0:00:02 > 0:00:05We believe Britain has the best food in the world!
0:00:07 > 0:00:11'Our glorious country boasts some fantastic ingredients.'
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Start eating it, will you?
0:00:13 > 0:00:16It's home to some amazing producers...
0:00:16 > 0:00:19My goodness gracious. That is epic, isn't it?
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And innovative chefs...
0:00:23 > 0:00:27But our islands also have a fascinating food history.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31The fish and chip shops of South Wales
0:00:31 > 0:00:33are running out of chips.
0:00:34 > 0:00:35BOTH: Yes!
0:00:35 > 0:00:36'And in this series,
0:00:36 > 0:00:40'we're uncovering revealing stories of our rich culinary past.'
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Now there is food history on a plate.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47As well as meeting our nation's food heroes,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49who are keeping this heritage alive.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53'Let's have them enjoying themselves, it's a short life,'
0:00:53 > 0:00:56let's make it a happy one like they always have had.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58'And of course we'll be cooking up a load of dishes
0:00:58 > 0:01:01'that reveal our foodie evolution.'
0:01:03 > 0:01:08Spring, summer, autumn or winter, it's brilliant.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10BOTH: Quite simply, the best of British!
0:01:28 > 0:01:31We have an amazing range of fruit in this country,
0:01:31 > 0:01:33from sweet, plump strawberries,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35to prickly, spiky, sharp little gooseberries,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38but no fruits are more traditionally and sturdily British
0:01:38 > 0:01:40than the good old apples and pears.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43We've been eating apples since Neolithic times,
0:01:43 > 0:01:45and in fact, we love them so much,
0:01:45 > 0:01:50that we've cultivated over 2,000 different varieties.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Well, pears as arrived a little later with the Normans.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57Its cute, sexy curves, its deliciously sweet flesh,
0:01:57 > 0:02:01soon made up for its tardy, late arrival on our shores.
0:02:01 > 0:02:07So, today's show is a homage to our favourite native fruit...
0:02:07 > 0:02:10the apple and the pear.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14'On today's show, we're going to explore
0:02:14 > 0:02:16'why these British beauties
0:02:16 > 0:02:19'were at the heart of our most ancient traditions.'
0:02:20 > 0:02:23And became the pride of our food heritage.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27That is the mother of all comfort foods.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30From savoury delights...
0:02:31 > 0:02:32To classic desserts.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35We're going to show you
0:02:35 > 0:02:38why apples and pears are truly the best of British.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Spring, summer, autumn or winter, it's brilliant.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Apples are as much a part of the British countryside
0:02:53 > 0:02:56as men with wax jackets and tractors.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58The sheer number of British varieties
0:02:58 > 0:03:01is thanks to the Victorian obsession with growing new ones.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05But our proud apple heritage is under threat.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08We're on our way to Audley End in Essex,
0:03:08 > 0:03:12to discover more about the history of our love for this humble fruit.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Us Brits chomp through billions of apples every year.
0:03:16 > 0:03:18But unfortunately,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22about 70% of the apples that we eat today are imported.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24There was a time when British gardeners
0:03:24 > 0:03:27were masters of the apple, from the garden to the kitchen.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And here at Audley End, they're keeping that grand tradition alive
0:03:30 > 0:03:34by preserving some of the most intriguing varieties.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Audley End is a 17th century country house
0:03:41 > 0:03:45that was built to entertain royalty on a grand scale.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50Its derelict walled kitchen garden
0:03:50 > 0:03:54was painstakingly restored to former glory in 1999,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and is now as it would have looked in late Victorian times,
0:03:58 > 0:04:05growing 125 varieties of apple that all date from before 1914.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08This orchard was designed so that different varieties of tree
0:04:08 > 0:04:10fruited at different times of the year,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13meaning you could eat British apples all year round
0:04:13 > 0:04:16without having to import anything from the continent!
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Ooh, clever old Victorians!
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Head gardener Bob Sherman helped bring the garden back to life
0:04:24 > 0:04:27and he's going to show us around his beloved collection of heritage apples.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34Bob, I've never seen apples grown like this before. Beautiful.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39It is, isn't it? But this is typical of a productive kitchen garden
0:04:39 > 0:04:43from a private estate, somebody who is fairly wealthy,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46eh, up to probably about the First World War.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49More sunlight gets in, they get more colour.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52And also, of course, you screen off the labourers
0:04:52 > 0:04:56from the rich posh people who would not wanted to be contaminated by seeing them.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59So Bob, when we were masters of the world of the apples,
0:04:59 > 0:05:02how many varieties would we have grown?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I would think it would be reasonable to say that there were at least
0:05:05 > 0:05:081,500 varieties which people could choose from.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11And they would have, they would have gone to the trouble
0:05:11 > 0:05:13of finding things that were a bit unusual and nobody else had,
0:05:13 > 0:05:17so they could show off to friends, bring them around and say, "This is such and such an apple",
0:05:17 > 0:05:19which they wouldn't have heard of before.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23What is this beautiful variety of apple we see before us?
0:05:23 > 0:05:27This is Laxton's Epicure, sometimes just called Epicure.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31This is typical of the sort of apple they would have been eating at about this time of year.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35It's absolutely delicious but it has quite a short season.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39The name Laxton tells you where it comes from, cos there was a nursery called Laxton,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42where they produced many varieties. And this is one
0:05:42 > 0:05:45that's generally thought of very highly, even nowadays.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48- So this is an eater then? - You should try it.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- Oh, thanks Bob.- If you were a child, that's how you'd draw an apple, isn't it?
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- Yes!- It's beautiful.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- Mm. Superb, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:06:02 > 0:06:08What's great about this project is that all the apples grown here are available to buy in the UK.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15So how did we go from producing the most varieties of apples
0:06:15 > 0:06:23in the entire world, to the worrying situation of importing 70% of them?
0:06:25 > 0:06:30The focus of apple growing changed after the Second World War,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33away from apples grown mainly for their flavour,
0:06:33 > 0:06:38towards more durable varieties that give larger crops and greater consistency.
0:06:38 > 0:06:44When they weren't in season, more were simply imported from overseas.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47The native apple declined. Shoppers' demands for a clean, unblemished
0:06:47 > 0:06:51and uniform shape led to them buying more imports.
0:06:56 > 0:07:01'No apples in the world have the flavour and crispness of those grown in England.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04'Yet the housewife always seems to prefer the imported.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08'The reason, says this shopkeeper, is that foreign ones are more carefully packed.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11'And that if English growers paid the same attention to appearance,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14'their fruit would be in demand.'
0:07:17 > 0:07:20But we're missing out on a whole range of flavours
0:07:20 > 0:07:23that the Victorians had right on their doorstep.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27Not only were they masters of the apple in the orchard,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30they were pretty inventive in the kitchen as well.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33So food historian Annie Gray is going to take us through
0:07:33 > 0:07:37some Victorian recipes that would have been cooked at Audley End.
0:07:38 > 0:07:43Annie, what do we have here? It looks like a veritable orchard of Victorian apple goodies.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- Who's this little fellow? - This is an apple hedgehog.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Underneath you've got apples which have been boiled,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51slightly stewed, I suppose, in white wine,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54piled up and then stuck together with a sort of thick apple marmalade
0:07:54 > 0:07:56in the shape of a hedgehog.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01And, erm, what we've just done is covered it with a bit of meringue, given it some spines.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04You know, I'm getting the idea that apples were a very important,
0:08:04 > 0:08:07versatile ingredient for the Victorians?
0:08:07 > 0:08:11Yes, they were. They're one of the few fruits that you can get to last virtually all year round.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14Because they'll keep and because there is such a variety of flavours
0:08:14 > 0:08:19within the apple, they're really important for Victorian kitchens.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Right, well, we've got a gateau de pomme here,
0:08:22 > 0:08:27made stewing down the apples for probably about two hours on this one.
0:08:27 > 0:08:33- We'll de-mould it and you guys can have a go at Victorian decoration. - Oh, great!
0:08:33 > 0:08:35Annie, where do you find all these recipes?
0:08:35 > 0:08:38We're quite lucky here at Audley End, because we have in our possession
0:08:38 > 0:08:41the manuscript cookbook of the cook who worked here in 1881.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- Oh, wow!- A brilliant thing to have.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47We're able to cook the actual recipes we know were being cooked here.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Hold on.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Right. Reveal.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56- Yes!- Et voila!
0:08:56 > 0:08:59Hey, Annie - there's always great pleasure when it comes out, isn't there?
0:08:59 > 0:09:03It's like, yes! Right, so what do we do now?
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Right. Well, the original recipe calls for it to have almonds studded
0:09:06 > 0:09:09throughout all these lines to mark it out.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11So we're going to go a bit mad with the sliced almonds.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15It would have been served at table with a custard poured around it.
0:09:15 > 0:09:19But there's no reason not to use cream or cherries or anything that you fancy.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22The main thing is it needs to be visually stunning,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24- and something that you really want to eat.- OK.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30The Victorians were apple crazy and supposedly, you could have had
0:09:30 > 0:09:33a different variety every day for about six years.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41I feel a bit like Mr Bates out of Downtown Abbey!
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Some more cream. Look at that - a handful of rubies.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Twinkle off everything?
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Aah!
0:10:00 > 0:10:02- That looks lovely.- Doesn't it? - It does.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06But what's wonderful is, that's a single variety apple jelly,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- So it's not all good looks, is it? - No. It's not.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13- I'd suggest in that case you taste it and check it's not all good looks. - Thanks, Annie.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19Mmmm. It's lovely.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22It reminds me of quince jelly.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Oh.
0:10:26 > 0:10:28I think that's remarkable.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30In the last few years,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33sales of English apples have made a bit of a comeback.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36And we think it wouldn't be a bad thing if a few more of those
0:10:36 > 0:10:4150 billion we eat a year had a link to our culinary past.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Thanks to places like Audley End,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46we're able to hold onto those heritage varieties
0:10:46 > 0:10:49and all the expertise and know-how growing within them.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57That Victorian passion for British apples has given us
0:10:57 > 0:11:01some inspiration for a great recipe that takes full advantage
0:11:01 > 0:11:03of the flavours they have to offer.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06We're going to make a dish
0:11:06 > 0:11:10that really lets those heritage varieties shine.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12One of the traditional soups you have
0:11:12 > 0:11:14is the curried apple and parsnip soup.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18We're going to make a soup but we're taking it that step further,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20and this is an English heritage apple soup.
0:11:20 > 0:11:25That means good English eating apples, not bakers, with celeriac.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26- Yes.- Ooh, it's lovely!
0:11:26 > 0:11:29We finish that off with a garnish of bacon,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32kind of creme fraiche, a little flat leaf parsley.
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Oh, yes. And, Dave, what have you got to have with soup?
0:11:36 > 0:11:38A bowl.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40We're going to have bread.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42You cannot have soup without bread, can you?
0:11:42 > 0:11:44And it's not just any bread, this.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48It's about the most indulgent, comforting bread,
0:11:48 > 0:11:51with a collar of British Stilton.
0:11:51 > 0:11:57It's very easy to make, tear-and-share blue cheese bread.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02And, actually, the word "soup" refers more to the bread
0:12:02 > 0:12:04than the liquid content in the bowl.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06- Indeed.- But more about that later.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10First off, I've got two Coxes and a russet.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Now there's two things that's going to make you happy.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I'm going to peel them, core them, quarter them
0:12:17 > 0:12:20and fry them in butter till they're caramelised.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24And that's the appley engine room of a very great soup.
0:12:24 > 0:12:28While Dave's doing that, I'm going to get on with the first stages
0:12:28 > 0:12:31of preparation for our lovely bread.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36If you've got one of these machines at home, use it, with a dough hook.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38We have, so I am.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43If you haven't, just put it in a bowl and crack on with your hands.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48'For the bread, put 450g of plain flour into the bowl
0:12:48 > 0:12:52'with a pinch of salt and 7g of dried yeast.'
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Obviously you can't do anything with yeast unless you feed it.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58And when you feed yeast, what does it do?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00It comes to life.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03- It does.- It expands.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06A teaspoon of caster sugar will get it going nicely.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09So we've got the dry ingredients in there.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12Now we're going to combine them nice and slowly.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16MACHINE WHIRRS
0:13:16 > 0:13:17It shouldn't take too long.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I'm putting some butter in the frying pan.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28A big knob of butter. I'm going to caramelise the apples in butter.
0:13:28 > 0:13:33I've got the apples, which have been peeled, cored. I'm quartering them.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36That's how I'm going to cook them.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40I'm going to cook them until they are nice and brown.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43- Simon.- Yes.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Do you know why soup is called soup?
0:13:46 > 0:13:50As we said before, it's more about the bread than the liquid.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Go on, enlighten me.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Because soup, the word,
0:13:54 > 0:13:59comes from the ancient German word "sop" or "suppe".
0:13:59 > 0:14:04And the "sop" was the piece of bread in the bottom of the bowl
0:14:04 > 0:14:08- that sopped up all the liquid.- Aha!
0:14:08 > 0:14:12- And also the word "supper"... - Yes.- Comes from the very same word.
0:14:12 > 0:14:17Now that.... I bet you didn't know that.
0:14:17 > 0:14:18I didn't.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20- That's super. - Do you know what, though.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23There's a great British tradition with soup.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24We're really good at making it.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29Because it's part of our, it's part of Northern Europe's climate...
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- But Scotland...- That makes soup just so lovely, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Well, Scotland are the most prolific soup makers and soup eaters
0:14:36 > 0:14:38in the world, apparently.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40- Ah, now there's a thing!- Oh, aye.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The Scottish broth and the Cock-a-Leekie.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Now, little top tip here. We've combined all the dry ingredients.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49We're now going to start to make the dough and add some of the liquid.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52So there's 300ml of warm water, that's to activate the yeast.
0:14:52 > 0:14:57But I'm going to take two tablespoons of olive oil,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00and I'm going to add it to that warm water.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02I'm going to give it a bit of a shake.
0:15:04 > 0:15:10Then turn your machine on and just add the water and olive oil mix.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12And that'll form your dough.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- These are caramelising beautifully. - Yeah, they look good.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21There's no sugar needed because there's natural sugars in the apples
0:15:21 > 0:15:23that turn them a lovely hue.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27PAN SIZZLES
0:15:27 > 0:15:31GENTLE WHIRRING
0:15:31 > 0:15:37Right, so... We've formed a ball of dough.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40What we need to do now is knead it.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44We need to knead it for about five minutes.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Kneading the dough releases the gluten which is what gives
0:15:47 > 0:15:49you the spring in your bread.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52If your bread ends up a bit cakey, that's because you haven't put
0:15:52 > 0:15:56enough elbow grease and knuckle time into your kneading.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Lovely texture, this dough.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01This is me soup pan.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05I want some more butter and a splash of sunflower oil.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12Into that I'm going to add four small carrots chopped,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14two chopped onions
0:16:14 > 0:16:20and about two-thirds of this fine head of British celeriac.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24These need to cook together, just moulder away for about 15 minutes.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Celeriac is, believe it or not, from the same family as celery
0:16:28 > 0:16:31with a flavour that's quite similar but with a milder,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33sweet and nutty taste.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35You know, celeriac...
0:16:35 > 0:16:39It reminds me of him with a stocking over his head.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40Lumpy.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Grease a Pyrex bowl with some olive oil.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45It will come in handy later, you'll just have to trust us on this.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48This needs to double and a bit more in size,
0:16:48 > 0:16:51so I'm going to put that somewhere warm.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54We're going to cover it very loosely in some oiled cling film.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58Right, the onions are cooked through
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and celeriac and carrots have a nice sheen on them.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04'Adding the large diced potato to the pot will give it some body
0:17:04 > 0:17:06'when you blend it.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08'Then in go our fried apples,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13'a couple of crushed garlic cloves, a bunch of fresh thyme and a bay leaf.'
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- Straight in, Dave? - Straight in, mate.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21Now that is the substance of a very fine soup.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23What we need now is the liquid.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25I've got about a litre of good chicken stock.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Leave it to simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37Take the herbs out, puree it and you'll have fantastic soup.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Is your bread ready?
0:17:39 > 0:17:42Yeah, it probably is by now, dude.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46'Tell you what, time moves fast in the magic world of telly, doesn't it?'
0:17:52 > 0:17:54Stop nicking the cheese!
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- Yer toad!- It's so good.- It's lovely.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Yes, now. You we were talking about double the size?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- Well, that's a bit more.- Wow!
0:18:03 > 0:18:05How fantastic is that?
0:18:05 > 0:18:07We're going to knock this back.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12What we mean by that is just kneading it gently,
0:18:12 > 0:18:16just to knock some, not all, but some of the air out of it.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18Just fold it over a couple of times.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21You see the reason that we oiled the bowl.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24What we're going to do
0:18:24 > 0:18:30is literally tear off balls about that big.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35Just rustically, just one in the centre.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38- And we're going to build that lovely...- Tearing, sharing bread.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41- Exactly.- Do you want me to cut you some Stilton chunks?
0:18:41 > 0:18:43- You could, mate, that'd be great. - How much cheese do you want?
0:18:43 > 0:18:46About 150g.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Mmmm.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- So that's what you're looking for. About 10 bits.- Nice!
0:18:52 > 0:18:56And then what we'll do, we'll take these chunks and just push them
0:18:56 > 0:18:57into the gaps.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02It's like planting seedlings of pleasure.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04It is such a nice bread, this.
0:19:05 > 0:19:10Now we need to cover that with oiled clingfilm again, just lightly.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Set it aside for it to prove. And that'll take about 20 minutes.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24Look at this, man.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28- Oh! Pimp my cob!- Isn't it lush?!
0:19:28 > 0:19:30- Yeah.- Get in!
0:19:30 > 0:19:34'Tear up a few sage leaves and place them on top
0:19:34 > 0:19:37'along with some caraway seeds and a dribble of olive oil.'
0:19:38 > 0:19:41- Bit of a foccacia vibe going on as well.- It's lush.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46'Season with a bit of salt and it's ready to go.'
0:19:46 > 0:19:48Then that goes into the oven.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52220 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Which gives me just enough time to puree the soup.
0:19:56 > 0:20:00'Of course, don't forget to take out that bay leaf and sprig of thyme
0:20:00 > 0:20:01'before you blend it,
0:20:01 > 0:20:04'or else your soup will be rough as a bag of spanners!'
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Oh, man!
0:20:10 > 0:20:12That is one fragrant bap.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16Look at that boy-o!
0:20:17 > 0:20:20That texture is just about perfect.
0:20:20 > 0:20:25I want a substantial soup but I don't want wallpaper paste.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Decorate the soup with some creme fraiche.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Nice one, Dave, that looks fantastic.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35- Look at that, it's like a plasterer's radio, isn't it? - It is, aye.
0:20:38 > 0:20:41With a bit of bacon and chopped parsley,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43we're soon to arrive in appley nirvana.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Oh, look at that.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55- What do you reckon, fab? - About as good as it gets, mate.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56Oh, hey!
0:21:02 > 0:21:06Dave, mate, that is epic.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09The sweet/savoury balance is perfect,
0:21:09 > 0:21:15but it's amazing the sweetness you get out of three caramelised apples.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18The very best of British ingredients.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24With, I think, our heritage apples at centre stage.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33This velvety sweet and savoury soup is a taste of appley heaven
0:21:33 > 0:21:37and, what's more, it's simple to make.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38And to show off even more,
0:21:38 > 0:21:41the sage, onion and Stilton tear-and-share bread
0:21:41 > 0:21:43is the perfect thing to enjoy with it.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49Of course, the juicy awesomeness of apples was recognised
0:21:49 > 0:21:51a very long time ago.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Well, Eve wouldn't have gotten into all that bother
0:21:53 > 0:21:56- if they hadn't have been so delicious, would she?- Indeed.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59And in Britain we have a strong, centuries-old history
0:21:59 > 0:22:03of creating apple dishes that includes the most famous one of all.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07# Bye-bye Miss American Pie...#
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Now we've all heard the phrase, "As American as apple pie".
0:22:10 > 0:22:11NEEDLE SCRATCHES ON THE RECORD
0:22:11 > 0:22:14MUSIC: Born In The USA" by Bruce Springsteen
0:22:14 > 0:22:17And you'd be forgiven for thinking they originated in America.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Will you stop that?!
0:22:19 > 0:22:20NEEDLE SCRATCHES AGAIN
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Oh, I don't think so, my American chums!
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Today, with our resident food historian Ivan Day,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29we're going to be reclaiming them for good old Blighty.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31It's a tradition that goes right back.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Us Brits have been making them for centuries.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42We've had apple pies in this country before there was anyone
0:22:42 > 0:22:44from Europe living in America.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47If we go back to the time of Shakespeare,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50what did an apple pie look like to him?
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Well, I've got one here. This is an apple pie made from a cookery book
0:22:54 > 0:22:57that was written during Shakespeare's lifetime.
0:22:57 > 0:23:01"To pie, or not to pie, that is..."
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Please don't, you're embarrassing!
0:23:03 > 0:23:06The thing that went with it that Shakespeare would have recognised
0:23:06 > 0:23:08was what we might think is custard.
0:23:08 > 0:23:13So you've got this classic combination, apple pie and custard,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16but this custard, it's made with wine.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18I'm not sure about the booze custard,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20but I wouldn't mind a slice of that!
0:23:22 > 0:23:25They didn't cut it into slices like we do,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28they actually cut the lid off.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Instead of serving this out and giving everyone some custard,
0:23:31 > 0:23:36they actually poured the custard, or the cordle, into the pie.
0:23:36 > 0:23:41Mind you, that pastry looks tougher than a rhino with a flick knife!
0:23:42 > 0:23:46It's a good start, but Ivan is going to show us the most indulgent,
0:23:46 > 0:23:51the most opulent, the most fancy apple pie ever made.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56So fancy, it's not even got a recipe!
0:23:56 > 0:23:58It's recorded in a poem written in 1704,
0:23:58 > 0:24:01by English poet Leonard Welsted.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05What's wonderful about the poem
0:24:05 > 0:24:09is that he actually addresses the kitchen maid,
0:24:09 > 0:24:13who he refers to as "Nelly".
0:24:13 > 0:24:15"Dear Nelly,
0:24:15 > 0:24:22"learn with care the pastry art and mind the easy precepts I impart.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26"Draw out your dough elaborately thin,
0:24:26 > 0:24:30"and cease not to fatigue your rolling pin."
0:24:30 > 0:24:32He's no Delia, our Welsted, is he?
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Well, no matter how posh your apple pie is,
0:24:35 > 0:24:37it's still got to have apples in it.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40One of my favourite objects in the universe
0:24:40 > 0:24:44is this lovely little English apple peeler.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Which dates from about 1880.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48The Jacobeans had the recipe
0:24:48 > 0:24:50but those canny Victorians had the gadgets!
0:24:50 > 0:24:55I then mount it onto this special spike.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59# I often sit and gaze into the sky
0:25:00 > 0:25:03# And dream about a slice of apple pie...#
0:25:03 > 0:25:06And you just get one amazingly long,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10sort of seven foot long strip... of peel.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15Look at that all the skin off in a oner!
0:25:15 > 0:25:18I've got a perfectly peeled apple.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21So far, Nelly's dish is a pretty humble pie.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23But not for long.
0:25:24 > 0:25:32And he says to Nelly, "In the dessert, perfuming quinces cast.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36"And perfected with cream, the rich repast."
0:25:36 > 0:25:41Quinces are only around really in the autumn for a short season,
0:25:41 > 0:25:46but what they did with them was make lots of quince preserves.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53In the 18th Century, cloves were worth their weight in gold.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57So wise old Welsted says only to use a couple with your candied peel.
0:26:00 > 0:26:05Use only a just reserve, because cloves are incredibly strong.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10Our Jacobean super-pie calls for some brown muscovado sugar,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13to give the apples a lovely colour and flavour.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18"Nor can I blame you if a drop you take of orange flower water
0:26:18 > 0:26:20"for perfuming's sake."
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Now this makes it all fancy.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Orange flower water is a classic Jacobean ingredient
0:26:27 > 0:26:30made from blossoms of the orange tree.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Just a little bit to seal the lid with, mind,
0:26:33 > 0:26:36cos it's a bit more Byron than Biker.
0:26:36 > 0:26:42Very carefully rolling it across the top of the pie.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46"Hence we proceed the outward parts to trim,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49"With crinkumcranks adorn the polished rim."
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Crinkum-whats?!
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The word "crinkumcranks" is not even in the Oxford English dictionary.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57What it is, it's a beautiful decorated edge
0:26:57 > 0:27:02that was obtained by using one of these things.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04This is a pastry jagger.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08It's possible to create little ornaments by stamping designs.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11But it also joins the top to the bottom really effectively,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14so hopefully you don't get any leakage coming out.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17That's handy, having a jagger for your crinkumcranks!
0:27:18 > 0:27:23"Of all the delicates which Britons try to please the palate
0:27:23 > 0:27:30"or delight the eye. Of all the several kinds of sumptuous fare,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34"there's none that can with apple pie compare."
0:27:36 > 0:27:38We tend to think of people in the past
0:27:38 > 0:27:41not being very sophisticated when they ate,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45but this poem tells us that they had very high expectations.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50We have forgotten just how good food was from the past.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Verily, Sir, we have a cracking pie!
0:27:56 > 0:28:00What's extraordinary about this sort of food is that we've inherited it
0:28:00 > 0:28:05from these nameless people from 300, 400 years ago.
0:28:05 > 0:28:09They're the people who really put together our food as we know it now.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13And anyone who tastes this would know immediately that it was English.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20That is the mother of all comfort foods.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25Experts like Ivan help keep us in touch with our food heritage
0:28:25 > 0:28:29and remind us that we have claim to some of the very tastiest around.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Like this mighty apple pie, an amazing dessert,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36and despite what you might have thought, the Best of British too.
0:28:37 > 0:28:421940s SWING MUSIC
0:28:42 > 0:28:47# Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me...#
0:28:47 > 0:28:48From the beginning of time,
0:28:48 > 0:28:52the apple hasn't always just been a healthy, nutritious treat.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55It's also one of the world's most symbolic fruits.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57From Adam and Eve to William Tell,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01it's been at the heart of many of our beliefs and folklore.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05It's been associated with love, health, comfort, pleasure,
0:29:05 > 0:29:09wisdom, temptation, sensuality and virility.
0:29:09 > 0:29:10When it comes to us British,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13no other fruit can claim such a mythical status
0:29:13 > 0:29:17or have led to so many of our oldest customs and traditions.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Some more unexpected than others.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Take apple bobbing.
0:29:21 > 0:29:23The person in charge has a porridge stick,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26with which he stirs the apples and keeps them on the move.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28- Teeth only. Les, have a go. - All right then.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Now you might be forgiven for dismissing it as a hilarious
0:29:31 > 0:29:33way to humiliate your friends.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35Wheeee!
0:29:35 > 0:29:36ALL LAUGH
0:29:36 > 0:29:39Or a breeding ground for many germs.
0:29:39 > 0:29:40But this Halloween custom
0:29:40 > 0:29:43actually started out as a pagan mating ritual.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45# I-I-I love you
0:29:45 > 0:29:47# I truly, truly love you...#
0:29:47 > 0:29:50The first person lucky enough to get a bite of the apple
0:29:50 > 0:29:52would be the next one to marry.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54# You're the apple of my eye-eye-eye...#
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Ooh! That's a big bite!
0:29:58 > 0:30:02Not only might apples have kick-started many a relationship.
0:30:02 > 0:30:03Would you Adam and Eve it,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06they're also behind one of London's most famous traditions.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08The Pearly King and Queen.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12# Any time you're Lambeth way...#
0:30:12 > 0:30:15These elaborately buttoned, flamboyantly dressed
0:30:15 > 0:30:19characters emerged from one of the capital's most popular trades.
0:30:19 > 0:30:20# Doing the Lambeth walk
0:30:20 > 0:30:22ALL: Oi!
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Costermongers were the hardiest of all London street hawkers,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27and got their name from selling the Costard Apple,
0:30:27 > 0:30:31which was grown in abundance in the orchards all around the capital.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Tell me, Sadie, if one had enough pearl buttons,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38could one just put them on a suit and become a Pearly King or Queen?
0:30:38 > 0:30:41Well, I could become a Pearly but not a Pearly King,
0:30:41 > 0:30:43because that's handed down from father to son.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47- And you've got to be a costermonger to be a true one?- Oh, yes.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49# Knees up, Mother Brown...#
0:30:49 > 0:30:52The pearl buttons came in around the middle of the 19th century
0:30:52 > 0:30:55when the costermongers began to decorate their work clothes,
0:30:55 > 0:30:58with a view to mimic the fashions of royalty
0:30:58 > 0:31:03and music hall stars, and make them stand out in the busy markets.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06A young street cleaner then took the bling a stage further
0:31:06 > 0:31:10by decorating his suit from head to foot with buttons he collected from
0:31:10 > 0:31:14the streets where the costermongers worked, and the fashion caught on.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16ALL SING BAWDILY
0:31:16 > 0:31:18It was the start of the charitable institution
0:31:18 > 0:31:22that would come to represent cockneys the world over.
0:31:22 > 0:31:23# If I catch you bending
0:31:23 > 0:31:25# I'll saw your legs right off
0:31:25 > 0:31:26# Knees up, knees up!
0:31:26 > 0:31:27# Don't get the breeze up
0:31:27 > 0:31:29# Knees up, Mother Brown # Woooh! #
0:31:29 > 0:31:32Now from the beautiful to the downright ugly.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36OK, I know what you're thinking.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38What has putting a horse's collar around your neck
0:31:38 > 0:31:41and pulling your bottom lip over your nose got to do with apples?
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Well, the great British tradition of gurning
0:31:43 > 0:31:46is the highlight of Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Thought to be one of the oldest fairs in England, it has been
0:31:54 > 0:31:58held since 1267, to celebrate the region's apple harvest.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02The Lord of Egremont began the tradition
0:32:02 > 0:32:05by giving away crab apples to the people of the town.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- ANNOUNCER:- For centuries local children have pushed and squealed
0:32:08 > 0:32:09after the free apples.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12One thought is the "gurn" mimicked the face people pulled
0:32:12 > 0:32:15as they bit into the sour tasting apple.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22MAN: This is Toffee, five-times World Champion.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23Nine times.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27LAUGHTER
0:32:27 > 0:32:30- It's good that, Dave.- I haven't started yet!
0:32:38 > 0:32:41- You look like that when you're having a poo.- I don't!
0:32:41 > 0:32:45It's gurning, it's Cumbrian. It's good, it's a sport!
0:32:45 > 0:32:47It's a sport?!
0:32:47 > 0:32:49- It is.- It helps if you've got no teeth, though.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52Because what they do is top gurners take their gnashers out,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56because, of course, then your head collapses and everything.
0:32:56 > 0:32:57You can lift your jaw up.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02I've got fine... So it doesn't work, really.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04Anyway, enough dallying.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08We're combining two of Britain's greatest ingredients.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- Beef.- And...
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Apples.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18You see, the other great part of British cuisine
0:33:18 > 0:33:20is our cosmopolitan plethora of recipes.
0:33:20 > 0:33:26So we combine those two great ingredients with a Moroccan vibe.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28We're going to do a beef and apple tagine.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31This tagine combines an amazing Moroccan recipe
0:33:31 > 0:33:35with two great British food specialities.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Britain was the first country to breed cows specifically for beef,
0:33:38 > 0:33:43and one of the few cultures that distinguished between cooking and eating apples.
0:33:43 > 0:33:46Bring them all together and you have magic.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Don't be put off by the fact we're using the term "tagine".
0:33:50 > 0:33:53A tagine is the vessel to make a casserole.
0:33:53 > 0:33:57If you haven't got a tagine, just use a good, heavy casserole pan.
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Tagines are good
0:33:58 > 0:34:02because what happens is the steam condenses at the top with
0:34:02 > 0:34:04the flavours, and all the flavours go back into the dish,
0:34:04 > 0:34:06so you don't lose anything with a tagine.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08They're worth having.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11To start things off, I'm slicing up a couple of onions,
0:34:11 > 0:34:15while Si chops 750g of braising steak into chunks.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21Cheaper cuts of meat, like the chuck steak that we will be using,
0:34:21 > 0:34:24need longer to cook to release its great flavour.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26It's just the same as with a casserole,
0:34:26 > 0:34:29which is basically what a tagine is.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32Beef and pepper were born to be together, weren't they?
0:34:32 > 0:34:33They absolutely were.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36And, of course, you can't cook your beef without pepper.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39Sprinkle on a bit of salt and mix it up.
0:34:41 > 0:34:43Now, don't forget...
0:34:43 > 0:34:47get the oil to a good temperature, it needs to quite hot, this.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49And don't overfill your pan.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52If you put too much in, it'll reduce the temperature of the pan
0:34:52 > 0:34:54and it'll just stew, which is minging.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Eugh, poached beef - it'd be like eating your shoes!
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Let's just have a listen to it. The pan will tell you when it's ready.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02- SIZZLING - Perfect.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07'Then, fry up the chunks until they're nicely browned,
0:35:07 > 0:35:09'then add them to the tagine dish.'
0:35:14 > 0:35:17- You know when recipes just take your fancy?- Yeah.
0:35:17 > 0:35:22Sweet and savoury, it's a classic Moroccan/British kind of love.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24SIZZLING
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Right, mate, that's me done.
0:35:29 > 0:35:30'Put a bit more oil in the pan
0:35:30 > 0:35:33'and then gently fry the onions for a few minutes.'
0:35:36 > 0:35:38'Next, chuck in two cloves of thinly-sliced garlic.'
0:35:40 > 0:35:43They're beginning to go translucent, colour up a bit.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45Let's play with the aromatics.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50'In goes two teaspoons of cumin, two teaspoons of coriander
0:35:50 > 0:35:53'and one teaspoon chilli powder.'
0:35:55 > 0:35:59- That's Morocco, isn't it?- Oh, yeah. - The holy trinity of spice. Lovely.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01But when you've got this one on the go,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04because it needs to cook for about three hours in total,
0:36:04 > 0:36:09the whole house becomes filled with appetising fragrance.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14- Champion.- Happy?- Yeah. That goes in with the beef.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21'Deglaze the pan with 150 millilitres of water,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24'then add the meaty juice to the tagine.'
0:36:26 > 0:36:28'We're piling up the flavours now,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32'adding in 400 grams of chopped tomatoes, 400 grams of chickpeas,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36'three tablespoons of delicious honey and a cinnamon stick.'
0:36:39 > 0:36:42'Now, pour in another 350 millilitres of water.'
0:36:44 > 0:36:48I know it's a cheat, I know some people'll complain...
0:36:49 > 0:36:51(..we're going to put a stock cube in!)
0:36:51 > 0:36:55DRAMATIC MUSIC
0:36:55 > 0:36:57- (Say nowt, say nowt!)- Say nowt.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01- We haven't got any rendered-down fine beef stuff.- No.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04- We've got a cube. - And what are going to use?
0:37:04 > 0:37:06The same as what Dave and I would use.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08- SI MOUTHS - Honest, it works fine.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12Just crumble one in. Ooh!
0:37:12 > 0:37:15'Put the lid on the tagine and let it simmer away
0:37:15 > 0:37:16'for an hour and a half.'
0:37:19 > 0:37:20SIMMERING
0:37:23 > 0:37:27Oh, that smell. It's where the Cotswolds meet Casablanca.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29BOTH SNIFF AND SIGH
0:37:29 > 0:37:33- In all the bars in all the world, you had to walk into this one.- Aye.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35- I won't come again. - BOTH CHUCKLE
0:37:35 > 0:37:38Right, competition time, Mr King.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40- Two apples are needed in there. - Yeah.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43- Peeled, cored, quartered. - Yeah.- Right?
0:37:43 > 0:37:47I'll give you a competition to see who can peel the apple
0:37:47 > 0:37:50without breaking the peel in the shortest possible time
0:37:50 > 0:37:55to produce the longest uninterrupted unbroken apple peel.
0:37:57 > 0:37:58Go!
0:37:58 > 0:38:01MUSIC: "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor
0:38:04 > 0:38:09- Close one, I nearly lost one there. - I know, I nearly did an' all. Ohh!
0:38:11 > 0:38:14- And it's got to be clean, there can be no bits left.- No.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20- PANTING:- Not that I'm competitive or anything(!)
0:38:20 > 0:38:22- Oh!- You're out!
0:38:22 > 0:38:26- I'm not out.- Yes, you are. - I've got that long. Come on, then.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28Don't come over here and try to put us off.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30- Boo!- No.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43- You cheating toad!- I have not, mine's longer, look.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45It's not longer, that's my bit. Howay.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47SI CHUCKLES
0:38:50 > 0:38:53'Cut the apples into eighths and lay them on top of the meat.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57'Chop the sweet potato into chunks and add it in,
0:38:57 > 0:38:59'with a bunch of chopped coriander.'
0:39:00 > 0:39:03- Over the top, mate?- Over the top, as ever.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06- BOTH CHUCKLE - Ooh, that's enough.
0:39:06 > 0:39:12'Next, in go 75 grams of halved prunes. That'll keep you regular!'
0:39:12 > 0:39:15And leave you for another 35 minutes.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18What can we go and skin now?
0:39:18 > 0:39:21- Rabbits.- In a oner?- Yeah.- Excellent.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31- Shall we have a look, mate?- Yeah, go on, mucker.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Hoo-hoo-hoo! Look at that.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39'To make the garnish, slice a red eating apple like a Red Windsor
0:39:39 > 0:39:43'or Shropshire Pippin and caramelise it in butter.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46'Add them to the tagine with some more chopped coriander,
0:39:46 > 0:39:50'then drizzle on a bit of decadent honey - sensational.'
0:39:55 > 0:40:00- How's that?- That's lovely, isn't it? And there we go.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03Hee-hee! The beef and apple tagine.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12I think that really shows off our apples.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15A perfect, warming dish. Mmm!
0:40:15 > 0:40:20For...spring, summer, autumn or winter. It's brilliant.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36Here, Kingy, let's test your culinary knowledge.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38- Go on, then.- What is a Merrylegs?
0:40:38 > 0:40:42- You, after a few pints. - Incorrect. Huffcap?
0:40:42 > 0:40:43Doesn't ring any bells, no.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46- Painted Lady?- Err...
0:40:46 > 0:40:48- Hedgehog?- I know that one, a thing with spikes.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50I know what you're thinking but they're actually
0:40:50 > 0:40:54all types of British pears used for brewing perry.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Perry pears are a British classic but many
0:40:57 > 0:41:02of the 100-plus recorded varieties were close to being lost entirely.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05That is until Great British food hero Charles Martell
0:41:05 > 0:41:07stepped in to save the day.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12Charles lives in Dymock in sight of May Hill
0:41:12 > 0:41:15in the border area of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire
0:41:15 > 0:41:19and Worcestershire where most of Britain's perry pears grow.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22For the last 40 years, he's been gathering cuttings
0:41:22 > 0:41:25of the very rarest British varieties and bringing them back
0:41:25 > 0:41:29from the brink of extinction by growing them in his orchard.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31I was talking to an old farmer one day and he said,
0:41:31 > 0:41:36"There's a cowslip there." It was this time of year. I said, "What do you mean?" I looked on the ground
0:41:36 > 0:41:38He said, "No, you fool, the tree!"
0:41:38 > 0:41:40I said, "That's the cowslip pear." He said, "yeah."
0:41:40 > 0:41:43Then, the next time I went to see him, he wasn't there. He'd died.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46He was the only man who knew what that tree was.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49If I hadn't spoken to him and happened to have been standing there,
0:41:49 > 0:41:53that variety would've been lost for ever. And that pear is just there.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58In this orchard, we've got the rarest perry pear of all which is
0:41:58 > 0:42:03the Speart or Spirit pear and it's...where is it? Just there.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Incredible, probably five trees in existence.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08That's rarer than any wild animal.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Extraordinary that it's here and it's still working.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14We're using it to distil.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Five left in world?! That's rarer than a panda!
0:42:18 > 0:42:22Charles is one of the few pear spirit producers in the country
0:42:22 > 0:42:25and his distiller, George Lewis, is one of the youngest around,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27at the age of just 23.
0:42:28 > 0:42:30Although they look tempting,
0:42:30 > 0:42:32you really don't want to eat a perry pear.
0:42:32 > 0:42:36With more tannin and acid than cooking or eating pears,
0:42:36 > 0:42:38they're ideal for turning into booze.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41But you still have to pick them at the right time.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46It's critical to be picking the pears when they're at their optimum.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49My palate is very faded now, faded and jaded
0:42:49 > 0:42:51so George, who's a distiller
0:42:51 > 0:42:55and has made a lot of cider in his time, has an excellent palate and
0:42:55 > 0:42:58he can taste the sugars and everything that needs to be ready
0:42:58 > 0:42:59for us to pick it.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10Wow. As most perry pears, they suck all the moisture out of your mouth.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14It's very dry. You can taste a bit of sweetness
0:43:14 > 0:43:17- but it's definitely not ripe yet, Charles.- No, no.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20Thankfully, some of the other trees are ready.
0:43:23 > 0:43:28Making distilled pear spirit is a complicated scientific process.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Gathering up the fruit isn't.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34That's the only one... Oh, there's one up there with a lot of fruit on.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37I'll get the hook up there. There's a good branch there, George.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41- We'll get him onto that and give them a damn good shake.- Give it a shake.
0:43:43 > 0:43:44PEARS THUD ONTO THE GROUND
0:43:46 > 0:43:48Yep, we've bloomin' nearly got enough, you know.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52If you shake them too much, you'll get unripe ones coming down
0:43:52 > 0:43:55so don't overshake them, we want the ripe ones.
0:43:57 > 0:44:00Got to leave a few for the birds.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02- All right, then?- Yep. - Let's go on up, then.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09The farm's distillery was built in around 1650 and produced booze
0:44:09 > 0:44:12until it closed in 1810.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18Charles reopened it in 2010, and they haven't looked back since.
0:44:20 > 0:44:23The pears are left to ferment, then loaded into the still
0:44:23 > 0:44:25and heated by a wooden fire.
0:44:26 > 0:44:29The basic recipe for distilling is the same.
0:44:29 > 0:44:35You heat up a mash with alcohol in it and you condense the alcohol out.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40Being a distiller is not about getting sozzled.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42You really do need a good nose.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45I can't taste or smell. He's the one who's got all that.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51A condensed liquid comes out of the still in different parts
0:44:51 > 0:44:54called heads, hearts and tails.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57Heads and tails aren't the right stuff so George is looking
0:44:57 > 0:45:01for hearts, the good perry-tasting bit in the middle.
0:45:01 > 0:45:02Ooh, and it's strong!
0:45:06 > 0:45:10After 50 minutes, the liquid changes from unwanted heads to hearts
0:45:10 > 0:45:13which is what George is after.
0:45:13 > 0:45:17When we go from the heads to the hearts,
0:45:17 > 0:45:20then it's tradition to ring the bell here.
0:45:20 > 0:45:22BELL RINGS
0:45:22 > 0:45:25The bell lets the owner know that the hearts have arrived
0:45:25 > 0:45:28and the brewer hasn't got drunk on his profits.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31What I'll do now is I'll water it down slightly
0:45:31 > 0:45:35because it comes off at about 86%.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38'I'm looking for a fruity sort of pear flavour.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41'It's very sweet and smooth.'
0:45:41 > 0:45:43As I don't want to get drunk on the job,
0:45:43 > 0:45:45I'll usually use the sink here as a spittoon
0:45:45 > 0:45:49so I'm constantly spitting it out and swilling my mouth out.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59It's a powerful and tasty pear drink,
0:45:59 > 0:46:01but Charles has another use for it in mind.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Charles's farm also makes Stinking Bishop,
0:46:06 > 0:46:11an award-winning cheese with a distinctive aroma.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13Stinking Bishop won the prize for the smelliest cheese in the world
0:46:13 > 0:46:17so there's something that is... There really is stink there, yes.
0:46:17 > 0:46:22- That's the drink we've just made. Still warm.- Is it?- Yeah.
0:46:22 > 0:46:23POP
0:46:23 > 0:46:26Normally the cheese is washed in perry,
0:46:26 > 0:46:30but recently Charles has been experimenting with pear spirit.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33I reckon that's probably enough, for now.
0:46:33 > 0:46:36There's a perry pear called Stinking Bishop which in turn was named
0:46:36 > 0:46:42after Mr Bishop who earned himself the accolade of being stinking
0:46:42 > 0:46:46because of his riotous behaviour and doubtless unhygienic ways.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49So I'm told by members of his family.
0:46:49 > 0:46:53He lived in the 1800s so he's long gone and can't take any offence.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58Alcohol helps the stinking cheese bacteria to grow
0:46:58 > 0:47:02and the flavour soaks in too. But using pear spirit is unique.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Time for the first ever tasting,
0:47:08 > 0:47:11with the farm staff and their families.
0:47:11 > 0:47:12So we're going to all try it.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18Right. There we are.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22Look how squidgy that is, girls. Look. Isn't that lovely?
0:47:22 > 0:47:26- Come over, everybody, help yourselves.- I've had a little drop.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37- It's very good. - Just delicious. I want more.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Nice and mellow and very flavoursome.
0:47:41 > 0:47:45All I can say is from what I know, that's a very good cheese.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49It's a great cheese that wouldn't be possible without a great pear
0:47:49 > 0:47:50to give it its flavour.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54- Two local ingredients... - ..and a food hero...
0:47:54 > 0:47:57..brought together to make one mighty British treat.
0:47:59 > 0:48:04Apples are at the CORE of some of our most ancient food traditions.
0:48:04 > 0:48:06And one of the oldest and oddest of the lot
0:48:06 > 0:48:09shows us how loved they were in days gone by.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12There you are, gentlemen.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15This is how we country kids warm our drop of scrumpy up.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18Takes the cold off your belly, and that puts a foundation through
0:48:18 > 0:48:20so you can drink more and more and more!
0:48:20 > 0:48:23- LAUGHTER - Very good!
0:48:23 > 0:48:26# I am a cider drinker... #
0:48:26 > 0:48:28In the cider-producing counties of England,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31where the apple's alcoholic alter-ego
0:48:31 > 0:48:32was central to the way of life,
0:48:32 > 0:48:37it was particularly important to try and get the best crop possible.
0:48:37 > 0:48:39To make sure they had a plentiful supply
0:48:39 > 0:48:40for the long months of winter,
0:48:40 > 0:48:43the locals would head down to the nearest orchard
0:48:43 > 0:48:45to partake in an ancient ritual.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47GUNSHOTS
0:48:49 > 0:48:52For the softy townies among you, this might all look a bit alarming
0:48:52 > 0:48:56but don't worry, no-one is going to get sacrificed.
0:48:56 > 0:48:59Well, except maybe a piece of toast and a bit of cider,
0:48:59 > 0:49:00but it's all in a good cause.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06This is the ancient ceremony of wassailing,
0:49:06 > 0:49:10a pagan ritual believed to have been practised since Anglo-Saxon times.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14GUNSHOT AND CHEERING
0:49:18 > 0:49:19CHEERING
0:49:19 > 0:49:21The word "wassail" meant "good health" in old English
0:49:21 > 0:49:25and the ceremony literally involved blessing the apple tree
0:49:25 > 0:49:27to encourage it to bear fruit.
0:49:27 > 0:49:28Old apple tree...
0:49:28 > 0:49:33ALL: ..we wassail thee, and hoping thou wilt bear.
0:49:33 > 0:49:37Hatfuls, capfuls, three bushel bagfuls,
0:49:37 > 0:49:39and a little heap under the stairs.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41- Hip-hip... - ALL: Hooray!
0:49:41 > 0:49:43- Hip-hip... - ALL: Hooray!
0:49:43 > 0:49:45The idea was to awaken the cider apple tree
0:49:45 > 0:49:48and scare away evil spirits by singing and shouting
0:49:48 > 0:49:50and generally making a bit of a kerfuffle.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52- Hip-hip... - ALL: Hooray!
0:49:52 > 0:49:56A cider-soaked piece of toast was then placed
0:49:56 > 0:49:59in the bough of the tree as a gift to the good spirits
0:49:59 > 0:50:02and cider poured around the trunk.
0:50:02 > 0:50:05And just to be on the safe side, why not finish off
0:50:05 > 0:50:08by shooting a few more rounds into the air?
0:50:08 > 0:50:12Well, you do need to be doubly sure that all the evil spirits have gone.
0:50:12 > 0:50:14Well, that should do the trick.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16The ritual might seem strange business today
0:50:16 > 0:50:20but it was once thought of as simple good husbandry.
0:50:20 > 0:50:23And when your cider supply is at risk, anything is worth a try.
0:50:28 > 0:50:30Apples might hog the culinary limelight
0:50:30 > 0:50:34but pears are as versatile an ingredient as you can get.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37You can use them with meat, in salads or on their own.
0:50:37 > 0:50:41But quite possibly the very best thing about pears is using them
0:50:41 > 0:50:42to make desserts.
0:50:42 > 0:50:47We're going to be making a pear and chocolate frangipane tart.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50This almond-flavoured tart uses the winning combination
0:50:50 > 0:50:52of British Conference pears
0:50:52 > 0:50:56and naughty dark chocolate to create a delicious dessert.
0:50:56 > 0:51:01- This is patisserie for plonkers. - It is really, really simple,
0:51:01 > 0:51:03which is why we're doing it.
0:51:03 > 0:51:06'Sometimes, the simplest things are the biggest crowd-pleasers.'
0:51:06 > 0:51:08- I tell you what.- What, mate?
0:51:08 > 0:51:11You cook it for a dinner party, it's very rich.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13You have a sliver of it but the next day,
0:51:13 > 0:51:15when it's cold with a little coffee,
0:51:15 > 0:51:19- it's proper.- Ooh, nice. - It's elegant.- Nice, nice.
0:51:19 > 0:51:21'And a top Hairy Bikers tip is to use -
0:51:21 > 0:51:25'wait for it - pre-made puff pastry.'
0:51:25 > 0:51:28You wouldn't normally think of lining a tart tin
0:51:28 > 0:51:32- with frozen puff pastry because you think it's going to go soggy. - Why would you?
0:51:32 > 0:51:36It doesn't puff up too much but it gives you a wonderful crispy
0:51:36 > 0:51:41patisserie tart base with no hassle and it's so easy to handle.
0:51:41 > 0:51:46- There's none of that flaking off and causing grief.- No.- It just works.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49'Pat the pastry into a round ball and roll it out.'
0:51:49 > 0:51:54'For the filing, melt 100 grams of dark chocolate broken into pieces.'
0:51:54 > 0:52:01- What's this? "Hello?"- Hello. - It's a CONFERENCE call.- Ha-ha!
0:52:03 > 0:52:05'Crack three eggs into a large mixing bowl
0:52:05 > 0:52:08'along with 150 grams of caster sugar,
0:52:08 > 0:52:13'150 grams of ground almonds, and 50 grams of self-raising flour
0:52:13 > 0:52:17'and 150 grams of melted butter, broken into chunks.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20'It's a bit on the naughty side, this recipe,
0:52:20 > 0:52:22'but it's well worth it.'
0:52:22 > 0:52:24And guess what you do? You take one of these -
0:52:24 > 0:52:26or a hand whisk if you haven't got one of these -
0:52:26 > 0:52:27and you do that.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Right. Time to line the tin.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37Take one loose-bottomed non-stick tart tin.
0:52:37 > 0:52:43- Take your leatherette pastry, slap it in.- I like a loose-bottomed tart.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47And press it down quite firmly.
0:52:47 > 0:52:50The thing is you don't really want it to puff up, so actually,
0:52:50 > 0:52:52the rougher you are, the better.
0:52:54 > 0:52:58- How simple is this? It's brilliant. - It is, isn't it?- It is.
0:52:58 > 0:53:03I don't mind simple when the results kind of are still good
0:53:03 > 0:53:06and this works really, really well.
0:53:06 > 0:53:09It's a real kind of dinner party pleaser, this.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12And if you're going to knock up a tart, it might as well be this one.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16So easy, so quick and it's a lovely thing to do.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21Take a fork...and that's it. That's the pastry work done.
0:53:21 > 0:53:25And how neat and tidy that looks, it's fab. Put that over here.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28What I'm going to do is the baking tray,
0:53:28 > 0:53:32I'm going to pop in the oven because when we start to bake the tart, this
0:53:32 > 0:53:37is just going to give us a bit of a boost so always warm the tray first.
0:53:37 > 0:53:39- That's a good tip, that, isn't it? - Yep.
0:53:39 > 0:53:44- Now, the crowning glory for this tart is the Conference pear.- Oh!
0:53:44 > 0:53:49We import so many pears but our native Conference pear
0:53:49 > 0:53:52- is probably the finest, crunchiest, loveliest pear you can get. - I love it.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55While he's smoothing in the filling,
0:53:55 > 0:53:57there's time for a quick bit of history.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01Frangipani was first mentioned in a 17th century French cookbook.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04According to some, it gets its name from an Italian aristocrat
0:54:04 > 0:54:09called Don Cesare Frangipani who invented an almond-scented perfume
0:54:09 > 0:54:11that Louis XVIII used on his gloves.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15The patissiers of Paris caught onto the name of the fragrance.
0:54:15 > 0:54:18Et voila! It definitely tastes better, though,
0:54:18 > 0:54:19than the gloves smell.
0:54:19 > 0:54:22Next up are the stars of the show,
0:54:22 > 0:54:25three firm and lovely Conference pears.
0:54:25 > 0:54:29I'm just taking care with the pear. It's a simple recipe
0:54:29 > 0:54:33but we just want to give it a bit of respect it deserves.
0:54:33 > 0:54:37'Pop them into a bowl of lemon juice to stop them going brown.'
0:54:39 > 0:54:41'Then, it's time for the choccie.'
0:54:41 > 0:54:45Good 70-odd percent cocoa solid chocolate
0:54:45 > 0:54:47and you want it to look like a Jackson Pollock.
0:54:47 > 0:54:51'That's like chocolate-y torture at home, isn't it?'
0:54:51 > 0:54:53Ooh!
0:54:53 > 0:54:57Now, there may not look to be much batter,
0:54:57 > 0:54:59much frangipane in the bottom but it will rise up
0:54:59 > 0:55:02and it's going to rise up and embrace the pears,
0:55:02 > 0:55:07which we're now going to put in a radiating fashion on the tart.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10And obviously, with the process of geometry,
0:55:10 > 0:55:12you want the pointy ends in.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19Now, at the moment, it looks like a pear pizza
0:55:19 > 0:55:23but we pop that into a preheated oven, 180 degrees Celsius
0:55:23 > 0:55:28to bake for about 30-35 minutes.
0:55:28 > 0:55:31Now, we don't want to take this completely out the oven
0:55:31 > 0:55:32cos we don't want it to collapse.
0:55:32 > 0:55:37After that time, pop on all those flaked almonds, back in the oven
0:55:37 > 0:55:39for another half-hour for the almonds to toast
0:55:39 > 0:55:41and the baking to finish.
0:55:47 > 0:55:52- Lovely. Oh, yes.- Yes! - Now, this is a multipurpose tart.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56You can serve this hot or cold, which is just a good job
0:55:56 > 0:56:00because it is a big 'un so you can half now and half after.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02That looks fantastic.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08Top tip, so you don't burn yourself - Pyrex, tart, on...
0:56:08 > 0:56:12- and off she pops. Look at that.- Oh!
0:56:12 > 0:56:16Now, how many of you thought that pastry's going to be dead soggy?
0:56:16 > 0:56:20It's not. One of the reasons is that we put it on a hot baking sheet
0:56:20 > 0:56:23so the heat has gone through to the bottom of the tin.
0:56:23 > 0:56:29All that remains, a little dusting with icing sugar.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32Doesn't that look like a really accomplished piece of patisserie?
0:56:32 > 0:56:37- It does.- And it's so easy, and the pastry's perfect
0:56:37 > 0:56:41and it's just basically deadened puff pastry.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45Well, I, for one, am a convert of deadened puff pastry
0:56:45 > 0:56:46because that's brilliant.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48- Oh... - PASTRY CRUNCHES
0:56:48 > 0:56:49..listen to that.
0:56:52 > 0:56:57It's great with cream, ice cream and it's nice cold with a cup of coffee.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01And it's a good cutter.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07Bit of fromage frais for that grown-up sophistication?
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Absolutely, mate, yes.
0:57:10 > 0:57:13Actually, a fat-free fromage frais isn't bad either.
0:57:13 > 0:57:15I suppose if you're going to eat this,
0:57:15 > 0:57:19- you ain't going to be bothered about your fat-free fromage frais!- No.
0:57:19 > 0:57:24- Thank you.- Thank you.- Seems a shame! - It does, kind of, doesn't it?
0:57:24 > 0:57:28All right. Aww!
0:57:28 > 0:57:31I love this.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42It's a real nice, grown-up dessert. It's not too sweet.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44We've used dark chocolate, it's quite bitter,
0:57:44 > 0:57:48it's quite lovely with the pears and the frangipane, again,
0:57:48 > 0:57:49it's the right sugar balance.
0:57:49 > 0:57:52- And the almonds are fabulous, aren't they?- Mm.
0:57:52 > 0:57:58You've got that fantastic big hit of pear - fruity, soft -
0:57:58 > 0:58:02then you've got the light fluffiness of the frangipane filling.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05- Totally, totally brilliant.- Mm.
0:58:05 > 0:58:10- You see, great British fruit...- Aye.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14- ..is the best in the world.- Aye, and you can't beat a good pear.
0:58:18 > 0:58:20Apples and pears are fantastic,
0:58:20 > 0:58:23and by buying traditional British varieties,
0:58:23 > 0:58:27you'll be doing your bit to keep our delicious fruit heritage alive.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd