Original subtitles

'Every great chef started at the bottom...

'and worked in the toughest kitchens...

'to make it to the top.

'The contestants have seconds to grab...'

Grab ingredients! '..minutes to cook...'

45 seconds, and you're still cooking!

'..And moments to deliver their dishes.'

I'm starting to get a bit scared.

The team competition is over.

This is terrifying.

The top level is closed.

You'll be taking on...

RONAN EXHALES DEEPLY ..seafood.

Has anyone got one of those blenders?

Why would I give it to you?! I'm just asking permission, mate.

PAUL: Gurpreet... Gotta go. ..get it on there.

ALL SHOUT No!

I'm pissed.

Gurpreet, Temi, Gold - you're going in the cook-off.

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

Temi... you are not gonna be the Next Level Chef.

JADE: This competition has stepped up a level.

No-one is safe...

and that's terrifying.

You won't be taking on one type of cuisine, but two.

It's Fusion Week. Surprise!

Big Zuu, man. What a legend. Go!

There is no excuse... Arriba!

SHE LAUGHS ...not to produce excellence.

I can see it in your eyes. CALLUM: See, I'm hungry.

I can feel it!

Come on! Get it on! Get it on! Get the BLEEP.

This is Next Level Chef.

One cook away from the semi-final. Yes. Ooh.

It's gonna be a tough one, this one. Wow! The competition is thick.

It is ON. Yeah.

You ready? Yeah.

Welcome back!

'Coming into today, I've got to smash it.'

If I don't put up a perfect next level dish today...

I'm going home.

Right. How are we feeling?

CONTESTANTS: Good. Great.

Twelve of you started off in this competition.

We're down to the final seven.

That one-year mentors hip with Paul, Nyesha and myself...

that comes with a £100,000 prize.

Both those things are in sight for one of you.

'When I had my accident,

'that was the last time I was in a professional kitchen.'

This competition has made me fall in love with cooking all over again.

If I won, I want to take my life in a cooking direction again,

cos I've got that passion back.

Last week, we pulled the plug on the teams,

and now each and every one of you are flying solo.

Chefs, we are at the stage of the competition

where we are invested in all of you.

But, gotta be honest -

I've still got a soft spot for Team Ainsworth there on the end.

You two had a tough time in that cook-off last week,

and you need to fight your way out the basement tonight, OK?

All week, it's just been in my head,

Gordon just saying, "You plate like a baby,

"you plate like a baby."

'I can only just try and cook my best and redeem myself.'

Tony, so proud of you.

You finally got best dish of the clay, alongside Callum.

Thank you.

Do you think you're the one to beat in this competition?

I've just gotta bring my A-game and go for it.

'I am a head chef on a super yacht.'

I've got a decent day job, but it's not something I wanna always do.

I wanna be at home with my kids.

'I wanna cuddle my wife every night.'

Winning this is everything, because it does open every door.

OK, onto this week's BIG,

and I mean BIG, challenge.

That's because you won't be taking on one type of cuisine...

but two.

It's Fusion Week.

SHE SIGHS Oh!

'This week is my week.'

I am a fusion.

I'm a fusion of India, I'm a fusion of China.

I'm so, so excited to just get in there

and just literally put myself on a plate.

Fusion is absolutely about unusual combinations.

Pairing things you may have never thought would go together, but do.

Tonight, when that platform drops, it's gonna be packed with boxes,

each containing ingredients from a different country.

Whatever you grab,

you then fuse them together into a next level dish.

Trust me, this is hard.

I genuinely do enjoy fusion food,

but I'm just worried because I'm in the basement,

so I'm just hoping to get ingredients that I recognise.

SHE LAUGHS

To help all of you out tonight,

with expert advice of fusion cuisine,

we have a double BAFTA award-winner.

Ooh! This guy has perfected the art

of experimenting with different cuisines. Yeah.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome... Big Zuu!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Yeah!

Hello, guys. You lot all right, yeah?

CONTESTANTS: Yes, Chef. How's it going?

I'm feeling good, you know.

I'm a guest chef on a Gordon Ramsay program me.

I made it! LAUGHTER

Big Zuu in the house!

The way he does things...

the quirkiness, the humbleness to his dishes, how he goes about it.

'He's on point.'

You know what, I love fusing flavours together.

I come from a mixed heritage.

So, my mum is African and my clad is Arab,

so I grew up eating a lot of fusion food at home.

How would you describe your style?

Erm, well, I'm a self-taught chef... so like some of you guys here.

A lot of chefs make it really complicated.

My dish is very simple.

His passion and his knowledge - I want him to inspire those chefs.

You have to make sure both sides shine through, nothing overshadows.

Ancl making sure that your flavours come together,

cos certain things clash in a fusion,

so making sure the right things work.

Love that. Here's the good news -

Big Zuu will be travelling across all three kitchens tonight,

so tap into that genius of the fusion.

ALL: Yes, Chef. See you later.

Good to see you, bud. See you lot in a bit.

APPLAUSE Big Zuu, everybody!

IAN: 'How amazing to see Big Zuu.'

It would just be fantastic to have someone

who really understands fusion

to come into the kitchen and give us some advice.

Tony and Callum, you got the best dishes last week

and secured a place in that top-floor kitchen.

I'll see you in a minute. Good luck to both of you.

Being on that top floor today is the absolute dream for me.

I'm not 100% confident with world cuisines.

So me having top grab today is ideal.

It's good to be back here, innit?

Let's do this! TONY HOWLS

Oh, Tony boy, it doesn't get much better than this, does it?

No. Absolutely not, mate.

I'm so scared. You'll be fine. Oh, my gosh!

TOBY: 'It's my first time in the middle kitchen

'in the entire competition.'

I'm just gonna cook my arse off and get that top dish.

This dish is so comfortable to me, man.

The basement is not pleasant. SHE LAUGHS

The basement's gonna be fine.

Here we are.

The best dishes have come out of the basement time and time again,

so maybe it's my turn to turn out a brilliant dish.

Who did they beat up with this pan?

They're so wonky, they won't even fit on the bloody stove.

I couldn't think of anywhere worse to be

than the basement during Fusion Week,

just because you know you're gonna be left with

certain parts of the world that doesn't go together.

There was a few worried faces there.

I mean, it's gonna be quite manic, I feel like.

'Today's challenge is one of the biggest they've ever faced.'

Taking two countries and fusing them into one stunning dish -

sounds easy, but it's all about the pick.

CH EERING Good luck.

Let's do this!

I'm so excited. First time I get to cook with both of you.

What's the game plan today?

To just try our hardest and cook our souls out. Yeah.

This is for that spot in the semi-final.

Yeah, have a good one. You too.

Good luck, guys. Chefs, you OK?

The middle kitchen, it's a commercial space.

There is no excuse not to produce excellence.

I mean, I'm a fusion of two amazing cultures -

Chinese and Indian, so...

Fusion Week, I really do need to start shining in this one. Yeah.

If I can't do well in fusion, I may as well get out.

OK. CALLUM: Yes.

TONY: Yeah! Let's go. Let's go. How you feeling?

Really good, thank you. Ready for this.

How you feeling? Good, Chef. Ready.

They'll panic downstairs.

You guys, on the top floor, grab smartly.

Lining up, Gurpreet and Gold. So, it's two boxes, yes?

IAN: Yes, Chef. OK.

PAUL: You know the drill. Think wisely, all right?

You've gotta fuse these two boxes together.

We're not teams no more, we are out for ourselves.

When that platform moves, we're gonna grab.

You've only got 15 seconds to grab, OK? So be smart.

PLATFORM WHIRRS Platform is moving.

When that turns green, we're gonna grab.

Go! Let's go, guys!

Pick up two boxes and fuse them together.

We've got Thailand, Greece, USA.

I saw Japanese, Wagyu beef. I was like, "Yes, this is it,

"this is the time to shine with this piece of meat."

Ten seconds to go.

Callum, you've gone for Greece. Pass it over.

Five, four...

'South Korea was a panic pick.'

Soon as I picked it up, I was like, "Why did I pick that?"

Brazil - nice choice, Tony. Well done.

Go! Go, go, go. 90, 9°!

JADE: 'Ronan wanted Indian and Chinese.

'Ronan got there first...'

Ronan, you grabbed Spain!

...and then he didn't grab any of them.

'If he's not gonna grab the Indian, then it's mine.'

Choose wisely. What could you match with that first grab?

What could you fuse together? Toby, you've gone for Thailand.

TOBY: 'China, let's go for it.'

Yo ink. jade takes it.

Crap! Ah! Damn, damn, damn, damn. Come on. Wow.

Come on, come on, come on! You've gotta grab a box!

'I grab Lebanon.'

I went, "Oh, crap."

How am I gonna pair Spain with Lebanese food?

No, Toby! Toby!

Ah, you grabbed Morocco in the last seconds there.

Damn, damn, damn, damn!

Go! There are only four boxes left, guys. Grab two each.

I saw Jamaica and I was like, "Yes!" I was gonna snatch that bitch.

I was like, "I need that lobster in my life."

Jamaica, US, Mexico, Germany. Sorry, G! It's OK!

I couldn't, with the best will in the world, let her have it.

I had to have that spiny lobster.

You gotta do what you gotta do. Nice.

I love it. I love it. Whoa! Keep going. You got it?

You're all fine. You're all good.

Well clone, team.

I have massive love for everyone in this competition,

but if you get between me and a lobster, you're in trouble.

You know what I mean?

Gurpreet, what a grab. Mexico and USA.

I am so surprised that those countries came down to the basement.

Shouldn't be too hard of a fusion.

All right, team, your 40 minutes starts right now.

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

The cook of your lives, OK? Yes, Chef.

A place in that semi-final.

Guys, no excuse. Best ingredients.

Come on, the best kitchen in the country right now, yes?

Yes, Chef.

Right, Tony, what baskets did you grab?

I grabbed Brazilian, Japanese. Right.

I've got an amazing piece of Wagyu.

What's the Brazilian influence across this dish?

The black beans are gonna go in the ramekin.

Keep it out, keep it away from that steak,

so you can use it almost like a dipping sauce.

I'm gonna use my dancing bonito flakes over the top...

Love it. ..so it's kind of fusing the two.

Wagyu - treat it with respect.

You know that, yes? Absolutely. Yes, Chef.

Callum, you look worried. What did you grab?

I grabbed South Korea and Greece. Oof, beautiful.

So, Greece has got the protein, right? Yes, Chef.

Got a rack of lamb. Where are we going with it?

I'm thinking I'm gonna...

SIGHS HEAVILY

This is the first time in the competition

that I've been so panicked at the start of a cook,

because I didn't know what to do.

I'm gonna make a rub for my lamb. How are we gonna cook the lamb?

I'm thinking I'm gonna...

pan sear it and then finish it in the oven.

Make sure that gets on early, so you can literally get that thing, yeah,

render the fat and let it rest.

Have you ever cooked with these two country ingredients before?

Never cooked these two countries before. No, no.

It's not in your wheelhouse, is it?

Ronan, you look a bit disappointed.

Oh! My heritage has just gone...

My absolute heritage has gone from me!

Oh, jade, you're just too quick!

JADE: I'm so sorry, but it's a competition.

Kudos to jade for taking India and China.

How am I gonna pair lberico pork from Spain and then Lebanese?

Have you cooked with this before? No.

You maybe know it as press or. It's what we call, like, the flank.

So, it's like the shoulder going into the loin.

You've got lovely marbling and lovely fat going through there,

so don't serve it rare,

cos you wanna get that flavour of the fat. Yes, sir.

I'm seriously worried about Ronan.

He has got a mountain to climb, and he is rattled.

This is for a place in the semi-final.

My mind just went completely blank, and I had no idea what I was doing.

My God. My God.

35 minutes to go, team. Next level dish, right?

IAN: Yes, Chef. Come on, G!

Ah, ah, my God!

Tony, I want this next level, yes?

Yes, Chef. Love it.

Oh, my God, I'm so excited about Fusion Week,

and I'm really excited for Big Zuu to give these chefs

some invaluable advice on how to fuse their two cuisines.

Surprise! Hey! There he is!

How amazing to see Big Zuu.

He is such a fantastic presence.

Welcome to the basement. No-frills down here.

'The doors are rusty and old.'

it just feels like a basement where bad things happen.

So, we have Gold here. He's grabbed Germany AND Jamaica.

Jamaica and Germany. Yeah.

I don't think anyone's ever seen a jerk sausage.

Jamaica and Germany -

I mean, it was just a case of, "Whatever I get,

"I put it out on the bench,

"and I'll see what I can make from it."

The German flavours are coming from black bread

that I'm gonna make a stuffing with

that's gonna go in the head of the lobster. Yeah.

I've got the flavours ofjamaica, so I'm making a sauce.

We've got coconut milk, we've got Scotch bonnet peppers.

Watch out for that Scotch bonnet. Yeah. Yeah.

Cos it has a beautiful, fruity flavour... Yeah.

...but too much of it and it's too intense.

My mum used to threaten me... Yeah.

...with Scotch bonnet when I was a bad boy.

Hello, Gurpreet. Hello.

How you doing? You're doing USA... Yeah. ..and Mexico.

I feel like you have the most comfortable grab,

in terms of cuisines, you know?

USA, Mexico - they go together. I know. It should be.

I'm struggling with these ingredients.

There are some that I'm very unsure about.

And swordfish, I've never cooked.

Gurpreet should have been flying through this.

That's already a fusion.

So I was interested to see how she could elevate that.

So, what's the game plan for your dish? What are you thinking?

Make a sauce out of the tomatillos and onion.

And then put, like, some chilli, some coriander in,

and the swordfish on top.

'Ey! You sound like you're doin' a ting!

You sound like you got it under control.

# Gonna puree with the fish Ancl them things there. #

Sounds like I'm in a beautiful Mexican-American restaurant.

I think I just need to believe in it and go for it.

You do, Gurpreet. You really do.

I think you just need to be careful, in terms of the balance of flavour.

Yes, Chef. Yeah, because Mexican is very punchy and it's very fresh.

Ancl then, American's very salty. Great advice.

Ancl every time you cook, make sure you say... "Arriba!"

LAUGHTER

There was no better chef to have during fusion week.

He's so passionate about food from all over the world.

So his advice was amazing. See you soon.

Thank you for the advice.

Take care, guys. See you guys later. See you later. See you.

Hello. Yes!

Big Zuu. How are you, my man?

Right, this is Jade. Hello, Jade.

How you doing? You OK? Nice to meet you.

Tell Zuu what you grabbed.

So, I went Indian and Chinese.

Which is like a fusion that already happened, you know? Yeah. Yeah.

I'm familiar with the flavours, but I feel there's

a lot of pressure, because I feel it's an easier grab.

Yeah.

But I'll do some kind of, like, Indian-spiced rice,

but with, like, Chinese-y glazed chicken.

But I want to show some skill.

Fusion rice!

I'm making my own spring roll wrappers, and I'm gonna do...

You're making the spring roll wrappers?!

Yeah, hopefully.

It is a big risk, because

if you don't get those wrappers right,

'you're literally making chicken and rice.'

Making spring roll paper from scratch...

I respect it a lot. Amazing. Well clone, Jade.

That is extra level of cheffiness.

I would just buy the frozen one.

What's up, Toby?

What flavours are you going with? Moroccan and Thai.

Moroccan's really fresh, punchy flavours.

They love their seasoning.

They love their herbs. Ancl then, Thai is very similar.

It makes sense to me. It was a great grab.

But what you're cooking? So, I'm gonna cook the sea bream

with aubergines and courgettes, fried in merguez fat.

Wow. Some fried rice noodles and harissa, coconut milk sauce.

Ooh! Oh, my God, am I allowed to try stuff?

The softness of the coconut and that, like, subtle flavour,

mixed with the punchiness of the harissa, match made in heaven.

They're gonna package that and sell in shops one clay.

I hope so. It's really good.

If Big Zuu likes the sauce, nice.

'I'm hoping that the judges see that, too.' Take care, guys.

Think about me when you serve the food.

I want bold, punchy, big flavours.

Ancl if you do a rap when you serve the food, you get extra points.

Yes, Chef.

'30 minutes remaining.'

LIFT BELL DINGS

Big Zuu.

Big Zuu in the house.

Do you like my pad? I love it.

Everything you could ever wish for is in this kitchen. I know.

So, Callum grabbed the Greece and the South Korean baskets.

Greece and South Korea.

Yeah, we're going on an adventure, like.

Yeah, are you having a bit of issues with this? A wee bit, yeah.

Please don't chop off your fingers. No.

Are you going for some lotus crisps? Lotus root crisps, yeah.

Not really sure, but I'm just gonna let it flow.

South Korea is about that,

getting that gojuchang flavour coming through.

Ancl Greek food is all about the love.

Callum having Greece and South Korea was,

in terms of fusion, they're not really flavours that go together.

A little bit worrying, in terms of his energy.

I heard you're into your sports. I heard you're competitive.

Yes, absolutely. Is that competitive spirit coming through you?

It is here, yeah. Yeah?

I'm just trying to steer this dish in the right direction.

I can see it in your eyes. Yeah.

I'm hung... I'm hungry. I can feel it! Yeah, let's go.

He is one big ball of energy,

and I was feeding off of that.

It was Big Zuu that made me

settle down and just relax and start cooking.

'Right, big man. Thank you so much

'for your advice and help. I'll see you later. Take care.'

Listen, if there's ever a mentor spot, give me a call.

Big Zuu. Next Level Chef. Let's fuse it.

All right, good luck, guys. Do it for the fusion world!

Massive respect to you. 'Ey! Take care.

Thank you. I feel like a... like I'm going into a jet.

Deliver today, chefs, all right? BOTH: Yes, Chef.

Do not fuck up the spring roll wrappers.

Ronan, where is your inspiration coming from for this dish?

I'm not entirely sure, to be honest.

'The dish was made up as I went along.'

I made a sort of quick tabbouleh salad,

roasted lberico pork

with Spanish-Lebanese roasted chickpea almonds.

So, what have you clone on the pork? Spanish seasoning.

Just a touch of smoked paprika.

Don't leave it too long with that pork, right?

You don't want that rare, you know. It's a bit like a flank steak.

'Ronan was flustered today.'

He had no idea what he was doing

with that piece of beautiful lberico pork.

'Ancl he got it on way too late.'

Remember, as well, you need to rest it.

Resting time is also cooking time, as well.

Remember that. Yes, Chef.

Right, Toby, the aubergines. What's happening with those?

I'm frying them off in some merguez fat. Yeah.

Just getting them to absorb all that flavour. Smart. Lovely.

But just remember, you crunch on one of those, you'll be in trouble,

cos you'll just absolutely ruin that delicate sea bream.

Oh, my God, why am I so stumped?

So, you're building around the protein, right?

The swordfish, yes? Mm. Where's your swordfish now?

Here. I've put some peanut butter in.

Fusion cooking, it's about allowing both ingredients to shine.

If you're marinating in peanut butter,

how are you gonna cook the swordfish?

I kind of wanted to fry it off and put some more spices in.

So, you don't want ingredients to combat each other.

Does that make sense? Yeah.

To marinate a swordfish, a very lean fish,

with peanut butter, does not work, in my mind.

Swordfish works with chilli, citrus.

The peanut butter will overpower the fish.

Fourteen minutes.

Greece and South Korea. Are you using the spinach?

I think I'll use the spinach, wilt it down,

and I'm going to have a base of the hummus.

Good. Good. I have my little flat bread, lotus crisp... Nice.

...and some kimchi, as well, just for a Korean element.

Make sure that lamb rests, OK? Corning out now. OK.

Are you good with that lamb? Yeah. Let's have a look.

So, yeah, it's still... Still a bit rare?

Yeah, it's a bit rare, definitely, inside. Yeah? Come on. Come on.

I knew it was do or die with the lamb.

I had to get it cooking,

or it wasn't gonna be ready in time.

Focus. Yes.

This is intense.

Honestly, for the first time ever, Callum is out of his depth.

My big worry is that he was so flustered.

The lamb didn't even go in the oven for the first 12 minutes.

So, right now, that thing is rare.

And the pressure is on, cos time's not his friend.

Come on.

12 minutes until you are putting those dishes

on that platform, all right?

Toby, how you doing, my man? Yes, sir.

I was thinking of serving the sea bream whole.

I'm gonna stuff it with apricots, olives and peanuts.

What's going in there? The harissa sauce and sesame oil. Yeah.

I'm gonna add some noodles to the dish.

Aubergines, courgettes and pickled peanuts.

There's a lot of ingredients here. There is a lot.

He just put everything together.

And, if I'm honest, it was a bit carnage.

What's worrying me is how are you gonna get those

to kind of fuse together?

You have gotta get the balance of that spot on.

I just had to cook,

and I couldn't think too much about it,

because I don't know these cuisines.

Don't stop tasting. All right, Toby?

Gold, you got one of the best ingredients on that platform.

Yeah, so I better not bugger it up. You won't. You won't "bugger it up"!

You can take that with you. I will.

Talk to me about your sauce.

It's not ready yet, but... Yeah, yeah.

I think you need a little more salt in there. Yeah.

Where's the sausage, being folded in? That's in here. OK.

And they may go on the side to go with it

and have, like, a surf and turf. Let me have a look at one.

It's how well, or if at all,

the sausages are incorporated into it.

'That's the concern.'

Oh, it's quite nice. How you doing, G?

Are you doing OK? I'm a nervous wreck.

'Gurpreet had such an amazing grab, especially being in the basement.'

But she didn't think about the flavour profiles

or think about the synergy between the USA and Mexico, right?

Gurpreet? Yes, Chef. Where we at?

I'm gonna cook this now.

Don't let it dry out. Swordfish is very lean.

I'm never gonna get a nice colour on this

if it has all this peanut butter on it. Gooey...

I don't know swordfish that well.

'I just was so flustered.'

Don't give up.

Remember what Big Zuu said, be careful to balance those

flavours from your different countries on the plate.

Make sure everything works on that plate now. Tony. Yes, Chef.

Beef resting? Mm-hm.

Yeah? Good. Yeah. Focus on that Wagyu.

Yes, Chef. Please.

'I feel like the dish is complete.'

There's the okonomiyaki udon noodle pancake,

with bean sauce. I think it works together.

Three minutes to go.

OK, guys.

One stunning next level fusion dish.

Come on, Callum. Love you, bro.

I never felt so far out of my comfort zone.

I knew the hummus would be a really nice texture on the plate,

but that lamb.

Come on. GORDON CLAPS

'I had to rest it, or it wasn't going to be ready.'

And it was coming down to the wire.

One thing we're not doing is missing that platform.

Deliver today, chefs. All right?

This is for a place in the semi-final.

Team, start plating.

Wait, what? How the hell did time fly so quickly?

What do you want with this? Half, half.

On the diagonal or straight?

I really do hope the spring rolls are perfect.

Shit. Thank you, Chef.

I was, like, shaking.

Shit, it's falling apart.

Visualise those dishes.

I hope the dish comes together as a fusion

and that my aubergine is cooked properly.

Let me have a look at that. Leave it. Leave it.

All that steam coming out of the pork. Yes.

That steam is because you need to rest it, all right?

Do that last second, all right?

He didn't listen to that.

'I start cutting into that pork, and it's just...'

It looks rare, no?

I just looked at it and I went, "Crap."

Oh, damn.

I should have got that pork done way earlier.

Platform's coming. Thank you, Chef.

Oh, come on. Come on. Come on, Gurpreet.

Ninety seconds, guys.

Only worry is this lamb is slightly under, but...

Bring it home, Callum, please.

This competition means so much to me.

That fucking lamb. Platform's going behind you.

It will be on its way back soon.

G, it's coming. It's coming.

Platform's here. Next level dish, right?

You got this, Gold.

G. I'm here. Come on, G. Don't miss it.

Come on.

Pretty sure that the fish is overcooked.

Hurry UP!

You did it. Finesse. Keep going. Don't over think it.

Go on. Go on. Go on. Amazing.

Finesse. Finesse. Finesse. Finesse. Finesse.

Finesse. Not my middle name, Chef.

Platform is here.

Go, go, go, go, go.

The pork, it just flustered me.

Don't let me down. Come on.

'The platform was about to go up.' Get it on. Get it on. Go. Get it on!

Oh, well done, Ronan. You did it. You did it.

I chucked it on.

'I chucked it. Ancl it just went everywhere.'

Platform is here.

Semi-final is looming.

Tony, Callum, platform's here. Seconds away.

Platform's here.

The platform's here! Platform!

Come on. Get it on. Get it on.

Oh, fuck off! Man!

CALLUM GROANS Callum!

Callum. Man.

It's all right, mate. It's all right. It's all right.

I think Callum missed the platform. Can you hear him?

Oh, no, you are kidding me.

CALLUM GROANS

'I feel so bad for Callum.'

He's a talented Paralympian, sportsman.

'Timing is in his wheelhouse.'

For him to miss that platform, trust me, it's devastating.

I was so angry with myself,

because I'd put so much work onto that plate.

It's just so frustrating.

This is a tough one.

But get it right, then you walk into that semi-final

holding your head up high.

Fusing two countries is difficult.

But how cool was that, having Big Zuu? ALL: Yeah.

That guy knows a few things about fusion, let me tell you.

Chefs, a reminder, tonight's top dishes

will head straight into that semi-final next week

and cook in that phenomenal top-floor kitchen.

Three dishes that fail to impress us will find themselves

in the dreaded cook-off, with one of you going home tonight.

Nyesha, basement first, please.

So, if we have a trip to Jamaica, by way of Germany.

This chef had the spiny lobster,

and it's been studded with bratwurst.

'You know, you have surf and turf, don't you?'

Sausages and lobster is sort of under that umbrella,

'so I'm hoping I'll get away with it.'

Lobster's cooked beautifully.

Not too sure about the bratwurst.

However, that's a tough combination.

To have those ingredients in the basement,

with minimal equipment around you, really, really good job.

Next up, Mexico and USA. We have a swordfish.

This has a sweet potato base and an avocado and corn salsa.

Swordfish needs more seasoning, and it needs citrus.

Yeah, it's just falling a little bit... flat.

Is that peanut butter? I got a nutty flavour.

Yeah, it's marinated in peanut butter.

The thing that's screaming out to me is the swordfish is overcooked.

It just feels like compartmentalised ingredients on a plate

and not generally the sort of cohesive dish.

I got so consumed by the ingredients.

And looking back, I feel like I could have just... calmed down,

and I could have done something with it.

Top-floor kitchen.

This is ajapanese and Brazil combination.

Wagyu beef served with a Japanese pancake,

topped with bonito flakes and a refried bean.

I mean, wow, what a grab. Wagyu, premium cut.

It's cooked really beautifully.

A lot of fusion on this plate. It's delicious.

As you can see, one chef missed the platform.

Ah, yeah. Lost for words. That's how I... feel right now.

Here's the dish.

It's a box from Greece and South Korea.

So, it's a rack of lamb, sat on a houmous puree,

with a delicious cucumber kimchi salad.

Fucking hell, it's so frustrating.

Cooking on the lamb is really, really good.

Ancl they've successfully pulled off a tricky fusion.

There's not many words I can say

to sort of express how angry I am at myself.

So, this was the middle kitchen.

We'll start with this chef, who fused Morocco and Thailand.

So, merguez sausage.

We've got the sea bream, courgettes, aubergine,

and then the fried noodles.

I was watching Chef Ramsay's face,

and I knew it wasn't good from that point.

Love the sauce underneath,

but there's a lot going on on this plate,

and I'm not a big fan of undercooked aubergine.

'Raw aubergine.'

That's just something that you'd beat yourself up about,

especially as a professional chef.

Moving over to here, we have India and China.

Wow.

OK, so, this was chicken thigh, marinaded.

This chef made their own spring roll wrapper from scratch, in 40 minutes.

Wow. That's crunchy and delicious.

That is good. Very good.

I came here to prove to everyone

that I'm not just a social media chef,

and I think I'm just about doing that now.

SHE LAUGHS

Here we have Spain and Lebanon.

We've got the lberico pork. Mmm.

This chef was a bit flustered by their grab,

and it was a last-minute fling.

I was so, so scared.

The pork is way undercooked.

It looks a mess, I'll be honest.

There's just a touch too pink in the middle.

It needs a lot more resting.

'I'm going to that cook-off.'

I don't want to go there.

We now have to decide places in the semi-final.

Nyesha, Paul. Yeah. Give me a huddle.

Wow.

This is fucking terrifying. Tell me about it.

We said fusion was gonna test them, right?

Yes. Yeah.

I'm just gonna put it out there now, the technique of that spring roll.

Really? Incredible.

And the cook on that lobster.

For me, I think that could have been

the two hardest places to put together.

Germany and Jamaica. Yeah. Agree.

That, for me, was a successful fusion.

The Wagyu. The cook on that Wagyu.

That individual definitely knew what they were doing. Yes.

Let's talk about the worst dishes.

The lberico pork. I mean, for me,

that dish was a little bit clunky for me. It had no resting time.

The Moroccan and Thailand fusion... Yeah. Yeah.

...that dish was just way too much.

And then the aubergine was undercooked.

Let's talk about the American and the Mexican combination.

This chef took this raw swordfish, put it in a bowl

and dumped chunky peanut butter.

On top of the swordfish. just dumped it on.

Erm, the lamb.

The dish was good,

but it didn't make the platform. No.

Guys, three need to go into this cook-off tonight.

OK, shall we?

That was one very tough decision.

As you know, the top dishes will earn their place in the semi-final,

and of course cook in that amazing top-floor kitchen next week.

Two dishes really stood out

and have both secured themselves a spot in the semi-final.

The first fusion dish into the semi-final...

...is...

India and China. jade.

APPLAUSE

Congratulations.

That was amazing. That was so good.

Not only did you match the beautiful fusion

that we were looking for, but the technique and the flair

behind the spring rolls was exceptional.

Thank you. Thank you, Chef.

I can't believe that I've made it all the way to the semi-final.

I can't... I'm in shock.

The second fusion dish...

...japan and Brazil.

Tony. APPLAUSE

The dish was stunning. How you feeling?

Absolutely... overwhelmed.

I never thought I'd go on and cry, but I'm about there, so...

I only get emotional because I think of why I'm here,

and I'm here for my family.

Now for the not-so-good news.

Paul, Nyesha and myself highlighted the three bottom dishes.

So, they've got one more chance to fight it out in the cook-off

to get themselves into the semi-final.

Some dishes were incredibly fused, beautifully done.

And sadly, some dishes didn't quite make the connect

when bringing two countries together like that.

Paul, Nyesha and myself highlighted the three bottom dishes.

They've got one more chance to fight it out in the cook-off

to get themselves into the semi-final.

It does mean so much to me to be in this competition,

and it frustrates the life out of me that I missed that platform.

The first fusion dish into the cook-off..

...is Greece and South Korea.

Callum, it didn't make the platform,

and the big insult is the dish is actually delicious.

You all right? Yeah. I'm not going home.

Eh? I'm not going home.

The second fusion dish entering the cook-off...

...Mexico and America, cooked by Gurpreet.

Swordfish, sadly, somewhat dry,

and it just needed more enhancement of those ingredients.

I'm just so embarrassed by that performance in general,

and, like, I was literally a deer in the headlights.

The third and final fusion dish entering the cook-off

is the combination of...

...Thailand and Morocco.

Toby. Yeah.

The dish was overkill, and aubergine just needed to be cooked.

It's not that the criticism and the feedback upsets me.

It's that I knew I could have put up a better dish than that today.

What this does mean is that Gold and Ronan

have made it to the semi-final. Congratulations.

APPLAUSE

Gurpreet, Callum and Toby,

tonight, we've celebrated food from all around the world.

So it seems only fitting we're gonna celebrate

one of the finest cuisines on Earth.

I'm talking about French fine dining.

You all will be taking on one of France's most beautiful dishes,

the duck a Yo range.

GASPS Sorry. I didn't mean to.

Sorry.

'French cuisine is what I cook.'

My head chef used to work in a two-Michelin-star restaurant

back in France.

'I'm gonna fight for that place.'

just do my best. It's alll can do.

You know we're after perfection right now.

It's the semi-finals. You mess this up and it's au revoir.

OK, so, I'll be with you in that cook-off up there.

Paul and Gordon, they'll join us after.

Please head to the lift.

There's no friends in this cook-off, and I don't go out without a fight.

I've never seen anyone as excited as Toby to go into that cook-off.

Yeah. Stoked.

Good luck, everyone. Good luck. Good luck.

Come on, guys. Whoo!

This is gonna be so close. This is so tense.

You could cut it with a knife. Good luck.

If you want any help, G, you ask.

We're here if you need it. Thank you.

APPLAUSE

Chefs, tonight, we need to see your take

on the classic French dish duck a I'orange,

which is a perfectly cooked duck breast

with a rich orange sauce.

Someone's getting sent home tonight.

Do not leave here with any regrets, OK?

I deserve my place in the semi-final.

It should be my place. I should be in there.

Platform is on the move. You know what to do, right?

This is the cook-off.

Go. Come on, you guys.

Come on, take your time.

Take deep breaths. APPLAUSE

Grab the duck breast.

Think about how you bring that sweetness and that sour, right?

The balance.

Callum, what did you grab?

I obviously grabbed duck, some squash.

Love it. Potatoes and oranges.

So, I'm gonna make a pomme puree.

What's your plan with the duck breast?

I'm gonna pan sear it. It's a pretty large duck breast.

You definitely want to score the skin, right?

I'm gonna trim it down a little bit, yeah.

Don't wait too long, OK, Callum? No, Chef. Yes, Chef.

25 minutes to go.

Toby, what's the plan here?

It's just gonna be a classic duck a Forange sauce.

You already got your duck going. I've got my duck going.

It's in a cast iron, so that fat renders out nice and slowly.

I've got the shallots going in to start making my sauce.

Awesome. Talk to me about your sauce.

Sweat out shallots and garlic. Sherry vinegar, some white wine.

Loads of orange juice, and I'm just gonna reduce that as much as I can.

Classic French dish. Absolute classic.

If I'm going to stay in this competition,

I needed to cook a classic duck a I'orange,

the way I know how to do it.

What's the plan?

It's gonna be fondant potatoes, parsnip puree,

and then the orange put into my stock, myjus.

Amazing. And have you cooked cluck a I'orange before?

Once, at culinary school.

When are you planning to score your duck

and cook your duck? After I've just got on my potatoes.

OK, that's gonna be very important.

Let's get your duck scored and get it on, yes? Yes, Chef.

Cos we need plenty of time for that duck to rest, right? Yes, Chef.

Twenty minutes to go. Yes, Chef.

So, the spinach is going last minute, correct?

Absolutely. Love it.

Wanting that fat to render slowly. Oh, beautiful score.

Thank you, Chef. Love it.

Are you gonna finish it in the oven? Absolutely.

Yeah, just cook it on the skin side, go in the oven. Yeah.

Thanks, Chef. Thank you.

Gurpreet, what do you have here?

That's the puree. I'm waiting for it to soften down.

Parsnip? Yes.

How are you putting flavour here? Cream and parsnip?

I'm gonna... You need to season as you go.

Yes, Chef. Why is your duck out of the oven?

I'm gonna glaze it in the gastrique that I make...

This is still raw.

That duck was completely raw -

it almost quacked at me to get it back in the oven.

You need to make sure you render the fat, OK?

It's the most important thing.

If that duck isn't cooked properly, your dish will be ruined.

Yeah. Ten minutes left.

'I couldn't focus in that cook-off.

'I was doing everything wrong.'

I used ready-squeezed orange juice, which was so not citric as well.

How we doing, Callum? Good,Che£

careful.

Wa-hey! APPLAUSE

Man! I need to just calm down and take a breath. Yeah, you do.

I love that. Tell yourself, yeah.

I could feel Callum's nervous energy,

and he has to shake that off in order to focus on his dish.

I felt confident in cooking duck,

but I did not know how to make the a I'orange sauce,

so it's my interpretation.

I'm gonna put my flavours, freshness, orange segments.

I just really want to hammer home that orange flavour.

Two minutes to go. Guys, you need to push, yes?

This is for a spot in the semi-finals.

Come on. Come on, guys.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Puree, puree, puree.

Ninety seconds left, OK? Go on, keep coming.

Let's go. Fuck me, where's my cloth?

The sauce, right? The sauce is imperative.

Oh, where's my fucking segments, man?

Ten, nine... Come on, guys.

Eight. Gotta go.

Let's go. Five, four, three, two.

Stop pl-ating_ Yes!

APPLAUSE Well clone. Well clone.

I just sort of ran out of time to thicken that sauce

and get it nice and rich and velvety.

'But I'm just gonna hope for the best.'

What a cook-off.

I can imagine. Yeah.

OK. As we know, there are two spots left for the semi-finals.

We're gonna start here, with the duck potato fondant.

Parsnip puree, exceptional. Velvety, rich.

Sadly, the duck needs another two minutes.

Parsnip puree, beautiful. Smooth.

The biggest one for me, though, is I'm not getting any orange.

Right, so, next dish up, we have a duck a I'orange,

served with a carrot puree.

Duck is beautiful,

and all of a sudden, I got this orange...

delicious sauce just lining my palate.

Spinach is a bit of a letdown,

cos it's ruining the substance of the sauce.

The carrots are a bit under, but the duck,

absolutely masterful cooking on that duck.

Final dish, we have the duck a I'orange with asparagus.

Best-cooked duck of the night, hands down.

Sauce, a little bit too loose.

Not a big fan of the orange segments that go into the mash.

Orange and mash. No, no.

The cooking of the duck, fantastic.

The rest of it, it's just a very messy dish.

Which dish will you be sending home, please?

The dish that I'm going to send home...

...is the duck with the fondant potato.

The cluck's not cooked properly.

The parsnip puree, really, really nice,

but those potato fondants have no salt.

It's a tough one.

There's a perfect duck dish here.

The amazing puree from plate one.

The amazing duck sauce from plate two.

And I'll take the amazing duck breast from plate three.

So, right now, I am torn.

The duck I'm sending home...

...is the duck...

...with the fondant potato.

The duck with the fondant potato was cooked by Gurpreet.

I'm so sorry, Gurpreet.

That means you will not be our Next Level Chef.

I'm just grateful to have met these guys and you guys.

So, yeah, thank you for giving me this experience.

You have got so much talent.

Do not go back to accountancy. You belong in hospitality.

Thank you. Young lady,

you're still in your early 20s.

This is the beginning of a lot of exciting things to you,

let me tell you. Thank you.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow.

APPLAUSE Well clone, Gurpreet.

I'm just super grateful to have gotten this far.

That experience is just...

I'm never gonna get that again, and it was just incredible.

You two - Callum, Toby, congratulations.

You're into the semi-final. How you feeling?

Oh! Hey. You OK?

APPLAUSE

Well done, man. Absolutely well done, Callum.

Come on. It's so hard.

Come on. Of course it is.

Ancl I'm so proud of myself.

You made it into the semi-final, OK?

Well done.

Great job.

Standing in front of us right now,

you are all Next Level Chef semi-finalists.

Well done!

APPLAUSE

Six of you left.

Believe me when I tell you... next week,

you won't have ever felt pressure like this before,

because the best has yet to come.

Good night.

It's the semi-final. Yes!

Go. 90, go, go.

'This week, it's great British cuisine.'

It is brutal. Oh!

Three of you will be going home tonight.

Bloody hell!

Get that chicken in, please.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!

There's a place in the final riding on this.

I'm terrified. I did not expect that.

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