Masterchef UK Professionals
Baker:
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Week:
Challenge Type:
Japanese Soufflé Pancakes with Sake Poached Plums
Mark approached the skills test with confidence, having eaten Japanese soufflé pancakes at a restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue. He followed the correct method closely: whisking egg whites with sugar and cream of tartar to stiff peaks, making a separate pancake batter, then gently folding the meringue in bit by bit to preserve air. His poaching liquid matched Philli's: sake, lemon juice and sugar, reduced down to a glaze. He cooked the pancakes with a lid and added water for gentle cooking. He did not add a second layer of batter to build height, resulting in pancakes that were shorter than Philli's, and they picked up slightly more colour than ideal, but he caught them just in time. The pancakes were still fluffy and had good wobble.
{Mark}: "I've had them before. They're huge, big, beautiful things." {Mark}: "I'm going to start on my meringue first. Egg whites, sugar, tiny bit of cream of tartar for stability."
{Mark}: "I'm just folding in the meringue bit by bit so as not to lose all the nice air I've created."
{Mark}: "I'm reducing my poaching liquid to make a nice little glaze."
{Philli}: "He seems like he knows the method. Looks like a stiff meringue."
{Philli}: "Mark hasn't added extra batter on to make the pancakes really tall, but they do look fluffy."
{Philli}: "They're not as tall as I would like, but they're looking quite good. Jiggling."
Variation from demo: Mark did not add the second spoonful of batter that Philli used to build height. His pancakes were shorter but still fluffy and well-cooked. Slightly more colour than ideal. His plum poaching liquid was well balanced - not over-sweetened. Overall a strong result.
{Philli}: "Mark, I love the way you approached the batter, making the meringue, folding it nicely together. Adding a little bit more pancake batter later on gives it that real height, but absolutely tasty. Tasty dish. Smashed the skills test. I love it."
{Marcus}: "I love the plums. I love that kind of sour notes. You haven't over-sweetened them. You look like you knew what you were doing. I'm very impressed."
{Monica}: "Your approach, your attitude, your attention to the key skills on show were exemplary. Really good."
{Matt}: "Well done. I now have my eye on you for good reasons. Expectations are high."
Note: Unanimously positive feedback. Marcus specifically praised the balanced sweetness of the plums. Monica called his key skills exemplary. Matt indicated high expectations going forward.
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