The Big Family Cooking Showdown (2017–2018): Season 1, Episode 4 - Episode #1.4 - 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.

[Betty] 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.

But family cooking...

[Riswana] 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 will love it.
-'Course they will.

And here in our kitchen.

[Nadiya] Oh, that smell.

[Torren] That is delicious.

[woman] I’m shaking so much.

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

[woman] Ohh! 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...

[Betty] 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.

I learned something today.

The judges have made a decision.

This is
The Big Family Cooking Showdown.

[Zoe] The search for Britain’s
best family of home cooks continues.

Today, another two families
go head-to-head

over three challenging rounds,

here in our kitchen
and in their own homes.

Only one can go through
to the semi-finals.

[Nadiya] Cooking today
are the Gangotras.

[Bobby] Do we have a leader?
-Do we have a leader? Lorna?

Sorry, what?

Lorna’s the leader, Lorna’s the leader.

It’s teamwork, we’re in it together,
but, yeah.

Really, our cooking style is
what Lorna says it is.

No, it’s not.

[Nadiya]
They’re up against the Massaccesis.

[Teresa] Up until this point,
it was a bit of fun.

But now that we’ve arrived,

the realisation is
that we’re actually in a competition,

we’re up against somebody else
and that’s a little bit scary.

Welcome to our two families,
the Massaccesis and the Gangotras.

Please meet our judges,
Rosemary and Giorgio,

looking forward to some exceptional
cooking over the next three rounds.

First, we’ve got the £10-Challenge.

Today, it’s all about comfort food.

You’ve got to whip up something delicious
for £10 to feed a family of four.

Dinner should be served
in one hour and 15 minutes.

Let’s get going.

Comfort food means
when it’s lovely and hearty

and warm and substantial,

and I feel satisfied afterwards.

[Lorna] Thank you.

Comfort food is such an important thing

because it brings memories back
as you eat it

and moments when you were happy.

So today, they have to really make me
smile when I’m eating it.

[Zoe] Both families have had time
to practise their dishes.

Bobs, where are you at with the chilli
then for the lentils?

[Bobby] So the chilli will go in
afterwards for the dal.

[Monika]
Should we put it in to boil with it?

That’s what I said to Bob.

Bobby, put it into boil with it, please?

There’s good communication
in that kitchen from the ladies.

They’ve got quite a lot
that they’re doing, haven't they?

[Zoe] An awful lot.

[Zoe] The Gangotras are sisters,
Lorna and Bobby,

and their sister-in-law, Monika.

We all have very different styles
of cooking.

She gives good direction.

[Monika] It’s kind of scary, actually.

-[Bobby] I need it on full.
-[Lorna] That will go really--

No, it doesn’t, that’s the whole point.

[Zoe] They’re making chicken curry,
tarka dal, a spiced lentil dish

and a potato and cauliflower dish
known as aloo gobi served with jeera rice,

chapatis and tarka-spiced yoghurt.

Dal is the risotto of the India.

The balance of the spices
is very important.

The aloo gobi should be that sweetness

and, you know, it should have that...

the potato should melt in your mouth.

[Rosemary]
They’re doing a chicken curry.

Now chicken curry has got to taste good,
it’s got to be cooked properly,

got to have the right spices in,
not too hot,

it’s got to have the right consistency,

everything’s got to be correct in there
to make it really good.

-Hi, guys.
-[all] Hi.

How’s it going?

-Oh, stressed.
-[Nadiya] You’ve got quite a lot going on.

[Monika]
Sorry, you’re going to get a face mask!

Go on, go on. Do you feel like you’ve been
slightly overambitious?

Or are you happy
with everything that you’ve done?

We make this stuff on a weekly basis,
so it’s just familiarity really.

Yeah.

Bobby, I heard your mum had
a bit of an agenda to get you to cook.

I’ve been there, you can tell me.

-No, it’s embarrassing.
-[Nadiya laughs]

-My mum’s done it too.
-Put it on your CV to get married?

-Oh, yeah.
-[Bobby] That one? Yeah.

-It hasn’t worked, Nadiya.
-Has it not?

[Bobby] It's a big fail. But that’s fine.

-[Nadiya] Yeah.
-That’s okay.

-But you can cook, right?
-Absolutely, I can survive.

[Zoe] Monika is married to Bobby
and Lorna’s brother, Jasdeep,

and lives in the Gangotra family home
in Birmingham

with her husband,
her in-laws and Bobby.

We live in a communal home,
which is traditional and it works for us.

[Zoe] Lorna lives with her husband
and three children in Surrey,

but visits when she can.

There’s never a dull moment in our house
when we’re all together.

We’re very highly critical
of each other’s cooking.

I think my cauliflower and aloo gobi
is better than her's,

but you know, that’s, that’s...

Oh, oh! That’s on camera now.

The importance of food?

[Bobby] It plays a huge role
in our daily lives, really,

especially childhood memories.

[Lorna] I do remember Grandmother, Mum,
you know, watching them in the kitchen.

You just can’t get away from it,
you just--

[Lorna] You just can’t get away from it.
It’s just in our blood.

The downside is that there’s lack
of portion control, I’d say.

[Lorna] We do not have portion control,
hence our beach babe figures.

[Monika laughs] Yeah.

-[Monika] Speak for yourself, mine’s fine.
-[laughter]

My fella’s happy with my figure.
[laughter]

Lorna, you’re the flavour god,

you’ve got that palate,
slightly more sophisticated than us.

[Monika] I’m like, "Let’s plate it up
and make it look nice."

-Bobby’s the wind power.
-[laughter]

I’m the turbine?

You’re the fuel.

This is lack of respect
for the eldest amongst us.

Why am I waiting?

Here you go, Bob, this is your portion.

[Bobby] Thank you.
What’s everyone else having?

[Bobby] Part of this process is,

there’s no second chance at making
a first impression.

Practice makes perfect, hopefully.

Yeah. Practise, practise, practise.

That was a subtle hint from Lorna
to get back in the kitchen.

This is a really special ladle in our
family, very close to our heart,

it was our grandmother's,
about 50, 60 years old,

the chicken curry I learnt from her,

so it just meant everything today
to bring it with us and use it.

[Nadiya]
The Massaccesi family are Teresa,

her husband, Giordano,

and their 16-year-old daughter, Niamh.

-[Teresa] Is it working?
-[Giordano] Yes, it is.

[Niamh]
Use the blender, you’re wasting time.

-[Teresa] Get your whizzer?
-I’ll do it.

[Teresa] You just like to pretend
you’re manly

with your pestle and mortar, don’t you?

[Nadiya] The Massaccesis are making
a porcini mushroom

and butternut squash risotto
with monkfish.

For me, risotto comes at the top
of the list of comfort food, definitely.

There’s three things
that makes a good risotto -

one is the balance, that the recipe
is not too complicated

and is not too simple.

Second is the quality of the stock,
and then the timing.

These are the three things
to make a fantastic risotto.

Porcini risotto with butternut squash
and then the fish on the top.

I think they’re trying
to put too many things into this risotto

and they’re taking a risk.

[Nadiya]
Daughter Niamh is preparing the stock.

We normally use shop-bought stock cubes
and then make our own stock from that.

We put the mushrooms in to soak
and they enhance the flavour of the stock.

Hello, there.

I have to say, Niamh’s doing
brilliantly over there, she’s so young.

It’s always been a natural thing
to be in the kitchen, cooking,

we do it all the time.

If she’s got friends coming round
from school and I’m at work,

she’ll cook them a curry or whatever
she does and they’re always amazed,

"Oh, God, that’s so good, Niamh,"

because she says none of her friends
do that.

I was going to say, can you...

Niamh, would you have a word
with my kids about... [laughs]

[Teresa] Our world revolves around food,
doesn’t it?

[Giordano] Oh, yeah--

[Teresa] We talk about it so much that
we probably bore other people.

Do you think we do?

Yeah, they call 'the feeders'.
[chuckles]

Yeah, we are feeders.

[Teresa] Giordano’s more...
he’ll experiment with a dish.

I always say, "Oh, what about if you do
this, this way, you change it?"

[Giordano] Shall I put the aubergine in?

[Teresa] Just calm down now,
put the aubergine over there.

You can come and fry up the mince,
if you wish.

Whereas I’m quite...

There’s certain dishes
I don’t want you to play with.

They’re my dishes.

I’ve done them this way, they work,
don’t go messing them about.

We’ve had too many disasters
with your experiments.

-[laughter]
-[Giordano] That’s it.

Mum’s definitely the boss.

In the kitchen.

In everything.

In the kitchen, everything.

[Nadiya] Giordano works
at a local Italian restaurant.

I’ve been waitering since 1985.

Lovely, excellent, enjoy, enjoy.
Buon appetito.

I work in the same restaurant as Dad
on Saturday nights.

You can always hear his voice

from all over the restaurant,
you never know what he’ll do next.

[Giordano sings in Italian]

What you see is what you get with us.

And I think we just welcome you in

and if you like us, that’s great,
we like you back.

-If not, you can leave.
-[Teresa] Huh?

If not, you can leave.

And if not, there’s the door, off you go.
[laughs]

- Buongiorno.
-[Giordano] Buongiorno, Giorgio.

Scared. [laughs]

- Buongiorno.
-[Rosemary] Are any of you Italian?

I’m Italian.

-[Teresa] He’s the real thing.
-Are you the real deal?

He’s called Giordano!

-[Rosemary] Giordano.
-Where are you from?

I’m from the Marche region, which--

-[Giorgio] The Marche region.
-...is not a region for the risotto.

I’m a little bit worried
about the amount of--

The lots of ingredients?

We are on a competition,

we couldn’t just do porcini
and leave it at that,

we needed to faff it up a bit.

Never flap up a dish, never do that.

-[Teresa] But otherwise we’d be sta--
-Simple is always the best.

Yeah, I agree, I agree with you, 100%

How long is it going to take you
to cook this risotto?

Probably another 25 minutes, say.

-25 minutes, when you started?
-[Giordano] Okay, 50 minutes.

We don’t want to do it too quickly,
otherwise risotto's not good.

You are absolutely right.

[Giorgio and Giordano speaks Italian]

You’ve had half an hour, folks.

-[Bobby] Oh, wow, okay.
-Half an hour.

[Bobby] Chicken should be in by now.

Look guys, the oil’s running free,
so the masala’s ready.

Put the chicken in, go for it.

[Lorna] That smells so good.

What do you think about this curry?

[Rosemary] I’m very excited about seeing
what it tastes like.

I like the fact they’re using thighs,
they’re much tastier and juicier.

They’re using all the different spices.

The only concern that I have
is just that there is a lot of dishes,

so to have a harmony between them,
so I’m looking forward to tasting it.

[Lorna] How are we doing
with the aloo gobi?

-We’re getting there.
-The potatoes are a little bit raw, still.

[Teresa] I think you need to get the rice
in, Giord, we’ve got 25 minutes.

[Giordano] Okay.

Tossing the rice,
that’s one of the important thing.

It needs to get the flavour
of the onions and the garlic

and then you add the wine after.

[Zoe] Giordano must now add
the porcini stock,

little by little, until it’s all absorbed.

[Giordano sings]
♪ Lovely lady... ♪

You’ve done that too quickly.

-Dad, Dad.
-Huh?

Go slow with that.
You know you’re doing it too fast.

-[Teresa] Calm down.
-[Niamh] You’re putting it in fast.

[Bobby] Okay, the dal is actually done,

just a little bit of oil
and a knob of butter,

the dal is actually nicer
with a bit of knob of butter in there.

It wouldn’t be tarka dal
without a bit of butter.

[Nadiya] Bobby’s now rolling out
the dough for the chapatis.

You always get someone that moans.

The first chapati’s never right.

We don’t really waste anything,
that goes too, so...

-[Monika] You could have done it rounder.
-I’ll hit you on the head--

-Look at that.
-[Bobby] It’s the first one, I’m forgiven.

-[Monika] Mum will see this on TV.
-I've got a few to go.

Look at it!

-Stop criticising it?
-It’s not round.

-It should be cookie cutter round.
-What do you know?

That is marriage material.

Thank you, Lorna, thanks for the support.

Thanks, thanks.

You’ve got 15 minutes left.

[Teresa] Is that enough?

That’s too much, nah it’s, it’s alright.

Yeah, we did tell you to slow down.

I know, I was--

You kept throwing in the stock.
Told you.

[Zoe]
Teresa and Niamh are having problems

mashing the roast butternut squash
to stir through the porcini risotto.

-[Niamh] It’s not working.
-[Teresa] It’s not working

It’s not going through the ricer.

-Why is it stringy?
-[Teresa] I don’t know.

[groans] We’re having a squash disaster.

Okay, guys, crack on.

That aloo is still a little bit raw.

I’ve got a better one,
this is how it should be.

That’s how it should be.

I don’t think you should add more salt,
It’s lovely.

I’ve managed to rescue some
of the butternut squash.

-Do you want to add this or not?
-Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Five minutes, folks,
that’s all you’ve got, five minutes.

-[Lorna] Mon, plate up the rice, please.
-[Monika] Yeah.

Niamh, could you taste that?

-Yeah, that’s good.
-The monkfish is done.

I’ve tested it with a knife,
so it’s cooked through.

Bobby, can do the dal.

-Right, are we ready to plate this?
-[Giordano] Yep.

-[Teresa] Agh!
-Make sure there's even in each one.

[Teresa] Is that okay?

There’s mascarpone,
that hasn’t been stirred in.

[Teresa] Ah, Giord.

Time’s up, everybody.

[Zoe] Put the pans down.

-[Nadiya] Back off.
-Thank you.

-[cheering]
-[Bobby] Well done.

[Giordano] Well done.

[Teresa laughs]

[Nadiya] With their £10-budget,

the Massaccesis have made

a porcini mushroom
and butternut squash risotto

with monkfish
sprinkled with powdered porcini.

So, how did it went for you?

Um, it was a bit more nerve-wracking
than we thought.

[Giorgio] Okay.

Wow, surprisingly fantastic,
the flavour of the fish with that powder.

-And you decided to add the mushroom--?
-Yep.

...to your stock? That was a clever thing,

the sweetness of the mushroom

really helps the whole thing
coming together.

Okay, the flavour, you are spot on it,

but when you make a risotto,
the rice is the king of the show.

I’m disappointed with the consistency
of the risotto,

it looks a little bit like you put too
much stock at the end, it’s overcooked.

So it’s more a soup-y consistency
than a risotto consistency.

We panicked because
we thought we’d run out of time.

I’ve been cooking risotto
for the last 30 years,

but I still look at the watch
when I’m doing it.

I would agree,
it’s meant to be a nice pile of risotto,

and what have we got here?

A bowl of risotto soup.

But you know what, it’s a comfort food.

Yes, there are things wrong with it,
but, hey, you learn by your mistakes.

Thank you.

-[Rosemary] Thank you very much.
-Okay, thanks.

[Zoe] The Gangotras
have made chicken curry, aloo gobi,

tarka dal and chapatis.

May I say, this, for £10, is a feast.

I would like to start off
with a little bit of the dal.

Absolutely fantastic deep flavour.

[Rosemary] So this is your chicken masala.

Mm, I like the fact you used the thighs,

thighs are the juiciest part
of the chicken.

I’ve got the tomato coming through,
the ginger coming through.

A little bit of that sweetness
coming through.

That is terrific.

Absolutely brilliant.

[Rosemary] This is--

-[Giorgio] Aloo gobi.
-...with your cauliflower.

You achieved a perfect cooking
for the potato and for the cauliflower,

so that’s really outstanding that.

Then the whole thing comes up
as a symphony of flavour,

they all complement each other.

[Rosemary] Absolutely.

-I really salute you, you’ve done it all.
-[Giorgio] Thank you.

-Thank you very much.
-[all] Thank you.

[applause]

[Nadiya] For the second challenge,

our families are cooking in their
own homes for Rosemary and Giorgio.

[Nadiya] First, the judges

will be visiting
the historic market town

of Corsham in Wiltshire
where the Massaccesi family call home.

Being in the kitchen with Dad
is a bit annoying,

'cause he likes to do his own thing
and he won’t be told,

so you’ve got to keep an eye on him
at all times.

[Teresa] After the last challenge,
I’m feeling a little bit nervous.

Um, it didn’t go quite according to plan,

so we’re hoping that we
can redeem ourselves

by doing food that we really love
and we know our family love this,

so hopefully they’ll love it as much.

Giordano’s making the pasta,
but I’ll be overseeing that as well,

keep my eye on the pair of them.
[laughs]

[dog barks]

-[Nadiya] Hello.
-[Teresa] Hello.

[Nadiya] Good to see you again.

-Somebody’s happy to see me.
-[Teresa] Yeah, that’s Lily.

[Nadiya] Hi.

[Nadiya] As you know,

the judges would like you to cook
your family favourites, main, dessert.

Okay.

You have one hour and 30 minutes.
Off you go.

-Okay-doke.
-Thank you, thank you.

[Nadiya] Giordano and Niamh are working
on the main course.

Ham and asparagus rotolo,
a rolled and baked pasta dish,

served with a Caprese salad.

Rotolo di pasta al forna, baked pasta,
it’s a great Italian classic.

There is few things that can wrong with
this pasta, the pasta being too thick,

the béchamel being too soft.

But I’m sure Giordano, being Italian,
must get this absolutely spot on.

-[Nadiya] You’ve got to rest it?
-So it has to rest in the fridge.

Half an hour at least.

Oh, okay.

It should be an hour,
but half an hour should be okay.

[Rosemary]
This is a bit of a challenge for them

because they let themselves down
with the risotto.

They’re going to have to redeem
themselves,

it’s got to really sing

and they’ve got to show us
that they know how to cook.

Yeah, you can wrap that up
and put it in the fridge, I think.

[Nadiya] Niamh is working

on the béchamel sauce
for the pasta filling.

I just put the butter and flour in,

so I’m cooking that out for a few minutes

and then I’ll add the heated milk
in slowly and whisk it.

-[Teresa] Can I leave you to carry on?
-Yeah.

'Cause I need to get on with my pastry

otherwise it’s never going to get
in the oven.

[Nadiya] For pudding,
the Massaccesis are making torta nera,

a sweet pastry tart filled with chocolate,
walnuts, coffee and amaretto.

Chocolate, amaretto, walnuts, these are
flavours and they are heaven to me.

I really expect this cake not
to be too gooey and not to be greasy,

this is a very important point.

It must not be too heavy,
but also quite succulent really.

It’s just got to be perfect.
They’ve got to get it right.

[banging]

[Nadiya] Teresa’s preparing the butter
for the pastry.

This is the way I was taught,
to really flatten it down,

while keeping it cold,
so my hands aren’t touching it.

[Nadiya] What kind of pastry
is it that you’re making?

It’s just like a shortcrust pastry,
it’s very crumbly

and it’s very hard to work with,
so the colder I can keep it, the better.

You’ve chosen
the most difficult type of pastry.

I know, I know. But it tastes good.

You see, I should have left it to rest,
shouldn’t I, in the fridge?

But this has got to be in the oven
in the next half an hour.

Have you practised it within
the time frame?

-No.
-No.

It’ll be alright, be alright.
If it doesn’t fall apart.

Oh...

No, more salt, definitely more salt.
And a little bit more nutmeg.

This is the tricky bit, is trying to get
it in without it all breaking like that.

[Nadiya]
Yeah.

[Teresa] So I’m just going to lift it
and do some patchwork.

Ugh, this is much more crumbly
than normal.

It’s called patchwork pie today.

-A mosaic.
-A mosaic, yeah, it’s an Italian mosaic.

-Will the judges pick up on things like--?
-They’re not going to know.

They won't know unless you tell them,
Nadiya.

-[gasps] Never. I’m on your side.
-Okay.

[laughter]

[Nadiya]
While Teresa blind bakes the pastry,

it’s time for Giordano to roll out
his pasta.

-Guys, you’ve had half an hour. Confident?
-[Giordano] Confident, yes indeed.

Any man would be confident
with a rolling pin that size.

[laughter]

I say things and then cotton on
afterwards.

Giordano, why is it hanging off the board?

[Giordano]
It helps to stretch the pasta.

That’s what my mother used to do.

[Nadiya]
You can see the board through your pasta.

[Niamh] Dad, don’t go any further.

No, that’s enough, really, stop.

[Giordano]
It isn’t, I will stop, I will stop.

-Honestly, it’s enough.
-I will stop.

No, you’re going too far now,
because it’ll end up splitting.

[Nadiya] Before he adds the filling,
Giordano has to quickly cook the pasta.

I’m feeling slightly nervous.

[Teresa] I know, so am I, because we don’t
have a huge amount of time left, really.

[Giordano] I’ll take it out.

Hang on, it hasn’t been a minute yet.

-[Giordano] Yes, but--
-[Teresa] 30 seconds!

This is fascinating.

[Nadiya]
Giordano starts the pasta filling

with Niamh’s béchamel sauce.

Next, mozzarella, ham and parmesan.

Best cheese.

-Now, Teresa, I'll let you do the roll.
-[Teresa] Yeah.

[Teresa] So bring in the edges.

[Nadiya] Uh-huh.

This is my baby really,

and he was demoted
a couple of weeks ago

when he didn’t roll it tight enough,
so I’m afraid...

-[Nadiya] And who’s the Italian here?
-Yeah, exactly.

Who taught the Italian to make pasta?

So now that needs to rest,
normally for half an hour,

put it in the freezer for five minutes,
that’s all we’ve got.

We’re pushing it. Deep breath.

Right, I’m taking the pastry out now,
don’t move, love.

[Nadiya] Niamh’s working on
the chocolate, coffee,

walnut and amaretto filling
for the tart.

[Nadiya] She’s eating the ingredients.

Have you done the amaretto?
You used the whole bottle!

-Filled up that glass.
-She’s trying to get the judges drunk.

Good, good, good idea.

[Nadiya] It’s never a bad move.

[Teresa] Pastry’s not as good as normal,
but as long as it tastes good.

That’ll do, let’s put it in the oven.

[Nadiya]
Teresa slices the stuffed pasta roll,

before laying it in a dish to bake,
topped with parmesan and asparagus.

I think that’s it, into the oven then.

[Nadiya] Both the chocolate tart
and the pasta are now in the oven.

We normally don’t cook them at
the same time.

-[Nadiya] Yeah.
-Normally, we do one--

-Have we ever done them together?
-No.

-Always a first time.
-[Nadiya] Do you wish you had?

Yeah, it would have been good,
wouldn’t it?

[Nadiya] Yeah, maybe,
maybe one practice.

-[Niamh] Might be helpful.
-[Nadiya] Yeah.

[Giordano] Oh, we are so confident
we don’t even need to practice.

-[Nadiya] Exactly.
-Hark at him.

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

[Nadiya]
Guys, you’ve got seven minutes left.

What time is that supposed to come out?

When it’s ready.
[laughs]

[Teresa] Do you think it’s alright?

[Teresa] What about this, Giord?
Another few minutes? No.

[Niamh] Do you reckon it's done?

[Teresa sighs]

It’s got melted chocolate in it,
we’re going to have to just take a chance.

-[Nadiya] Need to set the table?
-Yeah.

-Everything must be on the table.
-Okay.

[Teresa] I’ll get the pasta out now.

Time’s up, time is up.

-[Teresa] Okay.
-Time is up.

[Giordano] Yes.

[Nadiya] The first Family Favourites dish
is ham and asparagus rotolo.

It looks very inviting.

It’s this golden brown.

The pasta is that beautiful yellow,
it’s a perfect dish for a family.

Yeah, all the components
come to work together perfectly

and deliver a very beautiful,
balanced flavour.

The pasta is exactly the right thickness,
it’s perfectly cooked.

The ham, the cheese and the asparagus
is just a great combination.

You must have perfected this for years.

We’ve cooked it a lot.

[Nadiya] Now for the chocolate, coffee,

walnut and amaretto tart
with mascarpone.

That’s a really nice pastry.

It’s a short, crumbly pastry.

It actually is really, really good,

and I’m just going to taste
a little bit with the filling now.

I think that’s really nice.

The very crumbly pastry,

the chocolate, the walnuts, the amaretto,
that’s a perfect combination,

this is a very good cake.

Both the dishes really showed they come
from your experience of your cooking,

in your house
and that makes me very happy.

[Zoe] Next, the judges will be visiting
the Gangotra family home in Birmingham.

Monika is married to Lorna and Bobby’s
younger brother, Jasdeep,

and they have a two-year-old daughter.

[toddler chatters]

[Monika] Excited to have everyone
in our home

and being able to cook that way
and show what we can do, really.

Everyone’s so excited,

it’s been so great tasting
and trying all the different things.

The waistline’s taken a hit for it.

[Jasdeep]
Do we love mummy’s cooking?

Yeah!
[applause]

-[girl babbles] Delicious.

-Delicious.
-[Jasdeep] Good girl.

This is our lovely mum.

We’re cooking lunch for everybody

because everybody needs to be fed
before we cook for the judges.

[Lorna] I don’t live here anymore,
but having this challenge has helped me

to sort of come back home,
reconnect with my sister,

my sister-in-law,
just getting me back into the groove

of growing up in this kitchen.

It’s nice to be back and cooking
with the chef of the house.

[Mum] Hello,
welcome to Zoe, to our house.

[Zoe] Hello, hello.

And I have to do,
that's the tradition. It’s...

Must do it to welcome guests. Custom...

-[Zoe] It’s wonderful.
-Please, do come in.

[laughter]

[Zoe] Lorna, Monika and Bobby
also have just 90 minutes

to cook their family’s favourite dishes.

It’s lovely to see you.
Now, let’s get down to business.

As you know, the judges
have set a challenge, Family Favourites,

a main course and a dessert,
you have an hour and a half.

Good luck. Off you go.

[all] Thank you.

[Monika] Thanks, Lorna.

[Bobby] Right, chopping boards.

[Zoe] Today, the Gangotras are serving

a traditional Indian set of tasting dishes
known as a thali.

Their main course includes lamb curry,
aloo baingan,

an aubergine and potato curry,
and a chickpea and pomegranate curry,

anardana chana with parathas and rice.

-So there’s quite a lot to do.
-[Lorna] There’s quite a lot going on.

We’re taking turns to do curries today.

The thali is a lot of individual dishes,

so I hope then they
all work together in harmony

and each flavour complements each other.

Chapati flour’s nicely done,
I’ll put that in the fridge.

[Rosemary] When I was in India,
I had probably

the first proper thali I’d ever had.

It’s exciting, I’m really looking forward
to a whole host of flavours.

[Bobby] Just going to get the chickpeas
and put them in the pressure cooker.

[Zoe] Bobby’s in charge of the chickpea
and pomegranate curry.

Right, timer's on, Bob.

A piece has got in my eye.

Gosh. I need protective goggles
for this sort of work.

[Zoe] Bobby, are you alright over there?

Yeah, I’m just having
a little moment with the ginger.

[Monika] She’s got another eye,
it’s alright.

Yeah.

[Bobby]
This is the masala for my chana masala.

Okay. What’s gone in there?

This is fresh pomegranate,
dried pomegranate seeds, okay?

This is a blend of cardamom,
cinnamon and cloves, cloves.

[Zoe] Right, okay.

Just have a smell.

Oh, my goodness me, it smells incredible.

My eyes are going actually...
Yeah, I know.

I’m going to have to go and get a tissue,
I can’t...

This is emotional, it’s getting to you.

I can’t see! It is, it is getting to me.

Chickpea and pomegranate masala,
I never taste that,

I’m really looking forward
to having a go at it.

[Zoe] Lorna’s working on the sauce base
for the lamb curry.

[Bobby] Mon, taste the masala
'cause I'm going to put the lamb in.

The salt’s a bit strong, so...
but when you add--

When I add the lamb, it’s fine.

[Rosemary] With a lamb curry,
I’m hoping it’s full of pungent flavour.

It’s not about the chilli,

it’s actually about all those lovely deep
flavours coming out

and the lamb beautifully cooked.

Butcher’s given me some bones to put in
as well because it’s boneless lamb.

But I’m going to add the bones in today

as well because it just adds
a lot more flavour.

Okay, you’re about halfway,
you’ve had 45 minutes.

[Bobby] Cool.

[sizzling]

[Lorna] Let me check it quickly.

[Zoe] Lorna’s also in charge
of today’s dessert,

a spiced semolina pudding
called suji ka halwa.

I have a weak spot for semolina,

but a semolina pudding,
an Indian semolina pudding?

Texture’s really important,

but also, I’m really interested
to see how sweet it is.

[Monika] This recipe that we’re doing
is my mum’s secret recipe.

So I’m just going to finish this off
with the garnish on top.

This is one of my favourite puddings.

Ten minutes to go.

[Monika] Shall I start plating up,
or should I wait yet?

Wait five minutes, get everything ready,
all your bowls and stuff.

[Lorna] This is our garam masala,
this is our home-made secret blend.

Every Indian home
has its own recipe for it.

[Zoe] Okay.

[Lorna] I remember making it with Granny,
with Mum.

-You would never share that with anyone?
-No [surprised].

We have ours in a container called
'garlic chips', that’s the decoy.

[Zoe] That’s the disguise,
that is the decoy.

-Four minutes left, Lorna.
-Go, go, go, go, go.

[Monika] If there’s a spare hob,

can someone put in a little bit of oil
and fry two red chillies for me, please?

[Monika] Okay, can I plate up the lamb,
is the lamb done?

[Lorna] Yeah, lamb’s done.

The judges are en route.

[Monika] I’m really excited.

[Bobby] Okay, you just made me nervous,
I’d forgot.

Not long now.

[Bobby] Okay, the last bread is on.

[Zoe] Well done, girls, time up.

[Lorna] Yeah!

Great work.

-[Zoe] Hello, darlings.
-Hello. How are you?

[Zoe] I’m very excited.

[Zoe] The Gangotras Family Favourite thali
includes lamb curry,

chickpea and pomegranate curry,
and paratha flatbreads.

[Rosemary]
Well, I think this looks amazing.

I think I’m going to start off
with the bread.

-It’s a really good flavour.
-Thank you.

That’s a really good bread,
it’s light, it’s well done,

you know,
you’ve been doing this forever, obviously,

you can tell, you can tell.

[laughter]

[Zoe] Now for the chickpea
and pomegranate curry.

Who’s cooked this?

Guilty again.

This has an amazing flavour.

-Yes.
-Thank you.

The chickpeas are perfect,
explode in your mouth.

This is the favourites.

[Monika] This is a family favourite.

[Giorgio] It is my favourite dish
from now on as well.

[women] Aw!

I completely agree, it’s unique.

I’ve never tasted anything like that,
it is delicious.

I wasn’t expecting that.

-Okay, shall we go for the lamb?
-[Giorgio] Definitely.

The lamb’s beautifully cooked for me,

and what I’m getting
is a wonderful curry base.

[Giorgio] The lamb is very tender.

It is in harmony with the other flavours,
so I really, really like it.

You have a symphony of flavours there -
I’m taking it from you -

a symphony of flavours.

I mean, it’s fantastic.

[Zoe] Finally, the spiced semolina pudding
with almonds and sultanas.

[Giorgio] I like it, I really like it.

Not over sweet, super balanced.
Again, flavour, really, really delicious.

You taste the grain and it’s almost got
that caramel flavour through it.

It’s got a sort of--

-[Giorgio] Toffee.
-[Rosemary] ...toffee, which I love.

I don’t just like it, I love it.

You really are talented,
you’re proper cooks.

And it’s in the genes.

[they laugh]

This is without a doubt a piece
of your heritage in front of me,

I appreciate that a lot.
So thank you very much for cooking for us.

-[Bobby] Thank you.
-Our pleasure. [choked]

-Thanks, Mum.
-Yeah, my mum.

Yeah!

[Nadiya] Today, the Gangotras
and the Massaccesis will take on

their third and final challenge.

After this, the judges
will have to make a decision

on which family to send home and who
to put through to the semi-finals.

[Giorgio] The Massaccesis,
they really disappointed me

with their first challenge of the risotto.

They really pulled the stops out
when we went to their house,

their rotolo pasta was fantastic
and the chocolate cake was delicious.

[Teresa] This is it, the final journey.

[Giordano laughs]

[Rosemary] The Massaccesis, now I think
for what they’ve been delivering

and how they’re moving up,

quite frankly,
the Gangotras are in for a real challenge.

[Lorna] Got my basket
and my spices too.

[Monika] You proper look like
Little Red Riding Hood.

Yeah.

You know, the Gangotras have produced
some delicious food.

But today it’s all about whether they can

actually do something
a little bit different.

[Giorgio]
With a place on the semi-final at stake,

it’s time for them

to pull all the stops out.

Welcome back, families.

Now it’s time to dust off those aprons
for the decider.

As sad as it is, we will be saying goodbye
to one of you wonderful families today.

It’s the final challenge,
Impress The Neighbours.

You’ve got two hours and 15 minutes
to rustle up two courses,

to show next door what you’re made of.
Let’s get cooking.

[Zoe] Both families must make a starter
and a main course.

[Monika] Move your butty.

Just dry roast the pine nuts now.

I’ve got this wrong before.

[Niamh] Mother?

[Teresa] Yes?

-This doesn’t look like much mushrooms.
-Double it, double it.

-Really?
-Yeah.

[Zoe] The Massaccesis' starter features
Vietnamese spring rolls and larb,

spicy minced pork served in lettuce cups,
with dipping sauces.

If we’re going to do something
to impress our neighbours,

this is it because we’re very
comfortable with Italian cooking,

but this is,
we’re challenging ourselves today.

[Zoe] Teresa’s preparing the ingredients
for the spicy minced pork,

which will be served in lettuce cups.

It’s a bit more tricky, there’s lots
to remember, there’s lots going on.

So, hopefully we won’t get confused
and, yeah, it will turn out okay.

That’s it, all my chopping list.
[laughs]

[Teresa] Not shopping list,
your chopping list.

Chopping list.

I’m expecting this pork
to be a very balanced flavour

and to be spicy, but yet, really sweet.

So, two cloves of garlic, the ginger...

Oh, I didn’t cut up any ginger, did I?

Oh, God,
I’ve put the ginger in here by mistake.

I’m just losing the plot,
I’m getting confused now.

Fish sauce.

Maybe I put the fish sauce in here
already, did I?

I’ve forgotten what I’ve done.

[Niamh] Mother.

Yeah, that’s okay, that’s fine.
A mistake here and there won’t matter.

[Zoe] 16-year-old Niamh’s made a start

on the pork and mushroom filling
for the spring rolls.

They are Chinese wood ear mushrooms.
They’ve got a good texture.

I love the idea of the spring rolls,
they have to look even,

crispy and really flavoursome inside.

So let’s see how they do.

[Bobby] I’m not one of these exact cooks.
Throw it all in.

[Nadiya] Once again,
Bobby’s in charge of making bread.

This is a baked bread,

rather than the traditional Indian-style
on the, on the griddle.

So we’re going to, we’re going to try
something different.

I’m going to let that rise now,
so I’m going to put it by somewhere warm.

Mon, I’ve left this here now to proof.

[Monika] I’m worried about knocking that
off the edge.

I’ve tried to move it out of your way
as much as possible.

[Nadiya] Today, the Gangotras are serving
up a Middle Eastern mezze,

consisting of 14 dishes.

Nine of these make up the starter,

which includes mutabal,
a smoked aubergine dip,

hummus, falafel,
a roasted chilli sauce and Bobby’s breads.

This is Lorna’s baby really,
she loves Middle Eastern food.

My husband grew up in the Middle East
and so there’s a big influence.

We’re in it to win it, so hopefully,

we’ve set the benchmark
in our last two tasks.

We’re going all out.

We are doing a lot today,
it’s going to be amazing.

This challenge is about spoiling friends,
family and neighbours,

so it’s not surprising the Gangotras are
coming out with this massive spread again.

Both families are stepping away from
what they’re comfortable with.

[Zoe] I feel like it’s sort of stepping up
a little bit,

a bit more danger to it.

[Nadiya] This is the point
where they need to show the judges

that they can do other things.

-Yeah.
-This is the deciding vote, isn’t it?

[Zoe] Monika’s working on two
of the mezze starters, the hummus...

There’s quite a lot of garlic
going in here

because we like a bit of garlic,
a bit of punch.

[Zoe] ...and the roasted chilli sauce.

It’s got to be hot, there’s no point
in having a chilli sauce,

I don’t think, unless it’s hot.

[Zoe] Meanwhile,
Lorna’s making the mix for the falafels.

[Lorna] Taste that.

Mm, nice.

-Salt?
-No, don’t add more salt.

[Bobby] I’m going to just check
the aubergines.

[Zoe] And Bobby has started
on the smoked aubergine dip.

[Bobby] Yep, they’re cremated now.

But that’s what gives it the flavour,
that smoky, burnt, chargrilled effect.

You guys have got loads going on today.

We love these dishes,
we couldn’t decide what to eliminate.

Your eyes are bigger than your stomachs.

I don’t think so,
our stomachs are pretty big.

Families, you’ve had just over an hour.

Oh, gosh, have we?

[Bobby] Oh, my God, guys,
get a crack on, man.

[Giordano] The corn flour, Teresa,
have you seen--?

It’s in the jar over there with
'corn flour' written on it.

It’s normally him stressing, he’s walking
around with all the time in the world.

-[Niamh] It’s just you that’s stressing.
-[Teresa] It’s me that’s stressing today.

[Zoe] The Massaccesis' main course
is chicken in pandan leaves,

prawns in red curry sauce,

with jasmine rice and aubergines
in a spicy sweet and sour sauce.

I feel like the chicken should be
in the oven and that’s my next job.

You need to do that now.

They’re telling me
you need to do that now--

[Niamh] And you do.

[Zoe]
The chicken’s already been marinating

in a freshly made red curry paste.

I’m wrapping up the chicken in the pandan
leaves and then they’re going in the oven.

The chicken is protected as it’s cooking
by the leaf.

So we expect it to be really juicy.

[Giordano] I’m preparing the sauce.

Hurry up, I need you to help me,
I'm running behind.

[Giordano] Okay.

[Zoe] Giordano’s in charge
of the sweet and sour aubergines.

Right, the aubergine is almost ready,

then I’ll finish the sauce
and it should be ready.

Giordano,
does it give you pleasure to cook?

I love it, do cooking.

I love do my job as well,
I’m a... I work in a dining room,

I play the accordion as well sometimes.

Last, ah, 30 year I music, I sing,
I do all sort of things.

What about opera?

-Opera? We sing the opera, we sing it.
-You sing it?

[Giordano laughs]

-[Rosemary] So, sing me something.
-Go on.

[Giordano sings in Italian]

-Go on.
-[Giordano continues to sing]

[Rosemary] Go on.

-[applause]
-[Giordano chuckles]

Feel like an ice cream now.

[Nadiya] The Gangotras'
Middle Eastern mezze

of five main courses

includes a rack of lamb with a herb crust
and chicken shawarma,

a sweet potato and goats’ cheese salad
and a bulgar wheat and quinoa salad.

[Rosemary] You’ve got the spicy lamb,
you’ve got the chicken,

you’ve got the quinoa,
you’ve got the sweet potato,

you’ve got the dips, you've...

Whoo-hoo-hoo.

Now, have they taken on
too much this time?

[Zoe] Lorna’s in charge
of both of the meat dishes.

I’m going to get the chicken out
the fridge and put it to cook.

[Zoe] First, the chicken.

Earlier she coated it
in a spicy shawarma marinade.

It’s a lot more intense flavour,
quite a lot of different things going on,

but hopefully it will all come together
in the end.

Chicken shawarma, very important to get
the perfect amount of spice into that

and it’s very important to keep it
to the right tenderness,

so it’s still nice and juicy.

[Lorna] Shawarma’s in the oven.

Get your lamb on, Lorns,
get your lamb going.

I forgot to season it, I’ll do that now.
Oops.

They have to be really, really careful
of that lamb.

[Rosemary] If it’s going to be overcooked,
it will spoil the whole thing.

[Giorgio] Because that’s the centrepiece--

Of course it is the centrepiece,
of course.

Families, you’ve got half an hour left.

Argh!

Lamb going in oven.
What's the temperature on the top oven?

[Bobby] Just bung it in.

[Nadiya] The Massaccesis now have to
complete their Vietnamese-style starters.

Teresa’s finishing the spicy pork,

which will be served in lettuce
with a chilli dipping sauce.

Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho.

I’ve made a boo-boo,
but I’m not going to tell anybody.

I got the dipping sauce
and mixed it in here by mistake.

I think that’s fine.

[Teresa] You think it’s fine?

Chop up a chilli for me, really finely,
and some coriander then.

[Niamh] You don’t need chilli.

Yeah, but I just want it for decoration.

Mum’s a bit stressed.

Honestly, I don’t know what’s got into me.

[Teresa] Like a mad woman.

I am, I, I’ll admit it. I need to do some
positive affirmations and deep breathing.

[Nadiya] Niamh’s finishing off
her part of the starter,

the pork and mushroom spring rolls,
which she now has to deep fry.

Now, be careful when you open,
because the...

-I know.
-What do you mean you know?

You’ve never used this one.

[Giordano] You have to do it
slowly, slowly, huh?

-Okay, piano, piano.
-I know.

-[Teresa] Leave her alone, she can do it.
-Yeah, I know.

Don’t baby her.

[Zoe] The Gangotras still have
several dishes to finish off.

We are pushed a bit for time,
but let’s see how we go.

What am I doing now?

[Zoe] And with time running out,
Bobby must now bake her flatbreads.

The bread, if I’m honest,

hasn‘t risen as much
as I thought it would have.

They may not puff up.

They’re not really going as brown
as I want them to.

You know, I think that’s fine.

Families, you’ve got ten minutes,
ten minutes left.

[Teresa] We need to start filling
the cups.

Um, my dipping sauce?

Oh, my goodness, it’s actually,
it’s doing something.

-[Lorna] We want perfect.
-[Bobby] Don’t say that.

[Monika] Don’t jinx it, Lorna.

Don’t mess it up the leaves...
Excuse me!

Mother.

-So I need to make them flatter?
-Put a bit more inside.

Aubergine, in the bowl.

I was doing that.
[laughs]

I complain about Rosemary
being bossy, but--

Then there’s Teresa.

Families, you’ve got one minute.

[Niamh] Put that there.

-[Niamh] You’re flapping, stop.
-[laughs]

-[Lorna] Have we missed anything?
-I don’t know, I feel like we have.

God, I could do with a glass of wine now,
a large one.

You mean a bottle.

Oh, God, a bottle, a bottle and a straw
would be good.

[Bobby] Get it out,
get it, get it, get it out.

-Time’s up, everybody.
-That’s it, families, time’s up.

That was a quick minute.

Well done, well done, well done,
excellent, excellent.

[Nadiya] The Gangotras' Middle Eastern
mezze of nine starters,

includes hummus, a smoked aubergine dip,

flatbreads and chilli sauce.

You really put in a massive effort here,

that’s a lot of food you’ve prepared.

Thank you.

The bread is exceptional.

Well done, very well done.

But I was expected the hummus
to be a little bit better than that,

it’s a tiny little bit too garlicky
for me.

A lot of garlic. Also, it’s slightly
underwhelming in terms of seasoning.

The aubergine, I was expecting a little
bit more of a smokiness

or something coming through.

But what is disappointing, really...

...is the falafel.

They are really salty.

When we tried it, they were okay.

-[Giorgio] I found them very salty.
-Okay.

But your chilli sauce
is absolutely amazing.

Beautiful flavour, carried through,

not only hot,
also some really delicious flavour in it.

[Nadiya]
The Gangotras' mezze main course

to wow the neighbours
features five dishes,

including a rack of lamb
with a pomegranate glaze and a herb crust

and spiced chicken shawarma.

The lamb is perfectly cooked,

it’s got this kind of like nice sweetness
about it, and the crust is perfect.

That is really, really good.

Thank you.

I cannot say the same about the chicken.

It’s a little bit tasteless.

The flavour is not there,

it’s under seasoned and it’s bland,

it doesn’t do very much.

I was expecting something a little bit
more punchy than that.

Okay.

I cannot hide my disappointment.

I think you tried too much.

Sometimes, less is more.

[Zoe] The Massaccesis' starter
to impress their neighbours

is Vietnamese-style spicy minced pork

served in lettuce cups
with a chilli dipping sauce

and spring rolls filled
with Chinese mushrooms,

pork and noodles.

How are you feeling?

Little bit nervous, yes.

-A bit nervous now?
-Yes.

I was nervous all afternoon, actually.
It’s just not like me either.

And, Niamh, what do you feel?

I’m calm.

[laughter]

So, first of all, let me say,
I think it looks fantastic.

Thank you.

That’s the most delicious spring roll.

Thank you.

It’s beautifully cooked,
crisp on the outside.

The inside is really soft.

Feeling,
it feels like it wants to burst out.

You’ve done a really good job with that,
really good job.

[Zoe] Now for the spicy pork
served in lettuce cups.

Mmm...

That is utterly delicious.

Oh, thank you.

It’s got so much flavour in there,
I cannot fault it either.

The two things totally
and utterly complemented each other.

That is a fantastic starter.

[Zoe] Next,
the Massaccesis' main course,

featuring Teresa’s chicken
in pandan leaves

and Giordano’s sweet and sour
chilli aubergines.

The chicken is delicious,
it’s really properly cooked,

it’s still very tender
and it carries a beautiful sweet flavour.

The marinade is so gingery...

...and quite frankly,
that chicken is delicious.

Thank you, thank you.

Were you responsible for the aubergine?

Aubergine, yes.

They’re absolutely beautiful.

They’re really so well balanced
and so delicious and kind of sweet.

I take my hat off to you.

-I’m relieved.
-[laughter]

Can breathe again now, yeah.

[Zoe]
With all three challenges completed,

the judges must now decide which family
will go through to the semi-finals.

It’s never easy, Giorgio, is it?

No, and I’m really disappointed
with the girls today, you know,

just tried to make so much,
it really didn’t make sense.

[Lorna whispers] It is what it is.

[Rosemary] But also the other team
did incredibly well.

They have produced the most
fabulous meal that we couldn’t fault.

Yes.

[Rosemary] We have to look over
all the three challenges.

Look at the risotto.

How can you get the risotto
wrong like that?

Challenge two,
they sort of upped their game.

-On flavours--
-[Rosemary] Yes, certainly.

[Giorgio] ...presentation.

But look at that first challenge
for the other team,

you know, that was incredible, so wow--

-And the second one, thali.
-That was unbelievable.

[Giorgio] That was poetry.

On the third challenge, it was a matter
of quantity against quality.

I would agree with this,
and this is why this is so difficult.

The judges have thought long
and hard and they have come to a decision.

Rosemary and Giorgio have taken
all three challenges into consideration

and it was a really close call.

So here we go.

The family going through
to the semi-finals are...

...the Gangotras.

[applause]

[Rosemary whispers] I’m so sad to see
the Massaccesis go

because they really delivered today
a bit too late.

We had a good time and we lost
to a really good family.

They deserved it.

They’re lovely as well,
we’re meeting up afterwards,

they’ve invited us for dinner
and they’re going to come to us,

so we’ve made new friends.

The Gangotra girls have wowed us
with the first two challenges.

They were a little bit
disappointing today,

but overall, I think that they really
deserved to go through to the semi-final.

-Did that just happen?
-Yeah, I know.

Did that just happen?

Pinch me, honest, that... After the... No.

[Monika]
We’re through to the semi-finals,

we’re going to have to get our war paint
on for the next task, see what it holds.

I have to pretend to like you
for a bit longer now.

[Lorna] Thank you, Rosemary.

-[Rosemary] Congratulations.
-Oh, thank you.

[Lorna] We’re through.

[man chuckles]

Dad’s doing a smiley face.

You know we get judged on presentation?

Our bloody Mary, we're going to make it
hot and smoky.

Oh, what did you burn?

[laughter]

-[man] What’s happened to the bread?
-I told you to check on it.

[woman] Is it burning? Oh, crap.