0:00:02 > 0:00:03He's Brian Turner.
0:00:03 > 0:00:06And she's Janet Street-Porter.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08I'm passionate about walking.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13These feet have taken me the length and breadth of Great Britain.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17I've been privileged to cook all round the world,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20but it's Britain that I love - fabulous produce, great ingredients
0:00:20 > 0:00:22right here on the doorstep.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27We're joining forces to explore Britain's rich heritage.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32And the landscape that's given us such wonderful produce.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35He's in charge of the food.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38And guess what - she's in charge of everything else!
0:00:38 > 0:00:40- This is...- A Taste Of Britain.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Today we've come to the magnificent county of Monmouthshire.
0:00:57 > 0:01:02This picturesque corner of Wales is packed full of fascinating history,
0:01:02 > 0:01:06diverse landscapes and bustling market towns.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11We'll be sampling the county's abundant array of produce.
0:01:11 > 0:01:12And washing it all down
0:01:12 > 0:01:15with some of Monmouthshire's delicious local tipple.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Slight, er, grapefruity and slightly flinty for me.
0:01:20 > 0:01:21I realise I'm not using
0:01:21 > 0:01:25the flowery pretentious language of the wine buff.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26Too sweet for me.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31While Janet gets to know some of the artisans...
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Over here, I've got a bundle.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35That's not a finished piece of sculpture.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39- So you don't go out to a hardware store and buy wood?- No, no.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41..I'll be searching for some local ingredients
0:01:41 > 0:01:44to use in a celebratory dish that captures a taste of Monmouthshire.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Brian, here we are on top of Kymin Hill and down there is Monmouth.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05It's a town that has a huge significance.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08It marks the border between England and Wales,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and of course we're in Monmouthshire, so we're in Wales.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14But over there is England, to the north the Black Mountains,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17that's the beautiful Wye Valley,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20and over there, the plains of the Usk.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24But in front of us, an exquisite late-Georgian building.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26And you know what that was used for?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29You should be really interested - picnics.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32Because in the late 18th century,
0:02:32 > 0:02:34there was a movement called the Picturesque Movement,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37where devotees, a bit like early hippies,
0:02:37 > 0:02:41used to go to exquisite spots in the landscape
0:02:41 > 0:02:45and have meals and enjoy the scenery. A bit like us.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Absolutely. Of course, Monmouth is a foodie county,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50got lots of artisan producers
0:02:50 > 0:02:55and they really make use of the diverse and fertile landscape,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57as well as microclimates in the deep valleys.
0:02:57 > 0:02:58And that should give you a clue
0:02:58 > 0:03:01as to one of the places we're going to visit.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04But, first, there's an award-winning charcuterie man
0:03:04 > 0:03:08who produces fantastic stuff, let's go and see him.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10- Let's hope the weather perks up. - I hope so, yeah.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19From cultivated crops to organically reared animals,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23there's a rich variety of produce in this region.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27And local charcutier James Swift at Trealy Farm
0:03:27 > 0:03:29is certainly adding to the variety.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32His methods owe a lot to the Spanish and Italians,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36but James is one of Britain's best producers of cured meats and sausages.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41Well, this is a beautiful place I found, some fantastic charcuterie.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42This is really a treat.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45- Yeah, I love charcuterie. - It's interesting that people...
0:03:45 > 0:03:47We're now starting to catch on in this country,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50making them here with local products, that's the real thing.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54- Hello.- Hi.- Hello, Janet. Hello, Brian.- You all right?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57So you're here to maybe taste some of our charcuterie?
0:03:57 > 0:04:00- Definitely. Show us.- Shall we go? - Absolutely.- All right. OK.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Wow, what a spread you've put out here.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Just a little selection of what we do.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09We've got some air-dried duck.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Here we've got what they call coppa in Italy,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13the air-dried shoulder of pork.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17We've got some beef here that we do a bit carpaccio air-dried style.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20Fennel salami and a couple of our little snack salamis,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22that's a spicy one and a smoked one.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Can I start with a spicy salami?
0:04:24 > 0:04:27- OK, yeah.- Mm. - It's got a lovely nose to all of it.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30As soon as you get here, you can just smell that lovely mixture.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33That's what it does, it really concentrates the flavours down
0:04:33 > 0:04:35- when you've got it air-dried like that.- Mm.
0:04:35 > 0:04:36So this is beef carpaccio.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- Is that like the Bundnerfleisch in Germany and...?- Yeah.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Or frankly some types of bresaola in Italy
0:04:42 > 0:04:44because, you know, all these things, they're...
0:04:44 > 0:04:48People think of them as one thing, but they're a whole family of things.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It's like chorizos, every town in Spain is different, you know.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54So when you started to make charcuterie,
0:04:54 > 0:04:58were you mimicking the stuff you get on the Continent at first
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and now you're trying to develop a British take on it?
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Yeah, we had to go to the Continent to learn our techniques, our skills.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07We've got these great traditional breed animals,
0:05:07 > 0:05:09like traditional breed pigs - the Tamworth.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12We've got far more of these breeds than on the Continent, so we thought,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14"Hang on a minute, we should be doing that in the UK too."
