0:00:04 > 0:00:07I'm on a gastronomic journey that started
0:00:07 > 0:00:10with the pleasingly simple food of Venice...
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Can we have another? They're lovely.
0:00:13 > 0:00:17..and will end with the vibrant Byzantine dishes of Istanbul.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19If you like, no problem.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Mmm, I like.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22SHE LAUGHS
0:00:22 > 0:00:25In between there's a melting pot of East meeting West...
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Croatia.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30I'm actually talking to the camera, sorry, but...
0:00:30 > 0:00:31look at the way that's curled.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33That's what they call stiff fresh.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36..and back to basics - Albania...
0:00:36 > 0:00:38So, which are you going to for, then?
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Probably a bit of lung.
0:00:40 > 0:00:41Really?
0:00:41 > 0:00:45..and a place I know and love - Greece.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Fabulous dishes from the mountains to the sea.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Who could ask for anything more?
0:01:16 > 0:01:18I've come from Albania.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21I had no idea what the food would be like there,
0:01:21 > 0:01:24but I had a great time with my son Jack.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Sheepy. Very sheepy.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Bit more?
0:01:28 > 0:01:30We did have some lovely food,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33mainly lamb and goat roasted on spits,
0:01:33 > 0:01:37good seafood dishes with a strong Italian connection
0:01:37 > 0:01:39and lovely bean stews
0:01:39 > 0:01:41and baked chicken with pasta.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46I crossed the border into Northern Greece.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48I've been looking forward to it so much
0:01:48 > 0:01:51ever since I started my journey in Venice, weeks ago.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58For me, it's all to do with the sea,
0:01:58 > 0:02:02the beaches, grilled octopus and cold retsina.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Well, not so long ago I started talking to the BBC
0:02:07 > 0:02:08about maybe filming in the Middle East.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10I'd just been filming in India,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12and I really like the idea of Middle Eastern food.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16I mean, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Jordon, Israel.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20But it became very, very clear that that was not going to be.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23I mean, I particularly wanted to go to Aleppo in Syria,
0:02:23 > 0:02:26and that's now virtually destroyed.
0:02:26 > 0:02:27It just couldn't happen.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Then I started reading this book by Edward Enfield -
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Harry's dad - about Greece.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36And it's about a trip he made on a bicycle right through Greece,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and it's humorous, it's a bit grumpy at times.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43He loved the food and he loved the Byzantine culture
0:02:43 > 0:02:46and the churches and all that, and I got fascinated.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51Having read it, I thought why not have a look at a corner
0:02:51 > 0:02:54of the old Byzantine Empire myself?
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Something I probably wouldn't have done.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06I'm in northern Greece, and the region of Epirus
0:03:06 > 0:03:09not far from the Albanian border.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12I've never been to this part of Greece before,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16but it was here over the mountains that first the Italians
0:03:16 > 0:03:19and then the Nazis launched assaults during the Second World War.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23Fierce fighting in bitterly cold weather,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26followed by dreadful retribution by the Nazis
0:03:26 > 0:03:29for any resistance they encountered.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41This is the village of Asprageli.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46The church along with the school, the monastery and most of the houses
0:03:46 > 0:03:48were burnt to the ground by the Germans.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54But the villagers, over a thousand of them,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58heard the Germans coming up the valley and escaped with their lives.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I think it's the least touristy village I've ever set eyes on.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12But it's famous for its pies and that's really why I'm here -
0:04:12 > 0:04:16for Virginia and her mum Iro's famous pies.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22For me?
0:04:22 > 0:04:23Yes.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26This is a portion for mountain men, I think.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27SHE CHUCKLES
0:04:27 > 0:04:29So this is kotopita?
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Kotopita. Chicken. BOTH: Chicken pie.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Oh, looks great - and so crunchy.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38Oh!
0:04:38 > 0:04:39Look...
0:04:39 > 0:04:43I don't understand Greek, you don't understand English,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47but that is a FANTASTIC chicken pie.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49My gosh!
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Thank you.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54It's so savoury and it's so crisp and crunchy.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58It's the best chicken pie I've ever eaten, seriously.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59It's really good.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Doesn't she make it look easy? But it certainly isn't.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10I just really like the way,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13when she's making these filo leaves, she gives a little flick.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I'm just trying to see what that actually does...
0:05:16 > 0:05:18See that little flick there?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20It's fantastic watching it. So quick.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25He-he-he, that's good.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30What they're making here is kotopita,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33which is wild herbs and feta cheese pie.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36It's made with layers of this wafer-thin pastry,
0:05:36 > 0:05:40lots of olive oil and chopped wild herbs.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Well, things like wild dandelion leaves,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45sorrel, wild parsley, fennel
0:05:45 > 0:05:48and loads more, I suspect.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Then thin slices of onion and a couple of eggs.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58Virginia mixes that together and puts in crumbled, tangy feta cheese.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01They call these wild herbs horta
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and they're picked in the mountain pastures
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and could well be one of the reasons why Greeks
0:06:07 > 0:06:09live to a ripe old age.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12That, and the odd bottle of retsina.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Now, this is interesting.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17This is pre-baked pastry,
0:06:17 > 0:06:21and it will absorb the moisture of the horta as it cooks.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24So I can see a general rule of thumb here.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Three layers underneath,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29a double-baked layer in the middle
0:06:29 > 0:06:31and three more layers on top.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34I'd say about one hour in the oven and it's ready.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42I just remember the first time I came to Greece in the early '70s
0:06:42 > 0:06:43and I went into a pie shop.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46I'd heard about Greek pies and I went into the pie shop
0:06:46 > 0:06:48and said, "Have you got any cheese pies?"
0:06:48 > 0:06:50and they said, "Nai."
0:06:50 > 0:06:54So I said, "OK, well, tomorrow? I'll come back tomorrow?" "Nai."
0:06:54 > 0:06:57It was only a couple of days later I realised that
0:06:57 > 0:06:59nai actually means yes.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01No, is O-chi.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Virginia also cooked this - big beans,
0:07:08 > 0:07:11butter beans they call gigantes here,
0:07:11 > 0:07:15on top of cooked spinach, paprika, olive oil,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17and then in the oven for 30 minutes.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Superb pie and beans,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26but not as you know it!
0:07:30 > 0:07:32Mmm-mmm.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34This is such lovely food.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37And I was sort of thinking... You don't understand this, but,
0:07:37 > 0:07:40when I knew I was coming to Greece,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43this is exactly the sort of food I was dreaming of.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Not moussaka, not the sort of stuff,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50the grilled fish that everybody knows about,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53but things like these Greek pies
0:07:53 > 0:07:55and these Greek beans and a bit of Greek wine from the mountains.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57Yes!
0:07:57 > 0:07:59ALL: Yeia mas! Yeia mas!
0:07:59 > 0:08:01I know you don't drink, but...
0:08:05 > 0:08:10So this is as good a time as any to cook in my lovely Greek kitchen
0:08:10 > 0:08:13overlooking the sea on the island of Simi.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Better still, in the garden -
0:08:15 > 0:08:18the perfect place, I think,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21to make one of the all-time Greek favourites,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23probably more popular than moussaka.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27This is souvlaki -
0:08:27 > 0:08:30everybody's favourite with chips and a Greek salad.
0:08:31 > 0:08:36Personally, I hate peppers, onions or tomatoes with my pork.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Just pork for me, thank you.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Well, I'm making pork souvlaki,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47but it's not any old souvlaki.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49It's called kontosouvli
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and it's from Metsovo, which is up in the north of Greece near Ioannina.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56And I was particularly taken with it when we tried some in Ioannina
0:08:56 > 0:08:57because it was really spicy.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00It, of course, had lots of oregano with it,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03but it also had quite a lot of hot red pepper.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07OK, that's in my bowl.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Now for the marinade.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12First of all, olive oil - a little bit of olive oil.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16And next oregano, of course, wild oregano.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Plenty of that.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Some cayenne pepper,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22plenty of that.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Next some cumin,
0:09:24 > 0:09:26a little bit of that.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29And now some paprika, really for colour,
0:09:29 > 0:09:31but, in fact, I'm using smoked paprika here,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34SPANISH smoked paprika, because I love the flavour.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39And now for some lemon juice.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41It just tenderizes the meat, I think.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Well, I don't think, I know.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Just one lemon, it's about two tablespoons of lemon juice.
0:09:52 > 0:09:53And now garlic.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Next some salt, about a teaspoon, I suppose.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02It's got to be well seasoned.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04And stir.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08You marinade that for a couple of hours,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11or better still overnight in the fridge,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14and then you put them on wooden skewers soaked in water.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Souvla actually means skewer, hence souvlaki.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23And this is where he puts a skewer right through his hands.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32I love the sort of dryness of a good souvlaki.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35It just... It's a great contrast to a Greek salad.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39I don't like it all sort of juicy with tomato and red peppers.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I'm sorry, but that's what I think.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48And finally, just a bit more oregano on top.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50You can never have too much oregano in my view.
0:10:52 > 0:10:53There we go.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Now over to the barbecue.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58MEAT SIZZLES
0:11:14 > 0:11:17This is a handy tip I picked up in Hanoi in Vietnam.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22If your barbecue's a bit sluggish, get the hairdryer onto it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28I reckon I know what the top five Greek dishes are
0:11:28 > 0:11:30for the British on holiday.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Well, number five would be grilled octopus,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35four, Greek salad, of course.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Three, red mullet.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42And a tie with moussaka and souvlaki for the top position.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Mmm.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49This souvlaki is just so lovely.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51It's so simple, that's what I like about it.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54And I've got this friend called Martin,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58who judges a Greek restaurant by the quality of the souvlakis.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I don't think there'd be a problem with this.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10The main city in Epirus is Ioannina.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13At the foot of the city is Lake Pamvotis.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Its smooth surface in late May in early morning AND early evening...
0:12:20 > 0:12:21..is always covered in mist.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25But the lake is the reason I'm here.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28I'd heard about it from friends back home in Padstow,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32who said this really should be on my list of things to do in Greece.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36The fish, frogs, eels and crayfish are really fresh.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38They're caught every morning.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41It's right up your street, they said.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43And so the course was set.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44My appetite was awakened.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52For me there can be fewer more pleasurable things to do
0:12:52 > 0:12:56than just sitting in a boat on a quiet lake like this
0:12:56 > 0:12:58watching someone fishing.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02He's catching carp and in this lake, too,
0:13:02 > 0:13:05there's also crayfish and eels.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08And it's a bit of a national institution.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11People come to Ioannina - I know I've pronounced that wrong -
0:13:11 > 0:13:13to eat carp, to eat crayfish.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17It's a bit like going to Blackpool to get some rock.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Or maybe going down to Leigh-on-Sea
0:13:19 > 0:13:21to have some cockles and jellied eels.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23It's what you do.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25TRADITIONAL MUSIC
0:13:32 > 0:13:35The island is a good reason to come to Ioannina
0:13:35 > 0:13:39and hundreds of thousands, most of them from other parts of Greece,
0:13:39 > 0:13:40make a beeline here.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44It's still early in the season, but nevertheless,
0:13:44 > 0:13:48I begin to realise that although the streets and houses are quite lovely,
0:13:48 > 0:13:50this isn't really working for me.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55I must say, these fish don't look very happy and nor would I.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59There's an awful lot of very large fish in a very small tank.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02But this is what everybody in Greece comes for.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05They've come for a plate of carp or a plate of eels,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07or some freshwater crayfish.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Hello?
0:14:10 > 0:14:11Kalimera. Kalimera.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13SHE CONTINUES IN GREEK
0:14:13 > 0:14:14TRADITIONAL MUSIC
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Ah...good. Very good, yes, yes.
0:14:16 > 0:14:20It's like Turkish delight, Greek delight. Greek delight.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23On the way to lunch, I was hijacked by this lady,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27who runs a cooperative making sweets and local liqueurs.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Not many people, it's said,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32pass her by without digging in their pockets.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Yeia mas!
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Very good.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39I think they probably want me to go in and buy some, but...
0:14:39 > 0:14:42Do you like it? I'm just about to have lunch.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Do you like it? I like it a lot. Right.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Yes, yes. Good.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Efharisto. Parakalo...
0:14:48 > 0:14:49SHE CONTINUES IN GREEK
0:14:49 > 0:14:51GREEK MUSIC PLAYS
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Efharisto, thank you,
0:14:58 > 0:14:59ciao, bambino,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01ciao, amore mio!
0:15:03 > 0:15:05OK, it's time to eat.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11I watch the chef prepare the most sought-after dish here -
0:15:11 > 0:15:13crayfish and spaghetti,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15a dish of three parts.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Tomato sauce,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20freshwater crayfish and spaghetti.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24So, we've got lots of stuff from the lake coming. Yeah.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Probably too much. Too much for two people...
0:15:26 > 0:15:28I just wanted to try everything.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30You should.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33I had it for lunch with Tonya, my interpreter,
0:15:33 > 0:15:37who I sensed was keen that I tried everything the lake had to offer.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39So along came deep-fried eels and carp...
0:15:40 > 0:15:42That was deep fried, as well.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48And more crayfish, simply boiled and seasoned.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Frogs' legs, these seemed to be deep-fried, too.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56It's far too much, but one has to put on a brave face.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05Eating is a way of living, isn't it?
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Oh, it is for me.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09The only way of living. Cheers. Cheers.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Well, I'm just quite into...try the carp,
0:16:12 > 0:16:15because in Britain people fish carp, but they don't eat it.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18No. So...
0:16:18 > 0:16:20It's quite tasty, though. It's very tasty.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Now the eel, which I do like, I like eel.
0:16:24 > 0:16:25I like it, too. Mmm.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27This is not healthy enough, is it?
0:16:27 > 0:16:29SHE CHUCKLES
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Fried and salty....but I love it.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Good for you. Well, now for the frog legs.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Do you like it?
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Well, sort of...
0:16:39 > 0:16:41But, you know, people always say -
0:16:41 > 0:16:44if they think you're not going to like it - "It's a bit like chicken..."
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It's like they say snake's a bit like chicken,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48alligator's a bit like chicken.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50I prefer chicken.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Everything's nice...
0:16:53 > 0:16:54..except for the frogs.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56SHE LAUGHS
0:17:02 > 0:17:06I can't leave the lake without going back 200 years
0:17:06 > 0:17:08to the fascinating Ali Pasha,
0:17:08 > 0:17:12an unbelievably brutal but exotic governor.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15He had 18 girls drowned here
0:17:15 > 0:17:19because one of them allegedly refused his amorous advances.
0:17:19 > 0:17:24They were lowered into the dark waters with heavy stones tied to their ankles,
0:17:24 > 0:17:29all because of a snub to a volatile dictator's ego.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Never a day passes here without his name being mentioned.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40This is his summer house on the lake.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43It's now a museum, and it's where his head was cut off
0:17:43 > 0:17:46on the steps by the sultan's troops
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and sent back to Istanbul in a silver box.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Byron, on his travels to Albania, met Ali Pasha.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57I think it's fair to say he was fascinated by this tyrant,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01so much so he said,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04"His manner is very kind and, at the same time,
0:18:04 > 0:18:09"he possesses that dignity which I find universal among Turks.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12"He has the appearance of anything but his real character -
0:18:12 > 0:18:17"that he is a remorseless tyrant guilty of the most horrible cruelties,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20"roasting rebels etc, etc."
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Ioannina has always been a wealthy city.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Its schools and universities are exceptional
0:18:35 > 0:18:41and it's said that during the 18th century every author of the Greek world came from here,
0:18:41 > 0:18:42or at least studied here.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46I'm going to meet a student of cookery.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49She lost her job, like so many in Greece's recession.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52She thought it a good idea to go back to basics
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and do things using her hands,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57and who knows? Maybe open a restaurant.
0:19:00 > 0:19:02Welcome, Mr Stein.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Oh, you can call me Rick. OK, Rick.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I've heard a lot about you. Thanks. What are you going to cook for us?
0:19:07 > 0:19:10I'm going to cook veal with spices and tomato and lots of onions.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15It's a beautiful house, my friend Panajota over there. It's fantastic.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17It's very, very restful.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18Is that your...?
0:19:18 > 0:19:22Yes, that's my friend Panajota, who owns this beautiful house. It's her house?
0:19:22 > 0:19:23Let me show you the kitchen.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26OK, after you. Thank you.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Wow.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29This way, please. OK.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34What a lovely kitchen, Marina.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36I mean, it just seems...well, so Greek, I must say.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Yes, it is very traditional indeed.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Oh, it's sweet.
0:19:41 > 0:19:42So, what are we starting with, then?
0:19:42 > 0:19:44I'll start with the peppers.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46OK. What, are you just going to chop some peppers?
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Chop some peppers, yes.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51Let's get on with it. I'll take some notes, if you don't mind. Not at all.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Marina, what's this dish? What's its influences?
0:19:54 > 0:19:56I see you've got some spice there.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58We have the cinnamon and allspice.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01It goes back...back to, you know, Byzantine and...
0:20:01 > 0:20:04So you've got a bit of, sort of, Eastern flavour?
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Yes.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10The difference in this recipe from other recipes to cook veal
0:20:10 > 0:20:14is the little onions, the red onions,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16that...we cook whole onions in the sauce.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So this is your family thing?
0:20:19 > 0:20:21My grandmother, my great-grandmother used to cook it,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24so it's, like, from my childhood.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Carry on, please. OK!
0:20:28 > 0:20:31So, Marina chops up quite a few peppers,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33these long, sweet peppers,
0:20:33 > 0:20:35then onion.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37You can tell she's not a chef in a busy restaurant,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40because the cutting is a bit on the slow side...
0:20:41 > 0:20:44..but it's what things taste like that matters.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Some lovely tomatoes.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48They're really juicy.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50And then she fries her veal.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56So, cooking's not your first profession, was it?
0:20:56 > 0:20:58You're an architect.
0:20:58 > 0:20:59It's true.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03I'm a designer for an architect's for about 15 years now.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Are you happy to have given up architectural design
0:21:06 > 0:21:07or do you miss it?
0:21:07 > 0:21:12Well, it's a very creative thing, but I didn't give up architecture.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Architecture gave up on me.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15Now the whole country is like...
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Construction no longer exists in Greece,
0:21:19 > 0:21:20so I had to figure out what to do.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24Really, so you couldn't carry on working? Yes.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28So I turned to my other love that is very creative, too,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30and it's cooking.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Well, it looks like a really nice dish, actually.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36I'm very interested in it because I know it's going to taste good.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I'm looking forward to cooking it and eating it, too.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41So what happens next, then?
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Now, wine.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46I put the tomatoes now in.
0:21:46 > 0:21:47OK.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49They're lovely tomatoes. I mean...
0:21:49 > 0:21:50They smell just lovely.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53I know, I tend to write in recipes...
0:21:53 > 0:21:55I would say tinned tomatoes
0:21:55 > 0:21:58because we just can't get flavour like that back home.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00And next? Then the peppers.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02The red and the green peppers.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Red and green peppers. A little bit of water.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06And then the spices. Ah...
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Cinnamon...
0:22:08 > 0:22:09Oh, like a whole piece.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12That's really, that's a lot of cinnamon. A lot.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14That's... So it is very Byzantine, this.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16And allspice.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Oh, I love old spice.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Sorry, I said Old Spice, that's an aftershave.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22This is allspice.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25And the salt and then the pepper.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Good stuff.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31And now we let it rest and cook on low temperature. OK.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Good.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38To go with this veal stifado,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Marina makes a lovely salad of bulgur wheat -
0:22:41 > 0:22:43pligouri they call it here.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47She mixes that with coriander, parsley, mint,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50dill, garlic, chopped red pepper,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53olive oil and salt.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57For me, that would make a lovely little lunch on its own.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01And now she adds whole red onions to the pot.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04That came from her granny's recipe.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08The whole thing should take another 30 to 40 minutes
0:23:08 > 0:23:10and then it'll be time to serve it up.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19Can I help myself?
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Be my guest.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Well, I'm absolutely ravenous,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and the smell of the cinnamon particularly
0:23:26 > 0:23:29has just been making me absolutely long to try it.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32Oh!
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It's utterly delicious, it really is.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37And I love that cinnamon in there.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41That is truly Byzantine, all that cinnamon, all that allspice.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Well, it's in my blood.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47It must be. Very lovely acidity from those tomatoes, too.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50And I love this salad. Excellent.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Happy about it, very happy about it.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54You are happy? Yes.
0:23:54 > 0:23:55Oh, you are nice.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Were you worried about whether I'd like it or not? Yes.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Well...!
0:23:59 > 0:24:01It's fab, delish. Thank you.
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Thank you.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22Well, I'm on my way to monastic Zitza,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24as Byron called it in Childe Harold.
0:24:24 > 0:24:29He said it's a place where rock, river, forest, mountain all abound.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30And this is this.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I mean, if there's anything more Byronesque than this,
0:24:33 > 0:24:35I would doubt it.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38And the locals say this is the spirit of Epirus.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52When you read about what a cherished author has written about a place,
0:24:52 > 0:24:57it almost makes it personal when you go there yourself.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Byron thought the view from here was one of the finest he ever laid eyes on.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06His famous view sadly cannot be seen
0:25:06 > 0:25:07because everything's overgrown.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12I read somewhere in a tourist guide that Epirus was Greece's greatest secret.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22When I arrived, I thought I heard someone inside the monastery playing the guitar.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26So I thought I'll have a chat with the monks
0:25:26 > 0:25:30about the possibilities of restoring Byron's heavenly view
0:25:30 > 0:25:34and lighten the darkness with the help of a couple of chainsaws.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43HE KNOCKS REPEATEDLY
0:25:51 > 0:25:53""Is there anyone there?" said the traveller,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55"knocking at the moonlit door."
0:25:57 > 0:25:59I don't think there is.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02Oh, well.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Just wanted to have a little chat and maybe point to the view,
0:26:09 > 0:26:14because the reason I'm here is because Byron said it had a fantastic view.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18I'm reading from Childe Harold, I just noted this down, it says,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21"Monastic Zitza, from thy shady brow,
0:26:21 > 0:26:25"thou small but well-favoured spot of holy ground,
0:26:25 > 0:26:27"where ere we gaze around,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30"above below, what rainbow tints,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33"what magic charms are found."
0:26:33 > 0:26:36And there's also a letter to his mother where he says
0:26:36 > 0:26:40he slept here and it was in the most beautiful situation,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42so I came here expecting to see a fantastic view
0:26:42 > 0:26:44with the hills all around.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46But nothing.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Overgrown, can't see anything, and no monks.
0:26:53 > 0:26:58Was it the monastery that brought me here or was it the wine?
0:26:58 > 0:27:02The wine IS very good, so I had to come here and taste it in situ.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11The village of Zitza was empty.
0:27:11 > 0:27:16It was mid-June and I didn't set eyes on a tourist and hardly any locals.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18MUSIC PLAYS
0:27:30 > 0:27:32I promised myself a glass of Zitza wine
0:27:32 > 0:27:35cos I'd heard so much about it and it's very, very nice.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37Very dry, quite austere.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41Quite light, as well - only 11.5, I just seen on the label,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43so just the sort of white wine I like.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46The noise in the background is a bouzouki,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48but it's not a tape, it's somebody actually playing it.
0:27:48 > 0:27:53Perfect! It's these little things that really make a trip like this for me.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57This is avgolemeno.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59It's a soup with a poached egg.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08It's a very simple Greek soup and you might gather from the name
0:28:08 > 0:28:11that it's got lemon in it, lots of lemon and eggs.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14And it's a lovely soup. It's got chicken in it, as well,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17and I think the secret of it is a really good chicken stock.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21And it's very, very light, very delicate.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24It's actually really good if you've got a bit of a...
0:28:24 > 0:28:26well...
0:28:26 > 0:28:29maybe a slightly delicate head from maybe a little too many rakis,
0:28:29 > 0:28:31if you catch my drift.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38So I'm poaching my chicken in simmering chicken stock that I made the night before.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Next, a big pinch of salt.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43Don't be timid about this - trust me.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45And now for the avgo,
0:28:45 > 0:28:47the eggs.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Well, I've always thought of avgolemeno as being really
0:28:50 > 0:28:53the most quintessential Greek soup.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55But then you start looking it up on the internet and you think,
0:28:55 > 0:28:59"No, not necessarily Greek, could be Turkish, could be Arab..."
0:28:59 > 0:29:02And even could come from as far away as Spain,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05from the Jews that were kicked out of Spain and came here.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08It's like that with so many dishes.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11You can't really pin down where they came from.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27You can make avgolemeno with either rice
0:29:27 > 0:29:30or orzo, which is rice-shaped pasta.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34But I always like making it with orzo because the first time I had it in Greece,
0:29:34 > 0:29:38I saw what I thought were giant grains of rice in the bottom of the soup
0:29:38 > 0:29:42and I just thought, "Oh, they must make big rice here in Greece."
0:29:42 > 0:29:46Also, I think the reason for using orzo
0:29:46 > 0:29:49is that quite a lot of the flour comes off the surface of the pasta
0:29:49 > 0:29:53and adds extra thickness to the soup.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55Right, let's cut up the chicken.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58A little bit hot, but I'll prevail.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Basically, I want this into sort of shreds,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04which I'm going to put in the bottom of the soup.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10Actually, I'm making what I call a full-fat avgolemeno soup.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12You can just make it with rice or pasta,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15but I've got chicken in it, as well,
0:30:15 > 0:30:19and I'm finishing it off with a poached egg.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23That's just my idea of how to enhance a dish even further
0:30:23 > 0:30:25for a special occasion.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29I read that the Greeks actually do do avgolemeno over Easter
0:30:29 > 0:30:31with offal poached in it.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34And if you think of things like sweetbreads or brains,
0:30:34 > 0:30:36they're very similar to an egg
0:30:36 > 0:30:38and I think it works really well.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39So, now to finish the soup.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Well, this is actually the sort of hardest part of the soup, really,
0:30:44 > 0:30:46because it's thickened with eggs.
0:30:46 > 0:30:52So I've taken some of the stock and added it to my egg and lemon mixture
0:30:52 > 0:30:54just to, sort of, get it up to temperature,
0:30:54 > 0:30:57and now I'm adding that back into the main stock,
0:30:57 > 0:30:59and I've taken the stock off the heat
0:30:59 > 0:31:01just so that I bring it up a bit gently.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04Otherwise it will scramble.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06So I'm just testing the temperature there.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09It should be a little bit uncomfortable to the little finger,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12that's when it's just starting to cook the egg,
0:31:12 > 0:31:14and very soon now it'll start to thicken.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19There's an added benefit to this dish.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21If you decide to leave the chicken out,
0:31:21 > 0:31:25you can enjoy it as a light chilled soup on a really hot summer's day.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29Perfect with a glass of crisp white wine.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33Just putting a bit of vinegar in with my poaching water.
0:31:33 > 0:31:37It helps to set the egg white and I quite like the flavour, too.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Just swirl the water just so it makes a tighter poached egg there.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52This, for me, is in the '70s when I started coming to Greece,
0:31:52 > 0:31:55eating this soup. It was like almost comfort food even for me,
0:31:55 > 0:31:59because I was quite startled by oregano, by retsina,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02by lots of garlic, by octopus...
0:32:02 > 0:32:05But this was just a very, very gentle soup
0:32:05 > 0:32:08that sort of, in a way, reminded me of home.
0:32:13 > 0:32:15I'm travelling south to Preveza,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17a few hours from Ioannina,
0:32:17 > 0:32:20leaving the mountains and the lakes behind.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24I'm looking forward to some fish from the sea.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26The fish from the lake was lovely,
0:32:26 > 0:32:28but sea fish is the thing that makes me tick.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37To my right is the roman city of Nicopolis.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40It was built nearly 2,000 years ago
0:32:40 > 0:32:42and it still looks fabulous.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Although it's pretty derelict,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50it still has the semblance of a complete city.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58I can imagine throngs of people in the foreground selling vegetables,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00herds of goats and camels,
0:33:00 > 0:33:04tents, a market with smoke coming from food stalls,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07soldiers on the battlements, etc, etc.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13"But what has this got to do with cooking?" I can hear you sigh...
0:33:13 > 0:33:15Well, quite a lot,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18because I believe the Greeks and the Romans were pretty clever
0:33:18 > 0:33:21where they built their towns and their cities.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24It seems to me, the most important thing to them
0:33:24 > 0:33:26was the supply of good food.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29And here in Preveza, that meant fish.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31Loads of fish...and oysters.
0:33:35 > 0:33:39One of the things that I find very endearing about Roman mosaics
0:33:39 > 0:33:42is that quite often they're like this -
0:33:42 > 0:33:45a celebration of fish,
0:33:45 > 0:33:49of game, of hunting, anything to do with food.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53And thinking about it, of course the Romans would have built a city here
0:33:53 > 0:33:56because of all those great prawns, the oysters,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58the mussels, the clams, the fantastic fish.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01And the whole area is so fertile.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Obviously, sometimes it was strategic,
0:34:03 > 0:34:07but a lot of the times it was where they could get really good food.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10I mean, simply just think of Colchester and oysters.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28This is the Greece I know and love.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32There's this lovely warm breeze, there's a slight sort of scent.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34It's always... In Greece, there's a smell of...
0:34:34 > 0:34:37I suppose it's herbs, almost, but I...
0:34:37 > 0:34:40Yeah, I think it is, and I just feel I'm back.
0:34:53 > 0:34:54Thank you.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59Well, look at those. I mean, smell them.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Oh. Do they get any fresher than that?
0:35:03 > 0:35:05What would I do with them?
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Well, I'd put them on the barbecue.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09What would you do with them?
0:35:09 > 0:35:11I know you can bake them or you can fry them,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13but basically I love them barbecued
0:35:13 > 0:35:18because you just get that lovely smell and taste from the shells.
0:35:18 > 0:35:20And what would I serve them with?
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Well, a Greek salad and some chips.
0:35:23 > 0:35:25And what would I drink with it?
0:35:25 > 0:35:26A glass of retsina.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Here in Preveza, they told me this -
0:35:31 > 0:35:33how to cook prawns.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Basically, lots of hot olive oil,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41then red onions along with one chopped leek,
0:35:41 > 0:35:42garlic,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44two large cloves, roughly chopped...
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Ouzo, of course, for that touch of aniseed.
0:35:50 > 0:35:51Shake it up, baby!
0:35:52 > 0:35:56And then you must give it a Greek Orthodox blessing...
0:35:56 > 0:35:57like so.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01Next, tomato puree, let down with a bit of water.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Parsley and cayenne pepper,
0:36:06 > 0:36:07feta cheese...
0:36:07 > 0:36:09I knew that was coming!
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Basil, roughly ripped up
0:36:13 > 0:36:14and serve.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18A touch more cheese and voila,
0:36:18 > 0:36:20or idhou, as they say in these parts.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26Kalimera. Kalimera.
0:36:26 > 0:36:27Sardine or anchovy?
0:36:27 > 0:36:29Sardine. Sardine. Sardine.
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Lovely looking. Fresh sardine.
0:36:31 > 0:36:32Oh, yeah. Beautiful.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39Preveza is the sort of place I really like and feel comfortable in.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43It may sound a bit daft, but it reminds me of Padstow.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45It's a holiday destination for sure,
0:36:45 > 0:36:48but that's not its reason for being.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52Its mix of fishing, boat repair and agriculture
0:36:52 > 0:36:54make it far more interesting and enjoyable.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57Otherwise it's just bars, hairdressers
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and lots of shops selling scented candles.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Kalimera.
0:37:04 > 0:37:05Kalimera. Kalimera.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Kalimera.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18Now for lunch - grey mullet.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Not the most popular fish back at home,
0:37:21 > 0:37:23but in Greece it's revered.
0:37:23 > 0:37:27It's caught way out at sea far away from the muddy estuaries and outflow pipes.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Here they split it open, baste it with lots of olive oil and grill it.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38The fish has to be a good size - at least a kilo -
0:37:38 > 0:37:41so that the flesh is good and steaky.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45All it needs is a dressing of oil and lemon and that's it.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47You wouldn't want anything else, except, well,
0:37:47 > 0:37:49maybe a Greek salad.
0:37:50 > 0:37:51Wow.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56I suppose I look a bit sad eating on my own,
0:37:56 > 0:37:59but actually I rather enjoy it and do it often.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Normally, I've got a book to read,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03but this time I've got a camera to look at.
0:38:03 > 0:38:04Bit weird, but there you go.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07I tried to get a smaller fish but, you know, in Greece,
0:38:07 > 0:38:11it sort of has a habit of not working how you want it.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14It's fine, it's fine. It's a lovely fish.
0:38:14 > 0:38:19A grey mullet, as it happens, but not just any grey mullet.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22What I think we'd call, in Cornwall, a bay-caught mullet.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24People...oh!
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Excuse me!
0:38:26 > 0:38:30They do know how to cook fish in Greece and, I mean,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33people often say the food's very, very simple,
0:38:33 > 0:38:35but I think that's the point.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38I mean, you couldn't get a better grilled fish than that anywhere.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40And it's really what I remember,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43first coming to Greece in the late '60s, early '70s.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46After I'd got used to the taste of retsina,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49I suddenly realised how much I loved the grilled fish.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51And they're still using charcoal.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53I think that's terribly important.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55They haven't got, sort of, faux barbecues,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59they've got the real thing and they just know how to cook it perfectly.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04And I think Greek salad is my favourite salad in all the world.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07The Greek salad really has to have a lot of feta with it,
0:39:07 > 0:39:10and a lot of dry oregano sprinkled on the top.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15I mean, because the feta not only has the nice taste of cheese,
0:39:15 > 0:39:17but also it's very salty
0:39:17 > 0:39:22and goes so well in that respect with the tomato and the cucumber.
0:39:22 > 0:39:23Mmm.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Kalimera. Kalimera.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Welcome.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36Oh, very nice.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38What a lovely smell - aniseed.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40What a lovely shop!
0:39:40 > 0:39:43Now, I sort of dream of finding shops like this in Greece,
0:39:43 > 0:39:46but they're getting ever harder to find.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47It's fab.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49And look at the labelling there.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Look at that lovely Greek writing,
0:39:51 > 0:39:53and again the colour,
0:39:53 > 0:39:54the sort of bluey grey.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58I could sort of imagine it becoming a National Trust paint colour
0:39:58 > 0:40:00called ouzo blue.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Can we try some? Of course.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Oh, I love the way it goes milky with, I think,
0:40:07 > 0:40:09a little bit of blue in there. Blue and white.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Another important feature, is white.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14The colour of Greece.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16It's just so refreshing. It's funny...
0:40:16 > 0:40:20I think it's my favourite strong drink, ouzo.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22It's just... I prefer it to all other, to pastis
0:40:22 > 0:40:25and all those other aniseedy drinks.
0:40:25 > 0:40:29What does ouzo mean to you and Preveza and this part of Greece?
0:40:29 > 0:40:30Ouzo...
0:40:30 > 0:40:32SHE CONTINUES IN GREEK
0:40:35 > 0:40:37Just a moment. Ellie...
0:40:37 > 0:40:40Can you translate? Hello, Ellie.
0:40:40 > 0:40:45She said that ouzo is the heart of Preveza
0:40:45 > 0:40:48and the traditional drink of Preveza.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52And I think that ouzo reminds a lot of the sea
0:40:52 > 0:40:55because of the taste, of the flavour, of the smell, of the colour.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00And it's something that goes on for many centuries now.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02Brilliant. I'll drink to that.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Yay. Yeia sou.
0:41:04 > 0:41:05I mean, it should be yeia mas.
0:41:05 > 0:41:07Yeia mas. Yeia mas.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Oh, well. You know what I mean.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17I'm travelling south, as always,
0:41:17 > 0:41:19and heading towards Messolonghi,
0:41:19 > 0:41:21famous for its fish, mosquitoes,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24its salt and the place where Byron died.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31When we travel, we're always thinking about where to stop for lunch.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33By we, I mean the film crew.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36It's so important to time it right,
0:41:36 > 0:41:41and it's true to say there's only one thing we want at lunchtime.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44It's classic, it's understated, it's cheap,
0:41:44 > 0:41:48and when it's done right, it's absolutely delicious.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55People often ask me, "What was the best thing you
0:41:55 > 0:41:57"had on your travels in Greece,
0:41:57 > 0:41:59"and in Turkey and everywhere else?"
0:41:59 > 0:42:02and I sort of say, "Well, maybe not the best thing,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04"but the thing that caused me the most excitement
0:42:04 > 0:42:07"was stuffed tomatoes and stuffed peppers."
0:42:07 > 0:42:11Every lunchtime, we'd look for somewhere that did them,
0:42:11 > 0:42:13and the trick is arriving about 12.30
0:42:13 > 0:42:15when they've just come out of the oven.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17It's the perfect lunch.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21Stuffed tomatoes and stuffed peppers.
0:42:21 > 0:42:22Nice.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31This is just stuffed peppers and tomatoes.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35You can stuff other things if you like - courgettes, aubergines...
0:42:35 > 0:42:37In Turkey I've seen them stuff plums,
0:42:37 > 0:42:40all with the same mixture, which is essentially garlic,
0:42:40 > 0:42:42shallots, rice and the pulp of the tomatoes
0:42:42 > 0:42:45and some herb.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48In this case I'm using mint, parsley and oregano.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51But it always seems to have so much flavour
0:42:51 > 0:42:53and it's a dish I always look for at lunch.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56Because you know when first you used to go to Greece,
0:42:56 > 0:42:58you'd go into the kitchen, the stuff was already made,
0:42:58 > 0:43:01and in many kitchens it's still there at 3.00 in the afternoon,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04so the trick is to get there at about 12.30.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07And you'd say, "Have you got any stuffed vegetables?"
0:43:07 > 0:43:10and they'd say, "Nai," and you'd say, "OK, I'll go next door, then."
0:43:10 > 0:43:11No, that's a joke.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18My memory of stuffed vegetables in 1970s Greece
0:43:18 > 0:43:20is that they were utterly terrible.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23They were always served cold, at best lukewarm...
0:43:24 > 0:43:29But having freshly cooked, piping hot, stuffed tomato and pepper is a sheer delight.
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Basically, I'm frying off some chopped onions and garlic
0:43:36 > 0:43:39and adding the pulp from hollowed-out tomatoes.
0:43:43 > 0:43:48I'm still trying to work out exactly what makes the perfect filling for this.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52So in addition from what came out of scooping the tomatoes out,
0:43:52 > 0:43:55I'm just going to add some tomato puree, quite a lot,
0:43:55 > 0:43:57I think a couple of teaspoons, heaped teaspoons.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Because that's what I recall about the best ones -
0:44:00 > 0:44:01they're very tomatoey.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07Leave that to fry so the sweet flavours of the red onions
0:44:07 > 0:44:09and garlic begin to infuse
0:44:09 > 0:44:12with those lovely fresh tomatoes.
0:44:12 > 0:44:13And now for rice.
0:44:13 > 0:44:16I'm just using long-grain rice here,
0:44:16 > 0:44:19and it's good to get those individual grains covered
0:44:19 > 0:44:21with the oil and the tomatoes.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25Now, for me, a hint of chilli really complements and lifts the dish.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32Next, a good pinch of salt,
0:44:32 > 0:44:35some pepper, and finally vegetable stock
0:44:35 > 0:44:39to allow the rice to soften, cook and swell.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45So, now for my herbs.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47First of all, a very big pinch of fresh mint.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51And next, lots of parsley,
0:44:51 > 0:44:54like a big handful of chopped parsley.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57And lastly, some oregano.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59About a tablespoon of oregano.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04I may have slightly overstated the tomato because it is very dark,
0:45:04 > 0:45:09but I'm also looking for a very concentrated flavour because...
0:45:11 > 0:45:14..when that rice goes into the vegetables and starts to swell up,
0:45:14 > 0:45:18it'll lose flavour as it expands with the steam.
0:45:18 > 0:45:20So we need to start with a lot.
0:45:20 > 0:45:24Also, I'm just tasting the rice because it doesn't want to be completely cooked
0:45:24 > 0:45:26cos it will carry on in the oven.
0:45:28 > 0:45:29I love this dish.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32I'm just very, very nervous at the moment
0:45:32 > 0:45:34because it's a difficult dish to get right.
0:45:34 > 0:45:37I think a lot depends on the time you bake it,
0:45:37 > 0:45:40so I think it needs to be about an hour to an hour and a half
0:45:40 > 0:45:42at a low temperature
0:45:42 > 0:45:45so that everything amalgamates in a delightful way.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51Put the lids on.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55And the peppers. I wanted to get the ones that you could stand up,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58but I've noticed around here a lot of them are longer peppers,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01so I'll have to put those laying down like that.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07Now, some more of my vegetable stock, just to keep them moist while I cook them,
0:46:07 > 0:46:10and some olive oil over the top.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Just a bit more salt,
0:46:12 > 0:46:15just to season the actual peppers and tomatoes.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Some pepper...
0:46:17 > 0:46:21and now a foil, again to keep them nice and moist as I cook them.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26So, these will now go into a medium oven
0:46:26 > 0:46:28for about an hour, an hour and a quarter,
0:46:28 > 0:46:30but I'll test them after an hour.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36This is a rare snap of us tucking into lunch
0:46:36 > 0:46:39and stuffed tomatoes and peppers give you all you need.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41Two each, no more,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44one glass of wine, and that's it.
0:46:44 > 0:46:46Move on to film another sequence.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50And that's how it goes until 5.29.
0:46:51 > 0:46:53But that's another story.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03So, lunch, yes. In Greece, it's stuffed tomatoes and peppers.
0:47:04 > 0:47:05In Spain it's paella or...
0:47:05 > 0:47:07SPANISH ACCENT: paella.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10In Italy, spaghetti vongole,
0:47:10 > 0:47:12that's clams,
0:47:12 > 0:47:14and in the UK, fish and chips.
0:47:20 > 0:47:23I started my journey in Venice,
0:47:23 > 0:47:27and it was a Venetian who coined the name of the town Messolonghi.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31Mezzo means middle, lagi means lakes.
0:47:31 > 0:47:33The town in the middle of the lakes.
0:47:33 > 0:47:35Famous for its salt,
0:47:35 > 0:47:37its stance in the Greek War Of Independence
0:47:37 > 0:47:41and, I suppose, the reason I'm here, its fish.
0:47:41 > 0:47:43So many lovely fish,
0:47:43 > 0:47:46thanks to the shallow, fertile lagoons.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51Sit down as quick as possible.
0:47:53 > 0:47:54Oh!
0:47:54 > 0:47:55THEY LAUGH
0:47:55 > 0:47:57Have we got that?
0:47:58 > 0:48:00Sorry, I'm a bit heavy.
0:48:01 > 0:48:02How embarrassing!
0:48:02 > 0:48:04I must go on a diet.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06It's no good having all these lunches.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08But, anyway, back to the fish.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14Think of these enormous lagoons as a trap for unsuspecting fish,
0:48:14 > 0:48:17wild fish from the sea.
0:48:17 > 0:48:19The lagoon is a very tempting place for fish
0:48:19 > 0:48:22cos it's warm, it's shallow,
0:48:22 > 0:48:25there's loads of food and it's a lovely place for them to breed.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28And so, in the winter months,
0:48:28 > 0:48:32the fishermen open their rickety gates to the open sea.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36And when the weather starts to get warm, they close them.
0:48:36 > 0:48:41The fish breed and grow and voila, you've got fish.
0:48:41 > 0:48:42As much as you want. Clever!
0:48:52 > 0:48:54Everywhere I've been on this journey,
0:48:54 > 0:48:56Byron's been there before me.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00But this, here is Messolonghi, is where his life ended.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03His heart is supposed to be buried here.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07He gave his money, his name and everything he had
0:49:07 > 0:49:09to the Greek fight for freedom from the Turks.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14I'm really drawn to Byron.
0:49:14 > 0:49:17Why he left Britain, we don't really know,
0:49:17 > 0:49:22but at that time he was termed mad, bad and dangerous to know.
0:49:22 > 0:49:25I suspect he was probably bipolar,
0:49:25 > 0:49:28so he had massive phases of creativity
0:49:28 > 0:49:30and enormous charm,
0:49:30 > 0:49:33but then the other side of being bipolar
0:49:33 > 0:49:37are these times of when you are filled with self-loathing and doubt.
0:49:37 > 0:49:42And he came to Greece and got involved in the War Of Independence.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44And I suspect he thought, "This is my cause."
0:49:44 > 0:49:48I mean, it was like maybe Mick Jagger or Angelina Jolie
0:49:48 > 0:49:51suddenly coming to a small part of the world
0:49:51 > 0:49:53and taking on the cause.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55No wonder the Greeks loved him
0:49:55 > 0:49:59and no wonder the Greeks still have a lot of affection for the British.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02And a Turkish Ottoman general at the time said,
0:50:02 > 0:50:05"Before we were fighting the Greeks,
0:50:05 > 0:50:08"now the world, thanks to this man."
0:50:15 > 0:50:17So, cheers.
0:50:18 > 0:50:22Petros Pargios is a master of making bottarga.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25That's fish roe salted and dried.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29It's a wonderful delicacy that I personally love,
0:50:29 > 0:50:32and it's really famous in Messolonghi,
0:50:32 > 0:50:34particularly delicious grated on pasta.
0:50:34 > 0:50:36It's a lovely taste of the sea.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43Well, this is very nice, I must say.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45Nice. Sort of how I dream of Greece, really.
0:50:47 > 0:50:48A nice bar, and a square.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52What I would really like to talk to you about is, what's special?
0:50:52 > 0:50:55What does everybody like to eat here in Messolonghi?
0:50:55 > 0:50:57Everything that comes from the sea.
0:50:57 > 0:51:02Actually, it is funny, but if you are from this area...
0:51:02 > 0:51:05and you go to a place or a house and you are a guest,
0:51:05 > 0:51:10there is a 100% possibility that they will offer you fish or seafood.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12If they offer you meat,
0:51:12 > 0:51:16you will understand that this person does not originate from Messolonghi.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18Really? Yes.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21So everybody's that enthusiastic about it.
0:51:21 > 0:51:23So if I talked to anybody here,
0:51:23 > 0:51:25said, "What's your favourite food?"
0:51:25 > 0:51:26they'd say fish?
0:51:26 > 0:51:29They will say fish, or they can even say which fish.
0:51:29 > 0:51:33Really? And also, the cats do not eat fish.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35The cats don't eat fish? No. What's the matter with them?
0:51:35 > 0:51:37They are fed up with fish.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39What, they've had too much fish all their lives? Yes.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41Well, I'm blowed.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45They are the only cats in the world that they see the fish, you know, doing like this. And say...
0:51:45 > 0:51:47Cake? Yeah. Fish?
0:51:47 > 0:51:48Something like this.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50HE CHUCKLES
0:51:51 > 0:51:55If someone was making a study of fish-eating in the western world,
0:51:55 > 0:51:58then look no further than Messolonghi.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04There are more fish shops here than anyone I know could believe.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09Fish shop to the right of me, fish shop to the left.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Every few yards another fish shop.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19There's fish shops on every corner in this city.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23I was just thinking... Don't have a go at me back home!
0:52:23 > 0:52:26..if you take somewhere about the same size, somewhere like Winchester,
0:52:26 > 0:52:29as far as I know, there's not one fish shop there.
0:52:29 > 0:52:31Well, here's another one, just a few yards down the street.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35We got sardines, we got some bream, mullet, eels, bass,
0:52:35 > 0:52:38and I just noticed over there, here's one.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40And here we have some...
0:52:40 > 0:52:43more bream,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46garfish, mullet...
0:52:46 > 0:52:49and down here, here's another one. It's a bigger one.
0:52:49 > 0:52:52This is amazing. This is, you know,
0:52:52 > 0:52:54absolutely where I want to be. I mean...
0:52:55 > 0:52:57Here we've got some sardines,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00we've got some large bass, they're really large mullet,
0:53:00 > 0:53:01again some bream.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03More bream over here.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05I mean, it's just total nirvana.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07And here's another one!
0:53:07 > 0:53:08I mean, this is sensational.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11So here we've got, like, sardines...
0:53:11 > 0:53:12No, no, I'm just talking!
0:53:12 > 0:53:16Big mackerel, chunky mackerel, I'm in absolute heaven.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21And here we have another fish shop, similar things, I think.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24We've got some bass again,
0:53:24 > 0:53:27some sardines, some bream.
0:53:27 > 0:53:29That's really nice. And, yeah, another one.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31Can we just actually call that a day?
0:53:31 > 0:53:35Because I think we've seen enough fish shops to shake a stick at
0:53:35 > 0:53:37and I quite fancy a coffee.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40Right.
0:53:42 > 0:53:45I met Petros earlier in the square in Messolonghi.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48He makes bottarga, that great delicacy here,
0:53:48 > 0:53:50using the local salt.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55I love bottarga.
0:53:55 > 0:53:57I've been eating it for ages.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00Basically, it's the roe of grey mullet,
0:54:00 > 0:54:02salted then pressed and dried.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07It's expensive, but not as much as caviar,
0:54:07 > 0:54:09and goes back to the days of the Phoenicians,
0:54:09 > 0:54:11nearly 3,000 years ago.
0:54:12 > 0:54:13Delish.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20This is why Messolonghi is famous -
0:54:20 > 0:54:23because we produce the best bottarga.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26And that originates back to the Byzantine times
0:54:26 > 0:54:29and we are very famous for this.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31I have tasted it, I haven't tasted yours before.
0:54:31 > 0:54:34But I'd taste it as...describe it as being...
0:54:34 > 0:54:36In spite of its saltiness,
0:54:36 > 0:54:39it has this lovely sweetness and it's, sort of,
0:54:39 > 0:54:42it's something, once you've tasted it, you've got to have more.
0:54:42 > 0:54:43Yes, because you get addicted.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Yeah. It's like when you've got caviar.
0:54:46 > 0:54:49You sort of think, "I don't just want a little tin,
0:54:49 > 0:54:51"I want a great tin and I want to..."
0:54:51 > 0:54:55So, in other words, it is a very, very tasty addiction.
0:54:55 > 0:54:56Yeah, it is.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59And I have to tell you a little secret about bottarga. Yeah.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02You have to handle it with very, very, very much care.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04Like women.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07That's why men do the best bottarga.
0:55:07 > 0:55:09If you believe that, you'd believe anything.
0:55:09 > 0:55:10OK. But I like it.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16So, once the roe of the grey mullet has been pressed,
0:55:16 > 0:55:17salted and dried,
0:55:17 > 0:55:19they're dipped in beeswax,
0:55:19 > 0:55:22which means they'll keep for a very long time.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26Bottarga's not everyone's favourite.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28If you like it, you like it a lot,
0:55:28 > 0:55:31and if you don't, like the film crew,
0:55:31 > 0:55:33you'd run a mile if someone offered you some.
0:55:34 > 0:55:39Lena, Petros' wife, made a bowl of pasta sprinkled with bottarga...
0:55:39 > 0:55:41just for me.
0:55:43 > 0:55:44Mmm.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48That's really exquisite.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51There's so much flavour in that bottarga.
0:55:51 > 0:55:52It sort of reminded me, in a way -
0:55:52 > 0:55:54I know this is a bit over the top -
0:55:54 > 0:55:59sort of warm seaweed on a hot beach, it's got that lovely seafood taste.
0:55:59 > 0:56:01Honestly, I'm a total addict.
0:56:04 > 0:56:05Cheers.
0:56:05 > 0:56:06ALL: Yeia mas.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Our home will be always open for you. Oh, thank you.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15They invited me for a bit of lunch in their garden.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18I found with Petros I talked about fish,
0:56:18 > 0:56:20just fish,
0:56:20 > 0:56:22until the cows came home.
0:56:22 > 0:56:23It's quite rare for me.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26He knows cooking and fish better than I do
0:56:26 > 0:56:29and made this simple clam dish with olive oil,
0:56:29 > 0:56:33parsley, flakes of chilli and lots of lemon juice -
0:56:33 > 0:56:36I mean lots - from these fat lemons of Greece.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42Then he made a stock from prawns.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44It gives a real richness.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48And he squeezed the heads of the prawns to get extra sweet flavour.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51I'm going to do this in the future.
0:56:53 > 0:56:57Finally, some zest of the great lemons they have here.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59And that's it.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04A Greek person said to me recently,
0:57:04 > 0:57:06"Don't bother with the restaurants.
0:57:06 > 0:57:08"The best Greek food is in people's homes,"
0:57:08 > 0:57:10and I totally agree.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12And what a lovely dish. Thank you very much for coming.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14What I particularly like about it
0:57:14 > 0:57:16is the amount of lemon juice you put in it,
0:57:16 > 0:57:19which just tastes, you know, so typically Greek, and very...
0:57:19 > 0:57:22It almost tastes milder than our own lemon juice.
0:57:22 > 0:57:25It is fresh lemon from our garden under the sun.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27We have the lake and the sea and everything, so...
0:57:27 > 0:57:29OK. I understand, I understand.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31Rick, did you really like it?
0:57:31 > 0:57:34I really liked it, Lena, yes.
0:57:34 > 0:57:37I am so glad you eat using your hands, the Greek way.
0:57:37 > 0:57:41I learnt in India, but in India you can only use one hand.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43Your right hand. Why? Why?
0:57:43 > 0:57:46I can't go into it. You'll have to look it up.
0:57:46 > 0:57:47HE LAUGHS
0:57:47 > 0:57:48OK, then.
0:57:49 > 0:57:51Next time, I'm travelling south
0:57:51 > 0:57:54towards the Greece I really know and love.
0:57:54 > 0:57:58I just love a little vista like this.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00Gets me very, very excited.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05I sometimes sort of think, "What would the viewer think?"
0:58:05 > 0:58:07I seem to be enjoying myself too much.
0:58:09 > 0:58:13You know, people get a bit, sort of, like, "Oh, we love Greece,
0:58:13 > 0:58:15"but the food..." I think, "What?"
0:58:15 > 0:58:19Once you get into the sort of frame of Greece,
0:58:19 > 0:58:21it's the best food ever.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23Yes!
0:58:23 > 0:58:29And so my gastronomic journey from Venice to Istanbul continues.