Celebrity Best Home Cook episode 6: It’s the quarter-final, and Mary Berry challenges the cooks to produce their ultimate celebration cake. The cakes can be any shape, size or flavour but must celebrate an event, and the type of event must be obvious from the design.
For Chris Bavin’s Rustle Up challenge, they are tasked with making the humble chickpea the star of their dishes. Then, Angela Hartnett sets one of her hardest eliminators to date, asking the cooks to produce three different Asian-inspired dishes within a very short space of time. At the end of a close blind tasting, the judges announce who will be leaving the competition and missing out on a place in the semi-final.
Celebrity Best Home Cook episode 6 recipes:
Steamed prawn gyoza
Serve these delicate little steamed prawn gyoza dumplings as part of a selection of Japanese-inspired starters.
Method:
- Brush a bamboo steamer with oil, line with greaseproof paper and brush the paper with oil.
- Put all the ingredients for the gyoza (except the dumpling wrappers) in a mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined, then season with salt and black pepper.
- To assemble the dumplings, fill a small bowl with cold water. Take one dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place a heaped teaspoon of the prawn filling in the centre. Dip your finger in the water and run it around the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the filling, but don’t seal the edges yet. Pinch pleats along one side of the wrapper and press against the opposite side to seal as you go. Work your way along the edge, until the filling is completely enclosed. Place the dumpling in the lined steamer basket, then repeat until you have six dumplings.
- To make the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients together and transfer to a small serving bowl.
- To cook the gyoza, place the bamboo steamer basket over a pan of simmering water, cover with the lid and steam for 5 minutes. Serve immediately, with the sliced spring onion scattered over and the dipping sauce on the side.
Chicken teriyaki skewers – Celebrity Best Home Cook episode 6
With their tasty glaze, these chicken teriyaki skewers make a fab first course or party nibble. You can get ahead by preparing the sauce, threading the chicken onto the skewers and toasting the sesame seeds a couple of hours in advance.
Method:
- Heat the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and cornflour in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and glossy.
- Cut each chicken thigh into three or four strips. Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a small frying pan.
- To cook the skewers, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil and once hot, add the chicken skewers. Brush with the sauce and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, brushing regularly with the sauce and turning frequently until the chicken is cooked through and coated in all the sauce. Serve hot, sprinkled with the toasted sesame seeds.
Happy heartbreak cake – Celebrity Best Home Cook episode 6
If you know someone that needs cheering up, this spectacular, yet surprisingly simple-to-make, happy heartbreak cake will bring the sunshine back.
Method:
- First, prepare the champagne reduction for the buttercream. Put the champagne and caster sugar in a saucepan over a medium–high heat for 10–12 minutes until reduced and syrupy. Transfer to a small bowl and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease three 20cm/8in round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.
- To make the vanilla sponge, put the butter and sugar in a freestanding mixer and beat well for a couple of minutes, until pale. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing after each addition. Gradually add the flour and mix again to combine. Add the vanilla extract and milk and mix to combine.
- Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins. Bake for 25–30 minutes, turning the tins after 20 minutes if necessary so they colour evenly. The cakes are done when they are lightly golden and feel springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for 10–15 minutes. Remove from the tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Method part 2:
- To make the buttercream, put the butter and icing sugar in a freestanding mixer and beat for a few minutes, until light and creamy. Add the champagne reduction and mix for another minute or two, until well combined. Add a few drops of pink food colouring to achieve the desired shade of pink, if you like.
- To assemble: if necessary, use a large serrated knife to slice off the domed tops of the cakes so they are flat. Put one sponge on a serving plate, cake board or cake stand. Spread a layer of buttercream over the sponge, followed by a generous layer of the raspberry jam. Repeat with another layer of sponge, buttercream and jam and finish with the third sponge on top. Crumb coat the cake by spreading a thin layer of the buttercream all over the sides and top of the cake, using a large palette knife. This will help to seal in the crumbs and make the final coat of buttercream much easier to apply. Chill the cake for 15–20 minutes.
- To finish, spread the remaining buttercream all over the cake in an even layer, using a cake smoother or large palette knife to get it super smooth.
- To decorate, arrange the ice cream cone in the middle of the cake and fill with salted caramel popcorn and malted milk balls, so they are spilling out and down the side. Decorate with chocolate-coated strawberries, if using.