Great British Menu - Season 20 Episode 27 -
The Finals: Main Course
The Finals: Main Course
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FunTranscript
00:00What are you up to?
00:01One for Lorna, three for Tom, and three for...
00:05Well, I'm just counting up the amount of Michelin stars
00:08in the judging chamber today,
00:09because we've got Claire Smith, who's got three,
00:11you've got three, Lorna's got one, that's seven,
00:15and I'm the only one without one,
00:16so I was thinking maybe we could share them out a little bit.
00:19I don't think that's how it works.
00:20It's one for me, isn't it, because I do a good omelette.
00:23Can I have five?
00:24I've been in your restaurants, they're nice,
00:26but come on, mate.
00:27LAUGHTER
00:30It's finals week.
00:31So far, Sally has won the starter,
00:34and yesterday, our first wild card, Ahmed,
00:36just missed out to Jean.
00:39Got the fish course now, so that's in the bag,
00:41so, yeah, I'm going to push really hard,
00:42I would love to have two.
00:43Today, they're competing for the main course
00:45at our 20th anniversary banquet,
00:48celebrating historical figures at Blenheim Palace.
00:51It's all right, isn't it?
00:52LAUGHTER
00:54This is the big one.
00:55This is the one that everybody wants to win.
00:57This was the highest scored round in the heats.
01:00Yeah, I'm going to be two minutes, chef.
01:02So we're expecting a close battle.
01:06Hooking the main course...
01:08..is...
01:21It's mains day, and the battle is on to join Sally and Jean
01:25on that banquet menu.
01:29Now there's only two places left in the banquet,
01:31I'm really eager and itching to get on that board.
01:34I think, realistically, this is my last opportunity
01:37to get to the banquet.
01:38There's no room for error today.
01:40I mean, if I do get main today, I'll be really good.
01:42I really want to get some Yorkshire beef to that banquet.
01:45I wasn't here yesterday for the fish course.
01:48I'm just going to go for it today.
01:49Morning, everyone. Morning, morning.
01:51Good to have you back, Dan. Thank you very much.
01:53Feeling very refreshed today. Oh, yeah, I'm happy.
01:57Deciding the winner will be our judges.
02:00Alongside the legendary Tom Kerridge,
02:02with his total of three Michelin stars,
02:05are fellow Michelin star chef Lorna McNeill
02:07and comedian Ed Gamble.
02:11Right, so we've got our fish dish.
02:13Well done. Thank you very much.
02:14You'll be moving on to getting your pen licence soon.
02:16Yeah. Main course day.
02:18Obviously, we've got Sally's venison, which got perfect scores.
02:22We've got Jean's West African goat feast,
02:24which I can't wait to have again.
02:25Oh, yeah, it was so delicious, that, wasn't it?
02:27I really enjoyed Mark's venison dish. I thought it was delicious.
02:30And then there's Callum's. There's loads of good ones.
02:32It's the big one. It's always a big day, isn't it?
02:34Everyone's pushing. It's really close, I think.
02:37Yeah, it's super close. It's going to be intense today.
02:39Yeah. Give me some tasty food, that is for sure.
02:41Yeah, I'm hungry today. Yeah!
02:44But you can't count people out who might not have those perfect scores.
02:47Well, this is it. They've had those opportunities now to tweak.
02:50And then, of course, we've got the wild card.
02:52Looks like Stevie's having a lie-in today. Yeah, I know.
02:55Sounds like the wild card strikes again. Yeah.
02:57This wild card could come in there and storm right through it.
03:01I think the one to watch in the kitchen is Mark.
03:04Callum will be one to watch today.
03:07John again, Sally.
03:09I think the wild card is going to add a lot of pressure.
03:13Morning. Morning.
03:14Good morning, chefs.
03:17How are you all doing? Good, thank you.
03:19We have asked one chef to step out for this one,
03:22because taking their place will be Tom's wild card.
03:27Yeah, so this chef had the second-highest score after Mark and Sally.
03:31I really do think that their main course deserves some consideration as well.
03:36How are we doing, chef? Hello. Hello.
03:38Mark, how are we doing?
03:41Welcome back, Callum.
03:43Can you believe it? Yeah.
03:44Well, I can't, to be honest.
03:46Today on the judging panel, I will be the only one
03:48who doesn't have a Michelin star,
03:50because our guest judge has three Michelin stars
03:54and all in one restaurant as well,
03:56not spread across two like Tom, which is...
04:01OK, so Sally, John, Jack and Amber,
04:04you're all first to cook, so off you go.
04:07And the rest of you will cook second,
04:09so Daniel, Mark and the Callums.
04:11The Callums. The Callums.
04:12Hey, nice.
04:15Right, let's go.
04:17OK, we're cooking.
04:20I've been here for many a year.
04:22I can't recall this many high-scoring dishes
04:26coming out of this kitchen on a main course finals day.
04:30They're also some of the most complex.
04:33John has over 110 different ingredients
04:37in his West African-inspired goat feast.
04:40Ooh, it's going to be fun.
04:42And Sally has ten separate elements
04:45for her Robin Hood-inspired venison.
04:49So, Sally, I did some research and I saw that venison
04:52was the first main course on GBM.
04:54Oh, really? Well, hopefully it will also be the 20th.
04:57Oh, really? Well, it's been goat as well, so... Yeah? Yeah.
05:01John's frying rice to bring out the flavour
05:04before adding a Scotch bonnet spiced stock.
05:08This is a sausage maker.
05:10I'm going to make some Cumberland sausages.
05:12Cumbria's Jack is celebrating the Lake District with lamb.
05:17You OK, Amber? Yeah, all good. Just very busy.
05:20How about yourself? Yeah, I'm having a bit of a sausage nightmare.
05:23There's probably 1,000 butchers watching me do this,
05:25going, like, what is he doing?
05:28School chef and food educator Amber is cooking hogget,
05:32a sheep slightly older than a lamb.
05:34She's starting with watercress puree
05:37and a used milk whipped curd.
05:39I'm up first today, so there's a lot to get done.
05:42Not a lot of time.
05:44Hey, chefs, how are you getting on? Busy. Busy?
05:47I can tell you now that our guest judge is Claire Smith.
05:51Wow. Wow.
05:52Wild cards, Claire Smith.
05:55You're throwing curveballs at us, left, right and centre.
05:59Originally from County Antrim,
06:01Claire Smith MBE is a culinary Great Briton.
06:05She's gone from a holiday restaurant job at 15
06:08to being crowned the world's best woman chef in 2018.
06:12She is the first and only UK woman to be awarded three Michelin stars.
06:19Hi, Claire. Hello, mate. How are you?
06:21Lovely to meet you. And you.
06:23How are you? Nice to see you already.
06:24How are you, mate? How are we both? You all right? Good, good.
06:26Nice to see you. Welcome, welcome to the judging chamber.
06:28Good to be here. Grab a seat. Excited.
06:30You've come on a very good day, I think.
06:32There's no break from red meat and gravy.
06:35Yeah, OK.
06:37It's all right. It's not a bad day.
06:38What sort of thing will you be looking for?
06:41It all comes down to something that's just delicious food,
06:43that's a really beautiful dish, that's well put together,
06:46that's something that's thoughtful.
06:47Obviously, for me and lots of other chefs,
06:49you'll be a massive hero and inspiration for them,
06:51so it'll be great to hear what you have to say about their food.
06:54I'm so passionate about expressing British culture
06:57and showing the world about our food
07:00and how brilliant the chefs are, so very excited.
07:03Well, they know you're here now and they're absolutely terrified.
07:08What a way to make it harder.
07:09To hear her feedback, it's going to be, you know, she's an icon.
07:14Jeanne is starting a rack of goat in the coals
07:17and Jack is searing lamb loin.
07:21After scoring all tens in the heat,
07:23Sally is aiming for perfection again.
07:26The cooking of the venison is crucial,
07:28so I've got to sear it off and then tie it
07:31and then bake it in the oven.
07:33Do you need a finger? Yeah.
07:37Just pull.
07:38Thanks.
07:43Amber had issues with her mash in the heats
07:46and she's not off to a great start with it now.
07:50So, my drum sieve broke, unfortunately,
07:53so I passed it through a small sieve.
07:56I'm now going to try and emulsify it with some hot milk.
07:59I'm now going to try and emulsify it with some hot milk
08:02and try and bring it back, but it's got egg yolks in,
08:05so if I warm it too much, I'll cook the egg yolks.
08:09OK, so our first main course of the day comes from Amber,
08:12representing the south-west, and it's called the Lark Ascending.
08:15It's pan-fried hogget cannon, black garlic, grilled baby leeks,
08:19whipped used curd, watercress puree, pickled girolles,
08:23braised hogget shank shepherd's pie and a hogget sauce.
08:27Celebrating Gloucestershire-born composer Rafe Vaughan Williams,
08:31he composed the Lark Ascending.
08:35So, the mash has come together, it did re-emulsify.
08:39Amber tops the braised hogget.
08:42She previously scored three sevens,
08:44and after feedback, she's aiming for a crispier topping.
08:48This is a new addition, a little spray with some egg wash in there,
08:52and that should give it a nice glaze, hopefully.
08:55Hey, Amber. Hi, Andy.
08:57So, what was the judges' feedback?
08:59So, there were a few bits that were a little bit cold,
09:02room temperature.
09:03Going to make sure that everything's super hot before it goes out.
09:06They also wanted a more prime cut of hogget,
09:08so I've kind of upped the ante with that a little bit.
09:12The improved hogget cannon is pan-fried in foaming butter.
09:17Maybe a bit too much butter.
09:19We're not comping this lamb.
09:21I love hogget, it's something we just don't see enough of.
09:24Yeah, it's got a deeper flavour in the lamb, doesn't it?
09:26It's much nicer, and even texturally, it's great.
09:28Hogget cannon is my wrestling name as well.
09:31The hogget cannon.
09:41Chef Amber, you have seven minutes.
09:44Yeah.
09:46Are you happy with your cuisson?
09:47Yeah, I'm happy with that, and I'm going to go for it.
09:50I'm going to go for that, kind of a medium on that.
09:54The watercress puree is plated before the new slices of hogget cannon.
10:00Just need one more portion.
10:01Oh, yeah.
10:03That would have been embarrassing.
10:04Crispy leeks dressed in hogget fat, salsa verde, and then black garlic.
10:10It's got the most beautiful, kind of touching presentation.
10:15If you don't remember it from the heats,
10:18then you'll see it in a minute.
10:20I'm not going to ruin it.
10:22You can do these pickled girolles, please.
10:26You have four minutes to the pass, Chef.
10:28Three.
10:29Whipped-used curd and a new garnish of watercress,
10:33finally, her rich lamb sauce.
10:36Lovely.
10:40Lovely hot plate.
10:42It's gorgeous-looking, isn't it?
10:43Lovely.
10:44Thank you so much. Service, please. Thank you.
10:49The Lark Ascending is played by students from Amber's school.
11:00One, two, three.
11:02CHEERING
11:06Hey. Hello.
11:08The chefs all get to suss out the competition.
11:11Enjoy. Thank you very much.
11:14Let's get involved, chefs.
11:16MUSIC PLAYS
11:22Good choice to change the cut to the cannon.
11:25It gives you a much more robust piece of meat,
11:28but for me, the star is that watercress puree again.
11:31I absolutely adore the little shepherd's pie on the side
11:35and, like, the fluffy mash on the top.
11:38It's just delicious.
11:39And just the shine across the top of it. Yeah.
11:41It's really inviting.
11:43That hogget is so tender. It's so tender.
11:45The fat is rendered perfectly on it as well.
11:48Right up my street, I love eating this kind of food.
11:50Nailed it. Well done.
11:52I really like how that curd just cuts through everything. Yeah.
11:55What do you think to the watercress puree?
11:58It's great. It's great and subtle, actually, isn't it? Yeah.
12:01I mean, the hogget's perfectly cooked, isn't it?
12:03Like, it's just that really good medium, you know?
12:05It's how you should eat hogget.
12:07That sauce is so delicious as well.
12:09Like, I could just drink the sauce like a lovely cup of tea.
12:12Yeah, I think the sauce has got a great flavour, really nice and deep
12:15and you really taste that lamby flavour coming through,
12:17which is delicious.
12:18It's not a bad way to start, is it?
12:20No. It's a solid dish, isn't it?
12:30Jean adds mushrooms to his goat shoulder stew,
12:34which has strong flavours to balance,
12:37including bitter utasi leaves and Cameroon pepper.
12:41Jack has tweaked the way he's cooking his lamb loins
12:44after scoring all nines in the heats.
12:47I've really enhanced the flavour of the fat,
12:50put a lot of aromats in.
12:51Hopefully it'll make it a little bit better
12:54so I can get a little bit better score.
12:56So up next is Jack from the north-west
12:58with his dish Bag in Wainwright.
13:00Herdwick lamb loin with a malt vinegar gastrique,
13:03lamb Cumberland sausage,
13:05lamb rib glazed with pickled walnut and lamb sauce.
13:08It's inspired by Alfred Wainwright,
13:10author and illustrator of 214 Walking Routes of the Fells
13:14in the Lake District.
13:16Bag in Wainwright is the term used
13:18when you tick off the fells in his guide.
13:23So I've done another infusion into the lamb sauce.
13:26I've put fresh mint in, a little bit more lamb,
13:29just to really give it a bit of life.
13:32It's a beautiful dish.
13:33What was the judges' feedback from you?
13:35They wanted a bit more of everything.
13:37A bit more lamb.
13:38Used absolutely everything from the animal
13:40and instead of using any oil, I'm using just lamb fat.
13:43So the flavours should be...
13:45Lamb.
13:46Just lamb, lamb, lamb.
13:49He's dousing the ribs with pickled walnut puree
13:52and to make it more generous,
13:54he's serving an extra lamb loin
13:56smoked in a fell walker's mess tin.
14:00The fresh juniper.
14:01You've got nine minutes to the pass, Jack.
14:04Yes.
14:05What can I do to help?
14:06There should be a rock plate in the back corner.
14:08A rock plate, yes. Yeah.
14:10I made a dry stone wall.
14:15Amber starts his plate with artichoke fricassee.
14:19What's next on there, Chef?
14:21The kale. Yep.
14:22And you just divide it over it.
14:24He's got new kalettes,
14:26a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts.
14:29They're dressed in lamb fat, mint and marjoram.
14:32The ribs.
14:33We'll go one, two, three, four.
14:39This, you want to just dot.
14:40More pickled walnut puree.
14:43Like that? Yep.
14:44On the bottom of each one. Yep.
14:45And next to be finished are the sausages and the lamb loins.
14:49Can you brush that all over?
14:52All over your meat? Yeah.
14:53What is it?
14:54It's a malt vinegar gastrique.
14:56Sausages? Yep.
15:00You're on five minutes now.
15:01Yeah, I'm going to be a tiny bit early.
15:04The sauce is served in thermos flasks,
15:07ready to be taken out on a Wainwright walk.
15:10Wow.
15:13Service, please.
15:27I love the way that the ribs just look like pieces of rock
15:31and then you've got this wonderful little smoky pot of outdoorsness
15:35just blowing in your face.
15:36I love the thermos as well. It's cool, isn't it?
15:39And I'm going to take the big rib.
15:42Yeah, I was going to say, I'll put that on the fire.
15:49These ribs are what's worrying me because I've got lamb ribs on mine.
15:52Oh, right, are they as good as that?
15:54Hopefully, they'll be better, won't they?
15:58I think we're in trouble today if people keep bringing it like this.
16:01It's just delicious. It's amazing.
16:03It's all so lamby.
16:05It's a stupid thing to say,
16:06but it's just like the essence of lamb in everything
16:08and they're all distinct from each other.
16:10The Herdwick lamb, you can taste all of the herbs
16:12and what they eat up in the mountains
16:14because they're native to the fells.
16:16You've done that justice, man. That's amazing.
16:18Cheers, man.
16:19All the meat is beautifully sweet, so tender.
16:21And that puree is amazing with it all.
16:23Oh, my God. You know I like it when I start hitting you.
16:26Yeah, I'm hoping that's a good sign that I'm...
16:28It's a really good sign.
16:29The sauce, do you like the sauce? A little bit.
16:31There's quite a lot of thin side to it.
16:33Quite a lot of pickly things going on, I guess.
16:35I mean, I like my sauces quite, like, reduced, you know?
16:38The flavour of the fat on that lamb's great as well.
16:40It's got a really crisp outside, saltiness on the outside,
16:42which is fantastic.
16:43The malt vinegar gastric, it works so beautifully with it.
16:46The lamb rib is just outstanding.
16:49Then it is just very British.
16:55Sensual Sally is up next with her dish, Eat The Rich,
16:59inspired by her childhood spent playing in Sherwood Forest.
17:04How are you feeling? OK, yeah. On track?
17:06Yeah, on track. You? Yeah. I feel oddly calm, which is...
17:09That's good. I do not, but that is what it is.
17:13Do you want to cuddle? Yeah.
17:16So, our next dish is called Eat The Rich.
17:19It's crown of venison loin, venison, pork and prune faggots
17:23with baked bone marrow, roasted baby beetroots,
17:26fricassee of wild mushrooms and venison and bone marrow sauce.
17:30It's inspired by the heroic outlaw Robin Hood.
17:33Hey, Sally. Hello.
17:35It's the wee faggots. The wee faggots.
17:37They're delicious. They've got prunes in them, haven't they?
17:39They do, yeah, yeah. A bit of sweetness.
17:41You are doing magnificently well. You are doing well.
17:43You're already on the banquet menu board. Yes.
17:45Would you like to do two courses? This is my favourite course.
17:48It is? So, this is the one I kind of went into the week gunning for,
17:51so, yeah.
17:55I just keep second-guessing everything I'm doing. It's so annoying.
18:05We loved this dish. We scored it perfect tens.
18:08There was a slight serving problem.
18:12It comes as this beautiful creme.
18:14It had the faggots in the middle, but when you cut it,
18:16the faggots kind of fell down.
18:17Like, it was just a silly little service point of view.
18:20But when your main issue is balance... Yeah.
18:23Yeah, where can I balance the faggots?
18:25It tasted fantastic.
18:26Made us feel like we were in Sherwood Forest.
18:29Made me feel like I was little John.
18:33Sally adds lots of garlic to her wild mushrooms,
18:37as Jack is on faggots.
18:39You want them glazed up real nice. Yeah, yeah.
18:41Real nice. Real good. Real nice.
18:43Fally. Yeah. Five minutes to the pass, Sally. Wait.
18:47What have we got going on the plates here, Sally?
18:49This is Pontiac sauce.
18:51After the elderberry sauce...
18:53Right, kale.
18:55..the wild mushrooms and chard.
18:58OK, just three.
19:00I do that? Yeah.
19:02Amber's finishing the crown with a port glaze.
19:07You've got two minutes to the pass, Sally.
19:09If you need an extra minute, then let me know.
19:11I think I'm going to be all right, yeah. I think I'm going to be OK.
19:14The bone marrow with malted barley crumb
19:16helps set the woodland scene along with the roasted beetroots.
19:20Ooh! Shaking.
19:25OK. Faggots.
19:27I'll hold it.
19:29Deer sauce with smoked bone marrow
19:32and, finally, Robin Hood's golden arrow.
19:38OK, perfect. Right. Service, please.
19:40And you're going to go and carve, chef? I'm going to go and carve, yeah.
19:51Ah! I'm exhausted and I was only just watching that.
19:55I've been watching you.
19:57I've been holding my breath all the way to the judges' chamber.
20:00Extraordinary display.
20:06Oops. Sorry, I'm rather nervous.
20:08Don't worry.
20:10It feels slightly intense just staring at your carve.
20:13I just want one each.
20:15That's perfect, yes. Thank you, chef.
20:17OK, there we go. Enjoy. Thank you so much.
20:19Thank you, Sally.
20:23It's so celebratory, isn't it? Yeah.
20:25And it does make you think of those big old castles
20:28and these grand banquets.
20:30Oh, wow! Lovely.
20:32This looks beautiful. Thank you.
20:40I really love the kale, the irony, bitterness that it gives you.
20:44The roasted earthiness of the beetroots, fantastic.
20:47And then you get that richness of the bone marrow
20:49and that is just the garnish.
20:51And then you've got this fantastic, beautifully cooked crown of venison
20:56and those amazing faggots.
20:58It's all right, isn't it?
21:00No, it's delicious.
21:02Bone marrow, delicious.
21:04The venison, the croissants, unbelievable.
21:07Yeah, just makes you want to eat it all, doesn't it?
21:10Mm, that's lovely.
21:12Very nice. Very well-made sauce as well.
21:14Could you guys see this at the banquet?
21:16Oh, 100%.
21:18This sauce is absolutely mind-blowing.
21:21It does really make you think of the forest, doesn't it?
21:24With all the mushrooms and root vegetables,
21:26all those sort of lovely, wonderful flavours.
21:28Everything's cooked perfectly and delicious and well-seasoned.
21:31There's a great talking point as well at the banquet, isn't it?
21:34And there's so much work in that dish.
21:36Are you in trouble, Mark, with the venison, or are you confident?
21:39I'm not saying I'll do a better job,
21:41but it's different enough that I feel comfortable.
21:45It's a wonderful, magical moment, I think.
21:49Are you having a little cry?
21:51Maybe.
21:53Well done. Beautiful.
21:58That's me.
22:00Jean's goat dish scored nines and tens last time.
22:04The main thing is getting the meat temperature perfect
22:06and timing again. There's lots to come together towards the end.
22:09It's cooled there and back again
22:11and celebrates Charles Ignatius Sancho.
22:14Born on a slave ship,
22:16he rose to become an author, composer, abolitionist
22:19and was the first black person to vote in Britain.
22:24OK, so next up is roasted goat rack, goat nikobi,
22:29smoked rice, spiced fondant potato,
22:32roasted okra, barbecue broccoli and peanuts.
22:36Assan relish. Sounds amazing.
22:38Yes, we loved this one as well.
22:40It sounded like a broken record.
22:42Yeah. It was delicious.
22:44If you did nail this... Yeah.
22:47..and your name went back on the board again,
22:49that would mean you were doing your quite complicated soul dish
22:53and your very complicated feast here for Charles Ignatius Sancho.
22:57I mean, would you be able to physically do it?
23:00Yeah, I'm not scared of it. I think it'll be fun.
23:02Give us a challenge.
23:05Jean's keeping an eye on his fondant potatoes.
23:09I'm not going to burn these. I'm just going to watch these like a little watchdog.
23:16So, obviously, I don't want to rub it in,
23:18but you've got the three Michelin stars.
23:21What is it that gets that extra star?
23:23What is it that gets you up to that level?
23:25I think, obviously, quality of produce, consistency,
23:28and then you go into sort of the creative flair.
23:31Three stars, you should recognise that chef's style, their food.
23:35Instantly, you know, you say, that's that chef.
23:38I promised Tom I'd ask.
23:45Jon, time-wise, are you running out? No.
23:47I think I'm on track, actually. Oh, damn it.
23:51Plating begins with peanut satay sauce.
23:54Jon, you have five minutes, chef. Yes, thank you.
23:57Sally coats the fondant potatoes with a dried blackberries,
24:00cinnamon, clove and sweet paprika spice mix.
24:04The very idea of this dish I find incredibly touching.
24:08It's like a love letter to Charles Ignatius Sancho from Jean,
24:12talking about all the things he thinks that Sancho would have missed
24:16because of his enslavement.
24:19Amaranth grains finish the okra,
24:21peanuts go on the broccoli and pickled onion,
24:24fresh chervil and utazi leaves complete the goat stew.
24:29The scotch bonnet chutney, chef, in the small bowls?
24:32Yes, that's the one.
24:33Is this the one that blew your head off, chef?
24:35Yeah, that will, yeah.
24:36You've got two minutes to the pass, Jon.
24:39Oui.
24:41Jack plates the fondant potatoes
24:43and the rice is topped with mushroom bernets.
24:46And then black pechard mustard.
24:49What's that, chef? It's a sorrel emulsion.
24:52The wraps are coated in a herb crust and served with smoked rice.
24:58I'm smoking the right thing, aren't I? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
25:01That's it? Service, please.
25:03Holy moly.
25:08Will Jon be the goat? That is the question.
25:12Charles Ignatius Sancho's composition, Sir Harry Flutter,
25:17plays the dish in.
25:19Thank you for the help. You're always welcome.
25:21Thank you for the help.
25:22I wouldn't be able to plate that by myself.
25:25Looks great.
25:26Smells incredible, doesn't it? Yeah.
25:28Yeah, it's as good as I remember.
25:32Look at this. Thank you so much.
25:34This looks amazing.
25:44There's quite a lot of heat in the chutney.
25:47I think you're being a bit dramatic.
25:49Oh, the spicy salsary chutney's just delicious, isn't it?
25:54I do think this is the perfect level of spice. It's addictive.
25:57Addictive is the right word.
25:59Everything's, like, in perfect harmony.
26:01You've got something really spicy,
26:02then you've got something that's a bit creamy,
26:04then you've got something that's a bit fresh or crunchy, acidic.
26:07Just, I absolutely love the rice. I think the rice is amazing.
26:10The fauna potatoes we had for you is better than it was last time.
26:13I absolutely love the smoked rice.
26:16Yeah. With the beurres over the top.
26:18There's so much going on.
26:19When you eat it all together, it's stunning.
26:22Mm.
26:23It's, like, every time you eat it,
26:25it's a different flavour combination that works in your mouth.
26:28Some really interesting flavours that I've personally never had before.
26:31Some ingredients that I've never seen before, which is amazing.
26:34Can I just have a bit more of that curry bit right in front of you?
26:37That's it, yes.
26:39Perfect. And then the spicy red stuff.
26:44Thanks, bud.
26:49That was intense, you know,
26:51cos you're just juggling so many different things.
26:53I think all the, like, meat cookery was just phenomenal as well.
26:56Everybody's croissants, just bang on.
26:58Hello, judges. Hello. Hi, Andy.
27:01How's your morning been, chef?
27:03Great. I mean, what amazing food.
27:05I don't know how you can... How are you going to pick someone?
27:08Well, you have to. You have to help.
27:12Hi, mate. You all right? Hello.
27:14All right, mate? How are you feeling? All right.
27:16How was that? Yeah, it was, er...
27:18It was all right, wasn't it? It was, yeah.
27:20How are you, Mr Kerridge?
27:22A mixture between having the greatest day ever and absolutely fuming,
27:26because I'm so disappointed that no-one's messed up yet
27:28to make our lives easier,
27:30because the food today has just made my day.
27:33It's really difficult to choose anyone, because they're all so great.
27:36It's all on you guys now. No pressure.
27:38Yeah, just start running now.
27:40Basically, it'll be fine. And don't stop.
27:42Do you think the logistics might come into it,
27:45because some of these dishes are very, very complex?
27:49Make it happen. There you go.
27:51Always do the maximum and then figure it out.
27:53There you go. It came from a three-star chef.
27:55Make it happen, that's it. Solutions, not problems.
27:57All right, great.
27:59OK, crumpets first.
28:01I'm coming over with this barbecue, Dan, just watch your backs.
28:04Cool.
28:06The next four chefs include top-scorer Mark
28:09and wild-card Scottish Callum.
28:12This race is by no means over.
28:16It's like old times, eh, Callum?
28:18What a treat. On the same side this time.
28:20Well, same side of the kitchen, different sides of the competition, eh?
28:23Yeah, there you go.
28:25Same side of the kitchen, different sides of the competition, eh?
28:27Yeah, there you go.
28:29So you've done a bit of fighting talk going over there, haven't you?
28:31Just wait till we start brawling.
28:33You two aren't ganging up on us, though, are you?
28:35No. We'd have him.
28:37Probably.
28:39Like Sally earlier, Mark is preparing venison,
28:43and he too scored all tens in the heats.
28:47You got a perfect score. Yeah.
28:49You got tens from all the judges.
28:51Was there any feedback that you need to act upon?
28:54Not really.
28:56Which is almost tough, cos you kind of want to stick or...
28:58Do you stick or do you twist?
29:00The short answer is no. No.
29:02He's not alone.
29:04None of these four have made any changes to their food.
29:09Yeah, that's me.
29:11Yorkshire Callum is making a sun-blushed tomato puree
29:15to serve with beef,
29:17while Scottish Callum is doing lamb.
29:19I've got a little spice mix for my haggis going in here,
29:22which I've added some alexander seeds.
29:26Callum adds the spices to his mix of sheep, cluck or offal,
29:30oats, shallots and celery.
29:32Lovely grey porridge.
29:34It normally takes two days to make,
29:37so he re-embedded his recipe to work in our kitchen.
29:40It will be fine. It will be fine.
29:43It has to be fine.
29:45It doesn't have to be, mate.
29:48Daniel's also cooking lamb.
29:50He's searing neck chops before pressure-cooking them
29:53with mint and lamb demi-glace, a rich stock.
29:56You've got things like this lamb neck that's going to take a bit of time
29:59to cook down. You've got the lamb ribs.
30:01They need to be really, really crispy.
30:03Just balancing everything, really.
30:05First main course this afternoon is Daniel representing Wales,
30:08and it's hiraeth.
30:09It's a Cambrian mountain lamb loin, neck and crispy rib,
30:14charred leek, Welsh feta, mint and lamb jus.
30:18Celebrating the poet Dylan Thomas,
30:20whose works were heavily influenced by his upbringing in Wales,
30:24in particular at Fern Hill Farm.
30:26So the word hiraeth...
30:27There isn't a literal translation, but, yeah,
30:29there's that longing and missing and looking back
30:32and just thinking about Wales.
30:35We scored this high as well, didn't we?
30:37We scored this very high. My original score of this was a nine,
30:40so if he's done a tweak to this and got it a ten,
30:42we're going to be in all sorts of trouble.
30:44So have you made any changes?
30:46I've added the little ink wells.
30:48Like a nod to Dylan Thomas and to give us some more sauce? Yeah.
30:53Oh, yeah, ****!
30:54LAUGHTER
30:56Sorry for swearing!
30:58He made me jump more than anything.
31:01He leaves the cooked necks to cool
31:03and adds some charred leeks to the puree.
31:10One of Claire's many accolades
31:12is that she's recently taken over the presidency
31:15of the British Bocuse d'Or team.
31:18The Bocuse d'Or is a prestigious cooking competition
31:21attracting the best chefs from around the world.
31:26It's an incredibly exciting competition.
31:28It's like the Olympics. They train all year for it.
31:31So it's a whole other level.
31:33So they quit their jobs, they train all year for it,
31:36the two people, the actual candidate and a commie chef,
31:39and it's like you're competing against the rest of the world.
31:42It's crazy, isn't it, Tom? It's nuts.
31:44You get all these people flags and music.
31:47It's like being at a football stadium when you're there.
31:50The energy of it. The energy is absolutely bananas.
31:53And it's seen globally as the biggest culinary,
31:56cookery competition around.
31:58I mean, second only to this, obviously.
32:02What can I do, Chef?
32:04You can be on red-frying duties.
32:06Dan, you have five minutes to the pulse, Chef.
32:08Yeah. Feeling good?
32:10Yeah, I think so.
32:12And then just get them really, really crispy.
32:14As in, like, when you think they're crispy...
32:17Crack them. ..carry on, yeah.
32:20Do you mind just picking them up and putting them on here?
32:24The neck fillets are finished in sticky lamb sauce
32:27and the loins in foaming butter.
32:30Callum? Yeah?
32:31They should be all right now, I think.
32:33It's confusing, isn't it, Callum?
32:36I just want it to really, like... Everywhere?
32:39Yeah, loads of it. Sure, sure, sure.
32:41Got one minute till you're due, Dan.
32:43And then just a little bit of mint.
32:45Couple of flowers. Couple of flowers.
32:50Daniel's had a last-minute change of mind
32:52and has added some wilted spinach to his plate.
32:55You can just grab the blowtorch. Yep.
32:59The minty lamb necks are followed by the leek puree
33:02and charred leeks.
33:04You're due now, Dan, so you're going into extra time. OK.
33:07Just letting you know.
33:09Pickled leeks and herb-dressed feta,
33:11then it's the lamb loins in a herb crust.
33:16It's finished with the lamb and mint sauce,
33:18with extra in the ink pots.
33:23And a drizzle of herb oil.
33:27Oh! Oh, chef!
33:30Well done. All right, you ready?
33:32Service, please.
33:34Looks delicious. That looks good, Dan.
33:39Dylan Thomas' Fern Hill is read by Keris Matthews.
33:43Now, as I was young and easy under the apple boughs
33:46about the Lilton house and happy as the grass was green.
33:50Come on, mate. Cheers.
33:52Well done. Thanks for all your help, mate.
33:54Well done.
33:58Oh, no, what a shame.
34:00Oh, no, what a shame.
34:02Another crispy, delicious lamb rib.
34:06Do you want to split a rib, Amber?
34:09Absolutely.
34:18I mean, we're genuinely having the best time. Yeah.
34:21But also, this is making our lives so difficult,
34:24cos this is just so good.
34:27The loin is beautiful.
34:29And then the leeks are fantastic.
34:31I mean, it really does represent Wales amazingly.
34:34That loin's wildly good.
34:36The loin's beautiful.
34:38The braise is lovely. Nice and sticky.
34:40The curry's great. The sauce is amazing.
34:43What a delicious little plate of food.
34:45Everything you want with some lamb, isn't it? Yeah.
34:47That feta really makes it so much lighter as a dish, doesn't it?
34:50Yeah.
34:51The mint is so perfect and it's throughout,
34:53but it's never overwhelming.
34:55I just love that knack. It's just phenomenal.
34:58I think leeks are a really nice element on there,
35:00cos it brings that little bit of freshness and charredness to it
35:02that I think it really needs.
35:04I think it's possibly verging on too rich for me,
35:06but, you know, delicious nonetheless.
35:08Just so well-balanced. Like you say, it's so rich but so balanced.
35:11I think there's the freshness and the mint coming through and everything.
35:14I think it's refined and elegant.
35:16I would just be really, really happy to eat that every day.
35:20Mark is butchering his venison.
35:23How are you cooking that, Mark?
35:25I'm taking it off the bone, wrap it in some wild herbs
35:29and then wrap it in, like, a wild boar pancetta kind of thing
35:32that I've made.
35:33Sounds class.
35:34Sadly, it's delicious.
35:35Yeah.
35:36Sadly, it's delicious.
35:38Right.
35:39The beef's going on.
35:42I'm feeling really good about this one, to be honest with you.
35:46I'm feeling really good about this one, to be honest with you.
35:49I've worked on it.
35:50I'd really like to get in at least the top three, to be honest with you.
35:53Up next, we've got Callum Leslie from the north-eastern Yorkshire
35:56with Priestley Carbon Cycle.
35:58Barbecued beef rib, braised ox cheek and mushroom ragout,
36:02smoked beef fat hollandaise, beef fat soil,
36:05lovage emulsion, pickled hen-of-the-woods,
36:08toasted sunflower seeds and beef sauce.
36:10Tell me about the inspiration behind the dish.
36:13The inspiration is Joseph Priestley,
36:15who was credited with discovering the carbon cycle.
36:18So, photosynthesis, we've got lots of kind of fresh herbs
36:21we're going to be finishing the dish with.
36:23Decomposition, we've got these beautiful mushrooms
36:25and we've then just got respiration and then we've got combustion,
36:28which means everything's kind of being cooked on the barbecue.
36:31Beef cheek ragout is simmering and Callum's whisking eggs and cream
36:35with a tarragon reduction to start his hollandaise.
36:38So, is it beef fat hollandaise?
36:40Half beef fat, half smoked butter.
36:42Oh, come on!
36:44It's our only beef today, an incredible beef fat hollandaise,
36:47from what I remember, it was really, really delicious.
36:49Yeah, I scored it a big nine.
36:53He begins with the sun-blushed tomato puree,
36:56followed by a lovage emulsion and his beef cheek ragout.
37:00Just two nice spoonfuls in there for me, please, boss.
37:03OK. In the rest of them.
37:06Toasted sunflower seeds and the barbecued hen-of-the-woods mushroom,
37:10then endive leaves.
37:13Callum, you've got four minutes to the pass, chef.
37:15Yeah, I'm going to be two minutes, chef.
37:18Callum hides the ragout with beef fat, hollandaise and crumb.
37:23The beef sauce has been made smokier today, after Tom's comments.
37:28Do you want to just go in the stir-tions while I carve?
37:32Ooh, look at that, baby.
37:35Happy with the cook on that? Yeah, perfect.
37:38That's a shame. For you, yeah.
37:43Lovely.
37:49Looks fantastic, Callum. Yeah.
37:51I believe you're going in to show them how to do a carbon cycle properly.
37:54I think I need to show them, yeah. Yeah, I do too.
37:57Right, service, please, guys. Will you get the door for me?
38:00Yes, of course. We can let them all go through.
38:02All right, good luck, chef. Thank you.
38:05Hey, guys, you all right? Hey, chef.
38:09I'm going to stand a little bit back. I don't want to set any fire here.
38:12So we start with photosynthesis.
38:14We then move on to decomposition of respiration, obviously.
38:18And we've cooked it all on the barbecue,
38:20so we've just obviously got a little smoky element to that.
38:23Ooh!
38:25Anyway, I hope you all enjoy. Fantastic. Thank you so much, chef.
38:31Yeah!
38:34Hi, guys. How are you doing? All right, mate?
38:36How did it go? Yeah, I was really happy with it, to be fair, thank you.
38:39It's intense going into that judges' chamber, though.
38:41Yeah, I can imagine.
38:51It's a beautifully cooked piece of beef.
38:53Beef at Hollandaise is beautiful as well,
38:55and that kind of barbecued on the outside of the beef,
38:57the flavour of that, it's great.
38:59And it's fresh, isn't it, with all the little leaves
39:01and the salad and the crunches. Ooh.
39:03And then the tomato and the lovage, and there's a lot happening.
39:07The actual beef is stunning.
39:09It's beefy, isn't it? Yeah, and then that ragu is so rich.
39:13Yeah, it just adds such a lovely flavour, a real depth to the dish.
39:17Beef good, fat good, Hollandaise good.
39:21It's got such a lightness of touch and flavour.
39:24I absolutely love the sun-gold tomato puree.
39:27It just helps kick through the richness of the dish.
39:30It's as strong as some of the other dishes in terms of narrative.
39:33Yeah. Yeah.
39:35It's beautifully cooked.
39:37Really clever plate and very inventive.
39:39It's rich, it's delicious, but it's not too heavy.
39:42You've cleaned your plate. Of course I have.
39:45I think that you really get a sense of a whole cycle of life
39:48on this plate.
39:50The sunniness and the freshness and the acidity,
39:53then you get the richness, the carbon.
39:55I feel it really works for the story that he's trying to tell.
39:58It's a great bit of cooking.
40:04Next, it's the other Callum.
40:08This is my little date sherry puree.
40:12Sherry vinegar in there too to balance the really sweetness.
40:15He scored ten from Ed, nine from Lorna and ten from Tom in the heats.
40:21So our next dish is from Callum from Scotland
40:25and it's Tom's wildcard choice.
40:27Crofter's Revolt.
40:29It's Hebridean lamb rump, haggis, a hot-smoked cauliflower gratin,
40:33a date and sherry puree, a malt and myrtle gale jus,
40:37buttered alexanders, crispy reindeer moss and hogweed.
40:41And it's inspired by Sawley MacLean.
40:43His famous poem Culin references the Battle of the Braes in 1882
40:47and the Crofter's Revolt against their landlords.
40:52So I'm just making a little cauliflower gratin, cauliflower cheese thing.
40:56In the heats, Akhtar felt the smoke on the cauliflower was a bit too strong,
41:01but he got it spot on when he served it for the judges.
41:05It was quite daunting coming into finals week,
41:07obviously with the standard I've tried this morning.
41:09I'm assuming that you would quite like to get the Isle of Skye
41:13up on that banquet menu board.
41:16It would complete the dream, wouldn't it?
41:18Well, my dream, sadly.
41:20Yeah, obviously not their dream.
41:22Definitely not Mark's dream.
41:23Nightmare, maybe, nightmare.
41:24Well, it's one of my dreams, but not the one I want to focus on.
41:29Callum starts his lamb rumps with rosemary and thyme,
41:33whilst Mark is using wild lemon thyme and marjoram
41:36to roll around his venison.
41:39How are you getting on, chief?
41:41Getting there.
41:42How are you getting on, Mark?
41:44Yeah, I'm all right. A bit behind, but OK.
41:46A bit behind? A little bit.
41:48Callum's rumps are finished in the oven.
41:52I just thought that this main course was incredibly tasty.
41:56It was very brave using a rump of lamb, which had so much flavour.
41:59The standout kind of element of this dish was the haggis.
42:03So let's just try and pray to the haggis gods
42:05that it's going to come out just as before.
42:09All right, chef, you have six minutes.
42:11Thank you, that time already? Yeah.
42:15How's your lamb, Callum?
42:17Do you know what, it'll probably do a little bit of time resting, but...
42:20Yeah. We shall see.
42:24The smoked cauliflower cheese is covered in truffle.
42:27Foraged alexander, known as horse parsley,
42:30is blanched and the haggis served.
42:34What's that you're putting over the top there?
42:36So this is a little bit of deep-fried reindeer moss
42:38with some winter chanterelle powder on there.
42:40Oh, very nice. And then this is the hogweed leaves.
42:42All right, yeah, nice. You want to try one? Thank you.
42:45It's quite mild, I thought it would be quite fierce.
42:48They compare to the seeds, yeah. Yeah, really nice.
42:50One minute to the pass, chef. Thank you.
42:53Date and sherry puree and then alexander leaves.
42:57The lamb rumps are served in a crofters-style pot,
43:01accompanied by malt and lamb sauce.
43:09Wow, look at that.
43:11Service, please.
43:14Careful, guys. Go slowly.
43:19You happy with what you sent?
43:21Yeah. We'll see. We'll see.
43:31It's introduced with the Gaelic poem Cúlin.
43:36HE SPEAKS GAELIC
43:42That smells so good.
43:44I forgot about the cauliflower cheese as well.
43:47Winner!
43:57What do you think of that haggis? Beautiful. Really nice.
44:00I could just eat a massive bowl of that haggis.
44:02The puree's really nice with it as well. Good.
44:06The haggis is amazing. I love that cauliflower cheese.
44:09The sauce is beautiful. The sauce is beautiful.
44:11And that puree is really... It gives you a big old thwack, doesn't it?
44:15The sauce is delicious. It's got a little bit of sweetness to it
44:17and it's really lovely. And the haggis is great.
44:19But the rump of lamb itself, the fat's not rendered enough on it
44:22and the piece of meat is actually quite tough and quite chewy.
44:26What's the thing with the cauliflower?
44:28It's like a charred cauliflower. Yeah. I think it's very smoky.
44:32The haggis is beautiful. I agree with you.
44:35The lamb, it just lacks seasoning as well, doesn't it?
44:38I actually don't think the cauliflower cheese is as good
44:40as the last time I ate it. No, I'm loving it.
44:42It's very hearty. Is it hearty? Yeah.
44:45I don't quite know the Scottish accent, but hearty.
44:47I mean, that was awful, yeah.
44:54This is mushroom and moss puree.
44:57Finally, it's Mark. Can he get all tens again?
45:01Time goes so quickly. There's a lot to do still.
45:04It's all making me nervous.
45:06One lapse in concentration and I have to do something again.
45:10It's going to throw me off my float.
45:13OK, so we've got Mark from Scotland.
45:16The Mountain provides venison loin wrapped in wild boar pancetta,
45:21barbecued mushroom and reindeer moss puree,
45:24baby girolles, black truffle and foraged herbs,
45:27rich venison sauce, venison liver parfait,
45:30smoked all-fat crumpet.
45:33Ooh.
45:37A bit spicy over there.
45:41It's inspired by poet Nan Shepard's book The Living Mountain
45:46about walking in the Cairngorms,
45:49along with the loins he's making venison parfait.
45:52From one brown puree to another.
45:56The journey of beige became...
45:59I suddenly went, oh, no.
46:01The wild boar? I've got to eat a wild boar crumpet.
46:04Mark's been really good this week at improving his dishes.
46:08Yeah, correct.
46:09I don't see any improvements he could make to this,
46:12but if he has, how are we going to give it more than ten?
46:17The venison loins, now unwrapped, are being seared.
46:22You want to have a look at these crumpets?
46:24Yeah, would you mind just turning those over for me?
46:26Turning them, yeah?
46:27You might need to get another batch on, chief.
46:30I just need one really.
46:31I think this one here might be all right for you.
46:33Yeah, that'll be fine.
46:36Truffle jelly tops the liver parfait.
46:39Two minutes to the pass, Mark.
46:41Yeah, no problem.
46:42On the plate there's mushroom puree, then pickled celeriac,
46:46a garnish production line begins with girolles,
46:49herb and moss salad and truffle.
46:53Callum, if you could follow Callum with the nettles, please.
46:56Sure. Two on each.
46:59You're due at the pass, Mark.
47:01Very pretty, Mark.
47:03Keep moving, keep breathing.
47:05In and out.
47:07Deep-fried reindeer moss is arranged on the serving stone
47:10and the crumpets are brushed with boar fat.
47:16The sauce is served over bilberries
47:18and the barbecued pancetta.
47:23Goodness.
47:25Well done. Service, please.
47:27Right, chef. Thank you very much.
47:33Nan Shepard's The Living Mountain is played
47:36as the dish enters the chamber.
47:38To those who love the place, both are good,
47:40since both are part of its essential nature.
47:43Smells like the woodland.
47:45Smells like the hills of the Cairngorms.
47:47Piney.
47:48Hi, chefs.
47:49Get the old band back together again.
47:51How beautiful is this? Stunning.
47:55That is the venison liver parfait with the moss.
47:59You've just got to put it on your crumpet.
48:06Venison liver can be quite irony, can't it?
48:08But that's really, really good.
48:10Absolutely stunning job.
48:14For me, this is the best sauce of the day.
48:16The colour and the glossiness and the flavour is great, isn't it?
48:19The addition of the pancetta is just fantastic.
48:23It's such an interesting amount and balance of flavours.
48:27You've got, you know, salty, sweet, acidic, earthy.
48:30It's really delicious.
48:32That mushroom puree is unbelievable.
48:34Super smooth, super silky.
48:36Nice venison from the hills and you get that smell of the smoke
48:39and the kind of rocky look of this on the mountains.
48:42Definitely reminds me of Scotland.
48:44I suppose my only criticism is perhaps my crumpet
48:47isn't as good as the first time we had it.
48:49It's got a bit of a harder cook on the bottom.
48:52But, I mean, it's still a really good crumpet.
48:54That beef fat crumpet was delicious.
48:57Goodness, eh? Yeah. Ten out of ten.
49:00The venison's beautifully cooked, isn't it?
49:02And that lovely, light smokiness of it
49:04and the richness and the mushrooms. Loved it.
49:07You were going back for more! I don't want it.
49:09You were going back for more!
49:11It's a good sign, that. It's a great dish.
49:18I feel absolutely stuffed to the gills.
49:20I feel like it's double Christmas Day.
49:22I was gobsmacked.
49:25It is some of the best food I've ever seen.
49:27I feel pretty exhausted after main course.
49:30I think I've done everything I can.
49:32There's just some really, really good cooking going on
49:35and the storytelling as well.
49:37I mean, I'd like to get in the top three.
49:39Some real kind of 360-degree thinking,
49:42like using all the parts of the animal that they can.
49:45For me, there's a few standout that are the emotion they've created
49:49and the picture they've painted and the flavours
49:51that just really, really caught me.
49:53It didn't go as well as I'd have hoped for today,
49:56but it is what it is.
49:58I'd second that for sure for myself.
50:00You can really see what the chefs are trying to interpret on that dish.
50:03It's all so difficult because everything's been so great.
50:06There are some massive scores in there.
50:08I think the thing that's going to finally separate these dishes out,
50:11what dish tells a story just fractionally better than the other one
50:14and does it represent Great Britain's and 20 years of Great British menu?
50:21I'm really nervous about going into the judging chamber.
50:24I guess yesterday it was quite clear to me who the winner was.
50:27I haven't felt that today.
50:29I think Mark's at the end was incredible.
50:32Callum and Callum, both the Callums were really good, I think.
50:35So, yeah, there's no clear winner today.
50:39I think top three would be Mark, then John, then me.
50:44I absolutely loved Chef John's.
50:50Sally's main course was beautiful,
50:53but for me, Mark's dish really, you know, it hit the spot.
50:57Who do I expect to see in the top three?
51:00Mark, then Callum,
51:03and I'm probably going to go for John.
51:08MUSIC PLAYS
51:13Hello, chefs. Hello.
51:15I have never had the honour of eating such extraordinary food
51:19on a main course day in finals week.
51:21For me, today was like a tidal wave
51:24of beautiful and brilliant meat cookery.
51:26The love for shepherd's pie and lamb ribs twice,
51:30venison faggots, the parfait of venison,
51:33ox cheek, haggis.
51:35You should be so, so proud of yourselves.
51:37Beautiful, precise cookery.
51:39Some of it was so restrained and some of it so theatrical
51:43that they all had massive impact.
51:45And Callum's been brought back. How's the atmosphere been in there?
51:48To come back and, you know, it was kind of a tricky one,
51:51but, yeah, I had such a lovely day, you know, really good.
51:54All right, chefs, it is time to reveal the results.
51:59OK, so in last place today, it's Callum Munro.
52:04Chef, honestly, I was so happy to see that haggis again.
52:07Yeah. I mean, it's absolutely delicious.
52:09I loved every bit of it.
52:11But the lamb rump today came up against some incredible dishes.
52:14Thanks so much, everybody. Pleasure.
52:16If you'd like to come out to the kitchen, we'll see you there.
52:21Well, fair enough.
52:23I think that's all that needs to be said.
52:25OK, so next up is...
52:30..Amber.
52:32The changes that you made were fantastic.
52:34We all gave it eights, we loved it,
52:36but that shows you how high the standard's been today.
52:38We'll see you in the kitchen in a minute, Amber.
52:40Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you, everyone.
52:42Well done, Amber. Beautiful.
52:44Hello, Chef. Hey, how you doing?
52:46So sorry, mate. Yeah, do you know...
52:48I thought your dish was beautiful. Oh, thanks so much.
52:50If I wasn't here, I would have felt weird, to be honest.
52:53Who do you think is coming through the door?
52:55I really have no idea.
52:57So from now on, amazingly, we're down to tied positions.
53:02And in joint third, both with an incredible 37 out of 40,
53:07are Callum and Daniel.
53:10The standard was amazing.
53:12I'm fine with that.
53:16Well, Daniel, I absolutely loved your dish.
53:20I scored it ten. Really?
53:22So I thought that dish was just perfect for me.
53:26Callum, listen, I gave your beef a perfect ten as well.
53:29I mean, I love the barbecue outside,
53:31but for me, that braised ox cheek through the middle
53:33was just outstanding.
53:35Thank you very much. Thank you very much, Chefs.
53:37I'll see you back in the kitchen. Thank you very much.
53:39Thank you. Oh, wow!
53:42So, yeah... It must be really close.
53:44Yeah, so close. The standard's so high.
53:46Yeah. Yeah.
53:47To have six people between 37 and 40 points is...
53:51Yeah, it's ridiculous, innit?
53:53OK, so, in joint second place...
54:00..Jack and Mark.
54:03Two really superb dishes. I gave them both a ten.
54:06But it's just so, so tight today.
54:09Thank you. Thank you very much, Chefs.
54:11Thank you. Well done, guys.
54:13Bloody hell.
54:15Whoa! No way, guys!
54:18Oh, tough gig, that. Yeah.
54:20To come joint second today is just mind-blowing.
54:23I can't believe that it happened.
54:25You know, the amount of good food that came out of that kitchen.
54:28So, who do you think's got the second name on the board?
54:31Hard to call, that. Yeah, it's... It is hard.
54:35I didn't expect that.
54:37So, that brings us to the two of you.
54:39Jean and Sally, in your dishes,
54:41eat the rich and there and back again.
54:44How does it feel to be stood there, the two of you?
54:46Well, one of us has got a lot of work to do.
54:50You both scored perfect tens across the board.
54:56So, joint first place.
54:58However...
55:00There can, of course, only be one winner.
55:03Usually, in this situation, they put it on me
55:06and I have to really bash my head about, but it was too tough.
55:10I really couldn't decide, so all five of us have sat down
55:13and we've been deliberating for quite some time.
55:16So, I can tell you now that cooking the main course
55:20at the banquet celebrating 20 years of great British menu
55:24and historical figures from the past is...
55:31..Jean.
55:33LAUGHTER
55:40It was an incredible dish.
55:42It really did bring something new to the competition.
55:44Seasoning, spice levels, flavour, all-round storytelling.
55:48I just thought it was outstanding.
55:50And Sally, again, beautiful cookery, pinpoint accuracy.
55:55Yeah, so sorry, Sally.
55:56It was grand, it was spectacular and it was delicious.
55:58Thank you. So, just missed out.
56:00Yeah, I mean, you both made it very, very difficult for us today.
56:03I mean, I say difficult, it wasn't a hard day.
56:06We've had an absolutely amazing time.
56:08I genuinely couldn't decide between both of you.
56:11What an experience to be able to have those both dishes today.
56:15Thank you very much. Thank you.
56:17Claire, it's been such an honour to have you here with us today
56:20and we really hope that you'll be able to make the banquet
56:23at Blenheim Palace. Oh, thank you for having me.
56:25Chefs, congratulations to both of you.
56:28Jean, obviously, you've just, just pipped it there.
56:31Go get that name on the board.
56:33Thank you. Thank you very much. Well done, chefs.
56:35Thank you very much.
56:37Good luck to you tomorrow as well.
56:39Thank you very much. Cheers, thanks.
56:43Yeah, well, quite emotional about that.
56:45I didn't expect to get the main course on top of the fish course.
56:49And I'm really humbled to represent London South East
56:52because that's where I've made home and it means a lot to me now.
56:55So, yeah, I'm just completely overwhelmed.
57:02I know your faces, eh?
57:04Who do you think? No.
57:06No, that's not.
57:09Yeah, that's me.
57:12Congratulations, brother.
57:14Joint first, perfect score, is obviously amazing.
57:18Cheers, guys, well done.
57:20Cheers, well done. Well done.
57:22Amazing.
57:24But then to be pipped to the post is, is bitterly disappointing.
57:28But, you know, Jean cooked an amazing dish
57:30and I think, you know, the emotion attached to his dish was just,
57:34it was just incredible.
57:36What about tomorrow? He's just stopping?
57:38No, I mean...
57:40I mean, tomorrow is my strongest course I've ever learnt.
57:43Come on. Of course it is.
57:45Leave one for the rest of us.
57:48Tomorrow it's time for dessert
57:50and the chefs must impress legendary great British menu judge
57:54Prue Leith.
57:55I think it might take more than a good bake.
58:00How you doing, Sean? Yeah, still crazy in my head.
58:03Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
58:04Cheers. Congratulations, chefs. Thank you very much.
58:06To get a kind of tiny bit of blue sky between each of you
58:10was very, very difficult, so thank you very much.
58:13And cheers to that.
58:15Cheers. Cheers, guys.
58:17Tomorrow, with great British menu royalty in the judges' chamber...
58:22Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble.
58:24..and only one remaining course up for grabs on the banquet menu...
58:29Cut. Plenty could go wrong.
58:31It's either going to work or it's going to be complete fail.
58:33The chefs are going for broke with their dessert courses.
58:37Both of you scored perfect tens.