Mary Ann Gilchrist Yes Chef

Four of the best chefs in Britain

are on the hunt for their perfect partner.

For the first time ever,

amateur home cooks will be paired with the best in the business

for the cooking experience of a lifetime.

That sauce isn't a sauce, it's solid.

Each day, a different Michelin-starred chef

will choose their perfect partner from three talented home cooks.

Great, I think I put too much juice in.

Then in the Friday final,

all four pairs will go head-to-head

to cook for culinary royalty, Pierre Koffmann.

What impresses me with food is the end result,

the taste is the most important.

The professional chefs' reputations are on the line.

But will the amateur home cooks live up to expectations?

This is Yes Chef.

Hello, and welcome to Yes Chef.

Let's see who is cooking in the kitchen today.

First it's Andre Lesur,

a youth pastor from South Africa now living in Bradford.

The kind of cook I am is flamboyantly methodical.

I love to bring my big personality into the kitchen

and have a whole bunch of fun.

Paula Constable Wright is next,

she is a holistic therapist from Macclesfield, Cheshire.

I'd describe my cooking style as healthy, but quite homely,

family friendly, really.

And finally, Gio Maru is a property co-ordinator from Manchester.

I come from an Italian family, I've grown up around a restaurant.

Running into the kitchen, watching the chefs flambe the dishes

has inspired me to become a home cook.

Well, our cooks are raring to go.

So let's meet today's chef.

Mary Ann Gilchrist is head chef at the Carlton Riverside in mid-Wales

and has had a career spanning four decades.

I've been doing this job for 40 years.

Even now I'm still learning.

With a wealth of experience in the kitchen,

Mary Ann knows exactly what she wants.

Preparation is the key.

Without preparation, you have a disaster on your hands.

And she's looking for someone to complement her own unique style.

Presentation is something that I think is important.

I don't want something mucked up.

Her no-nonsense approach means today's successful home cooks

will need to be at their very best.

Choosing someone to go through to cook for Pierre Koffmann

is a huge ask.

Service!

His reputation is phenomenal.

If I dare say it, it scares the pants off me.

Welcome, everyone. Now, Mary Ann,

you are going to be picking one of our home cooks to be your partner

in this week's Friday final.

What are you going to be looking for?

Tidy, seasonal, if possible,

and don't overcomplicate things.

If you overcomplicate stuff, that's when things go wrong.

-Right.

-Great.

You've got 45 minutes, and your time starts now.

So our cooks are off,

going all out to win over Mary Ann with their signature dish.

Today, Gio is making an artichoke and rosemary risotto

using a recipe handed down from his Italian aunt.

But sticking to his plans under the watchful eye

of an award-winning chef will be a real challenge.

I've only ever cooked for friends and family before,

so I think that with a Michelin starred chef, it's really going to test me.

Church pastor Andre is unfazed by the competition.

He's making a Thai green prawn curry, garnished with cashew nuts,

pineapple and coriander on a bed of rice.

Getting in the zone here. The more I do it,

I think the more confident I'm going to get at making this whole meal,

and it's going to taste superb.

Over at the green station, Paula is also serving a curry.

She's hoping her flavour combination of sweet potato,

chicken and black beans will really make her dish stand out.

Just roasting sweet potatoes to give them a bit of a crispier edge

before they actually go in.

I'm just going to whack those in the oven now. There we go.

I hope they get cooked a bit.

-How are we getting on?

-I think we are doing OK.

Is this something that you cook all the time at home?

Not all the time.

I've got three kids and they love different food,

they love stir-fries, love Thai green curry so...

Do they like spicy food?

Love heat. I think the hotter the better.

-You are from South Africa, I believe?

-Yes, yes, that's right.

The food is spicy and tasty,

and so I won't compromise the heat, I like the heat, but usually...

Not too hot for me!

Yeah, not too hot, OK, I won't put it too hot.

We're going to get out of here.

-Clear off.

-Cheers, bye.

-Hi, Paula.

-Hi.

-You OK?

-Yes, how are you?

Not too bad.

So I've got two curries.

-Two curries.

-Yes, yes.

And sweet potatoes.

-You don't like sweet potatoes?

-No.

My son hates them, he used to love them

and I've cooked so much he hates them now.

You're a therapist, as well, aren't you?

-Yep, I am.

-So...

-What sort of therapist?

