Masterchef UK Professionals
Baker:
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Week:
Challenge Type:
Poached Pear Millefeuille and Hazelnut Praline Cream
Gareth began by pausing to think through his plan - a moment explicitly praised by the judges. He started correctly with the poaching liquor (sauternes, sugar, star anise, cinnamon), cut the pears into wedges for faster cooking, and got the pastry in the oven promptly. He initially intended to press the pastry between two trays for maximum flatness, but switched to using a rack instead at the last moment, resulting in pastry that was fully cooked but puffier than ideal. His praline technique was correct: he toasted the hazelnuts and added them directly into the caramel before blending. He then chopped the praline rather than blending it finely into the cream, folding pieces through for textural contrast - a variation specifically praised by the judges. He added mascarpone to the cream for richness and body, matching the benchmark. He cooled the pears before assembly. The finished millefeuille stood well but was very tall - judges joked it needed a ladder - reflecting pastry that was too thick and puffy rather than pressed flat. Overall a sound and commendable attempt.
{Matthew Ryle}: ""I think what you've done is great. And I think you were so close to getting it perfect.""
{Matthew Ryle}: ""I really like the cream, the chopped praline through it. I like the texture. I think you did a great job. Well done.""
{Judge}: ""That's not bad. Pastry's cooked, the cream's got the praline through it, your pears are soft. And I liked at the beginning when you said, actually, I'm going to take a step back, I'm going to have a think - for those first few seconds, I think that helped you.""
{Judge}: ""You knew what to do. You talked about putting a tray on top so it was a bit more flat. But then I think you just decided to get it in the oven and get this over and done with. But you still delivered a really decent attempt at a tough skills test.""
{Judge}: ""I'm sure you've got the skills as a chef to absolutely nail this, so I look forward to seeing what your food's all about."""
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