East Lancs chefs through in Masterchef: The Professionals

The past five weeks have seen the chefs whittled down to the best eight who are battling it out for a spot in finals week.

In Monday's show, one chef was to be eliminated with the cooks needing to be on top form to secure a place in the next round.

In the last eight were Dan Merriman, who now lives in Accrington and runs the kitchen at the Black Bull Inn in Old Langho, and George Birtwell, from Burnley and now a senior sous chef at the Michelin-starred Black Swan at Oldstead in North Yorkshire.

The semi-finalists were asked to create one dish which embraces either 'root-to-shoot' or 'nose-to-tail' eating. 

They could choose one ingredient and were tasked with serving it in as many innovative and exciting ways as they could, ‘showing total respect for the produce selected’. 

Dan opted for a pigeon dish, cooking it on the crown while also using breast, leg, heart and liver of the bird, with celeriac and a squab sauce.

Speaking to Gregg Wallace, who has stepped back from the show following accusations of historic inappropriate behaviour on set, Dan also admitted he had had doubts about his future in the industry but taking part in Masterchef had rekindled his love for cooking.

George went plant-based for his dish which was focused on celeriac. It included a whole salt-baked celeriac, a hazelnut, celery and lovage salad, with a soy, celeriac and mushroom broth.

He said he wanted to show humble ingredients can be used to create an elegant dish, and acknowledged it was a risk.

Judge Marcus Wareing said he was "seriously impressed" by Dan's dish, while Monica Galetti said he is a "great talented chef".

However, the judges were less impressed with George's dish. Marcus said the broth overpowered the flavour of celeriac, while Monica said the baked celeriac was undercooked, which George left him "deflated".

Dan was one of four chefs who went straight through to the next round, with George having to cook off in an invention test using a surprise main ingredient - his was sea bream.

George said he would "stick to what I know", and pan-fried the fish served with a white champagne fish sauce, with asparagus, fennel and gooseberries.

Monica said the dish was "simple but beautifully prepared, classic solid cookery", while Marcus praised George's sauce as "original, tasty, delicious".

George said on the programme: “I am very very happy with that – better than the last round. I had to perform in there and cook my food and how I like to cook. And it worked.”

His dish earned him a place in tonight's show, where the remaining chefs are tasked with cooking for rising culinary star Victor Garvey, plus having to prepare a dish inspired by a special occasion, to earn a spot in Thursday's final round of the semi-finals.