Masterchef UK Professionals
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Falafel with Muhammara, Flatbread and Tomato Salad
Tom started with the falafel, using chickpeas with lemon zest, garlic and cumin. He added oil to the mixture, which Nikita noted would introduce excess moisture and make the falafel greasy. His falafel were inconsistent in size and shape, and he spent nearly 10 minutes on them, but they ultimately turned out well - soft in the middle with a crispy exterior. He made his flatbread dough with flour first (correct method), and it came together well ahead of time, but he was too slow and chatty to get it cooked. The bread was rolled too thick, put on the pan too late and was likely raw inside. His muhammara included walnut, sumac, Aleppo pepper, cumin, chili flakes, pomegranate molasses and oil, but needed more garlic, better seasoning and was overly citrusy. The tomato salad with tomatoes, red onion, salt, coriander and parsley was fresh and well-received. Tom was a former baker who ironically failed on the bread element. His main issue was time management - too calm and conversational when urgency was needed.
{Nikita}: "You're very calm and collected. I think maybe you just needed a bit of speed because it caught up with you at the end."
{Marcus}: "Tom, you spent nearly 10 minutes just working on the falafels. But falafels are good. They're still soft in the middle, nice and crispy on the outside. I really like those."
{Matt}: "The tomato salad brings the freshness to the plate. You've got everything in there. It's very good. But your muhammara sauce needs a bit more garlic. It needs seasoning. It's very citrusy."
{Monica}: "The flatbread - for a baker, you had 20 minutes. That dough was made well ahead of time. You could have got that on. You seem like a guy who enjoys a good chat, but there's a certain point you're going to have to rein that in and focus."
{Nikita}: "I just wanted to scream at you to get that flatbread on. But there are elements on this dish that are really well seasoned. Tastes nice, so well done."
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