When it comes to both TV and food, you can’t beat a classic pairing – Gavin and Stacey, Del Boy and Rodney, steak and chips, fish fingers and… custard. Yes, well… though this week’s chefs achieved some success with dishes derived from the first three of these, that last one proved less palatable.
First to try to recreate the regenerative sustenance of the eleventh Doctor was Mark Threadgill, head chef at Portmeirion hotel in North Wales. Veteran judge Angela Hartnett exterminated him soon after. Cardiff-born Larkin Cen, owner of the Woky Ko restaurants in Bristol stayed on course to deliver ‘Fish Fingers and Custard’ as his dessert but, despite scoring a ten for his main, soon discovered his time was up too.
So, it’s left to two returners to the competition to cook for the judging chamber. Nathan Davies from SY23 in Aberystwyth is back for a second year, along with his trusty multi-level barbecue and Tom Phillips from the two Michelin-starred Restaurant Story in London.
The judges are immediately divided over their preferred canapé. Ed happily wolfs down Nathan’s pine-smoked lobster and caviar (with a mackerel alternative for Tom Kerridge, who has a shellfish allergy). Nisha says the flavour balance is ‘so accomplished’. Guest judge and actor Steffan Rhodri and Tom favour the yeasted pastry beef tartare tartlet. ‘An absolutely outstanding bit of cookery that,’ he says.
Inspired by ‘His Dark Materials’, Tom’s compass-styled starter consists of deep-fried veal sweetbreads with a vermouth glaze, anchovy and caper puree, crispy potatoes, buttered turnip and a burnt lemon blanquette sauce. Judge Tom says it’s ‘one of the most perfectly cooked and beautiful pieces of sweetbread I’ve ever had’. However, the others agree there’s little discernible flavour in the rest of the dish and Nisha’s nonplussed with her ‘tired’ potato.