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MasterChef: The Professionals - Season 18 - Episode 04
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00:01From across the U.K., 32 up-and-coming chefs are heading to the MasterChef kitchen in Birmingham
00:13in a battle to become professional MasterChef champion.
00:20Tonight, four new hopefuls compete to impress
00:25MasterChef judge Matt Tebbett, renowned chef Monica Goletti, and culinary legend Marcus Waring.
00:38I've watched this for years and obviously have thought about myself in the competition,
00:42but I'm here now and I can't quite believe it still.
00:45This moment is huge for me, for my career. I'm ready. I've got Chef White's on. I'm excited.
00:51I'm ready to go. Yeah.
00:54When I cook for my friends or for my family, they always say it is good, it is great,
00:58but it's the same as when your mother tell you that you are beautiful.
01:02I want to get out of my comfort zone and just unapologetically be myself.
01:09Who's got what it takes to set this competition alight?
01:13It's time to discover a new culinary superstar.
01:23Four new chefs waiting in the wings to show us what they've got.
01:26This year, we've invited back previous winners and finalists from the competition to set our skills
01:32test. So, should we meet this week's guest?
01:35Absolutely. Let's bring him in.
01:41Philly Armitage Matin made it to the final of MasterChef The Professionals in 2020.
01:47Wow. That looks good.
01:50Impressing the judges with her love of playful Asian-inspired dishes.
01:55Hey, girl. I think it's great.
01:58That's just astonishingly good.
02:00Mmm. Tasty. Very tasty.
02:06Since MasterChef, I have been very busy. I've been launching a hot sauce,
02:11and I absolutely love making social media videos.
02:15It's sticky, it's glossy, it's teriyaki sauce, and it's so simple to make.
02:20I get to inspire people and teach them different recipes that I love.
02:26Let's talk kimchi. This Korean's table is packed with probiotics.
02:30Give it a go, your gut will thank you. Stay funky, stay healthy.
02:34It's really, really exciting. I have written a cookbook.
02:38It's all about getting home chefs to explore more Asian ingredients.
02:42So everything from umami to tarti to sweet to savoury, it's got it all.
02:49When I think back to my skills test, it was the most nerve-wracking moment of ever.
02:55Oh, hello.
02:59I will have some sympathy, but they're professional chefs.
03:03They need to know what they're doing.
03:04My advice to the contestants, breathe.
03:08Just believe in yourself.
03:12Philly, welcome.
03:13Thanks. It's great to be back.
03:15Two skills tests to set for today. What's your first one?
03:18I would like the chefs to cook grilled cod's collar, tempura cheeks, and a Korean-style barbecue sauce.
03:26Like that.
03:27This is niche.
03:29There's going to be a lot of chefs who will look at this and go, I do not know what
03:32to do with this.
03:33So, Philly, 20 minutes. I'm very excited. Take it away.
03:37First up, I'm going to be butchering the cod's head.
03:41For today, I'm only going to be using the cod collar and the cod cheeks.
03:46To remove the cod's collar, I'm going to slip the knife down to remove it.
03:50Generally, a lot of chefs know that as a stock element.
03:53To make a dish out of it, now, that takes a lot of skill.
03:55From the back of the cod's collar, there's this silver skin.
03:58That needs to be removed, because otherwise, when it's cooked, it's going to really tighten up the meat of the
04:04fish.
04:05So, Philly, where does the inspiration come from?
04:08It was one of my first restaurants I was working at, and one of the Chinese chefs made the cod's
04:13head.
04:13And the moment I tasted this buttery, meaty fish, I couldn't believe that this can be the star of the
04:21show.
04:22I removed the cod collars, now I'll remove the cheeks.
04:24So, you can feel a small little piece of flesh, and then insert your knife.
04:30The cod cheeks, you do need to go in quite deep, but you can get quite chunky bits of cod
04:35cheeks.
04:35They're firm, yet tender, delicious part of the fish.
04:40Two cheeks are now removed. This can be used for stock later.
04:45Now, I'm going to make a Korean-style barbecue sauce.
04:48Gochujang, which is going to be the base. It's a Korean red pepper paste.
04:52It's one of my favorites. So, it is quite spicy, but it's got a true umami flavor to it that
04:59you can't cheat.
05:00Then, a bit of ketchup, brown sugar, adding a bit of honey,
05:07rice vinegar, and soy. And I want the chefs to taste as they go and balance this.
05:13It's got to have sweetness with sharpness in it, and you want a bit of acidity, right?
05:17Exactly. So, my little added extra touch is adding a bit of butter at the end.
05:23Butter's going to mellow all those flavors out a lot as well, aren't it?
05:26Exactly.
05:27And is this sauce going on your cod's cheek?
05:29This sauce will sit alongside the cod's tempura as a little cod nugget dipping sauce.
05:34Okay. Next, I'm going to prepare my cod's collar ready for grilling.
05:39Just a bit of veg oil, salt, and pepper. That's all it needs. And then straight under the salamander.
05:47That'll take about five minutes. I want it to be grilled to golden perfection.
05:51While that cooks, I'm going to be making a tempura batter for my cod's cheeks. Corn flour,
05:57plain flour, a pinch of bicarb, and then for the liquid, I'm going to be using sparkling water.
06:04It's going to create that really light, crispy batter. All chefs should know how to make tempura
06:08batter. It's got to be crispy. Yeah. And you want a texture of the batter that's quite
06:13light and runny, almost like double cream. So, I'm going to add my cod's cheek into the batter.
06:21When it hits the hot oil, you want to wave the cod's cheek so that it doesn't stick to the
06:25basket
06:25of the fryer. When you're cooking something like a cheek in tempura,
06:30it's the chef's intuition to understand whether it's cooked or not. Little color. You don't want
06:34a lot of color there. That looks great. That's the skin I was looking for. It's beautiful and golden
06:45with little crunchy bits. I'm excited. I'm excited for you guys, hopefully. Now I'm ready to plate
06:52with the tempura cheeks and the Korean barbecue sauce for dipping.
07:00Awesome. And there we have it. Grilled cod's collar, tempura cheeks,
07:04and a Korean-style barbecue sauce. Very nice. Smells amazing.
07:12It's a really good piece of meat, this. It's dense. It's flaky. I think it's great. I love it.
07:16The cheeks have got the right crunch to it. The sauce, bit of warmth from the gochujang chilies,
07:22bit of sharpness in there. Of course, the sweetness. Delightful. There's no two ways about it. The cod's
07:28head is going to be intimidating. It's finding the cheek. You've got to really search for it. And of
07:33course, the collar. I mean, how many chefs are going to know how to cook a collar? We'll see. We'll
07:37see.
07:38Philly, I love that. That was a great test. Now you go and watch from behind and come and join
07:43us
07:43again in the tasting. Thanks. This could get interesting. Guys, let's get our first chef in.
07:56First to face Philly's skills test is 34-year-old Ola, a sous chef at a catering company in London.
08:05Growing up as a kid in Nigeria, I remember to this day, my mum would be pounding yam in this
08:12wooden
08:12thing. And then I would be just there behind her, just like looking over her shoulder. And then coming
08:17to London with my aunt, who was a foster carer. And Sunday dinners was like the pinnacle of just
08:23family coming together. I always say my aunt is what got me into food. And she's my angel, to be
08:29honest.
08:30Life as a chef is all about being creative. My food style, I like vibrant colors. Simple,
08:38but packed with flavor. When I cook, it makes me happy because it's like my brain's ticking.
08:44And when it comes to just putting things together, it just slows down. It's like a slow motion. As a
08:50chef, I've always wanted to enter MasterChef to open doors for my soul. You only live once,
08:54and go for it. See what happens. Welcome, Ola. How are you feeling?
09:01My heart's beating. That's good. That's a good thing.
09:04It helps. The MasterChef kitchen makes your heart beat like nothing else.
09:09Ola, we'd like you to make for us grilled cods collar, tempura cheeks and a Korean style
09:14barbecue sauce. Sounds good. Have you done anything like this at all before?
09:18No, to be honest. This will be my first time. 20 minutes. Take it away. Thank you.
09:28Ola's starting with taking off the cods collar. He's removing that really quite cleanly. Well done.
09:40Ooh. Does he know where the cheeks are? They're right here. Use your face.
09:49Ola, um, cheeks. Yes. Struggling to, uh... Just think. Stop for a minute and think cheeks.
09:55Where are your cheeks going to be on a fish? Okay. There you go. Yes! Come on. That's where the
10:02cheeks are.
10:04It's not an easy task if you haven't done this before. You're just kind of thinking your way through.
10:08Yeah. Feeling my way through. Getting there in the end. Looks like you got it.
10:14So, you've removed the collar. You've got the cheeks out. Which is a great start.
10:18What's next? Thinking season the cod.
10:22What are we going to do with the collar? Remember we've got to have it grilled.
10:24We have to grill it. So, ideally, we want to take the membranes. All these are off.
10:29He's removing the sinew really cleanly. I think he's getting into the flow of this girls' test.
10:35Tell us what inspired you to become a chef. As I was younger, I didn't want to go to Sunday
10:40school
10:40and my aunt would get me in the kitchen peeling potatoes and it just started from there for me.
10:45You were on spud duty. Did she get promoted? Did she promote you?
10:48Yeah, eventually. I got picked to do the seasoning. Nice one.
10:54What's your plan going forward? The batter I want to make.
10:58OK, Ola, you are coming up to halfway through now. Halfway through, yeah.
11:03Have you made a tempura batter before? Yes, yeah.
11:06Got plain flour, corn flour and some bicarbonate.
11:11Finishing with sparkling water.
11:15He's really whisking the batter. I hope it's not overworked. I really want a light, airy, crispy batter.
11:22What sort of style of cooking do you enjoy most?
11:24I love fine dining. My end goal is to be a private chef.
11:28OK, cool. What are you making now?
11:30I just want to make a dressing for the collar.
11:32Interesting that he's going to marinate the cod. I hope it doesn't burn.
11:38You've got about eight minutes left, so you're really going to have to start moving.
11:46Collars under the grill. You've got a Korean-style barbecue sauce to put together as well.
11:51Ketchup, brown sugar, bit of gochujang just to give it a bit more kick.
11:55Right. And then just finish it with the spring onions, a bit of garnish.
11:58And is this in the style of your sort of cooking?
12:01Flavour-wise, yes. Punchy, sweet.
12:04I haven't seen him taste it yet. I really hope it's balanced.
12:08It's quite sweet. So I'm just going to add a bit of water to kind of reduce it down a
12:12bit,
12:12and then add some butter to finish it. Right.
12:18Yes! Butter to finish!
12:21Ola, you've got three minutes left. Excellent.
12:25Cheeks coming in. Here we go. Be light, be gentle with it. They're only small.
12:31Ola, you've got two minutes left. I'm going to start bringing your dish together, please.
12:38How's it looking?
12:39Nice colour, isn't it? Happy?
12:41Er, yes, chef. Good.
12:44Cod's cheeks look quite golden, and the batter looks quite thick, rather than, like, light and airy tempura.
12:52Righty, you've got one minute left. Let's start getting this on the plate.
12:55Get it on the plate. Get it on the plate.
13:03Quick, quick. This sauce in. Come on.
13:08That's it. Just in the nick of time. How was that?
13:11Nerve-wracking to start with, but... Yeah.
13:14Your heart was beating a bit faster. My heart was out of my chest.
13:17Great job.
13:22This skills test has been set by a previous finalist, Philly Armitage Matin.
13:29Hi. Hi.
13:38Great attempt. Very good that you worked your way through it.
13:41Your batter a little bit on the thick side.
13:43It's almost like a chip shop batter rather than a tempura batter.
13:47But I love the crunchiness of it and the cooking of the cheek.
13:50Overall, very impressed.
13:52Thanks, chef. I like that you made a marinade for the college.
13:55It's brought so much hate from the gochucheng. I'm enjoying this.
13:58Once you got the cheeks off and you took the skin off, it just got a little bit rough in
14:02areas,
14:02just to be a bit more careful, OK? But good to see you tasting.
14:06Really pleased with the outcome of your dish here, considering you've never done this before.
14:10The Korean barbecue sauce, I absolutely screamed when you added the butter.
14:14I love finishing my Korean barbecue sauce with a bit of butter.
14:17You could taste the gochucheng, the vinegar, it all comes together and it's so tasty.
14:22Thank you so much and well done on your skills test.
14:25Thank you, chef.
14:27I think the whole thing overall is a very, very good dish.
14:31Thank you, chef. So I look forward to seeing what you've got next.
14:33Go and take a break. Thank you, chef.
14:37My children just went out of the window as soon as I walked into that and saw the corn cheeks.
14:42It was, yeah, woo! It was a lot.
14:47Next up is 38-year-old chef de partie and former chemist Chris,
14:53who works at a one Michelin-style restaurant in Norfolk.
14:59So my route to cooking is unusual. I went into chemistry, did a PhD, and then what happened
15:05is a professional cycling team moved into the house. I was living in, being right next to these
15:10guys who were living out their dream. I was just like, why am I in this job that I don't
15:14particularly
15:14find fulfilling? Then, yeah, I cycled for a few years. Then I found cooking.
15:20Flavour for me is just such a mind-blowing subject. It's the one area I think that I'm most interested
15:25in
15:25because of my background in chemistry. Even just taking a vegetable and completely transforming
15:29its flavour profile, which is really cool. I can see a path in which I can win, so I'll push
15:35for it.
15:36Of course, that's the goal. But as long as I give my best and put everything into it,
15:40that's all I can do. I'm so excited for the competition.
15:47Chris, welcome to MasterChef. As you know, this is your skills test. We'd like you to make for us
15:51grilled cod collar with tempura cod cheeks and a Korean barbecue sauce.
15:56Yes. I have never done anything with cod's collar. So, Chris, you've got 20 minutes. Off you go.
16:04Gliding through the cod's collar quite easily. Wow, they came off really quickly.
16:12Going straight in with cod's cheeks. Looks like he's butchered a cod head before.
16:18That's a beautiful cheek you got there. Yeah. So, off to a good start there, Chris. You've got the
16:22collars off and the cheeks. Yeah, now I'm in the flow of it. It's certainly real now. So, now I'm
16:27just taking off this membrane, which I suspect if I cook, it's going to become quite tough and curl up
16:33and not be very pleasant to eat. Well done, Chris. This chef looks like he knows what he's doing.
16:39Have you got a plan with what's going to go with the collar? This is going to be a marinade.
16:42Okay. So, I've got soy sauce, a bit of vinegar to bring the acidity, honey for just a bit more
16:48sweetness, ketchup for a bit of body. I love that he's using all of these ingredients and constantly
16:55tasting. He really understands the flavour. I like this, chef. Chris, you've had eight minutes so far.
17:06All right. So, I'm going to do the cod's cheeks. Chris, why MasterChef? Why are you here?
17:11I love being uncomfortable. Oh, you came to the right place. Yeah, I mean, I'm not disappointed.
17:18Looks like he's starting to make his tempera batter. Chris, how long have you been cooking?
17:23Yeah, I started when I was 30. Really? What were you doing before then?
17:28I've jumped around a bit. I started off as a chemist, went through to do a PhD and then into
17:34research. Okay. I had a brief career as a professional cyclist. You've been busy.
17:39Yeah. What sort of distances were you doing? Thousands of miles, stage races. The longest day
17:45was sort of 250 kilometres. Wow. From there, yeah, I was watching MasterChef. I saw, you know,
17:51the energy and the rush. I thought, you know, that's for me. I need to go and give that a
17:55go. It's the
17:56best job in the world. I'm, you know, without, I've done a few of them, you know, it's without question.
18:01Can you tell me what you've got in your Korean-inspired barbecue sauce there?
18:06Goetujang is the base, gives it a really nice body. Then, yeah, honey. I'll put a bit of butter in
18:10just to balance it out a bit. Oh, he's adding butter. Yeah! Come on, Chris.
18:16Right, Chris, you've got about four minutes left. You've got to get your cod's cheeks in the fryer.
18:19Yes. Tempura's done. Korean sauce is made. Your collar is under the salamander.
18:23Yes. Oh, taste. Yes. He's got everything coming together.
18:29We've got a couple of minutes left. Is this as uncomfortable as you like it?
18:33Yeah, I'm in my element right here. Brilliant.
18:37A nice light colour on the tempura.
18:44Can you tell me when I've got 30 seconds? You've got 30 seconds. Okay, coming back.
18:55Come on, Chris. Yes.
19:01Chris, you finished? Yes. Seconds to spare. Well done. You can relax now, Chris. I can't relax yet,
19:06chef. My section is filthy. Chris. Stop. You don't need to clear down. Stop it, Chris. Stop.
19:19Hi, Chris. Hello, chef.
19:28I thought you handled yourself really well under this intense pressure. You confidently
19:35butchered the cod's head. Cooked the cod's cheek to perfection. It's crispy. It was light in batter,
19:42and you are constantly tasting the sauce. You absolutely smashed it. Well done.
19:48Thank you. The cod's collar, I like that you made a marinade to really bring some flavour into it.
19:54Your sauce making, it's got a bit of heat in it. I like the vinegar touch that you've got in
19:59this.
20:00Beautiful working methods, clean, tidy. The professionalism of your butchery and your tasting
20:05all the way through. You tick every single box that I personally look for in a chef. Overall,
20:10you've absolutely nailed it.
20:11Yeah. Well, Chris, I mean, there was a very good feedback here. Our expectations now are very,
20:17very high. I was trying to keep them low. Well, you failed. We look forward to seeing what you have
20:22next.
20:29It was a real buzz. Good feedback. Their expectations are high now, so it's full gas from here.
20:38For my next skills test, I would like the chefs to make mushroom and kimchi filled dumplings with
20:43a chilli dipping sauce. I think this is definitely one of the ones that will challenge our chefs.
20:48Plant-based cooking. In dumpling making, it is very skilled. I like the sound of this. I do like
20:54dumplings, I have to say. Yes. Philly, 20 minutes. Show us. I'm going to start with my vegetable filling.
21:01I'm dicing up these mushrooms quite finely. You can't have any sharp bits that are going to
21:06punch the dumpling dough, because when it goes into the cooking, it's going to burst over without a doubt.
21:13I've got some kimchi cabbage that I've fermented. It's the backbone to Korean flavour and Korean
21:19cooking. It's got spice, it's got umami, it's got acidity. Philly, how much do you like kimchi?
21:25I am kimchi obsessed. I love it so much, I name a cat kimchi.
21:34So you're stirring your mushrooms with your kimchi. I'm just going to add a bit of ginger.
21:41So I'm going to season the mix with gochugaru. This is a Korean red pepper powder.
21:45A little bit of rice vinegar. To lighten the filling, I'm just going to add some chives.
21:52And then just some sesame oil for richness.
21:57Happy? Yeah. You can really feel the flavour of the kimchi. The skill I want to see is balancing
22:03the dumpling filling. It's about heart and feeling and instinct. So we've got the cold tray. The filling
22:10has to cool down before you use it, otherwise the dumplings will split. I'm expecting the chefs to make
22:17some sort of chilli dipping sauce. What their interpretation of it is, is up to them.
22:23I've chosen a crispy chilli oil because you get a bit of crunch, loads of umami. The shallots and garlic
22:30are going to go into a pan and I'm going to add cold vegetable oil. This is going to cook
22:35over a slow
22:35heat to take out the moisture and get them super crispy. So I've got some cinnamon and star anise.
22:43I'm going to be using a blend of gochugaru, Korean red pepper, chilli powder and sejuan pepper.
22:50There's something quite medicinal about it. It can almost be quite numbing on your tongue.
22:54It's all about balancing the flavours. If you use too much sejuan pepper, it can be a bit
23:00overpowering. But if you put too much chilli pepper in, it's going to be super hot.
23:06Right, time to roll the dumplings. I've given the chefs dumpling dough ready to go. So they'll need to roll
23:13out the dough for the wrappers. They can also use the pasta maker at this stage.
23:19Did you learn this technique in a restaurant as well? I actually learnt this technique in Shaolin,
23:24China. Oh really? I was huddled around a little wooden bench with grandmas.
23:29That day I realised that dumplings weren't like maths or science. It's all about feeling and I hope the
23:34chefs use instinct today to roll out their dumplings. So the thickness, the transparency of the dough,
23:40how important is that? I want the dumpling wrapper to be quite thin, but it needs to be thick enough
23:45to hold the filling, but not thick enough that it's too much of a bite. Now the chefs can choose
23:52any shape as long as it's uniform. Today I'm going to be doing a centre fold and then three folds
23:59from
23:59each side. You want to remove all the air from the dumpling before they're cooked. If there's any air
24:05pockets, it creates a bit of steam and then obviously pops the parcel open. Beautiful aren't they?
24:09They are, it's a real art. Dumplings are made, time to get cooking. Good. So into a pan I'm going
24:16to add a bit of oil,
24:21crisp up the base in a pan and then add a little bit of water and then steam them
24:26in the pan with the lid on. Oh. So Philly, you're literally doing them like a gyoza.
24:30Correct, yeah. Brilliant. And in a minute or so it's cooked.
24:35Now it's time to plate. You can see the dumplings are perfectly golden underneath.
24:41I want them super hot, super crisp and perfectly uniform.
24:50And there you have it. Vegetable and kimchi filled dumplings with a chilli dipping sauce.
25:02Bags of skill on show. The dumpling making of course is a skill but I just think if we get
25:06a
25:06parcel that's got a lovely flavoured filling inside and you get that little crispy bottom,
25:11I think it'd be very, very happy. Delicious looking little parcels, a really punchy dipping sauce.
25:16I don't think they will replicate close to what you've made, but if they even came halfway,
25:20I will be impressed. Now Philly, we're going to get our chefs in and come and join us in the
25:24tasting.
25:25See you in a bit. See you in a bit.
25:28Right, well, we've got two chefs waiting in the back there,
25:31let's see if they know how to make dumplings. Let's get them in.
25:3637-year-old Iniku was born in Hungary. She's now a private chef living in Norfolk.
25:44My passion for food comes from my childhood. I grew up with my mum, my brother and my grandparents.
25:52They always home cooked our meals. It was always made from scratch, soups, stews, everything.
25:58I was 11 when I decided I want to be a chef. I went to catering college in Budapest and
26:05then moved to
26:05the UK in 2010. We've been here for 15 years now. The dishes I would like to cook in the
26:12competition
26:13is the food of my heritage, which is Eastern Europe. I like being a chef because making a plate
26:18of food for someone feels like taking care of that person, which is a form of love.
26:26Hello.
26:27Iniku, we would like you to make us mushroom and kimchi
26:31filled dumplings with a chilli dipping sauce. You've got 20 minutes. Off you go.
26:37Thank you. Let's get cooking Iniku.
26:40We're going to start with making a filling because it needs to cool down.
26:46It's great that she needs to chill it before rolling the dumplings.
26:50Eastern European food, there's a lot of dumplings in there, isn't there?
26:53Yes, we have different filled pastas and dumplings as well.
26:57There's a lot of chunky pieces in these mushrooms. I'm a bit worried that the dumplings will explode.
27:05Are you familiar with these Asian ingredients here as well?
27:08Yes. I like kimchi because I like the flavour. It's punchy.
27:13So how long have you been a private chef for Iniku?
27:16Two years. I used to work in restaurant kitchens for 15 years and then started my own business.
27:22I do events. I do parties between 2 to 25 people.
27:27There's not a lot of flavours going in the dumpling filling. It's just been onions, garlic and mushrooms.
27:32I really want that punch of flavour. She's got a lot of ingredients to use here.
27:37Iniku, you've had seven minutes so far. Your filling is chilling down.
27:41Yes. And now you're rolling your dumpling? Yes.
27:45OK, so she's putting it through the pasta machine. That is OK, but she doesn't want to roll it out
27:49too thin.
27:50It needs to hold the filling as well.
27:52Iniku, why do you come on to MasterChef?
27:54I've never done a cooking competition before and this seemed like a nice challenge for me to push my boundaries.
28:02They look quite small. I don't want tiny, tiny dumplings.
28:06You've got about five minutes left.
28:07Yes, thank you.
28:08So you might want to start thinking about cooking them.
28:10Yes.
28:12And a chilli dipping sauce as well.
28:14A chilli dipping sauce as well, yeah.
28:16Come on, Iniku. I hope they don't burst when they cook.
28:20Let's fingers crossed for a crispy bottom.
28:25How are you going to make the sauce?
28:26Sugar.
28:28Just salt, sesame oil.
28:32I'm not sure what's this.
28:35Gochigaru.
28:35It's good that she smells it. It needs to be used wisely.
28:40Sedge one.
28:41Cool.
28:43You've got two minutes left.
28:45Yes, thank you.
28:46You're going to have to get a move on.
28:49Taste Iniku.
28:50Taste.
28:54How are they looking?
28:55They look good.
28:56You've got one minute left.
28:57Yes, thank you.
29:01Let's go. Quick, quick, quick.
29:04Are you done?
29:05Yes, I am done.
29:05That's it. Just in the nick of time. Well done.
29:11Oh, yeah.
29:14Hey, Iniku.
29:15Nice to meet you.
29:16Lovely to meet you too.
29:23You've used the pasta machine to roll out your dumplings.
29:26That's fine.
29:26But you did cut them very small.
29:28It's just very difficult to get proper filling in them.
29:31The dumpling wrappers could have burst because the filling is quite chunky.
29:35I didn't get much mushroom and I got a lot of kimchi.
29:38The sauce has loads of vinegar in it.
29:40I love that.
29:41It really offsets the flavour of the dumplings.
29:45Iniku, the dressing, I think, is good.
29:47But the filling, there's not enough.
29:49This is just a classic case of first time in the kitchen and nerves.
29:58It was mixed feedback.
29:59I think if I would have made the dumplings bigger, it would have been better.
30:02But it's quite a late call now, is it?
30:05Was it really 20 minutes?
30:06Was it?
30:11Last up is 37-year-old Gemma, who moved to the UK from Naples 11 years ago.
30:18She is now chef patron, working in the heart of Edinburgh.
30:24I work in a gastropub.
30:26This is just my winter job.
30:28During the summer, I run my own plant-based food truck.
30:33I love plant-based cooking. It's different.
30:36You need to create your own flavours, your own texture.
30:40Coming to the competition definitely is a way for me to explore my own style.
30:44But also, it's a place for me to showcase plant-based cuisine and how good it can be.
30:50To be the first plant-based chef to win MasterChef, that would be amazing.
30:55Service, please.
30:59Jemma, welcome to MasterChef. How are you feeling?
31:02I think I've never been so nervous in my whole life, but here I am.
31:0620 minutes. Show us how it's done.
31:09The first thing I should do is the mix, so it has time to cool down.
31:14She's got a plan. I'm excited.
31:17You got some idea of what we're looking for?
31:19I made gyoza before. A few hundred.
31:21A few hundred? Oh, this is nothing.
31:24I work in this hotel, and I had to do, like, six or seven trays.
31:29So I hope the four I'm going to make today are going to be right.
31:35Just so you know, you've had seven minutes.
31:37Seven minutes already? OK, Jemma, real.
31:41What did you do before you became a chef?
31:43I was working in the army for a couple of years. It was a great experience, but definitely,
31:48I'm happy to be out of there, because when you are in the army, you just have to follow orders.
31:54Were you a chef in the army?
31:56No, no, no, no. Basically, I was working with the canoons.
32:00Canoons?
32:00Yes. I shoot with the canoons.
32:03Yeah, it was very cool.
32:06There's no seasoning going into the filling.
32:08If she wants to season it later, I guess that's OK, too.
32:13Right, Jemma, you're halfway.
32:14Yep. You've still got quite a bit of work to do.
32:17I know.
32:18Time's ticking, Jemma. Come on, you need to work quickly. Move.
32:22OK, maybe I'm going to give it to Palsimoshis.
32:25I hope she's going to roll that dough again. It looks a little thick.
32:31Jemma, you've got about six minutes left, so you've got to cook and make your dumplings.
32:35Yep.
32:37Come on, Jemma. Look at that.
32:40Looks like she's definitely folded a dumpling before.
32:44From here, they look great. Yeah.
32:47And then, what else? There's a dipping sauce, right?
32:49Yeah, dipping sauce.
32:51You've got three minutes. Three minutes? Well.
32:56I'm a little bit worried that it's going to be hot and salty with the soy sauce
32:59and the amount of chilli she's used.
33:02Are you happy with the sauce?
33:05Too much salt.
33:08It's a lot of sugar, Jemma.
33:11Vinegar, vinegar. Don't throw it away at the last minute.
33:15Jemma, you've got about 90 seconds.
33:17What?
33:17Yes. Yep. Yep.
33:19Coming up. Thank you.
33:21Let me pour this first here.
33:23All right.
33:25I really hope they're cooked.
33:31That's it, Jemma. Time's up.
33:34Doesn't look great, but I hope it's good, OK?
33:38Is that better?
33:39There it is.
33:40That was the finishing touch I needed.
33:42That was.
33:42All right.
33:43All right.
33:49Jemma, how did you find that?
33:51Fun.
34:00I was really excited when you were folding the dumplings. It showed that you folded hundreds
34:04before. However, dumpling wrappers are quite thick. They would have cooked had you had the right
34:09amount of time. They are almost chewy and quite hard to eat. The dumpling filling is a little bit
34:15chunky, but actually quite tasty. The sauce making, yes, you've got the chilli, but it's got an
34:21uncomfortable graininess. The sugar hasn't dissolved into it and there's a bit of bite, which is unpleasant.
34:27It was good to see you got four of them up beautifully folded, but they could have been made a
34:31touch
34:32better and I think you know that.
34:35Jemma, a bit of a mixed bag, but I love your enthusiasm and I look forward to seeing what you've
34:39got for us next.
34:46It could have been better. I'm sure that with more time and with my food,
34:51I'm going to be able to show them what I'm actually able to do. Hopefully.
34:57Philly, it's been fantastic having you here. Thank you for setting our skills test. It's been brilliant.
35:02Thanks.
35:07Four different chefs. We've got some very exciting personalities in this kitchen.
35:12You've got the codsheads. I thought those two chefs did a great job.
35:17The other two chefs with dumplings, we have both of them that knew what they were doing,
35:21but there were issues. Now they're going to tackle their own dish, a dish they've been practicing.
35:26I'm really looking forward to this next round.
35:29Me too.
35:51Chefs, good to see you. Welcome back into the kitchen.
35:54Skills test is over. It's done.
35:57This is where the competition really gets going.
36:00This is your signature dish. This is the one that you've been practicing, the one you know
36:05really well. We want you to do your best here, because at the end of this round,
36:10two of you will be going through to the quarterfinals, and two of you will be going home.
36:15Chefs, cook your hearts out. An hour and 30 minutes. Off you go.
36:30This dish means quite a lot to me. It's what I love to cook. Simple food, but tasty flavour.
36:38I would say this is my style of cooking. So you've got the British background of what I've learned in
36:42college at classical French cookery with a bit of spices, which is my background of being Nigerian.
36:51Hola. Signature round.
36:53Yes.
36:54Tell us, what are you cooking?
36:55A fillet of beef with fondant potato, carrot puree, and a spice red wine jus to go with it.
37:01Simple British ingredients with a bit of ola in there.
37:04So where is that bit of ola? So we have this soup called pepper soup in Nigeria. As a young
37:10kid,
37:11if I was ill, my mum would make it for us, but it's really spicy. So I've got some pimento
37:16in the
37:17jus, Sichuan pepper. For me, I enjoyed it because it would just numb my whole face. I love the flavours.
37:23It brings me home every time.
37:27Ola has got a beautiful piece of fillet of beef. He's trimmed it up. Great colourisation, gently cooked,
37:32just right. Fondant potato is about beautiful colour, slow cookery with loads of butter,
37:40seasoning, let it do its thing. It's got to be melt in the mouth.
37:45The carrot puree should be the best carrot puree I've ever tasted.
37:50Star anise and cardamom, those are the two flavours that work beautifully. A carrot puree needs to
37:54like silt and smooth, but I want to taste those flavours. Cardamom, aniseed, and of course the carrot
38:00itself. Ola is using different types of peppers in his sauce. We've got Sichuan, we've got black
38:05and white pepper as well. I love the idea that he's bringing all those Nigerian flavours to that
38:10sauce and hopefully that will make it sing. But is it going to be a strong flavour? Is it going
38:15to be
38:15enough? I feel confident on this dish. Something that I've practised, something that I know I can
38:22execute and get on a plate. Just fingers crossed it tastes nice. Chefs, you've had 25 minutes.
38:34I chose this dish because I wanted to introduce some Hungarian flavours. Now I have the chance to
38:41showcase it. I think it's fantastic. In a cruise dish is a monkfish, a main course.
38:47Monkfish is a great fish to cook. It's got a real kind of meaty-like texture. You've got to be
38:51careful
38:51with it because it can go from being very moist and delicious to quite dry and bouncy very, very quickly.
38:59Eniku is making lecho puree, so it's a spicy red pepper tomato sauce. It's got that spice from the
39:06Hungarian paprika that she's using. She's got a little bit of chorizo in there as well, so it really
39:11sounds amazing. It's big cabbage. It's got to be beautifully charred. It's one of my favourite
39:16ingredients. I'm cooking polenta. We often think it's Italian, but we eat that quite a lot in Eastern
39:24Europe as well. I'm going to cook mine in milk, which will give a different flavour to it. We've got
39:29tomato water, which will be served on the side with some lavish oil running through it. The tomato
39:34water will give a nice, refreshing taste to the dish. Lavish has been used in Hungary for centuries.
39:41I think it goes well. A tomato water with lavish sitting with all these big,
39:45earthy, bold flavours. I'm curious whether this is necessary.
39:50So, Eniku, this is your dish. How are the nerves, first of all?
39:54Yeah, they're all right. I feel much better. I feel like much more who I am as a chef now.
39:58What's the element in this dish that's really you?
40:01It's the lecho puree, which I'm taking it from Hungary. We often cook it over the fire during
40:06the summer when we have lots of tomatoes, lots of peppers, lots of onions in the garden when you
40:10just sit and enjoy the sunset, for example, so that's nice. So he's taking the flavours of Hungary,
40:15the classics, and modifying them into a nice modern twist with your style.
40:18Yes. Lovely. Yeah, exactly. That's what I try to do.
40:24I love the idea behind Eniku's dish because it's got heart and it's got soul, you know? I love the
40:30story
40:30about the peppers and the onions and the tomatoes from the garden being all stewed up. How's the
40:36lecho puree? I think it's great. It tastes great. It's a bit spicy as well. Yeah? Does it taste like
40:40home?
40:41Yeah. Chefs, you are halfway through. Yes, Chef.
40:49This dish shows how I understand cooking right now, what I value in food, what I think is important on
40:55the plate. I don't think it's got anything that doesn't need to be on there. When I've cooked
40:58this dish right, I think it sings. Chris, what is your signature dish? So it's centered around the
41:05sauce and the two key-ish ingredients on it are maple syrup and red wine. Okay. So I've got a
41:11pork
41:11fillet that's going to be served with king oyster mushrooms, some morel mushrooms cooked down in white
41:16wine, and the puree of walnuts and pear. Why has this become your signature for us today? I watched a
41:21video of
41:21an American chef in Chicago who says that red wine and maple syrup don't go together, and I
41:25thought that was a bit curious. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't. So all I did was reduce red wine,
41:31added a bit of maple syrup, and it was like a sweet and sour sauce. And I thought it was
41:34complex,
41:35tasted really great. I mean, there's a lot going on here. I can see a lot of your chemistry brain
41:39coming out in this. I guess it's whether or not it can all come together based around this sauce.
41:44Yeah, and that's the challenge. Chris, clearly you've got a competitive edge.
41:47This is something you thrive on. I guess it's a state of mind, if you like. I don't sleep well
41:51if I
41:51haven't done anything that's pushed me. Chris has got so many different ingredients. I'm really
41:58curious how this dish is coming together, but it is sounding exciting.
42:05Hopeful it is incredibly lean. There's no fat in it or on it. You don't want to overheat it. You
42:10don't want to dry the outside, and then it's pink in the center. We've got diced kohlrabi. Cook it all
42:16the
42:16way through. You don't want too much bite on kohlrabi. It's got wild garlic. It's got morels. There's a lot
42:20of
42:20ingredients that Chris is using which work brilliantly together. The sauce is interesting.
42:25We've got red wine, we've got maple syrup. They're going to come together in quite a sweet and sour
42:31way. I really hope that there's a balance there. The walnut puree is on the plate for acidity,
42:37so it uses pickled walnuts and pear juice, and then they're seasoned with some white soy. I've got to
42:42get everything so spot on, because if one thing's off, it doesn't work.
42:47I'm originally from Naples, and I love to cook food from my own region.
42:52My passion comes from family. Definitely my mother has a very big influence. In fact,
42:58if you see my family, we are four siblings. Three of us are chefs.
43:03I love to get it right, and I'm sure I will. I practiced too many times to fail today. Come
43:08on. Like,
43:10no. No chance.
43:14Gemma, what are you cooking for us? So, today I'm making a napolitan gnocchi with
43:19mushroom ragu and woodland mushroom. Why have you chosen this dish? Because this was the first dish
43:25that I cooked when I wanted to conquer my now wife. So, when I was successful to come here,
43:31I told her that I was planning to make the dish. And she told me that it wasn't good enough.
43:36That it
43:36was toughy, it was not good. And I'm like, excuse me, what? So, you didn't think about changing the
43:41dish when she said it's not good enough to do? No, no. Basically, what I did is I improved it.
43:45I took that
43:46dish that for me was special, and I make it more special. Then when she tried, she liked it.
43:51She gave me a nine, not a two. Well, it was a two. Your wife's now giving it a nine.
43:58So, I can't wait to see what we give it. Yeah, me too.
44:03Gemma, she's making a Neapolitan-style gnocchi. There's no potato in it. It is literally just flour
44:10and water. This is a real nod to the classics, to the traditional cookery. They're a bit more chewy
44:15and less soft, and I'm going to give it a nice crunch outside. We'll find them in the pan with
44:20some
44:21olive oil. It's one of the first form of pasta that has ever been made in houses.
44:26So, that's why I wanted to bring something a bit unique and different, ancient.
44:31For me, simple, coming back to the roots. That is the way I want to go.
44:37Gemma's going to make sure that this gnocchi is worked together while it's hot,
44:40so that the dough is not too dense. You don't want lumps of flour that's running through it.
44:46So, we've also got a tuile, which is being made from einkorn flour, which is an ancient grain.
44:53It's kind of salty and mimics the effect of the parmesan.
44:57Now, this is a new one of me. I'll be interested to know what that tastes like.
45:01And she's also making this lovely mushroom ragu.
45:05I have a few mushrooms to prep, yes. I try to squeeze in as many mushrooms as I can.
45:11Hoping that the ragu's got real body and earthiness of the mushrooms with it,
45:15and it's about cooking them down so you've got maximum flavour.
45:20We've got henna, the wood mushrooms, that she's crushing them down,
45:23so they're almost sort of crunchy and crispy on the outside.
45:27And just to finish the dish, we've also got some crispy sage as well, which I love.
45:31Gemma's dish sounds very rustic, very traditional, which I ordinarily love.
45:36However, can she elevate it for the MasterChef kitchen?
45:39I hope so.
45:42Okay, chefs, you've got 15 minutes left, okay? 15 minutes.
45:50How are you feeling? Looking good.
45:52Okay. Just need to make sure this beef is ready.
45:54It's been roasted. I've seared it off, roasted it off,
45:56and then now I'm just going to add some butter into it, some garlic.
45:58Just baste it.
45:59Finish it up and baste it, and then just allow it to rest for the last 10 minutes.
46:03I've got a lot to do. Can't afford to slow down. The emulsion, the liquid is there.
46:07I just need to emulsify some butter into it. Blanch the garnish and then start to plate.
46:13I want the gnocchi to be very nice and crispy outside and soft inside.
46:18Molto bene, molto bene.
46:21What have you got to do now?
46:22Finish the polenta, monkfish is almost done, and then plate up.
46:26All in control?
46:27Yes. All in control.
46:29Great. Yeah.
46:29Good to see.
46:31Right, chefs, you've got five minutes left.
46:33If you haven't started plating up now, you need to get a move on.
46:41You haven't started to carve your beef yet.
46:43Yes, chef.
46:43You need to get a move on, okay?
46:44Yes, chef.
46:45Moment of truth coming up, then, yeah?
46:47No pressure.
46:54Oh, are we okay?
46:57Yeah. Today was too hot in the squeezy bottle.
47:00Let's go.
47:01A minute or two left.
47:02Yeah.
47:09That's it. Time's up. Step back.
47:16Ola, come forward, please.
47:21Sous chef Ola's signature dish is a roast fillet of beef with a carrot puree flavored with cardamom and star
47:28anise.
47:30Fondant potato and charred leeks served with a red wine jus spiced with pimento and szechuan pepper.
47:39Ola, presentation, very neat, very precise.
47:48Your beef seared on the outside, slightly more undercooked on the inside.
47:53The fondant potato, it is just cooked.
47:56The grilled leeks, lovely.
47:58The sauce was inspired by a Nigerian pepper soup and sort of that's what I was expecting.
48:03And it's not got that hit of heat that I was hoping for.
48:06You've downplayed it a little bit and that's a shame because that's the one thing I was looking forward to.
48:12The puree, on the other hand, is the one thing I kept going back to.
48:15The star anise and cardamom coming through beautifully.
48:19The star of this show is that carrot puree.
48:22I think it's absolutely delicious.
48:24I like the sauce, but I agree with Marcus.
48:26I think it could have had more guts.
48:30Could be better.
48:31I felt like I made it too safe and I should have just gone crazy with the spice.
48:38Inspired by her Hungarian heritage,
48:42private chef Iniku has served roasted monkfish with charred hispy cabbage.
48:47A lecho puree made with tomatoes, peppers and charitho.
48:52Fried polenta topped with yellow pepper and sea herbs.
48:57Served with a tomato water split with lovage oil.
49:08Cooking of the fish is spot on.
49:11It's still nice and moist.
49:12The polenta, nice and soft, it's not too bouncy.
49:15The red pepper and tomato puree is particularly delicious.
49:19Thank you very much.
49:20The hispy cabbage, the way it's charred, brings the sweetness out of it.
49:25The saltiness from the sea vegetable, it's great.
49:29However, the tomato water with the lovage oil on it, it's a drink on the side for me.
49:35On the plate here, it's just washed away and it has no place.
49:40Polenta, lovely and soft, a little bit of crunchiness on the outside.
49:44Touch more seasoning would be good.
49:46But what's really bringing all of this together is your lovely puree of the tomatoes,
49:51the peppers and the onions and of course the paprika.
49:53One thing I do have to question is this tomato water.
49:57I have no idea where that comes into this dish because I think this is about earthy,
50:03big flavours from Hungary.
50:05I'm not enjoying the water.
50:09Standing in front of the judges is the most intimidating feeling of the entire world.
50:14Mixed feedback, but I think tomato water, it can be a preference.
50:17But yeah, I feel relieved I can breed now, which is good.
50:23Chef de partie Chris's signature dish is pork fillet, with king oyster mushroom
50:30topped with a bacon, almond and wild garlic caper crumb.
50:35Morel mushrooms, poached kohlrabi, spinach and a walnut and pickled pear puree,
50:43served with a red wine and maple syrup jus.
50:53Pork nice and pink, the wild garlic works wonderful, Worcester morels.
50:59This puree of pickled walnuts and pear, I find like a fun catch up.
51:05There were things I was looking forward to in this sauce that I'm not getting.
51:09I'm not getting maple.
51:12Be brave, put a bit more in it.
51:15Love the greenery, love the presentation.
51:17Your cooking of the pork is excellent.
51:19The puree of walnuts is big, it's powerful, it's bold.
51:21When you eat it with the kohlrabi and the vegetables, it's fabulous, it's delicious.
51:26Kohlrabi, nice kind of freshness, nice bite.
51:28I love the morels, obviously works very nicely with pork.
51:31The sauce is good, but like Monica says, it lacks just a little bit more.
51:36Overall, it's a good dish.
51:40A little bit shell-shocked.
51:42I mean, excellent feedback.
51:43Like, there's so much for me to take away from that.
51:45The pork was good, you know, I was really happy with the cuisson.
51:48I just should have been braver with the maple syrup.
51:53Chef Patron Gemma's signature plant-based dish is sautéed Neapolitan gnocchi,
51:59with a portobello and chestnut mushroom ragout, served with seared forest mushrooms,
52:06crispy sage, einkorn-schilder, an ancient wheat tuile, and a wild garlic oil.
52:20The gnocchi, it's like half gnocchi and half pasta, it's got a chewiness to it,
52:24and it's got those little nooks and crannies where it's absorbing that beautiful mushroom ragout
52:28that you've got going through there.
52:30The ragout, you've really captured the earthiness of the mushrooms.
52:34And then the crunchy, crispy mushrooms, excellent.
52:36The tuile, I enjoyed that too, it gives a bit of texture.
52:39I love the little sage and the little parsley.
52:42Whenever anybody in restaurants says,
52:45let's have some gnocchi, would I choose it on a menu?
52:48No.
52:48But I have to say, I absolutely love this.
52:52The gnocchi has a real texture to it, it's a bit of chewiness,
52:56and it works really well with what you have here. Beautiful flavours and textures of different
53:01mushrooms running through this dish.
53:03I love the gnocchi. The mushroom ragout is full of flavour. I can taste the wild garlic oil.
53:09It's a gutsy, earthy, rustic dish. This is a taste of your heritage. Well done.
53:16I'm feeling all right. They like the food, so I take it home like a victory. Unbelievable.
53:26Our four chefs here, some delicious plates of food, but some issues here and there were just to be
53:30expected. The question is, who can carry on through to the quarter-final?
53:34Let's talk about Gemma. She gave us that rustic, gutsy gnocchi from Naples.
53:40Plant-based dish, full of flavour. The crunchy mushrooms, the tuile.
53:45I could have just carried on eating that and eating it and eating it. It was great.
53:48So, are we in agreement that we think Gemma's done enough to go through to the next round?
53:52For me, yes. Yeah. That leaves us with Ola, Chris and Eniku to discuss.
54:00Ola gave us the beef fillet. The cardamom and star anise carrot puree was sensational.
54:08The beef, the cooking wasn't right all the way through. We were all expecting that sauce
54:13to be a bit more punchy and to bring that dish together and it really didn't.
54:19Iniku made us the monkfish dish with that fabulous pepper and tomato puree and the hispy cabbage
54:25that was chard. Those were great. I didn't understand the point of the tomato water
54:30with the oil running through it. It just didn't have a place on the dish.
54:36Let's discuss Chris. Beautiful presentation. I thought the pork was beautifully cooked.
54:41The puree of the pickled walnuts was delicious. But I thought that the sauce was disappointing.
54:47He could have afforded to be a bit braver with the maple syrup.
54:51Who do we want to see cook again? Who excites us the most?
54:57I really want to get into the quarterfinals just to kind of make amends and prove that
55:03my flavours and my spices are there. Fingers crossed, hopefully it goes my way.
55:08This is definitely one of the hardest days of my entire life and in my entire cooking career,
55:12for sure. Under this pressure, this is what I could do. We're just going to see if it was enough.
55:18I honestly have no clue which way is going to go. High hopes I stand in the competition,
55:25because I think I'll just get better and better. But it's not up to me.
55:39It's been a really tough day. We know you've cooked your hearts out.
55:42We know what this means to you and we've had a lot to discuss.
55:46As you know, we can only take our strongest chefs through to the next round.
55:50We have reached a decision.
55:53We all agree there is definitely one chef that goes straight through. Gemma, congratulations.
56:02Beautiful plate of gnocchi. Well done.
56:05Chris, Ola, Inuku. The first chef leaving us is...
56:12Ola. Thank you, Ola.
56:15Thanks, chef. Thanks, Ola. Thank you.
56:23The second chef leaving us is...
56:31Inuku. I'm sorry.
56:33Thank you. Sorry, Inuku. Thank you.
56:39Definitely one of the most challenging things I've done.
56:41And I'm happy I've done it. Surreal still, but I've enjoyed it.
56:45I'm definitely proud of myself for pushing myself through it.
56:49So I will just hold on to the good feedback I received, and all I can do is just keep
56:52cooking.
56:55Gemma, Chris, congratulations. You are master chef, quarter-finalist. Well done.
57:02My word. I wasn't expecting that decision, actually. I've got to show them that it was worth keeping me in.
57:08This is game on.
57:10Amazing day in the kitchen. I'm still like, what? My name first?
57:14It's just like, dream. Dream.
57:20Next time, four new hopefuls fight for their place in the quarter-final.
57:37Love this dish. I could eat all of it. And some more.
57:40Love this dish.
57:42Love this dish.
57:45Love this dish.
57:58Love this dish.
57:59Love this dish.
58:00Love this dish.
58:01Love this dish.
58:02Love this dish.
58:03Love this dish.
58:05Love this dish.
58:05Love this dish.
58:06Love this dish.
58:07Love this dish.
58:08Love this dish.
58:08Love this dish.
58:10Love this dish.
58:10You
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