0:00:02 > 0:00:05Sometimes there is no place like home, and few things
0:00:05 > 0:00:09are 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 > 0:00:21So in this series, I'm inviting you into my kitchen to share with you
0:00:21 > 0:00:24some of my tasty home-cooked treats.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26The dishes I turn to,
0:00:26 > 0:00:30whether entertaining friends and family or just relaxing on my own.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Cooking for me is one of life's great pleasures, whether I am
0:00:50 > 0:00:54at work in my busy restaurant or cooking at home, here in Hampshire.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58One thing being a chef has taught me is how to enrich wonderful,
0:00:58 > 0:01:02fresh produce with everyday ingredients that any cook
0:01:02 > 0:01:04worth their salt should have at close hand.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09I don't know about you, but my food just wouldn't be the same
0:01:09 > 0:01:12without some store-cupboard staples.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17No longer will the pantry be a place where tins,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19jars and packets gather dust.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23I want to get you excited about elevating the everyday contents
0:01:23 > 0:01:25from a can into a meal to remember.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30Or turning the flavours from jars and bars into serious puds.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33We'll be discovering recipes from the medieval store cupboard
0:01:33 > 0:01:38and meeting some of our generation's finest artisan food producers -
0:01:38 > 0:01:41from a new kid on the block from the Southern Hemisphere
0:01:41 > 0:01:46to a South Downs artisan with much more mature tastes.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49When I am in the mood for making magical meals out of almost nothing,
0:01:49 > 0:01:53I turn to my Spanish-style chicken-and-chorizo bean stew.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57I think it is the beans in the stew that makes this dish
0:01:57 > 0:01:58really fantastic.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Now, certainly one of the things that
0:02:02 > 0:02:04I have in the store cupboard are these.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07These are white haricot beans. They are delicious.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10So first of all, we need to get the chicken cooking.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Now, I'm going to use chicken thighs and chicken legs
0:02:13 > 0:02:14cos I'm a great believer
0:02:14 > 0:02:16that they've got the most amount of flavour.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18A little bit of oil in the pan.
0:02:18 > 0:02:23A touch of butter. And then really start to colour the chicken.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Now, this is a great dish because it's really quick.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30The whole thing takes the same amount of time
0:02:30 > 0:02:32as these chickens take to cook.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35To enrich the stew's flavour, I'm adding lemon, garlic
0:02:35 > 0:02:37and a good handful of rosemary and thyme.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39But that's not all.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41What I love with this is we can take a whole shallot,
0:02:41 > 0:02:46slice it through, pop that in the pan as well.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49You can eat the shallot when it comes out of the oven,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51it really tastes fantastic.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55The pan goes into a hot oven at 220 for ten minutes,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58leaving me time to flavour a jar of simple beans with a real
0:02:58 > 0:03:00staple of the Spanish store cupboard.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02But this is really the key to it.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05This is chorizo, or as my sister calls it, still,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08after all these years, coritzio.
0:03:08 > 0:03:09Chorizo.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13But it is the picante one, which is the really spicy one,
0:03:13 > 0:03:14and that's the one that I've got here.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17It contains a real amount... a good amount of paprika,
0:03:17 > 0:03:20which lends itself really well with this dish.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23And because I've got things like the chorizo and the garlic
0:03:23 > 0:03:25and the tomatoes and the beans,
0:03:25 > 0:03:27there is no real need to serve any veg with this.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30It's kind of, sort of, one-pot cooking
0:03:30 > 0:03:32for quick and easy meals out of your store cupboard.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36To get this Spanish-style stew under way, get a pan nice and hot
0:03:36 > 0:03:38and add some good olive oil.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41But not oil from just anywhere.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45Now, I'm going to upset the Italians to say that, I think,
0:03:45 > 0:03:50the Spanish produce as good an olive oil as anybody.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53But also what the Spanish are fantastic at is pork,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55and that is why the chorizo that you get in Spain
0:03:55 > 0:03:59and you get in supermarkets nowadays is really, really fabulous.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06With the chorizo starting to release those wonderful smoky paprika oils,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09I can add some tomatoes, diced shallots and garlic.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can use good tinned ones.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15It will still taste great.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18Although it is all out of store-cupboard ingredients,
0:04:18 > 0:04:19it really packs a punch.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21You could, of course, if you wanted to,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24use dried rosemary or thyme if you haven't got fresh.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Which go brilliant with chicken.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29What we're going to do is just wilt down the tomatoes.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33What will help that, a little bit, is the addition of stock.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Just a little bit of chicken stock.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Just to help break down the tomatoes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42All I need to do is bring these colours
0:04:42 > 0:04:45and flavours of Spain to a simmer.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48And then I can turn a haricot bean from the cupboard shelf
0:04:48 > 0:04:50into something really delicious.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58You can almost eat them as a snack, they are so good.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59They're just delicious.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Lovely, rich.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05They are kind of like the best baked beans you'll ever have in your life.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07You just pour them straight in.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11The great thing about these beans is they are already cooked,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13so they just need warming through.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16So in very little time, we are almost ready.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20You have got pieces of chorizo in there. You've got the tomatoes.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24It is like the ultimate stew, but without all the hassle.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27And then all we do now, just to almost finish this off now, is grab
0:05:27 > 0:05:30some parsley, just roughly chop it.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33And throw that in.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35It looks good enough to eat on its own,
0:05:35 > 0:05:37but after just ten minutes in a really hot oven,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39the chicken is ready to dish up.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45You get your lovely beans, a piece of each chicken.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50The roasted shallots.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53All the caramelisation you've got on the sliced bit,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55you can eat that.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58But then not forgetting that you've got a lovely bit of roast garlic
0:05:58 > 0:05:59to dive into as well.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03It tastes fantastic.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07It's brilliant. It's so quick and easy.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12So there you have it - my chicken-and-chorizo bean stew,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14a dish that elevates a store cupboard supper
0:06:14 > 0:06:17into a meal fit for a king.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21And in fact, these days, wherever you live in the UK, there is
0:06:21 > 0:06:24no excuse for not combining the building blocks
0:06:24 > 0:06:27from your store cupboard with the best top-quality local produce
0:06:27 > 0:06:29you can find.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Here in Hampshire, I'm always amazed by the award-winning meat,
0:06:32 > 0:06:37fish, fruit, veg and dairy products right here on my doorstep.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44Just down the road from me is local cheese producer Mike Smales.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48He makes one of the very best hard cheeses around.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51My name is Mike Smales, and we have been here since 1969.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55We run about 170 cows, make a tonne of cheese a week.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59We found a little place in the market for ourselves.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02And ours is a hard yellow cheese that can be
0:07:02 > 0:07:04used as a substitute for Parmesan
0:07:04 > 0:07:07for those who want a 100% English ingredient.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Behold the Old Winchester - a sturdy vintage cheese that has been
0:07:12 > 0:07:15turning heads all over the UK and beyond.
0:07:15 > 0:07:21Bronze-award winner at the World Cheese Awards, which is no mean feat.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24And ours was the only British cheese to pick up a prize.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26The rest were all Manchegos
0:07:26 > 0:07:28and Parmesans from other parts of the world.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33And this exciting product is the result of years of careful
0:07:33 > 0:07:36planning by Mike, starting with his herd of cows.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42When we started cheese-making, it was all about adding value
0:07:42 > 0:07:45to our milk that the cows produce on this farm.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47We bred them quite specifically,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51so we have got that quality of milk to work with.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55And inevitably, the general topography, the soil type,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58the sward and the grass that they all eat
0:07:58 > 0:08:02during the course of the summer period all makes a contribution.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04But now he is reaping the rewards.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07And the first stage of production is remarkably quick,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10but it does involve an early start.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13The cows are milked at 5:30 in the morning.
0:08:13 > 0:08:15I bring the milk around at seven o'clock
0:08:15 > 0:08:17and we pasteurise the milk straightaway.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19We add a starter, we add a rennet.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23We then leave the milk for about an hour.
0:08:23 > 0:08:28# The look of love... #
0:08:28 > 0:08:30The process might be scientific,
0:08:30 > 0:08:35but to make a truly great cheese requires a more tender approach.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39This is where the skill of the cheese-maker comes in.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42He has to know exactly when to use the curd knife
0:08:42 > 0:08:44and to cut the curd.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48The company produces around 50 tonnes of cheese a year,
0:08:48 > 0:08:52and all of it is lovingly done by hand.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54First, the curd and whey need to be separated
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and the cheese-maker's individual touch is essential
0:08:57 > 0:08:59to achieve the best quality.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Once it is drained, the curd is popped into the mould.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08Remarkably, the milk, from being in the cow at 5:30 in the morning,
0:09:08 > 0:09:13it is then in moulds and looking like cheese at about one o'clock.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16Really a remarkably short journey in a short time period.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19And the milk has only had to travel 70 yards.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23This door here leads to the ripening room,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27of which there is about four or five on the farm here.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31After soaking in a brine solution for 24 hours,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34the wheels of cheese are sent to the drying room
0:09:34 > 0:09:38for a week before they end up here in the maturing room.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42It is here the real magic happens and the waiting begins.
0:09:42 > 0:09:44These will be turned twice a week.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48And when I say turned, you just pull them out, turn them up the other way.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51And we do that to balance the whey within the cheese.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54This is the youngest cheese that is in here at the moment,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56so this is what we've brought in in the last week.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59And then right at the end here, actually,
0:09:59 > 0:10:01we've got some Old Winchester.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03That is about 18 months.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05But they are not ready to be sold yet.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10We will sell those in about probably another two to three months' time.
0:10:10 > 0:10:15You can see the difference in colour. These are now much darker.
0:10:15 > 0:10:16They have dried out.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19They have gone from being quite yellow to really quite
0:10:19 > 0:10:23a fawny colour. And are much harder.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25You lob one of those at the window
0:10:25 > 0:10:27and it will go straight through the window,
0:10:27 > 0:10:29it certainly won't bounce off.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32But a more traditional way to test its strength
0:10:32 > 0:10:34might be to taste it.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- Oh, it smells nice.- Mm.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47- That is actually spot-on.- Absolutely.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52Old Winchester certainly looks like it will be around
0:10:52 > 0:10:53for a long time to come.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56A local success story that is making
0:10:56 > 0:10:58a real mark on the culinary landscape.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03So I'm looking forward to welcoming Mike into my kitchen
0:11:03 > 0:11:04to use his celebrated cheese
0:11:04 > 0:11:09in my twice-baked souffle with dandelion and walnut salad -
0:11:09 > 0:11:14a superb savoury meal with some unique flavours.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Now, everybody has got cheese in their store cupboard,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19but none so special as this.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Mike, you have brought along some of this fine Old Winchester.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- How old is this one, then? - It'll be about 20 months old.
0:11:26 > 0:11:28The textures, as I'm cutting it,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32it's kind of similar to Parmesan in terms of the way it flakes.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Would you class it as sort of a Parmesan-style cheese or what?
0:11:35 > 0:11:37It's getting that way,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40but technically it's not made the same way as a Parmesan.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43So effectively, this is a hybrid, if you like.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- It's not a cheddar, it's not a Parmesan.- A hybrid?!
0:11:45 > 0:11:49- Yeah.- OK.- It's a bit like you and your recipes, if you like.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52You start somewhere and then you progress
0:11:52 > 0:11:55and get to the stage where you think, "Yeah, like that."
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- We make it up, don't we? - Yeah, make it up as you go along.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02The starting point for this recipe is a white sauce, or roux,
0:12:02 > 0:12:07made up of three classic staples - butter, flour and then milk.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Gradually add the milk and keep stirring to avoid any lumps forming.
0:12:10 > 0:12:11Why cheese for you, then?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14Why particularly hard cheese? You could have done soft.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I started with an agenda that was "not cheddar".
0:12:17 > 0:12:20The world makes cheddar, so we need to keep clear of that.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23We needed to make something that wasn't too niche,
0:12:23 > 0:12:25so it had quite a broad appeal.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30And for me, its appeal is it's fantastic to cook with.
0:12:30 > 0:12:34So I am using it with some Dijon in the roux base for my souffle.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39So, with the farmers, it's something that's...
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Particularly the movement from dairy production
0:12:42 > 0:12:46to cheese-making, is that something that has sort of taken over for you?
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Inevitably, I have changed really from being a muddy-boots farmer
0:12:49 > 0:12:51to a kind of van-driving cheese salesman.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52Yeah.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54And it has, it has taken over,
0:12:54 > 0:12:58whereas my elder son now tends to do all the muddy-boots bit
0:12:58 > 0:13:00and I tend to do the white-boots bit, really.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Any souffle needs eggs to give it that all-important rise.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07In a clean, grease-free bowl, separate three eggs
0:13:07 > 0:13:09and whisk up the whites until they're stiff,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12then mix in the egg yolks into the roux,
0:13:12 > 0:13:13which by now has slightly cooled.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17What we do is we just pop our mixture into the bowl.
0:13:17 > 0:13:22Really, when you're doing souffle, don't namby-pamby with it,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24chuck it in.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Too many times with souffle, people mess around
0:13:27 > 0:13:29and follow ye old cookbooks that tell you to fold, figure of eight,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32fold, figure of eight, and you are still stood here
0:13:32 > 0:13:35about two hours' time, still doing that same process.
0:13:35 > 0:13:36Because it is a souffle,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39the egg whites will actually start collapsing the longer we keep it
0:13:39 > 0:13:42out of that oven, so get it in the oven as fast as possible.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46Divide the mixture and pour into four buttered ramekins.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48They are almost ready for the oven.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52So what I am going to do now is basically just take
0:13:52 > 0:13:54a little bit of water in the tray.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57Now, the reason for a tray of water is to actually stop
0:13:57 > 0:14:00the outside of the souffle from burning or overcooking.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02It's technically a bain-marie,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05but for us farmers, it's a tray of hot water, you see?
0:14:05 > 0:14:09These souffles go into the oven at 180 for 20 minutes
0:14:09 > 0:14:11to work their magic. How do you eat yours, then?
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Probably just plain on a cheeseboard, don't you?
0:14:14 > 0:14:17The cheese in general will come in many forms,
0:14:17 > 0:14:22but that is my wife's jurisdiction, I don't get involved in the kitchen.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24I'll stick to making it.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28Now, what would you say the taste of this is similar to?
0:14:29 > 0:14:32A lot of people will say nuts
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and other people say there is a little smoky background.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40It is a flavour that just evolves naturally.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42And that's the thing about making artisan products.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44That is our job in life,
0:14:44 > 0:14:46to make things that are just that little bit different.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49But it has got a lovely creaminess with it as well.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52When you make a Parmesan, they will actually strip some of the cream off.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56That is made from full-cream milk, compared with the Parmesan cheese,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00where they use effectively almost a semi-skimmed milk.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04Semi-skimmed milk is a swear word in this house.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07There is nothing semi-skimmed about the sauce for these souffles -
0:15:07 > 0:15:09it's rich and so simple.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11It's basically just this.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Double cream.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18A bit of black pepper.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Black pepper is obviously a spice, so technically it is a herb,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23which is a veg, which is part of your five a day!
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- Yep.- Same thing with salt. - I'll buy that.- You buy that one?
0:15:26 > 0:15:28- I'll buy that.- And then some Kirsch.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32Now, Kirsch is that well-known German cherry liqueur.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34And that's it.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39There is nothing else that goes in the sauce, other than that.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42The souffles are almost ready for that sauce,
0:15:42 > 0:15:46which means I can assemble my twist on a solid garnish -
0:15:46 > 0:15:47candied walnuts.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Boil up sugar in water, and simmer until it is slightly thickened
0:15:50 > 0:15:54and then in with a handful of walnuts for two to three minutes.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01Remove from the syrup and deep-fry in veg oil until golden brown.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04These taste fantastic.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Try one of those.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10A perfect garnish for a cheeseboard for your cheese, you see?
0:16:10 > 0:16:14- Mmm. Spot on. - They're great, aren't they?- Lovely.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19After about 15 minutes,
0:16:19 > 0:16:22they are OK to eat, but we're not going to cook them too long
0:16:22 > 0:16:25and let them rise too much cos these are double-baked souffles.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28So I am going to turn my oven to a grill now.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Just turn these out. Just lift them out.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37They will be nice and light.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39You can actually keep these in the fridge or you can freeze them.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42They freeze brilliantly. Carefully lift them up.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47That sits in the dish. And then you have got this lovely mixture.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50You just know it is going to be good when something has got cream
0:16:50 > 0:16:52and alcohol in it.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- Can't go wrong. Can't go wrong. - Just pour this over the top.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Now, I was actually wondering what I was going to do
0:16:58 > 0:17:00with your fantastic cheese.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03I thought, do I just leave it, do something simple?
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Or do something a little bit elaborate?
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I think souffle is one of those dishes that just kind of have
0:17:08 > 0:17:10misconceptions really with it.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11People have never tried making them
0:17:11 > 0:17:14so they don't actually realise how easy they are.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Particularly a double-baked souffle like this, it's nice and simple.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19So, cheese over the top.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22What we do now is take this
0:17:22 > 0:17:24and pop it under the grill for about two minutes.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26As a healthy accompaniment to my souffle,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30I'm using something people may think of as a garden invader.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Now I'm going to do a little salad with this,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36and I'm going to use some dandelion leaves.
0:17:36 > 0:17:37As good for you as kale, you can
0:17:37 > 0:17:40buy them from some farmers markets or health food shops.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44They make a great addition to this simple salad.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Chopped chives. Just roughly chopped.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Throw that in. I've always got some of this to hand.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55This is a little bit of my own sort of home-made dressing.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56Mix that together...
0:17:58 > 0:18:01..with this. And of course,
0:18:01 > 0:18:03you've got these candied walnuts.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Now, when you try these when they're... Go on, try those.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08They've got a lovely crunch to these.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11- It's the sugar in there as well. I just love these.- Sweet.
0:18:11 > 0:18:12I think they're delicious.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15And then you have got a nice little salad.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20And then, you see, it actually puffs up again.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24So this is where you get this idea...
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Hold it, hold it, Michael, hold it!
0:18:26 > 0:18:27- That's hot.- He's diving in!
0:18:29 > 0:18:32I think this is a little more elaborate than just chucking
0:18:32 > 0:18:36your cheese on a cheeseboard, but dive in, tell us what you think.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45That's pretty good.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48- Pretty good.- Tastes good, doesn't it?- That is good.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51What's great about this is there is so much flavour in there,
0:18:51 > 0:18:52which comes through the souffle as well.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Often when you do souffles, you need to use a cheese like this,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57which has got a decent amount of flavour to it.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59- That's yummy.- I like that.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04And you have made good use of the weeds in the garden as well.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07I think I'll take that as a compliment.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10It's amazing how the more unusual forage ingredients
0:19:10 > 0:19:13are changing the way we cook today.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19One thing that has really stood the test of time
0:19:19 > 0:19:21is the real hub of the kitchen.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24For centuries, the store cupboard has stashed away
0:19:24 > 0:19:27ingredients for a wealth of amazing home-cooked recipes.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36In his Yorkshire kitchen-cum-food-laboratory,
0:19:36 > 0:19:39Gerard Baker is rustling up a home-cooked treat
0:19:39 > 0:19:41from the medieval store cupboard.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45We might think of medieval food as being quite bland,
0:19:45 > 0:19:50but in actual fact, medieval cooks drew on a wide variety of spices.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52I've got some spices that would have been commonly
0:19:52 > 0:19:55used in the wealthiest of households.
0:19:55 > 0:20:00Here, we have got ginger, cloves - lovely and aromatic.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02Saffron, which is one of the few spices
0:20:02 > 0:20:03that could've been grown in England.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07And of course, Saffron Walden bears testament to that.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12Cinnamon. The medieval spice that we now use very widely... Sugar -
0:20:12 > 0:20:15a rarity in the medieval kitchen.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20It didn't come into prominence widely till 1600 or 1700.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24Today, Gerard is cooking farced partridge, which means stuffed.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28And he is going to be delving into his medieval store cupboard
0:20:28 > 0:20:31to make a flavoursome filling based around one of the staple
0:20:31 > 0:20:34main ingredients of the day - salted pork.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40The medieval store cupboard would have contained salted meat,
0:20:40 > 0:20:44because that was one way the medieval cook could've preserved meat
0:20:44 > 0:20:47for use in the winter. Pigs would be killed in the autumn
0:20:47 > 0:20:53and would keep a family going all the winter, provided the meat was salted.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56The salted pork I'm using is going to baste and season
0:20:56 > 0:20:58the breast of the partridge.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02I'm going to add some more medieval ingredients from my store cupboard.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05The first one is a source of sweetness - the currant.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08The medieval cook would have had access to dried fruits
0:21:08 > 0:21:10from the near continent, so that is grapes.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14In the case of currants, from northern Africa.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18And then further afield, dates. And later, apricots.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20I'm going to add some sage.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24And some fresh thyme.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28We love our fresh herbs today, and the medieval cook was just the same.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31They would have kept this all growing near to the kitchen.
0:21:31 > 0:21:36The next addition to the stuffing is spices.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Gerard adds a few sprinkles of ginger and pepper,
0:21:40 > 0:21:42ground in a mortar.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44They were often used together in medieval cooking
0:21:44 > 0:21:48and we will add some spice to the partridge.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52The medieval cook was really adventurous.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55And I think partly that is explained by the fact that
0:21:55 > 0:21:56so much was being discovered.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00People rushed to use everything that was new, everything that was novel.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07The store cupboard has changed over the centuries
0:22:07 > 0:22:10as new ingredients become widely available.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13And what we tend to see is the store cupboards
0:22:13 > 0:22:16of the wealthiest households leading the way.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18They would have used far more spice
0:22:18 > 0:22:20and sugar than anybody else in the country.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Wonderful spices were really the preserve of the wealthy.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28Edward I's store cupboard was very valuable.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31It had everything from almonds, rice and ginger
0:22:31 > 0:22:36to saffron, cumin, and in one year, 2,000 pounds of sugar,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38which would have cost a king's ransom.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41So, my stuffing for the partridge is finished.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45It is chopped nice and finely. All that remains for me to do
0:22:45 > 0:22:50is to insert some of it under the skin on the breast of the bird.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56Partridge, along with many other small birds like quail, larks,
0:22:56 > 0:23:02blackbirds, pigeons, were regularly stuffed and roasted in this manner.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06So now I have finished stuffing the birds, I need to cook them.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08But rather than bake them in a normal oven, which is
0:23:08 > 0:23:10what we'd do in a modern kitchen,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12I'm going to roast them by the fire.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18It's surprising how quickly we can roast these birds
0:23:18 > 0:23:22in front of this lovely bed of wood coals.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24It will take about 20 to 25 minutes,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28about the same time as it would take me to cook in my oven.
0:23:29 > 0:23:30In medieval times, of course,
0:23:30 > 0:23:34the fire was really the only source of heat, so people would have
0:23:34 > 0:23:38learned to cook almost everything on an open fire of some sort.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45So it looks to me like the partridges are nearly done.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48So what I would like to do now is take them just to one side
0:23:48 > 0:23:53to keep warm whilst I prepare a sweet and sour sauce for them.
0:23:53 > 0:23:57The sauce is based on red wine, sour verjus, which is made
0:23:57 > 0:24:01from un-ripened grapes, exotic cinnamon, a pinch of saffron,
0:24:01 > 0:24:04onion and honey to add sweetness.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08You may not think a sweet-and-sour sauce sounds very medieval,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11but in those days, cooks mixed things up a bit
0:24:11 > 0:24:15and the borders between sweet and savoury flavours
0:24:15 > 0:24:17were much more blurred.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19This might not seem to be the kind of recipe you'd make
0:24:19 > 0:24:21from the modern store cupboard,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24but what is lovely about it is that so many of the medieval
0:24:24 > 0:24:27ingredients from the medieval store cupboard are available to us today,
0:24:27 > 0:24:30so there is no reason why we shouldn't try other recipes,
0:24:30 > 0:24:31cos they are delicious.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38One classic recipe that many of us
0:24:38 > 0:24:40will always turn to is a flavour of soup that I'm sure
0:24:40 > 0:24:44most of you watching have in your store cupboards.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47But hopefully, my take on home-made tomato soup will inspire you
0:24:47 > 0:24:50to make your own, especially when it is served with
0:24:50 > 0:24:53a kind of garlic bread you won't forget in a hurry.
0:24:54 > 0:24:58For me, one of my favourite store cupboard ingredients
0:24:58 > 0:25:00has to be these - tinned tomatoes.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02But these are really special tomatoes,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04these are San Marzano tomatoes.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07These are beautiful. Look out for them on the tin.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11They are really sweet, less seeds, but they make the most amazing soup,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13and that is what I'm going to do now - a tomato soup
0:25:13 > 0:25:14with garlic butter.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18This really is, in my opinion,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20one of the best garlic butters around, really,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23cos it's a roasted garlic butter.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27To stop the skins from burning, wrap the entire bulb in foil
0:25:27 > 0:25:30and roast it at 170 for 45 minutes.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35This gives me plenty of time to show you something you can all try -
0:25:35 > 0:25:36home-made butter.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39It's actually more simple than you think.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41All it is, really, is double cream.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52Now, we just mix this together until it separates.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Now you whisk this so much that it actually starts to thicken up
0:25:55 > 0:25:57the cream and then, all of a sudden, it will split,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59and that is when you have got butter.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03It may seem like a time-consuming process, but it is a great way
0:26:03 > 0:26:07to use up leftover double cream that otherwise may end up in the bin.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10If you have got any that is out of date or getting out of date, before
0:26:10 > 0:26:15it goes too sort of smelly, stick it in here and make your own butter.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19So, when you have got that mixing, we can get together a draining cloth
0:26:19 > 0:26:20which we have got in here.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23I'm going to use some of this. A little bit of muslin.
0:26:23 > 0:26:24You can use a tea towel.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27And this is to get rid of the water or the whey part of it, really.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31What we are after is the solids that are left behind.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33And that, in actual fact, is our butter.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36It's amazing that after five minutes, the liquid
0:26:36 > 0:26:40you knew as double cream has taken on a completely new texture.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42What you are looking for with this...
0:26:42 > 0:26:44It goes from sort of a whipped cream,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47and the more you mix it, it ends up looking like pastry,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49as sort of the cream separates,
0:26:49 > 0:26:54and it basically almost looks like an overcooked scrambled egg.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56But I can assure you, when it is done,
0:26:56 > 0:26:59it will taste a hell of a lot better.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02You end up with this. You see the liquid that is in it?
0:27:02 > 0:27:05It may look a long way from being melted on toast,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07but after being drained through a muslin
0:27:07 > 0:27:10and formed into a shape, it feels great to have been able to
0:27:10 > 0:27:13make my own butter - something I get through plenty of.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18What you end up with, I think is great when you make it yourself...
0:27:21 > 0:27:22..is that.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27How cool is that? Your own home-made butter.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31With my butter looking truly homespun and the garlic on stand-by,
0:27:31 > 0:27:35I want to get my store cupboard soup with tinned tomatoes on the stove.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39The tinned tomatoes is really the main flavour of my soup, that is
0:27:39 > 0:27:41why it is important, for this,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43you get really good-quality tinned tomatoes.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Olive oil, shallots and two tins of these lovely Italian tomatoes -
0:27:48 > 0:27:49it couldn't be simpler.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55And then all I'm going to do is just grab some fresh basil
0:27:55 > 0:27:57and throw that in.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01And then we bring this to the boil
0:28:01 > 0:28:05and just gently simmer this for two or three minutes.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08I think a beautiful, bold Italian soup deserves
0:28:08 > 0:28:12the best croutons for my roasted garlic butter.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Now, you are at MY house now.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17None of that fancy, small, diced stuff.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21Some proper croutons.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Drizzle of oil.
0:28:26 > 0:28:27Over the top.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Now, what I'm going to do with these is chargrill them, but
0:28:30 > 0:28:33if you haven't got a griddle like this at home, you can
0:28:33 > 0:28:34actually use a griddle pan.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38But the key to using a griddle pan is to get it really hot.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40And always oil the food, never oil the pan.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44Now, to finish off the butter.
0:28:44 > 0:28:45As you will soon see,
0:28:45 > 0:28:48there is a very good reason for roasting the garlic.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51The most important thing with this... It's lovely
0:28:51 > 0:28:55and soft inside as the garlic roasts.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02Mix in the flesh of the garlic and some more fresh basil.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Now, the great thing about making your own butter
0:29:07 > 0:29:11or whether you are incorporating just ready-made butter with
0:29:11 > 0:29:13roasted garlic or anything like that,
0:29:13 > 0:29:15it actually freezes really well.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21And then, really, when it comes to the soup, you just blitz it.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27Oh, I like my gadgets in my kitchen. Stick blender. Stand back.
0:29:29 > 0:29:33Tinned tomatoes from Italy transported in my Hampshire kitchen
0:29:33 > 0:29:36into something I can't get enough of.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45You've got this simple tomato soup that you have made out of a can,
0:29:45 > 0:29:46and it actually tastes
0:29:46 > 0:29:50so much better than conventional soup out of a can as well.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53And to top it all off, leftover double cream
0:29:53 > 0:29:57churned into butter for the ultimate in garlic bread.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Store cupboard food never used to look like that in my house.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13It really is fantastic, and it is one of the store cupboard essentials
0:30:13 > 0:30:14I think that everybody should have.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16Tinned tomatoes - you can transform them
0:30:16 > 0:30:18into so many different things.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21But when you are out there buying them, look out for the word
0:30:21 > 0:30:25San Marzano, cos in this, it makes all the difference.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29It's great, that.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38Whether it's tinned Italian tomatoes or something completely
0:30:38 > 0:30:41original appearing on our shelves,
0:30:41 > 0:30:45new foods are popping up everywhere, thanks to the work of a hidden
0:30:45 > 0:30:49army of passionate, home-based food producers.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Their home-made delicacies are playing a key role in putting
0:30:52 > 0:30:54better food on our tables.
0:30:59 > 0:31:01The rolling green hills and warm sunny climate
0:31:01 > 0:31:04of the Isle of Wight are famous for producing
0:31:04 > 0:31:06everything from garlic to grapes.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08But there is a food producer who has brought a little
0:31:08 > 0:31:11taste of Africa to this idyllic landscape.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17At Newnham Farm, Zimbabwean Nick Greeff and his English wife, Sarah,
0:31:17 > 0:31:21are producing an exotic South African store cupboard staple
0:31:21 > 0:31:24that is winning awards - biltong.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Biltong is the most important food to my husband,
0:31:26 > 0:31:28he couldn't live without it.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32I love biltong so much, I have it in the morning for breakfast,
0:31:32 > 0:31:34a snack throughout the day.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38I even have it, if I'm allowed to, as pudding after meals.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40So, I figured the only way for him
0:31:40 > 0:31:43to survive in England was to make it ourselves.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Biltong is almost unheard of on these shores,
0:31:45 > 0:31:49and Nick thought the examples he did find were terrible.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52So to cater for his obsession, they set up a company
0:31:52 > 0:31:56and started making their own to a traditional recipe.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58But what exactly is it?
0:31:58 > 0:32:02What it actually is is air-cured meat.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06Air-curing meat was a great way to preserve before the days
0:32:06 > 0:32:07of refrigeration
0:32:07 > 0:32:10and gives it a distinctive taste.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13It works particularly well in hot, dry climates,
0:32:13 > 0:32:17and Nick's tradition goes right back to his ancestors' store cupboards.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20My family was part of the Voortrekker movement that
0:32:20 > 0:32:25came from the Cape, moving into the interior of Africa in the 1860s.
0:32:25 > 0:32:29And their way of keeping meat fresh without refrigeration was to
0:32:29 > 0:32:32cut it up and hang it.
0:32:32 > 0:32:33My earliest memories of biltong
0:32:33 > 0:32:36were standing on a stool next to the kitchen table,
0:32:36 > 0:32:40laying out the meat or spicing it with my grandfather
0:32:40 > 0:32:42on our cattle ranch in Zimbabwe.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46So does the Sarah share her husband's love of biltong?
0:32:46 > 0:32:49My guilty secret is I have never eaten it because, actually,
0:32:49 > 0:32:51I'm a vegetarian.
0:32:51 > 0:32:55Of course, the meat available in Zimbabwe is a different world
0:32:55 > 0:32:56to the Isle of Wight.
0:32:56 > 0:33:01Originally, we'd use every animal from elephant, buffalo,
0:33:01 > 0:33:04impala, whatever you were lucky enough to come across
0:33:04 > 0:33:06and you could get a shot at them.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10We use beef today, and quite a lot of people prefer beef biltong.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12The way we are going to make it today
0:33:12 > 0:33:15is as close to traditional making biltong that we could do.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19This flavour is pepper flavour, it is one of my favourites.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21It is the original biltong
0:33:21 > 0:33:25and the one that my grandfather showed me many years ago.
0:33:25 > 0:33:29After four hours soaking up the flavours of the pepper,
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Nick dips the beef in vinegar, which aids the curing process
0:33:32 > 0:33:36and helps preserve it better in our damper climate.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41It is then hung up to dry for four to six days.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47We created this drying room to replicate the temperature
0:33:47 > 0:33:49and atmosphere of Africa,
0:33:49 > 0:33:54which, as you can see, dries up the biltong to perfection.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57Bite into a piece of dry biltong,
0:33:57 > 0:34:01suddenly the taste of the beef starts to shine through.
0:34:01 > 0:34:04The spices that you use should just be a hint in the background.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07The taste of biltong is something most people won't have
0:34:07 > 0:34:09experienced in their life before.
0:34:09 > 0:34:13And at a shop specialising in Isle of Wight produce,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Nick and Sarah try out their biltong on the locals.
0:34:16 > 0:34:19- That's good.- It does taste like beef more than anything.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22You can really taste the meat and it is good-quality beef.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25You get that lovely meaty taste. And the herbs that go with it.
0:34:25 > 0:34:27It's actually very nice to have something
0:34:27 > 0:34:29made on the Isle of Wight that doesn't include garlic
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- as the sole ingredient. - Big improvement to peanuts.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34To go out and get a reaction and for people to say,
0:34:34 > 0:34:36"No, we love it, keep making it," is just fantastic.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40It is lovely to be making a product that is part of our heritage.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43And to bring it into a new culture
0:34:43 > 0:34:47and introduce it to people who appreciate it as much as I do.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51Sharing food with friends and family or a whole new crowd
0:34:51 > 0:34:53is what I have always loved.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57And the next dish is what I would call part of my culinary heritage -
0:34:57 > 0:35:00white chocolate and whisky bread and butter pudding
0:35:00 > 0:35:03with honeycomb foam and whisky ice cream.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Created from the contents of my cupboard,
0:35:05 > 0:35:11this is a show-stopping dish that always leaves people wanting more.
0:35:11 > 0:35:12Now, I am quite fortunate to have
0:35:12 > 0:35:15plenty of stuff in my store cupboard,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19including white chocolate, a bit of whisky and a few vanilla pods.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22This is a dish that has never been off my restaurant menu,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25and it is really a fallback dish that I always cook at home.
0:35:30 > 0:35:34So we want four decent-sized croissants.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37Like that. There's always a little bit left...
0:35:37 > 0:35:38leftover as well.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41Like all bread and butter puddings,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44a handful of sultanas from the store cupboard are followed
0:35:44 > 0:35:48by a liberal sprinkling of, yes, you guessed it, butter.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51And now for our custard.
0:35:51 > 0:35:55For that, this is where we start to get a little bit serious.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Not this much double cream, but not far off.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01So we need half double cream to milk.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11I'm then going to infuse that with vanilla.
0:36:11 > 0:36:12Scrape out the vanilla seeds
0:36:12 > 0:36:16and add along with the pods into the rich, creamy milk.
0:36:18 > 0:36:22Now for the eggs to make the all-important vanilla custard.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Traditionally, really, you'd use about six whole eggs to set
0:36:26 > 0:36:28a litre of liquid, which this is.
0:36:28 > 0:36:32But I'm going to use a mixture of whole eggs and egg yolks.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36By using six egg yolks and three whole eggs,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38this pudding will have more of a sauce
0:36:38 > 0:36:41and a slightly lighter texture.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43With the milk and the cream nicely warming through,
0:36:43 > 0:36:47I add 200g of caster sugar to the eggs, then whisk.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52I can't tell you how many times I have made this pudding.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55It all came about via a mistake.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59It was when I was the pastry chef of Mr Antony Worrall Thompson
0:36:59 > 0:37:01in one of his restaurants.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03And good old Antony,
0:37:03 > 0:37:06instead of ordering sort of three dozen croissants,
0:37:06 > 0:37:1033 dozen croissants turned up one day, and I had to use them all up.
0:37:10 > 0:37:14And this was a recipe that we both sort of invented, really.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16Everybody seems to love it.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19And it's only until after they've eaten it,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22you tell them exactly how many calories are in it.
0:37:24 > 0:37:29Maybe it's the...not one, not two, but three bars of white chocolate
0:37:29 > 0:37:34that people love, mixed into cream-and-vanilla-infused milk.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36Take it off the heat now,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39cos otherwise that chocolate is going to burn
0:37:39 > 0:37:41to the bottom of our pan.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45So give it a quick mix and make sure they are all combined.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48And then what we do is we pour this mixture
0:37:48 > 0:37:50onto the egg yolks.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Whisk this together.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58And now you throw in the whisky.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Just a little bit...more.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06Give it a little taste.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Do you know what?
0:38:10 > 0:38:13It's at a time like this where I could actually stop now, don't even
0:38:13 > 0:38:17put that in there, just get a straw and drink this, it is so good.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19It is delicious, this.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24Tempting it may be, but with a hungry crew to feed,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27I need to pour this mixture into the croissants
0:38:27 > 0:38:30and leave it to soak for about 15 minutes.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34This is one of those puds that is a real treat,
0:38:34 > 0:38:37and I like to elevate it even higher with the addition of a nice
0:38:37 > 0:38:41dollop of home-made whisky ice cream.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45This is 400ml of double cream gone in here.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47About 100ml of milk.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51A little bit of vanilla.
0:38:51 > 0:38:55So what we are going to do is just warm up the vanilla and the cream,
0:38:55 > 0:38:58and then we take almost the same combination of ingredients.
0:38:58 > 0:39:03Six egg yolks, 100g of caster sugar,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06whisk together and then mix the cream and the milk,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08just like a custard.
0:39:10 > 0:39:14Now, conventionally, of course, ice cream would be made in exactly
0:39:14 > 0:39:16the same way and then churned in an ice cream machine,
0:39:16 > 0:39:17which you can do at home.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20Ice cream machines are becoming more and more popular.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23But I have got one of these fancy gadgets now that enables you
0:39:23 > 0:39:26to do ice cream in a slightly different way.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30With the eggs and cream combined, add a good dash of whisky
0:39:30 > 0:39:32and then warm it gently through.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35Keep whisking it.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37As the bubbles start to disappear,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40you can tell the custard is getting thicker.
0:39:40 > 0:39:43It starts to thicken up. We don't want to allow it to boil.
0:39:43 > 0:39:47And then at that point, you can take it off the heat.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Sieve the infused liquid into a bowl.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54And then transfer it into the freezer.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01And then we are just about ready to finish off our pudding.
0:40:03 > 0:40:06We can then top this up with the custard.
0:40:06 > 0:40:11And then what you can do is just press
0:40:11 > 0:40:13the croissants inside.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Now, you do this for two reasons, really -
0:40:15 > 0:40:18one, to soak the croissants,
0:40:18 > 0:40:20and the other one,
0:40:20 > 0:40:22to lick your fingers afterwards.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30With the pudding cooking for 25 minutes at 150,
0:40:30 > 0:40:34I can transfer the now-frozen custard into my fancy machine,
0:40:34 > 0:40:37which churns the mixture in a matter of minutes.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Now it's the difficult bit - the waiting.
0:40:43 > 0:40:47I suppose there is still time to show you a final chefy bit
0:40:47 > 0:40:50for this pud. Well, we have come this far, so why not?
0:40:50 > 0:40:53The word "foam" kind of puts me off whenever I go to a restaurant,
0:40:53 > 0:40:55but it is actually really good with this.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59And you can actually make it at home really simply.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03I do this quite a lot. All it is, really, is just milk warmed up.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07So you think of a cappuccino, really, with that foam on the top.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10This really is just a step further from that.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13The flavourings that we can put in - you can put mint, kaffir lime,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15lemongrass into the milk -
0:41:15 > 0:41:17but that is going to create our flavour for our foam.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20I'm actually going to use some of this, which is
0:41:20 > 0:41:22basically just honeycomb.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25All you need to do is bring the milk and the honeycomb to the boil,
0:41:25 > 0:41:28then add something I bought from a health food shop.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Yes, you did hear me right.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32This is supposed to cook down the fat in food.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34It is called lecithin.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Basically, what we do is we just add a little bit of this
0:41:37 > 0:41:39to this mixture.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41What this will do is actually break down the fat,
0:41:41 > 0:41:42but most importantly,
0:41:42 > 0:41:44it will actually hold the foam
0:41:44 > 0:41:46and create a nice, little, light foam.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49With this ingredient and the honeycomb dissolved into the liquid,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52it is time for a quick spin with the stick blender to get that
0:41:52 > 0:41:55all-important coffee-shop cappuccino texture.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00I'm almost ready to dive into my all time favourite pud.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03After a very, very generous coating of icing sugar
0:42:03 > 0:42:07and a blast with my blowtorch, my take on bread and butter pudding
0:42:07 > 0:42:12with whisky ice cream and honeycomb foam is ready to take its bow.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17For me, really, this is everything that I've got in my store cupboard.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19I've always got white chocolate, always got vanilla.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22I've always got a bit of butter.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25That is a serious, serious pudding.
0:42:25 > 0:42:27A little bit of foam on the top.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Just to finish it off.
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Let's face it, you couldn't live on that every day, could you?
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Well, every two days, possibly.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43The proof of this pudding is in the crew tasting.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46I think this really hits the high notes.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48It just goes to show,
0:42:48 > 0:42:52by stocking up your shelves with the right ingredients
0:42:52 > 0:42:54for sweet and savoury dishes,
0:42:54 > 0:42:57you can make fantastic meals for any occasion.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00If you'd like to know more about how to cook any of the recipes
0:43:00 > 0:43:01featured on today's show,
0:43:01 > 0:43:04you can get all of them on our website at...