0:00:02 > 0:00:05The heart of my home is the kitchen.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10And it's here that I love to cook delicious meals
0:00:10 > 0:00:13for my nearest and dearest.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Cheers!
0:00:16 > 0:00:20There's no better way to celebrate everything good in life...
0:00:20 > 0:00:25than sharing some great food... with the people you love.
0:00:28 > 0:00:33- These are the dishes that- I- cook when I want to bring people together.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34These are MY home comforts.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48When I'm at home, I love to get a few friends round for dinner,
0:00:48 > 0:00:51but I know that cooking for a crowd
0:00:51 > 0:00:54gives some people serious stage fright,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58and those nerves can turn the whole experience into a bit of a drama.
0:00:58 > 0:00:59But I'm going to banish those jitters
0:00:59 > 0:01:01and show you some great dinner party dishes
0:01:01 > 0:01:04that I guarantee will wow your guests.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10'Today I'll be rustling up the kind of dessert that'll have calorie-counting guests
0:01:10 > 0:01:12'running for cover.'
0:01:12 > 0:01:15It's, like, the biggest doughnut in the world.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19I'm putting on a stone, here, tasting this.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21'Serving an amazingly simple dish
0:01:21 > 0:01:25'that's bursting with unusual flavours.'
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Most people would never have tasted it before.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30This really is delicious.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33'And showing my Strictly Come Dancing buddy Camilla Dallerup
0:01:33 > 0:01:36'the quickest steps to a perfect roast...'
0:01:36 > 0:01:39- It's chopped now.- No, it's not, you've still got to chop a bit more.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40Go on, the plasters are ready.
0:01:43 > 0:01:48I'm getting the ball rolling with a dish that always goes down well at my dinner parties.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52It's a giant pudding that's also big on flavour, and best of all,
0:01:52 > 0:01:55you can make it in advance.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Now, the key for me to a no-drama dinner party
0:01:59 > 0:02:01is to have everything prepared beforehand,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03and that includes dessert.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05And this is a really simple dessert.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07It's just a massive doughnut.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Now, the idea of this being that you can just make one dessert,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13and this is enough to feed about 10 or 12 people.
0:02:15 > 0:02:19Now, first thing we're going to do is make the doughnut dough.
0:02:20 > 0:02:25Put a kilo of plain flour with 100g of caster sugar in a mixer.
0:02:26 > 0:02:32Then gently heat 100g of butter with 300ml of milk, full fat of course.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37When the butter is just melting, it's time to add the yeast.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39For this, I'm going to use just some fresh yeast.
0:02:39 > 0:02:43Now, you can use dried, I much prefer this.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46You can actually buy this from your supermarket.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48If you go speak to the bakery, he often will sell you
0:02:48 > 0:02:50a big block of this sort of stuff.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And for this one, we want about 18g.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Take the pan off the heat before adding the yeast,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59then mix it in gently with a spoon.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02It's really an important part of this process because
0:03:02 > 0:03:04if you don't mix this in,
0:03:04 > 0:03:06you just end up with lumps of yeast in the mix.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Now, ideally, what you want it is to be body temperature, really.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13If it's too hot to your finger, it will kill the yeast.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15When all the yeast has dissolved,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18add the liquid to the dry ingredients in the mixer,
0:03:18 > 0:03:24pour in another 300ml of milk, and then start it off on a medium speed.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Now, I first came across this recipe while working in America,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32in the oldest doughnut shop in the States.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34What I loved about it, it was still in the same family,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38and we have this thing in sort of TV land, it's called a pack shot.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41It's where, basically, you would get all the family outside the shop
0:03:41 > 0:03:43so you just take one shot.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46The director said, "Smile everybody," and everybody smiled
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and there was one tooth between every single one of them...
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Five generations of the same family!
0:03:51 > 0:03:54..obviously from eating too many doughnuts.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59And after about five minutes, this dough should be about there.
0:03:59 > 0:04:04This is exactly the texture that we're looking for.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06It's not bread dough. This is an enriched yeast dough,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and because of that, it should feel quite tacky.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13And it's really important at this stage not to make it too dry.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18So what you need to do now is just cover this over
0:04:18 > 0:04:22and leave it somewhere warm for about an hour to prove.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26And while it's doing that, I can get on with another part of my recipe -
0:04:26 > 0:04:29fantastic homemade ice cream.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33I start by warming 250ml of double cream
0:04:33 > 0:04:37with the same amount of full-fat milk.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Now, you can flavour this ice cream with whatever you want
0:04:40 > 0:04:44but I'm going to put in some malted milk powder, just a touch.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Just adds a really nice flavour to our ice cream.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53Once this milk powder has dissolved and the mixture is just simmering,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57combine 100g of caster sugar with six egg yolks
0:04:57 > 0:04:58in a separate bowl.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Then add the warm cream mixture to the eggs and sugar,
0:05:01 > 0:05:03whisking all the time.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Finally, pour the whole lot back into the pan.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Now, one thing you don't want to be doing is boiling this
0:05:10 > 0:05:12otherwise you end up with scrambled eggs.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15So just lift it on and off the heat as and when you want.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18But the key to this is looking at the bubbles,
0:05:18 > 0:05:24cos as the mixture starts to thicken up, the bubbles start to disappear,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27as you get this custard-style texture.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32That's now ready, we can take the entire mixture
0:05:32 > 0:05:34and pop it in my container.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Now, at this stage, if I had an ice cream machine,
0:05:37 > 0:05:39I'd use it to churn and freeze the mixture.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43But I don't, so I'm putting it in the freezer to set.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47And once that's done, I'm using this fancy bit of kit to churn it.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I do love my gadgets!
0:05:49 > 0:05:51MACHINE WHIRRS
0:05:51 > 0:05:54Then I'm putting the ice cream back into the freezer
0:05:54 > 0:05:55for half an hour or so.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00During all this time, the dough has doubled in size,
0:06:00 > 0:06:04so the next step is to knead it for a couple of minutes.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Now, what you want to do is mould this into what looks like a big bun.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10It's looking pretty good.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Then...you grab a little pair of scissors.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18What we want to do is just cut the centre open...
0:06:20 > 0:06:23..and open this up into the start of our big doughnut.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27"And how are you going to deep-fry this monster?" I hear you ask.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Well, I'm not. I'm going to bake it instead.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34But before that,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I'm smothering it in some of my favourite low-fat ingredients(!)
0:06:38 > 0:06:40So, in the butter first...
0:06:43 > 0:06:46..roll it again in the sugar, fold it over.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50Once it's fully coated in my cinnamon-and-sugar mix,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53the doughnut goes back into a large greased baking tray,
0:06:53 > 0:06:57and then I stick a small greased tin in the hole in the middle.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00And then it's left to prove for 45 minutes
0:07:00 > 0:07:05before going into the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for half an hour.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Now, what you need to do is just leave this to cool down a little bit.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17You just loosen the tin in the centre and just tip it out.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Fingers crossed.
0:07:26 > 0:07:27Monster doughnut!
0:07:27 > 0:07:29But I'm not finished yet.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32I drizzle the whole thing with a glaze
0:07:32 > 0:07:36made from 200g of icing sugar mixed with two tablespoons of bourbon.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Well, dinner parties aren't the place to count calories!
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Look at that, a proper big doughnut,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48and not forgetting you've got this amazing ice cream.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Of course you can buy ice cream to serve with the doughnut.
0:07:51 > 0:07:56But, for me, nothing beats the flavour of this homemade version.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59And all you do is just grab a chunk of it.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Look at that, it's like the biggest doughnut in the world.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14I love this dessert.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Let's face it, we all want a no-fuss dinner party,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22great food you can just dunk in the middle of the table
0:08:22 > 0:08:25and let everybody dive in.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28By midnight, all this is gone, I promise you.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Of course, any dish is only as good as the ingredients you put in it.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Luckily, the UK is peppered with dedicated producers
0:08:38 > 0:08:44that are all dead set on bringing us the best British food.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49In Cornwall, fifth-generation farmer Roger Olver
0:08:49 > 0:08:52and his wife Tanya produce something very confidential.
0:08:52 > 0:08:57But those in the know reckon it's the very best they've ever tasted.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00And what they farm is...
0:09:00 > 0:09:01Come on!
0:09:01 > 0:09:03..top-secret ducks.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08The birds waddled into their lives
0:09:08 > 0:09:11after a conversation with a local chef.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13He said, "Have you ever thought about doing duck?"
0:09:13 > 0:09:17And we hadn't, so we found some duck in Devon,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19we brought them back, reared them,
0:09:19 > 0:09:22took them down to him, he cooked them off and said,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25"That is stunning, that is absolutely stunning.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29"I've got lots of other chefs who can't get good duck."
0:09:29 > 0:09:32The birds they bought from Devon were a secret crossbreed
0:09:32 > 0:09:35of at least four different types of duck,
0:09:35 > 0:09:37to which they've added even more.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39We like to keep the breed strong
0:09:39 > 0:09:43by bringing in extra stock every once in a while.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47I can't tell you what stock it is, what type of duck.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52What makes their classified duck so special
0:09:52 > 0:09:55is the proportion of fat to meat, and its taste.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00To achieve this, they believe they have to do everything themselves.
0:10:00 > 0:10:05We've got everything here. It makes it so unique.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I think there's only a few places in the country
0:10:07 > 0:10:10that does the whole lot - hatch to dispatch.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Keeping everything in-house means
0:10:12 > 0:10:16Tanya has to first collect the eggs from their laying ducks.
0:10:17 > 0:10:22Here, I've got a lovely clutch of eggs and, as you can see,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25they've got a lovely...the classic egg shape,
0:10:25 > 0:10:27which will help them to hatch out.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30They'll come out the top there, so it's all important
0:10:30 > 0:10:32to get the right size and shape eggs.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35So I'm really, really happy with these.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37The eggs are then placed in an incubator,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40where things remain very quiet for about four weeks.
0:10:40 > 0:10:41OK.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44- CHICKS CHEEP - Hello!
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Now, this is welcome to the world.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51But there's always one running a little late.
0:10:51 > 0:10:56He's got to dry off but he'll come along well, he's absolutely fine.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01OK...
0:11:01 > 0:11:02Hello.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05From the hatchery, the ducklings are taken to
0:11:05 > 0:11:07a series of brooder houses -
0:11:07 > 0:11:09heated pens where they live for two weeks,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13until they're big enough to roam outside in the paddocks.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18They're like puppies. They expend all their energy,
0:11:18 > 0:11:22then you'll see them all together, huddled up and gone to sleep.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28- Morning.- Roger and Tanya hatch 300 ducklings a week in peak season,
0:11:28 > 0:11:33and they graze and mature on the farm for two months.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36That's two weeks more than most mass-produced ducks.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38In the big processing places,
0:11:38 > 0:11:42they'll probably process about 3,000 a week,
0:11:42 > 0:11:48so in comparison with everybody else, we are quite small.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50That way, we can have all the individual care.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53It's really hands-on, but I feel that really matters
0:11:53 > 0:11:57and it matters with the end product.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00That hands-on approach even extends to their own range of burgers,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03which they sell at farmers' markets.
0:12:03 > 0:12:04We eat a lot of duck.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08It was my favourite meat before we started producing them,
0:12:08 > 0:12:09so that's rather good.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12These burgers we eat an awful lot of.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16We use them if we have friends coming over for a dinner party,
0:12:16 > 0:12:20and so many people have never sampled duck burger before.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24As well as being a hit with amateur cooks,
0:12:24 > 0:12:27the secret ducks have gone down a treat
0:12:27 > 0:12:30with Michelin-starred chefs, like Chris Eden.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32I believe in this duck completely
0:12:32 > 0:12:35because the fat layer on the outside of it roasts up
0:12:35 > 0:12:38and it renders down so it'll become beautiful and crisp.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41And then when you cut into it, it's quite a bloody duck,
0:12:41 > 0:12:43so it stays lovely and pink,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and the flavour is obviously unique as well.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Roger and Tanya's ducks may well be delicious,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53but there are two birds back on the farm
0:12:53 > 0:12:55which will never reach the dining-room table.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58These are Romulus and Remus, they're the famous duck twins
0:12:58 > 0:13:01and they were born in 2009.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04And they're famous because they came out of one egg,
0:13:04 > 0:13:08which is incredibly rare. I was told it wouldn't happen.
0:13:08 > 0:13:09They're very dear to us
0:13:09 > 0:13:11and after their natural day,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13the Natural History Museum want them,
0:13:13 > 0:13:17so I think they're going to go down in history.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22These two certainly have a special place in Roger and Tanya's hearts.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26But the truth is, the couple are quackers about them all.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Yeah, we eat, sleep, live, breathe ducks,
0:13:29 > 0:13:33and they're just such beautiful creatures.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35They've got so much character
0:13:35 > 0:13:39and they just keep us sane, I think, and they make us really happy.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50I'm more of a dog-lover myself, but I do enjoy cooking duck.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52When I have people coming over,
0:13:52 > 0:13:57I often rustle up my no-hassle duck breast with umeboshi sauce.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01It's a fantastic combination of rich, succulent meat
0:14:01 > 0:14:05and a spicy, sweet sauce, with a very unusual flavour.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Now, duck for a dinner party can be quite tricky
0:14:09 > 0:14:12but I'm going to use the duck breast for this
0:14:12 > 0:14:14and it's a great way to use it for a dinner party
0:14:14 > 0:14:17because you can prepare this way in advance.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19But the first thing we're going to turn our attention to
0:14:19 > 0:14:21is the spice mix, cos I'm going to do this
0:14:21 > 0:14:24sort of an Asian, sort of Japanese-y sort of spice.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29I start the mix with curry powder, ground ginger and five-spice.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31A teaspoon of each will do the trick,
0:14:31 > 0:14:36but you'll need two teaspoons of the final ingredient, sancho pepper.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39It's quite a lemony, fragrant mixture
0:14:39 > 0:14:43of sort of different peppers and spices, it's wonderful.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46You'll find sancho pepper in Asian supermarkets or online.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53When the spice mix is ready, rub it on to the duck breasts.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55And you'll need to seal the meat,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58and getting this bit right is really important.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Don't put any salt, no pepper, nothing,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02it's just got the spice mix on it,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and you take the duck breasts and you place them in a dry pan.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Now, I like to do this from a cold pan, really.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11Make sure it's on low to start off with
0:15:11 > 0:15:13and then gradually, you're heating up this pan,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17and you'll see how much fat comes out of these duck breasts.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20The duck will take three to four minutes,
0:15:20 > 0:15:21so I can get on with the sauce.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25For that, I'm using another interesting ingredient.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29These are umeboshi plums, which translate to pickled plums.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33You can get a paste form or you can get the whole form,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35and you can see inside, you've got the seed in there,
0:15:35 > 0:15:39so what you need to do is just take the seeds out of these.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Now, I've actually seen these being harvested,
0:15:41 > 0:15:42generally around June time.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45They're picked and they put them in big barrels
0:15:45 > 0:15:48and put loads of salt on it, or use a mixture of salt and vinegar.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50And what you end up with is these sort of pickled,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53really strong-flavoured plums.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55These Japanese salt plums, like the sancho pepper,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58can be found in Asian supermarkets.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01To make the sauce, put 200g of the plums in a blender
0:16:01 > 0:16:06with a teaspoon of the spice mix and two tablespoons of honey.
0:16:06 > 0:16:07Blitz the lot.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Then set it aside while you finish off the duck.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Now, the key to this is just to make sure you get a lovely colour on it
0:16:17 > 0:16:22before you turn them over, and you can see that beautiful colour.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Now, at that point, we could take it off the heat,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29so what we're going to do is grab some honey...
0:16:30 > 0:16:33So just a good drizzle of honey over the top.
0:16:35 > 0:16:37Of course, that combination of sweetness,
0:16:37 > 0:16:40together with the sourness of the plums,
0:16:40 > 0:16:43is going to work fantastically well.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Now, all they need is eight to ten minutes
0:16:45 > 0:16:47in an oven heated to 200 degrees.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54I'm going to serve this with a little bit of bok choy,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57just steamed, very, very simply.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00Too many people try and reinvent the wheel
0:17:00 > 0:17:02and try and do something too fancy for dinner parties.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04You've got to keep it nice and simple
0:17:04 > 0:17:07so you can spend more time with your guests,
0:17:07 > 0:17:09and this is the perfect dish for that.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11To give the bok choy a bit of kick,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15chop up half a red onion, and thinly slice a chilli to go with it.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19And then ginger... Now, when you're buying ginger,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21go for ginger with a smooth skin.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24It means that it's full of moisture inside.
0:17:24 > 0:17:27And for this, I'm just going to cut it nice and thin.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Little bit of garlic. We could just crush that.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33And then we've got our bok choy.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Now, actually, I've tried growing this here
0:17:36 > 0:17:37with varying degrees of success.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39To be honest, the slugs like it,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41so you've got to keep them away from it.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44But it is a fantastic thing - it's produced in this country as well,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46and it's just very, very simple to cook.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49I pile this slug-free bok choy into the steamer,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51top it off with the other ingredients
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and cook for five minutes or so.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Now, our duck, after about halfway through the cooking,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00it's a good idea to check it.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03The honey can burn, so what you've got to do is take it out...
0:18:05 > 0:18:07..and then just baste it.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10There's no need to get the tissues out
0:18:10 > 0:18:13but, as a chef, we don't get invited to dinner parties very often.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16Mainly cos people are really scared about cooking for us!
0:18:16 > 0:18:19One of the dinner parties that I got invited to about eight years ago,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21I got asked for a recipe
0:18:21 > 0:18:24and I gave them a recipe for a delicious little coq au vin,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26and when I got there, it was a black-tie gig,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28I got shown into the kitchen,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31shown the fridge, shown the knife, shown the chopping board
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and said, "We'll see you in two hours,"
0:18:34 > 0:18:36and I cooked the entire meal for 30 people.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38That was an ex-friend.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Right, we're there with the duck.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Once basted, give the duck another four to five minutes in the oven.
0:18:46 > 0:18:50When it comes out, let it rest for around five to eight minutes,
0:18:50 > 0:18:54then warm the plum sauce in the pan with the juices from the meat.
0:18:56 > 0:19:02So, the bok choy's done, nicely steamed. Now we're ready to serve.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09And there we have it.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14It's sharp, it's sour,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17it's everything you want to go with the duck.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I love doing this for a dinner party,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22cos most people would never have even tasted it before.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24It's good, that.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29It's pretty hard to beat the flavour of crispy duck,
0:19:29 > 0:19:34but serving it with this really unusual sauce makes it even tastier.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42Home is the place where I like to relax,
0:19:42 > 0:19:45so I never get into a flap about entertaining.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50Tonight, I'm cooking for a couple of friends,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53because my mate and former Strictly Come Dancing partner
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Camilla Dallerup is home from LA.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59- Hey!- Hi.- Hello!- How are you?
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- I'm good, thank you. - The dog first, go on then.
0:20:02 > 0:20:03Oh, wow...
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Camilla's helping me out with making dinner,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07but before we get busy in the kitchen,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10we need a vital ingredient from the garden.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12So we need... For this, we need some lavender.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17- So, do you have this in LA, then? - No, this is very British.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20So, is it just a concrete jungle where you are now?
0:20:20 > 0:20:21Yeah, a bit!
0:20:21 > 0:20:24I'm right in the middle of the city centre of LA.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27- That's the trendy bit, innit? - Of course.- They're all cool.
0:20:27 > 0:20:30- You live on wheatgrass and all that sort of stuff.- Yeah.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33Wheatgrass is definitely off the menu tonight.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Instead, I'm cooking a succulent leg of lamb in hay.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40- I know what you're like in the kitchen.- What do you mean?
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Well, you're better on the dance floor, aren't you, really?
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Right, I've got you an apron.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- Oh, thank you, I've always wanted one like that.- There you go.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52So we're going to do roast lamb, roast potatoes, mint sauce.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55But we're going to do roast lamb slightly differently...
0:20:55 > 0:21:01- You've got hay.- ..in this stuff. Hay from a pet shop. What?
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- Really?- Yeah, well, I think you'll like it at the end of this.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- I think it's all right. So, we've got a leg of lamb here.- Lovely.
0:21:07 > 0:21:08Now, this is called the long leg.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11There's a long leg and a short leg and a half leg,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13like there's a rendez turn...
0:21:13 > 0:21:14Yeah, go on. Whisk.
0:21:14 > 0:21:18Whisk. And was it chas... What was that other one?
0:21:18 > 0:21:20- Chasse turn?- Chasse, that's the one.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Do you still remember your ballroom hold?
0:21:22 > 0:21:25I try to forget! Anyway, moving over to the lamb.
0:21:25 > 0:21:27No, cos I'm thinking, before we cook,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30we should just check, just do... just show me.
0:21:30 > 0:21:31Well, it was like that.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33I got told off cos the hands weren't the same.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36It's a little bit higher. I remember. That's it, head up.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- Oh, smile.- You see. I'm smiling. - You see, you still remember.- OK.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42It's just when I was doing that I was a different colour, orange mainly.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- Do you remember when you put me in the spray room?- I remember.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48I've never seen anything like it in my entire life.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Now, what we're going to do is, we're going to take our knife...
0:21:50 > 0:21:53- You'll be quite good at this. - Oh, dear. Everywhere?
0:21:53 > 0:21:55Yeah. Randomly, not just...
0:21:55 > 0:21:58- A bit more over there. - Oh, mind your finger.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01That's it, and then one more, that'll do.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Once the skin's been pierced a dozen or so times,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07you need to push small pieces of lavender into the holes.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Make sure you use edible lavender for this job.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Now, what we're going to do is grab our hay.
0:22:15 > 0:22:17So this is hay from a pet shop.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Don't go getting this out of your rabbit hutch.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22And then, if you can just break this hay up, like that...
0:22:22 > 0:22:25That's it, just break it up and just put it around.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29- Think I can do this bit. - OK. I'll just stay out the way(!)
0:22:29 > 0:22:32With the hay in place, it's just a matter of sprinkling it
0:22:32 > 0:22:36with a little bit of lavender, then plonking the leg of lamb on top.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39But I wouldn't let it go anywhere near the oven
0:22:39 > 0:22:41without a good coating of softened butter.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46There's a new thing in LA - forget the wheatgrass,
0:22:46 > 0:22:47this is the new thing.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I'd already forgotten the wheatgrass!
0:22:49 > 0:22:53It's coffee made with butter and coconut oil.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55And it's amazing.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58- So it's coffee blended with butter? - And coconut oil.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Do you not cook with coconut oil?
0:23:00 > 0:23:03Not really, no. My granny used to put it on her face.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04It's good for that, too.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07I just put soap. All right?
0:23:07 > 0:23:11- Right, salt over the top. Yeah, yeah.- Black pepper.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14I actually think I could cook this dish. So far, it looks pretty simple.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17We haven't done anything yet, it's not even gone in the oven.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20To be fair, anyone can roast a leg of lamb.
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Just as long you cover it with foil, preheat the oven to 180 degrees,
0:23:24 > 0:23:29and remember to take the meat out after two to three hours.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31What we're going to do is roast potatoes.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Now, if you can fill me the pan half full with water.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38- So, you actually boil them first, then?- I always parboil them.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41I don't, you see. Maybe that's why I go wrong.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44Well, this is why you're here. I'm here to teach you, you see.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47I spent 16 weeks having to listen to you tell me
0:23:47 > 0:23:50what to do all the time. This is a little bit of payback.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52Remember, in the rumba and the cha-cha,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54I asked you to scrape your feet?
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I do remember that. That was when I wore all black
0:23:57 > 0:24:01and then Darren Gough came out with one sequin like that.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04The following week, I looked like Liberace.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07I wanted sequins everywhere, inside the jacket, outside the jacket.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10You were loving it, you even had it on your tie.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12I was on a different planet.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15When the potatoes are peeled and chopped,
0:24:15 > 0:24:19they're parboiled with a pinch of salt for two minutes.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21Now, we can't have lamb without mint sauce, all right?
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Do you know what? I prefer mint tea to mint sauce, actually.
0:24:24 > 0:24:26I've got used to baked beans.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28I've got used to a lot of the British ways,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31but the two things I'm not used to yet is custard
0:24:31 > 0:24:33- and this mint sauce thing. - Well, just get with it.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37'I suppose I can understand someone not liking mint sauce from a jar,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40'which is why I use the fresh stuff.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43'Make it like this, and it's a whole different ball game.'
0:24:43 > 0:24:44Can you chop that up for me?
0:24:44 > 0:24:46So when you're chopping it up, do it this way.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- You mean rustic size.- Just... That can be just...
0:24:49 > 0:24:50It's chopped now, isn't it?
0:24:50 > 0:24:53No, it's not. You've still got to chop a bit more as well.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57- Go on, the plasters are ready. - Right.- That's it.- Is that it?
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- Is this chopped?- Little bit longer.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05- No, little bit longer. I'll take over.- Do you think?
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Yeah, cos this is going to take quite a long time.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14And with the mint FINALLY chopped,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16the next job is to drain the potatoes.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19And to make sure they come out nice and crispy,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21give them a good shake to fluff them up.
0:25:21 > 0:25:26Then grab yourself a tray, and this...
0:25:26 > 0:25:28That's the bad stuff, right?
0:25:28 > 0:25:31- This is dripping. - It's right on the...
0:25:31 > 0:25:34This is like layers! So, this is dripping.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38I think that makes the best roast potatoes.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41You just pour that in, all right,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and we take the whole lot and pop that in the oven.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46See, I just use a bit of olive oil on mine.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48The healthy...
0:25:48 > 0:25:50So, we put the whole lot... You haven't tasted these yet.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Wait till you see. Put the whole lot in the oven.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57This'll take about an hour, all right, so we're nearly there.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Now it's time to finish the simple mint sauce.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Heat up 75ml of malt vinegar with 25g of caster sugar
0:26:05 > 0:26:07and a pinch of salt.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11It's an easy job - convincing Camilla is a bit harder.
0:26:11 > 0:26:15It's a stonking hangover cure, right, if you smell that.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Yeah. No, I can smell it from over here, thank you.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Look at that, all right?
0:26:19 > 0:26:21- As soon as that... - Your sinus is cleared!
0:26:21 > 0:26:24As soon as that's dissolved, you take the mint, throw it in...
0:26:25 > 0:26:31..and then you mix that together and that is mint sauce.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38You've really picked out some really easy recipes today for me, right?
0:26:38 > 0:26:41- I do appreciate that, you know, James.- Thanks.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44We can just leave the roast for a while,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47giving us chance to relive our dancing days.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51You see, there's bits and pieces that I remember from Strictly.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Was this the rendez turn?
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- Do you remember the run, when we did the run?- That was it.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58That's it, let's run!
0:26:58 > 0:26:59SHE LAUGHS
0:26:59 > 0:27:02Let's go and lay the table.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Right, enough of all that!
0:27:04 > 0:27:06The meat's had two hours in the oven,
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and I've got a table of hungry guests.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12- Wow.- Right, who's for a piece of lamb?
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- Chuck us your plates down. There you go.- Lamb in hay.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17For my friends and I, there's nothing to beat this meal,
0:27:17 > 0:27:21but then you always get one picky guest.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25Mmm, I quite like the mint sauce. I never thought I'd say that.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28First step to a stress-free dinner party?
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Don't invite a fussy eater!
0:27:30 > 0:27:35Second, choose tasty recipes you can prepare well in advance.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40And most important of all, don't try to reinvent the wheel.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44You see, the key to making no-drama dinner parties like this
0:27:44 > 0:27:47is simple, honest flavours, really good-quality lamb,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50nice little bit of hay to add flavour,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52and not forgetting that amazing mint sauce.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55- Hey, you forgot to mention me. - That's all right.
0:27:57 > 0:28:02You can find all the recipes for the series at...
0:28:03 > 0:28:05- And the lamb...- You see.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08I don't know why I sound surprised, I knew you could cook!
0:28:08 > 0:28:09Yeah, thanks(!)