0:00:02 > 0:00:05'The heart of my home is the kitchen.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09'And it's here that I love to cook delicious meals
0:00:09 > 0:00:12'for my nearest and dearest.'
0:00:12 > 0:00:13LAUGHTER
0:00:13 > 0:00:14- ALL:- Cheers!
0:00:16 > 0:00:20'There's no better way to celebrate everything good in life...
0:00:22 > 0:00:26'..than sharing some great food with the people you love.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29'These are the dishes that I cook
0:00:29 > 0:00:32'when I want to bring people together.'
0:00:32 > 0:00:34These are my home comforts.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48'The pace of modern life means that many of us work long hours.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'And after a hard day, it's easy to settle for food
0:00:50 > 0:00:53'that feeds our bodies, but not our souls.'
0:00:55 > 0:00:58So I've got a load of recipes that are guaranteed to pick you up
0:00:58 > 0:01:00and put a smile on your face.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04These are the treats I always cook to boost my mood.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09Ohhhhh! Check this out!
0:01:12 > 0:01:15'I'll be baking the ultimate fast food
0:01:15 > 0:01:17for an instant hit of joy.'
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Mmmm!
0:01:19 > 0:01:23'And cooking an uplifting dish with my mate Michael Caines,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25'who can be a bit of a perfectionist.'
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Stop being cheffy, just get it on the plate!
0:01:31 > 0:01:34'But I'm going to get started with a sweet treat
0:01:34 > 0:01:36that always puts a spring in my step.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38It's my melt-in-the-mouth chocolate eclair.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42The combination of cream, fat, chocolate,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45all together in a lovely pastry case
0:01:45 > 0:01:48is just my idea of food heaven.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51'I'm starting the choux pastry mix by putting exactly
0:01:51 > 0:01:54'200mls of water in a pan.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00'Along with a pinch of salt and some sugar.'
0:02:00 > 0:02:03I remember working in France aged 14, 15,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05where I actually mastered the art of choux pastry.
0:02:05 > 0:02:07Because I spent a lot of time on a pastry section
0:02:07 > 0:02:11just doing little, tiny chocolate eclairs.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13Ever so small. About this big.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16And I had to make about 300 every single day.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18So you really master the art of a good recipe.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21So the important thing I was told in France
0:02:21 > 0:02:23is to use diced butter.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25What you don't want to be doing is a big lump of butter in here.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Because it's really important that the butter melts
0:02:29 > 0:02:31before the water boils.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Because the water is really important in this recipe.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34It creates steam.
0:02:34 > 0:02:38That steam is what we need for the choux pastry to rise.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40So we must have as much water in the recipe as possible.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43And that's why, if you keep boiling this mixture now,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45you don't end up with 250mls of water,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47you'll end up with probably 200mls of water.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49So the recipe becomes unbalanced.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52'When the butter is melted,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56'add 150g of good-quality, strong, plain flour.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59'Keep it on the heat and mix.'
0:03:02 > 0:03:05The way to tell whether it's ready is actually not by looking at it,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07but by listening to it.
0:03:09 > 0:03:12And it almost sounds like fried bacon in a pan.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15You can hear it sizzling.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18At that point, we can take it off.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21Now what I like to do is basically just leave it to cool.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24And the quickest way to do that is not in a machine...
0:03:25 > 0:03:27..it's to put it on to a tray.
0:03:30 > 0:03:31Just spread the dough evenly
0:03:31 > 0:03:34and stick it in the fridge for five minutes or so.
0:03:35 > 0:03:39'After this, you'll need to add four eggs to it.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43Start by popping the cool dough into your mixer and then switching it on.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51The trick with this is to add each egg one at a time.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52One thing you don't want to be doing
0:03:52 > 0:03:54is throwing all the eggs in together,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56otherwise you'll just end up with a bowl of scrambled egg.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01And then, finally, just give it a blast
0:04:01 > 0:04:03on full power for about 30 seconds.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11'When the choux mix is rich and smooth, it's ready for piping.'
0:04:13 > 0:04:15I like to use quite a decent-sized nozzle.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Round nozzle for our eclairs.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19These are serious chocolate eclairs, these ones,
0:04:19 > 0:04:21not the piddly ones I was used to in France,
0:04:21 > 0:04:23these are proper big ones.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24Fill your piping bag...
0:04:25 > 0:04:27..full of the choux.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34And then it comes to what many people find is the tricky bit.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36And that's piping.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41Easiest way to do this, really, is to actually
0:04:41 > 0:04:42start at one end and work your way through it
0:04:42 > 0:04:44and if you make a mess,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46just scrape it up and put it back in a piping bag.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50But, for this, you want to make sure your tray is nice and secure
0:04:50 > 0:04:52and not flying around all over the place.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53So just on a tea towel.
0:04:53 > 0:04:57And the actual piping bag doesn't touch the metal tray.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00You're almost drawing the mixture on.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Now, this hand is moving the speed of the bag,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04this hand is forcing the mixture through.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07And it's how quick or how slow you do each movement
0:05:07 > 0:05:11denotes how thin or thick you want the eclairs.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14You start at one end and work your way through it.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Every single one the same.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20Every single one the same.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25If you think this is tricky, try doing this with a French chef
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and with a meat cleaver behind you.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30Shouting and screaming at you in a foreign language.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32And certainly a language that
0:05:32 > 0:05:34your French teacher didn't teach you.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40What you will end up with is little points on it.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43And what you can do is just use a little bit of water on your fingers
0:05:43 > 0:05:48and press the points down on the choux pastry.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Otherwise, if you leave these little points on it,
0:05:50 > 0:05:52they'll kind of burn.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53But also, don't forget,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56we're going to coat this in a nice fondant icing.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59So you want the tops...as flat as possible.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'Sprinkle some water over the tray.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08'In the oven, this will turn into steam and help the eclairs to rise.'
0:06:10 > 0:06:12And then you set the oven quite high.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14About 220 degrees, 450 Fahrenheit.
0:06:14 > 0:06:15Quite a hot oven.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19And these are going to bake now for about 25-30 minutes.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26'I can now start making the topping
0:06:26 > 0:06:29'with 100g of dark chocolate in a bain-marie.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34'When that's melted, add 150g of icing sugar,
0:06:34 > 0:06:39'along with four tablespoons of cocoa powder, and mix.'
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Now, immediately, it actually goes to this crumb.
0:06:44 > 0:06:50Now, if we use the leftover water that we've got in here and a spoon,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53especially when this is hot, it will bring it back.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Get this to a paste, really.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Don't add too much water in at the start,
0:07:01 > 0:07:05otherwise the fondant will end up going lumpy.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09'Add more water until you've got a wonderful, shiny, smooth glaze.'
0:07:09 > 0:07:11You don't want it too liquid,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14otherwise it's just going to fall over the top of your eclairs.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16And also, you don't want it too solid,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19otherwise you'll be spreading it on with a knife.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Because you've got the chocolate in there, it's going to set.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25So what you need to do...is keep it warm.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31To do that, the leftover water over a pan is the perfect place for this.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34'When the eclairs are cooked,
0:07:34 > 0:07:37'take them out of the oven and let them cool down.'
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Now, I'm going to fill these just with plain whipped cream.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58The cream's nicely, softly whipped, which is exactly what we want.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59Just soft peaks like this.
0:08:01 > 0:08:05Makes it much easier to get inside the eclair.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07Now, there's one thing you need in an eclair,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09and that is cream, and plenty of it.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Now, instead of cutting this, which a lot of people do,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and filling it with cream, and when you bite into it,
0:08:17 > 0:08:20bang, the cream goes to your granny sat next to you,
0:08:20 > 0:08:22what you need to do is fill the tops.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24It's a great trick that I learned in France.
0:08:24 > 0:08:30So using an old pen, without the ink, otherwise we'll get letters,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33you put the pen into the top.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37One at each end...like that.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42And then what we do is get your cream.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45Now, you want to create just a small hole in the piping bag.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Not too big. Just a little hole.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Make sure you've got a steady stream of cream, like that.
0:08:52 > 0:08:58And then starting at one end, you put the cream inside that hole.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02And squeeze. And you'll see the eclair expand...
0:09:03 > 0:09:06..as it fills full of cream.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11'They look good already, but I'm going to turn them into something really special
0:09:11 > 0:09:15'by dipping them into the warm chocolate fondant,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17'sealing the holes on the top, as well.'
0:09:19 > 0:09:23Ohhhhhhh! Check this out!
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Mm-mm-mm!
0:09:28 > 0:09:30Little twist there.
0:09:35 > 0:09:36If that is not a thing of beauty...
0:09:38 > 0:09:40..I don't know what is.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45Now, normally, if this was a cooking exam at college,
0:09:45 > 0:09:49or with that French chef just behind me,
0:09:49 > 0:09:51I'd get big-time told off
0:09:51 > 0:09:55if any little bits of chocolate were dripping down the edge.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57But this is my house and he's not here.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10I mean, come on, it's a chocolate eclair!
0:10:10 > 0:10:12'That's right, no more words needed.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16'An eclair made well is paradise on a plate.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19'Naughty, but who cares?'
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Everyone's pick-me-up is different
0:10:24 > 0:10:26and here in the UK, we're very fortunate
0:10:26 > 0:10:28'to have an army of dedicated food producers
0:10:28 > 0:10:33'working tirelessly to bring us top-quality ingredients.'
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Producers like Selina and Andrew Cairns from Lanarkshire.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42They're second-generation farmers and cheese-makers.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46But these aren't run-of-the-mill Cheddars.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49And the milk they use doesn't come from cows.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51- Come on, boy! - BLEATING
0:10:51 > 0:10:54It comes from this rare breed of sheep.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58And, like Andrew, they're early risers.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01I milk them twice a day. At 5.00 in the morning,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04again at 4.00 in the afternoon.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06I do like getting up at this time of the morning.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09It certainly beats having to sit in your car for an hour and a half,
0:11:09 > 0:11:14drive somewhere to go and sit in an office, or work for somebody else.
0:11:14 > 0:11:15Shepherding a herd of dairy sheep
0:11:15 > 0:11:18is actually a very rare job in this country.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21In Scotland, certainly, there's only, I think, two people
0:11:21 > 0:11:23who are commercially milking sheep.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27Throughout Britain, there's only about 12,000 sheep being milked,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29which really is quite a small number.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Sheep's milk is better for making cheese.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33It has higher levels of fat and protein in it,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36which means you get more cheese per litre of sheep's milk
0:11:36 > 0:11:38than you do for cow's milk by about double the amount.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44The parlour's kitted out to milk 32 sheep at a time.
0:11:44 > 0:11:4516 down each side.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51We're putting through about 200 sheep an hour.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54You always get the odd sheep that's a bit awkward.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58These sometimes temperamental animals were brought over to Scotland
0:11:58 > 0:12:01by Selina's father Humphrey in the 1980s,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05after being inspired by Scotland's long-lost cheese-making history.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12I came across some writing of Sir Walter Scott's
0:12:12 > 0:12:15describing blue sheep's cheese made in this area.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17And that really fired my imagination,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19because we love blue cheese.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22To turn his dream into reality,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25Humphrey wanted the French Lacaune breed,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27which is known for its high milk yields.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29But there was just one problem -
0:12:29 > 0:12:32nobody in France wanted to sell him any.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36I would write to the breeding stations in France
0:12:36 > 0:12:37and never got replies.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40And it seemed to be very difficult to make any progress.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43And then a vet I knew contacted me and said,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46"Humphrey, are you still interested in these Lacaune sheep?"
0:12:46 > 0:12:48And I said, "Very much so, but we can't get them."
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Humphrey's friendly vet was able to find
0:12:51 > 0:12:55some Lacaune crossbreeds in Denmark.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57The flock is now almost 400-strong
0:12:57 > 0:13:00and thriving in the stunning Scottish uplands.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06The climate and the soil, the way the soil is handled and so on
0:13:06 > 0:13:10affects the unique quality of the cheese made in that area.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14I think that applies more to cheese, in many ways, than it does to wine.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Because you'll find the microflora,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19as it's called, of the milk,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22is unique to this particular bit of land.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29Microflora are harmless bacteria which affect the taste of the milk.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32They're killed during the pasteurisation process.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36But the family make their three cheeses with unpasteurised milk,
0:13:36 > 0:13:38allowing the flavour to shine through.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44But perhaps the most important ingredient
0:13:44 > 0:13:47for the continued success of the business is Selina.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Luckily for me, Selina was willing to take it on.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55And she's done wonderfully well in carrying it on.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I'm very proud of that.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00Recently, she's developed a brand-new cheese variety
0:14:00 > 0:14:03called Cora Linn, named after a local waterfall.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06It's like a Cheddar in the way we make it,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08but sheep's milk is a lot sweeter,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10and that comes through in the flavour.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14So it's more gentle on your palate than a Cheddar.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18I suppose some people compare it to Manchego or Pecorino.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22It's just as well Selina makes a lot of cheese,
0:14:22 > 0:14:26because she provides post-training meals for the local rugby team.
0:14:29 > 0:14:31There's always a bit of a scrum
0:14:31 > 0:14:34to get to the family's tasty and nutritious cheese.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It's very tasty. It wasn't too strong. It's mild.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42Really nice, yeah. Really nice.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44It's got a good flavour.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47It gives a good flavour to the pasta, so it's nice, yeah.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Definitely eat it again.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54'Sheep's cheese is the key component in one of my all-time favourites.
0:14:54 > 0:14:58'This is a pick-me-up that's unbelievably quick to cook
0:14:58 > 0:15:00'and guaranteed to make you smile.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05'It's my delicious nduja and sheep cheese pizza.'
0:15:06 > 0:15:09I've been quite fortunate to travel in this job,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11and to the home of pizza, which is Naples.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13And I've seen the best pizza
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and tasted the best, I think, in the world.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20And it's all to do, I reckon, not just with the topping, but the base.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21And the base is this recipe.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23It's the best pizza dough recipe I know.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28And it uses a combination of two different types of flour -
0:15:28 > 0:15:31semolina flour and 00 flour. This is often used for pasta.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33It's a very fine grain of flour.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38'Start off by weighing 200g of semolina flour
0:15:38 > 0:15:40'and 800g of 00 flour.
0:15:43 > 0:15:45'Now, there's no point just guessing this.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48'You have to measure it exactly, otherwise it won't work.'
0:15:50 > 0:15:54In we go with the sugar. About a tablespoon of sugar.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57A good pinch of salt into the flour.
0:15:57 > 0:16:01'Add some warm water to 7g of fresh yeast.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03'Mix it into a paste and pour in.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08'Finally, add another 650mls of warm water and get stuck in.'
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Now, for me, a dough like this, and including bread dough,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16is much easier and better to make by hand first of all.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18It's all about the texture, really.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21You don't want it too dry, you certainly don't want it too wet.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23But you've got to make sure there's moisture in it,
0:16:23 > 0:16:25otherwise, when it's cooked,
0:16:25 > 0:16:27it kind of tastes like a biscuit, really,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29when it comes out of the oven.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31We can start to bring all this lot together.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35And just, basically, put it onto your board and knead this.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38You can see the texture of it is quite sticky to my fingers.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40That's what we're looking for, really.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42It may appear too wet, but don't forget,
0:16:42 > 0:16:47all that flour is still soaking in all that liquid.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49Now, what should happen, as you're kneading it,
0:16:49 > 0:16:51it should just pull off your fingers
0:16:51 > 0:16:54and go into one solid piece of dough.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56So just keep kneading it like that.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59It also gives you a workout!
0:16:59 > 0:17:02You'll get a natural resistance to it when it's ready.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Like that. When you press it, it should start to bounce back a bit,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09which that's doing now. That looks pretty good to me.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11I'm just going to pop it into a bowl.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16Leave it outside, or anywhere warm, really. Cover it over.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18And it just wants to slowly prove
0:17:18 > 0:17:20for about an hour, an hour and a half.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26'After that, divide the dough into portions
0:17:26 > 0:17:30'that will make a pizza base each and leave for another hour.'
0:17:33 > 0:17:35When these have proved a second time,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38we're then ready to make our wonderful pizza.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41And use a combination of the semolina flour
0:17:41 > 0:17:44and the 00 flour to roll it out.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47I am going to roll it out and pin it out.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I'm not going to spin this around my head.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53'I'm rolling out the pizza bases really thin,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55'so they cook in no time at all.'
0:17:57 > 0:18:00I'm going to then just top this with a tomato sauce.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03What it is is just tinned San Marzano tomatoes,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06which are just blended up into a puree.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10There's no fancy tomatoes been cooked down or anything like that.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Just out of a tin, in a blender, done.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16As easy as that.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Now, I'm going to top it with this delicious sheep's cheese.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24It tastes fantastic. Slight taste of almost Pecorino.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Now, another thing that I'm going to put on this pizza...is this stuff,
0:18:30 > 0:18:32which is nduja. It's from Calabria.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35It's a sort of spicy, soft salami.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37It's just delicious!
0:18:37 > 0:18:40And it melts wonderful over this pizza.
0:18:40 > 0:18:44And you get the delicious, spicy flavour to go with it.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46So just a bit of that over the top.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51'To finish, some fresh basil and olive oil.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53'And it's ready to go in the oven.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56'It's about 500 degrees in there,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58'so it's only going to take a minute to cook.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04'You can cook this at home on a pizza stone in your oven.'
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Already that cheese has started to melt.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10That lovely nduja, there's lots and lots of oil in that.
0:19:10 > 0:19:11It's starting to melt, too.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14And that oil is going to just mix in with that cheese
0:19:14 > 0:19:16and taste fantastic.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23Mmmm!
0:19:23 > 0:19:24I was always taught, too,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27never to eat anything that's bigger than your head.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Now, I have to use this because my sister will be watching it.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Thank you, sis, you bought me this for my birthday.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43It's just what I always wanted!
0:19:49 > 0:19:51This is definitely the ultimate pick-me-up.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53Far better than any of that stuff
0:19:53 > 0:19:55you'll find delivered on the back of a motorbike,
0:19:55 > 0:19:58sweating in a cardboard box for 15 minutes as he gets lost.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06To me, it's one of the best-tasting dishes ever.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08You can't beat pizza.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11'The soft nduja and melted sheep's cheese topping
0:20:11 > 0:20:15'is certainly oozing with a feel-good factor.'
0:20:17 > 0:20:19'There's only one pick-me-up that's better than great food,
0:20:19 > 0:20:22'and that's sharing it with great company.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26'So today, I've asked over my good friend Michael Caines.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28'He's a Michelin-star chef,
0:20:28 > 0:20:31'but, like me, he loves cooking unfussy food at home.'
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- Hey!- How you doing, buddy? You're actually here!
0:20:34 > 0:20:37'And he's going to help me create the ultimate feel-good dish.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40'My perfect cottage pie.'
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- It's great.- Yeah.- It's one of the dishes I was brought up with.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47- I'm sure you had it at home.- Yeah.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49- We'll do that with just mashed potato and carrots.- Good.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52Properly-cooked carrots, as my mother called it. Not al-dente stuff.
0:20:52 > 0:20:57- No, these are proper cooked.- Got to be soft...soft carrots, as well.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59'I'm starting off by dicing up some celery.'
0:21:01 > 0:21:03So, what were you like as a kid, then, eating at home?
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Well, we always got around the table. We had a lovely garden.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Helped Dad do the gardening. Mum cooked every day.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13And cooking dishes like this at home,
0:21:13 > 0:21:15it sort of takes me back to my childhood, which is great.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18'To start the cooking,
0:21:18 > 0:21:21brown off 600g of beef mince in some veg oil.'
0:21:23 > 0:21:25When was the moment...? Because when I was a young kid,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27I remember it was quite early on.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Probably about seven or eight years old that I thought,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32"This is the job that I want to do".
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Mainly because I saw Keith Floyd once, who did a dinner,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38and I was only about eight and he stood up on a lectern and fell off.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40And I went, "That's what I want to be when I get older!"
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Because everybody applauded him. And I just thought, "That's me."
0:21:43 > 0:21:45- Showman.- I'll have a bit of that!
0:21:45 > 0:21:47There were no James Martins on TV when we grew up.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50There was no Jamie Oliver. There was nothing to really inspire you.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52There was Keith, but nothing as a career.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54So I kind of didn't think of it as a career.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56I just thought of it as a hobby.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58But when I found out I could cook for a living, that was it.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01I was about 16 years old and I haven't looked back since.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04I went to catering college and I went on from there.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09'After finely chopping two onions, three cloves of garlic,
0:22:09 > 0:22:11'a celery stick and one carrot,
0:22:11 > 0:22:13'chuck it all in with the beef.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18'Then add Worcester sauce for some spice,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21'and two tablespoons of tomato puree.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24'Finally, a splash of red wine.'
0:22:26 > 0:22:29And just burn off the alcohol and reduce it down a little bit
0:22:29 > 0:22:33and then we've got this beautiful beef stock, which we're going to put in. Look at that!
0:22:33 > 0:22:35'This beef stock is nice and thick
0:22:35 > 0:22:38'because I've reduced it down a few times.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40'But some butchers can do this for you.'
0:22:40 > 0:22:42You can't make this with the powdered stock,
0:22:42 > 0:22:43really, I don't think.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45- No.- You want to invest in some good stock.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48I like to taste at this stage.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51Do you know what I'm going to do at this stage? Get the carrots on.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54My gran used to put carrots like this, even back then,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57bit of salt, some sugar
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and a nice nub of butter in it, as well.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Carrots have got a natural sweetness.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04But they become something else when you cook them like this.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- Obviously, butter.- This is where I blame my gran, you see?
0:23:07 > 0:23:11MICHAEL LAUGHS That's where it all started, with the carrots.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14- She's got a lot to answer for, clearly.- Tell me about it.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18'The carrots should be left to cook for at least half an hour
0:23:18 > 0:23:22'so they go really soft.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27'After the mince has simmered away for half an hour,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29'put it in the fridge to chill.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32'It's a nifty trick that will make
0:23:32 > 0:23:35'putting on the mashed potato topping much easier
0:23:35 > 0:23:37'because the mix will be firmer.'
0:23:40 > 0:23:42You know what, it looks delicious, doesn't it?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44It's no good me doing it, seeing as you're here.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46- Yeah, delicious.- Happy with that?
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- Really intense. Beautiful. - Doesn't need salt or pepper?
0:23:49 > 0:23:52Maybe just a...maybe just a little bit of salt.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54THEY LAUGH Go on, put a bit more in. I know you want to.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57No, no, no, no. It's rich
0:23:57 > 0:24:01and the stock's reduced and it's just intensified. Look at it!
0:24:01 > 0:24:03- A good cottage pie, that. - Proper, that. Proper.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06'For the mashed topping, we're using potatoes
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'that have been pierced with a fork, put on a bed of rock salt
0:24:09 > 0:24:12'and baked for about an hour, keeping the flesh nice and dry.
0:24:15 > 0:24:16'When they're cool enough to handle,
0:24:16 > 0:24:18'scoop them out and pass through a ricer.'
0:24:20 > 0:24:23So, are you the only chef in the family, then, or...?
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Yeah. No, I'm the only chef in the family.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29And there was no real history of anybody in the industry, as such.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33I was adopted at the age of six weeks, but I found my father
0:24:33 > 0:24:36and what I did find out is that, when he came over from Dominica,
0:24:36 > 0:24:38when he first came over, he was a cook.
0:24:38 > 0:24:39- Oh, was he?- Yeah, he was a cook.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42Isn't it amazing what you're nurtured and natured?
0:24:42 > 0:24:44But he died, unfortunately, a few years ago.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47And when I read his eulogy, they talked about his ability
0:24:47 > 0:24:52to cook food with a small amount, a limited amount of ingredients
0:24:52 > 0:24:54but yet it all tasted incredibly fantastic.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56- How weird is that?- It was mad.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58It was like reading a short story about myself.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01It was really, really quite incredible.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04In life, you don't know where you're going, unless you know where you're from.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07So in that regard, it was very worthwhile.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12'After ricing all the potatoes,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16'add 100g of butter and 150mls of milk.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21'Now, I think it should go in cold, but Michael has other ideas.'
0:25:23 > 0:25:25- You put warm milk on, do you? - Well, it just...
0:25:25 > 0:25:27- Oh, controversial!- Well, you see...
0:25:27 > 0:25:29- Oh!- You don't have to.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32No. I don't have to because it creates too much washing-up, but...
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Ah, see, that's a good point, actually. Go on, then.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37See, that's a cheffy... That's interesting...
0:25:37 > 0:25:40You're doing the cheffy thing. I'm cooking this for me at home
0:25:40 > 0:25:42and I'm thinking, "That's another pan to wash up."
0:25:42 > 0:25:45That's a massive point because I'm banned from cooking at home
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- because of the amount of pans... - Precisely.
0:25:48 > 0:25:50Warming up a bit of milk. Pointless!
0:25:50 > 0:25:52The reason why I'm warming it up is because, you know...
0:25:52 > 0:25:54No, you're not! THEY LAUGH
0:25:54 > 0:25:57It makes perfectly good mash without warming up. You know it does.
0:25:57 > 0:25:58Ah, brilliant!
0:25:58 > 0:26:03- I forgot we're cooking for ourselves but it also means we'll be washing up for ourselves!- Precisely!
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- So, you see, I'm learning something. - Which means I'll be washing up!
0:26:06 > 0:26:10'Michael certainly knows how to get his own way.'
0:26:10 > 0:26:11'After barely showing it the hob,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14'we pour in the milk on top of the potatoes.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Mix it in and season in the whole lot well.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21You know what I like to do is use this fork
0:26:21 > 0:26:23to create a little bit of, er...
0:26:24 > 0:26:28- Artistic pattern.- Yeah, but also, that will help with the glaze
0:26:28 > 0:26:30when you put it in the oven.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32- Butter on the top?- Oooh, a bit of butter, go on, then.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Because that's nice for the glaze. Something as simple as that, really.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42And it is a very wholesome, hearty and simple dish.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45- Happy with that? - Yeah. It looks delicious.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47'The pie goes into the oven
0:26:47 > 0:26:50'set at 220-degrees centigrade for about 15 minutes.
0:26:51 > 0:26:56'By then, the carrots will be soft and ready to eat.'
0:26:56 > 0:26:59- I don't peel them. - No. A lot of people peel.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01And actually, carrots, I think, taste better
0:27:01 > 0:27:05for having the skin on, especially this size.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08- You're taking away the goodness, as well.- Absolutely.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- Think there's enough there for me and you?- I think we're spoilt.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14- JAMES LAUGHS - I'm just going to reduce this glaze down and put it under...
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Stop being cheffy, just get it on the plate!
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Just going to reduce this down and add a little butter(!)
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- Get it on the plate! - Relax into this cooking.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23Just get over here!
0:27:23 > 0:27:25Cor blimey!
0:27:28 > 0:27:30This is the food that you want, innit, really?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33When you come back from a busy day at work,
0:27:33 > 0:27:34this is the kind of stuff that you want.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- I like the carrots, too. - Tried my best.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43'Pick-me-up food is all about delicious recipes
0:27:43 > 0:27:46'that nourish the soul and put a smile on your face,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48'no matter what kind of day you've had.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52'Even if your mate deserts you when it's time to do the washing-up.'
0:27:55 > 0:27:59You can find all the recipes from the series on our website:
0:28:04 > 0:28:05See you, James!
0:28:08 > 0:28:10Unbelievable!
0:28:37 > 0:28:39Subtitles by Ericsson