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 > 0:00:13Look at them!
0:00:14 > 0:00:17'Outstanding food producers...' That's impressive.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19And innovative chefs...
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Oh, man!
0:00:21 > 0:00:23But we also have an amazing food history.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Oh, wow!
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Don't eat them like that - you'll break your teeth.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Now during this series, we're going to be taking you on a journey
0:00:33 > 0:00:35into our culinary past.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Everything's ready, let's get cracking.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39We'll explore its revealing stories.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42Wow!
0:00:42 > 0:00:46And meet the heroes who keep our culinary past alive.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48It's a miracle what comes out of the oven.
0:00:48 > 0:00:54And of course, be cooking up a load of dishes that reveal our foodie evolution.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Look at that. That's a proper British treat.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03We have a taste of history.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Quite simply - the Best of British!
0:01:25 > 0:01:28We love the British landscape.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30It's so luscious and fertile,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33and our climate offers so much seasonal variety.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37It makes you feel good, just...breathing in the air.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39Just looking at it.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42But food does that for us as well, doesn't it, dude?
0:01:42 > 0:01:46It does. Sometimes the right bowl of nosh can change the way you feel.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50Think about a nice big bowl of creamy, fluffy mashed potato.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Ooh, yeah. Or cream of mushroom soup. It just takes you to another plane, doesn't it?
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Throughout the history of our nation,
0:01:58 > 0:02:03we've thrived on a huge variety of produce offered up by our green and pleasant land.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Not only has it kept us nourished and healthy,
0:02:07 > 0:02:09it's given us comfort during hard times.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14So, in today's show, we're going to sample the very best health and comfort food
0:02:14 > 0:02:16our sceptred isle can provide.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And first, we're off to the Best of British Kitchen
0:02:19 > 0:02:23to show you our five factors of feel-good food.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28Feel-good food. It works in many different ways.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31There's food to make you feel good when you're poorly.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35And food that makes you feel comforted, that you look forward to when you get home.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37There's food you reward yourself with,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39like a treat to make yourself feel good.
0:02:39 > 0:02:45And there's food that just is plain and simple utter satisfaction.
0:02:45 > 0:02:51That's what you want, that's what you fancy, and it makes you feel warm and cuddly inside.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55And there's food that has a smug factor, cos it's something you can cook,
0:02:55 > 0:02:59you show it to other people, they think you're fabulous.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02All those five things are things that make you feel good.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06We've got a recipe that fulfils all this criteria.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11It is our Hairy Bikers' fragrant chicken noodle soup!
0:03:12 > 0:03:15One of the things we love about British food
0:03:15 > 0:03:20is how it's absorbed so many influences from other world cuisines.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24And there's no better example than chicken noodle soup.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27There are many different Asian and Jewish varieties on our menus,
0:03:27 > 0:03:31and this one is a fusion of our favourites.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34We've crossed a hot, sour, fragrant and spicy Thai soup
0:03:34 > 0:03:37with a traditional Yiddish chicken noodle broth.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40And we're making minced chicken balls,
0:03:40 > 0:03:47that are easy to eat, but spicy enough to perk you up and get you back on your feet again.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50My first task is to make some spicy chicken balls.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52They're going to float in the soup.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55So they're a treat for yourself as you wade through the noodles and broth.
0:03:55 > 0:04:01What I'm going to do is make and infuse that broth with all manner of lovely things.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03So the first thing we start with
0:04:03 > 0:04:08is one litre of really, really good chicken stock.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09Look at that.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17While Si prepares the ingredients for the infusion,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20I'm getting on with the chicken balls.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23250g of minced chicken.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27A mixture of thigh and breast is good for this.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32Put those in a bowl, with two finely chopped spring onions.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40There are two bird's-eye chillies here, that I'm splitting lengthways.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42All the way through.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Chillies make you feel good, don't they?
0:04:44 > 0:04:48- They do.- They spice up your life, they make you feel warm,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52and they release endorphins so, actually, they do make you feel good.
0:04:52 > 0:04:56I'm going to finely chop a lovely piece of lemon grass,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01and that is the fragrance that I absolutely love.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06So even the scent of this soup makes you feel good.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Including the green bits, go in.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12One chopped spring onion goes into the chicken
0:05:12 > 0:05:15along with a big handful of coriander.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Coriander makes you feel good because it tastes great.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Again, it's fragrant, but it's said that it helps your digestion.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25The very thought of chicken noodle soup,
0:05:25 > 0:05:30it's comforting when you're poorly. It's nickname is Jewish penicillin.
0:05:30 > 0:05:36I'm finely slicing a good, thumb-sized piece of ginger.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40And these chicken balls are going to be quite small
0:05:40 > 0:05:42so I want all my ingredients chopped fine.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50And we need one chopped bird's-eye chilli,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and a large pinch of salt and black pepper.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59One tablespoon of cornflour, so that it sticks together.
0:05:59 > 0:06:04And I almost forgot. One finely crushed clove of garlic.
0:06:09 > 0:06:13With clean hands, work this together, and it kind of makes a chicken paste.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16The minced chicken meat is almost like jelly
0:06:16 > 0:06:18but the cornflour holds it together.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21It's lush, man. They're lovely. It's that sort
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- of food that just makes you smile. - Oh, yeah.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26That's what it is, that's feel-good food.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31All the emotions that you have around food, this soup, for us,
0:06:31 > 0:06:32brings it out.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36- Si, look at the colour of those, the meatballs.- Absolutely beautiful.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42We want small meatballs on this,
0:06:42 > 0:06:44so this will make about 16-20 chicken balls.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Now I need to dust my hands with cornflour, and the surface,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51or else the chicken will stick to me hands.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54I take great delight in getting all me
0:06:54 > 0:06:57balls perfectly formed and the same size.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03Now the balls are done, we need to get our chicken stock
0:07:03 > 0:07:05infusing its magic ingredients.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Five crushed Kaffir lime leaves,
0:07:08 > 0:07:12two sliced bird's-eye chillies, a thumb-sized piece of ginger,
0:07:12 > 0:07:19three halved cloves of garlic, a piece of lemon grass and a shallot.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21- It's one porky broth. - It certainly is.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25We're going to let that simmer for about 15 minutes
0:07:25 > 0:07:30so all of those lovely flavours are infused in that chicken stock.
0:07:30 > 0:07:31At that point, we'll strain it,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34and add some more.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40The smell of that is coming over now, the kaffir lime leaves. Oh, man!
0:07:40 > 0:07:45These chicken balls are quite easy to form. It's not mission impossible.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48And once, for us, this is a very healthy dish.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51There's no fat in this dish whatsoever, is there?
0:07:51 > 0:07:55No, just a bit in the chicken broth, maybe, but that's it.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59So nice and so few calories too - what's happened to us?!
0:07:59 > 0:08:02- Guilt-free eating.- We'll be going on a diet next.- Steady on.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09That's starting to infuse, look at those beautiful flavours
0:08:09 > 0:08:13all seeping in to that fantastic chicken stock.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- And the smell is just beautiful. - I know.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23Do you know, man, I look at me balls and glow with pride.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25I'm not surprised, they're perfect.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29If there's anybody going to roll a ball to perfection, it's that.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33When broth and balls come together, there truly is magic in the kitchen.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36- What?- Maybe we should call ourselves that, Brath and Balls.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40After 15 minutes, the infusion has done its job and our stock needs straining.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42- We're ready.- We're ready to rock.
0:08:46 > 0:08:47Hot broth.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Right, the broth.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Now bring that back to a simmer.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01But now we start the build for the final soup itself.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06For the broth itself, we need freshly chopped ingredients
0:09:06 > 0:09:11- as they have more bite and flavour than the ones we were infusing. - Take the outer leaves off.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15First, another piece of lemon grass bashed with a rolling pin
0:09:15 > 0:09:17to release its flavour.
0:09:17 > 0:09:18The shallots.
0:09:21 > 0:09:26And the chilli, finely, finely chopped.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32We season the broth with Thai fish sauce, nam pla.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36We can always add more of this at the end. One...
0:09:37 > 0:09:38..two.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42Now add two tablespoons of lime juice.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45It helps to get the juice out if you squash it first
0:09:45 > 0:09:47and cut across the middle.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50Keep half a lime to squeeze over the finished soup.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54Crikey, this is good!
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- I feel good looking at it, don't you? - Oh, yeah.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Bring that to the simmer, and time to add the balls.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13How fabulous. You can smell the chicken starting to cook in it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- It's great.- Look how the colour's changed, almost immediately,
0:10:16 > 0:10:19as soon as the balls have hit the broth.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23We only need 5-8 minutes for them to cook through, to the middle.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26To the broth,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30we're adding some healthy colour, some mangetout and red pepper.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33- I'm going to cut this dead fine, Kingy.- Yeah, lush.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36We don't want it overloaded with chunks of pepper,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38- it's not that sort of soup.- No.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42And what we're going to do with the mangetout, because it looks really nice,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45we're going to cut it across, like that.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47See? That sort of thing.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49And we're going to cook the mangetout
0:10:49 > 0:10:53and the peppers only for a couple of minutes.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56These really give the soup some crunch.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02With a soup this bright, you just know it's going to be good for you.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05There have been some scientific experiments conducted to see
0:11:05 > 0:11:09if chicken noodle soup is in fact good for the common cold.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12And it does relieve the symptoms in your head.
0:11:12 > 0:11:18They gave people water, people hot drinks and people chicken soup.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Cold water, no. Hot water was better.
0:11:21 > 0:11:27Chicken noodle soup was great because apparently it stimulated your nose hairs.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31And it stops your nose running which, in turn, makes you head feel lighter.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34So whilst it didn't cure your cold, it made you feel better.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38- So maybe all these Jewish grannies... - Were right.- Yeah.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- Now for the noodles. - Use whatever noodle you want,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48but the flat noodles kind of hold the broth nicely, don't they?
0:11:48 > 0:11:53They do. Just push them in and try very hard not to break them up.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57- Just sit them there like that.- Don't break your balls up, whatever you do.
0:11:57 > 0:11:58No, that would be wrong.
0:11:58 > 0:12:04- Bit of colour and crunch, Kingy. - I think so. The mangetout.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09And the red pepper.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16You just want to cook those off for a couple of minutes
0:12:16 > 0:12:19so they retain their crunchiness and texture.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- Shall we, Mr K?- I think we should. - Look at this, isn't that pretty?
0:12:27 > 0:12:31- Oh, yeah.- Again, treat yourself to a nice bowl, because you deserve it.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35- It's an event.- It is. Are you going to do one of those squirly things with the noodles?
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- Yeah, we could do. - You know what I mean,
0:12:38 > 0:12:40like they do in posh restaurants.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43And you put it in the centre, like that.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49Fabulous.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- Do you think five balls? - Yeah, lovely. Fantastic.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Dress it with some more coriander and a slice of lime.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03- Oh!- Yes.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08The colours are cheering me up.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10This has everything.
0:13:12 > 0:13:17If this doesn't put a smile on ya mush, I don't know what would.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20It's limey, you've got your vitamin C going in there,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23got your protein, it's low fat.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26It's bursting with flavour.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30Nice bit of carbohydrate with your noodle. Chicken soup.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- That is feel-good food, is it not?- Yeah.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38- I feel great!- I'm feeling better all the time, I tell you.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44- Fancy a hike?- Yeah! - Hey, do you work out?- No.- Woa!
0:13:49 > 0:13:53That's our Hairy Bikers' chicken noodle soup, infused with
0:13:53 > 0:13:58lemon grass and chilli, the perfect, comforting, pick-me-up in a bowl!
0:14:08 > 0:14:10Sometimes, as we all know,
0:14:10 > 0:14:16feeling poorly is the result of working too hard, and not taking care of ourselves.
0:14:16 > 0:14:17Or over-indulging.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22Now, during the 18th and 19th centuries,
0:14:22 > 0:14:27all of these problems threatened the health of our nation.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30In the new towns and cities of the Industrial Revolution,
0:14:30 > 0:14:35the factory slums swelled rapidly with no infrastructure or amenities.
0:14:37 > 0:14:41But alehouses and gin palaces, awash with cheap untaxed alcohol,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44offered a warm, dry place to spend the evening,
0:14:44 > 0:14:52nourishment, in liquid form, and, above all, a one-way ticket to oblivion from the grinding poverty.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55By the early 19th Century, Britain's fledging industries
0:14:55 > 0:15:00were losing factory workers who were taking Monday and Tuesday,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and sometimes even Wednesday, off,
0:15:03 > 0:15:06to recover from the heavy weekends of drinking.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09But the devout Methodists of the North, were growing concerned that
0:15:09 > 0:15:13over the course of the last century, Britain was losing it's workforce to...
0:15:14 > 0:15:16..the demon drink!
0:15:22 > 0:15:26What a terrible thing it would be for our children to see people
0:15:26 > 0:15:29coming from public houses when they come out from Sunday school.
0:15:29 > 0:15:35In 1832, a Methodist cheesemaker called Joseph Livesey made
0:15:35 > 0:15:37a plan to get Britain back to work.
0:15:37 > 0:15:42He persuaded seven of his fellow working men to sign
0:15:42 > 0:15:47a pledge that they would never touch a drop of the hard stuff again.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And so the temperance movement was born!
0:15:51 > 0:15:52It grew rapidly.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57By the 1840s, temperance societies all over Yorkshire and Lancashire
0:15:57 > 0:16:00had convinced many of the working classes to take
0:16:00 > 0:16:03the pledge of total abstinence from alcohol.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09And by 1900, about one-in-ten adults was a teetotaller.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Temperance bars, basically pubs without alcohol, opened,
0:16:14 > 0:16:16to woo punters away from the booze.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22They brewed their own non-alcoholic, fermented, herbal cordials and beers.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28And they were a hit! Temperance bars were everywhere!
0:16:30 > 0:16:33We're off to Rawtenstall in Lancashire to find
0:16:33 > 0:16:36the last surviving temperance bar in Britain.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40This may be a golden opportunity for us to turn over a new leaf!
0:16:43 > 0:16:45From time to time, we've all over-indulged,
0:16:45 > 0:16:48and there's a time to draw back, to look after yourself.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52You know you've eaten too much, you need to diet, you need to lead a more sober existence.
0:16:52 > 0:16:58If you drank too much, it gets too much, there is a need to lead a more temperate lifestyle.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02And that's what a temperance bar is for.
0:17:02 > 0:17:07- I don't want to lead a temperance lifestyle!- You do, come with me. - I don't want to!- Come on.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Our Best of British Food Hero, Chris Law, is the owner
0:17:14 > 0:17:17of Fitzpatrick's Temperance Bar, which opened its doors in 1890.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21Today, it still brews the same kind of non-alcoholic cordials
0:17:21 > 0:17:25and herbal potions that were bestsellers at the turn of the century.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29I think he can convince us to take the pledge
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and we can swap our stout for sarsaparilla.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- A temperance bar.- It's amazing.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38Doesn't sell anything alcoholic because it's about abstinence, isn't it?
0:17:38 > 0:17:41- That's correct. - And what flavours do you do, Chris?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44The popular ones are the sarsaparilla, the dandelion and burdock,
0:17:44 > 0:17:50the blood tonic, then it's lemon and ginger, ginger on its own,
0:17:50 > 0:17:55- cream soda, and then elderflower and apple.- Ooh!
0:17:55 > 0:17:58I remember the drinks from when I was a child,
0:17:58 > 0:18:03and sarsaparilla and dandelion and burdock, I love them. It's part of our food heritage.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Though temperance bars had disappeared by the late 20th Century,
0:18:07 > 0:18:10these drinks were still popular when we were growing up in the North.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Sarsaparilla comes from the bitter root
0:18:12 > 0:18:17imported from the Caribbean and is the original root beer.
0:18:17 > 0:18:18Dandelion and burdock
0:18:18 > 0:18:22is a tasty herbal brew first made in England in the 13th century.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25And one of my faves, blood tonic,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28with infused nettles, raspberries and rosehips.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31See, we've been overdoing it a bit recently.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35- We need to cut down, we need to look after ourselves.- Will you shut up!
0:18:35 > 0:18:39- For me, personally, I could do with a bit of blood tonic.- OK.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Could I have a sasp?- Surely can.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- There's your blood tonic. - Thank you very much, Chris.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53- Look at the head on that, man. - It's quite scented.- Ooh, yeah.
0:18:53 > 0:18:58- Drink of the gods, isn't it? - Oh, this is going to take us back.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03- Can't say cheers, can you? What do you say?- To the pledge.
0:19:07 > 0:19:08It's good - it's like cherryade.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14These drinks are not only delicious, they're said to cure
0:19:14 > 0:19:18all manner of ills, from skin problems to arthritis.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22They also help to purify the blood, maintain your liver and kidneys
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and they help keep you regular.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27You can't say that about a shot of tequila!
0:19:27 > 0:19:31In their heyday, how popular were these cordials?
0:19:31 > 0:19:36They were really popular. We have a small shop here
0:19:36 > 0:19:39but some of these temperance bars and things like that,
0:19:39 > 0:19:44they had jukeboxes in, and the odd billiards table at the time,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48the old game sticks and things like that. They were like a meeting place
0:19:48 > 0:19:52that sold a non-alcoholic beverage.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Yes. And this where you could come and drink and chat and do everything
0:19:55 > 0:19:58you did in a pub but presumably get healthier by the minute.
0:19:58 > 0:20:04Having bought the bar from the last member of the Fitzpatrick family,
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Chris is now devoted to reviving interest in these legendary drinks.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12After all, so much thought went into creating them in the first place.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16People were very inventive with their soft drinks, weren't they?
0:20:16 > 0:20:21They were probably experimenting with different plants and getting certain flavours.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25There was lots of cloak and dagger, wasn't there, about people's recipes
0:20:25 > 0:20:29being kept really secret, about their tonics and stuff, wasn't there?
0:20:29 > 0:20:33There's about six people now in Great Britain that make sarsaparilla.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36And I know them all. We all try to banter each other to find out
0:20:36 > 0:20:39what's in theirs and what's not in theirs.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44- What a gift that is, isn't it? - It is.- To have the thought, to go, "Right, I'm going to get these
0:20:44 > 0:20:49"old-fashioned flavours back on the map." And you've certainly done that, and they taste fabulous.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51From the humble brews of the temperance movement,
0:20:51 > 0:20:56botanical beverages made it to the mass market.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Vimto, originally known as Vim Tonic,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02a flavoured fruit cordial said to restore energy and vigour,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06was created by a pharmacist from Manchester in 1908.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10It carried the temperance legacy late into the 20th century,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12becoming a household name which is still popular,
0:21:12 > 0:21:14particularly in Northern England.
0:21:14 > 0:21:20- A drink, sir?- What you got?- I've got cold fruity Vimto, hot fruity Vimto,
0:21:20 > 0:21:24long sparkling Vimto with ice, short sparkling without ice.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Whoop! Ha-ha!
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Whoop it up with Vimto.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36Ironically, its American rival,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39which was born in the 19th century in Atlanta, Georgia,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43took the mass market by storm, ushering in a tidal wave
0:21:43 > 0:21:49of sugary fizzy drinks that weren't as good for you as those original botanical brews.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- Chris, do you think we could imbibe one of your dandelion and burdocks? - You certainly can.
0:21:53 > 0:21:59- Imbibe?!- I'm trying the temperance speak, you know?- Oh, man! He's off.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01If you sign the pledge, that's it, it's curtains.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05Not one drop shall pass and all that. You sign that.
0:22:05 > 0:22:06And they have spies.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11- Cheers.- Do they?- Yeah.- Do they? - Yeah, they do.- It smells brilliant.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19- There you go.- Thank you very much.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Mr King, here's to abstinence and purity of thought,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24at least for 10 minutes.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30That really is refreshing.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- Oh, it's mega, man. - It's good, isn't it?
0:22:34 > 0:22:39- The memories flood back, don't they? - Yeah, they do. What's lovely is that it's really nostalgic
0:22:39 > 0:22:43because you smell it first, and then, just as you're putting it to your lips...
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- Oh, so great. - But do you drink alcohol?
0:22:47 > 0:22:51I've a note that says for medical reasons I've got to take iron.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55- Not a lot, just iron.- Yes, so really stout for medicinal purposes.- Yeah.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00And what about you guys? Do you have a tipple now and again?
0:23:00 > 0:23:03- Never(!)- Not any more? Not any more, not since this afternoon, for a bit.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05'He's lying - he's drunk!'
0:23:05 > 0:23:07- Hope they've changed you.- It has.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11It's changed me physically, morally and spiritually.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- I'm the better man for it. - I'm sorry, I'm just worried that you're running a temperature
0:23:15 > 0:23:16and delusional!
0:23:18 > 0:23:24It's all right, you know. That'll be short-lived. That's good, that.
0:23:24 > 0:23:25It'll be beer o'clock soon.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26THEY LAUGH
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Chris, mate, thank you so much.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33It's a beautiful bar, and thanks very much for sharing it with us.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- Thank you very much.- Thanks, Chris. - It's been an absolute pleasure, guys.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40You know what, mate? This is one bar that we can ride home from.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43- One for the road. - I'll drink to that.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Mm, nice one.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- See you.- See you later, mate. - There's one thing -
0:23:49 > 0:23:51we have been going for 120 years.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55That's because people pay for their drinks when they come here.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- How's that?- I was just... you know.- Thank you very much.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02'Thanks to brewers like Chris, sarsaparilla, dandelion and burdock
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'and their botanical buddies are back on the market,
0:24:05 > 0:24:06'finding new fans today.'
0:24:06 > 0:24:11'And the good news is, you don't need to be tee-total to enjoy them!'
0:24:16 > 0:24:19When it comes to the kitchen, our herbal heritage is huge.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24Despite this, the same old suspects seem to crop up again and again.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28# Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme... #
0:24:30 > 0:24:33It seems that in post-war industrialised Britain,
0:24:33 > 0:24:38many of the plants we relied on for centuries fell out of use.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45However, over the last 30 years they've started to make a comeback
0:24:45 > 0:24:49and, as in many things culinary, Delia led the way.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Just like in the 18th century.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Back in the 1980s, she had some help from THE celebrity chef of the day,
0:24:59 > 0:25:03- Robert Carrier.- That's rocket, and I love it because it's so strange
0:25:03 > 0:25:04and so different.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08It comes from France originally, and from Italy. Taste that...
0:25:08 > 0:25:11and tell me what you think about it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:17- Mm, it's got a very nutty flavour. - And peppery?- Mm-hm.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- And, to me, meaty. Do you agree?- I do.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21- It tastes a bit like lamb. - That's beautiful.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24It was Queen Elizabeth I's favourite herb.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28In fact, she used to call it sweet rocket, which is lovely, so now we call it that because we want
0:25:28 > 0:25:32to be like her. We want to use herbs in the Elizabethan manner
0:25:32 > 0:25:38in a "sallet", in which we pick a whole sprig of them,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42not just a leaf. We want to use them and use them because, in Elizabethan days,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44salads were made of sprigs of herbs, not lettuces.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49So Robert and Delia helped reintroduce us to rocket
0:25:49 > 0:25:52in an era when a herb salad meant shaking a packet onto some
0:25:52 > 0:25:54tired old lettuce leaves.
0:25:56 > 0:26:02Thanks to them and other campaigning chefs, today fresh herbs are available in every supermarket.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07But dozens of others are still buried deep in botanical history.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12But there's hope!
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Because, in Gloucestershire, our Best of British Food Hero,
0:26:15 > 0:26:20Jekka McVicar, is a world authority on culinary herbs.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Taking on the mantle from Robert and Delia, she's made it her mission
0:26:24 > 0:26:28to bring traditional British herbs back to the kitchen.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33Herbs not only look good, smell good and do you good,
0:26:33 > 0:26:37they can transform a meal into a feast.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41They help your digestion, they can inspire hunger.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45It is the herbs that entice you to the table.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49So they make you feel good before you've even sat down.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51She's so right!
0:26:51 > 0:26:53And her farm is home to over 600 herbs.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57It's the largest collection in the UK, and today she's sharing
0:26:57 > 0:27:00some of her secrets with two new members of staff.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04They're joining her quest to resurrect our rich herbal heritage.
0:27:12 > 0:27:17I'm going to take you through some of the plants that you may not have
0:27:17 > 0:27:20actually had before or tasted before or seen before.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25Tella Asiatica - a leaf a day keeps old age away.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28It hasn't quite worked for me yet!
0:27:28 > 0:27:29THEY LAUGH
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Doesn't she look great for 105?!
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I've got to get meself some of that gear!
0:27:35 > 0:27:37It's a herb, dude, not a miracle!
0:27:37 > 0:27:41This is meadowsweet. This is one of our natives. Amazing plant.
0:27:41 > 0:27:47This goes under many names, been used for thousands of years, one of the sacred herbs of the druids.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50You can eat young leaves in salads and you can eat the flowers
0:27:50 > 0:27:52and you can make meadowsweet fritters.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56And this is one of the sources of aspirin before it was synthesised.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Well, that's one way to painless dieting!
0:28:01 > 0:28:05Herbs have been used throughout history medicinally.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09But there's been no difference between the medicinal and the culinary.
0:28:10 > 0:28:16Back in 1608, physicians classified certain herbs for medicinal use.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19The rest were consigned to the kitchen.
0:28:19 > 0:28:24And since then, the healthy benefits of our herbs have been overlooked.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28But don't fret - Jekka's going to remind us by whipping up
0:28:28 > 0:28:33a healthy lunch for her hungry herby helpers, using some of her top picks
0:28:33 > 0:28:35from around the farm.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Top of the menu will be bread rolls made with LOVEage.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45Lovage is the most amazing plant.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48It's been used for thousands of years.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51The Romans used to use it as a deodorant.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55Taste the seed, it is absolutely incredible.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58- It tastes like...toasted celery taste.- It is celery, isn't it?
0:28:59 > 0:29:04Known as nature's antibiotic, monks loved to make lovage tea to cure...
0:29:04 > 0:29:06flatulence!
0:29:06 > 0:29:09Well, they wouldn't want to break the vow of silence, would they?
0:29:09 > 0:29:14And it is an aphrodisiac, by the way. That's why it got the name lovage.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17- My husband will be pleased!- Yes.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21And, for the health-enhancing main course,
0:29:21 > 0:29:23a chicory and parsley salad.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28Jekka's also planning a plum compote,
0:29:28 > 0:29:31sweetened with a herb called sweet cicely.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34And, for some extra zing, some orange-scented thyme,
0:29:34 > 0:29:39which not only smells heavenly but is also an antioxidant,
0:29:39 > 0:29:43a muscle relaxant, and an antiseptic traditionally used
0:29:43 > 0:29:47to kill bacteria in food. Handy before the days of sell-by dates!
0:29:48 > 0:29:53Jekka's first job is to give her wholemeal bread
0:29:53 > 0:29:54some tender lovage care.
0:29:54 > 0:30:00What I'm going to do, using a pestle and mortar, is crush the lovage seeds into a powder,
0:30:00 > 0:30:06because if I put them whole into the bread it would taste far too strong.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09The lovage is really good for your digestion.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14It stimulates it and eases it, and this is a very coarse bread.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20And now Jekka's juicy plum pud. Plums - my favourite!
0:30:20 > 0:30:24This is a compote of seasonal fruit which I've combined in a very
0:30:24 > 0:30:28light syrup, because the great thing is I'm using sweet cicely,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31so you can cut down the amount of sugar that you actually need,
0:30:31 > 0:30:35so this makes you feel good that you're having half the amount of sugar.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39Sweet cicely's aniseed flavour made it a popular pick-me-up
0:30:39 > 0:30:44in the Middle Ages when it was boiled to make sweets for children.
0:30:44 > 0:30:50There's so much in our hedgerows, it used to nicknamed "wayside nibble".
0:30:50 > 0:30:53Jekka bundles up the sweet cicely with a bit of string
0:30:53 > 0:30:55so you can fish it out easily
0:30:55 > 0:30:58once the compote has simmered for 20 minutes.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02And while it does, Jekka prepares a salad to keep the doctor away!
0:31:02 > 0:31:06The great thing about French parsley, like chicory,
0:31:06 > 0:31:11is that it is really high in iron and really high in vitamin C,
0:31:11 > 0:31:16and it's extremely good for stimulating appetite.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20And it's also very good for cleansing things like your liver,
0:31:20 > 0:31:22and your whole system.
0:31:22 > 0:31:27So I'm combining that with the sour of the orange and the sweetness
0:31:27 > 0:31:30and the sort of moreish-ness of the mozzarella.
0:31:32 > 0:31:34A sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, a twist of salt
0:31:34 > 0:31:38and a drizzle of oil and the detox feast is ready to serve up
0:31:38 > 0:31:41to Jekka's hungry staff.
0:31:48 > 0:31:49Is that an orange?
0:31:49 > 0:31:53That's absolutely amazing.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57Thanks to Jekka, these ancient British herbs
0:31:57 > 0:31:59have found some new fans.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01And the proof is in the pudding!
0:32:06 > 0:32:08Mm!
0:32:08 > 0:32:10Mm! I'll have what she's having!
0:32:10 > 0:32:13You can taste the sweetness from the fruit
0:32:13 > 0:32:15but not the sweetness of the sugar.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20The sweet cicely, what it's done is it's absorbed
0:32:20 > 0:32:23the tartness of the fruit, so you can actually...
0:32:23 > 0:32:26The fruit tastes sweet even though it's not sweet.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30You could serve that and actually not tell anyone that the sugar's
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- missing, and I don't think anyone would notice the difference.- No.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37I was very pleased with the staff reaction to the food,
0:32:37 > 0:32:41and it was lovely to give them a different perspective on the herbs
0:32:41 > 0:32:47that they grow and make them realise that you can use thyme in a pudding.
0:32:47 > 0:32:54And you know, today's meal was sort of really a culmination
0:32:54 > 0:32:55of my life in herbs.
0:32:55 > 0:32:59Herbs seem to exude that extra dimension to cooking
0:32:59 > 0:33:02that you don't get with any other product.
0:33:05 > 0:33:09Now, if we all follow Jekka's lead, we could seriously improve
0:33:09 > 0:33:11the flavours of our food and our health.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13What a winning combination!
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Now, in the Best of British Kitchen,
0:33:26 > 0:33:30we're going to be cooking up an old-fashioned culinary classic
0:33:30 > 0:33:33using two ingredients guaranteed to help restore health...
0:33:33 > 0:33:35white fish and grapes.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41It's Sole Veronique,
0:33:41 > 0:33:45and it was created by the most famous French chef ever,
0:33:45 > 0:33:50Georges Auguste Escoffier, whilst he was at the Carlton Hotel in London.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54He loved cooking for the English,
0:33:54 > 0:33:56but he must have been a bit homesick for France,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00so, when the French opera Veronique opened in London,
0:34:00 > 0:34:03he created this dish in its honour.
0:34:03 > 0:34:08And we think it's time to revive this simple but beautiful recipe.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13Sole Veronique - the epitome of feel-good food.
0:34:13 > 0:34:17It's one of those dishes that you want to recuperate with, isn't it?
0:34:17 > 0:34:22It is. Well, the poached fish, it's easy to digest, it's delicious,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25and grapes, everybody knows they make you feel better.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27I mean, mate, Dover sole - it's not just the king of fish,
0:34:27 > 0:34:30it's the absolute emperor.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33And these are Dover sole fillets. They need skinning.
0:34:33 > 0:34:34But look at that.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38They're called Dover sole, not because they come from around Dover,
0:34:38 > 0:34:42it's because that was the port they were traditionally brought into.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44And they are splendiferous.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48And the great thing about this recipe is that it is really
0:34:48 > 0:34:52simple, but, honestly, it tastes amazing.
0:34:59 > 0:35:00HE IMITATES OPERA SINGING
0:35:00 > 0:35:02It's such an easy fish to skin. Look at that.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05I could make myself a pair of mittens!
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I tell you, interesting that you should say that.
0:35:08 > 0:35:13You know, the ancient Greeks always thought that the sole would make
0:35:13 > 0:35:18the perfect slipper for a sea nymph. How lovely's that?
0:35:18 > 0:35:20I know. Your feet would stink of fish.
0:35:20 > 0:35:24But you'd be all right if you were a sea nymph, wouldn't you?
0:35:24 > 0:35:27If it's been filleted, to skin a fillet, put it skin-side down,
0:35:27 > 0:35:30grab the tail, get your knife underneath it
0:35:30 > 0:35:36and just put the knife down there and jiggle it to the end.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39And of course, the price of this, the last thing we want,
0:35:39 > 0:35:42is any of the meat to be left on the skin.
0:35:42 > 0:35:49Look at that. That is beautiful. So what you do, very simply, is you fold them like that.
0:35:49 > 0:35:50Look at that.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53And the thing about this dish as a feel-good dish,
0:35:53 > 0:35:55it's very easy to eat.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00You know there's no bones, no skin, there's just lovely, sweet fish.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05And you tuck into it, it digests easy. It's just so special.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10- It's beautiful.- And the grapes go together superbly with the fish.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Onto your gently-folded fish,
0:36:12 > 0:36:16gently pour a small glass of vermouth,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19and 200ml of good quality fish stock.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22And I'm going to dot with butter.
0:36:22 > 0:36:24And a very large mutant bay leaf.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28- That is a whopper.- It is.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- I've got a couple of Escoffier cook books at home.- Yes?
0:36:31 > 0:36:34And his recipes are really very good.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Escoffier... You think of French food as being loaded
0:36:37 > 0:36:40with cream and brandy. Escoffier's wasn't.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43It was all kind of like reductions and stocks.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45It really was quite light food.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47But a bit like this dish, you waste no flavour,
0:36:47 > 0:36:49cos the vermouth,
0:36:49 > 0:36:52the fish sauce and to some extent the butter
0:36:52 > 0:36:55and you're going to get that broth out of the Dover sole.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58That goes with the cream and with the grapes
0:36:58 > 0:37:01and makes the most wonderful, well, Dover sole sauce.
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Cover the fish with buttered tinfoil,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08and pop into a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius,
0:37:08 > 0:37:13or 160 degrees for a fan oven, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17It's quite a pertinent dish, this, for me.
0:37:17 > 0:37:21- We're talking about feel-good food or comfort food...- Yes.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23..or food for somebody when they're poorly.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26It was one of the first dishes I ever saw cooked by my father.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30My mother had multiple sclerosis. She was an invalid. She was disabled.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32He had to retire from work early.
0:37:32 > 0:37:35He got the cook book out and he saw this Sole Veronique
0:37:35 > 0:37:38and he went to cook it for my mam.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41I remember watching him, a fella that had been in industry for 40 years,
0:37:41 > 0:37:44trying to seed grapes and I wondered, "What are you doing, Father?"
0:37:44 > 0:37:46We didn't have any sole.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49It was beyond our budget and basically beyond our access.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52So he'd been out and he'd caught half a dozen plaice.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55In those days, big orange spots,
0:37:55 > 0:37:57so he made a Plaice Veronique.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Didn't have vermouth, probably wouldn't know what it was,
0:38:00 > 0:38:03so he'd used sherry and a bit of chicken stock.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06But my dad was cooking grapes but it was for my mother.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10It was at that time I thought, that's love. Do you know what I mean?
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Definitely. That's the great thing about feel-good food, isn't it?
0:38:13 > 0:38:18- Yep.- It is about love and all those emotions that are attached to food.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22Halve the grapes and deseed them,
0:38:22 > 0:38:26unless you're able to get seedless grapes like we did.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28What shall we serve this with?
0:38:28 > 0:38:31It should be something equally clean and comfy.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34- Potatoes. New potatoes. - New potatoes.- Lovely.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37- Asparagus spears?- Could do, yeah.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39- That would be nice, wouldn't it? - Yeah.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41- Oh!- Yes!
0:38:41 > 0:38:43When the fish is done, remove it onto a plate
0:38:43 > 0:38:46and cover it in tinfoil to keep warm.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49That's just pure goodness.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53No mystery, no skin,
0:38:53 > 0:38:54no surprises, no bones,
0:38:54 > 0:38:58just abject yum factor.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Now pour the cooking liquor, all that lovely fish stock, vermouth
0:39:03 > 0:39:06and buttery juices into a pan.
0:39:06 > 0:39:10When you've got stock like this, it's a good tip to do it in a frying pan.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13Because of the surface area, basically, it'll go down quickly.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15'We need the stock to reduce by half.
0:39:15 > 0:39:21'It's a beautiful thing to watch, you know. And you never know,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24'if we stare into it long enough, we might become as refined as Sole Veronique.'
0:39:28 > 0:39:32IN POSH VOICE: I feel that Sole Veronique... It's a fine, classic dish
0:39:32 > 0:39:36but its flavours, they're not overpowering, it's simple,
0:39:36 > 0:39:38it's classical, and the flavours...
0:39:38 > 0:39:43They enhance the Dover sole without overpowering it
0:39:43 > 0:39:44or strangling it.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48In fact, I would say, it's a perfect balance.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53Good, I'm chuffed for you(!)
0:39:56 > 0:39:59That's reduced by about half.
0:39:59 > 0:40:00- Looking nice, eh?- Lovely.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02I'm just stirring in some double cream.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04This strictly speaking isn't Escoffier,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06it's like our little input.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10A little bit of tarragon chopped up in the sauce is really nice.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17So, Mr Escoffier, I'm dead sorry...
0:40:17 > 0:40:19but we're having it.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21- Tarragon's lovely with fish, isn't it?- Beautiful.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24I would say there's a scant teaspoon here.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26- Put that in there.- And then...
0:40:27 > 0:40:29..we add our grapes.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32And we just cook those for about a minute in the sauce
0:40:32 > 0:40:36and that's going to release the sugars in the grapes.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38- Check for seasoning now?- Absolutely.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42That's amazing.
0:40:42 > 0:40:43It is so good.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Escoffier, God love him. That is beautiful.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- I'd forgotten how nice it is.- Yeah.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52Wouldn't it be vulgar to have black speckles in that sauce?
0:40:52 > 0:40:53It would be wrong.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55(WHISPERS) White pepper!
0:40:56 > 0:40:59- That's epic.- That is Gothic.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02- The sauce is beautiful.- Brilliant. - The fish is done.- Let's plate up.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05I've just got some little potatoes and asparagus here.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15- I think centre stage, do you? - Without a doubt.
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Absolutely superb.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Over the top.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22I want some of those.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Look at that.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Now, look at that plate of food.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33If you deliver that to somebody who's in their bed
0:41:33 > 0:41:36or a bit poorly sat in their chair,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40that's going to make you feel better straight away.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43That instant emotion of, "That looks great."
0:41:44 > 0:41:48That plate of food would lift the most morose of spirits.
0:41:48 > 0:41:53- It would.- It would make the languid dance with joy.- It would!
0:41:53 > 0:41:56- It would make the apathetic want to do stuff.- Yep.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00- It's positivity on a plate.- Can I...?
0:42:00 > 0:42:04It feels so good that you should.
0:42:06 > 0:42:07Mmmm.
0:42:08 > 0:42:09Oh, yeah.
0:42:09 > 0:42:13Our Sole Veronique, whoever Veronique was,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16she lives on, immortal on a plate.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21Mmmm, what's so lovely is the grape
0:42:21 > 0:42:28with the fish just cuts through that buttery, creamy sauce just enough.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30You're dead right, mate. It works perfectly well.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33It would work with plaice and if you're a bit skint,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36it would liven up a piece of haddock as well.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Don't get Dover sole every day of the week!
0:42:49 > 0:42:52So, whether we're overworked, or under the weather,
0:42:52 > 0:42:56food that makes us feel good is vital to a happy
0:42:56 > 0:42:57and healthy life.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00In the British Isles, we have some of the best recipes
0:43:00 > 0:43:03and restorative ingredients on the planet.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06From the soothing comfort of chicken noodle soup,
0:43:06 > 0:43:11to our historic herbal remedies and traditional non-alcoholic brews,
0:43:11 > 0:43:15there's a feel-good food or drink for every occasion.
0:43:15 > 0:43:16Visit...
0:43:20 > 0:43:24..to discover some amazing facts about the history of food...
0:43:24 > 0:43:28And to find out how to cook up the recipes in today's show.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:50 > 0:43:53E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk