MasterChef: The Professionals Finals Week

MasterChef: The Professionals finals week is now underway, and this week, the final 4 chefs are going to be tested to the max.

On last nights episode, the 4 finalists had the privilege of cooking for 22 guests at The Chefs Table. Considered one of the most prestigious events in the UK culinary calendar, the guests are some of the top chefs across the country and together amount to 26 Michelin stars.

Each chef must make one course to present to the guests and the 3 judges, Gregg Wallace, Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti. The chefs have 5 hours to prepare and serve their dish. The guests and judges will then provide the chefs with some invaluable feedback.

Let’s see how the chefs got on in Episode 19…

Yann,

Signature Dish: Oak smoked Salt cod tortellini served with lemon pea puree, fresh gerols, honey glazed pac choi, finished with a cep consumme and cod foam.

All of the guests were thrilled with Yann’s dish. They said the presentation was great and the dish showed some real technical skill. One said ‘I really enjoyed that’, and another said ‘really well composed’.

The only criticism was from a few guests who said the flavour of the salt cod could have come through more.

Monica loved the filling of the tortellini, but agreed that the cod flavours could’ve come through more.

Marcus was complimentary of all elements of the dish and thoroughly enjoyed the consume.

Gregg loved the consume.

Exose, 

Signature Dish: Seaweed butter poached turbot served with red wine braised octopus, octopus and shrimp cassole, finished with crsipy potatoes and a sauce vierge.

The guests were ‘really happy’ with Exose’s dish and said the octopus and turbot was ‘delicious’. Other guests also complimented the potatoes, saying they added a lovely different texture.

Gregg agreed with the guests and said the octopus was cooked ‘beautifully’.

Marcus also loved the octopus and said the sauce worked really well.

Monica complimented almost all of the dish and said the turbot and octopus were cooked very well. Her only criticism was that the beans could have been cooked a little more to fully bring the dish together.

Stu, 

Signature Dish: Pork belly and grilled langoustines, black pudding, served with yuzu gel, braised fennel, fennel puree, and a langoustine thai green bisque.

The guests couldn’t compliment Stu’s dish enough. One commented ‘what an incredible looking plate of food’. Others said the dish was ‘really well thought-out’, and was the ‘dish of the day’.

Monica loved the pork belly and said it was cooked to ‘perfection’. She also loved the warmth and spices of the thai green sauce. Overall, Monica said it was a ‘fantastic plate’.

Marcus was equally as complimentary and said all the elements worked well together. He said the dish was packed with flavour, and was thoroughly impressed.

Olivia, 

Signature Dish: Fig leaf mousse topped with gooseberry gel, gooseberry compot, fig leaf foam, crispy almond meringue, fig leaf sponge, finished with a nitrogen made sorrel snow.

Guests loved Olivia’s dish and said the presentation was ‘lovely’. All of the guests found Olivia’s dish ‘so fresh’ and ‘delicious’, with a lovely acidity in the gooseberry gel. One chef even said if one of his young chefs presented it to him, he would put it on his menu ‘without a doubt’.

Gregg ‘absolutely loved it’ and was thoroughly enjoyed Olivia’s dish.

Marcus also enjoyed the dish and said he could taste all of the great flavours coming through.

Monica complimented the dish as a very ‘clever’ plate of food, saying there was a great use of flavours and textures.

Overall, the final 4 chefs did very well at The Chef’s Table and impressed the guests and all of the judges. Gregg thanked them for a ‘fantastic evening’ and said he was really impressed with the finalists’ performances.