0:00:03 > 0:00:05The heart of my home is the kitchen.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09And it's here that I love to cook
0:00:09 > 0:00:12delicious meals for my nearest and dearest.
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.
0:00:27 > 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 > 0:00:47We all like to make a splash when we cook for friends.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51But for most people, there just aren't enough hours in the day.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56But I've got a range of show-off suppers that are guaranteed to
0:00:56 > 0:00:59impress your mates, even if you're short on time.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Like this amazing slow-cooked beef.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I'm more than happy to boast about it.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07It really is one of the best dishes I think I cook.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Plus my gran's old shortbread recipe is transformed into something
0:01:11 > 0:01:12very special.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16Now, if this isn't showing off, I don't know what is.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19And this seafood treat is cooked up for Carol Kirkwood,
0:01:19 > 0:01:23expert on the weather, but has a lot to learn about filleting.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26It looks like my dog's eaten it! SHE LAUGHS
0:01:26 > 0:01:29You cheeky thing!
0:01:29 > 0:01:33But if you really want to make your guests sit up and take notive,
0:01:33 > 0:01:38why not kick off with these? My tandoori chicken lollipops.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41So, what I thought I'd do is a lovely little dish, using chicken legs.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Now, not very glamorous, are they? Often deep fried in breadcrumbs,
0:01:45 > 0:01:49but these can be absolutely fantastic in a lovely little marinade
0:01:49 > 0:01:54and a tandoori marinade served with a nice cucumber raita.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56So, what goes in to that marinade?
0:01:56 > 0:02:01I use equal quantities of garam masala, cumin and hot chilli powder.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Then, add some turmeric and cinnamon.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Now, this is a tandoori marinade that I use quite a lot.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Not only is it good for chicken, but it works really well with fish
0:02:09 > 0:02:12and also game, if you've got things like venison,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14this is a fantastic mixture to use.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17To finish it, grate some ginger, leaving the skin on.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Then add garlic, the juice of a lemon and some full fat yoghurt.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25You don't have to use chicken drumsticks for this,
0:02:25 > 0:02:28but I think, the way you prepare them is really special,
0:02:28 > 0:02:32which turns them into a, sort of, food that you'd normally
0:02:32 > 0:02:35eat in the car on your knee to a food that you can serve for
0:02:35 > 0:02:37a dinner party and it's all in the preparation.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42All you need is a good knife, a heavy knife, and a pair of pliers.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Yes, pliers. Very clean kitchen pliers.
0:02:46 > 0:02:48But start with that sharp knife.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51Now, use the bottom of the knife and then give it a whack.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Straight through. Right through the tendons, everything.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Then, turn your attention to this side and then, again,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01with the base of the knife, give it a whack.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03Straight through the knuckle.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08Now, what you need to do is push this part of the chicken up through there.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So, now you've got this little lollipop,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14this little drumstick, pointing out of the top.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17And you can see, there's tendons there.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19What you need to do is remove these tendons
0:03:19 > 0:03:23and the best way to do that is with a pair of pliers.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Grab them and just yank them out.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32There's about five or six per drumstick.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35They're actually so easy to pull out.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Once you've done that, just chuck them in the marinade.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Coat them thoroughly and leave in the fridge overnight.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I've got some that I prepared earlier.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Then put them on to a baking tray and give them
0:03:49 > 0:03:5115-20 minutes in a very hot oven.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Now, to serve with that, as a nice little dip,
0:03:58 > 0:04:01we're going to do a nice little cucumber raita.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04So, for that, we need chilli, garlic, bit of cucumber,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08some coriander, mint and cumin, not forgetting that yoghurt.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10You need to cut the cucumber really finely,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14so it will coat the chicken evenly when you dunk it in.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Then, chop the coriander.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20The first time I tried the combination of these ingredients,
0:04:20 > 0:04:25they were on little skewers, little venison pieces, strips,
0:04:25 > 0:04:29in the tandoor marinade, on the fire pit, or the tandoor oven,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and just served with this little dipping sauce.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34It just tasted fantastic.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39The freshness of the flavours... It says everything about Indian cookery.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43To finish, add some full-fat yoghurt and a good squeeze of lime.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46By now, the chicken lollipops should be ready.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53So, serve them with the raita and some lime wedges.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55How good does that look?
0:04:55 > 0:04:57A bowl of beauty!
0:04:58 > 0:05:03You get a nice bit of bone that you can grab
0:05:03 > 0:05:06and hold, while you dive in.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09That tandoori marinade is delicious.
0:05:09 > 0:05:13A little squeeze of lime, dunked into that raita...
0:05:14 > 0:05:17It says everything about Indian food in one bite.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22Simple ingredients, but just out-of-this-world flavours.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25A perfectly balanced blend of tandoori spices,
0:05:25 > 0:05:29gently cooled by the cucumber and yoghurt raita.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33Anything that looks this good deserves to be shown off,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36so why not do it at your next dinner party?
0:05:36 > 0:05:42I love having friends round to impress them with great food.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44But my entertaining style is pretty low key,
0:05:44 > 0:05:47compared to the 1960s TV cook Fanny Craddock.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53Food historian Dr Annie Gray has been rifling through her recipes
0:05:53 > 0:05:55and her wardrobe.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Fanny was well known for cooking in evening dresses
0:05:58 > 0:06:02and she used to cook in front of audiences of thousands in a tiara
0:06:02 > 0:06:07and full jewels and always with her husband, Johnny, by her side.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09She was fabulous. But she was also very,
0:06:09 > 0:06:13very keen to show the world that cooking didn't have to be
0:06:13 > 0:06:14a chore, it didn't have to be boring.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18And one of the things she was most keen on doing was showing
0:06:18 > 0:06:20people how to turn what were really relatively-simple
0:06:20 > 0:06:24dishes into totally show-off suppers.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26This is called an assiette de fruits de mer.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29A dish of the fruits of the sea.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33Seafood, which make a most lovely presentation dish on a buffet
0:06:33 > 0:06:35when you're going a bit grand.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38For my main course, I'm going to do a salmon baked in tin foil
0:06:38 > 0:06:42and absolutely as show-off as you can possibly get.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47Annie's flashy main course gets off to a less than glamorous start,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50removing the head and tail from a whole salmon...
