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.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13For me, nothing beats cooking some simple, heart-warming food.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Oh, oh, oh, it is so good.
0:00:17 > 0:00:22The kind of no-nonsense grub that brings people together.
0:00:22 > 0:00:23Cheers, everyone.
0:00:25 > 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 > 0:00:45Growing up, I was lucky enough to be surrounded by great food,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49but life is lived at a slower pace when you're a kid.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53These days, the time I spend at home is very precious, and a great chance
0:00:53 > 0:00:57to make the simple home-cooked food that I like to eat.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00These days, we all lead busy lives and not many of us have
0:01:00 > 0:01:03the time to create gourmet meals at home.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06With great store cupboard ingredients like this,
0:01:06 > 0:01:07it's so simple to create quick
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and easy meals without compromising on flavour and taste.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17So I'll be sharing some of my favourite fast recipes with you.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Making convenient comfort food.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Quick and tasty takeaway favourites.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Oh-ho! Nobody's having any of this.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And devilish desserts, all knocked up in minutes.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30It's classic home cooking in a flash,
0:01:30 > 0:01:34using the best British ingredients.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Breathing new life into forgotten fruits.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39People are really scared of the gooseberry,
0:01:39 > 0:01:43but, really, it's a hidden gem.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46We meet an award-winning home cook who wants to spice up
0:01:46 > 0:01:48your life with her fast food short cuts.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52And food historian Ivan Day
0:01:52 > 0:01:55dusts off the Georgian answer to the microwave.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I'm really keen to see whether it is actually edible.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03But first up, I'm going to start with a simple
0:02:03 > 0:02:08and speedy two-course meal, all made in less than 25 minutes.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12Pork tenderloin with prunes and Armagnac,
0:02:12 > 0:02:15and a pudding of Bramley marzipan slice.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18A winning combination in anyone's book.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21It actually sounds like there's a lot going on here
0:02:21 > 0:02:24but it's pretty simple to do a two-course meal in half an hour
0:02:24 > 0:02:27and I'm going to start with pudding.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30I'm doing it this way around to make things quick and easy.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Once the pudding is baking in the oven, I'll have plenty of time
0:02:33 > 0:02:35to prepare the main.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38So the first thing we do is take our Bramley apples.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Now these are really the king of all apples, in my mind.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Chop them up into decent sort of sized pieces.
0:02:45 > 0:02:46Too small, they'll go into a puree,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49too large, they'll take too long to cook.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Pop the chopped apples into a pan.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Then add 75g of caster sugar, a knob of butter
0:02:54 > 0:02:56and a splash of water.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Going to cook these for about sort of 10 to 15 minutes.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Now you don't have to make your own apple sauce, you can buy it.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07The apple sauce that you serve with pork would be great for this,
0:03:07 > 0:03:10cos you've got a decent amount of sugar with the marzipan, but what
0:03:10 > 0:03:14you do need to do, once it's cooked, is cool it. And I've got some here.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Because this is actually really quick and simple
0:03:17 > 0:03:18when you get to this stage.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22When you're cooking at home, there's no shame in using short cuts.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25Roll out a sheet of shop-bought all-butter puff pastry.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Then butter up a baking tray.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Again, no poncey gadgets, use your fingers.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35Thinly slice a half block of quality marzipan then add to the pastry,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38to create a sweet base for the apple sauce.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42You just spread this apple mixture over the top.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Don't put too much on, but keep within that frame.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47So I need egg wash now.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51Separate the yolks of two eggs and paint it around the edges.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56Take the other bit of pastry, fold it over, to like a book.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Press it down lightly and then take a sharp knife
0:03:59 > 0:04:04and then about 45 degree angles, you cut the pastry through.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Now make sure when you're cutting you cut it through the folded side.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Then you lift this pastry up, pop it straight over the top
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and when it rises and puffs up you get this really distinct
0:04:14 > 0:04:16sort of effect to the tartlet.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19But press this down because you've egg washed it round the edge as well
0:04:19 > 0:04:21and then egg wash the top.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Now all we need to do now is just sprinkle this
0:04:24 > 0:04:26with some Demerara sugar.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29The Demerara will give it a lovely texture
0:04:29 > 0:04:32but also colour when it cooks.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34And I've set the oven quite high for this,
0:04:34 > 0:04:38it's about 200C, 400 Fahrenheit,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41and this wants to cook for about 25 to 30 minutes, because the main
0:04:41 > 0:04:44thing is you've got to make sure that the base of the pastry cooks.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46So straight in the oven.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Now, while that's cooking, I'm going to show you how to do a main course
0:04:49 > 0:04:50which is really quick.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53It's pork with prunes and Armagnac.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Cut the pork into half-inch medallions, cover with clingfilm
0:04:56 > 0:05:00and give it a good wallop with anything flat and heavy.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03My weapon of choice is a pan.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Done, finished.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11Lift this off, then you've got these flattened-out pieces of pork fillet.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13The reason for that is we're going to cook them quite quickly.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17I'm going to pan fry it, of course, in a little bit of butter.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Now pork fillet doesn't contain any fat, or very little fat.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24So the way you cook it, is actually really important.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26One thing you don't want to be doing is overcooking it.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28So we just get a little bit of colour on this.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Now I'm going to cheat and I'm going to use some of this,
0:05:31 > 0:05:32because I love this stuff.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35This is bought-in mashed potato.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38But what I'm going to do is make it a little bit better, double cream.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41Just a touch, and of course, little knob of butter in there as well.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46And we're just going to warm this up at the same time as our pork cooks.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49When the medallions have coloured nicely - it should
0:05:49 > 0:05:52take two minutes on each side - take them out and let them rest.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Now while we've got that ready, we're going to take our shallot
0:05:55 > 0:05:58and just chop it small. Now this is for our sauce.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00The sauce for this is really quick.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04It uses some prunes and some good quality Armagnac.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06Now I think this is good quality,
0:06:06 > 0:06:11because Ainsley Harriot bought me this bottle for my 40th birthday.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14So if this, when I flambe it, goes up in flames about eight foot high,
0:06:14 > 0:06:16it's the cheap stuff. And I will find out, Ainsley.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22Yeah, Ainsley, that's the cheap stuff!
0:06:22 > 0:06:24To the Armagnac, add 200ml of chicken stock
0:06:24 > 0:06:27and about the same of double cream.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Bring to the boil and, voila, a classic decadent French sauce!
0:06:31 > 0:06:34Our mashed potato's not far off and now before we add our pork
0:06:34 > 0:06:37back into here we can then get our prunes.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40I'm just going to take the stones out for this one
0:06:40 > 0:06:41and don't chop them up,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43because otherwise they're going to sort of break up.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46And we bring the sauce together. Now we can add our pork back in
0:06:46 > 0:06:50and when you've got all the pork in, turn up the heat.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Now all we need to do now is just season this sauce
0:06:53 > 0:06:55with a bit of salt,
0:06:55 > 0:06:57just a touch of ground black pepper,
0:06:57 > 0:07:01just to finish it off and then we've got the cheat's mashed potato.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03Hide the packet and nobody'll ever know.
0:07:05 > 0:07:07This sauce just tastes...
0:07:08 > 0:07:09Wah.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13May be cheap Armagnac, but it's good stuff still.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17And then of course we've got this, 25, 30 minutes to cook
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and just look at that, how impressive does that look?
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Because you've used the all-butter puff pastry, it's lovely and light.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29This sweet apple and marzipan slice goes perfectly with ice cream
0:07:29 > 0:07:32or custard, but today I fancy some clotted cream.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34And a decent dollop of it as well.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36It's quick,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39it's simple,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42but, by heck, it's delicious.
0:07:42 > 0:07:43So there you go!
0:07:43 > 0:07:47Knowing some crafty short cuts can buy you enough time to knock up
0:07:47 > 0:07:51a main and a pudding from scratch in less than 30 minutes!
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Choose the right time-saving ingredients,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56and they'll do the work for you.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04In the UK, we're lucky to have some great produce
0:08:04 > 0:08:06right on our doorsteps.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08When I was growing up in Yorkshire,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11gooseberries were a very popular ingredient in Britain.
0:08:11 > 0:08:16We used them in pies, wines, puddings and jams.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19But somewhere along the way, they fell out of fashion.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Now, only a few miles from where I grew up, one man is trying to put
0:08:22 > 0:08:25the humble gooseberry back on the map.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Award-winning farmer Karl Aveson.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30I'm so passionate about the gooseberry
0:08:30 > 0:08:33I feel that it's such an underrated fruit.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40I think people are really scared of the gooseberry, they think
0:08:40 > 0:08:44that the bush is spiky, very hard to pick,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47and then when they do pick it, it is sour
0:08:47 > 0:08:51but, really, it's sort of a hidden gem, really.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56Karl runs a pick-your-own farm, with eight acres of soft fruit,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00including 60 of his beloved gooseberry bushes.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04I'm the fourth-generation farmer of the Aveson family.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08My great-grandad bought the farm 100 years ago.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11We've had a series of different types of farming through
0:09:11 > 0:09:14the years - arable, beef farming -
0:09:14 > 0:09:20and since I left college, I diversified into the pick-your-own.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23There are many different types of gooseberry,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27but Karl's growing a particularly hardy breed called Invicta.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32It produces shedloads of fruit, but almost the same
0:09:32 > 0:09:35amount of thorns, which can put some people off.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41So one way to avoid the spikes and one way to pick them
0:09:41 > 0:09:42is to lift them up.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46There you find the gooseberries hanging vertically down,
0:09:46 > 0:09:50so they're quite easy to see and they're quite easy to pick off.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54Gooseberries are one of the earliest fruits to ripen in Britain.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57The season runs from late May to the end of July
0:09:57 > 0:09:59and deciding when to pick them
0:09:59 > 0:10:02depends what you want to do with them.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Early on, they are hard and bitter, but great for cooking.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11You can see that the skins are very firm and they're a nice colour.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I'll give it a taste.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21That is far too tart but perfect for the baker -
0:10:21 > 0:10:26he would love that, the firmness and the flavour is absolutely spot on.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30Boiled up with some sugar, they make fantastic crumbles and pies
0:10:30 > 0:10:34and one of my all-time favourite puddings, gooseberry fool.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Later in the season, they're softer and sweeter.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41These gooseberries here are just turning pink now.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Give them another couple of weeks
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and these will be perfect to just eat from the bush.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Karl is so passionate about promoting the gooseberry
0:10:51 > 0:10:54that he's even started up a kids' farm club where children can
0:10:54 > 0:10:57see how they grow, and give the riper ones a try.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00What do they look like, anyway, what would you say?
0:11:00 > 0:11:03- Grapes.- Hairy grapes.- They look like a grape.- They do, yeah.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05They do look like they have spikes on.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09- The spikes are there to protect the gooseberries.- Oh.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- Mm, nice. - You like it?- Yeah.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13It's really sweet to see
0:11:13 > 0:11:17when they do taste the gooseberry for the first time and it's not
0:11:17 > 0:11:21so unpleasant and when they pick it, they don't prick their fingers.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25It's sour-sweet but it's nice.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28That's great, we've got another gooseberry follower now.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32While Karl is promoting this British classic in the field,
0:11:32 > 0:11:36daughter Chloe is fighting its cause in the farm cafe.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39I've always been around gooseberries
0:11:39 > 0:11:42since I was probably about one year old.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45When Dad started up the pick-your-own farm.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49It's something that needs to be, to be shown to everyone that they
0:11:49 > 0:11:52can be really tasty and a lot of people are a bit put off by them.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Today, she's serving up their latest creation,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58a modern twist on a traditional Bakewell tart.
0:11:58 > 0:12:05So it's gooseberry and elderflower that's been boiled down with sugar.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08This gets spooned into pre-baked sweet pastry cases,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12topped with an almond sponge and sprinkled with flaked almonds.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15It's just to get everyone a bit more interested
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and so that's what we're trying to do at the moment,
0:12:18 > 0:12:23is try to get recipes together so that we can, we can show people
0:12:23 > 0:12:27that, you know they, they can be tasty and enjoyable.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Chloe and her dad are doing everything possible
0:12:29 > 0:12:32to get gooseberries back into the hearts and minds
0:12:32 > 0:12:34of the British public.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37It's a crusade that seems to be working.
0:12:39 > 0:12:44A tart like this would beat the Bakewell tart that everybody
0:12:44 > 0:12:46- seems to know.- Wow.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49I'm trying to think what it's like but it's not like anything -
0:12:49 > 0:12:51it's just like gooseberry.
0:12:51 > 0:12:52Very nice.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Reminds me of when I was a child in the '60s.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58When I was with my grandparents and they lived on a smallholding
0:12:58 > 0:13:00and we used to go out picking fruit -
0:13:00 > 0:13:04gooseberries being one of the fruits - and making pies.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06And that's beautiful and it just brings back
0:13:06 > 0:13:08all those lovely memories.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13It's so nice to see people try the gooseberry
0:13:13 > 0:13:16and it makes it all worthwhile growing the fruit.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19The sales of gooseberries have gone up in the shop and in the cafe,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22so therefore our work is fulfilled, really.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29It's great to see the gooseberry getting a new lease of life,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33and to meet a family who are as passionate about them as I am.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36So I've invited Karl and Chloe into my kitchen to experience
0:13:36 > 0:13:40how quick and easy gooseberries can be, if you give them a chance!
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Funnily enough, when I actually first came down here,
0:13:43 > 0:13:46the first thing I built was the garden, the bottom of the garden,
0:13:46 > 0:13:48before I built my house, I built the garden.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50And the garden was, to me, the important bit
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- because my granddad used to have an allotment.- Yeah.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54And I... First thing I planted was apple trees,
0:13:54 > 0:13:57- gooseberries and tomatoes, they were the first thing.- Yeah.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59Gooseberries have been OK, not the greatest crop,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01- I think it's the heat, more than anything else.- Yeah.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04- They need a bit of cold with it as well.- They do like cold, yeah.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Yeah, don't get really get that down here with the south-facing garden,
0:14:07 > 0:14:10- all that stuff.- You get more flavour with cold as well.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Guys, I was thinking what dish I could do with the gooseberry,
0:14:13 > 0:14:16particularly your gooseberries, and we've got a pile of them here
0:14:16 > 0:14:18and I thought, mackerel as a great combination,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20mackerel and gooseberries.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23This is a dish that I invented in the restaurant and it's one
0:14:23 > 0:14:27of those that I cook at home a lot, particularly with gooseberries from
0:14:27 > 0:14:31the garden, because it's so quick and easy and it tastes fantastic.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I think my dressed-to-impress mackerel en croute with
0:14:34 > 0:14:37a super-quick gooseberry chutney is a gourmet classic.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40A surprising flavour combination, that just works.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43What I'm first of all going to do is take the bone out of the mackerel
0:14:43 > 0:14:45but keep it whole.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48and to do that you quickly just go underneath the gills like this.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Now, it's much better if you get your fishmonger to do it for you,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54remove the head, because not everybody likes looking at it
0:14:54 > 0:14:56staring at you on the dish as well. So remove this.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59And then you start at one end and work your way through.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02So you've got this ribcage that you can see and this is the reason
0:15:02 > 0:15:05why I don't think mackerel's so popular, because of the bones.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07So you start underneath the little ribcage like that.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11You cut along the backbone and then you do the other side.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Then get your finger underneath
0:15:13 > 0:15:14and just pull.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17- Do you think you can do this in the cafe?- No.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19- THEY LAUGH - Might need to order these in, then!
0:15:19 > 0:15:22So when did the restaurant start? Because I know that you started
0:15:22 > 0:15:24with all manner of different stuff on the farm.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27We started the farm shop and cafe about seven...
0:15:27 > 0:15:29- We're in our seventh year now. - Right.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32So previous to that, we did pick-your-own for 20 years.
0:15:32 > 0:15:36Right. Is that profitable, or is that... Don't people nick it?
0:15:36 > 0:15:37- There's...- Yeah.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39There's that eat one...
0:15:39 > 0:15:43I've had quite a few incidents with people pinching
0:15:43 > 0:15:45and making a bit of a pig of their selves.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47But the majority of people are good.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50But why, why gooseberries for your farm, is it the soil?
0:15:50 > 0:15:52What is it about it?
0:15:52 > 0:15:56Well, initially when we first started we needed a big enough variety
0:15:56 > 0:15:58of fruit so that once the strawberries finish,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01there's always something else to go on
0:16:01 > 0:16:04and, gooseberries, I know it's a very old-fashioned fruit,
0:16:04 > 0:16:09but there's always that clientele that like baking themselves.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12The younger generation, it's an acquired taste, really, I think.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Definitely. They're so good to work with other things, they bring out
0:16:15 > 0:16:17the flavours in everything else and they're really good.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19We're going to put them with some salmon,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21so we're going to make a little salmon mousse.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23So easy, just a squeeze of lemon,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26this just tightens up the flesh, good pinch of salt.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Bit of black pepper.
0:16:28 > 0:16:29Into your blender.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Switch this on.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33So then we throw in some double cream.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35It's roughly equal quantities.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- That is your salmon mousse done. - It's so quick.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Yeah, and if you'd make it with smoked salmon exactly the same way.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- Yeah. - You can serve it straight away.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46Grab the deboned fillets
0:16:46 > 0:16:49and fill with a tablespoon of the salmon mousse.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Add a sprig of tarragon and roll out a sheet of shop-brought puff pastry
0:16:53 > 0:16:56then cut it into two smaller rectangles.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59And what you're trying to get is like a, like a pasty.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01I'm then just going to get a little bit of egg wash.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Now the great thing about this is
0:17:03 > 0:17:05because we've got the salmon in there,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07which is delicious with tarragon,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10but also with the mackerel - they kind of work together
0:17:10 > 0:17:12but you can mix and match the different flavours.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15If you didn't want to do this and you wanted to be really posh,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17you can use scallops.
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Chloe, this is where you get to work.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21All those hours in the kitchen
0:17:21 > 0:17:23are going to pay off for this one, you see.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Take a little cutter, and then you make little indentations.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- It's fish scales. - Very pretty.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Well, I could get him to do it, but you know, you know -
0:17:33 > 0:17:35- a farmer and all that sort of stuff. - More finesse.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38- Is that all right? - Thank you.- I'll leave that with you.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41The great thing about this is this is a brilliant dinner party dish
0:17:41 > 0:17:43because you can prepare this in advance, together with
0:17:43 > 0:17:46the chutney, and this will keep in the fridge overnight.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49The chutney will keep overnight and you can warm both of them up
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and cook the mackerel as and when you need it.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54You're doing a not bad job there.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Missed one there, you see, it was all going too well till that bit.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58See, until you said I was doing all right.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Yeah, you've just messed it up now.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03The pastry will ensure the mackerel
0:18:03 > 0:18:06and salmon mousse filling stays moist as it cooks.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Cover the tails in buttered tinfoil to stop them from burning.
0:18:10 > 0:18:16And then we pop them in a hot oven - 200C, 400 Fahrenheit.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18For about 12 to 15 minutes to cook.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20So while they're cooking, we're going to do our chutney.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24Going to throw in some sugar first and what we're going to do is
0:18:24 > 0:18:26caramelise this in the pan.
0:18:26 > 0:18:31And this is a crucial part where you get the caramel flavour first,
0:18:31 > 0:18:34which... Because this gets to about 130C,
0:18:34 > 0:18:38it speeds up the cooking time, really, really fast.
0:18:38 > 0:18:41While the sugar caramelises in the pan, chop a shallot,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44and a thumb-sized piece of ginger.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Chuck it all in, along with a handful of sultanas.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52Now for a good glug of one of my favourite chutney ingredients -
0:18:52 > 0:18:53cider vinegar.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57It's fantastic, this stuff. You get a really good flavour.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59So cider vinegar in and I suppose we ought to
0:18:59 > 0:19:03throw in some of these gooseberries, couple of handfuls with this.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07They go in the pan and then a good pinch of salt.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09I think with a gooseberry as well, with freezing it, you can sort of
0:19:09 > 0:19:13bring it out of the freezer and it's still got that structure, hasn't it?
0:19:13 > 0:19:15Well, it'll speed up the cooking time as well,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18- because these have been frozen I take it, as well, these ones?- Yes.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Yeah, these have been frozen but you know, either/or,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24it's going to take probably no more than about eight minutes to cook.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Just enough time for the mackerel to cook through
0:19:26 > 0:19:28and that puff pastry to do its thing.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34It's a Yorkshire portion because I knew you were coming, you see.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36And then you've got your chutney.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40You see the colour, you get that from that caramelised sugar.
0:19:40 > 0:19:41Yeah, that looks good.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45So you jar that, I reckon you'll get about four quid a jar.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Yeah, I reckon we could, yeah.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49Yeah, I know where your mind's thinking - I know that.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51Five with your name on it.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- Oh, here we go, ha-ha. - Fantastic.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55- I just think it looks great, tastes great.- Yeah.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58- Can we dive in?- Tell me what you think.- Right.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02It's like the best fish pasty, if there is such a thing.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Hm, that is lovely.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06The chutney is beautiful.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10- That is gorgeous. - Gooseberries taste fantastic in it.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Well, they would, they're from Yorkshire, aren't they?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14Absolutely, yeah.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17You can really taste the, the sharpness of the gooseberries
0:20:17 > 0:20:19but then with that, all that sugar in there that's just...
0:20:19 > 0:20:20With the oiliness of the fish,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- that's why it works well with mackerel, you see.- Mm.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Yeah, it just goes so well together.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27- Good - I'm glad you enjoyed it. - Mm, very good.
0:20:27 > 0:20:28- Thanks for coming.- Delicious.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29Thanks for inviting us.
0:20:29 > 0:20:31Thanks for bringing your gooseberries.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33So there you have it,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36a simple, speedy way to get the best from the wonderful gooseberry.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Paired perfectly with the marvellous mackerel
0:20:39 > 0:20:41in a dish that is sure to impress.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44For many of us,
0:20:44 > 0:20:48quick and easy food simply involves a trip down to the takeaway.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52But for those of us who enjoy creating quality food ourselves,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55a number of small-scale producers up and down the country
0:20:55 > 0:20:58have developed some ingeniously tasty products,
0:20:58 > 0:21:01to help cut a few corners in the kitchen when time is tight.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Inspired by the exotic flavours of her childhood,
0:21:06 > 0:21:11Ascot-based Shemin MacGregor has created a range of authentic curry pastes
0:21:11 > 0:21:17helping cooks knock up their favourite flavoursome curry at home, in no time at all.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20I grew up in Uganda, in the city of Kampala.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24My family originally came from Gujarat in India,
0:21:24 > 0:21:30but, in 1971, because of the Idi Amin regime, we came to the UK.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33As a young girl, I used to watch my mum
0:21:33 > 0:21:35and my aunts cooking in the kitchen.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37I learned how to use herbs and spices
0:21:37 > 0:21:40because I could see how they used them, what proportions
0:21:40 > 0:21:43they used them in and how they made the dishes different.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48When we left Uganda and came here, she was all the time with me.
0:21:48 > 0:21:53In the kitchen, in the shop, because she was very fond of food.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55She was quite tubby as well, you know!
0:21:55 > 0:21:59THEY LAUGH
0:22:00 > 0:22:03Her mum might not be doing the cooking any more,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07but making food is still very much a family affair.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Shemin's son Jamie often lends a helping hand.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12I grew up with this curry paste -
0:22:12 > 0:22:14eating all the food that it can cook.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17When I went to university, I really missed the fact that
0:22:17 > 0:22:19I didn't have this nice cooking around.
0:22:21 > 0:22:25So, my mum would always give me some of the paste to take with me.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28So when my children went to university and I was sitting around
0:22:28 > 0:22:32twiddling my thumbs, I thought, well, right, this is the time.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33Let's do it.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35And the business was born.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38Six months later, it wasn't just Jamie who was
0:22:38 > 0:22:40appreciating his mother's recipes.
0:22:41 > 0:22:46Here in my home kitchen, we make about 600 or 700 pots every ten days.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49So it's quite a production process.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55They're so popular that Shemin has expanded her range
0:22:55 > 0:22:58and now produces four different pastes.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03So today, I'm making my medium curry paste.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06So we're going to start off with some ginger.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10I remember when I was watching my mum cook, you know
0:23:10 > 0:23:12how they used to peel the garlic and ginger
0:23:12 > 0:23:14and it was lovely to watch.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16And now I do that for my curry pastes which I really
0:23:16 > 0:23:20love doing, you know, because it reminds me of when I was a child.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25So we put the salt in the garlic and ginger before we crush it,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29because it draws the liquid out of the garlic and the ginger,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32so it makes it easier to pound and makes a better paste.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35And of course, just the way my mum used to do it.
0:23:35 > 0:23:36So I do the same thing.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39Well, the pestle and mortar's quite special, actually,
0:23:39 > 0:23:42because we came from Uganda as refugees.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Of course, we didn't get everything here but one of the things
0:23:44 > 0:23:47we did get was our pestle and mortar, which we still have today.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50So it's really special and it's done a lot of cooking.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57After we've done that, we add some sunflower oil to it,
0:23:57 > 0:24:01that gives us a really good base now to put in our spices.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06Making curry is easy in some ways but difficult in another,
0:24:06 > 0:24:08if you get the spices all wrong, the flavours all wrong,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10your curry's going to taste awful.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13First, I'm going to start with cumin.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16So next I put in ground coriander.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20The secret of making a good curry is having the balance of spices.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Next, we're going to add colour to my curry paste
0:24:23 > 0:24:25and we'll do that using turmeric.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Last, I use chilli and that also adds a beautiful colour as well.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36So now that we've put in all the spices, I start mixing
0:24:36 > 0:24:41the spices up and this creates the beautiful paste that we use.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51We add the coriander, mix it all up,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53and this is Shemin's curry paste.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Made at home in small batches with fresh ingredients,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02Shemin's curry paste has developed quite a following.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04And it's easy to understand why.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Pre-prepared spicy fragrant curry pastes have the ability
0:25:08 > 0:25:12to transform time-consuming Indian recipes into delicious dishes
0:25:12 > 0:25:15that can be knocked up in no time at all.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19I myself find it so quick and easy to use
0:25:19 > 0:25:22when I have a dinner party, or when I have people over.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24So, yes, I use it a lot for that.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27A curry paste can be used in a variety of ways.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Combined with yoghurt it makes a marinade for lamb tikka.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32Mixed in with onion and tomato,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36the paste adds flavour to a five-minute sauce for Bombay aloo.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Or just coat it onto some veg before roasting
0:25:40 > 0:25:43and you've got three delicious dishes, in a flash.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48And when you've got the whole family to feed,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51time-saving ingredients are worth their weight in gold.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- Have some, Angie. - So this is, they're shallots. Yeah?
0:25:56 > 0:25:58They're shallots. Banana shallots.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02When I made my curry paste, I knew my mum would use it
0:26:02 > 0:26:04because, of course, she's my mum, we made it together,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07but what was really amazing for me was her friends,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10who really cook beautiful food themselves,
0:26:10 > 0:26:13now use my curry paste because they also love it.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16And it's quick and easy for them and that, for me, was fantastic.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20- Well done.- Cheers.- Well done. Lovely dinner.- MAN: Cheers, Shemin.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Mum, I can't reach you.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24After seeing that lovely spread,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28I'm keen to whip up a classic Indian dish using Shemin's paste.
0:26:30 > 0:26:31For me, there's nothing quicker
0:26:31 > 0:26:36and tastier than a chicken curry with basmati rice.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38When you understand about Indian cookery, you really
0:26:38 > 0:26:41understand that they use an awful lot of onions.
0:26:41 > 0:26:46So we're going to take a whole onion here, and chop it up.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Get this on first of all. So a hot pan,
0:26:49 > 0:26:52little bit of oil first of all, and we need to colour the onions
0:26:52 > 0:26:54really, really well to start off with.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Now while they're colouring nicely, we're going to get our rice on,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00because this entire dish takes as long for the rice to cook
0:27:00 > 0:27:03as for the curry to cook as well.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05And I'm going to use some basmati rice,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07this is the absorption method of basmati rice.
0:27:07 > 0:27:14200g of rice, straight into our pan, now we use 400ml of water.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16Get the pan nice and hot, bring it up to the boil,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20together with a good knob of butter.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26For the perfect takeaway-style rice at home, make a cartouche.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Which is basically just a grease-proof paper lid.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Fold it over, fold it over again,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37it's like when you were at school, innit, you'd do that row of men,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and get it wrong and it'd just be a row of badgers or whatever it was.
0:27:40 > 0:27:44But literally you cut that like that
0:27:44 > 0:27:46so you've got a nice round circle and then what we want is
0:27:46 > 0:27:51a little hole in the middle to allow the steam to come up.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54You've got a cartouche, easy as that.
0:27:54 > 0:28:00Stick it on the top, and the result - beautiful fluffy rice every time.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01So the chicken.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03I've got four chicken breasts here,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05cut these up into decent sort of pieces.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08Particularly for curry, you don't want them to dry up.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10So, don't cut them too small.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14But you want it to cook quick while the rice is cooking,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16so when the rice boils like that we just turn it down,
0:28:16 > 0:28:18we're just going to allow it to gently simmer.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21We've got our onions there,
0:28:21 > 0:28:24nice amount of colour on the onions which is just what we want.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29And now time to add Shemin's paste, but any fresh paste will do.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31Just whip off the lid, and tip it in.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34If this recipe included the time it would take
0:28:34 > 0:28:36to make an ingredient like this from scratch,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38I'd be here for another hour.
0:28:39 > 0:28:40Almost dry fry it.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Then we can throw in the chicken.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47There's no need to colour this chicken.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50It's not like a classic stew or anything, you just want to basically
0:28:50 > 0:28:54just make sure you get plenty of flavour in there with that paste.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57And now, to create the all-important curry sauce.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00Add half a can of chopped tomatoes
0:29:00 > 0:29:02to the onion, chicken and paste,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05along with 200ml of coconut milk.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09Bring to the boil and then leave to simmer for ten minutes.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12Top the curry, you can just top it with a little bit of chopped herbs
0:29:12 > 0:29:15if you want, but I'm going to put the herbs inside.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17But one thing that I love on top of curries,
0:29:17 > 0:29:20particularly like this, is coconut.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Desiccated coconut.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25I just can't eat enough of the stuff.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27I don't know why, to be honest,
0:29:27 > 0:29:30it's not really an ingredient that I was brought up on as a kid.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32So we're just going to toast this off dry.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35Almost dry fry it so it goes lovely and nutty brown.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39The smells from this are fantastic.
0:29:39 > 0:29:41So we take some fresh coriander,
0:29:41 > 0:29:43fresh mint,
0:29:43 > 0:29:47and this is one of the benefits by using a curry paste like this,
0:29:47 > 0:29:49really you can mix and match the different flavours in,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51it's not a sauce that is ready made that you throw in
0:29:51 > 0:29:53that you can't really do much with.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56This, you use as a base and you can experiment with different things.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00If you want more tomatoes, great, but it's entirely up to you.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03But we're going to throw in the mint,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05and the coriander.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08And a quick tip - if you put too much curry paste in...
0:30:08 > 0:30:12We'll have a taste, which I probably have put too much curry paste in.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16To bring down the heat...
0:30:16 > 0:30:18COUGHS
0:30:18 > 0:30:21And that's got a little bit in, a little bit of lime,
0:30:21 > 0:30:23good decent amount like that.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Try not to use lemon as well, lime I find much better with curries.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35That's fantastic. Little bit of salt and then, just to finish curry...
0:30:35 > 0:30:39Now I know we're going to get people phoning in, but I love
0:30:39 > 0:30:42my butter and the best curry in the world has to be buttered chicken.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46I mean, it's got tomatoes in there, so it's part of your five a day.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Look at that.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51And then all we need to do is serve this.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Lovely rice,
0:30:55 > 0:30:57and then we've got our wonderful curry.
0:30:57 > 0:31:01Cooked really quick, the same time the rice has taken to cook
0:31:01 > 0:31:05and then finally we get some of this toasted coconut
0:31:05 > 0:31:07and there you have it.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09Especially where I live,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11because really whenever you order a curry,
0:31:11 > 0:31:16a take out, takes about 40 minutes.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19I've just made that in about 15.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25Oh, ho, ho!
0:31:25 > 0:31:28Nobody's having any of this,
0:31:28 > 0:31:30this is proper.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34A curry to beat any takeaway in 15 minutes.
0:31:34 > 0:31:35Now that's magic!
0:31:44 > 0:31:47Modern technology makes rustling up meals in a hurry easier
0:31:47 > 0:31:49than it's ever been.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54But handy cooking gadgets have been around for centuries.
0:31:56 > 0:32:01Food historian Ivan Day explores the colourful story of a time-saver
0:32:01 > 0:32:02from the Georgian kitchen.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07What I've got in front of me is a replica
0:32:07 > 0:32:11of a long-lost piece of culinary equipment
0:32:11 > 0:32:13which is called a conjurer.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16And the particular piece of magic that this conjurer performed
0:32:16 > 0:32:22was to cook a meal just using a few sheets of paper as fuel.
0:32:22 > 0:32:25I'm going to try an experiment to see just how quickly
0:32:25 > 0:32:28and easily this conjurer performs.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35A cookery writer called Eliza Acton wrote a very detailed description
0:32:35 > 0:32:40of how to use the conjurer in a book published in 1845.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44It's called Modern Cookery, but to us, it's rather ancient cookery.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48And she gives a wonderful illustration of a conjurer.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52She goes on to say that this really was a meal for people
0:32:52 > 0:32:56who were on the move, who had busy lives and really just needed
0:32:56 > 0:32:59to cook something incredibly quickly and easily.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05So I'm going to have a go at this.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10So I'll put a bit of butter in there.
0:33:10 > 0:33:12This recipe couldn't be simpler.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16It's just a matter of layering butter, onions and veal in the pot.
0:33:16 > 0:33:20So it's very, very thinly cut,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23so it should cook pretty quickly but we'll find out.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Hopefully the butter will melt first
0:33:25 > 0:33:28and will melt across the bottom of the pan.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31And Eliza Acton tells us to season it properly,
0:33:31 > 0:33:36so I'm going to use a little bit of thyme.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Not much, just a few little bits of flower and leaf stripped off
0:33:40 > 0:33:45and I'll grate also some nutmeg in.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48I'll need to put a little bit of salt in there.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53And some freshly ground pepper.
0:33:53 > 0:33:54Lid on.
0:33:54 > 0:33:57This conjurer has a very tight-fitting lid
0:33:57 > 0:33:59which will trap the heat inside.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03If Eliza Acton is right, we should be able to cook this meat
0:34:03 > 0:34:04in just a few minutes.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10No-one knows for sure when the conjurer was invented.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14But Ivan's recipe from the 19th century isn't the first time
0:34:14 > 0:34:17it crops up in print.
0:34:17 > 0:34:22An 18th-century cookbook claims that the conjurer even appeared on stage.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26The book says that a panto artist called John Rich used it
0:34:26 > 0:34:31to magically cook a mutton stew in a matter of minutes.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Let's see if Ivan can pull off a similar trick with his veal recipe.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42And I've got plenty of fuel here,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45I've got five sheets of paper.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48I think they'll probably burn for about a minute each, if we're lucky.
0:34:54 > 0:34:56Just get that burning a little bit.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00I'll pop it underneath the little hatch into the conjurer.
0:35:00 > 0:35:03The air gets drawn in through these side vents.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06So, hopefully, it will keep burning.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08There's a little bit of smoke
0:35:08 > 0:35:12and I can already hear the butter sizzling away
0:35:12 > 0:35:15and I think my meat is cooking pretty well already.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17if you like it rare, it's probably done already
0:35:17 > 0:35:20and we're only a couple of minutes into this.
0:35:22 > 0:35:25What surprises me is how long it actually takes to burn
0:35:25 > 0:35:27a sheet of heavy paper.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29The paper in the 18th and 19th century,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32when these things were used, was actually much heavier.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42The butter's all melted...
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Yeah, it's cooking very well already
0:35:44 > 0:35:46and that's just two sheets of paper.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50For me, this is incredibly exciting.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54I've used full roasting ranges in Tudor houses.
0:35:54 > 0:35:59I've roasted whole oxen in front of the spit which took 27 hours,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02and this is the first time I've ever cooked myself lunch
0:36:02 > 0:36:04using sheets of paper.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08So I'm really keen to see whether it is actually edible.
0:36:13 > 0:36:18It's now been cooking for ten minutes with just six sheets of paper.
0:36:22 > 0:36:23Look at that.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25That is amazing, isn't it?
0:36:25 > 0:36:27It smells really good as well.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29Gosh, it is cooked.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Mm!
0:36:33 > 0:36:35It's absolutely amazing.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Perfectly cooked,
0:36:37 > 0:36:40it's really tender and actually,
0:36:40 > 0:36:44really, really tasty - absolutely delicious.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Quick and easy.
0:36:52 > 0:36:53At the end of a busy day,
0:36:53 > 0:36:56who has time to make a show-stopping pudding?
0:36:56 > 0:36:58Well, I've come up with a solution.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Cheat!
0:37:00 > 0:37:03Now, this cake is definitely not one for the health-conscious, because it
0:37:03 > 0:37:06contains tonnes of mascarpone cheese, double cream,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08everything that tastes fantastic -
0:37:08 > 0:37:12all covered and encased in fabulous fresh meringue.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17It's creamy, it's sweet, and it only takes 15 minutes.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Meet my instant coffee meringue gateau!
0:37:20 > 0:37:23It's kind of like an interpretation of a dish that
0:37:23 > 0:37:25I used to make at a very fancy hotel.
0:37:25 > 0:37:27We used to have these sort of mushroom hunts,
0:37:27 > 0:37:29where the guests would go out
0:37:29 > 0:37:31and pick their own mushrooms in the New Forest,
0:37:31 > 0:37:33come back and we'd cook with them.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Of course, when it comes to pastry at the end, dessert,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39what on earth do you do, you can't just put mushrooms on the plate,
0:37:39 > 0:37:41so I thought of this sort of gateau, this cake.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45The first thing we're going to do is create our filling for this
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and the filling is just done with mascarpone cheese.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Now you can use full-fat cream cheese,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54but mascarpone cheese is a good base for it.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57Now to add the flavour to our filling.
0:37:57 > 0:37:59Split and scrape out one Bourbon vanilla pod,
0:37:59 > 0:38:05then add 175ml of double cream and whisk until firm.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07And now it's time to really cheat.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11You need two pre-made sponge flans with the edges cut off.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14If you haven't got one of these rings, you can use a biscuit tin,
0:38:14 > 0:38:16cut the base out with a tin opener,
0:38:16 > 0:38:18you've got a ring exactly the same size.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21And then very carefully,
0:38:21 > 0:38:24and you need to do this carefully, slice this in half
0:38:24 > 0:38:28and to do that, hold the knife flat, your hand flat...
0:38:29 > 0:38:30and cut round.
0:38:30 > 0:38:32Don't try and cut all the way through in one go,
0:38:32 > 0:38:34otherwise it'll be a bit wonky.
0:38:34 > 0:38:39The secret of this is you've got the same layer of sponge to filling.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43And then you can really get our cake stand ready
0:38:43 > 0:38:47and you build everything into a ring, then take this sponge,
0:38:47 > 0:38:50place it in the base. And then I've got some coffee.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Now I have to say I'm not a great fan of coffee in its hot form,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56but in desserts, it's great.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58It's layers of coffee - you could put a little bit of rum in here,
0:38:58 > 0:39:00a bit of brandy, if you wish.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Little bit of the filling on and then using a palette knife,
0:39:03 > 0:39:05we can spread this in the middle.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08Now, it's important when you're doing this to make sure you're
0:39:08 > 0:39:09building it up nice and evenly.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13So, don't add too much coffee in straightaway, otherwise it
0:39:13 > 0:39:15starts to break down that sponge.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17You take another bit, and layer it up again.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19So...
0:39:19 > 0:39:20Press it down nicely.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24And again with this coffee.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26And layer it up again.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28so you're building this up nice and evenly.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And so often when you're trying to do cakes at home, it requires
0:39:31 > 0:39:33so much time to make,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36but this is so quick and easy.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41And then we can take our last piece of sponge and place that on the top.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45Now I'd only put a little bit of coffee on this bit, purely
0:39:45 > 0:39:49the fact if we put too much on, the meringue is just going to fall off.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52So just be careful with this last layer.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Now to remove the ring from this, you could use a warm cloth -
0:39:56 > 0:39:58place it round the edge - which does fine.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01But I'm going to use a blowtorch. It's much easier and much quicker.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04All you're doing is just heating up the edge of the ring,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and by doing so it just softens the cream enough
0:40:07 > 0:40:08so then we can lift off the ring
0:40:10 > 0:40:13and you end up with an almost finished cake.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Now I say "almost finished",
0:40:15 > 0:40:17because we're going to turn this into something really special
0:40:17 > 0:40:20and that's by using meringue. And for that,
0:40:20 > 0:40:22I need six egg whites.
0:40:22 > 0:40:23When making meringue,
0:40:23 > 0:40:27it's really important that your mixing bowl is clean and dry.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32Whisk the egg whites until you get peaks
0:40:32 > 0:40:35and then add 150g of both caster and icing sugar.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40And the great thing about adding icing sugar to this, together with
0:40:40 > 0:40:45this coffee essence, you end up with this lovely silky rich meringue.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50And that's the icing sugar that does it, it's a great tip.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54I learnt from a great restaurant in London, I've never forgotten it.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56You can pipe this on if you want, but, for me,
0:40:56 > 0:41:01the whole point about this is the speed of which you make it.
0:41:01 > 0:41:02So you just pop it on.
0:41:02 > 0:41:06So let it fall over the sides first, then round the edge.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Now the great thing about this, this is so quick and easy to do at home.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11So you don't want to be too fancy with it.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14Try not to make things too perfect.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16And by blowtorching the top,
0:41:16 > 0:41:20and around the edge, you can turn this into sort of a baked Alaska.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24So you can stop there, it looks pretty impressive as it is,
0:41:24 > 0:41:25and you know it's going to taste great,
0:41:25 > 0:41:27because you've got all those layers in.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30But I'm not going to stop there. I love these things.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Marshmallows, fantastic.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36And another thing I love... Mmm!
0:41:36 > 0:41:37..is meringue.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39You can buy these from the supermarket now.
0:41:39 > 0:41:45We then take some icing sugar and cocoa powder, and we dust the tops.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49And then using these marshmallows,
0:41:49 > 0:41:52which we can just chop up into pieces,
0:41:52 > 0:41:56and you can pop just ten of these any old way
0:41:56 > 0:41:59and these are the stalks for the mushrooms,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01and then you have the tops.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03Now, to help stick these on
0:42:03 > 0:42:07you've got a little bit of this meringue left, you can pop these on.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09So you're starting to build up
0:42:09 > 0:42:11the kind of idea with the mushrooms.
0:42:13 > 0:42:18To top it off, grate on some dark chocolate and it's ready to serve.
0:42:18 > 0:42:22The ultimate quick and easy gateau, with layers of sponge
0:42:22 > 0:42:24and creamy coffee-infused filling.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29I would normally eat this myself but, you know,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31we're on TV - we've got to watch our weight,
0:42:31 > 0:42:34so I'll leave these lot to dive in. Go on, guys.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Good. Amazing.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47Quick and easy doesn't have to mean compromising on good eating.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50All it takes is a bit of imagination
0:42:50 > 0:42:54and knowing the short cuts to get the most from your ingredients.
0:42:54 > 0:42:59So when time is tight or you've had a hectic day, what better reward
0:42:59 > 0:43:02than great-tasting food on your plate in minutes?
0:43:05 > 0:43:11You can find all the recipes from the series on:
0:43:29 > 0:43:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media