1 00:00:04,009 --> 00:00:06,449 It's knockout week on MasterChef. 2 00:00:07,809 --> 00:00:10,689 After five weeks of intense competition... 3 00:00:10,689 --> 00:00:12,049 This is sad. 4 00:00:12,049 --> 00:00:15,849 ..58 home cooks have been whittled down to the best 16. 5 00:00:18,409 --> 00:00:20,849 It's the greatest food competition in the world. 6 00:00:20,849 --> 00:00:22,289 Who wouldn't want to be here? 7 00:00:25,169 --> 00:00:26,649 There's not a lot of people left. 8 00:00:26,649 --> 00:00:29,289 It means it's getting serious. 9 00:00:29,289 --> 00:00:31,169 This is a once in a lifetime experience, 10 00:00:31,169 --> 00:00:35,009 so I've got to step up and show what I can do. 11 00:00:35,009 --> 00:00:37,169 Just do it. Don't panic. 12 00:00:37,169 --> 00:00:38,529 That's my advice to myself. 13 00:00:40,249 --> 00:00:44,089 Tonight, the first group of eight return to fight for the right 14 00:00:44,089 --> 00:00:46,929 to cook in their first professional kitchen. 15 00:00:48,289 --> 00:00:49,529 How long on this five cod? 16 00:00:51,249 --> 00:00:53,929 Right now, we're about to truly test them. 17 00:00:55,129 --> 00:00:58,129 Just when you thought this kitchen couldn't get any hotter. 18 00:01:15,969 --> 00:01:17,329 Welcome back. 19 00:01:17,329 --> 00:01:20,889 You are the first eight of 16. Well done. 20 00:01:20,889 --> 00:01:24,089 You've got to keep cooking now like you want to win the competition. 21 00:01:24,089 --> 00:01:26,089 We have an amazing challenge right now, 22 00:01:26,089 --> 00:01:28,889 an old-fashioned invention test. 23 00:01:28,889 --> 00:01:31,329 Some of you have done an invention test before, haven't you? 24 00:01:31,329 --> 00:01:34,009 But some of you haven't. You've got to think on your feet. 25 00:01:35,609 --> 00:01:39,249 We've filled a larder over there with ingredients from all 26 00:01:39,249 --> 00:01:43,729 around the world, from fruit and vegetables to fish and poultry 27 00:01:43,729 --> 00:01:49,329 to sauces to syrups, which means that you can make whatever you want. 28 00:01:49,329 --> 00:01:53,969 You'll have 90 minutes to cook us something truly delicious. 29 00:01:55,369 --> 00:01:58,529 At the end of this, three of you are going home. 30 00:02:01,209 --> 00:02:02,409 Let's cook. 31 00:02:09,009 --> 00:02:12,689 There's just so much that could be anything. 32 00:02:12,689 --> 00:02:15,089 We're about to find out who's got a repertoire 33 00:02:15,089 --> 00:02:16,649 and who's run out of ideas. 34 00:02:18,089 --> 00:02:20,929 I'm really hoping that I get some inspiration in a minute. 35 00:02:22,329 --> 00:02:25,129 Who can walk into our larder today and create 36 00:02:25,129 --> 00:02:27,409 something truly delicious? 37 00:02:27,409 --> 00:02:30,609 Take half of it each? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. 38 00:02:30,609 --> 00:02:33,289 We've gone for the duck and we're just going to wing it. 39 00:02:38,129 --> 00:02:41,409 Louise, our farmer from Exmoor, has shown us real style 40 00:02:41,409 --> 00:02:45,369 and sophistication, and she takes a few ingredients and makes 41 00:02:45,369 --> 00:02:47,129 them the star. 42 00:02:47,129 --> 00:02:51,289 I do think my food is changing as the competition progresses. 43 00:02:51,289 --> 00:02:53,329 I'm trying really hard to refine it more. 44 00:02:54,609 --> 00:02:57,529 I've still got a lot more to give and a lot more to show. 45 00:02:59,089 --> 00:03:03,049 Louise has decided that she's going to go almost completely plant-based. 46 00:03:03,049 --> 00:03:07,329 She's going to roast some pumpkin, which she's spiced with paprika. 47 00:03:07,329 --> 00:03:10,209 Underneath that, we are having a pumpkin sauce. 48 00:03:10,209 --> 00:03:14,169 Around the outside of that, we've got crispy artichoke crisps, 49 00:03:14,169 --> 00:03:17,049 some mushrooms, some buttered cavolo nero. 50 00:03:17,049 --> 00:03:19,369 So we're going to get lots of texture and flavour. 51 00:03:19,369 --> 00:03:21,209 It could work really, really nicely. 52 00:03:22,809 --> 00:03:24,649 Louise, why all veg? 53 00:03:24,649 --> 00:03:27,569 Oh, because I think vegetables are the most fun things to cook. 54 00:03:27,569 --> 00:03:30,809 You can take something that looks really ordinary and elevate it 55 00:03:30,809 --> 00:03:32,809 by cooking it in a different way or just adding 56 00:03:32,809 --> 00:03:34,489 really simple ingredients. 57 00:03:34,489 --> 00:03:36,729 I don't think you've done an invention test before, have you? 58 00:03:36,729 --> 00:03:39,369 No. But, you know, I do this every day at home. 59 00:03:39,369 --> 00:03:42,449 There's always someone coming into the kitchen wanting feeding. 60 00:03:42,449 --> 00:03:45,249 But to do it with all the pressure of this, 61 00:03:45,249 --> 00:03:47,609 I'm nervous and a bit stressed. 62 00:03:47,609 --> 00:03:50,889 But, yeah, the fact that I'm here still keeps the idiot grin going. 63 00:03:55,929 --> 00:04:00,649 Lee, his food is based on his love of takeaways. 64 00:04:00,649 --> 00:04:03,649 He's got a sense of fun, but he can properly cook. 65 00:04:05,929 --> 00:04:09,809 Definitely want to show that I'm not just a one-trick pony. 66 00:04:09,809 --> 00:04:12,129 I've got a few more tricks up my sleeve, 67 00:04:12,129 --> 00:04:14,369 so hopefully it pays off. 68 00:04:14,369 --> 00:04:17,489 Lee has decided to actually change his style completely 69 00:04:17,489 --> 00:04:18,649 for this round. 70 00:04:18,649 --> 00:04:21,009 We have got pan-fried duck breast. 71 00:04:21,009 --> 00:04:23,649 It's being served with a red wine sauce. 72 00:04:23,649 --> 00:04:26,409 We've got a cauliflower puree. We've got roasted carrots. 73 00:04:26,409 --> 00:04:28,129 Classic dish. 74 00:04:28,129 --> 00:04:30,129 He's got to make sure it looks smart and everything 75 00:04:30,129 --> 00:04:31,809 is cooked absolutely perfectly. 76 00:04:33,289 --> 00:04:36,129 This is a style that you know, that you cook at home? 77 00:04:36,129 --> 00:04:38,169 No, not really. No? 78 00:04:38,169 --> 00:04:40,929 No. Wow. OK. I'm just stepping out of the comfort zone. 79 00:04:40,929 --> 00:04:43,409 I want to try and show you that actually I can do the spices 80 00:04:43,409 --> 00:04:46,329 and the bold flavours, but I also can do fine dining-esque as well. 81 00:04:51,849 --> 00:04:54,249 He just burnt the skin off his duck. 82 00:04:54,249 --> 00:04:58,409 Not great, is it, really? I'll be honest, I'm a bit overwhelmed. 83 00:04:58,409 --> 00:05:00,009 Now, he's taken the skin off the duck. 84 00:05:00,009 --> 00:05:02,009 The problem with that is, of course, it could dry out 85 00:05:02,009 --> 00:05:03,249 really, really quickly. 86 00:05:05,329 --> 00:05:07,529 Mary has been in this competition before. 87 00:05:07,529 --> 00:05:10,489 She's what we call a comeback contestant. 88 00:05:10,489 --> 00:05:12,969 I think she's an absolutely fabulous cook. 89 00:05:12,969 --> 00:05:16,729 What she lacked before was a little bit of presentation. 90 00:05:16,729 --> 00:05:18,929 The last time Mary was in the competition, 91 00:05:18,929 --> 00:05:20,409 she went home in this round. 92 00:05:22,649 --> 00:05:25,289 There's one bit of liver on here that isn't cooked 93 00:05:25,289 --> 00:05:26,449 and it's inedible. 94 00:05:28,009 --> 00:05:30,249 With the invention test, it's really difficult 95 00:05:30,249 --> 00:05:33,369 because you might be tempted to try and do too many things 96 00:05:33,369 --> 00:05:34,609 and then overdo it. 97 00:05:34,609 --> 00:05:37,729 But there again, if you don't do enough, then you're kind of not 98 00:05:37,729 --> 00:05:38,929 making enough effort. 99 00:05:40,169 --> 00:05:41,649 Mary's also doing duck. 100 00:05:41,649 --> 00:05:45,809 We are being promised pan-fried duck breast. 101 00:05:45,809 --> 00:05:48,929 That duck breast needs to be lovely and crispy on the outside, 102 00:05:48,929 --> 00:05:51,689 and then pink, a river of pink running through it. 103 00:05:51,689 --> 00:05:54,769 Served with a port and blackberry sauce. 104 00:05:54,769 --> 00:05:56,409 We've got a crispy potato. 105 00:05:56,409 --> 00:06:00,049 We've got crispy kale, and we've got a crispy duck bonbon. 106 00:06:00,049 --> 00:06:01,969 My concern right now is moisture. 107 00:06:03,409 --> 00:06:05,569 The sauce is going to be all important here. 108 00:06:08,089 --> 00:06:10,329 Last time you were here, you got this far. Mm-hm. 109 00:06:10,329 --> 00:06:13,289 Does that make you more determined? I really want to go further. 110 00:06:13,289 --> 00:06:16,489 But it's kind of... I've got to get over this sticking point 111 00:06:16,489 --> 00:06:18,809 and cook really well this time. 112 00:06:18,809 --> 00:06:20,129 What have you got to improve on? 113 00:06:20,129 --> 00:06:23,729 My presentation, always, cos it's always a struggle to me. 114 00:06:28,049 --> 00:06:29,969 30 minutes gone, everybody. 115 00:06:29,969 --> 00:06:31,209 30 minutes gone. 116 00:06:34,609 --> 00:06:39,089 Abi works in sales, lives in Leeds, and she takes inspiration 117 00:06:39,089 --> 00:06:41,089 from Asian flavours. 118 00:06:41,089 --> 00:06:44,609 Her food is smart, elegant, full of technique. 119 00:06:44,609 --> 00:06:46,529 She's got proper style. 120 00:06:47,849 --> 00:06:50,049 I'm 21. I'm probably one of the youngest people 121 00:06:50,049 --> 00:06:52,609 in the competition left. So people probably don't take me 122 00:06:52,609 --> 00:06:55,929 too seriously, but they've got to watch their backs. 123 00:06:55,929 --> 00:06:58,369 Abi's going with fish, and she's taken a whole bream. 124 00:06:58,369 --> 00:07:00,649 She's filleted it, she's pin-boned it, and she's done 125 00:07:00,649 --> 00:07:02,369 a very, very good job indeed. 126 00:07:02,369 --> 00:07:05,089 That piece of bream needs to be cooked so that we've got a nice 127 00:07:05,089 --> 00:07:07,729 crispy skin on the outside, and the flesh just cooked. 128 00:07:09,889 --> 00:07:13,329 Abi's also made for us creamed fennel with tarragon. 129 00:07:13,329 --> 00:07:16,769 Then we've got lentils with tomatoes and anchovies. 130 00:07:16,769 --> 00:07:20,729 Anchovies, cream, fennel and lentils 131 00:07:20,729 --> 00:07:22,849 all going with a piece of fish... 132 00:07:22,849 --> 00:07:25,249 Mm. Not quite sure. 133 00:07:26,849 --> 00:07:28,449 Where's the inspiration for this? 134 00:07:28,449 --> 00:07:30,849 My mum bought me a fish and wanted me to fillet it to prove 135 00:07:30,849 --> 00:07:32,049 that I could do it. 136 00:07:32,049 --> 00:07:34,809 And then I made her a whole dish out of it and she absolutely loved it. 137 00:07:34,809 --> 00:07:36,449 Is Mum a good cook? 138 00:07:36,449 --> 00:07:38,249 She's going to be really offended! 139 00:07:38,249 --> 00:07:41,329 She's a great cook, but just a recipe follower. 140 00:07:41,329 --> 00:07:43,289 I'd like to say I'm a better cook than my mum. 141 00:07:50,169 --> 00:07:52,049 Vera, I think, has got real style. 142 00:07:52,049 --> 00:07:55,449 I think she can invent flavour combinations in her head. 143 00:07:55,449 --> 00:07:57,889 Imagine taking a piece of cheese, dipping a strawberry 144 00:07:57,889 --> 00:07:59,409 in it and it tasting fantastic. 145 00:08:00,769 --> 00:08:03,169 I think so far the judges haven't always been convinced 146 00:08:03,169 --> 00:08:05,689 by what I've done in the competition, but I've managed 147 00:08:05,689 --> 00:08:07,049 to prove them wrong to date. 148 00:08:08,769 --> 00:08:13,009 So I'm going to try to continue to experiment and push myself. 149 00:08:14,609 --> 00:08:19,329 Vera has decided to create a dish which sounds actually quite unusual. 150 00:08:19,329 --> 00:08:23,449 It's based around her love of vongole - clams. 151 00:08:23,449 --> 00:08:27,129 The clams are being cooked in a mixture of tomatoes, carrots 152 00:08:27,129 --> 00:08:30,209 and white wine. That mixture is then being reduced to make a sauce 153 00:08:30,209 --> 00:08:32,049 which has got cream going through it. 154 00:08:33,489 --> 00:08:35,729 Then she's got pan-fried sea bream. 155 00:08:35,729 --> 00:08:38,609 Then with that, we've got sliced courgettes, 156 00:08:38,609 --> 00:08:40,489 potatoes and beetroot cubes. 157 00:08:41,689 --> 00:08:42,889 Unusual. 158 00:08:42,889 --> 00:08:43,969 Let's see. 159 00:08:46,249 --> 00:08:49,169 If you have to work on one aspect of your cookery, what is it? 160 00:08:49,169 --> 00:08:52,889 Not overdoing it. Trying to do like 50,000 elements 161 00:08:52,889 --> 00:08:54,449 and then being short on time, 162 00:08:54,449 --> 00:08:56,409 but just to be a little bit more planned. 163 00:09:03,809 --> 00:09:07,289 Tom, our car salesman from Scotland, 164 00:09:07,289 --> 00:09:10,809 loves Scottish ingredients and does food of the people. 165 00:09:17,369 --> 00:09:19,569 Tom, you're the only one in the room doing something sweet. 166 00:09:19,569 --> 00:09:20,849 Seen the eggs 167 00:09:20,849 --> 00:09:23,969 and I just had a bit of a feeling inside, 168 00:09:23,969 --> 00:09:25,689 and I thought, "Today's the day." 169 00:09:25,689 --> 00:09:28,729 So I'm making a creme brulee with a home-made shortbread 170 00:09:28,729 --> 00:09:30,409 and a raspberry sauce. 171 00:09:30,409 --> 00:09:33,369 Shortbread - you couldn't get more Scottish if you tried, right? 172 00:09:33,369 --> 00:09:35,209 No. It was my gran's recipe. 173 00:09:35,209 --> 00:09:39,569 So it's been passed on a few hands, so I hope I do it proud today. 174 00:09:39,569 --> 00:09:40,889 Who's your biggest fan at home? 175 00:09:40,889 --> 00:09:42,169 That'll be my wife. 176 00:09:42,169 --> 00:09:43,889 Did she offer you any words of advice? 177 00:09:43,889 --> 00:09:45,409 Yeah. Believe in myself. 178 00:09:47,769 --> 00:09:51,329 I had my family and friends saying that I was a good cook, 179 00:09:51,329 --> 00:09:53,929 but I wasn't sure if they were just being nice about it. 180 00:09:53,929 --> 00:09:56,689 But, to be honest, now I've turned that around, 181 00:09:56,689 --> 00:09:58,409 I've put a lot of practice in, 182 00:09:58,409 --> 00:09:59,889 and I've got a right to be here. 183 00:10:02,009 --> 00:10:04,569 Tom's dish sounds fantastic. 184 00:10:04,569 --> 00:10:09,769 Creme brulee, set-baked custard with a lovely crispy brulee 185 00:10:09,769 --> 00:10:12,769 top of sugar. Shortbread from his grandmother 186 00:10:12,769 --> 00:10:14,049 and a raspberry sauce. 187 00:10:20,969 --> 00:10:24,129 But Tom's just dropped one of his creme brulees and he's put 188 00:10:24,129 --> 00:10:25,809 another brulee in the oven. 189 00:10:27,849 --> 00:10:29,369 How long do they take to cook? 190 00:10:29,369 --> 00:10:30,849 How long's left? Half an hour. 191 00:10:30,849 --> 00:10:32,569 29 minutes. 192 00:10:32,569 --> 00:10:34,889 Come on. Come on, come on! 193 00:10:39,209 --> 00:10:42,729 Ecrin has lived and worked all over the world, but her parents 194 00:10:42,729 --> 00:10:45,769 are Turkish and I think it's that wonderful Turkish style 195 00:10:45,769 --> 00:10:47,529 that she leans heavily on. 196 00:10:47,529 --> 00:10:50,729 She can take the most humble of ingredients and turn them 197 00:10:50,729 --> 00:10:52,449 into something truly delicious. 198 00:10:54,009 --> 00:10:57,009 I definitely need to show cooking skills and techniques 199 00:10:57,009 --> 00:10:59,969 because sometimes when I get nervous, I forget about it 200 00:10:59,969 --> 00:11:02,289 and then I'm like, "Oh, wait, I know how to do that." 201 00:11:04,209 --> 00:11:07,409 Ecrin seems to be staying with her style - just taking a few humble 202 00:11:07,409 --> 00:11:09,289 ingredients and making a dish out of it. 203 00:11:09,289 --> 00:11:12,169 She's just got mushrooms, some pasta and a bit of cream, 204 00:11:12,169 --> 00:11:13,569 and she's going to make a dish. 205 00:11:13,569 --> 00:11:15,289 Now, this could be very, very clever 206 00:11:15,289 --> 00:11:17,249 or it could be, questionably, too simple. 207 00:11:18,969 --> 00:11:20,769 Ecrin, why this? 208 00:11:20,769 --> 00:11:23,889 Because I love pasta, I love tortellini. I like ravioli. 209 00:11:23,889 --> 00:11:26,769 I like anything that's stuffed, to be honest. I love mushroom as well, 210 00:11:26,769 --> 00:11:28,729 so why not try to combine those? 211 00:11:28,729 --> 00:11:30,529 Do you invent dishes at home? 212 00:11:30,529 --> 00:11:32,969 I do invent dishes at home because sometimes you don't know 213 00:11:32,969 --> 00:11:34,809 what to cook. And then you go to the supermarket 214 00:11:34,809 --> 00:11:37,369 and then you just grab something and you're like, "Oh, why not?" 215 00:11:46,529 --> 00:11:48,569 15 minutes left, everybody, please. 216 00:11:48,569 --> 00:11:49,889 Just 15 minutes. 217 00:11:55,409 --> 00:11:59,649 Aaron, our recruitment consultant from London, loves a process. 218 00:11:59,649 --> 00:12:02,209 He wants to show off as much as he possibly can. 219 00:12:02,209 --> 00:12:04,649 Aaron loves to play with Asian flavours, 220 00:12:04,649 --> 00:12:07,049 allied with his brilliant, brilliant technique. 221 00:12:08,769 --> 00:12:12,049 I don't want to shoot myself in the foot, but I do think 222 00:12:12,049 --> 00:12:15,769 I'm quite good at putting together random ingredients 223 00:12:15,769 --> 00:12:17,809 and producing a nice dish. 224 00:12:19,209 --> 00:12:21,129 Aaron has taken minced beef. 225 00:12:21,129 --> 00:12:24,209 He's making a pot of minced beef stew with carrots 226 00:12:24,209 --> 00:12:26,849 and a Korean chilli paste called gochujang - 227 00:12:26,849 --> 00:12:29,729 quite a strong, almost sweet chilli paste. 228 00:12:29,729 --> 00:12:32,129 With that, we're getting coconut rice. 229 00:12:32,129 --> 00:12:34,209 Aaron is putting apple in the beef. 230 00:12:34,209 --> 00:12:39,329 A lot of Koreans grate apple into minced beef to tenderise it. 231 00:12:39,329 --> 00:12:43,209 But my concern is if Aaron puts too much apple in there 232 00:12:43,209 --> 00:12:45,489 with that beef, it's going to be really sweet. 233 00:12:48,369 --> 00:12:50,449 You like a bit of this Asian style, my friend. 234 00:12:50,449 --> 00:12:53,369 I do. The bold flavours, the chilli and the heat, 235 00:12:53,369 --> 00:12:55,929 and the sort of sweet and sour flavours. 236 00:12:55,929 --> 00:12:57,169 Did you say "bald" flavours? 237 00:12:57,169 --> 00:12:59,249 Bold. Bold flavours. Bold flavours. 238 00:12:59,249 --> 00:13:01,449 Yeah. I wasn't implying anything. 239 00:13:08,929 --> 00:13:11,329 Five minutes left, you lot. 240 00:13:11,329 --> 00:13:12,889 Five minutes left. 241 00:13:14,729 --> 00:13:17,889 The duck is slightly overdone. I burnt the skin. 242 00:13:17,889 --> 00:13:19,329 And now it's all gone Pete Tong. 243 00:13:21,449 --> 00:13:22,769 I'm pleased with it so far. 244 00:13:27,689 --> 00:13:29,049 I can't believe I spilt one. 245 00:13:38,329 --> 00:13:40,809 60 seconds, everybody. 246 00:13:40,809 --> 00:13:42,889 Last touches. Come on, guys. 247 00:13:47,929 --> 00:13:49,849 I think all the things go together nicely. 248 00:13:51,369 --> 00:13:55,329 That's it. Stop. Everybody, stop! Well done. 249 00:13:55,329 --> 00:13:57,769 It's not exactly how it was meant to be. 250 00:14:00,849 --> 00:14:03,729 First up is financial analyst Vera, 251 00:14:03,729 --> 00:14:06,769 who is serving pan-fried sea bream 252 00:14:06,769 --> 00:14:12,249 with yellow courgettes, accompanied by clams in a cream sauce, 253 00:14:12,249 --> 00:14:17,369 butter-poached potatoes, beetroot cubes and parsley oil. 254 00:14:25,609 --> 00:14:29,209 Nicely cooked fish. Crispy skin, flaky fish underneath. 255 00:14:29,209 --> 00:14:31,569 Naturally sweet salty clams. 256 00:14:31,569 --> 00:14:35,409 I've got one issue. My courgettes are over-seasoned. 257 00:14:35,409 --> 00:14:37,569 They're really salty. 258 00:14:37,569 --> 00:14:42,769 It is an odd combination. Beetroot, fish, clams, courgettes. 259 00:14:42,769 --> 00:14:44,729 The beetroot is a little bit hard. 260 00:14:44,729 --> 00:14:46,729 The courgettes I'm finding a bit wet. 261 00:14:46,729 --> 00:14:49,849 The difficulty is with the dish, I'm eating bits 262 00:14:49,849 --> 00:14:52,729 and I'm finding it quite challenging to enjoy. 263 00:14:54,769 --> 00:14:57,289 This is the first time that I'm pretty unhappy 264 00:14:57,289 --> 00:14:58,769 with what I've delivered. 265 00:14:58,769 --> 00:15:02,089 I wish I would have just made it work better 266 00:15:02,089 --> 00:15:03,529 together as a whole dish. 267 00:15:04,849 --> 00:15:09,209 21-year-old Abi is serving a fillet of sea bream, 268 00:15:09,209 --> 00:15:14,329 tomato and anchovy lentils, and creamed fennel with spinach, 269 00:15:14,329 --> 00:15:16,529 finished with a chive cream sauce. 270 00:15:21,449 --> 00:15:23,649 I like the way you've cooked your fish. It's flaking apart. 271 00:15:23,649 --> 00:15:25,089 That's great. 272 00:15:25,089 --> 00:15:28,209 I am enjoying the fennel. I've got a creamy sauce. 273 00:15:28,209 --> 00:15:32,449 I've got a rich lentil, flavoured with tomatoes and anchovies. 274 00:15:32,449 --> 00:15:36,409 And I would like any one of those things with my fish. 275 00:15:36,409 --> 00:15:40,209 All three together is a little overpowering and a little rich, 276 00:15:40,209 --> 00:15:44,249 but I still stand here impressed by what you're able to do. 277 00:15:44,249 --> 00:15:47,129 What you've done with those lentils is really good. Almost like a pate. 278 00:15:47,129 --> 00:15:49,169 So it's a lovely sort of thick coating. 279 00:15:49,169 --> 00:15:51,929 And when you put that on your fish, that's absolutely delicious. 280 00:15:51,929 --> 00:15:54,969 I even like the crunch of the fennel that sits underneath. 281 00:15:54,969 --> 00:15:56,849 Some good ideas, some good cooking. 282 00:15:56,849 --> 00:15:58,809 Thank you. Cheers, Abi. 283 00:16:00,369 --> 00:16:03,249 It is annoying that they thought it was a bit too much because, like, 284 00:16:03,249 --> 00:16:05,489 I've made it all before, and I really liked it. 285 00:16:05,489 --> 00:16:07,969 And my mum really liked it, so cheers, Mum! Liar. 286 00:16:11,049 --> 00:16:15,169 Farmer Louise is serving spiced roasted pumpkin 287 00:16:15,169 --> 00:16:16,969 in a pumpkin puree, 288 00:16:16,969 --> 00:16:19,649 Jerusalem artichoke crisps, 289 00:16:19,649 --> 00:16:23,969 garlic mushrooms, chilli-spiced cavolo nero, 290 00:16:23,969 --> 00:16:25,369 and a chive oil. 291 00:16:29,369 --> 00:16:31,329 Louise, you decided to celebrate the vegetable. Mm-hm. 292 00:16:31,329 --> 00:16:33,969 But what you're doing here, I think, is showing a huge amount of skill. 293 00:16:33,969 --> 00:16:36,529 And I think you've got a really interesting balance of flavours. 294 00:16:36,529 --> 00:16:38,729 Big wedges of pumpkin with a little bit of spice. 295 00:16:38,729 --> 00:16:40,969 Pumpkin puree, silky and smooth, 296 00:16:40,969 --> 00:16:42,889 and it tastes like autumn. 297 00:16:42,889 --> 00:16:44,609 I like it a lot. 298 00:16:44,609 --> 00:16:46,409 Thank you. 299 00:16:46,409 --> 00:16:49,769 That is absolutely delicious and has actually really taken 300 00:16:49,769 --> 00:16:52,329 me by surprise. The contrast of the flavours, 301 00:16:52,329 --> 00:16:55,649 the contrast of the textures and the quality of the cooking. 302 00:16:55,649 --> 00:16:56,729 Extraordinary. 303 00:16:58,809 --> 00:17:00,369 It was a bit of a gamble. 304 00:17:00,369 --> 00:17:04,169 I had a vision, but I didn't know if they'd like it. 305 00:17:04,169 --> 00:17:05,169 And they did! 306 00:17:06,849 --> 00:17:10,769 Auto engineer Lee is serving roasted duck breast, 307 00:17:10,769 --> 00:17:15,929 topped with a fried cauliflower crumb, a cauliflower puree, 308 00:17:15,929 --> 00:17:18,769 a pickled carrot and fennel salad, 309 00:17:18,769 --> 00:17:22,329 roasted carrots, and a red wine reduction. 310 00:17:28,169 --> 00:17:30,529 The duck itself, because it doesn't have the skin on it, 311 00:17:30,529 --> 00:17:32,409 it's gone a little bit tough. 312 00:17:32,409 --> 00:17:36,089 Your sauce is lovely and rich, but your pickle is ferocious. 313 00:17:36,089 --> 00:17:39,249 The daintiness of the duck, it doesn't quite work. 314 00:17:39,249 --> 00:17:41,929 Your puree is grainy. 315 00:17:41,929 --> 00:17:43,729 Your carrots need peeling 316 00:17:43,729 --> 00:17:46,289 if you're going to go near some fine dining. 317 00:17:46,289 --> 00:17:47,649 This is completely different 318 00:17:47,649 --> 00:17:49,809 to anything you've cooked in the competition so far 319 00:17:49,809 --> 00:17:51,489 and we've got some issues with it. 320 00:17:54,009 --> 00:17:56,849 I think in the moment and the time and the pressure, 321 00:17:56,849 --> 00:17:59,369 I think I just crumbled. Got the better of me today. 322 00:18:01,329 --> 00:18:05,969 Retired company secretary Mary is serving pan-fried duck breast 323 00:18:05,969 --> 00:18:09,129 in a blackberry and port sauce, 324 00:18:09,129 --> 00:18:11,689 a duck leg and liver bonbon, 325 00:18:11,689 --> 00:18:17,449 crispy cavolo nero, and a ring of crispy roasted potatoes. 326 00:18:17,449 --> 00:18:20,089 I think it looks great. I really do. Thanks. 327 00:18:23,689 --> 00:18:25,249 Your duck cookery is fantastic. 328 00:18:25,249 --> 00:18:29,249 Crispy skin. Beautiful, buttery, soft flesh underneath. 329 00:18:29,249 --> 00:18:33,329 Brilliant. The bonbon, soft duck leg with an iron-rich liver 330 00:18:33,329 --> 00:18:37,249 running through it as well is wonderful. Great cookery. 331 00:18:37,249 --> 00:18:39,809 Your sauce is what's holding it all together. 332 00:18:39,809 --> 00:18:42,089 Sophisticated flavour of port, 333 00:18:42,089 --> 00:18:45,809 which is sweet but also sharp, and blackberries, which are great. 334 00:18:45,809 --> 00:18:49,449 The potatoes are lovely and crisp, with just the right amount of herbs 335 00:18:49,449 --> 00:18:52,489 across the top. But the star of the show is the duck. 336 00:18:52,489 --> 00:18:54,329 That is so good. 337 00:18:54,329 --> 00:18:55,449 I love it. 338 00:18:56,889 --> 00:19:01,649 I feel so elated that they've acknowledged my presentation 339 00:19:01,649 --> 00:19:05,289 because I have worked hard at it, and it doesn't come very naturally. 340 00:19:07,649 --> 00:19:11,969 Customer success manager Ecrin has made tortellini 341 00:19:11,969 --> 00:19:14,689 filled with chestnut and porcini mushrooms, 342 00:19:14,689 --> 00:19:17,129 Parmesan and creme fraiche, 343 00:19:17,129 --> 00:19:20,409 accompanied by a mushroom, garlic and cream sauce. 344 00:19:24,969 --> 00:19:27,009 I like this dish. Nice pasta work. 345 00:19:27,009 --> 00:19:28,449 Not too thick. 346 00:19:28,449 --> 00:19:31,969 And I was going to complain that the mushroom inside wasn't seasoned, 347 00:19:31,969 --> 00:19:34,969 but the sauce itself is really quite peppery, 348 00:19:34,969 --> 00:19:37,929 so there's your flavour. You don't want the peppery sauce 349 00:19:37,929 --> 00:19:41,689 and a seasoned inside. That's a very, very nice pasta dish. 350 00:19:41,689 --> 00:19:43,249 Thank you. 351 00:19:43,249 --> 00:19:46,729 For me, I think it could just do with a little bit more - 352 00:19:46,729 --> 00:19:49,849 a bit more herbiness, a bit more sort of vivaciousness, 353 00:19:49,849 --> 00:19:53,569 a bit more filling inside. 90 minutes is a long time, 354 00:19:53,569 --> 00:19:56,969 so I think you've got the chance to fine-tune it. 355 00:19:56,969 --> 00:20:00,849 I have done pasta cooking three times in my life, so, yeah, 356 00:20:00,849 --> 00:20:04,369 it was a bit of a risk. I'm not sure if the risk paid off. 357 00:20:04,369 --> 00:20:10,329 Recruitment consultant Aaron is serving gochujang-spiced beef mince 358 00:20:10,329 --> 00:20:12,409 flavoured with apple, 359 00:20:12,409 --> 00:20:16,889 topped with a fried quails egg, coconut rice, 360 00:20:16,889 --> 00:20:20,729 garlic pak choi, pickled radish and ginger. 361 00:20:24,809 --> 00:20:29,249 Like your pak choi - crunchy, juicy. I'm picking up garlic, ginger. 362 00:20:29,249 --> 00:20:31,969 I'm getting chilli out of that bowl as well. 363 00:20:31,969 --> 00:20:35,049 I don't like how sweet that mince is. OK. 364 00:20:35,049 --> 00:20:37,809 It's a little too sweet for me. 365 00:20:37,809 --> 00:20:39,729 The issue - it's not wet enough. 366 00:20:39,729 --> 00:20:42,169 Something with rice, you need sauce with it, 367 00:20:42,169 --> 00:20:44,689 so it doesn't come together as a dish. 368 00:20:46,049 --> 00:20:50,249 Looking back now, I probably could think of some more dishes, 369 00:20:50,249 --> 00:20:54,089 but at the time, I guess the pressure 370 00:20:54,089 --> 00:20:57,969 is part of the show, right? And that's how you've got to perform. 371 00:20:57,969 --> 00:21:00,569 Last up is car sales manager Tom. 372 00:21:01,609 --> 00:21:07,289 He's serving a vanilla creme brulee topped with a caramel brittle, 373 00:21:07,289 --> 00:21:10,569 Scottish shortbread and a raspberry sauce. 374 00:21:17,209 --> 00:21:18,449 It's not the perfect brulee. 375 00:21:18,449 --> 00:21:21,569 It is slightly curdled, but absolutely delicious. 376 00:21:21,569 --> 00:21:24,969 You've made your raspberry sauce nice and tart 377 00:21:24,969 --> 00:21:28,809 because you wanted to go with that sharp, sweet sugar top 378 00:21:28,809 --> 00:21:30,809 on top of the brulee. It's a good job, Tom. 379 00:21:30,809 --> 00:21:32,089 Thank you. 380 00:21:32,089 --> 00:21:34,049 The shortbread is fantastic. 381 00:21:34,049 --> 00:21:37,369 A bit of creamy brulee on that lovely short biscuit 382 00:21:37,369 --> 00:21:39,729 with some tart sauce, I think is wonderful. 383 00:21:42,529 --> 00:21:44,609 I felt confident in making a dessert. 384 00:21:44,609 --> 00:21:46,769 The flavours were there. The taste was there. 385 00:21:46,769 --> 00:21:48,249 Fingers crossed for the rest. 386 00:21:52,009 --> 00:21:55,249 As far as invention tests go, that was an absolute beauty. 387 00:21:55,249 --> 00:21:58,009 We can only take the five best cooks with us, and it does mean 388 00:21:58,009 --> 00:22:00,409 that three of them are going home. 389 00:22:00,409 --> 00:22:02,369 What a reversal of fortunes for Mary. 390 00:22:02,369 --> 00:22:05,089 Last time she was in this round, she was one of the first to go. 391 00:22:05,089 --> 00:22:09,969 Perfectly cooked duck breast, and a sauce so deep and rich. 392 00:22:09,969 --> 00:22:13,649 I mean, a beautiful piece of work! It was a great, great dish. 393 00:22:13,649 --> 00:22:15,849 My next favourite has to be Louise. 394 00:22:15,849 --> 00:22:17,809 It was a clever, clever piece of work. 395 00:22:17,809 --> 00:22:19,529 There were lots of different layers in there. 396 00:22:19,529 --> 00:22:21,729 That's quality cookery. 397 00:22:21,729 --> 00:22:24,889 Mary and Louise are going straight through to the next round. 398 00:22:24,889 --> 00:22:27,529 Lee decided he wanted to go fine dining, and unfortunately 399 00:22:27,529 --> 00:22:31,169 things went wrong. The duck was dry and tough. 400 00:22:31,169 --> 00:22:33,409 We had a puree that was grainy. 401 00:22:33,409 --> 00:22:35,409 He showed a great deal of perseverance, 402 00:22:35,409 --> 00:22:39,289 but it actually, as a dish, wasn't great. 403 00:22:39,289 --> 00:22:42,929 Aaron cooked for us what he called a Korean-style beef mince. 404 00:22:42,929 --> 00:22:45,849 And for me, that mince just wasn't wet enough. 405 00:22:45,849 --> 00:22:49,009 When you have rice and spice, you want sauce. 406 00:22:49,009 --> 00:22:51,249 And it was too sweet. 407 00:22:51,249 --> 00:22:53,169 Lee and Aaron are going home. 408 00:22:53,169 --> 00:22:55,889 That leaves us four to discuss. 409 00:22:55,889 --> 00:22:57,809 Abi filleted her fish perfectly. 410 00:22:57,809 --> 00:23:00,129 She cooked us lentils very well. Nice fennel. 411 00:23:00,129 --> 00:23:03,329 Made a really good sauce. I didn't like everything all together. 412 00:23:03,329 --> 00:23:07,449 But you've still got to admire technical ability and skill. 413 00:23:07,449 --> 00:23:10,689 Tom was brave enough to do a dessert, a creme brulee. 414 00:23:10,689 --> 00:23:13,569 There was a slight bit of curdling, but the flavours were good. 415 00:23:13,569 --> 00:23:15,329 The shortbread was beautiful. 416 00:23:16,809 --> 00:23:19,289 I don't know right now about Vera. 417 00:23:19,289 --> 00:23:22,689 I can't see a lot wrong with her fish cookery. 418 00:23:22,689 --> 00:23:25,089 But then there were mistakes. 419 00:23:25,089 --> 00:23:27,449 The beetroot probably could have done with a bit more cooking, 420 00:23:27,449 --> 00:23:30,529 the courgettes a bit wet and slightly over-seasoned. 421 00:23:30,529 --> 00:23:32,689 It just seemed to be a bit all over the place. 422 00:23:33,889 --> 00:23:36,769 Ecrin made for us a mushroom tortellini. 423 00:23:36,769 --> 00:23:38,449 Really well-made pasta 424 00:23:38,449 --> 00:23:40,649 and a lovely, lovely broth. 425 00:23:40,649 --> 00:23:43,329 Ecrin, I think, produced a good plate of food. 426 00:23:43,329 --> 00:23:44,689 But did she do enough? 427 00:23:47,129 --> 00:23:48,929 I do think I could have done better. 428 00:23:48,929 --> 00:23:51,649 It's just that it also depends how the others did. 429 00:23:51,649 --> 00:23:54,849 And they did really well, though. We'll see. 430 00:23:54,849 --> 00:23:57,049 I didn't deliver the best plate today. 431 00:23:57,049 --> 00:24:00,409 So if I go home, then I should have just done better, to be honest. 432 00:24:02,209 --> 00:24:04,049 Nothing I can do about it now. 433 00:24:04,049 --> 00:24:06,009 I've put out my plate of food. 434 00:24:06,009 --> 00:24:07,449 If it's my day, it's my day. 435 00:24:08,649 --> 00:24:11,249 I've put so much time and effort into this. 436 00:24:11,249 --> 00:24:14,529 All I want to do is cook, so hopefully it's all worth it. 437 00:24:25,129 --> 00:24:26,849 A fabulous start to Knock Out Week. 438 00:24:26,849 --> 00:24:29,209 I mean, that was an invention test and some of the cooking 439 00:24:29,209 --> 00:24:31,209 was just off the scale. 440 00:24:33,609 --> 00:24:36,169 It is with a heavy heart that we have to say goodbye 441 00:24:36,169 --> 00:24:37,169 to some of you. 442 00:24:38,929 --> 00:24:40,969 Lee, Aaron, 443 00:24:40,969 --> 00:24:43,649 gentlemen, I'm sorry, you're leaving us. 444 00:24:43,649 --> 00:24:46,249 Thank you very much for everything. Thanks a lot. Cheers, guys. 445 00:24:46,249 --> 00:24:48,489 Thank you so much. Appreciate it. Thank you. 446 00:24:54,729 --> 00:24:57,529 Abi, Ecrin, 447 00:24:57,529 --> 00:24:59,449 Vera and Tom, 448 00:24:59,449 --> 00:25:01,089 one of you is going home. 449 00:25:02,449 --> 00:25:04,049 The person leaving us... 450 00:25:12,729 --> 00:25:14,849 ..is Vera. Thank you very much. 451 00:25:14,849 --> 00:25:16,969 Thank you. Take care. Thanks, Vera. 452 00:25:21,809 --> 00:25:24,369 I've had a great time. It's a shame it's come to an end, 453 00:25:24,369 --> 00:25:27,209 but I'm really happy that I got to take part. 454 00:25:30,089 --> 00:25:32,129 I took a risk today, didn't pay off. 455 00:25:32,129 --> 00:25:34,409 But I'm very proud of myself for getting this far 456 00:25:34,409 --> 00:25:36,929 and I can walk out of here with my head held high. 457 00:25:39,049 --> 00:25:42,249 I'll look back on my MasterChef experience and see it overall 458 00:25:42,249 --> 00:25:44,289 as a really fun time. 459 00:25:44,289 --> 00:25:47,569 You're under a lot of pressure, but it's been worth it. 460 00:25:52,169 --> 00:25:53,489 Well done, all five of you. 461 00:25:53,489 --> 00:25:55,729 No time to rest on your laurels. 462 00:25:55,729 --> 00:25:58,289 Next up, we have got a massive challenge. 463 00:25:58,289 --> 00:26:03,169 You are going to have your first taste of a professional kitchen. 464 00:26:03,169 --> 00:26:04,689 We'll see you there. 465 00:26:06,329 --> 00:26:08,329 Oh, what? 466 00:26:08,329 --> 00:26:09,329 Wow. 467 00:26:17,449 --> 00:26:20,769 It's early morning and the five remaining contestants 468 00:26:20,769 --> 00:26:22,689 are about to face the pressure 469 00:26:22,689 --> 00:26:25,849 of their first professional restaurant service... 470 00:26:27,169 --> 00:26:31,849 ..at Nessa, on the ground floor of 1 Warwick Members' House 471 00:26:31,849 --> 00:26:34,049 in London, Soho. 472 00:26:34,049 --> 00:26:36,449 This is for people who are paying. 473 00:26:36,449 --> 00:26:39,529 The last thing you want is for them to send something back. 474 00:26:39,529 --> 00:26:42,969 I think it's going to be really stressful, but just got 475 00:26:42,969 --> 00:26:44,369 to stay calm. 476 00:26:44,369 --> 00:26:46,369 There is no room for any errors. 477 00:26:46,369 --> 00:26:47,809 It has to be perfection. 478 00:26:49,569 --> 00:26:53,409 In charge is executive chef Tom Cenci. 479 00:26:55,969 --> 00:27:00,609 Tom learned his craft at a young age working at Cliveden House 480 00:27:00,609 --> 00:27:04,969 in Berkshire before joining Michelin-star restaurant 481 00:27:04,969 --> 00:27:07,249 1 Lombard Street in London. 482 00:27:08,329 --> 00:27:12,489 I worked for Herbert Berger, who was a very classical, trained chef. 483 00:27:12,489 --> 00:27:16,529 He taught me a lot about hierarchy and structure in the kitchen. 484 00:27:16,529 --> 00:27:19,889 Cheque on. Crudo, small tartare, panzanella and a sirloin steak. 485 00:27:19,889 --> 00:27:22,329 CHEFS: Oui! 486 00:27:22,329 --> 00:27:24,849 At the age of 20, moved to Paris and I worked in 487 00:27:24,849 --> 00:27:27,609 a two-Michelin-star restaurant there called Restaurant Laurent, 488 00:27:27,609 --> 00:27:29,209 which is on the Champs-Elysees. 489 00:27:29,209 --> 00:27:32,089 One of the things to do back in the day - working in France. 490 00:27:32,089 --> 00:27:33,649 Jumped on that bandwagon. 491 00:27:35,329 --> 00:27:39,409 Moving from Paris, Tom had other stints internationally, 492 00:27:39,409 --> 00:27:41,329 in Istanbul and Canada, 493 00:27:41,329 --> 00:27:45,089 before returning to the UK to continue honing his craft. 494 00:27:46,529 --> 00:27:50,569 I've taken influences from France, from Turkey, from Canada. 495 00:27:50,569 --> 00:27:54,329 Combining that with my Britishness, it's kind of like, yeah, it's shaped 496 00:27:54,329 --> 00:27:56,009 the food style that I cook today. 497 00:27:57,169 --> 00:28:02,409 In 2023, Tom took up his current executive chef position. 498 00:28:03,449 --> 00:28:05,529 Nessa is a British bistro with a twist. 499 00:28:05,529 --> 00:28:09,209 Every dish that we do, we try to put an originality onto it, try to make 500 00:28:09,209 --> 00:28:12,889 it slightly different from something that you might recognise, 501 00:28:12,889 --> 00:28:14,689 but make it not too unrecognisable. 502 00:28:22,289 --> 00:28:24,929 Hi, guys. We've got a busy service ahead of us, 503 00:28:24,929 --> 00:28:28,169 so it's about concentrating, listening, and us working 504 00:28:28,169 --> 00:28:29,569 all together as a team. 505 00:28:29,569 --> 00:28:31,049 I'm here to show you what to do, 506 00:28:31,049 --> 00:28:33,969 and hopefully we'll have a good time. Let's start cooking. 507 00:28:36,929 --> 00:28:40,129 The contestants have three hours to prepare their dishes 508 00:28:40,129 --> 00:28:42,009 for today's lunch service. 509 00:28:44,529 --> 00:28:50,529 Mary has been tasked with cooking Tom's take on an Italian classic. 510 00:28:50,529 --> 00:28:53,609 The first starter is the celeriac carbonara. 511 00:28:53,609 --> 00:28:56,849 Obviously, a carbonara, a traditional one, has pasta. 512 00:28:56,849 --> 00:29:00,169 Instead of pasta, we've got celeriac. 513 00:29:00,169 --> 00:29:02,369 This is one of our iconic dishes. 514 00:29:02,369 --> 00:29:05,689 It's been reviewed by Giles Coren, Fay Maschler. 515 00:29:05,689 --> 00:29:08,129 It's gone viral on social media for us. 516 00:29:08,129 --> 00:29:10,809 And so I think almost every customer that comes into the restaurant 517 00:29:10,809 --> 00:29:12,449 orders this dish. 518 00:29:12,449 --> 00:29:14,649 The first thing we want to do is let some of the fat 519 00:29:14,649 --> 00:29:17,729 come out of that pancetta. Take your celeriac, 520 00:29:17,729 --> 00:29:20,889 let that kind of start to wilt just a little bit. 521 00:29:20,889 --> 00:29:25,009 We want to keep the carbonara as original as possible in the sense 522 00:29:25,009 --> 00:29:28,729 of the flavours, but then we wanted to create something different. 523 00:29:28,729 --> 00:29:31,409 You don't want this too hot because what we're going to do 524 00:29:31,409 --> 00:29:34,849 is we're going to cook the celeriac in this cream sauce now. 525 00:29:34,849 --> 00:29:37,009 What you don't want is that it just dries up 526 00:29:37,009 --> 00:29:38,569 and you end up with split sauce. 527 00:29:39,809 --> 00:29:42,809 Cheese is added to bind the dish together. 528 00:29:42,809 --> 00:29:44,769 Traditionally, you'd use Parmesan. Yes. 529 00:29:44,769 --> 00:29:47,049 We're using a British cheese. 530 00:29:47,049 --> 00:29:49,529 So now we're going to plate. 531 00:29:49,529 --> 00:29:53,569 I think the biggest fear in service is that they're going to get behind. 532 00:29:53,569 --> 00:29:56,849 They have to cook each dish in a single pan when they've got 533 00:29:56,849 --> 00:29:59,649 multiple orders on, and they're having to balance out 534 00:29:59,649 --> 00:30:01,369 the different timings of each dish. 535 00:30:01,369 --> 00:30:03,689 It's easy to undercook or overcook it. 536 00:30:03,689 --> 00:30:05,889 And then the piece de resistance. 537 00:30:05,889 --> 00:30:07,289 Confit egg yolk. 538 00:30:07,289 --> 00:30:09,489 Quite a tricky thing. If it breaks, 539 00:30:09,489 --> 00:30:11,209 you're going to have to do the dish again. 540 00:30:11,209 --> 00:30:13,209 And there we have it. 541 00:30:13,209 --> 00:30:15,729 Getting the egg so it doesn't break worries me. 542 00:30:15,729 --> 00:30:17,449 I just hope I can do it justice. 543 00:30:19,569 --> 00:30:24,289 Mary gets straight to work prepping the dish's key element - celeriac. 544 00:30:25,609 --> 00:30:27,689 You have to turn it into a pasta shape, 545 00:30:27,689 --> 00:30:30,009 making the strands the same. 546 00:30:30,009 --> 00:30:32,049 Oh, God. 547 00:30:32,049 --> 00:30:35,169 This is really not as easy as it looks, is it? 548 00:30:35,169 --> 00:30:37,169 If they're all different sizes, they're going to cook 549 00:30:37,169 --> 00:30:38,169 at different times. 550 00:30:39,489 --> 00:30:41,529 That one. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's it. OK. 551 00:30:41,529 --> 00:30:43,809 Ah, got that. Oh, gosh! 552 00:30:45,609 --> 00:30:46,809 SHE LAUGHS 553 00:30:46,809 --> 00:30:48,089 Bingo! 554 00:30:48,089 --> 00:30:50,489 This is more time consuming than I thought it would be, 555 00:30:50,489 --> 00:30:51,889 but I'll get there. 556 00:30:54,729 --> 00:30:57,009 Louise is also on starters. 557 00:30:58,769 --> 00:31:01,809 Pan-seared cod with a parsley sauce, and we serve it 558 00:31:01,809 --> 00:31:04,209 with Pink Fir potatoes and caviar. 559 00:31:04,209 --> 00:31:07,129 This is kind of a play on fish, parsley sauce, 560 00:31:07,129 --> 00:31:10,209 kind of like an East End dish, with potatoes. 561 00:31:10,209 --> 00:31:13,529 And we've elevated it with caviar and sea vegetables. 562 00:31:13,529 --> 00:31:17,009 And so it's something that's quite humble but yet refined. 563 00:31:17,009 --> 00:31:19,209 Put oil in the pan, not the fish. 564 00:31:19,209 --> 00:31:21,849 Just in. You can hear that little bit of that sizzle. 565 00:31:21,849 --> 00:31:25,689 We're just going to let that colour on that side. While that's cooking, 566 00:31:25,689 --> 00:31:28,209 you're going to get potatoes in. 567 00:31:28,209 --> 00:31:30,289 Next, we're going to heat the parsley sauce. 568 00:31:30,289 --> 00:31:31,809 So you've already premade this. 569 00:31:31,809 --> 00:31:34,649 As you can see, it's super bright green. OK, so it's quite firm. 570 00:31:34,649 --> 00:31:37,289 If you heat it too much, it starts to lose its colour. 571 00:31:37,289 --> 00:31:39,329 And so it's about really getting this the right temperature 572 00:31:39,329 --> 00:31:41,969 during service. If they start to overcook this, 573 00:31:41,969 --> 00:31:45,129 they're going to have to do it over and over and over again. 574 00:31:45,129 --> 00:31:46,889 Oh, look at the colour. 575 00:31:46,889 --> 00:31:49,689 So next you've got to plate, and in with the parsley sauce. 576 00:31:51,609 --> 00:31:53,929 It's really making sure that the fish is not overcooked 577 00:31:53,929 --> 00:31:57,329 whilst balancing out the intricacies of, like, the parsley sauce, 578 00:31:57,329 --> 00:31:59,449 the sea vegetables, and then bringing it all together. 579 00:31:59,449 --> 00:32:01,849 They're going to really have to be on their timing with this dish. 580 00:32:03,449 --> 00:32:05,129 It's a lot of work. 581 00:32:05,129 --> 00:32:09,049 It's very delicate, and that's going to be a challenge. 582 00:32:11,689 --> 00:32:14,369 Oh, good grief. It's vast! 583 00:32:15,729 --> 00:32:17,289 Have you ever prepped a cod before? 584 00:32:17,289 --> 00:32:18,409 Uh, no. 585 00:32:18,409 --> 00:32:19,689 OK. Over to you. 586 00:32:21,329 --> 00:32:22,769 Just take your time. 587 00:32:25,129 --> 00:32:27,129 That's the way. Yeah. Nice. Really nice. 588 00:32:27,129 --> 00:32:28,969 I don't think I've taken a breath yet. 589 00:32:34,249 --> 00:32:36,529 It's almost perfect. 590 00:32:36,529 --> 00:32:39,929 For a first crack of the whip, it's absolutely fine. 591 00:32:39,929 --> 00:32:42,249 It was quite daunting when I first saw it. 592 00:32:42,249 --> 00:32:45,449 And I'm really pleased that, you know, that looks good. 593 00:32:47,129 --> 00:32:50,969 Abi is responsible for the first main course. 594 00:32:50,969 --> 00:32:54,409 We have a rump of lamb served with creamed spinach 595 00:32:54,409 --> 00:32:56,209 and an au poivre sauce. 596 00:32:57,489 --> 00:33:00,569 The inspiration from this dish comes from the steak au poivre, 597 00:33:00,569 --> 00:33:03,289 a very classic bistro dish. 598 00:33:03,289 --> 00:33:06,169 We try to elevate that. And instead of actually beef with it, 599 00:33:06,169 --> 00:33:07,369 we've used the lamb rump. 600 00:33:07,369 --> 00:33:10,729 So it's kind of changing it, but it's still recognisable. 601 00:33:10,729 --> 00:33:13,249 So using a water bath we've slow-cooked it, we've chilled it. 602 00:33:13,249 --> 00:33:15,889 Yeah. The first thing when the cheque comes on 603 00:33:15,889 --> 00:33:19,289 is you need to get your lamb cooking because it's time-consuming. 604 00:33:19,289 --> 00:33:23,809 After being coloured in the pan, the lamb is finished in the oven. 605 00:33:23,809 --> 00:33:26,969 So we leave that for about five to six minutes. OK. 606 00:33:26,969 --> 00:33:28,809 But when you've got multiple orders, 607 00:33:28,809 --> 00:33:30,809 there's going to be different timings with it. 608 00:33:30,809 --> 00:33:33,089 So you've got one lamb in the pan, one lamb in the oven, 609 00:33:33,089 --> 00:33:35,249 one lamb coming out. It's just going to be a complete mix. 610 00:33:35,249 --> 00:33:38,729 You might have two, three, four, five, six lamb on at a time. Yeah. 611 00:33:42,489 --> 00:33:45,809 As well as keeping on top of the lamb, Abi will have to juggle 612 00:33:45,809 --> 00:33:48,129 her creamed spinach and sauce. 613 00:33:50,649 --> 00:33:54,369 The au poivre sauce is something that you kind of make to order. 614 00:33:54,369 --> 00:33:58,449 You cook the meat in the pan, and then you have to deglaze 615 00:33:58,449 --> 00:34:01,889 that pan, something that's going to be quite tricky for them. 616 00:34:01,889 --> 00:34:03,089 We've got some brandy. 617 00:34:04,889 --> 00:34:08,049 Just burn that off, take it off the heat straight away, 618 00:34:08,049 --> 00:34:10,329 and then you've got your steak au poivre sauce. 619 00:34:10,329 --> 00:34:12,649 You don't want any more heat on this now, because otherwise 620 00:34:12,649 --> 00:34:14,329 it's going to split. 621 00:34:14,329 --> 00:34:16,569 And now we're ready to carve and plate. Cool. 622 00:34:19,849 --> 00:34:21,009 Steak sauce. 623 00:34:23,009 --> 00:34:25,369 This is the big moment, where they slice the lamb, 624 00:34:25,369 --> 00:34:27,169 and if it's undercooked or overcooked, 625 00:34:27,169 --> 00:34:28,729 there's no going back. 626 00:34:28,729 --> 00:34:30,689 Unless it's perfect, we cannot send it. 627 00:34:32,129 --> 00:34:34,449 Just follow the timings and you're going to have pink lamb. 628 00:34:34,449 --> 00:34:36,929 OK. Thank you. Stay calm and enjoy it. 629 00:34:36,929 --> 00:34:38,289 I'll do my best! Yeah. 630 00:34:39,769 --> 00:34:42,289 I'm not great at multitasking. There's so much going on, 631 00:34:42,289 --> 00:34:44,129 and obviously service hasn't started yet. 632 00:34:44,129 --> 00:34:45,409 I'm so worried. 633 00:34:47,209 --> 00:34:50,889 Abi now needs to prep her lamb rump ready for the water bath. 634 00:34:52,729 --> 00:34:55,769 With that rump, it's really important that it's uniform. 635 00:34:55,769 --> 00:34:58,849 And so when they're cooking, they're cooking to the same consistency 636 00:34:58,849 --> 00:35:01,889 and not having one piece of meat that's taking 10-15 minutes 637 00:35:01,889 --> 00:35:03,409 to cook and another is five. 638 00:35:04,969 --> 00:35:06,249 Yeah. Really good. 639 00:35:08,889 --> 00:35:10,969 I've been doing this at home. 640 00:35:10,969 --> 00:35:13,009 I did, like, one per bag. 641 00:35:13,009 --> 00:35:16,169 Didn't realise you could put more in one, so that's good to know. 642 00:35:22,089 --> 00:35:24,729 Tom is in charge of a chicken main. 643 00:35:28,369 --> 00:35:30,969 My butchery skills are all right at my own house. You know, 644 00:35:30,969 --> 00:35:33,569 a little bit of tearing or a little mistake now and again, 645 00:35:33,569 --> 00:35:36,129 I'm all right with it. But here there's none of that. 646 00:35:38,049 --> 00:35:40,569 Still got all my fingers, no blood. 647 00:35:40,569 --> 00:35:44,129 His greatest challenge will be to cook all his dish's components 648 00:35:44,129 --> 00:35:46,009 over live fire. 649 00:35:47,249 --> 00:35:50,849 So it's about trying to find the hot spots and utilising that. 650 00:35:50,849 --> 00:35:53,689 Going to get a really nice colour onto that skin. 651 00:35:53,689 --> 00:35:56,329 It's a different style of cooking. It's very temperamental. 652 00:35:56,329 --> 00:35:59,449 It's not a stove where you can turn up the gas or turn it down. 653 00:35:59,449 --> 00:36:02,169 This is living. It's breathing. 654 00:36:02,169 --> 00:36:03,689 Whilst that's charring, 655 00:36:03,689 --> 00:36:05,569 we want to get our garnish working. 656 00:36:05,569 --> 00:36:08,889 The chicken is served with seasonal vegetables. 657 00:36:08,889 --> 00:36:11,809 So we're going to take some of the peas, some gem, 658 00:36:11,809 --> 00:36:15,569 some of the shallots, place that straight onto the embers. 659 00:36:15,569 --> 00:36:17,929 If the vegetables or the meat are too close to the fire, 660 00:36:17,929 --> 00:36:19,889 they're just going to burn. If they're too far away, 661 00:36:19,889 --> 00:36:22,289 they're not going to char, they're not going to get the taste 662 00:36:22,289 --> 00:36:25,929 that you need. And so it's going to be really, really tricky in service. 663 00:36:25,929 --> 00:36:27,929 If you turn away for a second, you turn around, 664 00:36:27,929 --> 00:36:30,089 the whole thing's burnt, you've got to start again. 665 00:36:30,089 --> 00:36:33,569 The chicken, as you can see, look, it's starting to caramelise. Yeah. 666 00:36:33,569 --> 00:36:36,009 Starting to get some really nice colour onto it now. Nice. 667 00:36:37,289 --> 00:36:39,969 Now I'm happy with this now. It's wilted, you've got some colour 668 00:36:39,969 --> 00:36:44,209 onto it, just colour onto the peas. All that flavour is in here now. 669 00:36:44,209 --> 00:36:46,529 And we're just going to take that breast and the leg off 670 00:36:46,529 --> 00:36:49,569 to separate it, and then what we do is we're going to just cut 671 00:36:49,569 --> 00:36:52,249 this leg up. Spread that out on the bottom of the plate. 672 00:36:54,769 --> 00:36:57,409 And then we're going to go around with the garnish. 673 00:36:57,409 --> 00:37:00,609 The dish is finished with a chicken butter sauce. 674 00:37:03,049 --> 00:37:04,569 And there you have it. 675 00:37:04,569 --> 00:37:05,609 That looks ace. 676 00:37:07,489 --> 00:37:08,889 The heat's the worry. 677 00:37:08,889 --> 00:37:11,769 You can't take your eye off it for a period of time. 678 00:37:11,769 --> 00:37:14,289 Almost like you need eyes in the back of your head. 679 00:37:17,169 --> 00:37:20,849 Dessert was due to be tackled by Ecrin. 680 00:37:20,849 --> 00:37:23,649 I started feeling really bad this morning, already, 681 00:37:23,649 --> 00:37:27,649 before I arrived, and then when I arrived I was still unwell. 682 00:37:27,649 --> 00:37:30,769 I wanted to give it a go, of course, and push myself. 683 00:37:30,769 --> 00:37:33,369 I'm super disappointed, of course, 684 00:37:33,369 --> 00:37:38,049 but I just can't carry on like this because I'm really not well. 685 00:37:41,529 --> 00:37:44,969 There's just 90 minutes prep time left. 686 00:37:44,969 --> 00:37:47,769 Let's concentrate on those big jobs that need to be done and just make 687 00:37:47,769 --> 00:37:50,929 sure we're set for service. OK? Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef. 688 00:37:50,929 --> 00:37:53,609 I've always wanted to say, "Yes, Chef." 689 00:37:54,769 --> 00:37:56,289 On the starters, 690 00:37:56,289 --> 00:38:01,089 Mary's just managed to finish off spiralizing her celeriac. 691 00:38:01,089 --> 00:38:03,809 Next, I'm going to prep the cream sauce. 692 00:38:06,369 --> 00:38:08,369 So now add the white wine and get this reduction on. 693 00:38:08,369 --> 00:38:10,569 Yeah. Excited to have a slurp of that. 694 00:38:12,769 --> 00:38:16,369 I'm hoping that I'm on schedule. I really am enjoying it so far. 695 00:38:16,369 --> 00:38:17,649 Ask me in an hour. 696 00:38:18,889 --> 00:38:20,689 No wonder it tastes so good. 697 00:38:24,049 --> 00:38:27,449 On the other starter, Louise is still on cod prep. 698 00:38:29,849 --> 00:38:31,609 Don't want to mess it up now! 699 00:38:33,369 --> 00:38:35,449 This is a deep breath moment. 700 00:38:35,449 --> 00:38:37,049 Like, can't talk, can't breathe. 701 00:38:38,409 --> 00:38:41,169 It's a really important job, and I just want to make sure 702 00:38:41,169 --> 00:38:42,169 I nail it. 703 00:38:43,529 --> 00:38:45,409 Ready? Yeah. Let's see it. 704 00:38:47,489 --> 00:38:50,529 Yeah. You can almost see through it. You've nailed that. 705 00:38:50,529 --> 00:38:52,369 All right. Moving on. 706 00:38:54,289 --> 00:38:56,249 What we don't want is a lot of wastage. 707 00:38:56,249 --> 00:38:58,569 Can they portion it into the right sizes? 708 00:38:58,569 --> 00:39:01,689 It's really important that they pay attention to that detail. 709 00:39:05,449 --> 00:39:07,649 It's going to go into this brine, salt and water 710 00:39:07,649 --> 00:39:09,569 for about ten minutes. 711 00:39:09,569 --> 00:39:11,809 This was the most daunting job on my list, 712 00:39:11,809 --> 00:39:15,489 so it feels good to have this done and ready and looking OK. 713 00:39:17,729 --> 00:39:21,089 On mains, Abi's making good progress. 714 00:39:21,089 --> 00:39:23,649 Her lamb cooking gently in the water bath, 715 00:39:23,649 --> 00:39:28,089 she's working on the finer details of her creamed spinach garnish, 716 00:39:28,089 --> 00:39:30,409 weighing out nutmeg. 717 00:39:30,409 --> 00:39:32,609 0.5g and I still haven't managed zero. 718 00:39:33,889 --> 00:39:37,449 I was feeling fine, but now this is having a joke on me. 719 00:39:37,449 --> 00:39:39,529 I've got 2g. Oh, 3! 720 00:39:42,129 --> 00:39:43,809 5g. Woohoo. 721 00:39:45,889 --> 00:39:48,809 I've still got to do the green oil, mix my cream cheese, 722 00:39:48,809 --> 00:39:51,009 blanch my spinach, and then I should be ready, 723 00:39:51,009 --> 00:39:53,289 so I'm feeling good on my prep. 724 00:39:53,289 --> 00:39:56,889 It's just a bit nerve-racking to actually cook it. 725 00:39:56,889 --> 00:39:59,409 Tom's chickens are all butchered, 726 00:39:59,409 --> 00:40:02,929 and he's working on his vegetable garnish... 727 00:40:02,929 --> 00:40:04,129 How you getting on, Tom? 728 00:40:04,129 --> 00:40:07,849 Uh, good. Just trimming up the gem here. 729 00:40:07,849 --> 00:40:10,849 ..but has overlooked one crucial process. 730 00:40:12,089 --> 00:40:14,809 This chicken, we need to get it cooking. Right. 731 00:40:14,809 --> 00:40:16,009 Just got to get this in the water bath, 732 00:40:16,009 --> 00:40:17,849 because we need to get it cooked and cooled down, 733 00:40:17,849 --> 00:40:19,129 ready for service. Cool. 734 00:40:21,049 --> 00:40:23,209 I'm not sure if this is... MACHINE SQUEAKS 735 00:40:23,209 --> 00:40:24,969 I got a bit of a jump the first time there. 736 00:40:26,569 --> 00:40:28,729 OK, guys, you've got 45 minutes till service. 737 00:40:28,729 --> 00:40:30,689 Let's get everything ready for the beginning, OK? 738 00:40:30,689 --> 00:40:32,289 Yep - yes, Chef. Yes, Chef. 739 00:40:34,489 --> 00:40:36,729 With service fast approaching, 740 00:40:36,729 --> 00:40:40,449 Mary now has to tackle the most difficult element of her prep. 741 00:40:41,609 --> 00:40:44,489 I'm just waiting to do my confit egg yolks now. 742 00:40:44,489 --> 00:40:46,409 MARY HUMS NERVOUSLY 743 00:40:46,409 --> 00:40:47,529 It's very delicate. 744 00:40:47,529 --> 00:40:49,769 They have to heat the oil to a certain temperature 745 00:40:49,769 --> 00:40:51,929 and put the egg yolk into this. 746 00:40:51,929 --> 00:40:53,009 That's done. 747 00:40:53,009 --> 00:40:55,009 What you don't want is coming into service 748 00:40:55,009 --> 00:40:57,129 and you've got 30 to 40 broken eggs. 749 00:40:58,609 --> 00:41:00,289 It's going to be quite time-consuming, 750 00:41:00,289 --> 00:41:02,449 because it's a bit of a delicate operation. 751 00:41:04,769 --> 00:41:07,169 Also taking her time is Louise. 752 00:41:09,289 --> 00:41:10,769 Potatoes are on. 753 00:41:10,769 --> 00:41:12,729 I'm just doing the shallots for the parsley sauce. 754 00:41:12,729 --> 00:41:14,729 I've got garlic to go in there too. 755 00:41:14,729 --> 00:41:18,089 So let's get that on, because it's quite critical. 756 00:41:18,089 --> 00:41:20,489 I'm feeling quite calm at the moment. 757 00:41:20,489 --> 00:41:21,689 I know time is ticking on, 758 00:41:21,689 --> 00:41:24,089 but I want to make sure the chef's really happy. 759 00:41:24,089 --> 00:41:27,769 Meanwhile on mains, Abi's raced through her prep list 760 00:41:27,769 --> 00:41:29,969 and it's almost complete. 761 00:41:29,969 --> 00:41:31,249 I've just done the cream cheese. 762 00:41:31,249 --> 00:41:33,209 I need to add some salt and pepper to it. 763 00:41:33,209 --> 00:41:35,809 My peppercorn sauce, it's just reducing now. 764 00:41:36,809 --> 00:41:38,609 And the lamb - it's all cooked? Yeah. 765 00:41:38,609 --> 00:41:40,049 Yeah, lovely. Look at that. 766 00:41:40,049 --> 00:41:41,449 Nice. Lots of flavour in there, 767 00:41:41,449 --> 00:41:44,129 so that's going to be ready for service. 768 00:41:44,129 --> 00:41:45,569 Calm down here, 769 00:41:45,569 --> 00:41:48,169 but as soon as I get up there, it'll be pure chaos and panic. 770 00:41:48,169 --> 00:41:52,009 But hopefully I'll just do what we're doing and stay calm. 771 00:41:52,009 --> 00:41:54,129 While Abi is under control, 772 00:41:54,129 --> 00:41:59,409 Tom's got behind, and is only just starting his chicken butter sauce. 773 00:41:59,409 --> 00:42:01,369 He's kind of making what's traditionally known 774 00:42:01,369 --> 00:42:03,569 as a beurre blanc, which is quite a difficult sauce. 775 00:42:03,569 --> 00:42:05,089 So this is going to be quite challenging, 776 00:42:05,089 --> 00:42:06,489 because if they don't get this right, 777 00:42:06,489 --> 00:42:08,249 it's going to split and then it'll be really difficult 778 00:42:08,249 --> 00:42:09,769 to then get ready for service. 779 00:42:09,769 --> 00:42:12,609 Lots to do with hardly little time. 780 00:42:12,609 --> 00:42:14,169 I just don't want to let anybody down. 781 00:42:20,169 --> 00:42:24,089 It's midday and the restaurant is filling up for lunch. 782 00:42:26,049 --> 00:42:28,649 With 15 minutes until service, 783 00:42:28,649 --> 00:42:31,529 the contestants are racing to finish their prep, 784 00:42:31,529 --> 00:42:33,769 and the pressure is on for Louise. 785 00:42:35,049 --> 00:42:36,729 She hasn't quite made her parsley sauce yet. 786 00:42:36,729 --> 00:42:38,649 A little bit worried that she might not be ready and set 787 00:42:38,649 --> 00:42:39,889 in time for service. 788 00:42:39,889 --> 00:42:41,169 I just want to focus, 789 00:42:41,169 --> 00:42:42,689 make sure I really concentrate hard. 790 00:42:44,089 --> 00:42:47,449 Our contestants now, I think will be feeling quite nervous. 791 00:42:47,449 --> 00:42:50,009 Nothing they would have done before could have prepared them for this. 792 00:42:52,369 --> 00:42:53,969 LOUISE: There are customers coming in. 793 00:42:53,969 --> 00:42:57,129 The adrenaline is just through the roof now. 794 00:42:57,129 --> 00:42:58,529 Yeah, a bit more intense. 795 00:42:58,529 --> 00:43:01,529 Everyone's panicking a little bit, I think. 796 00:43:01,529 --> 00:43:03,369 Bread crumbs, truffle, Spenwood cheese. 797 00:43:03,369 --> 00:43:06,089 Oh, where ARE my crumbs? I don't think I've decanted them. 798 00:43:06,089 --> 00:43:09,169 This is going to hit them hard and fast. 799 00:43:09,169 --> 00:43:11,529 I've not even starting cooking yet and I'm already flushed. 800 00:43:13,369 --> 00:43:14,969 OK, guys, the first cheque - 801 00:43:14,969 --> 00:43:17,249 we've got one cod and three carbonara. 802 00:43:17,249 --> 00:43:18,249 Yes, Chef. 803 00:43:21,729 --> 00:43:23,289 It's great to get started. 804 00:43:24,969 --> 00:43:28,729 Right away, Mary's carbonara is proving popular. 805 00:43:30,489 --> 00:43:33,049 It's not practical to cook three in the same pan, 806 00:43:33,049 --> 00:43:36,649 because it overloads and then it doesn't cook evenly enough. 807 00:43:36,649 --> 00:43:38,609 With several batches on the go, 808 00:43:38,609 --> 00:43:41,889 she needs to keep an eye on the temperature of her pans. 809 00:43:41,889 --> 00:43:42,929 You don't want it too hot. 810 00:43:42,929 --> 00:43:44,769 If it's too hot, you're going to split that cream, OK? 811 00:43:44,769 --> 00:43:46,249 Yeah. 812 00:43:46,249 --> 00:43:47,609 Cheque on, guys. 813 00:43:47,609 --> 00:43:49,889 Two more cod, three more carbonara. 814 00:43:49,889 --> 00:43:50,889 Yes, Chef. 815 00:43:53,129 --> 00:43:55,329 Cheque on again. You've got four carbonara. 816 00:43:55,329 --> 00:43:57,209 Flippin' heck. 817 00:43:57,209 --> 00:43:58,289 OK, that's good. 818 00:43:58,289 --> 00:44:01,889 Tiny bit more sauce in here, and let's bring it up. Looks good. 819 00:44:01,889 --> 00:44:05,409 She's got her first three cooked and to the pass, 820 00:44:05,409 --> 00:44:10,569 but if she can't plate the egg yolks whole, the dishes will be ruined. 821 00:44:10,569 --> 00:44:12,969 That's it, Mary. Great job. 822 00:44:12,969 --> 00:44:14,769 It's such a delicate job, isn't it? Yeah, it's all right. 823 00:44:22,529 --> 00:44:24,249 Keep it going, OK? Don't slow down. 824 00:44:24,249 --> 00:44:26,689 I know. We need five now. Yeah - no, six. 825 00:44:28,769 --> 00:44:31,889 So I was pleased, really. I didn't panic too much. 826 00:44:33,209 --> 00:44:37,449 Orders are also already piling up for Louise's cod dish. 827 00:44:37,449 --> 00:44:40,009 You got seven cod all day, OK? Yes, Chef. 828 00:44:40,009 --> 00:44:41,209 So you've got two now... Two now. 829 00:44:41,209 --> 00:44:43,289 ..and then how many does that leave you with? 830 00:44:43,289 --> 00:44:45,569 Then another two, then another three. 831 00:44:45,569 --> 00:44:48,089 Perfect. Very good, yeah. 832 00:44:48,089 --> 00:44:51,809 She has three key elements that must all be perfect. 833 00:44:53,009 --> 00:44:54,089 Keep an eye on the fish, 834 00:44:54,089 --> 00:44:55,929 make sure the potatoes are warmed through, 835 00:44:55,929 --> 00:44:57,689 heat the sauce, but not too much. 836 00:44:57,689 --> 00:45:00,409 Then dress the potatoes and take it up for plating. 837 00:45:03,369 --> 00:45:05,449 I'm just making sure it doesn't overheat. 838 00:45:08,249 --> 00:45:10,369 So, you're coming up on two cod, please, Louise. 839 00:45:10,369 --> 00:45:11,969 Yes, Chef. On the way. 840 00:45:15,289 --> 00:45:16,689 So, pasta sauce. 841 00:45:16,689 --> 00:45:17,809 It's hot? Hot. 842 00:45:17,809 --> 00:45:18,929 Let me just try. 843 00:45:21,929 --> 00:45:23,289 No, heat it again. 844 00:45:23,289 --> 00:45:24,729 It's not quite hot enough. 845 00:45:27,289 --> 00:45:28,409 It's really delicate. 846 00:45:28,409 --> 00:45:31,689 You can't boil it, so I'm... Clearly I was too cautious. 847 00:45:38,809 --> 00:45:40,809 So just put caviar around. 848 00:45:43,409 --> 00:45:45,489 That's it, lovely. Very good. 849 00:45:45,489 --> 00:45:47,689 Start two more. Service, please. 850 00:45:49,569 --> 00:45:52,009 Yeah, it went well. The chef was happy! 851 00:45:52,009 --> 00:45:53,009 I'm happy. 852 00:45:57,169 --> 00:46:00,609 First orders are now coming in for Abi and Tom. 853 00:46:01,889 --> 00:46:03,289 Two lamb, two chicken. 854 00:46:03,289 --> 00:46:04,729 We're away, we're away. 855 00:46:04,729 --> 00:46:06,329 Two chicken, straight up. 856 00:46:10,729 --> 00:46:13,449 My biggest concern is probably not burning the lamb, 857 00:46:13,449 --> 00:46:17,049 keeping on top of everything, making sure it's plated pretty. 858 00:46:17,049 --> 00:46:19,369 It's very loud in here, as well. It's so stressful. 859 00:46:23,489 --> 00:46:25,649 As well as cooking the lamb correctly, 860 00:46:25,649 --> 00:46:28,929 she needs to heat up her creamed spinach garnish. 861 00:46:30,009 --> 00:46:31,889 Just keep it on top of everything's pretty difficult, 862 00:46:31,889 --> 00:46:32,969 if I'm honest. 863 00:46:42,449 --> 00:46:45,489 The lamb cooked, she now has to deglaze the pan 864 00:46:45,489 --> 00:46:48,969 to make the peppercorn sauce without it splitting. 865 00:46:53,449 --> 00:46:54,569 There's no spinach, there's no sauce, 866 00:46:54,569 --> 00:46:55,849 and you're already slicing your lamb. 867 00:46:55,849 --> 00:46:57,649 Oh, I need to slice it after I've put that on? Yeah. 868 00:46:57,649 --> 00:47:00,769 Spinach, sauce, lamb... Yeah. 869 00:47:00,769 --> 00:47:01,969 ..and then garnish. 870 00:47:04,809 --> 00:47:05,929 OK, that's it. 871 00:47:05,929 --> 00:47:08,369 Sauce, nasturtium and then herb oil. 872 00:47:12,209 --> 00:47:14,089 The lamb's the last thing you slice, OK? 873 00:47:14,089 --> 00:47:16,129 So it just stays nice and hot. Yeah. OK. 874 00:47:16,129 --> 00:47:18,289 Thank you. OK, service, please. 875 00:47:20,249 --> 00:47:22,729 I got the order of plating wrong, so I'm a bit stressed out about that, 876 00:47:22,729 --> 00:47:25,129 but next time I'll learn from it and I'll do better. 877 00:47:30,649 --> 00:47:32,249 On the chicken main, 878 00:47:32,249 --> 00:47:35,449 Tom's battling with the heat of the charcoal grill. 879 00:47:37,289 --> 00:47:40,089 Vegetables need a good char to them. 880 00:47:40,089 --> 00:47:41,289 Sauce is warming. 881 00:47:43,609 --> 00:47:44,689 It's just almost there. 882 00:47:44,689 --> 00:47:46,529 Just, like, a little bit more wilted. Sure. 883 00:47:46,529 --> 00:47:49,289 But let's just get a little bit more colour on that skin. 884 00:47:51,089 --> 00:47:54,169 Fine line between a nice char and a burn. 885 00:47:55,489 --> 00:47:57,409 It's pretty intense, the heat. 886 00:48:00,649 --> 00:48:03,929 His first dishes are cooked, but now he has to plate. 887 00:48:05,369 --> 00:48:06,449 Hot, hot, hot. 888 00:48:07,529 --> 00:48:10,689 OK, this one needs to be more in just like... 889 00:48:10,689 --> 00:48:13,289 Just kind of a bit more rustic, OK? Yeah. Just replicate that. 890 00:48:13,289 --> 00:48:16,409 It's very messy - it's all over the plate. 891 00:48:16,409 --> 00:48:17,969 So, we didn't carve the breast, did we? 892 00:48:17,969 --> 00:48:20,409 We just put the breast straight over. Oh, sorry, man. 893 00:48:20,409 --> 00:48:21,689 It's OK, we're going to have to go with it now. 894 00:48:21,689 --> 00:48:23,649 I can't wait any longer for this. Two chicken up. 895 00:48:25,969 --> 00:48:27,489 OK, service, please. 896 00:48:28,569 --> 00:48:31,209 Tom needs to make sure he's slicing the thigh and not the breast. 897 00:48:31,209 --> 00:48:32,849 Presentation was a bit too rough, 898 00:48:32,849 --> 00:48:35,649 and so he just needs to make sure it's a little bit more refined. 899 00:48:35,649 --> 00:48:39,409 It's challenging - keeping your ears open, 900 00:48:39,409 --> 00:48:41,569 making sure you don't burn yourself. 901 00:48:41,569 --> 00:48:43,369 Juggle, juggle, juggle, juggle. 902 00:48:45,569 --> 00:48:47,609 With service at full pelt, 903 00:48:47,609 --> 00:48:51,649 the orders are still flooding in for Mary's carbonara. 904 00:48:51,649 --> 00:48:52,769 Four and two. 905 00:48:52,769 --> 00:48:54,889 Yeah, these are four, and then two. Yeah, and then two straight away. 906 00:48:54,889 --> 00:48:56,489 Keep going, Mary. Yeah. 907 00:48:58,809 --> 00:49:01,769 MARY CHUCKLES I'm just having a really nice time. 908 00:49:01,769 --> 00:49:03,729 God, YOU'RE having a really nice time. 909 00:49:03,729 --> 00:49:05,369 I'm really loving this. 910 00:49:06,729 --> 00:49:09,969 But she's taking it in her stride. 911 00:49:09,969 --> 00:49:11,849 Two carbonara straight away, OK? 912 00:49:11,849 --> 00:49:13,329 Yeah, two straight away. 913 00:49:19,129 --> 00:49:21,849 So, two now. Two now. Let's go. 914 00:49:21,849 --> 00:49:24,649 There's your carbonara. Oh, look at that. 915 00:49:32,809 --> 00:49:36,129 Unsurprisingly, it tastes just like a carbonara. 916 00:49:36,129 --> 00:49:39,249 Rich, nutty celeriac, lovely slippery, creamy sauce 917 00:49:39,249 --> 00:49:41,889 and little tiny bits of bacon in there. 918 00:49:41,889 --> 00:49:44,129 I think it's a really difficult dish to get right. 919 00:49:44,129 --> 00:49:46,129 It's really very, very good. 920 00:49:48,289 --> 00:49:49,729 Across the kitchen, 921 00:49:49,729 --> 00:49:53,129 Louise is also trying to keep up with multiple cheques. 922 00:49:54,649 --> 00:49:55,889 Five on the go at the moment, 923 00:49:55,889 --> 00:49:58,969 so two and three all up at the same time. 924 00:49:58,969 --> 00:50:00,969 I've got to make sure it doesn't break up. 925 00:50:00,969 --> 00:50:03,369 It's a delicate little dish to get right. 926 00:50:03,369 --> 00:50:04,649 How long on this five cod? 927 00:50:04,649 --> 00:50:06,489 Three minutes. OK, yeah. 928 00:50:10,009 --> 00:50:11,289 You all right? 929 00:50:11,289 --> 00:50:12,929 This one - just over. 930 00:50:12,929 --> 00:50:14,529 The others are fine. 931 00:50:14,529 --> 00:50:16,169 Louise is just cooking too many at once. 932 00:50:16,169 --> 00:50:19,009 We can't serve it overcooked, so we had to send it back. 933 00:50:19,009 --> 00:50:21,969 Abi and Tom are also under pressure. 934 00:50:21,969 --> 00:50:24,929 Four more lamb, four more chicken. Yes, Chef. 935 00:50:24,929 --> 00:50:26,809 Four more lamb, four more chicken. 936 00:50:26,809 --> 00:50:29,089 How many lamb you got all day, Abi? Seven in total. 937 00:50:29,089 --> 00:50:31,049 Yep. 938 00:50:31,049 --> 00:50:32,969 We've got six chicken all day, but just slow it down. 939 00:50:32,969 --> 00:50:34,849 Yeah. She needs at least seven minutes for all the cooking, OK? 940 00:50:34,849 --> 00:50:35,849 Yeah. 941 00:50:37,209 --> 00:50:40,089 With both mains going to the same table, 942 00:50:40,089 --> 00:50:45,569 it's vital Abi and Tom communicate to deliver their dishes together. 943 00:50:45,569 --> 00:50:47,569 Abi, how long for the first two? 944 00:50:47,569 --> 00:50:49,169 Uh, seven minutes. 945 00:50:49,169 --> 00:50:51,209 Seven minutes for the first two? Yeah. 946 00:50:51,209 --> 00:50:53,409 The next two are going to be about eight and nine. 947 00:50:53,409 --> 00:50:55,249 I need to slow down - sorry. Yeah, it's just you're going too fast. 948 00:50:55,249 --> 00:50:56,249 Yeah. 949 00:50:57,609 --> 00:51:00,289 Abi's got quite a lot of lamb on. It's taking its time in that oven. 950 00:51:00,289 --> 00:51:01,929 Tom's a bit too quick with the live fire. 951 00:51:01,929 --> 00:51:04,329 They've just got to find a balance of, like, not being too quick 952 00:51:04,329 --> 00:51:06,849 and talking with each other. 953 00:51:06,849 --> 00:51:09,889 Whilst Abi and Tom struggle to synchronise, 954 00:51:09,889 --> 00:51:13,489 Louise has managed to get her fish re-cooked. 955 00:51:13,489 --> 00:51:14,769 OK, yeah, that's good. 956 00:51:14,769 --> 00:51:15,849 Turn the heat off. 957 00:51:15,849 --> 00:51:18,649 You don't want to cook it any more than that. 958 00:51:18,649 --> 00:51:21,369 Lovely. Much better. Much better with this cod. 959 00:51:23,729 --> 00:51:25,889 Yeah, that's good - and then the green oil. 960 00:51:25,889 --> 00:51:27,249 OK, service please. 961 00:51:31,209 --> 00:51:33,409 Stressful, without a doubt. 962 00:51:33,409 --> 00:51:35,489 There's a lot to think about. 963 00:51:37,009 --> 00:51:38,969 The fish looks beautiful. 964 00:51:43,049 --> 00:51:44,609 Nice colour on the outside, 965 00:51:44,609 --> 00:51:46,049 fish cooked beautifully. 966 00:51:46,049 --> 00:51:47,609 I really like that sauce, 967 00:51:47,609 --> 00:51:50,889 and all those sea vegetables giving it spice and flavour. 968 00:51:50,889 --> 00:51:52,889 That is bordering majestic. 969 00:51:58,169 --> 00:52:02,809 Back on the mains, Abi and Tom's timings still aren't in sync. 970 00:52:04,769 --> 00:52:06,849 Abi, how long? For the first one? 971 00:52:06,849 --> 00:52:10,449 Yeah. Um, three, four minutes. OK. 972 00:52:11,729 --> 00:52:13,249 I've got three minutes of my time. 973 00:52:13,249 --> 00:52:14,929 I need to make this sauce, I need to plate, 974 00:52:14,929 --> 00:52:16,729 so probably about three minutes. 975 00:52:19,009 --> 00:52:21,409 Abi, are you ready to plate the first two? No, not yet. 976 00:52:21,409 --> 00:52:24,009 I still need another few minutes. OK, go on two. Go two by itself. 977 00:52:24,009 --> 00:52:25,289 And then the next two, do with Abi. 978 00:52:25,289 --> 00:52:26,609 So I can dish these two straight away, yeah? 979 00:52:26,609 --> 00:52:27,609 That's it, yeah. 980 00:52:28,889 --> 00:52:30,369 To keep things moving, 981 00:52:30,369 --> 00:52:34,409 Chef has no choice but to send two of Tom's chicken orders. 982 00:52:35,889 --> 00:52:37,409 OK, yeah, that's good. 983 00:52:39,529 --> 00:52:42,169 Much better with the chicken. 984 00:52:42,169 --> 00:52:44,569 OK, let's go. Service, please - table 52. 985 00:52:51,769 --> 00:52:52,969 Mm. 986 00:52:52,969 --> 00:52:55,849 That chicken is nothing short of superb. 987 00:52:55,849 --> 00:52:59,569 I mean, it is buttery-soft under there - properly succulent. 988 00:52:59,569 --> 00:53:01,449 There's enough good, crunchy vegetables. 989 00:53:01,449 --> 00:53:04,569 And cooking the chicken over flame, that's challenging. 990 00:53:06,209 --> 00:53:10,809 The last two plates were, like, much better than the first two plates. 991 00:53:10,809 --> 00:53:12,609 Finding a little bit of rhythm. 992 00:53:14,289 --> 00:53:18,329 The pressure is now on Abi to get her lamb orders plated fast 993 00:53:18,329 --> 00:53:21,129 and in the correct sequence. 994 00:53:21,129 --> 00:53:25,089 This is me attempting to try and not make so much of a mess. 995 00:53:25,089 --> 00:53:28,889 Let's finish with the nasturtium, and we're good to go. 996 00:53:31,529 --> 00:53:33,449 That's it, keep it up. Well done, Abi. 997 00:53:35,569 --> 00:53:36,729 Service, please. 998 00:53:36,729 --> 00:53:38,929 OK, we're going 76. Three lamb. 999 00:53:40,889 --> 00:53:43,209 It's not really a buzz. If anything, it's just pure chaos. 1000 00:53:43,209 --> 00:53:44,209 It's fun. 1001 00:53:48,049 --> 00:53:49,489 That is beautifully cooked lamb. 1002 00:53:49,489 --> 00:53:53,369 And look how beautiful and pink and moist that is in the middle. 1003 00:53:53,369 --> 00:53:55,169 I love that pepper sauce. 1004 00:53:55,169 --> 00:53:57,529 It builds up intensity. 1005 00:53:57,529 --> 00:54:00,369 I think Abi's done a really good job. 1006 00:54:00,369 --> 00:54:02,689 Service is almost over. 1007 00:54:02,689 --> 00:54:04,089 Mary. Yes? 1008 00:54:04,089 --> 00:54:05,769 That's your last two. After that, you've got nine more, OK? 1009 00:54:05,769 --> 00:54:08,209 OK. Let's make it perfect. Yes. 1010 00:54:08,209 --> 00:54:13,249 So, this is my last two now, and I'm a bit gutted, really. 1011 00:54:13,249 --> 00:54:17,569 I like the excitement of it - the buzz, the challenge. 1012 00:54:17,569 --> 00:54:18,569 Ready. 1013 00:54:20,009 --> 00:54:21,969 So, Mary - really impressed. 1014 00:54:21,969 --> 00:54:25,329 The composure she had, and she's really embraced the dish. 1015 00:54:26,369 --> 00:54:27,969 Um... Oh, eggs. 1016 00:54:29,449 --> 00:54:32,529 This experience is something I've always wanted to do 1017 00:54:32,529 --> 00:54:33,929 for years and years. 1018 00:54:33,929 --> 00:54:36,849 This has really just been the icing on the cake. 1019 00:54:36,849 --> 00:54:39,089 Service. Table 52, please. 1020 00:54:39,089 --> 00:54:40,369 ALL: Yes, Chef! CHEF CHUCKLES 1021 00:54:42,129 --> 00:54:43,169 Great job. 1022 00:54:43,169 --> 00:54:45,409 Thank you so much for letting me do that. 1023 00:54:45,409 --> 00:54:47,369 That was amazing. I loved it. CHEF CHUCKLES 1024 00:54:50,689 --> 00:54:52,809 Your last two cod. Make them good, OK? Yes, Chef. 1025 00:54:52,809 --> 00:54:53,809 Thank you. 1026 00:54:55,249 --> 00:54:57,529 I didn't know if I'd enjoy the pressure 1027 00:54:57,529 --> 00:54:59,289 but I surprised myself that 1028 00:54:59,289 --> 00:55:03,369 I've sort of remained vaguely calm and collected. 1029 00:55:03,369 --> 00:55:05,289 Louise, she did really well. 1030 00:55:05,289 --> 00:55:07,809 Throughout service, the plating got better and better and better. 1031 00:55:09,849 --> 00:55:11,649 You're happy with it? I'm thrilled! 1032 00:55:11,649 --> 00:55:14,049 OK, let's send it. Service, please. 1033 00:55:14,049 --> 00:55:15,169 I'm done! 1034 00:55:16,329 --> 00:55:18,209 I'm like, choking, tearing up. 1035 00:55:18,209 --> 00:55:20,009 I'm really sad it's over. 1036 00:55:20,009 --> 00:55:21,609 It's a happy tear. LOUISE CHUCKLES 1037 00:55:21,609 --> 00:55:22,609 Sorry. 1038 00:55:23,849 --> 00:55:26,649 ABI: I can't believe it's my last two plates. It's gone so quickly. 1039 00:55:26,649 --> 00:55:29,169 But, yeah, I've been absolutely chaotic. 1040 00:55:29,169 --> 00:55:32,169 I think I've improved as time's gone on. 1041 00:55:34,009 --> 00:55:35,489 Great cooking on this lamb. 1042 00:55:35,489 --> 00:55:37,609 A lot more things to think about than I thought, 1043 00:55:37,609 --> 00:55:40,169 like communicating with people - I didn't even think about that. 1044 00:55:41,449 --> 00:55:42,769 OK, beautiful. Really good. 1045 00:55:42,769 --> 00:55:45,529 Great presentation there. Thank you. 1046 00:55:45,529 --> 00:55:47,409 Two lamb - table 52, please. 1047 00:55:48,649 --> 00:55:50,169 It's not easy, so, yeah... Thank you. 1048 00:55:50,169 --> 00:55:51,809 ..congratulations. Well done. Thanks. 1049 00:55:53,889 --> 00:55:56,009 I could definitely see myself doing this as a job, 1050 00:55:56,009 --> 00:55:57,849 but a bit more training first. 1051 00:55:59,329 --> 00:56:01,009 This is the last stretch now. Last stretch. 1052 00:56:01,009 --> 00:56:03,009 You're doing really well. Keep it up. 1053 00:56:03,009 --> 00:56:05,009 I've learnt so much today. 1054 00:56:05,009 --> 00:56:08,049 100% tougher than I thought it was going to be. 1055 00:56:08,049 --> 00:56:10,009 Just the chicken on top and you're good to go. 1056 00:56:12,129 --> 00:56:14,809 The heat from that grill's just something else. 1057 00:56:14,809 --> 00:56:16,729 That's literally like working in a sauna. 1058 00:56:16,729 --> 00:56:18,529 Thank you. 1059 00:56:18,529 --> 00:56:21,489 To work on live fire, that's not an easy task. 1060 00:56:21,489 --> 00:56:23,929 That's one of the hardest dishes to do today, so well done. 1061 00:56:23,929 --> 00:56:25,689 Thank you, Chef. Cheers, cheers. 1062 00:56:27,689 --> 00:56:30,809 Definitely ready for a lie down, yeah. Somewhere cold! 1063 00:56:30,809 --> 00:56:31,809 TOM LAUGHS 1064 00:56:34,969 --> 00:56:36,689 Service is finally over. 1065 00:56:38,609 --> 00:56:40,049 The standard's been really high. 1066 00:56:40,049 --> 00:56:42,609 An amateur coming into a kitchen, never been in one before - 1067 00:56:42,609 --> 00:56:44,209 so, yeah, hats off to them. 1068 00:56:46,369 --> 00:56:48,169 I'm really, really impressed. 1069 00:56:48,169 --> 00:56:50,129 What they've just achieved is not easy. 1070 00:56:50,129 --> 00:56:52,489 What they've got to do now is learn from the experience 1071 00:56:52,489 --> 00:56:55,329 and take that on the journey with them. 1072 00:56:55,329 --> 00:56:57,329 I'm sad we didn't get dessert. 1073 00:56:57,329 --> 00:56:59,409 We lost Ecrin because she wasn't well. 1074 00:56:59,409 --> 00:57:01,689 But let's hope Ecrin is well enough to come back 1075 00:57:01,689 --> 00:57:04,489 to the competition later on. 1076 00:57:04,489 --> 00:57:06,289 Next up - our second group of eight, 1077 00:57:06,289 --> 00:57:08,569 and they're going to have to fight it out for the right to cook 1078 00:57:08,569 --> 00:57:11,209 in a professional kitchen themselves. 1079 00:57:19,809 --> 00:57:23,969 Next time - the second group of eight are back... 1080 00:57:23,969 --> 00:57:25,969 I'm, like, going, "Urgh." ..to battle it out... 1081 00:57:27,249 --> 00:57:29,809 What are you doing? Come on, come on! 1082 00:57:29,809 --> 00:57:31,009 Played your cards really well. 1083 00:57:31,009 --> 00:57:32,929 I think it's very, very good indeed. 1084 00:57:32,929 --> 00:57:37,089 ..for the chance to work in their first professional kitchen. 1085 00:57:37,089 --> 00:57:39,649 Need to push now and be focused, OK?