0:00:02 > 0:00:04We're losing touch with our British food heritage.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06Ingredients that were once commonplace are now under threat.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09And teetering on the brink of survival.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12By changing the way we shop and how we eat...
0:00:12 > 0:00:14- We have a chance... - To breathe new life...
0:00:14 > 0:00:15Into our delicious...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Mouth-watering...
0:00:17 > 0:00:19- Succulent...- Fantastic...
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Home-grown produce.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Join our revival campaign...
0:00:22 > 0:00:25To help preserve our food legacy...
0:00:25 > 0:00:27For generations to come.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31And put Britain firmly back on the food map.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33That is proper lush.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13Prawn cocktail, anyone? You've got to admit it.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Everyone's had a prawn cocktail. We love them.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17But do we know where the prawns come from?
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Normally they're from Thailand, Iceland,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and our supermarkets are absolutely flooded with them.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26Unlike larger prawns, this little shrimp may not be as big,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29may not look as attractive but he packs much more in flavour.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Boom.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35I'm Glynn Purnell and I want you to put down your bucket and spades,
0:01:35 > 0:01:36get out your deck chairs
0:01:36 > 0:01:39and settle down and try one of these little fellows.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40A brown shrimp.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44Coming up, I go tractor-fishing for shrimp.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46I don't fancy walking back six miles.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49And I discover how far these beauties travel.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51It's got more air miles than Judith Chalmers.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55And in the Revival Kitchen, I get this shrimp to pack a punch.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56Absolutely amazing.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03From the sound of my accent, you can tell I was brought up in Birmingham.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Working-class Birmingham. My dad was a factory worker,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09my mum was a dinner lady, and we used to go out to social clubs
0:02:09 > 0:02:10and we used to get the ultimate treat,
0:02:10 > 0:02:12which would be the shellfish man would come round
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and you'd have a little pot of cockles, a little pot of whelks,
0:02:15 > 0:02:18but the ultimate prize was the potted shrimp.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21A little... Either potted or un-potted
0:02:21 > 0:02:22with vinegar and white pepper.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24Unbelievable, and you'd be running round,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27skidding on your knees to the sound of that bell.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29You'd be begging for a bowl of shrimps
0:02:29 > 0:02:33but you'd often just get the cockles, so this was the ultimate prize.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36British shrimp comes in two traditional varieties,
0:02:36 > 0:02:38pink and brown,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42but most of our supermarkets have given up on them completely.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Instead, we now import over 80,000 tonnes of shrimp
0:02:45 > 0:02:50and prawns from places like Thailand, Indonesia and Brazil.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Without a revival, the tasty British shrimp could soon be
0:02:53 > 0:02:55wiped from our culinary heritage.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Morecambe Bay in the northwest of England
0:03:00 > 0:03:03has been home to shrimp fishermen for centuries.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Low tide exposes a vast expanse of sand
0:03:06 > 0:03:08and the chance to catch brown shrimp.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11OK, so it's six o'clock in the morning
0:03:11 > 0:03:14and we're going to go fishing, get this, on a tractor.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16Which I've never done before.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18I've never been on a tractor before, let alone in the sea,
0:03:18 > 0:03:20so, I'll just go and meet the lads.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22- Hi, lads. - Morning.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25How are we? Morning. It is early, isn't it, eh?
0:03:25 > 0:03:26- Just a bit. - Well, it's early for me.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29- Are we ready to make way, then? - Let's do it, yeah.- All right.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34We head out six miles across the wet sand into the middle of the bay
0:03:34 > 0:03:37on our quest for brown shrimp.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Michael is the fourth generation of his family to fish here.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47Until the 1950s, up to 50 men would trawl for shrimp.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51But in those days they would use a horse and cart to pull their nets.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- So these are the shrimp nets? - Yep.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57So are these going to be pulled along by the tractor?
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Yep.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Most shrimp are found in the deepest channels.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Only a handful of men are brave enough to venture out,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07and to do it, they need a very trusty tractor.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12So, how old is the tractor?
0:04:12 > 0:04:14This one, today, we're on,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16is a British Leyland, and it's early 1970s.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19So, this is a new one.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21This is the newest one on the bay.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Has it got a name, the tractor?
0:04:23 > 0:04:25- Gertrude.- Named after an old girlfriend, or...?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28No. You don't get many Gertrudes, do you?
0:04:28 > 0:04:31You certainly wouldn't want to take her out anyway.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Especially if you look at the state of your tractor!
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Don't get stuck today, Gertrude, come on.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42Come on, girl. I don't fancy walking back six miles.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45I'm a fit lad but, you know, I don't fancy walking back.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49Michael's problem is that our British shrimp are struggling
0:04:49 > 0:04:51to compete with imported farmed shellfish.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53The price is so low for his catch now
0:04:53 > 0:04:56that he can barely make a living.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Michael, what do you think the future is for the brown shrimp?
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Well, it'll keep going as long as I keep going, won't it?
0:05:03 > 0:05:06I think it will eventually die out.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09It will be a shame to see it go, but I think so.
0:05:09 > 0:05:10This technique will die out?
0:05:10 > 0:05:13This technique of catching them will die out. Yeah.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Like a lot of techniques have, like the Morecambe trawlers.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19There were 30, 40 of them, and now they're down to two.
0:05:19 > 0:05:24It's tempting to keep on going, but we're in a race against the tide.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27After an hour, it's time to bring the nets in and check the catch.
0:05:29 > 0:05:30Got another good trawl, Michael?
0:05:30 > 0:05:33- Yeah. Not bad, yeah. - Yeah?- Yeah.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35It'll pay the bills.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Absolutely fantastic.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39I think Michael's pretty pleased with his catch,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41and there we have it.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Morecambe Bay brown shrimp
0:05:44 > 0:05:47and this shrimp is the luckiest shrimp in the bay.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50He's going to live another day so let's pop him back.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54The problem is that today's shrimp prices barely pay the rent.
0:05:57 > 0:05:58Go on.
0:05:58 > 0:05:59ENGINE TURNS OVER
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Let alone the cost of a new tractor.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05That is pure technology, just right there.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08Brown shrimping is so technical.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12Michael immediately heads off home with his shrimp.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15They need to be cooked as soon as possible.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21It's a good job I got the lighter box, Michael.
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Hey. Ha ha ha!
0:06:23 > 0:06:24Oh.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Michael uses the same old shrimping shed his father used before him.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Tip them in there, Glynn.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38We're going to cook them now, this is the cooking process.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Just a nice boiler-full.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Now, they'll start to get the famous colour in a minute.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51They'll go from grey to brown.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53A quick boil and they're ready.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56The shrimp turn a pinky-brown.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03So, that's why they call them brown shrimps, then, Michael?
0:07:03 > 0:07:05That's why they call them brown shrimps.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08They've gone brown now, and you're going to have a taste of one now.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10I can't wait, mate.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12And this is all today's catch, yeah?
0:07:12 > 0:07:13This is all today's catch.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17And the best way to do them is cook them as soon as possible, yeah?
0:07:17 > 0:07:18As soon as possible.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22- There you are, Glynn. Try that.- OK.
0:07:22 > 0:07:23Look at that lovely brown colour.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27It smells absolutely fantastic and the smell out here is wonderful.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29It smells like the sea. Um...
0:07:33 > 0:07:37Just so sweet and, um, just unique.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39It's not a prawn.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41It's a brown shrimp.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Michael sells some of his shrimp to a factory in Flookburgh,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46where spices are mixed with brown shrimp before
0:07:46 > 0:07:47they're sealed with butter.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51It's one of the oldest known ways of preserving -
0:07:51 > 0:07:54traditional potted shrimp.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Quite unbelievable, really, that a couple of hours ago
0:07:56 > 0:08:00we were out there, six miles, on a tractor,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02dragging, catching these little fellows
0:08:02 > 0:08:04and if you could've experienced and tasted
0:08:04 > 0:08:06what I've tasted today, you'd be with me
0:08:06 > 0:08:08in reviving these brown shrimps.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11In the Revival Kitchen, I'm bringing the British shrimp bang up to date,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13by giving our shrimp a spice infusion.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17When we talk about brown shrimp, we think about potted shrimp
0:08:17 > 0:08:19but what a great way of reviving the brown shrimp,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22by doing a classic potted shrimp with a Brummie twist.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28I really love this recipe.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32It reminds me of - as a child, you know, the potted shrimps on toast.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34A little treat on a Friday.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36But first of all, we need to clarify the butter.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39It's an old technique that separates the fat from the milk
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and I'm using English salted butter.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43We're going to turn the gas off
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and then the heat inside the pan, and the butter,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49the residual heat will just gently separate that.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51I'm going to crack on with the shrimp.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00Now, look how amazing these look. They just say, "Eat me."
0:09:00 > 0:09:02I'm going to peel my own.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04As a commis chef, this was, like, the worst job in the kitchen,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06and you'd have buckets of this stuff,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09and then the worst thing was, one of the senior chefs
0:09:09 > 0:09:11would come past and plunge his hands into the peeled ones,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13just take a mouthful and walk off.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15And then the other chef would come back and say,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17"How come you haven't peeled so many?"
0:09:18 > 0:09:20You just can't win.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Skim off the fat once the melted butter has settled.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25For me, you know, from Birmingham,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28we love spice and there's an element of spice in the Morecambe Bay ones,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31but, for me, we're going to use a little bit more Indian sort of...
0:09:31 > 0:09:33A little bit of a modern twist on it.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35A little bit of me in the potted shrimp.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36I don't want to overpower them,
0:09:36 > 0:09:40but I do want to give my potted shrimp a bit of a kick.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46Hot chilli, ginger, garam masala, curry powder.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49The last one is a little bit of smoked paprika.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51And it smells absolutely fantastic
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and the smell of it reminds me of my first balti.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57We don't want to, like, boil it away, we just want to bring it up
0:09:57 > 0:09:59so the spices get a little bit of a fizzle on the top.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01You can smell the aroma coming out of them
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and we're going to add the shrimps.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Just infuse the shrimps. They don't need more cooking.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Now, this is quite a quirky, sort of cute way of serving them, really.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15I mean, you can use a little ramekin or a jam jar, if you want to
0:10:15 > 0:10:16but we've got these little ones
0:10:16 > 0:10:18cos sometimes it's nice to show off.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Blow the neighbours away.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23So we've got our two little jars and we've covered them,
0:10:23 > 0:10:25the butter's going to almost seal them.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28I'm going to pop them there to cool down.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30While they're cooling and the butter is solidifying,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32I'm going to crack on with the cucumber salad.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36We're going to use the cucumber like you would have a cucumber salad
0:10:36 > 0:10:38when you go for a fish tandoori.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40You would have a little cucumber salad.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41You can leave the skin on if you want
0:10:41 > 0:10:44but I like to take the skin off so it's really sort of...
0:10:44 > 0:10:46There's no effort, so it just melts into your mouth.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52I like, as well, to just take the middle out, so it's not so watery.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54So a little tip, use the teaspoon.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57If you just drag the... The middle, like that.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06I'm just showing off, now. Right, so we get our vinaigrette.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10You can do this way in advance, so they become a lot softer.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12I like mine a little bit more crunchy.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14So, we put our cucumbers on there.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Got a few coriander shoots there just to finish,
0:11:19 > 0:11:23and then we've got our spiced potted shrimps.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25Absolutely fantastic.
0:11:25 > 0:11:30And that's my take on a classic potted shrimp with Brummie fusion.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Look at this fantastic dish. It's so easy.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38You guys at home could make this with one arm tied behind your back.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39This is the best bit.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41Crack into that butter...
0:11:43 > 0:11:45And then just drop it on.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Spread it with a spoon or a knife.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51It just goes on so easily and the smell is fantastic.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Now, if we just put a bit of cucumber on there, as well.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57For freshness. A bit of coriander.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00So why not have a go?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Try and bring the brown shrimp back.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07Mm.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14The British shrimp has a proud history,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18especially on the East coast of England, around the Wash.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21This used to be the heart of the old King's Lynn fishing community,
0:12:21 > 0:12:26where families, fisherman, lived, worked, fished and died.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32- Hiya, Morris. - How do you do?
0:12:32 > 0:12:36- Hiya. Nice to meet you. Are you all right?- Nice to see you.
0:12:36 > 0:12:3977-year-old Morris grew up in Kings Lynn and fishing is in his blood.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43He's my guide to what remains of the North End fishing yards.
0:12:43 > 0:12:44So, it's not very big, huh?
0:12:44 > 0:12:47- No. Nobody had big places. - So, this sort of sized cottage,
0:12:47 > 0:12:49and there's only a couple left in King's Lynn,
0:12:49 > 0:12:52I mean, how many people would have lived in this single cottage?
0:12:52 > 0:12:5416 to 17.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56- Really? - Yeah. Quite easily.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58So, how many bedrooms has it got?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- One.- Just the one?- Yeah.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02Tell me, who's this lady in the photograph?
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Well she's one of the old Lynn fishermen's wives.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08- Yeah? - Yeah, that was many years ago.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10There you are - she had 17 children in this cottage.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13She looks happy, anyway, eh? After 17 kids.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Lives here revolved around fishing.
0:13:16 > 0:13:21The 1851 census lists the occupation of residents as fishermen,
0:13:21 > 0:13:25fish-dealers, mariners, rope-makers and sail-makers,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29but shrimp-peeling would involve the whole family.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32And you say, when the shrimps were landed in and they were brought to the house,
0:13:32 > 0:13:34they would spill the shrimps out onto the front there?
0:13:34 > 0:13:36- Yeah, and peel them. - And peel them there.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Shall we go and have a look upstairs?
0:13:38 > 0:13:40- Yes, you can have a look upstairs. - Come on, then.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Most of these small fisherman's cottages were flattened
0:13:43 > 0:13:45in the slum clearances of the 1930s and '50s.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48But these two cottages were preserved.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50How old were you when you started?
0:13:50 > 0:13:52When you went out on a boat, or when you started shrimping?
0:13:52 > 0:13:56I had a little boat in the river when I was seven year old.
0:13:56 > 0:13:57You were shrimping then?
0:13:57 > 0:14:01- Yeah. But only in the river.- OK. - I didn't go past the dock-head.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03What was it like when you got the brown shrimp?
0:14:03 > 0:14:04Was it a bit of a treat, or...?
0:14:04 > 0:14:06It was always a treat, that was.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08People seem to neglect it. What do you think about that?
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Well, they're the ones that are losing out, aren't they?
0:14:11 > 0:14:12Not having the shrimps.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I mean they're very good, they've got a lot of nutrients in them.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- Yeah, and they taste good. - They taste really good, yeah.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20Despite a lifetime on the sea,
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Morris tells me something rather surprising.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25Course, I can't swim. Ha ha!
0:14:25 > 0:14:27Hang on a second. Hang on a second.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30You have been fishing all of your life and you can't swim?
0:14:30 > 0:14:31No.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33I've got a mate who can't even float!
0:14:33 > 0:14:36That's the truth, he can't float.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39- He just goes straight down. - Does he?
0:14:39 > 0:14:40Unbelievable. Unbelievable.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43So, I've met a guy who's been fishing for shrimps all of his life
0:14:43 > 0:14:44- and he can't swim.- No.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48So, by meeting people like Morris and coming to a place like this,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51you realise that it's not just the food that we're losing,
0:14:51 > 0:14:52it's the history.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54It's not just the fisherman that have made a living
0:14:54 > 0:14:56out of the brown shrimp.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58It goes a far, far lot deeper than that
0:14:58 > 0:15:00so we need to bring the brown shrimp back.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02The old fishing community was torn apart
0:15:02 > 0:15:06but I'm delighted to say, in one cul-de-sac, it's still going strong.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09In the middle of suburbia.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Mike and Tina Castleton peel brown shrimp for a living
0:15:11 > 0:15:13and work from home.
0:15:13 > 0:15:14How are we, guys? Are we busy?
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Yeah, we're always busy. That's the trouble.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19Tina is believed to be the fastest peeler in Britain.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I don't know whether to shake your hand, or whether to stop you,
0:15:22 > 0:15:23when you're going that fast.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25Can I join you?
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Yes, of course you can.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30I just wanted to find out who's the fastest peeler in the west?
0:15:30 > 0:15:33Oh, that is some speed you've got there.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34So, how long have you been doing it for, Tina?
0:15:34 > 0:15:36- 40-odd years. - Yeah?- Yeah.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39- How long have you been doing this for now?- Now?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41An hour, or just till you've finished?
0:15:41 > 0:15:46- Ten hours.- Ten hours, normally. It's a normal day.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And what happens once they're peeled? Where do you send them to?
0:15:49 > 0:15:5217 hotels in London, including the Ritz.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55We supply the Queen, as well, at Sandringham.
0:15:55 > 0:15:56Do you?
0:15:56 > 0:15:59I want to learn how to speed-peel from the experts.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Put your finger and thumb on the tail...
0:16:05 > 0:16:09There's a natural break there and then that will come off.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12It's hard to see what's going on, but slow it down
0:16:12 > 0:16:16and it seems the professional technique is to rip off the head,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20peel a bit of shell and, holding exposed the flesh...
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Pull off the tail.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Halfway along is where it breaks easy.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Give him some big ones.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32Make the job easier for him.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35Um... To be honest with you, it's really tricky.
0:16:35 > 0:16:40Even though these are slightly more robust than the pink one,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42they still can tear quite easily, can't they?
0:16:42 > 0:16:44- Yep.- Yeah. - So, in the middle.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48It's just, really, about learning about how much pressure to put on...
0:16:48 > 0:16:50to peel 'em.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52- I think I've got a success there. - Yeah. You have.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54So, Tina, what do you think? How have I done?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56- I think you've done really well. - Have I?- Yeah.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58You're not just saying that?
0:16:58 > 0:16:59No, I'm not. You have done well.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03When we had staff, we paid £2 per pound of meat
0:17:03 > 0:17:04and you've got about 6 ounces here,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08so you've earnt about 90 pence in an hour.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10GLYNN LAUGHS
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Do you know, that's the hardest 90 pence,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16but the most enjoyable 90 pence, that I've earned?
0:17:16 > 0:17:19So thank you for showing me and it's been an eye-opener.
0:17:19 > 0:17:20You're more than welcome.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28So, I've just done 118g, which, to be honest with you,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31is pretty pathetic compared to Tina and Mike
0:17:31 > 0:17:34and if it wasn't for those guys keeping the brown shrimp alive
0:17:34 > 0:17:35they wouldn't be on our tables.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38So what we need to do is go to the fishmongers.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41Ask, ask for them and try these. They're fantastic.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45Now I've got even more respect for our little British shrimp.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47So I've got a recipe that's going to really do it justice.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51Most people like roast pork.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54What better way of introducing the brown shrimp by marrying the two?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56The sweet and saltiness of the shrimp
0:17:56 > 0:17:58will cut through the fat of the pork.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01So, this is my pork belly dish with apple and brown shrimp.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Now, surf and turf can seem like a strange combination
0:18:08 > 0:18:10but this is my interpretation
0:18:10 > 0:18:12to introduce people to the brown shrimp.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14I've chosen the pork to go with it,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17so that the sweet but salty flavour of the shrimp from the sea
0:18:17 > 0:18:19will cut through the fat of the pork
0:18:19 > 0:18:21and that little bit of acidity through the apple
0:18:21 > 0:18:23will make a perfect marriage.
0:18:23 > 0:18:24So trust me.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Give your pork belly time to cook slowly.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30A good couple of hours on a low heat.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34Relax! Your oven's doing the work for you.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45So, the pork's out now. It's been rested.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48We've cooked this until the skin is nice and crispy
0:18:48 > 0:18:49and the meat is really tender.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Well, what we want to do is,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54we don't want to throw away the juices.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56We're going to create our own sauce, or our emulsion,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58to go over the pork with the brown shrimps.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Roughly shred some shallots.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Using shallots cos they're a lot sharper in flavour
0:19:06 > 0:19:08and a little bit sweeter as well,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10which again is going to really complement
0:19:10 > 0:19:12the delicious brown shrimps.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Caramelise and then chop some British apples.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21Capers add sharpness.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Some fresh apple juice.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27I love the cloudy stuff because it really, sort of,
0:19:27 > 0:19:30gives us that wholesome feel to the dish.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34Stir in a dash of cream and butter, before reaching for the herbs.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39Sage is really going to help the pork and not kill the shrimps.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41And then, with any sort of shellfish, fish,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43parsley is always a fantastic marriage,
0:19:43 > 0:19:45so we'll put some parsley in there.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47So this is the shrimp's friend.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Sage is the pork's friend
0:19:48 > 0:19:52and together they should marry up really nice.
0:19:52 > 0:19:54So, first of all we're going to put some of these shrimps
0:19:54 > 0:19:57with the shell on, so they need slightly more cooking.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00And again, this is sort of a reminder of, like,
0:20:00 > 0:20:02if you went for a paella or are on holiday...
0:20:02 > 0:20:03A lovely shell on there.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08They're crunchy.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11They've got a really, sort of, explosion of sea flavour.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14So, don't be shy. Be a bit brave. Have a go.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18For a different texture, I'm also adding some peeled shrimp.
0:20:21 > 0:20:22Now, for me, this is the best bit.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24We're going to carve the pork.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26We're going to lash loads of those brown shrimps on.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28I actually can't wait to eat this dish.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29So, are you listening?
0:20:29 > 0:20:30PORK CRUNCHES
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Oh. The crackling is absolutely...
0:20:35 > 0:20:36Look at that.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Again, you don't need any real seasoning.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40You've got loads of it on the...
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Loads of it on the skin.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45So, we've got ourselves a little bit of cabbage,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47which we've just cooked in butter.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49On the side...
0:20:49 > 0:20:52And that'll give a bit of freshness to the dish.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54This is the bit where the shrimps really come into play,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58and meet the sweetness of the apple, the saltiness of the sea.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00So if you just, I mean, if you look at that...
0:21:00 > 0:21:02That is absolutely beautiful.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05So, this is all about the shrimp, now.
0:21:06 > 0:21:11Drizzle there. Drizzle there. Drizzle there. And that is pure...
0:21:11 > 0:21:12Well, it's just pure class.
0:21:21 > 0:21:22Mm.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26I'm not just saying it, but the pork is cooked perfect
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and the shrimps are absolutely amazing.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31You've got to try them.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Now, you may be thinking that shrimp fishing in Britain
0:21:43 > 0:21:46is just small-scale stuff, but in King's Lynn
0:21:46 > 0:21:49fishing boats are catching tonnes of fresh British shrimp.
0:21:51 > 0:21:56Here on the east coast...90% of the UK's brown shrimps are landed here
0:21:56 > 0:21:57and are we buying them?
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Are we heck! We ain't even attempting to buy them,
0:22:00 > 0:22:05because 95% of the brown shrimp or pink shrimp are exported to Europe.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06Which is unbelievable,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09that we're letting these delicious little fellows slip away.
0:22:09 > 0:22:13In its heyday, 40 years ago, the King's Lynn fishing fleet could sell
0:22:13 > 0:22:1820 tonnes of British shrimp in the UK every day, both brown and pink.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23David Mott has been fishing since those glory days
0:22:23 > 0:22:25and he's seen the British trade virtually dry up.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Today he's caught the sweeter pink shrimp.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31David. How are we?
0:22:31 > 0:22:33- I'm Glynn. How are you? - Pleased to meet you.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35Nice to meet you. So, what have you caught then, today?
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Er, well, some pink shrimps, like, you know.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39- Got about a tonne, I'd say. - About a tonne?
0:22:39 > 0:22:42- Round about a tonne.- How long have you been out there for?- 12 hours.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- 12 hours. - We left this morning. Yeah.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48So, how many boats would you say, from when you started?
0:22:48 > 0:22:49From when I started, well,
0:22:49 > 0:22:54on the pink shrimps there was 25 boats but now there's only...
0:22:54 > 0:22:55What, three?
0:22:55 > 0:22:57And that's purely down - on the demand?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00The demand, yes, there's no demand. That's the trouble.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03So what happens if you catch them and no one wants to buy them?
0:23:03 > 0:23:04We have to dump them.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- You just dump them? - Dump them, yeah.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Well, we can't sell them. What else can you do with them?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Yeah. Which is frightening, really.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13It is, it is ridiculous, but as I say,
0:23:13 > 0:23:15there's just not the trade for them.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18I want to find out exactly what happens to the shrimp
0:23:18 > 0:23:19once they're landed.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Steve Williamson runs a shellfish factory
0:23:23 > 0:23:26where they're sorting out today's haul. Pink and brown.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31We've got, um, the first chute is the undesirable size,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33and the bits and pieces of rubbish.
0:23:33 > 0:23:34Yep.
0:23:34 > 0:23:39Then you've got the small size, the medium size and the large size.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42And this helps the fishermen, he gets paid on the quality
0:23:42 > 0:23:45of his shrimps rather than the quantity of his catch.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49So what will happen, for instance, to the small undesirable ones?
0:23:49 > 0:23:50The undesirable ones...
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Years ago they all used to go to make shrimp paste.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Yeah, we used to have that at home, shrimp paste on toast.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- Shrimp paste, that's gone. - It's gone. OK.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01They don't make it any more.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03So, the smallest shrimp are chucked away.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05But what happens to the rest of this local catch?
0:24:06 > 0:24:07It goes to Holland.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Then they treat them with preservatives, et cetera.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13From there, they transport them to Morocco where they're peeled, fresh,
0:24:13 > 0:24:15back to Holland, put into little packets
0:24:15 > 0:24:17and distributed all over Europe.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21- The biggest consumer is Belgium. They love their shrimps.- Yeah?
0:24:21 > 0:24:23But it's a sad thing to see all of these beautiful shrimps
0:24:23 > 0:24:26that have been caught on our doorstep, from our coast,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29go all the way to Holland, then go to Morocco and come back to Holland.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31It seems to have... I don't know.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33It's got more air miles than Judith Chalmers.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Yep. I'm afraid it's cheap labour in Morocco.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39Why have we turned our noses up at the shrimp?
0:24:39 > 0:24:44I can only assume it's - the housewife doesn't want to peel them.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49- Yeah.- When they can buy a large imported prawn...- Mm.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51And they can peel it a lot easier.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Or they buy them ready-peeled.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55But there's no flavour, they just taste like water.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Don't eat with your eyes. Close your eyes and taste it.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59It's miles apart.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Oh, yeah. Definitely.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Look what happens when we forget about foods.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Look at all those delicious pink shrimps
0:25:06 > 0:25:09and brown shrimps being loaded and shipped off to Europe.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11This is what happens when we forget about food.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13We should be eating these. They should be staying in this country
0:25:13 > 0:25:16and we should be enjoying the fantastic shellfish
0:25:16 > 0:25:17that this country's producing.
0:25:17 > 0:25:22Although most of our shrimp end up being exported to Holland,
0:25:22 > 0:25:25they still can be found in the UK if you look hard enough.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28And I've got a brilliant way to show them off, with my final dish.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31I can guarantee that this next recipe will get brown shrimps
0:25:31 > 0:25:33back on your table at home.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36This is a fantastic, rich, sublime,
0:25:36 > 0:25:40delicious dish that takes shrimp and potato salad to another level.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46So, we're using really simple, humble ingredients
0:25:46 > 0:25:48that are going to make the shrimp sing out.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Slowly melt some butter, then roughly chop some potatoes
0:25:53 > 0:25:55into thick chunks.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57So, we want to cook them not too thin, so we can...
0:25:57 > 0:25:59About that sort of thickness.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01Place the potatoes down in a shallow cooking dish.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06They will soak up a lot of the milk from the butter.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09And I say the word salad - this is probably one of the richest salads
0:26:09 > 0:26:10you're ever going to eat.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12So, we'll put those in the oven until they're...
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Until they're nice and soft.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20So, now we're going to make the foundation of the shrimp salad.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22We've got some peeled brown shrimps here
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and this is a fresh-made mayonnaise.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27The lighter the oil, the better the mayonnaise flavour, for me.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29So, in with the mayonnaise.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32I like to lightly flavour my mayonnaise with tarragon.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35And also, if you make the mayonnaise too strong
0:26:35 > 0:26:38it will sort of overpower the shrimp flavour.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I'm using brown shrimps, as they're easier to get hold of
0:26:41 > 0:26:43at the moment than the pink, but you can use either.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46It's got much more of a stronger flavour
0:26:46 > 0:26:49than some of those jumbo prawns that we buy from abroad.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52For me, it's got... It's got that taste of Britain,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54you know, we're an island.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56We've got some fantastic produce around it.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58This is like a small grenade of flavour.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04And, as you can see, the potatoes have soaked up
0:27:04 > 0:27:06all of the milk from the butter.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Again we're using salted butter, so we don't need to season them.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13I'm using a free range egg to add colour and flavour to my dish.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17We're not going to poach a whole egg, which may sound strange.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18We're just going to poach the yolk
0:27:18 > 0:27:20because that's where, for me, all the flavour is.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23We've got the water. It's around about 60 to 70 degrees.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's not roasting hot. It's hot enough to put my finger in,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29but don't put your finger in boiling water, cos that would be ridiculous.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32This is the coolest, calmest way that you can poach
0:27:32 > 0:27:35and get a flavour from the yolk.
0:27:35 > 0:27:36So it stays nice and gooey
0:27:36 > 0:27:40and bursts over those beautiful sweet, salty shrimps.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42The thing is about the brown shrimp,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44you may not think you can get hold of them,
0:27:44 > 0:27:47but you can get them online, you can get them in good supermarkets,
0:27:47 > 0:27:48a fishmonger's...
0:27:48 > 0:27:51The fact of the matter is, "Shy babies get no sweets."
0:27:51 > 0:27:52You've got to ask.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54So this for me is like a little explosion of sauce
0:27:54 > 0:27:58which is going to cover the shrimps.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Drop that in the middle.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03My mouth is just watering, just looking at that.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Dress with some peppery watercress and some unpeeled shrimp.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10As far as I'm concerned,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12that's the most explosive potato and brown shrimp salad
0:28:12 > 0:28:14you're ever going to get.
0:28:17 > 0:28:18Look at that.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21The way the egg has just burst all over the potato.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Mm.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26And the pepperyness...
0:28:27 > 0:28:31..of the watercress is amazing.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34And you'd be absolutely mad not to try this at home.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38So, go on, celebrate the brown shrimp.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46Please do go and ask for British shrimp.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49But if all else fails, you could try and catch your own.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51If you're brave enough.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Fishmongers John Botterell and his son George
0:28:53 > 0:28:58catch shrimp by push-netting off Camber Sands in Kent.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01This is good English weather for fishing.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04The water's nice and dirty.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08The sky isn't too bright and there tends to be more fish
0:29:08 > 0:29:09in these sort of conditions,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12so when nobody else is on the beach, we're out here.
0:29:15 > 0:29:18Not many, a few, but some nice-sized ones.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20And a few pink ones as well.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28After a few weary hours, they take their little catch back
0:29:28 > 0:29:30to their base to cook.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It's the same with fish and any shellfish.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39If it's caught locally, cooked locally, eaten locally,
0:29:39 > 0:29:41it just has a magical taste to it.
0:29:41 > 0:29:42So, that was hard work.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45Usually I'd expect to get about three or four times as much as that.
0:29:45 > 0:29:48That's what I tell everybody!
0:29:49 > 0:29:55Something my shrimp odyssey has taught me is that you need to taste British shrimp to truly understand
0:29:55 > 0:29:58why some people, like me, are crazy for them.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01Size isn't everything.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04They may be small, but when I compare it to the foreign imports,
0:30:04 > 0:30:06the flavour is massive. So, I'm saying to you,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10"Get out there, buy them, try them" and save and revive shrimp.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16Next up - another chef with a fabulous British produce
0:30:16 > 0:30:18which needs bringing back from the brink.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29When I first arrived in this country in 1990,
0:30:29 > 0:30:32I was shocked that chefs actually believed
0:30:32 > 0:30:37the French produced BETTER quality product
0:30:37 > 0:30:39than we actually do here in this country.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Nowadays, this product is applauded by chefs like me,
0:30:42 > 0:30:47for being mouth-wateringly tender and incredibly easy to cook.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49But in the home, it's virtually disappeared.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51So come on, Britain.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53Listen to me, John Torode -
0:30:53 > 0:30:57you'll never eat something so wonderful in all your life.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Get stuck in to the great...British duck.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04In my campaign to revive the British duck,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08I uncover how close our heritage breeds are to extinction.
0:31:08 > 0:31:13Do we let them just disappear or do we try and keep...the real thing?
0:31:13 > 0:31:16I'll be going back to school to teach the next generation
0:31:16 > 0:31:18how easy it is to cook this thing of beauty.
0:31:18 > 0:31:21- Great, that's very good duck. Well done.- Yes!
0:31:21 > 0:31:24And I'll be sharing my recipe for posh duck pie.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27It's like the roller coaster of duck.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28Beautiful.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37So when was the last time you ate duck?
0:31:37 > 0:31:40Well, chances are it was in a Chinese restaurant like this
0:31:40 > 0:31:43with pancakes, hoisin sauce and cucumber.
0:31:43 > 0:31:44In China it's a national dish.
0:31:44 > 0:31:49They produce over 2.5 million tonnes of it per year.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52But when was the last time you cooked duck at home?
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Cooked and roasted the good, old-fashioned, British way.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58Go on, admit it, I bet it was a while ago.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00Now, we all buy chicken.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03It accounts for 41% of the meat market
0:32:03 > 0:32:04but the poor old duck?
0:32:04 > 0:32:07It trails behind with just 5%.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11When was the last time you ate duck but not in a Chinese restaurant?
0:32:13 > 0:32:16- Never.- I don't know if I can remember - quite a long time ago.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Whenever I think of duck, I think of crispy, aromatic duck.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Why do people not cook duck, do you think?
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Because it's rich, it's very rich and it's...
0:32:25 > 0:32:27..I guess it takes a long time.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30You're happy to roast a chicken but you wouldn't roast a duck?
0:32:30 > 0:32:33I haven't really thought about it. I'd give it a go, I guess.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35I also think duck's quite expensive compared to chicken.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38That probably could be a big blocker for a lot of people.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41But believe me, good-quality duck tastes SO much better
0:32:41 > 0:32:45and it doesn't cost much more than your average free-range chicken.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49Although we're all happy enough to tuck in to crispy Chinese duck,
0:32:49 > 0:32:53it seems that cooking a traditional British duck at home
0:32:53 > 0:32:55has simply dropped off the radar.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58Well, I'm here to put you back in touch with your heritage
0:32:58 > 0:33:01because we've got some fantastic, British-reared duck
0:33:01 > 0:33:03ready to grace your tables.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08I'm talking about one of our great British, classic ducks.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12It's bred in Aylesbury and Buckinghamshire
0:33:12 > 0:33:15but tragically, this breed is fast disappearing.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18As a young man growing up in Australia,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20I cooked and I ate lots of duck
0:33:20 > 0:33:23but it wasn't until I came to Britain I understood
0:33:23 > 0:33:26how delicious duck could truly be.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29I'm here in Buckinghamshire to meet a man
0:33:29 > 0:33:34who says he's got the only surviving flock of Aylesbury table duck
0:33:34 > 0:33:35left in the whole country.
0:33:37 > 0:33:38Richard Waller's family
0:33:38 > 0:33:41has been breeding Aylesbury duck since the 18th century.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44They are one of the few surviving, true-British breeds -
0:33:44 > 0:33:46great for roasting thanks to their extra-large size.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50But what makes these British birds unique?
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Obviously the first thing is the pink bill.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55- Right.- Colour of a lady's fingernail. - Uh-huh.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58That was the old show point thing - colour of a lady's fingernail.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00But the bill...is straight?
0:34:00 > 0:34:04- Yep, it comes out from the head absolutely straight.- Right.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07- It's got quite a short neck. - Yep, absolutely.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Because you've got a very small neck,
0:34:09 > 0:34:13that means your body weight must be quite a decent, meat-giving duck.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15Yeah. I mean the average at eight weeks old is,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19working on it in kilos, is around about three kilos.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22- So you're looking at about six and a half pounds, oven ready.- Right.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24Did you hear what he just said?
0:34:24 > 0:34:28He said on Saturday you're going to be "oven ready".
0:34:28 > 0:34:30And these ducks are direct descendants
0:34:30 > 0:34:32of those bred by Richard's ancestors.
0:34:34 > 0:34:39Dad could trace back Aylesbury duck breeding in the family back to 1775.
0:34:39 > 0:34:40- Long, long time. - Yeah.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43But of course, it was nothing like this, obviously.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45The Aylesbury duck industry
0:34:45 > 0:34:47was purely and simply a cottage industry.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50In the 19th century, demand for duck was so high
0:34:50 > 0:34:54that many of these small producers needed a more prolific breeder.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56So they crossed the true Aylesbury duck
0:34:56 > 0:34:59with a Peking imported from China -
0:34:59 > 0:35:02something that Richard's family decided not to do.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05There can't be that many left in the country, is there?
0:35:05 > 0:35:07Basically what you're looking at, John,
0:35:07 > 0:35:10is the very last of the REAL Aylesbury ducks.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13So, if this is the last lot of breeding stock
0:35:13 > 0:35:17of the actual Aylesbury duck, how many have you got?
0:35:17 > 0:35:20Around about 8,000 or 9,000 ducklings a year.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23- Right.- Which you say, "Hmm, that's absolutely nothing."
0:35:23 > 0:35:26I mean there are big producers, mass producers,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28that are turning out that in a day.
0:35:28 > 0:35:31Yes, but let's be fair about this, you do this by yourself.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34- Oh, yeah.- You do everything still by hand?- Yeah.
0:35:34 > 0:35:39You feed by hand, you breed by hand, you slaughter by hand.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41- Everything.- Wow.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43Yeah, "wow" is the word.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46But Richard's traditional business is under threat
0:35:46 > 0:35:47from the large-scale producers,
0:35:47 > 0:35:51leaving the true Aylesbury table duck on the brink of extinction.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Why the dedication?
0:35:53 > 0:35:57Why have you decided then THIS is going to be your cause?
0:35:57 > 0:36:00Um, I think, to be quite honest, John, in all truthfulness...
0:36:00 > 0:36:03it was a duty, what else could I do?
0:36:03 > 0:36:06We've all forgotten the Pennine White, the Norfolk White.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08They've just gone, they've been forgotten.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Do we let them just disappear? Let them interbreed?
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Or do we try and keep the real thing?
0:36:16 > 0:36:17This is an extraordinary thing.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20If I was in France,
0:36:20 > 0:36:24"I'd be lauded, applauded and well rewarded", I tell people.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28The French would not let a national dish get down to this level.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30They would do everything they could
0:36:30 > 0:36:32to make sure that they kept the thing going.
0:36:33 > 0:36:34Me - no help at all.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37It's heart-breaking to learn that
0:36:37 > 0:36:41we've let this Great British product get THIS close to disappearing.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45It's been a sobering visit really.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48One where you come face to face with the simple fact
0:36:48 > 0:36:52that actually we may lose this great product for ever.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54And it goes to show we've got to do more and more
0:36:54 > 0:36:59to support our local farmers, our community and buy the produce.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10The great British roast is worth celebrating
0:37:10 > 0:37:15and this is my great British roast Aylesbury duck.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21I'm cooking this dish in honour of Richard Waller,
0:37:21 > 0:37:24the man who farms this beautiful Aylesbury duck.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28But there's a couple of, what I think are, quick and easy tips
0:37:28 > 0:37:31about cooking a duck and especially a roast duck.
0:37:31 > 0:37:32Take the duck itself.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34There it is in all its majesty.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38Open up the cavity at the end
0:37:38 > 0:37:41and inside here you'll see some fat.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44This fat in here is really important
0:37:44 > 0:37:47because that keeps the duck itself moist.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49So don't cut it off!
0:37:49 > 0:37:51And stuff the duck with rosemary, salt and pepper.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Seal it up,
0:37:53 > 0:37:59pick it up and then you literally shake it like this.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Then pour in some water and leave it to marinate overnight.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10And take it out of the fridge nice and early the next morning.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13It should be at room temperature before it goes in the oven
0:38:13 > 0:38:15and this is a trick that I was taught
0:38:15 > 0:38:19the first day of my apprenticeship when I was...
0:38:19 > 0:38:23quite young, not that many years ago.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25Actually a very long time ago. The duck itself...
0:38:25 > 0:38:29is now coated with boiling hot water
0:38:29 > 0:38:34because it opens the pores and it starts to just
0:38:34 > 0:38:38make the fat that sits underneath the skin a little bit softer.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41The next bit is very clever indeed.
0:38:41 > 0:38:47Sprinkle the outside of the duck with a little bit of vinegar.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50Which will close the pores and make the skin nice and crispy.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Wipe the excess of the vinegar off.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Then lay over some bacon,
0:38:55 > 0:38:59cover the whole thing with foil and steam it in the oven.
0:39:01 > 0:39:0330 minutes.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05That gives me time for a cup of tea.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09Half an hour later, remove the foil and the bacon,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12reduce the temperature and roast it for a further hour
0:39:12 > 0:39:13until it's golden brown.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16Now, that is smelling fantastic.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Roast duck, bacon.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21I mean it's what... It's what hunger is made of,
0:39:21 > 0:39:26is being, sort of, enticing people and this is why a piece of meat
0:39:26 > 0:39:30sitting on a bench resting away is also quite a good thing on a Sunday.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32It means that whoever walks through the door and becomes ravenous
0:39:32 > 0:39:34and when they sit around the table,
0:39:34 > 0:39:37they actually want to dive in and eat it.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40And you carve this duck like you would any other bird.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44But unlike chicken, duck is a dark meat so you can serve it pink.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46The same as you would lamb or beef.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49There's a huge amount of meat on this thing.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51And the flavour? Well, it's rich and delicious,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54with less fat than you'd ever expect from a duck.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58A good amount of watercress on top of our duck.
0:39:58 > 0:40:03The grand British, roasted Aylesbury duck.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18British duck is having a renaissance in our restaurants
0:40:18 > 0:40:20and this is thanks to a handful of farmers
0:40:20 > 0:40:23who are putting quality before quantity.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27Over the last 20 years, a new process of rearing duck in Lancashire
0:40:27 > 0:40:30has helped revive the fortunes of this extraordinary bird
0:40:30 > 0:40:33and that's why I'm here, in the shadows of the Pennines,
0:40:33 > 0:40:36to meet a man who's dedicated his life to the duck.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40I'm in Goosnargh and this is home to Reg Johnson,
0:40:40 > 0:40:42who's spent over 20 years
0:40:42 > 0:40:46developing quality British duck for the restaurant trade.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48He switched to specialised poultry farming in the 1980s
0:40:48 > 0:40:51to meet the demands of the local chefs
0:40:51 > 0:40:53and has since built up quite a business -
0:40:53 > 0:40:55supplying top restaurants all over the country.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00The Goosnargh, as it's now known,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02has become the toast of the culinary world.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05In fact, I've sourced ducks from here myself
0:41:05 > 0:41:10but the great table bird doesn't have to be reserved just for foodies.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14You'd spent £15 on a joint of beef that would feed a family of four
0:41:14 > 0:41:17and a duck would cost you about the same amount of money.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Reg produces 3,000 Goosnarghs a week.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23They are sold in butcher's shops and online,
0:41:23 > 0:41:25so you can enjoy this great meat at home.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30But what makes this modern, British bird so unique?
0:41:30 > 0:41:32The story begins in the mixing plant.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33- The feed? - The feed.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35- The most important bit. - Absolutely.
0:41:37 > 0:41:40Goosnarghs are an Aylesbury/Peking cross like the commercial birds
0:41:40 > 0:41:43that took over from the true Aylesbury.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46But what sets his birds apart is their totally natural diet,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49of wheat and corn, which he mixes himself, with no additives,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51growth promoters or antibiotics.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54So this is going to take how much? How much is going to go in here?
0:41:54 > 0:41:58- One tonne.- One tonne and that's going to feed a few ducks today?
0:41:58 > 0:42:00That'll feed some of the little ones today, yeah.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03The ducklings arrive from the hatchery once a week
0:42:03 > 0:42:05and are covered in down for the first 10 days.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Whoa. So how old are these?
0:42:10 > 0:42:12- These are this morning's. - Five hours ago.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15Five hours ago.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18That's amazing how big they are in five hours.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22They stay in a nursery shed for the first couple of weeks
0:42:22 > 0:42:24where they get their first taste of food and water.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28And here, how many hatchlings are there?
0:42:28 > 0:42:32- Hatchlings, ducklings - about 2,6 this week.- 2,600?- Yeah.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35And they all think you are their mummy and daddy.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38Do they? Is that what they're coming for?
0:42:38 > 0:42:40Yeah, they don't lose their parents, they're wandering round.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43They also don't know where food is or water.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45They tend to find their food by accident running over it.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48They tend to find the water by the lights twinkling.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Then they just go and dabble in it.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Wow.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54A couple of weeks later, they find themselves here
0:42:54 > 0:42:56in one of the 17 fattening sheds.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00So these are the... Coming to the two-week ones...
0:43:00 > 0:43:01for a contrast.
0:43:03 > 0:43:04Wow.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07That's a big difference, isn't it? Two weeks?
0:43:07 > 0:43:10Two weeks, yeah. Yeah, but just natural growth.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13No induced growth, no excessive over-feeding.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15It's just feed to appetite.
0:43:16 > 0:43:20After just eight weeks, they're ready for the table.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23- How old are these? - These are next week's harvest.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25These will be 56 days next Wednesday.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27So, eight weeks old?
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Eight weeks old - they're at their optimum then.
0:43:29 > 0:43:31Beyond that, it's past its most tenderness.
0:43:31 > 0:43:33It's starting getting tighter and stringier.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35These are ready for the next harvest.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37That's quite incredible growth though -
0:43:37 > 0:43:38eight weeks to get to this stage
0:43:38 > 0:43:41and they seem to have lots of room to wander around, lots of space.
0:43:41 > 0:43:43Well, we do try to give them the best life.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47- Like you say, there's plenty of space, plenty of room to roam. Fresh straw every day.- Right.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49We have them in smaller barns.
0:43:49 > 0:43:52We could put twice as many birds in here legally - we don't.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55We rear them in small batches, multiple batches.
0:43:55 > 0:43:57Do they taste different?
0:43:57 > 0:44:00They taste different.
0:44:00 > 0:44:01We like to think so.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03These have a high meat-to-bone ratio,
0:44:03 > 0:44:06a slightly shorter muscle structure that keeps them tender
0:44:06 > 0:44:08but they also have a low fat content.
0:44:08 > 0:44:12Unlike commercial birds, these ducks are hung for 24 hours
0:44:12 > 0:44:14after slaughter to enhance their flavour
0:44:14 > 0:44:16which makes a world of difference.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17It is true, isn't it?
0:44:17 > 0:44:21A duck is about the same amount of money as a joint of beef?
0:44:21 > 0:44:23Probably less really with beef having gone...
0:44:23 > 0:44:25going up and in the future, beef will probably get dearer
0:44:25 > 0:44:27because duck is easier to breed and easier to...
0:44:27 > 0:44:31I love a farmer's straight face, I love that.
0:44:31 > 0:44:33"Oh, no, it's cheaper, of course it is."
0:44:33 > 0:44:34Do you want a game of cards?
0:44:36 > 0:44:39So, the next time you're forking out for your Sunday roast,
0:44:39 > 0:44:40give duck a chance.
0:44:40 > 0:44:43It's a great British product that we all should be eating.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Here we go, John, this is what it's all about - hopefully a bit of fuss.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51- Mate, thank you.- A corn-fed duck and a wheat-fed duck.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53- So the yellow one's corn-fed? - It's corn-fed, yeah.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56- And then the white ones the wheat-fed one?- Yeah, yeah.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58- Mate, thank you very much indeed. - All the best.
0:44:58 > 0:45:00- I'm off to do some cooking. - Good luck.- Thanks, mate.
0:45:10 > 0:45:11So now a chef's dish.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13I'm going to push myself a little bit.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18Take the great duck and make it something truly amazing.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21This is John's posh duck pie.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28I'm going to de-bone a whole duck, stuff it,
0:45:28 > 0:45:30roll it and wrap it in puff pastry.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Nice and simple!
0:45:34 > 0:45:39The skin's going to be the casing for the duck dish itself.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Then start to slowly...
0:45:42 > 0:45:45take the skin off.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49Now, I can do this because I've done things like this before
0:45:49 > 0:45:52but I would suggest, should you want to do something like this,
0:45:52 > 0:45:55you can either follow a few instructions in a cook book or two
0:45:55 > 0:45:58or get your butcher to do it and I think butchers
0:45:58 > 0:46:01are probably the people who should be doing it.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05This is a Goosnargh duck.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09It comes from Reg Johnson who we visited
0:46:09 > 0:46:12and if you think about all the hard work Reg and his team
0:46:12 > 0:46:14have put into growing these ducks,
0:46:14 > 0:46:19it's something nice about using the whole thing.
0:46:19 > 0:46:24But also...taking the duck and spreading it across many meals,
0:46:24 > 0:46:28utilising all of the bird plus the addition of pastry and stuffing,
0:46:28 > 0:46:33makes this, although quite an opulent dish, quite a cheap thing to make.
0:46:36 > 0:46:40I'm filling my posh pie with a delicious duck-and-chicken stuffing.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44The stuffing itself now gets turned
0:46:44 > 0:46:48into a sausage shape down the middle.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51We turn the whole into a parcel.
0:46:51 > 0:46:55Use a skewer to hold it together and prick the skin to stop it shrinking.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58It also means the heat can penetrate the skin as it starts to cook
0:46:58 > 0:47:00and the filling starts to cook properly.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03Then seal the outside in a hot pan.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06Just keep on rotating the duck...
0:47:11 > 0:47:13..and when it's brown all over,
0:47:13 > 0:47:16pop it onto a tray and into your fridge freezer to cool.
0:47:19 > 0:47:24This is good-quality, butter, puff pastry.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27And do me a favour, don't make it yourself, go and buy it.
0:47:27 > 0:47:28You can buy it anywhere you like.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33So...there we are.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36Cooled down.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38When using puff pastry, try not to touch it.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Your hands are quite warm and it starts to melt the pastry.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44Use the paper. I've left the skewer inside the duck.
0:47:44 > 0:47:47I'm not going to leave it inside for all the time
0:47:47 > 0:47:51but for this I'm going to start with the skewer in it.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54Beef wellington or a turkey wellington or a chicken wellington
0:47:54 > 0:47:57or whatever it might be -
0:47:57 > 0:47:59they are a great thing.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03My grandmother, when I lived with her and when we grew up,
0:48:03 > 0:48:06didn't have a lot of money. She used to use minced beef.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Make minced beef and turn it into a shape like a big beef roll
0:48:09 > 0:48:11and then turn it into a wellington.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13It was served as a posh dinner.
0:48:14 > 0:48:19I think Australia and posh were not known to each other.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22It looks pretty ordinary - wait until it comes out the oven.
0:48:22 > 0:48:2630 minutes later, it will be puffed up, golden and gorgeous-looking.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33Carving something like this, to me, is an art
0:48:33 > 0:48:36and there is a very, very clever tip here.
0:48:36 > 0:48:37You need two knives.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40A serrated-edge knife and then a sharp-edge, straight knife
0:48:40 > 0:48:44because the first bit is to make the incision into the pastry
0:48:44 > 0:48:46with a serrated-edge knife...
0:48:49 > 0:48:52..and then cut through the meat with a straight-edge knife.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00Look at this, look.
0:49:00 > 0:49:01There he is inside.
0:49:01 > 0:49:05That was just a cheeky peek.
0:49:05 > 0:49:06A teaser.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10The smell...of this is unbelievable.
0:49:12 > 0:49:17That's my posh pie of duck and blackberry sauce.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30Imagine taking THAT to a table and showing your friends
0:49:30 > 0:49:34and saying, "It's like the roller coaster of duck."
0:49:34 > 0:49:35Beautiful.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44One of the problems with duck is that people don't know how to cook it.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47Something I'm determined to change.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49I feel, if I'm going to get this great country to eat duck,
0:49:49 > 0:49:52I've got to start with the next generation
0:49:52 > 0:49:54and of course great cooks start young.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58And today, I'm here to teach a group of young people
0:49:58 > 0:50:00how simple it is to cook a duck.
0:50:00 > 0:50:03This is Rutlish School, a South London comprehensive
0:50:03 > 0:50:06with some budding young chefs who have never cooked duck before.
0:50:06 > 0:50:08Anyone not ever eaten duck?
0:50:08 > 0:50:10- Yeah. - You've never eaten duck?
0:50:10 > 0:50:12I might have had it once but that's about it.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14- Where would you have had it? - Probably in China.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17- In China?- Yeah.- You went to China?- Yeah.- School trip, sir.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20I want to go to YOUR school(!)
0:50:20 > 0:50:23I'm going to show these guys how to cook a simple duck breast.
0:50:23 > 0:50:24Score it, season it.
0:50:24 > 0:50:29Place it in a cold pan, skin-side down, until it's nice and crispy.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32But it's interesting how quickly that fat starts to render out of there.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35- Is that all the moisture coming out of there?- That's fat only.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37There's no moisture coming out of that duck at all.
0:50:37 > 0:50:38So, now look.
0:50:40 > 0:50:41Wow.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Then turn it over and cook the other side for two or three minutes.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47Leave it to rest for the same time it took to cook.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50OK. Duck breast.
0:50:50 > 0:50:53- That simple. It's all right, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:50:53 > 0:50:54Good, right.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58Time to see if these budding young chefs can master my technique.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04Have you ever sewn anything? Needle?
0:51:04 > 0:51:06- Er, yeah.- See.- Oh, right.- OK.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12So far so good - in fact, these guys are naturals
0:51:12 > 0:51:14and to think, before today,
0:51:14 > 0:51:18some of them hadn't even tasted this wonderful British meat.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20It's so easy, so...
0:51:21 > 0:51:24You see that no water has come out of it because it's pink enough.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28The meat hasn't shrunk too much. It's very good duck, well done.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31- Perfect.- Yes!
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Slow but steady.
0:51:33 > 0:51:34And at around £3 a breast,
0:51:34 > 0:51:37it's not much more expensive than free-range chicken
0:51:37 > 0:51:39and has SO much more flavour.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42Right, scoff it. Come on, guys, eat some of it.
0:51:42 > 0:51:43So what do the boys think?
0:51:43 > 0:51:48There's still a lot of moisture and stuff in there.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50Tastes good.
0:51:50 > 0:51:53Quite chewy but it has loads of flavour still.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55The thing is that it's not chicken.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57You know, it should have a bite to it.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00You should chew it, which is a good thing to do, but that's good.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02I think that's great, well done.
0:52:02 > 0:52:06And now they've cooked and tasted it, there's no stopping them.
0:52:07 > 0:52:10- So after this, do you think you can do this at home?- Yeah.
0:52:10 > 0:52:12- ALL:- Yeah. - It's not hard, is it?
0:52:12 > 0:52:15- No. Just got to find duck first. - Just got to find?
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Just got to find some duck.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Every supermarket has them, most butchers will have them
0:52:20 > 0:52:22and just ask for duck breasts.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24Don't tell your parents you've done it today.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Go home, impress them, "I cooked you dinner."
0:52:28 > 0:52:30This is living proof.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33It goes to show how easy it really is to cook duck.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37Six 14-year-olds, some of them never eaten duck before in their lives,
0:52:37 > 0:52:39are cooking these breasts beautifully.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42Don't just wait for your Chinese takeaway, go out,
0:52:42 > 0:52:46get yourself a great British duck and cook it, eat it and love it.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55We can now see why restaurants up and down the country use the duck breast,
0:52:55 > 0:52:58because it's quick, it's easy to cook.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02It's just one of the most delicious meats in the world.
0:53:02 > 0:53:03But what happens to all the legs?
0:53:03 > 0:53:07Well, I'm about to show you the simplest of ready meals ever -
0:53:07 > 0:53:09a classic duck confit.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13We're going to serve it with parsnip puree and some cobnuts.
0:53:17 > 0:53:21This classic dish, duck confit, is all about planning ahead.
0:53:21 > 0:53:27It takes 24 hours to make but actually it's really simple.
0:53:27 > 0:53:31This duck confit is something you can put in your fridge.
0:53:31 > 0:53:33You can leave it there for a couple of weeks.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35Pull it out whenever you like.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38You can either heat it up or you just strip the duck legs down
0:53:38 > 0:53:40of their meat, toss it with some watercress
0:53:40 > 0:53:43and you've got a beautiful salad.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46First of all, salt...
0:53:46 > 0:53:48in the bottom of the tray.
0:53:48 > 0:53:49Some peppercorns...
0:53:51 > 0:53:53..and some juniper berries.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55Take the duck leg. Skin-side down.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58And that's the first process.
0:53:58 > 0:54:02They need to marinate for 24 hours in the fridge
0:54:02 > 0:54:04and once the salt and the herbs have worked their magic,
0:54:04 > 0:54:06they're ready to cook. Bye.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15First, we need to get rid of all these bits of spices and flavourings
0:54:15 > 0:54:18and dry the duck leg back off again.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21So, take the paper and away you go.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24I first got to London in 1990
0:54:24 > 0:54:27and when you cook professionally,
0:54:27 > 0:54:29you have to go for a day's trial in a restaurant.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32One of my trials was at the famous Ivy
0:54:32 > 0:54:35and I went downstairs into the cavernous kitchens
0:54:35 > 0:54:37and I was tasked
0:54:37 > 0:54:41with confiting 250 legs of duck.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44I sat there for most of the day...
0:54:44 > 0:54:47salting duck legs down, scraping them with paper
0:54:47 > 0:54:50and strangely enough,
0:54:50 > 0:54:52I never went to work there.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56Now I'm going to cook the duck legs in lots of lovely duck fat.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Thankfully now, with all the supermarkets
0:54:58 > 0:55:01they are selling duck fat and goose fat.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05There's been a revival in people cooking their potatoes in duck fat
0:55:05 > 0:55:09and in goose fat, so it's really easy to buy in little plastic tubs.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15Put the duck legs in to the soft fat and push it down.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17All of them
0:55:17 > 0:55:21and the four will get into this place here...
0:55:22 > 0:55:26..if I'm clever and understand a bit of geometry.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30And once you've squeezed them all in, throw in some peppercorns,
0:55:30 > 0:55:33a couple of bay leaves and leave it to cook for an hour and a half
0:55:33 > 0:55:35while you prepare the parsnips.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41I love parsnips, I like the sweetness of them.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45But sometimes they're a bit too sweet so the way I'm cooking them
0:55:45 > 0:55:48takes a little bit of the sweetness away, adds a bit more savoury to them
0:55:48 > 0:55:51and this I was making
0:55:51 > 0:55:55when we first opened Quaglino's in 1992.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59Huge pots of it and we realised that the more oil we added to it
0:55:59 > 0:56:02and the more milk we added to it, the more velvety it became
0:56:02 > 0:56:05and that's how these restaurant dishes evolve.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08Because you keep on playing with ideas and adding bits and pieces
0:56:08 > 0:56:11until the stage where you get the consistency and the flavour you want.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15And this creamy, white puree goes brilliantly
0:56:15 > 0:56:18with the dark, rich, duck meat.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23With some roasted cobnuts for added crunch.
0:56:31 > 0:56:33Are you ready?
0:56:33 > 0:56:35There they are.
0:56:35 > 0:56:39I promised you a tender piece of duck.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41Take the leg with a piece of paper...
0:56:43 > 0:56:48..twist the bone and the bone literally...
0:56:48 > 0:56:49pops out.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01Duck confit, parsnip puree and cobnuts.
0:57:14 > 0:57:15It's delicious.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18You can taste the juniper, the taste of gin running through the duck,
0:57:18 > 0:57:21the crispy skin, the saltiness of the flesh.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23It is a joy.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30I'm not the only one trying to find new ways to get you all eating duck.
0:57:30 > 0:57:33Gressingham foods in Suffolk is also trying hard
0:57:33 > 0:57:36to win over the British public with a range of quality duck products
0:57:36 > 0:57:41that have animal welfare, flavour and convenience at their heart.
0:57:41 > 0:57:43The original idea for Simply Duck
0:57:43 > 0:57:46has come from trying to take out the worry of people cooking the duck
0:57:46 > 0:57:49and giving them a complete solution for a midweek meal,
0:57:49 > 0:57:53without the worry of having to cook something that's a bit different.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55All the duck breast ones are cooked under half an hour.
0:57:55 > 0:57:57It's just add a sauce.
0:57:57 > 0:57:59The duck leg is simply like putting it into the oven
0:57:59 > 0:58:02and then ten minutes before the end, putting on a glaze
0:58:02 > 0:58:04and it's as easy as that.
0:58:04 > 0:58:07- This is fruity duck.- This is the fruity duck with the cherry plum.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09Really nice.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12And these guys are coming up with new ideas all the time.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15Like duck with blackcurrants and duck with chilli, lime and ginger,
0:58:15 > 0:58:19proving there's more to this great British meat than just hoisin sauce.
0:58:23 > 0:58:24So there you have it.
0:58:24 > 0:58:27There's no reason why you shouldn't be cooking duck at home.
0:58:27 > 0:58:31This isle has the most exceptional farmers,
0:58:31 > 0:58:34producing the most wonderful birds.
0:58:34 > 0:58:37But it will only continue to have them if we support them.
0:58:38 > 0:58:41It's time for you to get in your own kitchen
0:58:41 > 0:58:44and love the duck.
0:58:46 > 0:58:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd