The Hour

As part of mentor week, the final four contestants in Chef’s Apprentice are getting the chance to work with the Michelin award-winning French chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli.

Novelli will join the contestants in the kitchen alongside Steven Kitchin – a teacher at his cook school, the Novelli Academy – to offer the chef’s some invaluable tips.

Stephanie was the third finalist to gain some insider tips from the world renowned chef as she practiced her final dish – bramble and heather honey dessert – in front of Novelli.

“Last time I was [cooking], I left stuff to the last minute trying to get everything perfect for the judges,” Stephanie said. “It has been really hard but I’m getting there.”

Stephanie ran into a bit of trouble with her cream after over-whipping the mixture. Novelli said: “In cooking, you can’t cheat, you cannot compromise” and suggested re-starting the topping.

“The only ones who do not succeed are the people who don’t try and you do try,” he said, offering words of encouragement to the 16-year-old.

The slight setback did not affect the trainee chef and she successfully plated up her dish within the hour timeframe.

“I like the idea of using height and I haven’t used it in my starter or main dish,” Stephanie reflected.

Novelli was more than impressed with the layered presentation of the dessert saying it looked ‘absolutely superb’ but said the real test was in the taste and texture.

“This is really, really nice,” Novelli said after tasting the dessert. “It has got the sweetness of the cream and a little bit of acidity.”

To find out how the other finalists got on, visit the dedicated Chef's Apprentice site. Also check out some of the recipes that have been made throughout the series.