0:00:02 > 0:00:05If there's one thing I look forward to at the end of a busy day,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09it's the thought of getting back to my kitchen at home.
0:00:09 > 0:00:14'For me, nothing beats cooking some simple, heart-warming food.'
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Oh-oh-oh! It is so good.
0:00:17 > 0:00:23'The kind of no-nonsense grub that brings people together.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Cheers, everyone.
0:00:25 > 0:00:32'The dishes I turn to when I want to put a big smile on everyone's face.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35'These are my home comforts.'
0:00:45 > 0:00:49Home for me is the beautiful rolling countryside of Hampshire.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53But when it comes to food, my horizons are unlimited, and
0:00:53 > 0:00:57I take inspiration from all over the world and bring it right back home.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03I love cooking with fantastic, new and adventurous ingredients.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06And as food becomes more accessible, it enables me
0:01:06 > 0:01:09to cook fantastic food right here in my very own kitchen.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15'Coming up, we've got some surprising British-bred delicacies.'
0:01:17 > 0:01:19It's quite an unusual flavour, innit?
0:01:19 > 0:01:23'We discover what Victorian immigrants cooked up down under.'
0:01:23 > 0:01:25I don't know how many British housewives would have read
0:01:25 > 0:01:29"soup from kangaroo tails" without feeling that perhaps
0:01:29 > 0:01:31they were entering into an unknown world.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36'And I'll be tickling my taste buds with amazingly exotic flavours.'
0:01:36 > 0:01:38Nowadays, you don't have to travel
0:01:38 > 0:01:40to far flung places around the world.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43You can do this in the comfort of your own home.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52I'm going to start my foodie adventure by cooking
0:01:52 > 0:01:56one of the most amazing-looking foods around, the artichoke.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Of all the ingredients in the veg section in the supermarket,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04this is one that people sort of stay well clear of,
0:02:04 > 0:02:06mainly because they don't know how to prepare it
0:02:06 > 0:02:07and what to do with it.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11But I've got an incredibly simple recipe that works really
0:02:11 > 0:02:12well as a starter.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20This is beautiful if you serve it whole. It's very simple,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24much easier than removing all the leaves and just getting the heart.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26The thing to look out for when you're buying these,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28though, is a nice tight heart.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31The older they are, the more the leaves expand
0:02:31 > 0:02:33and open up into a flower.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35'The first thing you'll need to do for this recipe is to
0:02:35 > 0:02:39'remove the stalk of the artichoke then chop of the top.'
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Now, one thing you have to be careful with artichokes is
0:02:42 > 0:02:44make sure they don't go brown.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47And to prevent that, you need plenty of lemon.
0:02:47 > 0:02:53So at this stage, soon as you cut it, rub the lemon all over the top.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55What you need to do,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57just to prepare these, is remove the outer leaves now.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01So just break them all the way round.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04You want about sort of two layers of leaves removed.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Don't worry about if they sort of snap, keep going round,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11keep persevering, really.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15The secret of this is how to cook it.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20The trick is to add a lemon to a pot with 100g of flour,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23cold water and the trimmed artichoke.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Then when you bring the whole lot to the boil the flour will rise to the
0:03:28 > 0:03:32top and create a crust that stops the artichoke from going brown.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Now while they're cooking, I'm going
0:03:35 > 0:03:40to serve a fantastic mayonnaise but one that's done with smoky bacon.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46This is one that I absolutely love to do at home.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Now the reason for bacon really is that we were pig farmers
0:03:50 > 0:03:54when I was a kid. That's where I was brought up, on a pig farm.
0:03:54 > 0:03:59Started off as a hobby - my father had, I think, four pigs.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02We ended up with 3,500 pigs.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05You learn to eat a lot of pork, trust me.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08To give the mayo a fantastic bacon flavour,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11you need to roughly chop eight streaky rashers.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16The key to it is good quality streaky bacon because it's
0:04:16 > 0:04:20the fat that creates the wonderful flavour to go in our mayonnaise.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Once your bacon is sizzling nicely in a hot pan,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25it's time to make the mayonnaise.
0:04:27 > 0:04:30Start by blitzing two egg yolks
0:04:30 > 0:04:34and a teaspoon of Dijon mustard in a blender until it's pale and creamy.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38Then with the motor still running, slowly add the oil.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43I'm going to use this stuff, this is rapeseed oil,
0:04:43 > 0:04:45produces a beautiful vivid colour oil.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Now the key to this process is you add the oil slowly.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50It's the opposite way of thinking,
0:04:50 > 0:04:53you'd think the more oil you add the thinner it would become,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56but once it's emulsified, it gets thicker and thicker and thicker.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Fry the bacon until it's nice and crispy,
0:05:01 > 0:05:04and then you'll need to save the fat.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06That used to be breakfast on our farm.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Dunk a bit of bread in there, sorted.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12But what you do need to with this,
0:05:12 > 0:05:14before we add it to the mayonnaise, is just cool it down a bit.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Once cooled, the fat and bacon are added to the
0:05:21 > 0:05:25mayonnaise along with a little bit of salt and plenty of black pepper.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28What you want to do now is just pulse it ever so slightly,
0:05:28 > 0:05:30so it doesn't break the bacon down too much.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Perfect.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40And there you have it, smoky bacon mayonnaise.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46Serving up this dish isn't rocket science.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48It's just a matter of draining the artichokes
0:05:48 > 0:05:50and putting them onto the plate.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54The real fun with this dish is tasting it.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Now the way to eat these are pretty simple,
0:05:58 > 0:06:00what you do is you just pull the outer leaves off
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and you end up with a little white part here
0:06:02 > 0:06:05which is part of the heart, that's that little hidden bit at the end.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10But you dip the base into the mayonnaise,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14put it in-between your teeth and pull it.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22We used to have bets in Paris, when I was working at this restaurant,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25generally against the tourists, to see who would eat it wrong.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29One in every ten would sit there and eat the entire lot
0:06:29 > 0:06:32including all the outer casing, everything.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37And you'd see them after about three or four minutes,
0:06:37 > 0:06:39with it still rolling round their mouth.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Eating artichokes may take a bit of practice,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47but cooking it is so simple.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50And it's a great way to get a taste of adventure
0:06:50 > 0:06:51into your very own kitchen.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56It's not the easiest thing to eat when you're having a conversation,
0:06:56 > 0:07:02but with the smoky bacon mayonnaise, the taste is fantastic.
0:07:02 > 0:07:07Trying new flavours is a great way to take your taste buds on a trip.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10But us Brits can be squeamish about some amazing foods.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Top of that list is probably the snail!
0:07:19 > 0:07:24Most of us just want to get rid of them, but not Sophie Wharton.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27From her back garden in Buckinghamshire, Sophie's turned
0:07:27 > 0:07:31a lifelong love affair with snails into a thriving farming business.
0:07:31 > 0:07:34And she supplies some of the top restaurants
0:07:34 > 0:07:37and food retailers in the country.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41My journey with snails started as a kid.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45I was absolutely fascinated with snails and really thought
0:07:45 > 0:07:48that they shouldn't be outside in the cold, so I used to wrap them
0:07:48 > 0:07:53in tissue paper to keep them warm and they used to live in my pockets.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57They're just amazing little creatures.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Sophie's childhood fascination with snails has never left her.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05And four years ago she decided to order some in the post to see
0:08:05 > 0:08:07what they tasted like.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11But things didn't quite turn out as she anticipated.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14When they arrived, it was hot and sunny
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and they were all awake, they weren't in a hibernated state,
0:08:17 > 0:08:21ready to cook. They'd eaten the recipe sheet and started to eat
0:08:21 > 0:08:24their way out the cardboard box. There was all these little
0:08:24 > 0:08:28heads poking out and I just couldn't bring myself to eat them.
0:08:28 > 0:08:33The 70 pet snails Sophie started with rapidly became hundreds
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and then thousands.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38In no time at all, they were taking over the whole house.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43They were on the table, under the table, on the chairs.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46My whole conservatory was full of them
0:08:46 > 0:08:48and we had to buy a shed to house them.
0:08:48 > 0:08:53It was a huge step to actually go from taking these snails that
0:08:53 > 0:08:58I absolutely love to actually thinking of them as food
0:08:58 > 0:09:00and popping them in the pot.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07What started by accident is now a highly successful business,
0:09:07 > 0:09:11producing no less than four tonnes of snails a year.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It's not only Sophie's life they've taken over,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16husband Mike's been roped in, too.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Yeah, snails were really not my thing at all.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22The only time I've had anything to do with snails is keeping them
0:09:22 > 0:09:25out of the garden, but, yeah, I've grown to love them.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Snails are not an everyday meal in the UK,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31but Sophie believes that we should all be eating more of them.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37Snails are really good feed - it's one of the highest protein
0:09:37 > 0:09:42meats you can get and they're so easy to cook at home.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46Even the kids love them.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Sometimes we cook them with tomatoes,
0:09:48 > 0:09:53onions and we'll serve them with crusty bread.
0:09:53 > 0:09:57I absolutely love the taste of snails, the mushroomy earthiness.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00And because these have all been braised in butter
0:10:00 > 0:10:01and thrown on top of pasta,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05you don't need to do anything else to them, they're just amazing.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06You can't stop once you start.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10This nutritious delicacy is a cousin of the garden snail,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12but quicker growing.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Raised on one of the country's only outdoor snail farms,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17they range freely on rape seed leaves
0:10:17 > 0:10:21until they're big enough to be harvested, at about 16 weeks old.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23It's a real family affair,
0:10:23 > 0:10:28even my granddaughter is happy to come and pick snails.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31- What shall we do with them? - Eat them!
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- We're going to eat them.- Yeah.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37After boiling them and removing their shells,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39they're packed up, ready to go.
0:10:42 > 0:10:45And it's not just the adults that sell.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Sophie is one of only a handful of snail caviar
0:10:48 > 0:10:50producers in the whole of Europe.
0:10:50 > 0:10:51Mike looks after the breeding barn
0:10:51 > 0:10:56and apparently he knows just the trick to get the snails in the mood.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58# Je t'aime
0:10:58 > 0:10:59# Je t'aime
0:10:59 > 0:11:01# Oui, je t'aime... #
0:11:01 > 0:11:04So we feed them carrot, carrot makes them frisky,
0:11:04 > 0:11:08pumps them up makes them quite randy.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10# Mon amour... #
0:11:10 > 0:11:13You can see now they're getting quite, quite excited now.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Their organs are coming out, they're mating over here.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20Everywhere you look, there's a little bit of mating going on.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24Takes them a little while to...to align, if you like,
0:11:24 > 0:11:29as you might say, and then they'll stay like that for perhaps 24 hours.
0:11:29 > 0:11:33They'll be ready to produce eggs as soon as they see some soil
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and they can hold on to them for an extraordinary
0:11:36 > 0:11:39amount of time, until they find the right conditions.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Mike prepares a pot for each snail with fresh moist topsoil.
0:11:43 > 0:11:45The snail's quite lazy.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47if you don't put a hole in the centre of the pot
0:11:47 > 0:11:49it will slide his head down the side
0:11:49 > 0:11:53and we want the ball of eggs directly in the middle of the cup.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Then it's back to Sophie to act as midwife.
0:11:59 > 0:12:03Wow, that's a really big clutch.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Each snail can lay more than 100 eggs at a time,
0:12:07 > 0:12:11and they do that once every six weeks.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Then it's the painstaking process of quality checking.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22So here I'm just sorting the eggs so that I get a consistency
0:12:22 > 0:12:25and the eggs are the same size.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29We don't want any funny shaped eggs. This egg's got a belly button.
0:12:31 > 0:12:36This batch of eggs is going to take about 45 minutes, an hour
0:12:36 > 0:12:37to go through.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41Snail caviar fetches up to £1,600 a kilo.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44It's a unique and surprising taste,
0:12:44 > 0:12:47just the kind of thing that gets chefs like me excited.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52The first time I tried snail caviar, I was really surprised.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55It's so different from sturgeon caviar.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58It's a really delicate, ferny, woodland flavour.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01It's great to see a personal passion turned into a
0:13:01 > 0:13:06thriving business that's inspired the whole family.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Oh, it's lovely, they're
0:13:08 > 0:13:11so better than the ones that you have in France out the tins.
0:13:11 > 0:13:16I could have never imagined for one minute that we would ever end
0:13:16 > 0:13:19up doing something like this, it's so bizarre.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21They're just amazing little creatures.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31I don't like to miss out on adventurous new flavours,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33so I've invited Sophie and Mike over to sample
0:13:33 > 0:13:37some of their produce in a home-cooked recipe of my own.
0:13:37 > 0:13:39These are not, for people at home,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42these are not garden snails, these are not the same thing.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Not quite, they're the cousin of the garden snail.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48So, to you, if you saw it in its shell,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51they would almost look the same as a garden snail.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54People have never tried them before, explain the taste of it.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58They are quite mushroomy, they should be very, very tender.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01And yeah, they go amazing with steak.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Go on, tell me about this snail caviar, because I saw you're
0:14:04 > 0:14:07doing this thing with snail... Oh, you brought some with you.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10So, first of all, what is snail caviar?
0:14:10 > 0:14:13- Is that the eggs, then?- Yes. - This is it.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Pretty, aren't they? Use them as a dressing, as a garnish.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19- And these are £1,600 a kilo, are they?- Yes.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21Aye. So you just eat them like that?
0:14:21 > 0:14:24You can do if you want to.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26- Do you want one?- Apple and beetroot's good.- Go on, you try.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29- Apple and beetroot?- Yeah, if you... - What do they taste of?
0:14:30 > 0:14:33They kind of taste ferny. I think they instantly make you
0:14:33 > 0:14:35think of the forest, because they're not fishy at all.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37That's quite an unusual flavour, isn't it?
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It's not earthy, which I instantly think of these - mushroomy.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42There isn't really a flavour like it.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45- You've not got the fishy sort of taste.- No, you haven't.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48It's a new one on me, I have to say. It's fantastic.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51The recipe I'm sharing with Sophie and Mike is...
0:14:54 > 0:14:56If you've never tried them before,
0:14:56 > 0:15:00this a great way to try snails for the very first time.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04Start by seasoning the steak.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08Then get your pan really, really hot before adding the oil
0:15:08 > 0:15:10and then the meat.
0:15:12 > 0:15:16I worked in France for quite a while and we actually used to serve
0:15:16 > 0:15:20the snails inside the roasted shallots, which are delicious.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24So while your steak's cooking, the shallots,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26let's get them a nice colour as well.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Now the temptation with anything is to fiddle around with it.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35Even if your net curtains are up in smoke do not turn that steak over.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38You can have a quick look, like that,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42but then once you get this lovely caramelisation with it,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45then you can turn it over.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Take a little bit of butter -
0:15:47 > 0:15:51because this is a French dish and snails are low in fat -
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and we're just going to throw the butter in there.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56Now, when you've got steak this thick,
0:15:56 > 0:15:59the best way to cook it is not just on the stove.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Get the oven nice and hot - this is 400 degrees Fahrenheit,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06200 degrees centigrade. For a steak like that, medium,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08probably six minutes, something like that.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11It gives us enough time to do the mashed potato.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14So why snails? It intrigues me, because you picked
0:16:14 > 0:16:18an ingredient that doesn't really sell very well in the UK.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21More and more people are willing to try new things
0:16:21 > 0:16:26and they want quality food, they want British-grown quality food.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28So do you think we'll ever see snails in the supermarket? Is
0:16:28 > 0:16:31that something that you'd like to...you think you will?
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Without a doubt.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35I'm serving the steak and snails with creamy mash.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37To make sure it's beautifully smooth,
0:16:37 > 0:16:41I put the cooked spuds through a potato ricer.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Squeeze it through. Smooth, that's the key to it.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Now the inside of this is like that,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52that's how my nan's mashed potato used to look like.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55- All right.- It's what mine looks like.- Is that what yours looks like?
0:16:55 > 0:16:56HE LAUGHS
0:16:56 > 0:16:59Once all the potatoes have gone through the ricer,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01the pot goes back onto the heat,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04add the butter, double cream and seasoning.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Then it's beaten to make a soft, smooth mash.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Single cream is a definite no. And don't ruin this recipe.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15If you're watching this at home, don't go stick yoghurt in it
0:17:15 > 0:17:17or low fat creme fraiche and ruin it.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Look at that.
0:17:26 > 0:17:27Steak's there, ready.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31What we're going to do is just leave this to rest.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35I'm going to use the same pan to make the sauce.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Start by frying finely chopped garlic and shallots.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40- Must take a lot of work. - It is a lot of work.- It is.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It's not the things that you can just leave it,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44it's going to take a lot of work.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Because they... Is it in 16 weeks they're literally ready to harvest?
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Yeah, but there's obviously the breeding side of it.
0:17:50 > 0:17:55We're breeding all year round because we're harvesting the caviar as well.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57So the breeding side of it... I never knew a carrot had that
0:17:57 > 0:18:00- effect on a snail.- You do now.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04- If you don't want snails in your garden, get rid of the carrots.- Yep.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06There's a tip for you, any gardeners watching.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11The next thing to go into the sauce is 25g of caster sugar,
0:18:11 > 0:18:14followed by a generous glug of good quality red wine.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Then cook it until it's reduced by half.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20And then we can pop the snails in.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Now these have been pre-cooked because you've cooked these.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26These little fellas here, I'm going to keep them whole
0:18:26 > 0:18:29because I just think they look great. They go in now.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33I'm using veal stock to make the sauce extra rich,
0:18:33 > 0:18:36but you can use good quality beef stock instead.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Finally, a generous handful of tarragon leaves
0:18:40 > 0:18:41gives a lovely aniseed flavour.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44And the whole thing is finished off with a knob of,
0:18:44 > 0:18:46what else, but butter.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49And then I'll plate this up for you.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55It's just a delight that we've got great ingredients like this
0:18:55 > 0:18:57being grown in the UK.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00There you have...
0:19:00 > 0:19:04steak with a snail and red wine sauce...
0:19:05 > 0:19:08..with the best mashed potato I think you'll have.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11But tell me what you think with your snail as well.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15- Mmm.- Happy with that?
0:19:15 > 0:19:16Very.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21For my money, this is a really exciting way to serve steak,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24because the earthiness of the snails and the aniseed
0:19:24 > 0:19:28flavour of the tarragon are a fantastic complement to the meat.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Now these have to be one ingredient that not many people have
0:19:32 > 0:19:35tried before, but you can create fantastic, simple
0:19:35 > 0:19:38dishes like this, cooked in about 15 minutes,
0:19:38 > 0:19:42but this also goes to prove that you never stop learning in this game.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48For me, nothing beats the thrill of finding unusual ingredients
0:19:48 > 0:19:50when I'm abroad.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53But travel wasn't a foodie adventure for emigrants who left
0:19:53 > 0:19:57the British Isles for Australia in Victorian times.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03Food historian Dr Annie Grey is taking a culinary trip to see
0:20:03 > 0:20:05what they cooked up down under.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13We know that an awful lot of people that went over to Australia
0:20:13 > 0:20:16just kept trying to cook British dishes.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19So they were having huge roast dinners on Christmas Day,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21which, in Australia, is the middle of the summer.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Increasingly, people looked to cook books to try
0:20:24 > 0:20:28and find out what they could do. And in 1888, the publishers
0:20:28 > 0:20:31of the new edition of Mrs Beeton's Book Of Household Management jumped
0:20:31 > 0:20:35on the band wagon by including a section on Australian cookery.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38I don't know how many British housewives would have read
0:20:38 > 0:20:42"soup from kangaroo tails, roast wallaby and parrot pie,"
0:20:42 > 0:20:45calling for one dozen parakeets,
0:20:45 > 0:20:48without feeling that perhaps they were entering into an unknown world.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54One of the meats featured in the cookbook was Australia's
0:20:54 > 0:20:56most famous creature, the kangaroo.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Mrs Beeton has lots of suggestions for kangaroo.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02She says the only parts that can be eaten are the tongue
0:21:02 > 0:21:05and the tail, which is not quite true, because in Australia
0:21:05 > 0:21:08at the time, they were eating a lot more bits of kangaroo than that.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12I'm going to cook soup from kangaroo tails.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16There are restrictions these days on importing kangaroo tails to the UK.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I'm using an ox tail instead.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23So, imagine, if you will, a kangaroo tail.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28Kangaroo is very, very lean, a lot like venison,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and it was often compared both to hare and also to venison
0:21:31 > 0:21:33and cooked in very similar ways.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39Some of the ingredients in this recipe may have been exotic,
0:21:39 > 0:21:42but the simple cooking instructions would have been
0:21:42 > 0:21:44familiar to the British Victorian housewife.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47It was just a case of throwing kangaroo tail,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51ham and roughly chopped veg into a pot.
0:21:51 > 0:21:52If you were in Australia
0:21:52 > 0:21:56and you found yourself perhaps without a British vegetable garden,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59the nice thing about a soup like this is the vegetables are really
0:21:59 > 0:22:02just for flavour, so you could use whatever it is you could find, which
0:22:02 > 0:22:05would include native varieties, things you could grow wild.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Whatever you can find, it's all going in there for flavour.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14The final step before cooking was to add a knob of butter and some flour.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17So that's a little bit of flour, just to thicken up the sauce
0:22:17 > 0:22:19and also to make sure that all of my vegetables
0:22:19 > 0:22:22and my meat gets really crispy and releases all of its flavour
0:22:22 > 0:22:25when I start to fry it up with the butter that's in there.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Kangaroo tail soup was a variation on the classic oxtail.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34But it wasn't the only Aussie recipe developed from a British original.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44While the Australian housewife was waiting for her kangaroo tail soup
0:22:44 > 0:22:48to come to the boil, and then continue to boil for four hours, she
0:22:48 > 0:22:52might have decided to do something else with another bit of kangaroo.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57How about slippery bobs?
0:22:57 > 0:23:00In true keeping with the colonial spirit of using absolutely
0:23:00 > 0:23:03everything and making sure that there is no waste,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05if you've got the tail of a kangaroo
0:23:05 > 0:23:07you'll have every other part of it too.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09So this recipe uses the brains.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14I'm not using kangaroo brains, I'm using sheep's brains.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17In the Victorian period, brain cakes or brain fritters
0:23:17 > 0:23:19were quite a popular dish.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21So this would have transferred quite easily over to the
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Australian culinary scene.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27First of all, I'm going to chop up the sheep's brains
0:23:27 > 0:23:31and then I'm going to make them into a batter with flour and water.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Offal in general is not something that is eaten as much as it
0:23:34 > 0:23:37once was, partly because we have the option,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39we're quite rich in this country, so we can afford -
0:23:39 > 0:23:42or a lot of us can afford - to eat steak whenever we want to.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45But you have to think of some of the people that were going out to
0:23:45 > 0:23:47Australia, seeking a better life.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49They were often from some of the poorer areas of Britain
0:23:49 > 0:23:51and they might well have been of a class where
0:23:51 > 0:23:53they were eating meat once a week, if that.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00Flour, water and seasoning were added to the chopped offal.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04The author of the Australian cook book from which I'm taking these,
0:24:04 > 0:24:10Edward Abbot, is very, very careful to say, you must season them well.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13Edward Abbot suggests that these are bush tucker - they're
0:24:13 > 0:24:17sort of designed for people who are out there really roughing it,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21so just a fire, a pan and some emu fat to fry them in.
0:24:22 > 0:24:28There's a certain lack of emus in the UK, so I'm using lard instead.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36The Victorians took pride in their ability to produce tasty
0:24:36 > 0:24:38grub from thrifty ingredients.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And this would definitely have been a handy skill in the early
0:24:41 > 0:24:42days of life in Australia.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46I want to make sure they're properly cooked.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55This is looking pretty nice now actually.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57In Australia, it was said about this recipe
0:24:57 > 0:25:02that you needed a good appetite and an excellent digestion.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03So here goes.
0:25:10 > 0:25:16Brains are always very creamy and very subtle. These are no exception.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19I suspect I've eaten a lot worse in my time without knowing.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23And actually, I quite like both the texture and the taste.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32In 1862, the Acclimatisation Society of Great Britain held
0:25:32 > 0:25:36a proper Australia dinner at which they served kangaroo,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39and the response was very, very favourable.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42People said that the kangaroo tail soup was better than
0:25:42 > 0:25:47an oxtail soup and that kangaroo steak was better than beef.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57Oxtail, pretty bouncy, a bit like a kangaroo I suppose.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05Kangaroo meat may be tricky to find in Britain these days,
0:26:05 > 0:26:08but there are plenty of foods available close to home that
0:26:08 > 0:26:10can take you on a real culinary adventure.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15My recipe for soft shelled crabs with home-made lime pickle
0:26:15 > 0:26:19has got all the fantastic flavours of Indian cookery.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24The crabs are citrusy, spicy and seafoody all at the same time,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27and I absolutely love them.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Now, this recipe's so easy to bring a taste of the exotic
0:26:30 > 0:26:32into your own home. It's fantastic and I cook it a lot,
0:26:32 > 0:26:37mainly because one of my food heavens is crab,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39and none better than soft shell crab.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Looks really unusual as it is, but you can actually buy
0:26:42 > 0:26:44these in most Asian supermarkets now.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47Deep-fried, these are a real delicacy
0:26:47 > 0:26:48and not very expensive as well.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53I'm going to serve that with a lovely lime pickle.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56The great thing about this pickle is you can make it up to a
0:26:56 > 0:26:58week before you need it.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01That way, all the flavours will really infuse.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05Start by chopping up 500g of lime and mixing them
0:27:05 > 0:27:07in a bowl with some fine sea salt.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Now, this salting process just breaks down the outer
0:27:12 > 0:27:16casing of the lime. If we didn't, you wouldn't be able to eat
0:27:16 > 0:27:19the zest and the outside husk of the lime.
0:27:19 > 0:27:25Pop it in the fridge for 48 hours, and you end up with this.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27You've got these salted limes.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Of course, pickle wouldn't be pickle without spices,
0:27:33 > 0:27:34and this one is no exception.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38And the first one you'll need is ginger.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Never buy it with a wrinkly skin, it means it's dried out underneath.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45If you get it with a smooth skin, it's lovely and moist in the middle.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50Peel and chop a fairly big piece of ginger and four cloves of garlic.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54Don't mess around with garlic presses or anything like that.
0:27:54 > 0:27:58Next you need to heat up some veg oil in a pan. Then add one
0:27:58 > 0:28:01tablespoon of mustard seeds, cumin and coriander
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and a teaspoon and a half of mild chilli powder.
0:28:06 > 0:28:10And then this is one that you don't often use,
0:28:10 > 0:28:12but it is found in supermarkets - asafoetida.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16It's quite bitter, but the flavour mellows when you cook it.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19It's used in a lot of chutneys, and this is perfect for this dish,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22but you must use it sparingly.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24Almost half a teaspoon will be enough.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30It'll take the ground spices a minute or two to toast nicely,
0:28:30 > 0:28:34and then it's time to throw in your garlic and ginger.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37Cook the whole lot for another minute, then add the sugar.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40And I'm going to use light brown sugar for this.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42Purely the fact that I just think it adds to the taste
0:28:42 > 0:28:44rather than just using white sugar.
0:28:48 > 0:28:52You can see it's starting to change texture and colour. You don't
0:28:52 > 0:28:56want to take it too brown, otherwise it becomes too bitter.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58And now we can add our lime.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09The finishing touches are a good glug of white wine vinegar
0:29:09 > 0:29:11and 200ml of water.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15Because what you need to do is bring it to the boil, turn it down.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Cover it up.
0:29:19 > 0:29:21Leave it to simmer for about an hour and a half.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Now, while that's cooking,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27we can get on and do our marinade for our crab.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30For that, I'm still going to use the ginger, the garlic
0:29:30 > 0:29:31and some of the spices.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Everything in the marinade needs to be fine
0:29:36 > 0:29:39so it'll coat the crabs evenly before they're deep-fried.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44So start by grating ginger, then chop garlic
0:29:44 > 0:29:46and a bunch of fresh coriander.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Put the lime juice and zest in, creating more of a paste,
0:29:51 > 0:29:53I suppose, more than a batter.
0:29:54 > 0:29:56And for an extra spicy kick,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59I'm throwing in some ground coriander, cumin and chilli powder.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02I remember working in France, and soft shell crab was
0:30:02 > 0:30:06one of the first things that I actually cooked over in France.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10They used sort of a milder batter really with it, but then served
0:30:10 > 0:30:14it with a very fiery hot aioli, which is like a garlic mayonnaise.
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Instead of ordinary flour,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19I'm using gram flour,
0:30:19 > 0:30:22which is a popular ingredient in Indian cookery.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25And I'm binding the whole lot together with some groundnut oil.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29So basically, what you're looking for is a nice paste like that.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33It almost looks like a home-made Thai curry paste, really.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36And then what we do is grab our soft shell crabs.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38It's quite unusual to serve it whole,
0:30:38 > 0:30:40but you eat the entire thing -
0:30:40 > 0:30:42the shell, the lot.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46But we throw the crab in and we leave these to marinate.
0:30:46 > 0:30:48So while your pickle's cooking,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51these can sit in the marinade in the fridge.
0:30:57 > 0:31:00Once the pickle has bubbled away for an hour and a half
0:31:00 > 0:31:02it's time to take it off the stove.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08Now, you can actually serve it as it is, but I actually like to blitz
0:31:08 > 0:31:13mine because I find big chunks of them a little bit too much to bear.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Pulse it for about ten, 15 seconds.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25What you're looking for is still sort of chunks of lime
0:31:25 > 0:31:28but not too big pieces.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30So my pickle's ready now,
0:31:30 > 0:31:33all I need to do is deep fry the crabs to go with it.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36Use vegetable oil and get it really hot.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39I like to use an oil thermometer.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42What you need to do is just spread the claws out first.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44You don't want to throw it all in,
0:31:44 > 0:31:46otherwise it ends up with a big lump.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49You can just put the crab in. One at a time.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51You need to cook these for about 30 seconds,
0:31:51 > 0:31:54because you've obviously got to make sure that they're cooked
0:31:54 > 0:31:57through the middle, but mostly, they're crisp at the same time.
0:32:03 > 0:32:05The real best part of this is the taste.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08You see, nowadays, you don't have to travel to far flung places
0:32:08 > 0:32:12around the world, you can do this in the comfort of your own home.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16They just taste fantastic.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20Food like this really is the taste of adventure.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Here in the UK, we are lucky to have dishes
0:32:28 > 0:32:31from all over the world available right here on our doorstep.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36With his range of awarding-winning piri-piri sauces,
0:32:36 > 0:32:41South African Grant Hawthorn is one small-scale producer who's
0:32:41 > 0:32:45sharing exotic flavours from home with the British public.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51South African culture is very much outdoor focused,
0:32:51 > 0:32:54so you would generally have something spicy on your barbecue.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56Piri-piri lends itself to that.
0:32:56 > 0:33:00So whether it be on a piece of fish or a piece of steak,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03or a piece of chicken, a whole chicken, it doesn't really matter.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07Grant's piri-piri might be something that we think of as Portuguese,
0:33:07 > 0:33:11but it's actually a Swahili word meaning 'pepper pepper'
0:33:11 > 0:33:16adopted and brought back to Portugal by colonials living in Mozambique.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18The recipe that I use originates in Mozambique.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22It originates from a lady that she and her family had fled Mozambique.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24She came down to Cape Town and she owned the restaurant that
0:33:24 > 0:33:27I worked at. She taught me all her family flavours.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31Fortunately, Grant doesn't have to venture as far as his recipe's
0:33:31 > 0:33:34origins to get his key ingredients!
0:33:34 > 0:33:36I'm looking to get some...some chillies today.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40With hot and medium-hot sauces and marinades on offer,
0:33:40 > 0:33:45Grant mixes and matches his chillies to meet our tastes.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48There are all sorts of varieties of chillies. This over here is
0:33:48 > 0:33:51the Scotch bonnet. It's about 250,000 on the Scoville scale,
0:33:51 > 0:33:53which is pretty hot.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Slightly fruity, a little bit of pepper in it,
0:33:56 > 0:33:58but the heat is definitely there.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00This is the local or Dorset Naga.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02It's about a million on the Scoville scale,
0:34:02 > 0:34:03which is incredibly hot.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06This is the African bird's-eye chilli,
0:34:06 > 0:34:07otherwise known as pili-pili.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10It does have heat, it's got about 100,000 Scoville units.
0:34:10 > 0:34:15This you definitely need, it's key to making piri-piri.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20It's this African bird's-eye chilli that gives piri-piri sauce
0:34:20 > 0:34:22its internationally recognised name.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26But like any good artisan producer, home is where the heat is.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31Today, we're going to make the medium-strength piri-piri sauce.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34But there's a lot more to Grant's recipe that just chillies.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37For the base, he purees onions and garlic
0:34:37 > 0:34:39before frying them off in oil.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51Next, the chillies are given the same treatment.
0:34:53 > 0:34:57What I'm wanting to introduce is flavour, flavour, flavour, flavour.
0:34:57 > 0:34:58And then heat.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01It's all about flavour, that is what you're looking for.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05A lot of the high street manufacturers or producers
0:35:05 > 0:35:08will use a vinegar as their base for the sauce.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12Proper Mozambique style piri-piri does not have that, it has wine.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16The wine gives it a slow lift to the chilli,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19all the flavours get developed.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22That is what you're looking for, you don't just want a wham-bam.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25So what we have here is the wine and the lemon juice
0:35:25 > 0:35:27and the vegan-friendly Worcester sauce.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29This is going in. Again, it's all about the flavour.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32We want as much flavour in there as possible.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Then a secret blend of herbs, spices, sugar and salt
0:35:36 > 0:35:40gives the sauce a final unique layer of, you guessed it, flavour!
0:35:43 > 0:35:45After bringing the sauce to the boil,
0:35:45 > 0:35:49it's blitzed one final time before being ready to bottle.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52Like any good sauce,
0:35:52 > 0:35:54needs to be able to coat the back of a spoon.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01This is one of the best bits now. You've done your shopping,
0:36:01 > 0:36:05you've done your cooking, now you're bottling and you know shortly
0:36:05 > 0:36:09that people will be buying this and taking it home to enjoy.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14By making his sauces at home in the UK, Grant might have spared us
0:36:14 > 0:36:16the need to venture to Mozambique
0:36:16 > 0:36:20to experience the authentic flavours he's recreated.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23However, if you can stretch to a trip to London,
0:36:23 > 0:36:25his street food stand is the next best thing!
0:36:27 > 0:36:30I've been running the street food stall for about
0:36:30 > 0:36:32just over two years, two and a half years.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34A fantastic way to introduce people to the product,
0:36:34 > 0:36:38to what we do, the sauces, the marinades, and then the food,
0:36:38 > 0:36:40how it all marries up, all the flavours that you get.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45I hope my sauces inspire people to bring a little
0:36:45 > 0:36:47bit of Southern Africa into their homes.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58It's great to see fiery flavours like genuine piri-piri sauce
0:36:58 > 0:36:59coming to our shores.
0:36:59 > 0:37:04But, of course, exotic food is about so much more than tonnes of spices
0:37:04 > 0:37:06and bucket loads of chilli.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08There are plenty of adventurous puddings
0:37:08 > 0:37:10to excite your taste buds, too.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13My passion fruit creme with coconut
0:37:13 > 0:37:17and cherry biscotti is bursting with fruity tropical flavours.
0:37:17 > 0:37:22It's sweet, creamy and crunchy and absolutely delicious.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Ever since I was a pastry chef, I sort of experimented with
0:37:24 > 0:37:27different things with passion fruit. I love the flavour,
0:37:27 > 0:37:31I like the zestiness of it, it really packs a punch.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34And together with biscotti, this is a great combination.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37To make the passion fruit creme, all you need to do is
0:37:37 > 0:37:42boil 600ml of double cream with 150g of caster sugar.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48This is the basis of our dessert,
0:37:48 > 0:37:51and it's a dessert that's been around for years.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54The humble posset. And it's so simple to make -
0:37:54 > 0:37:58one of the easiest things you'll make for any dinner party,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00if you're cooking at home,
0:38:00 > 0:38:02but you must use a fruit with acidity.
0:38:04 > 0:38:05When the cream comes to the boil,
0:38:05 > 0:38:09add the lime juice and passion fruit puree,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11which you can buy online.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14Then whisk the whole lot until it thickens.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15I often think - with passion fruit,
0:38:15 > 0:38:17you get much more bang for your buck
0:38:17 > 0:38:22because these little sort of small passion fruit contain really
0:38:22 > 0:38:24such a vibrant flavour and taste.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28And it works so well with this.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30It almost goes like custard.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34You get this great colour and texture.
0:38:36 > 0:38:37And it thickens up.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42To make them look like a fancy restaurant dish,
0:38:42 > 0:38:44I put the desserts into martini glasses.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49But what turns this into a creme or a lovely mousse
0:38:49 > 0:38:51is when you pop them in the fridge.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55It'll take them at least two hours to set.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59And in that time, you need get on with the jelly topping,
0:38:59 > 0:39:03which is quite simple to make. You start off with some water in a pan.
0:39:03 > 0:39:07Add 100g of caster sugar to 100ml of water
0:39:07 > 0:39:09and bring the whole lot to the boil.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Just melt the sugar nicely.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15At the same time, I've got two leaves of gelatine.
0:39:15 > 0:39:18So soak this in cold water
0:39:18 > 0:39:23and then just pop this in the mixture like that.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Give it a quick stir.
0:39:25 > 0:39:28You need to make sure that it's all dissolved at this stage.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31So make sure you've got no little bits in there. And then,
0:39:31 > 0:39:34when it is dissolved, it's almost gone see-through.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Then we can take our passion fruit.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41I'm using some more of my zingy puree to flavour the jelly.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44Now don't cheat and use bought in jelly stuck on the top,
0:39:44 > 0:39:46it doesn't taste the same.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50There's never a dull moment with this recipe,
0:39:50 > 0:39:54because while the jelly cools, you need to crack on with the biscotti.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57It's really one of those biscuits where you can put everything
0:39:57 > 0:39:58that you love all in one mix.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01But generally, you always start with equal quantities
0:40:01 > 0:40:04of flour and sugar. I've got caster sugar in here.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08I'm also adding baking powder, a pinch of salt, pistachios,
0:40:08 > 0:40:11grated coconut and glace cherries.
0:40:11 > 0:40:15Generally, it contains fruit and nuts because the fruit makes it
0:40:15 > 0:40:19lovely and chewy and the nuts tend to dry it out a bit.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22But the actual dryness of the biscuit comes from the word
0:40:22 > 0:40:25biscotti, it means 'twice baked'.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Lemon gives the biscotti a zesty tang
0:40:30 > 0:40:34and the egg is used to bind the dry ingredients together.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37This bit you need to do by hand,
0:40:37 > 0:40:39so I'm going to mix this together first.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45That is kind of the texture that you're looking for.
0:40:46 > 0:40:50So what you need to do now is roll this out.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Dust the surface with flour.
0:40:53 > 0:40:55Then kind of, in one movement really,
0:40:55 > 0:40:58you grab a handful of this stuff and roll it up.
0:41:07 > 0:41:09Already you can see the mixture is just about right.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12It's just starting to fall, ever so slightly, so you need to get
0:41:12 > 0:41:15the texture quite right, that's why it's good to do it by hand.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17So in the oven.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20About 15 minutes, that'll be the first bake.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25While the biscotti are in the oven,
0:41:25 > 0:41:27it's time to add the jelly topping to the creme.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30Now, one thing you've got to make sure
0:41:30 > 0:41:32is that this jelly is sort of cool enough
0:41:32 > 0:41:34so when you place it over the top,
0:41:34 > 0:41:38it doesn't melt your mousse.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42So, at this point, put them back in the fridge.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45And these need to go in there to really set
0:41:45 > 0:41:47well for a couple of hours.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53To finish the biscotti, take them out of the oven and cut them
0:41:53 > 0:41:55into slices with a serrated knife.
0:41:55 > 0:42:00And all that you need to do now, because the mousse is ready,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03is pop these back in the oven for about ten minutes.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Keep an eye on them, you don't want to colour them too much.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11But the good thing about baking, of course, is you've always got
0:42:11 > 0:42:13some left over for the cook.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Passion fruit is the kind of ingredient that adds
0:42:18 > 0:42:20an exotic flavour to your cooking.
0:42:20 > 0:42:24And these adventurous desserts are a great way to make something
0:42:24 > 0:42:28that not only looks amazing but also tastes fantastic.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31And the best bit is that they're just perfect for sharing.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35And the final ones, there you go, hopefully you like 'em.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37The colour on the top is lovely.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39The flavour of it.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40- Mmm.- Mmm.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Now a dish like this, when you first look at it, it may sound exotic
0:42:43 > 0:42:47and adventurous, but you can really do this in your own home.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51It's so simple. And with the home-made biscotti,
0:42:51 > 0:42:53it makes it extra special.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03For me, the most fantastic thing about food is that there's
0:43:03 > 0:43:07always more to learn. And these days, you don't have to travel far
0:43:07 > 0:43:10to discover exciting new ingredients.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14All you need is an open mind and a few simple culinary tricks to
0:43:14 > 0:43:18create adventurous dishes from the homely comfort of your own kitchen.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22You can find all the recipes from the series on...