0:00:02 > 0:00:08Raymond Blanc arrived in Britain in 1972 as a 22-year-old, unemployed, French waiter
0:00:08 > 0:00:10with only a shaky grasp of English.
0:00:10 > 0:00:15Ten years later, he was a chef with two Michelin stars which he still holds today.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Good texture. Lovely, lovely.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21While he has been successful in his adopted home,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24he has never forgotten his first love.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Food, food, glorious food! My God!
0:00:26 > 0:00:28The food and wine of France.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Beautiful!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Now Raymond is back to his favourite French regions,
0:00:33 > 0:00:38so he can re-connect with the wonderful food and people that have inspired him.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Voila!
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Oh! Oh, la la!
0:00:42 > 0:00:47The flavour is intense. It's just...melting.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51In each region, he will take over a restaurant for one night only.
0:00:51 > 0:00:56- Oh, la la!- And cook a feast inspired by his journey. - My beautiful Franche-Comte!
0:00:56 > 0:01:01He will be serving a menu that features his version of famous local dishes.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06Helping the master in his homeland will be two lucky young chefs
0:01:06 > 0:01:09from his restaurant in Oxfordshire, Kush and Katie-Beth.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11Oh, la la! Oh, la la!
0:01:12 > 0:01:14Despite 30 years at the top in the UK,
0:01:14 > 0:01:20this will be the first time Raymond has had a chance to be chef in France.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25I've never cooked in France and I'm slightly, slightly anxious.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26Oh, la, la! Stop!
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Stop, stop. Don't go up!
0:01:29 > 0:01:30Oh!
0:01:30 > 0:01:36It's a daunting, nerve-wracking and exciting task, but one perfectly suited to Raymond Blanc -
0:01:36 > 0:01:39The Very Hungry Frenchman.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44MOOING
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Burgundy, a diverse region of France
0:01:48 > 0:01:53whose cuisine can be defined as the quintessential heart of French cooking,
0:01:53 > 0:01:56created by peasants and eaten by aristocrats.
0:01:56 > 0:02:00For centuries, home to the rich and powerful Dukes of Burgundy,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04the region's fierce independence can be tasted in the food.
0:02:05 > 0:02:11The food culture they developed then is the foundation of Burgundy's elegant cuisine,
0:02:11 > 0:02:17sophisticated but with roots deep in the rustic soil of the farms which dot this lovely landscape.
0:02:17 > 0:02:25The riches that gave the dukes their wealth to develop a lavish cuisine was founded around the best wines
0:02:25 > 0:02:30and today, they still draw the world's attention, including Raymond's.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35Nothing tastes better than a grape from the vine, Fixin Premier Cru, before fermentation.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39So lovely.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46It's the wine that puts this region's cuisine on the map
0:02:46 > 0:02:50with global dishes like coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55but nothing beats being in the place where that wine and those dishes were born.
0:02:55 > 0:03:01For Raymond, taking lunch in a vineyard where food and wine combine gives a true Burgundian experience.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05- Voila, le boeuf bourguignon. - Merci bien.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08That dish tells a lot about the story of Burgundy.
0:03:08 > 0:03:14It's probably the most universally famous dish which is known across the world,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18the greatest classic of Burgundy cuisine.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23They are lucky enough to have this fantastic red wine and white wine you can cook with your food
0:03:23 > 0:03:29and that is a lovely recipe, so simple to make at home. I'm a very happy Frenchman.
0:03:29 > 0:03:31Oh, la la!
0:03:31 > 0:03:34That's a serious, serious chicken, that one.
0:03:34 > 0:03:40A good coq au vin starts with a good chicken and they've got some of the very best chicken in the world.
0:03:40 > 0:03:46And of course, you can have red wine in desserts too - poached pears, for instance.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48Lovely.
0:03:48 > 0:03:54That is a truly local dish steeped in centuries of tradition
0:03:54 > 0:03:58which really tells a great story about this wonderful region.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02The cuisine in Burgundy owes its liveliness to the use of wine.
0:04:02 > 0:04:08You can even start the day here, if you fancy, with poached eggs in wine sauce.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17When I think of Burgundy,
0:04:17 > 0:04:24I think of wines, I think of peaceful canals criss-crossing around the Burgundian landscape.
0:04:24 > 0:04:29In the south, you've got the Charolais, this big, fat, gorgeous cow.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31It produces the best meat.
0:04:31 > 0:04:37I think of happy people, people who truly enjoy life, maybe more than we do in England.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43With a history of France's finest cuisine keeping a smile on the Burgundian faces...
0:04:43 > 0:04:45BOTH SING HAPPILY
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Raymond's feast has a lot to live up to.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52I thought I knew all the French cheeses, but I only knew that much.
0:04:52 > 0:04:57- In the next few days, he will tackle some of the region's classic dishes...- That's it!
0:04:57 > 0:05:02..in a local restaurant with the help of his two trainee chefs, Katie-Beth and Kush.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Yeah, they think I'm French.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10- You want it to be so perfect that you can easily mess it up. - It's going to be fine.
0:05:10 > 0:05:15From beef to blackcurrants, his menu will reach a grand table of friends and colleagues,
0:05:15 > 0:05:18eager to taste Raymond's take on Burgundy food.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22- Oh, beautiful. They will love it, Kush.- Oui, chef.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31As wine runs through the veins of this region and contributes
0:05:31 > 0:05:36to the sophisticated cuisine from drinking to cooking,
0:05:36 > 0:05:42Raymond decides to immerse himself in an annual ritual - the grape harvest.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- Alors, on est parti!- Voila!
0:05:46 > 0:05:49On ne chante pas? We must sing!
0:05:49 > 0:05:55His visit to Burgundy has coincided with one of the most important times in this region's calendar -
0:05:55 > 0:05:59the "ban de vendanges", the date the wine harvest begins.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03We are so lucky. The weather is so perfect.
0:06:03 > 0:06:08The grapes are dried, so effectively, the harvest will be good.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Good weather is the best news a vineyard owner can have.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16As this region is known for hail, frost and rain at harvest time,
0:06:16 > 0:06:22Anne-Claude Leflaive, one of Raymond's friends and a respected local wine producer,
0:06:22 > 0:06:27is happy to have all hands on deck to pick her outstanding Chardonnay grapes.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Harvesting is a labour of love.
0:06:38 > 0:06:43Secateurs may be the universal tool, but you need some technique on a vine.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46There is the daughter of Anne-Claude
0:06:46 > 0:06:48and she is there, toiling away,
0:06:48 > 0:06:52picking up the Chevalier-Montrachet grapes.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Maybe I will ask her to show me the skills of how to do it.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57Claire...
0:07:02 > 0:07:06- Don't put leaves inside.- No leaves. - No, no leaves inside.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10- It's not good juice. - She is going to be a hard boss.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13- No, no...- I know that.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Oh, comme c'est joli!
0:07:17 > 0:07:20Look at that, beautiful.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Oh, la la, elles sont belles. Oh, la la!
0:07:26 > 0:07:32People don't realise, but after only five minutes' picking, my back is hurting.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37I have to lean down like a prayer to cut this vine... Oh, la la!
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Not easy.
0:07:39 > 0:07:45When you do that all day, you will welcome a glass of Montrachet at the end of the evening.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47- Almost.- There's no doubt about that.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Following the French Revolution in the late 18th century,
0:07:51 > 0:07:56the large vineyards established by the region's monks were broken up,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59so today, there are hundreds of small vineyards.
0:07:59 > 0:08:05The best wines, "grands crus", are made mostly from the grapes near the top of sunny slopes,
0:08:05 > 0:08:07something in Anne-Claude's favour.
0:08:10 > 0:08:16There are 400 different types of soil in Burgundy and she is very proud of hers.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18You see how nice it is?
0:08:22 > 0:08:27For me, what is most important in here is what you don't see.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It is what is in the soil, OK?
0:08:30 > 0:08:33The roots that go very deep in the soil
0:08:33 > 0:08:37and give the minerality of the wine
0:08:37 > 0:08:41and the complexity in the wine, and this is what is most important.
0:08:41 > 0:08:45Her vineyard is the most celebrated vineyard in the whole world -
0:08:45 > 0:08:50Chevalier-Montrachet, Batard-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53all her wines, whatever she touches, she makes gold.
0:08:57 > 0:09:02As the sun continues to shine, the harvest is blessed with good weather.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07For this vineyard at least, the vendange is nearly over for another year.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12Now the process of wine-making starts.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18You notice they are very small
0:09:18 > 0:09:20and also the flavour...
0:09:21 > 0:09:23Good flavour.
0:09:23 > 0:09:29A bit more acidity than you would have normally in a dessert grape, but a very good flavour.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32Hidden from view,
0:09:32 > 0:09:35grape juice becomes wine
0:09:35 > 0:09:41and it takes time for Anne-Claude's wine to grace the tables of any feast.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46From now to the bottling, it is 18 months. Deux grossesses.
0:09:46 > 0:09:53So from now on, it will take 18 months of pregnancy to make sure that the wine comes to...
0:09:53 > 0:09:56- Two pregnancies. - ..to a great ChassagneMontrachet.
0:09:56 > 0:10:02Finally, the moment Raymond's aching back and sore knees are longing for.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04To you.
0:10:07 > 0:10:13I would describe the feminine qualities of that wine are there, big, extremely elegant.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17My father used to describe the wine, comparing it to a woman.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21One day I said, "You have to stop and try to compare it to..."
0:10:21 > 0:10:26- A man.- Not only a woman with the legs and the body and...- The chest.
0:10:26 > 0:10:31Then he compared it to music and I thought it more...
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- Yeah. It's less personal.- I think music, Mozart, Vivaldi...- Tres bien.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41- To you.- Raymond, merci. - A long life to Burgundy. Vive la Bourgogne!- Merci.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50And when you're happy in Burgundy, it's traditional to sing a little song.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54THEY SING TUNE
0:11:07 > 0:11:08- Whoo!- Whoo!
0:11:15 > 0:11:19In his time as one of the most respected chefs in the UK,
0:11:19 > 0:11:25Raymond has known the stress and strain of maintaining excellence in large restaurants,
0:11:25 > 0:11:30so his return to the region is allowing him to follow a different path -
0:11:30 > 0:11:33humbler surroundings to cook and be host,
0:11:33 > 0:11:40happy in the knowledge that his Burgundy menu needs to be fit for a king, but not served in a palace.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43- BARKING - Come on. Come on.
0:11:43 > 0:11:49Raymond senses he may have found a place close to his rustic French heart to cook - La Ruchotte,
0:11:49 > 0:11:53the rural dream of chef Frederic Menager.
0:11:55 > 0:12:01"La Ruchotte" means "a pile of stone". I think it's a bit more than that, but what I love about it
0:12:01 > 0:12:05is the serenity, the peace, the quietness.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Then full of farm animals, everywhere it goes - chicken,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12pigs, flocks of turkeys for Christmas, fattening up,
0:12:12 > 0:12:18and all this food is either grown locally, farmed himself or...
0:12:18 > 0:12:22- COCKEREL CROWS - Shut up! Don't compete with me!
0:12:22 > 0:12:26You rooster, be careful. You have a chef beside you.
0:12:27 > 0:12:32This hidden treasure deep in the countryside, 40 miles from Dijon,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36has become a destination restaurant for the area.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38What is cooking? Lovely, Frederic...
0:12:38 > 0:12:40- Ca va, Raymond?- Tres, tres bien.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Long time no see. Beautiful.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Having trained under some outstanding French chefs,
0:12:46 > 0:12:51Frederic was one of the rising stars of French gastronomy
0:12:51 > 0:12:56when he decided to quit the bright lights ten years ago and escape to the country.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00It takes a great amount of courage to make the choice he has made
0:13:00 > 0:13:05because he's going away from the three-star Michelin circuit to say, "I don't want that life.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10"I want a simple life where I depend on myself and only I cook."
0:13:10 > 0:13:14Sometimes, I must tell you, I've thought about it as well.
0:13:14 > 0:13:19Sometimes you have... The bigger the team, the bigger the problems are.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23So I understand his choice really and I respect it.
0:13:23 > 0:13:29Much of what he serves is grown on his farm, so everything is fresh and of the highest quality.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32See how quickly he can make a fantastic dish?
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Just get anything from the garden, chop it up, throw it in the pan,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40break an egg inside, a few herbs and you are in heaven. Simple!
0:13:42 > 0:13:46- OK, let's go. Bring that.- Attends! - Don't be so mean.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48It's not a restaurant portion.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51Voila!
0:13:51 > 0:13:57At the large dining table that is the central feature of eating Frederic's food,
0:13:57 > 0:14:03Raymond can experience the ambience of the dining room before he holds his feast here.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- Bon appetit.- A ta sante! Merci, Frederic.
0:14:11 > 0:14:17Parfait. It's a challenge because I'm cooking for French people who are difficult and demanding
0:14:17 > 0:14:20and they will say, "Who is that half-Frenchman?"
0:14:20 > 0:14:26Immediately, there will be a serious doubt in their mind as to the credentials of this Frenchman.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30"Two-star Michelin? Oh, yes. In England, it means nothing."
0:14:30 > 0:14:34So there will be a prejudice against my skill.
0:14:34 > 0:14:41I've got to overcome this prejudice and give them a feast like they have never had. I'll give them that.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Knowing where his food comes from is vital to Raymond's life as a cook.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47He learnt these values as a child
0:14:47 > 0:14:53and while he may never have dreamt he would return to Burgundy to host a feast like this,
0:14:53 > 0:14:59it is this belief that brings him to the high pastures of the Morvan region of Burgundy
0:14:59 > 0:15:03to come face to face with his main course - beef.
0:15:04 > 0:15:11Raymond has asked Katie-Beth, one of his young kitchen assistants and a butcher's daughter, to join him.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14As ever, he is in search of the best herd.
0:15:14 > 0:15:21In Burgundy, he is hoping that's the big white Charolais of farmer Marcel Diot.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23Monsieur, bonjour.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26- Raymond Blanc. - Enchante. Marcel Diot.
0:15:28 > 0:15:35Marcel has been farming this breed for 38 years, winning countless prizes for their quality.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41He was in the mum's belly.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45Yesterday. Today is the first time it is outside.
0:15:45 > 0:15:52- New steps in the world, a new world for him. He stays very close to his mum, as you can see.- He's gorgeous.
0:15:52 > 0:15:57Raymond has the pleasure of taking the calf on its first trip to pasture.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Marcel doesn't breed at speed.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06Some breeders will take a cow to slaughter after only six months,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10but his cattle live outdoors for three to four years.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12Pas la, pas la, pas la!
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Good, Katie. Bravo!
0:16:14 > 0:16:19He wants his cows to grow slowly as the meat will taste better.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22They only drink spring water
0:16:22 > 0:16:27and have only a small supplement of cattle feed on top of the grass they eat in the field.
0:16:27 > 0:16:34Marcel's prize Charolais also live in a single-sex environment with bulls and cows kept separately.
0:16:41 > 0:16:47They are free. They eat the grass, they sleep, they eat more, they sleep. There is no stress.
0:16:47 > 0:16:52It takes four years to create the most tasty, the most beautiful beef.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55It's a Charolles, the best meat.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59- Is the grass important, the type of grass that they eat?- Oui, oui.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13Look at the kind of rump that they have.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19- Look at the definition of the muscle. It's not a big rump and fat.- No.- Very lean.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Only that much, compared to Angus Aberdeen.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28With gold standard cattle in his gaze and the world's best red wine at his fingertips,
0:17:28 > 0:17:32Raymond knows what local dish he has to serve up.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40A Burgundian classic in their own back yard?
0:17:40 > 0:17:44A boeuf bourguignon for locals will need the right cut.
0:17:55 > 0:18:01Madame knows, of course. That's typical. He knows how to farm the food and she knows how to cook it.
0:18:01 > 0:18:08The farmer's wife would cook with paleron - "blade", so Raymond is now armed with a regional recipe tip.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Katie, what is paleron?
0:18:10 > 0:18:14- Blade, chef.- Well done. Where is it? Show me.
0:18:14 > 0:18:18- Here? Where your shoulder blade is? - Pretty good. Underneath.
0:18:18 > 0:18:24It's a beautiful muscle and I hope we will be able to carve it out, OK?
0:18:25 > 0:18:32There are so many great treasures in France and that, the Charolais, is one of them.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42Back at La Ruchotte, the distinguished rural restaurant
0:18:42 > 0:18:47where Raymond is going to be chef and host for one night, he is keen to try out
0:18:47 > 0:18:54- what he hopes will be the most delicious boeuf bourguignon in Burgundy.- Get me a pair of scissors.
0:18:54 > 0:18:59And he has managed to purchase some of Marcel's reputable beef for his pot.
0:18:59 > 0:19:03This boeuf bourguignon is a wonderfully simple recipe,
0:19:03 > 0:19:08though it requires both a long marinade and slow cooking in the oven.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11OK, the beef, the veg, the herbs, everything ready.
0:19:11 > 0:19:17The blade is one of the toughest parts of the beast and ideal for a long cook.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22These pieces are made to be cooked slowly and they are relatively less expensive.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26First, a wine-based marinade to flavour the beef.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30You don't need an expensive wine. You want something rich and deep.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35Cabernet Sauvignon, perfect for the bourguignon. One bottle for four.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40I'm concentrating the flavour and the colour of the wine.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45- So quite thick because it cooks for about two hours.- OK.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48The marinade adds depth of flavour.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53It also tenderises the meat and adds a dramatic colour.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57And pour your warm wine... Not hot. You mustn't cook the meat.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01After 12 hours, the marinade will have worked its magic.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05This dish to me incarnates a region.
0:20:05 > 0:20:11When I see this, immediately I think of one region and one only - Bourgogne.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15After just 12 hours' marinade, look what has happened.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18All that colouring... Beautiful.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20OK, now we're going to drain it.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22So a big...
0:20:22 > 0:20:25So press...
0:20:25 > 0:20:29See what's happened as well? A lot of wine, OK. We need to dry it.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35If you don't dry it, when you pan-fry it, it's going to spit all over the place. Voila!
0:20:35 > 0:20:40In a very hot pan, sear the marinaded meat in vegetable oil.
0:20:40 > 0:20:46Smell that. The kitchen is already full of Burgundy, every bit of Burgundy here.
0:20:46 > 0:20:51That's a very nice coloration here. We're going to use the same pan.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56To get a little extra flavour, cook the vegetables in the juices of the seared beef.
0:20:56 > 0:21:01I don't have to use two pans. A bit of butter.... Plenty.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05Now we're ready. A nice bit of browning here.
0:21:06 > 0:21:12To thicken the sauce, Raymond uses toasted flour which has a nutty flavour.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Voila. Slowly.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17More. More, more, more.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Tres bien.
0:21:19 > 0:21:26- Let's put some more water.- To give the sauce more volume for the long cook, Raymond adds more liquid.
0:21:26 > 0:21:32You can use stock, but my mum always told me to use water and she was a very wise lady.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34Look at that beautiful colour.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37And Raymond isn't shy with the salt.
0:21:37 > 0:21:43- These are tiny little pinches. - Fairy pinches.- Don't be cheeky, OK? I couldn't help it.
0:21:45 > 0:21:51- You can already feel that magic, do you?- You can start tasting the herbs and...- Everything in here.
0:21:51 > 0:21:57And the beef as well. I love Burgundy. There's rusticity, but also a lot of elegance.
0:21:59 > 0:22:05This goes into a pre-heated oven at 100 degrees for four-and-a-half hours.
0:22:06 > 0:22:11Raymond garnishes the beef with mushrooms and lardons.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16Voila. The beef is ready. Tres bien. Look at that!
0:22:16 > 0:22:19You could do a beautiful mousseline of potato.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23And to finish, marinated vegetables glazed with butter.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26So simple and so lovely.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30Not too much. Katie, here, take a little.
0:22:32 > 0:22:38- Beautiful, melting?- Yeah, it's really tender. It just melts in your mouth.- So succulent.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43With the boeuf bourguignon recipe delivering the mouth-watering depth of flavour he hoped for,
0:22:43 > 0:22:49Raymond is on course to deliver the guests a dish that meets their refined Burgundy palates.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04Beaune, just a few miles from the kitchen, is the wine capital of Burgundy
0:23:04 > 0:23:09where many of the locals can train those refined taste buds.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13Here, 163 restaurants flirt with a population of just 25,000.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19It is such a lovely little city, genteel. It's full of lovely little wine shops,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22little patisseries everywhere, bakeries.
0:23:22 > 0:23:28And you can see people look happy. They just meander around the city and they feel totally relaxed.
0:23:28 > 0:23:34If you love food, wine and an elegant city, Beaune is the right place for you.
0:23:38 > 0:23:44It's a place of gastronomy that sits amongst the tiles of Burgundy architecture.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47The market has been here since the founding fathers
0:23:47 > 0:23:52of the region's cuisine, the Dukes of Burgundy, ruled.
0:23:52 > 0:23:58A visit here is a must for Raymond to taste and think about the finest ingredients for his feast.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03A little Santenay. It is ten o'clock. Perfect.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08Beyond cheese and wine, Raymond's visit to Beaune has also brought to his attention mustard
0:24:08 > 0:24:11and the last remaining moutarderie - mustard factory.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16The region is famous for this condiment from the well-known Dijon recipe
0:24:16 > 0:24:20to the unique, hot, rarer moutarde de Bourgogne,
0:24:20 > 0:24:24a unique product of this producer and it is of interest to Raymond.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28Mustard was the cheap spice of the past, OK?
0:24:28 > 0:24:35When you couldn't afford pepper which was too expensive because it was imported from far away,
0:24:35 > 0:24:41so only the rich could afford it, but the crushed mustard seeds was the spice of the poor,
0:24:41 > 0:24:47which made quickly its way to the tables of the rich because it was so delicious.
0:24:51 > 0:24:56At the Fallot Moutarderie, they uphold the old artisan traditions
0:24:56 > 0:24:59that made mustard the spice of all men.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03One detail - their old delivery truck has caught Raymond's attention.
0:25:05 > 0:25:07I think I like this car very much.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11That car is made in Sochaux, my home town, OK?
0:25:11 > 0:25:15One thing I don't like in this car is that colour.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17That's not the yellow of Dijon.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21That is very much the colour of English mustard, not French mustard,
0:25:21 > 0:25:25so if you have a car which is meant to represent the Burgundy value
0:25:25 > 0:25:29and you get the wrong colour, you are in trouble.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33To prove there's not a waft of English trouble inside,
0:25:33 > 0:25:39he's meeting Marc, the grandson of founder Edmond Fallot, and donning the strict dress code.
0:25:39 > 0:25:44Very designer(!) Yves Saint Laurent? It's made to measure. Thank you very much.
0:25:44 > 0:25:49Not any more. Too much mustard and coq au vin.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51C'est la vie.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55Is it possible to have a proper chef's hat?
0:25:55 > 0:26:00- We can do it, yeah. Next time, I wil do it for you.- Next time. Oh, yeah.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04Marc has to import some mustard seed from Canada too,
0:26:04 > 0:26:09but he is encouraging more local production and only uses Burgundian seed
0:26:09 > 0:26:13in the moutarde de Bourgogne that Raymond wants.
0:26:13 > 0:26:18It is a premium mustard and all the raw materials are coming from Burgundy.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21As they say, as hot as mustard. And it is.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26As a chef, as a craftsman, tasting the raw ingredients is important
0:26:26 > 0:26:32because that allows you to establish the acidity, the strength
0:26:32 > 0:26:37and also the flavour of that seed, and they're all very different.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42That one is very good because, of course, it comes from Burgundy.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45To start the process of making their mustard,
0:26:45 > 0:26:51the 1,500-kilo sack of seeds is emptied into the factory for blowing and washing.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55- It will not fall on the head of somebody? - No, we are sure about that.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Marc, when did you learn how to make mustard?
0:27:01 > 0:27:05My grandfather bought this factory in 1928.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10I learnt the process and the secrets
0:27:10 > 0:27:14how to make a very good Dijon and Burgundy mustard.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18So what are the secrets of making a great Dijon mustard?
0:27:18 > 0:27:21- I will not tell you.- Why not?
0:27:21 > 0:27:23But you know, it's like cooking.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25When you have good ingredients,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28when you know how to cook it,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- you have the best cuisine.- Mm-hm.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36The factory is an assault on senses, both taste and hearing.
0:27:38 > 0:27:43Mustard-making at its simplest involves grinding and crushing mustard seeds
0:27:43 > 0:27:46with acidic liquid like verjuice.
0:27:47 > 0:27:53They are mixed with a "verjus" which is made of vinegar, Burgundy white wine, salt...
0:27:53 > 0:27:57and all the other secret ingredients.
0:27:57 > 0:28:04This recipe, which could be 300 kilograms at a time, is brought in here, mixed
0:28:04 > 0:28:07and then grounded in this big silex stone.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11We can already see the seeds here which have been crushed
0:28:11 > 0:28:16and this lovely yellow juice is oozing out of these seeds.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21You don't have any overheating of the mustard during the crushing,
0:28:21 > 0:28:25so you have all the flavour inside the mustard.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28It's the best way to have a very good, artisanal mustard.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32You realise that mustard here...
0:28:32 > 0:28:34OK...
0:28:34 > 0:28:38I wouldn't mind... Oh, I'm dreaming now of a beautiful steak.
0:28:39 > 0:28:43Or un poulet au vinaigre, poulet a la moutarde.
0:28:43 > 0:28:49- Charolais beef.- Oh, la la! Don't say that. I feel famished.
0:28:51 > 0:28:55So all the hungry Frenchman requires to satisfy his tummy
0:28:55 > 0:28:58is a pot of mustard.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03That is a very, very big pot of mustard, I can assure you.
0:29:03 > 0:29:07Wow! It goes for your nose as well and your eyes.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09Oh, la la!
0:29:09 > 0:29:16Marc has decided to offer Raymond a more manageable tub, but it's not only Raymond who's hungry.
0:29:16 > 0:29:24The workforce have gone to lunch, proving that French and English mustards are different in many ways.
0:29:24 > 0:29:29- Please, quick, quick! - Getting better! Oh, that's it! I'm in trouble again!
0:29:29 > 0:29:34- You have to put the cork... - Oh, my God! My God! Oh!
0:29:34 > 0:29:36- OK.- Tres bien.
0:29:37 > 0:29:42Normally I sign my books, but I am signing a Bourgogne mustard.
0:29:42 > 0:29:47- We have around 10,000 jars to sign. - Oh, my God! Let's get on with it.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52- Voila!- Thank you.
0:29:55 > 0:30:03Back at the kitchen, Raymond's planning to use both the cheese and mustard he found earlier.
0:30:03 > 0:30:08Kush, taste the mustard, please. Bourgogne mustard.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Clears out your nostrils a bit!
0:30:13 > 0:30:19He's going to make Burgundian canapes called gougeres for his feast.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23These savoury choux pastries are often served cold at wine tastings,
0:30:23 > 0:30:29but they also make a good warm canape, filled with a traditional mustardy cheese mixture.
0:30:32 > 0:30:39The butter. A pinch of salt. Very important because if you forget that salt, the pastry is so thin
0:30:39 > 0:30:42and bland. OK?
0:30:42 > 0:30:46Thin and bland would not impress Raymond's guests.
0:30:46 > 0:30:52Choux pastry is really an important pastry. Very light. You can fill it as it puffs out.
0:30:52 > 0:30:58L'amour de cuisine - the love of cooking. Raymond likes nothing more than this kind of work,
0:30:58 > 0:31:00combining feel and fine judgment.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04Don't cook it too long. The milk is evaporating.
0:31:04 > 0:31:09Choux relies entirely on the moisture in the mix for the steam that puffs the pastry.
0:31:09 > 0:31:16- All right, Chef? - That's the most difficult bit. You are adding egg white and egg yolk.
0:31:16 > 0:31:23Egg yolk adds colour, flavour, richness. Egg white adds binding and lifting powers.
0:31:23 > 0:31:28- Find a friend like me. No? It's a partnership.- Oui, Chef.
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Absolutely. Look at your texture. It is very simple.
0:31:32 > 0:31:38- I will look. - We're looking for it to fall off the spoon like that?- Fall off.- Oui.
0:31:38 > 0:31:40Tres bien.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44Now a little cheese and a piping bag.
0:31:44 > 0:31:468mm nozzle.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51- Cool that down.- Oui, Chef. - For about 10 minutes.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Room temperature is perfect.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Voila.
0:31:55 > 0:32:02Originally, gougeres were more like pancakes. Light ones like these need a more modern oven.
0:32:02 > 0:32:07- There we are. Tres bien. - Now a cheese and mustard filling.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11Now a roux, a classic of French cuisine.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14You add your flour.
0:32:16 > 0:32:21- So that's the roux. - Shall I heat your milk?- Yes. You could put cloves inside, bay leaf.
0:32:21 > 0:32:26Whatever flavouring you want. We are going to use the mustard.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30It's blending now, exactly as I want it. Look, voila. I can smell it now.
0:32:30 > 0:32:37The cheese comes from a little further away. It's a Comte Reserve, but it's still only come 60 miles.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41Now you can salt, seasoning. You need very little salt.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45Pepper. Voila. ..Give me the rest.
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Silkier. Voila.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53And the most important part of the operation.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Voila. Shall we taste one?
0:32:56 > 0:33:01Bien. More mustard inside and that would be perfect.
0:33:01 > 0:33:06I would try some new ones with lots of cheese. A mountain of cheese.
0:33:06 > 0:33:13That's the canape recipe settled for his feast. All he will need to do is serve them warm on the night.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24COCK CROWS
0:33:24 > 0:33:28The surroundings Raymond has chosen to cook his feast
0:33:28 > 0:33:32are a strong reminder of the simple roots great cooking can have.
0:33:32 > 0:33:38Frederic the chef and owner of the restaurant no longer chases Michelin stars,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41so he has time for other pursuits.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Oh, la la. Look at these little things.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46Oh, look at that.
0:33:46 > 0:33:48Look at that.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52In six months, it will be ready for the pot!
0:33:52 > 0:33:54Sorry!
0:33:54 > 0:33:57Oh, look at the little things.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05That one wants to really go out. Come on, baby. Life!
0:34:05 > 0:34:08- Fun! The fields! - CHICK CHIRPS
0:34:08 > 0:34:12You've got to be very gentle. Voila.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Voila! Look at that.
0:34:19 > 0:34:22Oh, la la. Oh, la la.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26"I want to go back in my lovely comfort!"
0:34:26 > 0:34:28What chickens are they?
0:34:36 > 0:34:41You need some chickens in February. So he is trying this breed
0:34:41 > 0:34:45which he has never tried before. He heard very good comments.
0:34:45 > 0:34:50OK, petits. I will leave you. Back to the warmth.
0:34:55 > 0:35:00It's 10am in Bligny-sur-ouche, a village near Beaune.
0:35:00 > 0:35:07To continue in the spirit of his rural pursuits, Raymond has decided to try to catch a local fish
0:35:07 > 0:35:11he wishes to serve as a starter - gudgeon.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16Raymond and Kush are hoping the early angler will catch the poisson.
0:35:27 > 0:35:30You're very dangerous. You've never fished.
0:35:30 > 0:35:36They are shown to a fishing hot spot by the president of the local fishing society, Monsieur Niveau.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48The maggots in Burgundy are pink. In England, they're white.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55Unfortunately, they cannot catch gudgeon from the bank.
0:35:55 > 0:36:02I've got to look good, Kush. Nobody cares how you look - it's about me!
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Voila, help me.
0:36:05 > 0:36:09Putting on waders is not one of Raymond's greatest skills.
0:36:09 > 0:36:10OK.
0:36:10 > 0:36:13Don't touch me now!
0:36:13 > 0:36:15It's for a giant?
0:36:15 > 0:36:20I'm not a giant! I'm a small big man.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22Or a big small man.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26- Kush, you are going to pay for that. - Pay for what?!
0:36:28 > 0:36:30C'est pas sexy, eh?
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Oh, la la.
0:36:33 > 0:36:40- Of course, the key to successful fishing is absolute peace and quiet. - Allez, les petits! Allez!
0:36:40 > 0:36:43It's 12 o'clock. Come on, soon.
0:36:43 > 0:36:48- How many fish would normally be caught in a day? - Yesterday, 1.2 kilos.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52But today is not our day so far.
0:36:52 > 0:36:58Finally, a bit of luck. Monsieur Niveau reels in a gudgeon. But just one.
0:37:01 > 0:37:08Raymond may be needing a more reliable source for the feast, but for now it's a taste test.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15Our starter is goujons, served with tartare sauce.
0:37:16 > 0:37:20- Oh, they are beautiful. How many did you catch?- None.
0:37:20 > 0:37:25- None.- I'm proud of that. - Thank God we had a professional fisherman.
0:37:25 > 0:37:31- You dry them before we flour them. - Dusted with seasoned flour, they are deep fried.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36- Separately we'll do a little tartare sauce.- Egg yolks and vegetable oil are whisked with Dijon mustard
0:37:36 > 0:37:40to make a mayonnaise, the base of the tartare sauce.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42- OK, Kush?- Oui, Chef.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45- Chef, the thickness?- Tres bien.
0:37:45 > 0:37:52To that, add chopped chervil and parsley, garlic, capers and chopped baby gherkins, a little lemon juice,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54salt and pepper.
0:37:56 > 0:38:03- Oh, the textures are lovely, no? - And a small amount of vinegar? - Yes, just to give it sharpness.
0:38:03 > 0:38:07The "je ne sais quoi" will lift. OK? Voila.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14Of course, for our guests we will have a big, big dish of white bait.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16No thanks to you, Kush.
0:38:28 > 0:38:35The geographical location of Burgundy as the transport crossroads of France has always drawn in chefs
0:38:35 > 0:38:41to feed the hungry travellers and thus build much of the region's gastronomic fame.
0:38:41 > 0:38:48Bourgogne is big about its food. It loves its food. So it's got lots of great chefs that come here.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51It's fantastic produce.
0:38:51 > 0:38:58You've got frogs everywhere, pikes. It's a big gare de manger. It's really a place about food.
0:38:58 > 0:39:02So a lot of great chefs have come here, set up their shop here
0:39:02 > 0:39:07and created a little place of excellence.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12One of these places of excellence is Relais Bernard Loiseau,
0:39:12 > 0:39:18an inn on the former Nationale Six, one of the old roads to the French Riviera.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22Sadly, Bernard Loiseau took his own life in 2003.
0:39:22 > 0:39:29At that time, he held three Michelin stars and was at the forefront of French fine dining.
0:39:29 > 0:39:35His light style of cooking is still much admired and Raymond will pay homage to one of his classics.
0:39:35 > 0:39:39This establishment is a legacy to one man, Bernard Loiseau.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43He was a great chef, an innovator, a modern chef,
0:39:43 > 0:39:50who knew that cuisine had to become lighter, fresher, cleaner, obeying all the cycles of seasons.
0:39:50 > 0:39:55Dominique, Bernard's widow, remains good friends with Raymond.
0:39:55 > 0:39:59She has skilfully retained their three-star reputation.
0:39:59 > 0:40:06On this visit she has found an old photograph of the inn, which she is keen to show Raymond.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Take off this old photo from 1875.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15- Ahh.- Voila.- Ah, voila!- Voila.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18C'est interessant.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22Parisians used to come in carts with their horses.
0:40:22 > 0:40:27They came with the horses. That was the water for the horses.
0:40:27 > 0:40:31- Can we go outside just to see how it's changed?- Of course.
0:40:32 > 0:40:39Also known as the Cote d'Or, it has changed little since 1875 as a staging post and eatery.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43This is La Cote d'Or, this building on the corner here.
0:40:43 > 0:40:50Today it is still effectively a traveller's inn, albeit with three stars,
0:40:50 > 0:40:55- and the grand cars have become trucks.- The ramparts and tower here.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00As more people drove to the French Riviera, it gained popularity with the rich and famous,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04being given its first Michelin star in 1926.
0:41:04 > 0:41:10Guests today still take breakfast in the original dining room with all its great memories
0:41:10 > 0:41:12of the famous people.
0:41:12 > 0:41:17These are very expensive motor cars, OK? Coming from here.
0:41:17 > 0:41:21Whether it is Fitzgerald or... Who are the famous people who came here?
0:41:21 > 0:41:28- Charlie Chaplin came here? - Yes. Charlie Chaplin, Danny Kaye, Hemingway, Dali. Everybody.
0:41:28 > 0:41:34- Did you get planning permission to change your beautiful Burgundian windows in that style?- Yes.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37Yes, but they are nicer now.
0:41:37 > 0:41:44Planning permission, a long time ago in France, was all about how many bottles of wine you put in the car.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48Not any more. It's more difficult!
0:41:48 > 0:41:53Burgundy windows may have changed and cars may not need to hold so much wine,
0:41:53 > 0:42:00but Raymond knows inside are the wonders of modern French food, steeped in history.
0:42:02 > 0:42:08These days, frogs legs nestle on a light bed of parsley jus, one of their signature dishes.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14And those famous poached eggs in wine are truly haute cuisine.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Merci.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24They look marvellous.
0:42:24 > 0:42:30That is representative of a very local cuisine, where you get your frog, simply pan-fried,
0:42:30 > 0:42:36with loads of garlic and fresh herbs. What you are doing here is to take a simple peasant dish
0:42:36 > 0:42:41and you create something of total excellence, of total beauty.
0:42:41 > 0:42:46That's what he has done. Thank you very much.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Yes, of course.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57Beautiful. Look at that. The heart of burgundy.
0:42:57 > 0:43:03It's just a reduction. Seven litres of wine gives you one litre of this sauce.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07It takes a long time to make the reduction.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09He has poached the eggs separately,
0:43:09 > 0:43:14do a beautiful, heavily-concentrated sauce, an essence of red wine.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17You've got the heart of the red wine here, the heart of Burgundy.
0:43:17 > 0:43:23And you must eat a little of each together, you know.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26You must put the things together.
0:43:26 > 0:43:32By 1935, the inn had three stars, which it held until 1965.
0:43:32 > 0:43:39When my husband came in '75, he absolutely wanted to bring three stars again.
0:43:39 > 0:43:44And my husband say every day when he puts his socks...
0:43:44 > 0:43:48He said, "I will get three stars. I will get three stars."
0:43:48 > 0:43:55- It was his obsession. - I can sympathise a great deal with Bernard because, after all,
0:43:55 > 0:44:00my whole life was shaped, every moment of it, seven days a week, eighteen hours a day,
0:44:00 > 0:44:04was defined by that pursuit of excellence.
0:44:04 > 0:44:09It's what we call a vision. He had a very powerful vision.
0:44:09 > 0:44:14And it takes only one man to create a state or to create something truly beautiful.
0:44:14 > 0:44:19A man's vision and he dedicates his whole life at achieving this.
0:44:19 > 0:44:25Bernard was very much one of those guys. I must tell you,
0:44:25 > 0:44:31you know I am cooking in Burgundy and hope to cook something beautiful for my Burgundian friends.
0:44:31 > 0:44:38- And I hope you'll be coming... - You'll cook for me?- Of course! - I will come with my daughter, too!
0:44:38 > 0:44:40- Thank you.- I look forward to it.
0:44:47 > 0:44:53With the knowledge that he will have at least one three-Michelin-starred guest to feed,
0:44:53 > 0:44:59Raymond enjoys the rural kitchen, far from the whirl of the many staff at his English restaurant.
0:45:02 > 0:45:06What a life. How true it is, how beautiful, how pure.
0:45:06 > 0:45:12And all that you have is a table to cook for 10 or 15 guests, a beautiful little kitchen
0:45:12 > 0:45:19and a farm around you. And just away from the tourbillon of life,
0:45:19 > 0:45:21of the other life.
0:45:30 > 0:45:36The medieval monks, when they were helping developing the region's vineyards and great cheeses,
0:45:36 > 0:45:42would probably have also enjoyed some of the Burgundy tranquillity which is enchanting to Raymond.
0:45:42 > 0:45:49At the time of building up the region's cuisine, they are thought to have introduced blackcurrants,
0:45:49 > 0:45:53arriving with the trade routes from Asia.
0:45:54 > 0:45:59Today they remain the fruit most closely associated with Burgundy,
0:45:59 > 0:46:03being eaten and used to produce a variety of cassis cordials.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06- Bonjour.- Bonjour!- Bonjour.
0:46:06 > 0:46:13One of the renowned growers of blackcurrants in the region has inspired Raymond's dessert choice.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17You gave me an idea.
0:46:17 > 0:46:24I'm going to take this cassis to make a beautiful dessert called vacherin. It will be special.
0:46:25 > 0:46:30This blackcurrant vacherin is a tantalising combination of textures.
0:46:30 > 0:46:34Smooth ice cream, a fruity sorbet and crunchy meringue -
0:46:34 > 0:46:39flavours combined to burst in your mouth with eye-popping pleasure.
0:46:39 > 0:46:45You can make it as simple or complicated as you want, so we've gone for the complicated version!
0:46:45 > 0:46:47OK, let's go.
0:46:47 > 0:46:52At least one hour before, marinate with the sugar.
0:46:52 > 0:46:59Macerating with fructose or caster sugar draws juices and thus flavour out of the currants.
0:46:59 > 0:47:03That will marinate a little bit for better flavour.
0:47:03 > 0:47:09Voila. Tres bien. So ice cream - I take eight egg yolks, 140 grams of sugar only.
0:47:09 > 0:47:17- 200 grams of cream, 200 grams of milk.- Next a vanilla creme Anglaise, which will become the ice cream.
0:47:17 > 0:47:23You could use 100% cream. Much richer. I like my ice cream melting, but less fat into it.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27And it gives a better texture. Voila. Tres, tres bien.
0:47:27 > 0:47:34- How can you see it is good vanilla? - Because it's soft.- Yes, soft. Pregnant with seeds.
0:47:34 > 0:47:38And as well - smell. Smell that. You have to use that sense.
0:47:38 > 0:47:43Very important. Lovely and fat. That's come from Madagascar. OK?
0:47:43 > 0:47:48- So we puree it with a bit of syrup. - Could you use essence?
0:47:48 > 0:47:53Yes, you can use essence. You can use dried vanilla.
0:47:53 > 0:48:00You can use the whole baton. The puree uses the whole of the vanilla for more flavour.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04- Wonderful.- Cream is gently warmed to infuse with vanilla.
0:48:04 > 0:48:11There's still black pods of vanilla. It's beautiful. The flavours burst out. The smell is wonderful.
0:48:12 > 0:48:19- That is added to creamed egg yolks and sugar.- Gently, gently. There's no need to go fast.
0:48:19 > 0:48:24It's OK. Voila. Pour it back in here. You see?
0:48:24 > 0:48:31- This is a very delicate part of the process. - It's not thickened enough now.
0:48:33 > 0:48:37It's going to curdle from the bottom to start with.
0:48:37 > 0:48:42- That's why you stir, to distribute the heat.- Oui.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45See, it's very quick.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48- From thin to cooked.- Oui.
0:48:48 > 0:48:53That's good. If you leave it like that, it will curdle even now.
0:48:53 > 0:48:54Voila.
0:48:54 > 0:49:00What you can do is put that on ice if you want to. Look at this.
0:49:00 > 0:49:06That has to be cooled down before it is churned in an ice cream maker.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08Away.
0:49:09 > 0:49:17Now the macerated blackcurrants are blitzed into a puree which has to be sieved for silky smoothness.
0:49:17 > 0:49:23This always reminds me of my mum making jam, getting the fruits in the forest to puree them
0:49:23 > 0:49:27and make desserts and sorbet and so on.
0:49:27 > 0:49:32With a little lemon juice added, this goes in the ice cream maker to create a sorbet.
0:49:32 > 0:49:38Katie has already made discs of meringue and so Raymond is ready to assemble the vacherin.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42Very nicely done. Now for our vacherin.
0:49:42 > 0:49:47We have our meringue, vanilla ice cream, a sorbet blackcurrant cassis
0:49:47 > 0:49:50and a little bit of whipped cream.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52Voila, tres bien.
0:49:53 > 0:49:57The ice cream goes everywhere. Voila.
0:49:57 > 0:50:01Then you take your meringue and you press on it to sink it.
0:50:01 > 0:50:06Tres bien. So then more vanilla ice cream.
0:50:06 > 0:50:11And what you can do is freeze it at that stage. Tres bien.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15And then I press again and I'm going to finish with my cassis.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19You'd freeze it so the colours don't mix.
0:50:21 > 0:50:26Up and down. Well done. And drag it. Up and... Voila!
0:50:27 > 0:50:32This should be kept in the freezer until ready to be served.
0:50:32 > 0:50:39This sumptuous dessert should be ideal to finish the feast for Raymond's friends in Burgundy.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42COCK CROWS
0:50:48 > 0:50:54Feast day. Kush and Katie are busy in the kitchen of the farm restaurant.
0:50:54 > 0:51:01Although the epitome of rustic Burgundy, Raymond's determined to bring his top chef detail.
0:51:03 > 0:51:10To tick all the boxes of his feast, he knows the French and cheese are inseparable at dinner time.
0:51:10 > 0:51:16Burgundy produces more different cheeses per hectare than any other part of France.
0:51:18 > 0:51:22So a grand cheeseboard as his final flourish is on the menu.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25- Bonjour.- Bonjour.
0:51:25 > 0:51:31Alain Hess is a third-generation cheese affineur, which means he ages and sells cheese
0:51:31 > 0:51:35produced by selected Burgundy dairy farmers.
0:51:43 > 0:51:48Forty local cheeses, just in the Burgundy area?
0:51:50 > 0:51:55He's making me taste them all. I'll end up like a Michelin man!
0:51:55 > 0:52:00Raymond's often asked how to select cheeses for a cheeseboard.
0:52:00 > 0:52:05In Burgundy, the enormous choice could make it seem impossible, but it really isn't.
0:52:05 > 0:52:11You have always to think of your guests. They are made of kids, of children,
0:52:11 > 0:52:17they may be made of ladies who like a more delicate cheese, less fat content.
0:52:17 > 0:52:23Guys usually like their cheese big and strong and rich and fatty. Masculine.
0:52:29 > 0:52:34That's his own cheese, with triple cream. Not single, not double, but triple! Why not?
0:52:37 > 0:52:40I take the fattest part.
0:52:41 > 0:52:49There's a lot of new cheeses I am learning here. I thought I knew the French cheeses, but only that much!
0:52:49 > 0:52:56Fascinating machine. I have never seen one like that. A very French republican guillotine.
0:52:58 > 0:53:00Fantastic.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04Voila.
0:53:05 > 0:53:10Ahh! Vive la republique! Long live the republic!
0:53:11 > 0:53:17Making a cheese tray is not easy. You have to think a lot. I am so tired already.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19I am. I am tired.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24Merci, Monsieur Hess.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27Merci beaucoup. Merci.
0:53:33 > 0:53:40Back in the kitchen, thankfully Raymond isn't too tired to organise. The feast is just hours away.
0:53:42 > 0:53:48The dining room is being set and the table laid under Raymond's watchful eye.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52- You work here with Katie.- Oui. - And I work here.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56We're very lucky. I think it'll be a lovely feast tonight.
0:53:57 > 0:54:03- There are 20 guests expected tonight. - The chicken house is over there.
0:54:03 > 0:54:09- Raymond needs to collect last-minute ingredients.- You lazy thing! Two!
0:54:09 > 0:54:10Look.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19These are my favourite flowers.
0:54:22 > 0:54:27Every detail of the table has to be just perfect.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31I want to do so well. You want it so perfect, you can mess it up!
0:54:31 > 0:54:35- It's going to be fine! - All right, let's go.
0:54:37 > 0:54:44It's 7pm and guests are starting to arrive. Time for the show to begin.
0:54:44 > 0:54:46- Chef?- They are perfect.
0:54:47 > 0:54:55You go and tell them, "Madame, the gougeres..." It's about experience, OK?
0:54:55 > 0:55:01- The big smile. - The gougeres de Bourgogne.- Oui. - With my really English accent?!
0:55:01 > 0:55:06- The gougeres of...Bourgogne. - De Bourgogne.- Yeah!- Merci beaucoup.
0:55:06 > 0:55:13I'm cooking THEIR food, THEIR recipes. Classics that have been there for hundreds of years.
0:55:13 > 0:55:19I know what a good gougeres is. So I am waiting for the last judgment tonight.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26- They think I'm French. - I told you!
0:55:27 > 0:55:31Goujons and tartare sauce to start the feast.
0:55:34 > 0:55:38With his friend Dominique as a guest at the feast,
0:55:38 > 0:55:43he's paying a small homage to her late husband, Bernard.
0:55:43 > 0:55:48- Snails, Chef? - Snails with nettle sauce, regarded as Bernard's signature dish.
0:55:58 > 0:56:00APPLAUSE
0:56:01 > 0:56:03C'est parti, les enfants.
0:56:07 > 0:56:12Raymond will be happy that Bernard's daughter Beatrice approves.
0:56:13 > 0:56:17- Oh, beautiful. They will love it, Kush.- Oui, Chef.
0:56:17 > 0:56:22The most tender, melting beef was his ambition.
0:56:22 > 0:56:27- You should be able to cut it with a spoon.- The proof is in the eating.
0:56:27 > 0:56:34What Raymond wants in the meal he's cooked is to represent everything learnt on his mother's knee,
0:56:34 > 0:56:40the joys of his young life growing up in France and the years being a chef in Britain.
0:56:40 > 0:56:46- Cassis.- It's about conviviality, It's about joie de vivre, it's about love -
0:56:46 > 0:56:49of food, of wine, of each other.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51- Well done.- Chef.
0:56:51 > 0:56:54- It was very tasteful. I love it. - Very special.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58We had this typical Burgundian meal, I love all this meal,
0:56:58 > 0:57:01and cooked by people from UK!
0:57:01 > 0:57:04That was totally amazing!
0:57:10 > 0:57:11Messieurs, madames.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23Merci pour votres generosite!
0:57:23 > 0:57:28Raymond senses his guests must have heard him make a speech before!
0:57:28 > 0:57:34As they laugh and sing, it's a moment to reflect on his Burgundy journey,
0:57:34 > 0:57:40thoughts that find him thinking about the life he might lead in the future, a different path
0:57:40 > 0:57:47that would maybe lead him to an auberge like this, a place to call his own.
0:57:47 > 0:57:52It's a little bit romantic as an idea, but I must say this place touched me a lot.
0:57:52 > 0:57:56Next time, Raymond continues his journey in Lyon.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02They eat so much food!
0:58:02 > 0:58:04Oh, la la!
0:58:04 > 0:58:10Women who know how to cook and how to give pleasure through their cooking.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14That is fantastic. ..I have to wear it.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18- The guests are arriving at seven o'clock. OK?- Oui.
0:58:28 > 0:58:32Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2012
0:58:33 > 0:58:35Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk