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MasterChefThe Professionals Season 18 Episode 21
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00:01It's the MasterChef, the professional's final.
00:09Tonight, Mark, Gareth, or Luke will be crowned champion.
00:15The day has finally come.
00:16Three plates of food between me and the MasterChef trophy.
00:20To get to the final and then to win would be beyond belief.
00:24There's two very tough contestants in between being able to lift that trophy.
00:29I've just got to put my head down and really focus on what's coming up.
00:33It is the most important day, the most important cook of my entire life.
00:39Going in, full guns blazing, no holding back, giving it my all.
00:44This is what our chefs have been dreaming about.
00:47We've pushed them and they've always risen to the challenge.
00:50Now they've got to do that one last time.
00:53They're going to have to come out with some real magic.
00:56Who has got what it takes?
00:59To lift that trophy.
01:11What an exceptional competition this has been.
01:16Under pressure but under control.
01:18Steady hands, steady hands.
01:19There's a bit of speed.
01:20Not much time.
01:22Not all right, to be fair.
01:24Molto bene, molto bene.
01:25We've seen some chefs crumble.
01:27Oh.
01:30I'd get a move on about you.
01:31Please don't be firm.
01:33Oh no.
01:34Set, set, set.
01:36This looks a little hectic.
01:37Oh, come on.
01:39I've just broken the agosha.
01:40Oh.
01:43We've seen some amazing skills on display.
01:45Oh, smoky.
01:47We're definitely winning.
01:48And we've tasted some amazing food.
01:51I can eat all of it and some more.
01:53It's a cracking good dish.
01:55Honestly, this has blown me away.
01:57That's just ridiculously good.
02:00What an incredible ride.
02:02We've made it and discovered the three best chefs in this kitchen.
02:08Three very special cooks.
02:10But we can only crown one champion.
02:28I grew up on a council estate.
02:31With my brother, my dad and my mum.
02:35We didn't have too much money, but we always got what we needed.
02:40I had my first child at 17.
02:43Grace, are you coming on?
02:44Two and a half years later, my second, after I got with Katrina,
02:49we've had another two children.
02:51Whee!
02:52Luke is a very good dad.
02:54He'd do anything for anyone, does everything for the kids.
02:56He's the fun one.
02:57He's always hands-on with them.
02:59Really good.
03:01My hair has gone everywhere.
03:03Having a child, very young, moulded my life.
03:06I had to provide from a young age.
03:08Hello.
03:09Hello.
03:09I was very determined to stand on my own two feet.
03:14Was that good?
03:16I've always had quite a strong work ethic.
03:19Come on then.
03:20Yeah, Mum.
03:21Work hard and it'll pay off.
03:23Did paper round for a few years and I got into the cafe next door as a pot wash
03:27and then they put me into the kitchen.
03:30From the beginning, it felt natural to me.
03:32Cooking didn't feel so much like work.
03:34It became part of who I am rather than my job.
03:39I wanted to make a name for myself.
03:41I wanted to be recognised.
03:43I entered a lot of competitions.
03:50And I decided to enter MasterChef.
03:55Luke's very hard on himself.
03:57He doesn't know his full potential.
04:00People always tell me that I'm a great chef but sometimes I don't fully believe it.
04:04I'll, yeah, yeah, sort of brush it off.
04:08Let's go find a sandy bit if we can.
04:11I think putting yourself on a platform against other great chefs
04:14with great judges critiquing you.
04:16Not too much. You're all a stick like sludge.
04:18It's a big deal.
04:20Yeah, it made me realise that I am half decent.
04:26Lift up slowly.
04:29Whoa!
04:31The whole family is so proud of Luke
04:33for how well he's done.
04:36It's absolutely amazing.
04:38Yeah, we're just rooting for him.
04:41I want to make my children proud.
04:43Give them a good role model.
04:44Someone to look up to.
04:46Show them that sometimes risk is good.
04:49I haven't actually told my children what I've been doing.
04:52I've been telling them that I've just been working away.
04:55So the reason I've not been here is because I'm on
04:57MasterChef The Professionals.
04:59And I've made it to the final.
05:00You were a professional?
05:01Well, I was a professional before the show, yeah.
05:04Are you going to win?
05:05Do you think I could win?
05:06Yes.
05:06Yes, of course, of course.
05:08You're the best.
05:08Dad, you're the best, yeah.
05:10You're the best, yeah.
05:12You're the best, yeah.
05:15Luke has always had a quiet, calming presence.
05:18But his food is anything perfect.
05:21You have delivered what we've asked for without panicking.
05:24And that's what we want to see.
05:26It absolutely tastes delicious.
05:30Perfect.
05:30That was great.
05:32I would happily finish it.
05:33I probably will.
05:35The whole MasterChef experience has been eye-opening.
05:38Smells amazing.
05:39It's definitely made me think in a different way.
05:41Luke was always ambitious with the amount of work he would bring into his food.
05:46This is a chef that's cooking in a pub, but he's cooking food at a fine dining restaurant.
05:50Bold, gutsy, and I love it.
05:53Fabulous flavours, great ideas, beautiful execution.
05:57It's a wonderful, wonderful plate of food.
06:00I think I've been relatively strong throughout.
06:03John Dory's one of my favourite fish.
06:05Hope you're going to do it justice.
06:06First time cooking a dish like this on a barbecue.
06:09Each stage, I feel like I can sort of push myself a little bit further.
06:13He's taken on the challenge and delivered a great dish.
06:17Despite Luke's many talents, there have been dishes that didn't quite hit the mark.
06:23Snocky just feels soggy in the consomme.
06:26In the MasterChef kitchen, things are different.
06:28Things don't always go to plan.
06:31Pastry, there's not much room for error.
06:34You're a twiller on the outside.
06:35They should be connected, they should be together.
06:38It was terrible, wasn't it?
06:39Definitely my worst round so far.
06:42To redeem myself, I came back strong and fighting and tried to show them who I was on the plate.
06:48That looks fantastic, Luke.
06:50Loved it.
06:52Chef's kiss?
06:54Just ace.
06:56Luke is a chef that has shown he is inventive and thinks outside of the box.
07:00I actually asked my wife to give me a brief.
07:04That could be her claim to fame if it goes well.
07:08I think it's really out there, but I think you've absolutely nailed it.
07:12Everything here is reminiscent of the fun of eating fish and chips.
07:17He has delivered time and time and time again.
07:20Tails coming up now, Chef.
07:22Happy?
07:22I'm happy if you're happy.
07:23Good. You should be.
07:25I'll do it again, yeah.
07:26I'll do it again, yeah.
07:26Get me on the books.
07:27I'll do a shift tomorrow if you want me to.
07:31Beautiful, beautiful work.
07:32Well done.
07:57I grew up for most of my life in Dublin.
08:01Really, really loved living by the sea.
08:06Swimming, sailing, all sorts of water sports.
08:09In my early teens I started to get really into cooking.
08:12Starting to see food could be a really cool and interesting thing for young guys to be interested in.
08:19I've known Mark for a really long time.
08:22We were part of a little friendship group.
08:24And he would always just throw these incredible parties and he would cook for everybody.
08:31And I just kept hanging around.
08:33I just wouldn't leave him alone.
08:36And now we're here!
08:40When I was in my early twenties I did this short stint in a culinary school in Dublin.
08:46Before getting an opportunity to move to a restaurant in London.
08:50That was really the lights out moment for me.
08:52There was no going back after that.
08:55I got to watch him build his cooking career.
08:59And discover his passion for American barbecue.
09:03All right.
09:09I'd always loved barbecue, always loved smoking, always loved the live fire stuff.
09:14I went off to the states for a couple of months and I traveled around the southern states.
09:18Ate in so many amazing barbecue restaurants.
09:24And that was incredible.
09:25That time was really intrinsic to how I cook now.
09:28Ooh!
09:29So good!
09:31We haven't considered doing this professionally.
09:35There's a huge amount of art to barbecue and to smoking.
09:38Good Lord.
09:40It's so much more than just throwing a bit of meat in a grill and hoping for the best.
09:44Outrageous.
09:45As always, you've outdone yourself.
09:47This is amazing.
09:49And I realized that this was really what I wanted to be doing.
09:53Start doing little pop-ups around Margate.
09:55It was amazing to open my own business.
09:58To choose my own menu.
10:00It was phenomenal.
10:01It was absolutely amazing.
10:04The goal for him is to have his own restaurant.
10:06And he is a nightmare to walk around town with.
10:09Yeah, I mean, somewhere like this would be absolutely perfect.
10:11Bar space in here.
10:12Sure.
10:13Dining room there.
10:14Quarter right at the back.
10:15Yeah.
10:15His imagination just gets captured about what could be possible.
10:20One day, maybe.
10:21Who knows?
10:23Aww.
10:24I don't think he believes that he's gotten as far as he has in the competition,
10:28but I am not terribly surprised.
10:34Mark showed us his skills right from the off.
10:37Smash the skills test.
10:39I love it.
10:40I now have my eye on you.
10:42Expectations are high.
10:43I'm always trying to focus on bringing, like, really big flavors.
10:47High impact dishes.
10:50This is a wonderful little dish.
10:52You want to pour directly into my mouth.
10:55It is an absolute triumph.
10:59Well done.
10:59Mark is never more at home than when he's got his face over a hot grill.
11:05I love that smokey barbecue, bringing the hay into the equation.
11:08And I think it's absolutely great.
11:11Trust Mark to bring flames in somewhere in his cooking, right?
11:14I'd never put up a dish that I wouldn't be incredibly excited to eat.
11:18You must feel at home.
11:19A little bit, yeah.
11:20Definitely playing a little bit more to my strengths here in a pop-up.
11:22Because that is ultimately why I cook, is to make people happy.
11:26Get a move on, because we want to try this.
11:28You just read my mind.
11:29Hurry up, Mark.
11:30The only way I know how is to be like,
11:32look at this amazing thing that I love.
11:34Please, eat it.
11:36I definitely want to be having more of these sausages.
11:39Hey!
11:43When Mark started off in this competition,
11:45he was big, he was bold.
11:48Refinement was one of those things that we were really looking for in Mark's food.
11:53I think it's messy in your piping.
11:56It's not your best plate.
11:58He needs to be refining the portion control.
12:01When they say something and you can see where they're coming from,
12:04it definitely strikes a chord.
12:08You don't look happy.
12:10It didn't come together the way I wanted it to.
12:11Yeah, it just wasn't up to the standard.
12:15Certain cooks don't go your way.
12:18But the next challenge you come in and you really, really smash it out of the park.
12:21This lovage and mustard sauce is sensational.
12:25It's the colour of Ireland and it's Ireland on a plate.
12:29I like how your dish is being served. It looks good.
12:32I just feel like I've grown and have such a clearer sense of my food and how it can be
12:38presented.
12:40Finally.
12:42This is refined food. It is very, very best from you.
12:47You are like a painter, huh?
12:49It literally is a picture on a plate.
12:51It's a piece of art.
12:55It's crowd-pleasing food and it's always delicious.
12:58If he can do that with his cooking today, the sky is the limit.
13:03To see every different step of the way all laid out, it's amazing.
13:07I think it would be mind-blowing to stand on that final line and to hear them call out my
13:12name.
13:13It would be absolutely incredible.
13:16Yeah.
13:17It would mean the world to me to be able to walk out of this kitchen a champion.
13:21In the biggest possible ladders.
13:24Just got to win it now.
13:26That's all that's left.
13:33Look at all the cows come in.
13:37Let's get moving.
13:40I was born in Carlisle.
13:44Surrounded by farmland and countryside.
13:48It was me, my mum, my dad and my two sisters Gemma and Gail.
13:53He's always had a nice nature.
13:55The mother would say that he was a perfect child but he really was lovely.
14:01My mum's an amazing cook.
14:03She's always raised us on really good food.
14:06When all the other lads were out playing football, I was at home baking cakes with my mum.
14:14Music was a big part of throwing up. My dad was really into his music.
14:18Blues and jazz used to take us to gigs.
14:26My first band, Slater, Beatty and the Nightmare Boys, we were called.
14:30That was pretty cool.
14:36I ended up going to university and studying drama and film and TV.
14:40He definitely wanted to be a rock star or an actor, but who doesn't?
14:47The last year of uni is when my dad died.
14:52I did feel lost.
14:55I had no reason to try and better myself.
14:59It was in that time when I met Catherine.
15:05We didn't actually meet in person.
15:07I saw a video of him dancing at a wedding.
15:12And I thought, he looks a little bit of me.
15:17I pretty much hunted him down until he decided to meet me.
15:24Cat was the best thing that ever happened to me.
15:26And she always pushed me and supported me and believed in me.
15:33I didn't decide to be a chef until much later in life.
15:37I've lagged my way into an amazing job.
15:39I've just said, really passionate.
15:41Whatever I lack in experience, I'll make up for in hard work.
15:44And then from there, I went over to Newcastle
15:46and built a restaurant in the back of an empty warehouse.
15:50This industry is hard, right?
15:52It's a difficult industry to be in.
15:54But I've supported him and he's worked so hard.
16:00My dad always actually told me that I should be a chef.
16:03It's a real shame that he didn't get to see it.
16:06Because, yeah, he would be...
16:08He'd be really proud of me.
16:13Hi!
16:15Hi!
16:16Hello!
16:17When Gareth phoned me and told me that he was going to be on MasterChef,
16:21it was the most exciting news I've heard in a very long time.
16:25This beef looks amazing.
16:27Proper rib of beef.
16:28He really deserves it.
16:30He's worked so hard.
16:31We're all really proud of Uncle Gareth, aren't we?
16:34And Daddy!
16:35Well done!
16:37Yeah.
16:40If you had said to me a few weeks ago
16:42that I could be the winner of MasterChef The Professionals,
16:46I would have laughed at you.
16:47But I'm really starting to believe that I can.
16:49Cheers, everybody!
16:52Cheers, MasterChef!
16:55Gareth, you are our last contestant entering this competition.
16:59Wow.
17:00Rather large.
17:01Have we got a ladder for that, Milfoy?
17:02I'm sorry, Chef.
17:04I think it was great.
17:05I think you did a great job. Well done.
17:07Gareth loves to bring a story to his food.
17:11My fiancée's most memorable thing is the first thing I ever cooked her.
17:15It's delicious.
17:16Main course is memory that I have a family holiday.
17:20It's absolutely knockout.
17:22I'm cooking for the kids every day at home,
17:24and meatball night is the favorite night.
17:25I like it. He's treating us like a couple of kids.
17:28There are great restaurants that serve this type of food.
17:32Never thought I'd get emotional over a meatball.
17:35He's a chef that wears his heartlessly.
17:38I'm doing a plum and frangipan tart, right?
17:41Which was something that my grandmother used to make.
17:46I love this.
17:47It's a master class in doing the simple things well.
17:51His journey's been quite extraordinary.
17:53Very nervous at the beginning and then really started to build momentum.
17:56It's been a wild ride.
17:58It's given me a real passion and a fire to keep going and push myself as far as I can
18:03go.
18:04Let's get these off.
18:05Gareth's pop-up dish was incredible.
18:07Today I'm making you cheesy chips.
18:10Cheesy chips?
18:12I thought that was absolutely fantastic.
18:15Our guests loved it so much.
18:18Gareth floated straight through to the semifinals.
18:23Gareth has had highs. He's also had lows.
18:26Whiskey on a dessert should pack a bit of a punch.
18:32That whiskey, it just didn't work.
18:36I'm really not happy with my cake.
18:38Sticky toffee pudding.
18:40The mix wasn't quite right.
18:43Cauliflower, cauliflower, cauliflower cheese.
18:47The balance is just a little bit off. It's quite monotone.
18:52Gareth found himself fighting for his place in this competition.
18:57However, he came back into this kitchen with a steely determination.
19:00I think it's very clever. I like it a lot. Well done.
19:04This chef was not ready to go home.
19:07It really takes every ounce of everything you've got to keep coming back and giving it your all.
19:14This is a first for me, beef heart on a barbecue.
19:17I can't really fault that. He's sublime.
19:20He's always got that fight.
19:21This is one of the best plates you've served in the MasterChef kitchen so far.
19:25I want to do a good job. It needs to be perfect.
19:28I've definitely changed and grown as a person.
19:30So she's looking good?
19:32I've learnt a lot about myself.
19:34I've done things that I never thought I was capable of.
19:37Oh my God. Gareth, you can cook.
19:42When Gareth's cooking at his best, he cooks from the heart.
19:46I couldn't possibly put any more love into it, chef. I put love into everything.
19:50If he can do that just one more time, he is a serious contender to lift that trophy.
19:56This whole competition has been one of the best things that I've ever done.
20:01It really has changed my life.
20:03The way I think about the future, the way I see the future for me and my family.
20:09I think they deserve a phone call to say that I've won it.
20:12I'm coming home with the trophy.
20:13Yeah, that's what I'm going for.
20:26One more cook-off.
20:29This is career-defining.
20:31This is a life-changing moment.
20:35Into the lion's den.
20:37One last time.
20:57Look at you. Our final three.
21:00We are so proud of what you have done so far.
21:05Everything that you have fought for has brought you here.
21:12This last cook, chefs, give it everything you've got.
21:16Because at the end of it, one of you will be lifting that trophy.
21:21There's no two ways about it.
21:23We've got three fabulous chefs standing in front of us.
21:26Three hours, three courses, for the final time.
21:30Off you go.
21:33Feel it in the air. It's going to be a big day, big cook for all of us.
21:36I think we're all here to really prove what we're made of.
21:40I've got a plan.
21:41And I think I just need to stick to it and trust the process.
21:44Whatever you do, don't panic.
21:48Coming into the final, the pressure's massive.
21:50And I don't know how I'm going to stand up against the other guys.
21:54But I just need to trust my instinct, go in there and do my best.
21:58Let the food be the talking, yeah.
22:06Luke, are you enjoying this moment?
22:08If I look relaxed, I'm not.
22:10I've got a lot to do.
22:11I feel like the dishes represent me as a chef.
22:15For a starter, I'm making a breakfast, like an English breakfast.
22:18So I've got sausage, bacon, black pudding, egg.
22:22But I'm changing it completely.
22:25I like to take a dish that's quite basic, something that's very commonly known and try and reimagine it.
22:34Luke's starter is a take on a full English breakfast.
22:36And it's not like any other because there's pasta.
22:39And so he's making a raviolo.
22:41Luke isn't work shy.
22:42He's going to make that pasta dough stripey.
22:44He's giving us a squid ink black pasta and a regular one.
22:48You turn off now to make your life complicated.
22:50It'll be worth it at the end.
22:52Maybe.
22:56The black pudding, he's pureeing.
22:58In the middle of that, we have an egg yolk.
23:03He's going to be very careful in the cooking of the raviolo that that egg yolk, one, does not burst,
23:07and two, doesn't get overcooked.
23:11I'm going to be serving on the side a sausage sandwich.
23:14Give him the trophy now.
23:16Not yet.
23:16Sausage sandwich.
23:17Definitely took inspiration from Scotland working with McDonald's.
23:21It was great, it was playful, it was fun, and I decided to add that element into my meal today.
23:26We've got two slices of bread, and he's made this sausage puree.
23:29So he's got sausage meat, he's added some seasoning into it.
23:33Sausage sandwich, you can't really go wrong, can you?
23:35Maybe I'm the first person to serve a sandwich in the final.
23:38I don't know.
23:40Because they're making a brown sauce, almost 20 ingredients in it.
23:44We've got plums.
23:45Tamarins, yeah, Worcestershire sauce.
23:47We've got days, we've got pomegranates.
23:48It's going to have some sweetness, some sharpness to it.
23:52I can't wait to try this breakfast.
23:56The main course, I've gone for sort of an Asian influence.
23:59The same sort of flavours you get with a duck pancake.
24:04But most of us have probably eaten from the Chinese takeaway.
24:09I'm serving duck breast, making a plum sauce.
24:19The cooking of the duck breast on the crown, beautifully caramelised on the outside, render that fat down beautifully and
24:25roast it to perfection.
24:28Luke's going to braise the duck legs in some star anise, some lemmer grass, some ginger and some plums.
24:35Luke's going to strip the meat, he's going to turn that into a croquette, so nice and crispy on the
24:38outside and that soft, melting flavoursome meat in the middle.
24:45And then he's going to take that stock and he's going to reduce it and he's going to make that
24:49into a sauce.
24:50No waste and I love that.
24:54We've got miso glazed celeriac fondant full of umami and sortiness that's going to really pick this dish up.
25:03I think it's great and again it's playful, it's very Luke.
25:07The dessert is a classic Italian dessert, tiramisu, but far more elevated than a tiramisu that everybody knows.
25:15Luke started with a mascarpone panna cotta and a coffee chocolate cremo.
25:22Now that sounds very straightforward, but this is Luke, it is not.
25:27It's quite different to a tiramisu, there's quite a lot going into it I think.
25:31He is going to do layers of the mascarpone and the coffee chocolate.
25:37He's going to do one layer, set it, another layer, set and freeze that.
25:43I've got to set five layers into my moulds.
25:47I've got to wait for each layer to set before I can add the next and then I need it
25:50to set fully before I can take it out of the moulds.
25:54And you started the layers, Luke?
25:56Yeah.
25:57How many are you in one?
25:58I've done three, I've just got two more to do.
26:00The dog's got to let them set a little bit.
26:02I want to taste the coffee, I want a little bit of acidity coming through from the actual mascarpone itself,
26:07creaminess as well.
26:09I'm serving that with amaretto cherries, it does work quite well with the coffee flavour.
26:14I'm making the sorbet out of that.
26:17Sorbet's got to be beautifully set, you want to taste the cherry and some of the alcohol running through it.
26:23I think Luke's going to give us a tiramisu like we haven't seen before.
26:33What time are we at?
26:34One hour has gone, two hours remaining.
26:38Yes, chef.
26:38Yes, chef.
26:41This cook is everything that I've been working towards for the last couple of months.
26:46You've just got to come in, do the absolute best you can and the best chef on the day will
26:51walk away with the trophy.
26:56Mark, it's been exciting watching you change and develop.
27:01Yeah, I think I've taken away a huge amount of refinement.
27:04It's been a few years since I've been in a fine dining kitchen and really reigniting that passion and that
27:09love for that rigour into food has been absolutely amazing.
27:12So what's the inspiration for your three dishes then?
27:15They are based around the idea of my last meal.
27:17They're all of my favourite things to eat and to cook.
27:19It's a momentous day in so many ways.
27:21So I wanted to do a lot of the stuff that I absolutely love.
27:23Nice. I like that.
27:26The starter is based on like a big Freedom Air seafood tower.
27:30It's one of my absolute favourite things to eat.
27:32I'm just trying to bring that to a sense of celebration and that freshness of like all things shellfish.
27:41Oysters, he's put them into the steamer with elastic band wrapped around them just to slightly firm them up.
27:49They're only steamed for two minutes and it keeps all that moisture inside.
27:52They're cooked slightly but they'll be effectively still raw.
27:54With oysters, sometimes you just put a little bit of red wine vinegar with shallots running through it, touch of
27:58Tabasco.
27:59He's replacing those with the horseradish which I think is a great idea.
28:03We have sake poached mussels with kamizu.
28:06Kamizu is a bit like a hollandaise but it's with rice vinegar.
28:10That's going over his mussels and he's finishing it with a nori oil.
28:14He's going to be brining scallops.
28:16He's then going to pipe a little bit of champagne gel over the top of that.
28:20Mark, you were always my favourite.
28:22You were always my favourite.
28:24I always mean the goods, I know.
28:24Again, elevated for this MasterChef kitchen.
28:34This will look like a million bucks.
28:36I think they'll all taste amazing.
28:38I think it's just whether or not I can achieve it all in the time.
28:40I've given myself a lot of work to do.
28:43For Mark's main course, we have got a portloin.
28:46Cooked, of course, on the barbecue.
28:49I was always going to use the barbecue for my last cook here.
28:52And this dish really celebrates the barbecue in a big way.
28:55Every element here touches the fire in some way, shape or form.
28:59Whoa!
29:00He's going to brine his pork in some sweet tea.
29:02He's then going to put this barbecue rub all over it.
29:05All those famous flavours from the deep south.
29:08The idea is to slowly render the pork and as it cooks,
29:10all this fat will start to render out.
29:12Hippy is cold and that's going to be what's going to flavour the pork
29:14all the way through the cooker.
29:16Now, you can't just put that pork on the barbecue and walk away.
29:19This is going to take some love and care.
29:22He's going to be in and out of the kitchen.
29:23How much time has Mark given himself to just stand over that pork
29:28and make sure it's perfectly cooked?
29:30Mark is making hispy cabbage rolls.
29:32He's going to do layers of apple, lardot, rolling that up and then steaming it.
29:38He's going to barbecue some crayfish.
29:40He's going to put those in the hispy cabbage roll.
29:43Crayfish, they're delicate, they're sweet.
29:47Will they be lost in that wrap?
29:49I hope he puts lots of them in there because that's the flavour I will be searching for.
29:55Mark's dessert is all about that American classic, loved by cops, coffee and doughnuts.
30:02But not as you know it.
30:04I love coffee and doughnuts as like the most amazing breakfast and a very American touchstone.
30:08So I wanted to bring a little of that.
30:14We've got a coffee espuma, coffee flavour, bitter, really want to get that big flavour in there.
30:20That espuma has got to have the right texture that once he pumps it onto the plate it will hold
30:26and stay set.
30:29These little doughnuts are going to be fried so they go away nice and crispy on the outside, super light
30:34in the middle.
30:37We've got malted milk bavoie.
30:39Malted milk, obviously much love bedtime drink.
30:43With a bavoie, a little bit like a panna cotta, you've got to get the balance of flavours right but
30:47you've also got to get the setting agent just perfect.
30:50If you win, what do you think you'll do for your career?
30:53The dream would be to open a restaurant.
30:54Lots of butchery in house, lots of beautiful, live fire cooking.
30:58Do you think you've got what it takes to lift that trophy?
31:01Somewhere deep down, maybe it's there.
31:02And if it is, I'm going to bring it out today.
31:04There's no other day.
31:05Absolutely.
31:06This is it, the last opportunity.
31:10Chefs, you've got one hour remaining.
31:12Yes, chef.
31:13Oui.
31:14Oui.
31:16I can't quite believe this is the last cook in the MasterChef kitchen.
31:23This means everything.
31:30So the whole menu is dedicated to the people who have supported me and got me into this position today.
31:36The first course is dedicated to my mum, a big thank you to her, all the luxury ingredients she deserves,
31:42loosely based around one of her favourite dishes, prawn cocktail.
31:48This is a dish that's been in pubs, restaurants, up and down the country.
31:52Four, five, six, seven, eight.
31:54This is going to be a little bit different though.
31:55It's been inspired by his trip to Italy.
31:57We've got some beautiful fresh Longestines.
31:59That is great.
32:00That is chopping down into almost like a little tartare.
32:03Whoo!
32:04Into that tartare, he's going to put a little bit of green apples, a little bit of acidity.
32:09He's giving us a kefir sauce.
32:11I love the use of kefir.
32:13It's got that slight kind of sour yogurty twang to it.
32:17It's going to be a little bit on the sharp side.
32:19You've got to get the balance of that just right.
32:22The langoustines heads, I'm going to cook them over the barbecue, like we were doing in Italy.
32:27Just want that barbecues charred, smoky flavour, yeah.
32:31Caramelised, you know.
32:33Perfect. Perfect.
32:34Perfect. Perfect.
32:36To give you the flavours of the mayro sauce, we've got a long steamed mayonnaise.
32:40We've also got a tomato tuile.
32:42They look very fragile.
32:44Delicate hands are kneaded.
32:47You're broke?
32:48One of them is just broke, yeah.
32:50Don't throw them away.
32:51Yeah, sure.
32:52Just in case, but also you have got more mix, so do make some more, okay?
32:56Don't give up.
32:57I want them to be perfect, but I really need to start pushing.
33:02The next dish is for my dad, based around when he used to take us foraging in the woods for
33:07mushrooms,
33:07and then we'd all stop at the pub afterwards and we'd all have chicken and chips.
33:12Chicken and chips, the simplicity here is just in the title.
33:16He's basically taking the breast of the chicken and then he's wrapping a chicken mousse around the outside.
33:22We're getting there.
33:25Generally, you would have the mousse on the inside, he's got his on the outside.
33:29I've gone through a hundred different ways of doing this.
33:32It's almost like a reverse balloting.
33:35If the chicken's not quite cooked in the middle or the mousse is overcooked, it could be a disaster.
33:42It's a risky thing to do, but it's the finals of MasterChef, the professionals.
33:47King Royce Delt mushroom, it's meaty.
33:50On the side, we have tarragon mayo, tarragon with chicken.
33:55Ah, match made in heaven.
33:57We have a Madeira sauce, the base of that would be the chicken wings, which is roasting off lovely and
34:02golden.
34:04I think in the last round, I served you steak and you asked for a big bowl of chips, so
34:09that's what I'm going to give you today.
34:11He can have just the bowl of chips.
34:13I love a potato.
34:17This dish is complex, it's full of detail and it's full of confidence.
34:23Dessert is a take on a really retro cocktail, Brandy Alexander.
34:27Whenever we went round to my partner's families, as we were leaving, they'd always say,
34:31One foot road, we'd have a brandy, and no matter how expensive or cheap it was,
34:35they'd all go, oh, that's reet smooth, that is.
34:39You know, you're drinking, oh, yeah.
34:43Cat's brother passed away recently,
34:46but he was the one who pushed me into being a private chef,
34:49who gave me the confidence to go it alone and cook my dishes.
34:54So, yeah, I owe him a lot.
34:58The Brandy Alexander is normally made from brandy, cream and cocoa,
35:02but what Gareth has done is picked those elements apart to create this dessert.
35:06We've got a milk chocolate cremo and a Dolce de Leche cremo,
35:10and they're going to be set one on top of the other.
35:13This is the Dolce de Leche cremo caramelised condensed milk,
35:17and then this will be on top of the chocolate, so that one needs to be set before I pour
35:21this one on.
35:22We've also got a brandy snap biscuit, got to be soft and crunchy,
35:25make sure they're not overcooked because they can be quite bitter.
35:30And then on top of that, we've got some poached pears.
35:33It was the first thing I did in the skills test, so yeah, it's fitting that it'll be the last
35:37thing I serve in my dessert.
35:38The sauce is the poaching liquid from the pears, fresh ginger juice, and then loads of brandy.
35:45I'm adding the brandy until it either puts hairs on your chest or knocks your socks off, one of the
35:50two.
35:52Big, big, big flavours here. They will all work only if he's got the balance just right.
35:59Chefs, you have 30 minutes left.
36:03Serve the three most amazing dishes of your career so far.
36:08Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef. Yes.
36:11Yeah, I've got to really pick up the pace now.
36:13It's going to be a struggle to get everything done.
36:15I just really need to pull my finger out right now.
36:23You're going to be all right?
36:24Very against the clock. A lot still to do.
36:30I've never seen this before. Works for me. Hopefully, it'll work for you guys.
36:38Just under ten minutes left. This is very intense.
36:44How's the duck, Luke? Yeah, I'm happy.
36:47Yes.
36:48Mark, that pork looks incredible.
36:50Yeah, it's come out very, very nice.
36:52Make sure you've got everything on the plate.
36:54Yeah.
36:58There is only six minutes left.
37:05How is it? Is this it?
37:08Yeah, it's come out nice.
37:12You're almost there, Chefs. Come on.
37:14Are those your venues?
37:16Yeah.
37:16You've got three minutes.
37:18Yes, Chef.
37:19You have got to move it.
37:24Mark, let's go.
37:31Right, Chef, we've got 60 seconds left.
37:35Come on, come on, come on.
37:39Mind your doughnuts.
37:43Yes.
37:43You've got ten seconds.
37:44Yes, Chef.
37:46They've got to come out.
37:50Are they cooked?
37:51They're not cooked.
37:52That's it. Time's up.
37:59Mark, coming up.
38:08Mark looks fantastic.
38:10It's refined.
38:11Can't wait to get going.
38:14Mark's final menu starts with a fruit de mer.
38:17A seafood platter of diced scallop with a champagne gel.
38:22Pickled celery and fresh grape.
38:25Sake poached mussels.
38:27Dressed in white soy kamisu.
38:30And barbecued nori oil.
38:32And an oyster topped with horseradish cream and caviar.
38:41The scallop or the sweetness of the grape, the herbal notes of the celery, and then just that cheeky sparkle,
38:48the notes of champagne in the jelly.
38:51It's fresh, followed by the mussels. You've got the kamisu in it.
38:54So it's a little bit of that clever seasoning with the smoky notes of the nori that you've just ran
38:58over the grill. Wonderful.
39:01Thank you very much. Thank you.
39:02My favourite out of all three of these has to be the oyster.
39:05And I love the way you brought the horseradish heat into the cream.
39:08And of course, finished with caviar? Yeah, why not?
39:12You've taken the three different elements and just made them sing in their own unique way.
39:17I love the sweetness of those little scallops, the mussel, which is pretty punchy.
39:21But the star of this show is that oyster.
39:23It's a very sort of modern take on a freedom air.
39:27And you've done it justice.
39:31For his main course, Mark has served a southern-style barbecued pork chop in a spiced paprika rub.
39:38With a hispy cabbage roll filled with crayfish tail, apple and burnt leek pesto, and a hot pepper puree.
39:48Finished with a pork and crayfish sauce.
39:54The pork chop, it's so wonderfully cooked.
39:59With the rub that you've made, it's got smokiness from the barbecue, what you love to do.
40:04It's you on another level.
40:08Your hispy cabbage, you have got that crayfish flavour.
40:12I think that's fabulous.
40:13I love your pepper puree.
40:15You've got heat.
40:16The sauce, I love the fact you put the crayfish through the stalk.
40:19That's great.
40:21That's probably one of the nicest pork chops I've ever eaten.
40:25This is everything you love about cooking of the Deep South, just refined.
40:31This is a really, really good dish. Well done.
40:33Thank you very much.
40:36For dessert, Mark has made a malted milk bavoie, topped with a cocoa nibbed tuile and blackcurrant gel.
40:47Finished with a coffee espuma.
40:50Obviously, there's one element missing. We didn't quite get the beignet.
40:58What I have here is a bavoie that's possibly the lightest bavoie I've ever had.
41:03And I love the flavours of malt that's running through this.
41:07The tuile, it's got the crunch, it's got the nibs.
41:09The coffee espumas, sometimes those espumas, they either love you or hate you.
41:13It's too thick. The piece is definitely too thick.
41:16You're not happy with that and that's fine, but this is a delicious dessert.
41:21I love the addition of the blackcurrant gel. It's brilliant. It's just kind of got that acidity.
41:27You see a dessert on a menu and there's a little doughnut sitting on the side of it.
41:31It's going to be one of the dishes that most chefs would order.
41:34Put it in on there.
41:35There is some lovely flavours running through this though, I have to say.
41:39Thank you very much.
41:41You've cooked a great menu, Mark, with real passion.
41:44And I think this competition has got the very, very best out of you.
41:49It's refined you and that restaurant you mentioned earlier on, can't wait for that to open.
41:56It's hard to put into words what this competition has meant to me personally and as a chef in my
42:01career.
42:02I think the food I'm producing now is heads and shoulders above what I could have done even weeks ago.
42:08And I thank you so much.
42:15Well done, Mark.
42:16Well done. You smashed it in your face.
42:19I'm immensely happy with the feedback I got there.
42:21I think I put forward dishes that I believe in.
42:24Would you like to have eaten it?
42:25I do.
42:27I'm over the moon with how it's all gone.
42:36It's a bit nerve-wracking, isn't it?
42:40This is very much your style of food.
42:44It's so precise, just wonderful.
42:46It looks great.
42:48For his starter, Luke has served a twist on the English breakfast with the black pudding and egg yolk raviolo
42:55striped with squid ink, topped with crispy bacon, served with a sausage sandwich and brown sauce.
43:09Yes.
43:14The raviolo, it's cooked beautifully.
43:17You've got that kind of earthiness, the richness of the black pudding in there, softened by the egg.
43:22Crispy bacon, obviously they all work beautifully.
43:26I think the pasta is creating something that shows skill.
43:30That's what this is.
43:31It's clever, it's smart, it's you.
43:33It's the start of a great menu.
43:35Well done.
43:36Not only that, you go and give us a sausage sandwich.
43:40Fun and delicious.
43:42The sauce you made, there's the sweetness of the date, lots of spices.
43:46What a fun take on an English breakfast.
43:53Luke's mane is a take on Chinese duck.
43:57Duck breast cooked on the crown, with a spiced duck leg croquette, miso-poached celeriac fondant, and a duck and
44:07plum sauce.
44:13Duck's beautifully cooked, rendered just right, pink, rested, love that.
44:18Your duck leg, it's got lovely aromats running through there, you've got chilli in there too, chopped up, spring onions,
44:24and then you've got that sauce running through.
44:26I love this, I think it's very clever.
44:29Great job.
44:32I love the celeriac, I love the way you rolled it out, and then rolled it back, and it just
44:37makes it so much lighter.
44:38It sucks up all those slavers that you poached them in.
44:42It all works beautifully.
44:45The sauce, you took the cooking liquor from the legs of the duck and added that, so it's got the
44:51spices and more of the fruit running through it.
44:54There's a hint of soy.
44:55I mean, you couldn't get two different plates, English breakfast followed by duck and pancakes.
45:03For dessert, Luke has made his version of tiramisu.
45:09Layers of mascarpone panna cotta and chocolate and coffee cream.
45:12In a thin chocolate shell, lined with mascarpone cream, served with an amaretto soaked cherry, and an amaretto cherry sorbet.
45:30I think the flavour that sits with inside that little chocolate log there is the essence of what the best
45:37tiramisu is all about.
45:38You've got the coffee, perfect, not over sweet, not under. The mascarpone, the way it's set, working beautifully.
45:46I love the addition of the cherry sorbet. It's very reminiscent of Black Forest, with the chocolate and with the
45:54cherry.
45:54This is a very, very delicious and well executed dessert.
45:59The one stand-alone cherry here that's been soaked in amaretto, kind of wish you had a bowl of those.
46:07However, there is nothing here that I am not enjoying.
46:13Luke, it's been a real joy to watch you develop throughout this competition.
46:18You are so much more confident. Lift your head up higher, because you are doing something quite special.
46:26I do feel a little bit, like, lost for words at the moment.
46:30I'm going to keep pushing my food the way that I have been.
46:33I'm going to try and bring it out of the competition and do it in my own kitchen.
46:45I was going to cry for a minute.
46:51The judge's feedback was far beyond what I was expecting.
46:55It's very emotional, like, I could definitely feel sort of a lump in my throat in there, sort of trying
46:59not to sob like a boy.
47:02Mate, it couldn't have gone better.
47:08So hopefully, hopefully it was enough. Fingers crossed.
47:15Gareth's final menu is an ode to his family.
47:20This looks really, really good.
47:24The starter is his take on a prawn cocktail for his mum.
47:28A langoustine and green apple tartar.
47:32With a kaffir and caviar sauce, split with dill oil.
47:37Topped with a tomato tuile, dusted with tomato powder.
47:42Served with a Mary Rose langoustine mayonnaise.
47:50You've got those beautiful langoustines, you've still got some bite and texture in there.
47:54The kaffir giving you that kind of sourness.
47:58Hands down, this is one of the nicest dishes you've given us.
48:02That lovely little tuile, I watched you make it at the bench there, you were struggling.
48:06It's very, very precise.
48:08And the little Mary Rose-style sauce that sits around the outside,
48:12slightly caramelised langoustines, that's just delicious.
48:17It's such a delicate dish, yet it's gutsy.
48:23What a great way to start this menu.
48:26Brilliant job. Mum will be proud.
48:31In memory of his dad, Gareth's mane is chicken and chips.
48:37A chicken breast roulade wrapped in a chicken and truffle mousse,
48:41with king oyster mushroom, set puree and tarragon mayonnaise.
48:47Served with a side of shoestring fries,
48:50finished with a Madeira sauce.
48:58The cooking of the chicken breast on the inside,
49:02it's still tender, brilliant.
49:04The set puree, it is smooth, you can taste the mushroom flavours through that.
49:10The tarragon mayonnaise, very well thought of, because chicken and tarragon work so well together.
49:15The king oyster mushroom is so meaty, it's indulgent.
49:21The chicken is perfect, the mousse is brilliant, I love that sauce, it's got that smokiness, and it adds so
49:29much.
49:30I'm struggling to find fault here.
49:33This is an absolute winner.
49:35And of course, on the side, the bowl of chips.
49:39They're great, they're crispy, they're crunchy, I love the fact you've also added a set powder onto it.
49:43And then just to finish it off, you put some chicken skin.
49:45Well, why not?
49:47This is a dish for the old man.
49:49I think he'd be very proud of you.
49:50Well done. Thank you.
49:53Dedicated to his fiancee's family, Gareth's dessert is a twist on the brandy Alexander cocktail.
50:01A layer of milk chocolate cremeux and dolce de leche cremeux, topped with a brandy snap and brandy poached pears,
50:09finished with a ginger and brandy sauce.
50:17You've got the bitter chocolate on the bottom, and then a little bit of salty caramel over the top.
50:23And I love that it's the same texture, yet it's hitting two different notes.
50:28The brandy snap on the top here just got that right sort of bite into it.
50:33The pear's beautifully, perfectly poached.
50:36It is rich, and it's punchy.
50:41Wow.
50:43That's got some body to it, and some kick.
50:46To get that balance of the brandy, the ginger heat, and to make it work with this cremeux is brilliant.
50:52What a way to finish your menu.
50:54What a way to finish your competition with that little final brandy farewell.
50:59I love it. It's great.
51:02Gareth, this is exceptional.
51:04Thank you, Chef.
51:05Whatever you set out to do, you've absolutely nailed it.
51:08The sauce, it's just wonderful.
51:09It's rich.
51:10It's really powerful.
51:11I'm absolutely loving it.
51:13Really, really, really good.
51:14Really accomplished.
51:18Gareth, three very different stories for three or four very different people who mean something to you.
51:25You finished off with an absolute knockout three course menu.
51:29Congratulations.
51:29Well done.
51:31Loved it.
51:34When I walked through those doors all those weeks ago and saw the three of you for a skills test
51:40was one of the most terrifying experiences I've ever had.
51:44And now sitting here in front of you, I feel like a completely different chef.
51:49I've learned so much this competition and it has been an amazing adventure.
51:55Thank you very much.
52:01That's what you want, aren't they?
52:05I'm feeling absolutely delighted on top of the world.
52:09They were the most important dishes I had to cook.
52:11Thank you to my mum, a dish for my dad, father and brother-in-law.
52:15I was really glad that I did them all justice.
52:23Well done, guys.
52:25Well done to everyone.
52:26That was such a hard cook.
52:28Oh, my God.
52:30What a day.
52:34Every year, I think, are we going to get as good a final as the last?
52:39Well, we sure did.
52:41Our three finalists took this year to a whole new level.
52:45And that's what it's all about.
52:47We've had some fantastic food.
52:49It's been a real, real privilege to watch.
52:55Mark, for me, as the chef, has had the biggest highs, the biggest lows.
52:59But he's taken it on board and what we saw today was him really kind of finessing.
53:04Three great plates of food.
53:06The flavours of the barbecue running through.
53:08It's fabulous.
53:11Luke is now a chef who's unafraid to rewrite food.
53:16As we know it.
53:18Cooking this food in the final is quite extraordinary.
53:24Brave, different.
53:26I just thought all three of his dishes equally were delicious.
53:30Throughout this competition, we've watched Gareth change.
53:34Today, we had three faultless dishes.
53:37And he cooks from the heart.
53:40We as chefs know that is the best food when it's from a memory, something that means something to you.
53:46And if you can share that, you're onto something very special.
53:49And I think Gareth has found the art of doing that.
53:54We've got to make a decision.
53:55And it's a tough decision.
53:56Who is our champion?
54:03It's been amazing cooking with you both. It's been such a pleasure, such an honour.
54:07We can all leave with our head tail-tie.
54:11It's been a journey.
54:14Hopefully, the journey's just beginning.
54:16Come in.
54:19I could be someone bad if I pulled you in closer.
54:24Feel the things that I knew I'd supposed to.
54:27But who am I?
54:28Who am I?
54:31I'm the man who can't be loved.
54:37That was a fabulous final. Outstanding cookery.
54:40And all three of you should be incredibly proud.
54:44It's my first time here in the MasterChef kitchen.
54:46And it's been a real honour to share it with you three.
54:51As brilliant as all three of you are, there can be only one winner.
55:01Our professional MasterChef champion is...
55:05Who am I?
55:07Who am I?
55:09I'm the man who can't be loved.
55:18Gareth.
55:22Well done, mate. Well done.
55:24Well done.
55:24Well done, mate.
55:31I can't believe it.
55:33Mark, Luke, you've been an absolute pleasure to have in the kitchen.
55:36And I hope that you have enjoyed the journey.
55:39For the last time, thank you so much.
55:41Thank you, Chef.
55:42Cheers, thank you.
55:42Well done, mate.
55:46The competition's been a great experience.
55:48I'll look back on it fondly.
55:50It's been eye-opening.
55:52I've definitely developed as a chef.
55:53It's going to take a couple of days to sink in.
55:56But, yeah, I'm looking forward to going back to normal life for a little bit.
56:02It's been an incredible experience from the moment I stepped through those doors.
56:06To be with the competition right from the beginning all the way to the very end is incredibly special.
56:10But, Gareth was so deserving to win.
56:13And, like, I couldn't imagine it going to a nicer bloke.
56:16I believe this is yours.
56:19Yes.
56:21Well done.
56:22Thank you so much.
56:23Alright, thank you.
56:25This means everything.
56:26It's the best feeling I've ever had.
56:28It's absolutely incredible.
56:29I'm over the moon.
56:30Congratulations.
56:31Well done.
56:33Champion.
56:33Well done.
56:34Gareth's food.
56:36Gareth's food.
56:37It's bold.
56:37It's flavoursome.
56:38And it's from the heart.
56:41He has gotten better and better with every challenge.
56:45And his final three dishes today showed that they were faultless.
56:52If I've learnt anything through this competition, cooking food that you believe in and cooking
56:57from the heart can take you a long way.
56:59He cooks with love and he cooks with passion.
57:01And that's why he's our champion.
57:07Hi.
57:08I won.
57:09Oh, my God!
57:16I've taken so much more from the competition than I thought.
57:19I'm so proud of you.
57:21It's changed me as a person.
57:23It's changed me as a chef.
57:24Gareth's got a huge future and I cannot wait to see where he goes.
57:29Now that I'm here holding this trophy, it's given me a whole new road to travel on.
57:33And I'm going to go all the way down it.
57:42My friends at home are in pain.
57:45Joking that guy to hit her case.
57:48I keep moving to the rhythm of it.
57:51Can't be responsible for everybody.
57:54My streets put fire on my bones.
57:57People talk right out of their arms.
58:00I took it now, they get to the pain in me.
58:03He lost his job again in January.
58:06At night she's here and I'm crying.
58:09Get the sins out of...
58:10Wait...
58:11Wait...
58:11Bye, boys.
58:11We'll be body.
58:11I
58:11If this...
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