0:00:02 > 0:00:05Raymond Blanc arrived in Britain in 1972
0:00:05 > 0:00:10as a 22-year-old unemployed French waiter with 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 > 0:00:30- The food and wine of France. - Beautiful!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Now, Raymond is back to his favourite French regions
0:00:33 > 0:00:39so he can reconnect with the wonderful food and people that have inspired him.
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Farmers in Burgundy, Chefs in Lyon,
0:00:44 > 0:00:50winemakers in Alsace, good friends in Provence
0:00:50 > 0:00:54- and cheese makers in Franche-Comte. - Fantastic!
0:00:54 > 0:00:59In each region, he will take over a restaurant for one night only
0:00:59 > 0:01:02and cook a feast inspired by his journey.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03My beautiful Frenche-Comte.
0:01:03 > 0:01:08He will be serving a menu that features his version of famous local dishes.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Helping the master in his homeland
0:01:11 > 0:01:16will be two young chefs from his restaurant in Oxfordshire. Katy Beth and Kush.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Oh la, la! Oh la, la!
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Despite 30 years at the top in the UK,
0:01:22 > 0:01:27this will be the first time Raymond has had a chance to be chef in France.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Vive la France!
0:01:29 > 0:01:33It's a daunting, nerve-racking and exciting task
0:01:33 > 0:01:38but one perfectly suited to Raymond Blanc, the very hungry Frenchman.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51When the black forest of Germany is on the horizon
0:01:51 > 0:01:55and the Rhine which marks the border with France appears,
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Raymond Blanc can only be in one place - Alsace.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11Nestling in the north east corner of France, Alsace is unique.
0:02:11 > 0:02:15It has spent as much time controlled by Germany as France.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22That history is everywhere, from the street signs to the memorials.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Germany last had control here during World War II,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29something Raymond's father would have remembered
0:02:29 > 0:02:31as a veteran of the French resistance.
0:02:31 > 0:02:36Raymond's home region is neighbour to Alsace and like all of France,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39it was occupied through most of the Second World War.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42And on the right here, you've got my country,
0:02:42 > 0:02:43just on the west of it here.
0:02:43 > 0:02:49Of course, this landscape tells me a story, a wonderful story.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Alsatian culture is enriched by France and by Germany
0:02:52 > 0:02:54and of course you can find it in the food.
0:02:54 > 0:03:00And for Raymond, the food story begins in the ground.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Fields of cabbage shout sauerkraut in German or choucroute in French.
0:03:08 > 0:03:14While in the hills, the vineyards are home to a true French treasure, Alsatian wine.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19What you see on the plate is so much more than the story in the kitchen or in the soul.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22It is layering of cultures,
0:03:22 > 0:03:28of influences which paints that beautiful food onto your plate.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31One regional favourite, choucrote, tells all.
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Fermented cabbage is cooked with spices and Alsatian wine
0:03:36 > 0:03:41then served with German sausages and French charcuteries.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43And the famous, kougelhopf.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47Derived from the German for ball, kougel,
0:03:47 > 0:03:52it shares the French' love for yeast baking and is similar to a brioche.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55If I were to sum up Alsatian food,
0:03:55 > 0:04:01I would say it's hearty, wholesome, big and delicious.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06It's wonderful produce and you're not hungry for a couple of hours.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Beyond never feeling hungry,
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Alsace's influence on Raymond has come more from people than recipes.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Oh, la, la.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19He's always been drawn here
0:04:19 > 0:04:22because Alsatians really know how to party and feast.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23You need a big mouth, eh.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27So, Raymond's next few days in Alsace will be a testing journey
0:04:27 > 0:04:31as he tries to recreate their famous hospitality.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I've never seen people eating so much.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35For one night only,
0:04:35 > 0:04:39he will be taking over a restaurant in the old town of Riquewihr...
0:04:39 > 0:04:40- Allez.- One second.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44..to try and impress his Alsatian friends with a four-course feast
0:04:44 > 0:04:46inspired by their region.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- Bon appetit.- Thank you.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51He's hoping his attempt at cooking in Alsace
0:04:51 > 0:04:54will leave his guests feeling satisfied, impressed
0:04:54 > 0:04:56and full of joie de vivre.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05Raymond has many great friends in Alsace
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and, as he's planning to invite most of them to his feast,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11he's keen to get it right.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16The top restaurant in the region is the Auberge de L'Ill in Illhausern.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17Ah, Raymond, bonjour.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Chef Marc Haeberlin has been a good friend for many years.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29In the kitchen of his restaurant,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32which has held three Michelin stars for the last 44 years,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34he's putting together a local dish
0:05:34 > 0:05:38to set Raymond's taste buds on the right, Alsatian road.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42This is a specialty from the area and the dish is called....
0:05:42 > 0:05:44- Baeckeoffe.- It means...
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- The baker oven.- Baker's oven.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Normally, this dish was done by the housewives
0:05:50 > 0:05:52when they had a laundry day.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55They'd prepare this pot and bring it to the baker
0:05:55 > 0:05:57and when the man came home,
0:05:57 > 0:06:01she had a very hot meal without cooking the whole day,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03the whole morning.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- So, you are preparing my lunch? - Yes.- This is my lunch.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- What a gorgeous wife I've found. What a big hat she has.- Yeah.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16The Baeckeoffe is a peasant dish and wouldn't normally grace the table
0:06:16 > 0:06:17of Marc's refined restaurant.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29That such a great chef is cooking it from Raymond is a huge treat.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31I live a charmed life, getting always the best.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33But what are friends for if not to share
0:06:33 > 0:06:37the ordinary in extraordinary surroundings?
0:06:37 > 0:06:38Here, Raymond.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40I bring you the Baeckeoffe
0:06:41 > 0:06:45- It should be a lady bringing it to me.- No.- It is a husband.- Yes.- Yes.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- Normally, it should be. - So, which meat did you put in?
0:06:48 > 0:06:50- Can you remind me.- I put pork.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55I put lamb, beef and pork feet and pork tails.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- And white wine.- Traditional dish that belongs to the heart of Alsace.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Yes. It's always cooked in a clay pot decorated with...
0:07:02 > 0:07:06- Made in Alsace?- Made in Alsace, of course. Of course.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07Why the dough around...?
0:07:07 > 0:07:11The dough, they'd closed it, so the baker cannot eat the meat.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14They should put a padlock, I would find a way in.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18Raymond, it is a pleasure for me to have you here.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19Same for me. Thank you.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22Oh, la, la. Mmm.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26That's delicious. That is really lovely.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30And look at the tail. Look at the lovely, sweet, little tail.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34- Look at that.- It's the best part.- Oh, it's lovely. Nice, little tail, here.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36Oh, la, la. Mmm.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38So, is it French or German?
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- This is Alsatian. They don't do it in Germany.- You see, again, here,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44we're talking about here the fundamental difference.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46And you just said it yourself.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50It's neither German, it's neither French, it is Alsatian.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52Big difference.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56With his hunger satisfied by the best of Alsace hospitality,
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Raymond now has to think about
0:07:58 > 0:08:00how his Alsatian feast should take shape.
0:08:00 > 0:08:04So, Raymond, I wish you all the best for your dinner.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08I'm sure you'll find nice products here in my Alsace to cook for,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10to cook for all your friends in Riquewihr.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14I know the Alsatian people love their food and a lot of it.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18- So, I'll prepare double.- OK.- Double. - Don't make too small portions.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21No, I know, I'm going to be in trouble.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25I want to go with my honour, I want to go with a big smile on my face.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28- And a lot of Alsatian guests beaming away.- Yeah.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- So, Raymond, on your success.- Merci.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36It could be said that the food of Alsace is like a peace treaty,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39uniting two culinary traditions.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42German technique and French style have both joined together
0:08:42 > 0:08:45to create what is uniquely Alsatian cuisine.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51So, to draft Raymond's very own peace treaty,
0:08:51 > 0:08:55he's burying himself in the old town of Riquewihr,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59a mediaeval gem situated at the foot of the Vosges Mountains.
0:08:59 > 0:09:04It is like a beautiful picture. It's a postcard picture.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07It has been very much influenced by two great cultures.
0:09:07 > 0:09:12Germany and France at all levels. Culture, food, architecture, art.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15And you can see it everywhere.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Before he can cook anything,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Raymond and his assistants, Katie-Beth and Kush,
0:09:19 > 0:09:23need to settle into his chosen restaurant, La Table du Gourmet
0:09:23 > 0:09:26- in the oldest part of the town. - This is home for a week.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29- Monsieur Brendel.- Bonjour!
0:09:29 > 0:09:31- Bienvenue.- Merci beaucoup.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34This will be Raymond's home for the next few days.
0:09:34 > 0:09:35Oh, la, la.
0:09:35 > 0:09:41- It may look old, dating from 1710... - The dining room is full of passion.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44..but it holds a chef's surprise.
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- It's a palace! - An ultramodern kitchen.
0:09:49 > 0:09:54Every knob is big and hard and heavy and precise.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57I know, you, dirty of mind. The restaurant is full of passion.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00While the kitchen is minimalist, it's practical, it's pretty,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02it's good-looking.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05It's hard, coarse, in style. I like that.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- It's bleu, blanc, rouge, you have. It's a very French kitchen.- Oui.
0:10:08 > 0:10:12THEY CONVERSE IN FRENCH
0:10:14 > 0:10:16The restaurant's ambience is perfect
0:10:16 > 0:10:18and has inspired Raymond wonderfully.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20It feels right. It feels really good.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22I think we're on for a good feast, I think so.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26Now, it's all up to him, a Frenchman based in the UK
0:10:26 > 0:10:30cooking in Alsace, to get the menu just right.
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Drawing on his British side, he's going to start with a little drink.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Alsace is home to some of Raymond's favourite wines
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and he's keen, not only to fill his guests' glasses with the best,
0:10:45 > 0:10:47but also to include it in his cooking.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52Alsace wines are fantastic for drinking on their own,
0:10:52 > 0:10:53but mostly with food,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57because that's how the French drink their wine here, with food.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01And they really celebrate very well. They go very, very well together.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04You have a beautiful choucroute, OK, with a beautiful Riesling
0:11:04 > 0:11:07or spice with Gewurztraminer. You'll be in heaven, I can assure you.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Vines were probably first introduced to Alsace by the Romans
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and the region has continued making wine through the centuries since.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Although Alsatian wines make up a very small proportion
0:11:22 > 0:11:25of all UK wine sales, to connoisseurs,
0:11:25 > 0:11:28these vines produce wines that are for true wine-lovers.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30They are particularly loved by chefs.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35One wine dynasty not going back quite as far as the Romans
0:11:35 > 0:11:38is that of Leon Beyer, the family have wine making in their blood
0:11:38 > 0:11:44and Raymond isn't going to pass up the chance to drop by and say hello.
0:11:44 > 0:11:49- Hello, Marc.- Raymond.- The current head of the Beyer dynasty is Marc.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Why are you so big and I'm so small? Come on. Let's go.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02Atop the Vosges Mountains, forts tell of the warring past
0:12:02 > 0:12:06but those things don't worry Marc. The treasure here is in the soil.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11Actually, two wines, divided by that path,
0:12:11 > 0:12:13can be totally different and the definition,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15the difference is the terroir.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18The type of soil can change very quickly, you know,
0:12:18 > 0:12:22in a few metres, a few yards, you know, become more or less sandy,
0:12:22 > 0:12:26become more or less chalky. And that will give a totally different wine.
0:12:26 > 0:12:27Show me, show me that.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Here you have, for example,
0:12:29 > 0:12:32this grape and this leaf which, you see, is cut...
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- Comment peut-on dire? Dentele. - Dentele, yeah.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37Reisling leaf is light green.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40A little big for a wine grape. The big grapes,
0:12:40 > 0:12:43big berries are good to eat, never good for wine.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46- Gewurztraminer grapes, is it? - That's Gewurztraminer.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48So, that's my favourite grape, you know that.
0:12:48 > 0:12:53The size of the grapes is smaller and small grapes are better and more concentrated, the vine will be.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57That is, that's after the harvest.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01After, after the harvest. Not now. Let's go.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Alsace is most famous for its four noble varieties.
0:13:05 > 0:13:10Rieslig, Muscat, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Their rich, spicy, but fresh notes
0:13:13 > 0:13:15make them the perfect cooking wines.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18I was probably one of the very first chefs to use Gewurztraminer
0:13:18 > 0:13:20as a wine to cook.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24And, normally, that goes totally against my views,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26to use expensive wine to cook.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29But that Gewurztraminer, you find the flora,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32you can find the spice and the flavour.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Even when you've cooked it, its tastes linger inside.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43Raymond is planning to create a very special sauce using Alsatian wine.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Under a vineyard, behind heavy doors,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50Raymond is hoping to find the perfect wife for the dish.
0:13:51 > 0:13:52Oh, la, la.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59- Voila.- The deep wine cave used to be an ice house.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Marc's grandfather started cellaring here in the 1920s.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- These old bottles. - So clear, so clear.- Absolutely.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Today, it's testament to one wine myth.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13That Alsace wines are best drunk young.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16Great vintage, '53.
0:14:16 > 0:14:21- Oh, '43.- '43. Here, you have Gewurz '34.
0:14:21 > 0:14:25The oldest wine in my life I've drunk in Alsace was 1857.
0:14:25 > 0:14:30- That's quite some age.- I would love to taste that now.- You see.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33I feel young enough for it. Still.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Marc, I'll cook with it.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39You'll get the best sauce you've ever done in your life.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41Bit too expensive, mind you.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45OK, so, we'll taste it one day when I feel rich.
0:14:45 > 0:14:50- We need to try one. - Something truly special, Marc, OK?
0:14:50 > 0:14:54It is tempting to try almost every wine in the cellar
0:14:54 > 0:14:58but Raymond wants to find the perfect wine for a particular dish.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01All in the pursuit of culinary excellence, of course.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04You know, I'm bringing one little part of your plate
0:15:04 > 0:15:08and you have the responsibility to make the decision here.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12Marc's suggestions and not the most expensive
0:15:12 > 0:15:15but they are two different Gewurztraminers.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17First, a wine from 2009.
0:15:19 > 0:15:23- Hmm.- Now, you see, this second wine is the same grape, Gewurztraminer.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27- But stronger.- See, the colour. - Oh, big difference.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28Then, a more mature bottle from 2003.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Beautiful. Amazing. I mean, I will take this one.
0:15:35 > 0:15:36I'm going to cook my fish
0:15:36 > 0:15:38with this wonderful Alsace Gewurztraminer.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I will use very little in my food and I'm not going to boil it
0:15:41 > 0:15:43because I want to keep all that flavour,
0:15:43 > 0:15:47all that flavour, all this fruit into my dish.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50You know, the wine is so good I'm not sure your fish will stay quiet.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52Ha-ha-ha!
0:15:52 > 0:15:57For pleasure, we will now drink, aside of that, a very old bottle,
0:15:57 > 0:16:03exactly the same wine from the same vineyard but 40 years old.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Do you have some interest for that?
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Huge, come on, don't tease me, give me the bottle, OK.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11Let's see if it's aged as well as I did.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- The colour looks very nice. Bright.- Oh, la, la.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17There, oh, oh.
0:16:17 > 0:16:23- This one is big.- C'est la noblesse. - Ah, it's wonderful. It's...
0:16:23 > 0:16:25Marc, to your good health.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32Oh, la, la. Ha-ha. Vive la France.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36It would seem everyone in Alsace likes a party,
0:16:36 > 0:16:37even the local fish supplier.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41He's just dropped off some trout and isn't stopping there.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Well, that's one way to get your bill paid quickly.
0:16:45 > 0:16:47# Da-da-da. #
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Hey.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53You are so stressed, no? You are going to cook in about two hours, a bit of fun is what you need.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56Take it when it comes. Let's have a party.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59Allez. Go, go.
0:17:09 > 0:17:11Hey, Katie, viens.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13KATIE LAUGHS
0:17:13 > 0:17:15Thankfully, the fish he has left is a little fresher
0:17:15 > 0:17:17than Raymond's dancing.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20That's a trout which has been crossbred, probably,
0:17:20 > 0:17:21with a salmon trout.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25- OK.- Oui.- And you can see it especially here, OK.
0:17:25 > 0:17:26With a salmon...
0:17:26 > 0:17:30The Rhine runs through Alsace and has long provided it with fish.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32It's a local speciality.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36So, for the fish course, Raymond is going to cook a trout recipe
0:17:36 > 0:17:38with a fragrant white wine sauce.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42- Most wines, when you cook them, the molecules of flavour go away.- Oui.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44But this one, you can find,
0:17:44 > 0:17:46if you don't murder it by overcooking it, of course.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50Raymond starts by making the sauce.
0:17:50 > 0:17:51Voila.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Just a few moments in a hot pan intensifies the flavour.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59I'm going to stop now, that's perfect. Let's keep that in here.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01The sauce is very simple.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Melted butter and shallots form a strong base.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Voila.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09A little bit of salt in there, chef?
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Not yet, not now, just sweeten them first. OK, to remove the bitterness.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16The bowls of the trout that have been chopped.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17Add the mushrooms. Voila.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19We can add the wine.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23All the ingredients complement each other, it's a sauce of harmony.
0:18:23 > 0:18:27OK. So, we're going to cook it, only for 15 minutes.
0:18:27 > 0:18:31Marc's white wine is giving the whole kitchen an Alsatian aroma.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36I like very much this incredible diversity within one, single,
0:18:36 > 0:18:40one, single land, piece of land which is...
0:18:40 > 0:18:42And my region is just...
0:18:42 > 0:18:44about 100 miles, no 70 miles away from here.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Oh, my sauce.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50Taste it.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54The wine is present. That wine is there.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58- Definitely, you get the taste of the wine coming through.- Yeah. - The mushrooms are cleaning it up.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00It's perfect now.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03Raymond then strains the sauce to create a rich liquor.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07It takes a little muscle but the effort is worth it.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Now I'm going to cook our fish.
0:19:09 > 0:19:10Before cooking,
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Raymond brushes the trout with butter seasoned with lemon juice.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17It's a little bit cold, ready to be cooked.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- And that can be kept in the fridge with the butter on?- Absolument.- Oui.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23To add texture and to steam the trout,
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Raymond lines the pan with more mushrooms and shallots.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28The mushroom is going to be the support.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32- So, the steam, the fish will be steamed and we'll use that jus.- Oui.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35With the main sauce. We don't lose anything.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Now, we're going to add a dash of Gewurztraminer.
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Voila. And now, place the fish on top.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50OK. With the water. Cover it. Voila.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54The fish is served on a bed of sauteed watercress, spinach
0:19:54 > 0:19:56- and blanched parsley.- Beautiful.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Now, the fish is ready.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59Voila.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01This may be a simple dish
0:20:01 > 0:20:03but foaming the sauce adds a chefy touch.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07That is lovely. Look at that.
0:20:07 > 0:20:08Look at that. Oh, la, la.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12Now, thick and glossy, it's looking hearty and Germanic.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14- I think my Alsatian friends will love it.- Oui.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17Steaming the fish has produced a tasty jus
0:20:17 > 0:20:20which has set Raymond thinking.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Tres bien. We're going to do two sauces now.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25By adding two knobs of butter, he could create an alternative,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28lighter, French-style sauce.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32The most incredible jus just from the fish.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36That, to me, is divine.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Here, you have a lovely, little jus.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41A fantastic, little jus.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45So, you've got two ways to do it.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49This one. Light, fresh, clean, maybe a little less of Alsace.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51That is Alsace.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Generous, rich, delicious.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59In the courtyard, the trout dishes with their different sauces
0:20:59 > 0:21:00are ready to be judged.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04First, the French, buttery jus.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Yeah. The jus of the poisson is lovely
0:21:06 > 0:21:11but maybe to do it a la carte for one person or two persons, fine.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15- To do it for 20 or 30 people... - No, I mean...- Let's taste that one.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21That is lovely. I like it very much. I think they will like that better.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Cos they love their food and they love a bit of richness.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26It's really a great dish.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27So, the choice is made.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31The more creamy, rich sauce will be served at the feast.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40It is only a few days
0:21:40 > 0:21:45until Raymond will be acting as chef and host at his Alsatian feast.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48And finding the right dishes to make the perfect party
0:21:48 > 0:21:50is everything to Raymond.
0:21:53 > 0:21:58With that in mind, he's hitting the road again.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01- ENGINE CUTS OUT - At least he's trying to.
0:22:01 > 0:22:02Ah.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04ENGINE STARTS
0:22:11 > 0:22:12There's nothing more cliched
0:22:12 > 0:22:16than the image of a Frenchman selling onions.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19But here in Alsace, they are a source of real pride.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28It's the nature of the soil and colder climate
0:22:28 > 0:22:31that makes the region a perfect onion-growing area.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40OK.
0:22:41 > 0:22:42Voila.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Ah, bonjour, monsieur.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51IN FRENCH
0:22:58 > 0:23:00Marcus is a fifth-generation farmer
0:23:00 > 0:23:02who produces seven tonnes of onions a year.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05Raymond is sure he must have a few perfect onions
0:23:05 > 0:23:07to spare a travelling Frenchman.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22My grandfather had also a grange like that
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and we would basically bring all the onions and the shallots
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and the garlic, all the alliums, basically,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30to dry, to be kept during the winter.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33But they are stunning, they are beautiful.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35That one is a Roscoff, pink colour.
0:23:35 > 0:23:40It's very delicate, good for salads. Not good cooking, no. This one.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44This one, yes. Mulhouse onions.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48Peel that one, chop it up, it will certainly make you cry. Oh, la, la.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49Eh?
0:23:53 > 0:23:58I've never seen such a... Is at a GM produce? Genetically modified.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05I've never. First time I'd seen it, I've discovered something new this morning.
0:24:05 > 0:24:10L'oignon. They call it the onion, chicken leg. A big chicken.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Bon, I want to do a beautiful onion tart
0:24:12 > 0:24:15to really honour your county, L'Alsace. OK.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17Which onion should I take?
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Again, we go back to Alsace. I think he loves his county. I would do the same.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29Knowing your onions is important in Alsace.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33And with the Mulhouse recommendation made, Raymond needs to be sure.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Thankfully, Marc's farm store offers him the chance to try before he buys.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42I think you definitely need to know your onions.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Four particular varieties.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Yeah. That's quite a light one, you can see.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Gentle. It's perfect for salad, perfect, perfect.
0:24:54 > 0:25:00Roscoff variety. Ah. More acidity, more alkaline.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02How do you call it yourselves, this one?
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- C'est l'oignon blanc.- Oignon blanc. L'oignon blanc.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Much more delicate but strong, but really,
0:25:08 > 0:25:13the mighty Mulhouse onion or the Alsatian onion, powerful.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16And I can already smell it from here, it's aggressivity.
0:25:16 > 0:25:20The juiciness. That it's ready to pow.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26You know, to hit me in the eyes. OK. So, that's, that's Mulhouse onion.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Oh, la, la. I'm already crying. I really...
0:25:31 > 0:25:33That one is so, so strong.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36That's a serious onion.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40I know exactly how this sulphur acidity is going to transcend
0:25:40 > 0:25:43into the most fantastic onion and sweet flavour.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51What a terrible life it would be without onions. Cos they are everything.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55They are the fundamental basics, OK, of the Western cuisine.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57They are our foundation.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01And nowhere is that onion foundation more important
0:26:01 > 0:26:04than on the region's favourite fast food.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06Like many Alsatian dishes, it has two names.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10Flammkuchen shows its German heritage
0:26:10 > 0:26:12and tarte flambee, the French.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17Thin slices of onion are generously scattered over a flatbread base
0:26:17 > 0:26:19before it's cooked in a searingly hot oven.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24A street stall in the nearby city of Colmar
0:26:24 > 0:26:25serves some of the finest Flammkuchen.
0:26:25 > 0:26:31The aroma attracts customers like a kebab shop on a Saturday night.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35It's done the same, same, same, same way as pizza could be.
0:26:36 > 0:26:39They used to be a snack for bakers.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42These days, they are Alsace's most popular fast food.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Bon appetit, les enfants.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51Voila.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Lovely.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57If Flammkuchen is Alsace's fast food
0:26:57 > 0:27:00than Raymond's next dish is the slow version.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03Onion tart.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11On average, Alsatians eat it twice a week.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15Raymond is hoping his interpretation will fulfil at least one
0:27:15 > 0:27:17of the locals' weekly cravings.
0:27:17 > 0:27:18Merci bien.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25A perfect tart will require beautiful, even slices of onion.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28I cut quite thick because I want the texture.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Mulhouse onions are rarely exported to the UK
0:27:31 > 0:27:34but a strong, white onion would work well.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And I'm going to put all of that in here.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41And that looks a lot. That looks a lot.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Say, "My God, Raymond has got it all wrong."
0:27:44 > 0:27:4690% of it is water.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It's going to melt down with the heat. OK.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51So, to evaporate the... Oh.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Oh, la, la.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Sauteing the onions to the right shade of white
0:27:58 > 0:28:01is the art of an Alsatian tart.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04The onions are collapsing. The sulphur, it's evaporating.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06It's miraculous.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08That's what I love about this cuisine,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12it's full of little miracles, constantly.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14If you want to follow the tradition,
0:28:14 > 0:28:17a little bit of nutmeg into the mix, here.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20This spice, here, is very, very powerful.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23It's like clove or even bay leaf. Be careful, gentle.
0:28:24 > 0:28:26You taste.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29Now, pleasant flavours are coming through.
0:28:30 > 0:28:34You can see, now, we're getting there. The colour is slightly brown.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39The trick is not to overcook the onions or they will become jammy.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42And then, now, we're going to add a bit of flour and cook it.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45And now, I'm going to add milk.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Flour, milk and creme fraiche give body.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Voila. Oh, it's lovely, beautiful.
0:28:52 > 0:28:56Off the heat, a whisked egg with more creme fraiche
0:28:56 > 0:28:57and the filling is ready.
0:28:57 > 0:29:02The eggs would cook immediately in a very boiling pan.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06So, by putting the sour cream into the eggs, I prevent that.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10We don't want to end up with scrambled eggs. OK, tres bien. Let's taste, now.
0:29:10 > 0:29:15It is lovely. Still, they've got so much texture. Kush, come here.
0:29:15 > 0:29:16OK, tiens. Taste that.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Hmm.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22- Yeah?- So much stronger than I thought it would be.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Yeah, because we're so used to onions, OK,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27which are intensively farmed they've got no character, no flavour.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30Also, they're about six months old.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33That one has been dug out of the soil now.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37Inspired by the use of bacon in the local Flammkuchen,
0:29:37 > 0:29:41Raymond has decided to add some cured pork to the tart.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44I don't want them gold because they'll be... Voila.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49- That's perfect. The more you colour them, you overcook them.- Oui.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52Cos bacon is so beautiful just like that.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56Pre-cooking the pastry holds with tradition.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00And, of course, avoids the dangers of a soggy bottom.
0:30:00 > 0:30:01Oh!
0:30:02 > 0:30:05Oh, la, la. I've forgotten my lardons.
0:30:07 > 0:30:08I've done a little mistake here.
0:30:08 > 0:30:13I should have put my lardons mixed into my mixture.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15And I know, moving all that out would be disastrous.
0:30:15 > 0:30:19So, I've mixed them up into my tart, here, like that.
0:30:19 > 0:30:21So, not really a thing to do.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23So, you see, we can all do mistakes.
0:30:33 > 0:30:38- Home sweet home. Alsace home. - Very lucky home, chef.- I think so.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42The deep, rich, golden colour is the signature of this tart
0:30:42 > 0:30:47and the perfect home for the wonderful Mulhouse onion of Alsace.
0:30:47 > 0:30:48It's not, of course,
0:30:48 > 0:30:51as light as a cheese tart souffle from Franche-Comte.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53- OK.- Cos that's a different dish.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56With this onion tart, it's slightly heavier.
0:30:56 > 0:30:57But it's two different styles.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59It's like apple crumble and apple tart,
0:30:59 > 0:31:02you don't compare them, they're different dishes.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08Serious portions. They are famished, they are hungry. Tres bien.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11These Alsatian onion tarts are robust and warm through perfectly.
0:31:11 > 0:31:15So, that's the first course ready for the feast.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20I think, Kush, every onion must dream to end up in an Alsatian onion tart.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22- What do you think?- I think so, chef.
0:31:22 > 0:31:24- Yeah?- Even the ones from your home, chef?
0:31:24 > 0:31:26Yeah, why not?
0:31:28 > 0:31:32Raymond's menu is developing into a showcase
0:31:32 > 0:31:36for all that is classic in Alsatian cuisine.
0:31:40 > 0:31:44It's now time to bring even more Alsatian unity to the feast.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48And nothing brings people together like a sweet treat.
0:31:48 > 0:31:51The French and Germans share a love of sweet pastry.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53And nowhere is sweeter in Alsace
0:31:53 > 0:31:56than Christine Ferber's beautiful shop and bakery.
0:31:59 > 0:32:01Bonjour.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04Christine is a wonderful baker and master patissiere.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07But one thing has made her more famous than anything.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12In the town of Niedermorschwihr and all over the world, she's the queen of jam.
0:32:15 > 0:32:22Raymond is hoping that the den of sugary pots and pans holds his sweet inspiration.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24Hi, there, Christine. Guate morye, Christine.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27See, I have learned my Alsatian for you.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41Long time ago.
0:32:41 > 0:32:46No, no, no. Oh, this smells so lovely. Can I have a spoon? Can I taste it?
0:32:49 > 0:32:51- Oh, la la.- Sehr schoen.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58It just bursts in the mouth, all this freshness.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01Christine sells 300 different types of jam in a year,
0:33:01 > 0:33:05as well as local pastries, but her signature cake is a tradition
0:33:05 > 0:33:10that has survived in Alsace for centuries - the crown-shaped Kougelhupf.
0:33:10 > 0:33:16This Kougelhupf is so traditional. It represents so much Alsatian pastry.
0:33:17 > 0:33:19Oh, you cut it sideways.
0:33:19 > 0:33:21Of course. Silly me.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24The Kougelhupf is often eaten on a Sunday
0:33:24 > 0:33:29and considered better slightly stale, so Saturday's bake is perfect.
0:33:29 > 0:33:35It's so delicious! I am just dribbling all over it!
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Oh la la, it looks so beautiful.
0:33:41 > 0:33:47That one is for me. Oh, beautiful! It's so light, it could float.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Oh la la, it's wonderful.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51There is a richness.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54The coolness as well. It's cool, it's not sweet.
0:33:54 > 0:33:59The sweetness of the jam and freshness of the cream top of the Kougelhupf.
0:33:59 > 0:34:03- It's a simple but perfect union. - C'est si bon.- Et pour toi? - J'adore...
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Well, it's Sunday morning after all.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08It's our treat. Can we have it?
0:34:11 > 0:34:14You need a big mouth, huh?
0:34:16 > 0:34:18THEY LAUGH
0:34:18 > 0:34:24Raymond loves the Kougelhupf so much, he is hoping to persuade Christine to give him her recipe.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27This is the first time, actually, I have to do a Kougelhupf.
0:34:27 > 0:34:31- And I wanted Christine to do it for me. OK? I wanted to learn from you.- Yes.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35A classic sweet yeast dough is the basis of a Kougelhupf.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Flour, milk, sugar, eggs and salt.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Christine's father was a fourth-generation baker
0:34:46 > 0:34:49and the king of Kougelhupfs.
0:34:49 > 0:34:52My father have to go to the hospital, and I asked him,
0:34:52 > 0:34:54"How do you do the Kougelhupf?
0:34:54 > 0:34:57"Did me your recipe." And he said, "Enough yeast, enough flour."
0:34:57 > 0:35:00And I said to him, "But you are crazy.
0:35:00 > 0:35:04"I cannot do your recipe if you don't tell me how much..."
0:35:05 > 0:35:08I wanted to murder him at this time.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12- And he was going to hospital! - You're not my father! You're not my father!
0:35:12 > 0:35:17- All that for a Kougelhupf! - Only for a Kougelhupf!
0:35:17 > 0:35:23Then he said to me, "Go and make and try. Kougelhupf is coming from the heart.
0:35:23 > 0:35:26"It goes here and then it comes out."
0:35:26 > 0:35:31The balancing act of ingredients is often unspoken amongst bakers.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36The mysterious alchemy of ingredients, recipe and experience cloak the baker's craft.
0:35:36 > 0:35:39So she's looking at the strengths.
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Because that gives you the quality.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46Gluten is worked beautifully. The temperature is right. That's when you can spread the dough,
0:35:46 > 0:35:50and it is ready to prove now.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55- Alcohol...with rum. - Rum...Malaga rum - I can smell it from here.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58Raisins soaked in rum add a final touch.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Christine is accusing me of eating all the raisins.
0:36:05 > 0:36:10Then the cake dough, with five generations of love and knowledge,
0:36:10 > 0:36:13- is left to rise... - I love the way she touches it, is gentle.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17..ready for the oven and more hungry mouths.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Every day, her father before her made it every day.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23And her grandfather before her made it, and so on and so on.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25So it is a very well-practised recipe.
0:36:25 > 0:36:32Raymond will be returning to the restaurant with some seriously satisfying inspiration,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34but Christine needs a little Raymond labour in return.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37There is a saying, OK...
0:36:37 > 0:36:40when you have somebody coming and helping you on Sunday, we call them a Sunday worker,
0:36:40 > 0:36:44and usually that man is blessed.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49I hope I get a pot of jam. It's what I want. Absolutely lovely.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59Christine has given Raymond an idea for his dessert.
0:36:59 > 0:37:03Her Kougelhupf is similar to the bun found in a rum baba.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05A perfect end for the feast.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09It has an Alsatian history too.
0:37:09 > 0:37:13The story goes that a Polish king visiting nearby Lorraine thought
0:37:13 > 0:37:17the Kougelhupf a little dry, so soaked it in his favourite tipple,
0:37:17 > 0:37:19and so the rum baba was born.
0:37:19 > 0:37:22In terms of making it, it's not too dissimilar than the Kougelhupf.
0:37:22 > 0:37:29The big difference, of course, is that you soak it into a beautiful alcoholised syrup.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Raymond is going to add his own twist to the dish
0:37:32 > 0:37:34and is sure his guests will love it.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36Quite elastic texture.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39Fortified with Christine's Kougelhupf secrets,
0:37:39 > 0:37:43Raymond has made a similar dough for the base of the baba.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45That used to be a very festive...
0:37:45 > 0:37:49in my home, my mum didn't do baba au rhum very often.
0:37:49 > 0:37:54It was quite a bit of work. And when she did it, that was special.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56But there was no rum in my baba!
0:37:56 > 0:37:57RAYMOND LAUGHS
0:37:57 > 0:38:01Traditionally, baba is served in an individual portion.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04Like the Kougelhupf, they will rise in their moulds,
0:38:04 > 0:38:07which Raymond is careful not to overfill.
0:38:07 > 0:38:15Voila! If you put more than a third, half, it will go boom, and then you have a disaster.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17You have huge mushrooms invading your kitchen.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20Let's go. Put them in.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Stop, stop, stop! Don't go up. Stop!
0:38:24 > 0:38:26Arret! Enough.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Alsace is famous for its myriad of fruit alcohols,
0:38:29 > 0:38:34- so instead of rum, Raymond is using one for the syrup. - I have got something quite good.
0:38:34 > 0:38:37He's chosen by raspberry eau de vie, loved by the locals.
0:38:37 > 0:38:38I'm going to take a framboise, OK?
0:38:38 > 0:38:43I've chosen raspberry, but you can choose wild strawberry...
0:38:43 > 0:38:46all sort of things, according to which dessert you do.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49As the babas bake, there's time to make the syrup.
0:38:49 > 0:38:54This syrup I want to do is a very, very simple syrup. 100 grams of sugar.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59- Tres bien. Zest of lemon, very little.- Oui.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01To add another layer of flavour,
0:39:01 > 0:39:03Raymond adds lemon and orange peel.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05Tres bien.
0:39:05 > 0:39:06Voila!
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Vanilla seeds bring warmth and sweetness.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Syrup here...
0:39:14 > 0:39:17So a quick boil just to infuse, OK? Look!
0:39:17 > 0:39:18It's all right.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23The babas are beginning to show promise.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27With a bit of alcohol inside, they soak it up.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30The babas have to soak in the sweet citrus
0:39:30 > 0:39:32and raspberry-scented syrup.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39But Raymond's got an idea.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43He escapes the kitchen and heads to the woods for a forage.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47As a kid, from the age of five or six,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51I would go with my big brothers deep in the forest...
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Raymond is hoping to find something to finish the babas
0:39:56 > 0:39:58here in the Vosges mountains.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02There is an elusive wild fruit that would work really well
0:40:02 > 0:40:04with his dessert - wild raspberries.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07Tracking them down is really worth the effort.
0:40:07 > 0:40:12Raymond's never been here before, so he's meeting foraging expert, Stephane.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15Remember, always take expert guidance
0:40:15 > 0:40:17if you're going to forage in the wild.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19- Hi, Stephane, how are you doing? - Yes.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25The way to pick them up, always from underneath. So you can see them.
0:40:25 > 0:40:30From here, you see nothing. That one, look at that. Beautiful.
0:40:30 > 0:40:35Oh, let's have one. Oh la la. We are in this amazing forest.
0:40:35 > 0:40:37It's fresh, it's beautiful.
0:40:37 > 0:40:43I'm the happiest man on earth, because I'm doing something which I have not done
0:40:43 > 0:40:45for about 40 years or so.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48Maybe more. 50. Long years. Or 55, actually!
0:40:48 > 0:40:53I was the fastest picker. I could beat my friends at this always.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57They were very jealous of my skills. There was a technique.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02Don't pick up with one hand, but always with two hands.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04Always, always.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09This walk in the forest has taken me back, right back, to my childhood.
0:41:09 > 0:41:14This wonderful hunting and gathering of fruit, of wild asparagus,
0:41:14 > 0:41:17of wild mushroom. Any wild mushrooms. Frogs, snails, everything.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20And we would hunt them in this amazing forest.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23And I'm very happy, I'm really happy.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26The forests of Raymond's home region were his playground.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29His mother would send him out to find ingredients for the table.
0:41:29 > 0:41:33What she didn't use, he would sell. The adventure could last all day.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35I remember when we would get lost. Always.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Hello!
0:41:37 > 0:41:41And when you hear nothing from your friend, you were really worried.
0:41:41 > 0:41:47No-one and nothing comes back, but the echo. That big forest.
0:41:47 > 0:41:48Hello?
0:41:48 > 0:41:51I've got my friends, OK, I'm all right.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58This small harvest of raspberries is a perfect touch for the dessert.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08Back in the kitchen, Raymond brings the whole dish together.
0:42:08 > 0:42:13So, we really... That's a seriously local flavour.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17He nestles the chilled, soaked babas in a fruit coulis
0:42:17 > 0:42:21and tops them off with sweet Chantilly cream.
0:42:21 > 0:42:22Oh, mon dieu.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Raymond wants his team to try the baba,
0:42:25 > 0:42:28so he's putting out two hungry-sized portions.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32Voila.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39- I think you're going to knock them out, chef.- I think so. Kush, look at Katie.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42She's going for it. She's going for it.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Oh, I can see you love it, you. Lovely.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51Raymond is confident his dessert will give his guests sweet dreams,
0:42:51 > 0:42:55but he still needs to decide on a main course,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59and this being Alsace, that can only mean one thing - pork.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02ENGINE SPLUTTERS
0:43:05 > 0:43:09No. I'm afraid, French engineering.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11No - old French engineering.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13This is a beautiful car, but she's as old as I am.
0:43:13 > 0:43:18It's got a little bit of a tweak to bring it back to life.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25Fortunately, Raymond doesn't need a car to get where he's going next.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28Bonjour, bonjour. Bonjour, guten tag.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30Freundlich, sehr gut!
0:43:32 > 0:43:35He is back in Colmar, an old Alsatian town.
0:43:39 > 0:43:41Voila. Fabulous.
0:43:41 > 0:43:46For centuries, these canals brought the best local produce to market.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03It makes you hungry, just looking at the produce.
0:44:03 > 0:44:06But top of Raymond's shopping list is pork.
0:44:06 > 0:44:11The British love a sausage, and the Alsatians adore their charcuterie.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14Saucisson! Pig. More pig.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17But Raymond's not in the market for that.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19He wants pork on the bone.
0:44:19 > 0:44:23He wants a beautiful, tender, tasty pork chop for his main course
0:44:23 > 0:44:26and he wants it from a local pig.
0:44:26 > 0:44:27Ooh, la, la.
0:44:42 > 0:44:47There's no pork in Colmar. No local pork.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57What frightens me is that this butcher doesn't know,
0:44:57 > 0:45:01really, where it comes from. He's so generic about it, so vague.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03What I don't understand, Kush,
0:45:03 > 0:45:07Alsace was one of the great centres for the production of food,
0:45:07 > 0:45:11some of the best meat, and yet, you know, the pork comes from Brittany,
0:45:11 > 0:45:15but the butcher doesn't quite know where his food is made.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17This pork at the market might be OK,
0:45:17 > 0:45:21but this is a local feast for local people,
0:45:21 > 0:45:23and it demands a local breed.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27Alsatians may love their pork, but intensive farming
0:45:27 > 0:45:30has meant that local breeds have all but disappeared.
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Raymond gets on the phone to track down a butcher
0:45:33 > 0:45:36who can get him the very special pork he wants.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39I'm waiting at the entrance to the city,
0:45:39 > 0:45:41it's a small city, you cannot get it wrong, OK?
0:45:43 > 0:45:47It's taken a bit of persuasion, but finally, here comes the pork,
0:45:47 > 0:45:50chauffeur-driven in its own white van.
0:45:50 > 0:45:53- Bonjour, bonjour. - Bonjour. Bonjour, Raymond.
0:45:53 > 0:45:55Christine Spicer is a master butcher
0:45:55 > 0:45:57who's come all the way from Strasbourg
0:45:57 > 0:45:59to give Raymond what he wants.
0:46:04 > 0:46:06Ooh, la, la.
0:46:09 > 0:46:11I know it's going to be special. I know. OK?
0:46:14 > 0:46:16I've got two beautiful loins of pork,
0:46:16 > 0:46:20that big, pork from Alsace,
0:46:20 > 0:46:22locally done, locally fed...
0:46:33 > 0:46:35Voila.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38Regarde la couleur de cette viande.
0:46:38 > 0:46:39Look at the colour of that meat.
0:46:39 > 0:46:44Immediately you can see it's a pig which has run around.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48That pig had a happy life. So, tell me about the breed of the piggy?
0:46:50 > 0:46:52Perfect. Beautiful.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57Cristine's executive briefcase turns out to hold more than her lunch.
0:46:57 > 0:47:01The best part is from here, it's that part here...
0:47:01 > 0:47:02right down to here.
0:47:02 > 0:47:08That's too lean, so, these two pieces, like that, right?
0:47:24 > 0:47:27Raymond can't wait to get his hands on Christine's chops,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30but he'll have to wait until tomorrow.
0:47:38 > 0:47:42The day of the feast has arrived.
0:47:43 > 0:47:45All right, guys, how is it getting on?
0:47:45 > 0:47:50Raymond spends a lot of time finding the best produce for his restaurant in Oxfordshire,
0:47:50 > 0:47:52so he's pleased with what he's achieved
0:47:52 > 0:47:55in just a few days in Alsace.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58Who's interested in good? I'm not. I want to sublime.
0:47:58 > 0:48:00I know my young people want the same.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04He's particularly pleased with the local Lieselheim pork.
0:48:04 > 0:48:07Quickly want to show how much fat you want left on?
0:48:07 > 0:48:09I would suggest, see, leave some fat.
0:48:09 > 0:48:11And keep that - we're going to use it.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14You go ahead, eh?
0:48:14 > 0:48:16Raymond has cut double chops.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19A good layer of fat is important for flavour.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23The best piece is that part, here.
0:48:23 > 0:48:27It was a chine of pork rather than these lower ribs, here.
0:48:27 > 0:48:31It's a much more succulent piece of meat, there's much more fat.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34Much more flavour. Try to work as fast as possible, Kush.
0:48:34 > 0:48:38- We are on time, but no more, OK?- Yes, chef.
0:48:38 > 0:48:40- So let's take a bit of advance, eh? - Oui.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45Raymond?
0:48:45 > 0:48:49Raymond's foraging companion is a welcome sight at the door.
0:48:49 > 0:48:53Some recent rain has meant that wild mushrooms have appeared,
0:48:53 > 0:48:55a perfect taste of the forest to serve with the pork.
0:48:55 > 0:48:59Fantastic. Look at that. Stunning. Thank you very much, Stefan.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04The chops are browned in butter.
0:49:04 > 0:49:07We're just slowly going to brown it in that foaming butter.
0:49:07 > 0:49:11- You get the lovely nutty flavour that works well with the pork.- Yes.
0:49:11 > 0:49:15But I start with my lovely pork, here. Nicely... Wow.
0:49:15 > 0:49:20You can hear it gently... It's a song, it's quiet. We are blessed.
0:49:20 > 0:49:21So, we are very lucky, Kush,
0:49:21 > 0:49:24and I think that we'll prepare the most incredible feast,
0:49:24 > 0:49:27cos when you have this produce, you cannot got wrong.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31Yes, I can smell it. Take your time.
0:49:31 > 0:49:35Don't touch it for about seven, eight minutes. And don't move it.
0:49:35 > 0:49:36Why? That's why.
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Look at that. Look at that.
0:49:40 > 0:49:44That is why. Gentle, gentle.
0:49:44 > 0:49:45Let's go.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Finishing in the oven helps make them tender
0:49:48 > 0:49:49and keeps the pork succulent.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53The rest of the chops can be cooked and held for later.
0:49:53 > 0:49:56With 24 hungry mouths to feed,
0:49:56 > 0:50:00this is a dish that allows the kitchen to get ahead.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02To go with the pork, Raymond is making Spatzle,
0:50:02 > 0:50:05a super-quick kind of pasta.
0:50:05 > 0:50:06Unlike Italian pasta,
0:50:06 > 0:50:09this pasta takes a few minutes of your time and it is delicious.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11You wait, what we're going to do with it.
0:50:14 > 0:50:15Tres bien.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20Over boiling water, Raymond pushes the sticky dough through a colander.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24It's just being cooked just underneath. Voila.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27There's so many ways to make pasta. That's what's magic about food.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30But I think, of all pasta, that's the simplest
0:50:30 > 0:50:32and that is typically Alsatian.
0:50:32 > 0:50:35It's like I've done some little jewels by hand,
0:50:35 > 0:50:38like I've crafted them. It's magical.
0:50:38 > 0:50:42The hot little dumplings are dropped into chilled water.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45A light coating of olive oil keeps the spatzle in great shape,
0:50:45 > 0:50:48ready for a final sautee before serving.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Which one has been put last?
0:50:52 > 0:50:55The menu is almost complete.
0:50:55 > 0:50:59From a deeply traditional onion tart to trout married with Alsace wine
0:50:59 > 0:51:02and a celebration of the mighty pig,
0:51:02 > 0:51:05Raymond is ready to cook an Alsatian feast.
0:51:05 > 0:51:09The food we're going to offer sums up the beauty of Alsace,
0:51:09 > 0:51:14the generosity of Alsace, the produce of Alsace, the wines of Alsace, OK?
0:51:14 > 0:51:17And tonight, we're going to have, really, a wonderful feast.
0:51:17 > 0:51:18As an aperitif snack,
0:51:18 > 0:51:24Raymond is making a savoury bread popular in Alsace - the bretzel.
0:51:24 > 0:51:26I've never done bretzel in my life.
0:51:26 > 0:51:28Rumoured to be linked to the cult of the sun,
0:51:28 > 0:51:31it forms a ring circling a cross.
0:51:31 > 0:51:36These days, it's developed to look like a loose knot. Or not.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40- I think we're going to offend the whole of Alsace.- That's right.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- I'm not sure.- It is!
0:51:43 > 0:51:46- No, Katie, it's not that. - That's not it?- No indeed.
0:51:46 > 0:51:49HE CHUCKLES
0:51:49 > 0:51:52It's a nation, OK? It's a nation state you are offending, OK, Katie?
0:51:52 > 0:51:58So don't do anything from Yorkshire or from Ireland.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00The Irish bretzel.
0:52:00 > 0:52:03It's not right. Katie is sent out to find something to inspire.
0:52:03 > 0:52:08Bonjour, madame. Can I have deux bretzel, s'il vous plait? Merci.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11- Or should that be copy?- Merci.
0:52:14 > 0:52:16- I've got it. I've got it, Katie!- No!
0:52:16 > 0:52:20- Oh, yes.- Is it the same as that?
0:52:20 > 0:52:22Yeah. Exactly the same.
0:52:22 > 0:52:25Like that...like that, see?
0:52:25 > 0:52:26Like that... Voila.
0:52:26 > 0:52:29- No, that's not mine.- Oh, yeah!
0:52:29 > 0:52:31THEY LAUGH
0:52:31 > 0:52:33That is not mine! Less lying to me, Katie!
0:52:33 > 0:52:36- No, that one's mine. - I'm a bad loser, OK?- So am I!
0:52:36 > 0:52:40Even being in England for 35 years, I hate to lose, OK?
0:52:43 > 0:52:4624 guests are arriving.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50Friends, suppliers and regulars, they are expecting a feast.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56- I wish you a marvellous evening and bon appetit.- Thank you.
0:52:56 > 0:52:58APPLAUSE
0:52:58 > 0:53:02S'il vous plait, let's go. Sauce? Plates on.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04Make sure they're hot, oui.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08First to table, the onion tart.
0:53:08 > 0:53:11OK, guys. These onions are perfect, guys.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14- Chef.- Voila.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Bon appetit.
0:53:22 > 0:53:24Mm. Excellent.
0:53:24 > 0:53:27I thought it was great
0:53:27 > 0:53:29and it was Alsatian.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32- You place watercress on the plates.- Oui.
0:53:32 > 0:53:35- Katie, you place the fish on the plates.- Oui, chef.
0:53:35 > 0:53:38- And I will do the sauce and the trout, OK?- Oui, chef.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41The fish course of trout with rich and creamy
0:53:41 > 0:53:44Gewurztraminer sauce has two very interested parties.
0:53:45 > 0:53:47Wine-maker, Marc Beyer,
0:53:47 > 0:53:51and accordion-playing fisherman, Monsieur Vonarb.
0:53:51 > 0:53:53Perfect!
0:53:53 > 0:53:57Yellow wines which make that beautiful, spicy, delicious flavour.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01I know, it was a great surprise for me and a good one.
0:54:01 > 0:54:05It was unexpected but really successfully.
0:54:05 > 0:54:06I really enjoyed it, very much.
0:54:06 > 0:54:09Wait, wait, wait. Taste, taste, taste.
0:54:11 > 0:54:12Voila.
0:54:12 > 0:54:13To go with the pork,
0:54:13 > 0:54:17Stefan's wild mushrooms are sauteed at the last minute.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19Oh, look at that. Look at that.
0:54:19 > 0:54:21Look! Look at this beautiful meat.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25Could you start, please, doing these? Thank you very much.
0:54:25 > 0:54:27The spatzle, fried until crispy.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29It takes you ten minutes.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32Ten minutes to make, and I mean ten minutes.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36I mean ten minutes, not Raymond Blanc's ten, 20,000 minutes, no.
0:54:36 > 0:54:37Ten minutes to make.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45- Fantastic meat, eh?- Oui, chef. - OK, come on, let's go. Allez. Voila.
0:54:45 > 0:54:50Oh, la, la. S'il vous plait. Allez, let's go, merci.
0:54:50 > 0:54:54Will the pork be as succulent as Raymond hoped?
0:55:09 > 0:55:13The flavour is intense. It's just...melting.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15But I think we've got the best.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18I mean, that's the best piggy I've ever had,
0:55:18 > 0:55:22for a long, long, long, long time. It's even more tender.
0:55:22 > 0:55:25It's worth searching for the best.
0:55:41 > 0:55:45The pork has been a triumph. Will the same be said for the baba?
0:55:45 > 0:55:47Completely dry.
0:55:47 > 0:55:49Completely dry. You can see it.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52But they've had two hours in there, soaking.
0:55:52 > 0:55:54- There seems to be a problem. - And you can feel it.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57- It should be heavier, chef. - It should be heavy, OK?
0:55:57 > 0:56:00Some of the buns haven't soaked up as much syrup
0:56:00 > 0:56:02as Raymond would have liked.
0:56:02 > 0:56:03Yes, yes. It is so important, Kush.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06Take a piece of dried biscuit out. It's not good.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09Thankfully, they have more than enough to go round.
0:56:09 > 0:56:12Disaster averted.
0:56:16 > 0:56:18Just like that. One...
0:56:20 > 0:56:23Oh, Kush, dear me!
0:56:23 > 0:56:27Raymond is serving the babas with Christine Ferber's jam.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31Rose and raspberry jam, and this woman is truly a magician.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34You know, people have, truly, some gifts.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37Gifts do exist, and that woman makes jams...
0:56:37 > 0:56:39better than me, I must tell you.
0:56:44 > 0:56:46You know, normally in Alsace,
0:56:46 > 0:56:52people say that we have German portions of French quality.
0:56:52 > 0:56:54It's a mixture.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57But I think Raymond Blanc, tonight, has proved
0:56:57 > 0:57:01that you can have French elegance and Alsatian traditions
0:57:01 > 0:57:05in the same menu. Wonderful. Wonderful.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08- APPLAUSE - It's the end of a very busy,
0:57:08 > 0:57:10but rewarding few days in Alsace.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14Now it's time to do what Alsatians do best. Have a party.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18ACCORDION MUSIC PLAYS
0:57:20 > 0:57:25For me, I say a big "thank you" for Monsieur Raymond Blanc
0:57:25 > 0:57:31and the English people are very lucky to have a chef like that.
0:57:33 > 0:57:38You realise how important it is to keep certain traditions,
0:57:38 > 0:57:42because that's what gives character to a place,
0:57:42 > 0:57:44and what gives character to people,
0:57:44 > 0:57:47to landscapes, and it is something to protect and to cherish.
0:57:47 > 0:57:48Simple philosophy,
0:57:48 > 0:57:52but it's a philosophy which is at the heart of everything I do.
0:57:52 > 0:57:54THEY CLAP
0:57:54 > 0:57:58Thank you very much. Merci. Bravo!
0:58:05 > 0:58:10Next time, Raymond continues his culinary journey in Provence.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12I wish I would be a good picker.
0:58:12 > 0:58:13Look at those teeth.
0:58:13 > 0:58:16Regarde. Voila.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21And if you knew the smell of this fennel, it is incredible.
0:58:21 > 0:58:25You have all this fantastic fish. Grr!
0:58:28 > 0:58:31Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd