The competitors join Andrew at his Gleneagles restaurant and watch him prepare one of his signature dishes, roasted saddle and braised thigh of mountain hare with winter vegetables. Raymond Blanc treats them to the secrets of his world famous pistachio soufflé with cocoa sorbet centre.
Rick and his son Jack welcome the competitiors to their Padstow cookery school to cook one of Rick’s favourite dishes, a ‘bourride’ or fish stew with red mullet, John Dory and salt cod. Roux judge Brian Turner demonstrates what he would do with this year’s competition ingredients – stone bass with potato gratin and a brown shrimp sauce and cabbage with squid and bacon.
Angela Hartnett shows the competitors how she runs things at her New Forest hotel as she makes a simple recipe of poached haliubut with cockle broth, fennel, wild garlic and celery before tackling this year’s competition ingredients with a rustic dish of pan friend stone bass, red pepper stew and deep fried squid with aioli.
James Martin explains what he would do with this year’s semi-final mystery box ingredients - a hazelnut soufflé with crème patisserie and tuile. He also demonstrates how to make one of the Roux family’s favourite desserts, a Gateau St. Honore.
The competitors and former Roux scholar Sat Bains join Albert Roux at Cliveden House for a classic recipe that earned him a third Michelin star – mousseline of lobster wrapped with spinach. His nephew, the 3 Michelin starred Alain Roux, prepares a family favourite of veal blanquette with fresh pasta for the competitors at the Waterside Inn.
Michel Roux Jr invites the competitors to his cookery school to watch him cook a Roux signature recipe, poulet de bresse en vessie. Then they head to Switzerland where Michel Roux Sr shows them his dish of pan fried double simmental veal cutlets.
The two cousins cook this year’s final challenge competition recipe, an extraordinarily technical dish of Salmon Chambord style, with sauce Genevoise. Their fascinating demonstration highlights the enormous skill needed to win the Roux Scholarship.