MasterChef: The Professionals (UK) - General Discussion

[Athena]

New season/series usually starts in November.

[Myriad]

Thank you, Athena. 🙂

[RealityCheck]

An Interview With Monica Galetti

[Spunkygal]

I watched a couple of older seasons of this wonderful show years ago on BBC America, I think. It was, of course, shown a year or so after the airing in the UK. I sure wish I could find it again.  For me, it is every bit as enjoyable as GBBO. 

[Spunkygal]

On 7/26/2019 at 5:20 PM, RealityCheck said:

An Interview With Monica Galetti

I want to read this but am still watching season 11. Are there any spoilers in the interview?

[TVbitch]

It's a very good interview. I did not see any spoilers @Spunkygal

[Spunkygal]

25 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

It's a very good interview. I did not see any spoilers @Spunkygal

Thank you! I am loving season 11! Going to watch episode 9 tonight!

[adhoc]

Great show! I'm so thankful that someone posting in the MasterChef (US) forum recommended this show!  I've watched the last couple of seasons now. Must admit, I'm not a huge fan of fine dining, but I do enjoy this show. And I love the skills tests. 

Edited October 8, 2019 by adhoc

[Spunkygal]

8 minutes ago, adhoc said:

Great show! I'm so thankful that someone posting in the MasterChef (US) forum recommended this show!  Finished seasons 9 and 10 on Youtube.  Must admit, I'm not a huge fan of fine dining, but I do enjoy this show. And I love the skills tests. 

Also caught some of the Season 1 eps--wow, has this show come a long way! 

It is a gem of a show, isn’t it? I thought I’d miss Michel Roux but Marcus Wareing is great, too! And I love Monica and Gregg and their facial expressions during the skills challenges. Oh, if only the US version had even 1/10th of the charm and integrity that this show has.

[TVbitch]

So glad poor Masterchef US watchers are enjoying the show! New season should be up next after Celebrity Masterchef finishes. I am watching that one too, and it isn't half bad as "celebrity" versions go. 

[Athena]

We are less than two weeks away to the series premiere: Tuesday November 5th, 2019. See you then!

[Spunkygal]

53 minutes ago, Athena said:

We are less than two weeks away to the series premiere: Tuesday November 5th, 2019. See you then!

CAN.NOT.WAIT!!!!

[TVbitch]

First episode (s12e01) has aired! 

If you have trouble finding it, just PM me! 

Edited November 6, 2019 by TVbitch

[Sarnia]

Yay! So glad it's back. I watch the first 3 episodes. Really liked

Spoiler

Olivia, she's very focused and her dishes for the critics looked wonderful, very individual and fresh. I loved the use of all the herbs and sea plants. Very happy she's through.

I put that in spoiler just in case, but I'm not sure what the policy is about this. The episodes have aired so is it OK to name names? Or should I assume that many people will need time to find the episodes?

[TVbitch]

How do people want to handle the spoiler situation? Myself, I hate to be spoiled, so perhaps we could put comments about who got cut into a spoiler tag, but general observations about contestants, dishes, judges, etc., can be outside spoilers?

I've only watched the first episode, and am enjoying it so far. The pained looks of Marcus during the skills test always amuses me. Glad to see some contenders step it up for the last challenge. 

[Athena]

23 hours ago, Sarnia said:

I put that in spoiler just in case, but I'm not sure what the policy is about this. The episodes have aired so is it OK to name names? Or should I assume that many people will need time to find the episodes?

19 hours ago, TVbitch said:

How do people want to handle the spoiler situation? Myself, I hate to be spoiled, so perhaps we could put comments about who got cut into a spoiler tag, but general observations about contestants, dishes, judges, etc., can be outside spoilers?

As this show will unlikely be aired in the USA, it is ok to discuss what has aired. However, we have a small group of watchers and we can discuss what works for every body. As the episodes air three times a week, perhaps we can post more spoilery comments in the weekend. We can also name names in spoilers and talk about challenges outside of spoilers. Usually a couple weeks after the whole show has aired, all bets are off so we can revert back no tags. 

[Sarnia]

OK, so something like "use spoiler for the contestant names who stay/go during the week following the batch of 3 episodes" and open talk about the challenges/dishes. That would be fine for me.

I may be in a small minority here to be bothered by this, but I'm French and I was surprised that Monica with all her classical training doesn't know how to pronounce "crème patissière" (she pronounces it like it was "crème patisserie", patissière is like "patiss-yeah-rrr"). I understand better now why English-speaking chefs often avoid the pronunciation issue by just saying "creme pat" 😉

Edited November 9, 2019 by Sarnia

[TVbitch]

Does Marcus say it correctly?

I don't even really know what it is exactly, but if I was gonna just take a stab at it as written I would go crem-patiss-ee-ehr.

[Sarnia]

7 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I don't even really know what it is exactly, but if I was gonna just take a stab at it as written I would go crem-patiss-ee-ehr.

That is pretty good! Greg said "creme pat". I think Marcus did the same but I'm not sure.

And it's sort of a thick cream filling that you find in many pastries. For someone with classical French cooking training it's really one of the basics of pastry. If I was a chef (which I'm really not) and coming on Masterchef I would learn to do it if it wasn't already in my training, it's very likely to come out in a skill's test at some point.

On the other hand, I had never heard of the weird omelet dish Marcus ask them to do in Ep2 (it was someone's name? Arnold Bennett? Can someone enlighten me?) and to be honest it didn't look that appealing even when Marcus did it. To bury the wonderful crab meat under eggs, cheese and gratinated Hollandaise sauce seemed a bit of a shame.

[Athena]

17 hours ago, Sarnia said:

I may be in a small minority here to be bothered by this, but I'm French and I was surprised that Monica with all her classical training doesn't know how to pronounce "crème patissière" (she pronounces it like it was "crème patisserie", patissière is like "patiss-yeah-rrr"). I understand better now why English-speaking chefs often avoid the pronunciation issue by just saying "creme pat" 😉

Monica can speak at least a little French. She has done on the hotel travel show she hosts with Giles Coren (great show if you're into knowing how luxury hotels work). When watching UK shows though, there are often French words which become Anglized. It's become normalized in the UK and UK kitchens because a lot of people would not necessarily know how to pronounce it. The profession is still one that sources largely from the working class. 

7 hours ago, Sarnia said:

On the other hand, I had never heard of the weird omelet dish Marcus ask them to do in Ep2 (it was someone's name? Arnold Bennett? Can someone enlighten me?) and to be honest it didn't look that appealing even when Marcus did it. To bury the wonderful crab meat under eggs, cheese and gratinated Hollandaise sauce seemed a bit of a shame.

This dish originates from the 1920s Savoy hotel and isn't as well known internationally, but it's one of the the signatures dishes at the Savoy in London. As a result, a lot of other UK hotel kitchens have it on menu and would know what it is. 

[Spunkygal]

I am halfway through episode 2 and the Omelet Arnold Bennett reminds me of a dish that was served in the restaurant (Zodiac Room) of the flagship Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas. Boy, do I still dream of that omelet. It was a puffy omelet finished in the oven, the puffiest omelet that you just want to lay your head on like a pillow, and it was filled with crab meat and Swiss cheese and had a drizzle of hollandaise around it. It was sublime. I used to work down the block and would get that every time we girls went to lunch there. I loved when Marcus was showing how to make the dish, Monica said “they all should know how to make a hollandaise.” And then under her breath, “hmm?” 

These bloody #@&$%@ ads during the viewing of this season are driving me bonkers. Usually after the ad is over, the show resumes. But like right now, the ad ran twice, the show came back with sound only and no picture. Grrrrr. Pack your patience when you watch this online. 

[TVbitch]

I would have eaten Marcus egg thing, but some of them were trash. :) 

I am done with epi 2 and can't wait to watch the QF tonight!

I'm glad some of the trembling meltdowns are showing strength in the second challenge. 

I do think we have some contenders emerging!

[Spunkygal]

Hiding In case folks haven’t watched epi 3:

Spoiler

Tobacco ice cream? UGH. I can’t imagine that ever working. I’ve seen tobacco plants in the nursery (the kind that has flowers) but even their subtle scent puts me off. Their blooms are quite pretty. I adore the critics’ pithy comments. 

Edited November 10, 2019 by Spunkygal

[Sarnia]

9 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Hiding In case folks haven’t watched epi 3:

You are not giving any name there so is it necessary to put it in spoiler?
I agree the dish in question sounded horrific in both theory and result.

[TVbitch]

Wow, we have a real star emerging! I wanted to climb through the TV and eat that tartar! 

The quarter final is my favorite episode. Just Marcus and Monica. I don't hate Greg, but it's nice to have a break from his buffoonery. 

[Athena]

4 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Wow, we have a real star emerging! I wanted to climb through the TV and eat that tartar! 

The quarter final is my favorite episode. Just Marcus and Monica. I don't hate Greg, but it's nice to have a break from his buffoonery. 

Yeah, the menu with the tartar followed the monkfish was our favourite too. 

Some years ago when Michel Roux Jr was on, they implemented this new format wherein Greg would only come back in the later stages.  I think Greg is fine and I don't mind it, but it was a great decision to focus on the two chefs. 

[TVbitch]

Marcus was so frustrated in Episode 4. I've never seen him raise his hands as if to strangle someone. Only one of the whole lot deserved to go through. Bummer that more deserving chefs from last week went home.

[Spunkygal]

3 hours ago, TVbitch said:

Marcus was so frustrated in Episode 4. I've never seen him raise his hands as if to strangle someone. Only one of the whole lot deserved to go through. Bummer that more deserving chefs from last week went home.

He has never shown his frustration like that! I don’t blame him, though. I wanted to strangle all of them. I was stunned during Monica’s skills challenge that spatchcocking a guinea fowl (or was it a pigeon) was so puzzling to them! This episode’s entire group is so underwhelming and embarrassing. 

[rhys]

I, too, was surprised at the lack of knowledge of spatchcocking. That was such a shock to me. Heck, I think I could have done it & that's a first. They must be such a bundle of nerves that they go completely deaf. 

[akr]

I wonder if it's the 15-minute time limits that throw them off their game. Still, that doesn't explain not knowing what "spatchcock" means.

[TVbitch]

Episode 5

Okay I might have a little crush on Tom. Not only did he impress Marcus, but his eyebrows adorably go from totally straight like a catepillar to perfect half moons when he raises them. 

I do wish they would make the skills challenge a bit more doable. Just a couple basic skills with enough time to put a tiny bit of their own flair into it. It seems to me it didn't used to be all flop sweat, panic and failure. 

When that one gal started cutting her tomatoes into football-sized pieces during Marcus' skills challenge, I was like ...😲... please show Marcus' face!! They did and it didn't disapoint! But if I ate that plate of calves liver, I would end up in the hospital with Vitamin A poinsoning. (I've gotten it before from eating liver!) 

[Sarnia]

Some of those skills tests are more difficult than others I think. The one with the razorclams was not straightforward. Razorclams are not that common. I'm from a French coastal area with many similarities to UK's southern coasts and they are considered a rare delicacy and tricky to cook. Kudos to the contestants for somewhat pulling that off (for some of them at least).

I have to say I don't always find Marcus' dishes for those tests very appealing (to my tastes only) but watching him work is fascinating. I wouldn't say no to tasting them and changing my mind 😉

[rhys]

I haven't watched that entire episode yet (sleep!). But the chefs at not rinsing the razor clams?! Ew. Can they be that nervous or are they just thinking "hey, all food comes clean from the ground, sea, store, etc." Ugh.  I get being nervous, but gosh, it's like their brains turn to mush & all normal chef thoughts vanish. Like Marcus said about the one guy, he cross contaminated everything at the end so M wouldn't taste it. Mortal sin for a chef. 

[TVbitch]

Episode 6 Quarterfinal

I LOVE the key ingredient, but I was kind of disappointed. There were only a couple dishes I wanted to crawl through the TV to sample. 

I find it interesting when the critics and Marcus disagree. About the hunk of meat being on the plate, I have to side with the critics. That would have been too incongruent for me. I wouldn't know how to eat it, and visually, it just looked odd. 

Tom's eyebrows continue to mesmorize me, they are like muppet brows.

[Athena]

I was very surprised during the spatchcock quail challenge. This is one of those rare challenges in which I would have done better than all the contestants and hopefully impressed the judges. I learned a recipe for quail on the BBQ this summer and spatchcocked a couple dozen. Easy peasy and they do cook remarkably fast.

On 11/15/2019 at 1:51 PM, Sarnia said:

Some of those skills tests are more difficult than others I think. The one with the razorclams was not straightforward. Razorclams are not that common. I'm from a French coastal area with many similarities to UK's southern coasts and they are considered a rare delicacy and tricky to cook. Kudos to the contestants for somewhat pulling that off (for some of them at least).

I have to say I don't always find Marcus' dishes for those tests very appealing (to my tastes only) but watching him work is fascinating. I wouldn't say no to tasting them and changing my mind 😉

It's probably difficult for the chefs to develop skills tests like this as well and they grade on a curve. They are notably looking for chef instincts. In the case of the razor clams, a couple of them did manage something on the plate. Similarly, Marcus was looking for sauce making skills in the calf liver challenge and while none of them did it the way he would, he appreciated that a couple had some good tasting ones in the end.

I'm finding Marcus has become more expressive facially on this show over the years. He was never this expressive on Great British Menu. 

[Spunkygal]

@Athena, Great British Menu?! :scurries off to find yet another Brit show to watch:

[TVbitch]

I was quite upset when Michel was fired, and partly because I felt Marcus (although I totally respected him) was a very stoic, almost demure kind of guy that would not bring what Michel brought. And he was stiff as a board at first, then he tried to fake a chuckle here and there. But now he has opened up and relaxed quite a bit. He makes gestures and expressions that seem natural, and you can see that he is rooting for certain chefs and gets disappointed when they falter. (I do prefer the Michel years though.) 

I still remember first seeing Marcus on Gordon Ramsay's Boiling Point when Marcus was a silent little mouse in a leather jacket following Gordon around like he was a God. Great to see Marcus succeed on the path of serious gentleman chef versus Gordon's bombastic buffoonery.  

[Athena]

Marcus and Gordon both come from working class backgrounds and were incredibly ambitious and serious about cooking at a young age. They both worked well when they started but they are very different personality wise. Marcus is more private, introverted, and not flashy. I was rewatching an episode of Supersizers from 2009 and I forgot he appeared; he was still completely dark haired and had some deadpan moments with Giles and Sue. I think Marcus has just become better at letting the camera see who is especially now that he's become a more established in his field. 

I really liked Monica's moment this week. She immediately went after the contestant who left after hearing bad criticism. Monica really showed how she's a good mentor by telling them to practise and come back in a couple years. 

On 11/16/2019 at 9:26 AM, TVbitch said:

I find it interesting when the critics and Marcus disagree. About the hunk of meat being on the plate, I have to side with the critics. That would have been too incongruent for me. I wouldn't know how to eat it, and visually, it just looked odd. 

There's usually a couple dishes each series wherein Marcus/Monica do not agree with the judges. It makes me wonder. Notice that 2/3 critics didn't like one dish (was it one with a broth) but William Sitwell sided with the chef judges. It makes me wonder if Sitwell has the better palette or at least one more in line with the chefs. 

[TVbitch]

Is Supersizers the one where they try to help obese people? I had no idea Marcus had appeared on that! 

I wonder if Marcus and Gordon are still friends. They seemed pretty tight back in the day. Frankly, I found Gordon, Marcus and Marco all pretty hot in the early days. But now, I only find Marco attractive. I'm sure personality has a lot to do with it. 

On the last season of Celebrity Masterchef, the celebrities went into Monica's restaurant to cook, and it was really nice to see her place and see her at work. She really seems to be such a lovely genuine person. 

[Athena]

35 minutes ago, TVbitch said:

Is Supersizers the one where they try to help obese people? I had no idea Marcus had appeared on that! 

I wonder if Marcus and Gordon are still friends. They seemed pretty tight back in the day. Frankly, I found Gordon, Marcus and Marco all pretty hot in the early days. But now, I only find Marco attractive. I'm sure personality has a lot to do with it. 

On the last season of Celebrity Masterchef, the celebrities went into Monica's restaurant to cook, and it was really nice to see her place and see her at work. She really seems to be such a lovely genuine person. 

It's the one where Giles and Sue eat their way through the decades. Marcus appears in the 80s one. He also has a short segment in an episode of "Back in the Time for Dinner".

Marcus and Gordon had a public rift and legal dispute over the present site of where Marcus's restaurant is now. They are not on speaking terms even though Marcus has said that Gordon taught him a lot. Marcus has admitted it was embittering but he now appreciates what their relationship was and how they have both moved on. Marcus is the only one of the three I'd actually want to be friends with. He's relatively the most low drama.

Monica was MRJ's right hand at Le Gravroche for a number of years which says a lot about her ability to cook and run a kitchen. 

[Spunkygal]

I am familiar with Marcus only through this show. When my very beloved Michel was one of the chef hosts, I believe three of the contestants went to Marcus’s restaurant to cook and he was also at the biggie episode when the final 3 cook for the room of famous chefs. When I learned that Michel would no longer be on the show, it took me a moment to figure out who Marcus was. I will never forgive the show for getting Michel out of the way but I have warmed up to Marcus. I had no preconceived notions about him and he has loosened up over the past few seasons. I was not aware of his previous relationship with Gordon Ramsey who I cannot stand one single bit. If Marcus has distanced himself from that donkey for whatever reason, good for him! And I have to add, I absolutely adore Monica. She and Marcus have almost as good a dynamic as she and Michel had. 

Episode 6: onion as the main ingredient? Yes please! I wanted to devour Tom’s dish. I never met an onion I didn’t like. My precious little mother used to make a beautiful creamy sliced onion casserole with a cheese and potato chip! topping to accompany a roast and it was always the star.  I know this is early days in the season, but I think Tom and his adorable muppet eyebrows will be in the final 3. He stays so calm and seems confident. I got that feeling from last season’s final 3. 

I love the food critic episodes. My favorite critics are William Sitwell, Tracey MacLeod and Jay Raynor. I hope Jay is back sometime soon. We haven’t seen him this season, have we? He has such biting (no pun intended) critical remarks so it is especially delightful when there’s a dish that he enjoys. 

Looking forward to seeing who is going to be a challenge for Tom as this goes on.

[TVbitch]

I can't remember if we've seen Jay yet this season. I think so. I like most of the critics, but Jay and William are my favorites.

Several more enjoyable contenders coming through Monday and Tuesday. Tomorrow's quarter-final is gonna be a heartbreaker. So far I have agreed with every choice of who has gone through, but it hasn't really come down to a very close call yet. 

I love when Marcus gets that glint in his eye when appreciates the way someone is working.

I keep forgetting to ask: Is rocket arugala?

Edited November 21, 2019 by TVbitch

[rhys]

I haven't watched the entire latest episode yet (sleep). Was pretty pleased with croque monsieur from Marcus. Seemed simple/common enough for most chefs. But they still mucked it a bit. Had to laugh at the way the last guy drown his (navy fellow used to cooking for 800!). That was funny.

Yes, I think rocket is arugula.

[Athena]

No we haven't seen Jay yet. He's one of my favourite food critics too (not that one can have a favourite really). He may be on today. 

I really liked Marcus doing the croque monsieur challenge. It was simple and perfect for the time element. He has a recipe of it on his website. It's in his new cookbook so Marcus did a clever bit of cross promotion by using it as a skill test. I don't really like making béchamels but I am tempted to try this one.  

[rhys]

Oh my that is clever of Marcus. I watch YouTube videos of a few chefs & I can't remember which one would disagree with M, but he adds cold milk & never has a problem. 

I think it would be fun to have the chefs do a blindfolded taste test of spices/herbs.

[akr]

3 hours ago, TVbitch said:

I keep forgetting to ask: Is rocket arugala?

Yup, rocket = arugula.  If you'd like to take more than my word for it, this little article provides a bit of nice background. https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/the-etymology-of-the-word-arugula

[rhys]

Monica's skills test: risotto with peas  in 20 minutes. Wow that is fast. The 3 chefs did decent jobs. I finally watched the entire episode so I know who got cut. 

[TVbitch]

The quarterfinal was great. Dang, Marcus was pretty tough on them about incorporating the key ingredient at just the right level.

I felt bad for

Spoiler

Ben and wished he had got to cook for the critics instead of Sam, cuz he just looked so pained and it seemed like he really NEEDED THIS TO HAPPEN FOR HIM.

But I'm a softy like that. I'm very pleased by the 3 who went through though. Now, can we talk about the one who didn't. Um....

Spoiler

...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! 

[Spunkygal]

I really like the three from the QF but especially Andrew. I will be shocked if he doesn’t make it to the final three. And, oh yeah, Jay Raynor is back! Love, love him!! I want to be his next door neighbor. We can sit in my garden, enjoy cocktails, eat favorite family foods (the more humble the better, hopefully granny’s recipes) and of course wines. I just love his pithy, yet accurate comments. 

Yesterday on bbc.com was an article about “the female chef who rules France.” Thanks to this show, I immediately knew it is Anne-Sophie Pic. On a previous season, the final chefs visited her restaurant. Can’t remember which season because I’ve binged too much. But knowing who she is is one of the many things I love about this show. I always leave a season feeling a satisfied and educated viewer. 

So, how many episodes are released each week? I usually just watch Fridays but feel like I’m behind you other posters.

[Athena]

17 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

So, how many episodes are released each week? I usually just watch Fridays but feel like I’m behind you other posters.

Three a week: Tues-Thursday. Next week is the last of the new contestant rounds and then Knockout Week begins. Then Semi-Finals and Finals weeks.