0:00:03 > 0:00:06I'm Trish Deseine, international food writer and cook.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10I was born and bred in County Antrim, and for the last 20 years
0:00:10 > 0:00:13I've been living in France, tasting, cooking and writing about
0:00:13 > 0:00:15the great French passion for food.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17SHE SPEAKS FRENCH
0:00:17 > 0:00:20I'm now one of France's best-known cookbook authors,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24and was the first non-French food columnist for Elle magazine.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28Now, I'm returning home to a very different Northern Ireland,
0:00:28 > 0:00:31a country finally waking up to the fact that it produces some of
0:00:31 > 0:00:33the best food in the world.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39- There's a food revolution going on and- I- want to be part of it.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43In this series, I will be showcasing some fabulous local produce.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48But just how easy is it to spot local, shop local and eat local?
0:00:49 > 0:00:52To find the answer, I'll be dining out in style.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Belfast is a culinary capital.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Just an amazing dish.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01And finding farmers and food producers who champion local.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03I'm a very pro-Northern Ireland kind of guy.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06People in Northern Ireland are still in love with their spuds.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I'll also be challenging a family to live for a week
0:01:09 > 0:01:11just using food from their doorstep.
0:01:11 > 0:01:14We like to eat a variety of different types of foods.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I think I'm not in touch enough, er, with local food.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Meet the Morris family. Mum Lindsey, Mauritian dad Nick,
0:01:29 > 0:01:33and their children Seth and baby Elijah.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Both Lindsey and Nick are keen cooks,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38and very interested in where food is sourced.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40They also love international cuisine.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Food is such a huge part of our lives, really,
0:01:43 > 0:01:47from the planning what we're going to eat during that week.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50We cook together quite a lot, which is quite nice.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Our food is quite exotic, and we would cook anything from
0:01:55 > 0:01:59French dishes to Middle Eastern or Indian dishes.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03The shopping is probably one of the most fun parts of what we do.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06You know, we go into local stores - we've become friends, I think,
0:02:06 > 0:02:10with the shop owners, and that way you get the best types of food.
0:02:11 > 0:02:16The Morrises strike me as a typical modern foodie couple.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21They shop locally, but given their interest in international flavours,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24I wonder just how much of the produce is local?
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Lindsey and Nick, by your own admission,
0:02:28 > 0:02:30you are very international cooks,
0:02:30 > 0:02:35and you like using a lot of quite exotic ingredients.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39So, my challenge for you for the next week, is to use only
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Northern Irish produce. And I want you to be really, really strict.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45So, if it's not produced here, don't use it.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48OK? And here I have a basket of some local produce to get you started.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52So, there's some rapeseed oil, some flour, some oats, some honey,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- bits and pieces. - Mm-hm.- Are you up for it?
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Yeah, we're up for the challenge.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58- Are you up for it, Nick?- Oh, yeah.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I'll be catching up with the Morrises later.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Northern Ireland is back on the UK food map,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08with two restaurants recently awarded Michelin stars -
0:03:08 > 0:03:11our first for four years.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14Joris, as the Belfast Telegraph's restaurant critic,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16you have your finger on the pulse of what's happening
0:03:16 > 0:03:18in restaurants around Northern Ireland...
0:03:18 > 0:03:22For the last seven years, I've been writing about restaurants
0:03:22 > 0:03:24in Belfast and Northern Ireland every week.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26I haven't missed a week.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30And that means that, you know, out of the 400-odd restaurants
0:03:30 > 0:03:33that I've seen...there has been a distinct movement,
0:03:33 > 0:03:37and a distinct improvement. The portfolio of restaurants
0:03:37 > 0:03:41in Belfast, and now beyond Belfast, is much greater,
0:03:41 > 0:03:42it's much better.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47How easy is it for chefs to put local produce on their menus,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50when there is such a demand for international cuisine?
0:03:50 > 0:03:52We always suffered, in Northern Ireland, from a sort of
0:03:52 > 0:03:56inferiority complex. Anything that came in off the boat
0:03:56 > 0:03:58was going to be better, anything imported
0:03:58 > 0:04:01was going to be better than what we could make or produce.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04That...that has altered very dramatically,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and the truth of it is, it has taken outsiders to tell us that.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12It has taken the food critics from England and abroad
0:04:12 > 0:04:15to tell us, "My goodness, Paul Rankin was right,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17"this local produce is excellent."
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And how does Belfast rate restaurant-wise?
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Belfast is fantastic - it is a culinary capital.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33Northern Ireland's food renaissance is reflected in our restaurants.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35We have more choice than ever before.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38But are we eating local when we eat out?
0:04:40 > 0:04:44One of Belfast's new Michelin-starred restaurants is Ox.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47Their ethos is to showcase local produce
0:04:47 > 0:04:48and to use their creativity
0:04:48 > 0:04:52to bring out the flavours and tastes of our doorstep food.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57Stevie, you've literally built Ox restaurant around local produce.
0:04:57 > 0:04:58How did you come to do that?
0:04:58 > 0:05:01We've got the tag - seasonal creativity.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Basically, when it at its best we try and create dishes with it,
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and let the customer experience what's going on -
0:05:06 > 0:05:10local, seasonal food. And with a bit of a chef's twist to it.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13We just wanted to use what was on our own doorstep.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18So this is my dish, Stevie? What's in this?
0:05:18 > 0:05:21You've got some purple sprouting broccoli,
0:05:21 > 0:05:22Romanesco...leek...
0:05:22 > 0:05:24We're going to serve that with some Irish brill
0:05:24 > 0:05:27caught from Kilkeel. Comber potatoes and a seaweed butter.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30The first thing we get on is the leek. Just wrap it up in tinfoil,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33just make a parcel. Just onto the top
0:05:33 > 0:05:36and start dry roasting it here. Here we have an onion.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- Just going to, again, bake the onion in its own skin.- Mm-hm.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42Just so it's maximum flavour, there's nothing lost through
0:05:42 > 0:05:45cutting it or sauteing it. I've just got tinfoil here,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48just keeps it in place, so it's an even cooking.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49So, pop it into a hot oven.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54That's dry roasting, and the onion is just baking.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Yep. So, here we have some small hand-picked Comber potatoes.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00I get Ivan McKee just to pick them personally for me,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02just the small ones.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05How do you do your sourcing today? Do you go out and find producers?
0:06:05 > 0:06:08I've different suppliers. Even some customers grow things for me.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- Oh, right.- A lot of people have polytunnels
0:06:10 > 0:06:12and grow them in their back gardens.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Five or six always bring stuff that they grow for themselves,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16and they give us a little bit.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18They just come in with a bag of vegetables?
0:06:18 > 0:06:20One of our regulars, Mr Henderson - he always brings
0:06:20 > 0:06:22nasturtium flowers and wild garlic and, you know...
0:06:22 > 0:06:24there's lots going on.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26The way I'm cooking this is quite different.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29- I'm going to cook it on a bit of paper.- Uh-huh.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32As opposed to in a pan, cos at least this way it's a constant heat
0:06:32 > 0:06:33and I know it's a direct heat,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36so, at least now I'm in control of the temperature.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39And how important is it now for your customers
0:06:39 > 0:06:42to find and eat local produce here in Ox?
0:06:42 > 0:06:44I think it's very important. Your body almost knows
0:06:44 > 0:06:47what's coming up in season. You cry out for tomatoes
0:06:47 > 0:06:48when it's becoming tomato season.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51You cry out for peas and asparagus when it's close to spring.
0:06:51 > 0:06:52So, on with the sauce.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55So, here we're just going to add some cream.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58Here I have some seaweed butter, I just...
0:06:58 > 0:07:01It's blanched to take out any dry bits, saltiness.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04We strain it off, chop it and just mix it with some local butter.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06So I'm just going to whisk that into the sauce.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- Lovely brill - just set that straight on the sauce.- Beautiful.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- Check the leeks.- Wow, amazing. And you're just taking the inside?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18- Yeah...- Not the outside. - The outside is quite charred,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21a little bit too smoky, so we'll just use this...
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- Some nice vegetables around. - Ah, colours are beautiful.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Don't be worrying about them being soft,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30at this stage you don't want anything too crunchy or too hard,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32it's for a nice delicate piece of brill.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35So, here we have it - we have local brill with seasonal vegetables
0:07:35 > 0:07:37and a seaweed-butter sauce.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50The brill is still really pearly inside.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52I'm intrigued - mostly by the leek.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- Mm.- What do you think?- Oh, it's lovely. Absolutely delicious.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Usually when you think about a dish that has leeks and onions in it,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03you think of something really quite earthy and...
0:08:03 > 0:08:06almost a bit harsh, and that is just so smooth.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Just an amazing dish.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20We like them steamed, boiled, chipped, roasted
0:08:20 > 0:08:22or simply in their jackets.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26And now one potato-growing area has received special recognition.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32The harvesting of new-season Comber potatoes, or Comber Earlies,
0:08:32 > 0:08:36from May to June each year, is an important event in the food calendar.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42In 2012, these spuds were granted protected geographical indication,
0:08:42 > 0:08:43or PGI status,
0:08:43 > 0:08:47putting them in the same league as Champagne or Parma ham.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50I'm meeting potato farmer Richard Orr
0:08:50 > 0:08:52to unearth the secret to their success.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57Richard, we're here in the heart of Comber spud-growing land
0:08:57 > 0:09:00on the banks of the Strangford Lough. Could you tell me a little bit
0:09:00 > 0:09:02about the Comber potato, and what makes it so special?
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Comber are the first-harvested potatoes, locally, every year.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07So that makes them special,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10they are eagerly anticipated by all the local customers,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12who haven't seen them since last year.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15- So, could we maybe see some? - Certainly.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18A few years ago, things changed remarkably for the Comber potato.
0:09:19 > 0:09:24- You were given PGI status. - The PGI status applies to the land.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27All of the designated land around the lough
0:09:27 > 0:09:29is eligible to grow Comber Earlies.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32And there are, maybe, three or four different varieties
0:09:32 > 0:09:34which are grown and marketed as Comber Earlies.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Comber Earlies are quite fragile, aren't they?
0:09:36 > 0:09:39They've hardly any skin. How does that affect how they get to market?
0:09:39 > 0:09:41Comber Earlies are growing right up until the point
0:09:41 > 0:09:44that they're harvested, green top or still growing.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47So their skin's soft and unset, so yes, they do have to be
0:09:47 > 0:09:49handled very carefully. Ideally, you would like to be eating
0:09:49 > 0:09:52your Comber Earlies the day after harvest.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Or certainly within 36 hours of harvest,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57so we aim to get our Comber Earlies harvested just right
0:09:57 > 0:10:01before they are taken to the shops, and delivered fresh each day.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Would you say that the people of Northern Ireland
0:10:03 > 0:10:05will ever fall out of love with the potatoes?
0:10:05 > 0:10:08No, definitely not. Certainly, the sales of the Comber Earlies
0:10:08 > 0:10:11this year are proving yet again that people in Northern Ireland
0:10:11 > 0:10:13are still in love with their spuds.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Back with the Morrises, and I thought I'd take them
0:10:22 > 0:10:25to a great source of local food they hadn't been to before.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29This is Ewing's - Shankhill Road, and this is Crawford Ewing.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- Hello, Nick, hello, Lindsey. - Thank you.- Thank you.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33Hello!
0:10:33 > 0:10:35This is one of Belfast's oldest businesses,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and probably the oldest fishmonger in Belfast.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41The fish is looking absolutely gorgeous today.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Could you maybe give us a little bit of...?
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Yeah, we've...got a selection there.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48We have fresh lemon sole - Kilkeel. Monkfish - Kilkeel.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50Mussels - Strangford Lough.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Cod - Portavogie.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54I think the brill was Portavogie today.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Fresh cockles. Fresh king scallops, turbot, salmon.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00We have Glenarm organic salmon,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03we try to have as much local produce as possible.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06And what sort of fish do you like? What do you like, Seth?
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Um, I like, um...chicken fish.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Chicken fish! Do you have any chicken fish?
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- LAUGHTER - I think I could get something called chicken fish, surely, yes, I could.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- Well...- We'll do you chicken fish. - LAUGHTER
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Well, as well as the chicken fish, I'm going to actually choose
0:11:23 > 0:11:27some fish for you today. It's going to be scallops, so, local scallops...
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Good choice. Fresh, local king scallops.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- And some of these lovely oysters. - Very good choice, yet again.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35They are local produce - Strangford Lough.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38- And they will go down very well. - So, we're going to do a dish
0:11:38 > 0:11:41based on these two ingredients. And something where
0:11:41 > 0:11:44we're going to get back to very clean, pure natural flavours -
0:11:44 > 0:11:45hardly cook it at all.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49And let the local, pure, wonderful taste shine through.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53We'll be making a dish that's practically raw.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57It's pan-fried scallops with tomato water and raw oysters,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00and garnished with a little bit of foraged sea herbs.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02First things, could you chop tomatoes?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Could you do me about four or five of them?
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Quite finely. And then put them in the sieve, a little bit
0:12:07 > 0:12:09of salt on top. Nick, I'm going to put you to work
0:12:09 > 0:12:12on the scallops. Could you take the corals off
0:12:12 > 0:12:15and then any of the brown bits round the outside?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Lindsey, is it rare that you and Nick will cook together?
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Like this, side by side? - No, it's very common, actually.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- We enjoy cooking together, but he's the boss.- Oh, really?!
0:12:23 > 0:12:26- LAUGHTER - Yeah.- There's only one chef in the kitchen.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30- LAUGHTER - Past the island here, I'm a puppy dog, you know.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32And I do what I'm told.
0:12:32 > 0:12:33LAUGHTER
0:12:33 > 0:12:35- Lindsey, how are you doing? - Yes, I'm almost done.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38To make the tomato water, all you have to do is just let it sieve,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41so you are using the weight of the tomatoes
0:12:41 > 0:12:45just to press down on themselves. And we'll just pop that in the fridge,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48just to let the tomato water drain out.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Now, I hate throwing anything away,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52and especially this part of the scallop.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55So, we're going to make scallop coral on toast with these.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57And a lot of chefs don't use this -
0:12:57 > 0:13:01I think it's a bit of a shame, cos it's got a great taste to it.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04So, a really simple way of cooking it is just frying it in butter.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07And then as a garnish - just to add an extra little bit of taste,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10we're going to use some sea lettuce, which is a local seaweed.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15- Do you cook with seaweed?- Never. - Never?- But it looks fantastic.
0:13:15 > 0:13:20And a little stir and then there you go, you've got a nice little starter,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22appetiser, before you hit the main dish.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30So, we've waited about 30, 40 minutes for the tomato juice to collect.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33We're going to take the oysters out of the shells,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and we're going to use the oysters to salt the dish.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42So, now we're going to sear the scallops.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45We're going to fry them in this rapeseed oil.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48That's great.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Right, so it's ready. Now we're going to plate up.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04First of all, we're going to put the oysters into the tomato water.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07And that is going to give it a little bit of salt
0:14:07 > 0:14:10and lots of taste. So, raw oysters, there we are.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Just give that a little stir round.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17And then we're just going to set this into the bottom of the dish.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24And the scallops can go in.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28And just garnish it with some sea aster.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34And then finally, some golden rapeseed oil.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Just to add a little bit of sunshine. Makes it look very pretty.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40And there you have it - pan-fried scallop with tomato water,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43tomatoes, raw oyster, sea aster,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45and rapeseed oil. Purely local.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57There's a new generation of food producers
0:14:57 > 0:14:59emerging in Northern Ireland.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02And one young man who's taken the local food world by storm
0:15:02 > 0:15:05has aptly named his product Young Buck.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Michael Thomson is producing Northern Ireland's first raw-milk blue cheese.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15And his pioneering product has found its way
0:15:15 > 0:15:18onto many of our restaurants' menus.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Michael, how did you get into cheese making in the first place?
0:15:21 > 0:15:23I was working in a wee family deli down in Belfast,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25and I'd been there for about four or five years.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28We were starting to put a bit of focus towards local produce.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30And it just seemed to be the one thing,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33whenever you were sourcing all the local produce -
0:15:33 > 0:15:37there just didn't seem to be a local, small-scale artisan cheese.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- And I just decided to give it a go. - Young Buck is made with raw milk.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- Why's it so important to you?- People who are making raw-milk cheeses
0:15:43 > 0:15:47just seemed to be connecting the raw product with the end consumer,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49and I just thought there was a real demand for that.
0:15:49 > 0:15:51Also, being a very small start-up,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55using a thing like a pasteuriser is a big expense. And there's no need,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58you've got all the goodness in the milk and the raw product there,
0:15:58 > 0:16:00and it's just handling it in the right way to make it into
0:16:00 > 0:16:03a really good cheese. The cheese itself is really creamy.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05A lot of people say, "I don't like blue cheese."
0:16:05 > 0:16:08And that's probably cos they've had a rubbish blue cheese
0:16:08 > 0:16:11that just tastes of that sort of really blue picquanced spiciness.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14What we wanted to do was create something really creamy.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15Whenever you make a raw-milk cheese,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17you're trying to bring through the terroir,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19you want to be tasting the land,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21like they do with wine producers and stuff like that.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24So we're trying to have a milkiness and a real sort of creaminess,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- and just lovely floral notes. - The way you started the business
0:16:27 > 0:16:29was different, quite modern and unique.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31It's an equity crowdfunding platform,
0:16:31 > 0:16:36like an online Dragons' Den, where I went and got investment
0:16:36 > 0:16:38from £10 all the way up to £15,000...
0:16:39 > 0:16:41..to get our start-up that we needed.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44I went to the banks and all the traditional routes,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47and being a 27-year-old with no house and savings -
0:16:47 > 0:16:49if you're trying to raise £80,000, not a lot of people
0:16:49 > 0:16:51will give you that, which is a good thing.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53It was an alternative way of doing it,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56and it's a sophisticated way that you can have friends and family
0:16:56 > 0:16:58be a part of something you're doing.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00You learned about cheese making in England,
0:17:00 > 0:17:02but you decided to come back to Northern Ireland.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I was offered the chance to do what I'm doing now in England.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07But I turned it down, because the plan was always
0:17:07 > 0:17:10to come back and make cheese in Northern Ireland.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13At the time it was a great thing to be the first person doing it.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Starting a new tradition was really important to us.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18I'm a very pro-Northern Ireland kind of guy.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21So, yeah, it was really important to do it back here
0:17:21 > 0:17:24and not in England. It's been a great year, a real whirlwind,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and the fact that we're stocked in places like Neal's Yard in London,
0:17:27 > 0:17:28it's a real endorsement for our cheese
0:17:28 > 0:17:30and for Northern Ireland produce in general.
0:17:35 > 0:17:40Today, a Northern Irish classic meets a bit of a young buck.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42I'm making a Veda and blue cheese terrine
0:17:42 > 0:17:44with local pears and hazelnuts.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50I've been making terrines like this one for years in France.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52But of course, they don't have Veda there.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55So this is a bit of a departure from the usual.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57And all it is really - it's not really a recipe,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59it's really just a construction game.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01I put some clingfilm into the bottom of the terrine,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05cos it makes it so much easier to take the terrine out afterwards.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10And this is just Young Buck cheese which has been mixed with
0:18:10 > 0:18:14quite soft butter. And I've got about half-and-half portions of
0:18:14 > 0:18:18Young Buck to unsalted butter, but you can go stronger
0:18:18 > 0:18:21or less strong, according to what you like.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24Now, I'm going to put on some very thinly sliced local pears,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29for a bit of crunch, a bit of freshness.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32And of course, pear goes beautifully with blue cheese.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Just press that down, right into the corner.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38And then for the next layer - Veda. So I've cut the Veda,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40just taken off the tip her,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44and I've cut one of the sides, so you've got have two sides
0:18:44 > 0:18:47with crusts and the other two are bare.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51And that's going in on top. And just give it a good press down.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53Again...
0:18:59 > 0:19:02So, just press that down with your hands.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Next layer, some hazelnuts. These grow wild, locally.
0:19:06 > 0:19:10And you can crush them if you like, but it's quite nice
0:19:10 > 0:19:13to have a whole hazelnut in here, for the bite.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15Just spread them over the top.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19And then the next layer of cheese.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23It's going to get a bit messy.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24Just spread that on.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30And you know, once you've cut up pieces of Veda,
0:19:30 > 0:19:34it's really something you could do with the kids.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38So, that's the last layer of cheese and butter.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41Next, we're going to slice a little bit more.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44Final three slices.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49And don't waste these - you can make breadcrumbs out of them,
0:19:49 > 0:19:51and use them for stuffing things or putting on gratin.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Or even make Veda ice cream.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Press it down properly, so all the layers meld together.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Then wrap it up. And it goes in the fridge for about two or three hours
0:20:02 > 0:20:05until it's nice and hard. And then you just take it out
0:20:05 > 0:20:07and slice it up like a Veda.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12A Veda and Young Buck blue cheese terrine
0:20:12 > 0:20:14with hazelnuts and fresh pears,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17served with a salad studded with blackberries.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27The Morrises are halfway through their living-local challenge,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31and at the end of the week they'll be cooking me a 100% local meal.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34But, for now, how are they getting on?
0:20:34 > 0:20:38We feel that the protein is easy to obtain,
0:20:38 > 0:20:39so lots of lovely fish...
0:20:41 > 0:20:43..and beautiful meats and poultry.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45No problem with that.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49With vegetables, we've found that there's only a limited amount
0:20:49 > 0:20:53of root vegetables readily available. Some broccoli.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Certain things are slowly coming into season.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59There's just no food available - just from talking to some
0:20:59 > 0:21:02of the local sellers - this is a transitional period
0:21:02 > 0:21:05in growing local produce, so we're not getting apples, plums, pears,
0:21:05 > 0:21:08the things that we would... Could normally see.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10There really is no fruit at the moment,
0:21:10 > 0:21:11so that's been a huge challenge.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15For me, the lack of spices -
0:21:15 > 0:21:18we use lots of different spices in our food.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21And we also eat rice quite a bit, so...
0:21:21 > 0:21:25Rice to a Mauritian person is like pasta to an Italian.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27You take that away from me, I go nuts!
0:21:27 > 0:21:30We've been a little bit more creative
0:21:30 > 0:21:32and Lindsey has done some fantastic salads.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35And it's opened my eyes a wee bit to how...
0:21:36 > 0:21:39..lovely local ingredients can taste,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41and how much they change the flavour of our food.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44BABY LAUGHS
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Some of Northern Ireland's finest restaurants
0:21:53 > 0:21:55can be found off the beaten track.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58Local produce and a beautiful setting can be more than enough
0:21:58 > 0:22:00to attract diners in their droves.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Situated right at the edge of Portstewart Strand,
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Harry's Shack has been making big waves on the foodie scene.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13I'm meeting manager Donal Doherty.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Donal, this is a dream location for a restaurant.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17How did you end up here?
0:22:17 > 0:22:20We were show this location by the National Trust.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23It was a winter's day, the rain was coming sideways at us,
0:22:23 > 0:22:27and I stood here thinking, "Wow! Imagine if this could work."
0:22:27 > 0:22:30That was the big question - could it work?
0:22:30 > 0:22:32We always knew this was going to be beautiful in the summer,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34and busy in the summer. But no, night-time in the winter,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37they're walking down here with the bring your own wines
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and the locals are loving it.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Can you tell me a little about Harry's Shack's philosophy?
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Food should be very well sourced, very fresh, and relatively simple.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49And then present it in this environment.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51For some reason, it puts people in really good form.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55How easy was it for you to source local produce for the menu?
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of time going to meet boats,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00takes a lot of time filleting all the fish,
0:23:00 > 0:23:03investing in our two acres of walled garden,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and all the gardeners year-round, you know, in our production zone.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08So we're a bit unusual in our approach,
0:23:08 > 0:23:11and we've put huge investments and many years into it.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Could you describe some of the more popular dishes to me?
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Fish here has become nearly 85% of the menu.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18And then, of course, it's summertime
0:23:18 > 0:23:20and the demand there... And what we can grow in the summer...
0:23:20 > 0:23:23I would say vegetables and salads would be the next things
0:23:23 > 0:23:26with the biggest impact here in what people are enjoying.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28And then, meats have a lesser importance here,
0:23:28 > 0:23:31although because we're on a beach, something like a very good burger
0:23:31 > 0:23:34and a local baker makes a nice brioche bap for it.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Simple things like that, that's what people want when they're down here.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40Do you think you've become an inspiration for other chefs
0:23:40 > 0:23:42and restaurants across Northern Ireland?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44I think we're on a crest of a wave, to be honest with you,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46and I'd like to think we're part of it, definitely.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49There's people looking at what we're doing here, and thinking,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52"My God, that's a little bit unusual what they're trying to do here."
0:23:52 > 0:23:55And the risk that we did take. And I think there's definitely
0:23:55 > 0:23:58other people taking risks before us and since us.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01But I think that wave thing happening through Northern Ireland,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04you're feeling that, where people are more confident
0:24:04 > 0:24:06on things on the menu they may not have ordered a year ago
0:24:06 > 0:24:09or two years ago and now they're more confident in ordering.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12So, I think it's not just the chefs or producers,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15but the consumer, as well, is coming with us on this journey.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25It's been a week since I set the Morrises their challenge.
0:24:25 > 0:24:26Now I'm back in Belfast to see
0:24:26 > 0:24:29how they got on with eating and sourcing local.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34- This looks amazing, Nick. - Thank you.- I'm talking to you
0:24:34 > 0:24:36cos I know you've done most of the cooking.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39So fresh and colourful and delicious.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Can you tell me what you've made here?
0:24:41 > 0:24:43It's my take on an open steak sandwich.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46We've got some lovely beef from our local butcher.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Also, some caramelised onion which I did this morning.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53I extracted some of the jus and some of the beef jus,
0:24:53 > 0:24:56and mixed it up together for a lovely, wee sauce.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59And we have some fantastic sourdough bread.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02Then we have a lovely salad that Lindsey made.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- This looks incredible.- Thank you.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- This is yours, Lindsey?- Oh, yes... - LAUGHTER
0:25:06 > 0:25:10- He let you in the kitchen!- The salad is all locally grown products.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13We've got some lovely spinach from Comber.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15We've got some lovely rocket, locally grown.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19There's some wild garlic leaves that we foraged ourselves
0:25:19 > 0:25:23just in a little field across the way there.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25There's some purple sprouting broccolini.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28We've got lovely locally grown radishes, different coloured.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32There's purple, white, red. And then some lovely goat's cheese.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Just topped off with some local bacon.
0:25:34 > 0:25:39- Some coleslaw. Is this grocery or market?- This is home-made as well.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42And we do have some token potatoes.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- LAUGHTER - Yes! You have to draw the potatoes in!
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- What have you done with these? - We've triple cooked them,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51so parboiled them for a few minutes and then shallow cooked them
0:25:51 > 0:25:53and then cooked them again.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57It just gives them that extra crisp and beautiful golden colour.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00The oil that we used was the rapeseed oil
0:26:00 > 0:26:02that you guys kindly gave to us.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Mm-hm. I'll try a little bit of the meat.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08- And don't forget the lovely sauce too.- Oh, yes!
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Oh, this all looks so good. Beautiful.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14Seems nice and tender.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19- Oh, that is fabulous!- Thank you. - That tastes so good.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22So, Nick, what do you reckon you've changed most
0:26:22 > 0:26:24about your eating and shopping habits this week?
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- Well, I've had to give up quite a few things.- Mm-hm.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30So I guess I had to substitute it.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33I've given up lots of the spices that I used.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36And you know... And rice.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40So we had to become a little bit more creative with our carbs.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Lindsey, what did you find difficult about this week's experiment?
0:26:43 > 0:26:46We've missed fruit. We eat a lot of fruit in our family,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47but haven't been able to source any.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50Nick, you pride yourself with shopping local. Do you think
0:26:50 > 0:26:52this week's experiment has increased the amount of
0:26:52 > 0:26:55- local producers you shop with? - Absolutely. The lovely food
0:26:55 > 0:26:58you have in front of you speaks for itself. You know,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- it's colourful, it's tasty. - I think there's something lovely
0:27:01 > 0:27:04about chatting to people. When we went to the market
0:27:04 > 0:27:06on Saturday, we chatted to all sorts of people,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08and we bought things like lovely, local spring onions,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11which we were really surprised how flavourful they were.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13They were really delicious I wouldn't have thought,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16"Where do my spring onions come from?" As long as I was buying them
0:27:16 > 0:27:19from my local shop. Now I think I would deliberately source local.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21So, local also means taste?
0:27:21 > 0:27:24- Oh, certainly, yeah. - Without a shadow of doubt.
0:27:25 > 0:27:30That was the most delicious meal. It was fresh, varied, colourful,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32absolutely wonderful.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34I think the Morrises have done really well.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37And apart from discovering a few new local producers,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41where they can shop, I think what they've discovered mostly is
0:27:41 > 0:27:44just how good Northern Ireland's food really tastes.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Together, in this series, we've explored and celebrated
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Northern Ireland's food revolution.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58There's so much fantastic food on our doorsteps.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01But without our chefs, artisans, farmers,
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and you, the consumer, there can be no revolution.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09So, get out there! Shop local, cook local, eat local.