0:00:03 > 0:00:07You know, we believe that Britain has the best food in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Not only can we boast fantastic ingredients.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13- Piece de resistance.- Ah, nice.
0:00:13 > 0:00:14- Which is which?- Lamb.- Mutton.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16BAAS
0:00:16 > 0:00:19'Outstanding food producers.'
0:00:19 > 0:00:20It's brilliant, isn't it?
0:00:20 > 0:00:23'And innovative chefs.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:26'But we also have an amazing food history.' Oh, Brilliant.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Oh, wow!
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Don't eat them like that. You'll break your teeth!
0:00:32 > 0:00:34'Now during this series,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38'we're going to be taking you on a journey into our culinary past.'
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Everything's ready let's get cracking.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44'We'll explore its revealing stories.'
0:00:44 > 0:00:45BOTH: Wow!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48'And meet the heroes who keep our culinary past alive.'
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'Pontefract liquorice, it's been my life.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53And I've loved every minute of it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:58'And, of course, be cooking up a load of dishes that reveal our foodie evolution.'
0:00:58 > 0:01:00Look at that.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03That's a proper British treat.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08We have a taste of history.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Quite simply... the best of British!
0:01:30 > 0:01:34'Today's show is a celebration of the great British cookbook because
0:01:34 > 0:01:37'they're not just great references for recipes...'
0:01:37 > 0:01:42'They're also a fascinating historical document of our culinary past.'
0:01:42 > 0:01:47- Aubergine and olive strudel.- Ooh. It's good stuff, isn't it?
0:01:47 > 0:01:51- Look at that. It makes you hungry just looking, doesn't it?- It does, doesn't it?
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Cookbooks are big business these days.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Last year, we bought 8.7 million.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02And, it's a marketplace that's dominated by British cooks.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04From Delia, to Elizabeth David.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08From Constance Spry to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Our long, rich history of recording recipes in print
0:02:11 > 0:02:14has made Britain one of the culinary wonders of the world.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Over the centuries, cookbooks have recorded the secrets
0:02:20 > 0:02:24of royal kitchens, and of the humble farmhouse.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27They've given us advice on dinner table etiquette
0:02:27 > 0:02:29and taught us how to make ice cream.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33And, you know what? Cookbooks form the foundation of our great British cuisine.
0:02:33 > 0:02:38And, without them, we wouldn't know nearly so much about ourselves.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45'We've been infused and excited by some truly brilliant cookbooks over the years.'
0:02:45 > 0:02:48'And today we're going to turn back time and recreate
0:02:48 > 0:02:52'the two recipes that first inspired us to become cooks.'
0:02:52 > 0:02:59'First, an absolute corker, moules a la bordelaise from Elizabeth David's French Country Cooking book.'
0:03:01 > 0:03:03'I've never quite had the guts to cook for me mam,
0:03:03 > 0:03:08'until I read this amazing book, and I decided to take the plunge.'
0:03:09 > 0:03:13'Elizabeth David made the simplest of recipes come alive.'
0:03:17 > 0:03:23'Elizabeth David, undoubtedly one of the most important British cookery writers of the 20th century.'
0:03:23 > 0:03:25# C'est si bon... #
0:03:25 > 0:03:28'When her book of Mediterranean food came out in 1950,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31'it completely changed the way we cooked and ate.'
0:03:34 > 0:03:39'She was born in 1913, and was just 17 when she went to Paris and discovered
0:03:39 > 0:03:42'that food wasn't just something to fill you up quickly.'
0:03:43 > 0:03:48'The unconventional lass set sail for Greece with a boyfriend,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52'and continued to travel and taste her way around the Mediterranean,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54'even as World War II raged on.'
0:03:58 > 0:04:00'Elizabeth returned to Britain in 1946,
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'but was dismayed at the food on offer,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07'and the attitude towards the cheerless meals served up at the British table.'
0:04:07 > 0:04:10'She decided to do something about it.'
0:04:11 > 0:04:16'She put pen to paper, and quickly published her first book.'
0:04:17 > 0:04:21'Post-war rationing was still in place,
0:04:21 > 0:04:26'and olive oil was something you bought from the chemist in a bottle marked "For external use only".
0:04:26 > 0:04:28'Proud British housewives,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31'who had once whipped up some amazing culinary creations,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35'were now having to make do with Spam, dried eggs and over-boiled spinach.'
0:04:37 > 0:04:41'But, within the pages of the book of Mediterranean food,
0:04:41 > 0:04:47'post-war Britain was introduced to a world of mouth-watering Mediterranean cuisine.'
0:04:47 > 0:04:51'It was a tantalising read, as thrilling as black market nylons.'
0:04:51 > 0:04:56'And it unleashed an army of home cooks determined to try out previously unheard-of delights,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00'such as olives, aubergines, figs and basil.'
0:05:02 > 0:05:08'In short, Elizabeth David revolutionised how the British thought about food.'
0:05:08 > 0:05:11'She was the guru to top all gurus.'
0:05:14 > 0:05:16'In the Best of British kitchen,
0:05:16 > 0:05:21'we're going to be cooking Elizabeth David's moules a la bordelaise,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23'the first ever dish I made for me mam,
0:05:23 > 0:05:30'with a lot of help from my very own well-thumbed copy of the totally brilliant French Country Cooking.'
0:05:30 > 0:05:33'This beautiful, simple dish, is still one of my favourites,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36'and has certainly stood the test of time.'
0:05:36 > 0:05:38'Ooh, it sounds tres jolie!'
0:05:38 > 0:05:41They were more writing books than very prescriptive cookbooks.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44And the way that she laid stuff out. Look.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49It's not in the way that we think, with a list of ingredients. It's all part of the text.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53She very much wanted to be a cook of the people, didn't she? She wasn't elitist.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57She believed that good food, exciting food, should be available for everybody.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01It's all there, there we go.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05Clean mussels. Glass of white wine.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09I love the beginning on the chapter for fish.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13"For all cooking, particularly for the preparation of fish, vegetables and salted meat,
0:06:13 > 0:06:18"gros sel or coarse sea salt is infinitely preferable to refined salt."
0:06:18 > 0:06:23"Sea salt can be bought by the pound and in packets in Soho shops and health food stores."
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Yeah. Brilliant, man. You know.
0:06:25 > 0:06:32- Oh dear, I live in Barrow in Furness, I'll have to go to Soho to buy my sea salt!- Ho ho!
0:06:32 > 0:06:34"In a small pan, melt one ounce of butter."
0:06:34 > 0:06:39"And in this, two chopped shallots and a pound of tomatoes cut up."
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Use the flesh. Don't use the seeds and the watery bits.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48- Basically, you want them seeding and skinning.- Yeah. Just the flesh.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50- These are nice tomatoes. - Nice, aren't they?
0:06:50 > 0:06:51They're coming up nicely.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55What'll happen is, when you add heat to the mussels, they'll start to open,
0:06:55 > 0:06:59and what we're going to do is, the bit with the flesh in, we're going to keep.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02And the shell that doesn't, we're just going to take off and discard.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06- So, just half shells, are they? - Yeah, mate, exactly that.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11Now, what is important, with this stock, you've got to keep it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13Because, if you don't, you're daft.
0:07:13 > 0:07:18Because we're going to add that into our little bordelaise sauce a bit later on.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21I tell you what, look at those. How beautiful are they?
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Look at them, Dave, aren't they gorgeous?
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Do you know what's interesting as well is, half the mussels which are in Europe
0:07:27 > 0:07:31come from the Menai Straits near Caernarvon. Half of the mussels.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- See, another great British export. - Aye.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38See? It's opened up.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40That one, discard.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44This one, you keep, cos the mussel's just sat there in its lovely shell.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48Listen, it's a bit of a laborious process, but it's worth it because it's so lovely.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52Not as laborious as these tomatoes, mate. I think we're on a par here.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53But, if a job's worth doing...
0:07:53 > 0:07:55You see this one that hasn't opened?
0:07:55 > 0:08:00You can tap it. And it's just not opening. OK.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I'd discard that.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07Some people wouldn't but I would, because the thing is, that it's dead in my view,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10because it hasn't reacted to the heat of the pan.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12So there's a chance of food poisoning there.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16I have had mussel food poisoning. Oh, it was hideous.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20- If in doubt, chuck it out. - Exactly that.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24These are so, so beautiful, these mussels.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28- You've got to admit, Kingy, you know this dish, although it's simple, it's very pure.- Yes.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32- You know it's going to be delicious. - Yeah. And I think that's the thing,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35it doesn't need to be complicated to be delicious.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36No, no.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40Really, I think Elizabeth David, it was a life in cookbooks, a life lived.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43- And a life put down for everybody's benefit.- Absolutely.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45It was a life spent in food.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50And that's what her cookbooks said to a lot of generations,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53generations that had been through a pretty tough time.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57- People needed to be given permission to enjoy food.- Absolutely.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59Whereas food was basically for survival.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Somebody came along and said, there's more to it. There's a bit of art, a bit of fun.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Now, this we want to save. Oh look, we've got an escapee.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09We're going to add that to our bordelaise sauce.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14Now, the next stage is I've got to chop some shallots.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17Now, again, she doesn't tell you how to do it, but
0:09:17 > 0:09:21judging by the scale of the mussels, it has to be pretty fine.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32A good knob of butter in the pan.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Nearly 25 grammes, something like that.
0:09:34 > 0:09:40'Soak a couple of handfuls of breadcrumbs in some milk, and throw in a bit of parsley.'
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- Stalks and all? - Yeah, everything, absolutely.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49"In a small pan, melt one ounce of butter."
0:09:49 > 0:09:52- "In this, saute two chopped shallots." You've done that?- Yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- "Add a pound of tomatoes." - Thank you.
0:09:56 > 0:10:01- The seasoning.- Now. This is key.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Me mam and our Jane and me brother as well, because he's a fabulous cook, always used to say,
0:10:05 > 0:10:10if you don't know how to season, you don't know how to bring the flavour of your food out.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14And it's very true. Not to overseason, but just to get it right.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18- Now it says now, we put in the parsley and the breadcrumbs. - Yeah, just stick it in.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21The key to this is you have to strain it.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26- Because this really, the breadcrumbs is like a bit of a thickener. - It's a bread sauce, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29Your handful can be as big as your hands, or as small as them.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34I think I've got a decent handful of parsley here. So should I cleave it in, Mr K?
0:10:34 > 0:10:35Yeah, stick it in there, yeah.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Look at that. Now it's going to come to life.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39Yeah, look at those colours.
0:10:39 > 0:10:45"Stir the sauce until the tomatoes are cooked. Then add a little of the strained sauce from the mussels
0:10:45 > 0:10:48"and a teaspoonful of grated lemon peel."
0:10:48 > 0:10:53- Shall I do you some peel?- Yeah. When that goes in, man, that is epic, because it just goes whoosh!
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- You've got your mussel juice. - I've got me mussel juice.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01So wait, look, taste that. It just needs a touch more seasoning.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It's hot, mind.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Dead pure, isn't it? Beautiful.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Oh God, that's good. Tomatoes go on forever. Garlic's kicking through.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- Needs the citrus, mind. - Yeah, it does, it does.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- Mussel juice goes in with the lemon. - Yeah.- Should I?- Please.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18- Look at that.- Go on, mate.
0:11:22 > 0:11:27- Gosh.- And then...- One...- She doesn't say how much.- ..two, three.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30And then, stir it in.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Now, what you've done is you've pushed that fish flavour back in.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Dave, get us another spoon, mate, and see what you think.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38Just my thoughts entirely, sir.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41That looks good.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Oh.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48- Beautiful.- It's epic, isn't it? - Oh yeah.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51"Now, pour the sauce over them."
0:11:51 > 0:11:55"And then simmer for three or four minutes until the mussels are hot."
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And she says, "Messy to eat, but a dish with character."
0:11:58 > 0:12:02You know it's good to be messy because you'll need your hands in there and scoop them.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04This is so good, Kingy.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07And we just, literally, just like that.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11And what's great, when you put all those elements together,
0:12:11 > 0:12:16you start to get that real sense of the dish. The smell of the mussels, the sea.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20- Those lovely fresh ingredients, the big hit of citrus. - That's a beautiful dish. Shall we?
0:12:20 > 0:12:22I think we should. Lovely.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Right. Straight onto the table.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29A bit of French bread.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30Bit of a dunker.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32- Loads of Breton butter.- Whoar!
0:12:32 > 0:12:34- After you, mucker! - Ooh, chanson d'amour.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36# Chanson...
0:12:36 > 0:12:38It looks good. It smells amazing.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43# ..d'amour...#
0:12:43 > 0:12:45- Oh.- Oh yeah. That's it.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48You can imagine, in the '50s,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51after those years of austerity, having this,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53it's like a cancan on your tonsils.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57That is a seriously, seriously good recipe.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59It's very, very pure tasting.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05It tastes probably like what you'd imagine it to through your telly.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09Do you know what? I think Elizabeth David is alive and well in that pan.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13She definitely is. That's what I love about the recipe. It just epitomises her. Fabulous.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21# Every time I hear
0:13:21 > 0:13:28# Chanson, chanson d'amour! #
0:13:34 > 0:13:40'Up and down the country, kitchen shelves are positively groaning under the weight of literary gems.'
0:13:40 > 0:13:45'Cookbooks aren't just for grabbing off the shelf when you need to rustle up something for tea.'
0:13:45 > 0:13:49'There are also brilliant social documents that tell us how we were,
0:13:49 > 0:13:51'what we ate, and why.'
0:13:51 > 0:13:54'To get to the bottom of this ever-growing pile of literature,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59'we need to pay a visit to our resident food historian, Ivan Day,
0:13:59 > 0:14:04'who has one of the largest collections of antique cookery books in the world.'
0:14:04 > 0:14:09'Ivan is keen to prove to us that the Brits have been thinking with their stomachs.'
0:14:09 > 0:14:12'And recording recipes for centuries.'
0:14:12 > 0:14:14When did cookbooks start?
0:14:14 > 0:14:17Well, they really started in the Royal Courts.
0:14:17 > 0:14:23We have a number of manuscripts, the earliest of which is from about 1390, from the time of Richard II.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- Wow.- It's a wonderful book, it's called The Forme of Cury.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28"Cury" means cookery.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31If we jump forward a little bit, into, say, the 16th century,
0:14:31 > 0:14:35we start to get little cookery books being printed.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40- Look at this, Delights For Ladies. - Gosh.- Oh wow.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44- It was published in 1601. - This book goes back to 1601.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47And Elizabeth I was on the throne.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49So that's a lovely little Tudor book.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52And it's interesting, just the pages that have fallen open,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56there's mentions of cinnamon, rosemary, sage.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00So then, they were very aware of herbs and spices?
0:15:00 > 0:15:04We mustn't think that these people were unsophisticated in their taste.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06You know, Si, I think us, like many people,
0:15:06 > 0:15:08would think that the "sophisticated"
0:15:08 > 0:15:12British cookery started in Victorian times, maybe late Georgian.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Quite clearly, that's not the case.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I'll give you an example, going back to the time of Shakespeare.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20This book here, which is called The English Hous-wife,
0:15:20 > 0:15:25was written by a contemporary of Shakespeare published in 1615.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28Shakespeare's still alive, just, when it's published.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31It was written by a man called Gervase Markham.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34- He's got a section in it on sweet dishes, like gingerbread.- Right.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39You think about the gingerbread man now, which is funny, little guy like that.
0:15:39 > 0:15:46Look, this is actually a gingerbread mould from about the same date as that book.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49- This is a Jacobean gingerbread mould. - Good grief.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52That could be one of the Merry Wives of Windsor on there.
0:15:52 > 0:15:58- Look at this, compare an Elizabethan gingerbread from a bakers shop.- Wow!
0:15:58 > 0:16:01To, say, one of our modern gingerbreads.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06- What is that on the side? - It's gold leaf, solid pure gold leaf.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09There's an expression, the gilt's wearing off the gingerbread.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13I didn't realise it had come from the gilding of gingerbread.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17I must confess, I've never heard of that phrase before. It makes perfect sense.
0:16:17 > 0:16:22I heard something from my aunty, with regard to marriage. You know when a marriage goes wrong,
0:16:22 > 0:16:24they say the gilt is wearing off the gingerbread now.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Ee, God!
0:16:27 > 0:16:31To this point, the food that we've talked about is the food of the aristocracy
0:16:31 > 0:16:35and the wealthy and it's very clearly documented
0:16:35 > 0:16:37because they had the money to do that.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41What about the blokey in the street, what happened to him? What did we eat?
0:16:41 > 0:16:48If we want to know what industrial workers were eating in the 19th century, they had books too.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52For instance, there is this lovely book which is published
0:16:52 > 0:16:59by one of the most well-known Victorian cookery writers who was called Alexis Soyer.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00LAUGHTER
0:17:00 > 0:17:04It is Soyer's Shilling Cookery For The People.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08- This was a little book that only cost a shilling.- Yeah?
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Actually, this has got the very first recipe in it for chips,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16for chipped potatoes. Funnily enough, it also has a fried fish recipe,
0:17:16 > 0:17:19- which came from the Jewish community of Whitechapel.- Right.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22He doesn't talk about fish and chips, but they're in there.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25So, the beginning of that great working-class tradition.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29- Somebody put the two together and a legend was born.- Yes.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- And we're stuck with it now! - And mighty fine it is too!
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Cookbooks aren't just a compilation of recipes,
0:17:37 > 0:17:41they are a fantastic insight into our history.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46Dave and I are absolutely itching, is there a recipe that we can do together
0:17:46 > 0:17:50where we can travel back in time and actually get a sense of the proportions
0:17:50 > 0:17:53and what they ate and cooked in those times?
0:17:53 > 0:17:59- I think we'll make a lamb pasty from Edward Kidders' 1720 cookery book.- 1720.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05This cookery book, to me, is probably the most beautiful,
0:18:05 > 0:18:09and one of the most influential, that was ever published.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11Unlike most printed books,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- all the recipes are in beautiful hand engraved copper plate.- Oh, God.
0:18:15 > 0:18:20It's very fancy because food was ornamented in the same way that the room was.
0:18:20 > 0:18:25That looks a bit like a Georgian cushion, but it's actually a pasty.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28- Let's have a go at that, gentlemen. - Fantastic. Yes, I'm up for that.
0:18:28 > 0:18:34We're going to try to turn this into this. A lamb PAFTY!
0:18:34 > 0:18:38It's pasty, you dafty! That's just how the Elizabethans wrote their "s".
0:18:38 > 0:18:40So here's the recipe.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45To make a lamb pasty, bone the lamb, cut it four-square,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48lay beef suet at the bottom of your pasty.
0:18:48 > 0:18:54Season the lamb with salt, pepper, minced thyme, nutmeg, cloves and mace.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58So, I think, we've got to get cracking.
0:18:58 > 0:19:03'While I get stuck into the pasty, Si gets a bit spicy.'
0:19:03 > 0:19:09Just for fun, let try some pepper that you don't often see nowadays,
0:19:09 > 0:19:10called long pepper.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14- Wow, I've never seen that.- Which goes right back to the Roman period.
0:19:14 > 0:19:19We need to get that ground. This was called pasty pastry.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23- What's in this pastry? - It's a very basic pastry.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24It's quite good to eat
0:19:24 > 0:19:28but the important thing is here we've got something
0:19:28 > 0:19:31which we can actually decorate with.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37- Smell that long pepper, that's an old-fashioned smell. - It's gorgeous.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41But the spicing, it's clever cooking, isn't it?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44You've got the suet there to make sure the lamb gets juicy,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47because spring lamb is quite lean.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- Yes.- It's got the mace, the cloves. They're quite adventurous flavours.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54- They are big flavours, aren't they?- Yes.
0:19:54 > 0:19:59'Pastry making in the 1700s was all about telling a story
0:19:59 > 0:20:02'with the design, and being as elaborate as possible.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04'Basically, showing off.'
0:20:04 > 0:20:06The way they did it was they took cardboard
0:20:06 > 0:20:10and they drew out the shapes so they had templates to cut from.
0:20:10 > 0:20:15- If you lay that down on there. - Like so?- Perfect, yes.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19I'm going to give you a small blade.
0:20:19 > 0:20:20That's crafty. Ow!
0:20:21 > 0:20:25I nearly cut my fingernails. Nice, crisp corners.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Crisp corners, do crisp corners. Look at that.
0:20:28 > 0:20:34I think it's safe to say you wouldn't be buying this down your local bakers, would you?
0:20:34 > 0:20:36This is one for Greggs for the future.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38'Because the lamb is so young and lean,
0:20:38 > 0:20:44'beef suet is sprinkled onto the pastry to keep everything moist.'
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Look at that meet, isn't that lovely?
0:20:46 > 0:20:50We're going to put that down onto the suet.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52I'm thinking while we're making this.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56There'll be people all thinking, I'd love that for my Sunday lunch.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00The battle will start about Wednesday making the templates.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04- It's not that easy, is it? - This bit is the easiest bit.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08It's the decorations which are going to be a bit more taxing.
0:21:09 > 0:21:15'Now it's time for the thyme, nutmeg, pepper and mace.'
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- This well and truly is a posh pie. - It's very spicy.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25They liked that strong seasoning.
0:21:26 > 0:21:31'In the 18th century, pastry wasn't necessarily part of the edible feast.'
0:21:31 > 0:21:35'More like a container for the food,
0:21:35 > 0:21:40'although the overcooked crusts often became supper for the servants.'
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Interestingly enough, these pies, I've got on the table over here,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47you could keep these for four months before you open them.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49People don't realise that.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52It was a way of preserving meat for a long time.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56'Well, it's on with the lid.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58'A little trim of the edges.
0:21:58 > 0:22:04'That's the pastry, not the beard! And, we're ready to decorate.'
0:22:04 > 0:22:08Well, to make it possible in the very short time you're with me,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11I've been busy this morning.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14I got up very early and I've been cutting out leaves.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17What we really need is the book, actually. If you get the design.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24His head is a little bit off centre. That's the middle there.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29His tail, actually touches the edge, like that.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30'A decorative topping like this
0:22:30 > 0:22:33'would've taken a good six hours to prepare.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36'And that's with a kitchen full of servants!'
0:22:36 > 0:22:41We need some little leaves which will go on ornaments around the outside.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46We've actually got a wonderful thing to make those with. Look at this.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48That's fabulous.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51This is called a pie board.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53This enables you to make really spectacular ones.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57If you cut out a shape like that.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01You then push it into the edges like that.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03This is fabulous.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05It doesn't have to go right up to the edge.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09Then, you should be able to, with a gentle tap, knock it out.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- Bravo.- Ten out of ten, look at that. Perfect.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17This is as much about art as it is about food.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19'Even our not so nimble fingers
0:23:19 > 0:23:23'managed to get to grips with the pastry decoration.'
0:23:23 > 0:23:26I think you've done pretty well
0:23:26 > 0:23:29but let's see what Mr Kidder has to say about it.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Let's have a look at that. What you think?
0:23:31 > 0:23:34It's nigh on perfect.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38- It's stunning, isn't it? - A minter, as they say.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42That's what's exciting about food. It's not just what it tastes like, it's what it looks like.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44You eat with your eyes first.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47- It's like Georgian plasterwork, Georgian cornicing.- Yes.
0:23:47 > 0:23:52- There you've got your Victorian, much more rounded. - Exactly.- Much fuller.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56'The pasty cooks in the oven for a good hour and a half,
0:23:56 > 0:24:01'giving us a chance to sneak a peek at Ivan's jelly moulds.'
0:24:01 > 0:24:03- They are so beautiful. - A wonderful collection.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05# Hallelujah! #
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Oh, wow!
0:24:09 > 0:24:10Pasties, hot pasties!
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Yes!
0:24:12 > 0:24:14That's fantastic.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17That's the Prince of pasties.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28That is fabulous.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30- Right, let's open it up.- Yes.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33I'll be the surgeon.
0:24:33 > 0:24:39What we do is we make an incision along the top of that little panel.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42This is the formal way of cutting this pie?
0:24:42 > 0:24:44Yes, this is bordering the pasty, I run that along there,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47make sure there's no meat sticking to it.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48We should...
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Oh, wow! Look at that.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57I think we need to taste it, see what it's like. It's melting.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01It's just falling apart. Let's have a little bit there.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- You don't mind using your fingers? - Absolutely not.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Are we going in for seconds?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I think you're wanting a bigger helping.
0:25:10 > 0:25:11LAUGHTER
0:25:11 > 0:25:12He's not shy, Ivan.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15It's swimming in its own...
0:25:15 > 0:25:17We didn't put any liquid in there.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20That is pure jus, as they say in France.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22I prefer to call it gravy myself.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Spoonful of that on your potatoes.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Oh, it's good.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- It's beautiful. - It's lovely, isn't it?- Oh, yes.
0:25:37 > 0:25:41What it is, it's a pastry casserole.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43The meat's just melting.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46It isn't overcooked, it's like stringy and falling apart.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48The spices are just so delicate.
0:25:49 > 0:25:55How about that, it's British heritage on a plate. It's beautiful.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05# Everyday, every day
0:26:05 > 0:26:06# Every day, every day
0:26:06 > 0:26:08# I write the book #
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Now you may have thought the age of the celebrity chef
0:26:11 > 0:26:16started with Gordon Ramsay swearing at his first waiter or Jamie Oliver getting naked.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20But in the 19th century, cookery writers like Mrs Beeton
0:26:20 > 0:26:23and Agnes Marshall, they were household names.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27'Mrs Beeton's iconic Book Of Household Management
0:26:27 > 0:26:32'was THE domestic Bible for the middle class Victorian housewife.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34'Since it was first published in 1861,
0:26:34 > 0:26:37'it has sold millions of copies worldwide
0:26:37 > 0:26:40'and there have been over 60 editions.'
0:26:43 > 0:26:47'And did you know, Mrs Beeton wasn't actually a middle-aged matron.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52'She was a savvy, young lass with a very keen marketing mind.'
0:26:53 > 0:26:57'Isabella Mason was born in 1836 in Cheapside London
0:26:57 > 0:27:00'and was one of 21 siblings.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05'When she was just 23, she married childhood friend, Sam Beeton,
0:27:05 > 0:27:08'a dashing, ambitious magazine publisher.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12'But far from staying at home, sewing and flower arranging,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16'she joined her husband on the daily commute into town,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19'where she worked for him as a journalist and editor.
0:27:23 > 0:27:28'Bella Beaton wrote in her husband's weekly magazine about fashionable frocks,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32'domestic disasters and, of course, culinary creations.'
0:27:33 > 0:27:36'Mrs Beeton's cookery column became highly popular
0:27:36 > 0:27:39'so Sam and Isabella collected all the recipes together,
0:27:39 > 0:27:42'added sections on general household management
0:27:42 > 0:27:46'and turned the whole thing into a comprehensive encyclopaedia.'
0:27:46 > 0:27:53As with the commander of an army, or the leader of any enterprise,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56so is it with the mistress of a house.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Her spirit will be seen through the whole establishment
0:27:59 > 0:28:03and just in proportion as she performs her duties intelligently,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07and thoroughly, so will her domestics follow in her path.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12'Over 2,000 mainly "borrowed" recipes were printed in monthly issues
0:28:12 > 0:28:16'of the Book Of Household Management, each costing six pence.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20'And two years later, they were published in a huge single volume.'
0:28:21 > 0:28:24'This essential wedding present was a revelation
0:28:24 > 0:28:28'and sold 60,000 copies in its first year,
0:28:28 > 0:28:30'outselling Great Expectations.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34'It was avidly read by the burgeoning middle-class wives and mothers,
0:28:34 > 0:28:39'desperate to learn how to cook, choose servants, budget and to dress.'
0:28:40 > 0:28:44'Sadly, Isabella didn't live long enough to enjoy the success of her own book.
0:28:44 > 0:28:49'The grand dame of domestic bliss was just 28 when she died,
0:28:49 > 0:28:54'with no idea of the impact she would have on the culinary world.'
0:28:57 > 0:29:01'Cookbooks are a brilliant way of looking at how we used to live
0:29:01 > 0:29:06'but, since the '50s we've also been able to tap into another vintage source...
0:29:06 > 0:29:08'TV, cookery shows.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10'These are a visual feast of nostalgia,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13'showing the rise of interesting and exotic ingredients,
0:29:13 > 0:29:16'the steady influence from other cultures,
0:29:16 > 0:29:22'the development of culinary kitchenware and, of course, some fantastic hairstyles and outfits.'
0:29:22 > 0:29:24You'll be giggling, won't you?
0:29:26 > 0:29:31'Starting in the '70s, a young cook took the British back to culinary basics
0:29:31 > 0:29:36'and presented a step-by-step guide to simple cooking techniques,
0:29:36 > 0:29:40'along with a book to accompany each of the three series.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42'It was called The Cookery Course.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47'The young cook was the siren of the stove, Ms Delia Smith.'
0:29:50 > 0:29:53- Delia sold over 20 million cookbooks, you know.- Did she?
0:29:53 > 0:29:55- Yes.- It's a lot of books.- Oh, aye.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59If you think there's 50 million people in Britain,
0:29:59 > 0:30:04that's practically every other person has a Delia cookbook if they had one each.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08- Which Delias have you got? - The Christmas book.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11Ah, the Christmas book. I've got that, too, yeah.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Oh, here she goes. Stocks and soup.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17Do you know, she hasn't got an O-level?
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Today's programme is all about how to make home-made soup
0:30:20 > 0:30:23and we're going to start off with a word about making stock.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25All you do, at the butcher's,
0:30:25 > 0:30:29is ask him to give you some bones, some marrow bones.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34- You put them into a meat...- See, all these just classic techniques.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36Yeah, but...
0:30:36 > 0:30:40two and a half million books sold that went with the series
0:30:40 > 0:30:43so two and a half million people learnt to make stock.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47- Yes.- The proper building blocks of cookery.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50Then, you put the bones in, and the vegetables, on a high shelf
0:30:50 > 0:30:53and let them brown for about 40 minutes.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55But a bit like Elizabeth David,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58I think Delia and her books made it accessible to all.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01But I noticed when she put the vegetables into that roasting tin,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04there was no finesse there, it was just vegetables, chopped.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08They were there for a purpose. That's what we're after.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12You can baste them a couple of times to get them really nicely browned.
0:31:12 > 0:31:15The techniques like this making stock, to most people,
0:31:15 > 0:31:18were the reserve of restaurants.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20- Yes.- And Delia brought that into people's homes.- Yes.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25Now, I'd like to show you how to make a real, proper Italian minestrone.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29If you're the sort of person who's only ever had minestrone out of a tin or a packet,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32then, forget all that because this is so much better.
0:31:32 > 0:31:37Ooh, minestrone in the '80s, that was so exotic!
0:31:37 > 0:31:39Yeah, back then, convenience food was all the rage
0:31:39 > 0:31:43and supermarkets were stacked high with microwaveable ready meals.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48Soften one chopped onion and two ounces of chopped streaky bacon.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52And now, an Italian herb, one of my favourites, and that's basil.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55I'm going to add a teaspoon of dried basil.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59- It's difficult to grow basil. - Who uses dried basil these days?
0:31:59 > 0:32:02I find dried basil is a very good alternative to fresh,
0:32:02 > 0:32:04especially in a soup or a sauce.
0:32:04 > 0:32:09Dave, what do you think, for you, is Delia's attraction?
0:32:09 > 0:32:14- Cos she's hugely successful.- I think, summing up, her recipes work.
0:32:14 > 0:32:19She makes cookery accessible. In her books, you read her books,
0:32:19 > 0:32:21you cook what she says, you get a great dish.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23She teaches you how to cook.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28There we have it. Real, proper Italian minestrone.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32And take it to the table and have ready on the table
0:32:32 > 0:32:35freshly grated Parmesan cheese, which you sprinkle over.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40- Oh, bellissimo!- We're heading back to the Best of British kitchen
0:32:40 > 0:32:44to find out which recipe book got Dave's cooking Mojo motoring.
0:32:44 > 0:32:49The first cookbook that I ever had was this one. The serious one.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52The Reader's Digest Guide To Creative Cooking And Entertaining.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55This was when I thought I'm going posh.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57There was great faith in them, wasn't there?
0:32:57 > 0:33:01Great faith in the method and how it was going to work. So, today,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05what we're going to do is we're going to put our faith in this method.
0:33:05 > 0:33:07Forget everything that we know and learnt.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10We're going to copy this.
0:33:10 > 0:33:15Chicken stuffed with veal, pistachios and peppers.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Ooh, it was the most exciting recipe I had ever read.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20I wanted to cook it straight away.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23It sounded clever and sophisticated,
0:33:23 > 0:33:25something James Bond would have ordered.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29I had to know how to make it. But it was a bit of a faff on.
0:33:29 > 0:33:32- You're not wrong, dude. - So, I sat there in my flat,
0:33:32 > 0:33:36I put my Thompson Twins album on and set to work with a chicken.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40- The Thompson Twins!- Yes. This is going to look like that.
0:33:40 > 0:33:44MUSIC: "Hold Me Now" by The Thompson Twins
0:33:44 > 0:33:49- The art of using a cook book.- Right, crack on.- First, bone the chicken.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53HE SCREAMS
0:33:53 > 0:33:58There is a certain assumption made... "Bone a chicken!" "Right-oh!"
0:33:58 > 0:34:03- Not with the Reader's Digest! - Oh, no!- Turn to page 378. - 378, here we come.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07- And there it is.- Chicken boning. - The sum of all parts.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10- How to bone a chicken. - Now, shall we see if it works?
0:34:10 > 0:34:13It worked that chilly day
0:34:13 > 0:34:15in autumn 1980-whatnot.
0:34:15 > 0:34:17About '86, I think.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Or even earlier.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24- So, we've got a board, we've got a knife, we've got a chicken. - Right, let's get on.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Boning a chicken. OK.
0:34:26 > 0:34:31- Cut off the parson's schnozer. - Parson's nose in hand.
0:34:31 > 0:34:33- Cut off the wing tips at the last joint.- Off.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37Parson's schnoz off. Now, what?
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Now, it says, lay the chicken on its breast.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Working from the neck,
0:34:43 > 0:34:48cut along the ridge of the backbone to expose le backbone.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51- 'And so on, and so on.'- Next!
0:34:51 > 0:34:56'This cracking cookbook gives a step-by-step guide to boning a chicken.'
0:34:56 > 0:34:59Look, look, it's working!
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Twist off the wing free from its socket.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05'Now, boning a chicken is a tricky business.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09'And it's very time consuming. But it's going to be worth it. 'Trust us.'
0:35:09 > 0:35:14Lift the ribcage. Lift. You're not lifting the ribcage.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19And with great care, cut along the ridge of the breastbone to free it.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23The carcass of the chicken can now be removed. Completely.
0:35:26 > 0:35:30- It's a beautiful thing, dude. Look at that.- Wooh! Wooh!
0:35:30 > 0:35:32- Woah, give me... Maybe not. - Maybe not, no.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35Now, I would say, what do you reckon, Kingy,
0:35:35 > 0:35:37does that look like the picture?
0:35:37 > 0:35:42- It does, mate.- And this is the truth time. Is the skin intact?
0:35:42 > 0:35:46- Turn it over.- Yes.- Minter, dude. Minter.- Right.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48'Now, for the stuffing.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52- 'For this, you will need veal. - Chicken livers.- Egg whites.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54'And a handful of pistachios.'
0:35:54 > 0:35:58Chop the veal and the liver very finely until almost a puree.
0:35:58 > 0:36:03- This is best done in a food processor.- It might be quite nice not too fine.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Yeah, it says finely until almost a puree. That will do.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12What do you reckon?
0:36:13 > 0:36:15That's lovely. Yeah. Brilliant.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17'And then it's onto the roux.
0:36:17 > 0:36:23'We're mixing a level tablespoon of cornflour into some melted butter and whisking in the milk.'
0:36:23 > 0:36:27- Right, this is going to be one thick sauce.- Go on, then.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34Bring to the boil, simmer for a minute until thick.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Right, leave that to cool for five minutes. That's one thick sauce.
0:36:37 > 0:36:38Look at that.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42Now...
0:36:42 > 0:36:47- Stir this into the meat?- Yeah. - Look at that.
0:36:48 > 0:36:53Crikey, this is like having a roux that's the basis for the stuffing.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57- Cos there is no bread in this, is there?- No. It's just solid meat.
0:36:57 > 0:37:02Beat in the egg whites and fold in the green peppers and pistachios. Yeah, green peppers.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06- Washed, seeded, and chopped.- Do you want to separate a couple of eggs?
0:37:06 > 0:37:11- I'll do the pepper. It's a lovely recipe.- It is, actually. Very nice.
0:37:11 > 0:37:14Cos I always do my peppers like this in bits, flatten it,
0:37:14 > 0:37:16cut it into strips, like so.
0:37:22 > 0:37:23Then cut the strips in a one-er.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33- Now, the pistachio nuts. - Shelved and halved.- Halved. Right.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Now, the pistachio nut is unique.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37In fact, it is the only nut that is green.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40But more than that, it is green all the way through.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43It's chlorophyll that gives you a green nut.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45It's quite special.
0:37:46 > 0:37:51The egg whites, pistachios and green pepper are added to the stuffing.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Ooh, look at that.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Listen, dude, there's no seasoning in this, is there?
0:37:57 > 0:38:00- No, there must be.- It doesn't say.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04- Not a mention. Not a mention. - I want seasoning in it. - I think we should.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08- A knob of lard in anticipation for the chicken.- Yes.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14Now...
0:38:14 > 0:38:19we have string, a bodkin and skill.
0:38:19 > 0:38:24- And stuffing. In a square chicken. - Yeah. Stuffing.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26This is going to be like, well,...
0:38:26 > 0:38:28trying to dress a jellyfish, won't it?
0:38:28 > 0:38:33'OK, so this may not be the most attractive looking dish so far.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36'In fact, it looks positively disgusting.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39'Stay with me on this one. It wowed me all those years ago.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42'It's going to do the same for you.'
0:38:42 > 0:38:45- I think it might just all fold together.- It might do.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47If you get the stitching in.
0:38:50 > 0:38:54- Have you got it, mate? - I have.- Right. Ooh, er.
0:38:54 > 0:38:56But because there are no holes, it's looking all right.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59- How are we going to sew this? - I'm going to get it going.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04- Doctor, do you think you can save him?- I'm doing my best.- OK.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06#..hold my heart... #
0:39:06 > 0:39:09- Lift it up!- I cannot help it, man!
0:39:09 > 0:39:12I'm not clumsy. It's not easy.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15- Oh, Kingy.- I know, man, but it's greasy, isn't it!
0:39:15 > 0:39:17Yeah, I know. Just hold it while I sew it.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21That's what I'm trying to do! I can't let go, it's slipping!
0:39:21 > 0:39:23- I did this on my own.- You're lying.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27THEY BOTH LAUGH
0:39:27 > 0:39:33Nice, right. It looks like a rugby ball. Oh!
0:39:33 > 0:39:35For God's sake! That's my finger!
0:39:36 > 0:39:41'It will come as no surprise to hear that neither of us got our needlework O-level.'
0:39:41 > 0:39:42And breathe.
0:39:54 > 0:39:58I mould it into the rugby ball shape. Imagine how lovely that will be when I bring it to the table.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02No bones, no mess, no confusion. Just slices of perfection.
0:40:02 > 0:40:05- Tastes very... - What do we do with it now?- Er...
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Yes, we put it in a preheated oven,
0:40:08 > 0:40:12190 degrees C or 180 if you have a fan oven.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15- And you cook it for an hour and a half.- And baste occasionally.
0:40:15 > 0:40:19Dude, I have to say, it took a while to get there but it's a minter.
0:40:19 > 0:40:24- Don't even think about it. - I won't think about it. You can't get chicken fat out.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28- Well done, well done. You did very well.- I won't be doing that again!
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Basting the bird occasionally will crisp the skin up a treat.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45# If I could turn back time... #
0:40:45 > 0:40:47and have a boned chicken with pistachio nuts in.
0:40:47 > 0:40:53- We have, dude, we've cooked it. - Ooh, it has contracted a bit. - Look at that!- It's held together.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Is it going to look like the picture in the book?
0:40:55 > 0:41:01- Or have we been cheated? - I don't know. But your suspenders are killing us.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03I can't face it. Go on, you cut it.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17- Oh! Look at that beauty!- Come on, let's get rid of the string.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21It comes out easy, look. Ooooh!
0:41:21 > 0:41:22Oh! Oooh!
0:41:22 > 0:41:24- Huh! Ooh!- Look at that.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27- Look at that, it is beautiful, isn't it?- It is lovely, Dave.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29It's like chicken Viennetta.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32- Oh, come on, let's have a slice. - Right.
0:41:37 > 0:41:43- Minter.- Oh, yes, look at that. - That is nice.- The nuts look great. - They do. They look very good.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45Right. Oh.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Oh, it is just how I remember it.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56I tell you what, I'm glad we seasoned this.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59- It would be really boring without. - Yeah, it would.
0:41:59 > 0:42:02So, sometimes with cookbooks, you have to go off piste.
0:42:02 > 0:42:06Look, it was an ambitious thing to do.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09You know. Good, we've pulled it off. The cookbook worked.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10It tastes great.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13Nice little different textures in there, with the pistachios.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16And then there is the veal and the liver, nice.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19And then you've got the succulent chicken surrounding it. Perfect.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23Thanks to that book, that's an eternal memory on a plate.
0:42:23 > 0:42:27Perfect. That's what it should be, mate. Lovely.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29# ..a night to remember
0:42:29 > 0:42:31# Get ready, baby
0:42:31 > 0:42:33# Tonight, darling
0:42:33 > 0:42:37# Going to make this a night to remember. #
0:42:44 > 0:42:48So, we Brits have been reading recipes and writing about food
0:42:48 > 0:42:51since, well, since we could read and write, basically.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54A good cookbook is a recipe for success.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58They've given us inspiration,
0:42:58 > 0:43:01ideas and a wonderful insight into the past.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05They've introduced us to textures and tastes from around the world.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08And they've shaped our culinary heritage
0:43:08 > 0:43:11into the jelly mould of deliciousness that it is today.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15If you want to find out more, visit...
0:43:20 > 0:43:23..to discover some amazing facts about the history of food...
0:43:23 > 0:43:27..and to find out how to cook up the recipes in today's show.
0:43:38 > 0:43:42Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd