0:00:02 > 0:00:05What you got going on there? Ham, egg and chips?
0:00:05 > 0:00:06Great British food!
0:00:06 > 0:00:08'As a chef, food is my life.'
0:00:08 > 0:00:09Lovely.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Don't try that at home!
0:00:13 > 0:00:16'But as far as my mate Len goes, we're on a different planet.'
0:00:16 > 0:00:18My rules are this -
0:00:18 > 0:00:21never eat anything you can't spell
0:00:21 > 0:00:23and never eat anything you wouldn't want to step in.
0:00:23 > 0:00:26THEY LAUGH
0:00:26 > 0:00:28This is the chicken's feet.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30- Chicken's feet?- That's right.- No.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34'I've travelled the world but never had the courage to experience
0:00:34 > 0:00:37'new cuisines and always stuck with what I know.'
0:00:37 > 0:00:40- Look, that's your favourite there. - Chips!- Chips!
0:00:40 > 0:00:42'But using a pancake once to wipe my face...'
0:00:42 > 0:00:44What is he like?
0:00:44 > 0:00:46'..me family decided enough was enough...'
0:00:46 > 0:00:47Yes!
0:00:47 > 0:00:51'..and that my taste buds needed to brought into the 21st century.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:52Hot!
0:00:52 > 0:00:56There's a lot more to this culinary world of ours than pickled walnuts.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59'It's time for me to show Len a whole new culinary world...'
0:00:59 > 0:01:00I'm going to do it.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02'..that will make his palate purr.'
0:01:02 > 0:01:03THEY LAUGH
0:01:03 > 0:01:06You're not talking food adventure?
0:01:06 > 0:01:07Food adventure indeed!
0:01:07 > 0:01:09- Ho-ho!- Ho-ho!
0:01:09 > 0:01:12What's that I see? Is it a tandoori chicken?
0:01:12 > 0:01:14THEY CHUCKLE
0:01:16 > 0:01:17I liked it.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19And that's all I need to know.
0:01:25 > 0:01:30For the last decade, I've been a judge on Strictly Come Dancing.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33London-born and bred 71 years ago,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36my taste buds have been influenced by my nan's cooking.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42I've never eaten spaghetti, had a curry and even pizza, well,
0:01:42 > 0:01:43looks a bit exotic.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46I was also born and brought up in London
0:01:46 > 0:01:48but as a chef, my palate has experienced
0:01:48 > 0:01:51and travelled to every part of the globe.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56Over the last 20 years, there's been a food explosion across Britain
0:01:56 > 0:02:00and now, no matter what you desire, every cuisine is catered for.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04For me, I have ten favourites that are never far
0:02:04 > 0:02:06away from the table at home,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08and my perfect dinner?
0:02:08 > 0:02:13Well, prawn cocktail to start, full English breakfast, oh,
0:02:13 > 0:02:15and a jam roly-poly.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17Oh, it's food heaven!
0:02:17 > 0:02:21My mission during our time together is to educate his taste buds
0:02:21 > 0:02:25and see if I can replace anything on the ten from Len board
0:02:25 > 0:02:27and show him that there's more to life
0:02:27 > 0:02:30than a prawn cocktail from 1976.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39Today, Ainsley and I have pitched up the mobile kitchen in the Midlands
0:02:39 > 0:02:43in one of the country's most populated cities, Birmingham.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49And on the menu, I'll be putting my whole soul into making Polish
0:02:49 > 0:02:51dumplings.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Yes! You're looking just.
0:02:54 > 0:02:55Yeah!
0:02:56 > 0:02:59More Polish heart, please!
0:02:59 > 0:03:00Look at this!
0:03:00 > 0:03:02No, more heart, please!
0:03:02 > 0:03:05More heart? Oh, lovely!
0:03:05 > 0:03:07I get my head turned by Thai cuisine.
0:03:10 > 0:03:11It's knockout.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Do you like it?
0:03:13 > 0:03:14I love it.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18And I'll be dishing up dinner for the locals.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19THEY CHEER
0:03:21 > 0:03:24- Everyone's got to try this. - It's great, innit? It's great.
0:03:24 > 0:03:25HE LAUGHS
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Here we are, mate. Good old Birmingham.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42- Have you ever been before, Len? - Many times. I've danced here.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44The Strictly Come Dancing tour comes here
0:03:44 > 0:03:46so, you know, used to come up the old M1.
0:03:46 > 0:03:51- Happy memories.- Ooh!- Cha-cha-cha!
0:03:51 > 0:03:53- I'll say no more.- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.- Yeah, I've been lots.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56I'm not surprised. It's Britain's second largest city, isn't it?
0:03:56 > 0:03:58- And it's got a good vibrancy about it.- It has, yeah.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00What does it conjure up in your mind?
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Well, it's full of life, isn't it? There's an energy about the place.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05- It's got that multicultural feel about it, too.- Yeah.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08So I think that's going to be very much reflected in what we're
0:04:08 > 0:04:12- going to find.- Well, do you know, as you go round Britain
0:04:12 > 0:04:17and you go into these major cities, it's amazing how diverse
0:04:17 > 0:04:21the population has become and with that, of course, the food.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23- Absolutely.- Yeah.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26Very much reflected in the markets, everywhere you go.
0:04:26 > 0:04:27Everywhere you go.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29- Shall we go, then?- Well, let's go.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37First I'm giving Len a taste of a country with a long
0:04:37 > 0:04:41relationship with Birmingham - Poland.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46The Polish community in the Midlands can be traced back to the
0:04:46 > 0:04:48late 19th century.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50And it was during World War II
0:04:50 > 0:04:54that an influx of Polish refugees came to England to
0:04:54 > 0:04:56fight alongside the British Armed Forces.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01After the war had ended, many ex-servicemen where eligible for
0:05:01 > 0:05:06grants to retrain so improved their English and gained qualifications.
0:05:06 > 0:05:11Over the years, they have had a huge presence in engineering,
0:05:11 > 0:05:13car production,
0:05:13 > 0:05:18iron, steel, chocolate and jewellery manufacturing.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Today, there's a community of almost 9,000 Polish speakers
0:05:24 > 0:05:27living in Birmingham who have helped to build this historic city.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- If I said to you Poland, what does that sort of conjure up?- Poland?
0:05:34 > 0:05:38As soon as you say Poland, I think of my great-great-grandfather
0:05:38 > 0:05:41who was, in fact, Polish.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45- Really?- Oh, yes. Jozef Sosnowski.
0:05:45 > 0:05:50- Oh, wow.- He came from Poland. So I have, within me, Pole.
0:05:50 > 0:05:51Oh, right, you've got a bit of Pole in you.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54I've got a bit of Pole in me. Yes, I have.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56So, are you saying Polish food?
0:05:56 > 0:05:59Polish food is... Yeah, absolutely. That was next on the agenda.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Well, I've never had it, obviously,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05cos I've never had much of anything, but with a bit of Polish blood
0:06:05 > 0:06:08maybe, you know, it's going to be a match made in heaven.
0:06:08 > 0:06:09Have you ever been to Poland?
0:06:09 > 0:06:10I've been there.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14I've been to Poland. I've been to Warsaw and I've been to Gdansk and...
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Yeah, but I never... No, don't ask. I didn't.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21How can you go to these places and not try the food?
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Well, it's quite easy, really. I just don't order it.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26Come on. I've got to sort you out.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I'm hoping to reconnect Len with his heritage by taking him
0:06:36 > 0:06:40into the heart of Birmingham and the Karczma restaurant that's
0:06:40 > 0:06:43been part of the Polish centre since 1958.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46A cornerstone of the community, they serve hearty, traditional
0:06:46 > 0:06:50Polish dishes and it's all run by Sebastian Meller.
0:06:50 > 0:06:51Go on, then.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Oh-ho!
0:06:54 > 0:06:56This is nice. Sebastian.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57- Hello.- How you doing?
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- Nice to meet you.- Lovely. This is... - Good to meet you.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02'Sebastian's wife Ania is in charge of the kitchen.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05'And she's going to cook me a few classic dishes that
0:07:05 > 0:07:07'hopefully are going to impress Len,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10'starting with traditional Polish dumplings.'
0:07:10 > 0:07:12- Hi, how are you? - Hi, nice to see you.
0:07:12 > 0:07:13Nice to - oh! Lovely.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Is this a Polish tradition, the kiss?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Oh, yes, three times. One time small.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23That's lovely. Ah, what are you making here?
0:07:23 > 0:07:26- Dumplings, Polish is pierogi. - Pierogi.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29Pierogi, yes, this is a traditional dish.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Does this originate from a certain part of Poland or all over, Ania?
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- All over.- Everywhere you go. - Yes, every.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Does every mother or every person know how to make it?
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Yeah, every mother and every grandmother.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47- Today I make my favourite pierogi. - Yeah.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49It's from cottage cheese.
0:07:49 > 0:07:52- Oh, wow, that's lovely. - It's lovely.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56I must say, this restaurant has got a lovely flavour to it.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00It's like a country sort of retreat, in the mountains.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04Yes, exactly that, that's what we bring to England, actually.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08We're show Polish hospitality in Birmingham.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11Is there a big Polish community in...?
0:08:11 > 0:08:16Yes, of course, but most popular customers is the British.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19The Polish people cook Polish at home.
0:08:19 > 0:08:23- Actually, it's nice to show the restaurant for the Britons.- Yeah.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27And enjoy Polish food, Polish, you know, hospitality,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31- and Polish beer and vodka as well. - Yeah.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34'In the kitchen, Ania is busy making the dough for the pierogi dumplings,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36'similar to a pasta dough.'
0:08:36 > 0:08:37Mmm.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40When I make pastry, it's a very hard job.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44You doing long time, no stick to the table.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47- OK, so you have to knead it for a long time.- Yes.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51- You want me to have a go? - Yeah, I am very tired.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54'Oh, me and my big mouth!'
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- You must...more pressure. - More pressure.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Yeah, and more Polish heart.
0:09:01 > 0:09:06Yes, I understand. More pressure and more Polish heart.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Yes!
0:09:08 > 0:09:09Good looking job.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12Yeah, I know, I'm really going to...
0:09:12 > 0:09:17You keep pulling back, Ania, you pull, I push. There you go.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- More Polish heart, please. - Yeah, yeah, look at this one.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24- Now, more heart, please. - More heart!
0:09:24 > 0:09:28Ah, lovely. What do you think?
0:09:28 > 0:09:31- Not yet.- Oh, dear!
0:09:31 > 0:09:33'It's like being back at catering college.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36'I bet Len's having a more relaxing time.'
0:09:36 > 0:09:39I'm going to let you in to a little secret here,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43because my great-great-grandfather, he was Polish.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44Really?
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- Josef Sosnowski. - Josef Sosnowski.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Yeah, so we've got a bit in common.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51And this shirt, is this traditional Polish?
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Yeah, it's come from the Poland, exactly.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57And the style of the things, it is from Polish markets.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- Yeah, well, it looks great. - I love this one.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03- I'd like it myself, actually. - You are half Poles, actually.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05I am a little bit of a Pole, yeah.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08So, you know, I could wear it with pride.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11'In the kitchen, Ania's still cracking the whip.'
0:10:11 > 0:10:13I might even get myself a job here.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16She's got me making the fillings for the pierogi dumplings,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18using a speciality Polish cheese.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Lovely.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Cottage cheese, two packets, no paper.
0:10:23 > 0:10:24No paper, all right.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Only cottage cheese.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29She's having a go at me. No paper, all right.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- This is twarog in Polish language. - Twarog.- Twarog.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35Twarog. Very creamy, lovely creamy texture.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38'The traditional dumplings have sweetness to them
0:10:38 > 0:10:40'by adding a vanilla sugar into the filling.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43'It may seem unusual, but I know Len's got a bit of a sweet tooth,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46'so I reckon it will go down a storm.'
0:10:46 > 0:10:48- And mix, please.- This?
0:10:48 > 0:10:51No, for hand.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52OK.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55You must feel...
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- Yeah, feel the food.- Yes. - Feel the food.
0:11:00 > 0:11:01Thin pastry.
0:11:01 > 0:11:05So the pastry must be nice and thin so you can taste the filling inside.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Lovely, very smooth and lovely. And still warm.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I make for my husband tea, only he's too many eat.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14This is a man's problem, you know.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16If something tastes good, he has to...
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- This is only for my husband problem. - Is it really?
0:11:20 > 0:11:24'Now the dough's finally rolled out, we can fill the dumplings.'
0:11:24 > 0:11:25..no long.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Look at this, my cheese is coming out.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32- It's too many, too much. - Too much cheese, OK.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- This one?- Yes, please.- OK, lovely.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37'The dumplings go into a pan of simmering water
0:11:37 > 0:11:39'and are bought up to the boil.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43'Once they float to the surface, they're cooked.'
0:11:43 > 0:11:44Yeah, I think...
0:11:44 > 0:11:50I think Ainsley and your wife maybe are ready for us to eat something.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Yeah, of course, I can't wait.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57'The final touches for the pierogies are a topping of melted butter,
0:11:57 > 0:12:00'a sprinkling of breadcrumbs...
0:12:02 > 0:12:04'..and more sugar.'
0:12:04 > 0:12:05More sugar.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09I don't know, I like it sweet but I don't know if Len likes it sweet.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14- That looks lovely.- Oh, yes. - Thank you. Mwah...- Three times.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I don't forget that... I won't forget these either.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Tell you what, Len...
0:12:22 > 0:12:26'Wow, I wasn't expecting Polish food to look like that.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29'I thought dumplings where things my nan made.'
0:12:29 > 0:12:32We've got a whole combination here, you know.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35There's savoury, we've got meat, some with spinach,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38this is with, like, a cottage cheese and, ah!
0:12:38 > 0:12:42- What do they call these? - Pierogi.- Pierogi.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43And remember, this is...
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Your great-great-grandfather probably ate these.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47Yeah, he probably did.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50'This one's for you, Grandpa Joe. It's pierogi time!'
0:12:55 > 0:12:58What is... I like it. Let me try a green one.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59You like a bit of spinach?
0:12:59 > 0:13:01- I like spinach.- Do you?- Yeah.- Hmmm.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05'Well, he hasn't spat it out, which is a good sign.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07'But he hasn't tried one of mine yet.'
0:13:07 > 0:13:09This one's with cottage cheese.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11- Yeah, what... - I helped make these.
0:13:11 > 0:13:17- You did?- Oh, yeah, I'm a professional now. Pierogies with a Polish heart.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Half, not all.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Not all! Half a heart.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28Oh, these are more sweet.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30- Cottage cheese, yeah. You like that?- Yeah.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- This is the best for me. - Very, very tasty.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- Mmm, lovely. - Thank you very much.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40'He's ploughed through the pierogies without so much as looking up.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'Hope he's left a space for what's to come...
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'mushroom bread and traditional beetroot soup.'
0:13:48 > 0:13:50Cos you like beetroot, don't you?
0:13:50 > 0:13:54'I love beetroot, but soup? You sure?'
0:13:54 > 0:13:57'Yeah, I am, but before you get a chance at that soup,
0:13:57 > 0:14:00'get your chops around the old mushroom bread.'
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- Mmm...this is tasty. - Isn't that lovely?
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- It's very tasty, Ania. - Thank you.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13This is so clever, how this is made.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15You know, with all the folds and...
0:14:15 > 0:14:17It's very nice.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20'Well, it's part of my heritage, so it here goes, a bit of borscht.'
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Well, I think it's delicious.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Right, I tell you...
0:14:30 > 0:14:32Yeah.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34No, I don't mind it at all.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37'I'm guessing that's going to be a bit of a low score from our Len.'
0:14:37 > 0:14:39'Ainsley, you're not wrong.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42'Sorry, Poland, but it's not one of my favourites.'
0:14:42 > 0:14:45This is your first Polish experience - you happy with it?
0:14:45 > 0:14:46Yes, yeah.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Both of you, thank you very much indeed,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51thank you for allowing me to come into your kitchen...
0:14:51 > 0:14:52- You're welcome.- ..your restaurant.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56Let's toast with the beetroot soup - what do you say in Poland?
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- Na zdrowie.- Na zdrowie.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01- One, two, three... - ALL: Na zdrowie.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15So, Len, with all that DNA flowing through your veins,
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- what did you think of it? - What, the Polish DNA?- Yeah.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22If I'm going to be honest, I thought the hospitality was great,
0:15:22 > 0:15:25I loved the place, the way they'd done it out like a sort of
0:15:25 > 0:15:28a log cabin up in the mountains. That was terrific.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32The food, it was quite tasty, not really my cup of tea.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35That doesn't make it a bad meal.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38- No, I can understand that. - It's only taste.- Yeah.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Tell you what, though, the bread was delicious.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43- Mushroom bread, to die for. - Mushroom bread.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46CHOIR SINGS IN POLISH
0:15:46 > 0:15:49'So the food of Len's ancestors was a bit of a mixed bag.
0:15:50 > 0:15:55'Luckily, I've arranged something that's a bit more up his street.'
0:15:55 > 0:16:02CHOIR SINGS IN POLISH
0:16:03 > 0:16:07'The Polish Centre is the home of the Echo Doliny Choir,
0:16:07 > 0:16:10'who sing traditional Polish folk songs.'
0:16:10 > 0:16:14CHOIR SINGS IN POLISH
0:16:19 > 0:16:22'They also perform traditional Polish dance.'
0:16:27 > 0:16:30'With all those Pierogies bouncing around in my tum,
0:16:30 > 0:16:33'I better take this one a bit easy...'
0:16:33 > 0:16:35I'm not doing that!
0:16:35 > 0:16:39'..unlike my mate Ainsley, who's jumping straight in!'
0:16:52 > 0:16:54And we're going to go left.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55The same step, that's it.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05We're about to finish, ready? Hey!
0:17:21 > 0:17:22Walking around this great city,
0:17:22 > 0:17:26almost every turn brings a new cuisine and a new taste.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29But if you head out of town to the countryside,
0:17:29 > 0:17:34a local producer is pushing surprising boundaries.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Just outside Birmingham is a hidden gem,
0:17:37 > 0:17:40a farm run by Richard Aldis,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43that once again shows the diversity of the local area
0:17:43 > 0:17:47and grows produced that you would never expect from this region.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Amazingly, Richard grows everything, from pineapples, bananas,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58citrus fruit, peaches, nectarines, plums.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00You name it, he has a go at it...
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and with great results.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04The pineapple growing is very successful for us.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07People don't believe that we can grow a pineapple that tastes
0:18:07 > 0:18:10the same as you would expect from a supermarket.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Also on the farm are grapes.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17Whereas most grapes in the UK are grown outdoors for wine making,
0:18:17 > 0:18:23these very sweet, full-bodied Muscat grapes are actually for eating.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26There's some bananas there which are just about ripe,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29but these are younger ones just coming up.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31I never thought I'd be able to grow bananas in the UK
0:18:31 > 0:18:34and certainly not in the West Midlands.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36I think I'd rather be in the West Indies today.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40Oh, no, tropical fruit in the middle of the UK! Amazing.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52Birmingham has been termed as an area of super diversity
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and is now home to a whopping 187 nationalities.
0:18:55 > 0:18:5822% of the city's 1.1 million residents
0:18:58 > 0:19:01were born outside of the UK.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03And with such an eclectic population,
0:19:03 > 0:19:05the demand for specialist food is high
0:19:05 > 0:19:09and everyone's food needs are catered for right here.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15The Bullring Market in the centre of the city offers fruit, veg,
0:19:15 > 0:19:19meat and other produce from all over the world,
0:19:19 > 0:19:23'attracting over six million shoppers a year.'
0:19:23 > 0:19:25'I want to show Len the buzzing outdoor market,'
0:19:25 > 0:19:28where there's 130 different stalls.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31And I want to introduce him to some of the Caribbean food taste
0:19:31 > 0:19:32of my childhood.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Oi, Len, come and have a look at this.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40When I grew up, as a child, we used to go down to the market.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42This is what we would see.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45My mum's eyes would light up cos it reminded her of home.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Look at this, look, that's cassava.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49All these kind of vegetables.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52We've got a bit of yellow yam here.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- And there's a white yam. - And that's a white yam, I know!
0:19:55 > 0:19:59All you do it peel this and boil it, sometimes you can fry it off.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01What's that, then?
0:20:01 > 0:20:04That's like a chilli, scotch bonnet pepper, but it's actually a chilli.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Scotch bonnet pepper.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Yeah, it's like a little bonnet, isn't it?
0:20:08 > 0:20:11- Where did it all come from? - The ground.
0:20:11 > 0:20:12No, I don't mean...
0:20:12 > 0:20:15When I was growing up, we'd go down the market
0:20:15 > 0:20:19and they're would be none, absolutely none of this stuff.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21What do you think this is, here?
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Oh, no, I was going to say that was a Granny Smith.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25- A Granny Smith! - AINSLEY LAUGHS
0:20:25 > 0:20:27That's a christophine.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29Christophine? You're making this up!
0:20:29 > 0:20:31I'm not, they're called...
0:20:31 > 0:20:35- You just make up a name.- Oh, come on! - What is it, is it a fruit?
0:20:35 > 0:20:38Yeah, yeah, you grate it, you can put it in salads
0:20:38 > 0:20:39and stuff like that. Come on.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Let's go and do some shopping, come on.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Take care, darling. This way.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46'This place is packed full of produce and people.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50'It's wonderful, but at the indoor market, there's even more.'
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- Well, here we are.- Lovely.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Clothing and household items,
0:20:59 > 0:21:01plus ethnic shops, butchers and fishmongers.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04140 stores in total.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- Oh, wow, what have we got here, then?- I like shellfish.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11I like crab, I like lobster. My nan used to get a pint of winkles
0:21:11 > 0:21:16- and she would de-winkle every one for me.- Wow.
0:21:16 > 0:21:17So I'd have a...
0:21:17 > 0:21:20Vinegar, bit of pepper.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25- Lovely.- How long have you been in the market, then?- 175 years.
0:21:25 > 0:21:26175, that's...
0:21:26 > 0:21:28I must be doing something right. I'm the fifth generation.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- And have you always had this pitch? - Yeah, our family business,
0:21:32 > 0:21:34we started off selling game and things like that
0:21:34 > 0:21:36and, as the times went by, we specialised in shellfish.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40So, 175 years, how has the market changed?
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Oh, it's changed a lot, the foods have changed a lot.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47We get so many varieties of people now, we've got to cater for them.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50We get a lot of the Asian community now, cos they still eat as a family.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53And the Eastern Europeans eat as families, how we used to,
0:21:53 > 0:21:55- but we don't any more.- Yeah.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57So they'll make an event out of a meal.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00They want their food that they get from where they originate from,
0:22:00 > 0:22:02their homeland food, so we get it for them.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- So we get food from all over the world.- Fantastic.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08- A lot of change, but adapting to the change.- Yeah.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- We're getting the food for the people.- Adapt to it.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13Cheers, mate, God bless you.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15I hope your family goes for another 175 years.
0:22:15 > 0:22:16Oh, we will, yeah.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19- I hope that's a West Ham tie and not Aston Villa.- Sorry!
0:22:19 > 0:22:22- Wrong end of the country! - Oh, get out of here.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25'Wow, that's another first for me,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28'wandering around a food market, actually getting excited about the
0:22:28 > 0:22:34'food and learning about new stuff that I wouldn't mind having a go at.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38'Ains, you've got my food juices flowing again.'
0:22:38 > 0:22:40In keeping with the diverse palette of food
0:22:40 > 0:22:43that Len's been experiencing today, I've arranged for him to sample
0:22:43 > 0:22:47some speciality dishes from one of these communities.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Next up on the menu...
0:22:49 > 0:22:51is the taste of Thailand.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57- I've been to Thailand.- Have you? - Yeah, I went to Phuket.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00Oh, right, and what was the food like?
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Well, I never sampled the local cuisine, if I'm honest.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05- There was...- Oh, come on, Len, you can't go all the way to Phuket
0:23:05 > 0:23:08- and not try...- No, no, no. - Why not?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11- No, my ideal wouldn't be a THAI restaurant.- Yeah.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14It would be a PIE restaurant.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16I'll give you pies.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19Apple pies, steak and kidney pies. Now, if we were going to...
0:23:19 > 0:23:22I can't, I can't, I can't do this, Len.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25I'm travelling all over with you and you start telling me,
0:23:25 > 0:23:28instead of Thai, you want a pie restaurant!
0:23:28 > 0:23:32- Let me tell you something about Thailand.- Yeah, OK.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36What was great were the people.
0:23:36 > 0:23:42They were warm, they were smiling, they were gentle.
0:23:42 > 0:23:47I imagine that the food will be similar to their character...
0:23:47 > 0:23:48Totally.
0:23:48 > 0:23:53..you know? It won't be harsh and brash. It'll be delicate.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56And a little bit of this, a little bit of that.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Do you think we should take something from that type of cuisine?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01What do you mean, like a takeaway?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04No, but take the influence of all that...
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Oh, look, come on, let's go and have it.
0:24:12 > 0:24:13I'll give him pies, all right.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17We are heading to the outskirts of Birmingham to Sabai Sabai,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21owned and run by husband and wife team Torquil and Juree Chadwick.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23Juree hails from a family of chefs.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25The restaurant is a family affair,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27with members from both sides working here.
0:24:27 > 0:24:32And I can't wait to get Len stuck into his first Thai food experience.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34Come on in. Hi, guys! How you doing?
0:24:34 > 0:24:37- Not too bad, thank you, how are you? - Is it Torqeel?- Torquil.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- I'm going to the kitchen. - I'm going over there.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41OK, shall we go?
0:24:41 > 0:24:45'While I pitch up with Juree about the food, Ainsley, as always, hits
0:24:45 > 0:24:49the kitchen with Torquil to discuss what I'm gonna get my chops around!
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Ah, what have we got here, then?
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Well, today we're going to be
0:24:53 > 0:24:56cooking you some garlic and pepper sea bass.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59At the moment, he's just carving some vegetables, which are...
0:24:59 > 0:25:01It's traditional.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03It started about 700 years ago
0:25:03 > 0:25:06and the kids actually learn it in primary school.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08So, really something you can always get a job
0:25:08 > 0:25:11outside of primary school then. Hello, Chef, how are you?
0:25:11 > 0:25:13Hiya, I'm quite good, thank you.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16- Yeah, goody good. And we're cooking some sea bass today.- Yes, sir.
0:25:18 > 0:25:23First the chef dusts the sea bass fillet in flour for a crisp coating.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Well, Thai food, they took on wok cooking from the Chinese
0:25:26 > 0:25:28when they introduced it to Thailand.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31So that's what they use these days, with the big burners.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35I mean, this is a traditional way of cooking within the wok.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38And you can see it'll bubble away there.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41You know, what makes Thai food different?
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Thai food is very fresh, everything's in the preparation.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49Thailand, I think it would be the middle ground of Indian
0:25:49 > 0:25:51and Chinese, so if you like both of those cuisines,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55you're bound to find something you like about Thai food, I would think.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Is it a light, delicate type of food?
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Yes, we have a spectrum of dishes and tastes,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04so it goes from sweet, sour, bitter, spicy.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06And do you change the menu at all,
0:26:06 > 0:26:09you know, to suit the British palate?
0:26:09 > 0:26:11A lot of dishes we do tame the taste down,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14so it's not as spicy as you would have in Thailand.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18Cos I think English palates are not used to the super spice.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21As the sea bass cooks,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24the chef prepares the ingredients for the sauce.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27And Len will be pleased, as there's not a chilli in sight.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30- Garlic...- So, minced garlic.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Garlic and pepper...
0:26:34 > 0:26:36..and baby corn.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39- Baby corn, yeah.- And carrot.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41And it's really interesting how everything is cut up
0:26:41 > 0:26:45with little grooves in it, little cuts in it. Look at that.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47That's really interesting,
0:26:47 > 0:26:49the carrot there has all the little cuts in there.
0:26:49 > 0:26:53- Makes it nice for the eyes. - Yes, sir.- Carry on.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57Next we put green pepper and onion...
0:26:59 > 0:27:02..and mushroom and spring onion.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Lovely.
0:27:04 > 0:27:09So the vegetables all go in, add a little bit of stock water,
0:27:09 > 0:27:11to get a bit of a...
0:27:11 > 0:27:12Make sure it doesn't burn.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15'Thai food is characterised by its layers of flavour.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18'Len's always banging on about every mouthful tasting different,
0:27:18 > 0:27:22'so this might just be a taste sensation too far.'
0:27:22 > 0:27:26The heat! What type of temperatures are we talking about here?
0:27:26 > 0:27:30I think, er, they need to get the wok up to about 150 degrees, 180,
0:27:30 > 0:27:31just to generate that power.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33All of us, we go and we buy a wok
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and we think we're going to generate exactly that same type of heat,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39but we're never going to get that type of heat at home.
0:27:39 > 0:27:42No, no. You'd probably end up burning the pan.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46I never knew that curry, was everywhere,
0:27:46 > 0:27:48I always though it was just Indian.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52There's Thai curries and I suppose you can get just the same,
0:27:52 > 0:27:54you can get those very powerful spiteful ones
0:27:54 > 0:27:56or the very gentle, delicate ones.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Massaman curry is very creamy and subtle.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02It's got hardly any spice in it
0:28:02 > 0:28:05and you have the most dishes that people know, the green curry,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08the red curries, there's more spice to it.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11So you have lots of different types, levels of spice.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16And what's that he's just hit it with?
0:28:16 > 0:28:18He's made basically a mix of oyster sauce and mushroom soy sauce.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21Soy sauce is a big ingredient in Thailand,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23he's adding the soy sauce now.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Oyster sauce is a big ingredient as well,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28which gives it the basis of a lot of the stir-frys.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32And pretty much, that's it, he's just going to let it bubble away.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39'This is a typical stir-fry dish, so it's ready in a matter of minutes.'
0:28:39 > 0:28:44Chef, that smells fantastic! Ah!
0:28:44 > 0:28:48This is where the vegetable carving comes in, it's to decorate and make
0:28:48 > 0:28:51everything look really nice, the intricate details they can go to.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55And he's just going to top the sea bass with the sauce that he made.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57Beautiful.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Brilliant!
0:28:59 > 0:29:01I think Len's going to look at that and go, "Wow!"
0:29:01 > 0:29:05And then, of course, secondary comes the amazing taste.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09Come on, Torquil, let's go and I'll do it here.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12In Thailand, people tend to have a few dishes and they share it,
0:29:12 > 0:29:16a bit like Spanish tapas and everyone sits down.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19It's more like a meal that you share with friends
0:29:19 > 0:29:22rather than, "This is my dinner and I'm having this."
0:29:22 > 0:29:25The food gets laid out and you have a rice dish on the side.
0:29:25 > 0:29:27So Thai people put the rice on first
0:29:27 > 0:29:31and then a little bit of what they have on the table.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34In keeping with this traditional style of eating,
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Chef has prepared a couple of other classic dishes for Len to try.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42Lenny boy, have we got some treats for you!
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Feast your eyes on that little lot.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48'Wow! What an amazing looking spread!
0:29:48 > 0:29:50'I can't wait to get stuck in to this lot!'
0:29:50 > 0:29:52What do you think, Len?
0:29:52 > 0:29:54I think the first thing when you have food
0:29:54 > 0:29:56- is you sort of eat with your eyes. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:29:56 > 0:30:01And when you look at this, it's beautifully, beautifully presented.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03'Well, that's promising!'
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Yeah, I've been told that you start with a bit of rice.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08How about that, Len, is that...?
0:30:08 > 0:30:10To everyone that's eaten here before,
0:30:10 > 0:30:14I always recommend the sea bass. They love it every time.
0:30:14 > 0:30:16- I'm hoping you will as well. - Yeah.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27I'm telling you what, that...
0:30:27 > 0:30:29- is great.- Lovely!
0:30:29 > 0:30:31There is nothing spiteful or...
0:30:31 > 0:30:34HE MOCK GASPS ..you know, "Send me water."
0:30:34 > 0:30:36It is just lovely.
0:30:36 > 0:30:41The fish is cooked beautifully and the different bits and pieces,
0:30:41 > 0:30:43lovely. It's gorgeous.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45If you were eating in Thailand,
0:30:45 > 0:30:47the locals would like to have a lot of chilli added on the side
0:30:47 > 0:30:49- or they'd have...- Yeah.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52..a bit of chilli added to give you that super heat.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54Can I tell you a factoid?
0:30:56 > 0:31:00There's more vitamin C in a chilli than there is in an orange.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03Well, there you go. But you still won't eat the chilli, though!
0:31:03 > 0:31:04No, it's too hot.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07'Len Goodman and top tips from the kitchen.'
0:31:07 > 0:31:10'Well, it's just that I'm full of fabulous factoids.'
0:31:10 > 0:31:15Now, this is the chicken satay with peanut butter.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19Pretty much peanut butter, yeah, but it's peanut satay sauce.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25So it got, like, tamarind in it, palm sugar.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27- You try it.- Yeah, oh, yeah.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30Try it, it's knock out. You can have it with the vegetables.
0:31:30 > 0:31:31You like it?
0:31:31 > 0:31:33I love it!
0:31:33 > 0:31:36So, would you come here again, Len?
0:31:36 > 0:31:39I'm not going to lie, be honest and be yourself
0:31:39 > 0:31:41and that's what I try to do.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42So...
0:31:42 > 0:31:48I would 100% come in here and eat all of that.
0:31:48 > 0:31:50- Wonderful.- It's great. - That's good to hear!
0:31:50 > 0:31:54Well, thank you, guys. What an absolute treat.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57This is very, very nice indeed.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59'I'm almost lost for words,
0:31:59 > 0:32:04'so I'm miming a silent salute as I speak - oh, yes!'
0:32:09 > 0:32:13What a waste, all that time in Phuket and never sampled
0:32:13 > 0:32:19that beautiful, beautiful, delicate, delicious food.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23I know, that sea bass, your face, your eyes just said it all, Len.
0:32:23 > 0:32:27And I never, ever... I've heard of chicken satay...
0:32:27 > 0:32:29Yeah, no.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32But that has opened my eyes.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35- Hit all the right spots. - It was truly...
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Everything came together, you know?
0:32:38 > 0:32:41I loved the restaurant, the presentation,
0:32:41 > 0:32:43the delicate taste of the food.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45It all came together, it was great.
0:32:45 > 0:32:49And I doubt whether that will ever get beaten
0:32:49 > 0:32:53because that was as good for me as I imagine I'm ever going to get.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59'Wow, I think that hit the mark!
0:32:59 > 0:33:01'I never dreamt Len would enjoy Thai cuisine that much.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05'I reckon he'll be booking a flight back to Phuket before he knows it!'
0:33:14 > 0:33:17After that, I'm a bit worried, because I've got to cook.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20And instead of playing it safe, I'm sticking my neck out
0:33:20 > 0:33:22and going back to Poland.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26I'll be doing a pork escalope
0:33:26 > 0:33:29with beetroot and a dill and horseradish sauce.
0:33:31 > 0:33:33OK, first of all, I'm going to start off with this
0:33:33 > 0:33:35beautiful smoked bacon.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37You can see there's quite a bit of fat in there,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39but that's where the flavour is going to come from,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42that's what we're going to saute our cabbage in afterwards.
0:33:42 > 0:33:43So straight into a warm pan.
0:33:48 > 0:33:50Now let's get into the cabbage.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53The type I'm using is sweetheart, but you could use Savoy.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58All we do know is shred it up.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03Take a nice sharp knife, removing the core.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Don't want that in there.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07And we're just shredding this up.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Perfect.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Shred that up and then pop that on top of our bacon.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27And I'm just going to add a little bit of water to the pan
0:34:27 > 0:34:29to allow that to steam and stir-fry for a bit.
0:34:29 > 0:34:32OK, you don't want it to dry out and that water will evaporate.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34And now for that beetroot.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37I've already got some cooked beetroot here, actually,
0:34:37 > 0:34:40and I've just diced some of that up and we're going to pop that
0:34:40 > 0:34:44into our pan with a little bit of white wine vinegar and some honey.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55Now, that's the basis for your beetroot.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Literally as soon as that starts to bubble down,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00it becomes a little bit saucy, if you like.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02A little bit thick and sticky.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06See, that's just beginning to get...
0:35:06 > 0:35:08quite sort of thick now.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13That's beginning to sweat down beautifully.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15And then we're going to take our beetroot
0:35:15 > 0:35:18and pop that into the glaze to warm it through.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24That's perfect, look at that.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27The beetroot, once you've tossed it in that lovely glaze...
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Oh, absolutely lovely.
0:35:31 > 0:35:32Put that to one side.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37There's our bacon and cabbage, that's already done.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39OK, let's bread up our pork escalopes.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42You can see that they're not too thick...
0:35:42 > 0:35:44and put that straight into the flour...
0:35:48 > 0:35:50..then into our egg.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55Make sure it's well coated, all right? Cos the whole idea
0:35:55 > 0:36:00of coating it in flour is that it actually glues the egg to it
0:36:00 > 0:36:02and then into the breadcrumbs.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09That's it, guys, all right?
0:36:09 > 0:36:12Make sure that's well-coated in the breadcrumbs.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16There's your pork escalopes and if you want to be a little bit fancy,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19guess what? You can give that a little bit of a marking like that,
0:36:19 > 0:36:23can you see that? All right, that gives it that lovely little effect.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Beautiful, right. I've got my oil in the pan, I'm going to take
0:36:26 > 0:36:29a little bit of butter and pop it in there.
0:36:32 > 0:36:34I like the combination of oil and butter.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37It gives a nice brownish to the escalopes and of course it helps
0:36:37 > 0:36:40prevent the butter from burning.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43Once that calms down a little bit and that butter is melted,
0:36:43 > 0:36:49just lay those escalopes down into that hot pan.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56Right, let's get on with that
0:36:56 > 0:36:58horseradish, dill and sour cream sauce.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Take your dill, dill weed, and just chop a bit of that up.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06Got our sour cream.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Just a bit of that horseradish,
0:37:10 > 0:37:12little bit of that going in there.
0:37:16 > 0:37:21And then what? It's not rocket science, pick up your dill.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Put it in there.
0:37:23 > 0:37:24Stir that round.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30And Bob's your uncle.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32Now, depending on the thickness of your pork,
0:37:32 > 0:37:35you should be looking at roughly three minutes a side for these.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41Turn those over, you can see that, look, golden and crispy.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44Look at that little indentation that I did with the back of the
0:37:44 > 0:37:47knife there - you can see it gives it a lovely little presentation.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49I think that looks so pretty.
0:37:49 > 0:37:53Right, I think our pork escalopes are done, perfect.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55OK, let's serve this up now.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Of course, we've got all these wonderful influences,
0:37:58 > 0:38:02we've got the bacon and the cabbage.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07We've got our glazed beetroot.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13We've got our pork escalope...
0:38:13 > 0:38:15just on the top.
0:38:16 > 0:38:21We've got our lovely horseradish, sour cream and dill sauce.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Just a touch of that.
0:38:23 > 0:38:24Just on the edge there.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Nothing more than that.
0:38:29 > 0:38:32It's time to head to our food truck for the moment of truth.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39We've got a beautiful breaded pork escalope that I've pan-fried
0:38:39 > 0:38:43in a little bit of butter and oil. We've got some beetroot there,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46- little bit of honey, little bit of vinegar there.- OK, lovely.
0:38:46 > 0:38:48Some cabbage and bacon,
0:38:48 > 0:38:52and we're finishing that off with a horseradish and sour cream sauce.
0:38:52 > 0:38:57- Just a little dollop.- I'm telling you what, that is sounding...
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Look at what you've done.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03Now, give me the old fighting irons.
0:39:03 > 0:39:04I'll put it there.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Now....
0:39:06 > 0:39:09this looks tasty.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Nice bit of pork escalope, pan-fried...
0:39:13 > 0:39:18Pan-fried, there, a little bit of the old horseradish, which I love,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21and look, little bits of lardies.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24That's it, lardies, you can call them lardies, a bit of bacon
0:39:24 > 0:39:27and cabbage going on there and with a little bit of beetroot, too.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Now, can you see this twitch?
0:39:37 > 0:39:40I can definitely... That's what I'm worried about!
0:39:40 > 0:39:44No, once you get that... I don't do that, stop it!
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Once you get that twitch, you know you're on to a winner here.
0:39:47 > 0:39:48- Oh, right.- This...
0:39:50 > 0:39:54Ainsley, you 100% have done it again.
0:39:54 > 0:39:56Is that coming across...?
0:39:56 > 0:39:57Oh!
0:39:57 > 0:40:01That is your best to date!
0:40:01 > 0:40:02Ow! Go away(!)
0:40:02 > 0:40:05I promise you! That is your best to date!
0:40:06 > 0:40:10Len likes it, ladies and gentlemen, do you fancy trying it?
0:40:10 > 0:40:11ALL: Yeah!
0:40:11 > 0:40:13All right, then that's what we like!
0:40:18 > 0:40:20Go on, it won't kill you(!)
0:40:20 > 0:40:21HE LAUGHS
0:40:21 > 0:40:23It's great, I promise you.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26This represents the Polish people of Birmingham.
0:40:28 > 0:40:29Go on give it some!
0:40:31 > 0:40:32Give it some!
0:40:32 > 0:40:33Absolutely gorgeous.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Absolutely gorgeous, it is.
0:40:38 > 0:40:39Everyone's got to try this.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41It's great, isn't it? It's great.
0:40:41 > 0:40:42Mark it out of 10.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- It's easily a nine. - It's a nine.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47You've got a nine over here!
0:40:47 > 0:40:48Oh, fantastic!
0:40:50 > 0:40:51What do you reckon?
0:40:51 > 0:40:52That's amazing.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54Babe! You're lovely you are!
0:40:54 > 0:40:56I think it's gorgeous, what is it?
0:40:56 > 0:40:58It's an escalope, it's been pan-fried.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00Oh, they're all having a go now, we've got
0:41:00 > 0:41:02the Harlem Globe Trotters steaming in(!)
0:41:02 > 0:41:06- Beautiful beetroot. - Beetroot, loves the beetroot!- Lovely!
0:41:06 > 0:41:07There's a bit of dill in the, er...
0:41:07 > 0:41:10- Bit of dill, is there any dill? - Little bit of dill going in there.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13He's got that, he's got that through his taste buds.
0:41:21 > 0:41:24So, Len, what have we learnt from our culinary experience
0:41:24 > 0:41:25here in good old Birmingham?
0:41:25 > 0:41:31Well, I've learnt first of all, let me say, that your escalope,
0:41:31 > 0:41:33- lightly breaded or whatever it was... - Yeah, that's right, yeah.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35..with a bit of beetroot and cabbage
0:41:35 > 0:41:38and a few little bits of bacon, was a triumph.
0:41:39 > 0:41:40It was delicious.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44They are flavours of Poland, that's what I really tried to capture.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46And then a bit of horseradish on it just, yeah.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48- Gave it a lift?- Gave it a lift.
0:41:48 > 0:41:50The Thai restaurant was fabulous.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57Honestly, it was light, it was tasty, you know,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01I promise you, if my old Sue said,
0:42:01 > 0:42:03Er, "Let's go out and eat," and there was one,
0:42:03 > 0:42:05- I'd say, "Here we are, let's go in that Thai restaurant."- Yeah?
0:42:05 > 0:42:08That was beautiful.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12Now, the Polish food, Ania and Sebastian, they were lovely.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15- Yeah.- For me, it's not quite my cup of tea.
0:42:15 > 0:42:18Didn't titillate your taste buds, really?
0:42:18 > 0:42:20No, but I must say, what else I learnt from Birmingham,
0:42:20 > 0:42:24was such a diverse culture, you know, you can
0:42:24 > 0:42:28go from Poland to Thailand in 500 yards.
0:42:29 > 0:42:31- And there's a lot more in between. - And loads in between.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33Yeah, which we might visit one day.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Why wouldn't we? Onwards and upwards.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37- Come on. - Here we are, mate.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47'So, Ainsley, after a day filled to the brim
0:42:47 > 0:42:50'with lovely Polish morsels...'
0:42:50 > 0:42:51Very tasty, Ania.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52Thank you.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57How you doing you all right? Lovely.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59'..and fragrant Thai flavours...'
0:43:01 > 0:43:02That is great.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07'..will any of today's dishes make it into my top 10?'
0:43:10 > 0:43:12I'm surprising myself now,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15but that Thai sea bass warmed me cockles today.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18So out goes my favourite Prawn Cocktail,
0:43:18 > 0:43:22and in comes that aromatic sea bass with Garlic and Pepper sauce.
0:43:22 > 0:43:26Oh, ho! Yum, yum, in me tum!
0:43:26 > 0:43:28So, thanks, Birmingham for a great food adventure day,
0:43:28 > 0:43:30can't wait to come back soon.