Masterchef UK Professionals
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Roasted Poussin and Peppercorn Sauce
Giuseppe, a 38-year-old Italian banqueting head chef with 23 years' experience, showed strong instincts under pressure but worked too fast to execute the dish at its potential. He correctly identified and prepared the crown - removing back and legs within seconds - though he missed the key step of adding butter, garlic and thyme to the pan during searing. Shallots were added for the sauce but not adequately caramelised. He added brandy (good), used green peppercorns and crushed them through the sauce (good), but like Gokul he did not use the poussin trimmings to build sauce depth - noted as a missed opportunity. He made matchstick-style fried potatoes rather than game chips, which were neat in concept but could have been cut more precisely. With approximately seven minutes still on the clock while nearly done, he had time available that could have developed more flavour in the sauce. The dish was close to the brief but slightly rough around the edges.
Marcus Wareing: 'Giuseppe, your approach to the little baby poussin was lovely. You got the back and the legs off pretty much within seconds. The breasts are up there nicely, but the potatoes could have had a bit more time and a bit better cutting - a bit neater.'
Matt Tebbutt: 'I like the layers in the sauce making. You crush the peppercorns through it, you use the green peppercorns, you got some brandy in there. Just take a minute, take it slow. Just a little bit. Not too slow.'
Matthew Ryle: 'You move like the speed of light. You had about seven minutes left and you were kind of almost done, but you could have used that time to get a bit more flavour into your sauce. What you put up is not a million miles away from what I wanted, but maybe just a little bit rough around the edges.'
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