0:00:02 > 0:00:05- This is the Great British Food Revival.- We are flying the flag and campaigning...
0:00:05 > 0:00:07To save some of our truly unique...
0:00:07 > 0:00:08Totally delicious...
0:00:08 > 0:00:10- Succulent... - Formidable...
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Home-grown produce.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Ooh, it's cold!
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Many are teetering on the brink of survival.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20We need you to help us...
0:00:20 > 0:00:23To resurrect these classic heritage ingredients.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26I'm loving it. I could stay out here all day.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Join us now before it's too late.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31- Can you give us a whoop? - Whoo!
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Some things are really worth fighting for.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Ah, delicious.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Ever since I got my first taste of this great British product,
0:01:19 > 0:01:20I've been a massive, massive fan.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24The fact is, it's been a staple on British plates for centuries.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26It's graced many a Christmas table
0:01:26 > 0:01:30and it's a British institution through and through.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33At one time we spent months making and nurturing it
0:01:33 > 0:01:35in our own homes.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38But nowadays we're eating more processed, manufactured varieties
0:01:38 > 0:01:43and we're in a real danger of losing a great British cottage industry.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46My name's Tom Kerridge, and I'm here to inspire you.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48So, come on, people of Great Britain,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50rally around and get behind me
0:01:50 > 0:01:55and let's put great British cured ham back where it belongs.
0:01:55 > 0:01:56In pride of place.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Reconstituted ham is so popular with British shoppers
0:02:01 > 0:02:06it's pushing British cured ham off our supermarket shelves.
0:02:06 > 0:02:10So, in my campaign to revive this forgotten British staple,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13I'll be showing you exactly what's in the ham
0:02:13 > 0:02:15that you put in your sandwiches.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20Reformed ham, cured and cooked with not more than 20% added water.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24I mean you can hear that. That's just horrific.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26Ladies and gentlemen, roll up...
0:02:26 > 0:02:28I'll be taking my crusade to the streets of Northampton
0:02:28 > 0:02:31with a ham sandwich extravaganza.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34This is the processed square cubes of ham.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39That's the ham that she just spat out.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41If that doesn't prove something I don't know what does.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43And I'll rustle up some tasty recipes
0:02:43 > 0:02:45using the best of British cured ham.
0:02:45 > 0:02:48Wow, that is proper lush.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59I grew up in a single-parent household
0:02:59 > 0:03:01and money was always tight.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04My mum used to send us off to school with ham sandwiches,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07but it was always that processed, square ham,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10fitted perfectly into the slices of bread.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12But then, at Christmas, that kind of all changed
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and my mum would get some really great British cured hams
0:03:16 > 0:03:19and the flavour of that was absolutely stunning.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25I believe it's becoming hard to find proper British cured ham
0:03:25 > 0:03:26on the high street.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29So I'm doing a little detective work.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31OK, so I have a whole range of hams here.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Everything from your local butchers, local high street shops,
0:03:35 > 0:03:36supermarkets.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40As much of a range as I could find. British breaded ham.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Farmed from selected cuts of pork legs.
0:03:44 > 0:03:49So, selected cuts of pork leg. Cured, cooked and breaded.
0:03:49 > 0:03:54With no added water. Actually, the smell when you open this packet...
0:03:56 > 0:04:01It just kind of... It smells as if it's quite sweaty.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Not very good. Bright orange breadcrumbs.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09Again, for me, bright orange breadcrumbs
0:04:09 > 0:04:10are not something that...
0:04:10 > 0:04:13you know, I don't know what bread that comes from but when you dry it
0:04:13 > 0:04:16and make it bright orange, I'm not sure about that one.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20This is the ham of my childhood.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25This is made from pork from the EU and America,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28and then it's cured and cooked and packed in the UK.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31This is awful. This is... Ha.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Ha ha! It smells disgusting.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Someone, somewhere, is putting these in their sandwiches.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41You know who you are. Stop it now.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Reformed ham.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Cured and cooked with not more than 20% added water.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51I mean, look at that. That is just horrific.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54I'm going to squeeze the whole thing and we'll see...
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Any...
0:04:58 > 0:05:00..water.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02I mean you can hear that. Can you hear that?
0:05:03 > 0:05:05That's just horrific.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08This ham comes from a deli counter in a supermarket.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10That, for me...
0:05:10 > 0:05:12Now we're beginning to talk about real meat.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13That's not so bad.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16There is some good ham out there in supermarkets.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Some of this is actually quite a good-quality product.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23But the market is massively dominated by the processed
0:05:23 > 0:05:24square or round ham.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29We buy millions of pounds' worth of reconstituted ham every year.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Far more than British cured ham and I want to find out why.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Tell me the truth of which one that you would buy and take home.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- I probably do buy that one for the kids.- Any reason?- The square one.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41Just cos they like the look of it.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- Square one. Square one... - It's a treat, that one.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- And as a treat, that one. - Yeah.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Be honest with me, chaps, right. No honestly, be honest with me.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Which one of these is in your fridge at home?
0:05:52 > 0:05:53The crumbed one.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55The crumbed one. What about the square one?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Yeah, I've got some of those.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- This stuff here. Not this stuff here.- No.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02What's the reason why you choose this over this?
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- I don't do the shopping. - My mum buys it. - HE LAUGHS
0:06:05 > 0:06:06Wafer-thin ham.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10Why do you like the wafer-thin ham? Is it the flavour?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Yeah, I mean... If I go to the fridge and open the pack,
0:06:13 > 0:06:14I just eat the whole packet.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Really, really interesting findings today, right across the board.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23But people are still buying the square ham, the teddy bear ham.
0:06:23 > 0:06:28My mission is to get rid of that stuff and to convince everybody
0:06:28 > 0:06:32to start using and cooking with
0:06:32 > 0:06:35and eating great British cured hams.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40To inspire you to ham it up in your kitchen,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43I'm going to show you just how good it tastes.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I've got a delicious first recipe.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46Get that ham ready.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49OK, this is what I'm talking about.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52This is the stunning ham that I remember as a child.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54The Christmas Day ham.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58Something that we'd only have on that one special occasion.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00And this is what I'm going to use for my first recipe.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02It's a cured ham and pea broth.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10OK, for this recipe, I've got a nice thick slice of ham.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14This is the sort of thing you can get from your butcher's,
0:07:14 > 0:07:16or supermarkets or a deli counter.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17Nice and thick.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20I'm going to dice it up to start.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Quite nice big chunks.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25Most of us have heard of ham and pea soup
0:07:25 > 0:07:29but I'm adding an Asian twist to this classic combination.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32Begin by heating honey in a pan until caramelises
0:07:32 > 0:07:34and then add soy sauce.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38About the same amount volume-weight as the honey
0:07:38 > 0:07:42and what happens is that the soy sauce and the honey caramelise
0:07:42 > 0:07:45and come together and give a beautiful, beautiful flavour.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49And then on top of that I'm going to pour some really good chicken stock
0:07:49 > 0:07:51or some ham stock.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54This delicate broth goes brilliantly with cured ham.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58It's the perfect summer dish, using home-grown ingredients,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and in my recipe, nothing goes to waste.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05So to go with it we're going to have peas.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09Now, the peas here... They're peas from the pod.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11So, we're just going to pod.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15Keep the peas, but most importantly, we keep the pods.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Now, into this broth. I've turned the heat right down.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20I'm going to put in the pea pods.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22These are all the shelled pea pods...
0:08:22 > 0:08:24And there is so much flavour in them.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Put them all in there, warts and all.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Rubber band. Maybe not the rubber band.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34And cover the stock and leave the pea pods to do their work.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Then, to really zing your taste buds,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38take some chopped spring onions, green chillies
0:08:38 > 0:08:40and some fresh mint leaves.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I'm looking for as much minty flavour as possible.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Then pass the stock through a sieve.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Take a handful of ham and some cooked peas
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and finish with the raw onion, chilli and mint.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Small little sprinkling of the green chillies.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Or if like me, you like them, two sprinklings of green chillies.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Some of the teared-up mint.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06So, you can see all the beautiful freshness of flavour
0:09:06 > 0:09:09beginning to come through.
0:09:09 > 0:09:10A nice ladle.
0:09:10 > 0:09:15We're going to put a ladleful of this beautiful pea-infused broth
0:09:15 > 0:09:17over the top.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23To finish, I've got an Asian twist on another great British ingredient.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26I deep-fry some finely chopped cabbage
0:09:26 > 0:09:29and sprinkle on top of my delicious broth.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32And there you have it. My cured ham and pea broth.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44Wow, absolutely stunning.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48There's such a beautiful freshness of flavour coming through there.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52But the overriding taste is the ham. It's stunning.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Just a small, little amount has gone such a long way.
0:09:55 > 0:09:56Absolutely stunning.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09For me, a cured ham isn't just a delicious food.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11It's a celebration of a great heritage
0:10:11 > 0:10:14that's been part of our culture for centuries.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Historically, as human beings, we're a really clever bunch
0:10:18 > 0:10:23and we realised the need to cure food and preserve it.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Up until the end of the Second World War,
0:10:25 > 0:10:29it wasn't uncommon for families to own their own pigs.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31Rear them and fatten them up during the summer
0:10:31 > 0:10:35and then, you know, preserve them and cure them for the winter.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37But this type of home-curing is a dying craft,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40overtaken by mass food production
0:10:40 > 0:10:42which sacrifices quality for quantity.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46I've come to Devon to meet Anne Petch, one of the few
0:10:46 > 0:10:51remaining artisan makers of traditional British cured ham.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53Right, come and have a look in the fridge.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55We've got pork and pigs hanging up.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Oh, fantastic.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58This pig's been reared locally.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01They come from Winkleigh, just over the way,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03because I've retired from active pig farming myself, now.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06You can see that there's a natural line around there
0:11:06 > 0:11:08and that's where we're going to cut for the ham.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10So, the ham is from there to there.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Anne has been home-curing for 35 years.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Its takes up to a month to turn a raw pork leg into a finished ham.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19It's a terrific thing, because you've got something
0:11:19 > 0:11:22that's a large joint that will feed lots of people.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23It's very easy to serve.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25You can have it hot or you can have it cold,
0:11:25 > 0:11:26and it's really, really versatile.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Now, I have got a question.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32These trimmings here, that got cut off, now...
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Is this the stuff that then gets called ham in the square packets?
0:11:36 > 0:11:39Well, that's rather posh, to go into that sort of thing.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43I mean it's a trimming but this is still deemed as too good
0:11:43 > 0:11:46- and too expensive...- Yeah.- To go into square packet ham.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50Reconstituted ham is made from various off-cuts.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53The addition of emulsifiers and additives help it to reform.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57But Anne's technique dates back thousands of years.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Go back to Neolithic times,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02the preoccupation of man was to actually feed his family through
0:12:02 > 0:12:06the winter, so it's no good killing a woolly mammoth one month
0:12:06 > 0:12:10and expecting it to last you all through the winter, because it won't.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12You have to cure the meat and preserve it in some way.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14As far as I know there's two types of cure.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17There's a wet cure and a dry cure.
0:12:17 > 0:12:18What do you do here?
0:12:18 > 0:12:20We use a traditional Devonshire wet cure.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25In the brine, there, we've got salt and a tiny amount of saltpetre.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Saltpetre is the thing that actually makes it safe.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29It combats botulism,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31which is a horrible thing to get into cured meat
0:12:31 > 0:12:35and was a scourge years and years ago, but doesn't happen these days.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40The wet cure preserves and flavours the ham by a process called osmosis.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43The salt penetrates the meat, draws out the moisture
0:12:43 > 0:12:45and stops any bacteria growing.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49OK, so gently put that in. Every day,
0:12:49 > 0:12:50what we do is take the weights off,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52when we've got a tank full of these, and we turn them over
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and that happens every day that they're in here.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- OK, brilliant. That's my first Devonshire cured ham.- Yay!
0:12:59 > 0:13:01In its brine.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05The ham is wet cured for 10 days and hung for a further 20 days
0:13:05 > 0:13:09to mature the meat before being cooked in Anne's special marinade.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13We've got brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I'll tell you what, Anne, this is almost good enough to drink.
0:13:18 > 0:13:19It smells fantastic, doesn't it?
0:13:21 > 0:13:23The marinade helps to give the ham a fantastic flavour
0:13:23 > 0:13:28and texture that you just can't find in reconstituted ham.
0:13:30 > 0:13:35It smells absolutely stunning. Honestly. I am almost speechless.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38That is just a stunning piece of ham. It tastes...
0:13:38 > 0:13:41Like you say, there's no big flavours or anything going through it.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43It just tastes porky.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46This really is what great British producers are about.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51This really is a fantastic, artisan, amazing cured ham.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53We really, really need to keep pushing this
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and saving these small cottage industries.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59These guys really need our help and this food is fantastic.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Sadly, there aren't many artisan producers like Anne left.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06It takes time to cure ham this way, with love and dedication,
0:14:06 > 0:14:09but it means her product is more expensive.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Supermarkets want high volume for low cost
0:14:12 > 0:14:15and Anne just can't compete.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19So, is it possible to find quality British cured ham
0:14:19 > 0:14:21in the supermarket?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24And would it be the same standard as Anne's?
0:14:24 > 0:14:28I've come to a more commercial ham producer in Northampton to find out.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Well, essentially we've been in business now nearly 30 years
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and we've got to the point from just doing 20-odd hams a week,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39really, when we started, we're probably doing 2,500 now.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42- 2,500 hams a week. - Yeah, yeah.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43That's incredible.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Nigel Wagstaff's business makes ham for major caterers
0:14:46 > 0:14:48and top-end supermarkets.
0:14:48 > 0:14:55He uses a modern shortcut curing method to meet the high-volume demand.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56What's going on here, then?
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Well this is our, um...
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Curing room, as you can see. It's fairly self-explanatory.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03- So, what's happening? The hams are going in here?- Yeah.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05- They're getting injected there. - Yeah.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07- And dropping down...- Dropping into the container there.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10And then the brine is being pumped through the machine.
0:15:10 > 0:15:11Through the machine.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14And then being re-used, so anything that runs off...
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Yeah you can just see it going back into the tray,
0:15:16 > 0:15:17then it goes through a filter.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20The injecting-machine speeds up the curing process.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24An artisan ham-maker takes four weeks to produce a finished ham
0:15:24 > 0:15:27but, this way, it only takes a week.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31But do modern techniques result in a good product?
0:15:31 > 0:15:33What's it taste like? Shall we try a little bit?
0:15:33 > 0:15:34Yeah, please do.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37The texture of it feels great, actually.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42It's a very good ham.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47- That is a good ham.- Good. - It tastes quite dry.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50A nice, aged, nice ham. It's a very good product.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57For me, this is quite a difficult one,
0:15:57 > 0:16:00because as a chef I'm always trying to find the best produce
0:16:00 > 0:16:02I can find, and cook it the best possible way
0:16:02 > 0:16:04and I want to encourage you to get out there
0:16:04 > 0:16:06and use those artisan producers.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10The guys that are working tirelessly to make fantastic hams.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13But what Nigel's got here is British produce. British hams.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16If you can't find the artisan ham producer near you,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19get out there, find it on the supermarket shelves
0:16:19 > 0:16:20and use stuff like Nigel's.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23It's producers like Nigel and Anne who are keeping
0:16:23 > 0:16:26the spirit of cured ham alive for generations to come
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and we need to support them.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31And my next recipe is a personal homage to them.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35A celebration of everything I love about British food.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37So, this next recipe,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40well, it's a play on the classic family favourite.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44It's ham, fried duck egg and triple-cooked chips.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47If you don't like this I'll be proper surprised,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49because it is well lush.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01I guarantee you will have one very happy family
0:17:01 > 0:17:03once you've made it the Tom Kerridge way.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09So, this is the ham that has come from Anne.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Cooked in her old ham boiler.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13Slow cooked it.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17And it looks like she's done an amazing job.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20OK. We're going to take a big chunk off here.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24We just want a prime cut of ham, just for this dish.
0:17:24 > 0:17:25Now we're going to take a slice.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27This one slice of ham, this is perfect.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31This is like the ultimate in exquisite ham, egg and chips.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33So, we've taken the prime piece of ham
0:17:33 > 0:17:35through the middle of the leg with all the layers of muscle
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and the small piece of fat running through the middle
0:17:38 > 0:17:40to keep it nice and moist and juicy.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43And then you've got a lovely outer layer of the ham fat
0:17:43 > 0:17:45that gives it so much flavour.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49This dish works just as well using ham sliced by your local butcher,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51or sold at the supermarket deli.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55Just make sure it's British. It really does make a difference.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Especially when served with my culinary secret weapon.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01My ultimate recipe for the perfect chip.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05OK, to go with the ham we're going to have triple-cooked chips
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and what you need is very good potatoes.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Now this is a Marquis potato
0:18:10 > 0:18:13but you could also use something like a Maris Piper.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16You generally want them to be unwashed.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18If they're washed, they contain too much water
0:18:18 > 0:18:21and you won't be able to get them nice and crispy.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23And here's my top chip tip.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Cut your chips to a similar size,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28then they'll all finish cooking at the same time.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32I start by blanching them for about five minutes.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34OK, once they've boiled,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38you drain them off and they look a little bit like this.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41So they've got that nice little powdery crust around the outside
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and they're ready for their first fry.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48And you fry them at 140 degrees until they look like this.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52So, all of that fluffy outside has gone to a nice little crisp.
0:18:52 > 0:18:53And then you leave them.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56You can even leave them for a day or two in the fridge,
0:18:56 > 0:18:57until you need them.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00You won't taste a more crunchy and fluffy chip than this.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03But before I finish them off, I prepare my ham and egg.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08Pan-fry the ham on each side in butter before frying a duck egg.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Yes, you heard right.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13Now, the reason we're using duck egg...
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Is solely...
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Because it's just a little richer.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20A little bit more indulgent.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Just something, perhaps, taking that everyday, normal
0:19:23 > 0:19:26kind of classic dish that we're looking at here,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29ham, egg and chips, but making it into something so, so special.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31The best ham.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35The best duck egg you can find and most definitely the best chips.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38And what's the final stage for the best chips ever?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41So, the chips now go into the fryer until they're really nice
0:19:41 > 0:19:43and crispy.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45I bet you can taste them already.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48I plate up my ham and duck egg with a parsley garnish
0:19:48 > 0:19:51which gives enough time for my chips to turn into heaven.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58Triple-cooked chips, into a bowl. Did you hear that crunch?
0:19:58 > 0:20:00A tiny little bit of seasoning...
0:20:01 > 0:20:04..and then we'll put a few of these...on the plate.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13How good does that look?
0:20:13 > 0:20:18We have ham with fried duck egg and triple-cooked chips.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24You don't get more British than this feast. What a treat.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26I guarantee you'll never buy a frozen chip or
0:20:26 > 0:20:29a pack of square ham again.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32I can't wait to taste this. It looks amazing.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Wow, three simple ingredients.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55That is proper lush.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04I really want traditional cured ham to be top of your shopping list,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08so I'm taking my campaign to the streets of Britain to show
0:21:08 > 0:21:10everyone what they're missing.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12So, if I need to convince the people of Great Britain to
0:21:12 > 0:21:17swap their reconstituted ham for a more traditional great British
0:21:17 > 0:21:20cured ham, I really need to inspire them.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25So, I'm here, bringing my campaign to Northampton and hopefully spreading
0:21:25 > 0:21:29and sharing the love of this ham and this great British product.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32One of my favourite ways to enjoy ham is
0:21:32 > 0:21:37slapped between two pieces of bread, and I'm not the only one.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38In Britain today,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42the most-made sandwich, at home, is the ham sandwich.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46So, I'm here today to do a little ham sandwich taste test.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51Reconstituted ham dominates the market.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55We put it in our sandwiches and even in our kids' lunchboxes.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59And it's time to change. I'm going to start a ham revolution.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Here, I have the samples of ham and ham sandwiches.
0:22:05 > 0:22:10So, this is the traditional cured artisan British ham
0:22:10 > 0:22:14and this is the one, I hope, the tray will be empty by the end of the day.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Then we have the mid-ranged cured ham.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21The one that is, er, maybe a little bit more manufactured.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25And then at the end here, I'm hoping that this stack of sandwiches...
0:22:27 > 0:22:35stays exactly as it is, because this is the processed square cubes of ham.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40Ladies and gentleman, roll up. Free ham sandwiches. Free ham sandwiches.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Come on. Come and taste it. Three different types of ham.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47But are the shoppers here prepared to break their bad ham habits?
0:22:49 > 0:22:51I want you to taste test. There's a sample there, sample there,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55sample there and the best sample that you find, take the sandwich.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58It's free. Take it away. Enjoy it.
0:22:58 > 0:22:59That one.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01This one you think is the best?
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Well, then you can have a ham sandwich.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06There's absolutely no competition, is there?
0:23:06 > 0:23:07Fantastic.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- That one looks the best anyway. - Yeah, you can see it, can't you?
0:23:10 > 0:23:12This one doesn't really have any flavour, does it?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Doesn't taste of anything, does it? The end sandwich is the best.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Result. That's an absolute result. This is too easy.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20This one looks like the real thing.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23It looks like the real thing. This is music to my ears.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Good man. Good man. You made the right decision there.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31But what about the sandwiches at the other end of the table?
0:23:31 > 0:23:32This is ham.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36- It is ham, I promise you.- I don't like it.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41That's the ham that she just spat out, which is the processed
0:23:41 > 0:23:43square ham.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46The smallest piece. Disgusting. Spat it out in the hankie.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49If that doesn't prove something, I don't know what does.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Give me an honest answer, which one would you buy?
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- This one.- Tastes the best. - No, that tastes nicer,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57but it depends on how much money I've got in my purse.
0:23:57 > 0:23:58How much money you've got at the time.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01So, would this be like a special ham at Christmas or something like that?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04- After-payday ham.- An after-payday ham.- Yeah.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I love that. There is a clear leader, already.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11The best artisan ham. There's less than half of the sandwiches left.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15Hardly any of the horrible processed sandwiches have been touched.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16Good man.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19Wrap them in a napkin. Take them away with you.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Everybody, young and old, are going for the fantastic great-tasting ham.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26- It does taste good.- Can you get this from supermarkets?- No, you can't.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28This is a special artisan supplier,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30but if this was near the supermarket,
0:24:30 > 0:24:33or there or at a farm shop or somewhere close to you that
0:24:33 > 0:24:35you could get, would you take that ham over the others?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37- Oh, yeah.- Yeah, definitely.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Which one is the best ham? That one. Oh, well.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42You can't win them all.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Can I shake your hand? What a good thing that you're doing being out in the community
0:24:45 > 0:24:48- doing this for British produce.- Thank you very much.- Really, really good.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51The greatest-tasting ham is the one that everybody wants.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Here, today, the artisan ham, all gone.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Do you know what I find odd? That this ham is the one that
0:24:58 > 0:25:00sells the most.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02The square ham that nobody wanted to actually try.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06People spat it out and gave it to me in a napkin.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11If that sells the most, why is that still there?
0:25:11 > 0:25:13I'm finding that a little confusing.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16People that have had this ham and loved this ham,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20hopefully today I've convinced them to get rid of this ham,
0:25:20 > 0:25:24ditch it from their fridge and move onto this great stuff here.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30We need to get proper British cured ham back onto our plates.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32It does come at a cost.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35Up to double the price of the cheaper stuff,
0:25:35 > 0:25:39but in my next recipe you'll see how far this ham can go
0:25:39 > 0:25:41and it's a definite cause for a celebration.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47So, my final recipe today, I'm looking at reviving a great British
0:25:47 > 0:25:48ham classic.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52A roast ham in a really celebratory fashion.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56I give to you the great British celebration ham.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04You can't beat it. It's the king of ham dishes.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Bursting with flavour and perfect for a family gathering.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12I start with a leg of ham that's been slow roasted.
0:26:12 > 0:26:13I'm salivating already.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17I'm going to take a nice sharp knife.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21We're going to score all the way across the ham and then in between
0:26:21 > 0:26:24each diamond or each square that you make, we're going to put a clove in.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Cloves are very, very good. They're very powerful.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And they go so well with ham and all sorts of pork.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35It's also very Christmassy.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Very celebratory, which is exactly what we're looking for.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41This dish is a really economic way to feed a large
0:26:41 > 0:26:45group of people for about £5 a head.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49You're going to get 15-20 portions out of this
0:26:49 > 0:26:54and compare that with a really good turkey or an amazing piece of beef.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55The cost of this is actually a lot less.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59As I'm putting these cloves in here, I've got the smell coming
0:26:59 > 0:27:01up from the roasting tray.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06It's absolutely stunning. You can smell the beautiful ham flavours.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Really, really making my mouth water.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12You couldn't do this with a packet of sliced ham
0:27:12 > 0:27:15and if you think it doesn't get sweeter than this, then think again.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18One of these squeezy runny honeys.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23I would say all of this and just coat the whole thing.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27How lush is that? This is what I call a celebration.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31So, the beautiful sweetness of the honey goes so, so well with the ham.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35You have the lovely salty, meaty flavour of the ham and then this
0:27:35 > 0:27:39beautiful, caramelised honey and the cloves coming through.
0:27:39 > 0:27:40Absolutely stunning.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44It will be the most sensational piece of roast meat that
0:27:44 > 0:27:45you'll ever see.
0:27:45 > 0:27:51And what could be more traditional than that? I'm in ham heaven.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54I've roasted my ham for about an hour,
0:27:54 > 0:27:57basting it roughly every 10 minutes.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02Wow. Look at that. Absolutely stunning.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05The smell coming from it is amazing.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10You can still smell loads of porky lovely hammy flavours coming off it.
0:28:10 > 0:28:15But also some amazing sweet caramel and the cloves as well, stunning.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17We'll give it one last baste.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21Get that nice and glazed.
0:28:21 > 0:28:26This, you know, is a real thank-you to my mum for introducing me
0:28:26 > 0:28:29to such a stunning, stunning piece of meat.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Christmas Day, couldn't wait to have it in the evening.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35And even better, Boxing Day, we'd get up and go
0:28:35 > 0:28:36and watch Gloucester play rugby.
0:28:36 > 0:28:40Then get back and have some slices of this, cold, with bubble and squeak.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Absolutely stunning.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49And does it taste as good as it looks?
0:28:49 > 0:28:53This for me, is the ultimate in British cured ham.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56In true celebratory fashion.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Do you know what, I can't wait to taste it!
0:29:01 > 0:29:08Wow, that's got such an amazing, deep, beautiful flavour of the meat
0:29:08 > 0:29:11and the salt cure and the honey and the cloves.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16Absolutely fantastic. I think we've done a proper job on that one.
0:29:21 > 0:29:25Hopefully, my recipes have captured your taste buds and inspired you.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28But I also hope that they've encouraged you to
0:29:28 > 0:29:31support my traditional cured ham campaign.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Guys, it really is worth getting behind me.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Going out there and finding these artisan producers.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41It's worth every single penny.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44The more you spend, the more flavour you'll get for your money.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Please, guys, get behind me
0:29:46 > 0:29:51and help Great Britain revive the great British cured ham.
0:29:52 > 0:29:57Next up, another impassioned chef fighting to revive a classic
0:29:57 > 0:29:58British ingredient.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10I'm Monica Galetti, Head Sous Chef at Le Gavroche, a two Michelin
0:30:10 > 0:30:14starred restaurant of Michel Roux.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16You will know me better as the "stern"
0:30:16 > 0:30:19judge on MasterChef: The Professionals.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22And I'm just as demanding when it comes to my produce.
0:30:22 > 0:30:23I like it fresh, seasonal
0:30:23 > 0:30:29and local, which is why I'm flying the flag for our British asparagus.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34In my campaign to convince you that British tastes best, I will reveal
0:30:34 > 0:30:37how some clever undercover work has helped our British asparagus.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42Asparagus lovers, they are going to be so happy to discover this.
0:30:42 > 0:30:43Hope so.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48It's all hands to the pump, and I'm doing my bit.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51Although this is probably the slowest harvest they've ever done.
0:30:51 > 0:30:52SHE LAUGHS
0:30:52 > 0:30:55And in the Revival Kitchen, how to use every single bit of this
0:30:55 > 0:30:58great British vegetable, including those woody ends.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01So, if you're an asparagus fan, or about to be,
0:31:01 > 0:31:02this is a dish for you.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12I grew up in New Zealand,
0:31:12 > 0:31:15but I reckon British asparagus is the best in the world.
0:31:15 > 0:31:21I find that very fresh asparagus has this taste of fresh, sweet peas and
0:31:21 > 0:31:25you just can't equal it to anything else if you can get it locally.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30It's one of my favourite vegetables and I absolutely love it.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32And I'm not the only one.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37In 2010, we spent over £21 million on the stuff, but if you check
0:31:37 > 0:31:41the labels you'll find most of it comes from as far away as Peru. Why?
0:31:41 > 0:31:44Because asparagus in Britain is traditionally
0:31:44 > 0:31:47grown for just eight short weeks.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50As a chef, April is always in my diary.
0:31:50 > 0:31:54It brings a lot of excitement into the kitchen, when the asparagus arrives.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58So, with the season at its peak, I've come to a historic market
0:31:58 > 0:32:01town in Shropshire to seek out this great British ingredient.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05And I've been looking around here and it's all British.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08There's not a single spear of imported asparagus here today.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12But even in this asparagus stronghold,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15greengrocers, like Robin Farmer, import Peruvian asparagus
0:32:15 > 0:32:18out of season to meet our insatiable demand.
0:32:18 > 0:32:22Robin, you've got some wonderful, wonderful British asparagus here.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23Yes, we have, yes.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26This has come in this morning from Quatt by Bridgnorth.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28The quality is really good.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30We do sell some of the imported asparagus at different
0:32:30 > 0:32:34times of the year, but in the English season we only have local asparagus.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37- As it should be.- Exactly.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40There are customers who demand asparagus throughout the year,
0:32:40 > 0:32:43all the time, so we do need to supply them.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45How do you compare the two?
0:32:45 > 0:32:49What do you think, you know, is the difference with the British and the Peruvian?
0:32:49 > 0:32:51Some of the Peruvian asparagus is not bad,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55but it's, I wouldn't say tasteless, but compared to the British,
0:32:55 > 0:32:58it's still nowhere near as good as our own.
0:32:59 > 0:33:00I couldn't agree more.
0:33:00 > 0:33:06In fact, asparagus sugar levels drop by half within four days of being cut.
0:33:06 > 0:33:09So, it's little wonder the Peruvian stuff doesn't taste as good.
0:33:09 > 0:33:13There's a huge difference with the Peruvian and the British asparagus.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15You have the fresh, local asparagus. It is moist.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19The sugar levels are high and you get this freshness of pea flavour.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24Whereas Peruvian can be quite dry and it becomes quite woody
0:33:24 > 0:33:26because it's taken so long to get here.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29Paul Taylor works for the Carbon Trust, which wants us
0:33:29 > 0:33:32to reduce our carbon footprint by shopping responsibly.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33He's going to show me
0:33:33 > 0:33:36the true cost of buying imported Peruvian asparagus.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40The start of the journey is obviously grown in Peru.
0:33:40 > 0:33:46It will then be taken to an airport where it is flown to Miami, up here in America.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48So, that's the first part of its journey.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51When it's in America, it may stay in storage for some time. And then
0:33:51 > 0:33:56after it's been in Miami, it's then flown over to us here in the UK.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58So, it's quite a long journey.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01Over a staggering 6000 miles in fact
0:34:01 > 0:34:05and that journey can take up to 14 days, which means you could be
0:34:05 > 0:34:08eating asparagus that was picked two to three weeks ago.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10And it's not just the taste that suffers.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14Transporting it all this way has a massive impact on our environment.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17That asparagus has to fly all the way around the world and use lots of
0:34:17 > 0:34:21airline fuel, so we've calculated that the carbon footprint for that journey is
0:34:21 > 0:34:27about 10kgs of CO2 for every 1kg of asparagus that is transported over.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31That's equivalent to boiling water to make 500 cups of tea.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34That's how much energy you need for 1kg and
0:34:34 > 0:34:37when you think how much asparagus is coming over, that's a lot of carbon.
0:34:40 > 0:34:41It's shocking stuff.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44So, the next time you're in the supermarket, don't be tempted
0:34:44 > 0:34:46to buy imported asparagus.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Wait for the British season and enjoy it as its best.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51Freshly picked and full of flavour.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57In this recipe I'm not cooking the asparagus at all.
0:34:57 > 0:34:58I'm serving it raw.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02I'm making it into a salsa and it just really lifts it.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04You can taste the sweetness
0:35:04 > 0:35:07and, of course, it needs to be as fresh as possible.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I'm making seared salmon with asparagus salsa.
0:35:11 > 0:35:12It's a match made in heaven.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Now, I'm going to start off by preparing the salmon and removing the skin.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18So, I have a lovely piece of salmon here
0:35:18 > 0:35:21and to make it easy for you at home,
0:35:21 > 0:35:23all you want to do is find the partition in the middle.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27Go straight down. Glide a sharp knife, which is very important...
0:35:28 > 0:35:29along the salmon. OK.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33Now, if you're in a restaurant situation we do trim everything
0:35:33 > 0:35:38off and make it as nice as possible and, I guess, habits for me die hard.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42That's my salmon, and as you can see it's very easy and anyone can do it.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45I'm going to cure the salmon in a zesty marinade with
0:35:45 > 0:35:46lots of sea salt, fresh lemon
0:35:46 > 0:35:50and fresh lime, which will complement my asparagus salsa perfectly.
0:35:53 > 0:35:58Now, asparagus, as I recall as a child, my very first
0:35:58 > 0:36:00taste of it, I did not like it at all.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04I believe it was even tinned and rolled in some kind of sandwich.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08Where I'm from in New Zealand we also get a lot of the purple variety.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11Um, again very fresh and also very seasonal.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Once you've rubbed the marinade into the salmon,
0:36:14 > 0:36:16leave it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20I love salmon. It's such a versatile fish.
0:36:20 > 0:36:24But what I prefer about it, is that you can eat it raw or just
0:36:24 > 0:36:26seared, like I'm doing in this recipe.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33I'm using my hands but, please,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36if you're at home a palette knife is best.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40And this is what you want. You just want to be turning it
0:36:40 > 0:36:42and you can see that it's just searing the salmon.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45OK. You're not cooking it all the way through.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50Once it's seared, wrap in cling film
0:36:50 > 0:36:54and put it back in the fridge for 15 minutes. It will make it easier to slice later.
0:36:55 > 0:37:00Now, for the star of the show, our British asparagus. Fresh asparagus,
0:37:00 > 0:37:02it is one of my favourite ingredients,
0:37:02 > 0:37:05especially in season. And you can tell the asparagus is fresh
0:37:05 > 0:37:09because when you snap it off at the end here you can see the moistness
0:37:09 > 0:37:12and the juice that is coming out of this wonderful ingredient.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16And all you want to do is then cut them into little circles.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20And remember, I'm serving it raw.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23The fresher it is, the sweeter it tastes.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28The older the asparagus, the woodier the stems will get
0:37:28 > 0:37:29and you can really see it.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Not on these particular ones, because they're still very green.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34They get pale in colour and they start to dry out.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36It's not what you want to be using.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37We want as fresh as possible.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40And the same goes for the rest of my ingredients -
0:37:40 > 0:37:43whether I'm cooking at the restaurant or with my husband at home.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45For us, as a family, the weekend is the best time.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48We get together and we cook together.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50We get our five-year-old daughter involved and she loves it.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53From desserts to making main courses and preparing vegetables.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56She's in there helping out all the time.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59And she's learning that when it comes to flavour, nothing
0:37:59 > 0:38:01beats fresh, seasonal, home-grown produce.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04I can't emphasise how important it is to taste.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Even if it's for yourself.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09You probably sit down at the table and you find it's missing something else.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11So, while you're cooking, when you make it,
0:38:11 > 0:38:14taste. Make sure it's ready and perfect before you serve.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19That's how it should be.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23You want the asparagus to be the first taste that hits your mouth.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25It's still sweet. It's got the crunch.
0:38:25 > 0:38:27But then you've also got a hint of chilli,
0:38:27 > 0:38:31the coriander and the wonderful balsamic to finish it at the end.
0:38:31 > 0:38:32It's ready to go.
0:38:37 > 0:38:38Slice your salmon.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44Now, you want to see that the salmon is still very pink in the middle.
0:38:44 > 0:38:45OK.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Then finish it off with some fresh asparagus shavings.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55And you want to just drop that into the bowl, where there should be
0:38:55 > 0:39:00some juices form the dressing in there, and place it on the top.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04There you have it.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06That is my seared salmon with an asparagus salsa.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13You need to get out there.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17Get yourself some seasonal asparagus and give this a go.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28If British asparagus is to compete with the imported varieties,
0:39:28 > 0:39:34it needs to be available all year round. A challenge this High Street supermarket has taken on.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37We always get lots of requests from customers asking us
0:39:37 > 0:39:39when's the UK season going to start.
0:39:39 > 0:39:41So, we're going to take the opportunity to work
0:39:41 > 0:39:44with our grower, John Chinn, to travel the world looking for the best
0:39:44 > 0:39:48varieties and best growing methods for UK asparagus,
0:39:48 > 0:39:50so that we can extend the season.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55So, for you asparagus lovers who want to buy home-grown,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59local British asparagus, we have some great news.
0:39:59 > 0:40:04Our season has been extended. What fantastic news. How about that?
0:40:04 > 0:40:08And it's thanks to the hard work and determination of this man, John Chinn.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11He spent over 10 years researching modern farming techniques
0:40:11 > 0:40:14and is now growing different varieties at different
0:40:14 > 0:40:16times of the year at his farm in Herefordshire.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19So, John, what have you got here then in the tunnels?
0:40:19 > 0:40:23Well, this is my autumn asparagus crop, but the next tunnel coming up,
0:40:23 > 0:40:26this is one that we've harvested this spring.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29John's experimented with new varieties, south-facing slopes
0:40:29 > 0:40:32and different growing methods to find the right combinations.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35And you can feel the immense heat coming out of these tunnels.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38We want to keep the tunnels ventilated,
0:40:38 > 0:40:40so by being on a slope the hot air keeps rising
0:40:40 > 0:40:43and it keeps drawing in some cooler air from the bottom.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47His polytunnels and irrigation system help create optimum
0:40:47 > 0:40:50growing conditions for his Mediterranean varieties.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53We collect all the rain water that falls on these tunnels,
0:40:53 > 0:40:56because we don't want the roots to get waterlogged
0:40:56 > 0:40:58and then we use that water to irrigate back.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01And these modern technologies have allowed him
0:41:01 > 0:41:05to extend the British asparagus season by a whopping six months!
0:41:06 > 0:41:09We try to start for Valentine's Day,
0:41:09 > 0:41:1214th of February, then we'll run through until early July.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Then we'll have a break for the rest of July and August
0:41:15 > 0:41:19and now we can then harvest again through September and October.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Why is it you can't grow in July and August?
0:41:21 > 0:41:23Or you can't harvest in July and August?
0:41:23 > 0:41:27It's basically because July and August are the two months
0:41:27 > 0:41:30when we can get the most energy from the sun.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33And so, through those two months we really have got to have the
0:41:33 > 0:41:38crop in fern, because this fern is getting the energy from the sun
0:41:38 > 0:41:41and it's turning the sun's energy into sugar down in the roots.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45It's growing a really big root system and filling it with sugar.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49Then we can cut it down and we can harvest it in September and October.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52The only season John is yet to conquer is the British winter,
0:41:52 > 0:41:54when it gets too cold.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57But I did harvest some for Christmas Day last year.
0:41:57 > 0:41:58No!
0:41:58 > 0:42:00- Only enough for my own family. - I was going to say.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04You weren't sharing, were you, because no-one knew about that secret crop?
0:42:05 > 0:42:08And what's even more incredible is that John
0:42:08 > 0:42:11learnt his techniques from his Peruvian competitors whose
0:42:11 > 0:42:15asparagus fills our supermarket shelves at Christmas time.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19They don't really like giving their secrets away,
0:42:19 > 0:42:22but a couple of visits to Peru, a few tequilas and...
0:42:22 > 0:42:25I can imagine they wouldn't want to give their secret away
0:42:25 > 0:42:30because now you're making us stable, we don't need to buy from Peru.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33This is all replacing Peruvian imports
0:42:33 > 0:42:36and it's with a sweeter, more tender, delicious product.
0:42:36 > 0:42:37And this is what we want.
0:42:37 > 0:42:41Asparagus lovers, they are going to be so happy to discover this.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44- Hope so.- I'm happy.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Labour costs are high when it comes to harvesting asparagus.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51About half is done solely by hand, but John also uses
0:42:51 > 0:42:54a couple of rigs and I've volunteered to give them a hand.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00That is one strange contraption. It looks quite scary up close.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03I'm not as brave as I was two minutes ago, now.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06What you're supposed to do is pick the tall ones as you go.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09Hand, yeah. You low down.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11I have to go more down.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Yes. Down, please.
0:43:13 > 0:43:14Wish me luck.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18This feels very scary now.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22Go very, very slow.
0:43:25 > 0:43:26Nope, missed it.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30- One.- Yeah, very good.
0:43:32 > 0:43:36Look at that. Right, this ones going in my pocket.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39I'm loving it. I could stay out here all day.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43Although this is probably the slowest harvest they've ever done.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47This rig allows pickers to harvest four tonnes of asparagus a day
0:43:47 > 0:43:50and is much less back-breaking than harvesting by hand.
0:43:50 > 0:43:54Still, it's not easy work. Although, I've got to say my back...
0:43:54 > 0:43:55I can feel my lower back.
0:44:00 > 0:44:01It's also your asparagus.
0:44:01 > 0:44:04It's my asparagus. Did you hear that?
0:44:04 > 0:44:06You heard the man say "It's my asparagus,"
0:44:06 > 0:44:09so that's coming back with me, yeah?
0:44:09 > 0:44:11- Yeah.- Where are you going?
0:44:12 > 0:44:14Well, that was fun, but it's made me hungry.
