Cooking for our Queen

[Matthew Grant]

I think you left a sarcasm smilie off your last post

[Apricotta]

I'd have chosen Michael Caines' dish as well! Sounds great.

John Burton Race made a Crown of English asparagus, using goat cheese, beetroot jelly and asparagus

Michael Caines chose aTerrine of Capricorn goats' cheese, apples and celery and a salad of toasted walnuts and raisins

I personally would have chosen Michael Caines' dish.

And the regional winner is chosen based on the whole menu.

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[Andy Lynes]

then I realised he worked at a Conran restaurant

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Or D & D as we must now learn to call them.

[Matthew Grant]

His end dish looked like some of the worst examples you see on MasterChef goes large, as did his crabcakes.

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As did his dessert

[olicollett]

Jeremy Lee is doing really well isn't he, burnt the potatoes (twice) and then  threw away he's meat juices!

I was wondering why he seems to like serving the accompaniments on side plates but then I realised he worked at a Conran restaurant where sides cost extra

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His end dish looked like some of the worst examples you see on MasterChef goes large, as did his crabcakes.

I have a sneaky feeling that Nick Nairn is actually being overly kind to Mr Lee, as he realises the man is maybe out of his depth, namely being able to cook. Obviously chosen for his personality as opposed to being the cream of Scottish cooking.

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Surely they could find someone better to represent scotland? He's an embarassment. I still don't understand why he didn't caramelise the outside of his beef??

[Matthew Grant]

He only flipping won!!!!!! If that is the best they can gather to represent Scotland then there are some serious problems. The plating by both of them looked so old fashioned, plates full of sauce, side dishes all over the place on JL's main course etc. etc.

Both Desserts looked so ordinary, JL's you could have bought in around 90% of the Patisseries in France. 2 of Nick Nairns dishes were traditional Scottish dishes!!!!!! Overall a disgrace if that is meant to represent contemporary British food - maybe 10 years ago but definitely not now.

[RDB]

He only flipping won!!!!!! If that is the best they can gather to represent Scotland then there are some serious problems. The plating by both of them looked so old fashioned, plates full of sauce, side dishes all over the place on JL's main course etc. etc.

Both Desserts looked so ordinary, JL's you could have bought in around 90% of the Patisseries in France. 2 of Nick Nairns dishes were traditional Scottish dishes!!!!!!  Overall a disgrace if that is meant to represent contemporary British food - maybe 10 years ago but definitely not now.

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Obviously Matthew we don't have the same understanding, knowledege or have our finger on the pulse of contemporary British food as the esteemed judges

How many times have we heard Oliver P say ' this is the worst dessert I have ever tasted in my life...'? Ok it has been twice but it does lose its punch after the first time.

It is a bad joke......

[olicollett]

Right, tonight just baffled me.

Why did Richard Corrigan want to source lamb that was both lean and where the animals had got pleanty of space to move around in, because he thought it would be the most tender.

Surely everyone knows that the most tender, juicy meat will be from animals that have used their muscles less (ie less connective tissue etc.) and are less lean??

[Corinna Dunne]

I’m a bit late to this series, but watched a recording of the Friday final (between Corrigan and McMeel) last night. I thought Corrigan’s pudding was clever. A sublte old meets new interpretation using very earthy ingredients. Just looking at the recipe on the website here, I see he used carrageen moss, agar agar and gelatine to thicken the pudding. Did he give any reason for using three different types of thickener? Also, it really highlights one of the big “seasonal” difficulties with the competition… in springtime, we see Corrigan cooking an autumnal dessert (blackberries, apples and rosehips) which is to be served in summer.

I too find Jenny Bond a bit grating... very Watercolour Challenge.

[augustine]

I’m a bit late to this series, but watched a recording of the Friday final (between Corrigan and McMeel) last night. I thought Corrigan’s pudding was clever. A sublte old meets new interpretation using very earthy ingredients. Just looking at the recipe on the website here, I see he used carrageen moss, agar agar and gelatine to thicken the pudding. Did he give any reason for using three different types of thickener? Also, it really highlights one of the big “seasonal” difficulties with the competition… in springtime, we see Corrigan cooking an autumnal dessert (blackberries, apples and rosehips) which is to be served in summer.

I too find Jenny Bond a bit grating... very Watercolour Challenge.

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Does anybody know who exactly are the French chefs attending the banquet?

[nikkib]

I thought it was french dignatries and politicians to try to rebutt the Chirac comments about how bad British food is - I can't imagine the chefs involved wanting to do this for other chefs?

[augustine]

I thought it was french dignatries and politicians to try to rebutt the Chirac comments about how bad British food is - I can't imagine the chefs involved wanting to do this for other chefs?

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France's finest chefs are coming too. Don't know who but would love to be a fly on the wall if Pacaud, Passard, Allèno etc are there.

[Corinna Dunne]

I enjoyed last night's episode. But wow... a lot of Ramsay seems to have rubbed off on Stuart Gillies. He sounds so like him, his intonation, everything!

Those scallops looked wonderful too. Apparently there is some EU regulation which prohibits selling them in their shells, which isn't an issue anywhere except in the Republic of Ireland where it is stupidly enforced.

[RDB]

I enjoyed last night's episode. But wow... a lot of Ramsay seems to have rubbed off on Stuart Gillies. He sounds so like him, his intonation, everything!

Those scallops looked wonderful too. Apparently there is some EU regulation which prohibits selling them in their shells, which isn't an issue anywhere except in the Republic of Ireland where it is stupidly enforced.

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It is funny I thought the exact same thing about Gillies when I seen him on that dreadful, dreadful, dreadful, market kitchen. He is Ramsey's mini me.

I have also lost sight of what the main aim of the show is, specifically around the whole 'regional' element. Why do the chefs have to cook something from their region, if they are cooking for the French. I doubt the French dignatries or chefs are going to comment on ' great examples of central England ingredients' or ' excellent sourcing from the South East'. I am sure what makes them 'great' British chefs in their respective restaurants is the food they cook there, which I doubt is all based on the terribly cliched 'local ingredients' nor is it particular recipes to that region. Is the regionality of dishes and ingredients still as important this time around??

I think the judges are not sure of the criteria, whereby one week they are praising Sat Bains forward thinking and modern cuisine as really what they are looking for, whereby the next week getting all excited about some other chefs crab cake and mayo.

Sorry to ramble on, but I think I am missing the point?

[augustine]

I enjoyed last night's episode. But wow... a lot of Ramsay seems to have rubbed off on Stuart Gillies. He sounds so like him, his intonation, everything!

Those scallops looked wonderful too. Apparently there is some EU regulation which prohibits selling them in their shells, which isn't an issue anywhere except in the Republic of Ireland where it is stupidly enforced.

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It is funny I thought the exact same thing about Gillies when I seen him on that dreadful, dreadful, dreadful, market kitchen. He is Ramsey's mini me.

I have also lost sight of what the main aim of the show is, specifically around the whole 'regional' element. Why do the chefs have to cook something from their region, if they are cooking for the French. I doubt the French dignatries or chefs are going to comment on ' great examples of central England ingredients' or ' excellent sourcing from the South East'. I am sure what makes them 'great' British chefs in their respective restaurants is the food they cook there, which I doubt is all based on the terribly cliched 'local ingredients' nor is it particular recipes to that region. Is the regionality of dishes and ingredients still as important this time around??

I think the judges are not sure of the criteria, whereby one week they are praising Sat Bains forward thinking and modern cuisine as really what they are looking for, whereby the next week getting all excited about some other chefs crab cake and mayo.

Sorry to ramble on, but I think I am missing the point?

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[/quote

I agree with all of the above. I don't see the point of the show except to say that it is always nice to watch good chefs cook. I can't see how the chefs and other guests will be enthralled though. On the night there will be dozens of restaurant serving top quality British ingredients in Paris. The most British dish in Paris that night will be Pacaud's "Feuillantine de Dublin bay prawn , sesame et sauce curry".

[Jonesey]

Jenny Bond irritates me so much now that I record the programme and then watch it later that evening fast forwarding through the bits with Jenny This makes the programme approximately 15 mins long!

[CalumC]

Jenny Bond! - *smashes fist on table*. ARGH, why do they persist with the woman. Last time, i just about got it, she was royal correspondent, this time, she hasnt anything to do with it. She's got no idea how annoying she is.

Rant over.

[Andy Lynes]

My money's on Mark Hix for this round. I would very happily eat all four of his dishes which meet the remit of actually being British better than any of the chefs so far this series. I don't know what's happened to Michael Caines this time around. He seems particularly uninspired - his duck and cabbage dish was very ordinary and (supposedly) using Jus-rol for the apple tart is surely not on for a 2 star chef.

I wondered how Hix's "so-laid-back-I'm hardly-there-look-in-the-dictionary-under-laconic-and-you'll-find-a-picture-of-me" demenour would come across on screen but I think he's been very entertaining and for the most part refreshingly unwilling to enter into Jenny Bond-prompted bitching matches.

[Andy Lynes]

Jenny Bond perches kittenishly on a counter top and leans in towards the chef as she tastes his dish. I shudder.

[ravelda]

She has to be the most annoying presenter ever! Blimey - I would rather have Ant and Dec! Still, could be worse, could be Dale Winton!

[CalumC]

Anyone know who won, I missed it, and the BBC site is naff for updates.

[ajnicholls]

Mark Hix won; the judges said it was extremely close and felt that Mark's menu was more daring and interesting. Michael Caines was criticised for using apples (out of season) and for being a bit too French in style.

I may refuse to pay my license fee if the BBC don't get rid of Jenny Bond. Christ, I never thought anyone could be a more annoying than Ainsley "percy pepper" Harriott.

Adam

[britcook]

Everybody seems to blame Jennie Bond (please note CORRECT spelling of her name) for the dreadfulness of this program when the real blame lies with the director and editor. She isn't the one who shows the same clip 3 times, misses the key cooking moments and shows the same dumb intro to the judges every night when once a week is too much, that's all down to the production team. Of course the fact that she's intensely irritating doesn't help either.

[Corinna Dunne]

Mark Hix won; the judges said it was extremely close and felt that Mark's menu was more daring and interesting. Michael Caines was criticised for using apples (out of season) and for being a bit too French in style.

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I haven't watched any of last week's episodes yet (recorded, so may get to it), and have only had a chance to dip in and out of the series... but the lack of a clear judging criteria really is a problem. So they criticised Michael Caines for using apples out of season, but were positively delighted to see Richard Corrigan using apples, blackberries and rosehips. In fact I think they even commented on the wonderful autumnal quality of the dessert.

[ajnicholls]

They heavily criticised Atul Kochhar for the same thing the previous week. Anyone know when this was filmed, as most people seem to be using out of season products that were probably in season when it was filmed?