I'm a holistic therapist.

We talk about nutrition, we do balancing,

we do reiki, we do reflexology.

As long as you're not asking me to do yoga!

Well, my sister does yoga, I don't do yoga.

-My knees don't do yoga.

-Come on, we'll get out of your way.

-Good luck.

-I better go and check this chicken now.

Thank you very much.

Meanwhile, over on the yellow station...

I've hashed that right up.

..it seems Gio may have made a mistake

with one of his main ingredients.

Didn't cut the artichoke in the right way.

Didn't take out the middle.

These little bits here, you don't want that in your dish.

Gio, you doing well there, my China?

Yeah, I'm just in the zone.

It's these artichokes, they take a lot of concentration.

Yeah.

-Hi, Gio.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-I'm very well, thank you.

I gather you like to forage.

Yes, like to pick up chestnuts, wild garlic.

I've not really trusted myself to go for mushrooms yet,

as that can end quite badly.

-Ah, yes.

-So, maybe when I become an expert I can do that.

-Yeah.

-My mother was born and brought up in Italy

so I grew up eating risotto back in the '50s and '60s,

but my mother actually used to travel to London once a month

to get all her ingredients.

Well, I'm looking forward to this.

I have got to be honest,

I'm not the biggest vegetarian in the world, but...

I love risotto so I'm really looking forward to it.

-I do too.

-The smells are gorgeous.

Good luck. We'll get out of your hair.

-Thank you very much.

-And we'll see you very soon.

-Thanks, Gio.

-Cheers.

Add this green curry paste.

-Oopsy.

-Let's start with Andre.

-What you think of him?

-He's pretty full-on, isn't he?

Paula, how are you doing with the pressure?

I think I'm there-ish.

I'm not quite sure whether I'm going to be able to cope with him,

-but there we are.

-What I like about him,

he's checking that the other contestants are OK.

-Yes, I know, but...

-It's taking control but, like, focus on your food.

Yes, it really is, it's focus on your food.

Just waiting for my prawns to cook a little bit in here.

I think I'm going to have to crank the heat on this a little bit.

Now let's move on to Paula.

Now, she seems in control and she's all into healthy food and stuff.

What do you think of her curry?

The sweet potato I'm going to take a lot of convincing.

Right.

I hope I'm not doubling up on anything

and it ends up really weird.

Now, let's move on to Gio.

Oh, charming young man.

-Oh!

-It's his Italian heritage.

Oh, OK. It's quite a simple thing to make, risotto.

I'm hoping that it's not going to be too dry.

I hope there's still a slight bite to the rice.

-I just wish it was not vegetarian.

-Mmm.

Even though it's just dashing rice in a pan,

you're not going to get a good result

if you don't know how to do it properly.

Gio's family recipe has certainly given him confidence in the kitchen.

And it looks like everything is going to plan for Paula.

I'm just trying to get this coriander stir through

a bit, a bit smoother.

But as time ticks on, a previously optimistic Andre...

Oh, no.

..is starting to lose his focus.

I just burnt the cashews.

To be honest, I completely forgot about them.

Cooks, you have just 10 minutes left.

10 minutes to go.

Right, so you've got your tiger prawns in?

Tiger prawns are in.

I've just put in a little baby sweetcorn

and also just added some peppers so that they...

I think the word is al dente, not too...

-Yes.

-..rubbery.

-A little bit of a bite.

Yes, a little bit of bite left in them.

So I need to turn down the heat a little bit.

How long are you going to cook your prawns for?

They are probably overcooking at the moment and that's my timer going.

In that case, I'd better leave you in peace.

Thank you very much.

Oh, you seem to be...

well ahead of the game.

Well, I'm trying not to put too many sweet potatoes in there.

Please don't, you know, this is just me, don't worry about it.

-OK.

-Maybe you can convince me.

-You never know. Hopefully.

-Especially if they're healthy.

I'm dreadful at healthy eating.

Well, there you go. I could transform the sweet potato then.

How are you doing?

The rice is a little bit further off than I would have liked it to be.

I think it's because I didn't have the stock hot enough,

so it wasn't exactly simmering when I was putting it in.

So it's taken a while to heat up in the pan first

before it was absorbed.

-Still, it smells nice.

-Good!

So you think it might be a little bit more al dente

-than you would have liked.

-Yeah, it will certainly be al dente.

