Programme 2

Watch Owain in programme 2

"Fantastic!" was Owain's first reaction when he heard the news that he was on his way to Provence.

"I couldn't believe that I had gone through from round one, let alone the second round because the standard was so high. I knew that Provence was a beautiful area with great food and wine so I was looking forward to it immensely."

"The experience that stay's in my mind is seeing the French chefs 'demos'"

"I was very disappointed to be going home on the first day, because I didn't want to be the first one out. But I made a mistake in the preparation of the dish. However, I was glad that I had reached Provence in the first place."

One word to describe the experience - short!

Owain thinks that Michael will win because "he has a real passion for food that makes him stand out from the rest"

The 5 ingredient challenge Owain pan fried the fish with garlic and herbs and served them with roasted pepper and stuffed aubergine rolls.
How did they feel they did? "Ok I think. I just had to think quickly. There was no time to change my mind."
What did the judges think? The fish was not prepared properly. He did not remove the skin of the roasted pepper. Nice idea but poor technique.

Programme 1 - Round Two
Coq au vin with vegetables.

Watch Owain in round 2

Owain's Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients
Dauphinoise Potatoes:
2 large potatoes e.g. King Edward - thinly sliced
120ml double cream
120ml milk
50g gruyere cheese - finely grated
nutmeg - grated
1 clove of garlic

Red Cabbage:
1 Red Cabbage
25g Butter
Pinch of Salt and Butter
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
30ml Balsamic Vinegar

Bacon, Mushrooms and Baby Onions:
1 slice o good bacon (no water) - chopped
8-12 baby onions
2 handfuls of mushrooms
olive oil and butter for frying

Red Wine Sauce:
(Stock)
1 Chicken
1 Baby onion - finely chopped
2 Cloves of Garlic - crushed
2 tbsp Brandy - to clean the saucepan
1 Onion - sliced
2 Celery - sliced
2 Carrots - sliced
4 Sprigs of Thyme
3 Bay Leaves
1 tsp of Sage
½ Lemon - sliced
1 tsp Sugar
½-¾ a good light French red wine e.g. Bourougne or Beaujolais

Method

Dauphinoise Potatoes

Boil the potatoes in the milk and cream for 10 minutes, add half the cheese. Place cling film over ramekin dishes, grease the sides with butter and rub a clove of garlic around the sides. Place the mixture in the ramekin dishes and place in a preheated oven at 180°C/Gas 4 for 45 minutes. Top the ramekin dishes with the remainder of the cheese and a pinch of nutmeg and black pepper.

Red Cabbage

Cut the cabbage into quarters, discarding the white piece in the middle, and then thinly slice the cabbage. Place in a frying pan or saucepan with the butter, salt and pepper and brown sugar and cook for 5 minutes on a low heat. Add the balsamic vinegar, bring to the boil, add the same amount of water and simmer over a low heat for half an hour - depending on your taste you might need to add more sugar.

Bacon, Mushrooms and Baby Onions

Heat the oil and butter (half and half) in a frying pan or saucepan and fry the bacon and onions until brown. Transfer to a dish. In a small saucepan, boil the mushrooms in a little water on a low heat, cover with a lid and boil for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the bacon and onions and place to one side. Leave the fat in the pan for stock.

Coq au Vin

Place the carcass, bones and wings in the pan that contained the fat from the stock. Add the two breasts with skin and seal the meat for 2 minutes each side. Transfer the breasts to the oven and roast for 30 minutes at 160°C/Gas 2. Continue to fry the bones, add the baby onion, garlic and brandy and set alight. Once the flames are out add the celery, onions and carrots and sweat for 5 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaf, sage, lemon and sugar. Pour half the red wine over the vegetables, cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for half an hour. Pour the mixture through a sieve to create a smooth sauce, removing any fat that has accumulated on the top. Pour the sauce into a clean saucepan and simmer for another 5-10 minutes until the sauce has reduced in size. Add more wine and reduce further until the sauce is dark in colour and thick.

Remove the chicken breast from the oven and place under a hot grill until the skin is crisp. Add the mushrooms, bacon and onion mixture to the sauce and reheat.

To serve - place the cabbage in the middle of the plate, slice the chicken breasts and place on top of the cabbage. Serve the potatoes on the side of the plate and pour the sauce over the meat.

Watch Owain in Round 1

Programme 1 - Round One
Goats cheese with walnuts

Judges opinion

Taste: good balance of flavours
Presentation: colourful