Luxury Lunches Hairy Bikers Everyday Gourmets

Gourmet food -

a feast for the eyes and the appetite.

Mouth-watering recipes...

The sort of thing you find in the very best restaurants across the country.

But these ones are dirt cheap! And guess what?

They're made by us!

The Hairy Bikers are 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.

Tell us that that's not a belter.

Lunch is often the most overlooked meal of the day.

In today's programme, we'll show you how to make your lunchtime truly gastronomic.

-That's a luxury lunch.

-Oh, yes!

We discover where to find great-value ingredients...

It's the world's biggest pick-and-mix!

..and when it's worth spending that extra cash...

The Moby Dick of the salmon world! Look at that!

And we're going to spring the ultimate surprise on a very deserving dinner lady...

-You'll be wanting a bit of help, won't you?

-Yes, I will!

..whose dedication to feeding old folk on a budget

is second to none.

So join us on our quest

to show how you can create dishes of exceptional flavour

for next to nothing -

the art of making every day gourmet.

Ah, lunch... It's the culinary wonder that breaks up the day.

A lunch made with love is one of life's greatest gifts.

And we passionately believe

that great food worthy of this - the greatest of meals -

doesn't need to cost you an arm and a leg.

What makes gourmet food 'gourmet'?

It isn't the price or a fancy name,

but quality ingredients, mindful cooking and a little bit of visual flair.

In our first recipe, we're creating a Hairy homage

to a quintessential lunchtime classic...

The pork pie. Embellished with prunes and apricots

and served with cider and sage jelly!

Mate, you had me at pork pie.

Lunch is up!

You can't talk about lunch, in our opinion,

without entering into the subject of pies.

-We want a posh pie, don't we?

-We do, mate,

a pie to grace any gourmet table.

We've got some diced shoulder. OK?

We've got some minced belly pork.

And we've got... Now, this is collar.

It's been cured, so it's like bacon. We're going to dice that, as well.

'These are among the cheapest cuts,

'which are great to use on their own but even better in your pie,

'where they'll make the finished slice look and taste amazing.'

Do you know what? There's a pie in everybody

and sometimes, I think of us two as the midwife.

To make the pastry, a good old-fashioned hot water crust.

I've got some flour which I'm going to sieve.

I've got crushed black pepper here. I want it finer.

I'm going to give it a good bashing. We'll say half a teaspoon.

I'm putting more in because I like pepper!

The recipe police aren't going to get me, you know!

Now, black pepper goes into that flour

and it begins to look speckly and kind of artisan.

'Rub 50 grams of cold butter and 50 grams of lard into the flour

'until it resembles breadcrumbs.'

'The difference between a bog-standard and our gourmet pie

'is that ours is going to be packed with surprising flavours and textures.'

'The trick is to find ingredients that give that extra dimension but cost mere pennies.'

While Dave's massaging his pastry,

I'm going to chop a leek and we'll put that with the meat.

A teaspoon of each.

Now, take about 16 apricots. These are the ready-to-eat ones.

The thing is, with a pork pie, you need plenty of pepper.

-I think pepper's the secret. I put loads of pepper in the pastry.

-Brilliant.

'Pepper gives the pie a gentle heat, as does ginger,

allspice and nutmeg.' Allspice...

'Into a pan, put two teaspoons of sea salt,

'150ml of hot water

'and 100 grams of lard.'

Hot-water pastry's brilliant. It's kind of like baker's putty.

It's kind of firm, yet it's crumbly. It's yummy, sticky, greasy.

It's brilliant!

Now, in this pan, I have what looks like Beelzebub's brew,

the boiling lard water, which is hot, hot-water pastry.

We mix that with the fat, the flour and the pepper.

Oh, yes!

And mix it with a fork because it is hot.

While Dave's doing that, I'm going to finish this mix off.

A hen's egg in there. And with your hands, get stuck in

because we're going to make sure

that the mix is all even all the way through.

Ah, the smell! Come and have a sniff of this, mate.

Absolutely gorgeous.

-Ooh, yes.

-It smells like a pork pie already.

Ohh! Let's get painful!

Hahhh!

Bit of a kneading.

And that...

..is hot-water pastry.

'Its high-fat content bakes it to a rich golden brown

'and gives it that crumbling melt-in-the-mouth texture.'

Just cover that in a piece of Clingfilm

and leave it for half an hour at room temperature.

-Do not put this in a fridge.

-'Go on, mate, tell them again.'

Do not put it in the fridge.

If you put it in the fridge for half an hour, it'll be like trying to roll out a scone.

It'll just go really flaky and horrible.

-I reckon, Kingy, the pastry's resting...

-Yes.

..now is the time to make the cider and sage jelly.

I agree wholeheartedly.

-Pan...

-First thing, make a syrup.

The syrup is made, funnily enough, out of water and sugar.

'Place six leaves of gelatine into a bowl

'and cover with cold water to soften.'

It's ready when it looks like a deconstructed squid.

'Once the sugar syrup has come to the boil,

'remove from the heat and leave to stand for five minutes.'

That goes in the cooled-down syrup.

-Cider.

-Cider.

-About 300 mil of it.

-Yep.

And pour it down the side of the pan.

Make sure it's the sparkling cider, because you want those lovely bubbles.

Beautiful colour, isn't it?

-It's still warm!

-Is it?

-Lovely.

-Would you like to flatten the prunes?

-Ooh!

We want a loose-sided tin. It'll become apparent why later.

Rub it with butter. Loads! A really good smurfing of butter.

We take off a third of the pastry

and reserve that third for the lid.

Just take your time. Don't panic.

If there's any holes, patch them. Honestly, it'll be cool.

You want quite a substantial piece of pastry.

'Spoon half the porky mixture into the pastry case

'and pack it down.'

You want to try and avoid any airholes.

We want prunes in every bite.

-Lovely.

-Mm.

This is value-for-money pie. We're not having to fill it up with jelly.

That's our well-packed pie.

-I'll pass it over to Dave for the lid.

-Hee-hee!

Marvellous.

-I always think this makes the pie look like something out of a nursery rhyme!

-It's lush.

We need quite a substantial airhole in the top because that filling is going to cook.

We've got raw meat in there. It'll cook for an hour and a half.

Look at that, man. That's perfect.

'Give the pie a good eggy going-over.

'This creates that wonderful golden glaze.'

There you go. On tray!

160 degrees Celsius for an hour and a half. Thank you.

'Now, a pork pie must have jelly,

'and serving it separately accentuates the contrasting flavours

'and elevates the pie to gastronomic heights.'

When the sage with the cider get together,

it's really quite stringent.

You've got sweetness in the fruit in the prunes and apricot,

put it all together - it's magic.

I want to break this up with a fork. What this does is, it makes it looks like crystals.

Wrap it up with Clingfilm, like so, so it's nice and smooth on the top.

'Now the jelly goes into the fridge and the pie comes out the oven.'

We need to unleash this from its corset of steel.

Let that drop. Look at that.

'Glaze the sides of the pie with the remainder of the egg.'

It's funny, pies have personality, don't they?

-I wonder what this one would be called.

-Arthur.

-It is a man, isn't it, this pie?

-It is.

Arthur.

Put Arthur back in the oven, 160 degrees Celsius,

for a further 15 minutes

to give the sides chance to glaze and crisp up.

'The three cheap cuts of pork we've used in Arthur

'are a delicious combination of piggy gorgifousness.'

'Until recently, dishes made with great-value cuts of meat had fallen out of favour.'

'But with their appearance on many a gastropub menu,

'and even top-notch restaurants giving them a go,

'it's time to rediscover those once unfashionable cuts.'

'Take the belly pork in our pie -

'cooked right, it can be the perfect prudent Sunday-lunch joint

'and a lot lower than the cost of a leg.'

'For the really adventurous among you, why not try trotters?

'They don't immediately say "Eat me!"

'but are super cheap and yummy used in a stew or a terrine.'

'Or you could go the whole hog

'and try the current craze of the fine-dining world - pig's cheeks,

'mouth-watering when cooked slowly for four hours or more.'

'But right now, it's all about Arthur.'

Ah, hey, that crust is just perfect!

This is a great pie for a picnic. Good hand-held.

Ah, yes! I can't wait to see what the strata of Arthur's like.

-Yes!

-Ohh...!

It's like pig Viennetta, isn't it?

Perfect.

That, including the jelly, is 60p.

-Howeh, man.

-You can't get a sandwich for that!

You can just about afford a packet of crisps!

It'll cost you about six quid to make.

If somebody brought me that, unless I was a vegetarian, I'd be thrilled.

-Arthur, just lay down, it won't hurt.

-No, it won't.

Got to have some of that jelly with the pork and everything else!

That jelly's epic.

It gives me great pleasure to confirm that this does taste as good as it looks,

especially for lunch.

'Our pie will easily feed a family

'and still leave enough for a packed lunch the next day.'

And it's proof that food doesn't need to be expensive or exotic to be gourmet.

It's all about taking simple ingredients and letting them shine.

'Yes, we're going to show you that it is possible to produce a three-course luxury lunch,

'using everyday ingredients, on a budget.'

'In our humble opinion, there's no better way to treat someone you love than with a good meal.'

'And we want to give a little back to those people who work hard for their community,

'and we're doing it through the medium of food.'

'Our culinary excursion begins in Settle, North Yorkshire.'

'We've been contacted by Charlotte and Steve O'Brien

'who want to say thank you to their mother and wife Ruth

'for her tireless work, cooking for the local old folk.'

On Fridays, she'll quite often leave home between eight and eight thirty.

She has a little trolley she loads up in the garage and then trundles it down the road.

From about half 11 midday-ish,

it's time to start serving the meals.

'Providing old folk with a decent hot meal is an issue close to our hearts,

'and for the last seven years Ruth's been doing just that

'at the Friday Lunch Club.'

She puts a lot of time and effort into Lunch Club, more than she's actually paid for.

She only gets paid for the four or five hours she's down there,

but there's all the extra work.

'We Bikers agree that Ruth deserves

'a bit of recognition for the work she does,

'and want to surprise her with a luxury lunch all of her own.'

'She has no idea she'll be the lucky recipient of a slap-up meal made by yours truly

'and thinks she's taking part in a video about the Lunch Club.'

To be honest, I couldn't do a job I didn't love doing.

It's the satisfaction that you're making a difference to people's lives.

Cheese on the table with Jean Draper!

'The lunch Ruth cooks really does make a difference.

'For some, this may be their only hot meal of the week.'

'But they don't just come here for the food.'

Beautiful!

We all get together once a week, and it's wonderful. We have a lovely time.

Lovely meal.

This is all I've got to come to. I don't get anywhere.

So, you know, without this,

I wouldn't have anything.

Ruth is an absolute treasure.

She should get a medal.

'Ruth's meagre budget allows her just £1 per head.

'Her quest to provide good food on a pittance

'means she has little time to herself.'

She does put a lot more into it

than just peeling spuds and serving it on a plate.

She's a very selfless person.

Anything out of the ordinary like this, as a treat for her, will be so special.

She's always doing something for somebody else,

so it'll be nice for somebody to do something for her for a change.

'And that's where we come in.'

From what we can gather and what we're gleaning,

Ruth doesn't tend to treat herself very often, does she?

She never really pampers herself.

She tends to prioritise other people over and above herself,

-making sure that they're all right.

-So she's a pretty selfless person.

-That's a lovely thing.

-People like that deserve a treat.

'And if we're going to knock her socks off with a special lunch,

'we need to discover more about the food she loves.'

We're quite into spicy foreign food at the moment.

We like Indian, don't we? We've been on holiday to India and Nepal,

and it's something that she's brought back with her,

the use of spices, fresh spices,

not out of a packet or dried or in a jar. Fresh spices.

It's too obvious, I think, to cook a curry,

-a straightforward curry, isn't it?

-Mm.

-Spicy shepherd's pie!

-Yes.

But if we can make it really special...

You're making me hungry now!

And the key is about presentation, as well.

For guys like you to come along, lend a hand as a big surprise,

it will go down amazingly well.

'First, we're turning our culinary thoughts

'to Ruth's starter.'

Well, we've got the mains, that delicious spicy shepherd's pie.

I'm really happy with that.

It's a classic example of taking something everyday

and turning it into a gourmet treat.

-But what about the starter?

-It's got to be light, hasn't it,

just to get the palate going for those tantalising flavours of the unctuous pie.

I know, Dave! What about something fishy?

Salmon's cheap. Quite often, I don't think we treat it with the reverence it deserves.

I've got a couple of ideas that could elevate the humble, affordable salmon

into a gastronomic delight.

Come on, let's get cracking.

'We've chosen to test out two stylish fish dishes.

'Both epitomise class, but needn't cost a fortune to make.'

'Although we're thinking of Ruth's starter, they'd be perfect as a light lunch.

'Feast your eyes on these - gravadlax and ceviche.

'This sort of gastro cuisine

'may grace the menus of your posh-nosh restaurants...'

'But we're going to show you that they're really easy to make at home.

'You might just need to invest a bit of time.'

The Moby Dick of the salmon world! Look at that!

-How beautiful is that?

-That is beautiful.

Now, what we're going to do,

we're going to take the centre cut out of that,

so we're going to cut about there and there,

and then we're going to gravadlax it!

-You get loads!

-You do.

That fish, prepped and skinned and sorted, was £28. It's massive.

'Now, it may sound expensive

'but, believe me, this is an economical dish.'

'It's often cheaper to buy a whole salmon.'

'Along with the other ingredients needed to make gravadlax,

'a piece like this will feed 12 people at £3 per portion.'

It's only the last 30 years that salmon has become available

and affordable to everybody.

Not all farmed salmon's bad. In fact, most of it's really good.

-I'll prepare the cure, then.

-I'll cut the little devil.

-Right, you're the surgeon and I'm the curer!

-Right.

Take a pot of coarse sea salt.

The sea salt will brine the fish, extract the moisture,

thus change the texture and preserve it.

I've got soft brown sugar

and granulated sugar.

So that's the sugar and salt.

Give that a good mix. Get this rub started.

Then we start on the flavours.

We're using dill seeds, coriander seeds

and cracked black pepper.

Take a tablespoon of each

and grind them to powder in the pestle and mortar.

'Using the centre cut of the salmon will ensure an even cure throughout the flesh.'

'But we're not going to waste those offcuts. Oh, no!

'We've something special planned for them.'

-I bet the smell's coming out!

-Smell that, with dill seeds.

Ah, what?!

-Knocks your head out, doesn't it?

-It does.

There are many different cures for gravadlax.

This one, it's just aromatic.

We use gin. And gin's great. It's a good Great British product.

And it's quite a gourmet thing, full of juniper and citrus notes.

-Absolutely gorgeous.

-Oh, yes!

That goes in with the salt and the two sugars.

I think I may have a little bottle hidden in the bottom of the pantry!

They call it mother's ruin, and I certainly know why!

I've just worked out why he goes in there a lot.

He's having a sly one, isn't he?

'To save money, you can omit the gin.'

'The fish doesn't need alcohol to cure it - the salt and sugar take care of that -

'but the addition of gin really bigs up those fragrant foodie flavours.'

It's quite random this. 100 mil. That's about a big wine glass.

'To the salt mixture, add the zest of two limes.'

My mother would always smell of gin and lime and Steradent.

-SI LAUGHS

-Dear, oh, dear!

It's quite evocative, really.

'And now the dill...

'Its aniseed-like taste completes those magical flavours.'

There's nothing goes better with fish than dill.

There is just that something that's...

-What about chips?

-Whey, chips, obviously.

-It smells fantastic.

-Doesn't it?

-Yes.

'Start to cover the fish with the salt mixture.'

It'll keep for ages because the water will have been drawn out the salmon by the salt.

It'll be like bacon. It'll have changed its composition.

-It looks like Astroturf.

-It's fantastic!

Fold it over.

And then just push.

The salt will draw the water out the salmon.

We want that water to go somewhere

so we're going to pop the foil all over.

Two, three, four...

'Place the fish on a deep oven tray and place another tray on top.'

'Weigh it down with, well, whatever comes to hand.'

'Today, we're using, erm...'

Two rocks from the garden, covered in foil for hygiene's sake.

Put that in the fridge for three days.

Every eight hours or so, turn it

so that each side of the salmon gets access to the cure.

The liquid will run out, that tray will fill up. Just put that away.

I know, like, every eight hours... We're flexible. You don't have to get up in the night!

-Fridge?

-The fridge, yes.

'Curing is a great way to make food taste fantastic.

'Historically, it comes from a need to preserve our grub.'

'During the medieval period,

'Nordic fishermen salted then buried their fish on beaches above the high tideline

'and left it to lightly ferment for a few days,

'giving us gravadlax.'

'And in 19th-century Britain,

'the huge herring fleet smoked their catch as soon as it was brought to shore,

'creating our national love of kippers!'

'But it wasn't just fish we needed to preserve

'before the arrival of refrigeration.

'Meats like ham and bacon...

'..pickled veg

'and jam

'were all produced to make perishable ingredients last longer.

'Even that classic foodie favourite cheese

'is essentially just preserved milk.'

'Once cans and fridges became widespread in the 20th century,

'there was less need for those ancient preservation skills.'

'But this history has left us with some unique and sought-after tastes,

'and what was once born out of necessity is now a gourmet treat.

'Not only are the flavours intensified,

'but it gives us a whole new world of texture, too.'

'And if you're too impatient to wait for days on end to see results,

'we're going to demonstrate a method of fast-curing fish using our leftover salmon.'

Do you know what it is? Ceviche!

It's marinated in lime juice, and you can eat in half an hour.

It's like a seafood cocktail that completely rocks.

'This is just the freshest, healthiest, most mouth-watering lunch you can make.'

'And like our gravadlax, it's roughly £3 per portion.

'Now, how's that for value?'

'We've got some fresh sea bass to accompany the salmon.

'Both need to be skinned, which is easy when you know how.'

Take the knife on the tail,

put the knife flat,

pull the skin, slide the knife...

..and out it pops.

'Now, I know what you're thinking - "I'm not eating raw fish!"

'But don't worry. Instead of cooking it using heat,

'we're curing it with lime juice, which has the same effect.'

Lovely.

The smaller the bits of fish, the quicker it's going to cure.

I'm hoping it'll cure in about half an hour so we can eat it.

'The trick is to use the freshest fish you can lay your hands on.'

'For flavour and contrasting texture,

'we're adding red pepper, onion and two large red chillies.'

Get the seeds out.

I'm just going to do a very fine dice of chilli.

-I've gone for it with the chilli, Kingy, a little bit.

-Lovely.

But I don't think it's too hot. I mean, you wouldn't do this with bird's-eye chillies.

You don't want to kill the fish. You want to enhance it.

'In a bowl, mix together four tablespoons of olive oil,

'the juice of five limes and a pinch of cayenne pepper.'

The lime juice and the chilli will effectively cook the fish

in around about 30 minutes.

Ahh!

-Pop that in the fridge, shall we?

-'We mustn't forget our gravadlax.

'Here's one we prepared... three days ago.'

-Ah, yes!

-And just scrape the salt and all that dill off.

You don't want that.

Look at that.

When you do gravadlax, you cut it at 45 degrees,

a bit like smoked salmon.

What it means is, that the first bit is useless for the plate

but it's a very good sample for the cooks.

-Get in.

-It's worked. It's gravadlax.

It's firm. Ahh!

It's like a cross between sashimi and smoked salmon,

somewhere in the middle, with salt and gin and spices.

I love this.

It's nicer than smoked salmon, it's moister.

'Your gravadlax will last about a week in the fridge

'and, much like smoked salmon, you can freeze it, too.'

'That's if you don't scoff it all in one go.'

'But before we get too carried away with the eating, it's time to check our ceviche.'

The fish has cooked in the lime juice.

-All we need to do is run some coriander through that. Heavenly!

-Yes!

'This goes great with ripe, creamy avocado.'

'Add a squeeze of lime juice to prevent it going brown.'

'Now, it's all about presentation. Arranging the fish and avocado using a chef's ring

'really takes it up a level.'

'It's an easy but effective way to present food,

'making it appear instantly gourmet.'

'A chef's ring will cost you a couple of quid.

'Failing that, a slice of plastic drainpipe

'or a pastry cutter will do more or less the same job.'

How beautiful does that look?

So often, dishes like this which involve raw fish,

preparation and curing, cost a fortune in restaurants.

-But this doesn't.

-It's about £3.

If you love your fish, you will adore this.

-That's a luxury lunch.

-Oh, yes!

'That's two fantastic dishes.'

'Both take what was an ordinary fish

'and transform it into something truly wonderful.'

'But either could work well as Ruth's starter.

'I think we might've cracked it, Kingy.'

'For our main course, we've settled on an Anglo-Indian theme,

'and we can't wait to get stuck into the plethora of spice

'that is our Indian shepherd's pie.'

'We Brits have always embraced spicy food.'

'Having first got a taste for it during the medieval period,

'our love of the stuff really took off

'with the arrival of thousands of immigrants from India after WWII

'and the breakup of the Empire.'

"In a maze of busy streets and whistling-distance of London crowds,

"you can step straight into the incense-laden air of India."

TRADITIONAL INDIAN MUSIC

'The newcomers brought with them the flavours of the East,

'and many stores dedicated to authentic Indian food

'sprung up in communities around Britain.'

The Indian grocery shop supplies a great variety of spices required for Indian cooking,

but also acts as a meeting point in the neighbourhood.

'The popularity of Indian cuisine grew

'and curry was elevated to a national dish.'

'Then, as now, the best deals on spice can be found at Indian supermarkets,

'and at this specialist shop in Blackburn,

'you can discover unusual ingredients

'and pick up some fantastic bargains.'

This is brilliant, Kingy. I think we've seen the future of shopping.

If you go to the supermarkets and you look at the prices,

it's absolutely phenomenal.

What I've done is, I've taken away the packaging and the cost involved with that,

and just sell the food.

-Ground coriander, ground cumin...

-All the spices are down here.

'With all this choice, we're like kids in a sweet shop.'

-It's the world's biggest pick-and-mix!

-It is!

Mustard seeds - black, up there.

Love it. What a way to build your spice cabinet.

What is it you're planning on cooking today?

We've got a lady who loves spicy food, but we want to do something traditional,

so we've worked out this recipe

and it's kind of like a British shepherd's pie

but it's not, it's very spicy.

-So we've got Bombay potatoes on the top.

-Wow.

-And the lamb's spiced with lots of garam masala, coriander.

-That sounds delicious.

And then on the side, we'll do a nice vegetable curry.

-Some mild curry powder, Kingy.

-Mild curry powder, on its way.

39 pence for 100 grams.

-It's very reasonable.

-It is indeed.

Customers come in here, they get a bagful of shopping

and we say, "Six pounds please" and they say, "How much?".

It's usually "how much?" as in "so expensive",

but in here it's like, "How much? It's so cheap!"

-This has got to be a way, as well, of cutting down on food waste.

-Absolutely.

You're only buying what you need to buy.

I get couples coming in, or singles, who buy two cardamom pods.

No danger of us doing that, Kingy. 'Go on! Fill your boots!'

-It's brilliant this, isn't it?

-It is.

"Two scoops!"

This is the way we always used to buy vegetables, isn't it?

You can't have curry without chillies.

-Which are the mildest?

-These are milder.

-I think we'll have a bag of each, Kingy.

-Yes.

-Then we can adjust.

Ruth's going to think we've spent a fortune.

-You're going to get a shock when you get the bill.

-Are we?

-A very pleasant one!

-Let's see what the bill is.

-Have a guess.

-I reckon about £50.

If it's £50, you can have it for free!

I'll go and buy something else!

Right, gentlemen, £29.64.

You are joking?!

£29!

'We've only spent £6.50 on the ingredients for Ruth's meal,

'but it's such great value, we couldn't resist doing a bit of shopping for ourselves.'

It's a bargain, eh?

That includes a box of mangos, strawberries and a lot of spices.

-And all your vegetables, as well.

-You can't get better, can you?

I just feel so inspired to do some cooking!

'But before we do, we're off to one of the country's most exclusive postcodes...'

'Mayfair in London. We're here to get some tips

'from arguably the UK's best Indian chef

'and the first to be awarded a Michelin star.'

'Indian food often uses cheap cuts of meat

'but blends them with amazing spices to create rich flavours.'

'And Atul Kochhar is a maestro,

'famed for transforming everyday ingredients

'into exquisite meals.'

Here we are, on the spice trail! We've come to pay homage

-to the master and magician of spice...

-Atul Kochhar.

Curry's not just for Friday night. It's great for lunch!

'Even the poshest establishments often have a set menu.

'It's a great way to taste the brilliance of the chef

'but a lot cheaper than ordering from the A La Carte menu.'

'We want to find out how Atul makes the dishes on his set menu so affordable.'

'He's making a slow-braised lamb neck

'with green peppers and mint.'

'And a spicy take on bubble and squeak,

'using leftovers from the fridge.'

'Even Michelin-starred chefs do it.'

'First, Atul's going to show us how to transform a cheap cut of lamb

'into a gourmet curry.'

This is called kacce mirca, which basically means "raw chillies".

-OK!

-Lamb made with raw chillies.

And it's always the stewing pieces that we use in cooking.

I'm using lamb neck.

What's great about that neck fillet is that it's a cheap cut of meat.

-It's not an expensive cut.

-It is the cheapest cut of meat.

Not many people want it, but after this show,

-you guys might make it popular!

-We'll see.

-Let's marinate this.

-BOTH: Yes.

I've got some fried onions and yoghurt, minced together

-so you get this onion paste.

-Oh, right!

-We use this a lot when we make kormas and things like that.

-OK.

It's a great way of thickening your sauce, as well.

-So that's just fried onion...

-Fried onions.

-They're quite caramelised, aren't they?

-Fairly.

-And then natural, normal yoghurt?

-Natural yoghurt.

-And it gives you the colour in the yoghurt.

-Yes.

Marinate it for a good two or three hours

because that way, the onion can work onto the meat,

and so does the yoghurt because it has the essence,

and the ginger and garlic work their flavour.

'Lamb neck can be as tough as boots if you cook it quickly,

'but the marinade, combined with the slow cooking

'makes the meat tender and packed with flavour.'

Asian cuisine is one cuisine which can be cooked every day

on a very small budget.

On a shoestring budget, I would say!

-So we have got bay leaf, black and green cardamom.

-Yes.

And then we have black pepper, green pepper and green chilli. OK?

-This is one tricky part.

-Yes.

-The oil should be hot, but not too over-hot.

If it's too hot, the spices will get burnt

and you will have a very burnt flavour of spices in the curry, which is not right.

'After the spices, Atul adds about half a litre of water...'

-That's Mayfair water!

-It is!

-It's not just ordinary water!

-No!

'..a dollop of yoghurt and a dash of single cream.'

'Nothing too expensive there.'

'Then it needs to simmer for a good couple of hours.'

Once the meat is cooked, strain it,

adding lots and lots of mint. So you add that...

-This is fennel powder.

-Yes!

Look at that lamb. It's literally falling apart.

As it should be.

I'm feeling very lucky.

You know, Atul, I think you've just created

my perfect lunch.

We're really, really sorry that you can't taste it.

It's better than good. The only problem is,

if we carry on, they'll have nothing to put on a plate.

We have to do another dish.

Let's go cook that one.

'His next dish is even cheaper. Atul's going to weave his magic

'to transform leftovers from the fridge.'

This is where my Indian ethos mixes with my British ethos -

bubble and squeak with fish.

-But this is an Indian bubble and squeak?

-It has to be.

I can't stay away from spices.

OK, so the oil is ready.

Drop it a bit. If it sizzles... Yes.

So mustard seeds...

They pop lightly.

-Curry leaves, ginger and chillies.

-Yes.

They go in.

And that...

I have some roughly-crushed potatoes and some savoy cabbage,

-some spring onions thrown in, some leftover fish...

-Yes.

..and a pinch of salt.

I love this recipe. It's everyday gourmet.

It's bubble and squeak but it's not just bubble and squeak, it's really quite special.

-Done.

-Done.

Two great dishes for your fantastic show.

-I feel privileged, guys.

-Aww! Thank you!

-Thank you.

-Great. Thank you.

Ah, it's lovely.

What's fantastic is, all the ingredients are known to us

in everyday households right across the country.

But the application of a little bit of spice and a little bit of skill

is what makes it just a wonderful, wonderful plate of food.

-So true.

-Perfect.

-Can we not share a little bit with you?

-I'm absolutely fine.

-I'm not sharing!

-THEY LAUGH

'We've picked up some great ideas, and we're definitely on the right track

'with our Anglo-Indian shepherd's pie.'

'We want our meal for Ruth to be a real indulgence,

'and nothing says extravagant lunch like a glass of wine.'

'Historically, wine for us Brits has mainly been the preserve of the rich.

'Unlike our continental cousins, we couldn't grow our own grapes successfully

'and were forced to import almost every bottle.

'But heavy duties made it a costly tipple.'

'A big change came in 1860

'when William Gladstone introduced a new act that lowered import taxes.'

'He doesn't look much like a party animal, granted,

'but it's thanks to him that wine became more accessible,

'although for most Britons, it was still considered a drink for the toffs.'

'It wasn't until the Swinging '60s that the average Brit really took to wine,

'bringing cheap duty free back from their package holidays to Spain and the South of France.'

'Although some took to it more than others...'

'Our growing appetite for wine meant that we looked further afield

'and got a taste for the New World wines from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.'

'Nowadays, we buy wine from practically anywhere that grows a grape

'and there's a vast range available to suit every pocket.'

'The question is, how do you find gourmet-tasting plonk on a budget?'

'We Bikers love our wine, so we're after some advice from our old drinking buddy

'and wine aficionado to the stars, Olly Smith.'

The great news is, first of all, you can get great wine on a budget.

Big tip - buy off the beaten track.

For me, the key is looking to Eastern Europe.

You've got incredible places. Hungary's making great wine.

-Croatia - outstanding.

-BOTH: Yes!

And then, of course, you've got Romania.

'The secret to drinking cheaper wine is knowing how to get the most out of them.'

Big tip - decanting a wine. It doesn't cost you anything,

it just lets those smells and flavours out.

It's like the difference between a tomato that's taken out the fridge

-or a tomato that's been sitting in lovely sunshine.

-Right.

It stretches out the wine.

You don't need to spend a fortune on a fancy decanter. The shape is only about aesthetics.

I even use a milk bottle.

It doesn't fit the whole bottle, but it's a great shape on the table. Brilliant pouring action.

'We want to give Ruth's lunch a bit of sparkle

'but we can't afford to splash out on expensive fizz.'

A good option is Cava from Spain.

It's brilliant stuff. I love this. I mean, it's just over four quid.

But this thing is, it's exactly the same method as proper champagne but different local Spanish grapes.

There's always a sense of occasion when you pop the bottle.

Look at that. Little bit of a pop.

-It's an occasion!

-You can't have an occasion without bubbles.

In any fizz, if you're looking for quality, you just want lots of tiny bubbles.

-Nice and delicate.

-It's a tickle, not a prickle.

Yes, it's a tickle, not a prickle!

That's nice. And do you know what? I've had worse champagnes.

-So have I.

-I think that's right. And a few nibbles with that,

a plate of olives, that's cracking value for money.

Don't be afraid of buying supermarket labels.

Some of them are made by exactly the same people who make the big brands,

but they've just got a different label.

-The next one - I love this. You've got your posh champagne but it costs a fortune.

-Yes.

This stuff is called Cremant.

It's made in the same method as champagne, from the same grapes.

-It's around six quid.

-Well done. Cheers.

-Cheers.

-Get in!

-Ah. Yes.

Lively, bright, invigorating. Summers day - brilliant.

There's the phrase, "Life's too short to drink cheap wine".

I think those days are gone. Winemakers have tightened their belts.

They're learning to give us what we want, without skimping on flavour, but for a better price.

# Give me wine, wine, wine

# Feel so doggone fine #

'Now we've got our main course, our starter and the wine,

'all that's left is the dessert.'

'You've got to have dessert. There's no better way to extend your lunch break.'

You know, mate, some have said that we've been out to lunch for years!

-But sometimes, it's nice to be in for lunch.

-Yes!

-It doesn't have to be a can of soup and a sandwich.

-No, it doesn't.

It could be something quite special.

But costing the same price as that soup and sandwich.

We are going to do a hazelnut vacherin.

'This looks so impressive, but it is in fact quite a prudent pud.'

'The ingredients for the meringue cost us only about £1.75,

'leaving us all the more to spend on frills.'

'And you don't have to use raspberries.

'Meringue goes brilliantly with any soft fruit.'

Look at that, a squirrel's fantasy,

-a jar of hazelnuts!

-SI LAUGHS

I'm going to roast these lightly.

Don't burn them or it'll smell like cyanide and be revolting!

-Did you hear about the squirrel?

-No.

-He ate some laxative chocolate.

-What happened?

It came out a Treat!

'On with the meringue!'

'For this, you'll need to separate five large egg whites.'

'Meringues have a reputation for being tricky to make,

'but as long as you follow the recipe to a tee, they're a doddle.'

'Just remember, they are an exact science

'and this is not a recipe to improvise.'

A bit like making a Pavlova,

you need to draw a template on your silicon baking parchment,

the perimeters for which make the various layers of your vacherin.

We have two large discs, one small disc.

The two large discs are the first two layers of the vacherin,

surmounted by the smaller disc.

Petit disc!

What I'm going to do with these egg whites... is whip them up.

We want soft peaks. OK?

That's key.

Just be patient with it.

Don't rush it. Soft peaks.

-We're getting there with the soft peak-ness.

-Excellent.

Me nuts are well and truly roasted! I'll put them on the board to cool.

-Sugar, mon frere?

-Oui!

Now, the key to adding sugar to egg whites

is to add it a tablespoon at a time,

leave it for about a couple of seconds,

three or four seconds, and then add some more.

One, two, three, four.

'Don't be tempted to use granulated sugar.

'Caster sugar is finer and blends better with the eggs white,

'giving you a lovely smooth meringue.'

I love the French attitude to lunch.

Lunch is there to be enjoyed for an hour, maybe two.

Half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.

'Now, you could substitute the vanilla extract for vanilla essence,

'which is synthetic and therefore cheaper,

'but extract is much, much nicer.'

'It costs between £1 and £6 for a bottle,

depending on the quality,

'but you only need to use a little bit at a time.'

Two teaspoons of cornflour.

-Cornflour gives it a chew, doesn't it?

-It does.

Just make sure that all of those ingredients are nicely combined

and then... turn it off.

Ah, look at that!

That's a belter!

We need to reserve some nuts for a garnish on the top.

-About that much?

-Lovely.

Heaven.

'Ahh, meringue... It's the culinary equivalent of a duvet.'

We mustn't overdo this because it is, in fact,

quite a thin meringue.

'Place a large spoonful of meringue mix in the centre of the circle

'and spread evenly.'

Ah, look at that.

-It's like nougat, isn't it?

-It absolutely is.

-It sounds posh, though, vacherin, doesn't it?

-It does.

It sounds decadent. And do you know why they call it vacherin?

They say that the finished vacherin looks like the cheese of the same name.

Voila.

The oven's pre-heated to 130 degrees Celsius in a fan oven.

What we do now is turn it down to 110.

Pop the little fellas in there for about an hour and a half.

Keep an eye on them. Ovens vary. The last thing you want to do is burn them.

'The extra heat sets the meringue,

'making it crunchy on the outside and gorgeously soft on the inside.'

'After an hour and a half, your meringues should be ready.'

-Ah, yes!

-Look at that!

A sunkissed vacherin.

-Belters.

-Belters.

-You know what we need to do now, don't you?

-Yes.

-The cream...

THEY HUM A JOLLY TUNE

'The meringue may be cheap but don't skimp on the filling.

'We're adding creme fraiche to our whipped cream to give it that gourmet touch.'

'Melt 100 grams of plain dark chocolate, the best you can afford.

'You'll taste every penny and your dessert will ooze class.'

I think that's the best meringue we've ever made. Look at that.

It's like a badly pebble-dashed council house, isn't it?!

-DREAMY MUSIC

-'As the French would say,

'it's time to start the assemblage!'

The layers of meringue, cream, raspberries chocolate and nuts

'make this a truly enticing,

'stylish and delicious finish to your gourmet lunch.'

Look at that, eh?! That's a bobby dazzler.

But when you bite through that wonderful hazelnutty meringue

into that cream, which is slightly sweet-sour,

into the raspberries, laced with chocolate...

Absolutely beautiful.

'In a top-notch Parisian restaurant, this could set you back up to a tenner a portion.'

'Ours is a lot more economical.' There's at least eight portions in that.

It's working out at £1.30 a portion.

Tell us that that's not a belter!

'Et voila - le vacherin!'

'It's more than just a pimped-up Pavlova.

'It's a beautiful dessert,

'but far too big to serve Ruth's family...'

'So instead, we're making individual meringues

'and we're going to give them an Asian twist.'

'Our gastronomic juices are well and truly flowing now!'

'We're going to put all that we've learnt into practice

'and make a start on Ruth's lavish lunch.'

'We've been lent the use of a local kitchen,

'set within stunning surroundings.'

'And we've chosen a corner of the garden

'with views over the Ribble Valley for our table-for-three.'

-Whoa!

-It's a beautiful spot.

-It is.

-I think we're there.

-We are.

-Just the food now.

Glasses! Glasses, Dave!

'Ruth's unaware of our plans for a surprise slap-up feast,

'and is busy preparing lunch for her hungry pensioners.'

Rhubarb and ginger, handpicked from the allotment.

With love!

'She certainly goes that extra mile.'

'As have we. Ruth's starter, ceviche,

'has already been lovingly prepared following the recipe used earlier.'

'We're sure Ruth will love the subtle heat that comes from the chilli.'

'While that's marinating, we crack on with the main course,

'with help from Steve and Charlotte.'

It's quite an involved recipe, this one.

It's possibly the most complex shepherd's pie you've ever seen.

'This is a dish best cooked in advance.

'Not only does it save you time, it lets all those wonderful spice flavours infuse.'

Does she like garlic?

If it's garlic-flavoured, she won't like it,

but if it's in the actual dish itself,

it tends to be fine.

'Our shepherd's pie reflects the real home-cooking that Ruth loves.'

'But we've zhuzhed it up with a profusion of spice

'and piped potato-minarets,

'creating the perfect culinary mash-up of Anglo-Indian flavours,

'demonstrated by our Michelin-starred chef.'

'And with a vegetable curry side dish,

'this little lot comes in at just over £4 a head.'

'Ruth's going to love it!'

She has absolutely no idea still?

-Not at all.

-None whatsoever.

-Really? It's going to be brilliant.

Where did you say you'd go?

-I'm supposed to be at work early today.

-Ahh!

-Coriander...

-'To our veg, we're adding heaps of aromatic flavour,

'using those spices from the Asian grocers.'

Now the ground cumin...

-Ohh!

-..cinnamon...

-Wonderful!

..and lastly, two teaspoons of black mustard seed.

Just let the spices and the veg cook for about ten minutes,

just so it's really infusing nicely.

-BURNER HISSES & POPS

-That worked!

Get out the way, you!

Now I know why she does the cooking and we just do the prep.

Aye!

'Despite Steve's attempts to sabotage our shepherd's pie,

'Ruth's special meal is really coming together.'

-Kingy!

-What, mate?

-I think we're just about right.

-What for?

-Slamming your lamb!

-Ohh!

'We've used a cheap cut of meat, lamb shoulder, succulently slow-cooked.'

'We leave this to simmer away

'embracing those bold curry flavours.'

The fat's beginning to go back out the lamb. It's got a lovely sheen on it.

'Onto our topping... But this is no ordinary mash.'

We made the mistake once of passing the potato through the ricer twice.

It actually turns it to the most glutinous mass.

Look at that. It's fluffier than an Andrex puppy in a tumble dryer.

'For that Bombay potato vibe,

'we're frying cumin seed, black mustard seed and curry powder

'which will give the potato that lovely golden colour.'

-The mustard seed and potato go really well together.

-Beautiful.

'Shepherd's pie can look quite messy

'so we've bigged up the gourmet element

'by presenting ours in individual pots

'and piping our potato.'

Remember, not too much in your bag. It's all about control.

Blob on!

To the top of the pan. That's it.

It's worth piping. It's basically a cheap plastic bag and a nozzle.

That looks beautiful.

'But we mustn't get distracted by our main course.

'There's still dessert to make.'

'We're taking our Asian theme through to the pud,

'with zesty mango salsa and Indian sweet garnish

'served up with an Italian poached meringue.'

'Yes, you can poach a meringue.

'This method creates a soft, light billowy pillow of loveliness!'

Righto, Kingy, I'll get your poaching liquor on.

-Nice one.

-I'm going to put a vanilla pod in there.

But I need the seeds from the vanilla pod

to be mixed up with the mango chunks.

It's an extravagance but it's worth it.

Vanilla and mango... What a marriage.

'Most meringues are baked,

'but this Italian meringue is cooked by adding very hot sugar syrup.'

'We're heating the sugar to 150 degrees Celsius

'before mixing it with a whisked egg white.'

We're just going to pour it, nice and slowly, down the side.

Now, what we do is, we let that keep going

until it gets cool.

This mango I've got here,

I'm going to mix in the juice of two limes

and I'm going to puree that so I've got lime and mango puree.

Then I'm going to mix that with the mango chunks,

which has got that mint and vanilla and lime zest in.

-They're brilliant, them, aren't they?

-They are!

-We're there.

-Gladiator...

-Yes?

-The device of the quenelle...

'This is an easy way to add that classy touch.

'It just takes a little practice to get perfect.'

Michelin-starred chefs do this in three.

'We're poaching it gently for two to three minutes on one side,

'then one to two minutes on the other.' Grand.

'Poaching the meringue this way gives it an unexpected, almost mousse-like texture,

'with a hunt of vanilla.'

How wonderful.

It's almost electric salsa. Look at the colours, eh?

Fantastic.

Just a little strawberry there...

'For an incredible £6 per head,

'we created a three-course gourmet feast.'

'And thanks to Olly's tips, we were able to squeeze in a bottle of English fizz,

'for a grand total of £33.00.'

'That's amazing, dude. Food prepped, we're off to meet Ruth.

'who still believes she's making a video about the Lunch Club.'

'But like a couple of hairy Cilla Blacks,

'we're about to pay her a "Surprise, Surprise"!'

The oven's on, the dishwasher's on...

-You'll be wanting me to help, won't you?

-Yes, I will!

-Hello!

-Hello, darling! Are you all right?

-I'm fine, thanks!

-How's your dinner?

-Fine, thank you!

-We just thought we'd pop in to say hello.

-Thank you very much!

-Because we hear you're marvellous.

-Willing hands.

-Thank you.

-We heard the work you've done here is spectacular.

-Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, these are my two new volunteers.

Does anybody know who they are?

It's Ant and Dec. We've just been on the streets for a fortnight!

We're a bit dishevelled!

'Good thing fame hasn't gone to our heads, eh, Kingy?'

'Always happy to serve our legion of super-fans, mate.'

-You give an awful lot more than just coming here and cooking.

-You do.

-You do.

-Well, yes. All right, I do! SHE LAUGHS

Ruth, normally, your work doesn't finish now, does it?

-No, it doesn't.

-No.

I have to go back in the kitchen, switch the dishwasher off,

-clean the cooker...

-Not today.

-No.

-She's going to be well and truly pampered.

I think it would be a nice occasion now to just...

-..show how much we all love her for what she does.

-Yes!

-We're whisking her off.

-For you, Ruth, the weekend starts now.

Follow Mr Myers. See ya later!

Bye!

-Have you got your eyes closed?

-Yes.

'As Ruth cooks every one of her meals with love and care,

'we've made sure we've lavished ours with the same.'

Now...

-..are you ready?

-Yes.

Open your eyes.

Hello!

The said nobody cooks for you. Well, we do.

-Your place is not in the kitchen tonight.

-A bed of avocado on the bottom.

ALL: Thank you.

-Sufficient a surprise?

-Oh, it is.

I'm starving!

-Ooh!

-> They can cook for us again.

-That is gorgeous.

-That is wonderful.

-That is really nice.

Oh, they can come again.

-Ahh! I think she's enjoying it.

-I think she is. I think she is.

'Our shepherd's pie is ready.

'From here on, it's all about attention to detail.'

'Appearance counts, and a well-designed plate can really whet the appetite.'

-Kingy, that looks like an epic, luxury lunch.

-It does, mate.

-And affordable.

-Yes.

'We can't wait to see what she makes of it.'

Time to put some spice into your life, Ruth!

-Bon appetit.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much.

Mm!

That is nice. You've got a job!

'With the pie a success, it's onto dessert...'

'Our fabulous poached Italian meringues

'with a mango salsa.'

And an Indian sweet!

Just a little bit of a shard on the top because we could! We spent well, I think.

-Look at the colours of that.

-It's absolutely stunning.

-It's beautiful.

-'Go on, dig in!'

-The colours of the sunset over the Taj Mahal.

This is so nice.

Well, you polished that off!

-Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

-It was very nice.

From me, thank you so very, very much

for lending your support to making this day special for Ruth.

-It means so much to me.

-Thank you.

Aww!

So, Ruth, what did it feel like,

being number one and putting yourself first for a change?

A complete and utter surprise

-and a shock.

-Yes?

-But I'm glad it was you two!

-Aww!

One, two, three, four...

-Thank you!

-You're very welcome.

'Treating yourself or loved ones is easy.

'It's all about taking ordinary food and giving it special attention,

making a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.'

'And by devoting a bit of time and research into where to buy your ingredients,

'you can do it as cheap as chips.'

So take some time out for a lovely lunch.

It's one of life's little luxuries.

Lush. Looking forward to this.

We show you how to make food at home grand enough for the poshest restaurants.

We meet the chef of chefs, who loves cooking on a budget.

Just taste it...

Look, look, look!

-There was a smile there!

-Happy with that!

-And we help three cheeky girls...

-Do you know who you remind me of? The Chuckle Brothers.

BOTH: The Chuckle Brothers?!

..create a meal to remember.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd