The Best

What happens when three chefs all pit their wits against each other to find the very best recipes?

The Best is a British cookery programme which aired for ten episodes in 2002 on BBC2.

'The Best' introduced us to three of the brightest new stars in the world of food - Paul Merrett (Head Chef at The Greenhouse in Mayfair, who trained under Gary Rhodes), Ben O'Donoghue (Head Chef at Monte's, a private members' club in Knightsbridge, where Jamie Oliver is a consultant chef) and Silvana Franco (food consultant, writer and stylist for many well known celebrity chefs).

The programme saw the three culinary rivals, each with their own individual cookery styles, competing to produce the best dish using the same main ingredient or theme. As Silvana says, 'Paul's dishes have the 'wow' factor, Ben is innovative, using ingredients you may not have used before and I cook food that will appeal to people who want to cook something in a hurry.'

Categories include everything from the best lamb recipe - from Paul's Stuffed lamb saddle, Ben's Crunchy polenta shepherd's pie or Silvana's Warm lamb salad - the best rice dish - Silvana's Crusty squash pilaf, Ben's Chinese pork and egg congee or Paul's authentic Paella - to the best chocolate recipe to satisfy a sweet tooth - Silvana's Speedy chocolate cardamom sauce, Ben's White chocolate panacotta or Paul's Classic chocolate fondant.

Judging was performed by a rotating panel of three judges, who were not told who created which dish.

In The Best Paul, Ben and Silvana share their professional know-how, offering tips, shortcuts and endless ideas to help you serve up delicious home-cooked meals every time.

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0356230/combined

http://www.locatetv.com/tv/best/23196/episode-guide

• Season 1 Episode 10: Cheese and Barbecue

  Chefs Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco test out seafood barbecue recipes on the three judges and rustle up their tastiest cheese snacks. Dishes include four-cheese fondue, orange barbecue sardines, goat's cheese and cranberry toasts, and barbecue beer and chilli mussels. Last in series

• Season 1 Episode 9: Berry and Pasta

  Chef Silvana Franco prepares quick pasta suppers and sumptuous summer berry desserts for the three judges. Dishes include strawberry margarita granita, tomato and herb linguine, peach and raspberry clafoutis and classic spaghetti carbonara

• Season 1 Episode 8: Salad and Pork

  Chefs Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco create succulent salads and test out their tastiest pork dishes on the three judges. Recipes include crunchy tomato panzanella, fig and feta salad, pork vindaloo and Chinese-style crispy pork

• Season 1 Episode 7: Veg and Noodle

  Chefs Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco are challenged to create a variety of vegetable side dishes and tasty noodle bowls to impress the panel of judges. Recipes include steamed Florence fennel, chicken noodle laksa, pepperonata, and roasted asparagus and oriental noodle salad

• Season 1 Episode 6: Soup and Tuna

  Chefs Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco battle it out to prepare the tastiest soups for summer, as well as testing out their most tantalising fresh tuna recipes. Dishes include Thai hot and sour soup, tuna and horseradish burgers and velvet cauliflower soup

• Season 1 Episode 5: Tart and Chicken

  Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco compete to see who can produce the tastiest summer tart with the season's fruits, including raspberries, pink grapefruit and plums. The second challenge is to create a spicy chicken dish, prompting the chefs to prepare a tandoori-style recipe, a batch of hot chicken wings and an exotic poussin

• Season 1 Episode 4: Breakfast and Rice

  Chefs Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco give the mornings extra get-up-and-go with three ideas for the perfect light breakfast and also demonstrate how to prepare rice dishes. Culinary delights include coffee and pecan muffins, panettone with poached peaches, authentic Spanish paella and crusty vegetable pilaf

• Season 1 Episode 4: Sweet Breakfast and Savoury Rice

  Chefs Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco combine their gastronomic know-how to provide kitchen secrets and culinary shortcuts as they create dishes based on a given ingredient or theme

• Season 1 Episode 3: Egg and Lamb

  Chefs Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco get in the mood for spring with a range of dishes containing ingredients associated with the season - eggs and lamb. Recipes include pea and mint frittata, crunchy polenta shepherd's pie, cheese souffle and stuffed saddle of lamb

• Season 1 Episode 2: Chocolate and Fish

  Chefs Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco combine their gastronomic know-how to provide culinary shortcuts for a range of fish dishes and chocolate puddings, including roast hake and pancetta, haddock and mushy pea fish cakes, chocolate fondant and chocolate cardamom sauce

• Season 1 Episode 1: Sandwiches and Steaks

  Chefs Paul Merrett, Ben O'Donoghue and Silvana Franco gather their gastronomic know-how to present their best sandwich and favourite steak dinner