0:00:05 > 0:00:10I love Christmas, so much so that I didn't even mind putting up the Christmas decorations
0:00:10 > 0:00:14in the middle of summer in order to film this programme.
0:00:14 > 0:00:19It's one of those strange little eccentricities of working in television.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23Christmas specials being filmed in June!
0:00:23 > 0:00:27But I'd just returned from filming my latest series all around the Far East,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31an odyssey which inspired me to come up with the answer to that big cooking dilemma
0:00:31 > 0:00:36facing us all at Christmas time.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38What to do with that cold turkey.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Well, I think that's it really. It's looking really quite Christmassy.
0:00:45 > 0:00:51- It's looking really quite Christmassy now, can we start?- Yeah.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Well, come on, it's Christmas!
0:01:09 > 0:01:14My journey throughout the Far East took me from Indonesia, Cambodia,
0:01:14 > 0:01:20Thailand through Malaysia and Vietnam to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
0:01:27 > 0:01:32Everywhere, I was bowled over by the perfectly balanced fresh food.
0:01:32 > 0:01:40In every dish, there were lots of vegetables, plenty of rice and a little protein.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44They don't actually celebrate Christmas in any of the countries I visited,
0:01:44 > 0:01:50but they do have more than their fair share of religious festivals and celebrations.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Unlike us, they do sit down regularly for meals with the whole family.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00They don't waste any food and they know how to eat healthily.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04At this time of year when we're building up our annual blow-out with the family,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08I know we can learn a lot from the way they do things out East.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Food is not just a meal to them, it's almost a religion in itself
0:02:12 > 0:02:17and every meal becomes a joyous celebration.
0:02:18 > 0:02:24So this Christmas, give a thought to ringing the changes and say nasi goreng, so popular in Indonesia.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29It's a perfect dish for left-over turkey and great for breakfast.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34Another contender is a Thai noodle dish made with prawns and chunks of cold turkey.
0:02:34 > 0:02:39and then Sri Lankan curry made with lashings of coconut, cinnamon
0:02:39 > 0:02:44and specially roasted spices bringing out lots of flavour.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48But it's not just about left-over turkey. This is one of my favourites.
0:02:48 > 0:02:55Poached chicken with ginger and star anise served with rice, cooked with a broth made from the chicken.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00One of the things that really excited me about my trip through the Far East
0:03:00 > 0:03:04is the thought of what to do with left-over turkey meat.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09Much more refreshing things and not the old standards. Some salads.
0:03:09 > 0:03:15A particularly special curry. And one or two other things and while I was away, I was thinking, yes!
0:03:15 > 0:03:19You've got all that lovely white meat. There's things you can do.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24Spicy, spiky things, like this salad I'm just about to make from Vietnam.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28You'll see by the end of it, you'll be saying, that's what to do with a turkey!
0:03:33 > 0:03:35So I'm just slicing these up to go in the salad.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37I hope you like my decorations.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40I mean, you might think they're a little over the top.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42I went mad in the supermarket.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44It's not quite Nigella.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47I think hers is a bit more sort of faultless and understated. But I like them.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I'm using Chinese leaves to make up this salad.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56But any crisp type of lettuce will do the trick.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00You want to end up with a bit of a bite to it.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Shred it or chop it fairly finely and chuck it in with the turkey meat.
0:04:05 > 0:04:11So now I'm going to cut up a couple of bits of carrot using the mandolin here.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15The mandolin's an easy way to cut the carrot into thin strips called, julienne.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18That's better than grating, it looks better.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22Then on to that put a handful of crisp bean sprouts.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27A similar amount of finely-chopped shallots and some chopped peanuts.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32One of the things that really distinguishes these salads from Vietnam
0:04:32 > 0:04:35is the enormous amount of herbs that go into them.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38They grow the most wonderful aromatic herbs,
0:04:38 > 0:04:43some which you find quite difficult to get here, particularly one called Vietnamese mint.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47Although I have grown it in my garden, but it was killed off in a savage winter.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52But this time, I'm just using mint and coriander and basil
0:04:52 > 0:04:58to sort of approximate that Vietnamese mint flavour and it does really quite well.
0:05:00 > 0:05:05To get a piquant dressing, add some red chillies to some chopped garlic in a bowl.
0:05:05 > 0:05:09Put in a good amount of sugar. It doesn't have to be palm sugar, but that would be best.
0:05:11 > 0:05:17Then some fish sauce, and a splash of rice wine vinegar and a lot of lime juice.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Perhaps use a couple of limes.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23A quick whiz round to dissolve the sugar
0:05:23 > 0:05:27and dress the salad as normal to get everything well and truly coated.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31It should look all wet and glistening.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37Don't forget that it's one of those salads that is best made immediately before going to the table.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42That is so nice.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44And one of the things about turkey meat,
0:05:44 > 0:05:49it is quite strong and that's one of the things I'm really not sure I like about left-over turkey dishes.
0:05:49 > 0:05:55But this works a treat because there's lots of other robust flavours with it.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57You've got chilli. You've got lime.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00And you've got lots and lots of herbs. And the turkey meat.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02It's in harmony.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06Harmony was a concept that I found all the time in the Far East,
0:06:06 > 0:06:13especially in dishes like Vietnamese fir soup with its finely sliced beef and fresh herbs
0:06:13 > 0:06:15in an intensely flavoured broth.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20The textures and flavours all exquisitely balanced.
0:06:20 > 0:06:27Or marinated chicken pieces wrapped in lime leaves with a spicy Vietnamese dipping sauce.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32One of the most inspiring people I met on my trip was Cathy Danh
0:06:32 > 0:06:37whose understanding of food so resonated with my own.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41So what does Vietnamese food and cooking mean to you, Cathy, then?
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Erm, it reminds me of just like growing up.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Erm, like I know when I was away at college, I would go out for Vietnamese food
0:06:48 > 0:06:52and that just brought a huge smile to my face
0:06:52 > 0:06:56because it just brought back memories of, like, you know, mum, grandma.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59But I also introduced my friends to the cuisine as well.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- As I say, food is a great way of communicating.- Absolutely.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Once you move out of, you know, whatever country of origin,
0:07:06 > 0:07:11it's hard to retain culture because language can easily be lost.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15But food is something... I mean, you have to eat three times a day.
0:07:15 > 0:07:20So, you can really retain this aspect of the culture
0:07:20 > 0:07:21and appreciate that.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Cathy told me about this dish, which is duck stewed in orange juice.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29It'll be brilliant for Christmas time.
0:07:29 > 0:07:36First of all, you fry off the duck pieces, because you don't want the duck fat in the finished dish.
0:07:36 > 0:07:37So drain that off.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Next, loads of garlic.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Seven or eight cloves which you roughly bruise.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47And now fresh ginger, about half a dozen slices.
0:07:47 > 0:07:53And the orange juice. I have to say I've cooked this dish for loads of people and they just love it!
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Now, a good tablespoon of fish sauce.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02Half a dozen stars of star anise and, of course, chilli.
0:08:04 > 0:08:09Now I bruise some lemongrass. Think I went over the top there. More of a bashing!
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Palm sugar for the sweet element.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15And then a seasoning of salt and pepper.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21Cook that for one and a half hours and then add some spring onions
0:08:21 > 0:08:24which need to soften in the sauce for another half an hour.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28And when that's done, it's ready to dish up.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32This is why I like travelling to countries I've never been to before, like Vietnam,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34bringing a dish like this home.
0:08:34 > 0:08:41Place the duck pieces onto a warm dish and then slightly thicken the sauce with corn flour.
0:08:42 > 0:08:47I think this will be a great dish to have on Christmas Eve.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51It's all in one pot and fills your kitchen with the spicy smells of Christmas.
0:08:51 > 0:08:57The perfect thing to look forward to when you come back from carol singing, via the pub maybe?
0:09:01 > 0:09:05I suppose my lasting memory of Vietnam,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07an endlessly fascinating country,
0:09:07 > 0:09:13was going to this village which was for heroes from the war. Soldiers and sailors.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17Now their children and grandchildren live there.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21I guess I must have been a totally odd sight.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23'Come on, then!'
0:09:23 > 0:09:26I don't think they'd ever seen a Westerner before.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I felt like the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
0:09:34 > 0:09:40Nearly all of the Far East is heavily influenced by religion, and none more so than Bali.
0:09:40 > 0:09:46It forms and informs nearly every aspect of life on the island.
0:09:46 > 0:09:51A Swiss chef who's lived there for some time told me about their attitude towards life.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55He said that they always see something good in whatever comes their way
0:09:55 > 0:10:00and that nothing is undertaken without some reference to their gods.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04It makes them a very calm and tranquil people.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16OK, admission time.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20When I saw that wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific,
0:10:20 > 0:10:25I thought that haunting song, Bali Ha'i, was about the island of Bali.
0:10:25 > 0:10:32In a way I still do, because it evokes a type of paradise we all strive for in our minds.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34It's an escape to a place that's calm and serene.
0:10:34 > 0:10:41And although 50 years on I know that the island and that famous song was an entirely different place,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43the sentiment is still the same.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49But my reason for being there was for the special food.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52And it didn't come more special than this.
0:10:57 > 0:11:03Now, I know a lot of you will be cooking a pork joint at some time over the Christmas period.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06So I thought this might set your juices flowing.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09It certainly had quite an effect on me.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13That is fabulous. I just know looking at that, that I will never taste
0:11:13 > 0:11:17more succulent or crispy crackling and pork in my life.
0:11:17 > 0:11:22And watching it, I just thought when I was setting out on this journey
0:11:22 > 0:11:27to Southeast Asia, that this is the sort of thing I was thinking of.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Wood fire. Whole pig.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Rather hot and sweaty.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Lovely aromas. I mean, this babi guling is it.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39Babi means "pig", and guling means "tumbling" or "rolling".
0:11:39 > 0:11:41I mean, his skill is marvellous.
0:11:41 > 0:11:46I'm just watching him just dampening down the flames, because of course,
0:11:46 > 0:11:49pork is very fatty and it could just all flare up.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53And it sort of reminds me more than anything of, of sort of like Tudor England,
0:11:53 > 0:11:55the roast beef of England
0:11:55 > 0:12:01where some guy like this would be right up to the spit turning it and getting incredibly hot,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05as indeed he is, just to see that the thing was cooked perfectly.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Here's what I mean about Balinese spirituality.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Even the cooking process needed the security of offerings
0:12:12 > 0:12:17to the relevant gods in an effort to ensure success for the enterprise.
0:12:27 > 0:12:34What I'm learning about Balinese culture is incredible intermingling of religion and food.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39And I mean this is almost like a religious ceremony in itself.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44And it's a new sort of dimension to food to me, the sort of religiousness of it,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47but just thinking, imagine in the Church of England
0:12:47 > 0:12:53if you went into church and you had roast beef and Yorkshire pudding as part of the ceremony.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55I'd be in there every Sunday!
0:12:57 > 0:13:01Perhaps that's one of the things that makes Christmas lunch
0:13:01 > 0:13:03such an essential part of the festive celebrations.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06The anticipation of the meal is almost as important as the eating.
0:13:06 > 0:13:14I feel with a lot of cookery programmes, myself included, that it's too much about the recipes.
0:13:14 > 0:13:20Some of this goes in, some of that. And not enough about appetite. About hunger.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22About the absolute anticipation
0:13:22 > 0:13:26and watching that pig being cooked over that smoky fire
0:13:26 > 0:13:33and the realisation that the skin was going to get ever crisper and ever more delicious.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38So, here's to appetite, and to me, at the moment,
0:13:38 > 0:13:42I'm thinking this will be about ten on the Richter scale.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46One of the most impressive things about the Far East
0:13:46 > 0:13:51was the way they don't waste a square inch of productive land.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55It makes for a lush, green landscape which, when you look closely,
0:13:55 > 0:14:03contains every ingredient you need for a good meal, from starters to that all-important drink at the end.
0:14:03 > 0:14:08When you reach for the coffee after your Christmas dinner, think about this as an exotic change.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13Well, this is a civet cat and what I'm giving him to eat
0:14:13 > 0:14:16is what he eats all the time, which is coffee beans.
0:14:16 > 0:14:23Some very bright Balinese person worked out that if the entire diet of the civet cat was coffee beans,
0:14:23 > 0:14:27then they must know a thing or two about the coffee bean.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32And indeed they do, because they always select only the very best beans
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and they reject the acidic ones or the over-ripe ones.
0:14:35 > 0:14:41And then, well, out they come as, erm, civet cat poo.
0:14:41 > 0:14:48And this Balinese person noticed that, actually, the coffee bean is only partly digested.
0:14:48 > 0:14:54This is the husk and inside the bean is retained in its perfect form.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59So don't think that drinking Balinese coffee
0:14:59 > 0:15:04from civet cat poo might taste of anything,
0:15:04 > 0:15:10it only tastes of pure beans and it is the best coffee known to man, and also the most expensive.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14# I love coffee, I love tea... #
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Well, back in Padstow,
0:15:16 > 0:15:22I thought it would be a very good idea to challenge my staff
0:15:22 > 0:15:25to a blind tasting of coffees.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28So we gathered together in the cafe courtyard
0:15:28 > 0:15:35just to see if they can actually tell if the civet cat coffee does indeed stand out.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38So, er, here we are. It's all set up.
0:15:38 > 0:15:44We've got a Kenyan coffee, a Costa Rican coffee and a Brazilian coffee,
0:15:44 > 0:15:48and there's an awful lot of coffee in Brazil, as we know.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51And finally, the the Balinese cat poo coffee. So which is which?
0:15:51 > 0:15:54It's going to be really interesting.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55Bring it on!
0:15:55 > 0:15:57This is coffee A. Hm.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01I'm detecting...
0:16:01 > 0:16:03notes here already.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09I mean, one of the things that's interesting about the the Balinese cat poo coffee
0:16:09 > 0:16:14is they think that the gastric juices of the civet cat actually affect the flavour.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17So, I'm sniffing for gastric juices here.
0:16:20 > 0:16:26- What can you detect so far?- I think that one's quite light and it's sort of bit acidic on your tongue,
0:16:26 > 0:16:31but a fruity aftertaste, so I'm going with Kenyan for that one, I think.
0:16:31 > 0:16:38I'm tasting sort of Brazilian, like a barbequey kind of beach life affect, I'm into that.
0:16:38 > 0:16:43It just tastes like a run of the mill coffee, so I hope it isn't the expensive one.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47I was quite impressed by these responses. I mean, if we were doing this 20 years ago,
0:16:47 > 0:16:52it would be, "Well it's just coffee, isn't it? What are you going on about?"
0:16:53 > 0:16:58- Coffee B, what do you think? - I think we're all in agreement there.- Oh, I don't know that I am.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00Hang on a minute.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06We moved quickly through the various coffees in the hope of detecting something of the feline nature,
0:17:06 > 0:17:07but not too much, if you catch my drift.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12And then we were ready to decide which coffee might have come from a cat.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Who thinks that coffee A is the Balinese cat poo coffee?
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Right.
0:17:21 > 0:17:27B? Who thinks that coffee B is the Balinese cat poo coffee?
0:17:27 > 0:17:28Thank goodness.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35Coffee C? Who thinks that coffee C is the Balinese cat poo coffee?
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Zero. And finally coffee D.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- Who thinks that... Two. - I don't really.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Right, here we go. Right, coffee A...
0:17:46 > 0:17:50- is Kenyan AA coffee.- Yes!- Yes!
0:17:52 > 0:17:53Right... Coffee B.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02- Well, what do you think?- B.- Yes!
0:18:02 > 0:18:04- Yes!- Cat poo coffee!
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Well, there you go.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Most of us got it right, apart from my son, Jack and Paul,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16who are excellent chefs and supposed to have good palates, but...
0:18:16 > 0:18:17Cheers.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24# Coffee and tea And the java and me
0:18:24 > 0:18:27# A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup Oh... #
0:18:33 > 0:18:37The rice fields of Bali are works of art in their own right.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41They go back over 2,000 years, creating these wonderful terraces
0:18:41 > 0:18:46where the water cascades down as many as 30 levels.
0:18:46 > 0:18:51And rice, like everywhere I went in the Far East, is the key to life
0:18:51 > 0:18:55and never more so than in this dish called nasi goreng.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59This will be an excellent dish to have on New Year's morning for breakfast,
0:18:59 > 0:19:00and here's how you make it.
0:19:07 > 0:19:13So having got my wok really hot, I'm just adding in two or three tablespoons of oil,
0:19:13 > 0:19:17ordinary vegetable oil, some garlic and two types of chillies.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21The first just some medium hot ones and then just a little hit of bird's-eye chillies.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23And some sliced shallots.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Now just stir-fry those together.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29And nasi goreng, it just means fried rice. You can get it all over Indonesia
0:19:29 > 0:19:31and Malaysia as well, as it happens.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35And if you're me, you get it all over your shirt as well. And now some carrots.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39You want to take the crispness off them, but they still want to have a bit of al dente-ness to them.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42There we go. And now the spice paste. In that goes.
0:19:42 > 0:19:47Lovely, lots of spice paste because that's where all the flavour comes from.
0:19:47 > 0:19:52And if you want to know how the paste is made, wait for it!
0:19:52 > 0:19:58Black pepper, sesame seed, nutmeg, macadamia nuts, shallots, lemon grass, ginger, galangal, garlic,
0:19:58 > 0:20:04fresh turmeric, chillies, palm sugar, shrimp paste, lime juice and a little oil all mashed together.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09And now a little bit of tomato puree just to bring the colour up like that.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12And very important in Indonesian cooking, some ketchup manis.
0:20:12 > 0:20:18Obviously, where the word ketchup comes from. Not an American word.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Indonesian.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Just stir that in a little bit.
0:20:23 > 0:20:27And now for the rice. And it is a way of using up lots of leftovers
0:20:27 > 0:20:31with rice and obviously in that case this is a perfect dish for turkey.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33So, in that goes.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35I'm going to put some prawns in too,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38just to give it bit of deluxeness, make it a really special dish.
0:20:38 > 0:20:44Right, now, just going to put some green beans in there, just to bring out the colour, and again,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48you know, Indonesians, like all Southeast Asians, looking for texture as well as lovely colours.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52And now the turkey. I've cut it into inch slices.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56And this goes in right at the end because you don't want to break the turkey up,
0:20:56 > 0:20:58it's already cooked, of course.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00And a good lot of spring onions,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03just to go in at the end, so you've got that slightly raw taste of the onions.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Some soy sauce, a tablespoon or so.
0:21:05 > 0:21:12Just stir that in very gently, and that's it, except from a fried egg.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15This is what I had for breakfast nearly every day.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19The fried egg seems to make it just right.
0:21:19 > 0:21:27Oh, by the way, you sprinkle some slightly crispy fried onions on top of the egg, almost like a seasoning
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and then you add a bit of tomato and cucumber as a garnish.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41And now, Sri Lanka. A place I'd never been to before.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55I had been told that some of the fishing scenes in Sri Lanka
0:21:55 > 0:21:59would be some of the most visual I was likely to see anywhere,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02but I must say it's exceeded all my expectations.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06I mean, it's like central casting fishing wise.
0:22:06 > 0:22:12I mean, when I first saw it, I just thought of Newlyn of those Newlyn school of painters,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16people like that Stanhope Forbes from the last century,
0:22:16 > 0:22:20from Victorian times, because all those boats are still powered only by sail.
0:22:20 > 0:22:26These ones here which are motorised just bring the fish into the shore from the bigger boats.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30But to me, it's just like I can hardly believe I'm here.
