MasterChef: The Professionals

[chrisp]

Today a much more promising set, but a MUCH harder task. Lobster bisque and coffee dacquoise. Quite apart from the fact that these are (in my opinion at least) harder dishes, the time is really tight--I think you'd be hard pressed to get hazelnuts toasted, meringues made and cool enough to put buttercream (which you have to make) in 80 minutes, let alone doing also all the steps required to make a decent bisque (deal with lobsters, make stock, strain it, concentrate it, prepare lobster meat, bring everything together). Worse than that, if it was me, I'd be struggling to work out a sensible order of play to get everything done because I'd want to get my stock started very early AND my meringues started very early if I was going to have any hope of finishing. Even so, only one of them could go through.

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Whenever I've made lobster bisque it's taken DAYS, never mind hours

[Champagne Sadie]

Both of last nights losers would have beaten tonights winner hands down.

[PhilD]

I shouldn't divert my own thread, but did anyone see that plonker in his French vineyard in Chateau Monty on C4. I had to leave the room. The voiceover made me long for the intellect in Masterchef.

Can't understand why he selected an English co-worker to go to France - distrust of "johnny foreigner"? You would have thought fluent french was a qualification. But maybe there was another reason especially since the Italian g/f stayed at home.

I was hoping for an interesting program about running a vineyard in France......I should know better. But I now understand his comment about "needing to have a relathionship with shit" it sums up the program.

[Corinna Dunne]

Both of last nights losers would have beaten tonights winner hands down.

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I agree, but at least they didn't talk them up as '"it doesn't get much better than this".

Would love to hear more from Michel Roux on "The secret of...." . He has some great comments, many of them gems.

[chrisp]

Both of last nights losers would have beaten tonights winner hands down.

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I agree, but at least they didn't talk them up as '"it doesn't get much better than this".

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The presenters didn't, but that bloody voiceover still did. They were pants last night. Looking forward to tonights quarter final though!

[Infrasonic]

Anyone watch last nights head to head?

I found it quite exciting (I know I am a little sad like that), thought that Dans service @ MC's might have seen him through, but they went for the slightly wobbly under pressure Murray (but who's dishes had more panache). I was absolutely starving by the end of it!

[Prawncrackers]

I saw that last night and the same thing happened tonight. As long as you don't curl a fat steaming 2* turd on the floor and run crying away from the restaurant kitchen it doesn't matter. All that counts is the one dish you present to the judges in the studio. As usual with this format, the reality section is simply filler and a little promotion for the restaurants.

[ben mcmayon]

i would say that its mr roux who has the final say in the matter of who goes through. i would hazzard a quess and say the prize is a job in his restaurant so of course his favourite is going to go through!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fisherman]

One guy has already been told, on camera that there's a job there if he wants it.

[Corinna Dunne]

It’s interesting to see that two of the featured restaurants served hot food on glass plates, which M Roux has said is a no no (you can’t heat up glass).

Really enjoying the series.

Would love to see a Tudor’s effect on Roux’s eyes during the opening sequence.

[Corinna Dunne]

Double post.

[lian]

The standard this week has been pretty high, but the preliminary rounds were in part awful (overcooking steaks etc). Makes you wonder what the selection process was.

[Gary Marshall]

very interesting being in the professional kitchens, especially hibiscus, good to see claude and co behind the scenes as it were. thought both of them produced some excellent food , obvious hibiscus influence though!

[dipardoo]

Info coming through now about where some of competitors work - at least some of the more successful ones

Derek (finalist) works at MacDonald Crutherland House Hotel in Glasgow South and Simon (out in the semis) is at Le Deuxieme in Covent Garden.

[howardlong]

It’s interesting to see that two of the featured restaurants served hot food on glass plates, which M Roux has said is a no no (you can’t heat up glass).

Spooky, that was exactly what I noticed too!

Coincidentally, I was lucky enough to spend last weekend in Jersey with M jr, Albert and Silvano with their respective other halves from Le Gav, starting with a dinner hosted by them at the Grand Hotel on Friday night where they had been doing some consultancy work. Then I bumped into them at lunch on Saturday at the Oyster Box in St Brelade's. On Sunday morning as I entered the BA lounge at Jersey airport, who were there but Albert, Silvano and their partners. On board BA8042 we had breakfast. Albert was sitting directly behind me and really did tuck into that BA breakfast... I don't know who was stalking who.

Cheers, Howard

[Roger le goéland]

Did you think the right person won?

That venison looked tasty...

[Corinna Dunne]

Who won?

Unfortunately I just recorded a half hour on Friday so caught plenty of cooking but missed the verdict (grrr... they should include a mention of the "hour special on Friday" in the tedious voiceover of the final week).

Have to say, I really enjoyed the series, particularly the last week. M Roux has a big TV future ahead of him I reckon.

[Jamsie]

Who won?

Unfortunately I just recorded a half hour on Friday so caught plenty of cooking but missed the verdict (grrr... they should include a mention of the "hour special on Friday" in the tedious voiceover of the final week).

Have to say, I really enjoyed the series, particularly the last week. M Roux has a big TV future ahead of him I reckon.

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Derek the scottish lad one, i'm glad he did, he seemed like a really decent lad and when he was asked in his heat what he wanted in a career was one of the few that said he wanted to learn as much as possible.

Thought it was the best Masterchef series by far

[Corinna Dunne]

Great, so glad it was him. It's hard to judge when you can't taste the food, but I thought his attitude and focus were amazing. Seemed like a really nice guy too.

[Infrasonic]

Must say Derek looked good from the heats and I had him as my favorite to win.

Agree that M Roux has a bright TV future ahead of him. Played the game of injecting tension with the "watch the clock boys" guff, but has a sincerity which Ramsay et al seem to lack.

You get the feeling he really wanted all the chefs to do as well as possible without using the programme as a vanity vehicle.

[Infrasonic]

Double post...

Edited September 22, 2008 by Infrasonic (log)

[howardlong]

M Roux has a big TV future ahead of him I reckon.

And he still works the kitchen. Had a nice chat with him in Le Gav last night. By the way, I still have a couple of seats available for a Pichon Lalande night at Le Gav this Thursday 25 Sept, menu below. PM me if you're interested.

Cheers, Howard

L E M E N U

CANAPES

*****

SAUMON ET JAMBON ‘PATA-NEGRA’ EN GELEE,

JUS DE TRUFFES

*****

FILET DE ROUGET GRILLE ET TOAST

A LA MOELLE

*****

RIS ET LANGUE DE VEAU,

CEPES ET JUS AU RAIFORT

*****

FILET DE BŒUF A L’OS,

ECHALOTES CONFITES ET MORILLES A LA CREME PETIT

*****

SOUFFLE SUISSESSE

*****

CAFE ET PETITS FOURS

L E S V I N S

ROEDERER BRUT VINTAGE 2000

Magnum

RESERVE DE LA COMTESSE

2004 & 1999 en Magnum

CHATEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE

COMTESSE DE LALANDE

2003

RESERVE DE LA COMTESSE

2001

CHATEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE

COMTESSE DE LALANDE

2004 & 2001

CHATEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE

COMTESSE DE LALANDE

1983 & 1995

CHATEAU PICHON LONGUEVILLE

COMTESSE DE LALANDE

1995 & 1975

[PhilD]

I note that Andy Hayler mentions on his blog that he has been filming for a new series which should air in September.

[olicollett]

Surprised this hasn't had a mention on here yet, but has anyone else been following this so far?

The standard seems really hit and miss. Some shows they seem to get 4 chef's who look no better than the contestants on the standard masterchef, but on another they get 4 people who look superb and they end up knocking some people out who had clear potential!

It seems to me that they've made it far too long as well. It's on for over 3hrs each week and I've already forgotten half of the contenders! Ludovic seems to be very creative, although he seems very laid back at times

I'm hoping Jay Rayner will pop in and give us his thoughts (without spoiling anything ) given his first hand experience of the food itself.

[Simon_S]

I agree that the standard is very hit and miss, and some people have been eliminated who'd certainly be in with a shout of winning another episode. Still, I enjoy watching GW trying to come up with alternative ways of saying what MRJ just said, and I love when MRJ says a flat "no" to a dish. He's only just short of rolling up a magazine and smacking the contestant on the nose.

I think the guy who won last night's quarter final is in with a shout, Ludovic also, and there have been a few others along the way who look interesting. I still can't get over some of the mistakes made, though, and I'm no cook myself. The elimination round especially is a real eye-opener.