0:00:02 > 0:00:07We believe Britain has the best food in the world.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Our glorious country boasts some fantastic ingredients.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Start eating it, will you?!
0:00:13 > 0:00:16It's home to 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 > 0:00:27But our islands also have a fascinating food history.
0:00:27 > 0:00:33The fish and chip shops of South Wales are running out of chips.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35Yes!
0:00:35 > 0:00:42In this series, we're uncovering revealing stories of our rich culinary past...
0:00:42 > 0:00:44There is food history on a plate.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47..as well as meeting our nation's food heroes
0:00:47 > 0:00:49who 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.
0:00:56 > 0:01:03And, of course, we'll be cooking up a load of dishes that reveal our foodie evolution.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07Spring, summer, autumn or winter, it's brilliant.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11BOTH: Quite simply, the best of British!
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Feasting to celebrate important religious events
0:01:34 > 0:01:38is as old a concept as the gods themselves.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Christmas, Easter, Diwali,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44Holi, Passover, Yom Kippur...
0:01:44 > 0:01:48..they're all celebrations made brighter by the food that we eat.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I can always remember on Easter morning, just once a year,
0:01:51 > 0:01:55- coming down to the smell of hot cross buns, cinnamon and butter. - Oh, heaven!
0:01:55 > 0:02:00It's not just food for the belly, it's also food for the soul.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02That's why today's show is dedicated
0:02:02 > 0:02:07to celebrating food and religion in the United Kingdom.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10- Merry Christmas, mate. - Merry Christmas.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12I have no luck with crackers, me.
0:02:12 > 0:02:15- "What did the coral do on January 1st?"- I don't know.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18"He turned over a new reef"!
0:02:21 > 0:02:27In Britain, we're lucky enough to live in a society with a multitude of faiths.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30There are Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Pagans,
0:02:30 > 0:02:34and all of them bring a unique approach to cooking.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40On today's show, we're going to delve into food that's spiritual.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Food that's ceremonial.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Food that's, well, just plain delicious!
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Whether it's for a religious celebration
0:02:49 > 0:02:51or keeping the faith...
0:02:51 > 0:02:54We're going to explore a whole world of holy eating
0:02:54 > 0:02:56that's right on our doorstep.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04There are almost 2.3 billion Christians in the world today.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09It won't surprise you to learn that they don't all celebrate Christmas with turkey and a bag of sprouts!
0:03:09 > 0:03:11It's true. Because the Christmas feast
0:03:11 > 0:03:15is as diverse as the people that live in our capital city.
0:03:15 > 0:03:20Today is January 7th, and that's Christmas Day for Orthodox Christians.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23We've been invited to an Ethiopian community centre
0:03:23 > 0:03:27- to join in and help prepare their festive feastings. - We have indeed. I cannot wait.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- Merry Christmas!- Merry Christmas, mucker! Let's howay.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37We've come to the Ethiopian Social Club in Hampstead to meet Ann,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40who's preparing Christmas dinner for dozens of guests -
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Ethiopian style.
0:03:47 > 0:03:48Ann!
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- Hello!- Hello! Merry Christmas!
0:03:51 > 0:03:53Thank you! Happy New Year to you!
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- It's great to see you. - Nice to see you.- Nice to see you.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- Thank you for having us. - Thank you for coming.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02The smells that are coming out of that kitchen are fantastic.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05And not a whiff of turkey or stuffing in sight!
0:04:05 > 0:04:08- You're going to cook.- Are we? - Excellent!
0:04:08 > 0:04:11- We'll follow you into the kitchen. - Please.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13Get in!
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Ann, how many people have we got coming for Christmas dinner?
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Oh, I'm expecting 60...
0:04:19 > 0:04:22- 60!- ..to 70.- Oo-er!
0:04:22 > 0:04:24It's quite a lot to cook.
0:04:24 > 0:04:30- What's on the menu? - We've got lamb, beef, beef stew,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34a type of chicken curry.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38- Do you get a bit of everything when you're eating?- We do.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41You're going to see and you're going to cook.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43What's first for Dave and I?
0:04:43 > 0:04:45I think it's best to start with injera.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48This is like a pancake but this is a bigger one.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- Is this like the plate that the food's served on?- Yes.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- You eat your own crockery! - That's right.- Oh, wow!
0:04:55 > 0:04:58That's the wonderful thing about this food - it's communal.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Oil this, if you wish...
0:05:01 > 0:05:05'Before I get stuck in, Ann shows us how to do it.'
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- Here we go.- Ahh!
0:05:08 > 0:05:11'The bread is made up of a simple flour-and-water mix
0:05:11 > 0:05:14'that's been fermented for several days.'
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- It's the ultimate tear and share. - It is, mate.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26This comes this way...
0:05:26 > 0:05:29How many of these will we expect to make, Ann?
0:05:29 > 0:05:33We have to make at least 80.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- HE SHUDDERS - 'Someone's got their work cut out.'
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- Crack on, mucker.- You can do it!
0:05:39 > 0:05:41Clockwise.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44That's not clockwise.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- Clockwise.- Oh, yes!
0:05:46 > 0:05:49I was a backward child!
0:05:51 > 0:05:55That is too small. Go for it. Yes!
0:05:55 > 0:05:58A bit more. You've done well!
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Not really! Can I have a bit more?
0:06:01 > 0:06:03THEY LAUGH
0:06:03 > 0:06:05- My glasses have gone!- That's handy!
0:06:05 > 0:06:09- Oh, yes! - Oh, hey! Look at this!
0:06:09 > 0:06:11HE CHEERS
0:06:13 > 0:06:18- Oh, look at that! - Dude, that's a belter!- Well done.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Fantastic.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- Two down...- BOTH: 78 to go!
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- Wow!- This is belter.
0:06:31 > 0:06:32That's it.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Look at this!
0:06:35 > 0:06:39'It's more like Shrove Tuesday than Christmas.'
0:06:42 > 0:06:44- Wow! Look at that!- Whey!
0:06:44 > 0:06:49- Get it.- I thank you. - Speedy Gonzales.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52- What's next?- Next is wat.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- Yeah, yeah. - Wat, we are going to cook.- What?
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- Wat.- Eh?- What's next, though?- Wat.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04'Wat is a type of Ethiopian stew that Ann's making with chicken.'
0:07:05 > 0:07:10'While Dave's trusted to chop the onions, I'm left peeling eggs.'
0:07:10 > 0:07:12'She's a hard taskmaster, that Ann!'
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- I'll give you a hand. - Thanks very much.
0:07:15 > 0:07:21Just like normal Christmas dinner, it is about getting things ready for the table on time
0:07:21 > 0:07:24- and all at the same time. - Oh, yes.- Ah, yeah!
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Which is why we're peeling 1,400 dozen eggs!
0:07:27 > 0:07:30- It's easier than peeling chestnuts. - You're not wrong.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34'While Ann and Dave crack on with the wat,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38'I'm having a little salty snack.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41'But Ann's got other ideas.'
0:07:41 > 0:07:45Better than salt. Get another one. DAVE LAUGHS
0:07:47 > 0:07:49Let me put it there.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53- You can taste it and let me know.- Oh!
