0:00:02 > 0:00:04BRASS BAND PLAYS SILENT NIGHT
0:00:08 > 0:00:11'I think we all feel that Christmas is a time
0:00:11 > 0:00:15'to tighten the fabric that keeps the community together.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19'In Cornwall, even the big places are small enough
0:00:19 > 0:00:22'for people to easily enjoy a sense of belonging
0:00:22 > 0:00:25'and Padstow would never be called big.'
0:00:25 > 0:00:29I really like the Christmas lights in Padstow, even in the rain.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30I particularly like the sort of
0:00:30 > 0:00:33Loch Ness monster. It's our own version.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Whenever that gets lit up every year, I think Christmas is here.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39I think a small place like Padstow,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42just because it's so small and you know everybody,
0:00:42 > 0:00:47it just feels really Christmassy as soon as the Christmas lights are switched on.
0:00:47 > 0:00:51There's something very sort of convivial about people meeting in the streets,
0:00:51 > 0:00:53having a mince pie, a bit of music.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56I'm there, I'm ready for Christmas,
0:00:56 > 0:00:58I'm full of fun and excited about it.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16CORK POPS
0:01:17 > 0:01:20I love spending time in Cornwall at Christmas
0:01:20 > 0:01:24and creating dishes that celebrate the best the county has to offer.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27This year, I'm being joined by a few close friends for a lunch
0:01:27 > 0:01:31that highlights the culinary treasures of Cornwall.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34All the dishes are made with my favourite ingredients
0:01:34 > 0:01:38that are caught or grown in and around the county.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40And talking of Cornish treasures...
0:01:40 > 0:01:43Well, as you might probably know, this is Jethro.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47and we go back a long way, cos we used to play rugby together, didn't we, Jethro?
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Yeah, we was a very good side and we beat most people
0:01:51 > 0:01:55until they introduced the ball and that finished our game completely!
0:01:55 > 0:01:59- It was good fun after the games. - We had some fun, we really did.
0:01:59 > 0:02:04Just tell me what a Cornish Christmas means to you.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07Christmas is...food, isn't it? Everything is food.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10Everybody gets all the food they can possibly get,
0:02:10 > 0:02:14go to the big store and just fill up with food. They'll never eat it! Why do we do that?
0:02:14 > 0:02:20I'm simple. I cook my own Christmas dinner. I have a chicken, I put it in a dish,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24about two bottles of malt whiskey, a bottle of brandy, two bottles of wine.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27I do that for an hour and a half - not too long -
0:02:27 > 0:02:31and then I leave that to simmer, then I watch the Queen's Speech,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34then I throw the chicken away and drink the gravy!
0:02:34 > 0:02:36'And it's not just about the food.'
0:02:36 > 0:02:39It's also about everything else happening in Cornwall.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41After a tour round the county,
0:02:41 > 0:02:47I get together with my pals for a special celebratory banquet...
0:02:47 > 0:02:48Merry Christmas!
0:02:48 > 0:02:52..at Little Petherick village hall.
0:02:52 > 0:02:56CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:03:00 > 0:03:02'Hard to believe it, I know,
0:03:02 > 0:03:05'but it really does snow sometimes in Cornwall.
0:03:05 > 0:03:06'And as luck would have it,
0:03:06 > 0:03:11'it arrived right on cue to add an even more festive touch
0:03:11 > 0:03:14'to the annual wassailing ceremony at Cotehele,
0:03:14 > 0:03:19'something celebrated with huge enthusiasm by all concerned.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21'And even the apples apparently love it.'
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Green Man, would you tell us about wassailing?
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Well, wassailing comes from Saxon times, I believe
0:03:39 > 0:03:43and it actually is just celebrating the earth
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and celebrating the fact that these trees bring forth fruit
0:03:46 > 0:03:49every year, time after time and paying them back a little.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52This gentleman in a moment will put some juice back into the earth,
0:03:52 > 0:03:55which symbolises the full cycle of nature
0:03:55 > 0:03:58and that's we're here to celebrate. Yes.
0:03:58 > 0:04:03It is customary at this time of the year to stand on the ancient land
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and celebrate the earth's cycles,
0:04:05 > 0:04:07the renewal of life
0:04:07 > 0:04:14and the hopes for a good harvest of food and other produce in the next growing season.
0:04:14 > 0:04:20We wish you all a happy New Year and a wonderful wassail!
0:04:20 > 0:04:23CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:04:26 > 0:04:32Old apple tree, we wassail thee and hope thou will bear.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Hello!
0:04:34 > 0:04:36We wassail thee and hope thou will bear!
0:04:36 > 0:04:40- Hats full.- Hats full!
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Three-score sacks full.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Three-score sacks full.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Holler, good folk, holler!
0:04:46 > 0:04:48CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:04:50 > 0:04:52'And a good splash of this year's cider
0:04:52 > 0:04:56'makes sure we get gallons of the stuff to drink next year.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02'Wassail ceremonies like this take place all over the country,
0:05:02 > 0:05:05'wherever apples are grown and cider made.
0:05:05 > 0:05:10'It may look crazy, but I like it and I think it's great there are people around
0:05:10 > 0:05:14'who still want to keep these pagan traditions alive.'
0:05:14 > 0:05:15SINGING
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Well, this programme's called A Cornish Christmas.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31How much more Christmas can you get than this? It's snowing!
0:05:31 > 0:05:36There is a God! And this is so wonderfully atmospheric.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40I mean, I just love that horse. I mean, that...that...
0:05:40 > 0:05:42that in itself is enough for me.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45It's just that sense of sort of medieval life
0:05:45 > 0:05:50in this beautiful house and blessing of the apples.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52I mean, that's what Christmas is, really,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55it's a sort of time to cheer yourself up
0:05:55 > 0:06:00in the dead heart of the season and think about the new season to come.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06One of the great things about cold, snowy mornings at Christmas time
0:06:06 > 0:06:09is the recovery period, which at this time of year should mean
0:06:09 > 0:06:12a good, hot punch to get the heart started again
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and the gastric juices flowing.
0:06:15 > 0:06:17This is a good one. It's called Smoking Bishop -
0:06:17 > 0:06:20citrus fruits studded with cloves
0:06:20 > 0:06:23and gently roasted until they're softened.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27A good sprinkling of sugar and lashings of wine and port
0:06:27 > 0:06:32with a stick of cinnamon, all left to steep for a while.
0:06:32 > 0:06:36Then squash the fruit to get all the juices out, strain it,
0:06:36 > 0:06:40warm it and serve it.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44I was introduced to it by master of wine Xenia Irwin.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49OK.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50So what's this called?
0:06:50 > 0:06:52This is a Smoking Bishop
0:06:52 > 0:06:57and it's a recipe that I found in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59- Oh, good!- It's a traditional Cornish recipe.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Well, not necessarily Cornish, but it's a very traditional recipe.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- Yeah.- And it's sort of an old-fashioned punch.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08It's quite weird, quite interesting.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Very grapefruity. I rather like it.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13It's a little sweet.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15SHE SLURPS
0:07:15 > 0:07:19You're applying your wine taster's skills there, I note, to a...
0:07:19 > 0:07:21You've got to slurp!
0:07:21 > 0:07:23You've got to get the air in to get the flavours out.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- It's quite bitter. The grapefruit comes through very strongly.- Mm.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29Possibly, I underspiced it.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Maybe more cloves to make it more traditional.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Well, it smells of cloves and citrus. I do like that bitterness.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37It's like having Campari in the background.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41Yes! It's a good kind of balance to the sweetness. It's very, very sweet.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42All that port.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Sniffing and drinking this,
0:07:44 > 0:07:48I'm thinking Dickens, I'm thinking Victorian, rosy-cheeked people,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50probably through too much punch...
0:07:50 > 0:07:52- Probably.- ..by the coal fire there.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54I'm thinking of putting my boot up by the fire
0:07:54 > 0:07:57and calling for one of those long clay pipes
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and maybe bring on the serving wenches!
0:08:01 > 0:08:03'Xenia's a girl who knows her drinks,
0:08:03 > 0:08:07'and her next suggestion was a sort of Cornish Kir Royale
0:08:07 > 0:08:11'made with sloe gin and a local sparkling wine.'
0:08:11 > 0:08:12My own sloe gin,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14made by my own fair hands.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16What, from hedgerows and...?
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Local hedgerows, local hedgerows, a lot of sugar, a lot of gin.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Picked the berries, froze them, beat them up with a rolling pin,
0:08:24 > 0:08:28put them in a large one-gallon container
0:08:28 > 0:08:31with a lot of sugar and a lot of gin and a vanilla pod
0:08:31 > 0:08:33and then put them in the boot of the car
0:08:33 > 0:08:36to roll around in the dark to really macerate.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Everyone says you should shake it every day. Much easier
0:08:39 > 0:08:43to stick it in the boot of the car for a month. Let's have a taste.
0:08:43 > 0:08:45That is very good. I must say, I thought it would be
0:08:45 > 0:08:49a lot sweeter, but actually it's quite austere,
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- but it's quite astringent.- It's quite lean and racy and dry and...
0:08:52 > 0:08:54Lean and racy, yeah.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55And it's quite elegant.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59It's got that sort of plummy, plum-stone taste as well.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- It has, it has.- I mean, a great fruit, sloe, isn't it?
0:09:02 > 0:09:06It's also...surprisingly alcoholic
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- and it gets in the...- Oh, not again!
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I'm really sorry about this.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- That's why it's called a heart starter.- We need a spittoon.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17- It's Christmas, we're not doing spittoons.- Fair enough.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19That's why we call it a heart starter.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22We discovered it on my local shoot, where I beat,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26and we have it as a mid-morning nip just to warm me up and keep me going.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30My God, when you're cold, large gulp of that and you're off and away again.
0:09:30 > 0:09:36- So you like shooting?- Yes, yes. I'm often to be seen behind a batch of brambles
0:09:36 > 0:09:38with a large flag, shouting at pheasants.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Sparkling wine is really what...
0:09:41 > 0:09:46It's not British wine, that used to be sherry, but English wine it's called, isn't it?
0:09:46 > 0:09:52No, British wine is something that's unspeakably nasty and made from molasses and other revolting things.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58English wine is made from grapes grown in England, essentially
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and the English should be making sparkling wine.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03We've got the right climate, the right soil
0:10:03 > 0:10:06and we're really, really good at making sparkling wine.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10And I think we can beat the Champagnoirs at their own game.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14- Yeah.- And what I like about Cornish sparkling wine is it's got that real cool freshness
0:10:14 > 0:10:17that comes from wet hedgerows full of elderflower.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20You're poetic. I like this, I like this.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22POSH ACCENT: It comes naturally, darling!
0:10:22 > 0:10:25THEY LAUGH Put Dame Edna away!
0:10:29 > 0:10:35The Cornish coastline isn't always as benign as the Fal Estuary on a misty morning.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40The sea and the fishing industry still remain Cornwall's main claim
0:10:40 > 0:10:45to fame, and at this time of year, it's particularly perilous.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49# The mackerel shoals we hope to find
0:10:49 > 0:10:54# And soon we left Land's End behind
0:10:54 > 0:10:59# For Cornish lads are fishermen
0:10:59 > 0:11:04# And Cornish lads are miners too
0:11:04 > 0:11:09# But when the fish and tin are gone
0:11:09 > 0:11:16# What are the Cornish boys to do? #
0:11:16 > 0:11:21I never fail to be in awe of the guys at the sharp end of the fishing industry.
0:11:21 > 0:11:27Working day and night in conditions which most of us would do anything to avoid.
0:11:27 > 0:11:33I must say, it's really nice to be in Newlyn market again, albeit it is the middle of the night.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35They've just landed this beautiful-looking hake.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37I'm always banging on about hake.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40I don't quite understand why we don't eat more of it in this country.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44I think it's the best number of the cod family, and Phil Mitchell
0:11:44 > 0:11:48and his boys have been out in the Irish Sea fishing for this.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51They've got about 204 boxes,
0:11:51 > 0:11:56and there's five stone in a box, so that's about 6,500 kilos of fish.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00Hake is a bit of a good-news story as far as fishing is concerned,
0:12:00 > 0:12:04there's plenty about, and the Spanish love it.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07This is all going off to Roscoff, but then it'll be distributed
0:12:07 > 0:12:14to all those hake-loving countries in Europe, like Spain, even as far as Italy.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18I've been filming in Spain recently, and one of the ways I love to eat hake
0:12:18 > 0:12:24is just cut into thin little steaks, about that wide, and cooked a la plancha,
0:12:24 > 0:12:30on a very hot grill, with just a little bit of olive oil, and served with caramelised onion and garlic.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It's fab!
0:12:33 > 0:12:39Phil, the thing that really upsets people - ordinary people that don't know about fishing
0:12:39 > 0:12:43is the way that fish get just thrown overboard and not landed.
0:12:43 > 0:12:48People understand the need for conservation and conserving stocks
0:12:48 > 0:12:52but they can't understand throwing stuff away. Why is that?
0:12:52 > 0:12:58The way it's being done at the moment, bigger fish will command a better price than smaller fish.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01If you're only allowed to catch two tonne of fish,
0:13:01 > 0:13:06- you're not going to land two tonne of mixed fish. - Little fish or mixed fish.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10You're going to land two tonne of big ones to get the best money.
0:13:10 > 0:13:15- And all the small and medium ones, which are already dead, are getting thrown away.- It's criminal.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17It's just heartbreaking, heartbreaking.
0:13:17 > 0:13:23So you've been at sea a long time, you're coming back for Christmas.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25What does that mean to you?
0:13:25 > 0:13:30Well, it usually starts off with everyone looking forward to it.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Come home - week, ten days off - really looking forward to it
0:13:33 > 0:13:38and then, by the time you get here, fish prices have dropped. This, that and third thing.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43Everything you thought you were going to make, and then, "oh". Now you can't.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Usually, it's a big disappointment and you can't wait to go back to sea again!
0:13:47 > 0:13:48THEY LAUGH
0:13:48 > 0:13:53The fishing industry has changed almost beyond recognition in recent years
0:13:53 > 0:13:56and there aren't as many trawlers as in the past.
0:13:56 > 0:14:02Interestingly, though, a smaller fleet is giving local stocks a chance to recover
0:14:02 > 0:14:06and seeing that hake makes me want to use it in my Christmas banquet.
0:14:06 > 0:14:11I asked my son, Jack, who's one of my chefs, to come up with a dish.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15'This is his braised hake with a seasonal Cornish salad.'
0:14:15 > 0:14:18And that is sea beet, from the seashore.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Various different cabbages, red cabbage,
0:14:21 > 0:14:27hispi, beetroot, cavolo nero, but Cornish.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28What about these?
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Pomegranate? Not exactly Cornish?
0:14:30 > 0:14:35It's the only winter fruit I could think of at the time, but I just thought, the colours and everything,
0:14:35 > 0:14:39- went for the Christmas ornament, sort of holly bush.- And berries.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42And berries. That's the pomegranate, that's where that's come from.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46Brilliant. I've never asked you this, Jack, so it seems a good time, but why are you doing this?
0:14:46 > 0:14:49Just to please me, take over the family business? Do you like cooking?
0:14:49 > 0:14:54Yeah, to get your undivided attention, mostly, and because I love working weekends and late nights(!)
0:14:54 > 0:15:01'Thanks, Jack! The base of this sauce is beetroot, so in order to extract the juice,'
0:15:01 > 0:15:05it goes into a rather posh food processor to be blitzed.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09You can do it at home by simply softening the beetroot and putting it through a sieve.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14The idea here is to get that rich colour of Christmas.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17OK, the first thing we need to do is chop the veg, so just give us a hand here.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21- Nice and tight. - How fine do you want?
0:15:21 > 0:15:24- You mean... Tight means fine?- Yeah.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29It's not really the time of year for a conventional salad, so best to use what's available.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35You can tell which the youth is here, going like crazy there.
0:15:35 > 0:15:41I just like to be a bit more methodical, go along at my own... my own speed.
0:15:44 > 0:15:50This is almost like a really vibrant coleslaw - all the different leaves will each have a very particular
0:15:50 > 0:15:54influence in the salad, and none will be too prominent.
0:15:54 > 0:16:00The whole thing will have plenty of crunchy crispness, which will complement the warm, flaky fish,
0:16:00 > 0:16:07and the cavolo nero leaves will be slightly bitter against the slivers of beetroot.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11The chunky fillets of hake are pan-fried in a little butter,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14skin side first, of course, to hold them together.
0:16:17 > 0:16:23Once the skin's nicely caramelised and flipped over, coat them with more melted butter.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Don't they look good as they take a little bit of golden colour?
0:16:30 > 0:16:37Now put in a good glassful of sparkling wine to deglaze the pan and gather every scrap of flavour.
0:16:37 > 0:16:43Add a ladleful of fish stock, and then cover the pan and let the fish poach for just a few minutes.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47I like the idea of the pomegranate seeds.
0:16:47 > 0:16:49How come you came up with that?
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Just thought of a non-toxic holly berry, really, just for the final dish.
0:16:53 > 0:16:58I just remember seeing around the house in wreaths, dried out pomegranates adorning the middle.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- That's really good, it's really imaginative stuff, Jack! - Thank you very much!
0:17:04 > 0:17:11When the fillets are done, keep them warm, and add the juices from the pan to the beetroot dressing.
0:17:13 > 0:17:18Now, put in some rapeseed oil - Cornish, of course - and a dash of cider vinegar.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Mix it all up, just like any other salad dressing.
0:17:24 > 0:17:29Put some on the salad, and toss it together just before you serve the dish.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37I can see you've thought about this, Jack, that's really nice. It really does look like Christmas.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Can I just taste a bit?
0:17:40 > 0:17:42You know me, a bit more salt.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- Just a tad more dressing, do you think?- Yup.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49The whole thing is served on top of thinly sliced beetroot.
0:17:49 > 0:17:56And with Jack's pomegranate seeds mixed in with the rest of the saucy dressing, then dribbled around
0:17:56 > 0:18:00the edge of the plate, it all looks like a Christmas decoration itself.
0:18:01 > 0:18:07I'm still amazed that this extremely fine fish isn't more popular in this country.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12Why on earth do we not recognise our treasures instead of flogging them abroad?
0:18:15 > 0:18:19# We're making money with this sound
0:18:19 > 0:18:21# Rattle them winches, oh!
0:18:21 > 0:18:25- # Soon we'll all be homeward-bound - Rattle them winches, oh!
0:18:25 > 0:18:28# Rattle them down and stamp and go
0:18:28 > 0:18:30# Rattle them winches, oh!
0:18:30 > 0:18:32# Rattle them down and stamp and go
0:18:32 > 0:18:34# Rattle them winches, oh! #
0:18:34 > 0:18:42Music is in the Cornish fishermen's soul, but only recently has the rest of the world woken up to that fact.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47These guys from neighbouring Port Isaac call themselves Fishermen's Friends.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52And they won a huge recording contract, which will bring their music to a much wider audience.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58I will definitely be inviting them along to my Christmas banquet!
0:18:58 > 0:19:00# Rattle them winches, oh!
0:19:00 > 0:19:02# Rattle them down and stamp and go
0:19:02 > 0:19:04# Rattle them winches, oh!
0:19:04 > 0:19:07# Rattle them down and stamp and go
0:19:07 > 0:19:09# Rattle them winches, oh!
0:19:09 > 0:19:11# Rattle them down and stamp and go
0:19:11 > 0:19:13# Rattle them winches, oh!
0:19:13 > 0:19:15# Rattle them down and stamp and go
0:19:15 > 0:19:21# Rattle them winches, oh! #
0:19:21 > 0:19:26I'm off with one of the boys, Jeremy Brown, to pick up his lobster pots, which I'm pleased to see,
0:19:26 > 0:19:28have plenty of lobsters and crabs in them.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Even some tiddlers!
0:19:31 > 0:19:34They're the fastest ones to grow. They grow very quickly.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Lobsters grow a little bit, little bit - these grow really quickly.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41This is really good fishing, I must say.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- So you reckon that's out of the hatchery?- It could be.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47We've seen lots of small ones around. It's nice to think...you know?
0:19:47 > 0:19:51See, in Padstow, there's this lobster hatchery,
0:19:51 > 0:19:56and when lobsters are born, they're born as little fry, tiny little things.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01They're up in the water for a long time, up with the plankton for a long time, then they get swallowed up.
0:20:01 > 0:20:07And they reckon 99% of all the little fry that are born are eaten by predators.
0:20:07 > 0:20:13- So what they do is take these tiny little lobsters and grow them to about two centimetres.- Two inches.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17And then they put them back in the sea.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21And Jeremy is saying they get a lot of these in the sea, so it's good news.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25I assume they can fend for themselves, they can do a bit of damage with these claws now!
0:20:25 > 0:20:31- Wouldn't even want to get my finger...- They'd give a pollack a little nip on the nose, or a bass!
0:20:31 > 0:20:35We just feed these up and throw them back, so it's almost like farming, in a way.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37It is, really.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Only you're not having to pay for the feed.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44That one's just big enough. Just made the measure.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47So you've got quite an optimistic future, lobster fishing.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Then you've got your Fishermen's Friends as well.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53- That's right, it's all going on! - How did you get involved in that?
0:20:53 > 0:21:00Well, we are literally all friends, and we would've been out, down the pub on a Friday night anyway.
0:21:00 > 0:21:02So why do you think fishermen sing on boats?
0:21:02 > 0:21:07The sea shanties on board sailing ships were actually essential to bring up the heavy ropes,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09to bring up the chains, the anchors...
0:21:09 > 0:21:13- So it's like...- They'd have a chant going, sort of like...
0:21:13 > 0:21:15# In South Australia I was born Heave away... #
0:21:15 > 0:21:19Just to keep everyone in time. If you've got ten people pulling on a rope,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21you need 'em all to pull at the same time.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25It's no good one having a go, you need 'em all to lean back at the same time.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28And there's different shanties for different jobs.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- # In the hold this gear must go - Rattle them winches, oh!
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- # For Mr Mate has told me so - # Rattle them winches, oh!
0:21:36 > 0:21:39# Rattle them down and stamp and go
0:21:39 > 0:21:41# Rattle them winches, oh!
0:21:41 > 0:21:44# Rattle them down and stamp and go
0:21:44 > 0:21:45# Rattle them winches, oh! #
0:21:45 > 0:21:50So you want to see our crab shops? You've seen us catch crab and lobsters.
0:21:50 > 0:21:56- So you've got it from pot to table then?- That's the idea. I want to get this continuity going.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00- Oh, fair enough.- Got the wet fish on this side and on this side...
0:22:00 > 0:22:07- my grandfather used to smoke the herrings in here.- In here? - Yeah, locally smoked herrings.- Wow!
0:22:07 > 0:22:11- Now it's a crab shop. Crabs and lobsters. - And there's the crab pickers.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14- This is my wife, Elizabeth. - Hi.- Very nice to meet you.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Oh, I've got gloves one.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18This is Kim and my daughter, Lisa.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21This is our happy little team of crab pickers.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23I LOVE crab. Look at that.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26It's really good value for money, crab.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29In this country, it's as cheap as chips.
0:22:29 > 0:22:33- Can I try a bit.- Er...yes, you can.
0:22:33 > 0:22:34Love it.
0:22:34 > 0:22:38A nice bit of meat. I mean, that is it!
0:22:38 > 0:22:40Let's hope there's no crunchy bits in there!
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Ahh.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45Would you ever think of having crab over Christmas?
0:22:45 > 0:22:49Lots of people want it at Christmas - crab AND lobster. Yep.
0:22:49 > 0:22:54- It's a pity we don't eat more over Christmas, really. It's a real... - It makes a lovely salad
0:22:54 > 0:22:58for those days when you want something a bit lighter than heavy old turkey.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02I was just thinking, this at Christmas - what could be better?
0:23:02 > 0:23:08I spend a lot of time in Australia and around Christmas, they always go for the seafood,
0:23:08 > 0:23:12but why don't we? We just think of turkey and really...
0:23:12 > 0:23:14But some crab at Christmas!
0:23:14 > 0:23:19'Crab, yes. Lobster, even better as far as I'm concerned.'
0:23:20 > 0:23:27I've got my Breton chef Stephane Delourme to come up with a lobster pithivier.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31He's cooked the lobster for just a short time.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35It shouldn't be cooked completely, because it's going to be finished off
0:23:35 > 0:23:41when the little pies are baked in the oven, and he doesn't want it to be overdone.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45Steph and I are making what I like to call a shellfish reduction.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48I'm just cutting up these lobster shells here -
0:23:48 > 0:23:51what a lot of people don't realise
0:23:51 > 0:23:54is how much flavour there is in a lobster shell.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Also in prawn shells, also in crab.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Once the smashed up shells are in with the sizzling vegetables,
0:24:02 > 0:24:06you add a large pinch of saffron, and another of cayenne pepper.
0:24:06 > 0:24:10Mix it together, and then flambe the pan with cognac.
0:24:16 > 0:24:22Add a generous glass of white wine, followed by some tarragon, and a pint of chicken stock.
0:24:25 > 0:24:31That has to cook away for an hour to extract all the flavour from the ingredients,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34before you strain the liquor into another pan.
0:24:40 > 0:24:45For the filling, Stephane makes up a fish mousseline with uncooked hake.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47I'm keen to use this fish.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Fresh double cream.
0:24:50 > 0:24:51One whole egg.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55And some finely chopped shallot.
0:24:55 > 0:25:00Then with another egg, beaten in a bowl, he adds some of the reduction,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04before gently folding in the smooth, creamy fish.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Believe me, this is all worth it.
0:25:11 > 0:25:17The pastry is a straight forward puff pastry and the filling must always be generous.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21The lobster hasn't been overcooked in the first place, because it will
0:25:21 > 0:25:24cook some more when it's baked.
0:25:24 > 0:25:29And, of course, the fish mousseline will cook at that time, too.
0:25:30 > 0:25:34What would you have in Brittany over Christmas in Quiberon, then?
0:25:34 > 0:25:36We will have a lot of shellfish.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38Fruits de mer to start.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42We used to eat goose a lot, but it's mainly beef now.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46Beef en croute or a nice fillet of beef.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49And of course this is lobster en croute, really.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Yes, it could be lobster en croute.
0:25:51 > 0:25:55But, yes, that's a bit posh for family.
0:25:55 > 0:26:01Now we use a lot of shellfish, a lot of fish, and a lot of wine.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08Before baking, just give them an egg wash to make them turn to a golden colour.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10And because he's a Frenchman,
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Stephane has an irresistible need to draw on them.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18But it does make them look very pretty.
0:26:20 > 0:26:24Back to the sauce to thicken it with butter and cream
0:26:24 > 0:26:27and to prepare a chiffonade of basil leaves.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29That's very French of me, isn't it?
0:26:39 > 0:26:40Very nice, very lobstery, isn't it?
0:26:40 > 0:26:44And the basil in just before it goes out.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48It comes out of the oven looking a bit like a high-class Cornish pasty,
0:26:48 > 0:26:50but don't be fooled by the looks.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54It would be superb on its own, but surrounded by that
0:26:54 > 0:26:57unctuous creamy sauce with basil,
0:26:57 > 0:27:00and it reaches a new plane altogether.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04Just thinking, at Christmas, just the best bottle
0:27:04 > 0:27:07of old white Burgundy I've got will go with this.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10I had in my head as I was eating that lovely...
0:27:10 > 0:27:14I mean, the saffron works really well with the lobster reduction.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18Very deluxe food, I'd say.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20- Bon appetit.- Merci.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25Firstly, I'd like to welcome you all tonight to another Dickensian evening.
0:27:25 > 0:27:27THEY PLAY THE FIRST NOEL
0:27:27 > 0:27:32As well as great food and drink, Christmas has come to be synonymous with Dickens.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37In Lostwithiel, they really know how to celebrate the great man,
0:27:37 > 0:27:41who came to Cornwall with his artist friends in the 1840s.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43If you know your Dickens novels,
0:27:43 > 0:27:45you should be able to spot each and every character
0:27:45 > 0:27:47in this annual Christmas ceremony,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50which brings the whole community together.
0:27:50 > 0:27:55Everyone joins in the spirit of Christmas past.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59BELLS PEAL
0:27:59 > 0:28:04There's free mince pies and mulled wine in almost
0:28:04 > 0:28:07every shop you choose to visit up and down the High Street,
0:28:07 > 0:28:10but for serious foodies, the local delis provide
0:28:10 > 0:28:14plenty of Cornish festive fare to stock up your larder.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16I love Lostwithiel!
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Cornish Christmas, quite simple.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21It means good food, family, friends and fun really
0:28:21 > 0:28:25and we have all those things in abundance in Cornwall.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27We've got great producers, great suppliers
0:28:27 > 0:28:30and put all those things together with a bit of festive cheer,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32that's it.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34But if Dickens is not your style, that's fine.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38Some characters seem to have escaped from other authors.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41There we go! Happy Christmas... from Captain Pugwash.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43I'll be on my way now.
0:28:45 > 0:28:47'In years past in Cornwall,
0:28:47 > 0:28:50'the joy of Christmas was that it was a short respite
0:28:50 > 0:28:53'in the day-to-day struggle to put food on the table
0:28:53 > 0:28:57'and in those days the choice of food was very limited
0:28:57 > 0:28:59'for ordinary working folk.
0:29:01 > 0:29:05'For much of the year, their diet consisted of little else than pilchards,
0:29:05 > 0:29:07'fresh when the shoals were running
0:29:07 > 0:29:11'and when the fish had moved on, it was yet more pilchards,
0:29:11 > 0:29:17'this time dried or preserved in brine. There was no escape from it.
0:29:17 > 0:29:23'Some time ago I was able to go out and catch some for the Cornish Pilchard Museum,
0:29:23 > 0:29:26'but these days pilchards have a new image.'
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Oh, brilliant!
0:29:29 > 0:29:33'Rebranded as Cornish Sardines, they're very popular.
0:29:33 > 0:29:39'I love it when previously humble food becomes the height of fashion.
0:29:39 > 0:29:43'In this Newlyn pub, I met up with a few local lads -
0:29:43 > 0:29:49'Nick Howell, Laurence Hartwell and James Hicks - who know what it was like in the bad old days.'
0:29:49 > 0:29:53So, um, what sort of things have they, you know, in times gone by...
0:29:53 > 0:29:56I mean, it's a pretty poor part of the country really,
0:29:56 > 0:29:59what would they have had around Christmas, do you think?
0:29:59 > 0:30:02- I think poor's the word, isn't it? - Poor's the word, yeah.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05Whatever you could preserve during the good times really.
0:30:05 > 0:30:10If you're a bit dryer, just like, just further south in Brittany
0:30:10 > 0:30:14here's the... This is sun-dried as opposed to salted.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18Now here you've got salt conger, salt pollack,
0:30:18 > 0:30:19little pollacks they are.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22- Yeah.- Salt conger again.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25Goodness knows what it tastes like, not much of a smell to it.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27No, I mean, if you said...
0:30:27 > 0:30:30- It's incredible. - ..you could eat this, you'd say...
0:30:30 > 0:30:33- Soak it and...- No, it's a piece of wood, you can't eat that!
0:30:33 > 0:30:36I mean, how would you go about, you know, cooking something
0:30:36 > 0:30:40maybe that I could, maybe sell in one of my restaurants?
0:30:40 > 0:30:45I think one of the things if you listen to some of the meals that people talk about,
0:30:45 > 0:30:47it's incredibly simple because,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51especially this far south away from a lot of trade, I guess,
0:30:51 > 0:30:53the basic ingredients are what's growing outside
0:30:53 > 0:30:55or what's swimming around out there,
0:30:55 > 0:31:00and the simplest one I know of is literally the fish, the potatoes,
0:31:00 > 0:31:04and using sea water rather than fresh water.
0:31:04 > 0:31:07- You mean you just take...? - And if you had the money, an onion.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12What you've also got to remember is one of the most famous things in this area -
0:31:12 > 0:31:15my family comes from Mousehole originally - is Tom Bawcock's Eve.
0:31:15 > 0:31:20He was the fisherman who went out and caught the fish to feed the families of Mousehole
0:31:20 > 0:31:24after a period of storms and it still goes on to this day,
0:31:24 > 0:31:28it's quite famous and it was really pilchards and potatoes.
0:31:28 > 0:31:29What else went in it, I don't know.
0:31:29 > 0:31:30Another thing is,
0:31:30 > 0:31:34Henry VIII, one of his favourite meals was Stargazy Pie.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38- Yeah.- And he found it somewhere, they used to send them to...
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- Well, he looked well on it. - He looked well on it, yeah, like me.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43- Yeah.- 'A few years ago'
0:31:43 > 0:31:45'when I was a young lad with more hair
0:31:45 > 0:31:49'I went with a film crew to Mousehole, Mouse hole as the locals call it,
0:31:49 > 0:31:55'on Tom Bawcock's Eve to sample for myself the famous Stargazy Pie.'
0:31:55 > 0:31:59# A merry place you may believe
0:31:59 > 0:32:02# Was Mousehole on Tom Bawcock's Eve... #
0:32:02 > 0:32:08'I wonder if Tom Bawcock would recognise this version.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11'It was a pastry base filled with mashed potatoes
0:32:11 > 0:32:13'cooked with cream and parsley
0:32:13 > 0:32:15'and, of course, the pilchards
0:32:15 > 0:32:18'popping their heads through to gaze at the stars.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23'No doubt Henry VIII would have joined in with no trouble at all.
0:32:23 > 0:32:24'It was a great night
0:32:24 > 0:32:28'and a very lively start to the Christmas good cheer.
0:32:28 > 0:32:32'Good Lord, I did have a lot more hair in those days!
0:32:36 > 0:32:40'While Tom Bawcock's Eve dates back into the mists of time
0:32:40 > 0:32:44'a new kid on the Cornish block by comparison is the Eden Project,
0:32:44 > 0:32:48'visited by tens of thousands of people from all around the world.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53'Here too they've embraced the Christmas spirit
0:32:53 > 0:32:57'and with a strong environmental message regarding waste.
0:32:57 > 0:33:02'Very apt I thought, just like Ted Hughes's The Iron Man.
0:33:04 > 0:33:09'Remember all those wonderful pictures of people skating elegantly
0:33:09 > 0:33:11'on frozen ponds on Christmas morning?
0:33:11 > 0:33:13'Well, you can't say I didn't try.
0:33:13 > 0:33:18'Once upon a time I was quite good at skating, honest!'
0:33:22 > 0:33:24# So let's celebrate
0:33:24 > 0:33:26# All that is great
0:33:26 > 0:33:29# In our green and pleasant land... #
0:33:31 > 0:33:32You can do it!
0:33:32 > 0:33:33Well, I could,
0:33:33 > 0:33:36it's just...
0:33:36 > 0:33:37these guys want to make fun of me.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40I haven't done it since '63,
0:33:40 > 0:33:45the bad winter on the lake just near Uppingham School.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47It's easy!
0:33:47 > 0:33:55# ..To you a joyful New Year To you a joyful New Year. #
0:33:55 > 0:33:59'Well, all that skating gave me a bit of an appetite
0:33:59 > 0:34:02'so I joined the founder of Eden, Tim Smit, for a bite to eat.'
0:34:02 > 0:34:06Oh, this is very nice. It's sort of vegetarian Christmas dinner.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08It is, yeah.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11- Vegetarian suet.- Yeah and chestnuts
0:34:11 > 0:34:13- and small mushrooms.- All lovely.
0:34:13 > 0:34:18Everything is local, probably 83% of everything we actually sell across Eden is local.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22You're obviously rather romantically inclined towards Christmas, Tim,
0:34:22 > 0:34:26cos just coming in tonight and just looking at those enchanting
0:34:26 > 0:34:32sort of Christmas trees, that lovely shimmering Christmas tree and all the others
0:34:32 > 0:34:37and the ice-skating rink, I mean, it must mean a lot to you.
0:34:37 > 0:34:39Yeah, I love the idea of Christmas.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44I know that for many people it's a terrible pressure of expectation,
0:34:44 > 0:34:49it's a bit like the gold-embossed party invitation, which can never live up to the real thing,
0:34:49 > 0:34:54um, but what I do adore about Christmas in the build-up to it is that sense...
0:34:54 > 0:34:56It's the imagery that comes to you, isn't it?
0:34:56 > 0:34:58Here we've got candles on the table.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Why is it that candles make you want to talk?
0:35:01 > 0:35:07Why is it the glint of a wine or cider or something through a candle
0:35:07 > 0:35:11makes you feel the tremendous sense of wellbeing and want to share it?
0:35:11 > 0:35:14It's a lonely... You'd be a lonely old sod to do that on your own,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17and I think, for me, the Christmas thing is about...
0:35:17 > 0:35:19Um, it's an often-used word, "community",
0:35:19 > 0:35:23but someone taught me about a year ago what the word "community" actually means.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27It comes from the Latin word - two words - "com" and "munus",
0:35:27 > 0:35:30"com" meaning together and "munus", in gift.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32And I thought, "That's gorgeous!"
0:35:32 > 0:35:36You suddenly understand that why we've lost so much in our society
0:35:36 > 0:35:39is because we thought of community as being a line on a bloody map
0:35:39 > 0:35:44as opposed to actually about the relationships of those people who are within the line on the map
0:35:44 > 0:35:48and, you know, I think you get that sense here
0:35:48 > 0:35:51when we have all those torch-light processions and everything,
0:35:51 > 0:35:57a sense... It feels a bit pagan, but Christmas is a bit pagan in terms of emotions about it
0:35:57 > 0:36:02and I love that sense of a larger togetherness than just the family.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20Tim mentioned the pagan element of the celebrations and that's
0:36:20 > 0:36:22certainly true today a bit further down the Cornish coast
0:36:22 > 0:36:24in Penzance.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30One of the organisers is Chris Nixon
0:36:30 > 0:36:34who told me a bit more about the Montol celebrations.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39We're in Penzance at the moment and we're celebrating the winter solstice,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42and people have been celebrating solstice since time immemorial.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46But I suppose, over the years, things have, um...
0:36:46 > 0:36:51The old traditions have, um, waned if you like
0:36:51 > 0:36:54and what we're doing is we're reviving what used to happen here,
0:36:54 > 0:36:57in some cases, until quite recently.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00In other cases, you know, several hundred years ago,
0:37:00 > 0:37:05but everything we do now is based on a core tradition, if you like.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08And all the Guise dancing, until quite recently,
0:37:08 > 0:37:12within people's living memory, people did this Guise dance.
0:37:12 > 0:37:18Basically that's how you see us dressed up in black, masks, tatters
0:37:18 > 0:37:21and people dancing in and out of people's houses, in the streets.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23This is what people did.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26It's an interesting time of year, it's a time of change,
0:37:26 > 0:37:30with the death of the old year, birth of the new year
0:37:30 > 0:37:33and it's a portal, if you like.
0:37:33 > 0:37:38Er, um, it's a time of topsy-turvy, misrule.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41They don't actually have a wicker man here,
0:37:41 > 0:37:43but although everyone is having a great time,
0:37:43 > 0:37:47there does seem to be something slightly sinister about it all.
0:37:47 > 0:37:53Throughout tradition this represents the end of the old
0:37:53 > 0:37:56and the beginning of the new.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:38:00 > 0:38:06There's a tangible sense of mischief and it's not altogether comfortable,
0:38:06 > 0:38:11but I suppose this is how it was back in pagan days.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Or maybe it still is.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Back in one of my favourite Cornish pubs,
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Christmas is celebrated in a more traditional way.
0:38:21 > 0:38:26This is the centre of the village, our local reverend would love to have this many people in his church.
0:38:26 > 0:38:31I mean, we have carol services and we have the charity auctions, whatnot over Christmas,
0:38:31 > 0:38:34the local school comes in for our carol service.
0:38:34 > 0:38:39It gets busy, which is good for me and, er, for them.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43It is, we're into Christmas here, it's a happy, great time for us.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50This pub is particularly well known for its speciality game pie
0:38:50 > 0:38:53and it's made by Mike Jones, the landlord.
0:38:55 > 0:38:57Game pie is the food of the season.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00To me, it's a mixture of all the birds, all the animals,
0:39:00 > 0:39:03the ground animals that we shoot,
0:39:03 > 0:39:06and it's a great flavour, it's a wonderful product
0:39:06 > 0:39:09and I love it, it's always been happening forever.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11It takes an awful long time to make,
0:39:11 > 0:39:14you got to be a bit passionate about the thing,
0:39:14 > 0:39:15you have to feel good about making it
0:39:15 > 0:39:18and everyone can make mistakes,
0:39:18 > 0:39:20but when it comes out right, it is the best thing,
0:39:20 > 0:39:22it's just fantastic food.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29At least you don't have to be landed gentry any more to enjoy this sort of stuff.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31I suppose you could make it yourself,
0:39:31 > 0:39:35but wouldn't it be better to take yourself off to the local pub
0:39:35 > 0:39:40and join in with a lot of other people beside the roaring fire and enjoy it with a pint?
0:39:41 > 0:39:47Good conversation and a slice of pie with pickles, you can't beat it.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51After all, that's what Christmas should really be all about.
0:39:51 > 0:39:56Game pies don't come any better than this, and to help wash it down,
0:39:56 > 0:40:03a new discovery for me - a delicious sparkling perry made by Andy Atkinson near Foye.
0:40:07 > 0:40:10Pears in Cornwall have been around for many, many years.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12They're not very popular at the moment.
0:40:12 > 0:40:16We haven't got any major pear orchards in the county,
0:40:16 > 0:40:20but we have records back in the National Trust properties
0:40:20 > 0:40:24that go back many, many years, of large pear orchards being around.
0:40:24 > 0:40:30The Tamar Valley has always been a great area for growing soft fruits -
0:40:30 > 0:40:33strawberries, raspberries, cherries
0:40:33 > 0:40:38and pears were just the same, very popular many years ago.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Perry in itself is a very traditional drink, and, you know,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Christmas is all about that, it's all about tradition.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49Cider gets all the good press, if you'll pardon the pun.
0:40:49 > 0:40:53But I reckon it's time to raise the profile of Cornish perry.
0:40:53 > 0:40:57The pears are washed and pulped and every last drop of juice extracted.
0:40:57 > 0:41:01Nothing is wasted. Even the pulp is collected and used for animal food.
0:41:01 > 0:41:07But sadly for the animals, they get it before it's fermented.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Merry Christmas!
0:41:12 > 0:41:17That's convinced me, then. I decided to use pears in a Christmas banquet
0:41:17 > 0:41:23and this time I have asked my pastry chef, Sam Eden, to come up with a suitable dish.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25She's going for a pear souffle.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29She is using soft, ripe sweet Conference pears
0:41:29 > 0:41:35and she's stewing them down with a little sugar and a small amount of the perry to enhance the flavour.
0:41:35 > 0:41:40Then she simply breaks them up into a sort of smooth compote
0:41:40 > 0:41:45and then thickens it with cornflour, also slaked down with the perry.
0:41:45 > 0:41:49She adds it slowly, because you can't afford any lumps in a souffle.
0:41:49 > 0:41:53What I really like about it, it's going to be really light,
0:41:53 > 0:41:58because you're just using cornflour and, what, you have some egg in there, I guess?
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Yeah, we mix it with a meringue,
0:42:00 > 0:42:03which is just egg white and sugar-based, so it's a lot more stable,
0:42:03 > 0:42:08which is great for a party, because everyone's always scared that they are going to collapse.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11We don't want that. It's too embarrassing.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Especially with all the people we have got to serve.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15But I really love a souffle.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19I always think it's the mark of a good pastry chef to be able to make
0:42:19 > 0:42:24a lovely light and simply flavoured souffle.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28Well, I'm sure you all know how to make a meringue -
0:42:28 > 0:42:34with egg white, sugar and plenty of arm-aching whisking, until you get your peaks to stand up.
0:42:39 > 0:42:44When you have done it, simply put half into the pear compote and mix them thoroughly.
0:42:48 > 0:42:55Then put the other half in and fold it in gently so as not to lose the light fluffiness of the meringue.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02Pipe it into the buttered and sugared ramekins
0:43:02 > 0:43:05and make each one look tidy with a flat top.
0:43:05 > 0:43:08Now they're almost ready for baking.
0:43:10 > 0:43:12I love my Christmas puddings,
0:43:12 > 0:43:15but occasionally this would be a most welcome change.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22It's some days since my pastry cook days.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25Why do you rub your finger around there?
0:43:25 > 0:43:32- Because it helps bring the souffle away from the edge and helps it to rise nice and flat.- Oh, I see.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34Well, you learn something every day!
0:43:42 > 0:43:46After about seven minutes, they'll have risen with a golden top.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50We're serving it with a home-made ice cream, again infused with perry,
0:43:50 > 0:43:55and some very smart and festive pear crisps.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02I'm not going to cook goose for my Christmas banquet,
0:44:02 > 0:44:05but I don't want to ignore it either.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08And I've cooked it before. About five years ago,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11I remember cooking the best roast goose ever.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14I remember it for very different reasons.
0:44:14 > 0:44:18The goose and all those wonderful trimmings were perfect.
0:44:18 > 0:44:23The stuffing took ages - it had chopped onions, fresh white breadcrumbs,
0:44:23 > 0:44:27zest of lemon, chopped sage, parsley and an egg.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30It took a long time to get these things right.
0:44:30 > 0:44:31It started to rain
0:44:31 > 0:44:35and I sensed the crew were desperate to get to the pub.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37And then I had to make the apple sauce.
0:44:37 > 0:44:40Goose and apple sauce is a joyous combination.
0:44:40 > 0:44:45By this time the director was insisting I bought a jar from the corner shop down the road.
0:44:45 > 0:44:47Unbelievable!
0:44:47 > 0:44:51And then when the time came to make the gravy - giblet gravy -
0:44:51 > 0:44:54I sensed I had a revolution on my hands.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57These were the days when the pubs closed at 3pm
0:44:57 > 0:44:59and it was already an hour after opening time.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02You can't rush good food.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05And so I made the gravy with streaky bacon, goose giblets,
0:45:05 > 0:45:09chopped onions, carrots and celery.
0:45:09 > 0:45:14Then the water, of course, and bay leaves and peppercorns.
0:45:14 > 0:45:17The director was quite serious about using a well-known brand!
0:45:17 > 0:45:21You know the one with the label featuring those scruffy kids
0:45:21 > 0:45:25smelling the aromas of a roast dinner and going, "Ahhh!"?
0:45:25 > 0:45:28But nothing was going to stop me
0:45:28 > 0:45:31from making the best roast goose ever.
0:45:31 > 0:45:34Ahhhh!
0:45:35 > 0:45:38Back in Padstow, I thought it would be a good idea
0:45:38 > 0:45:43to arrange a goose taste test, for two reasons really.
0:45:43 > 0:45:47One, because it's increasing in popularity as a choice for Christmas day
0:45:47 > 0:45:51and two, because it varies so much in price.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54£25 will get you a frozen supermarket bird,
0:45:54 > 0:45:59but you'd be lucky to see any change out of ninety quid for a free-range organic.
0:45:59 > 0:46:03'As far as we were concerned there were four birds.
0:46:03 > 0:46:05'One was the cheapest frozen supermarket version,
0:46:05 > 0:46:09'another was wild, then there was a free-range bird...'
0:46:09 > 0:46:12Goose A, right help yourself, have a look at the goose, have a...
0:46:12 > 0:46:15'..and finally the free-range organic.'
0:46:15 > 0:46:17Made with good fat, um, but a bit tough.
0:46:17 > 0:46:20'Naturally, as we're all chefs here,
0:46:20 > 0:46:22'we prefer to cook it slightly underdone,
0:46:22 > 0:46:24'but which one tasted the best?'
0:46:24 > 0:46:28Not as lean as the first one so I think this is a bit of a better bird.
0:46:28 > 0:46:30- OK, this is goose C.
0:46:35 > 0:46:40That goose was very nice and it's quite tender, full of fat,
0:46:40 > 0:46:42er, full of flavour.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44Do you know what I think about this goose?
0:46:44 > 0:46:47I don't care if that's the supermarket goose
0:46:47 > 0:46:49because it is so much nicer than the other two,
0:46:49 > 0:46:51if I lose, if it...
0:46:51 > 0:46:54I mean, it is a bit of a loss to go for the frozen goose,
0:46:54 > 0:46:57but if that remains the best one,
0:46:57 > 0:47:00it's so much better than the other two, if it's a frozen goose,
0:47:00 > 0:47:01it doesn't matter.
0:47:01 > 0:47:07This is, um, goose D, so everything hangs on this really.
0:47:11 > 0:47:13Taste-wise, it was lacking a little bit,
0:47:13 > 0:47:16um, I don't think it was as good as the last one.
0:47:16 > 0:47:17Yeah, right.
0:47:17 > 0:47:20Er, it's simply the best goose.
0:47:20 > 0:47:22I don't want to know what goose is what,
0:47:22 > 0:47:25I just want to know what the best goose is on the day,
0:47:25 > 0:47:27so I just want to show of hands.
0:47:27 > 0:47:30Who thinks that goose A was the best goose?
0:47:30 > 0:47:32Nil points.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36Who thinks that goose B was the best goose?
0:47:36 > 0:47:37Me, actually.
0:47:37 > 0:47:42Two. Who thinks that goose C was the best goose?
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Could somebody count because I'm not very good?
0:47:45 > 0:47:46- Seven.- Seven.
0:47:46 > 0:47:49And that leaves goose D.
0:47:49 > 0:47:51- None.- Nil.- Nil.
0:47:51 > 0:47:55OK, right, goose C. Anybody got their fingers crossed?
0:47:57 > 0:48:00Well, I have a bit.
0:48:00 > 0:48:03Goose C is...
0:48:03 > 0:48:05the free-range organic.
0:48:05 > 0:48:09Well done, everybody, your palates are absolutely tippy-top,
0:48:09 > 0:48:11well, except for the, er...
0:48:11 > 0:48:16And that came from Debbie and Simon Andrews from their farm near Golant.
0:48:19 > 0:48:21We were so impressed,
0:48:21 > 0:48:24we decided to have goose for our staff Christmas dinner
0:48:24 > 0:48:26along with all the trimmings, of course,
0:48:26 > 0:48:28and none of that packet gravy!
0:48:31 > 0:48:34Is that gra...? That's a serious amount of gravy!
0:48:34 > 0:48:37These are good times for me because it's the one occasion
0:48:37 > 0:48:42I get a chance to spend time with most of my staff.
0:48:43 > 0:48:45What a mellow sound.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49I just thought I'd, um, say a couple of words
0:48:49 > 0:48:52as this is the last time we'll all be together before Christmas
0:48:52 > 0:48:54as you haven't got to work tonight
0:48:54 > 0:48:58and, um, I would like to just thank you very much for a sensational season.
0:48:58 > 0:49:03Everybody, in all departments, has been excellent,
0:49:03 > 0:49:09it's a real pleasure to be sort of nominally in charge of such a professional group of people,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12so thank you and as it's Christmas,
0:49:12 > 0:49:16- a merry Christmas to you all. Glasses, please.- Merry Christmas!
0:49:21 > 0:49:25I was having a bit of a rethink about the start of my banquet lunch.
0:49:25 > 0:49:30I'd heard about some wonderful prawns being caught around the Fal river by David Thomas.
0:49:30 > 0:49:34This would be an ideal pre-starter for our meal,
0:49:34 > 0:49:38and it's high time we started using these prawns in Cornwall
0:49:38 > 0:49:41instead of sending 99% of them off to Spain!
0:49:41 > 0:49:45This is going to be not the first course, but like a pre-first course.
0:49:45 > 0:49:49To me, it's one of the best things you can have, when you sit down,
0:49:49 > 0:49:53and you're full of joy, having a drink, is to pick at some prawns.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55Look at these prawns.
0:49:55 > 0:49:57These came from Falmouth this morning.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02Look at those. You don't need to do anything but drop them into seasoned flour and fry them,
0:50:02 > 0:50:07very quickly, and serve them up with garlic mayonnaise, aioli.
0:50:09 > 0:50:13It's just perfect, you just dip it in the aioli and eat them, you eat them in the whole shell,
0:50:13 > 0:50:18because by frying them, the shell crisps up, and people don't mind.
0:50:18 > 0:50:22They don't notice, but actually, there's so much flavour in the shell.
0:50:22 > 0:50:26I've seasoned the flour with a little cayenne and some sea salt.
0:50:26 > 0:50:31And once the prawns are coated with it, they go straight into the hot oil, for just a few moments.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37Let them drain, and then serve them straight away, with another sprinkle
0:50:37 > 0:50:41of salt, and a good dollop of the freshly made aioli
0:50:41 > 0:50:42for dunking them in.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46The garlicky smoothness of the aioli just goes so well with
0:50:46 > 0:50:48the slightly crunchy prawns.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50Cheers, David!
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Now, Rick, with great respect here,
0:50:55 > 0:50:58many people might think that the food you're cooking
0:50:58 > 0:51:03for this sort of Christmas lunch is a bit on the sort of fancy side.
0:51:03 > 0:51:08Look, it's Christmas, OK. It's intended for after Christmas.
0:51:08 > 0:51:12I know you love your turkey, your cold stuffing,
0:51:12 > 0:51:14your pickled onions, your baked potatoes,
0:51:14 > 0:51:18but there's life after the cold turkey, if you catch my drift.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20OK, it is a bit elaborate.
0:51:20 > 0:51:26But we've got that lovely lobster pithivier, which is luscious and full of flavour.
0:51:26 > 0:51:32And Jack's little hake dish with the lovely winter salad underneath it.
0:51:32 > 0:51:36I think it's very light and just what you need after a heavy Christmas.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40We have got the shrimps. And we've got that souffle - it's just a little puff of air.
0:51:40 > 0:51:47Christmas - weeks of planning and preparation, and before you know it, the guests are turning up.
0:51:47 > 0:51:52Among them is Simon Reid, a man who knows heaps about the history of Cornish food.
0:51:52 > 0:51:59At Christmas, what traditionally did the Cornish do, what special things happened in Cornwall?
0:51:59 > 0:52:01There is the more revolting end.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03Pies were very popular in Cornwall
0:52:03 > 0:52:06for the feast, especially in the 19th century,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09and there is a particularly revolting one called muggoty pie.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Muggoty? It sounds a bit revolting.
0:52:11 > 0:52:16It is, it is sheep entrails braised in clotted cream.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18- Really? - Absolutely appalling.
0:52:18 > 0:52:24And also, in this part of world, one that was very popular was Cormorant pie layered with bacon and raisins.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Which is absolutely disgusting.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43CHINKS GLASS
0:52:43 > 0:52:47I'd just like to welcome you all to this little lunch of Cornish produce.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51We are starting with some Falmouth Bay shrimps.
0:52:51 > 0:52:54Well, actually, they are a bit of a prawn, aren't they?
0:52:54 > 0:52:58We have got lots of nice courses to come, all with a Cornish theme.
0:52:58 > 0:53:02So let's have a bit of a drink!
0:53:02 > 0:53:03Cheers!
0:53:06 > 0:53:11- Somebody once told me you wouldn't come to my restaurant because you don't eat fish.- I don't eat fish.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13I will eat that. It look good.
0:53:13 > 0:53:16Everybody else has got fish, so I've got fish as well.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19I'm touched!
0:53:19 > 0:53:23What was that one you were saying about some goat around here, you know a story about a goat?
0:53:23 > 0:53:26Well, Little Petherick, the first time I came to it,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29there was a well just out on the green
0:53:29 > 0:53:32and I can imagine in years gone by all the people came to the well
0:53:32 > 0:53:36for their daily water and I looked down the well and couldn't see the water.
0:53:36 > 0:53:39So I threw a stone down and never heard the splash.
0:53:39 > 0:53:41I thought, "That's very, very deep.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44"I must get something bigger than the stone."
0:53:44 > 0:53:49There was a railway sleeper and I dragged that over and I got one end up on the wall and edged it up
0:53:49 > 0:53:52on my shoulder, until I got sleeper -
0:53:52 > 0:53:56it was about 12 foot long and wet - crashing down the well.
0:53:56 > 0:54:01I could see the sleeper crashing down the well, but out the corner of me eye, a goat -
0:54:01 > 0:54:05he tried to kill me. He put his horns down, a goat, and he's flying.
0:54:05 > 0:54:10- And he had a nasty look on his face, Rick.- He was trying to butt you down the well.
0:54:10 > 0:54:13I jumped out of the way and...
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Hur, hur, hur! Don't start me laughing.
0:54:16 > 0:54:19This goat jumped straight down the well.
0:54:19 > 0:54:24I just saw a goat disappear in the distance, gone out of sight. Gone.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27A fella come walking across the green, he said, "Good morning."
0:54:27 > 0:54:30I said, "Oh, good morning!"
0:54:30 > 0:54:32He said, you haven't seen a goat?
0:54:32 > 0:54:35I said no.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39"Well," he said, "he can't be very gone very far - he's tied to a sleeper!"
0:54:51 > 0:54:55Well, I hope you're enjoying our little festive lunch.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57That is damn good.
0:54:57 > 0:55:02I love Christmas in Cornwall. But I think one of the things that...
0:55:02 > 0:55:06I've got really upset about over the last few years, has been,
0:55:06 > 0:55:09it's become too absorbed with consumption and purchase
0:55:09 > 0:55:13and Christmas starts with bloody television advertisers.
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Good on you, Tim, I have to say!
0:55:15 > 0:55:20I love to hear this. You're a serious person.
0:55:20 > 0:55:24- But don't you feel that?- I do. - Some friends of mine did something that is really beautiful.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28They all agreed as a big family group that they would spend no more than a tenner
0:55:28 > 0:55:31and what they discovered was that normally at Christmas
0:55:31 > 0:55:36if you just at Christmas Eve go to a shop, buy something, it means actually nothing.
0:55:36 > 0:55:39People judge it according to how much money you spent, or whatever.
0:55:39 > 0:55:44They found that last Christmas, everybody couldn't wait for each other's presents to be opened,
0:55:44 > 0:55:50because each present had a story in it - the second hand book about fly fishing or whatever it was.
0:55:50 > 0:55:53Everything that was opened had meaning.
0:55:53 > 0:55:54It provided it with meaning.
0:55:54 > 0:55:58And a sense that you're thinking about the person you're giving the present to.
0:55:58 > 0:56:02Exactly. That is actually what it's supposed to be about, isn't it?
0:56:05 > 0:56:07You're off, aren't you? You're a busy man.
0:56:07 > 0:56:12I must fly on. Thanks for having me and great to see you.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16Just before you go, one final word about Christmas.
0:56:16 > 0:56:23Oh, Christmas is all about the kids, and the bonus is we get a new jumper as well, don't we?
0:56:23 > 0:56:24Do your best, Rick.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29Well, there you are. I hope you have enjoyed looking at
0:56:29 > 0:56:31some of things that go to make a Cornish Christmas,
0:56:31 > 0:56:34and perhaps you will have a go at your own festive menu.
0:56:34 > 0:56:39It doesn't have to be too elaborate, just some great local produce closer to you.
0:56:39 > 0:56:45As for this one, everything seems to be going down very well.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49Anyway, however you're planning on spending your festive season,
0:56:49 > 0:56:54I wish you and everyone a very 'ansome Christmas and new year.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00Another chance to bang the old glass. Just been a lovely lunch.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03Thank you very much for coming.
0:57:03 > 0:57:04- Thank you very much.- Cheers.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07APPLAUSE
0:57:09 > 0:57:14So, well, anyway, I think there's only one thing to do now which is to have
0:57:14 > 0:57:20a rousing chorus of something lovely and Christmassy from the Fishermen's Friends. Take it away.
0:57:20 > 0:57:26# While shepherds watched their flocks by night.
0:57:26 > 0:57:31# All seated on the ground
0:57:31 > 0:57:37# All seated on the ground
0:57:37 > 0:57:44# The Angel of the Lord came down
0:57:44 > 0:57:47# And glory shone around
0:57:47 > 0:57:50- # And glory shone around - And glory shone around
0:57:50 > 0:57:55- # And glory shone around - And glory shone around
0:57:55 > 0:58:00- # And glory shone around - And glory shone around
0:58:00 > 0:58:04# Fear not, said he
0:58:04 > 0:58:07# For mighty dread
0:58:07 > 0:58:11# Had seized their troubled minds
0:58:11 > 0:58:18# Had seized their troubled minds
0:58:18 > 0:58:25# Glad tidings of great joy I bring
0:58:25 > 0:58:28# To you and all mankind
0:58:28 > 0:58:30# To you and all mankind
0:58:30 > 0:58:34- # To you and all mankind - To you and all mankind
0:58:34 > 0:58:37- # To you and all mankind - To you and all mankind
0:58:37 > 0:58:43- # To you and all mankind - To you and all mankind! #
0:58:43 > 0:58:46Brilliant. Merry Christmas, everybody!
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Merry Christmas!
0:58:49 > 0:58:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk