Lanarkshire’s Masterchef star will be back in action in tonight’s quarter-final episode, tackling a brunch challenge before cooking for a discerning panel of restaurant critics.
William Rocks, who is originally from Coatbridge, progressed from the opening show of the Professionals series after impressing the experts with his venison dish and his skills test performance in preparing a summer fruit tart.
The 24-year-old chef de patron, who has his own restaurant near Oban, is one of five top chefs competing in tonight’s show after judges unusually put through three contestants rather than two from his heat after being unable to eliminate.
Friday night’s quarter-final will see William and four competitors take part in the invention test to create a “standout brunch dish”, challenging them to think fast with just 10 minutes to choose ingredients and 70 to cook – and with one chef leaving the competition at the end of the round.
The remaining four will then cook to impress restaurant critics Jimi Famurewa, William Sitwell and Tom Parker-Bowles, as well as resident judges Marcus Wareing and Anna Haugh, with only an hour and 15 minutes to produce a “knockout” dish.
Described as “one of the most intense rounds of the competition”, with two semi-final places at stake, the professional chefs face a tough test as “these critics don’t hold back their opinions and scrutinise every element of their dishes”.
William, who trained at the Lanarkshire catering school at the Bentley Hotel in Motherwell, progressed to the quarter-finals after making his debut on Wednesday’s show tackling Michelin-starred chef Marcus’ pastry challenge, demonstrating his skills in making berry jam, creme patissiere and Italian meringue.
The expert judge called him “incredibly professional, young, vibrant [and] fearless” following his performance in the 20-minute skills challenge and said: “I like your attitude and I love your approach to the kitchen.”
Introducing himself to viewers, William said: “Cooking’s what I love doing more than anything in the world; the important thing is making sure I’m happy with the food and a lot of it’s emotional to me”; while he described Clachan Seil where he is head chef at Tigh an Truish as “a chef’s paradise [for] the seafood [with] plenty of foragaing to be done”.
The opening episode’s 90-minute signature two-course challenge saw William prepare roasted venison loin with a wild garlic gnocchi, cauliflower puree, red cabbage and a red wine sauce, followed by Tonka bean and white chocolate panna cotta with ginger crumb, caramelised bananas and spun sugar.
He admitted he was “really stretched [and] have given myself quite a lot to do, but I’d much rather that way than trying to play too safe”; for which he was described as “brave” by Marcus.
Speaking to judge Anna Haugh, he said of his west-coast location: “Where I am is mostly seafood-based, and I want to show that’s not all I’ve got and push myself.”
The taste test saw Marcus call the venison dish “perfect” with Anna praising how William had “managed to draw out that flavour into the sauce”, while fellow judge Gregg Wallace noted the “sharpness and sweetness in the red cabbage”, adding: “I’ve enjoyed every mouthful.”
Anna called his dessert “delicious” and “lovely and silky” and Marcus declared its flavours “a marriage made in heaven” – while Gregg told William: “I love love love your panna cotta; the Tonka bean is like vanilla that’s been in the gym, a big flavour.”
The Lanarkshire chef reached the quarter-final alongside fellow contestants Parminder and Anastacia following the judges’ “really difficult” decision, and William said: “I feel absoultely incredible knowing I’ve got through in a tough room of chefs.”
William is among 32 top chefs taking part in the 15th series of Masterchef: The Professionals, which is on BBC1 and iPlayer at 8pm tonight, and called it “such an experience, like nothing I’ve ever done before”.
He told how he began cooking after being inspired at a young age by his mum, saying: “I used to swing off her leg and ask a thousand questions about what she was making and why she made it a certain way; from there it just grew and grew and I began cooking all the time.
“My cooking style can be described in one word – tasty. I look to create big flavours where I can and use flavours from all over the world.”
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