Globe artichokes are delicious and very versatile – a staple of Mediterranean cooking – but they can be a little intimidating to prepare if you’ve never tried before. Laurence had to prepare a whole load of artichokes for his banquet dish, and got himself into a bit of bother – preparing an artichoke isn't the quickest of jobs! Take a look at our handy guide, then get stuck into some recipes in our collection.

Dean has proved himself in the competition as a chef who has a good handle on exotic flavours. He delivered an interesting halibut ceviche to the chef’s table – the idea of cooking fish with acid can be a little daunting if you don’t know what you’re doing. Check out our simple guide, and check the recipe collection to see how various different chefs tackle their ceviches.

Another tricky thing to get right – lots of us are put off by the idea of sweetbreads and the challenge of cooking them correctly, but a well cooked sweetbread is a meaty, delicious treat. Anne-Sophie Pic gave Laurence her famous sweetbreads cooked in beeswax dish to cook at her restaurant, and he smashed it. The key is getting a nice caramelised crust on the outside, and cooking the inside to the right temperature, around 62ºC. Check out Mark Hix’s classic recipe for lamb sweetbreads with peas – a great starting point for those learning to prep and cook sweetbreads.

Laurence’s lobster dish at the chef’s table was a smash hit, and he utilised every single part of the lobster to maximise the flavour in his final plate of food. He roasted the heads and shells to provide the base flavour for his bisque, gently cooked the tail meat as the centrepiece of the dish, and used the meat from the claws and knuckles to make dumplings to sit alongside. It always pays to use every part of an ingredient – especially when they’re expensive. Check out our lobster guides and recipe collection for more.

Oli made a name for himself on this year's competition as an exciting chef who delivered something unusual and interesting with every dish. Many of his dishes featured foraged ingredients – little touches that elevated his food to the next level and provided sparks of interest for diners. Take a look at our handy guide to easy foraging in the UK!