0:00:02 > 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 > 0:00:13There we go. Look at them!
0:00:13 > 0:00:15..outstanding food producers...
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Oh, wow!
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..and innovative chefs...
0:00:20 > 0:00:23We also have an amazing food history.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28- It's safe to say that that's what the Romans brought to us - the art of cooking itself.- Absolutely.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- It's called a salacattabia. - It's like a savoury summer pudding.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34Now, during this series,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38we're going to be taking you on a journey into our culinary past.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Everything's ready, so let's get cracking.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43We'll explore its revealing stories...
0:00:43 > 0:00:44Wow!
0:00:44 > 0:00:48..and meet the heroes that keep our food heritage alive.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Pontefract liquorice has been my life,
0:00:50 > 0:00:53and 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.
0:01:25 > 0:01:32We might be an island nation, but we definitely aren't small-minded when it comes to our dinner.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35We've always absorbed cuisines from all over the world.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38We've reached into every corner of the globe
0:01:38 > 0:01:39and brought back a taste of it.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41- From the Romans...- To the Normans...
0:01:41 > 0:01:43- ..the Crusades...- The Empire...
0:01:43 > 0:01:44..tourism and immigration.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48All of these things have influenced our great British cuisine.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55That's what makes our food so fantastic -
0:01:55 > 0:01:58it's not rigid, but ever-changing and evolving.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01We can pride ourselves on a truly cosmopolitan diet.
0:02:01 > 0:02:07regularly consuming food from all over the world.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10And that's what we'll be celebrating in the programme today.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14- From our ancient past... - To more recent discoveries,
0:02:14 > 0:02:18food from overseas has found an appreciative new home in Britain.
0:02:18 > 0:02:24In fact, today, foreign cuisine accounts for many of our nation's favourite dishes.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28and we'll be cooking up some of our beloved imports.
0:02:30 > 0:02:37But not so long ago, the British diet was very different.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Before the 1960s, the closest many of us got to exotic food was a tin of pineapple chunks.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46Pasta meant Alphabetti Spaghetti.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48And Olive Oil was Popeye's girlfriend.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50When it came to our holidays,
0:02:50 > 0:02:56we also had simple tastes, and made the most of what Blighty had to offer.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58But all that was about to change.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01The package holiday would make foreign travel more affordable.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Us Brits were heading for the sun.
0:03:08 > 0:03:13It began slowly in the '50s, and momentum gathered in the '60s.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16MUSIC: "Hot Hot Hot" by Arrow
0:03:16 > 0:03:19# Feeling hot, hot, hot
0:03:20 > 0:03:23# Feeling hot, hot, hot... #
0:03:23 > 0:03:25By the late '70s,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28some 2.5 million Brits a year went on package holidays.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31And that swelled to 10 million by 1986.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35We quickly entered into the spirit of things...
0:03:35 > 0:03:37..soaking up all the local flavours.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44But when it came to the nosh, at first, we were a bit more reticent.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46What do you like about Benidorm?
0:03:46 > 0:03:48I like the food. The food's very nice.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- The English...?- The English food, yes. It's very nice.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Well, we wouldn't want to upset our delicate constitutions
0:03:54 > 0:03:57with that unfamiliar foreign muck, now, would we?
0:03:59 > 0:04:02Thankfully, familiar food was readily available.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05Fish and chips, a pint of English ale and all the trimmings.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07But some people didn't even trust that,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10and took their own food from home.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12For the few brave souls
0:04:12 > 0:04:14who were willing to risk havoc with their stomach
0:04:14 > 0:04:16and indulge in some of the local cuisine,
0:04:16 > 0:04:20even ordering it could prove a little daunting.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Most of the waiters in the bars only speak enough
0:04:23 > 0:04:24to serve you with a drink.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26They don't actually speak English.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Once you deviate from the subject that they're selling to you,
0:04:31 > 0:04:33they don't understand what you're saying.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37Brits would try anything to avoid having to speak a foreign language.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40If you don't know what you want in the restaurant,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44just show this up and just point to the appropriate thing.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- This always assumes the waiter's quite intelligent.- Aubergine!
0:04:47 > 0:04:51- And they should understand what you want.- That's probably very good!
0:04:51 > 0:04:53But when they did manage to get served,
0:04:53 > 0:04:55they realised it wasn't half bad.
0:04:55 > 0:05:00MUSIC: "Je T'aime...Moi Non Plus" by Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Little did they know it,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05but they were at the coalface of a food revolution.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Because we took more home with us
0:05:07 > 0:05:10then lobster-coloured skin and a sombrero.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13We'd also developed a taste for continental food.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15And that's not all.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Come and see me in England.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20You can come and see me. My mum won't mind.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Unfortunately, when people got home,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25they didn't find it all that easy to replicate.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27We've all eaten pasta, and for most of us,
0:05:27 > 0:05:31it comes out of a tin, or dried, in a snack pot, or a packet.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33But thank goodness for television cooks,
0:05:33 > 0:05:37who were about to teach us how to rustle up our own.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39I get lots of queries about cooking spaghetti,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42asking why it sticks together, this, that and the other.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46So I think it's quite a good thing to have a run through and see.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48# Do-be-do-be-do! #
0:05:48 > 0:05:51MUSIC: "Macarena" by Los Del Rio
0:05:51 > 0:05:56Soon, supermarket shelves reflected our changing eating habits,
0:05:56 > 0:06:00and now we regularly devour food from all over the world.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05And today, in the Best of British kitchen, we're going to cook up
0:06:05 > 0:06:08a holiday classic that's become a British favourite,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12and it's guaranteed to transport you to sunnier climes.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15# Eviva Espana! #
0:06:15 > 0:06:16Ole!
0:06:16 > 0:06:24# For we are off to sunny Spain, we're gonna make paella. #
0:06:24 > 0:06:27And this, ladies and gentlemen, is a paella pan.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30- And that's what we're going to make. - Paella.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33Paella is actually a pan, not a dish.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36And the word paella comes from the Roman for pan.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41This delicious paella is easy and packed full of flavour and colour.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Succulent chicken, tasty mussels,
0:06:43 > 0:06:48perfect prawns and plump rice, all spiced up with paprika and saffron.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I'm just going to put some oil in the pan,
0:06:52 > 0:06:54because that's a very good place to start.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57For our paella, we try to do quite a generic recipe,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00the sort of thing that you might have tasted on your holidays,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and you want to make it when you come home, and you want one
0:07:03 > 0:07:07that's got all the elements, without becoming a pan of confusion.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11A confused paella is not a good way to approach said dish.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14You want a dish, not a pan of mud as is so often seen.
0:07:14 > 0:07:21Now, what I'm going to do is season these lovely, boned chicken thighs.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26- Hello! Smiling sausage! - We've got to eat that, man!
0:07:26 > 0:07:29That's all right, I'm only my beard!
0:07:29 > 0:07:31- MOCK SPANISH ACCENT: - This is a chorizo,
0:07:31 > 0:07:33or choritho, as they thay in Thpain.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36This is a cooking chorizo, one that needs cooking,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38and it's the best type to use for paella.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- I'm going to cut this into slices. - What's lovely,
0:07:41 > 0:07:43and what you'll see when we do cook it,
0:07:43 > 0:07:49it leaches this wonderful paprika fat that's deep red and lovely.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55But the paella is this combination of chicken, chorizo, saffron,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58rice, vegetables, prawns, mussels.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00It can be whatever you want. It can be clams.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04They say the paella originated in Valencia.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08But we know the first paellas were made with predominantly rabbit,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10because that was what poor folk ate.
0:08:10 > 0:08:11As time went on they realised,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13"I can put this in with the rice, it'd be brilliant."
0:08:13 > 0:08:15Because rice is a great flavour carrier.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18"I can put duck in, it'd be brilliant."
0:08:18 > 0:08:20"I can put in chicken, prawns, be brilliant!"
0:08:20 > 0:08:21You can put what you want in, really.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Just going to put this chicken in first.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32Once the chicken is nicely browned, pop in the chopped chorizo.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38Kind of half the trick to this is the smokiness and the paprika
0:08:38 > 0:08:42leaching into that oil, and that oil is what we turn
0:08:42 > 0:08:47the rice and vegetables into, and the flavour just goes on and on.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51After a few minutes, use a slotted spoon to lift the chicken
0:08:51 > 0:08:55and chorizo into a bowl and put it aside for later.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Next, chop an onion and sweat it in the paprika-infused oil.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02The lovely thing is, when you cook something like this,
0:09:02 > 0:09:04you've experienced it when you've been abroad,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06it takes you back there, doesn't it?
0:09:06 > 0:09:11When tender and lightly browned, add a tablespoon of olive oil,
0:09:11 > 0:09:13a chopped red pepper and some green beans.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19You're getting very hungry, aren't you? I know I am.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23I tell you what, I've just seen Mrs Miggins' arm come out.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26Will you stop that? Mrs Miggins, just wait! Wait, will ye?
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Now, you can't have anything Spanish, or "Foreign!"
0:09:31 > 0:09:34as me dad would call it, without "Garlic!"
0:09:34 > 0:09:36My dad was a disaster with food.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39He refused to eat tinned chicken soup,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42because he said it was "Full o' garlic!"
0:09:42 > 0:09:44The thought dreadful!
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Spaghetti, "Comes in tins."
0:09:46 > 0:09:47THEY LAUGH
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I remember my first paella.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- It was one of those Vestas. Do you remember those?- Oh, yes!
0:09:53 > 0:09:57You put water on, and you had a meal. It felt so exotic.
0:09:57 > 0:10:01I mean, their paella was luminous. You could see it from Mars.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Little did I know that that was the first tentative steps
0:10:04 > 0:10:07- that have brought me to where I am here.- Where's that?
0:10:07 > 0:10:11- In the kitchen?- The pinnacle of culinary culinariness!
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Stir in three cloves of finely grated garlic
0:10:14 > 0:10:17and a heaped teaspoon of the secret ingredient - smoked paprika.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21It gives it like a wonderful outdoor barbecue sense to it.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- It did say heaped teaspoon, didn't it?- Yes!
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It is now! I love this stuff.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29It's great.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34- And then it just smells fantastic. - Saffron. I love saffron.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- He's not keen.- I'm not. - More expensive than gold.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- But you don't need much.- You don't.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43- Uno pincho, two pincho.- That'll do!
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And a bay leaf.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54The smells, man. I wish you could smell this at home. It's so lovely.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57- But all of this is just a dressing for the rice.- It is, mate.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- Absolutely.- The time has come. Bring out the rice.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Add 250 grammes of paella rice and stir it around the pan
0:11:06 > 0:11:09until it's glistening with paprika-infused oil loveliness.
0:11:10 > 0:11:14Then, the chicken and chorizo needs to go back in
0:11:14 > 0:11:17along with any of the juices that have collected in the bowl.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19And now the liquid.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24We're using chicken stock, but you can do a vegetarian paella.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Obviously, use vegetable stock, and vegetables.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30You can do a fish paella, use fish stock.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33But, you know, for this one, chicken stock.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38You'll need about 900ml of the stock made with one stock cube.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41And let it simmer away over a medium heat for about 12 minutes,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43stirring occasionally.
0:11:46 > 0:11:4912 minutes, and the rice has started to grow.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52- I think it may be time for the mussels. Do you?- Aye.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Go on, get them flexed.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00Scatter 500-750g of well-scrubbed live mussels on top of the paella.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Make sure the beards have been removed
0:12:02 > 0:12:07and that they're well tucked into the hot rice and steaming liquid.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Then cover with tin foil to allow them to steam
0:12:10 > 0:12:14in all the lovely aromas for five minutes on a fairly high heat.
0:12:14 > 0:12:19Wait for the mussels to open, and discard any that don't.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21And look, they're all open.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23So we give it one last stir,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and from this point on, we don't kind of mess with it, do we?
0:12:26 > 0:12:31- Time for the prawns. Heads first, into the centre.- I think so, yeah.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Like Morris-dancing prawns.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38When those have gone pink, your paella is done.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45- MOCK SPANISH ACCENT:- Thanthy a cervetha?- I do.- Thmashing!
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Reduce the heat slightly and it will need to cook
0:12:49 > 0:12:51for a further six to eight minutes,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54leaving you time to perfect your Spanish.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57'Esto bocadillo es el mas grande.'
0:12:57 > 0:13:00But do remember to turn the prawns halfway through.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Right, and may the spirit of Torremolinos be upon us. Hoo-hoo!
0:13:05 > 0:13:09- That is as pretty as a picture. - That is as pretty as a paella.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11All we need now is parsley sprinkles
0:13:11 > 0:13:15and a kind of daintily-placed lemon wedge.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17- I'm wedging.- I'm sprinkling.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20- Are you dancing?- I'm asking.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31DAVE SIGHS
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- Look at that.- Yes.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Now, in the true tradition of this wonderful dish,
0:13:39 > 0:13:43I'll have that half, and you can have that half.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46It's quite easy to demarc, this one, isn't it?
0:13:46 > 0:13:47Do you know what people used to do?
0:13:47 > 0:13:52It was very handy that the paella pan was round, and the big ones
0:13:52 > 0:13:57made a perfectly functional table, so they would sit around the pan
0:13:57 > 0:14:03and you would get a fork, and you'd go, "That's my section,"
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and people eating paella would stick to their own turf.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09That's mine, that's yours.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12That's mine. Don't, don't transgress.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13- I'm not, I'm not!- You are!
0:14:15 > 0:14:18It's all about the rice in paella.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Try the chicken.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25That's been poached in all that paprika, chorizo...
0:14:25 > 0:14:28That...is fabulous.
0:14:28 > 0:14:34Isn't it? It's got everything a paella should have.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37Taste, colour, variety. It's got holiday spirit!
0:14:39 > 0:14:43What a stunning dish. A perfect centrepiece for a party.
0:14:43 > 0:14:49The colourful and tasty paella is guaranteed to bring a sun-kissed taste of the Med
0:14:49 > 0:14:53to the dinner table even in the midst of an English winter.
0:14:59 > 0:15:05Whilst Mediterranean food might be a relatively recent addition to the diet of us ordinary Brits...
0:15:05 > 0:15:09..Amazingly, it was actually being consumed regularly on these shores
0:15:09 > 0:15:12some two millennia ago by the Romans.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18The UK is covered with monuments to their ingenuity and artistry.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22But what we want to know is were they just as talented in the kitchen?
0:15:22 > 0:15:25So we're heading to Sussex to look for clues.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30On the outskirts of Chichester, there was once an immense
0:15:30 > 0:15:31and sumptuous palace.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Before the Romans, Iron Age Brits got by with bread, beer and milk,
0:15:44 > 0:15:49fruits and berries, some basic veg, peas, beans, bit of cabbage
0:15:49 > 0:15:52and occasionally some wild mushrooms and seafood.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57But when it comes to food, what have the Romans really done for us?
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Fishbourne Palace was built in the 1st century AD.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06It's the largest and most luxurious Roman residence
0:16:06 > 0:16:09to have been discovered in Britain.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13- Doesn't look like a Roman palace. - Wait until we get inside.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17Unfortunately, the structure has long gone,
0:16:17 > 0:16:22but miraculously, this floor with its amazing mosaics has survived.
0:16:22 > 0:16:27Archaeologist Jaane Rowehl believes it gives us an invaluable insight
0:16:27 > 0:16:30into the Romans' relationship with food.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33This is one of the central pieces of the whole palace structure.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38- It is one of our dining rooms.- So the Romans, then, had a special room
0:16:38 > 0:16:40for dining, food was that important to them.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42What does the archaeology tell us
0:16:42 > 0:16:44about what the Romans actually ate here?
0:16:44 > 0:16:46The first clue is already in the mosaic.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50You can see in the central bits we have craters that were used for wine.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53And we can imagine there was a lot of wine consumed
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- in a dining room like this.- Hmm.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57At Fishbourne we know that the people that ate here
0:16:57 > 0:17:00loved an Italian diet. They loved pork.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03We have enormous amounts of pig bones on site.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07They ate cattle, they ate sheep as well. They went hunting for deer.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12We've got wildfowl such as duck, geese... Apparently they ate crane.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13- Really?- Yeah.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16We also found a lot of storage sheds, amphora.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18They used to bring in olive oil,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22dried fruits from the Near East, for example.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27The import of all these products, it must have been such a problem.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Actually navigating your way from Italy with some olive oil,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32it was such a decadent thing to have, wasn't it?
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Absolutely. And it would only have been accessible to the rich.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39What Romans loved was the theatre of cooking itself.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42They wanted the flavours to be complex, they wanted to show off
0:17:42 > 0:17:46that they had access to the spices and the herbs that could make a dish,
0:17:46 > 0:17:50not just its ingredients, but a piece of art, if you like.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52- Cooking?- Cooking itself. - So it's safe to say
0:17:52 > 0:17:56that's what the Romans brought to us - the art of cooking itself.
0:17:56 > 0:17:57Absolutely.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Wow.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02You might think the art of Roman cooking is gone, but you'd be wrong.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07Keeping it well and truly alive is food historian Sally Grainger.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- Hello.- Hi, Sally.
0:18:09 > 0:18:10Smelling good.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13- Hi, there. Nice to meet you. - Dave.- Cheers.- Nice to see you.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- Hi, Sally, I'm Si.- Hi.- How are you getting on?- I'm doing well.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- Hey, this is fabulous.- Yeah. - Sally's Roman kitchen.- It is.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22It flat packs.
0:18:22 > 0:18:26It flat packs - it has to! It would have been made of masonry, but...
0:18:26 > 0:18:27Hey, this is fantastic!
0:18:27 > 0:18:32We're going to do Roman food, a sauce of pine kernels,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34which would have been served with wild boar,
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- but we just have a pork fillet, if that's OK.- Sounds great!
0:18:37 > 0:18:40So we're going to start with a little bit of pepper.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43And pepper, one of the most important ones for the Romans.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46- Can I hand that to you and you do that?- Yes.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48We're going to roast our spices. That's lovely.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51We've got celery seed, one nice heaped spoon.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54A couple of spoons of cumin.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58And we're going to roast them, because they need to be brought out.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01So we'll just stick them on the fire to let them pop.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04We want savoury. It's dry so we'll need to try and break it up.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- Yeah?- There you go. We also want thyme.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12And then we can start adding the mint. We're going to use fresh mint.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- Plenty of mint.- I'm getting the smell from that already.- I know.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19So, what fascinates you about doing this? Because it clearly does.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22I think at heart of it is the fact that Roman food
0:19:22 > 0:19:26has a reputation of being weird and odd and rotten and disgusting.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29And I've been experimenting with Roman food for about 15 years.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33Most of it, I think, is pretty good. And some of it is fabulous.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36And I'm trying to get that message across.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40Always, "Ooh, it's made with rotten fish sauce."
0:19:40 > 0:19:43But we know fish sauce isn't rotten.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45- Is their fish sauce like a Thai fish sauce?- Exactly the same.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47- Vietnamese fish sauce? - Exactly the same.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49I actually make my fish sauce.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52- You make your own Roman fish sauce? - I make it out of mackerel.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55And this is a fresh batch. And nobody's tasted it yet.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- Could we have a little... - Do you want to taste it raw?
0:19:58 > 0:19:59- Yeah.- Just on its own?
0:19:59 > 0:20:02I think it's got so much more complex flavours.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Oh, yeah.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10- It really lingers.- Yeah. That's lovely and savoury.
0:20:10 > 0:20:11- That's fantastic.- Beautiful.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14The Romans are winning so far.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Now the work starts, because we've got roasted pine kernels.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19I do these in the oven, rather than a pan,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21because I want uniform colour.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- It's kind of a pesto, this, isn't it?- Well, it is.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27It's going to be thinned down quite a bit.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29How did you come to know about this recipe?
0:20:29 > 0:20:31- Because it's fascinating.- Isn't it?
0:20:31 > 0:20:33It survives in a recipe text
0:20:33 > 0:20:35that we're pretty certain was written by slave cooks
0:20:35 > 0:20:38- for other slave cooks to use. - Could you imagine,
0:20:38 > 0:20:41if we were around then, we'd be sitting up near Hadrian's Wall,
0:20:41 > 0:20:46painting ourselves blue, with a pigeon on a stick over a fire.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50THEY ALL LAUGH
0:20:50 > 0:20:52So, we are ready to add our liquids.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53Start with the olive oil.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56Oil and vinegar, so we're balancing sweet and sour.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Quite sophisticated kind of concept, isn't it, really?
0:20:59 > 0:21:02We're going to add sweetness in terms of honey.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Honey was one of the major sweeteners.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06They did also use grape juice. They'd take fresh juice
0:21:06 > 0:21:09from sweet grapes and they'd boil it to a third of its volume,
0:21:09 > 0:21:12with quinces and with figs.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14And that, subsequently, in the mediaeval period,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17having being left in an oak barrel for too long, soured,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20and balsamic vinegar was born.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25A little bit of dessert wine, just to give it a bit of extra sweetness.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28And we finish with our fish sauce.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31The wonderful fish sauce. That really does taste good.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Decent amount. I like using a lot of fish sauce.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38- You can do with that, because it's not acrid, like some.- No, exactly.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40The sauce is then simmered for a bit.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43And while we wait for our main course,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Sally's got a small appetiser for us.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49So, here we have a Roman salad. It's called a salacattabia.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53- It's like a savoury summer pudding. - Savoury summer pudding.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56You have a sourdough bread, soaked in vinegar and water.
0:21:56 > 0:22:01Then you put layers of cucumber, hard cheese, pine kernels,
0:22:01 > 0:22:04onions, diced chicken and capers.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Ooh, I like that. There's nothing freaky about that.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08- Exactly.- That's good, honest food.
0:22:08 > 0:22:11Roman cooking really is very sophisticated, isn't it?
0:22:11 > 0:22:15Very much so, yes. Yes.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18All the kinds of cooking that we do in terms of poaching,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21making souffles and puddings.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23They invented custard.
0:22:23 > 0:22:29You know the ratio of eggs to milk in a creme caramel? That is Roman.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33That occurs in a Roman recipe, 2,000 years ago.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36- Five eggs to one pint.- That's amazing. Now, that is amazing.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38All the techniques that we cook today,
0:22:38 > 0:22:41apart from microwaving, they did.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45But a Roman centurion couldn't have got by on salad alone.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49We need some meatus maximus to have with that fantastic sauce.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53And because archaeologists have discovered the Romans
0:22:53 > 0:22:56were partial to a bit of pork, that's what we're having.
0:22:56 > 0:23:02Wow. That sauce is everything you'd want in a sauce. Beautiful.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03That is fantastic.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13- The sauce is great.- It does work, doesn't it?- Yeah, man.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- Living history.- Living history, and it's tasty, too.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20Somehow, this seems much more vibrant
0:23:20 > 0:23:24- than the mosaics and the stones. This is real.- Thank you.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27- Absolutely brilliant.- My pleasure.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31- Have you got any bread for dunkers? - No, sorry.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Oh!
0:23:33 > 0:23:36The Romans introduced many staples of the British diet.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38- Chicken.- Leeks.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- Onions.- Carrots.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42- Apples.- Plums. And many more.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44It's just a shame that when they left
0:23:44 > 0:23:48they took their olive oil and Mediterranean tastes with them.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Indeed, by the time another wave of Italian settlers had arrived on these shores,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54it had been long forgotten.
0:23:57 > 0:24:03But, they too, would have a very significant impact on our culinary history.
0:24:04 > 0:24:10And build their very own food empire based on quality ingredients and good home cooking.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17Today, you can find a little bit of Italy on every street corner,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19from pizzerias to coffee shops,
0:24:19 > 0:24:23all serving up traditional dishes and ingredients.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26And you can find one of the best Italian delis in the world
0:24:26 > 0:24:27in Edinburgh.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Valvona & Crolla is run by husband and wife team
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Philip and Mary Contini.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35They are part of the thriving Scottish-Italian community
0:24:35 > 0:24:39which has been estimated to number over 35,000 people,
0:24:39 > 0:24:43and it's played a key role in the country's food heritage.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50My grandfather, Alfonso Crolla, he emigrated from Italy,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53and came to Edinburgh in 1910.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58The original Italians that came here either sold fish and chips
0:24:58 > 0:25:05or ice cream, and this original shop was in fact an ice cream shop.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And he came here and made ice cream here, with his brother-in-law,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12and they lived in the dark basement of this shop,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15and when his wife and son came, they, too, lived in the basement.
0:25:20 > 0:25:21Ah! Ice cream!
0:25:22 > 0:25:27Ah! Fish and chips! What better way to win favour with the locals
0:25:27 > 0:25:28than through their bellies?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Well, it certainly works with me.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34Soon, there were scores of Italian ice cream and fish and chip shops
0:25:34 > 0:25:37springing up all over the Scottish countryside.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43Alfonso Crolla settled in Edinburgh, and what he did,
0:25:43 > 0:25:46as a lot of the Italians did in different parts of the UK,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49was to bring more of his family across, or his relations,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51from the same village.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54So, Alfonso brought across quite a few of his brothers,
0:25:54 > 0:25:59his cousins, and my grandfather, and set him up in business
0:25:59 > 0:26:03down the coast in East Lothian, where our family had their business.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Fish and chips was the perfect business
0:26:08 > 0:26:10for the Italian incomers to Scotland.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12It was a relatively modern creation.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16The first stall had opened in London, around 1860.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20The Italians' inherent love of food and good ingredients allowed them
0:26:20 > 0:26:23to spot the potential in the natural produce of Scotland.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Fantastic fish and perfect potatoes.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29They quickly turned into food entrepreneurs
0:26:29 > 0:26:33and were responsible for building businesses all over Scotland.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Can you imagine, in 1910,
0:26:38 > 0:26:42being able to eat something like fried fish and crispy potatoes?
0:26:42 > 0:26:43It must have just been a sensation.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Of course, Italians are very competitive,
0:26:46 > 0:26:47especially the ones who emigrated.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50So each family would settle in a village
0:26:50 > 0:26:52and want their ice cream and fish and chips
0:26:52 > 0:26:54to be better than everyone else's,
0:26:54 > 0:26:58so the Scots got very high-quality product from the beginning.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01But whilst the ever-increasing Italian population
0:27:01 > 0:27:04were satisfying the Scottish appetite,
0:27:04 > 0:27:07they were missing many of their own tastes from back home,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and Philip's grandfather saw a gap in the market.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14This shop was established in 1934.
0:27:14 > 0:27:19It was changed from an ice cream shop into this Italian delicatessen.
0:27:19 > 0:27:25I would say that, 75 years ago, 95% of our customers were Italian.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31It was initially just a tiny hole in the wall,
0:27:31 > 0:27:34packed high to the ceiling, as you can see now,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38with wine, cheese, salami, Parma ham, pasta.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43They used to sell the pasta in drawers, by the pound,
0:27:43 > 0:27:46so they had lots of drawers you pulled out to get the shape you wanted.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50Then they would get cheese from Italy, and packages of sausages,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53which was the huge desire of all Italians, to get the product.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57We imported coffee, and we imported the raw beans,
0:27:57 > 0:28:00and we roasted it here in the shop.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03And I guess that this was happening all over the world,
0:28:03 > 0:28:04where there were Italians.
0:28:04 > 0:28:09They created this coffee culture,
0:28:09 > 0:28:13because they had to have their cup of coffee that they were used to
0:28:13 > 0:28:14back home in Italy.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19And of course, now, coffee is international, isn't it?
0:28:19 > 0:28:22It wasn't until after the war that Scottish people
0:28:22 > 0:28:23started to come into the shops,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27because the soldiers who had fought in Italy, first of all
0:28:27 > 0:28:30against the Italians, and then, in the second half of the war,
0:28:30 > 0:28:31with the Italians,
0:28:31 > 0:28:35they started to taste Italian food, and that's where it all started.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46The post-war years would see the shop's appeal widen.
0:28:46 > 0:28:50But again, it would be thanks to the birth of the package holiday
0:28:50 > 0:28:52that the market would really take off.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59The change in the shop was to do with the Scots who began to travel,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02and who were travelling on holiday to Italy, and coming back,
0:29:02 > 0:29:06and they had tasted different kinds of pasta,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10different types of wine and cheeses, and they wanted more of the same.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12And so, gradually,
0:29:12 > 0:29:17the Scots were outnumbering the Italians who were buying from us.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21And our story is mirrored throughout Scotland
0:29:21 > 0:29:24and probably throughout Britain.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27The deli has come a long way
0:29:27 > 0:29:31since Alfonso Crolla first arrived in Edinburgh over 100 years ago.
0:29:31 > 0:29:32But so has the British palate.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36Visitors to the deli's restaurant are now very keen to eat food
0:29:36 > 0:29:41that their Scottish ancestors may have turned their noses up at.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45And owner Mary still loves serving up all the finest local ingredients
0:29:45 > 0:29:47cooked in the traditional Italian way.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49What I want to do today
0:29:49 > 0:29:52is celebrate the food that we ate when we were kids.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56The fishermen left langoustines at the back door for us,
0:29:56 > 0:30:00or even some squid, because the Scots didn't want to eat it then,
0:30:00 > 0:30:02this is talking about more than 40 years ago.
0:30:02 > 0:30:06The fishermen now remember their fathers throwing overboard.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09The langoustines from Scotland are better than anything,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and we're going to prepare it now, and fry it in olive oil,
0:30:11 > 0:30:16deep-fried, and make a fritto misto.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18We'll add some courgettes, and just show you
0:30:18 > 0:30:20how wonderful Scottish produce is.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Frying is a good way of eating
0:30:24 > 0:30:27because it seals the flavour in, and if it's drained properly,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31and you use good oil, it's a healthy way of eating.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33It's typical of Neapolitan street food,
0:30:33 > 0:30:36where, even today, you see people standing on the side of the street,
0:30:36 > 0:30:41frying things, just to feed passing people that are hungry.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43The fritto misto that we do here in the cafe bar,
0:30:43 > 0:30:48and other Italian restaurants do, is an extension of fish and chips.
0:30:48 > 0:30:51There's a heritage, in Italy, of deep-frying fish.
0:30:51 > 0:30:57And so, you can take any fish, any shellfish, and deep-fry it,
0:30:57 > 0:31:02and just with that light batter, just cooked to a crisp,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05but keeping the fish moist.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07It's a stunning thing to eat.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16And the last thing we would do is just sprinkle some sea salt,
0:31:16 > 0:31:17just to season at the very end.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21# O fritto misto! #
0:31:21 > 0:31:23It looks delicious.
0:31:23 > 0:31:27The Scots-Italians are the luckiest of races, cos we have everything.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29We have everything we love from Italy, here,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32we've got the lovely ingredients from Scotland,
0:31:32 > 0:31:34which sometimes are even better than Italian ingredients,
0:31:34 > 0:31:38and we have the skills to make them taste good, so we are a bit spoiled.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Not quite as sunny, though!
0:31:40 > 0:31:43But who cares when you've got great food?
0:31:47 > 0:31:49From being virtually unheard of,
0:31:49 > 0:31:51Italian cuisine is now a British favourite.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54It's been calculated that spaghetti Bolognese
0:31:54 > 0:31:58is eaten on average nearly 3,000 times in our lifetime -
0:31:58 > 0:32:02more than stew and cottage pie.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07But it's not just food from the Med that has had a huge impact on our diet,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11over the last century, British taste buds exploded
0:32:11 > 0:32:15thanks to other changes that took place in our community.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19And in many ways, we have to credit the humble takeaway
0:32:19 > 0:32:23for the role it's played in this food revolution.
0:32:23 > 0:32:26- Hello.- Hello. Hi, Ronnie, how are you?
0:32:26 > 0:32:30- Hi, Ronnie. Is our takeaway ready? - Yes, I'll go and get it for you.
0:32:30 > 0:32:31- Thank you very much.- Thanks, mate.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35When you can't be bothered to cook on a Friday night
0:32:35 > 0:32:38or you fancy a flavoursome treat, there's nothing beats a takeaway.
0:32:38 > 0:32:43- It's a great British institution and we love it!- But its roots lie much further afield.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48The story of the takeaway is the story of our multicultural society,
0:32:48 > 0:32:53how we've learnt to embrace other people's cultures through their food.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55- Lovely.- Thank you.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Smells great!
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Get in!
0:33:03 > 0:33:08'Over the years, takeaways may have had a bit of a bad press, but they're responsible
0:33:08 > 0:33:15'for bringing new flavours to tables all over Britain.
0:33:18 > 0:33:24When it comes to the takeaway, us Brits are world connoisseurs.
0:33:24 > 0:33:30- We regularly devour food from all over the globe at home. - Thai.- Mexican.- Italian.
0:33:30 > 0:33:32- Japanese.- And many more.
0:33:34 > 0:33:39But in many ways, the first people to have an important impact on broadening our culinary horizons,
0:33:39 > 0:33:43were the Chinese.
0:33:44 > 0:33:50Many of the early settlers to the UK were sailors who settled in port cities like Liverpool and London
0:33:50 > 0:33:54at the start of the 19th century.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57They set up their own shops, restaurants and cafes
0:33:57 > 0:34:00and the UK's Chinatowns came into being.
0:34:00 > 0:34:06But it was back in the 1950s that the British love affair for Chinese food would really take off.
0:34:09 > 0:34:15Intrepid reporters travelled to Hong Kong to sample exotic Chinese cuisines.
0:34:15 > 0:34:19Well, I've had eight courses tonight and each one of them was fish.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23I've got the chopsticks to prove it. I didn't get fish ice cream!
0:34:23 > 0:34:28Meanwhile, back at home, the Chinese takeaway as we know it
0:34:28 > 0:34:34was born in 1958 when the Lotus restaurant in Queensway in London proved so popular
0:34:34 > 0:34:39that customers who couldn't get a table asked for food to take home.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44That same year, Billy Butlin rolled out an exciting new Chinese menu across all his holiday camps.
0:34:44 > 0:34:50- But there was only one thing on it! - Chicken chop suey and chips!
0:34:50 > 0:34:55British Chinese cuisine quickly got characterised by Cantonese food from southern China.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59As that is where many early immigrants came from.
0:34:59 > 0:35:05And a Chinese takeaway provided many of us with our first taste of exotic food in our very own home.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08Something we take for granted today.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15Chinese food has proved so popular that a recent survey revealed
0:35:15 > 0:35:22it was the style of ethnic cuisine that Brits were most confident at preparing themselves.
0:35:22 > 0:35:30So we're putting the takeaway menu back in the drawer and we're cooking up an absolute corker.
0:35:30 > 0:35:35We tried to choose a dish that epitomises the takeaway,
0:35:35 > 0:35:38that's like the child of the takeaway.
0:35:38 > 0:35:42And the dish we've come to terms with is the Singapore noodle.
0:35:42 > 0:35:48- I think the Singapore noodle is a one-pot wok wonder.- You're not wrong.- I won't say that again!
0:35:48 > 0:35:50No, you won't!
0:35:50 > 0:35:57Singapore noodles - a takeaway staple that's got nothing to do with Singapore.
0:35:57 > 0:36:00It's a real classic that's thought to come from Hong Kong.
0:36:00 > 0:36:05Quick and easy to prepare, and packs a real punch when it comes to flavour.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Perfect for a tasty treat.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14Our take on it really is it has this beautiful loin of pork.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18I'm going to trim that sinew off and we've got prawns as well.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21So it's a pork and prawn vibe.
0:36:21 > 0:36:27- I'm going to prepare that and the marinade. I'll trim the sinew off first.- The pork on this
0:36:27 > 0:36:34is like the Char Siu pork you get in your Chinese food that's got that red frill around it.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37But we have no food colouring.
0:36:37 > 0:36:44Let's talk noodles. Use egg or rice noodles, so long as they are the really thin kind like vermicelli.
0:36:44 > 0:36:50Soak them in hot, but not boiling water for about three minutes, then they're ready.
0:36:50 > 0:36:56I'm going to prep this lovely marinade. It's very simple. Three tablespoons of soy.
0:36:56 > 0:37:03- Light soy. And two of sherry. - It's one way to use up the leftovers when the vicar's gone home.
0:37:05 > 0:37:11Finish it off with two teaspoons of soft, light brown sugar and half a teaspoon of five spice powder.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15- And give it a good stir. - Put the pork loin into that.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20Coat it and leave it for about half an hour.
0:37:20 > 0:37:27And the meat's going to open up slightly and draw all of those lovely flavours into it.
0:37:27 > 0:37:33So when we cut it, we should get that lovely... You know how you get that Char Siu.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Little red bit round the edge. It's lovely.
0:37:36 > 0:37:43While it's marinating, drain your noodles and dress them with a little glug of oil to stop them sticking.
0:37:43 > 0:37:50- Well, that's half an hour. - It's changed colour and absorbed the marinade.- Lovely.
0:37:50 > 0:37:56Next, drain the pork. Place it in a foil-lined baking tray and lightly coat it with oil.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00Then it's into the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 12 minutes.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04'Keep the leftover marinade for later. Don't lose any flavour.'
0:38:04 > 0:38:08- And that gives us time... - To do the mise en place.
0:38:08 > 0:38:13The big thing about Chinese cookery is you prepare everything ready
0:38:13 > 0:38:17because the final push is very quick. It all happens quickly.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20It's a woking and a wolling.
0:38:20 > 0:38:25Chop one red onion, a bunch of spring onions and a red pepper.
0:38:25 > 0:38:31All your veggies should be a size to pick up with a chopstick.
0:38:31 > 0:38:36Slice 100 grams of shiitake mushrooms and grate a chunk of ginger and two cloves of garlic.
0:38:36 > 0:38:41That's part of the wonderful cosmopolitan nature of British food.
0:38:41 > 0:38:47And the reason for that is you want that ginger to pervade quite a quick cooking process
0:38:47 > 0:38:53so it's actually better to have it like that than in chunks, in our view.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58I love Chinese food. I come from Barrow, a provincial northern town.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02But we've had Chinese takeaways there since I was a boy
0:39:02 > 0:39:04and one of my favourite restaurants has been there for 30 years.
0:39:04 > 0:39:09I saw chop suey chow mein, egg foo yung, and I thought, "Brilliant!"
0:39:09 > 0:39:16It's interesting. Because Chinese cuisine has been part of our culinary heritage for so long,
0:39:16 > 0:39:23you actually lose sight of what the real cuisine is. It's been so anglicised over so many years
0:39:23 > 0:39:29- because it's been here for such a long time.- Like Singapore noodles? - Exactly.- Yeah, it's true, though.
0:39:29 > 0:39:34But that's part of the wonderful cosmopolitan nature of British food.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36It's got its own identity now.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40It's tasty and, to be honest, I love it.
0:39:40 > 0:39:46Once all the components are chopped, it should be time to get the pork out.
0:39:46 > 0:39:51- We're on, mate.- Lovely. - Beautiful.- Oh, look at that.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56- That's perfect.- Half of that in our dish?- I think so.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00And the other half for nibbling. Ho-ah! And this...
0:40:00 > 0:40:06Don't waste that lovely fat. What we'll do is we'll stick that in the wok.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13Now I'm just going to put some heat into that wok.
0:40:14 > 0:40:21A little bit more oil. Now at this point we want it over a medium heat,
0:40:21 > 0:40:28so not a mega-nuts high heat. And we're going to stir-fry off these lovely shiitake mushrooms,
0:40:28 > 0:40:34- the onion and red pepper. - It feels like a proper takeaway. Dave Si Chinese Takeaway!
0:40:34 > 0:40:37- It's the future.- I wouldn't mind.
0:40:37 > 0:40:41Let's get stir-frying!
0:40:42 > 0:40:48'Once your ingredients are in the pan, keep them moving. By stirring and tossing them in the wok,
0:40:48 > 0:40:53'it stops them burning and gets them all nicely browned.'
0:40:53 > 0:40:57While that's cooking, I can prep the pork. Let's cut this in half.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02Look at that. It's juicy on the inside, but it's cooked through.
0:41:02 > 0:41:07- So we'll cut that like so. Like so.- Oh, Dave!
0:41:07 > 0:41:10- See all that juice? - Yeah, I know.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14I'm gonna nick a bit. Can't resist.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Oh, that's fabulous.
0:41:19 > 0:41:23- Next...- The ginger and the garlic.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26'Mix them in and continue to stir-fry for a minute or so.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29'But don't let the garlic burn.
0:41:29 > 0:41:37'Then add two teaspoons of Madras curry powder. Add more if you like or one less if you prefer milder.'
0:41:37 > 0:41:44- Oh, yes! Now it's starting! - Isn't it?- Starting to smell like the Singapore noodles we know and love.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46In with the pork!
0:41:49 > 0:41:54In with the prawns! And these are just frozen prawns.
0:41:54 > 0:41:59They're pre-cooked, frozen, nothing fancy.
0:41:59 > 0:42:04- Spring onion.- Lovely. Look at that. - Look at the colours, though.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07- Fabulous, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:42:07 > 0:42:12- And just keep moving it around so it doesn't stick to the bottom. - Time for the noodles!
0:42:15 > 0:42:20Right, just separate these out. I put oil in so they'd be like this.
0:42:21 > 0:42:28- Now you almost have to knit the other ingredients into the noodles. - Use a fork or some chopsticks.
0:42:28 > 0:42:32Now you may have noticed there's no salt or soy gone in there.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37That's because we'll use the reserve marinade and the meat juices.
0:42:37 > 0:42:43- Should I?- Yes, please. - And this will just give us a bit more moisture.
0:42:45 > 0:42:52Sort of keep going... That's it. There you are, Kingy-san. How about that?
0:42:52 > 0:42:56Lovely. 'Once all the noodles are coated and piping hot, you're done.'
0:42:56 > 0:42:59Oh, look at those!
0:42:59 > 0:43:04Dish it up and garnish it with a few pieces of chopped chilli.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07There you are. Singapore noodles.
0:43:07 > 0:43:12- Via Hong Kong, via every high street takeaway in the country.- Look!
0:43:12 > 0:43:17Singapore noodles - everything that's great about a takeaway.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20Quick, easy and a fantastic fusion of flavours.
0:43:20 > 0:43:26Succulent prawns and pork with a kick of exciting flavour.
0:43:26 > 0:43:31Let's face it, Britain can be a little gloomy at times.
0:43:31 > 0:43:39So when it comes to a takeaway, no wonder we're drawn to colour, heat, spice and a hint of danger!
0:43:39 > 0:43:44Curry. Somehow it couldn't have been thought of anywhere else.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Intriguing. Colourful. Extraordinary.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52There's nothing that gets us Brits quite so fired up as a curry!
0:43:53 > 0:44:00Today there are over 9,000 curry houses in the UK. That's an industry worth over £3 billion.
0:44:00 > 0:44:03And that's just Dave's takeaway bill.
0:44:05 > 0:44:10But the British got a taste for the spicy stuff a long time ago.
0:44:10 > 0:44:14Our collective taste buds first tingled in the Georgian period
0:44:14 > 0:44:18as trade links with India rapidly expanded.
0:44:18 > 0:44:23The British who travelled there developed local dishes, adapted to their own palate.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26It soon found its way back to Blighty.
0:44:26 > 0:44:33The first Indian restaurant was opened in London in 1810 by Indian immigrant Dean Mahomed.
0:44:33 > 0:44:38Later on, even Queen Victoria enjoyed a chicken curry.
0:44:40 > 0:44:46But the real revolution in British Indian cuisine took place in the post-war years
0:44:46 > 0:44:48with a wave of immigration.
0:44:48 > 0:44:55They look different and they sound different and their tastes in matters of food are different.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59The new arrivals mainly consisted of young men
0:44:59 > 0:45:04and without their mum's home cooking they had to teach themselves.
0:45:04 > 0:45:11Luckily for those who were rubbish, others opened restaurants. But many of us locals were wary.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15It's hard to break the habits of a lifetime and eat with forks
0:45:15 > 0:45:19and curry has a very strong, very un-English smell.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23The '70s saw the British appetite for curry take off
0:45:23 > 0:45:28as restaurants began to pop up on our high streets everywhere.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30PEARL AND DEAN MUSIC
0:45:30 > 0:45:32Sorry! Excuse me!
0:45:32 > 0:45:40Come to the Oval Tandoori in the Brixton Road and see why so many customers recommend it.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44# Fire... #
0:45:44 > 0:45:50And young males set out to prove that they were man enough to eat even the hottest curry!
0:45:51 > 0:45:55- 'Ey, too hot for you, is it? - No, it's fine, is this. All right.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58You're looking really flushed.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00- # Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby!- #
0:46:00 > 0:46:04These days, our palate is much more sophisticated
0:46:04 > 0:46:10and British Indian cuisine has evolved into something truly innovative and exciting.
0:46:10 > 0:46:15Five Indian restaurants in England even boast a Michelin star status.
0:46:16 > 0:46:21Today in the Best of British kitchen, we focus on a classic.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25A dish us Brits have been lapping up out of foil containers for decades.
0:46:25 > 0:46:31- We are cooking... - # Vindaloo, vindaloo... #
0:46:31 > 0:46:37It's a great dish, once seen as a young man's rite of passage as he eats the hottest curry on the menu,
0:46:37 > 0:46:42but, cooked properly, a vindaloo is a sophisticated dish.
0:46:42 > 0:46:46There is an element of heat to it, but that's not all.
0:46:46 > 0:46:52It's about the layers of flavours and spice. That's what we're going to show you today.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57The vindaloo originated as a stew brought over to India by Portuguese colonists.
0:46:57 > 0:47:04- Its name derives from the Portuguese words...- Vinhos meaning wine and alhos meaning garlic.
0:47:04 > 0:47:10Over the years, it evolved into one of the most popular curries on the planet.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Right. Let's begin our vindaloo.
0:47:12 > 0:47:17- Right. You on lamb, me onions. - I'm going to take this lovely lamb
0:47:17 > 0:47:21- and just trim it off a little bit. - We're using shoulder of lamb.
0:47:21 > 0:47:26It's great for curries. You want a certain amount of fat,
0:47:26 > 0:47:32but it's best to trim off the stringy bits. Like the base of many curries,
0:47:32 > 0:47:37it starts off with a pan of fried onions.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42Once you've chopped the onions, fry them until nicely browned.
0:47:44 > 0:47:51Now this is what we're going to do. We've cut through these lovely pieces of shoulder of lamb.
0:47:51 > 0:47:57We've taken the sinew off and we add two tablespoons of oil.
0:47:57 > 0:47:58One.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00Two.
0:48:00 > 0:48:05And 100ml of red wine vinegar. Now...
0:48:05 > 0:48:10the reason that I'm mentioning very clearly the amount of vinegar that goes into it,
0:48:10 > 0:48:16it cannot be done by eye. If you don't measure it, it becomes too vinegary.
0:48:16 > 0:48:23- You want the flavours to balance. - It's like eating curried pickles! - 100ml of red wine vinegar.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25There we go.
0:48:25 > 0:48:30Going back to the late '70s, in Indian restaurants,
0:48:30 > 0:48:37it wasn't really the character of the dishes that came out. It was the Richter scale of titles.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40- There was the korma. - Which was fine.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43- Then the madras.- Slightly hotter.
0:48:43 > 0:48:49- Then there was the vindaloo.- Which blew your socks off.- And Bangalore phal.- Which blew your toupee off.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53But there was all this male bravado.
0:48:53 > 0:48:59"I can eat the hottest curry round the corner." That's not what it's about. It's about flavour.
0:48:59 > 0:49:04Now we want about two teaspoons of salt and then what we'll do
0:49:04 > 0:49:09is we're going to make sure the lamb shoulder is combined
0:49:09 > 0:49:11with those three ingredients.
0:49:11 > 0:49:16We're going to cover it in cling film and stick it in the fridge
0:49:16 > 0:49:20and we're going to chill it down and marinade it for two hours.
0:49:20 > 0:49:27But you'll be pleased to hear that I've got one that I did earlier and I'm just going to get it.
0:49:27 > 0:49:34- So can we leave that overnight and have another vindaloo tomorrow? - Yes.- Yes! Back of the net!- Right.
0:49:35 > 0:49:43'The marinade not only adds depths of flavour, it also helps the lamb stay soft and tender when it cooks.
0:49:43 > 0:49:49'After a couple of hours, take the lamb out, but keep the marinade. We'll use it to add flavour later.'
0:49:49 > 0:49:55Now we're going to fry off in batches our lovely marinated shoulder of lamb.
0:49:55 > 0:50:00In batches because we don't want to overcrowd the pan and want colour on the meat.
0:50:00 > 0:50:04As soon as this has got a bit of colour on, I'll set it aside.
0:50:07 > 0:50:13- That's what we're after! - 'Next up, it's the vindaloo curry paste.
0:50:13 > 0:50:17'Roughly chop a medium-sized onion and chuck it in a processor,
0:50:17 > 0:50:24'followed by six cloves of garlic, 25g of chopped ginger and three big red chillies.'
0:50:24 > 0:50:31And I'm going to leave the seeds in. If you don't like it too hot, then take the seeds out,
0:50:31 > 0:50:36- but if you don't like it hot, you wouldn't cook a vindaloo!- No.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39These are quite mild babies.
0:50:39 > 0:50:41Now the big guns.
0:50:41 > 0:50:45Just like Guy Fawkes, mix together your explosives.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49- One tablespoon of English mustard. - One tablespoon of ground cumin.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53- One tablespoon of ground coriander. - One tablespoon of paprika.
0:50:53 > 0:50:59- Two teaspoons of turmeric for colour.- And two teaspoons of cayenne pepper.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03And just to temper it, one teaspoon of cinnamon.
0:51:03 > 0:51:07There we go. That should come with a health warning. Ready to rock!
0:51:09 > 0:51:12And process this to a paste.
0:51:12 > 0:51:13Ooh.
0:51:15 > 0:51:19- They look good, mate. - Lush, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:51:19 > 0:51:20Right.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24That's the paste. Whoa!
0:51:24 > 0:51:30There seems to be a lot of paste there, but that's what you want for your vindaloo.
0:51:30 > 0:51:35- Get your snegger in there. - Oh, hey, man!
0:51:35 > 0:51:40Put that in with the onions and we need to cook this paste off.
0:51:40 > 0:51:46- Hairy Bikers' vindaloo paste. - Flamin' Nora! That's brilliant. Oh, look at that.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53Now don't say that we're shy with our spices.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56- Look at that. - WHEEZES
0:51:56 > 0:51:58That'll be it, then?
0:52:01 > 0:52:06That does tend to kick off a little! That's what you want.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10Look. This is what we're trying to get - a little bit of gloss,
0:52:10 > 0:52:14a little bit of brown and caramelisation.
0:52:14 > 0:52:19- At that point, take it out, set it aside, ready for the main curry. - Beautiful.
0:52:19 > 0:52:26- Like a well-buffed set of country brogues. Time now to imprison the vindaloo.- Crack on!
0:52:26 > 0:52:29Put the spices into the pot.
0:52:29 > 0:52:35Throw the meat in with the spice and again those resting juices go in, too.
0:52:35 > 0:52:43We give that a whisk round. Now the spices are kissing and caressing the marinated braised lamb.
0:52:43 > 0:52:44PURRS
0:52:44 > 0:52:50- No, no, not like that! I'd sooner have the spice. - That's nice, isn't it(?)
0:52:50 > 0:52:56- 20 years as your mate... - I'm not good with contact! - He doesn't like it!
0:52:56 > 0:52:59- I went for a massage ONCE. - Come here.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01Loosen up.
0:53:01 > 0:53:06- Give your mate a cuddle. - I am loose.- Crack on. Go on.
0:53:06 > 0:53:10- Look at that.- If that doesn't already look like a vindaloo,
0:53:10 > 0:53:16- I'll eat my own feet. - It does look like a vindaloo. - It does.- A vindaloo.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21Now place the reserved marinade back into the vindaloo.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25Add half a litre of water.
0:53:25 > 0:53:31- Just to make it even hotter! - There's not much chilli in there! - It doesn't matter!
0:53:31 > 0:53:35It's a slow build. Whoo! I feel good.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39- # Doodle-oodle-oodle-doo!- # Now what appears to be essential...
0:53:39 > 0:53:46although I don't know where the flavour's going to come from - a couple of bay leaves.
0:53:46 > 0:53:52It may be slightly choked with flavour, but they may add something. And it's in the recipe.
0:53:52 > 0:53:54And two teaspoons of salt.
0:53:56 > 0:54:03'Give it one more stir and cover it with a cartouche, which is simply a piece of baking parchment.
0:54:03 > 0:54:09'Pop on a lid and then it goes into the oven at 180 degrees C for 45 minutes.'
0:54:09 > 0:54:14- We're going to put you somewhere nice and warm now.- Ready?- Yes.
0:54:14 > 0:54:18- # Vindaloo... # - Will you put it in the oven?!
0:54:18 > 0:54:22'While you're waiting, peel 500g of potatoes and cut them into chunks.
0:54:22 > 0:54:27'Just a friendly warning - you might need a radiation suit now.'
0:54:27 > 0:54:33Look at this. The oven's like that, going...a-wom! A-wom!
0:54:33 > 0:54:38- Our oven.- This is like Homer Simpson sitting in Springfield, isn't it?
0:54:38 > 0:54:40Oh, yeah, smells lovely, doesn't it?
0:54:40 > 0:54:41Aye.
0:54:43 > 0:54:45I tell you what...
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Whoo!
0:54:47 > 0:54:49Look at that.
0:54:49 > 0:54:56- Aw, look! That looks like vindaloo! - I love it when you get the fat just floating.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Now put the potatoes in.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04- Look at the colour of that. - Then stir those potatoes in.
0:55:04 > 0:55:07Oh, look. Mmm. Oh, man.
0:55:08 > 0:55:13Then it's back into the oven for another hour.
0:55:13 > 0:55:18- If you were a curry, what would you be?- A Masala Dosa. That's what I would be.
0:55:18 > 0:55:26And, you know, the coconut chutney and a lovely crisp outer and a soft, gooey inner. What would you be?
0:55:26 > 0:55:30- Biryani.- Why? - Just a big biryani.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33One-pot wonder.
0:55:37 > 0:55:42- I canna' hold it, Captain! Get it out the oven! - Time to unleash the behemoth!
0:55:44 > 0:55:48- It's like the gates of Mordor opening!- There is a wall of fumes.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51Go on. Hold your breath.
0:55:56 > 0:56:01- Ooh, yes, look at that. - Beautiful. Oh, that's nice.
0:56:01 > 0:56:05- She's looking awfully fine. - Lovely, actually.
0:56:09 > 0:56:14- That is a real vindaloo. - Beautiful. Beautiful.
0:56:14 > 0:56:19'Finish the dish off with a little sprig of coriander and a naan.
0:56:19 > 0:56:24'And topped with a little raita to take the edge off the heat.'
0:56:24 > 0:56:30- Now the end if near and we face the final curtain.- Great. - But more, much more than this...
0:56:30 > 0:56:32let's do it our way!
0:56:32 > 0:56:37Texture's great. Look at that lamb disintegrating.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39- That's a good curry.- Whoo.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41- Oh!- It's just right, though.
0:56:41 > 0:56:47It's all there, but it's not just heat. Makes you gasp, like.
0:56:47 > 0:56:51- All those balanced flavours. - Oh, aye.- Look at that.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- That's takeaway at its best. - That's home cooking.- Exactly.
0:56:55 > 0:57:00- You don't even need to make the phone call.- It's a takeaway turned.
0:57:01 > 0:57:07Tender lamb that melts in your mouth and spices that erupt on your tongue.
0:57:07 > 0:57:12The vindaloo is most definitely a king amongst curries.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16British cuisine is so exciting and dynamic
0:57:16 > 0:57:22because it's the result of the coming together of our own rich heritage with that of people
0:57:22 > 0:57:25from all over the world who have made Britain their home.
0:57:25 > 0:57:27Combined with our own travelling experiences...
0:57:27 > 0:57:30..We have the most unique cuisine in the world
0:57:30 > 0:57:34in terms of its inclusiveness and variety.
0:57:34 > 0:57:38And that is something we should all be very proud of.
0:57:38 > 0:57:45If you want to find out more about the series, visit:
0:57:45 > 0:57:49And discover some amazing facts about the history of food.
0:57:49 > 0:57:54And to find out how to cook up the recipes in today's show.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:12 > 0:58:16E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk