Episode 4 Country Show Cook Off

The nation's best loved chef's are hitting the road.

This is not Italy.

To compete in some traditional country shows.

And I'm hoping to win one of those rosettes

On the way they'll meet some of Britain's best local food producers.

Why would you ever eat a cupcake when you have parkin?

Before competing head-to-head with each other.

-It's only a competition!

-It's only a show!

And the great British public.

I thought the competition was big enough.

Our chefs are at the mercy of the harshest food critics in the land -

the beady-eyed country show judges.

We don't like odd ones.

It's a competition and I'm taking it very seriously.

Hold onto your aprons - it's Country Show Cook Off!

This week, star chefs Valentine Warner and Ed Baines are burning rubber as they drive

the length of Britain, competing at some our best country shows.

The weather's nice and we're getting to drive around the country, which is a great privilege.

They're baking, blitzing and whizzing up a selection of fare for the mightiest of competitions,

taking them on a journey from the top to the very bottom of England and back.

And today, they've reached Stokesley.

So far, Val and Ed are one-all in their five-day foodie cook off.

Val took third place for his roulade at Otley.

I've come third.

And Ed picked up a point for packaging at the Brighton Chilli Festival.

Fantastic. Thank you.

But after three competitions, neither of our lads have even

come close to a first place they desperately crave.

Ah! What?

Today our boys' cook-off takes them to the spectacular town of Stokesley in North Yorkshire,

sandwiched between the North York Moors and Middlesbrough.

They always say Yorkshire's God's own county and a really stunning county.

This thriving market town is lined with gorgeous Georgian and Regency buildings.

The locals are proud that 18th Century explorer

Captain James Cook went to school nearby.

At this time of the year, fun spreads through the town, when the fair arrives,

gearing everyone up for the Stokesley Show.

It's wonderful to see so many people turning out

and coming into the show and enjoying the fair during the week.

First held in 1859, the Stokesley Show is at the heart of the local area.

Its aim has always been to promote trade and improve techniques in nearby agriculture,

rural crafts and breeding livestock.

Now herds of 20,000 pile in to share the fun,

witness the spectacle and take part in the competitions.

We are a husband and wife team, yes. I do the baking and he does the eating!

I eat the rejects!

What's he like?

Our foodie fellas will be competing in Class 66 - "A packed lunch for two".

The only rule is that they must submit four items to be judged.

Presentation will be taken into account.

It's a little bit cracked.

Our lads must meet the high standards of judge, Christine Tenant.

Who's not only an experienced judge, but has also entered and won competitions for 30 years.

I was getting somewhere in the region of about 17 trophies a year.

So Christine knows her stuff. At a show like this, rules are important and judging strict.

A packed lunch is traditionally taken to work or school,

so Val and Ed must make sure they stick to their brief.

It's really reading the schedule carefully and abiding by the rules.

So lads, that means making four items for your packed lunch. Simple?

Well, it would be if they weren't up against Stokesley's finest, like local lass, Barbara.

I have come first in buttonholes and vegetables

and near enough everything I've entered over the years.

This is no picnic, so get ready for one cracker of a cook-off!

I'd probably be disqualified for entering that.

Bingo, bango, bongo.

Done!

Valentine Warner's passion for all things foodie started whilst

fishing, shooting and cooking on his family's Dorset farm.

Having since worked in some of London's finest eateries, Val's food is truly top notch!

Hmm! Very nice!

Classically trained chef Ed Baines has cooked in some of Britain's best restaurants,

from the Dorchester to the River Cafe.

But the challenges of cooking outdoors can push a man to his limits!

Try and keep calm.

The lads may be entering the Stokesley Show, but they're not cooking there.

Ed and Val are making their dishes 30 miles east of Stokesley,

in the picture perfect coastal town of Whitby, a place close to Ed's heart.

Yeah, it's beautiful, Val, and there's something about Whitby that's special.

No one can quite put their finger on it.

Whitby's known for its gorgeous views and pretty streets.

Look at that, what a great spot.

To prepare for their challenge, they're using Whitby's quayside.

An ideal location for their camp kitchen.

Let's set the van up.

Between them, our lads need to cook up eight separate elements for their packed lunches.

Which is no mean feat at this country show cook-off.

Right, so it's the Stokesley Show packed lunch tomorrow.

-Yes, packed lunch.

-What's your tactic?

My tactic is to make lots of delicious, small, varying delights.

I'm going to make a Scotch egg from fresh.

I'm going to make a sandwich, a little chutney to go with it.

-Is it Silk Road chutney?

-No, it's not actually, it's a piccalilli.

Despite losing with his first two chutneys, Ed's making a third!

And Val, well, he's already made one boo-boo.

Well, I didn't read the category so I've gone more for a picnic, so I'm going to do curried poussin.

Then I'm going to make some little babas and steep them in elderflower vodka.

Babas? Babas are little cakes soaked in alcohol, usually rum - not typical in a packed lunch!

You've gone really left-field on this, because you thought it was a picnic,

but if they just think it's lovely, and I'm sure it will be, I reckon you could win it on that.

But it's risky. As judge Christine said, reading the show schedule is vital

and traditional shows like Stokesley are very strict.

The boys have gone off-piste before, but this could be sheer madness!

If Val's boozy picnic is dismissed for not being a packed lunch,

all his hard work could be for nothing.

With eateries lining Whitby's harbour, mouth-watering seafood is obviously

the local speciality of choice.

So before they crack on with their cooking,

Ed and Val are checking out one of Whitby's finest food producers.

-Morning.

-Morning.

-Morning.

First set up in 1872, Fortune's Smokehouse is an award-winning five-generation

family-run fish smokers, now in the hands of brothers Barry and Derek.

-Nice musky, oaky, wood smell. Fantastic.

-The reassuring smell of wood smoke.

Barry and Derek specialise in kippers, which are smoked herrings.

They prepare, smoke and sell up to 800 of them on a busy day.

Val's even picking some up to use in a pate for his packed lunch.

How long does a smoked kipper keep for?

When you buy it today, you've got four more days.

-So people come far and wide for your kippers?

-Yeah, all over.

-Your kippers are very famous.

-I hope so!

First Derek guts the herring and soaks them in brine for 40 minutes.

Then it's off to the smoke shed, where Barry uses techniques

that have been passed down through the family for 140 years.

-So what wood is that?

-That's just a soft wood, like a pine.

And then we put the oak on top of that, then some sawdust on top of that to keep it calm.

It calms right down and you just get a low heat off that.

-It's cold smoking basically this.

-The smoke is the ingredient?

Yeah, it is. Well, we couldn't do without it.

It's amazing just picking up that smell that's just wafting around in here

and it's exactly the taste you get on the fish.

Armed with Barry's best kippers for Val's kipper pate, the boys head back to base

as they must make at least four items each for their packed lunches for two.

They've not yet had much luck in their cook-off,

so they must up their game to stand a chance of winning that elusive first prize.

I'm going to do little curried poussin with some potato salad.

I am going to make a smoked fish pate and lastly some little babas,

but absolutely drenched in elderflower vodka.

Controversial.

If packed lunches are taken to work and school, and picnics are usually eaten on days out,

judge Christine may disqualify a vodka-doused cake in a picnic!

Ed's gone for a more classic packed lunch.

You've got it all really - a sandwich, a bag of crisps,

a Scotch egg, some piccalilli and a chocolate cake.

Only four of those things are going to be judged, but I'm going to put five in anyway.

Oh! You rebel you, Ed!

The packed lunch for two must include four items,

so as long as it's four or more, Ed should be on safe ground.

With five to do, he's starting on his pudding first, a chocolate and cherry slice.

Three eggs go in a bowl, give it a whisk up.

I have won one thing so far, which was more to do with design than cooking.

So I'd really like this to score this time round and actually walk away and be able

to come home with something I can stick on my wall.

Give them a bit of a whisk up and then using some muscovado sugar. There we go.

So we give this a good mix, make sure all the lumps in the sugar have dissipated and broken down.

Right, part two of this recipe - sifting flour.

With a little teaspoon of raising agent, using baking powder.

And sift it through again - always important to get the lumps out, get it nice and light.

Now into that we've got a lot of walnuts you put them on a tea towel and put another tea towel

on the top and give them a really good rub.

Rub and rub and rub, shake the walnuts out.

Get rid of all the skins of the walnut.

You lose that bitterness they become really nutty and quite nice actually.

Toss them through.

They're looking good. We've found these lovely cherries.

I'm going to cut them into little slices so you can really see the cherry going through the cake.

Ooh! For an extra delicious flavour, Ed's combining milk and dark chocolate.

He's already melted the dark stuff with butter in the shelter of the van.

Look at that, that lovely glaze. Lovely. Just a little salt, not a lot.

Combine the chocolate now, nice and steadily into the egg mixture.

Using a spatula, just add a little at a time of flour and walnuts.

And very lightly just move it around. In go the cherries.

Try to disperse them around a bit, because they're all sticking together.

In goes that chocolate - look at that.

It's ferocious, isn't it, really, this recipe?

Oh, yes, and scrummy too, Ed!

Just needs whacking into a greased and lined tin and into the oven at 190 degrees.

And 40 minutes later, Ed's chocolate and cherry slice looks fab.

So onto packed lunch treat two - vegetable crisps.

Simply pop sliced veggies into hot oil until golden brown, drain and sprinkle with salt.

OK, onwards and upwards. I'm now going to make these lovely Scotch eggs.

I think any packed lunch has to have a Scotch egg in it.

The first thing I need to do, I'm going to put some apple in with the sausage meat,

because I think that's delicious.

Pork and apple works beautifully together. And a little bit of fresh apple.

So I'm just going to trim these apples down.

Which isn't easy when you're cooking al fresco at the seaside.

My knife skills are slightly cack-handed at the moment,

because I can't really feel my hands!

Good quality sausage. Very important.

The finest sausages are usually made from the shoulder and the hand or the neck of the pig.

And empty that out.

So there is the sausage meat.

OK, I'm now squashing this out, my apple and sausage mixture, into a pancake.

Obviously, the key ingredient is an egg, which has been boiled for seven minutes,

then plunged into ice water and peeled.

It's very, very windy and it does just make things a little trickier

than when you're cooking at home.

His egg wash is made with a pinch of salt, a smidgeon of nutmeg and a little milk.

Now I take my egg, put it in there and now very gently and slowly

I'm just going to shape it around the egg, trim off any excess.

You just want it a nice even coat.

Very important you seal this nicely.

Jolly good.

A pinch of salt into the flour and knock around and then I think this will be OK now.

For a gorgeous coating, pop the sausage-covered egg into the flour mix.

Lovely. Into the egg.

Finally, it's dipped into breadcrumbs and carefully placed into a pot of hot oil until crispy.

So what's next?

Pop it in the oven for ten minutes.

That's the important bit that the pork meat is really nicely cooked through.

Meanwhile, Val's spotted the flaw in his alcoholic picnic.

The problem is that if the kids take it to school, they can't eat the vodka babas.

If it's taken to a factory, they can't operate machinery.

-Who's it suitable for then?

-The likes of me.

And me!

But country show judges can be very particular, though Val's not the only one with problems.

-It's got a big split on it.

-Oh, dear!

I'd probably be disqualified for entering that.

So, yeah, what you going to do?

Quite simple, do it again.

While Ed forges ahead with his second egg,

Val jumps in to get going on his picnic...

I mean packed lunch starting with curried poussin.

I've got one little poussin and I'm just going to snip it down its backbone.

So then I'm going to turn it round and snip all the way through.

Hands washed, on to the curry mix.

I'm going to put some cardamom pods in, probably about six.

I'm just going to give them a bash, but then I'm going to take all the shells out.

OK, some fennel seeds, a few of those.

Some coriander seeds, which I've pre-toasted,

just so you get that kind of nice floral, slightly orangey taste.

What else is going in here? a good pinch of black pepper.

A good whack of curry powder.

-Oh no, that's turmeric!

-Oops!

Oh-ho, don't you just hate it when that happens?

Now some curry powder, couple of teaspoons of that.

A big whack of salt.

To help the pestle and mortar do its job, chop up the garlic first then mash everything up together.

This cooking outside is really, really good fun.

But it does come with its hassles... sea gulls, gusts of cold wind.

Now some lemon juice...mix that up.

Mmm, mmm.

Right, so, take both my chickens... score the legs a little bit.

And then just dibs it out.

It's important to let these sit for a while, kind of half an hour, an hour.

Perfect opportunity to whip up dish two, an unusual pink fur apple potato salad,

with a tasty caper, cornichon, anchovy and herb mayonnaise, hm-hm-hm, yummy.

Then it's on to dish three, kipper pate made with Barry's very own kippers.

In here I've got kippers, Dijon mustard, butter, creme fraiche, horseradish, black pepper.

I'm going to put in the juice of half a lemon and I'm going to serve this with spring onions.

Just bung it all in the blender and Bob's your uncle.

This is absolutely delightful.

A little jar and in goes the kipper pate.

Bingo, bango, bongo...done.

Ed's second scotch egg has been more of a success.

Lovely, it's looking good.

Now I'm going to crack on and make some piccalilli.

Which is pretty simple, bung vinegar, coriander and salt into a pan,

bring to the boil and add chopped onion and cauliflower, then simmer for five minutes.

Tricky when the wind's blowing so Ed's even constructed a makeshift windbreaker!

Meanwhile whisk up the mustardy sauce until smooth.

Stir the green beans, garlic and sugar into the pan to soften then sieve.

Shove the mustardy sauce on the heat, season and simmer for ten minutes.

Phew!

Ohhhh. Wow!

Finally stir in the veg, add sugar to sweeten and water to thin it out.

Lovely!

Meanwhile, Val's not had his feet up.

How good does that look? Chicken in foaming butter.

Mmm...very nice.

And even looks better once it's finished off in a 180 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.

His fourth and final dish is a novel take on the rum baba,

using elderflower vodka to infuse the little cakes.

With a mix of flour, sugar, salt and yeast, he alternates gently,

stirring beaten egg and a combination of melted butter and orange juice.

Last but not least, it's the raisins.

Then spoon into a greased tin and bung into the oven at 180 degrees until well risen and golden.

Once cool, Val whacks them in a jar with lemon zest,

filling to the top with neat elderflower vodka.

Oh, oh, oh, just look at that. Cor!

I've made some really good food today and that makes me feel really happy.

So Ed's made a chocolate and cherry slice, vegetable crisps, scotch egg and piccalilli.

Tomorrow morning, he'll make his cheeky extra item... a smoked chicken sandwich.

Val's finished off all four of his dishes,

curried poussin, potato salad, kipper pate and elderflower babas.

Now it's time to head back to Stokesley, all ready for judgement day tomorrow.

Morning has broken at the Stokesley show and Ed and Val

have about an hour to finish off their packed lunch entries.

And bench them for judging.

Like a good boy scout, Val's all prepared and just needs to gather up his dishes.

Ed, on the other hand, has to make his smoked chicken sandwich,

re-heat his crisps as they've gone soft over night, and cut up his chocolate slice.

It's so cold it's stuck itself to the tin and it ain't coming out.

So, I'm going to warm that up and try and keep calm.

Oh, oh, oh....

Crikey!

I'm right on the brink of having a massive turn actually,

because I'm really just feeling the pressure of this.

Pull yourself together, Ed, you're a chef!

Right that's it, look, that'll do.

At last, Ed rallies himself and all five of his packed lunch items are good to go.

140 years in, and the agricultural extravaganza that is

the Stokesley show remains at the core of the local community.

I've been coming to the show for over 40 years now.

The big draw is not just the eclectic mix of entertainment, stalls and animals,

but thousands come from miles around to take part in the 887 competitions on offer,

from cakes of beeswax, to hand-knitted garments.

This I think is starting to get a little oversized for an infant under one year.

Ruthless judging is necessary at these shows.

The produce and Handicrafts Tent alone has almost 1,500 entries, spread over 127 categories.

Many budding bakers take part in several classes,

like previous Best in Show winner, Jane.

So how many entries is it this time?

23, 24 in the baking and all the jams, so it's good fun.

It's a good challenge.

I'm sure it is!

Ed and Val's efforts will need to wow judge of five years,

Christine Tenant, which could be tricky.

It's very difficult between these two because neither of them are iced terribly well are they.

No.

The packed lunch for two must include four items and presentation

will be taken into account, but is there anything else, Christine?

One thing you want a variation of everything.

You know...different textures, things like that.

This time Ed and Val have just one competitor, Barbara Sullivan.

Barbara's entered every show for the last 22 years and this year she means business.

I've entered 20 categories in the horticultural and the produce - cakes, jams, vegetables, knitting...

But Barbara's no walk over.

She usually wins so many prizes, that she's hoping one year she'll receive the ultimate trophy.

I will eventually expect to win a cup at some stage.

With just one third prize between them after three days of competition,

there's only three of them in the category.

Surely they'll place today?

I've got a tension in my stomach and in my shoulders.

I'll be all right, here we go.

In here?

And as presentation is considered, Ed and Val must display their packed lunches to perfection.

-How are you?

-All right, thank you.

Class 66.

There's only three of us, that's good.

-Is there three of us?

-Yes, that's all.

Yes, just three but nobody's guaranteed a prize card

until they've passed judge Christine's critique.

The standard is amazingly high here today, Ed.

It's unbelievable, isn't it?

-It's unbelievable.

-Really good.

Packed lunches benched, our boys can do no more.

This place is a cathedral of arts and crafts and baking and making.

And the tent closes ready for judging.

Right, so you want that one in there...

I always hear the horn.

This guy's a total engine head.

Ed and Val have just over two hours to make

the most of the show before their fates are revealed.

HORN SOUNDS

Oh...that's good.

Back in the Produce Tent, judge, Christine's in charge of

the icing section so she works her way through the decorated

chocolate cakes and exquisite sugar craft, but not all of it makes the grade.

This isn't a good idea to have those in, that's not edible.

Everything should be edible.

Now Christine's moving onto the packed lunches.

There may be only just three entrants, but Ed's got five, not four items,

and Val's is a picnic, so they could be disqualified from the off.

Local lass Barbara's entry is first to go under the knife.

I think it's just a normal sponge.

It doesn't seem to have any flavour with it.

Oatcake.

It's a bit on the hard side.

It's a bit like flapjack that's fallen apart.

Ooh, not going well for Barbara, then.

But how will Val's picnic compare?

This looks exciting.

That is gorgeous...nice salad to go with it.

It's very nice, good accompaniment.

How will Val's neat vodka babas go down with judge, Christine?

This is something I've never had before.

Oh, that's gorgeous.

Girl after my own heart, liking a tipple with her packed lunch.

I think I'll come for a picnic here any day.

Clearly, Christine doesn't have a problem with bending the rules for a boozy picnic.

Presentation is excellent, 10 for that. That scored 46 out of 50.

That is excellent...

Blimey! Beat that, Ed.

It's chicken and salad...

mayonnaise.

Give that eight and a half.

Scotch egg...

..got the yolk nicely in the centre.

Very nice piccalilli.

Just one little air bubble.

Very nice cake...chocolate.

Told you she was strict, now it's Ed's fifth and final item, vegetable crisps.

They're just as an accompaniment for the sandwich but that isn't to be judged

because that's bought.

Disaster! After all that effort, Ed's handmade crisps aren't even going to be marked,

as Christine thinks they're from a shop, oh-ha!

Probably because he's entered five items instead of four.

So we now have our winner.

Christine divvies out the prize cards and at 12 o'clock, the tent reopens.

OK, Val, here we go, let's see what's happened.

So far this week Val's just got one third place

and Ed's yet to win anything for his cooking.

Could their packed lunches have earned either of them

the first prize they're been hoping for?

-Done well. Here we go, what have we got? What have we got?

-Second!

-Val?!

-First!

-Val!

-Excellent.

So Val's pipped Ed to first place, but at least Ed's taking home

a prize card, even if he is second best.

Are you happy now?

Well, yes I am...I mean, there are only three entries, but yes!

At least I can hold my head high.

Yeah you beat me. I'm disappointed actually. Well done, mate.

But Ed's keen to find out where he went wrong.

What was it that swung it Val's way?

You got nine for all of them and 10 for presentation.

Wow.

You got eight and a half for your sandwich, I thought the bread was slightly too thick.

Too thick?

That's was just, you know...

Bad luck, Ed! And Barbara may have come third,

but she's swept the board with her other categories.

I've won first and second in gents button hole,

first and second in ladies corsage and third for a foliage plant.

And out of Jane and her husband's 23 entries they've got two firsts,

four seconds, five thirds and two highly commended!

I'm really proud of my chocolate cake because there's a lot of entries in,

so to have got first on that, I'm really pleased with that one.

In this cook off the lads can pick up points along the way.

Val's first place is worth three points and Ed's second has given him two.

So now Val's back in the lead with four and Ed's trailing behind on three.

Second prize, but Val got first and it's quite a hard blow to take actually.

The main reason Val's happy isn't the first prize card or £5 winnings.

I beat Ed.

Next time on Country Show Cook Off, the lads are staying

in North Yorkshire, heading to the very rainy Nidderdale Show.

Their final challenge is baking four date and walnut scones...

Can't wait.

I think if I showed my scones to the llamas they might spit on them!

LAUGHTER

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd