0:00:02 > 0:00:04Some of the best British produce is under threat.
0:00:04 > 0:00:07- At the mercy of foreign invaders, market forces...- And food fashion.
0:00:07 > 0:00:12- Produce that has been around for centuries...- Could die out within a generation.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14So together we're on a mission...
0:00:14 > 0:00:19- To save it.- We're going to be giving you the best tips how to find it, grow it and cook it.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22And, crucially, how to put sensational British produce...
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Back on the food map.
0:01:00 > 0:01:06I'm James Martin and I'm on a mission to find out why we aren't buying one of our greatest fruits.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Introduced by the Romans for its nutritious, versatile qualities,
0:01:09 > 0:01:13it's fallen out of favour over the years due to foreign imports.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16What is it? It's the Great British apple.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Let's be honest, the supermarket shelves are bursting with apples,
0:01:24 > 0:01:29but surprisingly over 65% of these are imported.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33I'm passionate about promoting British heritage apples,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36whose distinct flavours are threatened with being lost forever.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40In my campaign to help revive the British apple,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43I'll be getting to the root of why it all started to go horribly wrong.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47Supermarkets now demand perfect quality, texture, shape,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50but they forget the most important thing - taste.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53I'll be revealing the lengths some of the Great British public
0:01:53 > 0:01:56are willing to go to to help save the British apple.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59And, crucially, what you can all do to help.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03And in the revival kitchen, I'll be showing you three fantastic recipes
0:02:03 > 0:02:09to get our apples back onto the dinner plate, including my weekend feast of roast pork belly
0:02:09 > 0:02:13and an apple tart - the perfect pudding to wow family and friends.
0:02:13 > 0:02:18And if you're on a treadmill at this moment in time, run a bit quicker, cos the rest is coming.
0:02:23 > 0:02:30So why am I so fanatical about British apples and why am I so keen to help their revival?
0:02:30 > 0:02:34I remember trying a good old British apple for the first time in my gran's garden.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37At the bottom of her allotment she had an apple tree
0:02:37 > 0:02:40and jumping up as a kid, I used to pick these things.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43It was full of flavour, full of moisture more than anything else.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46She used to make amazing apple pies out of it, and at Bonfire Night,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49stick a fork in it and you used to have delicious toffee apples.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53There's nothing better in my mind than a good old British apple.
0:02:55 > 0:03:01There was a time when over 1,200 different native British apples were grown across the UK.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06But since the 1950s, we've lost 60% of our apple orchards
0:03:06 > 0:03:10as farmers have been forced to turn them over to more profitable crops.
0:03:10 > 0:03:17And where 25 years ago there were 1,500 commercial apple growers, now there are just 500.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22To get to the heart of the problem, I'm starting my journey
0:03:22 > 0:03:25at this 240-acre fruit farm near Sittingbourne,
0:03:25 > 0:03:30which produces over two and half million kilos of apples every year,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32but they only grow four types.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34So what variety are these?
0:03:34 > 0:03:36We've got Rubens apples here.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38- Relatively a new one?- Very new, yeah.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40These have been in the ground...
0:03:40 > 0:03:45This is their fourth year. And I don't think there are any older orchards of Rubens in the country.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Rubens are a recent arrival from Italy, becoming popular
0:03:48 > 0:03:52with British growers because of their consistent taste and quality.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56What dictates whether or not you grow Rubens or Coxes?
0:03:56 > 0:04:00Is it something that you dictate, the supermarket, consumer, or is it the climate we're in?
0:04:00 > 0:04:03The consumer, I think, led, probably, by the supermarket.
0:04:03 > 0:04:09There's a need now, or a want, for a nice, red, shiny apple, as opposed to the old varieties
0:04:09 > 0:04:12that are a lot more russety and older and harder to farm.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17So the reality is that growers like Will have been forced
0:04:17 > 0:04:20to turn to new varieties to satisfy the supermarkets.
0:04:20 > 0:04:26But what I find more disturbing is that most of the apples sold in our stores aren't even grown here.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Surely, a British apple picked and on the shelves in days
0:04:29 > 0:04:33must taste better than one shipped from thousands of miles away?
0:04:34 > 0:04:40I'm taking my campaign to the streets and I want to see if the public can taste the difference
0:04:40 > 0:04:45between an imported apple and a British one of exactly the same variety.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- Taste a bit.- Thank you.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50That's a Gala apple, OK?
0:04:50 > 0:04:52That's a Gala, too.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56- Can you tell the difference? - That's loads better.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58This one's travelled 8,000 miles.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01I went into a supermarket 800 yards away from here.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I couldn't find your apple that was produced a mile away...
0:05:04 > 0:05:06No, I'm always complaining in...
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- I won't mention which one. - It doesn't surprise me.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- Can you taste any difference? - Mm.- Which one?
0:05:12 > 0:05:14You prefer the local one. That's quite interesting.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- I don't know... - Yeah, that is the local one.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- How are you doing, guys? You all right?- That one's better.
0:05:20 > 0:05:21This one? Why is that?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23- It's more sweeter.- More sweeter.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Almost without exception, people prefer the freshness of the British Gala.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33So I simply can't understand why supermarkets aren't clamouring for more of them.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37When selecting apples to send to supermarkets, we look for something
0:05:37 > 0:05:39that they can have an amount of continuity of supply on.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42If you're looking at Gala and Braeburn around the world,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46they're available 12 months of the year and we will put British in when available.
0:05:46 > 0:05:52Now talking about around the world, because I'll be honest with you, about a mile down the road I went
0:05:52 > 0:05:58to a supermarket and there was not a single British apple and I got one from New Zealand and one from Chile.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02And that's a mile away. Do you think it's people's knowledge or what is it?
0:06:02 > 0:06:07I'm afraid I can't defend them. They don't any excuse not to have English apples at this time of year.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Beginning of October is our busiest trading year in English apples.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15There should be anything up to 15 varieties they could choose from.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18But all too often that choice isn't there.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22We can grow as good a fruit if not better than anywhere else in the world.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24It's just people's perception.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27If all they see is a foreign apple, that's what they buy.
0:06:27 > 0:06:33So the first step on the road to the revival of the Great British apple is clear.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37Next time I'm in the supermarket, I'm definitely going to look out for a British label.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44We can all play our part in reviving the Great British apple and that starts with eating them.
0:06:44 > 0:06:51For my first recipe I'll be making a traditional apple Charlotte, featuring Will's Rubens apples.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54There's basically three ingredients in this -
0:06:54 > 0:06:57butter, bread and the good old apple.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00The really good qualities that come out of an apple are really needed
0:07:00 > 0:07:05for this dish, because if it's got a poor taste in the apple, it's never going to work.
0:07:05 > 0:07:11I'm going to stew these Rubens down for the filling of the Charlottes and as soon as you cut into them,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14you can see how moist and full of flavour they are.
0:07:14 > 0:07:20There's so much difference. You just get that secondary whack of flavour in your mouth.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Apple Charlotte was actually named after Queen Charlotte
0:07:24 > 0:07:28and it's been around since about the 1800s. And there's two apple Charlottes.
0:07:28 > 0:07:34There's either Charlotte Russe, which is traditionally set, and the French have nicked that one.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Whereas us British have really kept to our tradition
0:07:36 > 0:07:40with the apple Charlotte being that hot dessert lined with bread.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43So a touch of sugar in here, a bit of butter.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Throw in the apples.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49It will only take about four to five minutes.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53You could make a large one, but I'm going to prepare individual Charlottes,
0:07:53 > 0:07:55which will speed up the cooking process.
0:07:55 > 0:08:00Now I know what you're going to say, white sliced bread, but my grandmother taught me this recipe.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03She used it, so I'm using it.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07Chop out a bread disc, dip both sides in melted butter
0:08:07 > 0:08:11and place in the bottom of a ramekin on top of some sliced apples.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14And then you can take the edge.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16And you dip them in,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18place them in there.
0:08:18 > 0:08:24And then just carefully overlap it only about a centimetre just overlapped around the edge.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29Don't be frightened to press it into the sides a bit.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33So apples are just about there now.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37You have to ram it full of fruit.
0:08:37 > 0:08:43So really cram it all in and you'd be surprised how many apples
0:08:43 > 0:08:46go in just two desserts like this.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51To finish, simply place a buttered disc on top and bake in the oven at 200 degrees.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59So after about eight minutes,
0:08:59 > 0:09:00you'll end up with these.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Now it will souffle up. The apples rise up and they souffle up.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07And the top part of the bread becomes a little bit dry.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11So the best tip is to take a clean tea towel and cover them over,
0:09:11 > 0:09:16just press them slightly and they'll start to drop back down again.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20And when they are ready, they can simply be turned out on to a plate.
0:09:20 > 0:09:26Just leave it for a couple of seconds and then, hopefully, you should be able to lift this off.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35Quite pleased with that.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37And there we have it - my apple Charlotte.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41Perfect with a dollop of homemade thyme custard.
0:09:41 > 0:09:47The apples are just starting to fall.
0:09:47 > 0:09:53You've almost got a little bite in there, but you've still got the puree in there and that's what you need.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Good old Queen Charlotte.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59She had good taste, that lass.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08I'm on a campaign to revive the ailing British apple,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12but for some farmers competing against cheaper imports
0:10:12 > 0:10:14might not make commercial sense.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17So what can they do with all that unsold fruit?
0:10:17 > 0:10:21Now until recently, all the apples in this orchard were given to the pigs as pig feed.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25The supermarkets didn't want them, they didn't produce the perfect-looking apple.
0:10:25 > 0:10:31But their loss is our gain because the owners are now turning it into the perfect drink - cider.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Simon Reed helps run the Hawkins Rough Orchard near Canterbury,
0:10:35 > 0:10:39where they've been making artisan cider for the last four years.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- Hi, Simon. Busy at work, I see.- Yeah, definitely.- Harvest time.- It is.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46This is like, to me, the picture-postcard apple orchard.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48So what varieties have you got, then?
0:10:48 > 0:10:52We've got three main varieties - Bramley, Worcester and Crispin.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54And we're under a Bramley tree here.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56People looking at this will go, "Well, they're red."
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Most people look at supermarket Bramleys and they're all green.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02Well, these are the real, natural colour.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Also we get a little bit of cross-pollination from the Worcesters,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08so we're getting red and green.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11And this is the more typical Bramley in a real orchard.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15- But also smaller as well.- Yeah, absolutely.- Have we got enough?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17- We've got enough. - Right, you carry that one.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19I'll carry this one.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21How many do we need to make a litre anyway?
0:11:21 > 0:11:23We need about two kilograms.
0:11:25 > 0:11:32Simon produces four types of cider, but with these Bramley apples he'll be making his dry cider.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35First the apples are fed onto a conveyor belt
0:11:35 > 0:11:39and passed through a scratter, which chops them up into small pieces.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44Next, the pulp is wrapped in hessian mesh cloths, which are stacked on top
0:11:44 > 0:11:48of each other until there's enough to make one pressing.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52Finally, the strained juice is poured into Scottish whisky barrels made of oak,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55where it's left to ferment and mature for a year or more.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57So what are we trying first?
0:11:57 > 0:12:00This is the Rough Old Wife, our dry cider.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Only you could think of a name like that.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08- It is dry, isn't it?- Mm.
0:12:08 > 0:12:13You should get a little bit of oak and a little whisky starting to come through at the end.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15You do get the whisky!
0:12:16 > 0:12:19- So what have we got here, a medium one?- Yep.
0:12:19 > 0:12:20What would be your biggest seller?
0:12:20 > 0:12:26I guess we'd say probably the medium cider. But that tends to reflect age groups as well.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- Right.- The older people tend to have a slightly drier palate.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31All right. Cheers.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35See, that's more my kind of thing.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39- You're a younger man. - Well, -ish, -ish!
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Cheers.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46I have to say, it's real hats off to what Simon's done here.
0:12:46 > 0:12:52Taking a product that used to be served to the pigs and producing a fantastic artisan product.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58Cider makers don't care about perfectly formed apples, as it's all about great flavour.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02So this is the next way we can all support the British apple industry.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Cider made from apples, that's one product that can really benefit
0:13:05 > 0:13:09from people going into their local pub saying, "I want a real cider."
0:13:09 > 0:13:12That's makes the difference. Why don't we all get behind it
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and start saying we want to buy the real apple?
0:13:15 > 0:13:20If the supermarkets don't want these apples, then I certainly do.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24The sharpness of Simon's Bramleys will be perfect for my next recipe
0:13:24 > 0:13:27of roast pork belly stuffed with apples and sage.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30And for this dish you need the right type of meat.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33What's really important with pork belly,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37it needs to be pork that's bred to do one thing and one thing only,
0:13:37 > 0:13:42that's sit in a field and eat, predominantly apples. Not bred to do the 100-metre hurdles,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45i.e. have too much meat to fat on there.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47It's got to be almost 50-50%, which this is.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Score the belly with a sharp blade to ensure you get great crackling.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Now get some really good sea salt.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Put plenty on the board.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02Take the pork and place it on top of the salt, like that.
0:14:02 > 0:14:08Now this is where you use the Bramley-style apples that we got from those orchards. Fantastic apples.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Now the process of putting apples, on particularly meat like pork,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13has been around for thousands of years.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16The Romans used to serve apples and pork.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21They've got an element of sharpness and sharpness will cut through the fat of the meat.
0:14:21 > 0:14:27And all I'm going to do is just grate the apple over the top of the pork, like that.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Add some sage, about six leaves should be enough.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38Roll, then tie up the pork.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42The whole idea of this is to keep the meat nice and tight while it cooks.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Start at one end and tie a little knot
0:14:46 > 0:14:48in the top.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50And you do a loop.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Pull the string through and you're almost lassoing.
0:14:54 > 0:14:55And it starts to tighten up.
0:14:55 > 0:15:01Finish off the end with a double knot and put the roll of belly on a bed of onions, ready for the oven.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05It's important when you're doing pork like this and you want nice
0:15:05 > 0:15:08and crispy crackling, you get the oven as hot as you can.
0:15:08 > 0:15:14About 250 degrees centigrade. As hot as the oven will go and shock it with nothing else for about half an hour.
