“What’re you doing today?” she asks Chris. “Something savory? Or sweet?”
“I’m a savory man, I’m afraid,” he replies. “Despite my name, pastry’s not my forte. She can tell you.” With a self-deprecating smile, he gestures to Susan with a whisk. “Ask her about my quiche.”
Susan laughs. “You should’ve let your pastry rest,” she says. “I told you! But you never listened to me. Chefs!” With an exaggerated roll of the eyes.
“So it looks like you’re doing something sweet here,” Barbara says, coming over to Susan and gesturing to the array of sugar, spices, and fruit in front of her.
“That’s right,” Susan confirms, tamping down the urge to say something snarky. “Pastry is my forte.”
“And who taught you?”
“My mother and my grandfather. They taught me nearly everything I know about cooking and kitchens.” She and Chris exchange a quick smile.
“That’s something the two of you have in common, isn’t it?” Barbara asks them.
“That’s right. I owe Elliot Napier a lot,” Chris confirms, shucking scallops at lightning speed.
“Didn’t sound like that on the radio,” Gloria comments.
“Ah, words spoken in the heat of the moment.” Chris shakes his head. “You often end up regretting them later, right?”
Susan looks up and catches his apologetic look.
“Oh, that’s nice,” Barbara gushes, moving toward Dan and Joe’s table. “What’s that you’re doing there, crème brûlée?” She bends over some shallow ramekins of custard Joe’s arranging on the workspace.
“Come on, really?” Gloria cackles. Both Joe and Dan glare at her.
“Well, this is interesting,” Barbara goes on, returning to Chris, who has a dozen bottles and several halved citrus fruits arrayed in front of him. “Mirin, yuzu … something written in Japanese that I can’t even pronounce.” She titters. “You like your Asian influences!”
“I collect influences from everywhere,” Chris tells her. “I spent a bit of time in Asia, learning techniques and discovering ingredients, so yes, there’s a lot of that, but there’s also quite a bit of Scotland in my cooking”—an appreciative cheer from the crowd, which he acknowledges with a heartthrob grin—“and I’ve learned from other chefs, of course. There’s this great technique for cooking fish that one of the contestants on my show came up with, and afterward I asked him to teach it to me. We use it in the restaurant. It’s important to remember that you shouldn’t ever think you’re too good or too important a chef to stop learning from others.”
“Words to live by indeed,” Barbara agrees.
“He’s good,” Gloria murmurs to Susan.
“He is,” she whispers back. Chris has definitely developed the skill of playing to the crowd, but she knows it’s not just lip service: she can tell he’s sincere about everything he’s saying.
The clock is counting down fast. Gloria’s hands become a blur as she finishes arranging short ribs and snatches chips from the deep-fat fryer. Susan pipes custard and puts the finishing touches on her puddings. They plate up, arranging things just so, garnishing, drizzling sauces, wiping edges.
“And that’s time!” Barbara shouts. Chris and Rab spring back, hands flung dramatically in the air. Susan and Gloria laugh and embrace. Joe and Dan look at their handiwork, hands on hips, nodding, as if they have to convince themselves they’ve done really, really well. Dan pats Joe on the back. Chris slings an arm around Rab’s neck and pulls him in for a quick man-hug.
“All right, chefs, time’s up! Chris, would you like to bring your plates forward first?” Barbara invites.
Chris and Rab deliver their plates to the three judges and step back.
“Starter and main,” Chris announces. “For your starter, there’s a seared scallop with preserved lemon and sea buckthorn ‘caviar.’”
Susan almost groans aloud, wondering how the hell he managed to get that damn sea buckthorn to set in perfect, tiny spheres. Damn him, she thinks, without rancor. As he said, there’s always something you can learn from another chef.
“This scallop is perfect,” purrs the TV presenter.
“And the lemon and buckthorn really keep it nice and fresh and light,” the chef agrees.
“For your main,” Chris continues as the judges reach for their second plates, “homemade rice cavatelli with a spicy kimchi sauce.”
The judges devour in silence. Then the blogger sits back, looks at his empty bowl and says, “I want a lot more of this. Like, a lot more.”
Chris grins and nods encouragingly to Rab, who clasps his hands behind his back, ducks his head, and smiles at the floor.
“The only criticism I can think of, and it’s a little thing, is that the presentation could be a little more interesting,” the chef adds. “We all want something a little theatrical nowadays, you know?”
“Noted,” Chris says. “Thank you.” He and Rab return to their station.
Joe and Dan are up next.
“We have a main and a pudding for you,” says Dan. “For your main, we have a lamb Wellington with locally foraged mushrooms and Serrano ham, accompanied by asparagus and nettle mash.”
“Locally foraged mushrooms?” the blogger says. “Ace! What kind of mushrooms?”
“Uh, it’s a mix,” Dan answers.
As one, the judges frown.
“So you’re bringing them in, not foraging yourself?” the blogger presses.
“Mushroom foraging’s something best left up to the experts,” Dan explains.
“Sure, but you should know what type of mushrooms you’re getting and using,” says the chef. “You should always know your ingredients.”
There’s not much Dan can say to that.
The judges dig in, and after a minute the TV presenter says, “It’s a beautiful Wellington. Very flavorful, excellent pastry. You did make the pastry yourself, right?” She glances meaningfully at Joe, who nods.
“Yes, of course, I make all our pastry,” he replies.
“Well, it’s great. It’s a very nice dish, but at this time of year it feels a bit heavy.”
“I’d agree with that,” says the chef. “May I ask, why did you put nettles in the mash?”
“Nettles are really good for you, and we felt the grassy flavor helps balance out the richness of the meat,” says Dan.
“Eh, not sure I agree with you on that.” The presenter shrugs.
“Pudding?” the blogger suggests, pushing aside the Wellington and reaching for the crème brûlée.
“Yes, this is a Cranachan-inspired crème brûlée,” says Joe, seeming relieved they’ve moved off the main. “Whisky-infused custard with raspberries, burnt sugar top, and a sprinkling of crisp meringue.”
The judges break through the tops of their puddings and dip spoons into the smooth custard underneath.
“Crème brûlée is one of my favorite desserts, and this is an excellent one,” says the presenter. “It’s really, really nice. Very smooth and creamy and rich. I can taste the smokiness of the whisky. It’s lovely.”