"So familiar are eggs to us that in the 18th century they were referred to as cackling farts, on the basis that chickens cackled all the time and eggs came out of the back of them."

From almond and brioche pain perdu with pears to sous vide fillet of beef with cep, Oli's dish-by-dish MasterChef journey...

From pan-roasted brioche pudding with sautéed pears to roasted cannon and rack of lamb with wild mushroom and white bean cassoulet, Keri's dish-by-dish journey...

From chicken ballotine with bacon and tarragon to deconstructed "roast chicken", Aaron's dish-by-dish journey...

From chicken ballotine filled with tarragon and chicken mousse to pan-fried turbot with beef dripping potatoes, Alec's dish-by-dish journey...

Keep winter at bay and take your taste buds to warmer climes with this Mediterranean treat

Enter our competition for your chance to win one of ten copies of Monica Galetti's new book for food lovers with limited time

Michel Roux Jr's formidable sous chef Monica Galetti watched Paul Jones do the dreaded skills test, before the man himself passed judgement...

The MasterChef: the Professionals judge gives his top tips for how to shine in the kitchen

"Teach them to respect everything: a knife because it's sharp; the oven because it's hot; ingredients because they're expensive"