And these people cook our meals?!

[Ashley_Price]

Does anyone follow Masterchef The Professionals?

Okay, for those that don't, here's a quick briefing. At the start, there are four professional chefs, they have to go through the Elimination test. This consists of them doing a skills test and a pallete test. So for instance they've tests where they've had to "butterfly" and cook some prawns for the skills test and then make a pancake for the pallete test and all within 10 minutes, which for a professional chef isn't a problem.

However, it is amazing how badly some of these so called professionals do. Now, some of it, okay put down to lack of experience (not every professional chef has had to shell scallops, or bone a pig's trotter, for example) and nerves because of the situation.

But last night had to be the worst!

The elimination test was to joint a rabbit and then cook scrambled eggs - again something that should be very easy for most professional chefs.

Yet the female chef last night, jointed the rabbit and took off the loins, which wasn't correct but a minor mistake. She then went on to cook her scrambled egg and started by putting extra virgin olive oil in the pan (you don't use olive oil, just butter)... okay, so far, so minor, it's just nerves...

Then, she cuts butter using the same knife and on the same board that she had just used to joint the rabbit with both the board and the knife having flecks of blood on them.

One of the judges (who is Michelle Roux Jr's senior soux chef) was horrified and quite rightly wouldn't touch the scrambled egg!

But you have to think, this couldn't have been just the pressure of the situation. Surely as a professional chef, hygiene "should" be second nature. I guess it must be like having driven a car for a couple of years, most of the actions become automatic, you don't even think of them. So even under pressure you would make the gear change.

So how come a professional chef fails on the most basic hygiene? I wonder if she is still employed?

 

[An Oasis]

Only catch the odd glimpse had assumed that they were amateurs who wanted a crack at becoming pros…oh dear, thankfully we eat out less and less.

 

[MikeD08]

A major fail for a so-called Chef.

Does anyone else fing Monica (Roux' sous chef & judge) rather attractive?

 

[Ashley_Price]

Only catch the odd glimpse had assumed that they were amateurs who wanted a crack at becoming pros…oh dear, thankfully we eat out less and less.

There are two types of Masterchef.

The one being shown at the moment "The Professionals" is for professional chefs who (we are told) have been chefs for several years, - not from the performance they put on in front of the cameras. I think they get the opportunity to win a place in a "Michelin starred" kitchen.

There is the "normal" Masterchef which is for amateurs wanting the chance to become professional chefs.

 

[Ashley_Price]

Does anyone else fing Monica (Roux' sous chef & judge) rather attractive?

I can't say, Jackie is looking over my shoulder...

 

[An Oasis]

There are two types of Masterchef.

The one being shown at the moment "The Professionals" is for professional chefs who (we are told) have been chefs for several years, - not from the performance they put on in front of the cameras. I think they get the opportunity to win a place in a "Michelin starred" kitchen.

There is the "normal" Masterchef which is for amateurs wanting the chance to become professional chefs.

And that was kinda my point!

 

[Ashley_Price]

And that was kinda my point!

I was explaining that you are partly right but there are two types of Masterchef.

 

[360interactive]

Yes, I caught this and was amazed when my other half pointed out that it was in fact the 'Professional' masterchef.

The small bit I saw involved one of them not being able to get the desert out, and another under-cooking something that had to be left off the plate.

 

[Ashley_Price]

Yep. I guess the difference here is they only have a set amount of time. In their own kitchens they would take a bit longer and if something wasn't right they would throw it away and start again. That's certainly what's happened when the amateurs have gone to kitchens and not cooked something to the chef's standards.

 

[StefanK]

Saw this last night, terrible, terrible televsion. they seemed to have ditched the original competition format and introduced a 'x factor/ apprentice' style feel to it. Why?

 

[Dawg]

Saw this last night, terrible, terrible televsion. they seemed to have ditched the original competition format and introduced a 'x factor/ apprentice' style feel to it. Why?

Why? Because the core audience is lardybuckets stuffing themselves with pap in front of the box, who wouldn't know a Bavarois from a barnacle.
All they want is to see a 'sleb' on the box, (anyone on the box is automatically a sleb), make a fool of themselves and being humiliated on camera. Ritual, public humiliation rather than cooking is the core appeal of the program.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

Why? Because the core audience is lardybuckets stuffing themselves with pap in front of the box, who wouldn't know a Bavarois from a barnacle.
All they want is to see a 'sleb' on the box, (anyone on the box is automatically a sleb), make a fool of themselves and being humiliated on camera. Ritual, public humiliation rather than cooking is the core appeal of the program.

Quite.You know where I stand on cheap television.
I'm out.

 

[StefanK]

Why? Because the core audience is lardybuckets stuffing themselves with pap in front of the box, who wouldn't know a Bavarois from a barnacle.
All they want is to see a 'sleb' on the box, (anyone on the box is automatically a sleb), make a fool of themselves and being humiliated on camera. Ritual, public humiliation rather than cooking is the core appeal of the program.

It was a rhetorical question (in case you hadn't realised!) but top, top reply!