CwtS 2024 episode 5
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00:00And I thought the chilli flakes were hundreds of thousands.
00:05That way, she don't let you babysit any more.
00:08That's not the only reason.
00:11Cooking With The Stars, sponsored by M&S Chilli Flakes.
00:17Let the games begin.
00:19I'm not happy with this. I've just done it back to front.
00:21It's hard work. Wow, that's hard.
00:25Linford, it is sad to say goodbye.
00:27Oh, I've loved it.
00:31Tonight's challenge, they'll be cooking dishes from around the world.
00:34Wow.
00:37I can feel the energy is rising.
00:39The gloves are off.
00:48Uh-oh. Yes!
00:50That looks fabulous.
00:53Ah!
00:54You better impress them or go home.
01:00CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
01:09Welcome to Cooking With The Stars,
01:11where the ultimate showbiz food fight has an extra dash of drama
01:15because it's a semi-final.
01:17Yes! Tonight, the stars are ready to face their toughest test yet,
01:21as they battle for a place in next week's grand final.
01:24And here they are, it's our stars and their mentors.
01:30Katherine, you have done fantastically well in the competition.
01:33What approach are you taking tonight?
01:35I'm filled with confidence.
01:36I knew I'd be able to give Jack at least a semi.
01:44Depending on his cardiovascular health,
01:47I might be able to take it all the way.
01:51Tonight, our semi-finalists will be cooking dishes
01:54from their favourite destinations around the world.
01:58Will our dancer whip up a salsa?
02:00Will our maths whiz make pie?
02:03It's Carol versus Basha.
02:05CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
02:10Last week, Tony gave me this really ambitious recipe.
02:14Ah! Oh, and she's dropped a pie.
02:16Those comments were just extraordinary.
02:19This is a great dish.
02:20Incredible. Delicious. Thank you.
02:22I am delighted I got through.
02:28Mr Tony!
02:31Semi-final!
02:32We're going to be doing dishes from around the world.
02:36Which part of the world? Italian.
02:38My stepfather was Italian.
02:40It's my favourite food.
02:42We're making a very traditional peasant dish,
02:45hand-rolled pasta,
02:47and we're serving that with a simple tomato sauce
02:49and some prawns to finish it all off.
02:51A simple dish where you can't hide behind anything,
02:54but we want it perfect.
02:55We'll start off with making the pasta, though.
02:58The thing is, I have never made pasta.
03:01We're making stracciapreti.
03:02It means choker of priests or strangler of priests.
03:05Wow. Sounds a bit dangerous to me.
03:07Stretch a little. Oh, wow!
03:10It'll take me forever.
03:11The thing that worries me is the time it takes
03:15to physically make the pasta and roll it.
03:19Tomatoes go in.
03:20The tomato sauce is a simple-looking sauce.
03:23And then butter, sugar.
03:25Nice.
03:26I think it is so difficult to pull off perfectly.
03:29Honestly, Tony, look at this.
03:32That's a spawn.
03:34I know what I'm aiming for.
03:35Let's see if I'm capable.
03:38Please!
03:40Let's get through to the final.
03:45My dinner party vegan dish went well.
03:51I even managed to convert a couple of judges.
03:53Tasha, I am not a vegan,
03:55but I would be vegan for your date night.
03:57Phenomenal.
03:58If I can keep that streak going, I'll be a happy man.
04:03We are taking you to Sri Lanka.
04:05That's one of my favourite places to go.
04:07We are cooking a Sri Lankan potato curry,
04:10coconut rice, a kale mulang and coconut sambal.
04:14Obviously, there are challenges with this recipe.
04:16Can we make it all in one hour?
04:17The thing with Sri Lankan food is that
04:19there are so many different components.
04:22So let's peel all of those.
04:23Getting a little bit nervous about it.
04:25You're just going to cut them very big.
04:28It's so important that Tasha does not cut super small potatoes.
04:32They will simply cook too quickly and disintegrate in that curry.
04:35We're going to clearly need to speed things up a bit.
04:37With this cook, there is no time to stand around
04:40and watch every single component finish.
04:42So then we are toasting off some spices.
04:46With this dish, the most difficult part will be
04:48to keep my eye on all the moving parts.
04:52Get your kale in.
04:54It's like juggling in a circus.
04:57I was trying to stay focused,
04:58and I think that's going to be the main challenge for me.
05:01I'm thinking, how can I do it all by myself with just two hands?
05:05Time is going to be tight.
05:06The closer we get to the final,
05:08the competitiveness wakes up in me.
05:10This is my favourite part.
05:11Everything rests on how well I deliver this dish.
05:15Hopefully, I can replicate it under pressure.
05:25Carol and Tasha, how are the nerves holding up?
05:28Carol, are you feeling...?
05:29I am quite nervous now, because I'm against the master here.
05:32I think this is a really hard one to call, though,
05:34because you've both been fantastic all the way along.
05:36Well, that's kind, isn't it, to say that?
05:38It's also true.
05:41Carol, Tasha, you have one hour
05:44to prepare your dish from around the world,
05:47and then it will be judged by the six chefs
05:49who are not taking part in this battle.
05:51As always, you can get help from your mentor for two minutes
05:55by striking your golden frying pan.
05:57Are you ready, stars? Yes.
05:59Good luck.
06:00Get cooking.
06:05Potatoes first.
06:06100 grams.
06:08Two minutes to go.
06:12It's in the finals, man.
06:13I'm very happy to be here, although I have been here before.
06:17What are you making, Carol?
06:18I'm making pasta.
06:20Carol is taking us on a trip to Italy
06:22and cooking stracciapreti pasta and tomato sauce
06:25served with chilli and garlic M&S prawns.
06:28To book her place in the final,
06:29there's nowhere to hide with this simple dish
06:32requiring perfectly cooked self-made pasta
06:35coated in a refined tomato sauce.
06:39This goes like that.
06:41Oh, no, it's palms of hand.
06:43You see, this is how rubbish I am.
06:44The pasta will be rolled at the last minute
06:47to give the gluten enough time to relax.
06:49If you didn't let it relax,
06:51it's going to be very difficult to roll out.
06:53Even though Carol's making her own pasta,
06:55it's quite a simple dish for the semi-final.
06:57This is not how to do cling film,
06:59but it'll do for today.
07:02Have you ever made that pasta?
07:04Yeah, I have. There's not a lot of place to hide with it.
07:06That's going to sit there.
07:10One more, for good luck.
07:12Chumpy potatoes.
07:14Pasha has been to Sri Lanka several times.
07:16Wow.
07:16And it is food that he truly loves.
07:18I'm trying to stay cool, calm and collected
07:20on the outside, but inside, I'm full of energy.
07:24Pasha is transporting the chefs to Sri Lanka
07:27and cooking potato curry with yellow rice,
07:29kale melong and coconut sambal.
07:32There is a lot to juggle with this complex dish
07:35as the curry must have both perfectly cooked potatoes
07:37and well-balanced spices to secure his place in the final.
07:42Right now, Pasha is just cooking off his spices.
07:44He needs to prepare the base for the curry.
07:46Eight cardamom pods.
07:48And it's really important he does that
07:49to release the flavours from those ingredients.
07:52You can smell it already.
07:53We do not want those potatoes swimming
07:56in tasteless coconut milk.
07:59Pasha looks like he's got more going on.
08:00While the curry is cooking,
08:01I'm waiting for the potatoes to be done as well.
08:04Pasha has got a lot to do,
08:06so he's going to have to be laser focused.
08:08Yeah.
08:10It's going to be fine.
08:11We don't have time to let them slow cook in that curry.
08:14However, there is a really fine line.
08:17Overcooking potato and it becomes a mushy texture.
08:21Maybe a little bit, just a little bit more.
08:23Looking a bit overcooked
08:24because they're getting cooked again in the curry.
08:26Mashed potato.
08:28I think he's lost the plot.
08:29Feel like April's a little stressed.
08:31She doesn't look happy, does she?
08:34I always try and stick to a Mediterranean diet.
08:36Also olive oil.
08:38Pizza.
08:39Fresh veg.
08:39Kebabs.
08:40Fish.
08:41Tiramisu.
08:42Cooking With The Stars, sponsored by M&S olive oil.
08:46I always try and stick to a Mediterranean diet.
08:48Also olive oil.
08:50Pizza.
08:51Fresh veg.
08:51Kebabs.
08:52Fish.
08:53Tiramisu.
08:54Cooking With The Stars, sponsored by M&S olive oil.
08:59Welcome back to the Cooking With The Stars.
09:02Welcome back to the Cooking With The Stars semi-final.
09:05It's Carol versus Pasha taking on food from around the world.
09:08But Pasha is struggling
09:10with the parboiled potatoes for his curry.
09:12Some potatoes are absolutely perfect
09:14and some potatoes are...
09:17See, it's not falling.
09:19Those potatoes are very small
09:21and they are probably going to be overcooked.
09:23Right, now we're doing the tomatoes.
09:28This is simple tomato sauce, lightened with fresh lemon.
09:33Everyone thinks tomato sauce is really easy to make
09:35and it isn't, because it has to coat that pasta.
09:38It has to give depth and flavour and body.
09:4150 grams of sugar.
09:44Not all tomatoes are born equal.
09:45Some can be sweet, some can be sharp.
09:47So she needs to taste, taste, taste
09:50and adjust as she goes.
09:51If it's sweet, don't go for the full 50 grams.
09:53But I've not seen her taste at all.
09:57You can smell it already, can't you?
09:59Why Italy?
10:01Because my stepfather was Italian.
10:04Oh!
10:05And he was wild.
10:07Is that where you get it from, Carol?
10:09It is! It is!
10:11We always used to cook Italian, but I've never made a pasta.
10:14We used to buy pasta.
10:16What kind of pasta are you making?
10:17I'm making stracciapreti.
10:20I've never heard of that one.
10:21What does it look like? It means choke the priest.
10:23Carol has nowhere to hide
10:26because that sauce has got to be incredibly flavoursome.
10:30Thank God she's tasted the sauce.
10:33It's sweet, that.
10:36I think Carol did not get the memo that said
10:39if it's sweet tomatoes, don't put more sugar in it,
10:41which is added lemon juice in.
10:43I hope she gives that enough time to cook.
10:47I think the potatoes are ready finally now.
10:49I'm going to add them here.
10:51Those potatoes are almost completely
10:54disintegrated into that curry.
10:56I'll add a little bit of this for now.
10:58I'm not sure that I trust the flavour.
11:01The fact that we've got the texture of the potatoes wrong
11:03implies that we also got other elements of the dish wrong.
11:06OK, I understand.
11:0720 minutes remaining, stars.
11:09I feel the time is start ticking, so I'm start moving faster.
11:13Oh, don't, Pasha, it's like...
11:16Argh!
11:18So, this is where we, like, actually make the pasta shapes.
11:22The pasta's looking a bit thick.
11:24Tony, it's nearly time.
11:27Gong time!
11:29Gong!
11:31She's bashing it, isn't she?
11:33OK, that's it.
11:34Just a tiny bit thick, so just stretch it a little bit more.
11:37Yeah. Very clever use of the gong here, Carol.
11:39Getting an extra pair of hands to do this.
11:41It might need a little bit longer to cook,
11:43so you're looking at four minutes.
11:45You roll it and then you twist it and break it.
11:47Oh, not to be confused with twist and shout.
11:50Or shake them back.
11:51LAUGHTER
11:53The pasta's soft. What do I need in there?
11:55Pepper. And then when you come and take it again,
11:57do that squeeze of lemon juice at the end as well.
11:59Because it's a bit sweet.
12:01Tony, time's up!
12:03Anna, stop strangling those priests.
12:05Time's up, Tony.
12:06Put that priest down, Tony, and get out.
12:07APPLAUSE
12:11Keep rolling, Carol.
12:13I am, darling.
12:15How was that?
12:16Pasta's a bit thick.
12:17Tasting the sauce, it is quite sweet.
12:19Measuring it with the sugar, it might let us down.
12:21Sure.
12:23Ten minutes left, stars.
12:25Decimated coconut.
12:26I'm supposed to measure it.
12:28Pasta with all those Sri Lankan spices, it's really tricky.
12:32You think he will gong you in, or is he just motoring on?
12:36I think that Pasta has no idea that we're behind.
12:39I'm trying to think what else do I need to do,
12:42and I have to do a lot.
12:44So I'd better get my wriggle on.
12:46Look how many plates he's got to do.
12:48I'm going to call April.
12:53Oh!
12:55She's in!
12:57Excuse me.
12:58You've got a million spoons there.
13:00I'm just tasting this potato curry.
13:02Yep, that tastes really good.
13:03I am contented those potatoes are probably going to be overcooked.
13:05It's soft, so let's just be careful
13:07when we're putting it into the plate.
13:08She's so focused. Yeah, she's great.
13:10Let's start plating up. Plate up now.
13:12Our potato goes in here.
13:14Just brings April in at the last minute, doesn't he?
13:16Yeah, and I don't blame you for that.
13:17You've got to make sure the balance of flavours are right.
13:20Those last-minute finesses.
13:21The spice level is good, the colour is beautiful.
13:24April, sorry, time's up.
13:25Are you joking?
13:28Right now, we're really behind.
13:29I think he's panicking.
13:31Two minutes left, stars, two minutes.
13:33Let's go, babe, let's go.
13:35Look how quick he's moving all of a sudden.
13:37Just try one.
13:38Overcooking pasta will be a disaster to this simple dish.
13:42Come on, guys!
13:43Pasha seems to have quite a lot to do.
13:45Just get the topping on, that's enough rice.
13:47Go, go, go, go, go!
13:4860 seconds!
13:49Come on, Pasha!
13:51Jesus Christ.
13:52Get it in the bowl and get it on the pass.
13:55Bugger the presentation, let's just get the food in.
13:58Waffle it.
13:59She adds lemon juice to cut through it.
14:00That acidity will help this.
14:03Just have to be what it is.
14:05If it ain't on the plate...
14:07It don't get in!
14:09Yes, Jack!
14:10Jack!
14:1130 seconds!
14:13Yeah!
14:15Well done, Carol! Good work, Carol!
14:18Come on, Pasha, get it out, get it out!
14:20There's nothing there!
14:22It doesn't count!
14:23Babe, just put it up there now, everything up.
14:2510 seconds!
14:279, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
14:37Yeah!
14:42Carol has cooked Italian stracciapreti pasta
14:45with tomato sauce served with chilli and garlic prawns.
14:48To impress the judges, this seemingly simple dish
14:51will need to have been cooked to perfection.
14:54I definitely gonged Tony in at the right time
14:56because it was about the sauce as well as making the pasta.
15:00I'm not sure if I've done enough to get through.
15:03Pasha has cooked Sri Lankan potato curry with yellow rice,
15:07kale melong and coconut sambal.
15:09But will this ambitious dish have cost him a place in the final?
15:13Well, the plan was for April to come in towards the end
15:16to check if everything is all right.
15:17I didn't realise it was already going wrong
15:19and hopefully that was enough to get me to the final.
15:22With the six non-competing chefs ready at the judges' table,
15:25it's time to find out who risks going home in tonight's cook-off.
15:30Judges, it's time to taste.
15:33First up, it's Carol's Italian dish,
15:35stracciapreti pasta with tomato and butter sauce
15:39with chilli and garlic prawns.
15:42Michael O.
15:43Carol, I love the fresh pasta. I think that showed great skill.
15:46The sauce, it was potentially a little bit sweet for my taste.
15:49I think maybe a little bit more of the lemon could have helped with that.
15:52Other than that, a great plate of food.
15:54Poppy.
15:55It takes a long time to get to know how to make pasta
15:57and it's very consistent with the shape.
15:59It's got a nice bite in the middle.
16:01The sauce itself is a little bit sweet, but proper tasty dish.
16:04Thank you very much.
16:05Michael.
16:06Carol, this is exactly the type of dish I want to see in the final.
16:10The pasta's absolutely spot-on. I love that texture.
16:12A really beautiful plate of food.
16:14Oh, thank you.
16:18Right, chefs, next up, we have got Pasha's Sri Lankan potato curry,
16:23rice, kale melong and coconut sambal.
16:26Can you get that for me?
16:27I love that.
16:29Yum.
16:30Shalina, time to get your thoughts.
16:32There is a beautiful amount of flavour running through my mouth.
16:36I think the only issue is that I'm not quite sure
16:39I think the only issue for me is that the potatoes have cooked down
16:42quite a lot.
16:43It kind of feels like a potato curry soup,
16:46but I do want to have more.
16:48Jack.
16:49I spend a lot of time in Sri Lanka myself and this is taking me back.
16:52It really is. The coconut sambal is perfect.
16:54I think the potato curry, the problem with it for me is that
16:57potato's a bit over, which gives it this kind of gloopy texture.
17:00It's semi-final and I'm nitpicking.
17:02Rosemary.
17:03Pasha, I'm going to start with the potato.
17:06Those spices, I thought, were so well-balanced.
17:10But if you'd only got the texture right, it was a mush,
17:13but you've done an incredible job and you had so much to do, Pasha.
17:20OK, chefs, it's time.
17:21You're voting now for your favourite dish
17:23and the person you want to see in the final.
17:27The star with the fewest votes will face the cook-off
17:29and risks leaving tonight.
17:32Michael, we'll come to you first. Whose dish was your favourite?
17:36Based on which dish, I feel required the most technical skill?
17:39It's Carol.
17:40Jack, who gets your vote?
17:43For me, the dish that I think was semi-final worthy was Pasha.
17:49Poppy, which one was your favourite?
17:51My favourite is Carol's dish.
17:56Shalina, who gets your vote?
17:58The dish that I loved the most was Pasha.
18:02So far, that's two each.
18:03Nick, Nick.
18:04Michael, which dish was your favourite?
18:07The dish that I thought was irresistible was Carol's.
18:12This all comes down to the next vote.
18:15Rosemary, whose dish are you choosing?
18:18For me...
18:20..it's Carol's.
18:22CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
18:27You're the first finalist, Carol!
18:29CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
18:35I'm judging by that reaction that you're pretty happy.
18:37I am delighted, but it's thanks to this one, obviously.
18:40Essential talent.
18:41Pasha, you have worked so hard.
18:44Now you're in the cook-off.
18:45So, how do you feel?
18:46Things were made, things were served.
18:48LAUGHTER
18:50Let's go make some more.
18:51LAUGHTER
18:53We still have two more semi-finalists
18:55ready to take on dishes from around the world.
18:58Is our swimmer out of her depth?
19:00Will our comedian get stage fright?
19:03It is Catherine versus Emi.
19:04CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
19:06I'm one step closer to the final, which I belong in,
19:09and I'm going to win.
19:10MUSIC PLAYS
19:11Uh-oh.
19:13Now this is a disaster.
19:14So, that's the joy of jazz.
19:16Sometimes it can ruin potatoes.
19:18I'm a northerner, so this is nostalgia to me.
19:21Catherine.
19:22This week, I'm really excited for the challenge,
19:24where I can actually rise to the semi-final
19:28and do a beautiful job.
19:29Woo-hoo!
19:31Amazing. So, we're doing dishes from around the world.
19:34I believe you love Mexican food. I love Mexican food.
19:36So, we're going to make chicken thigh tacos
19:38with crispy chicken skin, pico de gallo, homemade tortillas.
19:41I love tacos. I know a lot about tacos.
19:43I've eaten a lot of tacos.
19:45You have British people trying to make Mexican
19:46with, like, a ketchup salsa.
19:49It's really awful.
19:50If you want a job done right, you've got to do it yourself.
19:52Let's start with the chicken skin.
19:54You've got me feeling like Sharon Osbourne's surgeon.
19:57She's got to put the chicken skin on first,
19:59because that's going to take the best part of an hour,
20:01and then cook them with chicken thighs, five-spice and salt.
20:04Probably too much five-spice.
20:07Whoops. I got excited. I've never seen five-spice before.
20:09She's just got to remember to keep it in balance,
20:11otherwise the dish will be ruined.
20:13The tortillas could really trip me up.
20:16You need two tablespoons of veggie oil.
20:18Right now, this dough feels wrong to me.
20:20This is not good.
20:22Why? It's thick.
20:23The problem with the tortillas was
20:25there was a lot of inconsistencies.
20:26The size of the dough that went in,
20:28how many times she was pressing them.
20:29I've got a lot of practising in front of me.
20:32Between us, we've managed to get six good-looking,
20:34good-tasting tacos out.
20:35That looks great.
20:36Yeah, so if she can do it on her own like that,
20:39it's a winning dish.
20:41This is my favourite so far,
20:42so I'm going to fiddle with the recipe a bit,
20:44and I really hope I can execute it for you.
20:47Come on, girls.
20:50I am so happy to be through to the semi-final.
20:54I'm so focused.
20:56I'm writing everything down.
20:58Ellie, I thought the mushroom as fried chicken
21:00was an absolute triumph.
21:02Ellie.
21:04The theme is around the world,
21:06so I cannot wait to find out what I'm cooking.
21:09So today we're cooking a Thai coconut curry noodle soup.
21:12Oh, that's a bit of a mouthful.
21:14I'm so happy that this week we are making Thai food.
21:18I have loved my time travelling around Thailand.
21:20We're going to top it with tofu.
21:22We're going to have a fudgy, jammy egg.
21:23This dish is packed with flavour,
21:25but packed with many problems.
21:27The first thing we want to do,
21:29we're going to make the curry paste from scratch.
21:31So many spices here, again.
21:33If you don't get that curry paste right,
21:35the rest of the dish falls apart.
21:36We want the oil to split and come to the surface.
21:39This indicates that all the spices have been fried.
21:41Not the best with spice.
21:42Not going to be easy, and I am a bit worried.
21:46Have you made noodles before?
21:47No, I've never made noodles.
21:48Egg noodles are also another tricky element.
21:51Tumble that in your hands, almost like a butterfly.
21:53And then the next thing is we need to get the eggs on.
21:55This is a complex plate of food.
21:57Getting the balance of flavours, making it look beautiful.
22:00The fudgy, jammy egg, I'm going to go here.
22:02There is a lot to do, but if done right,
22:04I think it is a winning dish.
22:06Good work.
22:07I absolutely love this dish.
22:08It was a bit spicy,
22:09but I really hope that I can get to the final.
22:12Does that take you back to Thailand?
22:13Mmm.
22:16Catherine and Ellie, welcome to the kitchen.
22:19Catherine, are you going to follow Jack's instructions?
22:21No, probably not.
22:23I know she's already changed one of the recipes, so...
22:26Well, I saw a Mexican lady on social media,
22:28and I felt that she was perhaps more authentically informed
22:31than our very Celtic friend, Jack Stein.
22:36Right, ladies, you are going to have one hour
22:39to complete your cook.
22:40And don't forget, if you need any help,
22:41strike the golden frying pan,
22:42and your chefs can come in to help you for two minutes.
22:45Good luck to both of you.
22:46Thank you, Jack.
22:47Are you ready?
22:48Yeah, yes.
22:49Stars, get cooking!
22:53You can do it, girls!
22:54I love chicken tacos.
22:56They are my favourite food of all time.
22:58So, this is going to require a bit of jazz from me.
23:00One, two, three, four, five.
23:04You've got two different approaches.
23:06Will it be a very, very determined, focused Ellie,
23:10or will it be a Catherine
23:11that's modified the recipe for the tacos?
23:13Why would you do that in the semi-final?
23:16So, the first thing I'm going to do
23:18is try to get my chicken skins free.
23:22Just doing a little crispy chicken skin for texture.
23:24Yuck.
23:26Catherine is taking us to Mexico
23:28and cooking chicken thigh tacos with crispy chicken skin
23:31and a Mexican salsa, pico de gallo.
23:34To progress to the final,
23:35Catherine must follow the recipe carefully
23:37to ensure her tortillas are soft and pliable,
23:39and her chicken skin is perfectly crispy.
23:42I've got to get all this fat off the chicken skin
23:44without ripping it.
23:45If the fat stays on, it's just going to be soft and greasy.
23:48One chicken skin.
23:49Two hideous chicken skins.
23:52Did you see what Catherine was doing with her chicken skins?
23:54No.
23:55Boiling them up.
23:56They look like a pan of old pants.
24:04And I thought the chili flakes were hundreds of thousands.
24:06That way she don't let you babysit anymore.
24:08That's not the only reason.
24:09Cooking With The Stars, sponsored by M&S Chili Flakes.
24:15And I thought the chili flakes were hundreds of thousands.
24:17That way she don't let you babysit anymore.
24:19That's not the only reason.
24:20Cooking With The Stars, sponsored by M&S Chili Flakes.
24:27Welcome back to the Cooking With The Stars semi-final,
24:30where Catherine Ryan and Ellie Simmons
24:32are looking to impress with their dishes
24:34from around the world.
24:36Ellie's going to Thailand.
24:37She absolutely loves Thai cuisine.
24:39This is all my spices.
24:40This is to make my curry paste.
24:43Ellie is making a Thai coconut curry noodle soup
24:45with homemade egg noodles, M&S tofu, and a soft-boiled egg.
24:50The red Thai curry paste is the base of the dish
24:53and must be packed full of flavour
24:54should Ellie want to avoid the cook-off
24:56and risk missing out on a place in the final.
24:59For Ellie, working with spices
25:01has been a bit of a fear factor.
25:03The balance of that sweet, sour, salty, hot,
25:05and kind of bitter is really important.
25:07Okay, this is going to be cooked now for two minutes.
25:10I've never made Thai food.
25:11You like Thai food.
25:12I love Thai food.
25:13I love Thai food.
25:14We just need to keep frying the Thai paste down.
25:17Otherwise, we're going to end up with bitter spice.
25:20It doesn't look as, like, liquidy.
25:22I need to add this coconut milk.
25:24She put coconut milk in now?
25:26This is the good stuff.
25:28That'd be too early for me, no?
25:30It is too early.
25:31That looks fabulous.
25:33The powdered spice won't be cooked through.
25:37Gee, that's spicy.
25:38It's missing something.
25:39I think it needs a bit of sugar.
25:40Stars, you have 45 minutes left.
25:43I told Jack that I would be slightly
25:45adjusting this tortilla recipe.
25:47Now, I'm going to do something I saw
25:50a lovely abuela do on social media.
25:54Instead of using oil, she took some butter.
25:57She melted it in some really hot water.
26:00This is the bit I'm worried about.
26:01She does like to freestyle.
26:03This is my jazz for the day.
26:06But after this, I promise to behave.
26:08If you don't get your tortilla right for a taco,
26:10what you got?
26:11Sandwich.
26:13It might add a bit of softness to it, maybe,
26:16but I won't know until the end.
26:18So this is for my noodles.
26:20We're rolling dough out,
26:21and she's trying to get the right kind of thickness.
26:23And then what we'll do is we'll turn them
26:24into like noodle shapes before we cook it.
26:27In training, these weren't even.
26:29We're looking for equal-sized noodles.
26:32How long have we got?
26:3330 minutes remaining, Stars.
26:35I need to be delicate,
26:37but I need to be a bit quicker, really.
26:38What did I say?
26:39The tortoise wins the race.
26:41This isn't the technique I showed her.
26:42I showed her to flutter her fingers
26:44to open up as many noodles as possible.
26:47And it's very particular.
26:49Yeah, I think perfection.
26:50And that's where she runs out of time.
26:52Ellie has only just been working on the soup
26:54and the noodles.
26:55She needs to really speed things up.
26:57I need to season these lovely chicken thighs properly.
27:01So they need salt, five spice, and vegetable oil.
27:05You just gotta cook the chicken thigh.
27:06It's on the bone.
27:07Look, if it's seasoned well,
27:08I think the judges will be happy.
27:09Yeah.
27:10In practice, I used a bit too much five spice.
27:13I'm gonna move it around, get it nice and even.
27:16She's not added enough spice in.
27:18I've no idea what she's actually doing.
27:20Chicken's gotta go in the oven for 20 minutes.
27:22So I've got that on a timer now.
27:25Now it's on to the eggs.
27:27There's a lot going on on those pans on Ellie's hob.
27:30Boil the eggs, boil the eggs.
27:33I hope that water is boiling
27:34because it's six and a half minutes for a fudgy egg.
27:37Gotta be really delicate with these.
27:40Where's me pen?
27:41Okay, that's done.
27:43Oh, I need boiling water.
27:45Okay, yeah, there we go then.
27:47Those eggs won't be cooked.
27:48When she goes to peel them,
27:49they'll break in her hand
27:50and we're not gonna have those eggs on top.
27:51I hope these eggs are fine.
27:54Catherine, how are you feeling?
27:56I'm moving on to my tortillas now.
28:00She's gotta press the tortilla.
28:01She's gotta roll the tortilla, then cook them.
28:04Oh, what are you doing, Catherine?
28:06My good, oh, Catherine!
28:08Oh, how disgusting!
28:10Hey!
28:11Hey!
28:13The thing with Catherine is she's a comedian.
28:15She likes to improvise,
28:16which we can see with the recipe.
28:18She also likes to be quite showy, and that's great.
28:22I just think she needs to get on with it.
28:24This tortilla recipe is a winner.
28:26I think it's working so much better
28:29than the one Jack and I practiced.
28:31Now I just need to make sure
28:33that all my timings go to plurion.
28:37Just 10 minutes left.
28:38Eggs are only bubbling now.
28:40I don't know if she's changed the timer or not.
28:45They are not gonna be cooked.
28:49I'm gonna bang my gold.
28:52OK.
28:55She has been called in.
28:56Oh, man.
28:58I'm worried about the eggs, to be fair.
28:59I don't feel like the eggs are cooked enough.
29:04Yeah.
29:05Yeah, they're not, they're not.
29:07I'm gonna get you this for another minute, OK?
29:09We're gonna put the eggs on for another minute.
29:11Yeah. OK?
29:12So wait for it to go for a proper boil.
29:14Oh, she looked a bit panicky, didn't she?
29:15Should I just get the eggs in?
29:17So that needs to be boiling.
29:19So both of them need to be boiling.
29:20Shalina, time's up!
29:22Thank you, Shalina.
29:23Well done, Shalina.
29:26He's going in for another minute.
29:29Five minutes left.
29:31Take the chicken skin out early.
29:33I don't wanna burn the chicken skin,
29:34and I think it's perfect,
29:35even though it says I need to leave it in a bit longer,
29:38I'm wild.
29:38At the moment, those chicken skins look quite pink.
29:41She needs to put the chicken skins back in the oven.
29:44This is not cooked, these eggs.
29:46Yeah, she can't peel the eggs.
29:47She can't peel them.
29:48Shall I put them back in boiling water?
29:50And the eggs are now back in the water
29:51for the third time.
29:52Are her eggs gonna be missing?
29:57Two minutes now, two minutes.
29:59Come on, ladies!
30:02OK, I'm gonna start plating now.
30:03That's important,
30:04you definitely don't wanna miss the mark.
30:06I don't know how she's done those tortillas.
30:08That recipe from the Mexican baby.
30:09Come on, Ellie, I think you're good to move on.
30:11Happy about them.
30:13At least it's got something, right?
30:14They look good, Ellie.
30:17The star of the show.
30:18It's crispy chicken skin.
30:20Peel, peel, peel!
30:21Is she gonna get the eggs on there or not?
30:23Oh, no, I don't think she is.
30:24Oh, for God's sake, I can't watch this.
30:27One minute left.
30:29Ellie, make sure everything else is on the plate now.
30:31Leave the eggs.
30:32No, don't.
30:34Just making sure it looks like a colorful night.
30:37Well done, Katherine!
30:38Oh, yeah!
30:4030 seconds, Ellie!
30:42Start taking it over.
30:43Sorry, sorry, sorry.
30:45I feel like this could be happening quicker.
30:46Take the seeds with you and garnish over there.
30:48Well done!
30:49Way to go, Katherine!
30:50Come on!
30:52Come on, quick, quick, quick!
30:5310, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!
31:02Two, one!
31:05Yay, well done!
31:08Looks so yummy.
31:10Those eggs were a nightmare.
31:12Look at them.
31:14Oh, man.
31:16For her around the world dish,
31:18Katherine has cooked Mexican chicken thigh tacos
31:21encased in homemade tortillas
31:22with crispy chicken skin and pico de gallo.
31:25But will deviating from Jack's tortilla recipe
31:28have cost her a place in the final?
31:30I hope I've done enough
31:31to make it through to the final.
31:32And I think I made the perfect tortillas.
31:34And that butter,
31:36I think is gonna give them the extra edge.
31:39Ellie has cooked Thai coconut curry noodle soup
31:41with handmade egg noodles and tofu.
31:44But will the lack of the jammy egg on top
31:46land her in the cook-off?
31:48I don't think I've done enough to avoid the cook-off.
31:51I never thought today I would've got beaten by an egg.
31:54An egg beat me.
31:57Okay, chefs, it is tasting time
31:59for a place in the final.
32:02First up, we have got Katherine's Mexican chicken tacos
32:05with crispy chicken skin and pico de gallo.
32:08So, dig in.
32:11You've tasted.
32:12Now, what are your thoughts, April?
32:14Katherine, I was really nervous
32:16when you said that you learnt
32:17how to make your tortillas online.
32:19But, babes, they're really good.
32:22Jack, I'd be scared.
32:24When I think of tacos,
32:25I do think of a lot more spices.
32:27And for me, that was missing in the chicken.
32:29But ultimately, it's a great, great dish.
32:31Poppy.
32:32The crispy chicken skin was really well done
32:34because it was proper crispy.
32:35The tortillas are really nice.
32:37Sorry, Jack.
32:38But I do think whatever was coating the chicken,
32:40you needed more of those spices.
32:42I would definitely go back for seconds.
32:45Michael O.
32:45Katherine, I thought it was excellent.
32:47Sorry, Jack, but I really liked the tacos.
32:49They were a triumph.
32:50Really well done.
32:51The chicken itself's cooked beautifully.
32:53Great plate of food and great cooking.
32:55Well done.
32:59Lots of positive remarks there.
33:01How do you feel?
33:01Do you know what's happened, Jack?
33:02Is your colleagues have turned against you
33:04and they've roasted you today.
33:09Next up, chefs, it's Ellie's Thai curry noodle soup.
33:12Although it is missing an egg.
33:14Get your laughing gear around that.
33:18Michael C.
33:19Ellie, it's a beautiful vegetarian dish.
33:22I loved it.
33:22It's a shame because if it ain't on the plate,
33:24it don't get ate.
33:25So we'd have had no egg.
33:26I think you would have added an element to it,
33:28but that said, I'd be very happy to have it without.
33:31And this is a really stunning dish.
33:33Well done.
33:35Thank you very much.
33:36Thanks, Tony.
33:37The handmade noodles, a lovely texture.
33:39I love an egg on this style of soup,
33:42but the flavour of that broth, fantastic.
33:45Rosemary.
33:46Wow.
33:48I cannot fault that broth.
33:50The egg, it should be on, that is part of the dish,
33:52but the noodles are absolutely delicious.
33:55Bravo, Ellie.
34:00Well done.
34:02Ellie, I know it was another stressful cook.
34:05That egg, I don't know what happened there.
34:06I normally could boil an egg quite easily.
34:09It's time to find out who's going straight through
34:12to the final and who'll have to face Pasha
34:14in the cook-off to stay in the competition.
34:17April, whose dish was your favourite?
34:20Two beautiful plates of food,
34:21but the dish that I'm choosing, it was cooked by Ellie.
34:25Oh, thank you.
34:26Tony, whose dish wins for you?
34:28The one that captured my taste buds
34:30again and again was Ellie's.
34:32Michael, which dish was your favourite?
34:35The dish I'm voting for,
34:36I just felt had levels upon levels upon flavour,
34:39and that was Ellie's.
34:42Ellie has three votes, so Poppy,
34:44it all comes down to you now.
34:46If you vote for Ellie, she is through to the final.
34:49Who gets to vote?
34:50There was one dish that I just could have swum in,
34:54so I have to vote for Ellie's.
34:57Ellie, congratulations.
34:58That competitiveness has paid off to boot to the final.
35:01Thank you. I know, I can't believe it.
35:03Thank you ever so much, Shalina.
35:04I'm so chuffed. I'm so, so chuffed.
35:06Thank you so much. Well done.
35:08Catherine, Catherine, Catherine.
35:10A lot of talk about swimming in dishes.
35:12Fundamentally, you can't swim in a taco.
35:15How do you feel about being in the cook-off for a second time?
35:19What I've learned about the chefs is they like to see me cook,
35:21and I'm looking forward to cooking again with Pasha.
35:24After the break, Pasha and Catherine take on a recipe
35:26that they've never seen before to earn a place in the final.
35:29As always, it'll be judged blind by all eight chefs,
35:32so their own mentor could help book them a one-way ticket
35:36out of the competition.
35:37We'll see you back here in a few minutes.
35:43Give me food named after places.
35:45Frankfurter. Yeah.
35:46Chili. Sort of.
35:47Hamburger. Yeah.
35:48Cucumber. What's the game?
35:50Apples. Pears.
35:51Cooking with a staff.
35:52Give me food named after places.
35:53Frankfurter. Yeah.
35:54Chili. Sort of.
35:55Hamburger. Yeah.
35:56Cucumber. What's the game?
35:58Apples. Pears.
35:59Cooking with a staff.
36:00Sponsored by M&S Sriracha.
36:07Welcome back to the Cooking With a Staff semi-final,
36:11where we're taking a gastronomical trip around the world.
36:14But either Pasha or Catherine are going to be
36:16in the cooking with a staff semi-final.
36:20But either Pasha or Catherine really will be packing their bags.
36:24They are in the cook-off,
36:25and one of them will go sailing out of the competition.
36:28To save yourself, you'll have to take on a recipe
36:30you've never seen before.
36:32All eight chefs will judge the challenge.
36:35We've sent them away to the blind judging room,
36:37so they don't know who has cooked which dish.
36:39But that does mean that April or Jack
36:42could end up sending you home tonight.
36:45Stars, you'll need to give tonight's cook-off dish
36:48some extra va-va-voom,
36:50because you'll be attempting a vegan tarte aux pommes.
36:55How do you like them apples?
36:57Oh, what is that?
36:59Well, let's find out.
37:02Tarte aux pommes, ooh-la-la.
37:06Basically, an apple tart with a bit of custard to you and me.
37:10Our version is an elegant apple tart in the shape of a rose,
37:14covered in creamy custard with a hazelnut caramel decoration.
37:18Slicing the apples thinly and evenly is essential.
37:22So if those apple slices are too thick,
37:24it will not cook in time.
37:25Now, the tricky task of making that rose shape.
37:28The apples need to be laid across the pastry super neatly.
37:32If they haven't perfectly lined up the apple slices,
37:34it'll be a mess.
37:36The pastry and apples need to be rolled
37:38as tightly as possible.
37:41The apple tarts need to go into the oven to bake.
37:43They're also making a plant-based creme anglaise
37:45with soy milk and coconut milk.
37:47If you don't speak French, it's custard.
37:51The custard will have to be whisked and stirred constantly.
37:54If you leave it on the heat unattended,
37:56then the custard will burn.
37:59Finally, the glazed hazelnuts.
38:01You need the perfect caramel, not burnt.
38:05You have to dip the hazelnut into the caramel
38:08and then you have to leave it
38:09to get that lovely caramel spike.
38:11There's so much skill to this dish.
38:14It's a huge challenge.
38:22So, Pasha and Catherine,
38:23you've got the recipes in front of you
38:24and you've got 50 minutes on the clock.
38:26For the last remaining place in the final,
38:29stars, get cooking.
38:32Good luck, Catherine.
38:33Good luck, Pasha.
38:34Go, go, go, Pasha, go, Catherine.
38:36Come on.
38:37Gosh, I almost forgot what we were doing already.
38:39Call that apple.
38:41Oh.
38:43I'm just not strong.
38:46Catherine, I think she's a tough competition.
38:48I think she's in it.
38:49She'll win it.
38:52I haven't done any baking ever, so this is first.
38:56I think Catherine likes bacon.
38:58She's actually the dark horse in this competition.
39:00Catherine, have you done this before?
39:02I have not made a tarte de pomme,
39:06but I'm familiar with tarts.
39:08Christopher, I'm looking at one now.
39:12The tarte de pomme is all about precision
39:14in the cutting of the apples.
39:15If the apples are sliced too thick,
39:17they might not cook through.
39:19I don't think I cut them perfectly.
39:21They're all of a different size.
39:23If they've not overlapped the apples properly,
39:26those apples that are not in line with the rest
39:28have a tendency to singe,
39:30which will spoil the taste of the tart.
39:32Apple placement is different.
39:34Pasha's apples are going upwards
39:38and Catherine's are going sideways.
39:41So that means she's got more in her rolls.
39:45Like, do you want more apple,
39:46or is more apple mean more cooking time?
39:49Catherine, what do you have to do?
39:50Roll it up.
39:51Yeah, we need to roll them kind of like a flower.
39:54It's so important to get a tight roll on these apple tarts.
39:57If they don't leave any space
39:59for the puff pastry to expand into,
40:01the dough will be raw.
40:03They're filling the whole thing.
40:05Okay, in there.
40:07It's really important for these to get in the oven quick.
40:15They go in for 30 minutes.
40:17I'm going to set myself a little alarm for 22 minutes.
40:21Stars, 30 minutes left.
40:24I'm going to move on to my vegan creme anglaise.
40:27See, sometimes I just chuck in the ingredients
40:29and I don't look at what it says.
40:32150 gram.
40:34Soy milk.
40:36How are you doing, Pash?
40:37Just following the recipe.
40:39Pash is all about precision.
40:40It's in a vanilla extract.
40:42It says half a teaspoon.
40:45That's half.
40:46I'm going to put two halves to make a whole.
40:49A tablespoon of corn flour.
40:51The most important thing when using corn flour
40:53as a thickening agent is to get the right quantity.
40:56If it's too much,
40:57this is going to go super thick and claggy,
40:59and if it's not enough,
41:00we're going to end up with just a wet liquid.
41:02So you know that your custard's done
41:05when it coats the back of a spoon.
41:07I think it needs to be thicker.
41:09How's your creme anglaise, Pasha?
41:14It looks like custard.
41:15I don't know.
41:16It could be a little bit thicker, but I gave up on it.
41:17I've had to put mine back on because it's too watery.
41:21Catherine just kind of scared me.
41:23Now that she said it's a little bit too watery,
41:25maybe I should put mine back in.
41:28I'm going to let it boil just for a little bit.
41:31Stars, just 10 minutes now.
41:3310 minutes for a place in the final.
41:35Come on, guys!
41:36Woo!
41:37Yeah!
41:38Okay, so I need to do some glazed hazelnuts as well,
41:42and make sort of sugar decoration with them, yeah.
41:46I'm putting 100 grams of granulated sugar.
41:50433 grams.
41:52It's very important that Jack doesn't vote me out,
41:55so I should probably put a little jazz in everything I do.
41:59The sugar has to dissolve.
42:02Ooh, it's getting amber-y.
42:03They need to get that caramel to a perfect texture
42:04so that it's a workable sugar.
42:06Ooh, this caramel, it's crystallizing a bit.
42:09Ooh, that's not very good at all.
42:11Five minutes left, Stars!
42:14Is he dipping his nuts into the sugar?
42:19Ooh, look at this.
42:21Strings.
42:22I don't think that's what it's supposed to be.
42:24Oh no, no, no, that's sugar work.
42:26At least you've got it.
42:27I might be serving naked nuts.
42:29I think now I have to take my cakes out.
42:31When the tart comes out of the oven,
42:33you want to see this wonderful sort of caramelization
42:36on top of the apple itself,
42:38plus a pastry that is nicely browned.
42:41No, I think they look a bit pale.
42:42Ooh, they look good.
42:44But the apples look a bit burned.
42:47No, no, they're golden.
42:52Katherine's are looking a bit pale.
42:54One minute now, one minute.
42:57Oh, I'm not sure.
42:59Could be a little bit thicker.
43:02Come on, Pash!
43:06Come on, guys!
43:08Well done, Katherine!
43:1010, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!
43:20Wow!
43:27Was my first cook-off.
43:29I'm this close to the final,
43:31and now it's up to the judges.
43:36I don't know if my way was the right way or the wrong way.
43:38I mean, that's the issue with jazz,
43:40is it could go any way.
43:45Ooh.
43:47Wow.
43:48Jack star Katherine has served her tart au pomme
43:51on the gold plate.
43:53The gold plate is really well presented.
43:55However, it does look like the apples
43:57have singed on the top.
43:58Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the tart
44:00has properly been cooked because you have a raw pastry.
44:03However, I do think that this person
44:05has done a good job at getting that rose image.
44:09The custard on the gold plate is pretty rank, though.
44:11There's too much vanilla flavour coming through.
44:13And the hazelnuts have been attempted,
44:15but the sugar's crystallised massively.
44:18The green plate belongs to April star Pasha.
44:21That is pretty impressive.
44:23It's unbelievable, isn't it?
44:24The upside down.
44:25But none of the chefs know which star cooked which plate.
44:29The green plate, the pastry's better cooked.
44:31They're a little bit caught on the top.
44:33But the custard itself is a great flavour.
44:36I think they've measured the cornflour wrong
44:37because it is really thick.
44:39Those apples look really lovely and thinly sliced.
44:42And there is an impressive glazed hazelnut.
44:45I mean, that is restaurant worthy.
44:47I think we all should vote.
44:49It's a tricky one, isn't it?
44:50Whose tart au pomme will be worthy
44:52of a place in the final?
44:56Pasha's green plate or Catherine's gold plate?
45:02Catherine and Pasha, the chefs, have tasted both dishes
45:06and voted for their favourites.
45:08Before we reveal which star's dish received the most votes,
45:12we need to find out if your mentor voted to keep you
45:15in the competition or to send you home.
45:18Jack, you voted for...
45:21..the green dish.
45:24I can confirm that was made by...
45:30..Pasha.
45:31Ooh!
45:32APPLAUSE
45:35Jesus!
45:36April...
45:39..the dish you voted as your favourite was...
45:44..Pasha's green dish.
45:45Ooh!
45:46APPLAUSE
45:47Ooh!
45:48APPLAUSE
45:52Now, as always, there are six more votes
45:54that make up the final result,
45:57and I can reveal the star with the most votes
46:00and going through to the final is...
46:10..Pasha.
46:11APPLAUSE
46:18Pasha, congratulations.
46:20You're through to the grand final.
46:22How are you feeling now?
46:24I'm still recovering.
46:28April, you must be so proud.
46:30Well, I'm so excited.
46:31I mean, he is an amazing cook, so I'm very happy.
46:35Catherine!
46:36I feel sabotaged by vegan sugar, vegan pastry, vegan apples.
46:42I think Pasha just has such a natural talent.
46:46Jack, have you loved having Catherine as your partner?
46:49Have you loved that?
46:50LAUGHTER
46:52It's been an amazing experience.
46:54You've got a great talent for cooking.
46:56You like to hide it behind comedy,
46:58but you're a really accomplished chef.
47:00Oh, Jack!
47:03And so we have our finalists.
47:06Next week, Pasha, Carol and Ellie battle it out one last time.
47:11Somebody will be crowned Cooking With The Stars champion!
47:15CHEERING
47:16See you in the final!
47:18Bye-bye!
47:19APPLAUSE
47:45MUSIC
47:55They should make Doing Dishes With The Stars.