0:00:15 > 0:00:20Two ingredients really made for one another are ham and cheese.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25What I like to do is to bring them together with something very fresh.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27So I'm adding green beans,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31to make my classic combination of ham and cheese come alive.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36I just want to shred this.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38It's not going to cook.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41It's just going to warm through with the cheese.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Almost any cheese will work with this.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47That's the lovely thing about ham and cheese.
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Any ham, any cheese - never fails.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52But I want this to be like a creamy dressing for the beans.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56So this is a soft cheese. And this is Taleggio.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Slice the cheese thinly.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Now, let the beans cook for about five minutes.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07You want them to bend a bit. That's when their flavour is at its best.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Now you have to get your finger out.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Because the cheese isn't going to melt, isn't going to soften,
0:01:13 > 0:01:15unless the beans are still hot.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Drain the beans, but add them quickly back to the hot pan.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Add the ham and cheese, a slurp of olive oil,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25some black pepper, and toss.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33As you stir, the cheese makes a sort of warm and voluptuous dressing
0:01:33 > 0:01:34for the green beans.
0:01:35 > 0:01:40With the melting cheese and that lovely ham,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42and a nice bit of bread...
0:01:42 > 0:01:45A nice crusty wodge of it on the side.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53I've used Taleggio in this dish, but you could use any cheese.
0:01:53 > 0:01:57I prefer something soft like Brie or Camembert.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02This is a great main dish.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05But today I want to treat myself with a pudding.
0:02:05 > 0:02:06It's my midweek treat.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14Some treats are all about textures that you love.
0:02:16 > 0:02:22Heaven, for me, is a crisp meringue and some very softly whipped cream.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30Break some meringues into your whipped cream.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Rough chunks are good.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Put a little bit of fruit in. Always things that have a sharpness to them,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39to cut through the sweetness of the meringues.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42To break up the smoothness of this sundae,
0:02:42 > 0:02:45I'm adding some pistachio nuts.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Then gently fold it all together,
0:02:49 > 0:02:54so that the fruits burst through the cream.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56But this is more than a treat.
0:02:56 > 0:02:57It's an indulgence.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59So in goes some ice cream.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05I've got something soft,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07something crisp,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09something sweet,
0:03:09 > 0:03:11something sharp.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14And then right at the bottom, I've got a big dollop of ice cream.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20This is so very, very, very good.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Or very, very bad.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31I've got to stop.
0:03:31 > 0:03:33I've got to stop.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46It is truly delicious.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48So, go on, spoil yourself.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02So many of the perfect partnerships in the kitchen
0:04:02 > 0:04:06are ingredients we put together because of how the flavours work.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10But there are other good reasons to put ingredients together as well.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14A typical one is where you've got a very rich ingredient
0:04:14 > 0:04:17and you want something sharp to cut that richness.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21And with pork, sharp apples will do exactly that.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Seemingly, us Brits love cooking with apples.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31The UK is the only country that grows apples especially for cooking.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35With 7,500 varieties of apples grown worldwide,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37there's a lot to choose from.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Apples are just so versatile. You can cook with them,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43you can use them in drinks, preserves, pickles.
0:04:43 > 0:04:47You know, you can do so much with them. It's just a fantastic product.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Ed Nicholson is head warden at Killerton Estate in Devon,
0:04:51 > 0:04:53which grows 98 varieties.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56OK, here we have a good local variety called Tom Putt.
0:04:56 > 0:04:58It's a dessert and eating apple.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02I think you'll find with this... Take a slice off this.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Have a little chew of that.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Mm! Really sweet. Loads of flavour there.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09So here we have a Bramley variety.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12Traditionally the cooking variety.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Quite fleshy, quite sweet.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21But a little bit lacking in structure,
0:05:21 > 0:05:23which then will come back when it's cooked.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27And these will go in to make our chutney. So we'll harvest these, cos they keep well.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31In contrast, this is a local cider variety.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36Erm, this one, if we try a piece of this, much smaller, you'll notice.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Quite white inside.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41If you take a bite of that, it's brittle,
0:05:41 > 0:05:44not a great deal of the sweet flavour there.
0:05:44 > 0:05:46All in all, not very pleasant.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50The apples used for cider originally were the ones that were left over,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53that were either on the floor, picked up,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55or the ones that didn't taste particularly good,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58but had a lot of juice, and quite a bit more tannin in them.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01You see that one's starting to go brown already.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04That's oxidised, that's the tannins that are starting to come out.
0:06:04 > 0:06:06And that's what makes a cider apple.
0:06:06 > 0:06:11There's so much you can make with apples. And everyone has their favourite recipe.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Probably my favourite is baked apples.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16My mother used to do a baked apple, take the core out,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20fill it full of raisins and brown sugar, and bake the apple like that.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23I mean, that was a classic childhood recipe for me.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27Erm, big favourite of mine is pork and apple.
0:06:27 > 0:06:28Apple sauce goes with it.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32There's lots of different ways you can cook pork with apples.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34Which is also one of my favourites.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36And for my Thursday night dish,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40I'm going to be cooking pork chops with apples and cider.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44I'm very fussy about pork chops.
0:06:44 > 0:06:48I like good, thick ones, with plenty of fat,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50so that as the chop cooks,
0:06:50 > 0:06:52that fat makes the meat really succulent.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Pork and apple works on so many levels, you know.
0:06:55 > 0:07:00It works because of the richness, and the sharpness of the fruit.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03But it also works on another level altogether -
0:07:03 > 0:07:06that idea of pigs, in an orchard,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09crunching their way through windfall apples in the grass.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13And it just brings... I don't know, a bit of poetry to supper.
0:07:13 > 0:07:14I don't think that's a bad thing.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18I don't think we always have to be quite so practical.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29I like to give the rind a good headstart to getting a bit crispy,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32by just searing it in the oil.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37Then, lightly fry each side - about a minute or so should do it.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53I'm going to put a little bit of cider with these.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54It could be any liquid.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58But the reason I'm using cider is because it feels part of the dish.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01It feels like it ought to be there, because of the apples.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06I just want those to sizzle a bit, to get a really crusty outside
0:08:06 > 0:08:08and to get the flavours going.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13Once lightly browned on the sides, pull out the chops,
0:08:13 > 0:08:16then bung the onions into the hot pan.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Whilst they're browning, chop up some dessert apples.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23I'm using the Discovery ones from my garden.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27You can use a cooking apple for this.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30But it'll go really fluffy.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32And it will lose its shape.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36It doesn't matter, but you'll end up with a sort of froth in the pan
0:08:36 > 0:08:38rather than something that looks apple-shaped.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41It doesn't matter at all, the flavour will still be there.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46I'm going to carefully add some sage.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Use it sparingly, because it can overpower the dish.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54Then squash some juniper berries
0:08:54 > 0:08:57to add a fresh, lemony quality to the dish.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02I'm gonna pop the chops back.
0:09:09 > 0:09:13These are such sweet little apples. They're so cute.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16I'm gonna pop a couple of whole ones in as well.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22Season to taste with salt and pepper.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24And add a good glass of cider.
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Slide into a hot oven for about half-an-hour.
0:09:31 > 0:09:32What's great about this dish
0:09:32 > 0:09:35is you can either cook it quickly on high heat,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38or leave it in the oven for hours on low.
0:09:38 > 0:09:44What's happened is that all of the succulence from the meat,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46and all of the juices,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48all the flavourings,
0:09:48 > 0:09:50just come together.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54That, for me, is both supper and a big treat.
0:09:58 > 0:10:03Of course, the perfect drink for this dish is a glass of ice-cold cider.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20We all have our favourite combos -
0:10:20 > 0:10:23ingredients that work perfectly together.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26They're always on our shopping list.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29The danger is that these favourites can become a bit predictable.
0:10:29 > 0:10:34Which is why I like to bring something new to these existing relationships.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Some of our favourite culinary marriages
0:10:38 > 0:10:40are with the most basic of ingredients.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Potatoes and leeks is one that works very well.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49So I want to bring them together as the base of a sumptuous chowder.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Start by placing the chopped leeks into a warm pan of butter,
0:10:56 > 0:10:58and adding some thyme.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02I want the leeks to cook very gently in the butter.
0:11:02 > 0:11:03I don't want them to brown.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07And the best way to do that is to put a little bit of paper on top,
0:11:07 > 0:11:09so that they actually steam as much as they fry.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13And I put the lid on as well,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15so that none of the steam can escape.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18To give a little body, add some potatoes.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26Put my potatoes in.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29Into this soup, or stew, whatever you want to call it,
0:11:29 > 0:11:32I'm going to put some smoked haddock.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34And I want the haddock to go quite a long way,
0:11:34 > 0:11:37because it's not the cheapest of fish.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39So I'm going to use sweetcorn.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41And the reason for that
0:11:41 > 0:11:44is because the liquid in this soup
0:11:44 > 0:11:46is actually going to be milk.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49And sweetcorn loves dairy produce.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59I've always cooked my smoked haddock in milk.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02I'm sure there's some very technical reasons for it.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04But I do it cos my mum did it.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Milk softens the smokiness of the haddock.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15It's also wonderful with the sweetcorn.
0:12:15 > 0:12:20Drop in a few bay leaves and a sprinkling of peppercorns.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Your fish should be ready in under ten minutes.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25This is more than a single marriage of ingredients.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29It's actually a marriage of the leeks and potatoes,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32and the milk and the sweetcorn.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37It all comes together.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Break the haddock into chunks,
0:12:40 > 0:12:42drain some of the milk,
0:12:42 > 0:12:45and resettle to the chowder.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Dishes like this, which are calming, they've got a quality to them
0:12:50 > 0:12:54that brings a sense of peace into your supper.
0:12:54 > 0:12:58There's something very gentle and old-fashioned
0:12:58 > 0:13:00about these flavours and these smells.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03And especially these ingredients.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09Everything in this dish has a classic connection.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Leeks to potatoes, milk to sweetcorn,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14and fish to some freshly chopped parsley.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24There are some recipes I like to put on a plate,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27and pop them in front of everybody.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29And there's other recipes
0:13:29 > 0:13:33that I like to put in the middle of the table, with a big ladle,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36and get people to help themselves.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39And this is one of those.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41It's bowl food.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43As well as soul food.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56It has to be the bond between so many of the ingredients in this supper
0:13:56 > 0:13:59that makes it absolutely mouth-watering.
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