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.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21And Darren McGrady cooks up a recipe first served to the Queen in
0:02:21 > 0:02:24- Australia.- The Queen loved the recipe so much
0:02:24 > 0:02:26that she actually asked
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Government House if she could have the recipe.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34In the historic kitchen wing of this stately home,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36we begin with a dish from Malta,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39one of the Queen's favourite Commonwealth nations.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44Welcome to the great kitchens and the equally great Michelin-starred
0:02:44 > 0:02:46chef, Paul Ainsworth.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49We are cooking with the Commonwealth today.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52It is said that the Queen regards the Commonwealth as her greatest
0:02:52 > 0:02:54achievement. She is the first head of the Commonwealth,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56titular head of 52 countries.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58- Incredible.- So, what are you going to do?
0:02:58 > 0:03:02Today, Michael, we are going to cook mushroom-stuffed quail with a
0:03:02 > 0:03:04beautiful truffle butter sauce.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08Now, this is based on the dish that was actually the main course for the
0:03:08 > 0:03:12Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta in 2015.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Absolutely. Yeah. So, we've made a couple of little changes.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17We are going to stuff our quails with what the French
0:03:17 > 0:03:18call a duxelle, which is this here.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21So we've got chestnut mushrooms, Parmesan, some cream,
0:03:21 > 0:03:26garlic, thyme, some shallots, and some wonderful English truffle.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28Now, here is the quail.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- Do you like quail?- Lovely little fellas, aren't they?
0:03:31 > 0:03:34But they are very controversial in Malta, where they had this banquet,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38because they shoot the quail when they migrate north in April and May.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And of course, the environmentalists were all up in the air about it.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44- They had a referendum and... - A referendum.- A referendum.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47..and by a thin majority, they decided they'd go on shooting them.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49THEY LAUGH
0:03:49 > 0:03:50- Fancy that, eh?- Yeah, fancy that.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52So you are... That's where the stuffing...
0:03:52 > 0:03:54This is where the stuffing goes.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56So, this quail has just been boned out,
0:03:56 > 0:03:59so basically we've taken the carcass out but left the legs on.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03So, the idea is now to wrap it back up so it resembles...
0:04:03 > 0:04:06It resembles the bird again as a whole.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10So what we do is we just pull it over like that,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13so you need to kind of make sure that you've got plenty of stuffing
0:04:13 > 0:04:15in but not so it's kind of bursting out and you see how we are just
0:04:15 > 0:04:17- closing it back up now.- Fiddly, isn't it?
0:04:17 > 0:04:19It is fiddly. But do you know what?
0:04:19 > 0:04:21Again, it's one of those great dinner party dishes that
0:04:21 > 0:04:23you could do this the day before and
0:04:23 > 0:04:26it's really worth the effort once you see it served.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31We are just basically putting these cocktail sticks.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33And that is because when we turn it over,
0:04:33 > 0:04:35it's also going to be down this side,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38so it's going to just seal in when we cook it.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41OK? So we are going to turn it back over and now you can see,
0:04:41 > 0:04:43it starts to resemble...
0:04:44 > 0:04:45- The bird.- ..the bird again.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47- Yeah.- Now, this technique is called trussing.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49So again, I know it's quite fiddly.
0:04:49 > 0:04:50Shall I hold it while you do it?
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Yeah, if you could. Just at the top there like that.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55It's like a microscopic turkey, isn't it?
0:04:55 > 0:04:56A microscopic turkey.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59That it is, yes. And we are just
0:04:59 > 0:05:02going to go like that and then back under the bird.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- Oh, that's clever.- Yeah. If you just hold it there like that.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07- Fiddly but clever.- And then just...
0:05:07 > 0:05:10tie it round. It actually doesn't take that long.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13We are just going to cut the string there like that.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15- Yeah.- And there we have our two trussed birds.
0:05:15 > 0:05:16It's actually not that bad.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- No, no, no.- OK? I'm just going to hand those to you.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- They are not going to get away.- No.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24In the oven, 200 degrees, for 20 minutes.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26- Done.- OK. Thank you, Michael.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37- These ones look ready, Paul. - Oh, look at those.
0:05:37 > 0:05:38Fantastic. Beautiful.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- Standing to attention.- Standing to attention, aren't they?
0:05:41 > 0:05:42Yeah. Look at that. Beautiful. Right.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45- You going to let them rest?- Yeah, that's it...
0:05:45 > 0:05:46Ah... Yeah.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51Right. On to our sauce. So what we are making here is kind of...
0:05:51 > 0:05:54It's a truffle butter sauce, it's a bit like a beurre blanc,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57but a beurre blanc, strictly speaking, is no cream.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00So it's just butter and then white wine vinegar and white wine.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02This sauce, very simple. Shallots, finely diced,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05to get the flavour of them quick, white wine, reduced right down,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08so that the alcohol is burned off, a clove of garlic, some thyme.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11And what we are doing, Michael, is we are just going to add...
0:06:11 > 0:06:13You're going to put some cream in, are you?
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Going to add some cream. Wouldn't be right, would it?
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- No.- So, we are just going to add some cream.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21That's your signature dish, cream, isn't it?
0:06:21 > 0:06:23Not mine, the French.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24- Ah! Right, right.- OK.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28- So, we are just going to stir our cream.- Yeah.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Like so. Got that lovely flavour of the thyme and just with your spoon,
0:06:32 > 0:06:36hit the thyme, get the flavour out. Same with the garlic.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37Squeeze out the oils in it, eh?
0:06:38 > 0:06:39Absolutely. Right.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42Next, the butter.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43Yes, of course, the butter.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45- All of that.- Yes.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50See, the sauce is just coming to the simmer there, Michael.
0:06:50 > 0:06:52We are just going to add in our butter.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- Yeah.- And this is a really, sort of, classic kind of French sauce.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57- Cream and butter.- Cream and butter.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Absolutely. I'm going to season now, not at the end,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04because I want to bring that flavour out as much as I can from the thyme,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06the shallot, that lovely white wine.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10And just now, with a whisk, just stir it in.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14And what you are looking for is just a really lovely velvety sauce.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Where we've... Where we've finely diced the shallots,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20we can use those shallots in our sauce.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22- Right.- We're not going to take them out.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25All we are going to remove is the thyme and the garlic.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27It's a little bit more butter, Michael,
0:07:27 > 0:07:31until we achieve that nice, sort of, velvety consistency.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Must have been quite a nostalgic trip for the Queen, actually,
0:07:36 > 0:07:38because the Queen was in Malta as a young married woman, you know,
0:07:38 > 0:07:43when Prince Philip was a first lieutenant in the Navy in 1949.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44Before she became queen.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47So she must have had... Because quail is quite a dish there.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49She must have had quail then.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51And it must have kind of taken her back, I think.
0:07:51 > 0:07:52Right, there we have it.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55- Yeah.- So, we are just going to move our sauce onto the board there now.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01- Have a little taste. - Oh, yes, please.- OK.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04So, just have a taste of it now.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- Mm-hm.- Like so, Michael. - Yeah.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09And it's pretty delicious.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- OK?- I wouldn't say it was rich.
0:08:14 > 0:08:15- It's not, is it?- Yes, it is, actually.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20And now we just add a little bit of lemon...
0:08:20 > 0:08:22It is pretty rich.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24But you've got that, exactly, that cream,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27- that butter.- I'm not complaining, mind.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29No, no. Now, we just add a little bit of lemon.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32- Have a taste now, that difference with the lemon.- Right.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35OK. Now, here I've got some...
0:08:35 > 0:08:37- Makes a big difference.- It does, doesn't it?
0:08:37 > 0:08:39- Yeah.- Lovely.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- Look at those.- They are standing to attention, too.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44- Pomme fondant.- Pomme fondant?
0:08:44 > 0:08:47Basically, butter roasted potatoes, little bit of chicken stock,
0:08:47 > 0:08:48some thyme, some garlic,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51and just keep cooking them and cooking them and cooking them and
0:08:51 > 0:08:53eventually, you will end up with that.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55The ultimate roast potatoes.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- Yeah.- Next to that, we've got some delicious green beans.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02So we are just turning those over in some butter.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05And we are ready to plate up. Here we go.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- Right.- Yes, please. I've been very patient.
0:09:07 > 0:09:08So have the quail, by the way.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10They have, haven't they? Yeah.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Right, so just a little pile of French beans, like so.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14How do you get them to be so
0:09:14 > 0:09:16beautifully, gleamingly green all the time?
0:09:16 > 0:09:19It just comes to me naturally, Michael, I don't know how.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23See, we've removed the string and taken the cocktail sticks out.
0:09:23 > 0:09:26OK? And now that'll be nice and full, like that.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30OK? Going to take one of our gorgeous pommes fondant.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33- Just the one?- Just the one, next to it like that.
0:09:33 > 0:09:40- Wow!- OK? And now this beautiful ingredient here, English truffle.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- Have a smell. OK?- Mm.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46They don't taste of much, do they, but they smell...
0:09:46 > 0:09:48These are from Wiltshire.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- Oh, really?- So, yeah.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52And they use dogs, as opposed to pigs, you know?
0:09:52 > 0:09:55The reason for that is because pigs will eat them.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- Oh, yes.- They've got ultra-sensitive noses, but they will eat them.
0:09:59 > 0:10:00- Yeah.- So...
0:10:01 > 0:10:06Now... That lovely sauce just over our beans, like so.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- I love truffles.- Like that.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Such a powerful perfume, isn't it?
0:10:13 > 0:10:14Now, for me,
0:10:14 > 0:10:17we are just going to hit that dish again...
0:10:18 > 0:10:20..all over.
0:10:22 > 0:10:26And there you have it. Mushroom stuffed quail, pomme fondant,
0:10:26 > 0:10:29truffle butter sauce.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32My goodness! You wouldn't want a first course or a third course with
0:10:32 > 0:10:35that, would you? It may be a little bird but you have done it proud.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37Absolutely. Let's have a taste.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Yes. You've done it beautifully, actually.
0:10:40 > 0:10:43Haven't you? It seems a shame to break into such a perfect...
0:10:43 > 0:10:45But I think I will. There you go.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48- Thank you very much. - You first.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50- Show me the way.- Straight in.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Because there's no bone, which is lovely,
0:10:52 > 0:10:55you can just go straight in and straight into that stuffing.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59And that meat is still so juicy.
0:10:59 > 0:11:01- A bit of the sauce.- I'll have a go.
0:11:01 > 0:11:03It's that fondant potato that I'm really...
0:11:04 > 0:11:08- ..keen to have a go at.- You will love that quail, I know you will.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09That is absolute...
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- A bit of the...- Look at that.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Soft, fluffy.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Mm-mm. There we are. Now, that's what I call a mouthful.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Don't look.
0:11:23 > 0:11:25That lovely earthiness coming through from...
0:11:25 > 0:11:26It's great, isn't it?
0:11:26 > 0:11:28- Oh, it really is nice.- Mushroom, truffles, potato...
0:11:28 > 0:11:30And the quail is a lovely consistency.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32- It's beautiful, isn't it?- And the potato...
0:11:34 > 0:11:36- You didn't have any potato.- I didn't have any potato, no.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38- Happy with that?- Mm.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40I bet the Queen loved that.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41I bet she did.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47Roast quail, Commonwealth style.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51The Queen has been hosting such dinners for over 60 years and many
0:11:51 > 0:11:53were held on board The Royal Yacht Britannia.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01Chef Anna Haugh has come to
0:12:01 > 0:12:03Edinburgh, where the Britannia is moored.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Launched in 1953,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09the Royal Yacht was designed to travel the globe and it became an
0:12:09 > 0:12:11iconic symbol of the Commonwealth.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13But it was also a family home.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Everything designed exactly to the Queen and Prince Philip's liking.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20Ah, so this is the sun lounge.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23And it was the Queen's favourite place to have her breakfast and
0:12:23 > 0:12:26afternoon tea. Apparently it was her favourite place
0:12:26 > 0:12:29on the yacht. And I can see why.
0:12:29 > 0:12:30It's gorgeous.
0:12:34 > 0:12:38The Britannia acted as an ambassador for the country for over 44 years.
0:12:38 > 0:12:43Travelling a million nautical miles on over 900 state visits.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45This is a floating palace.
0:12:45 > 0:12:50There is no gold, there's no pearls, and there's no sapphires everywhere.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52It just feels really cosy.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56The yacht was finally decommissioned in 1997 and has been moored in
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Edinburgh ever since.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Noel Coward, Nelson Mandela and
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Winston Churchill were all entertained here.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07But I bet none of them got to cook in the kitchen.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Now, Anna is going behind the scenes to the royal galley...
0:13:11 > 0:13:13It's much bigger than I expected.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16..to whip up a dish that was served on board on a 1995 trip
0:13:16 > 0:13:20to South Africa - roasted duck and peach salad.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23The first thing you've got to do is marinate your duck breasts.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26So, what I'm going to add to this is some crushed juniper berries.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28So they are pretty easy to crush.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30You can crush them with the back of your knife.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33OK, so, we'll take a bowl, scrape them into it.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38And all it needs is just like a little sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
0:13:38 > 0:13:42I'm going to season the duck with a bit of salt and I'm also going to
0:13:42 > 0:13:45add olive oil. I'm just going to give that a little mix.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49OK, so, next we are going to slice the Brussels sprouts.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51Now, I am going to slice them really thin today.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53But you can grate them or you could
0:13:53 > 0:13:55just roughly chop them if you wanted.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57So, you know, it wasn't just chefs
0:13:57 > 0:13:59that cooked here in the royal galley.
0:13:59 > 0:14:00There is a story that I heard that
0:14:00 > 0:14:04the Queen Mother used to like to stay up late sometimes with the crew
0:14:04 > 0:14:05and the next morning,
0:14:05 > 0:14:09they would leave her an apron and ingredients and she'd rustle them up
0:14:09 > 0:14:11some breakfast. I mean, that's incredible.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I think I've got enough sprouts now.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18So, the next thing I'm going to prepare is the vinaigrette.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24So, I'm going to start off with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28Then I'm going to go with white wine vinegar.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Then I'm going to go with extra virgin olive oil.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35A pinch of salt.
0:14:35 > 0:14:40Very important. And then I need to add my marmalade.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The flavour that marmalade gives,
0:14:42 > 0:14:44which is kind of tangy and interesting and a
0:14:44 > 0:14:48little bit, kind of, warming, which goes so well with the duck,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51and all you need to do is essentially just
0:14:51 > 0:14:52stir it in really well.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55OK, I think that looks nice and mixed.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57So I'm going to throw my sprouts in.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01You can see how that has all come together.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04You've got little flecks of your secret recipe just hiding through
0:15:04 > 0:15:06the Brussels sprouts there.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09OK? Now, it's time to get the duck breast cooked.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Anna fries the duck to crisp up the
0:15:13 > 0:15:15skin before finishing it in the oven.
0:15:15 > 0:15:17So, these are pretty much ready to come off.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24So, while the duck is cooking in the oven,
0:15:24 > 0:15:26I'm going to get the peach ready now.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29It's always good to try your peach to see how sweet it is.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34Mm! And then we are just going to caramelise it on quite a high heat.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37Don't be afraid to add maybe a little bit more oil.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40So you want this nice, golden, caramelised colour
0:15:40 > 0:15:43on top of your peach. So I think we can take these off.
0:15:44 > 0:15:48I'm just going to add them straight into the salad.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50And I'm going to add the pearl barley,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53two generous tablespoons per portion would be good.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55Give that all a nice stir.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57So, it's time to get the duck out of the oven.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02So, you want to slice your duck, you know, nice and thin.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05You can make this salad so elegant.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08A couple of heaped spoons of your, kind of, cabbage salad.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09You can see the lovely flecks of
0:16:09 > 0:16:13your marmalade just coming through that, the orange zest.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17And then we are just going to layer it up with your beautiful pink duck.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20One more peach would be nice.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24And there you go. You have your roasted duck and peach salad.
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Looks good. We are talking about royal food in the Commonwealth.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34The Commonwealth is quite close to your family story, isn't it?
0:16:34 > 0:16:35Very close, very close, yeah.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38My heritage is that my mum is from the Seychelles.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Oh, those paradise islands in the Indian Ocean.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Oh, absolutely. No place like it.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46- Beautiful place.- Not even Padstow, where you work and live?
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Now I'm torn. We'll leave it there.
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Golden beach... I know, we won't go there.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53Famous for Creole cooking in the Seychelles.
0:16:53 > 0:16:54And are you going to do us something?
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Lots of fish, lots of seafood.
0:16:56 > 0:17:00- Yeah.- And something they have out there, which we do here as well,
0:17:00 > 0:17:05is octopus. And lots of octopus dishes but in particular,
0:17:05 > 0:17:07beautiful salads.
0:17:07 > 0:17:09And basically my mum's recipe, my mum's dish,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11so it's kind of like a salsa.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14So we've got this wonderful octopus here.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Now, the variety like this is the Octopus vulgaris,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20which is basically a common octopus and the reason...
0:17:20 > 0:17:21They call it like a double sucker.
0:17:21 > 0:17:26So it's lots more flavour, cooks nice, and yeah, just lovely to eat.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Nice and tender, once it's cooked.
0:17:28 > 0:17:29But essentially, it's the same as
0:17:29 > 0:17:31the octopus you get round our shores?
0:17:31 > 0:17:33No, no, not quite the same.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Like I say, this is the double sucker variety.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39So, what we've done is previously we've cooked it for
0:17:39 > 0:17:42two to three hours, basically until it is nice and tender,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44so you can just put a knife through it.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49Let it cool in that stock of vegetables, white wine, fish stock,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51and then once it's cool, take it out and let it set like this.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53And what we are going to do, Michael, is
0:17:53 > 0:17:55we are going to have some nice little tentacles,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- because they are nice through the salad.- Yeah.- Next to me,
0:17:58 > 0:18:01I've got a char-grill that's just warming up and getting nice and hot.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04And then we are going to take some nice midsections like that and you
0:18:04 > 0:18:07can see just how tender, but it's still so juicy.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09- Very tender.- Yeah. Really tender.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11- Do you like octopus, Michael?- I do, I do.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13I spend a lot of time in Greece and Turkey.
0:18:13 > 0:18:14You can see them bashing...
0:18:14 > 0:18:16bashing the octopus to make it tender, presumably.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20Yeah. So, in here, we are just going to take some large pieces,
0:18:20 > 0:18:23some small pieces and some tentacles.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Just like so. A little bit more in there.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28The Seychelles, where William and Kate had their honeymoon.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31- Yes, they did, yeah. - I wonder if they had octopus.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33I bet you they did.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35They would have... Yeah, they absolutely love
0:18:35 > 0:18:37their seafood out there.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39So, here we've got a nice hot char-grill,
0:18:39 > 0:18:40we are just going to very lightly...
0:18:40 > 0:18:43We don't want a lot on there, because we don't want it to smoke,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45we are just going to basically coat it.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47- With olive oil?- With olive oil, OK.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50And we are just going to... Not pepper, just some salt.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52If I can just get past you there.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Thank you, Michael. And we are just going to move that round like so.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59So, just a little bit more...
0:18:59 > 0:19:05A little bit more oil and get it straight on cooking.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08And the reason we don't put lots of oil on there, Michael,
0:19:08 > 0:19:13is because we just want it to gently seep down onto the char-grill and
0:19:13 > 0:19:16what's happening is as it comes down,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19it's going back up because it's so hot and giving it just a really
0:19:19 > 0:19:22light smoky flavour. You will see I put the thick pieces on first.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I am going to let them cook because I will put these little thin
0:19:25 > 0:19:27- tentacles on later.- Just to crisp up.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Just to crisp up. But look at that.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30Oh, man, the smell!
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Right. On to the salsa.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36So, over here, we've got some beautiful...
0:19:36 > 0:19:38A lot of onions in Seychellois cookery,
0:19:38 > 0:19:39so what we've done with these,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41thinly sliced and pickled them in
0:19:41 > 0:19:43just a little bit of sugar, olive oil,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46white wine vinegar. So they go in there like so.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50- Does that make them softer in taste? - Softer and acidity.
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Lovely acidity.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55We are going to take a chilli.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57- Do you like it hot?- I do, actually, yeah.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Good. So we will leave a few of those seeds in.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04OK. And just really thinly slice the chilli.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06Because we want it in every mouthful.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08We just want these thin slices of chilli.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10You've done that really fine, haven't you?
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Yeah, if you want a bit of heat in there, leave some of those seeds.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16OK. Next, we move on to our tomatoes.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19Look at those, the colour of those.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Right now, lovely and juicy, soft, fruity.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Some yellow peppers. I love the yellow variety.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27They always pack a real lovely flavour.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29The colours in here are wonderful.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30Now, we are going to take some spring onions.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34We are just going to take that little tail off that and just,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36so they are really prominent in the salad,
0:20:36 > 0:20:38just slice them on the diagonal like that.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40- That's a good idea.- OK.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43Do you know what I mean, rather than just little round circles?
0:20:43 > 0:20:45Yeah. Was your mum a good cook?
0:20:45 > 0:20:47- Amazing cook.- Yeah. - Absolutely amazing.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49I grew up in a guesthouse and I was
0:20:49 > 0:20:52lucky that my dad would cook as well.
0:20:52 > 0:20:53And Monday to Thursday would be
0:20:53 > 0:20:55quite traditional fare and on the weekend,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58mum would take over for the guests and we would have lots of kind of
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Creole-influenced dishes, lovely curries and stuff.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Yeah, mum was an absolutely fabulous cook.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06Right, just going over to our octopus now, Michael.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09And I'm just going to turn it over like that.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13Look at that. That's what you want. That lovely char-grilled flavour.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16Have you got a cook's asbestos hands?
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Yeah. I have, actually.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21OK. Now, I've turned those over like that.
0:21:21 > 0:21:25- Yeah.- OK? Now we are going to put our tentacles just next to it in the
0:21:25 > 0:21:27corner. The smell is gorgeous.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30And what is lovely as well, you've got these lovely, light, fresh,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32beautiful, sort of, acidity kind of
0:21:32 > 0:21:33happening with these flavours and then
0:21:33 > 0:21:36you've got this lovely charred octopus.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Right, so we've got spring onions in there, peppers, onions,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41our lovely cherry tomatoes.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43Now we are going to get some zest.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46So we are just going to lightly zest a lemon.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- It's exciting, isn't it?- OK. - It's a quick dish, isn't it?
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Yeah, it really is a quick dish.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56OK. Now, I'm going to chop some coriander in there.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58- Again...- Oh, that's a really fresh taste.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Seychellois cooking is... I think a lot of people think that
0:22:01 > 0:22:05it's quite spice-orientated but there's a lot of fresh green herbs.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08They love basil, chives, coriander, that sort of thing.
0:22:08 > 0:22:09OK, some more oil.
0:22:12 > 0:22:13In there like so.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Now I'm just going to give that a little mix.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18Look at that. Absolutely delicious.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20And the colour is terrific.
0:22:20 > 0:22:21It's gorgeous, isn't it?
0:22:21 > 0:22:25OK. We are going to have a little bit of lemon juice
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and lime juice and the reason...
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I've just rolled that fruit before I sliced it so it really releases the
0:22:31 > 0:22:33- juices out.- You just roll it like that?
0:22:33 > 0:22:35That's it. Absolutely.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38OK. Now, we are going to go in with our octopus, into the salad.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40And the reason I do that as well,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42so you are adding a little bit of warmth going through there.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Just gets all those lovely salsa
0:22:44 > 0:22:47flavours we've got in there coming alive. Like so.
0:22:49 > 0:22:50A little bit more olive oil.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54You're pretty liberal with the olive oil.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Yeah, it's delicious. Nice and peppery. Absolutely gorgeous.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59And now, we just plate up, Michael.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00So, we just stir like so.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03OK. Get our plates.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04I can't wait for this one.
0:23:05 > 0:23:06And just...
0:23:08 > 0:23:12..like that, in the middle, all those beautiful flavours, crunchy...
0:23:12 > 0:23:15This dish literally has everything.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19What is it about you chefs, you manage to put things on the plate,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21even though it is kind of a mess of stuff,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23you manage to make it look as though it's planned.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Yeah, but it's not planned and you are not playing around with it
0:23:26 > 0:23:28and that's the whole point to it.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30And some lovely fresh rocket,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33just for a little bit of pepperiness as well.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35It's lovely, isn't it? My favourite salad.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Mine as well. Because this is what this is.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38It's a beautiful salad.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42We'll have a little bit more of our zest.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Over the top. And our lime.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50This is going to taste really fresh.
0:23:52 > 0:23:53Really clean taste.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56OK. A little...just a touch more olive oil.
0:23:59 > 0:24:00And there we are.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06- Have a taste. Ready? - Yep, here we go.
0:24:09 > 0:24:10I mean, that octopus just...
0:24:10 > 0:24:14- It is beautiful.- Beautifully tender but slightly charred on the outside.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16It is the acidity of everything and
0:24:16 > 0:24:19the crunchy vegetables and the sweet, salty, savoury.
0:24:22 > 0:24:26- Mm! What we need...- A crisp glass of white wine.
0:24:26 > 0:24:31And a white beach and a sunset somewhere over Africa.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Yeah. Nice. Absolutely delicious.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40A feast for the eyes and for the palate.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Commonwealth ingredients at their tastiest.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48When a dish goes down well with the Royal Family,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51they'll often ask for the recipe and at a Commonwealth meeting in
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Australia, the Queen was taken with one particular chocolate pudding and
0:24:55 > 0:24:58it soon became part of the repertoire of
0:24:58 > 0:24:59royal chef Darren McGrady.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03Darren McGrady worked in the
0:25:03 > 0:25:06kitchens of Buckingham Palace for 11 years.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09He regularly travelled overseas with the royal household,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12cooking on board The Royal Yacht Britannia.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Some royal recipes were even collected on these tours.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18One time, Her Majesty was at the
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
0:25:20 > 0:25:24in Melbourne, Australia, and they served a chocolate marquise,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27so the Queen loved the recipe so much that she
0:25:27 > 0:25:29actually asked Government House,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32where she was staying, if she could have the recipe.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35The chocolate marquise is a rich chocolate dessert
0:25:35 > 0:25:37for serious chocoholics.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38So, we start off with some chocolate,
0:25:38 > 0:25:42which we are going to melt in a bowl. And then in the mixing bowl,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44we are going to add some softened butter,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46some sugar and some cocoa powder.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50And then put it on the machine and just beat that until it
0:25:50 > 0:25:51starts to soften.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Once that is all mixed in together,
0:26:02 > 0:26:05we are going to add our melted chocolate to it.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07I can't tell you how many times I cooked with chocolate in the
0:26:07 > 0:26:10royal kitchens. Most of the dishes were chocolate.
0:26:10 > 0:26:12Everyone loved chocolate.
0:26:12 > 0:26:14So, once it's melted, it goes into...
0:26:16 > 0:26:19..that bowl and that's all mixed together.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Smells so good already.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Once we've got all that mixed together,
0:26:24 > 0:26:25we'll just set that bowl aside...
0:26:28 > 0:26:30..and then I've got three eggs here.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33And I only want the yolks.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35And add them into some sugar.
0:26:38 > 0:26:42I'm going to mix all those together and once they're mixed in,
0:26:42 > 0:26:43a little bit of whisky in there, too.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48If you are making this for the children and you don't want to use
0:26:48 > 0:26:50the whisky in there, obviously,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52then you can put orange juice in there and you will make a beautiful
0:26:52 > 0:26:54chocolate orange marquise.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58And then it goes into our chocolate mix.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Whisk all that into the chocolate.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10And then I've got some whipped cream here that I just...
0:27:12 > 0:27:19..put into my chocolate and lightly fold that into the chocolate mix.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22So there's no lumps, it's all combined.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23And once all that's combined...
0:27:25 > 0:27:28..we have gorgeous chocolate marquise.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Then I've taken a mould that I can
0:27:31 > 0:27:38line with plastic and then just pour this chocolate mix into here.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45Smooth that out and then all we need to do is put that
0:27:45 > 0:27:49into the freezer overnight to let that set up.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52After it has set in the freezer, the next step is presentation.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Back in the 1980s in the royal household,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57it was served with a number of different garnishes.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02This one has set up nicely, it has been in the freezer overnight.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Now we can slice it.
0:28:04 > 0:28:05And the secret to slicing the
0:28:05 > 0:28:08chocolate marquise is to always use a clean
0:28:08 > 0:28:11knife and a wet knife, so we get the tap running...
0:28:14 > 0:28:16..and then we slice into it.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22If you don't use a wet knife and you don't clean the knife afterwards,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25you end up with crumbs all the way across the top.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27We can't serve that to the Queen, can we?
0:28:28 > 0:28:33Look how beautiful and perfect and smooth and creamy that looks.
0:28:33 > 0:28:34Clean the knife.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38Wash off that chocolate and then back for the next slice.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40The Queen had this dish at
0:28:40 > 0:28:44Government House in Melbourne with a coffee creme anglaise.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46At Balmoral Castle, we'd actually
0:28:46 > 0:28:48serve it with a salted caramel sauce.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50And if the Queen and
0:28:50 > 0:28:53Princess Margaret had been out picking berries,
0:28:53 > 0:28:55which they often did at Balmoral,
0:28:55 > 0:28:58then we'd use those to garnish the plate.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00It looked amazing.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04There it is. A chocolate marquise, salted caramel sauce, and berries.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Doesn't get any better than that.
0:29:08 > 0:29:10Alongside her chocolate pudding,
0:29:10 > 0:29:14the Queen might enjoy a slice of one of her favourite fruits, pineapple.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16Historically grown in the
0:29:16 > 0:29:19royal gardens and still growing the Victorian way in Cornwall.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24These are Cornish pineapples,
0:29:24 > 0:29:27growing at the Lost Gardens of Heligan
0:29:27 > 0:29:31in the only working manure-heated pineapple pit in Britain.
0:29:31 > 0:29:34It took three years to grow the first fruit and the team here were
0:29:34 > 0:29:37so excited, they decided to mark the achievement by
0:29:37 > 0:29:39sending one to the Queen,
0:29:39 > 0:29:43as Heligan's archivist Candy Smit explains.
0:29:43 > 0:29:46It was the Queen's Golden Wedding Anniversary and so,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49knowing that the pineapple was her favourite fruit,
0:29:49 > 0:29:53we decided that we would deliver her one of the first crops.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57It had taken a huge amount of work.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01Restoring the pineapple pit, which looked like this before work began,
0:30:01 > 0:30:05was just one small part of the massive restoration project which
0:30:05 > 0:30:07has been going on at Heligan for 25 years.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11The gardens were really created by
0:30:11 > 0:30:14four generations of the Tremayne family
0:30:14 > 0:30:21and occupied Heligan from the early 1600s right through until 1920.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24Two world wars had seen the house
0:30:24 > 0:30:27used as a military hospital and base, then rented out
0:30:27 > 0:30:30and the gardens fell into disrepair.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34We came upon them in 1990, when they were totally overgrown.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38What were the gardens to the house had not been tended
0:30:38 > 0:30:40for around 30 years or so.
0:30:42 > 0:30:46The transformation of the gardens is staggering, but learning how to grow
0:30:46 > 0:30:50the exotic fruits the Victorian way proved almost as challenging,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53as gardener Nicola Bradley explains.
0:30:53 > 0:30:57If you've got the heating and the humidity, then that's fine,
0:30:57 > 0:30:58you can grow a pineapple at home.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03- No problem.- The problem comes when you are growing them in this way,
0:31:03 > 0:31:07with this structure, without the use of modern technology.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09The team had no written instructions,
0:31:09 > 0:31:11they just used trial and error.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13And shovelled a lot of manure.
0:31:14 > 0:31:18So, the actual part that I'm standing in now is one of the side
0:31:18 > 0:31:19trenches and there's one on either side.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23This we stack with really fresh, hot manure.
0:31:24 > 0:31:26And that will give off a heat,
0:31:26 > 0:31:31as it decomposes and we have this honeycomb venting in the wall,
0:31:31 > 0:31:35which the heat travels through, and then travels down through this
0:31:35 > 0:31:40sort of gap in the wall here and as heat arises,
0:31:40 > 0:31:43it comes out of the other side, the honeycomb venting,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47into the growing chamber and just provides a nice, gentle,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49steady heat throughout the winter months.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54Probably takes about four people a whole day to barrow the manure in.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57It's a very physical job.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00But strangely satisfying.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02Really satisfying.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05This is how pineapples would have been grown in royal gardens,
0:32:05 > 0:32:07dating back hundreds of years.
0:32:07 > 0:32:12Pineapples started to be grown early on in the 1700s.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16I'd say they were probably at the height of their fashion in the late
0:32:16 > 0:32:201700s, going through to the 1800s.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22And they were huge status symbols.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24It would have been quite important
0:32:24 > 0:32:27for them to produce very high quality pineapples.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31And after adopting those same labour-intensive practices,
0:32:31 > 0:32:34the team at Heligan got their reward.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37No-one was more delighted than their royal neighbour.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40We were lucky enough to have a
0:32:40 > 0:32:43private visit by Prince Charles in June '97
0:32:43 > 0:32:47and showed Prince Charles these buds on the pineapples.
0:32:47 > 0:32:52It was wonderful to watch this exotic fruit in the making and then
0:32:52 > 0:32:57by October, we had, I think, it was five or six fruits.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00We decided that the first one had to be tasted by staff,
0:33:00 > 0:33:03in case it should taste of horse manure.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05And it was indeed delicious.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08It was like nothing we've ever tasted before.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12The second fruit was then packaged up for Her Majesty.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14And the third fruit was sent to Prince Charles.
0:33:18 > 0:33:19Despite their success,
0:33:19 > 0:33:23the team won't be supplying supermarkets any time soon.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25In an average year, or a good year,
0:33:25 > 0:33:29we probably produce a couple of dozen fruiting pineapples.
0:33:29 > 0:33:31You add up the manpower,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34you are probably looking about £1,000 for a pineapple,
0:33:34 > 0:33:38which does make them very expensive, really.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42The 19th-century gardeners would never have got to taste this prized
0:33:42 > 0:33:44produce, but times have changed at Heligan.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46It's like all good things, isn't it,
0:33:46 > 0:33:51they take ages to produce and then devoured in minutes.
0:33:51 > 0:33:52But enjoyed by everyone.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55Yeah, when it tastes this good, it's really, really worth the hard work.
0:34:00 > 0:34:02You've cooked with pineapples a lot, haven't you, Paul?
0:34:02 > 0:34:05- Yes.- Your restaurant's in Cornwall and Cornwall is almost tropical,
0:34:05 > 0:34:06- isn't it?- Yeah, it is. Yeah, yeah.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09OK. So, this is a pineapple dish, as I understand it.
0:34:09 > 0:34:14And an invention of one of the most famous royal chefs,
0:34:14 > 0:34:15Monsieur Careme,
0:34:15 > 0:34:19who was George IV's chef at the beginning of the 19th century.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21What are you going to do, what is it called?
0:34:21 > 0:34:23This dish is called Pouding d'Ananas a la Royale.
0:34:23 > 0:34:25"D'ananas" is French...
0:34:25 > 0:34:28It should be banana, but it is French for pineapple.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31- Absolutely.- And it's another one of those royal recipes that is really
0:34:31 > 0:34:34extravagant. In fact, it's bonkers.
0:34:35 > 0:34:37So...
0:34:37 > 0:34:40We are going to take some sugar and some egg yolks, just like that.
0:34:40 > 0:34:44And we are going to whisk those together because the first part of
0:34:44 > 0:34:47this dish we are going to make is essentially a custard but a custard
0:34:47 > 0:34:49like I've never made before.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53So, I'm just going to whisk these egg yolks and sugar together
0:34:53 > 0:34:56until they start to go nice and pale, so basically,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00we've blended the sugar right into the egg yolks.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04Just to my left, Michael, we have got the pineapple skins,
0:35:04 > 0:35:07just infusing into some cream.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09- OK?- Aren't they rather bitter?
0:35:09 > 0:35:14They are. But this dish is so sweet that actually it's quite clever
0:35:14 > 0:35:17because it lends a little bit of, sort of, bitterness to it.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19So, you can just see our egg yolks and sugar changing colour.
0:35:21 > 0:35:25Because pineapples were so expensive and exotic, weren't they,
0:35:25 > 0:35:28in olden times, they must have wanted to make the most of them,
0:35:28 > 0:35:29the wonderful taste of them?
0:35:29 > 0:35:32And I think it was because they were so difficult to grow.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35- Yeah. Even in Cornwall. - Yeah, even in Cornwall.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40OK, so we've just emulsified the sugar in the egg yolks together.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42Over here, we are just going to pass...
0:35:44 > 0:35:46..this mixture
0:35:46 > 0:35:48which is basically the infused cream...
0:35:51 > 0:35:55..and I've never ever done this before, so this is a new one to me.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58- OK.- So now, back over there like that.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00And we pour this mixture...
0:36:00 > 0:36:02- Back into the pan.- ..back into the pan.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Get everything in, like so.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10So basically we've got this sort of
0:36:10 > 0:36:12infused pineapple custard.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15There is a waft of pineapple in the air, isn't there?
0:36:15 > 0:36:17- Yeah. Yeah.- From that, from this.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19And it's always fascinating for me,
0:36:19 > 0:36:22seeing these old historic recipes and these old-fashioned techniques
0:36:22 > 0:36:24and what they did, which is great.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27So, we are just going to turn the heat up a bit, as well.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30- Like so.- This is the sort of dish that made Monsieur Careme,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32George IV's chef,
0:36:32 > 0:36:33- world-famous, I think.- Yeah,
0:36:33 > 0:36:38and it's really kind of interesting because also as well pineapple juice
0:36:38 > 0:36:41is very acidic, really acidic,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44and doesn't often fare well in stuff like egg yolks, sugar,
0:36:44 > 0:36:47sort of custards like this. But it works.
0:36:47 > 0:36:50So, how did Monsieur Careme solve that problem?
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Well, I think there would have been a lot of research,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54a lot of kind of trying these recipes out.
0:36:54 > 0:36:59And I think it was as much about sort of things maybe not
0:36:59 > 0:37:03necessarily working but making sure there was always that extravagance.
0:37:03 > 0:37:05- Looking good.- Looking good, yeah.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09These moulds, you use plastic now, in those days,
0:37:09 > 0:37:11moulds were terribly popular.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Terribly fashionable. Actually, I
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- think it was rich people who had those, the copper ones.- Yes.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18- Yeah, yeah.- Poor people had tin moulds, didn't they?
0:37:18 > 0:37:22Yeah. What we are doing here is now we are adding some pineapple syrup.
0:37:22 > 0:37:25We are just putting that in bit by bit.
0:37:25 > 0:37:29So, you've basically got this really lovely infused kind of pineapple
0:37:29 > 0:37:32- custard.- You are getting that pineapple flavour in every way.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Every way, from the skins, everything.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38Now, we are just going to gently pour this into our mould, like so.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42Nice and gently and fill it up.
0:37:42 > 0:37:48Now, this is kind of like the base for an ice cream but back then,
0:37:48 > 0:37:50they wouldn't have been churning.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54So it is literally just going all in, just to the top, like so.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58And the best thing to do here is eventually those air bubbles will
0:37:58 > 0:38:01pop but we are going to let that settle and what we'll do,
0:38:01 > 0:38:03we'll just take off the top and just you see underneath,
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- we have got that custard?- Yeah. - And then we'll take that off.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08So we'll just let that settle first, OK?
0:38:08 > 0:38:10So that is the first half done.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14Ready to go. Right, next, we are going to go on to the bottom half.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16It's complicated, this dish, isn't it?
0:38:16 > 0:38:18You are earning your money today.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20I am. So, we've just got some whipped cream, OK?
0:38:20 > 0:38:24Some pineapple that we've cooked in syrup, some pistachios,
0:38:24 > 0:38:27love pistachios, and we've got some beautiful diced pear.
0:38:27 > 0:38:29So we are just going to literally
0:38:29 > 0:38:32- put those ingredients into this cream.- This is an assembly.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36And now in with our pineapple.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40And it's...
0:38:40 > 0:38:44I just would never think of putting these two things together like this.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48It's fascinating for me to kind of see those old recipes.
0:38:48 > 0:38:51Would you combine pear and pineapple normally?
0:38:51 > 0:38:53- I don't see why not. - It's not something you actually do.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56No. No, it's not. And just the way this dish...
0:38:56 > 0:38:59Like I say, it's two halves... of utter madness.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Right, I've just combined that like so.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07So, in there, we've got our whipped cream, our pistachios,
0:39:07 > 0:39:09our pineapple and our pear.
0:39:09 > 0:39:11- Right.- OK?- I suppose the pear has a
0:39:11 > 0:39:13kind of softer taste and the pineapple
0:39:13 > 0:39:16has a sharper taste, so maybe they go well together.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18- We'll find out.- We'll find out.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20So, just in there like so.
0:39:21 > 0:39:22Very rich, again.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Another rich royal recipe.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29- Yeah.- OK. So, that's in there like so.
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Now, like this, Michael, right to the edge.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35Keep that mould in place because you don't want to move it,
0:39:35 > 0:39:37you want to keep it really firm in place,
0:39:37 > 0:39:39so you can get that fruit right the way to the edge.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42And eventually, everything will just find its way in because you want the
0:39:42 > 0:39:44fruit to lock.
0:39:44 > 0:39:46Just all get in there, so there's no gaps.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49OK? So, all the way around like so.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52- So, you spend a bit of time patting it down.- Yeah.
0:39:53 > 0:39:59And just eventually, it will start to get nice and smooth like so.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03- But it's not going to set, is it? - That's the next part.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Oh. Sorry. Getting ahead of myself.
0:40:07 > 0:40:13Right. So you've got that nice and smooth kind of surface, like so.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16Now, that's going to go into the freezer for several hours but before
0:40:16 > 0:40:19it does, I am just going to let both of them settle.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21OK. While we wait, can I show you this?
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- Yes.- Looks like an ordinary pineapple, doesn't it?
0:40:25 > 0:40:27- But it's not.- But it's not.
0:40:28 > 0:40:29It's a decoration.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33In the olden days, right up to today, at banquets,
0:40:33 > 0:40:35of course, they were exotic and everything in the olden days,
0:40:35 > 0:40:38but they are still a lovely decoration now.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42At royal banquets, you'd have as many as 80 of these pineapples as
0:40:42 > 0:40:45decoration on the table for the first three courses.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48And then, when the time comes for the fruit course, the fourth course,
0:40:48 > 0:40:52- maybe the 5th course...- Yeah, yeah. - Look.- Look at that.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54- What do you think of that?- Look at that.
0:40:54 > 0:40:55It's in there.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58- You don't even have to bring it to the table.- Let's have a look at it.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00- Would you like a slice?- Yes, please.- There we are.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03- Lovely.- Lovely.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Presumably, it is tipped out with a bit of fanfare and a bit of business
0:41:07 > 0:41:11- and all that kind of stuff.- It's such an acidic fruit, though,
0:41:11 > 0:41:13- a little palate cleanser. - Absolutely.- For your next course.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16But it is such a lovely idea, isn't it?
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Right, where are we with these?
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- Come over here.- Oh, right. Oh, my goodness.- Have a look under there.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23- You might find something.- OK.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25Oh, right. OK.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27I'm going to... Gosh, it's heavy, these things.
0:41:27 > 0:41:28Aren't they?
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Look at that.
0:41:33 > 0:41:35- Look at that. - Oh, I say.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41A proper royal pudding.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45It is, isn't it? This is unbridled extravagance on a plate, isn't it?
0:41:45 > 0:41:47- Absolutely.- Fancy a slice?- Maybe.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- Come on, Paul.- The anticipation.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Don't knock it over.
0:41:54 > 0:41:55Yes. The pressure.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- The pressure of this. - I know, I know.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01Don't hang about, come on.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03Right. In we go. Grab our plate.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Yeah. Oh, I say.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10Oh, look at that.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14- It looks good.- How regal is that?
0:42:14 > 0:42:15- Proper regal.- Proper regal.
0:42:18 > 0:42:19- Go on, after you.- Me first.
0:42:22 > 0:42:25Oh, look at that. You get two puddings in one here.
0:42:25 > 0:42:26You want to let it come up to temperature as well.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30- Yeah.- So, you know, a good sort of 10-15 minutes out of the freezer.
0:42:31 > 0:42:32Mm!
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Totally different textures, aren't they?
0:42:36 > 0:42:37The top is fantastic.
0:42:38 > 0:42:40I didn't expect the top to be like that.
0:42:40 > 0:42:42- Really, why?- No. I really didn't
0:42:42 > 0:42:44because of the amount of pineapple juice
0:42:44 > 0:42:46and syrup that's in that custard.
0:42:46 > 0:42:48- It really works.- It's got like a condensed milk texture.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51- It has.- A lovely pineapple flavour.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54There is a wonderful contrast with the bottom.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Which if anything is a little bland but it's got those little explosions
0:42:57 > 0:42:58of pineapple in it.
0:42:58 > 0:43:00The fruit, yeah. Because
0:43:00 > 0:43:02essentially, it is just frozen whipped cream.
0:43:05 > 0:43:11Perfect. Perfect end to something like a Commonwealth banquet.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Absolutely. Absolutely.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Perfect end to this programme. See you next time.