Episode 19 Instant Restaurant


Episode 19

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Two rival amateur cooks are converting their homes into restaurants.

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It's absolute hell right now.

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I should just say, "I'm sorry, this is how it comes.

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"This is the dish. I'm not changing it."

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They've been given just one day...

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We're losing the plot a bit, kids.

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..and a budget of up to £200.

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It's frightening. Recommend it? Nah.

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20 strangers will be judging the results.

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It'll be entirely up to the diners to decide how much or how little they pay.

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I really enjoyed it.

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There was nothing on my plate at the end of it!

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That definitely is a hair.

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No, David!

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So, can the cooks deliver the goods, and will either of them make a profit?

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Hello and welcome to Instant Restaurant,

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the ultimate challenge in home-cooking.

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Today's two rivals are putting their culinary skills on the line, both brave enough to believe

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they have what it takes to tempt paying strangers and walk away with a profit.

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Today, we're heading to the wilds of Dartmoor

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to visit two new instant restaurants.

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First up, this stunning Georgian house,

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home to 46-year-old writer Sophie Partridge.

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It's filled with treasures collected from around the world,

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but when choosing the name of her restaurant,

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she decided to keep it in the family.

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The name of the restaurant is Partridge's, which is my surname.

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Partridge is my surname.

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And the name's not the only thing she's keeping close to home.

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I really believe in local food and organic food,

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although I think in a way local's more important than organic.

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Although her eclectic menu takes its inspiration from her travels,

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most of the ingredients are locally grown, including some from her own back garden.

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I grew the garlic, all the herbs, the parsley

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and the spring onions, the chard.

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Very impressive!

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Her rival today is 49-year-old local auctioneer Paul Arrowsmith.

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He's just as keen on showcasing local produce, especially what's in his own back garden.

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Or should that be back poly tunnel?

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Ever since I was a wee smidgen, always growing something.

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We've got a few leaf vegetables that we're going to use,

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which is the Black Russian kale, we're going to use the spinach, going to use some chard,

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and then also we have got Japanese leaves and a bit of mustard leaves and fennel to go with the salads.

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-Well, he can certainly garden, but can he cook?

-Yeah, I love it.

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He's counting on the cosy character of his ancient Devon home to wow his diners.

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We're very lucky and fortunate to have this Devon longhouse.

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We've got these enormous features of the huge fireplace and the beams and things that are still there.

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He's named his restaurant Grandma Pongo's.

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Not after a beloved granny, but after his beloved Dalmatian.

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Here, we have got Monsieur Pongo.

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He's a beautiful chap. He does anything for food.

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He knows never to trust a thin chef!

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But this challenge is about so much more than food.

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Both cooks must also transform their homes into attractive, inviting restaurants,

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where, hopefully, their diners will feel more like paying top whack.

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Each cook is allowed two assistants to help them pull it off.

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-You need to go...

-Alongside Sophie and her countryside kitchen is

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family friend Sky, who will be her sous chef and hopefully bring extra skill and know-how to the table.

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The tricky part is getting the right amount of butter...

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on the toast.

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Ah, well, hopefully Sophie's partner Pete will inspire more confidence.

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Chef...

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the cuisine...

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fantastic.

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And he has some potentially useful qualities.

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My partner Pete is a psychic tarot reader, so...

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yes, it would be great if we could totally predict how many people would eat what.

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So, Pete, any predictions?

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Ah. Candles.

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Candles need to be lit.

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Candles! Does that mean there'll be a power cut?

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Over at Paul's, his friend Jane will be front of house.

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I think Paul will be absolutely fine under the pressure, absolutely.

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I am hoping that he will actually enjoy the experience.

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And Paul's leaving nothing to chance by carefully planning everything with his second helper, Tim.

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Mixing it all together,

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you're giving them a chance to experience flavours

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which they are perhaps not quite expecting.

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Both cooks have been given an allowance of up to £200.

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Sophie needed only a thrifty £85,

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so to make a profit, her guests will have to pay nearly £9 a head.

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Her rival Paul has asked for nearly twice as much - £163 -

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so he will meet to take a mite over £16 a head just to break even.

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So, we've got Grandma Pongo's taste of the countryside

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against Partridge's relaxed elegance.

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Wow, I think that looks fabulous.

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-Beautiful.

-Sophie admits to being a perfectionist, so surely this will please her.

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I am hoping I don't make any mistakes.

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The only thing that doesn't... This is a small knife.

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-Uh-oh! Something's up!

-They've got to be big knives.

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You have to make sure there's enough room, or you'll have to put a plate down

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and you don't want to be faffing around with their cutlery.

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If they're too small, you won't get the plate in there.

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Darling, you're so demanding.

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Yeah, too right! We're running a restaurant. I need to be demanding.

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HE LAUGHS

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So, while Pete crossed his palms with the silver...

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the guests start to arrive. Ten strangers at each house.

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-Is that the doorbell? Ah!

-Please come on in.

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At the end of the night, it'll be entirely up to them how much they pay.

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At Paul's, things are shaping up nicely.

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It's very nice, yes. It's lovely.

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The restaurant's really nicely laid out.

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It's really nice, yeah.

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Very romantic. Beautiful setting.

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It's very nicely laid out. Very nice place.

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Looking forward to eating some good food.

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Meanwhile, over at Sophie's...

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Welcome to Partridge's Instant Restaurant.

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Hope you can have a good evening.

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Pete's aiming to make a big impression.

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If you'd like to follow me in, please find a seat. I will get you a menu.

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And first reactions are promising.

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Fantastic, isn't it? The room is, you know, the ambience is beautiful.

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How can you not like it, really?

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It feels grand, but it doesn't feel really stuffy,

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and it doesn't feel precious. It feels quite homely.

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I'd love to come again, have a proper nose around. It looks nice.

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I have to tell you, I'm not used to this waitering lark!

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We met our host. He looks like a real character, actually, like he's got a real story to tell.

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He made us feel incredibly welcome.

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Wow, well, both cooks have got off to a flying start. Stunning restaurants, stunned guests.

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You can't get much better than that, but will their menus be up to the same high standard? Let's find out.

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It's time for the starters.

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Sophie's kicking off with a choice of two hearty dishes.

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West Country mushrooms cooked with garlic in a creamy Madeira sauce

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and piled on walnut bread toast.

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Or an exotic spicy Thai seafood soup, made with

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monkfish and prawns, flavoured with green curry paste, coconut and lime.

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So these are two personal favourites of mine.

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I mean, whenever I see fish soup on a menu in a restaurant,

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I just have to have that.

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Those sound absolutely super. If I was there, I'd go for the mushrooms.

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I think I've got some competition there!

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Well, let's see, shall we?

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Sophie began the prep for her starters by packing

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some punchy flavour into those mushrooms.

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I've done ten cloves of garlic.

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Sounds like a lot. And a lot of parsley.

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She's sauteed them over a hot flame in olive oil and butter until they were nicely browned.

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Now I'm going to put Madeira in.

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Just let that cook off a bit...

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I'm not a great alcohol drinker,

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but I love cooking with alcohol - it just gives it something so unique.

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I think sherry is a really good thing to cook with.

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And wine and Madeira, port...

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You can just do so many things with all those drinks.

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Mm. You certainly can.

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I'm going to add the cream.

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But Sophie's got a high-risk strategy -

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in the interests of watching the pennies,

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she's only cooking five portions of each dish. Hope it doesn't cost her.

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I've taken what I suppose is a little bit of a gamble,

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in that I am not doing extra food.

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I've kind of just guessed how many people will want each dish.

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If that goes well, I hope it will pay off,

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cos it'll save me the budget.

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Wonder if Mystic Pete helped make that decision.

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Let's just hope exactly half the diners go for the second starter.

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The Thai fish soup with a base of coconut milk and stock

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with a splosh of fish sauce.

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Some lime juice.

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Diced potatoes and chopped chillies from the garden.

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Then I've got some good quality green curry paste. Goes in there.

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The soup was then left to simmer.

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She then added chopped chard and spring onions from the garden,

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and finally in go the monkfish and prawns.

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We don't want to overcook it.

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Otherwise it loses its succulence.

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That is really good.

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Hope the diners agree - or half of them, at least.

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Come service time, Pete takes the orders, subtly influencing them

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to choose exactly five of each.

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So for starters...?

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-The soup to start, please.

-Certainly.

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The same. Sorry!

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-You were next, I believe.

-Yes.

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The mushrooms.

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The mushrooms. Thank God for that!

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So it looks like they've got away with the portion gamble.

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Speaking of which, they look pretty massive.

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Oh, God - presentation. No, I think it's better to leave it.

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Hope her diners are hungry.

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Mushroom, madam.

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Chef, get on the ball, please.

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Shut up, darling! You're not helping.

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I beg you, Chef, get on the ball.

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Go steady, so that it doesn't slop.

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-Yes, Chef.

-They look pretty sizable, too.

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And back in the kitchen, Pete's predicting trouble.

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They looked like a nice steady bunch of diners, apart from the gentleman I'm very worried about.

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He had a mouthful of mushrooms and balked.

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-Darling, are we...?

-I knew he was one of them when he came through the door.

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But I'm not going to reveal his identity until the end of the evening.

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One thing I will say about Pete is you cannot believe everything that he says.

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-In fact, to use a culinary term, you need a big pinch of salt!

-No more salt, please!

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But, have any of the diners really balked at their food?

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I thought it was lovely. I really enjoyed it.

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I had the mushrooms and I thought they were very nice, actually.

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It's not always easy to cook mushrooms, and it was a good balance.

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I had the Thai soup which was absolutely delicious.

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I love fish soups. My favourite food in the world

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is probably a chowder from New England,

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so it was wonderful to see. Loved it, yeah.

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Three "compliments to the chef" and everyone said it was delicious.

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But in the privacy of the diners' den, the reviews are rather more mixed.

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I had mushrooms with Madeira sauce on some toast. It was nice.

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The toast was a little bit soggy, which is not great, but the mushrooms

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were cooked in a really lovely sauce, really rich flavours.

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It's rare I say this in a restaurant, but there was a bit too much.

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That's not something I'd ever say.

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But it was really nice. Just a shame about the soggy toast.

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For starters we both had mushrooms.

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We both thought it could have done with a little more flavour.

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We enjoyed it, and we thought the bread was too thick.

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-Could have done with a Melba toast.

-More like French toast.

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Yeah, something a bit thinner. It was a bit too heavy.

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So mainly positive comments for Sophie's first courses.

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Can Paul manage to please all his diners?

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Paul's offering a salad of pan-seared pigeon breast,

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served on baby leaves

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with a dressing of home-grown raspberries and balsamic vinegar.

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Or pan-fried scallops topped with crispy bacon

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served with a tangy citrus sauce of clementines and Cointreau.

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The starters I have chosen are both light starters.

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The pigeon is one of my favourites,

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which I would like other people to try, too.

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Those sound really interesting flavours.

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I've had scallops and bacon together

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but never with clementines and Cointreau.

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I'd be really curious to try that.

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Hm, I know what you mean, Sophie. It's a first for me, too.

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Paul began his fruity-themed starters

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by making the raspberry sauce for the pigeon salad.

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These were freshly frozen less than one month ago.

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He heated the raspberries until they broke down to a puree.

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The smell of raspberries coming out of there already!

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Then sieved them to remove the seeds.

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They've been reduced down to get the maximum from the fruit. Done.

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Paul's convinced it's a winning combination.

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Gamey meats tend to lend themselves towards fruit quite a lot.

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Absolutely superb. I have no problem with putting it together.

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Next, he prepared the pigeon meat, but he'll only sear it briefly

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in a pan and assemble the salad just before service.

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The second starter is scallops with a citrus sauce.

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Paul trimmed the orange coral from the scallops in advance and prepared the garnishes for the dish.

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Juicy clementine segments were flashed under the grill and

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he pre-cooked the strips of crispy bacon which will top each scallop.

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Everything else for the dish will have to be done at the last moment.

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It's a big challenge.

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When orders are in, he realises just how big a challenge.

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-On go the pigeon breasts.

-They're just going to be pink in the middle.

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Nobody's asked for them not to be pink.

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Home-grown salad is on the plates, but come on, Paul. Come on!

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You can just hear Nadia Sawalha saying, "Paul's plates are on the side and they're going cold!"

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Funnily enough, that's exactly what I was going to say!

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Losing the plot here a bit, kids.

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No, you're not. Just drizzle the raspberry dressing and you're good to go.

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Next, the scallops. A quick flash in the pan before they're soused in a drop of Cointreau.

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Actually, make that a pint.

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Salad leaves to dress.

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More home-grown salad leaves as garnish,

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the clementine topping and the dish is ready to leave the kitchen.

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Phew!

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Immediately the compliments begin flowing.

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Look at that - it's like a work of art!

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Got a good flavour to it, hasn't it?

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Well, they seem pretty happy, but behind closed doors,

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what do the diners really think?

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The starter I chose was the scallops, which is always a favourite of mine,

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and it was absolutely delicious, I have to say.

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The scallops were cooked very nicely,

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but I don't like seafood so I didn't like them.

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Why did you order them, then?!

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-I'm really looking forward to my main.

-So what about the pigeon?

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Paul wanted his diners to give it a go, but has it paid off?

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I associate a pigeon with a bird you see in town centres that scare me,

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so it wasn't for me.

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Then maybe you should have had the scallops, or swapped with the guy next to you.

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Everything coming back clear?

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The lady left some pigeon, but she'd never tried it before so didn't know if she'd like it.

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It was rather...

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tough actually, slightly overcooked.

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And now one of Paul's guests has found something lurking in his pigeon salad.

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That's not a bit of fennel.

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The pigeon was very tasty, very nice.

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I don't know if you would call it a downside, but I had an added extra

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because there was a long black hair in there.

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Whether it was a pigeon and hair starter or pigeon on its own I'm not quite sure!

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If it's any consolation, it will be home-grown.

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Hair in the salad - not the best start for Paul!

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And that pigeon crash-landed with some of his diners, too.

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Mind you, Sophie's mushrooms didn't do the business with all her customers

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and after such hearty portions, I hope they've got enough room left for their mains.

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But Sophie's main courses look as substantial as the starters.

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She's serving osso buco,

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a traditional Italian dish of veal shank

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topped with lemon and parsley gremolata,

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served with risotto alla Milanese, flavoured with saffron.

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Or if they don't fancy veal, the diners could choose chicken -

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free range, of course - inspired by the flavours of Italy.

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It's braised with lemon and thyme, green olives and sage,

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and there's more thyme infused in the mashed potato.

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All those lovely herbs remind me of Tuscany.

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They sound complicated - like mine - achievable, but really good.

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I like those.

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Shame you won't be eating them, then!

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With just one course down, Pete's already beginning to feel the heat.

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Darling, it's like Dante's Inferno in there.

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Is it? Go and wipe yourself down. You're absolutely drenched.

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Don't stink them out.

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Happily the only thing wafting through the dining room is the sweet smell of success.

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-I said, "Is everything all right?" and they all said as one, in unison, "It's absolutely delicious."

-Good.

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Right, let's get on with this.

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While she prepares the main courses, I'll let Sophie explain all about them.

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Move over, Nigella, there's a new kid on the block.

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What osso buco means is "bone with a hole".

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So you can see the bone, and that's the marrow.

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When that cooks it will melt and it will create a really lovely gravy.

0:19:110:19:16

I really hope people are going to be brave enough

0:19:160:19:20

to try that. They might not have tried it before.

0:19:200:19:23

But it is really tender and delicious.

0:19:230:19:26

Sophie could have a bit of a problem here.

0:19:270:19:29

Osso buco is made from veal, which can divide opinion.

0:19:290:19:34

But Sophie's veal lived a short but very happy life and she's hoping to persuade her diners to try it.

0:19:340:19:39

This veal actually comes from Scotland.

0:19:390:19:41

And it's all been raised outside.

0:19:410:19:44

It's what they call rose veal, so it's not been kept in the dark.

0:19:440:19:49

It's good to eat them, because otherwise those animals

0:19:490:19:52

just get destroyed, or sent to the Continent.

0:19:520:19:55

So we should be eating veal.

0:19:550:19:58

Good luck with convincing your diners about that.

0:19:580:20:02

I'm going to get on to the chicken.

0:20:020:20:04

Because the osso buco won't appeal to everyone,

0:20:060:20:09

I wanted to choose something that was...

0:20:090:20:14

familiar.

0:20:140:20:15

But I haven't gone too safe, because I'm using plenty of garlic and herbs

0:20:150:20:20

and I have to say if there's anybody who doesn't like

0:20:200:20:23

garlic or herbs - I bet there's going to be someone like that -

0:20:230:20:28

they might have trouble with my cooking.

0:20:280:20:31

Ooh, I wouldn't worry about the garlic, Sophie, I love it.

0:20:310:20:35

She's sealed the chicken pieces and added stock

0:20:350:20:38

and those all-important flavourings.

0:20:380:20:40

I'm going to add the lemons as well.

0:20:400:20:43

And the anchovy-filled green olives.

0:20:470:20:51

Then the whole lot was popped into the oven.

0:20:510:20:54

The dishes may be Tuscan, but Sophie's still playing Russian roulette with the portions.

0:20:550:21:00

Portion-wise for the mains I have gone straight down the middle

0:21:020:21:05

and I've done five chicken and five osso buco. We'll see.

0:21:050:21:12

I hope that I've got that right.

0:21:120:21:15

So Pete has to make sure that five of their diners choose the controversial veal dish.

0:21:160:21:22

Time for a hard sell.

0:21:220:21:25

Just a little word about the menu. The osso buco is ethically-farmed veal.

0:21:250:21:30

It was delivered from Scotland yesterday.

0:21:300:21:33

It's got marrow in the middle, which you're supposed to savour, it's supposed to be very good.

0:21:330:21:37

If we don't start eating veal, what happens is they get sent to the continent, or they get destroyed,

0:21:370:21:42

the young bullocks that are no good.

0:21:420:21:44

It's ethically reared, it's very good. Madam?

0:21:440:21:47

-Good effort, Pete.

-Chicken.

0:21:470:21:49

He's quite good at selling stuff.

0:21:490:21:51

So that's why I want him front of house, because if people are looking a bit, you know if one dish is not

0:21:510:21:57

very popular, I think he'll be able to sell it to them.

0:21:570:22:00

-He's good at that.

-But how good?

0:22:000:22:03

Marvel of marvels - five and five.

0:22:030:22:07

Yes! Bingo!

0:22:070:22:09

As you could have predicted, Pete's done the trick.

0:22:090:22:12

Five orders for veal, five for chicken.

0:22:120:22:15

Let's hope the food now lives up to the sales pitch.

0:22:150:22:18

OK.

0:22:180:22:19

I don't feel I've done very well on presentation, I have to say.

0:22:190:22:24

More rustic-looking platefuls prepare to go out to the discerning diners.

0:22:240:22:28

Is there any gravy to go on here?

0:22:280:22:30

It's all on there. Go on, take it in.

0:22:300:22:32

Hello. Chicken?

0:22:370:22:38

Thank you very much.

0:22:380:22:40

Lovely, thank you. That looks delicious.

0:22:400:22:43

-One salad without dressing.

-Thank you very much.

0:22:430:22:46

But the psychic wind-up merchant is on the loose again.

0:22:460:22:49

Darling, this man, is it true or not?

0:22:490:22:51

-Come and see him for yourself.

-No, I don't want to.

-Of course it's true, darling.

-OK.

0:22:510:22:56

So what does he want?

0:22:560:22:57

Two fried eggs.

0:22:570:22:59

If you haven't got toast, he will have two fried eggs. Have you got toast?

0:22:590:23:03

I don't know, you tell me, Sky, have we got bread? Have we got toast?

0:23:030:23:07

Can you please make a piece of toast and I will make two fried eggs.

0:23:070:23:11

Darling? It's a wind up.

0:23:110:23:13

-BLEEP

-you!

-Hit him. Go on!

0:23:130:23:15

Can you believe he did that to me?

0:23:210:23:23

Do you think this isn't stressful enough?

0:23:230:23:26

I'm testing you out under pressure.

0:23:260:23:28

-I don't need testing.

-You're a good boxer as well.

0:23:280:23:31

-Darling, they were saying how lovely the risotto is.

-Good.

0:23:310:23:36

-Seriously.

-Really? Good.

0:23:360:23:37

-I can't believe he did that to me.

-So no fried eggs and toast then.

0:23:390:23:43

Wonder how that veal and chicken's going down.

0:23:430:23:45

Presentation was quite rustic, but it was a nice plate of food.

0:23:450:23:49

I have a weakness for mashed potato and it totally did it for me.

0:23:490:23:54

-So very nice.

-I had the veal.

0:23:540:23:56

And it was the first time I'd had it. For controversial reasons, I guess.

0:23:560:24:01

But because we were convinced it was ethically farmed, I thought

0:24:010:24:04

I would try it and I thought it was quite nice that they chose something that might be a bit controversial.

0:24:040:24:09

And it was absolutely delicious.

0:24:090:24:12

I went for the chicken and it was absolutely delicious.

0:24:120:24:16

She definitely knows what she is doing in the kitchen, the flavour was absolutely amazing.

0:24:160:24:21

I loved the mashed potato, loved all the sauces.

0:24:210:24:24

I would eat here every night if I could.

0:24:240:24:26

-I would say that looks like a hungry person.

-They have been like wild animals.

0:24:260:24:30

It's almost bestial. Look at it - it's like a massacre on Dartmoor.

0:24:300:24:34

Pretty much unanimous praise for the main courses, but there is one thing everyone agrees on -

0:24:340:24:38

Pete has made their night.

0:24:380:24:41

I think Mr Partridge is doing a grand job so far.

0:24:410:24:45

Quite friendly. Really relaxed.

0:24:450:24:47

Really quite natural. It wasn't too formal.

0:24:470:24:49

You didn't feel pressurised and at one point he did come and join us

0:24:490:24:52

and sat at the table for a while. That is nice. It's quite friendly.

0:24:520:24:56

I think his personality gets over a lot.

0:24:560:25:00

He's by no means a professional waiter.

0:25:000:25:02

But he covers it all up.

0:25:020:25:04

He's got something about him that you like straightaway.

0:25:040:25:08

I can't say enough rude words.

0:25:080:25:10

Not sure Sophie shares their enthusiasm at the moment.

0:25:100:25:13

Without a Pete to woo his diners, how will Paul impress his guests with his main courses?

0:25:130:25:20

He's hoping to wow them with a menu that couldn't be more local.

0:25:220:25:26

He's serving lamb he has raised himself, which he's braising in red wine.

0:25:260:25:30

Alongside the meat, he will serve roasted shallots, carrots, kale and mashed potato from the garden.

0:25:300:25:36

And like Sophie, Paul has also decided to offer his diners

0:25:390:25:43

a chicken option and he's going for a very similar flavours.

0:25:430:25:47

His bird is roasted with lemon and thyme

0:25:470:25:50

and served on a bed of creamy spinach and roasted vegetables.

0:25:500:25:54

Making no apologies, I'm having two meat dishes

0:25:540:25:57

and the lamb is absolutely superb.

0:25:570:25:59

That sounds delicious.

0:25:590:26:01

That is my kind of food. I would like to go to his restaurant.

0:26:010:26:04

Hmm, you might not be so keen if you knew what was in the salad.

0:26:060:26:10

Anyway, he's decided to showcase his own lamb with his main course,

0:26:100:26:14

being rightly proud of this meat that he raises himself.

0:26:140:26:18

This is slow-grown Dartmoor lamb, our very own lamb from out of the fields.

0:26:180:26:21

They are not your usual rushed 18, 24-week stuff.

0:26:210:26:26

These are over ten months old. So they are quite strong.

0:26:260:26:30

Ooh, hope the diners like it strong.

0:26:300:26:32

He tosses the pieces of lamb in seasoned flour, before browning it in a frying pan.

0:26:320:26:36

Do them in batches...

0:26:360:26:37

of, say, two or three servings a time.

0:26:370:26:41

Unlike Sophie, Paul is leaving nothing to chance and preparing ten servings of lamb.

0:26:410:26:46

I play safe completely. If ten people order the same dish,

0:26:490:26:54

then we will have it.

0:26:540:26:55

Paul then prepared the vegetables to go with the lamb.

0:26:550:27:00

The meat and veg will cook in a mixture of stock and a whole bottle of red wine.

0:27:000:27:05

What is it about these Devon cooks and their booze?

0:27:050:27:08

Once it was sealed, he popped the meat into the pot,

0:27:080:27:12

gave it a quick stir,

0:27:120:27:14

before it went into the oven to slow cook for four hours.

0:27:140:27:18

Paul's second main course is chicken,

0:27:190:27:22

which he is cooking en papillote

0:27:220:27:23

in individual foil parcels, which should keep the meat nice and juicy.

0:27:230:27:28

Like Sophie, he's flavouring the chicken with thyme and lemon,

0:27:280:27:32

but again he is playing it safe and preparing ten portions.

0:27:320:27:36

This is going in this little parcel here

0:27:380:27:40

and we will do all ten like that.

0:27:400:27:42

All this prep should make it a doddle to get the main courses out on time. Shouldn't it?

0:27:430:27:48

What vegetables have we got to go out?

0:27:480:27:50

We need some potatoes on, Tim. Where have my potatoes disappeared to?

0:27:500:27:54

Oh dear, look, he's struggling again.

0:27:550:27:58

It's absolute hell right now, because we're not going to be quite ready,

0:27:580:28:02

we are going to be just a few minutes late.

0:28:020:28:04

How long? For the chicken and lamb?

0:28:070:28:10

Come on, guys, hang on in there.

0:28:100:28:12

There's sauce to be finished, veg to cook, mash to mash.

0:28:150:28:20

And the diners are getting a bit restless.

0:28:210:28:24

The wait's been a little bit longer than I expected it to be.

0:28:240:28:28

So far about...25 minutes.

0:28:280:28:31

Ooh, dear, in the kitchen, Paul's tearing his hair out.

0:28:310:28:34

We're ready to go, let's plate up.

0:28:340:28:36

Finally!

0:28:360:28:38

You're going to have to go, Jane. We can't have them waiting longer.

0:28:390:28:43

-Just be patient.

-At one point I thought that was going to be a complete disaster,

0:28:450:28:49

but I think we managed to rectify it.

0:28:490:28:52

-Ah, well done everyone.

-Thank you, Jane.

0:28:520:28:55

So what do the diners think of the lamb?

0:28:550:28:57

That's got a nice flavour to it, actually. That's very rich.

0:28:570:29:02

And you know lamb can be a bit fatty sometimes?

0:29:020:29:05

That's why I didn't order it, but it does look really nice.

0:29:050:29:08

It is very textured meat...

0:29:080:29:10

The main course, I chose the lamb.

0:29:120:29:14

Again lovely flavour, great meal.

0:29:140:29:17

A bit like a stew, which I didn't expect it to be,

0:29:170:29:21

but still it was delicious and I really enjoyed it.

0:29:210:29:24

For my main course I thought I would go for braised lamb.

0:29:240:29:27

It was cooked really, really well.

0:29:270:29:29

It was succulent,

0:29:290:29:31

it was tender,

0:29:310:29:34

but the flavour wasn't there and it was found wanting.

0:29:340:29:38

Oh, dear. I wonder if the chicken fared any better.

0:29:380:29:41

We had to wait a little while for the meal tonight.

0:29:410:29:44

But the presentation and the taste, it is worth it.

0:29:440:29:48

It is very nice. All very nice and fresh.

0:29:480:29:51

Sadly, there appears to be more than just lemon and thyme in Paul's chicken dish.

0:29:510:29:56

My main course was very nice until I found a hair

0:29:560:30:01

which has put me off and I'm not eating any more.

0:30:010:30:05

So, maybe it wasn't worth the wait.

0:30:050:30:07

Oh, no, not another hair. Can someone not find him a hat?

0:30:090:30:13

And apart from the odd gripe about the rustic presentation,

0:30:130:30:17

Sophie seems to have got the thumbs up from her diners, and what a tour-de-force Pete is!

0:30:170:30:23

He's charming the socks off everyone. Let's hope her puds can do the same.

0:30:230:30:28

For desserts, Sophie is offering a choice of baked oranges flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla

0:30:290:30:35

and star anise served with home-made orange ice cream.

0:30:350:30:40

Or, if there are any chocoholics in the house, there's a luxurious individual

0:30:400:30:45

hot pudding made with rich dark chocolate and served with a dollop of Devon double cream on the side.

0:30:450:30:51

Oh, it sounds like heaven!

0:30:510:30:53

I've made the orange ice cream before

0:30:530:30:56

which I think is delicious and I've put together something

0:30:560:30:59

simple with fresh oranges and loads of lovely spices.

0:30:590:31:04

For the chocolate pudding, I think you just need chocolate on a menu.

0:31:040:31:08

A lot to do and sounds heavy after the main meal.

0:31:080:31:12

Heavy?! Better than hairy! And you're talking to a girl

0:31:130:31:17

who LOVES her chocolate.

0:31:170:31:18

But the chocolate puds weren't the first desserts Sophie tackled today.

0:31:180:31:22

Her spicy baked oranges needed preparing in advance to let the fruit soak up the flavours.

0:31:220:31:28

-And, the inevitable booze.

-Slosh that on top.

0:31:280:31:32

She also whipped up some tangy orange ice cream.

0:31:360:31:40

Right... So I whisk the juice, sugar and zest.

0:31:400:31:44

And then I'm going to pour in the double cream. Like that.

0:31:460:31:52

It looks like Sophie is cruising towards the finish line.

0:31:560:31:59

Guys, everything OK?

0:31:590:32:02

THEY MUTTER APPROVINGLY Good. Thank you very much.

0:32:020:32:05

Pete's been doing a sterling job of looking after the guests

0:32:050:32:08

and making sure Sophie's portion control goes to plan.

0:32:080:32:11

But the diners are faced with the difficult choice between

0:32:110:32:14

the two desserts and they've come up with a cheeky request.

0:32:140:32:17

Um, what they've said is they want the chocolate pudding and the orange,

0:32:170:32:22

-can they all have a bit of each?

-Really? Both?

0:32:220:32:25

-Everybody.

-OK. We'll see what we can do.

0:32:250:32:29

Chef, is that what's going to happen?

0:32:310:32:33

-Not, "see what we can do"?

-Yeah, they can have it. I've said already.

0:32:330:32:37

OK. No, there was two undecided, but they decided to go with it.

0:32:370:32:42

Wait, before we do that, I've got to check how many ramekins I've got.

0:32:420:32:46

Chef, if they're only having half of one...

0:32:460:32:49

I told you I can't cut them in half.

0:32:490:32:52

Can't you ladle it on with a ladle, Chef?

0:32:530:32:56

-Chef, you swore under your breath!

-Yes!

-I can't believe that.

0:32:590:33:04

-That's the first time ever I've heard you swear.

-Come on...

0:33:040:33:09

Count those, how many have I got?

0:33:120:33:14

-Chef, you've got 10.

-Right.

0:33:140:33:16

I'm on edge. Darling, go away. Leave me. Leave me to get on with this.

0:33:180:33:24

I'm losing my sense of humour very fast.

0:33:240:33:27

I'm exhausted, I've been doing this all day.

0:33:280:33:31

Oh, Pete should have seen this coming and given Chef a wide berth.

0:33:310:33:36

Really I should have stuck to my guns and said, "You can have either chocolate pudding or orange,"

0:33:360:33:42

but we like the sound of the people

0:33:420:33:44

so we have accommodated their wishes.

0:33:440:33:46

It's been a bit complicated.

0:33:460:33:48

But tired Sophie manages to eke out the chocolate pudding mixture to keep her diners in good humour,

0:33:480:33:54

Even if Chef's temporarily misplaced hers.

0:33:540:33:58

Right, 25 minutes.

0:33:580:34:01

-Can I take these in?

-Yep, you can take them in.

0:34:010:34:04

9:30 and the desserts are good to go.

0:34:040:34:07

Chocolate pud and cinnamon-baked oranges with home-made orange ice cream.

0:34:070:34:12

Gentleman...

0:34:120:34:14

What more could a diner want?

0:34:180:34:19

It's so delicious.

0:34:190:34:22

They were both heavenly and I think this is the highlight of my evening.

0:34:250:34:30

I don't normally sit in a restaurant going, "Mm," so much.

0:34:330:34:36

Absolutely delicious. I wouldn't have gone naturally towards the fruit option,

0:34:380:34:42

I'd have steered towards chocolate, but fantastic.

0:34:420:34:45

So glad we were treated to both.

0:34:450:34:48

The desserts were delicious. If it's really important

0:34:480:34:50

to balance something naughty with something really good for you.

0:34:500:34:53

The ice cream, a bit naughty, the orange good for you.

0:34:530:34:57

Chocolate, naughty, the cream... Sort of good for you, I think. No.

0:34:570:35:03

Ah, the raspberries, there had to be something there. It was lovely.

0:35:030:35:07

Really naughty, but nice.

0:35:070:35:09

-So, they've all eaten two puddings each.

-They have.

0:35:090:35:13

-Greedy sods!

-Steady on, Sophie. They're paying guests.

0:35:130:35:17

But I'm glad they're empty. Good.

0:35:170:35:21

Looks like it 10 out of 10 for Sophie's desserts.

0:35:210:35:24

So, what can Paul pull out of the hat to match that?

0:35:240:35:28

He's hoping to delight his diners with two classic puddings.

0:35:280:35:32

Will they opt for the first choice - pears poached in vintage port served with vanilla creme fraiche...

0:35:320:35:38

..or will his guests be tempted by his second pud, a comforting dish

0:35:400:35:44

of good old-fashioned bread-and-butter pudding given a twist with tangy plums.

0:35:440:35:50

Every time I do the pears, everybody loves them.

0:35:500:35:53

And the bread and butter pudding is done with a twist with plums

0:35:530:35:57

and I'm confident about these two.

0:35:570:35:59

Plum bread-and-butter pudding, lovely!

0:35:590:36:02

Really lovely! They both sound delicious.

0:36:020:36:04

Oh, they do sound good, don't they?

0:36:040:36:07

For the plum bread and butter pudding, Paul's using local plums.

0:36:070:36:12

Just before his diners arrived, he roasted them in the oven for a really intense flavour.

0:36:120:36:18

This is not good.

0:36:180:36:21

Hm, perhaps the flavour might be a little TOO intense.

0:36:210:36:25

Paul then layered the fruit with buttered white bread.

0:36:250:36:28

It's gone a little bit wrong, but it was a trial and error thing.

0:36:280:36:33

Looks more like error than trial, to me.

0:36:330:36:35

Hey-ho.

0:36:350:36:37

It works out slightly different each time.

0:36:370:36:40

It's not going to affect the taste, it'll be even more scrumptious.

0:36:400:36:45

Well, we'll soon know.

0:36:450:36:47

Next, he poured over eggy custard.

0:36:470:36:51

The recipe says don't overfill it.

0:36:510:36:54

And what did you go and do?

0:36:540:36:56

Whoops.

0:36:560:36:58

It's just egg and milk, nothing to worry about.

0:36:590:37:02

After 35 minutes in the oven, it should have emerged a beautiful golden brown.

0:37:020:37:08

Let's have a look. Oh, sugar!

0:37:080:37:10

That's fine.

0:37:100:37:12

Not so much golden brown as burnt and black.

0:37:140:37:16

I hope the guests like their puddings well done.

0:37:160:37:19

His second desert, pears poached in wine and vintage port,

0:37:190:37:24

need a dollop of vanilla creme fraiche and hopefully no more hairs.

0:37:240:37:28

They certainly look the part, unlike the bread and butter pudding.

0:37:310:37:36

Oh, just cut around the burnt bits, Paul, no-one'll notice!

0:37:360:37:41

Off you go, go.

0:37:410:37:42

I normally don't like bread-and-butter pudding too much

0:37:420:37:45

but this was, I must say, very, very good.

0:37:450:37:49

-One of the best I've ever had.

-See? Told you they wouldn't notice.

0:37:490:37:53

I had the poached pear and I'd say it was poached to perfection. Very nice.

0:37:530:37:59

I had the bread-and-butter pudding for dessert and I thought it was absolutely delicious.

0:38:000:38:06

They saved the best till last. Very tasty. I loved it.

0:38:060:38:10

I had the bread-and-butter pudding and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Very tasty with the plum sauce as well.

0:38:100:38:16

I did end up with the second hair of the evening, but that's not a major problem to me.

0:38:160:38:21

That's a hair in every course, not so much a mistake, more a key ingredient.

0:38:210:38:27

Thankfully, this diner doesn't seem to mind.

0:38:270:38:29

Meanwhile at Sophie's, Pete rounds off the evening with a Chef's special.

0:38:290:38:33

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending this evening.

0:38:330:38:37

Can I introduce you, please, to our lovely chef, Miss Sophie Partridge.

0:38:370:38:41

Thank you so much, everybody.

0:38:440:38:46

Well, Paul and Sophie have done everything they can to woo their diners and their wallets.

0:38:480:38:55

Now, it's up to the guests to decide how much or how little they want to pay for their evening.

0:38:550:39:01

And neither cook has any idea of how much that might be.

0:39:010:39:05

Sophie spent £85 on her menu

0:39:070:39:09

so, to nudge into profit she needs nearly £9 a head.

0:39:090:39:13

It certainly looks like her diners enjoyed their evening.

0:39:130:39:16

So delicious, fantastic company and I'd be happy to come back.

0:39:210:39:28

I thought it was a terrific evening and I want to come back next week.

0:39:280:39:31

Wonderful evening, loved all the food, great atmosphere.

0:39:310:39:34

-I'd do it again.

-It's been really hard work, I have to say, incredibly hard work for all three of us.

0:39:340:39:41

We've all worked really, really hard.

0:39:410:39:44

But I think it's gone well -

0:39:440:39:47

judging by the plates, but we'll see.

0:39:470:39:50

I'm very happy to have been part of this with Sky and Sophie.

0:39:500:39:55

Sophie has been the helmsmen sailing the ship.

0:39:550:39:58

It's been a successful voyage.

0:39:580:40:00

I'm very, very happy.

0:40:000:40:02

The people are happy, the food has gone down very well and so it should.

0:40:020:40:06

She's an excellent cook. Sky, what say you?

0:40:060:40:10

Well, I'm completely knackered now.

0:40:100:40:13

-I think I've had enough!

-Fair enough!

0:40:130:40:16

Paul spent almost twice as much, £163 so for him just to break even

0:40:160:40:23

the guests must leave over £16 each, but has he done enough?

0:40:230:40:28

I really enjoyed myself tonight, the meal has been fantastic

0:40:280:40:31

and all the best to the chef in his future career.

0:40:310:40:34

I had a hair in my food and I didn't go much on the starter, but the dessert was delicious.

0:40:340:40:41

A good cheap night out, that was. Excellent.

0:40:410:40:43

As long as they enjoyed it, I don't mind if we didn't make profit. It's not about the money.

0:40:430:40:47

If all ten put £20 in the pot and it comes to 200, I'd be pleased.

0:40:470:40:51

Paul, Sophie, I'm going to take the guess that you're probably going to use the word "exhausting".

0:40:550:41:02

-Was it an exhausting experience, Paul?

-Exceedingly so.

0:41:030:41:07

-How bad?

-Really bad.

0:41:070:41:09

-On a scale of 1 to 10, about 11.

-Really?! Tell me why.

0:41:090:41:15

The pressure slowly crept up throughout the evening,

0:41:150:41:18

we were two-thirds of the way through and the rest becomes a blur.

0:41:180:41:21

You could do with another set of hands all the time.

0:41:210:41:24

It was quite an ambitious menu.

0:41:240:41:26

I didn't look at it like that. I looked at it as something that was achievable. It looked OK to me.

0:41:260:41:32

-What would your hindsight moment be?

-Preparation. A bit more preparation.

0:41:320:41:37

So, come on, would you do this again?

0:41:370:41:40

-Yes, I'd do it again.

-Really?! Even though it was such agony?

0:41:400:41:43

Well, experience under the belt. Sure.

0:41:430:41:47

Sophie, you had a great evening.

0:41:470:41:50

-I did, we did have fun, yeah.

-What was the best bit for you?

0:41:500:41:55

I have to say it was really exhausting. Like Paul, I found it incredibly exhausting mentally,

0:41:550:42:00

physically, in every way, but we did have a good evening.

0:42:000:42:04

The best thing was the sense of people enjoying themselves in the dining room.

0:42:040:42:09

The sounds coming through were good, people were laughing.

0:42:090:42:13

Plates were coming back empty so that was...

0:42:130:42:16

It must have been so exciting.

0:42:160:42:17

Yeah, that's what I wanted - people to enjoy themselves, not just the food, but the whole experience.

0:42:170:42:25

Now, you had a real star turn in Pete.

0:42:250:42:28

-He was good.

-I think Pete really charmed the whole restaurant.

0:42:280:42:32

-Yes, I can believe it.

-So, if you ever open a restaurant, your food, his charm you'll be all right.

-Good.

0:42:320:42:39

So, I'm sure you're both dying to know if you made any money.

0:42:390:42:42

-Yes.

-It would help.

0:42:420:42:44

Paul, you spent £163, a fair amount.

0:42:440:42:49

And your diners donated 155 which means you're minus eight.

0:42:490:42:54

-That's not bad.

-But look at that fabulous smile.

0:42:550:42:59

And Sophie, you spend £85

0:42:590:43:03

-and your diners donated 280.

-Oh, brilliant!

0:43:030:43:09

Meaning you made a profit of 195.

0:43:090:43:11

There you go. That's for you.

0:43:110:43:14

-Good.

-How do you feel?

0:43:140:43:16

I'm pleased.

0:43:160:43:18

-Very good.

-Listen, guys, thank you so much for taking part.

0:43:180:43:21

It was a joy to watch you both working so hard to feed all those lovely people.

0:43:210:43:27

Thank you very much. And thank you for watching Instant Restaurant.

0:43:270:43:31

I'll see you next time.

0:43:310:43:33

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

0:43:370:43:40

E-mail [email protected]

0:43:400:43:43

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