I would rather it be that way round than sloppy.

-Than the other way round.

-Yes. I'll just make sure I've got my teeth in.

Cooks, there is just three minutes left.

Think about plating up because you've only got three minutes to go.

Time is against me.

I'm good with the pressure but I'm still panicking a little bit.

Andre might be smiling,

but in the final minutes of the challenge

he needs to convince Mary Ann he can concentrate under pressure.

And things are no easier for Gio who is struggling to keep up.

Going well.

-Just getting there.

-10 seconds.

Nine, eight,

seven, six, five...

Come on, Gio!

..Four, three, two, one.

That's it. Stop cooking.

Step away from your plates.

You have done all you can.

-Now it's the best bit because it's time to taste.

-Taste!

First to be judged is Andre, with his Dish of the Day.

He's made a Thai green curry with King prawns,

garnished with cashew nuts, pineapple and coriander,

served with rice.

Hi, Andre, come in.

Lovely.

How did you find the challenge?

It was, er, it was interesting.

I had a couple of challenges and also...

Obviously, don't take one of the hot chillies.

No, I'm not going to take the chillies. No way.

-They are red so I can see them.

-Yes.

Mmm.

Mmm. That's lovely.

Mmm. The pineapple, that nice fresh zingy taste.

-A nice contrast.

-Yes. Really good.

The rice is a bit bland.

-Yeah. I didn't...

-Did you put any salt in it?

No, I didn't garnish. I should have put some salt in the water.

-I know. Hmm.

-Well, it's a shame, you didn't salt the rice.

-I know.

-And it's probably a little overcooked, but apart from that,

actually I rather like that.

It's got some really lovely flavours.

There is spice but it's not overpowering,

it's just really pleasant.

-Great.

-OK, well, thank you very much.

-Thank you very much indeed.

-We'll see you shortly.

-Thank you.

-Appreciate it.

When I found out that Mary Ann wasn't too keen on chilli,

I definitely had to make some minor adjustments in the meal.

It was a bit of a curveball but I dodged it well enough, I think.

-That's good.

-Mmm.

Oh, I could eat that all day, that's gorgeous.

I love the subtleties of flavours.

He really did get that absolutely bang on.

It's a great compliment that Mary Ann would appreciate my cooking.

Any compliment she gives my work,

I am obviously going to exaggerate

when I talk about this to people later.

Next is Paula with her Dish of the Day.

Sweet potato, chicken and black bean curry,

topped with coriander and lime and served with a chilli pitta bread.

-Hi, Paula, come in.

-Hi.

-How are you?

-Yes, good, thank you.

Did you enjoy that?

Well, yes, I did actually.

The time flew by, absolutely flew by.

It's scary. I know.

Yeah.

-Sort of something and nothing, isn't it?

-Sweet potato?

-Sorry.

Oh, I love it.

-Not my bag.

-Chicken's lovely, it's really soft and tender.

Thank you.

For me, the chicken is a touch on the dry side.

-OK.

-A bit under seasoned.

-OK.

-For me.

-Yeah.

-OK, well, well done.

-Thank you very much.

-We will see you shortly.

-All right, lovely.

-Well done, Paula. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Bye.

She hates sweet potato, she hates black beans,

so it wasn't a great start.

I felt it lacked seasoning.

She has not convinced me about sweet potato.

If I ordered that, I'd be well impressed.

-Very nice.

-Oh, thank you.

It was a bit stressful, especially cooking for a Michelin-starred chef.

That doesn't happen every day.

I am a little bit glad it's over, though.

And finally it's Gio's turn to face the taste test,

with his Dish of the Day.

An artichoke and rosemary risotto finished with pecorino cheese.

Hi, there.

Lovely, how did you find the challenge?

The pressure was a bit too much to deal with, I think.

OK, well, let's tuck in.

Let's dig in.

In terms of the rice, you are right,

you didn't give it quite long enough.

-OK.

-I would have liked it to have been a bit wetter as well.

-Right.

-The lovely flavour of rosemary,

you get that, it's really delicious.

The artichoke is nice too.

-And cooked lovely.

-One of my favourite veg.

Yeah, could have done with another five minutes, I think, don't you?

Right. Yeah, definitely.

But otherwise I think it's a very good effort.

-OK.

-All right, well, well done.

-Thank you.

-If you'd like to go back to the waiting room,

-we will see you very shortly, thank you.

-Thank you very much, cheers.

I think it went quite well, actually, yeah.

I was fairly happy with the comments, I think they were fair.

The rice could have done with a little bit of extra cooking time.

The trouble is, of course, he ran out of time.

-Yes.

-The rice wasn't cooked through.

You've got that wonderful flavour of the rosemary,

the artichokes were nicely cooked, but it,

I don't know, it just lacked...

-It was lacking something.

-It lacked something.

-Yes.

It's a little bit al dente, which is just gorgeous.

The good thing is they have got another challenge, your skills test,

so you don't have to make your mind up yet.

I mean, you might have made your mind up

with who you super like and who you don't.

I, no, it's all to play for at the moment.

That's good, because we've got another challenge now.

-The challenge is going to be interesting.

-OK.

Mary Ann can choose only one of these three home cooks

as her partner for Friday's final.

And she has just one more round to see everyone in action.

Before Mary Ann decides who is going to go home first,

she has set you a skills test.

We are going to do a sauce Maltese.

Which is basically a hollandaise sauce

but it's made with blood orange.

-Oh.

-Nice!

-This is something I would normally serve with asparagus

or perhaps tenderstem broccoli, which I think is a lovely,

can be a lovely starter.

-Yes.

-Yes.

-Well, off I go.

You want 250g of butter...

..which you want to melt.

This really doesn't take very long.

You want to snap your... If you're using asparagus,

-you want to go until it snaps.

-So it snaps at the...

It snaps at the point where it's going to be reasonably tender.

It's like a natural snap?

Yeah, that's right.

Four egg yolks.

Right.

Four egg yolk.

There is your four egg yolks.

-OK.

-Juice of a lemon.

That gives it its sharpness.

Right, just pop the asparagus in.

Salt that.

Now, you can see now...

-I can.

-You've got your milk solids at the bottom.

Decant your butter.

OK. Right, we now want...

Why is it a blood orange? Why'd you have to use a blood orange?

You don't have to use blood orange.

-OK.

-But it just gives it better colour.

Oh, OK.

-That's lovely.

-Look at that.

I think they're gorgeous, don't you?

It's like something out of a horror film.

-This is what gives it its colour.

-Right.

Then you want a little bit of seasoning.

Then just pour your hot butter in.

Slowly. Just as you would for mayonnaise.

-Lovely colour.

-Isn't that great?

-It's stunning.

And it smells amazing.

That smells gorgeous.

And then you just simply...

-Gorgeous.

-Oh, yum.

Those colours are fantastic.

And that's it.

Right, guys, have a taste.

Thanks.

Mmm. Amazing.

-Gorgeous.

-You really get the creaminess of the butter here

-as well.

-OK.

I can tell it's been done by a very good chef, I think.

Right, guys, well, it's your turn now.

So if you'd like to make your way back to your stations

-and we'll begin.

-OK.

-Thank you.

So our cooks have just 15 minutes to complete Mary Ann's skills challenge

and produce the perfect sauce Maltese.

Trying to remember everything that she said and not burning the butter.

Quietly confident with this one.

I've been shown how to do it so it should be all right.

-Very quiet, Paula.

-Concentrating on not getting any of this egg yolk...

-Egg white.

-You're on the egg yolk already, my goodness.

The cooks need to work fast to complete this dish on time

and to Mary Ann's high standards.

Nice, tasty bit of salt.

But once again, Andre is getting easily distracted.

Oopsie, I've lost the yolk.

-How are you coping?

-I broke two of the yolks,

I'm not sure that's going to affect the taste of it, hopefully not.

I'm trying to remember everything you showed us what to do,

trying to get a little bit of this lemon juice in.

And now, so, I definitely have just got about four pips in there.

Oh, no! OK, we'll let you concentrate.

Thank you so much.

Are you OK, Paula?

I think so. I've whizzed up the eggs and the lemon juice

-and the orange zest.

-Yes.

So now I'm melting the butter and I'm going to separate it.

-That's fine.

-So...

-What?

-I just pour it in here, yeah?

-Yeah.

-Does it make you more nervous

-when we're standing over you watching?

-Yeah.

-Oh, sorry, Paula.

-No, don't worry.

-I'll leave you to it.

Thank you.

How are we getting on, Gio?

Yeah, all right, I've got the asparagus on the boil here.

I've got my egg yolks in there.

Just about to start blending this.

I need to separate the butter though, so...

And you've done your rind?

Yes, I put the rind and the blood orange in.

Good. So you're in control?

-You feel good?

-I think so, yeah.

Good.

Cooks, you are halfway through.

Halfway through, guys.

They all seem to be doing OK.

They all seem to have taken it on board.

Seasoning with this really is very important

because it can be very bland.

OK. What about if the asparagus is overcooked,

will you take that into consideration

-or is it all about the sauce?

-No, it's all about the sauce.

-OK.

-I don't think they've got long left.

-Right.

-And we'll get to taste.

-Exactly.

-Brilliant.

All right.

Cooks, you've got just three minutes left.

Three minutes to go, guys.

Whilst Mary Ann is looking for a partner with passion for food,

she also needs to know they can achieve the perfect balance

of sweet and savoury in their sauce Maltese.

It tastes a bit sour.

I think I put too much juice in.

I think that's... I think that's nice.

But then I'm not a Michelin-starred chef!

No idea!

The final stages of this challenge are crucial.

And a mistake with the seasoning could cost our home cooks

a place in the final round.

-Did you season?

-Yes, I did.

Phew! Oh, I thought I hadn't then, but I have.

Yes, I did.

First to the finish line is Paula.

Whilst Andre and Gio use every last second

to perfect their presentation.

Right, that's it, cooks, time is up.

Step away from your plates.

You've done all you can.

It's the moment of truth.

One of our home cooks will be leaving the competition

at the end of this challenge,

and keeping their performance from round one in mind,

Mary Ann will be judging their sauces to firm up her decision.

-Let's have a taste.

-Yes.

-Absolutely.

-We'll start with Gio.

-OK?

-Yes.

-OK?

-Fine.

Mmm. They are all good.

-Oh!

-Wow.

That's a big relief.

They have all got roughly the right consistency.

I think we might have a small issue with seasoning,

but... Actually, no, you've made a jolly good job of it.

-Well done.

-All three of you.

-Wow.

-Thank you.

-That's awesome.

-Very well done.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

The home cooks have done all they can,

so Mary Ann has a decision to make.

They all did a really good job.

-Yes, they did.

-So it's hard for you.

It's extremely hard for me.

Mary Ann made it seem so easy,

but, hey, it came together and I was quite proud of it, the end product.

I forgot to put salt in the asparagus water,

but hopefully I'd put enough in the sauce

to make up for that and she may have not noticed.

When I saw all the ingredients I was a bit thrown, yeah.

I've never really cooked a sauce like that before.

Yeah, not perfect, but I was relatively happy with it.

Did anyone get it spot on?

Paula got it spot on.

-Oh, OK.

-Absolutely bang on the button.

Now, what about the two boys?

I'm having a real struggle, making my mind up.

-Oh, it's horrible!

-I hate doing this.

-It's horrible.

All right, I'll leave you for a minute.

Mary Ann must pick the perfect partner for the Friday final

and can only take two cooks through to the next round.

Sadly, one of you does have to leave the competition now

and Mary Ann has made her mind up.

You all did a very good job.

However, unfortunately, I do have to let somebody go.

I'm sorry, but it's Gio.

-Oh! Gio!

-I am sorry.

Gutted to be going home, to be honest, yeah.

But really strong competition, so, you know, I can't feel too bad.

Oh!

So, just two home cooks remain.

Youth pastor Andre...

Through to the next round, yeah, it's great.

Obviously, gutted to lose Gio but one's got to go.

..and holistic therapist Paula.

Really good, I'm really pleased.

Whatever happens, it's just going to be great fun.

Now it's time for our third and final challenge.

Now, our cooks have been given all the ingredients

to one of Mary Ann's dishes.

They will have one hour to identify all the ingredients

and to create a dish of their own.

Mary Ann has chosen white crab meat and eggs,

red chilli, garlic, lemon,

flat leaf parsley, plain flour,

olive oil and white wine.

Easy enough for a Michelin-starred chef,

but what will our home cooks think?

So it's the last chance for our cooks

to really impress you, Mary Ann.

Any last tips?

Yeah, basically keep calm,

have a good look at what your ingredients are,

make your mind up and then go with it.

-Yes.

-Right.

-OK.

-Good luck, guys.

-So, good luck.

-Thank you.

You have one hour, reveal your ingredients,

because your time starts now.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

-OK.

-Well.

OK. I assume that's crab.

I literally do not know where to start.

How are you feeling, Paula?

Er, I don't know, make some kind of a cake or something...

Yeah, I think, I think that's what I'm thinking.

You've gone very quiet.

Unusually quiet, Andre.

The, the, the cogs are ticking.

So I'm thinking

having a bit of a batter for that,

but I don't know how it would stick together

or whether I'd deep-fry that

or fry it in something.

These are the questions going through my mind.

It's tough, isn't it?

-Yeah, very tough.

-Keep those cogs churning.

Yeah, yeah. What would you do with these ingredients?

I am not...!

Well, we'll let you keep thinking.

Thank you very much. I appreciate that, you guys.

-Thank you.

-Good luck.

All right.

-Hi.

-Hi.

So you've made a start.

Yeah, I'm thinking along the lines of a crab cake.

-Yes.

-I'm going to make some kind of sauce to go with it.

-Yeah.

-Not quite sure how to do that.

-That sounds good.

-I'll give it a go.

-You've got a plan.

-That's really good.

-Yeah, I've got a plan.

Come on, Paula, relax.

Yes. OK.

Go with your gut and get on with it.

-OK.

-All right?

-Yes.

-Thank you, very much.

-Good luck, Paula.

Thank you.

I don't know whether I should put an egg in it but I have done.

With no time to waste,

our cooks get straight to work on their crab cakes.

I've never made anything like this before, I've never...

I've never cooked crab before.

I'm glad it's out of its shell.

Because I wouldn't have known how to do that, but, yeah,

I'm going to give it a go.

So while Paula is eager to win over Mary Ann with a dish

she's never made before,

she's not the only one who's struggling with the ingredients.

I've never made crab cakes.

This is a wing and a bit of a prayer.

They've both gone for crab cakes.

-Yeah.

-Which I find a little odd.

Yeah. I mean, it is,

it's a horrible moment when the ingredients are revealed

-and there's not a lot there.

-Mmm.

From your set of ingredients, can they physically make crab cakes?

Sort of.

I'm just trying to get it the right consistency.

I'm not sure how it's going.

My things aren't sticking together.

I'm wondering if I just do this.

Having never made crab cakes before,

Andre's dish is going to require a spot of experimentation.

I'll do this.

This is home cooking at its finest.

I've got a big mess on my hands.

That is a mess. I'm going to have to give up on that one.

I'm panicking, man.

Cooks, you are halfway through, so half an hour to go.

Andre, what's going on?

Something is going on. I'm not sure.

I've done my best to do,

I've never ever tried to kind of make something coagulate

-or glue together.

-Yeah.

-I've made a horrible mess with the rest of it.

What have you used for the glue?

I've used, I used both the whites and the yolk.

-Yeah.

-I don't know if that was a bad call

or whether I should have just used the whites.

Yeah, I mean, no, I mean, whole egg is fine.

Fine, yeah. All right.

I think that will cook and I think it will taste great.

I think that will probably work.

Yeah. Yes.

-Keep going.

-Thank you very much.

Mary Ann is looking for a cook who can use their initiative.

It might be a crab omelette!

But with so few ingredients to experiment with,

Paula is struggling with her sauce.

I just want, like, a white wine sauce.

I'm not, again, not sure how to do this, really.

Hi, and how are you doing?

I don't know how to do a sauce.

Did you reduce your wine down before you put your egg yolk and stuff in?

No! Didn't know you had to do that.

You have to get the alcohol off.

Right! That's probably why it doesn't taste very nice.

But I've done it now, unless I start again.

-I've got time, haven't I?

-Yeah, you can do it again, can't you?

-You've got loads of time.

-You've got eggs, you've got everything,

-do it again.

-I'll do it again.

-Do it.

I'm going to chuck that, it's disgusting. Throw it away.

And while Paula has another go...

I've got to think how I'm going to make this sauce.

..Andre is not having much success with his liquid ingredients.

That's just become a big, frothy...

..mess.

That doesn't taste great.

Andre, Andre, Andre.

-Sheree.

-What are you doing?

You're making a foam to lay on the top?

There's nothing quite like fishcakes and foam.

And.... Not a clue.

Come on, think, think, think.

That's not worked, so let's scrap it.

-I'm going to scrap it.

-Come on.

Ditching the foam, Andre turns his attention to a more solid approach.

It's falling apart.

What he needs now is a miracle,

which arrives in the shape of water and a blender.

Hopefully have enough time because I need to start frying these.

-OK.

-Frying this really quickly, though.

Cooks, you have just 10 minutes left.

10 minutes to go.

How are you doing?

It's looking OK, actually.

-Is it? OK.

-Yes.

Well, it's better than the last time.

It stuck together.

It has stuck together, guys.

I'm just hoping it's cooked on the inside.

I think we're both flummoxed on the sauce, to be quite honest with you.

So, we'll have to see what happens.

How they turn out!

Thank you!

Brilliant.

Just don't know what to do with that.

Cooks, you only have one minute left.

Just one minute to go.

And with two dishes so similar,

it will all come down to taste and presentation.

Going to try and do that again.

Do we have another plate? Do we have any other plates?

10 seconds.

That's it. Stop cooking, step away from your plates.

First into the tasting room, it's Andre,

with his garlic and chilli crab cake and a white wine sauce.

-How was that?

-That was a challenge!

So, the fact that it stuck together,

the fact that it came with a sauce at the end, I'm very, very proud.

-Good.

-Good.

-Good.

-Right, come on. Let's taste.

-OK, let's go.

I take it you used flour to bind the crab meat.

Yeah. Is that what you...?

No.

Because in fact, in the middle it's not, the flour isn't cooked out.

All right.

It's well seasoned.

The sauce is interesting.

-Yeah.

-And I think probably at this stage,

that's all I can say about it.

-I appreciate...

-It's a very good effort, Andre.

-Yes.

-You know, suddenly you're presented with stuff

-and you think, "Aargh."

-Yes. Difficult.

I like the crab cake, I think it's really nice, really tasty.

I love garlicky, chilli flavours.

-Yeah.

-So, a good effort.

Thank you so much, appreciate that.

You go back to the waiting room and we'll see you shortly.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

How did you get on?

It was interesting.

Definitely knocked my confidence when that first fishcake flopped,

but, yeah, I did well to turn it round, for sure.

I don't know where he was going with that sauce.

-It was...

-Oh, and at one point,

right to the last minute, he didn't even have a sauce.

It wasn't a success, I'd rather he hadn't bothered.

I think it would be a huge surprise if Mary Ann picks me

off the back of that challenge.

Finally, it's Paula's turn to be judged.

She's also made crab cakes and is serving them

with a white wine and parsley sauce.

Hi, how are you doing?

Good, how are you doing?

All right, I think. I'm glad that's over.

-So we're going to have a little taste now.

-Yes, we are!

-OK.

-Dah-dah-dah!

Tastes like you used some flour to bind the crab.

Sauce is a very good effort.

I like your crab cakes.

As I said, it's this raw flour through the middle which is...

Yeah, not cooked. Makes it a bit gluey.

-Difficult, yes.

-OK.

-I'm afraid.

Yes, thank you. Thank you very much.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

If you would like to go back to the waiting room for the last time...

-I will.

-..and we'll see you shortly.

-Thanks very much.

-Well done.

-Bye.

-Well...

-Went well?

All right, I think.

I can't tell you how pleased I was that I got something on the plate

because honestly, initially, it was just like,

"What am I going to do with this?"

The crab cakes looked great on the plate.

Yes, they did.

-They are a bit gluey with the flour.

-You had to bind it somehow.

Unfortunately, she has mixed too much flour.

Way too much.

We both had disasters and we corrected them, sort of.

At the end of the day, I've got to work out who I think

-we'll go through with.

-So it's kind of like neck and neck.

I mean, this one is a toughie.

So you've got a bit of time to think about it,

so come on, let's go and see what you would make

of those ingredients because I'm dying to see it too.

So, guys, this is the best bit,

because this is where you get to sit down, put your feet up

and watch what Mary Ann does.

Very simple. Tagliatelle or linguine or spaghetti.

-Oh, wow.

-With chilli crab.

Oh, how simple. Very simple.

I mean, more than anything else,

it's a masterclass on how to make pasta quickly and easily.

-Oh, wow.

-Great.

-And easily!

I really would love to see that.

So you've not made pasta before?

-Never.

-At all?

-No, no.

-Never tried?

-No, never.

-Let's go.

Right, you've got 275g of 00 flour.

-Right.

-Just whack that in there.

Two whole eggs.

And three egg yolks.

Ah!

A generous pinch of salt.

You want a drop of oil.

Probably about that much.

There you are, that's it.

There we go.

Lovely.

There's your pasta dough.

-That's incredible!

-Wow, that's great.

It's so easy, isn't it?

-I know.

-That wants to sit for a little while.

You just need the gluten and stuff just to sort of do their magic.

OK.

Right.

So, who inspired you to start cooking, Mary Ann?

-My mum.

-Was she a great cook?

Yes, except she couldn't roast a piece of beef to save her life.

-Oh, couldn't she?

-Nope!

-Wow.

-So you've got your garlic and your chilli in there.

-Yeah.

Now I've added the wine and I'm going to reduce that right down.

-OK.

-OK?

In the meantime...

See, when you know what you're doing it's a lot easier, isn't it?

Big style.

-Perfect.

-That's so good, isn't it?

-Wow!

-Oh, wow!

When it starts to get quite long, cut it into a manageable...

-OK.

-I'll cut this one in half.

OK.

Thank you, sweetheart. Right, turn that off.

Great.

-Lovely.

-Yes.

-Thank you.

-Next.

Screw it back in.

Lovely. Right, do the same thing again.

Thank you.

Wow!

-Fab!

-Fab.

-Incredible.

-Oh, that's ace, isn't it?

-Wow.

-Fantastic.

All right.

-Fabulous.

-There we go.

Really great work, Mary Ann.

In goes our pasta.

This pasta, it will take about a minute.

-OK.

-A smidge of salt in this.

-OK.

-The crab meat, it's already cooked.

-OK.

-All you're doing is warming it through.

-Right.

-In the oil.

-OK.

-While that is warming through...

Wow.

Wow.

It looks delicious.

And just finish with a little bit of chopped parsley.

That looks amazing.

-That looks stunning.

-There you go, guys, dig in.

Thank you! This looks delish.

This is where we eat it all.

Oh, that is amazing.

-Is it good?

-It's gorgeous.

Wow. That pasta.

Well, thank you so much, Mary Ann.

-Pleasure!

-Right, guys, it's the moment of truth.

-Yes.

-We're going to find out now who Mary Ann is going to pick

to be her partner in the Friday final,

but before we do, let's have a quick recap

of what our cooks made earlier.

In the first round,

Andre's Thai curry showed off his flair for flavour.

His asparagus dish in round two

secured his place in the competition.

But he tripped up during the final challenge

with a badly executed sauce.

I think it will be a huge surprise if Mary Ann picks me.

If I am picked, it would be great.

Meanwhile, Paula's sweet potato curry wasn't quite

to Mary Ann's taste in the first round,

but she stole the show with her sauce Maltese in round two,

and pushed herself out of her comfort zone

with a brave attempt at crab cakes.

If Mary Ann picked me it would be amazing, it would be great!

It's been such a great day

and hopefully you have both enjoyed yourselves.

-Yes.

-Great, thank you.

Now, I know Mary Ann has really struggled

with who to pick to be her partner,

but she has to pick someone and she has.

She's made her mind up.

-Great.

-So it's over to you, Mary Ann.

This has been probably the toughest decision I've had to make.

No, seriously, because there is so much going for both of you.

The crab cakes...

Andre probably pipped you at the post on that one,

and I'm afraid that as a result,

I'm going to go with Andre.

I am so sorry, Paula.

No! No, thank you.

Unbelievable.

Overjoyed. Ecstatic. Cannot wait for the final.

It's going to the best Yes Chef we've ever had.

You know, I'm a tiny bit disappointed,

it would have been nice to go through.

However, I know how to make pasta now!

So, any tips for your partner for the Friday final, Mary Ann?

Yes, listen to me!

And do as you're told.

-I will do, of course I will.

-I mean, that is important.

Of course I will, chef.

I've definitely made the right decision,

but I really don't know what I've let myself in for.

Friday's going to be fun.

I look forward to keeping my mouth shut, listening to her,

being bossed around and saying a whole bunch of Yes Chef.

Tomorrow on Yes Chef.

Three more home cooks go all out to impress top chef Matt Gillan.

One minute left!

It's the chance for them to work alongside the best in the business.

It's the calm before the storm, I guess.

But only one can become their partner in the Friday final.