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 > 0:00:15- Now, which is which?- Lamb, mutton.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19- SHEEP BAAS - '..outstanding food producers...'
0:00:19 > 0:00:21It's brilliant, isn't it?
0:00:21 > 0:00:23'..and innovative chefs...'
0:00:23 > 0:00:26'..but we also have an amazing food history.'
0:00:26 > 0:00:28- Aw, brilliant!- Oh, wow!
0:00:28 > 0:00:31Don't eat them like that, you'd break your teeth!
0:00:34 > 0:00:35During this series,
0:00:35 > 0:00:39we're going to be taking you on a journey into our culinary past.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41It's all ready, so let's get cracking!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43'We'll explore its revealing stories...'
0:00:43 > 0:00:45- SIMON AND DAVE:- Wow!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48'..and meet the heroes who keep our culinary past alive...'
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Pontefract Liquorice has been my life
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and I have loved every minute of it.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56'..and of course, be cooking up a load of dishes
0:00:56 > 0:00:59'that reveal our foodie evolution.'
0:00:59 > 0:01:02Look at that, that'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!
0:01:29 > 0:01:31You know, nothing defines Britain more
0:01:31 > 0:01:34than the fact that we are an island race.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37The sea that surrounds us provides us with nourishment and livelihood.
0:01:37 > 0:01:42And we believe it has some of the best seafood in the world.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45From traditional favourites like the Whitstable oyster
0:01:45 > 0:01:46and Morecambe Bay shrimps
0:01:46 > 0:01:50to sea bass, crab, lobster and langoustines.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55The coastal waters of Britain truly are a fertile paradise.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58For centuries, they provided us with a livelihood
0:01:58 > 0:02:02and a plentiful supply of food.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04But in the past 50 years,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07we've got stuck on familiar favourites like cod and haddock.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10And we developed a taste for exotic species from abroad,
0:02:10 > 0:02:11like prawns and tuna.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14We seem to have forgotten all about
0:02:14 > 0:02:18the other amazing species we have around our British Isles.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24So in this show, we're going to seek out some of the fish and seafood
0:02:24 > 0:02:26that have delighted and nourished us for centuries.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32In the Best Of British kitchen,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36we're going to celebrate one of the jewels from our ocean treasure-trove
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and show you just how simple it is
0:02:39 > 0:02:41to sear a scallop.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47It is completely ridiculous when you think that we live on an island
0:02:47 > 0:02:49and the best harvests that we have
0:02:49 > 0:02:52are from our shores and from our seas.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53How mental is that?!
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Well, the rest of the world seems to appreciate this except us,
0:02:57 > 0:02:58that's why we export the seafood,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00cos people from other countries buy it.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02I think maybe we're frightened of it,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04frightened of its preparation
0:03:04 > 0:03:06but really, scallops are so easy
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and I think for children as well, they're such an easy eat.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12It's meat - there's no grisly bits, there's no faff.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15It's brilliant and scallops are ours.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20Look, you can buy them like that, or you can buy them...like that.
0:03:20 > 0:03:25I'll show you how to get... that out of that in a minute
0:03:25 > 0:03:26and it is so simple it's ridiculous.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30- They're like fish marshmallows, aren't they?- Exactly that, yes.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33Scallops go well with lots and lots of things.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38You can pair it with cauliflower cheese - fabulous - celeriac,
0:03:38 > 0:03:42but we're pairing it with two of its most, almost spiritual brothers,
0:03:42 > 0:03:43bacon and black pudding.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50This classic combo of salty bacon, delicate seafood
0:03:50 > 0:03:53and the rich, earthy flavours of black pudding
0:03:53 > 0:03:58is served up on a cloud of fluffy mashed potato and greens.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01Known to the Irish as colcannon.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04It's our island life on a plate.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08We've got some potatoes on here which are poaching gently.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10When you do mashed potatoes,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12it's important that you poach the potatoes
0:04:12 > 0:04:14rather than boil them,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16you will get a fluffier mash.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Right, kale.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Kale's lovely, it's very good for you,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23it's very high in iron, vitamin C
0:04:23 > 0:04:25and all sorts of lovely things.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27We're going to take the main tough bit out
0:04:27 > 0:04:29and this is what we're interested in -
0:04:29 > 0:04:30the leaves, here.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32So, I'll crack on with that.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34First, chop the curly kale,
0:04:34 > 0:04:37then finely dice a small onion
0:04:37 > 0:04:38and sweat in olive oil.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43And so you don't get long, stringy bits...
0:04:44 > 0:04:46..turn your thingy round,
0:04:46 > 0:04:49and put your knife through it the other way.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52All hail the kale!
0:04:52 > 0:04:54It's a great dish, brilliant.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56Good bit of roughage as well, that kale.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58It's really good for you,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00full of vitamin C, full of iron.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01Fabulous.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04Colcannon, it's like Irish bubble and squeak
0:05:04 > 0:05:06and it can be cooked with either spring onions or cabbage,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08ours is with curly kale.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- Can I put the kale in now, Si? - Yeah, mate. Crack on.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14We're just going to fry this down on top of the onions.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15They're nice and translucent.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19Just pop that in and it'll drop quickly, it'll cook quickly.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25The kale's beginning to drop already, mixed with the onions.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Cos you're cooking it in the onions and the oil,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31it's going to keep this wonderful green colour.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34It's like a...little postcard from the Emerald Isle.
0:05:34 > 0:05:35It's lovely, isn't it?
0:05:36 > 0:05:40Once you've strained the potatoes, pop them into a warm pan to dry off.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42You can see the steam coming off it,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45but don't colour them in any way, shape or form.
0:05:45 > 0:05:46Keep an eye on them...
0:05:46 > 0:05:49and look, they dry out really, quite quickly.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51And that's what you want
0:05:51 > 0:05:55because then that potato will produce lovely, fluffy mash.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58We're going to pass those potatoes through a ricer.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Again, there'll be no lumps in this.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03I mean, you could put your beaters on a food mixer,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05just so it's lovely and creamy.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11In this pan, I'm going to melt some butter in some cream. Don't be shy!
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Now let's start to add the cream and the butter.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21This is quite luxurious!
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Just put in the kale and the onions.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Just make sure you evenly distribute
0:06:31 > 0:06:33all that kale and onion through your mash.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Dave's just to add a bit of pepper there.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41- Whoa-ho-ho!- Oh, that is good, eh?
0:06:41 > 0:06:43You'd want for nothing better, would ya?
0:06:43 > 0:06:46The colcannon keeps warm in the oven
0:06:46 > 0:06:49while we make our magical trio
0:06:49 > 0:06:52of bacon, black pudding and scallops.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Bacon and scallops are a marriage made in heaven.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Going back to the original Coquilles Saint Jacques -
0:06:59 > 0:07:00bacon, scallops and cheese -
0:07:00 > 0:07:03but, you know, scallops go with so many things.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05It goes great with cauliflower.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Make a wonderful cauliflower puree with cheese,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10sit a scallop on top, it's fantastic.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12We do one with black pudding, apple and scallops.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14Scallops - fantastic.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16This is really good streaky bacon.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19If you can, don't scrimp on your streaky
0:07:19 > 0:07:22because it forms a really important part of the dish.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Just fry that off, now it needs to be crispy.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28So don't overcrowd the pan
0:07:28 > 0:07:30and what we're going to do,
0:07:30 > 0:07:33we want to save all that lovely bacon fat.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Some bacon, you'll get loads of water out into the pan.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40At this point, you'd need to strain that off but this is good bacon.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42That's just fat and oil.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44And this...is black pudding.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50It comes in many forms, you get square black pudding,
0:07:50 > 0:07:53you get ones that are like, kind of a knotted muscle,
0:07:53 > 0:07:54but this, we want little rondelles.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57This is good black pudding.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59There was a song about black pudding.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00# Oo-oh
0:08:00 > 0:08:01# All of a sudden the dirty black pudding
0:08:01 > 0:08:03# Came floating through the air
0:08:03 > 0:08:05# It hit me mother and missed me father
0:08:05 > 0:08:06# And knocked them off their chair
0:08:06 > 0:08:07# Oh! #
0:08:07 > 0:08:09I love that.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11I'll just pop the black pudding in the oven
0:08:11 > 0:08:12to keep warm with the bacon.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Now for the star of the show -
0:08:18 > 0:08:21our king scallops from Devon.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24The scallop shell is associated with a lot of symbolism.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Think Botticelli's Venus,
0:08:26 > 0:08:27the goddess of love and fertility
0:08:27 > 0:08:29rising from the sea...
0:08:29 > 0:08:31on a scallop shell.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36It also became the symbol of Saint James of Compostela,
0:08:36 > 0:08:38the patron saint of fishermen.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Legend has it that Saint James
0:08:41 > 0:08:43was washed up on the beach
0:08:43 > 0:08:46covered in these shells.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49And the pilgrims also wear a scallop shell around their neck
0:08:49 > 0:08:51and apart from being the sign of Saint James,
0:08:51 > 0:08:53it makes a handy little drinking vessel
0:08:53 > 0:08:55so you can get a little cup of water.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57- How lovely is that? - The scallop's been around a while.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00This one's slightly easy cos it's opened
0:09:00 > 0:09:02but if it isn't open and it's tight,
0:09:02 > 0:09:03there's a little black...
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Can you see that little black dot at the back there ?
0:09:06 > 0:09:08That just keeps it, that shell closed
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and then all you do is work your way around the side, like that.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13The flat bit of the shell,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16all you do...
0:09:17 > 0:09:22..is just cut the scallop away from that part of the shell.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24Then you just push this down, like that. OK?
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Then, just underneath...
0:09:27 > 0:09:29just ease it off.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31Then, turn it the other way up
0:09:31 > 0:09:33and just pick away...
0:09:34 > 0:09:38..that membrane from that lovely piece of meat.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43That is just a nugget of pure, high grade seafood.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45It's just great and if you don't want to do that,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48you can buy them ready done, like that.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Don't be frightened of them, please, please eat them,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55cos they are harvested from our own waters and they're brilliant.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Now for a sauce worthy of a king...
0:09:58 > 0:09:59Scallop!
0:10:00 > 0:10:03We're deglazing the black pudding and bacon juices in the pan
0:10:03 > 0:10:05with a drop of Marsala,
0:10:05 > 0:10:07which is a Spanish fortified wine.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- Oh, man!- Needs to cook down, it's beautiful.- Oh, God, it's gorgeous.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Marsala's a wonderful ingredient,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21it's great with liver, it's great with scallops.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Dry and season the scallops with a little salt and pepper
0:10:26 > 0:10:27and a drizzle of olive oil.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32So let's get those scallops sizzling.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35You need to have that griddle,
0:10:35 > 0:10:36banging hot!
0:10:36 > 0:10:40- OK?- You want the scallops almost to jump off.- You do.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- Look at that.- Just hold them there for a minute. Oh, that is hot!
0:10:47 > 0:10:51The most important thing is not to move them, just leave them.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54If you move them now, you'll rip the flesh.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55You'll see as it cooks,
0:10:55 > 0:10:58they'll just come away, nice and easy.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01And literally, it's a minute either side.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- The scallop will tell you when it's ready.- Yeah, look, coming away.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06People think, "It's stuck!"
0:11:06 > 0:11:08It hasn't, it's just not ready.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10They're not far off, are they?
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Oh, lush!
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- Should I get the rest of the players out of the oven?- Please, man.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16Then we can start the build!
0:11:16 > 0:11:18Plate.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Put the bacon on top of the colcannon.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25The black pudding.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32This is the Marsala and chicken stock, and the fats all reduced.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34So really, you can have gravy with your fish!
0:11:34 > 0:11:37I'll let a little bit of that fall provocatively onto the plate.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39The black pepper in there...
0:11:39 > 0:11:41I think that's enough, do you?
0:11:41 > 0:11:43That's absolutely gorgeous.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Scallops don't have to be a namby-pamby starter.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56That's a really robust dish.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00It's meat and two veg, and we've even got gravy.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I know you're not supposed to talk with your mouth full,
0:12:03 > 0:12:07but if there's one dinner you cook for your family, cook this one.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08It's fab.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Well, I think that's a fitting celebration
0:12:10 > 0:12:13of one of the finest products of our island race.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15Too right.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Now, it's a testament to our island history
0:12:20 > 0:12:24that for centuries, the biggest and busiest fish market in the world
0:12:24 > 0:12:25was at Billingsgate in London,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28the beating heart of our fishy food history
0:12:28 > 0:12:31for almost 1,000 years.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Billingsgate fed lucky Londoners
0:12:33 > 0:12:36with fish from every corner of the British Isles.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Every day, 250 tonnes will be hurried in and then carried out
0:12:42 > 0:12:46on its way to caterers, fish shops and restaurants.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Billingsgate Market is the quickest way yet invented
0:12:49 > 0:12:52of getting the fish out of the sea and onto the table.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00- VOICE ECHOES: - Its history is the stuff of legend.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03The story goes that in 400 BC
0:13:03 > 0:13:06a Saxon chap called Belin, King of the Britons,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09spied a good business opportunity on a sheltered inlet,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11on the shores of the River Thames.
0:13:11 > 0:13:15The perfect port for boats laden with...fish!
0:13:15 > 0:13:19He erected a mighty gate for all fishermen to pass through
0:13:19 > 0:13:21for a small fee.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Belin's gate! Billingsgate - you get it?!
0:13:26 > 0:13:30And in the Middle Ages, when fish was a vital part of our diet,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32the market was granted a royal charter.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Making it of-FISH-ial! Official - you see?
0:13:38 > 0:13:41By the 18th century, 150,000 tonnes of fish a year
0:13:41 > 0:13:43were unloaded here
0:13:43 > 0:13:46and sold from ramshackle stalls and sheds around the dock.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49It was time for an upgrade!
0:13:54 > 0:13:57The city of London commissioned the prestigious architect
0:13:57 > 0:14:00of nearby London Bridge, Sir Horace Jones,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02to construct a grand hall to house the market.
0:14:02 > 0:14:08The new trading hall boasted the latest in Victorian technology -
0:14:08 > 0:14:10steam generators which powered the lifts
0:14:10 > 0:14:12and boiled the shellfish at the same time...
0:14:13 > 0:14:16..and the catacombs below were packed with ice
0:14:16 > 0:14:18to keep the fresh fish cool.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22It was state of the art!
0:14:22 > 0:14:25Fishing boats docked from all over the British Isles...
0:14:25 > 0:14:28..vessels from Yarmouth brought smoked fish...
0:14:28 > 0:14:29..oysters came from Colchester...
0:14:29 > 0:14:31..mackerel from Cornwall...
0:14:31 > 0:14:33..sprats and herring from Sussex...
0:14:33 > 0:14:35..and cod from Yorkshire.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37A carved figure of Britannia
0:14:37 > 0:14:40proclaimed our fishy prowess to the world!
0:14:40 > 0:14:42But Billingsgate's most famous legacy
0:14:42 > 0:14:46may be the eccentric behaviour of its colourful characters.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50For 700 years, the commonplace activity of buying and selling fish
0:14:50 > 0:14:53has produced a unique subculture
0:14:53 > 0:14:56with its own highly distinctive camaraderie, wit and smell.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59We don't look too bad on it, do we, the smell?
0:14:59 > 0:15:02It's history has even become part of the English language.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04The expression, "Swearing like a fishwife"
0:15:04 > 0:15:06comes from the sharp-tongued language
0:15:06 > 0:15:08of the women who sold the fish.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12And, "To Billingsgate," means to curse like a porter
0:15:12 > 0:15:14with a heavy box of fish on his head.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18Thank goodness for bobbin hats, then!
0:15:18 > 0:15:20Nothing much as fashion goes,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23but a necessary protection against both wet and weight.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24Bobbins, they're called.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28At its beginning, Billingsgate had provided hungry Londoners
0:15:28 > 0:15:29with a vital food source.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33But 1,000 years on, it has become a specialist international market,
0:15:33 > 0:15:38which also served exotic fishmongers and posh restaurants.
0:15:38 > 0:15:40From abroad, we have the American squids...
0:15:40 > 0:15:43mainly going to Chinese restaurants.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- Where does this red mullet come from? - Greece.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Quite good suppliers now coming in for the immigrant population.
0:15:49 > 0:15:54For example, we have the Portuguese sardines and grey mullet as well.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58And though its move to a large, airy warehouse in the Docklands
0:15:58 > 0:16:00marked the end of an era for some...
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Could take about 300 years to get an atmosphere here
0:16:03 > 0:16:05that we had in the other market.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Billingsgate's survival through history, and colourful culture,
0:16:08 > 0:16:11are as much a celebration of our island life
0:16:11 > 0:16:14as the wonderful array of fish from our shores.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19- Do you like fish? - I love it...and I mean that.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24For us Hairy Bikers, there's one seafood speciality
0:16:24 > 0:16:26that's an unbeatable favourite...
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Potted shrimps from Morecambe Bay.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33A real British classic that Si and I remember from our childhoods.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40For hundreds of years, shrimp catching and potting
0:16:40 > 0:16:44has been at the heart of the local economy, here in Morecambe Bay.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50When the tide rolls back, it reveals 120 square miles of sand,
0:16:50 > 0:16:51containing tasty brown shrimps.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Renowned for their delicate taste and unique texture!
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Until the 1960s, horses and carts dragged nets behind them.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Then tractors took over,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07able to pull two nets each, up to 15 foot long.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09On the other side of the bay,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12boats have traditionally dragged nets behind them
0:17:12 > 0:17:13as the tide goes out.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15The shrimps are then boiled on board
0:17:15 > 0:17:19and sent off to the potting factories.
0:17:19 > 0:17:23We want to find out what makes these potted shrimps
0:17:23 > 0:17:25taste so very special.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27So we're in Morecambe
0:17:27 > 0:17:31to visit the oldest shrimp-potting business in town.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35James Baxter set up his potted shrimp business in 1799
0:17:35 > 0:17:37and it's still going strong today.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40The company has also been purveyors of potted shrimps
0:17:40 > 0:17:43to the Royal household since the 1960s.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48The catch of the day is still shelled by hand.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51And then, the magic happens.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55The humble shrimp is transformed into a local delicacy -
0:17:55 > 0:17:57potted shrimps in spiced butter.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02But is it their 300-year-old secret recipe
0:18:02 > 0:18:06or their technique that matters?
0:18:06 > 0:18:08Manager Mark Smith is putting us to work
0:18:08 > 0:18:11so we're hoping we might get to find out.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12Morning, Mark. Dave.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15If you can just both take a hairnet.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17It's an attractive look this, isn't it?
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Works well.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21MARK LAUGHS
0:18:21 > 0:18:23- Would you take me home to your mother?- No, not really.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Yes, the Ena Sharples memorial concert.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28THEY LAUGH
0:18:28 > 0:18:31Right, gentlemen, we'll go through to the potting room.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41In here, gentlemen.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- Good morning, ladies. - Good morning.- Morning, ladies!
0:18:44 > 0:18:49Morecambe Bay shrimps are one of the culinary treasures of the world.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50They're fantastic.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52There's nothing else like it.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54This is true, we're a delicacy
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and we still do everything by hand.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01We don't mass produce but what we do produce is quality
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and it's always been about the quality.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06- You can keep your caviar.- Oh!
0:19:06 > 0:19:08You can keep your snails.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10There ain't nothing like Morecambe Bay shrimps.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12So what happens here, Mark?
0:19:12 > 0:19:16What Anne's doing now is melting the butter
0:19:16 > 0:19:18and then she'll add the spices.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22- What's in the spices?- Can't tell you that.- They'll be maize, won't there?
0:19:22 > 0:19:23That's traditional.
0:19:23 > 0:19:28- Yes, we have a secret recipe... and it will remain so.- Good lad.
0:19:28 > 0:19:29Good lad.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32Well, it looks like that's one recipe
0:19:32 > 0:19:34that will stay secret forever.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I bet the Queen doesn't even know what's in her potted shrimps!
0:19:38 > 0:19:42But one thing's for sure, it's not just what goes in the spiced butter
0:19:42 > 0:19:45that makes these shrimps special.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48It's how you stir it in that counts.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51- Are you putting your back into that? - I am, I'm trying to move the pot!
0:19:51 > 0:19:54There's a knack, ain't there?
0:19:54 > 0:19:56A knack that you have and I don't.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58- Are you going to have a go? - Yep, I will.
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- It's easy, it's like rowing a boat. - Is it?- Yeah.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Like you're rowing a boat.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- Like that?- No, one hand!
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Well, that's on my own, it does it!
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Room for improvement!
0:20:12 > 0:20:14We won't call him if we're on holiday!
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Once the shrimps have been skilfully stirred,
0:20:17 > 0:20:20they are boiled for 15 minutes in their famously secret,
0:20:20 > 0:20:22spiced butter.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29And after the ritualistic tea break,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32the Morecambe Bay shrimps have cooled.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34It's time to get them in their pots.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37Put it on the scale now.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39And it's got... Hey, exactly right!
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I don't bloody believe it!
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Oh, aye, on the money.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45- A natural, see? It's in me blood. - Not having that!
0:20:45 > 0:20:47You're miles out.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51I'm going to have to leave this to the experts cos I'm a bit slow.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56- One spoonful.- Put it on... - Make sure it's covered.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Make sure the whole spoonful goes on.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Cos you see, it is not just for taste, is it?
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It is a preservative - the butter keeps the air out.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07It's one of the real old methods of potting.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10This method of preserving meat and fish
0:21:10 > 0:21:14was particularly popular with sailors of the 17th century.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16They left our fair Isle on long voyages
0:21:16 > 0:21:19with a wide variety of potted meats and fish
0:21:19 > 0:21:22which helped them beat malnutrition.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25'And there's still a big demand for potted shrimps today,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29'they sell around 100,000 pots every year!'
0:21:29 > 0:21:31We've always loved Morecambe Bay shrimps,
0:21:31 > 0:21:35- but I reckon we love them even more now.- Hear, hear!- Yeah.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39- Thanks very much, thanks, Mark. - Yeah, thanks. Magic!- Thanks you.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- Thank you.- See ya, bye! - See ya later!
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Isn't it nice to think that one of our pots of shrimps
0:21:44 > 0:21:46might be enjoyed by Her Majesty?
0:21:46 > 0:21:52It makes you proud, dude, to call these British Isles home.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Lets hope they keep at it for another 300 years.
0:21:58 > 0:22:04Now we Brits have a voracious appetite for TV cooking programmes.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08And we Hairy Bikers owe our love of food to those classic TV chefs
0:22:08 > 0:22:10who helped to change our eating habits.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13And who inspired us as a nation to get into the kitchen.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Mate, if we're going to celebrate fish, who have we got to watch?
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Floyd On Fish, 1985.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26This was Keith Floyd's first series
0:22:26 > 0:22:29in which he travelled round Britain on a trawler,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32introducing us to the abundance of fish around the British Isles.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37A beautiful, fresh, succulent scallop. Bon appetit!
0:22:37 > 0:22:41He believed, like we do, that Britain has the best fish in the world!
0:22:43 > 0:22:46Do you know, none of you lot will eat these.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49All of these are going to Spain, to France, to Italy,
0:22:49 > 0:22:53but scrubbed till it's pink and boiled, placed in the centre
0:22:53 > 0:22:55and you'll crack open the claws,
0:22:55 > 0:22:57dip it into unctuous yellow mayonnaise
0:22:57 > 0:23:01and think, as they must think, "What fools the Brits are for not
0:23:01 > 0:23:04"taking advantage of the wonderful things we've got around our shores."
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- Hear, hear.- He's right, isn't he, things haven't changed.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10This show is a classic
0:23:10 > 0:23:12because it features another passionate fish hero
0:23:12 > 0:23:15who makes his debut on Floyd's series.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Jolly well is, isn't it?
0:23:17 > 0:23:21Famous for his fish restaurants in Padstow in Cornwall.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- Look at Rick Stein!- Crumbs! - 'Welcome to your kitchen.'
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Well, cheers, cheers. The wine's very nice...
0:23:27 > 0:23:31Voice is the same, isn't it, but his appearance has certainly changed.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Rick Stein's restaurant, here in Padstow, was voted one of the best,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38or in fact THE best seafood restaurant in the country.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41So, what better place could we come to to cook my favourite fish,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43which is a bass.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Now, for me this is the king of fish, you can grill it,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49you can steam it, you can cook it in fennel flaming with Armagnac...
0:23:49 > 0:23:52And of course Rick and Keith are the two people
0:23:52 > 0:23:57who've done more than anybody to persuade us to catch fish,
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- enjoy fish and to eat it.- Yes!
0:24:00 > 0:24:03'I'm going to stuff it with just some ordinary root vegetables.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:05Here we've got celeriac,
0:24:05 > 0:24:10which is like celery, but comes in a root form, er, carrots, fennel...
0:24:10 > 0:24:11You've all got that at home,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14those ingredients, you could use any root vegetables you fancied.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17- This is Nick's own special recipe... - He called him Nick!
0:24:17 > 0:24:19Nick Stein, ha-ha!
0:24:19 > 0:24:21- Rick, dear boy, Rick! - Rick! Oh, I'm terribly sorry!
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Well, once you've seen one cook you've seen them all, haven't you?
0:24:24 > 0:24:26THEY LAUGH
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Film is very expensive, get on with the cooking!
0:24:28 > 0:24:30OK. Well, what I'm going to do is just, er,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32gently sweat these root vegetables off.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35It was maverick Stein, isn't it, really?
0:24:35 > 0:24:37In those days he'd just started out.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40He had the best seafood restaurant in the country,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42but did he know it would grow?
0:24:42 > 0:24:44It would take over Padstow in Cornwall.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47He's got a chip shop, his restaurant, he's got the seafood cookery school.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Yeah, the school, yeah.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52I mean, he's had such an affect on the local economy,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- they call it Padstein now! - I just think that's great!
0:24:55 > 0:24:5630 seconds, starting from now,
0:24:56 > 0:24:58on the importance of fresh herbs in the kitchen.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Right, well, I mean, for my style of cooking, which is simple,
0:25:01 > 0:25:02there's no, sort of,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06I'm not involved in elaborate cooking at all,
0:25:06 > 0:25:08herbs are THE most important part
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and they've got to be fresh herbs so I have to grow them myself
0:25:11 > 0:25:13cos, as you know, Keith, trying to buy herbs
0:25:13 > 0:25:16in a greengrocers in England, it's a joke!
0:25:16 > 0:25:19- Cor, that's changed over the years, hasn't it?- Absolutely, yeah.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- Now we can get fresh herbs daily. - Yeah.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27We're so used to hearing about fresh local food now.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31But 25 years ago these two were ahead of their time.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34What is interesting, in these days of nouvelle cuisine,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36you know, the photograph on a plate at £20 a head,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39you're actually serving a whole fish with a head on -
0:25:39 > 0:25:41the way I like to see food served,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44but is there a, I mean, is nouvelle cuisine here to stay?
0:25:44 > 0:25:47Does it affect your customers? Are they frightened of seeing a fish?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Well, you get the odd one that wants the head taken off.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52It comes in about 50 seconds after it's gone out,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54"Don't like the head!", which is...
0:25:54 > 0:25:56You know, what's wrong with a fish head?
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It's, er, you know, the Chinese have fish head soups for God's sake!
0:25:59 > 0:26:01I mean, there's nothing wrong with them,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04but some people are very squeamish about those sorts of things,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06but on the whole I find that customers
0:26:06 > 0:26:08prefer to get the whole fish.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11- He's good, Rick Stein, isn't he? - He's fabulous, isn't he?- He's great.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15He's just, the two of them are just so empowering and they want,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18you know, they demand that you get in the kitchen
0:26:18 > 0:26:22and use produce that comes from our shores, it's brilliant!
0:26:22 > 0:26:24- Both of them, I mean, they inspired me to cook.- Yeah.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- But they inspired med to cook, didn't they?- They did.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30- This is quite incredible, isn't it?- It is.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32I mean, this has to be the best table in the world,
0:26:32 > 0:26:35in the best climate in the world, with the best fish in the world!
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- Absolutely.- Which is a bass, isn't it?
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- They're so passionate about fish, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42I mean, shellfish.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Why are we so anti-fish in this place?
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Maybe not in your restaurant because you are just fish,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49but the British as a whole reject fish.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53As far as I'm concerned I've got breaking strain of a hot Mars Bar
0:26:53 > 0:26:56when it comes to fresh bass! It's a brilliant fish, isn't it?
0:26:56 > 0:26:59It is, it's absolutely wonderful. I can't understand...
0:26:59 > 0:27:01why the English are so anti-fish.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03Certainly when they come to the restaurant
0:27:03 > 0:27:07they're a lot keener on fish because we are by the sea
0:27:07 > 0:27:12and I think they feel it right to eat fish in that sort of setting.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I think people are scared of fish because they are scared of the work,
0:27:15 > 0:27:18or they perceive there will be some work in eating it.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Yeah and also it's fiddly and it's bony and it's this and it's that,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22it's so wrong.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25I just, I just really like the look of a fresh fish
0:27:25 > 0:27:28straight out of the sea.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Just feel, "Wow, I'd really like to make that something special."
0:27:31 > 0:27:32I'll drink to that.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35Thank you very much for joining us for our lunch,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38I hope you'll join us on the next Floyd On Fish programme
0:27:38 > 0:27:42because believe me, my gastronauts, this is the way to eat fish!
0:27:42 > 0:27:43Ha-ha!
0:27:43 > 0:27:45Keith Floyd and Rick Stein
0:27:45 > 0:27:48believed the best way to sell seafood to the Brits
0:27:48 > 0:27:52was to entice us down to the coast to sample it fresh from the sea.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55They hoped that way, we'd be hooked!
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Well, in Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06there's one man who is taking that idea on board.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Our Best of British Food Hero - local fisherman Geoff Blake!
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Ah, a couple of lobsters! Here we go.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20These pots, they've been down for two days, so, er...
0:28:20 > 0:28:23this is what they've come up with in a couple of days,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25is a nice female crab there.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27They've got a big rounded shell
0:28:27 > 0:28:30and these crabs are renowned for the red coral meat inside,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33which is a really tasty delicacy.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Geoff and his family have created a small fishing haven
0:28:37 > 0:28:40complete with pier for landing the fresh catch,
0:28:40 > 0:28:42a wet fish shop and a takeaway.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46Their dream is to sell the freshest fish in town.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48We have boats that are just landing now
0:28:48 > 0:28:52and we have the fresh Dover sole we caught this morning,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55mackerel we caught this morning and this is all put out
0:28:55 > 0:29:00and by 11 o'clock the shop's open with the day's fresh catch.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07It's really family teamwork that makes it work.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11My wife takes the orders and organises all the deliveries
0:29:11 > 0:29:13and my son helps us with loading the vans
0:29:13 > 0:29:16with stuff that has to go to the mainland.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19My daughter helps out in the fish and chip takeaway,
0:29:19 > 0:29:21it's a real family team effort.
0:29:21 > 0:29:26- Sea bass for two, whole or fillets? - Er, I think filleted tonight.- Yep.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28We never set out to be fishmongers,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31we just wanted to sell what we were catching.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32That's 7.75.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34And when we moved into this bigger premises
0:29:34 > 0:29:37we needed to draw in from other fishermen
0:29:37 > 0:29:39and encourage them to land to us.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43And pollock fillet there, if I can give you that.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45Geoff's fishy friend James
0:29:45 > 0:29:47is also delighted to be selling fish this fresh.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51He wants to wean the locals off buying the same old suspects
0:29:51 > 0:29:52from the supermarket...
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Got grey mullet fillet there.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00..and discover just how good fish can be when it's fresh from the sea.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03You go into a supermarket and you've got Catch Of The Day board,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05you've got a massive Catch Of The Day board up on the side.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10Well, how's that possible, how can a supermarket get the fish that day?
0:30:10 > 0:30:14It gets transported from market, packaged, labelled
0:30:14 > 0:30:18and then sent off to different depots and then sent off to stores.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21When it says, "Catch Of The Day," it should mean catch of the day.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24We should, OK, we can be catch of the minute. Or catch of the hour!
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Geoff and his family are passionate about persuading locals
0:30:29 > 0:30:31to eat the riches that they have on their doorsteps.
0:30:33 > 0:30:34Thanks very much, bye!
0:30:34 > 0:30:38It's some of the best seafood in the world!
0:30:38 > 0:30:41People are surprised at how much does come in at Ventnor, you know,
0:30:41 > 0:30:46it's, er, they assume that UK waters just produce cod and that's it.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48They don't realise the array of things
0:30:48 > 0:30:51and a lot of things we catch they think comes from the Mediterranean,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54but the case is that it's usually British fish
0:30:54 > 0:30:57sent down to the Mediterranean for them to eat down there!
0:30:59 > 0:31:02Until recently Ventnor had no harbour,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05so the local fishermen here had no other option,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08but to send their seafood to the mainland
0:31:08 > 0:31:10and from there it was shipped to the continent.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13But Geoff wanted to change all that.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14He had a brainwave.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18He helped the local council secure funding to create a fishing haven,
0:31:18 > 0:31:22complete with harbour wall and a multi-function fishing pier.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24So that he and other local fishermen
0:31:24 > 0:31:28could land and sell their catch right here.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30It's just purpose-built for what we need.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33We've got somewhere to tie out boats,
0:31:33 > 0:31:37easy to unload the catches off the boats with the fish-hoist
0:31:37 > 0:31:39and on the shore end we've got our shop
0:31:39 > 0:31:42and you've got a little package there from one end to the other
0:31:42 > 0:31:46takes the fish from boat to customer.
0:31:47 > 0:31:51Despite the abundance and variety of top quality fish available here,
0:31:51 > 0:31:55until 50 years ago the Island's shallow waters and rocky seabed
0:31:55 > 0:31:58were unsuitable for commercial fishing in large boats,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01so no fishing industry developed here.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03And for much of the last century,
0:32:03 > 0:32:05the local economy relied
0:32:05 > 0:32:08on Ventnor's reputation as a holiday resort.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Established by the Victorians who flocked to Ventnor
0:32:11 > 0:32:15for its warm sheltered climate and stunning coastal scenery.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19Geoff's ancestors turned their hands to whatever they could find.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23You can trace our family back to the early 1800s,
0:32:23 > 0:32:25when they were longshoreman.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Really, a longshoreman is someone who makes their living
0:32:28 > 0:32:29from along the shore.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33It's swung between being fishermen,
0:32:33 > 0:32:37to operating bathing machines and doing deckchairs,
0:32:37 > 0:32:42rowing boats, sailing boats that take people out for trips.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46Really, in the last 30 years, the bucket and spade brigade
0:32:46 > 0:32:48have been starting going abroad.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51The business has evolved more into the food side,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55and the local food, and what the sea can produce for us.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59As well as selling a vast range of fresh fish in his shop,
0:32:59 > 0:33:02the family chip shop also offers
0:33:02 > 0:33:05an unconventional array of takeaway fare.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08The mackerel will either be sold whole in the shop,
0:33:08 > 0:33:11or we will fillet them off,
0:33:11 > 0:33:15cover them in breadcrumbs and serve them with chips in our takeaway.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19But the main thing is, it's beautifully fresh.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21And it's sustainable.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23As fish and chip shop favourites,
0:33:23 > 0:33:27cod, haddock and place suffered from overfishing in the Atlantic,
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Jeff is converting his customers to new specialities.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33I think it was my mum's idea.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35During the winter we do crab on chips,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38and when lobster is in season, we do lobster on chips.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41We are getting the brown meat first,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44because it oozes down and makes a nice sticky sauce.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47It's really nice, cos the warmth of the chips,
0:33:47 > 0:33:49and then with the cold crab on top,
0:33:49 > 0:33:51it warms slightly and it's a really nice mixture.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55We really take pride down here,
0:33:55 > 0:33:59because we can pull the crabs out of the sea, and the fresh fish,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03and put it on, and everybody comes down and says how much they enjoy it.
0:34:03 > 0:34:07Our whole town here has become a real seafood mecca,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10everybody is coming to eat the local seafood
0:34:10 > 0:34:14and we really get a buzz out of that.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17I think our ancestors from years gone by will be quite proud
0:34:17 > 0:34:19of what we are achieving,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22and the Blakes are still living on the Isle of Wight,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25making a living for themselves and other people.
0:34:25 > 0:34:30That is something we can be proud of and Ventnor can be proud of.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Now, in the Best Of British kitchen,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39we'll show you what else you can do
0:34:39 > 0:34:41with this most versatile and delectable
0:34:41 > 0:34:43of British seaside delicacies.
0:34:45 > 0:34:47The crab. The crab delivers.
0:34:47 > 0:34:52It delivers on flavour, it delivers on texture, it's brilliant.
0:34:52 > 0:34:55Yes, the crab is undoubtedly the king of crustaceans.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00- It is, Dave, it is. And we're going to show you what to do with it.- Aye.
0:35:00 > 0:35:05We've created a recipe that combines the crab with the mighty leek.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11Here's how to make our Best Of British crab and leek tart.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14All tarts start with a pastry base.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18And this one is half wholemeal, half flour. Take a leek, Kingy!
0:35:18 > 0:35:24I'm on my way. Two leeks, I'll crack on with them.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27We'll saute those in a frying pan with a little bit of butter.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30The important thing is, we don't want any colour.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33We simply want them to sweat.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Take wholemeal flour... in a processor.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Mix with plain. To your wholemeal and plain flour,
0:35:41 > 0:35:43add little knobs of butter.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Like so.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48You can put it into cubes, and it looks all posh, there's no need to.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52It's a very quick and easy tart, this, it's really nice.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56- And it tastes immense.- It's fantastic, isn't it? It's a fave.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00Leeks, you know... # They make you sing! #
0:36:00 > 0:36:03No, it is! They're meant to be good for your voice.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07Emperor Nero believed, and he was very vain about his singing voice,
0:36:07 > 0:36:10that leeks made him sing better.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14So he ate loads, and his nickname was Porrum Fargus,
0:36:14 > 0:36:16which means leek eater.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21- It doesn't! - HE SINGS LOUDLY
0:36:21 > 0:36:24- You'd better get going, son. - I've eaten loads in my time.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27- Not enough.- Ohh!
0:36:31 > 0:36:34'Blitz the flours and the butter in a food processor
0:36:34 > 0:36:36'until you get fine crumbs.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41'Then add the egg in a thin stream until it all comes together.'
0:36:43 > 0:36:45This is a short pastry.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49It's shorter than Ronnie Corbett wearing sandals, this one.
0:36:49 > 0:36:54- Butter your tin liberally.- Put your leeks in for about three minutes.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57You don't want any colour on them, you want them to sweat,
0:36:57 > 0:37:01sweat, sweat, sweat, sweat. Think Benidorm.
0:37:01 > 0:37:06So just roll that flat. And put that great big lump in your tin.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Now, you could try rolling it out, get yourself in a kerfuffle.
0:37:11 > 0:37:16Just press it in with your fingers in an even way, it's so easy.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21Thing is, it's short, it's full of butter. It's going to be tasty.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Because sometimes wholemeal pastry,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25if you don't have loads of butter in,
0:37:25 > 0:37:27quite frankly, can be like a beer mat.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32That's them. Turn them off, take them off the heat, let them cool.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37See, no colour on them. We've just sweated them, lovely.
0:37:37 > 0:37:44- Look at that, the hands of a master. - Aye. Just get it nice and even.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48It's so much easier than trying to wrestle with a rolling pin.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52- You know, it's the personal touch. - It's the personal touch.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54As you can see, beautifully even.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Now what we do is we prick this with a fork,
0:37:57 > 0:38:00and just pop this in the fridge to chill down for half an hour
0:38:00 > 0:38:03before we blind bake it. Look at that, beautiful.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07Ow! Ooh! Ee! Ooh! Ow! Ooh! Argh!
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Now if you've just tuned in, you may wonder,
0:38:12 > 0:38:13why is he baking a bean pie?
0:38:13 > 0:38:18It's not. This is a process known as blind baking.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20What happens is, we pre-bake the base.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22And as you can see,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25the beans will hold the pastry to the sides of the tin.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Also, apart from giving us a pastry case with a good shape,
0:38:28 > 0:38:30it'll make sure that it's cooked.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35- So you'll never get a tart with a soggy bottom.- No. That's wrong!
0:38:37 > 0:38:40- We could make the filling, couldn't we, son?- Let's crack on.
0:38:40 > 0:38:42Now! Thank you.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45- HE HUMS "THE STRIPPER" - Now!
0:38:47 > 0:38:50We need three eggs, whisked lightly, and then...
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Creme fraiche, look at that.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57That's going to make a tart rich, tasty and anxious.
0:38:57 > 0:39:01Look, creme fraiche falls in a certain way. Look at that.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06Look at that bit there. And this is truly island life.
0:39:06 > 0:39:11An island of creme fraiche in the sea of egg.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15I wonder how different life would have been if we'd been connected
0:39:15 > 0:39:18to mainland Europe, and there hadn't been the English Channel?
0:39:18 > 0:39:23- Do you know what I mean?- German. - Well, we would have been invaded!
0:39:23 > 0:39:27- Right, mate, next? - The brown crab meat.
0:39:28 > 0:39:30Now, crab comes in two parts.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33The back, which is full of the brown stuff,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36which I think is one of the great gastronomic gifts to mankind.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40And the white meat. The brown meat goes into the base.
0:39:40 > 0:39:45OK, so that's...so we've got now eggs, the creme fraiche,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and now we've put the brown crab meat.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Don't forget the base!
0:39:54 > 0:39:58- Take the beans out... - Taking care not to burn your mitts.
0:40:02 > 0:40:06It's cooked, lovely. What we still need to do is firm it up a bit more.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10We'll pop that back into the oven without the beans for 10 minutes.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12Keep an eye on it, we don't want to burn it.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21- Lovely, mate.- Yeah.
0:40:24 > 0:40:25Look at that!
0:40:25 > 0:40:28It's like a well-formed digestive, which is what we want.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34- Now, in here, our leeks go. - Puts me beans back.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42And again, just whisk them in.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45The white crab meat mixture goes into the base,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49and the leeks and brown meat mixture on the top.
0:40:49 > 0:40:50Starting from the middle.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- Look, a couple of little'uns, Kingy. - Perfect, dude.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02It's what you call cooks' perks, waste nowt..
0:41:02 > 0:41:06- It's a thing of joy, isn't it, really?- It's lush, man.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10And top with grated cheddar. Cooks' perks, cooks' perks.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14We're not worried about these overflowing, these are just for us.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19Pop that into an oven for about half an hour at 160 degrees Celsius.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21- Ready.- Steady.- Go.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30- Smells great.- It does. That is... Look at that, man!
0:41:30 > 0:41:32- It's epic!- Yes!
0:41:32 > 0:41:36- That's beautiful, isn't it? - Look how it's bubbling away. Ohh!
0:41:38 > 0:41:40The crust is perfect.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45- Now you could serve this warm, couldn't you?- You could.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47I think it needs to cool a little bit.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- It just needs to be like blood warm. - Yes, it does.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52- Cup of tea, then.- Aye. - Might as well.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Time for snackaroonies.
0:42:02 > 0:42:07The leek and crab tart. Thank you. It's a good cutter, isn't it?
0:42:07 > 0:42:11And that base is so thin.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15- Oh, yes! Oh, it's crisp, the bottom's crisp.- It is!
0:42:15 > 0:42:17- Beautiful.- Right.- Bon appetit.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23You know, our great British eating crab, it's punching through
0:42:23 > 0:42:26all those flavours and keeping a taste of its own.
0:42:26 > 0:42:31It is. A truly great British harvest of the sea, man. Fantastic.
0:42:35 > 0:42:39So whether you stop in Morecambe Bay to sample potted shrimps...
0:42:39 > 0:42:43Or venture to Ventnor on the Isle of Wight for fresh crab and chips...
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Or head to our capital city to buy fresh fish
0:42:46 > 0:42:49from our famous Billingsgate market...
0:42:49 > 0:42:51..there's not a corner of our beautiful British Isles
0:42:51 > 0:42:56that will fail to provide you with fabulous fresh fish.
0:42:56 > 0:42:57We love it!
0:42:57 > 0:42:59And to find out more...
0:42:59 > 0:43:00..visit:
0:43:03 > 0:43:07..to discover some amazing facts about the history of food.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11And to find out how to cook up the recipes in today's show.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:31 > 0:43:33E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk