Masterchef UK Professionals
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Roasted Poussin with Peppercorn Sauce
Gokul, head chef of a fine dining South Indian restaurant in Marlow, Kerala-born and based in London for one year, struggled with the classical French skill set required. He spent the first five minutes massaging the whole poussin with salt, black pepper and olive oil without performing any butchery, then opted to spatchcock the bird rather than prepare it as a crown. No trimmings were roasted, so the sauce lacked structural depth. Whole black peppercorns were added to the sauce without toasting or straining - presenting a risk of tooth damage when eating. The potato garnish was butter-tossed potatoes seasoned with black pepper, salt and garlic - a different approach to game chips but one that produced pleasant flavour. The bird was cooked through despite the method change.
Matthew Ryle acknowledged the difficulty of being tested on a skill set outside one's training.
Matt Tebbutt: 'We wanted you to cook the poussin on the crown, but you managed to cook it spatchcocked on the bone. It's not what we wanted, but it's cooked through.'
Marcus Wareing: 'I was eating that sauce with a little bit of fear. You bite down on a peppercorn not knowing it's there, and you can seriously damage your teeth. Your potatoes - they've got a lovely flavour to them, a bit of butteriness around them. So there are some skills in there.'
Matthew Ryle: 'It was a slow start. I was in there watching you sort of massage a bird for at least five minutes. But there is a plate of food. It is edible, but it wasn't quite what we were looking for.'
Monica Galetti (to Gokul): 'Come back fighting in the next round because we're all excited to see what you've got for us.'
Matthew Ryle (aside): 'It's tricky getting skill sets that you're not trained in. Hats off to him for getting something up.'
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