2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Dylan Hayward)
WARNING - This article contains spoilers A Leicester-born chef's unique approach to foraged ingredients has ended her journey on BBC's MasterChef: The Professionals at the quarter-final stage. Pippa Lovell, who previously ran restaurant Versa on the Isle of Man, faced elimination after her unusual combinations divided the judges during a one hour and 15 minute cooking challenge. Pippa's tough challenge aired on Thursday (November 14) when the contestants were tasked to create two courses featuring offal.
Pippa's signature style shone through as she presented hogweed-cooked carrots with dog rose jam and fermented magnolias. Food critic Grace Dent described it as " fairytale food ", while critic Jimi Famurewa praised the "floral sweetness of the dog rose jam". Her dishes left food critic Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Queen Camilla, struggling for words.
"It's unlike anything I've had before," he said. "A very rare thing but you want to eat it. It has a freshness and sharpness.
" READ MORE: 'Ambitious' bid aims to turn Leicester into one of the UK's 'foremost music cities' However, her seafood and lamb combination dish, featuring cockles cooked in pine, scallops and wood blewit mushroom pancake with seaweed butter, received mixed reviews. "Scallops cooked in pine are usually quite a strident bullying taste and I didn't actually taste that - scallops beautifully cooked," noted judge Tom, though Grace found the overall combination "peculiar", despite acknowledging her cooking ability. On her MasterChef debut in Monday's episode (November 11), Pippa had showcased her sustainable cooking with foraged ingredients.
"My ideas are weird, wacky and wonderful," she admitted to the judges, while acknowledging they were "very risky". The remaining chefs now move forward to knockout week, where they will face more pressure-testing challenges in their bid to become this year's champion. MasterChef: The Professionals continues without Pippa on Monday (November 18) at 9pm on BBC One .
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