MasterChef: The Professionals (UK) - General Discussion

[rhys]

I think there were 2 episodes this week but I watch so late at night plus I'm in the Midwest (USA) that I never can tell when an episode drops. It confuses me because I seem to hear "tomorrow" then I'll hear  "next week on masterchef."

The other thing that baffles me is when the cook stations change. The chefs start out in the white kitchen, then all of a sudden, it's the stone kitchen! Blimey.

[Athena]

There were definitely three episodes this week. The first two are exactly the same in terms of format which can make it seem like there was only one.

I have to say that I adore Grace Dent and she had some good zingers at the critic's dinner.

On 11/22/2019 at 4:07 PM, TVbitch said:

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...what the hell was that main? I was like, did he do a starter and a dessert?! It looked like someone opened up the fridge and threw the last dregs of the leftovers on a plate. I mean, just looking at it viscerally made me sad! 

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It was bad. The dish looked incomplete and it did look like he threw some random things on the plate. I felt bad for the chef and I always want to see the pastry chefs do well. One of the good things about critic's dinner is that it showcases the timing issues that a lot of the private and non-restaurant chefs have to acclimatize back. We haven't seen anyone be very late but in past competitions, a couple have struggled with timing especially with meat. Dessert was a bit odd as well. I agree with Jay that if you serve a pana cotta, you should flip it onto the plate for the jiggle. 

I am glad Arbinder went through though. It's always interesting to see more diversity in this fine dining competition. His stuff looks really good; I hope he can take things up a notch in the following rounds. 

[TVbitch]

1 hour ago, Athena said:

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I am glad Arbinder went through though.

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Me too! I had to laugh at Jay totally dwarfing Arbinder's starter, but I don't mind small plates, especially if they are perfection. I would have loved to sample that one. 

[Sarnia]

3 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I don't mind small plates, especially if they are perfection. I would have loved to sample that one. 

I know! It looked heavenly! I'm also happy with the three that got through. It's a solid competition so far.
 

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I'm very impressed with Andrew. For someone who's only training is on an army ship (he's the one, right?), he has a pretty delicate touch.

[TVbitch]

He is definitely one I am rooting for @Sarnia, along with muppet-browed Tom from the last round, and the young lady from the first round. Hope to see some more ladies step up next round or it will be quite the boys club! 

[PepperMonkey]

I'm back to post about my favourite of all the cooking competitions worldwide: MC The Professionals!!

Jay's back, too; I had been missing him and wondering if we were going to see him at all on this iteration.

I'm always happy to see Marcus and Moniker. They are outstanding chefs and truly nice human beings. 

As always, I like ALL of the contestants and am sad to see anyone go... with the possible exception of SOME of the 20 year olds that have been cooking for two years and think they're ready to compete at this level. I know there are those prodigies, but for the most part, they probably need a little more time to steep before The Professionals.

TVb, thanks for the note reminding me we have a forum now for our show. I don't get to play on Primetimer much anymore, and I barely post, because of real life annoyances, but I had to come participate in this one!

[TVbitch]

Yay, @PepperMonkey in da house! Sorry to hear you are beset with annoyances.

I was shocked last night to learn there was such a thing as "bean water mayonnaise"  ...I mean...why? I'm also shocked that all the chefs seemed to know about this! 

I was not shocked to confirm that Monica would win in a punch up with Greg and Marcus. Her display of strength was hilarious! 

They seem pretty strict about only taking 3 through this year. Some years when it's close they go ahead and take 4, and I always love those moments. 

What is this technique Marcus has used a couple times now when cooking meat. I think he called it butter paper or something?

[Sarnia]

3 hours ago, TVbitch said:

 I was shocked last night to learn there was such a thing as "bean water mayonnaise"  ...I mean...why? I'm also shocked that all the chefs seemed to know about this! 

I was not shocked to confirm that Monica would win in a punch up with Greg and Marcus. Her display of strength was hilarious! 

It's not exactly beans, it's chick peas (which are sort of beans I suppose). You can use the water in which chick peas have cooked to replace eggs (especially egg white) so that you can make egg recipe for people who are intolerant to eggs (or vegan). It's the first time I see it used for mayonnaise, but I've seen (and tasted) chocolate mousse made with it and it's very effective (and good).

That bottle-opening scene was indeed so funny! Go Monica!

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I was disappointed in (and for) Debbie in the cooking round. She had done so well in the skills test and I thought we had found our strong female constestant, but she just tried to do too much on her own dish and it didn't come together. Louise is nice but I don't see her going far (I'll delete that message when she is crowned the winner 🙂 ).

[TVbitch]

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@sarnia, don't forget we still have a  young lady from the first week who really blew Marcus away. Can't remember her name, but she is still a top contender. I agree Louise probably will not go far. It almost seemed like a ho hum plate that was saved by the grapes! I was also bummed for Debbie.

Choosing between the two guys who made desserts seemed like splitting hairs, but I'm glad they put through, um, I'm not even gonna try to get his name right, but he seems fun and his smile makes me smile! 

[Athena]

On 11/27/2019 at 11:18 AM, TVbitch said:

I was shocked last night to learn there was such a thing as "bean water mayonnaise"  ...I mean...why? I'm also shocked that all the chefs seemed to know about this! 

I was not shocked to confirm that Monica would win in a punch up with Greg and Marcus. Her display of strength was hilarious! 

What is this technique Marcus has used a couple times now when cooking meat. I think he called it butter paper or something?

Aquafaba has become a standard in vegan baking. Finding egg alternatives especially as a emulsifying agent is difficult. I believe it was popularized by a vegan non-chef who took the idea to experiment with bean water from molecular gastronomy. I'm not surprised that most of the chefs know it for that reason since some fine dining places use the technique. It was used on Great British Bake Off's vegan week too. I want try it myself except I never have chickpeas around. Apparently you can use most lentil water.

Marcus didn't look like he really tried, but not shocked with Monica's display of strength either. 

Yeah he calls it butter paper I think. I don't know much about the technique, but it seems to be similar to a parchment cartouche used for braising a stew or meat. The parchment allows for some barrier so the meat doesn't over-brown, but it also still allows some heat through.

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I was disappointed with Debbie as well. Not only because she is a woman, but she seems to have a lot of experience in life and cooking. One year this competition was won by a woman who was closer to Debbie's age. I find it poignant when chefs get publicly recognized more in the middle of their careers. 

[TVbitch]

Hold the fucking phone! You mean I could have been calling my pancakes "drop scones" all this time!! 

Okay I do not cook much, but I'm pretty sure I could have done better in the skills test than George. That plate looked like someone drank way too much sangria and vomited onto their pancake drop scone.

Glad we had some redemption in the signature challenge.

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I really wanted to eat Adam's raviolo. And I've never seen that preparation with Steve's fish. Would love to try that.  

It always cracks me up when the judges totally destroy a dish and then the chef comes and sits down and goes "I made a few silly mistakes" or "it wasn't quite perfect" ...um, really? is that what happend?!

[Athena]

On 11/28/2019 at 9:24 AM, TVbitch said:

It always cracks me up when the judges totally destroy a dish and then the chef comes and sits down and goes "I made a few silly mistakes" or "it wasn't quite perfect" ...um, really? is that what happend?!

Episode 11 had the worse second hand embarrassment moments with the skills test. It was clear there were a couple of chefs who were real duds so the elimination wasn't a surprise. 

I felt a couple of the chefs had a little too much overconfidence in their abilities. Their dishes didn't appeal to me. The right people definitely went through.  

[PepperMonkey]

EXOSE!!!! I love his smile and attitude. His first night, he was nervous but kind of fake nonchalant regarding staying or going. On return, he came back to wreak havoc on everyone's taste buds, but in a good way.

Love Jay wanting to date the souffle, not just eat it. He's so cute when he really loves something. 

So obviously I'm rooting for diversity or diversity this year: Exose or ANY female, of which... wait ARE there any left? Moniker always seems so excited when there's a good female chef but they never seem to be able to hang in very long. I guess I'm thrilled that the competition starts in earnest next week, but then not, because it means it'll be over sooner rather than later. I know it usually wraps up right before Xmas.

Leave it to my friend, TVbitch, to say what we're all thinking: Is a pancake always a drop scone or is it only a drop scone in Marcus' world? I love the skills test but I must tell you I almost throw up for the chefs, myself, when Moniker or Marcus say "I'm having them make an eeber deeber with a side of garlic knobbledy dobbledy and I'm giving them four and a half minutes...." I mean, first you have to try to parse what it IS, and by the time you've figured out it's toast and egg, you've got 12 seconds to make your sauce! Yeesh!!!

Love this competition: can't wait to see these guys battle it out, with class, as always.

[TVbitch]

Wow, what a great quarter final! Monica and Marcus were cracking me up. Especially the look on Monica's face and her little squeak of "hmmm" when she saw Steve's less than gorgeous dessert, and the barely contained digust of Marcus when Adam left his station a mess. 

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Monty, Exose and Steve really brought it for the critic's round. I was wanting to get my hands on a lot of those plates. Exose seems a measure above, and is impossible not to adore, but I also like Steve's awkward solemness. The is just one young lady left from the very first group, but she is a real contender. 

Next week is gonna be a heartbreaker, y'all! I really adore so many of these chefs. 

And just once I would like to see someone crunching on one of those green apples in the Waiting Room of Doom!! 

[Sarnia]

Ep 14. That was an great episode with very solid cooking. I really enjoyed the pop-up restaurant challenge. I wanted to reach into the screen and grab that bannoffee pie-inspired dessert. It looked exactly like my kind of dessert (I mean the ones I like, not the ones I cook unfortunately).

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So happy Exose made it through directly with that dish.
I also really liked Yann's enthusiasm, he seemed totally in his element, and I also would have liked to try his lamb dish.
Tom's dish on the second round looked horrific. Brown-colored puree is a bad idea.

I think all my favorite chefs were in that round. Seeing one leave was very sad but on the basis of the second round I feel they made the right choice. You really can't have a bad day in the kitchen.

Edited December 5, 2019 by Sarnia

[TVbitch]

          

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Ah, I lost Muppet Man and Weirdy Beardy Steve already! But OMG, Andrew, that dish was gorgeous. And Exose continues to shine. Love that smile. 

I so adore this show. The new pop-up challenge is great, and so well executed. If it were Masterchef US they would have 20 minutes, only a bunsen burner, and Gordon shouting at them through a blowhorn!

Can't wait to see the second group do the pop-up!

Edited December 6, 2019 by TVbitch

[adhoc]

TVbitch, you are so right! 

Second pop-up was also good; I noticed that this time Marcus/Monica did not say "everyone got votes".  

[Spunkygal]

Regarding episode 15: 

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I was really rooting for Monty to make it through. But he has a great career ahead of him.

I’m really liking these chefs and their food. It’s so funny how during their skills tests, I think “oh no, they all suck” and then they create such magnificent food later on. I know that there are tremendous nerves in the beginning but at first I wonder if they can scramble an egg! 

My money to win is on 

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Andrew.

[TVbitch]

I noticed that too, @adhoc!

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I think 2 of the chefs faultered on their pop up dish. Interesting that the two desserts won. I think Marcus was rooting for Stu's offal balls. ... ...well that sounded a bit weird, didn't it?!   😄

In the cook off...

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Freddie came back guns blazing, but he has shown inconsistency. ...and a touch of arrogance, which I don't mind. He's young. 

@Spunkygal, my pick is Andrew too! But have we seem him do dessert? I can't remember! 

[Athena]

Last week's pop up challenges were great. 

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Happy for Exose and Malin. I wanted both those dishes and I am not a big lobster person either. You could tell that Monica picked Malin's dish and Marcus was more on Stu's dish. Each dish reminded of them of home and their own upbringings. 

Andrew looks like he will be in the top 3. I want Exose to win it as well. He and Malin have so much joy when cooking. 

[Spunkygal]

Just watched episode 16.

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Wow, Marcus was tough on the chefs in this episode! But that’s what I like about the show. The piddly crap that is made on the US shows would not even make it anywhere near Marcus’s fork. I would have happily devoured everything in both rounds. I wasn’t surprised that Andrew, Arbinder and Yann were able to survive the second round. It is interesting to see what they can without actual dairy. My week is about to get really crazy so I probably won’t be able to watch episodes 17 and 18 until Sunday. Something to look forward to!

[PepperMonkey]

Spunkygal, you are so right! Always something to look forward to on this show. 

Exose!! Olivia!! Arbinder! We have real diversity this year and I am LOVING it. I like Andrew but he's starting to show some cracks, which were heretofore unseen.

Sorry to see Malin and Freddy go especially cause the heart of Freddy's dish, the cauliflower steak with capers, etc., sounded and looked yummy to me. Then he added too much and that asparagus just looked like it tasted green to me. Like you've eaten a mouthful of freshly mown grass green. Blech. 

I love all these guys and am never disappointed, whomever wins, but I'm pulling equally for Olivia and Exose. No matter who wins I hope everyone's life is changed because a few of these guys are outstanding chefs. 

I would love if there were a US version of The Professionals, but we Americans seem to be such dillholes, at least on tv, that I'm not sure it could even TOUCH this version. Especially if they allowed Gordon to "host"...

[TVbitch]

WOW! Not all of the plates were totally successful Tuesday night, but my God that was some pretty food! So many gorgeous, interesting dishes. Olivia's DID look like fairies made it. I would hang it on my wall! 

Marcus is getting rightly tougher is his critiques now, but his calm, straighforward delivery keeps it supportive. Still, the pained looks on the chefs faces when they don't please him is heartbreaking. I do believe it is good for them and their future though. On the flip side, when Marcus praises a dish, and the chefs get teary, that gets me every damn time!  

I'm glad they show us the dishes while the judges talk about them, and also show little clips of the chef's previous dishes. That is so helpful in keeping everyone's accomplishments straight. 

@PepperMonkey, Gordon would try to turn it into some Hells Kitchen bullshit. I've seen forums debating which is the best Masterchef worldwide, and it seems Americans find the low key, drama free nature of this show and its contestants boring, but I find it thrilling! (Don't worry, I set them straight!)  

[Spunkygal]

Episode 17:

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I repeat myself every time I post, but what a great episode!! The guest chef Gareth is amazing and his cuisine just sings. I was so proud of all 3 chefs during their visit. Gareth was a calming, non-shouty mentor and you could tell the contestants were soaking up every minute of the experience. Then they get back to the MC kitchen and Olivia kicks all sorts of butt. Way to go, girl! I knew Arbinder would be the one to go but he has nothing to be embarrassed about. He is a great chef and it will be interesting to see if he winds up in a restaurant. (Isn’t he a private chef?) 

I do wish Yann would wear a sweatband or something on his head when he cooks. I am icked out when chefs have sweaty hair. Can’t wait to see what the next round of chefs do!

[TVbitch]

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Poor Arbinder, but I do think the others were a step up. Olivia seems to be the one to beat at this point.  I have to believe some of these chefs will be hot properties for great new jobs after the show. Marcus must want to snap some of them up himself, but he's probably not allowed. 

While his food was incredible, I don't really get why the guest chef decided he didn't want to use any salt in his dishes. I mean, I would have gotten it, if he said he just wanted to use herbs and spices, but then he used other things like miso and soy sauce to add saltiness. And he put all the meat in a salt chamber. So it just seemed kind of arbitrary to ban salt! (Spoken as a true salt fiend!) 

[Spunkygal]

@TVbitch, after you shared where to find this show, I binge watched several of the recent past seasons. One chef (I think he won his season but am not sure) was eventually hired by Marcus. Again, I don’t recall which season or how much time passed before Marcus hired him. It wasn’t immediately after his win. Oh I remember a bit about him now. He was the one who had sort of a smaller build and everyone kept fussing at him to speak loudly and answer yes chef. Was his name

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Martin?

hmmm? I think a female was in the final 3 with him. The reason I know that Marcus hired him was because i was so impressed with his food that I googled him to see where he is now. For vacation next year we talked about doing either England or France and if we chose England, I wanted to go to his restaurant. Anyway, I’ll see if it can find his name and season.

Update: Gah!! Don’t google if you don’t know the name! I just saw one of the names of a final 3 chef For this season! I’m an idiot!

Edited December 12, 2019 by Spunkygal

[TVbitch]

Thanks @Spunkygal! I have a serious cheese brain and tend to forget about the contestants as soon as the season is over. But if I see their photo, I remember. The only one I remember from last season is Matthew. ❤️ Yes, I don't dare google cuz I hate being spoiled!!! 

I'm glad Marcus keeps his eyes on some of these talents, they deserve a come up from the amazing work they've displayed on the show. 

If you do sample some food, we want to hear all about it!!!

[Spunkygal]

8 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Thanks @Spunkygal! I have a serious cheese brain and tend to forget about the contestants as soon as the season is over. But if I see their photo, I remember. The only one I remember from last season is Matthew. ❤️ Yes, I don't dare google cuz I hate being spoiled!!! 

I'm glad Marcus keeps his eyes on some of these talents, they deserve a come up from the amazing work they've displayed on the show. 

If you do sample some food, we want to hear all about it!!!

The chef I’m referring to wasn’t last year with the terrific trio. He was in the season before that or two seasons before that. BTW, last I looked, the terrific trio still stay in touch and do a lot of pop-ups and private events. And Matthew is engaged to his very gorgeous GF. When this season is over, I’ll update on the chef who works/worked for Marcus and his season. Grrr. I hate being spoiled and I didn’t word my google search properly.

Since we did England so recently (we went to Wimbledon last year), we’re doing Normandy next year. I’m sure we’ll have some terrific food! And lots of apple cider! I had no idea that the Normandy region has the climate for apple orchards. Sounds charming! 

I will say that I didn’t think I’d be able to keep up with this week’s episodes due to a busy schedule but then I remembered that my gym has wi-if, so I watch the show on my iPad while on the treadmill and stair master. 
 

[Athena]

17 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

@TVbitch, after you shared where to find this show, I binge watched several of the recent past seasons. One chef (I think he won his season but am not sure) was eventually hired by Marcus. Again, I don’t recall which season or how much time passed before Marcus hired him. It wasn’t immediately after his win. Oh I remember a bit about him now. He was the one who had sort of a smaller build and everyone kept fussing at him to speak loudly and answer yes chef. Was his name

  Reveal spoiler

Martin?

hmmm? I think a female was in the final 3 with him. The reason I know that Marcus hired him was because i was so impressed with his food that I googled him to see where he is now. For vacation next year we talked about doing either England or France and if we chose England, I wanted to go to his restaurant. Anyway, I’ll see if it can find his name and season.

Update: Gah!! Don’t google if you don’t know the name! I just saw one of the names of a final 3 chef For this season! I’m an idiot!

The one who works for Marcus won the 2017 competition. 

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His name is Craig Johnston and his Instagram is here.

It looks like he still works for Marcus. I saw him at Marcus because I had the privilege of eating lunch there a year ago when I was in the UK. Definitely one of the best meals of my life and the service is impeccable. I only saw the back of Marcus's head when I was there; he was greeting other guests. 

15 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Since we did England so recently (we went to Wimbledon last year), we’re doing Normandy next year. I’m sure we’ll have some terrific food! And lots of apple cider! I had no idea that the Normandy region has the climate for apple orchards. Sounds charming! 

Hope you love Normandy. French cider is amazing. It's brewed with champagne yeast which means it's dry and more similar to sparkling wine than other apple ciders.  

[Spunkygal]

Thank you, @Athena, that’s him! I’m really miffed that we didn’t go to Marcus’s restaurant last year. Do you remember what you had? I won’t let that mistake happen again when I travel. In fact, I’m researching restaurants in Normandy. I know I want to eat at La Couronne in Rouen, the place where Julia Child had her first ever meal in France. I believe she had a heavenly sole meunière. 

[TVbitch]

Thursday's show:

                 

More totally amazing looking food. However,

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as much as I adore Exose, I take exception to them keeping him over Andrew. Andrew's duck was "slightly" overcooked and his pudding didn't fully set because of the hot kitchen, but they loved his ideas and flavors all-round. Exose had more problems throughout both dishes and there were only elements of each that they liked. They really didn't think they worked and he got way more criticism. Andrew also did better at the guest restaurant.

Andrew was just starting to break out of his shell from this experience, and I am so bummed we will not get to see his gorgeous food going forward. 

On the bright side, I like Stu, and he is becoming a dark horse. 

[Athena]

4 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Thank you, @Athena, that’s him! I’m really miffed that we didn’t go to Marcus’s restaurant last year. Do you remember what you had? I won’t let that mistake happen again when I travel. In fact, I’m researching restaurants in Normandy. I know I want to eat at La Couronne in Rouen, the place where Julia Child had her first ever meal in France. I believe she had a heavenly sole meunière. 

We had the testing menu. It was a very long lunch as a result. The meal was a family Christmas gift so we are saving up to go back to Marcus one day. The restaurant will give you a menu card as a souvenir (I've misplaced mine at the moment) and you can take photos. We particularly loved a mascarpone dessert. 

[Sarnia]

That's a very strong final 4, I'd be good with any one of them winning

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but I would be happier if it's Exose or Olivia.

A bit gutted for Andrew, but I would have been sad for any chef leaving at this stage. Marcus' final words were serious praise. I hope he has a great career in cooking and I would enjoy trying out his food.

[TVbitch]

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I hope since Andrew is leaving the Navy soon, his success on the show brings about many great career opportunities. Marcus should keep an eye on him. 

OT Program Note: I am sad MC is ending this week, but I've found another UK program I love! It's called Landscape Artist of the Year. Groups of artists paint totally gorgeous settings around the UK, with each round's winner going into the finals. It's fascinating to watch 8 artists come up with completely unique artworks while looking at the same landscape --the different styles, colors, techniques, perspectives, etc. So much gorgeous art and scenery and creativity. The host is fabulous. There is humor and touching moments. It has the same calm professional vibe as MC, and I'm so glad I found it! There are 5 seasons for me to binge during the holiday TV drought! If anyone is interested drop me a PM and I'll give you the skinny on where to find it. 

[Athena]

In an aside, I've noticed Greg is in the kitchen a lot more. It also looks from the previews that he will be in the final table. I don't have anything against Greg but he is more superfluous on this competition. I don't really need his layman's perspective. 

[adhoc]

Just caught Episode 19 - "Chef's Table", where they cook for other well-known industry folk.   Honestly, maybe my favorite Chef's Table ever!  

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There was tension! Uncertainty! Anticipation! Warm fuzzies!  I was grinning like a fool at the end, but then I usually am when they do the chef's table episode.

[Spunkygal]

Episode 19:

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It is just baffling how these chefs start out at the skills competition and act like they don’t know how to peel a banana and then at the end, prepare the most incredible plates of perfection! “Fusion is the future and it’s not confusion” one chef said about Stu’s dish. Another chef “yum, yum, yum!” I honestly love all 4 of these chefs and would even try Exose’s octopus. He is so joyful. Olivia is so original. I never thought to cook a fig leaf. I thought they were just for floral arrangements or to decorate a fruit platter ala Ina Garten.
Yann was cute during his prep and even a tad playful. And as always, I love how they all pitch in to help the others. They are all so very clever.

Past season spoiler ahead: I wonder

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If there might be a tie for the winner as in the season when Anton and Keri shared the win. That was a season that Michel Roux and Monica had to choose and they just couldn’t.

I will be sad when this season is over. As mentioned earlier, I was accidentally spoiled so I know who one of the finalists is. I think episode 20 is available so I hope to watch it while eating lunch today. Love this show!

[adhoc]

Yes, episode 20 is available now. Our chefs chef'ing in a 2-Michelin star restaurant. It's tense as each chef has a couple of dishes to bang out during what I think is lunch service. And by "bang out" I mean "create with flawless precision again and again". 

Oh, did I mention 1 chef is eliminated before this challenge? 😩 😢

[Spunkygal]

Episode 20:

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Oh dear Lord! Where to start? Do I need to go to Portugal immediately? Yes! Do I want a three-way tie for winner? Yes! I can’t imagine how incredible this final will be.

The mandarin dessert was a revelation. I prefer citrus desserts over chocolate and I was drooling over that genius creation. Every dish was drool-worthy and I would be happy with a show of nothing but Chef Jose showing the finalists around that fabulous market, especially that fish market run by women! Woo hoo! 

Oh, I must add that it must have been agonizing for Marcus and Monica to choose between Yann and Exose to go to the final three. Yann handled it beautifully, as you would expect, and he will have a rocking career. 
 

 

[TVbitch]

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Ah, Yann, ya big lug. 😭 There was so little separating him and Exose. 

Wow that market was unbelievable. I have never seen produce like that in any American farmer's market. 

Seems like this is Olivia's to lose, but I think my heart belongs to Stu. I love when we see a peek of his goofy side. Loved him giving Exose some good natured shit at the market. He has grown on me throughout.

 

 

[Spunkygal]

@TVbitch,

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Stu has also grown on me. He has a lovely smile and has really turned his life around. 

 

[Spunkygal]

Does anyone know when the finale will be aired?

[TVbitch]

Should be tonight @Spunkygal, also

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what did you mean about Stu, was his life a bit of a mess before? I can't remember the back stories. 

 

[Spunkygal]

@TVbitch,

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I think he is the chef who mentioned several times that his life was a mess when he was younger. He was headed down a dangerous path, in trouble with the law. I don’t remember if he mentioned what exactly it was (drugs, booze, general assholeness) but someone (his uncle?) took him aside and gave him a job in a kitchen. He fell in love with cooking and credits the person/uncle? with turning his life around.

 

[Spunkygal]

THE FINALE!!!

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Stu certainly deserved to win. He has only gotten more creative and interesting. Wasn’t he the one who Andrew lost to in a previous elimination? At that time, I wished Andrew had gone through but, wow, Stu crushed it. His little boy is adorable!

Both Olivia and Exose did an excellent job. I’d have loved to see the bombe on Exose’s dessert. And how stinkin’ adorable that he prepared artichoke! A veggie he was not familiar with and botched in the skills competition. Monica was very moved by that and so was I. These two chefs will also have massive careers. This show consistently raises the bar on uniqueness and class in the kitchen. Can’t wait for the next season. 

 

[adhoc]

Spoiler

Weirdly, until Stu started pulling away from the pack these last few episodes, I could not remember a thing about him in his original skills test and first couple of cooking challenges. I had to go back and watch, whereas I totally remembered Andrew and Exose and Yann from episode to episode.

Funny, any of these 3 chefs might have won in a different season. I think, though, that it was clear from the judging that Stu was going to win. For both Exose and Olivia, I felt the praise from the judges was just a bit tempered. Maybe it was just me, but it was like "a really great plate of food... (pause)....you're young..." But the comments to Stu had no such hesitation or restraint.

That said, he certainly did peak at the right time! I'm glad for him and look forward to seeing how this win affects his career.

I wonder if any of these chefs (e.g., Exose or Olivia) will go on to host private events and pop-ups, rather than join another restaurant crew, now that they are D-list celebrities. I might be wrong, but I think that's what Louisa (Season 10) did; she joined Monica's restaurant but then suddenly seemed to be doing pop-ups and private events instead.

 

[TVbitch]

Spoiler

 

Yay Stu! Yes, part of reason I love this show is they don't try to do "fake out" judging to add unnecessary suspense. They simply could not contain their praise for Stu's dishes and he was the clear winner. I also think the producers probably "wanted" Olivia or Exose to win, but they gave it to best chef.

@adhoc it was Exose who beat out Andrew, and I personally did not agree with that decision. 

I felt a little sorry for Olivia after we met her family. They seemed really victory driven with all the "we know she is going to win/she succeeds at everything" talk. It might actually be good for her to be okay with not winning. 

Did anyone catch what Stu's girlfriend said at the end that cracked everyone up. I could not make it out.  

 

Well, now I will catch up on all the global Bakes Offs, and await the next Masterchef AU and UK. Love the UK's sewing, pottery, and painting shows too. I shoulda been a Brit!

[Spunkygal]

I was just coming here to ask that, too, @TVbitch. I may have to re-watch but whatever it was, everyone cracked up! 

[TVbitch]

Found it on a UK forum @Spunkygal

Spoiler

 

He asked: Can you not just congratulate me on winning Masterchef Professionals? And she said: I don't know what to say, I'm in the middle of Marks and Spencers! 

I googled Marks and Spencers and it appears to be a department store. ... ... I guess you had to be there. 😄

 

Also they said tonight on BBC2 is a repeat of a 2018 show with some past winners doing a 'where are they now' and then they all return to the studio (all 5 of them) to show how their cooking has evolved. Hope that episode comes through for us! 

[Spunkygal]

Spoiler

Oh that IS funny! She’s engaged to the winner of MC The Professionals and she’s shopping at a foodie department store...maybe she wasn’t but just has a wicked sense of humor and said she was! I love it!

Thanks for the heads up about the where are they now episode. Surely some kind soul will post it. 

Hey, fellow MC The Professionals posters, hope you all have a safe and very merry holiday season filled with yummy food that “works a treat” as Marcus would say! 🍾🍾🥮🥮🍰🍰 Cheers!