0:00:02 > 0:00:03DAVE AND SI: Whoo-hoo!
0:00:03 > 0:00:05'The Hairy Bikers are back on the road.'
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Hey-hey!
0:00:07 > 0:00:08'Doing what we love most.'
0:00:08 > 0:00:10'Biking and cooking.'
0:00:10 > 0:00:13- Oh...- Ho, ho!- Look at that.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15'And it's going to be epic.'
0:00:15 > 0:00:19'This time we're heading the furthest north we've ever been.'
0:00:19 > 0:00:22- We're in the Arctic Circle... - 'In search of exciting food
0:00:22 > 0:00:25'and some of the most unexplored places in Europe.'
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Oh, it's glorious!
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Our route will take us 2,500 miles
0:00:31 > 0:00:33round the Baltic Sea.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34Kicking off in Poland,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38then travelling through the trio of Baltic states to Russia.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Russia!
0:00:40 > 0:00:43Then across to Finland and north to south through Sweden.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49'To understand the food, we must EXPOSE ourselves to the elements...
0:00:50 > 0:00:52'..experience life on the wild side.'
0:00:52 > 0:00:54I am a Viking!
0:00:54 > 0:00:56'And test our mettle to the max.'
0:00:56 > 0:00:59- Hey, it's cold. - Well, it's the Baltic, isn't it?
0:00:59 > 0:01:02- 'I'm expecting vast forests...' - SI AND DAVE: Skol!
0:01:02 > 0:01:04'..sparkling lakes...'
0:01:04 > 0:01:05Ah...
0:01:05 > 0:01:06'..and incredible biking roads.'
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Look at that.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12'There will be hearty home cooking, as well as cutting-edge cuisine.'
0:01:12 > 0:01:16- That's spot-on. - 'And hopefully, a warm welcome.'
0:01:17 > 0:01:21'After all, these people are our northern neighbours.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:24And it's time we got to know them better.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26APPLAUSE
0:01:26 > 0:01:28Our lives are never going to be the same again
0:01:28 > 0:01:30after we taste this sausage.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Cheers, mate.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41This time, we're on a journey with a difference.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Because we're in a country steeped in power,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46drama and revolution.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51But we're on foot and I'm not happy about it!
0:01:51 > 0:01:53There's no bikes.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56- There is bikes. It's covered. - I'm feeling twitchy.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57DAVE GROANS
0:01:57 > 0:02:00'Despite my Geordie friend's gripes,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03'the truth is, we're on to something really special.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05'Because the city that we've rocked up in...'
0:02:05 > 0:02:07'Albeit on foot...
0:02:07 > 0:02:08'..will enable us
0:02:08 > 0:02:12'to pull back the Iron Curtain, good and proper.'
0:02:14 > 0:02:18We've arrived in St Petersburg, Russia.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20The big bear.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23'I'm so excited! There's tonnes to see.'
0:02:23 > 0:02:25'But, we really need bikes, dude.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29'I mean, you know, we're the Hairy Bikers, not the Hairy Hikers.'
0:02:29 > 0:02:31It's still different here.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33We couldn't bring the bikes across the border, it's not my fault.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35'Stop your moaning.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37'A little stroll won't kill you and, anyway,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39'I've got a surprise lined up.'
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Isn't she beautiful!?
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Simeon! SIMEON LAUGHS
0:02:47 > 0:02:49- How are you?- My friend.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53- Thank you. Simon, Simeon... - Nice to see you.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56- Simon.- How are you?- My friend! - SIMEON LAUGHS
0:02:56 > 0:03:00- What do you reckon, Si? - You are having a flipping...- No...
0:03:00 > 0:03:02- Where's the other one? - No, no, no, that's for us,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05so you can pop in there, beefy cheeks.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06We're going to die.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10We're not. That is a Cossack Ural Mars Mark III.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13For 37 years I've had this catalogue, Si.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16- That looks nothing like that. - Oh, it does.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19It's the first motorbike I ever had, in 1976.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24That is 650cc of pure, unadulterated apathy.
0:03:24 > 0:03:25What are you doing?
0:03:25 > 0:03:27Yes, here it is.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Ah, Simeon,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- "pachinet".- What does that mean? - Repair.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Pachinio, pachinio...every day, they want every day.
0:03:35 > 0:03:36THEY LAUGH
0:03:36 > 0:03:37Every flaming day!
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Yeah, but it's user-friendly
0:03:39 > 0:03:42and I thought it will give you a break in the sidecar.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- Careful you don't fall through the bottom.- Oh, brilliant.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50My mother used to have a flap like this on her wheelchair
0:03:50 > 0:03:51when it was raining.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53You could've brought a tartan rug or something!
0:03:53 > 0:03:58- SIMEON LAUGHS - I can't believe you're doing this to us. I hate you, Myers.- Yes!
0:03:58 > 0:04:00ENGINE STALLS
0:04:00 > 0:04:02ENGINE STALLS
0:04:02 > 0:04:05I've just got to say, this doesn't bode well.
0:04:05 > 0:04:06ENGINE STARTS UP
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Has anybody got any rosary beads?
0:04:13 > 0:04:15- So...- Ooh!
0:04:17 > 0:04:19THEY LAUGH
0:04:23 > 0:04:25The city we're about to explore
0:04:25 > 0:04:29is located on the western edge of Russia's vast landmass.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Nearer Europe than most of Russia,
0:04:31 > 0:04:36St Petersburg's a shimmering jewel on the shores of the Baltic.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38It was the Imperial capital under the Tsars
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and is jam-packed with history.
0:04:41 > 0:04:45It's where an empire was lost and communism began to flourish.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47And now, it's new Russia.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50I wonder what so much change has meant for the people
0:04:50 > 0:04:51and the food.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Well, that's the million-rouble question, Kingy.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01And to answer it, we're going to savour the extravagances of the tsars.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04The only thing is, though, it makes you want more.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05Well, God watch over Russia.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08..cook up some chaos on the city's canals...
0:05:08 > 0:05:10CHANTING
0:05:10 > 0:05:13We'll discover a nation's lost treasures.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16England, now, is one of the best places to look for those lost
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Faberge eggs.- That'll be it, I'll have the floorboards up.
0:05:19 > 0:05:20That'll be it.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22And as we explore this exotic city,
0:05:22 > 0:05:26we'll reveal the passions of a vast and complex country.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Deep breathe.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31THEY EXHALE
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Wow!
0:05:33 > 0:05:37But for now, I just want to survive this corner!
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Now, you lean that way, you'll find it will be better for you.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- There you are, I'm leaning! - Good lad, good lad.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45I tell you, these bikes haven't changed.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48I can see that!
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Do they stop at pedestrian crossings?
0:05:50 > 0:05:51DAVE WAILS
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Yeah, I'm not sure.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Well, I know the brakes are not very good.
0:05:55 > 0:05:56- Aren't they?- No, not really.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00THEY CHUCKLE
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Oh, this is it, man, we're on it!
0:06:05 > 0:06:07THEY CHUCKLE
0:06:07 > 0:06:10We're on the Nevsky Prospekt, the main street through
0:06:10 > 0:06:13- St Petersburg.- And what a way to travel in style, Kingy.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16We're doing what Napoleon didn't manage!
0:06:16 > 0:06:18THEY LAUGH
0:06:18 > 0:06:22It does remind me of when I was a student in the golden age of punk,
0:06:22 > 0:06:24going up the Old Kent Road.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27# I am an antichrist, hey! #
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Oh, look, there's the Winter Palace.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32In this square there was anarchy, wasn't there?
0:06:32 > 0:06:36And that's where the Bolshevik uprising started, wasn't it?
0:06:37 > 0:06:40For nearly 400 years, the awesome Winter Palace was
0:06:40 > 0:06:43the official residence of the monarchy.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47From here, the tsars ruled over a vast empire.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49But Lenin and the Bolsheviks had different ideas.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52When they stormed the palace in 1917,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55it triggered the birth of the Soviet state.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02A year later, the Communists shifted the capital to Moscow,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05abandoning one of Russia's most beautiful cities.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Dude, I'd heard St Petersburg was nice
0:07:08 > 0:07:10but nothing prepared me for this.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12I know, mate, I'm blown away.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15No wonder they put the Iron Curtain up!
0:07:15 > 0:07:16It's mint!
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Righto, Mr King, what I want to know is - what effect
0:07:22 > 0:07:25so much upheaval has had on Russia's food and culture?
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Well, let's start breaking it down - preferably into bite-size pieces.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Our first stop is a restaurant where every dish, like the wallpaper,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41tells a story.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45If we want to eat our way through Russia,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48past and present, this is the place to do it.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52'Igor is the genius chef, and Dasha is the manager.'
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Nice to meet you. All our dishes
0:07:54 > 0:07:58are recognisable for guests. They may find in the dishes,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- something from their childhood, from their past...- Yes.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02That's what we do here.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Igor is going to cook three dishes,
0:08:04 > 0:08:08each evoking a different period in Russian history.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Starting with a favourite of the tsars - stuffed quail.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Stuffed poultry is a very typical dish for Imperial times,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19because it was a prerogative of the aristocratic table.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22For the stuffing, blanched leeks, sauteed mushrooms
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and some spuds - which get special treatment.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30We are going to make the taste of the potatoes smoked,
0:08:30 > 0:08:34so it could be a really natural feeling of hunting and the forest.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Now, that's clever.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Igor is creating the flavours which evoke an Imperial hunting party.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I can see the story - the dish building up.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- Yeah, absolutely.- Every flavour has a purpose and a reason.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50Now we combine all the three things...
0:08:50 > 0:08:52Oh, yeah, that's worked!
0:08:52 > 0:08:55And keeping to the forest theme, there's some hazelnut paste.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Now we stuff the quail.
0:08:58 > 0:08:59CHEF SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Very gentle. - Quail in oven...
0:09:02 > 0:09:05it's dish number two, the Tourist's Breakfast.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09This time, Igor's drawn inspiration from Soviet-era camping trips.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16There was canned food which was called "Tourist's Breakfast".
0:09:16 > 0:09:19And inside there was porridge and meat.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Back in the Communist days the meat was, well...
0:09:23 > 0:09:25..let's say, unspecified.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29- But Igor's using prime steak. - Capers, onion, mustard
0:09:29 > 0:09:32and horseradish...
0:09:32 > 0:09:34And now more theatre.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37Originally, this canned food was warmed up on a campfire,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40that's why Igor is using again... his smoking technique.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41HE SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN
0:09:41 > 0:09:46You have to shake it for the meat to consume all the aromas and...
0:09:46 > 0:09:48- It just infuses.- ..yes, and the tastes.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Where once was Communist porridge...
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Igor's creating a spinach and barley risotto.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56BOTH CHUCKLE
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- He's good, isn't he?- He's damn good.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00Now it's all about the presentation.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Ah, brilliant!
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Originally, people ate from the can.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07The garnish is potato,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11charred bread, campfire coffee and sprigs of fried thyme.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15The texture is like chips.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17Kingy, this is
0:10:17 > 0:10:21fascinating, seeing Communist-era food reinvented for modern tastes.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Dish three is the Farmer's Burger, which shows Russia's most recent change,
0:10:27 > 0:10:32when Communism collapsed and Western influences came pouring in.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36When we go back to 1990, post-perestroika times,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39borders were opened and we got all these new flavours we had
0:10:39 > 0:10:44- never experienced before.- Burgers! - Yes, the burgers, bubble gum,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47the Coca Cola, and...
0:10:47 > 0:10:51this was really something unusual.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55Igor's burger has ketchup made of carrots
0:10:55 > 0:10:58and some classic burger-ish goodies, given a Russian twist.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Time to plate up our three tastes of Russia.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05The tsars' favourite, straight from the hunt -
0:11:05 > 0:11:09quail stuffed with leeks, potatoes and mushrooms.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13Next, from frugal campfires to fine dining -
0:11:13 > 0:11:15the Communist-inspired Tourist Breakfast.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20And representing new Russia,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Igor's post-perestroika Farmer's Burger.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Look at that - can you imagine the tsars eating this in the hunting lodge?
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Well, mate, wait till you taste this, mm.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35That's brilliant. It's a nod to that famous burger joint,
0:11:35 > 0:11:38but good grief, it is a million miles away.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- Should I?- Absolutely.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44Oh, what a reveal, man, at the table -
0:11:44 > 0:11:46that's mind-blowing.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48He's done...you know, the kind of camping food
0:11:48 > 0:11:51of the Communist era, but made really, really special.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52Oh, yeah.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Do you know what? I think that these three plates of food
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- have kind of set the tone for the trip.- Mm.
0:11:58 > 0:12:03And what a trip it's going to be, dude, just look at this place!
0:12:04 > 0:12:07It's an incredible city - all down to one man...
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Oh, look, there's Peter the Great!
0:12:09 > 0:12:12The architect of this great city!
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Pyotr Alexeyevich was the tsar of tsars.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18He dragged Russia out of its medieval rut,
0:12:18 > 0:12:23expanded its empire, and in 1703 decided to build Russia a
0:12:23 > 0:12:28magnificent western-style port city, and so St Petersburg was born.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Well, hats off to Peter the Great.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35The architecture, good grief... You can tell the Italians
0:12:35 > 0:12:37had a hand in this, can't you?
0:12:37 > 0:12:41French architects were involved, too, so it's sometimes called
0:12:41 > 0:12:45the Paris of the East, but seeing all these canals
0:12:45 > 0:12:47I prefer its other alias...
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It's the Venice of the North.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Right, what's on the menu next, dude?
0:12:53 > 0:12:58Eggs, but no ordinary ones - the world's most expensive eggs.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Well, they better be tasty, then.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03I'm talking about Faberge's famous eggs - the prized
0:13:03 > 0:13:05possessions of the tsars.
0:13:05 > 0:13:06Fair enough.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Well, let's go and feast our eyes and find out what they can tell us
0:13:10 > 0:13:11about the fall of an empire.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16Katerina Petukhova is our expert guide.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19That's not what I thought a Faberge egg would look like.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21I suppose you were thinking of something more opulent...
0:13:21 > 0:13:23- Oh, yes. - ..when you talk about Carl Faberge.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26But in fact, it was the first egg from the Imperial series.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31It's the egg which started all these famous Faberge stories.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Once Carl Faberge had won the approval of the Imperial court
0:13:35 > 0:13:39with his Hen's Egg in 1885, he was commissioned to create
0:13:39 > 0:13:43an egg every Easter. And over time, they became more
0:13:43 > 0:13:48and more elaborate, each concealing an intricate surprise.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Like the carriage inside the egg, made to commemorate
0:13:51 > 0:13:55the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II in 1896 -
0:13:55 > 0:13:58the last coronation of the Russian Empire.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Do you know, I think that is one of the most beautiful things
0:14:01 > 0:14:04- I've ever seen.- Your eye is drawn to it, but then the depth
0:14:04 > 0:14:07of the man's art is quite remarkable.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11The opulence of them just takes your breath away.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14The egg Faberge made the following year, was designed to indulge
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Tsar Nicholas's wife.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I mean, that is not my taste at all.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20I wouldn't have commissioned that.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22SHE CHUCKLES
0:14:22 > 0:14:25It's beautiful...but... It's funny, isn't it?
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- It doesn't draw my eye, it's odd. - Oh, it does me, you know,
0:14:28 > 0:14:30- I like a bit of ornamentation. - It was made
0:14:30 > 0:14:33absolutely to the taste of Alexandra Fedorovna.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36- It was her favourite egg. - See, that's amazing, isn't it?
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Because that says something about her personality...
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- Absolutely.- ..that we simply wouldn't have known if
0:14:40 > 0:14:42- this hadn't been in existence.- Yes.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47Of the 50 known Imperial eggs, 43 have definitely survived
0:14:47 > 0:14:50but seven are unaccounted for, which means some of the most
0:14:50 > 0:14:54sought-after objects in the world are out there somewhere.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Well, you know, as they say in the Antiques Roadshow in England...
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Just for insurance purposes only...
0:14:59 > 0:15:01What would that egg be worth?
0:15:01 > 0:15:05For example, I would give you some idea of the estimate of
0:15:05 > 0:15:08the eggs which are on sale now.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12And the estimate of the egg was £20 million.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15By the way, Faberge was so popular in England...
0:15:15 > 0:15:19So, England, now, is one of the best places to look for
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- those lost Faberge eggs. - I'll have the floorboards up.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23- That'll be it.- Can you imagine...?
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Oh, oh, oh!
0:15:25 > 0:15:27In the early years of the 20th century,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30political unrest was rising in Russia -
0:15:30 > 0:15:34such opulence had come to symbolise the excess of the Romanov dynasty.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38If you can't afford bread and somebody is spending all that
0:15:38 > 0:15:40- money on such a decadent thing... - Yeah.- ..that would make
0:15:40 > 0:15:42you want to rebel.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Following the storming of the Winter Palace
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Tsar Nicolas and his entire family
0:15:47 > 0:15:50were first imprisoned, then executed.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54As for the Imperial eggs,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57they disappeared into the dark recesses of the Kremlin...
0:15:57 > 0:16:01Until Joseph Stalin had the bright idea of flogging them
0:16:01 > 0:16:04to make money for his new regime.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Faberge's masterpieces ended up all over the world.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09But in 2004,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12in an attempt to reclaim their priceless heritage,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14this collection of nine were purchased
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and brought home to Russia.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24What beautiful things those eggs were, Si -
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and you know, it's a bit like at the restaurant.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31The Russians are reclaiming their turbulent past.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Oh, and, Dave, look what's ahead! That incredible building is
0:16:36 > 0:16:40the Church of our Saviour on Spilled Blood, erected by
0:16:40 > 0:16:42the Imperial family on the spot
0:16:42 > 0:16:44where an earlier tsar was assassinated.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50The wheels of change have turned fast here, Kingy, but right now I'm
0:16:50 > 0:16:51worried about OUR wheels!
0:16:53 > 0:16:55THEY GASP
0:16:55 > 0:16:57THEY WAIL
0:16:57 > 0:16:59HORNS BLARE
0:16:59 > 0:17:01St Petersburg, we have a problem.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02BOTH CHATTER
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- I've got neutral.- Right, go on.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07Right, let's push it!
0:17:07 > 0:17:08Oh!
0:17:10 > 0:17:12I'm on, get in!
0:17:14 > 0:17:15- Right?- Right, go.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Right, clutch in - gear. Now let it out and see what happens.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20SI GRUNTS
0:17:20 > 0:17:22Come on!
0:17:22 > 0:17:25I told you we were going to die!
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Relax ,Mr King, she's purring again.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Going back to the tsars, though, it would be nice to get
0:17:30 > 0:17:33a flavour of what graced the tables in the Winter Palace, wouldn't it?
0:17:33 > 0:17:35Now you're talking!
0:17:35 > 0:17:37A taste of what passed
0:17:37 > 0:17:40the lips of the tsaritsas in the halcyon days of the Empire.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46To-to get closer to the people of that era, like.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50Oh, aye. And of course, their favourite luxury was caviar.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55Look at that, perfect.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57And guess what?
0:17:57 > 0:18:01At the Grand Europe Hotel they have a dedicated caviar expert
0:18:01 > 0:18:03and vodka sommelier!
0:18:03 > 0:18:06It's our one chance to taste the very best
0:18:06 > 0:18:08that Russia has to offer, Si.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09BOTH HUM HAPPILY
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Well, it's rude not to, mucker, isn't it, you know?
0:18:12 > 0:18:13The Caviar Room.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15- Welcome, gentlemen.- Good afternoon.
0:18:15 > 0:18:16Thank you.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18'Alex Dmitriev is our host.'
0:18:18 > 0:18:22With the Ural, we were there with the working man
0:18:22 > 0:18:26during Communist times, but now I'm feeling a bit of the Romanov.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29- Thank you.- Thank you, Alexander. - To Imperial Russia.- Yes.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33And glasnost. You've got to put your finger out, dude.
0:18:33 > 0:18:34That's perfect.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Alex has organised a range of classic caviars
0:18:37 > 0:18:40- for us to try. - Which one shall we start with?
0:18:40 > 0:18:42In Russia we always start with the best,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45because you have a clear palate to feel the best flavour.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48'That means the legendary beluga caviar.'
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Some of the most expensive caviar in the world.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54'It's nearly £6,000 a kilo!
0:18:54 > 0:18:56'That's about 30 quid a teaspoon, dude!
0:18:56 > 0:18:58'A rare privilege indeed.'
0:18:58 > 0:19:02We believe that our own skin is the best spoon for the caviar,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06- because our own skin doesn't have any flavour for us.- Uh-hm.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Like the tsars of old, we're using a mother-of-pearl spoon
0:19:09 > 0:19:14to avoid imparting a metallic taste to the precious sturgeon eggs.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17And then, we taste a little sip of champagne.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Because the pairing of champagne and caviar also helps
0:19:20 > 0:19:24- to open the flavour.- It just bursts with a perfume...- Uh-hm.
0:19:24 > 0:19:30- ..of, of great fish.- The only thing is, though, it makes you want more.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Caviar was originally the food of peasants, who couldn't afford
0:19:33 > 0:19:36sturgeon meat. But once the aristocracy decided it was
0:19:36 > 0:19:39the perfect indulgence, prices rocketed.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41- That's lovely...- It is.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Under Communism, production was tightly controlled,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48with exports limited - which meant there was plenty for the bosses
0:19:48 > 0:19:51and an occasional glut for the workers.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54The people who are nowadays around 40, 45 years old,
0:19:54 > 0:19:57they remember when they were a child, they could eat
0:19:57 > 0:20:00- a soup spoon with the black caviar...- Wow.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03And on the holidays, when the parents brought some black caviar
0:20:03 > 0:20:06into the house - they said, "Oh, no, black caviar again!
0:20:06 > 0:20:07"No, I don't want it!"
0:20:07 > 0:20:09It's odd to think that in Communist times
0:20:09 > 0:20:12that kids would be eating like we were eating beans on toast.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14As Communism collapsed,
0:20:14 > 0:20:18overfishing led to plunging sturgeon stocks and now eating caviar
0:20:18 > 0:20:22is once again affordable just for the lucky few.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Well, I tell you what, Dave, we're the lucky few today.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Because here comes some
0:20:26 > 0:20:30top-notch vodka, which works as well as champagne, they say.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Well, God watch over Russia.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36- Za Zdoroviye.- Za Zdoroviye. - Za Zdoroviye.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Oh, no, Si,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41you know what happens when we drink champagne in the afternoon.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Not to mention vodka.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Www... I can feel it now...
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Taking over.
0:20:47 > 0:20:48CHEERING
0:20:48 > 0:20:51Dude, resistance is futile! Go with it, go with it.
0:20:51 > 0:20:53THEY CHANT
0:20:56 > 0:21:00CHEERING AND WHISTLING
0:21:01 > 0:21:02Where were we?
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Oh, yes, caviar.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Ah, but we've got a recipe everyone can afford
0:21:06 > 0:21:08to enjoy, though.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10It's aubergine and walnut caviar with blinis,
0:21:10 > 0:21:14to be cooked as we cruise St Petersburg's canals
0:21:14 > 0:21:16en route to the great River Neva.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18Bridge, ahoy!
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Now, you'll hear us do that every now and then,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23because the bridges are quite low and we don't...
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- You know, I've had bother with me bonce.- Yes, it's not that we're being divas on the Neva.
0:21:27 > 0:21:28No. Hello!
0:21:28 > 0:21:32Aubergine caviar starts with an aubergine or two.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And for added flavour...
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Mr King, two cloves of garlic sliced thinly.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42Oh, look at this perfect, purple, fresh, beautiful, wet garlic.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45So, I'm stabbing the aubergine, cos I'm going to put in the slithers
0:21:45 > 0:21:47of garlic.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Find a slit, look at that.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Get it in. Stuff it to the gills, look at that, that's how
0:21:52 > 0:21:54you want your aubergine to look.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56There's more perforations in that than
0:21:56 > 0:21:59a Cheshire housewife when she's come back from having a botox.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Just pop that into a preheated oven, 45-60 minutes,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06about 160, 180 - till they're blackened and succulent.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09And the Neva is going to be caressing the savoury scent
0:22:09 > 0:22:12of garlic and crusted aubergines.
0:22:12 > 0:22:13Now for the blinis...
0:22:13 > 0:22:16Now, the reason why you're sieving the flour is -
0:22:16 > 0:22:19you are going to get lighter blinis. We want our blinis to be
0:22:19 > 0:22:21lighter than an angel's fart.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23- BRIDGE!- BRIDGE!
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- We're not there yet. - Oh, it will be all right.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Now, the chief ingredient in blinis is buckwheat flour.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Buckwheat flour comes like this...
0:22:33 > 0:22:36Myka buckwheat with little lady there.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39To about 200 grams of bread flour add about 50 grams
0:22:39 > 0:22:41of buckwheat flour.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44That's going to give the blinis a lovely sour taste.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Add a teaspoon of salt.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Oh, shine a light. You know what that was...?
0:22:52 > 0:22:54- Somebody put the lights out. - Eh, ho, ho!
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Anyway, back to business!
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Look at this perky packet of dried Russian yeast.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03I love a bit of Continental graphics.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06But first, pop your milk into a saucepan
0:23:06 > 0:23:08and add some creme fraiche.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Now, I've got some dried yeast here -
0:23:11 > 0:23:13I'm going to pop that in to me dried goods.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16- Now, we only want that to be blood temperature.- Yes, we do.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18If it's too hot you're going to kill the yeast
0:23:18 > 0:23:20and it'll be a disaster.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Next, separate two eggs.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Put the whites aside, and pass the yolks to your friendly
0:23:25 > 0:23:28neighbourhood Geordie to mix and add to the pan.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- There's your wets.- Ah, thank you.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Now, we just mix the creme fraiche and the milk
0:23:35 > 0:23:38and the egg yolks into the mixture of the flours, the salt
0:23:38 > 0:23:41and the yeast. You're not going for a dough, you're going for
0:23:41 > 0:23:43- a batter.- Lovely.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48We'll leave this out of a draught for about an hour.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51And in that hour it's going to rise like Bolsheviks
0:23:51 > 0:23:54breaking off the shackles of imperialistic oppression!
0:23:55 > 0:23:58IMITATING RUSSIAN ACCENT: My friend, take that to the galley.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00- Thank you.- It is down there.- I will.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02BRIDGE!
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Ah, this is an important bridge, though, Kingy.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10- This is it, dude.- The real big River Neva, we're only a couple of miles
0:24:10 > 0:24:12from the Baltic Sea.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- I smell aubergines and garlic, Mr King.- Oh, well, that might be
0:24:18 > 0:24:20cos they're ready.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25While the aubergines are cooling, squeeze a lemon into a bowl.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I will try, in this wind, to chop herbs -
0:24:28 > 0:24:30which could be quite entertaining!
0:24:30 > 0:24:32SI LAUGHS
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Ohhh! Look at this.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36You have to chop quite quickly, the wind...
0:24:36 > 0:24:39It's like a Martian's dandruff, it's bloomin' everywhere.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41First in - chopped parsley.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44If we had a garlic crusher you can crush the garlic,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46but I'm going to have to finely chop it.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Two cloves will do the trick.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50And more herbage, in the form of mint.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53That's my garlic done, nice and fine.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57More tricky in this stiff breeze, two tablespoons of walnuts.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Don't worry, the mint can be chunky!
0:24:59 > 0:25:01THEY CHUCKLE
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Add the mint to the lemon juice, the parsley and the garlic.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07And once it's in the bowl, of course, it's safe.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11After adding the nuts, it's time to unleash the garlicky aubergine.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Look at the garlic, it's almost roasted to like a confit.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Goes in...
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Well, it's seasoned to perfection. All we need now is a couple of
0:25:21 > 0:25:23tablespoons of olive oil.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31While I mix the egg whites, maestro, reveal our blini mix, please.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- Look at that, it's perfect, that. - Swollen up, just like a gland.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38'After folding the stiffened egg whites into the blini mix,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42'a natural hiatus of approximately one hour will occur.'
0:25:42 > 0:25:44And what will happen in that hour is...
0:25:44 > 0:25:47with the egg whites added it's going to get even fluffier!
0:25:47 > 0:25:50It is going to be like an Angora rabbit that's been
0:25:50 > 0:25:52put through a tumble dryer.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53Phoomph!
0:26:04 > 0:26:06HELLO!
0:26:08 > 0:26:10Trying to cook blinis on a gas hob
0:26:10 > 0:26:12in a sea breeze is not ideal -
0:26:12 > 0:26:15so we're heading back to the shelter of the canals.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Perfect.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21A perfect end to a perfect St Petersburg day.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24Aubergine and walnut caviar with blinis.
0:26:24 > 0:26:29Finished off with pomegranate seeds, sour cream and a dash of dill.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34Oh, that's good. You know, Si, this proves
0:26:34 > 0:26:36that whether you're a prince or a pauper,
0:26:36 > 0:26:38you can still enjoy caviar.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42I'm neither, and it's brilliant.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44SI CHUCKLES
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Morning has broken,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51and we're back on St Petersburg's main artery -
0:26:51 > 0:26:52Nevsky Prospekt.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55Do you know what would make things easier?
0:26:55 > 0:26:59If we had a bloomin' mirror. I can't see what's going on.
0:27:00 > 0:27:01Excellent, what's going on?
0:27:03 > 0:27:04There's a bus behind us.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09Peter the Great planned Nevsky Prospekt as the start
0:27:09 > 0:27:12of a road connecting St Petersburg to Moscow.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Though, for most of the 20th century this city wasn't
0:27:14 > 0:27:16called St Petersburg.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Correct, Si,
0:27:18 > 0:27:23after Lenin died in 1924, it was renamed Leningrad, in his honour.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And it was as Leningrad that it suffered its great tragedy,
0:27:26 > 0:27:30the Siege of Leningrad in the Second World War.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Cut off from the rest of Russia by the German army,
0:27:33 > 0:27:38with no food or supplies, around 800,000 people died.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40But the city didn't buckle,
0:27:40 > 0:27:44and became known in the Soviet Union as a "Hero City".
0:27:45 > 0:27:48'I wish this Ural was being a bit more heroic.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52'Oh, much as I love her, she does have a dicky clutch.'
0:27:52 > 0:27:54TYRE SQUEALS
0:27:54 > 0:27:56'You want to try sitting in here, mate.'
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Anyway, I've called our man Simeon, who suggested we meet him
0:28:01 > 0:28:04AND our translator Misha at a cafe.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09This is Bolshaya Konushennaya,
0:28:09 > 0:28:11otherwise known as the doughnut cafe.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13I can't think why, dude.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16This place has been serving doughnuts to the good people
0:28:16 > 0:28:19of St Petersburg for nearly 60 years -
0:28:19 > 0:28:20right through the Cold War.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24And the Soviet vibe is more than skin-deep.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28The decor, crockery, greasy doughnuts and coffee
0:28:28 > 0:28:31remain the same as they were in the old days.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Could I have a, erm, a macchiato, please?
0:28:33 > 0:28:36So, it's a double espresso with frothy milk.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39- SHE SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN - Slako? I'll have one of them, then.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Two slakovs...
0:28:41 > 0:28:43THEY ATTEMPT TO SPEAK RUSSIAN
0:28:43 > 0:28:44SHE REPLIES
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- See?- Hey, you're fluent, dude.- Ah... - Fluent.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49DAVE ATTEMPTS RUSSIAN AND SHE LAUGHS
0:28:49 > 0:28:52- Hey!- Smarty pants, what's doughnut?
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Doughnutsky.
0:28:54 > 0:28:55SHE REPLIES IN RUSSIAN
0:28:55 > 0:28:57- Ah, disdoughnutsky.- Doughnutsky?!
0:28:57 > 0:29:00- Is that what it is?- Obviously.
0:29:00 > 0:29:03Oh, oh, oh! HE THANKS HER IN RUSSIAN
0:29:03 > 0:29:05- I think it's instant. - I cannot believe it,
0:29:05 > 0:29:08I was looking forward to a mochachino.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11- Ah, Simeon. - It's from the Russian name - pishka.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13- Pushka.- Pishka.- Pishka.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17- Misha.- Great, can you do some translating for us?- Of course.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19- Thank you very much.- Si, Dave...
0:29:19 > 0:29:22You're being very modest with the two doughnuts.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Well, I've got to talk. I talk the same as he,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27I talk the same as you. So, I talk twice more.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29SI CHUCKLES Excellent.
0:29:29 > 0:29:31'As well as vintage bike nut, Simeon is a teacher,
0:29:31 > 0:29:34'so while munching on Soviet doughnuts, we're going to
0:29:34 > 0:29:37'take the chance to chat about times past.'
0:29:37 > 0:29:40The queue here - people obviously love this place.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42It's very simple. Coffee comes one way,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45it's already sweetened, it's condensed milk, that's how it is.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48- And only one variety. - And one variety of doughnut.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51What was better during Communist times?
0:29:51 > 0:29:53HE SPEAKS IN RUSSIAN
0:29:55 > 0:29:58- TRANSLATED:- I was born during Communism, I was raised
0:29:58 > 0:30:01during Communist days. I had free education.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04I had free medical service.
0:30:04 > 0:30:09I had a job provided to me. And all of my friends had the same level.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11SIMEON SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- TRANSLATED:- The philosophy was that everybody had to work.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19For example, if you bought something and if you sold something,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22technically a business, you were speculating.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25- So, you were a parasite. - So, do you think since the collapse
0:30:25 > 0:30:28of Communism, the disparity between the rich and the poor
0:30:28 > 0:30:30has got too big?
0:30:30 > 0:30:33HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:30:35 > 0:30:40- TRANSLATED:- Avarice is enormous. All the national wealth -
0:30:40 > 0:30:43oil, metals, diamonds, gas -
0:30:43 > 0:30:47- used to belong to everybody, technically...- Yes.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50But now it belongs to only a few individuals.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Would you go back to a St Petersburg...
0:30:52 > 0:30:55minus the cars, minus the neon and minus the bling?
0:30:55 > 0:30:56HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:30:56 > 0:30:58- You would?- Da.
0:30:58 > 0:30:59HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:30:59 > 0:31:02- TRANSLATED:- I would go there now. - Right.- Wow!
0:31:11 > 0:31:14'Well, Simeon isn't buying into the new Russia.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16'I have to say, that surprised me,
0:31:16 > 0:31:18'but it's never straightforward, is it?
0:31:19 > 0:31:22'Change always divides opinion, but one thing that's remained
0:31:22 > 0:31:25'constant in Russia is the people's love of the arts,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29'and St Petersburg's been home to some of the greats.'
0:31:29 > 0:31:33We've got Dostoyevsky, we've got Tchaikovsky,
0:31:33 > 0:31:34we've got Pushkin.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37'Oh, it's central to Russian identity, mate.
0:31:37 > 0:31:40'But for me, it's the Russian ballet we've got to see.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43'I mean, no visit to St Petersburg
0:31:43 > 0:31:45'would be complete...
0:31:45 > 0:31:47'You've got us tickets to the ballet?!
0:31:47 > 0:31:51'Tickets are like gold dust, but what I have done is arranged for us
0:31:51 > 0:31:54'to meet the boss of the Mikhailovsky Theatre,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57'one of the oldest ballet and opera houses in Russia.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59'Maybe he can...you know...
0:31:59 > 0:32:00'What, help us out?
0:32:00 > 0:32:02'Who is he?
0:32:02 > 0:32:05'He's massively rich, what Roman Abramovich is to oil,
0:32:05 > 0:32:08'he is to fruit. He's an oligarch, dude!
0:32:08 > 0:32:11'Blimey, Kingy, what have you got us into?!'
0:32:11 > 0:32:15- Hi, how are you?- Hello, I'm Dave. - Marina.- Pleased to meet you, Marina.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17Marina, hi, very nice, I'm Si.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20- This is Dave.- We're here to see Mr Kekhman.- Yeah, we're waiting on him.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24- Ah.- Would you like tea or coffee? - Oh, I would love a coffee,
0:32:24 > 0:32:27- thank you.- I'd love a cup of tea, please, thank you.- Tea. OK.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32He's late.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34I think we were on time, we're always on time.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36I know, but-but, you know...
0:32:36 > 0:32:38We might be rubbish, but we're punctual.
0:32:38 > 0:32:39Yeah, that's true.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41PHONE RINGS
0:32:41 > 0:32:43- Do you want to play the alphabet game?- Yeah.
0:32:43 > 0:32:44Russia.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46- OK.- Russian things. A.
0:32:46 > 0:32:48Apple.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50What? That's not very Russian.
0:32:51 > 0:32:5390 minutes later...
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Just when I've nipped off to, you know.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58..Mr Kekhman arrives
0:32:58 > 0:33:00HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Ah, thank you. Spasiba.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21- Nice to meet you.- Nice to meet you. - I'm Si, nice to meet you.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24'Our translator, Misha, is at the ready.'
0:33:26 > 0:33:29How long do you think we will be talking? What do you think?
0:33:29 > 0:33:32- Not long, really.- 20 minutes?
0:33:32 > 0:33:36- No!- Ten minutes? - It's too short.- OK.- One hour is OK?
0:33:36 > 0:33:38Of course, yes.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42'An hour? Blimey, what are we going to talk about all that time?'
0:33:42 > 0:33:44HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:33:44 > 0:33:45- Sarkozy.- Sarkozy!
0:33:46 > 0:33:49'Oh, and here he is with Shimon Peres.'
0:33:49 > 0:33:50Wow.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55'Right, I am just going to have to ask what we came here to ask.'
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Dave and I wondered if you would give us
0:33:57 > 0:34:02permission to have a look around behind the scenes a little bit.
0:34:02 > 0:34:03And maybe see some ballet.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:34:08 > 0:34:12- Of course, with pleasure. - Thank you. Spasiba.
0:34:12 > 0:34:13'Now what?
0:34:13 > 0:34:16'We have 45 minutes left with a Russian oligarch.'
0:34:16 > 0:34:20We hear a lot about very successful Russian businessmen.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23They make a lot of money but then they can do what they dream about,
0:34:23 > 0:34:29even if it is buying a football club in Britain or having theatres.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Is business your first love, or the arts?
0:34:35 > 0:34:37HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:34:37 > 0:34:40Very tough question. I guess in my theatre life,
0:34:40 > 0:34:43I am using all of the experience that I have gained
0:34:43 > 0:34:45in my business life.
0:34:45 > 0:34:46Yes.
0:34:46 > 0:34:53And what I do in the theatre, this I would say is a new stage in my life.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55You mentioned the football club.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58- Most probably you were implying Mr Roman Abramovich.- Yes.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00I am very often laughing.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04To be a manager of a football club, you're managing only 11 players,
0:35:04 > 0:35:08I am managing a theatre with an opera and a ballet.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Big, big difference.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14'So for an art lover, are things better or worse
0:35:14 > 0:35:15'since the end of communism?'
0:35:15 > 0:35:18HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:35:18 > 0:35:21For me, for sure, better.
0:35:21 > 0:35:26If you compare Communist Russia and Russia today,
0:35:26 > 0:35:29those in a way are two different countries.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31So many things have happened.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35However, we would like to keep our traditions that go back longer
0:35:35 > 0:35:38because traditions make countries stronger.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41And Britain is as strong as it is, in many regards,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44is thanks to your love for tradition.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47'I had no idea Russian oligarchs were so friendly, Dave.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49'I am going to stick my neck out here.'
0:35:49 > 0:35:52Can I ask a personal question?
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Would you mind buying Newcastle United
0:35:55 > 0:35:58so we can get rid of the idiot we have got, please?
0:35:58 > 0:36:00HE TRANSLATES
0:36:04 > 0:36:07HE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:36:07 > 0:36:12- I apologise but no interest in football whatsoever.- Me neither.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Sorry, lads, I tried. I did try.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18So, pre-show cocktail?
0:36:18 > 0:36:21Hang on, if we go to the ballet we need to get really dolled up, dude.
0:36:21 > 0:36:22How?
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Before coming, I organised some togs which could suit
0:36:26 > 0:36:29- an occasion like this. - What sort of togs?
0:36:29 > 0:36:33Some haute couture Russian-style. Come on, let's go and pick them up.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37I don't know where to look first, it's this world of colour
0:36:37 > 0:36:40- and wonderful things, isn't it? - It is fab, isn't it?
0:36:41 > 0:36:44After moving here from the Ukraine when she was eight,
0:36:44 > 0:36:48Tatyana Parfionova studied art at the Leningrad Institute of Painting.
0:36:48 > 0:36:52But as Russia moved from communism to capitalism, she began
0:36:52 > 0:36:57designing clothes and opened her own fashion house in 1995.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Everything is handmade and reflects her love of nature.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06My brief was to design us shirts which gave her take
0:37:06 > 0:37:08on the story of Russia.
0:37:11 > 0:37:12Here goes, dude, deep breath.
0:37:17 > 0:37:18SHE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:37:18 > 0:37:20- I think you look perfect. - It suits you.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25- This is the Russian ballet, Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky.- And this is?
0:37:25 > 0:37:30- Ivan the Terrible.- Imperial, dude, imperial.- And this one?
0:37:30 > 0:37:34SHE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:37:34 > 0:37:37This is the king of Russian avant-garde, Malevich.
0:37:37 > 0:37:38Malevich. See?
0:37:38 > 0:37:39Thank you, Tatyana.
0:37:41 > 0:37:42- Thank you.- Thank you.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46MUFFLED: 'Tatyana's shirts are magnificent, Si.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49'This could be a whole new line for her.'
0:37:49 > 0:37:50- MUFFLED:- 'I know.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52'But do we have to do this?'
0:37:52 > 0:37:54'Gottle o' gear, Gingy. Gottle o' gear.'
0:38:00 > 0:38:01A night at the ballet
0:38:01 > 0:38:05and dressed by one of St Petersburg's leading designers.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10- This is exciting, Dave.- It is. - Backstage pass.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Excuse me. Thank you.
0:38:12 > 0:38:16'Mario Vitale Labrador is one of the company's leading men.'
0:38:17 > 0:38:20'For me, it is a trip down memory lane.'
0:38:20 > 0:38:22This was your natural home and environment,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25- wasn't it for a long time? - Yes, 23 years in make-up rooms.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28I used to do a lot of prosthetics, a little bit like that.
0:38:28 > 0:38:29Such a creative place.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32A lot of these women have been working here for many years
0:38:32 > 0:38:35because they know the importance of the theatre and dramatic art.
0:38:35 > 0:38:37Is Russian ballet very different to ballet,
0:38:37 > 0:38:41say, in England or the States? Is it a different culture here?
0:38:41 > 0:38:43A different culture, different mentality.
0:38:43 > 0:38:48Things here are very... There's lots of traditions that they keep.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52You have to, you know, you have to have good form,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55good physical form, to be thin.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57You have to have lots of stamina.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02'Such a tough regime here, Si, and so technical.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04'It is the quest for perfection, dude.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06'But it has resulted in some of the greatest
0:39:06 > 0:39:09'performances the world has ever seen.'
0:39:13 > 0:39:15'Right, Kingy, let's sit back
0:39:15 > 0:39:18'and drink deep from the well of Russian culture.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20- 'I thought it was Don Quixote. - 'Shush!'
0:39:20 > 0:39:23MUSIC STARTS
0:39:56 > 0:40:00Back in my hotel room, I've got a late night project.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04A little present for Kingy, a memento from this fabulous city.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Inspired by our visit to the Faberge Museum.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09As we found out in the museum,
0:40:09 > 0:40:12there are still some Faberge eggs on the loose.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14I think it is time to unleash another one.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16That's a picture of Kingy, look at his little chops there.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19I'm going to print it out, stick it on, varnish it,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22he will be none the wiser. It will cheer Mr King up a treat.
0:40:22 > 0:40:24After all, he has put up with that sidecar.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26OK, it is not going to look like Faberge's enamel
0:40:26 > 0:40:30but from a distance, the spirit is there.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33'I can't wait to give it to him.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35'After all, he has been such a good egg.'
0:40:39 > 0:40:43A new day and what a perfect day for a cook-up in the country.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47Our translator, Misha, has got a friend who's invited us
0:40:47 > 0:40:50to her dacha for an alfresco lunch.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53It's the perfect chance for us
0:40:53 > 0:40:58to cook one of our favourite dishes, the great shashlik, and to hit
0:40:58 > 0:41:00the open road.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Russians love nothing more than to leave the cares of
0:41:07 > 0:41:08the city behind.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12I can feel mine slipping away already, can't you, Si?
0:41:12 > 0:41:14I can, mate. Shall we have a little celebration?
0:41:14 > 0:41:17- You don't want a cup of tea, do you? - Go on, spoil me.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22This is what you call luxury!
0:41:22 > 0:41:24I'm really getting quite fond of her, you know.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27I know, granted, I was a sceptic at the beginning but now,
0:41:27 > 0:41:29you know, I quite love her.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36We're heading for Micha's friend, Tatiana's dacha.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50This is great, isn't it? Hello, hello, how are you?
0:41:50 > 0:41:53'Tatiana's family dacha dates from the communist days.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57'Under Communism the state provided equal-sized plots, where people
0:41:57 > 0:42:01'could build a little home, grow veg and relax.'
0:42:01 > 0:42:02'It was a way of the state
0:42:02 > 0:42:06'offering the people a diversion from their harsh lives in the city.'
0:42:06 > 0:42:10'And whenever the great Soviet agricultural programme failed,
0:42:10 > 0:42:13'the food grown at dachas became essential.'
0:42:13 > 0:42:15'But no food shortage today.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18'We're going to cook a dacha favourite which became popular
0:42:18 > 0:42:21'when travellers brought it back from Georgia
0:42:21 > 0:42:24'and the Caucasus Mountains - shashlik.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26'With two dipping sauces!'
0:42:26 > 0:42:28It's freedom from the city.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Whether it's Imperial times, Communist times,
0:42:30 > 0:42:34Russians have always found freedom and freshness in the dacha.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37And that is why we are here.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40We believe that in your dacha,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43the dish of choice has to be the shashlik.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46- Fundamentally it is a kebab. - It is a kebab. A shash...
0:42:46 > 0:42:48I can't say it!
0:42:48 > 0:42:53Do that, Dave, do that. Just once. Like that. Now say it.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55I love a shashlik kebab.
0:42:55 > 0:42:59Now, a shashlik can be made with either beef, pork or lamb.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02We happen to have this fine piece of Russian pork
0:43:02 > 0:43:04so we are doing a pork shashlik.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07I'm just going to dice this beautiful piece of pork shoulder.
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- About that big. - The secret is the marinade.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12It needs to be marinated between three to four hours,
0:43:12 > 0:43:14or indeed overnight.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17'Our marinade kicks off with olive oil.'
0:43:17 > 0:43:18A glug will do.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21Because at the dacha we are more relaxed, we're not as formal now.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24100ml. That is a good glass of white wine.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28A tablespoon of cider vinegar.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31I'm not measuring anything, I don't think we need to.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36Onion. One large, peeled and diced.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38'Our marinade continues
0:43:38 > 0:43:42'with four cloves of garlic, four cloves...' Give them a crack.
0:43:42 > 0:43:44'..a teaspoon of paprika,
0:43:44 > 0:43:46'a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon.'
0:43:46 > 0:43:51And the last ingredient in my magic mix, it's three crumbled bay leaves.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55'Into the marinade with the pork, and give it a good old mix.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59No shashlik would be complete without dipping sauces,
0:43:59 > 0:44:04'and we're doing two. First up is a truly delicious plum sauce.
0:44:04 > 0:44:10'Just strain some ripe plums into a bowl, add a chopped red chilli,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14'a tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of cider vinegar
0:44:14 > 0:44:18'and two tablespoons of finely chopped coriander and dill.
0:44:18 > 0:44:20'Season and you have got a thing of beauty.'
0:44:22 > 0:44:26'Our second sauce is as simple as it comes.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30'Sour cream, handfuls of finely chopped parsley,
0:44:30 > 0:44:33'dill and coriander, a pinch of sugar,
0:44:33 > 0:44:37'a teaspoon of cider vinegar and a grind of black pepper.
0:44:39 > 0:44:43'Time to light the barbie, dude. You know what?
0:44:43 > 0:44:46'Tatiana's dacha makes communism look pretty benevolent.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50'Ah, but her mum Lydia has got a different slant on it over here.'
0:44:50 > 0:44:53SHE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:44:56 > 0:45:00'Apparently, back in the '70s, Lydia was a manager in a factory
0:45:00 > 0:45:04'which made scarves for Russia's youth movement.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07'When she suggested they reorganise production,
0:45:07 > 0:45:09'it didn't go down well with the bosses.'
0:45:09 > 0:45:12SHE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:45:12 > 0:45:15So what happened was they said that how can it
0:45:15 > 0:45:18be that this person who is just a mere head of the local
0:45:18 > 0:45:21department suggests something that was ordered from the higher-ups
0:45:21 > 0:45:24in Moscow, from the leaders of the party?
0:45:24 > 0:45:27This person may be kind of suspicious or dangerous.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31- A subversive.- Yes. Not loyal to the party.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34That sounds soul destroying. Bad for your spirit.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38Is there anything that Lydia misses from the Communist times?
0:45:38 > 0:45:40SHE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:45:46 > 0:45:48I guess the most important thing that
0:45:48 > 0:45:50I am missing is the sense of unity.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52Even though life was pretty hard,
0:45:52 > 0:45:56I got this feeling that I was very much supported.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58When I look at the younger generation right now,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00I am very happy
0:46:00 > 0:46:03for them since they can actually control their life much better.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06They have a lot of opportunities and chances.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11'Ridiculous to think of Lydia being subversive
0:46:11 > 0:46:13'but she is obviously not shy about coming forward.'
0:46:15 > 0:46:18'Let's hope our humble dacha
0:46:18 > 0:46:20'offering will impress.
0:46:20 > 0:46:22'Pork shashlik and two dipping sauces.'
0:46:24 > 0:46:25How is it, ladies?
0:46:25 > 0:46:27SHE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:46:27 > 0:46:31- You can come more often.- We can come again! Brilliant, that's great.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33You shouldn't have said that, there is a shed
0:46:33 > 0:46:35just down there that we are going to move into.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39That was ace, wasn't it, Si?
0:46:39 > 0:46:42I think I could get used to the dacha lifestyle.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Me too, mate, but for us, it is back to the city.
0:46:54 > 0:46:58- Last day, Dave.- Last day aboard my beloved Ural.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00And the one thing we haven't done yet
0:47:00 > 0:47:05is find out what's on offer for your average Joe in modern St Petersburg.
0:47:07 > 0:47:09And I'm kind of hoping it involves something sweet.
0:47:09 > 0:47:14How about a chain of boutique bakeries?
0:47:14 > 0:47:15Spot on!
0:47:18 > 0:47:20- Cake!- Ho-ho!
0:47:20 > 0:47:23Oh, wow, Mr King, I think there is
0:47:23 > 0:47:25every chance you'll get your fancy coffee here.
0:47:25 > 0:47:29The choice is fantastic. There's more than just doughnuts here, mate.
0:47:29 > 0:47:36'This is the Bushe Bakery's main branch, a post-perestroika venture.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40'It's in stark contrast to Lydia's tale from yesterday, isn't it, Dave?
0:47:40 > 0:47:43'Here, free enterprise is blossoming.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45'Yeah, there's a very new Russia
0:47:45 > 0:47:47'vibe and now everyday folk can afford
0:47:47 > 0:47:50'these lovely little luxuries.
0:47:50 > 0:47:52'We're joined by manager Anna Gavrilova.'
0:47:52 > 0:47:57- How long has the bakery been open? - It is more than 16 years.
0:47:57 > 0:47:59It is a big network.
0:47:59 > 0:48:01Is the patisserie here like a French patisserie?
0:48:01 > 0:48:06Not only French. We are like an international bakery store.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09- It's not what you expect.- No.
0:48:09 > 0:48:10'Anna's invited us
0:48:10 > 0:48:14'to go behind the scenes in the decorating department.'
0:48:14 > 0:48:16The smell, it is like Charlie And The Chocolate Factory.
0:48:16 > 0:48:18Yes, chocolate factory.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22'Wow, look at these, dude, it looks like every character
0:48:22 > 0:48:26'from every kids' movie you've ever seen, and a few you haven't.'
0:48:26 > 0:48:28Oh, man, look at the roses, the white roses.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30Look how she is feathering the edge of the icing, that is
0:48:30 > 0:48:34- such delicate work.- Are these cakes going to be for the shops?
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Some of them go to the shop.
0:48:36 > 0:48:40- Most of them go to the... Like a special order.- Yes.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43'In new Russia there's disposable income around,
0:48:43 > 0:48:46'so people can afford to be a bit frivolous but it takes
0:48:46 > 0:48:49'skill to deliver such fanciful ideas.'
0:48:49 > 0:48:50Ballerina.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Look at the expressions on her face and the detail,
0:48:52 > 0:48:54the collarbone and all that.
0:48:54 > 0:48:58- It looks like you.- It is. - It's beautiful.- Thank you.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00May I?
0:49:00 > 0:49:06- That is like the Faberge egg that we saw. Did you make this?- Ah!
0:49:06 > 0:49:08I just want to ask this lady, did she go to art school,
0:49:08 > 0:49:10does she draw and paint as well?
0:49:10 > 0:49:12SHE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:49:12 > 0:49:14She says, I'm still learning.
0:49:14 > 0:49:16'The marvellous Bushe Bakery
0:49:16 > 0:49:19'has given me an idea but it's a bit hush-hush
0:49:19 > 0:49:21'so I need a word with Anna.'
0:49:21 > 0:49:23Take Dave in his whole gorgeous loveliness
0:49:23 > 0:49:27and can you make me a cake like that?
0:49:27 > 0:49:28For sure.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31'Awesome. He's going to love it!'
0:49:34 > 0:49:37Look, Dave, these are the first kind of utilitarian flats
0:49:37 > 0:49:39we've seen, aren't they?
0:49:39 > 0:49:41They are but five minutes down the road,
0:49:41 > 0:49:44and we're back to the splendour of empire.
0:49:45 > 0:49:46And that's
0:49:46 > 0:49:51the thing for people here, isn't it? To reconcile these different eras.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55When the Soviet Union collapsed, there was a referendum on the city's
0:49:55 > 0:50:00name - should it remain as Leningrad or return to St Petersburg?
0:50:00 > 0:50:03Remain faithful to Communism or return to a heritage
0:50:03 > 0:50:05the Communists took away.
0:50:06 > 0:50:10And heritage won. St Petersburg, it is.
0:50:10 > 0:50:13We should raise a glass to this wonderful city.
0:50:13 > 0:50:15And, of course, there's only one drink
0:50:15 > 0:50:17could possibly do the job properly.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19Vodka!
0:50:19 > 0:50:22From Peter the Great to perestroika, Russia
0:50:22 > 0:50:25and vodka is a timeless combination.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28What is it about this magical spirit that lights this great
0:50:28 > 0:50:30country's fire?
0:50:30 > 0:50:33Let's go to the Vodka Museum and find out.
0:50:33 > 0:50:34Wa-hey!
0:50:34 > 0:50:37THEY CHEER
0:50:38 > 0:50:40Right, time for a tipple.
0:50:40 > 0:50:44Eugenia Gerasimova is a vodka specialist.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48Eugenia has prepared a selection of vodkas for us
0:50:48 > 0:50:51to sample, along with their traditional accompaniment,
0:50:51 > 0:50:54pickled snacks called zakuski.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56I would like to tell you a secret.
0:50:56 > 0:50:59A lot of people think Russian vodka should be cold. No.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03- Russian vodka should be room temperature.- Really?
0:51:03 > 0:51:06- And shots should be frozen. - Well, I flipping never.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09So it is the glasses that need to be frozen and not the vodka?
0:51:09 > 0:51:13Not the vodka. So we'll start from left to right.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16'Number one is a modern brand, Russian Standard.'
0:51:16 > 0:51:20Deep breathe. One shot once then smell cucumber.
0:51:20 > 0:51:21To change the taste.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24- So it is...- Yes, try to do it. Deep breathe.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30Traditional Russian toast. Za zdorovye.
0:51:30 > 0:51:31To your health.
0:51:31 > 0:51:32Za...zdorovye.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34One shot at once.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40And then snack.
0:51:42 > 0:51:47- How was it?- Great. - Yeah, my body likes that.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49Second one is historical vodka,
0:51:49 > 0:51:51special recipe of Catherine II.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58You know how they understood the quality during Imperial times?
0:51:58 > 0:52:01When your shot should be empty, some drops inside,
0:52:01 > 0:52:03you should put on your hand.
0:52:03 > 0:52:07You should do it soft and hot, like half a minute maybe.
0:52:07 > 0:52:12Then you should smell your hands and they should smell fresh bread.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14Put some drops.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17Do it soft and hot, like half a minute.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23That's mental. That is mad.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27You can smell fresh bread.
0:52:31 > 0:52:35- Oh, that is nice.- That is good, yeah?- Yes, the mustard.
0:52:35 > 0:52:36Spicy lard, it is certainly different
0:52:36 > 0:52:38to cheese and onion crisps.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42So number three is a brand from Siberia.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46When the snow from the mountains started to be water,
0:52:46 > 0:52:49it started to be less metals, so this brand
0:52:49 > 0:52:53with the help of Siberian mineral pure water from the mountains.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57- You know, you sell it really well. - It is fantastic, isn't it?
0:52:57 > 0:53:01You're on this glacial voice, aren't you, of wonderfulness.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05- I know, it is wonderful. - Are you married?- Not yet.
0:53:05 > 0:53:06And once.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13- That is smooth. Pickle.- Oh, wow.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17Last one. Special recipe.
0:53:17 > 0:53:23Horseradish, honey and special secret of our barman, of course.
0:53:24 > 0:53:25Cheers.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34- You have been a wonderful teacher. - Thank you.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37I have learnt an awful lot. SHE SPEAKS RUSSIAN
0:53:37 > 0:53:39Should I get the next round in?
0:53:40 > 0:53:44'Going shot for shot with a vodka tsaritsa. I love this place!'
0:53:46 > 0:53:49'Hold that thought, Kingy, because it's time to bow out of this
0:53:49 > 0:53:54'magical city and attempt to do it justice with one final dish.
0:53:54 > 0:53:58'And given that we've seen a country keen to reclaim its heritage,
0:53:58 > 0:54:02'let's honour them with a classic from Imperial Russia.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06'We're at Palace Square to prepare the world famous
0:54:06 > 0:54:07'beef stroganoff.
0:54:07 > 0:54:08'With chips!'
0:54:08 > 0:54:13You can't have beef stroganoff without a prime
0:54:13 > 0:54:18fillet cut of Russian beef. Look at that.
0:54:18 > 0:54:20- We are going to create a heavenly... - POLICE SIREN BLARES
0:54:20 > 0:54:22Excuse me! ..a heavenly wonder.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25- It's going to be marvellous. - It is going to be mayhem.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29Honestly, this is one recipe you're going to do again and again.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32It's not something you had in the 1950s and forgot about,
0:54:32 > 0:54:34this is a dish with history.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39'The magic starts with meat cut into strips, an onion and butter.'
0:54:39 > 0:54:42- There is a dreadful wind coming in off the Urals.- Aye!
0:54:42 > 0:54:45We have built this barricade, a barricade against the
0:54:45 > 0:54:48Bolsheviks who are trying to stop us cooking stroganoff.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51But, like many people in this square, we will not retire
0:54:51 > 0:54:54undefeated till we have our way and a plate of stroganoff.
0:54:54 > 0:54:58'Any stroganoff worth the name needs plenty of mushrooms.'
0:54:58 > 0:55:00It is a dish we have been dying to cook on the telly for years
0:55:00 > 0:55:02because it is one of our favourites.
0:55:02 > 0:55:05Years before the Bikers, Kingy would come up to my house
0:55:05 > 0:55:10and I always had a big bowl of beef stroganoff and chips.
0:55:10 > 0:55:14We used to use Rick Stein's recipe but we have got our own now.
0:55:14 > 0:55:15Sorry, Rick!
0:55:15 > 0:55:18It is one of those dishes, like boeuf bourguignon,
0:55:18 > 0:55:23that you kind of cooked when you first got married in 1974.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27Or in the '50s, when you just got your first cooker.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30You get a bit flashy and you get one of those continental cookbooks,
0:55:30 > 0:55:32"Oh, I've got a beef stroganoff."
0:55:32 > 0:55:34But you know, it is brilliant
0:55:34 > 0:55:36and a dish I think is well worth revisiting.
0:55:40 > 0:55:44- Oh!- I've done it again with the spoon, haven't I?
0:55:44 > 0:55:46The spoon is going to be too big for the jar.
0:55:46 > 0:55:48Dude, it wouldn't happen to Rick Stein.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52No, it wouldn't, his spoons are selected. Right, take a spoon.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58And a nice tablespoon of mustard.
0:55:58 > 0:56:03'To moisten things further, beef stock and soured cream.'
0:56:04 > 0:56:06And mix that up.
0:56:06 > 0:56:07'At which point, the time for those
0:56:07 > 0:56:10'seasoned strips of steak has arrived.'
0:56:10 > 0:56:12We're only going to cook this for a minute, two minutes,
0:56:12 > 0:56:14in a really hot pan.
0:56:14 > 0:56:18'And once the heat's up, a good slug of brandy.'
0:56:20 > 0:56:23- Shall we, just for the purposes of research?- Absolutely.
0:56:25 > 0:56:31The symphony of beef, salt, black pepper and brandy.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33With a little bit of butter.
0:56:33 > 0:56:34'All it needs now is
0:56:34 > 0:56:36'a squeeze of lemon.'
0:56:36 > 0:56:40About a teaspoon should do us fine on this, don't want to overpower it.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43And just taste it. If it needs more salt, give it more salt.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47- If it needs more lemon, give it more lemon.- That is epic.- May I?
0:56:47 > 0:56:50Yes, absolutely. It's perfect.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55- Get in.- So much flavour.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57'The final flourish is chopped parsley.'
0:56:57 > 0:57:00That is a really good beef stroganoff.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03Served with a carbohydrate of choice.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07For us, for old times' sake, bit of old times, chips.
0:57:07 > 0:57:12'Get a load of that, mate, looks as good here as it used to in Barrow.'
0:57:12 > 0:57:17- That beef just melts in your mouth. - Oh, hey. Fantastic.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21- Look at this, what a great place. I am overcome.- I am.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24I arrived with a bit of trepidation but right from the chaos
0:57:24 > 0:57:28when we picked up the Ural, I knew this trip was going to be special.
0:57:29 > 0:57:32Kingy, I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.
0:57:32 > 0:57:34And I wanted you to have something to remember it, too.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38In the spirit of perestroika, it shouldn't be just the tsars
0:57:38 > 0:57:40that have one of these.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44Dude, it is a Faberge egg. Bloody Nora!
0:57:44 > 0:57:47That is what I have been doing sitting in the privacy
0:57:47 > 0:57:48of my little room.
0:57:48 > 0:57:51That is incredible. Give us a kiss.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55Do you know what though, dude?
0:57:55 > 0:57:56I wanted you to remember this trip as well
0:57:56 > 0:57:59and I have got something for you.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01- Here is the cake.- Wow!
0:58:05 > 0:58:09- Oh, fantastic! - We look good, don't we?- We do.
0:58:09 > 0:58:14- We have lost about four stone each, there.- Olga, thank you so much.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17It really is the icing on the cake.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20What a great representation of our trip.
0:58:20 > 0:58:24Imperial Russia and then post perestroika, with the Bushe Bakery.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27Aye, and with a bit of Leningrad thrown in.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29BOTH: Next time...
0:58:29 > 0:58:33- We are stripping everything back to basics.- The food...
0:58:33 > 0:58:36- Tasty, generous cuisine. - And ourselves.
0:58:36 > 0:58:39In the brilliant and eccentric...
0:58:39 > 0:58:41BOTH: Finland.
0:58:41 > 0:58:43- Definitely not as bonkers as it sounds.- No.