0:00:02 > 0:00:05When you stand still for a while and watch everyone scurrying about,
0:00:05 > 0:00:09you get a great sense of the richness of modern Britain.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12But I'm naturally nosy too
0:00:12 > 0:00:16and always intrigued to find out more about people's lives.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21There's no better way to do that than getting an invite to lunch.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23'So that's exactly what I'm doing.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:24Salut!
0:00:24 > 0:00:27'I'm going on a delicious tour
0:00:27 > 0:00:31'to meet the rich tapestry of people who make this country home,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'and find out more about their culture through their food.'
0:00:34 > 0:00:36So beautiful!
0:00:36 > 0:00:39'I want to find out what my favourite British dishes
0:00:39 > 0:00:42'have in common with their foreign cousins.'
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Fabulous smell.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48'For the people I meet, good food is not just about eating well...
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'it can connect them to their roots.'
0:00:50 > 0:00:52So, it's like a classic Iranian sarnie, really.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Well, it beats cheese and chutney!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57'Food certainly has that effect on me
0:00:57 > 0:00:59'wherever I am in the world.'
0:00:59 > 0:01:02You know, one mouthful of something familiar...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04and you're suddenly back home.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08'I want to share some of my favourite dishes
0:01:08 > 0:01:09'with the people I meet,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12'to celebrate with them what makes them different,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15'but also what brings us together.'
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Yellow heaven.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Whether an elegant creme brulee, a dollop on a crumble,
0:01:26 > 0:01:28or a slab of custard pie...
0:01:28 > 0:01:31You know, I've always known that custard
0:01:31 > 0:01:33can never be taken too seriously.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36It's yellow and it's wobbly and it's fun.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41But I also know that, for me, it's about nostalgia.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45Those three ingredients - sugar, eggs and milk -
0:01:45 > 0:01:47always seem to take me back to my childhood.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52And I suspect they do for everyone else.
0:01:55 > 0:01:58I'm going to meet three devoted home cooks who will show me
0:01:58 > 0:02:01their recipes that stir sweet memories.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05But before I go anywhere, the dish that started it all for me
0:02:05 > 0:02:07is Dad's Christmas trifle.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12The great thing about this is it all comes from a packet,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14so I can whip it up in an instant.
0:02:16 > 0:02:17There's so many ways to make a trifle.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22But my dad's way was to use shop-bought Swiss roll.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24He was absolutely specific,
0:02:24 > 0:02:26almost pedantic, about the way he made trifle.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30He'd squash it down...
0:02:30 > 0:02:31Can't have gaps(!)
0:02:31 > 0:02:34..and then he used to make a huge deal
0:02:34 > 0:02:35of putting the sherry on.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37And it had to be sweet sherry.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38I'd rather use Marsala now.
0:02:38 > 0:02:46So each bit of sponge got well and truly soaked.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Maybe a bit more. Just a drop.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51Sometimes it's very grown up,
0:02:51 > 0:02:53and other times it's got jelly in it,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55and it's frivolous, and it's fun, even silly.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57This is getting jelly.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Straight from the packet, of course.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02Who doesn't want an easy life?
0:03:05 > 0:03:10What I want is sort of an inner layer of jelly.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14And then into the fridge to set.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20I sometimes think the whole point of making a trifle
0:03:20 > 0:03:21is for the layer of custard.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Of course, there is a time and place for custard from scratch.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Dad's trifle isn't it.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31And because he used powdered, so am I.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33My father was so fussy about the lumps.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35He had to get them all out.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Pour in some hot milk.
0:03:38 > 0:03:40Now, crucially, the pan has to be clean
0:03:40 > 0:03:42before the custard goes back in.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44This stops the custard from sticking.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47As a kid, I used to love doing this.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49It was like magic.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52One minute, the custard was all thin and watery,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55and the next minute, it was all thick and silky.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58It's going!
0:03:58 > 0:04:00It's like being nine again.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03But it wasn't just custard that went on our trifle.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05It was banana custard.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Is there any recipe in the world that is more soothing
0:04:10 > 0:04:12than a bowl of banana custard?
0:04:13 > 0:04:18Let the custard cool, then dollop a generous layer onto the jelly.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25Now whisk whipping cream until it's light and frothy.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29The layers must be thick. It's all about generosity.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Frivolity.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33Now the decoration.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35I'm toasting these almonds,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38partly because I want them to be crisp.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41You've got layers and layers and layers of softness,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and you just need that little bit of crunch.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47I'm sorry, but there has to be cherries.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Angelica too.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54Angelica's just the crystallised stem of the Angelica plant.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59And one of our family rules was no silver balls.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03But hey, everyone has their own traditions.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Layer after layer of joy.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Sponge, sherry, cream and fruit...
0:05:10 > 0:05:12lots of nuts, cherries and angelica...
0:05:12 > 0:05:14and best of all...
0:05:14 > 0:05:16a thick layer of custard.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21Trifle says old classic Britain to me -
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Boxing Day buffets and big family gatherings...
0:05:26 > 0:05:29So what delights will I discover in modern Britain
0:05:29 > 0:05:32that bring out the child in other people?
0:05:37 > 0:05:40I don't know very much about Iraqi food,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43but its ancient and aromatic flavours
0:05:43 > 0:05:46are what take Linda back to her childhood in Baghdad.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50- Welcome, welcome. Nice to see you. - Thank you very much.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53You know, for people like us, who moved from one country to another,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56and especially... I came to England when I was quite young...
0:05:56 > 0:05:59I remember my father wanted us to integrate,
0:05:59 > 0:06:02so he said, "No more Arabic", after about six months.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05So, I still speak it and can write it a bit,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07but I've lost most of it,
0:06:07 > 0:06:11and so what remains is taste.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13It's another language.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17I love new flavours, I love eating things I've never eaten before,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20but there is that moment when it reminds you
0:06:20 > 0:06:24- of something from your past, from another time.- Sure.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28The Baghdad of Linda's childhood was a happy place,
0:06:28 > 0:06:34with picnics on the banks of the Tigris and family celebrations.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37This is me and my brother...
0:06:37 > 0:06:41and that is the Tigris river.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Linda's great-grandfather was the Chief Rabbi of Iraq,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48but it's not just her past she's clinging to,
0:06:48 > 0:06:51it's the heritage of her entire culture.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54We are Babylonian Jews.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57We are Iraqi...
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- but Babylonian Jews.- OK.
0:06:59 > 0:07:05Up to the '40s, a third of Baghdad was Jewish.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- We were a very, very big community. - Yeah.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13In 1958, everything changed.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15There was a revolution, and minorities were targeted,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18and rising anti-Semitism made it dangerous
0:07:18 > 0:07:21for Jewish communities to stay in Baghdad.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25Most families left, and today, almost no Babylonian Jews remain.
0:07:25 > 0:07:30It's very, very sad to know that my mother country
0:07:30 > 0:07:32does not want me any more.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35It's very hard - it's like being an orphan, almost.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38And that really is how I felt for a very long time.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- It was a real pain.- No, of course.
0:07:41 > 0:07:45So when we cook and when I do this, it's like...
0:07:45 > 0:07:47It's joy, it's joy.
0:07:47 > 0:07:52It's like making a little world again, you know?
0:07:52 > 0:07:54We're a big family,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58and whenever we have festivities, we always cook quite a lot.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03So the taste continues from one generation to the next.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07'Linda has a huge repertoire of traditional dishes,
0:08:07 > 0:08:09'and of all her recipes,
0:08:09 > 0:08:13'the one I really want to make is a custard called muhallebi.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18'Rather than whole milk and eggs,
0:08:18 > 0:08:22'Linda makes a light version with almond milk and cornflour.'
0:08:23 > 0:08:27You have to make sure that all the lumps have been crushed out.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31'It's already reminding me of my dad's custard.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34'But as well as vanilla,
0:08:34 > 0:08:36'she adds fragrant Middle Eastern flavours -
0:08:36 > 0:08:38'rose-water and cardamom.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'Just like my custard, this is really simple,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48'and this heavenly mix of milk and spices
0:08:48 > 0:08:50'takes Linda straight back to being a kid.'
0:08:50 > 0:08:55We used to go to my maternal grandmother every Saturday.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58She was the best cook ever.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02This was the first time I saw this pudding being made,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05and it was so lovely, because the aromas,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09especially of the cardamom and the rose-water...
0:09:09 > 0:09:10It was wonderful.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14And that was my first encounter of muhallebi.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16Off you go.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21- And this will set in about three hours.- Really?
0:09:21 > 0:09:22You can cut it like a cake.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26'On top of that fragrant rose-water custard
0:09:26 > 0:09:31'goes a layer of ground almonds, pistachios and some more cardamom.'
0:09:31 > 0:09:34You know, Linda, I know that this has to set...
0:09:34 > 0:09:36- Yes.- ..but I am nothing if not impatient...
0:09:36 > 0:09:40- Could...? Oh, bless you. Do you mind?- No.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51- It's so soothing.- Yeah.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53It's quite blissful.
0:09:53 > 0:09:54Blissful.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58'As well as muhallebi,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01'Linda has made a feast of other Iraqi flavours she treasures.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04'She's given me some new ideas,
0:10:04 > 0:10:07'but to her, it's about keeping old recipes alive
0:10:07 > 0:10:09'for the next generation...'
0:10:09 > 0:10:11- Nigel, this is Daniel.- Hi there. - Hi, Nigel.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14'..like her cousin Daniel, who's come to join us.'
0:10:14 > 0:10:15Thank you.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Better cold or hot?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21- Oh, cold.- Yeah.- Oh, really? - This is so lovely.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22And unexpected.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24You know, I thought I knew
0:10:24 > 0:10:28every possible custard dessert there was...
0:10:28 > 0:10:29and I didn't.
0:10:31 > 0:10:35Just as my trifle transports me back to childhood,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Linda's muhallebi does the same for her.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44I may well have grown up with the powdered stuff,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47but once I tasted custard made from scratch,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50I discovered what a truly magical dish it is...
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Simple ingredients with show stopping qualities...
0:10:53 > 0:10:55The classic French iles flottantes,
0:10:55 > 0:10:57or "floating islands",
0:10:57 > 0:11:00is custard at its sophisticated best.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05Take four egg yolks and one whole egg.
0:11:05 > 0:11:06Add sugar, and whisk.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Infuse vanilla seeds in a pan of warm milk.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18Pour into the egg mix, and return to the pan to thicken.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20Then leave to cool.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Now the meringue islands...
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Whisk the leftover whites
0:11:26 > 0:11:30and slowly add the sugar until they form stiff peaks.
0:11:30 > 0:11:34Take a large spoonful and poach in warm milk for eight minutes,
0:11:34 > 0:11:36flipping it over halfway through.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Remove the meringue from the milk,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43and float on top of the luxurious vanilla custard.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46A few toasted almonds
0:11:46 > 0:11:48and a simple caramel made from sugar and water
0:11:48 > 0:11:52give these few eggs and milk a delightful finish.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Voila. Iles flottantes.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00'It isn't just me that's custard crazy,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04'walk down any high street and you find bakers and patisseries
0:12:04 > 0:12:07'selling vast arrays of custard pastries.'
0:12:07 > 0:12:09Little passion-fruit curd tarts!
0:12:09 > 0:12:11Over the last few years,
0:12:11 > 0:12:16Britain has begun a love affair with Portuguese custard tarts.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20And I've found just the person to show me how to make them.
0:12:20 > 0:12:21Bruno grew up in Portugal
0:12:21 > 0:12:24and then came to Britain ten years ago.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27- Pleased to meet you, come in. - Nice to meet you, too.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30'After working shifts in factories,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34'his childhood infatuation with baking turned his fortunes,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36'and he opened a bakery in Wales.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:39So, what have you got in your bag?
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Right, so we've got lemons, cinnamon. You know?
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- Oh, you've brought your little tart cases!- I did.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- I bring them from Portugal actually. - Oh, beautiful.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51I don't know if you can buy them over here.
0:12:51 > 0:12:55- No, you can buy something very similar, but not quite.- Right.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58That's the marge we will use to do our pastry.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00- Margarine?- Yeah.
0:13:00 > 0:13:01OK.
0:13:01 > 0:13:04- It's a stranger to my kitchen. - BRUNO CHUCKLES
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Pastel de natas is a puff pastry case filled with custard,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12baked quickly until the custard turns golden brown.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- So...- So, where do we start?
0:13:16 > 0:13:20I will need a pan, please, for you to do me the sugar mix.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23- So, sugar mix is for what? - That's in our custard, yeah?
0:13:23 > 0:13:27But we're going to make it separate. As a separate mix.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Yeah. You're being a bit mysterious, I quite like this.
0:13:30 > 0:13:34'Bruno sticks to the old traditional method of making the custard.'
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Don't do anything without me! I don't want to miss anything!
0:13:38 > 0:13:40'He makes sugar syrup first, infusing it
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'with the subtle flavours of lemon and cinnamon
0:13:43 > 0:13:47'which will give the custard that distinctly Portuguese touch.'
0:13:47 > 0:13:49I used to watch,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52when I was in school, a baker.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56It was interesting. I always watch him, how he was doing.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59A lot of people now, they just use this syrup,
0:13:59 > 0:14:00they actually don't make it.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03They just do everything together with the milk, cinnamon, lemon.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06OK, throw it in, all-in-one. The all-in-one method.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09And people love my ones. Hopefully, you will like them, as well.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10I'm sure I will.
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Smell that lemon and cinnamon.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15It's beautiful, isn't it?
0:14:15 > 0:14:17'That flaky puff pastry is the other thing
0:14:17 > 0:14:21'that makes pastel de natas so unique. Bruno makes his own.'
0:14:21 > 0:14:22That's all. And then...
0:14:22 > 0:14:25My mum used to put a bit of salt in her pastry.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28- It gives a bit of the crust on the outside.- Yep.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Ah, that's looking really nice now, isn't it?
0:14:33 > 0:14:35- We've got to stop.- OK.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37'Puff pastry is a labour of love.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40'A slab of butter on the rolled out dough is folded in,
0:14:40 > 0:14:42'and then it takes a lot of rolling.'
0:14:42 > 0:14:46- Do you trust me to have a go? - Yeah, of course you can have a go.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48Oh, this is coming back to me!
0:14:48 > 0:14:51You know, I've got my cookery teacher over my shoulder now!
0:14:51 > 0:14:53I can feel her, she's come back to haunt me.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56'Bruno speaks the language of baking fluently
0:14:56 > 0:14:59'and it's proved to be his lifeline since he moved to the UK.'
0:14:59 > 0:15:03I couldn't speak any English when I came from Portugal.
0:15:03 > 0:15:04That's a brave thing to do,
0:15:04 > 0:15:07to suddenly turn up somewhere where you can't speak the language!
0:15:07 > 0:15:09How did you get into this?
0:15:09 > 0:15:10How did Portuguese tarts come in?
0:15:10 > 0:15:13It was a bit difficult to me in the beginning
0:15:13 > 0:15:17for people to accept, obviously, I was not British,
0:15:17 > 0:15:22So, I had to fight my corner because I was from different country.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25So, I start to make them and advertise them, you know,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28in shops, telling people, and then people start to come.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32- So, word of mouth, everybody passed it on?- Exactly.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35'Now for Bruno's thick custard.'
0:15:35 > 0:15:37- It's coming.- Here it comes!
0:15:37 > 0:15:40- It's like a volcano when it explodes!- Exactly!
0:15:40 > 0:15:44'Hot milk goes into a mix of flour and cornflour,
0:15:44 > 0:15:49'and then in goes the comforting lemon and cinnamon sugar syrup,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52'but the real richness comes from the eggs.'
0:15:52 > 0:15:56- If you could separate 15 egg yolks, we will need...- 15 egg yolks?!- 15.
0:15:56 > 0:16:01I'm just thinking of the hundreds of thousands
0:16:01 > 0:16:04- of custard tarts sold in Portugal. - Yeah.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06What do they do with all the whites?
0:16:06 > 0:16:09Well, you can use the whites to do all sorts of different cakes,
0:16:09 > 0:16:11so they don't waste.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13- Beautiful colour!- Yeah.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15Amazing gold!
0:16:15 > 0:16:18'This type of custard is serious business in Portugal.'
0:16:18 > 0:16:21I've just actually been in Portugal now,
0:16:21 > 0:16:23and my aunt and my mother, they was fighting with me.
0:16:23 > 0:16:25"Oh, you think yours is better?
0:16:25 > 0:16:27"You've got to come to my house and try my ones!" You know?
0:16:27 > 0:16:31- So, we all are like fighting there! - The custard tart wars!
0:16:31 > 0:16:35'While that gorgeous custard cools,
0:16:35 > 0:16:39'Bruno shows me his secret to the perfect flaky tart cases.'
0:16:39 > 0:16:43- And then roll your dough and you can see.- And there's all the layers...
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- All the layers there.- ..round and round and round in there.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48So now, we use two thumbs,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50press the centre.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53And push outwards.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54And push outwards.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58I like doing this.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02'You almost need an inferno to cook these to perfection.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04'Whack up the oven as hot as it will go
0:17:04 > 0:17:08'so you get that signature dark, sweet glaze.'
0:17:08 > 0:17:10I'm getting really excited.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13This is going to be the longest 15 minutes of my life.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16Yeah, it's probably going to take a bit longer.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- The longest 20 minutes of my life.- Before it's done.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20There you go.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Then we have our Portuguese custard tarts.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26If you want me to get just the spraying water?
0:17:26 > 0:17:28I wasn't sure what you were going to do with this.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30'And a finishing flourish!'
0:17:30 > 0:17:33- Oh, beautiful!- Gives a bit of a shine to the colour, you see?
0:17:33 > 0:17:36And done. I can't wait for this.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40It's heaven.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Very, very nice.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46You know, I've never ever had one so freshly baked.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49- Well, you have it now. - It is just sensational.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Bruno's tarts say everything about his perseverance
0:17:53 > 0:17:56to make a success of his life in Britain.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00He's baked his way into the hearts of his Welsh neighbours,
0:18:00 > 0:18:01and into mine.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04I'm a very, very, very happy man.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12Custard has a habit of putting a smile on your face.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14I'm on a hunt for some exotic inspiration
0:18:14 > 0:18:18to take me as far from banana custard as I can go.
0:18:18 > 0:18:21'Helen was born in Malaysia to Chinese parents.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24'The custard she dreams about is bold...'
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Wonderful smell when you walk in!
0:18:26 > 0:18:29'..and needs some very intriguing ingredients.'
0:18:29 > 0:18:30Here's the butterfly pea flowers
0:18:30 > 0:18:34- that we're going to be using for the cake.- So, this is charming.
0:18:34 > 0:18:38It grows in Asia, prolifically, along sort of back fences,
0:18:38 > 0:18:41and it's only become recently available,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43that I've seen it, in dried form.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46I was very encouraged to make this dish as soon as I saw that.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49I love it when I find ingredients I genuinely have never seen before.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51What else do we need?
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- We need pandan leaves. - Oh, I've seen those.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Yeah, it's known as the vanilla of the East.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58We need some more banana leaves,
0:18:58 > 0:19:00I line the cake pan with the banana leaves.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03It's almost 40 years since Helen lived in Malaysia,
0:19:03 > 0:19:07and even though 30 of those were spent in Australia,
0:19:07 > 0:19:11the food she turns to most is that of her childhood.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15I want to find out why Malaysian food is so special to her.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- Let's go and make magic.- Yes!
0:19:17 > 0:19:21'Her idea of custard heaven is not yellow...
0:19:21 > 0:19:22'but green.'
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Tell me about this dish that we're doing today.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28There are two parts to the dish. The custard part is called kaya.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32In Malay, in means "rich" so it's essentially a rich custard spread
0:19:32 > 0:19:35- that's spread on cake, eaten by the spoonful, out of the jar.- Yup.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39My memory of it is with sweet rice cakes.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43'Helen's blue flowers aren't here for flavour.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45'She's going to use them to colour the rice.'
0:19:45 > 0:19:49The first thing to do is to extract the colour out of it, or infuse it.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52So, ideally, you'd put it over low heat.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- Oh, that's such... Gosh, that's really inky!- Yes, isn't it?
0:19:56 > 0:19:59Well, I love it, but of course, blue is always associated with poison.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02And maybe also the idea that it could be poison,
0:20:02 > 0:20:06there's a slight danger which heightens the sense of enjoyment.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10'The blue pea flower stirs many memories for Helen.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12'As a child she was fostered for a time,
0:20:12 > 0:20:17'and though it resulted in two loving families, it wasn't easy.'
0:20:18 > 0:20:20The year I was born was considered very unlucky
0:20:20 > 0:20:23in the Chinese astrological calendar.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25And my mother was quite superstitious,
0:20:25 > 0:20:27she sought consult with the temple priests
0:20:27 > 0:20:31and was told that to avert sort of disaster and bad omens
0:20:31 > 0:20:33that was going to befall on the family
0:20:33 > 0:20:35that she would have to sort of send me away
0:20:35 > 0:20:37for some unspecified period of time.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40There was a time that it was difficult for me,
0:20:40 > 0:20:44but I think, over the years, I've come to see how fortunate I've been
0:20:44 > 0:20:46to have belonged to two wonderful families.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51My biological family and my foster family with seven siblings...
0:20:51 > 0:20:54- Wow, OK.- ..and who I still keep in touch with.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57'Helen's foster family was very poor,
0:20:57 > 0:21:02'and this rice and custard dish was a way of making something special
0:21:02 > 0:21:06'and comforting from very basic ingredients.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09'It was made with love, and that has clearly stuck with Helen.'
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- It strikes a deep emotional chord. - Absolutely. Food does this.
0:21:13 > 0:21:17Food, I think, gets to some people's emotions more than others.
0:21:17 > 0:21:20It certainly does with me. It just does that,
0:21:20 > 0:21:22- almost more than anything else. - Yes.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24'Just as her foster mother did,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27'Helen binds the rice cakes with coconut milk,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31'then the blue and the white rice are steamed separately.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34'Now for the pandan leaves,
0:21:34 > 0:21:38'the juice will be the vibrant showstopper in Helen's custard.'
0:21:41 > 0:21:42What a crazy colour!
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- I know, it's just like bright green! - Amazing green!
0:21:45 > 0:21:48'She adds coconut milk and warms the mixture through.'
0:21:48 > 0:21:51- So, almost to a boil. - Almost to a boil.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53- Exactly as I would, if I was making custard.- Yes, exactly.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57'And then it's whisked it into the very familiar eggs and sugar.'
0:21:57 > 0:21:59- Oh, this is great!- Stir it in.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Oh, heavens!
0:22:04 > 0:22:06What does that remind you of? What's that reaction?
0:22:06 > 0:22:10- It's just so fresh and green. - Yeah.- It's very grassy.- It is, yes.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12That is just so, so good.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Cooking is not always just about getting something on the table
0:22:15 > 0:22:17at the end of the day. You know, it's about the joy of it,
0:22:17 > 0:22:21sometimes the silliness of it - green custard.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22'While the custard cools,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25'the rice is now steamed and needs fluffing
0:22:25 > 0:22:28before we assemble it into a cake tin.'
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- You know what I'm smelling?- Hm? - I'm smelling home..
0:22:31 > 0:22:34- I'm smelling...- Really? - ..walking in after school...- Really?
0:22:34 > 0:22:37..in my blazer and smelling that there's a rice pudding in the oven.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39For me, it's love.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Comfort and love. You know?
0:22:42 > 0:22:44- SHE CHUCKLES - It's love for me, too.- Yeah.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47I'm just thinking this is the sort of thing
0:22:47 > 0:22:50- that would be huge fun to do with the kids.- Yes, yes.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54Well, in fact this pod here, my son regularly stands here,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57and watches me cook and occasionally, if he's getting restless,
0:22:57 > 0:22:58I'll get him stirring something.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00So, I do hope one day he'll say,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02"Oh, yes, I learned to cook at my mother's side."
0:23:02 > 0:23:06- You only pick up good things from cooking with your mum.- Yeah.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09OK, shall we cut up the rice?
0:23:09 > 0:23:12This colouring, we're not talking about some chemical,
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- we're talking about flowers! - Flowers, yes!
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- Shall I get the custard out? - Yes, please!
0:23:18 > 0:23:20'If my custard is liquid gold,
0:23:20 > 0:23:23'then this...is pureed childhood.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26'What's not to like about a blue and white coconut rice cake
0:23:26 > 0:23:30'with a dollop of sweet emerald custard?
0:23:30 > 0:23:31'Perfect for all ages!
0:23:31 > 0:23:34'Even big kids like me!'
0:23:34 > 0:23:35It's as I remember.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39This is bliss.
0:23:39 > 0:23:43This is utterly, utterly enchanting.
0:23:43 > 0:23:44Because it's fun and it's different,
0:23:44 > 0:23:46and it's taken me way out of my comfort zone.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49You think it's going to taste something utterly sort of foreign,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52and yet, it's actually not foreign at all in the taste.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56- It's home and abroad. Can I have a bit more?- Of course, yeah!
0:23:56 > 0:24:00'And now, Helen's childhood food is being shared with her friends
0:24:00 > 0:24:03'and with her son, passed to the next generation.'
0:24:03 > 0:24:06KIDS CHATTER
0:24:08 > 0:24:10I'm full of mango!
0:24:10 > 0:24:12ALL LAUGH
0:24:12 > 0:24:15You know, inspiration comes from all sorts of places.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21It started off in a point of absolute safety.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23You know where you are with banana custard.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26And then, the idea of the rose water coming in and the almond milk.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29And now with this, all these exciting flavours
0:24:29 > 0:24:32that I didn't know, ingredients that I've never seen before.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35I want to do something completely new and different
0:24:35 > 0:24:38and I don't know where it's going to fall.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40Either in a place of safety and comfort, or whether
0:24:40 > 0:24:42it's going to be an absolute adventure.
0:24:42 > 0:24:44CHATTERING
0:24:46 > 0:24:49LAUGHTER
0:24:49 > 0:24:50From green kaya,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52fragrant mahallebi,
0:24:52 > 0:24:54to pastel de nata,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57custard captures your taste buds as a kid,
0:24:57 > 0:25:00wherever you grow up, and you never forget.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03I want to combine the comfort of home
0:25:03 > 0:25:05with the contrast of something a bit more exotic
0:25:05 > 0:25:09and profiteroles will make the perfect shell
0:25:09 > 0:25:10for my custard to sit in.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14First of all, I need to make choux pastry.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17250ml of water, some butter,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20I'm just going to put in a pinch of salt.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22150g of plain flour.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26My recipe for choux pastry makes the lightest,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28airiest and crisp buns,
0:25:28 > 0:25:31which should rise dramatically in the oven.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37Now, I'm very fond of making these and they usually work.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Pour the egg in a little bit at a time.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47Just basically keep going, until the mixture actually shines.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50A little patience is required.
0:25:54 > 0:25:59Choux buns of any shape or size are a real treat,
0:25:59 > 0:26:01but the real treasure lies inside.
0:26:02 > 0:26:05And it can be cream or it can be chocolate
0:26:05 > 0:26:07but with me, it's custard.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10I'm going to give those about 25 minutes.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13And now to make the filling. My cheats' custard.
0:26:13 > 0:26:17This is a great recipe for people who love custard,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20but are scared to make it in case it goes wrong.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22It's easy to make and it won't curdle.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Whisk four egg yolks,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28four tablespoons of sugar and vanilla seeds.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30Smells like custard already.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35I loved it when Helen took a basic custard
0:26:35 > 0:26:38and flavoured it with something unusual.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I'm using Marsala, a fortified wine
0:26:41 > 0:26:43that will give my custard a real kick.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Now, what I'm after is a really thick custard,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49one that I can use for stuffing those cream buns,
0:26:49 > 0:26:51and for that, I'm using mascarpone.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Tastes just like a wonderfully complex custard filling
0:27:01 > 0:27:02but somehow even better.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04The choux buns, meanwhile,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06have risen beautifully.
0:27:10 > 0:27:14I'm going to split them and get a spoonful of custard
0:27:14 > 0:27:15and just drop it...
0:27:17 > 0:27:18..into the bun.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23No profiterole can be complete without a trickle of chocolate.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27I'm melting both dark..and white.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33This is ridiculous. Absolute ridiculous good fun.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36So I've got the crisp case
0:27:36 > 0:27:40and the soft filling from Bruno.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43I've got this flavoured custard which is an idea I got from Helen.
0:27:43 > 0:27:48Then that just heavenly mixture
0:27:48 > 0:27:51of pistachio and rose that I picked up from Linda.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55And to go with these crystallised rose petals,
0:27:55 > 0:28:01another touch of the English countryside, crystallised violets.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Just a few here and there.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07My profiteroles have been influenced by custard recipes
0:28:07 > 0:28:09from all over the world,
0:28:09 > 0:28:14all so different, yet reassuringly familiar.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18And I want to share them with the people who have inspired me,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22so, I've invited Bruno, Linda, Helen and their families
0:28:22 > 0:28:25to join me for a feast to say thank you.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Cooking up a dash of my style with a pinch of theirs, too.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- It that delicious?- It is.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34A celebration of modern Britain.