All language subtitles for MasterChef.The.Professionals.S16E16.1080p.HDTV.H264-DARKFLiX

It's the semifinals of MasterChef:
The Professionals.

After five weeks of intense
competition,

only the most talented eight
chefs remain.

Tonight, they cook off against each
other for a place in the final six.

Being here in the semifinals

is something that
I'll remember for life.

That is a true accomplishment.

In your head, you're like, OK,
I have to get to the next stage.

Now, more than ever,
I just need to keep pushing.

It's showtime.

It's like fight night.
I'm ready to get in the ring!

So exciting.

We've got some talent
in our final eight.

Original, full of personality.

This is a huge challenge,

and our chefs once again
are going to have to perform

at the highest level.

This is going to be electric.

Chefs, welcome to your semifinals.

I have to say, I absolutely love

the challenge that's in front
of you right now.

This brief is about two ingredients

known throughout every kitchen
worldwide.

Salt and pepper.

It is down to you to show us
how clever, how creative,

how fantastic you are, in
highlighting these two ingredients.

Savoury or sweet,

completely up to you.

We will, of course,
be tasting all eight dishes.

The top four will go straight
through to the next round.

The remaining four will have
to stay here and cook again.

Word of warning - we will
be losing two of you today.

One hour and 45 minutes.

Salt and pepper.

You need to push it.

Push it real good.

Chefs, it's down to you.
Off you go.

The brief sounds simple.

Salt and pepper.

They can use salt and pepper.

They can use just salt
or just pepper.

This could be in a crust.

It could be a marinade.
It could be a cure.

There is a huge variety of peppers
out there for our chefs to use,

from hot to spicy to even
floral notes.

How are they going to make
this ingredient sing?

We want salt to really shine
through in the cooking today.

To bring salt and pepper
to the forefront,

that takes knowledge and skill,

and to understand the balance
of these spices.

29-year-old Kasae, originally
from Australia,

is head chef in a Japanese
restaurant in Bath.

She earned her place in the
semifinals

with inventive and unique flavour
pairings,

alongside modern techniques.

From the moment I started,
my dishes always got, like,

a bit of risk in it.

It doesn't always work, but it kind
of wouldn't be being true to myself

if I wasn't at least taking
some risks.

I feel like salt and pepper
is a great challenge.

There are so many different
varieties of both,

but different ways
that you can use them.

Kasae. Hi.

Here you are, semifinal. Yeah.

A lot of pressure,
but in a good way.

What is this dish?

This is my take on a cheese course.

So it's got blue cheese, gorgonzola,
spiced bread to have with it,

which has got a lot of timut pepper
through it.

Candied apples with
Calvados and batak pepper,

which is a very aromatic
pepper from Indonesia.

I've got a chutney. It's got lots
of white pepper through it.

And then the gorgonzola
will bring out the saltiness.

Kasae, you do like to take a risk.

So this is another one
of those, isn't it? Yeah.

I was a bit nervous to do it,
to be honest.

I mean, the brief
said savoury or sweet,

and I feel like I've gone
somewhere in the middle.

For people like me, if you don't
want to order a dessert,

you would order a cheese course.

Kasae say is doing something very
unusual, a cheese course,

and I quite like the bravery of it.

In the caramelised apple
we've got batak pepper,

so the sweetness and the sourness
of the caramelised apple

with the pepper, I think that'll
work really, really nicely.

Blue cheese mousse.

Gorgonzola. Big cheese.
Big, big, big flavour.

Will the salt and pepper elements
really come to the forefront?

Kasae is taking spiced bread,

she's got sweetness coming through,
of pears and nectarines,

we've got candied walnuts,

and I'm hoping there's enough
of the pepper element to really sing

through her cheese course
and really bring it to life.

Head chef Tommy, from Somerset,
has won over the judges

with his clean, precise,
sophisticated cooking,

showcasing the best of British
ingredients,

and a love of Thai flavours.

Today I'm going to just go
all guns blazing.

After my last dish, I left
and I was very disappointed.

I beat me down.

Were we supposed to
have some crackling?

Unfortunately, it's not worked
today, so I decided to take it off.

There's all sorts of amazing
opportunities around the corner,

and I really want to be a part
of that.

I want to keep my headspace strong,
focused and sharp,

in order to keep going through.

Tommy, what's your dish, please,
chef?

So today I'm doing a fish dish.
I've got char.

I'm going to salt cure and con fit
it in a Sichuan pepper butter.

Char is not a fish I see very often.
Why have you chosen that?

Mainly for that reason, actually.
I think it's a beautiful product,

very sustainable, and I want to
showcase that today.

Serving that with salt baked
turnip, caramelised turnip.

Got some black pepper brine turnip.

I've got a black pepper
wonton pastry,

which is going to be filled
with trimmings of the char.

And then I'm going to finish
it all together

with, like, a lemongrass sauce,

and through that it's going
to have some salmon roe,

caviar and green peppercorns.

So just like explosions
of salt and pepper.

Bit of a wobble in the last
round. Not like you.

Everybody has a wobble in this
competition.

It's how you react, is the key,
and how you come back fighting.

You've had an incredible career.
Have you had it without a wobble?

I've had more wobbles
than you can think about.

I've had more wobbles than
I need to think about.

Tommy is using char.

It's like a mix between
a salmon and a trout.

It's got quite an
oily flavour, as well,

and I think this is a fabulous
choice, because it will definitely

carry peppercorns in many,
many different ways.

So we've got a black
peppercorn dough,

and then he's making a fish mousse

that he's going to then put inside
the dough and then steam them.

That's going to be interesting.

And we have the salt part
in the baked turnips.

You know, it's all got
to be the right amount of salt,

because too much of it will kill
the flavours of this dish.

Chefs, 35 minutes have gone.

35 minutes gone, thank you.

I'm candying peppercorns, Tommy.

22-year-old head chef Charlie,
from Cornwall,

has excelled in the competition
so far,

showing particular mastery
in his fish cookery.

Being the youngest chef
in the competition,

I feel like I've got a lot to prove.

This isn't just a competition.

This is learning who I am, cooking
food that I want to cook,

and not living under
somebody else's umbrella.

Charlie, salt and pepper.
Two big ingredients.

By the look of your bench,
you're doing a pudding.

Yeah, definitely.
So I'm going for a dessert.

I'm definitely trying to push myself
and get as many peppercorns

into a dessert as I can,
and make it work.

So I've got trifle.

A pink peppercorn and strawberry
jelly at the bottom,

with pink peppercorn
sponge fingers in there,

and then I've got a Sichuan
peppercorn custard,

a black pepper cheesecake,

kampot peppercorn pop rocks,

and then brown butter
hazelnuts on top, as well.

What was the...

Kampot wockapop clock clops?

What was that?
Kampot peppercorn pop rocks.

What's kampot? It's a peppercorn.

Slightly floral, slightly smoky.

Obviously pop rock,
being a candy bar,

it's like a hard candy made similar
to honeycomb.

So I'm making my own of those,
and that's going to be

the texture on top
with the hazelnuts.

The more you progress
in the competition,

the more you're away from home.

Yeah, definitely missing home
a lot,

but it's all going to be for
something.

I'm going to keep pushing.

Lovely trifle, with pepper and pop,
pop, pop rock. I don't know.

Good luck, chef. Thank you.

The strawberries and pepper
work very well.

Sichuan pepper can have that numbing
effect on the tongue,

and I'm really curious
about this in the custard.

It sounds delightful.

Black peppercorns
in a cheesecake -

be very careful with them,
they can be incredibly hot.

So I do want to taste the
cheesecake.

That's going to be the creamy
element of this trifle.

You've got a pink peppercorn sponge.

Pink peppercorns look pretty, but
they don't half pack a punch.

What's going to be interesting
is when you eat a trifle,

you go through every single layer
and have a little bit of everything.

The question is, will you be able
to identify

the different flavours
in the peppercorns?

The very early inspiration for this
dish came from a restaurant

that I used to work for in Cornwall.

A key part of their personality
was how homely and humble

their desserts could be.

So for me, I took the inspiration
from that,

and then put my own personality
in it, my own twists.

I made it my own.

Originally from Newcastle,
sous-chef Kyle's risky dishes

have consistently impressed
the judges throughout,

pairing modern European cooking with
Japanese flavours.

There's a running joke at work

where they think I've
went out after the skill test

and I'm just down here
having a party every week,

which is obviously not the case.

I'm just amazed I'm here, like...

I feel I deserve it, though.
I have put a lot into it,

and a lot of hours outside of
the MasterChef kitchen, as well.

So I feel I've definitely
earned my place.

Kyle. I see a little bit of
mackerel curing over there. Yes.

So I'm doing a cured
and blowtorched mackerel,

with cantaloupe melon,
yuzu kosho, sea herbs.

To finish the dish, I'm going to
flood it with juice from the melon,

seasoned with sansho pepper.

How do you feel about putting
salt and pepper at the forefront

of your dish?

For me, I use a lot of salt
in various ways.

You know, I use miso, I use soy.

So when looking at the brief,
I didn't want to overcomplicate it

and start doing five,
six, ten different flavours.

What about final eight -
what does that say about you

as a chef and your quality,
do you think?

I definitely had an expectation
to be in the eight.

The eight was my benchmark.

Now I've hit the benchmark,
like, I've got nothing to lose,

I just want to push on.

Kyle's cooking a mackerel dish.

He's curing the mackerel,
torching it.

We've got compressed melon.

I've had beautiful dishes
of melon and fish before,

and it's needed the salt element.

He's using sansho pepper
in the sauce,

sort of a little bit citrusy,

can have a tingly effect
on the tongue, a bit like Sichuan.

It has to be a star.

It cannot be lost in this dish.

We've got gooseberries,
we've got melon.

We've got a couple of variations
of pepper.

Out of all of the salts and peppers
around the world

that he could have included into
this dish,

I just think he could be working
a bit harder with this.

Now based in London,
after growing up in France,

private chef Philippe
has lit up the competition

with his dishes, marrying
daring flavour combinations

with nods to his West African
heritage.

I've learned through this
competition that

I can create my own cuisine,

and I have to follow
my voice as a chef.

It helped me also to
develop my creativity,

and be confident
of what I like to do.

Good to see you in the semifinals.
What's your dish?

Oeuf parfait. It's an egg cooked at
64 degrees during 45 minutes.

I choose for the eggs,
alligator pepper.

It's called the grain
of paradise also.

It's served with roasted carrots,
with honey and timut pepper.

It's almost citrusy. Yeah.

And a Parmesan biscuit.

I choose the Penja pepper.
It's from Cameroon.

It's quite unusual. Whoa!

It's like a stable.

Whoa, it's...
It's like a blue cheese.

Three quite unusual peppers,

with quite unique aroma.

I can't wait to taste these.

I've never had them before.

I don't like doing the same recipe.

I like to explore. I want to learn.
I want to learn.

Wow. What an exciting dish.

Philippe is taking some hay
and he's smoking it,

and then he's going to take
the flavours of the smoked hay,

putting it through a veg stock,
which is then setting as a jelly.

I put the broth on top of the hay
just to have the smoky flavour.

I think he's going to cut it out
like a thin layer,

that's going to drape over his
poached egg dish.

This sounds really exciting.

We've got a coconut cream,

which he's putting an essence
of curry flavour through it.

Spicy.

We've got spinach coulis
with the brown butter.

I'm really intrigued with
the ingredients.

An egg, carrots
and a variety of peppercorns,

with a cream that's seasoned
with coconut

and a different type of pepper.
Interesting.

Chefs, you're halfway.

Time flies in a semifinal.

So far in the competition,

sous-chef Tom, from West Sussex,

has excelled with his unashamedly
classical dishes

with a modern touch.

I felt like the most recent round
I might have been going home.

To get through, I'm sure
you'll see by my face -

I was very shocked.

I think every night I have a little
dream about lifting the trophy,

but you just got to make sure
you focus on each round coming up,

so it's good not to get
too ahead of yourself.

What's your dish, Tom?

I'm doing a chocolate pink
peppercorn tart,

with blood orange and pink
peppercorn pate de fruits.

It's like set fruit.

Tellicherry ice cream,

fresh orange, and then a bit of
orange gel.

Salt and pepper popcorn, trying to
rectify for my skills challenge,

where I didn't do it very well.

There was a pepper in there
I didn't understand.

Tellicherry. It's like black
pepper, but more flora.

I've actually got some here.
It's ground up.

You've ground it.
Careful with your nose.

Yeah, that's - that's quite sharp.

Yeah. That's big.
That's like pepper with muscles.

You gave us a tart before,

that caused a bit of controversy
amongst the judges, as I remember.

I did, and you two weren't
the biggest fans,

but Marcus quite liked it,
so hopefully this time

I can get all three of you on board.

Tom is making a chocolate
tart in a pastry case.

Through the chocolate mix,
we've got a Tellicherry pepper.

Bitter chocolate will always be able
to carry pepper and salt.

Orange segments, to bring
a bit of freshness to the dish.

We've got pink peppercorn
and orange pate de fruits,

almost like a pet it four,
a little jelly.

It's going to be sweet,

hot peppercorns sitting on top of
the chocolate tarts.

This sounds delicious.

Loving the sound of caramel salt
and pepper popcorn, too.

There are strong hints of pepper
everywhere on his dessert.

Tom wants to highlight that he has
the skill to deliver pepper

at the forefront of his dessert.

LOUD BANG

Oh!

What's actually happened?

I was vaccing the air out of
it and the bowl exploded.

So you've got - what is that?

It's my - well, it was my
chocolate tart filling.

I didn't think glass would explode.

I've done it at work so many times.

Right. A, you're going to have to
get another one on.

But, B, you need to clear that up.
Yeah.

Can I get the tart on first
and then do it after?

You need to get a move on. I know,
but I'm going to be well over now.

29-year-old James manages a
street-food business in London.

He has stood out with a combination
of strong technique

and use of Asian flavours,

but his over ambition can
sometimes let him down.

There's so many flavours clashing.

I just feel very confused
in what I'm eating.

What did you think when
you were told the brief?

It's a challenging brief, cos
you always use them as kind of...

...not backup dancers,
but supporters.

I love pepper, so I've tried to
kind of put a few different

sorts of peppercorns in there,
and hopefully it'll shine through.

It's pretty oomphy.
Pretty pepper-heavy.

What's the dish?

Pink peppercorn and Sichuan
peppercorn rolled cod loin.

Got some salt cod croquettes,

a little potato nest
with some parsley powder,

salt cod espuma,

and then I've got a green peppercorn
ketchup, which is quite funky.

You seem to have hit form lately.

How determined are you to go
straight through?

I would absolutely love
to go through.

Hopefully, I've kind of taken
what you guys have said on board

and kind of stripped back the dish
to kind of the main elements.

Hopefully I've harmonised as well.

Everything's got a place.

James, let's hope you can keep
that streak going, yeah?

Thank you very much. Cheers.
Good luck.

He's using pink and Sichuan pepper
as a crust around his cod loin,

and then he's going to
sear the pepper.

So it's going to then
release the aromas

and the flavours of the pepper
throughout.

I've had this done around tuna
and it works a treat.

Doing salt cod croquettes - cod,
shallot, garlic, the potato,

and, like, a very light roux.

I'm just going to fry them off.
Just like a little

kind of delicious,
crunchy ball of goodness.

I'm concerned about
the balance of the salt

because the cod is cured in salt.

We've got a salt cod croquette
as well.

This is all about harmony
and balance.

So the inspiration is basically
pink peppercorn curry.

I've been to a few very cool
countries where I've eaten

a lot of fresh peppercorn curries
with whitefish in.

Green peppercorn ketchup
is just a weird thing

that I kind of thought
might be cool to do,

and I struggled to make it until
literally the day before yesterday,

and isn't kind of like...
kick you in the face with pepper -

too hard, anyway.

Chefs, we have just 25 minutes
left, please.

25 minutes.

Catering sous-chef Lauren
has wowed with her dishes,

which have drawn inspiration
from her classical French training

and Caribbean heritage.

When I saw that salt and pepper
was the challenge, I straight away

leant towards the sea.
There's a lot of elements that

are based on the sea
that are naturally salty,

but once balanced well,

they can work to really
elevate a dish.

I wanted to use scallops, as well,

as in my skills test,
I didn't show my full potential,

so I wanted to bring that back
to the semifinals and say,

"Do you know what, judges?
I can do this."

What's your dish, please?

Chilli lime coriander salt scallops.

On the side I've got a coral taco
bass ceviche

and I've got Himalayan salt
through my ceviche mix

with my passion fruit orange juice.

So there's little bursts of salt

coming through
in different elements.

Last day is a great achievement.

How do you think you are developing?

I'm putting my personality
more into my dishes,

which sometimes is quite difficult
in the workplace,

so I'm being quite creative
and allowing myself to do things

that maybe I naturally wouldn't do.

I like the idea of yourself
in your dish.

Where is the Lauren in the plate?

I like bursts of flavour,
I like colour.

I like to do things that are
out of the box,

maybe combine cuisines and fusions.

This is Sichuan pepper,
so I've toasted it,

released the flavours and now
I'm going to grind it up

and put it in my puree.

MONICA: Sichuan pepper is quite
distinctive in the sweetcorn puree,

so we will be able to taste that
if she has enough through it,

and it will work beautifully well

with that chilli and lime
and coriander salt

that the scallop has been rubbed in.

MARCUS: Scallops, I want perfectly
cooked, beautifully seasoned

and beautifully caramelised
on the outside.

So for the coral taco,
I will be frying a batter.

And once it cooks, it creates
these little holes

and it looks like a coral reef
in the sea.

And then that will be
for my ceviche.

So it will Literally look like
it's come from the sea.

Lauren has got a sea bass ceviche.

The sea bass needs to be
cut down beautifully

and marinated at the last minute
with the Himalayan pink salt,

with the tequila and the lime.
You don't want to do that too soon

cos it will just over cure
the sea bass.

So it's delicate, it's gentle.

But I hope that the flavours of
the pepper and the salt

come through in this dish.

Chefs, we have 15
minutes left, please.

15 minutes.

I have a little bit of spare time.

The trifle set really well,
which is good.

So I've got candied
peppercorns here.

I just boiled them down in,
like, a stock syrup,

and then when they went nice
and sticky, I deep-fried them.

And now they're, like,
sweet, peppery and crunchy.

It's worked out,
so I'm going to put them on.

The last ten minutes is always
a push, getting it all together.

Fish is cooked. Dumplings are ready.

So I'm just wilting
my last ingredients,

just to finish it off. Last touches.

The eggs are very delicate.

So I'm going to break the eggs,

drain the egg whites

and just try to put it on the plate.

Chefs, five minutes, please.

Everybody hear me? Oui.

That's it. Your time's up.

Thank you. Well done.

You good? Yeah, mate.
That looks class, man.

Sick.

Everyone's looks wicked.

Yeah, you good? Yeah.

Freelance chef James

has made roasted pink peppercorn
and Sichuan pepper rolled cod loin

topped with a potato nest

and served with green peppercorn
and onion ketchup,

a salt cod croquette,

creamed leek,

with a salt cod, potato
and white pepper espuma.

Your croquette is stunning.

Just the right texture
with that lovely salt cod inside.

Beautifully cooked cod.
It's flaking away. It's lovely.

But all that pepper around the
outside is a little too much.

The onion ketchup,
I really love that.

You know, the sharpness it has
works so well with the cod.

Espuma, I love the use
with the salted cod,

but possibly too much of it on here.

I think the balance
of the dish is spectacular

because you've got two fabulous
peppers around the cod -

a thick piece of cod,
it can take the heat.

The salty side, again, it adds
more seasoning into the cod itself.

So working the two together.
I love that playful aspect.

But what I think is genius
is the ketchup,

because it's the neutral element,

it's the vinegar that just
balances the dish beautifully.

James, there's some
good cooking here.

As always,
it causes a bit of controversy.

Thank you very much indeed.
Thank you. Cheers. Thank you.

So many mixed emotions!

HE LAUGHS

Very happy I didn't get
just completely ripped apart.

So I'm feeling good.
Not confident, but happy.

Sous-chef Kyle has made blowtorched
and salt cured mackerel

brushed with kosho yuzu -
a Japanese chilli paste -

creme fraiche,

compressed melon
with sansho pepper,

compressed cucumber in dill oil,

sea vegetables,

pickled gooseberries

and a melon and sansho pepper sauce.

The mackerel has got a nice warmth
of pepper to it.

The texture is fantastic.

Beautifully cured.
Got the salt right.

But the melon and the gooseberries

and the little bit of salad
on the side,

it's flat, it's underwhelming

and I think you're actually
just playing it too safe.

I hate it when I disagree
with Marcus,

but I'm really enjoying this.

The salt is over the mackerel.

The mackerel is oily and strong.

I can't remember ever having
sansho pepper.

It's making my tongue tingle,
it's so peppery.

I find myself enjoying it
and intrigued by it.

You've definitely got the salt
in there.

You have got the pepper
running through it,

but it's a dish that's
not surprising me

cos I have had melon
many times with fish.

I've done nothing but take risks,
so that was no exception.

HE EXHALES

If that's my fate to cook again
today, then so be it.

Head chef Kasae has served
a cheese course.

A blue cheese Gorgonzola mousse

topped with nasturtium gel,

caramelised Batak pepper apple,

candied walnuts,

salty sea fingers,

pear and nectarine chutney,

served with a ginger
and timut pepper bread.

Making a mousse out of that strong
blue cheese is very clever

cos it's lightened it,
but it's kept its natural saltiness.

The bread is sweet

with a real floral spice
running through it

that does tickle your tongue.

I think it's a very, very
clever cheese course.

Gorgonzola with the apple,

you've got the notes of the pepper
through that.

The pear and nectarine chutney
has got a sharpness to it.

And it is a delight to eat together.

I've got a confession to make.

I hate Gorgonzola.

But I absolutely love this.

The whole dish is just singing
pepper in a beautiful way.

In floral notes, in warmth, in heat.

This bread on the side
is a touch bitter,

but you're getting away with it

because you've got a fabulous
strength in the Gorgonzola.

I love it. Thank you. Well done.

I nearly died when Marcus came out
with, "I hate Gorgonzola!”

I was like...

...ho!

But then he turned around and
said he absolutely loved it,

which is pretty cool!

I feel like I might have a chance
of going straight through,

which would be amazing.

Sous-chef Lauren has served chilli,
lime and coriander sea salt scallops

with a Sichuan pepper
sweetcorn puree,

sea vegetables in a tequila, lime
and Himalayan pink salt dressing

with passion fruit marinated
sea bass ceviche

and green pickled tomatoes

in a coral taco.

Very neat presentation there,
Lauren.

The scallop is nicely cooked.

I'd like a bit more
of the salt on there.

The ceviche, the sea bass
is nicely cured.

It's very sharp.

The sweetcorn puree
has Sichuan pepper in it,

but it's quite subtle.

I just think you could have been
braver in the use

of the salt and pepper.

I find your taco delightful.

There's a little bit
of sharpness to it,

and real chilli power at the end.

But I don't pick up salt
and pepper at all.

Love the flavour of the scallop.
Perfectly cooked.

Love the little garnish
that you've got on top.

This sweetcorn puree at the bottom,

where there was the perfect carrier
for the Sichuan pepper,

it's not there.
It's almost invisible.

Don't get me wrong,
you've cooked some great food,

but I don't think
you've hit the brief.

That was brutal. The judges aren't
holding back at this stage.

I actually want to cook again

cos I think I need to show them
that I can do it.

And we've got a second chance,

so I can't be mad at
having a second chance.

Head chef Tommy has made
a salt-cured Arctic char

with a pink peppercorn
and coriander seed crust,

fish mousse,

filled black pepper dumplings,

salt baked turnips,

caramelised turnip puree,

mangetout, and sea vegetables,

served with a lemongrass sauce
split with dill oil.

This char's delicious. Beautifully
brined, melts in the mouth,

lovely and oily, but I love
that crunch on the top

of the peppercorns
and the coriander.

But what is really
glaringly obvious to me

is that your wonton is not cooked.

This is dry. It's not been in
long enough at all.

Such a shame.

I like the idea, though.

In terms of the brief, Tommy,
I think that

is a great use of salt and pepper.

Your salt baked turnip,

it hasn't lost the flavour
of the turnip

so it's a bit peppery as well.

And there's that caramelised turnip
puree down the bottom there.

That was delicious.

Love the sauce.

It's like a Thai sauce -
it's coconut-milk creamy,

it's got lemongrass
running through it,

it's got that tingle of pepper

and it's also been seasoned
quite heavily with salt.

TOMMY: Yeah, it was good as a whole.
They enjoyed the dish.

I just made an error
with my dumplings.

Marcus picked it up and, like,

"Yes, it's such a shame we can't
eat it," you know. And, like,

do you know how much work I put
into that bloody wonton pastry?

Oh, so annoying.

Private chef Philippe has cooked
oeuf parfait -

a slow-cooked egg
topped with alligator pepper

in a hay-infused
smoked pepper jelly,

roasted carrot with honey
and timut pepper,

Penja pepper Parmesan biscuit,

kumquats,

curried coconut cream,

and a spinach coulis
with brown butter.

Philippe, I look at your
presentation

and I'm just full of wonder.

I'm curious. I can't wait to
see what this dish is all about.

Your egg with this jelly
over the top,

when you cut into it,
it's perfectly cooked under there.

I love the hints of the pepper
through that jelly.

And then I take your
salty Parmesan biscuit

and I'm just swiping it on there.
It's rich, it's indulgent.

I've got crazy flavours going off,

but I know that I'm enjoying it.

This puree is stunning.

It starts almost like
a coconut mousse

and finishes tasting like
pepper AND a curry.

But then I've got cheese, honey,

kumquat, salt, pepper, egg yolk.

And I'm struggling.
It's too much for me.

I just think you're trying too hard.

I think your cookery is excellent.
I think your ideas are brilliant.

You've got some amazing
spice pepper used in this dish,

but when you're putting them
all together on one plate,

it's really hard to identify
what it is you're eating.

It's so unusual.

Challenging.

PHILIPPE: I think it's interesting.

I don't like doing something
that I know.

I take some risk.

It's OK.

Head chef Charlie has made
a strawberry trifle

with pink peppercorn jelly
and sponge fingers,

Sichuan pepper custard

and black pepper cheesecake mix,

topped with brown butter hazelnuts,

Kampot popping candy,

and candy pink peppercorns.

I've got intense strawberry
flavour below,

I'm coming up into custard,
I'm moving into cream,

I've got the salty nut on the top.

But throughout I've got
a little hint of pepper -

enough to notice,
not enough to ruin a trifle.

What I particularly love

is the crunch I get from
candied peppercorns.

Charlie, that's a cute-looking
trifle.

What I really, really like
is your pop rock,

cos it's sharp citrus

and that's leaving peppery notes
on the tongue afterwards.

I think in the execution of
your dish,

there's, you know, parts there
to keep an eye on -

the texture of the custard,
a bit too set.

And again, the cheese mix,
slightly over whipped.

I admire your bravery, bringing
peppercorns into an English custard.

I think it's very clever.

But I think you've just been
a little bit on the timid side.

You could have really elevated
the pink peppercorns in the sponge

because it's an explosion in
the sweetness of the strawberry

that I'm waiting for.
And it's not quite there.

Allin all, I don't think it went
that bad, if I'm honest.

I think they liked the bravery.

They just wanted a touch
more pepper.

If it is enough to get me
through, I'll be super happy.

Bottom line is, none of us
want to cook again today,

but what will be will be.

Sous-chef Tom has made a
pink peppercorn chocolate tart

with black pepper pastry,

pink peppercorn and blood orange
pate de fruits,

orange segments,

orange gel,

with a caramel
salt and pepper popcorn

and a Tellicherry pepper ice cream.

Tom, what a delightful presentation,

from the decoration on top
of the ice cream

to the little tartlet here.

Really good pastry
and dark, rich, sweet chocolate

that finishes with
quite a bit of pepper.

Your popcorn, delightful!

Like, bit of, like, toffee
across the top of it,

but a little bit of salt,
as well. Fantastic.

Even when you get the ice cream
with jelly

and it's sort of chewy
at the same time,

that's really a bit of sense of
childhood fun, having that there.

I'm really enjoying this.
Thank you.

Dark chocolate carries
pink peppercorns beautifully well.

But you put a bit of popcorn
and some of that ice cream

on that plate with that
dark chocolate, it's fabulous.

And, of course, then you've
got the pate de fruits,

which brings sweetness
into the dish, too.

You practically blew up
the vacuum-pack machine -

that had to be thrown away,
you started again.

Yet you still come to the table
with a dessert

that absolutely nails the brief.

When I blew up the vac-pack machine,
it was like a turning point.

Like, |1 felt like 1'd either
crash and burn or sort myself out.

So I just stood by my bench,
just breathed

and then got back to it.
But I'm glad I did

because it was a great result and
I'm glad I got there in the end.

GREGG: Chefs, fantastic.
We've got to make a decision.

Four of you are going straight
through to the next round.

Four of you are staying here
to cook again.

Thank you, chefs. Off you go.

That was an amazing start
to the semifinals.

There was excitement and
definitely skills in this kitchen.

Do you have a standout chef?

Tom, with the chocolate tart,
the popcorn and the ice cream.

All of that with salt and pepper,
I thought was literally outstanding.

Beautiful dessert from Tom.

This chef deserves to go through.

I've got another favourite,
I think,

which proves it's good to be
different.

And that's Kasae
with the cheese.

I like the bravery of it.

It's a cheese I detest,
but today I actually loved it.

Inventive, creative, different.

She did a good job.

Right. That in many ways
is the easier bit.

Who didn't reach their own
high standards today?

Kyle's dish today for me
was one of his weakest dishes.

He's excited me so much
through this competition

and today I just felt
his mackerel dish was a bit flat.

There was nothing wrong
with Lauren's cooking,

but she's normally so much
more creative,

so much more inventive.

Yeah, I'd have to agree.

Though the scallop was
beautifully cooked from Lauren,

she really could have gone to town
and enjoyed it

with lots of pepper and
more use of the salt.

We have four chefs that
we haven't discussed.

Tommy...

...Charlie...

...Philippe...

...and James.

Which two go straight through?

Which two remain and cook again?

We thought, particularly
challenging brief.

Well done, all of you.

Four of you are going
straight through.

Four of you will remain here
to cook again.

We think there are two chefs that
really did show great creativity,

great style and really did
smash that brief.

And of course, they are going
straight through to the next round.

Tom,

Kasae,

congratulations.
Very, very well done.

One other chef we feel
has done more than enough

to secure their place.

Tommy, well done. Thank you.

The fourth chef going
straight through...

...well done, James.

Congratulations.

James, Tommy, Tom, Kasae,

off you go, chefs.

Your work for now is done.

Good luck, guys. Good luck.
Thank you. Thank you.

Well done, chefs.

Nice one!

Well done.

Wahey!

You hear them celebrating?

That's tough.

But that's what this competition
is all about.

This is the semifinals.

This is going to be difficult -
there's no two ways about it.

At the end of this,
two of you will be going home.

What we would like you to do

is to create one plant-based dish.

Behind us is an array of
amazing ingredients.

Bring that fire and that energy,
creativeness, be bold,

and you will cement your place
in the next round.

You know what's at stake.

You know what is expected of you.

70 minutes, chefs. Come on.
Up you come.

KYLE: I was expecting it.

Fully deserve to be in this
position, so...

I'm ready for it, though.

PHILIPPE:
These are nice ingredients.

I have to find the right
combination.

I don't cook every time
with meat and fish or protein,

so I find this interesting, yeah.

CHARLIE: I love mushrooms.
I know it's a go-to staple

for vegan plant-based food.
That's what I'm going with.

The last time Kyle made
a plant-based dish,

it really blew us away.

It was a wonderful celeriac dish.

If he can do something
similar again,

for sure, he will keep his place
in the competition.

I'm going to do a mushroom veloute.

Just using a mixture of mushrooms -
shiitake, hen-of-the-woods, and cep.

And I'm going to do some pickled
shiitake mushrooms,

black truffle,
some roasted hazelnuts.

And it's all about balance.
Just keeping it simple.

You kept it simple last time.
Yeah, I did.

It's always a risk, but if
something works, don't change it.

I feel like this dish works.
What's going to make this special?

Are you going to add anything more
into it?

Are you going to put anything
on the side?

You know, this just sounds
like a bowl of soup to me.

I'm not quite sure. Obviously,
now I'm asking questions. Um...

Yeah, I am going to do
something on the side, yeah.

Right, over to you. I suggest maybe

you go and have a look at that
table again. Oui, Chef.

Kyle is making a dish
of mushrooms.

Oyster mushroom doesn't
have a massive flavour,

so he's going to have to
really maximise

the flavour of the mushrooms
that he's got.

I'm going to do a brown butter,

vegan cheese and truffle
cheese to as tie

to go on the side of me
mushroom veloute.

I think it was good for Kyle
to go back to the bench

because I was questioning
whether or not he was going to

give us enough this round,

and I feel that he needs to get
that energy back into his cookery

and deliver us some great food.

Philippe, how are you feeling?

It's a competition, so

I have to prove that
I have earned my place,

if I want to go as far as I can.

Plant-based cuisine, is it something
that you've done quite a bit of?

I have to do as a chef, and I think
it's really interesting, cos...

...even in my country, people
sometimes don't have the money

to buy meat or fish.
So we need to eat plant-based.

So what are you doing?

Asparagus.

The sauce is called dja sauce,
it's from Benin,

and it's a fried tomato sauce

served with cassava, coconut milk,

lemongrass and plantain puree.

I'm really curious about this dish.

I've never had white asparagus
with plantain puree before,

but now I'm thinking about it,
I mean, the sweetness.

So it could work with the asparagus,

and of course, a tomato sauce.

And then, I don't know,
the cassava fries.

Is it going on top or on the side?

Definitely another
interesting-sounding

dish from Philippe.

Whoa, you're halfway!

35 minutes left. Let's go!

Charlie, you are a powerhouse!

There's some serious energy
coming from here. What's going on?

I've got quite a lot going on.

To find out we're halfway through,
I'm a little bit in the mix.

Have you given yourself
loads and loads to do?

Yeah, quite a lot, actually.
So the plan is, at the moment,

I'm going to roast off
some hen-of-the-woods

and some king oyster mushrooms.

And then I've got a jus that I've
made from the artichoke peels,

the artichoke trim,
and then I've got dusted pastry

with seaweed and dried mushrooms,
as well,

And I'm going to roll that up

and then build it as
a millefeuille, hopefully. Whoa.

Cos, actually, you do
eat veggie at home, right?

Yeah, but it's not really
my strong point of cooking.

I was a chef before
I was plant-based,

so it's just kind of something
I've taught myself along the way.

Charlie's got a lot of work to do.
He's got to do the pastry.

He's got to make sure that that
artichoke puree is thick enough

cos I think he wants to pipe it
to decorate the millefeuille.

If all the ingredients don't
cool down in time, then Charlie

will have to rethink how
he presents this millefeuille,

especially if he's got sauce
he's going to pour into it.

MARCUS: Some of the best food
that Lauren's cooked for us

has been in an invention test,

so I'm expecting her to
really rise to this challenge,

just give us a fabulous dish

that's going to keep her
in this competition.

Plant-based food,
is that your thing?

It's not. One of my brothers
is plant-based,

so we did try and adapt as a family

to make sure that he had food
to eat at the gatherings,

so it is something that I can work
with and makes you think.

And you have to also intensify
the flavours.

You can't rely on maybe chicken or
prawns for their natural flavouring.

What's your dish, please?
It's going to be like a curry.

So we're going to have
tandoori oyster mushrooms.

The mushroom is going to give
that meatiness to it.

I'm going to create, like,
a curry fondant potato

and some flatbreads as well.

And then I might add a carrot
salad to it for some freshness.

You have given us some
cracking dishes -

I see no reason why you shouldn't
give us another one. Thank you.

I'm liking the sound
of Lauren's curry dish.

I'm curious about how she's
going to present this.

I hope Lauren has given some thought
about really pushing this dish,

to bring a point of
difference to it.

Trying to replicate

as if the mushrooms are being,
like, cooked in a tandoori pan,

trying to get some char in it.

And I've got some coconut yoghurt,
some spices,

so this will be, like, my main
protein in my curry, basically.

MARCUS: I think using curry spices
in a plant-based dish

is a great idea. It does elevate
the flavours of the ingredients.

It's going to be about the balance.

Chefs, you have 15 minutes left.

15 minutes to keep yourselves
in this competition.

Come on.

Kyle, what you got there?
A cheese sandwich?

Yeah, a little vegan cheese
and black truffle to as tie.

I've gone back to Nan's house, so...

Cheese and truffle to as tie?

Yeah. Come on!

I've toned down a little bit.

I've decided not to do
a millefeuille in the end.

Still gone with the pastry idea,

I'm just not doing three layers.
I'm going to build everything up

almost like... like a
deconstructed tart, | suppose.

Final five minutes.

Final five.

PHILIPPE: I did what I have to do.

I try to do my plating properly

and be ready.

I think I'm happy with the dish.

To do it in an hour with no recipe
for the bread,

I'm happy with it. Nice textures.

Flavour's really good in the sauce.

I hope it's enough.

That's it, chefs.

Time's up. Fabulous.

That was carnage.

I literally felt like ten
minutes ago, we started.

When they were like, "You're halfway
through," I was like... Yeah...

For Philippe's plant-based
invention dish,

he has made cassava fries,

coconut milk, lemongrass
and plantain puree,

dja sauce -

a tomato-based sauce
from Benin in West Africa -

and white asparagus
with a tahini dressing.

I like the asparagus.

Asparagus is cooked well,
still got a little bit of give.

Like your cassava fries.

The panko on the outside
makes them crispy.

I think you've got
some delightful flavours,

but I'm putting it into
different compartments.

I've got cassava
and tomato sauce one side.

I've got asparagus
and tahini the other side.

I wouldn't want to
mix these two together.

Tahini vinaigrette,
I'm really enjoying that.

Nice sharpness to it.
The tahini's coming through.

I'm enjoying the tomato sauce,

the spice, the heat, the warmth
that goes through that.

But I don't think it works
together as a plate of food.

The tomato sauce has developed
this fondue-like texture,

but it's got a heat from the spices
you've got into it.

I've taken the cassava crisp

and just dipped it into
the spicy tomato sauce

and took some of that plantain
with it and loved it.

For a plant-based dish,
I've enjoyed it.

Today, it's been
the most stressful day

since the beginning
of the competition.

I had different feedbacks
about my dishes.

I did my best.

I hope that's enough.

Kyle has served a
wild mushroom veloute -

pan-roasted king oyster mushroom

topped with grated vegan cheese
and black truffle,

roasted hazelnuts,

pickled shiitake mushroom

and chive oil,

served with a vegan bechamel cheese
and black truffle to as tie.

I think you got some really good
flavour out of these mushrooms

for this veloute. It's creamy.

I love the additions of the
roasted hazelnuts on the plate.

The toastie's beautifully cooked.
A little bit of garlic over there.

Vegan cheese, the truffle...

The dish itself is full of flavour.

I particularly like the sweet
acidity across that mushroom.

What I will say is it's
quite heavily seasoned.

It's a little bit salty for me.

Great presentation there, Kyle.

I'm loving the green oil
over the beige veloute.

The king oyster is cooked nicely.

The to as tie has a hint of truffle
through it.

But the bechamel is a bit dense.

I just find together with cheese
on a thick soup,

it's really rich but tasty.

Veloute was a little bit thick.

I probably could have added
a bit of water to it.

It would probably have toned
the seasoning down a touch,

but I think it would've lost
acidity, so... It's one of them.

I'm happy with what I gave.

Really good review from Marcus,

so that was the most important one
for me, to rectify that first round.

Lauren has made
tandoori oyster mushrooms

in a cumin, garam masala
and chilli curry sauce,

crispy chickpeas,

tamarind fondant potatoes,

and pickled carrots,

served with a roti.

Your dish needs work in presentation

cos you've kind of got
beigey, orangey, beigey,

like, everywhere.
You need some work on that.

But I love your flavours.

You've got a lovely, creamy,
coconut-based sauce

that comes up like a mild curry,
like a madras.

The tamarind potatoes are a joy.

Nicely seasoned, soft.

And then that unique
tamarind sharpness

that you get across them. Very good.

The mushrooms have got a lovely
flavour to them. Nicely seasoned.

I love your roti on the side.

I agree with Gregg,
reference to presentation.

It really doesn't help that
you've chosen a plate

that's almost identical to
the colour of your curry sauce.

Don't get me wrong, there's
a lot about this dish I like.

The crispy chickpeas are delightful.

You've got the meaty
king oyster there,

which you've covered in the yoghurt
and then charred it,

and the flatbread.
I can eat all of this.

One more flatbread, please,
and I will finish it - happily.

LAUREN: So it was quite difficult
to present a curry.

But I'm just hoping, again, that
my flavours and different textures

is enough to put me through,

and for them to see that I have
got it in me to go forward.

Charlie has cooked
roasted king oyster mushroom

topped with grated almonds,

hen-of-the-woods mushroom glazed
in sherry vinegar gastrique,

artichoke puree,

seaweed cracker,

red onion jam,

asparagus and courgettes,

finished with a seaweed
and artichoke jus.

Charlie, I really like

the way you've presented
your plant-based dish.

It just looks so precise.

The hen-of-the-woods has
beautiful texture,

and the king oyster mushroom,
as well.

Beautifully cooked.

It's got the nuttiness from what
you've grated over the top,

which is wonderful.

All together, it works very well.

I am so here for it. This is fire.

Your artichoke puree
is really smooth, creamy.

Your red onion jam,

thick, sweet across that savoury
little biscuit that you've made.

I'm into it, my friend.

I'm really enjoying this sauce.

It's excellent.

It's almost molasses,
meaty flavour.

It wraps everything together.

It brings the dish together.

I love the little asparagus
and the courgettes.

You've delivered
a very interesting plate of food.

Beautifully presented,
texturally delicious.

I'm very happy with this.
Well done.

CHARLIE: Feedback like that
is amazing.

That was my toughest cook yet.

I really, really felt that my place
in the competition was in jeopardy.

I said to myself before I went in,
I was like, "Not today.”

I gave it everything I had,

and I think it paid off.

Oh!

We've got four chefs here
and it's a bit sad,

because we have followed them
every step of the way,

and now we're going to say goodbye
to two of them.

Do you have a favourite
in this round?

Definitely have a favourite
and that's our young Charlie,

his mushroom dish.

It looked really elegant

and it tasted even better.

I agree. It was delicious.

The mushroom cookery,
everything about it was just great.

Great flavours, great finish,
great presentation.

Fabulous cook.

The final three chefs,
we need to discuss.

They all divided us
in one way or another.

Yeah, that's true.

That's very, very true.

Philippe gave me some nice things.
He did.

But I can't see Philippe's dish
as a coherent finished plate.

I loved the tomato sauce.
That was delicious.

Asparagus was cooked well, but...

...I was just slightly underwhelmed,
if I'm really honest with you.

I thought it was tasty.
I really loved the cassava crisp

and dipping that into
that spicy tomato sauce.

I guess they were delicious.

I wasn't overthinking it.

I was enjoying what was
on the plate.

Kyle gave us a veloute.
It looked good -

it had a green oil.

So it was good ideas.

I found it over seasoned.

The cheese to as tie
was also heavily seasoned

and together, for me,
I couldn't eat all that.

I enjoyed it, but I hear you.

But it did have flavour. It had...

...you know, packed flavour,
which was delicious.

With Lauren, I think we all agree
that the flavours were good,

but presentation was
not good at all.

I agree about the presentation.

The roti was good.
It was a good idea.

Curry sauce was well made.

The mushrooms are beautifully
cooked.

The potatoes with the tamarind,
now, they were delicious.

I would have finished
that plate of food.

We are talking about big decisions

over small margins.

It's detail, detail, detail.

That's what you guys have always
been telling me.

Detail, detail, detail.

PHILIPPE: I want to stay cos
I want to learn and see

what happens for the next challenge.

LAUREN: I've got more fight in me.

I'm ready. If I hear that
I'm through to the next round,

that fight is coming out
stronger than ever.

KYLE: I do want to be
in that top six now.

I'm looking forward to the next
brief and the next task

and being a part of that.

I just hope it continues
and I can get through this round.

Well done, all four of you,
putting so much effort in,

battling hard. We can see it.

We have made a decision.

The first chef going through...

...is Charlie.

Charlie, congratulations.
Great dish. well done, you.

Thank you. Quality.

Philippe, Lauren, Kyle,

we have, after much deliberation,
made a decision.

Our second chef going through...

...is Lauren.

Congratulations.

MONICA: Congratulations, Lauren.

Philippe, Kyle,

from the first 32 chefs
to the final eight standing.

You should be proud of that.

It's been a pleasure
eating your food.

It's been a pleasure talking to you.

Thank you to you both.

Bit overwhelmed, to be fair.
I thought I did enough there.

I'm definitely proud of my journey,
at the same time.

I did have more to give,

but I've got to respect
the choices that they make.

I'm OK. Yeah.

HE LAUGHS

It's not easy to cook and be judged.

I think it was a great competition.

I did my best, so...

...I'm proud, Yeah.

Congratulations! Back for more!

LAUREN: Well done.
CHARLIE: Well done.

I'm proud of you. Well done.
Oh, my gosh!

You weren't expecting that,
were you? Not at all. No?

Oh, well done.

I'm exhausted,

emotionally, physically,
like, everything.

And in shock. Absolute shock.

I'm so proud of myself.

I thought last ten was good,
but last six...

It's... Yeah. Massive.

When you think that there was
32 of us to start with,

being in the last six is
a pretty mega feeling.

I really put my heart and soul
into cooking today.

I really pushed myself.

And I'm just relieved that paid off.

Next time...

After being split into groups,

the first three semifinalists

take on one of the country's most
exciting Michelin-starred kitchens.

It's like day one all over again.

I feel like I should be over there
washing pots, but here I am.

We have, like, two minutes, Lauren.
We need to go.

Only the best will go through
to finals week.

I'm struggling to stop eating this.

For me, it's delicious.