Raymond Blanc's Christmas Feast

'Raymond Blanc's kitchen is never busier than at Christmas. For any cook, it's an exciting time.'

It is your hour of glory. It's worth it.

'For a Frenchman who has spent the last 34 years and many Christmases in Britain,

'Raymond wants to honour his love and passion for both countries,

'so he will cook a French-inspired Christmas dinner made with the very best of British ingredients.'

Look at that. That is freshness.

'He'll be serving his five-course feast to an intimate group of friends and family.

'Adorning his festive table will be the freshest seafood hand-picked in Cornwall,

'a crisp-skinned golden goose from just down the road in Abingdon,

'sweet roasted chestnuts from right under the trees in Hampshire...'

Who's got the biggest one? Of course, it is Raymond!

'..even the Christmas decorations will be delicious and edible, hand-crafted by Christmas elves.

'So sit back, pour a glass of English sparkling wine

-'and prepare to be inspired by Raymond Blanc's French Christmas feast.'

-Give me a big hug.

I love you. That's a good start to Christmas.

'It's Christmas time in Oxfordshire.

'The leaves have fallen, the garden is quiet and mist hangs heavy in the cold winter air.

'But in his kitchen, Raymond Blanc is preparing the warmest of festive feasts.'

I decided to change hat, change my chef's hat for a much more befitting one.

My friends are coming. I will cook for them.

'As well as close friends, Raymond is creating a fabulous dinner to be enjoyed by fiancee Natalia

'and sons Sebastien and Olivier.'

It's a special time, Christmas. I remember when we were here and you climbed in the window

-up here and...

-I nearly died!

-He dressed as a Santa Claus.

-He made me believe in Christmas for a while.

I made sure I woke him up and he looked at Father Christmas.

He really... And he was, "Wow!" and I disappeared.

And then for 15 years, he believed it was Father Christmas.

He was arguing with his friends.

'It's an important time of the year for Raymond.'

The spirit of Christmas and what is on the table,

that amazing moment where the whole family gather once in the year

and just simply eat, drink wine and enjoy.

'The food he cooks on Christmas Day takes on a different kind of meaning.'

Of course, to celebrate, you want food.

And that's why, to me, food is as important a communion as a mass

or going to church to celebrate Jesus' arrival.

'For Raymond, the Christmas feast is holy.'

With this beautiful food, I'm going to celebrate life, my friends,

Christmas, I'm going to be completely involved in creating a fantastic feast.

-'For Raymond, simplicity has its place on the Christmas table.'

-OK.

'And with that in mind, he's starting with a creamy shellfish soup.'

-How many bay leaves did I put in?

-Just the one, chef.

'Succulent clams and mussels in a delicate creamy broth,

'a simple but luxurious starter, perfect to prepare the day before for a stress-free Christmas.'

So what do you want for Christmas?

Erm, a pay rise. THEY LAUGH

'This is Raymond's shellfish chowder.'

The idea of that soup is it's simple soup that the fishermen used to enjoy.

But for Christmas, of course, I wanted to make it elegant, make it a bit fresher,

clean, not too heavy. So let's start cooking.

'First, Raymond prepares his shellfish.'

We are lucky in England. We are surrounded with fantastic fresh seafood.

Tiny little clams. Can get some bigger ones if we want to. And I know they're great. You know why?

Cos I can smell it, I can see it,

they're all tightly closed, they are beautiful.

Full of seawater, full of beautiful juices

which will give my soup that fabulous taste.

'As well as clams, Raymond is using mussels.

-'Raymond preheats a large saucepan over a medium heat.'

-Big pot.

'Heating the pot first will help create maximum steam.'

And so throw those shellfish into your pot.

'To the shellfish, Raymond adds 200 mils of dry white wine.

'This adds a layer of acidity to the soup.'

What's happening is simple.

The wine will boil, the juices of the shellfish will be released

and, of course, the vapour will steam them beautifully.

No more than three minutes, until they're just open.

You can see, they're already opening. Look at that. It's amazing.

Look at that! And they are beautiful. There's so much seawater coming out

and that's going to give the flavour, the character, to my soup.

'The shells should be just open and barely cooked.

'Strain and reserve the juices.'

Look at that. That is freshness.

-Voila.

-'Next Raymond melts some butter.'

For four people, about 20 grams, no more.

So 5 grams per portion. So no punishment,

no guilt, please, it's Christmas time, no guilt. Let's have fun, let's enjoy our food.

'To this, he adds some roughly-chopped onion,

'two bay leaves and sliced garlic.

'Softening the onion and garlic without colouring creates a sweet flavour.

'Next Raymond removes the clams and mussels from their shells.'

I think to be in the privacy of your kitchen,

preparing a lovely meal for your friends

in that quiet, lovely environment,

and knowing you're going to give them a wonderful feast,

I think it's fantastic, it's something so special.

'Raymond adds the reserved pan juices, mussels and clams into the pan.

'And for Christmas warmth, some grated ginger.

'Final touches. Fresh samphire, also called sea asparagus,

'brings colour, texture and another taste of the sea.

'And for a festive flavour, nutmeg.'

Ohh! These spices are so wintry, they're so Christmassy.

With all spices, you've got to be so careful, because they can be so powerful.

They can easily take over a dish, especially shellfish.

-'At the last moment, Raymond adds some water.'

-Always taste.

'For the perfect finish, careful heating is required.'

Bring it just to the boil, no more than that, otherwise everything will be overcooked

and you lose that freshness and that wonderful rugged flavour from the sea, and you want to keep it.

'And finally, a little cream, freshly-chopped herbs...'

Lovely. Long live Christmas.

'..and softened dried seaweed. This can be found in the Japanese section of most supermarkets.'

Oh, it's lovely. Beautiful sea. Fantastic.

-I cooked it for you.

-For me?

-I think I owe you a lot

and it's about time I'm gentle and kind to you. It's Christmas, after all.

Oh, yeah. Nice and creamy.

'Raymond's seafood chowder - the perfect soup for an elegant Christmas feast.

'At Christmas time, oysters are to France what sausage rolls are to Britain.

'For Raymond, no festive feast would be complete without them,

'so he's heading to the River Fal on the south Cornish coast

'and the last fishery in Europe to use sailboats to harvest this queen of molluscs.'

The more you eat them, the more you love them.

And by December, they are so perfect for the table.

It's like they prepare themselves for that beautiful Christmas moment.

And immediately, you are in the spirit of Christmas,

you are in the spirit of celebration.

'Raymond is joining Les Angel, it is Christmas, and his son Dan for a morning's fishing.'

Come on, old man. Come on, old timer! THEY LAUGH

'Les has been working the estuary for over 30 years.'

We're going to come about this way and then I'll chuck the dredge over.

'Here in Falmouth, people have been harvesting oysters the same way for more than five centuries

'using a simple chainmail sheet and brute strength to collect their haul.'

-There we are.

-Oh, beautiful! Lovely colours.

Purple and... Just like Pinot Noir has been thrown into the ocean.

Beautiful! Not too much oysters.

Mostly mud and muck.

We caught a pair of sunglasses out here yesterday. THEY LAUGH

-There we are.

-Oh, beautiful!

-There are a few oysters here.

-We won't cancel Christmas yet, eh?

-Imagine Christmas without oysters. Impossible!

-Is it an English tradition to eat oysters at Christmas?

-It's more in France, I think.

-So what would you do, then?

-If we're catching a few oysters, it'll be turkey.

If not, it'll be blackbird. HE LAUGHS

'Demand for oysters soars at Christmas in France and the UK.

'Raymond needs seven kilograms just for his Christmas feast alone.'

Is there something we're doing wrong here? Either your young man works ten times faster

-or is ten times luckier. What do you think?

-Oh, it must be luck.

Voila. The boy's done good, eh?

-Oh, a few oysters here. Look at that!

-Nice colour, isn't it?

My first hand-caught oyster.

-Yeah.

-With orange hands.

-THEY LAUGH

-And a beautiful one, eh?

-Yeah, lovely oyster.

-Worth waiting for.

-Worth waiting for, that one.

Other way.

'Raymond is heading back to shore where under the careful eye of Steve Kestin

'of the Cornish Oyster Company, his oysters are cleaned and purified.'

My God, look at this beauty! That's my favourite size.

'Ultra-violet light is used to kill any impurities.'

They cost 50 percent more than standard purified oysters.

Which, of course, I'm also paying, by the way.

They can't cause any food poisoning and for me, it means a great deal.

'And it means a great deal to the Falmouth fishermen he is treating to some of his Christmas haul.'

Guys, I've got a little present for you all.

Oh, yay, oh, yay! Oysters taken from the best fishermen in the whole of Cornwall.

-Take the big, fat one.

-THEY LAUGH

-Sante! Cheers!

-Sante.

-Mm.

-Mm!

-Mm!

That is fantastic. Very beautiful. Lovely. Great. I'll come back for more.

Oh, yay, oh, yay! Drinks on the house!

-THEY CHEER

-Why not?

'The Cornish oysters will feel right at home

'at the heart of Raymond's fabulous seafood centrepiece.

'The classic way to begin a French Christmas feast,

'Raymond's plateau de fruits de mer.'

Fruits de mer means food of the sea. What a beautiful word.

Only the French could think of that wonderful romantic twist.

'It's an intimidating dish, but most of the fish on a plateau de fruits de mer

'can be bought ready to eat from a fishmonger.

'Raymond is preparing his himself.

-'Crab.'

-Nice pot-caught crab.

A Cornish pot-caught crab.

Not easy for a Frenchman to say all these words in succession. We just thrown it in.

'The crab is boiled along with two lobsters,

'some barely cooked mussels and clams.'

Hey, you. Come on, you. Perfectly formed.

I have French friends who'd rather have it raw.

What was that?

-Oh, my God, what's going on here?

-HE LAUGHS

I've seen something. It's a haunted cuisine.

'The clams and mussels are covered in a damp cloth and set aside in the fridge.'

By the way, that is for Adam.

-Adam?

-Oui, chef.

My lovely Adam.

Here is your Christmas stocking.

-You never thought I would think of you, eh?

-No.

-Well, here we are.

-Here. Don't spend it too fast, OK?

-All right.

-Is that my bonus?

-I know you love your sugar and that's your bonus at the same time.

-I thought I would hit two birds with one stone.

-Thank you.

-OK?

'The lobster and crab are set aside to cool.'

While they cool, they'll be cooking at the same time.

The cooking doesn't stop just like that, it goes on very quietly

so the flesh is absolutely delicious.

'With the seafood prepared, it's time to think about an accompaniment.'

The mayonnaise is an extremely simple affair.

Very simple. A few rules.

'To three egg yolks, Raymond adds a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.

'And then a neutral-tasting oil. He's using virgin rapeseed oil.'

Don't go too fast. But if you go too fast,

like that for example, dampen it just with a tiny bit of hot water

on the side and you can easily bring it back together. I'll show you.

Pour a little bit here. Voila. And look.

Now I'm re-emulsifying my dressing.

I used to do it for my mum,

and at home it was a big bowl

and a whole bottle of beautiful oil would go into it.

Gorgeous. Lemony, thin, very fresh. I think they will love it.

Completely. Mm! I do.

-Voila.

-'With everything prepared, all that remains to be done

'is place the seafood on the traditional two-tier dish.

-'The height creates a magnificent centrepiece for any table.'

-There.

So now you have a spectacular feast.

That's the kind of feast which my friends will grab with two hands. I know that.

'Raymond loves given presents. And if they can be eaten, all the better.'

OK, voila.

There's nothing like a local fruit. It can't be more local than that!

Growing on the side of the kitchen!

Fantastic! She will love that.

'This year, he's making a simple but delicious gift for someone very special.

'This is Raymond's spiced fruits.

'As well as the quince from the kitchen garden,

'Raymond's using pears, apples and pineapple.'

It's a sign of wealth, of friendship, of success.

So if you have a pineapple, you're a very wealthy man. So I feel very wealthy now.

'The fruit is peeled, sliced and mixed with mulled wine.

'The spicy fruits and warming wine are poured into a sterilised jar.'

Good. Immediately seal it. And beware, because those fruits will only keep for two weeks like that.

'Sarah Goodsell is a florist who has worked with Raymond for over 20 years.

'Every Christmas, she decorates in tinsels, garlands and fairy lights

'to create a Christmas kingdom for Raymond.

'And this year has been no different.

-HE KNOCKS AT DOOR Hello!

-Hello, my lovely. I have a little present for you.

Thank you very much!

-OK? From the fruit of the orchards.

-Lovely. Thank you very much.

-I should test it, maybe.

-Maybe we should!

We've worked together for so long, it's such a joy.

And, of course, Sarah made all the decorations for the dining room.

-Give me a big hug.

-Thank you.

-I love it!

-Have a lovely Christmas.

-Hope you enjoy that.

-And a little something for Christmas Day.

-Don't open till Christmas Day.

-OK.

-I will enjoy those.

-OK. Bye, now.

Thank you! Bye-bye!

'There are some British traditions that Raymond can't escape

'and one of them is making sure he has a good, plump bird for Christmas.

'This year, he's going for a goose. Succulent breast and melting leg meat

'is served with a fruity chestnut stuffing, tangy orange sauce,

'crunchy roast potatoes and juicy glazed sprouts.

'This is Raymond's Christmas goose with all the trimmings.'

-Perfect.

-'Raymond loves local, and this goose is from just down the road in Abingdon.'

They have a lovely white flock of geese ten miles away from my restaurant. It's fantastic.

It shows the revival of British food, of British craft, and that is exciting.

'First Raymond joints the goose for a very good reason.'

The leg will not cook at the same time as the breast. These legs are a bit like Linford Christie.

A sportsman leg. It's always been a dilemma.

When you cook a chicken, the breast is always overcooked and the legs barely cooked.

In that goose, it's even more so.

-Oh, God.

-HE LAUGHS

'Unusually, this bird is giving Raymond some trouble.'

It doesn't break. Oh, God. Adam.

'But Santa's helper is never far away.'

You try it.

You need a big man in your kitchen. Thank you, Adam.

'The goose legs are lightly cured.'

A bit of salt, garlic,

bay leaf, a bit of thyme.

'Just five minutes adds an extra layer of flavour.

'Using Raymond's technique means nothing goes to waste.

'Even the neck bones are going to be used.'

Gentle heat, not too strong.

The bones will take about ten minutes to brown. No more.

'Once browned, Raymond adds carrot, celery and onion.'

The smell has already taken over the kitchen. It's heavenly here. And we've not even started.

'Then the bones and vegetables are put in a large roasting tin.'

So the bones will do two things.

They will act as a trivet on which the goose leg will sit on top

and the heat will go right around, rather than drying against the hot tray.

Equally, they'll caramelise when cooking, lending a bit of flavour to your jus. Very simple.

'The legs will cook on top of the bones for a total of two and a half hours,

'first on their own and then with the breast.

'For extra crispness and flavour, the breast is rubbed with seasoned butter.'

You need about 30 grams, no more. Give it a good rub.

And then place it very nicely here.

'Raymond raises the temperature of the oven

'and the goose crown now goes in at 230 degrees for 30 minutes.

'After half an hour, to start creating the gravy, Raymond adds water to the roasting dish.'

That is my miracle. Just water.

Because I've got these fantastic caramelised bones here.

We've got to give them wonderful flavour.

You can see there's a lot of fat here. Leave it in.

It doesn't matter. We'll collect it later.

'The goose goes back into a cool oven for another half an hour.

'The breast and legs can now rest for up to an hour under a little foil

'while the gravy is strained and finished.'

There's a lot of fat here. I don't mind a tiny little bit. The French call it jus gras.

That jus has a little bit of fat and, of course, the fat gives flavour.

And it is so divine. It's holy.

So...incredible.

'To serve, remove the breast from the bone and slice.'

-Absolutely perfect.

-'The leg meat is so soft, Raymond carves with a spoon.'

It is so appetising.

Look at that. Absolutely amazing.

So, of course, you can do that in front of your guests,

-if you are courageous...and vain.

-HE LAUGHS

Or you can do it quietly in your kitchen with a very sharp knife.

'As a garnish, deep-fried parsley and celery leaves.'

I think it's a wonderful centrepiece that you should have for Christmas.

'No French Christmas would be complete without one special nut.'

-Really? Oh, yes!

-LAUGHTER

'The chestnut is a core ingredient of any French Christmas

'and Raymond will be using it in both savoury and sweet recipes he's cooking for his feast.

'This year, he's going to try and collect his own chestnuts

'just as he did as a child, foraging in the French countryside.

'Raymond's brought his sons, Sebastien and Olivier,

'to Laverstoke Park in Hampshire, country estate of great friend,

'Formula 1 champion turned bio-dynamic farmer Jody Scheckter.

'Deep in the forest, Raymond hopes his city-dwelling sons might have inherited

'his aptitude as a hunter-gatherer.'

-Have you never hunted chestnuts?

-Not hunted, no. They're not the most deadly of prey.

First you have to identify the tree. There's a few chestnut trees here. Can you find them?

-Don't know.

-HE LAUGHS

Great. Real city boys, eh? Real city boys.

How do you differentiate a conker from a chestnut?

Pops, I think the answer to that question is that you can have a conker fight with a conker,

-and a chestnut, you can't. Is that a good definition?

-No.

-That's completely off the mark.

-OK, a chestnut you can eat, a conker you can't eat

-because your eyes explode.

-That's a good one.

'Horse chestnuts, also known as conkers, are not edible.'

Look at that. Beautiful. I think they're extremely prickly, so it's a good idea to wear gloves.

-No, I refuse to wear a glove to pick up chestnuts.

-You don't look like a real hunter with gloves on.

'Right, if the gloves are coming off,

'Raymond's hitting back with an attack on the size of Jody's chestnuts.'

-They're quite tiny because these trees have not been well looked after.

-Hey, hey!

THEY LAUGH

'To Raymond, French nuts are far superior.'

In France, they're fat, they're big, they're delicious.

Oh, here's a nice fat one. Oh, look at that.

-I've found a French one here. A big, juicy one.

-Ah, voila.

That's it. See, that's more like it. That's starting to look like a very beautiful French chestnut.

-And the French really know their food, OK? And they are...

-HE LAUGHS

Don't throw them at me, cos they do hurt.

Aww. Who's got the biggest one?

Of course, it is Raymond! Look at that, son!

-It is quite a big one.

-Beautiful! Of course it is.

Let's go and cook them. I'm getting hungry just talking about them.

Gorgeous smell.

'South-African-born Jody loves the outdoor life and his summer house is the ideal winter venue

'for roasting a chestnut. Over an open fire, of course.

'The ever-competitive Raymond has brought a secret stash of French chestnuts

'to see how their English cousins compare.'

-These are them.

-It's the taste that counts.

-Ah, yes. I'm very curious about these little chestnuts.

Make sure you do a good incision in the skin,

otherwise it could burst out and burn you.

-OK.

-Come on, guys, keep up. We don't want to lost you.

The English ones should be ready earlier cos they're smaller.

-Usually that's the law of average, yes.

-I know you want us to overcook it.

-No, no, no.

Yours are going to shrink to cardboard.

'As the chestnuts roast, Raymond can't keep away from the kitchen

'and an urge to indulge in a great Christmas tradition enjoyed across Europe. Mulled wine.'

What we're going to do first is to boil the wine to remove as much alcohol as possible.

Put this in.

Don't buy an expensive wine, OK? We want a nice strong Merlot or Syrah.

Beautiful, huh?

'To the wine, Raymond adds his Christmas spices,

'cloves and bay leaves, along with sliced lemon or orange.'

Cinnamon.

Then the sugar, just to take the edge off the bitterness of the wine.

Oh, you will need that. It's three litres. We're going to add the water, as well.

So that will simmer down a little bit.

Just a gentle simmer for maybe ten minutes.

-A little bit of whisky will improve it when the camera's not on.

-A dash of cognac, of course.

'No cognac here. Jody prefers whisky.'

-What is it?

-57 percent.

Shall we do a little bit? Smell it.

-It is lovely.

-'But, of course, what happens when you put two bon viveur behind a bar?'

You've got to put more. You've got to put a bit more in.

-Voila.

-Ah, what the hell!

HE LAUGHS

-This will be a very merry Christmas after this.

-Yes.

'As the wine mulls gently, time to see which chestnuts have made the grade.'

Chestnuts. I hope they're not too burnt.

I think they might be a bit overdone.

'Our plump French friends or their more elegant English cousins?'

-Which one's this? English?

-Yeah, that's English.

I think the English ones are absolutely delicious.

And I really think the bigger French ones are more and more industrial.

I feel they have been grown for weight.

'England one, France nil.'

-The cooking is really a bit approximative, huh?

-HE LAUGHS

-It shows to me talent is not hereditary. At least in cooking.

-THEY LAUGH

# Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

-Oh, that smells good.

-Shall we spend the day here?

HE LAUGHS Cheers.

# Although it's been said

# Many times, many ways

# Merry Christmas

# To you

'In his 34 years in the UK,

'Raymond has learnt to love a good stuffing.'

It's a meal on its own, really. It's a big Christmas sausage.

'And this one is full of good Christmas things and could not be more simple.

'Stuffing like this might not be typically French, but what is a goose without it?'

Here is really the traditional... Well, not quite, but quite traditional British stuffing

that we're not going to put in the goose but cook separately,

because we can control it better, it will look better and it also will be cooked.

'Raymond is using a variety of nuts and fruits.'

What I want is to have all the little flavours,

bang, bing, and all these little things which just keep happening.

'The base for the stuffing is pork sausage meat. To this, Raymond adds some soft breadcrumbs and milk.'

A good stir to mix all these wet ingredients

in which you will add all the lovely textures later.

'Nothing from the goose is going to waste. Raymond is using the heart and liver in the stuffing.'

This will add a little bit of gamey taste, stronger flavour, as well.

And it's lovely. Nice texture, as well.

'Next, the fruit and nuts, dried cranberries, chopped chestnuts and dried figs.'

The last one here.

Actually, it's for me.

I deserve it.

'Raymond rolls the stuffing in silver foil. This will provide even cooking.'

We can put a bit of artwork by...

'The stuffing goes into the oven for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.'

The lovely, sticky, lovely, delicious sausage with all the sweet and sour elements.

'Slice and serve with the Christmas bird.'

I think a Frenchman would be dubious.

He would say, "Oh, what's that? That's something I cannot recognise."

But every British guest will love it.

And if a Frenchman tasted it, he would love it, too.

'There are other concessions Raymond has to make by not being in France for Christmas.'

When you think of Christmas, you think of the turkey, you think of the goose,

but also potato, I think that's quite important to the meal.

-Shall we have potatoes, Adam?

-'And the humble potato is at the heart of them.'

-Roast potatoes, yeah.

-Adam is very specific. He says, "Roast potato". Why not mash?

It's not Christmas without roast potatoes. It's tradition.

'Golden and crisp on the outside, light and fluffy within.

'This is Raymond's recipe for the perfect roast potato.'

I've got here some very special potatoes. They are grown in "Lincashire".

Lincashire? Lincolnshire. OK.

Bloody hell. OK.

Since potatoes are grown in Lincolnshire, it's very difficult for me to say, but...

'Raymond is using a variety called Agria,

'but King Edward or Maris Piper would also work well.'

A great taste. Also, they're multi-purpose.

I like potatoes which can do more than one thing

and this one does great chips,

great roast, and quite a good mash, as well.

'For the best roast potato, even the cutting is important.'

Try to get them as much as possible in even sizes.

It's easy to understand. A smaller piece of potato will brown too quickly and get very dry.

And what you want with a roast potato is a lovely crisp outside

and that wonderful, melting inside.

Very important stage, which I'm doing here, is removing the starch.

'Soaking the potatoes for a few minutes will remove some of the starch from the outer layers.

'Then they are blanched.'

Some people roast them just like that, raw. I don't.

When you expose the starch to heat,

it caramelises very quickly

and goes too brown too fast and then we can't get a proper crust.

'Raymond puts the potatoes in fast-boiling water without salt.'

Six potatoes will take about five minutes to six minutes maximum.

'While the potatoes are blanched, Raymond melts 200 grams of goose fat in a 200-degree oven.

'For crispy potatoes, it's vital that the fat is really hot.'

I want to leave them to steam up a bit so all the moisture can go away. Voila.

And then I'm going to call on Adam, because I'm not a pro.

Adam is a pro about roast potatoes.

-Adam.

-Oui.

-Can you give me a hand, please?

-Can you show me that ruffling business?

-Just a little...

-And the steam's coming off, as well. Just a little bit.

-That's it? C'est tout?

-Oui.

'Potatoes ruffled, it's into the hot goose fat.'

Very gently.

Try not to drop them, because that is quite dangerous.

Just very close to...

The great thing about it, you can actually have them prepared before your Christmas lunch,

just heat them a bit in the oven, they'll still be absolutely stunning.

With Adam's technique of ruffling potatoes.

Lancashire potatoes. No, Lincolnshire!

'While the potatoes are roasting, Raymond gets on with another British classic

'that he's added to his French Christmas repertoire - sprouts.'

We are very much in the heart of England. Beautiful buttered sprouts.

So we're going to halve them. And again here, it depends how big they are.

If they've been seven times frozen by the frost, they're so bitter and they're big like golf balls,

those you need to quarter them and blanch them.

'Raymond is going to blanch the sprouts.

'Blanching preserves colour and flavour.

'Simply boil for one minute, drain and then plunge into plenty of ice-cold water.

'This technique can be used with almost any vegetable.'

So very quick boiling. Don't boil them to death,

because that will kill taste, texture and nutrients.

'To add a salty nibble, some dry-cured bacon.'

Cut into cubes. But it's good to know how salty it is. So we taste it.

This one is so delicately smoked, I'm going to put it in raw.

But if it's over-smoked and over-salty, blanch it first.

'Fry the bacon gently in unsalted melted butter.

'A few minutes before serving, saute the blanched sprouts with the buttery bacon.

'After 40 minutes, the potatoes will be deliciously golden.

'Drain and set aside, trying hard not to eat them all before serving to Christmas guests.

'Traditionalists might be expecting some apple sauce to be served with the goose,

'but Raymond has other ideas.'

What I am going to do next is maybe a bit unusual for Christmas.

But I find it tasty, delicious, perfectly befitting, both in terms of taste, textures and colours.

'A little French sunshine, orange sauce.

'Raymond zests three oranges, being careful not to take too much of the bitter white pith.

'Next, the zest has to be boiled, both to soften the texture and flavour.'

So we do this process from cold, and it's quite important

because if it was hot, you seal as much of the flavour as you take it out.

Whereas from cold, you extract the flavour, the bitterness of the orange, its strength, power.

'It's important to use a large amount of water.'

If you do it in a little bit of water like that, all you will do is recycle the bitterness in the skin.

What I want to do is move it away, to have something very gentle, very gentle orange.

'Repeat the process twice and then remove the zest.

'It's ready when it disintegrates with a firm squeeze.'

And you taste this, voila.

It is delicate, slightly still bitter, that lovely orange flavour.

All the essential oils are still there, somehow, and the bitterness has gone.

'The zest goes into a blender. Next, 30 grams of sugar and a pinch of cayenne.'

Ok, so half of the orange, about 50 grams.

That will have the emulsion, because you have the solid of the orange, the juice will have the emulsion,

and the flavour, of course.

'To provide an unctuous base for the sauce, Raymond uses virgin olive oil, a good fruity one.'

It's very important you go very slowly with the oil because if you go too fast, it's like mayonnaise,

the puree will not have time to grasp all that amount of oil. It will separate.

The flavour is really lovely.

'Spoon into a serving dish and serve liberally with the roasted goose.'

That little bit of tanginess, just a little bit,

that will add a great deal to a dish. Plus a bit of surprise, as well.

'Raymond is determined that every element of his Christmas will be as delicious as it can be.

'And that includes what he hangs on his tree.'

I think we should have a mini Raymond on the top of the tree.

-I love my father. A little bit bizarre.

-Not bizarre, that's the wrong word.

'He's decided to lay down a challenge to his own personal elves,

'also known as the first year students at Westminster Catering College.

'Raymond is hoping they will create truly delectable decorations for his gourmet French Christmas tree.'

-Bonjour, bonjour!

-'Raymond has a real passion for mentoring the chefs of tomorrow.

'The seven young people in this room are very new to cooking.'

-They've been with me for ten days.

-Ten days only and you put them through incredible fire.

-But they're all up for it. Good luck, guys.

-Bonne chance.

'The decorations range from the traditional...'

-I'm going to make a chocolate fudge.

-That's good. Are you going to caramelise it, or...

-Yeah.

-Fabulous.

'..to the more adventurous.'

-It's going to be about 15 items.

-Well, you better move on because...

'One young chef is aiming high.'

I'm making a marzipan angel to sit on top of the tree.

-I've got the wings here.

-Isn't it going to be a bit heavy?

I'm going to cut out the base, so it actually sits on the tree.

'They all have just 90 minutes to create something that will really impress Raymond

'and win the honour of decorating the Blanc Christmas tree.'

-Oh, that's lovely. Does it taste nice? Yes?

-Yes.

Some of them were up till three o'clock last night doing these at home.

-I feel guilty now.

-I'm just really proud of them.

Mm-hm. A bit higher.

'Success in this kind of baking is all in the details.'

Oh, they're pretty, they're really pretty.

They're festive, they're fun. I think you need to hold the icing sugar for a while, just like that.

Right, guys, can we make sure we get them on the plates?

OK, guys, Christmas is ready.

And I look forward to seeing those decorations to be hung downstairs on my tree.

I think you guys have done very well.

-What a lovely garland...

-'Of course, the decorations have to be practical as well as delicious.'

-I love this little snowman. How are we going to hang him?

-OK...

-By the neck?

-SHE LAUGHS

-She is a very fat fairy.

'But ultimately, it's all down to taste.'

-This is the fudge.

-Bullseye, I like the taste and I like the presentation.

There's a little problem, which I thought there would be with the glass. A bit on the sticky side.

A bit more brandy would have been nice.

-Chef drank it.

-This is really lovely.

-Claire, I think we have a winner.

-We do.

-Mm-hm?

-Yep.

'Raymond has been very impressed.'

Look at all these beautiful parcels on that tree. They look so stunning, they embellish that tree.

And I know that my Christmas tree at home will be one of the very best Christmas trees

and the most original one in the whole of England.

And you have created it so I would like to thank you very much.

There is a winner. The winner is...

-..Josh.

-THEY CLAP

You created something remarkably complicated,

yet delicious, and hangs beautifully on the tree.

-Merci.

-THEY CLAP

'It's time for Raymond to think about tempting his guests with something sweet.

'The first dessert he is going to make is traditionally served in France on Twelfth Night.'

This dessert is being made for the Epiphany, which is 12 days after Christmas.

To celebrate Jesus being born.

'Layers of golden puff pastry encase almond-centred frangipane,

'caramelised pears and two tiny porcelain surprises.'

And so two of these little charms

will be hidden in the cake that I am about to make.

'But Christmas isn't a time for rules.

'This is a true French classic worthy of being eaten throughout the festive season,

'La Galette Des Rois, the tart of kings.

'First, Raymond chooses his china figurines.

'Traditionally featuring characters from the Christmas story,

'these favours have expanded to reflect the wider spirit of Christmas.'

I think, maybe, I find these quite fun. A little character here.

'Next, the filling, frangipane, also known as almond cream.

'Raymond beats 75 grams of unsalted butter until soft.'

Cream it well. It's quite nicely creamed. That's perfect, actually.

'To this he adds the same amount of icing sugar...'

It's like a storm of snow, my icing sugar.

'..75 grams of ground almonds and a whole egg.'

Very simple. Really, it's a masonry mix. Of course, the egg yolk gives the enrichment, the colour,

the richness of taste and flavour.

Those are pears, slightly caramelised, sliced,

pan-fried quickly in a bit of sugar. That's all, OK?

Don't overcook them, because we are going to cook again, this beautiful simple little cake.

'Raymond spreads the frangipane mix onto a circle of puff pastry

'and tops it with the pear.'

Pears and almonds are, of course, really natural companions.

'Then hide the china favours, being careful not to let the children know where they are.'

Adam, go away so you don't know where they are. OK? Come on. Go away.

'Cover with another layer of puff pastry and glaze.

'Mark with a sharp knife and place in the oven at 180 degrees.

'The galette is ready when it's risen and golden.

'Raymond has a particularly high regard for the traditional finale to the British Christmas feast.'

I love the British Christmas pudding, and every year, when I go to my parents',

I always invariably bring the Christmas pudding.

I do my brandy butter, I think it's brilliant. You die a little but who cares?

'But today he is staying true to France.'

I'm going to do a recipe which is very close to my heart.

This is relatively easy to cook in your own home. Don't smile, it is really easy, OK?

'A light iced chestnut parfait covered with fluffy whipped cream,

'chocolate swirls and magical mushrooms.

'This is Raymond's Buche De Noel.

'The chestnuts Raymond is using come in two forms.

'First, crystallised, known as marron glace.'

The chestnuts are whole. They are slowly cooked in sugar. That is heaven.

You break them, roughly.

'Raymond is also using chestnut puree, both sweetened and unsweetened.'

So far, no beating, no chopping, no grating, just open a tin. This is a good start, eh?

Chestnut puree, 200 grams of each.

'The chestnuts will flavour a parfait, a light ice cream that will form the buche.'

So here I have got all the textures and the flavours,

and here is to bring the lightness, the bulk and the taste, as well.

'The base for the parfait is a foam made by whisking eight egg yolks,

'100 grams of sugar, and 65 mils of water.'

There is no effort, eh? You'll not see a drop of sweat on my forehead.

'To this, Raymond adds the heated reserved syrup from the marron glace.'

I need to work fast now.

And then just by doing that, I'm cooking my eggs here to about 65 degrees.

OK? And I make my emulsion stable.

'A little sabayon loosens the chestnut puree.'

A little bit, one quarter.

'Whipped cream is folded into the cooled sabayon.'

I just mix it nicely.

Then, of course, you add all your chestnuts.

This is a chestnut parfait mixture, it's ready to go into the mould to be frozen.

Adam, can you please put that in the freezer?

'Once frozen, Raymond covers with whipped cream...'

Viola! It's like a piece of masonry. Very simple.

-'..and flaked chocolate.'

-Oh-la-la.

'Now it's time for Raymond to find his inner child. He is making some toadstools.'

-Adam?

-Yeah?

-Can you give me a hand, please?

'Edible ones, of course. Marzipan, coloured red for the tops...'

-Funny shape, it's a funny shape.

-THEY LAUGH

I'll go away and practice.

Voila. It's quite fun. A bit of colour. OK?

It's lovely, eh? They look very real, actually.

-I'm quite proud of myself.

-'..some chocolate swirls.'

It might tell you a lot about yourself when you..

'Now, time to decorate.'

Of course, you put your little fun bits here, to scare your guests completely.

That's about it. Some bits of chocolate.

Just to make it Christmassy a bit.

'Pastry chef Benoit Blin has heard about Raymond's buche. But not his love of hats.'

-Benoit is a reindeer.

-THEY LAUGH

-Wow. That's a Christmas dish, isn't it?

-That's a Christmas dish, eh?

-You would feel at home?

-Yeah.

-It's a shame that you don't wear your beautiful hat.

-Oh, that's not...

-Voila!

-You wear the other.

-No problem.

-When I am feeling bullish, I go for it, you know?

-Yeah.

For me, it's one of the very best Christmas desserts you can possibly have.

-And it is so simple to provide.

-Yeah.

-Benoit, it is a nice chef's hat.

-Thank you, I shall keep it.

-Are you going to give me a kiss?

-I'll give you a hug.

-Very happy Christmas.

-You, too.

-Merci.

'There are some Christmas traditions that it is very hard for a Frenchman to give up.

'And one of them is the notion that the only bubbles to be served at Christmas

'come in a bottle from Champagne.

'But Raymond is not one of those Frenchmen, and in the spirit of a Christmas Entente Cordiale,

'he's come to Cornwall to search out some English sparkling wine.'

Every time you hear a cork of champagne popping or sparkling wine,

it is about feast, it's about a happy moment, about celebration.

To me, there is very few sounds which are as happy as that. Pop! Pop!

Fantastic! My sons called me Pop. That's quite interesting.

Bonjour.

'Bob Lindo is an ex-RAF pilot who first planted vines in 1989.

'Winner of numerous prizes in the years since, this area suits the vines perfectly.'

They get so warm here, they face due south, with a nice amphitheatre, we have protection.

-It's dramatic. It's wonderful.

-It is dramatic.

If anybody thinks you can't grow grapes in Cornwall, look at those. You can.

'The success of Camel Valley Wines is all down to hard graft.

'And the challenging work has paid off.'

I read somewhere in 2009,

at the Italian World Championship of Grapes, you came number one.

-I couldn't believe it.

-Above the French!

-I know! We were so happy.

I still get a tear in my eye, I get it now, I can't help it.

An emotional British man, that's wonderful. I love that.

'It's harvest time and Raymond hasn't come a day too soon.'

-I think, Bob, they need to be picked today.

-Yeah. This is the day. Tomorrow is too late.

-Voila. Oh-la-la. Beautiful.

-Oh, look at this bunch. Fantastic, isn't it?

-Lovely flavour, lovely acidity.

-This is a year's work for many people.

But why don't we grow more grapes in Great Britain?

I think it's very, very hard to match the yields of France and Italy and Germany.

-We can complete on quality.

-You can compete on quality, that's a big thing.

'The grapes being harvested today are Dornfelder, well-suited to the British climate.'

-My son, Sam.

-Sam, pleased to meet you.

'Bob's son Sam is now in charge of wine making.'

I think in England, the thing that we have that no-one else has is magical acidity.

Because of the cold, you have much less flavour, and less colour, and less tannin,

which is excellent for sparkling wine.

-Well, we've got to do some work.

-Yes. Here we go.

-'Time to pick some grapes.'

Raymond, if you look now, we have in there, two bottles of wine.

-I was in a Burgundy vineyard from the age of seven, so...

-Oh, he knows, he knows.

Ooh-la-la. A problem here.

-I leave you the hard ones, sir.

-Yeah, I know. I noticed that.

-Then he'll leave it for me.

-THEY LAUGH

'Hard work over, it's time for a spot of breakfast.

'Locally caught smoked salmon...'

That is strong. Lovely.

-'..scrambled eggs...'

-Lovely colour.

-'..sparkling wine...'

-What a lovely pop.

'..it's just like Christmas morning.'

-Voila.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

'Raymond is going to end his Christmas feast with a work of art.'

Ah, the garnishes, yeah?

'A wintery forest floor of chocolate tuile,

'chestnut parfait mushrooms and intricate chocolate leaves.'

I always love the idea of a dessert which smiles at you, which makes you smile.

'This is Raymond's chocolate and chestnut Winter Still Life.

'First, the mushroom tops. Raymond is using the same chestnut parfait he made for the Buche de Noel.'

The whole idea was to recreate a lovely mushroom.

You could use that mould, individually, it would work well.

'For the stalks, meringue.'

Just pipe it, very simply, cook it in the oven and you just put them in.

'The upside-down mushrooms now need to be frozen.'

It's a fantastic dessert because effectively you can prepare it two weeks in advance if you wish.

All the work has been really done before.

'Raymond creates the forest floor.'

It's a very loose recipe, and has those wonderful textures, you know?

And a lot of it you can actually buy in a pastry shop.

-'First some chocolate sauce.'

-I want a lovely smooth, light sauce.

I want the chocolate to completely disappear.

'Now, carefully placed layers of tuile biscuits and grated chocolate.'

It's all about that floor which has decayed on that forest.

I do all crunchy flavours.

'Raymond's Christmas favourite, marron glace.'

Without marron glace, Christmas would never be the same.

We always have them at Christmas.

'Forest floor deliciously littered, now set it aside.'

This forest floor can be prepared at least one hour or two or three hours in advance.

No problem. Nothing will happen to it.

Put it on the side in your probably bedroom,

because you haven't enough space in your kitchen.

'Just before serving, remove the frozen mushrooms from their moulds and dust with cocoa.'

It's important you put it on the plate totally hard frozen

because within quarter of an hour,

the chestnut puree will be velvety smooth, silky, melting, OK?

Voila. Perfectly formed little mushroom.

It just looks like it's been picked this morning. I hope it will put a little smile on your face, as well.

'The goose is golden, the seafood is succulent,

'the tart is risen and the potatoes are perfect.'

Christmas is an exhausting business, no?

'Time to see if the hard work has paid off.

'Raymond's guests are beginning to arrive.'

# It's the most wonderful time of the year

'Close family and friends are all here for a Christmas feast to remember.'

-He loves me, yeah?

-'To get the party started,

'English sparkling wine with the freshest Cornish oysters.'

# It's the hap-happiest season

Guys! It's coming! Christmas dinner is coming!

-Seafood. Plateau de fruits de mer! Ooh-la-la!

-'A spectacular beginning to the feast.'

# It's the hap-happiest season of all

Raymond, the lobster was gorgeous. Really sweet, succulent. Just perfectly cooked.

-And here's the goose!

-With that, a little orange puree.

It's very special, OK, guys? I hope you enjoy it.

What did you think of that goose? Honestly?

-It's a really good goose.

-You are saying it's well-cooked, too.

Yeah, it probably had something to do with it.

'Time for something sweet, the Galette Des Rois.'

That's for Raymond. Cos I can have every chance to win.

THEY CHEER

-Hail the King!

-ALL: Hail the King!

-Hail the King!

'A light and cooling finale, the chestnut and chocolate Winter Still Life.'

ALL: Cheers!

Thank you very much, chef, for joining our table.

Wonderful father, Papa, thank you so much for this beautiful food. Bless you, love you and thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

THEY SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS

'The Great Milton carol singers, a musical end to Raymond's Christmas feast,'

Come in! Come in!

Hello, everyone. Thank you very much. Please do come in.

Be careful, it's very hot. It's very hot.

That was lovely. OK. Voila.

Oh, well, look at that. It's a lovely treat made by my young English apprentice.

OK, that's for you. There's a sweet inside.

The dog has already eaten five of them.

ALL: Cheers!

On behalf of all my friends here, I would like to wish you a merry, merry Christmas.

MAN SINGS WHITE CHRISTMAS IN FRENCH

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

E-mail [email protected]

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