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Great British Menu - Season 21 - Episode 09: Central England: Judging
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00:04There's a traitor amongst you. I know it.
00:08Thomas of Carriage, Lady of McNeigh, the eyes of history are upon us today.
00:12I implore you both to vote with your conscience, for our decisions today
00:16will mark the fortunes and the future of this great realm.
00:19Mate, the food's coming. Are you all right?
00:22Yeah, I'm just doing the whole historical fiction thing.
00:25Why don't you take a seat?
00:26I shall take a seat in this throne.
00:28Today, the two best chefs from Central and the East of England
00:32will battle for a place at finals.
00:34Adopted Brummie Ash and Nikita from Derby
00:36have some award-winning flourishes,
00:39but which of these stars will be victorious?
00:43Two chefs still standing and it's too close to call.
00:46Oh, it's going to be like that all day. Yeah, I know.
00:49Both are award-winning, wildly creative,
00:52technically brilliant and exquisitely talented.
00:55Oh, my days.
00:56Ash has made her home in Birmingham, where she's owner and chef of Riverine Rabbit.
01:02I think it'd be really silly to go into today feeling confident.
01:06I think like a healthy dose of fear is perfect.
01:10And Nikita is from Derby and works as a private chef.
01:13I'm not going to stop running.
01:16I've just got enough adrenaline left in me to take me through,
01:19because Ash is fierce.
01:22Their movie-themed dishes have already been scored out of ten
01:24by mentor chef Spencer Metzger and Tom Shepherd.
01:29Nikita's fish course stunned Spencer.
01:32This is my first ever ten and a dish like that deserves it every single day of the week.
01:37But Ash's scores just got better and better across the courses,
01:40peaking with a show-stopping dessert.
01:44Ten.
01:45There is nothing more I can add to this dish to make it any better.
01:48There's barely a hair's breadth between them.
01:52I've got to change my pants straight after this.
01:54Which chef will pull ahead and impress Tom, Lorna and new judge Phil Wang,
01:59as well as one of the movie industry's top producers,
02:02and take one step closer to cooking at the banquet?
02:06This is wild. It's like being on a roller coaster.
02:10And I don't like roller coasters.
02:28First job is fish sauce and pork sauce.
02:31My brioche is mixing now.
02:32I just have to cook my heart out and hope that I can get those extra points that I need.
02:40I'm going to get this duck on the go mate,
02:42taking the legs off, getting them in the confit,
02:44I'm taking the bones, roasting them on the barbecue and then starting my jus gras,
02:48and then I'm getting onto my squash straight away.
02:50I'm going to be a blur the whole day to try and catch me.
02:55Hello. Hello.
02:56I love that you're so busy already.
02:59Yeah.
03:00How are you feeling Nikita?
03:01I'm feeling good.
03:02Ready for battle?
03:03Yeah, I was like really freaking out last night.
03:05Yes.
03:06But I made a prep list.
03:07How about you Ash?
03:08You got a list?
03:09I was up quite late doing my long, very long prep list.
03:12I would love to keep both of you obviously.
03:14Yeah, we'd love to keep both of us as well.
03:16It's stressing me out already.
03:17I was like, ah!
03:18But you're both so brilliant.
03:20May the road rise with you.
03:23I like a bit of fish butchery.
03:25I prefer it when I'm like, a bit calmer.
03:28Nikita fillets then brines halibut for her fish course.
03:3320 minutes.
03:34The slate is wiped clean and only the judges' scores today will count.
03:40Ash is gunning for those extra points by tweaking her squash starter.
03:45Last time I cooked all my squash exactly the same.
03:49Today I'm changing it up.
03:50I'm cooking in the Delica the same.
03:51Finishing on a barbecue.
03:53And I'm making a puree with the crown prince.
03:56And I'm going to pickle up some red curry.
04:00Scrutinising the chef's dishes is head judge Tom Kerridge,
04:04whose credentials speak for themselves.
04:06Double banquet main course winner and holder of a total of three Michelin stars.
04:12What I'm looking for is really, really good quality, incredible chefs
04:17that come from this region cooking with heart and soul.
04:20And it's got a great history.
04:21I mean, we've had many central and east of England competitors
04:24that get all the way to the banquet before in Great British Menu.
04:27Joining him is Lorna McNeigh, not just a stellar chef,
04:31but the first woman to hold a Michelin star in Scotland.
04:35The central and east of England is always a strong region,
04:38so I'm really looking forward to what they're bringing us today.
04:40In fact, the beginning of the end has caught my eye.
04:43Sounds like it's going to be chocolatey rich and it's going to kill me very happily.
04:46And our brand new judge, a greedy gut so keen to secure the most food focused job on TV,
04:53that he wrestled Ed Gamble for it.
04:55It's comedian Phil Wang.
04:58Phil Wang here with your weekly food forecast.
05:02We have mussels coming in from Scotland, beef coming in from Northern Ireland.
05:08In Wales, we have a 90% chance of lamb.
05:12Sorry, 100%.
05:13In London, we have high pressure, just high pressure, quite difficult living there.
05:18In the central region, there's a big region, big flavours, big portions, hopefully.
05:24Back to you in the studio.
05:27Ash sweats down Crown Prince squash in vegan butter for a puree.
05:35I'm just going to pickle up my red curry quick.
05:37This is wild.
05:39I've never experienced anything like this.
05:41I know.
05:42It's like being on a roller coaster.
05:43I know, and I don't like roller coasters.
05:46I like it at all.
05:47I need nutmeg.
05:49I'm going to up the flavour in this one.
05:51Nikita's onto a potato foam for her starter.
05:54It's not so much different as it is more of things.
06:00It's been exciting, Tom, this week.
06:02I have witnessed some of the best cooking I've seen at Great British Menu.
06:05That's a hill I'm prepared to die on, Tom Kerridge.
06:08Mate, that is a statement.
06:10We had two veterans in this week, Spencer Metzger and Tom Shepherd.
06:13Two of the most recent winners, but arguably also two of the best chefs
06:17to have come out of that Great British Menu kitchen.
06:19Yes, both of them gave their first ten.
06:21Oh, my God, this is going to be great.
06:23So, we've got a new palette in the chamber this year in the shape of...
06:27I love Phil Wang.
06:28In the shape of a Phil Wang.
06:29In the shape of a Phil Wang.
06:31Yeah, yeah.
06:31A Phil Wang.
06:32He's brilliant, and he's very hungry.
06:34He is, and his love of food is massive.
06:38And he's also there to ask the questions of me and Lorna
06:40about how they made it.
06:41Probably more important, Lorna.
06:43Yes.
06:43Yeah.
06:46Nikita laminates her brioche dough.
06:49Then preps a pork tomahawk for her mane.
06:53I just want to make sure there's not too much excess fat.
06:56Like, we want some for flavour.
06:58Hopefully I'll cook the chop correctly this time.
07:01Gorgeous, eh?
07:02You are loved.
07:04Ash's monkfish will cook low and slow on the barbecue.
07:08The beauty of this is I can take it off, let it chill out,
07:11put it back on, take it off.
07:13She'll baste until service with a caramel fish sauce.
07:16You've had your barbecue there all week.
07:18Look, I am South African.
07:20It's a past time of ours.
07:23Good morning.
07:24I'm trying to work out why you're walking so slowly.
07:27We're allowed to move the fringe in, Phil walks really slow.
07:29You were worried if you walked any quicker it would, like, blow it out of the way,
07:32like your head out of a car window.
07:34That's the one.
07:34Welcome to the judging chamber, Phil.
07:36It's lovely to be here, Tom.
07:37What an honour.
07:38Obviously, both of you have dedicated your lives to perfecting your skills in the kitchen.
07:43I've dedicated my life to perfecting my skills at the dining table.
07:46I've been chatting to Andy.
07:48She has been blown away by the level and the quality of the food.
07:52It's always quite strong in the central region, isn't it?
07:54Really looking forward to it, actually.
07:55I think we are in for a very, very good week.
08:02Spencer had some critiques about my starter.
08:04My crumble was a bit sandy.
08:06I've roasted some pumpkin seeds.
08:08I don't know why I didn't think of that before.
08:09It's an issue of squash dish.
08:10I'm going to incorporate some more of that base crumb into it.
08:13A little bit of maple syrup to sweeten it.
08:16Nikita strains her fish head curry-inspired sauce.
08:20The juice of the aubergine and the okra that's cooked in it,
08:23I want that all in the sauce.
08:24To elevate it, I cook it separately.
08:26But I still want the flavour infused through it.
08:30Her longest process is the onion brioche for her starter.
08:34I just need to get it in to prove, like, yesterday.
08:38Like, literally?
08:39Literally yesterday, yeah.
08:40That would have been good.
08:42Oh, it smells great in here already.
08:45How you going on, Chef?
08:46You feeling good?
08:47Feeling lots of things.
08:49I've come to talk to you about your canapé.
08:50It's your calling card.
08:51You want to start as you mean to go on.
08:54So make sure you execute, execute, execute.
08:57The chefs now focus on their first course,
09:00which, like all the courses, will be judged blind.
09:04Yours is nice and easy, actually, isn't it?
09:05It's very complex, actually.
09:07It's a plate, I mean.
09:08In flavour.
09:08It's very complex in flavour.
09:10In flavour.
09:10Yeah, yeah.
09:11You were smart.
09:13I was not.
09:15Helping the judges score the dishes is an acclaimed film producer, BAFTA winner and Oscar nominee, Alison Owen.
09:23Hi.
09:24Hi there.
09:25Good morning.
09:25Saving Mr Banks, Elizabeth and Shaun of the Dead are amongst her extensive list of box office hits.
09:32How are you?
09:33Thank you. I'm good, thanks.
09:34Do you love food?
09:34That's got to be the first question.
09:36I am your girl for the food.
09:39What do you like?
09:39I'm definitely Natalophile.
09:41And British food.
09:42I do like good British food done well.
09:43Well, you're on the right show for that.
09:44Today should be a wonderful journey.
09:46We've got chefs from the central and the east of England that are cooking fantastic dishes.
09:51So, you should be in for a super treat.
09:53I can't wait.
09:54Alison, you're a film producer, highly celebrated, BAFTA winning.
09:58What would you say is a producer's role in the film making process?
10:02Different producers specialise in different things.
10:04Some producers are real money people.
10:06Some people are more creative.
10:07I think I span pretty much everything.
10:10I definitely like self-generating things.
10:12So, I'll read a book or an article in a newspaper or hear an idea and think,
10:17yeah, that'll make a good movie.
10:18So, then it's my job to kind of get that show on the road.
10:21How long does it normally take then from a project, from your original idea,
10:25from start to a movie being made and then released?
10:28I would say the shortest is probably about two years.
10:31Right.
10:31But it can often take people, you know, nine or ten years.
10:34It's not just like a bit of a whim that something that happens,
10:37it is completely committed to something that takes so long.
10:40Yes, you sort of learn that actually.
10:41As a young producer, sometimes you take things on as a bit of a whim and think,
10:44oh, I'll try that out.
10:45Yeah, try that out.
10:46And then three years down the road, you'll think,
10:48I should have talked more carefully about this.
11:10I'm still doing this.
11:11The tarts are filled with chicken liver parfait, as ash wraps venison tartare in shiso leaves.
11:20What is that second thing that goes on the parfait, Nikita?
11:23It's a sherry vinegar reduction.
11:26Topped with chicken skin, dusted with chat masala and surrounded by apple pearls.
11:31People keep trying to tell me that it's just like service.
11:33Not one similarity whatsoever.
11:35Two minutes now, chefs.
11:37Two minutes.
11:37Got it.
11:37I actually think I'm going to be a bit early.
11:39I'm ready when you are.
11:40Let me know.
11:41Nikita finishes with thyme flowers.
11:44Oh, this is so hard when you're shaking.
11:46Yeah.
11:48Ready.
11:53Would you like to send your first course?
11:56Yeah, thank you very much.
12:04Hello.
12:07Wow.
12:09To start, we have chicken liver parfait tartlet,
12:13sharp masala, green apple and sherry vinegar.
12:16Mmm.
12:21Crunchy, sweet, savoury.
12:23It's got a bit of every kind of sensual kick, hasn't it?
12:26Yeah, I loved that.
12:27That was really, really well balanced, fantastic start.
12:29Gets you excited.
12:30It's like a preview of every flavour that's about to come.
12:33It just ticked every box, but it didn't make me go,
12:36that's amazing.
12:37It just worked.
12:39I feel like my mouth stole watering from it.
12:40I thought Tom described it exactly right.
12:42It had a little bit of everything, but it didn't quite crescendo.
12:46It was a little bit like what I just said about my own job.
12:48It was a jack of all trades.
12:50Next up, we have diced venison loin with fava bean miso,
12:54black vinegar and aged soy dressing,
12:56wrapped in a purple shi-so leaf.
12:58That looks amazing.
13:05See, now that doesn't tick every box, and although it lacks texture and crunch,
13:10it makes up for everything else in big punchy flavour.
13:12It's very fresh.
13:14Mmm.
13:14For being something that'd be quite rich with that, you know,
13:16diced venison loin and stuff like that.
13:18I thought maybe the miso flavour could come out a little more.
13:21It did its very single thing, which is being very meaty.
13:24It sort of did what it said on the tin.
13:25But, um, yeah, I wouldn't be reaching for a second bite.
13:29Lift up which one we think's the best.
13:37Absolutely knackered.
13:38Yeah, I know, right?
13:40That's a 3-1 victory to Nikita.
13:42Next up, the starters.
13:44Ooh!
13:45Ash will serve first.
13:47Squashies are done.
13:48I'm going to rest them so they, like, firm up a little bit.
13:51Barbecue them at the last second.
13:52Well, everything's happening at the last second.
13:55OK, the first of our two starters coming our way,
13:57which are both plant-based, is called Elevation.
14:01Slow-cooked and barbecued Delica squash,
14:04puree of Crane Prince squash
14:05and pickled Red Curie squash.
14:08Vadovan Vellute, pickled shallots
14:10and a British grain and pumpkin seed crumble.
14:14And this dish celebrates Birmingham-born screenwriter,
14:17producer and director Stephen Knight,
14:19famous for his cinematic celebration of Brummie characters
14:22from humble beginnings on the streets of Birmingham.
14:27I want the squash to be the hero.
14:30Of course, I've already got the Vadovan.
14:32That's got, like, 14 different spices in it.
14:35Ash blends Crown Prince squash.
14:37It's one, like, a nice, really silky texture
14:39that bolsters the squash taste, basically.
14:43I'm going to leave that for a minute.
14:46Hey, Chef.
14:47Hi, Andy.
14:48What was your feedback from Spencer?
14:49You got a seven.
14:50Kicking myself that I didn't think of it before.
14:52So I cooked my three squash all the same way.
14:55Yes.
14:55This time I'm going to be more dynamic.
14:58I'm cooking one squash the same way I did.
15:00Yep.
15:00Another's going to be pickled and nice and crunchy.
15:02Yes.
15:02And the other one is a squash cream.
15:04Yes.
15:04He loved the sauce.
15:05I'm keeping that.
15:07She checks pickled Red Curie squash.
15:10I'm really happy with that.
15:11I wanted to have, like, a nice bite, too.
15:13Pickley, because that's Spencer noted, like,
15:15could have been more pickley vibes.
15:17I'm hoping he really packs a punch in that flavour,
15:19because I just find squash can be a little bit flat sometimes.
15:22If it's clever and put together well,
15:23with lots of other flavours added to it,
15:27if the chef can enhance humble ingredients like the theme.
15:31Alison, are you familiar with Stephen Knight's work?
15:33I am indeed.
15:34Stephen has become very well known for,
15:36as Tom just said about the squash,
15:38elevating humble ingredients into something really special,
15:41and he's a fantastic storyteller.
15:45Just breaking up these pumpkin seeds,
15:47just to kind of, like, give it a little bit of
15:49more pumpkin flavour, nuttiness,
15:52like, less sand flavour, apparently.
15:55You have five minutes to the past, chef.
15:58How are you feeling?
15:58Thank you. I'm good, thank you.
16:00First, roasted, delicate squash.
16:02New squashies all looking very cared for.
16:05Let me know if you need anything, mate.
16:07Thanks, mate, I'm all good.
16:09Gently curried vadovan sauce.
16:11Lovely.
16:12It's got a bit more air in it, Andy.
16:14Right.
16:15Can you roll these up?
16:16Yeah.
16:17Just have a look at what, like that?
16:19Yeah, that looks amazing.
16:20Those little rolls, is that the new pickle squash?
16:22That's the grid curry, chef.
16:24Pumpkin seeds and British grains crumble.
16:27Pureed crown prince squash.
16:30Isn't it interesting?
16:31It looks more fulsome, doesn't it?
16:32Yeah, and it's got so much more, you know, like height differences.
16:36With fried curry leaves and pickled shallots.
16:40That's time, thank you, Ash.
16:42Coming up.
16:42Lovely.
16:43Bang on time.
16:45Ooh.
16:45Does look a lot nicer, doesn't it?
16:46Look at that.
16:47Looks all right.
16:48Thank you very much.
16:49Appreciate it.
16:55All the changes look amazing.
16:56Yeah, I'm very stoked.
17:15Not worried about flavour any more, are you, mate?
17:17No, definitely not.
17:19No.
17:19That proper comes through.
17:20Loads of different exciting flavours that are hitting my mouth in there.
17:24There's spice, there's acidity, there's a lovely little crumb kind of texture.
17:28But the one thing that I really love is the actual big chunk of roasted squash.
17:32It's delicious.
17:33It's really delicious and so comforting.
17:36It feels like a real comfort food.
17:37Yeah.
17:38Very warming and hugging, isn't it?
17:39I think the attention to texture is really clever as well, with the seeds and the curry leaf
17:44and the pickle on top.
17:45The nuttiness from the pumpkin seeds is really good as well.
17:48I think it's absolutely delicious.
17:50Yeah.
17:50I'm having difficulties stopping to talk.
17:53It's beautifully done.
17:55Super delicious.
17:55It's taken humble ingredients and made them very, very exciting.
17:59It's humble, but it's light, it's warming, it's hugging.
18:03I think it kind of has everything that you would want.
18:05Good start, that.
18:06Mm-hm.
18:10Nikita's next, and it's the moment of truth for her onion brioche.
18:15Thank God for that.
18:17So, next dish up is Ploughing the Fields.
18:20It is Jerusalem artichoke and caramel puree, topped with pickled turnip and roasted Jerusalem artichoke,
18:26sourdough croutons and potato foam, served with a laminated onion brioche glazed in yeast extract
18:32in maple syrup.
18:34This dish celebrates War Horse as the lead actor, Jeremy Irvin, was born in Cambridgeshire.
18:39In the film, he trains the horse to plough the land for the turnips,
18:42so this dish heroes root vegetables.
18:45You started off with a seven for your starter.
18:48What did Spencer make of it all?
18:49So, he loved the bread but thought it could do with a glaze,
18:51so I'm adding a yeast extract maple base.
18:54And then I'm toning down the sweetness a bit in the caramel,
18:56and I didn't want to change the potato because without practising it's too risky.
19:00Yes.
19:00So, I'm just upping the flavours in it, so more nutmeg, more pepper.
19:03So, pushing it so it's got a bit more body.
19:05Yeah, a bit more set powder, exactly, yeah.
19:06Laminated onion brioche.
19:08You haven't even got to say what it's glazed in.
19:09That's already got me going, yep, thank you very much.
19:12I'll have that.
19:13Again, it looks like quite a warming dish, quite a comforting dish.
19:15Root vegetables really suck you back into where food comes from.
19:19And if the chef can get this right, serves with a bit of brioche, sounds great.
19:25She prepares pickled turnips and aerates potato foam.
19:30This was such a good bit of advice.
19:33And she adds a maple syrup and yeast extract glaze to the brioche.
19:38Ooh, look at the bread.
19:40Really happy with the glaze on that.
19:41They look lovely, don't they? Super spent.
19:43Alison, how did you get into the film producing industry?
19:46I sort of left college at just the right time when the film industry was sort of exploding in the
19:51early 80s.
19:52So when I left college, I sort of hustled around and I got a job working in music videos.
19:57Very quickly worked up to producing them.
20:00And from there, I was able to start talking to directors and agents and developing film scripts.
20:05And of course, your first big hit was Elizabeth with the Cate Blanchett.
20:09Is this something that draws you to that historical genre?
20:13I love historical films and I like them when they're about real people like Elizabeth,
20:16and I like them when they're fictional.
20:17People always say, is it a real buzz when the film's released?
20:19But for me, the buzz always comes on the very first day of filming.
20:23When it's a historical film, it's the nearest you'll ever get to go back in a time machine.
20:27You have five minutes, Nikita.
20:29How are you feeling?
20:30Good.
20:31Caramelised Jerusalem artichoke puree is first.
20:36Roasted artichokes.
20:38Next, pickled turnips.
20:40Oh, they're the little croutons.
20:42Yeah, I want to be generous with them because they're just such a good crunch.
20:46I just need to foam and dust.
20:47Just watch you do it then.
20:48Yeah, just stand here and look pretty.
20:50How's that foam, Nikita?
20:52Are you happier with it?
20:53I am.
20:53It's got a bit more body and, yeah, more flavour.
20:56What are you dressing it with?
20:57Setup powder.
20:58Oh, nice.
21:03Lovely.
21:04You're one minute early, Nikita.
21:08Service, please.
21:23I'm finding this very, very exciting because I already liked the sound of the caramel puree and the maple syrup
21:29and this looks just like a little cinnamon bun.
21:31And this looks like a real patch of grass.
21:33This is awesome.
21:34Yeah.
21:43The brioche, the intricacy, the work that's gone into that, the texture on the outside, the crunch is fantastic.
21:52You could have just served me that and it's a great, great, great starter.
21:56It's absolutely delicious.
21:58I love this so much.
21:59There's so many different elements that all come through but all sing together.
22:04Really, really warm. It makes me smile.
22:06Yeah, it's a real triumph. I don't think I can fault it.
22:09I disagree slightly.
22:10I think the onion brioche is really good and, as you said, really nice crunch on the outside and the
22:14soft inside, I think is really, really good.
22:16I'm not a fan of the pot on the side. I like the textures. I don't think there's enough acidity.
22:21It all depends on where you aim your spoon.
22:23Mm-hm.
22:24Because you can get one mouthful that's very different to another mouthful if you don't get the bit of crunch.
22:29I've got a couple of spoonfuls that are too rooty and too leaden.
22:31I find that potato foam really gloopy and really sticking to my lips and I don't like the texture of
22:37it.
22:37If I ate all of this as a starter, I'd need to go for a lie down before I even
22:41got to the main course.
22:43Well, sadly, we've got fish, mains and dessert to go yet.
22:46No sleeping for you just yet.
22:50Oh!
22:52Fish is next.
22:53No time to stop, is there? It's just like...
22:55Next!
22:57Ash continues to baste monkfish with caramel fish sauce and is taking a risk with one of her other elements.
23:04Yeah, I'm doing my sauce like an absolute ****. I'm doing it at the last second.
23:09It's nicer when it's just done, so keep me in your thoughts and prayers.
23:13Our first fish dish of the day is silver screen solstice.
23:18Barbecued monkfish, buttermilk, beurre blanc, spiked with green chilli and lime, black garlic oil, cauliflower and black garlic puree and
23:26caviar to finish.
23:27Ooh la la.
23:28This dish honours the Electric Cinema in Birmingham.
23:31Until its closure in 2024, it was the oldest working cinema in the UK, first opening its doors in 1909.
23:38The monochromatic feel of this dish is mirrored in the decor of the Art Deco Cinema.
23:43Alison, have you ever been to the Electric Cinema in Birmingham?
23:45I have been to the Electric Cinema and in fact we had a screening there once of a television film
23:50that I made in Birmingham.
23:51It's the only thing I've ever shot in Birmingham, which was called Toast, which was Nigel Slater's.
23:57Story.
23:57So good memories of the Electric Cinema?
23:59Yeah, really good memories, beautiful cinema, really beautiful.
24:01So I didn't know it was closing, and that makes me quite sad.
24:04You got an eight for this delicious dish.
24:06I did, yeah.
24:07What was Spencer's feedback for you?
24:09He did mention maybe adding another veggie element or something pickly to it.
24:13Yeah.
24:13I'm not doing that, I'm sticking to my guns on this one.
24:16Stick to your guns, because that balance is really key actually.
24:18It's on a nice edge.
24:20The fish is done.
24:22Carver, not at the last second but towards the end of the last second.
24:25I'm going to heat this up really slowly.
24:28She warms cauliflower and black garlic puree.
24:31The worst thing that could happen to me is that it catches.
24:34Adds green chillies to the buttermilk beur blanc.
24:36You know what, I think it's there.
24:38Okay.
24:38Before warming through and adding lime juice for acidity.
24:43Chef, you have five minutes to the pass.
24:45Yes, Chef, thank you.
24:46Ash's monkfish is rested and ready.
24:49You happy with the croissant?
24:51Yeah, really stoked.
24:52I love how much you love your monkfish.
24:55Okay, let's get this going.
24:57Did you make any changes to this one?
24:58No, you know what, I just stuck to my guns.
25:00I believe in it.
25:01That's the most important part.
25:02Cauliflower and black garlic puree is first.
25:05That puree looks so silky.
25:08Thanks.
25:09Buttermilk beur blanc with green chillies and lime.
25:12This dish feels so luxurious to eat.
25:15Yeah, there's a touch of luxe, isn't it?
25:17One minute to the pass, Chef.
25:18Might just need one extra minute.
25:20I just want to be really careful here.
25:21Get it absolutely right, definitely.
25:24Not stressful at all.
25:26Barbecued monkfish glazed in a caramel fish sauce.
25:29Oh, and then there's the caviar, of course.
25:32Lastly, black garlic oil.
25:34I didn't really want to offer to do this part, so...
25:37Yeah, I wouldn't have let you.
25:39Especially with your shaky little hands.
25:40Yeah.
25:41Okay?
25:42Okay, let's rock and roll then.
25:45The dish is presented on film canisters.
25:49Mighty fine.
25:50As it sits is how the judge is going to receive it right.
25:53Thank you very much.
26:09Wow.
26:09The black and white thing is really coming through, isn't it?
26:19I feel like there's lots of elements of flavour in there
26:21that want to come out, but I'm not really getting them.
26:24Yeah, I don't know really.
26:25It's just, it's not really speaking to me.
26:26Am I wrong?
26:27I mean, the word on there, it says spiked with green chilli and lime.
26:30And there's a spike, there's a little punch, there's a little jab
26:34of that kind of heat that comes through that raw green chilli kit.
26:38Yeah, I love the sauce.
26:39I think the sauce is the best thing about the dish.
26:41It's fantastic.
26:41The sauce, I also think is absolutely amazing.
26:44I really, really like it.
26:45As you said, it says spiked and it's exactly what it is.
26:48It's really nice.
26:49How fascinating.
26:49Yeah.
26:50I thought the sauce was exquisite.
26:52I found the puree a little bit too much because it felt a bit intrusive.
26:58My issue is probably the barbecued monkfish.
27:00Mine is slightly overcooked, it's not hot enough and it hasn't got enough barbecue flavour.
27:04I agree, I got a couple of really nice bits of barbecued monkfish that the flavour came through,
27:09but other than that, it was overcooked.
27:12But monkfish is hard to get right because it's such a meaty fish.
27:15If you go a little bit that way or a little bit that way, it's wrong.
27:18This is just a tad to have done, I think.
27:21The appearance was fantastic.
27:23The black and white look, I thought was really well achieved.
27:26In terms of sticking to the brief, I don't think you can do much better than that.
27:29I genuinely believe this is a great dish in the making.
27:31The first edit of something fantastic.
27:37Nikita adds fermented chilli sambal paste to cucumber, green mango and shallots.
27:43This was a bit I was most worried about because it's fiery.
27:46Like, properly fiery.
27:49I don't know how Lorna is with spice.
27:53Spicey.
27:55Have you noticed I hate stopping?
27:57All chefs hate stopping, don't they?
28:00Nikita's next with her dish, Draft of Living Death.
28:03Inspired by Jim Broadbent, who plays Professor Slughorn in the Harry Potter films.
28:10It is a pan-fried halibut with fish head-inspired curry sauce.
28:15Garnished with fried okra and baby aubergines.
28:17Served with a cucumber and raw mango sambal salad and stuffed chilli and with liquid luck, a lime leaf oil.
28:27These are my chillies for my fish dish and I'll stuff them with the coconut filling and then batter and
28:34fry them.
28:36And what is your score for this Nikita?
28:37I scored a 10 for this.
28:38The first 10 that Spencer Metzger has ever given out on a British menu.
28:42That's, yeah.
28:43Are you making any changes?
28:45I am not making any changes.
28:47So execute, execute.
28:49Another 10, thank you.
28:50That would be nice.
28:52Okra is deep-fried to give the dish texture.
28:56We are in our cooking styles.
28:58Pre-polar opposite.
29:00Yeah.
29:01Filleted halibut is fried in butter and curry leaves.
29:04Mmm.
29:05Smells so good.
29:07Fried okra and aubergine are first.
29:11Next, pan-fried halibut.
29:13Ooh la la.
29:14Micro-purple shiso leaves.
29:17You've got nine minutes, chef, but you're looking...
29:19I'm gonna be early.
29:21Fried chilli stuffed with coconut potato and spices, top sambal.
29:27Say when?
29:28Like, there.
29:29And fish head curry sauce is bottled.
29:37Send it, chef.
29:38Service, please.
29:39Say the word.
29:49All of it, yeah?
29:50That was a bit scary.
29:52Argh!
30:01It's spicy.
30:02But I likey.
30:04It's like, it's hot!
30:06But I love it.
30:07That sauce.
30:08Ohh, I love that sauce.
30:10Guys.
30:11I think that the fish is perfectly cooked the halibut is exquisite it's really delicious
30:15I love halibut anyway it's probably my favorite fish and this has really done well my halibut
30:20actually was a little bit overcooked I think because it sits there with the lid on I think
30:23the flavors are great I do think that the heat is maybe ever so high if you eat a lot
30:29of the
30:29samba and a lot of the stuffed chili the chili's a little bit too hot for me but but kind
30:33of
30:33delicious so yeah I really like it I think it's really I think when you get everything together
30:38I think it balances everything really well it doesn't quite work as a complete dish just yet
30:43for me but that might be my fault because I didn't put all the things together properly no I mean
30:47I
30:47sort of admired the ambition of the theatricality but if it's a performance I want to watch the
30:52performance not feel that I have to participate in it and try and get it right you don't like
30:56audience participation Nikita will serve her main course first oh my days she sears pork chops adding
31:11butter and curry leaves a stage she missed out when she last cooked it for Tom Shepard that is just
31:17the
31:17love I didn't get to give it yesterday I'm so happy I get to give it to it today it's
31:24in I've given it
31:25the love hello darlings oh Andy hello hello miss Alison Owen hello hello still got a tingling in my
31:34mouth of heat and chili and warmth a little dancey palette it's really interesting and delicious food
31:41very very good morning interesting detail in these dishes Lorna you can really see the personality to the
31:46chefs coming through in them and just certain little notes of ingredients that really help
31:49enhance everything and have that flavor throughout I think it's really interesting and how you feeling
31:54mr. Wang that chili is riding really nice in my mouth right now I'm feeling very happy a lot of
31:59boldness and the choice is being made I think it's a really really good week Alison how do you feel
32:04the chefs are connecting to these stories they're trying to tell yes it's funny you can actually see
32:08the comparison between dishes and drama films you see like some of the dishes are more like an
32:13ensemble movie where every ingredient is working together with the others to create the whole and
32:18others are much more like a great starring vehicle where one performance is taking over the dish what
32:23makes you choose a script I always choose a script if it's really speaks to me personally if it comes
32:28to fruition it's something that I would go across the street and pay money to watch yes it's about
32:32just making you feel something god damn it these dishes are definitely making me feel something Tom
32:40I'm really excited by these chefs from the canapes onwards it's been you know great cooking good
32:44ingredients big flavors super excited for the afternoon before ash gets on with her main course she
32:51rushes to set tempered chocolate for her dessert be very gentle and don't rush it messy job this
33:00time will tell
33:04on to her main course and ash refines duck fat jus gras sauce it's basically there i'm adjusting the
33:11seasoning now nikita's centerpiece a braised pork cheek pie with chart masala comes out of the oven
33:19to rest almost dropped my pie ash almost but didn't ashy's first heart attack today hey chef hi yeah it's
33:28the
33:28big one yeah how much did you score for this i scored an eight an eight for dinner at pemberley
33:34the
33:34best part of the feedback is that he said it had a 10 in it yes my pie was a
33:38bit wet i've tightened up
33:40that mixture still keeping the flavor and then i just need to cook my pork correctly just and that's it
33:46and
33:46i've cooked pork a billion times and they can do it of course you can do it our first main
33:51course today is
33:52called dinner at pemberley and it's a roasted pork tomahawk barbecue pork belly pork cheek pie sweet corn
34:00chef dough spiced carrots cabbage potato petty green chutney served with a pork and madeira sauce
34:08and this is supposed to be a romantic dinner celebrating period drama pride and prejudice
34:12starring keira knightley and matthew mcfadyen the iconic house of mr darcy pemberley house was filmed at
34:18chatsworth house in derbyshire love a bit of pork me too that sounds a lot of pork is coming our
34:24way
34:25all right right up my street this is literally a cheeky pie this is the carrot masala yum that just
34:33needs
34:34to go in the oven she fries sweet corn and potato pettis it's nice and crispy and carves her rested
34:41pork
34:41chop hey i cooked the pork nicely
34:48all right it's the big one that was scary potato pettis masala carrots and hispy cabbage are dished up
34:57five minutes to the past chef way how's your pork pork is perfectly cooked yes first green chutney
35:04sweet corn chef dough topped with fried curry leaves can you get that sauce boiling yeah and then you know
35:12i know the drill next slices of barbecued pork belly and pork chop ready to go
35:22oh it looks great look at that finally a pork and madeira sauce
35:29okay service nice come grab the tool oh it's about to say oh my goodness the pie that would have
35:38been so
35:38funny in through the nose
35:58we're just gonna have to go messy i'm afraid guys
36:07tomahawk's perfectly cooked with a bit of pinkness going through it so tasty so flavorful
36:11i'll tell you what my favorite part is is the pork belly i think it's very very good i love
36:15the season
36:16on the outside it's got nice saltiness to texture of it's perfect i love the spicing on the carrots
36:20the kind of freshness that the chutney brings and the cabbage as well i'm not overly keen on the potato
36:27i love the south asian flavors that run through the whole thing it's subtle but it really really
36:32works it's a really wonderful beautiful take on a roast pork and a pork pie downfall is it when you're
36:38cutting the pie that it is a bit of a mess and i think it'd be very difficult at a
36:41banquet to give
36:41everyone their fair share of pie but as far as the pork goes it's delicious you've got classic flavors
36:47you've got cabbage carrots and roast pork but actually it's elevated into something new people want the same
36:53thing they want something familiar but with a little bit fresh it's exactly and this is exactly what
36:56this is it's sunday lunch as you know it but not as you know it with a different spin on
37:01it every
37:01single element you know and it's familiar but it's different it's a real play on what is a british
37:05classic that's taken to new flavors i love it i think it's a great dish a couple of little tweaks
37:10this is most definitely banquet worthy for me
37:15it's ash's main course next roasted duck breasts are finished on the barbecue
37:22got to get the brummy honey in there she bastes mushrooms in a honey and soy glaze
37:28hi andy how you doing chef deep yeah deep in the thick of it deep in the thick of it
37:33this was a nine
37:34what was this dish called this dish is called a dream within a dream within a dream it's a
37:42link to the brief seemed as if you maybe if you hadn't seen the film it was a bit tricky
37:46right
37:47i've mitigated that by adjusting my props accordingly on the plate itself the nectarine needed a bit
37:52more oomph a bit more punch says it got lost a little bit so i'm adding a chardonnay gastrique
37:57something to cut through that richness and all of that beautiful duck up next we have a dream within
38:03a dream which is duck breast roasted on the crown glazed with birmingham honey and soy
38:08comfy legs whipped into a rillette covered with a celeriac crisp celeriac bread sauce a skewer made
38:15with the duck heart duck liver and king oyster mushroom barbecued mataki mushroom nectarine
38:20relish and a duck jus gras this dish celebrates visual effects supervisors peter bebb and andrew
38:27lockley from staffordshire for their academy-winning work on the film inception its presentation is inspired
38:32by the dream world they created a dream within a dream an mp3 player within a box once you hear
38:38this
38:38music prepare yourself for the duck dish that will bring you out of your dream within a dream
38:45alison's already vibing in the dream before service ash attempts to turn out tempered chocolate eggs
38:51ready for her dessert but they're stuck i think i know where i went wrong because i rushed these
38:59looks like the chocolate settled on the bottom leaving her no choice but to do them again but
39:05with service looming she needs to concentrate on getting her mane out this is the least of my worries
39:10right now finishing a celeriac bread sauce i know if i panic then it's all over and torching duck breasts
39:18to give them a final char
39:23ash it's go time seven minutes to the past chef how are you getting on all right yes i'm on
39:27track
39:28thanks andy do you want any help ash i'm motoring i'm motoring yeah i'll just stare into my shoe then
39:33yeah sweet first is honey and soy glazed duck breast nectarine relish duck leg confit rillettes
39:42a couple of bits of time on the nectarine for me please mate one minute chef one minute i'm gonna
39:48need an extra at least one potentially okay barbecued my attacking mushrooms celeriac bread sauce
39:55an offal skewer and the duck leg is topped with crispy celeriac and a jug of jus gras sauce
40:05oh it looks good
40:07oh
40:11service page
40:36It doesn't really have anything to do with the brief aside from the bare music and the
40:41top. But I think it's mostly delicious. I love the confit rillette. I think the sauce is really nice in
40:47the time that comes through on that gravy. I think it's really lovely. For me, the issue is the main
40:51piece of duck, which is a bit big and a bit dull. I love the duck rillette. The barbecued mataki
40:57is really nice, meaty, barbecue-y, roasted. Really love the flavour of that. Not so keen on the bread sauce.
41:03And for me, the duck's a little bit overcooked. I'm not a big fan of the dish, if I'm honest.
41:07I like bits of it. I think the rillette's really nice. I like the texture and the crispy.
41:11Celeriac on the top. Not overly sold on the skewer. Nectarine chutney is really yummy. The issue of this dish
41:17is there's six or seven elements that we all like different parts of it. I absolutely love the skewer. The
41:24flavour of it, I think, is fantastic.
41:26But we've got lots of different elements that are sat there as separate pieces. It's not quite in synergy. It's
41:33not connected.
41:33But also, somehow, quite a lot going on and not enough going on at the same time.
41:38And, like Phil says, I think the chef kind of gave up on the connection to the brief.
41:42This plate of food you would never associate with the movie.
41:45No.
41:46No, if you were in a pub quiz trying to guess which movie it was, you'd be there a long
41:49time, really.
41:54It's straight on with pre-desserts, and Nikita starts her dish with an Indian lemonade-flavoured pani sorbet.
42:01I'm going to spray my boobs quick, yeah?
42:04Ash's yoghurt mousse is coated in pink velvet cocoa butter.
42:08You have three minutes to the pass.
42:10She fills yoghurt mousses with a raspberry and rose gel, and tops with a fresh raspberry.
42:16And after adding dried mango, Nikita finishes hers with a yoghurt foam.
42:21I'm ready.
42:22All right, chef. We're ready for you. Thank you.
42:28OK.
42:30Service, please.
42:30Service, please.
42:31Service, please.
42:43So, for our pre-desserts, we have Unveiling Beauty.
42:46Yoghurt mousse, raspberry and rose gel sprayed with pink velvet cocoa butter.
42:50Celebrating Brummie legend Dame Julie Walters and her role in Calendar Girls as a WI member.
43:02I love the yoghurt mousse.
43:04Just all the other flavours that come with it don't quite give it enough contrasting kick.
43:08I find this quite savoury almost.
43:11Yeah, I'm not too sure about it, if I'm honest with you.
43:13It's quite heavy and thick, and I don't know if it prepares you for a dessert.
43:18This is kind of like more richness on richness.
43:21And we also have half-time refresh.
43:23Nimbu pani sorbet, yoghurt foam and dried mango.
43:27So, Lester's Parminda Nagra plays Jess, the leading character in Bend It Like Beckham.
43:41This, I absolutely love the yoghurt foam.
43:43I think it's great.
43:44And I love the chewy bits of mango.
43:47I'm a little bit unsure of the cumin in the sorbet.
43:49I don't think I like it, but then I want more of it.
43:52And I can't say whether I like it or not.
43:54You can't stop eating this one.
43:56And even as I'm sitting here and I've put the lid back on,
43:58I'm thinking, hmm, if I take that lid back off, I might have another spoon.
44:01It's not that complex, but it's clean, it's refreshing,
44:03and it most definitely has a bit more punch than the other one.
44:06So clever, so delicious, so refreshing.
44:08And it's what you want after all that richness that we've just had.
44:11We've got to lift up which one we prefer.
44:14I do love the football,
44:17but I think that yoghurt mousse is very special.
44:22It's the last course of the day.
44:24How are you feeling, Ash?
44:26You just don't know what they're thinking, do you?
44:27It's so hard.
44:29I know.
44:29Having four completely different people.
44:31Exactly.
44:33And with Ash's chocolate eggs failing on the first attempt,
44:36she's pushing to get a second batch finished in time.
44:38Sure am.
44:40And has moved to the cooler prep kitchen.
44:43The ambient temperature in there is almost 14 degrees higher than it is here.
44:47Chocolate likes 18-ish degrees.
44:50It's currently 20 in here,
44:52so I've got a much better chance of having a little bit of success.
44:57Alison, you've worked with some incredible superstars,
45:00like Cate Blanchett, Anthony Hopkins, Daniel Craig.
45:02I mean, who's got the biggest star aura about them?
45:06Daniel, I sort of knew before he was Bond for a long time,
45:10so I'm not starstruck by him.
45:12Yeah.
45:13But I would say that Tom Hanks is like, hello.
45:17Yeah, that's pretty big.
45:18He's a real star, and he deals with it so gracefully,
45:22and he's also just one of the nicest people you could possibly...
45:25I know it's a cliche, but not everybody is nice, actually.
45:27So Tom is genuinely fantastic.
45:30I just got, like, lots of things to bake, you know, really.
45:34Nikita is serving first.
45:36Tom suggested doing more of a soak on the sponge,
45:38so I'm doing exactly that.
45:41All right, chef, last one, last one. You ready?
45:43This one's a real push.
45:45Looking good?
45:46It's OK. These aren't as neat as they were yesterday.
45:49You've got the GBM handshake.
45:50Yeah.
45:51You scored an eight, beginning of the end.
45:53The feedback was mostly about sweetness.
45:55Yeah.
45:56I'm upping the salt also.
45:58Adding, like, some salted peanuts through the ice cream.
46:01This dish celebrates Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel,
46:04starring Ipswich-born Ralph Fiennes,
46:07and the scene where his character orders shoe buns
46:09from a patisserie to be delivered to prison.
46:12The chef will visually recreate that dish.
46:15Visual recreation of a Wes Anderson movie.
46:18A lot of pressure.
46:19In food. It's a big ask, isn't it?
46:22Yeah.
46:23Nikita adds the finishing touches to her shoe bun icing.
46:29Before baking tuile doily bases.
46:32This is the biggest push of the day.
46:35Oh, in this one.
46:48Three minutes to the pass, chef.
46:49A change to her original dessert,
46:52she swaps a base of peanuts for chocolate ganache and banana.
46:56You happy with your tuiles?
46:57I am happy with my tuiles, yes.
46:59Like a good amount of peanut in each, like, little bite, right?
47:02Yeah.
47:02OK.
47:03You've got one minute to time.
47:05I'm going to need an extra five, I think.
47:08An extra five, all right.
47:09Largest shoe is filled with jaggery ice cream
47:12with the addition of salted peanuts.
47:15Don't panic, Nikita, you're all right?
47:18Yeah.
47:18The Midland's smallest shoe are filled with banana custard and ganache.
47:23All right, we need to go now.
47:24Let's go.
47:24Yep.
47:32OK.
47:32Let's go.
47:33Yes.
47:33Service, please.
47:35All right, grab the door.
47:39Last one.
47:41Come here.
47:47Ah, great.
47:54One, two, three.
47:56Oh!
47:58Oh, wow.
47:59Oh, my goodness.
48:09The impact at the start of you taking the lid off,
48:11it all collapses straight away.
48:13Ta-da!
48:13Like, it does feel like you're in the film.
48:15I love the crunch and the nuttiness from the peanuts.
48:18The twill's really crunchy as well.
48:19The shoe pastry's very well made.
48:21The shoe buns themselves, I think,
48:22are really, really good, crispy and crunchy.
48:25My problem is the banana and the ganache
48:28on the bottom of the plate.
48:29It's just, like, cold banana and a bit of chocolate.
48:33I enjoyed it all, but I feel like I'm...
48:35I don't know how to describe it.
48:36I don't feel like I'm overall satisfied by it.
48:39But I do like it and think it's well made.
48:41I think incredibly well made.
48:42I think it's a real showcase of clear technical skill.
48:45I mean, I thought the flavours were delicious.
48:47I thought it was really, really, really nice.
48:49I loved everything about it so much
48:51that I feel unaccountably loyal
48:53and cross with anyone who's criticising.
48:55Tiny bit, cos it was so beautiful.
48:57Look at it.
48:58It's just the colours, this little doily, the tower.
49:01This really is, I think, the first dish of the day
49:04that is so connected to the brief
49:06that it could be in the film.
49:07Chapeau.
49:08Yeah.
49:08Hats off.
49:09I mean, it's really, really great.
49:13Ash's dessert is the last dish of the day
49:15and with one failed attempt at the centrepiece,
49:18a tempered chocolate egg...
49:20A very, very fragile little egg, just like me.
49:24She's relying on this batch
49:26as it was her highest-scoring dish of the week.
49:30Got one out.
49:33Smashed it.
49:35And now we have Second City Easter Egg.
49:39Gold-sprayed white chocolate Easter egg
49:42filled with passion fruit curd, vanilla mousse,
49:44toasted foillotine and a katyfi pastry nest.
49:48This dish celebrates Steven Spielberg's film,
49:51Ready Player One,
49:52where many of the scenes were filmed in Digbeth, Birmingham.
49:55During the film, there was a quest to find the Easter egg
49:57in the virtual reality space called the Oasis.
50:00This chef has recreated that Easter egg.
50:03White chocolate and passion fruit,
50:05they are two flavours
50:07that if they're not right, they fight.
50:10Mm-hm, mm-hm.
50:11It's just a scary one, isn't it?
50:13Also, white chocolate, it's very difficult to work with.
50:16The big fat ten.
50:17Big fat ten.
50:18Big fat ten.
50:18I'll bring you a big fat ten today as well.
50:20You'll be really good to get that same score.
50:22Are you making any changes, chef?
50:24No, no, none at all.
50:25You've been having a bit of a problem with your chocolate.
50:27I rushed it earlier.
50:28Yeah.
50:29And chocolate can sense fear.
50:32You just can't rush it.
50:33Trepidation, yeah.
50:35Chocolate eggs are filled with vanilla mousse.
50:39I've got to change my pants straight off, please.
50:41Oh!
50:45And passion fruit curd.
50:48Oh, you're so calm.
50:49I'm so jealous.
50:52Oh!
50:53You sure I have to stand and watch this part?
50:55No, you can go away.
50:56It's actually better if you do.
51:05They're finished with edible gold spray,
51:09vanilla mousses first,
51:12then cataifi nests,
51:15passion fruit curd,
51:16and foillotine.
51:19Three minutes, Ash.
51:21I'm going to need extra time, please.
51:23Okay.
51:34Okay, let's go.
51:35All right.
51:37All right, let's go really carefully with these.
51:44Let's go, guys.
51:45Service, please.
51:48Oh, guys.
51:51I'm really, genuinely really proud of you both, honestly.
52:04They all look scared, don't they?
52:10Oh, gorgeous.
52:13A chip on the plate
52:15takes the judges
52:16to a behind-the-scenes making of the film
52:18Ready Player One
52:19in Birmingham.
52:30I love it.
52:30I think it's great.
52:31I really, really like it.
52:32I think that maybe the white chocolate
52:34is ever so slightly a little bit thick,
52:36but other than that,
52:38I think it's a really good dessert.
52:39I think this cataifi nest is fantastic.
52:42It's buttery, delicious.
52:44It's managed to stay crispy.
52:45The filling, there's just too much of it.
52:47It's big old dollops of gloopy cream for me,
52:50but I don't like cream eggs.
52:51But the red...
52:52What?
52:52I don't like cream eggs, either.
52:53Sorry.
52:54Did I hear that right?
52:55I don't like a cream egg.
52:56No, me neither.
52:57It's too much gloop.
52:58I think if I hadn't eaten so much today,
52:59I would eat it all.
53:00Actually, I don't think I'd be able to eat the whole of this
53:02even without the day of eating,
53:04but it is yummy.
53:06It's very well done.
53:07I think it's great technical ability as well.
53:09Yeah, the white chocolate,
53:09you said that the white chocolate's hard to temper,
53:11but would you say they've done a pretty good job?
53:13They've done a great job.
53:14They've done it really nicely.
53:16It's got crisp, it's got crunch on it,
53:18it's got texture.
53:19The flavours are delicious.
53:20I really, really like the vanilla mousse.
53:23I think it's delicious.
53:24I think that's, like, a proper winner.
53:27It's a very, very good dish.
53:32That's the most hectic, like,
53:34few hours of my life, I reckon.
53:36I've got some more lines on my forehead.
53:38I feel like a few more grays coming through.
53:41It's been a pleasure sharing the kitchen with you.
53:43Likewise.
53:44Should we do this?
53:45Should we go get the results?
53:47OK, let's do it.
54:04Welcome, chefs.
54:06I've been with you all week.
54:07It's been an extraordinary week, chefs.
54:09And the way you've carried yourself in the kitchen
54:11has just been an absolute joy,
54:13so thank you both.
54:13Yeah, we've had a wonderful day in here.
54:16I mean, it was super interesting,
54:18it was clever, it inspired,
54:19it was cheerful, it made us smile,
54:22you know, there was some great cooking in there.
54:24And with that, I want to know
54:25who cooked Second City Easter Egg?
54:28Chef, I mean, for me,
54:29that was just such a beautiful dessert.
54:31It was rich, it was indulgent.
54:34I scored it a nine.
54:34It was a great dish.
54:35Thank you very much, chef.
54:36Appreciate that.
54:37So, Nikita, that means you made Beginning of the End.
54:40You really set yourself a high bar
54:42choosing a Wes Anderson film to replicate,
54:45but you smashed through that challenge
54:46and it tasted fantastic as well, so well done.
54:48Thank you so much.
54:49I was trying to be judicious and precise,
54:52but I lost the plot on the last course.
54:54I had to score you both a ten
54:55because there was no other way to do it, in my view.
54:59Well, look, we're not going to make you wait any longer.
55:01I mean, with scores like that,
55:02Andy knows what they are and she's got the results.
55:05The winner of Central and East of England
55:09by only four points.
55:12That winner, and going through to Cook at finals, is...
55:24Nikita.
55:27Come on.
55:29You're ended.
55:31You're ended.
55:32You're ended.
55:34Nikita, well done.
55:37I...
55:38You might be able to tell I was surprised.
55:41Um, I...
55:42Cos, I mean, I learnt so much this week from...
55:45Likewise.
55:46...watching Ash, I mean...
55:47Likewise.
55:47But it was outstanding cooking,
55:49and that pork dish, that main course, was phenomenal.
55:52I thought it was a beautiful bit of cooking.
55:53Well done, chef.
55:54Thank you so much.
55:55Yeah, Nikita, you really needn't be in shock,
55:57cos the halibut curry dish as well is delicious.
56:00I felt like I was back in Malaysia.
56:01It was absolutely stunning,
56:02and that stuffed chilli was so clever and so effective.
56:04Yeah, well done.
56:05Thank you so much.
56:06Commiserations, Ash.
56:07You've cooked so well today.
56:09It's been really, really good,
56:10and I absolutely loved your starter dish,
56:11the balance, the textures, the flavour of it.
56:13I give it an aye, and I absolutely loved it.
56:15Thank you very much.
56:16Yeah, Ash, brilliant, brilliant cooking.
56:18And thank you for letting me be a part of it.
56:19It's just been such a privilege.
56:20I've been, you know, teased and entertained and surprised,
56:24but ultimately satisfied.
56:27Just chapeau.
56:28Brilliant.
56:29Chapeau.
56:30Alison, thank you so much for coming.
56:32It's been a joy to have you here.
56:33Please come to the banquet.
56:35I'm there.
56:36Absolutely.
56:37Chefs, once again, thank you so much.
56:40Congratulations, Nikita.
56:42Commiserations, but also congratulations,
56:43because you've literally cooked your socks off, both of you.
56:48Yeah, it feels like it.
56:49Well done.
56:51Stunning.
56:58I can't believe that just happened.
57:01Never more worthy opponent I've ever had.
57:04Like, she's fantastic.
57:07And I really now just wanted it to go all the way through.
57:11Ash, I watched her all day, and she's so amazing.
57:16And so I just don't, I don't know, I'm so overwhelmed by it.
57:20This didn't happen, like, accidentally.
57:23Like, I've worked my socks off for this,
57:25and for it to pay off is just, it's just amazing.
57:29Wow.
57:30I told you there was some stunning food on the way, didn't I?
57:32Every single one that came into that room was exciting,
57:35and it was clever, and it was thoughtful,
57:37and it was, it was delicious.
57:38In the end, Nikita just won out.
57:41I mean, four points is nothing.
57:43When you think it's something that close all the way through,
57:46there was some great cooking.
57:47Ash's sauce for that fish I thought was outstanding.
57:50Do you know what it was?
57:50I think it was just that main course dish,
57:52that one course just, just pipped it.
57:56And then her dessert.
57:57I mean, oh, it was magic.
57:59It was rich and so delicious.
58:00It's stunningly beautiful.
58:02Congratulations to Nikita, though.
58:04What a chef.
58:05What a talent.
58:06I just feel like we've discovered two really extraordinary chefs.
58:09I'm really happy to see Nikita through to finals,
58:12and we're going to bear Ash in mind.
58:13I cannot wait to see that pork pie again.
58:15Oh, my God.
58:16I mean...
58:18You deserve everything that's coming your way.
58:20You're so talented.
58:21It's been a pleasure.
58:22It's been so nice.
58:23It's been the best.
58:23Cheers.
58:24Cheers, mate.
58:26Good luck in finals.
58:27Not that you need it.
58:34Bye.
58:58Cheers.
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