0:22:32 > 0:22:38This teardrop-shaped island was all about fish and coconut and cinnamon.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40This was a first for me.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45It's a spice so associated with Christmas and one I've used all the time I've been cooking,
0:22:45 > 0:22:51but I'd never seen it in its raw state before.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Today, Sri Lanka is still the leading source of this fragrant bark.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03I imagine that's incredibly difficult to do, I could never master it.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07But he's trying to get them off in one long sort of roll.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11This wonderful, I mean as a cook, I've been using cinnamon for about
0:23:11 > 0:23:1640 years, I suppose, just taking it out of a jar and snipping a bit off.
0:23:16 > 0:23:22I never realised there was so much skill going into packing these lengths of cinnamon,
0:23:22 > 0:23:28apparently three and half feet long, as tightly as possible.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32The other really important product from this island was the coconut
0:23:32 > 0:23:37and particularly the oil that was extracted from it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:43Once they'd been smashed open, they were dried over husks of other coconuts that had gone before them.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47It's this process of drying the flesh of the nut I suspect,
0:23:47 > 0:23:50that will make you either love coconut oil or hate it.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58All this machinery would have been here when Ceylon was painted pink on the world atlas.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03That's if you're of a certain age. Here, they were squeezing the flesh to extract that essential oil.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07It was by far the most common cooking medium on the island.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09That smoky, coconut taste and aroma
0:24:09 > 0:24:14that was all pervading in most dishes and in the air.
0:24:17 > 0:24:24I visited an old friend called Geoffrey Dobbs, who owns a very nice house on the island of Taprobane.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27He was there during that terrible tsunami a few Christmases ago.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32These things happen even in paradise.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37Well, I think it's the first time I've had to wade to somebody's house.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Oh, it's fabulous.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46This house was built in the 1920s by a person called Count De Mauny.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51He came here with Sir Thomas Lipton. Built this sort of rather fantastical house here.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Unbelievable. And what does it feel like to have your own island, then?
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Well, sometimes I can't really believe it, you know?
0:24:58 > 0:25:03Sometimes I pinch myself and, er, but when I wake up every morning and I look out to the South Pole,
0:25:03 > 0:25:07- it's just...- Nothing in between? - There's nothing between here and the South Pole.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12I was intrigued to know how he survived on that Boxing Day in 2004
0:25:12 > 0:25:15when the tragedy happened.
0:25:15 > 0:25:22I was swimming in the sea just on the other side of the island and I experienced a very strong current
0:25:22 > 0:25:26and, er, you know, there was none of this big wave which everybody... Well, not in Weligama.
0:25:26 > 0:25:30But then I looked at the island and I was about 18 foot higher
0:25:30 > 0:25:35so I thought, well, there's something very wrong at the moment
0:25:35 > 0:25:38and then I was taken across the island and I landed up over there
0:25:38 > 0:25:43between a palm tree and the top of that house, clinging onto one of these orues,
0:25:43 > 0:25:50which are these native outrigging boats, and for five minutes I just hung on for dear life.
0:25:50 > 0:25:54And then this whole bay, which is the second biggest bay in Sri Lanka, just emptied of water.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57And it was an incredible sight. I mean, I go diving quite a lot
0:25:57 > 0:26:00and I could see dive sites I could have walked out to dive sites,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02- actually, if I'd wanted to. - Unbelievable!
0:26:02 > 0:26:04The tsunami is very brutal, you know.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08It either killed you or left you alive and I was lucky to be left alive.
0:26:08 > 0:26:14Well, all I can say is admire your British understatement saying you were lucky, you know?
0:26:14 > 0:26:19That particular Christmas time certainly changed a few lives there
0:26:19 > 0:26:25and nothing was ever going to be the same again, especially for a bunch of kids further inland.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30This hostel at Savan Sarana is run by Carla Brown
0:26:30 > 0:26:32to help disadvantaged children.
0:26:32 > 0:26:39On the day we visited, there was to be a feast and a blessing by the local Buddhist monks
0:26:39 > 0:26:41for a new long sought-after dormitory.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45They're very good indeed. Very nice.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48Just frying outside,
0:26:48 > 0:26:52which seems like a good idea to me so you don't get all that oily smell in the house,
0:26:52 > 0:26:58not that it matters too much, but he's frying some river prawns
0:26:58 > 0:27:03with flour, egg, salt,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06a little bit of coriander leaf and some turmeric.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09And they're jolly good.
0:27:09 > 0:27:16It was the tsunami and the desperate need of these children that made Sri Lanka Carla's home.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20They're the forgotten children and in Sri Lanka, it's a stigma,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23and the families are very, very poor.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27So...they're here and probably their lives here are better than at home.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31I mean, it's... But they're lovely kids, you'll see them, they're beautiful kids and lost.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33So it's that building at the back
0:27:33 > 0:27:36that is being officially blessed today?
0:27:36 > 0:27:40It is today and alms giving is when the monks come and chant and we prepare the food.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44We give them food. The children will have a wonderful meal today,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47- because not every day do the children have food.- Really?
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Because there's not much funding for this hostel, so sometimes
0:27:50 > 0:27:55they think that food is going to be given by the people and it doesn't turn up.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01So the monks were there to bless this new building
0:28:01 > 0:28:06and alms, in this case food, were given to them.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11From what I could see, there were about ten different curries on the table from fish to cashew nut.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14All served with the local red rice.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17It was considered a privilege to serve the monks
0:28:17 > 0:28:20and I was happy to join in and be included in the ceremony.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Also, I was interested to notice that they ranged from older,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27more experienced ones right down to youngsters.
0:28:27 > 0:28:34As I understood it, the boys had their horoscope looked at by the local village wise man
0:28:34 > 0:28:38and he decided if they should continue to be monks or not.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40Apparently, it doesn't suit them all.
0:28:40 > 0:28:46This dish stood out that day. The cashew nuts were so satisfying.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48It's made with lemongrass, garlic and chilli,
0:28:48 > 0:28:53fried onions, turmeric, the essential Sri Lankan roasted curry powder,
0:28:53 > 0:28:59pandanus leaves and, of course, a generous dollop of coconut milk.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04And then a handful of fresh curry leaves and some green beans for that bit of crunch.
0:29:06 > 0:29:12Now, cashews. I couldn't get fresh ones so I bought salted ones and let them soak in water.
0:29:12 > 0:29:13They were lovely.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16To finish off, add some lime juice.
0:29:16 > 0:29:23A bowl of this curry is amazingly tasty and satisfying.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26I'd really love this during the Christmas break.
0:29:28 > 0:29:34The best day I think I had on my trip to the Far East was this.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38I was privileged to go out with some local fishermen in one of their oruwa,
0:29:38 > 0:29:41a traditional Sri Lankan outrigger,
0:29:41 > 0:29:45and what great fun it turned out to be.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50So the reason they keep jumping into the sea is to scare the fish into the back of the net.
0:29:50 > 0:29:51This is the open end of the net.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55So they're making as much splash and as much movement
0:29:55 > 0:29:59with their hands so the fish will all swim down that end.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02Must be a great job, that. I feel like jumping in myself actually.
0:30:04 > 0:30:05Go on, then.
0:30:07 > 0:30:08Argh!
0:30:16 > 0:30:21But the catch was good and they took a couple of those handsome parawer fish
0:30:21 > 0:30:24back to cook the local way in a fish stew.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28One of the fisherman's wives made a sort of ratatouille of vegetables.
0:30:28 > 0:30:33There was tomato, chilli, garlic and onion, curry leaves and ginger.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38Then the fish stew and vegetables were put in layers onto a single plate.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41It was delicious. Catching the fish and eating it.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44I'll never forget that wonderful day.
0:30:53 > 0:30:59Of all the food I covered on my odyssey, Thai food is the most popular here in the UK.
0:31:04 > 0:31:0820 years ago, no-one had even heard of Thai fish cakes.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12But now they're on the blackboard of nearly every pub I've been to.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20I've come to the conclusion that it's virtually impossible
0:31:20 > 0:31:22not to get good food in Thailand.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25I mean, even on a train you eat well.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28I mean, here I've got some crispy fish in a salad
0:31:28 > 0:31:33with a little fish sauce, lime juice and chilli, of course.
0:31:33 > 0:31:38And some deep-fried prawns and fish with some pepper sauce.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Just reflecting on this one...
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Delicious.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48In Britain, on a train, what would I be getting?
0:31:48 > 0:31:53Well, if I was lucky, I'd get a bacon bap with tomato ketchup.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58That is, if it hadn't run out or the microwave hadn't broken down.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03My guide was Toto.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06He took me to his friend's house, where they grow oyster mushrooms
0:32:06 > 0:32:10in profusion in this hot, moist climate.
0:32:10 > 0:32:14But it was a visit that wasn't without its problems.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Well, I'm afraid I'm a bit accident prone. I'm always banging my head.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21They said to come and see the mushrooms.
0:32:21 > 0:32:27But I had to go down this long dark bit and I didn't see the beam.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31And Toto said, "Thai people are quite small."
0:32:33 > 0:32:34Oh, dear!
0:32:38 > 0:32:42Well, I'm blowed. What a chump!
0:32:44 > 0:32:50The women were making the famous tom yum goong, a spicy prawn soup.
0:32:50 > 0:32:54The oyster mushrooms play a key part, along with coconut milk.
0:32:54 > 0:32:59Then there's garlic and shallots and half a field of chillies.
0:33:01 > 0:33:02It's about 25.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04- 25?!- Yes.
0:33:04 > 0:33:10- That's going to be terribly hot. - It's for Thai people, it's simple.- Wow!
0:33:10 > 0:33:16Then there's galangal, lemongrass and lime juice, of course.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19I'd love this towards the end of the Christmas holidays.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21It's very reviving.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28She's just putting some sugar in now.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30I must say, I'm fascinated by this.
0:33:30 > 0:33:33I mean, you can read recipes for tom yum...
0:33:33 > 0:33:36- tom yum goong.- Tom yum goong.
0:33:36 > 0:33:37Say it one more time.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- Tom yum goong?- Tom yum goong.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42- Tom yum goong.- Tom yum goong.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44I still can't get it.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49This soup was jam full of amazing flavours, and they all worked together
0:33:49 > 0:33:53to create something that was very hot and very satisfying.
0:33:53 > 0:34:00In went all those chillies, lime juice and uncooked freshwater prawns, already peeled,
0:34:00 > 0:34:05and those home-grown oyster mushrooms, picked at some expense to me.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10The thing that really is impressing me is how much of everything is in there.
0:34:10 > 0:34:1225 chillies, for a start!
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Probably a kilo of prawns.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17This is probably for five, six people, I suppose.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21Masses of mushrooms, loads of tomatoes, five limes!
0:34:21 > 0:34:23Tons of coriander, the root as well.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26And this is just bang, bang, bang, bang,
0:34:26 > 0:34:31and that's why when you taste it, it's got such a great deep flavour.
0:34:31 > 0:34:37What you saw going in then was nam prik pao, a roasted chilli paste not for the faint-hearted.
0:34:37 > 0:34:44Before serving, the ladies completed the soup by adding more of the fresh ingredients like tomatoes,
0:34:44 > 0:34:49coriander, spring onions, kaffir lime leaves and, of course, more lime juice.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54A quick taste determined the need for a little more fish sauce.
0:34:54 > 0:35:01I began to understand why tom yum goong is so highly regarded as an icon of Thai cuisine.
0:35:01 > 0:35:03It's good. It's really good. Yeah.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05SHE SPEAKS IN HER OWN LANGUAGE
0:35:10 > 0:35:12- Absolutely!- Very good.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Very good! Very good.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16It's got enormous depth of flavour.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18It's fantastically sour.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Fantastically hot! Beautiful soup.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32I think Bangkok is one of the foodie destinations of the world now,
0:35:32 > 0:35:39and it's so much better to explore at night when you've got a real appetite and the city comes alive.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Every corner you turn, there's a feast for the eye.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46I found street food like I'd never seen before,
0:35:46 > 0:35:50but some dishes were well known to me, especially pad Thai -
0:35:50 > 0:35:55spicy noodles often served inside an omelette.
0:35:55 > 0:35:59I love the whole business of eating in street stalls at night.
0:35:59 > 0:36:04There are lots of crashes and sparks and all done with energy and good humour.
0:36:05 > 0:36:11If I was dreaming about a street market
0:36:11 > 0:36:16with some of the most attractive and appetising food I could think of, it wouldn't even come near to this.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21I mean, you've got prawns, cockles, crabs, you've got charcoal. You've got masses of activity.
0:36:21 > 0:36:26I've never seen cockles cooked like that over charcoal, just waiting till they pop open.
0:36:26 > 0:36:34And these guys that... Well, they look out of Central Casting as far as cooking outside is concerned.
0:36:34 > 0:36:38I mean, well, it's street food nirvana!
0:36:38 > 0:36:43But the mornings felt very different again and the food was very different, too.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48It was more mellow and soothing.
0:36:48 > 0:36:54Well, this is an incredibly popular restaurant, right in the centre of Phuket town.
0:36:54 > 0:37:00And virtually there's only one dish on the menu. A few variations, but it's just chicken and rice.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04You can actually get roast pork or crispy pork as well, so I've got the lot.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06But it's the chicken that's the thing.
0:37:06 > 0:37:11And I tried to get the recipe from the lady about how the chicken is cooked.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Basically, it's just simmered in lots of spices, but she won't give it to me.
0:37:15 > 0:37:19She actually said to Toto people are dying for the recipe back in Bangkok,
0:37:19 > 0:37:24she won't give it to them, so little old me certainly isn't going to get it.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28I suspect there's quite a lot of cinnamon in there because I can taste that.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31But I love the restaurants where you've just got one dish.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35You've got no problems, no, "Oh, what about, you know, what am I going to eat?
0:37:35 > 0:37:39"What am I not going to eat?" You just go there for the chicken rice.
0:37:40 > 0:37:45Well, I'm determined not to be beaten by someone who won't give me a blinking recipe.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48I'm going to cook this at home.
0:37:51 > 0:37:56Now, I'm dropping the chicken into the boiling water,
0:37:56 > 0:38:00but this isn't any old boiled chicken. Let's call it poached chicken, it's more romantic.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05I'm now going to put in, after a bit of salt and white pepper,
0:38:05 > 0:38:10there we go, I'm now going to put in a lot of Southeast Asian flavours.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14First of all, spring onions, of course.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16Then about three stalks of lemongrass.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19Then a couple of star anise, whole ones. Don't they look nice?
0:38:23 > 0:38:29Then ginger, lots of ginger. That's the most important ingredient in the whole stock.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31And finally, garlic - lots and lots of garlic.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35So I'm going to leave that now to poach for about 15 minutes,
0:38:35 > 0:38:39then I'm going to turn the heat right off and just leave it to carry on cooking in the water,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41and that is the secret.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44It just makes the chicken really, really moist.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49When that lady said she wouldn't tell me the recipe, I reckon I've got this pretty well right.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54And in Thailand and in Malaysia, it is so sought-after.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59It's a bit like in Vietnam, you've got fir, which is the beef and noodle soup, or bun cha,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03which is the pork with noodles and greens.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07Everybody's looking for subtlety, and you go down the street somewhere like Phuket
0:39:07 > 0:39:11and you know which the best chicken rice restaurants are and you make a beeline for it
0:39:11 > 0:39:18and you see the same people in there day after day, because it's their favourite chicken rice place.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20I mentioned cinnamon in the restaurant.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Actually, I came to the conclusion it was probably star anise.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26So now, here's the best bit of the whole dish, the chilli sauce.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30Not particularly hot but very, very subtle.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33It's got this lovely smell because it's got yellow bean sauce in it
0:39:33 > 0:39:37as well as, obviously, chilli and garlic and ginger and sugar and soy sauce.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40I found a recipe for the rice.
0:39:40 > 0:39:46It's been lightly fried in chicken fat, then it's cooked in the stock made from poaching the chicken.
0:39:46 > 0:39:52It's a great combination. Chicken, rice, chilli sauce and broth.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00I ended my trip to Thailand with a little reflective stroll on the beach.
0:40:04 > 0:40:12And as I started this chapter by saying I was a bit accident prone, I finished it in the same vein.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17Can you see that, erm, wound on my head?
0:40:17 > 0:40:19It doesn't look very nice.
0:40:19 > 0:40:23The thing is that Thai people are so small, so I keep bumping into beams and things.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Well, you'll have to buy a hard hat.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28I can't wear a hard hat!
0:40:28 > 0:40:33People often ask me where I get my oriental ingredients. The answer?
0:40:33 > 0:40:35St Austell in Cornwall.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38Uraiwan owns the local Thai store.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41So what would she do with left-over turkey?
0:40:41 > 0:40:45Right, I'm going to cook garlic turkey with king prawn.
0:40:45 > 0:40:46Left-over turkey, of course.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51- That's correct.- Great. - And egg noodle.- Oh, fantastic.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55- Right.- So you've got oil in the pan. What goes in first? - Right, garlic, of course.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03- You've just added the cooked turkey now.- That's correct, yeah.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06The one left over from Christmas.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Would you do something like this in Thailand?
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- Not really.- No?
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Because we usually find turkey in the zoo.
0:41:13 > 0:41:14- In the zoo?!- Yes!
0:41:14 > 0:41:17How do you mean? Don't you eat turkey?
0:41:17 > 0:41:23- No. We usually eat chicken or pork instead of turkey.- It's lovely.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26I know but, you know, when we first came over here,
0:41:26 > 0:41:30when my mother-in-law cooking turkey for me and I'm thinking, "Oh, my goodness!"
0:41:30 > 0:41:35So you think we're probably these dreadful turkey-eating foreigners?
0:41:35 > 0:41:42I suppose it must be like us eating pandas or something - not quite the done thing.
0:41:42 > 0:41:48Anyway, in with the turkey, some succulent prawns and some chopped spring onions.
0:41:48 > 0:41:53When they're well under way, in go some red chillies without their seeds.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57Mmm, very interesting - a Thai woman removing chilli seeds.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00She's been in England too long!
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Then, of course, plenty of coriander leaves and some chopped peanuts.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Always an important addition.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10There we go, and now we can season it.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Then the fish sauce and, naturally, plenty of it.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16Four spoonfuls she's putting in.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18But that will be counteracted by the palm sugar.
0:42:18 > 0:42:25I can sense she's keeping everything very simple. A basic Thai stir-fry.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28But if you are dealing with left-over turkey,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31I think it would be so much better than simply making a stew.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33What on earth are you doing there?
0:42:33 > 0:42:38- Oh, I massage lime to get the most juice out of this lime.- Really?
0:42:38 > 0:42:41- Yes.- I never knew that.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44Right, now what we do is we cut it in half.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46She's right, you know, I've tried it.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50If you massage the lime for a minute, you definitely get more juice out of it.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54Now she adds some flat noodles, simmered for a couple of minutes
0:42:54 > 0:42:57and then run under some cold water to stop them cooking.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01That looks absolutely lovely. I'm really impressed with that.
0:43:01 > 0:43:02- Oh, thanks.- I can't wait to try it.
0:43:02 > 0:43:04Ooh!
0:43:04 > 0:43:08I noticed you took the seeds out the chillies. Would you normally do that in Thailand?
0:43:08 > 0:43:13Er, no. But the reason I do it here is because my husband's English
0:43:13 > 0:43:17and if I put it too hot for him, this might be...
0:43:17 > 0:43:19make him get a red cheek for Christmas.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24- Funny!- Right, now this is done.
0:43:24 > 0:43:26- You are funny.- Yeah?- Good.
0:43:26 > 0:43:30From the beginning to end, it didn't take more than 12 minutes.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32And there's enough here to feed four.
0:43:32 > 0:43:35Very, erm, economical in your cooking.
0:43:35 > 0:43:40Thank you. This dish, especially, is you get three flavour.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42One is from fish sauce.
0:43:42 > 0:43:43- Yeah.- One is from palm sugar.- Yeah.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45And one is from fresh lime.
0:43:45 > 0:43:48Absolutely. And it's a lovely balance.
0:43:48 > 0:43:51It's very healthy, too, actually.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Lots of people like it and my husband likes it too.
0:43:54 > 0:43:58My husband is number one... My, you know, fan club of my cookery.
0:43:58 > 0:44:01I bet he is! He's a very lucky man.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03Oh, thank you.
0:44:03 > 0:44:10As this programme is predominantly about taste, there is one particular place which is historically
0:44:10 > 0:44:14one of the most important places in the culinary world -
0:44:14 > 0:44:17Malacca, towards the southern tip of Malaysia.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20I've always associated it with spice.
0:44:20 > 0:44:26Think Malacca, think Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, mulled wine and mince pies.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29I think you really have to come to somewhere like Malacca
0:44:29 > 0:44:35to really feel the importance of spice, historically, to our own country.
0:44:35 > 0:44:39And it's only when you, you sort of smell the smells and feel the heat
0:44:39 > 0:44:47that you realise that spice here virtually grows wild, and it's cheap, it would have been so cheap,
0:44:47 > 0:44:52but take those spices which would be so distant to life
0:44:52 > 0:44:56in the 13th, 14th, 15th century in Britain
0:44:56 > 0:45:00and bring them there, no wonder they fetched such enormous money.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03I mean, apart from anything, half the stuff
0:45:03 > 0:45:07I imagine that they ate there was sort of verging on the rotting,
0:45:07 > 0:45:11so it had an enormous import in making food palatable and pleasant.
0:45:11 > 0:45:16But just think of the sort of the smell of something like nutmeg or cinnamon or cloves,
0:45:16 > 0:45:23or even pepper to somebody in the 14th century in England, how exotic it would be. It would be like...
0:45:23 > 0:45:26It would be more wonderful than gold.
0:45:26 > 0:45:31Malaysian cuisine is made up of three things - Chinese, Nonya,
0:45:31 > 0:45:36a cross between Chinese and the indigenous Malay, and Indian.
0:45:36 > 0:45:43I was taken to this restaurant where they cook a whole variety of curries on the most amazing scale.
0:45:43 > 0:45:49The best time to go there was lunch-time, and their most popular dish was beef rendang.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51The way I make it at home is like this.
0:45:51 > 0:45:57I'm using some blade or chuck steak, which I fry off in some coconut oil.
0:45:57 > 0:46:03Then I put in a very specific curry paste which I made with a pestle and mortar earlier.
0:46:03 > 0:46:08It's a mixture of fresh turmeric, galangal, chilli, grated coconut,
0:46:08 > 0:46:11shallots, garlic, coriander and cumin.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14Then in with some coconut milk.
0:46:14 > 0:46:18Now, the bit I really like doing, smashing the lemongrass.
0:46:18 > 0:46:23Next, cinnamon sticks - they always remind me a bit of dried up cigars -
0:46:23 > 0:46:27and lime leaves roughly torn up.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30And then some tamarind juice for sharpness.
0:46:32 > 0:46:33A little salt...
0:46:36 > 0:46:38And, lastly, palm sugar.
0:46:40 > 0:46:44I asked practically everyone I came across in Malaysia
0:46:44 > 0:46:49what their favourite dish was and without hesitation they said beef rendang.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57While I was in Malacca, I met a very popular man called Chef Wan.
0:46:57 > 0:47:02He was a sort of Delia and Jamie rolled into one exuberant galloping gourmet,
0:47:02 > 0:47:08quite irrepressible and full of local culinary knowledge.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Honestly, I had no idea how popular he was. Everywhere we go,
0:47:12 > 0:47:15in Malacca, they're saying, "Hello, Chef Wan!"
0:47:15 > 0:47:17And actually, they're much more...
0:47:17 > 0:47:21They're very... Like in England, people say, "Oh, that's Rick Stein."
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Over here it's, "Hello, Chef Wan!"
0:47:24 > 0:47:27He wasn't just a TV chef, he really knew his stuff
0:47:27 > 0:47:30about the spice trade in Malacca. But what were the spices?
0:47:30 > 0:47:33- Many. We're talking about, you know, clove?- Yeah.
0:47:33 > 0:47:39Clove. We have black pepper, we have cardamom, we have cinnamon, and then the whole of the spice
0:47:39 > 0:47:44and then all over into Indonesia, and that today you find many of these spices being traded back and forth.
0:47:44 > 0:47:49Coming from this part of the world, from the East to the West, and then what about the monsoon?
0:47:49 > 0:47:54The northwest monsoon and northeast monsoon that help traders because back then there was no oil,
0:47:54 > 0:47:58because everything was all sailing and you have to depend on the wind to blow them.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01And so this ship had to bring, have to bring all the traders
0:48:01 > 0:48:04and all their goods, you know, from that part of the world.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08Came out here from Africa, from Sri Lanka, from Turkey, you know, arriving to this shore.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12And the Arab, the Gujarati merchant and, of course, while they arrive, darling,
0:48:12 > 0:48:14we took all the spices and we steal them.
0:48:14 > 0:48:20- And we make them our cuisine and mix in all the... - Oh, OK, OK! Just one last question.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22How long have you been doing this for, then, Chef Wan?
0:48:22 > 0:48:25Oh-ho! I no spring chicken no more!
0:48:25 > 0:48:2721-years-old. 21, I think, yeah.
0:48:27 > 0:48:32- That long, huh?- I've got a bit to learn from you, Chef Wan. - I'm learning more from him.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34He is the guy who inspired me, OK?
0:48:34 > 0:48:36I have all his books. I love his programme.
0:48:36 > 0:48:41- I love his seafood stuff and all this... And thank you for coming to Malaysia.- It's a delight.
0:48:46 > 0:48:50Anyway, my journey ended in Bangladesh,
0:48:50 > 0:48:54a place integral to our love of curry back at home.
0:48:56 > 0:49:01It's no secret that chicken tikka masala has ousted fish and chips
0:49:01 > 0:49:02as our most popular dish,
0:49:02 > 0:49:09and probably 90% of the restaurants selling it will have connections back in Bangladesh.
0:49:13 > 0:49:20But here I find a place that's specialised in yet another very popular and well known Indian dish.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31Just look at this.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Cooking on this scale isn't something you come across often.
0:49:35 > 0:49:39And what was so impressive was that everyone seemed to know exactly what to do and when to do it.
0:49:39 > 0:49:45At first glance, it looked a fearful place to suddenly find yourself having to work.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49But there wasn't any confusion or uncertainty.
0:49:49 > 0:49:55I need hardly say that this is very exciting for me. I mean, erm, you may not like the look of it.
0:49:55 > 0:50:01You may want your biryani made in a nice hygienic bratt pan back in the UK
0:50:01 > 0:50:07but, for me, I just know that when I get to taste this biryani it...
0:50:07 > 0:50:12Thanks, thanks. I'm just talking to the television just for a minute, I know it's a very odd thing to do.
0:50:12 > 0:50:18You know when I get back to the UK, I'll remember this as being the best biryani I've ever had.
0:50:18 > 0:50:23There is so much sophistication going on here, it may not look like it to you,
0:50:23 > 0:50:30but the stages that it's made, the way that the meat is first boiled and then gently marinated
0:50:30 > 0:50:36in all these spices, some of which I still don't know what they are, but there's about 20 spices in it.
0:50:36 > 0:50:44Then the meat is very slowly cooked with potatoes and onions and garlic over charcoal and just look at this.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47You've got little piles of charcoal anywhere that you want to put them.
0:50:47 > 0:50:51If they fancy cooking the biryanis over there next week, no problem.
0:50:51 > 0:50:55And the big gas burners are for the fast cooking,
0:50:55 > 0:51:01but the gentle simmering is done here with the charcoal with a covering of pastry,
0:51:01 > 0:51:03of bread, I guess, to seal it all in.
0:51:03 > 0:51:09So I just know this is going to be, as I said, the best biryani I've ever had in my life!
0:51:14 > 0:51:19So I sat down to enjoy the feast with the boss and his trusty managers.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21I mean, that is just so fragrant.
0:51:21 > 0:51:25It's got lovely flavours of rosewater and saffron.
0:51:25 > 0:51:31And the mutton, I think, is absolutely the best meat for a biryani. That is tasting so well.
0:51:31 > 0:51:38And, do you know? In truth, this is the biryani by which all others will come to be judged.
0:51:40 > 0:51:47Going there was an eye-opening experience, and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity.
0:51:47 > 0:51:52I don't think I would make a biryani with my left-over turkey.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54Out of all curry recipes,
0:51:54 > 0:51:58the best one I found was across the Bay of Bengal in Sri Lanka.
0:52:03 > 0:52:05You start by frying off some spices.
0:52:05 > 0:52:09They are cloves, cardamom and some cinnamon.
0:52:09 > 0:52:14I'm cooking this in coconut oil, which you can get here in Asian supermarkets.
0:52:16 > 0:52:19Into the spices go some finely chopped onions.
0:52:19 > 0:52:24They're allowed to soften until they're transparent.
0:52:24 > 0:52:29Then a spoonful of crushed garlic, a loving spoonful - well, it is Christmas -
0:52:29 > 0:52:32and about the same amount of ginger. Loving again.
0:52:32 > 0:52:38Now, some roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, which has a great depth of flavour,
0:52:38 > 0:52:41chilli powder and some ground turmeric.
0:52:41 > 0:52:47Get that all mixed through and then put in some chopped and de-seeded fresh tomatoes.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50Best not to use tinned ones for this.
0:52:50 > 0:52:54They're a little bit sweet and you want to end up with a sharper taste.
0:52:54 > 0:53:01Now put in a twigful of curry leaves and while they begin to infuse the curry,
0:53:01 > 0:53:04you can soften up a couple of sticks of lemongrass.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06Don't bash them too hard this time.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09Then, some pandan leaf, coarsely chopped.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13Very subtle, a must-have in Sri Lankan cooking.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16I'm sure they'll be in the supermarkets in a year or two.
0:53:16 > 0:53:22And lastly, to finish the sauce, a tin of coconut milk.
0:53:24 > 0:53:30I just remembered saying not so long ago that, erm, one of the things I remember about the left-over turkey
0:53:30 > 0:53:36was the curries that we always had when I was a child and how it sort of like wasn't the best thing.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39Well, I mean, you know, I like my mum's curries.
0:53:39 > 0:53:47They had, erm, sultanas, desiccated coconut, apple in chunks and tinned curry powder
0:53:47 > 0:53:50but, er, this is slightly different.
0:53:50 > 0:53:53I mean, Sri Lankan curries are a bit of a revelation to me anyway.
0:53:53 > 0:54:00I mean, I'm rather used to the, you know, 90% of all the Indian restaurants in Great Britain
0:54:00 > 0:54:06that originated in Bangladesh, so coming on to Sri Lankan curries was just marvellous,
0:54:06 > 0:54:11and that sort of trinity of flavours in most Sri Lankan curries -
0:54:11 > 0:54:14pandan leaves, curry leaves and cinnamon -
0:54:14 > 0:54:19and when you taste that, it takes you right back to that lovely island.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25Now for the rest of that cold turkey, whatever you've got left.
0:54:25 > 0:54:31I've still got some white breast meat to use, but the legs are just as useful.
0:54:31 > 0:54:36Hopefully, you'll have some reasonably chunky pieces because they will be more satisfying.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40Season it all with some salt, and then for that specific bit of fire,
0:54:40 > 0:54:46put in four or five hot chillies, seeds and all this time.
0:54:46 > 0:54:50Let's not be shrinking violets about this, you want some heat.
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Lastly, the juice of a lime.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56I wish I'd learnt the trick of massaging the fruit before we filmed this bit
0:54:56 > 0:55:00because it certainly does make it easier to get more juice out.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08One of the things that I need to add here is that when you're stirring these curries,
0:55:08 > 0:55:12or other dishes of left-over meat, do it very gently
0:55:12 > 0:55:19otherwise it all breaks up, just goes into a rather unattractive sort of mush. You want lumps.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21Final taste...
0:55:22 > 0:55:25That's it! That is delish!
0:55:25 > 0:55:30Serve with rice. And that's the end of your cold turkey, oriental-style.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37ORIENTAL SINGING AND MUSIC
0:56:14 > 0:56:18Well, I hope these reminiscences of my trip to the Far East
0:56:18 > 0:56:23have given you a few ideas about how to survive the festive indulgences
0:56:23 > 0:56:26and ring the changes on those Christmas evenings.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31For me, it was a chance to relive some of that wonderful trip
0:56:31 > 0:56:35and bring back to mind a few culinary discoveries.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40I don't think I could have had a better part of the world to visit
0:56:40 > 0:56:46and find such a rich source of ideas for a fresh look at an annual problem.
0:56:46 > 0:56:52You may feel that it's a step too far from the tried and tested Christmas that we're all used to.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55But if you're bold and have a go at something different,
0:56:55 > 0:56:59then maybe your Christmas will be even merrier than usual.
0:56:59 > 0:57:04And, you never know, you may find yourself embarking on your own odyssey.
0:58:23 > 0:58:27Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:27 > 0:58:31E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk