0:00:03 > 0:00:06'I'm Trish Deseine, international food writer and cook.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08'I was born and bred in County Antrim,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11'and for the last 20 years I've been living in France,
0:00:11 > 0:00:15'tasting, cooking and writing about the great French passion for food.'
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Je prends un petit bout de Chaource.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'I'm now one of France's best-known cookbook authors,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24'and was the first non-French food columnist for Elle magazine.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28'Now, I'm returning home to a very different Northern Ireland.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31'A country finally waking up to the fact that it produces
0:00:31 > 0:00:33'some of the best food in the world.'
0:00:35 > 0:00:39There's a food revolution going on, and I want to be part of it.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43In this series, I'll be showcasing some fabulous local produce.
0:00:43 > 0:00:47But just how easy is it to spot local, shop local and eat local?
0:00:49 > 0:00:52To find the answer, I'll take a step away from the big retailers
0:00:52 > 0:00:54and shop around.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57The best value you can get is when you buy direct.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00And take a look at some of the wonderful artisan foods
0:01:00 > 0:01:02we have here in Northern Ireland.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05Northern Ireland is punching way above its weight,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07and we need to let people know.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11I'll also challenge a family to live for a week only using
0:01:11 > 0:01:12food from their doorstep.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16I'm not thinking locally, or really where it's coming from.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19I asked Gillian the other day, can you grow rice in Northern Ireland?
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Meet the Wilkinsons.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33Mum Gillian, dad Glenn, son Ross and daughters Grace and Ruby.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Glenn is a personal trainer,
0:01:34 > 0:01:38and both he and Gillian are very body conscious and like to eat healthily.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42How will they get on with the challenge to eat only local
0:01:42 > 0:01:44food for a week?
0:01:44 > 0:01:49We're quite healthy at home, so we tend to stick to quite plain foods.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53We eat a lot of chicken, we eat a lot of meat and a lot of fish.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57I really look upon food as just fuel. It's just sustenance.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00It's just something that gets me through the day.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02I don't really look at a meal and say,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04"Wow, I would like to try that."
0:02:04 > 0:02:07I wouldn't have a clue where the food comes from.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09Whatever I need, I will buy it.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13I'm not thinking locally or really where it's coming from.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16It's just you need the food, I'll just grab and just go.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19I don't know if this is local.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22It doesn't really say on it, I don't think. Or, it says...
0:02:22 > 0:02:26No, smoked Scottish pepper mackerel fillets, so that isn't.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29I don't want to show my ignorance, but I wouldn't have a clue.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31I don't...
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Can you grow asparagus in Northern Ireland?
0:02:35 > 0:02:39I'm bringing the Wilkinsons to a farm shop near their home
0:02:39 > 0:02:41to help them reconnect with food.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44Look, Dad! Did you see that?
0:02:44 > 0:02:45PIG OINKS
0:02:45 > 0:02:47These are Gloucester Old Spot cross pigs,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50and they're only about eight weeks old.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53- Can we go and get some eggs?- Yeah. - How many do you think we should get?
0:02:53 > 0:02:55- Six.- Right, OK. Let's see.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57- Oh, they're still warm. - Are they warm?
0:02:59 > 0:03:00Six.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- When you've been out in the fields, did you enjoy that?- Yes.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06Like meeting the animals?
0:03:06 > 0:03:09I've been having a little look in through here at some of
0:03:09 > 0:03:11the really good Northern Ireland produce there is.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13There's lots of oils here.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16I thought this might be quite interesting for your fish
0:03:16 > 0:03:18and your chicken.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19You might just grill it,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and then just add a few drops of flavoured oil.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25So, I thought perhaps lemon and thyme.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28- And this one, a bit of oomph, chilli and garlic.- Lovely.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30As you know, Northern Ireland has fantastic dairy produce
0:03:30 > 0:03:33and this is an amazing range of cheeses.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35So, it's Oakwood smoked Cheddar.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38- What about this grated into your potatoes?- Yeah.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Or put over the top and then made slightly crunchy on top?
0:03:40 > 0:03:42And then this butter is just amazing.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45All that goes into this is cream and a little bit of salt.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And here is some beer that is actually made here at Hillstown.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51I just thought this would really interesting,
0:03:51 > 0:03:52and you could also cook with it.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54Now, I know you saw the piggies out in the field.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57But you know what their destiny is, don't you?
0:03:57 > 0:03:58Eventually, they end up on your plate.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00But that's a tasty way for them to go.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03So, here's some black pudding that's made only a few miles from here.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04Black pudding and white pudding,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07which might be quite nice to try for breakfast.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10So, here you have all of that amazing local meat.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Beef and pork from the farm,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and free-range chicken from just a couple of miles up the road.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19So, I'll leave you with the butcher and settle up and see you later.
0:04:19 > 0:04:20Do you have any steaks?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26The Wilkinsons are certainly very concerned about what they eat.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29But they see food as fuel, as nutrition.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33And they certainly look at the labels on what they're buying,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36but they're not looking to see if it's local produce at all.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41So, we've just had a very fine afternoon at Hillstown Farm Shop.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42- You could say that, yes. - And did you enjoy it?
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Absolutely the kids loved it.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- The kids liked it, too? - They got involved.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49I think that here, in this basket, there are a few things
0:04:49 > 0:04:52you would not be particularly comfortable cooking, normally.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Black and white pudding, we would never use that.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57I wouldn't even know where to begin.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01Now you are going to...use this
0:05:01 > 0:05:06to rise to the challenge of eating and cooking and shopping
0:05:06 > 0:05:10only Northern Irish produce for the whole of the next week.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11It's going to be good fun.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13- Yep. I look forward to it. - I think we can do it.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15- Well, good luck.- Thank you. - Thanks a lot.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18I'll be catching up with the Wilkinsons later.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26When I'm home, I try to visit St George's Market,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29where I can easily reconnect with local food,
0:05:29 > 0:05:31especially if, like me, you come early.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35- Morning.- Morning.- Hi, there.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38- Can I get a couple of farls, please? - Yep.- A wheaten and a plain.
0:05:39 > 0:05:40How much is that?
0:05:41 > 0:05:4360p each.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- £1.20, please.- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51I'm meeting farming journalist Ella McSweeney
0:05:51 > 0:05:56to chat about the importance of markets and the joy of food shopping.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00How important do you think it is for farmers to sell this way?
0:06:00 > 0:06:02I think it's just extraordinary being here.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04You can feel the energy yourself. It's early in the morning.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06All the farmers and food producers are already here,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08set up and selling their produce.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11I don't think we can ever imagine the importance for farmers
0:06:11 > 0:06:12of connecting with the people
0:06:12 > 0:06:14that they are providing food and selling food to.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17You know, as a farmer, you could be on your farm
0:06:17 > 0:06:19and you can never see the results of what you're doing.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21It's a bit like cooking a meal for someone
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and them just eating it and not giving you any feedback.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24Who wants to do that?
0:06:24 > 0:06:27And what about the customers? What are they getting out of it?
0:06:27 > 0:06:30For me, food is not just about the end result,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33which is consuming and what's going on in my mouth and my tummy.
0:06:33 > 0:06:34It's also about the entire process,
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and I think, increasingly for people,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39they want the process of buying to be as pleasurable
0:06:39 > 0:06:41as the process of eating, and you don't always get that
0:06:41 > 0:06:44when you're in a huge, sometimes windowless, supermarket.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46I think also, when it comes to value,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50it can be quite hard to judge value when you're in a supermarket.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52The best value you can get
0:06:52 > 0:06:56is when you buy direct from either on a farm or in markets like here,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58if you're lucky enough to have one, right in the centre of Belfast.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59But in terms of choice,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02would you not say there is less choice here than in a supermarket?
0:07:02 > 0:07:08For me, markets limit choice and I like that. It saves me time.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10Just speaking personally, when I go into a supermarket,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14I'm faced with up to 40,000 products that I have to choose from.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I actually don't really want that any more. I want choice editing.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19I want someone to narrow it down for me
0:07:19 > 0:07:21so I don't have to take responsibility
0:07:21 > 0:07:23for spending ten minutes in front of a milk counter
0:07:23 > 0:07:25wondering which kind of milk I want to buy.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27I want there to be a limit
0:07:27 > 0:07:30and I don't necessarily want to go into a huge shop
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and see a photograph of the farmer.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34I'd kind of prefer to see them in 3-D here.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40But if you can't get to the market,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42online food shopping
0:07:42 > 0:07:45is another way of bringing market produce to your doorstep.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Helen's Bay Organic Gardens in North Down
0:07:49 > 0:07:51grows a wide range of vegetables.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Owner John McCormick offers a veg box scheme,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58providing a weekly delivery of fresh produce to your door.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Do you think a box scheme makes people more creative
0:08:01 > 0:08:02in the way they cook?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05Not just more creative but it makes them cook.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07THEY LAUGH
0:08:07 > 0:08:09People leave our box scheme.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11They order it and leave it sometimes within a few weeks
0:08:11 > 0:08:14cos they discover they don't actually cook!
0:08:15 > 0:08:16What advice do you give to people
0:08:16 > 0:08:19who find vegetables that they're not used to cooking
0:08:19 > 0:08:20in that week's selection?
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Some people maybe have never had a kohlrabi before, what would...?
0:08:24 > 0:08:26You know, it looks like a spaceship!
0:08:26 > 0:08:28We have an advisory section on our website
0:08:28 > 0:08:31where we refer to other people's websites,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33who actually cook better than I probably cook,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36to know what to do with a kohlrabi, or anything else we produce.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40What are the benefits of a vegetable box scheme
0:08:40 > 0:08:42over buying vegetables in the supermarkets?
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Fresh greens that go on top of your roots
0:08:45 > 0:08:48would most likely have been cut, if not the day before, certainly -
0:08:48 > 0:08:49and quite often, in the summertime -
0:08:49 > 0:08:52on the morning they were actually delivering it to you,
0:08:52 > 0:08:53so you won't get any fresher than that.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55You're also supporting local produce.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57You're supporting employment.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59You're keeping money within Northern Ireland,
0:08:59 > 0:09:01which I think is a really important thing.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Also, there is a personal connection,
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and you build up this relationship.
0:09:06 > 0:09:10My very, very first customer was a young mum with a babe in arms
0:09:10 > 0:09:14and she's still a customer and the babe in arms now looks down on me!
0:09:23 > 0:09:27We're incredibly lucky here to have fabulous grass-fed beef.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Glenarm Castle on the Antrim Coast
0:09:29 > 0:09:31produces award-winning shorthorn beef.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I'm meeting estate manager Adrian Morrow at the farm
0:09:36 > 0:09:39and I'm curious to know why they decided on shorthorn.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41His Lordship asked us one day,
0:09:41 > 0:09:46why were we not giving our guests Glenarm beef at the dinner table?
0:09:46 > 0:09:48And I told him that the beef that we were currently farming,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51we were ashamed to serve it because it was so tough.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54You couldn't really eat it, as such.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56And he immediately asked, he says, "Adrian,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59"why are we producing something that we cannot eat?"
0:09:59 > 0:10:01And what did you do to improve the beef?
0:10:01 > 0:10:03We had heard about some old traditional breeds
0:10:03 > 0:10:05that would eat really, really nicely.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08So off we went, and we had a few tasting trials
0:10:08 > 0:10:11and we ate all sorts of weird and wonderful animals,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and the one that we found that was really tasty was Shorthorn.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17How did you change the way the cattle were fed?
0:10:17 > 0:10:20We changed the whole farming policy and we went organic.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24So we began to use clover, clover was the secret,
0:10:24 > 0:10:29and the clover would actually self-nitrate the grasses.
0:10:29 > 0:10:30So, after a couple of years,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33the grass roots went down to look for nitrogen,
0:10:33 > 0:10:35as opposed to sitting on the top of the ground
0:10:35 > 0:10:36waiting on the nitrogen coming.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39How do you get Glenarm Shorthorn Beef to consumers?
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Once we had this wonderful product,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44we knew we didn't want to become butchers or distributers,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46we wanted to concentrate on that product,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50so we needed a processing partner, and we found Peter Hannan.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53He had a passion about good beef,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55and once he saw what we were doing at Glenarm,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57and tasted it, of course,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59he said, "Boys, I'm with you all the way."
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Hannan Meats sell Glenarm beef,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09but also source, produce and supply a range of other local meats.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12And many of them have won awards.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15There has been a great swing over recent times
0:11:15 > 0:11:18onto sourcing more local food,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20eating more local food, and one thing and another.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23So, it's very important to our customer, it's very important to us.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Our business is about local,
0:11:25 > 0:11:26and we have clients far afield,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29we have HIX restaurants in London, Fortnum & Mason,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32we have customers in Paris and places like that.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34But local is very, very important.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38I mean, our Glenarm Shorthorn Beef, in my opinion,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41is some of the finest beef in the world,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45and we're very privileged to be a stakeholder in that scheme.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47At the Wilkinsons' house near Ballymena,
0:11:47 > 0:11:50I'm determined to get dad Glenn in the kitchen,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54cooking something tasty but, for him, a bit off-piste.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57So what I thought we could try
0:11:57 > 0:11:59is a French dish called iles flottantes.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Have you come across that before?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04- Iles flottantes?- Iles flottantes. - No.- It's floating islands.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08It's very simple, it's just a gorgeous, thick, egg custard,
0:12:08 > 0:12:09with egg whites.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13One non-local ingredient missing from this dish is, of course, vanilla.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Put that milk on the heat.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17- I need to turn it on! - Yes, turn it on.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Put it on the low heat while we get on with something else,
0:12:19 > 0:12:20and we'll keep an eye on it.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Now we're going to get hands-on with these eggs.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25I'm pretty good at separating eggs.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28I would probably have about ten eggs a day.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30- Gosh!- With two yolks.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- How's that, Trish? - That's fabulous.- Good!- Thank you.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38So just leave this to one side for the moment,
0:12:38 > 0:12:42and then I want you to pop the sugar in there and then just whisk it.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- All of it?- Yes, it's a lot of sugar, isn't it?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46It's OK, you can do it!
0:12:46 > 0:12:48It will be diluted afterwards with lots of milk,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50it's not all going into your body.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51That's a lot of sugar!
0:12:51 > 0:12:53HE WHISKS
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Keep going.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Think that's about it.
0:13:02 > 0:13:08So it's basically just milk, sugar - lots of sugar - and eggs.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12We're just going to pour the milk in here, give it a bit of a stir round.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13That goes back in there.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17- So that's mixed in a little bit, we're going back over to the hob.- OK.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19So this is the delicate bit.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21You have to stir it continuously.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23If you want to stir a little bit,
0:13:23 > 0:13:25you can probably feel that thickening already.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29- It's very relaxing, is it not? - It's quite therapeutic, yeah.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- You could get into the cooking now? - I think I could, yeah.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34That's the floating bit, now we're looking at the island bit.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38I'd like you to just beat up these egg whites.
0:13:38 > 0:13:39OK?
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Don't mind it - whipping stuff, it's OK.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46Traditionally you would poach the egg whites in warm milk,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49but I'm just going to do it in the microwave.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52So you just make little islands.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53It's on high...
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and just for a few seconds...
0:13:55 > 0:13:57DING!
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Yeah, that's fine. You can see it's swollen a little bit.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03The most important part for that wow factor
0:14:03 > 0:14:04is some kind of garnish.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06So the caramel's starting to form,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09you can see it's getting nice and brown around the edges.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13You don't want to stir it, you just swirl the saucepan around a bit.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Put some butter in, see what happens.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19It's going to be great on the floating islands,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23but also this as a sauce over ice cream or stewed apples
0:14:23 > 0:14:26or any kind of compote is just fantastic.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30So the caramel's ready. Could you put the islands into the custard for me?
0:14:30 > 0:14:32- Certainly.- I'll come over.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35- Floating islands.- There you go.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44Have a little go, see what happens to it.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48OK. Do you want to keep going at that?
0:14:48 > 0:14:51- That's it. That's beautiful. - You see. Not bad, Glenn.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54And there it is - Glenn's iles flottantes.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55Are you proud of that?
0:14:55 > 0:14:58I think it's fantastic. Can't wait to try it.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Bonjour, ze Wilkinson family!
0:15:01 > 0:15:06This is floating islands, or as you say in French, iles flottantes.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08- Would you like to try some?- Yes.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10You have to get right in there.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12- Ross, would you like some? - Yes, please.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- Ruby, would you like some? - Yes, please.- Gillian?
0:15:19 > 0:15:21- What do you think?- It's OK.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- Yummy. Do you like it, Dad? - I love it.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25I made it, yes.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Definitely wasn't him!
0:15:27 > 0:15:29(Definitely wasn't him!)
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Daddy didn't make it.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33He did! You didn't see. He did, I promise.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Butter was always on the table when I was growing up,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and nothing beats it on a freshly baked scone.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Butter's back in vogue now,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49and there's one small Northern Ireland producer
0:15:49 > 0:15:51making big waves with their handmade butter.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57Abernethy Butter is the brainchild of Allison and Will Abernethy,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00and their highly acclaimed product has been finding its way
0:16:00 > 0:16:03into prestigious shops and restaurants across the UK.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06This is where it all happens.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Allison, we're here in the beautiful Dromara Hills,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12talking about the famous Abernethy Butter.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Can you tell me a little bit about how and why it comes from this area?
0:16:16 > 0:16:19My dad would've made butter on his farm,
0:16:19 > 0:16:23but he was more into the process rather than the actual product.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26And he would've went to shows
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and demonstrated the process of making butter.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30He took sick one day and he wasn't fit to do it,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and myself and my husband went out to do his demonstrations for him.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36And when we were there, this gentleman came over,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39he'd been watching us for a while, and he said, you know,
0:16:39 > 0:16:41"Do you realise what a fabulous product you have?"
0:16:41 > 0:16:43And that got the old brains going.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48This churn here we just use for little demonstrations
0:16:48 > 0:16:49to show how butter is made.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52We'll put some cream into the churn here.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- This is lovely Draynes cream from down the road.- Yes.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57- Just put the lid on.- That's it?
0:16:57 > 0:16:58Yeah, that's it.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01That's all we do at this stage.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04We just turn that churn around
0:17:04 > 0:17:08and I have to speed it up just as we go.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10And what makes the butter so special?
0:17:10 > 0:17:13The cream that we use is top-quality cream,
0:17:13 > 0:17:15and then, when we make the butter,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17everything is done completely by hand,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21so it's churned and made all the old-fashioned way.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25It's washed by hand, it's salted and then patted into the rolls
0:17:25 > 0:17:28so it's done all by hand from start to finish
0:17:28 > 0:17:30and there's a lot of love and hard work
0:17:30 > 0:17:32put into every roll that we make.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34And that's our butter ready to eat.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36We have our own little twist at this stage.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Take a dollop of butter onto our pats...
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Like this...
0:17:41 > 0:17:46and we pat out that excess water that we washed it with.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Spread it nice and evenly all over the pats.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Then we start off at the front here and we roll it up like a Swiss roll.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57- That's what makes it Abernethy? - Yes. That's our trademark.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Nowadays, it's sold all across the UK and Ireland
0:18:00 > 0:18:02to some pretty prestigious customers, I hear.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06We would sell, maybe, 70% of our butter over to the mainland UK
0:18:06 > 0:18:10and some of our customers are Heston Blumenthal -
0:18:10 > 0:18:12he uses it in the Fat Duck.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Marcus Wareing would use it in his restaurant
0:18:15 > 0:18:16in the Berkeley Hotel.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19We also supply to Fortnum & Mason and Partridges,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23and a lot of Michelin-star restaurants all around England.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26The health-conscious Wilkinson family
0:18:26 > 0:18:29has been challenged to eat local for a week,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32and I'm curious to find out how they've been getting on.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Well, it's kind of been left to me,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38because I do all the grocery shopping while Glenn is at work.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39It has been a challenge,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43but it's made me more conscious of looking at labels
0:18:43 > 0:18:47and determining whether the products are local.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51Uh-oh! I can see a foreign invader on the table.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54It is a bit more expensive than we were anticipating.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56I maybe eat about 8,000 calories a day.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01The predominance of my diet would be meat and chicken and turkey,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03so the protein side of things,
0:19:03 > 0:19:06I can't really foresee there being a problem.
0:19:06 > 0:19:11It is hard with certain vegetables. You aren't going to get...
0:19:11 > 0:19:16- Sweet potatoes.- It's hard to get sweet potato or asparagus locally.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18I thought sweet potatoes were grown here,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20- but apparently they're not.- OK.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26We had a wee go at the black pudding.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29Gillian sprinkled it over some broccoli that I had.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31It was a bit of an acquired taste
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and once you sort of get your head around it,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38you're sort of eating congealed blood...
0:19:38 > 0:19:40it was OK, wasn't it?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Next time I see the Wilkinsons,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48it will be to taste something they prepare for me using just local food.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53When I returned to Northern Ireland,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56I knew I'd find great fish, lamb, beef, pork -
0:19:56 > 0:19:58but I wasn't expecting goat.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Broughgammon Farm on the outskirts of Ballycastle is about many things.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Farming and sustainability are high up on the list,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10but also new ideas and a can-do attitude.
0:20:10 > 0:20:16- So, Charlie. Tell me about the goats' life in this byre.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19We would get the kid goats when they are about six days old.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21They all come from dairy farms,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23and they're all the billies, so that's the males -
0:20:23 > 0:20:25which are no good for milking.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27And what would have happened to them otherwise?
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Well, previously, they had to put them down, you know.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34There was no market for them. And we were sort of saying, look,
0:20:34 > 0:20:37in a time when we are questioning global food production
0:20:37 > 0:20:39and food security, you know,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42we have a perfectly viable food source that's being put to waste.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It's a delicious meat. It's eaten in the rest of the world, you know.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Why isn't it eaten in, sort of, the UK and Ireland?
0:20:47 > 0:20:51And so we sort of started with 30 goats down in the caravan.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53And it's built to this shed.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01This is where those cute little goats,
0:21:01 > 0:21:04after their lovely life, end up.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07And as far as the meat is concerned, then, it's very lean.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08It looks like lamb.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12It's sort of sweeter than lamb. It's not as fatty as lamb
0:21:12 > 0:21:14and the texture is...
0:21:14 > 0:21:17more like a mixture between beef and lamb.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20It's much nicer to eat, in many ways, than lamb,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22because it doesn't have that fatty aftertaste.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27It's a really easily eaten meat and it's just getting people to try it.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Once they've tried it, then, pretty much, they're hooked.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34And so how would you suggest cooking these pieces and these joints?
0:21:34 > 0:21:38I think my favourite bit is the leg, slow roasted.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41Mediterranean flavours -
0:21:41 > 0:21:44thyme, rosemary, olive oil, lemon
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and I think that is just divine.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51Has anyone tried it raw? What about goat tartare?
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- Has anyone been brave enough to do that?- No.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56LAUGHTER
0:21:56 > 0:21:59I'm not sure I could get that far.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Maybe if somebody produced it for me, I could.
0:22:03 > 0:22:04And you don't just sell cuts.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07You also make burgers, I hear. Billy Burgers.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10We thought we would sell everything directly to restaurants.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13It was really difficult to get people to follow the sort of trends
0:22:13 > 0:22:15that were happening across the water,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and to do that, we tried to make it more approachable
0:22:18 > 0:22:21so we started to go around to all the local shows
0:22:21 > 0:22:25and offer the cooked product, so people could actually try it.
0:22:25 > 0:22:26And to call it a Kid Burger
0:22:26 > 0:22:29was maybe just a little bit questionable,
0:22:29 > 0:22:34so we created the Billy Burger and it's gone down a storm.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36If you fancy cooking goat,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39you could start off with this simple dish.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Today I'm cooking something that is full of flavour,
0:22:42 > 0:22:44bang on trend and on your doorstep.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53For the braised goat dish, we have goat shoulder, off the bone, diced,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56shoulder rather than something rough like neck end with bones in it.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00This gives a lovely silky sauce to our braised goat.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04The herbs we're using are fresh thyme and bay leaf, nice gentle herbs.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07And for some nice flavour underneath the taste of the goat,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09we've got some carrots and some onions.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13I'll be frying in a combination of rapeseed oil and butter
0:23:13 > 0:23:17and deglazing the whole dish with some nice crisp Carson's cider,
0:23:17 > 0:23:19and we'll be serving the whole thing
0:23:19 > 0:23:22with some lovely, smooth buttery mash.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24And to zing up the dish a little bit,
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I'm going to be making a very quick and easy apple and onion pickle
0:23:27 > 0:23:30with cider vinegar, salt, sugar and a little peppercorn.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42So, a little bit of oil and some butter. Wait till it sings.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43I've got two pans going -
0:23:43 > 0:23:46one for the carrots and onions and the other for the goat.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50It's really important this is very hot, so that the meat browns nicely.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59And some carrots...
0:23:59 > 0:24:01followed immediately by the onions.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04This pan is slightly lower heat than the meat.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09We want this to get nice and soft before the meat goes in.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11Leave that for a while.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12Give it a shake.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13We're sealing the meat,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16caramelising it and giving it a nice taste on the outside.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19It's very important not to crowd the meat in the pan.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Give it plenty of space so that it gets nice and brown and caramelised.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25My meat is nicely brown now.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I'm going to pop it in the big casserole with the vegetables.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38Give that a swish round and then when it comes back up to heat,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41we're going to put some cider in to deglaze the pan.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48A little bit of salt and pepper. Not too much at this stage.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50We can season it right at the end.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52And then some bay leaf
0:24:52 > 0:24:54and some fresh thyme.
0:24:57 > 0:24:58So that's up to the boil now.
0:24:58 > 0:25:04Lid on, and into the oven at 150 for about 40 minutes.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06While the goat is braising in the oven,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08I'm going to make a very easy pickle.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10The water is not boiling,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13it's almost boiling, and I'm putting in a tablespoonful of sugar
0:25:13 > 0:25:17and a teaspoon of salt.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Give that a bit of a stir so it dissolves.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24And then some cider vinegar...
0:25:24 > 0:25:28just to echo the flavour of the cider in our goat,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32and then some very thinly sliced rings of onion,
0:25:32 > 0:25:33or you could use shallots,
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and very thinly sliced apple.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Let that rest for about an hour, and it'll keep in the fridge
0:25:39 > 0:25:42for about two or three days after, as well.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48My mash is ready. The butter is melting on that nicely.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Pickle is ready to go. Now it's time for supper, and my Broughgammon goat.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58Mm, smells incredible!
0:26:02 > 0:26:04There's nothing like an Irish stew,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07especially when it's made with goat.
0:26:07 > 0:26:08Mm.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17The Wilkinsons have been trying to eat and shop local for a week now,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20and I'm back to see how they got on
0:26:20 > 0:26:22and to see what they've cooked for me.
0:26:22 > 0:26:27This looks so crispy and golden. What have you made me?
0:26:27 > 0:26:30I have made you traditional fish and chips.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32I got the fish from St George's Market
0:26:32 > 0:26:34and we have County Down potatoes
0:26:34 > 0:26:39and we have some pea puree, which is just peas and natural yoghurt.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41And everything is local?
0:26:41 > 0:26:44- Everything is local from the farm shop.- Time to dig in.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46It looks lovely and fresh and flaky.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Mm!
0:26:51 > 0:26:56It's really tasty. And what about the chips? How are they cooked?
0:26:56 > 0:26:58They were cooked in the ActiFry,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02so just a tablespoonful of my garlic and chilli oil
0:27:02 > 0:27:05from the farm shop for 45 minutes.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It's really good. Really light and fluffy.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11And how did this week go, with the eating and shopping locally?
0:27:11 > 0:27:15It was tough at times but our everyday produce that we use,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19it can be sourced locally very easily, like fish, poultry,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23- meat, that was easier to get. - And Glenn? How about you?
0:27:23 > 0:27:28- Did you do any cooking at all? - To be honest, no.- No?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Gillian, what was the highlight of the week's shopping?
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Well, I think the fun thing -
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Glenn and I had a date day,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38so we normally go and have a nice lunch somewhere in Belfast,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40but we decided we would go to St George's Market,
0:27:40 > 0:27:45which was quite an experience for us to see all the local produce
0:27:45 > 0:27:47and how much of it, the vastness that there is there
0:27:47 > 0:27:50- and what is available.- Glenn, what about your training programme?
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Do you think your abs have suffered this week from this new diet?
0:27:53 > 0:27:57I don't know about my abs but I might have some flabs now
0:27:57 > 0:28:00after the sort of... especially the black pudding, Trish!
0:28:00 > 0:28:04But, no, seriously, we are going to run with it.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07We are going to embrace it as a family.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10It's been a brilliant experience and we've had great fun.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12It's been great craic.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15And, you know, healthy fish and chips from Northern Ireland,
0:28:15 > 0:28:17sure, you couldn't beat it.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20The Wilkinsons have an almost forensically functional approach
0:28:20 > 0:28:22to their food and cooking,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25so I'm really glad to see them reconnecting with local producers,
0:28:25 > 0:28:26going to St George's Market.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29I'm pretty sure there'll be a lot more local produce
0:28:29 > 0:28:31going into those beautiful bodies.
0:28:31 > 0:28:32Well done, the Wilkinsons.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35'Next week, restaurants are on the menu.'
0:28:35 > 0:28:37Just an amazing dish.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40'Do they champion local? And who are the food heroes
0:28:40 > 0:28:43'at the heart of the Northern Irish food renaissance?'
0:28:43 > 0:28:46It's been a great year. It's been a real whirlwind.