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Mm.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02It's not hot, is it? SHE LAUGHS
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- This is called mitmita.- Mitmita.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06The hottest chilli...
0:08:07 > 0:08:10..on land! THEY LAUGH
0:08:11 > 0:08:13That is how we eat eggs.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- Whoa! Big 'uns?- Yes.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- Yes?- The onion shows, which means there's not enough chilli.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23- Hey-hey!- More chilli. - More chilli? By 'eck!
0:08:23 > 0:08:27- Another big one? - Yeah, look! It's not covered.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29A bit more, eh?
0:08:29 > 0:08:31'She certainly not stingy with the chilli!'
0:08:31 > 0:08:34- This is ghee.- How much?
0:08:34 > 0:08:36I'll say when.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39So, we're not worried about the fat in this?
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- Oh, no. This is Christmas.- Yes.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Just change it up high.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50'This is only one of the dozen or so dishes,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52'so the pressure's on.'
0:08:58 > 0:09:03- Right, well, the guests are arriving and I think we're bang on time.- Yes.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Don't chuck them in! You'll break them!
0:09:07 > 0:09:09They're eggs. They bounce.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11- You know the guests have arrived? - I know.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15- Would you like to try this? - Is it a present?- Yes!
0:09:15 > 0:09:19- Hooray!- Thank you! How lovely. Can we open them now?
0:09:19 > 0:09:21- Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! - Thank you.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23BOTH: Oh!
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Fabulous!
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Thank you.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Now I feel I'm part of the family.
0:09:32 > 0:09:35- Hey, it's nice!- It is!
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Room for expansion.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43I cannot help thinking you look Greek.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47I look Ethiopian.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50GUESTS CHATTER
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Ethiopian food is all about communal eating.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Well, when there's some to tuck into anyway...
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Ann's cracking her whip.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Everybody's waiting! We are late!
0:10:01 > 0:10:05- Don't... I'm... Yes. - You're trying your best.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08You see, normally at Christmas, at this time,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11I've had about six sherries and I don't care,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13but Ann...
0:10:15 > 0:10:19That'll be it. She'll have your guts for garters.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21Is there any sherry? Sherry?
0:10:21 > 0:10:24- Ann, have you got any sherry? - Sherry?
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Normally, you know, I'd have a sherry.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- What, a drink?- Yes.- Before we serve?
0:10:30 > 0:10:34You haven't even finished. You don't deserve it!
0:10:35 > 0:10:40While I'm working, that layabout is being spoiled rotten!
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- This is a glass?- Yeah! - This is brilliant.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49This is my type of place, this! It's great.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51'Ah, that's better!'
0:10:53 > 0:10:55'Within no time, the feast is ready.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59'There's an amazing array of goodies for the lucky guests.'
0:11:00 > 0:11:05Everything's ready. But it gets served Ethiopian Christmas-style.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10That's it. Now, injera please.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12The finest...
0:11:12 > 0:11:16- That's it.- Who needs a tablecloth when you're going to eat it?
0:11:16 > 0:11:19This is kitfo.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22- That's the raw beef.- Raw beef. - Yummy.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25'Before we serve it, we better taste it.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29'In Ethiopia, it's traditional to feed those close to you first.'
0:11:29 > 0:11:33It's like trying to juggle a jellyfish. 'Open wide.'
0:11:33 > 0:11:37It is like the most wonderful meze, isn't it?
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It's tasty.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44BOTH: Ohh!
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- That's good.- Beautiful, sweet...
0:11:47 > 0:11:50'It's now time for me to play Santa,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53'delivering the gift of food.'
0:11:53 > 0:11:56'Am I the elf, then?'
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- Merry Christmas.- Thank you.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- We hope you enjoy it.- Thank you.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23What a lovely Christmas. It's funny, when religion and food come together,
0:12:23 > 0:12:27it's kind of synonymous with celebration and festivities
0:12:27 > 0:12:30and forget any undercurrents, it's about having a good time,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33breaking bread together, sharing round the table.
0:12:33 > 0:12:38- And the food is phenomenal. - Isn't it? Ethiopian food, it's really clever.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41- What a cook Ann is, isn't she? - She's brilliant.- She's fantastic.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44- We should go and see our entourage. - We should.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- Fancy a dance after? - If you're asking, I'm dancing, dude.
0:12:48 > 0:12:49Ahh!
0:12:55 > 0:12:59The time of the year that us Brits pull out all the culinary stops
0:12:59 > 0:13:01is Christmas.
0:13:02 > 0:13:07After all, it is the day the term "all the trimmings" was invented for.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09'It's part of the Christmas ritual
0:13:09 > 0:13:12'that the spread should be lavish, the hospitality profuse.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16'The plates are heaped until they overflow.'
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Conspicuous consumption at this time of year
0:13:18 > 0:13:21dates way back beyond Christian times, though.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25It's been around since Roman and Pagan times.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27As a largely rural population,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31the midwinter festival was always an important feature of the calendar.
0:13:31 > 0:13:36'Yule was a time for stuffing yourself against the lean January ahead.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38'You ate and drank as much as you could manage.'
0:13:38 > 0:13:42An abundance of fine food was central to the celebration.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46But as years went by, the threat of starvation come February
0:13:46 > 0:13:49seemed less and less likely.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52To stop us feeling like we were just pigging out,
0:13:52 > 0:13:56we developed rituals to make it feel more justified.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58And our Christmas dinner is packed with them,
0:13:58 > 0:14:03traditions that have become almost sacrosanct.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09- There's mince pies...- The cake. - ..and the mulled wine.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13But without doubt, the most iconic feature of the Christmas table
0:14:13 > 0:14:15has to be a big old bird.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17# Come on, let's turkey trot
0:14:17 > 0:14:20# Shoo-shoo, gobble-gobble Diddle-ip. #
0:14:20 > 0:14:23We start with the most important of all, the turkey,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26which is, after all, the British national bird.
0:14:26 > 0:14:31You see, turkey, let's face it, traditional as it is, is a very dry bird.
0:14:31 > 0:14:36Whether we like it or not, turkey is now the bird of choice when it comes to Christmas dinner.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40We Brits consume around ten million over the festive season.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42But it hasn't always been that way.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Throughout most of our history,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48the festive bird of choice was a goose.
0:14:48 > 0:14:53'This family don't buy their Christmas dinner, they rear it,
0:14:53 > 0:14:57'a tradition dating back in these parts to the 13th century.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01'The main course has just waddled through the gate.'
0:15:01 > 0:15:05My mother always kept geese, ever since I was tiny.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08They take quite a lot of feed.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11About six weeks before, we start to feed them all they'll eat.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14Otherwise, if you don't give them food,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17there's no fat attached, and if there's no fat, there's no flavour.
0:15:17 > 0:15:22'The goose goes in the oven at 6am. All morning, the aroma fills the house.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25It's a long and mouth-watering wait.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27THEY CHEER
0:15:29 > 0:15:34But it was the Victorians who finally knocked the goose off its festive perch.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38Its desirability was puffed up by the queen of good taste Mrs Beeton
0:15:38 > 0:15:43when she declared it would hardly be a Christmas dinner without a turkey.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And the period's most famous writer Charles Dickens
0:15:46 > 0:15:49compounded its reputation in A Christmas Carol
0:15:49 > 0:15:51when Scrooge makes up for all his meanness
0:15:51 > 0:15:56by buying the Cratchits a turkey that's "even bigger than Tiny Tim!".
0:15:56 > 0:15:58And there lay the secret of the turkey's power.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Most of us would agree it couldn't have been the taste alone.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04It was also its size.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09And on the one day of the year we can eat anything we want,
0:16:09 > 0:16:12funnily enough, it seems our gastronomic patriotism
0:16:12 > 0:16:15is more powerful than ever.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17# The most magical time
0:16:17 > 0:16:22# Of the year #
0:16:24 > 0:16:28Of course, it's not just Christmas that involves great food.
0:16:28 > 0:16:33There are plenty of events in the Christian calendar that provide the perfect opportunity
0:16:33 > 0:16:35for some indulgent eating.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38As Brits, we love a cake for celebrations,
0:16:38 > 0:16:42and one of the finest around is an Easter favourite.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48You know, simnel cake, it's a right old-fashioned thing.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52- It is.- It wasn't around much when I was a kid, though. I think it was a bit posh.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55It's having a bit of a resurgence, though, isn't it?
0:16:55 > 0:16:59It is. And supermarkets have reported a boom in the sales of simnel cakes.
0:16:59 > 0:17:04So we're thinking, "We'd better get our heads around how to make a belter!"
0:17:04 > 0:17:09Well, exactly! And we are going to do said belter today.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14Simnel cake is a delicious and indulgent treat that was traditionally wheeled out
0:17:14 > 0:17:17to show off at Easter or Mothering Sunday.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20There are sweet, fruity flavours galore in here
0:17:20 > 0:17:24and not one but two layers of tasty marzipan.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29On top are 11 marzipan balls that represent the Apostles.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33First off, I'm going to make marzipan.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37None of that blocks of plastic explosive, this is the real thing -
0:17:37 > 0:17:42the synthesis of almonds, almond extract, eggs, spice,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44good stuff.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49To start this heavenly recipe, finely grate the zest of an unwaxed lemon.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54Get the unwaxed bit wrong and you'll know about it when you take a bite at the end.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57The star of the simnel cake is marzipan.
0:17:57 > 0:18:03Start by sifting 225 grams of icing sugar into a bowl.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Simnel cake sounds pious, though, doesn't it?
0:18:06 > 0:18:11- You could almost imagine there being a Saint Simnel. - Patron saint of the glace cherry!
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Next, add 175 grams of caster sugar
0:18:16 > 0:18:21and 315 grams of ground almonds.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Crack two large eggs into a separate bowl.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28Now, I've got almond extract here, not essence.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Essence is chemical, extract is good.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35This is to up the almond content of the marzipan.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37HE SIGHS WISTFULLY
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Add in a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice for a bit of extra zing
0:18:41 > 0:18:43and beat it all together.
0:18:43 > 0:18:49Juice a well-scrubbed orange and lemon and add it into a mixing bowl.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Also going in there are 500 grams of mixed fruit
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and 100 grams of halved glace cherries.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Stir all that sweet loveliness together.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03It might be a religious-themed cake, but it's dead naughty!
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Now for the marzipan...
0:19:04 > 0:19:08I'm going to combine the egg mixture with the sifted sugar.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Stir it in and then you can get your hands dirty.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Whoa!
0:19:14 > 0:19:17So, Dave, was Easter a big thing in your house, then?
0:19:17 > 0:19:23Yeah! I mean, Easter eggs, obviously, were kind of up there because I was a gluttonous child.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Every kid in the street lived in a terraced house
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and we used to put our eggs in the window
0:19:28 > 0:19:32and the more you put in the window, the better you felt.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Then there was a heatwave... Hm.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38There was rivers of chocolate going down onto the lino.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42Dust your work surface with a bit more sifted icing sugar,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45then knead the marzipan until it's gone smooth.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49Pop it into a bowl and cover with Clingfilm.
0:19:49 > 0:19:54Whilst you leave it for an hour or two, the almonds will absorb all the moisture.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58Simmer the fruity cake mix over a medium heat and keep stirring until the liquid's all gone.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00See that, mate? Look.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03That's lovely. That's super-charged fruit, isn't it?
0:20:03 > 0:20:06It's a really good and quick way of making sure
0:20:06 > 0:20:10that you get really nice plump fruit in your cake.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Leave the fruit to cool for ten minutes.
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Now mix 175 grams of light muscovado sugar
0:20:20 > 0:20:24and 175 grams of softened butter.
0:20:26 > 0:20:31While Si's doing that, I'm going to add two teaspoons of delicious mixed spice
0:20:31 > 0:20:35into 225 grams of self-raising flour.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38It's the smell of the mixed spice...
0:20:38 > 0:20:41- Ah!- ..it's so reminiscent of hot cross buns,
0:20:41 > 0:20:44which, again, was something else I use to love at Easter!
0:20:45 > 0:20:49'Crack three large eggs into a bowl. Beat them together.' Give them a whisk.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55'Add them into the mixer a little at a time. You have to be careful with this part.'
0:20:55 > 0:20:57You've got to watch it doesn't split.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59If it does,
0:20:59 > 0:21:04just put in a spoonful of flour and it'll come back together again.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08'Patience is key with this one.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11'Add half the flour a bit at a time,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15'slowly beating it in as you go.'
0:21:15 > 0:21:19# It's beginning to look a bit like Ca-ake! #
0:21:19 > 0:21:22And stop the blade and just push...
0:21:22 > 0:21:25..any bits that you see that's kind of not mixed in yet
0:21:25 > 0:21:27and then start it again.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31And resist the temptation to lick your spatula.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- Yes! You saw that written all over my face, didn't you?- I did.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37I could see you reflexing!
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'Get the second half of the flour going the same way.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45'Then add in the mixed fruit...
0:21:45 > 0:21:48'..lemon zest and orange zest.'
0:21:48 > 0:21:50'Once it's rested,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54'divide your marzipan up into three equal chunks.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59'Dust a bit of sifted icing sugar onto some baking parchment and roll it out.'
0:21:59 > 0:22:04Take care because marzipan is... it can be a fickle mistress.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07'It's a simple but good tip, this -
0:22:07 > 0:22:12'to get the marzipan the right size, use the cake tin to make a circle!'
0:22:12 > 0:22:15We want to cut a disc of marzipan...
0:22:15 > 0:22:20..about one centimetre bigger than your cake tin.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Using that imprint there as a guideline,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25it's really quite simple.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30'Spoon half the cake mix into a parchment-lined cake tin
0:22:30 > 0:22:32'and add the large marzipan circle,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35'making sure it reaches the sides all round.'
0:22:36 > 0:22:40'Add the rest of the cake mix on top and smooth it over.
0:22:40 > 0:22:46'Then into a fan oven at 150 degrees for about one hour 20 minutes.'
0:22:50 > 0:22:53- Oh, yes!- Let's have a look.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Look at that.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Clean as a whistle.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Yep!
0:23:00 > 0:23:04'While Si heats the two tablespoons of apricot jam,
0:23:04 > 0:23:08'I'm rolling out another chunk of marzipan and sizing it up with a cake tin.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10'This time you can cut straight round.'
0:23:10 > 0:23:13It's hard to do this and keep your tongue in.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17'Now it's time for 11 Apostles,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20'represented by balls of lovely marzipan.'
0:23:20 > 0:23:22I need 11 balls.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25- Do you not need 12?- No.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31- There's 12 Apostles.- There's 11. We don't do one for Judas. It's tradition
0:23:31 > 0:23:34What a bummer, being Judas.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36You haven't got a good rep, have you, in history?
0:23:37 > 0:23:41'Turn the cake upside down and brush the surface with the warm apricot jam.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44'Cover it with the second marzipan circle
0:23:44 > 0:23:48'and score in a criss-cross pattern on top.'
0:23:50 > 0:23:54'Pinch the marzipan all the way around the edges and add the Apostles.'
0:23:54 > 0:23:56Oops!
0:23:56 > 0:23:58And there we have it.
0:23:59 > 0:24:04'Place your cakey masterpiece under a hot pre-heated grill
0:24:04 > 0:24:06'for a couple of minutes until it's lightly toasted,
0:24:06 > 0:24:10'but be careful not to burn it.'
0:24:10 > 0:24:14- Just grilled on top...- Beautiful.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17- ..and...- Aw, how lush!
0:24:17 > 0:24:21'As this is a special cake to mark an important occasion in the Christian calendar,
0:24:21 > 0:24:25'we're finishing off the decoration with a ribbon.'
0:24:25 > 0:24:29This Easter, make your own simnel cake.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31It's lovely, isn't it?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33And without a fluffy chicken in sight!
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Simnel cake - it's an oldie but it's a goody!
0:24:37 > 0:24:42Whether Easter or Mothering Sunday are part of your faith or not,
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Christianity has inspired a dish that everyone can take to their hearts.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53There is, in our confectionary repertoire, another little delicacy
0:24:53 > 0:24:57that, like the simnel cake, has traditionally been eaten at Easter.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59Well, I'm quite sure you'll recognise what these are.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01Of course, they're hot cross buns.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04And I'm quite sure also that you'll know the very famous rhyme...
0:25:04 > 0:25:06"Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!
0:25:06 > 0:25:09"One-a-penny, two-a-penny, hot cross buns!
0:25:09 > 0:25:11"Give them to your daughters, give them to your sons."
0:25:11 > 0:25:15They're a spicy and fruity BUN-dle of joy.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18First of all, you'll need three cupfuls of flour.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22Then a level teaspoonful of salt,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26two level teaspoonfuls of mixed spice...
0:25:26 > 0:25:30The recipe might be simple, but it's laden with symbolism,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33and that's mainly down to the iconic cross
0:25:33 > 0:25:36that marks it out from lesser buns.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40Mark the cross on them. And the other way.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43And get your mother to put them on the top shelf of very hot oven
0:25:43 > 0:25:44and bake for 15 minutes.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47'Them is the softest buns I has ever done had!'
0:25:47 > 0:25:52It's so deeply embedded in British folklore that no-one really knows
0:25:52 > 0:25:56how and why it came into being, but there are many theories.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Traditionally, we only ate this Easter treat on Good Friday.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01And for long time,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04it's been closely associated with the Christian church.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08The cross makes that connection obvious,
0:26:08 > 0:26:11but it's believed that they date much further back than that,
0:26:11 > 0:26:12to pagan times.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16The Saxons would bake bread slashed with crosses to honour Eostre,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19their goddess of spring and fertility,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22and the source of our word, Easter.
0:26:22 > 0:26:23Over the centuries,
0:26:23 > 0:26:28these humble baked goods became the stuff of legend and superstition.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30One of the more curious being
0:26:30 > 0:26:34that a bun baked on Good Friday would never go mouldy.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37It's lasted 108 years like that. But it's incredible,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39because there were no preservatives or anything 108 years ago.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42It's still intact, really, isn't it?
0:26:42 > 0:26:44It is, apart from the fruit, really.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48And you can still see the cross on the top of the hot cross bun.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Alas, there's proof to the contrary, in The Widow's Son
0:26:51 > 0:26:55pub in London, where, for over 150 years,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59buns in various stages of decay have hung behind the bar,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Thanks to a long-held tradition.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Mr Proud, how did this all begin?
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Well, at one time, there was a house built on this place,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09and the widow that was here
0:27:09 > 0:27:12was waiting for her son to come back on Good Friday.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- He went to sea, did he? - He went to sea, yes.
0:27:15 > 0:27:20Well, he never showed up on the Good Friday, so she saved the bun.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23And it was carried on ever since by saving these buns.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26Every Good Friday, there's a bun saved.
0:27:26 > 0:27:27How do you pick your saviour?
0:27:27 > 0:27:30We sometimes advertise for them, if we can't get a local boy.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34- Well, they might not be immortal... - But they're ever so tasty,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36and they'll always have a place.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38# Hot cross buns! Hot cross buns!
0:27:38 > 0:27:42# One-a-penny, two-a-penny, hot cross buns! #
0:27:42 > 0:27:45- Do you know any songs about simnel cake?- No.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Food has a central place in religion, and it's easy to see why.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52Obviously, it's fundamental to our survival,
0:27:52 > 0:27:55but it also provides comfort and enjoyment.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00So many religions give both praise and thanks for what we've got,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03along with pleas for more of the same in the future.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08In the West, with modern technology and farming methods,
0:28:08 > 0:28:11we are far less likely to starve,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14or have a glut of food in summer and shortages in winter.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16But for our forefathers, belief and ritual
0:28:16 > 0:28:20could mean the difference between survival and despair.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25Paganism has a particularly direct relationship with the earth.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Food plays a key role in pagan beliefs.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31For druid, Mark Graham, it's a belief system
0:28:31 > 0:28:35that best suits his own view of life.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39Paganism is a belief that the earth itself is sacred.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42That sense of connectedness with nature has always been
0:28:42 > 0:28:46an important part of, I suppose, my religious feelings,
0:28:46 > 0:28:50or at least my sense of being connected to the gods and goddesses.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54When druidical ritual takes place on autumn equinox.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57Bread and mead are particularly important on the day,
0:28:57 > 0:29:00and Mark's in charge of making the bread.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04Tomorrow's the public ceremony for the autumn equinox,
0:29:04 > 0:29:08when we celebrate the tipping point in the year,
0:29:08 > 0:29:12when from now on, the nights will be longer than the days.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16In all our ceremonies, we share bread and mead.
0:29:16 > 0:29:22So it's a symbolic way of thanking the gods and goddesses,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25but also a time of preparation.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29But it's not your average sliced white loaf you know he'll be making.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33What I'm going to do for tomorrow's ceremony
0:29:33 > 0:29:35is recreate an Iron Age bread.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39A loaf of bread that our ancestors, 2,000 years ago,
0:29:39 > 0:29:43would have been using during their autumn equinox celebrations.
0:29:43 > 0:29:47Where did he find an Iron Age cookbook?!
0:29:47 > 0:29:50It's based loosely on the stomach contents of bog bodies.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54These are people who have been preserved for 2,000 years in peat,
0:29:54 > 0:29:56in peat bogs.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00They've been dug up, their stomach contents have been analysed,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03and so we know what they've been eating.
0:30:03 > 0:30:04Move over, Nigella!
0:30:04 > 0:30:07Here's the latest recipe from Piltdown Man!
0:30:07 > 0:30:12They ate a lot wider range of vegetable products than we do today.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15A lot of the things that we might consider today
0:30:15 > 0:30:17to be a pest in the garden, like nettle,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21in fact formed an important part of the diet of our ancestors.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25Mark prepares the bread and quite a rich mix it is too,
0:30:25 > 0:30:27with poppy, hemp, and flaxseeds.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Next, he mixes it together with spelt flour
0:30:31 > 0:30:34and a bit of beer to help it rise.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38I'm sure there are bakers holding up their hands in horror
0:30:38 > 0:30:42at what might appear to be the rather slapdash fashion
0:30:42 > 0:30:44in which I'm making this bread, but I can assure you,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47this is just as our pagan ancestors would have made bread.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51Before it's baked, Mark rolls out the bread
0:30:51 > 0:30:55and pops on a decorative Pagan Arwen symbol.
0:30:55 > 0:30:57Now that I've formed the loaf,
0:30:57 > 0:31:02I'll leave it for 20 minutes just to rise by the fire.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07As this is an Iron Age recipe, once it's risen,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10it doesn't go in the fan-assisted often.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Instead, Mark bakes it on an open fire.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Cooking like this, out of doors, is just so much more elemental
0:31:17 > 0:31:19than doing it in the kitchen, isn't it?
0:31:19 > 0:31:21Where you switch on the gas or whatever.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23You're here with the sound of the birds
0:31:23 > 0:31:26and you're surrounded by nature.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29The honouring of ancestors is incredibly important
0:31:29 > 0:31:31within the druid tradition.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34We're all connected to our fathers and mothers
0:31:34 > 0:31:35grandfathers and grandmothers
0:31:35 > 0:31:39in a chain that leads back to the beginning of all time.
0:31:41 > 0:31:44HE TAPS BREAD I think it sounds ready.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47There's a nice sort of hollow sound there.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52So hopefully it's nice and well-risen in the middle. We'll find out.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55Along with the bread, the ceremony also calls for mead,
0:31:55 > 0:31:59which has been made by fellow druid, Rick Blackett.
0:31:59 > 0:32:03Mead has a truly ancient history in Britain, and for Rick,
0:32:03 > 0:32:07it's part of our heritage that has been a bit forgotten.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10I'd really like to have a lot more people making what is,
0:32:10 > 0:32:11after all, and has to be
0:32:11 > 0:32:14one of the oldest and most traditional drinks
0:32:14 > 0:32:15that there is in the world.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17It's just so easy to make.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20Once you've got a yeast, all you need is honey for sweetness,
0:32:20 > 0:32:23and to feed the yeast, and water,
0:32:23 > 0:32:29and you've got an extremely pleasant alcoholic drink within two weeks.
0:32:29 > 0:32:31Nothing else works quite as well.
0:32:31 > 0:32:35Mead became overshadowed by wine as a symbol of religion,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37but there are far more beehives
0:32:37 > 0:32:40to be found on our island than vineyards.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- We'll get you some gloves, and then we'll be ready to go.- Excellent.
0:32:43 > 0:32:44Beekeeper, Jay Anderson,
0:32:44 > 0:32:47has just started providing Rick
0:32:47 > 0:32:50with a regular supply of sweet honey.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Feel the weight of that. That's pretty good.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55There's probably about four jars in there.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58It's fantastic.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01These bees here have actually collected the pollen to make
0:33:01 > 0:33:06this honey within visual range of where we're going to be on Sunday.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12So you might be wondering exactly how you turn delicious honey
0:33:12 > 0:33:17into a drink that makes your head go fuzzy. Over to you, Rick!
0:33:17 > 0:33:20Ancient man would have made mead, because it's so simple to make.
0:33:20 > 0:33:25And I really do feel that, in the deep, dark winter,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29that warming taste of summer will really be have been welcome to them.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31And we use it in the same way in paganism.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34We will, in the darkest of winter,
0:33:34 > 0:33:38reflect back on summer when we're drinking the mead,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40because you really can taste the summer in it.
0:33:40 > 0:33:46To make this particular batch, Rick adds some nice, wintry spices.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon. Go on, Rick!
0:33:50 > 0:33:53Then it's just a matter of mixing water, honey, lemon juice
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and yeast, which are the key ingredients.
0:34:00 > 0:34:06That will sit for about two weeks, and will slowly settle out.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08When there's not bubbles coming out of that,
0:34:08 > 0:34:10you can just bottle it off.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13It's really that easy, and in fact, if we missed all the spices out,
0:34:13 > 0:34:17it would have been significantly easier and a lot less complicated.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Water, honey, yeast, and a lemon,
0:34:20 > 0:34:24and you've got two large bottles of mead in about three months' time.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Well, that was easy!
0:34:26 > 0:34:28Rick made the mead
0:34:28 > 0:34:30for the Equinox celebrations over a year ago.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33And it's a deep, treacle colour.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36That's lovely-looking mead!
0:34:36 > 0:34:39DRUMS BEAT
0:34:39 > 0:34:43On a Iron Age hillfort in Leicestershire,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47local residents, members of the public, and druids
0:34:47 > 0:34:51have gathered together, to join an autumn equinox ceremony.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54The bread and mead they've made are inspired by types that Iron Age
0:34:54 > 0:34:57locals would have known well.
0:34:57 > 0:35:01So, let us celebrate in the time-honoured fashion...
0:35:01 > 0:35:05The ritual is about the changing of the seasons.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08The idea is for those taking part to reflect on their lives,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10looking forwards and back.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13And the bread and mead play a very important part.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17Goddess of plenty, bless this bread.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20- I bring you the mead! - CHEERING
0:35:20 > 0:35:23- May you never hunger.- So may it be.
0:35:23 > 0:35:24The food, like the location,
0:35:24 > 0:35:27is a direct connection with their ancestors.
0:35:27 > 0:35:32And perhaps our tastes haven't changed that much after all.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35There's nothing better than sharing the bread and the mead,
0:35:35 > 0:35:37to help us connect with each other and connect to our hearts.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40And often, we can laugh as we do it, you know?
0:35:40 > 0:35:41It's a really lovely thing.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43That was a good mead this time.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46It went down really well. We went through two bottles,
0:35:46 > 0:35:47refilled the horn.
0:35:47 > 0:35:50Fantastic mead. Everybody loved it.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54The mead was the perfect complement to the bread, I felt.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57It was lovely mead. Really fantastic.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01Bread and mead. Two of the oldest and tastiest foods around.
0:36:01 > 0:36:05The perfect combo to celebrate with, whatever your beliefs.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Now, when it comes to food at the heart of religious celebrations,
0:36:13 > 0:36:18there's one faith that goes above and beyond with its culinary duties.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22In Britain, we have the second largest Jewish population in Europe,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25and fifth largest in the world.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28So in the Best of British kitchen, we're going to show you how to
0:36:28 > 0:36:31make one of Judaism's finest traditional treats.
0:36:33 > 0:36:37We're making the most tender and tasty braised beef brisket,
0:36:37 > 0:36:39served up with potato latkes,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41a favourite combination during Hanukkah,
0:36:41 > 0:36:45the Festival of Light, and it's easy to see why.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Try to get some brisket that's got a bit of marbling in it,
0:36:47 > 0:36:50and what we mean by marbling is inter-muscular fat.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53So, look, see all this here? That's marbling.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55And what you want is you want it like that,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57because it ceases to be dry then.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01The fat will keep all of that beautiful meat nice and tender.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04Season the beef with salt and pepper,
0:37:04 > 0:37:07making sure every bit of fat gets involved.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12While Dave, thinly slices a couple of onions, I'm going
0:37:12 > 0:37:15to brown the beef in a casserole dish with a bit of oil.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20'Those lovely beef aromas are going to taunt you for a while yet!'
0:37:20 > 0:37:24I love the way the flaked salt and pepper is on there.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27and that's going to caramelise into a nice crust.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Do you know where Hanukkah comes from?
0:37:29 > 0:37:32It's according to the Talmud, in 168 BC,
0:37:32 > 0:37:37the Temple in Jerusalem was desecrated by marauding Syrians,
0:37:37 > 0:37:42and they left only enough oil for the lamps to burn for one day.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45But, miraculously, the lamps burned for eight days.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48So this miracle has been celebrated ever since,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50and that's the feast of Hanukkah.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54And the symbolism of the oil is that you celebrate by cooking
0:37:54 > 0:37:57food that's cooked in oil.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59'When it's nicely browned on all sides,
0:37:59 > 0:38:04'pick the beef out with some tongs, but don't throw away the juice.'
0:38:04 > 0:38:08That residue in the pan are the building blocks for a great dish.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13With the onions frying, pop the beef back into the pot
0:38:13 > 0:38:15with a few sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22While Si's hypnotised by the beef, I'm adding two tablespoons
0:38:22 > 0:38:27of tomato puree into 500ml of hot beef stock to pour over the meat.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34And lastly, some red wine.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40That's 200ml to be exact, and it really is beef's best friend.
0:38:40 > 0:38:43That's it. And that's going to become a gravy machine.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46Bring the whole lot to a gentle simmer,
0:38:46 > 0:38:49and place in the oven for three hours.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52While you're waiting, it's time to start the latkes.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55The Hanukkah feasting treat!
0:38:55 > 0:38:58They're fatty, their fabulous, it's a potato cake by any other way,
0:38:58 > 0:39:01but they're lovely, because it's got egg and flour in.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04It's more than rosti.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07'Oh, aye! Prepare to get teary with any cook's nemesis -
0:39:07 > 0:39:09'grating a whole onion!'
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Now this is going to make me cry.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Oh!
0:39:18 > 0:39:20Whoa! Flimmin' 'eck!
0:39:20 > 0:39:24You could, of course, just put this in a food processor.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27But then, you wouldn't feel the love,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30the sacrifice, your fingertips in your dinner.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33There's a lot of grating in this one!
0:39:33 > 0:39:35We also need eight grated potatoes.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Cut four peeled carrots into chunks.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Quarter three more onions and chunk up a celery.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48You know, in olden days in the Jewish communities
0:39:48 > 0:39:52in Russia and Poland, in the winters, times were hard,
0:39:52 > 0:39:57and latkes were one way of making a humble grated potato
0:39:57 > 0:39:59mixed with a little fat, a little love,
0:39:59 > 0:40:03go a long way and provide something tasty and satisfying.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08Do you know, I once ate 13 latkes at one go.
0:40:08 > 0:40:09How did you eat 13 latkes?
0:40:09 > 0:40:12It was a long period of time, and they were free.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14Oh, fair enough!
0:40:14 > 0:40:18In a pan in true Hanukkah tradition, put some oil...
0:40:18 > 0:40:20It's great!
0:40:20 > 0:40:23Do you know, I could get into a religious tradition
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- that kind of fries everything! - It's brilliant, isn't it?- Yeah!
0:40:26 > 0:40:29Gather all your grated potato and onion in a tea towel,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32and wring out the excess water over a bowl.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35Make sure you've mixed the onion and potato thoroughly.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Then, fry up the onions, celery and carrot chunks.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49Now, remember, my onions are in here so I need to mix that up.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55After an hour-and-a-half in the oven,
0:40:55 > 0:40:57get the beef out and turn it over.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03See, that makes sense, doesn't it?
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Because half of the beef is poaching,
0:41:05 > 0:41:07half of the beef's roasting.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09So by giving it even, you get the best of both worlds.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11And the best of flavours.
0:41:14 > 0:41:15Back with the latkes.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18Add plenty of seasoning to the potato and onion,
0:41:18 > 0:41:21along with a handful of chopped parsley and chives,
0:41:21 > 0:41:24then sprinkle on a tablespoon of flour.
0:41:26 > 0:41:31Now, just kind of work your dry goods through those damp potatoes.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36What's your favourite kind of Jewish delicacy?
0:41:37 > 0:41:42There is nothing better than a fresh, warm bagel.
0:41:42 > 0:41:44It's just a thing to behold.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Beat one whole egg with an egg yolk.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Add it to the potato and onion, then squash it all together by hand,
0:41:52 > 0:41:54and then form into patties.
0:41:56 > 0:41:58The latke's a hand-formed creature.
0:42:00 > 0:42:04Heat up a glug of sunflower oil over a medium heat and add the patties.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08- That looks a good size latke.- I would say that's a very good size.
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Fry them until they're nice and brown on both sides.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16Frying!
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Since that diet, this is like revisiting that old friend.
0:42:19 > 0:42:20It is, isn't it?
0:42:22 > 0:42:27- Put them on an oven tray.- Oh, yes.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31I'm excited. So, that's three hours with one... Oh, haven't you shrunk?
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Look at that! Look at that!
0:42:34 > 0:42:37Now, what we're going to do...
0:42:37 > 0:42:40We're going to nestle these veggies in,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43all the way around this lovely bit of brisket.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Put it back in the oven for an hour to two hours...
0:42:53 > 0:42:55..or until the beef is tender.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01The great thing about latkes is you can simply warm them up
0:43:01 > 0:43:04when you need them, making timing dead easy.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08- Another 15 on the beef, Kingy. - Smashing.- The latkes are in.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11Not long now. Tummies are grumbling.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14- The smell, mate, isn't it? Yes.- Fantastic.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21- Right, the big reveal.- Oh, yes.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26Now, I'm going to take this brisket out
0:43:26 > 0:43:29and then cut the string off and we're going to carve it.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37After a few minutes, the latkes are ready to join in too.
0:43:40 > 0:43:44The beef is fantastically tender and served up with the gravy,
0:43:44 > 0:43:48veg and latkes, it's simply a mouth-watering wonder.
0:43:51 > 0:43:54Yay! I suppose what we should say...
0:43:54 > 0:43:56- Happy Hanukkah!- Happy Hanukkah!
0:43:56 > 0:43:58Happy Hanukkah!
0:44:00 > 0:44:02It would be rude not to try it, really.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04That is really good.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07That is really good. And the latkes. Crikey.
0:44:07 > 0:44:10Do you know, if you want to be British about it,
0:44:10 > 0:44:14you could call it kind of beef pot roast with potato cakes
0:44:14 > 0:44:17but you know, this has got heritage
0:44:17 > 0:44:20and this is boiled brisket with latkes.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24Without doubt, this is a meal worth celebrating.
0:44:34 > 0:44:37Feasting has long been a significant feature of most religions
0:44:37 > 0:44:42but quite often, going without food is just as important.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46Fasting was the key to the 40 days of Lent for the Catholic Church.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation. Through your goodness
0:44:50 > 0:44:54we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57And it's also at the core of the month of Ramadan in Islam.
0:45:00 > 0:45:04For us, the Koran cannot be properly understood
0:45:04 > 0:45:07unless we prepare ourselves spiritually for that purpose.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11The spiritual preparation is done through this fasting.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14This needs a lot of self-control, self-discipline
0:45:14 > 0:45:18and fasting is one of those things, a spiritual exercise anyway.
0:45:18 > 0:45:24After the month of fasting, this is the way we break our fast
0:45:24 > 0:45:27and start this day of thanksgiving.
0:45:27 > 0:45:31But ending a period of abstinence with a celebratory meal isn't just
0:45:31 > 0:45:36common to our nation's two biggest religions, Christianity and Islam.
0:45:37 > 0:45:41It's also practised by one of Britain's most recent.
0:45:41 > 0:45:44In Aldenham, there's a gathering to celebrate one such feast
0:45:44 > 0:45:47on a scale that's quite remarkable.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52Hare Krishnas are well known for their generosity
0:45:52 > 0:45:54when it comes to food.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57And today's Janmashtami festival in Hertfordshire,
0:45:57 > 0:46:01which celebrates the birth of deity Lord Krishna, is no exception.
0:46:02 > 0:46:05More than 60,000 people will visit in two days.
0:46:05 > 0:46:07That's a lot of mouths to feed.
0:46:08 > 0:46:10Bharti Patel is a real food hero.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13She's in charge of cooking a celebratory meal, Prasadam,
0:46:13 > 0:46:16for all of the festival faithful.
0:46:17 > 0:46:21This is religious food on an industrial scale.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23We call it Prasadam because whatever we've cooked, we first
0:46:23 > 0:46:28of all offer it to our Lord Krishna and then sanctify it, purify it.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34Once we've offered to Krishna and he's had his Prasadam,
0:46:34 > 0:46:39we mix it with the other food so that all the food becomes Prasadam.
0:46:39 > 0:46:44Then it's served to all the devotees and the visitors who've come today.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49Now I've got a team of 108 people working.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52Most of the ladies have been chopping all day, potatoes,
0:46:52 > 0:46:54fruits, capsicums.
0:46:54 > 0:46:59Over the two days, we'll be serving almost 60,000, maybe 65,000 people.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03We started working at 10 o'clock in the morning,
0:47:03 > 0:47:06until midnight we'll still be cooking here.
0:47:06 > 0:47:11We make sure that everybody has had Prasadam and then we close off everything.
0:47:11 > 0:47:14And clean up and then go home at about two o'clock in the morning.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20The Hare Krishna movement was founded in New York in 1965
0:47:20 > 0:47:24by his divine grace Swami Prabhupada,
0:47:24 > 0:47:28and believers worship the deity Lord Krishna from Hinduism.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33It was popularised in Britain thanks to the Beatles,
0:47:33 > 0:47:36in particular George Harrison.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39He became a lifelong follower in the late '60s.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42MUSIC: "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison
0:47:46 > 0:47:50George donated the Bhaktivedanta Manor to the group, where the
0:47:50 > 0:47:54festival, which marks the end of the fast, is being held today.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03We fast to try to cultivate some austerity but at the same time,
0:48:03 > 0:48:07the fast culminates in a feast and that feast can last for three days.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12Today, the Prasadam consists of four dishes, samo, which is
0:48:12 > 0:48:14a type of grass seed...
0:48:14 > 0:48:18Fruit salad, made with cream and rose syrup...
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Puri, a kind of fried bread...
0:48:21 > 0:48:24And potato sabji, delicious!
0:48:24 > 0:48:26Potato sabji is my favourite dish
0:48:26 > 0:48:28because in the evening just before 12 o'clock,
0:48:28 > 0:48:31I will make a special one for me, for our team,
0:48:31 > 0:48:34with slightly more chillis and ginger in it and enjoy it.
0:48:38 > 0:48:42Look at the size of that saucepan, Si, could fit you in that!
0:48:42 > 0:48:45Don't be daft, man, Hare Krishnas are vegetarians!
0:48:47 > 0:48:51This is samo, very similar to rice,
0:48:51 > 0:48:54but slightly tangier because we've added yoghurt to it.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02Finally, we're making a sweet dish which is the fruit salad.
0:49:02 > 0:49:05This is a dish for people who don't tend to eat any food
0:49:05 > 0:49:10but just stay on fruits, fasting, so we give them this as a special dish.
0:49:13 > 0:49:17The festivities and celebrations continue long into the night with
0:49:17 > 0:49:21drama, music, chanting and generally having a thoroughly good time.
0:49:23 > 0:49:26And people are enjoying tucking in to the delicious Prasadam food
0:49:26 > 0:49:29whilst they celebrate.
0:49:29 > 0:49:31I'm actually only having the fruit bit.
0:49:31 > 0:49:32I've finished my fast...
0:49:34 > 0:49:37I just love all of it. It's delicious. We come here every year
0:49:37 > 0:49:40and we really look forward to having this Prasad.
0:49:40 > 0:49:42It's very nice and it's very yummy.
0:49:46 > 0:49:49The masses certainly look happy with Bharti's work.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51Everybody is so tired
0:49:51 > 0:49:53but even though we've been told to make extra veggies
0:49:53 > 0:49:57because the crowd is still coming, but they're still very keen.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01If I ask them to make more, they'll continue making more.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06Actually, we're tired but still, at the end of the day,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09we feel that we are so grateful that we did something.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11It feels so nice to do that.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19Five, four, three, two, one...
0:50:19 > 0:50:21CHEERING
0:50:26 > 0:50:30As the clock strikes 12, the celebrations reach their climax.
0:50:30 > 0:50:33And those who have fasted all day get to eat.
0:50:34 > 0:50:38I've been fasting for over 24 hours.
0:50:38 > 0:50:40It was glorious. It was amazing.
0:50:40 > 0:50:43You can appreciate every single bite of food.
0:50:45 > 0:50:49At one in the morning, after cooking for around 15 hours straight,
0:50:49 > 0:50:53Bharti can finally sit down and try out her own food.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57I'm feeling extremely happy today because I've had a very, very satisfying day.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00I've had an amazing day. All the cooking has been done.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04People are still having Prasadam. We've broken our fast.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07I will feel great knowing a lot of people have eaten this food
0:51:07 > 0:51:10and the food is absolutely amazing. It's very, very tasty as well.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15It's quite something to cook for so many people
0:51:15 > 0:51:18and she's managed to keep everyone happy.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22This has to be one of the largest examples of food being at
0:51:22 > 0:51:26the heart of religious ceremonies, in multicultural Britain.
0:51:27 > 0:51:30But more than that, Bharti's food has helped make a big day even
0:51:30 > 0:51:34more special for her fellow Hare Krishnas.
0:51:39 > 0:51:42With most of the major religions, there are instructions
0:51:42 > 0:51:45about what you're supposed to eat and avoid eating.
0:51:45 > 0:51:46For centuries,
0:51:46 > 0:51:49Christians were expected to abstain from eating meat on a Friday,
0:51:49 > 0:51:52out of respect for the day that Jesus died.
0:51:52 > 0:51:57Instead, people would eat fish so in the Best Of British kitchen,
0:51:57 > 0:52:02we've got a recipe that celebrates fish on a Friday in style.
0:52:02 > 0:52:08We're making lush salmon, cod and smoked haddock fishcakes in a buttery parsley sauce.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12- Who doesn't love a fishcake? It's fish without the hassle.- It is.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16And it makes whatever fish you buy go an awful long way.
0:52:16 > 0:52:17It's a good easy eat.
0:52:17 > 0:52:22All I've done, cos we need some mash to base our fishcakes around.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25I've cut some potatoes into three centimetre chunks,
0:52:25 > 0:52:29boiled the daylights out of them and mash them.
0:52:31 > 0:52:33There's fish galore in this recipe.
0:52:33 > 0:52:37Place a 250g salmon fillet, 250g cod fillet
0:52:37 > 0:52:41and 100g smoked haddock fillet into a shallow pan.
0:52:43 > 0:52:47Remember, Dave, on a Friday morning, what you'd hear,
0:52:47 > 0:52:50is you'd hear a horn go in the street... Honk, honk!
0:52:50 > 0:52:52- Fish, fish!- That was the fish man.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56Pour in 500 millilitres of milk,
0:52:56 > 0:52:58season...
0:53:01 > 0:53:05..then add in a bay leaf and heat up till it starts to bubble.
0:53:05 > 0:53:07So, Dave, when is a fish not a fish?
0:53:07 > 0:53:12Since medieval times, we've always had a boom on a Friday for fish.
0:53:12 > 0:53:15Actually, the rules were relaxed a bit as to what was defined as fish.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19Beavers and seals qualified as fish
0:53:19 > 0:53:21because they live predominantly in the water.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24- Oh!- That's one way of getting round religion, isn't it?
0:53:24 > 0:53:27You can logic your way out of any argument.
0:53:27 > 0:53:30When the milk has started to bubble, cover it up
0:53:30 > 0:53:32and turn off the heat immediately.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35Leave it to stand for 10 minutes, which will cook the fish
0:53:35 > 0:53:37and infuse it with flavour.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42The spuds should be ready now, so once drained, get mashing.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47When it's cooked, take the fish out.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51Make sure there are no bones and flake it into a bowl.
0:53:51 > 0:53:54So that's the cod, the smoked haddock and the salmon.
0:53:56 > 0:54:02Right, I've got my fish there. I'm just going to strain off the milk.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08And set this aside, ready to make the parsley sauce.
0:54:08 > 0:54:11You get the most wonderful, rich-tasting sauce.
0:54:15 > 0:54:17Chop up six spring onions and whack them in the mash,
0:54:17 > 0:54:20with a load of salt and a load of pepper.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27Add the zest of half an unwaxed lemon.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30Once the zest goes in, mix well to combine.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35Preparing ahead, put about 25g of flour
0:54:35 > 0:54:40and two beaten eggs onto a plate, alongside a bowl of breadcrumbs.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44Add the potato mix into the flaked fish and mix it up.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51So take a handful of the fishcake mixture
0:54:51 > 0:54:55and form into about that size.
0:54:55 > 0:54:58That to me... What do you think?
0:54:58 > 0:55:01I think that's spot-on. That's a good fishcake.
0:55:03 > 0:55:05Heat a glug of oil in a frying pan.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07Then coat the fishcakes in the flour.
0:55:10 > 0:55:12Roll them in the egg, not forgetting the edges.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17And then cover them with the breadcrumbs.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21And place them in the frying pan to cook.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23That's too much. Can you turn that down, Kingy?
0:55:26 > 0:55:30When you've browned on both sides, pop onto some baking parchment.
0:55:35 > 0:55:38As my mother used to say, "It should be the size of a hockey puck."
0:55:38 > 0:55:41The thing is, I didn't know what a hockey puck was.
0:55:41 > 0:55:42I don't think she did either.
0:55:42 > 0:55:47Now, you've got to have a sauce with these fishy bundles of loveliness.
0:55:47 > 0:55:50Grab a handful of parsley and finely chop it.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57You know, Kingy, it's said that parsley grows better
0:55:57 > 0:56:01- if it's planted by a woman.- Really?
0:56:01 > 0:56:05It's also said that if a woman plants parsley, soon after,
0:56:05 > 0:56:07she'll fall pregnant.
0:56:07 > 0:56:10I tell you what, there will be loads of lads getting off their
0:56:10 > 0:56:14settee now, saying, "Get out of the garden, get out of the garden!"
0:56:14 > 0:56:18I tell you what else as well, if you sprinkle parsley on the head,
0:56:18 > 0:56:21it's said to be a cure for baldness, you know?
0:56:21 > 0:56:24Why would that be of interest to me?
0:56:28 > 0:56:30One couldn't say.
0:56:33 > 0:56:38Put the fishcakes in the oven for about 10 minutes to finish them off.
0:56:38 > 0:56:41Now back to our luscious parsley sauce.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Melt 25g butter into a saucepan
0:56:44 > 0:56:46and sprinkle in 25g of flour,
0:56:46 > 0:56:49just like making a basic white sauce, really.
0:56:49 > 0:56:54Start to trickle in that strained fish poaching liquor.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00This is going to be a lump-free experience.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05Add in the parsley and simmer the sauce for three minutes
0:57:05 > 0:57:07until it's thickened.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10Look at this. As if you put an emerald in a blender.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17After 10 minutes, the fishcakes are ready.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23Serve them up with a lovely bit of kale and the parsley sauce.
0:57:23 > 0:57:24Job done.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30Get some of that sauce.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36Oh, man. It's a marriage made in heaven.
0:57:38 > 0:57:41Well, mate, thank goodness it's Friday.
0:57:41 > 0:57:45I tell you what though, this would be great any day of the week.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50Friday happiness on a plate and no doubt we've been encouraged to
0:57:50 > 0:57:53experiment with recipes like this thanks to fish being
0:57:53 > 0:57:57a brilliant alternative to meat in years gone by.
0:57:57 > 0:58:01And thankfully, we didn't have to go near a seal.
0:58:06 > 0:58:10Whatever your beliefs, there's food made just for you.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13In modern Britain, there's spiritual food with great variety
0:58:13 > 0:58:17and quality for ceremonies and celebration.
0:58:17 > 0:58:20Great tasting traditional dishes that everyone can enjoy.
0:58:20 > 0:58:24If you want to find out about any of the recipes from this programme,
0:58:24 > 0:58:26log onto our website:
0:58:37 > 0:58:41Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd