0:00:02 > 0:00:04'The royal family are steeped in tradition and throughout history,
0:00:04 > 0:00:07'the royal tables have showcased culinary excellence.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09'In celebration of royal food...'
0:00:09 > 0:00:11We know it's the Queen's recipe
0:00:11 > 0:00:13because we've got it in her own hand.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15'..from the present and the past...'
0:00:15 > 0:00:17That is proper regal.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'..we recreate old family favourites.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:25Now, the Queen Mother had this really wicked trick with these.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26What a mess.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28'We sample royal eating alfresco...'
0:00:28 > 0:00:31- Oh, wow!- That is what you want.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34'..and revisit the most extravagant times.'
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Pheasant, stag, turkey, salmon, oysters, and turbot,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41- dressed in a lobster champagne sauce.- Unbelievable!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43'This is Royal Recipes.'
0:00:47 > 0:00:48Hello. I'm Michael Buerk
0:00:48 > 0:00:51and welcome to Royal Recipes.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55This is Audley End, one of Britain's finest stately homes.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Built in the style of a royal palace and once owned by a king.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02In the splendour of the gardens,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05halls and kitchen of this grandest of country houses,
0:01:05 > 0:01:10we'll be recreating the food served at the highest royal tables.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And it all starts here, with this gem.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16A royal kitchen maid's cookbook.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20The only surviving recipe book of its kind in the royal archive.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23This is an exact copy of the original,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25which is kept at Windsor Castle.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Inside, the recipes of Mildred Nicholls,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32who worked at Buckingham Palace in the early 1900s.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And for the first time in over 100 years,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38we'll be bringing these recipes back to life.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47This time, we are cooking royal food inspired by the Commonwealth.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51The political union of 52 countries operates for the good of all.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54And it is said to be the Queen's proudest achievement.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Today in the Royal Recipes kitchen,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Paul Ainsworth cooks up some tropical delights.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02And it's another one of those royal recipes that's just really
0:02:02 > 0:02:05extravagant. In fact, it's bonkers.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Chef Anna Haugh tours The Royal Yacht Britannia,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12scene of so many Commonwealth and diplomatic banquets.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill were all entertained here.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23In the historic kitchen wing of this stately home,
0:02:23 > 0:02:25we begin with a dish from Malta,
0:02:25 > 0:02:27one of the Queen's favourite Commonwealth nations.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33Welcome to the great kitchens and the equally great Michelin-starred
0:02:33 > 0:02:34chef, Paul Ainsworth.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37We are cooking with the Commonwealth today.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40It is said that the Queen regards the Commonwealth as her greatest
0:02:40 > 0:02:43achievement. She is the first head of the Commonwealth,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45titular head of 52 countries.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47- Incredible.- So, what are you going to do?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Today, Michael, we are going to cook mushroom-stuffed quail with a
0:02:50 > 0:02:53beautiful truffle butter sauce.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Now, this is based on the dish that was actually the main course for the
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta in 2015.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Absolutely. Yeah. So, we've made a couple of little changes.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05We are going to stuff our quails with what the French
0:03:05 > 0:03:07call a duxelle, which is this here.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10So we've got chestnut mushrooms, Parmesan, some cream,
0:03:10 > 0:03:15garlic, thyme, some shallots, and some wonderful English truffle.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Now, here is the quail.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- Do you like quail?- Lovely little fellas, aren't they?
0:03:20 > 0:03:23But they are very controversial in Malta, where they had this banquet,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27because they shoot the quail when they migrate north in April and May.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29And of course, the environmentalists were all up in the air about it.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- They had a referendum and... - A referendum.- A referendum.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36..and by a thin majority, they decided they'd go on shooting them.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37THEY LAUGH
0:03:37 > 0:03:39- Fancy that, eh?- Yeah, fancy that.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41So you are... That's where the stuffing...
0:03:41 > 0:03:42This is where the stuffing goes.
0:03:42 > 0:03:44So, this quail has just been boned out,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47so basically we've taken the carcass out but left the legs on.
0:03:47 > 0:03:52So, the idea is now to wrap it back up so it resembles...
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It resembles the bird again as a whole.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58So what we do is we just pull it over like that.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01- Fiddly, isn't it? - It is fiddly.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05We are just basically putting these cocktail sticks.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07And that is because when we turn it over,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10it's also going to be down this side,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12so it's going to just seal in when we cook it.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15OK? So we are going to turn it back over and now you can see,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17it starts to resemble...
0:04:17 > 0:04:19- The bird.- ..the bird again.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21- Yeah.- Now, this technique is called trussing.
0:04:21 > 0:04:22So again, I know it's quite fiddly.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Shall I hold it while you do it?
0:04:24 > 0:04:25Yeah, if you could. Just at the top there like that.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29And we are just going to go like that and then back under the bird.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- Oh, that's clever.- Yeah. If you just hold it there like that.
0:04:32 > 0:04:34- Fiddly but clever.- And then just...
0:04:34 > 0:04:37tie it round. It actually doesn't take that long.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40We are just going to cut the string there like that.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- Yeah.- And there we have our two trussed birds.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44It's actually not that bad.
0:04:44 > 0:04:46- No, no, no.- OK? I'm just going to hand those to you.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- They are not going to get away.- No.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51In the oven, 200 degrees, for 20 minutes.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53- Done.- OK. Thank you, Michael.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- These ones look ready, Paul. - Oh, look at those.
0:05:04 > 0:05:05Fantastic. Beautiful.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08- Standing to attention.- Standing to attention, aren't they?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10Yeah. Look at that. Beautiful. Right.
0:05:10 > 0:05:12- You going to let them rest?- Yeah, that's it...
0:05:12 > 0:05:15Ah... Yeah.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18Right. On to our sauce. So what we are making here is kind of...
0:05:18 > 0:05:21It's a truffle butter sauce, it's a bit like a beurre blanc,
0:05:21 > 0:05:24but a beurre blanc, strictly speaking, is no cream.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27So it's just butter and then white wine vinegar and white wine.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29This sauce, very simple. Shallots, finely diced,
0:05:29 > 0:05:32to get the flavour of them quick, white wine, reduced right down,
0:05:32 > 0:05:35so that the alcohol is burned off, a clove of garlic, some thyme.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38So, we are just going to add some cream.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40That's your signature dish, cream, isn't it?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42Not mine, the French.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43- Ah! Right, right.- OK.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47- So, we are just going to stir our cream.- Yeah.
0:05:47 > 0:05:52Like so. Got that lovely flavour of the thyme.
0:05:52 > 0:05:53Next, the butter.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55Yes, of course, the butter.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57See, the sauce is just coming to the simmer there, Michael.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- We are just going to add in our butter.- Yeah.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I'm going to season now, not at the end,
0:06:01 > 0:06:06because I want to bring that flavour out as much as I can from the thyme,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08the shallot, that lovely white wine.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10And just now, with a whisk, just stir it in.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Must have been quite a nostalgic trip for the Queen, actually,
0:06:13 > 0:06:16because the Queen was in Malta as a young married woman, you know,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20when Prince Philip was a first lieutenant in the Navy in 1949.
0:06:20 > 0:06:21Before she became queen.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24So she must have had... Because quail is quite a dish there.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26She must have had quail then.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28And it must have kind of taken her back, I think.
0:06:28 > 0:06:29Right, there we have it.
0:06:29 > 0:06:33- Yeah.- So, we are just going to move our sauce onto the board there now.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37And now we just add a little bit of lemon...
0:06:37 > 0:06:41- Look at those.- They are standing to attention, too.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42- Pomme fondant.- Pomme fondant?
0:06:42 > 0:06:46Basically, butter roasted potatoes, little bit of chicken stock,
0:06:46 > 0:06:47some thyme, some garlic,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50and just keep cooking them and cooking them and cooking them and
0:06:50 > 0:06:52eventually, you will end up with that.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54The ultimate roast potatoes.
0:06:54 > 0:06:58- Yeah.- Next to that, we've got some delicious green beans.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01So we are just turning those over in some butter.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03And we are ready to plate up. Here we go.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- Right.- Yes, please.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08Right, so just a little pile of French beans, like so.
0:07:08 > 0:07:13See, we've removed the string and taken the cocktail sticks out.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16OK? And now that'll be nice and full, like that.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19OK? Going to take one of our gorgeous pommes fondant.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- Just the one?- Just the one, next to it like that.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27- Wow!- OK? And now this beautiful ingredient here,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29English truffle.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32- Have a smell. OK?- Mm.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35They don't taste of much, do they, but they smell...
0:07:35 > 0:07:37These are from Wiltshire.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39- Oh, really?- So, yeah.
0:07:39 > 0:07:41And they use dogs, as opposed to pigs, you know?
0:07:41 > 0:07:45The reason for that is because pigs will eat them.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48- Oh, yes.- They've got ultra-sensitive noses, but they will eat them.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49- Yeah.- So...
0:07:50 > 0:07:55Now... That lovely sauce just over our beans, like so.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- I love truffles.- Like that.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Such a powerful perfume, isn't it?
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Now, for me,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06we are just going to hit that dish again...
0:08:08 > 0:08:09..all over.
0:08:11 > 0:08:12And there you have it.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Let's have a taste.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Yes. You've done it beautifully, actually.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20Haven't you? It seems a shame to break into such a perfect...
0:08:20 > 0:08:22But I think I will. There you go.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25- Thank you very much. - You first. Show me the way.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28And that meat is still so juicy.
0:08:28 > 0:08:31- A bit of the sauce.- I'll have a go.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33It's that fondant potato that I'm really...
0:08:34 > 0:08:35..keen to have a go at.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Mm-mm. There we are. Now, that's what I call a mouthful.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Don't look.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47That lovely earthiness coming through from...
0:08:47 > 0:08:48It's great, isn't it?
0:08:48 > 0:08:50- Oh, it really is nice.- Mushroom, truffles, potato...
0:08:50 > 0:08:52And the quail is a lovely consistency.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53It's beautiful, isn't it?
0:08:53 > 0:08:55- Happy with that?- Mm.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57I bet the Queen loved that.
0:08:57 > 0:08:58I bet she did.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04Roast quail, Commonwealth style.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08The Queen has been hosting such dinners for over 60 years and many
0:09:08 > 0:09:10were held on board The Royal Yacht Britannia.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Chef Anna Haugh has come to
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Edinburgh, where the Britannia is moored.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Launched in 1953,
0:09:22 > 0:09:27the Royal Yacht was designed to travel the globe and it became an iconic symbol of the Commonwealth.
0:09:27 > 0:09:32Travelling a million nautical miles on over 900 state visits.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34This is a floating palace.
0:09:34 > 0:09:39There is no gold, there's no pearls, and there's no sapphires everywhere.
0:09:39 > 0:09:41It just feels really cosy.
0:09:41 > 0:09:46The yacht was finally decommissioned in 1997 and has been moored in
0:09:46 > 0:09:47Edinburgh ever since.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Noel Coward, Nelson Mandela and
0:09:49 > 0:09:53Winston Churchill were all entertained here.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56But I bet none of them got to cook in the kitchen.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00Now, Anna is going behind the scenes to the royal galley...
0:10:00 > 0:10:02It's much bigger than I expected.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06..to whip up a dish that was served on board on a 1995 trip
0:10:06 > 0:10:10to South Africa - roasted duck and peach salad.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13The first thing you've got to do is marinate your duck breasts.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16So, what I'm going to add to this is some crushed juniper berries.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18So they are pretty easy to crush.
0:10:18 > 0:10:19You can crush them with the back of your knife.
0:10:19 > 0:10:23OK, so, we'll take a bowl, scrape them into it.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28And all it needs is just like a little sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32I'm going to season the duck with a bit of salt and I'm also going to
0:10:32 > 0:10:35add olive oil. I'm just going to give that a little mix.
0:10:36 > 0:10:38OK, so, next we are going to slice the Brussels sprouts.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40Now, I am going to slice them really thin today.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42But you can grate them or you could
0:10:42 > 0:10:45just roughly chop them if you wanted.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48So, the next thing I'm going to prepare is the vinaigrette.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54So, I'm going to start off with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58Then I'm going to go with white wine vinegar.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03Then I'm going to go with extra virgin olive oil.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05A pinch of salt.
0:11:05 > 0:11:10Very important. And then I need to add my marmalade.
0:11:10 > 0:11:11The flavour that marmalade gives,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14which is kind of tangy and interesting and a
0:11:14 > 0:11:18little bit, kind of, warming, which goes so well with the duck,
0:11:18 > 0:11:20and all you need to do is essentially just
0:11:20 > 0:11:22stir it in really well.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25OK, I think that looks nice and mixed.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27So I'm going to throw my sprouts in.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Now, it's time to get the duck breast cooked.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Anna fries the duck to crisp up the
0:11:33 > 0:11:35skin before finishing it in the oven.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38So, while the duck is cooking in the oven,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40I'm going to get the peach ready now.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It's always good to try your peach to see how sweet it is.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48Mm! And then we are just going to caramelise it on quite a high heat.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Don't be afraid to add maybe a little bit more oil.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54So you want this nice, golden, caramelised colour
0:11:54 > 0:11:56on top of your peach. So I think we can take these off.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01I'm just going to add them straight into the salad.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04And I'm going to add the pearl barley, two generous tablespoons.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06So, it's time to get the duck out of the oven.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09So, you want to slice your duck, you know, nice and thin.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12You can make this salad so elegant.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15A couple of heaped spoons of your, kind of, cabbage salad.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17You can see the lovely flecks of
0:12:17 > 0:12:20your marmalade just coming through that, the orange zest.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25And then we are just going to layer it up with your beautiful pink duck.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27One more peach would be nice.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32And there you go. You have your roasted duck and peach salad.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Looks good. We are talking about royal food in the Commonwealth.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41The Commonwealth is quite close to your family story, isn't it?
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Very close, very close, yeah.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46My heritage is that my mum is from the Seychelles.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48Oh, those paradise islands in the Indian Ocean.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Oh, absolutely. No place like it. Beautiful place.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Famous for Creole cooking in the Seychelles.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54And are you going to do us something?
0:12:54 > 0:12:55Lots of fish, lots of seafood.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59- Yeah.- And something they have out there, which we do here as well,
0:12:59 > 0:13:04is octopus. And lots of octopus dishes but in particular,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06beautiful salads.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09And basically my mum's recipe, my mum's dish,
0:13:09 > 0:13:11so it's kind of like a salsa.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13So we've got this wonderful octopus here.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16Now, the variety like this is the Octopus vulgaris,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18which is basically a common octopus.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20But essentially, it's the same as
0:13:20 > 0:13:21the octopus you get round our shores?
0:13:21 > 0:13:24No, no, not quite the same.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27Like I say, this is the double sucker variety.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30So, what we've done is previously we've cooked it for
0:13:30 > 0:13:33two to three hours, basically until it is nice and tender,
0:13:33 > 0:13:34so you can just put a knife through it.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36And what we are going to do, Michael, is
0:13:36 > 0:13:38we are going to have some nice little tentacles,
0:13:38 > 0:13:41- because they are nice through the salad.- Yeah.- Next to me,
0:13:41 > 0:13:44I've got a char-grill that's just warming up and getting nice and hot.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47And then we are going to take some nice midsections like that and you
0:13:47 > 0:13:50can see just how tender, but it's still so juicy.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- Very tender.- Yeah. Really tender.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56So, in here, we are just going to take some large pieces,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58some small pieces and some tentacles.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00So, here we've got a nice hot char-grill,
0:14:00 > 0:14:02we are just going to very lightly...
0:14:02 > 0:14:05We don't want a lot on there, because we don't want it to smoke,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07we are just going to basically coat it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09- With olive oil?- With olive oil, OK.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12And we are just going to... Not pepper, just some salt.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13If I can just get past you there.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Thank you, Michael. And we are just going to move that round like so.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21So, just a little bit more...
0:14:21 > 0:14:24A little bit more oil and get it straight on cooking.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30And the reason we don't put lots of oil on there, Michael,
0:14:30 > 0:14:35is because we just want it to gently seep down onto the char-grill.
0:14:35 > 0:14:36Oh, man, the smell!
0:14:36 > 0:14:38Right. On to the salsa.
0:14:38 > 0:14:42So, over here, we've got some beautiful...
0:14:42 > 0:14:44A lot of onions in Seychellois cookery,
0:14:44 > 0:14:45so what we've done with these,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47thinly sliced and pickled them in
0:14:47 > 0:14:49just a little bit of sugar, olive oil,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52white wine vinegar. So they go in there like so.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56- Does that make them softer in taste? - Softer and acidity.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Lovely acidity.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00We are going to take a chilli.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04And just really thinly slice the chilli.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07If you want a bit of heat in there, leave some of those seeds.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10OK. Next, we move on to our tomatoes.
0:15:11 > 0:15:12Some yellow peppers.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15The colours in here are wonderful.
0:15:15 > 0:15:16Now, we are going to take some spring onions.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19Just slice them on the diagonal like that.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20- That's a good idea.- OK.
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Do you know what I mean, rather than just little round circles?
0:15:24 > 0:15:26Right, just going over to our octopus now, Michael.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29And I'm just going to turn it over like that.
0:15:29 > 0:15:34Look at that. That's what you want. That lovely char-grilled flavour.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Have you got a cook's asbestos hands?
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Yeah. I have, actually.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41OK. Now, I've turned those over like that.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- Yeah.- OK? Now we are going to put our tentacles just next to it in the
0:15:45 > 0:15:47corner. The smell is gorgeous.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50And what is lovely as well, you've got these lovely, light, fresh,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52beautiful, sort of, acidity kind of
0:15:52 > 0:15:54happening with these flavours and then
0:15:54 > 0:15:56you've got this lovely charred octopus.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58Now we are going to get some zest.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00So we are just going to lightly zest a lemon.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05- It's exciting, isn't it?- OK. - It's a quick dish, isn't it?
0:16:05 > 0:16:07Yeah, it really is a quick dish.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10OK. Now, I'm going to chop some coriander in there.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13- Again...- Oh, that's a really fresh taste.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Seychellois cooking is... I think a lot of people think that
0:16:16 > 0:16:19it's quite spice-orientated but there's a lot of fresh green herbs.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23They love basil, chives, coriander, that sort of thing.
0:16:23 > 0:16:24OK, some more oil.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28In there like so.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Now I'm just going to give that a little mix.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33Look at that. Absolutely delicious.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35And the colour is terrific.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36It's gorgeous, isn't it?
0:16:36 > 0:16:39OK. Now, we are going to go in with our octopus, into the salad.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41And the reason I do that as well,
0:16:41 > 0:16:43so you are adding a little bit of warmth going through there.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Just gets all those lovely salsa
0:16:45 > 0:16:48flavours we've got in there coming alive. Like so.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50And now, we just plate up, Michael.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52So, we just stir like so.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54OK. Get our plates.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55I can't wait for this one.
0:16:57 > 0:16:58And just...
0:16:59 > 0:17:03..like that, in the middle, all those beautiful flavours, crunchy...
0:17:03 > 0:17:07This dish literally has everything.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09And some lovely fresh rocket,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12just for a little bit of pepperiness as well.
0:17:12 > 0:17:13And there we are.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18- Have a taste. Ready? - Yep, here we go.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22I mean, that octopus just...
0:17:22 > 0:17:26- It is beautiful.- Beautifully tender but slightly charred on the outside.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28It is the acidity of everything and
0:17:28 > 0:17:31the crunchy vegetables and the sweet, salty, savoury.
0:17:34 > 0:17:38- Mm! What we need...- A crisp glass of white wine.
0:17:38 > 0:17:43And a white beach and a sunset somewhere over Africa.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Yeah. Nice. Absolutely delicious.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52A feast for the eyes and for the palate.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57Commonwealth ingredients at their tastiest.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Pineapple, one of the Queen's favourite fruits.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02Historically grown in the
0:18:02 > 0:18:05royal gardens and still growing the Victorian way in Cornwall.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10These are Cornish pineapples,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12growing at the Lost Gardens of Heligan
0:18:12 > 0:18:17in the only working manure-heated pineapple pit in Britain.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20It took three years to grow the first fruit and the team here were
0:18:20 > 0:18:23so excited, they decided to mark the achievement by
0:18:23 > 0:18:24sending one to the Queen,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28as Heligan's archivist Candy Smit explains.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32It was the Queen's Golden Wedding Anniversary and so,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35knowing that the pineapple was her favourite fruit,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38we decided that we would deliver her one of the first crops.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43It had taken a huge amount of work.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47Restoring the pineapple pit, which looked like this before work began,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50was just one small part of the massive restoration project which
0:18:50 > 0:18:53has been going on at Heligan for 25 years.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57The gardens were really created by
0:18:57 > 0:19:00four generations of the Tremayne family
0:19:00 > 0:19:07and occupied Heligan from the early 1600s right through until 1920.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12We came upon them in 1990, when they were totally overgrown.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15What were the gardens to the house had not been tended
0:19:15 > 0:19:17for around 30 years or so.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24The transformation of the gardens is staggering, but learning how to grow
0:19:24 > 0:19:28the exotic fruits the Victorian way proved almost as challenging,
0:19:28 > 0:19:30as gardener Nicola Bradley explains.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35If you've got the heating and the humidity, then that's fine,
0:19:35 > 0:19:36you can grow a pineapple at home.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41No problem. The problem comes when you are growing them in this way,
0:19:41 > 0:19:45with this structure, without the use of modern technology.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47The team had no written instructions,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49they just used trial and error.
0:19:49 > 0:19:51And shovelled a lot of manure.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55So, the actual part that I'm standing in now is one of the side
0:19:55 > 0:19:57trenches and there's one on either side.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00This we stack with really fresh, hot manure.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04And that will give off a heat,
0:20:04 > 0:20:09as it decomposes and we have this honeycomb venting in the wall,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13which the heat travels through, and then travels down through this
0:20:13 > 0:20:18sort of gap in the wall here and as heat rises,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21it comes out of the other side, the honeycomb venting,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24into the growing chamber and just provides a nice, gentle,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27steady heat throughout the winter months.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32Probably takes about four people a whole day to barrow the manure in.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34It's a very physical job.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38But strangely satisfying.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Really satisfying.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43This is how pineapples would have been grown in royal gardens,
0:20:43 > 0:20:45dating back hundreds of years.
0:20:45 > 0:20:50Pineapples started to be grown early on in the 1700s.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54I'd say they were probably at the height of their fashion in the late
0:20:54 > 0:20:571700s, going through to the 1800s.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59And they were huge status symbols.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02It would have been quite important
0:21:02 > 0:21:05for them to produce very high quality pineapples.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09And after adopting those same labour-intensive practices,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11the team at Heligan got their reward.
0:21:11 > 0:21:15No-one was more delighted than their royal neighbour.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17We were lucky enough to have a
0:21:17 > 0:21:21private visit by Prince Charles in June '97
0:21:21 > 0:21:25and showed Prince Charles these buds on the pineapples.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29It was wonderful to watch this exotic fruit in the making and then
0:21:29 > 0:21:34by October, we had, I think, it was five or six fruits.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38We decided that the first one had to be tasted by staff,
0:21:38 > 0:21:40in case it should taste of horse manure.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43And it was indeed delicious.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45It was like nothing we've ever tasted before.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49The second fruit was then packaged up for Her Majesty.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52And the third fruit was sent to Prince Charles.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58OK. So, this is a pineapple dish, as I understand it.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02And an invention of one of the most famous royal chefs,
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Monsieur Careme,
0:22:04 > 0:22:07who was George IV's chef at the beginning of the 19th century.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09What are you going to do, what is it called?
0:22:09 > 0:22:12This dish is called Pouding d'Ananas a la Royale.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14"D'ananas" is French...
0:22:14 > 0:22:16It should be banana, but it is French for pineapple.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20- Absolutely.- And it's another one of those royal recipes that is really
0:22:20 > 0:22:22extravagant. In fact, it's bonkers.
0:22:24 > 0:22:25So...
0:22:25 > 0:22:29We are going to take some sugar and some egg yolks, just like that.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32And we are going to whisk those together because the first part of
0:22:32 > 0:22:36this dish we are going to make is essentially a custard but a custard
0:22:36 > 0:22:38like I've never made before.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42So, I'm just going to whisk these egg yolks and sugar together
0:22:42 > 0:22:45until they start to go nice and pale, so basically,
0:22:45 > 0:22:48we've blended the sugar right into the egg yolks.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53Just to my left, Michael, we have got the pineapple skins,
0:22:53 > 0:22:56just infusing into some cream.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00OK, so we've just emulsified the sugar and the egg yolks together.
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Over here, we are just going to pass...
0:23:04 > 0:23:06..this mixture
0:23:06 > 0:23:09which is basically the infused cream...
0:23:10 > 0:23:15..and I've never ever done this before, so this is a new one to me.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- OK.- So now, back over there like that.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20And we pour this mixture...
0:23:20 > 0:23:24- Back into the pan.- ..back into the pan.
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Get everything in, like so.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29So basically we've got this sort of
0:23:29 > 0:23:32infused pineapple custard.
0:23:32 > 0:23:36These moulds, you use plastic now, in those days,
0:23:36 > 0:23:37moulds were terribly popular.
0:23:37 > 0:23:39Terribly fashionable. Actually, I
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- think it was rich people who had those, the copper ones.- Yes.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45- Yeah, yeah.- Poor people had tin moulds, didn't they?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Yeah. What we are doing here is now we are adding some pineapple syrup.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51We are just putting that in bit by bit.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56So, you've basically got this really lovely infused kind of pineapple
0:23:56 > 0:23:59- custard.- You are getting that pineapple flavour in every way.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Every way, from the skins, everything.
0:24:01 > 0:24:05Now, we are just going to gently pour this into our mould, like so.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08Nice and gently and fill it up.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12And the best thing to do here is eventually those air bubbles will
0:24:12 > 0:24:14pop but we are going to let that settle.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17So that is the first half done.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22Ready to go. Right, next, we are going to go on to the bottom half.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25It's complicated, this dish, isn't it? You are earning your money today.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28I am. So, we've just got some whipped cream, OK?
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Some pineapple that we've cooked in syrup, some pistachios,
0:24:31 > 0:24:34love pistachios, and we've got some beautiful diced pear.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36So we are just going to literally
0:24:36 > 0:24:39- put those ingredients into this cream.- This is an assembly.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43And now in with our pineapple.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47And it's...
0:24:47 > 0:24:51I just would never think of putting these two things together like this.
0:24:51 > 0:24:52It's fascinating for me.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55I suppose the pear has a kind of softer taste and the pineapple
0:24:55 > 0:24:58has a sharper taste, so maybe they go well together.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00- We'll find out.- We'll find out.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02So, just in there like so.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Very rich, again.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Another rich royal recipe.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- Yeah.- OK. So, that's in there like so.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14Now, like this, Michael, right to the edge.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17Keep that mould in place because you don't want to move it,
0:25:17 > 0:25:19you want to keep it really firm in place,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21so you can get that fruit right the way to the edge.
0:25:21 > 0:25:27Right. So you've got that nice and smooth kind of surface, like so.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Now, that's going to go into the freezer for several hours but before
0:25:31 > 0:25:33it does, I am just going to let both of them settle.
0:25:33 > 0:25:35OK. While we wait, can I show you this?
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- Yes.- Looks like an ordinary pineapple, doesn't it?
0:25:39 > 0:25:41- But it's not.- But it's not.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44It's a decoration.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47In the olden days, right up to today, at banquets,
0:25:47 > 0:25:49of course, they were exotic and everything in the olden days,
0:25:49 > 0:25:52but they are still a lovely decoration now.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56At royal banquets, you'd have as many as 80 of these pineapples as
0:25:56 > 0:25:59decoration on the table for the first three courses.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03And then, when the time comes for the fruit course, the fourth course,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06- maybe the 5th course...- Yeah, yeah. - Look.- Look at that.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08- What do you think of that?- Look at that.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09It's in there.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12- You don't even have to bring it to the table.- Let's have a look at it.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14- Would you like a slice?- Yes, please.- There we are.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17- Lovely.- Lovely.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Presumably, it is tipped out with a bit of fanfare and a bit of business
0:26:22 > 0:26:25- and all that kind of stuff.- It's such an acidic fruit, though,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28- a little palate cleanser. - Absolutely.- For your next course.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30But it is such a lovely idea, isn't it?
0:26:30 > 0:26:32Right, where are we with these?
0:26:32 > 0:26:35- Come over here.- Oh, right. Oh, my goodness.- Have a look under there.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- You might find something.- OK.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Oh, right. OK.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41I'm going to... Gosh, it's heavy, these things.
0:26:41 > 0:26:42Aren't they?
0:26:45 > 0:26:47Look at that.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49- Look at that. - Oh, I say.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55A proper royal pudding.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59It is, isn't it? This is unbridled extravagance on a plate, isn't it?
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- Absolutely.- Fancy a slice?- Maybe.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06- Come on, Paul.- The anticipation.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Don't knock it over.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Yes. The pressure.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- The pressure of this. - I know, I know.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Don't hang about, come on.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Right. In we go. Grab our plate.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Yeah. Oh, I say.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24Oh, look at that.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28- It looks good.- How regal is that?
0:27:28 > 0:27:31- Proper regal.- Proper regal.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- Go on, after you.- Me first.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Oh, look at that. You get two puddings in one here.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41You want to let it come up to temperature as well.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44- Yeah.- So, you know, a good sort of 10-15 minutes out of the freezer.
0:27:45 > 0:27:46Mm!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50I didn't expect the top to be like that.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- Really, why?- No. I really didn't
0:27:52 > 0:27:54because of the amount of pineapple juice
0:27:54 > 0:27:56and syrup that's in that custard.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58- It really works.- It's got like a condensed milk texture.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01- It has.- A lovely pineapple flavour.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03There is a wonderful contrast with the bottom.
0:28:03 > 0:28:09Perfect. Perfect end to something like a Commonwealth banquet.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11Absolutely. Absolutely.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16Perfect end to this programme. See you next time.