Original subtitles

'Every great chef started at the bottom

'and worked in the toughest kitchens to make it to the top.

'The contestants have seconds to grab.'

Grab ingredients!

'Minutes to cook.' 45 seconds and you're still cooking.

'And moments to deliver their dishes.'

Get it on, get it on here! BLEEP.

It's all about family favourites.

What have we got? What have we got? It's gonna be tough.

I'm in the basement - you get what you're given. Oh, no.

None of us can take it, it's too stressful.

Do not let it lift, do not let it lift.

I can see you getting emotional.

I think, for the first time in this competition, I'm lost for words.

In this cook off, the dish must cost less than £2.50.

Best chicken dish of your life. Come on.

Kelly, you're not going to be the Next Level Chef.

Everything you think you know about this competition...

is about to change.

The top floor kitchen is closed.

You'll be taking on... seafood.

Platform's coming. That's going to be intense, man.

What? It's bent. These guys are pushing themselves beyond belief.

Seriously, you've never used leek before?

Has anyone got one of those blenders?

Why would I give it to you?

Sorry - I'm just playing the game.

Joe, don't do this to me, man. Come on. Focus on the seafood.

I've never cooked this, Chef. Next level dishes.

Come on!

Got to go. OVERLAPPING YELLING

No!

This is Next Level Chef.

OK, you have that surprise announcement for them.

Welcome back, guys.

Right, all of you come on in, line up, cos tonight is a big one.

Everything's about to change, so, nervous.

I'm not sure I'm gonna like this change.

Oh, I don't know what the change might be.

So, I'm expecting the worst.

Welcome back to Next Level Chef. How are you feeling?

ALL: Good, chef.

Motivated? ALL: Yes, chef.

Good, glad to hear it.

This competition is getting fierce. Are you guys ready for the fight?

ALL: Yes, chef. Good.

Team Ramsay. jade, I want to come to you first, young lady.

You pulled off a dish last week in the cook off

that all your social media followers will be proud of.

Thank you.

I am a social media chef

and I didn't think I was going this far.

And I'm so happy to be here because

this is what I live for.

And I'm able to do it in this competition.

Team Arrington, I gotta say, thanks to Ronan's incredible lamb curry,

we won best dish last time.

So, I'm dentist, not a professional chef.

So winning top dish last week -

it's just completely boosted my confidence in this competition.

Just, now the pressure's on.

Team Ainsworth. BOTH: Yes, Chef.

Now, we know we lost Kelly last time, which is a real blow. Yeah.

So you need to cook like your lives depend on it today. All right?

Yes, Chef. We will. Yeah?

All of you, listen very carefully.

I warned you all last week that, from today,

everything you think you know about this competition is about to change.

Because as of right now,

the team competition...

is over. Ah... Ooh...

From here on in, you're competing as talented, ambitious individuals.

Pff... You're on your own.

It's all down to YOUR cook now.

No longer have a team mate to save you.

So, all of you, it's time to remove those team aprons, please.

Everything has got really, really, really intense.

That team's your security blanket, and that's gone.

And I'm scared.

I'm really, really scared. It's just gone from here to here.

So, as ever, a place cooking in that coveted top level kitchen -

that needs to be earned now.

So for that reason, today

the top level... is closed.

Oh, what?

Which means you'll all be cooking in either the middle kitchen,

or down in the basement.

I think I'm just worried in general about the basement.

There's nothing good about being in the bottom kitchen.

Now, where you cook will be based on

your individual performances so far in this competition.

Jade, Callum, and Ronan.

Over the past four weeks of the competition,

you have all earned the right to cook in the middle kitchen today.

Yes! Yes, come on! APPLAUSE

Ancl that is because each of you has won best dish of the clay.

Ah... Congratulations, you three.

Top dish is coming out of that middle kitchen today

and it's gonna be my dish.

See, I just can't wait to get in there.

To the rest of you -

Temi, Toby,

Gurpreet, Tony, and Gold.

You'll be cooking in the basement.

I honestly fear the basement like nothing else.

I think the idea of going in with so many people,

it is terrifying.

Remember, just cos you're in the basement,

it doesn't mean you can't cook your way out.

Understood? Yes, Chef.

And tonight is going to be your toughest challenge yet.

You'll be taking on seafood.

Yes! Yes!

Finally!

Mr Cornwall was so happy about that,

he was out on his rubber dinghy this morning at half past four.

Getting us the catch of the day. Oh, clear, oh, clear.

He said seafood, and I'm there going,

"Oh, no, this is not my strong suit. What am I gonna do?"

Mere seconds can be the difference between undercooked and overcooked.

So, chefs, please -

remember, seafood needs to be handled with care

and prepped with skill.

So don't over complicate things

and just let the incredible ingredients do the work for you.

We are talking about the most incredible gifts.

Sea bass, beautiful haddock, cod.

This is a fantastic week.

OK, chefs, I'm going to be in the basement kitchen,

Nyesha's gonna be in the middle.

Ancl Gordon will be across both kitchens.

The team competition is over and everyone is out for themselves.

So, Callum, jade, Ronan.

Please head over to the lift and make your way to the middle kitchen.

Good luck, guys, come on. APPLAUSE

Good luck, good luck, good luck.

It's survival of the fittest. They need to cook with finesse.

It's about who can rise to the top.

Have you been in this kitchen before? Yeah, man.

Yeah. Yeah, man.

First time for me and Jade. Since round five.

We've never been in there. Yo, welcome to my crib.

Wow. Oh, this is like...

I'm used to this. This is... this is good for me.

I'm not gonna call shotgun, but, shotgun.

As soon as I went into that kitchen, there was one bench I wanted.

Ancl that's the one closest to the platform.

Can I go here?

I've taken that one, darling. Oh, where's the other one?

Oh, I'm so sorry, Jade.

OK, that's how it is.

That is the moment that I realised you are doing it for yourself now.

Wow, it's so nice up here.

You guys not been down there? No, our first time. Never.

Oh, right. Be gentle with us.

Oh, the man, man... man knows where he wants to be.

I didn't realise I wanted it as badly as this.

Being the eldest of five siblings and having a single mother,

I had to grow up really quickly.

Ancl that's why I'm so motivated.

I thought, if I'm not looking after myself,

someone else is gonna whip that prize from underneath my nose.

This is mine.

I'll stick here. That'll do me.

You happy? Yeah, next to you. Yeah, bro.

Being in the basement this week is going to be rough

because the competition is only getting tougher.

I'm really nervous because to be in a bad kitchen having last grabs

means that I'm gonna have to cook something phenomenal.

What? It's bent.

Which one of these ovens is the dodgy one?

Ooh, they're not talking.

I thought it was a joke. I thought they were doing it for a laugh.

Ancl then when they continued to not reply or...

I realised, yeah, we're not in Kansas any more.

Boys! Come on, boys, there's no need to be...

no need to be frosty about it.

HE LAUGHS

It's not a team game any more, is it?

Sorry, I'm just playing the game. just playing the game.

Hi, guys. Hello.

Yes, Chef. How are you?

Good, Chef.

My goodness.

It's pretty bleak down here, isn't it? I've not been down here.

I have not had the pleasure of being down here. Wow.

Three of the best dishes from this competition so far

have come from this kitchen, all right?

So we gotta remember that.

It proves that a great chef can make magic in any situation.

Really grab well. OK?

Yay! First time in the kitchen together!

It was amazing to have Nyesha in that kitchen with us.

And I just wanted to impress her today.

I mean, I gotta say, you know those guys down there are gonna have

a little bit of a tough time, right? A lot of people in that kitchen.

You've all experienced that. So it's every person for themselves.

Right? Absolutely. Yes, Chef.

Remember, guys, don't be all British about this, all right?

Don't be, "Oh, no, after you." OK?

Every man and woman for themselves, OK?

Next level seafood dish, yes?

Yes, Chef. Platform's coming. I hate this noise.

We have got first grab.

WHIRRING The pressure is on us.

Stand by, go!

Let's go, guys, quickly. There's salmon, tuna, halibut.

I wanted the scallops, but Ronan just beat me to it.

So the next thing was monkfish, and I just knew I had to take it.

What's a scallop between friends? LAUGHS

Think smart, grab ingredients for a next level seafood dish.

Fish, lemon, potato.

I grabbed sea bass because I wanted something I've never cooked before.

What are you leaving those guys downstairs? Not a lot.

That's good, I love that. Glad to hear it.

Three, two, one platform's still here, grab it if you need it.

Good job, good job. Oh, so nervous, man.

Here it comes. Ready, get ready.

When it goes green...

...go, go, go, go, go! That's it, get in there.

I saw the prawns,

then somehow they were in Temi's hand and gone.

So then I was like, OK, right,

I've really got to get something that I wanna cook.

Ancl I went for the salmon.

Think about your vegetables. Could you elevate it with some seaweed?

I see that halibut, and I just grab it instantly.

I came into this wanting to impress.

And that's what I'm gonna do.

Ten, nine, eight... Sorry...

That grab was probably one of the most brutal grabs we've had.

I was left with the mackerel, which I had no idea what to do.

Jchree, two, one.

Keep grabbing, if you can keep grabbing, grab.

Come on.

Excellent. Sound.

That is a good grab, team, well clone.

Middle kitchen chefs. Yes.

Your time starts right now. 40 minutes.

What you cooking? Sea bass.

Got no professional training and I cook budget food.

So to have the opportunity to cook a big fillet of sea bass

is so exciting.

I was happy with what I got.

Right, Temi, what's the plan? So, right now,

got king prawns over there... Yeah.

...some chorizo, some white wine, some seaweed.

I came in here a social media chef. I live at home with my mum, my dad.

With £100,000, I can get my own place.

So it would mean everything to me. It would mean so, so much.

To be honest, not too sure - courgette? Yeah.

What is that? Leek. A leek.

Seriously, you've never... never used leek before?

Don't use leek, Chef, no. Really?

What am I gonna do with a leek? Don't have a damn clue.

How are you feeling about it all?

I'm quite confident in it. Yeah?

I'm gonna keep it simple, do what I know.

I'm gonna make some prawn tempura.

But those prawns, they've got to make sense. Yes, Chef.

All right? You can't have a dish where it's just sort of like

you've got the prawns and then bits and pieces, right? Yes, Chef.

Yeah, I'm a bit worried about Temi, if I'm honest.

I'm just not seeing how his dish is coming together.

Jade, I'm so excited to be in the kitchen with you.

I know, 100%. What did you grab?

OK, so, I grabbed the sea bass, potatoes... Love it.

...and pancetta, kale.

So I'm gonna make, like, a rustic potato cake... Yum.

...with those three ingredients.

How comfortable are you cooking the sea bass?

Never cooked sea bass in my life. Wow.

You know what's beautiful, conserving that crispy skin. Yeah.

Just sort of season it. A little bit of salt, put it on a paper towel.

And it'll help draw some of the moisture out. Ooh.

It's quite scary, right?

You've never cooked sea bass in your life,

so it's all gonna come down to the timing

of when you're dropping that fish.

We're at that point in the competition now

where you can't make one mistake.

You have to get the perfect dish, else you're going home.

Shit, man, this is scary.

30 minutes to go, team. Yes, Chef.

Remember, chefs, we need your best seafood dishes.

Yes, Chef. Yes, Chef.

This is where the competition takes on a new role.

They need to stand out as individuals.

Do that, and you're heading up to that top flight kitchen.

12 minutes gone. Right, how are we feeling?

Hello, Chef, yes. Feeling all right. Are we good?

I'm attempting some home pulled noodles.

I love that, what's the hero?

The scallops over here. So, these are gonna be last minute...

Gotcha. ..just with a really nice herb oil.

I love the idea of the attempt, but focus on the seafood.

100%, scallop, seafood. There you go.

The seafood is the hero protein.

Never seen such big scallops in my life.

I thought, let's maybe pan fry them?

You have to make sure the seafood sings.

Right, young man with monkfish, you good? Yes, Chef.

What's that, like a little cassoulet? Like a bean stew, yeah.

Love that. That's roasted peppers in it.

That's gonna be the sauce on the plate.

Potatoes on top of the cassoulet? Yes, Chef.

Cassoulet on the bottom,

and then you sit the monkfish on top of that. Yes, Chef.

Hot pan, sear, let it rest as well.

Yeah, be safe, absolutely, Chef. Good.

Monkfish is the most difficult protein to cook.

The secret is to slightly under-cook it.

Then let it rest.

That residual heat means when it's served, it's cooked to perfection.

Right, how are we doing?

Yeah, great, Chef, thank you very much.

Good, so pancetta's frying. What's that in there?

I've made a brown butter

and then I've emulsified it with a bit of colder butter. Nice.

Comfortable cooking sea bass? I've never cooked this, Chef.

This is a talented chef that cooks on a budget.

All of a sudden, she's got a £25 sea bass.

She's got to feel comfortable with these luxury ingredients

and not be intimidated.

So, skin side down, 90% skin side down. Yeah.

That's for the protection.

Yeah, do I put oil or butter in the pan when I'm doing that?

Don't put butter in there. Oil, butter will burn. just oil, OK.

I am constantly learning

and I am pushing myself out of my comfort zone a lot.

I mean, these three have had some tremendous dishes,

best dishes of the day across the week.

Best dishes of the clay, absolutely. So, the pressure's on them, right?

Pressure's on, and they really need to lean in

and just do what they do best - make amazing food.

Yeah, and don't get too clever. Yeah, exactly.

The reality is less is more sometimes.

There's complexity and simplicity.

Ronan's focused on these noodles.

I kept saying, "Focus on the scallops." 100%.

Seafood challenge, not a noodle challenge. Absolutely.

Good luck, girl. Yes, Chef, thank you.

Where's the fucking bowls?

CLATTERING

This is one of the most exciting times for me in Next Level Chef

because I can get into those two kitchens and really see

what Paul and Nyesha have been keeping up their sleeve.

But more importantly, help the chefs, mentor them,

and push them to the very, very top.

Finally. Having an amazing background the way you have,

we share a lot in common. Yes.

I think working on a yacht saved my career.

A chef and an engineer -

the most important two individuals on that boat. Absolutely.

Here now, you're individuals. Yes.

And there's one thing that I what from you... 100%.

...is to come out of that shell.

I'm hoping today you're gonna see that. Good.

Really are gonna see that.

First time cooking with Gordon - epic.

I just hope I can do my boys and my family, and my wife proud.

Right, tell me about the dish. I'm gonna do an inverted maki roll.

OK, so you're doing sushi. Tempura-d that.

I'm gonna use my clams and then a tuna tataki with...

on the side, but with it on that space.

Got a lot to do. You've got 40 minutes, not four hours.

Thank you, Chef, I know.

Watching Tony execute that tuna tataki -

tuna that's lightly seared while still raw in the middle -

set alarm bells.

Because, technically, it's a lot to attempt sushi in the basement.

So, Tony may be out of his depth tonight.

Finally, I get to see you in action! Yeah, kind of scary!

So, tell me about the dish. What did you grab?

I've pulled some mackerel. I've made some pickled cucumber ribbons.

Love that. Ancl then I'm gonna fry off the mackerel in the chorizo fat.

I wanna make a sauce. Mm-mm.

Like, with cream, chorizo.

So that's related to the tuna family. So it's oily.

So just be careful of the cream in there. OK.

Cos it's sort of fat and oil. OK.

Not too much, but just be smart where you use it.

Gurpreet's got mackerel-

a potential winning dish if she gets this right.

But she needs to be careful using cream

because oily fish needs acidity, not fat.

Team, we have 15 minutes left here, OK?

Yes, Chef. Next level dishes.

Callum, I gotta ask you a question.

Yes, Chef.

Is it calmer working with Nyesha in the kitchen or Gordon?

Erm...

Definitely you, I think. SHE CHUCKLES

Could you taste that, Chef, do you think?

I did, what do you think? Did you taste it? Needs a little bit...

It needs some salt. Yes, it does.

I'm thinking it needs some lemon or something.

I agree, I think it maybe needs a little bit of richness as well.

Some olive oil or something just to coat my palette a bit.

Hi. The side of the dish, what are you doing? You got the shrimp.

I'm doing some prawn tempura. Good.

Got potato fondant in the oven,

also got some potato here which has just been boiled.

I'm gonna do a mash, but also gonna coat this in

some flour, egg and breadcrumbs. I want everything to be crispy.

Temi's got these delicious prawns,

but I don't get

a deep fried potential ball of potato with potato fondant.

Hey, what did you grab? I grabbed a halibut loin.

I'm searing that now, get some flavour into it. Nice.

I'm gonna do some sauteed potatoes,

some pickled fennel, pickled red onion. Good.

Er, seaweed. Good.

Toughest fish here to cook. No fat in there. I know.

So when you sear that in there, baste it.

And you bathe that halibut. I've got brown butter here, Chef.

But you BATHE that thing in butter.

So you've put that flavour in there. Absolutely, Chef.

And don't put a too hard a sear on there, or it'll go dry. No, Chef.

Every week I'm coming into this competition

just wanting to be better than the week before.

Ancl the halibut made it down to the basement

because no-one on that middle kitchen

was confident enough to cook it.

OK, young man, good luck. Thank you.

Talk to me about your food.

I'm gonna zest a little bit of that with a little bit of the flour.

Then it's gonna get deep fried for the garnish.

Yes. So the rest is gonna go into your beurre noisette sauce, right?

Yeah, is that over? Yeah, it's nice.

No, no, no, it's nice. A beautiful brown butter sauce.

And then finish it with lemon juice. Yeah, a little bit. Little bit.

You have some aromatics in there, shallots or...? No.

Taste, make sure you taste along the way. OK, Chef?

You don't wanna add and then you can't, you know,

cos you have two acids now, you don't want them to compete.

Does that make sense? Yes.

Did you taste that? Yeah.

Jade's got a lot going on.

Making sauce and cooking sea bass for the first time.

I mean, these guys are pushing themselves beyond belief.

Gold, you OK? Yes, I am, Chef.

Salmon can afford to have a little rest.

OK, fantastic. I won't leave it to the last minute, Chef.

Where's the broad beans going? They were gonna go as a puree.

You're going to need to act now

if you want to make a puree in the basement.

Has anyone got one of those blenders that they're not using?

Solo competition, so...

I've just got to look after myself. I've got that blender.

Why would I give it to you?

So I suddenly realised that there was no way of making a puree

because Toby had already taken it. It cheesed me off a little bit.

You using it? I've used it, it needs a wash.

He does everything, it's ridiculous.

But can I have it? If you want to wash it.

Yeah, I do wanna wash it, I'll come over and get it in a minute.

I'm just asking permission, mate.

It's time to play dirty, isn't it?

Seafood week. The top-floor kitchen is closed.

You're cooking for yourself. You need to rise to the next level.

NYESHA: Four minutes, right? Vital minutes. Seafood challenge.

Oh, my God.

'There's no more teams. No-one is safe any more.'

Three of those seafood dishes are going into the Cook Off today.

So you need to be on your A game. You need to bring it.

Callum, be careful. One medallion is smaller than the others, right?

Yes, Chef. That one's gonna cook first.

Thank you, Chef.

Guys, start plating, OK?

Yes? Yes, Chef.

ALL: Yes, Chef.

The hand-pulled noodles weren't really hand-pulled.

They were more like stretched. I just felt the smaller ones.

I thought, "You know what? These are much firmer.

"Let's get them on the plate,

"and let's, fingers crossed, hope that they're cooked."

You have 90 seconds. 90 seconds.

GOLD: These choppers are shit.

The puree was absolutely abysmal. It was vaguely chopped.

It certainly wasn't pureed.

One minute. Come on!

Come on!

Trying to get this ambitious dish on a plate is a lot to do.

I was, like, proud of myself that I managed

to even put a dish on that plate that looked pretty.

PAUL: 30 seconds. Yes, Chef.

See that platform on the move? It waits for no-one, right?

Here it comes, OK. Temi, you OK? TEMI: Yeah.

Come on, Temi, that platform's here.

We've got to get out of this basement, chefs.

Let's go. Seconds away. Gurpreet, come on.

The platform is here.

Gold, don't do this to me, man, come on.

Tony, let's go. Get it on there.

It's going, guys, gotta go. Gurpreet!

I got my plate on the platform as it was moving.

I didn't even realise that Gurpreet hadn't plated.

ALL: Gurpreet! Gurpreet! SHE SCREAMS

GURPREET: Missing the platform is something I never wanted to do.

That's why I'm pissed.

Jeez. Guys. Gurpreet! I said "seconds to go"!

She's worked in Michelin-star restaurants.

Her timing should be absolutely better than anybody's.

SHE GASPS

Such a shame.

NYESHA: Let's go. Platform's here. Oh, shit.

Chef, platform! Platform's here.

Platform now, needs to go now. Come on, Jade. Go.

I was just hoping jade is gonna make it

and get that plate on there.

I wasn't going quick enough, and didn't think I was gonna get it on.

Where is it, where is it, where am I? Go, go, go.

Wipe you're plate if it's still here.

Good job, good job, you did it. You did it, you did it.

Sorry. All right.

Don't apologise, all right? OK? All right?

I'm just annoyed at myself.

Like, you get to the platform on time,

and if you don't, you're in elimination.

Now that it's been cooked, scary stuff.

'I don't wanna leave the competition.'

So, what did you make, mate?

Halibut... Mm-hm. ..deep-fried seaweed.

Oh, nice. I love a deep-fried seaweed.

JADE: 'I'm so worried. I hope the sea bass was cooked.'

I've clone what I think is right.

How was bottom kitchen?

One minute, five of you had to grab at the same time. It was carnage.

I was hoping that the judges will be able to see

the efforts put into hand-pulled noodles.

My dish may not be all about seafood.

TEMI: She didn't get her plate on. No, are you serious?

Mm-hm. Oh, Gurpreet.

Ancl she was closest to the platform. No!

Another platform miss at this stage. You don't want that.

Crucial not to miss a platform, and seafood's so tough.

Mm-mm, shall we? Yeah.

LIFT DINGS

All of you, well done. Seafood week - one of the most...

difficult and awkward proteins to cook.

And more importantly, for tonight,

first time cooking as individuals in this competition.

So the best dishes will be cooking in the top kitchen next week.

And the bottom three dishes will all face the Cook Off,

from where one will be leaving the competition tonight.

Right, Nyesha, shall we start with you?

Yes, please. Please, middle-floor kitchen.

OK, so, we're gonna start with the scallops here.

These have a hand-pulled noodle with seaweed used as a garnish.

Scallops cooked nicely.

Noodles... very, very chewy.

Almost like they're cut unevenly.

The noodles are just way too thick.

OK, next up, we have the sea bass.

This is served with a lemon beurre noisette sauce.

Yeah, delicious. Love the potato cake.

Sea bass cooked beautifully.

Fish was cooked perfectly, and that was the main thing for me,

so I was buzzing.

Here, we have a pan-roasted monkfish.

This is served with cannellini bean and roasted potatoes.

I think the cannellini bean is delicious.

Crispy shallot rings on top - fantastic.

Monkfish cooked to perfection.

Getting comments like that is just mind-blowing.

That does not come easy.

Paul, shall we head down to the basement? Yes.

So, let's start, we've got pan-roasted halibut that was cured,

a caper and salmon rose sauce.

Halibut nailed, absolutely beautiful.

Glistening, beautifully seared. Cream sauce, heavy, rich.

Halibut for me is stunning, truly.

TOBY: 'I'm happy with how that turned out, yeah.'

Over the moon.

So, here, we've got the inverted sushi.

The pan-fried tuna and the clipping sauce.

This dish, technically, is next level.

To accomplish that in 40 minutes, well done, seriously.

I'm amazed you got this done in such a short period of time.

I really appreciate the crunchiness coming from fried bit here

and the depth of flavour in the sauce.

'I'm happy with that, I put a decent dish out.'

And I would eat it right now.

Tempura of prawns, a fried potato ball,

pomme fondant, and then a sauce made with a spicy chorizo.

Potato, bizarre contrast, really bizarre.

It's a shame, cos the shrimp were cooked beautifully, nicely seasoned.

But I don't get potatoes twice.

Fondant and the deep-fried with a tempura shrimp.

So I'm trying to work that one out.

TEMI: 'Things went wrong when I grabbed the potato.'

I had an image in my head of fondant potatoes,

but not with prawns - yeah, a bit gutted.

Moving over to here.

So, darne of salmon, lightly cured, roasted.

Then we have the broad beans, which were de-shelled and blitzed.

Seasoning on the salmon, beautifully done.

Could have down with about another minute in that pan

cos it's just slightly too undercooked in the centre.

Also, it all looks very similar in colour.

Those broad beans, blitzing them like that,

just let the whole presentation of the dish down.

As you can see, there's only four plates here.

Sadly, one plate missed the platform.

This is a competition, and we have to taste that dish.

Paul, please.

So, a butterfly mackerel with oyster leaves,

the seaweed and pickled cucumber.

It's a real shame, the only thing that's not right for me on this dish

is that oily mackerel, again, with that real fatty sauce.

Frustrating, this individual worked hard.

But you have to be really careful using cream with cured mackerel.

GURPREET: 'I feel like I totally should be in that Cook Off

'just because the fact that I missed the platform.'

I am... devastated.

Let's get one thing clear.

The individual competition has well and truly begun.

And nerves got the better of a few tonight, let me tell you that.

But I'm not making any secret.

This was the toughest challenge so far,

and there's no place to hide.

We need a very strong minute. Please excuse us. Paul, Nyesha.

RONAN: 'Three people in the Cook Off?'

Competiti0n's really stepping up a level.

I really do not wanna be in that elimination.

The Cook Off... Yeah.

...sadly, on a night like tonight,

we are a little bit spoilt for choice. Yeah.

If you miss the platform

fundamentally, you're going straight into the Cook Off.

TONY: Mate, I mean it,

you are top drawer, just believe in yourself.

Let's talk about those shrimps and potato two-way.

It's just... Yeah, madness. I mean it was hard to understand

what the focus of that dish actually was. Exactly.

Talk about the salmon, just the visual look on the salmon -

not appealing. Yeah. The broad bean thing, it...

The thing for me with Gold was just the presentation, you know...

No, you're defending your own guys. I've got to take him to task.

I think it's close between that and those noodles.

The scallops were cooked beautifully.

I think those noodles were unforgivable.

So, there's no immunity, is there? It's just who's good and who's bad.

Let's talk about the best dishes.

The monkfish. Absolutely.

Yeah. I mean... Next level.

Next level, without a doubt. That little cassoulet underneath.

I mean, for me, the acidity and the beans and everything,

it was outstanding.

TONY: jade with her sea bass, she got fucking great comments.

CALLUM: The top dishes are so close.

That sea bass, delicious. I mean, cooked skin side down.

Sea bass was delicious.

The halibut, you cut into the halibut, you know,

that transparency on that fish.

Listen, next level techniques with that Asian-inspired tuna.

Come on. 40 minutes, technique - fantastic.

It highlighted the hero.

And the flavour, I loved the flavour. Yeah.

Are we all in agreement? OK. Let's go.

Wow, erm...

Let's be honest, we could see that seafood week challenged you all.

Believe me, it was a challenge for us back there. However...

we decided tonight that there were two dishes

that really stood out,

and they will be cooking next week in that top-flight kitchen.

OK, the first dish...

Congratulations goes to the person who cooked...

the monkfish.

APPLAUSE

Callum, congratulations.

Yes, in the top-level kitchen next week.

Absolutely game-changer. I cannot wait.

The second and final dish heading into that top-floor kitchen.

They really raised the bar. That dish...

was the tuna.

Tony, well done. APPLAUSE

Great, amazing feedback.

I'm here representing my family and me, and...

I'm really proud.

Well done. APPLAUSE

OK, after the good news comes the bad news.

This was a tough choice.

But we do have three dishes that were definitely not next level.

Three chefs will battle it out in that dreaded Cook Off.

I'm sorry, from that Cook Off, one of you will leave the competition.

OK, fist dish into that Cook Off is...

Three dishes will go into tonight's Cook Off,

where you'll have to fight to stay in the competition,

sadly, with one of you going home.

First dish into that Cook Off is...

...the mackerel.

I'm just, like, annoyed at myself...

...and I'm not ready to leave yet.

The second dish in that Cook Off...

...is gonna be the prawns with two types of potato.

'I was gutted because I'm gonna have to do the Cook Off.'

it just keeps getting worse, man.

The third and final dish...

There were two options for this, and it came down to the wire.

The final dish in the Cook Off is...

...the salmon dish.

I am so gutted and humiliated,

and I'm really, really pissed off with myself.

My scallops saved me. Hallelujah!

So Gurpreet, Temi, Gold, you're gonna get to cook again

and try and keep your place in the competition.

Tonight's Cook Off, one of the most popular dishes in the UK...

...fish and chips.

It's a real tricky challenge.

'Fish and chips is all about timing.'

So I'm looking for them to absolutely bring it.

Don't get too clever with it, but elevate it.

Fish and chips, a great British staple. Nail it.

That batter, make sure it's crisp.

All three of you, Good luck. Thank you, Chef. Thank you, Chef.

Everybody, head to the top kitchen.

Well done. Tony, Callum, good job.

CALLUM: Thank you, Chef. Well done.

Good luck.

Talk about a crash landing.

Three of your previous team are in the Cook Off.

What happened? You know the name of the program me, Paul?

The competition's called Next Level Chef.

Yes. Thank you for that (!) I'll leave it at that. Shall we?

GOLD: You're gonna do fine, OK?

Deep breaths, focus in there.

GURPREET: 'Going into a Cook Off is tough in general.'

You have no idea when you go in there what the outcome is.

All you know is you have to try your best,

and you have to cook as hard as you can.

SOFTLY: I'm just dreading that completely.

OK, guys, gather round. Temi, Gurpreet, Gold.

'These chefs used to be on my team.'

I'm gutted for them cos I know how badly they want it.

'Tonight, I'm gonna be in the Cook Off with them.'

Ancl they just need to produce a plate of fish and chips

that will keep them in the competition.

Promise me one thing.

Make sure in those 30 minutes you can say,

"I gave every single bit of me in that Cook Off." All right?

Yes, Chef.

TEMI: 'You're gonna have to see who comes out alive.'

But going up against your friends, they're your family now...

Ugh, it's gonna be intense, man. Here it comes, look at that.

30 minutes. GOLD: Yes, Chef.

When it goes green...

Go! Go, go, 9°, 9°!

Grab a great fish. OK.

'Temi was so quick.'

He had the cod, there was no way that I could stop him.

'I got to that platform quick.'

I wanted cod, I got it quick and swift.

Look at the potatoes. Potatoes that you know

you're going to get the most fluffiest, crispiest chips.

TONY: More potatoes than that, mate. You have got everything here, OK.

Fish and chips is all about crispy batter to steam the fish,

beautiful, fluffy, crispy chips, and a lovely condiment

that just cleans up all that richness from the fat.

I am gonna go classic and perfect, but will it be exciting enough?

What fish did you go for? I got haddock.

Haddock, nice. We're going traditional.

I'm gonna have a pea puree, I'm gonna have a tartar sauce.

I'm sorry!

I can do fish and chips,

but will the others make an exciting twist on fish and chips?

Temi. Yes, Chef.

You've grabbed the cod, right, so you've gone for the prime. Yeah.

What's the sesame oil for?

That's gochujang. I'm making a Korean sauce.

Korean sauce?

I'm definitely gonna add my own flare,

but I'm also gonna make sure I don't overcomplicate it.

Are you doing a traditional chip, or are you doing anything different?

I'm gonna make, like, Cajun. Cajun? Cajun chips?

Remember, Temi... Yes, Chef.

...Cajun is a seasoning, all right... Yeah.

...so you need some salt as well, all right?

Yes, Chef, 100%. Not just the spice.

Right, Gurpreet, talk to me. What's the plan?

I'd like to put an Indian twist on this.

Good, excellent.

I'm gonna marinade my fish in Indian spices.

Have you clone Indian-flavoured fish and chips before? Er, no.

I've never made fish and chips, but again,

I just tapped into what I've grown up with

and what I love, which is Indian flavours.

Are you pickling that cucumber?

No, I'm gonna put it in the raita, in the yoghurt dip.

Are you just gonna go real traditional raita?

Yeah. Excellent.

Come on, G. Come on, Gold, not now, dude.

We're supposed to hate each other. I'm not on your team any more!

20 minutes left.

Three different takes on fish and chips.

It's anyone's game. Go, go, go, go, go!

TOBY: Make sure it does not stick to that basket, Gold.

It's really pressured. Other people staring and shouting at you.

Gold, just listen.

Gold, make sure this does not stick to that basket, lad.

CALLUM: 'I didn't know where Gold's head was at.'

He seemed really focused, but at the same time, really frantic

and a bit all over the place. PAUL: Is that yours, Gold?

Yes, Chef. It's quite early.

JADE: Leave it in the basket, leave it in the basket.

Yeah, good, good.

The fish - I started the fish too early.

I don't know, all of my timings seemed a little bit off.

Is that fish gonna be OK?

Absolutely not, it's not looking OK. Why did you put it on so early?

Because I was nervous about not getting it clone.

Right. Do what you do, Gold.

'I'm hoping that I can redeem myself on this fish and chips.'

I am desperate not to go home.

I don't wanna leave on a dish that I'm disappointed in.

You want them straight into the hot oil now.

This is every man for themselves.

You do not wanna be serving Gordon and Nyesha soft chips.

Basket down, in it goes.

Basket down, basket down. TONY: Basket down, basket down.

I really need to focus on getting that fish cooked through well,

but also having a nice crispy, tasty batter.

I need to make great fish.

Just over eight minutes left. Thank you, Chef.

TOBY: Go slower with the fish, G, so it does not stick to that basket.

Slower, slower, slower, slower! OK, they're moving.

I'm concerned if the fish isn't done properly

that's gonna be game over.

Four minutes, all right? Start thinking about your plates.

How are you gonna serve it? How you're gonna present it?

Gold, I wanna see this as your best presentation so far, yeah?

Yes, Chef.

Temi, are you all right? Yeah. OK, start plating.

Seasoning, acidity.

Just have to get everything on the plate.

With fish and chips, you wanna lot.

Minimalism wasn't what I was going for.

Gold, make sure that presentation is absolutely spot-on.

Ten seconds! ALL: Come on, guys!

TONY: That's it! Come on!

Three, two, one, stop cooking!

Yes! CHEERING

Respect, Temi!

That was intense! HE CHUCKLES

Gordon, Nyesha... This was one hell of a Cook Off.

These three chefs certainly put it all out there.

I'm gonna start with the first dish here,

which is cod and chips with a pea puree

and a gochujang clipping sauce.

Sadly the batter's a little bit, er... soggy.

When you stack fish on top of one another,

it steams the piece of fish that's underneath,

so it just goes soggy.

But the pea puree is delicious.

Cod's one of my favourite fish to use for this dish.

Unfortunately, my mouth is really blown out by the gochujang flavour.

I think cod's such a delicate fish.

Maybe cutting that gochujang with mayo would be a good approach.

This is a more traditional fish and chips.

This fish is haddock.

Visually, it's a bit weird.

I don't get why the chips aren't together,

so just bizarre plating. Shall we? Let's taste.

The fries are leaving a little bit to be desired.

I would love a little bit more crispiness.

Batter is exceptional.

The fish is definitely the stand out here.

The last dish is the coley, an Indian-spiced batter,

garam masala chips, and a cucumber raita.

Fish - exceptional.

Delicious, spicy and best chips of the night.

Yoghurt's a bit weird for me.

I'm a tartar sauce man, but I get it.

Those spices, the balance is so elegant,

right, against these, the fish and chips.

So which...

of these three fish and chips...

are you going to eliminate?

Oof, dear.

GORDON SIGHS

I'm gonna go...

for the dish that's not up to the Next Level standard.

The dish that I'm sending home is...

...the cod and chips.

Ancl I would say the one that doesn't make sense to me

is the one with the gochujang sauce, the cod and chips.

That... was cooked by Temi.

I'm so sorry Temi. Thank you, Chef.

That means that you are not gonna be the Next Level Chef.

But you have come so far, and I'm so proud of you, OK? Come here.

Honestly, it's just the beginning. All right?

Young man.

It's a big achievement, it's a big achievement for me.

I feel like I've proved it to myself.

You know what?

I'm good enough for this career. I can actually do this.

Temi, you cook with poise, you cook with energy,

and continue climbing that ladder, OK?

Yes, Chef.

I know this is not where your journey ends.

He has shown all of us what a force he is,

and no matter what, that guy is going up.

Next week, Gurpreet and Gold,

you'll start cooking in that basement.

Gold, tonight, honestly, you cook fish like a pro,

and you plate like a baby.

'I scraped through.'

That was the most awful plating I've ever clone.

So pleased to still be in the competition.

These Cook Offs are not getting any easier.

But, look, seven of you left.

One step closer to becoming our first ever Next Level Chef.

Well done. ALL: Thank you.

Plating, use those "Gold fingers"! GOLD: Fucking hell.

It's fusion week. Please welcome Big Zuu.

Yeah, I'm a guest chef on a Gordon Ramsay program me.

Have you cooked with these two country's ingredients before? Never.

Arriba! LAUGHTER

Let's go.

If I'm honest, it was a bit carnage.

Get it on! Oh, man.

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