0:00:02 > 0:00:04For everyone, there's a taste of food or a smell of cooking
0:00:04 > 0:00:06that zooms you right back to childhood.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09It's just like my mum's cake!
0:00:09 > 0:00:11I'm Brian Turner.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13He reminds me of someone I used to know at school.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16'And I'm going to stir up the food memories
0:00:16 > 0:00:17'of some much-loved celebrities.'
0:00:17 > 0:00:19- ALL:- Ohhh.
0:00:19 > 0:00:20Look at that!
0:00:20 > 0:00:23'Going back to their early days before they were famous...'
0:00:23 > 0:00:24- Mmm!- Oh, my gosh.
0:00:24 > 0:00:28'..with recollections of Sunday roasts and school dinners...'
0:00:28 > 0:00:29- It's time for something to eat.- Brilliant.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33..and celebrating food their home regions are proud of.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34HE CHUCKLES
0:00:34 > 0:00:36- Which way would you like to go? - Eh...this way.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I'll recreate a nostalgic family favourite...
0:00:39 > 0:00:41Mmm. You can't beat a crumble.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42..and a tribute dish that
0:00:42 > 0:00:45puts my guest's life on a plate.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Magic. Magic.
0:00:48 > 0:00:54Today, Simon Weston OBE, Falklands veteran and a charity campaigner,
0:00:54 > 0:00:58is returning to the county where he was born, Caerphilly in south Wales.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03He'll be exploring the places where he grew up.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06It wasn't just a house, it was my home.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10And he'll be going back to the scene of some juvenile delinquency.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Makes me smile to think I'm still allowed back.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14HE LAUGHS
0:01:14 > 0:01:17And I'll be creating brand-new dishes for him that will be
0:01:17 > 0:01:20a reminder of the tastes of childhood.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23- What's everybody else having? - Good question.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34This is the village of Nelson,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37ten miles north of the Welsh capital Cardiff.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42It was the childhood home of a man who just happens to be
0:01:42 > 0:01:44a real hero of mine.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48- Thank you. - Charity campaigner Simon Weston.
0:01:49 > 0:01:55Simon was awarded the OBE in 1992, just ten years after
0:01:55 > 0:01:59he suffered terrible injuries in the Falklands Conflict.
0:01:59 > 0:02:03His amazing recovery and tireless work for others
0:02:03 > 0:02:05have since made him a national hero.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10I've come to meet him at a pub he knows well.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14- Simon, good morning.- Good morning.- It looks like I'm just in time.- Yeah.
0:02:14 > 0:02:19- Do you take milk? - I do.- Good man. Oh, look at that.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21Perfect.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Now, this isn't just any old Welsh pub, is it?
0:02:24 > 0:02:26This is The Rowan Tree pub in Nelson,
0:02:26 > 0:02:28- used to be called The Colliers.- OK.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31And The Colliers in that day was where a lot of us youngsters
0:02:31 > 0:02:35started to enjoy our first tipple, shall we put it that way?
0:02:35 > 0:02:38The whole area actually has a lot of history for me,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42because just up that way is Portlock's farm.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45- Right.- Or was Portlock's farm, I don't know who owns it now,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48but we used to hay bale in the summer there.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Down the back there, where I fell off my first horse.
0:02:52 > 0:02:53BRIAN LAUGHS
0:02:53 > 0:02:57There's a lot around this area that I enjoyed when I was a kid.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Simon was born in 1961, and has an older sister, Helen.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08In Simon's early years, the Weston family moved several times,
0:03:08 > 0:03:10as his parents were in the RAF.
0:03:11 > 0:03:17When Simon was 16, he signed up himself and joined the Welsh Guards.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20Four years later, he was in the Falklands,
0:03:20 > 0:03:23and on board the Sir Galahad when it was bombed.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26He was just 20 years old.
0:03:29 > 0:03:34After Simon returned to the UK, Nelson became a sanctuary.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37A lot of who I am is because of this village,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41- and certainly who I developed into being after being injured.- Sure.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- Because the people of this village really did...- Look after you.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47They looked after me tremendously, they looked after the family.
0:03:47 > 0:03:51It's a very special place, Nelson, big place in my heart,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53even though I don't live here any more.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55- You know, everything moves on and evolves.- Sure.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58But it's got a huge amount of memories,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and good memories, really good memories, for me.
0:04:00 > 0:04:05Every village in the Welsh valleys grew up around a colliery.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08When Simon was a lad, most men worked down the pit,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and there was a real sense of community.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16On a Saturday evening, Simon would go round the pubs selling
0:04:16 > 0:04:20the Football Echo, a newspaper with the final scores in it.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23So we'd sell the Echos here...
0:04:23 > 0:04:26- Yeah.- ..and then we'd go off and spend the proceeds,
0:04:26 > 0:04:30we'd go off and buy ourselves some faggots from John Pedro's.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Faggots, now, tell me about faggots.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38A faggot is something very... It was a part of the staple diet, almost,
0:04:38 > 0:04:39when I was a kid.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43You'd go to the rugby clubs and the rugby club would always
0:04:43 > 0:04:47put on faggots and peas for whoever the visiting team were.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Cos it's tradition that every club feeds the away team,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53so you'd have faggots and peas, and if you were lucky enough,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56in the rugby club the bucket would come round,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and as kids, you'd pinch a glass that was empty
0:04:58 > 0:05:01and dip it into the bucket and grab a beer as well.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Faggots are a speciality in south Wales,
0:05:05 > 0:05:09made from offal like pork liver and heart...
0:05:09 > 0:05:12which is minced, mixed with breadcrumbs and shaped into balls.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16They're then cooked in thick gravy,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19and it's making me hungry just thinking about 'em.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24- Do you do faggots?- Yes, we do.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27- Can we have two portions, please? - Faggots, peas and chips?
0:05:27 > 0:05:30- Spoil me, why don't you?- Sounds wonderful.- No problem.- Thank you.
0:05:30 > 0:05:31Shall we go and sit outside and wait?
0:05:31 > 0:05:33- I know there's a lovely view out there.- Lovely.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- You'll remember where it is, I suppose.- I do.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43I want to find out more about the part food played
0:05:43 > 0:05:45in Simon's early life.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48And I use those memories as the inspiration for
0:05:48 > 0:05:51two very special dishes that I'm going to cook just for him.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55So whilst we wait for the faggots,
0:05:55 > 0:05:57I'm anxious to hear about your grandma,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01cos she sort of brought you up or cooked for you, did she not?
0:06:01 > 0:06:06Well, she brought me up, she didn't necessarily always cook for me.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10My grandfather always cooked the things we enjoyed most.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11BRIAN LAUGHS
0:06:11 > 0:06:14My grandmother was not the greatest of cooks.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16In fact, she was atrocious.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20But, yeah, it was strange, we used to have big stews and things,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24we didn't have much money as a family, and the nuclear family
0:06:24 > 0:06:29- was quite large, so the meat would come to us kids.- Yep.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31And they would just have veg, the adults.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35So we were spoilt, we were always loved, but we just...
0:06:35 > 0:06:39Whatever food came off my grandmother wasn't
0:06:39 > 0:06:41always of the greatest taste.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45But on the other hand, your mum did cook nicely and you loved her food.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48Yeah, my mother was a very good cook, part of that
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- was because she was trained in the RAF to be a chef.- Ah, right.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54What kind of dishes spring to your mind from that period?
0:06:54 > 0:06:56I always loved ham and parsley sauce,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59that was always a big treat of mine,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02and we used to have chicken always on a Sunday,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05but the problem was with my mother, she didn't understand moderation,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09she cooked like she was cooking for a regiment.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- Well, she'd been trained to cook for them all!- So she'd have...
0:07:12 > 0:07:16- I think it took her a long time to work out portions.- Right.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19But, yeah, my mother's a particularly good cook,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22it's always been very good home-cooked food.
0:07:23 > 0:07:26I can smell those faggots, they're almost ready.
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I love the little story, that when you were in hospital
0:07:28 > 0:07:30after your horrendous injuries,
0:07:30 > 0:07:32they put you on a high-protein diet...
0:07:32 > 0:07:34- Yeah.- ..and said, "You can eat whatever you like",
0:07:34 > 0:07:36and what did you choose?
0:07:36 > 0:07:40I chose faggots, peas and chips. And they said, "Why faggots?"
0:07:40 > 0:07:43I said, "Because I'm not used to posh food."
0:07:43 > 0:07:46- And my mother could have killed me.- I know!
0:07:48 > 0:07:51As if by magic, here they come. They look delicious.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53HE SNIFFS
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Lovely job, look at this.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59Margaret, thank you. Look at that, extra gravy and all, huh?
0:07:59 > 0:08:00Oh, fabulous.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06- Ta. Look at that.- All right, enjoy. - Thank you very much.
0:08:08 > 0:08:12- They're quite good, these, aren't they?- Great.- Got a lovely texture.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14That's excellent.
0:08:16 > 0:08:21'Now, in my mind, there's nothing better than a great pub lunch.'
0:08:21 > 0:08:23But in the mining villages of south Wales,
0:08:23 > 0:08:27there's always been an exotic alternative to the pub.
0:08:29 > 0:08:30The Italian cafe.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35In the early 20th century,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37every mining village had a cafe run by Italians.
0:08:39 > 0:08:43They were nicknamed "Bracchis" after the family who opened
0:08:43 > 0:08:44the first one in 1890.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49They sold sweets and tobacco as well as food and drink.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52You could get a meat pie for your dinner or just
0:08:52 > 0:08:55pop in for a coffee until late in the evening.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02In the village of Treorchy in the Rhondda Valley, Gianmarco Carpanini
0:09:02 > 0:09:07still runs his family's cafe and the fish and chip shop next door.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13I was born here, born in this cafe,
0:09:13 > 0:09:20and worked...from when I could see over the counter, really.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25Had to serve, had to clean up in the nights and...do whatever I could.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28That's the way I think a lot of the families did, there was work to do,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30so it had to be done.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Marco's family were originally from the village of Bardi
0:09:33 > 0:09:35in northern Italy.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Bardi was in a poor farming region,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and when the young men of the area heard about the black gold
0:09:42 > 0:09:46being dug up in Wales, they decided to leave to make their fortunes.
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Many of them walked all the way across Europe to get to Wales,
0:09:53 > 0:09:56only to discover that the black gold was actually coal,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01and that life down the pits was tough, dirty and dangerous.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06Instead, they set up cafes catering to the needs of the miners,
0:10:06 > 0:10:11and soon it was said that for every mine, there was an Italian cafe.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Romeo Basini's family ran the cafe in the next village up the valley.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20You could meet your boyfriend there, your girlfriend there,
0:10:20 > 0:10:23your lover, your husband - whoever it was.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27And you'd have a lot of fun as well. My sister and I used to take bets.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31If you came in with a girl this week,
0:10:31 > 0:10:33and you bought her a glass of Vimto.
0:10:35 > 0:10:38And she drank her own glass, you drank your own glass.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43I would bet sixpence that you'll be with her again next week,
0:10:43 > 0:10:46cos she liked the fact you paid for her drink, right?
0:10:46 > 0:10:48If you came in and shared a drink,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51no-one would take any bets on you, you're not going to be
0:10:51 > 0:10:53with the same girl next week, cos you're too tight.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59At the heart of the cafes were the coffee machines.
0:10:59 > 0:11:04Steaming milk for the lattes wasn't the only thing they were good for.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06The steam nozzle came in handy for cooking
0:11:06 > 0:11:10a speciality of the Italian cafes - steamed pies.
0:11:11 > 0:11:16I suppose someone thought of the idea of steaming a pie,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19and it was successful, and it sort of took off from there.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Every Italian cafe did it.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25You can imagine, when you're steaming all day,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28from here to the ceiling would be covered in steam.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31We'd have the fan going in the corner there to get the steam
0:11:31 > 0:11:34out as much as we could, but the windows would be steamed up.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39We'd sell dozens and dozens of them.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43Especially at weekends. The miners enjoyed them, I suppose.
0:11:43 > 0:11:48It was a sort of staple food for them, something substantial to eat.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52Nowadays pies are still on the menu,
0:11:52 > 0:11:57alongside Italian favourites like lasagne and ice cream.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01But where there were once dozens of Italian cafes, now just a few remain.
0:12:02 > 0:12:08There were 54 - if I remember the figures right - deep pit mines,
0:12:08 > 0:12:13this is just Rhondda, and 52 Italian cafes.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15So they sort of followed each other.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17As the mines closed, the cafes have gone down to...
0:12:17 > 0:12:20There's about ten left, I think.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23But if in 10 or 20 years' time you come to Rhondda
0:12:23 > 0:12:30and look for an old-style Italian cafe, I don't think you'll find one.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42Back in Nelson, I've brought Simon to the streets where
0:12:42 > 0:12:45he played as a kid, and the location of his childhood home.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50So, this is the actual house you lived in for quite a few years then.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54Eh, probably about eight when I came here, maybe a bit more,
0:12:54 > 0:12:55bit less, I'm not sure.
0:12:55 > 0:13:00But I left here when I was 16 and went to the Army then,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04and I didn't come back until I was just short of my 21st birthday,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06but I was injured then.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- Right.- I was brought back
0:13:08 > 0:13:10and went into the small bedroom in the middle,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12which was my bedroom before I left,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16and then I moved into this front bedroom here because it was bigger.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20And that's where I stayed, for nearly two years, and then I left
0:13:20 > 0:13:24from here and went round the world, and I never really came back home.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27From the years when you were eight to 16 while you lived here,
0:13:27 > 0:13:29were they happy times?
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Were there lots of other people, kids playing round?
0:13:31 > 0:13:34All my friends lived on this estate.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37My oldest friend, Carl Dicks, he lived up on the top estate,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40and one Friday I'd stay in my house with him,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43and then the following Friday I'd stay at his mother's.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47So it was like that every weekend, for years.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52But this is where I came back to, this is where I recuperated,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54where I got to understand who I am.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59I'm off to start cooking a nostalgic dish for Simon,
0:13:59 > 0:14:03while he's looking around his old house for the first time in decades.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08This is surreal.
0:14:09 > 0:14:14I remember coming in, having been injured, and this is your first view
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and it's one of the first things you soak in and it stays with you.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21Banisters exactly the same, it's all the same.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25It's my house, but somebody else is living here.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31Wow, this is lovely. They've done the kitchen nice.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34We used to have an island here that came out
0:14:34 > 0:14:37and they used to have a big cracked tile there
0:14:37 > 0:14:39where my mother got so mad with my father
0:14:39 > 0:14:42she threw a frozen leg of lamb
0:14:42 > 0:14:46and she was such a terrible shot she hit the tiles and broke the tiles.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51And the mealtimes were all on the table here,
0:14:51 > 0:14:54so we had a Christmas lunch and everything else.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56This was my home.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59You know, it wasn't just a house, it was my home.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04I think some people would be upset at going to their home
0:15:04 > 0:15:06and seeing someone else's things there.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08But I think these people have done it really nice
0:15:08 > 0:15:10and they've looked after it really well.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14You know, which is a good feeling because it holds a huge amount
0:15:14 > 0:15:17of fantastic memories, some not so fantastic.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21You know, my dad passed away here.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Where I came back with all my...
0:15:26 > 0:15:29all my problems from conflict.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31You know, so there's a lot.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33But there's a lot more happy memories here,
0:15:33 > 0:15:36it's a very happy place, a very happy home for me.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46I've taken inspiration from one of Simon's childhood memories
0:15:46 > 0:15:48for my nostalgic dish.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54When the family had a stew, the kids used to get all the meat.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58So I'm going to use Welsh lamb to make Simon a very special stew,
0:15:58 > 0:16:02topped with dumplings made with local Caerphilly cheese.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04So, first we take the lamb.
0:16:04 > 0:16:08I cut it into nice, big pieces, so there we go.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10These are neck end fillet.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12It'll make a really great stew, this will.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14We've got bags of vegetables.
0:16:14 > 0:16:18So it should have bags of flavour when it's finished.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21'I'm going to seal the pieces of meat in a little rapeseed oil,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24'which will also give them colour and flavour.'
0:16:24 > 0:16:29And the trick is not to touch it too much and let it get a lovely colour.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34Then just turn it over to colour it on both sides.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40'Carrot, celery and onion are a classic base for a sauce
0:16:40 > 0:16:43'and will add depth and sweetness.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46'They don't need to be neatly chopped because I'll be passing them
0:16:46 > 0:16:49'through a sieve to make the sauce super-smooth.'
0:16:50 > 0:16:52Let it sit there for a minute.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Over here, I've got the innards of tomatoes, all the seeds.
0:16:56 > 0:16:57So these go in.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01'I'll be adding the tomato flesh later.'
0:17:01 > 0:17:04Look at all those colours in there, just bags of flavour,
0:17:04 > 0:17:07all waiting to get together to make this lovely sauce.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11So, to make the sauce, I'm going to put some red wine in there.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15Don't use a cheap red wine, but don't use an expensive one either.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Just a nice red wine, plenty of it there.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20Some chicken stock.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25And we bring that up to the boil
0:17:25 > 0:17:30and the last thing I'm going to put in there now is some fresh thyme.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35It smells delicious.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37Put that in there.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46I remember these stairs.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48Travelled down there on a tray
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and a hardback book many a time enjoying myself.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56This is my mother's room, or was my mother's room.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00There's a little shelf there, runs along, and on there
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I used to have three vintage cars
0:18:03 > 0:18:06that my sister decided to steal on me.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09She used to do things like that to me.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14It was really hard to forgive her when we were kids.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16But now I love her to bits.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19But then, we were always at war.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21As you are with your siblings.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24And she's older than me and she was a bully.
0:18:24 > 0:18:25She used to beat me up.
0:18:28 > 0:18:33This is the middle bedroom that I pretty much grew up in as a child.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39When I used to listen to my music - Fleetwood Mac, Albatross.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42I'd have my feet up against the windowsill here and I'd be
0:18:42 > 0:18:47lying with my back on the floor on a hot sunny day before I went out.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51And my bed was laid across that wall there.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Where my mother ordered that the spear that I bought
0:18:57 > 0:19:00at Longleat Safari Park be chained to the wall
0:19:00 > 0:19:04because she was worried that I might try and assault my sister with it.
0:19:04 > 0:19:08And, yeah, so this was my bedroom.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13God, I feel so big in something so small now.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18'The next stage of my lamb stew
0:19:18 > 0:19:22'is turning all the vegetables into a sauce.'
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I've taken all the meat out and put it to one side
0:19:25 > 0:19:28and I've passed the sauce through it. It's a laborious job, is this.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32What you do is you get all that goodness and flavour
0:19:32 > 0:19:36through into the final sauce, but it also helps to thicken it up
0:19:36 > 0:19:39because if you look now, see, watch this.
0:19:39 > 0:19:44Look, underneath, that's all part of the vegetable,
0:19:44 > 0:19:49and that all helps to make the flavour and give it a nice thickness.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54'I've already used tomato pulp and seeds in the sauce.
0:19:54 > 0:19:58'Now, the flesh is going to add even more colour and flavour.'
0:19:58 > 0:20:03So, roughly chopped tomatoes go in there.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06I give it a good stir there and then very carefully
0:20:06 > 0:20:09I'm going to put the meat back into here.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Just to slowly cook together.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15So, the meat's in there now.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Just let it sit in there.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20I'm going to put it back on the heat, bring it up to the boil
0:20:20 > 0:20:23because I'm going to make my dumplings and cook them in there.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32This is the room that I spent a lot of time in.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35This was my room after I got injured.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39I mean, there's so much familiarity looking out of the window
0:20:39 > 0:20:41onto other people's properties
0:20:41 > 0:20:44and remembering the different neighbours that I had.
0:20:44 > 0:20:48But where other things have a reverence, I don't know,
0:20:48 > 0:20:52perhaps I'm looking at this differently because this is
0:20:52 > 0:20:55where I spent some of the most angst-filled times.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59So I don't really want to spend too much time dwelling on that.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04Things have moved on so much in the last 33 years.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07But this is somebody else's memories to be made,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10somebody else's fun and happy times.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14But, yes, I remember my bed being in here.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18But there's nothing of me here any more.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30'I'm making Simon a nostalgic lamb stew.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33'I've added lots of vegetables for flavour and colour
0:21:33 > 0:21:36'and a generous glug of red wine.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40'When the lamb was cooked, I sieved the vegetables to make the sauce
0:21:40 > 0:21:42'and put the meat back on the heat.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45'All that's left to make are some special dumplings,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49'with local Caerphilly cheese and chives.'
0:21:50 > 0:21:52Hi, Simon, come on in, mate.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55- I'm just about ready for you here. - Oh, OK.
0:21:55 > 0:21:57I've just got this lovely mix, I hope you'll like these
0:21:57 > 0:22:02because I've never made these before, but they do look good, I have to say.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- Caerphilly cheese dumplings. - OK, that's a new one on me.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09There you go, that's good, so you can't tell what they should be like.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- No.- They should be like this.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15I've just put some cayenne pepper in there and some salt in there.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18I've got suet in there, breadcrumbs,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20self-raising flour
0:22:20 > 0:22:23and I'm going to put some cheese in there.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26And of course you can guess which cheese it is, can't you?
0:22:26 > 0:22:28- Yes.- Caerphilly cheese.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32And all this is to go with this wonderful Welsh lamb stew
0:22:32 > 0:22:36that I've got cooking over here. I'm going to take the lid off this.
0:22:36 > 0:22:39It's boiling there nicely. Let's give it a bit of a stir.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42This stew is looking good. That looks great.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47All I'm going to do is put these...
0:22:49 > 0:22:52..dumplings on top.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56And let them sort of just cook, half in the liquor
0:22:56 > 0:22:58and half in a bit of steam.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04I love dumplings anyway. These are just so different.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07Yeah. Keep them separate so they don't get stuck together.
0:23:07 > 0:23:12We'll put that on top. So, how was your trip down memory lane?
0:23:12 > 0:23:14It was good, it was very interesting.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Everywhere I went, even though
0:23:15 > 0:23:18I knew the rooms and knew where they were, everything was different.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21It was somebody else and they'd put their own mark on it
0:23:21 > 0:23:24and their own stamp, and quite rightly so.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26But, you know, they've done it lovely.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30And I couldn't feel happier, really, than going in and seeing it.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35'The dumplings take just 20 minutes to steam through.
0:23:35 > 0:23:39'And I've also cooked some green beans and button onions.'
0:23:39 > 0:23:43Some lovely fresh green beans.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47I'm going to serve you up a lovely portion whilst it's nice and hot.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50I'm going to put the beans on the bottom.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52And the meat, just look at that,
0:23:52 > 0:23:57so you've got nice, big chunks of wonderful Welsh lamb.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01It should be cooked to a T.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05'My nostalgia dish is Welsh lamb stew,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'served with green beans and button onions,
0:24:08 > 0:24:13'topped with some experimental Caerphilly and chive dumplings.'
0:24:15 > 0:24:18- So, you just try that, my friend. - All right.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- That lamb is to die for. - It's good lamb, isn't it?- It is.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35- It's absolutely to die for. - This is what I'm interested in.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Considering you've never made them, they've come out really well.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47- They're all right, those, aren't they?- Very tasty.- Good.- Very tasty.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58SHEEP BLEAT
0:24:59 > 0:25:03I've travelled just over an hour up the road from Nelson,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06to a farm where a couple grow a very unusual food crop.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10Not wheat or barley, but lavender.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17I can hear sheep, I can hear birds. That's all I can hear.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21And the view is magnificent. Where are we?
0:25:21 > 0:25:23We're right in the middle of Powys,
0:25:23 > 0:25:26we're at 1,100 feet on a piece of land called the Epynt.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29It spreads for miles in that direction.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31And we are in heaven.
0:25:31 > 0:25:36'Back in 1984, Canadian journalist Nancy Durham moved here
0:25:36 > 0:25:39'to be with her husband Bill, an academic.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42'Their high-powered career saw them both travel the world,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45'but 12 years ago, Nancy had a conversation
0:25:45 > 0:25:48'that would change her life for ever.'
0:25:48 > 0:25:522003, we were sitting on the deck over there having a glass of wine
0:25:52 > 0:25:54with our farmer neighbour and his wife
0:25:54 > 0:25:57and I mentioned I wanted to plant some lavender. And I meant a hedge.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Because we'd had one in Oxford in this glorious place where we lived.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03- Right.- And I thought that would be a great idea.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06But the farmer was fascinated with the idea of planting lavender
0:26:06 > 0:26:09and he told me the government's trying to get farmers to diversify,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and there's money, and the farmers aren't taking the money
0:26:12 > 0:26:16and I bet you could get a grant to plant a field, and I did.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18This upper field was an experiment.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22I embraced the call to diversify and it was just for fun.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26But getting that grant made me very focused and very responsible.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29I did a lot of research and I discovered that the number one thing
0:26:29 > 0:26:32for lavender is that its roots mustn't sit in water.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35And on our steep hill farm, that could probably be satisfied,
0:26:35 > 0:26:36that one requirement.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Then I discovered there are dozens of varieties
0:26:38 > 0:26:42and I might have luck up here, so I've been very lucky.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46'At first, Nancy just sold the lavender in bunches.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49'But then found she could use it in other ways.'
0:26:51 > 0:26:53What products are food based?
0:26:53 > 0:26:57We do have a Welsh lavender chocolate bar made for us
0:26:57 > 0:26:59in Wales, in Pembrokeshire.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03And we sell culinary lavender and we give recipes away with it.
0:27:03 > 0:27:09'Nancy's promised to share one of her favourite recipes with me later.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12'But I've got to help with the harvest first.'
0:27:12 > 0:27:14This looks like a good one.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16This involves getting down on our knees.
0:27:16 > 0:27:20- Getting down is not a problem, getting up...- Getting up!
0:27:20 > 0:27:21We can help each other.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25So, we're going to cut these with sickles. Here's one for you.
0:27:25 > 0:27:26That looks lethal.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30It does, and it is sharp and you can get nicked, but it's serrated,
0:27:30 > 0:27:34so it's not as frightening as a really sharp, clean blade.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- To me anyway. - If you say so.- If I say so.
0:27:37 > 0:27:38Now, I'm just going to show you.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42- I'm going to grab a handful of this lavender.- Right.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46So, it does take a bit of force.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49- You can't be sort of... - I'll have a try.- Yeah.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53So, OK, you get a bunch together in your right hand.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57- Is that about right, bunch-wise? - Yeah.- Hold it in your left hand.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59- Yeah, with my left. - And then it's underneath.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Hook it around and go down short.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03- With all your might. - One, two, three...
0:28:03 > 0:28:05- Crikey!- And do it again.
0:28:05 > 0:28:07- There you go. - Crikey, that is quite strong.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11I think it's... But good, look, that's a lovely bunch, and smell it.
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I'm going to put that over here. That's my bunch.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17I'm going to send you home with this.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20Yeah...yeah, with conviction.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22- Absolutely right, yeah.- Bravo.
0:28:22 > 0:28:23Go on.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27- I know, it's... - There is a technique.
0:28:27 > 0:28:30Do you know, the muscles in my bottom are struggling already.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32It's just the power through there.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37You're doing no end of good to your bottom and other parts of the body.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45'It would take Nancy and her helpers over a month to harvest this field.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48'And I can see why, when each stem is cut by hand.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53'I'm interested in finding out how Nancy uses
0:28:53 > 0:28:55'lavender flowers in her cooking.'
0:28:56 > 0:28:59- What a lovely, open kitchen this is. - Thank you.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01- Bright and airy, isn't it?- It is.
0:29:01 > 0:29:03Do you experiment with lots of things in here?
0:29:03 > 0:29:05My husband is the chief experimenter.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08But I do like playing with lavender in here.
0:29:08 > 0:29:09What other kinds of things do you do?
0:29:09 > 0:29:13I'll sprinkle flowers over a lovely dish of potatoes
0:29:13 > 0:29:16that I'm going to slow roast with garlic and olive oil.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Sprinkle the flowers over it, not too many,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22- and you get a lovely sort of honey sweetness flavour.- That sounds nice.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25I've also seen it in ice creams, and tasted it.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28We do the ice cream and I think it's fantastic.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30What happens here? What have you done already?
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- OK, so this is a lavender lemon shortbread.- Right.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36Butter, sugar, little bit of lavender
0:29:36 > 0:29:38and some lemon juice and lemon zest.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41And I just chop it up.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Not too small, not too big.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47- Oh, right.- Any old size, really. - Do you flatten them?
0:29:47 > 0:29:50No, I just put them out like this and they come out like...
0:29:50 > 0:29:53- So they're like little sweets? - Little balls or something, yeah.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55And people usually can't keep their hands off them.
0:29:55 > 0:30:00- Let me pass you the tray. - Thank you very much.- OK.- Thank you.
0:30:00 > 0:30:02So then I just go like that.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05- They don't run very far.- OK.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10What about if we took some sugar, a bit of lavender
0:30:10 > 0:30:12- and sprinkle it on top? - You're putting me to shame
0:30:12 > 0:30:16because that little extra mile is a really good idea.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19- I'm being a bit lazy. - So let's just...
0:30:19 > 0:30:23- Oh, this is lovely. This is vanilla sugar.- It is.- Even better.
0:30:23 > 0:30:28- Yes, you do it.- So I just thought, if we just did something like that.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32- A little design on top.- Not caramelised, but it might just melt.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37- And what temperature do you cook those?- 180.- For how long?
0:30:37 > 0:30:41I always say eight minutes, but I often take them out at six.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44- OK.- Especially these little guys. - Right, bung 'em in.- OK.
0:30:47 > 0:30:48In they go.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56'I didn't know six minutes could last so long!'
0:31:00 > 0:31:01Those look so good.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05I can't resist.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07Neither can I, so...
0:31:12 > 0:31:14- Mm.- They are delicious.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18There's no doubt that shortbread is a lovely biscuit.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23But that little added extra of lavender just adds that...
0:31:23 > 0:31:25- just little different taste. - Thank you.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27And I like your little flourish.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30That little sugary thing on top is well worth it.
0:31:30 > 0:31:3210 years ago, would you have thought then
0:31:32 > 0:31:35where you would be in the lavender business?
0:31:35 > 0:31:37- I think you know the answer is no! - Yeah.
0:31:37 > 0:31:41- Well, all I can say is - here's to the future.- Thank you very much.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42- Well done.- Thank you.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Mm!
0:31:56 > 0:31:59Back down the valley, Simon has brought me
0:31:59 > 0:32:03to a place near his hometown which holds very special memories for him.
0:32:07 > 0:32:11- This is Llancaiach Fawr.- Say that again, I love that.- Llancaiach Fawr.
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Wonderful.
0:32:13 > 0:32:17- And this is between sort of Nelson and Trelewis.- OK.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21But Llancaiach was the school I went to when I was a kid.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25But this is where the Lord of the Manor used to live.
0:32:25 > 0:32:28Sort of Cromwellian times and all of that.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Known in our times as "the big house".
0:32:30 > 0:32:34- The big house.- "Where's he gone?" "He's up the big house."
0:32:34 > 0:32:38This manor house is now open to the public
0:32:38 > 0:32:42and is restored to how it would have looked in Tudor times.
0:32:42 > 0:32:46But when Simon was a lad, it had fallen into disrepair
0:32:46 > 0:32:51and it wasn't history that attracted him and his friends here.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54We used to scurry over the wall and scrump the apples.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57And, er...as children did back then.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00- Indeed, quite right.- It was seen as scrumping, not stealing.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03We'd come up and scrump the apples and scoff them all the way home.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06And while we were here, if we came in the half-light,
0:33:06 > 0:33:09we'd swear we'd see things, ghostly apparitions,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12- at the windows in this because it's so old.- It's a haunted house?
0:33:12 > 0:33:14- Well, that's what they claim.- Right.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17That's what they claim. But we used to see them as children.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19It was great and we used to go back home
0:33:19 > 0:33:21and we'd fight everything on the way back home.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25I'd slay dragons and tigers and lions all the way home.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26And pirates...
0:33:26 > 0:33:29- Did you ever get caught here? - Got chased a couple of times.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31- OK.- Never got caught.
0:33:31 > 0:33:32Well, don't turn around now,
0:33:32 > 0:33:35but I think I've just seen someone at that window.
0:33:35 > 0:33:36I think we should go.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44I've got cooking to do.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48So Simon is going to revisit the scene of his crimes on his own.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51This is where we used to come as kids
0:33:51 > 0:33:54and it wasn't as nice and laid out as this.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56But it's all been done up so beautifully now.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00They've spent a lot of money looking after this, and quite rightly so.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04But we used to come here at the time for scrumping apples,
0:34:04 > 0:34:07the autumn, and we'd come out armed with nothing more than
0:34:07 > 0:34:10a bottle of squash, lemon or orange squash,
0:34:10 > 0:34:14and a packet of jam sandwiches and we'd have had a great day out.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17And you'd go home and no-one would have worried, no-one would worry
0:34:17 > 0:34:20about you because you'd be home in time for bed and it was wonderful.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26I'm not sure if this is where we used to scramble over,
0:34:26 > 0:34:30but it lends itself, the way the stone alters,
0:34:30 > 0:34:33that that was possibly where the break in the wall was.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37But, you know, a lot of years have gone past since then.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39My goodness.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42Great days though. Great days.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54'This is a very stately spot to set up my kitchen.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57'So it's fitting I'm going to make a feast for Simon
0:34:57 > 0:35:02'to round off our day together, inspired by his mum's roast chicken.'
0:35:02 > 0:35:04But Simon also said that he loved
0:35:04 > 0:35:07ham and parsley sauce and new potatoes.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10So I'm going to make the parsley sauce, I've got the new potatoes,
0:35:10 > 0:35:14I'm just going to use the chicken instead of the ham.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17'First, I'm going to mix some butter and parsley
0:35:17 > 0:35:20'to put under the skin of the chicken breast.'
0:35:20 > 0:35:24It starts to make a lovely flavour, that nice bit of colour.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28Right, so, having got that, I've got a big pot over here
0:35:28 > 0:35:32and I'm going to put some chicken stock into the pot.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35You need plenty of it, put a bit of water in if you like.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Lovely. And then we just put the chicken straight in.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53'To make my chicken especially tasty,
0:35:53 > 0:35:56'I'm going to add some extra vegetables to the stock.'
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Cut them into quarters.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Just look at all that flavour going in.
0:36:02 > 0:36:04The liquor to this will be delicious.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09Lid back on.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12What you need to do now is bring it up to the boil
0:36:12 > 0:36:14and then let it simmer.
0:36:14 > 0:36:16It'll take an hour, an hour and 15 minutes,
0:36:16 > 0:36:19you don't want to overcook the chicken, but you want to make sure
0:36:19 > 0:36:21that when the juices run, they're nice and clear.
0:36:24 > 0:36:28'Simon's bumped into an old school friend, Susan.'
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- It's lovely to see you. - How are you, darling?
0:36:31 > 0:36:32Oh, it's so nice to see you!
0:36:32 > 0:36:36The last time I saw you, I think it was in the Nelson Inn.
0:36:36 > 0:36:38- Cor blimey, really? - It's a long time ago.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41- It is a long time ago. - So I can't have changed much, can I?
0:36:41 > 0:36:42No, obviously.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46The years just peeled back as soon as I saw you, that's what it was.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49Anyway, lovely to see you. I know you're filming, so I'm going to go.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52- All right, see you later. - Bye.- Take care, Sue. Bye.
0:36:52 > 0:36:55We went to school together, we went to junior school together.
0:36:55 > 0:36:57We grew up in the same village together,
0:36:57 > 0:37:00I used to work on her dad's farm. Well, in the summer just hay-baling.
0:37:00 > 0:37:06Nothing too dramatic, just heavy lifting and get a few pennies
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and some food and maybe a glass of cider every now and again.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17'My tribute dish for Simon, the parsley poached chicken,
0:37:17 > 0:37:19'is bubbling away nicely.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21'But I've still got the veg to cook.'
0:37:21 > 0:37:25What I'm going to do, I've got some more muslin cloth here
0:37:25 > 0:37:28and I'm just going to wrap them up
0:37:28 > 0:37:31so that I can drop them in the liquor and cook them in the same liquor,
0:37:31 > 0:37:35so we lose no flavour, all the flavour goes into the stock.
0:37:37 > 0:37:38So, just...
0:37:38 > 0:37:40Or a J Cloth, a tea towel will do.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Just a nice, clean cloth.
0:37:45 > 0:37:49'This is a perfect way to cook all different types of vegetables.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52'As well as keeping all their flavour in the dish,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54'it saves on the washing-up.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59'Now the chicken is ready to get out of its poaching liquor.'
0:37:59 > 0:38:02And just keep that somewhere warm.
0:38:02 > 0:38:04Not cold, not hot.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07Now, the vegetables are going to go into this wonderful liquor
0:38:07 > 0:38:10that's poached the chicken and it's got all the vegetables in there
0:38:10 > 0:38:14which are overcooked now, but they've got all the flavour there.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15So we put the carrots in.
0:38:16 > 0:38:19The beauty of this system is it keeps its colour,
0:38:19 > 0:38:22but it also makes it easier to take them out
0:38:22 > 0:38:24and if they cook in a different time,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27ie, the potatoes take longer than the carrots,
0:38:27 > 0:38:29we just leave them in a bit longer.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Put the lid on. It takes about 15 minutes.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36Check them after 10, 15 minutes, I'm sure they'll be ready.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51I was very, very happy as a child.
0:38:51 > 0:38:53And I had a wonderful, wonderful time.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55This just happened to be a part of my playground.
0:38:55 > 0:38:58It makes me feel very proud that it's in Wales
0:38:58 > 0:38:59and it's in my home area.
0:38:59 > 0:39:04You know, yeah, nostalgia and a certain amount of pride
0:39:04 > 0:39:06and reverence as well.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09Very lucky.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18It's all that that childhood encompasses,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20that's what that tells me.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23I mean, the house is just symbolic of a time.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26My parents, my grandparents, we didn't have much.
0:39:26 > 0:39:30But we had huge amounts of love, there was so much love to share.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33We never went to bed feeling insecure,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36we never went to bed with fear or terror,
0:39:36 > 0:39:40we always went to bed knowing that our parents, our grandparents,
0:39:40 > 0:39:42would take care of any issue or problem we had.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46What a wonderful place.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50It makes me smile to think that I'm still allowed back.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01'I'm making Simon a tribute feast to round off our day together.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04'I've stuffed a chicken with parsley butter
0:40:04 > 0:40:07'and poached it in a stock that's packed full of flavour.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11'I'm also cooking vegetables in their own muslin parcels.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16'The chicken is now resting and the vegetables are done to a turn.'
0:40:17 > 0:40:20- Aye-aye!- Wotcha, mate, are you all right?- Yeah, I'm good.
0:40:20 > 0:40:23I'm glad you've got here now. I just want to tell you what I've done.
0:40:23 > 0:40:25Let me take these out.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28I've done a poached chicken for you because I know you like chicken.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- I do.- I'm going to make parsley sauce.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33- I've never had parsley sauce and chicken before.- That's good.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- But parsley sauce and ham, you used to love.- I do, I still do.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39- Good man.- I still do. - How was the trip round there?
0:40:39 > 0:40:43Fantastic, it was sort of a trip down Felony Lane, really.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Looking at where we used to go scrumping apples.
0:40:46 > 0:40:49We weren't supposed be in the garden.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52- So, as eight-year-olds, it was fun. - They haven't given you a bill
0:40:52 > 0:40:54- for the apples?- No, I don't think they've caught up with me yet.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56I don't know whether any of the family are around.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59We'll try and get a move on with this here.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02'The parsley sauce is simply a ladleful of stock
0:41:02 > 0:41:04'reduced with some double cream
0:41:04 > 0:41:06'and then a knob of butter
0:41:06 > 0:41:09'and a handful of chopped parsley whisked in.'
0:41:09 > 0:41:14I've let this sit for five minutes so that I don't actually burn myself.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16So, there you've got a nice leg.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Drumstick and thigh.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21There we go. So, thigh goes on there.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24It's a nice bird, is this.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Nice thighs.
0:41:28 > 0:41:30Look at that, see how that parsley has just coloured it
0:41:30 > 0:41:32and flavoured it. It'll be lovely.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35We had butter in there, so it just moistens it up.
0:41:35 > 0:41:36Then we put the vegetables on.
0:41:36 > 0:41:38Just look at that.
0:41:39 > 0:41:40Just one finishing bit.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42That's your parsley sauce.
0:41:44 > 0:41:45Right, here we go.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Simon Weston...
0:41:55 > 0:41:57- Oh, wow!- ..that's your life.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00My life on a plate.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02Fair play. My Lord!
0:42:02 > 0:42:04What's everybody else having?
0:42:04 > 0:42:05Good question.
0:42:07 > 0:42:11'My tribute dish for Simon is poached chicken.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14'Inspired by his mum's roast chicken, served with vegetables
0:42:14 > 0:42:16'I've cooked in the poaching liquor
0:42:16 > 0:42:19'and that all-important parsley sauce.'
0:42:20 > 0:42:23- There you go, sir.- Marvellous. - Attack that.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35- It's fabulous.- Oh, good lad.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37It's fabulous, it's so rich, it's lovely.
0:42:42 > 0:42:47It's the parsley for me is the key ingredient to just sort of...
0:42:47 > 0:42:49- It's of that time. - Bring it alive.- Yeah.
0:42:49 > 0:42:53As I've said before, I had such a happy childhood.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56And I suppose anything that brings back memories of being happy
0:42:56 > 0:42:59- is always going to taste that much better.- Absolutely right.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02- It's always going to taste that much better.- Finish that off.- Yeah.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05Mm! It's fantastic.
0:43:06 > 0:43:08It really is. Absolutely.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13It's been wonderful.