Welsh chef Owen Vaughan has been knocked out of Masterchef: The Professionals after burning a seabass dish. Justifying what went wrong, he said: "It didn't feel right in the kitchen today. I don't know what was wrong with me."
The 25-year-old from Barmouth secured a place in the final after wowing with a roast duck dish that he wanted to share with Manchester City player Kevin de Bruyne last week. The dish saw him go through to the final six who will now battle it out during three episodes during finals week, which culminates on Sunday, December 11.
The father-of-one, who was the Head Chef at Penmaenuchaf Hotel in Snowdonia when filming took place, said: "Unbelievable, MasterChef finalist - I can tick that one off. I believe in myself now. I'm here on merit. I'm buzzing. It's crazy." Here's how he's fared during each stage in the competition so far...
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The first heat
After an initial cooking skills test, which saw Owen prepare kidney on a potato rosti with creamy mustard sauce, the four contestants in the first heat had to produce a two-course menu to impress the judges - Marcus Wareing, Gregg Wallace and Anna Haugh - and win one of two quarter final places.
Owen served them pan-fried halibut with cauliflower three ways, cous-cous and a curried puree followed by a chocolate and raspberry frangipane tart. While the judges felt he could have pared back the ingredients in his dishes they agreed that he had the knowledge, technicality and skill and put him through to the first quarter final. Gregg told him: "You clearly show a mastery of classic technique."
The quarter final
Owen served up poached cod with peanut satay sauce for starter and roasted venison loin with beetroot puree for the mains to a group of top food critics. Tom Parker Bowles described the fish as "beautifully cooked" and loved the textures and peanut flavours. He called Owen's food "refined and elegant".
After tasting the first course, William Sitwell said: "Owen has got a lot of technical skills and he has got them to perfection." The venison was also a hit with Parker Bowles saying it was "technically brilliant. He's not put a foot wrong. It's impressive". Jimi Famurewa added: "Every part of this just hits the spot."
Owen was one of five chefs cooking in the first quarter final with two of them going through to the semi-final. Owen was clearly relieved to have impressed with his two-course meal as an earlier skills challenge, which saw them serving their favourite brunches to the judges, wasn't such a success - they felt that his smoked haddock, bacon and asparagus dish featured too many ingredients.
The semi finals
Rather confusingly, MasterChef: The Professionals is made up of a number of semi finals challenges which were screened on Monday, November 28, Thursday, December 1 and Friday, December 2.
During the first one on Monday, November 28 , Owen was one of 10 chefs left in the competition who were asked to prepare showstopping dishes based on their favourite food memories. Owen spoke about how he would love foraging with his father for ingredients while growing up and his pigeon dish proved a hit with the judges who put him though to the next stage.
Marcus said: "The pigeon was beautifully cooked - I love the caramelisation on the outside." Anna added: "Your celeriac puree is beautiful. When that sauce mixes with anything on that plate it enhances it." Gregg said: "It's (the dish) so working for me. I've tasted a lot of food today and I'm on the verge of finishing what's on this plate."
Owen returned to the competition on Friday, December 2 in the second team challenge featuring four of the remaining eight when they had to make pop-up dishes for a street food vendor. Owen chose classic cooking with a Spanish influence having worked in a tapas restaurant and went for BBQ quail with patatas bravas and Romesco sauce, which the diners were impressed with even if the quail was a little under-charred.
Secondly, he produced roast duck with crispy cabbage and a Chinese five-spice duck sauce which he said he would share with his hero, Manchester City player Kevin de Bruyne. The dish was a hit with the judges with Marcus saying its execution was "absolutely brilliant" and it saw him through to finals week.
The final
Owen's time in the competition, ultimately, came to an end on Tuesday, December 6. He served the judges a dish of pan fried seabass, poached langoustines, pea puree, glazed silver-skin onions, pea, broad bean and courgette fricassee and a roasted chicken butter sauce.
Upon receiving the judges critique, Marcus bluntly asked Owen: "Why'd you burn your fish? I'm shocked because you're better than that." Anna then commented on how the fish was not only burnt but "dry". In summary, Gregg said: "The fish skin, you can't ignore."
After he was told that he'd be leaving the competition, Owen said: "It’s been a dream of mine to come on the show but I’m genuinely so happy."
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