- 6 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:01From across the UK, 32 up-and-coming chefs are heading to the MasterChef kitchen in Birmingham in a battle
00:14to become professional MasterChef champion.
00:20Tonight, four new hopefuls compete to impress MasterChef judge Matt Tebert, renowned chef Monica Goletti and culinary legend Marcus Waring.
00:37Being a MasterChef professional contestant is just a dream come true. Just wanted to get cracking now and show everyone
00:44what I've got.
00:46I saw the M on my chest and it really felt real. It kind of hit me in the heart
00:50and I was like, I'm here, I'm doing it.
00:53I'm definitely very competitive. I want to bring a bit of girl power. I'm just going to get my head
00:58down and cook and try to block out everything else.
01:02This is a massive opportunity. I'm just going to stick to the game plan and it'll be all right.
01:09Who has got what it takes to set this competition alight?
01:12It's time to discover a new culinary superstar.
01:35So guys, MasterChef The Professionals continues. We've seen some great talent already. We've got four more chefs desperately wanting to
01:43come out and do this skills test.
01:45Really looking forward to this. We're bringing our previous winner, Nikita Patakji back. Let's see what skills test she's set
01:51for our chefs.
01:54Michelin trained chef and Sabah Club entrepreneur Nikita Patakji became MasterChef champion in 2022 with dishes inspired by her travels.
02:06The most positive thing to come from MasterChef was me creating and finding my style.
02:12She's a force to be reckoned with. Just plain wonderful.
02:18I loved cooking. Flavors from all over the world.
02:21What a triumph. It's going to be a tough one to beat.
02:24So after winning the show, being able to have the platform to showcase that to people was amazing.
02:31The skills test. I know exactly the feeling of being in that room, walking in, having those judges stare at
02:39you.
02:39It's intimidating. And so it's that pressure that makes it so difficult.
02:43But the main thing that I'm going to be looking for is how they work and how they attack the
02:49challenge in front of them.
02:50And their thought processes is going to show me who they are as a chef.
02:56So Nikita, you've already set two fabulous skills tests for us. What have you got for us today?
03:00So today I'm going to get the chefs to cook this bivette steak and serve it with a papaya and
03:06noodle salad and crispy noodles.
03:08What are the core skills that are on the show here?
03:10Obviously they have to cook the steak perfectly.
03:12And then it's really about the attention to detail when they're cutting vegetables and then making a delicious dressing.
03:18Hopefully it's not too overwhelming for them. Yeah. Or terrifying.
03:23We'll see.
03:24Nikita, 20 minutes. Show us how you do this beautiful steak and salad.
03:28First, I'm actually going to get the noodle soaking for the salad.
03:33I'm going to soak them in hot water.
03:35They're Michele noodles. I use them quite a lot in salmon food, so I'm a huge fan.
03:40They don't so much need to be cooked, they just need to be soaked.
03:43I'm going to get on with the salad prep.
03:46Green papaya in the salad?
03:47Yeah, I mean, they're the base of so many wonderful salads, especially in places like Thailand.
03:52Green papaya is not overpowering. It's more like a vegetable.
03:55It is, absolutely. But the chefs may never have prepared one of these before.
03:58You might be a little bit surprised.
04:01So, it's really important that they take these seeds out, because they're not very nice to eat.
04:05And you can leave the skin on if you want, but I find that it's a little bit tannily, a
04:09bit tough, so I prefer to peel it for this salad.
04:12I'm also going to put a little bit of daikon and some carrot.
04:14So, it's completely up to the chefs what they're using for this salad here?
04:18Yeah, we want them to use the papaya and the noodles, but they've got a few other ingredients they can
04:22throw in there as well.
04:24The key is understanding the ingredients for the salad and cutting them in a way that they all complement each
04:29other.
04:29Some are thinner, some are smaller. It is about the feel when you're eating it. I think it's really important.
04:33Exactly that. Next, I'm going to prepare my bouvet. So, I'm going to cut a nice portion.
04:44This is a difficult piece of meat to get right.
04:47You really want to keep it medium rare. Otherwise, if it's too rare, it's a little bit flabby and not
04:52the nicest.
04:53And then on the other side, it becomes really tough.
04:56This is a key point now. It's about heat control, making sure the butter doesn't burn, and doing what you're
05:01doing, which is just basically just keep basing it and basing it.
05:03That is what I call a labour of love.
05:05Definitely. But that's what I want to see.
05:07I don't want to see them not giving it the attention that it deserves.
05:12We definitely want to have enough time to rest that steak so that it's nice, even, cooking all the way
05:18through.
05:18So, now I'm going to turn my attention to the dressing.
05:21Firstly, green chilies. I want it to have a little bit of a kick.
05:24I'm actually going to use the stalks of the coriander for this.
05:27They have a lot of flavour, and I'll put the leaves through the actual salad.
05:30So, a little bit of jaggery, which is a really delicious kind of sugar.
05:33I'm going to put a very small amount of this fermented shrimp paste.
05:37It's intense and fishy and savoury.
05:39This ingredient might scare the contestants, but when used correctly, it does bring such a great flavour to it.
05:45What sort of consistency are you looking for?
05:47I want to make a nice paste, and then I'm going to let it down with lime juice and fish
05:51sauce.
05:51You're looking for something really big and bold.
05:53Yeah, exactly.
05:54When it comes to the dressing, they could just go for some olive oil and some lime and call it
05:58a day, but I really want them to do a lot more.
06:02That would not be a good day for our chefs.
06:09It's got kicked.
06:14So, I really want to massage the dressing into the vegetables to get that flavour.
06:19Mm.
06:19So, I'm just going to finish it with these noodles, which are now a lovely, bouncy consistency.
06:26Mm-hm.
06:28So, the last bit is to just make the garnish, which is just some crispy noodles.
06:32These take seconds in the fryer.
06:40It's really important here that they carve the steak against the grain.
06:44That's going to make it much more tender when you eat it.
06:46Otherwise, it's going to be a lot tougher to eat.
06:49That looks absolutely spot on.
06:53All that's left is to dress the plate.
07:03And there we have bavette steak with a papaya and noodle salad and some crispy noodles.
07:08Very nice.
07:12Not too spicy.
07:13Mm.
07:14Nikita, the steak beautifully cooked, and you kept it very plain because you've got all the seasoning, the heat, the
07:23sweetness, the saltiness in this salad.
07:26That's delicious.
07:26I absolutely love this.
07:28You make it look easy.
07:29It's not easy.
07:30It is about skill, it is about balance, and it's about great cookery.
07:35Nikita, thank you so much for that.
07:36We've got two new chefs to bring in, so you go and have a seat.
07:39We're bringing you back for the tasting.
07:41Can't wait.
07:42You know what?
07:43I'm really excited.
07:44I'm hoping our chefs can do something similar.
07:48Let's get the first chef in and let's see what they can do.
07:51All right, let's see who we've got today.
07:55First up is 23-year-old demi-chef de partie, Polly, who currently works at an iconic five-star luxury
08:03hotel in London.
08:04So I grew up in the Norfolk countryside, but we also live near the sea.
08:10So it's extremely sea-based, lots of nice seafood.
08:15After school, I've always loved my sport, so I went into golf and I became pro at 18.
08:21I loved it, but then I decided, no, like, what am I doing?
08:24I love food, so I then quit being the golfer and I went into the golf club kitchen.
08:29And that's how I learned everything in there.
08:32In the kitchen, I'm super competitive.
08:34I have been called Little Hulk.
08:39But that's only sometimes.
08:41I'm usually really nice.
08:44I think my skills are quite good.
08:46I hope.
08:47And we'll find out.
08:53Hi, Polly.
08:54Hello.
08:54How are you?
08:55All right. A bit nervous.
08:57Totally normal.
08:59Welcome.
09:00To your skills test.
09:01This skills test has been set by a previous winner, Nikita.
09:06OK.
09:06What we'd like you to make is bavette steak with papaya vermicelli noodle salad and crispy noodles.
09:13Crispy noodles.
09:14OK.
09:15You've done those before?
09:16No, I think I'm just going to chuck them in the front.
09:18I think that's a great idea.
09:19And crisp them up.
09:21Yeah.
09:21You got it, Polly.
09:22Sounds like a plan.
09:24Polly, you've got 20 minutes.
09:25Take it away.
09:26Amazing.
09:28I'm just going to blanch my noodles quickly.
09:31She's going to blanch the noodles.
09:32She doesn't need to do with that.
09:33They will just overcook very quickly, so she needs to be careful.
09:37These just need a quick, quick blanch, and I'll take them out.
09:40She's running under cold water to stop the cooking.
09:42That's good.
09:44I'm just going to prep everything for the salad.
09:46Have you attacked a papaya before, Polly?
09:49Not recently.
09:50I have in the past.
09:51OK.
09:51I'm just going to take these seeds out.
09:53It's quite bitter.
09:54I'm just going to use the mandolin, have it nice and thin.
09:57I'm hoping she's going to julienne it to make sure it's nice and small.
10:05Right, Polly, five minutes have gone.
10:07Yep.
10:0715 left.
10:08Yep.
10:09You've chopped up some of the papaya.
10:10I'm going to use maybe some spring onions, some chilli, some nice fresh lime, coriander.
10:16I would like to see her use the ingredients to make a dressing rather than going directly into the salad.
10:21But it will still taste nice.
10:24I think I might make some kind of dressing.
10:27Dressing.
10:28There we go.
10:29I want to get some nice sweetness in there.
10:31So I have this jaggery paste.
10:34OK.
10:34Shrimp paste as well.
10:35There's some fish sauce.
10:37Have you eaten a lot of Asian food?
10:38Yeah, I do eat a fair bit.
10:40Perfect.
10:42How do you like the taste of that shrimp paste?
10:43It's quite strong, so I'm not going to put a lot in there.
10:45Get that for more.
10:47Good idea, Polly.
10:49It's bold to taste it.
10:52I'm just going to add my noodles.
10:55I'm going to get the steak on so it has time to rest.
10:58Polly, you're halfway.
11:02That's a big piece of meat.
11:06Polly, this five-star hotel in London that you work in, do they do particularly big portions?
11:10Well, you know, I thought you'd all look very hungry, so...
11:15I would have preferred to see her trim a nice piece, which is even thickness all the way through,
11:20so that it will cook more evenly in the pan.
11:24Right, Polly, you've got five minutes.
11:27Time flies.
11:28She needs to get this basting so that it can rest.
11:31I'm not going to get this steak rested to the way I want it.
11:35Looking back, the smaller portion would have been a lot easier.
11:38Yes.
11:46It should work.
11:49They only need a few seconds.
11:52Do you expect it to be heavier?
11:53I expect it to be a lot heavier.
11:55How long do I have left, sir?
11:56You've got two minutes.
11:58Come on, Polly.
11:58You're nearly there.
11:59Hold it together.
12:01Start thinking about serving your steak up soon in your salad.
12:07She's cut that steak with the grain.
12:10You really want to be carving against the grain, because it will just make it more tender to eat.
12:15How's it looking?
12:15Quite pink.
12:17Yeah?
12:17But I like a rare steak, so...
12:20Okay, Polly, put something on a plate.
12:22Otherwise, I've got nothing to eat.
12:31That is it.
12:32Time's up.
12:33Oof.
12:33Just in time.
12:35Well done for keeping it together, Polly.
12:36Felt like I've never been in a kitchen before.
12:46Hi, Polly.
12:47How was that?
12:48Interesting.
12:49Yeah.
12:50I think you held your nerve quite well, actually.
12:52I tried my best.
12:53It was nice to watch.
12:59You should have cut a smaller piece of steak.
13:01It's not going to rest in time.
13:02But having said that, you know, you knew how to cook the steak.
13:04It was nice to see you basting it, looking after it in the pan.
13:08By rule of thumb, you need to cut across the grain.
13:10You didn't, but it's still incredibly tender, which is great.
13:14What we have here is a papaya noodle salad, but the ratio of noodles to everything else,
13:19it's mainly noodles.
13:21Yeah.
13:21You made a dressing quite like that.
13:23It's sort of salty and sharp, but that's all I'm managing to get is sort of dressed noodles.
13:28But I admire the fact that you tasted and checked and didn't just throw things in for the sake of
13:33it.
13:34You'd never cooked the noodles like that before, but you thought, I'm going to give that a go.
13:38And you produced a half-decent plate of food.
13:41But generally, I thought the way you worked and your attitudes was bang on.
13:46Polly, it's over.
13:47You can relax.
13:49We look forward to seeing what you've got for us in the next round.
13:51Thanks very much.
13:59She was unfamiliar with quite a few of these ingredients, but found her way and tasted it.
14:03It's a good thing to see.
14:06It wasn't as bad as I thought.
14:09There's some obvious things.
14:11I don't know why I cooked the entire bloody steak, but I don't know.
14:14But all things considered, I think it actually went okay.
14:19It was okay.
14:19It was okay.
14:25Next up...
14:26Hello.
14:27How you doing?
14:28...is 30-year-old head chef Ben, who works in a traditional 18th century gastropub in Somerset.
14:37I had no classical training.
14:38Most of my career has been working in pubs.
14:41I'd like to think that pub food is as good as any restaurant, especially in this day and age.
14:46I've always said I wanted to win a Michelin star.
14:49It can be done in pubs if you look at, like, Tom Carriage.
14:51So that would be pretty cool.
14:54My friends and family have always told me to apply for MasterChef.
14:57And then I turned 30 last year, and then I just thought, why not?
15:01And I think I'm at a stage now in my career where I'd like to think I know enough.
15:06We would like you to make for us a bavette steak served with papaya,
15:10and a vermicelli noodle salad, and crispy noodles.
15:14Papaya I've not worked with before.
15:15Okay.
15:1620 minutes.
15:18Here we go.
15:21Good to see him cutting a sensible portion.
15:24Tell us about you. How long have you been cooking?
15:26Eight years, so mainly I've worked in pubs.
15:28Was that always the calling, or were you doing something else before?
15:31No, so I've actually got a degree in politics.
15:34You just change your mind?
15:35Yeah.
15:35Once you do a degree in politics, you kind of think to yourself,
15:38I don't want to do that full-time.
15:39What am I going to do?
15:40Yeah.
15:40That steak needs to be flipped.
15:44What sort of food did you grow up eating?
15:46Tomatoes, cucumber, rhubarb.
15:47My dad and granddad used to grow loads of vegetables.
15:50And what was their sort of key ingredient that they were always so proud of?
15:53Their cucumber.
15:54Yeah?
15:54Yes, my mum, when she was pregnant with me, was addicted to cucumber
15:57and passed it on to me.
15:59I would like to see him basting that steak, you know,
16:02maybe throwing some aromats into it,
16:04just giving it a bit of love and attention.
16:06I'm going to foam this butter.
16:08There we go.
16:12And I'm going to whack a bit of the fish sauce through it,
16:14a minute.
16:16Interesting.
16:17Take that steak out of the pan now to rest it.
16:23Ben, you've had seven minutes.
16:25Yeah.
16:25Um, just tell me what you're thinking of doing with your salad there.
16:28So, I'm just shredding this moolies, spring onion,
16:30and then I'm going to dress it, season it, go from there.
16:34Good knife skills.
16:35But he's avoiding the papaya, I think.
16:41You've got to do it at some point, Ben.
16:43Your papaya?
16:44Yeah.
16:44You've got any idea what you're going to do with it?
16:45I'm going to start cutting it up and see what happens.
16:49There we go.
16:50OK, he's peeling it, which is good.
16:55I would be OK with him dicing it, but he's just gone with the
17:00completely random shapes.
17:01Not uniform at all.
17:03So, remind me again, Ben, what's in the salad?
17:06Papaya, peanut and spring onion.
17:08So, you've blanched some noodles off.
17:10What are you going to do with them?
17:11Well, I'm going to dress them through the salad.
17:14OK, good. Noodles are out.
17:15It would be good to run them under some cold water.
17:18Exactly, Ben.
17:19And then that second nest I'm going to deep fry.
17:22There we go.
17:27They only needed a few seconds.
17:29Have you thought about a dressing for your salad?
17:32Yeah, some lime, fish sauce, some of this chilli,
17:35some shrimp paste.
17:36Have you used that before?
17:37No, I haven't used it before, so we're going to see what happens.
17:40I imagine you have to let it down a little bit,
17:41because it's a hard block.
17:42That's OK.
17:43Those noodles, Ben.
17:45What about the noodles in the fryer?
17:49Those noodles are burnt.
17:52You've got more?
17:53Yes, I do.
17:55OK, he's going to do it again.
17:59Ben, you've got three minutes.
18:00You need to carve your steak and plate up.
18:03He's cutting against the grain, which is good.
18:05The steak looks nicely cooked.
18:07There's a lot of blood, though.
18:08I think because he rested it in the hot pan,
18:10it retained that heat for a bit too long.
18:12Oh, no, they're burnt again.
18:16They're a little bit on the brown side.
18:18A little bit like the first batch.
18:19A little bit.
18:21I hope he leaves them off the plate.
18:23Start getting this together now.
18:30That's a big portion, and it's just a lot of noodles.
18:39Don't put those on, Ben.
18:40Just sit, no.
18:43Ben, you finished?
18:44As I'll ever be.
18:45In the nick of time.
18:46Well done.
18:54Hi, Ben. Hello.
18:55How was that?
18:56Stressful.
18:57Yeah.
18:58I could see you avoiding that papaya.
19:00Yeah.
19:07I think it was a well-cooked steak,
19:09but then I think when you got down to the salad,
19:12you got a little bit frazzled,
19:14not knowing what to do with the papaya, and that showed.
19:16I wish you'd just left those noodles off.
19:17They clearly didn't work.
19:18There was no need to put them on.
19:21I kept asking you what else was going in your salad
19:24because there were many other ingredients here,
19:26you know, the carrots.
19:27You had the coriander there.
19:28You could have been a bit more generous with the papaya.
19:31But I like the skills of keeping calm,
19:33even though, you know,
19:34I can imagine your heart's going 100 miles an hour.
19:37Dressing, there's a lot of lime juice in there,
19:39and it's balanced.
19:39I've got chilli as well.
19:41So it's almost, in a roundabout way, coming together.
19:45Your steak, resting it in a hot pan,
19:47that's why it bleeds,
19:48because it's still at quite a high temperature.
19:50But you have got a salad.
19:51You've got some nicely cooked beef,
19:53so I've seen nice skills on show here, Ben.
19:56Thanks very much.
19:57Thank you. Cheers, guys. Thank you.
20:03I liked Ben.
20:04I think there's a definite chef in there.
20:06For me, show is promise, and I can work on that.
20:12It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.
20:15It's petrifying.
20:18Some mixed feedback, but I'm happy it's done.
20:21Never got to do that again in my life.
20:23One and done.
20:26So, Nikita, two remaining chefs,
20:28and this is your last skills test.
20:30What do you have for them?
20:31So I'm going to ask them to make some falafel,
20:33to serve it with mahamara,
20:34which is a roasted red pepper and walnut dip.
20:37Make a quick flatbread and a little tomato salad.
20:40There's quite a few things.
20:41They're going to have to have a plan.
20:42Definitely.
20:43But each element is relatively quick,
20:45so if they can be organised and prioritised,
20:48they should be fine.
20:49Mmm.
20:5020 minutes.
20:50Show us how you do it.
20:53So, first they need to get their flatbread dough made.
20:55It's just two ingredients,
20:56self-raising flour and Greek yoghurt.
20:59I don't need the chefs to make very much,
21:01so they just need to take a small amount of flour.
21:03And then I am just going to add the yoghurt bit by bit,
21:06because if it's a little bit too sticky,
21:07it's not going to make an ice stone.
21:10Our chefs should have made some kind of dough at some point.
21:13This is about working it together to make a firm dough, right?
21:16Exactly that.
21:17If they don't get the dough made and resting,
21:19then they're going to struggle to roll it out.
21:21So that's come together,
21:22so I'm now just going to cover it and let it rest.
21:27And now I'm going to move on to making the falafel.
21:29So we're giving them the pre-soaked, uncooked chickpeas.
21:32I'm adding some garlic and parsley and coriander.
21:36I really like it when it's quite herby and green.
21:39And then I'm going to add a little bit of ground cumin
21:43and some chilli flakes.
21:45What's the secret behind a good falafel?
21:47It's getting it blended to the correct consistency.
21:50If they don't blend it enough,
21:51it's just going to fall apart on the fryer.
21:52And if they blend it too much, it will be a bit stodgy.
21:55You want it to be nice and fluffy and fresh.
22:00I'm going to be making cornels,
22:02but I don't mind how the chefs do it
22:03as long as they're all consistent.
22:04When they're shaping it, they really need to compact it in
22:06so that it does hold in the fryer.
22:09You want it to be crispy and golden,
22:11and it's gently cooking on the inside as well.
22:13Exactly, yeah.
22:13They do need to get that falafel frying
22:15because it takes longer than you think.
22:17OK.
22:17Next, I'm going to make the mahalara.
22:19I'm giving them the roasted red peppers.
22:20Mm-hm.
22:22I'm going to use a little bit of pomegranate molasses,
22:24which is a little bit acidic,
22:25and I'm also going to go in with some Aleppo pepper.
22:28Go in with a little bit of lemon.
22:30So if our chefs have not made this particular sauce,
22:32as long as they're using the peppers and the walnuts,
22:34seasoning, how they want...
22:35You're happy with that?
22:36Exactly.
22:36As long as it tastes good
22:37and they're using the key ingredients,
22:39I'm probably happy.
22:42So that's my mahamara done.
22:44It's still got a little bit of texture from the nuts.
22:46It's not completely smooth.
22:48I'm going to get the flatbread on and cooking
22:50before I make the tomato salad.
22:51It's quite a lot to do, isn't it?
22:53Yeah.
22:54I'm sprinkling on some nigella seeds
22:56just to add a bit of flavour and texture.
22:58And I want my pan nice and hot.
23:00I'm going to go in with a dry pan.
23:02So you're looking for those flatbreads
23:03to be a little bit blistered?
23:04Yeah, definitely.
23:06Hopefully it'll puff a little bit as well.
23:08The salad's going to be really simple.
23:10It's essentially going to be some dressed tomatoes,
23:11a bit of onions and some fresh herbs.
23:13Simple, but it's still got to taste amazing, isn't it?
23:15And again, they need to taste as they're making the salad.
23:18Definitely.
23:19So I'm going to add some sumac as well.
23:21OK.
23:21So you're looking for that real kind of citrusy kick.
23:24Exactly that, yeah.
23:25But, you know, they can do whatever they want, really.
23:28So the falafel are looking good,
23:29so I'm just going to lift them out.
23:31And they look beautiful.
23:32They're all the same size, golden.
23:34Can't wait to try them.
23:35OK, I think we're all ready to plate.
23:38Great.
23:39I'm going to go with the muhammara as the base.
23:44Presentation, doesn't matter.
23:45How do they do it?
23:46I want them to take their time, you know, make it look presentable.
23:48I've used a few different colours of tomatoes to help with that.
23:55So here we have falafel with muhammara, some flatbread and a little tomato salad.
24:00Gorgeous.
24:01Stunning.
24:06The falafel, crispy, crunchy.
24:09The inside is beautifully cooked.
24:11It hasn't dried out.
24:12It's held beautifully.
24:13You've got the herbs running, so it's so fresh.
24:16Your pepper sauce, it's so delicious.
24:19The hit of citrus to the sumac and the tomatoes.
24:22Your flatbread with the nigella seeds in it.
24:25I want more of this.
24:26You made a very detailed flavoured dish look incredibly easy.
24:31If our contestants get close to this, I think all three of us will be impressed.
24:35That was great.
24:36Should we get our chefs in?
24:37Let's see what they're made of.
24:4336-year-old Charlie is a head chef from Devon, whose passion for cooking runs in the family.
24:51Growing up, my mum was a chef, so I was always surrounded by good food.
24:55Everything was made from scratch.
24:58So it was easy for me to sort of slip into the restaurant world.
25:02After I left college, I went and did my first ski season and they threw me in the deep end.
25:06I think my first week was cooking Christmas dinner for 10 or 12 people and I had to ring my
25:11mum.
25:12I was like, Mum, how do you cook a Christmas dinner for 12 people?
25:16Being a chef, it's an addiction.
25:18It's not really a job.
25:19I don't see myself going to work every day.
25:21I see myself going to cook amazing food and making people happy.
25:25I'm hoping to get far, but the skills test is obviously the hardest bridge.
25:29I've just got to turn my chef brain on and don't mess it up,
25:32because I won't hear the end of it if it's something I'm confident at.
25:37Charlie, welcome to MasterChef and welcome to your skills test.
25:41We would love you to make falafel, flatbread, mahamara and tomato salad.
25:49Thoughts?
25:49Mahamara, never heard of it.
25:51OK.
25:51Mahamara is a pepper-walnut dip.
25:55OK.
25:5520 minutes, Charlie.
25:56Take it away.
26:00Charlie, what's your plan?
26:01So I'm going to make my falafels first.
26:04It's OK that he's starting with the falafel,
26:06but really he'd want to make the dough so that it has time to rest.
26:12So I'm going to chop some red onion, some spring onion,
26:14some garlic, some lemon zest and some fresh coriander.
26:17Sounds good.
26:19OK, he's going to go for some spices.
26:22Oh, that's a lot of cumin.
26:29Where are you working at the moment?
26:31Working at a sort of modern fine dining restaurant in Exmouth.
26:34Was it always the thing you were aiming to do?
26:36No, I wanted to be a pilot originally.
26:38Oh, yeah? What happened to that?
26:39I wasn't clever or rich, so they're the two ingredients
26:44you need to be a pilot.
26:48Charlie, five minutes have gone.
26:50How's that tasting?
26:51Tastes good.
26:52I'm just not happy with the consistency
26:54and I've had a bit of a mental block.
26:56Just got to have a bit of confidence in that mixture
26:59that it is going to hold because it looks drier than it is.
27:05Oh, no.
27:08It's just going to be a bit stodgy now.
27:11I'm going to roll some into balls.
27:12Yeah.
27:14And then dust them in a bit of flour.
27:16Unnecessary, actually.
27:17The flour will just burn on the outside
27:19because you have to fry these fluffle for a long time
27:21to make sure they're cooked all the way through.
27:23Much harder when you're here.
27:27Is that holding?
27:28Yeah.
27:29Yeah?
27:30Charlie, you're halfway.
27:32So I'm going to make the breads now.
27:33How are you going to attack that, then?
27:34Yogurt, flour.
27:35Oh, I would go flour first.
27:37And then you know how much yoghurt you need.
27:39He's going to make an awful lot of dough like this.
27:42What sort of texture are you looking for in this?
27:44I want to be able to roll it out.
27:46I'm not really getting it at the moment.
27:47You did use all that yoghurt.
27:49Yeah.
27:50There's nowhere near enough flour there.
27:52What he's making here is going to be more of a paste.
27:55Charlie, where does your love of food come from?
27:57My mum was a chef.
27:58Did she teach you much?
28:00Nah, she likes to think so.
28:01She was a bit more of a baker than I am.
28:03I could use her here right now.
28:08Oh, Charlie.
28:10Don't get frazzled.
28:14You've got seven minutes left.
28:15Your falafel is done.
28:17Flatbread's still en route.
28:18And you've got your Mahamala sauce to make and a tomato salad.
28:23He needs to get a move on.
28:27Thing is, if you go into a pan with that oil,
28:30it's just going to soak it up and just become a bit greasy.
28:34It's good to see that he's, you know, not forgotten about those falafels.
28:37Although, I would guess that they need a bit more cooking than that.
28:42Oh, in the oven.
28:43That will finish cooking them, but it won't form that beautiful golden crust we're looking for.
28:49You've got five minutes left.
28:51Time is running out, Charlie.
28:52Just to make the dip and season some tomatoes.
28:55What's that?
28:56Sumac. Sumac.
29:06How's it tasting?
29:07Good.
29:09How's your flatbread looking?
29:11A bit too thick.
29:12I'm probably being a bit doughy.
29:14Charlie, you've got 90 seconds.
29:15Let's start bringing this together.
29:17He's pushed himself right to the last minute,
29:20so it means that he doesn't have any time now to make sure that it's beautiful.
29:24Come on, come on, come on.
29:26Come on, Charlie, you're nearly there.
29:30Just in the nick of time, well done.
29:33You all right, Charlie?
29:34No.
29:35That was quite stressful.
29:43Hiya, Charlie.
29:44Hi, Nikita.
29:45How was that?
29:46Er, terrifying.
29:47Yeah, I mean, I've been there.
29:48I know how those nerves get the better of you sometimes.
29:57Falafel making, you had the gist of it at first, and then you just overthought it,
30:02and then added water, and added the flour.
30:04I mean, I'm surprised it's turned out as well as it has.
30:07The flatbread, you put all of the yoghurt, and then trying to let that out with all of the flour.
30:12It is a little bit doughy.
30:16The Mahamara tastes nice.
30:17It's got the red pepper, it's got the walnut.
30:19I would have blended it a bit longer, emulsified some olive oil just to give it some body,
30:23but you were really up against it with time when it got to that point.
30:26Tomato salad, you know, there was a whole heap of ingredients you could have added to that.
30:30Time's against you.
30:32Four quite key things here.
30:34All four of them you were struggling with, but this was a tough, tough challenge, I have to say.
30:39Charlie, put this behind you, and come back in the next round fighting, OK?
30:44Thank you, Chef.
30:44See you later.
30:52Ultimately, yes, we've got something on a plate, but Charlie panicked.
30:57My brain just got completely scrambled with everything, but I got everything on the plate just at the last minute,
31:02so that's something.
31:06Last up is 26-year-old junior sous chef Tom, who currently works at a restaurant in Winchester dedicated to
31:14wood-fired cuisine.
31:17We cook over live fire.
31:19We're working with 350, 400-degree ovens, so the adrenaline you get midway through a service, and it's just great.
31:26When I was growing up, I didn't enjoy school, and so I got a job in a bakery.
31:30I really enjoyed that, and that taught me how to read a recipe right.
31:34So then I moved into a pub, and I washed plates for 30 weekends in a row, until the guy
31:40who was doing starters and desserts didn't show up, and he said,
31:43it's all for you if you want it.
31:44And so from then, I was cooking in kitchens.
31:51So I used to watch MasterChef a lot with my mum, and there was always saying in me that was
31:54like, you could do that.
31:56Give it a go.
31:57I'd like to say I can win it, but we'll have to see.
32:03Tom, you ready for this?
32:04Yep.
32:0520 minutes, take it away.
32:06I'm going to try and do falafels first, I think.
32:09That's okay, but I want him to get the dough on, just so that it has a bit of time
32:13to rest.
32:14So what are we starting off with?
32:16So we've got chickpeas, lemon zest.
32:17A bit of lemon zest will be nice.
32:19Lemon juice.
32:20You need to be careful, because you don't want too much additional moisture.
32:24Put some garlic in there as well.
32:25Yep.
32:26Hopefully some herbs and spices.
32:27Cumin.
32:29Good.
32:30Have you made falafels before?
32:32I have, not for a long while.
32:33I think I made them once with my mum.
32:37What's the key to a good falafel?
32:38Soft in the middle and then crunchy on the outside.
32:41A lot of the time you get quite dry falafels, so I'm going to try and get some oil in
32:44there,
32:44so it's not as dry.
32:45He's now adding oil to it, which is just going to add a lot of moisture and potentially make
32:51it a bit greasy as well.
32:53So you just mentioned your mum there.
32:54Did you cook a lot with her growing up?
32:55Yeah, we used to try and do dinners together.
32:57I mean, I always used to, like, kind of be in the kitchen when she was there,
33:00so I'd kind of watch her cook.
33:02She basically helped me get my first job as well.
33:04So I started at a bakery and it was pretty awesome.
33:07Yeah.
33:07He's a bit caught up in the chat and not really focused on what he's doing.
33:11They're all different sizes and shapes.
33:13They just look a bit rough.
33:16Tom, you've had seven minutes.
33:18I see your falafels have been made.
33:19What's next?
33:20I'm going to go for flatbreads.
33:22Perfect.
33:23Good start with the flour.
33:27You said you did a lot of baking when you were younger.
33:30Yeah, so I started in a bakery, like, stuff like sourdough and stuff like that.
33:33That was good fun.
33:34OK, it looks like it's coming together.
33:37But he's moving quite slowly.
33:39He just needs to have a bit more urgency.
33:42We're now halfway.
33:43You've still got your mohamara dip and the tomato salad.
33:46Yes. Right, we're going to do the dip.
33:47What have you got in there?
33:48We have the walnut sumac ala pepo pepper, cumin, chilli flakes and then a bit of the molasses.
33:53Do a bit of oil in there as well.
33:56This is a really quick job.
33:57I wish you would get those falafel in the fryer.
34:00They take five minutes and he needs to get a move on with this flatbread.
34:06Tom, you've got six minutes.
34:08At some point, you might have to start cooking things.
34:11Hint, hint.
34:12Drop the falafel.
34:13Just got to hope these don't fall apart, really.
34:15This is the moment of truth.
34:19How are their falafel, Tom?
34:21Yeah, they're good.
34:21They're not falling apart, so that's a good thing.
34:24OK, flatbread, flatbread, come on.
34:31He's moved on to the tomato salad, but we really want this flatbread to be cooked in time.
34:36What's going to go in there, Tom?
34:37I'm going to do tomatoes and then a little bit of red onion and then salt and coriander and some
34:42parsley in there as well.
34:43You're running out of time.
34:45Come on, the flatbreads.
34:46Tom, you've got three minutes.
34:47Really got to get a move on and that flatbread needs to start cooking at some point.
34:51You need to roll that really thin to get it cooked in time, Tom.
34:56Oh, dear.
34:57That's just not going to cook in time and it's rough.
35:00Right, Tom, 90 seconds to finish up.
35:02Get everything on a plate.
35:07How's the bread?
35:08Please don't be burnt.
35:10Oh, beautiful.
35:15Done?
35:16Yes.
35:16Time's up. Well done.
35:17Thank you very much.
35:18In the nick of time, but that flatbread, unfortunately, is just going to be raw.
35:28Hi, Tom.
35:29How are you feeling after that?
35:30Good.
35:31You're very calm and collected.
35:33I think maybe you just needed a bit of speed because it caught up with you at the end.
35:40Tom, you spent nearly ten minutes just working on the falafels, but falafels are good.
35:46They're still soft in the middle, nice and crispy on the outside.
35:50I really like those.
35:52Your tomato salad brings the freshness to the plate.
35:54You've got everything in there.
35:55It's very, very good.
35:56But your mahamahara sauce needs a bit more garlic.
35:59It needs seasoning.
35:59It's very citrusy.
36:02The flatbread for a baker, you had 20 minutes.
36:04That dough was made well ahead of time.
36:06You could have got that on.
36:07You seem like a guy who enjoys a good chat, but there's a certain point.
36:11You're going to have to rein that in and focus.
36:14I just wanted to scream at you to get that flatbread on,
36:18but there's elements on this dish that are really well seasoned.
36:21It tastes nice.
36:22So well done.
36:23We look forward to seeing what you've got for us when you come back in the kitchen.
36:26Thank you very much.
36:26See you later.
36:30I think I maybe was too calm.
36:31I think maybe I needed to be a little bit quicker.
36:34I think I've showed skill in a few different areas there.
36:36I just wish I'd cooked the flatbread.
36:40I thought it was a very positive start,
36:42and I thought they all handled themselves very well.
36:44There were some issues with some of the chefs here.
36:47Seasoning, timing was off.
36:49That's to be expected at this point.
36:51But overall, four very interesting chefs.
36:54Nikita, it's been fabulous having you back in the MasterChef kitchen.
36:57I had a great time.
36:59Much better on this side of it.
37:01Thank you so much, Nikita.
37:02Thanks, guys.
37:05It's their own food next,
37:07so I'm very much looking forward to seeing what they've got.
37:27Chefs, now you're going to have to really up your game.
37:31In this round, we want you to cook us your signature dish,
37:35the one that really shows us who you are.
37:38There's a lot at stake here.
37:40This is for a place in our quarter-final.
37:42Two of you are going to be leaving the competition.
37:44Make sure you give it absolutely everything you've got.
37:47You have one hour and 30 minutes. Off you go, and good luck.
37:59Definitely going all out today.
38:00Why not?
38:01My signature dish does have some different elements.
38:08If I like a flavour of something, I'll use it.
38:12That's what I like about food. It has no rules.
38:14If I want to add it, I can add it.
38:16No-one's going to tell me, no.
38:20So, I'm doing pan-fried halibut
38:22with a tempura courgette stuffed flour.
38:25So, going inside that is some smoked pancetta
38:27mixed with some scallop mousse.
38:29And also, I've got pistachio chimichurri.
38:31OK.
38:32And then I'm serving that with a leek and soy sauce.
38:35How did this dish come about?
38:37I started with the halibut,
38:38and then it just kind of evolved from there.
38:40I know I'm a young chef,
38:42but I want to prove that I can do certain elements,
38:44and I love working with fish.
38:46What's the ambition here, if it all goes well for you?
38:48I want to move back home on the Norfolk coast,
38:50and I want to open up a restaurant there
38:52and base it off family dishes,
38:54things that I grew up with around there.
38:56Yeah, it'd just be really, really special to me
38:58if I can create that.
38:59Well, good luck. Thank you.
39:00That's right, you might be moving back to Norfolk sooner than you know.
39:03I hope so.
39:06Holly has chosen halibut.
39:07Growing up round the Norfolk coast,
39:10we was always fishing with my dad.
39:12One of my earliest memories is him lining the kitchen table
39:16with newspaper, sitting me up on it,
39:18and he'd show me how to fillet fish.
39:20So I love, love working with fish.
39:23It's got to be beautifully trimmed up, taken off the skin,
39:26and perfectly cooked.
39:27It's such gorgeous fish,
39:28so I really hope I do it some justice.
39:31We've got some beetroot that she's baking and candying,
39:33so we're going to have a little bit of sweetness in there too.
39:36We have pistachio chimichurri,
39:38which has been added to parsley and coriander.
39:41The good ingredient that's missing that makes me question
39:44is a chimichurri are the chillies.
39:47But what you want is a good green sauce packed full of flavour.
39:53The richness of the pistachio really works with, like,
39:56the meatiness of the fish.
39:59Polly's also got a scallop mousse
40:01going inside a courgette flour,
40:03which is then going to be tempurad.
40:06You need a scallop mousse to be nice and soft, velvety.
40:10The thing I'm struggling with is the fact
40:11that there's pancetta in there,
40:13which is going to be quite a hard bite.
40:15So whether that works or not remains to be seen.
40:19These working? Yes. Fantastic, yeah, great.
40:21These are working well. OK.
40:23Also, Polly's using soy to season her leek sauce.
40:28The soy sauce creates this really lovely kind of, like,
40:31unami base layer to the sauce as well.
40:33It works well.
40:35What we don't want is that overriding flavour of soy.
40:38It needs to be balanced.
40:39Polly's got a lot going on.
40:40I'm just curious how everything will come together on Polly's dish.
40:46I'm not happy with what the judges have seen so far with me.
40:49I've got a point to prove in this round.
40:52I've got to make this dish shine,
40:53and if it doesn't, then I'm going home.
40:58Charlie, what are you cooking?
41:00I'm doing kidney and venison pie.
41:02Ooh.
41:02And I'm going to do a duchess bone marrow potato top,
41:05seared venison loin, a little bit of kidney as well.
41:07I'm doing a smoked bar nut squash puree
41:08and a little asparagus, broccoli and radish salad.
41:12And is this very typical of your style of food?
41:14Yeah, I mean, I grew up in a game-led pub
41:17when I first started cooking,
41:18and I haven't really sort of left it.
41:20I like game, I like that nose to tear leet in,
41:22trying to use all the animal you can.
41:23I've tried and tested it with a few people.
41:26They've enjoyed it, I've enjoyed it.
41:27I'm a little bit sick of it now,
41:28but I'm hoping that you guys won't be.
41:35Charlie is putting together a really gutsy dish,
41:38and I really like the sound of it.
41:39This is my kind of food.
41:42He's creating this little venison mince pie.
41:45He's got to just bang it full of flavour,
41:49with the kidneys, the pancetta, the venison.
41:52He's also got a bone marrow potato topping, so rich.
41:58We've got the venison loin.
42:00There's no fat, there's no sinew.
42:01You've got to be very careful when you're colouring it
42:03that you don't overheat it, you don't want it to dry out.
42:05Kidney, take off the membrane, sauté it off nice and quickly,
42:09serve it nice and pink.
42:10Kidney cookery is very hard to get right in the kitchen
42:14with this much pressure.
42:15Charlie is making a smoked squash puree.
42:18I want to taste some of that smoke running through the squash puree.
42:22I'm pumping the smoke into the puree as it's blending
42:25to get that flavour right into the puree, so it's really strong.
42:29We have a squash fondant, hopefully in lots of stock or butter,
42:32and the fondant, as always, should be like butter when you cut through it.
42:36I've got to get the sauce on for the venison quite quickly
42:38to reduce that down.
42:40He's roasting off the bones, and he's making a really strong reduction
42:45of port and red currant to add to that.
42:48I want to show that I can punch a lot of flavour into my sauces
42:51in a short time frame.
42:53Feels like he's throwing everything at it,
42:56but I have to say, if he gets this right, it's going to be good.
43:01Chefs, first 20 minutes have gone.
43:06I'm feeling good. Ready to crack on.
43:09I don't want to go home today.
43:12Essentially, I have to cook. Best dish of my life.
43:15And no mistakes.
43:18Ben, signature round. Yeah.
43:21Tell us about it. What are you doing?
43:22I'm doing a baked halibut with pickled cucumber, champagne cream,
43:26mussels, chive oil, some bronze fennel.
43:29I love fish.
43:29My first head chef was really, really big on fish,
43:32so as a commie I was prepping fish, opening oysters,
43:35making fish stock.
43:36It's just food that I like eating.
43:37If I was at a restaurant, it's what I'd order.
43:39Who has tried this dish?
43:40Quite a lot of my customers.
43:41One of the customers actually tried to buy the recipe
43:44with a pint of beer.
43:45I obliged.
43:46Who's the person behind you that really, like, is like, go Ben?
43:50My girlfriend, she helped me drunkenly apply it,
43:52and then here I am.
43:56I like the fact that Ben is cooking the food that he enjoys.
44:00He's taking the halibut, which is going to bake in the oven
44:02with the skin on, remove that skin,
44:05and then he's going to put a lovely little potato crumble on top.
44:08Delicious.
44:09The mussels is cleaning up and cooking those
44:11in a little bit of champagne.
44:15We've got potato.
44:16We've also got a little bit of bronze fennel.
44:18He's making a champagne cream sauce.
44:21So my sauce is reduced and it's had all the fish stock in it.
44:23And then he's going to put the mussels, the potatoes,
44:26and pickled cucumber through it,
44:27so it just becomes something quite delicious.
44:29How's the champagne sauce?
44:30Tastes really nice.
44:31Are you happy?
44:32I'm happy.
44:32Good man.
44:33Sounds classical, it sounds beautiful,
44:35and I love the fact that he's tried it on his customers.
44:38So much so that they wanted to bribe him for the recipe.
44:41So that's got to be a good sign, right?
44:47Hopefully this is, yeah, enough to get me through to the next round.
44:50I think I've got a lot to prove to the judges,
44:52but I'm feeling a little bit more comfortable,
44:54obviously, cooking my own food.
44:57I should be right.
45:00Hey, Tom, it looks like you're making a dessert.
45:02I am making a dessert.
45:03I'm making a pistachio sponge with a raspberry cheesecake.
45:06OK, so it's like a cheesecake cream?
45:08Yes.
45:08Then an orange gel, raspberry gel, white chocolate crumb,
45:11and a twill.
45:12Is that it?
45:13Yeah.
45:13Wow.
45:14When I first started, I worked in a patisserie and a bakery,
45:17so I'm going to prove to you that I can do a dessert.
45:22Tom's making a dessert.
45:23I love it.
45:24It's the real strength in a chef to be confident
45:26in the pastry department.
45:29He's putting the sachets inside that sponge,
45:31alongside some almond.
45:32It's important that that sponge is nice and light,
45:35which can't be dry.
45:36Got a recipe cheesecake.
45:37Creamy.
45:37And he's going to put that on top of the sponge.
45:40There's corn flour running through there as well,
45:41so that helps to set it.
45:43But if corn flour's not cooked properly,
45:45then it leaves a taste in your mouth.
45:47And if that taste is too overpowering,
45:49then it's a no-go for me.
45:51It doesn't work.
45:52If the cheesecake doesn't set,
45:53there might be a problem there,
45:54but I'm confident it will do.
45:56He's also adding an orange gel,
45:58a raspberry gel.
46:00The raspberry twill, I think,
46:02is going to cause him the most problems.
46:05I've had four practice attempts.
46:08Two the twill worked,
46:09two the twill didn't work.
46:11That's quite a risk to come into this competition
46:13and only be half-good at something.
46:1715 minutes left to go.
46:19Are you going to be OK?
46:20I'll find out in 15 minutes.
46:22You certainly will.
46:28I've got to finish my potato crumb,
46:30pass my chive oil,
46:31should be all good.
46:32Chefs, you've got five minutes.
46:35Cheesecake's set,
46:35so I'm happy with that.
46:38Pushing, pushing.
46:40You need to get a move on.
46:41Charlie.
46:47Chefs, 30 seconds left.
46:48Chefs, get food on the plates now, please.
46:56Chefs, time is up.
47:02Charlie, come on up.
47:04Head chef Charlie's signature dish is a venison mince and kidney filo pastry pie, topped with a bone marrow duchess
47:13mash, served with pan-roasted venison loin and kidney.
47:17Butternut squash fondant, smoked butternut squash puree, asparagus radish and broccoli salad, and a port and red currant jus.
47:28It's a very wishy-washy sauce. What went wrong?
47:31Thyme. I didn't reduce it down enough.
47:42The pie here with the filo pastry has got a lovely crispness to it. The filling is sort of reminiscent
47:48of a bolognese taste for me. It's nice, but I'm wanting sort of like a dense, rich sauce to really
47:54bind that together.
47:56The duchess potatoes, I like more of the marrow through it and a touch of seasoning on it. For me,
48:02the salad isn't necessary.
48:04There's lots I like, but also there are things that you haven't quite nailed.
48:08The venison is cooked very nicely. It's just really earthy. It's really rich.
48:12That smoked squash puree, it's really good. It's got a lot of punch to it, and I like that.
48:18In my mind, the only thing that's let you down here is that sauce. It's just too wishy-washy.
48:24You know, pie, I'd eat it. You know, I like a pie. Kidney's nicely cooked. Love your fondant, but what
48:29you need with a dish like this is a good sauce.
48:32That's not a good sauce. There's no body, there's no depth, there's no flavour, there's no seasoning.
48:36It lacks everything that is needed for a sauce of this winter value.
48:43I was in my best hour. There were some mistakes I made, and that's the price you pay.
48:49But it was an experience, so I'm happy.
48:56Demi-chef de partie, Polly, has cooked pan-fried halibut, topped with caviar, served with a tempura courgette flour, stuffed
49:04with a scallop, and smoked pancetta mousse.
49:07Salt-baked beetroot, pickled candied beetroot, pistachio chimichurri, and a leek and soy sauce.
49:17Polly, I like your presentation. You've clearly put a lot of thought in how you were going to dress your
49:21dish here.
49:27Polly, you just need to just come back just a touch on the halibut cookery. It needs to be a
49:31lot more moist.
49:32I like the beetroot you've baked in the salt crust, you've left it rustic.
49:35I think of chimichurri, I think of chilies, but I haven't said that.
49:38The chimichurri is great. I like the pistachio. I love the herbal element of it. There's a bit of acidity
49:43running through it. Delicious.
49:45The soy and leek sauce is what really brings it together beautifully.
49:48I love the sweetness too, and it works well with the fish. Really, really good.
49:53The beetroot is nicely cooked. You've got a little pickled beetroot on the side as well.
49:57The tempura courgette's got nice crispiness to it, the filling is smooth, and you've got pancetta in it.
50:02Does it need it? Well, it's nice, but there is things that aren't really necessary.
50:08Everything on my dish is very nicely done. My criticism is there's a lot of ingredients.
50:14I've got soy, I've got pistachios, I've got chimichurri, now I've got caviar, there's scallops, there's pancetta.
50:20Although, clearly, you can cook very well, it's more of a lesson in restraint.
50:24It's like, I can do all this, but now let's just tone it down just a little bit.
50:33Mix of emotions.
50:35I'm quite happy with what I put out, but, you know, if they thought there was too much going on,
50:40that's fair enough.
50:41I think Marcus liked it more than Monica and Matt, but that's food, you know.
50:48Head chef Ben's dish is baked halibut topped with a potato crumb, served with mussels.
50:55Boiled potatoes, pickled cucumber, and a champagne cream sauce split with chive oil.
51:08The fish cookery is beautiful, just falling apart, and the potato crumbs, the saltiness on it, which you've used to
51:15season the top of the fish, very clever.
51:17The mussels are perfect, just divine. The potato is beautifully cooked. It is solid cooking skills, done well.
51:26Your champagne cream sauce is fantastic. It's fishy, it's fresh in champagne, and it's creamy and delicious and velvety.
51:34It's just really good cookery, and that's what a signature dish is all about. That says a lot about you,
51:39and you gave that recipe away for a pint.
51:41Yeah, you need to be asking a little bit more than just a pint.
51:47Ben, this is a very accomplished plate of food.
51:51Honestly, if I had this in a restaurant, I'd be rebooking everything on this dish.
51:55It's brilliant. You should be very proud of yourself. Well done.
51:58OK.
52:01It's brilliant. It made me really emotional. The best feedback I've ever had in my life.
52:10Last up is junior sous chef, Tom. He has made a pistachio sponge cake filled with a raspberry cheesecake cream,
52:18topped with white chocolate and pistachio crumb, served with raspberry and orange gel, fresh raspberries, burnt orange segments, and a
52:28raspberry tuile.
52:35The pistachio cake and this white chocolate crumb, it's working. I thought the cheesecake mix was really sweet.
52:42I'm also finding it more like a ganache, but now I'm eating it with the pistachio cake. It's actually delightful.
52:51The tuile is very good. You've got really nice raspberry flavour going through that, which is a nice surprise.
52:55I like the punchy kind of fruit injections you've got all around the edge there.
52:59Personally, I'd like more of that because the sponge can be quite dry.
53:03But the one thing that's not really working for me is that raspberry cheesecake cream.
53:08It's got a kind of blancmange consistency and it's just a bit too claggy for me.
53:14The cheesecake itself, it's got the raspberry finish to it, but there's a dryness of the corn flour that I
53:20get and I don't enjoy it at all.
53:24What I've eaten there is about as much as I would eat from it and that says a lot to
53:28me about the dessert.
53:29You've managed to split the judging, so you've given us a lot to think about.
53:38I didn't think I'd divide the judges. I was hoping it was going to be a bit of a winner
53:41all round.
53:42Obviously Marcus didn't like the cheesecake and he did Matt, so I'm hoping Monica can kind of win the other
53:46two judges over to make them hopefully see the right thing.
53:53I thought that was a good day, guys.
53:56A lot of energy, but also chefs really wanting to come in and impress.
53:59On the whole, I think the standards are very, very good.
54:03There's one chef that stood out and that was Ben.
54:06Halibut absolutely melted the mouth and then the perfectly cooked mussels.
54:10His execution was excellent.
54:12100% agree. Ben is sailing through to the quarter-final.
54:16Hear, hear.
54:16Now we've got three that are pretty neck and neck.
54:20Charlie, I did like the pie. It had good flavour in there.
54:23Fondants, buttery and delicious, smoky puree.
54:26But the sauce is to bring a dish like that together and he didn't.
54:30I couldn't taste any red currant. It wasn't reduced enough. It was just watered down.
54:35Tom, his pistachio sponge, it was nice.
54:38The thing that just didn't work for me was what he called a cheesecake filling.
54:42The flavour was nice. It was just the texture. It just stuck to my mouth and I didn't enjoy eating
54:49it.
54:50Polly, the halibut's a little bit on the dry side but I loved the freshness of the chimichurri with the
54:55pistachio running through there too.
54:57I liked the sauce, it was sharp. The garnish was lovely.
55:00I even liked the little stuffed crispy courgette tempura but I didn't think it was necessary to have bacon.
55:04There was a lot going on and it didn't quite gel for me although everything was executed very, very well.
55:10Yes, a good cook. A cook trying to impress.
55:15Of course I want to be in the quarterfinals.
55:17I am ambitious. I do push myself. Hopefully they see that.
55:22I'd be incredibly sad to go home at this point.
55:25Not really sure which way they're going to sway but I really hope that I go through.
55:29There were some mistakes I made but I would like to stay on.
55:33Yeah, we'll see.
55:44Chefs, we've seen great skill on show but as we said, two of you will be leaving us.
55:51We have made a decision.
55:55The first chef going through to the quarterfinal is Ben.
56:04Congratulations Ben. Knockout dish.
56:08The second chef joining us in the quarterfinal is Polly.
56:21Congratulations Polly. Well done.
56:24Sadly, Tom, Charlie, you have to leave us.
56:27Thanks very much.
56:29Thanks Chef.
56:33Very disappointed that I didn't make it to the next stage.
56:35It's been a great experience being a MasterChef contestant.
56:38I'm going to leave with my head held high.
56:40Back to work tomorrow and carry on my life.
56:43I'm obviously very gutted but I gave my best and that's all that matters.
56:47Box ticked. Time for the next challenge.
56:52Ben, Polly, congratulations. You are through to our quarterfinal.
56:59I can't really find the words at the minute. I'm still a bit in shock.
57:02But yeah, amazing.
57:06I'm buzzing.
57:07It does wonders for your self-belief.
57:09But I'm ready for more.
57:11Ready to crack on.
57:16Next time, it's the quarterfinal and this week's most talented chefs return to face two tough challenges.
57:25This looks a little hectic.
57:27Only the best will earn a place in Knockout Week.
57:30That's just ridiculously good.
57:33I am enjoying this so much.
58:05I am enjoying this so much.
58:05I am enjoying this so much.
58:06I am enjoying this so much.
58:06I am enjoying this so much.
58:06I am enjoying this so much.
58:06I am enjoying this so much.
58:06I am enjoying this so much.
58:07I am enjoying this so much.
58:07I am enjoying this so much.
58:07I am enjoying this so much.
58:07I am enjoying this so much.
Comments