0:00:02 > 0:00:05- This is the Great British Food Revival.- We're 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 > 0:00:09Succulent...
0:00:09 > 0:00:10Formidable...
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Home-grown produce.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Oh, 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 > 0:00:30Can you give us a whoop?
0:00:30 > 0:00:31CROWD CHEER
0:00:31 > 0:00:35Some things are really worth fighting for.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Ah, delicious.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17There's so much choice in your local pub these days -
0:01:17 > 0:01:21lager, alcopops, gin and tonic, wine, cider.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24I want to revive something that's not drunk as often
0:01:24 > 0:01:27as it should be these days - especially by women.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33It's the golden nectar that was supped by all.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Elizabeth I drank it with every meal and Jane Austen even made her own.
0:01:38 > 0:01:43I'm Angela Hartnett and I want to convince you to give it a go.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44British real ale.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48It's time to put some girl power back into ale.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52Mum, forgive me. I'm not an alcoholic.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56And see if I can challenge your bitter preconceptions.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57Fear of the dark beer.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59SHE LAUGHS
0:01:59 > 0:02:00Oh!
0:02:00 > 0:02:04And in the Revival Kitchen, I'll show you some real ale food heaven.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06It is absolutely delicious.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Traditional real ale has an image problem with many Brits -
0:02:13 > 0:02:18especially with us women. It's a bit fusty, bitter and bloating.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21Only 14% of real ale drinkers are female, but maybe that's not
0:02:21 > 0:02:24so surprising.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27I remember once going up to Middlesbrough to visit friends
0:02:27 > 0:02:29and I was with my boyfriend, she was with hers,
0:02:29 > 0:02:32and we went to a local pub and ordered four pints because we'd
0:02:32 > 0:02:35just finished college and, you know, pints were the cheap drink to drink.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38We were told that we'd have two pints for the men
0:02:38 > 0:02:40and two halves for the ladies.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44It was not considered ladylike for a woman to drink out of a pint glass.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47But it's not just women who don't drink real ale.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Only 15% of the beer that's sold in pubs is made in this
0:02:50 > 0:02:52traditional way.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Real ale loses out to mass produced lagers.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58Look at the French, they celebrate their wine heritage
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and we need to revel in our own brewing history,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04before real ale and our pubs are lost for ever.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07Ale really has been a national drink of this country -
0:03:07 > 0:03:10we've been drinking it here since the Bronze Age.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13But while the men were out fighting and gathering and doing their thing,
0:03:13 > 0:03:18it was the women that were the first real producers of ale.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23Beer sommelier Jane Peyton has researched the history of women
0:03:23 > 0:03:24and ale.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27So, Jane, I mean, you know, you can look back in history books
0:03:27 > 0:03:29and people would say that women invented ale.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34Historians think that it was probably bread cakes or some bread
0:03:34 > 0:03:37product that got wet and a natural fermentation happened,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39and somebody tasted it and went,
0:03:39 > 0:03:42"Oh, that's different." And by trial and error, they realised that
0:03:42 > 0:03:46if they ate or drank that odd liquid that it gave them a buzz
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and they liked it, and so that's how beer came about, or ale.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51And what were these women called?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54In this country, we had the names ale wives.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Brewster, that was also a name - now that's quite a common surname.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Right, so how would they have made it then?
0:03:59 > 0:04:01So, we've got our two buckets.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03What we would need is malted barley.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06- Yes. Which is this stuff here. - Yes.- Slightly ground down.- Yes.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09- Which they would have done, yeah. - Yeah, grist at this point.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11- Yeah. - And you need water.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14- So we've got some boiling water in this bucket, here.- Right.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16So you're pouring in the grist.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Now this would have been really sweet because there's
0:04:18 > 0:04:20lots of natural sugar in the malt,
0:04:20 > 0:04:22so ale would have been a sweet drink.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Nowadays we're used to beer being bitter
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and that's the hops that give that bitterness.
0:04:27 > 0:04:28But people were slugging gallons and
0:04:28 > 0:04:30gallons of something very sweet...
0:04:30 > 0:04:31No wonder they had no teeth.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33When you see all those pictures, don't you?
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Ale wives would use any herbs
0:04:36 > 0:04:38and spices they had to flavour their brew.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43I'm throwing in thyme, honey and heather.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44It's getting thicker and thicker,
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- as if it's absorbing all the liquid, isn't it?- Good, that's good.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Yeast is added once the mix has cooled.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54A few days to ferment and ye olde ale should be ready.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Would it normally be this colour?
0:04:56 > 0:04:57Yes, it would.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59A home-brewed ale, yeah.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03It would have been strained through a piece of fabric, muslin
0:05:03 > 0:05:06possibly, and it would have been cloudy, you know, a lot of yeast.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08- After you. - Cheers. Bottoms up.
0:05:11 > 0:05:12Actually, it's not so bad.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14It is quite yeasty but it's, you know, if you...
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I'd be happy with that.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18You see, we wouldn't have known any other.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21You wouldn't - that's true. But, actually, the taste isn't bad.
0:05:21 > 0:05:22You're getting used to it.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24What happens is that the brain, after three mouthfuls,
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- has got yeast in it. - Is intoxicated.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29It doesn't matter, you go, "Whoa, yeah, let's go..."
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Now, we would have been drinking this every day -
0:05:31 > 0:05:33morning, noon and night. We'd get lots of nutrition from this
0:05:33 > 0:05:36and, also, this is a safe use of consuming water.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Water was polluted by tanners or butchers or goodness knows what.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Yes, that makes sense.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44So, hold on, would children have drunk this then?
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- Mmm.- They would have done? - But it was called small ale.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49It's a low alcohol, but even the children were probably
0:05:49 > 0:05:51going around with a bit of a buzz on them.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54No wonder everyone was happy. Poor as anything, you know, brilliant.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56Anyway, cheers, Jane. Thanks for that.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01But the rise of industrialisation meant the female brewsters
0:06:01 > 0:06:05were sidelined. In the southeast, ale became big business.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10So from the domestic home where all those fantastic women made ale,
0:06:10 > 0:06:13I'm now in Kent at Britain's oldest brewery,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16Shepherd Neame, and I'm here to meet the master brewer -
0:06:16 > 0:06:19naturally it's a bloke.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Shepherd Neame was established in 1698.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Richard Frost is the man in charge.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28- Right, this is the first part of the brewing process.- Yeah.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31What we're doing is taking crushed malted barley
0:06:31 > 0:06:33and we're mixing that with brewing water,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37and that water comes from our own wells on sites here.
0:06:37 > 0:06:41It's like a supersized version of my ancient ale home brew.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44But the magic ingredient that transformed ale were plants
0:06:44 > 0:06:47brought over by the Dutch in the 16th century - hops.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52It smells really grassy. But you know what it smells?
0:06:52 > 0:06:54- Lemony. It smells citrusy to me. - Yep. Yep.
0:06:54 > 0:06:56They do actually smell amazing.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58I mean, it's a real incredible aroma.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00What do they do to it apart from flavour?
0:07:00 > 0:07:03I mean, are they a self preservative or something?
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Exactly right, because there are compounds in hops which
0:07:06 > 0:07:08protect against bacterial growth
0:07:08 > 0:07:10and the kind of the things that might spoil the flavour of beer.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13So no wonder then it became much more commercial, because suddenly
0:07:13 > 0:07:16it's like, you know, when you put oil on something, you're preserving
0:07:16 > 0:07:20it, salting it, you're elongating the process that you can keep it.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22All of a sudden, beer could be transported further
0:07:22 > 0:07:24because it would keep further.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27It was another factor for that growth in hop beer in England
0:07:27 > 0:07:29back in the 16th century.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- Yeah. Can you put that in now? - Yeah, we can pop some in here.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Brewing became an industry away from the domestic hearth of the ale wife.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Men took over. Although, these days, biffing a lid on a cask
0:07:44 > 0:07:47is about as physical as it gets.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Oh, crikey.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Oh, that's all right. Oh, that.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55Push the button.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00This real ale will go out to pubs all over the UK.
0:08:02 > 0:08:06And I don't want to leave until I've at least had a little taste.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09It's got a beautiful smell, hasn't it? Would you swirl it?
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- You swirl it, just like wine. - Wow. Is that to get...?
0:08:11 > 0:08:13That helps to release those volatile...
0:08:13 > 0:08:15The aromas and the volatiles come out.
0:08:18 > 0:08:19It's absolutely delicious.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21All right. Well, let's try another one.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23Oh, much lighter in colour, isn't it?
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And if it's too cold, you don't get all the flavours coming out.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29You don't get the flavours coming through. That's quite nice.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Where's the next one? Come on. What else we got?
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Much lighter. You could drink more of that, I think.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43SHE LAUGHS
0:08:43 > 0:08:45Golden nectar. Lovely.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- Thank you, Richard. It's been a top day.- Cheers.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50We could stay here all afternoon, couldn't we, really?
0:08:50 > 0:08:54After tasting a few, I think I've struck upon a fabulous brew.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I've chosen a light, hoppy ale to take to the Revival Kitchen.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00And my first dish is a classic British dish -
0:09:00 > 0:09:01beef and ale stew.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08So I really want you to start looking at ale as something that
0:09:08 > 0:09:10you can cook with on a regular basis.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14So we're going to start off just by preparing our vegetables.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16First up, onions and carrots.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20So...a couple of sticks of celery as well.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Nice and coarse, because you don't want all the veg to mush down.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28And rather than use any stocks or any water, it's just going to
0:09:28 > 0:09:30be cooking the ale that's going to cook the meat together.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33So vegetables in a pan.
0:09:33 > 0:09:38Season with pepper, a couple of bay leaves and a sprig of thyme.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42We've got some lovely stewing steak here
0:09:42 > 0:09:45and I think, classically, people would always put red wine in it.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48You know, it comes from that sort of the French cooking,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50when they've done things with coq au vins and stews etc
0:09:50 > 0:09:54but, like I said, ale is a perfect accompaniment to this dish.
0:09:56 > 0:09:57So, this is going to go in there.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00We're going to add a spoonful of flour beforehand.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Flour will help thicken the stew.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08And then all you're going to do afterwards is add your meat in.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10Simple dish.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Pour on a tin of tomatoes.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15And then, now I'm going to add the ale.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17We're cooking it for about three to four hours,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19so it's going to cook so slowly,
0:10:19 > 0:10:22and the flavours from that ale are going to be absorbed by the meat
0:10:22 > 0:10:24and become part of the stew.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Any alcohol will be evaporated off, so you don't need to worry
0:10:27 > 0:10:30in that respect, and it's just there as a flavouring ingredient.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33And what you want to be able to do at the end of it is cut that
0:10:33 > 0:10:34beef with a spoon.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Time to relax with a nice glass of ale, of course.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46So the stew is ready.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50You can see there how it's this beautiful thick sauce and...
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Oh, lovely aromas.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56We're just going to chop a little bit of parsley
0:10:56 > 0:10:59because that's going to be our garnish.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Like anything that's been braised or cooked for a long time, it's even
0:11:02 > 0:11:06better the next day because it gets an even more intense flavour.
0:11:07 > 0:11:11I'm serving my stew on buttery mashed potato.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17So...that great stew on there, and you can smell it...
0:11:17 > 0:11:21the sweetness from the ale - absolutely delicious.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25But what you've got here is a beautiful smell of the meat
0:11:25 > 0:11:27and the ale that have worked together.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29So there you have it - beef and ale stew.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34So it looks delicious.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38It's got that fantastic stew-y texture and consistency.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39It smells amazing.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Hmm. Absolutely delicious.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48I really want you to start using ale and start cooking with it,
0:11:48 > 0:11:50and you cannot go wrong with this dish.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It's so simple. One-pot wonder, on the stove for three hours,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58and you've got amazing supper for all the family. Perfect.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06Hops are traditionally grown here in the garden of England.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12So it's hops that gives real ale its distinctive flavour and taste.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Here in Kent, years ago, that's all you could
0:12:14 > 0:12:19see as far as the eye could see, but change in tastes, and the mass
0:12:19 > 0:12:22production of lager, have destroyed the production of hops.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25British hops were grown across fields equivalent in size
0:12:25 > 0:12:28to 35,000 football pitches,
0:12:28 > 0:12:32but today only about 3% of those crops remain.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37At the National Hop Collection in Kent, farmer Tony Redsell
0:12:37 > 0:12:41and curator Peter Darby are working hard to save our unique hop
0:12:41 > 0:12:44varieties from extinction.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49So Peter, what does...? What makes this hop archive so special?
0:12:49 > 0:12:53Well, it represents nearly 300 years of hop-growing in this country.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57It's an English heritage, hop-growing, and we have varieties
0:12:57 > 0:13:00here dating from the early 1700s, possibly even earlier.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05It's only a few rows, but we have just over 400 varieties...
0:13:05 > 0:13:07So this one here, for instance?
0:13:07 > 0:13:11This one is the variety Tolhurst, which probably goes back to
0:13:11 > 0:13:15one of the original hops brought into this country in the 1520s -
0:13:15 > 0:13:17a variety called the Flemish Red Bine.
0:13:17 > 0:13:18Absolutely incredible.
0:13:18 > 0:13:21The hops were once found throughout England
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and many of those hop varieties have disappeared, except for here.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29It gives us the resources, the genetic resources, to go back
0:13:29 > 0:13:31and use interesting material that may have been overlooked in the past
0:13:31 > 0:13:33or may have found renewed interest.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38How on earth did we almost lose this great British heritage?
0:13:38 > 0:13:41So what do you attribute the decline in hop-growing to?
0:13:41 > 0:13:46With the...cheap package holidays, people went abroad
0:13:46 > 0:13:50and began to taste the lagers, the lighter beers.
0:13:50 > 0:13:54I think lager went from less than 1% of production in this country
0:13:54 > 0:13:57to something in the region of 70/80% now, probably.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58That's huge, isn't it?
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I mean, we're a long way from our peak of area.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05In the 1870s, I think we got up to 77,000 acres,
0:14:05 > 0:14:08that was the highest, and now we're down to 2,500.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Oh, my gosh.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Well, hopefully now we're going to get a bit of an increase.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15- At least it's stabilised now, production...- It's stabilised.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- And we start pushing it. - I would sincerely hope so.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20The maintenance of this hop archive will be
0:14:20 > 0:14:23crucial for our brewers of the future.
0:14:24 > 0:14:2719th-century London was the ale capital of the world, producing
0:14:27 > 0:14:29millions of barrels a year,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32but today production has fallen considerably.
0:14:34 > 0:14:38But there is hope and, in recent years, a number of small craft
0:14:38 > 0:14:41ale producers have started to grow in this country,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and I'm fortunate enough to have one of them right on my doorstep -
0:14:44 > 0:14:47here in Bermondsey in London.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Hi Evin, Angela. Lovely to meet you.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Evin O'Riordain started out as an enthusiastic home brewer,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00but now his company produces 10,000 bottles of ale a week.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05- You bottle everything from here? This is it?- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Up until two months ago we were bottling everything by hand,
0:15:08 > 0:15:10so it involved a four-head bottle filler,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12which is kind of like...basically I'm milking a cow.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Hold the bottle there, bottles get filled up,
0:15:15 > 0:15:16move it over, hand cap it.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18We would do, you know, a couple of thousand bottles a day.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20This one does a little bit more.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22This is just rinsing them with a sanitising solution,
0:15:22 > 0:15:26so that anything inside is killed and they're all clean.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27And as it goes round and gets pushed up,
0:15:27 > 0:15:29the beer just drops into the bottle.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31It must be an amazing sort of, I don't know, feeling, vision,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33when you think where you started three years ago,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35or when you were making it at home.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37And now you come and you just see this all going out -
0:15:37 > 0:15:40not that you'd ever want to be some conglomerate, you know.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42What keeps me honest is that it's about three times more work
0:15:42 > 0:15:45to keep this running smoothly than it was doing it by hand back there.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47I mean, you can produce a lot more beer, yes.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Right. Let's go and taste some - perfect.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55It's great to see British microbreweries rediscovering hops
0:15:55 > 0:15:58and moving away from mass produced bitter blandness.
0:16:00 > 0:16:05Thank you. It does smell so fresh.
0:16:05 > 0:16:05That is fresh!
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Well, you know what I mean. It's that citrus...
0:16:08 > 0:16:10Well...hops, they're a flower.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13They're a plant. You know...they're alive.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14I mean, it is delicious.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16I'm not going to lie or say anything else.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19There's nothing to, you know... You can sit...
0:16:19 > 0:16:22The flavours are there, the smell's there, you know.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24It's refreshing and you want to drink it.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Cheers, my dear. Delicious.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30As well as using interesting hops, I love the fact that Evin's
0:16:30 > 0:16:33reviving long lost recipes.
0:16:33 > 0:16:34So what is this, Evin?
0:16:34 > 0:16:36This is an export stout.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Export stout as defined in 1890, and it came from the Truman's
0:16:39 > 0:16:41- archives. - The Truman brewery in London?
0:16:41 > 0:16:42Brick Lane.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47It's got that ashy, roasty kind of bitterness.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Hmm, really roasty. Real coffee.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52It kind of makes me think of leather, tar, tobacco.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Smoky. Amazing.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59I've been bowled over by the sheer range of flavours,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02and of course we can cook with them, too.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04I can't wait to show you a heady, heavenly pudding.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07So my inspiration for my next recipe
0:17:07 > 0:17:11I came across while tasting all these delicious real ales.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13I tasted this fabulous stout,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17so the next recipe is going to be a chocolate and stout cake.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25So to start with on this recipe, have your chocolate melting over
0:17:25 > 0:17:26a pan of water -
0:17:26 > 0:17:29just make sure the bowl isn't touching the water.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31And what we're going to do is we're going to add our stout to it
0:17:31 > 0:17:33but, before I do that,
0:17:33 > 0:17:35I just want to show you the amazing colour of it.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39The richness of it. It's got fabulous chocolate flavours to it.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42It's got a beautiful coffeeness coming through.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44Absolutely...
0:17:44 > 0:17:47I mean, it really tastes delicious.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49You know, it's so going to work in this recipe.
0:17:49 > 0:17:51All of it in there.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53OK, so sugar all into a bowl.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57And stout isn't something I would normally drink personally, you know.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59I find it very strong and very rich,
0:17:59 > 0:18:04but I think it works absolutely fantastically in this recipe.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08We always seem to think stout's only to be used in a Christmas
0:18:08 > 0:18:11cake or a really heavy fruit cake, but I'm going to show you,
0:18:11 > 0:18:12with this recipe,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16it's something that can be used in an everyday cake.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Beat the eggs into your sugar and butter.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22And the great thing about adding something like stout to
0:18:22 > 0:18:25a cake, it's going to keep it much moister, you know,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29and a cake would last slightly longer than a normal general sponge,
0:18:29 > 0:18:30which tend to go a bit drier.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34Then add your flour.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37And we're going to add our chocolate and ale.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40So be careful. It's slightly hot, the bowl.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43But you can really smell those aromas of coffee, chocolate,
0:18:43 > 0:18:46the hoppy-ness, the slight spiciness too.
0:18:46 > 0:18:52Just pour a little bit in...and then a nice little stir.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Look at those colours.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58Look at that beautiful sort of chocolaty, dark molasses.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00And that's not just the chocolate that's done that -
0:19:00 > 0:19:02that is the stout as well.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05OK. Right, take your cake tin.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Pour that into your tin. We're going to put this one in.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I've got one cooking while I've been preparing.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17Bake for about 35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Beautiful flavours coming through, that chocolaty-ness,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24that nuttiness, that lovely sort of coffee and stout flavours.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Now for a cool bit on the side.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32The Italians, known for their great pasta and everything,
0:19:32 > 0:19:33don't do a lot of desserts,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35they do ice-cream and basically fruit,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39but one of their specialities is this thing called affogato, and it's
0:19:39 > 0:19:44basically a vanilla ice-cream where you pour a hot espresso coffee.
0:19:44 > 0:19:45Put that on there.
0:19:45 > 0:19:50And instead of a hot espresso coffee, what we're going to do is
0:19:50 > 0:19:53put our dollop of vanilla ice-cream in there,
0:19:53 > 0:19:58and we're going to pour over some of the delicious stout instead.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04And that's going to be our accompaniment to our cake.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08It looks delicious,
0:20:08 > 0:20:12it smells amazing and I'm sure it's going to be fantastic
0:20:12 > 0:20:16with my new variation of...hmm.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22It's so moist. You get that stout flavour coming through,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25you get the chocolaty-ness, you get the rich aromas.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29It really is fantastic and it works so well... Mmm.
0:20:29 > 0:20:34So... I defy any of you to go home and make this ale
0:20:34 > 0:20:37and chocolate cake, and not want to make it every weekend -
0:20:37 > 0:20:39it is absolutely delicious.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47I'm determined to change the fusty image of real ale,
0:20:47 > 0:20:52so I'm bringing my revival campaign to Canary Wharf in London.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57An award-winning beer writer, Marverine Cole, is going to help me.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01She's also keen to get more women tuned into ale.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02So, my dear, lovely to meet you.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04What's your sort of interest in beer, then,
0:21:04 > 0:21:08and how you've been doing it? While I open away.
0:21:08 > 0:21:09I've been wowed by beer,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12just by the flavours...the potential flavours that
0:21:12 > 0:21:14you've got in so many different beers,
0:21:14 > 0:21:19and I think that lots of women just think that beer equals lager.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20Yeah, I agree.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23And then they kind of go, "Ew, its too bitter for me."
0:21:23 > 0:21:27And there is a massive fear. Fear of the dark beer, as I call it.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29SHE LAUGHS
0:21:29 > 0:21:32People go, "Is that a dark one? Ooh, it's dark."
0:21:32 > 0:21:34And people actually really make their judgements about what
0:21:34 > 0:21:36they're going to drink by the colour.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Well, I think the pints puts people off.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40You know, it's the amount, isn't it?
0:21:40 > 0:21:43I also think that whole thing about beer bellies, Angela.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Come on. You know, everyone thinks, "You drink beer, you're going to..."
0:21:47 > 0:21:49Well, it's everything in moderation, isn't it?
0:21:49 > 0:21:51You drink lots of wine, you're going to put on weight, you know.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53It's a great alternative with food, isn't it?
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Without a doubt.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58Marverine's an expert on matching different ales with different foods,
0:21:58 > 0:22:00and we're starting with mozzarella and a pale ale.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03So we'll have a little dig into a bit of the mozzarella
0:22:03 > 0:22:05and just see how that tastes.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14So you get that down and then you see where it goes with the beer.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Hmm. It doesn't kill it actually, the food.
0:22:16 > 0:22:17Beautiful.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20So something as light as this and refreshing as this,
0:22:20 > 0:22:22it complements but it doesn't sort of kill it off at all.
0:22:22 > 0:22:23It totally does.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- We like that one.- Yay! - We're happy with that one.
0:22:26 > 0:22:27Next up, a spicy chop.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30Let's have a go with the pork.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34What we're going to try this with is...Adnams Innovation IPA.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- Yeah. - Hmm.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43I think that's a great match. I've definitely converted.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Ooh, la la.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46- Too much. Cheers to that. - Cheers.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52I'm a fan, but now we have to convince 30 city slickers to
0:22:52 > 0:22:54ditch their white wine for ale.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01Well, lager's really quite fizzy,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04so yeah, it just doesn't feel like a girl's drink.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06You know, when you've had quite a lot of it.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07So what do you reckon?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12Light. Fragrant.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14Could you be converted?
0:23:14 > 0:23:20Yeah, I think I could. Going from there to there, taste explosion.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25That is so much nicer. That's really nice.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27That's very light, yes.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30And to really convince them,
0:23:30 > 0:23:32we're matching up ales with different foods.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35Take a bit of the food, take a bit of...
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Yeah, take a bit of the spice, take a bit of the beer,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40and then go back to the food, go back to the beer.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42See what you think.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Oh, good. Those, yeah, they're lovely.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48It almost dulls the bitterness of the beer.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51That's exactly what a lot of people say,
0:23:51 > 0:23:54the food makes it smoother, it contrasts it and stuff, yeah.
0:23:54 > 0:23:56In my mind, Marverine, it seems it's gone very well.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57How do you think?
0:23:57 > 0:24:01I am over the moon. I think it's been brilliant.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04And I just love the surprised faces, don't you?
0:24:04 > 0:24:06It's been great working with you, kid!
0:24:06 > 0:24:08SHE LAUGHS
0:24:08 > 0:24:10So I think tonight's been fantastic.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13I think Marverine has been brilliant at selling real ale and beer,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16and she's sort of made all these women sit up and think,
0:24:16 > 0:24:19"This is an alternative to wine." And it's all about moderation.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Everyone keeps saying they're going to be bloated and fat
0:24:22 > 0:24:25but if you only drink a couple of half pints, you're going to be fine.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Absolutely go for the flavour, go for the deliciousness
0:24:28 > 0:24:31and go for the fact that it can match very well with food.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34My girls' night out did make me think about my final recipe,
0:24:34 > 0:24:39which I'm sure will turn all of you into ale converts.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42So I can't be inspired to use real ale without making
0:24:42 > 0:24:45a traditional British dish - fish and chips.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49But I'm going to do my version, which is deep fried sole in an ale
0:24:49 > 0:24:52batter with tartare sauce.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59So I was very fortunate enough to have Italian grandparents
0:24:59 > 0:25:02on my mother's side, and they all came over from Italy.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05And the one thing they did do was set up loads of restaurants,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07but not Italian restaurants.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09They all opened fish and chip shops, so this is really
0:25:09 > 0:25:12part of my heritage as much as British heritage.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16As a kid, I was allowed to go and help in the fish and chip shop,
0:25:16 > 0:25:19but I was never allowed to touch the fish and I never made the batter,
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I was only allowed to do the chips,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26so I'm quite happy I'm getting to do my own batter here.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29So we've got some plain flour and cornflour,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33and we're going to add some sparkling water.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35So we're using the water to, you know,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38there's the carbonation in the water that's going to keep our batter
0:25:38 > 0:25:41nice and light, but for flavour we want to use some real ale.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43That's going to give it that lovely yeasty flavour to it,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46it's going to have that great hoppy-ness to it,
0:25:46 > 0:25:50and then pour that into your flour and the water.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Secret to a good batter, don't season it up.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55One of the things you don't season straight away,
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and also allow it to rest for about, you know,
0:25:58 > 0:26:0210/15 minutes just before you start to dip anything into it.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Now time to prepare your fish.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10So I've chosen sole because it's... I like the flavour of it.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13It's great for frying. You don't have to use sole,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15you could use cod, you could use halibut,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17you can use pollock, you know.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Just make sure, whatever you're using, it's sustainable
0:26:19 > 0:26:21and it's come from a good source.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24And what's fantastic, I've found, is when I did that
0:26:24 > 0:26:29tasting in Canary Wharf, is how great ale matches with food, and you
0:26:29 > 0:26:32can really see that it's going to have this resurgence.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34I think the key, for me,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38is to really look for different flavourings in the ale.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40The ale I'm using in this recipe, the honeydew,
0:26:40 > 0:26:44was really the one that came out on top and I think partly
0:26:44 > 0:26:47because it was very refreshing, and I have to say I agreed with them -
0:26:47 > 0:26:49I thought it was delicious.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51I was slightly nervous that my mother thought
0:26:51 > 0:26:53I might have had too much ale on national TV.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Make a fresh tartare sauce with mayonnaise,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01capers and chopped gherkins.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Finally, a good handful of parsley - that's what we want.
0:27:07 > 0:27:08Just nicely chopped.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Nice and fine in there...and that's it.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14And you can smell, straight away, that lovely acidity.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Now cover the fish fillets in seasoned flour,
0:27:19 > 0:27:21before dunking in the beer batter.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Shake off the excess and then straight in the fryer,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27and you can hear that sizzle straight away.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30You need to make sure it's nice and hot.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Now, I was always fascinated, as a kid,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35when I watched my aunt and my uncle
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and everyone do the batter because they were so delicate with it -
0:27:38 > 0:27:40they'd never waste any of the batter.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42And they'd make sure it just dipped in and straight in there.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46So you can see there, the batter's lovely.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48We're going to just turn it up slightly
0:27:48 > 0:27:50and get a fantastic coating on it.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57So you can see a nice golden brown colour now.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Keep a close eye on the fryer.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02The goujons should only take a few minutes to cook.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06OK. So, watercress here with our tartar sauce,
0:28:06 > 0:28:10and this really is a real different version from the fish
0:28:10 > 0:28:11and chips I was brought up on as a kid.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14You certainly wouldn't have had a piece of lemon on the side,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16and there'd have been no fancy greenery.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19It would have just been in a great piece of old newspaper,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23because in those days you were allowed to use old newspaper,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25and that's what you would have eaten.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29So we're going to put our sole on there and you can hear, as you
0:28:29 > 0:28:33put it on the plate, that little sort of crispiness of the batter.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Finish it with a little bit of salt.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39And that's what the real ale does to it,
0:28:39 > 0:28:41it gives it that real lightness, that real crispiness
0:28:41 > 0:28:44and what's most important is it gives it extra flavour,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46and that's what we're looking for.
0:28:46 > 0:28:52What you have here is sole deep-fried in real ale batter.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01You can hear that crunch from the crunchiness of the batter -
0:29:01 > 0:29:04it's kept it really light. And the flavour is there,
0:29:04 > 0:29:05it's really not too overpowering,
0:29:05 > 0:29:09so that's why it's good to use a light ale when you do that.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12It really is delicious. I cannot encourage you enough.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14This dish, start to finish,
0:29:14 > 0:29:1830 minutes and make sure you use some delicious real ale
0:29:18 > 0:29:19when you make your batter.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27The revival has started.
0:29:27 > 0:29:31Let's champion this historic British drink that's packed full of flavour.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35So it really is time to throw out those misconceptions that
0:29:35 > 0:29:38real ale is for crusty old men in sandals.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41It's time to take real ale back to where it started,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43and that's back to the women.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Stay with us, as we launch a revival campaign for yet another
0:29:50 > 0:29:52classic British ingredient.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01This product doesn't need reviving, as such,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03but it certainly needs reinventing.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06It's one of our most favourite vegetables
0:30:06 > 0:30:09but the way they're cooked, you'd think we hated them.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12Over three-quarters of us boil and steam the things to death -
0:30:12 > 0:30:14a real travesty.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18I'm Michael Caines and I'm talking about British carrots.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21We've got to start treating our carrots with some respect,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24so stay with me and I'll show you how and why.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27I'll be getting carrots to help me see in the dark.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30It's awesome. It really is awesome. Just fantastic.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34Discovering how they can magically turn into apricot.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36You can guess, of course by the colour,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38carrot is the main ingredient.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41And in the Revival Kitchen, carrots rule supreme.
0:30:41 > 0:30:46This dish unashamedly celebrates the carrot in all its glory.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48It's a bit of a looker, isn't it?
0:30:54 > 0:30:56At my two Michelin-starred restaurant in Devon,
0:30:56 > 0:30:59we have a passion for fresh produce.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02As a child growing up, I used to love growing my own carrots.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06Nothing beats that crisp sound of the carrot breaking open
0:31:06 > 0:31:09fresh from the ground, and now here at the restaurant I have
0:31:09 > 0:31:12my own kitchen garden, and nothing beats getting them straight from
0:31:12 > 0:31:16the garden into the kitchen as fast as possible, so they're served fresh.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19But most people don't grow their own and are happy with what
0:31:19 > 0:31:22they buy in the supermarket.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24And, of course, they have their place, but there's
0:31:24 > 0:31:26so much more to carrots than that.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29As well as big donkey carrots,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32there's a rainbow of heritage-like varieties
0:31:32 > 0:31:35and delicate baby carrots that can be used as garnish.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42It's a shame that so few appreciate this amazing range.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45In my kitchen, they all have a place. Take it out.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Put it on a tray for me, Jack. Keep the plates moving, please.
0:31:48 > 0:31:53But the real sin, for me, is the way we treat our carrots.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56We see carrots as just a side dish and we cook them
0:31:56 > 0:31:58in just the same old boring ways.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01Just sliced and boiled.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02Steamed.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04I might eat them raw - just like that.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06I don't do anything special with them.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09- Cut them into little sticks and boil them.- Roasted.
0:32:09 > 0:32:10Well, we do sometimes...
0:32:10 > 0:32:13- You're right, we sometimes roast them, don't we?- Yes.
0:32:13 > 0:32:14I usually boil them.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Obviously Max likes them as mushy as possible.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Three-quarters of our carrots are boiled or steamed,
0:32:23 > 0:32:24which means they lose a
0:32:24 > 0:32:28third of their nutrients and you're left with a flavourless vegetable.
0:32:28 > 0:32:31It's a crime against carrots and it's got to stop.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40So to begin my carrot crusade, I'm heading to Thetford to find someone
0:32:40 > 0:32:44who lives and breathes carrots and would never take them for granted.
0:32:44 > 0:32:47Tom Will is an agronomist for the Elveden Estate,
0:32:47 > 0:32:49and he specialises in root vegetables.
0:32:51 > 0:32:52Well, this is the development area.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55What we're doing here is we're producing a range of niche
0:32:55 > 0:33:00products for restaurants, exclusive farm shops, etc.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02But in bringing us the future of carrots,
0:33:02 > 0:33:04he's had to look to the past.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08Right. What we have here are some modern crosses, which have the
0:33:08 > 0:33:11- characteristics of the heritage types.- Brilliant.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14The original carrots came from Afghanistan about 5,000 years ago,
0:33:14 > 0:33:19and those carrots were red or yellow and extremely bitter.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Originally they were used for medicinal purposes,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24they weren't eaten. But, over time, they were cultivated
0:33:24 > 0:33:26and came into Europe about 1200, but we didn't get the first
0:33:26 > 0:33:30- orange carrot until the 16th century.- Good grief.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32And that was bred in Holland,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35and some of the first varieties were called orange horn carrot.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39These new heritage-like varieties take the rich
0:33:39 > 0:33:43history of the carrot, with all its sizes, colours and flavours,
0:33:43 > 0:33:47and marries it with the reliability and sweetness of modern carrots.
0:33:47 > 0:33:51They are still a very, very small part of carrot production in the UK.
0:33:51 > 0:33:52In terms of percentage-wise...
0:33:52 > 0:33:55- It's hardly measureable. - Really?
0:33:55 > 0:33:57It's less than 0.1 of a percent.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01With my love of unusual varieties, it's nice know
0:34:01 > 0:34:03I'm in the presence of a like mind,
0:34:03 > 0:34:07and Tom's got a carrot collection that puts even mine to shame.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Wow! Look at this amazing array of carrots,
0:34:10 > 0:34:12and I can see a very familiar-looking one here.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Yes, the Nantes carrot is the most popular carrot grown
0:34:15 > 0:34:18and sold in the UK - this is the standard carrot.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22What we have around is developments beyond the Nantes.
0:34:22 > 0:34:27We have a Chantenay here, traditionally triangular in shape.
0:34:27 > 0:34:28Chefs tend to like these.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32If we look at the heritage types... And these different colours are caused
0:34:32 > 0:34:36by anthocyanin, and anthocyanin is an antioxidant and that provides
0:34:36 > 0:34:39not only health benefits,
0:34:39 > 0:34:42but also a slight overtone in terms of flavour -
0:34:42 > 0:34:44it makes them rather more bitter.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47What we have here is the dark purple haze and when you cut
0:34:47 > 0:34:52this in half, you'll find that's purple right the way through.
0:34:52 > 0:34:56Anthocyanin is a pigment that is also found in blackberries
0:34:56 > 0:35:00and blueberries, and scientists are investigating its possible
0:35:00 > 0:35:02cancer-fighting properties.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04- A slight deeper flavour - it's lovely.- Absolutely.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06It's subtly different but, in this day
0:35:06 > 0:35:09and age, we're looking for those subtle differences.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12You often find that the lighter coloured ones actually taste
0:35:12 > 0:35:13more carroty.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17When we're thinking about what the carrot taste is, now, it may not be
0:35:17 > 0:35:19the flavour of carrots in the future,
0:35:19 > 0:35:21if this type of carrot becomes
0:35:21 > 0:35:24more popular and people start to go into those heritage-like elements.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Absolutely.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30There are over 100 carrot varieties you could be growing yourself but,
0:35:30 > 0:35:34first of all, we need to appreciate what's right under our noses.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40To ease you into my carrot revival, I'm heading into the kitchen
0:35:40 > 0:35:43with a dish that'll make you feel right at home.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46So to get you thinking more creatively about using
0:35:46 > 0:35:51carrots, I've got this delicious, lovely, simple curried carrot soup.
0:35:56 > 0:35:59So for this simple recipe, I'm using the Nantes carrot.
0:35:59 > 0:36:02It's a bog-standard carrot that you get in most supermarkets,
0:36:02 > 0:36:05but I think size does matter for this recipe in particular.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Too large a carrot, you get that woody centre -
0:36:07 > 0:36:09and I don't like cooking with that.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11I like to have them tender and sweet,
0:36:11 > 0:36:13so we'll just have a medium-sized carrot here.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15We're not going to peel them,
0:36:15 > 0:36:17we're just going to chop them up and put them
0:36:17 > 0:36:19with this lovely spice and onion and garlic, which will be great.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21The reason why I'm not going to peel this is
0:36:21 > 0:36:24because I want some of that flavour from the skins.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26I think one of the motivations for me
0:36:26 > 0:36:29becoming a cook is I just thought that, at meal times, I thought that
0:36:29 > 0:36:32food could sometimes be a little bit boring.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35I used to like the idea of making things more interesting
0:36:35 > 0:36:36and I think carrots sort of
0:36:36 > 0:36:38typifies that sort of Sunday roast mentality,
0:36:38 > 0:36:39where it's just seen as an
0:36:39 > 0:36:42accompaniment but not as a main dish or attraction.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45What I want to show you is that the carrot
0:36:45 > 0:36:47can become the main focus of the meal.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Start by sauteing the carrot, onion and garlic in butter.
0:36:54 > 0:37:00Whilst we have that sweating, I'm going to toast some cumin spice.
0:37:00 > 0:37:04Toasting the cumin brings out a much stronger flavour in the seeds.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06I've got this lovely bouquet garni.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Very, very simple to make at home.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Just a little bit of leek and inside that we have some celery,
0:37:11 > 0:37:16some parsley, thyme and a fresh bay leaf, and just wrap that up, tie
0:37:16 > 0:37:19it with a bit of string and we'll put that into the soup as well.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22You'll be amazed what the sort of layering of flavour from the
0:37:22 > 0:37:25spice, from the cumin and of course from this little bouquet garni.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29That all just makes it a delicious soup to enjoy.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32And we're going to add a pinch of curry powder.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35Now this is a madras curry.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38It has a little bit of heat to it but not too much.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41So just a little bit of chicken stock.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43If you're vegetarian, you can just use water in this.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46You'll get enough flavour from all of the spice,
0:37:46 > 0:37:49carrots and of course the bouquet garni.
0:37:49 > 0:37:50Bring that up to the boil,
0:37:50 > 0:37:54reduce it to a simmer and cook that out for about 20 to 30 minutes,
0:37:54 > 0:37:56until the carrots are completely cooked through.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Hmm, you can just smell that wonderful flavour coming through.
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Now remove the bouquet garni and then blend the mixture until smooth.
0:38:09 > 0:38:10How easy was that?
0:38:13 > 0:38:15Hmm, ah, so delicious.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18And you can see the lovely colour of this carrot,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21and it just smells so inviting.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24So there we have it, a wonderful celebration of carrot.
0:38:24 > 0:38:25Curried carrot soup.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38That really is good.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40I really do wish my mother had this recipe
0:38:40 > 0:38:42when I was growing up as a child, because my love affair with
0:38:42 > 0:38:44the carrot would have started a lot earlier.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54Today, carrots may be seen as little more than a side dish, but at
0:38:54 > 0:38:59one point in history they played a much more central role in our diets.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02In my bid to champion the versatility of the carrot,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05I've come to the Imperial War Museum in London.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08Senior Historian Terry Charman knows
0:39:08 > 0:39:10all about the adaptability of carrots.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Here's the section on wartime food and wartime rationing.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19Rationing started in January, 1940 and continued
0:39:19 > 0:39:23until the end of June, 1954. 14-and-a-half years.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26- But vegetables, of course, carrots weren't rationed.- Right.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29So, Terry, why in particular did they choose the carrot to champion
0:39:29 > 0:39:31so much?
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Well, the thing was I think it was easy to grow and there was
0:39:33 > 0:39:38a great glut of carrots, especially in the spring of 1941.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43Rumours began circulating that, as well as feeding a nation
0:39:43 > 0:39:46at war, carrots were taking a more active part in the war effort.
0:39:48 > 0:39:54Up in the skies, the Allied advances in radar were giving the air force the upper hand,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56but the Ministry of Food decided to put their success down to
0:39:56 > 0:39:58something more edible.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Our night fighters and especially one night fighter, John Cunningham,
0:40:06 > 0:40:10who was known as Cat's Eyes Cunningham, was able to shoot down
0:40:10 > 0:40:14German bombers because he ate his carrots and could see in the dark.
0:40:14 > 0:40:15Of course that was a lie.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18It was an untruth, shall we say, yes.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22But of course the idea was, "Boys, if you want to go up
0:40:22 > 0:40:23"and be a night fighter pilot
0:40:23 > 0:40:26"like John Cunningham, Cat's Eyes Cunningham, then eat your carrots."
0:40:28 > 0:40:32A food legend was born and it was great PR for the carrot.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36But it wasn't just carrot sales that took off.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41The Dig for Victory campaign encouraged everyone to pick
0:40:41 > 0:40:44up a spade and the number of allotments more than doubled.
0:40:44 > 0:40:46VOICEOVER: You'll soon be growing your own tomatoes,
0:40:46 > 0:40:51peas that melt in your mouth, carrots that will be a revelation.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53"Dig, dig, dig for victory" was the song at the time.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56"Feel your muscles getting big. Keep on pushing in the spade."
0:40:56 > 0:40:59I can imagine, carrots, very, very easy to grow
0:40:59 > 0:41:01and also good because you can keep them in the ground and
0:41:01 > 0:41:04- store them over a period of time.- Yes.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06There was now a mountain of carrots,
0:41:06 > 0:41:10but what were they supposed to do with them all?
0:41:10 > 0:41:13The Ministry of Food bombarded the public with ideas
0:41:13 > 0:41:16and carrot recipe' flooded the airwaves.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21There was a BBC radio programme each day called The Kitchen Front
0:41:21 > 0:41:24and that was always revolved round recipes,
0:41:24 > 0:41:27and how to make the food more palatable.
0:41:27 > 0:41:32And Terry has some examples of this culinary explosion for me to try.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34What's this idea of a raw carrot?
0:41:34 > 0:41:36Supposedly, a treat for children.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41In lieu if an ice-cream or an ice lolly, you had a carrot on a stick.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43Now, if I turned up to my kids and said,
0:41:43 > 0:41:45"Guys, I've got you a treat",
0:41:45 > 0:41:47and gave them a carrot stick, they'd think I'd be having a laugh.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49Sugar was heavily rationed but carrots have
0:41:49 > 0:41:53one of the highest sugar contents of any vegetable, and they were
0:41:53 > 0:41:57the nearest thing to a lolly most wartime kids would ever get.
0:41:58 > 0:42:03May I offer you some wartime carrot fudge?
0:42:03 > 0:42:05Carrot fudge.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Hmm. Hmm.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Now there's obviously carrot there, also gelatine,
0:42:13 > 0:42:15but also the addition of orange juice as well.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17I was going to say, you can taste the orange juice.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19It's not very fudge-like,
0:42:19 > 0:42:20it's more like a jelly than it is a carrot,
0:42:20 > 0:42:23but I can imagine, as a kid, that could be quite a treat.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25So what else have we got?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28This carroty drink was actually ahead of its time.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Carrolade. There's something else in there as well though, isn't there?
0:42:31 > 0:42:33It's carrot juice and juice of swede, as well.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Yeah, I can get that.
0:42:35 > 0:42:36It's quite incredible
0:42:36 > 0:42:39because, nowadays, it's something you can get from the health shop.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42Now people would pay a fortune for it.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45Soft fruit, of course, was in very short supply.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46This is mock apricot.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48Apricot. It's mock apricot.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50And you can guess of course by the colour,
0:42:50 > 0:42:53what was the main ingredient.
0:42:57 > 0:43:01Hmm. That actually is very pleasant.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04That was what I would call a proper carrot fest.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Yes. Yes.
0:43:06 > 0:43:10It was the carrot's finest hour and, even if some dishes worked
0:43:10 > 0:43:12better than others, it did our nation proud.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Since then carrots have been pushed to the side of the plate,
0:43:17 > 0:43:20but I've got a recipe that's a fitting tribute
0:43:20 > 0:43:22to their moment of glory.
0:43:22 > 0:43:24I'm going to show you a wonderful sweet recipe -
0:43:24 > 0:43:26my classic carrot cake.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37So for this recipe we're peeling the carrot,
0:43:37 > 0:43:39because we're going to just remove
0:43:39 > 0:43:41those bitter tannins from the skin,
0:43:41 > 0:43:45so that we just have that lovely, sweet, tender carrot -
0:43:45 > 0:43:46which we're going to grate.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50The bitterness of the skin is great in savoury dishes,
0:43:50 > 0:43:53but this one is all about the sweet carrot flavour.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58What I love about grated carrot is it's not just
0:43:58 > 0:43:59good for baking with.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03In France, we used to have these lovely salads.
0:44:03 > 0:44:05We used to call it crudites of salads,
0:44:05 > 0:44:08where I used to just grate the carrot and serve it with
0:44:08 > 0:44:11a little bit of a vinaigrette, mustard, vinegar and oil,
0:44:11 > 0:44:13season it with salt and pepper,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16and perhaps a little bit of chopped dill in there.
0:44:16 > 0:44:17It's just absolutely fantastic,
0:44:17 > 0:44:20great texture, wonderful flavour.
0:44:20 > 0:44:21Be careful of your fingers.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26Then we add some texture with walnuts.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30So...just a light chop.
0:44:32 > 0:44:34They have a slight bitterness to them,
0:44:34 > 0:44:38and that contrasts really nicely with the sweetness of the carrot.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42So now we're ready for our mixture.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46Combine some flour, eggs, cinnamon, sugar and bicarbonate of soda.
0:44:48 > 0:44:52For me, one of the key things about carrot cake that I love is the
0:44:52 > 0:44:55moisture of it and that sweetness that you get from the carrot.
0:44:55 > 0:44:57Natural sweetness is just absolutely delicious, and then
0:44:57 > 0:45:00the texture of the nuts and, of course,
0:45:00 > 0:45:01that lovely cinnamon flavour
0:45:01 > 0:45:05that gives a lovely persistent length on the palate.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10For this recipe, it's important to use oil rather than butter -
0:45:10 > 0:45:12it helps give the cake its moisture.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15The moisture of the cake is coming from the oil
0:45:15 > 0:45:18and, of course, the carrot themselves.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22My grandmother, when she was making her Christmas cakes,
0:45:22 > 0:45:25swore blind that, if you added a little bit of grated carrot,
0:45:25 > 0:45:26it gave it that
0:45:26 > 0:45:29real dark colour that she used to get from her Christmas cakes,
0:45:29 > 0:45:33and it's something of a tip I use today in my own recipe.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38When mixed well, put it into a lined cake tin.
0:45:38 > 0:45:39Here we are.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42Now we're going to put that in the oven and bake.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48Once it's baked and cooled, turn it out onto a plate.
0:45:48 > 0:45:49I've got a little tip for you.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52I've turned it upside down so that the dome of
0:45:52 > 0:45:55the top of the cake fits nicely into a bottom of a plate,
0:45:55 > 0:46:00and that gives you this lovely flat surface to be able to ice.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05I'm using a simple icing mixture of butter, sugar and cream cheese.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07There we go.
0:46:07 > 0:46:13And then, to finish, I've got a few candied carrots, which I've just
0:46:13 > 0:46:16blanched very quickly.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18There we are. My classic carrot cake.
0:46:24 > 0:46:26Ah. You can just feel it's so moist.
0:46:26 > 0:46:31You can just see how lovely this cake is.
0:46:32 > 0:46:33I love this recipe.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37Hmm. It's so moist.
0:46:37 > 0:46:40You've got the texture of the nuts and then you have that
0:46:40 > 0:46:42cinnamon spice that persists on the palate,
0:46:42 > 0:46:43but it's just stunning.
0:46:43 > 0:46:45Hmm.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54When we shop for our carrots, we generally buy one kind -
0:46:54 > 0:46:56the orange Nantes variety.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00They make up three-quarters of all carrots on sale.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08I'm going to investigate their success
0:47:08 > 0:47:11and to do it, I'm staying up way passed my bedtime.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Blimey. I didn't sign up for this.
0:47:23 > 0:47:26Its 11.30 at night and we're somewhere in the middle
0:47:26 > 0:47:30of carrot country near, well, I don't know, in Norfolk somewhere.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37Giles Abrey is the carrot farmer in charge,
0:47:37 > 0:47:41and his working day is just kicking off.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45We've just starting the harvesting of the new English season
0:47:45 > 0:47:50carrots, and we harvest during the night to ensure the freshness.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54We're trying to keep the gap between harvesting and packing to a minimum.
0:47:54 > 0:47:57If we harvest in the day, in the heat of the day, the carrot
0:47:57 > 0:48:02dries out and the quality, as you can see how... The freshness is
0:48:02 > 0:48:05a lot better compared to harvesting during the heat of the day.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08So if we're picking these tonight, how long will it take to
0:48:08 > 0:48:10get them into the supermarkets?
0:48:10 > 0:48:12The load we're picking at the moment, it will be
0:48:12 > 0:48:14delivered at 6am in the morning.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19These night-time manoeuvres are like a military operation,
0:48:19 > 0:48:24and Giles has got some heavy duty carrot-seeking hardware.
0:48:24 > 0:48:26So what's happening here, then?
0:48:26 > 0:48:29Well, basically, the front sections are called the torpedoes
0:48:29 > 0:48:32and they're guiding the tops of the carrots into the belts.
0:48:32 > 0:48:33Oh, OK.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38It plucks the carrot up and then it travels up to the top,
0:48:38 > 0:48:42- and, basically, the top of the carrot is pinched off.- Oh, OK.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44The tops of the carrots go out the back.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47The waste and the carrots go up into the trailer.
0:48:47 > 0:48:48Fantastic.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53It's awesome. It really is awesome. Just fantastic.
0:48:54 > 0:48:59In the UK every year, we get through 700,000 tonnes of carrots,
0:48:59 > 0:49:02and our insatiable demand for them has meant that,
0:49:02 > 0:49:06since the 1990s, carrots have been harvested for 11 months of the year.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10A carrot was regarded as a summer vegetable...
0:49:10 > 0:49:16But more recently, through sort of changes in husbandry
0:49:16 > 0:49:21techniques, we have been able to produce a carrot from British
0:49:21 > 0:49:24- growers that nearly covers the full window.- Oh, wow.
0:49:26 > 0:49:30I'm beginning to see why heritage-type varieties couldn't be
0:49:30 > 0:49:31harvested on this scale.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36It takes a tough carrot to grow all year round
0:49:36 > 0:49:38and handle this kind of rough treatment.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40What are we looking for in a variety?
0:49:41 > 0:49:44You look at it, I suppose, from two aspects.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46Firstly from the consumer.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50The consumer is looking for a carrot with good taste
0:49:50 > 0:49:53but, in terms of something sort of commercially viable, you have
0:49:53 > 0:49:55to look at the growing side as well.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57We're looking for a carrot that's quite hard,
0:49:57 > 0:50:01so when we're mechanically lifting we're not breaking it.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03And finally, I suppose, is the yield.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06At the moment, we're growing predominantly Nantes types,
0:50:06 > 0:50:10so Laguna and Nairobi, but the Nairobi seems to be
0:50:10 > 0:50:14the predominant variety which ticks most boxes.
0:50:14 > 0:50:17In terms of a sort of commercial viable crop,
0:50:17 > 0:50:20we haven't found anything yet that can beat Nairobi.
0:50:25 > 0:50:26Wow.
0:50:29 > 0:50:34Hmm. Really sweet. Worth being here for.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Wow. Incredible.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39Let's get another. Ha-ha!
0:50:40 > 0:50:43This has been such an eye-opener for me.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46Farmers like Giles and varieties like the Nairobi do
0:50:46 > 0:50:50an amazing job of keeping us all in carrots but, whatever
0:50:50 > 0:50:53the variety, we shouldn't be taking our carrots for granted.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03In London's Mayfair, I've heard there's a Michelin two-starred chef
0:51:03 > 0:51:06who's taking the carrot and really celebrating it.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12When I was starting out as a chef, I spent two-and-a-half years in France
0:51:12 > 0:51:14and there I learnt how to respect the carrot,
0:51:14 > 0:51:16so I'm off to see a good friend of mine -
0:51:16 > 0:51:20a French chef who's absolutely passionate about carrots.
0:51:23 > 0:51:25- Hey, Claude. - Hey. How are you doing?
0:51:25 > 0:51:26Great, thanks. It's great to see you.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28Claude Bosi does something I've never done -
0:51:28 > 0:51:31serves a dish that is made entirely from carrots.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33We've got different type here.
0:51:33 > 0:51:35OK. Oh, we've got a heritage variety.
0:51:35 > 0:51:37Yeah, you've got some different heritage.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39- They flavours are fantastic. I love using them.- Yeah.
0:51:39 > 0:51:41We've got the yellow, the white, the purple.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45- Good.- The classic.- You know we call this donkey carrot?
0:51:45 > 0:51:48Donkey carrot, what we use for stock. We use for stock.
0:51:49 > 0:51:51The carrots look familiar to me,
0:51:51 > 0:51:54but to give them their two-star twist, Claude has put them
0:51:54 > 0:51:57with an ingredient you might associate with animal feed.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00- I like the flavour of hay. - OK.
0:52:00 > 0:52:02It takes two-and-a-half hours to cook.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05And because it cooks in a butter, all the juice of the carrot...
0:52:05 > 0:52:08Oil and butter, oil and butter don't go out together
0:52:08 > 0:52:12so with the oil and butter, all the juice of the carrot will stay inside.
0:52:12 > 0:52:14Yes, that's right.
0:52:14 > 0:52:17These carrots are cooked in butter infused with burnt hay,
0:52:17 > 0:52:20but that's what makes a chef like Claude master of the carrot.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23And you will have something very juicy and full of flavour.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25In France you've got a lot more care
0:52:25 > 0:52:28- and attention going into the cooking of the carrot.- Yes.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30I mean, I remember my mum doing some roasting on a Sunday
0:52:30 > 0:52:34and put some big shank of carrot and cook it with it...
0:52:34 > 0:52:36You fight to get the vegetable from that stock.
0:52:36 > 0:52:40It's just full of flavour and that's where it came from.
0:52:40 > 0:52:42That's why vegetables, for me, are very important.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45And this is an orange puree.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49It's been cooked, blitzed and that's it.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53We were looking at some of the recipes that came from the war,
0:52:53 > 0:52:56- and there was a fudge of carrot. - Oh, yes.
0:52:56 > 0:52:57It was more like a jelly, to be fair,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00but they used orange there as well. It's an interesting combination.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02Carrot and orange - one of the most classic.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05I mean, we're doing a pudding at the moment with coconut, which
0:53:05 > 0:53:08is very classic. Carrot and coconut go very well together.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10The nuttiness with carrot goes fantastically.
0:53:10 > 0:53:13Carrot and coconut is a classic, yet you wouldn't see
0:53:13 > 0:53:15that as a classic mix in England,
0:53:15 > 0:53:18but only the French would come out with that as a statement.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20OK, let's dress it.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23Plating up these carrots is a precision job.
0:53:23 > 0:53:27Claude adds shavings of crisp raw carrot to his carrot confit.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32So much flavour is hidden in these little skins
0:53:32 > 0:53:34and Claude doesn't want to waste any of it.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37Even the green tops that most of us throw away
0:53:37 > 0:53:39become an edible carrot-y garnish.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Of course, that is what we cook the carrot with.
0:53:43 > 0:53:47Any juice that's gone from this, drop in the bottom of that pan.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51You know why we cook it? Then you just put it back on the plate.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56That's got the hay, the butter and all the flavour of the carrots.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59All the flavour of the carrots. That's it.
0:53:59 > 0:54:00Beautiful, isn't it?
0:54:00 > 0:54:03It looks beautiful and I can't wait to taste it.
0:54:05 > 0:54:09As a final treat, Claude serves me his own version of carrolade.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17That butter and the hay, just delicious,
0:54:17 > 0:54:19but do you know what I love about it...
0:54:19 > 0:54:21It really celebrates that flavour of the carrot.
0:54:21 > 0:54:22That's the beauty about it.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24You know, there's so many things you can do with it.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Bless my mother. She's a good cook,
0:54:26 > 0:54:28but she could never cook a carrot quite like this, Claude.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30And this is a little...
0:54:30 > 0:54:32Yeah. You've got an apple soda with carrot top.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38Oh, that's delicious as well - very fresh.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41Well, this is absolutely stunning and it's given me
0:54:41 > 0:54:44a little inspiration for...for my dish, which is great.
0:54:47 > 0:54:48I'm not going to compete with Claude,
0:54:48 > 0:54:50because I'm going to give you a dish
0:54:50 > 0:54:55that elevates the carrot but is also one that you can do at home.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58This recipe treats the carrot with the respect it deserves.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02Here's my baked heritage carrots with pan-fried scallops.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11So, for this recipe, we're going to be using these wonderful
0:55:11 > 0:55:14heritage-style rainbow carrots. You leave the skins on.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17Don't peel that off, cos that's where the flavour is.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19The thing that really inspired me
0:55:19 > 0:55:21with Claude, I loved the way that he confited,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24you know, cooked in the butter, very, very slowly the carrots
0:55:24 > 0:55:26and it intensified the flavour.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30And he had a little bit of hay in there. Well, I'm choosing to do mine
0:55:30 > 0:55:32with some spice, just to bring to life this wonderful dish.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36I'm just going to crush that garlic.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39The orange zest can go in, and then we'll just take a few
0:55:39 > 0:55:41slices of ginger.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44I'm also adding thyme and a touch of tarragon.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48It may seem a lot of flavour but the carrot can handle it.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50I can assure you that the carrots really will be
0:55:50 > 0:55:51the star of this dish.
0:55:51 > 0:55:56In the oven we go, and now we're ready to make our vinaigrette.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59All you need is a little carrot puree.
0:55:59 > 0:56:02I've made that earlier, and all I've done is steam the carrots
0:56:02 > 0:56:06until they're completely cooked and then blended it down to a puree.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Now add carrot juice and then the orange,
0:56:09 > 0:56:12lemon and ginger juice, and a pinch of cinnamon.
0:56:12 > 0:56:14They all complement the carrot perfectly
0:56:14 > 0:56:17and, last of all, a splash of rapeseed oil.
0:56:17 > 0:56:18Now we're just going to whisk that,
0:56:18 > 0:56:22and this vinaigrette is just going to go over the top of the
0:56:22 > 0:56:25pan-fried scallops and the baked heritage variety carrots,
0:56:25 > 0:56:29just to give it a lovely freshness on the palate and a bit of a lift.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33Perfect. Let's have a look at our carrots.
0:56:33 > 0:56:35Ah, yeah, here we go.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39They're going to be beautifully cooked now.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42A little bit hot. Look at them. Stunning.
0:56:42 > 0:56:44Now, we know that orange goes really well with the carrots
0:56:44 > 0:56:49and, like Claude, I've chosen to put a little orange marmalade
0:56:49 > 0:56:52flavour with my dish. But I've taken normal marmalade
0:56:52 > 0:56:55and just blended it to create this lovely puree here, which is going to
0:56:55 > 0:56:59sit underneath these lovely baked heritage carrots.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02So nice and hot pan, put the scallops in.
0:57:03 > 0:57:07Beautiful. They don't take long at all.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12Take a little bit of our carrot puree.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15I'm just going to put some of that...
0:57:15 > 0:57:19And now, finally, some vinaigrette and herbs.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22Just sprinkle round the vinaigrette.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26The thing I love about those carrots is they're much more robust,
0:57:26 > 0:57:29more flavour, far much more depth in flavour than your normal
0:57:29 > 0:57:32variety and for such a small portion of the market,
0:57:32 > 0:57:34they really do need to be championed.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39So there we have our beautiful dish of baked heritage carrots
0:57:39 > 0:57:40with pan-fried scallops.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42It's a bit of a looker, isn't it?
0:57:50 > 0:57:51Let's have a look.
0:57:53 > 0:57:55Wow.
0:57:55 > 0:58:00This dish unashamedly celebrates all of the aspects of the carrot
0:58:00 > 0:58:03in all its glory. The textures of the puree,
0:58:03 > 0:58:07the beautiful deep roasted flavour of those wonderful
0:58:07 > 0:58:12heritage baked carrots are just a perfect match for those scallops.
0:58:12 > 0:58:15Beautiful. It really is a great combination.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23So there's a world of carrots waiting out there for you,
0:58:23 > 0:58:27you just have to buy and cook more creatively. Be more carrot-y.
0:58:27 > 0:58:32So come on, Britain, get behind me and join my carrot revival campaign.
0:58:32 > 0:58:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd