Neil Forster Lorraine Pascale: How to Be a Better Cook

I'm Lorraine Pascale. I'm always hearing from people who tell me

they would love to be better cooks, but they don't know where to start.

So, I want to help.

I've never cut up a chilli at all in my life before.

-Have you made a dressing for a salad before?

-No.

I didn't start cooking until my 30s,

so I wanted to prove that with some easy tips...

Lots of flavour, that's what it's all about.

..and a few simple recipes... Mmm.

..even if you haven't cooked before, it's never too late to learn.

-That's really good!

-You sound surprised!

I'm going to teach six unconfident cooks

how to pull off a special meal for family and friends.

ALL SQUEAL

Hello.

-Lorraine's not cooking tonight, I am.

-No!

-No-o-o!

I'll be creating dishes that anyone can cook.

From simple family suppers to unbelievably easy party pieces.

-All it takes is a bit of enthusiasm.

-Mmm, that is yummy!

-And some confidence.

-Well done, Mummy.

-Thank you, darling!

See, we're cooking. This is cooking.

I'm on my way to meet Neil Forster, a builder from Northampton

who lives with his two teenage children, and partner, Jonathan.

Neil lives almost entirely on takeaways,

and when he does attempt to cook a meal, it never goes to plan.

Hello, Lorraine. I need help to cook

a proper meal in the kitchen to feed my family.

I'm meeting Neil at one of his regular haunts, the local chippy,

to find out what's been keeping him out of the kitchen.

-So, I hear you're not the greatest of cooks?

-Not the best, no.

So, where would you say your cooking ability is at the moment?

-Ready meals.

-So, you've heated stuff up, shall we say.

I can heat stuff up. Ringing up for takeaways? I'm good at that.

Fish and chips on a Friday, Chinese on Saturday,

-and then, an Indian on Sunday, guaranteed.

-Oh, that's the weekend.

-So, you just really don't cook.

-Not really, no.

He's a very busy person.

He gets involved with everything

locally in community from being the church warden

to performing in the local pantomime.

Very busy. Has got a lot of time for a lot of people.

He's very loving and he's very friendly he doesn't want anyone

to stand on ceremony, which is nice, really.

Perhaps the reason why he's not a good cook,

is that he doesn't...

pay attention to detail.

-I get bored.

-Do you? Get a bit impatient.

I start off with the best intentions but then it all goes wrong

and looks like a pile of rubbish.

Yeah, Dad's cooking style is definitely unique, isn't it?

The casseroles where he just puts everything in them.

Like we had one yesterday where he put everything in them

and it hadn't quite cooked and it was still a bit hard, wasn't it?

The potatoes were...solid.

Neil's decided the time has come to try

and cook his family a proper home-made meal.

-So, this is a big deal?

-It will be a big deal, yeah.

-Will they be totally shocked...

-Yes.

-..if they think that you've cooked this meal for them?

-They will.

Unless they see me cook it, they won't believe I've done it.

-Yeah.

-They'll think I've cheated.

To help Neil realise his dream,

I'm going to design a three-course menu that his family will love.

I just hope his impatience won't get in the way.

I've got one day to teach him the skills to pull it off.

But before I can create the right menu,

I need to see where we're starting from.

-I really want you to cook something for me.

-For you?

-Yeah.

Just like with what you've got here, that doesn't take too long.

I want you to whip something up.

-An omelette! I can do an omelette.

-You can do an omelette?

-Yeah.

-OK. Let's get the stuff for the omelette.

Eggs.

Grated cheese.

Bit of shell, bit of shell.

Leave it in there, you could class it as roughage, if you want!

-Add a bit of crunch, bit of texture.

-Yeah.

-There's a lot of shell in there, but let's just ignore that.

-Right.

Let's pretend it's not there, and you get on with your whisking.

And then put some cheese in it.

Nice grated-cheese omelette.

Then get the frying pan.

-That's where I get bored now.

-Yeah.

-Cos it's not going fast enough.

-Oh, that's hot.

That one's very hot, yeah. And there.

-And then, and then what happens?

-And then I'll get my thing, like that.

-Yeah.

-And see that's turned into scrambled egg now.

It was an omelette. Over on that one it was an omelette.

-Clever, isn't it? See?

-Yeah.

-Look at that.

-I'm watching, I'm learning.

-Are you sure you're going to eat this?

-I am going to eat it!

-Are you?

-Yeah.

-Oh, dear...

'I think I'm getting the measure of Neil now.

'When he cooks, he rushes things

'and it inevitably goes wrong

'and then he reaches for the takeaway menu.'

I'm going to get these plates.

That's another advantage of the takeaway,

you can eat it straight out the pot.

Oh, no! I always like to put my takeaway on a plate.

-You're right posh, you are!

-Mm.

So, this is Neil's omelette.

It went a bit wrong. It's turned into scrambled egg, so...

I can see what you're talking about

cos you were cooking and you did it all beautifully.

You whisked up the eggs

and you didn't put seasoning in, which, you know,

a little bit of salt and pepper or something, that's quite nice.

And, yeah, that's one thing I never do.

-I'm very impatient everywhere except in the kitchen.

-Yeah.

You're very impatient in the kitchen.

Are you impatient everywhere, like hectic, as well?

-Hectic, yeah.

-Just in everything.

-Impatient, hectic, yeah.

What would be great is for you to see that in the kitchen,

it's a place where I can relax.

It's my job to design a menu that even the most impatient cook

can manage.

So, I've come up with three courses to show

how quick and easy delicious food can be.

A tasty starter to demonstrate that a little effort can go a long way.

A main that proves even roasts don't have to take hours.

And a pud that uses a clever short cut

to produce awesome-tasting results.

My first task is to get Neil to believe he can cook food

that isn't a mushy mess and can look good enough to impress his family.

Simple ingredients, lots of flavour,

that's what it's all about.

Many people like Neil believe that an eye-catching dish

can only be made through a series of complex cooking processes.

So, I've chosen a starter to prove this really isn't the case.

Asparagus and cream cheese tart with poached eggs and basil.

I want to show that cooking with pastry is nothing to be afraid of.

And I'll share a simple way to get poached eggs right every time.

Now, for me, that is the perfect starter for an impatient cook.

-What's your trade?

-Carpenter.

-Carpenter.

You're good at making equal squares and things like that, measuring?

-Have you ever rolled puff pastry?

-No.

-Do you want to have a go at rolling it out?

-Go on, then, yeah.

There you go. Really gently, roll it out in a nice square.

'You can make puff pastry from scratch

'but I'm a massive fan of ready-made.

'Just roll it out to the thickness of a one pound coin.'

Gentle, be gentle with it.

Then can you cut it into four even squares,

so maybe just cut it into one square first,

and then cut the big square into four squares.

Look at that. That is a very impressive square.

-Well, you know?

-Without a ruler.

-Well...!

-I like it. So, then into four more squares.

'Mark out smaller squares for the filling to go in,

'roughly a centimetre in all round.

'Scoring the pastry like this helps the outside edges to rise.

'For a guy who tends to rush things,

'Neil's showing a surprising amount of patience here.'

Well, do you think there was a time when you did like cooking?

When you were younger, did you ever cook?

-Oh, yeah, yeah.

-Oh, you did?

-I did, yeah.

Once I did say to my dad,

-when I left school I wanted to be a chef.

-Did you?

But being in a family building company, it weren't a man's job.

-You had to go along with what the family were doing?

-Yeah.

So you've always had this hidden desire to want to cook, really?

Yeah. I always wanted to cook, yeah.

Next, comes the cream cheese topping,

which just needs seasoning and lemon zest

before going onto the pastry.

-Salt and pepper, Neil, you don't use it?

-I've got some.

-Do you have some?

-Oh, no, we've got it.

-Why don't you use salt and pepper?

-Never think to put it in.

These are the most important ingredients you'll ever use.

GRINDER SQUEAKS

THEY LAUGH

Sounds like it hasn't been used for a while!

-Do you have a zester, please?

-Yes, we do.

-I want to get some lemon in there.

-Zester, zester, zester.

'Lemon zest is a perfect partner to the cream cheese and fresh asparagus,

'which just need trimming to fit onto the pastry squares.'

'Brushing the pastry with beaten egg is the way to ensure

'you get a lovely golden sheen once it's cooked.'

'Keep the cheese mix within the border so it looks nice and neat.

'And lastly, the asparagus.'

Right, these are good to go.

Pop those in the oven for about 15 minutes.

-Do you need a timer?

-Need a timer.

-Timer!

-Got all the gear, you see?

-Now, I'm going to put the kettle on.

'While the pastry's in the oven, it's time to poach the eggs.

'The key to these is all about

'getting the water temperature just right.'

The poach means less than a simmer and so a simmer

-is sort of the water's barely bubbling.

-Right.

And a poach should be that there's hardly any bubbles

breaking the surface. If you drop them in gently,

then they won't, they don't splay out quite so much.

Do it gently, from a low height.

'For a deliciously runny yolk, I give my eggs about four minutes.'

It's nice and golden brown on top.

'After 15 minutes in the oven, the tarts are ready for their topping.

'A sprinkle of shaved Parmesan

'and a few fresh basil leaves are the perfect finishing touches.'

-Very happy with those.

-Are you impressed with these?

-Yeah.

You haven't made it, but you put it together.

It's straightforward.

Yeah, people seem to think that it has to be so complicated.

Cos that's all it is, cooking, is putting food together,

and putting it together in the right way.

Which you've done.

Nice! Look at your yolks! Perfect. Mm.

-How's it taste?

-Oh, yes!

It's really nice, really nice.

'It was wonderful to see him in a kitchen when he wasn't hectic'

and hopefully, we can bring out that inner chef

that he was never allowed to be when he was younger.

'I think this starter has helped Neil realise that just taking

'a bit of time in the kitchen can produce real results.'

For impatient people like Neil, presentation is often overlooked

so I have a super-quick starter to prove that novice cooks

can make tasty food look impressive with very little time and effort.

For me, it's really important for the food to look good.

So, I've come up with a stunning dish.

Prawn and prosciutto skewers with an avocado salsa.

This salsa couldn't be simpler.

It's just a matter of chopping and mixing a few ingredients together.

A couple of ripe avocados.

The stone should come out easily with a sharp knife.

Some red chillies.

Juicy tomatoes.

Red onions.

Fresh ginger for some heat.

A squeeze of lime for sharpness.

And a drizzle of olive oil.

This simple salsa is really useful to learn

as it goes well with so many dishes.

Wrap each prawn in a slice of prosciutto...

..whilst your griddle pan is getting nice and hot.

Rosemary sticks make great skewers

once you've stripped a few of the leaves off

and they'll infuse the prawns with a lovely aromatic flavour.

It's important to add the oil

directly to the prawns and not to the griddle,

otherwise it all just sits between the ridges and the prawns may stick.

A bit of seasoning, and a minute's cooking on each side is all it takes.

SIZZLING

Some fresh coriander to garnish the salsa

and you have a mouth-watering dish that's irresistible.

Neil's far from alone.

Many people with busy lives resort to takeaways to save time.

But cooking really can be much quicker than you think.

To prove it, I've chosen a classic for the main

and added my own twist, to show that even a roast dinner

doesn't mean hours spent in the kitchen.

Spatchcock chicken with sweet potato and mint mash.

I'll use this recipe to show Neil

how to cook a family roast in half the time.

I'll teach him an easy way to add flavour

with a few simple, store cupboard ingredients.

I'll even be using a sweeter,

quick alternative to roast potatoes.

Now I just have to show him how to make it.

It's spatchcock roast chicken, so it's a flattened roast chicken

and the beauty of this is that it cooks much more quickly.

So when you're feeling impatient,

you can make a roast in half the time.

Have you made a roast chicken before? Have you cooked one?

I have done a chicken before, yes.

It very conveniently came in a bag.

It did! Came in a bag and you just put it in the oven, it's fine.

-But this is going to be better and you'll be making it yourself.

-Super.

'To spatchcock a chicken, you simply cut along each side of the backbone

'with some sturdy scissors or poultry shears.'

Going to cut all the way along here. We're going to take out that bone.

Can you feel it? Watch your fingers.

You're cutting meat out as well, then?

-Well, just get as close to the bone as you can.

-Right, OK.

All right and then, go right down the other side,

so you cut it out completely.

-Oh, right, yeah.

-Yeah.

-A bit cack-handed but...

-No, it's all good.

Pop that, let's pop that on there and then flip it over

and then, I want you to flatten out and then push down on the back

until we hear a bit of a crack.

'If you'd rather not do this yourself,

'I have seen them already spatchcocked in the shops.

'Just this simple act of taking out the backbone

'and flattening the bird makes it so much quicker to cook,

'as there's more surface area for the heat to act on.'

-There you go. That's easy, isn't it?

-Yeah.

'Before the chicken enters the oven,

'it's time to flavour the meat. First the garlic.'

So there's a really quick way.

If you put it down, put a knife over it and then just,

-with the back of your hand, press down and then.

-Right.

-There you go and then easy to peel.

-Oh, right, yeah, ah!

Cut roughly in half.

'The best way to flavour the meat is to make a number of little slits

'in the chicken and push your slices of garlic into them.

-'Then drizzle with oil.'

-Why have you got to put oil on it?

This is to help crisp up the skin,

because we're going to put it in the oven first

for about 10-15 minutes and it helps start get that skin going.

-And then we're going to pull it out, and put some more stuff on.

-Super.

-Would you mind putting some salt and pepper on.

-No.

OK, we'll put that in the oven at about 250 for ten minutes or so.

'This first stint in the oven is at a high temperature to crisp up the skin

'before it goes back in a lower temperature to finish cooking.

'Just enough time to prepare the sweet potatoes.

'Another great ingredient for the impatient cook

'as they're quicker to cook than regular spuds.'

-Have you ever made mash from scratch?

-I have tried.

-Was it a success?

-A bit lumpy.

-A bit lumpy.

-A bit lumpy.

-Some people like lumps in theirs.

-Well, my lot didn't.

Have you ever cooked anything that you've actually been proud of?

I don't think there's been anything I'm 100% happy with.

There's always been something wrong.

It's always looked a mess or...

whatever, yeah.

'A quick ten-minute blast on a really high heat

'and the spatchcock chicken is ready for its glaze.'

How's it looking? Has it got some colour on it?

Yeah, it looks good to me.

'A simple mix of mustard, honey and chilli powder

'will add flavour and a lovely crispy finish.'

So could you just spread it on our chicken?

-I'm putting it on halfway through...

-Yeah.

..because if it's got the honey in it,

if you put it on in the beginning, it'll just burn.

If I was following this out of a book,

I would have put everything straight on,

just slammed it in the oven and shut the door,

wouldn't appreciate the patience

and appreciate WHY you're doing it.

'This is progress for Neil.

'He can see why short-cutting recipes might not end well.

'Let's hope this is the beginning of a new and patient cook.'

-Right, put it back in, yeah?

-Yes, please.

'A further half hour in the oven will make sure the chicken

'is cooked right through.

'The sweet potatoes should be ready for mashing

'after just eight minutes in the pan.'

A little bit of salt and pepper is nice.

Can you smell that?

-Yeah, very nice.

-Mm.

-OK, you can put butter in.

-Yeah.

Or a little bit of cream or some creme fraiche.

-Right, yeah, yeah.

-Or even olive oil.

'Adding extras like these will make sure you get the ultimate

'rich and creamy mash. And a few crisp spring onions for texture.'

'After about 40 minutes, this chicken is ready to eat.'

-So, you've got your chicken, you've got your mash.

-Yeah.

-How easy was that?

-That was very easy.

-I must admit that's really impressive.

-And how fast!

-I know.

-It's nice and...

-And it's not dry or anything, is it?

No, look, it's nice and succulent, see?

Marvellous, really good.

Shall we taste a bit of this?

-Yeah.

-Looking good.

'Scattering herbs like mint onto this dish

'add a lovely freshness to the look and flavour.'

-It tastes good.

-That is nice, isn't it?

-Mm.

-What can you taste in that?

-Yeah, you can...

Well, if you taste the mash, like we did before,

a little bit of onion, but the mint does go well, doesn't it?

-It is very flavoursome and it looks better.

-Mm.

'When I first met Neil, he confided in me

'that his childhood dream was to be a professional cook

'but in a family of builders, it was never on the cards.

'So I'm taking him to a street food stall in Camden to reignite

'that childhood passion and give him

'the experience of being chef for the day.'

We'll take you to a place where everything's stripped back,

pared back and they make beautiful, gorgeous food.

'I'm introducing him to entrepreneur Jez Felwick,

'who will show Neil a simple way to make a classic family favourite,

'delicious meatballs in tomato sauce.'

Well, today, I think what we'll do

-is just cook a really basic tomato sauce.

-Yeah.

-Right.

It just involves crushing some garlic, putting some oil in

and then just bunging some tomatoes in and then just leaving it.

Let's do it.

'Making sauces from scratch can be quick,

'simple and made to your own taste.'

-Neil's very impatient, right, in the kitchen.

-Yes.

-How is this for you?

-Is this going quickly enough?

-That's fine, but that would be it now.

-That is it now!

-Oh, that's all right, then! Oh, that's all right!

-Is it meatball time?

-It's meatball time.

'These are very straightforward.

'It's just a matter of mixing eggs and ricotta cheese together

'with pork and beef mince,

'then adding bread crumbs and coriander stalks.'

Top balling from you, Neil.

'I think his inner chef is beginning to be unleashed.'

You're a natural turning these round nicely.

-It's exactly what you should do.

-You could go home and make these.

I think I might have a little trial on these, actually.

Once you break it down to putting all the bits together, it is...

-..Easy!

-I didn't want to say that, in case I upset him!

It's smelling so good.

'And finally. that all-important seasoning and tasting.'

-One bit of sugar completely changed the taste of that.

-Yeah.

Then the salt brings it balance.

-It took the sweetness off.

-Exactly.

'Time to see what the customers think of Neil's cooking.'

What would you like to eat today?

I would like some of the Great Balls, please.

'Not only is his inner chef being unleashed,

'so it seems, is the performer in him!'

-Meaty balls!

-He's a natural.

-Enjoy your lunch.

-Thank you.

If it smells that good, hopefully, it'll taste that good.

You want some Great Balls? Next!

'One thing it's proved to me today, is how exciting cooking can be.'

It's just good to make something from scratch

and people like it and eat it. It's really good.

-Thank you very much.

-Enjoy your lunch.

-Thanks, guys! Cheers!

-Thanks, have a good one.

Fantastic, Neil, that was really good! Well done, mate.

'It was good to see Neil so at ease.

'I think he has realised that if you're prepared

'to take your time,

'cooking can be really rewarding.

'So, with his new-found confidence,

'I think he's ready to embrace my final course.'

Neil told me that he wants to cook proper food,

so for his pud I've come up with a twist on a British classic.

Madeira summer pudding with hot chocolate sauce.

This dessert is perfect for cooks who like to take short cuts,

but still want impressive results.

The first step is to make a quick and simple sugar syrup.

It starts with 75ml of water, that I've got in there,

then you need 150g of soft, light brown sugar

and then just on to the heat.

Just want this sugar to dissolve.

So, one vanilla pod.

This is bubbling away now. If we turn that down a minute,

I'm going to add my cinnamon and ginger.

Give it some spice.

In go my fruit.

Got a mixture of summer fruits.

And then just leave it to cook for a couple of minutes,

you want all the flavours to infuse.

And you want that sugar syrup to take on

some of the flavour of the berries.

I hope this is going to impress Neil and his family and friends.

And I'm going to add a cheeky little bit of rum.

Optional, of course.

'And if you prefer, you can substitute this

'with port or a blackcurrant liqueur.

'Now for my short cut. I'm using shop-bought Madeira cake.

'I just dip slices into the syrup, before fitting them,

'like a jigsaw puzzle, into a loaf tin, lined with clingfilm.'

And then use the remaining sugar syrup,

just for the last pieces, on top.

Then just wrap the clingfilm over the top of it,

so there's nothing uncovered,

and you need to put something heavy on it to weigh it down

and then into the fridge to set.

Time to make the chocolate sauce.

For this, just heat double cream with a mixture of dark

and milk chocolate.

Turn off the heat, because I don't want the cream to bubble up

or the chocolate to burn. So, I just need that residual heat

from the cream to melt this chocolate.

After five minutes, the chocolate should be smooth enough to pour.

OK, hopefully this is set.

Just put it upside-down, give it a shake.

Then just finish it off with some fresh mint

and a sprinkle of icing sugar.

Now, Neil, he's impatient,

he likes things done really, really quickly,

but I'm hoping that he can stay calm

and realise that it's for a good cause for his family,

that he'll be able to make a summer pudding loaf just like that.

Neil's big day has arrived.

'When I met him, his lack of patience in the kitchen

'had led to a diet of ready meals and takeaways.'

So, how's the practising been going?

It's been good, a bit traumatic at times, I missed out a few things.

-Traumatic?

-Well, you know, it's been, yeah, stressful.

Stressful? Oh, goodness me!

'In just a few hours, he'll be serving up

'a three-course meal for his family.

'This is a surprise for partner Jonathan,

'but his children know exactly what's going on.'

I must say you're looking very confident in the kitchen today.

Yes, although my hands are shaking.

-That's OK.

-Is that right or not?

They need to be stirred,

-cos they want to go a bit mushy, don't they?

-This is YOUR dessert.

No, no, no, no, no, yeah, right.

So, they've got to simmer for two minutes.

-You seem a lot less impatient.

-Well, no, yeah.

Do you remember when we met, you said, "It'll say five minutes

"but I'll just do that for one minute," but you're doing it

-as the recipe says, which is good to see.

-Right, OK.

-So, your guests are about to arrive.

-Right, OK.

-You're doing good.

-It doesn't feel like it!

-You are, you're doing really good!

I just think a bit panicky. But there you go, we'll be fine.

Shall I put that in the oven now, then, yeah? They're on their way.

-Did you season it?

-No.

I think your family are going to be really impressed with this meal.

HE LAUGHS Well, we shall see. We shall see.

Not only is Neil cooking for his kids and his partner,

his mum is coming, too.

-Your family's nearly here.

-Yeah.

-And you've done so much hard work getting to this point.

-Right, yeah.

And I'm really impressed with how quickly

and efficiently you have prepared everything so far.

-I wouldn't say efficient, but there you go.

-No, you were.

-Right, OK, thank you.

I'm looking forward to meeting your family.

-Here they are.

-And, oh, goodness!

This is Lorraine, who's been helping me out.

So, you've always been moaning about my cooking abilities

so I asked Lorraine for some help to teach me how to cook properly

and that's what you're here for today.

'Time to showcase Neil's asparagus and cream cheese tart.'

Now, we need to put the eggs in. Water's just simmering.

-This is your starter.

-Thank you.

-You've done really well with it.

-Yeah.

-And we're all really grateful.

You won't get me out of the kitchen, now. Be there all the time.

My new-found talents.

Right, so, while you're finishing that off,

cos like, I'm glad you're eating slow, cos you're savouring it,

I can tell that... LYDIA LAUGHS

I'm going to cook the next course.

'The starter seems to be going down well.

'Time to plate up Neil's spatchcock chicken

'with sweet potato and mint mash.'

I think you've done incredibly well.

The food looks beautiful, colourful,

you know, that little boy wanted to be a chef,

and you do, you have a chef inside of you.

-Are you proud of him, Jonathan?

-Yes, very, yeah, very.

-Yeah?

-The mash was really nice.

-It was quite nice, yeah.

-Very nice.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

'And finally. for Neil's mouth-watering dessert.'

Right, so there you have it,

a Madeira summer pudding with a hot chocolate sauce.

That looks delicious!

He's done well, I'm proud of him.

I hope that he doesn't eat as many takeaways

and he does try and cook a lot more because not only the nice food,

it's the health benefits.

So, it'll be good for everybody.

Delicious, every course, yeah.

Did you like it, Jonathan?

-It's very nice, yeah.

-Is it?

-Yeah, yeah, very good.

'Neil was incredible in that kitchen.'

He wanted to be a chef when he was young

and I think he can really be a chef at home now.

-Cheers, everyone. Thanks, all, for coming.

-You should clink.

'Really proud that he's gone forward'

and wanted to improve and do something great for all of us.

I think Jonathan is really impressed.

Trouble is, he might make me do all the cooking now,

so could have made a rod for my own back!

Since filming, Neil has continued to perfect the dishes he learnt,

and has even had the patience to cook

new, healthy family meals, including a chicken risotto.