Great British Menu ™
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Lead, and I will Follow
David: "So the title of the dish is "Lead and I Will Follow". And the inspiration is Mary Slesser. who was an incredible woman from Dundee and she went to Nigeria teaching reading and writing. So I'm making a seitan from tofu. So it's super stringy, almost to resemble meat, but it's very crumbly. Lovely, elegant pastry on the top with peanut mustard. So making a lovely ground nut mustard with that. Some of those spices in there as well. This dish packs a punch."
Notes taken during cooking
David: "So in this pot, this is for the roasted peanuts and in goes the Cameroon pepper."
Aktar Islam: "Those ingredients are impressive. I hope the end result is just as impressive. Those peppers could get away with you!"
David: "It's very intense. I've got all my spices, my chilies, and my pepper. The intention is not to blow anyone's head off with this spice."
With his fiery ground nut sauce cooking and his peanut crumb done, David blitzes his poached tofu with African peppers to create the seitan filling for his vegan sausage rolls.
Aktar Islam: "Talk to me about the suya spice."
David: "So the suya spice, you've got paprika, yellow onion, garlic, and this incredible Penja pepper from Cameroon. And it's very sour. So I roast the peanuts and add the spice onto it, and the heat of the peanuts cooks the spice."
Aktar Islam, behind the scenes: "I found that crumb quite spicy. I mean, even for me, I'm really concerned it doesn't become a dominating flavor and ruins the dish."
David assembles the tofu sausage rolls in a croissant style pastry with peanut mustard.
Plating
David's up next with his fiery fusion of Nigerian and Scottish cuisine.
After deep frying celeriac nests, each is garnished with flowers and celery leaves.
The nests are placed on top of the celeriac barigoule and filled with celeriac remoulade. They're served on green emulsion and finished with the ground nut sauce and vegan sausage rolls.
Peers, tasting behind the scenes
"What do you think about the way this looks, Chefs?"
"It's beautiful."
"So cool."
"Very elegant."
Back in the judging room
Aktar Islam: "The pastry, has that come out as you wanted it to?"
David: "Yeah. So the texture of the seitan is very gentle. Coupled with the crisp, I think it adds to the dish."
Peers, tasting behind the scenes
"The lamination's great."
Back in the judging room
Aktar Islam: "The actual filling?"
David: "I believe, is a fantastic texture. It's really light, but it sings with the tofu and the spices that are put in it as well.
Peers, tasting behind the scenes
"When I questioned it, being vegan or whatever, I think it's quite meaty."
Back in the judging room
Aktar Islam: "Celeriac? You've cooked it in a barigoule?
David: "A very traditional barigoule, but with some of that spice in there."
Aktar Islam: "Now, your sauce, the ground nut sauce?
David: "Yes. I genuinely believe I've got the balance right of it because you want to taste the pepper. You want a touch of spice."
Peers, tasting behind the scenes
"Barigoule sauce for me is the winner. It's really delicious."
Final Judging
Aktar Islam: "David, for your dish, 'Lead and I will Follow'. Great pastry. I mean, the lamination was bang on. I thought the Saitan filling for the sausage roll was moreish and savory. Moving on to your sauce. So you've got some powerful flavors in there, but it packs some heat. So bear in mind, there are other courses that follow. Overall, well done."
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