Ep 16. Central Starter

Great British Menu is back with its 13th season and this time, the competition is all about creating a menu for the NHS staff to enjoy after a busy day at work. For episode 16, the contestants are asked to create a Central Starter that will impress the judges and earn them a spot in the finals.

The pressure is on for the four chefs as they enter the kitchen to prepare their dishes. Their aim is to create a starter that showcases their culinary skills and reflects the theme of the competition. They need to be creative, innovative, and make sure that their flavors are on point.

The judges for this episode are Tom Aikens, Rachel Khoo, and Oliver Peyton. They are looking for starters that are visually appealing, full of flavor, and have a unique twist to them. They want something that represents Central England and its cuisine.

The first contestant to enter the kitchen is Mili Dutt, a private chef from London. Mili decides to create a dish that pays homage to the traditional British egg and soldiers, but with a twist. She prepares a soft-boiled quail egg that is wrapped in black pudding and served with a sourdough toast, picked beetroot, and smoked bacon crumbs. The judges are impressed with her dish, and they praise her for the execution and the balance of flavors.

Next up is Kray Treadwell, a chef from Birmingham. He showcases his love for Indian cuisine by creating an adventurous dish that features tandoori spiced scallops with tomato chutney and crispy okra bhaji. The judges are intrigued by his take on Indian flavors, but they feel that the dish is a bit too complex and could have benefited from a simpler presentation.

The third contestant to enter the kitchen is Niall Keating, a Michelin-starred chef from the Cotswolds. He decides to pay tribute to Central England's cheese-making industry by creating a dish that features a twice-baked stilton souffle with caramelized apple puree, pickled walnuts, and a cider reduction. The judges are blown away by the sophistication and the depth of flavors in Niall's dish, and they praise him for his technical skills.

The final contestant to enter the kitchen is Liam Simpson-Trotman, a chef from the Scottish Borders. He takes inspiration from the flavors of the Midlands by creating a dish that features a crispy pork cheek with apple puree, pickled mushrooms, and cobnut crumb. The judges love the textures and the balance of flavors in Liam's dish, and they appreciate the use of locally sourced ingredients.

After tasting all the dishes, the judges have a tough decision to make. All four contestants have impressed them with their starters, and they all have a chance to enter the finals. However, only three can make it through.

The judges deliberate and ultimately choose the three dishes that stood out the most: Mili's quail egg and soldiers, Niall's twice-baked stilton souffle, and Liam's crispy pork cheek. Kray is unfortunately eliminated from the competition, but the judges praise him for his creativity and his passion for Indian cuisine.

The competition is heating up, and the chefs are getting closer to the finals. Who will win the competition and create a menu that will make the NHS staff feel appreciated and valued? Find out on Great British Menu.