Episode 6

The second quarter-final beckons, and the standout chefs from the week are back to prove they mean business. Getting through the next two hurdles means qualifying for knockout week, where the excitement goes into overdrive.

This quarter-final starts with an invention test in which the chefs are tasked with prizing a key ingredient in their dish – rice pudding! As well as raiding the larder, the chefs have been given a variety of rice types to choose from, including long grain, fragrant jasmine and creamy pudding rice, each of which can be used to create their own twist and elevate this traditional dessert to something truly extraordinary. The chefs will want this dish to have personality, flair and be a complete taste sensation.

Next, the contestants are back in the kitchen with some hungry, and exacting, guests to feed. In this round, the restaurant critics are Jimi Famurewa, Jay Rayner and William Sitwell, who by now won’t be able to stomach many mistakes. They will be hoping for each of the chefs to serve up two plates of food crammed with ambition, and it will take some extraordinary cooking to get them excited. The judges will be willing them on, but they can’t give them any more than 75 minutes to deliver their finest work so far in the competition.

After tasting an enormous variety of plates over the week, all that’s left is for the judges to put some smiles on those deserving a place in knockout week – the next stop in a culinary adventure of a lifetime.