0:00:02 > 0:00:05If there's one thing I look forward to at the end of a busy day,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08it's the thought of getting back to my kitchen at home.
0:00:09 > 0:00:15For me, nothing beats cooking some simple, heart-warming food...
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Oh-ho-ho! It is so good.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22..the kind of no-nonsense grub that brings people together.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24- Cheers, everyone.- Cheers.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31The dishes I turn to when I want to put a big smile on everyone's face.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34These are my home comforts.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46My family would never pass on the chance of a good get-together.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47So when I was growing up,
0:00:47 > 0:00:50a Friday night supper was one of the highlights of my week.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53# This Friday night... #
0:00:53 > 0:00:55I still love having people around.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58But I want to entertain without too much graft.
0:00:59 > 0:01:00After a long week at work,
0:01:00 > 0:01:03it can be hard to get motivated in the kitchen.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06But I've got some simple dishes that will set your taste buds alight
0:01:06 > 0:01:09ready for the weekend, with no hassle whatsoever.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14So chuck your takeaway menus in the bin
0:01:14 > 0:01:16because quick and easy Friday night suppers
0:01:16 > 0:01:20don't have to be delivered to your door by a man in a crash helmet.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Coming up, I'll show you how to make showstopping Friday night suppers
0:01:27 > 0:01:29in your own kitchen.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Just as it is, on the plate like this.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Done.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38We travel to the Isle of Mull to share some freshly caught seafood.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44And food historian Ivan Day spices up medieval fish Friday.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47It blows the top of your head off.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52But first, a simple supper dish you can cook in minutes.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55This Middle Eastern cousin of the Italian pizza uses lamb mince,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59yoghurt and a host of aromatic herbs and spices.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01My Lebanese spiced lamb flatbread
0:02:01 > 0:02:04is the perfect way to kick-start your weekend.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09I suppose this is a combination of a flatbread and a pizza dough.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12But it uses one of the best pizza dough recipes I've ever used.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14And I've got this properly from Naples,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17in one of the best pizzerias I've ever been to.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And they only sell with cheese or without cheese.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22And luckily they're not watching this
0:02:22 > 0:02:25because I'm going to serve it with lamb.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28To get our topping under way, finely chop a shallot
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and a clove of garlic and fry in veg oil.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35The key to this is really the combination of spices with the lamb.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41I'm using a tablespoon of ground spice mix called baharat.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43This stuff has a real distinct flavour.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47It's got things like cumin, coriander, cayenne.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51It really is sort of the smell of the Middle East, I suppose.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53I really love coriander and cumin,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55so I'm adding another teaspoon of each.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59So like all spices, really, put these in at the beginning.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05Now we can add the mince.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08And for that Middle Eastern touch, 75g of dried fruit.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12I'm using sultanas, but dried apricots will do just as well.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Chuck in 300ml of chicken stock and then simmer for about 20 minutes.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24While that's happening, I can make my pizza dough.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Now, this recipe comes from the home of pizza, Naples.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32And it's a fantastic pizza dough, really, really simple,
0:03:32 > 0:03:34but proper authentic Italian.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Place 400g of double-zero flour
0:03:37 > 0:03:40and 100g of semolina flour into a bowl...
0:03:43 > 0:03:47..with a teaspoon and a half of caster sugar
0:03:47 > 0:03:49and half a teaspoon of salt.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56I'm using a sachet of fast-action dried yeast.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Add 325ml of water to the yeast, stir and then add to the bowl
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and mix together by hand.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08This is about there now. You see the texture of this. It's quite unusual.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11It's quite liquid, you see?
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Bit of flour and then we can knead this.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20Now, you want to knead it for a good five minutes, really.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23Now, every time I make this dough it just reminds me
0:04:23 > 0:04:26of the old boy that taught me how to do it. And he was fantastic.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31He used to sit at the end of the bar just with a nice cold beer
0:04:31 > 0:04:34and a cigarette in his mouth reading a copy of the Racing Post
0:04:34 > 0:04:36until the order came on.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39He would basically take one last drag of his cigarette...
0:04:39 > 0:04:42with his tainted fingers, put it down on the ashtray,
0:04:42 > 0:04:44walk over, make your pizza.
0:04:44 > 0:04:49As soon as it were done, walk away, fag in the mouth again.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Then when the dough's about there... You can tell, really,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53when you flip it upside down.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Now, if you press it and it starts to spring back,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57that means the dough's ready.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00If not, you've got to keep going.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Divide the dough into four equal parts,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05then roll it into individual balls.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08Just fold it over, flip it over.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12And then in the palm of your hand, roll it up into a ball.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Place these on a tray and allow to rise for 24 hours.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Now back to the lamb topping.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Now, this lamb is nearly ready so I can season it.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Now, if you wanted to, you can pop this in the fridge
0:05:31 > 0:05:32and let this go cold.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39But I'm just going to tip it straight into a bowl to cool.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44So the idea being you could do this on the Thursday,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47pop it in the fridge with the dough and it's ready for the Friday.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52For the garnish, grab a handful of coriander and mint leaves
0:05:52 > 0:05:56and chop up a green chilli for the topping.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Flour your board, and you're ready for the risen dough.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03You can see how soft this dough is. That's perfect.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06And you almost don't need to roll it out.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Use your fingers to spread the dough into a flat disc
0:06:10 > 0:06:12and top with your spicy lamb mince.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15Dollop on some yoghurt and scatter with chopped chilli.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21Then it's ready to cook.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22I've fired up my pizza oven.
0:06:22 > 0:06:26But a regular oven and a pizza stone preheated to 220 Celsius
0:06:26 > 0:06:29will do just the job.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34The key to cooking anything like this is to get the oven really hot.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36That way you get the pizza stone extremely hot
0:06:36 > 0:06:38and it cooks on the base, mainly.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42It takes about 30 seconds, 45 seconds to cook all the way through.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47But in a conventional oven it will take between five and ten minutes.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50And then finally...you grab some mint and coriander.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Just sprinkle it over the top.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56If you put this on before it goes in the oven, they burn.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01For me, pizzas have to be the ultimate Friday night supper.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03But this is extra special.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07He likes it too.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14This is a really simple dish to make
0:07:14 > 0:07:17but the fresh and spicy Middle Eastern flavours it combines
0:07:17 > 0:07:19will really blow you away.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22It's a Friday night supper anyone would be proud of.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Back in the Middle Ages,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32my lamb flatbread would have been a no-go area on a Friday night.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36The Church banned people from eating meat of any kind.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Food historian Ivan Day is at the medieval Gainsborough Hall in Lincolnshire,
0:07:40 > 0:07:45where he's exploring how fish became the staple of Friday night supper.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48I'm going to cook a pike.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51This fish was one of the most popular in the medieval period.
0:07:51 > 0:07:55At one time it really was THE popular Friday night fish,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58especially amongst the nobility.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03I'm going to roast it in front of the fire.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09But before it was roasted, the fish was gutted and stuffed.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12Ivan is filling his pike with pickled herring
0:08:12 > 0:08:16and spicing it up with some popular medieval flavours.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18I've got a plate here of spices
0:08:18 > 0:08:22that may not look terribly familiar to a modern cook
0:08:22 > 0:08:24because they're ones that have gone out of favour.
0:08:24 > 0:08:29This is long pepper, which is related to the black pepper
0:08:29 > 0:08:31but it looks like a little catkin.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34And it's got a wonderfully pungent, aromatic, almost perfume flavour.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37This is cubeb pepper, or tailed pepper.
0:08:37 > 0:08:42You can see each little peppercorn has got a little stalk or a tail.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45And it's got a eucalyptus-type peppery odour.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48It blows the top of your head off because it's really, really strong.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52More familiar ingredients like mace,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55anchovies and garlic were then added to the fish.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59A few sprigs of pot marjoram were then added.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03And then the whole thing was topped off with lots of forbidden butter.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06If you remember, this is actually an animal product,
0:09:06 > 0:09:07which was meant to be banned.
0:09:07 > 0:09:11But the Church was rather loose about these things.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Now, a pike is definitely a fish.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18But there were other items that appeared on the medieval Friday night table
0:09:18 > 0:09:22which definitely weren't, although the Church ordained that they were -
0:09:22 > 0:09:28things like beaver, otter, porpoise and even a type of goose.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I think they knew that they weren't really fish
0:09:30 > 0:09:33but they were just sort of pushing the rules a little bit.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39The next stage of this recipe was to sew the pike up using twine
0:09:39 > 0:09:40and a heavy-duty needle.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Getting it through, it's as tough as old boots, the pike.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48But very tender when it's cooked.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49The next stage is a tricky manoeuvre
0:09:49 > 0:09:51because I've got to get this very long spit
0:09:51 > 0:09:54right through the pike's mouth,
0:09:54 > 0:09:56which is a danger zone
0:09:56 > 0:10:00because it's absolutely full of the most razor-sharp teeth.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04And I've got to guide it through so it goes right through the centre
0:10:04 > 0:10:07and then out through the middle of the tail.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19Before it was sent off to the spit,
0:10:19 > 0:10:21the pike was tied up with sticks of hazel.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25This ensured it didn't fall apart when it was cooking.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33I've got to make sure that there's plenty of fat on the outside of the pike.
0:10:33 > 0:10:34They're rather dry fish.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37They don't have a lot of fat like a salmon,
0:10:37 > 0:10:39so I'm warming up the butter.
0:10:39 > 0:10:45As the pike rotates, it will hopefully cover it with fat.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51This is the worst job in the kitchen because you get very, very hot.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56As a result, you were usually given a double allowance of beer
0:10:56 > 0:10:59so that you didn't completely dehydrate.
0:11:00 > 0:11:05Fish cooks very, very quickly, unlike meat.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08So sometimes, if the fire is really fierce,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12he can be cooked in maybe 25 minutes, half an hour.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19There's a real art to this.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22You've got to remember I'm just cooking a single pike here.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26But in the past, I probably would have had about another seven or eight items on here,
0:11:26 > 0:11:28with two people at either end.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35I've got to get that fish off because he's going to disintegrate.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37And it's very important
0:11:37 > 0:11:40that he's served at the high table in one piece.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47The pike was decorated with large amounts of flat-leaf parsley.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49I want to eat it while it's still hot.
0:11:49 > 0:11:54So what you did was you actually didn't have a fork.
0:11:54 > 0:11:59So you had to spear your fish on the end of your knife
0:11:59 > 0:12:01and eat it...like that.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04This fish is perfectly cooked.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08It's firm, it hasn't fallen apart, and it's just absolutely right.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12The pike has fallen out of favour in the last 100 years.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15I don't know why because if it's cooked properly like this,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17it's really delicious.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21So you couldn't have a better dish for a medieval Friday night supper
0:12:21 > 0:12:24than a pike roasted in front of the fire.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28Thankfully we're a little bit less limited
0:12:28 > 0:12:30in terms of what we can eat on Fridays these days.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35In fact, the choice of ingredients available in the UK is so varied
0:12:35 > 0:12:39that a Friday night supper can transport your taste buds
0:12:39 > 0:12:40to any country you fancy.
0:12:44 > 0:12:46And for me, a Malaysian chilli beef rendang
0:12:46 > 0:12:50is one of the ultimate curry dishes you can cook at home.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Slow-cooked beef marinaded in lots of aromatic herbs and spices
0:12:56 > 0:12:57and then sweetened with palm sugar
0:12:57 > 0:13:02and coconut milk is simply melt-in-the-mouth gorgeous.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I love it. It's a dish that I always cook at home.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09It's worth the effort and worth the time that you put into it
0:13:09 > 0:13:13because it's one of these things that gets better the longer you keep it in the fridge.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17So the first thing you need to do is marinade the beef.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20For the marinade I'm going to roughly chop two big shallots,
0:13:20 > 0:13:25at least six cloves of garlic with four red chillies,
0:13:25 > 0:13:295cm of ginger and chuck in two lemongrass stalks.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34And rendang is just a wonderful, wonderful flavour -
0:13:34 > 0:13:37aromatic, just delicious.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41It's everything that sort of that part of the world
0:13:41 > 0:13:43really is all about when it comes to food.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47It's that combination of all these wonderful ingredients
0:13:47 > 0:13:49that our palate seems to love so much.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53We've got the ginger, the garlic, the lemongrass. It's just fantastic.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Put them all in a blender along with three kaffir lime leaves.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00And then we just need to blitz this.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02You want to turn this into a paste.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06And for that you'll need just a little bit of water.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09When it's reasonably smooth, the marinade is ready to use.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12I'm using some stewing beef here.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15You want decent-sized chunks of beef
0:14:15 > 0:14:19because of the length of time that this is going to cook.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Cover the beef in the marinade and stir it in.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25This is one of the key parts to this process, really.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27This is partly where
0:14:27 > 0:14:30you impart all this wonderful flavour into the beef.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Wrap in clingfilm and put it in the fridge
0:14:32 > 0:14:36for at least two, but preferably 12 hours.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40And this imparts all the wonderful flavour into your beef.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44Now take a bowl of warm water and soak two dried chillies
0:14:44 > 0:14:46and fire up the hob.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50And then just a touch of oil into our pan.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53And I've got a selection of different spices here.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Crack a few cardamom pods, then add them to the hot oil.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I'm throwing in a couple of star anise.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04You get this amazing flavour from star anise.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06And break in two cinnamon sticks.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Don't use the powdered cinnamon for this, use the whole sticks.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12It's a lesson that I got when I was over in Singapore.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Just throw it all in.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16If it's bigger, it's easier to pick out afterwards.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19If you try and sort of break it up too small,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22it's going to be quite difficult to fish out.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25A little bit of cumin, a little bit of coriander.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And then throw in the beef, which has been in the marinade.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Keep the pan still on the high heat, really.
0:15:36 > 0:15:38You might need to stand back from this
0:15:38 > 0:15:41cos there's a severe amount of chilli in here.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44To tone it down, add a can of coconut milk
0:15:44 > 0:15:45and 200ml of beef stock.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51Thai fish sauce goes in to provide a salty lift.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53A decent amount of the palm sugar in it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56It's got a distinct taste, a distinct flavour,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and one that has to be used for your rendang.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02And tamarind pulp gives a dark colour
0:16:02 > 0:16:06and sharpness that cuts through the richness of the meat and coconut.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10And finally it's time for our soaked and softened chillies.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12With just a touch of the chilli water.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Now, at this stage the mixture itself is actually really wet.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20And the trick here is to put the lid on it, bring it to the boil
0:16:20 > 0:16:23and gently simmer this for at least two hours.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28It only gets better the longer it cooks.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31About 20 minutes before you want to serve, take some jasmine rice
0:16:31 > 0:16:35and cook it in salted boiling water for 12 minutes.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39And while the rice is cooking - this is the crucial part of it, really -
0:16:39 > 0:16:41take the lid off and reduce it down.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44And you end up with an almost dry stew.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Now, as the mixture reduces, you get this lovely, sticky sort of curry
0:16:51 > 0:16:54that you're so familiar with with rendang.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57We're going to finish that off with some lime juice.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01Just drain off the rice.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05The whole thing about this dish is that it's not fancy at all.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09The key to it is just tons and tons of flavour.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13And you get that from marinading the meat,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17but also cooking it for this amount of time.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Now, I know when this goes out on television,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22you're going to cut to a shot of it all beautiful with the sunlight
0:17:22 > 0:17:24with a sprig of coriander on the top,
0:17:24 > 0:17:26but this is all you want.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31You don't need anything else. Just as it is, on the plate like this.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32Done.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Beef rendang is a great meal to prep in advance for a Friday night feast,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39leaving you free to chill out.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47But there are plenty of equally flavoursome dishes out there
0:17:47 > 0:17:50that you can cook in seconds, like mussels.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55On the Continent, they're enjoyed by the masses.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58But us Brits have been slow to embrace the convenience
0:17:58 > 0:18:01and simplicity of this underrated seafood.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Fortunately, up in Scotland on the Isle of Mull,
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Cameron Maclean and Douglas Wilson are working hard
0:18:09 > 0:18:13to get more of us to appreciate their award-winning rope-grown mussels.
0:18:13 > 0:18:20About 25 years ago, we thought maybe when things are quiet with fishing
0:18:20 > 0:18:23we could grow some mussels.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25And it started there.
0:18:25 > 0:18:29And then the mussels sort of took our lives over a bit.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Loch Spalve is perfect for farming shellfish.
0:18:32 > 0:18:38Its sheltered salt waters provide everything a growing mussel could need.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42And they've been voted best mussel producer in Scotland many times over,
0:18:42 > 0:18:44with their succulent, sweet shellfish.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48- CAMERON:- What makes these mussels so special from this site
0:18:48 > 0:18:49is the fact that there's more tide
0:18:49 > 0:18:51and there's more food in the water for them.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53So usually our best mussels come from this site
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and it gives us the best yield per line as well.
0:18:56 > 0:18:57So that's why we're heading there today
0:18:57 > 0:18:59because these are the ones to grab first.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01And finding their crop is simple too.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04Their mussels grow on ropes in the waters of the loch.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09- DOUGLAS:- Rope-grown mussels are suspended.
0:19:09 > 0:19:14They're not grown on the seabed, they're hung in clean water
0:19:14 > 0:19:16so you don't get the grit
0:19:16 > 0:19:20and sediment that you can get in dredged or bottom-grown mussels.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Some people say you should only eat shellfish when there's an R in the month.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Nowadays, with refrigeration and modern practices,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35it's not quite as black and white as it used to be.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39We can do 12 months' production in Scotland
0:19:39 > 0:19:44and that's what our customers are asking for.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46And the crew are happy to provide it.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Most of the muscle power is done by machines.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53First the mussel-laden ropes are hauled in.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55So, this is the start of harvesting here
0:19:55 > 0:19:59where the mussels get their first clean and first rough grade.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01This is a bag that we've taken ashore
0:20:01 > 0:20:02with the harvest product in it
0:20:02 > 0:20:09and they're dispatched on the ferry at lunchtime or early afternoon.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11This is the most important bag in the boat, this one.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13This is the one that pays the wages.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17The mussels are taken ashore.
0:20:17 > 0:20:18Then they're cleaned, sorted
0:20:18 > 0:20:22and shipped off to some of the top restaurants and fish markets.
0:20:23 > 0:20:29You do get a great feeling when you see the boat coming in
0:20:29 > 0:20:32and there's a good few tons of mussels going to market.
0:20:32 > 0:20:37And on a good year we can produce 500 tons.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39It's all just grown out of the sea.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Rope-grown mussels are as natural as you get.
0:20:43 > 0:20:45And they're delicious too.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48With no pesticides and no additional feeding required,
0:20:48 > 0:20:49they're the perfect crop
0:20:49 > 0:20:52for this remote and beautiful part of Scotland.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57They're sustainable. They don't have a large carbon footprint either.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00You know, they're... It's definitely on the up.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04When I started here we did 20 or 30 bags into restaurants a week.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Now we're probably doing close to 100 bags a week.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11People are slowly eating more and more shellfish.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15It's educating people that they are a good meal and good value
0:21:15 > 0:21:17and easy to cook.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Enjoying mussels all the time is a perk of the job
0:21:23 > 0:21:25for Douglas and his family.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28And today his grandson Charlie is on hand
0:21:28 > 0:21:31to cook up a new recipe he's eager to try out.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34You've made a start, Charlie. Good for you.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Charlie's new recipe is going to be given a try-out.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41- They're sweet-and-sour mussels. Is that right?- Yep.- Yep.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Onion, garlic, chilli and ginger are roughly chopped
0:21:46 > 0:21:50to form the base of a delicious and simple sweet-and-sour sauce.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Charlie, I'm running out of space.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Could you get me the pan and I'll get rid of some of this onion?
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Whilst the veg sweats off in a little oil,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04it's time to get the mussels steaming.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Mussels will take three or four minutes to steam open.
0:22:09 > 0:22:14It's very important with mussels that you actually steam them
0:22:14 > 0:22:18with a lid on with some intense heat to get them opening successfully.
0:22:18 > 0:22:24OK. Just have a check. I don't see any closed. That's just perfect.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29Cider vinegar, sugar and mixed herbs are added to the softened veg.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33A splash of lime juice finishes off the sauce perfectly.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Mmm. That's good.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Scrape the...
0:22:40 > 0:22:43And the only thing left to do is to mix it through the shellfish.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47And Charlie's sweet-and-sour mussels are ready for his family
0:22:47 > 0:22:48and the hungry boat crew.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50OK, Charlie. Let's go.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58- Well, cheers, guys. It's not often you can do this.- Cheers.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04But what's the verdict on Charlie's seafood spectacular?
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I prefer the sauce to some of the others
0:23:07 > 0:23:09because it's quite refreshing.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12- It has a zing.- Yeah.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14I think you've found a pretty good recipe there, Charlie.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17I think we'll call this Charlie's recipe. Thank you.
0:23:17 > 0:23:19- Cheers.- Thank you.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Charlie's sweet-and-sour recipe is going to be a hard act to follow.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27But mussels are a really versatile ingredient.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29And this old dog has a few tricks up his sleeve.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34I'm having a few people over for a party this evening
0:23:34 > 0:23:37and I'm going to cook them one of my favourite dishes,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40using this wonderful shellfish.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42My lemongrass and ginger mussels
0:23:42 > 0:23:45are served with plenty of thick, fresh crusty bread
0:23:45 > 0:23:48to soak up all those delicious juices.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51This is such a great Friday night supper,
0:23:51 > 0:23:55mainly because it's full of flavour and so simple and quick to make.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59Mussels cooked with coconut cream. Really, really easy.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Give them a quick wash. And we'll leave those to one side.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05Now, I'm going to cook this in the style of moules marinieres,
0:24:05 > 0:24:06that classic French dish
0:24:06 > 0:24:10with the standard flavours of shallot and garlic
0:24:10 > 0:24:14but with a few added different flavours, like coconut.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18I'll start by finely chopping two banana shallots,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20a couple of garlic cloves.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23I'm using two stalks of lemongrass.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24Chop off the woody base
0:24:24 > 0:24:27and finely chop the stalk as it can be quite fibrous.
0:24:29 > 0:24:30I like to add two red chillies
0:24:30 > 0:24:35and finally a thumb-size chunk of fresh root ginger.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Now, the idea of cooking mussels like this is nothing new, really.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40It's been around for quite a while
0:24:40 > 0:24:43because mussels are one of these seafoods
0:24:43 > 0:24:45that's available all around the world.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48When I was in Spain you have them in these lovely little tapas bars
0:24:48 > 0:24:51with garlic butter and all manner of different sort of stuff.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54But it was actually in one of these tapas bars in Barcelona
0:24:54 > 0:24:57I had a dish with coconut milk and mussels
0:24:57 > 0:24:59and this is where the idea of this came from.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01And it's very simple to cook
0:25:01 > 0:25:04because once you've got that done, it's almost there.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07And we want a good knob of butter
0:25:07 > 0:25:10cos what you have to do with this
0:25:10 > 0:25:13is throw all the ingredients in
0:25:13 > 0:25:15and start sweating these down.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Now, it's important at this stage...
0:25:18 > 0:25:21..to at least cook this for a couple of minutes
0:25:21 > 0:25:25cos as soon as you add the mussels, the clock starts ticking.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32And once they're nice and soft like this, that's ideally what you want,
0:25:32 > 0:25:33just to break them down a little bit.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39And then you can do this the classic marinieres style -
0:25:39 > 0:25:41good-quality white wine.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45And it's generally the white wine that you serve with them.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47So don't skimp on it.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50If you use the cheap stuff, it tastes sort of vinegary.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And then I'm going to use two different types of coconut.
0:25:56 > 0:26:02160ml of coconut cream go in, followed by 330ml of coconut water.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06If you don't have any of that, you can thin it with tap water instead.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12And as soon as this comes to the boil, we can throw in the mussels.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16And then this really means the clock is ticking.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18So as soon as these go in
0:26:18 > 0:26:23you're only about three or four minutes away from serving them.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27This is the idea of this being such a good Friday night supper.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33Everything's chopped, in the fridge, last minute, throw the mussels in,
0:26:33 > 0:26:34done.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38So the lid on. These need to cook now for about three or four minutes.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40Gives us time to chargrill our bread,
0:26:40 > 0:26:42some really good rustic bread.
0:26:43 > 0:26:48Now, I've got some mates over tonight so I'm going to need plenty of bread.
0:26:48 > 0:26:52A good drizzle of oil and get this charring.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54No need to roux it with a bit of garlic.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Literally nice and rustic on the griddle.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04And then finally just almost like a seasoning to the mussels, really,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08is you need some fresh coriander and lime juice.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11And what you need to do is just give it a quick stir,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14particularly with a pot this big, just to get the mussels around
0:27:14 > 0:27:17cos they're starting to open up at the bottom.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19You want to make sure the ones at the top open up.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22And they don't take very long at all, you see.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24Once they're open like that, they're cooked.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30And there you have it, really. It's done. It's quick. It's simple.
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Full of flavour.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35The perfect Friday night supper.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40There you go, guys.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Not only is this quick to cook,
0:27:42 > 0:27:45but you get succulent, flavourful mussels
0:27:45 > 0:27:47in a wonderful fragrant soup,
0:27:47 > 0:27:51all ready to be mopped up with chargrilled crusty bread.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55And this is one of the great things about this recipe.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58It's just a big pot of food to share.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Having folks over on a Friday evening for a bite to eat
0:28:01 > 0:28:05is a great way to relax after a busy week at work.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08And with a bit of preparation,
0:28:08 > 0:28:10you can transform a few simple ingredients
0:28:10 > 0:28:14into dishes your friends and family will come back for again and again.
0:28:17 > 0:28:22You can find all the recipes from the series on: