0:00:02 > 0:00:05We believe Britain has the best food in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Our glorious country boasts some fantastic ingredients.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Start eating it, will you?
0:00:12 > 0:00:16It's home to some amazing producers...
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- My goodness gracious, that is epic!- Isn't it?
0:00:20 > 0:00:23..and innovative chefs.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28But our islands also have a fascinating food history.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33The fish and chip shops of South Wales are running out of chips.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35BOTH: Yes!
0:00:35 > 0:00:42And in this series, we're uncovering revealing stories of our rich culinary past.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Now, there is food history on a plate.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49As well as meeting our nation's food heroes who are keeping this heritage alive.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Let's have them enjoying themselves. It's a short life.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Let's make it a happy one, like they always have had.
0:00:55 > 0:01:01And of course we'll be cooking up a load of dishes that reveal our foodie evolution.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05Spring, summer, autumn or winter.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07It's brilliant.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11BOTH: Quite simply, The Best Of British.
0:01:32 > 0:01:366,000 years ago, 90% of Britain was covered in woodland
0:01:36 > 0:01:41and the forest bounty provided a major part of our diet.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Obviously, those days are gone, but the great British woodland
0:01:45 > 0:01:48still has a lot to offer the adventurous gourmet.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51So today's show is a celebration of our great forests
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and the culinary traditions that it contains.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57We're going to have a look at the gourmet treasures
0:01:57 > 0:01:59that lie beneath that leafy canopy.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04There's nothing better than gallivanting around the woods
0:02:04 > 0:02:08foraging for goodies - this wild food Mecca can provide us
0:02:08 > 0:02:10with an abundance of edibles.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14From amazing mushrooms and British truffles, to berries and wild game.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19We'll explore the revival of a great British nut - no, not him!
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Steady! And cook up some fantastic dishes that salute the wonders found
0:02:23 > 0:02:27within our 23,000 square kilometres of native woodland.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33So it's time to head off into the great outdoors,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36and what better excuse do we need to do a bit of off-roading?
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Wahey! We're heading to Shadow Woods in Sussex to experience
0:02:40 > 0:02:44a fascinating part of woodland food history for ourselves.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46We're here to meet Clive Cobie.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47He's a woodlands skills expert
0:02:47 > 0:02:50who runs courses in foraging and woodcraft.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53He knows this place like the back of his hand
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and is part gastronome, part wild plant paramedic!
0:02:56 > 0:02:58How are you, Clive? Nice to see you.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00Couldn't see you in the camouflage.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Man of the woods. Chose a good 'un.
0:03:02 > 0:03:07I was just picking this plant here. This is called ground ivy.
0:03:07 > 0:03:09It makes a really good herbal tea.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13And if you ever have diarrhoea, it's a really good one for curing it.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17I would have thought that eating ivy would give you diarrhoea.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19This isn't related to normal ivy.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23This is just called ground ivy in the way that it grows along the ground.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24It's quite a common plant.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28- This is your expertise, you see, you know what you're looking for.- Yeah.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31I'm quite used to the woodland plants.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34This environment is packed with all kinds of food sources,
0:03:34 > 0:03:36if you know what to look for.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40All we need to get going is a pointy stick!
0:03:40 > 0:03:44- I've prepared you a digging stick each.- It's Gandalf of the woods.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48- I haven't grown my beard yet. - No, you shaved it off, didn't you?
0:03:48 > 0:03:50I did, yes. I wouldn't want to show you up with yours.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54- I know, it's probably best.- Mind, Kingy, there's magic in the woods.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56There is magic in the woods, dude.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Dude, you've gone all druidy!
0:03:59 > 0:04:04Actually no, foraging is very modern-trendy at the moment.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Top restaurants are taking advantage of the interesting
0:04:06 > 0:04:11and unusual flavours found growing wild in our backyard.
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Of course, Clive's an expert,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15and if you're thinking of trying foraging at home,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17you need to be one too.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Otherwise, you'll end up poisoning yourself,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and nobody wants to do that, do they?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Clive, if you had to exist here, just living off these woods,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28- could you do it?- Yeah, you could.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- Throughout the seasons or just... - The thing is, you'd have to prepare
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and there's different ways of storing,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37like with hawthorn and with sloe berries.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41They would have dried them out and made fruit leathers and stored those
0:04:41 > 0:04:43over winter.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47It's amazing. I look around us and see green stuff,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50but Clive sees food and medicine everywhere!
0:04:51 > 0:04:56Ah, here's some interesting plants here. This is called century.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59The flowers don't actually come out until midday,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and then the flowers come out and then they close up by the evening.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06But this was used for the digestion.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10It is actually quite bitter, so if you're going to have it,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13it's best just to have a small amount and then adapt it,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15rather than having too much in something.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19It's like wild plants, what people quite often do is get loads of it,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21make a meal of it and it tastes so bitter
0:05:21 > 0:05:23that it puts them off for life.
0:05:23 > 0:05:28It's best to just experiment with a little amount of wild plants,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30put them into your normal food and just get used to it,
0:05:30 > 0:05:33and at least you're getting some good nutrients and minerals then.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Whilst some of the woodland flavours can be a bit of a challenge,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40there are plenty of others that are quite amazing.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44This is water mint. I think you could find a lot of uses for that.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46It smells really nice.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48It tastes nice as well.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- Oh, wow, that's fabulous!- Wouldn't that make amazing ice cream?
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- Hm.- It's incredibly refreshing.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58That's the only way to describe the flavour - fresh.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Oh, dude, taste that, man.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01A picnic.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05Oh, it's a prehistoric butty.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08It might even have some protein in there as well.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10- Really?- Yeah.- If we're lucky. - You never know.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13- A maggot.- There's nothing wrong with a maggot.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17No. SI COUGHS
0:06:17 > 0:06:19I think I'll pass on the maggot, dude.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22- COUGHING - Are you all right there, dude?- Yeah.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27There are an incredible variety of foods that can be foraged.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30In Shadow Woods alone, Clive has found wild garlic,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34blackthorn, wild sorrel, burdock root...
0:06:34 > 0:06:36..and, to give us an authentic taste of the forest,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40he's preparing us a feast using all these wonderful ingredients.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Oh, what an idyllic spot!
0:06:42 > 0:06:45This is one of the places I do my cooking
0:06:45 > 0:06:48and I've got a ground oven here that I've rigged up,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50which is an ancient form of cooking,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52but I've modernised it cos I'm using a metal box
0:06:52 > 0:06:55rather than a hole in the ground with stones in the bottom,
0:06:55 > 0:06:56which is how they used to do it.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00- You've got everything in the forest. - You have, haven't you?
0:07:00 > 0:07:05- Needless to say, that's absolutely white hot.- Yeah.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07Ah, look at that! A woodland Le Creuset.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10That's bubbling away like a good 'un, Clive.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13'Charcoal powered the Industrial Revolution
0:07:13 > 0:07:15'and is yet another part of woodland's usefulness,
0:07:15 > 0:07:20'because for us it can fuel a rather natty oven.'
0:07:20 > 0:07:22Oh, wow, smells good!
0:07:22 > 0:07:26'As well as smelling delicious, it's packed with medicinal
0:07:26 > 0:07:28'and nutritious plants, roots and herbs.'
0:07:28 > 0:07:30This one's done.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32'This is truly timeless cooking,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34'well, except for the pots.'
0:07:34 > 0:07:38We've got wild garlic, stinging nettles, dandelions
0:07:38 > 0:07:42and various roots - burdock, reed mace -
0:07:42 > 0:07:45so it's full of nutrition and carbohydrates.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- Right.- So it should go well with a rabbit.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50'Anyway, enough chat, it's eating time!
0:07:50 > 0:07:54'Everything in this dish has been sourced from these very woods
0:07:54 > 0:07:56'and I can't wait to see how it tastes!'
0:07:56 > 0:07:58There you go.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Oh, fantastic! So what have we got?
0:08:02 > 0:08:05That's stinging nettle and dandelion.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- Stinging nettle and dandelion. - That'll be the rabbit.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10- Is this the burdock?- Hm.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Whoa!
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Burdock's lovely!
0:08:14 > 0:08:18- Yeah, it's got quite an earthy taste. - That burdock's fabulous.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Is there wild garlic in here as well?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22- Mm.- What's the really rooty one?
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Ah, that's reed mace, it's the base of the stems.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29- It is a bit fibrous, but... - It's a bit like artichoke.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31It tastes like artichokes.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- Mm, nowt wrong with that. - It's lovely.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38Do you know what? When the woodland changes from summer to autumn,
0:08:38 > 0:08:44and you get that slight muskiness to the air, that's what you get on the plate.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47I love that perfume of... living things.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51This is a real taste of times gone by, isn't it?
0:08:51 > 0:08:56Mankind will have enjoyed this kind of meal for hundreds of thousands of years.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58It's only the past 300, 400 years
0:08:58 > 0:09:02that we've forgotten about it, forgotten what treasures we've got.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07- I shall never take a woodland walk for granted again.- No, no, same.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Amazing!
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Experts like Clive are real food heroes.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Foraging reconnects us with our ancient culinary past,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20and his wild rabbit stew contained an abundance of woodland flavours.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22But other wild animals are available
0:09:22 > 0:09:25and one of my favourites is pheasant.
0:09:25 > 0:09:31Pheasants have often been thought to be the preserve of the rich and wealthy who go out shooting them.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35But in Britain alone, there are more than 3 million tonnes
0:09:35 > 0:09:37of pheasant flesh.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40And you can, as they say in the trade, nang it.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43- GOBBLING - You can eat it, and it's brilliant.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46We're going to show you how to make
0:09:46 > 0:09:50a woodland-inspired pheasant and wild mushroom pie.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53It's dead quick to make, and cooking pheasant quick
0:09:53 > 0:09:56is a good way of making sure the meat doesn't go dry.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58I'm going to talk mushrooms.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02Go on, you talk mushrooms and I'll take the breasts off this pheasant.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Right, for starters, I need 300ml of boiling water,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09for which I'm going to soak some dried mushrooms.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15Dried mushrooms don't have to come from Italy, we've plenty of our own.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I'm going to put half a chicken stock cube
0:10:18 > 0:10:22in the mushroom-soaking water for flavour.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26And that needs to soak now for about 20 minutes.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Just a note - always check for shot,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34because the majority of birds that you buy have been shot.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Now, the worst thing is to bite into the breast
0:10:38 > 0:10:40of your pheasant
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and get a gobful of gunshot. Eugh!
0:10:44 > 0:10:47'Now, you may think of pheasant as a quintessentially British bird,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50'but our feathered friends were actually brought here
0:10:50 > 0:10:52'from south-west Asia by the Romans.'
0:10:52 > 0:10:54'And we've enjoyed them ever since!'
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Look at this, Kingy,
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- Look at those mushrooms! - How beautiful is that, mate?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03These are all edible and absolutely delicious.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07And the thing is, there's many out in the forest that aren't delicious,
0:11:07 > 0:11:10and it's a funny thing because we've kind of got frightened
0:11:10 > 0:11:13of picking wild mushrooms, and rightly so,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16because a lot of people have died. So, when you go mushrooming,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19do it with somebody who knows what they're doing
0:11:19 > 0:11:22and you can have bounteous treasure of fungi.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26I'm taking a handful of various mushrooms - girolles,
0:11:26 > 0:11:29blewits and trompettes.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30Wonderful stuff!
0:11:31 > 0:11:34So I'm going to chop up these beautiful mushrooms
0:11:34 > 0:11:38in a somewhat rustic manner and put them in a pan with a bit of oil.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Now, keeping the liquid for later, strain the soaked dried mushrooms,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46chop them up and add them to the ones in the pan.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49We're going to cook these through for about five minutes.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54In here, we've some potatoes poaching gently,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57so I'll see if they're done. We don't want them overdone.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59How are you doing, Mr Butcher?
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Not bad, Mother, not bad, I'm just thinking about the pheasant
0:12:03 > 0:12:04and how beautiful the bird is.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08I mean, they're stupid, but they're beautiful.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11I'm going to get these potatoes off.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I'm just going to drain them and let them stand for a bit.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16But we don't want them to go watery.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20Separating the breast from the pheasant may look a bit of a mission,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22but you can always get your butcher to do it for you.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Really, though, it's the same as with a chicken,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27it just takes a bit of practice.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31One pheasant breast. How beautiful does that meat look? Fantastic!
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Now, these mushrooms are nicely cooked through,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39so we set those aside. Oh, they smell so good,
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- don't they?- Fabulous. - They smell fungal,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44they smell of the damp forest floor.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Into the same mushroom pan, add a little more oil.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53One finely chopped medium-sized onion.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57And half a dozen rashers of rindless smoked bacon, cut into small slices.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02We're going to fry this off until the bacon's lightly browned.
0:13:02 > 0:13:04We're not going for crispy on this one.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Now cut the pheasant breasts into pieces.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12I've prepared three pheasants, which should be enough for six people.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15The pie topping is going to be a simple mash.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Just let the drained potatoes dry before you start.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Add a large knob of butter, about four tablespoons of milk
0:13:21 > 0:13:24and some seasoning before getting stuck in with the masher.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28And I am going to do some seasoning of my own -
0:13:28 > 0:13:31salt and pepper on the pheasant.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35As soon as Si's happy, we're going to saute the pheasant breasts for a couple of minutes,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37literally two to three minutes,
0:13:37 > 0:13:39just until the meat's coloured. That's all we want.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41- Shall we?- We shall.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49- It's a dry meat, isn't it, quite waxy.- It is, it's a lovely meat.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52It doesn't take long till it starts to colour up.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55We're going to cook this for another five minutes
0:13:55 > 0:13:58while we make the sauce. So that's when they'll cook through.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01At this point, it's just a bit of colour.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05- You know what, Si?- What's happening? - Here's one for you, being from Newcastle.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09- Do you know where the word "pie" comes from?- No, I don't, actually.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10Magpies.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- Really?- Magpies go around collecting lots of different things
0:14:13 > 0:14:18and put them in one place. And that pie is a perfect example.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21You go around the forest collecting stuff, put it in a dish,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23it's a magpie pie.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25- Ahh!- It's a Toon Army pie.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29You see, you see, not only did we invent the steam engine...
0:14:29 > 0:14:30and loads of other stuff,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34we invented the pie as well. You cannae whack it, can you?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37I don't think we did, but I'm taking it, you know.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42I think we're there, Si.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Lovely. Yeah.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46We've got some colour on all those pieces,
0:14:46 > 0:14:50but again, it's still raw in the middle and that's what we're after.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Now...two cloves of garlic
0:14:52 > 0:14:56and finely slice these, crush it if you want.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59I think, again, a little bit rustic.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03And to that, we want to add 100ml of port.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07To this, we add three tablespoons of ordinary plain flour.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10One...two...
0:15:10 > 0:15:12three.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15And just give that a stir and a coat.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19And this is to thicken the sauce
0:15:19 > 0:15:22that will inevitably come out of the cooking juices.
0:15:22 > 0:15:28And just make it a very unctuous... and lovely...texture.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Right, this is nearly ready to assemble.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Just slide all those glistening fungi back in with the pheasant
0:15:36 > 0:15:39and add to the liquid saved from soaking the dried mushrooms.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Let that heat through before transferring to a casserole dish.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Slap it in.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49Make sure your dish is hot before you put the filling in.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52You don't want it to stop cooking just yet.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Likewise, if your potatoes have gone cold,
0:15:54 > 0:15:57give them a quick blast before dolloping on.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00And again, rustic and rough. Where you've got the rough bits,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- we're going to have a nice crispy peak, aren't we?- Lush.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06That's how I like potato done, it's brilliant.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10Pop it under a grill for two minutes until it's crispy and golden topped.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14And then we've got an extra treat for the top!
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Hoo-hoo-hoo! Look at that!
0:16:24 > 0:16:27# If you go down to the woods today
0:16:27 > 0:16:29# You're sure of a big surprise. #
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- Gorgeous.- There's one little trifling garnish, isn't there?
0:16:32 > 0:16:35- Oh, is there, David? Oh, I wonder what that is.- Truffle oil.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38Truffles, mushrooms, the forest.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42As it hits the heat of the pie, you're going to be wafted...
0:16:42 > 0:16:43into like...
0:16:43 > 0:16:45heaven.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50- Beautiful! Plates, veg, scoop, eat, enjoy.- Marvellous!
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Thing is, Kingy, if beef makes cottage pie,
0:16:57 > 0:17:02and lamb makes shepherd's pie, what does pheasant make?
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Blooming lovely pie, that's what, dude.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Now, is the pheasant tender?
0:17:10 > 0:17:14The fork went in as it would do if it was stamping on an angel's foot.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- Aw!- Yeah. Brilliant! No mystery.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22- Wow!- The bacon's flavoured it, the garlic, the black pepper.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26All those mushrooms. The depth of mushroomy flavours -
0:17:26 > 0:17:28using the dry ones as well as the wild ones.
0:17:28 > 0:17:34It is a fungal delight, and all from our Great British woodland.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I know! That is a well-packed pie.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40In fact, there's not mush-room in that for anything else!
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Hey, hey!
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Historically, when it comes to our woodlands,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49it was open season for hunter-gatherers all year round.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52If you could catch it, you could eat it.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56But, as time went on, the land got divvied up amongst the wealthy.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00And soon nature's larder became the preserve of the rich.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06By the late Middle Ages, the right to hunt was purely
0:18:06 > 0:18:09the privilege of landowners and nobility.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14And thus began the most secretive of rural pursuits - poaching.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Me dad did it for 20 year, poaching.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21And me dad used to have a big pocket. Fortune was never made...
0:18:21 > 0:18:26I mean, in the early days, was never made, I mean, for a gain's purpose.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28It was just to feed the families.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32For some country folk, it was often the only option
0:18:32 > 0:18:35when it came to getting food for the table.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37I'd never poach a salmon in my life.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40They gives theirselves up!
0:18:43 > 0:18:47For others, it became one way of sticking one to the landowner.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50Claiming back what was rightfully theirs.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Male chickens, we just fatten up and fatten up.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58And they used to go to the market and get sold in the market.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01We used to go about two nights before, or three,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04and get one off the perch. You could just reach up,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07get hold of his legs and pull him down.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10You'd put his neck out, in your pocket!
0:19:11 > 0:19:16This particular time, I got the cops after me this particular time.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20"The fox had him," I said. "The fox had him."
0:19:20 > 0:19:23So, he said, "Let's have a look at your trousers!"
0:19:23 > 0:19:26The marks on the trousers were straight up the knees
0:19:26 > 0:19:28where I'd knelt in the clay to put my hand up.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33He said, "I've never seen a fox with bloody corduroy trousers on before."
0:19:37 > 0:19:40And they might be laughing about it but, historically,
0:19:40 > 0:19:45the punishment for poaching could be extreme and even included execution.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51By the 1970s, laws were more relaxed
0:19:51 > 0:19:54but a new breed of poacher was on the prowl.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57# Bad boys stick together
0:19:57 > 0:20:00# Never sad boys... #
0:20:00 > 0:20:03For the modern poacher, this is money on the hoof,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06all tax free and not bad for a night's work
0:20:06 > 0:20:09when sold through illegal game dealers or to restaurants,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13which asked no questions.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17It used to be the poacher with his bag and a few pheasants.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19But, no, this is big business. We're getting people
0:20:19 > 0:20:21coming out of the large conurbations.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23They're coming out and making a lot of money.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24Yes, it's really big business.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27The modern poacher packs a knife, a powerful lamp
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and a car battery for his night's work.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33There's no sporting element involved. It's just butchery for profit.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37These people, who are doing it for the money,
0:20:37 > 0:20:41have got absolutely no qualms at all about the methods they use.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47A sportsman - the old type poacher - was a nature lover
0:20:47 > 0:20:51to a certain extent at heart. He took greatest care.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56What he did, he did efficiently and as humane as he could possibly be.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Not so these brethren. Cruelty is absolutely appalling.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Today, organised poaching is sadly still on the increase.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08But there are wild foods out there that are available to all,
0:21:08 > 0:21:11without the need to poach.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19In the heart of picturesque Kent grows a traditional woodland food
0:21:19 > 0:21:23that was once eaten by everyone in the land.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Cobnuts were a British staple, cultivated from hazelnut
0:21:26 > 0:21:30and prized in cooking since the Middle Ages.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33The Victorians thought the Kentish variety was the best around
0:21:33 > 0:21:37and planted swathes of cobnuts across the county.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Their popularity plummeted after the First World War,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44as costs rose and imported nuts took over.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48But now cobnuts are back in fashion and being cultivated once again.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53At Hurstwood Farm in Kent, 84-year-old Mr Dain
0:21:53 > 0:21:57has dedicated years to growing this glorious nut.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59He's a Kentish farmer born and bred.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03I suppose I started when I was about ten
0:22:03 > 0:22:06when one of my schoolmasters said,
0:22:06 > 0:22:09"And what are you going to be when you grow up?"
0:22:09 > 0:22:12So, I said, "A farmer." To which he replied,
0:22:12 > 0:22:19"Well, I'll give you a shilling when you plant your first field."
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Well, about, I don't know, 15 years later, I got that shilling.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25And he remembered.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Cobnut trees were introduced to Hurstwood Farm
0:22:28 > 0:22:34in 1985, in an attempt to get this humble nut back on the culinary map.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37We were the first planters of cobnuts.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41The orchard we're standing in now, which is about six acres,
0:22:41 > 0:22:43was the first experimental orchard.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47There's something like 200 varieties of cobnut
0:22:47 > 0:22:51but I have to say I think Kent cob is the best.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55Its flavour and texture are supreme
0:22:55 > 0:22:59and so we're very proud of it.
0:22:59 > 0:23:02It's been a difficult process and nowadays Mr Dain
0:23:02 > 0:23:04is a self-confessed nutter.
0:23:04 > 0:23:09You can't grow nuts without being a bit of a nutter.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13We should point out that this is what
0:23:13 > 0:23:16people in Kent call cobnut farmers!
0:23:16 > 0:23:19He knows all there is to know about these cracking British snacks.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Cobnuts have quite a pedigree in Britain.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24They were considered a delicacy in the Middle Ages
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and referred to in Shakespeare's time as "filberts".
0:23:27 > 0:23:30He even mentions them in his play The Tempest.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32"I'll bring thee to clustering filberts,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35"and sometimes I'll get thee young sea-mews from the rock.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37"Wilt thou go with me?
0:23:37 > 0:23:41"I prithee now, lead the way. Without any more talking."
0:23:41 > 0:23:43After the nuts are picked at Hurstwood Farm,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46they have to go to be painstakingly quality checked, then roasted.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Then they're either eaten whole, used in stews,
0:23:50 > 0:23:52or even dipped in chocolate.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55But, perhaps, most excitingly for foodies, the farm has rediscovered
0:23:55 > 0:24:00another very important use for the nuts - cobnut oil.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Cobnuts first came into this country introduced by the Romans,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08so that they had cooking oil. So, we've really gone back
0:24:08 > 0:24:141,500, 2,000 years in starting to produce cobnut oil again.
0:24:14 > 0:24:19It's very satisfactory and is a rather special taste.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23The farm now produces about 60,000 tons of nuts a year.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Catherine Robinson is the farm's manager
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and just as passionate about cobnuts as Mr Dain.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32What we have here is the oil from the cobnut.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36It was recognised centuries ago as being a fantastic product.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38But, we lost it for several hundred years,
0:24:38 > 0:24:42and now we're getting it back again.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44You can use it for all sorts of things.
0:24:44 > 0:24:49From bath oil to salad dressing, to, um,
0:24:49 > 0:24:52making it into bread and cakes and things.
0:24:52 > 0:24:57Not only are cobnuts tasty, they're also really good for you as well.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00It's got B vitamins in, it's got vitamin E in.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02And it has no cholesterol in.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04But it has that richness that butter has.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06So, if you want to have a bit of a treat,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09but you don't actually want to have the cholesterol,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12and all the bad stuff, um, it is very good for you.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15After being dried, the shelled cobnuts are pressed
0:25:15 > 0:25:18and left for a week, before being filtered and rested,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20and then poured into bottles.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23One bottle of Kentish cobnut oil.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27But the real test of good oil is cooking food with it.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Local chef Steve Weaver is rustling up a nutty treat
0:25:30 > 0:25:33with a bit of alfresco dining in the orchard.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35The beauty of the cobnut oil, compared to, say,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38cooking with olive oil, it's got a much higher burning threshold.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41And imparts that gentle nutty flavour.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44Steve's frying up rabbit with mushrooms, herbs, parsley
0:25:44 > 0:25:46and a bit of bacon.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49He's a real devotee of cobnut oil.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51You can smell the cobnut oil coming through -
0:25:51 > 0:25:54even through those flavours that are in there.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56It's a lovely, sort of non-greasy oil.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59It doesn't stick, it's just lovely and smooth and soft.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03And, of course, you can't get enough whole cobnuts in there either.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05We've got some roasted cobnuts here.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08I'm just going to drop a few of those in there.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10I'm just going to add a bit of crunch to the dish -
0:26:10 > 0:26:12that extra bit of nutty flavour.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16They've invited a few locals along to get a taste of cobnut cooking,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19but what will they make of it?
0:26:19 > 0:26:22That's really delicious. It's lovely! Very good.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25You can really taste the mushroom and nuts.
0:26:25 > 0:26:28It comes through immensely well.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31- And the parsley finishes it off delightfully.- Mm.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33It's absolutely delicious!
0:26:33 > 0:26:35It sounds like the nuts are a winner.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38But they're not just for savoury dishes, you know.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Oh, no, they're just as good in puddings.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44I'm going to make you a nice honey, cobnut and cream sauce
0:26:44 > 0:26:48to go with the apple. You can't get more traditional than that, can you?
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It's just a bit of honey, roasted cobnuts chopped up
0:26:52 > 0:26:55and a bit of cream.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59This is cinnamon and golden caster sugar.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Just on the apples in the cobnut oil.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06There we go!
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Ooh, that's beautiful!
0:27:08 > 0:27:14The combination with the nuts and the spices - wonderful!
0:27:15 > 0:27:19I'm going to do it at home, definitely!
0:27:19 > 0:27:21These are great traditional flavour combinations
0:27:21 > 0:27:25and, for Catherine, that link with history is extra special.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28The cobnuts, the honey, the cream and the spices
0:27:28 > 0:27:30could have been eaten in Medieval times.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34Cooked exactly like this, outside on the fire.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36This is delicious.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38These woodland snacks are great for making your cooking
0:27:38 > 0:27:41a little bit different, but if you can't get hold
0:27:41 > 0:27:44of these little nuggets of nuttiness, you can always swap
0:27:44 > 0:27:47the cob for its smaller cousin, the hazelnut,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50as we're doing next in our Best of British kitchen.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53And we're pairing it with an ingredient which,
0:27:53 > 0:27:56for me at least, brings back happy memories.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Very often, one's very first foraging in the woods
0:28:00 > 0:28:02is for blackberries and brambles.
0:28:02 > 0:28:05- We've all done it. We've all had a pick and an eat.- We have.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07We've all gone out as kids with a hat with a bag
0:28:07 > 0:28:11and dance home gaily and you make bramble jelly and good things
0:28:11 > 0:28:15- from the fruits of the forest. - Do you?- Yeah.
0:28:17 > 0:28:21But we're not going to making either of those today. This is much posher.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25It's a blackberry fool with a hazelnut lemony biscuit.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30- First off, I need to toast my nuts. - He does.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Much the same as the squirrel.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36Now... All I'm going to do
0:28:36 > 0:28:40is about 600 grams of these blackberries.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43And 75 grams of caster sugar.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47And I'm going to cook those gently for about three minutes
0:28:47 > 0:28:51with a lid on.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53I'm going to start the nuts roasting
0:28:53 > 0:28:55and put them in the oven for about six minutes.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- They'll just have a nice rustic aroma.- Nice!
0:28:59 > 0:29:03What we're doing here is we're cooking these quite gently,
0:29:03 > 0:29:05until they start to let out their juice.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08As soon as that happens, I'm going to pull 12 out of the pan
0:29:08 > 0:29:11and set them aside. And they'll be used for decoration
0:29:11 > 0:29:13on top of the fool in due course.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17This is warm, hot. Put them in the oven about six minutes
0:29:17 > 0:29:21and just cross your fingers that we don't burn them.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26Let's get the biscuit mix mixing.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29First, I'll add 125 grams of well-softened butter
0:29:29 > 0:29:33and, to that, I'm adding 150 grams of caster sugar.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35That's got to be beaten well
0:29:35 > 0:29:39until the butter changes from yellow to a light cream colour.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42These are the blackberries I'm going to use for the top of the fool.
0:29:42 > 0:29:46They've had just long enough to get a jammy sheen on them.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50We now need, over a very, very gentle heat,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53to cook these for a further 15 minutes.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55I think my nuts are done now!
0:29:55 > 0:29:58- You can smell them, mate! - Wonderful, nice!
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Release the oil, a little bit coloured up.
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Now we've to put them on a board and chop them roughly.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07While Dave's doing that, I'm going to add
0:30:07 > 0:30:11300 ml of chilled double cream.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14And 100 ml of yogurt.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19I'm going to whisk that to soft peaks.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Did you know, in the past, people worried that fresh fruit
0:30:22 > 0:30:25wasn't safe to eat, so they boiled up their foraging spoils
0:30:25 > 0:30:28and ended up with something that tasted delicious with cream -
0:30:28 > 0:30:31the fool. In fact, the name "fool"
0:30:31 > 0:30:33is from the French word "fouler",
0:30:33 > 0:30:35which means "to mash", and British fools have been around
0:30:35 > 0:30:37since the 17th Century.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40Aye, and you're still here, Dave, aren't you?
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Ooh, a saucer of milk for Mr King!
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Now, that's what we mean by soft peaks.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47We only want to take it that far.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Because the acidity in the fruit will help thicken the cream
0:30:51 > 0:30:54when we fold the fruit in.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58Well, one could fairly say these nuts have been nibbed.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01So, I'll mix them now with my butter and sugar.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05To this, add the zest of half a lemon...
0:31:07 > 0:31:10150 grams of plain flour...
0:31:10 > 0:31:13and half a teaspoon of baking powder.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Mix together to make the dough.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19When it gets too stiff to use the spoon, get stuck in with your hands.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25I've got my baking trays and I want to do about a dozen on each tray.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28What they do is we make little balls - flatten them.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Squidge them flat.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36About a centimetre.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40These are home-made biscuits. So, I'm not too worried
0:31:40 > 0:31:43about them being absolutely symmetrical and identical,
0:31:43 > 0:31:45because I want them to be a little bit home-made.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I think that really is part of the charm.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51Now, what we're going to do with these blackberries in the pan,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54we're going to push them through a sieve to form a puree.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57So, as soon as you feel that your blackberries
0:31:57 > 0:32:01are soft enough to do that, and I think we're pretty much there...
0:32:04 > 0:32:05..we'll start that process.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Now, all I'm doing, with the back of the spoon,
0:32:08 > 0:32:11is just pushing the blackberry flesh through the sieve,
0:32:11 > 0:32:16which will eventually leave the seeds in the sieve
0:32:16 > 0:32:19and we can discard them, cos we don't want them.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Now, these may look a little bit thick,
0:32:21 > 0:32:22but that's fine,
0:32:22 > 0:32:24they're going to spread as they heat up.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28We pop these into a pre-heated oven, 180 degrees Celsius in a fan oven
0:32:28 > 0:32:32for about ten to 12 minutes until you've got biscuits.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36Now, Dave's biscuits might need to get hot,
0:32:36 > 0:32:40but my blackberry puree needs to get cool if it's going to set,
0:32:40 > 0:32:42so I put it to one side and wait.
0:32:50 > 0:32:51I hope they're spreading.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53HE CHUCKLES
0:32:53 > 0:32:57Make sure you give every biscuit plenty of room on the tray.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00If you don't, you might just end up with one very large cookie.
0:33:03 > 0:33:04Ooh-hoo! Cooling rack!
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Oh, mate, they smell amazing.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Yeah, it's amazing how much they've spread, look.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12Oh, wow, aye!
0:33:12 > 0:33:14They've got a lovely kind of crackle on the top.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Wow, look at them, they're just starting to firm up now.
0:33:18 > 0:33:20- Just leave them to go cool. - Brilliant.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Well, while they're cooling,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24I'm going to go and see if my puree has firmed up any.
0:33:24 > 0:33:27Oh, yes! Look at that now, brilliant.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Now, this has to be cold.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34Not warm, it's got to be cold.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38I'm going to add that to the cream and the yogurt.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42And I'm going to fold it in twice.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44That's it, and then leave it.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48- Are you looking for a ripple?- Yeah. A ripple, a marvelling effect.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50That's it. Don't do it any more,
0:33:50 > 0:33:51don't be tempted to do it any more.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Oh, to make the most of that gorgeous ripple,
0:33:55 > 0:33:57we're going to serve this in glasses,
0:33:57 > 0:34:00so you can see that splash of colour going all the way through!
0:34:00 > 0:34:04On top go the lightly-stewed blackberries I saved earlier.
0:34:04 > 0:34:05And a little sprig of mint!
0:34:05 > 0:34:06BOTH: Ooh!
0:34:08 > 0:34:12You know, I think that's a lovely little homage
0:34:12 > 0:34:15in a very delicate way
0:34:15 > 0:34:17to the great British woodland.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21There are over 2,000 types of blackberries in the world -
0:34:21 > 0:34:23enough to make infinite recipes,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26but this little pud of ours is our favourite.
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Let's be foolish.
0:34:28 > 0:34:29And cookie!
0:34:29 > 0:34:31THEY CHUCKLE
0:34:34 > 0:34:35Oh, that's good.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Again, not only have they got all those beautiful flavours,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45they've got the textural difference as well, which I love,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47and the little mint leaves
0:34:47 > 0:34:50- accent all of those flavours perfectly.- Oh, aye.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54- Here's to a good rummage in the undergrowth.- Aye.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00But if you decide to go rummaging around out there, take care,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03as not everything in nature's larder is quite what it seems.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08- IN A SINISTER VOICE:- In the deepest, darkest corners of our British woods,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11strange fruits blossom in the undergrowth.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14Shrouded in mystery.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16Otherworldly beings.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19That draw their life force from death and decay.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22WOMAN SCREAMS
0:35:23 > 0:35:27Waiting to release their spores and reproduce.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31Without them, life on this planet, as we know it, would end.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35But one wrong move and they can kill.
0:35:37 > 0:35:38The mushroom, dude!
0:35:38 > 0:35:41WOMAN SCREAMS
0:35:41 > 0:35:45A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Not the most appetising-sounding or indeed looking of things,
0:35:50 > 0:35:54but we have been consuming them since ancient times.
0:35:54 > 0:35:55But over all of those years,
0:35:55 > 0:35:59the perpetual question has always been - to eat or not to eat.
0:36:06 > 0:36:07You see, here in the UK,
0:36:07 > 0:36:11there are more than 3,000 different types of mushrooms and toadstools
0:36:11 > 0:36:14and, of those, around 100 are seriously edible
0:36:14 > 0:36:18and around 40 significantly poisonous.
0:36:18 > 0:36:19But which is which?
0:36:19 > 0:36:22Sometimes, the name's a bit of a giveaway.
0:36:22 > 0:36:23This is the death cap.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26One of these is probably enough to do in a couple of people
0:36:26 > 0:36:28if they ate this completely.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31For maybe the first half dozen hours or so, you don't feel any effects.
0:36:31 > 0:36:35Probably by the third or fourth day, you're liable to become seriously ill
0:36:35 > 0:36:38and usually die as a result of liver damage.
0:36:38 > 0:36:40So, just to be on the safe side,
0:36:40 > 0:36:42throughout most of the 20th century
0:36:42 > 0:36:45there was really only one type of mushroom we Brits ate
0:36:45 > 0:36:47and we farmed it ourselves.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50I mean, why mess around?
0:36:50 > 0:36:53You knew exactly what you were getting.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56How could you go wrong with a mushroom lovingly mined
0:36:56 > 0:36:58by these friendly-looking ladies?
0:36:58 > 0:37:02'Commercial mushrooms are grown in caves, sheds and railway tunnels
0:37:02 > 0:37:06'throughout the land - a tribute to our conservative taste in fungus.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09'Or is it just that ancient caution?'
0:37:09 > 0:37:13Plus there were endless amounts of dishes you could cook with them.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16All of these have got a wonderfully exotic name,
0:37:16 > 0:37:17haven't they, these mushrooms?
0:37:17 > 0:37:20- Yes, champignon de Paris - Champignon de Paris.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22Ooh, la, la! It might sound fancy,
0:37:22 > 0:37:25but he's talking about the button mushroom.
0:37:25 > 0:37:26What about that one?
0:37:26 > 0:37:30That's a suggestion as a snack a light supper dish, a pizza,
0:37:30 > 0:37:32which I'm sure everybody's familiar with.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Well, I've heard of pizza...
0:37:34 > 0:37:36What about the prawn cocktail here?
0:37:36 > 0:37:38That's not prawns, that's raw mushrooms instead of prawns,
0:37:38 > 0:37:41and you'll find that, putting it into the same sort of sauce,
0:37:41 > 0:37:43you've got an equally acceptable dish.
0:37:43 > 0:37:44So just the same as a prawn cocktail,
0:37:44 > 0:37:47- except you use mushrooms instead of prawns.- Yes, yes.- Lovely.
0:37:47 > 0:37:48But as the years went on
0:37:48 > 0:37:52we started to broaden our horizons a little.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57There's a move afoot to introduce another type - the oyster mushroom.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59It looks a little different in the pan,
0:37:59 > 0:38:00but it's certainly quite safe to eat
0:38:00 > 0:38:02and we might get a taste for it in time.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08But some people weren't even satisfied with two varieties
0:38:08 > 0:38:11and got a bit adventurous down in the woods.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Ah, a stinkhorn! Very nice.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15It's a good specimen.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Yes, it's a very good one, just at the beginning...
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Ever tried eating it?
0:38:20 > 0:38:22It's not, I understand, particularly palatable,
0:38:22 > 0:38:24but it certainly...I think you can eat.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Foraging clubs allowed people to get out
0:38:27 > 0:38:30and explore the miraculous world of mushrooms in safety.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35But, you know, it always tastes...you know, it always tastes of fungus.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38But tasting first and asking questions later
0:38:38 > 0:38:41really isn't the best course of action with a mushroom.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46It's better not to taste death caps.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49Oh, now he tells us!
0:38:49 > 0:38:50It's better out than in, mate!
0:38:52 > 0:38:54But not surprisingly,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57foraging for mushrooms remained a minority pursuit until recently,
0:38:57 > 0:39:01when more and more people have started to take an interest.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06Wild mushrooms have become de rigueur for the gourmet.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08And mercenary mushroom hunters have realised
0:39:08 > 0:39:10that there's money in them there woods.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Probably, the world's most commercially valuable mushroom.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17And how much would that cost in a restaurant, in London or something?
0:39:17 > 0:39:19A dish containing that one mushroom
0:39:19 > 0:39:22would probably be 20 or 30 quid even, possibly.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26And we must say this interest in wild mushrooms is fantastic -
0:39:26 > 0:39:29there are some incredibly tasty ones out there.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31But, unless you really know what you're doing,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33and very few people do,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36stick to the ones that are commercially available.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39But these days plenty are.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42After all, being cautious could save your life,
0:39:42 > 0:39:43or at least your taste buds.
0:39:43 > 0:39:48'No doubt that Anglo-Saxon attitude of unbridled fear will last
0:39:48 > 0:39:53'and, anyway, many fungi taste like blotting paper or a bath sponge.'
0:39:53 > 0:39:55WOMAN SCREAMS
0:39:58 > 0:40:01Thankfully, most of the wild food that comes from our forests
0:40:01 > 0:40:04is of the tasty variety.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07For thousands of years, they've provided us with foraged feasts,
0:40:07 > 0:40:11but our ancient British woods also played an important role
0:40:11 > 0:40:12in the origins of farming.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Between the Stone Age and the Iron Age,
0:40:16 > 0:40:18pigs that were domesticated from the European Wild Boar
0:40:18 > 0:40:21began to be farmed in our woodland,
0:40:21 > 0:40:23where they were fattened up as they rooted around,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27gorging on fruits, nuts and wild plants.
0:40:27 > 0:40:28It was Iron Age people
0:40:28 > 0:40:31who discovered the delights of bacon, ham and sausages.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34And we're not talking the kind of bulked out, meatless mess
0:40:34 > 0:40:36that plagues us today.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38They pigged out on the very best!
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Hey, dude! I can imagine an Iron Age version of you!
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Well, I'd be a chief, obviously,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46leading the tribe against those pesky Romans.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Today, Iron Age methods of keeping woodland pigs
0:40:49 > 0:40:52are beginning to make a comeback.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55And, in Oxfordshire, chef Mark Lloyd is on a mission
0:40:55 > 0:40:58to re-create a woodland pork dish from a bygone era.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01He's come to the famous Wittenham Clumps,
0:41:01 > 0:41:03home to an Iron Age hillfort,
0:41:03 > 0:41:06to forage for ingredients that both bring out the flavours of the meat
0:41:06 > 0:41:10and would have been enjoyed by our ancestors.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12I love foraging in woods like this.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14It's got everything that our ancestors would have eaten
0:41:14 > 0:41:17for the last 10,000 years.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20It probably hasn't changed that much.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22They would have been out looking for mushrooms, berries.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25They'd have had squirrels, they'd have had all of the things
0:41:25 > 0:41:28that we now maybe shy away from a little bit,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30but it's also perfect piggy woodland.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33They'd have been snouting around in here, turning everything over,
0:41:33 > 0:41:35looking for roots, looking for tubers,
0:41:35 > 0:41:38taking the nuts as soon as they fell off the trees, the windfall apples.
0:41:38 > 0:41:40They'd have got nice and fat in here.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44And it's the perfect place to keep them - they've got a cover, shelter,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46and it's just an amazing place to be.
0:41:53 > 0:41:55This is where farming began.
0:41:55 > 0:41:58This is where we started to bring the things we wanted to eat a lot of
0:41:58 > 0:42:00and consistently together
0:42:00 > 0:42:02to save us having to go out and find them constantly.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05And also, if we put it all together, we could find it easily,
0:42:05 > 0:42:08we could grow it in the amount that we needed to sustain ourselves
0:42:08 > 0:42:10and we could keep pests away from it.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13It sound perfectly like our modern-day farms now, doesn't it?
0:42:13 > 0:42:15Put those three things together, you've got a farm.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19Mark believes the best ingredients to accompany pork
0:42:19 > 0:42:23are the kinds of food the pigs themselves would've eaten.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26That is a beautiful oyster mushroom.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Chinese absolutely love oyster mushrooms
0:42:30 > 0:42:31and they go great with pork.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33This is what our piggies would be eating.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37As we know, mushrooms can be dangerous,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39but, as an experienced forager,
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Mark knows exactly what to look for.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44This is a young mushroom,
0:42:44 > 0:42:47which we can't be sure isn't going to make you sick.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50So this little fella is staying right here for today.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52We're going to go find something else.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56OK, so another lovely
0:42:56 > 0:42:58little mushroom here.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00It's a thing called the Amethyst Deceiver.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03I'm just going to pinch this off nice and gently.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05Look at the colour of that.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07They're great eating, and there's a little trick with them -
0:43:07 > 0:43:11if you soak them in a bit of water before you cook them, they go really purple.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13That's another one for the pot.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Mark's having a smashing time, isn't he?
0:43:15 > 0:43:17Fungus bouquet.
0:43:17 > 0:43:21Aye, and there's more around than just fungus.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23These are sloe berries.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26This tree is absolutely packed with them.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29For our purposes, they're going in our sauce with our pig.
0:43:29 > 0:43:33A little bit of slow-roasted pork and sloes. It's going to be lovely.
0:43:33 > 0:43:35In an afternoon's ramble,
0:43:35 > 0:43:38Mark has found a wealth of woodland delicacies.
0:43:38 > 0:43:40There's mushrooms, crab apples and sloe berries,
0:43:40 > 0:43:43but what he really needs is a pig
0:43:43 > 0:43:46and he's not going to find one up at Wittenham Clumps!
0:43:49 > 0:43:53Mark's off to Hertfordshire to see Eamon Bourke, who runs Molly's Pigs,
0:43:53 > 0:43:56a farm that rears free-range porkers.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59- Is it feeding time? - Yeah, let's go and see them.
0:44:00 > 0:44:02These pigs are saddlebacks
0:44:02 > 0:44:05and they're pretty ideal for rearing in a woodland farm.
0:44:05 > 0:44:06Being an old breed,
0:44:06 > 0:44:11they're hardy, and their mostly dark coat is resistant to sunburn.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13They also have a strong snout,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16for rooting and snaffling all those goodies from the forest floor.
0:44:16 > 0:44:19So you started off with 20, how many have you got now?
0:44:19 > 0:44:22Yeah, there is roughly, in total, 168 in here.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27And then, there's 59 boys.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30Great environment for them, isn't it? I mean, they've got acorns and beech
0:44:30 > 0:44:33- and they can go rooting, there's mushrooms growing all over the place. - Yes.
0:44:33 > 0:44:37- And they never stop, they're constantly turning the ground over, looking for something.- Yeah.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41- I mean, they are greedy as pigs, they'll just keep going. - Yeah, that's the thing.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44I feed them at seven o'clock in the morning and at five o'clock at night
0:44:44 > 0:44:46and when you come down at five o'clock at night,
0:44:46 > 0:44:48it's like they haven't been fed.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51Keeping pigs this way is essentially how it was done
0:44:51 > 0:44:53in the early years of farming.
0:44:53 > 0:44:56They are some of the happiest pigs I've seen.
0:44:56 > 0:44:57And they've got plenty of space.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00I really love seeing pigs just wandering around.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03There's nothing worse than seeing them penned in.
0:45:03 > 0:45:06- They've got a really, really happy, easy life, haven't they?- Yeah.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09And that's got to make a difference in the way they taste.
0:45:09 > 0:45:11Eamon became a farmer by chance,
0:45:11 > 0:45:14after buying some pigs to clear his woodland.
0:45:16 > 0:45:19But up till now he's only used his pigs for sausages
0:45:19 > 0:45:21and he doesn't often cook with joints of the meat
0:45:21 > 0:45:25so Mark is going to show him just how good his woodland pork can be.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28Right, you're going to do a bit of cooking.
0:45:28 > 0:45:30- Try.- Try!
0:45:30 > 0:45:33It's dead easy. Really, really easy. The pork you have is amazing
0:45:33 > 0:45:36so we don't need to mess about with it too much. All I want you to do
0:45:36 > 0:45:39is pour oil right into the middle of the pork
0:45:39 > 0:45:40and then rub it all over the skin.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43Nice pinch of salt, all over there as well,
0:45:43 > 0:45:44and then you're going to rub that in.
0:45:44 > 0:45:47Get in there with both hands. Go on. Right in.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51Now, these lovely chestnuts, another seasonal favourite of mine,
0:45:51 > 0:45:53but instead of putting vegetables under the pork,
0:45:53 > 0:45:55we're going to put these under there,
0:45:55 > 0:45:58so as those juices come out, they'll sit and start to cook those through
0:45:58 > 0:45:59and we'll just quickly peel them
0:45:59 > 0:46:03and chuck them through the mushrooms and the spinach that we've got.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06And I assume the pigs maybe would forage on them.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08If there's chestnut trees you've got down there,
0:46:08 > 0:46:11yeah, they'd eat them before you could get to them.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16Whilst the pork roasts over the chestnuts, Mark's making a side dish
0:46:16 > 0:46:20with his foraged ingredients to make a real Iron Age feast.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23Look at that!
0:46:23 > 0:46:26Mark has made a roast pork belly
0:46:26 > 0:46:28with wild mushroom and spinach,
0:46:28 > 0:46:31along with a crab apple, blackberry and sloe sauce,
0:46:31 > 0:46:35all topped with a black pudding and oat crumble. Fantastic!
0:46:36 > 0:46:40Here's the real test, though - what do the eager family think?
0:46:40 > 0:46:45This is all your pork. And I just threw some wild stuff at it.
0:46:45 > 0:46:46I like it all.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49LAUGHTER
0:46:49 > 0:46:51They love it!
0:46:51 > 0:46:54We love the pork. We know where it comes from...
0:46:54 > 0:46:56But this was exceptional.
0:46:56 > 0:47:00The whole thing around it made it... made it a very special meal.
0:47:00 > 0:47:02It's thanks to people like Eamon
0:47:02 > 0:47:06that we can all get the chance to taste a little bit of our heritage.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08And for our next recipe
0:47:08 > 0:47:11we're delving even further back into our culinary past
0:47:11 > 0:47:15and cooking up the forerunner of the woodland pig, wild boar,
0:47:15 > 0:47:18but we're dragging this little piggy right up to date.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22There are many and varied recipes that we know and love.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24For instance, the one that we're going to do today -
0:47:24 > 0:47:28wild boar ragu with home-made pappardelle.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33You can't get more gourmet than that!
0:47:33 > 0:47:37It's also a great way of making a little special meat go a long way.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41It's an odd thing because wild boar, by the very nature of it,
0:47:41 > 0:47:46the meat is very dense, so it lends itself to a long cooking time.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48Now, the reason for that -
0:47:48 > 0:47:49wild boars are full of muscle,
0:47:49 > 0:47:53they're full of sinew, and they're tough.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55- Shoulder.- You see?
0:47:55 > 0:47:58That's what we're going to be cooking today.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00Now, if you can't get wild boar,
0:48:00 > 0:48:02you can do it with really good shoulder of pork.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06Obviously, it won't be a wild boar ragu, it'll be a pork ragu,
0:48:06 > 0:48:08but the recipe will still stand up and be lovely.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11What I'm going to do and what's very important,
0:48:11 > 0:48:14I'm going to start to trim off the skin and any sinew that I have
0:48:14 > 0:48:15because we really don't want that
0:48:15 > 0:48:19because it's very, very unpalatable on a wild boar, it's very chewy.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21It's like pork bubblegum, which is wrong.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24It's darker than pork, isn't it?
0:48:24 > 0:48:28It's a very dark meat. I mean, it's a very individual flavour.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30It is. It's masculine food.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34At mediaeval feasts, the wild boar would be centre stage.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36Its head would be brought in on a platter
0:48:36 > 0:48:39and whilst it's being paraded in, there'd be rousing songs,
0:48:39 > 0:48:41you know, like...
0:48:41 > 0:48:46# We've got a wild boar on, wild boar on, wild boar on
0:48:46 > 0:48:49# We have got a wild boar on
0:48:49 > 0:48:51# And then we're going to war! Rrrr!
0:48:51 > 0:48:54You haven't got an aggressive bone in your body, have you?
0:48:54 > 0:48:57- No, I have. I can flare.- Can you?
0:48:57 > 0:48:59- Oh, aye.- He can flare.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03- You should see me when my laundry's not done right.- Oh, that's true.
0:49:03 > 0:49:07Once you're happy that you've gotten rid of all the Dave-like tough bits,
0:49:07 > 0:49:09cut the boar meat into rough cubes
0:49:09 > 0:49:12and season well with salt and black pepper
0:49:12 > 0:49:14before browning off in a hot frying pan.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18You may need to do this in a couple of batches.
0:49:18 > 0:49:20And, like we say, don't crowd the pan.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23You crowd the plan, you'll poach and stew it.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26Wild boar used to be common in British woodland
0:49:26 > 0:49:29and hunting them was popular with the toffs.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31Unfortunately, it was so popular
0:49:31 > 0:49:34they managed to completely wipe them out in this country.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36So I suppose a wild boar now
0:49:36 > 0:49:39would be like a farmed boar that had escaped,
0:49:39 > 0:49:43boar being extinct from years ago, cos we ate it all!
0:49:43 > 0:49:47It shouldn't take long to brown this meat and it'll have
0:49:47 > 0:49:50plenty of time to tenderise in the next stage of cooking.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52If you were to eat that now,
0:49:52 > 0:49:54you'd be chewing on it for a very long time.
0:49:54 > 0:49:57- That will do us, won't it?- Yep.
0:49:57 > 0:49:59I'll add that to the casserole dish.
0:49:59 > 0:50:00Excellent.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02A leetle more oil, Meester King?
0:50:02 > 0:50:04OK. Merci!
0:50:05 > 0:50:07Perfecte!
0:50:07 > 0:50:09And wild boar, being a wild creature,
0:50:09 > 0:50:12actually, the shoulder of pork has quite a lot of fat.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15- There ain't much fat on that, was there?- There's not.
0:50:15 > 0:50:16So we need to put a bit more back.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19Look, I've just kind of gone along on the streaky bacon
0:50:19 > 0:50:20and cut it into bits, basically,
0:50:20 > 0:50:23and what we want to do is get these nice and crispy.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25- Bit of a lardon.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28- That's what I like.- Yeah! Rrr!
0:50:30 > 0:50:33Bit of flame on, bit of flame on.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35Just let that go until it goes crispy.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37And bang it in there. Job's a good 'un.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40- Excellent.- Then we can get the rest of it in.- Exactly.- Whew!
0:50:40 > 0:50:44It'll probably take about five minutes, so be patient -
0:50:44 > 0:50:46you don't want flaccid bacon.
0:50:48 > 0:50:53Now, in the same pan, add a bit more oil and one large onion - diced.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56We need to cook that for a few minutes until it goes translucent.
0:50:56 > 0:50:58Then add four cloves of garlic...
0:51:00 > 0:51:02..about 75 grams of black pitted olives,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05and then two teaspoons of juniper berries.
0:51:07 > 0:51:09It's the flavour of the woodland, isn't it?
0:51:09 > 0:51:12And I kind of think putting juniper in it shows a bit of respect
0:51:12 > 0:51:15to the wild boar as a free-range woodland creature.
0:51:17 > 0:51:18Oh, wow.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22- Oh, the smell!- Yeah!- Fabulous.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24So that needs to go in there.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30This could be, really, the fanciest,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34most fabulous spag bol you've ever tasted in your life.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39Next, we want 500ml of red wine
0:51:39 > 0:51:42but don't just sling it straight into the pot.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45Use a splash of it to deglaze the frying pan first.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48And don't forget, this is what we do. This is all about making sure
0:51:48 > 0:51:51that each flavour, we get the most from it.
0:51:53 > 0:51:55In goes the rest of the wine,
0:51:55 > 0:51:57one can of tomatoes,
0:51:57 > 0:52:00two tablespoons of tomato puree,
0:52:00 > 0:52:02half a litre of water,
0:52:02 > 0:52:03a beef stock cube
0:52:03 > 0:52:05and, to balance the acidity of the tomatoes,
0:52:05 > 0:52:07a couple of spoonfuls of sugar.
0:52:07 > 0:52:12That's the base, so now some more flavours of the forest - sort of.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15Two bay leaves, a nice sprig of rosemary
0:52:15 > 0:52:17and another of thyme.
0:52:17 > 0:52:20Now, we'll leave that with a slight gap for the steam to come out
0:52:20 > 0:52:22for two and a half hours to cook away
0:52:22 > 0:52:24and that's what we serve with the pappardelle.
0:52:24 > 0:52:27- I can't think of anything better. - No, I can't either.
0:52:27 > 0:52:29- I can.- What?
0:52:29 > 0:52:32- Home-made pappardelle. Shall we make pasta?- Let's go.- Love it.
0:52:32 > 0:52:34So we start off with flour,
0:52:34 > 0:52:37and this is pasta flour, which is a very hard flour,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41and the beauty of this is, it gives you pasta with more stretch.
0:52:41 > 0:52:44Into there, pop three eggs.
0:52:44 > 0:52:46One...two...
0:52:46 > 0:52:47three.
0:52:49 > 0:52:51You're getting too cocky. It'll all go wrong.
0:52:51 > 0:52:53It's that boar cooking, you know,
0:52:53 > 0:52:56it's taken me back to the woodland, to me roots.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59And just pulse this together until it forms a dough.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03There should be enough liquid in the eggs
0:53:03 > 0:53:05to form the dough without adding water.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08Now, I've found...
0:53:09 > 0:53:13..you need to take your hands in for ten minutes, knead it like mad,
0:53:13 > 0:53:15and then you get pasta you can work with.
0:53:15 > 0:53:18You need to get the warmth of your hands in to get that gluten going
0:53:18 > 0:53:20- in the thick, it's brilliant, - Yeah.- I love it.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24Honestly, there is no substitute for this.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27It's tough.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30It's a man's game, this! Good job I've got strong hands.
0:53:31 > 0:53:37# When the moon hits the sky like a big pizza pie... #
0:53:37 > 0:53:39- Two hands is better. - # That's amore... #
0:53:39 > 0:53:43Well, some of us don't need to use two hands, do you know what I mean?
0:53:43 > 0:53:45If you've got that strength.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49HARD ROCK MUSIC
0:53:59 > 0:54:00Look at that, Kingy.
0:54:00 > 0:54:04That's got more stretch in it than Nora Batty's stockings.
0:54:04 > 0:54:06Just place that in clingfilm now,
0:54:06 > 0:54:08leave to rest for half an hour,
0:54:08 > 0:54:11roll out and knock out your pappardelle.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16The pasta Dave's rolling out is so delicious
0:54:16 > 0:54:19that it got its name from the way most people eat it.
0:54:19 > 0:54:23The verb "pappar" is Italian meaning "to gobble".
0:54:23 > 0:54:26So pappardelle is gobble-up pasta - how romantic is that?
0:54:29 > 0:54:31Now, you could cut this and use it immediately
0:54:31 > 0:54:34but I think it's best left to dry for a while.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37The nice thing is, it can be left overnight or for several hours,
0:54:37 > 0:54:41so what we'll do is, we're going to create a rustic device
0:54:41 > 0:54:43like you would do in t'woodland.
0:54:43 > 0:54:44We're going to hang and dry.
0:54:44 > 0:54:47- I'll create the rustic woodland device if you want to...- Right.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53Cut your gobble-up pasta into suitably gobbleable strips
0:54:53 > 0:54:55before hanging it onto whatever marvellous invention
0:54:55 > 0:54:59you have come up with for drying it on.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01Ah, look at this.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03- Very satisfying, this, isn't it?- Very.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Not as satisfying as eating it, I have to say, but it's satisfying.
0:55:08 > 0:55:10I think with the ragu smouldering away,
0:55:10 > 0:55:12the pasta standing in the corner,
0:55:12 > 0:55:15- you know you've got a good dinner on, don't you?- You do.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17So now it's just a waiting game.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24- Maybe we should do something masculine whilst we're waiting that last hour.- Like what?
0:55:24 > 0:55:26- Boxing?- Yeah, boxing.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29No, I have my glasses.
0:55:29 > 0:55:31You can take them off.
0:55:31 > 0:55:33No! I'm not falling for that one.
0:55:33 > 0:55:35- Arm wrestling.- Yeah, all right.
0:55:38 > 0:55:39Ow!
0:55:42 > 0:55:45'Of course, you may have your own thoughts on this,
0:55:45 > 0:55:48'but I can think of no better way to pass the time odd hour or two
0:55:48 > 0:55:51'than by holding hands with me oldest, bestest mate!'
0:55:52 > 0:55:54DAVE GROANS
0:55:54 > 0:55:57- It's been an hour!- Yeah?
0:55:57 > 0:56:00- Mustn't let the food spoil. - You're not wrong.
0:56:02 > 0:56:04Oh!
0:56:04 > 0:56:05- Look at that.- Oh, yes.
0:56:07 > 0:56:09- Ooh.- That's just falling apart.
0:56:09 > 0:56:13Oh, yes! Now, that's the consistency you're looking for -
0:56:13 > 0:56:17thick, unctuous gravy that's going to stick to that pappardelle
0:56:17 > 0:56:20with lovely pieces of meat. Oh...
0:56:20 > 0:56:23It's like wild boar reduced to crude oil.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26That's kind of the effect you're after.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29That's all the debris from the rosemary and the thyme.
0:56:29 > 0:56:30I'll just pop that on there.
0:56:32 > 0:56:37Now time to cook our pappardelle in a large pan of salted boiling water.
0:56:38 > 0:56:42I think one would describe that as a nice roiling boil. I think so.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45One of the things with pasta is, always use loads of water.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49Don't crowd the pan up. Give the pasta room to breathe.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52Loving it, Dave, I'm loving it.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54I know! That is butch pasta.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58And cook uncovered for about three minutes.
0:56:58 > 0:57:02Which gives me enough time to grate a little pile of parmesan
0:57:02 > 0:57:03ready for serving.
0:57:05 > 0:57:10- This is pasta you could never get out of a packet, isn't it?- Oh, yes!
0:57:11 > 0:57:14The way I like to do this is to create a series of layers
0:57:14 > 0:57:16that will meld together as you eat the dish.
0:57:16 > 0:57:21So a splash of olive oil, a sprinkle of pepper and parmesan.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23Then the rich wild boar ragu.
0:57:23 > 0:57:26And another little sprinkling of parmesan.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29We've all had red, runny, luminous tomato ragu sauces.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31That's the bee's knees.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39There we are - our fruit of the forest.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42Wild boar ragu with gobble-up pasta.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45There's only one little thing left to do - gobble it up.
0:57:47 > 0:57:49- Mmm.- You know, moments like this,
0:57:49 > 0:57:54- Dave and I really do wish you could taste it at home.- Yeah.- Honestly.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57Kingy, if this is one of the fruits of the forest,
0:57:57 > 0:57:58I'm going to eat more fruit!
0:58:00 > 0:58:02Our woodlands are not only
0:58:02 > 0:58:05a beautiful and historic part of our British landscape...
0:58:05 > 0:58:08For foodies like us, they're a veritable larder.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12They've provided us with unique culinary traditions.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14And if we want to preserve the edible treasures
0:58:14 > 0:58:19they contain for the future, they're something we Brits should cherish.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22And if you want to try out the recipes in today's show, visit...
0:58:49 > 0:58:52Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd