Masterchef UK Professionals
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Cauliflower Six Ways
Cauliflower Six Ways: Steak, Caramelized Puree, Pickled, Raw, Tempura Leaf, Caper and Raisin Puree, and Smoked Butter Sauce
Gareth, a private chef from Manchester known for his playful takes on the classics, chose a single humble vegetable as his no-waste ingredient. {name}: "I wanted to show that the most humble things you can elevate and you can deliver something really tasty. I'm looking around the room here, I'm seeing lobsters and langoustines, and I've got a cauliflower. We've got a cauliflower steak as the centrepiece that's going to be cooked almost like a protein. Then we've got a caramelized cauliflower puree, pickled cauliflower, raw cauliflower, I'm going to tempura the leaves, and then anything left over is going into a stock, and then I'm going to monte some smoked butter through." On the caper and raisin element: {name}: "This is a caper and raisin puree. It just adds that sort of acidity and depth of flavour." A judge commented: {Judge}: "Not a single thing has been wasted here, and I like the addition of the caper and raisin puree for a bit of sweetness and of course smoked butter sauce. It does need something different on this plate, otherwise everything will taste the same." Another noted: {Judge}: "There's nowhere to hide with it. Trying to get all the best bits out of one ingredient." The narrator described the finished dish: private chef
Gareth served cauliflower six ways: cauliflower steak, caramelized cauliflower puree, pickled cauliflower, raw cauliflower, tempura cauliflower leaf, caper and raisin puree, and a cauliflower sauce finished with smoked butter.
{Judge}: "I find the actual main part, the cauliflower steak here, you could really maybe baste it in foamy butter to bring the nuttiness out of it. The crispy texture of the leaves are great. And the pickled cauliflower as well, it's got that sharpness and it needs it. It's the only sort of point of difference. But I do admire the way you've used everything on the cauliflower." {Judge}: "There's a lot of richness in this, what with the puree and that incredibly rich sauce with all that smoked butter in there. The balance is just a little bit off. It's quite monotone. The two elements that really lift this dish are the caper and raisin puree and the pickled cauliflower." {Judge}: "I think this is excellent. I think it's real skill. You've taken something really simple and elevated it, and that's what we're looking for. Your puree is delicious. Your cauliflower is beautifully cooked. The pickling, the rawness, great. But the sauce, the touch of smoky butter in it, it's like you get a good roast dinner and you've got a great gravy. It's absolutely brilliant." Gareth: {name}: "I got some good comments, but it was a mixed bag, and it's those small details that really matter at this stage."
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