0:00:02 > 0:00:07Gourmet food. A feast for the eyes and the appetite.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Mouth-watering recipes.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14The sort of thing that you find in the very best restaurants across the country.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17But these ones are dirt cheap, and guess what?
0:00:17 > 0:00:19LAUGHS They're made by us.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25The Hairy Bikers are going posh.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28And we're going to do it without blowing the weekly budget.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32We want to tackle those recipes you love to order in restaurants
0:00:32 > 0:00:35but you'd never think of attempting at home.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36I think that's a result, dude.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39We're going on the road to meet a foraging chef
0:00:39 > 0:00:42who likes nothing more than to get his ingredients for free.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46- You've got the bitterness of this with the sweetness of the parsnips. - Mm.
0:00:46 > 0:00:51Going back in time to see how the Victorians made great food for less than a sixpence.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55It's just the building blocks of good cooking, isn't it?
0:00:55 > 0:01:00And conjuring up some magic to help three wonderful girls treat the ones that they love.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02- Chop all this? - Yes!
0:01:02 > 0:01:04ALL LAUGH
0:01:04 > 0:01:06Hello.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10We're getting down and dirty with an exquisite panna cotta.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12And, from our Hairy Kitchen,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15conjuring up our own twist on a British legend.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Join us in our quest to show you how to make exceptional dishes
0:01:18 > 0:01:24for next to nothing. The art of making everyday gourmet.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49TYRES SQUEAL
0:01:54 > 0:01:56For as long as there have been kitchens,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59there's been bog-standard cookery
0:01:59 > 0:02:03and there's been quality cuisine, but throughout modern history
0:02:03 > 0:02:06the place that has really set the trend for fashionable food
0:02:06 > 0:02:08is the fancy restaurant.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Today is no different,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14and there are hundreds of fine places to eat across the country.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17The bad news is that the best have always been
0:02:17 > 0:02:19the reserve of the well-to-do.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22Oh, but we believe in treats for all.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25So, me and the Myers, we're on a mission.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27To show you how to create restaurant quality food
0:02:27 > 0:02:30at home and on a budget.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34A pinch of knowledge, a sprinkling of inspiration and a portion of time,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37- that's all that you need... - To treat your friends and family
0:02:37 > 0:02:41to a restaurant dining experience within your own four walls.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51'I'm going to change my ways now. I'm going to go proper posh.'
0:02:51 > 0:02:56Now one dish that pops up on restaurant menus time and time again
0:02:56 > 0:03:00- is pheasant.- But it's one that barely anyone makes at home.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Game is often considered posh nosh for the hoi polloi to have
0:03:05 > 0:03:08after a long day's target practise.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10GUNSHOTS
0:03:10 > 0:03:12But it is, Dave? Is it really?
0:03:13 > 0:03:16It can be thought of to be a bit of fiddle to cook,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18and it could be thought of to being expensive.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20On both counts they're not.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Those come in at the supermarket at £5 each.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26If you get them from a butcher, about three quid each.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30So for four people you're talking six quid for your pheasants.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32And if you know a poacher, for nowt.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Right. I'm just going to take the legs off.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Alongside the breast, we're going to do a confit,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41which is a traditional way of preserving meats.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46We start by sprinkling the legs and thighs with two tablespoons of salt to draw out the moisture.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51It's good to hark back to traditional fare.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Once the salt has worked its magic, pour over a tin of goose fat.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58It's a bit of an extravagance at over £2 a pot,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01but the depth of flavour it gives is worth it.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Now crank up the restaurant quality by adding a tablespoon
0:04:05 > 0:04:09of mixed masala spices, peppercorns, bruised cloves of garlic,
0:04:09 > 0:04:14a cinnamon stick and a couple of bay leaves, then cover with foil.
0:04:14 > 0:04:19And this goes into a medium to low oven, about 160 degrees Celsius,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21for about two and a half hours.
0:04:22 > 0:04:28Once you've separated the breast, don't even think about chucking away the rest of the carcass.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Use it to make some stock for the basis of a great gravy.
0:04:31 > 0:04:36Every good stockpot must have roughly chopped onions, celery and carrot.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41Add a stock cube to a litre of hot water to intensify the flavour.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43A good bit of chicken stock-a-roonie.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47There you go. Crack on for about an hour and a half or so
0:04:47 > 0:04:50while the confit's doing. The building blocks have begun.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57Once the confit is cooked and cooled, it's time to make ourselves a mini gamekeeper's pie
0:04:57 > 0:05:01with all the tasty morsels that have cooked to tender perfection.
0:05:02 > 0:05:07Now look how easily that meat comes away from the bone.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11How beautiful is that? What you want is all the meat and none of the sinew.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14The sinew is like little fish bones.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Those are the bits that you want to leave behind.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21To a hot pan add finely chopped carrot, celery and onion.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Just as with the stock, these three simple ingredients
0:05:25 > 0:05:28enhance the flavours of pretty much any cooking pot.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32All we're doing is what any good restaurant has done for years.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35It's about using every part of the ingredient
0:05:35 > 0:05:37and making the best of what you have.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40That's what makes it an everyday gourmet classic.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46Drain the stock, add the pheasant, and to thicken the sauce a tablespoon of flour.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Pour in the remaining stock and stir until thick, unctuous and luscious.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55That's what we want. Now we need to wait for that to go cold.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58That's the pie filling. So it's time to make the pie crust.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Have a guess what I've got behind my back?
0:06:02 > 0:06:04- No, it's not flour.- No.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- No, it's not a block of ready-made puff pastry.- No.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- And it's not suet pastry, either. - No.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12It's... called mashed potato.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18But even a simple mash becomes gourmet if you add an egg yolk,
0:06:18 > 0:06:21a knob of butter, nutmeg, and a dash of cream.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Give it a good battering. Beautiful.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30With restaurant food, presentation is key.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32So we're going to make tiny, individual pies
0:06:32 > 0:06:35with pheasant filling.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38It doesn't cost a penny more but looks gorgeous.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Even that off.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43Get the confit, fill your little hole up, like that,
0:06:43 > 0:06:46and people are going to think, if you don't tell 'em,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50they've got a really craftily-shaped blob of mash.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- Little do they know. - Little do they know.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55Place them on a roasting tray.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Turn your oven up to 180. Remember, it was on 160 for your confit,
0:07:01 > 0:07:03and put these in for half an hour.
0:07:04 > 0:07:08Heat up the griddle. When it's smoking, add some of that jolly useful goose fat
0:07:08 > 0:07:13and a sprig or two of flavour-filled thyme.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17Season the pheasant breast liberally with salt and pepper.
0:07:17 > 0:07:23Now, literally, what I'm doing is searing them off, a bit of colour on them, two minutes either side. OK?
0:07:23 > 0:07:26Now we put them in the oven for six minutes.
0:07:28 > 0:07:33I'm making the gravy in the griddle pan using the lovely juices from the pheasant breast.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Add a little flour and some of the stock from earlier,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and for a glossy, sweet finish, a blob of redcurrant jelly.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Now, look at those.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49- Now they are belters. Should we? - Yes, with confidence
0:07:49 > 0:07:51born of arrogance, almost.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56- Ho-ho.- Belter.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Serving with savoury root veg mash,
0:07:59 > 0:08:02a sprig of thyme and lashings of that wonderful gravy.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06I'm dying to cut into that, though.
0:08:06 > 0:08:11- People are just going to think it's a bowl of mash.- Yeah, but it's not, is it?- No.- No.
0:08:11 > 0:08:17What this dish costs you in time really makes up for in flavour and wow factor.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21And all those flavours will be in that wonderful, wonderful rich mash.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Pheasant breast really tender. Big, savoury flavours, aren't they?
0:08:27 > 0:08:30That's an exceptionally beautiful dinner for three quid.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34You know what? In a restaurant you can pay anywhere up to 20 quid.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37Yeah, you're paying for the labour, for the trouble,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40but once you know how it ain't that difficult.
0:08:40 > 0:08:45# Let's all go posh! # Come on, take a lesson from this.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Our love of creating beautiful and cheap gourmet food
0:08:51 > 0:08:53is something we love to share.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57So, we've come to North Wales to help three very special girls
0:08:57 > 0:09:00cook a surprise restaurant-quality meal of a lifetime.
0:09:03 > 0:09:0612-year-old Sophie, a super chef in the making.
0:09:07 > 0:09:1015-year-old A-star student Chloe.
0:09:13 > 0:09:17And 18-year-old Shanice. She's a right champion.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Down the middle, right?
0:09:20 > 0:09:23Chloe and Sophie's mum and dad, Helen and Lee,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25are an extraordinary couple.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Three years ago they chose to become foster parents to Shanice,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34offering her shelter and love at a very difficult time in her life.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37I was a tearaway teen, really.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41I was in with the wrong crowd, doing stuff I shouldn't have been doing.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43I didn't want help, I didn't want support.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Karen and Lee sort of helped me help myself.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49Ohh!
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Shanice has, literally, changed her life around.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57She's doing voluntary work and helping other young people.
0:09:57 > 0:10:02Shanice isn't the only one to have benefitted from Helen and Lee's kindness.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05They've fostered more than 20 children over the last ten years.
0:10:07 > 0:10:11I think it's amazing having people living with us. I really enjoy it.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15As soon as you walk in you get that feeling of, like, a family.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18It is amazing to live there.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Do you know, I think fostering is one of
0:10:20 > 0:10:24the most important things that one person can do for another.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It's a wonderful thing. It's wonderful to be able to treat
0:10:27 > 0:10:33- somebody who's been so supportive to 20-odd children over the years. - Mm-hm. It's fantastic.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36I think it's great. I absolutely think it's fabulous.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37So, what's the mission?
0:10:37 > 0:10:40- To thank Mum and Dad for everything they do.- OK.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44As a representative for all the other young people they have looked after,
0:10:44 > 0:10:49Sophie and Chloe it is their real mother and father,
0:10:49 > 0:10:56- but I could be the representation of everyone else that probably thinks the same, that they are amazing.- OK.
0:10:56 > 0:11:01What do, girls, give us some... We need some idea. What do they like,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05- what don't they like, what their personalities are like.- Yeah.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Just give us some background. It's important to you, I can see that.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12- Is there any particular food that they like?- Prawns.- Prawns.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15- They love prawns?- Prawns. And do they like fancy food as well?
0:11:15 > 0:11:19- Do they like food that's a bit, you know, dressed up.- Jazzed.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21- Yeah.- Yeah.- That'll be good.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- So how much money have we got, do you know?- £50.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- That's great. - We can do a four-course, then.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33- Yeah, yeah, we could.- That would be good. Really push the boat out.
0:11:33 > 0:11:39Well, you can rest assured that Mr Myers and I will do our absolute utmost to help.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45So the girls want to lay on a special meal for a very special couple
0:11:45 > 0:11:48to thank them for years of selfless parenting.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54It'd be amazing for them to actually have a day to themselves.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Hopefully they'll be surprised. Well, they will be surprised.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Now it's down to us to make it happen.
0:12:02 > 0:12:07I don't know about you, but having met the girls, let's make this the meal to remember.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10This is all well and good, but what are we going to cook?
0:12:10 > 0:12:13What we should do is follow that wonderful format
0:12:13 > 0:12:17- to a really traditional meal. We've got to start with soup.- Soup?
0:12:17 > 0:12:20I can't start with soup, man. It's boring.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22What would you start with, then?
0:12:22 > 0:12:27- Prawn cocktail.- Oh, my God.- That's good, prawn cocktail.- You said I'm boring!
0:12:27 > 0:12:30- A prawn cocktail.- But it's traditional. It's, you know...
0:12:30 > 0:12:33You know what I'm like for prawns and Marie-rose.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36- What about we do an amuse-bouche? - That's better.
0:12:36 > 0:12:41But a little, tiny amuse-bouche of, like, gazpacho.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Summat to freshen your palate.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Yeah, that's nice. A little gob-tickler. Lovely.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Yeah, amuse-bouche.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53An amuse-bouche is nothing more than a posh name for a tantaliser.
0:12:53 > 0:12:57A tiny little something to get your taste buds tingling.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01It's the restaurant label for something as simple as a soup
0:13:01 > 0:13:06that's been given a gourmet flourish, and there's nothing to stop you doing the same at home.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09We want to make a gazpacho for Helen and Lee,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11but this top tip will jazz up any soup.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15First, make the Parmesan crisps by grating
0:13:15 > 0:13:19the fresh, flavoursome cheese, then spoon into bite-sized portions
0:13:19 > 0:13:22and place in a medium oven on a baking sheet.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Cook until crisp. Oh, it's like watching the sun set.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- Really?- Well, sort of.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35When they're done, take out and leave to cool while you spoon out
0:13:35 > 0:13:39whatever soup you're using into little tiny cups.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Exactly how you funk it up is a matter of taste.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46But this course will only cost pennies, and leave Helen and Lee
0:13:46 > 0:13:49plenty of room for the next three courses.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52Just don't forget your delicate Parmesan crisps.
0:13:53 > 0:13:58That's it. Bite-size and beautiful, a palate-punching amuse-bouche.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Or gob-tickler.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03ENGINE STARTS
0:14:06 > 0:14:11It's our quest to produce affordable restaurant-quality food in the home.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14There's no better place to get restaurant inspiration
0:14:14 > 0:14:17than in some of the country's top restaurants.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19We've come to the heart of the Cotswolds,
0:14:19 > 0:14:24because in Regency Cheltenham there's a chef who's revered amongst his peers.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30We're here to see... the chef of chefs.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34The man that put gastro into onomy.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37David Everitt-Matthias.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42David's may not be a household name.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47He prefers the confines of his well-stocked kitchens to fame and stardom.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50But, in the chefing world, he's considered one of the very best,
0:14:50 > 0:14:54having earned two Michelin stars, National Chef of the Year,
0:14:54 > 0:14:57Egon Ronay Dessert Chef of the Year, etc, etc, etc.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03What's amazing, though, is that where we aim to make food affordable,
0:15:03 > 0:15:09David likes it for free and can turn weeds from even the smallest back yard into food fit for a king.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15But even just walking around here there's a couple of things.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- Um, chickweed that can be used.- Yes.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23It's amazing what you can find in most urban areas,
0:15:23 > 0:15:27although you wouldn't really want to use it from an urban area because...
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- Yes.- Dog wee.- That, too.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Yes. So chickweed, wonderful,
0:15:32 > 0:15:35and quite a nice little salad vegetable.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- Dandelions, they can be used for food.- Yep.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43- And over there we've got some yarrow.- Oh.- Oh.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47- It's an amazing thing, yarrow.- Yes. Exceptionally bitter.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50This is great with roasted chicken and roasted parsnips.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55- Ooh, get that.- You've got the bitterness of this with the sweetness of the parsnips.- Mm.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Apart from the fact this is food for free,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01they're very distinctive, useful flavours.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- They really are for the everyday gourmet, aren't they?- They are.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08For years, David has been a trailblazer in foraging,
0:16:08 > 0:16:13and it's a great way to get unusual flavours into your cooking.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Some things to look out for are...
0:16:15 > 0:16:18- Watercress.- Found in clean, fast-flowing streams
0:16:18 > 0:16:20from March onwards.
0:16:20 > 0:16:24- Sheep's sorrel.- Throughout the spring, its sheep-faced leaves
0:16:24 > 0:16:26give an appley, citrusy zing.
0:16:26 > 0:16:31- And wild garlic.- It's abundant in the early summer woodlands
0:16:31 > 0:16:35and you can use the leaves in salads and pestos in place of basil.
0:16:35 > 0:16:41Many of these ingredients are nigh-on impossible to buy, whereas David can get them for nowt.
0:16:41 > 0:16:43And do you think it's just, like,
0:16:43 > 0:16:46part of your personality, cos you're tight?
0:16:46 > 0:16:49No, I'm not tight. I'm a Southerner. I'm not tight.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55- So what are we doing?- OK, we've got seared chicken wings in maple syrup.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57- OK.- With a ground elder risotto.
0:16:58 > 0:17:03Some foraged herbs and the new season's gyros. OK.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07So chicken wings, nice and easy. We want to just get the knuckles off.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Cos what we're going to do is, when they've been confied,
0:17:10 > 0:17:12salted and cooked in duck fat,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- then we just poke the bone out afterwards.- Ah, right.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20- And we get a nice clean... - All-round eat.- Yeah, exactly.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22The whole thing in your mouth.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27David's making a confit of the wings just as we did for the pheasant.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31If you thought out pheasant was cheap, his chicken wings are even cheaper.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35So then the risotto rice.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41- For this, while this is cooking. - Yeah.- Can I get one of you to stir it?
0:17:41 > 0:17:47- Yep.- This is going to be the base of the risotto, ground elder.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50- Oh, look at this. - It's the gardener's nightmare,
0:17:50 > 0:17:55- but it has a wonderful sort of taste.- Oh, it's fabulous.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58So what we're going to do with that is blanch it.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02And we're just going to add a little bit of spinach as well.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07Did you know, Dave, ground elder is actually a cousin of the carrot?
0:18:07 > 0:18:12You can find it in shady spots across Britain, and is best picked between February and June.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- Nice vivid green puree.- Oh, wow.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- That's epic.- It's lovely, isn't it? - Absolutely gorgeous.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24- Just for something that grows in the garden.- Oh, wow.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28- And there's no seasoning in that? - No, no. Just as it is?
0:18:28 > 0:18:30That's it. As it is. Yes, yes.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37Now David's cooking the chicken wings in one frying pan
0:18:37 > 0:18:40while browning off some gyro mushrooms in another.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46When they're on the verge of getting golden brown,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50- then we'll put a bit of maple syrup in just to give them a nice, sticky glaze.- Ooh.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53I just got the lovely scarf of flavour coming in.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56Add some of our ground elder puree.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01Oh, wow. It's so vibrant, isn't it?
0:19:03 > 0:19:09Then the ground elder that has been blanched that I saved over. Just taste it.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11No, no, no.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I'm very happy with that. Very, very happy with that.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22It's all coming together now, mate.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26It is. And look. He's got more freebies to put on it.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28This is my kind of cooking.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31So we've got some baby wild watercress
0:19:31 > 0:19:35that we're going to put on just to give it a little bit of pepperiness.
0:19:35 > 0:19:40A little bit of sheep's sorrel. That will give an acidity to the dish.
0:19:40 > 0:19:45- A little bit of the puree just so you can get...- A nice hit of it.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47A nice hit of it. That's exactly it. There we go.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- That is the most amazing... - There you go. See what you think.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Oh, yes.
0:20:00 > 0:20:05- What, did you get the hit of the...? - And you know the acidity with the sorrel?- Yes.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08Oh, man, it's absolutely superb. It just goes on for weeks.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12- You know when you taste wine, and the wine goes on and on and on.- Mm.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17- That risotto does the same.- Depth of flavour.- I think the phrase is "speechless".
0:20:17 > 0:20:21David, for your restaurant revelation, thank you very much, man.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24- Thank you. Nice to meet you. - Truly inspiring. Thank you.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28Oh, what that David can do with a handful of weeds is amazing.
0:20:30 > 0:20:35Here, mate, if we could pick some of our ingredients to make Helen and Lee's special meal,
0:20:35 > 0:20:38it'd add a real personal touch, wouldn't it?
0:20:38 > 0:20:45That's all good food for thought, but now it's back to base to decide on a perfect pud to round off the meal.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48We're going to get our creative juices flowing
0:20:48 > 0:20:52by making our own version of a restaurant fave.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55- A panna cotta. - And not just any panna cotta.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Oh, no. This is a green tea and cardamom panna cotta.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Which may sound right posh, but the ingredients are easy to get hold of
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and will probably only set you back over a pound a portion.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Let's boil cream!
0:21:10 > 0:21:13It's great, this. I love the recipe. It's brilliant cos it's simple.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17We start off with fruit of the cow. Milk and cream.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22Look, it's just like that advert, isn't it? Loads in every bar.
0:21:22 > 0:21:28So, there's 150ml of whole milk and 600ml of cream.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33To that add 12 crushed cardamom seeds with their husks,
0:21:33 > 0:21:35some caster sugar and a cinnamon stick.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41- Oh, no, I'm sorry.- Oh, man.- I know. - Look.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Look, I'm just trying to do it with some sense of style, you know?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- Do you know what I mean?- Don't.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53Now you can't have green tea and cardamom panna cotta without the green tea.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58We've got seven green tea bags. We really want a tea flavour.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02And this one is just English breakfast tea for that additional...
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Bring that to the boil, watch it doesn't erupt,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- and let it go off the boil.- Yes.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13There she blows, skipper. Turn it off.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Now it's time for the gelatine.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Without the gelatine the panna cotta will not set.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22The gelatine has been soaking for five minutes.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Chuck it in when it resembles a jellyfish.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Use a piece of muslin over your sieve to make it finer,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31and then strain your mixture through it.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Never in the field of puddings has cream been so infused.
0:22:37 > 0:22:41Oh. Now we took this away, but don't chuck the cloth away.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45Just stick it through the laundry. In fact, I don't want to waste that.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49This hurts but it's worth it. HE SQUEAKS
0:22:50 > 0:22:52That's flavour. Agh!
0:22:52 > 0:22:56- Have you got that?- Yeah, but it was worth it, Kingy.- Definitely.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00You could use kitchen tongs to do that, but, you know,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02hard man in the kitchen, do you know what I mean?
0:23:02 > 0:23:06Pour the mixture into ramekins, cool to room temperature
0:23:06 > 0:23:10and then pop them in the fridge for three to four hours to set.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15Next, prepare the biscuits, which in posh restaurants are called tuiles.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18Cream together 115g of butter
0:23:18 > 0:23:20and 115g of icing sugar.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Now carefully stir in 115g of finely sieved plain flour.
0:23:24 > 0:23:31Finally, add three egg whites and a teaspoon of vanilla extract and cream it together.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34If you like a bigger hit of vanilla, put a bit more in.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Yeah. That needs to rest now for about an hour,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45and then we can make tuiles whilst the panna cotta's cooling.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49- It's in the fridge, master.- Ooh.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54Do you think his hump's getting bigger?
0:23:54 > 0:23:57Now, to make your tuiles really squeal,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01cut a template from an old ice cream tub, place it on a baking sheet
0:24:01 > 0:24:03and spread your mixture thinly over it.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Remove the template to carefully reveal your tuile.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Sprinkle on some cardamom seeds for depth of flavour.
0:24:11 > 0:24:17It's funny, they do remind me of what you see at the bottom of a drawer and you know you're infested.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- HE LAUGHS - That's true.- Oh, no, they're back.
0:24:20 > 0:24:24Now these go in an oven, 160 degrees Celsius,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26for between five and ten minutes,
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and they will go, all of a sudden, golden.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31So you've got to keep an eye on them.
0:24:31 > 0:24:33CLOCK TICKS
0:24:34 > 0:24:35ALARM RINGS
0:24:35 > 0:24:40After ten minutes, your tuiles are ready. This is where the magic happens.
0:24:40 > 0:24:46As quick as you can, carefully get the tuile off the tray and gently wrap it round a rolling pin.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50They'll be soft for about 30 seconds, and if you haven't twirled your tuile by then,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53then you'll have to make do with flat 'uns.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58Lovely job.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02For the releasing of the panna cotta from its frigid tomb,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04we need some boiling water.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08And the good thing is, if they don't come out first time,
0:25:08 > 0:25:10you get to eat the casualties.
0:25:10 > 0:25:17- Perfect. Perfect.- Yeah.- Perfect, perfect, perfect.- It's still got a wobble.- That's what you want.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21- Love it.- Now just hold them in the water for five seconds.- Yeah, if that.- No more.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31- Oh, beautiful.- It's just bellied. That's perfect.
0:25:31 > 0:25:37As it bellies you just see it goes, whoa, and relaxes out of shape.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Fantastic.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43But, of course, you could always serve your panna cotta sans tuile.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46Are you bonkers? It's these budget-busting flourishes
0:25:46 > 0:25:49that turn a bowl of burnt cream into a gourmet pudding.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55- Does that not look like a great plate of food?- Yeah.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58- It looks too good to...- No.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Ohh.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07Look at that little spoonful of love.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14It's lovely. It has that dry finish from the green tea.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19That's a heavenly dessert. The texture's great.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26- Mm.- That's perfectly, perfectly perfect.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30That is a top-flight dessert for hardly any wedge.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35It's a near-perfect cut-price pud.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38- But is it something the girls would really want to cook?- Mmm...
0:26:38 > 0:26:42Listen, do you think we've nailed this dessert for Helen and Lee?
0:26:42 > 0:26:47I like the dairy and biscuit combo. I do worry if it's a bit too fussy.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50- But I want their meal to come from the heart.- Yeah, yeah,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54and it's got to be delicious but it's also got to be affordable.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Well, I think we can fine-tune it as we go along.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01HE STARTS ENGINE
0:27:05 > 0:27:09- For a bit more inspiration... - Particularly with regard to the main course...
0:27:09 > 0:27:13What could be better than a quick trip into London's rich history
0:27:13 > 0:27:17- of fine dining and restaurant fare? - Or I could just go on the internet.
0:27:17 > 0:27:22No, mate. I'm taking you to London's famous Reform Club on Pall Mall.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Blimey!
0:27:25 > 0:27:30The Reform Club was set up in 1836 as the home for some of the most forward-thinking men in Britain.
0:27:33 > 0:27:38But probably one of the most famous people there was to be found in the kitchen.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Alexis Soyer, their head chef, was a celebrity in his time.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45He wasn't just one of the world's best chefs.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50He was also a ground-breaking champion of posh food for everyday people.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53A bit like me and Kingy, really.
0:27:53 > 0:27:58We think he's got a lot to teach us about great gourmet food
0:27:58 > 0:28:00on a really tight budget.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04And we've even dressed up posh just for the purposes of investigation.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Cos they wouldn't let us in with our leathers on.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10- Oh, the things we'll do for a good dinner.- You're not wrong.
0:28:11 > 0:28:16Alexis Soyer wrote recipe books for all strata of society.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19One of his most famous was The Modern Housewife.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Aimed at the middle classes, it was full of tips on how to replicate
0:28:23 > 0:28:25high society food cheaply.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26Hello, Ruth.
0:28:26 > 0:28:31And we're hoping to find out more from his biographer, Ruth Cowen.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34With this book he used leftovers,
0:28:34 > 0:28:39cheap cuts, more imaginative ways of being economical
0:28:39 > 0:28:44to make great food and wholesome food, you know, readily available.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- But top quality.- And we thought we were being original.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Alexis Soyer beat us to it. SHE LAUGHS
0:28:49 > 0:28:51A hundred and odd years ago.
0:28:51 > 0:28:56- Absolutely. A clever commercial man, though, wasn't he?- Very much so.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00Then, just as now, people wanted posh food but at cheap prices,
0:29:00 > 0:29:03and his recipe book for the working classes was a huge hit.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07- He told a quarter of a million copies, which even today you'd be proud of.- Yes.
0:29:07 > 0:29:12But for the Victorians, with their much more limited literacy
0:29:12 > 0:29:16and it was very much a class-based thing, it was phenomenal.
0:29:16 > 0:29:20So given our quest, is there a pearl that we can learn from Alexis Soyer?
0:29:20 > 0:29:25I think there is, and I think turtle soup was a very iconic dish of the period.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28- We can't do that. We'll get shot. - Absolutely.- Too right.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32And it was extremely expensive and rare, even then.
0:29:32 > 0:29:36But in his typical way, Alexis Soyer got around the problem
0:29:36 > 0:29:42of expense and rarity for the middle classes, who desperately wanted to have something similar,
0:29:42 > 0:29:46and he made mock turtle soup. There are two recipes here.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52Mock turtle soup is a classic example of swapping out expensive ingredients
0:29:52 > 0:29:55for cheaper but equally tasty alternatives.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58And we're going to have a go at making it.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02Current head chef Terry Howard has agreed to let us into his kitchen.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04Heaven help him.
0:30:04 > 0:30:08- Right, chef, we're here, present and correct, sir.- Yes, sir.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11And how's this for creative thinking?
0:30:11 > 0:30:15The main ingredient in mock turtle soup is calf's head.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18Look away if you're squeamish.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22Morning. How are we? Not feeling too well, I see. Never mind, eh?
0:30:22 > 0:30:27This, to me, looks like really cheap cuts of meat.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32- Turtle, it's an expensive commodity. - Sure.- So Soyer decided,
0:30:32 > 0:30:34for one reason or another,
0:30:34 > 0:30:37to use a calf's head as a substitute for turtle.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41I suppose, Ruth, this is a classic example of everyday gourmet.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44From a very expensive, classic dish,
0:30:44 > 0:30:48- you make something that's more accessible.- That's absolutely it.
0:30:48 > 0:30:53I mean, turtle soup was THE most lavish dish of the entire 19th century.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57They didn't have any problem with it being a different ingredient.
0:30:57 > 0:31:02But the end result had the same texture and the same strength,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05a really strong, meaty flavour.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Soyer's trick, as with all good chefs,
0:31:07 > 0:31:11is to pull out and enhance the flavours of the main ingredients.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14In this case, calf's head.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19As with our pheasant earlier, that involves cooking with sauteed carrot, onion and celery.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21It's a classic stock.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25What's interesting about this dish, David, and what I'm finding is
0:31:25 > 0:31:27that all the cuts of meat are quite gelatinous.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31So when you reduce it down it's going to be that big, like,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35you know, like a veloute. A big, you know, sucker of a soup.
0:31:35 > 0:31:41The cuts of meat are boiled in the stock, along with the remains of the head, for a good two hours
0:31:41 > 0:31:45before being cooled and pressed to make a firm block of mock turtle steak.
0:31:46 > 0:31:50- The soup itself is made from a roue. - That's butter and flour to me and you.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52With the strained stock,
0:31:52 > 0:31:56and then flavoured with herbs and glossed up with a helping of cream.
0:31:58 > 0:32:03You've got all the flavours coming through from the marjoram, thyme and basil.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06- That's the tasty bits, isn't it? - Yes, definitely.
0:32:06 > 0:32:10We've got every last drop out. I'm going to finish it with the mock turtle.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12I tell you what. It looks like turtle to me.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16- Not that I'm too familiar. Is that OK, about a centimetre?- Perfect.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20With recipes like this, Soyer's cooking became so famous
0:32:20 > 0:32:23that he was able to produce ranges of his own branded sauce,
0:32:23 > 0:32:29which then allowed normal people to savour some of the high-end Reform Club dishes in their own homes
0:32:29 > 0:32:33without the need for fancy equipment or long cooking times.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36Now let's taste what Soyer had to teach us.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41- OK, everybody, dig in.- It looks great. It looks really good.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48- It's really good.- Mmm.- It's tasty. - Very.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50It is. I think, at the bottom of this,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53- it's just the building blocks of good cooking.- Of course.
0:32:53 > 0:32:58You start with a good broth, then you turn it into whatever you want to.
0:32:58 > 0:33:00You always go with the basics,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03and then just create it into something fabulous,
0:33:03 > 0:33:05which is exactly what Soyer's done.
0:33:06 > 0:33:11- Well, hats off, Alexis Soyer. - Yes. Absolutely.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14- And hats off to Terry for carrying on his spirit.- Yes.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19That Soyer was certainly inventive, Si.
0:33:19 > 0:33:23I know, mate, and it's in tribute to him that we're going to make
0:33:23 > 0:33:27our own swap-out version of another British classic.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29- The beef Wellington. - COW MOOS
0:33:30 > 0:33:33Instead of expensive beef and foie gras,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36we're going to use pork and mushers.
0:33:36 > 0:33:41Now you could be up to £20 a portion for a good beef Wellington in a posh restaurant.
0:33:41 > 0:33:46- This you're getting a massive portion for around...- Five squid.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50Because this is pork, and we know what goes really well with pork,
0:33:50 > 0:33:52we've enhanced the dish.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56- It's stuffed down the middle with black pudding.- You're loving it.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00It's wrapped in a seared duxelle of mushrooms, then wrapped in Parma ham,
0:34:00 > 0:34:04cos the ham goes great with the pork and the black pudding,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07and then we serve it with wonderful caramelised apples.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Do you know where we're coming from?
0:34:11 > 0:34:15Now this is a lovely piece of fillet.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18You see this sinew here? It's a bit tough.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20What we're going to do is take that off.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Dead simple. A bit of a knife, take it off.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26While I start prepping an onion for the duxelle of mushroom,
0:34:26 > 0:34:31check out Si's top tip on cramming that pork full of juicy black pudding.
0:34:31 > 0:34:36See this bit of paper here? Put one in, like that...
0:34:37 > 0:34:41..and then roll the fillet so it's quite tight.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45Take a long knife,
0:34:45 > 0:34:49and I'm going to push that knife right the way through.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52In the same hole you've put the knife through
0:34:53 > 0:34:55I'm going to put the end of a spoon.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02My onions are sweating, but that's boring. This is great.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06- Right, apple corer.- Yeah. - Click! Click!
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Look at this. Black pudding plugs.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14Shotgun cartridges for the gastronomy world.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17In the true spirit of British resolve and invention,
0:35:17 > 0:35:20you could find your own way of stuffing the fillets,
0:35:20 > 0:35:24but get in as much as you can to make that meat as moist as possible.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26But how juicy is that pork going to be
0:35:26 > 0:35:29when all that black pudding fat has cooked into it?
0:35:29 > 0:35:31It's going to be the best.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35For the paste, your mushrooms must be finely chopped
0:35:35 > 0:35:39before they join the sweating onions and a shaving of garlic.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43I'm just going to generously season the pork before I start cooking it.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47Do you know what? I'd be tempted to just cut that into little rounds,
0:35:47 > 0:35:50- fry it off and have it with some eggs.- Ooh, yeah. Ooh, yeah.
0:35:50 > 0:35:53- Poached duck egg or something. - Brown sauce.- Yeah.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57- But that would not be gourmet. - No.- That's gourmet.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01I'll put the pork into a hot pan and sear on all sides,
0:36:01 > 0:36:04while Dave gets to use today's equivalent of
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Soyer's time-saving brand sauces.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11That wonderful gourmet stand-by. Ready-made puff pastry.
0:36:12 > 0:36:14Oh, look at the size of that boy.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17HE HUMS "1812 Overture" by Tchaikovsky
0:36:20 > 0:36:24MUSIC: "1812 Overture" by Tchaikovsky
0:36:24 > 0:36:27Roll it out big enough to wrap your pork,
0:36:27 > 0:36:31then line it with Parma ham, or any other cured ham of choice.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34The mushroom paste gets spread onto the ham.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39This is the duxelle of mushroom. And, after all that gentle cooking,
0:36:39 > 0:36:43it should have reduced enormously but intensified in flavour.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46This is like a fungal duvet for your wellington.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49That is beautiful.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- Where would you like it?- I'd like it that way, dear heart.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- Beautiful.- There we are.
0:36:55 > 0:37:01Now, paint this liberally with egg. You don't want a leaky Wellington!
0:37:01 > 0:37:03I'll take that up and over.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Take that up and over.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Now, I've got my seam there,
0:37:11 > 0:37:13and I'm going to take it like this.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20Under there. This is the bottom, so nobody sees that.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24So look at that. That's your presentation side.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29So we can get that nice and neat.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32The whole thing goes onto a baking tray to be glazed with egg
0:37:32 > 0:37:36and decorated with some of the leftover pastry.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39I'm just going to give this another coat of egg.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41I want a nice, nice glaze.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45This will go into an oven at 170 degrees for 15 minutes,
0:37:45 > 0:37:49then turn it down to 150 degrees for another ten minutes.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52Finally turn it off and leave it for another ten.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Lush. I'm looking forward to this.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00And I've got plenty of time to make the ultimate gourmet apple sauce.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04This is the oil that we seasoned the pork fillet in.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Very important, that, because, don't forget,
0:38:07 > 0:38:09it's about recycling flavours.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14What we're going to do is we're just going to caramelise them.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16And it shouldn't take too long.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20- And you've got that lovely pork fat and bits of black pepper.- Exactly.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24To the apples add some chicken stock,
0:38:24 > 0:38:29a few sage leaves, a slug of sherry for sweetness,
0:38:29 > 0:38:31and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37Now what we do is, we cook that until the liquid has reduced by half,
0:38:37 > 0:38:40and then we float in some cream.
0:38:42 > 0:38:47Now there's posh gravy. Oh, look at the ripples on this. It's lovely when you do that.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51- Now you could serve the pork without this.- You could, Dave, you could.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55But just a little effort and hardly any extra money elevates this
0:38:55 > 0:39:00from the downright delicious to the utterly delightful.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02The anticipation's killing us.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- And... There you go.- Oh, yes.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12- Look at the juices in that. - Look at that.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15It's like a pig roly-poly.
0:39:21 > 0:39:25The nugget of black pudding's perfectly in the middle
0:39:25 > 0:39:27and that pork is tender.
0:39:27 > 0:39:32- It couldn't be anything else, really, with that black pudding. - Oh, look at that.
0:39:35 > 0:39:38Sometimes pork loin can be very dry. That's not dry.
0:39:38 > 0:39:43The black pudding, the mushrooms and the ham are keeping it so moist and tasty.
0:39:43 > 0:39:46- That, I think, would serve four. - Easy.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48So we're down to £2.50 a head.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51We've been too extravagant.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54Us? Extravagant? Good grief!
0:39:55 > 0:39:57I reckon Soyer would've been proud of us.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00We've given the wellie a good old reboot.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05And our experiments with making expensive classics affordable
0:40:05 > 0:40:10has got me thinking about a way to bring Helen and Lee's four-course gourmet meal in on budget.
0:40:10 > 0:40:14I've got it. What about neck of lamb? That's cheap and dead tasty.
0:40:14 > 0:40:18Maybe we could make it a bit more delicate. Wrap it in filo pastry
0:40:18 > 0:40:20and embrace it with Mexican spices.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22Ooh.
0:40:27 > 0:40:34Time's running out. We're going to have to meet the girls and find the ingredients for that special meal.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Soyer has given us ideas for the main course.
0:40:37 > 0:40:39Inspired by David Matthias's foraging,
0:40:39 > 0:40:41we're going to go a-hunting and a-gathering.
0:40:41 > 0:40:45But because we don't know our goosegrass from our elbow,
0:40:45 > 0:40:48we're leaving the hedgerows in favour of...
0:40:48 > 0:40:52..a pick-your-own farm, where your own hard graft can save you cash.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56Right, girls, there's nothing tastes finer than fresh fruit and veg
0:40:56 > 0:40:58picked by your own hands.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01Euch, it's pouring down.
0:41:01 > 0:41:05- Yeah, let's go to the farm shop. - Yeah. We'll have a cup of tea
0:41:05 > 0:41:08whilst they're picking the strawberries. Suckers!
0:41:08 > 0:41:13- These are good strawberries. - Yeah, they're all right.- Taste them, see what they're like.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15Minted.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19We're preparing a surprise dinner for foster parents Helen and Lee,
0:41:19 > 0:41:22whose birth daughters Sophie and Chloe...
0:41:22 > 0:41:24- Staying dry.- Yep.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27..and one of their 22 foster children, Shanice,
0:41:27 > 0:41:31want to say a massive thank you for all their selfless parenting.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34What is so special about Lee and Helen?
0:41:34 > 0:41:39- What is it?- Many things really. Just the type of people they are,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42they will go to the edge of the Earth for anybody.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Like Helen, sometimes she's too nice for her own good.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47She doesn't know when to say no.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51Like, Lee works from half-five in the morning till, you know,
0:41:51 > 0:41:54five, six o'clock at night.
0:41:54 > 0:41:57They don't stop. They don't have a break.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00They are just one-in-a-million.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02What did you need from them?
0:42:02 > 0:42:05After the experiences that you've had, what was it?
0:42:05 > 0:42:08To get me to school, get me through my exams,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12motivated me in what I wanted to do in life. Everything, really.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16And just, like, I don't know, just a safety blanket.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18Yes.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20- So you want to say thank you.- Yes.
0:42:20 > 0:42:25It's not just me they've supported, it's not just, you know, whoever else they've had,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28the people there now, I think everyone, if they had the chance,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31they'd all want to do something like this for them.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Which is why we're out in the pouring rain...
0:42:34 > 0:42:38- Picking strawberries. - Picking ruddy strawberries.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40With all these ingredients in front of me,
0:42:40 > 0:42:44everything feels like it's coming together.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- It's such a hard life, this toiling the soil, isn't it?- Oh, yes.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49I could take up farming.
0:42:49 > 0:42:52Do you reckon? GIRLS GIGGLE
0:42:52 > 0:42:56- You'd have to go outside for that. - Ooh, no. I'm an indoor farmer.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00Chloe and Sophie are getting all we need for the amuse-bouche.
0:43:00 > 0:43:05- Lemons, two of, please.- 29p each, yeah?- Oh, we'll have three.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08We've got the butcher's counter for the main course.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11- Lamb neck fillets?- That's what we want.- Neck?- It's brilliant.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14If Si and Shanice manage to get any strawberries,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17we could stick with dairy and biscuit idea for the panna cotta
0:43:17 > 0:43:20but make a seasonable cheesecake instead.
0:43:20 > 0:43:24- If you were a biscuit, what would you be?- I'd be a chocolate Bourbon.
0:43:24 > 0:43:27I could see you as a chocolate Bourbon.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30- Can we afford this?- Oh, yeah.
0:43:30 > 0:43:33The girls have got 50 quid to spend on this meal,
0:43:33 > 0:43:37which I reckon is pretty generous and should allow us a couple of extras.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40We'll take a bottle of that Merlot. It's £6.99.
0:43:40 > 0:43:42There's Shiraz as well, £6.99.
0:43:43 > 0:43:49Yeah. If we're going to 50 quid, get one of each. That will be all right.
0:43:49 > 0:43:50OK.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53# It's not about The money, money, money...
0:43:53 > 0:43:54Hello.
0:43:54 > 0:43:56# I don't need Your money, money, money...
0:43:56 > 0:44:00I've got ID if you need it. SHE LAUGHS
0:44:00 > 0:44:02All right, thank you.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04# Ain't about the cha-ching, cha-ching
0:44:04 > 0:44:07- # Ain't about the, yeah, Ba-bling, ba-bling... - I hope we're on budget.
0:44:07 > 0:44:11- # Wanna make the world dance... - We've already hit £50.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13No, we haven't.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15Oh, no.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18Do you know, I'm always doing this at home.
0:44:20 > 0:44:2255? What have we got that's so expensive?
0:44:26 > 0:44:29Thank you very much.
0:44:29 > 0:44:32- I think we're going to have to put some lamb back.- Some?
0:44:32 > 0:44:34The grand total is £70.98, please.
0:44:36 > 0:44:37- Oh.- Uh-oh.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41- Would it be a terrible imposition if I put something back?- No, that's fine.
0:44:41 > 0:44:43Erm...
0:44:43 > 0:44:48- Two of the lambs.- A bottle of wine. - So I've cancelled that one.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50Can I give you two lemons back?
0:44:50 > 0:44:55- It'll still be brilliant but we're not going to have any leftovers. - You're really embarrassing.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59You're not the first person who's said that to me.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01I can actually see this bag splitting.
0:45:02 > 0:45:04Get us another. It cost us 5p.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12- That's a grand total of £41.35p. - Excellent.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15Now, what they'll do on the telly is just cut to this bit.
0:45:15 > 0:45:20- We'll go, "Excellent. That leaves us nearly £9 to buy the rest of it." - Oh, yes.- "We've done well there."
0:45:20 > 0:45:22Right, let's go.
0:45:22 > 0:45:27- Thank you. Sorry to have been of trouble.- You're welcome. Thanks. Bye.
0:45:27 > 0:45:29- Hiya.- Hello.- Hiya.- All right?
0:45:31 > 0:45:35- It was hard work, that.- Is it just me or are these three looking shifty?
0:45:35 > 0:45:36- Look at our wellies.- Look.
0:45:36 > 0:45:40We've been foraging. Yours hasn't even got anything on them.
0:45:40 > 0:45:44You're wearing plimsolls. Where have you three been?
0:45:44 > 0:45:48OK, we went to the farm shop. I'm not going out there. It's wringing down.
0:45:48 > 0:45:50How much did you spend?
0:45:50 > 0:45:52All this for about £40.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58You three have been on the rob, haven't you?
0:45:58 > 0:46:00- No, we've had a kerfuffle. - What happened?
0:46:00 > 0:46:03Oh, I hit 70 quid, didn't I? I had to work it down to 40.
0:46:03 > 0:46:07When it got down to 50, honestly, it was like price drop TV.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10That's what happens when I go picking.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12Right, so it's crunch time.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16Now to put all our ideas and inspirations together.
0:46:16 > 0:46:18On our menu for Helen and Lee...
0:46:20 > 0:46:23A dainty gazpacho amuse-bouche to whet the appetite.
0:46:25 > 0:46:29A classic '70s starter with a spicy restaurant revamp.
0:46:30 > 0:46:36For the main course, a variation on the beef Wellington, but this time using lamb and a filo pastry.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42And for pudding, a seasonal cheesecake with hand-picked fruit
0:46:42 > 0:46:45and a rather flashy sponge sugar crown
0:46:45 > 0:46:47to ramp up the gourmet gambit.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52And if presentation is half the battle,
0:46:52 > 0:46:55this sponge sugar crown makes winning easy.
0:46:56 > 0:46:59First, pour caster sugar into a non-stick pan,
0:47:00 > 0:47:06and then carefully heat it until it turns into a beautiful brown, gloopy caramel.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08Plunge into a baking tray of cold water.
0:47:08 > 0:47:12Meanwhile, brush the underside of some bowls with vegetable oil
0:47:12 > 0:47:15and place on silicon paper.
0:47:15 > 0:47:17And now the fun bit.
0:47:17 > 0:47:21- Dip a fork or whisk into the molten sugar and drizzle.- More like whip.
0:47:21 > 0:47:23Over the bowls.
0:47:23 > 0:47:28Do this until you're happy with your design, then leave it to set.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32Cut off any stray edges and then carefully remove from the bowl.
0:47:33 > 0:47:38And there you have it. The crowning glory to pretty up any dessert.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Ah, one, two, three, go.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44In the heart of Chester, we've taken over a restaurant,
0:47:44 > 0:47:48and the tables are ready for a great dinner for two.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51But us and the girls have got some serious prep to do
0:47:51 > 0:47:53before Helen and Lee arrive.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56And that involves GBH on Ginger Nut biscuits!
0:47:56 > 0:47:59- I think she's enjoying that too much.- I do as well.
0:47:59 > 0:48:03- It's a bit of a worry, really. - Nice work, Soph. Shall we give them a shake?
0:48:03 > 0:48:05HE LAUGHS
0:48:05 > 0:48:09We're starting with the cheesecake as it will need plenty of time to set.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11Mettre le beurre sur le biscuit.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15Put the butter, melted, in the biscuits.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18- We're in a French restaurant, aren't we?- No, it's good.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Avec comme tu melanger.
0:48:20 > 0:48:25- Stir the biscuits together with the butter.- Oui.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28To make a solid base, pack it down tight.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31- This is mascarpone cheese. - Mascarpone.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35Which is a soft Italian cheese, a traditional cheese in a cheesecake.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38Fold in the sugar and double cream.
0:48:38 > 0:48:42- This should loosen it. - Oh, look at that!
0:48:42 > 0:48:46To make it mega lemony, grate in the zest of one lemon.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48- A fingernail in there. - SHE GIGGLES
0:48:50 > 0:48:54- Sophie has put herself into this cheesecake.- Literally.- She has.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00After softening gelatine in warm water, add it to some heated lemon juice
0:49:00 > 0:49:03and then pour it into the cheesecake topping.
0:49:03 > 0:49:05And to get those cheeks really puckering,
0:49:05 > 0:49:08dollop in three tablespoons of lemon curd.
0:49:09 > 0:49:14- You've got a hair in there.- Where? - Oh, look at that.- That's yours. - It's not. It's blonde.
0:49:14 > 0:49:15Ah, Sophie.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19Spoon the cheesy mix onto the biscuit base.
0:49:19 > 0:49:20And give it a shake to level off.
0:49:20 > 0:49:22A shimmy and that'll be fine.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24Pop it in the fridge until set.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26And then it's on with the amuse-bouche.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31Our gob-tickler is going to be gazpacho soup
0:49:31 > 0:49:33topped with a dainty quail's egg.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36And we start by finely chopping some spring onions.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39But Shanice seems to have her own take on finely chopped.
0:49:39 > 0:49:44- They're all exactly the same.- No, you've wrecked it.- He's not happy now.- It's a shard.
0:49:44 > 0:49:46- I don't want a shard.- He didn't want a shard.
0:49:46 > 0:49:50I didn't know what a shard was. Do you know who you remind me of?
0:49:50 > 0:49:52The Chuckle Brothers.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55- The Chuckle Brothers!- Yes.- Yes.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59- It just popped in.- Would you mind popping it out again!
0:49:59 > 0:50:01To me, to you. To me, to you. To me, to you.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Right, you two, cut it out!
0:50:06 > 0:50:10Oh, dear. They could've said Ant and Dec or somebody remotely cool.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12- Jedward? - ALL LAUGH
0:50:13 > 0:50:17To the pot add some red onion,
0:50:17 > 0:50:19green and red peppers,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22and a litre of passata.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25Add sherry vinegar, garlic and olive oil.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28Then mix it up and let it stand to rest.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33So that's gazpacho. That's just going to benefit by being stood
0:50:33 > 0:50:36for two or three hours for the flavours to infuse.
0:50:36 > 0:50:43What we could do is make a sauce and get everything prepped for the prawn cocktail now.
0:50:43 > 0:50:46Now the girls were definitely keen on prawns,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49and prawn cocktail certainly used to be a restaurant favourite.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52It may have fallen out of favour recently...
0:50:52 > 0:50:57..but we've updated this classic using some of our gazpacho as a flavour base.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00Fold in gently. You don't want to break the prawns up.
0:51:00 > 0:51:03Into the prawns and gazpacho go some creme fraiche,
0:51:03 > 0:51:06onions, chopped tomatoes and de-seeded chillies.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11We want this finer than a butterfly's toenail clippings.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16Also some coriander, chopped radish,
0:51:16 > 0:51:21zest of a lime and, if you like a little more kick, a drop or two of Tabasco sauce.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24I think it needs some salt as well.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26- Look at them, eh?- They're prawns, aren't they?
0:51:26 > 0:51:30Look at that! They have blown the budget.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33- What are they?- Prawns!
0:51:33 > 0:51:36- They're prawns? - They're that one's older brother.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42Honestly, Shanice, to a prawn lover this is like the Holy Grail.
0:51:43 > 0:51:46Blanch those prawns in boiling water until pink.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50And that's like super luxury prawn.
0:51:53 > 0:51:58And for the main course. Inspired by our very own pork wellie,
0:51:58 > 0:52:00we're doing spicy lamb parcels.
0:52:01 > 0:52:05Start by searing the lamb neck fillets until brown on all sides.
0:52:05 > 0:52:08On half a red pepper place some minced lamb
0:52:08 > 0:52:12which has been mixed with onions, chillies and garlic.
0:52:12 > 0:52:16Brush melted butter on two sheets of shop-bought filo pastry.
0:52:17 > 0:52:23Then balance the neck fillets on the mince and package up into a tight, luxurious lamb parcel.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27Brush with more melted butter to ensure it goes golden brown,
0:52:27 > 0:52:30then cook at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.
0:52:34 > 0:52:40The girls have done everything they can do to make this a very special thank you meal for Helen and Lee.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44They have no idea what's going on, but Sophie, Chloe and Shanice
0:52:44 > 0:52:48hope it will be a surprise they'll never forget.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52They do deserve loads because over, like, ten years,
0:52:52 > 0:52:55they've, like, fostered 22 young people,
0:52:55 > 0:52:58and they've never had this before - or anything.
0:52:59 > 0:53:01GIRLS GIGGLE
0:53:01 > 0:53:04I think it's important for them to get this treat
0:53:04 > 0:53:08because they never have anything for themselves.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14They just do so much for everybody. They don't think of themselves,
0:53:14 > 0:53:18they think of everybody else. They think of him and her and her and him.
0:53:18 > 0:53:23It's everyone else and they're last. They're at the bottom of the queue.
0:53:24 > 0:53:29We're just here to say thank you for being amazing parents and foster carers,
0:53:29 > 0:53:31and we thought you deserve a treat.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35We haven't done it alone. We've had two dodgy caterers from a burger van.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37- ALL LAUGH - Yeah.
0:53:38 > 0:53:40- Who are you calling dodgy?- Hey!
0:53:42 > 0:53:47- I'm really worried now. The Hairy Bikers.- Hello, Helen.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51Good to meet you. Nice to meet you.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56- Good to meet you. How are you doing? - Shaking.- Don't shake.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- Good grief.- By 'eck, you've got a fabulous family.
0:53:59 > 0:54:04- How are you feeling? Is it like, "Crumbs"?- Yeah, absolutely. - We're shocked.- Shocked.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07- Are you hungry?- Starving. - See you in a minute.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10Cheers. Thank you.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14- Cheers.- Cheers, love.
0:54:14 > 0:54:16Before the meal can begin,
0:54:16 > 0:54:20we've got to add the finishing touches to the gazpacho.
0:54:20 > 0:54:25A couple of basil leaves, a blob of mayonnaise and a hard boiled quail's egg floated on the top.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30Now, the egg must not sink.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34It's touches like these that make a meal restaurant worthy.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37- Just a little cheeky starter.- Oh. Very nice.- Thank you.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39And it's a little gazpacho Espanol.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45- What do you think?- Very nice. - Very tasty.
0:54:46 > 0:54:51We'll be serving the prawn cocktail with one of our massive tiger prawns on the side.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55And in the glass, carefully laid lettuce, avocado and prawns.
0:54:58 > 0:55:00- A touch.- Yeah, that's what we want.
0:55:03 > 0:55:07- Very nice.- After your amuse-bouche, your second course.
0:55:07 > 0:55:11- It's a prawn cocktail, because we know you love prawns.- Thank you very much.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13I'll just move that, sir.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16- That's not a prawn. It's more like a lobster. - HE LAUGH
0:55:18 > 0:55:22- Thank you.- Well done, kid.- You know you have to make these when we all get home.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30- It's so nice.- It's nice. - They've done a grand job.
0:55:30 > 0:55:34It's going well upstairs. It's time to see if the lamb parcels are ready.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37Do you want to taste the mincey bits?
0:55:37 > 0:55:40- Do you think it's too spicy for them? - No.- Just right.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44- It's well nice.- Do you think that's good.- Yeah.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Great. I was worried it might be too much.
0:55:46 > 0:55:52We're serving these with steamed vegetables, which give a lovely splash of colour to the plate.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55It's all these little things that make it special.
0:55:55 > 0:55:57I mean, we're in a restaurant,
0:55:57 > 0:56:00so let's give them restaurant styley food.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02Right, chocks away, skippers.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10- Here's your mains.- Thank you very much.- Mm.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16- How's that?- Very nice.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18It's really tasty, that.
0:56:19 > 0:56:21We're coming to the grand finale,
0:56:21 > 0:56:27and the cheesecake is looking stunning thanks to all our hand-picked berries.
0:56:27 > 0:56:29And that sits perfectly on top.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34- Yes.- Yes.- Love you. That looks great. Good. I'm happy with that.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36- There is it.- Perfect.
0:56:38 > 0:56:40- Oh, are you having some?- Yeah.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45- So have you had a nice dinner? - Very nice. A nice surprise.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48We had no idea what was going on. It was great.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51- What a surprise.- It's their fault. - ALL LAUGH
0:56:54 > 0:56:57We've just had a laugh, like, from start to finish.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01- They're the Chuckle Brothers. What can we say?- I'm going to murder her.
0:57:01 > 0:57:04Anyway, it's been a fantastic journey with you all.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07It's been a pleasure and privilege to meet you
0:57:07 > 0:57:10and be involved in the family for the short time we have been.
0:57:10 > 0:57:12Can I just say thank you to all of you.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14- We're so proud.- No, thank you.
0:57:16 > 0:57:20We want to thank you for being amazing parents and foster carers
0:57:20 > 0:57:24to many young people, and we just want to treat you,
0:57:24 > 0:57:27- cos you deserve it.- Thank you.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30Do you think it's lived up to your expectations, girls?
0:57:30 > 0:57:32- Yeah, definitely.- Are you happy?
0:57:32 > 0:57:38- Great. There's still smiling faces sat at the table, that's for sure. - What a team, eh?
0:57:38 > 0:57:42- That's what it's all about, isn't it?- Yeah.- I'm so proud of them all.
0:57:42 > 0:57:45- Thank you for this afternoon. - It's been fantastic.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50- I think that was a success, don't you, Si?- I do, Dave, I do.
0:57:50 > 0:57:55That's good, because it all goes to show you can take the poshest, most expensive restaurant meals and,
0:57:55 > 0:57:59with a judicious bit of ingredient swapping, you can make them easily
0:57:59 > 0:58:06and economically at home. We've shown that the cheapest but most important ingredients are time and effort.
0:58:06 > 0:58:07- Yes!- Lovely.
0:58:07 > 0:58:11Which, when budgets are tight, can transform even the most basic of dishes.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14And we've shown that if you're completely skint...
0:58:14 > 0:58:18..you can go foraging and eat for nowt. Well, sort of.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21ENGINE STARTS