All language subtitles for MasterChef.The.Professionals.S16E10.1080p.HDTV.H264-DARKFLiX

From across the UK,

32 up-and-coming chefs

are putting their reputations
on the line in a battle to become

professional MasterChef champion.

Tonight, four new hopefuls
compete to impress

MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace,

renowned chef Monica Galetti,

and Michelin-starred Marcus Wareing.

Oh, my God, it's happening!

I must admit, none of this feels
real quite yet.

Yeah, I'm going to give
this competition everything.

It's in my nature to do everything
100%.

Feels scary. No, terrifying.
Definitely terrifying.

I'm super-excited and buzzing
to get in there.

Who has got the talent to rise
to the top?

It's time to discover our next
culinary superstar.

Here we are.

Do you know, this is the last week
of our heats, and you never know,

we may well have saved the best
till last.

We have four new chefs today
eager to make an impact.

First of all, they have to face
a Skills Test.

Monica, we're starting with yours.

What are you going to get
them to do?

I'm going to get our chefs to make
us some squid croquettes

served with a garlic mayonnaise.

Sounds simple, but technically,
there's a lot to do.

The key skills I'm looking for from
our chefs is the preparation

of the squid, the making
of the thick bechamel that's

going to bind their mix

and, of course, the mayonnaise
with garlic.

Squid croquettes with
a garlic mayo, 20 minutes.

Over to you, Monica, please.

Right, let's get going.

First thing I'm going to do
is make up the binding agent,

which is going to be a really
thick bechamel.

So I've got some milk.

I think they might be looking
around for a potato.

I think officially it's croquette
if it's potato,

croqueta if it's bechamel.

So I've got some butter in the pan.
I want it a little a bit thicker

so I'm going to add just a touch
more of the flour to it.

Soft bechamel with wet squid,
recipe for an explosion.

Yes, it is.
THEY LAUGH

So I've cooked out the butter

and the flour and now I've added
the milk to it,

so I've made quite a thick bechamel.

If this is too thin, then there's
just no way they're going to be able

to make it into a ball.

So I'm just adding one egg
yolk to the bechamel.

Ooh! Just for richness? Yes.

Next thing I'm going to do
is prepare the squid.

Remove the tentacles, take
the wings off and, of course,

remove the quill from the inside.

You can actually use the wings
as well, even the tentacles.

You don't want to waste anything.

I think the question's
going to be once they've prepped it

is what to do with it. Do they
cook it, do they put it in raw?

I'm only going to sear
that literally for seconds.

So, hot pan.

They've got to chop it up fine,
haven't they?

They got no option here. They can't
have a big lump of squid inside it,

it won't be cooked.

Put some smoked paprika
into it and then into the bechamel.

I'm going to put a little bit
of chopped parsley

through it as well.

I'm going to roll
these into balls after,

but what I want to do is make sure

that they're going to be firm
enough,

so I'm going to put them
into the blast chiller.

I'll do that, I'll do that.
SHE CHUCKLES

While my croquettes are
in the blast chiller,

I'm going to make my mayo. Coming!

I've got two egg yolks.

I'm going to use some mustard.

And I'm also putting some
garlic into my mayonnaise.

A touch of vinegar.

And then it's just about emulsifying
with your oil.

We've seen plenty of mayonnaises
go wrong, haven't we? Plenty.

My daughter makes mayonnaise from
scratch. I think we should be OK.

So only a couple of minutes
in the blast chiller, that needed.

Just lightly flour them.

These will only take a minute
or two to cook.

Not too much browning. Just a...
No, just a little bit.

But I want that bechamel hot enough
that when you bite into it,

it'll be nice and gooey.

There we are. Look at them!

And there we have it, my squid
croquettes with a garlic mayo.

Very, very good indeed.

You go from the crunch
on the outside to the softness

of bechamel in the middle
to that lovely, delightful bit

of bounce of that squid. It's great.

Very different to
a potato croquette.

So much lighter.

Marcus, you'll be watching things
remotely.

We'll see you in a moment. OK.

Are we ready? Yes!

Let's see 'em.

NARRATOR: First to attempt
Monica's Skills Test

is 36-year-old head chef Simon,

who works at a four-star hotel
in Dorset.

If you don't love this profession,
it's not for you.

My father was a chef for 25 years,
so I always wanted to follow

in his footsteps and maybe one day
be a bit better than him.

My grandparents, Portuguese,
were a big inspiration to me.

My personal cooking style
is very much like my personality,

it's big and bold. Good flavours,
good food, cooked well.

Cooking for the judges is
a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Bring it on, let's go.

Hello, Chef. You all right, Simon?
Living the dream.

Living the dream? Absolutely.

Could be a 20-minute
nightmare, though.

HE CHUCKLES

Simon, this is a Skills Test.

This one was set by this wonderful
chef, Monica. Great!

Simon, I would like you to
make for us

squid croquettes served
with a garlic mayo.

There's no potato mix here,
you've got to make a bechamel.

20 minutes. Good luck.
Thank you.

Off he goes with what looks
like his bechamel.

So it's a little bit of milk,

melt the butter, add the flour,

make the roux, season up and chill
it down ready for the croquettes.

Sounds good.

He looks very confident.

Key to this bechamel is making
sure it's a little bit thicker

than your normal...

Squid preparation, you seem to be
fine with that, yes?

Yeah, I think so. I mean, I come
from a Portuguese heritage, so...

Oh! Interesting. He knows
what he's doing with that squid.

He's done that very well.

But he's kept the squid quite large.

He's got to incorporate
that into the white sauce.

So you really want them
to be cut down a bit smaller.

I've always done croquettes

potato-based, making it up with
fish or crab or something like that.

This white sauce is effectively
replacing potato.

It's got to be really thick
for it to work.

That looks quite thin.

So your bechamel base is cooling

and now you're making, what,
your mayo?

Whisk up the eggs with a teeny
bit of the mustard.

Just over halfway, Simon,
you've got ten minutes left.

My mayonnaise is good to go.

Has that firmed up? He'll be
in big trouble if it hasn't.

Could you talk me through
what you're doing with the squid?

I don't think I want to
mix it together, but I feel

it should be mixed together.

What should? The squid
with the bechamel.

The raw squid and the bechamel?

But it doesn't make sense.

You don't want to fry it first
and the inks will be greasy.

I think you do need to
cook it first.

I think I need to add the squid
raw, cut it smaller, put

it in and then it'll cook through
quicker. That makes more sense.

The thing when you're cooking
a croquette is all you're doing

is crisping up the outside.

What you're not doing is cooking
the centre,

so you can't put raw squid in.

Simon, you've got about
four minutes,

so you've got to get this done now.

Yeah, I have.

The moment of truth.

Even Mon's crossing her fingers.

They need to be in the fryer

for at least five minutes if
he wants that squid to be cooked.

How are they looking
in that fryer, Simon?

Large and golden-y, like me
at this very precise moment in time!

No way that squid's going
to be cooked. No way.

Well done, Simon. Thank you.
Got it done.

You relieved?
I'm relieved, I feel really happy.

SHE CHUCKLES

Hey, Simon. How are you?
Living the dream, thanks.

Oh, really? Never said it was
a good dream!

THEY LAUGH

The squid is raw.

You made the bechamel.

You made croquettes,
they're lovely and crispy.

But the mix, it's not edible.

You knew the squid needed
to be cooked before it went

into the bechamel,

but you weren't sure how to do it.

The garlic mayo could be
a touch thicker.

You've worked with squid,
that was quite clear to see.

You prepped it beautifully.

You've completed the task
that Monica was looking

for in certain areas,
but they do need improving.

Simon, not the start you would
have wanted.

I've got a strong feeling
you are a lot, lot better than this.

We'll find that out in the next
round. See you soon, Chef.

Thank you. Thank you. Thanks, Simon.

Under this pressure, we've seen
many a chef crumble,

yet Simon has shown potential there.

I'm feeling pretty deflated.

The next round, I just want to
push on, get my head down, focus.

NARRATOR: Next up is
37-year-old Casrick.

Hi, Casrick.

Originally from St Vincent
and the Grenadines,

he's a junior sous-chef
at a Michelin-starred

restaurant in London.

If you're a chef,
it's a very hectic life.

You have to be mentally strong.

My family, they love food.

We always cook at home.

So we used to live close
to the river, so we would catch some

crayfish, some whelks,

and everybody just cooked outside.

My style is basically
French/Italian/Caribbean.

HE CHUCKLES

I would like to have my own
restaurant, like a farm-to-table

restaurant, cos my wife works
in horticulture, so just fresh fruit

from the garden into the kitchen.

Always, you do your best, and
never take feedback negative.

That's one thing I learned
in the kitchen.

I would like you to make for us
a squid croquette served

with a garlic mayo, OK?

Have you made croquettes before?
Yeah.

OK. 20 minutes, good luck.

He's under way and he's gone
straight for the squid,

which is OK.

It doesn't take long to prepare
a squid.

Where does your passion
for cookery come from?

I left college and I was doing
construction, and this lady playing

bingo asked me if I wanted a job.

LAUGHS: Which is actually funny,
so that's how I started.

Bingo and ladies isn't the usual
route into catering.

No, not really.

I think that's how Marcus started.
Yeah, yeah.

CASRICK LAUGHS

He needs to really get a motor
on now and get that bechamel on,

get it chilled down.

He's working a little bit too slow.

That is not how you start
a bechamel.

I think we're going to get
a very floury bechamel.

He's not really
cooked it out much at all.

Your bechamel's chilling. Yeah.

And now you're going to quickly
fry some squid? Yes. Good plan!

Is the mix looking good?

Yes, looking good.
You can shape that? Yeah.

That's only going to taste
of just raw flour.

So, Casrick, you need to cook
your croquette

and make your garlic mayonnaise.

You've got three minutes.

It looks like he just doing
one croquette.

Can he make a mayonnaise
in three minutes?

SHE MOUTHS

Some stir action right there.

Looks like you got batteries
in your elbows!

Oh, he's putting the tentacles
in now.

You've got about a minute. Oh, OK.

Are you done? Yeah.

Hooray! Well done.

Are you pleased?

99.9%. Good man.

Casrick, I like that you cooked
the squid before it went into it,

but what we have is a bechamel
that's not quite cooked through,

so it's quite heavy and stodgy.

The mayo part, it's a garlic mayo,

so you want garlic in it,
but not two whole cloves.

I can't quite make up my mind

where your skills are at. Thank you.

Your bechamel cookery -
nice and thick, yes,

it is just almost pure flour.

The skill in that area's not good.

I can't eat the croquette
because it's not cooked inside.

That doesn't mean
your competition's over,

it just means that you have got
a lot to prove with your own dishes.

We'll see you soon. Thank you very
much. Cheers. Thank you. Ciao.

I don't know how to explain it

but that's not how I really cook,
but I have a lot more to show.

It's like that was just
a major slip-up for me.

Marcus, time for your Skills Test.
We have chefs waiting.

What are you going to do
with those sweetbreads, please?

I'd like our chefs to make
a sweetbread and caramelised onion

tart and served with a meat
stock vinaigrette.

OK. Interesting.

I'm also providing them
with a shortcrust pastry tart.

You can't make this in the time
that our chefs have got.

Don't need to worry about
the sweetbreads just yet,

the most important thing
is the caramelised onion.

I'm going to use this red onion.

The reason why I'm putting
these on first,

it's going to take quite
a long time for these to cook down.

Put a little bit of thyme in there.

These little baby white onions,

I'm going to put them into some
pickle.

So a bit of water,

add some white wine vinegar,

a little spoon of sugar,

and a little bit of tarragon,

and then just let them simmer

just for a little bit.

So keep an eye on these onions.

Just get a little bit more colour
on those,

I'm just going to deglaze
that with a touch

of balsamic vinegar,

so it just gives the base

of the tart just a little

bit of edge.

Our chefs have got to be careful,
because if the pan is too hot,

you know, they will catch,
they'll burn,

and they've only got one red onion.

In with a little bit of meat stock,

turn it down and just let that

just gently cook down.

So that's my caramelised onion on.

They're going to be tempted to go

straight for the sweetbreads, but
they've got to get those onions on,

right? Yeah, I think to get the
caramelised onion, you need

the time, whereas the
sweetbread, once it's trimmed,

will take four, five minutes
to cook.

Now I'm going to do a third onion,

so I'm just making a little garnish

which I'm just going to sit on top.
So it's in ice water,

so it just gently curls up

and is nice and crispy.

Right, now to my sweetbreads.
Wahey!

What are you trimming away

there, please, Marcus?

Just the sinew, any blood veins.

If they've not handled sweetbreads
before, that could be an issue

where they might trip up.

Sweetbreads are delicious,

I love using them, but I find
an undercooked sweetbread

not a pleasant thing to eat.
I agree.

But by the same token, too much,

and you've turned a beautiful thing
almost into chewing gum.

Little coating of flour,

protects them a little bit.

Put some thyme in there.

Look at them!

Just get a nice coating,
a nice seal.

I'm just going to drop in some
butter...

Whoa! ..just to get them really
cooking.

THEY LAUGH

Why not?

Don't let the butter burn.

So we'll take those out

and let them rest.

And then I'm just going to make

a quick vinaigrette.

So a bit of oil in the bowl,

balsamic vinegar, a little bit

of reduced stock.

Now we're good to go.

Take the peeled onions out.

Lift the skin off, cut them in half,

and just pop them out.

Tart onto the plate.

Caramelised onions.

Oh, wow, you are spoiling us!

Just a little drizzle of
your vinaigrette.

Happy? I'm very happy.

I'll be happier when I get
to try it. There we have it.

Sweetbreads, caramelised onion tart,

and a meat stock vinaigrette.

That is stunning!

I'm looking for good cookery
with the sweetbread,

that's really important.

You are through to the next round.

Thank you very much!

I think we've found a winner.

I don't know about a winner,
but the boy's got promise.

SHE CHUCKLES
Monica, see you in a bit. Yeah.

Come on, let's give 'em a go.

Hello.

NARRATOR: First to face
Marcus's Skills Test

is 32-year-old chef patron,
Ayesha...

Trying to remember how to tie a bow
today.

...who runs her own Middle-Eastern
inspired restaurant in Somerset.

I've always loved food.

There are photos of me as a child
in the kitchen with a mixing bowl,

covered in flour.

Being half-Arab, I got to try a lot
of Middle Eastern food, getting

to visit my family in the Middle
East when I was younger,

so I do think that has influenced
my food massively.

I have my own restaurant,
I get to cook the food I want,

and there's no-one telling me
how to do it, what to do.

It's modern Middle Eastern food

using classic French techniques.

I recently got my Bib Gourmand,
which I was very excited about,

but why not aim for more,
why not aim for the world?

Ayesha, welcome.

You are facing a Skills Test...
Yep. ..and this one was set up

by the marvellous Marcus Wareing.

So I'd like you to make a sweetbread
and caramelised onion

served in a tart, which is made
for you there... Oh, lovely!

...with a meat stock vinaigrette.

Happy? I'm as happy as I can be,
yeah.

Abject terror, but, sure,
let's give it a shot.

Right, 20 minutes.

OK. Thank you very much.

Right. Probably get my onions

caramelising first.

Yes, that's what you want to do,
get those onions caramelising.

I mean, of course, you know, I've
peeled 1,000,001 onions in my life,

but today it's the most
terrifying thing I've ever done.

She's got personality, I like it.

I hope she can deliver.

Ayesha, that's an unusual
name for me.

Where is that from?
So I am half-Arab.

My dad was born in Jordan,

but my family are originally Syrian.

My mum's side is English.

Does your food have
Arabic influences?

Yes, absolutely.

My food is definitely inspired
by the Middle Eastern pantry

because it was a way I could engage
with my own heritage

and where my family are from.

She knows her onions need
time to caramelise.

And it's been a hot minute
since | have done a sweetbread,

so I'm just trying to remember...
A hot minute? A hot minute.

I think it's what the kids
say these days.

"A hot minute"!

What type of establishment
are you cooking in right now?

So I own a restaurant
and free house in Glastonbury.

My first-ever booking was
a group of Druids.

No! It actually it was.

Warlocks. And they were lovely.

I mean, I don't bat an eyelid now,

I'm used to seeing warlocks,
wizards, the like.

By the way, how much time
have I got?

Cos I am wittering away.
You've had six minutes,

you've got 14 minutes left.

14 minutes? Let's get a hustle on,
then.

She's actually removing
the right bits off.

It's taking longer because
she just hasn't stopped talking.

SHE LAUGHS

I get distracted and chat too much.

I am quite the talker,
as you will find out.

Right, so you've got onions sweating
away...

So I'm sweating away my onions.

When they're reduced a bit more,
I'm going to add a little bit of red

wine vinegar to get
the stickiness going.

That's good.

Use the flour for your sweetbreads.

So let's pop you... Chef,
you've got eight minutes left.

Yeah! I'm loving chatting with you,

I want you to
complete the task, though.

SHE LAUGHS

Well, I mean, I've got
my sweetbreads cooking.

Just going to make
my vinaigrette now.

I've got some finely diced shallots,

going to add a selection of herbs.

We're going to reduce a tiny bit

of meat stock at high speed.

A bit of red wine vinegar,
a bit of olive oil,

and happy days, in theory.

She knows what she's doing,
but she's distracted,

she's not focusing.

You've got three minutes.
Three minutes?

Wahey! OK. Let's add...

# The stock to my vinaigrette. #

The onions are caramelised,
and then I'm just going to pile

it all into a
tart and hope for the best.

Ooh! Let's try not to break
the glassware.

SHE LAUGHS

How's the sweetbreads? They're
warm and they feel tender,

so I think that's kind
of what I was aiming for.

You've got 60 seconds to
finish this.

OK.

And I think that's me.

All done, Chef? Done. Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SHE LAUGHS

THEY LAUGH

Hi!

Never seen anyone talk through
the whole 20 minutes.

SHE LAUGHS

But I love your energy.

Got very nice sweetbread
preparation,

and you've really brought out
the lovely flavour. The red onion,

it could have done with a bit
more caramelisation, but you

understood what you were doing,
which is really nice to see.

Your meat vinaigrette,

you tasted it, you reduced it down,

you got herbs in there.

You understand flavour.
Control those nerves.

You don't always have to chat
your way through it,

maybe quietly upstairs...
SHE LAUGHS

This is a decent job.

How you managed to focus
with all the chat,

I don't know.

Well done. Off you go. Thank you.

Spent years and hours of my life
doing this,

so to have these, like, greats
tell me I did a good job, that's

really, really awesome.

NARRATOR: Last in is 30-year-old
private chef Cecily,

who currently works
for a family in London.

My job is...it's just very fun.

I get to cook all day, which is
something that I love to do anyway.

Being a private chef is very varied.

I do all the menus myself,
so everything is always my ideas

and I have quite free rein.

I'm always striving to be the best
chef that I can be.

That's where I'm going with
this competition, is just to push

myself to see how much better
I can get.

Welcome to professional MasterChef.
Thank you. This is a Skills Test,

and this Skills Test was set
by this gentleman, Marcus Wareing.

Hello. Cooked some sweetbreads
before?

I actually haven't,
but I have been looking at it.

You've been doing your research?
Yes, a little bit, yes.

20 minutes. All yours.

OK.

I might put some water on to boil.

What's the water for?

I think I need to blanch
the sweetbreads before I cook them.

OK. I think that's what I'm doing.

But that might be wrong.
That's fine.

They only need to go in very
quickly because they're so small.

But she doesn't need to.

Erm, OK, and then I'm going to do,
like, a reduced red onion.

Did you always want to be a chef?

I went to university
to be a weather woman,

but then that didn't work out.

What, you wanted to be on
our tellies,

telling us it was going to snow?

And now I'm here instead.

What was the actual course
you went on?

Environmental science. OK.

I think it's done me quite well in
the fact that I quite like to cook

sustainably and with things
that are in season.

Erm...

So I don't know whether
this is the right thing to do,

but I'm going to do it. OK.

I'm just going to do this.

You've had five minutes.

How many minutes have I got? 15. OK.

How did you end up in kitchens,
then?

I started doing ski seasons
after university.

I was working in a chalet.

You got put into the kitchen
to cook for the guests?

Yeah. That was probably
about eight or nine years ago.

So you've had no
basic cookery training?

No, I haven't been to college,
but I've worked

in kitchens since then. Yeah.

You just kind of learn
as you go along, don't you?

How much time have I had?

You've got ten minutes left.

I think I've done this really wrong.

The sweetbreads are making
her unsure.

She's trimming it down,
but she's also cutting

it into little nuggets,
which is fine.

OK. She's got meat stock that she's
going to reduce for vinaigrette.

How do you plan to cook
the sweetbreads?

I think I'm going to pan-fry them
in some butter.

I don't know if that's correct,
but...

What did you just put
in there - some balsamic?

A bit of balsamic, yeah.
Ooh. That's a lot.

You have seven minutes left.

Got to cook the sweetbreads. Yeah,
I think I'm going to do that now.

Got to make a vinaigrette.

Onion garnish. I just don't know.

Time to get a bit of a move-on.
Yass.

Get them in the pan.

How do you think you're doing?
Terribly.

Look, she hasn't given up.

Right, I'll just quickly
make the vinaigrette.

Right, you've got less than
90 seconds. OK.

So you need to start
putting something together. Yeah.

It's really horrible,
so I might do it without it.

She tasted it, doesn't like it,
not going to use it.

Some of those look like they're not
cooked through.

Last bit, last bit, last bit.

Are you done? Yeah.

I bet you're glad that's over.

WHISPERS: So glad.

From a visual point of view,
beautifully presented.

The downside is your onions
are not caramelised,

your sweetbreads aren't cooked.

That's the fact
that you just didn't know.

But you've worked your way
through it, which is a good thing.

You were so unsure.

You just didn't believe in yourself.

But I'm telling you,
there has been worse situations

in this kitchen, all right?

And I actually respect the fact
you gave it a go.

You were almost there
with those sweetbreads,

you really, really were.

So it's not the disaster
you think it is.

We look forward to seeing
your own dishes.

Thank you. Off you go.

That was quite awful.

Definitely not my finest hour.

SHE LAUGHS

I just need to brush myself
off, get on with it.

All| can do.

As Skills Tests go,
these are a bit shaky.

I mean, there's one
standout, and that's Ayesha,

I think she did brilliantly
well. The other three,

mate, I tell you what,
they've got a fair bit to prove.

They need to come back strong,
confident, cooking their own menus

in the next round.

You now have an opportunity to show
us what your cookery is all about,

the food that really interests you.

One main, one dessert,
hour and 30 minutes.

At the end of this,

two of you will be going
through to the next round,

two of you will be leaving us.

Off you go.

Push, push, push, push, push.
Let's go.

The theme behind my whole menu
is essentially to showcase

what I do best.

I really want to show
how I see Middle Eastern food.

Ayesha, tell us about your menu.

So today I'm doing a squid ink
freekeh risotto,

a sous-vide piece of cod

with a preserved lemon gel,
rose harissa.

What's freekeh? Freekeh is a
cracked, smoked, young durum wheat.

It's so quintessentially
Middle Eastern

that I thought it would be remiss
of me not to show.

Got quite a nutty,
interesting flavour.

And you can smell it as well.

Interesting smell to it.
It's nuttier, it's more savoury.

What are you showcasing here,
do you think?

The Middle Eastern pantry.

So lots of the spices and flavours
that aren't traditionally seen

in things like risotto.

I love the sound of Ayesha's menu
because she's bringing inspiration

from her Middle Eastern roots.

A cod dish, which she's serving
with a squid ink risotto made

from freekeh, which is a type
of grain.

For me, it's wonderful to see
a twist on something we all know

with a big ingredient that's
very different.

She's making it with
a shellfish and arrack stock.

Arrack is a grain spirit.

How strong is that arrack
going to be?

You've got to be very careful
that it doesn't kill the risotto.

We also have preserved lemon gel.

This will work wonderfully
with the cod, of course.

And then for my dessert, I'm doing
a basbousa soaked in Somerset

cider brandy with sous-vide rhubarb,
rhubarb and muscatel gel,

and a tahini whipped cream.

LAUGHS: Is that all?
And the kitchen sink.

What's basbousa? Basbousa
is a little semolina cake.

I mean, similar to many polenta
cakes, but it translates

to "little kiss" in Arabic,
which is really cute.

And then it's soaked in sugar syrup.

So I'm doing a Somerset cider brandy
sugar syrup as a little nod

to Glastonbury being my
hometown at the moment.

Fabulous! Intriguing menu!

I love tahini in a dessert.

First time I ever had it was
actually away in the Middle East,

and they have it with dates and tip
it in tahini, so it can work wonders

in a dessert.

They key will always be within
the eating and the execution.

She's got to bring these beautiful
flavours to the forefront for us

to enjoy them.

I set myself an astronomically
large task to do a lot of things!

So let's just hope I can complete
them within the time.

If I talk less, I probably will.

25 minutes gone, Chefs.
25 minutes gone.

I don't think I proved myself
in the Skills Test, but I am

definitely pushing myself
with these dishes.

I want to really show that I can do
a few different techniques and plate

something really a bit
more exciting.

Simon, how are you feeling now?

Seriously, how are you feeling?
Yeah, really good. Super-psyched.

Whatever the last test was
doesn't matter any more,

just want to crack on with this.

So what do you need to do
now in this round?

Push on, smash it.

Make it absolutely soigne,
and then we're good.

Soigne? Make it nice and French,
that's what I was always told.

First course is pan-fried scallops

with cauliflower puree, cauliflower
florets and raw shavings,

finished with a strawberry
vinegar, a potato galette.

Did you say strawberries
for your scallop?

Yeah. Really?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

I really like it, it adds a nice
acidity to the sweetness

and balances it off quite well.

Scallops and potato galette,
cauliflower puree,

we know that they work.

Strawberries with scallop
is not a combination I've had

before, and probably for a reason.

It may sound wrong, but yet it's all
going to be about the eating.

And then for my dessert, I'm doing
a toasted fennel seed panna cotta

with raspberry sorbet, raspberry
jelly, raspberry puree, honeycomb,

fennel cress and fennel pollen.

Mm, flavours of aniseed and panna
cotta with raspberries,

I like that.

Panna cotta, set cream,

always got to get that level
of setting just right.

We've had many a panna cotta
in this kitchen, but there's always

room for one more as long
as it's done well.

Chefs, you are halfway.

45 minutes left, please.

The Skills Test is behind me,
I don't have to do that ever again.

So I just want to get in

and do the things that I know
that I can do.

Cooking your own food now,
your menu. Yes.

What has inspired this menu?

Partly my travels in Japan
and working there.

Partly it's just kind of the food
that I like to eat as well.

So for my main course,
I'm doing beef fillet

in a yuzu ponzu, with some
crispy shallots, crispy garlic,

some lotus root crisps on top
as well.

And then I'm doing, like, a shiso
rice cooked with the beef fat.

Oh, like the sound of that!

That stint in Japan obviously
had a massive impact on you.

Yeah, it did.

I just like the way that they take
so much care over everything.

All the ingredients
has to be the best,

and, you know, all the cows are,
like, fed, the sweetest apples

that they can find.

Beef fillet,
it's a beautiful piece of fillet,

it's got lovely marbling.

She's going to seal it
on the outside,

slice it perfectly well,
and then she's going to cover it

with the yuzu ponzu sauce.

The beef pretty much speaks
for itself.

But it's going to be the balance
of the sauce that she puts with it

that'll see whether or not
this dish works.

Yuzu ponzy, it's a lovely
soy dressing,

it's got those citrus flavours
through it.

I love the sound of this dish.

And then for dessert, I'm doing
a wild woodruff cream tart with wild

strawberries and pistachios,

and then an apple jelly
with apple blossom.

What does woodruff taste of?

It's quite floral-y, but not
in a kind of lavender-y way.

It's not easy to get, you normally
have to forage for it. Yes.

Why did you want to use woodruff?

Erm, I think because I wanted to use
wild strawberries, and I think

because they kind of grow
in similar kind of areas,

I just thought put things
together that grow together.

Oh, that's almost like
a floral citrusy syrup.

Yeah. This sounds great.

The tart, the pastry, has got to be

beautifully cooked
and golden throughout.

And, of course,
woodruff can be very sweet.

There has to be something to
cut through all of the sweetness.

Cecily looks much more calm
cooking her own food,

and that's exactly
what we want to see.

Definitely feel more confident
with doing my own dishes, yeah.

SHE CHUCKLES

Second round, I'm hoping that
the judges change the way

they see how I cook because I try
to rush the first round,

which I now learn

from my mistake.

Casrick, how are you feeling?
I'm feeling OK.

I'm pumped. Pumped?

Yeah. Good man.

Casrick, his main course is
pan-roasted pigeon with different

textures of carrot.

He is cooking his pigeon
on the crown, which is the best way

to cook it.

And then you remove the breast
from the bone,

so it's really important you
get a lovely caramelisation.

What is it that you like
about pigeon, Chef?

Well, the gameyness,

cooking it medium rare.

Don't overcook it.

We've got a crispy chickpea.

Chickpeas, which is blitzed,
pureed with the potato puree,

he's going to deep-fry.

He's got thyme sauce, which is
made from the pigeon bones.

I've been watching that sauce slowly
simmer away, developing flavour,

with lots of thyme in it.

He's taken a lot of care
in the making of that sauce.

And dessert?

Dessert is a chocolate mousse
with a shell.

Confited strawberries.

And walnuts.

The key to this is when you
line the mould with the chocolate

that it's not too thick.

It needs to be an even spread
all the way around.

And then he's put the mousse
into it,

so when he turns it out
it should be set.

I hope it works out
because it sounds great.

Caramelised walnuts
for some texture.

Strawberries, of course, fabulous.

What are you looking for
from this competition now?

Oh, just the exposure
for my country.

I'm from a very tiny island.

St Vincent.

How many people?

110,000.

Wow. No, that is tiny.

Chefs, you've got ten minutes left.

Oui.

A bit over, so I'm not happy
with them.

I'm just redoing.

You have only five minutes left.

I suggest we get a move on.

Final touches!

OK, time's up. Stop.

NARRATOR: Chef patron Ayesha has
cooked a squid ink freekeh risotto

served with torched sous-vide cod,

preserved lemon gel,
rose harissa,

rock samphire and
wild garlic flowers.

A very striking plate of food.

And I'll have to say, for a risotto,

that's beautifully presented too.

Your cod is absolutely sensational.

The risotto is delicious with
the squid running through it.

I really like that.

The harissa brings a lovely warmth
and spicy flavour to it.

There's a really pleasant flavour
in my mouth right now, and I think

if that was put in front of me,
either at home or in a restaurant,

I would absolutely devour
every little bit of it.

Very, very good.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

I can't remember ever having freekeh
before, but I really like it.

There's a nuttiness to it.

It's like a softer pearl barley.

It's absolutely lovely.

Your flavours here are sensational.

The preserved lemon gel
with the fish,

it was always going to work
beautifully well.

I'm a huge fan of sumac.

Citrus sumac, on top of that fish.

This is a delightful
plate of food to enjoy.

NARRATOR: Ayesha's dessert
is basbousa, a semolina cake

soaked in Somerset cider
brandy syrup

with sous-vide rhubarb,
rhubarb gel,

smoked almond brittle

and a whipped tahini cream.

Really extraordinary flavours.

You've got a cake that's dense
with syrup, which is absolutely

lovely, but it finishes with
a side of brandy.

You go on to the rhubarb,
which is sharp, which is wonderful.

And then when you finish,
you get tahini.

It's really working for me.

This is absolutely delicious.

It's so delicious.

Texturally brilliant.

You've got it absolutely spot on.

I love the way you bring
the Middle Eastern pantry

into your cookery, but I've got
a funny feeling that that pantry

is full of stuff and full of magic.

Thank you.

I really like it.

I really do like it.

And I like it even better with
a big dollop of the tahini cream.

Really delightful dessert.

You know, it's just...

You are going to be bad
for my waistline!

THEY LAUGH

I don't always think that
I can do it.

There's always that bit of
impostor syndrome.

So to have these people say,

"You did good," I'm like,
"Oh, my God."

It's honestly one of the most
astounding feelings I've ever had.

NARRATOR: For his main course,

head chef Simon has cooked
pan-seared scallops

served with roasted cauliflower
and cauliflower puree,

potato galette and
a strawberry vinaigrette.

The scallop, I had two lovely pieces
that were perfectly cooked,

then three of them slightly under.

That's not the first time
I've had strawberry with seafood.

I like the sweetness.

I like the sharpness.

Strawberry after a scallop -

really odd.

We like to push boundaries
as chefs, but it's got

to be the right boundaries.

My scallops are under.

That's the big issue for me.

But I'm happy with your
cauliflower bits.

The one that you've roasted,
that nuttiness,

I'm happy with that.

I know where you're going.

Sweetness and sharpness, I can have.

But then when it finishes
with strawberry,

it is highly unusual.

Fruit and fish is always
going to be tricky.

I think you're trying too hard here.

And I'm really sorry,
but there's two things here

that I can't work with.

One is a raw scallop and
the second thing is a strawberry

inside a plate of scallops.

Sorry, they shouldn't be together.

NARRATOR: Simon's dessert is
a toasted fennel seed panna cotta

with honeycomb, fresh raspberries,
raspberry jelly,

fennel cress, fennel pollen

and a raspberry sorbet.

Looks fabulous.

I think you should take your fruit
off your fish and stick it

firmly in your desserts,
cos I'm really enjoying this.

This fennel panna cotta
is fantastic,

and it finishes to me like
liquorice.

That's different.

That's clever.

And that's really working for me.

And also a really lovely
raspberry sorbet.

Panna cotta's beautifully set.

Lovely fresh raspberries,
sorbet on the side,

beautifully whipped up,
nice and light,

got lovely a flavour of raspberry.

The honeycomb with the fennel
panna cotta together,

it's just delicious.

I'm enjoying it.

Perhaps I did take some risks.

Big and bold is my personality
and I want that to be on my plate,

but it's just got to be in
that right balance.

And obviously it wasn't quite there.

Junior sous-chef Casrick
has cooked pan-roasted pigeon

served on a bed of carrot puree
with roasted carrot,

a thyme sauce and
a green parsley oil.

Have we got something missing?

Yeah, it was the chickpea.

You were really rushed.

Yeah. You were really,
really rushed.

I would prefer my pigeon cooked
a little more.

I wouldn't send it back,
but I'd be nibbling around it

rather than demolishing it.

Really nice, sweet carrot puree.

Plenty of butter. It's smooth.

And I'm picking up thyme as well
from your sauce

and a little bit of the meatiness
of the pigeon.

You've cooked it on the crown,
which is the best way to do it.

You've roasted it.
You saw it wasn't cooked enough.

You put it back in the oven.

But I'm completely put off
by this cartilage

and it's such a shame.

I can't get much of the sauce
because you haven't served

any on the side.

You were taking so much time
to make that sauce.

I was excited about it.

And yet you don't serve
enough of it on the plate.

Casrick's dessert is a chocolate
mousse set with gelatine,

encased in a chocolate shell,

served with poached strawberries,

deep-fried caramelised walnuts
and a strawberry sauce.

I feel like I've got
a little pirate's

treasure chest of chocolate.

It's lovely.

I think the chocolate around
the outside on the mould,

you've done that really well.

Love the syrup. It's got
a great depth of flavour.

I like your idea, but
I don't like the gelatine

in the chocolate mousse.

You didn't need it. A bit bouncy.

Inside that really fine chocolate
work is a texture that's not

as soft as I was expecting.

But I love those flavours.

Thank you.

The walnuts, you know, dusted in
sugar like that and deep-fried,

I really like that.

I think it's the makings of
a great dessert.

You need to play with a bit more
just to get that right.

Thank you very much
for the feedback.

I'll keep it in mind.

Thank you very much.

Yeah, I'm feeling a bit
frustrated because you know

what the consequences are,
what the problems are,

but sometimes when you're in a rush
mistakes happen.

Last up is private chef Cecily,

who's cooked seared fillet of beef

topped with fried lotus root,

fried shallot and garlic crisps

with a yuzu ponzu sauce,

served with a beef fat
and shiso leaf rice.

Cecily, I like your presentation.

It's very delicate.

Your beef, beautifully done.

Beautifully seared,
nicely caramelised.

Love the little deep-fried
vegetables with garlic on top.

I like the flavouring.

It's delicious.

Your lotus crisps start nutty
and finish a little bit bitter.

And I like your shallots'
crispy sweetness.

Your rice could do with
a little bit of seasoning.

I really like the yuzu ponzu.

You made your own dashi stock
that's in it.

You've got citrus in there as well.

And, you know, together,
it's a nice plate of food.

Cecily's dessert is
a woodruff cream tart,

topped with wild strawberries
and pistachios,

served with apple jelly,
apple blossom

and a pistachio crumb.

I'm very much enjoying that
and I think it's very clever

of you to add the woodruff.

Woodruff is absolutely delightful.

For me, it's like a cross
between coconut and vanilla.

Fine pastry work.

I really like an apple jelly
that's very refreshing.

Well done.

It's got some fresh
wild strawberries on top.

Your tart case is nicely lined.

The jelly is really nice and fun.

It's got a lovely crunchy apple
going through it -

it's nice and soft.

But overall it's
an incredibly simple dessert.

I think you could've done
a little bit more to this.

As simple as it is, I actually see
promise in what you're playing with.

If my young pastry chef came to me
with a dish like this,

I'd be excited with the ideas
that are on it.

I'm glad I didn't crash and burn.

I was trying to keep it simple
so I didn't run out of time.

Tough job on our hands.

We've got one really good cook -

really, really good cook.

And we've got three people
that have had a very, very

nervy start to the competition.

Our standout cook by far was Ayesha.

My goodness, isn't she full
of personality?

Her food is original.

I absolutely devoured
that main course. I won't lie.

And that cake at the end there,

dipped in the syrup of cider,

lovely tahini cream that was
on the side, yeah, give me

another bucket of that, please.
That was delicious.

That lady is a talent,

and I think we're all agreed
that she goes through.

There was one chef in here
whose timing went awry,

didn't actually manage to
complete the dishes.

Casrick, I think, had a day
he would like to forget.

The pigeon, it wasn't
the dish he wanted.

I felt the chocolate mousse,
it didn't need gelatine.

It was just too hard. So there were
things on the plate I did like

and there was ideas there.

He just didn't execute them well,
unfortunately.

Disappointed for him because
he really needed to be strong

in his signature round.

Casrick's leaving the competition?

Yes, he is.

That leaves a conversation between
Cecily and Simon.

Simon, I thought, had a nervy
start with the skills test.

His scallop dish came
with strawberries!

He served up a raw dish of scallops
and served it with strawberries.

Unfortunately,
it didn't work for me.

His dessert, the panna cotta
was beautifully set.

The honeycomb was delicious.

Coming back with a dessert
that strong was

a great thing to see.

Cecily, interesting.

Nice-looking dishes.

The beef was nicely cooked.
She seared it beautifully well.

The ponzu dressing had
a great citrus flavour.

Her dessert, nice presentation,
nice and simple.

Sharp, clean.

Skill on show?

Not as much as I would have liked...

But great ideas, exciting ideas.

I suppose the question is,
does Cecily's food have enough

skill and ambition to
put her through?

Simon does have experience
and a certain amount of skill.

But is the quality of his dessert
good enough to save him

from the disappointing scallop dish?

SIMON: To go through to
the next stage would be mega.

I would be really, really over
the moon to give it another go

and to show them a bit more of
what I can do.

CECILY: You just never know, do you?

But I've got a lot more skills
that I can prove to them

that I have.

Coming in here and showcasing
your skills,

it isn't easy - we know.

That was a fantastic cook-off
and you all gave it everything.

And we thank you for that.

There was one standout
chef here today.

Ayesha, take a bow, Chef.

That was just stunning.
Thank you.

Absolutely brilliant.
Thank you so much.

Absolutely brilliant.

The first chef leaving
the competition...

...Casrick.

Sorry to see you go.

Thank you very much indeed.

The second chef leaving is...

...Simon.

Simon, it was a tight thing.

Good to have met you. Thank you.

SIMON: I think I gave it my all
and it was not my day today.

And that's fair enough.

But the experience was incredible.

You have to go through life and fail
sometimes. That's how we learn.

It's no use if you're
always getting compliments

and you never try anything.

That's how you cope mentally.

Well done, the pair of you.

I'm pleased. I'm really pleased.
I'm really, really relieved!

I'm glad that they saw that
there was some promise in me.

The Middle Eastern pantry, the
Aladdin's cave that is my brain,

I've got plenty more in there.

So hopefully I can give them
some more tasty things to eat.

Next time...

The last four hopefuls...

Hey!

...fight for their place...

Oh, oh...

Feeling the pressure? Yes!

...in the quarterfinal.

This was a fantastic Skills Test
to watch.

You can't not love a doughnut.

I've got the shakes.

Come on.

Yeah, tight, tight.

That looks like an autumnal walk
through a forest.

I love that.

You came here to fight for
something. This starts right now.