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MasterChef: The Professionals - Season 18 - Episode 19
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00:01It's finals week on MasterChef The Professionals.
00:05Only the four most remarkable chefs remain.
00:09It's been a long, tough road to get here.
00:12I'm still very much in it, and with any luck,
00:14I won't be finished just yet.
00:16Don't want to let it go.
00:17It's really stretching my boundaries
00:19to places that I didn't know was possible before.
00:24Tonight, they face the biggest challenge of their careers.
00:28It'd be a miracle if I pull it off, to be honest.
00:31Cooking for culinary giants.
00:34I say you've got quite a lot to do.
00:36Yes, I do, Chef.
00:38It's a perfect little plate of food, actually.
00:41We should be following your career.
00:43That was absolutely amazing.
00:45Before battling it out for a place in the final three.
00:49No one wants to be fourth.
00:51At this stage, everybody wants to just keep going.
00:55It would be a little sour just to get stopped right at the last hurdle.
00:59You know, I've got this fire,
01:01and now I really want to make it all the way.
01:03Totally unpredictable.
01:04There is nothing that's separating these chefs at the moment.
01:07What's it going to take to go the distance?
01:10What is it going to take to go all the way?
01:21The master chef, the professional chef's table,
01:25is one of the most celebrated events in the British culinary calendar.
01:30This year, it's returning to luxury London hotel, The Goring.
01:39Opened in 1910 and still run by the Goring family,
01:43the hotel is a favourite amongst British and foreign royalty alike.
01:49Tonight, in its Michelin-starred restaurant, The Dining Room,
01:53it will host a dinner for 23 of the UK's most respected chefs.
01:59And for the four finalists, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
02:03to showcase their talents to their professional heroes.
02:09Today is the biggest day of my career.
02:10I've never had so much on the line from one cook.
02:14It's very exciting to imagine that this amazing list of chefs
02:18will be trying my food.
02:20A very special opportunity, and we want to make the most of it.
02:24So today is going to be cooking on a whole other scale
02:27than I've ever really cooked before, and it's terrifying.
02:31The thought of the names that are going to be in the diner room
02:34sends shivers down my spine.
02:36It is a huge amount of pressure.
02:43The finalists have four hours to prepare one course each
02:47for tonight's prestigious dinner.
02:49Our chefs have got to bring those flashes of experience,
02:52the quality cookery that we've seen in the MasterChef kitchen.
02:56We need to see it right here, right now.
03:00Every experience has brought our four chefs to this point.
03:04Now it's time to blow us away.
03:10It literally is a dream come true.
03:12And the fact that I'm here cooking is, yeah, it's blowing my mind.
03:1839-year-old private chef Gareth has impressed the judges so far
03:22with flavour-packed takes on dishes inspired by memories.
03:30Gareth, first one up to be serving your food.
03:32How are you feeling?
03:33I'm feeling all of the emotions.
03:35I'm nervous, the pressure's on, I'm excited.
03:37But yeah, I'm up for it.
03:39What is your course?
03:40So we're having stout braised ox cheek with crispy fried sweetbread
03:45and a beer and onion puree and a pickled walnut ketchup.
03:50That experience you get when you have a really good meal in a classic British pub.
03:55It's trying to bring those comforting flavours and elevate it to the highest standards.
04:02Gareth is cooking for us the ox cheek, which is braising slowly in beer.
04:06This sounds like a miniature main course.
04:09I've got about 20 ox cheeks here.
04:11They're all going to get seasoned, fried off, go into the pressure cooker.
04:16Once the ox cheek come out of the pressure cooker,
04:18I'll feel a little bit more comfortable with where I'm at.
04:23Gareth is cooking them in a stout, so you need to be very careful that they don't get too bitter.
04:28The cheeks need to be tender, they need to be just falling apart.
04:33I'm going to cook those down about an hour in the pressure cooker, which is quite a long time in
04:37there.
04:38I've got a lot to do. The first couple of hours are imperative.
04:42So yeah, I want to hit the ground running.
04:49Dublin-born 34-year-old Mark is chef patron of his own American barbecue-style pop-up.
04:56He's made his mark in the competition, showcasing impressive meat dishes.
05:01But today, he's on the fish course, and he's using a tried and tested classic combination.
05:06Lobster and tomato.
05:09The pressure is absolutely on.
05:11It's an amazing, amazing opportunity to cook for these chefs, and I'm absolutely not going to waste it.
05:17I'm going to be doing a dashi poached lobster, and then just some beautiful summer tomatoes.
05:22I'm going to use all the coral and blend that into a rich tomato jam.
05:26And then on the side, I'm going to be serving a grilled buttermilk and coriander oil flatbread.
05:30What does cooking the lobster in dashi bring to the dish?
05:33One of my reasons I love smoking and barbecue is because in the cooking method you're imparting flavour.
05:39If you're boiling the lobster or steaming it, it can wash out the flavour a little bit.
05:43And I want to make sure that cooking it in dashi is making sure to bring some flavour into that
05:47cooking method.
05:48Sounds great. Thank you very much.
05:52Very luxury ingredient we've got. Lobster there.
05:56Perfectly poached lobster is about cooking the lobster tail to the right degree, right temperature.
06:02But also the dashi is made from two different types of seaweed and, of course, dried kombu.
06:06It's just going to bring more flavour into the lobster itself.
06:10We have different types of tomatoes. We have some of the bean confit.
06:14We have pickled tomatoes as well as tomato and a lobster coral jam.
06:18It's very clever to use every part of the lobster and a little bit of sweetness, a bit of sharpness
06:23on the dish.
06:25We've also got on the side buttermilk flatbread to mop up all of those flavours.
06:30Great idea. I love the sound of that.
06:32I've got to get my bread on ASAP, so that is plenty of time to prove and get really, really
06:38delicious and make sure that everything with the bread is really my major first time crunch.
06:49The main cause for tonight's dinner is in the hands of Portsmouth-born head chef, Luke.
06:54He earned his place in finals week with his bold flavours and highly ambitious plates.
07:01And tonight, he's attempting more of the same. Hoggart lamb served three ways.
07:07I've got to keep my head down and get on with it today.
07:14Luke, what are you doing?
07:16A loin of Hoggart, aromatic lamb neck with peas that will be stuffed into a potato shell.
07:22A braised and pressed lamb belly, which will be glazed in a yeast glaze.
07:26I'm doing a lamb jus, which will be finished with some cockles.
07:31I'm doing a valentine of gem lettuce and feta.
07:36And then I've got a pea puree on there as well.
07:39Yeah, there's a lot going on.
07:41There is a lot.
07:42Really a lot.
07:43Ambition is great.
07:44Do you think this is achievable in the four hours you've got to prep?
07:47We'll find out.
07:50So I've taken a little bit of inspiration from John Chantrasak.
07:54He used the Hoggart loin as well in his demo, which I thought was delicious.
07:59We've incorporated that into my dish today.
08:03Luke has given himself an absolute mountain of work to do.
08:06He's actually got lamb in three different ways.
08:09The Hoggart loin is all on the carcass.
08:11They need to be butchered down and trimmed or the sinew removed.
08:14They need to be seared, cooked, rested.
08:17Lamb belly takes a while to cook.
08:19So Luke made that one of his first jobs once he hit the kitchen.
08:23To get them into the braising liquid and to cook slowly.
08:27The lamb next needs to be cooked to a consistency that he then can shred it.
08:31Then he's filling the potato shells, which also need to be cooked and crispy before he fills up with peas.
08:37It'd be a miracle if I pull it off to be honest.
08:40I'm rushing it and I need to get this.
08:42I'm going to trim these up nicely once I've got some off the bone.
08:44Your dish is all about mise en place, all about preparation.
08:47Yeah.
08:47Because if you fall behind on the prep of this, you're going to be sweating.
08:51Yeah.
08:56The menu's finale rests with 41-year-old Brazilian private chef, Caroline.
09:03It's happening.
09:04It's not running away anymore.
09:06It's happening.
09:08So far, she has delighted the judges with her meticulous approach to ambitious classics, but often pushes it to the
09:15wire.
09:17And today, her timings would be crucial as she's attempting a free-standing set chocolate custard tart with no pastry
09:24sides.
09:25You're doing dessert, so how do you feel about that?
09:28Um, I'm excited and I'm happy. I practice. I'm good with it.
09:32There are a few elements that, uh, they need to be spot on.
09:35The custard really needs to be very set for me to get a clean cut.
09:40And I'll also make a brick pastry cigar filled with a Kirsch creme diplomat and white cherry ice cream.
09:48I mean, this is quite a risky-style dish. This sounds like you really pushing yourself.
09:51I know the amount of risk that is on it. It needs to be done right, so that's what I'm
09:56looking for today.
10:01Caroline's dessert chocolate and cherries, almost sort of a little flavour of Black Forest Gâteau.
10:05Of course, we know that cherries and Kirsch and chocolate all work together.
10:12We have a free-standing chocolate custard tart, so of course the setting has got to be absolutely perfect.
10:19The temperatures need to be spot on.
10:22You cannot miss the measurements when it comes down to pastry. It's very precise.
10:28We've got white cherries in the ice cream as well.
10:32And I like the idea of using the white cherries to bring in the cherry flavour, but then it's a
10:37completely different colour as well.
10:39A lot of work, yeah. I think the first two hours are quite crucial to get it done, to get
10:44it set nicely.
10:45There's quite a bit to do.
10:48Everything needs to get on quite urgently with Caroline.
10:51It's about setting and chilling. She really has to motor it.
10:59Chefs, one hour and 45 minutes of prep time has gone.
11:04Yes.
11:07On the starter, with his ox cheeks in the pressure cooker.
11:11It's the main element of the dish, so I feel a lot more comfortable once the lids are off.
11:16Gareth's made a start on the pickled walnut ketchup condiment, but he's also got another time-consuming garnish, an onion
11:24puree.
11:25He's taking the onions, which is going to caramelise, he's going to add some miso to it, deglaze up some
11:30beer and just gently reduce it.
11:34Onions, another slow process.
11:36It's all about not taking your eye off the onions and constant movement of those onions while they're cooking.
11:44Across the kitchen on the fish course, Mark is fully focused on his main component.
11:49Obviously, the lobster being the centre point, I'm going to use it in loads of different ways.
11:53I'm going to break the meat out of the shells. The shells are going to be roasted into a really
11:57highly spiced mayonnaise.
11:59And then the coral and the brains of the lobster into a tomato jam.
12:05Just taking the first batch of lobster out of the dashi. They've had their eight minutes so far.
12:12All of the lobster, the claws and the tails are going to get picked down separately.
12:15My main focus right now is getting the lobster prepped and boxed off.
12:19While the lobster cools down, he needs to get going on the first of his three tomato elements on the
12:24dish.
12:25The jam.
12:27This is a very slow cook, so it's a nice low heat for like two hours or so to like
12:31really, really reduce it.
12:32Develop all that sweetness, all the caramelisation and the tomatoes and the sugar.
12:35Get it like really beautiful.
12:38He's also got the painstaking job of peeling the skin off almost a hundred mini plum tomatoes, which he plans
12:45to confit.
12:47Oh, wow. That's a job and a half, isn't it?
12:49Yes, chef. I want to make sure everyone get a nice little attention to detail with these tomatoes.
12:55How many tomatoes per portion are you serving?
12:57Three per portion.
12:58That's a whole lot of tomatoes to get peeled.
13:00Yes, chef.
13:02I haven't started the pickled green tomatoes yet, but they'll be the next on.
13:10Over on the main course, Luke is also feeling the pressure.
13:15I don't even know how long I've been doing that for, to be honest.
13:18He's only just finished prepping the third lamb element of his dish, the loin.
13:23But he needs to start work on a technically challenging garnish.
13:29Feta and Jem let his balloting. These all need to be rolled and set, ideally firm so he can cut
13:35into them and make sure they're all the uniform size.
13:39So he's really got to motor to make sure he gets everything done.
13:48I knew this job was going to take long. Some stuff you can run around, juggle, do lots of different
13:53things at the same time, but this ain't one of them.
13:58On dessert, Caroline is also having to work at speed. The pastry base and chocolate custard mix are made, and
14:05a freestanding tart is ready to assemble.
14:08She's going to line the outside of the mould with tin foil.
14:12It's quite a crucial step.
14:17When she pours the chocolate custard into it, it doesn't seep out. Quite challenging, quite risky, and very, very brave.
14:24Would you help me out, just to put it in the oven?
14:26Yeah, do you want to get the door?
14:27Yeah, yeah.
14:28Because I'm not tall enough to...
14:31So she's cooking it slowly in the oven, and then it's all about taking it out at the right time.
14:36Overcooking, and it'll start to curdle.
14:38Undercooked, and it's going to be slightly raw in the centre, and be slightly too runny.
14:41We're in, we're in, we're in. We're in. Wait, wait, wait.
14:45So it's about the wobble that you'll get from the custard itself, and what point do I remove it?
14:52I think my most worrying bit is the custard that's in the oven, so I need that to be on
14:58point.
15:00Her tarts are cooking, but she has several other garnishes that also need prepping.
15:06I think I have over 100 cherries. Like, I need 2.2 kilos for the ice cream.
15:13I think the most important thing is, with the ice cream, is that you get a little flavour of the
15:16cherries.
15:17Also, you want a nice creamy texture to the ice cream.
15:19I just, I need to trust it.
15:21It needs to freeze. So how many hands has Caroline got?
15:27Keep on going, indeed. Yeah, no stopping.
15:34The guests arriving for tonight's dinner are some of the UK's most highly acclaimed chefs,
15:41who hold an astonishing 31 Michelin stars between them.
15:49That's a massive occasion. This is the highlight of the calendar.
15:53It's the one we all really look forward to, and I'm really excited.
15:58I would be nervous cooking for a room full of Michelin star chefs,
16:02so for them it's big pressure, and they've got my full sympathy.
16:08I think at this stage, people will be looking for some innovation,
16:12some interesting flavour combinations. I think that will, like, perk people's interest.
16:16I like a bit of personality on the plate.
16:18I like people that go slightly off-piste,
16:22because that is, that is so much me, so that's what I'm looking for.
16:27Chefs, you've got one hour left before service begins, Gareth.
16:30Yes, Chef. Your first stop. Yes, Chef.
16:34On the starter, Gareth is checking on his pressure-cooked ox cheese.
16:40The moment of truth, I'll know.
16:42They need more time.
16:45I'm really pushing it.
16:49They need longer.
16:51I've just opened the pressure cookers.
16:54They weren't quite there.
16:56They need another 15, 20 minutes.
16:59Kicking myself.
17:03Gareth's just opened all three of the pressure cookers with his ox cheek in,
17:07and he's just realised that they're not fully cooked.
17:10So he's really giving himself a massive challenge, because he's now behind,
17:14and he's got to get those back up to temperature and cooking again.
17:18As well as the ox cheek setback, Gareth's juggling several other elements.
17:23Gareth, how are we looking?
17:24The time has got away with me slightly.
17:27So you've still got the ox cheek to sort out in portion, and you've still got sweetbreads too.
17:31Yes, Chef.
17:31D-skin portion and pané.
17:33Yes, Chef. I need to push.
17:35I say you've got quite a lot to do.
17:37Yes, I do, Chef.
17:41I can't look forward to take your eye off anything in this kitchen, especially if you're the first one up
17:46to serve.
17:47Also up against it is Mark. His dashi poached lobster is cooled, but they're nowhere near ready.
17:53So this is a very time-consuming part.
17:5614 lobsters to break down fully.
18:03Utilising every part of the lobster, he's separating the coral and the brains for the tomato jam,
18:08and the shells to make an oil for the chilli mayonnaise.
18:13What Mark's doing is looking at individual elements of the dish,
18:17and he's thinking, how can I improve them?
18:19A jam.
18:20Well, no, let's add more flavour on top of it.
18:22This is what Michelin star cookery is all about.
18:25Food at another level.
18:27Still a lot more to do.
18:28So I've got to keep the pressure on now.
18:33On the main, Luke's braised hoggart bellies are cooked.
18:37He must now de-bone them so they can be pressed and cooled down before portioning.
18:41Normally I'd wait for this to cool down a lot more, but I've not got the time for that.
18:47You all right?
18:48I think so.
18:49Bit of stress on your face.
18:51A lot of stress, yeah.
18:53He must also pick the lamb-neck meat, which will be stuffed into delicate hollow tubes of deep-fried potato.
19:01Just got to get my hands right in there, mince it all up.
19:06Where does it end?
19:08There is so much going on.
19:12I'm making 27 tubes of potato.
19:15I need to wrap them around the mould and then wrap them again with potato lace or strings that I've
19:25cut.
19:26I'm getting nervous watching how much time he needs to spend on those potato cylinders.
19:32If I pull it off, it's going to be good.
19:34Good.
19:38We've got four done.
19:41Yes, Chef.
19:43Oh.
20:13Oh.
20:13Oh.
20:13Oh.
20:27Oh.
20:28Oh.
20:29Oh.
20:32Oh.
20:47Oh.
20:49Oh.
20:54Oh.
20:57Oh.
21:02Oh.
21:12Oh.
21:15With service fast approaching...
21:17Let's do it.
21:19...Gareth is taking it right to the wire.
21:22Yeah.
21:22And they're much better now.
21:23They just needed...
21:24You can see they're, like...
21:26...falling apart.
21:27Just holding.
21:28That's just where I wanted them.
21:32Chefs, you've got about 10 minutes for your first cause to be served.
21:37Gareth...
21:38Yes, chef. That's you. Yes, chef.
21:39You ready? Yes, chef.
21:42Sure. Frying off my sweetbreads.
21:44I'm glazing my ox cheek.
21:46Ten minutes. Yes, chef. Got it.
21:49The sweetbreads, you don't want it underdone.
21:52I want it overdone.
21:54Right, Gareth, your dining room is now waiting for you.
21:57Yes, chef.
21:59So, stout braised ox cheek.
22:03Crispy fried phil sweetbread.
22:05Beer and onion puree.
22:06It's a big, big starter.
22:10The ox cheek, it needs to fall off the bone.
22:12It needs to be absolutely succulent.
22:16Are you happy with how the ox cheeks have turned out?
22:18They're nice and soft.
22:21And the glaze is good.
22:23The beer and onion puree.
22:25You don't want to overpower the onions.
22:27Sweet, sweet puree.
22:28Too much beer makes it too yeasty.
22:31What else is to go on the plate?
22:33Sweetbread, chef.
22:35The sweetbread, one of the most difficult to get it spot on, to cook it to the right consistency.
22:41I think that is very crucial.
22:44So, Gareth, this is the ketchup, yeah?
22:46Yes, chef.
22:46Pickle warm and ketchup.
22:51Once they have the tarragon on, they're ready to go.
23:01I think it looks great.
23:02You know, it looks decadent.
23:03It looks inviting.
23:08Are you still enjoying it as much as when you started?
23:11I'll be honest, the enjoyment is somewhere, but at the moment I'm just focusing on getting
23:18this out.
23:22Service, please.
23:30I'd say knowing the people who are eating that plate of food is probably one of the most
23:35terrifying prospects I've ever had to face.
23:39Do I have to go up there?
23:47A delicious braised ox cheek, unctuous.
23:51The glaze on it is very moorish.
23:55I think the sweetbread's cooked beautifully.
23:57Really well seasoned as well.
23:59The outside is lovely and crisp.
24:01Inside is lovely and moist.
24:02The beer and onion puree, you could just feel the depth, the kind of, it was nice and dark,
24:07so those onions nicely roasted.
24:09I think it was really finished off nicely by the pickled walnut ketchup.
24:12There was a lot of rich things on that dish, so it really needed that bite of acidity.
24:17It was a really enjoyable, hearty, delicious, well-cooked starter, which has teed this off
24:23absolutely perfectly, to be quite honest.
24:27I think you wouldn't want any more than this as a starter, but I'm really pleased to
24:32for Gareth.
24:32The ox cheek has just cooked nicely.
24:35The glaze has got the bitterness of the stout.
24:37I love the pickled walnut puree, and of course, the sweetbread is crunchy and beautiful and
24:41soft in the centre.
24:49That dish was incredible.
24:51I think the braised ox cheek was just melt in the mouth, and I just, all I wanted was
24:55more of that pickled walnut ketchup.
24:57I thought it was delicious.
24:58Thank you very much.
24:59Thank you, Chef.
25:00It was exceptional.
25:02After eating that dish, we should be following your career.
25:05That was absolutely amazing.
25:07Thank you, Chef.
25:16Sorry.
25:26It was a once-in-a-lifetime.
25:29I mean, that was, you know, a dream come true.
25:34Next up to the pass is Mark.
25:37Right, Mark, we've got ten minutes.
25:39It's your turn.
25:40Yes.
25:40How's that lobster looking?
25:41Very good.
25:42Coming together very nicely.
25:44He now has the last-minute job of finishing the dashi poached lobster tail under the grill.
25:50The lobster cooking is very important.
25:52You overcook lobster, it can become tough and woolly.
25:55We do not want this to happen.
25:58Buttermilk flatbread.
25:59I want it to be beautifully made, rested, nicely charred in the cookery, but I want it to be light
26:04and fluffy, but also full of flavour.
26:06Well into the 20s now.
26:08This should take me into 30 or so.
26:09So definitely enough for my service.
26:12Mark, this is what you've been working towards, OK?
26:15Now is your time to impress and to shine.
26:18Yes, Chef.
26:19So for Mark's fish course, it's dashi poached lobster.
26:24The biggest issue is obviously getting the lobster just right.
26:27Lobster, it's very important.
26:30The cooking degree on this one is precise.
26:33Tomato and lobster coral jam.
26:36Sounds really interesting.
26:38There's lots of lovely flavours that go really well together.
26:41I love tomato with lobster.
26:43You've got the sweet tomatoes as well.
26:46Samo's got to balance all that and then not murder the lobster that's in the middle of it.
26:51Seems like a lot of work, especially with the flatbread on the side.
26:54I think if he pulls it off, it could be a dish of the day.
26:59Service.
27:06Mark, you happy?
27:07No, I'm not feeling great about the look of the dish.
27:13Service.
27:16You don't look happy.
27:18Didn't come together the way I wanted it to.
27:20Practised it at a very different plate.
27:22Yeah, it just wasn't up to the standard.
27:30Tough day.
27:31Tough day.
27:32I wasn't happy with the look of the dish.
27:33Yeah, I think my final execution just let me down.
27:38It just didn't come together in a way I would have liked.
27:43My lobster was cooked beautifully.
27:45The mayonnaise was really nice with it, had a nice little bit of heat.
27:48And the flatbread was really soft and lovely and beautifully cooked.
27:51I really enjoyed it.
27:53This is my cup of tea.
27:55The gashi just leave this dish to the next level.
28:00My tail was a little touch over by 30 seconds.
28:04And, you know, that's the difficulty of seafood cooking for a room of guests like this.
28:08I love the, look at the flatbreads there.
28:12I'm a big fan of flatbreads.
28:14Very nice cooking.
28:15The tomato and coral jam, the flavour is deep.
28:18It's embedded into the lobster.
28:20It really brings it together.
28:22It looks slightly cramped in this plate.
28:27My lobster tail's slightly over.
28:29Yours looks a bit better than mine.
28:31Enjoying the charred flatbread.
28:33Just mopping everything up.
28:35Mayonnaise is good.
28:36I am enjoying the spicy flavour that runs through it, that little heat there.
28:40So many interesting elements, so many great ideas.
28:43Not all of them are executed perfectly well, but it's still a very, very good dish.
28:57First of all, well done.
28:58We thought the dish was excellent.
29:00I think the only thing that we, you know, felt maybe the lobster itself could have just,
29:05you know, been dialled up a little bit more in terms of the cooking.
29:08I just want to say it was a really beautiful dish, and I don't think it was overworked or
29:12overthought, and I don't know, it felt like really mature cooking, and pleasure to eat.
29:17Really appreciate it.
29:20Thank you very much.
29:25Feedback was very, very positive, and that was really, really great.
29:35It's almost time for Luke's hoggett main course, but he still has the painstaking job of filling
29:40almost 30 delicate potato shells with lamb neck.
29:44As long as they hold up now while I'm putting them in, because this is the bit that I haven't
29:48got much room for ever.
29:52It's still so nice to do.
29:54I've got silver lamb off.
29:57The main course, hoggett loin, yeast-blazed lamb belly, potato shell filled with aromatic
30:03lamb neck and peas.
30:04I really enjoy the fact that he's using different cuts from the same animal.
30:08The loin itself, it's going to have to be cooked perfectly.
30:12How's it looking, Luke?
30:13I think the lamb's quite nice, pink.
30:16The lamb belly, obviously, you want nice and low and slow, make sure it's nice and succulent.
30:21Potato shell filled with lamb neck.
30:24This neck needs to fall apart really beautifully.
30:27The potato shell needs to be nice and crispy.
30:29I love the sound of the gem lettuce and the peas, like to bring some freshness to the, what
30:35I'm sure is the richness of the glazed lamb belly.
30:39Luke really has to put in his running shoe today, because there's just so much going on
30:45and, oh my goodness.
30:46Is it going to taste good, or is this just an ingredient to menu?
30:52Service, please.
30:59It's a lovely clean presentation.
31:01Great colours.
31:02Everything looks fresh and vibrant.
31:03Really appetising dish to dive into.
31:10Oh, you're almost there.
31:12The hervon sauce is up and you're done.
31:14Yes, chef.
31:17Service, please.
31:25I gave it my best shot.
31:27I didn't stop from the beginning until the end.
31:29I still got a lot done.
31:31Let's see what they say.
31:35That dish was a triumph.
31:37Beautifully tender, pocket loin.
31:39Getting an old sheep to be tender, it ain't easy.
31:42I love the yeast glazed lamb belly.
31:45I love the stickiness of it.
31:47It was a joy to eat.
31:48The neck inside of the potato was fantastic.
31:51I love all the textures that he did.
31:53The biggest star of the show was the feta and gem lettuce palatine.
31:56The flavours that came through were so fresh.
31:59It was beautifully presented and very well cooked.
32:02It looked very fresh, nice, good flavours.
32:05Everything was amazing.
32:08The hogget, delicious, perfectly cooked.
32:10The sauce is big and bold and full of flavour.
32:13My favourite thing on here was the pressed lamb belly.
32:16A lot of work has gone into this plate of food.
32:19He's got to pat himself on the back for what he's delivered.
32:31Hello, Luke.
32:32I don't know whether you've got roller skates fitted to your shoes.
32:35Because you must be running to produce all those elements.
32:38Beautiful, beautiful work.
32:39Well done.
32:40I know we cooked some nice food together a couple of weeks ago.
32:44And I was very impressed to see that you were cooking hoggett.
32:47I'd like to think that maybe I've imprinted a little bit of influence on you there
32:51with that dish.
32:52It was really a masterful cooking of a main course.
32:57Thank you very much.
33:01I'm glad for the feedback.
33:03I really am.
33:05They were happy.
33:07That makes me happy.
33:14On dessert...
33:16No.
33:17Now it's the trickiest part.
33:19Caroline has reached the crucial final stage of perfectly portioning her freestanding set chocolate custard tarts.
33:25It's quite a labour-intensive.
33:30The custard tart.
33:31Obviously, it's got to be clean.
33:34The line, the cut on it, it's got to be perfect.
33:36That's when you know you've got a perfect set.
33:39Every chef at the table have made custard tarts before
33:44and all had failures with custard tarts.
33:47I'm honestly so happy.
33:50It's nicely set.
33:51It's good.
33:55I'm looking forward to the Kirsch cream cigar.
33:59It will be quite challenging.
34:04It looks wonderful.
34:08Service, please.
34:09This is my first experience of white cherry ice cream, which I'm really looking forward to.
34:14We're going to want it to sort of sing with cherry, a really great flavour.
34:19I mean, if you think about the chocolate, the cherries, the Kirsch, Black Forest Gato.
34:24My favourite.
34:30Very neat, very clean, very meticulously presented.
34:37Last table, let's go.
34:42Service, please.
34:47Well done.
34:57I'm happy to have been able to finish what I put myself up to doing.
35:02And, yeah, I hope everything was nice and tasted well.
35:10The set custard tarts was phenomenal.
35:13To do a custard tart in any form, it's quite difficult to get that croissant, the balance,
35:17the wobble perfectly right, and it was set to perfection.
35:20The cigar is exceptional.
35:23The twill is so thin, it just breaks beautifully.
35:26And the Kirsch cream just melt on my palate beautifully.
35:29I was really intrigued by the ice cream.
35:32It had that lovely cherry flavour.
35:34A lot of skill and work has gone into this dish.
35:36A lovely way to finish a meal.
35:38I think the base of the pastry is beautiful and crunchy, but the texture of the chocolate custard is just
35:45fabulous.
35:46That takes a lot of skill to deliver custard tarts set like this.
35:50Well done, Caroline.
35:59Hi, Caroline, your plate of food was delicious.
36:03The tart was set perfectly.
36:04I loved the little cigar that you did with that little booziness of the Kirsch that came
36:08through and the cherries.
36:09So you should be extremely proud of yourself.
36:11Thank you so much, Chef.
36:13I have to say it was my highlight this of the night.
36:17I just loved it.
36:18It's one of the best custard probably I never have.
36:23Thank you very much.
36:24I had fun cooking and it's a pleasure.
36:27It's a real pleasure to cook for you all.
36:36Yeah.
36:37I think getting feedback like this from these amazing chefs, it just feels like winning
36:44the lottery.
36:45It really is very joyful.
36:47I feel very, very happy about it.
36:53Chef's table is a massive ask for any of our chefs.
36:56All four of them rose to the challenge.
36:58They came into the kitchen and gave it absolutely everything.
37:01Our chefs should be proud of themselves.
37:03I know there were issues.
37:04Once they got that feedback from our guests, their spirits would have lifted.
37:18That's got to be one of the best experiences of my entire life.
37:22I'm exhausted and I'm tired, but I feel like I'm walking on air, you know?
37:28It's been an honour, real honour.
37:30I think we did ourselves very proud as a group.
37:33It's very special.
37:35It feels very good.
37:37Next up, we've got a cook for a place in the final three, which is really hard to think
37:41about after the day that I've just had.
37:43I need a good sleep and then I need to worry about the next challenge.
37:48It would mean the world to me to get through to that final three.
37:50The other chefs in there are going to bring incredible A-game to the next cook.
37:54And I just have to do nothing short of the same.
38:19What a fabulous chef's table that was. You did yourselves proud.
38:23But you know what's at stake now? You're cooking for the final three remaining places in the competition.
38:30At the end of this cook, one of you, sadly, is going to be leaving.
38:34We've given you a brief to create a dish inspired by home, somewhere that means a lot to you.
38:42And we want to be transported to that place.
38:46We wish you the best of luck. You have two hours. Off you go.
39:00There was only ever one option for homeland for me. It had to be Ireland.
39:05So today I'm going to be cooking beef and barley.
39:07Very traditionally, a lot of stews in Ireland would be thickened with barley.
39:11Mark is cooking a dish from Ireland, and why not? So he should.
39:15Irish beef, ribeye. There's any piece of meat that can take a good bit of barbecuing. It's the ribeye.
39:21We also have a short rib, which has been cooked in stout.
39:24So that's got to be beautiful, soft, and just falling apart.
39:27Mark is then taking the short ribs out of the pressure cooker,
39:31and he's using that liquor in there to cook his barley.
39:34We have the oyster emulsion going over the beef short rib,
39:37so it's sort of bringing a little bit of fun of that surf and turf flavour into his dish.
39:42You've got to be very careful with the saltiness of the oysters.
39:44You don't want the oyster to be overpowering the beef.
39:48And we've got a lovage for lutein.
39:50A lovely, herby, celery-style flavour running through there.
39:55Mark's dish is going to be about the cooking of the barley,
39:58braising of the rib of beef and making sure it's beautiful to cook,
40:00but also sticky and umptuous and full of flavour.
40:03The stout, be careful with the bitterness,
40:05that's going to also then go through into the barley as well.
40:08It's all about balance here.
40:12What part of island are you from?
40:14I grew up in Dublin and around the North Wicklow area,
40:17which is huge for agriculture and farming.
40:20You have incredible access to just the most world-renowned beef,
40:23and that's what I wanted to really highlight today was how good it can be.
40:25So is it sort of a nod to an Irish stew?
40:27Absolutely, yeah.
40:28Irish stew is like a very comforting, homely dish.
40:31Nothing beats it when you come in from a really, really cold, wet day outside.
40:34There's no feeling better than that.
40:36Do you know that you are the first Irish chef to be part of our final four
40:39on Professional MasterChef?
40:40That's amazing.
40:41Well, you're carrying the weight of Ireland right now.
40:43Absolutely, all six million of us.
40:46I always feel a bit more calm and controlled
40:49when I'm able to, like, work over a little bit of fire,
40:52get a little smoke going.
40:55An incredible day for a barbecue.
40:56I wish I could do the whole thing out here.
40:58That would be amazing.
41:04Today's the last sort of milestone that if I get through,
41:07then I've been in the competition from the beginning to the end.
41:10I think that's a big achievement.
41:14Luke, where's home for you?
41:16In Portsmouth.
41:17I've lived there my whole life.
41:18The whole of Portsmouth is surrounded by beaches and harbours.
41:22A lot of fish and chips shops.
41:23Exactly, and that's what I associate the beach with,
41:25going down there with the children, getting a fish and chips and an ice cream.
41:29And that's what I've based my dish on.
41:30Hence the pebbles.
41:31Yes.
41:32Tell us the dish on our menu.
41:33Fried haddock in a potato shell,
41:36curried pea fritter,
41:38pea and dill puree,
41:39tartare beur blanc,
41:41potato and smoked bacon fricassee,
41:42beer battered scallop and a pea and potatoed spuma.
41:47Poof!
41:48Wow.
41:48That's a lot of work.
41:49Good luck, Luke.
41:53This is not your average fish and chips.
41:55This is something with a real twist.
41:56Luke's wrapped the potato around the fish
41:58and then he's formed it in a cylinder with a cling film
42:01to tighten it and deep fried.
42:04The potato thickness is key to the cooking of the fish.
42:08Get it wrong and either one or the other won't be cooked.
42:12We've got a curried pea fritter,
42:14which has got some of the chopped up haddock,
42:16got curry and the scallop roe running through there.
42:19Gonna chill those into little balls, deep fat fry them.
42:23Got beer battered scallops, potato and smoked bacon fricassee,
42:26potato and pea espuma.
42:28Yes, Luke likes to pile in the work.
42:31Every element needs to be done just right.
42:33Crunchiness, crispiness, freshness, tasting of the fish
42:36and of course that lovely sweet and sour flavour of that beur blanc.
42:44Chefs, you're halfway. One hour is gone.
42:46Yes, Chef.
42:50This dish is probably the biggest risk I've taken in the whole competition.
42:56Just down to its minimalistic approach,
43:00I need to nail every element.
43:03If one of them is slightly off, the whole dish doesn't work
43:06and I lose my place in the fight.
43:10So, Gareth, where's home for you?
43:12Home for me is on the farm in Cumbria.
43:16After my dad passed away,
43:18my mum eventually sold the house that we all grew up in.
43:21When she met John, who's a farmer in Cumbria,
43:25she transformed his farm house into an amazing home
43:29and now that feels like home to me.
43:33Does John know that you're doing a dish about the farm?
43:35Clues were given when I asked him to send a bale of hay down.
43:38I was going to say, did you nick some of his hay?
43:39Yeah, I did, yeah. It's come straight from the farm.
43:42Tell us the dish.
43:42A hay-smoked fillet of beef with a celeriac fondant
43:47and a cream and butter sauce with giroles.
43:52So you're going almost refined simplicity, but at the highest level.
43:56Every time I practice this dish, I've removed an element.
43:59So it's almost new to me to have that confidence to say,
44:04this is my food that I'm happy with and serve it to somebody.
44:13Gareth's dish is sounding quite minimalistic.
44:16There's not a lot going on.
44:18Smoke!
44:22The fillet, he's cooking it really high up on the barbecue,
44:24so he's just got the smoke of the coal.
44:26And he's also just adding some hay onto the coals.
44:29And when the hay catches fire,
44:31he doesn't want the flames to hit the fillet of beef.
44:33He wants just the smoky flavour there.
44:36I might need to start wafting.
44:38I love the idea of this.
44:40I've never seen such a big fondant,
44:43and it's a celeriac fondant,
44:44so it's going to be nutty and earthy.
44:46The most important thing about a fondant
44:48is it's going to be cooked all of the way through.
44:51Minimalistic, perfection on a plate
44:53is one of the hardest things to get right.
44:59I think there is a lot riding on this dish.
45:03I really want to focus on making sure
45:05that I can share a little bit of my culture with the judges.
45:11I thought a dessert could be a good way
45:13to introduce you to one of my favourite fruits
45:16from the northern region of Brazil.
45:18What are we doing?
45:19A cupo-a-sou cremão.
45:22So cupo-a-sou belongs to the cacao family.
45:24It's got, like, floral notes,
45:26tropical fruit notes going through it.
45:28Wow, I can't say I've ever had that before.
45:29I've never smelled anything quite like that.
45:30It's quite unusual.
45:31On the base of it,
45:32it's going to be coconut tapioca pearls
45:34with the cupo-a-sou cremão over the top,
45:38covered with coconut foam.
45:40On the side, passion fruit ice cream
45:42with a brazil nut twill.
45:45Your husband, who's also a chef,
45:47is he noticing the changes in you
45:48as you've progressed in our competition?
45:51Yeah, I honestly think so.
45:53This fruit is from his region,
45:55so I think it's a good way for us,
45:57as well as chefs,
45:59to explore a little bit of our home country.
46:01We're looking forward to trying cupo-a-sou.
46:03Thank you so much, chef.
46:04Good luck, Caroline.
46:08Caroline's back on dessert.
46:09She's using a fruit from home.
46:11She's got capo-a-sou as the main flavour of her cremo.
46:16A cremo is quite a thick texture.
46:18It's smooth.
46:19It's rich.
46:20It's packed full of flavour.
46:21But you want it to have texture.
46:23You don't want it to be too soft,
46:24because on top of that,
46:25there's going to be a coconut foam.
46:27So Caroline's making a honey twill,
46:28so she needs to make the batter,
46:30cook it in the oven,
46:30and then she's going to wrap that around a cylindrical mould,
46:33and the twill is going to be a casing for her cremo.
46:37Executing this right and under this pressure,
46:39it's going to be tough.
46:42It is looking very nice.
46:44I'm happy.
46:47Chef's final ten minutes,
46:48and I've got to say,
46:49I am loving the focus.
46:54OK, Gareth.
46:55Happy with the beef?
46:56Yes, chef.
46:56I've checked the temperature inside.
46:58It's nice and soft.
46:59Yes, chef.
47:03All coming together.
47:05Everything's as I wanted it to be.
47:11It's not the greatest one.
47:12I wanted it to help hold better, but it's...
47:16Chefs, you only have two minutes left.
47:35That's it.
47:37Chefs, stop cooking.
47:39Time's up.
47:42Pretty happy.
47:49Mark, come up.
47:53First up is Mark.
47:55Inspired by the stews of his homeland, Ireland,
47:58he's serving grilled ribeye steak
48:00with beef and stout braised pearl barley.
48:03Stout braised beef short rib,
48:06topped with oyster emulsion,
48:08finished with a lovage and mustard veluté.
48:16Mark, you've definitely got a piece of ribeye that's been cooked.
48:19Beautiful, medium rare.
48:21The pearl barley, I think, is delicious.
48:23I could just eat a bowl of that with a short rib just torn through it.
48:28This is a delicious plate of food.
48:31Where you're hitting some really enormous notes
48:34is the stout that you've got running through in the pearl barley.
48:37The short rib is delicious.
48:39It's beautiful and tender.
48:40I love the oyster emulsion.
48:42The biggest surprise of all for me is this lovage and mustard sauce.
48:46It's sensational.
48:47It's the colour of Ireland and it's Ireland on a plate.
48:51It's fabulous, really good.
48:53They're pretty speechless, to be honest.
48:56I'll go back to Ireland a hero.
48:59They'd throw a parade for me.
49:03Luke's dish is his take on fish and chips,
49:07inspired by his hometown of Portsmouth.
49:09Deep-fried haddock wrapped in potato and chives.
49:13With a curried pea and haddock coral fritter.
49:16Pea puree.
49:17And a tartare beur blanc.
49:20Served with a beer-battered scallop,
49:22sat on a fricassee of bacon and potato.
49:25And a potato and pea espuma.
49:28Presented with the aroma of seaweed tea.
49:32Wow, love it.
49:33I love this little bit of fun on the side with the scallop.
49:42It's lovely.
49:44Beautifully cooked haddock in the potato.
49:46I've never seen it done like that before.
49:48Chives on the outside as well.
49:50I think that's a lovely way to finish it off.
49:51I love the way you use the coral in the fritter.
49:54I can taste the haddock.
49:55I've got the curry flavour going through the bechamel.
49:57And, of course, the crunchy coating around the outside.
50:00This is great. I love it.
50:02Well done. Thank you.
50:03The scallop, the bacon underneath it, it's delicious.
50:06It's beautifully cooked.
50:07And, of course, you've got the notes of the peas.
50:09From the puree to the espuma over the scallop.
50:11And then, of course, in the fritter.
50:13It's an enjoyable, fun plate of food that is equally delicious.
50:20Well, I'm buzzing for sure.
50:22I'm really happy with that.
50:25I'm just glad that they saw where I was coming from with the dish.
50:29For a place in the final three, Gareth's dish is a tribute to his mum and her partner, John, and
50:35their Cumbrian farmland family home.
50:38Hay smoked fillet of beef glazed with hay beef stock, served with a celeriac fondant and a tarragon cream and
50:46Girol sauce.
50:48Minimalistic, it certainly is.
50:50Yes, Chef.
50:59The smokiness of the fillet of beef, it's actually beautifully cooked.
51:02The hay flavour, giving it, you know, a real point of difference, it's lovely.
51:07I love that touch.
51:08The celeriac fondant, fabulous.
51:10Beautifully cooked caramelised.
51:12And this sauce, strong vermouth, sweetness in the background, Girols are in there too.
51:16Love the texture of it.
51:18It's not runny, it's not too thick.
51:20The herbs, the tarragon are coming through.
51:21I really like it.
51:23Really do.
51:24The sauce, the Girols in there, the herbs, the tarragon running through it.
51:28It is so rich and it's delicious.
51:31I really like this.
51:33I think John would enjoy this, wouldn't he?
51:35Yes, sir.
51:39I was worried about it.
51:40I knew it was a risk because it was so minimalist on the plate.
51:45But I couldn't have asked for any more, really.
51:47It was brilliant.
51:48Finally, it's Caroline, whose dessert is a homage to her native Brazil.
51:54A cup of wasu cremeau, encased in a honey tuile,
51:58on a bed of coconut tapioca pearls and topped with coconut foam.
52:04Served with passion fruit ice cream and a Brazil nut tuile.
52:09Delicate presentation.
52:16The cup of wasu fruit in there.
52:19It's quite special, the flavour of it.
52:21It's passion fruit-like, a little bit of pineapple.
52:24And then you've got the tapioca underneath,
52:27which has almost a rice pudding-esque texture to it
52:31that's being cooked, a little bit firmer,
52:33and it needs that texture here.
52:35The coconut foam is delicious, but I want more of it.
52:38OK.
52:39The dish.
52:39Texturally, it's incredibly soft.
52:41I think we're just missing one texture.
52:43Enjoy the tapioca.
52:45I'd like a little bit more.
52:46I love the little tuile around the outside.
52:48That's great, delicate.
52:49Your passion fruit ice cream is fabulous.
52:51And I do appreciate the value of bringing something new
52:54into the MasterChef kitchen.
52:57I am very happy to share something that they never tried before,
53:01but I understand what they say that maybe needs a texture.
53:06So I don't really know what to think, but I'm happy.
53:14That was an excellent cook-off from our four chefs.
53:17We've got a difficult judging.
53:19Ultimately, we are looking for our final three chefs.
53:21Unfortunately, we are going to be losing one of them.
53:25Luke, I thought his fish wrapped in potato was genius.
53:30Just delightful, fun, and tasty.
53:33Great overall dish, beautiful flavours, hitting high notes,
53:36crispy notes, fishy notes.
53:38Luke's cooking at the highest level.
53:40Mark's inspiration was all about Ireland.
53:42I love the stewed pearl barley with the shredded meat through that.
53:47Mark brought us the flavours of Ireland.
53:48Perfectly cooked ribeye, charred on the outside on the grill,
53:51beautifully rested.
53:52Love the lovage sauce.
53:53Some excellent execution.
53:56Gareth gave us inspiration of his family home on the farm.
54:00We had the beautifully cooked beef with hay,
54:02the sauce with the jerroles.
54:05Lots of butter and cream was so rich and dense.
54:08Beautiful.
54:09I thought the celery out fondant was great cooked ribeye.
54:12It was an outstanding dish.
54:14Caroline gave us her dessert.
54:15The fruit, kupuasu, was made into the cremo.
54:18It was an unusual flavour, but I enjoyed it.
54:20The cremo, I felt that it could have been just a little bit thicker.
54:23There was not enough tapioca, because I think that brought texture.
54:25It was just all a little bit soft.
54:27But I have to say, the flavours were great.
54:31I want that out of place in that final three.
54:35I'd be devastated if I didn't get through.
54:39I would obviously be very sad to leave.
54:42The thing is, you never know.
54:44I'm still hopeful.
54:46I'm still hopeful.
54:48They've all come so far.
54:51They've given it everything.
54:53For one of these chefs,
54:54it's going to be a real heartbreak to leave the competition.
55:08It's incredibly sad to be losing one of you at this point,
55:11because we have gotten to know you.
55:14We've seen your journey since you first walked into this kitchen.
55:18But we can only take three of you through.
55:22And we have made a decision.
55:26The chef that is leaving the competition is...
55:36Caroline.
55:41Caroline, this was not an easy decision by any stretch of the imagination.
55:49You are a delight to have in any kitchen.
55:51And I can't wait to find out what else you go on to do, Caroline.
55:55It's been an absolute joy.
55:57Thank you, guys.
55:58You guys, you guys are awesome.
56:03I'm happy.
56:05I'm proud.
56:06Sad, of course.
56:08But this experience has helped me to open my eyes to the future, for sure.
56:20Congratulations, chefs.
56:22You are our final three.
56:23Congratulations.
56:24Well done.
56:25Well done.
56:26Amazing.
56:27Final three.
56:28I played it.
56:29I can't believe it.
56:31It's one of the greatest achievements of my life.
56:36I'm absolutely over the moon to be in this position.
56:39To be in the final three is incredible.
56:42They're telling me that I'm good, so I must be good, you know?
56:47Today was huge.
56:48Nothing short of, like, one of the most incredible days of my culinary career.
56:53To get the chance to be in that final cook with these other two chefs would be absolutely mind-blowing.
56:59It would be the experience of a lifetime.
57:00Not over yet.
57:01Not over yet?
57:02No rest, yeah.
57:03It just gets harder and harder.
57:04Straight back to the drawing board.
57:06The final three.
57:11Next time, it's the penultimate master chef, The Professionals.
57:16And Luke, Gareth, and Mark head to Italy for a culinary adventure of a lifetime.
57:24Wow.
57:25Look at that.
57:26Whoa.
57:26Cooking under one of the world's most groundbreaking chefs.
57:31The philosophy of the restaurant is cook the mountain.
57:34It's very complex because you have to think in a completely different way.
57:57With Jay from the sea we really need you to breathe in out.
58:00Which hasn'tilded you.
58:01Put it water, no idea what you're looking at, in a completely different way through the mud.
58:05It's extremely unique to the accomplishment of our moon or Bloomberg on theской book.
58:06We don't lose agreement, but it's like this...
58:06Not put a week where...
58:07We missed it and we will...
58:08It took off the track that you �amba mess that we'll catch it and that it can.
58:09If you did later, we could also charge it and there.
58:12The other way, we read moreFOXWe never has the new realization…
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