm-hm.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52It's a chance for them to work alongside the best in the business.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56But only one can become his partner for the Friday final.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58I'm really torn, here.