0:44:16 > 0:44:20Luckily, there are plenty of these luscious green spears to go around.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21Fresh from the field,
0:44:21 > 0:44:26cooked on the BBQ with a deliciously sweet taste you simply can't beat.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29This is something we all need to support.
0:44:29 > 0:44:30You don't want to be buying from abroad
0:44:30 > 0:44:32when you've got it here in your back yard.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35Look at it. It doesn't get any better than this. Come on!
0:44:36 > 0:44:39And to celebrate John's extended asparagus season, here's
0:44:39 > 0:44:41one of my favourite asparagus dishes.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47The next dish I'm going to show you is a delicious
0:44:47 > 0:44:49and filling all-in-one meal.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53It's asparagus with pearl barley and bacon.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59The first thing I'm going to make is the sauce.
0:44:59 > 0:45:04So, I'm going to use the woody stems or the ends of the asparagus.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07Normally, people don't use it, but I've seen how hard
0:45:07 > 0:45:11and how difficult it is to harvest asparagus.
0:45:11 > 0:45:13I was out there on that rig.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17If you can imagine doing 40/50 of these rows, per day.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19It is killing your back.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22I did one row and by the end of it, I could really feel it.
0:45:22 > 0:45:25And that's why, I have to say, I don't want to waste any of it.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29I want to use every bit of this asparagus.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33So, I simmer the tough ends in stock to make the sauce.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36Slice the tender middle bits to use in my pearl barley
0:45:36 > 0:45:38and blanch the tips to add in at the end.
0:45:38 > 0:45:40I have some boiling hot water here.
0:45:40 > 0:45:42I'm going to season it with a pinch of salt.
0:45:45 > 0:45:49And in goes the asparagus for about 30 seconds, no more.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52And they keep their lovely green colour best
0:45:52 > 0:45:55if you plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59And you can just set that aside. Once they're cool, remove them.
0:45:59 > 0:46:00Use them when you're ready.
0:46:02 > 0:46:03Now, for the pearl barley.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09You want to cook this off for about a minute before you add the white wine.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Very similar to cooking a risotto.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18My husband is the Head Sommelier at the restaurant,
0:46:18 > 0:46:21and he says its actually quite difficult to match a drinking
0:46:21 > 0:46:25wine with asparagus, however, he does suggest a pinot blanc.
0:46:25 > 0:46:28If you're looking for a British variety, there is a Bacchus
0:46:28 > 0:46:33grape that is grown in Cornwall and they make their own British wine.
0:46:33 > 0:46:37Back to the sauce, which needs to be blitzed and strained.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42Now, it's very important, when you make your sauce, you're going
0:46:42 > 0:46:45to see you've got all this parts of the stringy asparagus in there.
0:46:45 > 0:46:47Now, don't just throw that out.
0:46:47 > 0:46:49What you want to do is press that through, OK.
0:46:49 > 0:46:51It's going to remove any lumps that you don't want,
0:46:51 > 0:46:53but you're going to get the maximum flavour.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59If you were using, for example, Peruvian or aged asparagus
0:46:59 > 0:47:02it's going to be more white and not as green.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06So, the flavour, as well, will not be as intense.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Time to add the rest of the ingredients, starting with
0:47:08 > 0:47:11the broad beans and the bacon lardons.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14This is a great way to enjoy asparagus. It's a filling dish.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17Great for the autumn, especially now the season has been extended.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21However, it's great simply with butter, with poached eggs,
0:47:21 > 0:47:24with fish, as an accompaniment, and with hollandaise sauce.
0:47:24 > 0:47:28There's lots of wonderful ways to enjoy asparagus.
0:47:28 > 0:47:29In go the asparagus tips.
0:47:31 > 0:47:32Remember, these are cold
0:47:32 > 0:47:35so make sure that they actually heat through before you serve the dish.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41At the last moment, in goes some tomatoes which I've cut
0:47:41 > 0:47:45into dice, but if you want to do them in petals it's completely up to you.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55This is a dish that I would make at home, at the weekend.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58You know, when you don't want to be making something too fussy.
0:47:58 > 0:47:59You want something very easy.
0:47:59 > 0:48:04Or even after work. It's very easy to make and absolutely delicious.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08All that's left to do now is froth up the sauce with some double cream.
0:48:20 > 0:48:23That has a wonderful aroma of fresh asparagus.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30Now, I'm piling my asparagus up, because I love asparagus.
0:48:33 > 0:48:34And there you have it.
0:48:34 > 0:48:37A fantastic way to use up every bit of your precious asparagus,
0:48:37 > 0:48:39including the woody ends.
0:48:39 > 0:48:41My asparagus with pearl barley and bacon.
0:48:48 > 0:48:53The first mouthful of this dish is just full of asparagus flavour, so
0:48:53 > 0:48:57if you're an asparagus fan or about to be, this is a dish for you.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00You've got the hints of the bacon, the tomatoes
0:49:00 > 0:49:03and the earthiness of the pearl barley really completes it.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06You need to go out there and get yourself some asparagus.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16The most famous of our British asparagus is Formby asparagus,
0:49:16 > 0:49:19known for its superior sweet taste and purple tips.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22It grows in the sand dunes on the Sefton coast,
0:49:22 > 0:49:25and in its heyday covered 200 acres.
0:49:25 > 0:49:28But this, sadly, is one of the last remaining farms, now
0:49:28 > 0:49:30owned by the National Trust.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33Andrew, what makes Formby asparagus so special?
0:49:33 > 0:49:35It's something about the landscape.
0:49:35 > 0:49:37The sand, it's got the minerals.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40We've probably got a fair amount of calcium around.
0:49:40 > 0:49:41We've got the salty, briny air.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45We've got the climate that's really suited to asparagus, as well.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51Local farmers started cultivating the dunes in the mid-19th century.
0:49:51 > 0:49:53The dunes were levelled.
0:49:53 > 0:49:59They were flattened by a massive amount of endeavour and labour.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03Formed up into level areas where the asparagus was grown.
0:50:04 > 0:50:08On nothing but clean sand and a bit of good old farmyard manure.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12So, what's happened to the Formby asparagus?
0:50:12 > 0:50:15Its roots system is very demanding on the soil
0:50:15 > 0:50:19and these fields have to be rotated and left fallow for 12 years.
0:50:21 > 0:50:25That's one of the difficulties, is where you find new land.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28Most of the dune land, now, is protected.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32It's part of a site of special scientific interest
0:50:32 > 0:50:34and special area of conservation.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37It's very difficult to get any permission to bring that
0:50:37 > 0:50:38back into cultivation.
0:50:38 > 0:50:41And if the National Trust hadn't stepped in and bought this
0:50:41 > 0:50:45plot of land, Formby asparagus would have disappeared forever.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49Luckily for us, David Brooks, a third generation asparagus farmer
0:50:49 > 0:50:53is renting their plot to grow a brand new crop of Formby asparagus.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56How quick do they grow, David?
0:50:56 > 0:50:59Well, you can put your hand on the sand, like that, and it feels hot.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02They can grow anything up to four inches a day.
0:51:02 > 0:51:03Wow.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07And they need to be picked every day for the eight weeks they're in season.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10Making it a real labour of love.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14They're so thick. Look at that.
0:51:17 > 0:51:19Do you make a living from the asparagus alone?
0:51:19 > 0:51:21No.
0:51:21 > 0:51:26On our acreage here, as you can see, we don't get the harvest big
0:51:26 > 0:51:28enough to make a living.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31It's just a tradition. A cottage industry.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Perhaps a hobby that's got a little bit out of hand.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38Erm, so I make my living, erm, training apprentices in engineering.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40Not in growing asparagus?
0:51:40 > 0:51:44- Unfortunately, not in growing asparagus.- David, come on.
0:51:44 > 0:51:48But there is a glimmer of hope for David's asparagus.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52With the support from Andrew Brockbank and the National Trust,
0:51:52 > 0:51:56we've got a bit more land over there we can, you know, move on to
0:51:56 > 0:52:01in a few years' time. So, I think it's pretty safe for the near future.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05Which is great news for British asparagus lovers like me.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08So, the next time you're tempted to buy asparagus out of season,
0:52:08 > 0:52:11stop and think about farmers, like David, who are striving to
0:52:11 > 0:52:13keep our culinary heritage alive.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21This dish, you can make at home to entertain and wow your friends.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25Its asparagus with a herb mayo and crispy quail eggs.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35So, the first thing I'm going to do for this dish is to cook
0:52:35 > 0:52:37and prepare the quail's eggs.
0:52:37 > 0:52:39I have some boiling water here.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41I'm going to season it with a pinch of salt.
0:52:41 > 0:52:45In go the quail eggs, and you only want to cook them for about a minute.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49When they're cooked, I'm going to put them
0:52:49 > 0:52:53into a bowl of iced water with malt vinegar.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57Now, the reason for doing this is the vinegar breaks down the shell.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00If you find quail eggs, they're quite fiddly to pick,
0:53:00 > 0:53:03so if you put it into the malt vinegar, leave it in the fridge for
0:53:03 > 0:53:08about 30 minutes you'll find it very easy to peel and remove that shell.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11I'm serving the quail eggs with some of David's delicious jumbo
0:53:11 > 0:53:15asparagus, fresh from the sand dunes at Formby.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19Now, I've seen how labour-intensive it is to grow and to harvest them.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22If you happen to be in the Northwest, get behind them
0:53:22 > 0:53:25and buy your local Formby asparagus.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28I have salted boiling water and in they go.
0:53:28 > 0:53:32The asparagus, because they're quite large, they're going to cook for about three or four minutes
0:53:32 > 0:53:36and then again I'm going to refresh them in iced, salted water.
0:53:36 > 0:53:40While the asparagus cooks, I peel my quail eggs and coat them
0:53:40 > 0:53:42in flour, egg and bacon breadcrumbs.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44I'm using some plain flour,
0:53:44 > 0:53:48breadcrumbs, with bacon roughly chopped and put through it.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52You can blitz it in a blender, if you have it, but I do it by hand. I have one egg.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56It's your normal pane mix, just with the addition of smoked bacon.
0:54:01 > 0:54:02So, into the flour they go.
0:54:02 > 0:54:05Very lightly coat them in the flour. Not too much.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13Coat them really well in the breadcrumb mix.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16You'll probably find that if you coat it a second time you'll
0:54:16 > 0:54:18get more of that bacon and crumb on it.
0:54:20 > 0:54:23Now, for my simple herb mayonnaise.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26Chervil and chives are the herbs that I've chosen,
0:54:26 > 0:54:29but if you can't get a hold of them, use parsley or tarragon.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Remembering that the stronger the herb, the stronger
0:54:32 > 0:54:35your mayonnaise is going to be and that will affect your dish.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38I've chosen herbs that won't overpower the asparagus,
0:54:38 > 0:54:40but will help to enhance the flavour.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52To make the mayonnaise, whip up an egg yolk with some
0:54:52 > 0:54:54great British mustard and add the herb oil.
0:54:54 > 0:54:57I find it quite rewarding to make your own mayonnaise.
0:54:57 > 0:55:00It's something that we always do at home.
0:55:00 > 0:55:01Now, I think it's a tip.
0:55:01 > 0:55:05When you're making mayonnaise do not add your oil too quickly or
0:55:05 > 0:55:07it will split, meaning it will separate.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13Then, deep-fry the quail eggs in hot oil for no more than a minute
0:55:13 > 0:55:14to keep the yolks nice and runny.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19Eggs, classically, they go so well with asparagus.
0:55:19 > 0:55:24People serve them poached, or as I do, crispy eggs and any eggs will do.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27So long as they're soft and runny I think that's exactly how
0:55:27 > 0:55:29they should be.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32It's almost like another dressing, another element to your dish.
0:55:37 > 0:55:40And now we're ready to finish and plate our dish up.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49There you have it. A dish to impress your friends.
0:56:02 > 0:56:06This is a great plate. Wonderful fresh flavours.
0:56:06 > 0:56:11This is why you want to buy seasonal asparagus as locally as possible.
0:56:18 > 0:56:21I've had a great time encouraging you to buy
0:56:21 > 0:56:23and cook British asparagus.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27But if you're still not persuaded, maybe this will help.
0:56:28 > 0:56:29It's the annual asparagus festival
0:56:29 > 0:56:31in the Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35An event that celebrates this locally grown ingredient in all its glory.
0:56:35 > 0:56:38How brilliant is this?
0:56:38 > 0:56:41Evesham asparagus is, we like to think, the best in the world.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44We grow, probably, more asparagus in this area than anywhere
0:56:44 > 0:56:45else in the country now.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47And also it's fresh.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50It hasn't travelled for thousands of miles or even hundreds of miles.
0:56:50 > 0:56:54It's literally out of the ground and onto the plate, which is delicious.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58Since the asparagus festival has been launched it really has
0:56:58 > 0:57:01also launched local businesses, local asparagus
0:57:01 > 0:57:04and it has now turned into the festival that it is today.
0:57:04 > 0:57:06It's in everybody's blood, really.
0:57:06 > 0:57:09People get very excited at the start of the asparagus season.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13And asparagus producers come from all over and there's
0:57:13 > 0:57:17everything from asparagus burgers to asparagus ice cream.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21There's even an asparagus fortune teller.
0:57:22 > 0:57:23Really?
0:57:23 > 0:57:26Very, very interesting picture here.
0:57:26 > 0:57:30But the highlight has to be the asparagus auction, which
0:57:30 > 0:57:32raises money for the local brass band.
0:57:35 > 0:57:41The best price it ever made was £1,200 - for that, 120 spears of asparagus.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47I've had asparagus from all over the world. It's all good.
0:57:47 > 0:57:51But nothing is as good as Vale of Evesham asparagus.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57What I've learnt about asparagus is it's not only hand-picked,
0:57:57 > 0:58:00but it's so labour-intensive.
0:58:00 > 0:58:03The freshness and the sweetness when it's straight out of the field
0:58:03 > 0:58:05and onto your plate is just amazing.
0:58:05 > 0:58:09We really need to support our local farmers and growers.
0:58:09 > 0:58:15Buy your asparagus in season, locally. It really can't be beaten.
0:58:16 > 0:58:17Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd