Frances Atkins Yes Chef

Four of the best chefs in Britain

are on the hunt for their perfect partner.

Three amateur home cooks are here to prove they have what it takes to be

paired with the best in the business

for the cooking experience of a lifetime.

Whip the cream.

Whip it.

Each day, a different chef will choose their perfect partner

from three talented home cooks.

Cheers.

-Three minutes you can get a fish in a pan.

-Yeah, you can.

Then all four pairs will go head to head in our Friday Final,

cooking for culinary royalty Pierre Koffmann.

What impresses me with food is the end result,

the taste is the most important.

The professional chef's reputations are on the line.

-Are you filleting that fish?

-I'm just trimming it.

And the amateur home cooks have a lot to live up to.

This is Yes Chef.

Hello and welcome to Yes Chef,

let's see who's cooking in the kitchen today.

First up it's Roy Burgin,

a retired sports wholesaler from Knutsford in Cheshire.

People describe my cooking as fresh, tasty, flavoursome,

little bit chaotic.

I am quite confident and when I'm cooking for people

I find the more wine I drink, he more confident I get.

Next is Anna Liza Lomibao,

a marketing manager from Reading in Berkshire.

What I love about cooking is that I like putting together different

flavours for, like, starters, main and especially desserts.

The weaknesses that I have in the kitchen

is that sometimes I can create too many things,

too many dishes at once,

and everybody's just a bit astounded as to how many options they have.

And finally it's Simon Alexander,

a radio presenter from Stratford-upon-Avon.

Play it fairly safe a lot of the time,

but everyone seems to really enjoy it.

It's always very hearty, it's quite classic, I guess.

Having a Michelin-star chef show you exactly what you can do

to improve is a privilege.

Our cooks are ready to start, so let's meet today's chef.

Frances Atkins is a chef whose food is inspired by her surroundings.

With her restaurant nestled in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

A lot of people use local produce, I really do.

Our beef is in the fields over there and our lambs...

Well, we've got tonnes of them at the moment.

She began her career whilst a teenager in Ilkley

making cheeses from her parents' cellar.

And went on to work in some of the finest establishments in Europe.

Flavour is everything,

that is what gives you a sensation and that is what gives you memories.

In a male-dominated industry,

Frances is one of only ten female Michelin-starred chefs in the UK

and certainly knows how to succeed.

I'm looking for somebody who has an idea about what they are doing

and somebody who has a bit of imagination.

Welcome, everyone, to Yes Chef.

Now, Frances will be picking one of you to be her partner

in this week's Friday Final.

What will you be looking for, Frances?

Good presentation.

Great taste.

And especially that you're able to think on your feet.

Well, let's get started.

Round one, you've got to create your best dish for Frances.

She will be watching your every move in the kitchen to see how you cope.

So, Frances, any last tips for our cooks?

Yes, enjoy what you're doing, don't think about me,

concentrate on your food and it'll be brilliant.

Fantastic.

If you'd like to make your way back to your work stations, we'll begin.

So our cooks are off.

Frances is looking for a passionate protege

who she feels she can work well with.

She'll be looking for technical skills

as well as flair and confidence.

Today, Roy is making a lemon risotto topped with a fillet of lemon sole.

This dish will demand constant attention,

keeping the rice al dente,

whilst ensuring the delicate fish is not overdone.

I'm feeling quite confident. I think I can do it.

Unless I collapse with nerves or something,

I'm pretty sure it will be fine.

Over at the green station,

Anna Liza is making a seafood linguine

using top-notch ingredients.

She'll be hoping that her scallops, clams and lobster tail

will really make her dish stand out.

Feeling slightly nervous today, cooking for a Michelin-star chef,

but again, just going to enjoy today.

Creating a dish for a top chef really pushes our cooks out of their

comfort zones. And wanting to shine,

Simon has opted for a dish with a cheffy twist.

He's making a rack of lamb with cauliflower three ways.

Quite an adventurous choice with a lot of elements in just 45 minutes.

I've got to puree some cauliflower.

I've got to sear some, as well.

And then pickling.

And then I'm making a nice little sauce to go with that.

Hopefully, it should look pretty good on the plate.

-Hi, Roy. Hello, Roy.

-Oh, hi, hi.

-You look busy here.

-Yeah.

-Looks all very nice.

Well, it's... The timing's important with this dish being a risotto.

This is canarino which is peel of a lemon in water,

so I'm going to start adding that in a little while

when I think there's enough beef stock gone in there.

Why did you decide to use beef stock?

Is there a good reason for that?

Well, you can actually use any stock,

but it just gives it a different little bit of flavour

than vegetable or chicken stock, I think, and it seems to work well.

And you think that's better for taste with your sole?

-It seems to be, yeah.

-Yeah, yeah.

-Hopefully.

-Well, good luck.

-Thank you very much.

-All looks very nice.

-It does doesn't it?

-And well-organised. Yes.

-Yeah.

-I look forward to that.

-OK.

-Thank you, Roy.

-Thank you. See you later.

-Good luck.

-Thanks.

Hi, Anna Liza.

-Hi there.

-How are we getting on?

Good, thank you, just checking on the seafood

cos everything is all kind of go, go, go.

So we've got here the clams and the mussels,

you can see they're starting to open up slightly.

What are they cooking in?

In garlic, chilli and white wine, as well.

-Lovely. Smells very nice.

-It smells delicious.

Just reducing that down.

That's great. How long will you be cooking your lobster tail for?

I'll taking it out in about two minutes or so...

-In fact, we're just getting in your way, aren't we?

-Yes!

-The smell is good enough.

-Yes, it smells delicious.

-Lovely.

-Well, we'll let you carry on.

-Thank you.

-Good luck.

-Thanks.

-Hi, Simon.

-Hello.

Hello, Simon.

Your dish looks interesting.

-Yeah.

-Are you going to tell me just briefly

-about your cauliflower three ways?

-Yeah, absolutely.

So I'm doing a puree,

I'm searing some cauliflower as well

and I'm also doing a really quick pickle.

I presume the cauliflower done that way is

to give the lamb some acidity?

Yeah, so the vinegar, lemon and a bit of sugar in there, as well.

-Sure.

-Just to give it a bit of a different dimension, I guess.

-Great.

-So, you are a DJ, aren't you?

Yeah, I talk in the mornings and do a podcast.

Yeah, content and waking up every day talking about the news.

So, do all your listeners know about this then?

-They do, yeah.

-Rooting for you?

-I think so, I hope so.

I'm looking forward to seeing it, it looks a beautiful piece of meat.

-Yeah, it does.

-It does. Thank you very much. Cheers.

-Good luck.

-Thank you very much.

-Well done.

Simon has pushed himself with his menu,

ensuring it's tasty and impressive, to showcase his abilities.

To do this all in 45 minutes I know is a steep task.

There's no point in playing safe, so I thought I might as well go for it.

Anna Liza is cooking from the heart,

choosing a dish that means happy times.

This is one of the dishes that I cook on, like, a Saturday evening,

so it always reminds me of holidays in Italy.

She's used to cooking seafood

and knows to prepare it so it is safe and tasty to eat.

Just double-checking that all the shells

are all closed before you cook them.

And just making sure that everything is cooked throughout,

just to be safe.

Roy's delicate lemon risotto may seem a simple choice,

but it needs to be perfect if it's going to impress Frances.

I've got to cook this in 45 minutes today

and it really does take 45 minutes to get it right,

so everything needs to go pretty smoothly.

How are you getting on, Roy?

I'm doing all right, Simon, how are you doing?

I thought that wine glass would have been gone by now.

Well, I know, but I've not had time to get to it yet.

So it will be, don't worry, there won't be any left at the end of it.

So let's start with Roy, what do you think of it?

I think it's neat, it's looking very precise.

He knows what he's doing.

I've got one or two queries about it but...

What are they?

-Well, I was a bit concerned that he was using beef stock.

-Yeah.

I thought with lemon,

it's not the fact that he's using beef stock with fish,

it's the fact that he has a lemon risotto.

But it's all down to the taste at the end of the day.

I'm anxious about the tasting a little bit now.

I'm just wary of forgetting something at the minute,

for some reason.

Let's move on to Anna Liza, she's making a seafood linguine.

Yes. Anna Liza certainly knew what she was doing with her shellfish.

Bit concerned that she's keeping her lobster warm in the oven.

-Yes.

-Yes, not too sure about that one.

So I'm just checking on the lobster, I will take it out now.

Will that make it tough?

-Well, yes.

-She'll keep cooking it.

-So let's see what the taste is like and the presentation.

-OK.

I think my dish is adventurous.

I've used a combination of seafood for this.

And finally, Simon.

Simon. I like the look of his food.

It's a dish with a little bit of excitement in.

I was a bit nervous when I heard about the cauliflower three ways,

but then I see what he's doing.

He's got a little bit of acidity to go with the lamb, if you like,

-and it's cold, rather than hot, so something different.

-Yeah.

I don't think there's five minutes where I'm just sort of sat waiting

for something, so it's a sort of relentless 45 minutes.

Anna Liza knows that how she cooks her seafood

is the main area she'll be judged on.

A few moments too long could see her ruin her chances.

Just making sure that these aren't overdone.

I want it to still be juicy in the middle,

so just kind of keep its colour.

Cooks, you've had half an hour, you've got 15 minutes to go.

Over at the red station,

Roy's about to pan-fry the star of his dish, the lemon sole.

You could do it with different fish.

With it being a lemon risotto,

it's just kind of nice to do lemon sole with it, I think.

So I'm making sure that all the seafood's covered

with the white wine sauce

and just checking that it's all getting cooked,

so I'll just leave the lid back on.

That sauce seems to be going quite nicely.

So, yeah, it's just all about that lamb now, I think.

I think we're OK.

I think it's going to be... It's going to be fine.

As the cooks near completion,

Roy spots a chance to kick back and relax. Cheers.

Cheers.

Oh, it feels better already.

Right, cooks, you've got just five minutes left, five minutes to go,

so you really need to start thinking about plating up.

Roy's picked the wrong time to take his eye off the ball.

Oh, no!

Disaster!

Does this spell the end for him?

-Oh, no!

-Oh, my gosh!

Right, hold on, let's get this up.

Oh...

-Oh, dear.

-Three minutes, you can get a fish in a pan and on there.

Yep, you can, easy. Come on, let's do it.

-I don't even know where it is.

-Don't get upset by it.

He's back in the saddle and racing to save his dish

with a brand-new fish.

Right, cooks, that's it, time is up, step away from your plates,

you've done all you can.

It's time to taste.

First to take the taste test is Roy.

With a lemon risotto, crowned with a pan-fried fillet of lemon sole.

Thank you.

How did you find the challenge?

-I had a bit of a hiccup.

-I know, you dropped your fish!

I know, I know!

We've kept the fish that you dropped on the floor,

-just so we can compare the two together.

-OK.

When you were making your risotto,

did you just sort of fold in your asparagus at the end?

-Yes.

-That's quite a big piece of asparagus

to get in my mouth at once.

Well, I usually make it with fine asparagus, very thin,

but I did put it in a little bit earlier, so it got cooked.

Why did you choose lemon sole to put with this, was there a reason?

As it's a lemon risotto, lemon sole just seemed appropriate.

That's got the skin on, this hasn't.

No, I took it off the skin.

-When you'd cooked it.

-Yes.

-Very nice.

-Very nice.

OK, thank you very much, Roy.

-My pleasure. Thank you.

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

-OK.

-We'll see you shortly.

-All righty.

I'd rather the cooking would have gone the way it should have done.

How did you get on?

Fine. They did like the taste,

and they were very kind about my little accident in there.

Did you enjoy Roy's dish?

Yes, I did.

I think it was very lemony,

and the saucing round the outside looked attractive.

Do you know, it kind of makes a better story, doesn't it, long-term?

That you chuck your fish on the floor

instead of putting it on the plate.

Next to take the taste test is Anna Liza

with a seafood linguine, featuring scallops, clam and lobster tail.

Lovely, how did you find the challenge?

-Really enjoyed it.

-Very good, it looks very appetising.

Well, let's try it, let's see what, see how the cooking of the fish is,

-I think that's rather important, isn't it?

-Yep.

And the mussels, they were cooked with some chilli.

Chilli, garlic, olive oil and white wine.

Lovely taste on your mussel.

Some nice flavours.

I just need to taste the pasta.

Mmm, it's really lemony.

I think that's a really very tasty dish.

I would say, I was a little concerned

about the way you were cooking the scallops.

They should be in a very hot pan,

and cooked fairly quickly and out of the pan.

Your ones were cooked a little longer.

And the lobster, again,

lobster's a very tricky thing to cook well, as I'm sure you know.

And that was a little tough, I'm afraid, but the flavour was lovely.

Well, if you'd like to go back to the waiting room,

we'll see you shortly, but thank you very much.

-Lovely, thank you.

-Thank you, Anna Liza.

-Thank you.

Really, like, amazed by Frances' comments.

I've never cooked for a Michelin-starred chef before.

That scallop's so good.

Unfortunately, I think we've got a few problems with the seafood.

-Yep.

-The way it was cooked.

-I mean, there were nice flavours coming through.

-There were.

The flavours were there.

Finally, it's the turn of Simon.

He's made rack of lamb with cauliflower three ways

and a red wine jus.

Come in, Simon.

Wonderful. How did you find the challenge?

Yeah, there was quite a lot to do in 45 minutes,

but I've just about got it all there.

-Nice presentation.

-Very nice, yeah, looks very good.

I would just make one comment about your lamb.

I think I would have liked it done just another minute.

-OK, got you.

-And I'll tell you why,

because it's just sort of a little raw, not pink, in the middle.

-OK, got you.

-So one more minute on that, it would have made it pink.

-OK, well, let's taste.

-Yes, why not?

Well, it tastes lovely, and I can taste the rosemary's coming through.

Let's just try this cauliflower.

It's all in the taste at the end of the day, that's delicious,

I would eat that, quite happily.

-Going to your house for dinner.

-Wow, fantastic!

-More than welcome!

-In all, I think that's very nice.

Excellent, thank you very much.

-And well done for doing it all in the time.

-Cheers.

-Yeah, very good.

-Well done.

-Cheers.

-Well done. Well, if you'd like to go back to the waiting room?

-Thank you, yeah, great.

-We'll see you shortly.

-Finish it off.

-Thank you, Simon.

The lamb was almost perfectly cooked.

I think, rightly so, they said that maybe one minute longer in the oven

would have made it spot on.

She was extremely complimentary, actually.

-She said she would come round for dinner...

-Oh, really?

-So that seems like a good sign, right?

-That's great.

-Oh, OK.

-It was a bit what I call lamby.

-Yep.

-But that's just being picky.

-OK.

-You know, I think it's a nice plate of food.

It was a real privilege to cook for her

and she was super nice as well,

so she didn't make it too intimidating or daunting

or anything like that.

Is anybody standing out for you at the moment?

Oh, yes, very much so.

But I think at this stage, we've...

All the dishes have got some pluses and the tastes are all good,

so I think it's, really, let's wait and see.

Yeah. Well, they have got your skills test now.

-Yes.

-So...

-It's going to be exciting.

-Yes, it is. Let's go and do it.

-OK.

Frances can only choose one home cook to be her partner

in the Friday Final.

And to help her decide who will be the first to leave the competition,

she's set them the skills challenge.

So, Frances, what are we doing?

Well, we're going to do a form of pasta, it's a German pasta, spatzle.

I think it's going to be fun.

I'm just going to flavour this particular spatzle

with a little bit of thyme and a little bit of fresh nutmeg.

We've got this flour all weighed out which is super.

Have any of you made pasta before?

-Yeah.

-I have.

-Three or four times.

-But let me just... Yeah.

This isn't pasta as we're putting through machine.

-Right.

-This is a German pasta,

so it's just boiled and put through holes.

How many eggs are going in?

I am going to just put three in to start with.

Liquid. Right.

Now here, as you can see, that's spreadable.

You see the consistency we're getting here?

We should have our water boiling.

I am just going to put that through.

You see... By pushing that through like that,

it's just going to drop down into the water.

So you've got a nice lot of little pieces.

There we go. Look, it's swelling up.

You can just try it on your board.

And you can just see and it should be firm.

So not al dente, like we might do with other pasta.

And pop it in your bowl, just want a little bit of oil.

That's what I want to hear.

Right? Nice healthy sound.

Just a little bit of chilli in.

Now, pomegranates.

I love pomegranates, so good for you.

The easiest way to deal with it is to get a rolling pin.

-Oh!

-Hold it and whack it.

-Therapeutic.

-Very.

Especially if you've had a bad day at work.

Let's get this bit of basil leaf in.

We've got a bit of fresh broccoli, bit of celery leaf.

Already to me that is looking, that's looking nice, isn't it?

Let's add a bit of weight to this salad,

we've got some delicious burrata,

it's a form of mozzarella and it's so good for you.

It's just so yummy, isn't it?

And I thought that could just go in the centre.

That just sits there,

adds a little bit of crunch and then this is nice and crispy now.

We're just going to sprinkle that around,

this adds the acidity

and then just a little bit of this powder, just to...

That's the chilli powder.

Yeah. Just to make it a little on trend.

Good.

-I hope you enjoy doing it.

-Right, guys, tuck in.

Make sure you get some of the burrata to make it stick together.

What do you think, guys? How do you think it tastes?

-Really nice.

-It's a lovely, isn't it?

-Yeah, great texture on it.

-Are you feeling confident?

-Yeah.

-Do it, you can do it.

-Easy peasy.

-Yes. Sure.

-Yeah, sure.

-Of course you can.

Right, if you would like to make your way back to your stations,

we'll begin.

With 15 minutes on the clock,

the cooks have many elements to deal with.

Frances made it look easy.

But in truth it is a tough exercise in control, taste and timing.

I've never made this before,

so I'm just trying to make sure that...

I put the mixture...

..like, evenly enough.

Simon's thinking tactically.

With all three cooks making the same dish,

he knows he'll have to go the extra mile to make his stand out.

Just be the little bits of attention to detail, I imagine,

that will be the differences between us all,

so just got to concentrate for the whole 15 minutes.

Make sure everything's cooked perfectly.

I'm just a little bit bothered about getting the consistency right.

Hopefully, it will be,

but I have never done this before so we'll see.

I think I'm going to put one more egg in

cos it did seem a little bit thick.

It's going to be a hard skills test to judge, I think.

Some cooks are finding it harder than others

and Roy is about to get a lesson in DIY.

Now, let's have a bit of action here.

-That's it. No.

-Oh.

-Like... Yes, scrape it.

Like you're putting wallpaper paste on.

-OK.

-Yes. That method.

-I've never done that.

Hi, Anna Liza. Hi. How are you getting on?

I think I'm doing OK.

They're all different sizes.

That's OK. We're not trying to get it the same size.

That's your precise nature coming out.

-Yes.

-They look good.

They do. They look fab.

-How are we getting on?

-Yeah, OK, I think.

I don't want to put too much in there because I'm worried about

overcrowding it and making it a bit sort of...

Good thinking.

And that's... No, cool.

You can see when it is ready because it is looking puffy and nice.

-Exactly, yeah.

-Yeah.

-So I will try it now.

-Good.

-And heat up my oil and start dressing the salad.

-Good.

What could go horribly wrong?

I think it's going to come from presentation, you know,

maybe if the pasta's too oily,

or it's not cooked properly and it's too claggy.

-It's not drained properly.

-OK.

-It's in the execution now.

They've established they can make it.

I may be a little bit behind with the salad yet,

but hopefully I can catch that up.

Not really got much time to check out

what everybody else is doing, I'm afraid.

I can remember most of the things to do,

it's just getting the timing right.

Cooks, you just have three minutes left.

Three minutes to go, guys.

The cooks will be judged

not only on the taste and texture of the dish,

but also on the presentation, so these last moments are crucial.

-My God.

-She made it look easy, didn't she?

-Yeah.

A lovely smell of basil everywhere, isn't there?

-Yes.

-Gorgeous. One of my favourite smells.

-Yeah.

-No, it's like a work-out.

Roy's taking no chances.

Trying to keep everything on the island.

One minute left, guys.

One minute.

That looks... You've finished.

-I think... Yeah, I think so.

-Super!

-I think I'll just leave it at that.

-Yes, yes, don't over egg the pudding.

-Okey-dokey.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,

four, three, two, one.

That's it. Stop cooking.

It is time to taste.

Come in, guys.

-How was that for you?

-It was quite difficult at first,

trying to get all of the elements together at the beginning.

There was a lot to do in 15 minutes.

We wanted it to be a lot to do because when you go forward,

you have really got to be on your mettle.

It is nice and dry, not oily or...

-OK.

-Mhm.

-So, shall we start with Simon?

-Yes, OK. Nicely seasoned,

perhaps a little bit more oil on your leaf might have been good.

-Mhm.

-And Roy.

You were real speedy and did very well.

It tasted well, I think perhaps I would've liked perhaps

just little bit more seasoning on yours.

And then Anna Liza.

Lovely again. Seasoning was good.

It might have been nice if you'd just sliced your burrata up a bit,

it would've been easier to eat.

But that's a small criticism because it was very nice.

Well done, all three of you.

-OK. Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

They all did really well.

Yes, there was nothing much to choose between them.

Just sort of small little things and it was nice to see.

It went very well for all of us, I think.

Everybody seemed quite pleased with the result so quite happy with that.

Doing it in 15 minutes,

I thought timing was quite tight, so I'm glad it is over.

I know it's going to be splitting hairs for Frances,

but I have done as much as I can, so I just really hope I go through.

Do you have an idea of who you are going to send home?

-Yes, I do.

-OK.

-Let's go tell them.

-OK.

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

and Frances has made her mind up.

I've made my decision,

the reason I've made it is the fact that I need somebody on Friday

who can move, who can think on their feet

and use a bit of their knowledge.

I'm afraid Roy is the one who is going to go.

-Oh.

-I think you made the right decision there, honestly.

Well, we've had the pleasure of tasting your food

which was a big treat for me.

-Oh.

-Thank you.

-Well done, Roy, and congratulations, guys.

-You're through to the next round.

-Well done.

That was the right decision, honestly, and, yeah,

I don't think I could cope with much more.

So good luck to those two cos they're really good.

Oh, give us a hug, Roy.

Through to the third and final round are marketing manager Anna Liza...

I'm so happy, I didn't realise it would be so hard

on getting through to, like, this stage but really excited.

..and radio presenter Simon.

Yeah, I'll have to go all out to try and impress

because there is only one spot on Friday, so I've got to go for it.

It is now time for our third and final round.

Now our home cooks have been given

all the ingredients to one of Frances' dishes.

They'll have one hour to identify all of the ingredients and to

create a dish of their own.

So for you at home here is what Frances has chosen.

Salmon fillets and scallops, celeriac, shallots, kale and garlic,

white wine, chicken stock and whipping cream, truffle,

butter and gelatine, bergamot and chervil root, star anise,

coriander and mustard seeds.

Who knows what our home cooks will make with these?

So, Frances, what tips do you have for our home cooks?

Be very careful not to overcook these ingredients.

OK, well, let's get started.

Cooks, you have one hour.

Reveal your ingredients because your time starts now.

Good luck.

The cooks have been given some unusual ingredients

and they're proving tricky to identify.

Do you know what you're doing?

Sort of.

Finally, they take the plunge and start prepping what they recognise.

A little bit daunting. I'm confident I can put something up,

just hopefully that tastes good enough for Frances.

Not hesitant, just trying to plan as to how I'm going to utilise

all these different flavours.

-You've made a start.

-I have.

-What are you going to make?

What's your plan?

I am going to panfry the salmon

and then serve it with slightly seared scallops,

hopefully not overdoing it.

Serving with a mash and try and make some sauce with lemons.

-All right, well, good.

-Thank you.

We'll see you very soon.

-Hi, Simon.

-Hello.

-You've made a start as well.

-Yeah, I have. Yeah.

Have you got a plan?

I think I'm going to make a puree again

this time with what I believe is celeriac.

You're giving nothing away at all.

And then, yeah, I don't know whether to poach the salmon yet in the cream

or whether to pan-fry it,

but then I've got enough sort of spices and things here

to make a really nice sauce as well.

What's this?

I'm not actually 100% sure.

Have you smelt them? Smell.

Hm.

I'm really not... I'm not 100% sure.

I did ask them to consider the ingredients first

and I think they are a bit shy of some of them.

I think it is a shame that they've, you know,

not kind of tasted everything and they've already made a start.

-Do you know what that is yet?

-Is yours the same as mine?

-How are we getting on?

-Good.

I'm trying to just make my sauce reduction that I'll serve with the

fish on the side.

-How are you feeling?

-Nervous.

-Are you?

-Slightly. Trying to get everything together in my head,

as it were.

I'm feeling seven out of ten of the moment, in terms of confidence.

Thoughts turn to the salmon and scallops and how best to cook them.

And for Anna Liza, this is the most daunting part.

In the first round, I overcooked my scallops,

so in this round I definitely want to make sure that

I'm not going to do that this time around.

Then I think I am probably going to pan-fry...

I'm definitely going to pan-fry the scallops.

So you've changed your mind about cooking the fish.

Yeah, I think I'll probably pan roast it.

-That sounds good.

-To get it right.

-That sounds good.

So you've got a plan of campaign, have you?

-Yes.

-Yes.

-So in the oven I've got my salmon.

-Yes.

-I've covered that with slices of lemon.

So it's almost like en papillote, cooked in a bag.

-Yeah.

-Very good.

-Lovely.

So I am pleased to report

that Simon has now said he will pan-fry his salmon.

Yeah, encouraging.

Yeah. Music to my ears.

Let's move on to Anna Liza.

That salmon went in the oven a bit smartish which is rather a worry,

as long as she pulls it out in time.

Yeah, cos it has, it's been in the oven for a bit now.

Well, if it is going to sit in the oven for an hour,

-this is my problem there.

-Oh.

TIMER RINGS

Like opening a lovely parcel.

I'm just going to put it in slightly for a few more minutes.

The salmon looks pretty good to me.

I'm happy with that.

Not wanting to overcook her scallops,

Anna Liza's wary of the frying pan.

It's all right, don't panic.

How long are you going to leave them in for?

-Not long.

-No. I wouldn't. Cook them and get them out.

The cooks have done their best to impress Frances cooking out of their

comfort zones and now it is all down to presentation.

Two minutes to go.

Time pressure is intense.

Right, cooks, that's it.

Time's up. Step away from your plates.

It's now time to taste.

First up, it's Anna Liza.

She's made oven-baked salmon,

pan-fried scallops with a celeriac puree,

blanched kale and a white wine and bergamot sauce.

Come in, Anna Liza.

-Well done.

-Thank you.

How did you find the challenge?

I thought, "Oh, wow, what am I going to do?"

I'm quite interested in the fact

that you decided to cook the whole of the salmon.

-Yes.

-It's quite a big portion.

-It is!

-Let's taste.

-Yes.

First of all, I just want to see how the salmon is cooked.

Good girl, that's good.

That lovely orangey, slightly, what you might regard as undercooked,

I regard that as very sensual on the mouth.

OK.

Mm. Lovely and soft.

Look, that's lovely

and that's a very different looking scallop to the one that

we had from you earlier on.

-Yes!

-So, congratulations.

-Thank you.

-Well done. What lovely comments.

-Are you pleased?

-I am, I'm really thrilled. Yeah.

-Good.

I would hope that Frances would pick me on the basis that I

took on the feedback from this morning,

so I try to make sure that I didn't overcook my seafood.

Mm. This is a really good.

Anna Liza was beaming from ear to ear after your lovely comments.

Good. Well, no, they're well deserved.

-Yes.

-And I thought her method of cooking the salmon was creative.

Really impressed. Nice one.

She was very clever because she managed not to overcook it

-and I give her ten out of ten for that.

-Brilliant.

Finally, it's Simon.

He has made pan-fried fillet of salmon with scallops,

celeriac puree, roasted chervil root,

a watercress salad with a sauce of wine, cream and pan juices.

Come in, Simon.

Did you enjoy that challenge?

Yeah, I mean, all the ingredients are an amazing,

so it's really fun to experiment with it.

I'm really happy with how it looks,

just hope the taste lives up to that.

-Let's taste.

-Yeah.

So the puree is...

good - again, nice flavour.

-Really nice.

-Yeah, yeah, really good.

-You've got a good palate.

-Thanks very much.

I have to say I saw you doing the scallops

and unfortunately you did hammer them a bit.

Oh, OK, so they're slightly over?

You need the hottest of pans and out.

Mmhm. Get them out.

I love your sauce. It's so good.

-Oh, thank you.

-And your sauce corrects the mistake on the scallop.

-So you're all right there.

-Balanced that out, nice one.

-Yeah.

I was prouder of some elements more than others,

I think the cooking of the fish could have been better.

Sort of left things a bit too long, erred on the side of caution

by making sure it was really thoroughly cooked.

-Another lovely dish.

-Yes. It's a tough one, this.

They've both in their own way done well.

-Yeah, really well.

-Yes. And I like he's very artistic on the plate.

-Yeah.

-So have you got any idea of who you might take through?

-No, it's a tough one.

-Well, you don't need to decide just yet.

Because we're going to see what you'd do with those ingredients.

-Oh, yes, yes.

-Which is the best part.

-Well, I don't know about that.

-Yes, it is.

Right, guys, this is the best bit cos you get to sit back and relax

and watch the master at work.

What would you call this on a menu?

Hot smoked salmon with truffled scallop, kale and bergamot.

-Perfect.

-OK?

-OK.

This is the bergamot juice and sugar and water and I have just brought it

to the boil and then I have the gelatine.

This was the gelatine that you weren't sure what to do with.

-Yes?

-Correct.

-All I have done is just stuff that in some water

and then pop it in and it melts.

I've lined this container with acetate,

it's stronger than cling film.

We're just going to pour that in like that.

Sheree's going to rush down to the freezer

-and stick that in for 30 minutes.

-Absolutely.

Thank you very much.

And just with the pestle and mortar, we're just grinding down our herbs,

ready for the salmon and we've got star anise, mustard seed, coriander,

chop some dill and then we'll rub that on the salmon.

You used quite a few of your herbs and spices, didn't you?

Yeah, in the sauce. But in hindsight I maybe should have crushed them to

get the best out of them.

You did what you thought,

your sauce tasted nice and that's all that matters.

I'm just going to take the salmon, cut it in half...

-And that's...

-You can smell it straightaway.

Just leave that to penetrate.

I'm going to now put the smoker on the heat.

What we've done here is put underneath there the chips

and then we'll put the salmon there and the lid on...

-And that's it.

-And that's it.

-Wow.

And we're going to do that for three minutes smoking,

four minutes off and that'll be ready.

-Wow, OK.

-OK. I need to be getting the puree on.

So in here we have got small dice of chervil root,

just going to pop it in the butter, shallot,

white salt and cream.

Easy.

That's just going to cook down.

Now, we'll get on with the sauce.

White wine, shallot, chicken stock

and then we have got the whipping cream.

So we are just going to stand back, everybody, just chuck this kale in.

Right. There we go.

So just going to pop this in there.

So, easy peasy. And that's going to smoke.

So I'm just going to put this through the blender.

Here, we have puree but it's got a little bit of texture in

which is what I want. I'm just going to push that through.

So the fish is now...

-Oh.

-Yeah.

Still, to feel, soft.

So now I'm just going to leave it for another four minutes.

Stuff the kale in.

It's a lovely colour.

We get our scallops normally in the shell, so we would crack them open.

Just oil, just get a little bit of that flavour

with the bergamot, truffle.

I'm just wanting a hot pan.

Yes.

And its natural juices start to go.

-See, you can smell, it's good.

-Yeah.

-OK.

It'll be warm in the middle and that'll be done.

So, we've just got two little

things like that.

Just put in there...

Beauty of that.

Three, we've just got all of that to eat

-which will be lots of different flavours.

-Brilliant.

-Amazing.

Well done.

Go on, go on, take.

-Go on, tuck in.

-It looks amazing.

It's amazing, the colour that the kale can make it.

The flavours from the smoking is just stunning, it really is.

Oh, my gosh.

-Good. Good!

-Oh. Unbelievable.

It is time now to declare your winner, but before you do,

let's have a quick recap of what our cooks made earlier.

In the first round,

Anna Liza fell short by overcooking the seafood in her linguine.

She fared better in the second round with a well-seasoned pasta dish.

Like opening a lovely parcel.

And in the final round, her salmon en papillote impressed Frances.

I would love to win this, it would be amazing.

And to get this far, it has been a really great experience,

so I would be delighted if I got through to the next stage.

Meanwhile, in round one, Simon's lamb was well presented,

if a little undercooked.

And his cauliflower three ways was impressive.

His pasta in round two was well executed,

but lacked dressing and in the final round,

his salmon was a little overcooked

with a well-balanced sauce and accompaniments.

Obviously, I'd love it to be me cos it's a great opportunity and I

get to meet even more world-class chefs on Friday.

A big well done to you both. You've been brilliant today

and I know Frances has had a tough time choosing,

but she has made her mind up.

So, Frances, it's over to you.

So, Anna Liza, you've had a great day,

you've listened to my comments, you've been very astute,

you've taken them in and you've acted upon them,

of which I am most impressed.

As for you, I think you are very artistic,

you've got a good palate,

you do listen to what is said,

but you have to make sure that you are very positive in your thinking.

And because Friday is a very tough challenge, I have decided that...

Simon, you're going to be my partner in the Friday Final

-and it better be good.

-Congratulations.

-Well done.

-Thanks very much.

-Well done.

-Oh, congratulations.

-Thank you. Thank you very much.

Yeah, it was just amazing when she said my name, I was like,

"OK, we're a team now."

Really proud as to what I've achieved today,

I've took on feedback from this morning,

in terms of, like, cooking seafood in the future so, again,

really fantastic feedback that I will take on board.

Any last tips for this week's Friday Final for Simon?

Yes, I think you must be positive, Simon.

And I think we'll do well.

I am going to just give it all I've got and hopefully we will win.

He's got a very, very good palate and with Monsieur Koffmann,

it needs to be good.

Tomorrow on Yes Chef...

Three more home cooks go all out to impress top chef Rupert Rowley.

It is the work of the devil, I can't stand it.

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

This is what I do when I'm trying to impress people.

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