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Then we came back and we mixed it all up really.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Wasn't the original problem the climate in this country?
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Absolutely, yeah. It is the climate and it's not even that it's wet,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26it's just that we don't know when it's going to be wet.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28We have to do it under controlled conditions.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33Have you managed to get accolades from Italians and Germans?
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- Actually, yes, we have.- Brilliant! - One of the top guys from Spain came
0:05:37 > 0:05:39and he was like, "You're having me on!"
0:05:39 > 0:05:42It's not from Britain, is it?
0:05:42 > 0:05:43Well, this coppa tastes amazing.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46That's some of the best I've ever had, is that, I have to say.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48I know, I love the amount of fat in it.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51That's what gives it the flavour, isn't it?
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Mm. And the duck breast is terrific too.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56It's lovely and tender, the duck breast.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Yeah, and it's all free-range meat
0:05:58 > 0:06:01and that, you know, that makes its difference as well.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03Now, do you make sausages?
0:06:03 > 0:06:06- We do make sausages as well, yeah. - Can we make sausages?
0:06:06 > 0:06:09- Of course we can.- Lead on. - Show us where we're going, boss.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11OK, all right, then.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15'James is going to help us make our very own recipe.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18'We just need to agree on the ingredients.'
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- OK, so we're going to make some lamb sausage.- Yeah.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25We've got some lamb here from our own farm, Welsh Mountain lamb.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28OK, now, what do we associate with lamb, a bit of rosemary?
0:06:28 > 0:06:31- A bit of rosemary I think works fine.- Right, a bit of rosemary.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- A bit of rosemary.- A bit of rosemary. Er, two grams a kilo there.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38- A bit of garlic?- I think garlic's a good...- Do we need a lot of garlic?
0:06:38 > 0:06:42- No, just a hint. - What about just a pinch? Done it.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Well, no, I deserve a pinch as well. Oh, that's garlic.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Right, that's sorted that out.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50- So white pepper.- OK.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54- Quite a serious amount of pepper there.- Yeah.- It's in the air.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58- Salt.- Yeah, we've got to have salt, always got to have salt in a sausage.
0:06:58 > 0:06:59Not a lot, not too much.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03- What's your daily allowance? - Depends how much sausage you eat.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Now we've got to decide about breadcrumb.
0:07:09 > 0:07:10Are we going to go down that route?
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Sausages are padded out that that way they're cheaper to make.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Let's ask the expert,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18is there not a case for a little bit of breadcrumb to help bind it,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20to give it the texture that we are used to?
0:07:20 > 0:07:22The breadcrumb holds a bit of moisture in,
0:07:22 > 0:07:25it holds a bit of water in, but I would say that,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28cos of the amount of fat that we've got in there, we don't need it.
0:07:28 > 0:07:29You're outvoted.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31OK, right, fine, so no breadcrumbs.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36What's your...? Is it going to be an all right sausage?
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I think it's going to be an all right sausage. Let's make some sausages.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43Ah, hah, hah.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Oh! Oh! No, don't put it like that, you're getting it lumpy!
0:07:58 > 0:07:59Yeah.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Oh, look at that. That's looking good.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06That's it now, I think.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08That's it. OK, so, press in first.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- Press.- Yeah.- Grrh!
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Oh, look there's one of Brian's air holes.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18When Brian was obviously talking, it's got a lot of hot air in it.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22There you are.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Well done, my little sausage.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Bring on the gold medal.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33'Well, Brian, now I've impressed you with my sausage-making skills,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35'you need to do them justice.'
0:08:35 > 0:08:37That was so tasty, that charcuterie,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39but of course the star of the show,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42yet again, Miss Street-Porter, was...?
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- My sausages.- Your lamb sausages.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47So what I'm going to do, I'm going to cook the lamb sausages
0:08:47 > 0:08:50and serve them with a lightly pickled local cabbage.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57This is local rapeseed oil, get that in there.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01So we put those in there, turn them on full heat.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04The trick is not to play around with them, get a nice colour,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06turn them over and just cook them slowly through.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Over here, we've got some boiling water,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10we've got these two different kinds of cabbages here.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13- They call this a hispi cabbage. - Yeah.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16And a Savoy cabbage, so we'll take those like that.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I think Savoy is my favourite cabbage.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21- Yeah, I think me too as well. - It's got a lot of flavour.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26Just shred them, the idea is firstly to blanche it, to keep the colour,
0:09:26 > 0:09:30- and then I want to just cook it slowly in a bit of butter.- Yeah.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32I'm going to put it into salted water,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34just to get this little light pickling effect.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37So in that goes.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Hopefully it's going to just keep its colour now.
0:09:41 > 0:09:42So just very quickly.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46- Did your mother overcook cabbage like mine did?- Oh!
0:09:46 > 0:09:50They had it on for hours in those days, didn't they?
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Do you know, I once said that on television
0:09:52 > 0:09:54and me dad came and nearly hit me.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59- That looks great.- So I've got rid of the boiling water there.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02So I'm just going to put it into cold water
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and hopefully that'll just help to shock the colour,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08so it doesn't go that awful shade of grey that you're talking about.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Yeah, my mother's cabbage was always grey.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14I know you don't really like me doing this, but I'm going to put a bit of butter in here.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18I've got some of this wonderful local bacon here
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and it looks fantastic.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23I'll just cut that into little strips.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29It's got bags of flavour there
0:10:29 > 0:10:31and I've got a shallot here,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33shred that as well.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35We're going to get all that flavour into our cabbage.
0:10:36 > 0:10:40And then put the shallots in there.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Let's have a look and see what's happening to these here.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46Look at that!
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- It's like the...it's like the water tower.- It's an exploding sausage.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Well, as James said, there's lots of fat in there.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- There's a lot coming out. - There is, yeah.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- But they haven't really changed shape or size, have they?- No.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59They're looking good.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- Just smell that, that wonderful... - I can smell the smoking.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05..that wonderful bacon. A little bit of vinegar.
0:11:05 > 0:11:07White wine vinegar, white wine vinegar there,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09not malt vinegar, but any other flavoured vinegar will be fine.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12And then we just put that in here.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15That really is going to be lovely, is that.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- Let's have a quick look at these sausages.- Ah!
0:11:19 > 0:11:22I knew I should have put breadcrumbs in there!
0:11:23 > 0:11:26OK, so I think we're almost on our way there.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29A bit of salt and pepper.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I'm just going to put fresh chopped parsley in there.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35I think it just works very nice - chop it at the very last minute
0:11:35 > 0:11:37and put it into the cabbage.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39Sausage are looking great,
0:11:39 > 0:11:43so I think we're ready to dish up this wonderful family dish.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45So we can take the cabbage
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and just pile it...
0:11:48 > 0:11:51in the middle...
0:11:51 > 0:11:53of the plate, so it's a help yourself job is this.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57- What I've got here, I've got some new potatoes...- Yeah.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01..that I've cooked in a bit of water and butter and all we need now...
0:12:01 > 0:12:02are our sausages.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05I'm just going to pile them on in the middle.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13There you are, my love, what do you think to that?
0:12:13 > 0:12:18Lamb sausages with a lightly pickled local cabbage.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Great, looks like a Desperate Dan meal!
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- Right, are you having a taste? - Yeah, let's get going.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30That sausage looks really good.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33The sausage is so meaty.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39You talk, I'm going to eat.
0:12:39 > 0:12:40Sausage-tastic.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44It's really, really good. What do you reckon?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46- You're going to hate me.- What?
0:12:46 > 0:12:48I would've liked it with a bit more breadcrumb in there.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Well, Brian, we'll have to agree to disagree.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52It's perfect!
0:12:54 > 0:12:57So what we really need is James as arbiter.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- Yeah, James, come and taste them. - Come on, James.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00What have we here?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- Right we've got sausages. - OK, all right.
0:13:03 > 0:13:04I'm looking forward to this.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10Really good.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Really well cooked.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15And that's a great accompaniment.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Monmouthshire is known as the Garden of Wales.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Its temperate climate and diverse landscape
0:13:35 > 0:13:38mean it's home to much of the country's agriculture
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and almost half its orchards.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46At Berllanderi Farm, in the village of Raglan,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49renowned sculptor Harvey Hood draws inspiration
0:13:49 > 0:13:52from the local countryside
0:13:52 > 0:13:54and from the fruit trees growing on his farm.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- Hello, Harvey. - Hello, Janet, nice to see you.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01- What a fantastic spot you've got here.- Yeah.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04- Can I see your orchards? - Yes, of course you can.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09When Harvey originally bought Berllanderi,
0:14:09 > 0:14:13he set about re-establishing the farm's ancient orchard
0:14:13 > 0:14:16that had fallen into disrepair
0:14:16 > 0:14:20and to date he's planted over 600 new trees.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Harvey, is it true that by recreating this orchard
0:14:24 > 0:14:29- you re-established something that was all in this area?- Yes.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32100, 200 years ago, there were lots of orchards
0:14:32 > 0:14:34- like this, weren't there?- Yes.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39We found out that some of the trees had been planted here in 1840.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- So they were very rare trees? - Yes, they were.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47We found that two pear trees would produce superb perry
0:14:47 > 0:14:52were unique and they've been renamed as Berllanderi pears.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54- So you've got your own pear tree... - That's right.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57- ..that nobody else in the UK has? - That's right.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00- And we've grafted these trees... - Yeah.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02..from those, so we've carried on this variety.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05You've saved something from extinction.
0:15:05 > 0:15:06That's right, yeah.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11When you came here, what was it you saw that connected with you
0:15:11 > 0:15:14that made you think, this is going to be my inspiration?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Well, the place is called Berllanderi,
0:15:17 > 0:15:19which is Welsh for "orchard of oaks",
0:15:19 > 0:15:22and that was sort of a sign, I think, to sort of...
0:15:22 > 0:15:26I was working in oak, I wanted to have a tremendous supply
0:15:26 > 0:15:30of materials and that's what sculpture's about.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It's about tonnes of stuff.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34So when you came here you just saw a lot of wood?
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Yeah, a lot of wood.
0:15:36 > 0:15:40- OK, well, I'm very curious, can we go and have a look?- Yeah, sure.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Harvey was head of sculpture at the University of Wales,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49but to focus on his own artwork, he set up some studios
0:15:49 > 0:15:54in the outbuildings of his 16th-century farmhouse.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56This is my main studio in here.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05What a great space.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09A lot of my work used to be from wood
0:16:09 > 0:16:12and, particularly, from the trees that were here.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17The tree is a metaphor for ourselves.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20We talk about the way a tree can be...
0:16:20 > 0:16:22er, have a trauma.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26When I've been cutting pieces up, I suddenly look at them
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and think, "That is amazing,"
0:16:28 > 0:16:31you know, the way that this piece of wood has tried to repair
0:16:31 > 0:16:36itself from this trauma of being cut into from here.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39- I like the way that this piece is unfurling.- Yeah.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42- And I sort of make a piece like this.- Yeah.
0:16:42 > 0:16:43- This is in bronze.- Yeah.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48But this is this sort of potent energy of, er,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51something which is curling up and making the spiral.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55So, I use it both as a material
0:16:55 > 0:16:58but also as an inspiration.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Over here I've got a bundle.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Now that's not a finished piece of sculpture.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16That is just something which I don't know what I'm going to do with it,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- But it's bubbling away.- Yeah.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21So you don't go out to the hardware store and buy wood?
0:17:21 > 0:17:22No, no, I don't go and buy wood.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25- So you, how many acres have you got here?- Seven acres.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26So you're going round...
0:17:26 > 0:17:29And I'm actually growing the material...
0:17:29 > 0:17:30- Yeah.- ..that I want to use.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34And I use all the things that are around here.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I'm still on the hunt for more inspiration for my celebratory
0:17:48 > 0:17:50taste of the region.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54So I've come to Abergavenny to visit a chef doing great
0:17:54 > 0:17:57things for the county's gastronomic reputation.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Having begun his career working for the legendary Roux family,
0:18:00 > 0:18:04chef Simon King is now on a quest to create fabulous food
0:18:04 > 0:18:07using as much local produce as possible.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10- Good morning, Simon, how are you? - Very well, thank you.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14- What are you going to cook for us? - So today we're going to cook
0:18:14 > 0:18:17an elderflower panna cotta with poached gooseberries
0:18:17 > 0:18:21and with the panna cotta we'd serve a warm elderflower fritter.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26OK, so what do we do first?
0:18:26 > 0:18:29You infuse some milk and cream with the elderflowers.
0:18:29 > 0:18:34I've got 250ml of milk and 250ml of double cream.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38To that I'm just going to add the elderflowers
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and 65g of sugar.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44So those look like you've picked them yourself?
0:18:44 > 0:18:48I have, indeed. We're very fortunate that we live in a rural area
0:18:48 > 0:18:50and there are plenty of hedgerows around and about.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53It's there, it's fresh, it's on your doorstep.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55You know, we can't argue with it.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59So you've got the milk and the cream infusing with the elderflower.
0:18:59 > 0:19:00How long do you infuse that for?
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- We're heating it up for a quarter of an hour, 20 minutes.- Right.
0:19:04 > 0:19:09Extract that elderflower flavour and add this gelatine here,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12which will help set it and give it that wibbly-wobbliness.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14BRIAN CHUCKLES
0:19:15 > 0:19:18So as soon as that's warmed through, like so,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20we can add it to the infusion.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Then we can leave it to cool down, strain it
0:19:23 > 0:19:27and pop it into our pots ready to set in the fridge.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34So that's in the fridge, so what happens next?
0:19:34 > 0:19:36So next we're onto the poached gooseberries.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Coated in sugar overnight to help start softening them
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and to get some of the natural juices out of the gooseberries.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Those are dessert gooseberries?
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- These are dessert gooseberries, a variety called Red Windsor.- OK.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50They're just sweeter and softer than
0:19:50 > 0:19:52the more traditional green ones.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58I need to bring those gooseberries up to a warm temperature
0:19:58 > 0:20:00so they're nice and soft.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03So once those gooseberries are ready, what do we do next?
0:20:03 > 0:20:07We'll leave them to cool down and, whilst they're cooling,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- we'll organise the batter, ready for the elderflowers.- OK.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14OK, so we've got 225g of flour.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19To that we add 250ml, or grams, of fizzy water.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Give it a quick mix.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- So is this like a tempura batter? - Er, like a tempura batter.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28And then we've got a couple of eggs
0:20:28 > 0:20:30just to add to that.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35And then we've got a little splash of vinegar, as well,
0:20:35 > 0:20:37just to help crisp it up.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40See, my grandma used to put vinegar in her Yorkshire pudding mix
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and everybody asked me why
0:20:42 > 0:20:45- and I said, "I don't really know why, but it works."- It works.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49- Because her mother did it before her, too.- Absolutely, you're probably right.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52So we just add a little pinch of salt...
0:20:52 > 0:20:54and a more generous pinch of sugar,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58because we're using it for a sweet concoction.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03And then we've got these lovely umbels of elderflower
0:21:03 > 0:21:06and all we need to do is coat these in the batter,
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- nice and gently.- Yeah.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10And take them over to the fryer.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Now, the fryer is set at 170, just give them a quick little shake.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16So how long does that take, approximately?
0:21:16 > 0:21:20It's a couple of minutes on each side, just until they're crisp
0:21:20 > 0:21:22and a light golden brown.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24And then we'll drain them off and sprinkle them
0:21:24 > 0:21:28with a little bit of vanilla sugar to serve alongside the panna cotta.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Perfect.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34So we've got the gooseberries that we poached earlier.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Yeah, they look like they're little grapes.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40They are, they're beautiful, aren't they?
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Just pop that by the side.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47A little bit of extra on the top.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49- And bob's your uncle.- Beautiful.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53So this is an elderflower panna cotta with poached gooseberries.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02I think that looks really delicious,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- but let's find out what the lady thinks.- Absolutely, indeed.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Hello, Janet,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22we've got an elderflower panna cotta with poached gooseberries for you.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25- Brilliant. Thank you. - Enjoy.- Thank you.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Panna cotta is one of those desserts I always order
0:22:31 > 0:22:35because I prefer it to sorbet, I prefer it to ice cream,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38in fact it's one of my top desserts.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42And the nice thing is the elderflower trees are just outside.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- As I say, locally grown gooseberries.- Yeah.
0:22:50 > 0:22:52They're delicious cos they're tart.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54Yeah. Local cream.
0:22:56 > 0:22:57Very good.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04- Mm, I love these fritters. - Yeah, they're great, aren't they?
0:23:06 > 0:23:09- It all works really well together. - Mm.
0:23:11 > 0:23:12It's delicious.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- Can I tell you something? - Certainly can.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19I haven't been in this area for 25 years and when I was last here,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23I visited a fantastic vineyard that's just down the road.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27- Can I show it to you?- I'd love to go to the vineyard.- Great.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35Monmouthshire is fast emerging as a respected wine-producing region,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37with Welsh vineyards gaining a reputation
0:23:37 > 0:23:40for their distinctive flavours.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43Sugarloaf grows seven varieties of grapes
0:23:43 > 0:23:47on its five acres of south-facing slopes.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50Its owner, Louise Ryan, is going to tell us
0:23:50 > 0:23:56why the local conditions make it the ideal spot for wine-making.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58- Hello.- Hello, Janet and Brian.- Hi. - Hi there.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Welcome to the vineyards. Let's go and have a look at the vines.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10So how many vineyards are there in Wales now?
0:24:10 > 0:24:15So it's a growing industry and we've got 16 in Wales at the moment,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17but the six are in Monmouthshire.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22So what is it about this particular plot of land
0:24:22 > 0:24:23that makes the vine grow here?
0:24:23 > 0:24:26It's the climate, it's the land, it's the aspect.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33So with all the different elements combined
0:24:33 > 0:24:35and the varieties we're planting,
0:24:35 > 0:24:39you've got that distinctiveness, then, that gives you the bouquet.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44Are you ending up with a dessert wine, a sweetish wine?
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Because a lot of wine in the UK falls into that category.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50- Actually we ended up as something slightly drier...- Right.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53..because we're growing more northerly,
0:24:53 > 0:24:55you end up with something drier,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58but you've got that aromatic character in it.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03So it's got bold fruit, but it's got a dryness behind it.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05- I'm desperate for a taste of it, though.- Yeah, yeah.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07- We've listened to all this. - Are you thirsty?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- I want to see if I can spot a Welsh wine.- Let's go do it.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19'To begin our tasting we're going to sample some wine
0:25:19 > 0:25:23'made from grapes grown right here in Louise's vineyard.'
0:25:26 > 0:25:29I find it a slight...
0:25:29 > 0:25:33grapefruity and slightly flinty for me.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36- I can see when I'd be drinking it. - A sunny day.- All day long.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39- Sunny...- A sunny day.- A sunny day. - Nice, fruity wine.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48'Louise is so confident of the unique body and flavour of the wine
0:25:48 > 0:25:51'from this region, she's challenged us to identify it
0:25:51 > 0:25:53'amongst some other respected foreign wines.'
0:25:53 > 0:25:57- This is slightly sweeter, is this? - Let's try the middle wine.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02That's got slightly less power to it,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05it isn't as sweet but it still has a sweetness to it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Too sweet for me.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11I realise I'm not using the flowery, pretentious language
0:26:11 > 0:26:12of the wine buff.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15OK, so you can move on to the last one and try that.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22That's yours.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24That's definitely your wine.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28I would not be surprised if all those three were Welsh wines.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30That is the wine I would say no to.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And that's the one, if I'd had two bottles of this one,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36I might be agreeable to drinking that one.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45So this first one was a New Zealand Gewurztraminer.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50The next one is a Pinot Grigio, Alsace.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53I'm quite surprised how I didn't enjoy that as much as I would think.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55- Yeah.- And the last one is...
0:26:55 > 0:26:59- Yeah!- ..the Welsh Madeleine Angevine.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01- Well, well done.- Congratulations.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03You've made a wine that is distinctive,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05that we spotted straightaway
0:27:05 > 0:27:07and it's quite, quite different to the other two.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Well done, I think that's... You've done a great job there,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12that really is lovely. I'm going to cook a celebration dish,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14so it would be really nice if I could buy some from you.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Could I just buy a case? Well, all right, just one.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21- No, we'll have a case, we'll have a case.- That's fine, we can do that.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30I couldn't possibly come to this region without delving
0:27:30 > 0:27:32into its long history.
0:27:34 > 0:27:39Situated at the confluence of the Wye and Monnow Rivers,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43the town of Monmouth has witnessed a long and turbulent past,
0:27:43 > 0:27:48with both the Welsh and the English vying for supremacy here.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51The best spot for us to start our exploration
0:27:51 > 0:27:55is the 13th-century Monnow Bridge.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Brian, I've brought you to Monmouth to see this incredible bridge.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02There isn't another one like it in the whole of Great Britain
0:28:02 > 0:28:05and it's one of only three in Europe.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10So it's a fortified bridge
0:28:10 > 0:28:14and that tower on it was used to collect tolls.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16It was a guardroom for soldiers
0:28:16 > 0:28:19and it was even turned into a private house.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22The bridge dates from the 13th century
0:28:22 > 0:28:24and it was built to defend the town.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28But guess what? The river is so shallow that if you just walk
0:28:28 > 0:28:31a little bit downstream, you can actually paddle across.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Anyway, what a fantastic structure.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- It's amazing, that, isn't it? - Yeah. Shall we explore the town?
0:28:43 > 0:28:47There's two different doors, that's probably when it was a tollbooth.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51- Yeah.- I wonder what you got charged for coming in.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Do you get change out of a farthing?
0:28:54 > 0:28:58Before we head into town, no historical visit to Monmouth
0:28:58 > 0:29:01is complete without a stop at its castle,
0:29:01 > 0:29:04or what's left of it, that is.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Monmouth is really important strategically
0:29:07 > 0:29:09because it sits between England and Wales,
0:29:09 > 0:29:13and the Normans built a castle here, originally,
0:29:13 > 0:29:18and then it was the home of John of Gaunt, and Henry V was born here.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22- Oh, right.- Of course Oliver Cromwell destroyed the castle.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24As Oliver Cromwell always did, eh?
0:29:24 > 0:29:26Yeah, and then after the Restoration,
0:29:26 > 0:29:31the beautiful house over there was built by the Duke of Beaufort
0:29:31 > 0:29:34and it still houses troops today.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43In the centre of Monmouth, Agincourt Square has statues
0:29:43 > 0:29:47commemorating local historical figures.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52So here we are in Agincourt Square,
0:29:52 > 0:29:55named after the famous battle at which Henry V was triumphant.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00And here's a statue of Charles Rolls
0:30:00 > 0:30:03- whose family have their home quite near here.- Oh, right.
0:30:03 > 0:30:04Now, Charles Rolls, as we all know,
0:30:04 > 0:30:09was a fantastic aviator, mechanic, very keen motorist
0:30:09 > 0:30:12and in 1904, he met Mr Royce.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16- I knew you were going to say that. - And they founded Rolls-Royce.
0:30:23 > 0:30:26All across Britain there are many counties
0:30:26 > 0:30:28facing a declining bee population.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30In Monmouthshire, however,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33efforts to create flower-rich habitats to support
0:30:33 > 0:30:37pollinating insects are doing much to help solve the problem.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Local beekeepers like Gareth Baker
0:30:40 > 0:30:44are becoming well known for producing top-quality honey
0:30:44 > 0:30:47and he's agreed to show us some of his colonies.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50If we can face getting up close and personal.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53- Hi, Gareth.- Hi, Janet, Brian. Come to have a look at the bees?
0:30:53 > 0:30:59- Yes, yeah. I'm slightly nervous. - No, not a problem at all.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01As Brian and I are NEWBEES,
0:31:01 > 0:31:06we'll need to be protected from head to toe before we venture any closer.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Oh, my goodness, what have we got to put on?
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Chemical warfare suit, wellies, welders' gloves.
0:31:15 > 0:31:16There's a little hole there.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18They're too big, they can't get through there.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21These don't come from a long line of limbo dancers,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23you'll be absolutely fine.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- Will you stop standing on my bit? - All right, OK.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31- Oh, what's that thing you're setting off?- That's the smoker.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35- It just calms the bees down a bit. - Why? Has it got Prozac in it?
0:31:35 > 0:31:38- Lead on. You go first. - OK.- Then they can sting you.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Gareth, what you got a gate for? Bees can fly through the gate.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Gareth, why's the honey here so special?
0:31:51 > 0:31:55In the Wye Valley, there's not an awful lot of farming,
0:31:55 > 0:31:57but what we do have is trees and hedges.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00So we get what I would call old-fashioned honey.
0:32:00 > 0:32:04So around here the farmers haven't cut down the hedges?
0:32:04 > 0:32:07- Yeah.- And the hedges are traditionally managed.
0:32:07 > 0:32:09And what we've done in Monmouthshire,
0:32:09 > 0:32:11we've actually declared Monmouth to be a bee friendly county.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15Is that why, when I arrived in Monmouthshire, I saw all the verges
0:32:15 > 0:32:17planted with wildflowers, on the roundabouts?
0:32:17 > 0:32:21And the hedge has not been mowed and flailed to death.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27Gareth's colonies have a wide variety of flora in this region
0:32:27 > 0:32:30from which to source their nectar.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32This year, I think we've had a bit of clover crop,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35I think the lime's been fairly good this year.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36For the time of the year,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38the season and what they actually go to,
0:32:38 > 0:32:41the flowers they go to, determines the flavour.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42That's what makes the honey.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45The honey the bees produce,
0:32:45 > 0:32:47it's a recipe written by nature.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- That's a very poetic way of putting it.- It's nice, is that.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54Hives need queen bees in order to thrive
0:32:54 > 0:32:58and Gareth's been doing his part to support the local bee population
0:32:58 > 0:33:01by helping to rear new queens in his own hives.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Oh, look at that.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08They've gone queen-less, but the bees are now rearing another queen.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11And what we've got here, that's a queen cell.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13Oh, right. Is the queen inside there?
0:33:13 > 0:33:15Yes, so we've got a queen that will hatch out shortly.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18We're happy that it's self-repairing.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Well, don't you need some honey for cooking, Brian?
0:33:24 > 0:33:26I'd love some honey.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34- So that's all full of honey now? - That's all full of honey,
0:33:34 > 0:33:38there's probably about 25 to 30lb of honey in each of these boxes.
0:33:40 > 0:33:42That is some amazing comb honey.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45Now, that looks perfect for my celebration cook,
0:33:45 > 0:33:47so can I have some of that for cooking with, please?
0:33:47 > 0:33:50You can take that with pleasure, Brian. There you go.
0:33:50 > 0:33:51What a gentleman.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Now we've got our hands on some
0:33:59 > 0:34:02delicious locally produced ingredients,
0:34:02 > 0:34:06we're all set to cook a dish to celebrate a taste of Monmouthshire.
0:34:06 > 0:34:10I've invited some of the locals we've met along the way,
0:34:10 > 0:34:12so let's hope they approve.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14And what a great place this is, eh?
0:34:14 > 0:34:16And look, we've got our friends all here,
0:34:16 > 0:34:18James is here, our charcuterie man, fantastic.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21Louise, wonderful Monmouthshire wine, thank you very much, darling.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23We're going to use it in our recipe today.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26And, of course, Gareth, this marvellous honey.
0:34:26 > 0:34:27What I'm going to cook for you,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29I'm going to revolve it all around honey,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- I'm going to make some little madeleine biscuits.- Fabulous.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34Made with honey instead of all sugar,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38- and then pears poached in honey... - Honey.- ..and butter.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41It's a really simple recipe is this and it all centres around this honey
0:34:41 > 0:34:45which comes from 200 yards just over there.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48Now, madeleines, you said they're biscuits,
0:34:48 > 0:34:50but they're kind of spongy biscuits, aren't they?
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Spongy biscuits is correct, yes.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56So, first thing we do, we take a bit of sugar,
0:34:56 > 0:34:59and a bit of demerara sugar goes in there.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02A couple of eggs.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06And then a vanilla seed here. If you haven't got vanilla pod,
0:35:06 > 0:35:09you can use a bit of vanilla essence, that works OK.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16- Now thanks to modern technology... - Oh, yeah.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19..we're going to whisk this up.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21And what we need to do now is we need to beat that up
0:35:21 > 0:35:24until it's about twice its size and a lot lighter.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27It's almost there, can everybody else see that? Look, see?
0:35:27 > 0:35:30- It's foamy.- It's foamy, got... - That's the trick, isn't it?
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Bags of air in there, but as you say, these are so light
0:35:33 > 0:35:35and so tasty.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- You can see its track now, OK? So... - Yeah, that's how you know.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44That's how you know it's ready.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47What I've got over here, I've got a pan on and I've put some butter
0:35:47 > 0:35:52in there just to make it a really nice and smooth sponge.
0:35:52 > 0:35:53And I'm going to put some of this,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56Gareth, some of your wonderful honey in there.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58This smells so good, does this.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05That goes in there and it just wants to melt.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10Over here I've got some plain flour.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14And I've got some baking powder.
0:36:18 > 0:36:23So then we take a spoon and we just carefully stir this in.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26You've worked hard to put air in there,
0:36:26 > 0:36:29what you don't want to do is to start knocking it out, OK?
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Now, one other thing we've got to put in there,
0:36:33 > 0:36:37- that's our butter and our honey. - Yeah.- They've all melted together.
0:36:38 > 0:36:43Pour it down the side of the bowl, just stir it in.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Not too fast.
0:36:45 > 0:36:50- It will... It's looking more like a batter.- Yeah.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53Now the problem at this stage is, it's now becoming quite soft,
0:36:53 > 0:36:59so I found that you need to put it in a fridge for about 30 minutes.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02- Oh, that's interesting. - Just to cool down.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Put it in the fridge if you would, please.
0:37:04 > 0:37:05And there's one in there,
0:37:05 > 0:37:08if you bring that out that will certainly help.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10As if by magic, Brian, I'm back.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12THEY LAUGH
0:37:12 > 0:37:15- With a cold one. - I thought it was too good...
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- Look, it's got...it's a really... - It was too good to be true,
0:37:18 > 0:37:20I was never going to get rid of you for ever.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Right, so you all know the trick.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25You just twist the bottom a little bit
0:37:25 > 0:37:28- and you put it in a container like this.- Yes.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30And then we can scrape it in there
0:37:30 > 0:37:32without it all coming out the bottom, says he.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35See, look, it's got that little bit stiffer which is really...
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Once again, we don't want to knock the air of it.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41And these cook very quickly, and if you can, when they come out,
0:37:41 > 0:37:45you want to put them in a warm place, these are best served warm.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47- So, got these lovely madeleine moulds.- Yeah.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50I'm sure you've got some, and we brush them with butter
0:37:50 > 0:37:52and dust them with a bit of flour. So now you very carefully...
0:37:52 > 0:37:54Oh, I want to see how you do this.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Well, just a little half inch. The trick is once again...
0:37:57 > 0:37:58So you don't fill it up?
0:37:58 > 0:38:00- No, absolutely not. - That's been my mistake.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02- It'll spread across.- Yeah.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05And they'll also rise because of the baking powder.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09So these need to go in the oven very quickly,
0:38:09 > 0:38:12220 degrees for no more than five minutes. Go!
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Right, while she's away,
0:38:14 > 0:38:18I'm just going to cut these pears up into a dice.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21We've got some local butter on and this is just to serve with them,
0:38:21 > 0:38:25to make it into more of a dessert than just an after-dinner snack.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Your slave is back.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34- You did a good job there, well done. - Yeah?- Thank you very much.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36So look, I'm just dicing these pears,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39you don't want pears that are overripe either.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42Yeah, my dice is never that regular.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45I've been practising for a few years, lass.
0:38:48 > 0:38:53So I'm going to use some of this lovely wine here, Angevine.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54Can the assistant have a...?
0:38:54 > 0:38:57- Of course, it's quite warm, I'm afraid.- Thank you.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00And then, of course, I've still got some of this lovely honey.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02So take that honey.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04Put that in there.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07No sugar, just pure...
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Oh, gorgeous.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18White wine, butter, honey, that's all it is.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26So we'll take a dish and the beauty of these, look,
0:39:26 > 0:39:28when you turn them out,
0:39:28 > 0:39:31it's the cooking side that actually is a fantastic colour.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33- They look like shells. - They do, yes.
0:39:33 > 0:39:36So we'll just lay them around the dish.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41And all I'm going to do now
0:39:41 > 0:39:48is just put that lovely pear mixture with the honey in the middle.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56Just give that a little reduction so it's really nice
0:39:56 > 0:39:59and reinforces the flavour, particularly of the honey,
0:39:59 > 0:40:01cos it just...
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Just smell that.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07- Is that good or is that good? - So strong.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09See, that's just started to thicken up there.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13That butter and that honey together, just in the middle.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16And there you have it.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20Just for you, Welsh madeleines with local honey
0:40:20 > 0:40:23and local wine and pears.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- Ta-da!- Thank you, Brian.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Now, before our friends have a taste, go on, tell us what you think.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Mm!
0:40:37 > 0:40:40The honey's great, Gareth.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42The madeleine...
0:40:42 > 0:40:44Mm, divine.
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- All right, your sauce is great. - Yes!
0:40:49 > 0:40:52I suppose we ought to invite our guests to have a taste, then,
0:40:52 > 0:40:54- should we?- Do we have to?- No.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56Come and taste it.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Right, Gareth, what's it like?
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Cor, do you know, it's kind of hard to believe that Brian could
0:41:11 > 0:41:15actually improve on the taste of honey, but this is amazing.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Really? You're not worried his head's going to get so big,
0:41:17 > 0:41:20it won't fit in one of your bee suits?
0:41:21 > 0:41:26King of black puddings, salami and chorizo.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29And king of eating this as well.
0:41:29 > 0:41:30Delicious.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37So, your wine, his honey, my madeleines, what do you think?
0:41:37 > 0:41:38Absolutely beautiful.
0:41:38 > 0:41:41The honey is so intense you can really taste that coming through
0:41:41 > 0:41:44and the pears really lift it as well, they lift the sponge.
0:41:44 > 0:41:45So, amazing.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Well, Monmouth, what a place.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56It's so surprising, there's so much to see here.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57So pretty, parts of it.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01Yeah, Monmouth itself, fabulous town, I think,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03and the countryside, so beautiful,
0:42:03 > 0:42:06not enough people come and explore it, I don't think.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10- I think you're right.- Well, we had Harvey's historic orchard.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11You got your own pear tree...
0:42:11 > 0:42:15- That's right.- ..that nobody else... - That's right.- ..in the UK has.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Don't forget the wine at Sugarloaf Vineyard, that was tremendous.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20If I'd had two bottles of this one,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23I might be agreeable to drinking that one.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26We went to see Simon's restaurant, that lovely elderflower.
0:42:26 > 0:42:27- Yes.- That was delicious.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29And the bees.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31Our encounter with the bees.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Oh, what's that thing you're setting off?
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Well, at least we got something sweet out of it.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40I think you're right, honey.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43And on that ghastly pun, I think we can say...
0:42:43 > 0:42:45That was...
0:42:45 > 0:42:47BOTH: A taste of Monmouth.