The Big Family Cooking Showdown (2017–2018): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript

[Zoe] The British family kitchen-
whether it's where you love to eat--

This is where we have our family feasts.

[Zoe] Or where you love to cook...

Yeah!

It's where we all learn to love food.

I taste the food of many chef

in many different restaurants,
all over the world.

-[Giorgio] But family cooking--
-[woman] This one's puffing up.

This is where real food comes from.

[Rosemary] Home cooking does
something that fine dining does not,

it creates the heart within the home.



-[Nadiya] She's eating the ingredients.
-Bringing the family together.

We're searching
for Britain's best family of cooks.

Over the next few weeks,
16 families will go head-to-head.

[Zoe] Teenagers and grandparents,
brothers and sisters,

all cooking their very best family food,
in their own homes.

-The judges gonna love it.
-'Course they will.

And here in our kitchen.

[Nadiya] Oh, that smell.

That is delicious.

[woman] I'm shaking so much.

[Zoe] Judging their efforts
every step of the way--

-[woman] Oh!
-[woman] Drama.

[Zoe] ...Renowned cookery teacher,
Rosemary Shrager.

[Rosemary] I'm looking for a family
who are going to blow me away



with the understanding of flavour,
texture,

and altogether gorgeousness.

[Zoe] And top Michelin-starred chef--

[woman] Hi, Giorgio.

[Zoe] ...Giorgio Locatelli.

[Giorgio]
The food that I want to see is,

of course, very tasty and beautiful.

But the most important thing
is to see them cooking with joy,

that's what home cooking's about.

These are the families
who make ordinary food extraordinary.

Utterly delicious.

[Giorgio] I learned something today.

The judges have made a decision.

This is
The Big Family Cooking Showdown.

[Zoe] Today, two families
will go up against each other,

each represented
by three family members.

They'll be tested
over three challenging rounds,

here in our kitchen
and in their own homes,

after which the judges will decide
who goes through to the semi-finals.

Our first food-obsessed family
are the Marks.

-We like working together.
-Yeah, we do.

[Jessica] But part of our strategy

is to sort of keep my mother
a little bit in sort of check.

-Yeah.
-Check!

Because that can also
sort of be quite challenging.

[Zoe]
They're up against the Charleses.

I'm helper, praise and encouragement.

-Dan's list maker and I'm--
-Supervisor.

...in charge.

-[Jean] Betty decided that?
-[Betty] Yeah.

-You're to just to as you're told.
-I do as I'm told.

A warm welcome
to our wonderful families.

The Marks, meet the Charles,
the Charles meet the Marks.

All looking very calm
before the storm hits.

Please meet your judges,
Rosemary and Giorgio,

who expect to be served
some seriously good home cooking.

[Nadiya] We're starting
with the Ten Pound Challenge.

Today's theme is weekend lunch.

The judges want to see you
come up with something really special -

a family lunch for four for just £10.

You have an hour and 15 minutes.

Let's get cooking!

[whispers] Oh, God.

[Zoe] Both families have had time
to practice today's dishes.

What do you reckon's
going on over there?

Don't look over there,
just concentrate on that bread.

[Zoe] The Charles family
from Yorkshire are Betty,

husband Dan, and mum Jean.

Betty is the boss of the kitchen.

-Is there any question?
-[laughter]

-I'm just not going to say anything.
-[laughter]

[Zoe]
For their Ten Pound Weekend Lunch,

they're making
a fennel and lemon risotto

with parmesan crisps,

tempura fennel fritters
and a chargrilled vegetable salad.

[Giorgio] For me, there is nothing better
than the risotto

to enjoy with your family
on a Sunday lunch.

[Betty] Well, considering one of the main
judges is an Italian, mas--

[Dan] Michelin-starred chef.

Um, absolutely calm and fine about it,
obviously.

[Giorgio] Perfect risotto
is made of simplicity.

This risotto with fennel and lemon,

it will be very difficult
to balance the flavour.

-[Jean] Am I in your way? I hope so.
-Always.

[Jean laughs].

So, Jean, is this something you do
quite often then, cooking together?

[Jean] We do,
we do loads of cooking together.

They're really, really good at cooking,

I'm alright at cooking, I'm, you know,
I'm home cooking.

[Nadiya] Do you go to their house
and cook or do they come to yours?

Either, because we only live
about three miles away, so we're...

If someone feeds me,
I'll happily stay forever.

I will too!
They're very welcome and I'm, well...

I say I'm very welcome there,
maybe I'm not, Nadiya.

I think they love you,
they just can't get rid of you.

Do you think that's what it is?

[laughter]

[Betty laughs]

[Nadiya] Adventurous foodies,
Betty and Dan, got married last year.

[Betty] I'd definitely say that
our passion for food and cooking

started when we went travelling.

The smells, the colours, everything,
it was just phenomenal.

-Just a massive eye opener for us.
-[Dan] Mm-hm.

-You've always been just a good...
-I've always cooked.

Yeah, you have.

Yes, well I've got four kids,

so I always wanted
to try and feed them well.

I'm rolling, I'm pushing.

You're not doing anything
that I'm telling you.

We have lots of fun
when we cook together.

Yeah, we do.

We, we make each other laugh, no end.

I'm pushing and rolling.

No, let it go...

[Dan] Squeeze it.

[Dan] Food's a huge,
huge part of our lives.

-[Betty] We like to impress and--
-Yeah, absolutely, yeah.

[Dan] We really go for it.

[Betty] We make an event of pretty much
every meal we do.

[Dan] Yeah.

I think you're more showy than I am
with food.

-You're getting--
-I just really like cooking.

[Betty] How competitive are we?

-I think we'll win the competition.
-[laughter]

When we went to Italy, to Sorrento,

we were taught to cook risotto,
it was amazing.

She was explaining to us that
there's eight steps to the best risotto,

the base, temptation, then the sigh,

then the cooking,
the parting, the buttering,

the serving, and then the eating.

-She did teach me them in Italian, um...
-[Dan] Go ahead.

I'm very...
I'm very aware that Giorgio's here.

-Italian?
-[Rosemary] Yeah, come on, Betty.

[Giorgio speaks Italian]
La base.

[Betty speaks Italian]

[Dan speaks Italian]

[Betty continues to speak in Italian]

[Giorgio speaks Italian]

Yes! Yes! Get in.

Get in.

Could you give me the cream, please?

[Oscar] Don't put it all in.

Don't worry, I know what I'm doing.

-You do know what you're doing.
-I do know what I'm doing.

[Nadiya] The Marks family are Oscar,

his mum Jessica,
and grandmother Torren.

Today, we are making
Swedish meatballs.

It is the most national dish ever.

[Nadiya] The meatballs will be served
with a traditional cream sauce,

dill mashed potato, buttered greens

and a cranberry sauce.

I think the most important thing
is the sauce.

They're using a beef stock and then
they're putting cream into it

and then on the side, cranberry sauce.

The combination, to me,
doesn't seem to tally together,

but I might be surprised.

[Oscar]
I would say these are perfect, actually.

I would say I agree, for once.

[Oscar] Now we just have to make
some perfectly formed balls.

[Torren laughs] That's a bit big.

[Oscar] That was a bit big, that one.

[Zoe] I'm interested to know

if this is Torren's family meatball
recipe.

You know when families keep recipes
for themselves?

[Nadiya] Yeah.

My family doesn't
have that kind of recipe, do you?

-My mum--
-Yeah.

...has lots of recipes,
but she doesn't give them to us,

she says we'd just massacre them.

It would be great if it is a recipe
that's gone through the years--

[Zoe] Yeah.

-And they've all learned--
-Generation to generation.

Yeah, and the--

The day you get taught
the meatball recipe.

We're sharing that today.
That would be great, good.

Torren, how do you stay so young?

I've felt much loved in my life.

[Zoe gasps]

A little birdy told me
that you've had four husbands?

-Yes.
-Yeah? All of them good?

-Three very good.
-[Zoe] Three of them weren't bad?

-Will you marry again, do you think?
-No, thank you.

-[Zoe] Okay.
-I've been there, I've done that.

No number five?

-Well, only as a boyfriend.
-[Zoe] Okay.

I've got a couple of those going now.

Enjoy making the meatballs.
Isn't she wonderful?

No, I'm just considered quite mad.

-I absolutely adore Torren.
-She's lovely, she looks--

[Zoe] She's wonderful.

[Nadiya] I need three more husbands.

-Abdul, be afraid.
-Yeah.

[Torren] I'm 86,

but I really
don't want to tell you that.

[Jessica] She's worried
because she's got a boyfriend

and he's younger than her.

-12 years.
-[both] He doesn't know how old she is.

[Jessica] I had to do
a dinner party for her birthday

and have cake and everything,
but we couldn't tell anyone--

-But didn't somebody let it slip?
-...that it was her birthday.

[Zoe]
Former fashion designer and model,

Torren, has lived in the UK
for over 50 years.

[Torren] I lived all my adult life
in London,

and I love it here,

and I feel now
more English than Swedish.

We've a very strong connection
with Sweden though,

'cause I've been spending
all my summers in Sweden

since I was born, basically.

[Jessica] And me too.

In the summer, you have the crayfish
season, crayfish party time.

It's the same with mid-summer,
we would have this huge summer buffet.

So I think food was a celebration

and spending
happy times with the family.

Oh, come on, we want
to be the best cooking family in Britain.

Of course, of course.

Torren's in it for the cameras
and the lights.

I just want to be the star, my dear.

[all] Skal!

[Nadiya] Back in the Charles' kitchen,

mum Jean is making
the parmesan crisps

to accompany Betty's risotto.

[Jean] I don't want it too brown
and I don't want it too pale,

it can be a bit chewy.
I've got to be vigilant.

Nobody wants a burnt crisp.

[Betty] Don't burn them, Mum.

How are the Marks doing?

Oh, God, they've formed the meatballs.

Grandmother is off chatting to people
'cause that's what she does.

But luckily, we've got a contingency plan
for her absence.

Just to get on with it. [laughs]

[Jean] Oh, I didn't bend it round me
rolling pin quick enough,

so it hasn't gone properly circular.

Betty will be annoyed at that one.

[Dan] We won't tell her, Jean,
we won't tell her.

Right, next one.

-[Oscar] Torren.
-[Rosemary] You've got work to do.

The meatballs are in the oven now.

-Oh, are they?
-Yes come back to work.

-No skiving off.
-Oh, gosh.

We're here to cook.

So are you going to help Mum
with the mash now, I believe?

Why should I help you,
you're so good at it?

This is what family food's all about,

it's about enjoying themselves
cooking together.

-[Giorgio] It feels like Sunday morning.
-It does, doesn't it?

We underestimate the power of food.

I'm getting the rice so the rice
is really hot, but not coloured,

and then I'll add the wine.

[Dan] There's your wine here, babe.

[Betty] There we go.

I've just added my wine, or the sigh,
and that goes in with a little stock,

and just keep going
until we're up to the buttering stage.

[Zoe] Okay, you have half an hour left.

-[Betty] I don't think this will be ready.
-[Dan] Let's hope it is.

Well, you, it'll...

You've half an hour,
that's the long and short of it.

[Zoe] Oscar's making his version

of a traditional cream sauce
for the meatballs.

[Oscar] This sauce,
I've made my own vegetable stock,

I've also put in some, some beef into it.

I put the soy sauce in to darken it a bit
and also to provide some saltiness,

and the redcurrant jelly is for,
for a bit of sweetness.

[Torren] Oscar is the sauce king.

I love his sauces, he's got a real touch.
He's my adored grandson.

That is delicious.

[Nadiya] In the Charles' kitchen,

Dan's moved on to
the tempura fennel fritters.

[Dan] I'm just getting ready to make
the tempura batter,

so I've just got my plain flour
in, um, I'm going to get my soda water in,

it'll be a bit, a touch of corn starch,

if Betty's not listening, 'cause she
doesn't want me to change the recipe.

The sooner you eat them
after them being cooked,

the crispier and the better they taste.

I'm planning to leave the tempura
till the last five minutes.

[Betty]
Are you planning on doing that?

-It just, it's...
-[Jean] It's just how it's worked.

It needs to drain though.
It needs to drain.

Put them in now. Oh, God.

Guys, you've got 15 minutes to go.

Oh, my God.
We've had loads of time at home though,

like, time to spare, I don't get it.

[Dan] My tempura batter looks a bit thin.

Betty, is it okay?
Just have a quick check.

Yep.

-Are you sure?
-Yep.

I was worried the tempura batter
was too thin, Betty told me it wasn't.

That was the end of the conversation.
[laughs]

[Torren] It's a bit thin that sauce.

It must be the right consistency.

Well, will you get all those lumps out?

It's the mistake I think.

[Jessica] We need to get ready
to serve now, guys.

-It's got the, the--
-Lumps.

...lumps.
There's nothing I can do about that now.

-[Jessica] You can strain it quickly.
-Strain it.

[Jean] Oh, come here.

[Betty]
Are you alright down there, Mum?

Just burning my face
in front of this grill, I'm fine.

-As long as you're not burning the food.
-[Dan] Do it quietly, Jean.

[Zoe] Five minutes!
[Betty] Argh!

[Dan] Parmesan crisps?

[Jessica] Got to have our flag.

[Torren] Got to have our flag.

[Dan] Have they brought
a little Swedish flag and everything?

-[Jean] Oh, have they?
-[Dan] We didn't bring props.

[Betty] Right, guys,
have a look at it all now.

[Jean] That looks bang on.

[Oscar] Ta-dah!

[Zoe] Time's up. That's it.

[they cheer]

-[Betty] We did it.
-[Jean] We did it.

[Zoe] With their £10-budget,
the Marks have made

Swedish meatballs
with a traditional cream sauce,

mashed potato with dill
and a cranberry sauce.

Incredibly beautifully understated,
in a very Swedish manner.

-I really like it.
-Mm, me too.

[Giorgio]
The meatballs have been cooked

tiny little bit too much.

The using of the meat to make that stock,
it really shines through that sauce,

a little bit more thickness -
I know you had a bit of a problem,

I saw you were
struggling with that whisk,

thought you were going to murder--

-Little bit, yeah.
-...both of them.

But you were very polite,
that's very good.

Very, very good boy.

-It's delicious.
-Thank you very much.

It's not dry, it's meaty,
you don't need any more seasoning,

you don't need any more flavour.

And with the sauce...

...brings it together.

Thank you.

So, I think we'll just go
for the cranberry sauce.

It's interesting.

[Torren chuckles]

Do you know what it reminds me of?
A little bit of Christmas lunch.

Yes, absolutely.

This is a piece of Sweden,
and the fact that this is a recipe

that has been in your family
for such a long time, it shows.

Thank you so much.

Full of goodness and full of love.

-Thank you.
-Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

[Zoe] The Charles family
have made a lemon and fennel risotto,

with parmesan crisps
and tempura fennel fritters.

First of all, I think it looks lovely.

I would love to have this
for a lovely lunch, I really would.

We ought to go to--

-[Giorgio] To the fennel.
-[Rosemary] The fennel.

[Giorgio]
Who was in charge of the batter here?

This guy.

-[Giorgio] Was it?
-[Dan] Yeah.

[Giorgio] Just by the look of it,

the batter was a little bit thin,

it needed to be a little bit thicker.

The actually thing doesn't look coated,
it looks naked.

Then we get to these lovely
parmesan crisps, beautiful colour.

-Go on, Mum.
-[Giorgio] And it's very crispy.

It hasn't sweat,
so there's no grease in the mouth,

and it has a fantastic flavour.

-It's difficult--
-[Jean] Yeah.

[Giorgio] ...to get,
but you have managed in this case.

-So, very good.
-Go on, Mum.

[Rosemary] Well...

The risotto, should I taste it?

I think you'd better taste.
Shall I give you a plate?

I saw you cooking those fennel
with a touch of chilli,

I thought, "Whoa, and the lemon,

now many thing
goes inside this risotto?" you know.

To be overcomplicated,
it was my great worry.

Okay.

I think maybe I've been proved wrong.

[gasping]

Can I have a little bit more?

Yes!

The flavours are really complement
each other.

The lemon sustain it, the fennel is there
with the sweetness

and the chilli, that's the...
I learned something today.

Very, very well done.

-That is bellissimo.
[laughter]

-Bonissimo.
-Bonissimo.

Bonissimo.

[they laugh]

I'm absolutely impressed
about this risotto,

I'm impressed for the balance,

I'm impressed about the cooking,
I'm impressed about the mantecatura,

I'm impressed about the garnishes,

the parmesan crisps,
I would serve this risotto.

-Oh!
-[Rosemary] Oh, he's impressed.

-Giorgio!
-[applause]

[Rosemary] He's impressed.
Well done.

[Zoe] For the next challenge,
both families must cook a main course

and dessert for Rosemary and Giorgio
in their own homes.

[Nadiya] The first stop is Bridlington
in East Yorkshire,

a seaside town famous for it's
shellfish and award-winning chippies

and home to the Charles family.

I hope they like flowers.

Roll over.

Just taking the dogs
for a walk before the chaos ensues.

It's fully mental that we've got Giorgio
and Rosemary coming for dinner today.

Jean's obviously a constant worry,
Dan's made a concise list of to-do's.

She's quite easily distracted,

which is why I've wrote vigilant
on there for her.

If Jean follows the list and I listen
to Betty, then we're all good, yeah.

[Nadiya]
And for today's family favourites,

they've just 90 minutes
to cook two courses.

[Jean] Nadia's here. She's here!

[Betty] Go on, then!

[Dan] Hey!

-[Nadiya] Hi.
-Hi.

[Betty] Get in!

[laughter]

[Nadiya] How are you?

[Jean]
Oh, well, all the better for seeing you.

[Nadiya] Aw.

Your house says so much about you

and you are so in love
and that's really nice, actually.

So what was your wedding like?

Oh, it was just so amazing.
Dan did, like, the best speech.

I said, "It's been an emotional day,
even the cake's in tiers."

[Betty] Hey!

That is actually so bad
that it's actually good.

It was like that calibre of hilarity.

[Nadiya laughs]

As you know, the judges would
like you to cook your family favourites,

a main and a dessert.

You've got one hour and 30 minutes.
Off you go.

-Come on, guys.
-Right, come on, action stations.

[Nadiya] Dan and Jean are responsible
for the main course,

a spatchcock ginger and chilli
roast chicken,

with Bengali spiced butternut squash,
crispy chicken skin

and garlic and herb flatbreads.

Just cut that one in half.
Oh, one's fallen on the floor [laughs].

[Betty] I had my back turned
for one minute.

[Jean] I wasn't very vigilant then, was I?

[Nadiya] To help the chicken cook
quickly and evenly,

Dan uses a nifty technique.

-Are you spatchcocking the chicken?
-That's exactly what I'm doing.

[Dan] Cut the bone out, flatten it.

[Nadiya] Is this the bit where you go...?
[Dan] That's it.

You hear that crack?

The chicken packs in
an awful lot of flavour,

the chilli, the garlic,
the ginger, big flavour coming through.

But it's very, very important
to get that chicken cooked properly.

[Dan] Chicken's in, guys.

Oh, gosh.

[Nadiya] Jean, tell me,
what are you doing up there?

[Jean] I was a telephone engineer.
Towards the end of the '70s,

after they had
the Equal Opportunities Act,

I was working
for BT anyway and I thought,

oh, what really attracted me

was I thought you went round
people's houses for a cup of tea.

But I didn't realise you were
doing a bit of telephone pole climbing.

I don't know if I was the first,
but I was certainly one of the very first.

[Dan] Don't lie to them, Jean.

I could have been the first,
but I don't know.

-[Dan] If they find out you're lying.
-[Jean laughs]

[Dan]
The squash just wants a few minutes

getting tossed through the spice mix

and then it's going to go underneath
the chicken.

I love the idea the spatchcock
chicken's got spices on it,

but she's also spiced
the butternut squash.

Let's see if it's not too much?

[Nadiya]
These are all really familiar smells, Dan.

You know I'm from the Bengal as well?

These are the smells
that I've grown up with,

so I feel right at home here.

[Nadiya] Dan's also making
a crispy chicken skin.

So our friendly butcher gives us
some skin if we ask him nicely.

The spice mix - chilli powder,
garam masala, cumin, coriander,

paprika, cardamom pods,
some fresh chilli as well.

[Nadiya] The trick to crisping it up

is to flatten it
between two baking trays.

Normally, Betty doesn't do puddings.

Today, she's attempting
a childhood favourite with a twist.

A mango and cardamom cream posset,

topped with toasted coconut,
lime curd and fresh mango.

Posset, such a British thing,

with two incredible flavours,
which is the cardamom and the mango.

I'm expecting something delicious here.

[Rosemary] I love posset,
but it's all about the textures

and the balance of the dessert.

If they get it wrong,
it could be a disaster.

[Nadiya] Betty, do you not eat?

[Betty] No, that's, um,
how we stay in shape.

-There's milk.
-[Jean] And that was mine.

[Dan] It actually is, as well.

[Betty] No, we just take everything out of
the fridge, turn it up as high as it can,

to get it as cold as possible, to give it
the most amount of chance to set.

I'm not a big dessert person,
so this is a big deal for me.

-[Nadiya] Right, go on.
-[Betty] Please set.

[Nadiya] The final job
is making flatbreads from scratch.

The bread must be really soft
and really fluffy,

beautiful colour, perfectly seasoned,
to accompany this dish,

it has to carry so much flavour.

[Betty] Don't forget the baking powder.

-[Jean clears throat]
-You remembered.

Have a little faith, guys.
Have a little bit of faith.

Guys, you've had half an hour.

[Betty] Okay. Oh, baste the chicken.

[Dan] I just have.

These lovely recipes,
why are they your family favourites?

We've always done a lot of travelling,
out in south-east Asia

and this is the sort of weekly stuff
that we like to cook,

just... we like to spice it up
a bit really.

-All the things that you love--
-Yeah.

...that you've picked up while travelling?

Yeah.

-The chicken will be ready in ten minutes.
-Will it?

-We've only got about 20 left.
-Oh, my God.

-[Betty] I'm not opening that fridge.
-[Nadiya] Don't.

The more time the better,
so don't touch it.

[Betty] Don't touch it.
[Nadiya] Don't touch.

[Dan] The chicken's done.

[Betty]
Brilliant, let's get it out to rest.

Is it done?

[Jean] Stick it right in the breast bit.

[Dan] I've had it up to, like,
the mid-70s and now it's...

[Betty] Put it back in.

[Nadiya] Meanwhile,
Jean griddles the flatbreads.

-[Betty] Are we alright there?
-[Jean] Tickety-boo.

Nowt wrong with that.

-[Jean] I know what I didn't do.
-[Dan] Go on.

[Jean] I didn't put salt
in the flatbreads,

but we can put a bit on the top,
can't we?

Don't tell anybody that...

-[Nadiya] Guys, you've got 11 minutes.
-[Betty] Oh, my God. Right, okay.

[Nadiya] The chicken's not
the only thing that needs more time.

[Dan]
The chicken skin's still a little soft.

Why have you taken the top off
the chicken skin?

[Dan] To get it hotter, quicker.

-Do you think that's done?
-I'm not in charge of crispy skin.

-[Betty] What does it usually look like?
[Dan] That, but crispier.

Pray it says the right number.
It's got to get to 74.

[Betty] Ah, there we go, 78.

[Nadiya] You said you wanted
to take your posset out at eight minutes.

-Six, maybe.
-[Dan] It's six minutes to go, Betty!

Yeah, I'm taking it out,
I'm taking it out now.

Yes. Yes!

-I can't hear anything.
-Yes, yes.

[Nadiya] Betty finishes her possets
with lime curd,

toasted coconut
and a disc of fresh mango.

[Nadiya] Beautiful, Betty.

[Betty] They're ready to be blowtorched.
Swap.

[Nadiya] Guys, I don't mean to alarm you,
but the judges are on their way.

[Betty] Oh, my God, the chicken skin!
There, that looks, that looks fine.

This is the bits I was worried about.
It's still... Oh, it's hard.

[Nadiya] It's fine. Smile, Dan, come on.

-[Betty] Yay!
-[Nadiya] Yay!

[Betty and Dan laugh]

They look a bit...

[Betty] They look fine,
that's how we eat them.

-[Nadiya] One minute.
-[Betty] Ah!

And it has got to be on the table.

[Betty] Okay.

-[Dan] We're done.
-[Betty] Okay, okay.

[Nadiya] Go on, after you.

[all] Yay!

[Betty] Get in here.
[Nadiya] You did it. Well done.

Feeling a bit left out, come here, Jean.
It'll be fine, it'll be fine.

[Nadiya] First on the Charles'
family favourites menu,

Dan's chilli ginger roast chicken,
with crispy chicken skin...

...with Jean's Bengali-spiced
butternut squash

and garlic and herb flatbreads.

This, as a dish,

the presentation would be
impossible to get in any family in Europe,

only in Britain this is happening.

It looks fantastic,
let's see how it tastes like.

The chicken is cooked perfectly.

It is not easy, as well,

to have legs and breast both nice
and succulent and delicious in taste.

All those flavours
are really working together

into something quite special.
It's really good.

Squash, cooked al dente, is perfect.

Mm-hm, it needs a bit of bite.

Just... yes, that little bit of bite,
it really does help.

[Rosemary] I really like that skin,
it's crispy,

it's like having a piece of crackling,

but it's also so tasty, with the chilli
and all the flavours in there.

Who made the bread?

The cooking's fine.

No seasoning.

-[Jean] Oh.
-It's just bland.

That takes just a pinch of salt
to make it better.

I think this is Britain talking to us,
really, from the kitchen.

I tell you something,
you know how to cook.

-Thank you so much.
-Thank you.

[Nadiya] Now for Betty's
mango and cardamom posset,

with lime curd, toasted coconut topping
and caramelised mango.

You call that a posset?

Yeah.

It is exactly what it is.

-Oh!
-[laughter]

You got it perfect...

[laughs]

...because the mango hits you first
and the creaminess comes

and last in your mouth is little
pieces of coconut, which is incredible.

This is a very, very good dessert.

Oh, my God.

Thank you so much.

Well, fibber,
you said that don't do desserts.

-I don't! I don't!
-[Nadiya] Of course you don't.

-Well, maybe I do?
-Maybe you do now.

I think I do.

-You were fantastic.
-Oh, we all were.

[Dan] They loved it.

-So, so happy.
-I forgot the salt.

I know. Did you not follow your list?

I followed my list,
but I did forget the salt.

I'm looking forward to seeing
what you cook next.

I cannot wait, I'm so excited.

[Zoe] The judges next destination

is the busy suburb of Shepherd's Bush
in west London.

Tucked away amongst the residential
terraced streets,

a distinctive warehouse conversion,
home to Jessica of the Marks family.

[Jessica] Something that
we would always do is have candles,

so even if we're having lunch,
we would still have candles

and that's quite
a traditional Swedish thing.

This is a traditional wooden side plate
that we tend to use

when we're eating bread.

-[Torren] Is it okay?
-[Oscar] Mm-hm.

Thank you, darling.

[Oscar] It's a bit of
a family tradition, this dish.

Torren originally taught us,

and then we've kind of all adapted it
in our own little way.

-Little bit nervous.
-I don't have any nerves.

As usual... [laughs]

So, Zoe, welcome to our home.

Ah-hah! Oscar, how are you my darling?

-Nice to see you again.
-Lovely to see you. I'm very excited.

-Welcome.
-Lovely to see you.

-It's lovely to see you.
-Are we ready?

-Yeah, we're ready.
-[Torren] Yes.

As you know, the judges have
asked you to cook your family favourite,

main and dessert, in 90 minutes -
off you go.

-Alright.
-[Jessica] Let's go for it, guys.

[Zoe] Oscar's responsible
for the main course,

his version of a traditional Swedish
fish soup,

served with a garlic mayonnaise,
aioli, and rustic bread rolls.

This is wholemeal flour

and I've added some flax seeds
and pumpkin seeds,

just to give it a bit more texture.

I have practised this before and it did go
fairly well.

[laughs] Who knows this time?

[Zoe] Jessica's in charge
of the garlic mayonnaise,

to accompany Oscar's soup and bread.

It's going to be a garnish, like an aioli.

We've always got this conflict going on
with the garlic,

I don't like if it's too garlicky,
Mother likes it very garlicky.

You're probably about half way, Oscar,
aren't you, between the two?

Cor, that's a bit garlicky, Mum.

-Well, I think it will be fine.
-[Torren] It can't be too garlicky for me.

I'm responsible for the soup.
I started by sweating some onions,

garlic, fennel and a little bit of carrot,

that's followed by some spices,
actually some curry powder.

[Zoe]
Finally, he adds a fish stock cube.

[Rosemary] They're choosing fish soup
as their main course.

If you're going to do that,
you need a really good stock,

using the fish bones,
because that's where the flavour will be.

You've had half an hour,
lovely Marks family, half an hour.

[Jessica] Half an hour,
how's your bread getting on?

-[Oscar] It's rising.
-[Jessica] Great.

[Zoe] For pudding, Torren's making
Dotty Grandma's apple crumble,

with a Swedish-inspired
cardamom flavoured custard.

I'm looking for a beautiful crumble,

to be moist and really nice underneath
with the apples

and really crispy and nutty at the top.

[Zoe] How is her apple crumble?
I'm imagining.

-[Oscar] I love it, I absolutely love it.
-[Torren] Taste a bit, it's delicious.

You won't be able to stop eating it.

-Oh, that is delicious.
-[Torren] Yeah.

Who taught you to cook?

My father, who was actually a lawyer,
he was a great cook.

Not my mother.

It was a nice pastime
when he got home from work?

Yes.

Heavy day as a lawyer, come home,
cook, cook with his daughter.

Yeah, he liked that.

Okay, and why do you use a fork?

Because it's easier to break down
the butter

and the almonds together,
so you don't get the big lumps.

People love it.

[Zoe] it's going to be delicious.

But the judges have got to think so.

Well, exactly,
it's all in the taste and the judges.

[Zoe] With the crumble topping done,
Torren turns to the filling.

I grate the apples
because I prefer it to sliced.

It becomes fluffier and doesn't go

like a mashed apple puree, just better.

[Zoe] The crumble will be served with

Jessica's freshly made
cardamom custard,

starting with ground cardamom
and vanilla extract.

I'm addicted to cardamom,

so I just thought,
rather than having a vanilla sauce--

Ah, excuse me, I...
it was my idea, excuse me.

You can't take the credit for everything,
Torren.

No, sorry, no, Jessica.

She may well have
come up with the idea

at the same time, or even before,

but that... I really did not want to have
a vanilla custard.

I'm whisking the egg yolks

and I'm boiling up some cream
with some cardamom,

so that the cardamom flavour
can infuse into the cream,

and then I shall be adding it to the eggs.

[Zoe] Just to remind you,
the judges are on their way.

[Jessica] Crumble's coming out.
Whoops.

[Torren] They look great.

Fish is ready.

Where's the aioli?

Argh!

It's quite tense now.

[Oscar] How's the bread?

That looks good, Jessica, continue.

[Zoe gasps and laughs]

[Jessica] Crumble's served.

Time's up. Well done family,
that was fantastic work.

Are you pleased?

-[Jessica] Well done, Oscar.
-Yeah, yeah, I'm pleased.

It looks beautiful.

[Zoe] The first dish to be tasted
by the judges is the Swedish fish soup,

with aioli and freshly baked bread rolls.

The fish is beautifully cooked.

You've got all the ingredients
to make a fabulous soup,

but it's a little bland.

If you'd just got some fish bones
and made a proper stock,

then you would have had
a proper fish soup.

We've always tried to make it
not very fishy--

-[Jessica] Yes.
-That's probably silly for a fish soup.

Okay, you done a really good job
with this bread, it's really well cooked,

it's got a lovely crust
and a lovely colour.

The flavour is delicious, the right amount
of seasoning in it, I like that.

Thank you.

I'm going to try it with the aioli.

It's got a little bit of bitterness
to that,

maybe too much garlic.

[Zoe] Now for Torren's apple crumble,
with cardamom custard.

First of all,
I love the look of this crunchy top.

That is quite frankly delicious.

Oh, thank you.

I like the fact that apple was grated,

so you've got that soft underneath,
real nutty texture on the top.

-I'm going to steal that recipe.
-[laughter]

-With pleasure.
-That is delicious.

The custard, I can't taste the cardamom,
but I do taste a lot of vanilla.

But it's still a fantastic custard,

I wish they served custard
like that everywhere. [laughter]

-[Rosemary] Well done.
-Well done.

[Zoe] How do you feel?

-Great, good.
-Absolutely thrilled.

I personally was really happy
about the criticism,

because I learned something.

You learned something, so did I.

For me, life is a learning process.

I couldn't have put it better myself,
Torren.

Good.

[Zoe] Today,
both families return to our kitchen

for their third and final challenge...

...after which,
the judges will decide which family

to put through to the semi-finals.

[Dan] Just do our best, guys.

That's all we can do is our best.

[Betty] Okay.

But try and do a bit better
than your best.

-Right, okay.
-Okay?

The Charles are great cooks,
there is no two ways about it,

they set the standard very, very high.

But they have to raise the bar
a little bit more,

in order to get a place in the semi-final.

What I love about the Charles family

is how they have
this passion for cooking,

you can see it in their faces.

But they let themselves down
on the small things,

that under-seasoned bread
in challenge two

was definitely school-boy error.

-[Jessica] There's yours.
-Thank you.

[Jessica] Oscar.

[Jessica] I'm really, really hoping to get
through to the semi-finals.

We must have practised ten times.

We've practised a lot.

I think what we're doing is quite unusual,
it's not, you know, a typical dish.

We're in it to win it, that's for sure.

I love the traditional but simple food
that the Markses do,

totally different from the Charleses.

If they can keep Torren in check,
it'll be fine.

The Marks are my kind of family cook,

food is very simple
and very straightforward.

They had a little bit of problem with
technicalities, but that's a small thing.

If they cook well in challenge three,

that could see them through
to the semi-final.

Hello, families, welcome back.

I hope you know what
you've let yourselves in for,

because it's time to pull out
all the stops.

Yes, it's the deciding round,

it's the
Impress The Neighbours challenge.

Rosemary and Giorgio would like
you to create two glorious dishes,

in two hours and 15 minutes.

So, let's get cooking.

Come on, team, let's go.

[Torren] The peeler, please.

[Jessica] Here's the peeler.

[Betty] Get me crab out.

[Nadiya] Today, each family must make
a starter and a main course.

I'm looking for a really good meal.

They've got to impress their neighbours
and also impress us.

[Nadiya] And both have chosen to make
fresh pasta for their starters.

-Pasta versus pasta.
-I know.

Two pastas for Giorgio, the expert.

I really think that they trying
to show off today,

cooking pasta for me,
I will be very picky with that.

[Zoe] The Charles' starter is crab

and prawn ravioli,
with a seafood bisque.

I can feel someone lurking behind me.

Hi, Giorgio, you alright?

Just feeling super calm about it,
not phased at all,

while he's just watching me
make my pasta.

You know they're making pasta?

I know,
it makes it a bit more competitive,

but I'm quite confident in my pasta.

When I learnt that they were doing
pasta as well,

I was a bit put out by that, to be honest,

so we'll see how each of them
turns out.

Pasta's a tricky one to get right.

So the fact that they're both doing it,
it's going to be interesting.

[Zoe] I'm excited to see them, though,
making fresh pasta.

It's such a lovely process.

[Zoe] Before rolling and filling,
pasta dough needs to rest.

Betty puts hers in the fridge.

But Jessica's taking
a different approach.

I was actually told that
it rests better out of the fridge,

because there's a danger
that it can get a bit too moist.

We'll see what the difference is.

[Nadiya] Jean helps
with the seafood ravioli filling.

Crab! I wish I was your neighbour.

How are you feeling about your other
neighbours today?

I know, they're also doing pasta.
I feel a bit anxious.

You must not worry about what your
neighbours are doing.

-No, I'm not going to.
-You must concentrate.

No, I'll try not to.

-I'll be vigilant and stick with my crab.
-Yes.

Seasoning, seasoning, seasoning.

What I'm expecting
from a crab and prawn ravioli

is just a really soft flavour
on the inside.

One of the most important things is,
when you're making a ravioli,

is the filling has to be tasty enough.

Pasta dilutes it a bit,
to get the wow factor,

you need that filling
to be really delicious.

Waz me a wazzer, I'm just going
to waz it all up now on me...

Stop saying waz.

-That's what they say.
-That's not a technical term.

-[Betty] Everyone says waz.
-[Jean] Who says?

Yeah, I can put a bit more in
of everything though.

Perfect.

Come on.

This thyme is lovely and fresh.

[Zoe] The Marks' family pasta
is a variety called agnolotti,

filled with goats cheese, walnuts,
honey and thyme,

served with a lemon sauce
and crispy pancetta.

Agnolotti, northern Italian,
that's where I come from.

Usually the stuffing is meat,

I'm a little bit worried
about the goat cheese

and the walnuts
and then the lemon sauce,

and the pancetta,
it's a lot of flavours coming through.

-What do you think?
-Yeah.

It's got to be perfect.
The more simple the dish,

the more perfect it's got to be,
'cause there's no hiding--

Yeah, I agree with that.

[Jessica] ...you've just got to get it
right.

The thing is, they're supposed to be
impressing the neighbours, aren't they?

But I think they're trying to impress you
more than anything else.

Are you used to impressing
the neighbours with your delights,

culinary delights?

I have to say that they all come back.

Something you're doing is obviously
right then, Torren.

-Well, it must be.
-Good luck.

Thank you.

[Nadiya] Families, you've had one hour.

-[Dan] Are we on schedule, everyone?
-[Betty] Yes, chef.

I feel very nervous today.

Yeah, I do. I think it's 'cause it means
so much to us and it's so important.

[Jean] Yeah, it really does.

I don't get nervous, it's pointless.
[laughs]

I just do my best and that's it.

[Nadiya] Oscar's in charge of
the Marks' main course.

Seasonal poached cod, with a herb crust,

Jerusalem artichoke puree,
carrot crisps and pea sauce.

It's Skrei cod, which is cod that's been
migrating down from the north,

um, from, like, Norway.

It's only available
for three weeks a year.

It's a bit of a delicacy in Sweden.

There's been a big debate

about whether we should
have the skin on or the skin off.

Because we're poaching it,
we're going to take the skin off.

[Oscar] Taking the skin off really is
going to make it harder to,

to stay together, I tell you.

Well, I personally think it would
be better if you did.

[Torren] You're taking off too much
of the fish.

-[Oscar] Yes.
-[Torren] Never mind.

[Jessica] Do you want me to help?

[Oscar] It's a bit late for that, really.

It would have been nice.

[groans] Could have been better.
Disaster.

[Nadiya] With the skin removed,

Oscar starts by poaching the fish
in milk with onions and celery.

The fish is going in.

I'm really quite excited
about that cod.

Hopefully, they cook it properly.

-Slow cooking--
-[Rosemary] Slow cooking.

It's got to be firm and white, but flake.

[Nadiya] Next he blitzes cooked peas
with lemon juice and butter

for a distinctive sauce
to accompany his fish.

[Oscar] So here comes the crazy part,

just getting all these amazing fresh pea
juices out of this mush of peas.

The actual pea is not going to be eaten,

it's just the juice from it, so that way
it's really still nice and fresh.

Fascinating sauce.

When I had it the first time,
I couldn't believe how delicious.

[Zoe] In the Charles' kitchen,
Dan's working on the centrepiece,

saltimbocca, a classic Italian dish
of veal wrapped in prosciutto with sage.

It's served with garlic mash,
cavalo nero, pear crisps

and marsala sauce.

And Dan's using a high-welfare
British veal called rose.

[Dan] The texture of the veal

should just be a nice melt in the mouth
piece of meat.

Um, that's just one little portion,

that's that one prepped,
just another three to go.

This scream Italian. I am expecting
the veal to be really thinly beaten,

to be really tenderised properly,
otherwise it could be really tough.

I love saltimbocca,

but the most important thing is they've
got a great sauce to go with that.

[Zoe] You have 45 minutes.

-Crikey.
-[Dan] Shut the front door.

We've only got
three quarters of an hour left.

I know. I heard, I heard.

[Nadiya] Both Betty and Jessica
are at the critical stage

of their pasta making.

I'm just going to roll the pasta out
into a very thin strip.

I think the Marks, they're going to have
a problem with that pasta.

The pasta's very soft,
the stuffing is very soft--

[Rosemary] That's what I...

There's no egg in the stuffing.
When it cooks, it will soft--

[Rosemary] That's what
I was worried about, the texture.

[Betty] It's a proper pasta-off though,
innit?

I'm getting a right sweat on.

[Jean] Oh, well done, Betty.

[Jessica] I've never felt so nervous
making pasta before.

[Torren laughs]
Those two are a bit close, aren't they?

Next bit.

I'm happy
with the thickness of my pasta.

They'll have some bite,
but it's thin enough, so you just blow.

You can see the ripple.

[Dan] How's it going over there?
Can we have a nosy?

Hi, Torren.

Are you spying on us, Betty?

I know how to do it now.
And round, cupping.

Oh, here he is,
right at the crucial moment.

[laughter]

The spectre at the feast.

[Zoe] Okay, you have 15 minutes.

-[Betty] Oh! This is ridiculous.
-[Jean] What's ridiculous?

[Betty] Everything.

I think the Charleses have left a lot
to do at the end,

the saltimbocca need
to be done at the end,

the sauce needs
to be finished at the end,

the pasta needs to be cooked
and dressed at the end.

[Rosemary] They should be aware what
they're up against, the timing side.

I'm hoping that they've understood that.

-[Dan] Getting pushed now, so--
-[Betty] We are, get your--

Let's get this mash out, Jean,
do the mash.

[Oscar] It's stress o'clock.

You need to get the fish in the grill.

Oh, my God,
Oscar, we've really got to get moving.

[Zoe] Now for the delicate herb crust.

Oscar must place each piece
on top of the fish, without it breaking.

My hands are shaking.

Come on, stay together, stay together,
stay together, stay together.

Yes.

-We're stressed now.
-Stick it in the grill.

Ah, careful, careful.

[Betty] Don't you want to get
the saltimbocca on?

-[Dan] Oh, yeah.
-[Betty laughs]

A few minutes each side,
then wrap them in foil and rest them.

Time's running out.

The ravs are on, I would have liked them
boiled a bit longer, if I'm honest.

I don't know if I can take them out
and boil them a bit more?

-Yeah, I need to.
-[Dan] What do you want this on?

[Betty] Highest.

[Nadiya] Betty's not the only one
having problems with her pasta.

-[Jessica] They seem overcooked.
-They are, did you say?

[Torren] They are collapsing.

[Jessica] It's a disaster.

We need to start plating,
they're plating up at the other side.

[Zoe] With time almost up,
Dan still hasn't made

the marsala sauce for his saltimbocca.

He starts by melting butter,
before adding the marsala wine.

-Guys, you've got one minute left.
-[Jean] Right, okay.

[Betty] Right, okay, get it on.

[Dan] Ten seconds, ten seconds.

Get the sauce on, go, go, go.

Keep going with it, I think.

-[Jessica] Take the best bits of that.
-[Torren] Okay.

[Dan] Quick, quick.

Time's up.

Does it not matter?

-[Betty] I haven't got presentation.
-You have, it's beautiful.

[Torren laughs].

it was so much harder
'cause it just means a lot more today.

We're just so pushed for time at the end,
we were just...

We've... I could cry.

-Don't cry.
-Oh, don't, you're going to make me cry.

-Come on!
-No, I'm fine.

[Nadiya] The Marks' starter is Jessica's
agnolotti, filled with goats cheese,

walnuts, honey and thyme,

topped with a lemon sauce
and crispy pancetta.

If I was your neighbour,
I would be very happy with this.

Although I have to say one thing -

these are not agnolotti,
these are mezzaluna.

-[Jessica] Oh, really? Okay.
-[Giorgio] Messaluna.

-Half a moon.
-[Jessica] Half a moon.

[Giorgio]
Agnolotti are square, or rectangular.

I don't think that the pasta
has the right crunch.

It is a little bit soft on the teeth,
that's a bit disappointing.

-[Jessica] Yeah.
-[Giorgio] Mm-hm?

The filling is really delicious.
I had some doubt on it

because I thought it was going to be soft,

but it really holds up,
the walnuts comes through,

the lemons comes through, I'm really,
really happy with that flavour.

It's firmer than
I thought it was going to be.

And I like the little crunch on the top,

with your bacon, that adds another
level of texture in the mouth.

That's a very good dish.

-Thank you.
-Well done.

[Zoe] For their main course,
they're serving Oscar's poached cod,

with a lemon and dill breadcrumb crust,

Jerusalem artichoke puree,
crispy carrots and pea sauce.

Oh, that's exactly what I'm after.
You can see every single flake.

That fish...

...is absolutely lovely.

It's exactly what I was hoping
it would be like.

The crust is very good.

And that pea sauce
has such a strong flavour,

that really brings it alive.

I wouldn't mind being a neighbour.
[laughter]

Technically perfect.
I like that sweetness that comes through.

That pea and, and the crust really works
very, very well.

This is a very accomplished dish.

Not only you impress the neighbours,

but I guess you impressed the judges
as well today.

Thank you.

[Nadiya] The Charles' family starter
is Betty's crab and prawn ravioli,

served in a seafood bisque.

So how are you?

A bag of nerves.

I think the last 50 minutes

would have scared the neighbour
more than impressed them.

-[Dan] Absolutely.
-[Betty chuckles]

Silky, al dente, perfect pasta.

Perfect pasta.

A little bit grainy and under seasoned,
the stuffing.

Okay.

I would have expected it
to be a little bit more smooth,

but the flavours is there.

I agree with Giorgio with the filling,
little bit grainy, but also dry.

If you didn't have that bisque there,
it would be a problem.

-But I really like the touch.
-[Rosemary] Oh, it's good.

-[Georgio] A little bit of the samphire.
-It's really good.

-Thank you.
-[Rosemary] Well done.

[Nadiya] For their main course,
they're serving saltimbocca

with roasted garlic mash, cavolo nero,
marsala sauce and pear crisps.

You cooked the meat very, very well.

Unfortunately,
you messed up on that sauce.

The sauce is greasy, split, and it makes
everything a bit greasy.

Melting the butter before,
that was wrong.

Put the marsala, put the juices, reduce,
then you put your butter in it.

Okay.

Instead of bringing it together,
the sauce has separated the dish.

I'm maybe more disappointed
than you about this.

Definitely not, no.
Very disappointed.

Unfortunately, it's too fatty.

-You... It's greasy.
-Okay.

[Zoe]
With all three challenges completed,

the judges must now decide

which family to put through
to the semi-finals.

This is a really tough decision.

It's going to be very difficult,

we need to take everything
into consideration.

We know we could have done better.

-Hundred percent.
-Yeah, it's just so annoying.

First challenge with the risotto
from the Charleses was amazing.

That was one of the best risotto
I've ever had in my life.

At their home,
the chicken was incredible,

but also so was the dessert.

And today...?

I was disappointed
with their main course.

-We could have done the marsala--
-[Betty] Yeah.

-...with half an hour to go.
-Silly things to forget.

[Jean] Too much in the last few minutes.

We have to hope
that they'll give us a chance.

[Betty] Yeah.

The Marks' meatballs, I thought they were
very, they were very good.

-But, Rosemary, meatballs are meatballs.
-I know, I know.

The fish soup was very disappointing,

but their apple crumble,
I still remember it.

They really raised their game today.

That fish was amazing.

-[Torren] Is it good or is it bad?
-I don't know, can't figure it out.

[Torren] I felt that they praised us.

I think both families have made
amazingly good food.

Food that comes from the heart.

[Betty exhales deeply]

Families, after a lengthy discussion,
the judges have come to a decision.

The judges have taken into account
all three challenges and let me tell you,

they have found it extremely difficult.

So, this is it.

The family who are staying
in the competition,

and going through to the semi-final are...

...the Charles family.

-Oh, my God.
-God.

[Jean] Oh, my God.

No, wait, wait, sorry. Well done, guys.

[Jessica] Congratulations. Well done.

[Jessica] Congratulations.

[Torren] Bless you, I'm so happy for you.

-[Oscar] Well done.
-[Torren] I'm so happy for you.

-I'm all of a doo-dah.
-You are.

-Can't believe that, can't believe that.
-I can't believe it.

-I'm all of a doo-dah.
-Oh, Dan.

[Giorgio]
It was a really hard decision today.

But I think we take the right decision,

the Charles,
they had a little wobble today,

but were good all the way through,
consistently.

Disappointed,
but I'm happy for the Charleses--

-But that's life.
-...I think it's--

They're lovely.

We'll be rooting for them, definitely.

[they laugh]

Oh!

The Marks have done incredibly well,

they've certainly upped their game today.

But it was just a little bit too late.

[Dan] We absolutely can't wait
to come back and do it all again.

We've had the best time.

[Dan] I can't believe it.
I can't believe it.

[Betty] I can't believe it.

There's some love going on, baby.

It's pizza with love.

Brussel sprouts should not
be on pizzas.

Why not?

Sakeela, make sure the meat goes
in the pot, please?

-Who are you talking to?
-Does she not know you're the boss?

Don't panic.

[clattering]