0:00:21 > 0:00:23With great respect,
0:00:23 > 0:00:28a lot of people might say that this vehicle is a bit posh.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33I know, I know, but I got so fed up with that poxy old camper van.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35- Hang on, that was mine! - It was a nightmare.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37I could never change gear in it.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39GEARBOX GRINDS
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Before that, we had the Land Rover.
0:00:41 > 0:00:46It was so noisy - and it was just juddering and shaking.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47It's a farm thing.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49You know, I'm getting a bit old -
0:00:49 > 0:00:54and I'm really, really enjoying the vistas of sea and mountains.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Absolutely breathtaking.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03This is the start of a gastronomic road trip from Venice to Istanbul -
0:01:03 > 0:01:04around 3,000 miles...
0:01:06 > 0:01:09..through one of the world's greatest civilisations
0:01:09 > 0:01:11that lasted over 1,000 years,
0:01:11 > 0:01:13right up to the 15th century.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17A melting pot of East and West -
0:01:17 > 0:01:19the Byzantine empire -
0:01:19 > 0:01:21that not only shaped and influenced
0:01:21 > 0:01:24the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26but it spiced up the food of the West
0:01:26 > 0:01:31and even gave us the fork, which came in very handy indeed.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53BELLS RING
0:01:54 > 0:01:57So, I'm on another culinary journey,
0:01:57 > 0:01:59this time starting in Venice,
0:01:59 > 0:02:03a city I know and love for its fabulous, simple cuisine -
0:02:03 > 0:02:05fish cooking, largely -
0:02:05 > 0:02:08and going all the way to Istanbul.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Now, I'm no historian, I'm a cook.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17But I love the golden culture of the Byzantine empire.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19I'll be dropping bits of history here and there,
0:02:19 > 0:02:21but basically, it's about the food.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26After Venice, Croatia
0:02:26 > 0:02:27and then Albania.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31No idea what the food's like in Albania.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32But after that, Greece.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36I love Greece, it's part of my past.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Then to Turkey, which again, I know and love
0:02:40 > 0:02:44and finally, the fabulous, exotic city of Istanbul.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59Many of the dishes I'll find on this really long journey
0:02:59 > 0:03:02I'll cook back here on the Greek island of Symi,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04not far from the Turkish coast.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11I look upon Venice and Istanbul like two bookends of my journey.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16And I start in a place that made an absolute fortune
0:03:16 > 0:03:18out of trade with Byzantium...
0:03:20 > 0:03:21..Venice.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29I wouldn't dare to start pontificating on Venice,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32the most written-about city in the world,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36immortalised over and over again by the likes of Shelley and Byron,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Lawrence, Ruskin, Hemingway and Henry James -
0:03:39 > 0:03:42and probably Alan Whicker, who went everywhere.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57I remember the first time I came to Venice.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I was on a water taxi, going through these little canals
0:04:00 > 0:04:03and I remember the cooking smells from people's kitchens,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06that every few yards would change.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09One minute, I'd be smelling seafood dishes
0:04:09 > 0:04:11and then, a waft of cooked pasta.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15And then, mussels and then again, roast chicken.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17And because there are no cars here,
0:04:17 > 0:04:21their sense of smell is so acute, so pronounced.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23For a cook, it's fabulous.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Unfortunately, these days, home cooking is a bit of a rarity,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33because Venetians are being offered
0:04:33 > 0:04:35ridiculous sums of money for their properties.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40No doubt for hotels, for the never-ending tide of tourism,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44which was only a tiny trickle in the days of Byron and his cronies.
0:04:50 > 0:04:56And I just love the opening few lines to Byron's Ode To Venice,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58which run, "Oh, Venice, Venice
0:04:58 > 0:05:02"When thy marble walls Are level with the waters
0:05:02 > 0:05:06"There shall be a cry of nations o'er thy sunken halls,
0:05:06 > 0:05:10"A loud lament along the sweeping sea!"
0:05:10 > 0:05:13This idea that if Venice, as it must,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17sink into the water some day, how much we'll all miss it.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21How much a part of our imagination Venice is.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23And that's why the tourists are here.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Why shouldn't we applaud their enthusiasm and love
0:05:27 > 0:05:29for this fantastic city?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37I have it on great authority that your average tourist
0:05:37 > 0:05:42will spend nine euros for a cup of coffee in St Mark's Square,
0:05:42 > 0:05:44followed by a slice of pizza
0:05:44 > 0:05:47and maybe a glass of prosecco and/or an ice cream.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I mean, it has to be done.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54A bit depressing if you're a restaurateur like Francesco,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56who gets very cross indeed.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58FOGHORN BLARES
0:06:01 > 0:06:03This is what we say at Carampane.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07No pizza, no lasagne and no touristic menu,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11because we want to share our food, not touristic food.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14We say that we don't know how to do the pizza,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17because we are too stupid to learn how to do it.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Thank you.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27This has just come from the market.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30I just love this, they're such a small restaurant,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33they've got to use a table to do the prep,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35but it's very sort of convivial.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Rather enjoying it myself, I must say.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45This, at Francesco's restaurant, is famous -
0:06:45 > 0:06:47and a really delicious starter.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50It's prawns they call schia -
0:06:50 > 0:06:54dusted in flour, fried very quickly and served in lovely paper cones,
0:06:54 > 0:06:56something they've done for years.
0:07:01 > 0:07:05I think this is the right thing to do on a dull morning like this.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07'I'm having lunch with a man
0:07:07 > 0:07:10'who epitomises everything I admire about Venice -
0:07:10 > 0:07:12'Francesco da Mosto -
0:07:12 > 0:07:14'as Venetian as they come.'
0:07:14 > 0:07:16Rick, alla nostra salute.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19- Same to you. Salute, cheers!- Cheers!
0:07:20 > 0:07:24I just want you to tell me about what Venice is like,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27because really, what I'm trying to get over
0:07:27 > 0:07:30is the enormous power of the Venetians -
0:07:30 > 0:07:33the biggest maritime nation in the world.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36You must feel a real sense of pride
0:07:36 > 0:07:39that your family were part of all that.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41It depends.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43With all my ancestors,
0:07:43 > 0:07:47sometimes I feel that weight a little too much on my shoulders.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50But then, I look at those that went to prison
0:07:50 > 0:07:55and so, I think I'm a little better than them.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59This is a ducat. This was this was the coin of Venice for 500 years.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Always the same coin.- Gosh.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07It is funny, because the value of that was that you could buy
0:08:07 > 0:08:09an item of clothes,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- have a good dinner with friends... - For this?
0:08:12 > 0:08:14One of those.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18..and the graces of a courtesan of average beauty.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- Fab. I'll drink to that.- Me too!
0:08:21 > 0:08:24CLINK LAUGHTER
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Now, this is a dish they've been serving
0:08:28 > 0:08:32here at the restaurant Carampane for a very long time.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35It's like a seafood ragu with spaghetti.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42It starts with a base of onions and vegetables and some garlic,
0:08:42 > 0:08:46all finely diced and fried until soft,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48which doesn't take too long.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Then it's squid, along with prawns
0:08:52 > 0:08:54and then, some tiny scallops -
0:08:54 > 0:08:56"queenies", we call them in Cornwall.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Now, a generous glass of white wine...
0:09:03 > 0:09:05..along with some brandy.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Let it reduce a tad,
0:09:08 > 0:09:13and then put in some clams, straight from the Rialto market
0:09:13 > 0:09:14and mussels.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Sea snails, they're called "murex".
0:09:19 > 0:09:22They're like whelks with spikes on.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Next, very important shellfish stock
0:09:25 > 0:09:28and a touch of the Byzantine empire here,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31with the infusion of spices.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33I can see cinnamon, nutmeg,
0:09:33 > 0:09:36cardamoms, coriander,
0:09:36 > 0:09:38cumin and cloves -
0:09:38 > 0:09:40that's put in as a bouquet garni -
0:09:40 > 0:09:42and then, curry powder.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45That came, no doubt, from trading with the Byzantine empire.
0:09:48 > 0:09:53This cooks now for about 20 minutes, until it's almost ready
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and then, in goes passata,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58olive oil, parsley
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and now, serve with spaghetti.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Now, this is important.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09The spaghetti goes into the seafood sauce for just a minute, to finish.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Not like so many, who drain and serve the spaghetti separately
0:10:13 > 0:10:15and plonk the sauce on top.
0:10:15 > 0:10:16Do you do that?
0:10:17 > 0:10:19'Because I do.'
0:10:19 > 0:10:23- Oh, fantastic.- Cassopipa with a seafood sauce, spicy.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28I think it is a meeting between East and West.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31This is so good!
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I like this thing that...
0:10:34 > 0:10:38To do this, they were putting it in the pot with spices,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42but it was not only food that came from the East.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45I make an example - the fork.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49The fork just arrived in nearly the year 1000,
0:10:49 > 0:10:54from the princes of Byzantium to a doge.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56And from that, we have the fork.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59And at that time, all the people from...
0:11:01 > 0:11:05..the Vatican... The Pope said that is the symbol of the devil.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07- Like the...- Exactly!
0:11:07 > 0:11:08LAUGHTER
0:11:17 > 0:11:21Venice was admired by the trading nations of Europe.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Maybe "admired" is the wrong word.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25She did things her own way
0:11:25 > 0:11:28and for centuries, bucked convention.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31I think Venice was viewed
0:11:31 > 0:11:33by the rest of the trading nations in Europe
0:11:33 > 0:11:36rather like the extremely attractive
0:11:36 > 0:11:39though mysterious single woman
0:11:39 > 0:11:41who joins a cosy dinner party.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48There's a bit of suspicion, there's envy,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and yes, maybe some admiration -
0:11:50 > 0:11:52maybe too much admiration.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57But whatever it is, the dynamics are changed.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06She was unlike anywhere else in the world.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09She even had her own calendar,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12where the years started on the 1st of March
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and the days began in the evening.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23One of the most important and popular delicacies in Venice
0:12:23 > 0:12:26is the tiny snack they call "cicchetti".
0:12:26 > 0:12:28A Venetian like Francesco
0:12:28 > 0:12:31cannot walk more than 50 yards without a cicchetti,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34washed down with a glass of prosecco.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37And after that, another cicchetti.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39- Buongiorno.- Buongiorno.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:12:46 > 0:12:49It is very difficult to decide with what to start.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53- I know. Well, I'd love to have some octopus.- Octopus.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57And actually, probably start with a bit of the baccala.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00These are three different makes, because this is with garlic,
0:13:00 > 0:13:02it is mixed with olive oil,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05or cooked in the oven with anchovies and milk.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Oh! Choices, choices...
0:13:07 > 0:13:09- I'll have the garlic.- The garlic.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Do you want anything... Something to wash everything down?
0:13:13 > 0:13:15- Oh, I think so.- A little prosecco?
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Yeah, I think a prosecco would be a good idea.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19FRANCESCO SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:13:19 > 0:13:22So, just... They're a bit like tapas, isn't it?
0:13:22 > 0:13:25So, it's a like little buy, come and...
0:13:25 > 0:13:29You know, you can go around all Venice, from one end to the other,
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- but this is one of the best.- Gosh!
0:13:33 > 0:13:35They're lovely.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39What a convivial thing to do, then - just go from bar to bar,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42a bit of something to eat here...
0:13:42 > 0:13:46I think that is a normal thing for Venetians.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49You go "a cicchetti" - it means "bar to bar".
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Cos it's something that...
0:13:51 > 0:13:54When you have a glass of wine, you have a thing like this.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57You are just happy, you can speak.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02It's not only just drinking a glass of wine - eat something that is good.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Can we have another?
0:14:04 > 0:14:05FRANCESCO SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:14:05 > 0:14:07- So good!- Which one?
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Octopus.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12'Fabulous.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15'If you ever come to Venice without going "a cicchetti",
0:14:15 > 0:14:18'you're missing a real treat.
0:14:18 > 0:14:19'And now, it's time for me to cook.'
0:14:26 > 0:14:30And what a place to cook all those dishes from my travels -
0:14:30 > 0:14:33brought back here to the Greek island of Symi.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Well, someone on my journey from Venice to Istanbul
0:14:38 > 0:14:40said the journey seemed like a pearl necklace -
0:14:40 > 0:14:43I suppose, with the two biggest pearls at either end -
0:14:43 > 0:14:44Venice and Istanbul -
0:14:44 > 0:14:48but lots of lovely, glistening pearls all the way.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53And to me, the island of Symi here is like the centre of the necklace.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57All the architecture on this island is Venetian
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and over there is Turkey.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02I mean, the Greeks have got a word for it - "omfalos".
0:15:02 > 0:15:05It means "the navel", it means "the centre of everything".
0:15:05 > 0:15:07And Symi is that for me.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15I am indeed a lucky man.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19When you close your eyes and dream of Greece,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22these are the pictures that fill your dreams.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26And although I'll be travelling all over the place
0:15:26 > 0:15:28searching for recipes,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31this is where I'll be coming back to cook.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35These dishes, that I've borrowed from cafes, bars and restaurants,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39like this fabulous pork chop, coated with crushed walnuts.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43It's really lovely and it's from Croatia.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And there's this brilliant rabbit stew from Albania.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48You've GOT to cook that.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52And of course, the most famous barbecue dish in the Aegean -
0:15:52 > 0:15:55souvlaki, from Greece, of course.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59And this - it's Sultan's Delight, from Turkey.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01But first, a great dish from Venice.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06So, this is gnocchi with crab,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08or gnocchi con grancevola.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Gnocchi, as every aspiring Italian chef knows,
0:16:15 > 0:16:18is made from a mixture of flour and mashed potato,
0:16:18 > 0:16:21with an egg that binds it all together
0:16:21 > 0:16:23and of course, seasoning.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28But I chose to do this dish because it's really simple -
0:16:28 > 0:16:30like so many Venetian dishes -
0:16:30 > 0:16:33and it's full of spicy flavours.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38I'm just mixing this to make a really stiff paste
0:16:38 > 0:16:40and I might have just put a little bit too much egg in there,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43so I'm just going to add a little bit more flour in...
0:16:44 > 0:16:47..just to make sure it's easy to roll out.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51Yes, gnocchi. I think it means "knuckles".
0:16:51 > 0:16:54It means "little knuckles" and it looks like knuckles.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58I like to think my gnocchi is more like little tiny pillows,
0:16:58 > 0:17:03because it implies a certain amount of air in them and lightness.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Knuckles are a bit heavy.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09They used to say in Venice, "Gnocchi day? It must be Thursday."
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Cos all the restaurants served gnocchi on Thursdays.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17There we go. Right, just...
0:17:18 > 0:17:20..rolling it out into a long tube...
0:17:21 > 0:17:25..then I'm going to cut it into little pillows.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Ah, Just get my board...
0:17:41 > 0:17:43Oh! Captain Chaos!
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Captain Chaos, that's what my wife calls me.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Right...
0:17:54 > 0:17:56So, you don't really need to do a timing here.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Just keep them in the water
0:17:58 > 0:18:00till they start popping up to the surface.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02- FOGHORN - Ah.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Looking there, it's so perfect. You can see the ferry coming in.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I mean, I was just watching that this morning,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10reversing up into that tiny harbour.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12It looked as big as the harbour.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15I mean, you can see why the Greeks are such great seamen,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19navigating into these tiny little island harbours.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20Fascinating!
0:18:22 > 0:18:24I'm just resting the cooking,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26just to keep them moist for the finished dish.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30OK, now to make the sauce.
0:18:33 > 0:18:38The dish in Venice is called "gnocchi con grancevola",
0:18:38 > 0:18:41which means "spider crab" - "gnocchi with spider crab".
0:18:41 > 0:18:45But this is an island, it's Symi. We don't have spider crabs here.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48They do have these frozen Alaskan king crabs,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51I must say, they're brilliant for getting the meat out of
0:18:51 > 0:18:52and actually, really tasty.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Going to make a lovely, lovely dish.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56So, I'm just going to shred this a bit.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01Normally, I'm always saying to keep this crab as lumpy as possible,
0:19:01 > 0:19:05but I need to shred it up to go with the sauce and the gnocchi.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07There we are, that's fine.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Now, I'm just going to make a shellfish stock
0:19:10 > 0:19:14with some of the crab shells and some prawns, so...
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I just really enjoy cooking like this.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24I suppose it's what I do best, is cooking seafood, cooking shellfish.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26I'm only just using the knuckles here,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30because that's where I won't have got most of the meat out, like that.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39This is worth taking a note of, really,
0:19:39 > 0:19:44because it's a really good base for a stock, a sauce, a soup.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46And it's very simple.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Just a bit of seafood, garlic,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51tomato puree,
0:19:51 > 0:19:55a healthy pinch of flaked chilli and water.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57It's a taste that will make your tongue smile.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11I'm just mashing this down to get as much flavour as I can
0:20:11 > 0:20:15out of these lovely little shrimps from Symi
0:20:15 > 0:20:17and the prawns and the crab shells.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19I mean, sometimes I like to
0:20:19 > 0:20:22actually put all the shells in a liquidiser and blitz them up,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25but it does mean that the sauce then has a slightly grainy texture to it.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28This time, I'm just mashing them down.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31That's coming up to a boil, just a little bit of salt.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Let it all simmer down... I've forgotten one thing -
0:20:34 > 0:20:35the spices.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Now, this is coriander, nutmeg,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40cloves, turmeric, chilli,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42a couple of other spices.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45It is the very taste of Venetian seafood to me.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49It's not like Indian spicing, it's much more subtle, but it just works.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53It's very interesting to me, because they're all linked -
0:20:53 > 0:20:57Byzantium, all those spices coming from such places as India,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59all the way from the East
0:20:59 > 0:21:01and into Venetian cooking.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08Just pass that through the sieve.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12I'm just pushing down all those shells,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14to extract the flavour.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Right...
0:21:17 > 0:21:18..to finish the dish.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Warming through the gnocchi...
0:21:34 > 0:21:37So, there we go. Lovely.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44I just finish off the sauce by stirring in some butter
0:21:44 > 0:21:47and then folding in that delicious crab
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and finally, a sprinkle of parsley.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54Like so many Italian dishes, this is very simple.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58This is...what? A bit of flour, potato,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Venetian spices and great, sweet pieces of crab.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Look at that. Look at that.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Before I went to Venice, people are saying,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11"Oh, the food in Venice is not as good as the rest of Italy
0:22:11 > 0:22:13"and a lot of it is a complete rip-off", you know?
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Tourists, all that sort of thing.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Is that a rip-off? I don't think so.
0:22:30 > 0:22:31I was just thinking,
0:22:31 > 0:22:35this has to be one of the most photographed shots in the world,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37with the dome of Salute in the distance there.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40And how substantial it is.
0:22:40 > 0:22:41And you sort of think,
0:22:41 > 0:22:45out of extreme adversity comes something like Venice,
0:22:45 > 0:22:46because if you think,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Venice started as a result of the end of the Roman Empire,
0:22:49 > 0:22:52when all these hordes of Goths and Visigoths
0:22:52 > 0:22:54were streaming into Italy,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56murdering, raping, pillaging -
0:22:56 > 0:23:01and people came to these squelchy islands of sand and clay,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04just to get out of all the destruction.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07And gradually, they built up this.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11They became the largest trading nation in the world,
0:23:11 > 0:23:13but still, when you look at it,
0:23:13 > 0:23:17to me, there's just a little air of impermanence about it,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21because Venice is sinking, the water is rising.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23But that makes it perfect.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25I don't like permanence.
0:23:27 > 0:23:28At my age, why would I?
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Even when I was at school,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35I knew that Venice was sinking into the mud and the sand,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37to eventually end up like Atlantis -
0:23:37 > 0:23:39lost beneath the waves.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42One of my favourite places here -
0:23:42 > 0:23:46and I think it's as important as any museum -
0:23:46 > 0:23:48is the Rialto fish market.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51It's got the freshest fish I've ever seen
0:23:51 > 0:23:54and for a fish lover, it's a sheer delight.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59But now, the developers want to get their hands on it,
0:23:59 > 0:24:04because they say the local population is dwindling
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and this prime piece of property can do its job
0:24:07 > 0:24:10in a much cheaper area, out of the city.
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Hence the defiant flags with the Venetian lion saying,
0:24:14 > 0:24:17"Rialto - do not touch."
0:24:22 > 0:24:26Luca Furlan is the son of a prominent hotel owner here.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29It's very nice to see the younger generation taking over,
0:24:29 > 0:24:31like it is with my sons.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Although young, he's seen a few changes
0:24:34 > 0:24:39and feels the tide of tourism is getting ever stronger.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Do you feel proud to be Venetian?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Yes, I feel proud and I love this city.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47In the last few years, a lot of people are leaving Venice.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51The demographic numbers are going down, you know?
0:24:51 > 0:24:54From the '90s, 120,000 living here
0:24:54 > 0:24:56and now, we are only 55,000
0:24:56 > 0:25:00and I want still to keep the traditional...
0:25:00 > 0:25:02Why are people leaving, then?
0:25:04 > 0:25:07The price of property goes up,
0:25:07 > 0:25:09some tourism reasons,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12so that's why a lot of people are leaving.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16Especially for the property price, you know?
0:25:16 > 0:25:19It goes up in the last years in a crazy way, a crazy way.
0:25:19 > 0:25:24But maybe at this point, we need some more Venetians living in the city!
0:25:31 > 0:25:34I said to Luca, I wanted him to cook
0:25:34 > 0:25:36one of my favourite dishes of all time,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39that spaghetti vongole - pasta with clams.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44OK, so first of all, some olive oil,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46then we'll use a little garlic.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52I was interested to see that he chose these clams - tellin.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55It showed to me that he knows a thing or two.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57They're so deliciously sweet.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03OK, now the clams are starting to open.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07We use...
0:26:07 > 0:26:10There you go! We use a little bit of wine.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16So you see, they start to open one by one, you know?
0:26:16 > 0:26:20And they have inside a little bit of seawater,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24so this makes the dish even more intense to taste.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27And then, use a little bit of broth, seabass broth.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31So, you're obviously enjoying this. When did you start cooking?
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- How long have you been doing it for? - Since I was very young.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36With my grandmother first.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39She started to teach me how to cook
0:26:39 > 0:26:41and this was one of the first dishes
0:26:41 > 0:26:44she actually made me do at home, you know?
0:26:44 > 0:26:47So, she gave me the passion for the kitchen.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48Have you done any TV before?
0:26:48 > 0:26:51- No, never.- Well, it's a really good idea to do something
0:26:51 > 0:26:53you're very, very familiar with,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55cos then you can concentrate on talking to me.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57LAUGHTER
0:26:57 > 0:26:58So, what's next then?
0:26:58 > 0:27:01So, after this, we are boiling the pasta.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05And that's always boiling in every Italian kitchen - the pasta boiler.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07Yes.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09I need one of those.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12I won't cook completely the pasta in the boiling water.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I want to get the pasta cooked in the clams,
0:27:15 > 0:27:17so the pasta will get the flavour.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20I remember the first time I tasted this, years ago in Venice.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24They cooked that pasta in the broth, but you finish it in the broth?
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Absolutely, that gives more flavour to the dish.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32That's how you get that very gleamy finish to this dish.
0:27:32 > 0:27:33Well, I never realised that before.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36So, here we are.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Yeah, you can smell this is done.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42Smell, smell it!
0:27:45 > 0:27:47'Luca chops up parsley and chives.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50'That's what I like about making these programmes,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52'you're always picking up new things.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55'By finishing the pasta off in the pan,
0:27:55 > 0:27:59'it gives it more depth of flavour and a better texture.'
0:27:59 > 0:28:02There we go. So, you see how creamy this pasta is? It's fantastic.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04- I'm loving it. - A little olive oil...
0:28:06 > 0:28:10He finishes the dish off with grated bottarga.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13All the trendy chefs in Italy and around the Mediterranean
0:28:13 > 0:28:17are using this year's star product, bottarga.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21This is really interesting. This is made from seabass,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23but it's essentially the roe of the fish -
0:28:23 > 0:28:25normally grey mullet -
0:28:25 > 0:28:27which is salted and dried.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31It's got this lovely sweet, salty, fishy taste
0:28:31 > 0:28:33and if you get the salting right,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36it's got this seductive sweetness to it, too.
0:28:36 > 0:28:38That looks really lovely.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41There we go.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47- Fantastic.- Wow.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49I love this bottarga.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53The thing about this is those little, tiny shells.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56It just seems very sophisticated, somehow.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Yeah, and very delicate.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01That's why kids can have it, because they are sweet
0:29:01 > 0:29:04and they have this salt from the sea taste
0:29:04 > 0:29:06and very easy to eat, eh?
0:29:06 > 0:29:08I love this dish. One of my favourites.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11I totally agree, and you...
0:29:11 > 0:29:12I'd just like to say, thank you very much.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16- An honour to cook for you. My pleasure.- My pleasure, too.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Religion in the Middle Ages was linked unashamedly to tourism.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35They needed people over their threshold to help pay their way.
0:29:36 > 0:29:41And the biggest crowd puller for the pilgrims and the worshippers alike
0:29:41 > 0:29:44were the bones of a saint.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Better still, a whole body.
0:29:46 > 0:29:51And better still, it would be great if it was an apostle.
0:29:51 > 0:29:54St Mark is in Alexandria,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56in Egypt, buried.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58The Venetians get to hear about it
0:29:58 > 0:30:01and they go over and they steal his body.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03How do they steal it?
0:30:03 > 0:30:06They put him in that big basket
0:30:06 > 0:30:09and they cover the body in pork,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and what you're seeing there
0:30:11 > 0:30:13is three, four, five turbaned gentlemen,
0:30:13 > 0:30:17who are all appalled by the smell of pork.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Therefore, they don't inspect the basket.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22It comes to Venice
0:30:22 > 0:30:25and becomes the basis for this fabulous basilica.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38When I knew I was coming to Venice,
0:30:38 > 0:30:40I had to make a beeline for the Lido,
0:30:40 > 0:30:43that long stretch of sand and pine
0:30:43 > 0:30:45that shields Venice from the Adriatic.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49It's a place where the great and the good
0:30:49 > 0:30:52and the not-so-good came for centuries.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Byron swam the length of it.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57In fact, he swam everywhere in Venice.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00And people like the Windsors would come here to bathe.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02Winston Churchill would sit on the beach,
0:31:02 > 0:31:06chomping on a cigar, staring at the sea.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08DH Lawrence would get very grumpy
0:31:08 > 0:31:12over the displays of opulence and luxury.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18And Thomas Mann spied a striking Polish boy on the beach
0:31:18 > 0:31:22and turned him into the centrepiece of Death In Venice.
0:31:26 > 0:31:31These very expensive beach tents at the grand Hotel Excelsior
0:31:31 > 0:31:35made it really easy for me to think of the knights and foot soldiers -
0:31:35 > 0:31:38all 35,000 of them -
0:31:38 > 0:31:41who were trapped here in 1202.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46They couldn't afford to pay the fare to the Venetians
0:31:46 > 0:31:47to ferry them to the Crusades.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54Just looking down this row of tents, which are beach huts,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56they could have been the knights' tents.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59This is where they were camped. I bet it was just here.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01Then, the Lido was just a strip of sand,
0:32:01 > 0:32:04but you could imagine them in the early morning light,
0:32:04 > 0:32:07stumbling out of their tents - maybe some armour hanging up,
0:32:07 > 0:32:10probably in their vests, a bit of chainmail,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13the odd horse hanging around, a fire going,
0:32:13 > 0:32:15thinking, "Where's our boat?"
0:32:17 > 0:32:20This famous hotel, the Excelsior,
0:32:20 > 0:32:25is almost an architectural statement of the journey I'm about to take -
0:32:25 > 0:32:27a mixture of West meets East.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31It was here I met up with Robin Saikia,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34a British writer who, like many before him,
0:32:34 > 0:32:38fell in love with Venice and the Lido in particular.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- Ah, look at that.- Maestro!
0:32:43 > 0:32:45Risotto de go. Bon appetit.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50I know about this dish, because it's made with little gobies,
0:32:50 > 0:32:51which are the sort of things
0:32:51 > 0:32:54little boys catch in rock pools, back in Padstow.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57It is very typical of Venetian cooking.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00It's just quite a lowly ingredient.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02They never overdo it.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05Very, very simple. Never more than two or three ingredients.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08The result is always fantastic.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10Tell me about the Lido.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13I mean, it's such a total contrast to Venice itself, isn't it?
0:33:13 > 0:33:18Completely. This stretch of land is where Venice really all began.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23You had this city, 1,000 years ago, starting from scratch.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26They had nothing but this wonderful beach
0:33:26 > 0:33:29and the island up at Torcello and the lagoon.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31- That was it?- That was it.
0:33:31 > 0:33:32And they had to survive
0:33:32 > 0:33:35and find a way of building this extraordinary city we see today.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38But it all started here.
0:33:38 > 0:33:43That's where the romantic origins of the city really are -
0:33:43 > 0:33:45out on this stretch of beach.
0:33:45 > 0:33:46Oh, fab!
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- There you go. Grazie. - And this is...bigoli?
0:33:52 > 0:33:53Bigoli in salsa.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56- Bigoli in salsa.- Bigoli in salsa.
0:33:56 > 0:33:57Bon appetit.
0:33:57 > 0:34:02- Thanks.- It's perfectly in order, if you dine as a Venetian.
0:34:02 > 0:34:06You will have five courses, all of them manageable, like this.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08What you might call an elegant sufficiency.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11It's absolutely the right amount.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14Well, it's just onion with a bit of anchovy in it.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16The sweetness of the anchovies goes with the onion.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19Pasta cooked to perfection...
0:34:19 > 0:34:22And what more could you want?
0:34:23 > 0:34:27Well, I know you have a way of using your hands to say
0:34:27 > 0:34:29something is really special, which is... I think it's like...
0:34:29 > 0:34:31Buono.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35- Yeah, not bad. A bit Anglo-Saxon. - A bit like my dancing, I think.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37You'll have to work on that!
0:34:39 > 0:34:41Scampi la buzara.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Oh, that looks good!
0:34:51 > 0:34:53Wow. Fritto misto.
0:34:54 > 0:34:55Oh, great!
0:34:57 > 0:35:00- Bon appetit.- Grazia.- Grazia.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02This looks fab!
0:35:04 > 0:35:06I just love your book about the Lido.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09Just tell me how you came to write it.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Just the way you found the Lido in the first place.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Well, I used to come here as a kid,
0:35:14 > 0:35:16when I was so high.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19I was here on a school trip when I was about 15
0:35:19 > 0:35:22and there were ten of us.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24Two of us got left behind after the trip finished
0:35:24 > 0:35:27and we were staying over at the hotel.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30Our art master said, "There are three things I don't want you to do.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33"Don't go to Harry's Bar, don't drink grappa
0:35:33 > 0:35:35"and don't go to the Lido, because you will be picked up
0:35:35 > 0:35:38"and you'll end up dead in a swimming pool
0:35:38 > 0:35:40"somewhere by Lake Garda."
0:35:40 > 0:35:42So, anyway, that night, we went down to Harry's,
0:35:42 > 0:35:45drank a bucketful of grappa, came over,
0:35:45 > 0:35:47met a group of other young guys,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50piled into a car, down to Albaroni.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53On the beach, spent all night drinking wine and cooking fish
0:35:53 > 0:35:56- on a wood fire on the beach. - Oh, great!
0:35:56 > 0:35:59And at that moment, I suddenly realised
0:35:59 > 0:36:04that there was this unbuttoned paradise of the beach out here,
0:36:04 > 0:36:07only 15 minutes away from this museum city.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11So for me, it's a very romantic and very resonant place.
0:36:13 > 0:36:14Oh, lovely.
0:36:16 > 0:36:17That is special.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23You must have eaten a million tiramisus in your life...
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Yeah, but not many very good ones.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Light as champagne, beautiful chocolate...
0:36:30 > 0:36:32It's all in the sponge.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35You should not encounter a kind of bedrock of...
0:36:35 > 0:36:38- ..Of stodge.- ..sludge.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40It's absolutely as light as the cream, the sponge.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05This is tiramisu pick-me-up.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10MUSIC: Libiamo Ne Lieti Calici by Giuseppe Verdi
0:37:12 > 0:37:14First, separate a couple of eggs,
0:37:14 > 0:37:18or as they say in Venice, "Separare due uova."
0:37:23 > 0:37:25Then, give the whites a good whisk...
0:37:25 > 0:37:27Montare a neve.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34..Until it's soft, fluffy peaks.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36No, I'm not going to translate that one.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41And now, icing sugar onto the yolks.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45Unire zucchero ai rossi di uova.
0:37:50 > 0:37:51This is really good therapy.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Un' ultima terapia.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02Now, add a generous dollop of marscapone.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Una generosa cucchiaiata di mascarpone.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09And a good shot of vanilla essence.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Essenza di vaniglia.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Frullare con fantasia.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Whisk away with abandon.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24When do you think tiramisu was first created?
0:38:24 > 0:38:261840?
0:38:26 > 0:38:28No.
0:38:28 > 0:38:291866?
0:38:29 > 0:38:31No.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32It was 1960.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38The same year that spaghetti bolognese came to London,
0:38:38 > 0:38:40but not on toast.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48And now, freshly brewed espresso.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Un caffe espresso fumante.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54And a generous helping of Marsala wine.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57E un bel bicchiere di Marsala.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Earlier, I made a light sponge.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Light as the proverbial feather,
0:39:05 > 0:39:08with three eggs, caster sugar,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12plain flour, 25 minutes at 180.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Yes, buonissimo!
0:39:17 > 0:39:19And now, assemble.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21First, the creamy, custardy eggs.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24I can't be bothered to translate that.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Dip the sponge in coffee and Marsala.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30Inzuppare... Oh, forget it!
0:39:30 > 0:39:31More cream, please!
0:39:31 > 0:39:35Piu crema, per favore... Per fav...
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Per favore? Per favore.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Finally, chocolate generously lavished on top.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45E in fina cioccolato in quantita.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Perfetto!
0:39:47 > 0:39:49CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:40:04 > 0:40:06It'd be so easy to think of Venice
0:40:06 > 0:40:10just inhabited by tourists and pizzas.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14But this area, Giudecca, is the heart of shipbuilding
0:40:14 > 0:40:16and it's also where many students live
0:40:16 > 0:40:18and where the prison is, too.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24And this restaurant caters for all who live around here.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26It's called the Food and Art Cafe.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31Basically, very simple Venetian dishes, really cheap.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33It's a worker's canteen.
0:40:36 > 0:40:37This is Irene -
0:40:37 > 0:40:43and she's cooking probably the most famous dish in the whole of Venice,
0:40:43 > 0:40:45and that is fegato alla Veneziana.
0:40:48 > 0:40:49Liver and onions.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57IRENE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:41:00 > 0:41:03She just said she's putting wine in with the onions,
0:41:03 > 0:41:06because it adds flavour, but it also softens the onions.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12I've always found it quite odd that in a place like Venice,
0:41:12 > 0:41:15which is so famous for its seafood,
0:41:15 > 0:41:19why liver should be the most popular dish.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21And I've got this theory.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Years ago, we were filming in Cove, in Ireland,
0:41:23 > 0:41:27where lots of liners used to go from Ireland to the States, to New York.
0:41:27 > 0:41:31And there was a real love of liver and onions there
0:41:31 > 0:41:33and it came from the fact that all the beef
0:41:33 > 0:41:37was sent on the liners for all the passengers,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40but the offal - particularly the liver, which doesn't keep -
0:41:40 > 0:41:42was given to the locals.
0:41:42 > 0:41:43And I suspect that's the same here.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47You think of Venice, a great maritime power needs all that meat,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50probably salted down for the Navy.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52The offal gets given to the locals.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56IRENE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:42:09 > 0:42:12She just said, this is a very popular dish,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15adored by workmen, students, even tourists.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17They come flocking here for it.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27What I love about the way she's cooking it
0:42:27 > 0:42:30is the enormous amount of white wine she's put in there.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33And I'm sure that's going to make it taste wonderful.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47Finally, she's just added a pizzico of sugar -
0:42:47 > 0:42:51just a pinch of sugar to give an extra sweetness to the onions.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Oh, I know what that means. "Ready to eat"!
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Grazia. Looks nice.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32Mmm.
0:43:32 > 0:43:33Well, this is very nice.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Fegato alla Veneziana - liver and onions.
0:43:36 > 0:43:42I really like this restaurant. It's simple, clean and tidy.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44You come here for really good value food -
0:43:44 > 0:43:4712 euros for three courses.
0:43:47 > 0:43:52I was quite amazed, talking to a couple at my hotel last night,
0:43:52 > 0:43:56who'd just been to a little pizzeria just off St Mark's Square
0:43:56 > 0:43:58and paid 60 euros
0:43:58 > 0:44:01for two pieces of lasagne about this big!
0:44:08 > 0:44:10I feel pretty safe in saying
0:44:10 > 0:44:15that Venice's working class days are well and truly over.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18The money coming from tourism must be eye-watering.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21But if you look around,
0:44:21 > 0:44:25there are still signs on the walls showing that not so long ago,
0:44:25 > 0:44:30the basic requirements for a comfortable life were all here.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34Here, it's coal. "Carbon".
0:44:37 > 0:44:40There, wine. "Riva Del Vin".
0:44:41 > 0:44:44Here, "Ruga Dei Spezieri" -
0:44:44 > 0:44:46"The passage of spices".
0:44:49 > 0:44:52Well, I must say, this is the most obvious thing,
0:44:52 > 0:44:53but I've never seen it before.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55A fruit and veg market on a boat.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59It has to be in Venice, but such beautiful produce.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01I've just been looking up and down it and of course,
0:45:01 > 0:45:03this is the best time of year for produce.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07I love these bitter greens there. We don't get enough of those back home.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10Please don't give me a hard time about complaining about our markets.
0:45:10 > 0:45:12They're very good!
0:45:12 > 0:45:15There we have aubergines, green beans, look at those.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18I love courgette with its flower on. It's beautiful.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20Great mushrooms here.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24Porcini and chanterelle there.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27THE mushrooms of the autumn, to me.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30More mushrooms - and look at those white peaches there.
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Got to be a white peach in a good Bellini.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35And of course, these misshapen tomatoes..
0:45:35 > 0:45:38This is what they're always saying when we have a go at supermarkets
0:45:38 > 0:45:40about their uniform tomatoes.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42We're thinking of something like that.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45And borlotti beans - fresh borlotti beans. Lovely.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48You can't get them very often.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50And here, some potatoes.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52"American", what are they?
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Oh, sweet potatoes! I see. "American potatoes".
0:45:55 > 0:45:58Looks like some chillies there. Perfection.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02This is Arrigo Cipriani,
0:46:02 > 0:46:06the son of the founder of the most famous bar in the world -
0:46:06 > 0:46:07Harry's Bar.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09And this drink, the Bellini,
0:46:09 > 0:46:14made with the crushed flesh of white peaches mixed with prosecco,
0:46:14 > 0:46:17was the favourite tipple of Hemingway,
0:46:17 > 0:46:19Orson Welles, Peggy Guggenheim...
0:46:19 > 0:46:21Too many to mention.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Oh - well, Noel Coward and me.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29Bellini is named after the 14th century Venetian artist
0:46:29 > 0:46:32made famous for his portrayal of natural light,
0:46:32 > 0:46:35which Venice has in abundance.
0:46:35 > 0:46:38I can see the inspiration shining from this glass!
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Now, this is carpaccio -
0:46:41 > 0:46:45thin slices of raw beef, either fillet or sirloin.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48And this very famous dish was named after
0:46:48 > 0:46:52another 14th century artist, Vittori Carpaccio,
0:46:52 > 0:46:55possibly reflecting the distinctive reds and whites
0:46:55 > 0:46:57he so often used in his paintings.
0:46:57 > 0:47:02Anyway, these thin slices of the sweetest beef you've ever tasted
0:47:02 > 0:47:04are dressed with a lacing of mayonnaise,
0:47:04 > 0:47:08which has a touch of Dijon mustard and lemon juice.
0:47:08 > 0:47:09Delizioso!
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Cheers!
0:47:15 > 0:47:18Well, Arrigo, I suppose my first question is,
0:47:18 > 0:47:22what do you think of things like three-star Michelin restaurants?
0:47:23 > 0:47:26Three-star Michelin restaurants in Italy -
0:47:26 > 0:47:28they are not Italian restaurants.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30I think an Italian restaurant is a trattoria.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33You know, trattoria, where you are met by the family,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36you can go every day and every day they have something different,
0:47:36 > 0:47:38but there is another thing.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Anybody that comes in, any customer,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44if he doesn't know the place, he's a little shy.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46And this is a help.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48I mean, you come in and you immediately find a bar.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50It's something that gives you confidence.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54I think that's why Harry's Bar remains so successful.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Yes. People come here and they know what they want
0:47:56 > 0:47:59and they know what they'll get. Exactly.
0:47:59 > 0:48:02And we don't impose "menu degustation", you know?
0:48:02 > 0:48:04ARRIGO LAUGHS
0:48:04 > 0:48:05I hate that!
0:48:07 > 0:48:10Now, this is baccala mantecato -
0:48:10 > 0:48:12and it's inseparable from Venice.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14I love it.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18They combine cooked flakes of stockfish,
0:48:18 > 0:48:20which is air-dried cod,
0:48:20 > 0:48:23with salt, pepper, garlic, anchovies,
0:48:23 > 0:48:26potatoes, cream and olive oil.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28And then, it's all whisked together.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32Now, for someone that likes their fish -
0:48:32 > 0:48:34I mean, really likes their fish -
0:48:34 > 0:48:36it's a star dish.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48That is so deliciously creamy.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53If you never thought you'd like the idea of salt cod,
0:48:53 > 0:48:56or dried cod, which this is, made out of stockfish,
0:48:56 > 0:48:57think again.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00This, to me, typifies Venetian cooking -
0:49:00 > 0:49:02something apparently so simple
0:49:02 > 0:49:05with such a special flavour.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13I've been coming to Venice for many years now
0:49:13 > 0:49:16and I've noticed that every time I come,
0:49:16 > 0:49:18there are more and more tourists -
0:49:18 > 0:49:20vastly more.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23But, you know, I don't mind being a tourist.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25It doesn't mean I have to buy a plastic gondola
0:49:25 > 0:49:28that lights up on the mantelpiece.
0:49:28 > 0:49:30For me, it means following my nose,
0:49:30 > 0:49:32eating carpaccio,
0:49:32 > 0:49:34drinking cold prosecco,
0:49:34 > 0:49:37just watching people and realising
0:49:37 > 0:49:41that if my pulse doesn't quicken at the first sight of the Grand Canal,
0:49:41 > 0:49:43then it's time to see the doctor.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50Venice, for the complete stranger, can be a little complex.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53I think that's an understatement.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57And so, may I introduce Cristina Pogozzo,
0:49:57 > 0:50:02who is a living, breathing, fabulous guide to the city.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05Cristina, I keep on having to pinch myself
0:50:05 > 0:50:09to think I'm really here, because that is just...
0:50:09 > 0:50:12Well, it's one of the greatest sights on Earth.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15An extraordinary kingdom.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18Isolated from the rest of the world,
0:50:18 > 0:50:21but in touch with extraordinary different cultures
0:50:21 > 0:50:24from the East and the Middle East.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26So how did they get so wealthy? How did it all...?
0:50:26 > 0:50:28Thanks to the trade.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32Marco Polo is actually the first one that travelled to the Orient.
0:50:32 > 0:50:36He came back home and he imported the spices.
0:50:36 > 0:50:40So you got the trade and you had the salt as well, didn't you?
0:50:40 > 0:50:41Which was...
0:50:41 > 0:50:45Salt, sale, salario - salary.
0:50:45 > 0:50:47Salario.
0:50:47 > 0:50:49I knew there was a word that meant money.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50Oh, yes, of course, you know.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53We used to pay with a small bag of salt.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57So you've got the salt, you've got the trade in salt,
0:50:57 > 0:51:00but it was all based on food, really -
0:51:00 > 0:51:03if you needed to be able to travel to trade,
0:51:03 > 0:51:05you needed to preserve your food.
0:51:05 > 0:51:06Food was power.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Split, Dubrovnik,
0:51:09 > 0:51:12the Dalmatian Coast belonged to our domain,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14so we could control the market.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17This was the centre of the world if you're Venetian.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Absolutely.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22You still have that arrogance. It's still, like...
0:51:22 > 0:51:23I'm proud.
0:51:23 > 0:51:26- What do you say in Venice about...? It's us and...- Ah.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28- Well, we have a nice saying.- What?
0:51:28 > 0:51:33This is Venice and the rest of the world on the other side.
0:51:33 > 0:51:36The foresti, the foreigners.
0:51:36 > 0:51:37Fantastic.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41God forbid, Cristina, if you were sent away from Venice
0:51:41 > 0:51:44and you could never come back here again,
0:51:44 > 0:51:47what dish would you most miss?
0:51:47 > 0:51:51Well, I love the seafood risotto.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55This is really one of my favourite dishes.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59I think all the skill, everything to do with Venice is in that dish.
0:51:59 > 0:52:02When you taste it, the subtlety of it,
0:52:02 > 0:52:05the way they incorporate the flavours of the shells
0:52:05 > 0:52:09into the risotto, into the seafood brodo...
0:52:09 > 0:52:13- Fantastic!- So good. Delicious.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19Seafood risotto.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23I don't feel the need to peel vegetables
0:52:23 > 0:52:26when I'm making stock, unless they've got sand or dirt in them.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29There's a lot of flavour in the skins.
0:52:34 > 0:52:36These fish are just little rock fish, really.
0:52:36 > 0:52:38They're very cheap here.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40If you were making this back in the UK,
0:52:40 > 0:52:42just buy the cheapest fish.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46Actually, this one is some sort of herring or sardine,
0:52:46 > 0:52:50so I don't mind a little bit of oily fish in my stock, but not too much.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56So I'll bring that to the boil and simmer it for about 30 minutes.
0:52:58 > 0:53:01I found this in a hedge on my way to the kitchen this morning.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03It's wild sage.
0:53:03 > 0:53:08Now, olive oil, then onions and garlic,
0:53:08 > 0:53:09and the rice.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12It's called Vialone Nano.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14It's revered in Venice.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17But don't worry, Arborio is just as good.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19What I was thinking with doing this
0:53:19 > 0:53:21is how much I enjoy making a risotto.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25I think everybody should have one good risotto in them.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27It's one of those dishes you really need to learn.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30When I'm writing recipes, I always put in precise ingredients
0:53:30 > 0:53:33because I feel the first time you make something,
0:53:33 > 0:53:35you need to know exactly how much salt,
0:53:35 > 0:53:37how much pepper and so on and so forth.
0:53:37 > 0:53:40But after that, you need to learn it and make it yours.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45Now, white wine, for obvious reasons -
0:53:45 > 0:53:48it has to be white, unless you're into a red risotto.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56So, this is a seven-spice mix, which I got from Venice.
0:53:56 > 0:54:00They are cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, chilli,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02turmeric and nutmeg.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06Just a big pinch of that...
0:54:06 > 0:54:08into my risotto.
0:54:12 > 0:54:16The fish stock is ready, fishy but not overpowering.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20What makes this risotto special is that stock and the spice mix.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26A touch of Byzantium, so common in Venetian seafood dishes.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28Almost a little signature.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34You can choose whatever seafood you like,
0:54:34 > 0:54:38but my favourite is squid and red mullet.
0:54:38 > 0:54:40I have a real weakness for both of them.
0:54:40 > 0:54:45Like I always say, red mullet has that lovely, shellfishy taste.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50I always have to have fried squid in the risotto.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52You can mix the rest of it,
0:54:52 > 0:54:55but I think squid and prawns are essential.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57Then whatever you can get a hold of.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00The squid has this fantastic sweetness.
0:55:00 > 0:55:03But now I'm going to add some of these local shrimps.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06I've taken the heads off, but I haven't...
0:55:06 > 0:55:08I don't think I could take the shells off,
0:55:08 > 0:55:10because actually, you can eat the whole thing.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16I could cook risottos forever.
0:55:16 > 0:55:18I love the way the dish builds up -
0:55:18 > 0:55:21first the rice has to reach a point where it's absorbed
0:55:21 > 0:55:23all that lovely stock.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30Then it's joined by the seafood. It just needs a tad more cooking.
0:55:34 > 0:55:35Now the mussels,
0:55:35 > 0:55:38and the risotto will be done once they start to open.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42A bit more stock,
0:55:42 > 0:55:45and don't forget the mussels will release their lovely flavours too.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50Now a taste.
0:55:50 > 0:55:52The rice has got to have a little firmness in the middle,
0:55:52 > 0:55:53but not too much.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00Now...it's good.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06Now to butter. Lots of butter to finish.
0:56:06 > 0:56:10Venetian cooks are not shy when it comes to using butter,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13because they want their finished risotto to have
0:56:13 > 0:56:17the same lovely sheen on the top as Venice's lagoon
0:56:17 > 0:56:19in the early evening.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25Finally, I'm putting in crab - A, because I love the sweetness,
0:56:25 > 0:56:29and B, I happen to have some in the fridge.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36I'm very happy with that.
0:56:36 > 0:56:37Let's serve it up.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46Does that have the sheen? Yes, it does.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54THUNDER RUMBLES
0:57:03 > 0:57:07I feel extremely sad leaving Venice.
0:57:07 > 0:57:09It's one of those places that just gets to you.
0:57:13 > 0:57:17This weather only adds to my mood of melancholy.
0:57:21 > 0:57:25Once upon a time, she was called La Serenissima -
0:57:25 > 0:57:28the most serene republic of Venice.
0:57:28 > 0:57:33It's that sort of city - romantic in the sun and soulful in the rain.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Arrivederci, Serenissima.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41I'll see you again.
0:57:41 > 0:57:42I have to.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46THUNDER RUMBLES
0:57:52 > 0:57:58Next time, I'm sailing across the Adriatic to Croatia, a first for me.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01Fish in Croatia swim three times -
0:58:01 > 0:58:03first in the sea...
0:58:03 > 0:58:05This is my lunch.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08..second in olive oil,
0:58:08 > 0:58:11and third in wine.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14For me, the more rugged the cooking, the better a lamb.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16This is sensational.
0:58:16 > 0:58:18I can't see!
0:58:18 > 0:58:22It's the deepest, darkest fish stew I've ever tasted.
0:58:24 > 0:58:29And so, my gastronomic journey continues.