Original subtitles

Every great chef started at the bottom

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

There's only one temperature, and that's perfection.

Time starts now.

'Twelve aspiring chefs

'are facing a cooking competition like no other...'

Go, go, go, go!

'..In an epic, three-storey kitchen...'

Man! '..that will make even the most experienced chefs nervous.'

Oooh, you bugger. The stress!

'For the first time ever, incredible home cooks

'are competing against professionals and social media chefs...'

Phenomenal.

'..With no idea what they'll be cooking.'

This is it.

'The contestants have seconds to grab...'

Grab those ingredients. '..minutes to cook...'

45 seconds and you're still cooking.

'..And moments to deliver their dishes.'

Get it on! BLEEP

'I go head-to-head with two other superstar chefs,

'Paul Ainsworth...' We are gonna fight for this.

'..And Nyesha Arrington...' You're bringing tears to my soul.

'..As we try and lead our teams to glory.'

You cooked the fish like a pro, and you plate like a baby.

'There'll be surprises...'

Hello, I'm here.

'..But only one can climb their way to the top.'

Get it on there! Do you want it to come back up?

Absolutely not!

Get out! Seconds!

Go, go, go!

Best dish of the clay. Next level.

Who will be our Next Level Chef?

Right, are we ready to do this? Yes!

Yeah? Nyesha. Paul.

Are we good? Yeah, we've got this.

Hello!

Welcome.

Hi! Oh, my goodness.

'I'm a social media chef. I'm also a mum to a toddler.'

I've had no professional training,

so I'm overwhelmed, but in the best way possible.

So good to see you all.

Walking in and seeing the food mentors,

just awesome, and scary, cos they mean business.

Welcome to the Next Level Chef.

Thank you!

CHEERING

Feeling good? ALL: Yes!

Right joining me to take you on this amazing journey

are two incredible chefs and mentors -

Nyesha Arrington...

CHEERING

...a rock star restauranteur

and one of America's hottest cooking talents ever.

'I'm the reigning chef'

of season one, Next Level Chef US, and I plan to not lose ever!

Nyesha, welcome to the UK.

Thank you, happy to be here. What I love most, I'd have to say,

is that everyone sounds like they're from Down ton Abbey.

Even you!

LAUGHING

Do I look that BLEEP old? LAUGHING

joining Nyesha and myself is my former protege, Paul Ainsworth.

CHEERING

I wanna take my team under my wing

and take them all the way to that final.

I taught him everything he knows! LAUGHING

And trust me, he couldn't even butter a slice of bread

when we first met, OK?

That's rich coming from someone

who's not been in the kitchen for years!

Oh, my God!

Put those hands out. Proper LA hands!

What?!

I'm loving this between you two. This is gonna be great!

Seriously, when I first met Paul, let me tell you,

he was part of my dream team that brought those three Michelin stars

to my restaurant at Royal Hospital Road.

Now, he's running his very own empire,

including his stunning Michelin starred restaurant in Cornwall.

That is what amazing mentoring does for you,

and that's exactly what we're here to do.

You 12 have been picked from thousands of hopefuls

for one reason -

we think you've got the skill and the passion

to take your cooking to that next level.

Across these next eight weeks, you're gonna be competing

in a team mentored either by Paul, Nyesha or myself.

Whoever is crowned our Next Level Chef will win themselves

a one-year's mentors hip from the three of us

to help make your culinary dreams come true.

Also, that comes with a cheque for £100,000.

WHOOPING

What makes this competition so unique

is the fact that you'll be cooking

in our epic three-storey kitchen skyscraper.

Unlike any other kitchen on the planet, three kitchens,

all stacked on top of each other.

That top level is an ultra-modern chef's paradise.

The middle kitchen, it's a standard no-frills, working kitchen.

Ancl the basement, well, calling it "basic"

would be an absolute understatement.

Oh, no!

Cooking down there is gonna be tough.

Oh, my gosh, my heart is pumping.

A great, talented chef should be able to knock a dish out of the park

even in a substandard kitchen.

You'll only have 30 seconds to grab the ingredients

you'll be working with from our state-of-the-art platform.

So, those in the top kitchen will get first pick of ingredients.

If you're in the middle, you'll get the second grab,

and if you're in the basement, well,

you'll have to make do with whatever is left.

On to the first challenge tonight.

We want you to produce one stunning next level dish.

It needs to show your skill, your personality,

all over that dish, understood?

ALL: Yes, chef! Good.

Whoever cooks the best dish will save themselves

and the rest of their team from elimination tonight.

Whoever fails to impress us must then compete in the cook-off.

Lose that, and, sadly, you're going home.

You've been put into teams, and now it's time to find out which kitchen

you'll be starting in today...

Whoa'. Oh, my God'.!

...plus, which one of us will be your mentor.

Excited?

ALL: Yes, chef!

So, we have Toby, jade, Selwyn and Callum.

Please head over to the lifts

to find out where you'll be cooking tonight.

Good luck, guys.

Oh!

The sheer panic in that lift.

I just wanna get it over with. I wanna see what level I'm on.

Oh, no, not the basement!

Oh, God.

Bloody hell.

God, I haven't used older pans like this for years.

Right, we've got melted spatulas.

I was expecting the basement to be bad, but just not this bad.

Look at this!

LAUGHING

Oh, this is nerve-wracking.

THEY CHEER Yes!

Yes! Thank God for that!

Thank God for that.

How can it get better than this? What is the top?

SQUEALS

WHOOPING

I love it so much!

It's just like walking into a toy shop.

It is the most incredible kitchen.

My God! Oh, man.

This kitchen is crazy. This is a mad grill.

It's like in a kebab shop.

Come on, team. We've gotta do well in here.

Oh, left.

Is this is our mentor?

Yeah. SQUEAKS

Yes, come on!

Seriously, Selwyn.

Yes! Oh, my God!

We got the man. We got the man! Of course you've got him.

Yes! We good? We're gonna get it for you. I want you to get it.

Oh, God!

Hi! How are you, all right, good?

Yes. Are we ready? Yeah, totally.

WOW!

CHEERING

Hi.

Nice to meet you. Likewise.

Hi! Hi!

'Man, this is it.'

This is where the competition really starts.

CHEERING

How are you?

It's actually Paul. Oh, I'm so happy to be mentored

by someone with a Michelin star restaurant.

'I'm so excited to cook with him.'

Team Ramsay, here we go.

Yeah. OK, have we got this? Yes.

Now, trust me,

those two up there wanna knock us down.

Nyesha Arrington didn't travel all the way from the US

to go home empty-handed, and that Paul Ainsworth,

I wanna kick that little bugger's butt back down to Cornwall.

This isn't a four-person team.

This is a five-person team, all right?

Yeah. Cook one is your personality.

We wanna see your best next level dish.

It's gonna be one hell of a fight. Yeah.

Where are we going? We're going to win!

Where are we never going?

To the bottom! Never to the bottom.

Any questions for me? No, I just love you. That's it!

Wait. I can't believe you are here.

Of course I'm here. I'm here for you, remember that.

OK? I wanna win this, yes? Team Ramsay, yes?

0K, guys, line up.

That platform is about to come down.

Thirty seconds is gonna go. It's gonna fly by, OK?

You're gonna have 45 minutes to cook your heart out, OK?

Come on, we're doing it now!

When this light changes green, you're going to go, OK?

ALL: Yes, chef!

Are you ready? Thank you, chef, ready.

'Waiting for the platform to come down,'

I have no idea what I'm gonna make.

'I just need to see what's there. It's really overwhelming.'

Oh, my God. Here it comes.

Here it is. Here it is.

(50, go, go, go, go!

Go, go!

The grab of your life.

This is the first time. Get those ingredients.

Look, turbot, prawns. We've got duck breast up there.

Lamb loin with the fat.

There is so much there,

cos we're the top level so no-one's taken anything.

Grab what you want, but remember, if you grab it, you have to use it.

Three, two, one.

Go, go, go!

Le_t'590, guys, quwkly, quickly.

Grab a protein.

Grab a vegetable. Next level dishes, guys, OK?

I was grabbing like a maniac.

It was just ridiculous!

Grab any greens that's gonna elevate your dish. Three, two, one!

Grab, grab, grab, grab, OK.

'I looked at what I had,'

I just thought, "Oh, sugar!

"What the hell am I gonna make out of the duck breast,

"cherry tomatoes, and two Anya potatoes?!"

Don't forget your protein.

L€P§ go guys, OK, let's go!

Thirty seconds starts now.

I don't know how pork chop made it down to the basement, but I took it

and I'm happy with that.

Well done, pork chop. I've gotta use this.

I grabbed so many ingredients I didn't know what I was grabbing!

'I had chorizo, I had pasta, I had a small aubergine.'

Why? Why?!

Quick, Selwyn. Quick, quick, seconds to go. Seconds.

Grab, grab, grab, grab.

Grab! Yes!

Well done. How quick was that 30 seconds?

That was ridiculous.

Oh, my God, look how much you've got!

I've gotta use it all, though, now.

OK, guys. Your 45 minutes starts now.

Let's go!

Go, go, go, the cook of your life, all right?

We are not going home today, are we?

No. No, chef.

We are back here next week. Yes, chef.

Let's go, winners only, yes?

Yes, chef! OK, OK, OK.

OK, Tia, tell me, what ingredients did you grab?

I grabbed a duck breast, some Anya potatoes and some tomatoes.

It's a pretty minimal grab -

a duck breast, a potato and a tomato - wow.

Just three ingredients, Tia could be in trouble here.

She better pull off magical things with this.

I wanna see your personality in this dish. Think about your plan.

Did you grab everything you wanted? ls there something missing?

I could have clone with some potatoes... Yeah.

...but I'm going to make a cheese pastry to put the fish on...

Yeah. ..and a bit of a take on, like, a bearnaise sauce... Yeah.

...over the fish... Yeah.

Maybe. What do you think?

This challenge is about your personality on the plate.

Yeah. just give it your best shot, Kelly.

So, what I think my food says about me is bubbly, wholesome and tasty.

Sorry!

I'm Kelly and I used to be a professional chef,

and then decided that I wanted to have children.

Being out of a proper kitchen for nearly ten years,

I thought the kids are a bit older,

now is my time to come back out of retirement

to see if I can still be that chef that I was before,

but I am shitting it, to be honest.

The haddock, are you pan-frying it? Yes.

Remember, OK, when you take it out it's gonna carry on cooking.

Don't cook it all the way in the pan. No, I'm not doing that.

There'll be so much residual heat in that dish.

Just over 35 minutes to go, OK?

Do it, do it, do it.

Come on, team. We've got this.

Selwyn, you've got a lot going on here.

I'm amazed. Yeah, yeah.

Tell me about the dish.

I'm going for a nice pasta chorizo dish... Yes.

...with a good sauce. I've got cream there.

I've got the yoghurt there. I've got the cheese there,

and then I'm gonna have a lovely green bed of vegetables.

I'm actually quite nervous about him right now.

He's grabbed so many ingredients.

How's he gonna bring it all together? I've got my work cut out.

Guys, 34 minutes to go.

OK, all of you, we've got 30 minutes to go

to get ourselves out of the basement. Understood?

Yes, chef! We're there for you.

Yes, chef. Don't underestimate how long it takes.

No, no, my water's boiling.

The water's hardly boiling. Turn the gas on, make sure it's seasoned.

Yes, chef.

One thing I can confirm is you can handle pressure, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'm Selwyn, and I'm a former military chef.

You never think you're getting old

until you look at photographs, and I realised I am 63!

I joined the army at just after I was 17.

I just fell in love with it.

As an army chef, I've been trained to cook for you as well as kill you.

When you're in the army, there's no second chance,

you have to have a meal for the troops regardless,

so, hopefully, even though that is over 22 years ago,

that will come back to me.

Who knows, I might fall flat on my face!

Any salt in there?

Er, yeah.

Taste that. Go on, go on.

Yeah, come on.

It needs... A bit more.

Everyone thinks, "I'm seasoning the water",

but you wanna season so you season the actual pasta.

OK, good man.

How are you, Layla?

So, I got prawns. I'm just gonna saute them.

They take a moment to do...

Of course. ..so I think they will be the last thing I do.

Yeah. We have a wine beurre blanc sauce...

OK. ..and we're gonna have a courgette salad.

Make sure your dish makes sense.

You wanna make sure there's not too many flavours

on the plate and think about your plate. Visualise your plate.

That I can visualise.

OK, Team Arrington, we have 25 minutes left, OK?

OK, Ronan, tell me what you grabbed?

Right, so I've got lamb loin here.

The plan of action is to do a teriyaki sauce with the lamb loin.

I wanna make my own bao buns right now. Right now, right now.

Being a home cook, people really will underestimate me.

You've made this before? Yeah.

I wanted to impress the mentors, so I knew it would blow them away.

Are you sure you're not a professionally trained chef?

No! Dentist, you say? A dentist?

Yes, yes. I'm a dentist who works for the NHS,

but I've only been cooking for around ten years.

'I'm a little nervous about Ronan. How are you gonna accomplish this?'

We are looking for a light, delicious bao bun.

How are you gonna make sure it's not dense?

I've put baking powder in.

Generally, it's a dough that's risen over time, right?

It can take clays to prepare. I'm worried about it, OK?

OK, hopefully, baking powder will lighten it up a bit.

OK. We haven't got time for yeast. We don't. Yeah.

You all right, Kelly? Yeah, are you?

Yeah, not bad.

Gold, talk to me?

I've got a lobster's tail. I'm gonna poach the lobster tail...

Yeah. ..and then finish it in butter.

It's a very difficult protein to get right.

Yep. We want that to be tender.

Yeah. Make sure we move the entrail out of the back. Yeah.

Thanks for your help. We are going for Gold.

Going for Gold. We are going for Gold.

Come on, let's have it!

Gordon!

What the hell!

Look how things have changed in 20 years.

Gordon, do you know what this is? Do not worry.

Mentee and mentor, full 360.

Gordon Ramsay kicked my arse for six years.

Now, I am coming for him.

Young man, be careful up there.

Gordon, you are staying down there.

Oh, yeah, right, here we go (!) Dream on, young man.

He's gonna be unbearable, this guy.

Right, listen. I've just been giving it the big one, yeah?

LAUGHING No, really?!

Remember, the best dish wins the right for the team

to cook in this top-flight kitchen next week, so do not let me down.

We won't. No, chef. No, chef. OK.

Big man! Hello.

Tell me about the dish.

Pan-seared pork chop, yeah? Why pork chop?

I was just excited by it.

I'm amazed those ingredients came to the basement. Pork chop?

Come on, seriously?

It needs to rest for as long as it's cooked. Yes, chef.

Use that fat on the outside as well.

I'm gonna make a cauliflower puree. Cauliflower puree in the basement...

Oui, chef. That's a tough call, but I love it.

I'm here to push the boat out.

This is the contestants' first time to show us what they're made of.

We haven't got any blenders. Yes, chef.

What have you got as a blender? There's a mini chopper here.

I mean, the equipment is so depleted down here.

'If we can start it off well,

'then it will send a stern message to Paul and Nyesha.'

"We're coming to get you."

Oh: YOU bugger!

Eighteen minutes left, team.

Oh, my God!

Wow, this smells amazing, Tia.

So I've made duck curry.

Lovely, what is this dish gonna say about you?

Curry queen. Curry queen!

I love a curry queen. I'm Tia.

I'm from Birmingham, and I'm a home cook.

I'm a born and bred Brummie, and it's the best city in the world.

I've been happily married for 17 years,

and I have three beautiful boys to show for it.

Growing up, my parents had three Indian restaurants,

so I'd say food is in my blood.

I'm not scared against all these restaurant chefs.

For me, my food always does the talking.

All right, Tia, what are you working on?

I'm just adding my duck. Be careful with the duck.

It's very lean, OK? Yes, yes.

We want it to be tender. So, there's nice oil and moisture in there.

'With Tia, she's already had a minimal grab,'

and now I'm very concerned about her choice

to sort of boil the duck breast as it could make the meat tough.

What's the plan for the duck skin?

So, the duck skin, I'm gonna deep fry and then add it as a garnish.

Yeah, if you blanch the skin a bit, that will help.

Boiling hot water... Yeah. ..over the top...

Yeah. ..and then cut it into strips, coat it in spice.

Exactly.

Team, 15 minutes left.

All right, Kelly? Yeah.

I felt a real nervous anticipation with you.

Yeah. It's because I haven't been in a proper kitchen for years. Yeah.

Is that the pastry? Yeah.

Yeah. It's like a cheese biscuit.

It's because I didn't pick up a potato or something like that,

and I thought I'd just do a bit extra.

'I think Kelly's nerves are affecting her decisions.'

The cheese biscuits on the side...

I just don't think they'll go with the haddock.

I'm worried for Kelly.

The sausages, you're gonna take them out of the skin?

Yep. I love that.

I'm gonna mush them up with the breadcrumbs, the onions... Love it.

So, it's like a sort of Asian meatball?

Korean-style meatballs. OK.

In like a coconut broth.

I look at these, I think sausage and mash,

but I love the Korean style as well. 'I'm a social media chef.

'I like to show my followers how to be creative.'

It's what I do.

Fucking hell, even the gas oven is coming apart.

I told you, we've gotta stay out of the basement.

It's a nightmare. What do you need, jade?

I need a tin opener, chef. Tin opener, anybody?

Fucking hell!

Ah, shit! Here we go.

Jesus Christ!

Ah, these pans are terrible.

Shit. Urgh!

Layla? Yeah?

I want you to do this with me. Yes.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Relax your shoulders, you're cooking stressed.

Yeah. Do what you know.

Yeah. Twelve minutes.

Oh, shit.

Nyesha, it's not nice at all. It's really dense.

It's really, really dense, the dough.

A bao bun is fluffy, right? It's tender.

They felt like bricks.

I'm trying to think what else we could do.

So you need to pivot. I felt this is it.

I'm out of the competition.

'I had to do something.'

I'm gonna have to make rotis. Yeah, exactly. Make some rotis.

Smart.

This is stressful. OK, let me show you.

When you want a circle, roll out away from you, you turn, right?

Whatever part is not a circle,

you need to roll towards that part, OK?

Ronan, have you ever cooked under pressure like this before?

Oh, hell, no!

Oh, my God.

This has got a crack in the bottom of it. No!

Oh, no!

I'm making a cauliflower puree.

That mini chopper, it was like trying to start a lawnmower.

It was absolutely nuts, but I had my heart set on doing one.

Oh, my God, come on!

Come on.

This is so hectic, man.

My name's Callum.

I'm from Prestwick, and I'm 26.

I was a professional chef and absolutely loved it.

It was everything that I'd dreamed of.

Everything changed

when I was involved in a really serious motorcycle accident.

I had to get my leg amputated.

Through physio I just wanted to get stronger and fitter

and that led me to sport.

I set myself a goal of getting to the Paralympics,

and that's what I done.

I am insanely proud to wear that jersey.

Although I love being an athlete, sport isn't forever.

After everything I've been through, it's made me more determined

to get back in a kitchen now. I cannot wait for it.

What do you need? just these...

Beautiful sear. Beautiful. Thank you, chef.

I'm amazed you got that cauliflower puree up.

If you could check the season on that, chef? Ah-ha.

Good. Touch more salt in there. Touch more?

Do it when it's hot, so when it cools down, it tastes of seasoning.

It's hard to season things when they're cold. Yes, chef.

I am so impressed so far.

We may be in the basement, but I can tell you, we are cooking next level.

Oh, look at these duck skin crisps.

Are you happy with them?

I might put them in a frying pan a little bit more.

Yeah, I think so. Yeah?

You wanna render that out, because if you taste that...

Have you tasted it? No, I haven't.

Make sure you taste that they're crispy.

Ew! They're disgusting. They're bitter.

I didn't have enough time to fix it.

Don't give up, Tia. Put them in the bin!

Yuck! Oh, my God, can it get any worse?

Ten minutes, OK? Ten minutes.

I'm not having a good clay.

Every second matters, OK? Stay focused. You've got this.

Team, eight minutes left.

Oh, shit.

Watch that fish, Kelly.

We had the finest pick of the ingredients,

and we've got the finest equipment. We've got everything here.

No excuses.

Right, I've gotta use everything. Have I used everything?

Use, use, use, use.

Come on, young man. You've got a lot going on here.

I know we're in the basement, but we've gotta get out, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're out. We're out, chef.

We're taking you out.

'I grabbed a lot,'

and you think, "Right, I've got to use every one of these items."

The stress!

What are you cooking now? Chef?

I leave you for two minutes, and you go off cooking again! Yes, chef.

Last two minutes, guys, yes?

Come on, we've got this, come on!

Christ on a bike! You've used all your ingredients?

Yes. OK.

Layla, where's your plate? Let's go. Don't get too fancy.

Hurry UP-

Let's go. Start plating.

My hands just totally went.

They were shaking like mad.

Make this count, come on, you've got this. Fucking hell.

Selwyn, 45 seconds and you're still cooking.

I know, chef... Come on, let's go.

The platform is coming down.

When the platform comes back up,

you've got to get the plates on there.

Yes, chef. 'You can have the best dish in the world,'

but if it doesn't go on the platform, it won't be judged.

It all comes down to this. Oh, my God.

I just panicked, and I put the bearnaise on my crispy skin

and I just knew I'd made a huge mistake.

Just get something on the plates.

Platform's on the move, OK?

It's stopping for no-one.

Come on, Layla, don't let that platform miss you.

Platform's here.

Fifteen seconds, guys, you've gotta go.

You've gotta go. When I put my plate on there,

I saw an empty spot.

Seconds. I'm not ready. I'm not ready!

Come on, Selwyn, seconds! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go! Let's go, let's go.

All done. You're OK.

Hey, platform's here, guys, hurry up.

Come on, Layla.

Ten seconds, guys.

Let's go, let's go, the platform is leaving.

Oh, my God.

You can't be too precious.

'I didn't wanna put my plate on the platform.'

It didn't come together for me. My plate is messy!

(50, go, go, go, go!

Platform is here. Platform is here.

Over here, over here.

You smashed it, come on, well clone!

What a rush, hey?

Hey, what a rush!

Well clone, guys.

We are on the top. Well done.

Definitely. Fuck!

Yes, chef.

Well clone. We're coming for you!

If I've cooked that pork really well,

I've got this, but you just don't know with everyone else above you.

None of us wanna go home.

I'm really hoping that we have the top dish

and that we've got that great kitchen again.

That was so intense.

I was meant to make bao buns, but they didn't rise. They were dense.

For a second, I thought I'd forgotten how to cook.

I had three ingredients! Three?

I wasn't happy with my dish at all.

My only concern for my dish,

that they'd say there's way too many elements. Mm.

Going into the judging, I hope I've clone enough.

I don't know. I don't know.

That was nuts. I feel overwhelmed.

That was tough, seriously.

Shall we? Tasting? Yeah.

OK. Look at this.

Right, all of you, well done.

The best dish of the day wins immunity for themselves

and their team and avoids that dreaded cook-off tonight.

As well as win the right to cook

in that luxury top level kitchen next week.

WOW!

Whoever fails to impress from the other two teams

must then compete in the cook-off.

Lose that cook-off, you're going home.

Plus, your team then starts cooking in the basement next week.

'Oh, God.'

it just means that there's more pressure.

You're trying to keep yourself in the competition,

you're trying to keep your team in that middle kitchen.

Nyesha, let's start with yours first, shall we?

From the middle floor, first up, this chef cooked a duck curry.

'Oh, my God.'

What are they gonna think, but then on the other side,

how many people can say, "Gordon Ramsay, PaulAinsworth

"and Nyesha Arrington tried my food"?

I love the depth of flavour, but meat is a bit tough.

Hm-mm. Yeah.

It's a tough grab, duck breast in a curry.

The actual flavour is there, I just think it's the wrong choice of meat.

I think I could have clone much better with it.

I was so disappointed with that.

Moving on, we have a lamb loin.

This is with a handmade roti.

It actually was meant to be a bao bun originally,

and sort of transformed into a roti.

I just love the fact that you pivoted.

The lamb is beautiful. You're in heaven.

This is amazing.

The flavours in that dish are beautiful.

I love it.

'I was so shocked.'

What an absolute roller-coaster of emotions.

Next up, prawn with a beurre blanc sauce.

The sauce is nice.

I like that beurre blanc.

It's just a shame that the prawns are somewhat tough

cos they seem slightly overcooked.

This is our final dish, a pan-roasted turbot.

That celeriac puree is amazing.

Shall we descend down to the basement?

First of all, I'm amazed that a pork chop made it down to the basement,

so thank you for that.

And done with that cauliflower puree.

I'm super worried about them cutting into that pork.

I just hope it's cooked perfectly.

I'm so pleasantly surprised by the tenderness of the pork.

Beautifully cooked.

Wow, that is some serious next level cooking.

And from the basement, too.

It's been a long time since I've been in a professional kitchen,

super proud of myself.

This is a pan-roasted flank steak.

The sauce is well made, need a bit more cooking on the steak.

This dish, it's a take on an Asian meatball with a coconut broth.

The broth is delicious, just a touch less char on those meatballs.

I'm really appreciating the complexity

in such a humble ingredient grab -

sausage, potatoes, it's elevated here,

and really lovely on my palette.

Here we have a fusilli pasta bound with some yoghurt and chorizo.

I think this is kind of first clay nerves,

grabbed a lot and not quite sure what to do with it,

and you just need to calm it down.

'My mind is buzzing.' I could be in for the cook-off.

We move to the top kitchen.

The lobster. Mm.

That shows some balls tonight to grab the most difficult shellfish

on the planet, lobster. It's beautiful.

Just be careful of that sauce. just a little bit too thin.

Home cook, good job.

Wow, so I thought that was cooked by a pro.

And it was cooked by me, home cook.

Good luck, pro chefs. Mm.

OK, so here we have a chicken breast, beautiful curry sauce.

Beautiful sear on that chicken, delicious.

Here, we have a take on Katsu chicken curry.

Amazing texture on the chicken, creamy mash, beautiful.

Ancl finally, we have pan-roasted haddock with a cheese pastry,

like little biscuits. Cheese pastry?

Yeah, and then a bearnaise sauce.

Please, just please like it.

Please like it.

The cracker feels like an afterthought.

The haddock's cooked beautifully, skin nice and crispy,

but then you've got this dump of bearnaise sauce

that's made the skin all soft. What a shame.

I knew I'd made a mistake with the sauce on the fish.

I was hoping they wouldn't say it,

and when they did, I was just really gutted.

Some great dishes, definitely next level.

However, there are some not so great dishes as well.

We need to debate.

Give us a moment, please.

No way did I want to be in that elimination, no way,

not-not the first one.

I personally didn't get the pasta.

For me, Gordon, that was the weakest dish of the clay,

it was all over the place.

Panicked in the basement. Yeah.

It's out of my comfort zone.

Well, this is a whole different concept.

I'm gonna come back to that duck. She grabbed only three ingredients.

Yeah. So, like, what are we setting ourselves up for here?

The prawn dish. I know. They were so tiny. I know.

They were so dry. Absolutely.

The pan-fried haddock?

Yeah, cheese biscuits with bearnaise. Yeah.

Didn't make sense. Yeah.

Please, just give me another chance

cos I won't be able to do the cook-off.

One of these dishes is gonna win immunity.

We've got to decide the best dish.

I've gotta give it to the lamb loin,

delicious, and way to pivot, right?

So, you're voting for your own team? I know, that's the thing. I know.

That pork chop was brilliant.

It was exceptional, and we were in the basement.

Yeah. I'm amazed.

I can't believe how brutal it is. It is really brutal.

This'll be tough.

Ready, guys? Yes. Happy? Yes.

Great dishes, but there can only be one winner.

The winning dish gets immunity from the cook-off for their whole team

and wins the right to cook in that top-flight kitchen

for next week's cook.

Tonight's next level dish is...

...the pork chop. Callum, congratulations.

CHEERING

Couldn't believe it was me, just absolutely mind blown, blown away.

I can't wait to tell my mum.

Selwyn, are you relieved that Callum saved you from the cook-off?

Yes. He should be your best new friend.

Yeah. He is!

Callum, the dish was fully accomplished,

and it is definitely next level.

Thank you. How are you feeling?

Yeah, it doesn't get any better than that.

And you're safe from elimination,

and next week you're starting off in that top flight amazing kitchen,

and when I say "you", "you team", it's Team Ramsay.

Well done, guys, come on!

Head to the lounge. Well done, great start, off you go!

I'm safe, not because of my own doing, but because of my team,

so, I've got to step up to the mark and keep up to their level.

OK, now for the not so good news.

Nyesha and Paul...

...you've both gotta select one dish to send in to the cook-off.

Yes! Come on!

Team Ramsay's safe...

Oh, my God! Yeah!

'..But it's crunch time for the other two mentors

'as they must each nominate someone for the cook-off.'

Please, please, don't send me into the cook-off.

Nyesha and Paul,

you've both got to select one dish to send into the cook-off.

Paul, I'm gonna ask you first.

HE SIGHS

The dish that's going into the cook-off is...

...the haddock.

Kelly, I'm so sorry.

That's the only thing I didn't want to happen, and it's happened.

Nyesha.

The dish that I'm sending in to the elimination tonight...

...is going to be the duck curry.

The flavours were delicious.

However, the duck was just too over-cooked.

'It's a very surreal feeling being in the elimination.'

Feeling a little deflated.

You've got this.

Kelly and Tia, you've got one final chance to keep yourselves

in the competition and keep your team out of that basement next week.

Whoever wins this cook-off secures the middle kitchen next week.

Ladies, listen up,

tonight, I'm looking for one stunning next level...

...rack of lamb dish.

The good news is the platform stays with you for the entire 30 minutes,

and your mentors will join us after the cook to taste your dishes.

It's down to them to decide who stays.

Cook your hearts out.

We've chosen the rack of lamb because it's a very lean meat,

making it one of the hardest cuts to cook to perfection,

so there's nowhere to hide.

Good luck.

The thought of doing this cook-off is scary.

Kelly, you've got this now, you have. You've got this.

I don't wanna leave now.

It's gonna be tough.

That is not a nice thing to do. Totally.

You know, she's gotta really believe in herself.

This could be her last cook.

H119-

You'll be fine, OK?

Oh, my God, up here is, like, fancy! You've got this, Tia.

I'm gonna do yoghurt and marinated chops.

Just cook like you're at home, your kitchen,

you're cooking for your boys. Breathe, breathe.

We need Tia to win.

If she does sadly lose, we also have to go into the basement next week.

So, to start off getting the lamb in?

Yeah. Cos then I can let that rest.

Yeah, that's it. Get the meat on, get the sauce on.

Right, your last chance to prove yourselves.

Yes, chef. Have we got this?

Yep. Good luck to you both, OK? Kelly, come on!

When that platform descends, as it turns green we are off, OK?

Here we go, ladies, good luck.

Oh, here we go.

Oh, my days.

Go, go, come on, 30 minutes.

Take a deep breath.

Let's go, rack of lamb.

There you go, well done.

This cook-off is a tough one, rack of lamb.

Get the lamb underway, drop back for the starch, the greens,

start your sauces.

It's every chef's nightmare because when you slice that open,

if that's undercooked, you're screwed.

And if it's overcooked, you've got nowhere to go.

Right, tell me, what are you gonna do?

Indian spice.

Smart move. Cut it into chops or marinate, or where are we going?

I'm gonna put it into chops because that's how we do it at home.

I'm here with my Indian flavours,

and I wanted to put those on the plate.

There you go, you know what you're doing.

Three minutes gone.

Right, Kelly, how are you gonna cook this thing?

Where are you gonna go?

So, I'm gonna do a rack of lamb, a lovely wine and juniper berryjus.

Nice. Some saute cabbage.

Potatoes, what are you gonna do with those? Mini fondants. Nice.

I love that idea. Don't let that pressure get to you.

I won't, chef.

'I haven't cooked a rack of lamb for ages.'

It's really overwhelming.

Kelly's cooking a rack of lamb whole,

and Tia's cut it into chops. This could be a fascinating battle.

Eight minutes gone, 22 minutes to go, come on.

What's going through your mind? At this present moment,

I just wanna get my chops right.

Exactly right. I can't get my meat wrong this time.

You're right.

Tia, Tia, think about giving the lamb maybe some colour.

On the grill, maybe?

I'm gonna put them on the griddle.

There they go, get that really nice and coloured, nice.

Oh, it must be so much pressure. Oh, God!

That's great, Kelly.

She's just gotta believe in herself cos you can't cook well

if you're totally crushed by your nerves.

How's it tasting, Kelly? How's the sauce tasting?

Good?

Watch your cabbage, watch your cabbage.

Yeah, oh, fuck!

Ancl she's burning that. She's burning that now, God.

Oh, no!

I was busy doing other things and I nearly burnt my cabbage,

but I saved it in time.

Don't worry.

I think Kelly felt a bit of pressure from all of us.

I think anyone would when you've got where you're gonna be

in terms of kitchen all riding on you. It's just a lot.

Good, good, good, good.

You OK? Yes.

Think how you could elevate that... Yes, yes. ..Tia, please. Yep.

We are at eight minutes remaining.

Next level dish, guys.

There you go. Gently.

OK, you're doing great. Thanks, chef.

OK, there you go. I love you. 'I actually do.'

I literally love him.

Cabbage, fondant, asparagus, put the lamb last, sauce.

Never put the lamb first, OK?

Get some confidence, girl. Yes, chef.

I need to stop over thinking and just believe in myself.

How we doing, Tia?

This sauce is a bit salty.

Finish it with cream or something. Finish it with cream. Or yoghurt.

I'm not quite sure if we can cope watching this!

Maybe some cumin. Tia, you're running around like PaulAinsworth

looking for a Cornish pasty. What do you need?

Sugar, sugar. I don't wanna let my team down.

I've got to do it for them.

Here we go, last two minutes.

Start dressing the plates, let's go, come on, guys.

Come on. Big, deep breath.

Once you've got the lamb, then drizzle sauce, got me? Yep.

Deep breath, deep breaths, you've got this.

Kelly, cut the meat. You can't hide with a rack of lamb.

This is the moment of truth.

When you cut into the lamb, it's got to be perfectly pink.

You've got it. There you go.

That is superb. Tia, I want the very best.

If that's salty, don't you dare put it on there. No.

A touch of acid will take the salt out, OK? Yes.

Come on!

Come on, Tia. ALL TALK

All of you, let's go.

Fucking hell! Ten, nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop.

Well done.

Thank you, chef. Good job.

That cook-off was literally all or nothing.

I had to cook my heart out.

When I walk into the cook-off,

I have absolutely no idea whose dish is whose.

I just know I do not wanna send one of my team mates home.

Nyesha, Paul, quite a cook-off.

This is by far the hardest thing I have ever clone in my life.

Next Level Chef is not for the faint-hearted.

So, two amazing next level lamb dishes.

This is a lamb cutlet dish that has been grilled, marinated

and served with raita.

The sauce is quite high on salt.

I find the lamb is beautifully cooked.

For me, the lamb itself is a little under seasoned,

but the spices are coming through so beautifully.

Our second dish is a rack of lamb cooked with fondant potato,

braised cabbage, grilled asparagus served with a juniper berryjus.

The sauce is well made.

I would have liked probably a little bit more cooking on that lamb.

It just needed a touch longer in the oven.

The lamb is cooked nicely, really amazing effort.

Now for the tough part.

Paul, I'm gonna ask you first, which dish are you saving?

Gordon, I'm gonna go with the dish that pleased me the most,

and it's the dish that I just really wanna sit down and eat...

...and for me,

that is the rack of lamb with the fondant potato and cabbage.

It's really tough.

Love the depth of flavour here,

and the rack of lamb cooked beautifully here as well.

The dish that I am saving tonight...

...is the lamb with the fondant potato.

And that dish was cooked by Kelly, congratulations.

We“ done. 'Thank God')

I'm not going home. Whoo!

Not only did you survive the cook-off, but you take your team...

Thank you. ..into the middle floor next week. Thank you.

Well done. Tia, that was a gallant effort, let me tell you.

I can taste the love you put into the boys' food on a daily basis.

Thank you. Well done.

Tia, it's been an hon our,

and you've definitely left an impression on me, and stay strong.

Thank you.

Obviously I'm gutted,

but to be able to stand alongside professional chefs,

I am very proud of myself.

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I can say I did it.

I did it.

Well clone, Tia.

And just like that, we are down to 11 chefs.

Stay out of these cook-offs. They are brutal.

We saw some fantastic dishes tonight, let me tell you,

but the next time we see you, the competition is going up a level.

Goodnight.

Hello, I'm here.

It's Italian week.

Let go, let go, let go.

Octopus, have you cooked it before? Never. Ah, Temi!

Pasta, pasta, pasta. Oh, shit.

Why have you got onions and garlic?

I do not wanna go down.

Come on. Selwyn!

Fucking hell.

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