The Big Family Cooking Showdown (2017–2018): Season 2, Episode 5 - Episode #2.5 - full transcript
In the first play-off, the four winning families from this week's heats compete for two places in finals week. They test their creativity with some surprise ingredients and cook a family treat.
Let's go.
[Angellica]
The Big Family Cooking Showdown is back.
Brilliant. Perfect.
We are bringing to our kitchen 16 foodie
families ready to take each other on
and prove their cooking is best.
I wake up thinking about food.
I go to sleep thinking about food.
We're either going to prepare
something great
or we're going to give the judges
food poisoning.
They come in different combinations,
from in-laws...
If I hear that word,"chilled" again,
someone's going to get hurt.
...to grandparents.
Nan, these are going horribly wrong.
-Twins...
-Oh, yeah.
...to teenagers.
-Bit of salt and pepper in there.
-Yes, Mother!
Alright, only asking!
But what they all bring
is their very own brand of family cooking.
Perfected over years.
Sometimes generations.
In India,
this is like the nation's favorite snack.
Food is at the very heart
of these families' lives.
That's enough.
The ingredient
that binds each family together.
The family that cuddles together
stays together.
Watching and judging their every move
will be Tommy Banks...
Dropping bombs.
...Britain's youngest-ever
Michelin-starred chef
and owner of his own family restaurant.
-Good?
-I could eat that three times a day.
-Okay.
-It's a great piece of cooking.
Go, go, go, go. Right, stop.
And me, Angellica Bell.
I've written family cookbooks
and know just how important
home cooking is for family life.
It's delicious.
My granddad would just love that.
Yes, Angellica!
We're not looking
for fancy restaurant cuisine,
but we are expecting
the very highest standards...
Smashed it.
...as we search for the families
that make ordinary food extraordinary.
-I just feel overwhelmed.
-Just take your time, Daddy.
This has gone so wrong.
[glass shattering]
It's play-off time
in the Showdown kitchen...
and the four families
whose food shone in the heats
are back to fight for just two places
in the finals.
Two of our families
will be leaving the competition today.
Do you think they're going to do the same
as last time and get rid of people early?
-No, I don't think so.
-No?
First up, it's the Gohil and Al-Sheiks
from Ruislip.
Husband Waleed, wife Gemini
and sister-in-law Pinki,
whose international cooking is inspired
by their travels around the world
and their family heritage.
I think what makes
our family's food unique
is that we've got different cultures.
Pinki and I, for example, are both Indian.
And then the same
with Waleed being Mediterranean.
That brings in something different.
I think what's unique is that
we all appreciate each other's cooking
and then we'll kind of learn and tweak
and steal ideas from each other.
That's really nice.
Well done, team.
Also returning to the kitchen,
the farming Whites from Scotland.
Mum Lesley, daughter Dizzy
and son Struan
feel their simple, homely dishes
will see them win the day.
Our family's style of cooking has always
been sort of quantity is really important.
Especially when we're quite a...
Quite an open house
in terms of you never really know
how many people are coming for tea.
[Dizzy] We've never done fancy,
little starters.
What's most important?
-You've got to put it on the plate with...
-With love.
[Dizzy] You've got to put it
on the plate with love.
Up against them, another family
named White, from Hampshire.
-Dad William, daughter Molly and son Jack.
-Maggie!
Countryside cohorts
and champions of British produce.
Well, British produce
is the most important thing to us,
because it's fresh, we get it locally
and it's the most healthy option.
Yeah. Most things we try and buy British.
Difficult to get British bananas.
Finally, from London,
it's the Abimbola-Younges.
I just don't get it.
I'm Empire, sister-in-law Diva
and cousin Zhané,
who pride themselves on preparing
authentic Afro-Caribbean food
that always packs a punch.
Afro-Caribbean food is our tradition.
It's soul food and that's why we love it.
It's about the flavors, the richness
and it's food that's cooked from the soul.
You know, you put your heart and soul
and love and care into it.
[Jack] I reckon there's fish under there.
Welcome back.
Hey.
Hey, and congratulations.
You are in the play-offs.
We have the farmer Whites
and the Gohil and Al-Sheiks.
You know each other
'cause you were in a heat,
so please say hello
to the Abimbola-Younges...
and the Hampshire Whites.
[all] Hi.
No doubt you've been eyeing up
the competition.
[Angellica]
Yes, Pinki, I'm looking at you.
-Are you all excited?
-Very excited.
You should be pleased
about getting this far.
However, at the end of today...
only two families
can go through to the semi-finals.
So you will have to bring your A-game.
So this next round is called Pick And Mix.
We have a little gift for you.
If you'd like to look
underneath the cloth on your bench...
Our families have each been given
one special ingredient...
Oh!
...that they'll need to make
the star of their dish.
What the hell is that?
-Do you know what it is?
-No.
-Is it a celeriac?
-Yeah.
It might be ugly, but it is very tasty.
Celeriac is a versatile root vegetable
with a subtle, celery-like flavor
and can be served raw or cooked.
But the real challenge is yet to come.
You are going to need some more
ingredients to go with your celeriac.
Hence Pick And Mix.
So now one member of each family...
will choose another ingredient.
Each family must pick one ingredient,
so, by the end,
they'll have a selection
of five ingredients
they all must use
to create one or two dishes.
I'm Empire,
which ingredient are you going to choose?
-The mackerel.
-Okay.
-Dizzy?
-The venison.
Ooh.
-Pinki?
-The courgette.
Courgette.
[Tommy] Interesting.
And Molly?
Red lentils.
Interesting selection.
I'm not going to lie.
[Tommy] Whether you like them or not...
you're going to have an hour and 15...
to come up with something special.
Good luck. Let's go.
Dear God, I've no idea
what to do with the lentils.
-Could you make a mackerel soup?
-No, no. Not fish soup.
Well, that is a random group
of ingredients.
I don't think they can all go together
on the same plate.
[I'm Empire] If one of us knows
how to do a flatbread--
-[Diva] Absolutely not.
-No.
-Celeriac?
-Mackerel?
-Courgettes?
-Red lentils?
Venison?
[Struan] I mean,
it's going to be absolute chaos.
Along with their five
must-use ingredients,
our cooks can help themselves
to a stock of kitchen essentials.
They'll also need
to put their family's own unique twist
on whatever they decide to cook.
That and that together.
That pan fried,
make a little curry or something.
No, it takes too long.
It'll dry out as well in a curry.
Fine, why don't we cook it separately?
-Pan fry it.
-Okay.
Sticking with their international flavors,
the Gohil and Al-Sheiks are going European
with a pan-fried mackerel starter served
with courgette ribbons and celeriac mash.
While the venison and lentils will be
transformed into an Indian-inspired curry.
-[Angellica] Hi.
-Hello, hello, hello.
Right, first question.
Confidence level? Ten is up here,
one down here. Where are you at?
I would say about a seven.
I know what a celeriac is.
I've seen it cooked.
I've never cooked it personally.
The venison... I pretty much figured
that the farmer Whites
would pick the venison when I saw it.
There is a glint in everyone's eye.
Well, we're better than everyone, right?
Hun, look at you switch up so quick.
"Everyone's so lovely.
Yeah, but we're going to win."
Oh, dear.
The crucial thing
for the Gohil and Al-Sheiks
is getting the spices in their curry
exactly right
so it doesn't overpower the beautiful
venison picked by the Whites.
[Gemini] Honey, how long
should the venison cook for?
[Waleed] Check it.
It doesn't take long. Five, six minutes
probably. Not that much longer.
You don't want to dry it out.
-It'll continue to cook in residual heat.
-Yeah.
While the Gohil and Al-Sheiks
know what they're doing from the get-go...
I need to cut this
and see what it smells like.
...unfamiliar ingredients
are confusing the Abimbola-Younges.
It smells like something you take
when you're sick or after a hangover.
I hate ingredients I've never worked with.
And that's why I get
really, really nervous.
The unfamiliar mix of ingredients
has the Abimbola-Younges ditching
their usual Afro-Caribbean flavors.
Instead, roasted venison
will be wrapped in courgette
and served with a lentil puree,
celeriac stir fry and a mackerel fritter.
And all served on one plate.
Hello, hello.
-Hi.
-Hiya.
You've caught us in the middle
of a stressful moment up in here.
-Really?
-You're not getting stressed, are you?
Well, you know, basically, we're trying
to figure out all of the flavors
and see how they work together.
-It is a difficult challenge.
-Yeah.
And I could see in all of your faces
that some of the ingredients
you hadn't cooked with and stuff.
I mean, the first time I saw this,
I didn't know if it needed some make-up
or some contouring.
Bring... it... on.
[trills] Okay.
Yes!
Yes.
[Diva] Courgettes are so disgusting.
I was going to call it a courbergine.
Courbergine?
There's no such thing as a courbergine.
Isn't that the thing they put
in the McDonald's?
No, that's a gherkin.
If I was feeling hungry,
I'd go straight to Diva's house.
It is so annoying.
Because, number one, Diva's closer.
Because Diva's my twin brother's wife,
I know that whatever my twin likes,
I'll love, so...
Diva.
Well, I give you permission
to go to Zhané's house.
-But that journey would be too much.
-Yeah.
[Angellica] In my mind,
I think they probably struggle the most.
Because they're using food that they might
not have necessarily cooked with before.
[Tommy] They're making fritters
out of mackerel. They make good fritters.
They're being quite clever, using
techniques that they're definitely good at
with an ingredient
they've never used before.
Do we need to see them do something
that isn't fritters?
[I'm Empire]
We made a fritter the last time,
so this one's going to be
a little bit-- a sweeter fritter
with a little bit of lemon through it.
-Interesting way to fillet a fish.
-I know. That's what I just thought.
The Abimbola-Younges can't blame
anyone else for the mackerel either.
They chose it.
Their consolation: other families
could have problems with it too.
-I do know how to grill fish.
-Yeah.
-So we could just do grilled fish--
-Do that as a starter with some nice oils.
-Oils, chili flakes...
-Just make it look nice.
What do we do with venison?
Why don't we do...
a dal. Dal and venison?
-Yeah.
-I mean, would that go?
With British produce at the heart
of their cooking, the Hampshire Whites
are adding a spicy twist to
the Scottish venison for a main course.
While their starter could well involve
grilled Cornish mackerel
and pickled celeriac.
Although, no one seems convinced.
I think the fish is more comfortable
than I am actually.
Not entirely sure what...
What we're going to do with it.
But that's great.
I mean, it's improvisation, isn't it?
He who improvises wins.
Molly, red lentils.
That was a bit of a curve ball, wasn't it?
I have no idea why I picked that.
-I don't know.
-So who's in control today then if you...
None of us.
One is a little hot under the collar.
Look at what we have here.
You chose it.
It's not over...
Until the fat lady sings.
Why are you looking at me?
You take meaning from what I say
in such a wrong way.
Listen, I'm not easily offended,
don't you worry. I'm just teasing you.
You might be easily offended by this meal
however.
-Stop it!
-Seriously.
-Right, keep going. Just keep going.
-Yeah, we'll keep going. It's fine.
Have we put the fish in?
Yes. Yes, I have, Jack, yeah.
Because it's not going to take 50 minutes
to cook.
-How long does mackerel take to cook?
-I've never cooked mackerel.
The Hampshire Whites
are not the only ones struggling
with the Abimbola-Younges' mackerel.
I'm marinading it in some lemon juice,
just to cook it a little.
[Struan] Have you de-boned fish, Mum?
Uh, no.
Have you ever seen a fish be de-boned?
Uh...
No, but I do know bones are a bad thing.
Yeah.
True to form, the farmer Whites
are keeping things simple.
Their citrus-marinated fish starter
is set to include both the celeriac
and courgette.
While their main course of venison steak
will be served with a balsamic gravy
and both a lentil and celeriac puree.
It's exciting,
you're in the play-offs.
It's very exciting, and we've done nothing
but cook all weekend.
I'm guessing you did not practice
any of these dishes.
-Absolutely not, no.
-Yes, it didn't really help, did it?
Not this combination.
Were you tactically choosing?
Do you know, in my head,
I'd decided on venison.
After they'd gone for mackerel, I thought,
"Do I change it?" Then I thought...
"We cook venison a lot. I wonder
if all the other families cook venison."
-So it was tactics.
-It was.
To cut a long story short, it was tactics.
Mum, when I was little...
Talk about lying to your child.
She used to make...
cut-up deer heart in breadcrumbs
for when I was little
and told me
that they were chicken nuggets.
-Like, how-- That's so cruel.
-It was very healthy.
Yeah, but then I went
to have proper chicken nuggets.
I was like, "Oh, these are disgusting."
-It doesn't taste like offal.
-Yeah.
Just a covering of water.
The farmer Whites have cooked
both venison and mackerel before,
so we're expecting them
to do a really good job,
especially when they used to farm venison
themselves.
Halfway through the task
and some families are still struggling
with their fish dishes.
I think this is going to break.
It's not firm enough.
-[Jack] How's your fish looking?
-It's alright.
-I'm slow cooking it.
-That's a good idea.
-On 200?
-What?
The farmer Whites
have pan fried their venison steaks,
which they plan to finish off in the oven.
[Lesley]
I'll start the balsamic reduction.
When you used to make that with steak,
I used to think it was this magic recipe.
But it turns out that it was literally
just heated-up balsamic vinegar.
-It will forever be called yummy gravy.
-Yummy gravy.
Did you see how much balsamic vinegar
they put in that gravy?
[Lesley] We want it to be really sticky.
[coughs]
-Fascinating techniques going on.
-Yeah.
It's quite strong though.
For the most part,
all four families seem to be coping
with the celeriac and the courgettes.
And with their Indian background,
Gemini and Pinki are focused on creating
a perfectly-balanced curry
with the Hampshire Whites' lentils.
[Gemini] Now try it.
-Wow, it is actually quite a nice flavor.
-It's a lovely flavor. It's a nice...
little balance.
[Tommy] Fifteen minutes to go.
I'm going to strip the fish, okay?
I can't wait any longer.
I don't want to be the one
to bog this meal.
I don't know what I'm doing here.
I'm massacring this.
Guys, I don't know
what this is going to look like.
Are we presenting this on just one plate?
No. We need to keep these two dishes
very, very separate.
Why can't this amazing dish
just go on the side in a sort of...
That's a starter.
-This is a main.
-Dad, we're keeping it...
It's a starter?
Dad, that was the plan all along,
for the fish to be the starter
and this to be the main.
Yeah, but it's kind of morphing as we go,
isn't it?
-No.
-Okay.
Dad is a very unique character,
I would say.
Yeah, unique's a good word to sum him up,
isn't it?
Actually, he bought a badge once
that said, "I'm not weird, I'm gifted."
-Which sums Dad up to a tee, I think.
-Yeah.
Whatever.
With the task in full swing,
the farmer Whites' venison
is the Pick And Mix ingredient
now vexing our families.
[Diva] It's well cooked,
so I think having it
on its own would be quite drying.
-[I'm Empire] Are you making three?
-Yeah.
Three per person?
No, why would I make three per person?
I'm making three.
-You can see--
-They're tiny things.
They're little appetizer things.
Why do you want everything
to be in big portions?
-Just a nice portion. A human portion.
-No.
I'm making three.
Oh, my God. I'm going to have to trust you
on that one.
[Tommy] Five minutes left now.
Even the farmer Whites, who tactically
chose the venison for their own advantage,
may have scored an own goal.
Right, okay.
I think we need to cut into this venison
to see what it's like in the middle.
How are you feeling, Dizz,
last five minutes?
-Panicking.
-Mum does make it stressful, doesn't she?
I don't make life stressful.
I didn't say "life." I said Dizzy.
No, I don't, do I , Dizz?
-She does make me stressed.
-No, I don't.
[Lesley] What do you think?
[Struan] That's so overcooked.
-Oh, please, Struan.
-It is.
That's no good, man.
-Oh, chill, man.
-It's not.
One minute to go.
We've got to get going,
otherwise we're not going to finish.
-[Molly] Don't just chuck it on though.
-Alright, alright. You're in charge.
[Pinki] Put more mackerel on. Don't be...
-The thing is--
-No, no, no, no.
-No, hear me out.
-There's a lot of celeriac.
-The proportion--
-Doesn't matter. These are overcooked.
[I'm Empire] Looks so nice,
doesn't it?
Come on! Look at that.
Who wiped off the chives there?
That was for decoration.
You told me to clean up.
Yeah, I didn't mean
to clean up the decoration.
[Lesley] We need to hurry.
I'm stressing now.
I want to say a bad word, but I can't.
-Is this done enough?
-Yes.
[Struan] It looks like somebody
stood in some sort of dog dirt.
-Shove it on.
-I'm disappointed.
That venison's so overcooked.
Three, two, one... stop.
Step away from the garnish.
[Molly] We did the best we could.
Considering the beginning,
I think that's turned out...
-What did we think at the beginning?
-We didn't have a bloody clue.
After that hectic round,
our families deserve a minute
to rest their culinary muscles.
I'm not superstitious at all.
My grandmother used to be though,
because you couldn't stir a pan
anti-clockwise.
-Yeah.
-She said you were stirring in the devil.
-Why?
-She didn't like that.
But, no, I'm not at all superstitious.
I have my pet peeler.
[Pinki] Did you bring it with you?
Yeah, I've got it. I brought it with me.
High five to that.
I brought my one as well.
No? Really?
-This is getting really weird.
-I'm clearly the normal one.
-I'm clearly the normal one.
-Have you not got a peeler with you?
-No.
-Oh.
Our families have had
just an hour and 15 minutes
to combine
five very different ingredients.
Now it's time to see
how well they've got them to gel.
First are the farmer Whites.
They've made a starter
of mackerel and celeriac ceviche.
While their main course of venison comes
with lentil puree and balsamic gravy.
So, Pick And Mix...
Pretty tough challenge.
You chose venison. How did you find it?
I'm not that happy
with how it turned out in the end.
[Tommy] Okay.
Well, I think the mackerel looks
really nicely presented. Nice starter.
And I like ceviche. I like cured fish.
I think it's a really nice thing to do.
The main course,
it looks a bit clumsy to me.
-But you know this isn't your standard.
-No.
I'm pretty disappointed
in our presentation.
-Yes.
-Okay.
So let's try it anyway. Alright?
I really enjoy your mackerel starter.
It's light and fresh.
I like the lemon flavor in it.
And the flatbreads go well. It's nice.
The parsley and lemon is really punchy.
You were bold with that
and with good reason.
I think that's an excellent start
to a meal.
The venison though
is not in the same league, I'm afraid.
And when you overcook the venison,
it does get that liver-y, offal-y flavor
which isn't that pleasant.
The celeriac puree, I think,
needs more seasoning.
I can't really taste the venison.
Because you've doused it
in this quite acidic balsamic gravy...
that's all I can taste.
We completely agree.
-Okay. Well, that's nice.
-Yeah.
Struan says it's going to haunt him
to his dying days
that we overcooked the venison.
It's 50-50.
It's one good and one not so good.
But, this afternoon,
you're cooking your own food,
so you come back strong.
Yes. We'll definitely try.
Next, it's the turn
of the Gohil and Al-Sheiks.
They've made their mackerel
with roast courgettes and celeriac mash...
and used the venison and lentils
to prepare a rich, spiced curry.
Both dishes are beautifully presented.
I think they're very elegant and simple,
which makes them very enticing.
The proof will be in eating it.
I'm going to start off with your celeriac,
courgette and mackerel starter...
which is so lovely to look at and...
tastes just as good.
I love the celeriac mash.
It's buttery, it's creamy.
I think you've cooked the courgettes
really sympathetically as well,
with a light dressing on that,
which balances it out.
And then you have the mackerel on top.
You've cooked the mackerel really well.
You've just almost left it to just...
let its flavor come out,
so that, when you eat it together,
it really comes together
as a nice starter dish.
The celeriac...
the vegetable you were given,
I think you showed it off really well.
The mash on the bottom's really buttery
and rich and well-seasoned.
I disagree slightly.
I think the mackerel isn't quite as good
as the other parts of the dish.
I think it's a bit
of an after-thought.
But it's a very good dish.
[Angellica] Then we move on
to your venison and lentil curry.
When I tasted it,
all I could get was layer upon layer
upon layer of flavor.
It's such a beautifully-crafted curry,
and I love curry.
[Tommy] The curry's fantastic.
A haunch of venison is a great cut.
You can serve it pink as a steak,
or do something like this
and cook it in a curry.
The meat's really juicy and tender.
It really is tasty food.
I think you should be really proud.
Yay!
We're just crazy.
We know that already.
Yay! Thank you.
The Abimbola-Younges have opted
to produce a single plate of food.
Their venison has been roasted
and wrapped in courgette
and comes with a mackerel fritter,
lentil puree
and celeriac stir fry.
I just wanted to ask you
how you found this round.
Hard.
I think it was a struggle
to put everything together.
But you have managed to present something.
And it's a dainty-looking plate.
Thank you.
Your food is always packed with a punch
and there definitely is that there.
I do love your lentil puree.
It's really lovely. Nice flavors in that.
And then you've got your...
celeriac on the top, which you've grated.
And that's seasoned beautifully as well.
The fritter...
We know you can make fritters
and we know you can make them well,
so it would've been nice
to see something a bit different,
just to show us a wider repertoire.
[Tommy] This is tasty, but I don't think
it's quite as good as the saltfish.
I think you can tell it's a fish
you haven't used in them before.
Now, the courgette and venison
I'm a little bit disappointed with.
You had a huge bit of meat there.
And you've put four little tiny pieces
in there.
There's so little,
it's such a shame.
You had that big piece of meat.
You could have done anything with it.
Maybe it should've been a different dish.
I think you're 60% great and 40% confused.
-Yes.
-Yeah.
Last up, it's the Hampshire Whites,
who have grilled their mackerel and
served it on a bed of pickled celeriac.
Their second dish is pan-fried venison
served with spicy red lentil dal.
When we came to see you,
it didn't seem you were
enjoying yourselves much.
I don't know
why you were so self-deprecating
when you've barely put a foot wrong
throughout the whole competition.
But putting that aside,
one thing that you guys are brilliant at
is presenting food.
And if this is how you present food
when you're down...
good job.
-Thank you.
-Thanks.
William,
your shredded and pickled celeriac...
really nice.
It's really quite acidic and well pickled.
I think the fish is a little bland.
I'm not sure that got the same love
that everything else got.
I think it was more, "Bang it in the oven
and we'll pick it down later," but...
it's a nice start to a meal.
I think your pickled...
celeriac is really lovely and...
the mackerel on top is cooked really well.
I think they would've been better
if there was one thing
bringing them both together.
The venison though
is the star of the show.
It's pink, it's really tender.
Don't think you could cook
a haunch of venison better than that.
The lentils have a lovely flavor.
Real depth in there.
But what I really like is the way that
you've left the vegetables nice and whole.
We've got courgettes
and we've got celeriac.
They were two of the key ingredients
and they really come through,
because you get the lovely bite
and crunch from them.
But it was actually really nice
to see your vulnerability today
and see you out of your comfort zone.
And you should be proud to present that.
-Thank you.
-Thanks.
Big sigh of relief.
My God.
You may now leave.
Thank you.
We've now reached the halfway point
in today's crucial two challenges.
So how have our families performed so far?
Who knew five ingredients
could create such tension
and excitement in the kitchen?
It really did.
The Gohil and Al-Sheiks though...
that venison and lentil curry
was delicious.
And, for me, they really shone
in the kitchen in this round.
Then looking at the Hampshire Whites,
they felt
like they had let themselves down.
But, in fact, they really used
those five ingredients really well.
The farmer Whites, though,
the ceviche was good,
but the venison,
that was badly overcooked.
And then we have the Abimbola-Younges,
who really struggled in this round
and they didn't have enough venison
on the plate.
However they fared in the last task,
our four families now need to bring their
A-game if they want to reach the finals.
Only two can make it through
and this is their last chance
to show us what they can do.
Are you all excited?
Yes!
Well, we're excited.
Because it's treat night.
We want a blow-out extravaganza
of a meal.
For this treat night challenge,
each of our families will need to deliver
both a main course and a dessert
worthy of celebration.
They've had time to practice these dishes
at home,
so we need to see and taste
some truly impressive food.
[Angellica] You have two hours.
Your time starts now.
Okay.
-Let's go, baby.
-Let's go.
Who's dealing with this? This is for you.
[Waleed] You've got it.
[Tommy] Treat night is all about those
indulgent dishes that you rarely cook.
But, when you do,
they're definitely worth the wait.
They may not be healthy,
but you really don't care,
because they put a big smile
on everybody's face.
[Lesley] Let's try and go really fast,
because I think we need to crack on.
How much is too much wine? Yeah.
[Struan] Ma, that is a lot.
Let's just go for it.
After a poor first task,
the farmer Whites are sticking
with a hearty but simple main.
Chicken parcels bound in Parma ham
and a cheese and white wine sauce,
served with some very special tomatoes
on the side.
But they're going for it,
with an indulgent
chocolate and orange tart
served with balsamic strawberries.
We're cooking chicken parcels,
because it's our eldest child's
favorite meal.
And then we've got couscous to go with it
and some of my aunt's tomatoes,
because it's an old family recipe.
In the summertime,
we used to go to the seaside
and Auntie Della had a house on the beach.
She used to start up a barbecue
and, before you knew it,
everybody had joined the barbecue.
People used to bring sausages
and she used to cook her fantastic
Auntie Della's tomatoes
that all my cousins can still cook.
[Tommy] This is a blow-out meal.
-This is, yeah.
-It is.
Tell us, why is this a treat?
Why did you want to serve this up?
My eldest daughter, Avril,
even though she's now 32,
as soon as you say,
"It's chicken parcels," she says, "Yay!"
-It feels like there's a real personal...
-Oh, there is.
-...connection to these dishes.
-Absolutely. Yes, yes.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
So how old were we when you first
started making chicken parcels, Mum?
Because I remember them
for a long, long time.
You used to gum them
when you had no teeth.
-Yep, so at least 23 years.
-So at least 22 years, yeah.
Farmer Whites' dishes,
are they going to be treat night?
Are they going to show-stopping?
Are they really special?
Because this parcel
is the eldest daughter's favorite dish.
Is this just a family classic?
Is this part of their repertoire?
Or is this really pushing?
That's what I wonder.
And with a dish this simple,
any flaw is going to stand out.
It needs to be perfect.
I just need to check that it's cooked,
because...
raw chicken would not be good.
No, it needs to go in
for another couple of minutes.
It isn't just the farmer Whites
who are worried
about under or overcooking their bird.
The Gohil and Al-Sheiks are facing
a similar dilemma with their duck.
[Waleed] I'm a little bit worried
about getting the duck right.
At the moment, I'm scoring it.
What scoring it does
is it allows it to release the fats.
And instead of adding butter
or olive oil or anything like that,
you allow it to cook in its own fat.
The pan will be cold.
Because if I do it hot,
it's going to seal the duck
It's not gonna let any fat out.
So I'm going to allow it
to release that fat
by basically slowly turning up the heat.
After a spectacular first round,
the Gohil and Al-Sheiks have chosen
a French classic,
but technically challenging,
menu to impress us.
Their duck will be served
with a cherry sauce and buttery mash.
And, like the farmer Whites,
they too are serving
an indulgent chocolate tart.
So you have 20 seconds to sell us...
your treat night.
We're taking you to paradise.
How about that in five seconds?
-Oh, that'd be nice.
-Paradise. But why paradise?
Everyone wants a bit of escapism,
so we're hoping that we can produce
a main course and, we're hoping, a dessert
that will be really comforting.
-Like, "Yum, let me--"
-Indulgent.
Indulgent. "Let me lick that spoon
a little bit more."
Given yourself a big challenge here,
haven't you?
-But you like challenges.
-We do like to challenge ourselves.
You can do that.
-We can do anything.
-Challenge accepted.
Exactly. Good.
See you, guys.
[Waleed] I'm sieving it through now.
[Pinki] Don't there.
Sieve it through a finer one.
Because you've got pips in there.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The Gohil and Al-Sheiks had a storming
round this morning, didn't they?
Yeah.
This duck's going to have to be special.
You've got to render out the skin
and the fat enough.
It's not an easy thing to cook. They need
to have the attention to detail.
[Pinki] You need to let it simmer
for longer.
It just looked too thin
It's meant to be like a sauce.
Hey, Jack. Work out.
[Jack] You need to, actually.
The Whites may be champions
of British produce,
but they've never been afraid
of spicing up their food.
We are cooking a Mexican feast.
Molly's doing homemade tacos.
I'm doing a beef-type mix.
Lots of sauces.
Guac, salsa, that sort of thing.
Has this come to the boil yet?
-No. Is it on?
-Yeah.
Jack's British beef chili will be served
with a selection of traditional sides,
including guacamole and a piquant salsa.
While dessert comes in the form
of a Latin American classic.
Churros with chocolate sauce.
[Tommy] Hello.
-Hello.
-It's Mexican.
Yeah.
Is that you, Molly?
[Jack] You came up with the idea
and we jumped on board pretty quickly.
[Molly] We do quite a lot
of chilies at home.
-Like nachos, fajitas.
-Fajitas, that sort of thing.
Have you practiced this?
I haven't practiced it,
but I've been fully briefed.
These two have practiced. But, you know,
I've cooked this sort of thing at home.
[Tommy] You know,
"I just knock this out every day."
Well, actually just this little bit.
The rest of it, I don't.
[Angellica] Get on with your peeler.
Thank you.
Shut up!
[Jack] Ground coriander.
That's not going here.
-I can't see it there.
-[Molly] Yeah, it should do.
I like the way it's kind of like
a build-your-own dish.
But it needs to have
that lovely sort of spice in the beef.
It can't be bland.
-[William] Have you tried the beef?
-I tried it.
It's nice, but I put
some more spice and stuff in.
Okay, don't go overboard.
[Jack] Okay, Willy.
For their treat night,
the Abimbola-Younges are showcasing
Afro-Caribbean comfort food.
Empire is doing a Nigerian chicken stew.
I'm starting with the mikate,
which is the Congolese version
of a Nigerian puff puff,
-which is basically a sweet--
-Fried dough ball.
Fritter? Yeah, sweet, fried dough ball.
Yeah.
That's the ultimate kind of African
party food.
To go with his chicken,
I'm Empire is serving jollof rice,
a one-pot rice dish beloved
across the whole of West Africa.
Jollof rice is one of those things where,
if you don't make it in the right way
or you miss out an ingredient,
then just say--
-It messes it up.
-Just say it's a spicy rice.
-Just call it spicy rice.
-But don't call it jollof.
Because if it doesn't taste like it,
then it's not.
-Just call it spicy rice.
-Spicy rice.
-"I've got spicy rice and chicken."
-Got some red, spicy...
"Do you want some?" Yeah.
The perfect jollof rice
is different for every family,
never mind different countries.
But the tomato and chili base
has to be cooked through
before you add
just the right amount of water
to leave you with perfectly fluffed
and separated grains of rice.
Now smell that. Come on, come on.
-Have you put the puree in?
-Doesn't that smell good?
Okay, put a tiny bit more puree
and let it fry.
Along with a main course
of red chicken stew and spicy jollof rice,
the Abimbola-Younges will serve
a Nigerian egg salad.
For the dessert,
the traditional puff puff balls
will come with a homemade peanut butter
and a fruit puree.
What's cooking?
Last time, we went to Jamaica.
This time, I'm taking you to Africa.
In Africa, when you've got a party...
Because we're making you party food.
The only dessert we know is puff puff.
-[Angellica] Yeah.
-Puff puff and mikate, same thing?
-It's the same thing.
-Oh, okay.
A lot of places have their own variations.
Ah, so we've got...
the churros over there,
which is the Mexican...
-Oh, yeah, yeah.
-Fried, yeasted.
-Yeah.
-And then, over here, we have puff puff.
-Yeah.
-Which sounds similar sort of desserts.
-Totally different continents.
-Yeah.
All you guys are such good cooks,
and we have to send two families home.
Don't worry. You don't have to feel guilty
because you're not sending me home.
Don't worry.
-That makes me feel better.
-I feel better now.
-Okay.
-Yes.
Oh, God.
Let me actually take some of this out,
because it's not going to fry properly.
What's going to be really interesting
is the comparison between the churros
and the puff puff.
They're pretty much the same thing,
but just from different places.
The farmer Whites
and the Gohil and Al-Sheik
are both making chocolate tarts.
But chocolate ganache
and shortcrust pastry can be tricky.
[Dizzy] I'm feeling the pressure
quite a lot to make this tart.
We've kind of nicknamed it
No Pressure Pudding,
even though
there's a lot of pressure on it.
Especially as this morning went so badly
as well.
I don't think the chicken parcels
were quite what they were looking for.
Whereas this is pretty indulgent,
so I'm feeling a lot of pressure.
[Pinki] How's it going?
[Gemini] I think... This is the first one.
[Pinki] That looks good actually.
The success of this team
could potentially rest
on how amazing and indulgent this tart is.
If you want to get through to the finals,
you've got to show them what you've got.
I'm panicking a bit, because Gemini's
already got one of her pastry tarts lined
and mine are still in the fridge
in a bowl.
[Lesley] Go for the pastry. Go. Run.
Dizz, do you need any help to do that
or not? Are you okay?
No, I need you to be quiet
and stay out of the way.
It's very short.
Why has it done that?
[Struan] We might need
some of your pastry, Gem.
-[Dizzy] Shut up!
-It was a joke!
I'm joking! It was a joke. Come on.
Do that one as well.
Both the Hampshire Whites' churros
and the Abimbola-Younges'
Nigerian puff puffs
will be deep fried.
But the temperature of the oil
has to be just right
to make both desserts crisp outside
and light and fluffy inside.
I'm much more of a savory man.
I'm not a dessert man at home.
What do you reckon, Moll?
That should be stiffer, shouldn't it?
Yeah. Um...
If you think it's fine, just go with it.
The Whites' dishes
are always well-rehearsed at home.
But for the Abimbola-Younges, Diva has
decided to add something new and untried.
I'm making my own peanut butter.
Don't know how it will go. I'm winging it.
But I roasted the peanuts already
in the oven.
And now I'm just going to get
the buttery texture.
[I'm Empire] How's the peanut butter?
-Oh, it's softer.
But I don't know what else I should add.
Butter maybe?
Do you add butter to peanut butter?
I think it needs some butter.
-Go and get some then. I don't know.
-Yeah.
Okay, we have half an hour to go now.
With the clock ticking,
our families are starting to have problems
with their main courses.
[Dizzy] Have you got
those chicken parcels out, Mum?
Oh, no.
Bad chicken parcel!
Right, one has leaked everywhere.
Come on, you little brutes.
Even cool-headed Waleed
is getting hot under the collar
cooking his duck breasts.
Sorry, one second. My hands are burning.
I need to put this in.
Where's the oven gloves?
It's going to go in the oven.
The middle needs to be cooked.
The outside is now cooked.
Why are they putting the duck breasts
in the oven already?
They need to render it out in the pan
for longer so it's nice and crisp.
We could be eating
really flabby duck later.
[Waleed]
Five minutes here. No more.
[Jack] Do you want a try of that beef?
-Spicy?
-Yeah.
Should be. That's good.
-Yeah, there's a little bit in there.
[I'm Empire]
Oh, my God, this is too many ingredients.
-Too much!
-It's just too much of your mess.
I can't work in this environment.
There's just...
It's all everywhere.
I could never have you cooking
in my kitchen.
And now they're having problems
with their desserts too.
My chocolate is not smooth,
so it's not gliding on.
It's more just plomping on at the moment.
There is just ten minutes left now, guys.
Ten minutes.
And time is running out.
[William] That's lovely.
Keep going, keep going.
[Molly] We'll just snip it. Oh, God.
It's sticking to the bottom.
This dough's not right.
Do you want to go and get flour
and let's do it again?
-Have they gone wrong?
-Yeah.
-Why?
-Just do it!
Dad, we need to do it again.
-Just use another bowl.
-Alright, alright.
-[Dizzy] Oh, this has not worked!
-[Lesley] Tell her to calm down.
-[Struan] Calm down. Calm down.
-Calm down.
Hopefully ganache will cover
a whole manner of sins.
-It's my job to test everything.
-You don't need to test everything.
It's really nice though,
if that's any consolation.
[Molly] This is looking more like it now.
[Dizzy] That is not good.
-They look awful. I'm so not happy.
-No, they look nice.
-[Waleed] Might need help. How much time?
-About two minutes.
Cut the duck into three pieces.
You must have enough.
It's as crispy as it's going to be.
One minute left.
No pressure, guys,
but we've actually finished.
This should be the last one.
Should be the last one.
Three, two, one...
-Stop. Stop, stop, stop.
-[bleep]
-Stop.
-[bleep]
-We're not much of a hugging family.
-Oh, yes, we do hug.
-Good job, guys.
-Well done, babies.
-Well done, guys.
-Good job.
One plate's missing.
No, there should be four. I did...
No, no, as in...
It's there. One, two, three, four.
Oh, thank God for that.
I knew there was four.
Have you not got garnish on?
Oh, just ten seconds more!
Our four families
have cooked their hearts out to impress us
and win a place in the finals.
But, for one family, it's all too much.
Just really disappointed with every
single dish that we produced today.
We're gutted.
When you work hard,
you expect more from yourselves.
I think that's, for me...
I feel like, firstly,
I've let everyone down
and I've also let myself down.
It's time for Tommy and myself to judge
our families' treat night extravaganzas.
The Abimbola-Younges stuck
with their Afro-Caribbean culinary roots,
making a red chicken stew
with spicy jollof rice
and a Nigerian egg salad.
And, for dessert,
it's traditional puff puff balls
with homemade peanut butter.
Well, well, well, this truly is a feast.
A real treat before our eyes.
And I just love the way you've put them
in these big bowls,
to say, "Here I am. This is our food
and are you ready to eat?"
Thank you.
Your jollof rice...
is a mountain of moreish-ness.
There's a danger, when you season
something with so much chili and spice,
that you can't actually taste
what it's about.
But you get exactly what this is about.
This is jollof rice at its best.
[Tommy] Chicken's wonderful.
You really don't get chicken
cooked that well very often.
I love the way you cooked it
slowly in the oil
and it's incredibly moist, it's tender.
It's got such flavor running through it.
The skin's full of flavor.
With the jollof rice as well,
I love this dish.
This is so about you guys
and it's brilliant.
But, regretfully, I've got to say
that your dessert has really let you down.
It's just...
overcooked.
And then to make peanut butter...
Was that the first time you've made it?
I personally
wouldn't have taken that risk.
Because it tastes more like butter
than peanut butter.
[Tommy] The puff puff, there's
too much outside, not enough inside.
It's very crispy, very hard,
and there's no light, puffy filling
in the middle, which I was hoping for.
It's a feast of two halves.
First half was brilliant.
I would've eaten so much of the first bit,
I wouldn't have needed dessert.
-Well done, guys.
-Well done.
Next, the Gohil and Al-Sheiks'
classic duck with cherry sauce,
served on mashed potato
with wilted spinach.
And, for dessert,
it's chocolate and orange tart
with oranges and cream on the side.
The family swapped
their usual world flavors
for something classically French,
but has it paid off?
[Tommy] You got quite stressed
by the end of that.
You gave yourself an awful lot to do.
That shows a bit in the presentation.
The duck looks a bit clumsy.
And the pastry's a bit rough,
which is a shame,
because I've come to expect some
pretty good presentation from you guys.
I don't think this is your absolute best.
Let's start with your savory dish.
The mashed potato
is really nicely seasoned,
really creamy, really delicious.
But I think the duck
is the bit that lets this plate down.
With duck, you want to render out
that skin really slowly,
like you started doing,
but you needed to leave it longer
and then it needed resting.
It's just a little bit flabby
and the skin has un-rendered fat,
which isn't very palatable.
Because you didn't rest the meat properly,
we have all the blood from the duck
seeping into the potato.
So that's a real shame.
Real disappointment.
When it comes to the chocolate tart,
that filling is rich.
You called it an indulgent chocolate tart
and it is indulgent.
And delicious.
Yes, there could have been the finesse
with the tart,
but it is a really lovely, chocolate,
indulgent dessert.
This is case in point
in just doing too much.
The ideas are very good.
The execution wasn't quite there today.
Thank you.
Well done, guys.
The farmer Whites have dished up
a family favorite.
Chicken and Parma ham parcels
served with white wine sauce,
couscous, and Auntie Della's tomatoes.
Their dessert
is another chocolate and orange tart,
which they've chosen to serve
with fresh berries.
[Tommy] I like the presentation.
It's all very neat.
Yeah, nice, clean, well-presented
plates of food.
I like the look of your chicken parcels.
I probably would've only put one on,
because of the size.
-We eat a lot in our family.
-No, I know!
Well, give me a bigger plate
so I don't make a mess.
So let's get tucked in.
I'm going to start
with Auntie Della's tomatoes.
Really tasty.
I love the acidity on them.
A very, very good garnish.
The couscous is well cooked
with a nice flavor through it
and the vegetables have a nice bite
within them as well.
The cheesy sauce,
it does feel very nostalgic for me.
Chicken and ham, cheesy sauce, pastry.
They're all flavors that I really enjoy.
But the chicken breast is quite dry.
You could have used leg or thigh. I think
that would have worked a lot better.
It holds its texture a lot better
and ends up more juicy as well.
[Angellica]
Auntie Della's tomatoes are a hit.
I would've liked
a bit more on the plate
to balance out the cheese
that's in the parcels,
because the cheese you've used
is a bit overpowering.
You can't taste the chicken
and other filling bits.
But it's really homely
and I can see why you as a family love it.
But as a treat night, I'm still trying
to work out whether it's a treat
or just some home comfort food.
[Tommy] The chocolate tart is very rich
and indulgent.
It's like a chocolate truffle inside it.
Which I like.
There's a nice shot of booze in there
as well
and that's really warming and delicious.
The balsamic strawberries are excellent.
A little bit of pepper on them as well.
It's a really good combination.
It's a tasty dessert.
I do think that this is the best part
of your meal.
I'm just a bit let down
by the orange cream,
because there's too much icing.
Just balance that out,
so you can actually taste the orange
and not the grains of the icing sugar.
The ganache and your chocolate
tastes really good.
There's some good elements
on the plate.
So well done.
-Thank you very much.
-Thank you.
Finally,
it's the turn of the Hampshire Whites,
whose Mexican-themed treat night
consists of beef chili tacos
with refried beans,
guacamole...
and salsa.
And, for pudding, it's deep-fried churros
with a dark chocolate dipping sauce.
I'm impressed.
Your food is always polished
and well presented.
You've got everything in the bowls.
And you're almost allowing me
to treat myself.
I can choose what I can put on the plate.
-Shall we break it?
-Generous.
The meat,
which is really what this is about...
is giving me that Mexican experience.
It's seasoned well, it's tasty,
and I feel like I'm going
on some sort of fun journey.
This feels so authentic.
It's delicious. The taco shells are
really well made. They're nice and soft.
The meat and the beans
are both great fillings.
The guacamole is wonderfully smooth.
Nice bit of chili in there.
And the salsa makes it really fresh.
I think you've hit the nail on the head
when it comes to a treat night.
It's really fantastic. These though...
When we snapped them,
my heart just started going.
You look at the crunch on the outside.
And then in the middle,
they're as light as a feather.
They're really, seriously,
the best churros I've ever eaten.
[Angellica] You did right
to make them again.
They're light and soft in the middle
with a beautiful, crisp coating.
Lightly dressed with that cinnamon
and sugar. It's delicious.
This is a great effort.
It was nice to see you cooking with more
of a smile on your face this afternoon,
because it definitely put a smile on ours.
-Thank you very much.
-Thank you.
[Lesley] Well done, guys.
Well done.
Tommy and I now have to decide which two
families will go forward to the finals.
And which two will leave the competition.
There is no stopping the Hampshire Whites.
They seem to be able
to turn their hand to anything
and they delivered a real treat.
Yeah, I mean, they're through.
They've been brilliant.
The decision we have to make now
is really difficult,
because only one family can join them
in the semi-finals.
So we have the farmer Whites, who I think
have been pretty average today.
Their venison this morning was overcooked
and then they produced
some really dry chicken.
Not a great day for them.
The Abimbola-Younges,
they seem to follow a pattern.
In the morning, with the unprepared tasks,
they really struggle.
But when they can cook their own food
in the afternoon,
they cook amazing things,
like that jollof rice and that chicken.
It's so mixed.
And the Gohil and Al-Sheik,
this morning, knocked it out of the park.
They delivered a fantastic
venison and lentil curry.
But then, in round two,
it just all fell apart.
At this stage of the competition,
you can't afford to make
very many mistakes
and all three of these families
have made a few.
So we started today with Pick And Mix,
and then a flavorful treat night.
But now it's time
for the really hard part,
because only two families
can go through to the semi-final.
The first family to go through is...
-the Hampshire Whites.
-Yay! Well done, guys.
[Gemini] Well done, yeah.
Yay. Good job.
-Well deserved.
-Thank you.
Well deserved. Well done.
The second and last family
going through to the semi-finals is...
the Gohil and Al-Sheiks.
-[Lesley] Yay, well done.
-No way!
Amazing. Yes.
[Gemini] No way.
So I'm very sorry,
but that means we have to say goodbye
to the farmer Whites
and the Abimbola-Younges.
We've had a great time.
-Yeah.
-So much fun.
-Well done, guys.
-[Dizzy] Good job.
Thank you.
Thank you for being so amazing.
-It's been really good fun actually.
-You enjoyed it?
Well done.
The farmer Whites were average today
without ever really being spectacular.
The margins were small between the Gohil
and Al-Sheiks and the Abimbola-Younges.
However, we felt that the Gohil
and Al-Sheiks had more potential.
And that's why we had to send
the Abimbola-Younges home today.
[Pinki] I'm feeling very, very emotional
at the moment.
First of all,
I didn't think we'd get through to this...
round and, secondly,
I'm crying because we've got through.
I'm a cry baby.
[Gemini] Come visit us, yeah?
Thank you for all of it.
It's been an emotional--
Oh, jeez, so depressing!
We're through to the semi-finals!
We need to believe in ourselves
a bit more.
-Absolutely.
-[Molly] Yeah.
Sad.
The competition...
is without us.
-It'll be a little bit bland.
-Yeah.
They're probably losing...
the flavor...
The slay...
And the heat.
[William] Thank you very much.
Take care. I'm so sorry that...
A bit disappointed
that we didn't reach the semi-finals.
I don't think
being able to cook venison...
It was pretty embarrassing. I don't think
we'll ever be able to live it down.
But we'll definitely get home,
get some practice with the venison
and go from there.
Yeah, I think we need to practice.
Right, come on, Mum.
Let's go.
-Hello.
-Next time...
Hey.
...four new families will compete to join
the Gohil and Al-Sheiks and the Whites
in finals week.
This is all about thinking on your feet.
Let's go.
Mum? I'm not happy with it,
I'm not going to lie.
This is an absolute disaster.
Guys, your time is up.
Let's do it. Come on!
That's how they do it.
[Angellica]
The Big Family Cooking Showdown is back.
Brilliant. Perfect.
We are bringing to our kitchen 16 foodie
families ready to take each other on
and prove their cooking is best.
I wake up thinking about food.
I go to sleep thinking about food.
We're either going to prepare
something great
or we're going to give the judges
food poisoning.
They come in different combinations,
from in-laws...
If I hear that word,"chilled" again,
someone's going to get hurt.
...to grandparents.
Nan, these are going horribly wrong.
-Twins...
-Oh, yeah.
...to teenagers.
-Bit of salt and pepper in there.
-Yes, Mother!
Alright, only asking!
But what they all bring
is their very own brand of family cooking.
Perfected over years.
Sometimes generations.
In India,
this is like the nation's favorite snack.
Food is at the very heart
of these families' lives.
That's enough.
The ingredient
that binds each family together.
The family that cuddles together
stays together.
Watching and judging their every move
will be Tommy Banks...
Dropping bombs.
...Britain's youngest-ever
Michelin-starred chef
and owner of his own family restaurant.
-Good?
-I could eat that three times a day.
-Okay.
-It's a great piece of cooking.
Go, go, go, go. Right, stop.
And me, Angellica Bell.
I've written family cookbooks
and know just how important
home cooking is for family life.
It's delicious.
My granddad would just love that.
Yes, Angellica!
We're not looking
for fancy restaurant cuisine,
but we are expecting
the very highest standards...
Smashed it.
...as we search for the families
that make ordinary food extraordinary.
-I just feel overwhelmed.
-Just take your time, Daddy.
This has gone so wrong.
[glass shattering]
It's play-off time
in the Showdown kitchen...
and the four families
whose food shone in the heats
are back to fight for just two places
in the finals.
Two of our families
will be leaving the competition today.
Do you think they're going to do the same
as last time and get rid of people early?
-No, I don't think so.
-No?
First up, it's the Gohil and Al-Sheiks
from Ruislip.
Husband Waleed, wife Gemini
and sister-in-law Pinki,
whose international cooking is inspired
by their travels around the world
and their family heritage.
I think what makes
our family's food unique
is that we've got different cultures.
Pinki and I, for example, are both Indian.
And then the same
with Waleed being Mediterranean.
That brings in something different.
I think what's unique is that
we all appreciate each other's cooking
and then we'll kind of learn and tweak
and steal ideas from each other.
That's really nice.
Well done, team.
Also returning to the kitchen,
the farming Whites from Scotland.
Mum Lesley, daughter Dizzy
and son Struan
feel their simple, homely dishes
will see them win the day.
Our family's style of cooking has always
been sort of quantity is really important.
Especially when we're quite a...
Quite an open house
in terms of you never really know
how many people are coming for tea.
[Dizzy] We've never done fancy,
little starters.
What's most important?
-You've got to put it on the plate with...
-With love.
[Dizzy] You've got to put it
on the plate with love.
Up against them, another family
named White, from Hampshire.
-Dad William, daughter Molly and son Jack.
-Maggie!
Countryside cohorts
and champions of British produce.
Well, British produce
is the most important thing to us,
because it's fresh, we get it locally
and it's the most healthy option.
Yeah. Most things we try and buy British.
Difficult to get British bananas.
Finally, from London,
it's the Abimbola-Younges.
I just don't get it.
I'm Empire, sister-in-law Diva
and cousin Zhané,
who pride themselves on preparing
authentic Afro-Caribbean food
that always packs a punch.
Afro-Caribbean food is our tradition.
It's soul food and that's why we love it.
It's about the flavors, the richness
and it's food that's cooked from the soul.
You know, you put your heart and soul
and love and care into it.
[Jack] I reckon there's fish under there.
Welcome back.
Hey.
Hey, and congratulations.
You are in the play-offs.
We have the farmer Whites
and the Gohil and Al-Sheiks.
You know each other
'cause you were in a heat,
so please say hello
to the Abimbola-Younges...
and the Hampshire Whites.
[all] Hi.
No doubt you've been eyeing up
the competition.
[Angellica]
Yes, Pinki, I'm looking at you.
-Are you all excited?
-Very excited.
You should be pleased
about getting this far.
However, at the end of today...
only two families
can go through to the semi-finals.
So you will have to bring your A-game.
So this next round is called Pick And Mix.
We have a little gift for you.
If you'd like to look
underneath the cloth on your bench...
Our families have each been given
one special ingredient...
Oh!
...that they'll need to make
the star of their dish.
What the hell is that?
-Do you know what it is?
-No.
-Is it a celeriac?
-Yeah.
It might be ugly, but it is very tasty.
Celeriac is a versatile root vegetable
with a subtle, celery-like flavor
and can be served raw or cooked.
But the real challenge is yet to come.
You are going to need some more
ingredients to go with your celeriac.
Hence Pick And Mix.
So now one member of each family...
will choose another ingredient.
Each family must pick one ingredient,
so, by the end,
they'll have a selection
of five ingredients
they all must use
to create one or two dishes.
I'm Empire,
which ingredient are you going to choose?
-The mackerel.
-Okay.
-Dizzy?
-The venison.
Ooh.
-Pinki?
-The courgette.
Courgette.
[Tommy] Interesting.
And Molly?
Red lentils.
Interesting selection.
I'm not going to lie.
[Tommy] Whether you like them or not...
you're going to have an hour and 15...
to come up with something special.
Good luck. Let's go.
Dear God, I've no idea
what to do with the lentils.
-Could you make a mackerel soup?
-No, no. Not fish soup.
Well, that is a random group
of ingredients.
I don't think they can all go together
on the same plate.
[I'm Empire] If one of us knows
how to do a flatbread--
-[Diva] Absolutely not.
-No.
-Celeriac?
-Mackerel?
-Courgettes?
-Red lentils?
Venison?
[Struan] I mean,
it's going to be absolute chaos.
Along with their five
must-use ingredients,
our cooks can help themselves
to a stock of kitchen essentials.
They'll also need
to put their family's own unique twist
on whatever they decide to cook.
That and that together.
That pan fried,
make a little curry or something.
No, it takes too long.
It'll dry out as well in a curry.
Fine, why don't we cook it separately?
-Pan fry it.
-Okay.
Sticking with their international flavors,
the Gohil and Al-Sheiks are going European
with a pan-fried mackerel starter served
with courgette ribbons and celeriac mash.
While the venison and lentils will be
transformed into an Indian-inspired curry.
-[Angellica] Hi.
-Hello, hello, hello.
Right, first question.
Confidence level? Ten is up here,
one down here. Where are you at?
I would say about a seven.
I know what a celeriac is.
I've seen it cooked.
I've never cooked it personally.
The venison... I pretty much figured
that the farmer Whites
would pick the venison when I saw it.
There is a glint in everyone's eye.
Well, we're better than everyone, right?
Hun, look at you switch up so quick.
"Everyone's so lovely.
Yeah, but we're going to win."
Oh, dear.
The crucial thing
for the Gohil and Al-Sheiks
is getting the spices in their curry
exactly right
so it doesn't overpower the beautiful
venison picked by the Whites.
[Gemini] Honey, how long
should the venison cook for?
[Waleed] Check it.
It doesn't take long. Five, six minutes
probably. Not that much longer.
You don't want to dry it out.
-It'll continue to cook in residual heat.
-Yeah.
While the Gohil and Al-Sheiks
know what they're doing from the get-go...
I need to cut this
and see what it smells like.
...unfamiliar ingredients
are confusing the Abimbola-Younges.
It smells like something you take
when you're sick or after a hangover.
I hate ingredients I've never worked with.
And that's why I get
really, really nervous.
The unfamiliar mix of ingredients
has the Abimbola-Younges ditching
their usual Afro-Caribbean flavors.
Instead, roasted venison
will be wrapped in courgette
and served with a lentil puree,
celeriac stir fry and a mackerel fritter.
And all served on one plate.
Hello, hello.
-Hi.
-Hiya.
You've caught us in the middle
of a stressful moment up in here.
-Really?
-You're not getting stressed, are you?
Well, you know, basically, we're trying
to figure out all of the flavors
and see how they work together.
-It is a difficult challenge.
-Yeah.
And I could see in all of your faces
that some of the ingredients
you hadn't cooked with and stuff.
I mean, the first time I saw this,
I didn't know if it needed some make-up
or some contouring.
Bring... it... on.
[trills] Okay.
Yes!
Yes.
[Diva] Courgettes are so disgusting.
I was going to call it a courbergine.
Courbergine?
There's no such thing as a courbergine.
Isn't that the thing they put
in the McDonald's?
No, that's a gherkin.
If I was feeling hungry,
I'd go straight to Diva's house.
It is so annoying.
Because, number one, Diva's closer.
Because Diva's my twin brother's wife,
I know that whatever my twin likes,
I'll love, so...
Diva.
Well, I give you permission
to go to Zhané's house.
-But that journey would be too much.
-Yeah.
[Angellica] In my mind,
I think they probably struggle the most.
Because they're using food that they might
not have necessarily cooked with before.
[Tommy] They're making fritters
out of mackerel. They make good fritters.
They're being quite clever, using
techniques that they're definitely good at
with an ingredient
they've never used before.
Do we need to see them do something
that isn't fritters?
[I'm Empire]
We made a fritter the last time,
so this one's going to be
a little bit-- a sweeter fritter
with a little bit of lemon through it.
-Interesting way to fillet a fish.
-I know. That's what I just thought.
The Abimbola-Younges can't blame
anyone else for the mackerel either.
They chose it.
Their consolation: other families
could have problems with it too.
-I do know how to grill fish.
-Yeah.
-So we could just do grilled fish--
-Do that as a starter with some nice oils.
-Oils, chili flakes...
-Just make it look nice.
What do we do with venison?
Why don't we do...
a dal. Dal and venison?
-Yeah.
-I mean, would that go?
With British produce at the heart
of their cooking, the Hampshire Whites
are adding a spicy twist to
the Scottish venison for a main course.
While their starter could well involve
grilled Cornish mackerel
and pickled celeriac.
Although, no one seems convinced.
I think the fish is more comfortable
than I am actually.
Not entirely sure what...
What we're going to do with it.
But that's great.
I mean, it's improvisation, isn't it?
He who improvises wins.
Molly, red lentils.
That was a bit of a curve ball, wasn't it?
I have no idea why I picked that.
-I don't know.
-So who's in control today then if you...
None of us.
One is a little hot under the collar.
Look at what we have here.
You chose it.
It's not over...
Until the fat lady sings.
Why are you looking at me?
You take meaning from what I say
in such a wrong way.
Listen, I'm not easily offended,
don't you worry. I'm just teasing you.
You might be easily offended by this meal
however.
-Stop it!
-Seriously.
-Right, keep going. Just keep going.
-Yeah, we'll keep going. It's fine.
Have we put the fish in?
Yes. Yes, I have, Jack, yeah.
Because it's not going to take 50 minutes
to cook.
-How long does mackerel take to cook?
-I've never cooked mackerel.
The Hampshire Whites
are not the only ones struggling
with the Abimbola-Younges' mackerel.
I'm marinading it in some lemon juice,
just to cook it a little.
[Struan] Have you de-boned fish, Mum?
Uh, no.
Have you ever seen a fish be de-boned?
Uh...
No, but I do know bones are a bad thing.
Yeah.
True to form, the farmer Whites
are keeping things simple.
Their citrus-marinated fish starter
is set to include both the celeriac
and courgette.
While their main course of venison steak
will be served with a balsamic gravy
and both a lentil and celeriac puree.
It's exciting,
you're in the play-offs.
It's very exciting, and we've done nothing
but cook all weekend.
I'm guessing you did not practice
any of these dishes.
-Absolutely not, no.
-Yes, it didn't really help, did it?
Not this combination.
Were you tactically choosing?
Do you know, in my head,
I'd decided on venison.
After they'd gone for mackerel, I thought,
"Do I change it?" Then I thought...
"We cook venison a lot. I wonder
if all the other families cook venison."
-So it was tactics.
-It was.
To cut a long story short, it was tactics.
Mum, when I was little...
Talk about lying to your child.
She used to make...
cut-up deer heart in breadcrumbs
for when I was little
and told me
that they were chicken nuggets.
-Like, how-- That's so cruel.
-It was very healthy.
Yeah, but then I went
to have proper chicken nuggets.
I was like, "Oh, these are disgusting."
-It doesn't taste like offal.
-Yeah.
Just a covering of water.
The farmer Whites have cooked
both venison and mackerel before,
so we're expecting them
to do a really good job,
especially when they used to farm venison
themselves.
Halfway through the task
and some families are still struggling
with their fish dishes.
I think this is going to break.
It's not firm enough.
-[Jack] How's your fish looking?
-It's alright.
-I'm slow cooking it.
-That's a good idea.
-On 200?
-What?
The farmer Whites
have pan fried their venison steaks,
which they plan to finish off in the oven.
[Lesley]
I'll start the balsamic reduction.
When you used to make that with steak,
I used to think it was this magic recipe.
But it turns out that it was literally
just heated-up balsamic vinegar.
-It will forever be called yummy gravy.
-Yummy gravy.
Did you see how much balsamic vinegar
they put in that gravy?
[Lesley] We want it to be really sticky.
[coughs]
-Fascinating techniques going on.
-Yeah.
It's quite strong though.
For the most part,
all four families seem to be coping
with the celeriac and the courgettes.
And with their Indian background,
Gemini and Pinki are focused on creating
a perfectly-balanced curry
with the Hampshire Whites' lentils.
[Gemini] Now try it.
-Wow, it is actually quite a nice flavor.
-It's a lovely flavor. It's a nice...
little balance.
[Tommy] Fifteen minutes to go.
I'm going to strip the fish, okay?
I can't wait any longer.
I don't want to be the one
to bog this meal.
I don't know what I'm doing here.
I'm massacring this.
Guys, I don't know
what this is going to look like.
Are we presenting this on just one plate?
No. We need to keep these two dishes
very, very separate.
Why can't this amazing dish
just go on the side in a sort of...
That's a starter.
-This is a main.
-Dad, we're keeping it...
It's a starter?
Dad, that was the plan all along,
for the fish to be the starter
and this to be the main.
Yeah, but it's kind of morphing as we go,
isn't it?
-No.
-Okay.
Dad is a very unique character,
I would say.
Yeah, unique's a good word to sum him up,
isn't it?
Actually, he bought a badge once
that said, "I'm not weird, I'm gifted."
-Which sums Dad up to a tee, I think.
-Yeah.
Whatever.
With the task in full swing,
the farmer Whites' venison
is the Pick And Mix ingredient
now vexing our families.
[Diva] It's well cooked,
so I think having it
on its own would be quite drying.
-[I'm Empire] Are you making three?
-Yeah.
Three per person?
No, why would I make three per person?
I'm making three.
-You can see--
-They're tiny things.
They're little appetizer things.
Why do you want everything
to be in big portions?
-Just a nice portion. A human portion.
-No.
I'm making three.
Oh, my God. I'm going to have to trust you
on that one.
[Tommy] Five minutes left now.
Even the farmer Whites, who tactically
chose the venison for their own advantage,
may have scored an own goal.
Right, okay.
I think we need to cut into this venison
to see what it's like in the middle.
How are you feeling, Dizz,
last five minutes?
-Panicking.
-Mum does make it stressful, doesn't she?
I don't make life stressful.
I didn't say "life." I said Dizzy.
No, I don't, do I , Dizz?
-She does make me stressed.
-No, I don't.
[Lesley] What do you think?
[Struan] That's so overcooked.
-Oh, please, Struan.
-It is.
That's no good, man.
-Oh, chill, man.
-It's not.
One minute to go.
We've got to get going,
otherwise we're not going to finish.
-[Molly] Don't just chuck it on though.
-Alright, alright. You're in charge.
[Pinki] Put more mackerel on. Don't be...
-The thing is--
-No, no, no, no.
-No, hear me out.
-There's a lot of celeriac.
-The proportion--
-Doesn't matter. These are overcooked.
[I'm Empire] Looks so nice,
doesn't it?
Come on! Look at that.
Who wiped off the chives there?
That was for decoration.
You told me to clean up.
Yeah, I didn't mean
to clean up the decoration.
[Lesley] We need to hurry.
I'm stressing now.
I want to say a bad word, but I can't.
-Is this done enough?
-Yes.
[Struan] It looks like somebody
stood in some sort of dog dirt.
-Shove it on.
-I'm disappointed.
That venison's so overcooked.
Three, two, one... stop.
Step away from the garnish.
[Molly] We did the best we could.
Considering the beginning,
I think that's turned out...
-What did we think at the beginning?
-We didn't have a bloody clue.
After that hectic round,
our families deserve a minute
to rest their culinary muscles.
I'm not superstitious at all.
My grandmother used to be though,
because you couldn't stir a pan
anti-clockwise.
-Yeah.
-She said you were stirring in the devil.
-Why?
-She didn't like that.
But, no, I'm not at all superstitious.
I have my pet peeler.
[Pinki] Did you bring it with you?
Yeah, I've got it. I brought it with me.
High five to that.
I brought my one as well.
No? Really?
-This is getting really weird.
-I'm clearly the normal one.
-I'm clearly the normal one.
-Have you not got a peeler with you?
-No.
-Oh.
Our families have had
just an hour and 15 minutes
to combine
five very different ingredients.
Now it's time to see
how well they've got them to gel.
First are the farmer Whites.
They've made a starter
of mackerel and celeriac ceviche.
While their main course of venison comes
with lentil puree and balsamic gravy.
So, Pick And Mix...
Pretty tough challenge.
You chose venison. How did you find it?
I'm not that happy
with how it turned out in the end.
[Tommy] Okay.
Well, I think the mackerel looks
really nicely presented. Nice starter.
And I like ceviche. I like cured fish.
I think it's a really nice thing to do.
The main course,
it looks a bit clumsy to me.
-But you know this isn't your standard.
-No.
I'm pretty disappointed
in our presentation.
-Yes.
-Okay.
So let's try it anyway. Alright?
I really enjoy your mackerel starter.
It's light and fresh.
I like the lemon flavor in it.
And the flatbreads go well. It's nice.
The parsley and lemon is really punchy.
You were bold with that
and with good reason.
I think that's an excellent start
to a meal.
The venison though
is not in the same league, I'm afraid.
And when you overcook the venison,
it does get that liver-y, offal-y flavor
which isn't that pleasant.
The celeriac puree, I think,
needs more seasoning.
I can't really taste the venison.
Because you've doused it
in this quite acidic balsamic gravy...
that's all I can taste.
We completely agree.
-Okay. Well, that's nice.
-Yeah.
Struan says it's going to haunt him
to his dying days
that we overcooked the venison.
It's 50-50.
It's one good and one not so good.
But, this afternoon,
you're cooking your own food,
so you come back strong.
Yes. We'll definitely try.
Next, it's the turn
of the Gohil and Al-Sheiks.
They've made their mackerel
with roast courgettes and celeriac mash...
and used the venison and lentils
to prepare a rich, spiced curry.
Both dishes are beautifully presented.
I think they're very elegant and simple,
which makes them very enticing.
The proof will be in eating it.
I'm going to start off with your celeriac,
courgette and mackerel starter...
which is so lovely to look at and...
tastes just as good.
I love the celeriac mash.
It's buttery, it's creamy.
I think you've cooked the courgettes
really sympathetically as well,
with a light dressing on that,
which balances it out.
And then you have the mackerel on top.
You've cooked the mackerel really well.
You've just almost left it to just...
let its flavor come out,
so that, when you eat it together,
it really comes together
as a nice starter dish.
The celeriac...
the vegetable you were given,
I think you showed it off really well.
The mash on the bottom's really buttery
and rich and well-seasoned.
I disagree slightly.
I think the mackerel isn't quite as good
as the other parts of the dish.
I think it's a bit
of an after-thought.
But it's a very good dish.
[Angellica] Then we move on
to your venison and lentil curry.
When I tasted it,
all I could get was layer upon layer
upon layer of flavor.
It's such a beautifully-crafted curry,
and I love curry.
[Tommy] The curry's fantastic.
A haunch of venison is a great cut.
You can serve it pink as a steak,
or do something like this
and cook it in a curry.
The meat's really juicy and tender.
It really is tasty food.
I think you should be really proud.
Yay!
We're just crazy.
We know that already.
Yay! Thank you.
The Abimbola-Younges have opted
to produce a single plate of food.
Their venison has been roasted
and wrapped in courgette
and comes with a mackerel fritter,
lentil puree
and celeriac stir fry.
I just wanted to ask you
how you found this round.
Hard.
I think it was a struggle
to put everything together.
But you have managed to present something.
And it's a dainty-looking plate.
Thank you.
Your food is always packed with a punch
and there definitely is that there.
I do love your lentil puree.
It's really lovely. Nice flavors in that.
And then you've got your...
celeriac on the top, which you've grated.
And that's seasoned beautifully as well.
The fritter...
We know you can make fritters
and we know you can make them well,
so it would've been nice
to see something a bit different,
just to show us a wider repertoire.
[Tommy] This is tasty, but I don't think
it's quite as good as the saltfish.
I think you can tell it's a fish
you haven't used in them before.
Now, the courgette and venison
I'm a little bit disappointed with.
You had a huge bit of meat there.
And you've put four little tiny pieces
in there.
There's so little,
it's such a shame.
You had that big piece of meat.
You could have done anything with it.
Maybe it should've been a different dish.
I think you're 60% great and 40% confused.
-Yes.
-Yeah.
Last up, it's the Hampshire Whites,
who have grilled their mackerel and
served it on a bed of pickled celeriac.
Their second dish is pan-fried venison
served with spicy red lentil dal.
When we came to see you,
it didn't seem you were
enjoying yourselves much.
I don't know
why you were so self-deprecating
when you've barely put a foot wrong
throughout the whole competition.
But putting that aside,
one thing that you guys are brilliant at
is presenting food.
And if this is how you present food
when you're down...
good job.
-Thank you.
-Thanks.
William,
your shredded and pickled celeriac...
really nice.
It's really quite acidic and well pickled.
I think the fish is a little bland.
I'm not sure that got the same love
that everything else got.
I think it was more, "Bang it in the oven
and we'll pick it down later," but...
it's a nice start to a meal.
I think your pickled...
celeriac is really lovely and...
the mackerel on top is cooked really well.
I think they would've been better
if there was one thing
bringing them both together.
The venison though
is the star of the show.
It's pink, it's really tender.
Don't think you could cook
a haunch of venison better than that.
The lentils have a lovely flavor.
Real depth in there.
But what I really like is the way that
you've left the vegetables nice and whole.
We've got courgettes
and we've got celeriac.
They were two of the key ingredients
and they really come through,
because you get the lovely bite
and crunch from them.
But it was actually really nice
to see your vulnerability today
and see you out of your comfort zone.
And you should be proud to present that.
-Thank you.
-Thanks.
Big sigh of relief.
My God.
You may now leave.
Thank you.
We've now reached the halfway point
in today's crucial two challenges.
So how have our families performed so far?
Who knew five ingredients
could create such tension
and excitement in the kitchen?
It really did.
The Gohil and Al-Sheiks though...
that venison and lentil curry
was delicious.
And, for me, they really shone
in the kitchen in this round.
Then looking at the Hampshire Whites,
they felt
like they had let themselves down.
But, in fact, they really used
those five ingredients really well.
The farmer Whites, though,
the ceviche was good,
but the venison,
that was badly overcooked.
And then we have the Abimbola-Younges,
who really struggled in this round
and they didn't have enough venison
on the plate.
However they fared in the last task,
our four families now need to bring their
A-game if they want to reach the finals.
Only two can make it through
and this is their last chance
to show us what they can do.
Are you all excited?
Yes!
Well, we're excited.
Because it's treat night.
We want a blow-out extravaganza
of a meal.
For this treat night challenge,
each of our families will need to deliver
both a main course and a dessert
worthy of celebration.
They've had time to practice these dishes
at home,
so we need to see and taste
some truly impressive food.
[Angellica] You have two hours.
Your time starts now.
Okay.
-Let's go, baby.
-Let's go.
Who's dealing with this? This is for you.
[Waleed] You've got it.
[Tommy] Treat night is all about those
indulgent dishes that you rarely cook.
But, when you do,
they're definitely worth the wait.
They may not be healthy,
but you really don't care,
because they put a big smile
on everybody's face.
[Lesley] Let's try and go really fast,
because I think we need to crack on.
How much is too much wine? Yeah.
[Struan] Ma, that is a lot.
Let's just go for it.
After a poor first task,
the farmer Whites are sticking
with a hearty but simple main.
Chicken parcels bound in Parma ham
and a cheese and white wine sauce,
served with some very special tomatoes
on the side.
But they're going for it,
with an indulgent
chocolate and orange tart
served with balsamic strawberries.
We're cooking chicken parcels,
because it's our eldest child's
favorite meal.
And then we've got couscous to go with it
and some of my aunt's tomatoes,
because it's an old family recipe.
In the summertime,
we used to go to the seaside
and Auntie Della had a house on the beach.
She used to start up a barbecue
and, before you knew it,
everybody had joined the barbecue.
People used to bring sausages
and she used to cook her fantastic
Auntie Della's tomatoes
that all my cousins can still cook.
[Tommy] This is a blow-out meal.
-This is, yeah.
-It is.
Tell us, why is this a treat?
Why did you want to serve this up?
My eldest daughter, Avril,
even though she's now 32,
as soon as you say,
"It's chicken parcels," she says, "Yay!"
-It feels like there's a real personal...
-Oh, there is.
-...connection to these dishes.
-Absolutely. Yes, yes.
-Thank you.
-Thank you.
So how old were we when you first
started making chicken parcels, Mum?
Because I remember them
for a long, long time.
You used to gum them
when you had no teeth.
-Yep, so at least 23 years.
-So at least 22 years, yeah.
Farmer Whites' dishes,
are they going to be treat night?
Are they going to show-stopping?
Are they really special?
Because this parcel
is the eldest daughter's favorite dish.
Is this just a family classic?
Is this part of their repertoire?
Or is this really pushing?
That's what I wonder.
And with a dish this simple,
any flaw is going to stand out.
It needs to be perfect.
I just need to check that it's cooked,
because...
raw chicken would not be good.
No, it needs to go in
for another couple of minutes.
It isn't just the farmer Whites
who are worried
about under or overcooking their bird.
The Gohil and Al-Sheiks are facing
a similar dilemma with their duck.
[Waleed] I'm a little bit worried
about getting the duck right.
At the moment, I'm scoring it.
What scoring it does
is it allows it to release the fats.
And instead of adding butter
or olive oil or anything like that,
you allow it to cook in its own fat.
The pan will be cold.
Because if I do it hot,
it's going to seal the duck
It's not gonna let any fat out.
So I'm going to allow it
to release that fat
by basically slowly turning up the heat.
After a spectacular first round,
the Gohil and Al-Sheiks have chosen
a French classic,
but technically challenging,
menu to impress us.
Their duck will be served
with a cherry sauce and buttery mash.
And, like the farmer Whites,
they too are serving
an indulgent chocolate tart.
So you have 20 seconds to sell us...
your treat night.
We're taking you to paradise.
How about that in five seconds?
-Oh, that'd be nice.
-Paradise. But why paradise?
Everyone wants a bit of escapism,
so we're hoping that we can produce
a main course and, we're hoping, a dessert
that will be really comforting.
-Like, "Yum, let me--"
-Indulgent.
Indulgent. "Let me lick that spoon
a little bit more."
Given yourself a big challenge here,
haven't you?
-But you like challenges.
-We do like to challenge ourselves.
You can do that.
-We can do anything.
-Challenge accepted.
Exactly. Good.
See you, guys.
[Waleed] I'm sieving it through now.
[Pinki] Don't there.
Sieve it through a finer one.
Because you've got pips in there.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The Gohil and Al-Sheiks had a storming
round this morning, didn't they?
Yeah.
This duck's going to have to be special.
You've got to render out the skin
and the fat enough.
It's not an easy thing to cook. They need
to have the attention to detail.
[Pinki] You need to let it simmer
for longer.
It just looked too thin
It's meant to be like a sauce.
Hey, Jack. Work out.
[Jack] You need to, actually.
The Whites may be champions
of British produce,
but they've never been afraid
of spicing up their food.
We are cooking a Mexican feast.
Molly's doing homemade tacos.
I'm doing a beef-type mix.
Lots of sauces.
Guac, salsa, that sort of thing.
Has this come to the boil yet?
-No. Is it on?
-Yeah.
Jack's British beef chili will be served
with a selection of traditional sides,
including guacamole and a piquant salsa.
While dessert comes in the form
of a Latin American classic.
Churros with chocolate sauce.
[Tommy] Hello.
-Hello.
-It's Mexican.
Yeah.
Is that you, Molly?
[Jack] You came up with the idea
and we jumped on board pretty quickly.
[Molly] We do quite a lot
of chilies at home.
-Like nachos, fajitas.
-Fajitas, that sort of thing.
Have you practiced this?
I haven't practiced it,
but I've been fully briefed.
These two have practiced. But, you know,
I've cooked this sort of thing at home.
[Tommy] You know,
"I just knock this out every day."
Well, actually just this little bit.
The rest of it, I don't.
[Angellica] Get on with your peeler.
Thank you.
Shut up!
[Jack] Ground coriander.
That's not going here.
-I can't see it there.
-[Molly] Yeah, it should do.
I like the way it's kind of like
a build-your-own dish.
But it needs to have
that lovely sort of spice in the beef.
It can't be bland.
-[William] Have you tried the beef?
-I tried it.
It's nice, but I put
some more spice and stuff in.
Okay, don't go overboard.
[Jack] Okay, Willy.
For their treat night,
the Abimbola-Younges are showcasing
Afro-Caribbean comfort food.
Empire is doing a Nigerian chicken stew.
I'm starting with the mikate,
which is the Congolese version
of a Nigerian puff puff,
-which is basically a sweet--
-Fried dough ball.
Fritter? Yeah, sweet, fried dough ball.
Yeah.
That's the ultimate kind of African
party food.
To go with his chicken,
I'm Empire is serving jollof rice,
a one-pot rice dish beloved
across the whole of West Africa.
Jollof rice is one of those things where,
if you don't make it in the right way
or you miss out an ingredient,
then just say--
-It messes it up.
-Just say it's a spicy rice.
-Just call it spicy rice.
-But don't call it jollof.
Because if it doesn't taste like it,
then it's not.
-Just call it spicy rice.
-Spicy rice.
-"I've got spicy rice and chicken."
-Got some red, spicy...
"Do you want some?" Yeah.
The perfect jollof rice
is different for every family,
never mind different countries.
But the tomato and chili base
has to be cooked through
before you add
just the right amount of water
to leave you with perfectly fluffed
and separated grains of rice.
Now smell that. Come on, come on.
-Have you put the puree in?
-Doesn't that smell good?
Okay, put a tiny bit more puree
and let it fry.
Along with a main course
of red chicken stew and spicy jollof rice,
the Abimbola-Younges will serve
a Nigerian egg salad.
For the dessert,
the traditional puff puff balls
will come with a homemade peanut butter
and a fruit puree.
What's cooking?
Last time, we went to Jamaica.
This time, I'm taking you to Africa.
In Africa, when you've got a party...
Because we're making you party food.
The only dessert we know is puff puff.
-[Angellica] Yeah.
-Puff puff and mikate, same thing?
-It's the same thing.
-Oh, okay.
A lot of places have their own variations.
Ah, so we've got...
the churros over there,
which is the Mexican...
-Oh, yeah, yeah.
-Fried, yeasted.
-Yeah.
-And then, over here, we have puff puff.
-Yeah.
-Which sounds similar sort of desserts.
-Totally different continents.
-Yeah.
All you guys are such good cooks,
and we have to send two families home.
Don't worry. You don't have to feel guilty
because you're not sending me home.
Don't worry.
-That makes me feel better.
-I feel better now.
-Okay.
-Yes.
Oh, God.
Let me actually take some of this out,
because it's not going to fry properly.
What's going to be really interesting
is the comparison between the churros
and the puff puff.
They're pretty much the same thing,
but just from different places.
The farmer Whites
and the Gohil and Al-Sheik
are both making chocolate tarts.
But chocolate ganache
and shortcrust pastry can be tricky.
[Dizzy] I'm feeling the pressure
quite a lot to make this tart.
We've kind of nicknamed it
No Pressure Pudding,
even though
there's a lot of pressure on it.
Especially as this morning went so badly
as well.
I don't think the chicken parcels
were quite what they were looking for.
Whereas this is pretty indulgent,
so I'm feeling a lot of pressure.
[Pinki] How's it going?
[Gemini] I think... This is the first one.
[Pinki] That looks good actually.
The success of this team
could potentially rest
on how amazing and indulgent this tart is.
If you want to get through to the finals,
you've got to show them what you've got.
I'm panicking a bit, because Gemini's
already got one of her pastry tarts lined
and mine are still in the fridge
in a bowl.
[Lesley] Go for the pastry. Go. Run.
Dizz, do you need any help to do that
or not? Are you okay?
No, I need you to be quiet
and stay out of the way.
It's very short.
Why has it done that?
[Struan] We might need
some of your pastry, Gem.
-[Dizzy] Shut up!
-It was a joke!
I'm joking! It was a joke. Come on.
Do that one as well.
Both the Hampshire Whites' churros
and the Abimbola-Younges'
Nigerian puff puffs
will be deep fried.
But the temperature of the oil
has to be just right
to make both desserts crisp outside
and light and fluffy inside.
I'm much more of a savory man.
I'm not a dessert man at home.
What do you reckon, Moll?
That should be stiffer, shouldn't it?
Yeah. Um...
If you think it's fine, just go with it.
The Whites' dishes
are always well-rehearsed at home.
But for the Abimbola-Younges, Diva has
decided to add something new and untried.
I'm making my own peanut butter.
Don't know how it will go. I'm winging it.
But I roasted the peanuts already
in the oven.
And now I'm just going to get
the buttery texture.
[I'm Empire] How's the peanut butter?
-Oh, it's softer.
But I don't know what else I should add.
Butter maybe?
Do you add butter to peanut butter?
I think it needs some butter.
-Go and get some then. I don't know.
-Yeah.
Okay, we have half an hour to go now.
With the clock ticking,
our families are starting to have problems
with their main courses.
[Dizzy] Have you got
those chicken parcels out, Mum?
Oh, no.
Bad chicken parcel!
Right, one has leaked everywhere.
Come on, you little brutes.
Even cool-headed Waleed
is getting hot under the collar
cooking his duck breasts.
Sorry, one second. My hands are burning.
I need to put this in.
Where's the oven gloves?
It's going to go in the oven.
The middle needs to be cooked.
The outside is now cooked.
Why are they putting the duck breasts
in the oven already?
They need to render it out in the pan
for longer so it's nice and crisp.
We could be eating
really flabby duck later.
[Waleed]
Five minutes here. No more.
[Jack] Do you want a try of that beef?
-Spicy?
-Yeah.
Should be. That's good.
-Yeah, there's a little bit in there.
[I'm Empire]
Oh, my God, this is too many ingredients.
-Too much!
-It's just too much of your mess.
I can't work in this environment.
There's just...
It's all everywhere.
I could never have you cooking
in my kitchen.
And now they're having problems
with their desserts too.
My chocolate is not smooth,
so it's not gliding on.
It's more just plomping on at the moment.
There is just ten minutes left now, guys.
Ten minutes.
And time is running out.
[William] That's lovely.
Keep going, keep going.
[Molly] We'll just snip it. Oh, God.
It's sticking to the bottom.
This dough's not right.
Do you want to go and get flour
and let's do it again?
-Have they gone wrong?
-Yeah.
-Why?
-Just do it!
Dad, we need to do it again.
-Just use another bowl.
-Alright, alright.
-[Dizzy] Oh, this has not worked!
-[Lesley] Tell her to calm down.
-[Struan] Calm down. Calm down.
-Calm down.
Hopefully ganache will cover
a whole manner of sins.
-It's my job to test everything.
-You don't need to test everything.
It's really nice though,
if that's any consolation.
[Molly] This is looking more like it now.
[Dizzy] That is not good.
-They look awful. I'm so not happy.
-No, they look nice.
-[Waleed] Might need help. How much time?
-About two minutes.
Cut the duck into three pieces.
You must have enough.
It's as crispy as it's going to be.
One minute left.
No pressure, guys,
but we've actually finished.
This should be the last one.
Should be the last one.
Three, two, one...
-Stop. Stop, stop, stop.
-[bleep]
-Stop.
-[bleep]
-We're not much of a hugging family.
-Oh, yes, we do hug.
-Good job, guys.
-Well done, babies.
-Well done, guys.
-Good job.
One plate's missing.
No, there should be four. I did...
No, no, as in...
It's there. One, two, three, four.
Oh, thank God for that.
I knew there was four.
Have you not got garnish on?
Oh, just ten seconds more!
Our four families
have cooked their hearts out to impress us
and win a place in the finals.
But, for one family, it's all too much.
Just really disappointed with every
single dish that we produced today.
We're gutted.
When you work hard,
you expect more from yourselves.
I think that's, for me...
I feel like, firstly,
I've let everyone down
and I've also let myself down.
It's time for Tommy and myself to judge
our families' treat night extravaganzas.
The Abimbola-Younges stuck
with their Afro-Caribbean culinary roots,
making a red chicken stew
with spicy jollof rice
and a Nigerian egg salad.
And, for dessert,
it's traditional puff puff balls
with homemade peanut butter.
Well, well, well, this truly is a feast.
A real treat before our eyes.
And I just love the way you've put them
in these big bowls,
to say, "Here I am. This is our food
and are you ready to eat?"
Thank you.
Your jollof rice...
is a mountain of moreish-ness.
There's a danger, when you season
something with so much chili and spice,
that you can't actually taste
what it's about.
But you get exactly what this is about.
This is jollof rice at its best.
[Tommy] Chicken's wonderful.
You really don't get chicken
cooked that well very often.
I love the way you cooked it
slowly in the oil
and it's incredibly moist, it's tender.
It's got such flavor running through it.
The skin's full of flavor.
With the jollof rice as well,
I love this dish.
This is so about you guys
and it's brilliant.
But, regretfully, I've got to say
that your dessert has really let you down.
It's just...
overcooked.
And then to make peanut butter...
Was that the first time you've made it?
I personally
wouldn't have taken that risk.
Because it tastes more like butter
than peanut butter.
[Tommy] The puff puff, there's
too much outside, not enough inside.
It's very crispy, very hard,
and there's no light, puffy filling
in the middle, which I was hoping for.
It's a feast of two halves.
First half was brilliant.
I would've eaten so much of the first bit,
I wouldn't have needed dessert.
-Well done, guys.
-Well done.
Next, the Gohil and Al-Sheiks'
classic duck with cherry sauce,
served on mashed potato
with wilted spinach.
And, for dessert,
it's chocolate and orange tart
with oranges and cream on the side.
The family swapped
their usual world flavors
for something classically French,
but has it paid off?
[Tommy] You got quite stressed
by the end of that.
You gave yourself an awful lot to do.
That shows a bit in the presentation.
The duck looks a bit clumsy.
And the pastry's a bit rough,
which is a shame,
because I've come to expect some
pretty good presentation from you guys.
I don't think this is your absolute best.
Let's start with your savory dish.
The mashed potato
is really nicely seasoned,
really creamy, really delicious.
But I think the duck
is the bit that lets this plate down.
With duck, you want to render out
that skin really slowly,
like you started doing,
but you needed to leave it longer
and then it needed resting.
It's just a little bit flabby
and the skin has un-rendered fat,
which isn't very palatable.
Because you didn't rest the meat properly,
we have all the blood from the duck
seeping into the potato.
So that's a real shame.
Real disappointment.
When it comes to the chocolate tart,
that filling is rich.
You called it an indulgent chocolate tart
and it is indulgent.
And delicious.
Yes, there could have been the finesse
with the tart,
but it is a really lovely, chocolate,
indulgent dessert.
This is case in point
in just doing too much.
The ideas are very good.
The execution wasn't quite there today.
Thank you.
Well done, guys.
The farmer Whites have dished up
a family favorite.
Chicken and Parma ham parcels
served with white wine sauce,
couscous, and Auntie Della's tomatoes.
Their dessert
is another chocolate and orange tart,
which they've chosen to serve
with fresh berries.
[Tommy] I like the presentation.
It's all very neat.
Yeah, nice, clean, well-presented
plates of food.
I like the look of your chicken parcels.
I probably would've only put one on,
because of the size.
-We eat a lot in our family.
-No, I know!
Well, give me a bigger plate
so I don't make a mess.
So let's get tucked in.
I'm going to start
with Auntie Della's tomatoes.
Really tasty.
I love the acidity on them.
A very, very good garnish.
The couscous is well cooked
with a nice flavor through it
and the vegetables have a nice bite
within them as well.
The cheesy sauce,
it does feel very nostalgic for me.
Chicken and ham, cheesy sauce, pastry.
They're all flavors that I really enjoy.
But the chicken breast is quite dry.
You could have used leg or thigh. I think
that would have worked a lot better.
It holds its texture a lot better
and ends up more juicy as well.
[Angellica]
Auntie Della's tomatoes are a hit.
I would've liked
a bit more on the plate
to balance out the cheese
that's in the parcels,
because the cheese you've used
is a bit overpowering.
You can't taste the chicken
and other filling bits.
But it's really homely
and I can see why you as a family love it.
But as a treat night, I'm still trying
to work out whether it's a treat
or just some home comfort food.
[Tommy] The chocolate tart is very rich
and indulgent.
It's like a chocolate truffle inside it.
Which I like.
There's a nice shot of booze in there
as well
and that's really warming and delicious.
The balsamic strawberries are excellent.
A little bit of pepper on them as well.
It's a really good combination.
It's a tasty dessert.
I do think that this is the best part
of your meal.
I'm just a bit let down
by the orange cream,
because there's too much icing.
Just balance that out,
so you can actually taste the orange
and not the grains of the icing sugar.
The ganache and your chocolate
tastes really good.
There's some good elements
on the plate.
So well done.
-Thank you very much.
-Thank you.
Finally,
it's the turn of the Hampshire Whites,
whose Mexican-themed treat night
consists of beef chili tacos
with refried beans,
guacamole...
and salsa.
And, for pudding, it's deep-fried churros
with a dark chocolate dipping sauce.
I'm impressed.
Your food is always polished
and well presented.
You've got everything in the bowls.
And you're almost allowing me
to treat myself.
I can choose what I can put on the plate.
-Shall we break it?
-Generous.
The meat,
which is really what this is about...
is giving me that Mexican experience.
It's seasoned well, it's tasty,
and I feel like I'm going
on some sort of fun journey.
This feels so authentic.
It's delicious. The taco shells are
really well made. They're nice and soft.
The meat and the beans
are both great fillings.
The guacamole is wonderfully smooth.
Nice bit of chili in there.
And the salsa makes it really fresh.
I think you've hit the nail on the head
when it comes to a treat night.
It's really fantastic. These though...
When we snapped them,
my heart just started going.
You look at the crunch on the outside.
And then in the middle,
they're as light as a feather.
They're really, seriously,
the best churros I've ever eaten.
[Angellica] You did right
to make them again.
They're light and soft in the middle
with a beautiful, crisp coating.
Lightly dressed with that cinnamon
and sugar. It's delicious.
This is a great effort.
It was nice to see you cooking with more
of a smile on your face this afternoon,
because it definitely put a smile on ours.
-Thank you very much.
-Thank you.
[Lesley] Well done, guys.
Well done.
Tommy and I now have to decide which two
families will go forward to the finals.
And which two will leave the competition.
There is no stopping the Hampshire Whites.
They seem to be able
to turn their hand to anything
and they delivered a real treat.
Yeah, I mean, they're through.
They've been brilliant.
The decision we have to make now
is really difficult,
because only one family can join them
in the semi-finals.
So we have the farmer Whites, who I think
have been pretty average today.
Their venison this morning was overcooked
and then they produced
some really dry chicken.
Not a great day for them.
The Abimbola-Younges,
they seem to follow a pattern.
In the morning, with the unprepared tasks,
they really struggle.
But when they can cook their own food
in the afternoon,
they cook amazing things,
like that jollof rice and that chicken.
It's so mixed.
And the Gohil and Al-Sheik,
this morning, knocked it out of the park.
They delivered a fantastic
venison and lentil curry.
But then, in round two,
it just all fell apart.
At this stage of the competition,
you can't afford to make
very many mistakes
and all three of these families
have made a few.
So we started today with Pick And Mix,
and then a flavorful treat night.
But now it's time
for the really hard part,
because only two families
can go through to the semi-final.
The first family to go through is...
-the Hampshire Whites.
-Yay! Well done, guys.
[Gemini] Well done, yeah.
Yay. Good job.
-Well deserved.
-Thank you.
Well deserved. Well done.
The second and last family
going through to the semi-finals is...
the Gohil and Al-Sheiks.
-[Lesley] Yay, well done.
-No way!
Amazing. Yes.
[Gemini] No way.
So I'm very sorry,
but that means we have to say goodbye
to the farmer Whites
and the Abimbola-Younges.
We've had a great time.
-Yeah.
-So much fun.
-Well done, guys.
-[Dizzy] Good job.
Thank you.
Thank you for being so amazing.
-It's been really good fun actually.
-You enjoyed it?
Well done.
The farmer Whites were average today
without ever really being spectacular.
The margins were small between the Gohil
and Al-Sheiks and the Abimbola-Younges.
However, we felt that the Gohil
and Al-Sheiks had more potential.
And that's why we had to send
the Abimbola-Younges home today.
[Pinki] I'm feeling very, very emotional
at the moment.
First of all,
I didn't think we'd get through to this...
round and, secondly,
I'm crying because we've got through.
I'm a cry baby.
[Gemini] Come visit us, yeah?
Thank you for all of it.
It's been an emotional--
Oh, jeez, so depressing!
We're through to the semi-finals!
We need to believe in ourselves
a bit more.
-Absolutely.
-[Molly] Yeah.
Sad.
The competition...
is without us.
-It'll be a little bit bland.
-Yeah.
They're probably losing...
the flavor...
The slay...
And the heat.
[William] Thank you very much.
Take care. I'm so sorry that...
A bit disappointed
that we didn't reach the semi-finals.
I don't think
being able to cook venison...
It was pretty embarrassing. I don't think
we'll ever be able to live it down.
But we'll definitely get home,
get some practice with the venison
and go from there.
Yeah, I think we need to practice.
Right, come on, Mum.
Let's go.
-Hello.
-Next time...
Hey.
...four new families will compete to join
the Gohil and Al-Sheiks and the Whites
in finals week.
This is all about thinking on your feet.
Let's go.
Mum? I'm not happy with it,
I'm not going to lie.
This is an absolute disaster.
Guys, your time is up.
Let's do it. Come on!
That's how they do it.