Masterchef UK Professionals
Baker:
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Grilled Cod's Collar, Tempura Cheeks & Korean Style Barbecue Sauce
Ola had never worked with a cod's head before but navigated the butchery well, removing the collar cleanly and eventually locating the cheeks with some guidance from the judges. He removed the silver skin and sinew effectively. He made a marinade for the collar before grilling — an addition not in Philli's original that was praised for bringing gochujang heat to the fish. His tempura batter was overworked and too thick, producing a heavier, chip-shop style coating rather than a light airy tempura, though the crunchiness and the cook on the cheeks were good. His Korean barbecue sauce included gochujang, ketchup, brown sugar and butter to finish — sound instincts — but he was not seen tasting during the cook. The cheek preparation was a little rough in places where he removed the skin. Despite never having done this before, the overall outcome was a tasty, well-received dish.
Monica: "Great attempt. Very good that you worked your way through it. Your batter a little bit on the thick side. It's almost like a chip shop batter rather than a tempura batter. But I love the crunchiness of it and the cooking of the cheek. Overall, very impressed."
Marcus: "I like that you made a marinade for the collar. Just brought so much heat from the gochujang. I'm enjoying this. Once you got the cheeks off and you took the skin off, it just got a little bit rough in areas, just to be a bit more careful. But good to see you. Tasty. Really pleased with the outcome of your dish here, considering you've never done this before."
Philli: "The Korean barbecue sauce, I absolutely screamed when you added the butter. I love finishing my Korean barbecue sauce with a bit of butter. You could taste the gochujang, the vinegar. It all comes together and it's so tasty. Thank you so much. And well done on your skills test."
Matt Tebbutt: "I think the whole thing overall is a very good dish. So I look forward to seeing what you got next."
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