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When you stand still for a while and watch everyone scurrying about, | 0:00:02 | 0:00:05 | |
you get a great sense of the richness of modern Britain. | 0:00:05 | 0:00:09 | |
But I'm naturally nosy too | 0:00:09 | 0:00:12 | |
and always intrigued to find out more about people's lives. | 0:00:12 | 0:00:16 | |
There's no better way to do that than getting an invite to lunch. | 0:00:16 | 0:00:21 | |
'So that's exactly what I'm doing.' | 0:00:21 | 0:00:23 | |
Salut! | 0:00:23 | 0:00:24 | |
'I'm going on a delicious tour | 0:00:24 | 0:00:27 | |
'to meet the rich tapestry of people who make this country home, | 0:00:27 | 0:00:31 | |
'and find out more about their culture through their food.' | 0:00:31 | 0:00:34 | |
So beautiful! | 0:00:34 | 0:00:36 | |
'I want to find out what my favourite British dishes | 0:00:36 | 0:00:39 | |
'have in common with their foreign cousins.' | 0:00:39 | 0:00:42 | |
Fabulous smell. | 0:00:42 | 0:00:44 | |
'For the people I meet, good food is not just about eating well... | 0:00:44 | 0:00:48 | |
'it can connect them to their roots.' | 0:00:48 | 0:00:50 | |
So, it's like a classic Iranian sarnie, really. | 0:00:50 | 0:00:52 | |
Well, it beats cheese and chutney! | 0:00:52 | 0:00:54 | |
'Food certainly has that effect on me | 0:00:54 | 0:00:57 | |
'wherever I am in the world.' | 0:00:57 | 0:00:59 | |
You know, one mouthful of something familiar... | 0:00:59 | 0:01:02 | |
and you're suddenly back home. | 0:01:02 | 0:01:04 | |
'I want to share some of my favourite dishes | 0:01:06 | 0:01:08 | |
'with the people I meet, | 0:01:08 | 0:01:09 | |
'to celebrate with them what makes them different, | 0:01:09 | 0:01:12 | |
'but also what brings us together.' | 0:01:12 | 0:01:15 | |
Yellow heaven. | 0:01:21 | 0:01:23 | |
Whether an elegant creme brulee, a dollop on a crumble, | 0:01:23 | 0:01:26 | |
or a slab of custard pie... | 0:01:26 | 0:01:28 | |
You know, I've always known that custard | 0:01:28 | 0:01:31 | |
can never be taken too seriously. | 0:01:31 | 0:01:33 | |
It's yellow and it's wobbly and it's fun. | 0:01:33 | 0:01:36 | |
But I also know that, for me, it's about nostalgia. | 0:01:37 | 0:01:41 | |
Those three ingredients - sugar, eggs and milk - | 0:01:41 | 0:01:45 | |
always seem to take me back to my childhood. | 0:01:45 | 0:01:47 | |
And I suspect they do for everyone else. | 0:01:48 | 0:01:52 | |
I'm going to meet three devoted home cooks who will show me | 0:01:55 | 0:01:58 | |
their recipes that stir sweet memories. | 0:01:58 | 0:02:01 | |
But before I go anywhere, the dish that started it all for me | 0:02:01 | 0:02:05 | |
is Dad's Christmas trifle. | 0:02:05 | 0:02:07 | |
The great thing about this is it all comes from a packet, | 0:02:09 | 0:02:12 | |
so I can whip it up in an instant. | 0:02:12 | 0:02:14 | |
There's so many ways to make a trifle. | 0:02:16 | 0:02:17 | |
But my dad's way was to use shop-bought Swiss roll. | 0:02:17 | 0:02:22 | |
He was absolutely specific, | 0:02:22 | 0:02:24 | |
almost pedantic, about the way he made trifle. | 0:02:24 | 0:02:26 | |
He'd squash it down... | 0:02:27 | 0:02:30 | |
Can't have gaps(!) | 0:02:30 | 0:02:31 | |
..and then he used to make a huge deal | 0:02:31 | 0:02:34 | |
of putting the sherry on. | 0:02:34 | 0:02:35 | |
And it had to be sweet sherry. | 0:02:35 | 0:02:37 | |
I'd rather use Marsala now. | 0:02:37 | 0:02:38 | |
So each bit of sponge got well and truly soaked. | 0:02:38 | 0:02:46 | |
Maybe a bit more. Just a drop. | 0:02:47 | 0:02:49 | |
Sometimes it's very grown up, | 0:02:49 | 0:02:51 | |
and other times it's got jelly in it, | 0:02:51 | 0:02:53 | |
and it's frivolous, and it's fun, even silly. | 0:02:53 | 0:02:55 | |
This is getting jelly. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:57 | |
Straight from the packet, of course. | 0:02:57 | 0:03:00 | |
Who doesn't want an easy life? | 0:03:00 | 0:03:02 | |
What I want is sort of an inner layer of jelly. | 0:03:05 | 0:03:10 | |
And then into the fridge to set. | 0:03:12 | 0:03:14 | |
I sometimes think the whole point of making a trifle | 0:03:16 | 0:03:20 | |
is for the layer of custard. | 0:03:20 | 0:03:21 | |
Of course, there is a time and place for custard from scratch. | 0:03:22 | 0:03:26 | |
Dad's trifle isn't it. | 0:03:26 | 0:03:28 | |
And because he used powdered, so am I. | 0:03:28 | 0:03:31 | |
My father was so fussy about the lumps. | 0:03:31 | 0:03:33 | |
He had to get them all out. | 0:03:33 | 0:03:35 | |
Pour in some hot milk. | 0:03:35 | 0:03:37 | |
Now, crucially, the pan has to be clean | 0:03:38 | 0:03:40 | |
before the custard goes back in. | 0:03:40 | 0:03:42 | |
This stops the custard from sticking. | 0:03:42 | 0:03:44 | |
As a kid, I used to love doing this. | 0:03:44 | 0:03:47 | |
It was like magic. | 0:03:47 | 0:03:49 | |
One minute, the custard was all thin and watery, | 0:03:49 | 0:03:52 | |
and the next minute, it was all thick and silky. | 0:03:52 | 0:03:55 | |
It's going! | 0:03:56 | 0:03:58 | |
It's like being nine again. | 0:03:58 | 0:04:00 | |
But it wasn't just custard that went on our trifle. | 0:04:01 | 0:04:03 | |
It was banana custard. | 0:04:03 | 0:04:05 | |
Is there any recipe in the world that is more soothing | 0:04:06 | 0:04:10 | |
than a bowl of banana custard? | 0:04:10 | 0:04:12 | |
Let the custard cool, then dollop a generous layer onto the jelly. | 0:04:13 | 0:04:18 | |
Now whisk whipping cream until it's light and frothy. | 0:04:22 | 0:04:25 | |
The layers must be thick. It's all about generosity. | 0:04:26 | 0:04:29 | |
Frivolity. | 0:04:29 | 0:04:31 | |
Now the decoration. | 0:04:31 | 0:04:33 | |
I'm toasting these almonds, | 0:04:33 | 0:04:35 | |
partly because I want them to be crisp. | 0:04:35 | 0:04:38 | |
You've got layers and layers and layers of softness, | 0:04:38 | 0:04:41 | |
and you just need that little bit of crunch. | 0:04:41 | 0:04:44 | |
I'm sorry, but there has to be cherries. | 0:04:44 | 0:04:47 | |
Angelica too. | 0:04:47 | 0:04:49 | |
Angelica's just the crystallised stem of the Angelica plant. | 0:04:50 | 0:04:54 | |
And one of our family rules was no silver balls. | 0:04:55 | 0:04:59 | |
But hey, everyone has their own traditions. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:03 | |
Layer after layer of joy. | 0:05:03 | 0:05:06 | |
Sponge, sherry, cream and fruit... | 0:05:06 | 0:05:10 | |
lots of nuts, cherries and angelica... | 0:05:10 | 0:05:12 | |
and best of all... | 0:05:12 | 0:05:14 | |
a thick layer of custard. | 0:05:14 | 0:05:16 | |
Trifle says old classic Britain to me - | 0:05:18 | 0:05:21 | |
Boxing Day buffets and big family gatherings... | 0:05:21 | 0:05:24 | |
So what delights will I discover in modern Britain | 0:05:26 | 0:05:29 | |
that bring out the child in other people? | 0:05:29 | 0:05:32 | |
I don't know very much about Iraqi food, | 0:05:37 | 0:05:40 | |
but its ancient and aromatic flavours | 0:05:40 | 0:05:43 | |
are what take Linda back to her childhood in Baghdad. | 0:05:43 | 0:05:46 | |
-Welcome, welcome. Nice to see you. -Thank you very much. | 0:05:46 | 0:05:50 | |
You know, for people like us, who moved from one country to another, | 0:05:50 | 0:05:53 | |
and especially... I came to England when I was quite young... | 0:05:53 | 0:05:56 | |
I remember my father wanted us to integrate, | 0:05:56 | 0:05:59 | |
so he said, "No more Arabic", after about six months. | 0:05:59 | 0:06:02 | |
So, I still speak it and can write it a bit, | 0:06:02 | 0:06:05 | |
but I've lost most of it, | 0:06:05 | 0:06:07 | |
and so what remains is taste. | 0:06:07 | 0:06:11 | |
It's another language. | 0:06:11 | 0:06:13 | |
I love new flavours, I love eating things I've never eaten before, | 0:06:13 | 0:06:17 | |
but there is that moment when it reminds you | 0:06:17 | 0:06:20 | |
-of something from your past, from another time. -Sure. | 0:06:20 | 0:06:24 | |
The Baghdad of Linda's childhood was a happy place, | 0:06:24 | 0:06:28 | |
with picnics on the banks of the Tigris and family celebrations. | 0:06:28 | 0:06:34 | |
This is me and my brother... | 0:06:34 | 0:06:37 | |
and that is the Tigris river. | 0:06:37 | 0:06:41 | |
Linda's great-grandfather was the Chief Rabbi of Iraq, | 0:06:41 | 0:06:45 | |
but it's not just her past she's clinging to, | 0:06:45 | 0:06:48 | |
it's the heritage of her entire culture. | 0:06:48 | 0:06:51 | |
We are Babylonian Jews. | 0:06:52 | 0:06:54 | |
We are Iraqi... | 0:06:54 | 0:06:57 | |
-but Babylonian Jews. -OK. | 0:06:57 | 0:06:59 | |
Up to the '40s, a third of Baghdad was Jewish. | 0:06:59 | 0:07:05 | |
-We were a very, very big community. -Yeah. | 0:07:05 | 0:07:08 | |
In 1958, everything changed. | 0:07:10 | 0:07:13 | |
There was a revolution, and minorities were targeted, | 0:07:13 | 0:07:15 | |
and rising anti-Semitism made it dangerous | 0:07:15 | 0:07:18 | |
for Jewish communities to stay in Baghdad. | 0:07:18 | 0:07:21 | |
Most families left, and today, almost no Babylonian Jews remain. | 0:07:21 | 0:07:25 | |
It's very, very sad to know that my mother country | 0:07:25 | 0:07:30 | |
does not want me any more. | 0:07:30 | 0:07:32 | |
It's very hard - it's like being an orphan, almost. | 0:07:32 | 0:07:35 | |
And that really is how I felt for a very long time. | 0:07:35 | 0:07:38 | |
-It was a real pain. -No, of course. | 0:07:38 | 0:07:41 | |
So when we cook and when I do this, it's like... | 0:07:41 | 0:07:45 | |
It's joy, it's joy. | 0:07:45 | 0:07:47 | |
It's like making a little world again, you know? | 0:07:47 | 0:07:52 | |
We're a big family, | 0:07:52 | 0:07:54 | |
and whenever we have festivities, we always cook quite a lot. | 0:07:54 | 0:07:58 | |
So the taste continues from one generation to the next. | 0:07:59 | 0:08:03 | |
'Linda has a huge repertoire of traditional dishes, | 0:08:04 | 0:08:07 | |
'and of all her recipes, | 0:08:07 | 0:08:09 | |
'the one I really want to make is a custard called muhallebi. | 0:08:09 | 0:08:13 | |
'Rather than whole milk and eggs, | 0:08:16 | 0:08:18 | |
'Linda makes a light version with almond milk and cornflour.' | 0:08:18 | 0:08:22 | |
You have to make sure that all the lumps have been crushed out. | 0:08:23 | 0:08:27 | |
'It's already reminding me of my dad's custard. | 0:08:28 | 0:08:31 | |
'But as well as vanilla, | 0:08:32 | 0:08:34 | |
'she adds fragrant Middle Eastern flavours - | 0:08:34 | 0:08:36 | |
'rose-water and cardamom. | 0:08:36 | 0:08:38 | |
'Just like my custard, this is really simple, | 0:08:41 | 0:08:44 | |
'and this heavenly mix of milk and spices | 0:08:44 | 0:08:48 | |
'takes Linda straight back to being a kid.' | 0:08:48 | 0:08:50 | |
We used to go to my maternal grandmother every Saturday. | 0:08:50 | 0:08:55 | |
She was the best cook ever. | 0:08:55 | 0:08:58 | |
This was the first time I saw this pudding being made, | 0:08:58 | 0:09:02 | |
and it was so lovely, because the aromas, | 0:09:02 | 0:09:05 | |
especially of the cardamom and the rose-water... | 0:09:05 | 0:09:09 | |
It was wonderful. | 0:09:09 | 0:09:10 | |
And that was my first encounter of muhallebi. | 0:09:10 | 0:09:14 | |
Off you go. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:16 | |
-And this will set in about three hours. -Really? | 0:09:17 | 0:09:21 | |
You can cut it like a cake. | 0:09:21 | 0:09:22 | |
'On top of that fragrant rose-water custard | 0:09:24 | 0:09:26 | |
'goes a layer of ground almonds, pistachios and some more cardamom.' | 0:09:26 | 0:09:31 | |
You know, Linda, I know that this has to set... | 0:09:31 | 0:09:34 | |
-Yes. -..but I am nothing if not impatient... | 0:09:34 | 0:09:36 | |
-Could...? Oh, bless you. Do you mind? -No. | 0:09:36 | 0:09:40 | |
-It's so soothing. -Yeah. | 0:09:49 | 0:09:51 | |
It's quite blissful. | 0:09:51 | 0:09:53 | |
Blissful. | 0:09:53 | 0:09:54 | |
'As well as muhallebi, | 0:09:56 | 0:09:58 | |
'Linda has made a feast of other Iraqi flavours she treasures. | 0:09:58 | 0:10:01 | |
'She's given me some new ideas, | 0:10:01 | 0:10:04 | |
'but to her, it's about keeping old recipes alive | 0:10:04 | 0:10:07 | |
'for the next generation...' | 0:10:07 | 0:10:09 | |
-Nigel, this is Daniel. -Hi there. -Hi, Nigel. | 0:10:09 | 0:10:11 | |
'..like her cousin Daniel, who's come to join us.' | 0:10:11 | 0:10:14 | |
Thank you. | 0:10:14 | 0:10:15 | |
Better cold or hot? | 0:10:16 | 0:10:18 | |
-Oh, cold. -Yeah. -Oh, really? -This is so lovely. | 0:10:18 | 0:10:21 | |
And unexpected. | 0:10:21 | 0:10:22 | |
You know, I thought I knew | 0:10:22 | 0:10:24 | |
every possible custard dessert there was... | 0:10:24 | 0:10:28 | |
and I didn't. | 0:10:28 | 0:10:29 | |
Just as my trifle transports me back to childhood, | 0:10:31 | 0:10:35 | |
Linda's muhallebi does the same for her. | 0:10:35 | 0:10:37 | |
I may well have grown up with the powdered stuff, | 0:10:41 | 0:10:44 | |
but once I tasted custard made from scratch, | 0:10:44 | 0:10:47 | |
I discovered what a truly magical dish it is... | 0:10:47 | 0:10:50 | |
Simple ingredients with show stopping qualities... | 0:10:50 | 0:10:53 | |
The classic French iles flottantes, | 0:10:53 | 0:10:55 | |
or "floating islands", | 0:10:55 | 0:10:57 | |
is custard at its sophisticated best. | 0:10:57 | 0:11:00 | |
Take four egg yolks and one whole egg. | 0:11:02 | 0:11:05 | |
Add sugar, and whisk. | 0:11:05 | 0:11:06 | |
Infuse vanilla seeds in a pan of warm milk. | 0:11:08 | 0:11:11 | |
Pour into the egg mix, and return to the pan to thicken. | 0:11:14 | 0:11:18 | |
Then leave to cool. | 0:11:18 | 0:11:20 | |
Now the meringue islands... | 0:11:22 | 0:11:24 | |
Whisk the leftover whites | 0:11:24 | 0:11:26 | |
and slowly add the sugar until they form stiff peaks. | 0:11:26 | 0:11:30 | |
Take a large spoonful and poach in warm milk for eight minutes, | 0:11:30 | 0:11:34 | |
flipping it over halfway through. | 0:11:34 | 0:11:36 | |
Remove the meringue from the milk, | 0:11:38 | 0:11:40 | |
and float on top of the luxurious vanilla custard. | 0:11:40 | 0:11:43 | |
A few toasted almonds | 0:11:44 | 0:11:46 | |
and a simple caramel made from sugar and water | 0:11:46 | 0:11:48 | |
give these few eggs and milk a delightful finish. | 0:11:48 | 0:11:52 | |
Voila. Iles flottantes. | 0:11:52 | 0:11:55 | |
'It isn't just me that's custard crazy, | 0:11:58 | 0:12:00 | |
'walk down any high street and you find bakers and patisseries | 0:12:00 | 0:12:04 | |
'selling vast arrays of custard pastries.' | 0:12:04 | 0:12:07 | |
Little passion-fruit curd tarts! | 0:12:07 | 0:12:09 | |
Over the last few years, | 0:12:09 | 0:12:11 | |
Britain has begun a love affair with Portuguese custard tarts. | 0:12:11 | 0:12:16 | |
And I've found just the person to show me how to make them. | 0:12:16 | 0:12:20 | |
Bruno grew up in Portugal | 0:12:20 | 0:12:21 | |
and then came to Britain ten years ago. | 0:12:21 | 0:12:24 | |
-Pleased to meet you, come in. -Nice to meet you, too. | 0:12:24 | 0:12:27 | |
'After working shifts in factories, | 0:12:28 | 0:12:30 | |
'his childhood infatuation with baking turned his fortunes, | 0:12:30 | 0:12:34 | |
'and he opened a bakery in Wales.' | 0:12:34 | 0:12:36 | |
So, what have you got in your bag? | 0:12:36 | 0:12:39 | |
Right, so we've got lemons, cinnamon. You know? | 0:12:39 | 0:12:42 | |
-Oh, you've brought your little tart cases! -I did. | 0:12:42 | 0:12:45 | |
-I bring them from Portugal actually. -Oh, beautiful. | 0:12:45 | 0:12:49 | |
I don't know if you can buy them over here. | 0:12:49 | 0:12:51 | |
-No, you can buy something very similar, but not quite. -Right. | 0:12:51 | 0:12:55 | |
That's the marge we will use to do our pastry. | 0:12:55 | 0:12:58 | |
-Margarine? -Yeah. | 0:12:58 | 0:13:00 | |
OK. | 0:13:00 | 0:13:01 | |
-It's a stranger to my kitchen. -BRUNO CHUCKLES | 0:13:01 | 0:13:04 | |
Pastel de natas is a puff pastry case filled with custard, | 0:13:04 | 0:13:08 | |
baked quickly until the custard turns golden brown. | 0:13:08 | 0:13:12 | |
-So... -So, where do we start? | 0:13:14 | 0:13:16 | |
I will need a pan, please, for you to do me the sugar mix. | 0:13:16 | 0:13:20 | |
-So, sugar mix is for what? -That's in our custard, yeah? | 0:13:20 | 0:13:23 | |
But we're going to make it separate. As a separate mix. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:27 | |
Yeah. You're being a bit mysterious, I quite like this. | 0:13:27 | 0:13:30 | |
'Bruno sticks to the old traditional method of making the custard.' | 0:13:30 | 0:13:34 | |
Don't do anything without me! I don't want to miss anything! | 0:13:34 | 0:13:38 | |
'He makes sugar syrup first, infusing it | 0:13:38 | 0:13:40 | |
'with the subtle flavours of lemon and cinnamon | 0:13:40 | 0:13:43 | |
'which will give the custard that distinctly Portuguese touch.' | 0:13:43 | 0:13:47 | |
I used to watch, | 0:13:47 | 0:13:49 | |
when I was in school, a baker. | 0:13:49 | 0:13:52 | |
It was interesting. I always watch him, how he was doing. | 0:13:52 | 0:13:56 | |
A lot of people now, they just use this syrup, | 0:13:56 | 0:13:59 | |
they actually don't make it. | 0:13:59 | 0:14:00 | |
They just do everything together with the milk, cinnamon, lemon. | 0:14:00 | 0:14:03 | |
OK, throw it in, all-in-one. The all-in-one method. | 0:14:03 | 0:14:06 | |
And people love my ones. Hopefully, you will like them, as well. | 0:14:06 | 0:14:09 | |
I'm sure I will. | 0:14:09 | 0:14:10 | |
Smell that lemon and cinnamon. | 0:14:10 | 0:14:12 | |
It's beautiful, isn't it? | 0:14:12 | 0:14:15 | |
'That flaky puff pastry is the other thing | 0:14:15 | 0:14:17 | |
'that makes pastel de natas so unique. Bruno makes his own.' | 0:14:17 | 0:14:21 | |
That's all. And then... | 0:14:21 | 0:14:22 | |
My mum used to put a bit of salt in her pastry. | 0:14:22 | 0:14:25 | |
-It gives a bit of the crust on the outside. -Yep. | 0:14:25 | 0:14:28 | |
Ah, that's looking really nice now, isn't it? | 0:14:29 | 0:14:33 | |
-We've got to stop. -OK. | 0:14:33 | 0:14:35 | |
'Puff pastry is a labour of love. | 0:14:35 | 0:14:37 | |
'A slab of butter on the rolled out dough is folded in, | 0:14:37 | 0:14:40 | |
'and then it takes a lot of rolling.' | 0:14:40 | 0:14:42 | |
-Do you trust me to have a go? -Yeah, of course you can have a go. | 0:14:42 | 0:14:46 | |
Oh, this is coming back to me! | 0:14:46 | 0:14:48 | |
You know, I've got my cookery teacher over my shoulder now! | 0:14:48 | 0:14:51 | |
I can feel her, she's come back to haunt me. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:53 | |
'Bruno speaks the language of baking fluently | 0:14:53 | 0:14:56 | |
'and it's proved to be his lifeline since he moved to the UK.' | 0:14:56 | 0:14:59 | |
I couldn't speak any English when I came from Portugal. | 0:14:59 | 0:15:03 | |
That's a brave thing to do, | 0:15:03 | 0:15:04 | |
to suddenly turn up somewhere where you can't speak the language! | 0:15:04 | 0:15:07 | |
How did you get into this? | 0:15:07 | 0:15:09 | |
How did Portuguese tarts come in? | 0:15:09 | 0:15:10 | |
It was a bit difficult to me in the beginning | 0:15:10 | 0:15:13 | |
for people to accept, obviously, I was not British, | 0:15:13 | 0:15:17 | |
So, I had to fight my corner because I was from different country. | 0:15:17 | 0:15:22 | |
So, I start to make them and advertise them, you know, | 0:15:22 | 0:15:25 | |
in shops, telling people, and then people start to come. | 0:15:25 | 0:15:28 | |
-So, word of mouth, everybody passed it on? -Exactly. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:32 | |
'Now for Bruno's thick custard.' | 0:15:32 | 0:15:35 | |
-It's coming. -Here it comes! | 0:15:35 | 0:15:37 | |
-It's like a volcano when it explodes! -Exactly! | 0:15:37 | 0:15:40 | |
'Hot milk goes into a mix of flour and cornflour, | 0:15:40 | 0:15:44 | |
'and then in goes the comforting lemon and cinnamon sugar syrup, | 0:15:44 | 0:15:49 | |
'but the real richness comes from the eggs.' | 0:15:49 | 0:15:52 | |
-If you could separate 15 egg yolks, we will need... -15 egg yolks?! -15. | 0:15:52 | 0:15:56 | |
I'm just thinking of the hundreds of thousands | 0:15:56 | 0:16:01 | |
-of custard tarts sold in Portugal. -Yeah. | 0:16:01 | 0:16:04 | |
What do they do with all the whites? | 0:16:04 | 0:16:06 | |
Well, you can use the whites to do all sorts of different cakes, | 0:16:06 | 0:16:09 | |
so they don't waste. | 0:16:09 | 0:16:11 | |
-Beautiful colour! -Yeah. | 0:16:11 | 0:16:13 | |
Amazing gold! | 0:16:13 | 0:16:15 | |
'This type of custard is serious business in Portugal.' | 0:16:15 | 0:16:18 | |
I've just actually been in Portugal now, | 0:16:18 | 0:16:21 | |
and my aunt and my mother, they was fighting with me. | 0:16:21 | 0:16:23 | |
"Oh, you think yours is better? | 0:16:23 | 0:16:25 | |
"You've got to come to my house and try my ones!" You know? | 0:16:25 | 0:16:27 | |
-So, we all are like fighting there! -The custard tart wars! | 0:16:27 | 0:16:31 | |
'While that gorgeous custard cools, | 0:16:31 | 0:16:35 | |
'Bruno shows me his secret to the perfect flaky tart cases.' | 0:16:35 | 0:16:39 | |
-And then roll your dough and you can see. -And there's all the layers... | 0:16:39 | 0:16:43 | |
-All the layers there. -..round and round and round in there. | 0:16:43 | 0:16:45 | |
So now, we use two thumbs, | 0:16:45 | 0:16:48 | |
press the centre. | 0:16:48 | 0:16:50 | |
And push outwards. | 0:16:51 | 0:16:53 | |
And push outwards. | 0:16:53 | 0:16:54 | |
I like doing this. | 0:16:56 | 0:16:58 | |
'You almost need an inferno to cook these to perfection. | 0:16:58 | 0:17:02 | |
'Whack up the oven as hot as it will go | 0:17:02 | 0:17:04 | |
'so you get that signature dark, sweet glaze.' | 0:17:04 | 0:17:08 | |
I'm getting really excited. | 0:17:08 | 0:17:10 | |
This is going to be the longest 15 minutes of my life. | 0:17:10 | 0:17:13 | |
Yeah, it's probably going to take a bit longer. | 0:17:13 | 0:17:16 | |
-The longest 20 minutes of my life. -Before it's done. | 0:17:16 | 0:17:18 | |
There you go. | 0:17:18 | 0:17:20 | |
Then we have our Portuguese custard tarts. | 0:17:20 | 0:17:23 | |
If you want me to get just the spraying water? | 0:17:23 | 0:17:26 | |
I wasn't sure what you were going to do with this. | 0:17:26 | 0:17:28 | |
'And a finishing flourish!' | 0:17:28 | 0:17:30 | |
-Oh, beautiful! -Gives a bit of a shine to the colour, you see? | 0:17:30 | 0:17:33 | |
And done. I can't wait for this. | 0:17:33 | 0:17:36 | |
It's heaven. | 0:17:39 | 0:17:40 | |
Very, very nice. | 0:17:40 | 0:17:42 | |
You know, I've never ever had one so freshly baked. | 0:17:42 | 0:17:46 | |
-Well, you have it now. -It is just sensational. | 0:17:46 | 0:17:49 | |
Bruno's tarts say everything about his perseverance | 0:17:49 | 0:17:53 | |
to make a success of his life in Britain. | 0:17:53 | 0:17:56 | |
He's baked his way into the hearts of his Welsh neighbours, | 0:17:56 | 0:18:00 | |
and into mine. | 0:18:00 | 0:18:01 | |
I'm a very, very, very happy man. | 0:18:02 | 0:18:04 | |
Custard has a habit of putting a smile on your face. | 0:18:08 | 0:18:12 | |
I'm on a hunt for some exotic inspiration | 0:18:12 | 0:18:14 | |
to take me as far from banana custard as I can go. | 0:18:14 | 0:18:18 | |
'Helen was born in Malaysia to Chinese parents. | 0:18:18 | 0:18:21 | |
'The custard she dreams about is bold...' | 0:18:21 | 0:18:24 | |
Wonderful smell when you walk in! | 0:18:24 | 0:18:26 | |
'..and needs some very intriguing ingredients.' | 0:18:26 | 0:18:29 | |
Here's the butterfly pea flowers | 0:18:29 | 0:18:30 | |
-that we're going to be using for the cake. -So, this is charming. | 0:18:30 | 0:18:34 | |
It grows in Asia, prolifically, along sort of back fences, | 0:18:34 | 0:18:38 | |
and it's only become recently available, | 0:18:38 | 0:18:41 | |
that I've seen it, in dried form. | 0:18:41 | 0:18:43 | |
I was very encouraged to make this dish as soon as I saw that. | 0:18:43 | 0:18:46 | |
I love it when I find ingredients I genuinely have never seen before. | 0:18:46 | 0:18:49 | |
What else do we need? | 0:18:49 | 0:18:51 | |
-We need pandan leaves. -Oh, I've seen those. | 0:18:51 | 0:18:54 | |
Yeah, it's known as the vanilla of the East. | 0:18:54 | 0:18:56 | |
We need some more banana leaves, | 0:18:56 | 0:18:58 | |
I line the cake pan with the banana leaves. | 0:18:58 | 0:19:00 | |
It's almost 40 years since Helen lived in Malaysia, | 0:19:00 | 0:19:03 | |
and even though 30 of those were spent in Australia, | 0:19:03 | 0:19:07 | |
the food she turns to most is that of her childhood. | 0:19:07 | 0:19:11 | |
I want to find out why Malaysian food is so special to her. | 0:19:11 | 0:19:15 | |
-Let's go and make magic. -Yes! | 0:19:15 | 0:19:17 | |
'Her idea of custard heaven is not yellow... | 0:19:17 | 0:19:21 | |
'but green.' | 0:19:21 | 0:19:22 | |
Tell me about this dish that we're doing today. | 0:19:22 | 0:19:25 | |
There are two parts to the dish. The custard part is called kaya. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:28 | |
In Malay, in means "rich" so it's essentially a rich custard spread | 0:19:28 | 0:19:32 | |
-that's spread on cake, eaten by the spoonful, out of the jar. -Yup. | 0:19:32 | 0:19:35 | |
My memory of it is with sweet rice cakes. | 0:19:35 | 0:19:39 | |
'Helen's blue flowers aren't here for flavour. | 0:19:39 | 0:19:43 | |
'She's going to use them to colour the rice.' | 0:19:43 | 0:19:45 | |
The first thing to do is to extract the colour out of it, or infuse it. | 0:19:45 | 0:19:49 | |
So, ideally, you'd put it over low heat. | 0:19:49 | 0:19:52 | |
-Oh, that's such... Gosh, that's really inky! -Yes, isn't it? | 0:19:53 | 0:19:56 | |
Well, I love it, but of course, blue is always associated with poison. | 0:19:56 | 0:19:59 | |
And maybe also the idea that it could be poison, | 0:19:59 | 0:20:02 | |
there's a slight danger which heightens the sense of enjoyment. | 0:20:02 | 0:20:06 | |
'The blue pea flower stirs many memories for Helen. | 0:20:06 | 0:20:10 | |
'As a child she was fostered for a time, | 0:20:10 | 0:20:12 | |
'and though it resulted in two loving families, it wasn't easy.' | 0:20:12 | 0:20:17 | |
The year I was born was considered very unlucky | 0:20:18 | 0:20:20 | |
in the Chinese astrological calendar. | 0:20:20 | 0:20:23 | |
And my mother was quite superstitious, | 0:20:23 | 0:20:25 | |
she sought consult with the temple priests | 0:20:25 | 0:20:27 | |
and was told that to avert sort of disaster and bad omens | 0:20:27 | 0:20:31 | |
that was going to befall on the family | 0:20:31 | 0:20:33 | |
that she would have to sort of send me away | 0:20:33 | 0:20:35 | |
for some unspecified period of time. | 0:20:35 | 0:20:37 | |
There was a time that it was difficult for me, | 0:20:37 | 0:20:40 | |
but I think, over the years, I've come to see how fortunate I've been | 0:20:40 | 0:20:44 | |
to have belonged to two wonderful families. | 0:20:44 | 0:20:46 | |
My biological family and my foster family with seven siblings... | 0:20:46 | 0:20:51 | |
-Wow, OK. -..and who I still keep in touch with. | 0:20:51 | 0:20:54 | |
'Helen's foster family was very poor, | 0:20:55 | 0:20:57 | |
'and this rice and custard dish was a way of making something special | 0:20:57 | 0:21:02 | |
'and comforting from very basic ingredients. | 0:21:02 | 0:21:06 | |
'It was made with love, and that has clearly stuck with Helen.' | 0:21:06 | 0:21:09 | |
-It strikes a deep emotional chord. -Absolutely. Food does this. | 0:21:10 | 0:21:13 | |
Food, I think, gets to some people's emotions more than others. | 0:21:13 | 0:21:17 | |
It certainly does with me. It just does that, | 0:21:17 | 0:21:20 | |
-almost more than anything else. -Yes. | 0:21:20 | 0:21:22 | |
'Just as her foster mother did, | 0:21:22 | 0:21:24 | |
'Helen binds the rice cakes with coconut milk, | 0:21:24 | 0:21:27 | |
'then the blue and the white rice are steamed separately. | 0:21:27 | 0:21:31 | |
'Now for the pandan leaves, | 0:21:32 | 0:21:34 | |
'the juice will be the vibrant showstopper in Helen's custard.' | 0:21:34 | 0:21:38 | |
What a crazy colour! | 0:21:41 | 0:21:42 | |
-I know, it's just like bright green! -Amazing green! | 0:21:42 | 0:21:45 | |
'She adds coconut milk and warms the mixture through.' | 0:21:45 | 0:21:48 | |
-So, almost to a boil. -Almost to a boil. | 0:21:48 | 0:21:51 | |
-Exactly as I would, if I was making custard. -Yes, exactly. | 0:21:51 | 0:21:53 | |
'And then it's whisked it into the very familiar eggs and sugar.' | 0:21:53 | 0:21:57 | |
-Oh, this is great! -Stir it in. | 0:21:57 | 0:21:59 | |
Oh, heavens! | 0:22:02 | 0:22:04 | |
What does that remind you of? What's that reaction? | 0:22:04 | 0:22:06 | |
-It's just so fresh and green. -Yeah. -It's very grassy. -It is, yes. | 0:22:06 | 0:22:10 | |
That is just so, so good. | 0:22:10 | 0:22:12 | |
Cooking is not always just about getting something on the table | 0:22:12 | 0:22:15 | |
at the end of the day. You know, it's about the joy of it, | 0:22:15 | 0:22:17 | |
sometimes the silliness of it - green custard. | 0:22:17 | 0:22:21 | |
'While the custard cools, | 0:22:21 | 0:22:22 | |
'the rice is now steamed and needs fluffing | 0:22:22 | 0:22:25 | |
before we assemble it into a cake tin.' | 0:22:25 | 0:22:28 | |
-You know what I'm smelling? -Hm? -I'm smelling home.. | 0:22:28 | 0:22:31 | |
-I'm smelling... -Really? -..walking in after school... -Really? | 0:22:31 | 0:22:34 | |
..in my blazer and smelling that there's a rice pudding in the oven. | 0:22:34 | 0:22:37 | |
For me, it's love. | 0:22:37 | 0:22:39 | |
Comfort and love. You know? | 0:22:39 | 0:22:42 | |
-SHE CHUCKLES -It's love for me, too. -Yeah. | 0:22:42 | 0:22:44 | |
I'm just thinking this is the sort of thing | 0:22:44 | 0:22:47 | |
-that would be huge fun to do with the kids. -Yes, yes. | 0:22:47 | 0:22:50 | |
Well, in fact this pod here, my son regularly stands here, | 0:22:50 | 0:22:54 | |
and watches me cook and occasionally, if he's getting restless, | 0:22:54 | 0:22:57 | |
I'll get him stirring something. | 0:22:57 | 0:22:58 | |
So, I do hope one day he'll say, | 0:22:58 | 0:23:00 | |
"Oh, yes, I learned to cook at my mother's side." | 0:23:00 | 0:23:02 | |
-You only pick up good things from cooking with your mum. -Yeah. | 0:23:02 | 0:23:06 | |
OK, shall we cut up the rice? | 0:23:06 | 0:23:09 | |
This colouring, we're not talking about some chemical, | 0:23:09 | 0:23:12 | |
-we're talking about flowers! -Flowers, yes! | 0:23:12 | 0:23:15 | |
-Shall I get the custard out? -Yes, please! | 0:23:15 | 0:23:18 | |
'If my custard is liquid gold, | 0:23:18 | 0:23:20 | |
'then this...is pureed childhood. | 0:23:20 | 0:23:23 | |
'What's not to like about a blue and white coconut rice cake | 0:23:23 | 0:23:26 | |
'with a dollop of sweet emerald custard? | 0:23:26 | 0:23:30 | |
'Perfect for all ages! | 0:23:30 | 0:23:31 | |
'Even big kids like me!' | 0:23:31 | 0:23:34 | |
It's as I remember. | 0:23:34 | 0:23:35 | |
This is bliss. | 0:23:37 | 0:23:39 | |
This is utterly, utterly enchanting. | 0:23:39 | 0:23:43 | |
Because it's fun and it's different, | 0:23:43 | 0:23:44 | |
and it's taken me way out of my comfort zone. | 0:23:44 | 0:23:46 | |
You think it's going to taste something utterly sort of foreign, | 0:23:46 | 0:23:49 | |
and yet, it's actually not foreign at all in the taste. | 0:23:49 | 0:23:52 | |
-It's home and abroad. Can I have a bit more? -Of course, yeah! | 0:23:52 | 0:23:56 | |
'And now, Helen's childhood food is being shared with her friends | 0:23:56 | 0:24:00 | |
'and with her son, passed to the next generation.' | 0:24:00 | 0:24:03 | |
KIDS CHATTER | 0:24:03 | 0:24:06 | |
I'm full of mango! | 0:24:08 | 0:24:10 | |
ALL LAUGH | 0:24:10 | 0:24:12 | |
You know, inspiration comes from all sorts of places. | 0:24:12 | 0:24:15 | |
It started off in a point of absolute safety. | 0:24:18 | 0:24:21 | |
You know where you are with banana custard. | 0:24:21 | 0:24:23 | |
And then, the idea of the rose water coming in and the almond milk. | 0:24:23 | 0:24:26 | |
And now with this, all these exciting flavours | 0:24:26 | 0:24:29 | |
that I didn't know, ingredients that I've never seen before. | 0:24:29 | 0:24:32 | |
I want to do something completely new and different | 0:24:33 | 0:24:35 | |
and I don't know where it's going to fall. | 0:24:35 | 0:24:38 | |
Either in a place of safety and comfort, or whether | 0:24:38 | 0:24:40 | |
it's going to be an absolute adventure. | 0:24:40 | 0:24:42 | |
CHATTERING | 0:24:42 | 0:24:44 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:24:46 | 0:24:49 | |
From green kaya, | 0:24:49 | 0:24:50 | |
fragrant mahallebi, | 0:24:50 | 0:24:52 | |
to pastel de nata, | 0:24:52 | 0:24:54 | |
custard captures your taste buds as a kid, | 0:24:54 | 0:24:57 | |
wherever you grow up, and you never forget. | 0:24:57 | 0:25:00 | |
I want to combine the comfort of home | 0:25:00 | 0:25:03 | |
with the contrast of something a bit more exotic | 0:25:03 | 0:25:05 | |
and profiteroles will make the perfect shell | 0:25:05 | 0:25:09 | |
for my custard to sit in. | 0:25:09 | 0:25:10 | |
First of all, I need to make choux pastry. | 0:25:10 | 0:25:14 | |
250ml of water, some butter, | 0:25:14 | 0:25:17 | |
I'm just going to put in a pinch of salt. | 0:25:17 | 0:25:20 | |
150g of plain flour. | 0:25:20 | 0:25:22 | |
My recipe for choux pastry makes the lightest, | 0:25:22 | 0:25:26 | |
airiest and crisp buns, | 0:25:26 | 0:25:28 | |
which should rise dramatically in the oven. | 0:25:28 | 0:25:31 | |
Now, I'm very fond of making these and they usually work. | 0:25:33 | 0:25:37 | |
Pour the egg in a little bit at a time. | 0:25:39 | 0:25:42 | |
Just basically keep going, until the mixture actually shines. | 0:25:43 | 0:25:47 | |
A little patience is required. | 0:25:47 | 0:25:50 | |
Choux buns of any shape or size are a real treat, | 0:25:54 | 0:25:59 | |
but the real treasure lies inside. | 0:25:59 | 0:26:01 | |
And it can be cream or it can be chocolate | 0:26:02 | 0:26:05 | |
but with me, it's custard. | 0:26:05 | 0:26:07 | |
I'm going to give those about 25 minutes. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:10 | |
And now to make the filling. My cheats' custard. | 0:26:10 | 0:26:13 | |
This is a great recipe for people who love custard, | 0:26:13 | 0:26:17 | |
but are scared to make it in case it goes wrong. | 0:26:17 | 0:26:20 | |
It's easy to make and it won't curdle. | 0:26:20 | 0:26:22 | |
Whisk four egg yolks, | 0:26:22 | 0:26:24 | |
four tablespoons of sugar and vanilla seeds. | 0:26:24 | 0:26:28 | |
Smells like custard already. | 0:26:28 | 0:26:30 | |
I loved it when Helen took a basic custard | 0:26:33 | 0:26:35 | |
and flavoured it with something unusual. | 0:26:35 | 0:26:38 | |
I'm using Marsala, a fortified wine | 0:26:38 | 0:26:41 | |
that will give my custard a real kick. | 0:26:41 | 0:26:43 | |
Now, what I'm after is a really thick custard, | 0:26:43 | 0:26:46 | |
one that I can use for stuffing those cream buns, | 0:26:46 | 0:26:49 | |
and for that, I'm using mascarpone. | 0:26:49 | 0:26:51 | |
Tastes just like a wonderfully complex custard filling | 0:26:57 | 0:27:01 | |
but somehow even better. | 0:27:01 | 0:27:02 | |
The choux buns, meanwhile, | 0:27:02 | 0:27:04 | |
have risen beautifully. | 0:27:04 | 0:27:06 | |
I'm going to split them and get a spoonful of custard | 0:27:10 | 0:27:14 | |
and just drop it... | 0:27:14 | 0:27:15 | |
..into the bun. | 0:27:17 | 0:27:18 | |
No profiterole can be complete without a trickle of chocolate. | 0:27:18 | 0:27:23 | |
I'm melting both dark..and white. | 0:27:23 | 0:27:27 | |
This is ridiculous. Absolute ridiculous good fun. | 0:27:30 | 0:27:33 | |
So I've got the crisp case | 0:27:33 | 0:27:36 | |
and the soft filling from Bruno. | 0:27:36 | 0:27:40 | |
I've got this flavoured custard which is an idea I got from Helen. | 0:27:40 | 0:27:43 | |
Then that just heavenly mixture | 0:27:43 | 0:27:48 | |
of pistachio and rose that I picked up from Linda. | 0:27:48 | 0:27:51 | |
And to go with these crystallised rose petals, | 0:27:51 | 0:27:55 | |
another touch of the English countryside, crystallised violets. | 0:27:55 | 0:28:01 | |
Just a few here and there. | 0:28:01 | 0:28:03 | |
My profiteroles have been influenced by custard recipes | 0:28:04 | 0:28:07 | |
from all over the world, | 0:28:07 | 0:28:09 | |
all so different, yet reassuringly familiar. | 0:28:09 | 0:28:14 | |
And I want to share them with the people who have inspired me, | 0:28:14 | 0:28:18 | |
so, I've invited Bruno, Linda, Helen and their families | 0:28:18 | 0:28:22 | |
to join me for a feast to say thank you. | 0:28:22 | 0:28:25 | |
Cooking up a dash of my style with a pinch of theirs, too. | 0:28:25 | 0:28:29 | |
-It that delicious? -It is. | 0:28:29 | 0:28:31 | |
A celebration of modern Britain. | 0:28:31 | 0:28:34 |