I'm watching the current series with Michel Roux Jnr and am enjoying it a lot but have two major quibbles. Firstly the over emphasis on "fine dining" which to my eyes just means poncy and in small portions, but my main gripe is over the use of salt!

What is it with some of these so called professional chefs. One guy last night made an inedible omelette because he'd put too much salt in it? Why?

He then went on to ruin a piece of plaice by salting it before cooking. It seems to be a habit with some chefs to salt everything. I remember watching a Gary Rhodes programme once and he was adding more salt every few minutes. If you can't get flavours into your food without chucking handfuls of salt in it then you really shouldn't be cooking. :rant:

Rant over :)

I'm watching the current series with Michel Roux Jnr and am enjoying it a lot but have two major quibbles. Firstly the over emphasis on "fine dining" which to my eyes just means poncy and in small portions, but my main gripe is over the use of salt!

What is it with some of these so called professional chefs. One guy last night made an inedible omelette because he'd put too much salt in it? Why?

He then went on to ruin a piece of plaice by salting it before cooking. It seems to be a habit with some chefs to salt everything. I remember watching a Gary Rhodes programme once and he was adding more salt every few minutes. If you can't get flavours into your food without chucking handfuls of salt in it then you really shouldn't be cooking. :rant:

Rant over :)

'Cos he was a bit crap and made a blunder?
A lot of things do benefit from salt to bring out the flavour - the trick is getting the amount right, and frankly some of the guys on there look like they'd have trouble cooking their way out of the proverbial brown paper bag....

The normal contestants that go on seem to be better cooks that this 'professional' lot! The only thing they seem to be able to do is cut quickly and chop half their fingers off when the are doing it :hihi:

I suppose they are used to sticking things in a microwave! I do like watching it though.

'Cos he was a bit crap and made a blunder?
A lot of things do benefit from salt to bring out the flavour - the trick is getting the amount right, and frankly some of the guys on there look like they'd have trouble cooking their way out of the proverbial brown paper bag....


That's a tad harsh Halibut. I quite like my chicken all bloody and oozing with salmonella and surely the tastiest part of a squid is it's beak. :gag:

lol!

I too have wondered how it is that they just don't seem that capable. Aside from the obvious that they just aren't that good in a kitchen, and wanting to give them some benefit of the doubt 'cos I'm generous like that, I wonder if it is because they are being professionally judged, this is something they have trained and worked towards. Whereas the 'amateurs' are striving for a distant dream in a new field usually.

I think if it were me the nerves would be very different. If I were to cook for Michel Roux Jnr yeah I'd be nervous, but if he hated it, or even constructively criticised it I can just shrug and say "did my best" I'll keep working towards the dream and go back to the day job.

If you are a professional chef surely it could be kind of career breaking?

Alot of them do seem inconsistent rather than plain old bad - so I personally put it down to bad management of nerves.

Anyone else feel like thumping the critics?

I'm hoping the guy from Lincoln wins, looks like he's going to explode with joy when he gets it right, good to see!

Spoke too soon... looks like he's off 'ome with that shocking main course!!

i was a bit shocked yesterday that they are supposed to be professionals by the way they completely butchered the fish!!!

I was gobsmacked when they asked them to spatchcock a chicken - I've never been taught how to do this but I know how just from watching TV! They come along and chop it up into pieces.... hilarious!!

The main difference is that the amateurs are probably food and recipe obsessives. I'm guessing their knowledge of restaurants, ingredients, recipes and so on far outstrip the pros, especially the younger ones.

Some really are useless though. There was one chap who was staring so hard and long at an oyster it was as if he was worried he was going to poke it in the eye.

lol, that is true - not all of them are good. And I suppose when it is a hobby and a passion finding the timeto really learn about stuff is different from when its a job and a passion, especially with the hours some chefs work!

there is already a thread about the show, maybe they can be merged?

hmm, well I at least know not to joint it when asked to spatchcock it, though I do also find that butchery is never as easy as it seems on the telly!

I love the critics - yes, they are sometimes overly critivcal about silly things, but that's what they are there for. These guys are wantiong to enter the michelin star world and its critics like that that will dominate it!

I said Steve would win as soon as I saw his first round. Chuffed he did :)

I said Steve would win as soon as I saw his first round. Chuffed he did :)

I thought he was going to win as soon as he did that boiled egg and toast dish, under the cover with flavoured smoke. It was just jaw dropping.

That daft bint couldn't cook chicken that wasn't raw, her lamb was underdone and she even managed to undercook the raw fish!!

I thought he was going to win as soon as he did that boiled egg and toast dish, under the cover with flavoured smoke. It was just jaw dropping.

That daft bint couldn't cook chicken that wasn't raw, her lamb was underdone and she even managed to undercook the raw fish!!

I know it sounds mean but whenever I looked at her I couldn't help but think 'crazy frog'. She annoyed the hell outta me. However I warmed to her very slighty for the final last night. It was a good show and nice to see them all chipping in for each other

The smoke thing from Steve was pretty amazing stuff!

I love the critics - yes, they are sometimes overly critivcal about silly things, but that's what they are there for. These guys are wantiong to enter the michelin star world and its critics like that that will dominate it!

I just loved Michelle Roux's expressions when they were cooking...and Greg always spoke after Michelle as he clearly knows sod all and needs Michelle to tell him what to think :hihi: