0:00:02 > 0:00:04Oh, mate, it's good to be on the road again!
0:00:04 > 0:00:05Wee-hee!
0:00:05 > 0:00:06New places.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Now, that's a view, Dave.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11New people. THEY SPEAK ITALIAN
0:00:11 > 0:00:12And new food.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Ooh, that's good!
0:00:14 > 0:00:18This time, we're doing almost 3,000 miles around the Mediterranean
0:00:18 > 0:00:22in search of the authentic flavours of Italy and Sardinia,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Corsica and France,
0:00:24 > 0:00:27the Balearics and Spain.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29We'll end up in Andalucia
0:00:29 > 0:00:31for one of the biggest festivals in the Med -
0:00:31 > 0:00:33the festival of San Juan.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36But it won't be all sun, sea and sangria, Kingy.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39- Oui, oui, oui, oui, oui, oui, oui! - They're all looking at us now.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Too right! We need to track down the real Mediterranean.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45You'll never get a tune out of that.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47Little, out-of-the-way places,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50and all the culinary loveliness on offer.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55- Oh, wow!- It's so simple. - It's fantastic.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58We get to eat the tiger cow. Moo!
0:00:58 > 0:01:01And, of course, we want to cook with the locals.
0:01:01 > 0:01:02- ALL:- Salute!
0:01:02 > 0:01:04And hear their stories.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07This is our take on a magical part of the world
0:01:07 > 0:01:09right on our doorstep...
0:01:09 > 0:01:11- Kingy!- What?
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Oh, wow!
0:01:13 > 0:01:15..where we hope to find the meaning of life...
0:01:15 > 0:01:17- Keep stirring!- I'm stirring!
0:01:17 > 0:01:20..the spoon-iverse and everything.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23- Ole!- Hold on to your helmets.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25Wah! HE LAUGHS
0:01:25 > 0:01:26You!
0:01:26 > 0:01:29It's going to be immense.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36- BOTH:- We're off!
0:01:36 > 0:01:38And we're in Italy!
0:01:47 > 0:01:49I can't believe it, dude.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52We're here again at the start of yet another epic adventure,
0:01:52 > 0:01:56right on the shores of the Mediterranean.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57Oh, mamma mia!
0:01:57 > 0:01:58Look at this, Kingy.
0:01:58 > 0:02:03We're way off the beaten track down here, right on Italy's heel.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05But you know the rule, dude -
0:02:05 > 0:02:09every great journey starts with breakfast.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12And we've heard that the seafood on this stretch of coast
0:02:12 > 0:02:16is as fresh as you'll ever find it. Shall we?
0:02:17 > 0:02:19Look at this, Dave. I cannot believe it, man.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23Local delicacy, sea urchins - ricci.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Right here from the sea. It's perfect, man.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Right now, I feel like the ricci-est person in the world.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30- What do we have with it, Kingy? - Well, it's pretty simple, I think.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Bit of bread, bit of cheese, bit of mortadella. Look, there's some tomatoes there.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35That's it.
0:02:35 > 0:02:36Una plata...
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Si, un piatto, grazie.
0:02:38 > 0:02:39TRANSLATION:
0:02:39 > 0:02:40Quanti? Erm...
0:02:40 > 0:02:44- What's 12 in Italian?- Erm...- Ah...
0:02:44 > 0:02:47Hmm, the language thing's going to be interesting, Kingy.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51- I thought you spoke Italian. - Poco, mate. Poco.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53- Beautiful.- Yeah, dude.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55This is how they do it here.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59- Scoop and doop. - Scoop and doop. Oh, man!
0:02:59 > 0:03:01- How awesome is that?- It's so fresh.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04- It's just the taste of the sea, isn't it?- Yeah.- Oh!
0:03:04 > 0:03:07- I'm worried about pricking my tongue.- I don't care.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Thing is, Dave, you and me know the north of Italy,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12but the south is new territory for us.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15I'm wondering if we're going to find the purest of Italy,
0:03:15 > 0:03:17the purest Italian food.
0:03:17 > 0:03:18Look, like we've got here.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21I mean, simple ingredients, but perfectly fresh.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23And you know what, as well, dude?
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Here in the south, it's traditionally poor,
0:03:25 > 0:03:28so the kitchen here is called kitchen povera,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31and it does it the best in the world anywhere.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36I think you mean cucina povera, Si. Literally "cuisine of the poor".
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Simple, minimal, no waste.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Historically, it was food to keep starvation at bay,
0:03:42 > 0:03:43but that was then.
0:03:43 > 0:03:48Now it's appreciated as some of the tastiest in the world.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50And that's just for starters.
0:03:50 > 0:03:51HE GASPS You know what else grows down here?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Tropea onions. You know, chefs' favourite at home.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Cost an absolute fortune in the trendy markets.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Here, they grow in the fields, and therefore hardly anything.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03'Nduja sausage. It's like that spicy sausage pate.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05I can't wait to find out how it's made
0:04:05 > 0:04:07and to taste the real thing.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Righto, Mr King, we've got 3,000 miles ahead of us.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13- Shall we hit the road?- Let's do it.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21From here, at Porto Badisco, we'll ride west to Nardo and Matera.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26Then, it's south into Calabria, stopping at Pizzo and Tropea.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28We'll finish at Bova,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30right at the tip of Italy's toe.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Dave, you know we're after the undiscovered, the unspoiled,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- the authentic?- Yeah.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49Well, how about this for starters? This is Nardo.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52It's like, well, Tuscany without the tourists.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55Bellissimo!
0:04:55 > 0:05:00BELLS CHIME
0:05:00 > 0:05:04A small town in Puglia, traditionally a poor part of Italy.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07We should be able to find some cucina povera here, Kingy.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Well, according to the locals,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13the best place is just around the corner,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15and the man we need to meet is Giuseppe.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19- Oh, here it is, dude. - It's the Antica Trattoria Salandra.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Perfect.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Hey, your Italian's getting much better.
0:05:24 > 0:05:25- Giuseppe!- Oh, ciao!
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- HE SPEAKS ITALIAN - David.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37- Ah, OK. So, frittini.- Si, si, si.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40- Frittini or...mushrooma. - Funghi.- Funghi.
0:05:40 > 0:05:41Bravissimo.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Well, this is it, Giuseppe.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Because we have the greatest of pleasure
0:05:55 > 0:05:57of being in Giuseppe's kitchen.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01- Giuseppe's kitchen is cucina povera...- Bravo. Bravo.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04..which is a kitchen of limited ingredients,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06but the most fantastic flavours.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Yes.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Doesn't get any better than this, does it?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- It's very runny. Ooh.- Ooh.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19- So, is that tomato, olives, capers?- Yeah.- Simple.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25It's like a ready-made, fried-up pizza all in a oner, isn't it?
0:06:25 > 0:06:29How fantastic is that? Simple. Oh, man!
0:06:29 > 0:06:32So, in there, we've got tomatoes, olives, capers.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36- Che meraviglia.- Light.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- I'm going to do this at home. - This is what I hoped to learn.- Yeah.
0:06:42 > 0:06:45It's those super simple things that people can do at home.
0:06:45 > 0:06:46Ah!
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- Look at those. - But, listen, it's crispy.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- Yeah.- It's beautiful.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55You see, this was a... Scusa.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58HE LAUGHS Get off, Kingy!
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Don't know about you, Si, but this is Italian
0:07:00 > 0:07:03- like I've never seen before. - Me neither, mate.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Mangiare?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10- Ah.- Oh, look at this. Look.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- Mm.- How does it go? Mm.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16How can that be that good with just that?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Bellissimo. Funghi.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Giuseppe's on a roll now. That's octopus.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I'm going to be in so much trouble with these potatoes.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32I'm trying to leave as much potato on as I can.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40- Sacked.- Ecco qua.- Ah.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44- Basta questo.- There's not much, is there?- No, man.- No.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- Si, si.- Ah!
0:07:47 > 0:07:49- Tu comprende?- OK. OK. Bravo. Bravo.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Of course, if you can't get hold of octopus,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54you can try this with squid.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57It's simple, but it's so focused, and it's so difficult to get right.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59- It's like culinary homoeopathy, isn't it?- Yeah, it is.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01You get 4g of garlic, but it's enough.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07He's being frugal with the tomatoes, Si.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09He's frugal with everything!
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Except taste, Dave. Except taste.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Ah, OK. OK.
0:08:21 > 0:08:22Rosmarino.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Allora... Si.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29- Va bene?- Va bene.
0:08:29 > 0:08:3220 minutes with the lid on - job's a good 'un.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Well, I reckon that's going to be our lunch. What a good idea.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Well, there are worse places to spend 20 minutes.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Roger that, Myers.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44- Va bene?- Va bene, grazie.- OK?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Three cucina povera classics.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Broad bean puree,
0:08:48 > 0:08:53horse meat with potatoes, and octopus cooked in a pot.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57The octopus - it comes with so much natural flavour from the sea.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Giuseppe was so careful that that flavour shouldn't be
0:09:00 > 0:09:03overbalanced by too much onion, too much garlic.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05It was just right. And, indeed, it is.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07And I think that comes from
0:09:07 > 0:09:09a knowledge of knowing your ingredients locally, as well.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I've learned a lot today,
0:09:11 > 0:09:14but I think there's something that we can all learn from cucina povera.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18That's respect for the ingredients, reduce your food waste,
0:09:18 > 0:09:23and, above all, enjoy and rejoice in what nature's given you.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27- Giuseppe and cucina povera. - What a start.- What a start.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29And finally, Kingy, I think one of us
0:09:29 > 0:09:32has actually pronounced it correctly,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35and we're feeling inspired.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Well, in true Hairy Bikers style,
0:09:48 > 0:09:51we've got Kingy back to his native Newcastle upon Tyne
0:09:51 > 0:09:54to cook our first dedicated recipe to Southern Italy.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56- Haven't we, mate? - We certainly have.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- It's flamin' freezing!- We haven't.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00It just goes to show, it's changed.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04That is the beautiful, azure-blue Mediterranean.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07This food will bring out the sunshine before we finish.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09It's our homage to cucina povera.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Basically, we're going to do stuffed aubergines.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Then, we're going to follow it by a cialledda salad.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18First off, I'm going to take these aubergines
0:10:18 > 0:10:19and I'm going to cut them in half.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23While Dave's doing that, I'm going to finely chop an onion.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Take the aubergine. I cut round it about 1cm in.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31But what we're going to do is we're going to paint this with olive oil
0:10:31 > 0:10:33and then bake it, so you've got, like,
0:10:33 > 0:10:36a lovely, golden aubergine shell.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37I'm putting about - oh, I don't know -
0:10:37 > 0:10:39two tablespoons of olive oil in here.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Lot of oil in the cuisine here.
0:10:41 > 0:10:46The one thing I'm rapidly learning, Si, is this appreciation of veggies.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49To give the aubergine the respect that, once upon a time,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53we would have done with, say, a nice piece of veal
0:10:53 > 0:10:57or a pork chop, because it's just so special.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- But the cooking methods are simple, too.- Yeah, yeah.- And I think...
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- I think it's going to change the way we cook a bit.- Yeah.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06You need to cook the onion down for about five minutes.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Now, it needs to go translucent, so...
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Because we need to soften it.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14But then we're going to add three cloves of garlic.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Meanwhile, I'm brushing the aubergine halves
0:11:17 > 0:11:19with more olive oil, ready for the oven.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Now, when Dave's taken those off,
0:11:23 > 0:11:27I'm going to add the flesh that he's taken out of the aubergines
0:11:27 > 0:11:30to the pan with the garlic and the onion.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33And what we need is we need a little bit of colour
0:11:33 > 0:11:34on these aubergines now.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Time for some sun-drenched tomatoes, but I don't want the skins,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41so I'm scoring them and plunging them into boiling water
0:11:41 > 0:11:44just long enough for the skins to loosen.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Peeling like my auntie Edie
0:11:47 > 0:11:49when she went on her first holiday to Benidorm.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52A quick dip in cold water will stop the tomatoes cooking
0:11:52 > 0:11:54and make it easier to peel them.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59OK. So, look, that's the sort of colour you want on your aubergine.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00Lovely. Perfect.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03I think it's time now to put our herbage in.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07It's back to that old thing - dried herbs you cook into the dish,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10where sometimes it's better to finish off with fresh.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12About a teaspoon of dried thyme.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18About a teaspoon of dried oregano.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24- And peperoncino, or chilli flakes.- Chilli.
0:12:24 > 0:12:25- Shall we go with a good pinch?- Yeah.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28What do you think, Mr King? A little bit more?
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- I think a little bit more, mate. - Yeah, cos that's our taste.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36Some salt and pepper. Oh!
0:12:38 > 0:12:41Heat down, lid on.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Ten to 15, I reckon, Si. Or however long it takes.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Let's have a look at these. Oh!
0:12:48 > 0:12:52Once the aubergines are cooked, they're ready for the filling,
0:12:52 > 0:12:54which we're going to top with breadcrumbs...
0:12:55 > 0:12:58..and grated pecorino.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01- Zeus's dandruff!- Beautiful.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04And a top tip - save that heel of cheese,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06be it Parmesan or pecorino.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Put it into your sauce when you're making it.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10Really enriches the sauce.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14- Actually, in a meat-based stock, it's great, isn't it?- Superb.- Oh!
0:13:14 > 0:13:16To complete our topping,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19we're adding lemon zest and a good bunch of basil.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27- Your pecorino, the basil, the lemon zest.- Oh, wow, man!
0:13:27 > 0:13:30- A little bit of salt?- Si!
0:13:30 > 0:13:32But be careful with the salt because we've got the cheese.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34If we were using Parmesan cheese,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36you're probably inclined not to do the salt,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40but that pecorino's quite mild, it's quite young.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Once the aubergines are topped, they're bound for the oven again -
0:13:43 > 0:13:47200 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Just enough time to make our cialledda salad.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52And nothing could be more cucina povera than this.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55I mean, it starts with stale bread.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Next, slice your onions,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00then toss them in salt and pop them into cold water.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03This brings out the sweetness.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05Just need to moisten the bread.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07So, it's literally, as Dave'll show you,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09- you just...- Water.- Water.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12- That's it.- I love this salad.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15It's a textural thing. It doesn't need a lot.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Grate a clove of garlic,
0:14:17 > 0:14:21then squeeze in about three chopped tomatoes.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23It's juice, skins, cores - the lot.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30Add a liberal glug of the best Italian olive oil you can find.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Again, some dried oregano - about a teaspoon,
0:14:33 > 0:14:38because everybody knows it goes so well with the humble tomato.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Some pepper.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49And to finish - the onions, some black olives
0:14:49 > 0:14:53and a handful of basil, all mixed together thoroughly.
0:14:53 > 0:14:59Now, that might be cucina povera, but that is so good.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03And that's our take on a Southern Italian classic...
0:15:15 > 0:15:19DAVE WHISTLES A TUNE
0:15:22 > 0:15:24We got here last night late on.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Just straight in here, saw nothing. I lay in bed.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30It was only when I looked up, I realised I was sleeping in a cave.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Well, there's a reason for that, mate.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35We're in Matera, which is, frankly...
0:15:37 > 0:15:38..incredible.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46- This is stunning! - Absolutely amazing.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49It's a city built into a mountainside.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- It's insane.- It's fantastic!
0:15:52 > 0:15:54What a landscape, Kingy.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00But there is a stark reality behind the views,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04because, for centuries, the people here were so poor,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06they had to live in the caves, and over time,
0:16:06 > 0:16:09they built a massive network inside the mountain itself.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20The little museum here
0:16:20 > 0:16:23honours the people who lived such impoverished lives.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28- Well, dude, it's definitely a cave. - Yeah, it's home.- It is.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- Oh, look at the kitchen.- Yeah.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33I suppose this is the origin of the food that we've been tasting.
0:16:33 > 0:16:34- Cucina povera.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Can you imagine eight surviving children in here?
0:16:37 > 0:16:40But, of course, the big problem is, how do you feed the family?
0:16:40 > 0:16:41I don't know how they survived.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44But, you know, from what we've tasted, it's that skill,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47- ability to make the best of what you have.- Yeah.- To make it stretch.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50So, you know, it's your turnip tops or your broccoli -
0:16:50 > 0:16:53the weedy part - you turn into something delicious.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The re-creations of life here are one thing,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59but it's the photographs that really stop you in your tracks.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03You know, what's striking about looking at these old photographs
0:17:03 > 0:17:08is that people lived like this up until kind of the mid-'50s,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10nearly into the 1960s.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14And this type of living was incredibly difficult for people,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17and it was the shame of Italy,
0:17:17 > 0:17:19because the industrialists in the north
0:17:19 > 0:17:20and the politicians in Rome
0:17:20 > 0:17:23completely neglected this area of the south.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Matera is no longer this,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28but they still remember the roots of it
0:17:28 > 0:17:30and the importance of it,
0:17:30 > 0:17:32because that shouldn't have happened.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40Thankfully, things have changed. Today, Matera is on the up,
0:17:40 > 0:17:45and in 2019, it becomes the European Capital of Culture.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Our natural habitat, Kingy - the market.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57- Look.- Look at those!- Oh, man!
0:17:57 > 0:18:01Buongiorno! Un chilo of tomato?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03- Chilo?- Chilo. Si, grazie.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09- That's the Mediterranean.- Look at them, man. They're beautiful.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12Don't these markets just make you feel...?
0:18:12 > 0:18:15- It's good to be alive?- Yeah.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:18:18 > 0:18:21- Grazie.- Grazie.- Prego. - Grazie, signore. Grazie.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24- Oh, mate! Look at this!- Oh!
0:18:26 > 0:18:30- It's beautiful produce. - Oh, man! Look at that.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Mortadella, per favore.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- Con pistacchio o senza?- Erm...
0:18:35 > 0:18:37Perfetto, grazie.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39Oh! Sausage pepper.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Quattro chilo.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- Quanto?- Not four kilos, no. - No, no, we don't want...
0:18:44 > 0:18:46No, we'll put them on the thing, and then we'll go...
0:18:46 > 0:18:50- What cheese are we going to have, Kingy?- Oh, man, that looks nice.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Pecorino, look. HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:18:52 > 0:18:53Yeah, perfect. Grazie.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58- Questo e anche podolico. - Podolico?- Podolico.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04- OK. OK.- OK?- OK.- You got it?
0:19:04 > 0:19:07- No.- Go on, have a guess.- Well...
0:19:08 > 0:19:10- Venticinque.- Grazie.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27Hey, Dave! Look over there!
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Can you see that temple? How about lunch?
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Spot-on. Picnic at a real-life Roman ruin.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38The joys of a road trip, eh, Si?
0:19:42 > 0:19:44What an amazing place!
0:19:49 > 0:19:53The history of Metapontum. Kingy, it's got nowt to do with Rome.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57- "A mixed Greek native centre." - Read on, Macduff.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59- "Dedicated to Hera and Apollo." Greek gods.- Gods.
0:19:59 > 0:20:052,500 years ago, Southern Italy was Greek.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08It's more taramasalata than tagliatelle.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Look, dude, there's Sparta, Argo, Olympia.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13- Straight into Italy. - Across into here.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15Mediterranean Sea -
0:20:15 > 0:20:19the cultural, historic, and culinary superhighway.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21Well, Jason my Argonauts!
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Time to dine like Hera and Apollo, mate.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30Food of the gods, Si.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32Mm.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33Hup!
0:20:34 > 0:20:36THEY LAUGH
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I can't even do it now, mate!
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Alley-oop!
0:20:46 > 0:20:50As we head even further south, we leave Puglia behind.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55This is Calabria, and they say it's a wild place.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57It's big country, all right.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01And I tell you what, Dave - with the wind in your face,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05you get to kind of feel the scenery as well as see it.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11- DAVE SNIFFS - And smell it!
0:21:11 > 0:21:13And I'm getting a strong waft now of something...
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- HE SNIFFS - ..edible.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Look, Si! Onions!
0:21:20 > 0:21:22There must be millions of them,
0:21:22 > 0:21:25and we're just above the town of Tropea,
0:21:25 > 0:21:29so I think it's safe to say that they're Tropea onions.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32One of the best onions in the world.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37- They cost a fortune at home, dude. - Yeah, yeah.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38And it's the chefs' special onion.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41- You can smell them from here. - You can. Wonderful.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44- BOTH:- Buongiorno.- Buongiorno. - Buongiorno, signore.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46- Salve.- Salve.- Salve.
0:21:46 > 0:21:52- Buongiorno, signora. Buongiorno. - Buongiorno. Buongiorno. Buongiorno.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Bellissimo onion.
0:21:55 > 0:21:56Cipolla.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59Ah, these are Tropea onions.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02- Tropea.- Yeah.- Ah!
0:22:04 > 0:22:05Oh, smell those, man!
0:22:05 > 0:22:07- Straight from the ground.- Fantastic.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10What makes the Tropea onion the best?
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- Yeah, it's sweet... - Crunchy.- ..crunchy,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and it's good for your body.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23These little Calabrian beauties are so prized back in the UK
0:22:23 > 0:22:25that they cost £5 a kilo at posh markets.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29I wonder how Francesco likes to eat Tropea onions.
0:22:32 > 0:22:34- Frittata.- Let's have a frittata.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38- Francesco, una frittata.- Si.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42- Dave and I will cook.- OK.- OK? - Cucina Hairy Bikers.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Yeah, cucina Hairy Bikers.
0:22:44 > 0:22:45If, erm...
0:22:45 > 0:22:47- Cipolla.- Si.- OK?
0:22:49 > 0:22:51Oh, you see?
0:22:51 > 0:22:52Perfetto. Grazie.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55- Do you know, you could buy your wife flowers...- Yeah.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56..but I know my wife.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59- If I went back with those onions... - Yeah.- ..oh, she'd go off her head.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Aren't they beautiful?
0:23:00 > 0:23:04And guess who first cultivated Tropea onions here.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- Erm, the Greeks?- Yeah.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11How are we going to cook? We've got no tables.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13- We can't cook on the ground.- No.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19I'm sure Francesco won't mind if we, well, borrow his Panda, will he?
0:23:19 > 0:23:24No! It's for a good cause. A Tropea onion frittata,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28celebrating the simplicity of Southern Italian cuisine.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34- You are watching cucina Panda. - HE SNIGGERS
0:23:34 > 0:23:38It's all about these Tropea onions.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Let's have our first taste of Tropea onion.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44That was there ten minutes ago.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48Oh, honestly, man!
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- It's sweet, it's firm... - It's crunchy.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Open the oil sluice gates, Kingy,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57and I'll get started on the star of the show.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00These will need to cook for about 20 minutes.
0:24:00 > 0:24:04Now, my inclination is to put a couple of cloves of garlic in.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08No. I think we just need to be all about the onion.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10- These are going to cook right down.- They will.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12So, I'm going to go on till I've got a right good panful,
0:24:12 > 0:24:13as my mother would say.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16And all I'm doing here is just moving them around the pan.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19That's just covering the onions as they cook in the oil.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22The last one, Kingy.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25If you haven't got Tropea onions, then don't worry.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27What I would use is what the supermarkets describe
0:24:27 > 0:24:30as white onions, or kind of sweet onions.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32Now, these onions are so naturally sweet,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34I don't want them to caramelise.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Little bit of water when you're rendering your onions down
0:24:37 > 0:24:39stops them having any colour on them.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Hey! Buongiorno!
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Another Panda, dude!
0:24:44 > 0:24:47I think Francesco's neighbours have got wind of us.
0:24:48 > 0:24:53- Buongiorno! Grazie, signore. Grazie.- Buongiorno.- Buongiorno.
0:24:53 > 0:24:58It's Maria and her husband Pino come to offer some Calabrian expertise.
0:24:58 > 0:25:03- Buongiorno. What do you think? - Maria, va bene o...?
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- Piu cotta?- Si, piu cotta.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- More?- I don't know. Maria, quanto tempo?
0:25:09 > 0:25:11SHE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:25:11 > 0:25:14In Calabria, Puglia, it is the slow food.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16It is. Absolutely, yes.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Five of Francesco's whopping onions went in,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21so I reckon six or seven eggs will do the trick.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23Basta o...?
0:25:32 > 0:25:33Si.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35Hmm, I wonder if I can sneak any cheese in.
0:25:35 > 0:25:36Formaggio?
0:25:38 > 0:25:41I mean, you could put some soft Mediterranean herbs -
0:25:41 > 0:25:46some oregano, some sage, some rosemary - but not here.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Right, now for the turn, and in this onion field,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00well, we're a bit short of kitchen equipment.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Si. It's all we've got.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08- Cucina povera.- Ah, si.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10- Si.- Si?
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- Should I?- Are you doing it? Oh, you're brave.- Oh, OK. Right.
0:26:17 > 0:26:18Go on. Just flip it.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23- I think my cardboard's on fire. - It's not.- It is.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27There's a reason cardboard isn't generally used in the kitchen, Dave.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34- Perfetto.- Ish. Scrape that off there quick.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Maria's found a plate.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43- I think we should let her have a go, don't you, Kingy?- Ah!
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Beautiful.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Oh, Maria!
0:26:56 > 0:26:58SHE CHUCKLES Maria.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01SHE LAUGHS
0:27:01 > 0:27:02Mille grazie.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07She's going for another! She wants the crispy side up, Dave.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10- Oh!- Oh, look at that!
0:27:10 > 0:27:14- That is fantastic. - Yeah. Now...- Bellissimo.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17..we can't take any credit for this whatsoever.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21So, out of Tropea onions, oil, salt, water and eggs,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23you can produce something truly wonderful.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24Oh, happy days, Si.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28On the bonnet of Panda one, our Tropea onion frittata.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30And on the bonnet of Panda two,
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Maria's home-grown, home-made pickles,
0:27:32 > 0:27:35preserves and pates.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38All this was meant to be our contribution to Maria's picnic,
0:27:38 > 0:27:40but fair enough. This is Maria's frittata.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43And wow! Look at this.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45All sorts of pickles and preserves.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- Aubergines, tomatoes, peppers. 'Nduja.- 'Nduja.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51First out of the blocks, thick slices of 'nduja -
0:27:51 > 0:27:54the fiery Calabrian sausage.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55From the casa?
0:27:57 > 0:28:00- Oh, man! - That's the spicy sausage pate.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03Minced pork, chilli. It's so moist.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08- Oh! I've never had home-made before. - No, I haven't.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10But what about the frittata?
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- I'm going to have a taste, mate. - This is our tribute to Calabria.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18You would swear we put a couple of spoonfuls of sugar in that.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20- You would.- The onions are amazing.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24It's like the best Italian picnic you've ever been to!
0:28:24 > 0:28:25I mean, look, Dave,
0:28:25 > 0:28:29all of this from an Italian, Calabrian farmhouse kitchen.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32Time, love, care, and knowledge.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Sunshine, ground, and the Mediterranean.
0:28:48 > 0:28:49I don't know about you, mate,
0:28:49 > 0:28:53but my taste buds are on fire after that 'nduja.
0:28:53 > 0:28:56Me, too. And, look, this is Spilinga.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59I was reading about it last night.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02The name comes from the word for cave in Greek.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Ah, that's those pesky Greeks again, isn't it?
0:29:04 > 0:29:06But, perhaps more importantly,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10Spilinga claims to be the birthplace of 'nduja.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14So, do you think there'll be a little Italian lady here
0:29:14 > 0:29:16who's happy to show us how to make it?
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Ooh, inevitably!
0:29:22 > 0:29:23This is Rosa,
0:29:23 > 0:29:28who's been making 'nduja in her back room for most of her life.
0:29:28 > 0:29:29This is it, Si.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32This is the biggest opportunity in the world
0:29:32 > 0:29:34to unravel a mystery for us, which is the 'nduja sausage.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37It's like the best salami/pate you'd ever taste.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40And, look, this is the ingredients.
0:29:40 > 0:29:46We have pork fat with some pork in it, we have sale, and peperoncino.
0:29:46 > 0:29:48- Basta.- Basta.- Basta! - OK, OK. That's enough.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51- I don't think there's ever going to be a low fat option.- Si.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Va bene?
0:29:54 > 0:29:55Si.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57See, it's the belly pork. The belly?
0:29:58 > 0:30:00- More meat?- Oh...
0:30:00 > 0:30:02Whoa!
0:30:02 > 0:30:03Si?
0:30:03 > 0:30:04That's why it's spicy.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10- Ah.- Ah.- It's a lot of salt. A lot of chilli.
0:30:10 > 0:30:12It's potential to go incredibly well
0:30:12 > 0:30:14with a cold beer on a hot Italian day.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- I'm loving your thinking! - Yeah, I know!
0:30:16 > 0:30:18So, Rosa...
0:30:20 > 0:30:21Hey!
0:30:26 > 0:30:27Ancora?
0:30:29 > 0:30:33- So, we're looking about 30% peperoncino, aren't we?- Yeah.
0:30:33 > 0:30:3720% salt - and, of course, that's part of the preserving process,
0:30:37 > 0:30:39because the meat is raw, and it's cooked.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41It's smoked and hung.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48Ah, from your mammy, and...
0:30:50 > 0:30:52'33?
0:30:52 > 0:30:57I mean, without being indiscreet, if Rosa was from a vintage of 1933,
0:30:57 > 0:31:01that means Rosa's at a certain age of...84,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04but the lifestyle here, you could live forever.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09It's funny, you know, Dave, it's a bit like dough,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11because it kind of comes together
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- once the fat warms up slightly. - Mm-hm, mm-hm.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Right, well, it's time to load the 'nduja gun.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Va bene, OK.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20- Lock and load, Kingy. - All right, dude.
0:31:20 > 0:31:21Va bene?
0:31:25 > 0:31:26Dude...
0:31:26 > 0:31:29I'm going to go and wash my hands.
0:31:31 > 0:31:36The skin of the 'nduja sausage is made from pig's intestine.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39Oh, I get to fire the 'nduja cannon!
0:31:39 > 0:31:40Go on, dude, go on.
0:31:43 > 0:31:44- Bit quicker.- Quicker?
0:31:47 > 0:31:48Stop.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51It's our first 'nduja.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53Yeah, si.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Now, Rosa makes it look easy -
0:31:55 > 0:31:57but, then again, she's been doing it for 70-odd years.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00Hey!
0:32:01 > 0:32:02There's some weight to that!
0:32:05 > 0:32:06Si, grazie.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09So, you take the string...
0:32:09 > 0:32:10put it round there...
0:32:12 > 0:32:13Do you want a bit more slack, dude?
0:32:13 > 0:32:15No, I'm...I'm all right.
0:32:15 > 0:32:16It's like trying to knit a bagpipe.
0:32:19 > 0:32:20I think I've got it.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Grazie.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Hairy Bikers, 'nduja.
0:32:32 > 0:32:33Ten days in Rosa's smokehouse,
0:32:33 > 0:32:36then three months ageing in her back room,
0:32:36 > 0:32:38and it'll be ready for the table.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54- Phwoar! 'Nduja.- Flippin' heck!
0:32:54 > 0:32:57It's so good, it's so tasty -
0:32:57 > 0:33:00but, you know, the pig is king in Calabria.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04Which is why we're doing Calabrian pork ribs.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07Now, the cut is basically the belly
0:33:07 > 0:33:11- on the rib.- But kind of without so much of the fat.- Indeedy.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13It is a traditional Calabrian recipe,
0:33:13 > 0:33:15and, like the 'nduja,
0:33:15 > 0:33:19it's absolutely packed with chillies and flavour.
0:33:19 > 0:33:22And the medium for our Calabrian flavour
0:33:22 > 0:33:24is going to be a spicy marinade.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28There's a head of garlic goes into this, so, it's not shy.
0:33:28 > 0:33:29About 100ml of olive oil -
0:33:29 > 0:33:32but, in true Calabrian style, we don't measure it.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38Two tablespoons of red wine vinegar.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40In so many parts of the Mediterranean,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42vinegar always goes with pork.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45A teaspoon of dried oregano.
0:33:45 > 0:33:49So, we've got chilli flakes, inspired by Rosa.
0:33:49 > 0:33:50We are more downscale than her!
0:33:50 > 0:33:53She just kept going...
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and I was like, "What, more? OK..."
0:33:56 > 0:33:59His hands were like a five-bar radiator!
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Anyway, we'll put about a teaspoon.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Fresh herbs in this one. Look at that rosemary.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10Just whipped from the garden.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13What I've done is I've just chopped a whole head of garlic, there,
0:34:13 > 0:34:15just roughly, because it's going into the blitzer,
0:34:15 > 0:34:20and I'm just deseeding the four peperoncino fresca that we need.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23The 'nduja was so simple, wasn't it?
0:34:23 > 0:34:24It was!
0:34:24 > 0:34:26Pepper, salt and fat.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29This is kind of a bit more sophisticated, really -
0:34:29 > 0:34:33but the core values, the flavour, are there, aren't they?
0:34:33 > 0:34:35And some thyme.
0:34:37 > 0:34:43Once garlic, herbs and chillies are ready, slice half a red pepper, too.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45And that goes into the blender.
0:34:46 > 0:34:47The chilli and the garlic.
0:34:49 > 0:34:54And lastly, salt and pepper. Put lots and lots and lots of pepper in.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56If it wasn't tasty enough already.
0:34:56 > 0:34:59It's funny, Italian food - some of it is so delicate
0:34:59 > 0:35:01and minimalistic, but then, when it goes for it,
0:35:01 > 0:35:06you know, it would put the average curry house to shame.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09- You wouldn't think it, would you? - No!
0:35:11 > 0:35:14We blend this to a smooth paste.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22One layer of the marinade goes under the meat,
0:35:22 > 0:35:24and the other goes on top.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26Look at that.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30And just make sure that you cover your ribs
0:35:30 > 0:35:32with every single morsel of that beautiful flavour.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36No vegetable has died in vain -
0:35:36 > 0:35:38and now we've got to parcel this up.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41Let the meat marinade for as long as you fancy.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44We'd leave it for a minimum of three hours.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Then, roast for two to three hours at 140 degrees.
0:35:48 > 0:35:52The perfect interlude for making our cracking potato dish.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55First, we fry up an onion -
0:35:55 > 0:35:59and it's an unctuous little throwaway dish, this one.
0:35:59 > 0:36:03It's onion, potatoes, peppers, just cooked down in olive oil,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07salt and pepper, and it's the perfect thing to go with the pork.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12First, a nice big gloop of olive oil.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26Beautiful.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31I'm just going to cut those into strips.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33So, look, I'm going to halve the potatoes,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35I'm going to slice the halves that way.
0:36:39 > 0:36:43They've softened nicely. Lots of seasoning.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48And peppers.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56If you were feeling posh,
0:36:56 > 0:36:58you could put a slug of wine in this, as well -
0:36:58 > 0:37:00but I don't think it's necessary.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05The potatoes will take 30 minutes or so.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07Time for stage two of the pork.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09- BOTH:- Ooh!
0:37:09 > 0:37:13What you could do is cut it, cut it off into the ribs.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17It would be brilliant to finish on a barbecue - or, alternatively...
0:37:17 > 0:37:18A griddle.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21So, take your lead from where the ribs are, look.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23You can see them -
0:37:23 > 0:37:24and then just...
0:37:27 > 0:37:28..slice.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35To make them more manageable, I'm cutting the ribs crossways.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37So, I want to put this on.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39Ooh.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Now, you're going to have to be quite careful with these,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45because the meat is falling off the bone.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53Do you know what I'm tempted to do with this?
0:37:53 > 0:37:55- Put it in the potatoes.- Ooh!
0:37:55 > 0:37:56What a great idea.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00You see? Nothing goes to waste.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07Ooh...
0:38:07 > 0:38:08Look at those.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14So, those potatoes are full of colour and vitality.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23That's perfect, Si.
0:38:23 > 0:38:25- Again, being quite gentle with them. - Mm-hm.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30That second cooking, either on a barbecue, a plancha or a griddle,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33really just gives it that extra bit of texture.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36It's about getting the absolute maximum out of your produce.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41This also would be great served with polenta,
0:38:41 > 0:38:44with the resting juices going into the polenta.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46That's a bit more kind of North Italian.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55Calabrian pork ribs with Calabrian potatoes and peppers.
0:38:55 > 0:39:00Slow, low, and very, very tasty.
0:39:10 > 0:39:15Si, this Mediterranean trip was such a great idea.
0:39:15 > 0:39:16Oh, amazing.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19We've got mountain ranges that drop off into the sea,
0:39:19 > 0:39:21we've got winding, twisting roads
0:39:21 > 0:39:23that led up onto the tops of the plateaus.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27It's beautiful. Absolutely amazing.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40This is also tonight, Si. An agriturismo!
0:39:40 > 0:39:41Get in!
0:39:41 > 0:39:45And these places are where the best Italian food can be found, Dave.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Agriturismos are rural stopovers
0:39:49 > 0:39:53where you're sure to find authentic local Italian food.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55This one is run by Mariella,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59and we've heard her cooking is amazing.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Mariella doesn't speak any English.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04She prefers to let her food do the talking.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Salsiccia, pecorino, ricotta.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Sun-dried tomatoes.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12This really is, as the French would say, the product of the terroir.
0:40:12 > 0:40:14I'll tell you one thing I've found here, though -
0:40:14 > 0:40:15the Calabrian food, it's spicy.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18- There's chilli, there's fire. - Absolutely.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Mariella's primo is home-made pasta
0:40:21 > 0:40:23with a sauce of beautiful simplicity -
0:40:23 > 0:40:27Tropea onions reduced for many hours...
0:40:27 > 0:40:31..and a spoon or two of last summer's tomatoes
0:40:31 > 0:40:32preserved in olive oil.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36It's all about capturing what the sun provides,
0:40:36 > 0:40:38then giving it time and respect.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48A sprinkling of pecorino, and it's ready for the table.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54Mariella's son Alberto is visiting from his home up north...
0:40:54 > 0:40:56- Hello.- Hello, Alberto.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58..and he does speak English.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00- Oh, yes!- Some fresh pasta.
0:41:01 > 0:41:03Freshly made by my mummy.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Oh, Alberto, come and have a glass.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09- Oh, thank you.- I have to say, this house wine is absolutely delicious.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15So, this pasta is an ancient recipe that was taught to my mum.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18- Tropeana pasta is the name of the sauce.- Yeah?
0:41:18 > 0:41:23The sauce is 90% onion, and still doesn't taste very strong,
0:41:23 > 0:41:25- like a normal onion would. - It's absolutely fantastic.
0:41:25 > 0:41:30- Calabrian food is so pure - but you still like spice.- It's true.
0:41:30 > 0:41:35We are a very hot region, and we have a lot of influences
0:41:35 > 0:41:40from the spices coming from North Africa, Greece, France.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44- We have been colonised by many different cultures.- Uh-huh.
0:41:46 > 0:41:47What was the reason that you left?
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Basically, there isn't much to do here.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54The institutions are weak, there is a lot of corruption,
0:41:54 > 0:42:00and it's very hard if you're not the son of someone,
0:42:00 > 0:42:02or if you're not into the right circle,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04to emerge, even if you have talent.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06So, is it a Mafia thing?
0:42:06 > 0:42:09The Mafia in Calabria is called 'Ndrangheta.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12- OK.- That's how they call themselves.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16It's very, very powerful, and there is some areas in Calabria,
0:42:16 > 0:42:20like rural villages, where you cannot go in.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21So, it sometimes gets scary -
0:42:21 > 0:42:25but there is also a lot of clean people that want to fight it
0:42:25 > 0:42:27and speak up for it.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Alberto, thank you so much.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31- Salute!- Salute.- Thank you.- Cheers.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37This whole Mafia thing is kind of shocking -
0:42:37 > 0:42:42how even today, their influence is holding the place back.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44But there are people who resist, Si,
0:42:44 > 0:42:48and thanks to Alberto, we're going to meet one.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51He's a businessman called Signor Callipo -
0:42:51 > 0:42:56and, fortunately for us, his business is ice cream.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58One while we're waiting, Dave, do you think?
0:42:58 > 0:43:01- Hey, buon giorno! - Buon giorno! Buon giorno.
0:43:01 > 0:43:02Whoar!
0:43:02 > 0:43:05- Bergamot, per favore.- Bergamotto?
0:43:05 > 0:43:07- Tartufo.- Tartufo.- Si.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12- Oh, cioccolato!- Cioccolato.
0:43:12 > 0:43:13Grazie, grazie. Yeah.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17- Ooh, I get a proper pot.- You do.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21- HE SPEAKS ITALIAN - Grazie.
0:43:21 > 0:43:22Why bergamot, Si?
0:43:22 > 0:43:24Well, it's grown here, isn't it?
0:43:24 > 0:43:25It's that mad citrus fruit, you know,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27that you can wear as a perfume, or you can eat.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29- Cinque euro, signori. - Cinque euro, OK.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32- Grazie.- Grazie. - Arrivederci.- Arrivederci, ciao.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37Hey, man, look at that. It's beautiful, eh?
0:43:37 > 0:43:39- Yeah.- How's your bergamot?
0:43:39 > 0:43:41- It's absolutely fantastic.- Mm.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44- It's more like a sorbet than ice cream.- Lovely.- Lovely, isn't it?
0:43:46 > 0:43:50That looks like our man arriving. Signor Filippo Callipo.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52He was born and bred here, wasn't he?
0:43:52 > 0:43:55He was, and it's a lovely spot -
0:43:55 > 0:44:00but the problem is that even making ice cream can be dangerous
0:44:00 > 0:44:03if you refuse to pay the Mafia their cut.
0:44:03 > 0:44:07He is asked an English friend to help explain what happens.
0:44:07 > 0:44:08Signor Callipo,
0:44:08 > 0:44:12you're famous for actually standing up against the local Mafia.
0:44:12 > 0:44:14How do they work? I mean, what happens to new businesses
0:44:14 > 0:44:16when they move into the area?
0:44:16 > 0:44:18HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:44:20 > 0:44:24So, basically, the way it works, someone with a local business
0:44:24 > 0:44:27might pick up in the morning and find a bottle of petrol
0:44:27 > 0:44:30outside the door with a tiny box of matches next to it.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32The petrol bottle hasn't been lighted,
0:44:32 > 0:44:34but you know that is a message.
0:44:34 > 0:44:39After that, you might find your car has been burnt
0:44:39 > 0:44:43or your business - or maybe the door to your business has been burnt.
0:44:43 > 0:44:46After that, everything will just keep on happening
0:44:46 > 0:44:50until you're forced to either close your business,
0:44:50 > 0:44:51sell it or give it away.
0:44:51 > 0:44:53HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:44:55 > 0:44:58He has received several attacks.
0:44:58 > 0:45:03Many gunshots, both the gates of the main offices,
0:45:03 > 0:45:06and, the last one was exactly one year ago.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08It was ten gunshots to the gates.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12Signore, why did you choose not to? Why did you choose not to pay?
0:45:12 > 0:45:15HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:45:17 > 0:45:18It's a lesson his father taught him.
0:45:18 > 0:45:23It's a family philosophy, and that's what he's inherited.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25HIS VOICE BREAKS
0:45:27 > 0:45:28Uh-huh?
0:45:29 > 0:45:31He's got many friends, and also,
0:45:31 > 0:45:35the family of people that work for him, he considers them friends,
0:45:35 > 0:45:37too, and he gets emotional when...
0:45:37 > 0:45:39Si.
0:45:40 > 0:45:45Signore, the greatest respect to you and your family from all of us.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48Grazie mille. Grazie mille.
0:45:48 > 0:45:49- Grazie.- Grazie.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16Despite the difficulties in Calabria,
0:46:16 > 0:46:18one industry is thriving -
0:46:18 > 0:46:22and it's because of the incredible growing conditions.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25There is a citrus fruit that grows better here
0:46:25 > 0:46:27than anywhere else in the world.
0:46:32 > 0:46:33There's loads of the stuff.
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Ah, buon giorno, Signore!
0:46:35 > 0:46:37- Buon giorno.- Buon giorno, Signore!
0:46:40 > 0:46:41Ah, OK!
0:46:45 > 0:46:48- OK. Grazie.- Can we go and have a look at them?- Prego, prego.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50- Yeah, we can, man.- Oh!- Yeah. Oh, lush.
0:46:50 > 0:46:51- Oh, that's nice.- Grazie, Signore.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54- Oh, what a lovely man. - Well, everybody's been lovely.
0:46:54 > 0:46:56They have, haven't they?
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Bergamot contains an oil
0:47:01 > 0:47:05which it has long been prized for its unique qualities.
0:47:05 > 0:47:06That looks healthy, dude.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09It's funny - well, I've never been in a bergamot grove before.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11- Well, I've got to say, neither have I.- Look at that!
0:47:11 > 0:47:16- It's loaded with fruit.- Oh, look at the quality of those.- Yeah.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19Now...
0:47:19 > 0:47:21- The oil is going to be in the skin, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:47:25 > 0:47:27You know, the first time I was aware of bergamot
0:47:27 > 0:47:30- was looking at the box of Earl Grey. - Yes!
0:47:30 > 0:47:32What my dad would describe as the peculiar tea -
0:47:32 > 0:47:35and it's bergamot that gave it the scent.
0:47:35 > 0:47:36Ah!
0:47:37 > 0:47:39- It's so full of oil.- Oh, look, man.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42Right... I'm wearing it. Smell me.
0:47:42 > 0:47:43Smell. I am, honest.
0:47:47 > 0:47:48Mm!
0:47:48 > 0:47:52It's like a mixture of petrol and oranges.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55I don't know about petrol, dude, but bergamot's special scent
0:47:55 > 0:47:58is the key element of various high-end perfumes.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00- What does it taste of?- It's like...
0:48:01 > 0:48:02Ooh...
0:48:02 > 0:48:04Gah!
0:48:04 > 0:48:05Hey!
0:48:05 > 0:48:08It's like a cross between an orange and lemon, but the lemon takes over.
0:48:08 > 0:48:12Yes, with the holy mother of God grapefruit thrown in there, as well.
0:48:12 > 0:48:15- Yeah.- It reminds me of the Japanese yuzu.- Yes.
0:48:15 > 0:48:18You know, that they would use with fish, to make a sauce,
0:48:18 > 0:48:21a ponzu sauce, or you would have it in puddings,
0:48:21 > 0:48:23- or, indeed, ice cream... - Mm-hm.- ..or yuzu oil.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26- Hold that.- Yes.- Let's take one home. He'll not mind.
0:48:26 > 0:48:29He's up at the top, he's got hundreds.
0:48:42 > 0:48:46Can't come to the Mediterranean, can we, without cooking fish?
0:48:46 > 0:48:50- But it's one of the big boys, swordfish. Spada.- Spada!
0:48:50 > 0:48:53I know you going to say - "Where do I get bergamot from?"
0:48:53 > 0:48:56With this recipe, say, at home, use lemon.
0:48:56 > 0:48:58So, I'm going to start with the marinade
0:48:58 > 0:49:02for Dave's beautiful swordfish steaks.
0:49:02 > 0:49:06And the marinade starts with bergamot zest - if you can get it -
0:49:06 > 0:49:08or the lemon zest, if you can't, plus garlic.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12And while Si's on the marinade, I'll prep the fish.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15I'm just removing the skin and slicing it into steaks.
0:49:17 > 0:49:21And is going to use the juice of about half a bergamot.
0:49:21 > 0:49:24- Yeah - if it was a lemon, you'd use the juice of a whole lemon.- Yeah.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27I'm going to squeeze, use my hand...
0:49:27 > 0:49:28and save the pips.
0:49:28 > 0:49:29Mm.
0:49:29 > 0:49:30Glug of oil...
0:49:31 > 0:49:34And then a teaspoon of oregano.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42Season your fish, and it's ready for the marinade.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44We just spoon it over the steaks.
0:49:45 > 0:49:46Mm!
0:49:51 > 0:49:55We want to leave that to marinate, but no more than 15 minutes -
0:49:55 > 0:49:58cos after 15 minutes or so, the citrus, be it lemon or bergamot,
0:49:58 > 0:50:01will start to cook the fish, and we don't want that.
0:50:01 > 0:50:04Which gives us time to make a gremolata,
0:50:04 > 0:50:07and a gremolata is like a savoury topping.
0:50:07 > 0:50:09You use it with lamb or fish.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12Our gremolata kicks off with chopped parsley,
0:50:12 > 0:50:14plenty more citrus zest, and capers.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18You know, the fish really is the star,
0:50:18 > 0:50:22but you've got a purity of flavour in all the other ingredients.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25There's the bergamot peel.
0:50:25 > 0:50:28The zest - and there's more pith there.
0:50:28 > 0:50:30It's just so fresh.
0:50:30 > 0:50:31Let's have an olive-off.
0:50:37 > 0:50:38Oh...
0:50:38 > 0:50:39How much better can your life be?
0:50:39 > 0:50:41Stood here with your best mate,
0:50:41 > 0:50:44chopping olives on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
0:50:44 > 0:50:47- It doesn't get better than that, does it?- No.
0:50:47 > 0:50:48Lovely.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52The fish!
0:50:52 > 0:50:53Look at that.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57Even now, it's just beginning to colour with the citrus.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59I'm going to fry that simply in olive oil
0:50:59 > 0:51:02for about three to four minutes each side.
0:51:04 > 0:51:07Meanwhile, I'll prepare some chicory.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10So, if you see what I've done, and just rubbing oil into the chicory.
0:51:10 > 0:51:12It's really, really, really that simple -
0:51:12 > 0:51:15and then I'm going to put a little bit of salt on the top.
0:51:18 > 0:51:21I got a little sizzle on now, so let's get the fish in.
0:51:36 > 0:51:37What do you think, Kingy?
0:51:37 > 0:51:39- Oh, yeah, perfect, yeah.- Yeah.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45Time for the third element, known as fava beans over here,
0:51:45 > 0:51:46broad beans to you and me.
0:51:48 > 0:51:51What we've done is, we've blanched them, then double-podded them.
0:51:51 > 0:51:53That is to take the outer skin off - it's laborious,
0:51:53 > 0:51:56but these are like little emeralds.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58Now, I reckon that fish is done.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00We don't want to overcook it.
0:52:00 > 0:52:01Oh...
0:52:03 > 0:52:07Just going to set that aside, hopefully out of the wind,
0:52:07 > 0:52:08whilst we make the sauce.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11Cos fish like that, you should leave it to rest like a steak.
0:52:11 > 0:52:15I'm going to deglaze the pan with a big glass of white wine.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Just scrape up all those lovely bits of goodness
0:52:31 > 0:52:32in the bottom of the pan.
0:52:39 > 0:52:41Now, the sauce is very simple.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43The white wine is reduced with the fishy bits,
0:52:43 > 0:52:46and we put a nice piece of butter in.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Now, into that, the blanched double-podded broad beans
0:52:55 > 0:52:56or fava beans.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01I always think of Hannibal Lecter when it says fava beans.
0:53:01 > 0:53:03"Fava beans and a nice Chianti!"
0:53:05 > 0:53:06Aah!
0:53:06 > 0:53:07But look at that.
0:53:09 > 0:53:12Just like the emerald green in the Mediterranean.
0:53:12 > 0:53:16- Today, ooh, we are a light sapphire blue...- Yeah.
0:53:16 > 0:53:20..but when that sun comes out, emerald green, blues -
0:53:20 > 0:53:23it's a kaleidoscope of kind of aqua.
0:53:25 > 0:53:27Mm!
0:53:27 > 0:53:30- Oh, it's lovely, isn't it? Mm! - Absolutely lovely.
0:53:31 > 0:53:32- Turn it off, eh?- Yeah.
0:53:34 > 0:53:36- I think, pretty much, we're ready to plate up, aren't we?- Yeah.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39Me mum would always put pepper on broad beans.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41She said it helped to break the wind.
0:53:45 > 0:53:46Excellent.
0:53:48 > 0:53:49That'll do. Lush.
0:53:50 > 0:53:51There we go.
0:53:53 > 0:53:55The gremolata goes on the top.
0:54:05 > 0:54:07- A little chicory in... - Looks like mackerel!
0:54:07 > 0:54:10- A little... It does, doesn't it?!- Yeah.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12A little chicory there.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14- Little bit of salt...- Mm-hm.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21And there we have it.
0:54:21 > 0:54:24Our Mediterranean swordfish with bergamot, gremolata,
0:54:24 > 0:54:27chicory and fava beans.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29Broad beans, to us.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Well, Dave, we started at the heel of Italy,
0:54:39 > 0:54:41and we've nearly reached the toe.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43What a trip!
0:54:43 > 0:54:46I know, Si - and it's been full of surprises.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51You know, it's been a total revelation to me,
0:54:51 > 0:54:56the extent of the Greeks' influence on Calabria and southern Italy.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58Yeah, same here, dude. The influence is everywhere.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02I mean, look what we've seen - temples, the food...
0:55:02 > 0:55:05Now, we stumbled on that 2,500-year-old Greek temple,
0:55:05 > 0:55:09but there's a village up here where it's not buildings but people
0:55:09 > 0:55:13that are the remnants of that lost the civilisation.
0:55:13 > 0:55:16- What, they're Greek?- Well, kind of.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19Apparently, some don't speak Italian or even Greek -
0:55:19 > 0:55:21they speak ancient Greek.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Oh, man, that's nuts.
0:55:24 > 0:55:25The village of Bova
0:55:25 > 0:55:29is one of the last bastions of ancient Greece in Italy.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33Now we're going to meet a man who speaks only that forgotten language.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36Right. So, we'll need two interpreters
0:55:36 > 0:55:38if we want any chance of understanding him.
0:55:38 > 0:55:40HE SPEAKS GRIKO
0:55:44 > 0:55:47INTERPRETER SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:55:56 > 0:55:59So, basically, we are keeping talking this language.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03We don't want to lose it, because when you lose a language,
0:56:03 > 0:56:05it's like somebody dies.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07History is fascinating.
0:56:07 > 0:56:11I mean, we had the Romans came to Britain,
0:56:11 > 0:56:15but a thousand years before that, the Greeks came to Italy.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18We always say, "What have the Romans done for us?"
0:56:18 > 0:56:22Maybe they say, the Italians say, "What have the Greeks done for us?"
0:56:22 > 0:56:25HE SPEAKS GRIKO
0:56:26 > 0:56:29- They brought the language, and they brought the culture.- Yes.
0:56:29 > 0:56:31- They brought work.- Yes.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Basically, from Napoli, from Naples, themselves,
0:56:34 > 0:56:39especially Calabria, this region, they got a lot from Greeks.
0:56:39 > 0:56:41HE SPEAKS ITALIAN
0:56:44 > 0:56:49Because the Calabrese tradition, hospitality,
0:56:49 > 0:56:52- comes from the Greek gods. - Yeah, well, I think
0:56:52 > 0:56:55we've well and truly found the heart of Greece
0:56:55 > 0:56:57right here on a hilltop in Italy -
0:56:57 > 0:56:59and, for that, we'll be forever grateful.
0:56:59 > 0:57:02Italian, Greek or just Mediterranean,
0:57:02 > 0:57:06the people of Bova have laid on some traditional hospitality.
0:57:06 > 0:57:07- Grazie!- Grazie!
0:57:10 > 0:57:11You know, Si, these tables,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14they bring together our whole southern Italian experience.
0:57:14 > 0:57:15Absolutely.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Cucina povera, it's all here.
0:57:35 > 0:57:39It's early days on the trip, Si, but already my head is spinning.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42What I'm finding out is that the Mediterranean cuisine
0:57:42 > 0:57:44is one of the best in the world.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47You don't waste anything, you use everything,
0:57:47 > 0:57:49you make the best of every little scrap of ingredient,
0:57:49 > 0:57:54and the way of doing that is thousands of years of culture
0:57:54 > 0:57:56all coming together around this mysterious sea.
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Out of the melting pot, we found magic.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02And there's so much more to discover.
0:58:02 > 0:58:03Next time...
0:58:03 > 0:58:05Our culinary quest takes us to an island
0:58:05 > 0:58:08that is the beating heart of the Mediterranean.
0:58:08 > 0:58:10Sardinia.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12We'll be blending in with the locals...
0:58:12 > 0:58:13Fishing...
0:58:13 > 0:58:14Whoa!
0:58:14 > 0:58:15Praying...
0:58:15 > 0:58:16Milking...
0:58:16 > 0:58:17Oh, get off!
0:58:17 > 0:58:19And, of course, eating.
0:58:19 > 0:58:20That is so beautiful.
0:58:20 > 0:58:22It's going to be...
0:58:22 > 0:58:23- BOTH:- Whoa!