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MasterChef The Professionals UK Series 4

MasterChef the Professionals fires up in a new sizzling six week run from Monday to Thursday nights on BBC2, as Michelin starred Michel Roux Jnr and Masterchef judge Gregg Wallace, devour, dissect, and debate dishes in their hunt for the next culinary superstar.

The knives are out from the start in four weeks of heats rich with culinary challenges that would terrify the most consummate pro. The chefs will have to impress the awesome palate of Michel’s formidable sous chef, Monica Galetti, if they are to get even a whiff of cooking for the culinary master. The rising stars selected will then have to ride the wave of mounting pressure as Michel asks them to recreate some of his awe-inspiring classic dishes. For the most exceptional chefs reaching the quarter final, the reward will be sweet: cooking for some of the UK’s top restaurant critics.

The semi finals take us up to boiling point as they compete in service at some of the UK’s most jaw-dropping Michelin restaurants. Going head to head, this is culinary jousting at its most sublime and the chefs have to step up like never before. Fortunes rest on every minute detail and everything has to reach the perfectly, dizzying standards of cuisine at this level.

With the competition intensifying, the Finals catapult the three exceptional finalists in to the culinary fast lane. Michel and Gregg send them to the mind blowing El Celler de Can Roca, San Pellegrino’s second best restaurant in the world, where a triad of 3 Michelin starred genius brothers run the show. This is a life changing experience for the chefs who must then feed their inspiration in to their penultimate challenge: cooking for over 30 of Europe’s greatest chefs.

With culinary fireworks at an all time high, this Professional series culminates in some of the most outstanding cookery ever witnessed by the judges. After cooking one last time for Michel and Gregg, only one will be crowned Professional MasterChef Champion 2011.

Michel’s Classics

Hot off the back of Professional MasterChef, double Michelin starred Michel Roux Jr gives Masterchef fans and serious cooks a culinary masterclass fit for a King, demonstrating classics from the latest series as well as others from his legendary heritage.

In these two half hours, Michel joyfully and lovingly prepares sumptuous dishes close to his heart with unique tips and historic notes from his Roux heritage but be warned: this is cooking at its most extravagant and certainly not for the faint-hearted!

Michel eases us in to indulgent French classics at their most delectable with dishes such as the pate of all pates: Dodine de Canard aux pistaches, a whole stuffed duck with pistachios prepared over three days and served as a terrine with pickles.

Then, there’s the sublime patisserie St Honore a la crème chantilly, choux buns with caramel and crème chantilly in abundance, and finally the divine Burgundian classic Oeuf Meurette poche, red wine poached egg on brioche with mushroom duxelle, dressed up as a brunch item.

Broadcaster: BBC