0:00:03 > 0:00:07We believe Britain has the best food in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Not only can we boast fantastic ingredients...
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Look!
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Outstanding food producers...
0:00:15 > 0:00:18And innovative chefs...
0:00:18 > 0:00:22But we also have an amazing food history.
0:00:22 > 0:00:27- Oh, wow!- Don't eat them like that. You'll break your teeth.
0:00:29 > 0:00:35Now during this series we're taking you on a journey into our culinary past.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Let's get cracking.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41- We'll explore its revealing stories. - BOTH: Wow!
0:00:41 > 0:00:46And meet the heroes who keep our food heritage alive.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48It's a miracle what comes out!
0:00:48 > 0:00:54And we'll be cooking up a load of dishes that reveal our foodie evolution.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Look - a proper British treat.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03We have a taste of history.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Quite simply...
0:01:05 > 0:01:08BOTH: The Best of British!
0:01:32 > 0:01:37- Hello!- Hi, Ronnie. How are you? - Is our takeaway ready?
0:01:37 > 0:01:40- Yes, I'll go and get it for you. - Thanks.
0:01:40 > 0:01:45Now when you can't be bothered to cook on a Friday night,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47nothing beats a takeaway.
0:01:47 > 0:01:53- It's a great British institution and we love it!- But its roots lie much further afield.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57The story of the takeaway is the story of our multicultural society,
0:01:57 > 0:02:03how we've learnt to embrace other people's cultures through their food.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05- Lovely.- Thank you.
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Smells great!
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Get in!
0:02:12 > 0:02:18'Over the years, takeaways may have had a bit of a bad press, but they're responsible
0:02:18 > 0:02:22'for bringing new flavours to tables all over Britain.
0:02:22 > 0:02:29- 'That's why we think they're well worth celebrating.- Where better to start than a staple of our cuisine -
0:02:29 > 0:02:31'curry!'
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Let's face it, Britain can be a little gloomy at times.
0:02:37 > 0:02:45So when it comes to a takeaway, no wonder we're drawn to colour, heat, spice and a hint of danger!
0:02:45 > 0:02:50Curry. Somehow it couldn't have been though of anywhere else.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53Intriguing. Colourful. Extraordinary.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57There's nothing that gets us Brits quite so fired up as a curry!
0:02:59 > 0:03:07Today there are over 9,000 curry houses in the UK. That's an industry worth over £3 billion.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11And that's just Dave's takeaway bill.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16But the British got a taste for the spicy stuff a long time ago.
0:03:16 > 0:03:21Our collective taste buds first tingled in the Georgian period
0:03:21 > 0:03:24as trade links with India rapidly expanded.
0:03:24 > 0:03:30The British who travelled there developed local dishes, adapted to their own palate.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33It soon found its way back to Blighty.
0:03:33 > 0:03:40The first Indian restaurant was opened in London in 1810 by Indian immigrant Dean Mahomed.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Later on, even Queen Victoria enjoyed a chicken curry.
0:03:46 > 0:03:52But the real revolution in British Indian cuisine took place in the post-war years
0:03:52 > 0:03:55with a wave of immigration.
0:03:55 > 0:04:01They look different and they sound different and their tastes in matters of food are different.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06The new arrivals mainly consisted of young men
0:04:06 > 0:04:11and without their mum's home cooking they had to teach themselves.
0:04:11 > 0:04:17- Luckily for those who were rubbish, others opened restaurants. - But many of us locals were wary.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22It's hard to break the habits of a lifetime and eat with forks
0:04:22 > 0:04:26and curry has a very strong, very un-English smell.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29The '70s saw the British appetite for curry take off
0:04:29 > 0:04:34as restaurants began to pop up on our high streets everywhere.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37PEARL AND DEAN MUSIC
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Sorry! Excuse me!
0:04:39 > 0:04:47Come to the Oval Tandoori in the Brixton Road and see why so many customers recommend it.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50# Fire... #
0:04:50 > 0:04:56And young males set out to prove that they were man enough to eat even the hottest curry!
0:04:57 > 0:05:02- 'Ey, too hot for you, is it? - No, it's fine, is this. All right.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05You're looking really flushed.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07# Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby! #
0:05:07 > 0:05:11These days, our palate is much more sophisticated
0:05:11 > 0:05:16and British Indian cuisine has evolved into something truly innovative and exciting.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21Five Indian restaurants in England even boast a Michelin star status.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27Today in the Best of British kitchen, we focus on a classic.
0:05:27 > 0:05:32A dish us Brits have been lapping up out of foil containers for decades.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37- We are cooking... - #- Vindaloo, vindaloo...- #
0:05:37 > 0:05:44It's a great dish, once seen as a young man's rite of passage as he eats the hottest curry on the menu,
0:05:44 > 0:05:49but, cooked properly, a vindaloo is a sophisticated dish.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53There is an element of heat to it, but that's not all.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58It's about the layers of flavours and spice. That's what we're going to show you today.
0:05:58 > 0:06:04The vindaloo originated as a stew brought over to India by Portuguese colonists.
0:06:04 > 0:06:11- Its name derives from the Portuguese words...- Vinhos meaning wine and alhos meaning garlic.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16Over the years, it evolved into one of the most popular curries on the planet.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Right. Let's begin our vindaloo.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23- Right. You on lamb, me onions. - I'm going to take this lovely lamb
0:06:23 > 0:06:28- and just trim it off a little bit. - We're using shoulder of lamb.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32It's great for curries. You want a certain amount of fat,
0:06:32 > 0:06:39but it's best to trim off the stringy bits. Like the base of many curries,
0:06:39 > 0:06:43it starts off with a pan of fried onions.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Once you've chopped the onions, fry them until nicely browned.
0:06:50 > 0:06:57Now this is what we're going to do. We've cut through these lovely pieces of shoulder of lamb.
0:06:57 > 0:07:03We've taken the sinew off and we add two tablespoons of oil.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05One.
0:07:05 > 0:07:06Two.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11And 100ml of red wine vinegar. Now...
0:07:11 > 0:07:17the reason that I'm mentioning very clearly the amount of vinegar that goes into it,
0:07:17 > 0:07:22it cannot be done by eye. If you don't measure it, it becomes too vinegary.
0:07:22 > 0:07:29- You want the flavours to balance. - It's like eating curried pickles! - 100ml of red wine vinegar.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31There we go.
0:07:31 > 0:07:37Going back to the late '70s, in Indian restaurants,
0:07:37 > 0:07:43it wasn't really the character of the dishes that came out. It was the Richter scale of titles.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- There was the korma. - Which was fine.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Then the madras.- Slightly hotter.
0:07:50 > 0:07:56- Then there was the vindaloo.- Which blew your socks off.- And Bangalore fowl.- Which blew your toupee off.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59But there was all this male bravado.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05"I can eat the hottest curry round the corner." That's not what it's about. It's about flavour.
0:08:05 > 0:08:11Now we want about two teaspoons of salt and then what we'll do
0:08:11 > 0:08:15is we're going to make sure the lamb shoulder is combined
0:08:15 > 0:08:18with those three ingredients.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22We're going to cover it in cling film and stick it in the fridge
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and we're going to chill it down and marinade it for two hours.
0:08:26 > 0:08:33But you'll be pleased to hear that I've got one that I did earlier and I'm just going to get it.
0:08:33 > 0:08:41- So can we leave that overnight and have another vindaloo tomorrow? - Yes.- Yes! Back of the net!- Right.
0:08:42 > 0:08:49'The marinade not only adds depths of flavour, it also helps the lamb stay soft and tender when it cooks.
0:08:49 > 0:08:55'After a couple of hours, take the lamb out, but keep the marinade. We'll use it to add flavour later.'
0:08:55 > 0:09:01Now we're going to fry off in batches our lovely marinated shoulder of lamb.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06In batches because we don't want to overcrowd the pan and want colour on the meat.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11As soon as this has got a bit of colour on, I'll set it aside.
0:09:14 > 0:09:19- That's what we're after! - 'Next up, it's the vindaloo curry paste.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23'Roughly chop a medium-sized onion and chuck it in a processor,
0:09:23 > 0:09:30'followed by six cloves of garlic, 25g of chopped ginger and three big red chillies.'
0:09:30 > 0:09:37And I'm going to leave the seeds in. If you don't like it too hot, then take the seeds out,
0:09:37 > 0:09:42- but if you don't like it hot, you wouldn't cook a vindaloo!- No.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45These are quite mild babies.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Now the big guns.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Just like Guy Fawkes, mix together your explosives.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56- One tablespoon of English mustard. - One tablespoon of ground cumin.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00- One tablespoon of ground coriander. - One tablespoon of paprika.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05- Two teaspoons of turmeric for colour.- And two teaspoons of cayenne pepper.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10And just to temper it, one teaspoon of cinnamon.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14There we go. That should come with a health warning. Ready to rock!
0:10:15 > 0:10:18And process this to a paste.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Ooh.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25- They look good, mate. - Lush, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Right.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31That's the paste. Whoa!
0:10:31 > 0:10:37There seems to be a lot of paste there, but that's what you want for your vindaloo.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- Get your snegger in there. - Oh, hey, man!
0:10:41 > 0:10:46Put that in with the onions and we need to cook this paste off.
0:10:46 > 0:10:53- Hairy Bikers' vindaloo paste. - Flamin' Nora! That's brilliant. Oh, look at that.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59Now don't say that we're shy with our spices.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- Look at that. - WHEEZES
0:11:02 > 0:11:05That'll be it, then?
0:11:07 > 0:11:12That does tend to kick off a little! That's what you want.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Look. This is what we're trying to get - a little bit of gloss,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21a little bit of brown and caramelisation.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25- At that point, take it out, set it aside, ready for the main curry. - Beautiful.
0:11:25 > 0:11:32- Like a well-buffed set of country brogues. Time now to imprison the vindaloo.- Crack on!
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Put the spices into the pot.
0:11:35 > 0:11:41Throw the meat in with the spice and again those resting juices go in, too.
0:11:41 > 0:11:49We give that a whisk round. Now the spices are kissing and caressing the marinated braised lamb.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51PURRS
0:11:51 > 0:11:57- No, no, not like that! I'd sooner have the spice. - That's nice, isn't it(?)
0:11:57 > 0:12:03- 20 years as your mate... - I'm not good with contact! - He doesn't like it!
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- I went for a massage ONCE. - Come here.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Loosen up.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- Give your mate a cuddle. - I am loose.- Crack on. Go on.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16- Look at that.- If that doesn't already look like a vindaloo,
0:12:16 > 0:12:22- I'll eat my own feet. - It does look like a vindaloo. - It does.- A vindaloo.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27Now place the reserved marinade back into the vindaloo.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31Add half a litre of water.
0:12:31 > 0:12:38- Just to make it even hotter! - There's not much chilli in there! - It doesn't matter!
0:12:38 > 0:12:41It's a slow build. Whoo! I feel good.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46- #- Doodle-oodle-oodle-doo!- # - Now what appears to be essential...
0:12:46 > 0:12:52although I don't know where the flavour's going to come from - a couple of bay leaves.
0:12:52 > 0:12:58It may be slightly choked with flavour, but they may add something. And it's in the recipe.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00And two teaspoons of salt.
0:13:03 > 0:13:09'Give it one more stir and cover it with a cartouche, which is simply a piece of baking parchment.
0:13:09 > 0:13:16'Pop on a lid and then it goes into the oven at 180 degrees C for 45 minutes.'
0:13:16 > 0:13:20- We're going to put you somewhere nice and warm now.- Ready?- Yes.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- #- Vindaloo...- # - Will you put it in the oven?!
0:13:24 > 0:13:28'While you're waiting, peel 500g of potatoes and cut them into chunks.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33'Just a friendly warning - you might need a radiation suit now.'
0:13:33 > 0:13:39Look at this. The oven's like that, going...a-wom! A-wom!
0:13:39 > 0:13:44- Our oven.- This is like Homer Simpson sitting in Springfield, isn't it?
0:13:44 > 0:13:47Oh, yeah, smells lovely, doesn't it?
0:13:47 > 0:13:48Aye.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51I tell you what...
0:13:51 > 0:13:53Whoo!
0:13:53 > 0:13:56Look at that.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02- Aw, look! That looks like vindaloo! - I love it when you get the fat just floating.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Now put the potatoes in.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11- Look at the colour of that. - Then stir those potatoes in.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Oh, look. Mmm. Oh, man.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19Then it's back into the oven for another hour.
0:14:19 > 0:14:25- If you were a curry, what would you be?- A Masala Dosa. That's what I would be.
0:14:25 > 0:14:33And, you know, the coconut chutney and a lovely crisp outer and a soft, gooey inner. What would you be?
0:14:33 > 0:14:37- Biryani.- Why? - Just a big biryani.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39One pot wonder.
0:14:43 > 0:14:49- I canna' hold it, Captain! Get it out the oven! - Time to unleash the behemoth!
0:14:50 > 0:14:55- It's like the gates of Mordor opening!- There is a wall of fumes.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Go on. Hold your breath.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08- Ooh, yes, look at that. - Beautiful. Oh, that's nice.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12- She's looking awfully fine. - Lovely, actually.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21- That is a real vindaloo. - Beautiful. Beautiful.
0:15:21 > 0:15:26'Finish the dish off with a little sprig of coriander and a naan.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30'And topped with a little raita to take the edge off the heat.'
0:15:30 > 0:15:37- Now the end if near and we face the final curtain.- Great. - But more, much more than this...
0:15:37 > 0:15:39let's do it our way!
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Texture's great. Look at that lamb disintegrating.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46- That's a good curry.- Whoo.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48- Oh!- It's just right, though.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53It's all there, but it's not just heat. Makes you gasp, like.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57- All those balanced flavours. - Oh, aye.- Look at that.
0:15:57 > 0:16:02- That's takeaway at its best. - That's home cooking.- Exactly.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06- You don't even need to make the phone call.- It's a takeaway turned.
0:16:08 > 0:16:13Tender lamb that melts in your mouth and spices that erupt on your tongue.
0:16:13 > 0:16:19The vindaloo is most definitely a king amongst curries.
0:16:19 > 0:16:26Like many countries, the streets of India are always alive with the sight, sounds and fragrance
0:16:26 > 0:16:32of street vendors rustling up hot, tasty specialities for you to enjoy while out and about.
0:16:32 > 0:16:38But when it comes to the food department, British streets aren't always quite so appetising.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Ahh. The great British takeaway van.
0:16:43 > 0:16:48You can find them in all the nation's beauty spots serving up...
0:16:48 > 0:16:53- Chips.- Burgers.- Chips. - Doner kebabs.- And chips.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57They might be quick and convenient, but healthy and gourmet, no.
0:16:57 > 0:17:04But award-winning chefs Mark Jankel and Jun Tanaka are determined to change our perception of street food
0:17:04 > 0:17:06with their fast food business.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Can I get one more lamb here?
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Considering London is one of the gastronomic capitals of the world,
0:17:14 > 0:17:18one thing we still don't do really well is street food.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21We thought with our knowledge
0:17:21 > 0:17:26- we could...- Knock out some fairly decent tucker in a box, basically.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30There's no reason why you can't take good-quality ingredients,
0:17:30 > 0:17:38some skilled cooking and put that into a box and sell it for the same price as other fast foods at lunch.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45In fact, Brits have a great heritage when it comes to street food.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Back in the 12th century, you could tuck into a hot sheep's foot.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Pies and pasties were the dish du jour in the 18th century.
0:17:53 > 0:17:59And Dickensian streets teemed with people hawking warm eels, whelks, oysters, fried fish, chestnuts
0:17:59 > 0:18:04- and the odd baked potato. - Fresh, local produce was always readily available,
0:18:04 > 0:18:10but sadly it fell out of favour when well-to-do Victorians decided it was unsavoury.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Unfortunately, it was an image that would stick.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24But the boys have set their sights a lot higher.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28A lot of street vendors don't focus on the produce so much.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33The price they charge limits them to using cheaper ingredients.
0:18:33 > 0:18:39The most important thing in producing good food is it's all about the produce.
0:18:39 > 0:18:47We thought we could use fresh, British seasonal produce that you get in a top-end restaurant
0:18:47 > 0:18:51and cook it and serve it in a way that we charge street food prices.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55By simply doing those things, you can take it a whole new level.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58- Thank you so much.- Cheers.
0:19:00 > 0:19:06Not only are Jun and Mark trying to create restaurant-quality food on a small budget...
0:19:06 > 0:19:12They've also made life even harder by using only British-grown ingredients
0:19:12 > 0:19:18- which they have to buy in bulk. - They've developed a new lamb dish for the menu and have decided
0:19:18 > 0:19:22that a classic Mediterranean sauce would go perfectly,
0:19:22 > 0:19:27but that presents a real challenge - something, however, that Mark enjoys.
0:19:27 > 0:19:35I'm on a bit of a mission. I've got to make a pesto and a critical ingredient is parmesan.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41So I've come down to Wiltshire. I heard about these guys at Lyburn Cheese
0:19:41 > 0:19:48who make a cheese called Old Winchester, with apparently a lot of the same character as parmesan.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52So I'm really hoping that this cheese is perfect for our pesto.
0:19:56 > 0:20:02Mark's really serious about sourcing top ingredients and he regularly looks for new suppliers.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Hey, Mike! How are you doing?
0:20:05 > 0:20:10Today he's hoping master cheesemaker Mike Smales will be able to help him with his problem.
0:20:12 > 0:20:18- Right, this is where we store... - This is the exciting bit! - ..the cheese.- Look at those!
0:20:18 > 0:20:24- They look absolutely amazing. - Thousands of them. - It's a wonderful smell. Amazing.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- Can we cut one of these babies up and have a taste?- Yep. There you go.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Brilliant. Looking forward to it.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38Wow. Look at that. It smells absolutely amazing.
0:20:38 > 0:20:44- My mouth is just watering. I can't wait to taste it.- There you go. There's a piece there.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48- See what you think of that. - Absolutely amazing.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53The character of this. It's got a wonderful personality and character.
0:20:53 > 0:20:59- It's quite unique.- Mmm. It's really fantastic for our pesto.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Our mission was to find an English cheese similar to parmesan
0:21:08 > 0:21:12and in Old Winchester I think we've found it.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16We've got basil from a farm in Devon and rapeseed oil from Suffolk.
0:21:16 > 0:21:23It has a really lovely nutty flavour and a fantastic substitute for olive oil, for a lovely English pesto.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31So, um, we've got basil.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Just lightly blanched for a couple of minutes.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39A tiny bit of garlic. You shouldn't taste raw garlic. Just a hint.
0:21:39 > 0:21:44I'm going to put a really good handful of that Old Winchester
0:21:44 > 0:21:48and a really good drizzle of rapeseed oil.
0:21:48 > 0:21:51A little bit of sea salt.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55The salt will just lift all the flavours.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59And it's as simple as that. Just blend it all together.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04So you can see it just takes like a minute to blend.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11- It's going to be brilliant with the lamb.- Sounds gorgeous!
0:22:11 > 0:22:15But will all their efforts be rewarded with swift sales?
0:22:17 > 0:22:23The boys do all they can to make sure they can serve as many punters as possible and maintain quality.
0:22:23 > 0:22:29We've got four dishes on the menu. One fish, one meat, one vegetarian and one dessert.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33The van is designed so we can finish everything really quickly.
0:22:33 > 0:22:40But can the flavours of the freshest British ingredients capture the attention of a busy workforce?
0:22:43 > 0:22:51I'm having lamb and it's absolutely delicious. The idea of getting something so healthy and fresh...
0:22:52 > 0:22:57Out of a van in the middle of London is pretty fantastic, I have to say!
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Is this for you today?
0:22:59 > 0:23:05It's the second time I've been here, actually. I came last week as well.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08It's really nice to have something different to eat.
0:23:08 > 0:23:14Normally we call it a roach coach. A horrible, greasy takeaway. The salmon's fantastic.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17When I got mackerel here last week,
0:23:17 > 0:23:23it was just like mackerel I used to taste coming straight off the boats in Dungarvan in County Waterford.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25What more can I say?
0:23:25 > 0:23:32- It almost makes me wish I worked in the city!- Nah! Not even the best food in the world could make up
0:23:32 > 0:23:37- for wearing a suit and tie. - It's gone a bit too well today!
0:23:37 > 0:23:41We've run out of everything. We couldn't be more pleased.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46We're serving 150-200 customers every single lunchtime.
0:23:46 > 0:23:51To have that in the second week, we'd never have it in a restaurant.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55- We just need a terrace now. Some nice tables and chairs.- Yep.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59And, yeah, just take Britain by storm.
0:24:03 > 0:24:11Great British street food is in its infancy, but with the takeaway Brits are world connoisseurs.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17- We regularly devour food from all over the globe at home. - Thai.- Mexican.- Italian.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19- Japanese.- And many more.
0:24:19 > 0:24:26But without the influence of our pioneering immigrant communities, it might have been quite different.
0:24:26 > 0:24:32We're heading to the north-west of England and a city that's a melting pot of different cultures,
0:24:32 > 0:24:37including one that's had a major impact on our eating habits.
0:24:41 > 0:24:47The city of Liverpool is home to one of the oldest Chinese communities in Britain.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51It was established by sailors settling in the 1850s.
0:24:51 > 0:24:57Chinatown was born here when some sailors who worked for the Blue Funnel shipping line jumped ship
0:24:57 > 0:25:02and set up their own shops, cafes and boarding houses.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06It's been a magnet for generations of Chinese immigrants ever since.
0:25:06 > 0:25:12- We're here to visit one of Britain's oldest Chinese restaurants. - That looks old over there.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16- That's hewn out of one piece of wood, that.- It is.
0:25:16 > 0:25:22- No, it's not.- It's not. It's the biggest gate outside of China in Chinese style.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26- Actually.- Is it?- Yes. - That's a big gate.- It's a whopper.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Imagine the size of the dog.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39'The Yuet Ben restaurant has been here for over 40 years
0:25:39 > 0:25:45'and is run by Terry and Theresa Lim.'
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- Theresa, this is your dad.- Yes. Yuh Ho Yau.- Yuh Ho Yau?- Yes.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54- And he started it all off. - Yes, he came in 1968.
0:25:54 > 0:26:01He first worked in Southport and then became a partner in the Yuet Ben. The food he brought over
0:26:01 > 0:26:08from Hong Kong, where he worked. Before that he worked in New York for two years, before that Beijing.
0:26:08 > 0:26:13- So he's been in it for a long time. - It's a proper family business.- Yes.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18- Until Terry took over in...what? - I got married into the business.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21- Ah, Terry!- In 1981.
0:26:22 > 0:26:30And I started off front of the house as a waiter. Eventually I took up the cooking.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36- And took over from my father-in-law. - Over 40 years on, the restaurant is still going strong.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39And Chinese food - the British love it.
0:26:39 > 0:26:46I think that's one of the strengths of our country. We have so many flavours in our palate.
0:26:46 > 0:26:52- We could go round the world in a week.- Did you find the British palate was very accepting at first?
0:26:52 > 0:26:56- No...- Was it accepting about the food?- No, no, no.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02When Mr Yau started it, he did all the authentic dishes, Peking duck and all that,
0:27:02 > 0:27:06- but he found it's not suited to the Western palate.- Right.
0:27:06 > 0:27:12Most of the dishes that were "authentic" from where he came from were not really suited,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15so he slightly modified
0:27:15 > 0:27:23and eventually the Yuet Ben style of cooking was very, very acceptable to the locals.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25That's a clever businessman.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33The British love affair with Chinese food really took off in the 1950s.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38Intrepid reporters travelled to Hong Kong to sample exotic cuisines.
0:27:38 > 0:27:44Well, I've had eight courses tonight and each one of them was fish.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48I've got the chopsticks to prove it. I didn't get fish ice cream!
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Meanwhile, back at home, the Chinese takeaway as we know it
0:27:52 > 0:27:58was born in 1958 when the Lotus restaurant in Queensway in London proved so popular
0:27:58 > 0:28:02that customers who couldn't get a table asked for food to take home.
0:28:02 > 0:28:09That same year, Billy Butlin rolled out an exciting new Chinese menu across all his holiday camps.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13- But there was only one thing on it! - Chicken chop suey and chips!
0:28:13 > 0:28:20It would take decades before us Brits started to appreciate the variety and complexity
0:28:20 > 0:28:22of Chinese cuisine.
0:28:22 > 0:28:27- I think you're getting more educated, the more travel...- Yes.
0:28:27 > 0:28:34They have gone overseas and come back and discovered... adapted their palate.
0:28:34 > 0:28:42And so you have more and more of this authentic regional style of cooking.
0:28:42 > 0:28:46So what sort of recipes of Mr Yau are still on the menu here?
0:28:46 > 0:28:51The original menu since 1968 is still with us.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55I have not changed anything.
0:28:55 > 0:29:02- So it is Mr Yau's style of cooking. - Right.- Yuet Ben style of cooking is Mr Yau's style of cooking.
0:29:02 > 0:29:09He has taught me and I've taught my staff. Whoever works for me has got to cook Mr Yau's style.
0:29:09 > 0:29:15Yuet Ben style. One of the dishes that I'm going to teach you to cook is lamb and leeks,
0:29:15 > 0:29:19- one of the dishes he introduced. - Well, that's great.
0:29:19 > 0:29:24- I know.- I'm looking forward to it. - Let's get in the kitchen!
0:29:25 > 0:29:33'Traditionally, British Chinese cuisine has been characterised by Cantonese food from southern China.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37'As that is where many early immigrants came from.'
0:29:37 > 0:29:44- Oh, great!- 'But the lamb and leek dish is indicative of the style of food from Mr Yau's ancestral home
0:29:44 > 0:29:50- 'in north-east China. - And it's always been one of the restaurant's most popular dishes.'
0:29:50 > 0:29:55This is a 1978 menu. Lamb and leek. That's still on our menu.
0:29:55 > 0:30:01- 29.- And it cost...- £2.50!- Wow! - I bet it's not £2.50 now!
0:30:01 > 0:30:04It's £7.90 only.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08- Hey, that's all right! "£7.90 only"!- Yeah!
0:30:08 > 0:30:10What do we need? Lamb.
0:30:10 > 0:30:16Nice pieces of lamb. But I have cheated. I've got my lamb ready.
0:30:16 > 0:30:22- Here's some you prepared earlier, Terry!- It's sliced, so we get our lamb.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26- Is that from the leg? - This is from the leg. We need leeks.
0:30:26 > 0:30:29Give it a good...wallop.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31And then...
0:30:31 > 0:30:36- bite-size.- Right. - Welsh lamb and Welsh leeks.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39- THEY CHEER - Good!- OK.
0:30:39 > 0:30:44It's interesting, Chinese cookery, because it's like working with a big mise en place.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48- You have everything ready and then you assemble and cook fresh.- Right.
0:30:48 > 0:30:54- Lamb and leek is a very simple menu for us, the recipe.- Yes.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58But to give it a bit more aromatic... Lots of garlic.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00OK? And we're ready to cook.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04- That's it.- OK?- Now the heat.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06Oooh! That's a big one.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12- I bet your gas bill is astronomical. - Yes, it can be.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17- The more gas you use, the more people you feed!- That's right.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20I prefer this wok.
0:31:20 > 0:31:25Do you get your favourite wok, Terry? Do you get your favourite?
0:31:25 > 0:31:31Sometimes you look at it and say this one won't stick as much as that one!
0:31:31 > 0:31:37- So you pick that one. You pick one that won't stick as much. - Happy days.- Happy days.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Look at that wok already. It's smoking already.
0:31:43 > 0:31:48Then you just do it like blanch. Not really frying it.
0:31:54 > 0:31:56OK. That is enough.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03- Drain it. - Ah, so that's blanched it.- Yes.
0:32:03 > 0:32:08- And now you're frying it.- Now you're frying it.- I love that heat!
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Here we go. A bit of wine.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13Is that rice wine?
0:32:13 > 0:32:17Yes, that's the one most Chinese restaurants use,
0:32:17 > 0:32:21but I just use my... whatever I am drinking.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24- Yeah?- OK. Like I say, a simple one.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28We use dark soy sauce. Lots of peppers.
0:32:28 > 0:32:35We don't need any salt because the dark soy sauce is already salty.
0:32:35 > 0:32:36So...
0:32:40 > 0:32:47- And a little bit of aromatic oil. - Is that like sesame oil?- No, our special Szechuan peppercorn.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52- That's it. It's finished.- That's it? - A simple lamb and leeks dish.
0:32:54 > 0:33:00Oh, yeah. I do love the freshness and the immediacy of Chinese food.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05- Isn't it simple?- It is.- Yeah. That's the beauty of it.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08It's so nice.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10That's good.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18This... Honestly, at home, I wish you could smell it.
0:33:18 > 0:33:23And I certainly wish you could taste it. You saw what went into it.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28- But the flavours are just immense. - And you can taste everything.- Yes.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32The garlic, the leek, the peppers, the dark soy sauce.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36- We associate Chinese cuisine with comfort food.- Yeah.
0:33:36 > 0:33:41When you're feeling a bit low, what do you do? A Chinese meal.
0:33:41 > 0:33:45It's brilliant. Brilliant. Thank you for sharing it with us.
0:33:45 > 0:33:51- It's a wonderful dish.- I'm glad you've learned something new. - That's for starters! What's next?
0:33:51 > 0:33:58- What would you like to learn? - Everything! We'll not be here long. About 20 years.- All right, yes.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02You'll learn.
0:34:03 > 0:34:09Chinese food, just like Indian, paved the way for our burgeoning appetite for ethnic food.
0:34:09 > 0:34:15- Together they account for 70% of the market.- For years, Indian food was voted Britain's favourite,
0:34:15 > 0:34:20but a recent survey shows that Chinese food has overtaken it.
0:34:20 > 0:34:27It might be down to the fact that it's also the style of cooking we're most confident to do at home.
0:34:30 > 0:34:38So we're putting the takeaway menu back in the drawer and we're cooking up an absolute corker.
0:34:38 > 0:34:44We tried to choose a dish that epitomises the takeaway, that's like the child of the takeaway.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47And the dish we've come to terms with is the Singapore noodle.
0:34:47 > 0:34:53- I think the Singapore noodle is a one-pot wok wonder.- You're not wrong.- I won't say that again!
0:34:53 > 0:34:56No, you won't!
0:34:56 > 0:35:02Singapore noodles - a takeaway staple that's got nothing to do with Singapore.
0:35:02 > 0:35:08It's a Cantonese creation that combines the best of Chinese flavours with a bit of curry.
0:35:08 > 0:35:14What could be a better celebration of the great British takeaway than that?
0:35:14 > 0:35:19Our take on it really is it has this beautiful loin of pork.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23I'm going to trim that sinew off and we've got prawns as well.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26So it's a pork and prawn vibe.
0:35:26 > 0:35:33- I'm going to prepare that and the marinade. I'll trim the sinew off first.- The pork on this
0:35:33 > 0:35:39is like the Char Siu pork you get in your Chinese food that's got that red frill around it.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42But we have no food colouring.
0:35:42 > 0:35:49Let's talk noodles. Use egg or rice noodles, so long as they are the really thin kind like vermicelli.
0:35:49 > 0:35:55Soak them in hot, but not boiling water for about three minutes, then they're ready.
0:35:55 > 0:36:01I'm going to prep this lovely marinade. It's very simple. Three tablespoons of soy.
0:36:01 > 0:36:08- Light soy. And two of sherry. - It's one way to use up the leftovers when the vicar's gone home.
0:36:10 > 0:36:16Finish it off with two teaspoons of soft, light brown sugar and half a teaspoon of five spice powder.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20And give it a good stir. Put the pork loin into that.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25Coat it and leave it for about half an hour.
0:36:25 > 0:36:32And the meat's going to open up slightly and draw all of those lovely flavours into it.
0:36:32 > 0:36:38So when we cut it, we should get that lovely... You know how you get that Char Siu.
0:36:38 > 0:36:42Little red bit round the edge. It's lovely.
0:36:42 > 0:36:48While it's marinating, drain your noodles and dress them with a little glug of oil to stop them sticking.
0:36:48 > 0:36:55- Well, that's half an hour. - It's changed colour and absorbed the marinade.- Lovely.
0:36:55 > 0:37:02Next, drain the pork. Place it in a foil-lined baking tray and lightly coat it with oil.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05Then it's into the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 12 minutes.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09'Keep the leftover marinade for later. Don't lose any flavour.'
0:37:09 > 0:37:14- And that gives us time... - To do the mise en place.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18The big thing about Chinese cookery is you prepare everything ready
0:37:18 > 0:37:22because the final push is very quick. It all happens quickly.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25It's a woking and a wolling.
0:37:25 > 0:37:31Chop one red onion, a bunch of spring onions and a red pepper.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36All your veggies should be a size to pick up with a chopstick.
0:37:36 > 0:37:42Slice 100 grams of shiitake mushrooms and grate a chunk of ginger and two cloves of garlic.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46That's part of the wonderful cosmopolitan nature of British food.
0:37:46 > 0:37:53And the reason for that is you want that ginger to pervade quite a quick cooking process
0:37:53 > 0:37:58so it's actually better to have it like that than in chunks, in our view.
0:37:58 > 0:38:03I love Chinese food. I come from Barrow, a provincial northern town.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07But we've had Chinese takeaways there since I was a boy
0:38:07 > 0:38:11and one of my favourite restaurants has been there for 30 years.
0:38:11 > 0:38:18Prior to that, the only access to Asian food I had was a Vesta, like a box of sawdust rehydrated.
0:38:18 > 0:38:24Then I'd go to the carry out and I saw chop suey chow mein, egg foo yung, and I thought, "Brilliant!"
0:38:24 > 0:38:31It's interesting. Because Chinese cuisine has been part of our culinary heritage for so long,
0:38:31 > 0:38:37you actually lose sight of what the real cuisine is. It's been so anglicised over so many years
0:38:37 > 0:38:44- because it's been here for such a long time.- Like Singapore noodles? - Exactly.- Yeah, it's true, though.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49But that's part of the wonderful cosmopolitan nature of British food.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51It's got its own identity now.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55It's tasty and, to be honest, I love it.
0:38:55 > 0:39:01Once all the components are chopped, it should be time to get the pork out.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06- We're on, mate.- Lovely. - Beautiful.- Oh, look at that.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10- That's perfect.- Half of that in our dish?- I think so.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15And the other half for nibbling. Ho-ah! And this...
0:39:15 > 0:39:21Don't waste that lovely fat. What we'll do is we'll stick that in the wok.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28Now I'm just going to put some heat into that wok.
0:39:29 > 0:39:36A little bit more oil. Now at this point we want it over a medium heat,
0:39:36 > 0:39:43so not a mega-nuts high heat. And we're going to stir fry off these lovely shiitake mushrooms,
0:39:43 > 0:39:49- the onion and red pepper. - It feels like a proper takeaway. Dave Si Chinese Takeaway!
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- It's the future.- I wouldn't mind.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Let's get stir frying!
0:39:57 > 0:40:03'Once your ingredients are in the pan, keep them moving. By stirring and tossing them in the wok,
0:40:03 > 0:40:07'it stops them burning and gets them all nicely browned.'
0:40:07 > 0:40:12While that's cooking, I can prep the pork. Let's cut this in half.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17Look at that. It's juicy on the inside, but it's cooked through.
0:40:17 > 0:40:22- So we'll cut that like so. Like so.- Oh, Dave!
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- See all that juice? - Yeah, I know.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28I'm gonna nick a bit. Can't resist.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Oh, that's fabulous.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38- Next...- The ginger and the garlic.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41'Mix them in and continue to stir fry for a minute or so.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44'But don't let the garlic burn.
0:40:44 > 0:40:52'Then add two teaspoons of Madras curry powder. Add more if you like or one less if you prefer milder.'
0:40:52 > 0:40:58- Oh, yes! Now it's starting! - Isn't it?- Starting to smell like the Singapore noodles we know and love.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01In with the pork!
0:41:04 > 0:41:09In with the prawns! And these are just frozen prawns.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14They're pre-cooked, frozen, nothing fancy.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19- Spring onion.- Lovely. Look at that. - Look at the colours, though.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21- Fabulous, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:41:21 > 0:41:27- And just keep moving it around so it doesn't stick to the bottom. - Time for the noodles!
0:41:30 > 0:41:35Right, just separate these out. I put oil in so they'd be like this.
0:41:36 > 0:41:43- Now you almost have to knit the other ingredients into the noodles. - Use a fork or some chopsticks.
0:41:43 > 0:41:47Now you may have noticed there's no salt or soy gone in there.
0:41:47 > 0:41:52That's because we'll use the reserve marinade and the meat juices.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57- Should I?- Yes, please. - And this will just give us a bit more moisture.
0:41:59 > 0:42:06Sort of keep going... That's it. There you are, Kingy-san. How about that?
0:42:06 > 0:42:11Lovely. 'Once all the noodles are coated and piping hot, you're done.'
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Oh, look at those!
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Dish it up and garnish it with a few pieces of chopped chilli.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22There you are. Singapore noodles.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27- Via Hong Kong, via every high street takeaway in the country.- Look!
0:42:27 > 0:42:31Singapore noodles - everything that's great about a takeaway.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Quick, easy and a fantastic fusion of flavours.
0:42:35 > 0:42:40Succulent prawns and pork with a kick of exciting flavour.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47British cuisine is so exciting and dynamic
0:42:47 > 0:42:53because it's the result of the coming together of our own rich heritage with that of people
0:42:53 > 0:42:58from all over the world who have made Britain their home.
0:42:58 > 0:43:03British ethnic food is a unique cuisine in its own right and something to be proud of.
0:43:03 > 0:43:09And fair play to the humble takeaway because that got us Brits used to eating different exotic food
0:43:09 > 0:43:12at home in the first place.
0:43:12 > 0:43:16If you want to find out more about the series...
0:43:16 > 0:43:19Visit:
0:43:20 > 0:43:25And discover some amazing facts about the history of food.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29And to find out how to cook up the recipes in today's show.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2011
0:43:45 > 0:43:47Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk