Chefs vying for a taste of victory in TV challenge

Darlington restaurateur Kenny says it is the perfect place to showcase the talents of British chefs and produce.

"You're taking professional chefs at the top of their game, and they're not just competing for the supremacy of who cooks the best dish," he says. "Winning the starter round last year was great for me, but it was also great for the suppliers. It gives them a bit of credit for the hard work they do."

This year's winner will have to cook their locally-sourced menu for the Prince of Wales. He will host the final banquet which will take place on a National Trust estate.

And if you want to try some food from the series, start with these recipes below.

Pan roast Fountains Abbey venison loin, slow braised shin with seared liver and sage butter, English "garden patch" vegetables

Tim Bilton

Serves 4

4 x 100g loin of venison – fully boned and cleaned from any fat or sinew

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

4 sprigs thyme

4 sprigs rosemary

Salt and cracked black pepper

4 tsp thyme jelly

For the Slow Braised Venison Shin

4 x 200g shins of venison

4tbs rape seed oil

25g butter

onion chopped

carrot chopped

1 stick celery chopped

Leek chopped

bulb garlic

3 sprigs thyme

1tbsp tomato puree

2 Bay leaves

1 sprig rosemary

6 x Juniper berries

50ml Sloe gin

200ml Red wine (Merlot)

50ml Madeira

2lt Venison stock

4 x Asparagus spears prepared

8 x Baby carrots peeled and tops removed

1 x Spring cabbage – washed and shredded

4x Baby red onions peeled

8 x Baby leeks washed and trimmed

25g Yorkshire Butter

100ml water

2 sprigs tarragon

4 sprigs chervil

For the liver

400g Skinned and thinly sliced venison liver

2tbsp rapeseed oil

50g Yorkshire butter

20ml Madeira

8 leaves sage, washed and finely shredded

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Flour to coat the liver just before frying

Place the loin of venison on cling film with the thyme, rosemary, pepper and oil and roll up tight (this will slightly marinade the venison). Place in the fridge until required

For the Slow Braised Venison Shin. Heat a deep heavy roasting tray until hot, season the venison shins with salt and pepper and fry on both sides for two to three minutes or until golden brown. Set aside. Add the onion, carrot, celery, leek, garlic, thyme, rosemary and juniper berries, fry until golden brown. Be careful not to burn the vegetables. Add the tomato puree and cook for a further two minutes. Add the sloe gin, red wine and Madeira and reduce by half. Return venison shins to the roasting tray and add the venison stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer.

Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to fit inside the roasting tray and place over the simmering shins. Cover with tin foil tightly – this will keep the venison shins moist. Place into the oven at 180C for one-and-a-half to two hours, or until tender.

When cooked, remove shins from the roasting tray and pass off the liquid in to a clean pan. Reduce this liquid until slightly thick and with a nice shine.

For the English garden patch vegetables. Heat a saut pan, add and melt the butter, add the baby red onion and cook gently for three minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and water along with the tarragon sprigs. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer until water has evaporated. Add chervil.

Assembling the dish. Remove the marinating venison loin from the fridge and unwrap. Heat a frying pan and add the rapeseed oil. Season loins with salt and fry on both sides for two to three minutes each or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for five minutes. Lightly flour the liver, pat off any excess. Heat a frying pan, add oil and fry the loin on both sides for one to two minutes each.

Remove from the pan and keep warm. Add sage and fry a little. Add the Madeira, bring to boil, turn down the heat and add the butter, stirring all the time. Remove from heat. Place braised shin on to a warm plate and spoon over braising juice. Place liver on to the plate and spoon over sage butter sauce. Place the vegetables next to the shin and liver. Slice the venison loin into two (this should be pink) and place on top of vegetables. Garnish with thyme and chervil.

Rosewater-scented cheesecake with crystallised rose petals and strawberry juice

Anthony Demetre

Serves four

For the crystallised rose petals

2 handfuls of unsprayed rose petals

litre water

200g isomalt (available in some specialist baking stores)

100g caster sugar

1tsp rosewater

For the topping

250g full fat soft cream cheese

100g mascarpone style cheese

70g caster sugar

tsp rosewater

1 whole egg

15g cornflour

For the biscuit base

40g chilled, unsalted butter, diced

40g caster sugar

40g flour

40g ground almonds

1 pinch sea salt

For the glaze

160ml whipping cream

20g caster sugar

13ml water

2g leaf gelatine (soaked in cold water to soften)

tsp rosewater

For the strawberry juice

250g strawberries

40g icing sugar

Juice of lemon

In a medium pan, dissolve the isomalt, sugar and rosewater together, and bring up to 80C. Immerse the rose petals into the syrup to soften for a minute or so.

Take out with a fork, place onto a silicone mat and dry in the oven at 80C overnight.

Whisk all the base ingredients together and set aside. Work ingredients together by hand quickly to form a crumbly texture. Place into the chosen mould and bake at 150C for 20 minutes or until golden brown. This is the base for the cheesecake. When cooked, pour the cheese topping mixture into the mould while still hot, bake at 85C for 50-55 minutes. Once baked, remove, leave to cool and place in fridge until cold. In a medium pan, dissolve the sugar into the water over a warm heat, add the whipping cream and gelatine and rosewater. Combine thoroughly and pour over the warm glaze to evenly coat the surface, roughly 10 dessert spoons. Return to the fridge and chill until completely cold. Slice the strawberries, place in stainless steel bowl and mix in the sugar. Cover the bowl with cling film, set over a pan of simmering water and leave for around two hours. Strain, cool and mix in the lemon juice.

Portion cheesecake, serve with the strawberries, the juice around it and the rose petals on top.

Great British Menu is shown on weeknights at 6.30pm on BBC2. Tim is expected to make an appearance on May 10.