Episode 5 Mary Berry's Foolproof Cooking

I'm Mary Berry and in this series I'll be sharing

some of my best, foolproof secrets with you.

I think it's really important to have a selection of trusted

recipes that you know will never let you down.

No matter what the occasion, I will show you how to make it simple.

From my delicious ideas for lazy days...

-Here you are, darling, treat for you.

-I could get quite used to this.

Very nice.

..to moments when you need a little comfort...

Life doesn't get better than that.

..and stylish treats to delight your guests.

Tonight, it's foolproof recipes for those days

when you're simply run off your feet.

Mm, maybe I should have chosen a bigger spoon.

It really is absolutely delicious.

I've always been a working mum and, as time goes by, I get busier

and busier.

My mantra has always been,

get organised and try and do things ahead.

Today, I'll be preparing some dishes that, when I'm very

short of time and run off my feet,

I can get together in no time.

A rich and elegant one-pot wonder,

my delicious fail-safe that feeds the family in minutes,

a hearty favourite you can prepare ahead

and an effortless pud that is unbelievably good.

But first it's my scrumptious

store cupboard standby.

Chopped tomatoes are perfect for busy people.

I always have them and I buy them in sixes and they're just there.

It gives me a great comforting feeling to know that

I can knock up a quick soup or a quick sauce in no time.

Something else I keep in the cupboard for times like this

are sundried tomatoes.

Six of these and a touch of oil, with some pressed garlic will give

a beautifully intense flavour.

Then add three cans of chopped tomatoes.

Only at the end of the season, when tomatoes are really cheap,

would I use fresh tomatoes.

These are really the most useful thing to have in the cupboard.

And a real foolproof tip is to add some sugar.

The sugar brings out the flavour of tomatoes.

Even if I'm grilling tomatoes I just put a little sprinkle of sugar.

It just gives it extra flavour.

As well as a bit of pepper and salt.

And finally I'm going to add some stock. I've got 500ml of stock.

Now, you may not have fresh stock. If not, use a stock cube.

Now, all I've got to do is give that a good stir,

bring it to the boil and simmer it for ten minutes.

Then, give it a quick blend until it's beautifully smooth.

That's it.

I've managed to get none of the tomato on my shirt.

Some milk and double cream will make it lovely and rich.

If you want it less rich, put all milk in.

If you want it very rich and special, all cream.

Look at that colour, it's most tempting.

Mm, maybe I should have chosen a bigger spoon.

It really is absolutely delicious.

To finish, a generous swirl of fresh pesto.

So there you have it, my ten-minute delicious tomato soup.

All from ingredients from the store cupboard. Perfect for a busy day.

That's just so quick to make,

but if you have lots of hungry mouths to feed,

there's another foolproof favourite that always springs to mind.

I can remember sort of back in the '60s,

when pasta was something quite different.

People were a little bit shy of it.

You think how often we have pasta now.

This, I reckon, is only going to take me 15 or 20 minutes,

so let's see.

To start with, I'm going to take one onion,

which I've chopped just roughly.

I'm going to cook it with the pasta, that means you don't have an

extra dish, and onion that is boiled is delicious.

We always fry it, but cook it alongside pasta

and it gives a really good flavour.

This works for any pasta dish. Today, I'm using penne.

I like it cooked al dente, so it's just got a little bite to it.

That can take care of itself, while I get on with the bacon.

Use smoked, to make it even tastier.

I've left the fat on the bacon.

I'm using a nonstick pan, so I don't need to add any extra oil.

And I'm going to keep an eye on it.

For a splash of colour, broccoli works a treat,

but peas will stand out just as well.

Now, imagine doing it at home -

you've got your pan on over there, you've got to have

eyes in the back of your head and listen to how the fat's doing.

Going over there just to give it a quick turn.

The smell is wonderful.

Now, I've got this stalk and

do you know, I really can't throw that away.

I'm not making soup at the moment, so I'll tell you what I'm going

to do - I'm going to peel this and then I'm going to include it.

And we waste not, want not. I hope I come across these nice crunchy bits.

That's it. Let's have a look at that pasta.

There's still a bite in it. It's still very al dente.

I reckon that has just two minutes to go,

just enough time to cook the broccoli.

All in one pan, saves on the washing up.

Now, can you see that's just taking colour.

And that's how I want it to be.

That's it.

A clever way to keep the broccoli vibrant is to give it a quick

rinse in cold water.

Now add the pasta to the bacon,

so it can take on that lovely smokiness.

I love the bright green of the broccoli

and then the little sparkling jewels of tomatoes.

Already that's looking special, isn't it?

Bring it all together with a carton of basil pesto, shop-bought,

of course, when time is tight.

It's a matter of getting everything really piping hot,

but it does look so tempting,

all these lovely colours.

Now, you think, this has got no sauce to go with it,

it's all done in two pans, in a very short time.

A scattering of toasted pine nuts

and Parmesan shavings finish it off.

So there you have it, my express bacon and pesto pasta.

Perfect when you're in a hurry and a lovely dish for the family supper.

Mary, just look up a moment, if you would. That's it, that's great.

I'm so grateful that my days are very busy

and they have become even more so over the last few years.

So this is for Holly. Happy 12th birthday. And Alice.

I try to keep on top of everything and I have my lovely assistant,

Lucy, to help.

There we are.

But when I feel the need to unwind,

there's one recipe perfect for slowing things down.

Now, fennel, you either like it or loathe it,

but I'm going to make you love it.

And I'm going to cut it into small dice.

If it's in too big of pieces, it won't become tender.

So there it is.

Some people take out that middle bit there, but I'm not going to.

I find there's no need

and it becomes a little more crunchy than the outside.

That's it. Now, just give that a turn.

I'm going to add some garlic.

Then I'm going to add the rice.

This is round rice, it's not pudding rice.

It's arborio rice or sometimes known as risotto rice.

Then we need to add some wine - very important, a white wine.

I'm going to add 300ml.

This is a new bottle and I know just about where my finger should be,

how far we should go down. So 300ml.

Tiny drop more.

And we'll just let that absorb for a few minutes.

I've got here 750ml of fish stock. It could be vegetable stock.

My foolproof tip is to make sure the stock is really hot.

I'll give it a stir.

The rice will absorb it much quicker and it won't overcook.

It is important to add it little by little and the total time, from

when you start adding the stock, it will be about 20 minutes.

Slowly, carefully and make sure it's all absorbed.

This is the bit I find very relaxing.

Perfect after a busy day.

Can you see now, that's thickening up?

That is perfect.

There's still a little bite into it, but I've got other

ingredients to add and it'll need a few more moments longer.

Some peas, lemon juice and, for that touch of class,

generous chunks of succulent salmon.

But you could always use prawns or chicken if you prefer.

Now, you'll notice that the salmon is, at once,

changing colour from that shiny pink to an opaque pink.

And it takes no time to cook at all.

For sheer luxury, add three tablespoons of creme fraiche

and some grated Parmesan.

And finish with some fresh tarragon.

It's just the right consistency.

You can see that it's sort of creamy

and I'm keeping the fish whole.

To crown the glory, a little bit of pea shoot.

You know, there's plenty of body in the middle of that rice.

It's just cooked, it's lovely and creamy,

the fennel flavour's coming through and the salmon is just perfect.

I don't just like it, I love it and I'm going back for another one.

Not bad.

For me, nothing beats the convenience of cooking fresh

veg straight from the garden.

But we don't all have the time or space to grow our own.

But there is a way to get seasonal veg delivered to your doorstep.

And you don't even have to write a shopping list.

I've come to Coleshill, in Wiltshire, to meet Sonya,

who runs one of over 600 veg box schemes

that are growing in popularity up and down the country.

So you're growing all different vegetables. How many do you grow?

Probably throughout the year about 70.

And that obviously includes some fruit as well,

but we need to get a range of vegetables to go in the boxes,

just to keep people interested throughout the year.

Let's go and see what we can find then.

So these are borlotti beans.

Do I have to feel whether the beans are inside them before I pick them?

Yes. The pods look awful, but the beans inside, if you look at that,

they're just like little birds' eggs.

-They're beautiful, aren't they?

-Aren't they.

-Mm.

What do you suggest people do with them?

OK, well, obviously, you've got to pod them.

So you're just going to use the beans.

Boil them for at least 30 minutes, and then once they're soft I would

put them into something like a nice tomato sauce with maybe

some green beans as well.

And some seasoning and basil and garlic.

Or you could do, if you want to be really adventurous,

you could make borlotti bean hummus.

-That's what I would do.

-I'm tempted.

-Yeah.

SONYA LAUGHS

This is certainly a fun way of getting veg you might not

choose for your weekly shop.

So these are all romanesco.

It's a cross between two different vegetables, isn't it?

That's right, it's a cross between broccoli and cauliflower.

And in fact it translates as Italian cauliflower.

-That is sheer beauty.

-Isn't it?

-It's like a little mountain of cauliflower, isn't it?

-Yes.

So what do you like to do with it?

Well, you can roast it whole, it really brings out the flavour.

It's a beautiful nutty flavour with some spices and things.

So there you go, look at that.

Within minutes of being picked, today's selection is being boxed.

I've got some nice romaine lettuce.

-So they'll be having Caesar salad, I'm sure.

-Salad, yeah, absolutely.

And, as if I didn't have a busy enough life,

I've now become a delivery woman.

Hello?

-Hello.

-Oh, hi.

-Here's your veg box.

-Oh, excellent.

So, what's the best thing about the veg box?

As a working mum, it's very easy just to feed your kids peas,

carrots and broccoli, cos you know they're going to eat it.

And having a box like this

definitely makes their vegetable eating more varied.

It must save you time not having to go shopping, make those lists,

find the stuff.

It's one less thing to worry about, absolutely.

-Well, you enjoy it.

-Thank you very much, I will.

So, delivery can certainly make your life that little bit easier.

But, if you're wondering what to do with all this wonderful veg,

I've just the thing.

Most people just do cauliflower cheese,

but I'm going to do roasted cauliflower.

All I'm going to do is take all the sprigs off and roast them

in a little olive oil.

Then just pull off each of the heads.

They want to be sort of about that size.

And if you want to split them, just take a knife like that,

then pull them apart and they'll hold together like that.

To get the perfect roast, coat evenly in a little olive oil.

You could do this in a bowl, but on the other hand

somebody's got to wash up the bowl and we're all in for saving time.

Then I'm going to put a little seasoning under the cauliflower.

Like that.

A little bit of seasoning on top.

And it's nice to use sea salt cos you get a bit of crunch.

So nothing could've been simpler than that.

All it's got to do is to roast now and that wants to go in a

really hot oven, a fan oven, 200,

and it'll take about 30 minutes.

While the oven works its magic,

I'll show you the quickest dressing imaginable.

Lemon juice, olive oil,

seasoning and a few capers.

I love capers, they seem to go very well with cauliflower.

Then some chopped parsley and just whisk that together.

That's the dressing, really very easy.

For me, it's just a little on the sharp side.

Maybe you like dressings sharp, but I like them a little

on the sweet side, so I'm going to just add a little sugar to that.

Just caster sugar.

That's more my style, a little less sharp.

The cauliflower's going to be ready.

Coat the roasted caulie with the dressing.

That has got a lovely shine to it now.

And I'm just going to tip that while it's piping hot.

Doesn't that look gorgeous?

Something totally different, very quick to do and so simple.

This is so good, I love it on its own.

But if you're making the family supper, why not try it with these,

which can be prepared ahead to make life easy?

First of all, the stuffing.

Take 350g of sausage meat and liven it up with chopped thyme,

parsley, lemon zest and Parmesan.

I can see it's well-mixed, because the parsley is evenly throughout.

So I've got the chicken thighs here.

Now, you can buy chicken thighs without bone in.

In some regions, you may find that you have to have it with the

bone in, so I'll just show you how easy it is to take that bone out.

There it is in the middle there.

So if you just do even strokes down either side of that bone.

Once you've got the end of it to hold,

can you see? The weight of the chicken brings it down.

And then it just comes off quite easily at the end, like that.

Right, now to the actual stuffing.

Simply cut it like a cake, for perfect portions.

And I'm going to roll each one into a sausage shape.

Think about it, it wants to be the same length as the chicken thigh.

Just a little bit of seasoning,

then we put our little sausage in the middle.

That's it. Roll those round, like that.

They want to feel rustic,

so don't worry if the sausage meat peeks out at the ends.

Now we need to put bacon round the outside.

And make sure that it's really well wrapped round underneath.

That's it. That is going to hold it together.

My tip for a beautiful glaze is to drizzle some honey

before they go into the oven.

I've set it at 200 degrees fan and it will take about 25, 30 minutes.

What could be easier or quicker?

I'm well pleased with that, gorgeous colour.

You know, looking at all of those, we always have beef burgers

in buns, wouldn't that be absolutely delicious in a bun?

I think I'd really enjoy that. Perhaps a bit of chutney underneath.

Look what a wonderful colour that bacon's become.

It looks very special, you can prepare it ahead and, gosh,

it's good to eat.

Despite life's demands, I always try and make time for my friends.

And I've been playing tennis with the girls every

week for over 20 years.

THEY LAUGH

Yours, she says.

This really helps take my mind off my busy schedule.

But when we've tired ourselves out,

I love serving up a special treat.

And this is the quickest little pud you can imagine.

On a very busy day, you may think no time to make a pudding or

indeed a biscuit, but I'm going to show you a pud that's

so delicious, so quick to make and absolutely foolproof.

For this guilty pleasure, you'll need to

dissolve 100g of caster sugar in 600ml of double cream.

Yes, double cream. It's a luxury pud, this.

Now for the fruity bit. The juice of a lime and five passion fruit.

Use a lemon if you prefer.

You know, passion fruit is something that's become more

and more popular as the years go by.

To begin with, I was very shy of it, but I absolutely love it now.

Whizz that for a few seconds.

Here we go.

It will crush the seeds and give a gorgeously intense flavour.

And then with a spoon just push it through.

That goes through like lightning.

Right, now I'm going to have a look at that cream.

For a lovely smooth texture, there must be no trace of sugar.

So in goes the lime juice and then the passion fruit juice.

Give it a stir and as you do it, you see it is thickening.

It's a reaction of the lime, it thickens the cream instantly.

The passion fruit also helps, too.

This is very rich, you certainly don't want big sundae

glasses to fill, because it would just be too much.

So these little glasses I think are great.

They need to go in the fridge for three to four hours to set firmly.

See, there's a real wobble now.

I'm going to make a special, very quick biscuit to go with them.

First of all a little flour on the table.

Roll out half a block of all-butter puff pastry.

And I'm aiming to get this about eight inches across.

Don't panic if it starts to stick, some clingfilm will save the day.

Keep rolling until it's really, really thin.

Imagine you're making something like millefeuille -

that wants to be just as thin as this, too.

And because puff pastry rises in flaky layers,

you'll get a really crisp, thin biscuit.

That's it. Now, I want to have squares of four inches.

So to get a square, you just fold it over like that.

OK.

And then another square on the way down.

Like that.

And like that.

And then, for my triangular biscuits,

you just cut each square into four.

Nothing could be simpler, could it?

For a delicious topping, just brush with egg white

and sprinkle evenly with a mix of lemon zest and sugar.

Really so quick, easy, simple to do

and you haven't even made the pastry.

Now, these need very careful baking.

I've set the oven at 180 centigrade and they take about 8-10 minutes,

because they want to be a very pale golden on the outside.

If they're brown, they'll be bitter, so you've been warned.

Very steady hand. And they've set.

Finish them off with a dash of passion fruit.

Now, those are perfectly baked.

They're a lovely pale golden brown colour. And really original.

I think they're winners, especially for the girls' lunch.

-Have a go.

-They look pretty.

-They do look pretty.

-Yummy, as my grandchildren would say.

-They're absolutely glorious.

-To the winners.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

Next time, it's my Foolproof Recipes for days when you want to show off.

It's absolutely delicious, very summery.

There's absolutely no calories in here, whatsoever.