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Clearly, this dish works best if you have a cat.
0:06:53 > 0:06:59..before reaching for her secret weapon - a Fanny Craddock cookbook.
0:06:59 > 0:07:04This recipe is from the Book Of Foil Cookery. It was published in 1967.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06She really did go to town with this.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Absolutely everything involves foil cookery.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14And you can see in it how unused to foil people were by the very
0:07:14 > 0:07:16detailed instructions that she gives.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19I'm very unsure in my own mind that there's anything which has
0:07:19 > 0:07:23contributed more to modern cookery than kitchen foil.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28For this recipe, Fanny tells the novice foil wrangler to rub it
0:07:28 > 0:07:31with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper,
0:07:31 > 0:07:35before putting the fish in, with even more butter and seasoning.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Just in case the readers didn't know how to wrap it up,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41full instructions were provided.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44Fanny specifies that you are supposed to
0:07:44 > 0:07:46put your hand inside, to make a pillow.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49The idea of this is that the fish, sort of, partially
0:07:49 > 0:07:51steams inside its foil.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Right, time to put it in the oven.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58When the fish is cooked for about 50 minutes, Anna removes the skin
0:07:58 > 0:08:02and decorates it with cooked prawns and lemon slices.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05As with everything in Fanny Craddock's life,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07appearances were very important.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12This habit of making relatively simple things look very,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15very glamorous didn't just apply to Fanny's food.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18Even Fanny's marriage to Johnny wasn't quite all that it seemed.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Fanny had been married several times before
0:08:21 > 0:08:24and one of her previous husbands was a Catholic, who wouldn't let
0:08:24 > 0:08:27her have a divorce, so what she did was change her name by deed poll.
0:08:27 > 0:08:28What a great solution.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31Fanny Craddock's dishes always looked extravagant,
0:08:31 > 0:08:33but they were realistic.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36She really did know her audience.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39I can't bear waste. Buy the best that you can possibly afford
0:08:39 > 0:08:43and then treat it with enormous respect.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Call me fussy, but I still think that doesn't sing to me.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50It's time to get arty with foil.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57I think this is going to be a new look.
0:09:04 > 0:09:10What can I say? Fanny Craddock really knew how to put on a show!
0:09:10 > 0:09:13All I can do is just stand back in awe and admiration.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21Mm!
0:09:21 > 0:09:23How could you beat this?
0:09:23 > 0:09:25I hope I've done Fanny Craddock proud.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27She may have been a diva,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30but she knew what she was talking about and this is certainly
0:09:30 > 0:09:33one supper I wouldn't mind showing off to my friends.
0:09:36 > 0:09:41My dinner party main course involves a lot less tin foil.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44But I have a feeling that Fanny would still approve.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47It's deceptively simple, it tastes unbelievable,
0:09:47 > 0:09:50and it involves quite a lot of beer.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Now, this recipe may appear as if you're not showing off,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56because it uses a cut of meat that you, kind of, never use, really,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59or never think you would use, for a dinner party,
0:09:59 > 0:10:02but I guarantee, if you make this like this,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06it really is one of the best dishes I think I cook, but it uses beef cheek.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Now, before you all turn over,
0:10:08 > 0:10:12cos beef cheek is one of the best cuts of meat you could possibly use.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16When you think about the cheeks, and I've got two here...
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Big beef cheeks like that. ..they do all that sort of chewing
0:10:18 > 0:10:22and because of that, they develop this amazing flavour, now,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25first thing I'm going to do is marinade them
0:10:25 > 0:10:27and the marinade is really simple.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31It uses just a couple of cloves of garlic, just crushed.
0:10:31 > 0:10:33A little bit of bay leaf.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Some fresh thyme and beer.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40So, what you need to do is marinade this.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Now, ideally, you can leave it overnight,
0:10:42 > 0:10:46but for at least, sort of, six hours in the marinade.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Now, I've got one that's been marinating here.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54And what this is going to start to do is break down the tendons
0:10:54 > 0:10:56of the meat.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Take the cheeks out of the marinade and cut them in half,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02then brown them in a pan, with a little oil.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06You want to get a nice colour on it.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09It's really important at this stage to colour the meat.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13This is going to give a lovely dark, rich texture to our sauce
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and our stew. If we don't colour the meat,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18you won't end up with a brown stew at the end of it.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21There's no gravy browning in here, there's no cheating.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23It's done the proper way and, to do that,
0:11:23 > 0:11:26you must colour the meat in the pan.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Now, add the remaining marinade.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Now, remember, this is just beer, which is quite strong,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37so what we need to do now is grab some beef stock.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40You can buy this from the supermarket.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44Just make sure it's the liquid beef stock, not the powdered stuff,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47cos the key to this is, when you cook it and reduce it,
0:11:47 > 0:11:49this is what's going to thicken our sauce.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52If you used the powder stock cube, it's not going to work,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54it's not going to have the same effect.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57Cook the meat in a low oven for at least six hours.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Or leave it to cook overnight in a slow cooker.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Now, the garnish for this is great.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06The first thing we're going to do is do our onions.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10Whole chunks of onions. These are beer-braised onions.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14And all we do with this one, get another little bottle of beer,
0:12:14 > 0:12:19and we chuck the beer in with the onions.
0:12:20 > 0:12:24Simmer these boozy onions for 45 minutes and then leave them
0:12:24 > 0:12:25in the pan.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29Now, you need to prepare the mystery vegetable.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32A lot of people would never even have seen this stuff before.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35It is amazing stuff. It's salsify.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38It's often called the oyster plant, because it's supposed to
0:12:38 > 0:12:42taste like oysters when it's cooked, but it is a delicious ingredient.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45If you can get hold of it in supermarkets, and they do sell it...
0:12:45 > 0:12:47We, kind of, walk past it, on the trolley,
0:12:47 > 0:12:50just going for the standard peppers and courgettes and everything else.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53Buy this stuff. It really does taste delicious.
0:12:57 > 0:13:00Look at the colour of that inside!
0:13:00 > 0:13:03The minute you peel it, it starts to go brown, so you pop it
0:13:03 > 0:13:09in some acidulated water, which will keep it nice and white.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13Then, add the salsify to the pan of boiling water with
0:13:13 > 0:13:16a squeeze of lemon juice and leave it to cook for 8-10 minutes.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22Once it's cooked, it stays lovely and white like that and to test it,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24you just stick the knife in.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28It's actually like testing whether a carrot's cooked, really.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30You can then drain off the liquid.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37And just pop these in the fridge, if you need to.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41Now I'm going to make the risotto out of, not rice, but pearl barley.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45This has been left to soak for about an hour. Just drain it off.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49Now, what I'm going to do is just cook this in a little
0:13:49 > 0:13:52bit of stock and some garlic.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55Now, if you can, and it's in season,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58this dish is brilliant with wild garlic.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03But I'm going to get away with this with garlic and parsley.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Put that garlic in a pan, with the soaked pearl barley
0:14:07 > 0:14:10and some chicken stock.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Then, add the remaining stock to some chopped parsley
0:14:13 > 0:14:17and blitz the whole lot, to make a puree.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29Now, what you end up with is this amazing green colour...
0:14:29 > 0:14:31Just check that out in there.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33You get so much flavour into that.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37Now, the great thing about all this is, you can prepare everything
0:14:37 > 0:14:40that I've done so far the night before, so this can be cooked,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42you've got the puree done.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45You've got the salsify ready and you've got the onions.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49The beef, again, is just left in the oven, leave it alone in the oven.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55That leaves me with a good five and a half hours all to myself,
0:14:55 > 0:15:00which means I can grab some fresh air with the boys before I serve up.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11That is banging!
0:15:11 > 0:15:15There are just a few small jobs to do before the guests arrive.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Just take the onions and we can seal them off in the pan.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Together with some of your salsify.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Then, reheat the pearl barley and add the parsley puree, cream
0:15:29 > 0:15:33and a generous handful of Parmesan cheese.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36And then, you can change the texture of it slightly,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38by adding a touch of stock.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42Or a little bit of water. But you see this lovely colour...
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Once thing you don't want to be doing is overcooking this, cos you'll
0:15:46 > 0:15:49lose this nice green colour. And if you overcook it at this stage,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51what you'll end up with is what looks like mushy peas.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55There's nothing wrong with mushy peas, but it's that dull green.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58Now that the cheeks have been gently cooking for at least six hours,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02it's time to get this show-stopping supper on to a plate.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Mm-mm-mm!
0:16:07 > 0:16:10It's gorgeous! It smells delicious!
0:16:10 > 0:16:16You can grab this pearl barley, sit that down the centre of the plate
0:16:16 > 0:16:19and then, of course, we've got this delicious beef.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21Chunks of meat, full of flavour.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Just look at that. And then you've got these onions.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Now, if you keep the onions whole and colour them on one side, if you pick
0:16:30 > 0:16:34them out, what you end up with is these delicious sort of onion petals.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37So simple, but so effective.
0:16:37 > 0:16:38Little bit of salsify.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47And then, finally, just to surprise everybody at the dinner table,
0:16:47 > 0:16:52get a stock cube, a beef stock cube, just crush it up
0:16:53 > 0:16:57and you just put a tiny little bit of this stock cube over the top.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59And there you have it.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02One of the best dishes I create for supper parties.
0:17:03 > 0:17:0790% of which, can be done the day before.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10You don't need a knife and fork with this. This is spoon and fork.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Because, look, you put it in the beef like that and it just flakes apart.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20That is so good!
0:17:22 > 0:17:26That, as my grandad would say, is "a proper dish, lad"!
0:17:26 > 0:17:28A proper dish!
0:17:28 > 0:17:31And he knew what he was talking about.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35Cook this melt-in-the-mouth beef, soaked with hearty flavours,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38and you'll be as proud of it as I am.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45No show-off supper is complete without a show-stopping dessert,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49as Helen Bakunowicz, also known as the Bakemonger, will tell you.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54She handcrafts bespoke cakes from her tiny kitchen in Somerset.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56But Helen is an artisan baker with a difference.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59My cakes are definitely, sort of, very unique.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01So many people are always telling me
0:18:01 > 0:18:04that they've never seen anything like them.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07I really feel like my cake baking is an art form.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09It's very much like creating a visual feast,
0:18:09 > 0:18:12as well as a tasty feast.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Helen's highflying career in fashion definitely informs her
0:18:15 > 0:18:20approach to creating very contemporary and unusual cakes.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24I spent two years working in the textile industry,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26between New York and Italy.
0:18:26 > 0:18:30And, then, basically spent about 11 years in London, as a trend
0:18:30 > 0:18:31and colour forecaster.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34The fashion industry's been a big influence on Helen,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36but so have her Polish parents.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Her greatest inspiration has always been her mum, Barbara.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43I used to help and watch Mum at home,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47baking Polish goodies that we always had at home.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48She definitely inspired me to bake.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51And one of those cakes is piernik,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54a traditional Polish honey and gingerbread cake, that Barbara
0:18:54 > 0:18:56and Helen still bake together,
0:18:56 > 0:18:59whenever they can agree on the recipe, that is!
0:18:59 > 0:19:02- Six eggs, Helen. - Yeah...- Please.- Um...
0:19:03 > 0:19:04It's self-raising.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06No...
0:19:07 > 0:19:11To have a cake in the house is very important,
0:19:11 > 0:19:18because whoever comes to the house, cup of tea or coffees on the table.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22If a guest is going to stay longer, it could be even vodka on the table!
0:19:24 > 0:19:27A tea-party tipple - sounds good to me.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Mastering traditional recipes like piernik has given Helen
0:19:30 > 0:19:33a strong foundation for the cakes she makes now.
0:19:33 > 0:19:37She pours her colourful imagination into each and every one
0:19:37 > 0:19:38and no two are ever the same.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42I want my cakes to be perceived as an edible work of art,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44that's absolutely what I'm trying to achieve, 100%.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47There's flour, sugar, eggs and magic.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Those simple ingredients have given me actually, sort of, a whole
0:19:50 > 0:19:54new way of being creative and having a lot of fun with it, as well.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57And it was this distinctive approach that bagged Helen
0:19:57 > 0:19:59a big order from a local bride.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Today, I'm making a cakescape for a wedding.
0:20:02 > 0:20:07So it includes 42 tiny little tarts, 42 little stacked cakes and then,
0:20:07 > 0:20:12a big sort of glory cake, to sit in the middle of the cakescape as well.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16I always sketch out, basically, what I'm going to do, so this is
0:20:16 > 0:20:20a little tart, which is coconut, raspberry, chocolate balloon tarts.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23So, I'm also making these two mini sandwich layer cakes, as well,
0:20:23 > 0:20:26and they are coconut and lime sponge, which is
0:20:26 > 0:20:31drizzled with lots of lime, to make sure it stays nice and moist.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Inside there, we've got toasted coconut, we've got
0:20:34 > 0:20:38fresh passion fruit and, also, a coconut and lime buttercream.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44To adorn these indulgent ingredients, Helen also makes unique decorations.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47I put a huge amount of effort into the detail.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Everything is always edible.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I never ever put anything on that isn't edible.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55One thing I use on the cakes is dehydrated fruits.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59Dip dyed the bottom. I've dip dyed a little bit of the tip, as well.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01The bridesmaids are going to be wearing navy,
0:21:01 > 0:21:05so it's derivative of that colour, really.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Once they're done, they come out like this. They taste really good.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12They taste of pear, which, you know, you would hope.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14So, I think that's it.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17I think that's one done, so I can just repeat that now.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22Helen has to recreate that no fewer than 85 times, if she is to finish
0:21:22 > 0:21:26decorating all the individual wedding cakes in time for the big day.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28And then she has to transport
0:21:28 > 0:21:31and assemble her creation before the bride arrives.
0:21:31 > 0:21:32No pressure, then(!)
0:21:32 > 0:21:35I'm really excited to be actually, sort of, doing a proper
0:21:35 > 0:21:38full-on big wedding. Quite nerve-wracking as well though.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40You know, cos there's a lot of pressure.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44It's got to look just pristine and perfect.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48It's been a mission. Really hope she likes it. I really hopes she does.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52As the bride and groom arrive, it's the moment of truth for Helen.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Wow!
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Look at that!
0:21:57 > 0:21:58Mm!
0:21:58 > 0:22:00Oh, my God!
0:22:00 > 0:22:02Very good!
0:22:02 > 0:22:05They're so yummy! That's really, really good!
0:22:05 > 0:22:07Oh, more?
0:22:07 > 0:22:11Helen can now breathe a sigh of relief.
0:22:11 > 0:22:15I'm so excited that Audrey, the lovely bride, loves the cake.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19It just means so much actually when, you know, all of that work that's
0:22:19 > 0:22:22been put in and all of the lovely conversations we had
0:22:22 > 0:22:26and everything, it's just the most special thing in the world.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Brilliant bakes and decadent desserts aren't just for weddings.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40They're perfect for showing off at supper time, too.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44And the process doesn't have to be too complicated.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47I'm making one that goes brilliantly with my gran's shortbread.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Now, the key to a show-stopping dessert for me is simplicity
0:22:52 > 0:22:56and you don't get any more simple than a lemon posset.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Now, it's one of the oldest desserts around.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Originates from about the 15th century.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04And we used to use dairy, particularly milk, back then,
0:23:04 > 0:23:07thickened with a little bit of ale or mead or even cider,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10to, sort of, almost curdle and cook the milk, if that makes sense.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Nowadays, of course, we still keep the dairy, but use double cream
0:23:13 > 0:23:17and, instead of that mead and everything else, we use lemon.
0:23:17 > 0:23:21So, the first thing I need for this recipe is a combination of sugar
0:23:21 > 0:23:22and double cream.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Now, you have to make this out of double cream really,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28because it doesn't set with single cream
0:23:28 > 0:23:31and it certainly doesn't set really well with milk.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34You get almost like a, sort of, blancmange texture.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38So, the first thing we're going to do is throw our cream into the pan.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42Bring it to the boil, along with some sugar.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44Then, add the juice and zest of two lemons.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48It's the acidity of the lemon that helps the posset set.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52Now, this has to be one of the simplest desserts around,
0:23:52 > 0:23:54because it mainly only uses three ingredients.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57But the flavour from it is really fantastic
0:23:57 > 0:24:01and it all comes from the lemon.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I remember my gran making simple lemon possets
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and it was done exactly the same way as I'm doing here.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It's a very quick and simple little dessert.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Now, as the cream and the sugar comes to the boil,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16it almost looks like condensed milk in this pan.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18You've got to keep your eye on it,
0:24:18 > 0:24:22because the sugar can often sit at the bottom of the pan and burn
0:24:22 > 0:24:25while you're bringing it to the boil.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28And then, add our lemon juice and lemon zest.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Immediately, the mixture begins to thicken.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37When it resembles the consistency of custard, take it off the heat
0:24:37 > 0:24:39and ladle into bowls.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43You can see the texture of the cream has changed.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44It's started to thicken up.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49And then, take these and pop them in the fridge.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53They take around an hour to set, which gives me time to do the baking.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57Now it's all about showing off for a dinner party and to do that, I like
0:24:57 > 0:25:01to serve this with shortbread, but shortbread slightly made differently.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04And for that, you need some of these little non-stick moulds.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06This is ideal for this.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08Cos it's a really delicate shortbread.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Shortbread, in its nature, is very short, as in crumbly,
0:25:10 > 0:25:13and if we make it and then block it out and then cut it up,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17you end up with little fingers, which are fine to dip in to the posset,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19but what this is is really delicate.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21You put them in the mouth and they just dissolve.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23You don't even need to bite them.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25I think that's the reason why my Gran made these,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27cos of her false teeth and stuff like that.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32They just basically dissolved in her mouth, but these are delicious.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36To get started, put 175g of plain flour, 90g of icing sugar,
0:25:36 > 0:25:4160g of ground almonds, and 25g of cornflour into a bowl,
0:25:41 > 0:25:43with my favourite ingredient.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47This is probably the reason why I fell in love with butter.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50Cos it uses a whole packet. The entire block.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53And what we do now is just break this into pieces.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Rub the chunks of butter and the dry ingredients together,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00using your hands.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Don't use a machine, as you'll over-mix it
0:26:02 > 0:26:05and the finished biscuits will be too hard.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08Keep mixing and as soon as the heat of your hands brings
0:26:08 > 0:26:11the crumbly mixture together, you're nearly there.
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Now, what you need to do is just mould these into little balls
0:26:14 > 0:26:18and just put each one in this little mould.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Now, you kind of have to do this in this little mould
0:26:22 > 0:26:24because this shortbread is so delicate,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27if I was to roll this out and put on to a tray, it would
0:26:27 > 0:26:31basically just spread everywhere and go all over the place.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37Now, these shortbreads need to bake for about 8-10 minutes only.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39That's all they'll take to cook.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44Now, to increase the flavour of those lovely shortbreads that are in
0:26:44 > 0:26:47the oven, I'm just going to take some strawberry jam
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and what you have to do is bring the jam to the boil,
0:26:50 > 0:26:54to almost sort of reconstitute it, to make it back to a liquid again.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57Just a tiny bit of water and then just heat this up.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00Now, you certainly don't want to overcook these.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03You can see from the texture what happens.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05They just slightly souffle up.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08Now, these will collapse back down again, but what you have
0:27:08 > 0:27:11to do while they're still warm is make little indentations cos you
0:27:11 > 0:27:14want the jam to sit in the middle and for that,
0:27:14 > 0:27:16you just need your little finger.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Press it in the top.
0:27:18 > 0:27:21Now, to fill these, you need to fill them with a hot jam,
0:27:21 > 0:27:25otherwise you just end up with a dollop sat on the top.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28So, by warming it up, you just get this nice texture to it.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34Once you've filled the centres,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37we can then cool this down and just decorate our posset.
0:27:42 > 0:27:43You can do this any way you like.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48I'm using chopped figs, strawberry quarters and sprigs of mint.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51And once the shortbreads are cooled, it's time to show them off.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55All you need to do with these is just carefully pop them out.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00These are so delicate, these things. They almost break in your hands.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Now, if this isn't showing off, I don't know what is.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And you do it in no time at all.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09This entire dish is done in less than an hour.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13Mm!
0:28:13 > 0:28:15And what I love about this,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18the biscuits just cut through the richness of the posset.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24This is very good!
0:28:24 > 0:28:28These buttery shortbreads with their fruity topping are the perfect
0:28:28 > 0:28:30partner for the tangy posset.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Don't forget to share them.
0:28:35 > 0:28:41Another way to impress a hungry crowd is by serving top class seafood.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Langoustines in particular are one of my true favourites
0:28:44 > 0:28:47and they don't come any fresher than Kieran Quinn's,
0:28:47 > 0:28:51caught off the coast of County Mayo in Ireland.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55The waters of Clew Bay have always been a part of his life.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59We were always on the shore, in little row boats, going fishing.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02My father was a boat builder at one time,
0:29:02 > 0:29:05so we were always repairing boats, painting boats.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08From a young age, from as early as I can remember,
0:29:08 > 0:29:10all I ever wanted to do was go fishing.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12So Kieran is off to catch langoustines,
0:29:12 > 0:29:17a succulent white shellfish. They're sometimes called Dublin Bay prawns.
0:29:17 > 0:29:21Even though they do look like a giant prawn, they're more closely
0:29:21 > 0:29:25related to a slightly more exclusive sort of seafood.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28Langoustine is a similar texture to lobster
0:29:28 > 0:29:34but the flavour is stronger, it's more distinct, and quite sweet.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Kieran is on his way out to collect his catch from fishing pots
0:29:37 > 0:29:39called creels.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44Creels area steel frame with a net over the outside of it.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47We bait the creels with herring and set them on the ground.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50The creels are very light, they sit on the seabed,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53they don't dig in, they're not dragged across the seabed, so
0:29:53 > 0:29:58when we haul them back, there's very little disturbance to the seabed.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01Along with the fishermen who depend on Clew Bay for their living,
0:30:01 > 0:30:03there are seals and seabirds too.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Kieran's low impact style of fishing means
0:30:06 > 0:30:09they all continue to benefit from these rich waters.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15800 baited creels are waiting on the seabed, so hopefully some
0:30:15 > 0:30:19hungry langoustines have been fattening up nicely inside each one.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22I'm getting to see a couple of prawns now.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Using creels is a selective way of fishing.
0:30:27 > 0:30:28The live catch Kieran doesn't want,
0:30:28 > 0:30:32including juvenile langoustines, can be returned to the sea.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36These prawns are probably big enough for some fisheries, but for the live
0:30:36 > 0:30:39market that we go for, these are not big enough, so we return them.
0:30:39 > 0:30:42Next year, these will be big enough to catch.
0:30:44 > 0:30:48You need to keep the prawns in these trays, or as we call them, tubes.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50They fight a lot.
0:30:50 > 0:30:52Left in a large tub together,
0:30:52 > 0:30:56these feisty langoustines would simply rip each other apart.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58Something that must be avoided at all costs.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Because they're alive when they arrive in the restaurant,
0:31:01 > 0:31:04the restaurant owner can charge top dollar for them.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07And as a result, we get top dollar for our product.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10The biggest market for our product is in France and Spain,
0:31:10 > 0:31:11unfortunately.
0:31:11 > 0:31:14When you see prawns in supermarkets for 5.99 for a packet
0:31:14 > 0:31:17of peeled prawns, whereas the prawns that we have
0:31:17 > 0:31:20here, in the likes of Spain are maybe 100 euros a kilo.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24At that price, it's no wonder langoustines are considered
0:31:24 > 0:31:27an expensive delicacy.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30But thankfully, local customers can enjoy them too.
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Eagerly awaiting today's fresh catch is County Mayo chef Aine Maguire.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38How's it going?
0:31:38 > 0:31:41'We don't always have them every week. It depends on the weather.'
0:31:41 > 0:31:44So when we have them, I have a list of people who I have to call
0:31:44 > 0:31:46and say, "I have Kieran's prawns now,"
0:31:46 > 0:31:49and they come and get them, they come and eat.
0:31:49 > 0:31:53And at a restaurant on the Bay, Aine can't wait to cook this five
0:31:53 > 0:31:55star local shellfish.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58These are showstoppers. You give these to your guests
0:31:58 > 0:32:00and they are certainly going to be wowed.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02And for loads of reasons.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06The flavour is extraordinary. Brings a little bit of drama to the table.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11Produce this good and this fresh
0:32:11 > 0:32:13needs to be cooked as simply as possible.
0:32:13 > 0:32:18Aine just fries them off with homemade Irish butter and parsley,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20with a squeeze of lemon.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24Langoustine in the main are a prime product but these to me
0:32:24 > 0:32:27seem to be the best of the best.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29They're delicious.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32In the dining room tonight, there's a tough crowd to please.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34It's Kieran's family and friends.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41They're really, really sweet and succulent. They're just delicious.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42I can't tell you.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45It's a little bit of heaven and it's...
0:32:45 > 0:32:48You just know it's good and it's from a really good source.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53It's sweet and buttery and messy and...
0:32:53 > 0:32:57I just want to lie down and have me tummy tickled!
0:32:57 > 0:32:59LAUGHTER
0:32:59 > 0:33:00I think that means he likes them.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03It's humbling, to be honest.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05And to see the reaction of the people
0:33:05 > 0:33:08and the fact that I caught these this morning
0:33:08 > 0:33:12and we're here eating them now, it's an absolutely beautiful meal.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14It's perfect.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17Even if you do have to shell out for this sublime seafood,
0:33:17 > 0:33:20your dinner guests will thank you for it.
0:33:23 > 0:33:29Today, I'm preparing for a guest of my own, one who just loves shellfish.
0:33:29 > 0:33:33It's the nation's smiliest weather presenter, Carol Kirkwood.
0:33:33 > 0:33:34- Hello!- How are you doing?
0:33:34 > 0:33:37- Good to see you.- You all right? - Yes, thank you.- Good to see you.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40- It's lovely.- You like it? - I love it.- Come on in.
0:33:40 > 0:33:43- Not so keen about the weather. - Mind the killer dog.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45Oh, hello! Aren't you cute?
0:33:45 > 0:33:48- It's always the dog that gets more attention.- What's the doggy's name?
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- This is Ralph.- Ralph, you're so cute! - Yeah, ultimate guard dog.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54Come on in.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56Like Ralph, Carol has to earn her keep,
0:33:56 > 0:34:00so she's going to help me make one of her seafood favourites.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04Well, I say help, but that might be pushing it.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08- Well, Carol, welcome to my kitchen. - Thank you.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12It's a foreign place for you, I know what you're like in the kitchen!
0:34:12 > 0:34:15I know, I don't recognise half of these utensils, James!
0:34:15 > 0:34:17- I'm hoping you're not expecting me to do anything.- I am.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19I'm expecting you to do a lot
0:34:19 > 0:34:22because I thought as a little homage to you we'd do kind of a lovely
0:34:22 > 0:34:25- little dish that brings back memories of your childhood.- Yeah?
0:34:25 > 0:34:27- We're going to do lemon sole... - Oh, lovely!
0:34:27 > 0:34:31- And we're going to do langoustines, which we've got to have.- Mm!
0:34:31 > 0:34:33From your neck of the woods as well.
0:34:33 > 0:34:35- We'll incorporate the whole lot together.- Right.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38First thing we're going to do is get on our lemon sole.
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Now, we've got this beautiful piece of fish, all right?
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Look at that! Wow!
0:34:45 > 0:34:48You've kind of got to know what to do with it though.
0:34:48 > 0:34:52Well, normally, I have it on a plate and it's already been done!
0:34:52 > 0:34:55What we've got to do, is there's four fillets on a flatfish.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57- One there, one there, one there and one there.- Yeah.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00And we want them all removed.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02Don't look at me! I wouldn't have a clue!
0:35:02 > 0:35:05What we're going to do is take off this bit first.
0:35:05 > 0:35:09Now, the chefs call this the skirt.
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Now naturally, there's a line, down there, look.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14There's even a guide for you, Carol.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16I don't like the way this is going, James!
0:35:16 > 0:35:20There's an A to B. So we follow this down.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Now, you can hear... KNIFE SCRAPES
0:35:23 > 0:35:26- Yeah, you've hit the bones in the middle.- Hit the bone, right.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29Now, you take the knife and you start from one end to the other
0:35:29 > 0:35:32and you roll in the knife up against the side of the bone like that.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Right. I know you're a brilliant chef, but looking at you doing this,
0:35:36 > 0:35:38- did you ever consider surgery? - I wasn't clever enough.
0:35:38 > 0:35:40Definitely not clever enough.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43I wasn't clever enough to do the weather either.
0:35:43 > 0:35:45- I was far from clever enough. - Not true.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48Well... Cos you were brought up in Scotland, obviously...
0:35:48 > 0:35:51- You were brought up in the hotel trade.- That's right.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54I was brought up in a wee place called Morar, which is
0:35:54 > 0:35:56in the north west Highlands,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00and mum and dad owned a hotel and in fact, my dad left school when
0:36:00 > 0:36:04he was about 12 and he started out in the hotel as a shoe shine boy...
0:36:04 > 0:36:06Oh, really?
0:36:06 > 0:36:09And eventually, he worked his way up to buying the hotel,
0:36:09 > 0:36:12and in the meantime he married mum, they had eight kids,
0:36:12 > 0:36:15so there were lots of us. So we were always in and out of the hotel.
0:36:15 > 0:36:19When I was at school, we'd come back to the hotel for lunch and I
0:36:19 > 0:36:23was dying to stay and have a burger, some chips,
0:36:23 > 0:36:27but instead I was having lemon sole and salmon
0:36:27 > 0:36:29and all these wonderful things that I adore now,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32but in those days, I just wanted to be the same as everyone else.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34Now, I've left you one to do.
0:36:34 > 0:36:35Do you want to do that or do you want me to do it?
0:36:35 > 0:36:37Would you just do it, James? I'll watch.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41- You just don't want to get your hands dirty.- I've just had my nails done!
0:36:41 > 0:36:43When I've taken the fourth fillet off the bone,
0:36:43 > 0:36:46we need to remove the skin from all the fillets.
0:36:46 > 0:36:50Start at one end, you hold the knife flat on to the board, you see that?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52- Not like that, not like that...- Yeah.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55- It's about 45 degrees and you wiggle the skin.- Yeah.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00And it just comes straight off. It's easy, this cooking lark, isn't it?
0:37:00 > 0:37:03- So, off you go.- OK, 45 degrees... - 45 degrees.- Wiggle it.
0:37:03 > 0:37:07Just wiggle the skin, not the knife, Carol! SHE LAUGHS
0:37:07 > 0:37:10- Wiggle the skin! - It's a slippery wee thing, isn't it?
0:37:10 > 0:37:11SHE LAUGHS
0:37:11 > 0:37:14You were never very good at this on Ready Steady Cook either,
0:37:14 > 0:37:17all those years ago, were you?
0:37:17 > 0:37:22- Cooking is... Oops.- Look at that! - Cooking isn't my forte, James.
0:37:22 > 0:37:24- Well...- Well...
0:37:24 > 0:37:27So you're supposed to have a lovely piece of fillet like mine.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29- Oh, dear! - SHE LAUGHS
0:37:29 > 0:37:31I...
0:37:31 > 0:37:33This looks like my dog's eaten it!
0:37:33 > 0:37:36- SHE LAUGHS - You cheeky thing!
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Listen, that's the first time I've done that.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41That's not a bad first attempt.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Luckily, we're using some of the fillets to make a rich mousse for the
0:37:44 > 0:37:48sole, so I'll blitz Carol's in the blender with an egg white
0:37:48 > 0:37:49and a dash of cream.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Then put the mixture in to a piping bag,
0:37:53 > 0:37:55ready to put on to the remaining fillets.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59Is there a nice particular area of the UK that has got better
0:37:59 > 0:38:00weather than others?
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Tend to find Kent is pretty good, but also parts of Hampshire as well.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07And also we're closer to the equator, if you just look
0:38:07 > 0:38:10at it from that point of view, than where I come from in the Highlands.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13But the other thing is, where I come from in the Highlands...
0:38:13 > 0:38:16You're doing a lot of talking to put you off from doing this, aren't you?
0:38:16 > 0:38:17I know what you're doing.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19If I carry on talking, he'll just do all this
0:38:19 > 0:38:22and it'll just suddenly appear. Like a ready meal!
0:38:22 > 0:38:24SHE LAUGHS
0:38:24 > 0:38:27- You know me too well!- I know you! Right, this is your bit now.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30I want you... Are you any good at piping?
0:38:30 > 0:38:32- SHE LAUGHS - What do you think?
0:38:32 > 0:38:34You're going to be hopeless, but anyway...
0:38:34 > 0:38:38- Don't sit on the fence, James!- No, I'm not. I'm from the north, you see?
0:38:38 > 0:38:42- Right, pipe it.- OK.- You basically want to do this, all right?
0:38:42 > 0:38:45So you're just squidging it out in a circle.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47There's a particular way to do it. Like that.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50All right? Now, I'm going to put another piece on here.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Oh, so you're making it like a sandwich, like a cake?
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Like a sandwich?!
0:38:55 > 0:38:57SHE LAUGHS
0:38:57 > 0:39:00HE LAUGHS
0:39:00 > 0:39:01SHE LAUGHS
0:39:01 > 0:39:04I deliberately did this... I thought...
0:39:04 > 0:39:08This is a bit fancy, it's a bit... But I reckon Carol could do this.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11I was totally wrong!
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Hide the dodgy mousse under the top layer of sole.
0:39:14 > 0:39:17Then wrap it in some clingfilm and chill in the fridge.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Meanwhile, it's time to prepare cauliflower three ways.
0:39:22 > 0:39:25That's boiled, pureed and grated into a salad.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29- So we've got these little florets like this.- Yeah.- OK?
0:39:29 > 0:39:32So, do you get a chance to cook much at home then?
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Well, the kind of cooking I do is really just to stay alive.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37HE LAUGHS
0:39:37 > 0:39:42- Really?- It is. It's not fancy. It's very basic kind of stuff.
0:39:42 > 0:39:43I like things like...
0:39:43 > 0:39:47Well, I love fish, so poached salmon, salad, that kind of thing.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Sometimes, I'll push the boat out and make a spaghetti bolognaise.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55- Right.- Usually, it's from a jar over some mince.
0:39:55 > 0:39:56- Grab a pan there.- Yup.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59- Now, we're going to take some double cream.- Yeah.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01- A little bit of double cream.- Mm-hm.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04And you're going to take the cauliflower
0:40:04 > 0:40:06and then we're going to boil this.
0:40:06 > 0:40:10So, on that stove there, we'll fire it up...
0:40:10 > 0:40:13- Now you're cooking! Now we're off! We're on.- Brilliant.- OK.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15We're going to take our florets,
0:40:15 > 0:40:18we're going to boil these for about two or three minutes.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Now, with the leftover cauliflower, we're going to grate this.
0:40:21 > 0:40:23OK, just... Even the stalk?
0:40:23 > 0:40:26- No, just...- Just the bit at the top.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28The right way up would help!
0:40:28 > 0:40:32- Gee! Right, so you don't do the stalk as well.- No, just like that.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35- Just the tops. You happy with that? - Yeah, happy with that.- Good.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- I'll leave you with that?- Yes. - Try not to get your nails in it!
0:40:38 > 0:40:42While Carol gets to grips with the grater, I drain the boiled florets.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47And although she's doing her best with the cauliflower
0:40:47 > 0:40:51and boiled eggs, I think I'd better be the one to shell the langoustines.
0:40:51 > 0:40:55Beautiful shellfish. When you break them open, I think
0:40:55 > 0:40:59they're one of the most tastiest pieces of seafood around.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02Shellfish like these need careful handling,
0:41:02 > 0:41:05so take your time to avoid damaging their delicate flesh.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Take the cauliflower and cream off the hob,
0:41:11 > 0:41:13then blitz into a rich and velvety puree.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15What do you think, Carol?
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Mm!
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- Oh, that's lovely? - Happy with that?- Mm!- All right.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22Now, we're going to finish this off now cos we're going to
0:41:22 > 0:41:23cook our piece of fish.
0:41:23 > 0:41:27You've got a little bamboo steamer and we take this,
0:41:27 > 0:41:29place it over the top.
0:41:29 > 0:41:32We're going to steam this for about six minutes.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35All we need to do now is make a dressing for our cauliflower
0:41:35 > 0:41:37and egg salad,
0:41:37 > 0:41:40using extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.
0:41:40 > 0:41:45Drizzle it over the top of the salad and over the langoustines.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47- So, what we're going to do is take a spoon.- Yeah.
0:41:47 > 0:41:51- This is the salad mixture.- That is so tasty, that salad mixture.
0:41:51 > 0:41:53- I'm going to try that. - It's nice, isn't it?
0:41:53 > 0:41:56Are you going to really try this?
0:41:56 > 0:42:00If you are saying that, I expect you to text me a picture.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02- Yes, OK. - It's not going to happen, is it?
0:42:02 > 0:42:04SHE LAUGHS
0:42:04 > 0:42:08This delicate seafood is the perfect partner to the grated salad,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12rich cauliflower puree and the scattered florets.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16The zingy dressing completes a luxurious dish to satisfy any
0:42:16 > 0:42:19- seafood lover.- That looks brilliant. - Are you happy with that?
0:42:19 > 0:42:22- I think that looks perfect. - You like that?- Yes, I do.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Now, the idea is that I leave you in this kitchen
0:42:25 > 0:42:27and I'd like you to replicate that in six minutes.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29Off you go.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Even if you don't have a willing commis chef,
0:42:33 > 0:42:36hosting a supper doesn't have to be difficult.
0:42:36 > 0:42:40And it's a great way of showing off your cooking skills.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42The question is, have I impressed my guest?
0:42:44 > 0:42:47- Mm!- You see? The next time you have a dinner party,
0:42:47 > 0:42:49I reckon this is a dish to show off.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51If you come round and cook it, absolutely!
0:42:51 > 0:42:54If you give me the name of your fishmonger, I'll get him
0:42:54 > 0:42:57to fillet the fish for you as well. SHE LAUGHS
0:42:57 > 0:43:02You can find all the recipes from the series at:
0:43:04 > 0:43:07I've got you a little present. It's your own filleting knife.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11Which I'm going to prove a point here - I'm going to sign it and I bet you,
0:43:11 > 0:43:15next time I come round to your place, that signature's still on there.