S05.E05: Pies & Tarts

[Athena]

Episode and GBBO Extra Slice talk allowed.

 

Challenges:  Signature: Custard Tarts; Technical: Mini Pear Pies; Showstopper: Three-Tied Pies

[halopub]

BBC confirmed that a contestant left prior to the taping of this episode because of illness:

Diana. So after the editors encouraged us to raise our pitchforks with some questionable editing, does this mean another chance for Iain?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ooh, custard tarts.

 

Norman's tarte au citron sounded good but Paul looked skeptical when he and Mary visited with Norman, like he was expecting to be disappointed. Paul told him it was simple so it would have to be perfect, but notice that when Kate described her rhubarb tart as simple Paul said that it wasn't simple. It just goes to show that Norman and the judges don't see eye to eye - he said that powdered sugar would make it look special but Paul thought it looked messy.

 

Martha's apricot and pistachio honey custard tart sounded. Loved that Kate helped Martha get her custard out - so sweet. I liked the way she arranged the mangos on top. She looked devastated by their criticism. I don't want to sound mean or dismissive, but I think she has gotten so used to being praised that this little bit of criticism really crushed her. They didn't say it was horrible either - her crust wasn't baked as much as it should have been and the top would have looked better with a glaze (they have said much harsher things to other contestants this season).

 

Nancy's chocolate passion fruit tart was pretty. I liked the white design she piped on the top, and I'm glad that the thin tart worked for her (despite Paul's initial concerns).

 

Kate's rhubarb custard tart with rosemary was a bit plain looking for the risk she took in adding the swirl halfway through baking. I liked the color contrast but the spiral itself wasn't anything to write home about.

 

Luis' coconut, passionfruit, and mango tart. I have never blind baked a pastry crust with cling film though. I guess I just always assumed the plastic would melt. It sounded like it was delicious.

 

Richard's fig and orange tart wasn't very pretty. The figs just looked plopped down on top. Ha, loved when he drank his leftover custard out of the mixing cup.

 

Chetna's rice custard with mangos and raspberries looked very pretty and colorful. The way she arranged the sliced mango on top reminded me of those fancy apple tarts. I'm surprised that Paul said her flavors didn't come through this time. You'd think with all that mango on top there would be lots of flavor.

 

I haven't had poached pear pies before, but they look pretty yummy! Norman's pastry looked thin but the strips seemed too wide. Poor Richard - what a mess. He seemed to take his disaster in stride though. When the strips of pastry started sliding off in the oven, my heart sank for him. Chetna's looked nice, as did Kate's. Nancy's looked like little beehives. Martha's had great color.

 

I've never had a three tier pie so I was imagining a wedding cake made of pies. Glad that my mental picture was correct!

 

Luis's four fruity seasons tower with duck, venison, chicken, and pork sounded delicious. I can't say not to a meat pie! It's too bad his pastry was so thick or the judgew would have liked his pies more.

 

Kate's pork, prune, rhubarb, and apple pie sounded interesting but possibly weird. I'm just not big on prunes though. Her three tier cake looked really nice. Each layer was neat and even.

 

Martha's chorizo, pulled pork, and apple pie sounded really good. And I loved her three little pigs theme. I'm impressed she was able to save the bottom layer at all after the fat leaked out. Her flavored pastry was a good idea.

 

Norman's pieful tower (ha!) sounded like he was really challenging himself. Three different pies with three different crusts was a lot more work than some of the other bakers were doing. The veenison, haggis, and spinach pie sounded interesting. The haddock and cheese pie didn't sound bad either. The raspberry and passionfruit meringue pie Ha, I loved Norman quoting Robert Burns with Mel. "I know you're very smelly but you'll soon be in my belly!" Too bad the dessert pie was undercooked.

 

Richard's steak and ale pie sounded delicious. I am sure I would like the chicken and mushroom pie too. The pear and apple frangipane dessert pie sounded good. I loved that Mel told him to face his pear nemesis. The tops of his pies were a bit too dark. I wonder why he didn't cover the top to keep it from burning.

 

Nancy's chicken and gammon pie sounded so good. I would eat the crap out of that. The creamed apple puff pastry sounded nice, as did the blackberry and apple pie on top. Yum! Impressive that she did all three pies without tins.

 

Chetna really challenged herself by making four pies with four different pastries. I missed what the judges said about her pies though.

 

I wasn't sure if the judges would eliminate anyone since Diana dropped out due to illness (or "illness" after last week's ice cream débâcle) but it was definitely time for Norman to go. It was obvious throughout the episode that the judges were going to send him home.

[Athena]

Yay Kate! I like how she and Chetna have been doing well slowly on the side. I notice on Extra Slice how Kate and Chetna don't get as many raves as Nancy or Martha who are clear favourites for good reasons too though.

 

I really like Richard too. He was so endearing when he realized how awful his technical was. I was surprised he didn't put aluminium foil over his pies in the oven so they wouldn't darken as much as they did. 

 

I'm still neutral on Luis. He's a bit too much for me. He actually reminds me a bit of Francis from last season and she went on to win so I wouldn't be surprised if Luis did. He is a very precise baker. I prefer Richard though.

 

It was time for Norman to go. He was in the bottom two for weeks. I'll miss the Normisms. 

[Meredith Quill]

I enjoyed this episode and agree too that it was Norman's time to go. Bob the builder had a bad week but his past performance was good enough to ensure he was going nowhere up against Norman.

I'm very 'meh' about Luis and when Kate told us that he had said 'a northerner should win pie week', that did him no favours in my personal opinion either  ;)

 

SquirrelWatch continues: 0 squirrels again this week!

[Rickster]

I thought the Tower of Pies a bit of a gimmicky challenge, as sometimes happens with a showstopper. i think at least there should have been some requirement for diversity in types of pies, which only  a few bothered with.

 

It seems that they may have the flexibility to save a contestant now that they are one short. I don't know how the BBC feels about ending a series a week early.. My only question is whether it will be a "judge's save" of a deserving contestant, or positioned as a case where they can't decide who should go home.

[Athena]

My only question is whether it will be a "judge's save" of a deserving contestant, or positioned as a case where they can't decide who should go home.

 

This happened before in series 2 or 3 where they didn't send anyone home one week because they couldn't decide. I'm expecting that will happen here for sure. The show is on BBC One now and has a supportive commentary show; the Beeb wants to squeeze as much air time from it. 

 

I'm very 'meh' about Luis and when Kate told us that he had said 'a northerner should win pie week', that did him no favours in my personal opinion either  ;)

 

I didn't hear that, but he drops even more if he did so. I like Northerners, but he has a insincerity about him that I can't pinpoint. 

[OnceSane]

It was definitely Norman's time to go (actually, last week may have been his time), so I wasn't upset by his elimination no matter what happens with Diana.

 

I'm glad Kate won Star Baker, I think she deserved it.  & it was nice to see Martha rebound after a not-so-good signature bake.

[Athena]

Extra Slice: Michel! I hope this means him and the BBC have reconciled a little bit. I did feel sorry about him eating the croc pie. He's a good sport. 

 

I did notice as before that Martha and Nancy's names came out up again from the panel as favourites. 

 

Norman was very funny and worked off Jo extremely well. The pie did sound lovely. 

[Primetimer]

The Great British Baking Show gets tarted up.

Read the story

[Zahdii]

Episode 5:  Pies and Tarts
http://www.pbs.org/food/features/great-british-baking-show-episode-5-pies-tarts/

[stopeslite]

Ye gods, THOSE PIES. 8 inches thick, meat mix through and through, solid wedges when you cut them? My jaw was dropped open in awe and fear the entire time. I was laughing at the beginning of the challenge when, as an American, I heard "pie" and thought "fruit", but the contestants were all "meat". And then the conglomerations of meat would make James Lileks and his Gallery of Regrettable Food proud. "Oh, that's fat running out like a faucet".

I'm still not quite sure how the rules work. Sometimes they get to have recipes in their own dishes? I thought I saw Richard referring to a recipe in the show stopper. But I thought the show stopper was a surprise, so do they just get to bring along a set of basic dough etc. recipes?

[Athena]

Ye gods, THOSE PIES. 8 inches thick, meat mix through and through, solid wedges when you cut them? My jaw was dropped open in awe and fear the entire time. I was laughing at the beginning of the challenge when, as an American, I heard "pie" and thought "fruit", but the contestants were all "meat". And then the conglomerations of meat would make James Lileks and his Gallery of Regrettable Food proud. "Oh, that's fat running out like a faucet".

I'm still not quite sure how the rules work. Sometimes they get to have recipes in their own dishes? I thought I saw Richard referring to a recipe in the show stopper. But I thought the show stopper was a surprise, so do they just get to bring along a set of basic dough etc. recipes?

 

Gelatin is how they are kept together which is just more fat. As we discussed here when the episode first aired, when you say "pie" in the UK, people actually think savoury (meat) pies first.

 

The contestants use their own recipes for the Signature (first challenge) and the Showstopper (third challenge). The technical is the surprise. All the food is provided for them by the show. They give their recipes well in advance so that ingredients and equipment can be organised.

[LittleIggy]

I loved when Nancy ask Robert if she could borrow his trusty pencil behind the ear. So glad Diana is gone.

[Trini]

Ugh--this show. I cannot NOT eat when watching!

Yeah, not a lot of meat pies in the U.S. Custard tarts seem hard.

[GaT]

Wow, those show stoppers were impressive, but as someone already said, when I hear "pie" I think fruit or at least dessert. Pork or haggis never enters my mind. Norman has been barely hanging on, so I'm not surprised that he's gone, I think poor Martha is starting to really feel the pressure though.

 

I was spoiled for Diana being gone, but I didn't want to talk about it before this episode aired. I know they said it was for medical reasons, but did it ever come out exactly what the problem was? Was it a coincidence that she became ill right after the Iain thing? Or was it the stress from all the crap she was taking for leaving the ice cream out?

[shandy]

Poor Norman. I loved that he thought lemon tart was exotic, just like pesto. I just don't get why they are so hard on Norm. It's so much more unforgiving to have a simple 'custard' with such a large surface to crack. Sue's 'it really does taste of lavender' about his meringue, and then made a face like a cat about to sneeze had me laughing.

 

That mini pear pie challenge would have driven me nuts. Spiralling that pastry. It seems fussy for the end result.

 

I have no problem  with savory pies - I  always associate meat pies with New England, where they  come in thick pieces,  Quebec style, or Australia (I'm a fan of the one pot chef on youtube). Doing the same style of pies with three flavors was clever, but gave Kate an easier task. I was rooting for Nancy this week. Luis and Richard are the judges' pets, but their pastry looked a mess. Martha is very talented, but think she'll be toast soon.

Edited January 26, 2015 by shandy

[Pallida]

While watching the episode, I decided I like Chetna even more after noticing her bright orange All-Stars shoes.  At the end of the episode, I remembered that women's shoes gets brought up a lot in the US Masterchef forums and realized ANOTHER thing I love about this show.  People wear appropriate clothing for baking!

 

I think I'm getting too much into conspiracies after it seemed strange that Richard made a tiramisu-themed showstopper after the technical challenge last week, and a pear-based part of his showstopper this week.  I'll go find my tin foil.  (A tin foil hat is somewhat appropriate for a pie-themed episode, right?)

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, I totally agree about the shoes. When I see women on Master Chef tottering around in 5" heels and short skirts, I just roll my eyes. I know some women are very comfortable in heels and have no problem wearing them all day (I used to be one of them!) but it just seems so impractical for a cooking show. I love that on this show, I never see anyone's shoes or outfits and think OMG, why?

[Meredith Quill]

I was spoiled for Diana being gone, but I didn't want to talk about it before this episode aired. I know they said it was for medical reasons, but did it ever come out exactly what the problem was? Was it a coincidence that she became ill right after the Iain thing? Or was it the stress from all the crap she was taking for leaving the ice cream out?

 

As far as we know it was unrelated to what happened on the show.

After the filming of the episode at the end of which Iain left, Diana returned the next weekend ready to film Episode 5. The evening before filming, all the contestants went to a restaurant for a meal together. At the end of the meal Diana stood up, lost consciousness and fell heavily, banging her head on the stone floor.

She was taken to the A&E department of the local hospital where she was diagnosed with concussion; she had still not recovered sufficiently from this by the time episode 6 was due to be filmed so she had to leave the competition.

Ever since this head injury, Diana has been unable to smell or taste anything. She had a number of investigations, including a CT scan and a MRI scan of her head. These showed that the nerve from the nose, the olfactory nerve, which transmits taste and smell to the brain, had been completely severed as a result of the impact.

Her Doctor stated (with her permission) that she had also sought the advice of a neurosurgeon who said that there is no treatment to repair this. If she is very lucky she may regain these senses but this would take many months, if it happens at all.

 

Poor woman, no-one deserves that.

[Bella]

That's so sad. I'd read that she'd fallen and hurt her head, but I didn't know the extent of the ongoing problems. I wish the best for her. 

 

As for this episode, when they weren't yet sure whether Diana was coming back, I still think they did the right thing in eliminating Norman. He wasn't going to win, and they kept criticizing his work, so better to let him go as he was going to leave anyway.

 

The meat pies were fascinating. A lot of cultures have hand-sized meat pies, and I've had and loved Cornish pasties, but the large-scale pies seem to be less common. I guess the North American version might be pot pies, which are still typically smaller. Anyway, I kept thinking there had to be a lot of culinary artistry in constructing them, especially since Martha's problem of the draining fat could occur. And you'd need to plan for either a large group or freezing and reheating the leftovers. With my little meals for 1 to 4, I'd never attempt them, but I remain intrigued and impressed.

[wlk68]

When I hear the word pie, I automatically think sweet, fruity pies rather than savory as well. That being said, you can buy a pork pie at the local grocery stores here in New England. Its a pie crust stuffed with ground pork, onions, mashed potatoes and seasoning.

[BusyOctober]

When I saw all those savory pies I kept thinking of King Henry VIII and Game of Thrones.  They all looked pretty good, but other than chicken pot pie, or quiches I've never eaten such a gloriously gluttony-filled pie before.

 

I'm glad there wasn't a drinking game to take a shot every time someone said "hot water crust".

 

I loved Norman and his accent! Best smile of my day was listening to Norman quote Robert Burns.  I don't know why, but all season Paul came across so snooty and sneering to my adopted Grandpa!  Maybe Paul has "daddy issues" and Norman's military service reminded him of dark times with his own father?  Whatever the reason, Mr. Paul Hollywood is dead to me for kicking Norman out of the tent! ( I know he wasn't going to win, but he was such a sweet spirit)

 

Go Martha!  That girl is very talented.  I was shocked to see Luis & Richard fall down a few pegs, but I still think they along with Nancy are the ones to beat.

[Writing Wrongs]

When I hear the word pie, I automatically think sweet, fruity pies rather than savory as well. 

Yeah, me too. When they were describing what they were putting in the pies, it sounded kinda gross to me.

 

I'm glad Martha was able to fight back after her first disaster.

[stanleyk]

As for why they didn't bring Iain back, as they would in most US reality shows, I would guess it's because the set-up here allows them to practice their dishes (which is one of the reasons I really enjoy this show, which is more about seeing what their actual skills are instead of coming up with farcical situations on the fly). Since it appears Diana was injured just before filming of this episode, Iain wouldn't have had the chance to come up with the recipes for the Signature and Showstopper challenges in time.

I was fine with Norman going home. His stolid inability to see that his very simple dishes weren't getting it done was getting to be cringe-y. I mean, when he talks about the fact that he first tasted a lemon tart twenty years ago, it sounds like a distant fond memory...until you realize he must have been 45 before he ever tasted a lemon tart. A lemon tart! He seems like a pleasant man and a solid home baker, but out of his league here.

I started to list who I like best, but I realize I like them all. Which is why I also like this show. So refreshing!

[Athena]

As for why they didn't bring Iain back, as they would in most US reality shows, I would guess it's because the set-up here allows them to practice their dishes (which is one of the reasons I really enjoy this show, which is more about seeing what their actual skills are instead of coming up with farcical situations on the fly). Since it appears Diana was injured just before filming of this episode, Iain wouldn't have had the chance to come up with the recipes for the Signature and Showstopper challenges in time.

I was fine with Norman going home. His stolid inability to see that his very simple dishes weren't getting it done was getting to be cringe-y. I mean, when he talks about the fact that he first tasted a lemon tart twenty years ago, it sounds like a distant fond memory...until you realize he must have been 45 before he ever tasted a lemon tart. A lemon tart! He seems like a pleasant man and a solid home baker, but out of his league here.

I started to list who I like best, but I realize I like them all. Which is why I also like this show. So refreshing!

 

The contestants give the recipes for all the challenges before the show even start. This way the producers can coordinate ingredients and equipment for all the bakers. I'm sure there are some last minute changes or tweaks, but they must let the producers know in advance I think. Making the show is all about logistics, but Iain wouldn't have been able to come back in time and they probably may not have enough time to prepare the things for his recipe.

 

I adore Norm too, but the lemon tart thing spoke volumes. He's so sweet, and I really like his simple stuff. He was out of his league though.

[M. Darcy]

 

I started to list who I like best, but I realize I like them all. Which is why I also like this show. So refreshing!

I know!  Its such a change to have a cooking show where everyone is so nice and there is no fighting. 

[shandy]

The show clearly gives them rather fabulous five finger oven gloves but I like that some people bring their own from home. Nancy isn't having any of that hipster swag and makes do with a cloth! Did anyone else notice some very careful/respectful storing in the fridges this week?

[Lamb18]

I like Kate the best so I'm glad she's holding her own. Regarding recipies, they were given out just before the poached pear tart challenge, weren't they?  It was Paul's recipe and some of the instructions were not very detailed, such as "poach pear in syrup."

[meep.meep]

I do love the joyous round of "Well done!" when the star baker is announced.

 

Nothing anybody made this episode looked good to me.  Doesn't help that I hate pears.  Who would want to eat a soft cooked pear with crunchy pie crust wound all around it?

 

Nobody baked a custard tart on a baking sheet?  That's how you keep it from sloshing excessively.

[Athena]

I like Kate the best so I'm glad she's holding her own. Regarding recipes, they were given out just before the poached pear tart challenge, weren't they?  It was Paul's recipe and some of the instructions were not very detailed, such as "poach pear in syrup."

 

The technical challenge recipes become more and more ambiguous and vague as the season progresses. They leave out a lot of details because it tests the bakers more on their instincts.

 

You can find the full recipes on the BBC website though.

[Mabinogia]

I wish Norman could have stayed to give commentary. he was out of his league indeed, but OMG I loved listening to him talk. Glad Martha got it together after her initial fumble because I adore her. I adore them all really. The closest to a least favorite is probably Luis? IDK, I love him too. It is very refreshing to have no one to root against and everyone to root for. I loved watching Kate help Martha with her tart crust and Richard give I forget who his trusty pencil, and just how they all seem supportive of each other. It's lovely.

 

And the filming of some of the food is beautiful. My mouth was watering at some of those golden crusts.

 

Did anyone else notice some very careful/respectful storing in the fridges this week?

 

 

I did notice the "mine is on tope, yours is on bottom, so and so's is in the middle" bit. I was happy to see that. They are respectful of one another's work which is so nice.

Edited January 26, 2015 by Mabinogia

[GaT]

As far as we know it was unrelated to what happened on the show.

After the filming of the episode at the end of which Iain left, Diana returned the next weekend ready to film Episode 5. The evening before filming, all the contestants went to a restaurant for a meal together. At the end of the meal Diana stood up, lost consciousness and fell heavily, banging her head on the stone floor.

She was taken to the A&E department of the local hospital where she was diagnosed with concussion; she had still not recovered sufficiently from this by the time episode 6 was due to be filmed so she had to leave the competition.

Ever since this head injury, Diana has been unable to smell or taste anything. She had a number of investigations, including a CT scan and a MRI scan of her head. These showed that the nerve from the nose, the olfactory nerve, which transmits taste and smell to the brain, had been completely severed as a result of the impact.

Her Doctor stated (with her permission) that she had also sought the advice of a neurosurgeon who said that there is no treatment to repair this. If she is very lucky she may regain these senses but this would take many months, if it happens at all.

 

Poor woman, no-one deserves that.

WOW, I had not heard about any of this. It sounds like most of the damage happened because of the fall, but I wonder why she lost consciousness to begin with? I hope that her senses come back to her, how horrible to have to live your life without them.

[Meredith Quill]

I know!  Its such a change to have a cooking show where everyone is so nice and there is no fighting. 

 

I think this is one of the biggest reasons why so many people adore this show.

[Quilt Fairy]

I think this is one of the biggest reasons why so many people adore this show.

It was certainly why we enjoyed the American version of the show.

 

Poor Diana! I once lost my sense of taste and smell after an ER doctor prescribed me an antibiotic I'd never taken before. Before I figured out what was wrong, I went to a couple of my favorite local restaurants and kept sending the food back because it didn't taste right. One thing I came to realize was that I could easily eat something that had gone 'off' and I would never know it until I got sick. Thank God my senses gradually came back after about 3 months. It doesn't sound like the prognosis for Diana is very good.

 

I don't understand the concept of the show-stopper. When I read '3-tiered pie' in the TV listings, I kept imagining a sweet pie with multiple layers and crusts. They really just did 3-4 separate pies with a theme and piled them on top of each other. Is that a thing in Britain?

 

It was obvious to me (definitely a non-baker) that the edges of Richard's pies would over-brown and I didn't understand why he didn't just put a thin strip of aluminum foil around the edge to prevent that. I only know about this because it's in the instructions when I bake a store-bought pot pie. On the other hand, steak and ale pie? I'm in!

 

I loved it when Martha said in the technical challenge, "It's like I'm mummifying a pear".  Does anyone know how her science and math exams went? They didn't ask her about them this week.

[LaChavalina]

Nothing anybody made this episode looked good to me.

I wouldn't go quite this far, but nothing in the last round was terribly appetizing. Several of the hot water crust pies did not look appealing. When I think "meat pies" I suppose I think of a pot pie. Seeing big hunks of meat crammed in (and fat oozing out in Martha's case) made my stomach feel a bit queasy. Then again, I'm also a vegetarian!

 

Paul was out for Norman for weeks so it was no surprise he was gone, but they sent him home on a week when he wasn't the worst baker. I continue to love Chetna, and other than her first bake today she has been so consistent. I kind of think she deserves more recognition than she gets from the judges. Hope there's a star baker award for her one of these weeks.

[shandy]

I think you're right about Chetna, she's so original and they don't reward it - most of the others are using high end recipes and she fuses indian sweet rice into a custard tart from an idea she had herself. LMAO that Paul's Irish roots are showing - can't handle rice pudding where the grains aren't all but obliterated.

 

Is it wrong to want all the women to keep going? Martha, Kate, Nancy and Chetna are all awesome in such individual ways. I'm not convinced by Luis and Richard's faux modesty.

[Mabinogia]

I agree that it was Iain's behavior more than the fact his ice cream melted that caused him not to come back. Chetna's ice cream had melted as well, but she presented what she had and wasn't put in the bottom two. And this week whatshishames pears were shit but he was safe. I think they judge forgive mistakes more than they do on other shows. If there is creativity and spirit there they will be more forgiving. But throwing out your work and walking off, how can they possibly keep him on or bring him back after that? I love Iain but I agreed with his being voted off or whatever they call it on this show, And as much as I adore Norman and want him to be my grandpa, I agree with his being voted off this week. He's been coasting and everyone left does deserve to be there based on what they've done so far.

[LaChavalina]

I think you're right about Chetna, she's so original and they don't reward it - most of the others are using high end recipes and she fuses indian sweet rice into a custard tart from an idea she had herself. LMAO that Paul's Irish roots are showing - can't handle rice pudding where the grains aren't all but obliterated.

He irritated me a couple of weeks ago, too, when he made some comment about her lack of variety. I (and she) interpreted it as "your cooking is too Indian." First off, it's an entire subcontinent and there are different regional flavors that she uses. I don't see anyone telling these British contestants that their cooking is too Western European. That would be equally stupid. Second, I wonder if Paul has ever tried cooking Indian dishes from scratch. The very fact that she made four different curries in one afternoon, on a timer, stuck them all in little pies, and made it look prettier than almost everyone else's? That deserved way more respect than it got.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

At the risk of sounding like Joey Tribbiani assessing Rachel's trifle with beef, I am all for meat pies. Meat? Good! Pie crust good!

Of course, I grew up loving pot pies so there's that. Trader Joe's has an okay steak and ale pie in the freezer section that isn't bad.

I don't think meat pie is any weirder than baking one of those casseroles where you plop biscuit dough on top (and when you think of it that way, Beef Wellington is like a giant meat pie). It's just meat with delicious carbs!

Edited January 27, 2015 by ElectricBoogaloo

[GaT]

He irritated me a couple of weeks ago, too, when he made some comment about her lack of variety. I (and she) interpreted it as "your cooking is too Indian." First off, it's an entire subcontinent and there are different regional flavors that she uses. I don't see anyone telling these British contestants that their cooking is too Western European. 

I think Paul has the same problem Anthony Bourdain has with judging. He likes a very specific flavor profile, & anything that isn't that profile just doesn't taste all that good to him, so even though he may not judge it badly, it's never at the top for him.

[shandy]

It's those giant slices showing solidly congealed meat that seemed so off putting to me.  I do like small pot pies and pasties upon occasion, but I don't want a slab of pie.  Go figure.

 

It's totally Mrs Patmore though! I can so imagine her slaving and sweating away, hand raising (rising?) a  trio of hot water crusts for some Venison or Grouse pies to take outdoors for a Downton shooting luncheon. It's a mystery to me how Cora and Mary stay so thin. Or maybe they don't eat pie.  And stick to cucumber sandwiches and  a light bouillon?

 

I like to see the British traditions - French gets tedious after a while. I get that gastronomie is worshipped in France but on every single food reality show as well ...?

 

I'd really like to see an American themed technical bake - as someone who has been defeated by more than one Boston Cream Pie it would be fun. Although, having now caught up with the American Baking Competition, Paul won't be having Orange-Tequila Chiffon Cake back anytime soon! 

[goodbyeglittergirl]

I really enjoyed this episode and it's tempted me to put together my own hot water crust meat pie - though not one quite as voluminous as these! 

[Meredith Quill]

What with all the consternation aimed at the humble meat pie, I thought this may prove interesting (the last on the list delivers nationwide!). 

Where to find savoury pies in the US.

[Bella]

What with all the consternation aimed at the humble meat pie, I thought this may prove interesting (the last on the list delivers nationwide!). 

Where to find savoury pies in the US.

 

Good link, thanks!

 

As whimsey98 observed, a lot of them are individual-sized. I think the large size of the GBBO pies is the greatest disconnect many of us North Americans felt in watching this challenge. 

[Meredith Quill]

Yup they come in all shapes and sizes! :D

[Zahdii]

Have they ever done pizza on this show?

[Bella]

Yup they come in all shapes and sizes! :D

 

So let me ask you this, Silver - how often do you actually encounter the large ones (not individual-sized)? As I was watching this episode, I was trying to figure out how many people each of those pies would feed, and it seemed like a lot, at least 12. For the three tiers together, that seemed like a restaurant creation and I was rather surprised they expected home cooks to do that.

[Gregg247]

I guess the English really love their meat pies!  I'm a meat eater, and I like pie for dessert, but a meat pie just doesn't appeal to me.  Years ago, I tried a barbeque chicken pizza, and had the same reaction; the individual parts are great, but together....not so much.  I also don't like pears, so the technical challenge, though interesting, wasn't very tasty for me either.

 

I like Martha the most of all the contestants, although I like them all.  She just seems very sweet.  I wasn't sorry to see Norman go, as he was just not up to the level of the others.  Every challenge, he'd start off by saying he was going to Up his game, and then he'd do something that the judges agreed was pretty basic.  Last week, he Upped his game by including VANILLA ice cream, of all things-- and then Paul told him it didn't have enough vanilla in it! LOL

 

I don't cook, and I know nothing about baking, but I still really enjoy this show.  I like seeing talented, nice people doing what they love, and in top form.

[Qoass]

 

While watching the episode, I decided I like Chetna even more after noticing her bright orange All-Stars shoes.

That's why I find the two hosts bearable:  the dark haired one wore Chucks in episode one!