0:00:05 > 0:00:08My two passions are flying and food.
0:00:11 > 0:00:15And it's from up here you really get to appreciate
0:00:15 > 0:00:18the unique landscape that produces the food that I love to cook.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31So I'm taking to the skies
0:00:31 > 0:00:34to show you how this land has influenced our larders.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44On my journey round the UK, I'm going to be meeting the people
0:00:44 > 0:00:47who work this ever-changing landscape,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49revealing how this terrain has served up
0:00:49 > 0:00:53some of the country's best regional ingredients.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55It tastes so good!
0:00:55 > 0:00:57'And also I'll be sharing some great recipes
0:00:57 > 0:00:59'that showcase this amazing land
0:00:59 > 0:01:02'that puts such great food on our tables.'
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Today I'm heading for Lincolnshire and the flatlands.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27Despite the rather unexciting name,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31the flatlands of east England are an area of subtle beauty...
0:01:34 > 0:01:38..from the Humber Levels to the beautiful Norfolk Broads,
0:01:38 > 0:01:45the Wolds and the tranquil coast, and, of course, the Fens.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Most importantly for me,
0:01:51 > 0:01:54it's one of our most productive arable regions,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57the beating heart of the nation's food production.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Poultry and livestock thrive on the fertile, flat plains...
0:02:07 > 0:02:12..giving us prize dairy products and high-quality meat.
0:02:14 > 0:02:18The rich, level soil produces most of the country's cereal crops,
0:02:18 > 0:02:20and half the sugar beet
0:02:20 > 0:02:23that goes into our delicious puddings and sweets...
0:02:25 > 0:02:27..whilst the cool waters of the North Sea to the east
0:02:27 > 0:02:31give us the world-renowned Cromer crabs...
0:02:32 > 0:02:34..delicious cockles,
0:02:34 > 0:02:38and have kept Britain's fish- and-chip shops frying for decades.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45It's a fascinating place, this, when you fly over it.
0:02:45 > 0:02:49It's so flat, you can't tell... You're literally on the horizon.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52There's no hills, nothing.
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Plenty of places to land, though.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05For my first stop today, I'm heading to Lincolnshire's Trent Valley.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10Though the flatlands are largely made up of fertile fields
0:03:10 > 0:03:12for crops and grazing pasture,
0:03:12 > 0:03:15there are a few pockets of light, sandy soil
0:03:15 > 0:03:18which makes for poor arable farming and grazing.
0:03:18 > 0:03:22But it is perfect for rearing an animal that's closest to my heart...
0:03:25 > 0:03:27..the pig.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32I was brought up on a pig farm.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36There's nothing better, in my mind, than to see pigs.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Something about it just makes you smile. Certainly does for me,
0:03:40 > 0:03:42and it's going to bring back so many memories.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Lincolnshire pork is world renowned,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49and today I'm visiting 180 acres of piggy heaven...
0:03:50 > 0:03:53..an award-winning free-range pig farm
0:03:53 > 0:03:56that produces arguably some of the best pork in Britain.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02For owners Terry and Jane Tomlinson, it's been a lifelong passion.
0:04:03 > 0:04:08We've been rearing pigs for now probably...oh, 25, 30 years,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12and we always wanted to produce the pigs on an outdoor system,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16just to give the pigs the life they deserve
0:04:16 > 0:04:18while we're looking after them.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22The pigs are absolutely gorgeous. They're such characters.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26It's very difficult, cos you do get quite attached to them.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30If they're not rooting about in the soil they're asleep in the huts,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34or eating. That's all they want to do. That makes a happy pig.
0:04:34 > 0:04:39This really is an ideal landscape for rearing pigs outdoors.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43They need dry, mild conditions to thrive.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45Here in the east of England,
0:04:45 > 0:04:48rainfall levels are some of the lowest in Britain,
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and extremes of temperature are rare.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56- How you doing? - Hello.- Terry, good to see you.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58- Hi, James. - How are you?- Very well, thank you.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01- Feeding time, then, is it? - Yep.- Now, these are hungry pigs.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- You want to have a go, James? - Yes, then get out the way,
0:05:04 > 0:05:07cos they're usually pretty feisty, these things.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11- Come on, girls. Come on, then. - There you are. You're a natural.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14- I did it for 19 years. - THEY LAUGH
0:05:14 > 0:05:16And what breed have we got, then?
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Er, the breeding we use are a Duroc-cross-Landrace,
0:05:20 > 0:05:26the Duroc being for the hardiness and the durability,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29and they're fantastic mothers, and they love to be outdoors.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33The land here... I've never seen anything like this, really.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- It's very sandy.- Yeah. It's absolutely perfect, the farm.
0:05:36 > 0:05:42We took a long time before we found somewhere to produce outdoor pigs,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46and we come across Redhill, and the land is virtually pure sand.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51You may not know this, but pigs have notoriously delicate legs and feet.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Stony or thin soils can damage them and lead to infection,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59so the soft, sandy soil of this landscape is perfect.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02Another plus is the fact that it's free-draining.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Waterlogged soils can soften their trotters,
0:06:04 > 0:06:08making injury and infection even more likely,
0:06:08 > 0:06:12not to mention the danger to piglets from chilling and hypothermia.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14They have got a fair amount to roam around in.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17They're over an acre in size, these paddocks,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19and they're in groups of 50,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23which is like a real nice group size for outdoor pigs.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26They're very sociable animals.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30In the summertime you'll see them lying in groups of 15s and 20s,
0:06:30 > 0:06:34all sort of snuggled together, when they're having their morning nap.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37And what's so special about outdoor-reared pork?
0:06:37 > 0:06:41The pigs are left alone to grow at their own pace,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and that means they put on muscle slowly.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47There's no stress, and they live a natural life,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and it produces some fantastic-flavoured pork.
0:06:50 > 0:06:53- When it's produced slow, it's got better flavour?- Absolutely.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57We get asked all the time at farmers' markets how to cook pork,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00how do you get really good crackling, and the answer to that,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02it's the pork that you buy.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04'I shouldn't say this in front of these guys,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07'but as a nation, we really love our pork.'
0:07:07 > 0:07:10There are so many ways to cook it, too -
0:07:10 > 0:07:13whether it's roasted or cured, loin or belly,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16bacon or scratchings, there really is something for everyone,
0:07:16 > 0:07:19vegetarians excluded, of course,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22Now, I really want to do justice to Terry and Jane's prizewinning pork,
0:07:22 > 0:07:26so I'm going to prepare a classic dish with a bit of a twist -
0:07:26 > 0:07:28pork chops with crispy black pudding,
0:07:28 > 0:07:33Flatlands-grown hispi cabbage, and a fabulous apple-scrumpy sauce.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36First thing I'm going to do is a little bit of candied walnuts,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38which is fantastic with pork,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and we start that by adding some water...
0:07:42 > 0:07:44..to a pan.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Now, this is really simple, this,
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and what we do is get some water and sugar
0:07:49 > 0:07:51and mix these ingredients together,
0:07:51 > 0:07:54and this creates a syrup.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58And then we take the walnuts, and we can throw them in as well.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01We just leave that to one side,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05and they just sit in that sugar syrup like that.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Now, you cannot have pork without apple sauce,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12so I'm going to use proper apples for this, Bramley apples,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14and we just chop them up.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17You can't make apple sauce with fancy French apples.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20It's got to be 100 percent Bramleys.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26Whenever I'm doing apple sauce, it just reminds me of my grandmother,
0:08:26 > 0:08:29cos she always used to take charge in the kitchen,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32wouldn't let anybody else make the apple sauce. It was her job -
0:08:32 > 0:08:36that and the gravy, of course. She used to always use butter.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38That's probably why I've got the love of this stuff.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42But a good knob of butter in the pan...
0:08:42 > 0:08:44add the apples...
0:08:45 > 0:08:47..and start to cook these down.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Now, it depends on how sour the apples are how much sugar you use,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54but you don't want too much,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57cos you want that sharpness to cut through the fattiness of the pork.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Then the secret of my grandmother's always used to be this stuff -
0:09:00 > 0:09:03scrumpy.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07So we stew this down for a good ten minutes,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09and it goes like that.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12And then we can get ready with another ingredient,
0:09:12 > 0:09:16which I'm going to do black pudding. Black pudding's one of those things.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20You either love it or hate it, but I think people are put off by it
0:09:20 > 0:09:23because it tastes like cardboard if you buy the wrong stuff.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27Most of the sort of cheaper black puddings that you buy,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30you can use as a hockey puck. It's horrible stuff.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34This, lovely and moist, and we're going to cut that into chunks.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39'Now I'm going to deep-fry these,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42'but to keep that lovely moisture in,
0:09:42 > 0:09:44'I'm going to coat them with a mixture of flour...
0:09:46 > 0:09:48'beaten eggs and breadcrumbs.'
0:09:50 > 0:09:52I'm not ready to fry these just yet,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55so I'm going to set them to one side.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59And now for our pork. Now, this, fantastic quality here.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02You can see really, on good quality pork, straight way,
0:10:02 > 0:10:05and that's because you get this marbling of fat on the top,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08that thick layer, and that fat is flavour.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11It also means it won't be dry when you cook it,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13so when you portion it up,
0:10:13 > 0:10:16do a decent sort of size, as well.
0:10:18 > 0:10:22What we're going to do is a little bit of salt on here.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I'm going to pop that into a dry pan...
0:10:27 > 0:10:31..and get that fat rendering down in here.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35I'm not the only person who thinks this pork's pretty good,
0:10:35 > 0:10:40because Lucy over here, the farm dog,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43has just turned up.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45How cool is that?
0:10:46 > 0:10:49Right. While I go wash this up, check it out in that pan.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54SHE SNUFFLES
0:10:58 > 0:11:01I'm not going to give you the pleasure of turning this over yet,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03cos it's not quite ready.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Most people would panic at this point, you see?
0:11:07 > 0:11:10You'd end up turning it over and then start prodding it
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and cutting chunks out of it to see whether it's cooked.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16You can actually see it cooking halfway up the side.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20And you know that, if you're rendering that in a pan like this,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22and it's in its own juices,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25you know that all the flavour's going to be there.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27Our apples are not far off.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Now, if you take this down, you've got a proper apple sauce,
0:11:30 > 0:11:34but I'm going to grab a little bit more scrumpy.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42Right. That apple sauce is just about there,
0:11:42 > 0:11:47so we'll leave that to one side, and I'll get my oil on for frying.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Turn that up a bit.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53And then...now you get to see this.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57This is worth the wait, because when you turn this over...
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- HE GRUNTS IN SATISFACTION - Je t'aime, je t'aime!
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Look at that!
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Proper, proper pork!
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Look at that. I mean, that's one of the joys of cooking, really,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15when you... All good things comes to thee who waits.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19And she. She's still roaming around there. Look.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Going to drain my nuts.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32There.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35What you end up with, when they've been kept in this stock syrup,
0:12:35 > 0:12:40is they're quite sticky but also moist as well, but...
0:12:40 > 0:12:44You can eat them as they are, but when you deep-fat fry them...
0:12:45 > 0:12:47..this takes on a whole different level.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50So, with the pork, you need it to rest, like that.
0:12:50 > 0:12:55What I'm going to do now is just make a little hispi cabbage,
0:12:55 > 0:13:00and for that you just emulsify some water and some butter together.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Really it's one of the simple forms of cooking,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07and one thing that you don't want to do with cabbage is boil it,
0:13:07 > 0:13:11and this is a kind of thing... I didn't teach my granny much.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14I kind of learned most of my cooking from her,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16but this is one thing that she kind of picked up.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19My granddad was probably the happiest of them all,
0:13:19 > 0:13:22because he didn't have to suffer broccoli
0:13:22 > 0:13:25you could almost paint onto the plate, as well as cabbage.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28She was good, my granny, but she couldn't cook cabbage.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31When you take the cabbage like this... This is hispi cabbage.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33It's not really a trendy cabbage,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36but it's a fantastic cabbage to grow, as well,
0:13:36 > 0:13:39because it's got no bugs in it.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43This needs to cook for no more than two minutes.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47'If you start to hear it frying, then, add a drop more water.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53'Plus don't forget to season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58'Then you've just got enough time to fry your walnuts.
0:13:58 > 0:14:02'Cook them for about 20 to 30 seconds, until crisp.'
0:14:03 > 0:14:09What you end up with is these warm but sticky walnuts,
0:14:09 > 0:14:12but sweet as well.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15It almost tastes like... Sounds really weird,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18but almost like popcorn. They've got a really unique flavour,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20but taste fantastic.
0:14:20 > 0:14:25So our cabbage is literally only about 30 seconds away.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30Remember, it's already dead, so we don't need to kill it again...
0:14:31 > 0:14:33..by overcooking it.
0:14:33 > 0:14:38And then finally we're going to take our black pudding and deep-fry it.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47If you are going to do this, cook doorstop-sized portions.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Don't cut it too small and fiddly.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Decent-size portions, so when you cut into it,
0:14:52 > 0:14:57you end up with this rich black-pudding texture.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01That's what you want. That's full of flavour in there.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03You got your apple sauce.
0:15:04 > 0:15:08And I was going to plate this up on a fancy white little plate, but...
0:15:08 > 0:15:13I'm just going to leave it rustic-y, nice and simple. Pile that up.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17'Next add your hispi cabbage...
0:15:18 > 0:15:21'..and your walnuts, which are still warm.'
0:15:23 > 0:15:26And the final bit is the pork.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28It's the showpiece of any dish, really,
0:15:28 > 0:15:31when you get pork this good quality.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35What this delicious Lincolnshire outdoor-reared pork proves to me
0:15:35 > 0:15:39is that you cannot separate a truly distinct ingredient
0:15:39 > 0:15:41from where it comes from.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45This is definitely a meal I'd call naughty but nice.
0:15:45 > 0:15:51That has got to be the ultimate dish on a pig farm. Proper grub!
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Granny would definitely be proud.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05I'm leaving the Trent Valley now and heading south
0:16:05 > 0:16:07to the coast of the Wash and the Fens,
0:16:07 > 0:16:12a naturally marshy region of some 1,500 square miles
0:16:12 > 0:16:16that lies just a few feet above sea level.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Over centuries, this land has been drained
0:16:19 > 0:16:24to leave vast tracts of flat, mineral-rich, highly fertile soil.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27In fact, in this one area,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30you'll find 50 percent of Britain's best farmland.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37There are about 4,000 farms dotted around this area alone.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Now, when you buy seasonal carrots,
0:16:39 > 0:16:44cabbages, potatoes, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and broccoli,
0:16:44 > 0:16:47there's a fair chance that most of it comes from down here.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51This landscape is the heart of British veg-growing,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54and one in particular.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Welcome to pea country.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Local farmer Simon Clayton,
0:17:12 > 0:17:14whose family has grown peas here for generations,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17is proud of his crop.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20These chaps behind us are harvesting the best peas
0:17:20 > 0:17:22you'll find anywhere in the world.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26Simon is a member of a cooperative of 82 farmers
0:17:26 > 0:17:31who together farm 5,200 acres of prime pea-growing fenland.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34The sight of those peas makes us all happy.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38I don't think I can think of anything else that we'd rather be doing.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41We absolutely love the pea. HE LAUGHS
0:17:47 > 0:17:49It seems we all love peas.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52They're one of our most popular vegetables.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Each year, your average Briton eats around 9,000
0:17:55 > 0:17:57of these little beauties,
0:17:57 > 0:18:00and most are grown right here in the Fens.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04The season for harvesting the crop is a short one, just six weeks,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07so summer's a busy time for the cooperative.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11We're harvesting about 30 tons an hour.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14We work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17It's like the Red Arrows, really, but in a pea field.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22I can't wait to rustle up a dish with these prized green globes,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25but first I've got to harvest a few.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29Simon!
0:18:29 > 0:18:33- Hiya.- Can't really miss you, can I? Good to see you.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- It's good to see you. - These are impressive machines.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39They are. It's a £380,000-worth piece of kit.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Yeah, it is. Expensive. - And I'm going to drive it.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- That's right. Let's go. - This'll be fun!
0:18:46 > 0:18:48OK. The parking brake's on.
0:18:48 > 0:18:52- There. Do you want to turn the key, strike it up?- Just turn it?
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Turn it, yep. That's it.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Handbrake is there. We'll put it on "tortoise".
0:18:57 > 0:19:00- "Tortoise" is always a good idea. - Absolutely.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Do you want to grab that and just slowly ease it forward?
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Very slowly. There we go.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08- I got it now. - That's it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11- And just turn it a little bit as well.- Ooh!
0:19:11 > 0:19:14THEY LAUGH
0:19:14 > 0:19:16- Just slowly... - I was doing it slowly!
0:19:16 > 0:19:19- Right. There you go. - And that's it. We're going.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22- I'm sorted now. - You've got it.- Got it now!
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- You've got it, yeah. - I thought flying was difficult!
0:19:25 > 0:19:28SIMON LAUGHS
0:19:28 > 0:19:30That's perfect.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33- Perfect. - I'm harvesting peas! Check this out!
0:19:33 > 0:19:38- That's it. That's it. Fresh peas. - So, exactly what is going on here?
0:19:38 > 0:19:41How on earth does this thing de-pod a pea?
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Well, it's quite simple, actually.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46- It rakes the peas up... - Yeah.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50..and then it's like throwing the pods at a wall.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53If you threw the pods at a wall they would shatter,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56and a drum takes the pea straw, pea haulm, out of the back,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59and we're left with peas.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02When we're actually running most efficiently,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05we can harvest up to 40 tons per hour.
0:20:07 > 0:20:11The landscape of the Fens is perfect for farming peas on a large scale.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15That's because with no hills to cast shadows or trigger rainfall,
0:20:15 > 0:20:18just a vast expanse of flatland,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21the whole crop receives the same levels of sunlight and rain,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24allowing it to grow and ripen at the same rate.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28- Now, I've tried to grow peas at home...- Yes.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31..with varying degrees of success, really.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- This year, pretty abysmal, to be honest.- Right. Right. Right.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37What makes this area so special for pea production?
0:20:37 > 0:20:41The soil's fantastic. It's fertile grade-one silt soil,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45and there's a lot of nutrients there for the peas.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49That consequently influences the yield and the flavour,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and I'm guessing probably in Hampshire
0:20:52 > 0:20:55that it's more of a sandy, clayey loam or something, probably.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59- So I may as well give up, then. Is that what you're trying to say?- Yes.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- Cheers for that. - THEY LAUGH
0:21:04 > 0:21:08It's not just the fertile soil that makes the Fens prime pea country.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Weather conditions here are also perfect.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Peas are a cool, dry-climate crop.
0:21:14 > 0:21:19Lying on England's southeast coast, the Fens enjoy low rainfall,
0:21:19 > 0:21:23and in the heat of the summer, are fanned by a cool sea breeze.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27As a result, the pea crop produced here is arguably Britain's best
0:21:27 > 0:21:29in terms of colour, flavour and texture.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34Check this out. Look at that thing!
0:21:34 > 0:21:38That's it. You've got it. Look at that.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41- Peas! Look at all those peas! - All the peas, yeah.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46- That's it. Perfect. - It's like military precision.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49- Check that out! - Military precision. Great, yeah.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51- All done. - Ready to go to the factory.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54- These are going to be frozen, bagged, ready...- That's right.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57..for your supermarket.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01- That's why British peas are the best in the world.- Absolutely.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- Don't overcook 'em, though. - That's right.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06It's a cardinal sin, isn't it, really?
0:22:06 > 0:22:08'I absolutely love the pea.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12'There is a surprising amount you can do with it, too,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15'so to celebrate this most versatile of veg,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17'I'm going to prepare a dish that includes peas
0:22:17 > 0:22:19'used in three different ways.'
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Fillet of plaice with new potatoes, asparagus, crispy bacon
0:22:25 > 0:22:29and peas in the pod, served on a bed of delicious pea puree
0:22:29 > 0:22:31and garnished with pea shoots.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36The first thing I'm going to do is get the bacon on.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39Now, I've got some dry-cured bacon,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43which means that it contains not much water.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47With the dry-cured one, we can just leave it like this in the pan
0:22:47 > 0:22:49to render down, to get lovely and crisp.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Next we've got our fish. We can roll this up into little paupiettes.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57This is such an old-school way of serving plaice,
0:22:57 > 0:23:01but it's fantastic when you get really good-quality fish like this.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Now, you could, of course, skewer these with a cocktail stick,
0:23:05 > 0:23:10but they should hold as they are, like that.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16Washing my hands.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Now, bacon should be about there.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21You can see how much fat has come out.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25This has gone in a dry pan, as well, but if you slowly render it
0:23:25 > 0:23:28like this, you're going to get a really nice flavour.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33Bit of bacon. Lovely.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38Right. So we get this pan little bit hotter now for our puree, really.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42We got these lovely peas. The key to this is, don't overcook them.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46They just go straight into a pan with a little bit of butter.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Now I'm going to add some parsley.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Parsley's going to do two things - give it a little bit of flavour,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56but predominantly colour,
0:23:56 > 0:23:59cos we want the flavour of the peas to come out.
0:24:00 > 0:24:03'Next add water,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06'a touch of cream...
0:24:07 > 0:24:09'..and season with salt and pepper.'
0:24:11 > 0:24:14'Gently warm the mixture up and then pop it into a blender...
0:24:15 > 0:24:18'..and blitz for two to three minutes.'
0:24:18 > 0:24:21BLENDER WHIRRS
0:24:21 > 0:24:25While that's blending, we're going to get our potatoes on,
0:24:25 > 0:24:28another ingredient that's grown so well around here.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Just these little baby new potatoes. These are lovely and sweet,
0:24:32 > 0:24:34very similar sort to the peas.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38We'll just put a few of those in the steamer for about five minutes.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44SWITCHES BLENDER OFF
0:24:46 > 0:24:48That's what you're looking for.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54When you have them fresh like that, look at the colour that you get.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00Mmm!
0:25:00 > 0:25:02A little bit more salt.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Little bit more black pepper.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08And for people watching this,
0:25:08 > 0:25:12probably thinking that I've completely lost my marbles,
0:25:12 > 0:25:16that now James Martin is now cooking on a steamer,
0:25:16 > 0:25:18and he's gone all healthy.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22We then take a little bit of butter...
0:25:24 > 0:25:26..and mix that in the puree as well...
0:25:27 > 0:25:30..just to enrich it, really.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35So for those of you who are watching this on your treadmills in the gyms,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38turn it up and run a bit quicker, cos that is proper...
0:25:38 > 0:25:41We need a little bit more butter in there, actually.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47So, just to basically serve with this,
0:25:47 > 0:25:51we're going to serve the peas actually in the pods as well.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Cos when you actually get peas as good as this,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57you actually want to cook them just as they are,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01so really we're going to pop these in with the potatoes now.
0:26:01 > 0:26:06We get some asparagus, some nice asparagus tips...
0:26:07 > 0:26:09..and pop them in as well.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12They can go in.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17And then with our fish, you cook this in what we call a cartouche,
0:26:17 > 0:26:21which is basically just a piece of greaseproof paper
0:26:21 > 0:26:23cut into a circle.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26So like this.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Again, measure the size of your little steamer.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33Cut that round...
0:26:35 > 0:26:37..and you've got a nice little cartouche,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39which is like that.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42What you can do to get the steam coming up
0:26:42 > 0:26:45through the centre as well, you put a little hole in it.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50You got that. Technical, isn't it?
0:26:50 > 0:26:52A bit of butter...
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Place this in the bottom here.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59And then what you need to do is just grab your fish.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03'You'll need to season these with salt and pepper,
0:27:03 > 0:27:06'and steam on top of the vegetables for two to three minutes.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10'While your fish is cooking, you can start plating up.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15'Spread your luscious green pea puree to make the base.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20'Then halve your new potatoes and place on top.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24'Once it's cooked, add your beautifully steamed paupiettes.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32'Then pop on your asparagus, peas steamed in the pod...
0:27:34 > 0:27:36'..and crispy bacon.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42'Finally I'm going to garnish this dish with some pea shoots,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44'because I'm stood in a field surrounded by them.'
0:27:47 > 0:27:50It's pretty good, that, isn't it?
0:27:52 > 0:27:57This delicious dish shows just how versatile the pea can be.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00But when it comes down to it, whichever way you serve it,
0:28:00 > 0:28:03it's the quality of the veg that counts,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07and you can't get better than a Fenland pea.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10This glorious vegetable, like the pork before it,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13is a fantastic example of the feast of wonderful food
0:28:13 > 0:28:19the unique landscape of England's flatlands has put on our tables.
0:28:19 > 0:28:23Join me next time, when I'll be showing you how to find and cook
0:28:23 > 0:28:26more of what this amazing land has to offer.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:28:32 > 0:28:36E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk
0:28:36 > 0:28:36.