0:00:02 > 0:00:06We believe Britain has the best food in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Our glorious country boasts fantastic ingredients.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Start eating it, will you?
0:00:14 > 0:00:16'It's home to amazing producers...'
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- My goodness gracious, that is epic. - Isn't it?
0:00:21 > 0:00:23'..and innovative chefs.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:27But our islands also have a fascinating food history.
0:00:27 > 0:00:34The fish and chip shops of South Wales are running out of chips.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36BOTH: Yes!
0:00:36 > 0:00:39And in this series, we're uncovering revealing stories
0:00:39 > 0:00:40of our rich culinary past.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44Now, there is food history on a plate.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45MOOING
0:00:45 > 0:00:47As well as meeting our nation's food heroes
0:00:47 > 0:00:50who are keeping this heritage alive.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Let's have them enjoying themselves.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54It's a short life, let's make it a happy one
0:00:54 > 0:00:56like they always have had.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58And, of course, we'll be cooking up a load of dishes
0:00:58 > 0:01:01that reveal our foody evolution.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Spring, summer, autumn or winter, it's brilliant.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10BOTH: Quite simply, the best of British.
0:01:22 > 0:01:24MOTORBIKE ENGINE REVS
0:01:26 > 0:01:30DAVE WHISTLES FRENCH NATIONAL ANTHEM
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Us Brits, you see, we're a bit in awe of our foody French neighbours.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- MOCK FRENCH ACCENT:- With their wines so fine,
0:01:36 > 0:01:37their cheeses so suurrrft,
0:01:37 > 0:01:42their meals so civilised and their farmers so passionate.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44Many of us dreamed of moving there
0:01:44 > 0:01:47and growing old in a gastronomic wonderland.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50- Zut alors!- Sacrebleu, mangetout!
0:01:50 > 0:01:53MUSIC: "Oxygene IV" by Jean Michel Jarre
0:01:53 > 0:01:55But these days, there's no need to leave.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58The gastronomic wonderland is here.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01After you've eaten this, you'll not be snogging for a good while.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03And while it's true to say
0:02:03 > 0:02:06that the French would rather choke on a truffle than bestow us
0:02:06 > 0:02:08with any cooking credibility...
0:02:08 > 0:02:11FRENCH ACCENT: I have no understand exactly what it is.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15..the sheer variety and quality of British ingredients means
0:02:15 > 0:02:18they're now having to swallow more than just their words.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Oh, that beef is amazing.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23- DAVE LAUGHS - 'But combining our quality produce
0:02:23 > 0:02:25'with their tried-and-tested culinary intuition...'
0:02:25 > 0:02:28It's fantastic, isn't it?
0:02:28 > 0:02:30'..is perhaps as good a way as any
0:02:30 > 0:02:33'to start celebrating our French connection.'
0:02:33 > 0:02:35We take the best of France
0:02:35 > 0:02:37and pair it with the best of what we've got.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40And of course it's a great way of reminding them
0:02:40 > 0:02:42that despite their misgivings about our cooking,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44we're now pretty good at it ourselves.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50The neighbours that we love to hate, we salute you.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52BELL RINGS
0:02:54 > 0:02:58But alas, here is documentary evidence that not so long ago,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00British cooking wasn't much to shout about.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02# Somewhere beyond the sea... #
0:03:02 > 0:03:06In the mid-'60s, Man Alive visited a town in Kent to see
0:03:06 > 0:03:10how they were going to try and cash in on French appetites.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13This summer, British seaside towns will be exposed
0:03:13 > 0:03:16to the day tripper as never before.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Thanks to new cross-channel hovercraft services,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22one town hoping for a rush of francs to the bank is Ramsgate.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25We may not be able to do anything about the weather,
0:03:25 > 0:03:26but what about food?
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Ramsgate's publicity officer John Hackett has been studying
0:03:29 > 0:03:31the visitors and their complaints.
0:03:31 > 0:03:37We feel that if a foreigner is visiting England
0:03:37 > 0:03:41and staying in Ramsgate, it gives them a change
0:03:41 > 0:03:44if they try to adapt their ways to ours.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- In other words, they've got to accept what you offer?- Yes.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51So what can a day tripper from Calais reasonably expect?
0:03:51 > 0:03:55This morning, we have on ham sandwiches,
0:03:55 > 0:03:59pressed chicken sandwiches, cheese sandwiches,
0:03:59 > 0:04:04biscuits, sweets, chocolates, ice cream and tea and coffee.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08- Real coffee or instant coffee? - Um...
0:04:08 > 0:04:11it has been our general practice to use instant coffee.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Ramsgate wasn't alone.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18It would've been a similar picture across the country,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22as restaurant critic, Egon Ronay, was well aware.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26I would say it would be highly dangerous to just drift
0:04:26 > 0:04:28into any old place in this country to eat.
0:04:28 > 0:04:30All sorts of terrible things can happen.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38You see, in the 20th century, British cuisine suffered a crisis.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Years of industrialisation, two world wars and rationing
0:04:41 > 0:04:43meant that, out of necessity,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47taste really couldn't be a priority when it came to our diet.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50It's no surprise, then, that for a few decades our food became
0:04:50 > 0:04:53more about convenience than passion.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55A fact not lost on our French critics
0:04:55 > 0:04:58and no more clearly expressed than in this clip
0:04:58 > 0:05:02which proves things hadn't improved much by 1974.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Every year, a million foreign tourists come ashore at Dover
0:05:06 > 0:05:09hungry for their first glimpse of the white cliffs
0:05:09 > 0:05:13and their first taste of traditional English cooking.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16John, John? We want some more steaks.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Have you gone to any special lengths
0:05:18 > 0:05:21to keep the continental customers happy?
0:05:21 > 0:05:23I wouldn't say special lengths, no.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26You haven't laid on any special dishes for them?
0:05:26 > 0:05:30No, I've always cooked in the manner that I'd like to see food.
0:05:30 > 0:05:36Inside, £400 worth of rock hard fillet, rump and sirloin steaks.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39An ex-insurance salesman, fruit canner and British Rail cashier,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42he prepares every dish himself.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44FROZEN MEAT BANGS ON TABLE
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Oooh, that's not the sound of a happy steak!
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Ah, nothing that five-day-old fat wouldn't sort out!
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- FRENCH ACCENT:- What is different here,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57it's with cooking with butter.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02Perhaps...next time, I prefer grilled.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05- Did you like the vegetables? - It's, er...it's English.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10It's no wonder that British food suffered a bit of an image problem
0:06:10 > 0:06:12amongst Gallic gourmets.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Thank heavens that, for the most part,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20those days of indifference and complacency are well behind us.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24MUSIC: "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" by Edith Piaf
0:06:24 > 0:06:27# Non, rien de rien... #
0:06:27 > 0:06:31These days, some French dishes have become incredibly well-suited
0:06:31 > 0:06:32to our tastes and produce.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36# Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait... #
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Take beef bourguignon. It's become a British staple.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45This is one of the dishes that reignited our love affair
0:06:45 > 0:06:46- with food in the UK.- Yep.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Because we kind of thought, "Do you know, we can do this
0:06:50 > 0:06:53"and actually, with the produce that we have in the UK,
0:06:53 > 0:06:58"we can do it better than our lovely French cousins."
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Right, first off, I'm going to make "lardon".
0:07:01 > 0:07:05- No, I'm not, I'm going to make "bacon pieces".- Yeah, he is.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Now, look at this beautiful piece of chuck or braising steak
0:07:09 > 0:07:12depending on what you fancy calling it. It's a lovely thing.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16I'm going to cut these into cubes and we're going to season them
0:07:16 > 0:07:17with salt and pepper.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22Of course, we were eating beef while the French were still
0:07:22 > 0:07:27kind of slaughtering and surviving on leftover dairy cows.
0:07:27 > 0:07:28Historically as well,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32during the French Revolution lots of the fantastic chefs that were
0:07:32 > 0:07:35cooking in the palaces came to the UK
0:07:35 > 0:07:38with some fantastic, fantastic dishes.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41Kind of led by Alexis Soyer who came to cook at the Reform Club
0:07:41 > 0:07:44and he brought with him some dishes from the country,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47from Burgundy like the bourguignon and the coq au vin.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51This was followed by kind of Escoffier who came to
0:07:51 > 0:07:55work at The Savoy and actually the first recipe for boeuf bourguignon
0:07:55 > 0:07:59was published by Escoffier in 1903 in his Cuisine Culinaire.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06'Season your beef with lots of salt and pepper.'
0:08:06 > 0:08:08'And whilst I've a spare pair of hands,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11'I'll chop up a big onion for later.'
0:08:13 > 0:08:16It's amazing on the food front now, I mean...
0:08:16 > 0:08:20our whiskies going over to France, our cheeses going over to France,
0:08:20 > 0:08:24our chefs are going over to France and now, our beef is being
0:08:24 > 0:08:27exported to France which, 10 years ago, would've been unthinkable.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29It certainly would, absolutely.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32We're going to fry the beef off in batches.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34It'll take a little time because we want it brown.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36- Do you know what I'll do? - What's that, mucker?
0:08:36 > 0:08:39We want some peeled baby onions for later.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41I'm going to blanche some onions
0:08:41 > 0:08:44and set about the process of peeling them.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48'We're using around 24 baby onions which are a swine to peel
0:08:48 > 0:08:50'but if you soak them in water for five minutes,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53'it makes it a lot easier.'
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Right, I'm going to drain these onions off,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57cold water and start to peel them.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04Start peeling them at the top end and go towards the root
0:09:04 > 0:09:08and keep the root intact because then when you cut the onion,
0:09:08 > 0:09:09it's not going to fall apart.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I'll be here for some time, but it's worth it.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15These onions are more than just an addition.
0:09:18 > 0:09:21'Once your beef is browned, pop in your bacon bits.'
0:09:23 > 0:09:26And just fry them till they let out all that fantastic,
0:09:26 > 0:09:29fantastic fat and they go a little bit crispy.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32Do you know, there are many French chefs now in Britain
0:09:32 > 0:09:36who are plying their wares to great success in the steps of Escoffier.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Raymond Blanc, for instance.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42He brings over the best of France and, you know, we love him.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44- Yeah, and the Roux brothers. - The Roux brothers, yeah.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51'Once the bacon's nice and crispy, we can add it to the casserole dish
0:09:51 > 0:09:54'before sauteing that big onion Dave chopped up earlier.'
0:09:54 > 0:09:56# C'est bon! #
0:09:56 > 0:09:58# I want you to get together... #
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- Oh, you do some onions, let me do some cooking?- I'll swap you.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03DAVE SIGHS IN RELIEF
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Now, to the onions, crush a couple of cloves of garlic.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08BOTH CHEER
0:10:08 > 0:10:11- Go on, Dave, ring the changes. - Garlic, eh?
0:10:11 > 0:10:12Now, that's a symbol of France.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18- 'But we're using world-class British garlic.- Whoo-hoo!'
0:10:18 > 0:10:24Right, onions and garlic go in on top of there. Now, the wine.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27A bottle of red wine goes into this.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30And I always remember old Floyd used to say,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33"Don't cook with wine that you're not prepared to drink,"
0:10:33 > 0:10:35and he's right.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Now, deglaze this plan with the red
0:10:37 > 0:10:39cos there are some flavour monsters in there.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Pain in a neck these onions, aren't they?
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Yes, but the thing is when they're stewed up with the mushrooms,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50they're as much a part of the boeuf bourguignon as the beef.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54Now, put that back on the heat, pour in the wine.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Bon.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59'Top it up with 150 ml of water before popping it on the heat.'
0:11:00 > 0:11:04Some tomato puree, couple of tablespoons.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06And a boeuf stock cube.
0:11:06 > 0:11:07THEY CHUCKLE
0:11:07 > 0:11:11It's ironic, that boeuf bourguignon was originally a peasant dish
0:11:11 > 0:11:15from the Bourgogne, from the Burgundy district in France
0:11:15 > 0:11:19and it rapidly found its way into kind of a haute cuisine dish.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22And it's a stew that's got rich and wonderful heritage
0:11:22 > 0:11:26and we thank the French for this one. Now we can add the herbage.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30Two fat bay leaves. Some thyme.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Two or three sprigs, I would just put them in,
0:11:33 > 0:11:34you can always pick them out.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38'Mix in these herbs and when we start to simmer,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40'it's time for the oven.'
0:11:40 > 0:11:43Right, I want a good ripple on there.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Put that into a preheated oven, 150 degrees Celsius for a fan oven
0:11:46 > 0:11:49for about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half
0:11:49 > 0:11:53or until Mr Bully Beef is tender in his bath of French wine.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56# Boom bang-a-bang Boom bang-a-bang... #
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Wahey!
0:11:58 > 0:12:02'Plenty of time to finish peeling these bleeding onions!'
0:12:08 > 0:12:10'But before that beef comes out,
0:12:10 > 0:12:14'I need to chop up 300 grams of chestnut mushrooms.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17'And the baby onions need sauteing in olive oil and butter.'
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Put a little bit of colour on them.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Season them a little bit, job's a good 'un.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24ACCORDION MUSIC PLAYS
0:12:26 > 0:12:29- Shall we look at it and see how the beef's doing?- Yeah.
0:12:29 > 0:12:31It should be tender but don't worry if it's not
0:12:31 > 0:12:35- because it's got another three quarters of an hour to cook.- Ooh!
0:12:35 > 0:12:38- It's dark.- Oooh, look at that. Beautiful.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Right, let's put those onions in.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45To me, this is the best part of a boeuf bourguignon,
0:12:45 > 0:12:47the little baby onion.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49What we're looking for is some nice golden colour
0:12:49 > 0:12:51on the skins of those baby onions.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Just so the natural sugars come out of them a little bit
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and start to caramelise. Lovely.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01'You'll need to thicken your sauce with two tablespoons of cornflour
0:13:01 > 0:13:03'mixed with two tablespoons of water.'
0:13:03 > 0:13:05We want this quite thick because there's going to be quite
0:13:05 > 0:13:08a lot of water comes out the mushrooms.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11- That's thickened up a treat. - Right, mate, they're getting there
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- so I can put my mushrooms in now. - Yep.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18- I have a confession.- What?
0:13:18 > 0:13:23It's a bit of a cross-cultural thing but I love my boeuf bourguignon
0:13:23 > 0:13:26- with Yorkshire pudding.- Oh, superb. - Yeah.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34Just bury those wonderful sauteed mushrooms and baby onions
0:13:34 > 0:13:39in that red wine and beef. Ooh, doesn't get much better, does it?
0:13:39 > 0:13:42- Look at that, Si.- Fabulous.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45That needs to go back into the oven, same temperature,
0:13:45 > 0:13:49150 degrees for another 45 minutes.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52FRENCH NATIONAL ANTHEM PLAYS
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Let us experience a l'entente cordiale on a plate.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03- Oh, mais oui, mes amis! - Oh, it's heavy.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- Oh, yes.- Aw, hey, man!
0:14:08 > 0:14:13- Shall we check the seasoning before we commit?- Oui!
0:14:15 > 0:14:16I think that's perfect.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24That's more perfect than having a night out
0:14:24 > 0:14:26with Brigitte Bardot and Jeanne Moreau
0:14:26 > 0:14:29when they were both in their prime, it's that good.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30- Je t'aime.- Oh, oui.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39A little bit of potatoes Lyonnaise, another favourite.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43A symphony of potatoes and onions and stock. Oh!
0:14:45 > 0:14:47- Purple sprouting broccoli? - Oh, go on, purple sprout.
0:14:49 > 0:14:55- Oh, man, Dave, man, hinny, man, pet, man, love, man, love!- I know.
0:14:58 > 0:15:04- Great British produce in a great French dish.- Mmm.
0:15:04 > 0:15:05The smashing heritage.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11- But look at the lustre that that red wine gravy's got on.- Beautiful.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16- Oh, that beef is amazing. - Absolutely.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18If you want to do a good boeuf bourguignon,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22that's a really good recipe to follow and the thing is,
0:15:22 > 0:15:23make a big panful.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26It will freeze but that will taste even better tomorrow.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33The neighbours that we love to hate, we salute you.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43'In addition to exchanging recipes like this,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46'we've also, over the years, had a healthy exchange
0:15:46 > 0:15:48'of cooking talent across the Channel.'
0:15:50 > 0:15:53'But some of the greatest French chefs who worked in the UK
0:15:53 > 0:15:55'came here not out of pity,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58'but out of respect for what we could achieve in the kitchen.'
0:16:00 > 0:16:04'For Ivan Day, there's one cook who exemplifies this relationship
0:16:04 > 0:16:05'more than any other.'
0:16:08 > 0:16:11For me, one of the most extraordinary stories
0:16:11 > 0:16:13about a French chef coming to England
0:16:13 > 0:16:17happened in 1870 when an extraordinary man
0:16:17 > 0:16:21called Felix Urbain-Dubois who was chef de cuisine
0:16:21 > 0:16:24- to the Emperor of Prussia...- Pfff! - ..he came to England
0:16:24 > 0:16:29but he specialised in a particular type of cuisine which was
0:16:29 > 0:16:32real haute cuisine, the highest type of cuisine you could imagine.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36- These are the sort of dishes...- Wow! - ..that he's preparing
0:16:36 > 0:16:40and it was technically very, very, very challenging.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41OPERATIC SINGING
0:16:41 > 0:16:43Whilst Urbain lived in the UK,
0:16:43 > 0:16:48he wrote at least three cookery books in English, for the English.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51But books and dishes like this
0:16:51 > 0:16:53weren't aimed at your average chef at home.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58You'd only ever have attempted concoctions like this
0:16:58 > 0:17:01if you worked in well-equipped and highly-skilled kitchens
0:17:01 > 0:17:03of the British nobility.
0:17:05 > 0:17:10This is the most grandiose food probably ever consumed
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- in the history of Europe. - What an amazing book.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Some of the illustrations are absolutely fantastic.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20So basically, you can see this is a dish of pheasant but these stands
0:17:20 > 0:17:25that they're sitting are not what you think, this isn't silverware,
0:17:25 > 0:17:29or ceramics. They're made out of lard.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- What?- They're sculpted out of lard.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35I was just thinking, can you imagine the lord and master,
0:17:35 > 0:17:39he's bought that book and he's gone down to see Cook and say,
0:17:39 > 0:17:43"Guess what I've got?" And can you imagine what Cook thought?
0:17:43 > 0:17:47Did Cook think, "Hmm, professional challenge," or "Oh, heck!"
0:17:47 > 0:17:48The interesting thing is,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50despite the fact that this cook worked
0:17:50 > 0:17:52for the crowned heads of Europe,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56he had some very good things to say about England and English food.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58For instance, here he says,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02"It is a fact worthy of notice that in England,
0:18:02 > 0:18:07"culinary art is more cultivated than in any other country,"
0:18:07 > 0:18:11so this man is holding English cuisine in very high regard.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13He's not being patronising.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Do you think it was do with the Industrial Revolution?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17We had money then, didn't we?
0:18:17 > 0:18:20We also had amazingly skilful manufactories
0:18:20 > 0:18:24and one of the other things that gets said by other French chefs
0:18:24 > 0:18:27was how good English cooking equipment was.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Extraordinary saucepans, kettles, moulds.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34That's a lovely bit of kit, isn't it? And that's a pastry mould?
0:18:34 > 0:18:38- It's a pastry mould and, in fact, it's like a corset.- Yeah.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41This bit goes in here like that so the heat can
0:18:41 > 0:18:44get in to the centre because it hasn't got very far to go.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46That's why a lot of these pies are that shape.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50That's the sort of thing that these people are referring to,
0:18:50 > 0:18:52so it was a good place to work.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54The thing about his type of cookery is it's extinct.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56It's completely extinct.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Nobody cooks like this any more because you really need
0:18:59 > 0:19:02a brigade of about 20 people just making the pastry.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07We've not got anything like the resources
0:19:07 > 0:19:09that Dubois had to hand.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13But between the three of us, I'm sure we can knock something up.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17So, if we go to the sort of Janet and John book number one page...
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- THEY CHUCKLE - Hot entrees.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24And we've got this hot entrees here, but one that appealed to me,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27because it's possible for us to make it,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31was this one here which is called a pate chaud de mariniere
0:19:31 > 0:19:35which is basically a fish dish, if you like.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Fortunately, Ivan's already one step ahead of the game
0:19:39 > 0:19:43and using his fine British mould, has already made the pastry.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44And would that be eaten, Ivan?
0:19:44 > 0:19:49He actually says in his text for the recipe that this case
0:19:49 > 0:19:53isn't normally eaten so it's more for display than anything
0:19:53 > 0:19:56so what we're going to do is we're going to make this
0:19:56 > 0:20:01Urbain-Dubois pate chaud and the first thing we need to do is
0:20:01 > 0:20:05to make some quenelle and in his books, he tells us
0:20:05 > 0:20:08how to do this. A very popular way of making quenelle
0:20:08 > 0:20:12was with two identical spoons. Have you done this with spoons?
0:20:12 > 0:20:17- He's good at quenelles.- He's a master?- Yeah.- Well, here we go then.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20'A quenelle's basically a posh dumpling.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24'Breadcrumbs, fish, egg, butter, seasoning AND bechamel sauce
0:20:24 > 0:20:29'all go into these before they're poached in a rich, meaty stock.'
0:20:29 > 0:20:33That's lovely. Good lad, perfect. Urbain-Dubois would be proud of you.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38'Meanwhile, I've got some crayfish to shell for the decoration.'
0:20:41 > 0:20:44'And there's loads more to go in the filling.'
0:20:45 > 0:20:49'But the real flavour of this dish comes from the sauce.'
0:20:49 > 0:20:53This sauce is a Norman sauce, sauce normande,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56and I'd like you to taste it because it's actually meat-based
0:20:56 > 0:21:00and then it's had a truffle poached in it which is very unusual.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- Goodness, that's amazing.- Oh! - Oh, wow.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09'We add this to the mushroom and crayfish to complete the filling.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:13'But remember, we're not just recreating the flavours here,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15'we're recreating the look.'
0:21:16 > 0:21:23We fill up the croustade with a layer of those.
0:21:23 > 0:21:28And then when we get about halfway up, we put in some of these.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32What we're doing here is we're building up our layers.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36We've got to build it up in a pyramid.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39'Once the filling's in, Ivan tops the dish
0:21:39 > 0:21:43'with a specially made quenelle embedded with truffles,
0:21:43 > 0:21:45'before adding our finishing touches.'
0:21:48 > 0:21:51It's fantastic, isn't it?
0:21:52 > 0:21:57- Mad.- It's staggering, isn't it? - It is staggering and it's fantastic.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58What a great glimpse into the past.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- But what does it taste like, Ivan? - Well, I think...
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- Are we really going to destroy that?- Yes.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09'Thanks to cooks like Urbain-Dubois, our aristocracy would have been
0:22:09 > 0:22:12'more than familiar with elaborate dishes like this.'
0:22:12 > 0:22:14MUSIC: The Can-Can
0:22:14 > 0:22:17'But this starter is only the tip of the iceberg
0:22:17 > 0:22:20'of a bygone culinary tradition and skillset
0:22:20 > 0:22:25'that was as relevant here as it was over there, in France.'
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- Mmm, it's punchy.- Beautiful.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32Quite apart from looking fab, it's a great, great plate of food.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36- Fits with the empty plate, doesn't it?- Vive la France.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38- Vive la dif-France. - IVAN CHUCKLES
0:22:44 > 0:22:46It might only be 21 miles away but,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49unless you were a really good swimmer...
0:22:49 > 0:22:51..it wasn't really until the introduction
0:22:51 > 0:22:57of the drive-on/drive-off ferry in 1953 and the hovercraft in 1959
0:22:57 > 0:23:01that getting to France became a really affordable option.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05After that, there was no stopping us.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10Come the '60s, more and more of us were braving the seas on a day trip.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13# We are sailing
0:23:13 > 0:23:16# We are sailing... #
0:23:16 > 0:23:21For many, it would be our first experience of foreign ways.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23'French food might be a bit different from ours.
0:23:23 > 0:23:28'If they do eat things like snails' legs, I don't really mind.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30'It's up to them.'
0:23:30 > 0:23:33- What did you expect, then? - All French foods.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35What sort of things?
0:23:35 > 0:23:40Like spaghetti bologneses and frogs' legs and snails and all that.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45- What did you have for lunch?- Egg and chips.- Did you try any French wine?
0:23:46 > 0:23:50- Yes, it was very sickly. - Would you try it again?- No!
0:23:51 > 0:23:53But no doubt, over future years,
0:23:53 > 0:23:55she'd grow to develop a taste for it.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59And it would be then that the French day trip
0:23:59 > 0:24:01would really come into its own.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06# I've got a ticket on a ferry ride... #
0:24:08 > 0:24:12The phenomena that would come to be termed "the booze cruise"
0:24:12 > 0:24:16was born in the '70s but by the '90s, business was exploding.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21And it was a campaign that was undertaken with military precision.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26It's Operation Alarm Call - destination: Calais,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30mission: to bring home the bacon... and booze and cheese
0:24:30 > 0:24:33and anything else that takes your fancy.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36I have all the beer on a trolley and all the wine in the bag.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38I'm hoping to have a very good day.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And an even better afterwards when I get the stuff back!
0:24:44 > 0:24:47The French hypermarkets offered the English shoppers
0:24:47 > 0:24:49a novel and exciting experience.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53But they weren't called "booze cruises" for nothing.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Well, for me personally, I came to get the cheap drink.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02The money you save on the cost of the trip, it just pays for itself.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06# Down at the Ferryboat Inn
0:25:06 > 0:25:09# Everybody's making merry... #
0:25:10 > 0:25:14'Inside the hypermarket, Paul has already made a start loading up
0:25:14 > 0:25:18'with beer which works out at about 25 pence a pint.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22'Last week, an overloaded coach had to take off 7,500 bottles of beer
0:25:22 > 0:25:24'and leave them in a barn.'
0:25:24 > 0:25:27# Down at the Ferryboat Inn... #
0:25:27 > 0:25:32In 1993, the Chamber of Commerce in Calais estimated that
0:25:32 > 0:25:36some 500 million litres of alcohol was sold.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40That's enough to fill 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44And most of that was beer, over 700 million pints.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47That's 11 pints for every Briton.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Yes, we certainly know a bargain when we see it.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58But it's not just cheap alcohol
0:25:58 > 0:26:01we should be thanking our French chums for.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05If there's one thing they're inexorably linked with,
0:26:05 > 0:26:07it's the quality of their wine.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11Medoc, Pomerol, Minervois and Champagne
0:26:11 > 0:26:13are just some of the localities in France
0:26:13 > 0:26:16where the geography, geology and climate...
0:26:16 > 0:26:19..or as the French might say, "le terroir",
0:26:19 > 0:26:21have combined to produce excellent wines
0:26:21 > 0:26:23highly regarded the world over.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27But, if you can grow the grapes,
0:26:27 > 0:26:32British terroir can pop the cork of many a discerning wine drinker.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35It's not easy to grow grapes here, it's really hard work
0:26:35 > 0:26:38but the reason to bother is to get that something different,
0:26:38 > 0:26:40to make something distinctive,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43unique that people who can say "Yes, OK, that comes from there."
0:26:47 > 0:26:49Down in the south-west of the country,
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Bob Lindo and son Sam are two plucky Brits bottling
0:26:53 > 0:26:55the essence of Cornwall in an award-winning
0:26:55 > 0:26:57British sparkling wine.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03There aren't many places in Britain suitable for growing vines, really,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06and you need a combination of factors. You need to be low down,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10in a nice, warm sheltered place, you need to face south,
0:27:10 > 0:27:14you need to not be too windy or rainy. Even then, it's difficult.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17You're not going to do it every year but on a site like this,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20we do it most years and it's pretty good, I think.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Growing grapes is one thing but terroir,
0:27:27 > 0:27:29as the French will tell you,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32has as much to do with the wine maker as anything else.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Although a virgin in the wine-making game, it appeared Bob
0:27:38 > 0:27:41was well in tune with what his landscape had to offer.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45It took maybe three or four years to get the first two small vineyards
0:27:45 > 0:27:49established and then we made some wine and we were very lucky.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53The first vintage that I made, I fluked a medal
0:27:53 > 0:27:56in the Wine Of The Year competition. It was a fluke in those days
0:27:56 > 0:27:58and that gave us a lot of enthusiasm
0:27:58 > 0:28:01so we planted more vines, more vines, made more wine
0:28:01 > 0:28:05and we realised early on that there were some nice aromas
0:28:05 > 0:28:08and flavours and things that could be got from grapes from Cornwall
0:28:08 > 0:28:12and England that can't be got from grapes anywhere else in the world.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17But it's not like we didn't have a wine-making history
0:28:17 > 0:28:18of our own to build on.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Growing vines in Britain has actually been
0:28:21 > 0:28:25an intermittent indulgence of ours since Roman times.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27By the time Henry VIII ascended the throne,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31it's said there were over 100 vineyards in England AND Wales.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37However, a multitude of environmental and social changes
0:28:37 > 0:28:38had, by 1918,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41seen a complete end to commercial wine production in the UK.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48LOUD, BRASH ROCK MUSIC PLAYS
0:28:48 > 0:28:53And it wasn't until the '60s and '70s that a new wave of pioneers
0:28:53 > 0:28:57struck out to put British wine back on the map.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59The pioneers couldn't make wine, I don't think.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03They had a very poor reputation for the actual wine.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04And then the wine-making improvements
0:29:04 > 0:29:07have been the next big wave, which I think we've been part of.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09We've taken wine-making really seriously
0:29:09 > 0:29:12with really modern equipment and knowing what we're doing.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14But we wouldn't be where we were
0:29:14 > 0:29:17without those pioneers, we owe them a lot.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20What's certain is that whilst the English landscape might have
0:29:20 > 0:29:23always offered the possibility of making good wine,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26it's only recently we've regained the expertise
0:29:26 > 0:29:28to make the most of it.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Now, of course, British wine makers are playing to their strengths.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34You've got to make the right wine for your climate.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37It's no good us trying to make something you make in Bordeaux,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40and it's no good them trying to make the style of wine that we make.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43For us, it's about preserving the fruit's characters
0:29:43 > 0:29:45that we get in the grapes that are unique
0:29:45 > 0:29:48to growing grapes in this climate.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51What's unique is the grapes grow really slowly
0:29:51 > 0:29:54and we find they take on similar characters to other fruits
0:29:54 > 0:29:55that grow really well in this climate.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57Everyone knows English strawberries
0:29:57 > 0:29:59have got more strawberry flavour than Spanish ones,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01English apples are more apple-y than French ones,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04gooseberries, elderflowers, pears, raspberries...
0:30:04 > 0:30:07They're all fruits that, when they grow slowly,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09they have more of these delicate characters
0:30:09 > 0:30:10and we find with the grapes,
0:30:10 > 0:30:13they grow slowly every year so we always find
0:30:13 > 0:30:15these characters are in the grapes
0:30:15 > 0:30:17and they really are unique to growing grapes in England.
0:30:21 > 0:30:26Our climate, the acquired knowledge of what grapes need to grow
0:30:26 > 0:30:28and how to best process them,
0:30:28 > 0:30:32has seen English vines at last producing some classic wine!
0:30:35 > 0:30:40And the big "bottle shock" is what we're best at is fizz!
0:30:42 > 0:30:45I think we make the best sparkling wine in the world.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47I really do think that
0:30:47 > 0:30:50and I think the reason is we have a fruitiness in it
0:30:50 > 0:30:53that people really like that gets concealed
0:30:53 > 0:30:56in warmer climates and I think it's unbeatable.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59I mean, to think we're world champions
0:30:59 > 0:31:01at rose sparkling wine in Italy,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04in Verona, for two years in a row is unbelievable.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07I still can't get over it. I cannot believe it.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10I get the trophy out and have a look at it now and again,
0:31:10 > 0:31:13just to make sure it's actually true, and that is true, I do do that.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18Believe it, Bob! You're not the only one!
0:31:19 > 0:31:21English sparkling wine producers
0:31:21 > 0:31:25have been cleaning up all sorts of international awards.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28Yep. Nyetimber, Ridgeview and Gusbourne
0:31:28 > 0:31:32are just some of the wine producers making waves overseas.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41In fact we've become so successful that some commentators
0:31:41 > 0:31:42are even talking about us
0:31:42 > 0:31:45in the same vein as, dare I say it, champagne!
0:31:47 > 0:31:50I think one important thing that champagne has led the world in
0:31:50 > 0:31:53is the most fantastic story.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Half the time, people don't even need to taste it,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58they just need to know they're holding a glass of champagne
0:31:58 > 0:32:00and that's what we have to be up against
0:32:00 > 0:32:02but I don't see it as competing
0:32:02 > 0:32:04and we're not trying to make champagne either.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06It's a different place. It's a lovely place.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09I love Champagne but I love Cornwall
0:32:09 > 0:32:12and I like the fact we've got some special aromas here
0:32:12 > 0:32:15that we can get in our wines that you can't get in champagne.
0:32:15 > 0:32:18And I don't think the French would disagree.
0:32:18 > 0:32:20Terroir is about place.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Encapsulating the best of what's local to you
0:32:22 > 0:32:25through the medium of wine-making.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29And although it might grate them to have to admit it,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33as luck should turn out it seems that what this corner of England
0:32:33 > 0:32:36has to offer is more than worthy of comparison.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39It's very clean flavours. Yeah. Very nice.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42Very, very drinkable and I think compares very, very favourably
0:32:42 > 0:32:45with anything we've managed to drink in France.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49For us it's really important to make something that's English.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52So it's nice in its own right, so people want to carry on
0:32:52 > 0:32:55drinking the English sparkling wine and not go back to champagne.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58- We don't want to become a tribute band, do we?- No!
0:33:05 > 0:33:11Our sparkling wine might be compared to the likes of champagne...
0:33:11 > 0:33:14But when cooking one of French patisserie's all time classics
0:33:14 > 0:33:19the mille-feuille, please feel free to call it a custard slice.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22Crumbs, my mother enjoyed a custard slice. It is a classic, isn't it?
0:33:22 > 0:33:24It is lush.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28But when it's cooked properly like we are, with a proper confectioner's custard, creme patissiere...
0:33:28 > 0:33:31- Creme patissiere. - And home-made strawberry jam.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34And there is a little kind of fanciness on the top.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36- It looks the business! - It looks great.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39So I'll get jammin'. Chicka-chicka-cha.
0:33:39 > 0:33:41And I'm going to get creme patissiere-ere-ere-ing.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Confectioner's custard.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49For the jam we're going to need 400 grams of fresh English strawberries,
0:33:49 > 0:33:50hulled and finely sliced.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52You can just use jam out of a pot
0:33:52 > 0:33:54but we're making our own strawberry jam
0:33:54 > 0:33:58and it's quicker and easier than you would ever think.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02- Of course, the name mille-feuille... - Oh, he's off.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05..in French means 1,000 leaves and actually,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08strictly speaking, that is an underestimate,
0:34:08 > 0:34:12because a classic puff pastry comes in at around 729 leaves per sheet of puff,
0:34:12 > 0:34:16and your mille-feuille is between two and five layers
0:34:16 > 0:34:20so actually, it should be the deux mille mille-feuille
0:34:20 > 0:34:22or the trois mille mille-feuille.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25- Will you get on and make the jam? - Yep.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28- How does Bob Marley like his mille-feuille?- Don't know.
0:34:28 > 0:34:30With jammin'!
0:34:30 > 0:34:33# I hope you like jamming... #
0:34:33 > 0:34:34Strawberries in the pan.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36# I want to jam it with you. #
0:34:36 > 0:34:40About a tablespoon of lemon juice.
0:34:40 > 0:34:42No need to be too pedantic about this.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Heat the strawberries and lemon juice for two minutes.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48And add some jam sugar.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50That's sugar that has added pectin
0:34:50 > 0:34:54and it's the pectin that enables the jam to set.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57We'll need 400 grams of this.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02For the creme patisserie you'll need four egg yolks.
0:35:02 > 0:35:07And we're going to add 75 grams of caster sugar.
0:35:07 > 0:35:11And then we are going to whisk it, until it goes light and fluffy.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18You see now, after a couple of minutes, that sugar has dissolved.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21So I'm turning this heat up and I want to boil it quite hard
0:35:21 > 0:35:26for about four minutes and if you've done it right, that should be jam.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28See how the colour's changed? Look.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32Now, to the sugar and egg yolks,
0:35:32 > 0:35:35we're going to add 10 grams of cornflour
0:35:35 > 0:35:38and 10 grams of plain flour.
0:35:38 > 0:35:39And then you whisk that in.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Do you know, Kingy, I think the creme patissiere is the best bit.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46- It's gorgeous.- If I could just have that with bananas, I'd be happy.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- Maybe with a blob of jam in. - It's true! It's good.
0:35:49 > 0:35:53Now, that's the consistency and the colour that you're looking for
0:35:53 > 0:35:56and colour and consistency is key.
0:35:56 > 0:36:02Now, we're going to take 250 millilitres of semi-skimmed milk,
0:36:02 > 0:36:07put that into the pan with the seeds of one fresh vanilla pod.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10I've taken the seeds out of our vanilla pod.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15But I'm going to infuse it even more by putting the vanilla pod in,
0:36:15 > 0:36:18bringing it to a nice, steady simmer and simmer it.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Make sure it doesn't boil over but simmer it for four to five minutes.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27I need to see if I have, in fact, created jam.
0:36:27 > 0:36:31So take some of the syrup, put it on a plate and swish it round.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33If after a few moments,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36you put your finger across and get kind of a wrinkly skin,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39- then we know that...- Oh!
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Yeah, look. We have made jam.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Then pour your jam into a heat-proof jar and let it cool.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48There's too much here for the mille-feuille, probably double,
0:36:48 > 0:36:52but what that means is we've got some lovely jam left over
0:36:52 > 0:36:55to have jam sandwiches with.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59When our milk's infused with the vanilla, remove it from the heat
0:36:59 > 0:37:02and let it cool before adding to the egg mixture.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05But you need to whisk it all the time as you are adding the milk
0:37:05 > 0:37:08and as soon as it's mixed evenly, I am going to put it
0:37:08 > 0:37:13back into the pan and, stirring constantly, thicken over a low heat.
0:37:13 > 0:37:20Just keep putting it on and off the heat, make sure it doesn't boil.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24Now place a block of ready-made puff pastry in the middle of some
0:37:24 > 0:37:27baking parchment to make rolling it out a doddle.
0:37:27 > 0:37:32And as you're rolling the pastry out, you turn the parchment rather than the pastry
0:37:32 > 0:37:36and it all happens for you. It's easy!
0:37:36 > 0:37:40Take a baking tray. Now, don't worry if this overlaps.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44We're not bothered because we are going to cut off any bits we don't want.
0:37:44 > 0:37:48Now I'm going to prick this because we want it quite flat.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51We want it so that we can actually cut layers out of it.
0:37:51 > 0:37:55So take your pastry. Put another sheet of paper on top, like so.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Then put another baking tray on it to stop it rising too much.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03We pop that into a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius
0:38:03 > 0:38:08for a fan oven and we bake this for 25 minutes or so, until it has cooked through.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Now this, you can see now how thick it's going.
0:38:13 > 0:38:16We're going to spin this into a dish and set it aside to cool.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Now that's the sort of consistency we are looking for.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24To stop a skin forming on top,
0:38:24 > 0:38:29just push a little bit of clingfilm on the top of it.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31It's all about preparation, this cake.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33At the end it's just one big build.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35I have a sheet of pastry.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Cut your pastry into three identical rectangles.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40It is going to end up that size.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49And place that very, very gently to cool. Sheet number one.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52# Baby ain't tell you no lie
0:38:52 > 0:38:54# I want some of your custard pie... #
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Now for the last stage of our creme patissiere.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00I'm going to whip 150 millilitres of double cream
0:39:00 > 0:39:02and you want to whip it until it's quite thick
0:39:02 > 0:39:07because what we are going to do is fold it into our creme patissiere.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Now we all know a vanilla slice has that wonderful top
0:39:09 > 0:39:12that's like a sheet of ivory and then you've got, like,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15these kind of wicked chocolate stripes through it,
0:39:15 > 0:39:16a bit like a Bakewell tart.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18I'm going to show you how to do that.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22So I'm going to make two icings, one kind of lemony and one chocolate.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27For the lemon icing take 200 grams of icing sugar,
0:39:27 > 0:39:31a tablespoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of water
0:39:31 > 0:39:33and whip till smooth.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38And that's how you want it. Just so it runs off the fork.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44For the chocolate icing mix 25 grams of icing sugar
0:39:44 > 0:39:48with 5 grams of cocoa powder and two tablespoons of water.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Don't put too much water in
0:39:50 > 0:39:52or you'll end up with sweet chocolate syrup.
0:39:52 > 0:39:55- How is it going, mate?- Not bad. - HE LAUGHS
0:39:55 > 0:39:59It's firm! But that is the sort of consistency you're after
0:39:59 > 0:40:02because what's going to happen is that as soon as you start
0:40:02 > 0:40:04to push the cream through it and fold it in,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07the cream's going to let it down a little bit.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13- It's come right, hasn't it? - It's lush.- I thought for one minute you'd lost it then.
0:40:13 > 0:40:17That's the creme patissiere ready to rock and roll.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19Chocolate icing.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21Now we're going to build a vanilla slice
0:40:21 > 0:40:26or a mille-feuille that will send a pensioner into ecstasies. Jam.
0:40:26 > 0:40:29- Should we?- We shall.
0:40:30 > 0:40:34A steady but even spreadage.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Don't take it quite to the edge.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40Only put the jam on two of your pastry slices.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42You need to leave one spare for your icing.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45I think we are there wit' jam. Over to you.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Take half of the creme patissiere.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Spread your creme patissiere evenly over two jammed slices.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Nicely done!
0:40:57 > 0:40:59Now for the topping.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Spread your lemon icing over the remaining slice.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Once your icing's settled nice and flat,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08I can set our resident icing artiste to work.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Now, we just need a thin stream of chocolate.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16Man's a genius.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22You can do as many stripes or squiggles as you like
0:41:22 > 0:41:23but I'm keeping it to five.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30Now's the time for what I would call the Mr Kipling chic.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35You just drag that across there.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39'Ee is very good, isn't 'ee?
0:41:39 > 0:41:41I like your work, Mr Kipling.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45- There you go.- Look at that! That's a belter, dude.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47And that's us.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- I will just support this in the middle.- Thank you.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54- Put that on there.- I don't think that needs squashed, either.- No.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58- It looks belters.- It does, doesn't it? I think we are all right with this one, man.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00And this one is the topping.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05Look at that!
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Now that is what you call a mille-feuille.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13That's it.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18Mm!
0:42:18 > 0:42:21That's not bad at all. It looks fab.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26- Let's have a go.- Get in! - Oh, look at that!
0:42:26 > 0:42:30That's what you want, isn't it? A squash.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34How are you supposed to be delicate with this?
0:42:34 > 0:42:38- It's not possible, is it? - No.- Beautiful.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42With proper creme patissiere, with home-made strawberry jam.
0:42:42 > 0:42:46- It's an absolute delight.- It is. It's gorgeous.
0:42:46 > 0:42:50And another example of the best of British entente cordiale.
0:42:52 > 0:42:54But Dave, however fancy you make it,
0:42:54 > 0:42:56it's always going to be a custard slice to me!
0:43:03 > 0:43:07Here, Kingy, I think reclaiming some of their patisserie might be
0:43:07 > 0:43:10the start of things to come.
0:43:10 > 0:43:13Aye, but what will really get Pierre quaking in his beret
0:43:13 > 0:43:16is when he finds out that way up in Nairn in Scotland, we've become
0:43:16 > 0:43:19incredibly proficient in the art of growing
0:43:19 > 0:43:23that most odorous aphrodisiac, allium sativum.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Ladies and gents, meet Gilly and Glenn Allingham,
0:43:29 > 0:43:34the enterprising couple who've brought world class garlic to the Scottish Highlands.
0:43:36 > 0:43:40The Scottish garlic is grown in this beautiful clear atmosphere
0:43:40 > 0:43:42and this produces a bulb to die for.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46It's fresh, it's sweet, it's got large cloves.
0:43:46 > 0:43:48You won't see anything like that in the UK
0:43:48 > 0:43:51and you probably won't see anything like that in France.
0:43:51 > 0:43:53Sacrebleu!
0:43:54 > 0:43:57But whilst records indicate that we were probably growing garlic
0:43:57 > 0:44:00as far back as the 16th century,
0:44:00 > 0:44:03it's unlikely it would have been happening this far north.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08But the Scots have always been noted for their bravery,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11so as enterprising farmers with a love of cooking,
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Gilly and Glenn took on the challenge.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18It's not a traditional crop but wild garlic grows everywhere.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22So Glenn and I thought, if it grows wild, why can't we cultivate it
0:44:22 > 0:44:25and grow it commercially?
0:44:25 > 0:44:28So they started to look for a commercial variety
0:44:28 > 0:44:32that could handle all Scotland could throw at it!
0:44:33 > 0:44:36We came across the garlic in Canada.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40This particularly variety called Music which grows really well
0:44:40 > 0:44:42over there and their climate is very similar to ours
0:44:42 > 0:44:46so we trialled it over here and decided it would grow
0:44:46 > 0:44:49and it's so different to what we are used to
0:44:49 > 0:44:53out of the supermarket that we really felt it was worth giving it a shot.
0:44:55 > 0:45:00Perhaps this didn't turn out to be as big a gamble as they might have initially thought.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04Over time garlic plants have proved surprisingly adaptable.
0:45:04 > 0:45:07The unusual thing about this garlic is that it's really, really old.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11This garlic has the same make-up as garlic would have had
0:45:11 > 0:45:15back in the Egyptian times, when they used it as a way of paying people.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18This garlic here has evolved.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21It's been used to growing in the desert, now it is growing here
0:45:21 > 0:45:24and it likes a cold winter.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26It needs a cold winter to make it bulb,
0:45:26 > 0:45:30this is where this garlic is different from your normal garlic.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34The harsh Scottish winters might suit the bulbs perfectly
0:45:34 > 0:45:37but it's the summers when the growing happens.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41And the fact that Nairn is so far north gives Glenn many
0:45:41 > 0:45:43advantages over his French counterparts!
0:45:43 > 0:45:48One of the main reasons is the long day length and the mild sun.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52The more sun the garlic gets, the stronger the favour
0:45:52 > 0:45:57so we've got quite a long duration of sun during the day,
0:45:57 > 0:45:59when it's out, but it's a mild,
0:45:59 > 0:46:03low heat sun and we've got something here that the terroir
0:46:03 > 0:46:05of which gives you very large cloves,
0:46:05 > 0:46:07only four or five to the bulb,
0:46:07 > 0:46:12it has a flavour that is quite sweet and nutty without being overpowering.
0:46:12 > 0:46:17Some garlics, especially when it's old or a more commercial garlic,
0:46:17 > 0:46:19it has a real rankness to it.
0:46:19 > 0:46:21This garlic, you don't get that.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23You've got a lovely flavour from it.
0:46:23 > 0:46:25You don't get bad breath,
0:46:25 > 0:46:29it gives you all the benefits of not having garlic but having garlic.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33But whilst we're now embracing garlic in all sorts of dishes,
0:46:33 > 0:46:36we do have a history of being a little sniffy
0:46:36 > 0:46:38about this Gallic staple.
0:46:39 > 0:46:43Garlic was mistrusted by the Brits way back in the 16th
0:46:43 > 0:46:49and 17th century, mainly because of the smell that it created.
0:46:50 > 0:46:54Really, the perception was that it was very lower class
0:46:54 > 0:46:57to smell of garlic or onions or anything that was foreign,
0:46:57 > 0:47:01so people actually stopped eating garlic at that time.
0:47:01 > 0:47:05In the Victorian times, later on, it was really scorned on
0:47:05 > 0:47:08and the upper classes wouldn't dream of eating garlic.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14By the 1960s, cookery writers like Elizabeth David
0:47:14 > 0:47:17were beginning to soften our attitudes towards French food,
0:47:17 > 0:47:23sewing the first seeds of our evolution from garlic haters to garlic lovers.
0:47:24 > 0:47:27I think that it's been the popularity of foreign holidays,
0:47:27 > 0:47:31people going off to France or Spain on holiday
0:47:31 > 0:47:34and tasting wonderful Mediterranean food
0:47:34 > 0:47:38and when they come home, wanting to recreate it.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42But we can't give the French all of the credit!
0:47:44 > 0:47:48Whether it's a curry, Chinese food, Thai, Mexican,
0:47:48 > 0:47:52garlic is used and always has been used, in all of those cuisines
0:47:52 > 0:47:55and now it's more popular than it's ever been.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00But a simple roast garlic soup
0:48:00 > 0:48:04is the perfect showcase for our Gaelic garlic.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08And as well as tasting good,
0:48:08 > 0:48:11we shouldn't forget its health advantages.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15Garlic's got antibiotic properties, it promotes well-being of the heart
0:48:15 > 0:48:20and immune systems and helps maintain healthy blood circulation!
0:48:21 > 0:48:26Given all this, it's a wonder why vampires have such a problem with it!
0:48:26 > 0:48:28I don't think we're afraid to use it any more
0:48:28 > 0:48:30and use heaps of it, you know.
0:48:30 > 0:48:32Six bulbs in a pot of soup
0:48:32 > 0:48:35and I'm not worried about smelling of garlic.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38I think the idea would be to get everybody to eat garlic.
0:48:38 > 0:48:43We'd all be really healthy and nobody would be worried about being antisocial.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45- Are you hungry?- Oh, yes please!
0:48:49 > 0:48:53Of ALL the things our nearest neighbours have helped introduce to our diets,
0:48:53 > 0:48:57you can't help but wonder in the fact that the one thing
0:48:57 > 0:48:59we used to ridicule them for the most fervently
0:48:59 > 0:49:04has now become one of our favourite and most versatile ingredients.
0:49:04 > 0:49:06Vive la France!
0:49:07 > 0:49:10But most importantly, vive la British garlic!
0:49:10 > 0:49:13ALL: Bon appetit.
0:49:13 > 0:49:16It's big, it's bold, it's tasty.
0:49:16 > 0:49:19It's exactly what you want to put in the dish.
0:49:21 > 0:49:25And it's exactly what we're putting in our next dish.
0:49:26 > 0:49:29It's so mild and sweet that we're going to use around 40 cloves
0:49:29 > 0:49:32of it in our Gaelic Gallic garlic chicken.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36After you've eaten this, you'll not be snogging for a good while
0:49:36 > 0:49:38unless somebody has eaten it with you.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40I'm going to start with the chicken.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43I'm going to season it with salt and pepper both inside and out.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47It's interesting what he said about garlic and your loved ones.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52Horace the Roman poet described garlic as being worse than hemlock.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55He said that lovers would slap you across the face
0:49:55 > 0:49:57and sleep on the edge of the bed.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59I've got to admit, though.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02We've all been on those holidays and you have a garlicky snog, don't you?
0:50:02 > 0:50:06- It's lush!- So, half a lemon.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09And then half the half...
0:50:09 > 0:50:11And stick it in the cavity.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16I'm going to strip some thyme off because we are going to rub thyme all over the chicken.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19It's a proper aromatic chicken, this.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23- It is gorgeous. - Stick two bay leaf in there as well.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25And then we're ready for Dave's thyme.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28- A healthy tablespoon.- Perfect.
0:50:28 > 0:50:33So we take that and just throw a few in the cavity as well.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37Yes, there's a lot of garlic in this dish
0:50:37 > 0:50:42but we're also throwing in 250 grams of baby onions too.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45This series, I seem to have peeled a lot of onions.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48Well, you are good at it.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52Add some butter in a casserole dish.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Let it bubble and then we're going to brown that chicken off
0:50:55 > 0:50:57so we'll brown the breast off first and then each side.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59It's going to be lovely.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03The skin always looks desperately anaemic unless you can brown it off.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09- It's proper kind of French country kitchen this, isn't it?- It's superb.
0:51:09 > 0:51:11It's also the one that you could imagine
0:51:11 > 0:51:14somebody in a Joanna Trollope would be cooking on their Aga.
0:51:17 > 0:51:21Now 40 cloves of garlic, and we cook these with the skin on.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24I think when the recipe was written,
0:51:24 > 0:51:27they may have had little frugal cloves
0:51:27 > 0:51:29but we're garlic-aholics
0:51:29 > 0:51:33so we are going to use massive cloves.
0:51:35 > 0:51:38And I'm just trimming off all the kind of rough leaves,
0:51:38 > 0:51:41just to leave one nice layer of skin.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45See, we've got a little bit of colour here.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47And without doubt, with this casserole,
0:51:47 > 0:51:50you get one of the best gravies going.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55Just scatter half the baby onions or shallots,
0:51:58 > 0:52:00..half the garlic...
0:52:00 > 0:52:02- Such a lovely recipe, this. - I love it!
0:52:03 > 0:52:08Then another layer of onions and on top of that, the remaining garlic.
0:52:10 > 0:52:14- Look at that!- Gorgeous.- And your house is going to smell fantastic!
0:52:16 > 0:52:19The liquid, chicken stock and with all those robust flavours,
0:52:19 > 0:52:23wine isn't enough, really, so I want 150ml of Vermouth.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26150ml coming up.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30So bring it to a simmer,
0:52:30 > 0:52:34put the top on and then it goes into a pre-heated oven
0:52:34 > 0:52:35of 180 degrees Celsius
0:52:35 > 0:52:39for about an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42- Right, mate. That's it.- Yeah.
0:52:47 > 0:52:49With our Gaelic Gallic garlic chicken in the oven
0:52:49 > 0:52:53it's only fair we reinforce our novel Celtic connection
0:52:53 > 0:52:56with the classic Irish dish, colcannon.
0:52:56 > 0:53:01Not your traditional French fare, it's like bubble and squeak with a few tweaks.
0:53:02 > 0:53:06We'll boil up a few spuds for the mash and then fry up
0:53:06 > 0:53:09four rashers of chopped-up streaky bacon in a dry pan.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12That's cos we want a bit of colour on the bacon.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16We don't want the bacon stewing. Colcannon, it's epic.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19I mean, the French would probably go bonkers at having their famous
0:53:19 > 0:53:22country dish paired with colcannon but that's what we British do,
0:53:22 > 0:53:26we take the best of France and pair it with the best of what we've got
0:53:26 > 0:53:30and colcannon is just the thing to offset that rich chicken.
0:53:31 > 0:53:36Once the bacon's crispy, add 25 grams of butter
0:53:36 > 0:53:38and two good handfuls of kale.
0:53:39 > 0:53:44So cook the kale off for about four or five minutes with the bacon, with the butter.
0:53:44 > 0:53:46All those lovely flavours are going to start to marry.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51To the bacon and kale we'll add six chopped up spring onions.
0:53:54 > 0:53:57Now for Dave's mashed potato and as part of the colcannon,
0:53:57 > 0:54:01we've got some cream and some butter.
0:54:02 > 0:54:07- Melt that together.- It's a bit of a kind of calorific side dish, this.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09The butter and cream have melted.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12Put them onto the potatoes and whip them up.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Season it with salt and pepper.
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Mashed potato with salt, pepper, butter and cream.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22It's so good.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26You know, it is bad for you but once in a while... Anyway.
0:54:26 > 0:54:28Put that in there.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34# I simply remember my favourite things
0:54:34 > 0:54:38# And this is one of them. #
0:54:43 > 0:54:45Just a bit.
0:54:49 > 0:54:52There's a great folk tradition for colcannon in Ireland.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55At Halloween they would make a big pot of it
0:54:55 > 0:54:57and it would contain a gold ring, a sixpence,
0:54:57 > 0:55:00a thimble and a button and when you were eating it,
0:55:00 > 0:55:02if you got the gold ring it meant you were going to get married,
0:55:02 > 0:55:05if you got the sixpence, you were going to be wealthy.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08If you got the button, you were going to be a bachelor
0:55:08 > 0:55:12and if you got the thimble, the poor lass was going to be a spinster.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19You know, the smell, to me, of roast chicken and garlic
0:55:19 > 0:55:21and mashed potato, it's the smell of home.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24The smell of Britain. Look at that!
0:55:30 > 0:55:33Just fish out those wonderful onions and garlic
0:55:33 > 0:55:36and dress it around the chicken. The garlic is there to be eaten.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39I think Elizabeth David is up there looking down at us thinking,
0:55:39 > 0:55:43- "Not bad, lads."- "Yes. Good lads." Thank you.
0:55:43 > 0:55:47And the French aren't shy about the calorie count either.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50So we'll make a sauce from the juices in the casserole
0:55:50 > 0:55:52by adding 100ml of double cream.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58Stick in two tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon
0:55:58 > 0:56:00and bring to a simmer.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03Top tip. You know when you're spooning sauce into a jug,
0:56:03 > 0:56:06you know it's dribbling off your ladle and going everywhere?
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Go like this. Dip it once and it doesn't pour.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12You don't make a mess on your jug.
0:56:14 > 0:56:17Finally to soak up the delicious juices
0:56:17 > 0:56:21and make the most of those roasted cloves of garlic, some fresh bread.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27- Just falling apart, isn't it? - Absolutely beautiful.- What a smell.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31Yes.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35Just a few of those little onions.
0:56:35 > 0:56:39- It does make you giggle, doesn't it? - It does. It does.- A little sauce.
0:56:43 > 0:56:47- It is an aromatic delight, isn't it?- Right.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50Some say this is the best bit.
0:56:50 > 0:56:53Get the clove of garlic, pop it onto the bread like that.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56That's been roasted in the chicken juices.
0:57:00 > 0:57:02- Ah.- Wonderful.
0:57:02 > 0:57:04It's classic French cooking and when you combine that
0:57:04 > 0:57:08with our wonderful ingredients, we have got something really special.
0:57:08 > 0:57:13And I think by combining that with colcannon, that works so well.
0:57:13 > 0:57:18Bit of British, bit of Ireland, bit of French.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20And a lot of garlic.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22I'm glad I'm not sleeping with me tonight.
0:57:22 > 0:57:24Yeah. So am I.
0:57:37 > 0:57:40The close proximity of France to British shores hasn't always
0:57:40 > 0:57:43given rise to a seamless exchange of culinary ideas.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48But in putting our pride and prejudice to one side
0:57:48 > 0:57:52and embracing a host of French ingredients and dishes...
0:57:52 > 0:57:56If you want to do a good boeuf bourguignon, that's a really good recipe to follow.
0:57:56 > 0:58:01We've not only inspired ourselves to start making better use of our own resources...
0:58:01 > 0:58:03It is an aromatic delight, isn't it?
0:58:03 > 0:58:06But believe our food to be the best in the world
0:58:06 > 0:58:09and we want to say merci beaucoup to our Gallic neighbours
0:58:09 > 0:58:12for their role in our foodie evolution.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14The best of British entente cordiale.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18If you fancy cooking any of the dishes seen today,
0:58:18 > 0:58:24log onto bbc.co.uk/food and follow the links.
0:58:47 > 0:58:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd