Semi-Finalist Chef Gets Too Cocky | The F Word

[Music] welcome to the f word Tonight is the last of our heat and this time we're opening our doors to the rest of the world as the year comes to an end so does my search for the F word's best local restaurant this week I've been picking two of your favorite restaurants to compete in the f word kitchen make sure everything she said now is absolutely perfect because that'll make the difference between winning and losing I've held now biting heat for eight International Cuisines and I've found five of my semi-finalists already Argentinian Steakhouse Santa Maria Del Sur Indian restaurant La San Chinese Sweet Mandarin simply tied from Teddington and British restaurant the pheasant they're all through but who will I choose to join them in the semi-finals so far we've concentrated on your most popular international cuisines but Britain also boasts restaurants serving delicious food from many other countries so tonight we feature the very best of these in my rest of the world category as Moroccan restaurant Ducan take on Greek restaurant Red Cena so on all these deserves to be absolutely perfect yes both of them are hoping to secure a place in next week's semi-finals plus I make my own version of a classic Greek ingredient halloumi cheese that's not very big cheat is it [Applause] [Music] good evening how are you I'm nervous that's the really nervous and excited to be here absolutely what's the secret success behind do cam what is it simple dishes from uh my mum's cooking what's the secret behind your cooking what is it bear good quality cooking yes and keep your customers happy that's what tonight's all about if you want to make it back to the semi-finals okay you need to do Bloody well tonight okay because only the top six high scores go through to the semi-finals this needs to be the best service of your lives tonight Greek restaurant Red Cena and Moroccan restaurant Ducan will battle for a place in next week's semi-final here's why I chose them the ninth and final category my search for f word's best local restaurants is the rest of the world from Japanese to Lebanese from polish to Portuguese here in Britain we've got it all my team and I have been all over Britain checking out your favorite restaurants if I had this for lunch every day my backside would be the size of a bus after months of searching through an extraordinary array of international Cuisines we Whittle Daniel nominations to two truly outstanding restaurants both serve food from the Mediterranean and I couldn't wait to put them to the test the first is Dukan in Wandsworth South London and serve classic Moroccan food and The Man Behind it is Hospitality manager turned owner Abdel it's been asked time or time again where the recommend a good Moroccan restaurant in in London I genuinely couldn't and I opened my own Duke and opened a year ago and it's a hit with the locals everything I've ever chosen at the menu has been just delicious Casablanca 20 years ago to study hotel management in London but as he's yearning to cook grew he started to teach himself in his spare time I am not a trained Chef I am self-taught when I make dishes I don't look at a book I just think of the core ingredients and I keep on tweaking them until it reaches all those senses that are important for you to taste service had nothing but price for khalil's food so I decided to pay Duke and a visit hello sir come this way please don't excellent good to see you tell me the success behind the restaurants it's just passion for Moroccan Cuisine I just cooked because my mother cooks beautifully right I grew up in a household with having lunch was like the most important thing that happens I'm glad that you're so passionate the fact that it has to be authentic passionate guy very passionate from the outside looks like a little cafe bar walk inside and there's a little mini Oasis nice kick off my Moroccan Feast Khalil brings me a lamb's liver terrine it's the way my mom used to make Lamb's liver I love it and so the liver's been sauteed that's right they've been actually cooked twice very gently thank you very much indeed yeah the chocolate is delicious I mean authentic started with cumin and he cooked them twice very very quickly chop them and then quickly again so for a guy that's self-trained uh he definitely knows how to cook next up is chicken breast stuff with figs and almonds with spice couscous in terms of couscous do you steam that or is it yeah it's steamed a lot of people ask me you know how did you get your couscous right and this really is the simplest thing you can do just you don't leave it alone no you need to give it a little bit of love and attention oh my God that's something pretty good chicken stuffed with figs with an apricot sauce sounds very very sweet but he's managed to get the balance absolutely spot on if we were in the competition it'll mean so much to me it's like the underdog winning the race great lunch yeah you really enjoyed it um it's been a tough decision I could only put two rations through to cooking the f word kitchen and Ducan is one of them congratulations absolutely brilliant really good thank you and I'm very very happy absolutely delicious you kept that authenticity and that's really important for a local eatery thank you very much you actually filled my heart to enjoy we went for shutters not even freshly trained he's certainly been listening to his mother that's for sure and I think my mother would be proud the other ration I've chosen from your nominations in the rest of the world category is in Bell size Park North London retina is a traditional family-run Greek restaurant since his father retired 13 years ago son Minos has been managing the business as soon as our family business it's been going on for around 25 years so it's our life in one way or another minos's mother Zita has been cooking for over 50 years but still refuses to hang up her apron I like to be in the kitchen I joined to be in the kitchen and we really please what makes Mama a great chef she's a perfectionist you know she was brought up with Greek food and she knows what Greek food is all about Vita's delicious Greek recipes keep red Xena's customers coming back for more the food is absolutely fantastic you know you could just feel like the quality of it is brilliant I've been to quite a few Greek restaurants before but this one's definitely the best restaurant without a doubt f word viewers gave her it seen as such glowing testimonials I decided to go there for lunch myself hello hi there how are you nice to meet you good to see you smells amazing and where's the chef how are you I'm very well thank you well nice to see you thank you now what's for lunch today what have you got as a special recipe going in the oven we have the souvla okay kebabs right roast potatoes okay brilliant well I'll leave it to you Rosita's lovely warm welcome I already felt at home but would the food live up to its reputation first up classic Greek meze calamari octopus and a selection of dips nice and how the octopus cooked grilled really does smell amazing you can really balls up cooking octopus but that is done beautifully so far Caesar's cooking was seriously good I couldn't wait to get it stuck into my main course shoulder of lamb beef Stefano roast potatoes and lamb and chicken spit roast the dishes kept on coming delicious I mean really good that shoulder of lamb I mean that's the cut that a lot of chefs don't understand how to cook she does there should be a lot more chefs in London coming to spend a day with this lady here to see how to braise yeah a shoulder of lamb it will be very honor for us we're going to be over the moon to win it the problem I'm faced with is the variety of restaurants so [Music] the unfortunate news is and I'm really sorry to say this because I know you don't like taking any time out but you're through congratulations congratulations it tasted fantastic really congratulations authentic and delicious so now you have to take another day off okay [Music] if you couldn't spot the chef you'd want to meet the person because you can't quite believe that that level of authenticity is there so it's just the most amazing Greek food I'm very pleased and I will try my best to keep those 50 customers copy from your nominations I've chosen two extraordinary restaurants well the f word diners prefer the traditional Moroccan dishes Khalil creates for his beloved restaurant Ducan or mama zita's home cooking at the Greek restaurant Red Cena next on the menu is a Mediterranean battle tonight as a fight for the last place in the semi-final begins I feel I feel a fight coming here from Zita and I go Greek trying to make halloumi cheese but with an unusual ingredient it's so creamy [Applause] [Music] we're back in London at the f word restaurants We're Going Global in our rest of the world category to celebrate local restaurants serving as delicious food from all four corners of the Earth thanks to your nominations and months of searching we found two exceptional restaurants in North London and Moroccan Dukan in South London sardines are very popular in both Morocco and Greece so I've challenged the brigades to cook their starters with this delicious Mediterranean fish guys it's not a race okay tonight is about that level of excitement consistency and make sure you're happy with everything you send at Dukan in South London killil's love for food stems from his Moroccan childhood I've always kind of embraced for those surrounded food due to the mother that is very very passionate about Cuisine before we started tonight Khalil is making sardine fritters he makes his slice sardines with shallots cumin lemon thyme rolls them into balls and Fries them until golden he says with vulgar wheat and tomato and a green pepper dressing so killing you come from Modern interpretation with this round sardine dish without actually being a really amazing sardine it's all dark and horrible when you do that the idea came from where it's it's the way we've always learned them I mean my mummy always fried them she didn't fry them in balls necessarily if she did them full of a butterflied with some flour and some mola she was a big influence on your cooking oh very much so I mean the only influence really nasita on New Year's Eve are you going to put your feet up and say no more cooking yeah I'm not working New Year's day how's your night off yes so that's the only day yes tucked away in the suburbs of North London is red Cena a restaurant that serves classic Greek food in a warm friendly atmosphere they've been coming here for 20 years it's seen as food is all about simplicity so tonight they're cooking grilled sardines with Greek tomato sauce they glaze their sardines in olive oil and sprinkle with oregano then Grill them on both sides and serve with salad and a Greek tomato sauce made with chopped tomatoes garlic coriander cumin and paprika you're cooking the sardines on the grill yes Avon so you're convinced that you're sardine yes grilled plainly on the bone is going to be far tastier than chickens yes why you have to have the Born to Be give more taste okay interesting and what do you think yours without the bone well it's gonna taste better is wrong because I've got a few bits of bones in there just to keep the flavor I think you've missed your boats um I made sure the little balls on the salad there eating sardines you can accept a few bones hid everywhere exactly unless you're the queen mother I feel I feel a fight coming here from Zita takes her food very seriously but for some Greeks it's almost a religion traditional home-cooked food is sacred to Greeks and as a group of King Greek Cooks who are about to put my skills to the test I've been given the ultimate Challenge to create an amazing dish for a fantastic Greek cookbook whether or not my recipe makes the grade will be down to this group the congregation from a Greek Orthodox Church in North London they're so passionate about Greek food that they're putting together their own cookbook for the Greeks and separate foodism is very important there is a most important thing is their lives so we decided just to make a book and then sell it just to raise some money for the church as well Nikki rossu Andreu has collected dozens of traditional Greek recipes to ensure they're preserved for future generations of London Greeks and only the best will go in her book if cotton recipes is good enough it's going to just put in the book otherwise it's not I love a challenge but in order to succeed I need to create a fantastic dish using a classic Greek ingredient I've chosen one that's doubled in popularity in Britain over the past 10 years halloumi cheese and I'll be making it from scratch now I'm taking a bit of risk here because we're also used to eating halloumi cheese made out of cow's milk I'm going to push the boat out and make mine with a hundred percent sheep's milk today's cow's milk is used in mass-produced halloumi because it's cheaper but traditionally Greek cypriots use sheep or goat's milk because it provides a richer flavor I want the very best so I'll be doing the same with the help of Dairy Farmer Kylie threadgold so why is it that we're not actually sort of eating and drinking more sheep's milk a lot of people don't actually associate sheep with milk no have you think of a famous French cheeses we've got rock for it's an unpasteurized sheep's milk cheese yeah that's not a very big teeth is it no that's what I say it is a finger and thumb job really to Jesus the fat content in cheeks milk will make my halloumi creamier and softer than cheese made with cow's milk I'll tell you what you make it look so easy yeah there's an art to it isn't there I think she's just about empty there going you sell that unpasteurized we do sell it and pasteurize obviously we're producing normally in a nice clean and milking parlor it's so creamy I'm incredibly creamy that looks fantastic you know that it does really good thick Rich creamy and about to be turned into the most amazing halloumi that's harder than I thought it was going to be thank you well done with a churn full of the freshest cheeks milk I leave Essex and head to West Sussex to meet one of the only halloumi cheese makers in the UK Mark Hardy produces halloumi using nothing but sheep's milk and I'm relying on his expertise to teach me to make the very best this is halloumi we made about three days ago I'm dying to taste it nice squeakiness to it sounds lovely got really good flavor as it breaks down the mouth there's more creamy beautifully seasoned all the way in was lovely really nice and deep so that's the objective for mine to come out as good as this one it changes I'm sure it will my halloumi will be made using the most additional Greek cypriot methods never made it before I've always been fascinated by its texture bring the milk up to 32 degrees and enzyme is added called rennet and in 30 minutes it sets the milk so it can be split into curds and whey and the curd here that's basically this sort of that's the foundation of the cheese where the cheese will come from as the curds and whey are warmed the consistency constantly changes looks like scrambled egg now it doesn't look scamwork doesn't it the kurd is then pressed into a mold and left to cool the Lumi is simmered in the way for 45 minutes and is this process that stops IT melting like other cheesies when you cook it so now they're floating and that's it yep it's still quite soft aren't they when you lift it out it should bounce back right basically which is what it's doing to preserve the cheese and give the halloumi its salty flavor it's dropped into brine for 24 hours then it'll be dressed with mint to enhance its flavor now I've got to think of something really exciting to do it justice yeah I have a recipe in mind that will complement the slightly salty flavor of my handmade halloumi but would it be good enough for Nikki's or Greek cookbook hi I'm very happy to be here now that look easy oh that's good okay thank you Nikki has sent me the challenge of coming up with a recipe that can sit alongside these truly authentic Greek dishes right I've got a work cut out big time and all I've got is this amazing halloumi handmade so I'm gonna do salad pan-fried scallops or some wonderful sauteed 100 sheep's milk halloumi slice of scallops and coat them in flour egg and Japanese breadcrumbs get them nice and crisp on the outside and very sort of sweet in the middle death sweet flavor will go brilliantly with a salty halloumi the good thing about halloumi made with 100 sheep's milk is it doesn't crumble now this of halloumi to sit on top of the roasted scallops hot pan the halloumi is fried alongside the scallops in olive oil nice thing about the Lumi when you soak it like that it doesn't melt it doesn't disintegrate but what it does do is get a really nice flavor a little seasoning on the scallops to go with the halloumi and scallops a Capron Sultana vinaigrette simply bore both in some salted water a little touch of olive oil in there and a teaspoon a white wine vinegar then Blitz scallops onto the plate the golden brown halloumi is then served on the scallops with the vinaigrette that looks amazing I hope I've done Justice to my halloumi and more importantly it passes the test for their authentic Greek cookbook all right please take a little slice okay you like that it's delicious really the first and foremost important how was the halloumi first very good halloumi it's like the halloumi that you are making at home and it's very very nice really and the combination with that and the scholarization is brilliant really it's very good the most important question is it going to go in the cookbook oh yes excellent yes yes we wish you all the best thank you very much indeed it's very nice last table is a two okay four last table yes a little white down first so they're getting them underneath the plates good well done that's your last table yes yes okay down and get ready for the main course well done it was very tasty and the sauce was very complimentary to the fish once you actually managed to get it off of the bone nice to see you both are you well yeah very well good to see you again what would it mean for you tonight to walk out here as a winner oh it'll be absolutely fantastic especially for my mother all the years that she's worked in the kitchens and one way another it'll be fantastic extraordinary woman that is so passionate hasn't taken a whole day in two years where's he gonna retire I'll be doing it for years the reason I bought this big restaurant overall was so to calm down a bit relax a bit but you could do a deal with it promise of the shave properly and then she could retire no maybe maybe yes I will go on it yes thank you mate take care bye-bye it didn't have much Taste and to be honest when you see a sardine you expect it to be like a sardine nice and fresh and grilled not mess around like that Isabella nice to see you nice to see you hi wise welcome to the airport how are you very excited yeah in action how does it make you feel well it's normally like that it's a bit stressed today but uh I'm sure he's enjoying himself yeah do you think he's gonna win tonight well I really hope so because he's so passionate and he really cooks with his heart so yeah nice to see hope you enjoying my courses right retina's simply grilled sardine hopefully they'll just flake off the bone nicely yeah beautiful touch of the sauce flavor delicious seasoned beautifully and it just Falls away from the bone delicious really good now do can it looks like a plate of Meatballs on couscous he left his skin on which is a bit disturbing does it deliver in flavor it's quite mushy and Flowery inside and it doesn't actually taste much of a sardine it's a clear winner for me definitely red seen as Char grilled sardine simply done tasting delicious no fuss if the Donnas don't like their starters they don't pay the results are in thank you so duka let's start off with you first yes the number of customers they're happy to pay for their starter out of 25 is congratulations [Applause] what are they like Debbie um great presentation great presentation clearly and a great existing source as well 21 out of 25 great start thank you really well done yes okay let's see now the number of customers that are happy to pay for your sardine out of 25 is 23 out of 25. well done that's incredible that is a great start thank you for everybody what do we like before that the the fish at a Great Smoky flavor and the sauce complement very well the fish as well thank you to everybody thank you two very very good starts 21 out of 25 23 out of 25 there's only two points in it and there's 50 main courses each great start clear down yeah let's concentrate on the main course well done [Applause] [Music] now frustration is going to cook their main course first up Dukan do consider dish tonight is King prawn and muscle tagine I'll take a couple of peppers from there and it'll start by making charmulla paste with chopped coriander sliced garlic salt cumin paprika and lemon juice he adds finely chopped preserved lemons and mixes with olive oil to make a paste he puts the sharmula into a sizzling pan generally spoons there and add King prawns and Harissa this beautiful smell really really beautiful smell the adds chopped roasted red peppers mussels and covers really mostly what I'm trying to get there is the flavor and the color for the dish then add sliced potatoes and simmers serves in a tagine pot and garnishes with grilled lemon and coriander King prawn and muscle tagine served what's so special about this tagine is a very well known Moroccan marinade and how successful is this tagine with the prawns and mussels been in the restaurant this is very successful actually I mean I've got people coming particularly just for this dish so where did you learn to cook I learned for very very young age are you like to be in the kitchen with my mother at Greek restaurant Rosina head chef zeta's menu is inspired by recipes she learned from her mother [Music] retina signature dish tonight is a Greek mixed grill for the Chicken Kebabs Cedar cubes are chicken breast she then coats the chicken with a marinade of oregano Greek yogurt pepper puree crushed garlic lemon juice and olive oil I make it taste and moist not to get dry because always the best the chicken if you're not very careful it's very dry for the lamb kebabs Zeta marinades cubes of lamb in Pepper puree lemon juice and oregano next you chops onion and tomato for the kebabs then grills and base with olive oil and lemon juice oregano salt and pepper then she grills the lamb cutlets and finally Cedar grills are calves liver then Place everything up with fresh tasiki tabouli some rocket leaves and a wedge of lemon francina's Greek mixed grill served once you think the designers will be excited about this it's very juicy very tasty very nice now your son says that if you win tonight he's going to shave yes that stupid beard off I've got a sharp knife oh my gosh if you win tonight it's coming off that's the good that's it good news we have to do it we definitely and guys remember yeah every table has to go out like the first Tower yeah with that level of exact Perfection yeah absolutely good now for some festive pie filling Moroccan Style traditional British mince pies have been around for centuries they used to be filled with fruit real mince meat and spices brought back from the Middle East during the Crusades over time the meat has given way to the fruit and spices they still do something similar in Morocco but it's called pastilla but Moroccans use a meat seldom seen on British menus pigeon [Music] to send on a taste test they're my favorite old London bird Janet Street Porter most people think of pigeons is nasty bourbon I wouldn't dream of eating them it's not surprising is it the scruffy feral pigeons we see in our cities hardly look appetizing I wouldn't even think about eating them pigeons is found us okay so flying rats don't exactly get you going but wood pigeon the feral pigeons clean Living Country cousin might in Morocco they absolutely love it now I love Moroccan food and I think they've got exactly the right idea when it comes to making pigeons tasty wood pigeon is on the menu of one of the finest Moroccan restaurants in the UK Momo in central London I'm here to meet executive chef Muhammad urad [Music] wood pigeon is prized for its Rich red meat but you'll probably need to order it from your local butcher okay so they're not scummy they're not flying rides that's very good they're not blind rats that is a free range wood pigeon that looks absolutely delicious Muhammad is going to be showing me a classic Moroccan dish that you can do at home pastillas with a pigeon filling tell me what it is it's a fight it's a pie with this very complicated filo paste exactly first The Filling Muhammad fries finely diced onions in butter how many of these do you make in a week 30 a day next we take the breast meat off the bone and add the carcasses to the onions Moroccan Cuisine is all about spices scents and colors so we also add chopped coriander and sliced Ginger five sticks of cinnamon in bush bush and a pinch of saffron [Applause] [Music] at least two okay great the pigeon breasts are coated in olive oil seasoned and seared in a separate pan we remove the carcasses and cinnamon sticks and add sugar it smells delicious sugar helps to create that mouthful tring Moroccan mix of sweet and savory flavors that reminds me of Christmas as the filling mixture reduces we dice the pigeon breast two beaten eggs are added to thicken and bind the filling mix we add an extra sprinkle of cinnamon and the pigeon meat goes in it's an unusual combination of smells it's very very unusual The pastilla Filling is now ready no finish brush the edge of a sheet of filo pastry with egg whites place the pigeon meat filling in the center and top with roast almonds fold the pastry so it's like a very sophisticated piece of origami wrap a second sheet around the pastilla and stick down with egg whites I go in yeah try to no no no no no no don't worry okay I think what I really like about Moroccan food is combining meat with sweet things it's just Fantastic look at that we glaze the pastillas with butter and stick them in a hot oven for five minutes hello look fantastic that's my one and that's your one finally we dust them with icing sugar and finish with cinnamon truly Moorish it's delicious it is it's the combination of sugar and meat together right I'm going to take mine for Gordon right it was a nice hugging you it's a good life thank you [Music] honey you look great thank you I'm rocking machine in the house tonight yes you've also been cooking I spotted Moroccan Cuisine today and learn how to cook a pastilla amazing so this is Pigeon yeah because it's meat sugar and eggs together that's delicious in filo pastry but it's delicious really good indeed now they're not the sort of average pigeon that fly over Nelson's column these are wood pigeons they're wood pigeons and they're very Plum when you cook pigeons overcooked within seconds that is moist delicious slightly gamey but sweet what you're supposed to say right if you don't mind me please Janet what a beautiful pie you made with that feeling tasting folding it around your meat no you just mashed it up beforehand it was it's like origami really well done you can see make them perfect guys yeah well done thank you really well done well done everybody yeah job well done thank you the meat was all cooked Perfection um I thought it went really well with the satsiki and the tabouli it was really nice actually only thing that led it down was the prawns they were slightly overdone um but the presentation was fantastic lifting off the lid was really good right I've been dying to taste these um it seems grill lamb nice Beauty cooked and that's delicious again simply done briefly Char grilled chicken marinated with the pepper and the onions yeah I mean the whole thing looks simple but the most important thing about this is getting every little component right on the half Duke uh awkward muscles in the Shell prawns with the heads on and then potato in the bottom so corn slightly rubbery it's a great shame and when they're bright white like that inside it's it's a sign of the prawn actually being so overcooked potato at the bottom that's really weird because potatoes rock hard overcooked prawn and a slightly undercooked potato what a shame I hope the diners didn't get what I got so it was up to me definitely the mixed drill the boats have been counted and the results are in right it was also the main course uh JB please a good luck to all four of you uh right uh so the number of customers they're happy to pay for your mixed grill out of 50 is well done 37 out of 50. and before the meat was delicious yes and itzaki was full of flavor and the 13th I didn't pay what do they say the liver of the cooked and the veg undercooked and the veg on the skewer undercooked yeah okay right Kelly the number of customers are happy to pay out of 50 for your tagine is 19 out of 50. what went wrong prawns overcooked the potato undercooked as a cake in the balls you can pull this back do not give up okay thank you yeah next on the menu can Duke and snatch Victory from Red Cena someone always deserves to be absolutely perfect yes day day for the meat that Janet's been preparing for next week's Grand Final I'm sorry because you've been good fun but you're gonna make the most fantastic meat [Applause] [Music] welcome back the diners are sitting in judgment on two brigades who are determined to make it through to next week's semi-finals and if they make it all the way to the Grand Final they'll be cooking with meat provided by Janet from her Farm in Yorkshire [Music] this series I've asked Janet to provide the meat for the F word's best local restaurant competition final loving lazy birds get off your asses along the way she picked up a few prizes of her own both her Dexter cattle and a mangle it's a pigs one rosette to the prestigious nitterdale show oh my word faster a sure sign of the quality we can expect in the f word kitchen Janet's Dexter steers and igsworth poultry have already gone for Slaughter but the three porkers have clearly got under her skin and Janet's face with the hardest farewell of all right guys I've got it's off to the slaughterhouse for you I'm sorry because you've been good fun and you've got great personalities but you're gonna make the most fantastic meat I know that if you want one last game of football should we just have one last guy I'll be in golf come on pass pass it come on pass they will make the most brilliant me I know that and they've really fattened up well they're really happy animals so I don't feel that bad about them going to the slaughter yeah right very good Angelic takes the pigs on their final Journey biggest personalities and they've been a real pleasure to be around on the other hand they're never going to be pets there were always being bred for food and I think they've had a terrific life hello Janet hi Martin oh terrible weather beautiful weather Slaughter man Martin McIntyre leads the pigs to a temporary pen this brief respite allows the pigs to relax and is called lairage nice piece I don't want the last time they see me to be wearing looking like this the pigs will be slaughtered as humanely as possible so before they're killed they'll be stunned electrical tongs past 240 volts through the pig knocking it out they'll know and feel nothing the pig's Throne must be cut within 15 seconds of stunning to ensure an absolutely painless end I mean it's hard to watch not a thing the pig now dead its carcass goes into hot water tank to get rid of its extraordinary wiry hair they alert Janet like a baby's birthday and inspector from the meat hygiene service monitors a Slaughter process to make sure all the meat and awful is fit for human consumption the pig is then gutted and his organs inspected all right before they can pass into the food supply chain next she inspects the carcass get your stamp on it then finally the carcass is split and hung in the chiller ready for shipping pork should hang for two to three days for its best flavor back at her small holding Janet has time to reflect on a once in a lifetime farming experience I'm off the room wow I think I took to ok so I'll miss the pigs eggs worth chickens Dexter cattle mangalitza pigs the two restaurants lucky enough to go through to next week's final are sure to have some fantastic meat to cook with for the dessert the brigades are cooking my recipe for apple cake which is inspired by the sweet and spicy flavors of Morocco and Greece spiced apple cake aromatic and really easy to make first off start preparing the apples hot pan butter apples chop cinnamon powder honey that starts to get the apples really nice and caramelized then add dates orange zest and Spoon into baking dishes for the sponge topping sift 125 grams of plain flour add a pinch of salt caster sugar baking powder butter and Blitz and what you're looking for is this really nice soft breadcrumb texture then add orange zest and mix in beaten egg milk and vanilla extract Boon onto the spiced apples sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake for around 18 minutes so they're icing sugar and finish with vanilla ice cream spiced apple cake done someone always deserves to be absolutely perfect yes this is my recipe and there's no excuse on this one yeah the cigarettes in the caramelization of the apples yes add the dates season the cinnamon glaze with the honey do you wish you were grilling the apples on the grill or you're happy to do this in a pan yeah let's go guys ice cream's melting let's go it should be melting in front of the customer wait yeah not in front of us tonight I'm going up against cold feet star Faye Ripley if she loses the challenge tonight she promises to eat this little baby here a plate of cold feet you're gonna have to win they're definitely gonna have to win yeah good cooking my break your diet brownies how are you looking brownies yeah so I'm going to make my favorite recipe chocolate brownies confidence I'm aware of the fact that I don't have any Michelin stars if I beat you yes it would be the greatest achievement of my life I'm going to include the birth of my two children is that wrong I feel very honored to hear that now is that slow motion whisk in there what is that my sugar and my eggs this is enough Gordon I don't need to show off this is my equipment practice this is very much Back to Basics over here in a minute when that's cool down I'm going to just combine that just fold that in there what are you doing okay in here my band Maria got my butter and my chocolate melting nice and slowly yes okay and then eggs vanilla sugar in I'm gonna go for some electricity so excuse me why I have a quick whisk go on um now you were 30 when you got your big break on cold feet and grip the nation yes I think and quite moving as well quite emotional it had a massive effect on my career and my life that show it had a good old combo didn't it yeah people still sort of are going this down about it and they're sweet you know people still talk about it to me in the streets and stuff now your husband's Australian yeah yes and he's a lot younger than you does that make you a cougar that much younger than four years in men's terms is yeah my wife thinks he's quite hot he is quite hot yes yes your husband did a an amazing naked scene in mural's wedding yes my husband gets to often be naked on screen do you know he had his lips around Emmanuel bayard's nipple one he was it's just what you do know it's what you go to work you stuck someone's nipple it's what you have to do he gets to have sex on screen with loads of really beautiful women I get John Thompson twice would you ever do a naked scene I don't think anyone would want to see it to be honest I was going to pay money perhaps in a light comedy they might now you're copying me because everything I do okay from adding me what do you mean I'm copying you stop copying stop copying embarrassing no melted the chocolate with a butter over a bat marine and then folded in the cocoa powder and the flour and then broke through these really nice little lumps of milk chocolate dark chocolate and white chocolate throughout the mix quite dense so it's going to melt and cook at the same time Facebook paper at the bottom yeah stop it from sticking and then straight in yeah time to find out what the blind tasters make of the brownies let's place up look at that baby whatever okay let's go side by side look at that that's really good right where is he my little French fighter pilot off you go stick with me kids don't forget I pay your salary let's go but I might do one day hello it's very crumbly isn't it very very light very dry but it's quite nice it's too sticky it's not sweet and bitter which is nice okay it's caramelized almost this one's a little bit sweeter as well you can charge my life the texture holds up better just be on the outside then soft in the middle right quite the compliment you are right JB results oh no he's got that smoke on his face I don't like it right how do they go down human gray one what was the score first um four to one four to one yeah four one to who oh no no I'm gonna punch the air you're joking on you four one yeah so the Michelin stars what do they like mine um it wasn't cooked enough wasn't cooked enough Yes mine was perfect soft and gooey in the center crisp on the outside actually two gooey yeah four one I can't believe you beat me four one four one I'll send you the recipe bye babes thank you damn for the place in the semi-finals at stake everything rests on this last course come on you can pull this back yes yes now it's about reputation what are you stand for what do you believe in yeah and why you decide to open that restaurant absolutely okay absolutely don't let one dish yeah put you off yes it's a kick in the Box clearly however you can pull it back yeah thank you Chef yep and Sita yeah it's a fat lady sings no no no no no no no I'm not saying absolutely yes it's not over yes no it's not over yet Victory could be the beginning of something really special for Khalil well when in the the competition would definitely change my life and if we're seeing a win tonight it'll be an outstanding achievement for 63 year old Zita competition for us what did the diners make of the brigades dessert it was beautiful a lot of cinnamon perfect massive enough to film with her too I thought it was against these nuts they're nicely spiced lots of cinnamon really good nicer flavor to that right dessert Cena's the secret behind this dessert is the cooking the apples to begin with um that's delicious not overcooked not undercooked and just really nice and moist it doesn't stick to the roof of your mouth beautifully done nice lovely color on the apples nice and fragrant with the orange running through and a really nice generous canonization on the apples with the honey delicious between the two of them it's a tough call because they both taste delicious it is my recipe however I think the slight Edge goes to dukem because they've got that real nice flavor in the apples with the last semi-final place up for grabs the fate of the brigades is in the hands of the Diners right JB results please Duncan go start with you now the number of customers that are happy to pay for your desserts out of 25 is that is amazing 23 out of 25 well done [Applause] right red Xena that means you need four or more out of 25 for your dessert to win tonight but that's not the only Target because only the top six the top highest scoring restaurants on the leaderboard go through to the semi-final so to get in to the top six you need to get 15 out of 25 or more that's how tight it is very tight okay the number of customers that are happy to pay for dessert out of 25 bearing in mind what's at stake is 17 out of 25 well done yes that's amazing congratulations [Applause] every point you earn well done brought on racing nights yeah really seriously well done restaurant so everybody is coming and they will see how proud I am so Rosina cleans the final spot in the semi-finals they'll be joining my best Indian Chinese Thai Argentinian and British restaurants [Music] welcome to the final week of my competition to find the F word's best local restaurants it started with nearly 10 000 nominations and from these 18 outstanding restaurants made it through to compete in the f word kitchen now only six remain in the competition in tonight's semi-final three great restaurants go head-to-head and I'll pick just one of them to go through the Grand Final on Thursday thinking tonight my first semi-final are my best local Indian restaurant lassan Sweet Mandarin who won the Chinese Trophy and my best local Argentine restaurant Santa Maria Del Sur three restaurants and I've got three extreme challenges to test them to the absolute limit we haven't slept for the last few days getting uh very very very nervous now how are you well very nearer waiting for you for the answer or were the opponents but only one can stay in the competition [Music] you deserve to go through to the final I've devised three daunting tests I've only got an hour to eat is that gonna be okay first up my team of secret diners film undercover for me after which I eliminate one of the restaurants the f word secret diners were somewhat let down then the competition heats up in the second test as I hit the restaurants with 30 demanding f word diners [Music] and the third and final challenge took up my Flagship three-star restaurant in London who goes home and who makes it through to the final tonight I decide they're cooking one dish the most important dish of their entire lives father tonight I'm taking the f word on the road because it's the last week of my competition to find the F word's best local restaurants on tonight's first semi-final Santa Maria Del Sur La San and Sweet Mandarin all Extraordinary contenders at lassan in Birmingham I sampled some of the most Sublime Curry I've had outside India that's exquisitely presented finesse but actor Islam was cocky and argumentative it had nothing to do with flavor well I mean ultimately it's edible and it will add to it but it's not the core of it if you move it away you're not going to lose anything the only thing to match is immense ego was his talent I'm looking forward to lifting that trophy in contrast at Santa Maria Del Sur I was bowled over by the warmth and charm of manager Jose Jose and the passion of head chef Ernesto and I've tasted some of the best steak I've ever eaten they're amazing I mean really good and Sweet Mandarin in Manchester served up some stunning authentic Chinese cuisine it's a fabulous family business run by twin sisters [Laughter] I've got to pick the very best restaurant how by setting them all three very tough challenges for the first test I've hired a team of food experts to work undercover for me as secret diners good evening have a reservation under the name of Duncan it's a trick of the restaurant trade I use all the time I spend a fortune on secret diners coming to all my restaurants it's a really good way to see how consistent a Russian is on a daily basis can I have the lamb I'm sending my secret diners to all three restaurants who have no idea they've been filmed oh I have to find out how the Russians perform when they're not in the spotlight and their guard is down whichever restaurant fails to impress me on this test will be eliminated asan this stylish Urban restaurant Prides itself on Cutting Edge and contemporary cuisine I thought the food was fantastic but the service was slow I hope my secret Diner is taken care of today by the staff hey blind one to go undercover today because she's an experienced food editor [Music] so he sits down the gentleman and lets the lady sit down on her own [Music] to grab somebody or if they are they're collecting plates I've told Kate drank like a very fussy diner with delicate taste buds is it possible to change it because it's a bit too hot for me sorry I could do with a little bit more of a smile on there not look so miserable oh thank you finally smile should be at the beginning not at the end very sweet of him actually said if I don't like this one here I'll place it again so that's really good the only thing I could be worried about with lassan service that was attentive halfway through not at the very beginning it's a little bit fragmented and service needs to gel next up sweet mandarini Manchester's Northern quarter the express lunch looks like it's really good value it's run by twins who are the third generation of women in a Chinese cooking Dynasty established by their grandmother [Music] the sisters don't have a clue that they're going to be assessed by my undercover Observer [Music] I've hired Cheryl farmer because she's got nearly 20 years experience in the food industry and have instructed her to order off the menu to see the chef is willing to be flexible do you do a split Twitter without the batter is that possible that kind of thing thank you it's definitely one of the owners essentially because thank you food sort of heaped and dumped on a plate no finesse yeah it's nice but it's just not hot here but like I like my food really hiking hot I'm trying to get retention but the waitress has rounded up to a massive eye shots [Music] in fact the restaurant's been abandoned by our staff I think the one positive part is that it's run by two sisters and they're great girls they're warm they're funny and they're charismatic but theirs must have been an off day when a restaurant's family run then it needs to feel family run they need to be a lot more friendlier so will Santa Maria Del Sur do any better open five years ago Santa Maria is vibrant and Lively the restaurant radiates warmth and friendliness [Music] secret Diner is on the way and the fun-loving Brigade from Battersea have no idea [Music] I've only got an hour to eat is that okay is that gonna be okay Rob Allison regularly works on best-selling recipe books it's a bit lighter here really yeah it lights and I actually um hmm I'd say that the filling could do with a bit of seasoning but um pastry is spot on there absolute spot on literally we're just halfway through our starters and they've just started liking candles and I think they're like yeah is that the lights going down yeah the lights going down a little bit if you're open at 6 30 then you have to be ready at 6 15. so the minute that first customer walks through everything's there candles are there Muses the atmosphere smell of the grills there pay for my main course I'll have I'm gonna go vegetarian I'm afraid I'm gonna go with the mushrooms I've asked Rob to be deliberately indecisive to see how the team cope you know what yeah I'm gonna be really annoying I've just seen my friend's steaks I really want a steak is that okay you're an absolutely thank you so much thank you very much they have dealt with that impeccably I would have actually probably kicked my own head in had I done that slightly slow start picked up in the middle and then when he changed his mind about the dish they really warmed him in a big way so yeah great comeback so it's time to eliminate one of the restaurants my decision is based on everything I've seen and learned so far include nails of invaluable undercover evidence [Music] no one has any idea I've been spying on them but I have told them that one restaurant is about to be knocked out of the competition [Music] just it's just reached the top and it's just stopped for a second doesn't it and it's that feeling and it's been going on for about a week now so I do want the ride to carry on we haven't slept for the last few days just being very nervous waiting for today it's important result for my life for my for my restaurant and for Cynthia as well for everyone you know [Music] hi Jose's Gordon how are you oh very nervous man very nervous waiting for you for the answer now the secret of any good local restaurant is attentive service good food recently diners in the Santa Maria restaurant on the on the feedback and the insight to what the f word secret diners gave me in terms of their experience yes Santa Maria oh my God congratulations really well done well done [Applause] thank you [Music] it's great something amazing for me my boss Cynthia my little one every every everyone is happy today I think it's one of the most important moments of my life the Maria have done amazingly well and now they have a chance to win a place in the final gracias who will also be joining Santa Maria in the final stage of the competition lassan from Birmingham afternoon speaking I might help you I was wondering or Sweet Mandarin from Manchester congratulations well done [Applause] [Music] welcome back it's a semi-final my best local restaurant competition and three teams are fighting for place in the final only one will go through so far in tonight's first semi-final my best local Indian Chinese and Argentinian restaurants have been put to the test team of secret diners to investigate the contenders there's so many waiters around so it's quite hard to grab somebody and Santa Maria passed with flying colors they're still in the running congratulations really well done but now I have to eliminate one of the remaining two restaurants we're going out of the competition La San or Sweet Mandarin every call I think everyone's just gonna be looking at the phone today is very important for us it really is the make or break good afternoon lassan Java speaking I might help you hello it's wondering secret diners in the dining room at listen I've had the f word secret diners and eating a Sweet Mandarin recently I've learned a hell of a lot and I've seen some fascinating things the feedback's been extraordinary the value of the set lunch menu um is amazing what if I like your confidence there's a Cockiness that has to be contained so the name of the game is consistency and that has to be so apparent across the board [Music] foreign secret diners uh were somewhat let down the food wasn't up to scratch there was also a complaints in terms of servers being uninterested so I'm really sorry thank you ladies of course we're disappointed because we've gone so far into the competition you're going to lose in life don't you oh well winner because we have won the best Chinese restaurants you know what I mean son really good fantastic work great feedback from the secret diners incredibly happy very consistent congratulations [Applause] never experienced anything like this it's just absolutely amazing I mean the feeling is is definitely there now obviously with Raffles from my cocky uh nachos you know it's just the way it is so I've chosen Santa Maria from South London to fight it out with lasan from Birmingham to be worthy of a place in the final they have to survive two more challenges [Music] [Applause] first I've asked 30 f word diners to Tesla San and Santa Maria to Breaking Point and I'm going to judge both restaurants perform us more critically than ever before [Applause] we're going to have lunch at La San and then dinner at Santa Maria [Music] ladies and gentlemen good morning to see you you're gonna be my eyes and ears across the whole dining room your experience is going to help me judge which restaurants go through to the final of the F word's best local restaurant under intense pressure I'm going to watch like a hawk front a house and behind the scenes in the kitchen and something that we're you know we're working every day and food that we do all the time so you know nothing's alien to us I think it'll be good [Applause] hi guys ladies how are you well I'm very well Chef how are you yeah everyone did thank you good to see you right this is it real pressure you perform brilliantly in the f word restaurants now I want to see what you like in your own restaurant under immense pressure two hours two courses 30 diners yes it's not just the food the service have you got what it takes to get into the final yeah this today okay will help me judge you guys Under Pressure I'll be Upstairs Downstairs in and out in and out good luck thank you two hours starting from now off you go guys yes I know this is every restaurant's worst nightmare 30 diners arriving all at once but I need to test the team to the Limit if act hourly staff support each other today it should run like Club work but I can tell straight away that the audience system is far too complicated so each waiter takes an order then puts in the computer just forwards you back two times you will enter the order so that's very difficult isn't it because if he's entering the computer I'm now taking the order if he makes a mistake then there's already going to two different people before you get to the kitchen the orders taken by the waiters are given to the major D who puts them into the computer in the dining room upstairs then they're supposed to be printed out in the kitchen which is downstairs okay gentlemen here it goes you've got one lemon Soul one Afghani lamb get the lamb straight away please lemon so I'll hold that back for a second we've got two horses missing on table 11's order complicated audience system they take the order then it goes into another waiter's hand yeah another goes to the computer you just said there's tomb calls he's missing why doesn't one waiter take an order come to the computer complete it without passing on to somebody else the reason why I'm in the I'm in the ordering system the we've got quite an old system just to make your life easier so I'm just asking from a chef's point of view if I don't feel comfortable I come down and ask you and I want to know your reason that's all of course not cool with 30 customers to look after at the same time actar's ordering system can't cope and my diners are now eating different courses it looks bad for customers eating their main course when other cousins haven't had their starter for me operation I was not all a la carte so don't [ __ ] me that way what I'm trying to say is that if I'm sat here and I'm waiting for my starter and I'm still waiting for my starter and then the next table's main course has come I'm going to feel a little bit pissed off that's what I'm trying to tell you okay don't waffle me yes thank you and the waiting times are just far too long how long have you waiting for your main courses you only shared a starter yeah how long have you waiting for the main courses yeah yeah I've got it down to 35 minutes 35 minutes is far too long okay thank you uh how long for their main course please I think the customers need to know after 60 remembers how much longer if you give me a time [Music] please actor he's Gotta Get a Grip get hold of the Rings and really sort of start pushing these two down but you know kitchens just don't run normally they need generating you've got to push them all the time so there's a customer sat upstairs minus the main course which is not good enough when our task food does make it to my diners they think it's absolutely delicious a lot of really powerful flavors going on so it's good but the curry isn't everyone's taste did the customer say anything when we clear this away customers are finding the sauce a bit too much sometimes okay is anyone telling the chef I think the chef says that has a significance so he kills initial I know it's a signature dish it doesn't stop him from making it less spicy does it it doesn't know it's like everyone's scared to tell the chef what's happening does anyone give constructive feedback to the chef downstairs or not no if this was my restaurant okay I'd be deeply concerned that food like that is coming back why is that not eaten and why is all this sauce still there is there an issue customers not happy surely you'd want to know yes that's all this is a signature dish this is something that means a lot to the restaurant yet no one's saying anything the waiters can't give actor honors feedback on his dishes that's a serious problem hi guitars Gordon social the uh mugmani sauce that they're saying that they're saying it's a little bit too spicy okay with the reference to the monkey because if you believe it it's a Night Like This is I mean it's we serve it a lot yeah okay now I appreciate that there's only two tables that's all just a touch of yoga but there's another table that have been cleared and two-thirds of the dish hasn't been eaten so it's not as if it's 120 people sat up here the food in the restaurants I think I've you know definitely come back and give it another try so my 30 diners definitely enjoyed their lunch but there is room for improvements right uh well done I tasted every dish I thought the food was outstanding chef I thought the food was outstanding absolutely delicious sorry sorry however when customers don't finish two-thirds of their plate I think you should see what's going on I don't think food should just be washed down to the bin and plates stuck in the dishwasher I think that should come back down to the kitchen because that gives you feedback we started off good in the kitchen but upstairs was somewhat at many stages embarrassing the service was erratic order's been taken main course has been missed off I'm looking for a restaurant to win the F word's best local ration on an overall experience I thought the food was delicious I thought the service was mediocre oh right now you know um we'll see a bit disappointed that you know we didn't uh you know Delight Chef Ramsay on all all points of dining experience could have been better but you know the fact is you know we've made it so far and he did say he's got something up his sleeve for the next challenge so I'm looking forward to that now [Music] next stop dinner at the Argentine Grill House in South London when I first visited Santa Maria they sent me some of the best steak I've ever had so I hope even under pressure from my 30 f word diners round two here we go they're going to maintain their excellent standards and and yes Ryan Davis and I started coming really soon I'm always trying to relax Kim because he's nervous how are you you're right fine thank you this is gonna be a big test on tonight 30 diners arriving all at the same time will they manage on the grill will they manage the service will it be fast slow I want to see what they're like with me watching them in their own environment good to see you guys yeah and first of all congratulations really well done now is where it really is going to be immense pressure now real diners in your restaurant yeah that really know their food so I want to see it running under immense pressure like a normal fully booked restaurant yeah make sure that everything you send out the kitchen you're 100 happy with because they are critical okay two hours start from now good luck I remember it's not a racer who's cooking in the kitchen just two of you yesterday wow yeah come on okay we have one of the first tables table number three one more room one Freeland and two during Santa Maria are quick Off the Mark but the starters are all going out at once they need to stagger the orders and Pace themselves you normally send the starters that quickly you don't wait till your steaks are on first before you send the start or you just send the salad straight away okay because they're quite thick though it's fillet yes they've only been here literally 50 minutes first order taking within five minutes I'm Ready the food's coming out good start very good start my big worry if Ernesto gets 30 different steaks on that Grill going away at all the same time different temperatures rare medium medium well that's gonna be a big test for him in about 45 minutes time I hope he doesn't crack so far my dinos are having a lovely time just from sort of the first moment we've walked in a really really friendly staff the waiters came over introduced themselves they've chatted to us they've you know had a bit of a laugh with us but having served the starter simultaneously Ernesto is now Under Pressure to have 30 main courses ready exactly the same time as well yes surely it may cause you serve at the same time they're not eating that's all they're leaving it good to go cold sorry for the slightly today guys it's coming the stick right now no problem hopefully we will make it up with the steak there's not such a long gap between the main course and the stuff yeah that's it thank you thank you that's a good point to speak afterwards let me speak with you guys so that's high and it's electric which is great sounds brilliant but they just shouldn't rush food out there take their time pace yourself a little bit more stop very quickly within a few moments um following out after 5-10 minutes the main course I'm very very fast as if they want to turn the tables for another person that's really good yeah that is awesome we've all been here just over an hour and already the last orders have been cooked it's the last one yes it's the last one medium rare medium rare [Music] the team have worked so well together that they've finished with 40 minutes left on the clock it was it was really really good very enjoyable good taste it was uh perfect and absolutely melted in your mouth it's probably the best steak I've ever tasted actually I had fillet steak as my main course which was absolutely superb I can't fault it at all okay right first of all well done I thought you handled it very well I thought the food you know looked and tasted Immaculate I thought the service was very friendly and very Charming yeah if there's one criticism tonight it's not a race you finished with just over 40 minutes left there's only 30 customers in there not 130 customers and every table yeah it's a value table they're here for an experience the overall package don't rush thank you [Music] we tried to make a great job tonight with with love the passion try to make wonderful for tonight Santa Maria Grill is gonna be a tough one to beat because that's a whole package there and it's it's done to perfection watching Ernesto work on that Grill I mean it's amazing I mean talk about multitask it's like an octopus with like 10 arms and more importantly above everything everything they touch is about passion thank you for the day of extraordinary dining at two incredible restaurants but one of them will be eliminated the biggest test is still in front of them who's going through the final right now I haven't got a clue [Applause] [Music] welcome back to the F worth lesson and Santa Maria are fighting out for a place in the final tonight two semi-finalists have already faced two daunting tests under pressure in their own restaurants I'm seeing their true colors 29 year old actor has proved Fearless in the kitchen one lemon song One Afghani lamb get the lamb straight away please lemon so hold that back for a second pushes Colony boundaries and lassan's original distinctive menu reflects his passion for Innovation I thought the food was outstanding but he risk over complicating the food you're playing too hard he has an extraordinary potential but he won't listen to advice even from me if I don't feel comfortable I come down and ask you and I want to know your reason that's all so misses out on vital feedback at Santa Maria Ernesto La Brava is a master of his charcoal grill okay we have one of the first table table number three times each day to Perfection and that takes Talent above everything everything they touch is about passion and I'm worried that the menu and a nested repertoire is a bit limited he cooks sublimely within his comfort zone and I'm already impressed but to earn a place in the final he has to dazzle me now both restaurants face the ultimate Challenge here at my own Flagship Restaurant Royal Hospital Road in London Acton Ernesto must create and serve Exquisite Cuisine worthy of a place on the menu at my three Mission star restaurants [Music] their entire lives and with that one dish they've got one final chance to prove themselves I am very very nervous to cook in this restaurant because it's the restaurant of one of the best Japan in the world cooking at Chef Francis restaurant through michelin's time and something that I've always aspired to you know never mind three one would do for me and I'm cooking the three original Style Kitchen today [Music] I've worked for over 10 years to build raw Hospital roads reputation and tonight I'm putting it on the line I've invited some highly distinguished guests including Angela Hartnett one of the only female chefs in Britain ever to be warded a Michelin star is a huge challenge for these guys to be cooking in this three-star restaurant and then they've got Gorda bearing down on them so they're probably having a nervous breakdown as we speak but you know hey ho we're looking forward to some food but yeah I wouldn't wish it on anyone welcome to All Hustle Road good to see you guys um this is it on the back of today's performance one of you will be going through to the final first time in 10 years I've ever handed my restaurant over to any chef this is my baby three Mission Stars everything I've ever worked for in 25 years is inside this restaurant it's got to be absolutely perfect this is the climax one of you is going through to the final good luck off you go the teams are working one of the most well-equipped kitchens in Britain with the finest ingredients money can buy I challenge both chefs to create one dish using the best quality English lamb which I provided it's incredibly flavoursome but a challenging meat to cook perfectly thank you Cynthia you can respond as well please four covers away table one four loin of lamb hello yes sir thank you oh my God come on guys fish tonight akhtar has raised the bar yet again he's serving a roast smoked loin of lamb on cauliflower and potato with a caramelized onion and saffron gravy [Music] it'll be ambitious with 44 ingredients the most complicated dish currently on my menu here has only 19. akhtar has marinated the loina lamb overnight in traditional Indian spices smokes the meat with charcoal before searing it then bakes it for six to eight minutes akhtar blanches the cauliflower and potato base and Fries it with herbs and spices and then serves his dish with an onion and saffron gravy if akhtar doesn't blend the spices with perfect Precision he'll ruin the entire dish to pull this off requires a level of skill near genius [Music] come on we've always said you know there's only one place for us and that is winning it uh we we didn't say you know we'll you know we're happy hold this for me please um be careful he's a ladel because you're gonna burn my hands so the idea behind the dish was what we've got Rajasthani style marinades um which is smoked with then cloves and then we've got a mogul style gravy that's they introduce the use of cashew nuts and caramelized onion and that's served with a uh potatoes and cauliflower which is cooked in a North Indian Punjabi Style with the fresh fenugreek got a green saffron for the potatoes no the saffron's actually in the uh the the gravy and the gravy yeah that's right the dish is a little bit too complicated it's adventurous again I just hope this time it doesn't come back to bite them on the ass laughs very nice that looks lovely go please let's go [Music] it's very spicy it's spicy yeah [Music] it's tasty I'm an actress cooking history standard anyway so it's only if you think that they're in just opportunity to cook this wonderful [Music] in stark contrast to aktar's Dish Ernesto has chosen to wear with just a handful of flavors [Music] today if we win that should be something incredible for my life it's a simple dish lamb kebab with a potato salad and mint chutney Ernesto maronesi's Cube loin of lamb and smoke paprika cumin coriander and garlic and then he threads it onto fresh steaks of Rosemary with red pepper and onion he mixes purple and baby new potatoes with a dressing of olive oil lemon juice and creme fraiche and add sliced radishes and herbs the Chutney is a simple mix of Ginger chili and mint Ernesto griddles his Kebab until his charred on the outside this is definitely the first time a kebab has been served at Royal Hospital Road it's something I'd expect to see on the menu at Santa Maria but today I'm looking for a dish worthy of a three Michigan Star Restaurant okay talk me through the dish because it sounds a bit Plain Jane doesn't it in terms of boring yes Kebab but it's not just an average Kebab it's a special Kebab special garage with the Rosemary stick something natural what does the Rosemary do inside that land Rosemary lamb is the best combination favorite so you've got mint in the marinade and rosemary running through the lamb yes so you think the Simplicity the Simplicity is the best point yeah and the grill will be the over complicated yes we need to find things easy to make rice yes food boom play it ready oh next table and I think that is keep dancing you know today's about raising the bar and taking a dish to a different level to make it absolutely exceptional has he got the aspirations to go higher or is he going to just stay in that mainstream Grill [Music] but it looks incredibly delicious simple Jeff go please table five let's go thank you well done now four more away [Music] strong on the Garlic's [Music] if you ask a fuller player where he would like to play they will say wemble if you are someone too cool they would say Gordon Ram's kitchen this is Cathedral of cooking so I think they are very nervous but I think they will do it okay what you get from Santa Maria's passion through and through there's no there's no egos you know it's about them as a team not about one individual and I think more than anything this guy Cooks from the heart Santa Maria has all connected bonded and it shows and yet these two here there's no teamwork there's no no support there your donkey I told you to put on fresh two on that was overcooked now you two okay we're fine Jeff we're fine we're because it's not looking like the most dynamic team together but we're singing off the uh same here generally it's like there couldn't be any further apart that's how mistakes come in is that a bit hot for you Jeff to me is that a bit hot for me I just tasted it I thought it was delicious but you've got this [ __ ] thing that I've yeah I I think you're quite a talented guy unfortunately Cockiness rides over your talent you just turned around and looked at me and said is that a bit too hot for you not in that way not us okay well why am I supposed to take it you're not here to blow smoke up my ass and secondly more importantly I thought the dish was delicious but before you ram it down my throat it's just nice to back off a little bit and show a little bit of humility I just thought fine I'm allowed to have I'm not stopping you from allowing your thoughts but there's a difference between thinking and ramming down someone's Strokes I just thought Jeff that you found it quite uncomfortable what I was trying to say at that point was not was it too hard it will it will cut once the cream goes into it oh yeah that again I want to taste the base before you finished it so I can see it through different stages soon how clever it is to get from that to the final dish hustle let the food do the talking pipe down a little bit and put that big mouth big boy attitude into your food that will get you through the final how long for the last two please we're plating up now here okay great well done good so service is over and it's time to discover the truth of my distinguished guests in terms of the carriage today called balasan how was that for you the iPhone extraordinary dish it is produced and The Taste and texture saffron sauce beautifully blend super a bit well presented well garnished and I loved it I think I just done it it is in the final footage talking about the lamb kebab how was that it was perfect particularly the sauce yes in terms of the lamb kebab and the lamb Curry which one do you prefer the lamb kebab fascinating sir I think this place we happy with that very happy yeah yeah good time was great food tasted great what was more impressive than anything is how the team Works Sean well done thank you thank you I am 100 happy in this great place this amazing restaurant is is a dream I am very very happy everything was amazing very very good how was that for you um it wasn't um I wouldn't say it was the best service of my life we're happy the dish um yes I was totally happy what's going on the teamwork what happened there Teamworks I mean the way we communicate because obviously there was the issue of the language barriers so and so forth so it's it's quite simply just blunt instructions can you follow this follow that I want you to do so well I know that Chef I know you've put so much into this and you know throughout the whole process you've been so supportive and you know everything you've said I have taken on board right well done [Music] some people may look at me and think I'm cocky I'm arrogant I'm unapproachable I mean chefs obviously got that impression of me but I'm not like that at all it's just throughout the years we've always we've always been knocked for our approach by people within our industry four you know pushing the barrier not being you know go with the flow of what's available what's out there and taking the easier approach and I guess it's a defense mechanism that we built up I'm not here to offend anyone I didn't want to offend a chef but this doesn't mean a lot to me the fact that I was able to cook at the kitchen today have my my rest my menu item on on Chef's menu card another that has overwhelmed me and you know I'm not mad I'm not a very emotional person but I just it's been very tough for me today and I didn't want it to end up this way [Music] only one Russian can go through to my grand final and tonight who stays and who goes is my decision right now I'm facing an impossible task honestly who's got the edge [Music] thank you I don't know right now [Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome back to Royal Hospital Road I'm about to choose one restaurant to go through to the Grand Final of my competition will it be Santa Maria Del Sur or lassan in very different ways they are both exceptional restaurants before I make my choice I'm going to taste the dishes cooked here tonight by Ernesto and akhtar right Santa Maria lamb kebab doesn't sound the most glamorous but it looks fantastic a nice potato salad purple potatoes and waxing new potatoes so with the mint chutney wow the mint chocolate is made with rice wine vinegar jalapeno pepper really nice and vibrant and sort of wakes up that lamb I was a little bit worried when I first saw the dish in terms of the Simplicity Factor but um delicious in terms of taste lovely warm potato salad stunning kebab and the most amazing mint Chutney yeah brilliant that was it close your eyes and wow this is heaven absolutely delicious lesson presentation quite fiddly yet you'd expect that from raktar hmm wow absolutely phenomenal anyone can cook lamb like that but not anyone can make a gravy as delicious as that you taste it and it it blows your mind away I mean it's just phenomenal I mean absolutely delicious talented talented cook without a Shadow of Doubt unfortunately the biggest problem is himself and I'm faced with a tough tough choice lassan they they they hit the heights but boy do they come down crashing big time but the food up there is extraordinary when it gets there Santa Maria consistently good every day haven't put a foot out of place yet this is a very tough call so it's the moment of truth two outstanding restaurants but only one can win a place in the Grand Final okay first of all to all of you yeah seriously well done I really mean that really well done absolutely phenomenal okay Santa Maria I love the passion absolutely love it and it's a breath of fresh air to see not just the chefs but the service at such an exciting level Everything You Touch Is about passion and it shows across the board those 20 main courses were phenomenal the mint sauce was exceptional the text of the Lamb yeah absolutely delicious you weren't even working on charcoal and you still managed to put that flavor in it really well done weaknesses got slightly nervous when I saw just three things on the plane could you put something else on there in terms of a grilled vegetable or a a salad could you push the boundary out even further I gave you the perfect opportunity today to really show off I thought the dish was outstanding we delivered could you have done any more who knows the Sun the first minute I walked into that restaurant I was excited and Blown Away by the level of ambition you're pushing the boundaries out like no other restaurants within your category unique flavor I mean very unique flavor and you don't really expect to find that little bit of magic there but it's like wow give me more of that lows when you get excited about reaching the top it can't be done individually it has to be done with a team that's not one in the kitchen one in the dining room that is everybody to take everybody to where you want to go now there's only one restaurant that's going through to the final [Music] decision so far let me tell you that and I really mean that the restaurants let's go through to the final [Music] foreign [Music] now let the food do the talking okay that dish was unique really well done thank you okay and I can't wait to see how you perform in the final I want to disappointed you and your team yeah yeah sure well done really well done congratulations and you come here you ah well done absolutely brilliant that was a difficult decision for me and you are one talented Chef never forget that it is a bit of a shock there is a bit of a shock and then I'm Still Still sinking in so on to the final and and Beyond yeah I'm just looking forward to getting back in there celebrating with the team both restaurants produce food worthy of Royal hustle Road tonight I'm very proud of them but ultimately I saw real flashes of Genius in the dishes act are created Lassen has the potential to be one of the Great Indian restaurants an actor thorough deserves his place in the final I bet everyone will tell you I've been [Music] quite horrible to be around this means a hell of a lot and a dream come true doesn't sum up what this means to me in my second semi-final three more restaurants three more challenges we'll compete against lassan in the Grand Final B absolutely perfect one of you is going through the final

Channel: Gordon Ramsay

Views: 59,616

Keywords: Gordon, Gordon Ramsay, Ramsay, Ramsey, Chef Ramsay, Recipe, Recipes, Food, Cooking, Cookery, kitchen nightmares, hotel hell, the f word, gordon ramsay likes the food, gordon ramsay burger, gordon ramsay steak, street food, pasta recipes, chicken recipe, Gordon ramsay kitchen nightmares, gordon ramsay hotel hell, gordon ramsay cooking, gordon ramsay funny moments, gordon ramsay recipes, gordon ramsay recipes chicken, gordon ramsay recipes dinner, gordon ramsay recipes breakfast

Id: c_97jHyjIJY

Length: 96min 48sec (5808 seconds)

Published: Sat Aug 12 2023