0:00:03 > 0:00:05Sometimes there is no place like home
0:00:05 > 0:00:09and few things are more comforting and delicious than real home cooking.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Living in this beautiful country with great produce
0:00:13 > 0:00:18right on our doorstep, we really are spoilt for choice.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20So in this series I'm inviting you into my kitchen to share
0:00:20 > 0:00:24with you some of my tasty home-cooked treats.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26The dishes I turn to
0:00:26 > 0:00:28whether entertaining friends and family
0:00:28 > 0:00:31or just relaxing on my own.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Whether it was growing up in Yorkshire
0:00:52 > 0:00:55or here where I live now in Hampshire,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57great food has never been far away.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02But of course great food doesn't always come easy
0:01:02 > 0:01:06and although you might enjoy eating it, the time it takes
0:01:06 > 0:01:09to prepare can get in the way of your social life.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14We all know the scenario - people coming round for dinner
0:01:14 > 0:01:17either for a posh dinner party or a light lunch.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20You don't want to be spending too much time in the kitchen so
0:01:20 > 0:01:22I'm going to show you my dishes
0:01:22 > 0:01:25which are so easy to prepare now and eat later.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Preparing good food doesn't have to take over your life.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Think ahead and you'll be dishing out delicious
0:01:32 > 0:01:34meals in seemingly no time at all.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38A joint of meat can look after itself
0:01:38 > 0:01:42if you do all the work in advance before chucking it in the oven.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47One-pot wonders and simple side dishes will also buy you
0:01:47 > 0:01:49plenty of time in the kitchen when the heat is on.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54But if there's one thing that definitely encourages me
0:01:54 > 0:01:57to get organised when I'm cooking, it's the simple fact that food
0:01:57 > 0:02:01prepared in advance often seems to taste much better.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04Now, when you're looking at dishes
0:02:04 > 0:02:06that you can prep now and eat later,
0:02:06 > 0:02:07you have to go a long way
0:02:07 > 0:02:09to find one better than a chicken stew in my opinion
0:02:09 > 0:02:12because it gets better even the second time round.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16For me, the French bistro favourite chicken chasseur
0:02:16 > 0:02:20is one of the tastiest reheatable dishes out there.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23The simple combination of mushrooms, bacon,
0:02:23 > 0:02:28wine and herbs makes one of the most flavoursome chicken dishes going.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33I've already jointed a chicken into eight pieces ready for the pot.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35I'm going to coat these in flour.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39And what this flour is going to do is help brown it
0:02:39 > 0:02:43but most of all, help thicken our stew.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48You want a light dusting and that is a light dusting.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50There is no more than that.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52Grab some oil and then we start to seal this.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Now, it's important to seal it in batches
0:02:54 > 0:02:56because you want it to colour nicely.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59If I put all this chicken in, it's basically just go to stew
0:02:59 > 0:03:01so put in four pieces first.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04What you want to do is just leave it to get some nice colour.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08SIZZLING
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So with our bacon we just want to cut this into lardons.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Now, I'm using back bacon but you can use streaky.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19This isn't sort of a fancy dish, it's a rustic French classic.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23So you've got the bacon and now we just chop up the shallots.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25If you've got small onions,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27you can just actually just put whole onions in.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30So once you've got the chicken nicely sealed like this,
0:03:30 > 0:03:35we can then concentrate on what is left in this pan.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Now, these are all the juices from the chicken.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40We need those in our stew. A good knob of butter.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42And then start frying your bacon.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45You want to get a little bit of colour on it,
0:03:45 > 0:03:47start to crisp it up slightly.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51So once you've got the bacon frying, now we put in our shallots.
0:03:51 > 0:03:53And now we can throw in our mushrooms.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55Now, I'm going to use little brown cap mushrooms.
0:03:55 > 0:03:56Throw them in whole as well.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59When you cut them up too small they sort of disintegrate.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03An important ingredient in this,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and you must put it in at the beginning of the cooking process,
0:04:06 > 0:04:07is tomato puree.
0:04:07 > 0:04:09If you put it in at the end of cooking
0:04:09 > 0:04:13you can really taste this sort of quite harsh puree..
0:04:13 > 0:04:16And as you seal it around in the pan like this,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18it actually starts to cook that flavour out
0:04:18 > 0:04:20and the bitterness out of it as well.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22And then deglaze it with some white wine.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24A glass in here.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Now, we need to reduce this down for about 30 seconds.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32And then we add really good quality stock
0:04:32 > 0:04:35and for this use chicken stock, obviously.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38You can get away by using beef stock as well.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41And while that's coming to the boil, we can pop our chicken back in.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Now, what you don't want to do is add too much stock
0:04:45 > 0:04:48because there is a lot of liquid that comes out of chicken.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51And then one final ingredient before we leave it alone is fresh tarragon.
0:04:51 > 0:04:56The perfect combination to go with chicken.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00And for that really, you want to put half in now and half in later.
0:05:00 > 0:05:01So just bring that to the boil.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04We're just going to gently simmer that for about 30 to 40 minutes
0:05:04 > 0:05:08which gives enough time to prep our potatoes for our mash.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12It's not until you actually work in a commercial restaurant
0:05:12 > 0:05:15where you actually begin to understand about preparing it now
0:05:15 > 0:05:19and eating it later and mashed potato is one of those things.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23It will actually keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26So it's a bit like Christmas lunch where
0:05:26 > 0:05:29I used to watch my mum stressing with pans of stuff
0:05:29 > 0:05:30boiling everywhere.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36I don't think I've ever met anybody who doesn't like mash.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40If you run some quality boiled spuds through a ricer, add a knob of butter
0:05:40 > 0:05:42and maybe some cream,
0:05:42 > 0:05:45you've made some of the tastiest side dishes going in no time at all.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49And that mashed potato, that is delicious.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55If I'm reheating a dish like this, I always hold some of the fresher
0:05:55 > 0:05:58ingredients back so they retain some of their texture and flavour
0:05:58 > 0:06:02when cooked. It couldn't be easier.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Do the main prep in advance, then on the day
0:06:04 > 0:06:06add some skinned and deseeded diced tomatoes,
0:06:06 > 0:06:09along with some roughly chopped parsley,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12a handful of tarragon and simmer it for 20 minutes
0:06:12 > 0:06:13and you're ready to go.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17And then all you need to do now is serve it.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22You've got all that amazing flavour of tomatoes, tarragon,
0:06:22 > 0:06:26mushrooms and bacon, which is a real classic to go with this.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30It's kind of the perfect dish for sort of prep now, eat later.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36You've got to try that.
0:06:36 > 0:06:38The simple but quality ingredients
0:06:38 > 0:06:41used in retro dishes like chicken chasseur
0:06:41 > 0:06:46means it tastes as good today as it did years ago.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49Round where I live in Hampshire grow some amazing ingredients
0:06:49 > 0:06:53that have been around so long they might also be considered retro.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Watercress has been part of the British diet
0:06:56 > 0:06:59for hundreds of years but its distinct peppery flavour,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03I'm glad to say, is making a bit of a resurgence.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07It's the water conditions in this corner of Hampshire
0:07:07 > 0:07:11that are perfect for growing this little aquatic herb.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14And it's thanks to watercress farmers like Tom Amery
0:07:14 > 0:07:18that this UK staple has become even more popular.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21This area is known as the watercress capital of the UK.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24It's been grown here now for over 120 years.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Watercress has become the new rocket, you could say.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Rocket became very popular and well-known
0:07:28 > 0:07:31because of its strong flavour. Watercress also has that.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34It's the mustard oils that are found within the watercress
0:07:34 > 0:07:35when you're chewing it.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38It is actually a natural defence for the insects that could come
0:07:38 > 0:07:40and obviously live off the crop.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43The nutritional content for watercress is quite incredible.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Gram for gram it contains more vitamin C than oranges,
0:07:47 > 0:07:52more calcium than milk and iron in large quantities.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Down the ages, its claimed health-boosting properties
0:07:57 > 0:07:58have been revered.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01The Anglo-Saxons ate it to prevent baldness.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04The Romans used it as an aphrodisiac
0:08:04 > 0:08:08and the Egyptian Pharaohs fed it to their slaves to build them up.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13Whatever the claims, one thing that hasn't changed much over
0:08:13 > 0:08:15the years is watercress farming methods.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21Then, as now, the key is year-round access to exceptionally good
0:08:21 > 0:08:22natural spring water.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25And Hampshire's chalky aquifers are perfect.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29The idea about pushing watercress under the surface of the water
0:08:29 > 0:08:32is a very traditional technique.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36It is used to put the crop into a warmer area
0:08:36 > 0:08:38because the water is constantly ten degrees
0:08:38 > 0:08:43and that enables the watercress to survive during frost periods.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48This crop was sown in June or July
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and would have been harvested three to four times.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Before we harvest, normally about 24 hours before, we roll
0:08:55 > 0:08:58the crop down, it creates an even surface to actually cut to
0:08:58 > 0:09:01so we get a consistent length during harvest.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04These fields in Hampshire have been really harvested
0:09:04 > 0:09:05now for the last 120 years.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Traditionally, a lot of the watercress was harvested by hand
0:09:08 > 0:09:10so they were bunching the watercress,
0:09:10 > 0:09:14it would have gone off to the small packing centres all around the area.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19And now what we're doing is we're harvesting with machinery.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21We aim to cut anything up to six tonnes in a day.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23The key is about speed.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26We start at six in the morning and we really want to be done by about
0:09:26 > 0:09:308:30 so we can get it chilled, ready to go out to the store the same day.
0:09:37 > 0:09:38From here this will go off
0:09:38 > 0:09:40to the factory where it's washed in spring water.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42That will remove anything that we don't need in there,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45any yellow leaves, any insects that are left over
0:09:45 > 0:09:47and that will be then packed into the bags
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and then sent off to the store for tomorrow.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59As he's only up the road,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02Tom has very kindly brought some of his freshly-picked crop
0:10:02 > 0:10:04for me to cook with.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07Health benefits aside, for me it's always been the watercress'
0:10:07 > 0:10:10unique flavour that we should be celebrating.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13It's great to see you.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15We've got this fantastic watercress that you've produced.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18- Was this cut this morning then? - It was. It's fresh today, yeah.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20It's the best way to have watercress.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22You've got to eat it fresh and keep it green, that's the key part.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Well, we better not hang about then.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28Perhaps the simplest prep now, eat later dish
0:10:28 > 0:10:30is the humble sandwich.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32But there is certainly nothing humble
0:10:32 > 0:10:36about my giant salmon and watercress pan bagna.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Pop one of these in your rucksack
0:10:39 > 0:10:42and you've got the perfect picnic dish for up to a dozen of you.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47First thing I'm going to do is get on
0:10:47 > 0:10:49and put our salmon in the oven, really.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52So, for this I'm going to use a whole side of salmon.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56We're going to poach this with some lemon.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59It's kind of weird inviting you here and just cooking you a sandwich
0:10:59 > 0:11:01but this is a bit of a posh sandwich, you see.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It's not a small sandwich, I don't think.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07No, it's a decent sized sandwich, Tom. A bit of salt like that.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10Chuck in a few whole peppercorns then half-fill the tray with water
0:11:10 > 0:11:16and place in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about ten minutes.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19So, tell me about this stuff. Why Hampshire particularly?
0:11:19 > 0:11:21Well, Hampshire has been growing watercress now
0:11:21 > 0:11:23for about 120 years now
0:11:23 > 0:11:27and it was a period when it moved out of London around some
0:11:27 > 0:11:31of the larger cities in the UK and they came down here for the water.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32If you look at the water in London,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34you wouldn't anticipate watercress
0:11:34 > 0:11:36which needs fresh, clear water to grow.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39I think once there was obviously that was there, but as London expanded...
0:11:39 > 0:11:42- Not on the River Thames now. - No, definitely not.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44The main ingredient for this sandwich
0:11:44 > 0:11:47will be this delicious watercress pesto.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48It's really simple to make.
0:11:48 > 0:11:52All you have to do is blend a few generous handfuls of watercress
0:11:52 > 0:11:55with some garlic, toasted pine nuts, salt
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and a generous glug of good olive oil.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Is there any part of the year where it actually,
0:12:00 > 0:12:02you can't actually produce watercress?
0:12:02 > 0:12:05We tend to harvest British watercress from April right
0:12:05 > 0:12:09the way through to November, so it's a long season for British farming.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11- Good for you, though. - It's great. Love it.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Right, so we've just got to make a little pesto, really.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15So what you do is just blitz this.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18And you end up with an amazing colour.
0:12:18 > 0:12:23Now, you do need plenty for this because I've got a decent-sized loaf
0:12:23 > 0:12:28so don't be frightened to put in loads and loads of pesto.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31- So how do you eat yours then?- I have it most mornings for breakfast.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- For breakfast?- Yeah, with toast, yeah, and Bovril.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36That's my favourite.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38A lot of people have it with a bit of salt and oil
0:12:38 > 0:12:40because that bitterness,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43some people just don't like the intense bitterness that they get
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and my boys, they're nine and six,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48they love it with salt and olive oil.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50So we have it in our evening meals.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Because, I mean, people equate it to rocket, really,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55but it has got a flavour all of its own.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57It's not the same as rocket in my opinion.
0:12:57 > 0:12:58No, it's not as intense.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Rocket can be that intense flavour
0:13:01 > 0:13:03where watercress is a little bit more subtle.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06We eat more watercress in the UK than anywhere else in the world.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09That's unusual when you think you walk around the supermarket.
0:13:09 > 0:13:14You see a little bit of it but not so much as you should do, in my opinion.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17It's entirely up to you what goes into this sandwich but the
0:13:17 > 0:13:21whole point of this, and this is why you need a decent sort of loaf,
0:13:21 > 0:13:23this is why it's enough for me and you, I think here, Tom.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25- I'm happy with that. - JAMES LAUGHS
0:13:25 > 0:13:29You need a decent sort of piece of bread but you need to hollow it out.
0:13:29 > 0:13:30Now, the best way to do that, really,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33is think about how you are going to fill it first of all.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35Don't make the hole too big.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Once you remove the lid
0:13:36 > 0:13:39start hollowing out the loaf for your filling.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41The breadcrumbs won't go to waste.
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I'm going to use them in a dish a bit later on.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46I'm going to get this done this weekend.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- You're going to make this, are you? - Yeah, definitely.
0:13:49 > 0:13:55It is good. It's one of these things that you could literally make today,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57set it in the fridge
0:13:57 > 0:14:00and have it three or four days later as well.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Basically we're going to chargrill the courgettes.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05Now the salmon is out, we just allow that to cool slightly.
0:14:05 > 0:14:07And that is the key to this.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10I'm using salmon because it goes great with watercress,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12but you can use chicken, whatever you want really.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14And then it's entirely up to you
0:14:14 > 0:14:16how you layer this up.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21I'm going to start my sandwich with a good dollop of watercress pesto,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25followed with some thinly sliced raw red onions...
0:14:27 > 0:14:29..flakes of the poached salmon
0:14:29 > 0:14:33and then some of these sweet grilled Spanish red peppers.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36I love these. I don't know if you've ever tried these before.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39These are Spanish peppers. They're not hot, they're not spicy.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41- They're sweet. - They are wood roasted.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44They are absolutely delicious and they come in jars.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47But also the great thing about this, you can have this hot.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51So if you're going to do it hot then I would put layers of cheese in.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Maybe some mozzarella, that kind of stuff in there as well.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56We're just going to pop in even more of this.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00Every time you do it, of course, a good amount of seasoning.
0:15:00 > 0:15:02Black pepper and a bit of salt.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Off you go. And you've got some of this amazing sort of pesto.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11And the good thing about the watercress is the pepperiness
0:15:11 > 0:15:13from it as well which will give this a real kick.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18So it's taken a whole side, has this.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21So it's good enough for two to three people.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23THEY LAUGH
0:15:23 > 0:15:26We call this a canape up in Yorkshire, Tom. Don't know...
0:15:26 > 0:15:31Once you get the top, each layer you press down, more of this pesto.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34Don't be frightened to use plenty of this.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37So pile it all up, just pop the lid on.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40It's great, really, because you can make this in advance.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43It'll last for a whole week and wrap it up in clingfilm,
0:15:43 > 0:15:45leave it in the fridge and you can take slices of it
0:15:45 > 0:15:46as and when you want it.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50But the best part of this is this next bit.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53This is the bit that makes it all worthwhile.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Slice it all the way through.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00And when you open it out...
0:16:00 > 0:16:01Just look at that.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03You've got all the lovely layers in there.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05And then the longer you keep it in the fridge, really,
0:16:05 > 0:16:07the more easy it is to carve.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Right, we get to dive into this.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Don't know where you start with something like this but...
0:16:13 > 0:16:16With the salmon and the peppers and the pesto...
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Amazing. Perfect.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Mmm!
0:16:21 > 0:16:23Amazing. Well done.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26For a man who eats watercress every day of the week,
0:16:26 > 0:16:28I take that as a compliment.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32It's worth remembering that having fresh ingredients like this
0:16:32 > 0:16:37available nearly all year round is only really a recent phenomenon.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39But if you don't have time to prep ahead,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42why not let one of Britain's award-winning food producers
0:16:42 > 0:16:43do it for you.
0:16:43 > 0:16:49My name is Thomas Maieli and I am an artisan food manufacturer.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Thomas' speciality is duck.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54And in London he is gaining quite a reputation
0:16:54 > 0:16:57for his high-quality French classics.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00My products are known as Mr Duck so I am Mr Duck in London.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03There is duck confit, the smoked duck breasts.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04We do duck terrine as well.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07We use all the part of the duck and that is very important.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12The gizzard confit which is not an easy product to sell in England
0:17:12 > 0:17:14but it's fantastic.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16His goods are so highly regarded
0:17:16 > 0:17:18that they are finding their way
0:17:18 > 0:17:20into some of the capital's top stores.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22- Thank you very much, Thomas. - See you soon.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24See you soon. Thanks for coming.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27Thomas has won a lot of accolades in big competitions,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30like The Great Taste Award top 50 products.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31It's really, really good.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34And surprisingly, this high-end operation
0:17:34 > 0:17:37is all taking place in his home.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Well, extremely close to his home.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43We are not in the Perigueux in France, we are in London, Acton.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45And actually where we are there it's my garage.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52His empire has been founded on a family favourite - duck confit.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55This age-old dish of duck leg cured in salt
0:17:55 > 0:17:57and then slowly cooked in its own fat,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00is a delicious French classic.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02We used to do a duck confit when I was young.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04That was comfort food, you know.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Even my daughter she asks me, you know sometimes, "What do you want?"
0:18:06 > 0:18:08I say I would like to have a confit.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11It's something very easy to eat and it's very good.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13I cannot live without it.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18In England you like meat which is very soft and crispy outside
0:18:18 > 0:18:20so for me it was a perfect thing to start with.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23It's a very, very easy dish to prepare.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28It's a long process because there is different stage to prepare it.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32My grandmother and my mother used to cook a lot of that at home
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and so I knew the process.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38I used to help her prepare and put the salt on.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42The recipe that I have used is a recipe that we do in the family,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45that changed slightly to make a unique taste.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48There is a lot of secret herbs!
0:18:48 > 0:18:50It took me one year to get the right balance.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Thomas' duck is cured with his secret salt
0:18:53 > 0:18:56for up to 36 hours in the fridge.
0:18:56 > 0:19:00The meat is then cooked in duck fat until it is meltingly tender,
0:19:00 > 0:19:02which can take up to ten hours.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04This is definitely one dish that would take
0:19:04 > 0:19:06a lot of commitment to cook at home.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08Thankfully, Thomas is prepared
0:19:08 > 0:19:11to go through all the effort so you don't have to.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14What I do is what I love, my passion. It is me.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17When I started, I did not know it was going to work.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22I did try to put my passion out and to see if people are liking it.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26With all the meticulous preparation that this dish demands done for you,
0:19:26 > 0:19:30it's no surprise Thomas' business has been so successful.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35The only thing you have to do at home is heat it up and voila!
0:19:35 > 0:19:37You just have to put them out of the packet and put them
0:19:37 > 0:19:42skin down because the pan is going to crisp the skin.
0:19:42 > 0:19:48Now you can put them in the oven, ten minutes and it's ready.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52And you can use it as different way as you want
0:19:52 > 0:19:55so you can do crispy duck if you want to, you can do gratin
0:19:55 > 0:19:58if you want to, you can put that in a pie
0:19:58 > 0:19:59and it's going to be fantastic.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03The best way is to cook it with some potatoes, onions
0:20:03 > 0:20:08and some bacon, like pancetta, that you fry up, garlic and parsley.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Now, that is the traditional way to do it.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13For some area in France it is home cooking for every day
0:20:13 > 0:20:16so every day everybody does that.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19It's very juicy and you have the crispiness
0:20:19 > 0:20:22and after that you have all the spices I put in it.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24And it is a delicious flavour inside.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26I won't tell you the secret recipe for that.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29There are a lot of people who would like to know.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31HE CHUCKLES
0:20:34 > 0:20:38For me, slow-cooking any meat always gets brilliant results.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40And it's the perfect way of freeing yourself up
0:20:40 > 0:20:42to get other dishes prepped with ease.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Back at my place, I've got a brilliant joint of meat that
0:20:45 > 0:20:49I think really benefits from a bit of work before it goes in the oven.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Now, I was once taught a great saying by a fellow chef.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56There is nothing better than the crispy skin from a mammal.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59And this dish epitomises it, really.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01It's a roast pork dish -
0:21:01 > 0:21:05slow roast for five hours with Dauphinoise potatoes.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08The perfect dish that you can make now and eat later.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14So the first thing we do is get our pork.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17Now, this is a serious sized piece of meat, this one.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20This is a loin of pork with the belly attached.
0:21:20 > 0:21:21This joint is something
0:21:21 > 0:21:23you'd probably have to ask your butcher for.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Now really there's two of these on the animal.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29This is the loin, you've got the spine running down the centre
0:21:29 > 0:21:33and then this is the belly and it sits like that on the top.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37But what you need to do now, because it's obviously a different size,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40is you need to open this up and to make sure it's nice and flat.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42To do that, you've got to be quite careful
0:21:42 > 0:21:48but really in one cut at a time slice it through the loin.
0:21:48 > 0:21:49Straight through there.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Do the same this side and open it out.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54You're not cutting all the way through.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58We're just cutting it nice and flat so you're trying to make sure that this loin is the same
0:21:58 > 0:22:03thickness of the belly so it cooks evenly and then that's it, really.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Now I'm going to make the stuffing for this
0:22:05 > 0:22:07which is pretty straightforward.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11We're going to do a sage and onion stuffing but with chestnuts.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15First, I am roughly chopping two onions before sticking them
0:22:15 > 0:22:16into the blender.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22Then melt some butter in a pan and add your blitzed onions.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29It's a big joint so I'm going to use about 400g of chestnuts.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31Chop these into small pieces.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Next finely slice one large bunch of sage leaves.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Add these ingredients into a mixing bowl.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46Now those breadcrumbs from the sandwich earlier won't go to waste.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49Add about 300g to help bulk things out a bit.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53And, of course, season with salt and pepper.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03That is delicious. And then we can attempt to stuff this.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08You basically just place the stuffing in and evenly place it over
0:23:08 > 0:23:10the top of the pork.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Take your time doing that and press this down.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19So some seasoning, and then when you roll it up,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21pick the end which has got the loin in
0:23:21 > 0:23:23because the loin is actually the tender end
0:23:23 > 0:23:26but it's also the end that hasn't got so much fat in
0:23:26 > 0:23:30so you need the inside of the pork to keep it nice and moist.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33And then you need to tie this up.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37Take a long piece of string, make a little loop in it.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43And then place the piece of string underneath.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46Pick about an inch away from the end otherwise it's going
0:23:46 > 0:23:49to slip off and then pop the string through the knot,
0:23:49 > 0:23:51pull it through.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Keep the tension on it and then loop this underneath...
0:23:57 > 0:23:58..and pull it tight again.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00This really comes with practice.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02The more you do, the better at it you get.
0:24:02 > 0:24:07And at the end just double knot it, really.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09Then we're pretty much done.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Simply stick it onto a baking tray and smother on a bit of butter.
0:24:14 > 0:24:20Good sprinkle of salt will actually help crisp up the crackling as well.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22All this preparation really does pay off.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27A slow roast at 150 degrees C for five hours will cook the meat
0:24:27 > 0:24:30and give us some crispy crackling.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Now about 90 minutes towards the end of the cooking time
0:24:34 > 0:24:36then you can make your potato dish.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38Now, this is, to me,
0:24:38 > 0:24:40one of the best potato dishes that has ever been created.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43This one is a Dauphinoise potatoes -
0:24:43 > 0:24:46that classic mixture of cream, milk, garlic
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and butter really is spectacular.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52We start by rubbing garlic into the oven dish.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55That is all we need to flavour the Dauphinoise.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57Then grease the dish with butter.
0:24:57 > 0:25:01And then we can turn our attention to the spuds.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04And all this is, is basically you need one of these little mandolins.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Use these purely for speed, really.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Alternatively you got to slice this very, very thinly.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12It takes longer with a knife but it's much safer.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18There you go. Two kilos of potatoes done in no time at all.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22And best of all, all my fingers are all intact.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28So you take a layer of these potatoes, just a fine layer of these.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35And then you use a combination of a little bit of salt over the top,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38a bit of black pepper, a little bit of grated nutmeg.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41You only want a small amount. This stuff is pretty strong.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46But we build up layers and layers.
0:25:49 > 0:25:54But the key to this dish, I think, is these next two ingredients.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00Just a little bit of cream and some full fat milk.
0:26:00 > 0:26:01Pour the milk in.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05Roughly about equal quantities.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09Now, you want this to sort of cover the potatoes as well.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Cover this over...
0:26:17 > 0:26:19..and cook this in the same temperature
0:26:19 > 0:26:21and same oven as the pork.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24About an hour before you need both of these dishes, though,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28whack the oven temperature up to about 400 degrees,
0:26:28 > 0:26:30200 degrees centigrade, 400 Fahrenheit
0:26:30 > 0:26:34for another hour. Gives me a chance to have a beer.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46So really this is one of those dishes that you kind of dump
0:26:46 > 0:26:50in the middle of the table and everybody helps themselves.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55You've got your Dauphinoise potatoes
0:26:55 > 0:27:01and then I suppose the spectacle of the entire thing is this.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06What you want to do is just carefully lift it off the tray.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11For any crackling fans out there, this is what you want to hear.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14CRACKLING CRACKLES
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Now, so often on cookery shows you get a load of chefs and cooks
0:27:21 > 0:27:24sat there telling you how wonderful it is but...
0:27:26 > 0:27:29..it really is.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32It's the perfect dish you can make in advance.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Just stick it in the oven and forget about it.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36The longer it's in the oven the better it gets.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38This is the perfect dish.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44It tastes fantastic. Don't forget, this is what it's all about.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46My favourite word...
0:27:46 > 0:27:47CRACKLING CRUNCHES
0:27:47 > 0:27:50..crackling.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51It's fantastic, that.
0:27:52 > 0:27:56A bit of sensible preparation definitely makes things
0:27:56 > 0:27:58easier for you when the guests arrive.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02But for me the real gain is actually in the delicious food itself.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06And if you can enjoy the cooking experience as much as everybody
0:28:06 > 0:28:10else enjoys the food then everyone is a winner.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14If you'd like to know more about how to cook any of the recipes
0:28:14 > 0:28:19featured on today's show, you can get all of them at our website...