0:00:02 > 0:00:07This is my gastronomic road trip from Venice to Istanbul
0:00:07 > 0:00:10through part of one of the world's greatest civilisations.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15A melting pot of East and West that lasted a thousand years -
0:00:15 > 0:00:18the Byzantine Empire,
0:00:18 > 0:00:23that not only influenced and shaped the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean,
0:00:23 > 0:00:26but spiced up the rather bland food of the West.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54I was pretty sad to leave Venice.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57It's one of those places where it takes three or four days
0:00:57 > 0:01:00to get into the rhythm and feel of the place.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02And then it's time to go! I loved it.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07And the clams, risotto, the prosecco, the cicchetti
0:01:07 > 0:01:09and those lovely spices from the East.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13THUNDER
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Now I'm heading south towards Ravenna.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28It was the western bastion of the Byzantine Empire.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33The eastern, of course, was Constantinople, Istanbul.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39These programmes are about that heady mixture of East and West,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42tied up in an empire that lasted a thousand years.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52One thing that Ravenna's still very famous for are piadinas.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55It's a snack that goes right back to the Eastern Roman Empire,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59a massive area, virtually the whole of the Eastern Mediterranean.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03And it's easy to understand why flatbreads, that came from
0:02:03 > 0:02:05the East, found their way here -
0:02:05 > 0:02:08because they were so easy to make and so tasty.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13I must say, I'm really enjoying watching him making these piadinas.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15And it's making me very hungry.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Well, it's just the simplest of flatbread,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20just brought to Ravenna by the Romans.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Stayed here ever since.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27- Grazie.- Prego.
0:02:27 > 0:02:28HE SPEAKS IN ITALIAN
0:02:30 > 0:02:32That's another one.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37That's a crescioni. That's like a crescent.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41But this is a piadina. That's the original.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42Well, here we go.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Oh. That's absolutely delicious.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50I mean, it's just a simple flatbread made with flour, salt,
0:02:50 > 0:02:53water, lard, and a secret ingredient.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56He wouldn't tell me what that was but it's really nice.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Partly cos it's just freshly cooked like this.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05This one's got prosciutto, rucola - rocket -
0:03:05 > 0:03:09and a local cheese called, squacquerone.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12Very, very soft, lovely, luscious cheese.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Absolutely delicious in the rain.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26My favourite wine merchant, the late and much lamented Bill Baker,
0:03:26 > 0:03:31said if I was going to Ravenna then I had to see the mosaics,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Byzantine mosaics, inside the basilica of San Vitale.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40It was built by the emperor Justinian.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42He came from nothing, really,
0:03:42 > 0:03:47a poor, simple soldier, who became one of the greatest Byzantine emperors of all time.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Perhaps it was down to the influence of his wife,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54the extraordinary and captivating Theodora.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58I sometimes feel a bit sort of oafish cos I am a mere cook,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00not a historian.
0:04:00 > 0:04:02And looking at something like this, I have to put a personal spin
0:04:02 > 0:04:07on it cos I actually don't quite know what's going on.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09But scenes like that, really I enjoy.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13Of course, that one is filled with food, so I would, wouldn't I?
0:04:13 > 0:04:15But I just love the naturalness of it.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19You've got Abraham giving a thanksgiving to these three angels,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22which is a little roasted, probably milk-fed, lamb.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26The angels have got three loaves of bread in front of them.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Probably very much like loaves of bread would look baked even to this day.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34And a lovely scene there of Abraham
0:04:34 > 0:04:38being told not to sacrifice his son by God, with a hand pointing
0:04:38 > 0:04:41through the clouds in a very Monty Pythonesque way
0:04:41 > 0:04:43saying, "Stop, stop!
0:04:43 > 0:04:46"Here's a little lamb for you to sacrifice instead."
0:04:46 > 0:04:48And it's all very natural.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51And the bodies, they've got form. They've got anatomical form.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59Then, if we go over here to this Eastern Christian mosaic,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01it's totally different.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03There's Christ in the middle, the Redeemer.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07But all the figures are lifeless. They're just, just figures.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12But what really counts is their eyes. Their voluminous eyes.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Their deep dark eyes with that gold behind them,
0:05:15 > 0:05:21inviting you into the sort of mysticism of Christianity.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25And more and more, as I begin to understand this side,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29this Eastern, this Byzantine side of Christianity, I want to see more.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36I have a friend who loves Ravenna
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and says that for a real pleasure, a taste of luxury,
0:05:40 > 0:05:41then try the passatelli.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45This is Angela Schiavina
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and she's part of the slow food movement here.
0:05:48 > 0:05:49and this is her masterpiece.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54It may not look the most beautiful soup in the world,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58but it's utterly fabulous and so much part of Ravenna.
0:06:00 > 0:06:05Those little noodles are made with a large amount of Parmesan cheese -
0:06:05 > 0:06:08two parts Parmesan to one part breadcrumbs.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14And now for a flavour of the old Byzantine Empire -
0:06:14 > 0:06:17grated nutmeg and lemon,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19just the zest.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26And now marrowbone. This is what makes it really special.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30This, and a few eggs, will be the glue that holds it all together.
0:06:32 > 0:06:37It's regarded as a celebratory dish mainly enjoyed in the winter months.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40The people of Emilia-Romagna love rich food,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43that's why there's so much Parmesan in this dish.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46And the marrowbone for velvety texture.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52This is called a ferro per passatelli.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Just by pressing down on it, it creates these little worms of pasta.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03She's already made a good beef brodo, using beef bones,
0:07:03 > 0:07:07onions studded with cloves, carrots, leeks and celery.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Well, I've just been watching Angela make that
0:07:18 > 0:07:19and it looked like a masterclass.
0:07:19 > 0:07:24I mean, I just love classic Italian dishes.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25And I enjoyed it a great deal.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28But this is the bit that really appeals to me.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Wow!
0:07:33 > 0:07:36When I saw all that Parmesan going in there, I was thinking,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38"I love that."
0:07:38 > 0:07:40This is beautiful.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44And as you said, it's just made out of everything local.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46And I think it's a sort of, really,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50the heart of sort of Northern Italian cooking, the dish like this.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52It's lovely.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53Grazie.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55SHE SPEAKS IN ITALIAN
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Yeah, yeah, of course.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59You're going to love this, Dave.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08I'm sailing from Ancona to Split in Croatia.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12I've never been before but I love catching ferries.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15It reminds me of when I was in my early 20s.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Loads of friends would head off to Greece
0:08:18 > 0:08:20in battered old vans,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23find some beach and stay for most of the summer.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Those heady days before the restaurant took over my life.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Well, this is my first sight ever of the Dalmatian coast,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and we're just heading for Split.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50It's a bit cold, I have to say, and looks a bit foreboding.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52But I know I'm going to find some great fish
0:08:52 > 0:08:54and some beautiful lamb.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58But I was just remembering, I used to go to Greece -
0:08:58 > 0:09:00this was before charter flights -
0:09:00 > 0:09:03and we used to drive down the centre of Yugoslavia, cos it was the quickest -
0:09:03 > 0:09:07that's what it was called then - it was the quickest way there.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11But it was a horrible road. Loads of accidents. Loads of traffic.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15And just once or twice, we'd say, "Oh, let's split for Split."
0:09:22 > 0:09:25The first thing I'm thinking on arrival is,
0:09:25 > 0:09:27"Why haven't I been here before?"
0:09:28 > 0:09:29Split is very lovely,
0:09:29 > 0:09:32especially the harbour side they call the Riva.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Great for coffee and baguettes, and watching the world go by.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42But I'm here for the fish and nothing but the fish.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Gosh, how I love Mediterranean sardines. And look at that.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Look at the way it's curled.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54I'm actually talking to the camera, sorry.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58But look at the way that's curled. That's what they call stiff fresh.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59And a guy's just told me -
0:09:59 > 0:10:02they're really friendly in this market - just said that
0:10:02 > 0:10:07if there's any sign of blood on the gill cavity, they're not fresh.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Somebody else just charmingly told me,
0:10:10 > 0:10:15that, fish in Croatia, swim three times.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17First in the sea,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19second in olive oil
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and third in wine.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27I spotted a little bar just opposite this fish market.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30And, of course, well, it's obvious, isn't it?
0:10:30 > 0:10:33I asked the lady who owns the place, her name is Dnita,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36if I could have the famous fritto misto.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40That classic fried mix of ultra fresh fish.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Like so many dishes this was thought up by the fishermen.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Basically, they would fry up all the little fish they couldn't sell.
0:10:48 > 0:10:52Just dusted with flour, deep-fried in olive oil,
0:10:52 > 0:10:57seasoned and enjoyed with bread and wine.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59Perfection.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06Wow!
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Quite a lot for one you might think,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14but typically Croatian. They've cooked enough for the whole crew.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Here it is.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19And, I mean, I know I love my seafood
0:11:19 > 0:11:23but there is nothing on earth better than a fritto misto,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27with little fish, little squid,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29straight out of the market and into the fryer.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Now it's time to cook
0:11:34 > 0:11:37and that happens here in my lovely kitchen,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39overlooking the Aegean Sea
0:11:39 > 0:11:42on the island of Symi.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45I'll be doing dishes I've discovered, or borrowed,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49from various restaurants, cafes and bars during my travels.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53And this is a great Croatian way to cook prawns.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57This is prawn buzara.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03As you see, I'm peeling tomatoes a bit like a potato, or an apple
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and, here in Greece or in Turkey, that's how they do it.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09I think there's a sort of culture of doing everything in your hands
0:12:09 > 0:12:11rather than using a chopping board.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I suppose because tomatoes are so plentiful and so large here,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17losing a bit of flesh with the peel doesn't really matter.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19I just like doing things with my hands.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Little things please me a lot.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52One of the little things that always pleases me
0:12:52 > 0:12:55is the quality of tomatoes in the Mediterranean.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59There's just so much colour, so much sweetness to them.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Fab!
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Now puree.
0:13:04 > 0:13:05A couple of heaped teaspoons.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09A tablespoon, I suppose, something like that.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14And now, not always the case with buzara,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16but I love a bit of chilli,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19so I'm going to put a good pinch of chilli flakes in there.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24And now saffron. That really is important.
0:13:24 > 0:13:25Plenty of good saffron.
0:13:28 > 0:13:29Seasoning...
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Lots of black pepper and a bit of salt.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34This is what I call, holiday food.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36What do I mean by that?
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Well, this is what I would cook if I was on holiday here.
0:13:39 > 0:13:40Oh, and wine.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42White wine and a touch of water.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48I'm just going to cook this down now, so that it's the consistency
0:13:48 > 0:13:51of, I don't know, something like hollandaise sauce, I suppose,
0:13:51 > 0:13:53really quite thick.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55And, if it's not thick enough when I've cooked it down and it
0:13:55 > 0:13:59tastes right, I'm just going to put a bit of breadcrumb in there as well.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02So, I can leave that now to cook down for,
0:14:02 > 0:14:06probably about ten minutes, while I fry my prawns.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14So I'm just getting the digestive tract out of this prawn.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Just run your knife along the back, through the shell like that,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19and just lift it out.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23I find that if there's no grit in the digestive tract,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25I'm not too bothered about it
0:14:25 > 0:14:28but some people are very squeamish about it.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31If it puts you off then I think it's a good idea to take that out.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40I know a thing about prawns, a thing or two.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43These are very, very nice, local prawns.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Love the smell of cooking prawns.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Don't we all?
0:14:52 > 0:14:55When a man is tired of his prawns, he's tired of life.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57There we go. So, they're done.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00I'm just going to add a bit of pepper and salt, I think, now.
0:15:02 > 0:15:03I like my pepper.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06Actually, all the Albanians, the Croatians and the Greeks,
0:15:06 > 0:15:09and the Turks, they love their pepper.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11A bit more salt. Not a lot.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17And now we're just going to put one, into the other.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22There we go.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25That's almost ready now.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27Now I'm just going to add some breadcrumbs
0:15:27 > 0:15:29because it does need a little thickening up.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32So, in go the breadcrumbs.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42This is a common dish in Croatia
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and equally as popular on the other side of the Adriatic, in Italy,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48where they do acknowledge it as being Croatian.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51As I mentioned before, this is holiday food,
0:15:51 > 0:15:55great for sharing and dipping bread into that lovely sauce.
0:16:00 > 0:16:01And there it is.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04And I think second only to plainly grilled prawns,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07this is possibly my favourite prawn dish.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08Just tomato,
0:16:08 > 0:16:12but the essential chilli for me and saffron.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Not very far from Split, up in the mountains, there's a village
0:16:25 > 0:16:28called Zrnovnica - I hope I've said that right.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30It's a very special place
0:16:30 > 0:16:33because there's a little tavern there that's renowned for
0:16:33 > 0:16:34its roast lamb.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38What I've discovered about this restaurant,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40right up in the mountains,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43a bit of a local secret where they do fantastic lamb.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Apparently, if you haven't tasted the lamb, you haven't lived.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Now the thing is, that the guy that owns the restaurant
0:16:50 > 0:16:52doesn't want us to be there.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56He's got 26 lambs to roast today.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59So the last thing he wants is a blinking camera crew
0:16:59 > 0:17:01getting in the way.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04But we really want to see this being cooked
0:17:04 > 0:17:06and he does it in two ways,
0:17:06 > 0:17:08first of all on a spit.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12But the way that really interests me is under a lid called a peka,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15a steel lid which he covers in coal.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20And, apparently, that makes the lamb really crisp, and golden.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23I can't wait.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- Hi.- This is my father, Dondo.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- Very nice to meet you. Dondo.- Yes.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Oh, good. Let's have a look.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38THEY CONVERSE IN CROATIAN
0:17:42 > 0:17:45Good Lord!
0:17:45 > 0:17:47God, that is fantastic.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I've just been thinking about this ever since I got off the boat.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Gosh! It's making me...
0:17:52 > 0:17:56For me, the more rugged the cooking, the better a lamb,
0:17:56 > 0:17:58and this is sensational!
0:17:58 > 0:18:00It's going to be absolutely lovely.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04But, I can't talk any more. I can't see.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08I don't know how they can get used to it.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09HE RESPONDS IN CROATIAN
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Oh!
0:18:13 > 0:18:17There are certain prime forces that create the cuisine of a country.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20First of all, its terrain
0:18:20 > 0:18:21and second the climate
0:18:21 > 0:18:24which leads to what grows best.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27And the answer, in the mountains of Croatia,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30and I suspect Albania, and I know for certain Greece,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34is sheep, which means lots of roast lamb.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38Sultans and emperors might have introduced new spices and flavours
0:18:38 > 0:18:41to these parts over the centuries
0:18:41 > 0:18:44but, you know, shepherds have been cooking this way since
0:18:44 > 0:18:46before the Old Testament.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50And this humble form of roasting is elemental to us all.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52That's why it will live on forever.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05It reminds me of years ago when I filmed with this feisty old lady
0:19:05 > 0:19:08up in the mountains of Majorca.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11I'm always looking for new ideas about cooking
0:19:11 > 0:19:13and she cooked some brilliant roast lamb.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18She put in well seasoned shoulders and legs of lamb
0:19:18 > 0:19:22on root vegetables and covered them with lager.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Spanish, of course, por favor.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28And she then put them in the oven.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31She cooked them for about three hours and since then I've
0:19:31 > 0:19:35been inundated with requests for how to do this,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37but I didn't put it in my book
0:19:37 > 0:19:39because, who's got an oven like that?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44I had the same feeling about this dish in Croatia.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47But, this time, I have worked out a way of adapting it
0:19:47 > 0:19:49with lamb or veal.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55It's simply cooked with onion, carrots, salt aplenty,
0:19:55 > 0:19:57pepper and potatoes.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59A lot of those well seasoned.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Plus lard and that's it.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06And then, well, words fail me
0:20:06 > 0:20:08largely because of the smoke intake.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12But, look, anyone who likes a good pot roast will love this.
0:20:16 > 0:20:17Well, he's just put the...
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Excuse me.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21He's just put the dish on the hot surface there,
0:20:21 > 0:20:23covered it with a lid
0:20:23 > 0:20:28and then he's putting hot coals all over the top.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32So this is what's going to give it this lovely, crisp finish.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33Golden crisp finish.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Uh-huh.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43I love cooking this at home.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46People say, "How do you cook that, Rick?"
0:20:46 > 0:20:49I say, "Well, I discovered a secret from the shepherds of the
0:20:49 > 0:20:51"Mosor mountains in Croatia.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52"It's timeless."
0:20:57 > 0:20:58Thank you very much.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59So, is that all for me?
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Da.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03No, it's not. It's for the crew too.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07But I get the best bits.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08Well, here we go.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10I've been watching this being prepared
0:21:10 > 0:21:13and the bit I love the best is the skin.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22That's simply the best piece of roast lamb I've ever tasted.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24I mean, it's not just about the quality of the lamb.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27It's very young lamb, so it's sweet.
0:21:27 > 0:21:28It's very nicely seasoned
0:21:28 > 0:21:31but...it's the smoke.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34It just tastes of wood. It is sensational.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38The man that owns this restaurant has had it for 41 years.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43They've been open every day and he's never taken a holiday.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46He's so dedicated to this excellent lamb.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49And they serve the lamb with these lovely spring onions,
0:21:49 > 0:21:51which you dip in salt, eat some of the lamb
0:21:51 > 0:21:53and then eat a bit of onion.
0:21:55 > 0:21:56Mmm.
0:21:58 > 0:21:59Mmm.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04This is pasticada -
0:22:04 > 0:22:07pot-roasted beef with prunes
0:22:07 > 0:22:09and a few figs.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Pasticada - it's Croatia's favourite dish.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18It's their national dish. It's their homesick dish.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20You know, the one you sort of think,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24"What would I give for some roast beef, or some fish and chips."
0:22:24 > 0:22:28Well, if you're Croatian, "What would I give for a nice pasticada?"
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Well, I'm larding this piece of beef with garlic for flavour,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36and bacon for fat,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39because, as it cooks over a long time,
0:22:39 > 0:22:41I don't want it to dry out.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44I've never found a sort of neat and tidy way of doing this,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46so excuse my fingers pushing it in
0:22:46 > 0:22:48but it's the only way.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53I have to say, I'm getting really quite frustrated with this.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58You know, if I'm larding things back home,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01I use nice, thick bits of bacon
0:23:01 > 0:23:02and I'm sorry to say this
0:23:02 > 0:23:06but you just cannot get bacon over here like you can back home.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11Trying to lard this bit of beef, with this stuff, is not fun
0:23:11 > 0:23:13and it looks terrible. OK?
0:23:22 > 0:23:24I'm pleased that larding's over.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27I'm now adding about 60ml of red wine vinegar.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31I'm going to leave that to marinade for a couple of hours.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33That tenderises the beef
0:23:33 > 0:23:38but, also, it gives it the really unique flavour of pasticada
0:23:38 > 0:23:41which is a combination of the sourness of the vinegar,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43and the sweetness of the fruit.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51Then, in a hot pan, a really hot pan with olive oil,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I'm searing the beef to give it a bit of colour.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I think searing meat enhances the flavour too.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02What I'm hoping with the pasticada is that I've chosen
0:24:02 > 0:24:07a cut of meat, chuck, a piece of chuck, which is quite fatty.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10I've also larded it with the bacon.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13After long slow-cooking, I think it will be like butter.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I'm hoping it'll be like butter. It'll cut so easily
0:24:16 > 0:24:20but it will retain a great deal of moistness as well.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26That beef's got a lovely colour on it now.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28You can see my lardings there.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30So, in there with all these lovely vegetables -
0:24:30 > 0:24:33tomato, carrot, onion, celery.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38And I'll just get some herbs - some rosemary and bay leaf,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40to put on the top there.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43That'll smell very nice as it's cooking.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And a deep, dark, Greek red wine.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51If I was in Croatia, I'd be using Dingac, which is really dark red.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53That's very important in this dish
0:24:53 > 0:24:54and lots of it.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00So now into a moderate oven.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03About 170, 180 degrees
0:25:03 > 0:25:05for about an hour.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09And then I'm going to take the lid off and add the fruit,
0:25:09 > 0:25:11which'll be prunes, figs and apples.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22It's so nice here.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Swimming is an important part of my life.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33I remember in India a year or so ago, I was desperate for a swim
0:25:33 > 0:25:36while the curries were simmering away.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Except there was a blinking great snake, who loved to swim there too.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42She lived in a drainpipe,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44so I had to give it a miss.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50But this is divine.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54No snakes and the perfect place to cook.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58So there we go.
0:25:58 > 0:25:59That's looking quite nice.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01The beef is a little bit dry.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04I have made this dish before and the beef was really quite dry.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06I'm a little bit nervous about that.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Slightly wish I'd brought some larding bacon over from England.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11But, there we go, can't be helped.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Now to add the fruit.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16So, apple, prunes and figs.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24This is a dish, I think, where East meets West.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Using meat and sweet things together.
0:26:27 > 0:26:28It goes back centuries
0:26:28 > 0:26:32and pasticada is sweet, fruity, stew.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35Actually, it just means stew from the pastures.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45And back in the oven now for about another 45 minutes.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Well, this is a bit tense for me
0:26:58 > 0:27:02cos I have had not much luck with these long, slow-cooked
0:27:02 > 0:27:04pieces of beef. They've always been a bit dry.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Actually this one's looking not too bad.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12I'm pleased that I chose the chuck joint.
0:27:12 > 0:27:13Yes, I like the look of that.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22This is a lot better.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26I mean, this looks absolutely lovely. The juice, the fruit...
0:27:26 > 0:27:29You can see the figs, the prunes, the apple, the onion.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33And now some gnocchi just to complete the dish.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37Fab!
0:27:39 > 0:27:42I can always tell the success of a dish by the way
0:27:42 > 0:27:43the crew wolf it down.
0:27:43 > 0:27:47I didn't see Dave the director tucking in very much.
0:27:47 > 0:27:48Unusual that.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Um, with great respect.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54Oh, here we go.
0:27:54 > 0:27:59I'm just wondering whether or not you thought that was just a tad dry?
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- Did you try it? Did you taste it? - No.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06It was really lovely with all that, the fruit, the figs, the apple.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08It was lovely.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Yeah, a little bit dry?
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Yeah, it was a bit.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16I'm a bit depressed about it, really.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19I think I'll use silverside next time and not cook it so long.
0:28:19 > 0:28:21- I'm sorry I mentioned it. - It's all right.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23- I shouldn't have mentioned it. - Thank you, anyway.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Sorry about that, try and cheer up.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39I've noticed over the years of making these programmes,
0:28:39 > 0:28:42that markets have become a bit of a tourist destination.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47But here in Split there's not a scented candle in sight.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Indeed, the range of produce probably hasn't changed
0:28:50 > 0:28:52very much since the war.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55I bet these nettles came from the days when food was in
0:28:55 > 0:28:56very short supply.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01I remember when I was young, my mother making a sort of beer
0:29:01 > 0:29:04from nettles and tops of brambles,
0:29:04 > 0:29:06a forgotten taste of early summer.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11Every time the director says to me, "We're filming in a market
0:29:11 > 0:29:14"in the morning," I think, "Oh, what am I going to talk about?"
0:29:14 > 0:29:17Then I get to the market, and it's what can I not talk about?
0:29:17 > 0:29:20There's always so much to talk about.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23And here, I'm just looking at everybody's faces.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25You can see these sort of agricultural,
0:29:25 > 0:29:30these farmers have come in, to Split, to sell their produce.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Not only have you got some great, weather beaten faces
0:29:34 > 0:29:38but also the people buying are so interesting.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42First of all, I've just seen some elderflowers.
0:29:42 > 0:29:43I've seen some nettles.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47I've seen this curious thing that looks like wild asparagus, but
0:29:47 > 0:29:52actually it's much more bitter and it's called poor people's asparagus
0:29:52 > 0:29:54and it's called something like, my first bit of Croatian...
0:29:54 > 0:29:56Bljust.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58So, got that.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00Radishes, love 'em.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03This looks like either thistles or rocket.
0:30:03 > 0:30:05I'm going to have to find out what that is.
0:30:05 > 0:30:07I'm just filled with enthusiasm.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10Sunny day every day you have to eat.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12Every day a market excites you.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21There is without doubt, a touch of Bohemia about Split
0:30:21 > 0:30:25and this restaurant, Villa Spiza, has more than its fair share.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27It's run by Ivana.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29She's the boss on the right
0:30:29 > 0:30:31and sister Nada in the red T-shirt
0:30:31 > 0:30:32and Daniela -
0:30:32 > 0:30:34three enthusiastic cooks.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41Their famous speciality here is a fish stew made with beans,
0:30:41 > 0:30:43something I've never heard of before.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47This takes a fair bit of cooking
0:30:47 > 0:30:51but, initially, it's olive oil and sliced onions,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53borlotti beans, celeriac,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55parsley root, chopped carrots,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58sweet paprika, salt and pepper
0:30:58 > 0:31:00and chilli powder.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03You simmer it for about an hour and a half
0:31:03 > 0:31:06and then some parsley.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Now this is a dish of two halves.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11First the beans and then the fish.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14Then later they'll be joined together.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Ivana, I've just come from Venice, actually,
0:31:17 > 0:31:20and they've got... had some lovely fish dishes there.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22Lucky you.
0:31:22 > 0:31:23Yeah, I suppose you're right.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27In my opinion, Italian food is more sophisticated.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Italians are more...they were richer people in the past.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Croatian are more, peasant, yeah?
0:31:35 > 0:31:39So our food is basic but honest at the same time.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- And from the heart. - And from the heart, for sure.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43And, that's very important in our food
0:31:43 > 0:31:45but it's pretty similar.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47It's Mediterranean kind of, kitchen, cooking.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51It seems very unusual. I've never seen that before, Ivana,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53of putting beans in a fish stew.
0:31:53 > 0:31:54It's a very unusual dish.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57Let's say a poor dish, but it's not. Not at all.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59But that's what I'm always looking for
0:31:59 > 0:32:01is dishes I've never come across before.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03I'm sure you're going to be very, very surprised.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06Well, I'm looking forward to it because I'm sure it'll work.
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Sounds a bit presumptuous of me.
0:32:08 > 0:32:09Of course it'll work!
0:32:09 > 0:32:10IVANA CHUCKLES
0:32:12 > 0:32:15So this is our fish which we're going to put in our fish brodetto.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Great. Looks very fresh.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- Yeah, it is. Have a try and see. - So, what have we got here, then?
0:32:20 > 0:32:22So we have a monkfish.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24- Monkfish there.- Yeah.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26- A sea bream.- Sea bream, yeah.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28- And a scorpion fish.- Rascasse.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30To be honest, I don't have idea, English name.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32I think we call that rockling. Is it rockling?
0:32:32 > 0:32:34- It could be.- Yeah.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37And these, do they give you a nasty nip?
0:32:37 > 0:32:38Of course.
0:32:38 > 0:32:42OK, this one is a little bit too tired right now.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44It's a bit exhausted.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48So how long will that cook for, then?
0:32:48 > 0:32:49- One hour and 30 minutes.- OK. Good.
0:32:49 > 0:32:5140 minutes.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- Well, we'll go and have a drink. - Yes, of course.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00This band suddenly turned up here in the alleyway
0:33:00 > 0:33:02and they weren't going to go away
0:33:02 > 0:33:04and insisted we film them.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06I'm so pleased we did.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09Cos it goes down well with the dish.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11# Blue drag
0:33:11 > 0:33:14# I'm sure is dragging me down
0:33:14 > 0:33:17# I'm almost tagging the ground...
0:33:17 > 0:33:19She puts in quite a bit of white wine here.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22# The rhythm, the rhythm, the rhythm
0:33:22 > 0:33:25# Has got me in peculiar faze
0:33:25 > 0:33:27# Rhythm, just rhythm
0:33:27 > 0:33:30# The rhythm has got me in a serious faze
0:33:30 > 0:33:34# I can't get enough of blue drag... #
0:33:37 > 0:33:39The fish doesn't take long to cook.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42But then it has to cool down, so the girls can take out the bones,
0:33:42 > 0:33:44and bits of shell.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48We need to be careful with these little bones.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Because when we eat it...
0:33:52 > 0:33:54we can't have trouble.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59- With lots of fish stews, you, the customer are fiddling around. - Yes, it's easy to eat.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02Yeah. Cos you're doing all the work.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04It's not easy to prepare, but it's easy to eat.
0:34:04 > 0:34:06You're always roped in to do these things?
0:34:06 > 0:34:09- Yeah, I love being in the kitchen. - Oh, you do.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11Two months ago, I quit my job in the Navy.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14I was the officer there for ten years
0:34:14 > 0:34:18because I realised that the kitchen is the place where I want to be.
0:34:18 > 0:34:24# Blue drag. #
0:34:26 > 0:34:27The fish stock's been strained.
0:34:27 > 0:34:32Ivana adds the fish and tomatoes to the beans and serves.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42I'm sure this is going to be delicious watching you making it.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44So much has gone into it.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49Oh, it's lovely.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54- Is it?- It's the deepest, darkest fish stew I've ever tasted.
0:34:54 > 0:34:55Yeah!
0:34:55 > 0:34:59It's got a bit of, there's a bit of chilli in there, but not a lot.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01It's really full of flavour.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03I just think it works with the beans.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05You're absolutely right. But...
0:35:05 > 0:35:06Thank you.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09- I've got to have some wine with it. - I already prepared some for you.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11- Oh, red wine.- Enjoy. - It has to be.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15- I mean, there's so much flavour it's got to be.- It should, it should.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17- Nazdravlje!- Nazdravlje, absolutely!
0:35:17 > 0:35:18Gosh.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21- Well, thank you ever so much. - Thank you. Thank you, really.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Do you know this suits me right down to the ground.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Split's my kind of place.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Split was the home of the emperor, Diocletian.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45He retired here.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Not many emperors did, they were usually murdered.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53But I have to say, to do Split proud, you have to take
0:35:53 > 0:35:55a bit of a Roman holiday
0:35:55 > 0:35:58because here is not just some Roman baths,
0:35:58 > 0:36:00in a small corner of the city.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04Not just a mosaic floor, underneath some plastic next to a bypass.
0:36:04 > 0:36:06It's the whole place!
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Dino Ivancic is my interpreter here.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Not only that, he's a font of knowledge
0:36:15 > 0:36:19and his family have been living here for over 1,000 years,
0:36:19 > 0:36:20so he knows his history.
0:36:22 > 0:36:25So, the Emperor would come out where those tourists are?
0:36:25 > 0:36:30Yes, and he would present himself all dressed in purple colour.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Purple was a tricky colour.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34The most expensive one in the Roman Empire.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37To get only one gram of purple colour,
0:36:37 > 0:36:41you needed to smash and to dry 10,000 seashells,
0:36:41 > 0:36:43- called murex.- Murex?
0:36:43 > 0:36:44Murex.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46I eat them, they're lovely.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49They're the little, spiky shells you see in the market.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- Of course.- It's like this lovely ozoney flavour.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- Of course.- And, actually, very nice with olive oil,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57and just a little bit of lemon juice.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00So that's where he got the colour purple from.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Can you imagine? From like, you can eat them, but you can also extract
0:37:03 > 0:37:06the purple colour, which was the divine colour.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08It would have been so mystical.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Just...if it was that difficult to get.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12It would be sort of like,
0:37:12 > 0:37:15you couldn't fail to think there was a God.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Believe it or not, purple was for the Emperors only.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Doesn't the Pope wear purple too?
0:37:20 > 0:37:23Ah, yes, Grecians copied that fine custom.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24Oh, how nice.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Look at this. Egg boxes.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Just in case if you lay an egg while you're sitting.
0:37:31 > 0:37:33HE CHUCKLES
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Dino took me to his favourite bar here.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41It's not really known by tourists, but it's really famous for its ham.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44It's called prosciutto prsut.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46There are three things that make it great.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51Number one, it's cured high up in the mountains above Split.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54Number two, the humidity in the wind,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56they call it the bora, keeps it moist.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59And number three, the sweet smoke from oak,
0:37:59 > 0:38:02gives it its distinctive flavour.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Well, I'm looking forward to trying this.
0:38:07 > 0:38:08Oh...
0:38:08 > 0:38:10That is really good prosciutto.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12This is our best product here, you know.
0:38:12 > 0:38:17Oh, that's up with the...it's up there with the Italian, Spanish ham.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19- Some say even better.- Really?
0:38:19 > 0:38:21- Mm-hm.- Maybe.
0:38:21 > 0:38:22Maybe.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25It's got that...lovely, slightly acid quality.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27- Slight grittiness in it.- Mm-hm.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29And, of course cos it's smoked, it's that...
0:38:29 > 0:38:32And it's smoked over the fireplace.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34It's like, it's my favourite dish here, anyway.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Now I know I'm in the minority here
0:38:39 > 0:38:42but this dish really interests me.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46No matter where I am in the world, if it's on the menu, I'll have it.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48It's tripe!
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Well, this is really a bit of a rarity getting tripe, I must say.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57I'm a bit of a fan. Do you like it?
0:38:57 > 0:39:00Actually, I don't but sometimes I force it.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03But in my family this is one of the most preferable meals.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07- Really?- So like I will take, only one spoon, if you don't mind.
0:39:07 > 0:39:08Oh, shame.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Oh, yes, tell me about it.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12But is it popular in Split generally, then?
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Er, yes.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Or like, among the older generation, I must say.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- Well, I am that older generation. - OK.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23It will I fear be ever thus.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25That I'm the only person who loves tripe.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29And, yes, I can see a day, not too far away,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33when the serious tripe eater becomes extinct.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39I'm just leaving Split. I must say I'm quite sad to be leaving.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41I had no idea what it was going to be like.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43I've never been here before.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45Absolutely loved it.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47I really like the Croatians.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49I was talking to an Italian last night,
0:39:49 > 0:39:51who's lived here for 15 years.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54He said the difference between, Italy and Croatia,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57is the Italians have to live up to something
0:39:57 > 0:40:00with all the brands. the Ferraris, the Armanis,
0:40:00 > 0:40:02they feel they are something.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Croatians don't need to bother.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07They just relax. They just get on with their lives.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09And, actually, I've really enjoyed the food.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13I mean, you can't go wrong, on this Adriatic coast with fish.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17But I've found the fish cooking really, really to my liking.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Simple, as one of the cooks said to me,
0:40:19 > 0:40:23not as sophisticated as Venice but from the heart.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36I love going to islands.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38This is Korcula.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Many of my friends come here all the time.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44One of my customers, every year without fail,
0:40:44 > 0:40:49asks me rather sadly, why I haven't visited Korcula yet.
0:40:49 > 0:40:50Well, I have now.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Left to my own devices I like driving about in search
0:41:10 > 0:41:12of a good lunch.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17I just think I can spot a wholesome restaurant at about 400 yards.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23Korcula is a very fertile island and these are the vines that
0:41:23 > 0:41:28make the grapes for the famous Grk, the local white wine.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32It's spelt G-R-K. It's fabulous
0:41:32 > 0:41:34but it's as rare as hen's teeth.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39I stopped at a little restaurant in the village of Pupnat
0:41:39 > 0:41:43where Biljana and her mum cook local seasonal dishes.
0:41:43 > 0:41:48It's the middle of May and the dish of the day here is baby goat stew
0:41:48 > 0:41:51with fresh peas.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53Whether you can find this in the height of the tourist season,
0:41:53 > 0:41:54I've no idea.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59But it's baby goat over fried onions
0:41:59 > 0:42:02and garlic and pancetta
0:42:02 > 0:42:04and that's made locally in the village.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Now also from the village - white wine.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14Next...salt.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17Homer, the ancient Greek philosopher,
0:42:17 > 0:42:21not the one from The Simpsons, called it a divine substance.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Pepper and cloves, a hint of the East there
0:42:27 > 0:42:31and now Biljana's special tomato sauce.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34She makes this by reducing the fresh tomatoes with wine
0:42:34 > 0:42:36and olive oil, very slowly
0:42:36 > 0:42:39and makes huge batches of it while the tomatoes
0:42:39 > 0:42:41are plentiful and cheap.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Now paprika, for a little background heat.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50And last but one, parsley.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53Now it's nearly done, except for the peas.
0:42:55 > 0:42:58I like the fact that these weren't your normal frozen ones.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00They had more of a pulse-like flavour.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08BACKGROUND VOICES
0:43:08 > 0:43:11I think it's her mum. She knows best.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13She's really keeping an eye on Biljana
0:43:13 > 0:43:16making sure that she's doing it exactly in the family way.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Is she?
0:43:20 > 0:43:21She is.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27(Seal of approval.)
0:43:27 > 0:43:28THEY LAUGH
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Mmm. Very good.
0:43:36 > 0:43:37I'm glad you like it.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39Well, I tell you why I like it
0:43:39 > 0:43:42because it tastes of where it comes from.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46We don't get enough goat meat back in the UK
0:43:46 > 0:43:50but it is lovely. It's so different to lamb, it's sort of...
0:43:50 > 0:43:53And because it's young goat, it's very tender.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55What I also like about it...
0:43:55 > 0:43:58I sound like I'm one of those food, you know, in competitions.
0:43:58 > 0:44:02What I also like about it, is the fact that the goat's got texture.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04It's not cooked till it's all mushy
0:44:04 > 0:44:06and I love the peas in here
0:44:06 > 0:44:10because they're not like little frozen peas. They've got substance.
0:44:10 > 0:44:12- They're a bit floury.- Floury, yeah.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14And the paprika. Do you cook with a lot of paprika?
0:44:14 > 0:44:16Er, when cooking stews.
0:44:16 > 0:44:18It's a very lovely stew, I must say.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21Thank you. Thank you. I'm glad you like it.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26BELLS RING
0:44:28 > 0:44:31Marco Polo allegedly was born here in Korcula.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33I'm not sure the Venetians would agree with that
0:44:33 > 0:44:35but what is certainly true,
0:44:35 > 0:44:39is he was captured in a Naval battle, just off Korcula,
0:44:39 > 0:44:40in the water out there,
0:44:40 > 0:44:43between the Venetians and the Genoese.
0:44:43 > 0:44:44He was imprisoned by the Genoese
0:44:44 > 0:44:48and, during that time, and this is very serendipitous, I think,
0:44:48 > 0:44:52he dictated The Travels of Marco Polo to his cell-mate.
0:44:52 > 0:44:56I'm fairly certain, without that time in prison,
0:44:56 > 0:44:58he wouldn't have bothered to dictate anything.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00He'd be too busy doing deals.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03And as it is, the book was electrifying to Europe
0:45:03 > 0:45:06because people just didn't know about the Orient.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10The bit that appeals to me, allegedly, yes, allegedly,
0:45:10 > 0:45:14he brought pasta back to Europe, and I keep thinking,
0:45:14 > 0:45:18where would the Italians have got their spaghetti from otherwise?
0:45:20 > 0:45:24Having a famous celebrity linked to a town, means a great source
0:45:24 > 0:45:27of wealth for the community.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30Well, ask the people of Stratford-upon-Avon.
0:45:30 > 0:45:35So, Marco Polo, intrepid explorer and merchant,
0:45:35 > 0:45:38great sea captain and the bringer of riches from the East,
0:45:38 > 0:45:42came from Korcula and not Venice.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44Well, I put the question, with a smidgen of disbelief,
0:45:44 > 0:45:47to a local, Toni Lozica.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53Do you believe that Marco Polo was born here?
0:45:53 > 0:45:55- TONY SIGHS - I do.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57- Good.- Definitely.
0:45:57 > 0:46:00But it's not proven. That's one thing.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03So if I would say that I don't believe, then they would probably
0:46:03 > 0:46:06- burn me on a stake here in the middle of the square.- Fair enough.
0:46:06 > 0:46:09- I can understand that.- But, er... - But he had business interests here.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12There is no evidence where he was born.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14That's actually the problem.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17Between Venice and us, concerning Marco Polo.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20This is the house of Marco Polo.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22So that's where he was standing and watching,
0:46:22 > 0:46:28- far down south, like, OK, when are my ships coming in?- What, for ships?
0:46:28 > 0:46:31But, basically, this house is built about 200 years
0:46:31 > 0:46:34- after Marco Polo was born. - Well, you know.
0:46:34 > 0:46:37There's a lot of conjecture about Marco Polo
0:46:37 > 0:46:39and this may have been his house. It probably wasn't.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Everything about him. But how important was he
0:46:42 > 0:46:44to the Western world, I suppose?
0:46:44 > 0:46:47To the Western world, he was, I think, the most important,
0:46:47 > 0:46:50because he opened the gates to the Orient actually, for everyone.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52And, er...
0:46:52 > 0:46:55he was definitely from Korcula.
0:46:55 > 0:46:56I believe it.
0:47:00 > 0:47:03- It's so nice here though, I must say.- It is lovely.
0:47:05 > 0:47:08This plate of food is minestra.
0:47:08 > 0:47:11Tony says it's the most famous winter dish on the island.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13It's as simple as can be -
0:47:13 > 0:47:17smoked cuts of pork and local spring cabbage. Lovely.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22- So, it's my own pig actually. - Is it? My word!
0:47:22 > 0:47:24I bought it and I let somebody kill it,
0:47:24 > 0:47:29and then they made smoked meat.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31- So, this is then... - Wow, that's nice.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34- ..the boiled smoked meat. - Lovely smell.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37I was just thinking, every serious cook should have his own pig.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39You've got one, where's mine?
0:47:40 > 0:47:44I know the address. If you want, I can call the guy.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47So then I will now remove it.
0:47:47 > 0:47:50When people do it normally, they throw water away.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52and I think it's a pity to throw water away,
0:47:52 > 0:47:55so I just keep it in there and let it simmer.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58This is the sort of food I love. You know, so I would be quite happy
0:47:58 > 0:48:01- to eat this all through the winter. - Oh, yes.
0:48:01 > 0:48:05'I like one pot dishes and this is so easy.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07'Tony removes the cuts of smoked pork,
0:48:07 > 0:48:11'leaving a good, hammy, stock behind.
0:48:11 > 0:48:14'And then cabbage, cut into ribbons.
0:48:14 > 0:48:16'And that smothers the stock.
0:48:16 > 0:48:20'Now, fresh tomatoes and garlic.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22'Quite a bit of garlic.
0:48:22 > 0:48:24'I think that looks very healthy.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28'So he let's that simmer for about 20 minutes.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30'The cabbage has to be well-cooked.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34'Often a problem for those who remember it in school dinners,
0:48:34 > 0:48:36'but something you can grow to love
0:48:36 > 0:48:38'and then it's quite delicious.'
0:48:45 > 0:48:47Well, this looks very appetising.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50I know this is extraordinary, but it just reminds me of an Irish dish,
0:48:50 > 0:48:52which is cabbage and bacon.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55Do you think there's any connection there?
0:48:55 > 0:48:58Any Irish people came to Korcula, years and years ago?
0:48:58 > 0:49:00Well, the only thing I know, that actually
0:49:00 > 0:49:02the only football supporters that don't fight each other
0:49:02 > 0:49:04are Croats and Irish.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07- There you go.- That's possibly that.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09Seriously, it's lovely.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12The cabbage has got lots of flavour,
0:49:12 > 0:49:14but so has the bacon, the smoked bacon.
0:49:14 > 0:49:19And the two are made for each other, I would say, but...
0:49:19 > 0:49:22also, what this dish is made for
0:49:22 > 0:49:26- is a good gulp of red wine. - Oh, yes.
0:49:26 > 0:49:28- Peljesac wine. - Cheers. Lovely.
0:49:30 > 0:49:31Mm.
0:49:31 > 0:49:33Mm, yes.
0:49:36 > 0:49:40So it's time, in my island kitchen, to cook again.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43And I really like Tony's minestra.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45And so, I thought pork.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49And one of the best ways I've discovered to cook chops.
0:49:50 > 0:49:54This is walnut-coated pork chops, with figs.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03So all I'm doing here is just scoring this pork,
0:50:03 > 0:50:05so that the taste gets right into it.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08Lovely big pork chops they are, too.
0:50:08 > 0:50:11Now, it's from Croatia, but it's not a Croatian recipe.
0:50:11 > 0:50:14It's actually from a woman called Karen Evenden,
0:50:14 > 0:50:17who travelled the Balkans.
0:50:17 > 0:50:21And what she said is, "What grows together, goes together."
0:50:21 > 0:50:24That's her sort of idea of Mediterranean cooking.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26And I think it's so right.
0:50:26 > 0:50:28And, of course, here we've got pork,
0:50:28 > 0:50:31we've got walnuts, we've got figs.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35Everything growing in the Croatian neighbourhood, cooked together.
0:50:39 > 0:50:44So, put my walnuts on the plate for the crust.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47And then, here, I've got some ground cinnamon and nutmeg.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50Now salt and pepper.
0:50:57 > 0:50:58And a bit of olive oil.
0:51:01 > 0:51:03Just mix that up a little bit.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09And now I get my pork chops.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12And press them as hard as I can,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14down into the walnut crust.
0:51:16 > 0:51:21And work as much of that walnut as I can into the surface of the pork.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24And now I'm ready to fry.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28'In olive oil, of course.
0:51:28 > 0:51:30'But I am adding butter,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34'because I want a good nutty brown colour at the end of the cooking.'
0:51:44 > 0:51:47'I've cooked, and by that I mean grilled or fried,
0:51:47 > 0:51:49'umpteen pork chops in my time.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52'And I'd never thought of coating them with walnuts.'
0:51:57 > 0:51:58Oh!
0:51:58 > 0:51:59Erm...
0:52:01 > 0:52:04Has anybody got one of these pairs of things?
0:52:04 > 0:52:06They're probably better for your hair.
0:52:06 > 0:52:08Erm...
0:52:09 > 0:52:10I just can't do it.
0:52:13 > 0:52:14There we go.
0:52:21 > 0:52:22I shan't be using them again.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Just put a lid on now, just so that they cook a lot more quickly.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34Now I'm going to chop up some figs and make the sauce.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42So that's chopped enough. They don't need to be too finely chopped,
0:52:42 > 0:52:45I like to see the figs in the final sauce.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48Now, just put those there and just check the chops.
0:52:48 > 0:52:50They look to be about all right now.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53So let's just lift them out onto my serving dish.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57There we go.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59And now, finish off and make the sauce.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Well, first of all, some white wine. Just let that bubble up.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11Then some chicken stock. Really nice chicken stock, this.
0:53:11 > 0:53:12Made it myself.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15There we go. Just let that come down a bit.
0:53:15 > 0:53:16And now for the figs.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26Just taste that.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29Mm.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32That's really nice. I'm really loving this.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35I think I'm going to finish off with a little bit of lemon, actually.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38Cos I think, by the time that's all cooked down,
0:53:38 > 0:53:39it'll be really quite sweet.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44OK. I think we'll just put in a little bit of butter now.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Plenty of parsley.
0:53:49 > 0:53:52And it does need a little bit of lemon juice,
0:53:52 > 0:53:54just to cut the fruit, cut the sweetness there.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05So, there we have it.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07A celebration of things growing together.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12Let's see. We've got figs, we've got walnuts,
0:54:12 > 0:54:16we've got grapes, we've got olives.
0:54:16 > 0:54:17And we've got pigs.
0:54:28 > 0:54:31THEY SHOUT
0:54:31 > 0:54:34Usually, I make a beeline for the local fish market,
0:54:34 > 0:54:37so imagine how I feel watching this -
0:54:37 > 0:54:42a group of local lads netting a few yards from the shore.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46This is definitely what I'd do if I was on my holidays.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48It's just that right time of the day now.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51Just one hour and it's lunchtime.
0:54:53 > 0:54:54There's one there.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Got it.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58This is my lunch.
0:54:58 > 0:55:01I've just been watching them catching these.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03And that looked like a dorade.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07And that's what I would love for my lunch, a little gilthead bream.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09But this is an absolute first for me.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11I mean, the first time of anywhere,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14I've just watched some fish being caught,
0:55:14 > 0:55:18brought back to a lovely little restaurant, on a beach,
0:55:18 > 0:55:20cooked for lunch. That's Korcula for you.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25- FISHERMEN SHOUT IN CROATIAN Zivjeli!- Zivjeli!
0:55:25 > 0:55:27- RICK SPEAKS CROATIAN: - Na zdravlje!
0:55:31 > 0:55:34These fish, part of the bream family, are called sarpa.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38I had to look them up in a book of Mediterranean fish.
0:55:38 > 0:55:41Do I ask for anything more about cooking fish?
0:55:41 > 0:55:43This, to me, is an idyll.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46Simple, grilled fish, a salad,
0:55:46 > 0:55:49chilled wine, fresh bread.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51CHILD TALKS
0:55:54 > 0:55:55Jelena, it's beautiful here.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59What's it like to live and cook in such a wonderful place?
0:55:59 > 0:56:01It is really, really nice. SHE LAUGHS
0:56:03 > 0:56:04There are lots of fish.
0:56:04 > 0:56:09You can eat all...everything from the land.
0:56:09 > 0:56:14So we have olives, we have wines, vineyards.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17And lots of nice, nice, very nice fish.
0:56:17 > 0:56:18You've got fish scales in your hair.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20RICK LAUGHS Yeah.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23- You can look like this when you.... - You look like a mermaid.
0:56:23 > 0:56:25- You've just popped up.- Thank you.
0:56:25 > 0:56:26Thank you.
0:56:26 > 0:56:30- It is very hard to cook, But I like it very much, so...- Oh, yeah!
0:56:30 > 0:56:32- So do I.- Yeah. - I love fish!
0:56:34 > 0:56:36CHILD TALKS
0:56:38 > 0:56:42I'm just feeling a sense of total delight, I must say.
0:56:42 > 0:56:46This is such a wonderful island, Korcula.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48And, you know, I do a lot of travelling
0:56:48 > 0:56:52and one of the things that I ask myself all the time is,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55would I like to come back here?
0:56:55 > 0:56:58Would I like to come back here? Would I?
0:56:58 > 0:57:00It is absolutely beautiful.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03The thing is, it's not been, to use the vernacular,
0:57:03 > 0:57:07"cooked" by the heat of tourism.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10There's a bit of tourism here, but it's just only a bit.
0:57:10 > 0:57:11Maybe I shouldn't be saying this,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14cos it'll bring too many people here!
0:57:16 > 0:57:18What do you think about the fish?
0:57:18 > 0:57:20I love the way you cook the fish.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22Over charcoal.
0:57:22 > 0:57:26No...nothing better. And the salad, too.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28It is from our garden.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30Well, I'm in heaven.
0:57:30 > 0:57:34- And, as for this wine, grk... - Yeah, our local wine.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37..it's very good. So what do you say?
0:57:37 > 0:57:40- ALL:- Zivjeli! - Zivjeli!- Bravo, zivjeli.
0:57:42 > 0:57:46'Next time, I leave Croatia and head to Albania.'
0:57:46 > 0:57:49That's it. A Russian submarine base.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52'I thought it would be memorable, so I asked my son, Jack,
0:57:52 > 0:57:55'to come and share the fun.'
0:57:55 > 0:57:57So which are you going to go for then?
0:57:57 > 0:57:59- Er, probably a bit of lung. - Really?
0:57:59 > 0:58:01A bit of liver, yeah.
0:58:01 > 0:58:04'The country's been locked away for so many years.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08'And it's rediscovering its food heritage.'
0:58:08 > 0:58:11Typically in Albania, you just say, oh, we'd like a light lunch.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14But here it is. Here it is.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17'I liked it. Well, I would, wouldn't I?'
0:58:17 > 0:58:20Ham, salt, beans, water...
0:58:21 > 0:58:23- ..life.- Bravo.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26'And so, my gastronomic journey
0:58:26 > 0:58:29'from Venice to Istanbul continues.'