0:00:06 > 0:00:09'Two of my passions are flying and food.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15'And it's from up here you get to really appreciate
0:00:15 > 0:00:19'the unique landscape that produces the food that I love to cook.'
0:00:30 > 0:00:33So I've taken to the skies to show you how this land
0:00:33 > 0:00:35has influenced our larders.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43'On my journey around the UK,
0:00:43 > 0:00:48'I'm going to be meeting the people who work this ever-changing landscape.
0:00:48 > 0:00:54'And revealing how this terrain has served up some of the country's best regional ingredients.'
0:00:54 > 0:00:56It tastes so good.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01'And I'll be sharing some great recipes that showcase this amazing land
0:01:01 > 0:01:04'that put such wonderful food on our tables.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12'Today, I'm heading to South Wales.
0:01:22 > 0:01:26'The impressive and endlessly varied landscape
0:01:26 > 0:01:31'makes conditions perfect for producing a spread of uniquely delicious ingredients.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46'The rolling pastures and lush grass of the valleys are great for dairy,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49'giving us strong Welsh cheeses like Caerphilly.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54'The rugged hills are home to a breed of cattle
0:01:54 > 0:01:57'that can graze the coarse upland grass,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00'producing world-famous Welsh black beef.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08'The rich soils and warm, wet air
0:02:08 > 0:02:11'are ideal for the prized Pembrokeshire potatoes.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23'And it's to Pembrokeshire I'm heading first today
0:02:23 > 0:02:26'on my food map of Britain.'
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Now, you cannot come to Wales without a trip along the coast.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38There are 750 miles of coastline.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42And it's stunning from the air. And if you've ever eaten mussels...
0:02:43 > 0:02:46..in Holland, and crab in Spain,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49particularly sea bass along the south coast of England,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53there's a good chance that it comes from these waters around Wales.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05'This huge supply of seafood exists
0:03:05 > 0:03:10'because the waters of the Atlantic Ocean here are particularly clean and nutrient-rich.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18'I've come to the farthest reaches of Pembrokeshire
0:03:18 > 0:03:20'to the beach of Freshwater West,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23'a mile-long stretch of sand and rock,
0:03:23 > 0:03:25'where one man's made it his mission
0:03:25 > 0:03:29'to find some of the freshest seafood you could ever wish for.'
0:03:35 > 0:03:38I love foraging cos I just love being down the beach.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40I'm just a bit of a beach bum, really.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43So if there's no surf, I get to spend time on the beach foraging
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and just finding new ingredients.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51'Jonathan Williams used to have a desk job.
0:03:51 > 0:03:57'But two years ago, he swapped suits for shorts to become a full-time forager.'
0:03:57 > 0:04:00Professionally being down here is just fantastic.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05You can combine your passion with a professional lifestyle, as well.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11'He not only scours the shores for tasty titbits,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13'he's a chef in his own right,
0:04:13 > 0:04:17'cooking up all manner of seafood dishes in his mobile cafe.'
0:04:19 > 0:04:22The quality of ingredients down Freshwater West is fantastic.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24I mean, the water quality here is just amazing.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28And you can see just looking around, just the environment it grows in,
0:04:28 > 0:04:30it's just clean and unpolluted.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36'Now, I'm going to be honest, I know nothing about foraging,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39'so I'm keen to see what this beach has to offer.'
0:04:39 > 0:04:43- All right, Jonathan. - Hey, James, how's it going? - Good to see you, buddy.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- This is a pretty good location, isn't it? - It's not bad, it's not bad.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- It's not bad! On a day like this, it's spectacular!- I'm really lucky.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51And a great menu. I've spotted a few things already.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Lobsters. I'm assuming this is just from over there?
0:04:54 > 0:04:58Yeah, yeah, lobster we get from here, crab we get from here and the seaweed we get from here.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Tell me about seaweed. This area's famous for it.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- So which one's first? - This one is the pepper dulse butter.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05So you can see all the seaweeds in there.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07I'll put a little bit on there for you.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11We love it on a nice little bit of bread, things like that.
0:05:11 > 0:05:15And can't go wrong with a nice Welsh bread
0:05:15 > 0:05:17and a nice bit of Welsh pepper dulse seaweed.
0:05:17 > 0:05:22It is great, though, cos the minute you think of seaweed, you think of saltiness.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27- This hasn't got it at all, has it? - It's got a really nice... - Almost mushroomy taste.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31Yeah, it's lovely. I've got to try this, then, the old potted crab.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Potted crab and a little bit of lemon.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42- It's really good, that. - That's a bit tasty, isn't it?
0:05:43 > 0:05:47Very good, that. I'm going to need more than this to cook with.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50So I'm trusting you to forage some stuff from out there.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53- Hopefully, the tide is low enough. - Do you know what you're doing?
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Well, we'll see.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58- I'm going to follow you. You lead the way.- OK.
0:06:02 > 0:06:07'Part of what makes the Welsh coast unique is its immense tidal range.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11'Pembrokeshire has some of the biggest tides in the world,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13'meaning that on a flat beach like this,
0:06:13 > 0:06:18'up to 100 metres of rocky seabed is exposed twice a day.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20'Now, many seaweeds cling to rocks,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24'making this the perfect spot for foraging a whole load of it.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27'Which is what the locals have done for donkey's years.'
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- Well, the tide's coming in. - Yeah, I think the tide's too high for the reds.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37He's just randomly going out there like a mad Welshmen, really,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40I don't know what he's looking for.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42But this is quite interesting stuff.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46This is gutweed. Or sea grass, as he calls it.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52That's the stuff you often find in, sort of, Chinese restaurants.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- Got a couple of reds.- A couple of reds?- A couple of red seaweeds.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59First one's carrageen or Irish moss.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03This is used as an alternative for gelatine.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- So that's why you can... - Look at that.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08It's got its own E number. It's used in ice creams, setting agents.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Fantastic to use in panacottas and possets.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14- We've got some pepper dulse here. - I've seen this before.
0:07:14 > 0:07:19- I've eaten this before. This is delicious.- It's really peppery. Have a taste of that.
0:07:19 > 0:07:23And it's got the nickname of truffle of the seas.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- It's got this really unique flavour. - That is amazing.- It's fantastic.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Can we go in now? Cos my welly is about to get...
0:07:29 > 0:07:35- Have you got wet wellies?- Look at that!- You'll have to have a piggyback.- I might need other stuff.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40'With 35 edible types of seaweed growing around Britain,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43'I can't believe I haven't done this before.'
0:07:43 > 0:07:48This is what makes the Welsh rugby team so good. They live off this stuff, laver seaweed.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53'Of course, you've got to know what you're looking for. It's not all fine dining.'
0:07:53 > 0:07:57We can have a little bite. But you won't get much out of the...
0:07:59 > 0:08:00Yeah.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07'I'll be using a couple of these seaweeds in my next cook up.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10'But there's one more ingredient I want to get my hands on,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12'rock samphire.'
0:08:12 > 0:08:16- So this is your favourite spot, then, to find it? - Yeah, I love to come down here.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20It's all kind of growing right on the top of the cliff here.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22And you can see a little bit here, look.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26- It's growing amongst the grass. - It's all here, look at this.- Yeah.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29'Rock samphire is delicious stuff.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31'And it grows just out of reach of the tide
0:08:31 > 0:08:34'but within reach of its salty spray.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38'The conditions here are perfect for it.'
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- We've got a hefty bunch here actually.- Yeah, well, you know, I'm a typical chef,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44I'm grabbing loads of this cos I actually like this stuff.
0:08:44 > 0:08:48It really has made my trip because I've never seen this grow in the wild.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51It's a great location, as well, down on Freshwater West.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55- And look at the view. - I know. It's not a bad job. - You've got a hard life, haven't you?
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Well, it's not all this. There's a lot of hard graft going on here.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- Yeah, yeah.- Behind-the-scenes stuff, James.- Exactly, right.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Well, pick more, cos I want plenty of it.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08- Stop eating it and get picking. - I can't help it.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18'Ideal as the rocks are for the seaweed, and the cliffs for the samphire,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21'that's not all you can forage from a Pembrokeshire beach.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27'At low tide, you can also get the sand and the mud flats,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30'which are home for all sorts of shellfish.
0:09:31 > 0:09:35'Although catching a wave seems more popular for some than catching supper.'
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Now, foraging for food around the coastline of Britain
0:09:41 > 0:09:44is 100 percent legal but it's far from straightforward,
0:09:44 > 0:09:48as most of this coastline is either National Trust, National Park or privately-owned.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Some need licences, but mainly you need the owner's permission.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54But getting it and getting this amazing food,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57just literally by the sea,
0:09:57 > 0:09:58like this,
0:09:58 > 0:10:04and this lovely... sea samphire is absolutely delicious.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08And I'm going to use this and some of the foraged stuff that we got earlier
0:10:08 > 0:10:10to create this lovely dish.
0:10:12 > 0:10:16'Of course, you don't have to hunt down all your own ingredients on the beach.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19'But do make sure they're fresh.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24'Most shellfish will work with this dish,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27'but I'm using cockles, mussels, clams and razor clams.'
0:10:28 > 0:10:33They're very quick and simple to cook, really. You just need a hot pan on a stove.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36And use that as a little windbreak.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39And some white wine. We're going to get that in first of all.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42The razor clams here can be found all along the beach here,
0:10:42 > 0:10:44and all the way around Britain, really.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48I don't know why, to be honest, we don't eat more of these, but they really are spectacular.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51And taste really good.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53So, throw the clams in.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57All the clams there. We've got some lovely mussels here.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00I'm going to throw them in, as well.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03So put the lid on. And we cook these for a couple of minutes.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Lifting off the lid.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16They're about ready. You're just opening up the shells, really.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18We can drain off the liquor
0:11:18 > 0:11:22cos the liquor is really important
0:11:22 > 0:11:24when we come to cooking this.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28Just lift out the clams... and the mussels.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32It's one of these things, I often find with razor clams, people really don't like them
0:11:32 > 0:11:36cos they really don't know what to do with them, more than anything else.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38So we get the pan nice and hot again,
0:11:38 > 0:11:41ready for our little samphire.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44In the meantime, we can prepare our clams, which are pretty straightforward,
0:11:44 > 0:11:48so all I'm going to do is take the meat out of the mussels first and the clams.
0:11:48 > 0:11:53And this, to me, is what cooking by the sea is all about.
0:11:53 > 0:11:58Everything here that I've cooked so far is literally found along the coastline. It just...
0:11:59 > 0:12:01..tastes of the sea.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08So we've got the clams and the mussels.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11And then these are the razor clams, really. Very simple to prepare.
0:12:11 > 0:12:16All we do with these is just remove that.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21Out the way. It's just all the white meat, really, what you're looking for.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24Some people say these taste a little bit like oysters.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27But they're a lot cheaper.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32But they're delicious. And all we do with that now is take the flesh and just chop it up.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38And then I'm going to add these into the sauce in a minute.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41And then use the shells, as well.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43This is when I remember being a kid,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46we used to go to Blackpool, really, and collect the shells,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and put it in my granny's bathroom
0:12:49 > 0:12:51together with one of those toilet roll warmers
0:12:51 > 0:12:57with, like, a Barbie doll on top. But you've got these fantastic razor clam shells there.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03And then I'm going to just top these with some of this fabulous...
0:13:04 > 0:13:06..sea samphire.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09'Melt some butter in a pan.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12'I'm using some of the pepper dulse butter Jonathan gave me.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15'Once it's sizzling, in goes the samphire
0:13:15 > 0:13:19'and some of this beautiful red seaweed.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21'And a good grind of pepper.'
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Just as simple as that. Don't cook it too much cos you want to get a nice little colour.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30And I'm going to use this to top our little razor clams here.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36And now for the sauce. This is really just a classic white wine sauce.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38A little bit more of this butter in there
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and we just want some chopped shallot.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44Just a little bit of chopped shallot.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Get that cooking in the pan. Some garlic.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51Now, if you're just tuning in, I haven't shrunk.
0:13:52 > 0:13:54This is me.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57It's just that the producer has me sat here so you can see this fantastic view.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59But...
0:14:01 > 0:14:04So the garlic and the onions, you just want to cook this
0:14:04 > 0:14:07for about a minute, something like that.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10And then we've got this wonderful juice here.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13This is the juice from the clams and everything else.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16One thing you do have to be careful with, though,
0:14:16 > 0:14:18is a little bit of debris in the bottom.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22So what we're going to do is just pour this mixture in, just carefully.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26And then kind of stop really at that point.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Throw the rest of it away.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33And then we need to reduce this down with some double cream.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39And cook this for a couple of minutes until it gets nice and thick.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48'You can really tell when this sauce is ready.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50'It should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54'At this point, add the cooked clams and mussels.
0:14:56 > 0:15:00'Together with some tomatoes, skinned and diced,
0:15:00 > 0:15:02'and a good squeeze of lemon.'
0:15:03 > 0:15:06You can almost take it off the heat at this point, really.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08You don't want to be over-cooking those clams.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12If you do, particularly with razor clams, they're going to go like rubber.
0:15:12 > 0:15:18It'll be like chewing on a wetsuit, that most of these surfers... Look at them out there.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Why do surfers do that, anyway? There's no waves, man! Look at you!
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Mind you, I don't think I could fit in a wetsuit, let alone get on a surfboard.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30That is delicious.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34And now we're just going to finish it off with some of this dried seaweed
0:15:34 > 0:15:37that we're just going to put on there, as well.
0:15:37 > 0:15:43And then all you need now is just to put this inside the shells.
0:15:48 > 0:15:54Then just finally, we're just going to take some of this lovely forage seaweed over the top.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58And there you have it.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02It's Britain's coastline on a plate, really. Or a pebble.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10'A mouth-watering seafood starter.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13'A product of this glorious coastline
0:16:13 > 0:16:16'and a tribute to the great Atlantic Ocean.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39'I'm leaving the fine beaches and historic fishing ports of the South Pembrokeshire coast
0:16:39 > 0:16:41'for a very different landscape.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52'I'm heading inland to an area just southwest of the Brecon Beacons.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58'A region dominated by rugged hills
0:16:58 > 0:17:01'where I'm looking forward to tasting one of the most famous foods
0:17:01 > 0:17:03'to come out of Wales.'
0:17:11 > 0:17:14Now, this is something every farmer will tell you.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19For great, great produce, you have to work with the land, not against it.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Now, although this area is beautiful to fly through,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26it's a terrain that's notoriously difficult to farm.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28And if you had a tractor,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31you wouldn't want to drive it up the side of one of those hills.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36'Farming these hills is all about rearing livestock
0:17:36 > 0:17:41'and some, like Bernard Llewellyn, are positively passionate about it.'
0:17:44 > 0:17:49I've got a bit of a thing for these little black and white things. They're called bals or balwen.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52'These are Welsh mountain sheep
0:17:52 > 0:17:54'whose flavour is so linked to their surroundings
0:17:54 > 0:17:58'that they enjoy protected geographical status.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02'Lamb from anywhere else just isn't the same.'
0:18:03 > 0:18:05I just love them to bits.
0:18:05 > 0:18:10They're pretty and they taste really good, which is probably the most important thing of all.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14'Bernard's been farming at Carreg Cennen for over three decades.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18'The sheep roam wild on the exposed hills for most of the year,
0:18:18 > 0:18:20'but every summer, they're brought down to the farm.'
0:18:20 > 0:18:23Well, I've got the last of the sheep to shear.
0:18:23 > 0:18:28They don't shear that easily, but they really are iconic to this part of the world.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33'And I've got a delicious dish planned for this prized meat.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36'But I've got a feeling that Bernard's going to make me sing for my supper.'
0:18:36 > 0:18:42- How you doing, Bernard? - Well, it was a lot easier 20 or 30 years ago, when I was young.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- Why don't you come on in? - So, is this a local breed, then?
0:18:45 > 0:18:48This is very much a local breed.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51It's a big Glamorgan ram.
0:18:51 > 0:18:56- It's a big, hardy sheep.- Yep. - Not terribly good wool.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02'Welsh mountain sheep have been bred to be tough over hundreds of years.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06'They need to be able to survive the storms that sweep in from the Atlantic,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10'battering these hills in the winter.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14'No other livestock does as well here.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17'But when the time comes to remove their worn-out winter coats,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20'Bernard does get lumbered with a lot of wool.'
0:19:20 > 0:19:23What would you get for something like that?
0:19:23 > 0:19:25- £1.50, £2 at the most. - Two quid, that's it?
0:19:25 > 0:19:27And that's a big fleece.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Some of our ewes, they'll be a lot smaller
0:19:31 > 0:19:34and we'll be lucky to have a pound for them. HE SIGHS
0:19:34 > 0:19:37- I think it's your turn. - Oh, is it my turn?- Oh, absolutely.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42- You've done all the big ones. - Well, exactly.- I've never done this before so can I pick a small one?
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- This one will do.- This one?- Yes.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Get in there.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51- Go on then. Feeling comfortable with that? - Yeah.- OK.- Go for it.- Watch my hand.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57'What allows these sheep to stay in the mountains in the worst of the weather
0:19:57 > 0:19:59'are their dense fleeces.'
0:20:01 > 0:20:05- It's really warm underneath! - Keep it tight on the skin.- Right.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Let me show you. Just like that.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10'Even with Bernard's expert tuition,
0:20:10 > 0:20:13'this makes shearing these sheep a rather thankless task.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16'However, cooking their meat is a different story.'
0:20:16 > 0:20:21- Bit more.- I feel like we should name her Rosemary or something like that. - Rosemary?
0:20:21 > 0:20:25That's better! Another thousand ewes, you'll be really good. JAMES LAUGHS
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- Well done!- Hurray!- Great stuff!
0:20:29 > 0:20:34- I do apologise. - No, no, no. Don't apologise. I'll finish her tail some time.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- I'm not apologising to you, I'm apologising to Rosemary! - Sorry, Rosie.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Look at that! I reckon we'll get, what?
0:20:40 > 0:20:43I reckon you might get 30p for that if we're lucky.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- Don't think we'll get a lot for that one, will we? - THEY LAUGH
0:20:49 > 0:20:53'Now, thick wool may not directly affect the flavour of Welsh lamb,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56'but another quirk of nature in these sheep does.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'Lleyn sheep graze on farmed pasture land,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02'but here, the steep, uncultivated hillsides
0:21:02 > 0:21:04'offer a less nourishing diet.
0:21:04 > 0:21:09'Mountain sheep have adapted to survive on this fare of wild grass,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11'moss, herbs and lichens,
0:21:11 > 0:21:15'which gives their meat a unique, almost gamey flavour.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19'One that I want to do justice to with my next dish.'
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Rosemary is somewhere round the corner there,
0:21:21 > 0:21:24hiding like a woman with a bad haircut.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27She's tucked away round the corner, not very happy with herself.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30But I thought we'd do cooked lamb with hay.
0:21:30 > 0:21:37It's quite an unusual way to cook it, but one that really adds to the flavour of this fantastic cut.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45'Remember, if it says Welsh lamb on the label when you buy your meat,
0:21:45 > 0:21:50'by law, you really are getting some of this treasured lamb.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'For me, it goes particularly well with this mint and parsley-filled tabbouleh.'
0:21:58 > 0:22:02So what I'm going to do first of all is just trim this into lamb chops.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Now, roughly, you get about seven
0:22:05 > 0:22:07per portion.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10And you can see, what makes this so special
0:22:10 > 0:22:13is really the distinct lack of fat that you get in there.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17But what you get is this beautiful eye of meat, full of flavour.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22But because it's a quite hardy... breed,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25you get a really distinct flavour to Welsh lamb,
0:22:25 > 0:22:30and one that really no other type from anywhere in the world matches.
0:22:30 > 0:22:34So we've got our lamb chops ready. And now onto this.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37Now, this may appear completely madness and unusual.
0:22:37 > 0:22:42You get hay, and you get this from your pet shop, not from your rabbit hutch.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45And you put the hay into a dry, hot pan.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47And what this is going to do is add to the flavour.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50It really gives it a unique taste.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53And then to get a little bit a colour...
0:22:54 > 0:22:56..just a touch of oil.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58And then...
0:22:59 > 0:23:04..no offence to my friend in the back of the shot somewhere,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06a little bit of rosemary over the top.
0:23:06 > 0:23:11With this, we're just going to lay these over the top, like that.
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Bit of black pepper. Touch of salt.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20And we could, if we wanted,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23just for added benefit,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25little bit of garlic in there. Why not?
0:23:25 > 0:23:30We'll cover this with tin foil and cook this for about 10, 15 minutes.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46'If you want to get a taste of Wales,
0:23:46 > 0:23:50'I reckon these are the ingredients and this is the way to do it.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56'About halfway through the cooking, turn the lamb so it browns evenly
0:23:56 > 0:23:59'and takes in the flavour of that hay.'
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Now, with this, I thought I'd do a bulgur wheat salad,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06and it's kind of like a tabbouleh, really.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10But tabbouleh's not conventionally done with couscous, it's always done with bulgur wheat,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12which is a cracked natural grain,
0:24:12 > 0:24:15whereas couscous is actually a manufactured product.
0:24:15 > 0:24:18But this is it in its dry form.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21You can either cook it straight in boiling water and cook this for about ten minutes,
0:24:21 > 0:24:24or alternatively, you can leave it to soak.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27This has been soaking for about four or five hours.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30And we can drain this, this is just cold water in here,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34just get rid of the cold water, pour this back in,
0:24:34 > 0:24:39and then literally just get a kettle full of water and pour it over the top.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42That way, you'll be able to serve this warm.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And then, a bit like couscous and tabbouleh,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49you need to infuse the flavours into this.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53And to get plenty of flavour, I'm going to use some of this.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57This is harissa, which is like a chilli paste really, I suppose.
0:24:57 > 0:24:59It's Moroccan. It's very, very hot, very spicy,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01so you only want about a tablespoon.
0:25:01 > 0:25:05However, the camera crew on this set, probably two tablespoons,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08cos they like a bit of spice and a bit of kick.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12And then all we can do now is just very quickly drain
0:25:12 > 0:25:15our warm tabbouleh.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Now, the best way to do that is over the top of here.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Check to see if there's no painters and artists over the other side.
0:25:21 > 0:25:23- HE LAUGHS - Straight over there.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26And make sure Rosemary's not the other side, either.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Pour it in there. That way, it's still warm.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Take that straight back over
0:25:32 > 0:25:34and this can go straight into your mix.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Like that.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44'Mix in the harissa and then we can impart loads more flavours.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48'I've got almonds, apricots and pistachio nuts.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53'Then my favourite with lamb, mint,
0:25:53 > 0:25:55'and a good bunch of parsley.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59'Chop those up and mix them in.'
0:26:00 > 0:26:03And then finally, we've got pomegranate.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06To get rid of the pomegranate, cut them in half...
0:26:07 > 0:26:10..tap the back of the pomegranate and the seeds just fall out.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Pomegranates.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15Lovely. Mix all that lot together.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Lemon.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20A good squeeze of lemon.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Bit of olive oil. Like that.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Salt and pepper. Season the stuff, as well.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29Plenty of black pepper.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And then we've got a fancy bowl here. Mix this all up.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36You can see the colours of this, it's just fantastic.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39This is just delicious.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43Look at that. We've got the nice tabbouleh.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47And then the key to this... is the lamb.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Now, don't worry about the bits of hay. The lambs eat it so you might as well eat it, as well.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57It's not going to do you any harm.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59But look at this lovely lamb.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03It's quite unusual. If you serve this at a table like this,
0:27:03 > 0:27:07everybody will think you've just gone made.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Either that or just cut your lawn.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12But it really is, there's so much flavour in this.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16And while I leave you with a pretty fancy shot like that to keep you lot happy,
0:27:16 > 0:27:19I'm going to go and console Rosemary. Enjoy.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29'Delicious Welsh mountain lamb.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34'A national favourite whose distinct taste is down to
0:27:34 > 0:27:37'the harsh environment of these hills.'
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Well, Bernard, let me know what you think.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- It looks wonderful. - Don't worry about the hay.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49I'm not really used to eating hay. JAMES LAUGHS
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Well, even the hay doesn't taste too bad.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- You get some flavour from it.- Mm. - Delicious, that.- You can come again.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01I'll definitely come again. Look at that view! You never get bored of that, do you?
0:28:04 > 0:28:08'What this lamb proves to me is that you cannot separate
0:28:08 > 0:28:11'a truly distinct ingredient from where it comes from.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13'And more importantly,
0:28:13 > 0:28:17'how the landscape of this country of ours has shaped the way we eat.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24'Join me next time when I'll be flying over another location
0:28:24 > 0:28:27'on my food map of Britain,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31'revealing the secrets behind even more of the country's best produce.'
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:37 > 0:28:37.