Dinner for Two Hairy Bikers Everyday Gourmets

-POSH VOICE:

-Gourmet food, a feast for the eyes and the appetite,

mouth-watering recipes.

The sort of thing that you find in the very best

restaurants across the country.

But these ones are dirt cheap, and guess what?

Ha-ha, they're made by us!

The Hairy Bikers, we're going posh!

And we're going to do it without blowing the weekly budget.

You don't need to be minted or Michelin starred

to make great food.

Think that's a result, dude.

Gourmet food isn't just about looking the part,

it's about creating incredible flavours and amazing food combinations.

-Lemon.

-Violet and lemon.

Oh, wow. That's amazing!

But in these difficult times, if you can't afford to go out for that

special restaurant meal, we can show you how to make one just as good.

In this series,

we're going to unlock all the secrets you need to transform

affordable, everyday produce

and how to make exceptional foods at home for next to nothing.

We're going to find out which ingredients are worth

spending that little extra cash on,

and when it's worth going for a bargain.

It's the world biggest pick 'n' mix.

Taking tips from some of the country's best chefs.

-I think you're a genius.

-We love you, you're great.

And putting all that we've learned to the test on people who

really deserve a treat.

-Thank you.

-Well done, Paula.

-Thank you so much.

Come here, you.

When the chips are down, and the money's tight...

..food prepared with a little bit of time, but a lot of love...

..can be the best way to indulge the ones that you care for.

ALL: Hurray!

APPLAUSE

So join us on our quest to show how YOU can create

dishes of exceptional flavour for next to nothing.

The art of making everyday gourmet!

MUSIC: "A Fine Romance"

# A fine romance... #

One of our all-time favourite sayings is,

"The way to a man or a woman's heart is through their stomach."

-Oh, food and love!

-There is no better combination.

Especially if you have a hunger for either.

And we passionately believe that a spectacular

dinner for two should be within the grasp of everybody's budget.

For just a fraction of the cost of taking out your loved ones or

friends for a meal, we're going to show you how to create

a top-quality restaurant meal at home.

Oh, I didn't know you cared!

Oh, you obviously don't.

Whether it's for a loved one, a friend or a family member,

the perfect gourmet dinner for two should combine thoughtful ingredients

and interesting flavour combinations to make an exceptional meal.

On our journey, we will also be creating

some amazing treat food for you to try out at home.

Like this delicious poached pear and salted-caramel sauce,

for around £1.90!

Or you can have dinner for two for under a fiver

with our luxurious chocolate chilli con carne.

But we're not stopping there.

We'll be putting everything we've learned into helping a very

special lady prepare an awesome anniversary dinner for her parents.

-Very nice.

-Is it?

-Hmm.

-Well done, Paula.

-Thank you so much.

-Well done, Paula.

-Thank you.

Any gourmet dinner for two has to have that wow factor

and our first dish looks and tastes like it's straight from

a top restaurant, without the eye-watering bill at the end.

It's called a salmon tian and it's only £3.40 a portion.

It looks like a flower on a plate.

And this is very simple products.

It just shows what you can do with a bit of care, a bit of cooking,

to make them really, really special.

-Gourmet, even.

-Gourmet. Indeed!

I'm spuds and dressing.

I am tian and salad.

Now, while Dave's prepping those fantastic potato galettes,

I'm going to knock on with the salmon tian.

Mix four tablespoons of creme fraiche,

a finely chopped spring onion,

one tablespoon each of baby capers and dill,

together with a pinch of sea salt and a good squeeze of lemon.

We've got some lightly smoked salmon here.

We'll want about 150g of that.

That's about...that.

Discard the skin.

I'm going to just flake the salmon.

Using the salmon like this is a great way of making it go

much further for your money.

For the potato galettes, we're going to peel

and slice 300g of baby Charlotte potatoes.

Most new potatoes would do - just make sure they're firm and waxy.

Now I get to use a device that I haven't used for three years,

since the last time I did it, I ended up covered in plasters.

'If you're thinking of precision and presentation,

'it's worth investing in a mandolin.

'Not only does it cut the slices consistently thinner than you ever could,

'it'll also do it in half the time.'

And as the potato gets smaller, take the guard...

and lock and load.

-How are you getting on?

-Smashing.

-Are you still there with your fingers and that?

-Absolutely.

Wised up as the years have gone on. Beautiful.

Salt and pepper go on to the potatoes.

We're making a hot potato galette.

And what it is, it's like a very decorative potato cake.

As you'll see as I put this together, it'll look like a flower.

On the flower will sit the tian. On the tian will sit the salad.

And around it we'll have blobs of this seductive dressing.

50g of melted butter go onto the potatoes.

Pile up the potato slices carefully on a lined baking tray.

Make sure they all overlap slightly

and your finished galette should be a bit bigger than the tian.

Now, we need to lightly grease your chef's ring

and then we're going to pack that lovely mixture into the ring.

Once you have your mixture into the chef's ring,

just press it down with the back of the spoon

to make sure that it absolutely fills the ring,

so you get a beautiful shape when you come to presentation.

Cos, don't forget, this is for the one that you love,

an intimate dinner for two.

Now, what we need to do is cover these with Clingfilm.

Put it in the fridge for about an hour

until the creme fraiche and all of those just slightly firms up.

And then we'll show you a tip about how to get this out the mould.

It's a corker!

'The salmon tian will take at least an hour to set.

'You can prepare it and leave it in the fridge overnight

'if you're a bit pushed for time.'

Now look at them!

We pop that into a preheated oven - 180 degrees Celsius -

for about 30 minutes.

And the butter and the potatoes will all fuse together.

They'll go golden.

And you'll be left with this wonderful golden rosette of potato, which we will serve warm.

Ingredients don't come much cheaper than a potato.

But with a bit of thought and creativity,

you can elevate it into something really special.

Now we can get on with the salad and the other accoutrements, couldn't we?

-Yep. Shall I do the dressing?

-Yeah, all right, man.

I'll knock this salad out, then.

For the salad you'll need half a small fennel,

half a red apple, about three tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley

and two teaspoons of lemon juice.

The dressing - one egg yolk goes into a bowl.

The white - we'll save you and make you a meringue later.

That's what they always say on telly, isn't it?

"Just save the whites to become a meringue".

Nobody ever does, you know? It goes down t'sink.

Add white-wine vinegar, one teaspoon of Dijon mustard

and half a teaspoon of caster sugar.

Next, add two tablespoons of sunflower oil,

but drizzle this in very, very slowly.

This is not a standard salad dressing.

Using egg yolk makes it creamy and gorgeous.

With a little more effort and no extra expense,

making the salad dressing yourself

really makes a difference to the taste.

Now, we pop in the dill.

This will be a great dressing for gravadlax as well.

Oooh! Let me just leave that to infuse.

Love it!

Galettes. Galettes are go!

Oh, yes!

Oh, they're fantastic!

Van Gogh could have painted them. I'll let those cool slightly

and I'll be able to slide them off in the centre of the plate.

Leave them for a few moments to cool and then start building.

'Go slowly and gently with your taters

'or you won't get past first base.'

Should hold together. But be careful.

It is just, after all, potatoes and butter.

Nicely done, mate.

-Nicely done. Oh, look at that, it's mint.

-Beautiful!

That is a stage, all we are awaiting now is the players. Ha!

Great. Now Dave's got that onto the plate nice and safely, I'm going to show you a top tip.

Tease your tian out of your chef's ring,

simply soak a J-cloth in hot water and wrap it around, like so.

Resistance from your tian will be futile.

Oo-ooh!

The power of Grayskull.

And it comes out... Mint.

Now for the salad.

With that chef's ring, if I hold it lightly,

do you want to pack some salad on there, mate?

Absolutely.

-It's fine food, isn't it?

-It's lovely food.

Perfect. Look at that. How lovely?

Tastes amazing. And, Kingy,

I don't think it looks too shabby either, eh?

I don't think we've ever done anything so perfect.

I love it!

Great, let's eat it!

The sauce, when you put it next to the potato,

and you get that lovely cream with the salmon,

and then the kind of tartness of the salad,

it's a perfect cornucopia of gorgeous flavours.

Look how much difference that little extra attention makes.

All those flavours given the style they deserve.

There's no point cooking great food like this if you can't share it.

So we've come to High Wycombe on the River Thames to help

someone very special plan a delicious three-course dinner.

And we'll be racking our brains to help them

make something truly wonderful on a strict budget.

-Hiya.

-Hello, Paula, how are you?

-Nice to meet you.

-And you, sweetheart.

'Paula wants to make a surprise romantic dinner for two

'for her parents on their 40th wedding anniversary.'

What we know about you is that you've had a pretty rough time

the past few years.

And we can honestly say we don't think anyone deserves our help more than you.

Thank you.

Why are we here to help Paula? Well, it's simple.

18 months ago, while she was expecting her first baby,

she fell seriously ill.

Baby Dylan had to be delivered three months early,

and being so small, it was touch and go whether he would survive.

On days when he was very ill, we were told to expect the worst.

And that was terrifying for me. Absolutely terrifying.

Throughout this time,

Paula relied on the support of her parents, Alison and Gerald.

They kept her going when times were tough

and made a place for her in their home

when Paula's finances made it impossible for her to live alone.

It's really hard to express how much they mean to me

without getting really tearful.

They mean everything to me.

They've sacrificed so much to look after us.

And even now, they keep sacrificing things for me

and Dylan, and they mean the absolute world to me.

I really don't know what I'd do without them.

Now that little Dylan is a healthy, bouncing baby,

Paula wants to say thanks.

And guess what? We're here to help.

What would you like us to do? Give us the brief and we'll see if we can help.

I can't afford to take them out for a fancy meal in a posh restaurant.

-Well, around here, there's not many economy establishments!

-No, there are not.

I can't get them a meal for £40, which is about my limit.

-So, do you want wine for that as well?

-If I can.

-They'd love a bit of wine.

-Do they love good food?

-They do.

They're especially fond of Italian food.

That's their favourite at the moment. They both love that.

-Italian's a good lead.

-It is a good lead.

Because a lot of Italian food,

you go to a really high-end, Michelin-starred Italian restaurant,

the value of what's on the plate, it's really quite economical food.

You know, we can try and get as much as we can for as little as possible.

-And they've no idea about our involvement?

-None at all.

-Oh, you little devil!

-It will be a shock.

-Brilliant.

We'll do the waiting as well. We come for free.

-We're all right with the waiting.

-I'm not asking for much, am I?

-Three courses with wine.

-Wow!

-We'll be all right.

-Excellent.

-I'm looking forward to this.

-Yeah, so am I.

-We're going to do the best we possibly can for you.

-Thank you.

Right, we've got £40

and we need to come up with some Italian recipes that are going to

knock their socks off. Where do we start?

Now, mate, Italian recipes use simple ingredients with

distinctive flavours. But you just don't whack it all together, do you?

For gourmet grub, it's about how you combine them.

That's right, Kingy, and for something really special, you have

to think creatively to turn everyday ingredients into a taste sensation.

It's not just about presentation,

but how you parcel up the different flavours.

And here's the secret - you can use the same old ingredients

but treat them differently to make your food sparkle.

Take this uninspiring Italian tomato and mozzarella salad.

With a little bit of time and imagination,

you can form it into an amazing savoury pudding for your loved ones.

Chopping the tomatoes and mozzarella

and tearing up the basil leaves

releases all the distinctive flavours and aromas.

And allowing them to marinate together in olive oil takes

the taste to a new level from exactly the same ingredients.

Parcel them up in a bread case and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Then show off all those flavours on the plate.

Now, that is more like it.

Paula's dinner for her parents Alison and Gerald

is to say thanks, and celebrate 40 years of marriage.

I tell you what, dude, we'll need a bit more than a hint of romance for their dinner for two.

So to get our culinary cogs turning, we're back on the bikes

in search of a special ingredient to inspire our menu.

So, Si, what to you is the food of love -

that special magical ingredient that's guaranteed to provide

sparkle to that romantic dinner for two?

-Ooh... Beer, dude.

-No.

Most people would indeed say chocolate.

# Because she's chocolate crazy

# Chocolate mad

# Ha! Chocolate crazy

# Man, she's got it bad. #

'Of course, to understand any subject, you have to do your research.'

-Right, Kingy?

-You're right, mate. You're not wrong. Oh, Dave!

-Oh, the aroma.

-Oh.

What separates your humble choccy bar from the gourmet variety

-is the use of interesting flavours.

-So, let me give you

a piece of truffle.

-Basil and lime. BOTH:

-Basil and lime.

-They're really nice.

-Oh!

-Do you like it?

-Violet and lemon.

-Violet and lemon!

-Oh!

-Oh, wow!

-That's a burster, isn't it?

-That's amazing!

'Hang on, hang on. We're getting a bit distracted here by these posh chocs.'

Where were we? Ah, yes - history.

The modern chocolate bar is something that's been

eaten by all of us

and was first manufactured in great quantities from the mid-1800s

by companies like Fry's and Cadburys.

Britain actually made the first chocolate bars in the world

and mass production meant that eventually everyone could afford some.

This sort of chocolate is familiar to us all.

Cheap and dependable, but with a low percentage of cocoa solids.

But chocolate was once a far more upmarket and exotic treat.

According to the diaries of Samuel Pepys,

the first chocolate shop was opened up in London in 1657

on the instructions of Charles II,

-who liked to take his mistresses there.

-Hey!

And in those days, they didn't have fancy chocolates.

It was only served as a drink.

-Hi, Chantelle.

-Hi, how are you?

-I'm all right.

There's chocolate in the air!

'Chantelle, the owner of this chocolate heaven,

'has recreated a 400-year-old recipe for us to try.'

We've actually ground some cocoa beans to make it.

We've added all sorts of things like egg, milk, orange flower, spices.

So it's rich and thick.

And I'm going to just put in a little jasmine blossom,

-because they used to put flowers in.

-Thank you.

Oh, wow!

The jasmine, as well, you can smell that.

It's like the scent of a refined chocolate.

You can see how opulent this drink would be.

And how cutting-edge it would be at the time.

It's luxurious, and it's a stimulant as well.

This is how we can see it being the food of love, really. It's...

This is very seductive, isn't it?

Chocolate has an even spicier side to its history

going back much further in time.

In 16th-century Mexico, where cocoa was first consumed by the Aztecs,

it was highly prized and reserved for nobles and priests.

And the ladies were forbidden to drink it.

Apparently, if you gave chocolate to the women,

it was just a bit too dangerous. They got out of control.

Wait a minute, what do you mean?

-That's why I give my wife a box of chocolates.

-Exactly!

No, it was absolutely considered too sacred

and too valuable to give to women.

# Never know how much I love you... #

The Aztecs used to be quite experimental with their use of cocoa.

And a popular drink at the time was chilli cacao,

meaning "chilli chocolate".

So we're just going to make a complete mess

and pour it on the table.

'So we thought we'd try this exotic combination.'

And we've asked chocolatier Barry Johnson to whip up a chocolate mix.

-And this is temporary?

-This is temporary.

-OK.

So the phase of heating,

cooling and then slightly reheating the chocolate

will make a nice even texture.

I'll tell you what, it's a dark art, a chocolatier, isn't it?

-It is. Yes!

-It is.

When do we get to the good bit, like eating it?

It's coming, it's coming. Be patient!

That's the one thing with chocolate. It can't be rushed.

Just like a good woman.

But we're taking our lead from the Aztecs

and we're going to try chillies dipped in chocolate.

-It's a lovely texture.

-Oh, wow.

-Oh, yes.

Definitely not for the fainthearted.

A-ha!

Haa-ii-ya!

You've got chocolate on your shnezzer, dude, now.

I reckon what you could do, you could deseed the chillies first.

And then it would be great.

Or suck the chocolate off them. Flaming Nora!

-I'll tell you what, though. You feel a bit...you know what I mean?

-What?

Arriba, arriba?

-Yeah.

-Andele. Andele. Por ti sere.

-That's all right, eh?

Yo no soy marinero. Soy capitan.

MUSIC: "La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens

Those Aztecs were pretty canny, really.

So we're going to have a bit of a Hairy Bikers experiment

with their ideas.

-DRUMMING ON POTS AND PANS

-# Bamba, bamba! Bamba, bamba! #

-Hey!

-Time for chilli.

-Ye-ee-s!

This is gourmet chilli.

Gourmet chilli on a budget.

MUSIC: "ABC" by Jackson 5

Paula told us that Alison and Gerald like traditional food

and you can't really get any more traditional than an old-school chilli con carne.

But there's an easy way to turn this yawnsome dish

into gourmet gold, with the addition of one unusual special ingredient.

Cue the drumroll...

For our next recipe, we're going to make a chilli con carne.

With chocolate.

By adding chocolate,

our chilli's being raised from the average Joe to a culinary superstar.

Unusual food combinations like this really are worth giving a go.

All it takes is that special pairing of flavours and a leap of faith,

and there are plenty out there like...

apple pie with cheese...

strawberries in balsamic vinegar...

Even vindaloo ice cream.

The starting point is like an ordinary chilli, with chopped onions and celery.

But here's a difference...

We're using two different types of beef -

500g of diced beefsteak and 500g of mince -

which give the chilli a more luxurious texture.

Into a hot pan goes the beef.

Brown that off, nice colour, take it out, set it aside.

Do the same with the mince.

The more expensive steak provides an upmarket bite

with a much cheaper mince making up the volume in the pan.

Any fat in the mince just adds to the flavour.

We're cooking enough for about eight portions,

so you can freeze the rest and have an impressive dinner on hand

whenever a friend pops round unexpectedly.

Chocolate, as one of the primary ingredients in the humble chilli, elevates it to gourmet status.

Get it wrong, you've got mud.

Get it right, you've got a culinary treasure.

You have a fiesta on your tongue.

And we are talking dark, bitter chocolate.

You know, the kind of 80% cocoa solid stuff.

-You know, it's not like a melted Easter egg chucked in for a laugh.

-No.

Once the beefsteak and the mince are nicely browned,

take them out of the pan.

And I'm going to sweat down me red onions,

me white onions and me celery in the beef juices.

I might need to put a bit more oil in there.

Certainly need to turn that down, cos, after all, we're not making burger van onions.

And just give them a stir so all of those beef juices in the oil

coats that lovely celery, onion mix. There we are.

This chilli might be gourmet but it's still cheap as chips to make.

These are generous portions and this is coming in about two quid a head.

-You canna whack that, can you?

-Even with the chocolate.

Right, they're going down. I've just got a couple of minutes to go on those.

I'd better go and get the rest of the ingredients.

Here you are, Kingy! Hewn from the font of flavour.

-Oohh!

-Ohhh!

Right, the time has come to start building up the flavours.

Take one dried chipotle chilli...

Come here, come here. Have a smell of that.

I know it looks like something found in some dead person's sock,

but it's full of flavour and has got a slightly smoky thing. Lovely.

It does look like a Christian relic, doesn't it?

You see there, encased in crystal,

in a cathedral in some suburb of France.

St Peter's left foot!

-Hi-ho, obedience! Right...

-There you go.

We'll just liven up that left foot with a tablespoon of chilli flakes.

To really spice things up, add half a tablespoon of chilli powder,

two teaspoons of oregano and two tins of chopped tomatoes.

Now, top tip when you're cooking with tomatoes in anything,

use a wooden spoon.

You know sometimes when you get that metallic taste

when you're cooking with tomatoes and you've used a metal spoon?

There is a chemical reaction between the acidity in the tomatoes

and the spoon, you see, and it goes all...phew!

Next, add half a litre of beef stock to bring out all the flavours.

That chipotle chilli now is going to go...

-MEXICAN ACCENT:

-"Oh, I am relaxing in that bath full of broth.

"I will swell up and give my lovely smoky chilli flavour out.

"Ooh!"

Mrs Miggins, come and have a look at that!

Look, it's got more lustre on it than your reproduction furniture.

Look at that!

'Now add the beans. We're using a 400g tin of kidney beans

'but adding the same amount of black-eyed peas too, to mix it up a bit,

'and three tablespoons of light brown sugar - it's a killer combo.'

Honestly, it all works because the tomatoes can be quite sour,

the sugar livens it up and the chocolate is bitter.

It'll all come right in the end. Uno!

Dos!

Three!

What I'm going to do is put the lovely beef, chunked, in.

Oh, that beef's saying, "I am in that Jacuzzi of flavour.

"Now I will give my all."

And then, you see, look, textual differences going on.

-You get a bit of chew, a bit of melt, the lot. Lovely.

-Mmm!

Just make sure that you turn the meat all the way through

so it's evenly distributed through the dish.

I love this recipe - all the colours of a Mexican market.

Now, whack the lid on your pan

and stick it in the oven at 140 degrees for two to three hours.

# Chilli con carne... #

Slow cooking like this tenderises the meat

and intensifies all of those flavours.

Ahhh!

-Look at that! Look at that chilli!

-It's just pure flavour.

The thing is, though, that, to me, it's like a bride without a veil.

-It's like Fred without Astaire.

-A ladder without rungs.

-And do you know what's missing? Chocolate.

-Chocolate.

After a great deal of experimentation, we have found

the optimum measurement of chocolate for a pan of this size is 75g.

Half a big bar of very bitter, dark chocolate

and just break it into chunks and watch it melt.

It's melting. Oh, yeah!

Oh, you can smell it as well!

-Beautiful, isn't it?

-Yes.

Now, look what it's done, though. Look at the sheen that's on it.

Have a look - it's just gone... All the colours have gone really deep.

-Now, we need a few garnishes, don't we?

-Yes.

Some spring onions, some salad cream and some coriander.

These extra flavours will make it feel even more decadent.

Throw in some salt and freshly ground pepper

and you've got a gourmet chopped chilli of epic proportions.

There's a lot there.

-There's a lot of portions there.

-It is.

-Oh, hey, that is lovely.

-That is so good.

What's great is those chunks of beef are one thing,

and then the mince...

just gi...

gives a savoury note for the...

I know this is meant to be dinner for two,

but this one, I'm not sharing.

Chocolate and chilli?

Not a match you'd think was made in heaven,

but these two are perfect gourmet partners.

It's definitely delicious and traditional,

but Alison and Gerald love Italian food

and I think that's where we need to focus.

So, after some debate,

we've come up with a starter that's proper Italian.

But on this show, ordinary food isn't good enough. Oh, no!

It's got to be a cut above.

For the starter we're going to bake figs stuffed with a dreamy

Dolcelatte cheese wrapped up in Parma ham.

The sweet taste of the figs is offset by the strong cheese

and lifted up by the ham's salty tang.

With our fig starter in mind, we'd better get cracking

on the ingredients and spend our money wisely.

As we're going to be cooking Italian, where better to go

shopping than an Italian deli staffed by an Italian family?

-It's like a palace of creativity.

-Oh, it's wonderful.

Places like this stock a better range of ingredients,

with several types of Gorgonzola and three kinds of Parma ham.

They're about getting the right ingredient for the right job.

-Got the list.

-Oh, nice one, dude!

We're looking for a particular type of Parma ham -

-you seem to have several.

-We do, there's quite a few.

You're going to be, what, cooking with it, wrapping with it, eating it?

-We're going to wrap and roast.

-Can we have some prosciutto, please?

-Good morning.

-Good morning.

This is what I call shopping! Try before you buy.

At least have one each.

This prosciutto is two-thirds of the price of the Parma ham

we had in mind, but it does the job and it's just as tasty.

Quids in! Back of the net.

This is aged for 18 months. It does all the same things, but the pigs aren't reared in Parma,

-so they can't call it Parma ham or they can't call it San Daniele.

-It's prosciutto?

Hence the difference in the price. If you're cooking with it, it's perfect, it's exactly what you want.

-Look at that!

-With a smile as well!

THEY LAUGH AND CHEER

We want to wrap the figs in the ham, bake the figs,

and we want to melt some blue cheese.

We thought a Dolcelatte or something on the top?

We have Dolcelatte, but you can't buy Dolcelatte in Italy,

so the real stuff is Gorgonzola.

If you're melting it, you want something a bit creamier

and a bit of flavour behind it.

With expensive ingredients,

you want to buy the correct amount you need for your recipe.

That's beautiful, absolutely beautiful.

There are specialist delis and wholesalers like this

dotted all around the country.

It's sometimes worth paying a bit more for special ingredients,

as they can really transform your dish.

And it's not just about flavour, but how you present it.

Think of low-cost Italian food and you think pasta.

But, if you're not careful,

pasta can be as dull as a dodo's family reunion.

For an anniversary dinner for two,

we're not talking spag bol plonked out on a plate.

Oh, no. We need to find something much more gourmet.

The job of pasta is to play host to the flavours you add in.

It's really there to give you texture

and a platform for all those different tastes.

And here's a great tip for presentation.

Twisting the linguine around a carving fork not only makes it look

really stylish, but spreads all the beautiful flavours

through it evenly.

Pasta might be a familiar favourite when times are hard,

but with the right handling, it can also be the height of gourmet.

# London calling to the faraway towns

# Now war is declared and battle come down... #

I think linguine is a good start for Paula's main course,

but we need to come up with some cheap

and splendiferous flavours to snuggle up next to it.

A great place to stare in love and admiration

at perfectly cooked low-cost food is on the set menus of top restaurants.

-And there we go, boys.

-Hey!

-Absolutely fantastic.

'And what better way to get some inspiration for our main course

'than borrowing the set menu secrets of a Michelin-starred chef!'

'We've come to the big smoke to see a chef

'who is a magician in the kitchen.'

I have come here to experience what perhaps is the most romantic,

wonderful dinner for two in the world.

It is at the two Michelin star L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon.

But there is only one snag - him!

Don't spoil it for me. It's not...not right.

Olivier Limousin has been cheffing for 20 years

and came here seven years ago to dazzle punters

with exquisite food and artistry on a plate.

His dishes are basically as good as it gets - the show-off!

Olivier's restaurant is like the Tate Modern of food -

all intricate shapes and terms you don't understand,

but with world-class art on display.

If we're going to learn how to make things look good,

it may as well be from the best.

If you want to make something for your love,

you have to create something special.

One of the jewels in Olivier's crown

is his set menu flattened chicken breast,

that begins with sliced artichoke and cherry tomatoes.

I noticed you've left the stalks on the tomatoes?

Yes, because it will be beautiful on the plate.

There's more elegance with the tomato like this.

-It's very elegant.

-It's beautiful.

'The ingredients could hardly be simpler or cheaper.'

I think you're a genius.

Yeah, we love you - you're great.

Just a little colour on those artichokes. Just enough, isn't it?

And you can keep it on the first pan. It will stay...finish to cook.

Flattening your chicken breast will make it go a lot further,

and it's something you can ask your butcher to do.

-Why did the chicken cross the road?

-Don't know.

-To see his flat mate!

FAKE LAUGHTER

Is it just me?

After a quick bit of seasoning, this chicken's ready to fry.

The beauty of it being so thin is it barely takes any time to cook.

Oh, man!

See, the colour's perfect.

And it's only been in there a few minutes,

so you know the inside's going to be juicy.

Even the way he flicks his spoon, I mean it's got style and finesse.

It has, it has.

You know, I love the way the chicken is echoing the shape of the plate.

'And that's no coincidence.

'For Olivier, it's a simple recipe where presentation's the key.'

Is it true you never put even numbers on a plate of food?

-No, never.

-Never.

Yeah - one, three, five, seven, nine's good.

-Two, four, six, eight - bad.

-No.

The way the artichoke is nonchalantly leaning

against the tomato... That's not food, that's art.

And I will put some tomato confit and lemon confit.

'Look at that, tweezers!

'Olivier delicately places more of those Parmesan shavings,

'and then the whole lot's topped off

'with some baby gem lettuce leaves in a fresh dressing.'

'The skill of a Michelin-starred chef doesn't come cheap,

'but you can create great dishes at home

'using the same sort of food for a fraction of the price.'

Do you know, it's the most wonderful plate of food.

You know, the application of those ingredients on that plate,

with the love, care, skill and dexterity that Olivier possesses

has made what are simple ingredients

-into the most exquisite plate of food.

-Yeah.

And Olivier's cooking has got us thinking.

Different cuts of chicken

offer all kinds of options for texture and taste.

It's versatile and low cost.

It also goes brilliantly with tomatoes,

which is a classic Italian combo with pasta.

So after racking our brains to give Alison and Gerald

a real gourmet Italian experience,

we're going to create a main course pasta dish of chicken puttanesca.

Our puttanesca is based on an authentic Italian recipe

which combines tomatoes, basil, anchovies and capers.

The big question is, how do we do it on a budget?

I'm feeling pretty chilled out about it, but somebody else isn't.

You see, what I've been thinking is, it's the cost.

It's like chicken, you know, it's the thighs, as opposed to the breast.

It's not saying we shouldn't buy the breast,

it's just that there might be something in the thighs that's going to be a better option.

-Dave?

-Yes?

I'm in the bath!

I tell you what, though, the economic situation in the country

is not going to stop just because you're having a scrub and a soap.

Anyway, but then, you see,

what we've got to rationalise ourselves in is using

what money we have to get the best possible resources...

DAVE FADES AWAY

So, we know what we want to cook, but can we really get away

with using a cheaper cut of meat to cook a gourmet dinner?

I think we need a second opinion.

To choose key ingredients without breaking the bank,

it's always worth talking to the experts.

-Hello, Roy.

-Hello, Hairy Bikers.

'Take cuts of meat - the best way to find out what you really need

'is to talk to a butcher.'

We need to pick your brains, really. We need some meat.

We think we're going to go for chicken,

but what we're trying to impress with people,

people go to the supermarkets and they buy the chicken supremes,

but if you're doing something, maybe with a sauce,

the thigh's juicier, isn't it?

-Unusually, they're tastier than the other cuts.

-Yes.

But people don't realise that.

It can be up to £6 per kilo cheaper to buy chicken thighs than fillets.

And, in our puttanesca recipe,

they're actually going to give us a better flavour as well.

-Thank you very much.

-Brilliant.

-Thanks, Roy.

-Cheers, Roy. Thank you.

Well, that just leaves dessert.

So, we're going to experiment with a real corker of a recipe,

but adding a little gourmet twist for Paula's parents.

Now, you might think that

making gourmet desserts is all complicated,

like a kind of pudding origami.

But our next recipe is simplicity itself.

We're making a dish that uses simple ingredients for cracking flavours.

It's one of those special desserts,

it's like you put it down and she goes, "Oh?"

And he goes, "Oooh!"

It's a poached pear in a cardamom, cinnamon and chilli syrup with...

..a salt caramel.

You can make this sensational poached pear dessert

for about £1.90 per portion.

Now, how's that for value?

The beauty of this delicious dessert is that you can

poach your pears a day or two in advance.

Doing it this way gives you more time to savour with your guest.

-Righto, chieftain, let's poach pears!

-There you are, tea towel.

-It's obligatory.

-Shall we get the liquor on?

Yeah, let's do that and then we'll peel our pears.

The basis for these poached pears is pear cider.

Pear cider is often thought of as being a bit trendy now,

but it's been around in Britain an awful long time - perry -

-it's as old as, well, apple cider.

-Yeah, it's true.

-You're partial to pear cider, aren't you?

-It does make us giggle!

It sends him stupid!

For this, we need a bottle-and-a-half of pear cider.

We start with that, put the sugar in and make a pear cider syrup.

Get in!

Boiling alcohol and sugar is the basis of many a good syrup,

but with those flavours from the perry,

this one's a bit extra special.

We have dinner for two, let's get hot - some ginger.

'You'll need to chop up a 2.5cm piece and add it to the pan.'

In this country we've been using ingredients like ginger,

cardamom, chilli and other spices for donkey's years to liven up

what could otherwise be just relatively ordinary foods.

To that, put in a chilli.

If you don't want it hot, don't pierce the chilli.

If you want it to be spicy, a little slash down the side.

Cloves, cinnamon and cardamom pods work particularly well together,

giving an exotic, luxury flavour.

It's a great opportunity to break out

all those spices from the cupboard that you never really use.

Now, the pears. You don't just chuck them in.

You peel them and leave the stalk intact.

It's lovely - you can pick it up and just gnaw it. Peel them carefully.

-Be gentle.

-Love your pear.

And by peeling the pears, it allows

all those exotic gourmet spices to be absorbed into the flesh.

So every mouthful tastes as good as the next.

There you are - look at that little beauty.

You just pop that in your syrup.

Pop!

Pop the rest of the pears in the syrup and bring to the boil.

We're cooking four.

That's two for your dessert

and two for you to have all to yourself the following day.

-Right, is that boiling, Kingy?

-Yes, mate, it is.

-Great.

Turn this down to a gentle simmer.

Poaching isn't boiling.

Poaching is just at that point of a gentle simmer

and it's very relaxing,

and it kind of lulls it into this false sense of security and comfort

in that bath of sweet spice.

There's one more tasty spice to add to the syrup, and that's vanilla.

We're using seeds freshly scraped from the pods,

rather than vanilla extract.

They not only provide a subtle hint of flavour

but add a touch of class as to how the dish looks too.

If you want gourmet, fresh ingredients are always best.

Because of the way they're produced,

vanilla pods are expensive, at around £1.70 each.

But with all that flavour, they are definitely worth splashing out on.

Just take the point of your knife and run it down the vanilla pod.

Scrape out all the seeds - that wonderful, wonderful black gold.

-Oh, look at that.

-I know...

It's so satisfying when you do that, isn't it? It's lovely.

Just look at that, it's like spice caviar.

And for good measure, just put in the pod.

-Cartouche.

-Cartouche touche.

-Yes!

'That's a fancy French word.

'In cooking terms, though, it means a bit of circular greaseproof paper

'a bit larger than your pan that you place over your pears.

'It keeps the moisture in the pan and it intensifies the taste.

'Leave the pears to cook for about 35 to 45 minutes,

'or until they're tender.'

The cartouche has wilted.

Oh, look at them, they're all golden.

And that syrup, it's gift from the gods!

It's spicy, it's sweet, it's savoury...

Oh, yeah, all those flavours have properly infused

and they smell fantastic.

I think we should get those pears out and put them really safe before we make the caramel.

On its way...

Part of everyday gourmet is taking what could be

relatively ordinary food

and giving it that special attention that it really deserves.

How lovely.

-Quite beautiful, aren't they?

-Absolutely gorgeous.

-That's only the beginning.

-Oh!

Don't worry, that spicy syrup is not going to waste.

It's the cornerstone of your salted-caramel sauce.

You could make brilliant martinis with that, couldn't you?

-It smells fantastic.

-Use it like the ultimate golden syrup.

Pour the syrup through a sieve but keep the chilli

and vanilla pod to one side. You'll be needing those later.

You want about 200ml of this reserved syrup.

That's not muck and dust, you know, that's vanilla.

That'll be enough.

-I think so.

-We have to boil that and reduce it by volume by half.

That's it.

Turn down to a simmer... add some cream

and let that simmer away for a further two minutes.

It's whipping cream and you'll need to add about 300ml.

It's tasty, it's spicy, it's really rather racy...

-Two minutes on the bubble.

-Oh, yes.

When the spicy-caramel sauce has simmered down,

what we add next might be a bit of a shock. Are you ready?

A teaspoon of sea salt!

This accentuates the caramel and offsets the fruity flavour of

the pear, and it's really quite in vogue at the moment, don't you know?

Oh, yeah...

Remember, there's chilli, cardamom, ginger,

all manner of good things in there.

Isn't that bonnie?

It's just the simplicity, it's perfect,

-it's really rather Japanese.

-Yeah!

-It is, isn't it? It's a bonsai.

-Shall we?

-Yes.

Oh, hey...

The poached pear has taken on all of those flavours in that syrup

-that we made. Absolutely superb.

-Oh,

the pear is succulent...

-Very, very good.

-I think that's a result, dude.

Simple ingredients, cooked simply for world-class flavour.

All for around £1.90 per portion. What a bargain!

# Run around town like a fool

# And you think that it's groovy... #

I think we've got the hang of this dinners-for-two lark now, mate.

At the end of the day, Kingy, it's no good settling for average grub.

You need quality ingredients to make that recipe shine.

That's right, and it's about creating something easy on the eye.

It'll make your dinner companion feel a bit special.

But most of all, it's simple care and attention to detail that

will really bring out the restaurant quality in your food.

# Oh, and I look to the shape of my heart... #

Now to get gourmet, mate... Hairy Biker stylee.

Back in High Wycombe,

we borrowed a corner of the kitchen at the Monkey Island Hotel, to get

cracking on a romantic anniversary dinner for Paula's parents.

All hands on deck, it's three o'clock,

-your parents are turning up at 4pm.

-Yep.

'They're making their way here by boat.

'With all the cameras, her parents know something's up,

'but they don't know they're in for a gourmet treat with us.'

All I hope is that they don't think it's all a big surprise that

-they've won the lottery. Do they do the lottery?

-Yes.

-Oh, no.

They're going to be disillusioned.

They're going to be waiting for Dale Winton with a cheque

and it'll be us with a plate of food.

I bet they'll give you a thick ear when they get you home!

'By now, they should be safely on the boat, drinking their first'

bit of fizz, as they go up the Thames River they love so much.

Yeah, I think that will calm them down a little bit, if they're nervous.

For when they arrive, we've set up a lovely table for two

overlooking a beautiful part of the River Thames.

For starters, we'll be making luscious figs stuffed with

creamy Gorgonzola and baked in tasty prosciutto.

All served up with rocket, drizzled in balsamic reduction,

costing around £1.50 per portion.

This is a fantastic dinner-party recipe,

because it's so posh, yet it's easy.

'Simply put a cross shape into the top half of each fig

'and wrap it in prosciutto.

'Then open it up slightly and add a chunk of Gorgonzola.'

And what we'll do is, when they arrive...

They'll take between eight and ten minutes for the ham to crisp up,

for the figs to go soft and unctuous.

Is this really on my budget? This looks really expensive.

-It's about £1.50 per head.

-Really?

-Per head, yeah. For two of these.

Better start making these at home, then.

Everyone will think it's really posh!

Helping her stay on budget means Paula can treat her friends and family in the future.

For the main course, we've got chicken puttanesca, with roasted

tomatoes on a bed of linguine, all for around £3.40 per portion.

Bellissimo!

So, are they chicken thighs?

Yes, chicken thighs are cheaper, but because we are going to roast

them in a sauce, the chicken thighs are going to give us more flavour.

I think they kind of roast down better than chicken breasts.

I love my chicken supremes

if they're grilled or barbecued or indeed poached, but roasted

like this with big flavours, chicken thighs stand up to it better.

Tying up the chicken into parcels stops the thin meat

from drying out while it cooks.

The puttanesca sauce is easy to do,

but first you've got to brown off the meat.

And we're going to recycle all the flavours, so all the juices

that come out of that, that's what we're going to make the sauce in.

We're going to take those out, set them aside,

and all those lovely flavours and the caramelisation

stuck on the bottom of the pan is just going to infuse the sauce.

-Lovely.

-Fabulous.

'Once the chicken is nicely browned on both sides,

'put aside on a baking tray.

'Saute some onions and garlic in the chicken juices.

'And here's the real secret. We add chopped anchovies and capers.

'Then we throw in a chopped dried chilli and a can of cherry tomatoes.'

Just lovely. What we're going to do now is pour that over the chicken,

splash of olive oil, cook it for 25 minutes in the oven,

180 degrees Celsius, and then we remove the chicken,

cut all the string off, and then we finish the sauce with...

-With some capers, some basil and some olives.

-Sounds lovely.

Oh, look at that.

-Right, oven.

-Oven.

-Do we know where it is in this kitchen?

-Over here, mate.

'So that's the three rather posh courses done,

'with three bottles of wine, for under 40 quid.'

'Proof of the pudding, though, mate.'

-Did you have a nice trip?

-Lovely, thank you!

-Nice drink?

Very nice!

I was ready for it!

THEY LAUGH

Stand there, and I just want you to look over at that gate over there

in the hedge. There's a little surprise.

I've had a little bit of help today.

Some of my friends have come to assist, just to thank you.

Hello, Gerald. Hello, Alison.

SURPRISED LAUGHTER

-How are you doing?

-Better for seeing you.

-It's great to see YOU!

-Hello, Alison.

-I'm going to cry!

CHATTER

We got together with Paula

-and we decided to give you a right old treat.

-Because you deserve it.

-Yeah.

-Thank you!

We've heard some wonderful things about you, and she's very,

-very, very proud of you.

-I can't take all this.

We've cooked you a meal in what we think will be the most beautiful, romantic setting.

And then what we're going to do, your daughter here is just going to ply you with drink.

-Sounds good to me!

-Should we show you to your table?

-Thank you.

Madame...

We could do it, as well!

So how long is it since you've been out for a slap-up meal?

-Oh, God, long time!

-SHE LAUGHS

We've only got one menu, cos my felt-tip ran out.

THEY LAUGH

'Anyway, you know what they say, Kingy - two's company, and all that.'

'Ah, married for 40 years, how fantastic.'

-POSH ACCENTS:

-After you, Alfonso.

-Thank you, Alfredo. For madame...

And this is the roasted figs wrapped in Parma ham with Gorgonzola

-and a balsamic reduction.

-And a little glass of Bordeaux.

I think that's going to go down quite well at home, that recipe.

-Enjoy your starters.

-Thank you very much.

-Bon appetit.

-OK, thank you.

-Is it nice?

-Yes. Very nice.

-Is it?

-Mmm.

I think we've done them proud.

We've even roasted off some extra tomatoes

to go on top of the puttanesca.

That looks absolutely fantastic. I wish it was dinner for three now!

'It's a delicate thing, this gourmet food.

'Inspired by Olivier, we're adding little details

'like finely shaved Parmesan, and keeping the stalks in our roasted tomatoes.'

So, Paula, what does it mean to you to see your mum and dad

being treated like this, being spoilt and having a good time?

It means a great deal. They don't get spoiled by anybody.

You can tell by their faces, they didn't imagine in their whole

lifetime they would be able to be part of something like this.

I think they are having an absolutely fantastic time and lovely food,

so thank you.

-Right, we've got work to do, you.

-We have.

-Come on.

All that's left is to bring out our spicy-pear dessert,

and we've decided to make a more romantic chocolate sauce to go with it.

It's a steal at around £4.80 for two.

There you are. Some spiced poached pear and a chocolate...

Oh, some lavender, you were talking about that the other day.

-I love puddings!

-Have another drop of wine, Gerald.

-You're on your holidays.

-Oh, OK!

Shall we go and have a cup of tea?

Yes!

Enjoy.

'Whilst they're busy tucking into a romantic dinner,

'it's time for the guest of honour, little Dylan.'

Oohhh!

Hello!

Yes!

-What have you been doing?

-Oh! That's a big step!

'It's like a metaphor for marriage, isn't it, Dave?

'Kids come along, bless them, and all the romance goes right out the window.'

What did you think of the meal?

When can we get it again?!

Just, yeah... Completely unbelievable. Thank you.

Me and Dylan just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you for the last 18 months, everything you've done.

-Well, you're through it now, aren't you?

-Thank you.

It's been a tough few months, but thank you so much.

-I think a Hairy sandwich is in order, dude.

-THEY LAUGH

-Well done, Paula.

-Thank you so much.

-Well done, Paula.

-Thanks very much.

-You're welcome, Gerald.

-Thank you.

Right, Alison, I'm coming round for a snog!

-Best of luck for the future.

-Thank you.

Dinners for two are a thing of intimacy

and about creating food that shows you care about your loved ones.

I think today proves food doesn't have to be expensive to be gourmet.

And Gerald and Alison certainly didn't feel like they were

eating cheap ingredients.

And we were under budget, too.

We spent a total of £33 to cook a three-course gourmet meal with

matching wine, but it's the attention to detail that

really made the difference, and I think Paula's pleased as punch.

It just shows that with a bit of flair and a bit of wizardry,

you can make the everyday into something truly gourmet.

Job well done, Kingy.

'Next time, it's all about indulgent entertaining,

'showing you how to make everyday ingredients go further...'

Look at that! That's enough to cover any platter.

'We are put to work by one of the UK's top chefs...'

-Done, Chef.

-Done? Excellent.

Oooh, "Done, Chef"!

All he's done is rip the heads off a few prawns,

I've got a seven-stage process here.

'..and using our gastronomic skills to help a lifeboat volunteer

'say thank you to his crew.'

Go on, then, tuck in!

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