0:00:03 > 0:00:07We 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 > 0:00:13There we go! Look at them!
0:00:13 > 0:00:15..outstanding food producers...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Look at that!
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..and innovative chefs...
0:00:20 > 0:00:23..but we also have an amazing food history.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25That that's what the Romans brought to us -
0:00:25 > 0:00:27the art of cooking itself.
0:00:27 > 0:00:30Absolutely.
0:00:30 > 0:00:32It's like a savoury summer pudding.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Now, during this series,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38we're going to be taking you on a journey into our culinary past.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Let's get cracking.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44- We'll explore its revealing stories...- BOTH: Wow!
0:00:44 > 0:00:48And meet the heroes that keep our food heritage alive.
0:00:48 > 0:00:53Pontefract liquorice has been my life, and I've loved every minute of it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And, of course, be cooking up a load of dishes
0:00:56 > 0:00:59that reveal our foodie evolution.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01That's a proper British treat.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Looks good, tastes good, that's going to do you good.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08- Quite simply... - BOTH: The Best Of British!
0:01:29 > 0:01:31Today's show is all about eating exactly what you want,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33when you want it.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36It's for those moments when only the most luxurious, the tastiest,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38calorie-laden food will do.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43We're celebrating indulgent treats,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45whether it's the best of sugary goodness,
0:01:45 > 0:01:50or a savoury meal to make your taste buds go nuts.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53From artery-busting desserts to some great classic British delicacies.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We'll be showing you the best, the greatest
0:01:56 > 0:01:59and the naughtiest dishes from British food history.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01I can't wait!
0:02:05 > 0:02:09For our first recipe, we will dazzle you with a savoury feast,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14the likes of which would even have lords and ladies looking on in envy.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15It's an opulent,
0:02:15 > 0:02:19meaty dish that's about showing off and tucking in with aplomb.
0:02:19 > 0:02:25Are you ready for...the grandeur of a triple crown roast of lamb?
0:02:25 > 0:02:29With fruit stuffing bejewelled in the centre
0:02:29 > 0:02:34and napped with the most wonderful, beautiful, savoury
0:02:34 > 0:02:37red wine minted gravy!
0:02:37 > 0:02:42Variations of this centrepiece have been served from mediaeval times,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Victorian times, the 1970s perhaps,
0:02:45 > 0:02:46to our present-day tables.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49My friend here is going to butcher.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52I will make the stuffing.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55He'll make the crown. I'll make the jewels.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59- Then we'll have the Crown Jewels. - SI LAUGHS
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Now, I'm going to French trim this.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06All French trim means is to clean the top end of the bone.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10That's all it means. We're going to put a little incision along there.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13Stick your knife in.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Don't throw away these trimmings.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20What we're going to do is put those in the roasting tin for the gravy.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Then the bits in the middle. Cut them off.
0:03:26 > 0:03:31Stuffing starts with an onion in the pan, being sweated down.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Now we need to clean these.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39Take the back of a knife and just...
0:03:39 > 0:03:44That bone needs to be nice and clean because this is about presentation.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48If you've got a good local butcher worth his salt,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52say you're going to do a crown roast of lamb,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55he'll do this for you, so all you do is stuff it.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58He might give you the little white hats.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03And don't forget to ask for the leftover trimmings for the gravy.
0:04:03 > 0:04:09It's a dish of grandeur in the middle of the table. It looks regal.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11That's just about right.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15To the onions, add some flaked almonds.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18We'll toast these off with the onions for a minute.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21In next goes a chopped English russet,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24but you can use any dessert apple.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26Apple goes in.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30It's time to pack me jewels in.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32The rubies, that's cranberries.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Dried apricots.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43And me opals, sultanas.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48The stuffing starts to resemble a Christmas pudding.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- How are you getting on? - We're getting there.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56- Nice work, mate. Look at that! - Clean as a whistle.- It is.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01Now time for the Spice Girls. A teaspoon of cumin.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04A teaspoon of coriander.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Half a teaspoon of cinnamon.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12A quarter teaspoon, or a pinch, of cayenne.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Now we get fruity.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Now add the zest of an orange and the zest of a lemon.
0:05:28 > 0:05:33Stir in your zests and grate in a couple of cloves of garlic.
0:05:33 > 0:05:38The atmosphere in the kitchen begins to smell like a party.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42To the fruity stuffing mixture, throw in some fresh thyme.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45The herb of choice at the minute.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49What's nice about thyme is it goes across so many flavours.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53You can even use it in puddings. I think that's great.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57- Who said the British were dull eaters?- Never us, mate.- No.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00My father wouldn't eat tinned chicken soup.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03He thought it had garlic in it.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06It was traditional tastes in those days.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- "I know what I like and I like what I know."- Aye!
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Good old curly parsley.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17A good handful. That is all the colours of the bloomin' rainbow.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20If it tastes as good as it looks, I'm laughing.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Black pepper and some sea salt flakes.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28You see how these pieces of sinew are coming off the bone?
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Take the time to take those off.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35You want that lovely bone to be really, really clean.
0:06:35 > 0:06:41We put an incision along there like that. And then...
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Watch what'll happen.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51DAVE SINGS FANFARE
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- Got it?- That's magic, mate.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58You can see by the amount of work
0:06:58 > 0:07:01why these racks are quite expensive.
0:07:01 > 0:07:06- The butcher spends a lot of time prepping them.- Assemblage!
0:07:07 > 0:07:09'Now to make the crown shape.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14'First, cut a small incision at the base of both ends of each joint.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18'Thread kitchen string through the holes and tie the meat together.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20'Simple!'
0:07:20 > 0:07:26And we maintain that circular shape by tying these cross ribs together.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- That's not wonky.- That's a minter.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33- We need to pop this now... - Thank you.- ..onto there.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38I've put a bit of baking parchment on the bottom of the roasting tin
0:07:38 > 0:07:41to make it easier to lift it out.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46And now it's time to bejewel, to bedazzle our crown!
0:07:46 > 0:07:48SI LAUGHS
0:07:48 > 0:07:52All you do is, you fill that crater with the stuffing!
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Beautiful!
0:08:00 > 0:08:06Cover the stuffing and ends of the bone with foil to stop them burning.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09We'll take these off because we've got another little thing.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13We're going to put those little white paper chef's hats on!
0:08:13 > 0:08:17That's the trimmings that's come off that rack of lamb.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19That's gonna make ace gravy.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22We pop this into a pre-heated oven,
0:08:22 > 0:08:24190, 200 degrees Celsius,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27and cook it 45 minutes for rare,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31an hour for medium rare, an hour and a quarter for medium,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and beyond that, forget it!
0:08:33 > 0:08:35I like this medium rare.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Cooked on the outside. Touch of pink in the middle.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- So let's go for an hour? - Let's do that.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Goodbye, we will see you later, mon liege.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53Ten minutes before the end of cooking time, remove all the foil.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56This allows the bones to dry out before it's served.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59After an hour...
0:08:58 > 0:08:59# Hallelujah! #
0:08:59 > 0:09:02..our crown roast is done.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05- You could wear that on your head. - You could.
0:09:05 > 0:09:11Now for the gravy. Don't forget to take this out. It's easy to forget.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14First thing we need to do is get some flour.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18Just put a heat underneath the roasting tin.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20About a tablespoon.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23This needs to be mixed up with that lovely fat.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Mate, I'm ready for that red wine.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- Couple of good glasses?- Easy. - I'll deglaze.
0:09:31 > 0:09:36This is going to remove those pearls of taste sensation off the pan.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40- That's enough?- Yeah. Smashing.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43This is a red wine lamb mint gravy.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45I've got a bunch of mint.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Shred it very fine.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51- That's thick, mate.- It is lovely.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Now we throw a jug of stock into that.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56This is chicken stock.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Any stock will do, really.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03I love the scent of mint. It's a scent of Britain.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06It's an English country garden.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Bit of seasoning, mate.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Bit of pepper. Bit of salt.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15We're there on the gravy front. People find making gravy difficult.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19That's gravy.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23I'll go and get a sieve and a saucepan.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34'Finally, sieve the gravy into a clean pan and there it is.'
0:10:35 > 0:10:38Look at that! It's a good old pan of gravy!
0:10:38 > 0:10:42Our triple crown roast of lamb with a jewelled fruit stuffing
0:10:42 > 0:10:44with a minted red wine sauce.
0:10:44 > 0:10:49This lamb roast may look impressive but it's worth the effort.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52It's a magnificent centrepiece for any special meal.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56The leftovers have made it back to the kitchen!
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Should I plate it up and make it nice?
0:10:59 > 0:11:03No! What goes on in the kitchen stays in the kitchen, dude.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17- Lovely. It's sweet and sour, fruity and nutty.- Almonds! Boom!
0:11:20 > 0:11:23Indulgent food isn't just a modern obsession.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26It was in Victorian Britain that we were first introduced to
0:11:26 > 0:11:27a treat us Brits adore - ice cream.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36We're off to the Lake District to see a man who knows
0:11:36 > 0:11:39all about decadent grub of days gone by -
0:11:39 > 0:11:42our Best Of British food historian, Ivan Day.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46We're going to make some ice cream.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50- Isn't that gonna take ages? - No. We'll use the original method.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54In the 17th century in Italy, in the 18th century in England and France,
0:11:54 > 0:11:58they made superb ice creams and didn't have electrical freezers.
0:11:58 > 0:12:04They understood that if you mix chemicals like sodium chloride, common salt, into ice,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07it makes the temperature go down.
0:12:07 > 0:12:12- A mystery we've been thinking about. - How did they get the ice?
0:12:12 > 0:12:17Right, well, in the winter, even in a hot country like Italy,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Naples, big mountains.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22They would collect the snow, bring it down,
0:12:22 > 0:12:27and they stored it in huge underground pits called ice houses.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31The technique they used in the 17th century is this one.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36The temperature in that is about minus ten. Put your hand in.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41- You're going into the Arctic for a moment.- Yeah. That is very cold.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- Wow!- It's a miniature freezer.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46- That cream you brought.- Yes.
0:12:46 > 0:12:51- What we're going to do with it is... Half a pint of single cream?- Yeah.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I've got some syrup that I've made.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59The earliest name for an ice dessert in Europe was a sorbetto,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01an Italian name.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04One of the key ingredients was a sugar syrup.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07So I put that into the cream.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11And here, I've got the juice of three lemons.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13We're going to make a lemon sherbet.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17We're going to grate the peel of an orange.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26If you could put it into our mixture.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31I'll just pour a small amount in to begin with.
0:13:31 > 0:13:37- You can see a freezing already. - It is. Up the sides of the vessel.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Even after a couple of seconds it's beginning to congeal.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46If I spin this around in the ice, it'll agitate the mixture.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50By the 18th century, every major country house had an ice house.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55Everybody wanted ice cream, but it was very much an upper-class thing.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59'It was the Italians who introduced ice cream to the masses
0:13:59 > 0:14:01'in the mid 19th century.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05'Italian immigrants had their own tradition of ice cream making
0:14:05 > 0:14:09'and made a living by selling it on the streets from painted handcarts.'
0:14:09 > 0:14:15The most popular way of serving it was in one of these glasses.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17This is a ha'penny lick.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19- That's a penny lick.- Beautiful.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24They're made of pressed glass. The bit the ice cream was in was tiny.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29You get an optical illusion and think you've got more than you have.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33You don't have a spoon, you literally...
0:14:33 > 0:14:35lick it, you see.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39Italian emigres were getting blamed for cholera and typhoid epidemics
0:14:39 > 0:14:43because people thought that this was unhygienic.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46These glasses were then replaced by...?
0:14:46 > 0:14:50Ice cream cones. You ate the container. There was no infection.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55'For the upper classes, there was a more refined way
0:14:55 > 0:14:57'of presenting iced desserts.'
0:14:57 > 0:15:02One of the things that starts to happen is they start using moulds
0:15:02 > 0:15:05- in the form of fruits. - Is that a fig?- That's a fig.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08You could put a fig flavoured ice cream in it.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Sometimes, they would even paint them with edible colourings
0:15:12 > 0:15:14to make them look realistic.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16I've already done that with some.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18Including...
0:15:20 > 0:15:22- ..this monster.- Wow!
0:15:22 > 0:15:26This is not an ice cream. This is a water ice.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29Lemon water ice flavoured with bergamot,
0:15:29 > 0:15:31the oil they put in Earl Grey tea.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35This is the difference between an ice cream penny lick or cone
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- and a lolly.- Yeah.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40This is a very, very posh lolly.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43- We're going to dip this in here. - That's cold.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47If you put it in warm water, it's a disaster.
0:15:47 > 0:15:52Isn't it lovely seeing that mould used for the purpose for which it was intended?
0:15:52 > 0:15:57If I'm very careful, I can prise it open...
0:15:57 > 0:15:59- BOTH:- Wow!
0:15:59 > 0:16:02- Oh, hey!- This is the tricky bit.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04We've got to get it out.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06It's a nightmare.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11- Yes!- Well done, that man!
0:16:11 > 0:16:15This is the really... Could you grab that for me, Si?
0:16:15 > 0:16:21Fantastic. OK, so there is our basket of flowers.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23That's beautiful.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27There's fruit juices in there, strawberry and raspberry.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29And saffron for the yellow.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32You just mix a little bit of the colours
0:16:32 > 0:16:37in with the semi-melted water ice, and filled up part of the mould.
0:16:37 > 0:16:43For centuries, us Brits have created magnificent food in times of plenty.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44How fabulous.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Can you feel it coming? Perfect.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Stand it up next to the pineapple.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Can you imagine a Victorian child's face
0:16:53 > 0:16:57being presented with that on the table for the birthday tea?
0:16:57 > 0:17:00- It would be magic. - This is advanced stuff.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04I'm giving you two swan moulds.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06So dip it in.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09One, two, three.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10- OK?- Yeah.
0:17:10 > 0:17:17If you can get these out in one piece, I'll be really impressed. This is tricky. Gently, Si.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19- Beautiful.- Oh, wow!
0:17:19 > 0:17:23Just tip it out onto your hand. Hold it by the body.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Ah! I've lost the neck! I failed.
0:17:26 > 0:17:30- Never mind. I've got a stumpy swan. - There's no way you can stick it on.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35A gentle flick with it. Do you feel it moving?
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- Yes.- Now, very carefully,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40turn it round and gently...
0:17:43 > 0:17:45- Yes!- Well done.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48That is so satisfying!
0:17:48 > 0:17:50- Now put it...- At the front.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52..over the ugly duckling!
0:17:52 > 0:17:55A vision, eh?
0:17:55 > 0:17:59'That's one up to you, Si, but Ivan was about to outdo us both
0:17:59 > 0:18:02'with a recreation of an exotic dish
0:18:02 > 0:18:05'that has all but disappeared from our culinary repertoire.'
0:18:05 > 0:18:08This is made with cream, milk,
0:18:08 > 0:18:13a flavouring called maraschino, which is Marasca cherries.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Let's hope it just comes out OK.
0:18:16 > 0:18:22Oh, wow! That's stunning, Ivan. What a wonderful dessert!
0:18:22 > 0:18:25And I think we must have a tasting.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29We should start with the one that we made first.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- The creme de la creme ice cream. - Which you made from scratch.- Yes.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Let's have a look at it and see whether it's holding up.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- It's not melting.- It's perfect.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43- Tangy, isn't it? - It's nicely grown-up.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45- That's wonderful.- Not too sweet.
0:18:45 > 0:18:52- There is a really acidic tang which is beautifully balanced with sweetness.- It is tangy.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55- That's delicious.- Absolutely superb.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58Now this one, it's not so much a true ice cream
0:18:58 > 0:19:03as a kind of Bavarian cream, almost like a frozen blancmange.
0:19:03 > 0:19:08And it's got in it bits of lokum, the Turkish delight.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10DAVE AND SI GASP
0:19:10 > 0:19:14This is an iced pudding, rather than an ice cream.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21The taste is amazing. That is a fantastic pudding.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24It's interesting because it's a new flavour to us.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28But it is a whiff of a bygone era. It's stunning.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30You have the pineapple. You got that one out.
0:19:30 > 0:19:36- And me swan?- He's gone! - Ah! Never mind, never mind!
0:19:36 > 0:19:40This, to me, is one of the most refreshing water ices
0:19:40 > 0:19:43- that's been invented. - Ahhhh!- Isn't it?
0:19:43 > 0:19:48- That's a super-charged ice lolly! - Like a Zoom with attitude.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50IVAN LAUGHS
0:19:50 > 0:19:55What I've loved about this, I think it sums up what you do, Ivan.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57You have the source material.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Without the implements and techniques, you'll never get it right.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04It's a fascinating taste of the past.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07It's very sophisticated tasty food.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- Thank you for sharing it with us. - It's been a great pleasure.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14Nice to have such good students. LAUGHTER
0:20:17 > 0:20:20It's a hard job, but somebody's got to do it!
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Now, when you need a bit of cheering up,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27there's one luxurious guilty pleasure we love more than any other.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32And our obsession goes back a long way.
0:20:33 > 0:20:38# The closer you get The better you look, baby... #
0:20:38 > 0:20:40It's official - we are a nation of chocoholics,
0:20:40 > 0:20:43eating more of it than any other European country,
0:20:43 > 0:20:49and 1.5 times as much as the second biggest chocolate-lovers - the Germans.
0:20:49 > 0:20:54Finally, there's something we do better than the Germans!
0:20:54 > 0:20:55Does anybody NOT like chocolate?
0:20:55 > 0:21:03Indeed. So, how did the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree become Britain's favourite indulgence?
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Cocoa has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15but spent much of its early life as a drink.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19The Mayans and Aztecs were the first chocolate aficionados,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23grinding up cocoa beans, adding water, spices and chillies
0:21:23 > 0:21:26to create a bitter brew called xocolatl.
0:21:26 > 0:21:32In the 1500s, Spanish conquistadors brought chocolate back to Europe,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34where it was immediately popular.
0:21:36 > 0:21:41But there was one nation that took to it like no other.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45It reached England in the 1650s. Chocolate houses opened in London,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49peddling the exotic new drink to the aristocracy.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54Then a Bristol company changed the way chocolate was consumed forever.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58In 1847, a physician called Joseph Fry
0:21:58 > 0:22:02discovered if you mix cocoa butter with cocoa powder and sugar,
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- it made a paste that could be pressed into a mould.- Bingo!
0:22:05 > 0:22:09- The chocolate bar was born. - And it really took off!
0:22:09 > 0:22:13The chocolate distinguished with a glass and a half of milk
0:22:13 > 0:22:15in every lovely half pound.
0:22:15 > 0:22:20In 1905, John Cadbury created Dairy Milk.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24It became the company's best-seller.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29At last, a luxury the masses could afford. British production boomed.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Recipes for new bars would be carefully researched
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and kept firmly under wraps.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43REPORTER: Every big industry has its back-room boys,
0:22:43 > 0:22:46where research and science take over.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50The confectioners and chefs prepare not for today, but for tomorrow.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53'No matter what went into it,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55we couldn't get enough of the brown stuff.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58I never get tired of KitKat.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04And in the '60s, chocolate even became sexy.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15- Careful, Dave. You know it's a family show.- Sorry.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Flake, Cadbury's Flake.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20A heaven all of your own.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23The appeal of chocolate was so great
0:23:23 > 0:23:26people confessed to being addicted to it.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31I decided I would have some death by chocolate cake, 36 portions.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35When I'd eaten all of it, I felt it was a bit piggish, really,
0:23:35 > 0:23:39but it's so moreish, you just can't stop.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Ah! And a new word entered the dictionary.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Chocoholic.
0:23:45 > 0:23:50Chocolate has come a long way from the Central American cocoa drink.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53Our love affair with the stuff shows no sign of dwindling.
0:23:57 > 0:24:02Chocolate isn't the only self-indulgent food with ancient roots in Britain.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07Centuries ago, if you really wanted to spoil yourself, you turned to the fruits of the sea.
0:24:07 > 0:24:14And seafood delicacies are still rightly celebrated in some of the places that do them best.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18There's one town in England that has devoted itself to preserving a seafood ritual
0:24:18 > 0:24:20that dates back 1,000 years.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25It's Whitstable, in Kent.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30A town made famous by its oysters, and now its oyster festival.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Over the course of one week in July, 80,000 oyster-lovers
0:24:35 > 0:24:40come to consume hundreds of thousands of this seafood delicacy.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46The native Whitstable rock oyster was first prized for its distinctive taste by the Romans,
0:24:46 > 0:24:51who shipped them back to Rome, and the Whitstable oyster found international fame.
0:24:51 > 0:24:57So, by the middle ages, Whitstable had grown into a thriving fishing port.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01Oysters provided the main income for hundreds of local fishermen.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06And the oystermen of Whitstable depended on the elements for a good catch.
0:25:07 > 0:25:13But since the elements were controlled by God, getting him on side was crucial.
0:25:13 > 0:25:18So, every July before the oyster season began, a blessing of the oyster catch took place.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26Today, centuries later, vicar Simon continues the tradition with a symbolic ceremony.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29It's a good excuse to put his best clobber on.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34We're about to set off walking to the sea
0:25:34 > 0:25:37to do the landing of the oysters.
0:25:37 > 0:25:45It's an annual event and this is where I put on my big robe. Which one am I wearing today, Barry?
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Where is it?
0:25:47 > 0:25:50That's not Barry, was it?!
0:25:50 > 0:25:53The oyster festival still takes place
0:25:53 > 0:25:56around the feast day of St James, the patron saint of oystermen.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03I really enjoy this every year. It's always got a real buzz to it.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06The whole town comes out to this landing of the catch.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09It's a fantastic event, full of vitality,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and I really enjoy doing this.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17They're getting ahead of me. Can you wait a bit, please?
0:26:20 > 0:26:26Today, religion and tradition combine to make a great family event which draws a big crowd
0:26:26 > 0:26:28of both locals and tourists alike.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33Oysters - signs of your wonderful creation.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37We ask your blessing on these oysters.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42In lots of Britain today, religion is not nearly as widely seen as it used to be.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46But in this particular festival, there is still a place for the church,
0:26:46 > 0:26:52which is really great. And that's because Whitstable's kept lots of traditions from the past.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54We bless the oysters as they come in,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58the church is welcomed to be part of it, and we are one with the town,
0:26:58 > 0:26:59so we all mix in together, really.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03We ask this in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
0:27:03 > 0:27:07and we give you thanks through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Once the serious business of blessing the catch is over,
0:27:10 > 0:27:12the fun can begin.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Hey, mate, did they have samba bands back in the Middle Ages?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20No, but they definitely had alien insects on stilts.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23I think they're meant to be octopusses!
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Oh. Well, I suppose this is meant to be a celebration of the sea.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30The main purpose of the parade is to close the medieval ceremony.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34The mayor presents local restaurateurs with the newly-blessed oysters,
0:27:34 > 0:27:41- which are then enjoyed by thousands of people, served fresh, straight from the shell.- Lovely.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50It's a great event,
0:27:50 > 0:27:55you can come down here and enjoy the day, enjoy the sea breeze, everything else -
0:27:55 > 0:27:56most of all, the food.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00We've been down the road to the harbour and it's quite crowded down there, isn't it?
0:28:00 > 0:28:03We thought we'd come back here and find the oysters.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Oh, it's beautiful.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Got to treat them right. Nice piece of lemon on 'em.
0:28:10 > 0:28:11Lovely. Lovely and fresh.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Oh. They're supposed to be an aphrodisiac.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I'll let you know about that tomorrow!
0:28:22 > 0:28:26It's not just the fantastic oysters that draws crowds to the festival.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30When the oystermen were using them and if we go back to, say, 1880,
0:28:30 > 0:28:33if you imagined yourself here then,
0:28:33 > 0:28:37you would have seen about 100 of these moored out in the bay.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41They also come to get their fix of local tradition and history.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44# We've suffered years of much abuse
0:28:44 > 0:28:47# And we say so, and we hope so... #
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Mark Lawson, a member of the local sea shanty group,
0:28:50 > 0:28:53loves to keep these Whitstable traditions alive.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57- Mate, I tell you what, I'm getting beard envy!- Whoa, me too!
0:28:57 > 0:29:00I think the reason the town keeps the tradition going
0:29:00 > 0:29:04is that oysters are very much core to Whitstable's identity.
0:29:04 > 0:29:08It was the major industry in the town. At the height of the oyster fisheries,
0:29:08 > 0:29:13in the 1880s, we were sending 1.25 million oysters to London alone
0:29:13 > 0:29:18and another 750,000 round the rest of the country and abroad,
0:29:18 > 0:29:20so, although it was a scruffy little working town,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Whitstable was very, very prosperous -
0:29:23 > 0:29:25it just didn't look it!
0:29:25 > 0:29:32What I love about this festival is the way the people of Whitstable keep all those traditions going.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33ANNOUNCER: Go!
0:29:33 > 0:29:35CHEERING
0:29:35 > 0:29:41They even make indulgent new traditions like this oyster-eating competition.
0:29:41 > 0:29:47I've been coming to Whitstable Oyster Festival for five or six years now,
0:29:47 > 0:29:51and I always take part in the oyster-eating competition, although it is a terrible waste of oysters
0:29:51 > 0:29:56because oysters should be savoured, crushed delicately against the roof of your mouth
0:29:56 > 0:30:01and allowed to slip down but this is all about opening your throat and throwing them down,
0:30:01 > 0:30:02it's a speed event.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04CHEERING
0:30:04 > 0:30:08Well, the Whitstable oyster certainly gets its dues at this festival.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11It's been blessed, dressed with lemon
0:30:11 > 0:30:12and truly indulged in.
0:30:12 > 0:30:16Yes, it's been eaten by the thousand.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19They've eaten so many, they're won't be any left for me.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21Oh, dude, don't be so shellfish!
0:30:25 > 0:30:30I think it's about time we paid our own tribute to luxurious seafood, eh, Kingy?
0:30:30 > 0:30:31Sounds good to me, mate!
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Next up in the Best Of British kitchen,
0:30:34 > 0:30:38we're going to show you a dish that epitomises the spirit of decadence.
0:30:38 > 0:30:41- There's nothing really more decadent...- No.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47than a Scottish lobster.
0:30:47 > 0:30:53And this is the little beauty. His name's Caesar.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59We're going to turn this upmarket ingredient
0:30:59 > 0:31:03into a beautifully smooth and very lavish lobster mousse.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05Interesting thing about lobsters.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09The bigger claw is the crushing claw.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13This one here is the cutting claw. Crush, cut. Cut, crush.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16We're going to make something very lovely with him.
0:31:16 > 0:31:22- This will enable us to feed four people out of one lobster.- Yes.
0:31:22 > 0:31:28It's a time of plenty but not that plentiful. We haven't got your three brothers, have we?
0:31:28 > 0:31:31First, we use gelatine with which to set the mousse.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35I put five leaves of gelatine to soak in cold water.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37So just put one, two,
0:31:37 > 0:31:41three, four, five in cold water
0:31:41 > 0:31:44and wait for it just to go like a spineless jellyfish.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47That will take about five minutes.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49'Gently heat 100ml of water,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53'add two teaspoons of lemon juice and the softened gelatine.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56'Once the gelatine has dissolved,
0:31:56 > 0:31:59'put it aside to cool, but don't let it set.'
0:31:59 > 0:32:03- Should I crack on with the lobster? - BOTH LAUGH
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Give it a right good...crack.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12'Now, carefully remove all the precious meat,
0:32:12 > 0:32:15'making sure not to get any shell into the mix.'
0:32:15 > 0:32:20- It's like a parrot's beak!- Little chop there. Little chop there.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Ooh! Look at that! Nice one!
0:32:22 > 0:32:24That's crustacean ecstasy.
0:32:25 > 0:32:30There's a sense of occasion with lobster, like champagne as opposed to white wine.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34Which is why we are going to be serving this with a champagne sauce.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Ooh.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40I absolutely cannot get anything else out of that, Si.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- Shall we start to build? - Mousse it up.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48'To the lobster, add four king prawns and a whole jar of mayonnaise.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52- 'Then blitz it up to make a smooth paste.'- 'A WHOLE jar!
0:32:52 > 0:32:55'After all, it's a time of plenty!'
0:32:55 > 0:32:57- Looking good.- It is, isn't it?
0:32:57 > 0:33:00Here, I've got the water, lemon juice
0:33:00 > 0:33:04and I've dissolved those leaves of gelatine and it's quite cool.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06I'm just going to trickle this in.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15200ml of cream. Double.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18We need to whip this till it's solid.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23I'm going to put a TOUCH of salt in.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27It's interesting, Dave, how in times of plenty,
0:33:27 > 0:33:33we developed...well, just fantastic dishes for celebration
0:33:33 > 0:33:37and for opulence and for a kind of status, didn't we?
0:33:37 > 0:33:40I remember, if your dad had had a bonus at work
0:33:40 > 0:33:46- or you had a raise, you'd often treat the family with food, which is a lovely thing to do.- Yeah.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50I remember my Uncle Norman turning up on Christmas Eve
0:33:50 > 0:33:54- and he had two wild salmon steaks. - Ooh.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59I must have been seven years old. Salmon, in my head, came in tins.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02This was the real thing, and that,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05- that kicked Christmas off to a... - Absolutely.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10It's beautiful. What we do now is we fold that into the cream.
0:34:11 > 0:34:14- I love the colour of this. - Lovely, isn't it?
0:34:14 > 0:34:18I've got these little moulds, ones for steak and kidney pudding.
0:34:18 > 0:34:23If you were being very frugal, you could have eight small ones.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25But I want a decadent, lobster mousse.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29Put a little bit of oil in each mould.
0:34:29 > 0:34:34Cos remember, once this is set, we've got to get it out.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37Just wipe that oil around the mould.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40Like so. Nice, thin coating.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42- Big spoon!- Yes.
0:34:42 > 0:34:47- And we'll start by filling the moulds.- Oooh!
0:34:47 > 0:34:51'Next, it's into the fridge to chill for six hours or so.'
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Let's make champagne sauce!
0:34:54 > 0:34:57- AMERICAN COWBOY ACCENT: - Yesh! What a good idea, sonny!
0:34:57 > 0:34:59This is a shallot.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01And this is a saucepan.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04First off, melt some butter.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06About 25 grams.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09And chop this shallot very finely.
0:35:09 > 0:35:14- Chop it finer than a hummingbird's hairpiece, Mr King!- I will.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Garlic. This is fine food.
0:35:17 > 0:35:22I love posh food. I was born to it. I just ended up in the wrong womb!
0:35:22 > 0:35:25SI CRACKS UP
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Mustn't burn the garlic.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- You've got delusions of grandeur. - No.
0:35:32 > 0:35:34You have delusions of grandeur.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37- You call the people on Twitter disciples.- Shh!
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Now, tell me that that's not fine.
0:35:39 > 0:35:45That's worthy of this sauce. Now this needs to be sweated gently.
0:35:46 > 0:35:51The garlic and that immaculately chopped shallot, just sweated down.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54It's time for the big one now, the champagne.
0:35:55 > 0:35:56Like so.
0:35:56 > 0:36:00'Add 225ml, or half a pint in old money, to the shallots.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04'Add one bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme,
0:36:04 > 0:36:07'and simmer for about four minutes.'
0:36:07 > 0:36:10Champagne sauces can be a little tart,
0:36:10 > 0:36:14so we're going to put in a right good pinch of caster sugar
0:36:14 > 0:36:16and 200ml of double cream.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18The big one!
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Then we're going to simmer this away for about four minutes.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26It's going to be a hot champagne sauce with chilled mousse.
0:36:26 > 0:36:31Don't forget, in times of plenty, opulence, fats, calories...
0:36:31 > 0:36:33clean out the window.
0:36:35 > 0:36:39'Strain the sauce into a clean pan and finely chop some chives.'
0:36:39 > 0:36:41Oh, yeah.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45This'll bring the sauce to life.
0:36:45 > 0:36:48We use white pepper in sauces like this
0:36:48 > 0:36:52cos we don't want them to look all speckly and black.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55'When it has set, remove the mousse from the fridge
0:36:55 > 0:36:58'and hold in boiling water for three seconds.'
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Give it a go.
0:37:01 > 0:37:05Dude, do you remember Sooty? Izzy wizzy, let's get busy.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09'Now, ever so carefully, release it from the moulds,
0:37:09 > 0:37:12'smoothing the sides where the mousse has melted.'
0:37:12 > 0:37:15You've got to melt it a bit or you'd never get it out of there.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20I've got a little crown for you. Top it with salmon roe.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Salmon roe's great.
0:37:22 > 0:37:27They're not expensive. You sometimes get it on sushi, the gunboat sushi.
0:37:27 > 0:37:30They're really sticky and tangy and lovely.
0:37:30 > 0:37:35We're just going to put some air through that sauce.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37WHIRRING
0:37:37 > 0:37:40It's not foam. It's not that pretentious.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42It's just to make the sauce lighter.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47- That's lovely, isn't it?- Lush.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51'Gently spoon the sauce around the mousse
0:37:51 > 0:37:54'and add a dainty sprinkling of chopped chives.'
0:37:57 > 0:37:58'Look at that!
0:37:58 > 0:38:02'Lobster mousse with a warm champagne and chive sauce
0:38:02 > 0:38:07'served with crisp Melba toasts and a salmon caviar garnish.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09'Whoa! Class on a plate!'
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Some of our earliest memories of food
0:38:11 > 0:38:13are about moments of sheer indulgence.
0:38:13 > 0:38:18- Eating your favourite sweeties... - That sense of being rewarded with a burst of flavour...
0:38:18 > 0:38:20..then demanding more.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23It's with us from childhood and you never forget it.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31We've got a little treat in store.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34A bit of a sweet treat, haven't we?
0:38:36 > 0:38:39We're heading to Somerset and...
0:38:39 > 0:38:42one of the most dramatic places in Britain, Cheddar Gorge.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45But we're not here for the cheese, are we, Kingy?
0:38:45 > 0:38:49No, we're not! We're here for something slightly sweeter than that, mate, aren't we?
0:38:53 > 0:38:57Over the centuries, regional sweetie makers have sprung up across the UK
0:38:57 > 0:39:00to satisfy people like us,
0:39:00 > 0:39:02each producing their own unique recipe
0:39:02 > 0:39:05as well as some good old national favourites.
0:39:05 > 0:39:11We're about to meet two such people, our Best Of British food heroes Mark and Martin
0:39:11 > 0:39:13from the Cheddar Sweet Kitchen.
0:39:14 > 0:39:18# Sweets for my sweet Sugar for my honey...
0:39:18 > 0:39:20# I'll never, ever let you go... #
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- BOTH: Hello.- Good afternoon. Welcome to the Cheddar Sweet Kitchen.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26Hello, Martin and Dave. Pleased to meet you.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29'Some of the sweet-making methods Martin and Mark use
0:39:29 > 0:39:32'date from as far back as the 19th century.'
0:39:32 > 0:39:37We've been going for 100 years now, through five generations of the family.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41We've got lots of recipes that have been handed down through the generations.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45'They're helping to preserve some truly British traditions
0:39:45 > 0:39:48'and we salute them for that.'
0:39:48 > 0:39:51We still believe that the old-fashioned way is the best way.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54The nostalgia, it's overwhelming. The flavours...
0:39:54 > 0:39:58Maybe when you're a child, your taste buds are intense. It takes you back!
0:39:58 > 0:40:04'And Mark and Martin are about to take us back even further.'
0:40:04 > 0:40:08Today, we're making some brown-striped mint humbugs, the original ones.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12When I was kid, I always wondered, "How do you get a stripe in your humbug?"
0:40:12 > 0:40:14I think that's about to be revealed.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16We're going to cook up, then.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21'Mark's humbug mix contains water, brown and white sugar and glucose syrup
0:40:21 > 0:40:24'at a whopping 155 degrees centigrade.'
0:40:24 > 0:40:29If you just stand back slightly... That is your boiling-hot molten sugar.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33'He's adding caramel, dextrose and peppermint oil to his hot mixture
0:40:33 > 0:40:36'and then he gets to work - fast.'
0:40:36 > 0:40:41- I can smell the mint.- You can smell it now.- Yes, it's beautiful.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46Aw, that's incredible. What a lovely thing to do!
0:40:46 > 0:40:49- It's like a sheet. - It doesn't look real, does it?
0:40:49 > 0:40:51No! It's like molten madness!
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Within a couple of minutes now, we'll be able to start handling it.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58I love things like this. The humbug is a great British classic.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01We've had them since we were children.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03This is how you make humbugs!
0:41:03 > 0:41:05It's a mystery until you see it done.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09- You don't know how the stripes are going to end up yet. - No!- I have no idea!
0:41:09 > 0:41:13- Neither do we, so don't worry! - Oh, really?
0:41:13 > 0:41:18We cut it in half and that will then form the centre of the sweet
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- and this piece will form a casing, the outside layer.- Right!
0:41:21 > 0:41:24That, believe it or not, is going to be your stripe.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26- It's surreal, isn't it? - It is. It's unbelievable.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29It's a process we actually call sugar pulling
0:41:29 > 0:41:32because we're going to pull the sugar on the hook.
0:41:32 > 0:41:37- You can see the colour changing. - Yes!- That's amazing! - Fantastic, isn't it?
0:41:37 > 0:41:41It is only air bubbles getting in the sugar now which change the colour.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45'Look at that! I think I've died and gone to sweetie heaven.'
0:41:48 > 0:41:51And there, we've got the changed colour of the sugar.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55That's the first secret out of the way.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58We need a base on which to lay the stripe.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01We're going to stretch the sugar out into a long rope,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04just zigzag the sugar backwards and forwards.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- That's fantastic. - There's your stripes.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10- SIMON LAUGHS - And then that goes on the top?- No.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13We need to make sure these stripes end up on the outside,
0:42:13 > 0:42:16so we turn the whole thing upside down.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18We'll drop that into the middle
0:42:18 > 0:42:23and then we can just wrap the whole thing up.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- There's your humbug. - The world's biggest humbug!
0:42:26 > 0:42:28THEY LAUGH
0:42:28 > 0:42:30This is what we call a batch roller.
0:42:30 > 0:42:32- You can see how it thins as it comes out.- Yes.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37- This is how we size the sweets. - Yes.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39We'll still finish off the sizing by hand.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44- I had no idea.- I had no idea either. It's brilliant.- Absolutely amazing.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48'Time to suck it and see, as they say.'
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- You cannot get a fresher sweet than that.- No.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56- Oh, they're mega!- That is the taste of nostalgia, isn't it?- Mm!
0:42:56 > 0:42:59While the humbugs wait to be bagged up,
0:42:59 > 0:43:03we're off to see where Martin and Mark sell the sweets that they make.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07Come in this way, lads. I'll show you what many believe to be
0:43:07 > 0:43:12the largest selection of old-fashioned boiled sweets in the country, all made on the premises.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Ahh! I'm in heaven!
0:43:14 > 0:43:17All those names that you know and love -
0:43:17 > 0:43:21- mint bull's-eyes, chocolate limes... - Black and rasps!
0:43:21 > 0:43:25Mint shrimps. That's something I've read about and never had!
0:43:25 > 0:43:29There were originally made for the miners in the Somerset coalfields.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33- In the Northeast, it was always the black bullets.- Black bullets, yes.
0:43:33 > 0:43:37South Wales were the Welsh mints. Here, it's always been the mint shrimp.
0:43:37 > 0:43:42- Freshened your mouth up, didn't it? - It kills off the dust and the dirt in the atmosphere.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45- Super-sour blueberries. - Cola cubes. Sherbet lemons!
0:43:45 > 0:43:47# The candy man can... #
0:43:47 > 0:43:50'Ah, man, we're like two kids in a sweet shop!
0:43:50 > 0:43:52'Hang on. We are.
0:43:52 > 0:43:55'Well, two very big kids, anyway.'
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Sherbet pips, man! You cannot whack them!
0:43:58 > 0:44:02Live the dream. I'm full of mint shrimps!
0:44:03 > 0:44:09- Are you there? In your head. Close your eyes.- I'm there. - You are four years old.
0:44:09 > 0:44:10You have shorts on.
0:44:10 > 0:44:15You still have an attitude, but you are full of sherbet pips.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17He's there. He's living the dream.
0:44:17 > 0:44:20# Well, now, sugar in the morning
0:44:20 > 0:44:24# Sugar in the evening Sugar at suppertime
0:44:24 > 0:44:29# Be my little sugar and love me all the time... #
0:44:29 > 0:44:31Ah, man!
0:44:31 > 0:44:36'Our Si's going for a world record. Thankfully, it's time to go back next door.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40'We're about to make one of our personal favourites - peanut brittle.'
0:44:40 > 0:44:45'For us, this sweet is a wonderful old-fashioned treat that dates back to the 19th century,
0:44:45 > 0:44:48'and this time, we're allowed to make it ourselves.'
0:44:48 > 0:44:50- Do you want a go at adding the peanuts?- Yes.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54- There is a little technique.- Right. - You can take it in turns.- Yes.
0:44:54 > 0:44:56That's all the peanuts weighed out.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00- There's about five kilos of peanuts there.- Brilliant.
0:45:01 > 0:45:02Mm-mm!
0:45:02 > 0:45:05'The peanuts are being added to a mix of water,
0:45:05 > 0:45:09'sugar, glucose, vegetable oil and a tiny bit of emulsifier.'
0:45:09 > 0:45:14- When it starts to get thick, you'll need to lift the end of the paddle and turn it.- It's thick.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18'It's nice to see Dave doing the hard work for a change, isn't it?'
0:45:19 > 0:45:24And don't flick the hot toffee on your thighs.
0:45:25 > 0:45:28I'm liking the look of this.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31Look at that. Nut brittle.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35'It's over to Mark to do the professional bit.'
0:45:35 > 0:45:36Mind your fingers...
0:45:36 > 0:45:42- You can always tell a craftsman by how easy he makes a difficult job look.- Yes.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45- I'm not a craftsman, though, am I? - You are.- Thank you.
0:45:47 > 0:45:49Wow!
0:45:49 > 0:45:51I might break it into smaller pieces for you.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54'Hey, we get a go again!'
0:45:54 > 0:45:58Pop it onto this table and you'll need to start thinning.
0:45:58 > 0:46:03'By thinning, Mark means flattening the peanut brittle out as quickly as we possibly can,
0:46:03 > 0:46:06'as this hot mixture will cool and harden within minutes.'
0:46:06 > 0:46:08Everyone has different techniques.
0:46:08 > 0:46:12'Do you know, it's not as easy as it looks!'
0:46:20 > 0:46:23- Psst! Dave!- What?
0:46:24 > 0:46:26This is chewy.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33It's now starting to cool down quite rapidly.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35And it will become brittle.
0:46:35 > 0:46:37BOTH: Oh!
0:46:37 > 0:46:40There. THEY LAUGH
0:46:43 > 0:46:46You'd die if you worked in a place like this, Mr King.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49- MOUTH FULL: - I couldn't... I couldn't...
0:46:49 > 0:46:51I can't even speak!
0:46:51 > 0:46:55- It's not a good thing to put me in somewhere like this!- No, no.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58I've been to some of the finest restaurants in the world,
0:46:58 > 0:47:01but peanut brittle, you cannat whack it, man!
0:47:02 > 0:47:06'I've got to get Kingy off this stuff before he keels over in a sugary stupor.'
0:47:06 > 0:47:10Taking a bowl of our nutty loveliness, we head off,
0:47:10 > 0:47:13but thanks to food heroes like Martin and Mark,
0:47:13 > 0:47:16the tradition of British sweet-making is alive and well.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Ah, there's nothing like a good sugar rush,
0:47:24 > 0:47:27but if you like to take your sweet tooth to extremes,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30our final recipe has it all.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34It's one of those where, well, you really know you shouldn't but you're going to do it anyway,
0:47:34 > 0:47:38stuffed full of flavours, textures and calories.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44- I suppose people have varying degrees of sweet-toothness, don't they?- They do!
0:47:44 > 0:47:49If you had a sweet-tooth-ometer... Where would you be? Where would this one be?
0:47:49 > 0:47:54- 12.- And a half, I think! - It's outrageous! It's brilliant!
0:47:54 > 0:47:57As well as sweet treats, it's the comfort factor, isn't it?
0:47:57 > 0:48:02You've got to accept that sometimes sweet treats may be a little fattening,
0:48:02 > 0:48:03a little bit unhealthy.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Standing on the diving board of self-indulgence, this one's for you!
0:48:07 > 0:48:11It's a big jump! It's fat, it's friendly, it's sweet, tasty.
0:48:11 > 0:48:16It is our pecan and caramel cheesecake.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19People may think the cheesecake is an American creation,
0:48:19 > 0:48:22but historical references would appear to prove otherwise.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26After all, the earliest actual recipe for a cheesecake
0:48:26 > 0:48:28is found in The Forme of Cury,
0:48:28 > 0:48:33one of the oldest-known instructive cookery books in the English language,
0:48:33 > 0:48:35dating back to the 14th century
0:48:35 > 0:48:40and believed to have been written by the master cooks of King Richard II.
0:48:40 > 0:48:44So it would seem cheesecake was discovered before America itself.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47- Shall I do base and you do caramel? - Yes!
0:48:47 > 0:48:50- Let battle commence!- OK!
0:48:50 > 0:48:54Gird your loins, undo your corsets,
0:48:54 > 0:48:56here we go.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58'To make the caramel for our cheesecake,
0:48:58 > 0:49:04'put 200 grams of caster sugar in a pan together with six tablespoons of cold water
0:49:04 > 0:49:07'and heat gently until the sugar dissolves.'
0:49:08 > 0:49:12'To kick off the base mix, take 100 grams of pecan nuts
0:49:12 > 0:49:15'and blitz!'
0:49:17 > 0:49:20I need to melt a block of butter.
0:49:20 > 0:49:26This is for mixing in to the pecan nuts and my biscuits to make the base.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29The pecan nuts go into a bowl.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31If this wasn't luxury enough,
0:49:31 > 0:49:37the biscuit of choice is the beloved chocolate digestive biscuit.
0:49:37 > 0:49:39I love 'em! I love 'em!
0:49:39 > 0:49:43- Are they milk or plain? - These are milk.
0:49:43 > 0:49:46But this recipe would work equally well with plain.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49'Stick 150 grams of biscuits in a blender.'
0:49:49 > 0:49:51Right, pulse.
0:49:52 > 0:49:57I do want some texture in this. That's why I'm being quite careful.
0:49:58 > 0:50:02Lovely! Put that in a bowl with your nuts
0:50:02 > 0:50:06and cover with just-so melted butter.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09- Ahh!- And give that a stir.
0:50:09 > 0:50:16So that's the pecan nuts whizzed up, the digestives and a slab of butter.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20Put this into the tin and press.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26Now, you don't need to bother buttering the bottom of the tin.
0:50:26 > 0:50:29- There's quite enough there already! - Yes!
0:50:29 > 0:50:34'Meanwhile, take 150 grams of white chocolate, break into squares,
0:50:34 > 0:50:38'and place in a bowl over a pan of boiling water to melt.'
0:50:38 > 0:50:41- You've got some chocolate left over. - I have.- Cook's perks.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45Press this down into the bottom with your hands.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49This is a great, great cheesecake base.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52And really press it quite well in.
0:50:52 > 0:50:56Don't let it creep too much up the sides.
0:50:57 > 0:51:02'Back with your sugar syrup. Try not to be impatient, either.'
0:51:02 > 0:51:05You do want it to go a deep colour, but don't do it quickly.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08Look, you can see how the heat's just going through it
0:51:08 > 0:51:11and it's starting to colour up that lovely golden.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13- It takes eight to ten minutes. - It does.
0:51:13 > 0:51:18And, depending, actually, as well, depending on the temperature of the sugar,
0:51:18 > 0:51:22if it's a freezing-cold day, it could take a little bit longer.
0:51:22 > 0:51:27That's the base. We pop that in the fridge for about an hour until it's set solid.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32See how it's going that lovely, deep, golden colour.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35# Golden brown, texture like sun... #
0:51:35 > 0:51:38'As soon as the caramel is rich in colour like this,
0:51:38 > 0:51:41'it's ready to remove from the heat.'
0:51:41 > 0:51:45Whatever you do, don't touch this! This is hotter than a hot thing.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47It will make your skin flake off.
0:51:47 > 0:51:51Don't worry about dribbles. Dribble is a good thing.
0:51:51 > 0:51:54- It is.- We want a random drizzle,
0:51:54 > 0:51:57a bit like a Jackson Pollock painting.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00It's where Blue Peter meets Fanny Cradock
0:52:00 > 0:52:05in a blaze of sticky-back plastic and sugar.
0:52:05 > 0:52:07- I think we're there, mate. - I think we are, mate.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11we're going to use a bit more than half of this to make some caramel crumbs.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13That gives us the caramel.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17The rest of it, the nice lattice bits,
0:52:17 > 0:52:22we're going to break off and they'll be like sails that sit as decoration on top.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26The chocolate's beginning to melt. Don't stir chocolate when it's melting.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29Wait till it's just about there.
0:52:29 > 0:52:34Look at this. I love this. Is that not magic?
0:52:34 > 0:52:38- Isn't it brilliant? - Is that not fabulous? Look at that.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41'Break off 125 grams of the gorgeous hardened caramel
0:52:41 > 0:52:44'and blitz into crumbs in a blender.'
0:52:46 > 0:52:49Quite beautiful, aren't they?
0:52:50 > 0:52:53- It's the inside of Crunchie bars. - Yes.
0:52:53 > 0:52:57- Don't you want to...? - Not really, no, thanks.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01- Let's build a cheesecake! - BOTH: Woo-hoo!
0:53:01 > 0:53:07Just in case there wasn't enough sweetness there, just add a bit more sugar!
0:53:07 > 0:53:10'75 grams, to be exact.'
0:53:10 > 0:53:14Hey, Kingy, now's the time to pump up the fat.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16Here we go! It has a platter of its own!
0:53:16 > 0:53:20There it is. Full-fat soft cheese. Stand by, arteries.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24You could use that low-fat stuff, but you've gone this far down the line!
0:53:24 > 0:53:27- Fat goes in. - HE WHISTLES
0:53:27 > 0:53:31- And some cream. - THEY GIGGLE
0:53:32 > 0:53:38Honest, this is epic. This cheesecake will serve 12 to 15 slices,
0:53:38 > 0:53:41so if you look at it like that, it's not as bad as it looks.
0:53:41 > 0:53:43Now, the chocolat!
0:53:43 > 0:53:46- AS OFFICER CRABTREE FROM 'ALLO 'ALLO: - I will empty it out of the bowl!
0:53:46 > 0:53:50But it's that caramel crumb that gives it the flavour and the character
0:53:50 > 0:53:52that is the pecan caramel cheesecake.
0:53:52 > 0:53:57Don't worry if there are bits of chocolate on the surface.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59It's best to have bits than burn the chocolate.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03Those bits will melt when you cook the cheesecake.
0:54:03 > 0:54:07As it's a baked cheesecake, it contains eggs.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09It has to contain eggs
0:54:09 > 0:54:12- or it would be cheese soup. - It would.
0:54:14 > 0:54:19'For this cake, use four whole eggs and two additional egg yolks and add to your blender.'
0:54:19 > 0:54:22Now, put that onto your processor.
0:54:22 > 0:54:24Blitz.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29- Look at the colours.- Aww, wicked!
0:54:30 > 0:54:36The caramel gives this cheesecake the most wonderful caramel hue.
0:54:36 > 0:54:40- IN POSH VOICE: - Oh, it's a hue of caramel! Ohh!
0:54:42 > 0:54:45- Look at that.- Ah, man! Ohh!
0:54:45 > 0:54:49Let's make the cheesecake!
0:54:50 > 0:54:56'Get your chilled base and place the tin in the middle of a large piece of foil.'
0:54:56 > 0:54:59'Bring the foil up to size to create a foil ball around the cheesecake
0:54:59 > 0:55:02'and place on a medium-sized roasting tin.'
0:55:02 > 0:55:05- Look at that.- Ahh, man! - Golden brown.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08'Now pour your cheesecake filling on top of your base
0:55:08 > 0:55:11'and surround the cake tin with boiling water,
0:55:11 > 0:55:14'roughly two centimetres up the sides of the tin.'
0:55:16 > 0:55:21Right, put this into a preheated oven, 160 degrees Celsius,
0:55:21 > 0:55:23for about 45 minutes.
0:55:23 > 0:55:25'After three-quarters of an hour, turn off the oven
0:55:25 > 0:55:30'and leave the cheesecake inside for it to cool for a further hour.'
0:55:31 > 0:55:34'Then grab the mighty cheesecake and stick it in a fridge
0:55:34 > 0:55:39'for a minimum of three hours and a maximum of 24.'
0:55:40 > 0:55:45'Whether your cheesecake is one of the baked or unbaked varieties, it doesn't matter,
0:55:45 > 0:55:50'they all need to chill in the fridge in order for them to set.'
0:55:50 > 0:55:53- How is the mighty beast? - Look at this!
0:55:53 > 0:55:55- And how's the cheesecake? - Absolutely beautiful.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57Absolutely beautiful!
0:55:57 > 0:56:01Ooh, that's set, hasn't it? Look, no cracks.
0:56:01 > 0:56:02'Gently release the cheesecake.'
0:56:02 > 0:56:06We don't want to crack this little fellow.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09'Tighten the edges with a palette knife
0:56:09 > 0:56:12'and place your cake on a serving platter.'
0:56:13 > 0:56:16Ohh! It's gorgeous in its magnificence.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18And now it's ready for decorating.
0:56:18 > 0:56:22I'm going to whip 300ml of double cream.
0:56:22 > 0:56:25'Whip the cream into soft peaks.
0:56:25 > 0:56:31'Meanwhile, break the reserved caramel into shards, ready to scatter on the top.'
0:56:36 > 0:56:38'Then, using a dessert spoon,
0:56:38 > 0:56:43'shape the cream into big, fluffy clouds over the cheesecake.'
0:56:43 > 0:56:46White, billowing folds of cloud.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51Time for bling.
0:56:52 > 0:56:56'Just place the caramel shards across the top at jaunty angles.'
0:56:56 > 0:56:59- Oh, wow.- It's special, isn't it?- Mm.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02This is proper.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08The caramel flavour in a cheesecake is absolutely gorgeous.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10- There's no two ways about it. - Ah, yes.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13You bring that to the table after dinner
0:57:13 > 0:57:17and everybody around the table is going to get that view.
0:57:17 > 0:57:20It is absolutely beautiful.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24There's more than enough in that to satisfy
0:57:24 > 0:57:28the most critical, greediest sweet-tooth on the planet.
0:57:28 > 0:57:31- And come back for more.- Aye.
0:57:31 > 0:57:36You can see why people have been tempted by a cheesecake for centuries!
0:57:36 > 0:57:39This cake would befit a royal table as much as ours.
0:57:39 > 0:57:44It truly is the Best Of British.
0:57:44 > 0:57:49Sometimes in life, you've just got to let go and embrace some sweet indulgence.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53Whether it's with a handful of chocolates, an exotic treat
0:57:53 > 0:57:56or even the crown jewels made out of meat...
0:57:56 > 0:58:00..the food you crave tastes so good, does it matter if you really should?
0:58:00 > 0:58:05It's true what they say - a little of what you fancy does you good.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08And, if you want to find out more...
0:58:08 > 0:58:10Visit...
0:58:13 > 0:58:17..to discover some amazing facts about the history of food.
0:58:17 > 0:58:22And to find out how to cook up the recipes in today's show.
0:58:22 > 0:58:27Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:27 > 0:58:31E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk