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This week, the battle is on with the heats for Northern Ireland. Competing for the top spot are two returning chefs and two newcomers. Alex Greene is returning for another crack at the contest after being runner-up in the regional final last year. Having worked in a string of Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, he is now head chef at one-starred Deane’s Eipic in Belfast. He is hoping his classic dishes, which are big on flavour, will see him through this time around. Shauna Froydenlund is also returning after being runner-up at the regional final two years ago. She is co-chef patron of Marcus Wareing’s restaurant Marcus at the Berkeley Hotel with her husband Mark. She is a classical chef with particular pastry expertise. Newcomer Paul Cunningham is from Newcastle in Northern Ireland, where he is head chef at Brunels. Paul prides himself on using local ingredients and is a keen forager so tries to get a wild ingredient into every dish. Leigh Ferguson from Lisburn is head chef at Clenaghans in Aghalee. Also an advocate of local Northern Irish produce, Leigh is hoping to knock out the competition with the exotic ingredients he likes to infuse his dishes with.

Presenter and comedian Susan Calman welcomes the chefs to the competition. Today, one of the four talented chefs will be going home so they have to impress their surprise veteran from the outset. First, they must whip up a new course: an amuse bouche. The four chefs prepare delicious mouthfuls, including salt-aged beef tartare and a shamrock pie, and bring them to the pass as Tom Aikens steps into the kitchen to pass judgement. Although not officially scored, this mini-course is ranked and used in the event of a tie.

While the brief celebrates British success in children’s literature, this week the chefs are tasked with honouring the theme of magical lands and time travel in kids' books. Alex is making a filled baked potato in a cheese custard, which pays homage to Belfast author CS Lewis, whilst Shauna had similar inspiration for her dish Tea with Mr Tumnus, consisting of sardines on toast with an egg truffle and celeriac broth. Paul prepares an ambitious ode to Alice in Wonderland with his duck crumble with rhubarb starter, and Leigh honours CS Lewis’s Enchanted Wood in his mushroom panna cotta starter, which he serves with artichokes and hazelnuts. The chefs’ fate depends on the scores they receive from their veteran, and with one person leaving after the fish course, nerves are running high.

The chefs move on to the fish course, with Susan giving them support as they try to avoid being the first to leave. Leigh’s fish course is inspired by the Monster of Lough Neagh and showcases trout served with celeriac puree. Alex is planning on giving him a run for his money as he is cooking trout too but is serving his with beetroot. His dish Parrotfish is inspired by The Land of Neverbelieve by Norman Messenger. Shauna is cooking a dish inspired by the legend of Finn McCool, which gave the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland its name. It features monkfish, turnips and potatoes. Paul is opting to cook halibut with oysters and foraged nettles and seaweed in an ode to Enid Blyton’s The Magical Faraway Tree.

With some surprising scores all round, who will be eliminated from the competition and not get to cook their entire menu? The pressure is on for all the chefs to deliver.