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Posh Fish and Chips
As seen on TV
Which Show?
Who made this dish?
Pan-Seared Cod with Triple-Cooked Chips, Tartar Sauce, Minted Mushy Peas and Curry Sauce
Inspired by childhood family holidays to the seaside at Blackpool. The cod is pan-seared and basted in garlic and lemon rather than battered.
Shakira Khan: "When we were younger, we would go to Blackpool a lot, eat the sugar donuts, the rock, and of course, fish and chips."
Shakira Khan: "So I'm going to do a cod fillet, not battered, basted in garlic, lemon. I'm doing batter scraps to garnish on top, tartar sauce, minted mushy peas and a curry sauce."
Shakira Khan: "I won't let you down, Giorgio."
{Shakira Khan}: "This is going to be Michelin star fish and chips."
Shakira Khan: "Chips, I want them golden today, not brown."
Shakira Khan: "Things are going well so far, but this is the easy part, isn't it?"
{Shakira Khan}: "I'm not even done my batter scraps. I forgot."
Shakira Khan: "I'm up against it. Might scrap the scraps if it comes down to it."
{Shakira Khan}: "I thought that went all right... until I forgot my batter scraps."
Shakira Khan: "I ran out of time."
Shakira Khan: "I think I definitely nailed the brief. I mean, it screamed Blackpool. I'd even go as far to say that because it wasn't that well presented, it was even more Blackpool."
Shakira Khan: "I'd be absolutely gutted if I went home today. So I am praying to the MasterChef gods that I'm here to fight another day."
During the cook:
Giorgio Locatelli: "Nothing wrong with fish and chips. But is it enough for the final four?"
Giorgio Locatelli: "To serve a fish and chips without batter, I know it could be a big mistake because you're taking the essence of the dish out. The way the fish cooks inside the batter is a very special way."
Grace Dent: "But we're having scraps. That's one of the most magical things I've heard for a long time."
Giorgio Locatelli: "A little bit of crunchiness on top of the fish with the crisp and everything else will work really well."
Giorgio Locatelli: "Triple-cooked chips. When you open them, they have to be hot and fluffy."
Grace Dent: "The tartar, it needs to be chunky, it needs to have acidity, it needs to be creamy."
At judging:
Grace Dent: "Where are the scraps? ... Scraps are the best bit."
Giorgio Locatelli: "I think it defies a little bit the object to put a piece of fish on top of the crispy chips because it'll make them soggy. But you cooked the fish perfectly. It really flakes very well. The chips are a little bit soggy because they're under the fish, but beautiful color. Perfectly cooked. The pea and mint puree is really delicious, but the major problem has been the presentation."
Grace Dent: "Your tartar sauce is incredible: acidity and a bit spicy, and it's sweet. Your curry sauce is very faithful to chip shop curry sauce in that it doesn't have much spice to it at all. I think the presentation of this definitely lets it down, but I do like it."
Deliberation:
Giorgio Locatelli: "Shakira produced all different elements and each one of them was actually quite delicious. But blatantly, the chips got soggy."
Grace Dent: "She forgot the scraps completely. I think that would have really elevated the dish."
Result: Through to the final four:
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