Naughty But Nice Mary Berry Everyday

'I'm Mary Berry and in this series I'll be celebrating the very best

'of my everyday cooking.'

Day-to-day cooking needn't be mundane - even the simplest recipes

can be a joy.

I want to show you easy ways to transform dishes

into something really special.

From my fabulous crowd-pleasers...

How about sorbet?

I think we've got enough for everyone.

..to old favourites that stir fond memories...

-Welcome home, Mary.

-I'm here to stay.

..and my hearty wholesome delights.

Wow.

Look at that.

In this programme - how to turn the everyday

into something truly indulgent.

Top-end pie, we'll call it.

We all have times when we want to spoil ourselves.

Come on, my man. Let's get going.

-Brake off.

-Brake's off.

I love the food I cook and I try to keep it deliciously healthy,

but sometimes I'm in the mood to add a little bit of naughtiness

to the mix.

We all deserve a little indulgence from time to time.

So with this programme I'll be showing you my go-to recipes

for days when salad just won't do.

A pasta dish with more than a hint of indulgence,

my crusty pie oozing with delight,

a steak recipe that's our guilty pleasure.

And a wickedly comforting dessert, but first,

my delectable fishcakes with a melting surprise in the middle.

This is a recipe I think you'll love and you'll come back and do

again and again. It does take time -

a little bit more than the normal fishcake, but, gosh, it's worth it.

Start off with a nice fillet of smoked haddock.

Over like that and just pinch it and imagine it's a Cornish pasty.

In that goes at 180 and it will take about 15 minutes or so.

While that cooks, I'll show you what sets these apart.

Now, this is where these fishcakes are different, because I'm going to

do a runny sauce filling in the middle.

The base of this rich sauce is a roux.

Remember, equal quantities of butter and flour.

My top tip here is what you do with the milk.

I find adding hot milk means that you get a much smoother sauce -

so little by little.

And that's just the consistency I want.

Beautifully smooth.

'To make it truly luxurious, pep it up with a squeeze of lemon,

'half a teaspoon of Dijon mustard,

'25g of freshly grated Parmesan...'

You can imagine this is really tasty and very special.

'..and some chopped parsley, and season.'

That is going to be beautifully tasty in the middle

and it's going to be a lovely surprise as you cut through.

While that cools, let's see

how my delicious smoked haddock is getting on.

Gosh, it smells good.

Adding the flavoursome juices is a simple way to give the sauce a lift.

Then you just peel that skin off and it comes off like a dream.

We don't have a cat in our household,

but you always say, "I'll keep it for the cat."

Loosely flake the fish and combine it with that great staple -

mashed potato.

It's about equal mash to fish.

If you want to make it more economical, you add more potato.

Once it's well mixed, roll into four good sized balls.

It reminds me of bread-making, this.

And now for the clever bit.

So take each one and then make a hole in there.

I don't want to go through to the bottom,

I'm being very, very careful.

And sort of pinch it. You see there?

Then simply spoon in that indulgent creamy sauce and fold over the top,

leaving no holes at all.

So you've got a sort of ball shape.

Carefully squash them into a traditional fishcake shape

before coating in flour, egg, and panko breadcrumbs.

If you have time, chill the fishcakes before you fry them -

it helps them to stay firm.

So keep an eye on them.

We're going to get them nicely golden brown.

Once they're a beautiful even colour,

pop them in the oven at 180 fan for about 15 minutes.

And now for the moment of truth.

Oh, look at that.

It's got a beautiful, soft mellow sauce in the middle.

That's a far cry from the basic fishcake.

Perfect for an everyday supper.

After all my years of cooking,

I still delight in bringing together simple everyday ingredients

to create a thing of pure indulgence,

like this heavenly pasta dish.

This recipe is deliciously rich and I go back to it time and time again.

This is orzo pasta.

You may not be familiar with it,

but I think it's delicious when it's well-flavoured.

It looks like long grain rice, but it's pasta and in it all goes.

Cook the orzo for about nine minutes and while that boils away,

fry an onion in butter until it's soft.

Turn the heat down and let it look after itself.

Now I can prepare a couple of my favourite ingredients

that will really make this dish -

two fat cloves of garlic and lemon zest.

I've got a lemon tree that I'm growing,

I have to say, without too much success.

I bring it inside in the winter.

I feed it, but this year, there are no lemons on it.

I'll have to try harder next year.

Four minutes before the orzo is cooked, in go 200g of petits pois

and frozen baby broad beans.

Shell them if you've got time.

Right, the onion is doing well.

If it's taken a little bit of colour, that's fine.

Then I'm going to add to that the garlic.

The pasta is ready, I'm just going to drain that.

Tip that straight in.

For depth of flavour, I need 50g of Parmesan.

If you press lightly on the grater,

I like those long threads and it's a little bit different and the flavour

really comes through.

That, I reckon, is about 50g,

give or take.

Thyme has a wonderful intense flavour and I think

it goes perfectly with Mediterranean dishes.

I love the smell. If you actually chop the leaves,

it's much more aromatic and it will give much more flavour to that.

In it goes. I'm going to add some pepper and a little salt.

In goes the juice of a lemon and the zest,

and half of that fresh Parmesan.

Doesn't that look good? This is where you add a touch of luxury.

This is creme fraiche, full fat, of course, and there it goes -

absolutely delicious.

This is indulgent, we're spoiling ourselves.

Sprinkle over the rest of the Parmesan

and to give it that final richness,

a handful of toasted pine nuts.

Well, I for one can't wait to get stuck in.

A great family dish,

but its a little bit naughty and nice.

One of my husband Paul's greatest joys is to drive

through the countryside in an old classic car.

I love it too as long as there is a great picnic at the end.

It couldn't be a more perfect day, could it?

England as it should be in glorious sunshine.

I could get used to this.

And what could be better on a picnic than a good old British pie?

I don't indulge in them very often,

but when I feel like a bit of a treat,

there's nothing I love more.

We've stopped in Thame in Oxfordshire to meet Tom Newitt,

whose family has been making pies for over 50 years.

So Tom, what's your secret for the very best pie?

Traditionally, locally sourced ingredients,

a good mix of gravy and meat and local flour of which we would then

make our own pastry, but also putting a good filling in

and a good weight of filling.

You've got every size, every flavour.

Well, thank you, Mary. Yes, we also have some unusual ones

which are named after my children.

For Charlotte, we did a sausage and bean pie with mash

which was her favourite as a child. Do try that.

It certainly looks good.

That is a very different pie,

but I can understand how Charlotte loves them.

I think I love it too.

Good. It is especially nice for children to have for tea.

I don't know about children, I'm ready to have another bite!

Pies date back to Roman times

and some say as early as ancient Egypt,

but there's something terribly British

about these pastry-wrapped parcels.

Mind you, I've never had to make them at this speed.

Can I just pop it there for a moment?

That goes on top.

Now, you start me off.

Oh, gosh.

That really is getting a good seal.

So how many an hour am I supposed to do?

We need to see you hit the 30 mark at least, Mary.

This is quite difficult.

A lifetime of cooking has taught me no pie will work

without the perfect pastry seal.

I don't think I would be employed very long, I'd be a bit slow.

I think you better go round and tidy it up. That's better.

-Right, what's next?

-And then we go to the press.

There we are, does that go in there?

-OK.

-That comes down.

-Pull it down.

-On your marks, get, set...

Pull.

And then release.

There we are.

And it has done a good trimming job.

I think as you made that one, Mary, you need to take that one home.

Well, I think it's quite a beauty.

It looks very nice.

With a steak pie for supper and a couple of Scotch pies for lunch,

it's time to go in search of that idyllic picnic spot.

-A very good idea to stop here.

-Are you ready for a pie?

Absolutely cram-jammed full of meat.

-Very nice.

-Smells perfect.

There we are - the best of British.

-Come on, have a try.

-Very kind, thank you very much.

It's very nice. This is the top end.

Top-end pie, we'll call it.

When it comes to a pie, we all have our own favourite.

Mine uses simple ingredients with spectacular results.

It's absolutely scrumptious.

It's quite rich, there is a lot of cheese.

I brought out the flavour with mustard.

Let me just show you.

So to start off with, fry a couple of leeks and an onion in butter.

In goes 50g of flour.

Just coat the onion and leek with that.

And 600ml of hot milk.

It should be the sort of consistency that it coats the back of a spoon.

What lifts this pie out of the ordinary is the cheese,

so don't hold back.

50g of mature Cheddar and the same of Parmesan.

So you see, a little bit naughty and very rich, but jolly good.

Add some finely-chopped thyme and season well.

The cheese will be quite salty, so you don't need too much.

And you know how I love mustard with cheese.

I'm using French Dijon mustard, so in that goes.

Doesn't that look good?

All that's needed now is the potato.

I've cubed and cooked about 450g.

Now that's got to go stone-cold before I put the pastry on it,

but it's very important at this stage to actually taste it,

because once the lid of the pastry is on, you can't alter it.

It's scrumptious.

I'm going to make my own pastry for the pie.

It's a quick flaky pastry.

I'm going to show you how to make perfect flaky pastry every time.

The trick is to make sure the fat is as cold as it can be.

So to 300g of flour, grate in 125g of cold lard.

And because it's so cold,

it isn't getting all over me and it makes good pastry.

And then exactly the same with very cold butter.

Grating the fat helps to ensure a really good result.

And I'll need about 150ml of cold water.

Then I want to get some air in the pastry.

We've got the air in the pastry through grating the fat,

but now I'm going to do it by rolling it out and building layers.

We want a lovely, light pastry

so the more air you can get in, the better.

Now I'm trapping the air in by pressing the two ends like that,

and then like that.

A little bit wider.

And take the end again and fold it over.

Turn it round and do that two more times.

Once you've finished, wrap it up and chill in the fridge

for at least half an hour.

Now we're bringing it all together and we're on the final stretch.

I've got one last trick to really make the perfect crust.

I'm going to put a strip of pastry round the edge

so it looks well risen.

Then I'm going to put in the middle this blackbird.

I always used to use a handle-less cup,

because that's what my mother did.

It was a viewer who actually sent me one of these because she felt sorry

for me, so I've used it ever since just to support the pastry

and make it just that little bit higher than the filling.

With the lid on, all that remains are my finishing touches.

Bake in the oven at 200 fan for about 40 minutes.

I'm really chuffed with it. Let's have a go.

Oh.

Doesn't that look tempting?

Whoops.

I like to serve it with a few beans and, yes,

they've got a little bit of butter on top too.

There we are.

The smell is wonderful. I can't wait to try.

That really is scrumptious.

Paul spent most of his working life in antiques and it's a passion

we both share.

When we have time, there's nothing we enjoy more than looking for that

little something to add to our collection.

Lots of treasures here, I hope.

Looking around, Paul, this is meat and drink to me.

-We've got a pair of these. Don't you love them?

-Yes.

Big and bold.

Paul's particular interests have always been books and art

and, of course, sport.

Even when it comes to antiques,

my passion never strays too far from the kitchen.

Oh, there is some nice glass here.

Look at these dear little cups.

I think they were called custard cups, for something like

Caledonian cream or possets.

It doesn't hold very much, does it?

-Well, that's a good thing when it is very, very rich and creamy.

-Yes.

Up these stairs.

A good fish kettle here.

£495.

Do you know, I think this would be really useful.

At the right price too.

After a day of treats, what better way to end than a memorable supper.

And there are two recipes I come back to time and again.

On Saturday night when it's just Paul and me,

I like to do something special.

I've got fillet steak here.

Now this is beautifully marbled.

That means that it's going to be full of flavour.

A good tip is to flatten the steak first.

It'll look like a bigger steak on the plate for a start

and I find it easier to get the middle just right.

I know that two minutes each side is just about right

to be pink in the middle.

I find it best to butter the steak rather than putting it into the pan

which means that all the butter runs down the ridges and burns.

This is my secret for a perfect result,

but make sure the pan is searing hot.

So expect quite a bit of sizzling when I put it in.

Just before two minutes are up, repeat the trick with the butter.

Over with the second side.

Did I use a steak to woo my husband?

No, I didn't use steak to woo my husband.

I used to persuade him to take me out, because I thought I'd like him

to marry me for other things other than being a good cook.

Once cooked, put aside and allow to rest.

Now for my wonderful peppercorn sauce.

Don't waste those buttery steak juices,

add them to 100ml of beef stock.

Turn that on...

..and let it just reduce.

To make this sauce truly scrumptious, into the stock

goes half a grated clove of garlic,

a tablespoon of Dijon mustard

and one of Worcester sauce.

This makes it really piquant.

And for a bit of naughtiness, two tablespoonfuls of brandy.

I'm not going to do any of that flambe lark because I'm bound

on a Saturday night to catch the kitchen on fire

because I've usually had a glass of wine in my hand.

We'll just not do any of that.

In goes 150ml of pouring double cream.

Give it a little whisk there.

And, finally, half a teaspoon of crushed peppercorns.

Of all the sauces to serve with steak,

peppercorn is my absolute favourite.

I could have that with any grilled meat - chops, steaks.

I even put it on sausages, it's so good.

That's just how I like it.

And there you have it, my fillet steak with peppercorn sauce.

Absolutely perfect for a Saturday night.

And what better way to finish off a special evening.

This may be decadent, but it's blissfully easy to bake.

I like any excuse to make a pudding, and the more indulgent the better.

My sticky toffee pudding is very dark.

It is because I put quite a bit of this wonderful black treacle.

You know, we often only use it for Christmas cake,

but in this pudding, it just makes it.

So down to business.

Take a bowl and put everything in all at once.

First, in goes 100g of softened butter.

Make sure you do use butter.

Don't attempt to use anything low-fat.

What's the point when you're having a very rich pudding?

175g of light muscovado sugar.

A couple of eggs.

225g of self-raising flour.

And one level teaspoon of baking powder.

This is an important part of the recipe -

if you put too much, it'll rise up and fall down again.

And one teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.

In like that.

Next, that gorgeous black treacle.

Isn't there a wonderful shine on it?

You need 275ml of milk, but start off with a good splash.

If you haven't got a mixer,

you'll have to cream the butter and sugar to start with

and then add all the other ingredients.

Add the rest of the milk

and continue mixing for about 30 seconds.

That's done. It does have a slightly curdled look about it.

That doesn't matter one bit - it bakes beautifully.

Pour that rich mixture into a well-greased baking dish.

It's already very tempting.

Push that towards the edges.

Oh, dear, I seem to have just left a bit on the side.

That goes in the oven at 160 fan for about 35 minutes.

Now for the sauce - it is really wicked.

Rather like making the sponge, everything in the bowl.

This is everything in the pan, so very easy.

First, in goes 100g of butter followed by 125g

of light muscovado sugar.

Then black treacle, yes, more black treacle,

more indulgence.

I've measured a tablespoon here,

then add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

And then as we are being very extravagant,

how about 300ml of double cream?

Turn on the heat.

And don't leave this, stay by it and stir.

Oh, it's a really lovely smell coming up.

So half of that will go over the pudding and half of it will go

in my new-found jug.

I really love this.

It's well-balanced.

It was quite a find.

Well, it doesn't get better than that.

Cover the pudding with a thin layer of my heavenly sauce.

How about that then? Doesn't that look wonderful?

Oh, I'll catch the sauce there.

And, believe it or not, I'm putting extra sauce on it -

over the top.

Look at that shine.

I can almost see my face in it.

It's sheer heaven on a plate.

I think it's my most favourite hot pudding.

'Next time...

'My everyday dishes to delight the people who eat my food the most.

'My family.'

-Not bad, is it?

-Very, very good.