Corsica Hairy Bikers' Mediterranean Adventure


Corsica

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Transcript


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SI: Oh, mate, I'm loving this road trip.

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-DAVE:

-Whee-hee!

-SI: New places...

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Now, that's a view, Dave.

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-..New people...

-Al bacio.

-Al bacio.

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And incredible food.

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Oh, that's good.

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We're doing almost 3,000 miles around

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the Mediterranean in search of the authentic flavours of

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Italy and Sardinia, Corsica and France,

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the Balearics and Spain.

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And we'll end up in Andalusia

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for the biggest party in the Med, the Festival of San Juan,

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but it won't be all beach barbecues and sunburn, Kingy.

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They're all looking at us now.

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No. We're tracking down the real Mediterranean...

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You'll never get a tune out of that.

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..little out-of-the-way places,

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the tastiest dishes and the best produce we can find.

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-Oh, wow.

-It's so simple.

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It's fantastic.

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-We get to eat the tiger cow.

-MAKES TIGER NOISES

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That's why we want to cook with the locals.

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-ALL:

-Salute!

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And hear their stories.

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Southern Italy and Sardinia set the bar really high.

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Dude, it's fantastic. Let's see if France can do better.

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-Ooh.

-Corsica first...

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-Corsica!

-And then the mainland.

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Fantastic, Chef.

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This is our take on a magical part of the world

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right on our doorstep...

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Come on, Corsica...

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DAVE LAUGHS

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You...!

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..what have you got?

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MUSIC: Wild Thing by The Troggs

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Well, Dave, are you ready for our next adventure?

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I'm up for anything.

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This is one of the wildest places in Europe...

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Well, it's the birthplace of Napoleon.

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..where the landscape is as untamed as the people

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who live in it.

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It's off the beaten track for most Brits - but, luckily, not for me.

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It's quite simply my favourite place in the world.

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We are in Corsica.

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Get in!

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We want to really understand Corsica, so we are

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crossing the island from south to north.

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We start in Bonifacio, then go west to the coast.

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From there, we will head into the wild interior

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and the vast forest of chestnut trees...

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..to end our journey in the old port of Bastia.

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For 15 years, I've had magical holidays here,

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and I'm chuffed to bits to finally share it with me mate.

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I have always wanted to bring you here, mate.

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You know, it's a really special place

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to build new memories, ride bikes with my bestest matey

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and, you know, just replenish the old soul.

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They say that Corsica has some of the best

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artisan food producers in the world,

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so that's good enough for me.

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I also want to show you how wild this place is

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and how unspoilt.

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Dude, I think you're going to love it.

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Like most islands in the Mediterranean, Corsica has

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been invaded over the centuries by many of its neighbours.

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The Romans were here, the Genoese, too,

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and, lastly, the French.

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Corsica became part of France in 1768.

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But people here consider themselves Corsican

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first and foremost, and proudly so.

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Our Corsican adventure starts in the stunning

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fortified old town of Bonifacio.

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What I've come to admire on my trips here is that

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the Corsicans really treasure their heritage, but also that

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the produce is second to none.

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This is great.

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I mean, what is the food like in Corsica?

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Well, it is kind of like... It is slightly...

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It's like this. Come in here.

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Smell that.

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Oh!

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-Bonjour.

-Bonjour. Hello.

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-David.

-Tony.

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-Simon.

-Hi. Tony.

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In Tony's family-run delicatessen, the devotion

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to providing excellent local produce is obvious.

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You just look at this most amazing place.

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The sausages, the charcuterie hanging from the ceiling.

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It's just a forest of flavour.

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I mean, you can smell it in the air.

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Oh, wow.

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Not only is it generous in flavour, but the portions

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in Corsica, I have always found them to be

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very, very generous as well!

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-That's so sad.

-It's terrible, mate.

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SI LAUGHS

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Look at that. It's beautiful.

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Tony, we were just talking about what is Corsican food.

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-What would you say...?

-Corsican food, it's, um,

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meat, cheese.

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Only sheep and goat.

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And chestnut.

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It's the three Corsican products.

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It's like a trinity.

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Yeah. The trinity of Corsican food.

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Chestnuts? That's a new one on me.

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Yep, you'll see chestnut trees all over the island,

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and chestnut flour is a key ingredient in lots of recipes.

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Lovely.

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Chestnuts are one of those things... Like, in England

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when we're children, we have chestnuts at Christmas.

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It's really special. But to have chestnuts everywhere,

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-it's such a treat.

-Oh, it's gorgeous.

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The first pleasure, eat with eyes.

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-Look at it. It's beautiful.

-It's beautiful.

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But there's one specialty which is just to die for.

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Figatelli sausages -

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made of pig meat and offal, especially liver,

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giving it its incredible flavour.

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You know you're back in Corsica...

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when you're eating figatelli.

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What is surprising is that although we are on

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an island, seafood isn't a mainstay of the diet here.

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It's meat.

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For understand the product,

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you go in the mountains,

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see a productor and the meat and speak with productor.

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Right. So to understand the produce,

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-go and speak to the producer.

-Yeah.

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So, there you have it. Meat, cheese and chestnuts.

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The holy trinity of Corsican cuisine.

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But why are these three products the staples here?

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Well, let's find out.

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-Bonjour, bonjour!

-Bonjour!

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Like Tony said, we should start with the producers.

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Our first stop is a no-brainer.

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It turns out that not far from Bonifacio

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is one of the best cattle farmers on the island.

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You can't mention meat here without his name cropping up.

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This looks like cow country, dude.

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Tigers?

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We've been told that meat from this farm is in demand

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by chefs all over the world.

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-Bonjour.

-Welcome.

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Jacques, je m'appelle David.

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David. OK.

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-Jacques, bonjour. Je m'appelle Simon.

-Enchante.

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Jacques Abbatucci is as Corsican as you get.

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His ancestors fought the Italians and the French

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in a bid for independence.

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But he's fighting for something else -

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to preserve an ancient breed of cattle known as tiger cows.

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Ho! Ho.

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CATTLE MOO

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Ho! Ho.

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CATTLE MOO

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They're all answering. It's like a ripple through the herd.

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Jacques, what are the origins of the cows, the tigres?

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The name in Corsican is not tigre.

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Their real name is zainata.

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Zainata comes from the word zaina,

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which means beautiful in Arabic,

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and they're not wrong.

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When born, the calves are more cow than tiger,

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but, as they get older, the stripes start to appear.

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Oh, right. OK.

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And this kind of cow comes from the prehistoric origin.

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And they come from North Africa. You know...

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Prehistoric grottes, you know.

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-The paintings on the wall?

-The paintings on the wall.

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-They make, they go with...

-Yeah. Stripes. I've seen them.

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Yes. You know?

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I know those paintings. I just thought the paint had run!

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Jacques' farm is organic and specialises

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in the production of rose veal from free-range cattle.

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In the UK, veal can have negative connotations,

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because of the crates in which calves were raised.

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But veal crates were banned ten years ago.

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We still don't eat much veal at home,

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but, here, they love it.

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It is a special kind of cow. Very rustic, you know.

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A-ha. Very rustic, yeah, natural.

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Natural. They stay all the year out.

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They don't know to go in the farm.

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And all the day walking.

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It is good for the...the meat.

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The taste of the meat.

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Mate, we're in for a treat.

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Jacques has invited us home

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to taste his famous free-range veal.

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Well, well done is forbidden. And I'm not surprised.

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Well, if you overcook that, it would be murder.

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It would be murder, mate. It would be absolutely outrageous.

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It's forbidden.

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In charge of the barbie is Le Frere,

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Jacque's brother, who's a chef.

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-I'll just make sure.

-This veal - naked veal.

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Without...nothing.

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-No sauce.

-Veal, salt, pepper. That's all.

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-That's it.

-How lucky are we?

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It's like the most exclusive barbecue in the world.

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And we get to eat the tiger cow. Whoo. Grr!

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And if you love meat, this is as good as it gets.

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On a par with Wagyu and Kobe beef, Michelin-starred chefs

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compete to buy Jacques's small production.

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-BOTH:

-Oh!

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Man!

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This is so tender. It's so tasty. It's so juicy.

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It melts in your mouth.

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And it has that wonderful umami, savoury flavour.

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It's so full of flavour, you can taste the countryside,

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the environment.

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It's wonderful.

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This is a big statement to make.

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That is the best piece of meat I have ever eaten.

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Full stop. It is absolutely amazing.

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-ALL:

-Sante.

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Well, there's only one thing to do now, mate.

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Couldn't agree more, Kingy.

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Cook some beautiful veal in one of our own recipes.

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BELL RINGS

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Welcome to Si and Dave's Mediterranean kitchen,

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to our casa del Mediterraneo, to our hacienda.

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Call it what you like,

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there's that many influences round here.

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There is. And you know what we're going to do?

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We're going to do veal with olives.

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This is our gift to that great Corsican veal producer,

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Jacques Abbatucci.

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Oh! He's got a great name, hasn't he?

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-He has, hasn't he? Jacques. French.

-Yeah.

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Abbatucci. A touch of the Italian there.

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Yes. They were very specific weren't they, in Corsica?

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It sounds like the Italian, but actually it isn't.

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I'm not entirely sure how.

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-BOTH:

-It's Corsican.

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Eating rose veal is OK if you eat meat.

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It's a by-product of the dairy industry. It is a treat.

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Look at that.

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So, actually, if you eat meat, you could do yourself a favour

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and have something really, really good.

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But if you don't want to use veal,

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braising steak will be fine.

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Before I brown the meat,

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I'm coating it with seasoned flour and that will help

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thicken the sauce a little later on.

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I've covered it really, really well.

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There's some olive oil in the pan here and we're just going

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to start to fry that off.

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Now, we need a really lovely deep colour on this.

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Now, the veal, by its nature,

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it's quite lean, which is healthy.

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So we need to lubricate it a bit, so the bacon fat

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from the smoked lardons, from these fine pigs of Corsica,

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will do the trick.

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And we are to peel and put into discs two carrots.

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BELL RINGS

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Next, two onions, finely chopped.

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Enough with the bell, dude!

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BELL RINGS

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Next, two sticks of celery.

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And I'm going to use the leaves as well.

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Look at that celery, Si.

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It always amazes me at home, why they take the leaves

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off the celery before they sell them,

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because there's so much flavour in that. It's great in salads.

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-It's brilliant in stews.

-Mm-hm.

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You know, so I'm going to put the leaves in.

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Oh, absolutely, dude, yeah.

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Put the meat to one side to rest.

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Are you ready for the crispination?

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Absolutely.

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And fry the lardons in the remaining cooking juices.

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This is a powerhouse of flavour.

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Add the chopped celery...

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onions...

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and carrots.

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Et voila!

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Lovely, mate. You know, don't be frightened

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of the caramelisation that you see,

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because all of that colour is all flavour.

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And what we need to do is, as well,

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we need to colour the onions particularly a little bit.

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But not brown. We're not doing hamburgers.

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Not very deep brown

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but certainly a little bit of colour on them.

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Just a bit. Mother used to do that.

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Oh, she used to burn everything, me mother.

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-Did she?

-Oh, good grief.

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My mother, she was more an arsonist than a chef.

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Next, four finely sliced cloves of garlic.

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A lot of the garlic we get at home seems to be

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-weak and insipid.

-Yeah, it does.

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I like the garlic that lingers.

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Yeah. There's definitely no apologies, is there,

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for using as much garlic as we do here in this dish?

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MAKES SOUND OF EXPLOSION

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-BELL RINGS

-Next...

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A pared-off piece of lemon zest.

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A chunk of lemon rind to you.

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The acidity from the lemon rind

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will give the sauce a bit of a zing.

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Two sprigs of fresh rosemary, straight from my bush.

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Some thyme. Straight from the supermarket.

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And a couple of bay leaves.

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So the veal goes back in.

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-About two-thirds of a bottle.

-Yeah. 500ml.

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About a pint.

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And all the little bits of goodness at the bottom

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of the pan will be lifted by that white wine

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into a melange of stewiness.

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And can you remember what you call that?

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Can you? We keep telling you.

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It's the hacky bits at the bottom of your pan.

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Deglazing.

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Top up with some chicken stock

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and add the extra flavours.

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And the super-duper bouquet garni.

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Beautiful.

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And that, like us, needs to simmer in the sun

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for about 45 minutes.

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-FRENCH ACCENT:

-Oh, life is so 'ard!

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Mm! Ah!

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-Oh!

-Perfect, man.

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That is, isn't it? Look at the colours in that.

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-Stew is in the house.

-Certainly is.

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At this stage, remove the bouquet garni

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and add chopped tomatoes.

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BELL RINGS

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And now a proper Mediterranean touch.

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Top tip. If you're going to put green olives in a stew,

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blanch them first. They keep their colour.

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Simmer for a further 15 minutes and voila!

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-Oh, that veal.

-Wow.

-Oh, Jacques. Jacque!

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Jacques. There's nothing "Tati" about you, Jacques.

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-That, for me, says Corsica.

-Mm.

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Robust, great flavours.

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-There's a beautiful citrus note going through.

-Yes!

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The veal's soft, meaty. Oh, it's just so good.

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And then the olives, bit of a top note.

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Salty, sweet.

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Perfect. It's a great, great dish. Cook it at home, honestly.

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Last night, we stayed in

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the stunning little town of Porto Pollo.

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-And it's beautiful.

-Isn't it just?

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How fabulous.

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It turns out that Antoine, the owner of our hotel,

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is a history buff. He wants us to understand more

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about what has shaped life here.

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You'll see one Genovese tower.

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It was the defence of the Genova Republic.

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And all around the island, there is all these towers.

0:17:100:17:14

The city state of Genoa, on the Italian coast,

0:17:170:17:19

ruled Corsica for over 500 years

0:17:190:17:22

and used this fertile island as their larder.

0:17:220:17:25

Building these defences to repel invaders.

0:17:250:17:28

But perhaps the most lasting legacy of the Genoese

0:17:280:17:32

is the millions of chestnut trees they planted,

0:17:320:17:36

which were a valuable source of carbohydrates

0:17:360:17:38

before potatoes arrived from the New World.

0:17:380:17:43

The Genoese may have created this verdant landscape,

0:17:430:17:46

but they were eventually ousted by

0:17:460:17:48

another of Corsica's neighbours, France,

0:17:480:17:51

in the late 18th century.

0:17:510:17:52

It's only 200 years we are French.

0:17:540:17:56

-Yes.

-Yeah.

0:17:560:17:58

It is important that Corsica keeps its own identity,

0:17:580:18:01

-isn't it?

-Yeah. I think in the world

0:18:010:18:03

we live now, today, it's important.

0:18:030:18:07

If you want to know where you go...

0:18:070:18:10

-ALL:

-You have to know where you came from.

0:18:100:18:12

-..came from.

-Yeah.

0:18:120:18:14

And in Corsica, we think about that.

0:18:140:18:17

Tourism is very important, though, to Corsica.

0:18:170:18:19

Yeah. Tourism is important. It's 13% of the economy.

0:18:190:18:23

We try to do better tourism.

0:18:230:18:27

Although Corsica is embracing tourism,

0:18:360:18:38

the islanders are also keen to preserve

0:18:380:18:40

this idyllic landscape.

0:18:400:18:43

So, along most of the coastline,

0:18:430:18:45

no new development is allowed within 100 metres of the sea.

0:18:450:18:49

And that respect for the environment

0:18:510:18:54

means that much of Corsica is really unspoiled.

0:18:540:18:59

Back on the trail of our Corsican food trinity,

0:18:590:19:01

we're heading inland to the Natural Park,

0:19:010:19:04

another protected area.

0:19:040:19:06

We're surrounded by a vast forest

0:19:060:19:09

and are going to start

0:19:090:19:11

digging into that chestnut malarkey, but not just yet,

0:19:110:19:14

because there's another meat treat we've heard about.

0:19:140:19:17

Yes, we're off to meet a world-class charcuterie producer

0:19:170:19:21

and apparently one of Corsica's youngest entrepreneurs.

0:19:210:19:24

Laurent Henry raises pigs on the high Coscione plateau,

0:19:390:19:45

one of the most dramatic landscapes in Corsica.

0:19:450:19:50

Steeped in his family's farming tradition,

0:19:500:19:52

he uses a tried-and-tested free-range approach.

0:19:520:19:56

Laurent has decided to go for quality over quantity

0:19:560:19:59

and his gourmet charcuterie business is a runaway success.

0:19:590:20:03

He only rears around 200 pigs a year

0:20:030:20:06

and cures the meat himself.

0:20:060:20:08

His artisan hams and sausages are in such high demand

0:20:080:20:11

that you've got to be on the ball just to get your hands on them.

0:20:110:20:15

What? Well, let's hope he's kept a few to one side

0:20:150:20:17

for us, dude. I don't do talking without tasting.

0:20:170:20:20

Bienvenue en Corse. Oui! Fantastique!

0:20:200:20:22

Oui, je vais vous amener sur mon exploitation

0:20:220:20:25

et comme ca vous verrez mes cochons.

0:20:250:20:27

We can go up the hill and have a look at his pigs.

0:20:270:20:29

-Marvellous.

-Oui. C'est fantastique.

0:20:290:20:32

-Merci.

-Brilliant.

0:20:320:20:34

Flipping 'eck. Where have they come from?

0:20:340:20:36

Ho!

0:20:360:20:37

Hee-hee-hee!

0:20:410:20:43

Ho!

0:20:430:20:45

Free-range pork.

0:20:450:20:47

Ho!

0:20:520:20:53

Is it me, or can all these islanders talk to the animals?

0:20:530:20:58

Dr Dolittle must have been a Corsican.

0:20:580:21:00

They love it, don't they?

0:21:000:21:02

Laurent tells us that he started making charcuterie

0:21:100:21:12

as a child, but that life on the plateau isn't easy.

0:21:120:21:17

Living this way, it can't be very easy for you,

0:21:170:21:19

especially during the winter.

0:21:190:21:20

And there's another challenge for producers.

0:21:330:21:35

Customers aren't on your doorstep up here,

0:21:350:21:38

so you have to create something exceptional

0:21:380:21:40

that people will seek out, and that's what Laurent does.

0:21:400:21:44

But this is like the original pork from Corsica.

0:21:440:21:49

So this is a particular breed to Corsica?

0:21:490:21:50

Yeah, much like the tiger cow was. It's Corsican.

0:21:500:21:54

But what I'm impressed with, it's the husbandry.

0:21:540:21:57

Well, there kind of doesn't seem to be much husbandry.

0:21:570:22:00

It's just the best things that the countryside

0:22:000:22:02

has to offer.

0:22:020:22:04

In this case, the mighty chestnut.

0:22:040:22:07

Backbone of Corsican cuisine.

0:22:070:22:09

And here we are surrounded by them.

0:22:090:22:12

In October, Laurent brings his pigs to the forest

0:22:160:22:19

to fatten them up on chestnuts.

0:22:190:22:22

And it's the chestnuts that give the meat

0:22:220:22:25

its unique taste as well as a distinctive marbling of fat.

0:22:250:22:31

These forests may have been imposed on the island

0:22:310:22:34

by the Genoese, but chestnuts have fed man and beast

0:22:340:22:37

ever since.

0:22:370:22:40

I think we're getting it, mate, the importance of chestnuts

0:22:400:22:43

throughout Corsica.

0:22:430:22:44

You know, chestnuts feed the pigs, the pigs feed us.

0:22:440:22:47

Perfect.

0:22:470:22:48

Charcuterie has always been very important here.

0:22:510:22:54

Without electricity or refrigeration,

0:22:540:22:57

salting, smoking and air-drying meat was the only way

0:22:570:23:00

that the people in the mountain villages

0:23:000:23:02

could preserve their food.

0:23:020:23:04

Laurent has laid out his meat in the shape of a pig

0:23:090:23:12

to show us how everything is used.

0:23:120:23:15

-Now, why is the paprika on?

-Paprika?

0:23:150:23:18

From head to toe, each part of the pig

0:23:260:23:29

is turned into a specific delicacy.

0:23:290:23:31

The fillet. A-ha.

0:23:340:23:36

The lonzu, the fillet.

0:23:370:23:39

I must say, that this...

0:23:410:23:42

I've had this in Corsica before and it is just beautiful.

0:23:420:23:45

Et ca, figatelli.

0:23:450:23:47

Figatelli. I know I've gone on record as saying

0:23:470:23:49

that this is my favourite sausage.

0:23:490:23:51

I have to confess, it is.

0:23:510:23:53

-BOTH:

-Oui.

0:23:560:23:58

Phwoar!

0:23:580:23:59

Deux ans.

0:24:000:24:02

Two years. So it's hung for two years.

0:24:020:24:05

Hanging times vary, depending on the weight of each product

0:24:050:24:07

and the depth of flavour you want.

0:24:070:24:10

Three to six months

0:24:100:24:11

for the salami, figatelli and fillet,

0:24:110:24:14

and up to two years for the ham.

0:24:140:24:17

This is proper slow-made food, full of care,

0:24:170:24:21

attention and love at every stage.

0:24:210:24:23

But there's no such thing as a free lunch -

0:24:290:24:31

or dinner, in this case.

0:24:310:24:33

To work, my friend!

0:24:330:24:35

At this stage, I'll do anything.

0:24:350:24:37

We're helping Laurent and his wife Antoinette

0:24:370:24:39

make a hearty Corsican soup

0:24:390:24:41

and a traditional chestnut cake.

0:24:410:24:43

The soup couldn't be any more home-made,

0:24:430:24:46

with vegetables from their garden.

0:24:460:24:48

And a leftover ham bone from Laurent's pigs.

0:24:490:24:52

There's no waste here.

0:24:520:24:54

As we've see time and time again,

0:24:540:24:56

it's simplicity that's the key.

0:24:560:24:59

The cake is simple, too.

0:25:020:25:03

Just eggs, sugar, double cream, vegetable oil

0:25:030:25:07

and, of course, the quintessential chestnut flour.

0:25:070:25:10

And, by the way, as well as being full of vitamins E and C,

0:25:120:25:15

chestnut flour is gluten-free.

0:25:150:25:18

-Voila.

-Voila!

0:25:180:25:19

Quel temps, Antoniette?

0:25:190:25:21

Trente-cinque a quarante minutes.

0:25:210:25:23

Between 35 and 40 minutes in a moderate oven.

0:25:230:25:26

Satisfaction guaranteed.

0:25:260:25:27

There's a large dining table

0:25:300:25:33

at the heart of every Corsican home.

0:25:330:25:36

And, tonight, we're lucky enough

0:25:360:25:38

to be joining Laurent's family and friends for dinner.

0:25:380:25:41

Merci, Laurent.

0:25:430:25:44

Dude, it's fantastic.

0:25:450:25:47

Pork from the mountain, vegetables from the garden.

0:25:470:25:50

It's the terre...

0:25:500:25:52

C'est bon?

0:25:540:25:55

Mmm! C'est tres bon!

0:25:550:25:57

Super.

0:25:570:25:59

-Maybe?

-Oui, super delicious.

0:26:000:26:03

And, now, what we've been waiting for all day.

0:26:060:26:09

This is the bit I've been looking forward to, Si.

0:26:090:26:12

The ham.

0:26:120:26:13

You know, it's like the pata negra.

0:26:130:26:15

It's the pig fed on chestnuts.

0:26:150:26:18

What do you reckon?

0:26:190:26:20

J'avais un jambon-gasm.

0:26:220:26:24

It's that good.

0:26:240:26:26

Now even I can translate that one.

0:26:260:26:29

Ca va? C'est bon?

0:26:290:26:30

-Oh, c'est...

-Oh!

-Incredible.

0:26:300:26:31

-Vive la cochon.

-Salute!

0:26:340:26:36

-A sante.

-Salud. A sante.

0:26:360:26:39

For dessert, it's Antoinette's traditional chestnut cake.

0:26:390:26:43

That's such a good, simple cake.

0:26:440:26:46

Now I think we all know, in the UK, what to do

0:26:460:26:50

with that bag of chestnut flour that we've looked at on the shelves

0:26:500:26:53

and wondered what it's for.

0:26:530:26:54

It's to make this.

0:26:540:26:56

It turns out that they love a good sing-song here

0:26:560:26:59

and no Corsican evening would be complete without one.

0:26:590:27:02

THEY SING

0:27:040:27:08

Laurent's friends are singing in their native Corsican,

0:27:140:27:17

keeping alive the language and the culture.

0:27:170:27:19

OTHERS JOIN IN

0:27:230:27:25

The wine, the pork, the music,

0:27:350:27:37

the tradition.

0:27:370:27:38

It's life - and what a life, Kingy.

0:27:380:27:41

-What a life, dude.

-And how lucky we are to share it.

0:27:410:27:43

-Yeah.

-C'est bonne chance pour...

0:27:430:27:46

ici ce soir.

0:27:460:27:47

Merci beaucoup.

0:27:470:27:49

What an evening. Incredible food, lovely people

0:27:510:27:54

and singing.

0:27:540:27:56

Yes, the mother tongue seems here to stay.

0:27:580:28:01

Even the road signs are in two languages.

0:28:010:28:03

Though they've suffered a bit of wear and tear...

0:28:030:28:06

..that's another story.

0:28:060:28:08

Independence is never far from the political debate here,

0:28:090:28:13

but Corsicans are dealing with it in their own, unique way.

0:28:130:28:17

Well, I can't get enough of this place.

0:28:210:28:23

This is awesome.

0:28:250:28:27

Rocky, hilly, windy,

0:28:300:28:32

the perfect place to cook breakfast.

0:28:320:28:34

-Pig's face!

-SNORTS

0:28:390:28:41

Well, it's pig's cheek. It's been hung,

0:28:410:28:43

and it's some of Laurent's finest. We're very lucky.

0:28:430:28:45

It's actually half a pig's face.

0:28:450:28:47

Yep. Because two pigs' face would be a two-faced pig.

0:28:470:28:50

We don't want no two-paced figs in this village.

0:28:500:28:52

THEY MAKE SOUND OF GUNSHOTS

0:28:520:28:54

-Nope.

-Chucky eggs.

0:28:540:28:55

Well, eggs is eggs, isn't it? You know what I mean?

0:28:550:28:57

But the mainstay, your carbohydrate,

0:28:570:29:00

-ain't porridge, ain't toast.

-No.

0:29:000:29:03

It's chestnut polenta.

0:29:030:29:05

Or, as they say in Corsican, pulenda.

0:29:050:29:07

Pulenda.

0:29:070:29:09

Now, polenta with a T, as you know it, is commonly made

0:29:090:29:12

with cornflour.

0:29:120:29:13

But here it's spelled pulenda with a D.

0:29:130:29:16

And it's made of, guess what, the mighty chestnut flour.

0:29:160:29:21

Now, you have to sieve this in small quantities

0:29:210:29:24

into the pan. They say this is a man's job,

0:29:240:29:27

which is why Kingy is doing it, hello!

0:29:270:29:30

A pinch of salt goes into the water

0:29:300:29:33

and then that classic Mediterranean flavour, thyme.

0:29:330:29:36

See the lumps there?

0:29:360:29:37

Next, gently sieve the flour into the boiling water.

0:29:370:29:40

Can you manage to get some in the pan?

0:29:420:29:44

-It is in the pan.

-Look at the state of it!

0:29:440:29:45

-Keep stirring!

-I am...

0:29:450:29:47

What do you think I'm doing?

0:29:470:29:49

-Just let me get the flour in!

-I cannot...

0:29:490:29:52

-Stir.

-It's going lumpy.

0:29:520:29:54

It shouldn't be lumpy!

0:29:540:29:55

Get me sunglasses out of me hair!

0:29:570:29:59

It's hard work, this.

0:30:010:30:03

They're stuck.

0:30:030:30:04

# Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

0:30:040:30:07

# Jack Frost stirring like a...

0:30:070:30:09

You can smell the chestnuts.

0:30:100:30:11

It's the fruit of the mountains.

0:30:110:30:13

We'll be smelling your chestnuts if we get blow-back

0:30:130:30:15

on this gas hob. Right, we're there.

0:30:150:30:18

Brilliant.

0:30:180:30:19

We're going to put the pulenda onto the rock

0:30:190:30:21

just to cool down. As it cools, it'll go quite solid.

0:30:210:30:24

The rest is easy.

0:30:240:30:26

Fry the sliced pig cheek and the eggs

0:30:260:30:28

as you would do at home.

0:30:280:30:30

You could use streaky bacon or even smoked tofu

0:30:300:30:33

if you're a vegetarian.

0:30:330:30:34

-It looks...

-Beautiful.

0:30:340:30:37

..fantastic.

0:30:370:30:38

After a few minutes, the pulenda has set.

0:30:380:30:41

Just cut it into a few slices and plate it up.

0:30:410:30:44

I suppose one looks at it as a kind of vegetable sausage.

0:30:440:30:47

Handy.

0:30:470:30:48

Look at this.

0:30:480:30:50

That is great, isn't it?

0:30:510:30:53

That pig's cheek is so crispy.

0:30:530:30:55

Try it with the chestnuts.

0:30:550:30:57

It's fantastic. The chestnut pulenda...

0:31:000:31:04

-It's sweet, Dave.

-It is.

0:31:040:31:06

-So good.

-It tastes like chestnuts.

0:31:060:31:08

The fat on Laurent's pig's cheeks,

0:31:080:31:11

it's gone crispy and lovely.

0:31:110:31:13

And with the chestnut pulenda, it's lovely,

0:31:130:31:15

and an egg on the top. It's not too shabby at all.

0:31:150:31:18

And by the way, how many kitchens have a view like that?

0:31:180:31:22

See? See? We bring you to some good places, don't we?

0:31:240:31:28

Oh, yes.

0:31:280:31:30

Ah, I could soak that view up all day,

0:31:300:31:33

but we need to press on,

0:31:330:31:34

leaving the mountains and heading to the coast.

0:31:340:31:37

Our next stop is going to blow your mind, Kingy.

0:31:390:31:41

A whole island built out of one of your favorite foods.

0:31:410:31:45

An island? Made of steak and kidney pie?

0:31:450:31:49

No, you silly turnip! Oysters!

0:31:490:31:52

-Bienvenue. Bonjour.

-Bonjour, Pierre.

0:31:520:31:56

Je m'appelle Simon.

0:31:560:31:57

Vous allez venir avec nous?

0:31:570:31:59

Oui, tres bon jour.

0:32:010:32:03

-Fantastic.

-Oui, oui, oui.

0:32:030:32:05

This is the Etang de Diane, a large saltwater bay

0:32:050:32:10

where they cultivate oysters and mussels.

0:32:100:32:13

Pierre took over his dad's business 12 years ago.

0:32:130:32:17

Oysters here grow nearly four times as fast

0:32:170:32:19

as those from the Atlantic.

0:32:190:32:21

And that's due to the unique qualities of the water.

0:32:210:32:24

You know, I knew they grew mussels on ropes,

0:32:310:32:33

but I've never seen oysters on ropes.

0:32:330:32:35

They're like little metal baskets, aren't they?

0:32:350:32:37

Yeah, I've never seen that before. Absolutely amazing.

0:32:370:32:39

So they've gone from seed oysters to that in six months.

0:32:390:32:42

Oh, that's impressive.

0:32:440:32:46

But Pierre's family were not the first

0:32:460:32:48

to cultivate oysters in this bay.

0:32:480:32:50

Over 2,000 years ago, the Romans set up

0:32:500:32:53

a gigantic oyster fishery here and exported oysters

0:32:530:32:56

all over the empire.

0:32:560:32:58

The Romans, rather than shipping out the oysters

0:33:010:33:03

-in the shells...

-Yeah?

0:33:030:33:05

-..they would shuck them...

-Yeah.

0:33:050:33:06

..put the meat in an amphora, keep them in that,

0:33:060:33:08

discard the shells.

0:33:080:33:10

To preserve the oysters during shipping,

0:33:100:33:13

they were kept in salt water and honey.

0:33:130:33:15

There was that many oysters farmed and produced here

0:33:150:33:19

that the shells produced an island.

0:33:190:33:21

Now, an island made of oyster shells?

0:33:210:33:24

That's not something you see every day, is it?

0:33:240:33:26

It's amazing!

0:33:260:33:28

Oyster shell island.

0:33:300:33:32

I can't believe I'm walking on oyster shells.

0:33:320:33:34

It's like walking on eggshells without the eggs.

0:33:370:33:39

Kind of more oysters, if you know what I mean.

0:33:390:33:44

-Look at all those, dude.

-Yeah. It's an oyster tip.

0:33:440:33:47

-GUIDE:

-Partout.

0:33:470:33:48

-Partout?

-Look at those, Si.

0:33:480:33:50

-Where?

-The water, shallow water.

0:33:500:33:54

That is incredible.

0:33:540:33:55

Incredible.

0:34:070:34:08

So, that hole was made when the Roman Empire was alive and well.

0:34:080:34:13

So I am actually holding something 2,000 years old.

0:34:130:34:16

Yeah, that could have been Julius Caesar's dinner.

0:34:160:34:20

I love oysters! Let's make an island.

0:34:200:34:23

I would help you, Kingy, but I'm allergic.

0:34:230:34:27

Oh, not to worry, dude.

0:34:270:34:29

There's a lovely recipe we can do with mussels instead

0:34:290:34:32

and courgettes on the side.

0:34:320:34:33

Luckily, Pierre's mussels look as splendid as his oysters.

0:34:360:34:39

What are you doing?

0:34:470:34:49

Muscles!

0:34:490:34:50

Ha! That was good, that.

0:34:500:34:52

But stuffed mussels. They still do stuffed mussels in Corsica.

0:34:520:34:56

They're like a little bit of a 1970s thing.

0:34:560:34:58

You can imagine at a dinner party, you know, you have

0:34:580:35:00

your stuffed mussels, it's all lovely. But they're brilliant.

0:35:000:35:03

They are. And what we're starting the recipe with

0:35:030:35:05

is courgette gratin.

0:35:050:35:08

-DAVE SINGS:

-I had a good job but I left, left...

0:35:090:35:13

Hey, hoo, hoo!

0:35:130:35:14

Arrange the sliced courgettes tidily in the pan.

0:35:140:35:18

Or not.

0:35:180:35:20

Gently fry the courgettes in olive oil.

0:35:220:35:25

Two big cloves of garlic. It is optional.

0:35:250:35:27

Lovely. As we're sauteeing them off, I'm just going

0:35:300:35:33

to put some salt in there just to draw

0:35:330:35:36

that beautiful, beautiful sugars and colour out of the courgettes.

0:35:360:35:40

Just going to strip some thyme.

0:35:400:35:42

-Fresh basil.

-And all that's happening is we're just building

0:35:420:35:45

those lovely earthy flavours that complement

0:35:450:35:48

the courgettes really well.

0:35:480:35:50

Again, it's a really simple dish.

0:35:500:35:52

We want them cooked but still a little bit al dente,

0:35:520:35:56

because we're going to cook it, obviously, in the oven

0:35:560:35:58

a little bit later on.

0:35:580:36:01

Whilst the courgettes are cooking, I'm going to make,

0:36:010:36:03

like, the, gratiny bit,

0:36:030:36:05

which is creme fraiche, milk and flour.

0:36:050:36:08

Chestnut flour?

0:36:080:36:10

Nah, there is a time and place for chestnut flour,

0:36:100:36:13

but this isn't it. Plain flour is perfect.

0:36:130:36:16

The flour is a bit of a cheat, really. You don't need it.

0:36:160:36:19

But it will stop the milk and the creme fraiche

0:36:190:36:21

from splitting, so you don't have that horrible curdly bit.

0:36:210:36:25

Creme fraiche.

0:36:250:36:27

Some milk.

0:36:290:36:31

About a teaspoon of flour.

0:36:330:36:36

Once the courgettes are al dente, combine them with

0:36:360:36:38

the cream and flour.

0:36:380:36:41

And top it off with some mature Gruyere.

0:36:410:36:44

The nutty flavour goes a treat with the creamy courgettes.

0:36:440:36:48

And just pop this into a preheated oven,

0:36:480:36:50

180 degrees Celsius,

0:36:500:36:52

about 20 minutes to half an hour,

0:36:520:36:54

depending on how reliable the oven is.

0:36:540:36:57

All right, then?

0:36:570:36:58

Now, add the star of the show, those lovely mussels.

0:37:030:37:07

Fresh, salty and utterly Mediterranean.

0:37:070:37:10

First, I'm bringing some white wine to the boil.

0:37:100:37:14

Then we need some parsley.

0:37:150:37:18

Once the wine is simmering, add the parsley and mussels.

0:37:180:37:21

OK. Put the lid on. And let them steam

0:37:230:37:26

in the beautiful white wine

0:37:260:37:27

and the gorgeous parsley from the Mediterranean

0:37:270:37:29

for four to five minutes.

0:37:290:37:31

Which gives us just time to make the gratinee for the top.

0:37:310:37:34

BOTH CHUCKLE

0:37:340:37:35

For the gratinee, we're using breadcrumbs

0:37:350:37:38

and two grated cloves of garlic.

0:37:380:37:41

And a tablespoon of chopped tarragon.

0:37:410:37:43

Its subtle hint of licorice will be perfect with

0:37:430:37:46

the white wine.

0:37:460:37:48

And some chopped basil.

0:37:480:37:50

Can you put us a nice big glug of olive oil in there, Kingy?

0:37:500:37:52

-Yes, no problem.

-About three tablespoons.

0:37:520:37:55

One, two, three.

0:37:550:37:58

And now the basil goes in to join its friend, the tarragon.

0:37:580:38:01

And now some cheese.

0:38:010:38:03

I'm going to do a mixture of pecorino and Gruyere.

0:38:030:38:07

These cheeses are quite salty,

0:38:070:38:10

so I'm not putting in any extra seasoning.

0:38:100:38:13

Look at those. Fantastic.

0:38:150:38:18

I'm going to take the top shell off the mussel

0:38:210:38:25

and leave them in their half-shells.

0:38:250:38:26

It's a great dish to bring to the table.

0:38:260:38:29

You know, a sharing dish.

0:38:290:38:30

What we're going to do, just to keep the moisture

0:38:300:38:32

in the next cooking process,

0:38:320:38:34

is we're just going to put a little bit of moisture

0:38:340:38:38

of the cooking juices back into the shells

0:38:380:38:41

so it keeps the mussels nice and juicy.

0:38:410:38:45

And, top tip, you can keep the leftover cooking juices

0:38:450:38:49

in the fridge for a couple of days.

0:38:490:38:51

It's delicious over pasta.

0:38:510:38:53

And, of course, the little crumb mixture, the bread,

0:38:530:38:55

is going to take up that juice as well.

0:38:550:38:57

Five minutes in the oven and job's a good 'un.

0:38:590:39:02

Perfect. Stuffed mussels.

0:39:040:39:08

And a courgette gratin.

0:39:080:39:10

Salut.

0:39:170:39:20

Here's to Corsican etang.

0:39:200:39:22

What?

0:39:250:39:26

They're brilliant.

0:39:280:39:30

I tell you what... I think...

0:39:300:39:33

..Pierre would be quite proud of those.

0:39:330:39:36

Pierre?

0:39:360:39:37

Yeah, you know, the fellow we went fishing with.

0:39:370:39:41

Oh, yes!

0:39:410:39:42

I think both of them complement each other really well, actually.

0:39:420:39:45

-Oh, yeah.

-Really good, man.

0:39:450:39:47

They're strong, forceful, they're beautiful.

0:39:470:39:49

-Well, I'll drink to that.

-I'll drink to Corsica.

0:39:490:39:52

-Cheers.

-To Corsica.

0:39:520:39:53

Cheers.

0:39:530:39:54

What a start to the day, Kingy.

0:40:040:40:06

I love these mountain roads.

0:40:060:40:08

Best riding ever.

0:40:100:40:12

Watch out. Livestock alert!

0:40:180:40:20

MUSIC: I Feel Free by Cream

0:40:290:40:33

Si, remember the Corsican food trinity?

0:40:450:40:48

Meat, cheese and chestnuts. Heaven on a plate.

0:40:480:40:52

I don't know about you, Kingy,

0:40:520:40:54

but I think we've done meat justice, haven't we?

0:40:540:40:56

Definitely.

0:40:560:40:57

The chestnuts, you've got pudding, cake, flour,

0:40:570:41:00

you've got your substantials. There's one thing missing.

0:41:000:41:04

-Cheese.

-Cheese, Gromit!

0:41:040:41:07

Running a business from a remote village isn't easy.

0:41:090:41:12

But if what you make is good enough,

0:41:120:41:15

customers will jump through hoops to get their hands on it.

0:41:150:41:19

-Bonjour. Karin?

-Oui, Karin.

0:41:190:41:21

-Je m'appelle David.

-Enchantee.

0:41:210:41:23

Bonjour, Karin.

0:41:230:41:24

And it's a legendary product that's brought us here.

0:41:240:41:28

Si, are we auditioning for a third Hairy Biker?

0:41:280:41:31

La barbe magnifique!

0:41:310:41:34

MAN LAUGHS

0:41:340:41:36

One day!

0:41:360:41:37

Karin runs a family cheese-making business,

0:41:370:41:40

producing a range of cheeses

0:41:400:41:42

including a Corsican favorite, brocciu,

0:41:420:41:44

and has a herd of around 300 goats

0:41:440:41:47

who roam freely around the village.

0:41:470:41:50

Still milked by hand, they provide enough milk

0:41:500:41:53

for the small-scale production of artisan cheeses,

0:41:530:41:56

and Karin can hardly keep up with the demand.

0:41:560:41:58

Oui.

0:42:020:42:03

Karin is showing us how to make two types of cheese.

0:42:030:42:06

Firstly, cottage cheese.

0:42:060:42:08

You can eat it straight away or let it mature,

0:42:080:42:11

which strengthens the flavour and changes the texture.

0:42:110:42:15

-SI AND DAVE:

-Ah!

0:42:230:42:24

Rennet contains an enzyme that acts as

0:42:310:42:34

a catalyst to curdle the milk.

0:42:340:42:36

You can buy the rennet.

0:42:360:42:38

You could do this at home quite easily.

0:42:380:42:40

Once the rennet has done its job,

0:42:400:42:42

the mixture separates into thick curds and runny whey.

0:42:420:42:45

The curds make good old-fashioned cottage cheese.

0:42:450:42:49

Really, we've got the whey here

0:42:490:42:51

-and we're sieving it off.

-Yeah.

0:42:510:42:54

Nothing goes to waste here.

0:42:540:42:55

The whey will be used later on.

0:42:550:42:57

The freshly made cheese is tempting

0:42:570:43:00

but I generally prefer something stronger.

0:43:000:43:03

This is amazing.

0:43:030:43:04

Karin is going to show us

0:43:040:43:06

how to make another soft cheese,

0:43:060:43:08

using the whey this time.

0:43:080:43:10

It's brocciu, or ricotta as we know it.

0:43:100:43:13

So this is the whey. What you're doing is skimming out

0:43:130:43:15

-the little bits of cheese.

-Yes.

0:43:150:43:17

The key to this cheese appears to be elbow grease.

0:43:210:43:25

Right, that's enough. I'm not stirring any more.

0:43:250:43:28

I stirred the polenta or pul...

0:43:280:43:31

-Keep stirring!

-You stir the flaming thing!

0:43:310:43:34

Fine. I'm stronger anyway!

0:43:340:43:36

First, the whey is warmed to 35 degrees Celsius.

0:43:390:43:42

Then Karin's husband David adds some salted milk.

0:43:420:43:45

This improves the creaminess of the brocciu.

0:43:450:43:48

Carry on, Mr Myers!

0:43:500:43:52

The mixture needs to reach 85 degrees

0:43:520:43:54

for the cheese to start forming.

0:43:540:43:56

Shut your face, you!

0:43:560:43:57

While you do that, Karin is showing us

0:43:570:44:00

how to make some migliaccioli.

0:44:000:44:03

You can't expect us to sit around watching you

0:44:030:44:06

stir a bucket of cheese, dude!

0:44:060:44:08

Good. I'll have earned a snack!

0:44:080:44:10

Migliaccioli is a local cottage cheese pancake

0:44:100:44:14

made with flour, salt and yeast.

0:44:140:44:17

It also has water to make it runny,

0:44:200:44:22

and a couple of eggs to bind everything together.

0:44:220:44:25

Nearly getting there. I'm soixante-dix.

0:44:250:44:27

Time for the star of the show,

0:44:270:44:29

our freshly set cottage cheese.

0:44:290:44:31

With the cheese mixed into the batter,

0:44:340:44:36

Karin is separating it into two batches.

0:44:360:44:38

One will be plain and the other will have

0:44:380:44:41

wild mint to give it a local twist.

0:44:410:44:44

OK.

0:44:480:44:49

We're nearly there. We still haven't got cheese yet.

0:44:490:44:51

At last!

0:44:550:44:56

The fruits of my labour become evident

0:44:560:44:59

as the cheese begins to form.

0:44:590:45:00

I think we've got cheese here. Karin? You see?

0:45:000:45:03

C'est bon.

0:45:040:45:06

Hmm, the cheese tray looks like

0:45:060:45:09

it may have had a previous life.

0:45:090:45:11

We won't tell anybody, David!

0:45:110:45:13

KARIN CHUCKLES

0:45:130:45:14

David... Je ne parler pas... la police.

0:45:140:45:18

Oui. C'est separe.

0:45:210:45:22

Ah.

0:45:240:45:25

-Ah, now.

-Voila.

0:45:250:45:27

-So this is it.

-It's precious.

0:45:270:45:29

Tout doucement.

0:45:290:45:30

Mate, this is going to be superb.

0:45:430:45:47

Well, you know, we've cooked in some kitchens in the world,

0:45:470:45:49

but I think Karin's has to be about the most dramatic.

0:45:490:45:53

Seeing a man like that,

0:45:540:45:55

you can't help having beard envy, can you?

0:45:550:45:58

I'm done. I've scooped up all my brocciu.

0:46:010:46:04

And we've finished making our migliaccioli.

0:46:040:46:07

Smells amazing, and the ingredients couldn't be fresher.

0:46:070:46:10

-Merci. Do you want a half?

-Yeah, let's have half.

0:46:140:46:16

-So this is...

-This is the one without mint.

0:46:160:46:19

-Natural.

-Yeah, natural.

0:46:190:46:20

Naturel, oui.

0:46:200:46:21

It's like a...

0:46:230:46:25

delicately goat's cheese-filled crumpet.

0:46:250:46:27

-They are delicious.

-They are delicious.

0:46:270:46:31

And again, we saw what went in it. It's simple.

0:46:310:46:35

-These are the ones with mint.

-Yeah.

0:46:350:46:37

Oh, Mr King, you spoil me.

0:46:370:46:39

Wow!

0:46:410:46:43

-C'est bon?

-Oui! Oui, j'adore.

0:46:460:46:48

Oh, yeah. Mm!

0:46:500:46:52

Because the mint makes it somehow slightly sweeter

0:46:520:46:55

-than the natural ones.

-Mm-hm.

0:46:550:46:57

Wow.

0:46:570:46:59

Cor, I bet these are good cold with honey.

0:46:590:47:01

It'd work, wouldn't it?

0:47:010:47:04

These are lovely. Merci. Merci beaucoup.

0:47:040:47:08

There is no doubt, happy goats give great milk

0:47:080:47:10

and great milk makes awesome cheese.

0:47:100:47:12

That was incredible.

0:47:140:47:16

And even better, Kingy,

0:47:160:47:18

Karin has given me my brocciu to take away.

0:47:180:47:21

Corsica has done us proud yet again.

0:47:210:47:24

Beautiful food, made with real love and dedication.

0:47:240:47:28

Yeah. And I know exactly what we can cook with it

0:47:280:47:31

to do it justice.

0:47:310:47:33

Storzapretti,

0:47:330:47:34

or cheese quenelles in a rich tomato sauce.

0:47:340:47:37

The dish is called "stuff the priest".

0:47:370:47:39

This is a classic Corsican dish,

0:47:390:47:42

which roughly translated means "stuff the priest".

0:47:420:47:46

Not like stuff the priest but as in, like, fill him up.

0:47:460:47:49

It's a great vegetarian dish, but in Corsica you serve it

0:47:490:47:51

with charcuterie or, as we are, figatelli on the side.

0:47:510:47:56

Figatelli, the classic Corsican sausage.

0:47:560:47:59

# I swear thee allegiance to the figatelli

0:47:590:48:03

# I love the way it sits in Fill up me belly! #

0:48:030:48:06

-For this, I have my brocciu.

-Brocciu!

0:48:060:48:09

At home, you could use ricotta.

0:48:090:48:10

Ricotta or brocciu, it's important to drain off

0:48:100:48:13

any excess liquid before you start.

0:48:130:48:16

OK, so I've got some beautiful chard here,

0:48:160:48:18

and what we're going to do is

0:48:180:48:20

we're going to take the stalks out.

0:48:200:48:21

I need some basil now. I'll just go across to the basil.

0:48:210:48:24

Right, all I'm doing, right,

0:48:240:48:26

I just want to blanch this off for literally 30 seconds,

0:48:260:48:29

and then I am going to plunge it into cold water

0:48:290:48:31

to stop it cooking.

0:48:310:48:33

So all we need to do, I've just rolled it up in a big ball.

0:48:330:48:36

And just roughly cut it first.

0:48:380:48:41

Just literally 30 seconds, it doesn't take any longer.

0:48:410:48:44

For the quenelles, add one egg to the cheese.

0:48:470:48:50

Some mint.

0:48:500:48:52

Some breadcrumbs.

0:48:520:48:53

About 50g. Just any old stale breadcrumbs.

0:48:530:48:56

And about 50g of pecorino.

0:48:580:49:00

Now, while Dave is doing the pecorino,

0:49:010:49:03

what I'm going to do is I'm going to take the chard...

0:49:030:49:06

..and I need to drain all the water out of it.

0:49:080:49:12

So we're going to do that with the aid of a tea towel...

0:49:120:49:15

..in the Mediterranean sun.

0:49:160:49:18

No, not at me, you fool! No!

0:49:180:49:22

See, look at all this moisture.

0:49:220:49:25

Chop the Swiss chard extremely finely

0:49:250:49:28

and add it to the rest of the ingredients.

0:49:280:49:30

Now, we need to put this in the fridge for about an hour

0:49:300:49:33

to chill down so that we can make the quenelles,

0:49:330:49:35

or you can make balls or dumplings, whatever you fancy.

0:49:350:49:37

Whatever you fancy, yeah.

0:49:370:49:39

The secondy component to this dish is a tomato sauce.

0:49:390:49:42

What we've done is we've roasted off some red peppers,

0:49:420:49:45

and we're going to chop that very finely indeedy.

0:49:450:49:48

Along with one big onion.

0:49:480:49:51

Now, these want to sweat down.

0:49:510:49:53

For about ten minutes.

0:49:540:49:55

With the peppers.

0:49:550:49:57

I'm just going to grate a couple of fat cloves of garlic

0:49:590:50:01

into the mix. Ho-ho!

0:50:010:50:03

And now it's time for the red wine.

0:50:060:50:08

Any good big red wine will do.

0:50:080:50:09

What we're going to do is reduce this by half

0:50:130:50:15

to pull all those flavours together and intensify it.

0:50:150:50:17

It's going to be beautiful.

0:50:170:50:19

And to give him even more flavour, the bouquet garni.

0:50:190:50:22

It is a bit of a trilogy, this.

0:50:220:50:23

We've got the bay, the rosemary and the thyme.

0:50:230:50:26

Just pop that in.

0:50:260:50:28

But it wouldn't be a tomato sauce without, yes, tomatoes.

0:50:280:50:31

So we're using a tin of skinned plum tomatoes.

0:50:310:50:35

Very good for you, tinned tomatoes, as well, aren't they?

0:50:350:50:37

They're full of antioxidants and vitamins and good things.

0:50:370:50:41

-Right. Straight in?

-Straight in, dude.

0:50:410:50:45

Now, we make our brocciu and chard dumplings, or quenelles,

0:50:450:50:50

whilst that sauce just simmers nicely in the background.

0:50:500:50:53

-Perfect, dude.

-Perfect.

0:50:530:50:54

Now, on this tray I've got some baking sheet

0:50:540:50:57

and a lot of semolina.

0:50:570:50:59

And as we quenelle, we'll drop them onto the semolina.

0:50:590:51:03

In theory, it just won't stick and it will be lovely

0:51:030:51:07

and we can toss them in the semolina a little bit.

0:51:070:51:09

Kingy, you're king of the quenelles. What a pro!

0:51:120:51:16

These are surprisingly filling.

0:51:170:51:20

You know, the brocciu, the cheese,

0:51:200:51:22

I can see why they call it "stuff a priest",

0:51:220:51:24

you know, fill him up,

0:51:240:51:25

because they are very, very filling.

0:51:250:51:28

Carefully pop the quenelles in simmering water

0:51:280:51:30

for a couple of minutes, or until they float.

0:51:300:51:34

They're just going...

0:51:340:51:36

"Take me to the sauce! Take me to the sauce!"

0:51:360:51:38

I'm putting half the tomato sauce

0:51:400:51:42

into an ovenproof dish, and the quenelles will sit on top.

0:51:420:51:46

Superb.

0:51:460:51:48

Beautiful.

0:51:510:51:53

What we do, we take the rest of the tomato sauce,

0:51:530:51:55

because, don't forget, we only used half,

0:51:550:51:58

and we just...

0:51:580:52:00

..put it...over...

0:52:000:52:04

..just nice, so you can see them.

0:52:060:52:09

Sprinkle Gruyere cheese on top

0:52:090:52:11

and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

0:52:110:52:13

And there you have it. Baked brocciu quenelles

0:52:200:52:22

in tomato sauce with figatelli sausage.

0:52:220:52:27

Full of Mediterranean flavour.

0:52:270:52:28

It's like full of sunshine. Great.

0:52:280:52:30

But with the storzapretti,

0:52:300:52:32

you've got the fresh basil and the mint,

0:52:320:52:34

and to me that really comes through.

0:52:340:52:35

It does. Also, it's just deeply savoury and green.

0:52:350:52:39

-Mm.

-With the chard as well.

0:52:390:52:41

Do you know, I think we've done justice to Karin's cheese,

0:52:410:52:43

and, of course, Laurent's figatelli speaks for itself.

0:52:430:52:47

-It does.

-Just really fine charcuterie.

0:52:470:52:49

We are coming to the end of our time in Corsica,

0:52:560:52:59

and I for one will be leaving with a really heavy heart.

0:52:590:53:02

I know island living isn't easy,

0:53:020:53:04

but I can see why people stay here.

0:53:040:53:08

And the products they make are simply outstanding.

0:53:080:53:12

We've been to some pretty isolated places,

0:53:120:53:14

but it wasn't always like this.

0:53:140:53:16

And, tonight, we are staying in one of the growing number of rural B&Bs

0:53:160:53:20

that are springing up to create opportunities

0:53:200:53:23

in the old villages.

0:53:230:53:25

This one's Tevola Towers

0:53:260:53:29

in the tiny hilltop village of Carcheto.

0:53:290:53:32

Bonjour, madame, monsieur.

0:53:320:53:34

Bonjour. Danielle?

0:53:360:53:37

THEY ALL GREET EACH OTHER

0:53:370:53:39

It is a great pleasure.

0:53:390:53:41

The B&B owner, Jean Claude, is an author

0:53:460:53:49

but spends his spare time saving old buildings in his village.

0:53:490:53:52

Something he's been doing for over 50 years.

0:53:520:53:56

Jean Claude began his restoration when he was 19 years old,

0:54:130:54:17

with his first pay cheque.

0:54:170:54:19

At first, people thought he was mad,

0:54:220:54:24

but his perseverance paid off

0:54:240:54:26

and now other people are buying and restoring houses in nearby villages.

0:54:260:54:32

And his children and grandchildren have inherited his passion.

0:54:320:54:36

Hopefully, more families will return to these incredible hilltop villages

0:54:360:54:40

and keep the old Corsica alive.

0:54:400:54:44

While you're chatting with Jean Claude,

0:54:440:54:46

Danielle and I have been grafting.

0:54:460:54:48

This is great, actually getting inside a Corsican home to cook.

0:54:480:54:52

We're making a traditional Corsican dinner,

0:54:520:54:54

including a couple of starters.

0:54:540:54:56

Straight in.

0:54:570:54:59

But the star of the evening is definitely the main course.

0:54:590:55:02

Whoa! That looks... C'est tres bon.

0:55:090:55:11

Oui, c'est tres bon.

0:55:110:55:12

Qu'est-ce que c'est?

0:55:120:55:14

Ah, oui.

0:55:140:55:16

Qu'est-ce que c'est, Danielle?

0:55:160:55:17

Haricot beans.

0:55:170:55:19

Figatelli.

0:55:290:55:30

At this point, Mr King will be very jealous

0:55:370:55:39

when he sees this on the telly.

0:55:390:55:41

I'm not jealous, but I am hungry!

0:55:410:55:43

What a way to spend our last night in Corsica.

0:55:430:55:46

It's going to be a real spread.

0:55:460:55:49

A tart made with Swiss chard and onions from the garden.

0:55:490:55:52

The savoury figatelli and bean stew.

0:55:530:55:56

And a lemon cheesecake, using local lemons.

0:55:560:55:59

Everything on this table comes from within a ten-mile radius.

0:55:590:56:03

DANIELLE:

0:56:030:56:06

We're starting with a brocciu beignet that Danielle made

0:56:060:56:09

using the leftover brocciu that you made, mate.

0:56:090:56:12

It's like eating a cloud.

0:56:120:56:14

Yeah, lovely. Really light, beautiful.

0:56:140:56:16

Yeah, you've got the young cheese but what's lovely,

0:56:160:56:19

you've got the beignet, so it's basically fried cheese,

0:56:190:56:21

which is always a good starter. It really is good.

0:56:210:56:24

Tonight, the village is still alive, thanks to Danielle and Jean Claude.

0:56:240:56:28

Merci beaucoup, Danielle and Jean Claude,

0:56:280:56:30

for making our last night in Corsica

0:56:300:56:32

so memorable.

0:56:320:56:34

It's incroyable hospitality

0:56:340:56:37

and, um, from our hearts, we thank you for it.

0:56:370:56:40

This is what Corsica is about, isn't it?

0:56:400:56:43

This is what we found. We found a passion for food,

0:56:430:56:46

a passion for the land, a passion for the culture

0:56:460:56:48

and thank you so very much for your hospitality. Wonderful.

0:56:480:56:53

-Vive la Corse.

-Vive la Corse.

0:56:530:56:55

-Salute.

-Salute!

0:56:550:56:56

MUSIC

0:57:000:57:02

Hey, Kingy, you know Corsica so well. For me it was new.

0:57:200:57:24

And, you know, it says on the label that Corsica is French.

0:57:240:57:27

I'm not too sure now.

0:57:270:57:29

Well, it's definitely not Italian.

0:57:290:57:31

But I tell you what it is, dude. It is definitely,

0:57:310:57:33

-definitely Corsican.

-Yes.

0:57:330:57:35

For two blokes who like motorcycling, this has been

0:57:350:57:39

one of the best motorcycling experiences of our life.

0:57:390:57:42

Great food, great company, great biking.

0:57:420:57:46

Great people. What's not to love?

0:57:460:57:48

Don't know. But what's round the corner?

0:57:480:57:50

Marseille.

0:57:500:57:51

Howay, dude, let's go, cos that ferry won't wait.

0:57:510:57:55

Marseille, here we come.

0:57:550:57:56

Let's hop on the ferry to Marseille.

0:58:110:58:13

That's Provences, innit?

0:58:130:58:15

There, we'll learn about the Roman Empire...

0:58:150:58:17

Foosteps in history, isn't it? Back in time.

0:58:170:58:20

..Meet some French cowboys...

0:58:200:58:21

It's like a strange mythical world.

0:58:210:58:22

..Cook some awesome recipes.

0:58:220:58:25

-BOTH:

-Oooh.

0:58:250:58:26

..And make some new friends.

0:58:260:58:28

I think I've just got fired.

0:58:280:58:29

'So join us for the next step...' Bonjour!

0:58:290:58:32

..on our Mediterranean adventure.

0:58:320:58:34

Ah, I can't wait, honestly!

0:58:340:58:35

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0:58:540:58:56

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