Russell Grant My Life on a Plate

For everyone, there's a taste of food

or a smell of cooking that zooms you right back to childhood.

It's just like my mum's cake.

I'm Brian Turner...

It reminds me of someone I used to know at school.

..and I'm going to stir up the food memories

of some much-loved celebrities...

Oh, look at that.

..going back to their early days before they were famous...

Oh, my gosh.

..with recollections of Sunday roasts and school dinners...

-It's time for something to eat.

-Brilliant.

..and celebrating food their home regions are proud of.

Which way would you like to go?

Er, this way.

I'll recreate a nostalgic family favourite...

Mmm, you can't beat a crumble.

..and a tribute dish that puts my guest's life on a plate.

Magic, magic.

Today, actor and astrologer Russell Grant returns to rural

Middlesex where he grew up.

And I remember the toy cupboard here, which was all my toys.

A visit to his local church takes him straight back to a special time...

You look beautiful, Russ. All right, I'll say it. Go on.

No, no, no!

-..and talk of food...

-Mmmm!

..brings back memories of his schoolboy favourites.

We used to have fantastic puddings. Look, my mouth is watering!

I'll be crafting dishes I hope he's going to love...

That smells brill.

..full of the tastes of his childhood.

This is heaven on a plate.

Come on with us now on a canal cruise,

moving gently north through the heart of England.

The Grand Union Canal, joining London and Birmingham,

goes straight past the village of Harefield in Middlesex

where Russell Grant was brought up.

These days, it's prime commuter belt for London, which is

only about 20 miles west of here.

When Russell was growing up in the 1950s and '60s, rural Harefield,

with its ancient church, was much smaller than it is now.

Canal life connected it to the rest of the world and today

it evokes powerful memories for Russell.

The Grand Union Canal, which is where we are walking,

used to be behind the little flat,

little council flat that I was brought up in.

So we used to walk all the way along here,

up to Black Jack's lock, which is a local landmark.

So this is all very important to me because these barges,

they had that lovely "hum, hum, hum", the engine noise.

And when my brother and I - we shared a bedroom -

used to hear that noise,

it kind us lulled us up to sleep.

It was always such a comforting sound -

we felt cosy and snug and secure.

Russell was born six miles away in Hillingdon

and the family moved to Harefield when he was 18 months old.

It was a big market garden area,

servicing London's growing population's food needs.

They had orchards around here, did they not?

Oh, yes. You go to Poyle near Staines in the south of the county

-and that's where the Cox's Orange Pippin was born.

-Oh, right.

So did you go into the orchards and scrump the apples

-and take them home?

-Yeah, we did.

But, I mean, because I was a very godly choir boy

over at St Mary's Church, we used to have to do it

when we didn't have our cassocks on otherwise we'd be up frock.

But, you know, it was just happy days, really.

So, what about memories of school?

It was lovely.

I had my happiest times and my school dinners were the best.

I still like to cook school dinners.

What are the dishes that you really remember?

I remember the pastry.

The fabulous, wonderful pastry, melt in your mouth, and I remember

a particularly delicious meal we used to have which was like veal

and pork together. It was a soft, lovely, sumptuous, juicy mixture.

I think these days they call it pulled pork and we used to

have, of course, the fantastic puddings.

Look, my mouth is watering!

And school dinners were just an absolute treat, they were...

It was wonderful food. I salute the dinner ladies of Harefield.

Was your mum a good cook?

-Not necessarily, no. It was my two grandmothers.

-Right.

My nanny Alice, that's my mother's mum,

she used to make the most amazing lamb,

-which wasn't called rack, it was best end.

-Yeah.

And my other grandmother used to make the most incredible fish

because she used to own a fish and chip shop in Hackney.

What did Mum and Dad do?

They were at Pinewood Studios.

My dad was a set designer.

He worked on big movies like Anthony And Cleopatra

with Burton and Taylor.

-Oh, right.

-My mum was a contract secretary,

so she would do all the big stars - Dirk Bogarde, Stewart Granger,

Deborah Kerr. But then of course the showbiz side came out

in the village and that was my first treading of the boards.

How old were you then?

-About four or five.

-No!

Yes, my mum was Dick Whittington and I played the pussycat.

But I could never roll my Rs, Brian,

so I was the only cat in pantomime that had a lisp.

I used to go "thurr" because that was me, I couldn't purr!

That didn't stop him going on to drama school

and a successful theatrical career.

Umpteen parts took him to the West End and beyond.

He loved musical theatre in particular.

Russell's had an incredibly diverse career.

In the last few years, he's entertained on TV shows

Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity MasterChef

and in 2012 took over as the Wizard himself in the West End

production of The Wizard Of Oz.

But it's as TV's star man

since the 1970s that he is probably best known.

First of all the moon was having a rather heavy time with Pluto

up there, which could mean a very intensive day with feelings,

so do watch out for that, all of you.

House astrologer on various shows,

and always with a larger than life taste in clothing.

It was strange, really, because I wanted to be a geography teacher

-or a history teacher or both.

-Right.

And I ended up, um, as an astrologer.

But I actually started off in showbiz, so astrology was a hobby.

That wasn't meant to be my job.

It was all showbiz.

I'm picking up ideas for a tribute dish I'm going to create

for Russell later on,

taking inspiration from the area he grew up in

with its history of fruit orchards, his childhood

and love of school dinners, and the home cooking he loved so much.

-Well, this is lovely.

-Brings back memories.

-Does it really?

-Yeah.

In the 1950s somebody lived here - this wasn't a restaurant.

But we weren't quite sure who, so in a kid's imagination,

you used to think it was the Wicked Witch of the West!

For two men who love their puddings,

there's an old-fashioned treat in store.

We've got the chef here to make some blackberry

-and apple pie with cream...

-Cream! Thank you very much!

-..just for us.

-Here's your pie.

-That looks delicious.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-This is the most delicious pie, isn't it?

-It is very good, isn't it?

My nan used to make - this is Alice -

used to make pastry to die for.

And I did hear that your family were really good at using leftovers.

-Bubble and squeak.

-That's the one.

Yeah, loads of bubble and squeak.

What they used to do was they used to fry streaky bacon

and they would have the bacon fat,

and then you would get the cabbage, the potatoes, mash together and then

fried so it was all crispy on one side and then you turned over.

Fantastic. But you see, it is one of the things that we miss out on today.

Then it was saving money, threw nothing away

but actually that was part of the tastiest bit, wasn't it?

Oh, it was wonderful.

You'd have scrag end, which would make the most fabulous stews.

I mean, now you go into these chichi restaurants

as though they've just discovered it.

I can tell you that some restaurants sell, for £7.50 a portion,

dripping on toast to start with.

-No.

-Serious!

-Oh, that's ridiculous.

I mean, turkey dripping, beef dripping...

My mum would tell you the best bit of Christmas is the turkey dripping

the day after on hot toast with the brown gravy jelly.

-Delicious.

-Did you ever eat that delicacy of jellied eels?

Loved jellied eels, but loved stewed eels better.

Pie, eels and mash, that was always a treat.

My mum would tell you that the liquor that you would

get from a pie, eel and mash shop was like mother's milk.

That's what she would say, mother's milk.

And what about today, do you still eat 'em?

-Mmm!

-Sorry!

But where have the pie, eel and mash shops gone?

It's so sad.

And Cooke's in Shepherd's Bush is the one I went to a lot,

and of course the mash is never the kind of silky mash that you get

now in these top-class restaurants, it always has lumps in it.

I mean, mash from a pie, eels and mash shop was always lovely mash.

It was comforting mash.

Did your bubble and squeak have lumps in it as well?

-Oh, it had to.

-Fantastic. Let's get the pie eaten.

Yeah, you can have the rest. Have I left you much?

-No.

-Good.

Cooke's in west London has been an institution for 116 years.

Russell's dad used to come

and pick up that classic cockney combo for the family

on his way home from work -

pie and mash and its inimitable liquor.

Now, redevelopment of the local area means these buildings

are about to be pulled down and Cooke's is closing.

It's the end of an era and they're having a party.

Well, I have never been to this place before

and as you can see from the queues, lots of people love it.

They have been queuing for over five hours, I hear.

Are you a regular here?

Well, I started in the market when I was 11 and I'm 67 now, so...

-No!

-This is my lunchtime break, so...

-Is it really?

-Another tradition we've lost.

So what are you going to do, then, next week?

Got no idea.

Well, whatever you do, don't lose any weight

because you are looking very trim as it is.

-Did you come here regularly before?

-Yeah.

-How often?

-Since I was a child - my mum and dad used to bring me here.

Do you eat it with liquor or do you eat it with gravy?

Yes. Liquor.

And what do you think goes in the liquor?

Anything, it doesn't matter. It tastes nice.

You still love it. Fantastic.

This family-run business has been bashing out quality

bowls of pie and mash

soaked in their famous liquor for over a century,

and Russell wasn't the only celebrity regular.

Tommy Steele, Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page

and The Who's Pete Townshend all ate here.

Now, do you mind if I join you, just two minutes?

I don't want to stop you eating.

-Certainly.

-So, how long have you been coming here?

Probably about 40-odd years now.

-Did your mum and dad come here before you?

-And my grandad.

And how often did he used to come here?

In his day, every other weekend.

I used to live quite local, Queen's Park,

so we'd do the football on the Saturday, we'd come here first

and it was like a meeting point for a lot of the fans.

So it's going to be a change for them as well.

It's like our church, if you like.

And it's interesting that you've got liquor

but your daughter's got gravy.

Which is right? Which is wrong?

Or are they both...?

Oh, see that's why, because it's her first time.

Liquor. There's just something about it, you can't duplicate it.

Thank you very much, didn't mean to disturb your lunch.

And you, have some with some liquor on.

-Got to just try it.

-Do as your dad tells you!

I can't wait to try some of this sacred liquor myself.

Even on his last day owner Mike Boughton is

toiling in the kitchen - a man after my own heart.

Well, just like in all good catering operations,

the nerve centre... BELL RINGS

..is where the bell rings and it's in the kitchen.

Tell us what you are doing here.

We're just making pies.

We are forming them on this semi-automatic machine.

How old is this machine?

This machine will be over 50 years old now.

Done a good job for you, has it?

It's done... It's made plenty of pies, Brian.

So how long have you actually been open here?

Well, my great grandfather opened this up in 1899.

Now, I've never really understood why eels were sold with pie and mash.

Who started that, for goodness' sake, and why?

I've heard so many different stories.

I was told once that a Dutchman actually came up with

the idea of the pie and the eels, and that could be possible

because some of the finest eels actually come from Holland.

Yeah. Do most people that eat here have pie and mash and eels?

No, no, I would say the eels are much more of an acquired taste.

-Do you like 'em?

-I love them.

-Oh, that's good to hear. That's good to hear.

-I love 'em.

Resourceful East Enders used eels from the River Thames

as an affordable source of protein.

As well as eating them in pies, they jellied them and stewed them.

When cheap minced beef replaced eels in the pies, the liquor remained.

-Tell us what the liquor is and why people love it so much.

-Of course.

The liquor is essentially a parsley sauce.

It has nothing to do with alcohol, it has a fish stock base.

There is potato water, a little bit of seasoning and obviously parsley.

Does the recipe you use stem back to your great grandfather?

-Have you changed that at all, do you think?

-No, I don't think so.

I think I pretty well adhere to what I was taught as a lad.

I can't see how I could improve on it.

Some things don't need changing, do they?

Well, exactly. If it ain't broke, don't mend it.

No, I couldn't agree more.

It's such a shame, then, that this family institution

is saying goodbye to the Goldhawk Road.

-Today is the last day.

-Yeah.

How are you feeling?

-I'm feeling mixed emotions.

-Yeah.

Sad, happy to see many people that have been

coming in here for many years.

I just hope to continue somehow at some stage.

In the nicest possible way, Michael, you are an institution.

You need to keep going, one way or t'other.

I'm going to go and see if I can get something to eat.

-Nice to meet you, Mike.

-And you, Brian.

-Thanks, mate, cheers.

-Thank you.

-Hi, is this free?

-Yes.

-Do you mind if I sit here?

Absolutely, come join me. Just finished.

Good lad.

-This looks delicious.

-You'll enjoy that.

I'm going to taste the liquor first

because that is what everyone goes on about, the liquor.

That liquor's quite interesting.

It's not as strong as I thought it would be.

I thought it would be fishy, but it's not.

Blooming good! I'm going to try the eels.

I tell you what, that's very good, is that.

Now, do I have this chilli vinegar on here or on there? Do you know?

-Pie first.

-Where do I put the chilli vinegar?

-Pie.

-The liquor.

-And the eels as well?

-Yes.

Chilli vinegar everywhere.

Grand, OK. So...

There is something very British about a pie. That is delicious.

Never get fed up with it.

What I've realised though is that Cooke's has been more than

just a bowl of tasty nourishing food for the past 100 years.

It's been part of this community's identity,

and for these people there will never be a pie,

eels and mash that tastes as good.

In Harefield, St Mary's Church is the oldest building

in the village, with parts of it dating back to the 12th century.

This place is hugely significant for Russell,

who discovered his lifelong passion for music and singing right here.

This is where my life really began and it's where my life will end.

-I've already got a plot here. This is where I will be buried.

-Really?

This is where my heart is and where my soul is.

What age were you when you first remember this church?

Five, six years old? I joined the choir when I was about seven.

This is where I started singing.

-Right.

-And my life is complete in here.

While Russell goes for a wander round his old village church,

I'm going to get going with creating my first dish especially for him.

We've set up a kitchen in the church grounds

and taking inspiration from Russell's description of his mum's

thrifty use of dinner time leftovers, I'm going

to recreate one of his childhood favourites.

I must be honest, I don't remember the last time

I cooked in a churchyard where it was raining quite like this.

However, Russell's inside bringing back many happy memories

and I've got a dish here that I think is going to bring back other

memories of his childhood.

I'm going to do him a bubble and squeak

and some sausagemeat cakes as well.

This church is the most important

building in my life.

I was the head choirboy here,

I started off as a chorister.

We used to have choir practice on Thursdays

and I used to sit in the pews here.

And all of my school friends, they were all in the choir with me.

On wedding days, I used to earn a little bit of extra money

by singing Ave Maria and Oh For The Wings Of A Dove and that was...

My singing really started off here.

# Ave Maria... #

Beautiful, beautiful music.

And the times I would sit here and I would look at all of the words

that were engraved into the parts of the church.

And you'd think of the history that was here.

And you can see there -

"knight of the shire for this county of Middlesex."

This is probably where my love of Middlesex was born,

reading that all the time.

All of this is terribly important. It's all my life,

wrapped up in this church.

The memories here are engraved on my mind, body and spirit,

and I just remember this as being the most amazing time.

Well, I have high hopes that my meal for Russell is going to be

a similarly evocative experience.

Of course, bubble and squeak is a classic leftovers dish,

so I'm going to use potatoes, cabbage and carrots.

I'm a fan of succulent roast chicken,

full of those deep oven-cooked flavours.

I've got a bit of roast chicken leg left here, take the skin off.

Chop that up, put it in there. Really tasty.

I love bubble and squeak.

'It needs a bit of salt and pepper.

'Then I'm really getting stuck in,

'roughly mixing the whole lot together.'

This is beef dripping.

Couldn't get turkey dripping that he loves, but I got beef dripping.

'Dripping was a staple in every post-war kitchen.'

Cor! Smells great, does that!

'And those big beefy flavours will enrich the dish with taste

'redolent of the 1950s.'

One tip I can give you about making good bubble and squeak,

don't do it in the rain, then the fat doesn't splash everywhere!

'Throw the mash mix into the pan, spread it out evenly over

'the base and leave it frying in that tasty beef dripping.'

That looks lovely to me. Oh, we're going to love that.

Betty Washbrook was church organist

when Russell first started singing at the tender age of five...

..and she still puts in the odd performance today.

Russell's never forgotten the way that Betty took him

under her musical wing and encouraged him to find his voice.

Betty, you've not lost your touch.

Thank you, Russell! That's kind of you to say so.

-And so beautiful, both you and the music.

-Bless you.

Thank you, darling.

Betty's brought a photo along from her collection.

-Well, this is a turn up for the books.

-Isn't it just?

-This picture.

-Beautiful. Beautiful.

-Look at me there.

I look so small.

You were a tiny little boy. Very angelic looking, aren't you?

-Honestly. How old would you have been there?

-Oh, goodness me!

-Nine or ten?

-Probably even younger. Seven or eight, I think.

-Something like that, yes.

-I look quite nice there.

You look beautiful, Russell. Right, I'll say it, go on!

-No, no. But I've changed!

-You were a very little boy, weren't you?

-Oh, Betty!

-Angelic, yes.

-Oh, darling!

Thank you so much for making me sing!

Oh, good times, good days.

That's enough. We're going to go...

We're going to cry soon.

-Not yet.

-Northerner, see?

Northerner. Tough.

Not like us southerners. Softies.

Oh...

You've got to be as tough as old boots to be cooking out here,

I can tell you!

For my nostalgia dish for Russell, I've combined leftover

vegetables with roughly-chopped roast chicken

pan-fried in a rich beef dripping as my take on bubble and squeak.

I'm using sausagemeat

and diced de-seeded tomatoes to make sausage cakes.

Put that in there.

'And adding a big dollop of mustard for a bit of zing.'

-Russell?

-Yes?

-Perfect timing, dear fellow. Do you like mustard?

-I love mustard.

Right, in that case, I'm going to put a little bit more in there.

-Is that Dijon?

-It is indeed, sir.

Now, just be careful cos if this goes on the floor, we're in trouble.

Are you ready?

-Perfect.

-That's a fabulous colour.

That's what we wanted, is that.

'The mixture should be sticky enough to hold its shape.'

This is interesting you're doing this, Brian, because my nanny Lily

used to use the leftover beef or lamb

and make her own little burgery type things, similar to this.

-They used to call those rissoles.

-Yes.

Patties, she used to call them.

-We used to call them rissoles in Yorkshire.

-That's right.

'Dip the sausage cakes in flour then dunk generously into beaten egg.'

-Get rid of the egg-cess... Egg-cess, do you get it?

-I got it.

-Oh, sorry about that.

-That's all right.

That goes in there.

'Coating the cakes in breadcrumbs, flattening a bit as you go,

'will mean they end up with a lovely crispy crust.'

How was it inside the church? I heard the organ playing.

It was lovely in there. So many memories.

-Happy memories too.

-And how often did you go to choir practice?

-Every Thursday night.

-And were you one of those goody-goody boys? You were always there?

I wanted to. I wasn't goody-goody, it was the fact I loved to sing.

-Did you have that high-pitched soprano voice?

-I did, yes.

I had a particularly good boy soprano voice.

'pan-fry the patties in another drop of beef dripping, if you've got it,

'or rapeseed oil until cooked through.'

-They look wonderful, Brian. I love sausage patties. Or rissoles.

-Yeah.

-So, my bubble and squeak...

-It looks very, very Yorkshire.

-And then...

-And that looks lovely.

-Sausage cake.

That really looks delicious, that sausage cake.

'I want this dish to be full of nostalgia for Russell.

'The crunchy combination of bubble and squeak

'and those crispy mouthwatering sausage cakes are designed to

'send Russell straight back to childhood in a mouthful.'

-Just a fork.

-Just a fork.

This looks wonderful.

That is delicious, Brian! I love that!

I think that the amount of mustard we put in, for me,

it was exactly how I like it. It's just there.

It's juicy, it's delicious, the tomatoes give it juice. Mm!

-There's more to come.

-That is lovely!

Some people eat this with all kinds of pickly stuff.

Pan Yan pickle, my nan used to bring out.

-Oh, did she?

-They don't make it any more.

-What did you put in your bubble?

-Crushed new potatoes, cabbage, carrots and of course for you

-we used beef dripping.

-That's always the thing, isn't it? The right dripping.

-Yeah.

See? Even off camera, I'm still eating.

I know. You're never off camera on this show.

We're on!

It's a joy to cook for someone who gets

so much pleasure from eating unpretentious food,

and you can't get much more basic than our daily bread.

Russell's home village is just six miles from the birthplace

of a revolution in bread production.

In the 1960s, the boffins at a bakery research lab

in Chorleywood developed a method which speeds up the baking process,

producing a cheap, convenient loaf on an industrial scale.

It became known as the Chorleywood process and today

80% of the bread we eat is made this way.

However, there is a small but noisy backlash going on.

3% of our bread is produced by artisan bakers

using traditional techniques.

I think in the 1960s, when the pressure was there for us to

have cheap convenient food, we sort of lost our bread culture a little.

And one of the reasons I set up this company was to show people

the full range of breads that you could make and how tasty

and healthy bread can be.

Artisan baker Glenn Stevens gave up 25 years of earning the big dough

in the city for the real dough of baking.

The Chorleywood bread process, typically a loaf is mixed, proved

and baked and the bake time is half an hour, within an hour and a half,

whereas we take a very long time to make and bake our breads.

Our sourdoughs will be three days,

the other breads that we make will take two days.

And the proof is in the squeeze, apparently.

One of the things people say about Chorleywood bread is

it's like eating cotton wool and to show that,

you can compress the bread quite easily with your fingers

and it stays very compressed.

In fact, it will not come back at all.

Then if you compare it to one of my white sliced loaves here...

We're going to compress it in, just as hard.

You can see I'm pushing very, very hard.

And then what happens is...

magically the loaf comes back.

That's because it's a lot stronger loaf because of my two-day process.

Artisan baking demands dedication and determination.

Even before the dawn chorus tunes up, the day's work begins.

The basic dough, called a bread sponge,

has been fermenting overnight.

Then more flour, water and yeast are added.

If you mix it very vigorously, you oxidise it and

oxidation is basically staling.

So the Chorleywood bread process has to use preservatives to stop

the staling of its product, whereas because we don't use any

preservatives, we extend the shelf life purely through mixing.

So now what we're going to do is test the dough to see

how well it's mixed.

And we have a very old-fashioned test called the window pane test.

And what we should be able to see is my fingers through it without

the dough actually breaking at all.

There you can see we have very nicely-mixed dough.

Because Glenn doesn't use any additives,

the dough has to prove for two more hours.

It's then knocked back to get rid of any air bubbles

and left for another half an hour.

So now we must leave the dough for its final rise before we bake it,

and hopefully you can see today that the main ingredient

that we have in our bread is actually time.

It's a painstaking process,

but the real bread campaign is building momentum.

We're part of a movement of artisan bakers that are popping up

all over the country because consumers realise how much

tastier and healthier artisan bread is.

We're taking Russell on a trip down memory lane

and we're bringing him back to the flat he grew up in.

There it is. Brand new when we first walked in there...

-Yeah.

-..in about 1953-54.

It's going to be interesting to see if it's changed or how it's changed.

It must have been quite exciting in those days to come to a house like this. Brand new.

-It was

-brand new. A palace.

-Just that little bit at the bottom.

We didn't have the top.

But my overriding memory's always going to be that first day,

the smell of a new house.

It was that newness that you remember

and I remember most of all the open fire.

You get in there and I'm going to cook for you.

While Russell rediscovers his childhood home,

we've set up my kitchen in the back garden under a very large umbrella.

I'm drawing on everything I've learned from my time spent with

Russell to create my tribute dish for him and I've got just the thing.

Now, Russell used to love lamb and he used top love rack of lamb,

so I'm going to do a rack of lamb for him. Slightly different -

I'm going to put a herby crust on top

and just roast it here on the plancha,

serve it with some broccoli and some roasted potato. It will be delicious.

This is Mum and Dad's room.

-KNOCKS ON DOOR

-Mum? Dad?

Used to knock on the door.

Weren't allowed in there.

This was the lounge. Oh, my goodness!

Isn't it interesting?

When you're a kid, it always looks so much bigger than it is now.

We used to have an open fire, so we used to have coal in the '50s.

And a tiny, tiny little television set. It was only that big.

I mean, as kids you get the measles,

you get all kinds of illnesses, and I used to lie on the couch

and I remember the fire being alight,

and that very comfy, cosy feel of a fire and lying there.

My nan used to sit there cos Mum and Dad were working,

so my nan would come over and look after us.

But the overwhelming feeling is how small these rooms are

compared with when I first walked in here in the '50s when I was tiny.

Time flies.

'It's a chefy thing, but I do like good presentation.'

Don't take all the fat off. Fat gives it a bit of flavour.

And that's just about ready

so I'm going to take a bit of oil, put on the plancha here

or in a roasting pan.

And I'm going to put it meat side down first, OK?

I just want it to start to cook.

I want to get the herby flavour going with dried mixed herbs.

A diced shallot softened in butter will help flavour the coating.

If you haven't got shallot, use a red onion.

We don't really want to colour them, so keep taking them off the heat.

We don't want to get them too dark.

Look at that. That's already seared a bit there.

It doesn't take long to cook, this lamb.

Turn it and season with salt and pepper.

That's lovely.

Oh, they've done the kitchen beautifully. It's stunning.

I remember this most specifically.

It's where my mum used to keep her bike.

And she would cycle up to Harefield.

Now, this is the bedroom where my brother and I slept.

And my bed was along here, single bed.

And I remember the toy cupboard here,

which was all my toys.

Can we get in now?

Just to see.

Yeah.

It was filled with toys then.

Now it's filled with frocks.

'Things are gathering pace in the garden.

'I'm going to complete my herb coating, using basil,

'chives and rosemary, all finely chopped.'

So, remember, we had the dried herbs cooking on the lamb and now

we've got these fresh herbs that we're going to put into the crust.

'Add the cooked shallots and some melted butter to bind.'

And then some fresh breadcrumbs go into this mixture here.

The breadcrumbs need to soak up the butter, so we get the right texture.

Not too soft and not too dry.

Let's put a little bit more in there. That's lovely.

'And season.'

That's going to be great, that is. That... That smells brill, does that!

'Allow the lamb to rest for five minutes

'then brush the back with Dijon mustard.'

I know that Russell loves mustard. That will help the crust stick.

This time, we need to be careful how we deal with this crust.

Make sure it's not hot, this is OK. It's warm, it's not hot.

Then just put on top to give that lovely crusty-looking topping.

But also it's got bags of flavour in there.

If you're going to put this back in the oven,

the best way to colour that is under a grill.

We haven't got a grill.

'So, I'm improvising!'

And I'm going to put a cover over it.

So I've almost made my own little oven.

It won't get the same yellow golden crust on top,

but it'll still be lovely to taste, will that.

So, let's have a look at it in five minutes' time.

'I'm going to serve it with broccoli and gravy,

'as well as something extra special for Russell.'

We know that he likes crispy potatoes, so this is a potato

and red onion rosti potato, just with salt and pepper

and cooked in a bit of butter.

It's lovely, nice and crispy round the edges, just as Russell loves it.

But I don't want to hurry Russell, who's immersed in his early years.

It was here we used to listen to the barges go past

in the Grand Union, which is just over the fence.

So my brother and I would lie here,

and you would hear the barges chugging.

And it was such a reassuring, lovely sound.

How peaceful it is now.

That peacefulness is what I can really, really remember.

Nothing's changed with the quiet.

'It's all a-sizzle out in the garden.

'My tribute dish for Russell is inspired

'by his childhood favourites.

'I've cooked a rack of lamb seasoned with dried, mixed herbs.

'Then I lightly coated it with Dijon mustard and spread on the crust

'of fresh herbs, egg and breadcrumbs,

'and improvised a hot oven to finish.

'And with my broccoli, potato rosti and gravy ready to go,

'it's show time!'

First thing I've done, something really special for you.

Oh, my goodness, that looks fantastic!

-A little rack of lamb there, look.

-It's best end and neck?

Yeah, and I'm just going to let it sit for five or ten minutes

and relax a bit.

You've trimmed all this up, though.

My nan would've had the bits that you could gnaw on the bone.

I know, but it's the modern way to do it, with just a little bit...

-You're an old pro.

-You're very special, so...

-You're an old pro!

-I just want this to be really a meal

that you really love.

I've got that on the go there.

And, look, I wasn't going to do this, but when I saw how much you...

-Rosti?!

-Exactly, a rosti.

How much you loved bubble and squeak and those crusty bits,

so this is almost all crusty bits.

-Don't tell me you don't like...

-I do love broccoli.

-You do? You sure?

-Sprouting broccoli is lovely.

And over here, I've got this little bit of...

-Gravy?

-Stock. Bit of gravy, that's right.

-Or you call it jus?

-No, no, no. Gravy.

-Jus, jus...

-Gravy! Gravy!

-Gravy.

-Right. But I am going to put some butter in it.

-Just a little...

-Just look at that.

And it changes colour, thins it slightly.

'I want to hit a balance between nostalgia and contemporary.'

-Now that...

-Oh, that looks absolutely beautiful, Brian.

-Sits grand there, that does.

-Looks how crispy that looks!

'I think I'm preaching to the converted!'

-Now, I remember that your grandma...

-Oh, that looks lovely.

..used to cook it quite well done, so this isn't quite too well done.

-But it's not bad. It's nice.

-Thank you.

I'm comparing you to my nanny Alice here.

You're almost as old as her.

BRIAN LAUGHS

I feel privileged!

Oh, it looks beautiful.

If your grandma or Auntie Mary is coming

and they like it well done, pour the sauce over the top.

They'll never know the difference till it's too late.

'For me, it's a delicious prospect -

'roast rack of lamb with a herb crust

'served with a crispy potato rosti, broccoli and gravy.

'It's my way of paying tribute to Russell and his colourful story.'

-I knew you'd go for the big one.

-Well, I didn't know it was big

-cos I'm looking at it from the top.

-Oh, right, OK. If you say so.

Mmm.

It is fantastic.

And your gravy...

is like a rich...

thick, gooey sauce.

The potato is to die for.

You couldn't eat it any other way.

The rosti...

This is heaven on a plate.

You're a very clever man.

-Thank you, sir.

-You cooked in the rain...

and you've created a masterpiece.

-In your old back garden.

-Mm!

Where I used to put on little shows.

-Did you really?

-Mm!

You had to pay a penny to see me.

I'm even cheaper now.

THEY LAUGH

-So, is that a good end to the day?

-Mm!

I don't want it ever to end.

How has the day been for you? What was the best bit?

The church.

I could see that when I saw your eyes when you came out.

That building means everything to me...

and the memories I've got from that church will live on for ever.

Here's to memories, huh?