0:15:14 > 0:15:20So in the meantime, I'm going to show you how to make the perfect apple accompaniment.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24The secret, I find, with my apple sauce is brown sugar,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28cos I think it really lends itself well to the caramelisation of the apples.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32So get a nice hot pan on the stove first of all.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33And then we've got our apples here.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38Now this is what I love about apples from an orchard. This is how they should be.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Supermarkets would just throw these away,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44but there's so much flavour, even though they're marked.
0:15:44 > 0:15:49It's such a shame that apples like this are used for just cider.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53It doesn't matter about the brown anyway, you throw the whole lot in.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55See, look at that - proper apple.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Grab some of our sugar.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04We don't like too much sugar, cos obviously you want to use
0:16:04 > 0:16:08that sharpness to cut through the fattiness of the meat.
0:16:08 > 0:16:14Add cinnamon and nutmeg to give it that rich, aromatic flavour, followed by the apples.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19And keep the pan really hot so the sugar starts to caramelise.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Once the apples start to brown, add the cider.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Slightly cover the fruit and simmer for about five minutes.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29And that's your spicy apple sauce.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34You can allow that to go cold, stick it in a glass jar and it will last for a week. Easy as that.
0:16:35 > 0:16:41After three hours slow roasting on a low heat, the pork should be perfect.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Now this is what it's all about - the end.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Or rather, nearly the end.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51Check that out - nice, lovely roast pork.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53I'm going to lift that off now.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59This is always the chef's piece.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07It's worth the three-hour wait! Trust me.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10There's nothing better than roast belly pork.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13And stuffed with those apples, it makes it even better.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18And there you have it, my slow-roast belly pork
0:17:18 > 0:17:21stuffed with apples and sage with a lovely spiced apple sauce.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33I remember walking round an apple orchard for the first time when I was just a young kid.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36The taste of a freshly picked apple was fantastic.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41I remember it being a Russet Pippin and the flavour was very similar to pineapple.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45But over recent years, most of our heritage varieties have almost disappeared
0:17:45 > 0:17:48and if we don't support them, they'll be gone forever.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Thankfully, there is a place in Faversham that's striving
0:17:56 > 0:18:01to keep our heritage apple trees alive, including one with a unique history.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04Now this is the Isaac Newton fruit tree.
0:18:04 > 0:18:09It's been around since the 17th century. It's not the actual tree, but the DNA's the same.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12It's part of the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale Farm.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14And it's this that's really important.
0:18:14 > 0:18:20It's our heritage, it's our history and it's vital that we keep it going.
0:18:20 > 0:18:27This is a real treasure trove, home to 650 different varieties of native British apple trees,
0:18:27 > 0:18:34and for many of them, this is the only location in the world where they're still grown.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38- Ah, Margaret.- Oh, hello, James.- How are you doing? Lovely to see you.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40Show me some of your collection.
0:18:40 > 0:18:47The work they do here at Brogdale is crucial if we're to keep a living link with our apple heritage.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52And whilst I'm here, I'm hoping to pick up a couple of varieties to use in my last recipe.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Well, we're looking for a really special apple for you, James,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58and this is one called Golden Noble.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00So what's the history behind this, then?
0:19:00 > 0:19:05Well, this was an apple that was discovered in the middle of the late 1800s.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09- So the Victorians would cook with these?- They certainly would
0:19:09 > 0:19:11and it was one of the well-favoured apples,
0:19:11 > 0:19:14because it looks nice when cooked. It keeps a lovely colour.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19- Now, it's a soft texture but quite sharp as well. - It has that little sharpness.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23- Is there plenty of these around or not?- This is rare. You won't buy this in the shop.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Which is great. Even rarer now.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34- Ballard Beauty.- That's right. And it's a beautiful little apple. - Right.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37It is thought to have got Cox in its parentage and so it's going to have
0:19:37 > 0:19:41- that quite nice intense flavour. - And the size of it's quite small?
0:19:41 > 0:19:45It's a lovely small apple, which is probably why you don't see it around,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49because it's not commercial. Small apples are not commercial.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54This is a very odd peculiarity called Knobby Russet.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57- Right.- You can see the Russet and you can see the knobs.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Right. So is this a cooking, eating apple? What is it?
0:20:00 > 0:20:04- It is, supposedly, an eating apple. - Now, the unique thing about these...
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Cos this is the most unusual apple I think I've ever seen.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11If people have apple trees, don't know what it is, could they bring you a cutting?
0:20:11 > 0:20:18Yes. They need to send us about three apples, plus some foliage and a little bit of its history.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20And we do a very good identification service.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25And even better, I think, you can take a little sampling of these trees home.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27So you could actually grown your own...
0:20:27 > 0:20:30You can. We supple a grafting service, so any one of the varieties
0:20:30 > 0:20:35that you see in the collection that takes your fancy we can provide a new baby tree for you.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39I'm having a bit of Knobby Russet in my back garden, that's what I'm having.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42Brogdale isn't just steeped in history.
0:20:42 > 0:20:47It's also using its collection and new farming techniques to help grow the apples of the future.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51They're developing new types of trees, some with two trunks
0:20:51 > 0:20:55and others which don't grow long branches, making them resemble vines.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58As they need less pruning and the fruit is easier to pick,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01this should keep the cost down for the British farmers
0:21:01 > 0:21:05and help them compete for shelf space in the supermarkets.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08Having been here for just one day, I've fallen in love with this place.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12I love what Brogdale are doing. I love embracing technology and new research,
0:21:12 > 0:21:17but for me really the true ethos of this place is in the heritage varieties.
0:21:17 > 0:21:21650 varieties of native English apples.
0:21:21 > 0:21:28That's almost half, just half, of what the native apple population of the UK once was.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31And if you have got an apple tree at home, if you really think
0:21:31 > 0:21:36you've got something peculiar and something odd and great tasting in your back garden,
0:21:36 > 0:21:41this is the place where you can send it to and you can find out whether it's one of the 600 missing trees.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48My last recipe is another dessert. As pastry is my passion, you'll have to forgive me.
0:21:48 > 0:21:56I'm going to show you a show-stopping baked custard and apple tart with a spiced apple compote.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Now I'm using this Golden Noble here. Now it is actually quite rare.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04There's only two of these trees in Kent, but you can use Cox's apples which are good.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08It has a little sharp flavour to it as well, which works well with this recipe.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10I'm going to puree this one into a tart.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12And this Ballard Beauty that we've got here...
0:22:12 > 0:22:17Quite a sharp-tasting apple as well. But again, you can use the same Cox's apple for this one.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20I'm going to roast it off as a little compote on the side.
0:22:20 > 0:22:27So first thing I'm going to do is make our pastry. Now for that I need some flour and some sugar.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30My grandmother used to make this while watching Corrie.
0:22:30 > 0:22:35And I can't even get close to how good she was at making it, cos she used to do it all the time.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40But she used to rub it together in her hands and it almost dissolved when you put it in your mouth.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44Mix together with some butter to get a fine crumb.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46Add an egg
0:22:46 > 0:22:50and bring together to form a dough.
0:22:50 > 0:22:55Refrigerate that for about 20 minutes before rolling out.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01Now I remember doing this for the first time in France when I was training as a pastry chef.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05So you used to get a copy of the French equivalent
0:23:05 > 0:23:11to The Sun newspaper and you used to have to read the newspaper through the pastry.
0:23:11 > 0:23:16And until you could read it, the pastry chef wouldn't let me line the tin.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19So get it as thin as you possibly can.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23And to stop the pastry from breaking up, gently lay it over the tart tin
0:23:23 > 0:23:29and carefully press it in before baking it blind for about five minutes.
0:23:29 > 0:23:34Right, for our puree, the most important thing is to try not to make it too sweet.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37You want that definition of custard, which is sweet,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40although we're not putting sugar in, I'm going to use honey.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47Place the chunks of apple in the pan with some melted butter and a touch of sugar until they soften.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53So while that's cooking... Remember this tartlet's in two stages.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56There's layers to it. So for this, we're going to make a cold custard.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Start with three whole eggs and two egg yolks.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02We're going to add some honey.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07And then double cream.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12This is definitely...
0:24:12 > 0:24:13not for the health conscious.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18And if you're on a treadmill at this moment in time, run a bit quicker, cos the rest is coming.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24That's it. You don't need to do anything else with that.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27Having egg washed the pastry case, to help seal it,
0:24:27 > 0:24:31cook for a further five minutes and then you can trim off the edges.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34These bits here are for the chef.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39Delicious!
0:24:39 > 0:24:44Just like granny used to make. Homemade pastry is the best.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Next you can grab your puree
0:24:46 > 0:24:51and pop the puree just in the base of your tartlet, like that.
0:24:53 > 0:24:59Grab in some of this...lovely mixture. Carefully ladle it on.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05And then fill the rest of it
0:25:05 > 0:25:06while you're down here.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11And make sure that it's really full to the brim.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Then gently cook it in the oven on a low heat for about an hour.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22Now to go alongside this I thought I'd do a nice little apple compote.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Very simple.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27For this I'm using the small Ballard Beauty.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Its intense flavour will combine perfectly with the spices in the compote.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33In we go with a sprinkle of sugar.
0:25:33 > 0:25:39And this will start to caramelise in the pan straightaway. I can then throw in the apples.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44So just leave it like that.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47And at the same time now we can add our spices.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51I want a sensory overload of wintry flavours, so I'm using star anise,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55ground cloves, nutmeg, vanilla and cinnamon.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Straightaway it smells Christmassy.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59You can use some Armagnac brandy.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Perfect combination with apples.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Flame this.
0:26:04 > 0:26:11It gets rid of all that alcohol straightaway. Look at that!
0:26:11 > 0:26:15And that's it. That's your simple little apple compote done.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18I've allowed the tart to rest in the fridge for about half an hour.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21So here's a neat and simple tip to get it out of the tin.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25Lift out your tartlet tin. Take something small, like that.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Hold it and it just falls underneath.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34And then you can lift this off.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37You can take a nice slice.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41It should just fall a little bit.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45There, look at that. That's what you're looking for.
0:26:45 > 0:26:51Put some of your apple compote on there and then, finally...
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Cos I did warn you lot at the gym.
0:26:54 > 0:27:00..double cream. And then just serve that on the side.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04And there you have my apple and custard tart with a compote of spiced apples.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07See, Granny Smith. That's not the name of an apple,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09that's what she was called - Granny Smith.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12She'd be looking down on me now going,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14"You've listened to me, lad."
0:27:14 > 0:27:17That's delicious.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26So how do we get people to eat more British apples?
0:27:26 > 0:27:28We could ask the supermarkets to do more.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Personally, I think it's our fault.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32It's our lack of understanding
0:27:32 > 0:27:35about what's really great and grown right on our doorstep.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40And if the British apple is to stand any chance of being revived, we all need to play our part.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43And even if you don't have your own apple trees, that's no excuse.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46Take these residents of New Ash Green in Kent,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48who take part in a community scheme
0:27:48 > 0:27:52which has reclaimed an ancient apple orchard within their village.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56Their housing estate was built in the 1960s on derelict farmland
0:27:56 > 0:28:00and the orchard remained abandoned until seven years ago.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02I think people are really proud
0:28:02 > 0:28:05of having such a really brilliant, traditional orchard
0:28:05 > 0:28:07right in the heart of their village.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11There are around 200 similar projects across the country
0:28:11 > 0:28:14and they all provide more than just a link with the past.
0:28:14 > 0:28:20It's not just about the physical act of picking the apples, but it's the chance of eating them afterwards.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22And that's the important bit!
0:28:22 > 0:28:26'So it's simple. It's up to us to protect and revive our British apples.
0:28:26 > 0:28:31'There are many ways to support this. Support your local shop, anything that's selling British apples.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33'Visit your local orchard. Grow a tree yourself.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36'Cos, to be honest, if we don't support'
0:28:36 > 0:28:39the British apple, most of this stuff is going to be gone forever.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41So really it's down to us.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Now here's another Great British product
0:28:46 > 0:28:48that's in need of a revival.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59I'm Matt Tebbutt and there's one thing that I'm passionate about reviving.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03It's been overlooked and overcooked for far too long.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05But when done properly, it can be spectacular.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07It's British mutton.
0:29:07 > 0:29:12'Mutton has acquired a bad reputation as a tough, second-class meat when, in reality,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16'it packs a powerful flavour that I believe is even more delicious
0:29:16 > 0:29:20'than the more popular alternative of lamb.
0:29:20 > 0:29:26'So as part of my revival, I'll be visiting a sheep farm to find out where that flavour comes from.'
0:29:26 > 0:29:28Wow! Here they come. Look at them. They're amazing.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Well, amazing to me. You see them on a daily basis.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Fantastic. And, you know, these are looking well. They're ideal for mutton.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39'I'll be getting to grips with the quality of their sheep.'
0:29:39 > 0:29:40I feel like James Herriot.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45'I'll be asking one of our top Indian chefs what he thinks of the British attitude to mutton.'
0:29:46 > 0:29:51They have got something fabulous that they've been ignoring for the last six generations.
0:29:51 > 0:29:57'And I'll also be in the revival kitchen conjuring with the exotic flavours of North Africa,
0:29:57 > 0:30:03'as well as helping you rediscover a forgotten British classic.'
0:30:03 > 0:30:05If that doesn't change your opinion, nothing will.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15'As a chef, I know how wonderful and diverse mutton can be.'
0:30:15 > 0:30:19It's good, gutsy flavours that people can recreate at home.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22My love of mutton came from reading old-fashioned cookery books.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25And mutton is weaved within all these pages.
0:30:27 > 0:30:34But it deserves a place on the family dining table and I'm on a mission to go and put it back there.
0:30:36 > 0:30:42'The definition of mutton is generally accepted to be the meat of a sheep over two years old.
0:30:44 > 0:30:49'This makes it very different from the much younger lamb which floods our supermarket shelves.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53'Unlike lamb, mutton is from an animal that has grazed,
0:30:53 > 0:30:58'giving the meat a wonderful deep red colour and a succulent texture.
0:30:59 > 0:31:05'However, our modern, fast-paced lifestyles have steered us away from our slow-cooking traditions,
0:31:05 > 0:31:10'leaving mutton's once-proud reputation behind it.'
0:31:10 > 0:31:16Well, isn't mutton just tough old sheep with the wool taken off?
0:31:17 > 0:31:19'It's this opinion that I want to change.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23'But this isn't the first time I've championed mutton.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26'In 2004, I was involved with a mutton renaissance campaign
0:31:26 > 0:31:30'that set out to get the nation eating this wonderful meat once more.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33'Seven years on, and I still can't find it in my supermarket.
0:31:33 > 0:31:38'So I want to ask the chairman of the campaign, John Thorley, what's going wrong.'
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- Good, good, good. Right, are you going to show me some sheep?- Yep.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Now, John, you're a key player in the mutton renaissance
0:31:44 > 0:31:46and I remember being part of it a few years ago
0:31:46 > 0:31:49at the big launch, where there was a big drive
0:31:49 > 0:31:52to get mutton back on our tables and get people eating it.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56But I can't find it. Still after this time, I can't find it in supermarkets.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58I can't find it in good butchers.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03Well, there are problems with that, but what we're doing this year...
0:32:03 > 0:32:06I mean, it's been going out to the small family butchers
0:32:06 > 0:32:11- and those that are finding a trade, finding a demand, are actually building up their supply lines.- OK.
0:32:11 > 0:32:15But it has been trialled recently in one of the supermarkets
0:32:15 > 0:32:20and we'll be analysing how that's worked in the next few months.
0:32:20 > 0:32:25So very much a sort of drip, drip effect and, hopefully, sort of build upon a solid foundation?
0:32:25 > 0:32:27Absolutely. Well, that's what's important.
0:32:27 > 0:32:32So, John, why should the British public be eating mutton over their regular Sunday roast?
0:32:32 > 0:32:36Simply because, in the first place, it is a first-class meat.
0:32:36 > 0:32:41It brings a new eating experience and people are looking for new eating experiences all the time.
0:32:41 > 0:32:47Mutton does it. But more than that, it's vitally important for us to put income back into the sheep farms.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53'For my first revival recipe I want to highlight how mutton is as much
0:32:53 > 0:32:57'a part of British heritage as it is a truly tasty meat.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00'So I'm heading to Cotswold Farm Park
0:33:00 > 0:33:04'to meet one of our oldest breeds of sheep, the Soay.'
0:33:04 > 0:33:08- Yeah, these are the Soay. - This is as near as we have to an original sheep bred in this country?
0:33:08 > 0:33:12Exactly, yeah. They are really the ancestor of all British sheep.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16You know, man would have been running around in loin cloths eating these animals.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18You need to be used to eating game or venison
0:33:18 > 0:33:22to enjoy the Soay, because it has a strong smell and a strong flavour.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24Right. So it's like the connoisseur's mutton?
0:33:24 > 0:33:26It is really I'd say, yes.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Obviously, you can get mutton from all the breeds.
0:33:29 > 0:33:34It's just a meat from an animal that's mature, that's grown-up.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39- And the Soay are great conservation grazers and part of our living heritage, part of our history.- Yeah.
0:33:39 > 0:33:46And what people need to do is to buy into the whole idea of what mutton is. So it's a mature animal.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49And think about not only the flavour and the deliciousness of the meat,
0:33:49 > 0:33:55but also the provenance and where that meat has come from and that it's been around for centuries.
0:33:55 > 0:34:00- Before you know it, it'll be on the supermarket shelves.- Yeah. They just need to try it.- Yes.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04'So to further tempt you to try mutton, I'm going to share with you
0:34:04 > 0:34:07'three fantastic recipes that show it off at its best.'
0:34:07 > 0:34:14So this is a piece of Adam's Soay mutton and this is going to be a pressed and crisp breast of mutton
0:34:14 > 0:34:17with a lovely leek and egg vinaigrette.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21I'll put a few anchovies in there as well for a little bit of seasoning.
0:34:21 > 0:34:22But it is delicious, don't be scared.
0:34:27 > 0:34:30Just looking at the colour of the meat and the quality of it.
0:34:30 > 0:34:32There's not big lumps of fat on this.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35It hasn't got a really thick layer running along it,
0:34:35 > 0:34:39which would indicate that this is a really well looked after beast.
0:34:39 > 0:34:45'This belly is going to be braised in the oven with some vegetables and some stock.'
0:34:45 > 0:34:52Now mutton stock I find quite strong, so a lamb stock or a chicken stock would be just as good for this.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57'What I love about braising is that it gives the meat a chance to absorb all the flavours in the stock.'
0:35:01 > 0:35:06The idea of the seasoning in the cooking liquid, it will go right the way through...the mutton,
0:35:06 > 0:35:08rather than finishing it off.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Seasoning it at the end, you'll just get the top layer of salt and then you'll get the meat.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15But in this way, it gets the flavour running right the way through.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20'The first lesson to preparing great mutton is to allow much longer
0:35:20 > 0:35:23'for the meat to cook and this belly is no exception.
0:35:23 > 0:35:28'After it's been braised in a low oven for two hours, press it in the fridge overnight.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31'In the morning, you will have a wonderfully tender piece of meat
0:35:31 > 0:35:36'full of the flavours of the British countryside and ready to be pane-ed.'
0:35:39 > 0:35:41The meat itself is delicious.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45Absolutely delicious. But what you want to do, by cooking it again
0:35:45 > 0:35:49under that extreme heat, the crispness of the crumb that you're going to get
0:35:49 > 0:35:52and the fat melting again is just utterly delicious.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54'Cut the flat belly into fingers
0:35:54 > 0:35:57'and then prepare your pane mixture.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01'I'm using breadcrumbs with a sprinkling of mustard powder.'
0:36:02 > 0:36:06Doesn't look much at the moment, but the meat is intensely rich
0:36:06 > 0:36:08and there is a certain degree of fat going through.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12So the more mustardy, strong flavours you have to cut through the fat, the better.
0:36:12 > 0:36:19'You also need a bowl of seasoned flour and another with two eggs to help the breadcrumbs stick.'
0:36:19 > 0:36:25So using one hand, preferably, let's get the meat in the flour, finely coated.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Lose the excess.
0:36:29 > 0:36:34Into the egg and then finally into the mustard crumb.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37A very, very nice, thin coating and that's it.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39That's all you want.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41'The mutton is now ready for the fryer.'
0:36:43 > 0:36:45Now this is on about 160 degrees.
0:36:45 > 0:36:51Nothing too hot, because you don't want to burn the crumb before it gets the heat into the middle.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54So I'm going to stick three of those in for now.
0:36:54 > 0:37:00'The heat from the fryer will soften the mutton fat and invigorate the flavours of the braising stock.'
0:37:02 > 0:37:07So after a few minutes, that's what you're looking for, this lovely golden brown colour.
0:37:07 > 0:37:12OK, so whip them out and drain them off.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16'I'm serving these delicate strips of mutton on a warm bed of leeks
0:37:16 > 0:37:19'dressed with anchovies and a thick vinaigrette.'
0:37:21 > 0:37:26Lamb and anchovy are a classic. Mutton and anchovy works just as well. Let's have a little bit of...
0:37:26 > 0:37:29the vinaigrette.
0:37:29 > 0:37:34And then on with the little mutton fingers.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38'All you have to do now is to tuck in to a taste of history.'
0:37:42 > 0:37:44Mm-mm! That is...
0:37:44 > 0:37:49even though I say so myself, delicious. You've got everything. That lovely, rounded flavour
0:37:49 > 0:37:51of the mutton. You know, it's only a sliver,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54but it's big and it's powerful and it's rich, you know.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58And I urge you to try this because this mutton is going to wow your friends.
0:38:05 > 0:38:10'A huge part of my enjoyment of mutton is finding out where this great-tasting meat comes from,
0:38:10 > 0:38:13'so that's where I'm taking my revival now.'
0:38:13 > 0:38:16So if I want to learn more about mutton, I've got to come to the source
0:38:16 > 0:38:19and what better place to start than right here in Wales.
0:38:21 > 0:38:25'I'm heading just outside Mochdre in the Montgomeryshire hills
0:38:25 > 0:38:30'to a sheep farm that has been producing mutton for generations.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35'John and Daniel Rees have been working with sheep and enjoying mutton all their lives.'
0:38:35 > 0:38:36Good to see you.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39So you guys over the years must have eaten a lot of mutton.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41We've been brought up on mutton
0:38:41 > 0:38:43and my mother, you know, every roast would be mutton.
0:38:43 > 0:38:47And I think the flavour that mutton offers, it's mature.
0:38:47 > 0:38:53- And, you know, six around the table, we wanted a leg that covered us all. - Right.- And mutton could offer that.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55- So you're advocates of pushing this...- Definitely.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01'On this farm, mutton sales are on a par with lamb and I'm sure that's rooted
0:39:01 > 0:39:05'in John and Daniel's passion for this forgotten meat.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09'As Daniel heads up to seek out the flock, I'm really excited to see something
0:39:09 > 0:39:11'that has graced this valley for centuries.'
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Wow, here they come! Look at them. They're amazing.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20They're amazing to me. You see them on a daily basis.
0:39:20 > 0:39:24Fantastic. You know, these are looking well. They're ideal for mutton.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29- You're proud of your sheep?- Oh, amazing, yeah. Fantastic. - I'll tell you...
0:39:29 > 0:39:32They're good-looking sheep, but the terrain is beautiful, isn't it?
0:39:32 > 0:39:35- Yeah.- It's not sort of scattered...
0:39:35 > 0:39:40When you think about it, because it's so steep, we actually can't get them ploughed,
0:39:40 > 0:39:44so the grasses are old. That's where the flavour comes from.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46- They can't half move.- They can, yeah.
0:39:46 > 0:39:47MATT CHUCKLES
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Where are the sheep off now?
0:39:49 > 0:39:52We'll take them down to the homestead, where we can go through
0:39:52 > 0:39:56and see what goes for mutton and see what goes for further breeding.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57OK.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03'Over the last ten years, sheep numbers have fallen in Wales by a quarter
0:40:03 > 0:40:09'and I was desperate to know what effect this has had on the quality of John's mutton.'
0:40:09 > 0:40:14If you actually look now, there's a lot less sheep in Wales, so there's a lot more grass about
0:40:14 > 0:40:17and therefore we're actually having better ewes.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- More meat on them, more fat on them. - Right.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22So the quality of mutton has risen to a very high standard.
0:40:22 > 0:40:26- This is the time to start eating mutton?- This is the time to start eating mutton, yeah,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29definitely. And I tell you, it's going to push lamb aside.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33We believe that these ewes here are some of the best mutton in the world.
0:40:33 > 0:40:38'I want to get John to talk me through where some of our mutton cuts come from.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42- 'But to do that, I've got to get hold of a sheep.'- Right, quick!
0:40:51 > 0:40:54I feel like James Herriot.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57- There!- Now you've got him!
0:40:57 > 0:41:02- You want to be able to feel the ribs a little bit. If you can't feel them, he's too fat.- Right.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05- If you were at your restaurant, you wouldn't want that, would you?- Yeah.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09- You want to feel... That, for me, that would be in perfect condition.- Right.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10And then you've got your shoulder, yeah?
0:41:10 > 0:41:14And the belly, belly meat, yeah? You've got a lot of flavour there.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17- And then you've got your Sunday roast here...your leg.- Yeah.
0:41:17 > 0:41:23- What we're going to do now, we're going to taste exactly how good this is.- Right, OK. Not this one.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28- Not this one. - Good. I feel better about that.- OK. - OK, let's go.- I'll let her go.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32Ah! I've never caught a sheep before. It's pretty amazing actually.
0:41:32 > 0:41:38I think on the whole, I probably enjoy playing with the meat, rather than the living beast, as it were.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40Yeah.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45'It's on the sheep farms of Wales that so much of our mutton heritage is kept alive.
0:41:45 > 0:41:51'John doesn't only know how to raise the perfect sheep, he also knows how to cook one, too.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57'He's serving up some classic mutton dishes.
0:41:57 > 0:42:03'Amongst them, a leg fillet, a mutton ham and a Welsh stew, called a cawl.'
0:42:03 > 0:42:05That's great.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08'For me, it's a rare treat to be having dinner with a group
0:42:08 > 0:42:13'of family and friends who are so passionate about their produce.'
0:42:13 > 0:42:18So, guys, what do you think needs to be done to get people eating mutton?
0:42:18 > 0:42:22It's not just substitute lamb. It's a totally different way of cooking.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24You have to spend time on it.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28But the flavour you get, the taste, well worth the effort.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- There's no additives.- Just grass.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Yeah, it is. It's as healthy as you can get.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39- Well, without sounding too romantic, I think you can taste it, can't you? The fat is so sweet.- Yeah, yeah.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42And you know it's going to be good quality meat.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44I haven't had any of that actually.
0:42:51 > 0:42:56That was fantastic. That just proves to me how adaptable and accessible
0:42:56 > 0:43:00mutton can be and that scene should be in households all across Britain.
0:43:03 > 0:43:08Now if you've had mutton in the past, chances are it's been boiled and chances are
0:43:08 > 0:43:12you probably haven't enjoyed it. But this is the classic British recipe that's going to change your mind.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15It's boiled leg of mutton with caper sauce.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19So this is the star of the show.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22This is a leg of mutton from John and Daniel's flock.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26Just have a look over it. If there's any lumps of fat,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28just take those off.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31But this is a very well looked after beast.
0:43:31 > 0:43:34'Season the meat generously.
0:43:35 > 0:43:38'Then place it in a large, well-buttered pot.
0:43:39 > 0:43:44'Next, slice five white onions.'
0:43:44 > 0:43:46So that's pretty much all the hard work over.
0:43:46 > 0:43:51I mean, that's it. Just a few onions and then it's done.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53And then you can stick it in the oven.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Nice, long, slow cooking.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58Go out, walk the dog, go to church, whatever you want to do.
0:43:58 > 0:44:00And then come back and dive into it.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06'Make a simple aromatic bag from muslin.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10'This will flavour the meat and save you hooking out the stalks once the mutton has cooked.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17'I'm simmering the mutton in white wine, which will supply a crisp compliment
0:44:17 > 0:44:21'to the meat's rich flavour.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24'Then make a cartouche out of greaseproof paper.'
0:44:24 > 0:44:30The idea of the cartouche is that it seals any flavour and any moisture in that's given off during the cooking.
0:44:30 > 0:44:34It's going to hit the buttered cartouche and then go back down on to the meat.
0:44:34 > 0:44:38And that's it. There's no need to bring it up on the stove. Nothing.
0:44:38 > 0:44:45It goes into an oven, hot oven, about sort of 140 for between an hour and a half to two hours.
0:44:45 > 0:44:50'If you thought the mutton prep was easy, then the caper sauce is even easier.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54'Stock, cream and capers go into a pan on a medium heat.'
0:44:57 > 0:45:00That's good. It's lovely. It's delicious, it's rich, it's velvety
0:45:00 > 0:45:03and it's everything that you want that dish to be.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06But, essentially, that dish is done and ready to go.
0:45:07 > 0:45:13'Slow cooking and mutton go hand in hand and, after so little effort, I'm always stunned by the results.'
0:45:18 > 0:45:21There, that's what you want. Lovely, lovely, lovely.
0:45:21 > 0:45:27You can see all that juice that's been created by the onions and that white wine.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29That's just fantastic.
0:45:29 > 0:45:35'I'm serving the mutton with classic accompaniments of boiled potatoes tossed in mint
0:45:35 > 0:45:37'and some red cabbage.'
0:45:37 > 0:45:42This is just great kind of homely food.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45It's the sort of thing I love cooking.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49And there's the fantastic mutton.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55It just cuts like butter.
0:45:57 > 0:46:01And finally, a little bit of our caper sauce.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04Let those juices kind of mingle in.
0:46:04 > 0:46:08'Boiled mutton with caper sauce is a traditional family meal
0:46:08 > 0:46:12'that has largely been forgotten, so I can't wait to taste this.'
0:46:12 > 0:46:14Meltingly tender meat.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18Mm.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22Oh, that's good. You know, you've got the saltiness and the sharpness
0:46:22 > 0:46:27of the capers cutting through the richness of the meat, the big, round, full-flavoured meat.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29That's everything you could ever want in a dish.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33So if that isn't going to change your opinion on mutton, nothing's going to.
0:46:40 > 0:46:46What I've learnt so far on this journey, is that mutton is everything I knew it was.
0:46:46 > 0:46:53It is a quality, heritage product that we should be embracing and celebrating and eating more of.
0:46:53 > 0:46:59What I'm not sure, however, at the moment, is how we're going to get people to do that en masse.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03'In search of answers, I'm going to my local town of Abergavenny
0:47:03 > 0:47:05'and the annual food festival
0:47:05 > 0:47:11'that draws a crowd of 37,000 people, all of them passionate about food.
0:47:13 > 0:47:16'Most of the mutton in the UK is cooked in our ethnic communities,
0:47:16 > 0:47:19'where it is still prized as a special and important meat.
0:47:20 > 0:47:26'Cyrus Todiwala has been serving mutton to the masses at Abergavenny for six years.'
0:47:26 > 0:47:30When you look at Indian cooking, because of the spices,
0:47:30 > 0:47:33the onions, the garlic, the chilli,
0:47:33 > 0:47:37everything else that goes into it, mutton can absorb those flavours
0:47:37 > 0:47:39and release its own flavour back into the gravy.
0:47:39 > 0:47:43People forget a classical korma is a Lancashire hotpot.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45- Right.- That's the classic expression of a korma.
0:47:45 > 0:47:51- OK.- So when you cook meat in a chunk with vegetables and potatoes in a sealed pot
0:47:51 > 0:47:55and all the juices that ooze out and form a gravy, that's a korma.
0:47:55 > 0:47:59A Lancashire hotpot is an ideal mutton dish.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03So in your eyes, mutton is a key product? It's a top quality piece of meat?
0:48:03 > 0:48:08It is top quality. And where in the world can you get as good as British? You tell me.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12We can't. We have the best breeding grounds in the whole world.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15I think we need to push the British public into believing
0:48:15 > 0:48:20that they have got something fabulous that they've been ignoring for the last six generations.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24'Cyrus's passion for mutton is infectious
0:48:24 > 0:48:29'and, spurred on by his enthusiasm, I'm taking my revival back on the road.'
0:48:29 > 0:48:32My next stop is the capital.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35I'm going to see who else is cooking with mutton.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38'Indian cooking isn't the only culture to embrace mutton.
0:48:38 > 0:48:43'In the East End of London, Warren Richards' speciality
0:48:43 > 0:48:46'is a Caribbean mutton curry and the locals can't get enough.'
0:48:46 > 0:48:48How are you? Good to meet you.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50So what makes your mutton curry so special here?
0:48:50 > 0:48:52Why are all the City boys coming here and lapping it up?
0:48:52 > 0:48:55It ain't broke, so I ain't fixing nothing. So I make it as it is.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57I make it spicy.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01The dish is spicy, so I make it spicy. And they come back for it.
0:49:01 > 0:49:06- Where's your recipe from?- From my mum.- Oh, really?- But like, I've adapted it a little bit.
0:49:06 > 0:49:10- What, have you made it better? - Er, no, I'm not saying that!
0:49:10 > 0:49:15'Warren is willing to share with me the secrets of this family curry.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17'I just hope he's told his mum.'
0:49:17 > 0:49:22- Right, this is the mutton. It's all cut up in nice, neat pieces. - You leave it on the bone?
0:49:22 > 0:49:26- Yeah, I leave it on the bone. You get more flavour out of that.- Yeah.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29- What have we got here? What are these spices?- Right, I've got thyme.
0:49:29 > 0:49:34That's a bit of tandoori powder that I put in it as well.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37- OK. So crossing all boundaries here, aren't we?- Yeah, yeah.- Right.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41- This is Scotch bonnet peppers that I've chopped up.- Are you putting all that in there?!
0:49:41 > 0:49:44- I'm not going to put all that in there.- I was going to say.- No...
0:49:44 > 0:49:46Ay carumba!
0:49:46 > 0:49:50- How often do you have to make this? - Every day I make it, every day really.- This amount?
0:49:50 > 0:49:53- Yeah.- Wow! Big seller then? - Yeah, it's very popular.
0:49:53 > 0:49:58When we used to go to parties when I was younger, it would be curried goat and rice, or mutton and rice.
0:49:58 > 0:50:01I was a human dustbin when I was younger.
0:50:01 > 0:50:02THEY CHUCKLE
0:50:02 > 0:50:05- Right, so we've got hot oil here. - Yeah, we've got oil.- Marinated meat.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07Marinated, yeah. Put it in the pan.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10- Just a bit at a time? - Yeah, a bit at a time.
0:50:10 > 0:50:11Is that enough for now?
0:50:13 > 0:50:15No? All right.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18- Oh, you want it all in? - Put it all in, yeah.- OK.
0:50:18 > 0:50:23Ordinarily, when I'm making some sort of braise or stew like this, I'd be chucking loads of wine at it.
0:50:23 > 0:50:26- Loads of white wine or red wine. - Yeah.- Any beer in there?
0:50:26 > 0:50:29Once you taste that, you'll know it won't need it.
0:50:29 > 0:50:34'It's just over an hour before this Caribbean curry is ready to eat.'
0:50:36 > 0:50:37Mm.
0:50:37 > 0:50:38Oh, that's delicious.
0:50:38 > 0:50:43That's how I like to cook it, just like my mum or like my nan in Jamaica would have it.
0:50:43 > 0:50:47- It's kind of one of those dishes that transports you, yeah? - Yes, that's it. Yeah.
0:50:49 > 0:50:54'Even in Warren's spicy curry, the flavour of the mutton is really in evidence.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59'I love it, but I need to convince you, the Great British public.'
0:50:59 > 0:51:04Hello. Right, I'm not going to tell you what it is. I want you to try it and tell me if you like it or not.
0:51:04 > 0:51:08- I bet it's probably squirrel, isn't it?- There's a little bit of spice in there.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12It's not squirrel, I can tell you that. It's delicious. We've just made it.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17- Yeah, it tastes nice.- Yeah.- It's quite a big texture, isn't it?- Mm.
0:51:17 > 0:51:22- Have you tried mutton? - No.- OK. Well, now you have. - Oh, is that mutton?- That is mutton.
0:51:22 > 0:51:27- I don't think I've eaten mutton for a long time.- You like mutton? - I do, yeah.- Oh, right, brilliant!
0:51:27 > 0:51:30- Would you have reached for mutton if you saw it on a menu?- No.- No?
0:51:30 > 0:51:34- OK. So now perhaps you would.- Yes.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37So there you go, not a bad result that. A few converts under my belt.
0:51:37 > 0:51:42I love it. They were kind of impartial but some of them I think were really getting it.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45But I'm going to go back to Warren for a bit of a top-up.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50So this is my third and final mutton recipe.
0:51:50 > 0:51:54Now, we've seen the Caribbean community use it a lot. The Indian community use it a lot.
0:51:54 > 0:51:58So I'm going to be doing my North African-inspired dish.
0:51:58 > 0:52:01This is going to be my shoulder of mutton tagine.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05I'm using the shoulder for this dish and this is going to be perfect.
0:52:05 > 0:52:10There's lots of connective fat and tissue going through this lovely piece of meat. By the time
0:52:10 > 0:52:14it's finished cooking, you're going to be able to pull it away with a couple of spoons.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17'Start by trimming off any excess fat.
0:52:17 > 0:52:22'Once the meat is cut to a more manageable size, seal it in oil.'
0:52:23 > 0:52:24SIZZLING
0:52:26 > 0:52:31I first came across this dish in Marrakech, Morocco,
0:52:31 > 0:52:37and this really is one of those classic, sort of one-pot dishes, you know. You throw it in the oven,
0:52:37 > 0:52:40a couple of hours, bring it out, put it on the table, big bowls of couscous, or rice,
0:52:40 > 0:52:43or some nice flatbreads and let everyone dive into it.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46It's a really kind of communal eating experience.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49You know, a couple bottles of wine. It just goes down a treat.
0:52:51 > 0:52:56'When the mutton is browned, put it in a pot and add some exotic flavours of North Africa...
0:52:56 > 0:52:58'coriander...
0:52:58 > 0:53:00'cumin seeds...
0:53:00 > 0:53:02'crushed garlic...
0:53:02 > 0:53:06'and star anise, which works beautifully with mutton.
0:53:06 > 0:53:11'Then add a few chopped onions and the rinds of some preserved lemons -
0:53:11 > 0:53:14'a real secret for a great tagine.'
0:53:14 > 0:53:21Take the middle out. You don't want the middle. But the edible part is...the skin.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26It gives a lovely citrus, very mild, lemony, salty flavour.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32'Next, add some saffron, tinned tomatoes...
0:53:32 > 0:53:36'some stock...and two chillies.'
0:53:36 > 0:53:38And that's going to be just enough liquid just to keep it going,
0:53:38 > 0:53:42to keep it moist. It's not a stew, so you don't want to completely cover the meat.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44It's a long, slow sort of braise.
0:53:44 > 0:53:49This is just going to be a beautiful-smelling, delicious-looking
0:53:49 > 0:53:53pot of mutton and veg, and it's going to be thickened slightly.
0:53:53 > 0:53:57You get all those lovely aromas, those sort of North African aromas.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59So lid on - heavy lid.
0:53:59 > 0:54:04Two to three hours until you can just flake the meat apart.
0:54:04 > 0:54:11'Part of the reason mutton has fallen from grace is that it doesn't fit in with the impatience of modern life.
0:54:11 > 0:54:16'Great food doesn't always come quickly and this tagine is no different.'
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Ah, here you go!
0:54:18 > 0:54:21This is the best bit.
0:54:21 > 0:54:26Oof! Wow! It's pretty hot. OK, so that's exactly what you're looking for.
0:54:26 > 0:54:34Lots and lots of juice, flavours are fantastic, but what it needs now is just a little bit more kick.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39'Freshly chopped mint and coriander will give this tagine a real lift.'
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Like that.
0:54:43 > 0:54:46Stir that around.
0:54:46 > 0:54:47And you can smell it already.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53'I'm serving my tagine with couscous and, in true Moroccan style, on one dish
0:54:53 > 0:54:57'so everyone helps themselves at the table.'
0:54:57 > 0:54:59There you go.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03That's what you want, big slabs of meat. And you can see
0:55:03 > 0:55:06how well it's cooked, because if you look at the bone,
0:55:06 > 0:55:09the bone just comes away, like that.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12That's what you want. Like that.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15So...on with the other meat. And you can see
0:55:15 > 0:55:18it's a pretty sizable beast.
0:55:21 > 0:55:26So there you go. That is my North African-inspired mutton tagine.
0:55:37 > 0:55:43'I hope my revival has inspired you to go out and start your own mutton renaissance.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47'If you want to get hold of some, the best place to start is your local butcher.
0:55:49 > 0:55:55'Alternatively, you could contact the sheep farms directly using one of the ever-growing number of box schemes.'
0:55:58 > 0:56:00The advantage of a box scheme is you're able,
0:56:00 > 0:56:02at your own convenience, at your own leisure,
0:56:02 > 0:56:06to order online or over the phone. You can pick exactly what you want
0:56:06 > 0:56:09without having to go into your butcher's and have it delivered to your door.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12Just now there are few of us producing because we can
0:56:12 > 0:56:15and we're serving the needs of a few. But, you know,
0:56:15 > 0:56:19the general public as a whole say, "We want to start eating mutton again," more and more farmers
0:56:19 > 0:56:24will start producing it and, again, you build that revolution where we'll have it back on the plate.
0:56:26 > 0:56:31For me, this has been a real journey of a much misunderstood meat and, you know,
0:56:31 > 0:56:34it's versatile, it's delicious when it's done properly
0:56:34 > 0:56:36and it's out there, so you can all get it.
0:56:36 > 0:56:42And it's high time we took it out of the 19th-century cookery books and put it on our tables today!
0:57:03 > 0:57:06Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd