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 > 0:00:14- Cheers, everybody!- Cheers!
0:00:16 > 0:00:21There's no better way to celebrate everything good in life
0:00:21 > 0:00:24than sharing some great food
0:00:24 > 0:00:26with the people you love.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32These are the dishes that I cook when I want to bring people together.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34These are MY home comforts.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49We all love great food and want to create fantastic recipes to impress.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Some dishes might look daunting but they don't have to be.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56It's all about having enough self-assurance to pull it off.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57I've got some great dishes
0:00:57 > 0:01:00that will give you a big dollop of cooking confidence
0:01:00 > 0:01:03and I'm certain with these simple recipes, anybody can rustle up food
0:01:03 > 0:01:07that's guaranteed to impress your friends and family.
0:01:07 > 0:01:12Like this, my twist on a classic scallop and black pudding starter,
0:01:12 > 0:01:16pepped up with a zingy ginger puree and caramelised apples.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19If I went to somebody's house and had this, it shows a confident cook.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Great ingredients and really the essence of great cooking.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25And a decadent fish recipe
0:01:25 > 0:01:28inspired by one of the greatest cooks of our time.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32It tastes how fish pie should taste - of the sea, it's as simple as that.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35I also attempt to make a dessert with my mate,
0:01:35 > 0:01:37TV presenter Alex Jones.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39'But will she have the know-how to pull it off?'
0:01:39 > 0:01:43- Palette knife.- I've seen one of these in the drawer at home.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45- JAMES CHUCKLES - What does this do?
0:01:45 > 0:01:48But first, what better way to build your confidence in the kitchen
0:01:48 > 0:01:52than with a deliciously simple one-pot wonder?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54This chicken piperade with red pepper sauce
0:01:54 > 0:01:58and pilau rice is a Basque country classic.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Any cook can make this, even the most nervous.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Now, I often find to get a bit of confidence in the kitchen
0:02:04 > 0:02:08the easiest way you can start is just a one-pot dish.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11And this is a real classic that you can't really mess up, to be honest.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Now, the first thing you need is a really good quality chicken
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and I'm going to cut this chicken into sort of eight pieces, really.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And you can just do this with chicken legs and thighs
0:02:20 > 0:02:23or you can use the whole chicken that I'm doing.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25This is where the recipes vary, really.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Wherever you go round that region of sort of northern Spain,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31southern France, that Basque region,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34you get so many different types of piperade chicken,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38but all of which contain fundamentally the same ingredients.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42You've got the tomatoes, the peppers and the onions.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44This is a traditional rustic dish,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48so don't worry too much about how the chicken pieces look.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Cover them with plain flour which will thicken the sauce,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53and then season with salt and pepper.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56So we start off with some good quality olive oil.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00And then start sealing the chicken.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06You want to get a nice colour to it.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10While the chicken browns, roughly slice two white onions
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and chop four cloves of garlic.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16Then take the chicken pieces out and set them aside,
0:03:16 > 0:03:18freeing up the pan for all your veg.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24With the garlic, and then you can add the peppers.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Now, for me, this region is really special
0:03:27 > 0:03:29because it's part in France, part in Spain
0:03:29 > 0:03:33and you've got two countries all with an amazing selection of food.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Just north of that famous wine region Rioja,
0:03:36 > 0:03:42you've got classic dishes like this, basquaise or chicken piperade.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Next, it's time for a generous tablespoon of tomato puree.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Now I can deglaze the pan.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Now, this is where my sort of recipe varies,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53I like to use a little bit of sherry.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58And then to compensate - if there are any French watching -
0:03:58 > 0:03:59a bit of French wine.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Some tinned tomatoes.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07And then this is the special Espelette pepper,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10which is famous for that Basque region.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13It's wonderful, fragrant pepper.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Now, bring the rich sauce to the boil and then add it to the chicken.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22So, stick the lid on...
0:04:22 > 0:04:25pop it in the oven and this is going to take about an hour to cook.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29During that time, the chicken will absorb all the flavours of the sauce
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and I can get on with preparing the perfect pilau.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35And this is long grain basmati rice.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38The main thing is, is you must measure everything.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42So what I do is 200ml of rice, because it's three to one.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Three parts liquid to one part rice.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Next, soften up some chopped onions in a pan with olive oil.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52So, a few cloves inside.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55Maybe a cinnamon stick.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Reduce the heat before adding the rice,
0:04:58 > 0:05:02water, a bay leaf, lemon slices and then season.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07If you don't have a lid for your pan,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10and let's face it, I can never find mine,
0:05:10 > 0:05:13make a cartouche using grease-proof paper.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16I like to cut a little hole in it as well at the other end.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19And then when you open it all out,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23you've got a cartouche or a paper lid.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Bring this to the boil and just gently simmer this
0:05:26 > 0:05:28for about 15 to 20 minutes.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34This wants a good hour.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37And I say a good hour because it can go in there for an hour and a half,
0:05:37 > 0:05:41two hours even. It just gets better the longer you leave it, really.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Mmm-mm-mm!
0:05:45 > 0:05:49A pot of loveliness, look at that. Delicious.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Now you can finish this, if you wanted to,
0:05:51 > 0:05:54with a bit of chopped parsley over the top.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58'It smells so good, I can't wait to get stuck in.'
0:05:58 > 0:06:00You just know anything that goes in the oven
0:06:00 > 0:06:03for this amount of time is just going to taste fantastic.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07You see, look, the chicken just falls off the bone.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Whenever this in on the menu, I will always pick it.
0:06:13 > 0:06:14Really good.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Now, if you want to build your confidence up in the kitchen,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19this dish is probably the best place to start.
0:06:19 > 0:06:20It's simple...
0:06:22 > 0:06:25..and it just tastes delicious.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Look at that, a simple one-pot wonder.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31Laced with subtle spices released slowly in the oven
0:06:31 > 0:06:33to maximise their flavour.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35Put your apron on and give it a go.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I really believe that cooking can be great fun,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44especially when you use the best British raw materials.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49From the Cornish coast to the Scottish Highlands,
0:06:49 > 0:06:52passionate food producers are giving home cooks
0:06:52 > 0:06:55the gift of truly great ingredients.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58And it's up in Scotland that David Oakes and his son Ben
0:06:58 > 0:07:02are going to extreme lengths to bring us a special kind of seafood.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Well, actually, make that extreme DEPTHS.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11Today, we're doing a small harvest for a customer
0:07:11 > 0:07:14that supplies Edinburgh and Glasgow,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18and there is one pick up at the house for just a dozen
0:07:18 > 0:07:20for somebody that's on holiday.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24David and Ben are diving for king scallops.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Their hunting ground is this loch on the Isle of Skye,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29known as the Place of Shells.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Pretty name, but there are days when it's not so inviting.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37The sea temperatures in the winter are down quite a few degrees.
0:07:37 > 0:07:42Some days we go home and it takes me a couple of hours to warm up again.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48David has been a commercial diver for over 30 years,
0:07:48 > 0:07:53but his passion for a life under the sea stretches back even further.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55I was always interested in diving.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I would watch the television programmes of...
0:07:58 > 0:08:01particularly Jack Cousteau.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04I was always enthralled about what they got up to
0:08:04 > 0:08:07and where they went, all over the seas of the world.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11And that's when I think I first, at the back of my mind,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13had the idea of farming the sea.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18And David farms his shellfish in such a unique way,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22his king scallops are particularly prized for their taste and size.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35What we do that makes our scallops better then just dived scallops
0:08:35 > 0:08:39is that we take juvenile scallops, which is this,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42we take them from the deeper water and we move them up
0:08:42 > 0:08:45into the shallows where they really want to be.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49The plankton is thicker and then, in theory, in the summer,
0:08:49 > 0:08:53the water should be warmer so that they can feed and grow.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Unlike traditional scallop diving,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01herding the four-year-old scallops to the rich, shallower water
0:09:01 > 0:09:05means they get three extra years to grow bigger and fatter.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12But, even then, spotting them in the water can still be problematic.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16The first time you find one, because these things are camouflaged,
0:09:16 > 0:09:17is just wonderful.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22But one thing you can learn is, if you see this weed,
0:09:22 > 0:09:27it's slightly red and the rest of the weed on the seabed is grey.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30So you can actually... You can put your hands into the seabed
0:09:30 > 0:09:34and pluck out the scallop by the colour of the weed on top of it.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40But even if you do spot them,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43some scallops just don't want to be caught.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51Yeah, we got 95 big ones,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55which were more or less what I was after.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59And because of the unique way they farm,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02the scallop population has increased,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06benefiting David and Ben as well as the other wildlife.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10Not only do you get the scallops, you get all the predators,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12the increased fish.
0:10:12 > 0:10:17It increases the biodiversity in a, you know, in a number of ways,
0:10:17 > 0:10:21so it's good for fishermen and it's good for fish.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27And it's also been good for this father and son relationship.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Ben left Skye for the bright lights of Edinburgh
0:10:30 > 0:10:33but the allure of this way of life pulled him home.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37I remember throughout the last couple of years of my time at uni,
0:10:37 > 0:10:42you know, being able to appreciate more what was going on in here
0:10:42 > 0:10:43and what Dad was doing,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and how important it was and how unique it was.
0:10:46 > 0:10:49And I felt like I could actually contribute something,
0:10:49 > 0:10:51so I thought, "I'll move away from the city," where
0:10:51 > 0:10:55I wasn't enjoying myself, "and I'll make the jump and I'll move home."
0:10:55 > 0:10:57So it's a win-win for all concerned.
0:10:57 > 0:11:02Especially David and Ben, who get to lunch on their catch.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Can anything beat king scallops cooked simply on the barbecue?
0:11:05 > 0:11:11Yes - eating them in glorious surroundings like this.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13They are the ultimate fast food,
0:11:13 > 0:11:17there is nothing to do apart from remembering to prick the roes.
0:11:17 > 0:11:21You just put them onto the heat and then it's a few minutes,
0:11:21 > 0:11:22it's pretty easy to do.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26- Cheers.- On the barbecue.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Well, that's a bit good, isn't it?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Fantastic, you know.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37The ultimate seafood. They really are.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45Sweet, juicy scallops really are the jewels of the sea
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and don't need complicated preparation
0:11:47 > 0:11:50or overpowering flavours to shine.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52So there's no need to be nervous about cooking them.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55They only take about a minute, that's all they take.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58They look amazing.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Today, I'm serving my scallops with black pudding
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and a warming ginger puree.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Now, scallops have to be one of the ultimate sea food, really.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12And that's fantastic to see a guy like that produce them
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and harvest them in a different way.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16I've never seen that done before, to move them up the beds
0:12:16 > 0:12:19and it actually makes sense when you think about it.
0:12:19 > 0:12:21And I'm going to use the meat inside these shells
0:12:21 > 0:12:23to create a really simple little dish, really,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26and it all starts with a ginger chutney.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29Now, I'm keeping the skin on the ginger because it's the skin
0:12:29 > 0:12:31that I think really helps this recipe,
0:12:31 > 0:12:33because it contains tonnes of heat,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36hot, fiery heat that whacks you in the back of the throat.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Pop it all into the pan with the water.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Add curry leaves, palm sugar and tamarind to the pan.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48Bring to the boil and cook on a high heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51While it bubbles away, you need to deshell your scallops.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54Think that's too difficult? Think again.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57Inside this, you've got a big chunk of meat.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00That's really the jewel in the crown of the scallop.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02It's stuck to this part of the shell
0:13:02 > 0:13:05and stuck to the under part of the shell, so what you have to do
0:13:05 > 0:13:08is carefully remove it from the shell first of all
0:13:08 > 0:13:11and the easiest way to do that is to actually use a table knife
0:13:11 > 0:13:15or a butter knife. Something that's not too sharp.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Flat side, insert the knife underneath,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20cut along the top.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24As soon as you cut through, the scallop will open up. Lift it off.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Repeat the process with the bottom bit as well.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28All the time, you're scraping the shell,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31you don't want any of that meat to be stuck to the shell.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34You can see that nice and clean now as it comes away.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39And then you can take all this part here
0:13:39 > 0:13:40and just pull it off.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44What you end up with is this amazing white jewel of meat.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47And it's the prime example of having a go,
0:13:47 > 0:13:49get started in terms of cooking.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53You never know until you try it, but once you learn how to do it,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55it's so, so simple.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57Now you've had your masterclass,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00repeat the process with the remaining scallops.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Once they're out of their shells, the ginger should be cooked.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07And then what we do is take the whole lot and stick it in a blender.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13After five minutes blending,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17this zingy, super-fast puree is pretty much done.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20It's just lovely.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24So much flavour in there and because you've kept the skin on the ginger,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26this is where you get this colour from.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30But it seriously packs a punch, this, it's brilliant to go with scallops.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32And once you make it, stick it in the fridge,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34it'll last for a couple of weeks.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36It's delicious stuff, that.
0:14:36 > 0:14:40I'm going to add to the flavour of this with just a little bit of apple.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42All you need to do with this is get an eating apple, really.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44You don't want a cooking apple like a Bramley.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46Through the core and everything.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48And what I'm going to do is caramelise this.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Now, it's actually really simple.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Add some sugar to a heated non-stick pan.
0:14:55 > 0:14:59As soon as it starts to caramelise, throw in the apples.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00Then add a knob of butter
0:15:00 > 0:15:04and a dash of water to stop the apples from going hard.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06And by adding a little bit of water,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10you get this just nice toffee flavour, but not too sticky.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13Just leave that to cool.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16And now we can cook our black pudding, our bacon and our scallops.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21Now, the easiest way to do that is just cook everything together.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Lightly oil your griddle or pan and cook the bacon until it's crisp.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Then put your black pudding on for 30 seconds each side.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33But don't overdo it or it'll be like cardboard.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35And then all we need to do now is cook our scallops.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Now, the easiest way to do that, really,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39especially when you've got scallops this big,
0:15:39 > 0:15:41is just put them straight on the griddle.
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Just a touch of salt and pepper and that's it.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51And once you've put them in, don't touch them.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Now, what you want with a good cooked scallop is you want a lovely colour
0:15:54 > 0:15:57on the outside, a lovely soft white flesh in the middle.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00As soon as you get a nice colour, flip it over.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Just a squeeze of lemon juice.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11They only take about a minute, a minute and a half.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14That's all they take on each side to cook.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15Just lift them out.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20They look amazing.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24Now it's time to assemble all of your hard work.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Layer up the apple, chutney...
0:16:29 > 0:16:33..black pudding and scallops...
0:16:34 > 0:16:36..to create an impressive stack.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Then put your crispy bacon on the top...
0:16:42 > 0:16:46..garnish with dill and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49I love this dish.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53If I went to somebody's house and had this, it shows a confident cook.
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Great ingredients and really the essence of great cooking.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58It's all about the taste.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00You can make food look as fancy as you want
0:17:00 > 0:17:02but it's the taste that really counts.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Right at this moment in time,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14I wish for nothing more in life.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Well, I do, actually -
0:17:18 > 0:17:19somebody who can wash up.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Whether you've got a pot washer or not,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27you shouldn't be shy about making this delicious scallop stack.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Have confidence in your ingredients and yourself
0:17:31 > 0:17:33and you'll be a top class cook before you know it.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39Of course, if you are a bit unsure about your cooking abilities,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41you're certainly not the first.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46In the '40s and '50s, rationing not only meant food shortages
0:17:46 > 0:17:50but a widespread loss of kitchen skills and confidence.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53But as food historian Dr Annie Gray has been discovering,
0:17:53 > 0:17:58a TV chef stepped forward and gave the nation the courage to cook again.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02Even though the Second World War ended in 1945,
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Britain underwent a further nine years of rationing.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08It wasn't until 1954 that British housewives could get
0:18:08 > 0:18:12hold of the food they were craving so much.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16And the trouble is, if you go for 14 years with food shortages,
0:18:16 > 0:18:19what do you do when you get food back again?
0:18:19 > 0:18:25Well, into this culinary breach stepped Marguerite Patten,
0:18:25 > 0:18:29her name is synonymous with cooking with confidence.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Good afternoon and welcome to our demonstration.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36Now for the menu.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38A very useful sort of meal,
0:18:38 > 0:18:40suitable for washing day
0:18:40 > 0:18:42because it needs no attention at all.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47I'm going to make two recipes from Marguerite Patten.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50One is a colourful trifle that really encapsulates
0:18:50 > 0:18:53the post-war atmosphere of plenty.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55But first, I'm going to cook a classic meal.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59It's from her 1955 book, Learning To Cook
0:18:59 > 0:19:00and it's a roast dinner.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07This book was written only one year after rationing ended.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11For 14 years, the population of Britain had been simply unable
0:19:11 > 0:19:13to get hold of joints of beef like this
0:19:13 > 0:19:18so even the mere idea of having something like this obtainable
0:19:18 > 0:19:23and on your table, this is nothing short of a miracle.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25And it goes perfectly with another ingredient
0:19:25 > 0:19:28that was scarce in wartime - dripping.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Annie puts both in a roasting dish, seasons the beef
0:19:31 > 0:19:35and sticks the whole lot in the oven.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39She then preps the veg to go with her extravagant joint of meat.
0:19:39 > 0:19:42This recipe is typical of Marguerite Patten's style.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44It's simple, it's easy to follow
0:19:44 > 0:19:47and it's guaranteed to give good results.
0:19:47 > 0:19:48Put simply, if you were a child
0:19:48 > 0:19:50at the beginning of the Second World War,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52by the end, you might well be married and having children
0:19:52 > 0:19:56and you simply wouldn't know how to cook anything other than
0:19:56 > 0:19:58eked out rationing recipes.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05My meat's had around half an hour,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09which means that it's time to add my vegetables.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Annie puts it all back in the oven and then gets on with chopping and
0:20:12 > 0:20:18boiling some cabbage, while following some very specific guidance.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19Before I put in the cabbage,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23you'll notice I drop in a good knob of margarine.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26After the war, with rationing in full swing,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29Marguerite Patten went to work for the BBC.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Today, she'd be known as a celebrity chef,
0:20:32 > 0:20:36but she was always insistent that she was neither a celebrity
0:20:36 > 0:20:38nor a chef, just a cook.
0:20:39 > 0:20:43She was also insistent on the correct trimmings for a traditional roast -
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Yorkshire puddings and lashings of gravy.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50But before Annie can tuck into her plentiful post-war roast,
0:20:50 > 0:20:52she needs to make dessert.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Fortunately, we still have the ideal guide.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59In 1960, Marguerite Patten published this book,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Cookery In Colour - A Picture Encyclopaedia For Every Occasion.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06Pictures for every single one of the 1,000 recipes in the book
0:21:06 > 0:21:10and an awful lot of them in glorious Technicolor.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13So I'm going to make a beautiful, boozy trifle.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17The first thing I'm going to do is make some custard.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22By 1960, convenience foods were well and truly established.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Custard powder had been around since the 19th century
0:21:25 > 0:21:28and that is what Marguerite Patten suggests you use,
0:21:28 > 0:21:32so that is exactly what I'm going to use.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Convenient ingredients like this really boosted
0:21:34 > 0:21:37the confidence of nervous cooks.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40All they had to do was mix the powder with milk
0:21:40 > 0:21:42before thickening on the hob and leaving it to cool.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47The next stage is to start to layer it up.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Trifles are nearly always based on sponge cake.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54These ones I have already made.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Annie cuts the sponge cakes into slices
0:21:56 > 0:21:59and spreads them with apricot jam.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01Now there's a throwback!
0:22:01 > 0:22:05To me, this dish really sums up the swinging '60s.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Marguerite Patten was an absolute icon by this point
0:22:08 > 0:22:10and this dish is absolutely great.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13More to the point, if you followed her instructions,
0:22:13 > 0:22:16you'd certainly be able to cook it with absolutely confidence.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19With the slices in place,
0:22:19 > 0:22:24Annie adds tinned pears, plus a good slug of sherry.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27She then sprinkles a layer of crushed almonds over the pears,
0:22:27 > 0:22:30followed by the cooled custard.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34Then the recipe takes an unexpected turn.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Now, a lot of people at this point would add cream
0:22:37 > 0:22:41but Marguerite Patten has a much, much cooler idea.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45She's about to encapsulate the spirit of fun
0:22:45 > 0:22:48that really is the 1960s.
0:22:48 > 0:22:52Annie gets into the swing of this 1960s style of decoration
0:22:52 > 0:22:53using chocolate.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Now I need to play the game of noughts and crosses.
0:23:04 > 0:23:05I win!
0:23:15 > 0:23:19This to me screams '60s food, an era of fun,
0:23:19 > 0:23:20an era of let your hair down,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23an era of noughts and crosses trifles.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Marguerite Patten passed away in 2015 but her recipes
0:23:32 > 0:23:35and her guidance live on.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39I'm paying tribute to the great lady by cooking one of her favourites -
0:23:39 > 0:23:42the classic fish pie.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43So, you've got cod and haddock,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47that traditional sort of favourite that we all had around the UK
0:23:47 > 0:23:48in the '50s and '60s,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52and it's that combination of smoked haddock and the fish that we've got
0:23:52 > 0:23:56that gives it a real flavour, a unique flavour to this fish pie.
0:23:56 > 0:24:00So the first thing we're going to do is then take the onion
0:24:00 > 0:24:03and slice this up, just nice and thin.
0:24:03 > 0:24:07And I'm going to use this to create a nice little aromat
0:24:07 > 0:24:09to cook our fish in.
0:24:09 > 0:24:12Put the onions in a pan, along with peppercorns and water.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13Heat it all up.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19I've worked with some amazing chefs from around the world
0:24:19 > 0:24:22but there are a few that leave their mark in your mind
0:24:22 > 0:24:25and Marguerite was one of them. She always reminded me of my gran,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28and whenever you met her, it was that smile on her face.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31And I remember so many times we'd cooked together on stage,
0:24:31 > 0:24:35and she... I remember one time in fact I was chopping some stuff
0:24:35 > 0:24:37and I did it wrong, obviously, so she just came across,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41just gave me a nice, little, just a light tap
0:24:41 > 0:24:44on the back of the wrist with a wooden spoon
0:24:44 > 0:24:46for not doing it properly. I just thought it was just...
0:24:46 > 0:24:49It was her way of saying that "I'm still in control,"
0:24:49 > 0:24:52even though she was probably about that high stood next to me,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54but she was an absolute legend.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55Absolute legend.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59So, to make our fish pie, we've got the onions in there,
0:24:59 > 0:25:03little bit of peppercorns, a few bay leaves, really, in terms of flavour,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06and then we poach our fish in the water. So there's no fancy wine,
0:25:06 > 0:25:10there's no champagne, none of that, it's just relying on pure,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12honest flavours.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Add the fish to the poaching liquor, bring back to the boil
0:25:15 > 0:25:17and then simmer.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20After three to four minutes, your fish should be done,
0:25:20 > 0:25:23so carefully remove and set aside.
0:25:23 > 0:25:27Next, melt some butter in a pan, add flour and stir.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30This forms the base of your fish pie sauce.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33I'm going to start off with just a little bit of milk first of all.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Gradually, you add it to the pan.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41So once you've got this mixed together, it's got no lumps in it,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43we then turn our attention to the liquid,
0:25:43 > 0:25:47the stock that we've got in here and utilise that as well.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Once you've added the stock, cook for around five minutes -
0:25:52 > 0:25:54this will cook out the flour.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Then add the zest and juice of one lemon.
0:25:59 > 0:26:05And we can switch that off now and then turn our attention to our fish.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09And at this stage, you just want to peel off the skin from the haddock
0:26:09 > 0:26:10and the cod,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14keep it into sort of decent size chunks...
0:26:14 > 0:26:15and pop it in the sauce.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19It's quite funny, this, as I cook this,
0:26:19 > 0:26:21smoked haddock was one of the only dishes that my grandad
0:26:21 > 0:26:23was allowed to cook.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Mainly cos it used one pan.
0:26:25 > 0:26:29Whenever I sort of do this, it just reminds me so much of my grandad.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Add lots of parsley - including the stalks - into this mixture
0:26:35 > 0:26:36and stir. Gently, though -
0:26:36 > 0:26:40you don't want to break up those delicate chunks of fish.
0:26:40 > 0:26:44Now the sauce is ready for one of my favourite ingredients.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46Frozen peeled prawns.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Defrosted, make sure the water's squeezed out of them.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Spoon the fish mixture into the pie dish
0:26:55 > 0:26:57and you're ready for the topping.
0:26:58 > 0:27:03And for that, you just get some cold jacket potatoes, open them up,
0:27:03 > 0:27:08pass them through one of these fellas - a little ricer.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Once this contraption's done what it's designed to do,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14season your potatoes, add a little butter and milk
0:27:14 > 0:27:16and then pipe it onto the filling.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19A little grated Cheddar cheese completes the topping
0:27:19 > 0:27:21before it all goes into the oven.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Because the sauce is hot and the fish is hot,
0:27:24 > 0:27:26this is only going to cook for about eight to ten minutes,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28but you can cook this from cold.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32It'll want about a good half an hour in a nice hot oven.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35I reckon there's only one partner for fish pie,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38and that's freshly cooked frozen peas
0:27:38 > 0:27:40topped with a generous knob of butter.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42This completes a straightforward
0:27:42 > 0:27:45but delicious meal that Marguerite would be proud of.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Now, so many chefs over the years have glamorised this
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and turned the fish pie into something
0:27:51 > 0:27:53that it shouldn't really be.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57It's all to do about simplicity and that's the key to confident cooking.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01Great quality ingredients just cooked so simply
0:28:01 > 0:28:04and Marguerite Patten was the prime example of that.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13It tastes how fish pie should taste...
0:28:14 > 0:28:16..of the sea. It's as simple as that.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17What more do you want?
0:28:19 > 0:28:24Fish pie shouldn't be complicated, especially when it tastes this good.
0:28:24 > 0:28:29So keep it simple, just like the original domestic goddess.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Pasta, I'm a massive fan of it
0:28:33 > 0:28:37and some of the simplest dishes in the world use it.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39And I've been known to get a little bit carried away
0:28:39 > 0:28:41when making it at home.
0:28:43 > 0:28:45The Pope family from Cardigan in Wales
0:28:45 > 0:28:47certainly share my enthusiasm.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50With the help of her parents,
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Gina and husband Simon have turned their Italian heritage
0:28:54 > 0:28:58and pasta know-how into an artisan food business.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01My grandparents are Italian and my father's Italian,
0:29:01 > 0:29:05my mother's Welsh, so pasta's in my blood.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09I'm very proud of the heritage, both Italian and Welsh.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12My mother used to make a lot of her own pasta,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16it was all done at home, just for the family, handmade
0:29:16 > 0:29:20and I think she would be amazed with this business
0:29:20 > 0:29:22that Gina and Simon have now got.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29So we started off on a kitchen table, experimenting, really,
0:29:29 > 0:29:33with my grandmother's hand-held pasta machine.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Whilst we enjoyed making pasta by hand,
0:29:37 > 0:29:39we couldn't have the output that we need at the moment,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42so we've converted part of the garage
0:29:42 > 0:29:44and got some machinery, which is all very exciting.
0:29:46 > 0:29:50Gina and Simon make their ravioli pasta using vegetables
0:29:50 > 0:29:55as the key ingredient, and unlike traditional pasta, it's egg-free.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58The pasta involves a mixture of three flours,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02then cooked and blended beetroot,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04little bit of salt and that's it.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06And it's the fibre of the beetroot,
0:30:06 > 0:30:09the vegetable fibre beetroot that holds this pasta together.
0:30:09 > 0:30:14Because that fibre is quite strong, we're able to roll it very, very...
0:30:14 > 0:30:15In fact, you can see through it.
0:30:15 > 0:30:21It's very thin pasta. Because it's thin, the raviolis are lighter.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24Now that the pasta is well under way, it's time for Gina
0:30:24 > 0:30:29and dad Toni to collect the ingredients for the ravioli fillings.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Their first stop is a herb garden just down the road,
0:30:32 > 0:30:35run by Italian couple Anella and Elio.
0:30:35 > 0:30:40THEY GREET EACH OTHER IN ITALIAN
0:30:40 > 0:30:42Elio! Where's the basil?
0:30:42 > 0:30:43Basil.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46Gina wants some basil to make pasta.
0:30:46 > 0:30:50It's fresh and we don't spray, we don't put anything,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53they just grow natural.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58The herbs I'm buying from Anella is to compliment with our raviolis,
0:30:58 > 0:31:00so they're not particularly Italian herbs
0:31:00 > 0:31:02but they've grown it in an Italian way.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Yes.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06- Arrivederci.- Arrivederci.
0:31:06 > 0:31:08Arrivederci, Elio.
0:31:08 > 0:31:13Anella and Elio are part of a large Italian community in Wales.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17They came to join their family after the Second World War.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Other Italians, like Gina's grandfather, were released
0:31:20 > 0:31:24from a local internment camp that still stands to this day.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27My father was in the Italian army.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31Out in Abyssinia, he was captured by the British and he came over
0:31:31 > 0:31:36and he spent his time over here in the prisoner of war camp.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40And while he was there, he was sent out to work on various farms.
0:31:40 > 0:31:46After the war, he came back and worked on one of these farms
0:31:46 > 0:31:50and eventually my mother and my sister came over to join him
0:31:50 > 0:31:52and I was born here.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00You can easily see why he was so inspired to stay,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03and his passion for Wales is obviously still shared
0:32:03 > 0:32:05by Gina and Simon.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08We're very lucky to be based where we are here in west Wales,
0:32:08 > 0:32:11very near the coast, because it gives us easy access
0:32:11 > 0:32:15to a huge number of products which are perfect for ravioli fillings.
0:32:15 > 0:32:22I'm chopping some blue cheese here which comes from Caws Cenarth.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26The chives were the chives we picked up this morning from Elio's
0:32:26 > 0:32:30up the road - again, fresh.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32So, all good stuff.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34Simon adds the filling to the machine,
0:32:34 > 0:32:38pressing it between two layers of pasta to make the ravioli.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43Meanwhile, Rhian prepares the sauce for a Welsh/Italian family meal
0:32:43 > 0:32:46with a recipe handed the generations.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52I learnt to do the sauce from Nana, watching her,
0:32:52 > 0:32:56and every time I used to ask her and she said, "This is the way,"
0:32:56 > 0:33:01but I'm sure she used to leave some of the ingredients out.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05She didn't want you to make sauces as good as her, I would imagine.
0:33:05 > 0:33:12No, but I tried my best and I think that I've got it down to a T now.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16- She does very good sauces. - Oh, thank you.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18With so many pasta experts in one kitchen,
0:33:18 > 0:33:21how about some tips on how to cook it?
0:33:21 > 0:33:25So here is the raviolis we made before.
0:33:25 > 0:33:28To cook, you simply tip into a pan of boiling water
0:33:28 > 0:33:31with a little bit of oil in, and the old rule of thumb
0:33:31 > 0:33:33is you tip them in and they sink to the bottom.
0:33:33 > 0:33:35When they rise to the top, then they're ready.
0:33:35 > 0:33:38It takes about between one and two minutes.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40Once the pasta is done and the sauce is added,
0:33:40 > 0:33:42the meal's ready to be served.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44CHEERING
0:33:45 > 0:33:47- Wow!- Mm.
0:33:47 > 0:33:48Bon appetit.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51I would eat this pasta every day. Beautiful.
0:33:52 > 0:33:57My nana was such an inspiration to me, her pasta was gorgeous
0:33:57 > 0:34:03and even on her death bed she dreamt of us making pasta together.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05She would've been very excited
0:34:05 > 0:34:08and very happy to see what we are actually achieving
0:34:08 > 0:34:12from a little hand machine pasta maker that she gave us.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22Let's add pasta to the long list of great things to come out of Wales,
0:34:22 > 0:34:25along with a good foodie friend of mine,
0:34:25 > 0:34:27One Show presenter, Alex Jones.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31I know she's not very confident in the kitchen,
0:34:31 > 0:34:32so I've invited her over to show her
0:34:32 > 0:34:36that cooking doesn't have to be that tricky.
0:34:36 > 0:34:39- Hey. I like the top. - Hey, how are you? Oh, thank you.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42- That's cool, isn't it? - It's a nice house.- You like it?
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- Let's go and have a nose. - Come on in.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Well, kitchen you're going to first!
0:34:49 > 0:34:51I'm hoping she'll be able to help me
0:34:51 > 0:34:56make this stunning lemon meringue roulade with home-made plum compote.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00But I've got a feeling this could be a little bit ambitious.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Right, Alex,
0:35:02 > 0:35:03- welcome to the kitchen.- Thank you.
0:35:03 > 0:35:05Because I'm hearing great things, you know.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- I'm expecting great things as well. - Go on, what are you hearing?
0:35:08 > 0:35:11Well, I hear you've got a five-year plan, is that right,
0:35:11 > 0:35:15- to win MasterChef?- Win MasterChef. Zero to win in five years.
0:35:15 > 0:35:17- So, where are you at the moment? - Omelette.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20- Cos your fella's a chef, isn't he? - Yes, he is. Yes.- OK.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22And so every week we have a little lesson.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24- Because he said, "If anything was to happen to me..."- Yeah.
0:35:24 > 0:35:26"..you wouldn't be able to live."
0:35:26 > 0:35:28So he says, "It's about time you learnt to cook."
0:35:28 > 0:35:31And, actually, we both love food and we're really interested in it...
0:35:31 > 0:35:33- Yeah.- ..but, and he can do everything and I can do nothing,
0:35:33 > 0:35:35so we're trying to meet halfway.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39What about a lemon meringue roulade with stewed plums?
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- I think it's a bit advanced for me. - I think you'd be all right.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- We just break things down into simple stuff, all right?- OK.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- It sounds lovely, though. - The first thing we are going to do
0:35:49 > 0:35:50is do the meringue.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54'OK, let's see if I can boost Alex's kitchen confidence levels.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00'All I need her to do is measure out 275g of caster sugar,
0:36:00 > 0:36:04'while I separate the whites of five eggs from their yolks.'
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Did you do cookery at school?
0:36:06 > 0:36:08Yeah, but after three lessons, they banned me
0:36:08 > 0:36:10because I set the lab on fire.
0:36:10 > 0:36:15It involved a tea towel and a hob, basically.
0:36:15 > 0:36:17And, I don't know, I just wasn't concentrating
0:36:17 > 0:36:20and the tea towel was on the hob...
0:36:20 > 0:36:24- Up in flames?- Up in flames. So they sent me to woodwork.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26- It wasn't me either. - JAMES LAUGHS
0:36:26 > 0:36:28OK. Right, now, fire up the machine.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32Well, how do you turn this on, then? Is there some sort of switch?
0:36:32 > 0:36:34'While Alex tries to work out the mixer
0:36:34 > 0:36:36'in order to whip up the egg whites...'
0:36:36 > 0:36:37Right, number ten. That's it.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41'..I butter a Swiss roll tin and line it with silicone paper.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44'Now it's time to add the crucial ingredient to the egg whites.'
0:36:44 > 0:36:46- Right, now sugar.- OK.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Now you should hear the machine drop down a gear
0:36:49 > 0:36:50once you add all the sugar.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53- That looks lovely. - You've just made meringue.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57- MIXER DECREASES IN SPEED - Well, the machine made meringue.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58Oh, I can hear it now drop down.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02- Yeah, as it starts to get a bit more firmer, you see?- OK.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03And then what we do...
0:37:04 > 0:37:07- Spatula.- A spatula.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09- Scoop it out into the centre of that. - OK, great.- You got that?
0:37:09 > 0:37:10Yeah. Got it.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13So you look as if you are on a cookery programme now.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- Well, it's all acting, James. - This could be it.
0:37:15 > 0:37:17- This could be it in six years' time. - Yeah.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19- A palette knife.- Palette knife. Right.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21I've seen one of these in the drawer at home.
0:37:21 > 0:37:22JAMES LAUGHS
0:37:22 > 0:37:24What does this do? I'm going to love this.
0:37:24 > 0:37:26You spread this into the corners.
0:37:28 > 0:37:29OK.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Make sure it's all nice and even, that's how you want it.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Oh, it's lovely. It's like shaving foam.
0:37:35 > 0:37:38I'm sure it tastes a lot better.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Next, lemon verbena.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45Oh, it's like a cleaning product.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48- In a good way.- Shaving foam and cleaning products?
0:37:48 > 0:37:49That's great, yeah. Love that.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51Right. And you just sprinkle these on the top.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54'Well, once you've peppered your shaving foam with cleaning product,
0:37:54 > 0:37:58'bake it in the oven for eight minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
0:37:58 > 0:38:03'Then turn the temperature down to 150 for a further ten minutes
0:38:03 > 0:38:04'for the ultimate meringue.'
0:38:06 > 0:38:08- Plums.- Yeah, plums.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12- So we're going to prep these by cutting them down...- OK.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14- ..into quarters. - This is a pretty knife.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Yeah. You've got one of those in the kitchen?
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Not that pretty but, yeah.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22So what got you involved in TV in the first place, then?
0:38:22 > 0:38:28I became a researcher and, after a few mishaps, shall we say...
0:38:28 > 0:38:30What was one of the major mishaps that you made?
0:38:30 > 0:38:34The major mishap was probably losing Julian Lloyd Webber's cello.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36- Temporarily.- Right.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38And it was like a Stradivarius, you know, worth millions.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41And he'd left it with me while he went off to make a phone call
0:38:41 > 0:38:43and said, "Alex, you really need to look after this."
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- I said, "Yeah, yeah, Julian, no problem."- Right.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48And I had a little chat with a car park attendant.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51- Next thing, gone. Gone. Gone. - JAMES CHUCKLES
0:38:51 > 0:38:53- Right.- But anyway, so then they said,
0:38:53 > 0:38:55"You know, you might be better on the television."
0:38:55 > 0:38:58And there you are, 15 years on.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00- A little bit of water in the pan. - Cold water?
0:39:00 > 0:39:02Cold water, that would be great.
0:39:02 > 0:39:05And I'm going to grab the sugar. All right?
0:39:05 > 0:39:07- So what we do now...- What's this? - ..is we cook this down...
0:39:07 > 0:39:10- What's this? What's this? - French soap.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12Oh, that's my favourite thing I've seen for a long time.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14Let's have a go.
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Oh!
0:39:16 > 0:39:19- You haven't seen one of them before? - No. That's really nice.- Hey?
0:39:19 > 0:39:23I need to make a list before I leave of things I need to take with me.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27'Well, let's just hope she doesn't nick the pan
0:39:27 > 0:39:28'because I need it for these -
0:39:28 > 0:39:32'eight quartered plums to be boiled in water and sugar
0:39:32 > 0:39:33'for ten minutes.'
0:39:33 > 0:39:36We're now going to take some double cream.
0:39:36 > 0:39:40- Well, that's a nice jug as well. - I'm into old stuff, you see.
0:39:40 > 0:39:44- The jugs, the clock.- I know, I like your style, James.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46- You like it?- Yeah.
0:39:46 > 0:39:50'Next, I add a tablespoon of sugar to the cream and lightly whip,
0:39:50 > 0:39:53'before reaching for an old school classic.'
0:39:53 > 0:39:54Good quality lemon curd.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56I haven't eaten lemon curd for years and years and years.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- Taste that, it's the best ever. - Shall I just...?
0:39:59 > 0:40:02Yeah, dip your finger in. You're in my house, go on.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04Oh!
0:40:05 > 0:40:09- Mum used to make jam tarts with lemon curd. Lovely.- Did she?- Yeah.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18Now, if I take this lemon curd, half a jar of lemon curd.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- Half a jar?- Half a jar.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21Just you taste that.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31- Yes! Where's that spoon? - JAMES LAUGHS
0:40:31 > 0:40:34- You can have a spoon, there you go. - Now, that is fantastic.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36So you stick that in a glass.
0:40:36 > 0:40:40You've now made yourself like a very, very quick lemon sauce.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42That is lovely.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45'After the plums have had their ten minutes, take them off the hob.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48'Now for the roulade.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50'You need to take your meringue out of the oven,
0:40:50 > 0:40:54'flip it out of the tin and leave it to cool for a few minutes.
0:40:54 > 0:40:59'Only then is it ready to be filled with the home-made sweet treats.'
0:40:59 > 0:41:01So in the middle and then spread, yeah?
0:41:01 > 0:41:03- Now the key to it is leave... - Oh, I see.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06- ..a centimetre on this bit.- OK.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08- OK.- Stewed plums.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12- These are amazing.- They were really easy to make.- Yeah!
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Now, roll it up.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18So, I'm guessing, I've seen this being done on television before.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20So, yeah?
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Yeah. And in one go... Keep going.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24Keep going, keep going. Roll it up.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28And then, in TV style, you reveal...
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Reveal. Da-da!
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- It looks like a proper one.- Yeah.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36'And now for the finishing touches - a drizzle of compote,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40'a scattering of lemon verbena, a nervous chef but a great result.'
0:41:40 > 0:41:45Bit rough and ready but it looks amazing.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Right, well, you've got to try this, then.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- You start at one end, I'll start at this end.- OK.- OK?
0:41:50 > 0:41:52Oh, it's pretty good.
0:41:58 > 0:41:59It's amazing.
0:42:01 > 0:42:02Fantastic.
0:42:02 > 0:42:04- You see how you get that chewy meringue?- Mm.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07I reckon now you've jumped from omelette,
0:42:07 > 0:42:10you're now about a year and a half down the line now.
0:42:10 > 0:42:13- And it wasn't that hard, actually. - No.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15You know, when you've got the skills...
0:42:15 > 0:42:17THEY LAUGH
0:42:17 > 0:42:20And I've got a great pudding to take back with me in the car.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21- All mine.- Yeah.
0:42:21 > 0:42:26It goes to show that with the right recipes and a few tasty ingredients,
0:42:26 > 0:42:31anyone can serve up food that's easy on the eye as well as the palate.
0:42:32 > 0:42:34So head to the kitchen and go for it.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Well, Alex certainly enjoyed cooking in my kitchen.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42So much so, I can't quite get her out of there.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44Maybe she's cleaning up?
0:42:44 > 0:42:46Yeah, that'll be it.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48Right, so what do I need to take?
0:42:48 > 0:42:50The soap.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53And the antique-y pots, erm...
0:42:53 > 0:42:56That jug was quite nice as well, actually.
0:42:56 > 0:42:58Erm... Oh, dog.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05Right, OK, just a big bag I need and something to carry the dog in.
0:43:08 > 0:43:13You can find all the recipes from the series at...