0:00:04 > 0:00:06Hello, I'm Michael Buerk.
0:00:06 > 0:00:10Welcome to a brand-new series of Royal Recipes.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12This time, we're at Westonbirt House,
0:00:12 > 0:00:14formerly a grand country house,
0:00:14 > 0:00:19now a boarding school, which has played host to royal visitors for
0:00:19 > 0:00:21over 100 years.
0:00:21 > 0:00:24In this series, we're delving even further back in time to reveal over
0:00:24 > 0:00:28600 years of royal food heritage.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30You play Anne Boleyn
0:00:30 > 0:00:32and I will play Henry VIII.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35And we've busy been unlocking the secrets of Britain's great
0:00:35 > 0:00:40food archives, discovering rare and unseen recipes that have been royal
0:00:40 > 0:00:42favourites through the ages
0:00:42 > 0:00:46from the earliest royal cookbook in 1390...
0:00:46 > 0:00:50It's so precious, so special, that I'm not allowed to touch it.
0:00:50 > 0:00:53..to Tudor treats from the court of Henry VIII.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55I can't wait for this.
0:00:55 > 0:00:56One, two, three.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01We'll be exploring the great culinary traditions enjoyed by the
0:01:01 > 0:01:05royal family, from the grand to the ground-breaking,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08as well as the surprisingly simple...
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I did think that was going to be a disaster.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13Whoo!
0:01:14 > 0:01:17..as we hear from a host of royal chefs...
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Prince Philip would walk past or pop his head in and was like,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22"What's for dinner? What we having?"
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Oh, yeah, it's not just a normal kitchen.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28..and meet the people who provide for the royal table.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32If it's OK for the Queen, it's OK for everyone.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Welcome to Royal Recipes.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47In today's programme, we're exploring royal extravagance,
0:01:47 > 0:01:48and in the past,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50they didn't do things by halves.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55Some of the culinary extravaganzas produced by royal chefs down the
0:01:55 > 0:01:58centuries were legendary.
0:02:03 > 0:02:09Today on Royal Recipes, we discover the scale of one royal appetite.
0:02:10 > 0:02:16This is a banquet with more than 120 different dishes.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19Chef Anna Haugh is on a secret mission.
0:02:19 > 0:02:22I'm afraid at this point I'm going to have to put a blindfold on you.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25And we'll hear about the lengths a would-be suitor
0:02:25 > 0:02:27went to to win the hand of a queen.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31He spent so much money that he bankrupted himself for the
0:02:31 > 0:02:32rest of his life.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46I'm here in the Royal Recipes kitchen with Michelin-starred chef
0:02:46 > 0:02:49- Paul Ainsworth. What's cooking? - Mock Turtle Soup.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:02:51 > 0:02:53- Mock Turtle Soup.- Yes!- As opposed to real turtle soup?
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Yes, as opposed to... There's no turtles around here.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59No turtles have been harmed in the in the production of this programme.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01- No.- OK. Now, this is,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03as served at a dinner,
0:03:03 > 0:03:09Christmas dinner, for Queen Victoria and the royal family in 1895...
0:03:09 > 0:03:11- Right, OK.- ..at Osborne House, her
0:03:11 > 0:03:12favourite palace, on the Isle of Wight.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15- First course.- Well...- Mock turtle soup. What do you do?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17I've been so excited about showing you this recipe,
0:03:17 > 0:03:19cos I love it so much.
0:03:19 > 0:03:22In here, I've just taken some of this beautiful consomme.
0:03:22 > 0:03:28How long does it take to get that meat there into that consomme there?
0:03:28 > 0:03:31Right, that meat will go into a pan
0:03:31 > 0:03:33with those vegetables that you can see round the platter.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36That will come up to a simmer and then actually cook for seven hours.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38- Seven hours!- OK? Really slowly.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41And then all of that lovely gelatinous quality that's in the
0:03:41 > 0:03:46trotters and especially the shin of beef will be going into the stock.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48We then sieve that off, reduce it right down,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52and then we get to the stage where we then make consomme.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55So you'd bring the stock up to the boil, whisk in some egg whites,
0:03:55 > 0:03:58very gently let the egg whites rise to the top,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and as the egg white's rising to the top,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02it's dragging all the impurities with it.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Underneath will be crystal clear stock.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06It's so intense in flavour.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09We're just going to put into this pan a little bit of that consomme,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12some peeled and finely chopped celery,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15peeled and finely chopped carrot, and peeled and finely chopped swede.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- Right.- Now, we want to get the flavour happening straight away,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22- so we're just going to crush some sea salt just in there...- Mmm-hmm.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24..and leave it like so.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Now we're going to move over to where the mock turtle come from.
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- Yeah.- So, basically, this recipe was used with green turtles,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35but they were seen as a status symbol - very, very expensive,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37so the mock came in for the people
0:04:37 > 0:04:40that couldn't afford the green turtles.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42They would use things like beef shin...
0:04:42 > 0:04:46- Yeah.- ..pig's trotters, tongue, cos it had the same gelatinous,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48- rich qualities that you...- Got from...- ..jellied...
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- Jellied, that the turtle would have had.- ..from the green turtle.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53The original turtle soup was a by-product of the
0:04:53 > 0:04:56slave trade. The sailors in the West Indies would catch the turtles,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00they'd bring them back home, and the aristocracy saw this,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03rather liked it. It became very fashionable, very elegant,
0:05:03 > 0:05:04particularly at big banquets.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08In fact, real tradition at the Lord Mayor's banquet, turtle soup.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11- Yeah.- But because they loved them so much, they caught them.
0:05:11 > 0:05:1315,000 a year were coming to Britain.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15But they were hunted to extinction.
0:05:15 > 0:05:19So they were either just too expensive or not available at all,
0:05:19 > 0:05:23so people had to try and find something that tasted like turtle to
0:05:23 > 0:05:25- go in the soup.- Yeah.- Hence, mock turtle.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28- All right.- So what are you going to do now?- So, next...
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Nothing gets wasted.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32We've then shredded the meat off of the trotter,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34the tongue, we've diced,
0:05:34 > 0:05:35and the beef shin there...
0:05:35 > 0:05:39- Yeah.- ..we've got. Now leave those out, picked, at room temperature.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42OK? So they're going to go over there ready for when we plate up.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43- Yeah.- Next,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45which was quite traditional with this recipe,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47was what they called a forced meat ball.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50- Well, forcemeat's stuffing, isn't it?- Absolutely.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52So if you could add into that bowl for me...
0:05:52 > 0:05:54- OK.- We've got some finely chopped smoked bacon,
0:05:54 > 0:05:56breadcrumbs and suet.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- There is a spoon. OK?- OK. - All right.- Yeah, will do.
0:05:59 > 0:06:00Good. I'm going to go behind you and grab...
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- Do you remember...- ...this bowl.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05..in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, isn't it?
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- Yes.- There was a mock turtle.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11- Yes, there was.- And the mock turtle had a calf's head.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14- It was a turtle's body...- Yeah. - ..with a calf's head.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19Presumably because they made this soup from calf's head as well?
0:06:19 > 0:06:21So, traditionally, traditionally,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23- that there would be a calf's head. - Yeah.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26OK.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29Going to add in one egg, so carry on mixing, please, Michael.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- OK.- Seasoning.- Yeah, always seasoning.- Always seasoning.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Right, I'm just going to get our pan on because once we've made these
0:06:35 > 0:06:38dumplings, we're going to fry them off.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Right, last but not least, some
0:06:40 > 0:06:43beautiful, fresh, chopped parsley...
0:06:43 > 0:06:47- Right.- ..and a good twist of cracked black pepper.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50- Now, and you can see...- And this is your forcemeat dumpling?
0:06:50 > 0:06:51- OK, and that's it.- Shall I do a bit of that?
0:06:51 > 0:06:53- Go on, have a go.- It's just a matter of...
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- On the tray.- Just about rolling it, isn't it?
0:06:55 > 0:06:58- It is, yeah.- All this chef-ing business is simple, isn't it?
0:06:58 > 0:07:00My game's easy. Excellent.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03Our vegetables are nice and ready to go.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05So, in here, Michael, I've just got a little bit of oil.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09And, basically, the oil will make sure the butter won't burn and then
0:07:09 > 0:07:12the butter's giving us that wonderful flavour.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- Over here, we're going to take our dumplings.- Yep.
0:07:15 > 0:07:16All right? And then just into here.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18And just move them around in the pan, like so.
0:07:20 > 0:07:21Little bit more butter.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24And then we'll just turn our heat down, just a touch.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Royal Christmas dinner, Osborne House.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30It was Victoria's favourite palace, you know, on the Isle of Wight.
0:07:30 > 0:07:33That was where she retreated after her husband Prince Albert died.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36- Right.- Went into almost complete seclusion
0:07:36 > 0:07:37for a very, very long time.
0:07:37 > 0:07:39Long period of mourning.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Wore black for years and years and years.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45She had all her children and grandchildren there.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46These days, the royals have
0:07:46 > 0:07:48Christmas at Sandringham, don't they?
0:07:48 > 0:07:52But Victoria was so fond of Osborne on the Isle of Wight,
0:07:52 > 0:07:54she was there in August, you know,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58for Cowes Week and all that kind of stuff, and at Christmas as well.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02- Don't they look wonderful?- They certainly do.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- And they're ready.- Wow.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06Look at them. Gorgeous, aren't they?
0:08:06 > 0:08:08- They certainly are.- So we'll just put those over here.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12And now we're going to start to plate up.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14- Yeah.- Right, so, I'm going to take a
0:08:14 > 0:08:16little bit of this shredded shin.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Some of that beautiful shredded pig's trotter.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21Lovely tongue going round the outside.
0:08:21 > 0:08:23So taste and texture there, eh?
0:08:23 > 0:08:25- Taste and texture. Every day.- OK.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Now, we've got those lovely vegetables going over the top.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30- Finely diced vegetables.- Yeah. And they're just nice and soft and
0:08:30 > 0:08:32beautifully seasoned with that stock.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- Yeah.- Now, we've got our dumplings.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Ah, right, you are draining them a bit.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39- Just draining them off, OK?- Yeah. - Just... And the reason for is that
0:08:39 > 0:08:42the butter's done its job. See how crispy they are on the outside?
0:08:42 > 0:08:45We don't want that fat to then go into our lovely consomme that
0:08:45 > 0:08:47- we've made.- OK.- OK?
0:08:47 > 0:08:48So we're just going to put
0:08:48 > 0:08:51three on top, like so.
0:08:51 > 0:08:52Like that.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53OK?
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Now, don't pour the consomme over the top.
0:08:56 > 0:08:57- Go from the side.- OK.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02This is a real British classic dish, isn't it, Paul?
0:09:02 > 0:09:05- It is.- In fact, in the '30s, Heinz even
0:09:05 > 0:09:06did a tin version of it.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09- Did they really?- Yeah.- I bet that was delicious!
0:09:09 > 0:09:12- Now, come on, don't be... I'm sure it was great.- Yeah.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14But it wasn't anything like this.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15No.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17I absolutely love this recipe so much.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19- Can I try it?- Go for it. Go on.- You sure?- Yes!
0:09:26 > 0:09:28Mmm.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- It's nice, isn't it?- Yeah.- It's...
0:09:30 > 0:09:32The consomme bit is really intense.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37- Yeah.- And you've got so many different textures and so many
0:09:37 > 0:09:39different flavours.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42You can see why it was such a principal part of all those big
0:09:42 > 0:09:43ceremonial banquets.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45It's really substantial, isn't it?
0:09:45 > 0:09:50- It is.- And yet, you know, Christmas dinner, 1895,
0:09:50 > 0:09:51this was just the first course.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53After that, they had turbot,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55lobster, turkey with chipolatas...
0:09:55 > 0:09:58- Even back then!- Even back then.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Asparagus, mince pies, plum pudding, chocolate eclair,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04and on the side they had baron of beef, boar's head, game pie,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06brawn, and hot roast beef.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08- My goodness.- It really, like,
0:10:08 > 0:10:11blows me away how much they would consume back then.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- Absolutely.- It's, you know, really rich eating and living, isn't it?
0:10:15 > 0:10:16- Yeah. Yeah.- Yeah.- Absolutely.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18But mock turtle soup,
0:10:18 > 0:10:22absolutely delicious, and not a single turtle was harmed...
0:10:22 > 0:10:25- No.- ..in making this dish.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29A modern, meaty take on a dish originally a staple of
0:10:29 > 0:10:3218th-century sailors
0:10:32 > 0:10:34and the Georgian aristocracy.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44Georgian royalty certainly had a taste for the finer things of life,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48and this was reflected in the ingredients used in royal cooking.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49In the 18th century,
0:10:49 > 0:10:53truffles were often used to flavour sauces and gravies.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57These days, many of the truffles we consume come from overseas,
0:10:57 > 0:11:01but there's a growing trend for UK truffle farming.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04So precious is the crop that today's
0:11:04 > 0:11:07truffle producers insist on complete secrecy.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Chef Anna Haugh went to meet truffle hunter Zak Frost
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and his truffle dog, Stanley.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21I'm afraid at this point I'm going to have to put a blindfold on you
0:11:21 > 0:11:23and lead you the rest of the way.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- OK.- So if you don't mind just slipping this on.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29OK, you're going to have to guide me, though.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31- All right. OK.- Stan the man, don't trip me up.- This way.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32ANNA LAUGHS
0:11:34 > 0:11:37These woods are...somewhere in Wiltshire,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and absolutely bristling with wild truffles.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I think you can now take the mask off.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45- Oh, wow.- So, this is it. Welcome to the truffle woods.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46So, can we go truffle hunting?
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Yeah, why not? Let's find some truffles.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52The peak season for English truffles
0:11:52 > 0:11:54is the autumn, when the damp,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57cold conditions give them their pungent aroma.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01But they'd be almost impossible to find without Stanley.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04So, has Wiltshire always been famous for truffle hunting?
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Well, yeah, it has, actually. There's been a tradition of truffle
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- hunting in Wiltshire going back a few centuries.- Oh, wow.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12And there were once a number of professional truffle hunters in the
0:12:12 > 0:12:13area, supplied truffles to the
0:12:13 > 0:12:15gentry in London and the royal family.
0:12:15 > 0:12:17They were always a luxury product.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20And then, the most famous of these was the Collins family,
0:12:20 > 0:12:22particularly Eli Collins,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25who, for many years, was the premier truffle hunter of the area, and
0:12:25 > 0:12:27held a Royal Warrant, as well.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30And he was a part of six generations of truffle hunters.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33- But then his son Alfred was the last of the line...- Oh!
0:12:33 > 0:12:35..and that was around the 1930s.
0:12:42 > 0:12:45And what brought about the demise of truffle hunting?
0:12:45 > 0:12:46There's a number of factors.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48There's the modern farming methods -
0:12:48 > 0:12:49a lot of the old woodlands were cleared.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52And then a big issue, also, was the two World Wars where a lot of
0:12:52 > 0:12:56young men died, and they were obviously distracted from things
0:12:56 > 0:12:58like truffle hunting, and then the secrets weren't really passed
0:12:58 > 0:13:00on to the next generation.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02It's only recently it's been reawakened and English truffles
0:13:02 > 0:13:05- are back on the menu.- Wow.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07And, seemingly, back on the royal menu.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08In 2006,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12the Duke of Edinburgh planted a one-acre truffle orchard at
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Sandringham in the hope that it will one day
0:13:14 > 0:13:17provide for the royal kitchens.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Is that a truffle, Stan? Show it to me.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21Oh!
0:13:21 > 0:13:23Aren't you a clever boy?
0:13:23 > 0:13:24Yeah, good boy.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27You see here, we've found a whole nest of about ten truffles.
0:13:27 > 0:13:28Oh, wow, there's loads of them there.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32This one's definitely starting to develop a little bit of an aroma.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34Want a sniff?
0:13:34 > 0:13:37And as you see, there's a whole collection of them here, really.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40They often grow in big groups.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42Wow. Oh, my God.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45That's huge! There's so much that I love about truffles,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48but I do like the idea that, through the year, that you get different
0:13:48 > 0:13:52varieties of truffle, so you can use them in different ways.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55It's the finishing touch, to make a dish perfect.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01It's back to Zak's place to scrub the truffles clean.
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Thanks.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10What inspired you to make the jump into truffle hunting?
0:14:10 > 0:14:12Really just kind of fell into it, because
0:14:12 > 0:14:15I started hunting the truffles purely for the love of doing it,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18- and I loved hunting them, I loved eating them.- Mmm, yeah.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21And so chefs started to ask me if they could buy them,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23so it really became a very natural progression
0:14:23 > 0:14:25to start a proper business.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29Well, from the taste I've had of truffle hunting today I can
0:14:29 > 0:14:31understand where you, kind of, get the thrill and the passion of...
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Yeah, it's so exciting, and
0:14:34 > 0:14:36there's nothing else I'd rather be doing, really.
0:14:36 > 0:14:39The big trouble now is keeping up with demand.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41It's little wonder. For chefs like Anna,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44truffles can make all the difference to the flavour of a dish.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48And that's reflected in the price of autumn truffles.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50250g of these pearls of the
0:14:50 > 0:14:54earth will cost you around £200 in the shops.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57But really the shape and the size and everything is
0:14:57 > 0:14:59completely irrelevant, compared to the aroma.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02Much better to have an ugly truffle or a tiny truffle, or anything,
0:15:02 > 0:15:05- that smells amazing.- Yeah.- They're beautiful in the right dishes.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Truffles are such a delicious treat, aren't they?
0:15:13 > 0:15:15- They are.- They add richness and warmth
0:15:15 > 0:15:16as well as flavour, don't they?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19- They do.- Now, are you going to put truffles in the next dish?
0:15:19 > 0:15:22- I am.- What are you going to do?- I'm going to do it with roast pheasant.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24This is a dish that was served at perhaps
0:15:24 > 0:15:27the most lavish banquet ever...
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- Really?- ..given by the Prince Regent for the Grand Duke Nicholas
0:15:30 > 0:15:33in January 1817.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35- Tell you more about it in a minute. How do you start?- Right.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38Whenever you're using truffle, do not slice it too thick.
0:15:38 > 0:15:42Cos when it's nice and thin, what happens is it cooks,
0:15:42 > 0:15:45and that's where you're going to get most of its flavour.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47If it's too thick, you don't get... It's incredible, isn't it?
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Hitting you right in the nose!
0:15:49 > 0:15:51- So, what I've got here...- It's also very expensive, so...
0:15:51 > 0:15:53- Very expensive.- Might as well get the most out of it.
0:15:53 > 0:15:54That's the main reason.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57So, what we've got here are pheasants on the crown.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59So, pheasant can become very dry very quickly.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01If you're roasting it on the bone,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04you've got the best possible chance of keeping it lovely and moist.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06So, we're just going to take our bird like so.
0:16:06 > 0:16:07- Yeah.- Just pull the skin back...
0:16:07 > 0:16:09- Pull its jacket up.- Pull its jacket up.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12That's right. OK. Now, I'm just going to take some of this truffle,
0:16:12 > 0:16:14and we're going to poke it underneath.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16- Under the skin.- Fold that back down...- Yeah.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19..and that is just packed full of truffle underneath that breast.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Like so. And we do the same with the other one.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Now, over there I've got a nice, thick,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- heavy-bottomed pan, like a proper casserole pan.- Mmm-hmm.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30The best way, I feel, to cook this is... We want to roast it on the
0:16:30 > 0:16:33outside, course we do, want that lovely roast pheasant flavour.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35But then we want to, for me, poach
0:16:35 > 0:16:38- it, almost, like, steam it.- Mmm.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40- OK? So we're just going to season.- Keep it moist.- Absolutely.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Season it all over.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44So, here as well, Michael,
0:16:44 > 0:16:46I've just got some cabbage which I've just softened down in a
0:16:46 > 0:16:48little bit of butter and some seasoning.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51- Just nice and simple.- It's a really rich, winter meal, isn't it?
0:16:51 > 0:16:53It is, and this will all come into play later.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55So, we're getting our oil here.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57We want it nice and hot, so when we add our pheasants into the pan
0:16:57 > 0:16:59we've got that sizzle straight away,
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- so that it's caramelising straight away.- OK.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04- Wahey!- There we go. OK?
0:17:04 > 0:17:05Yeah.
0:17:08 > 0:17:09- In, like so.- Mmm-hmm.- All right?
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Now, what I've done with the legs and the wings, I've taken them off,
0:17:13 > 0:17:17I've roasted them, and then with some of the carcass, as well, I've
0:17:17 > 0:17:19basically roasted that off and put it into chicken stock,
0:17:19 > 0:17:22so then we've turned our chicken stock into pheasant stock...
0:17:22 > 0:17:25It's a really major undertaking, this, isn't it?
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- A really big dish.- Yeah.- But, and this is the amazing thing,
0:17:28 > 0:17:30you know I said it was the most lavish banquet ever held
0:17:30 > 0:17:32- or might have been?- Yes.
0:17:32 > 0:17:34Here we are. Here's the menu, look.
0:17:34 > 0:17:35Look how many dishes there are.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Dozens and dozens and dozens of them.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41And you think THAT'S a lot?
0:17:41 > 0:17:43It's only half of it.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46- Cos there's all those!- Oh, my God. - MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:17:46 > 0:17:48- There's all those as well. - It's unbelievable.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50This is a banquet with more than
0:17:50 > 0:17:53120 different dishes.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54The royal chef at the time, who did
0:17:54 > 0:17:57the banquet, was Marie-Antoine Careme, you've heard of Careme?
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Yes, I have, yeah.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00Very famous royal chef.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- OK. Now what?- We're just continually roasting over that.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05I want to get the colour all over.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08So while that's happening we're just going to chop some chives.
0:18:08 > 0:18:09- Yeah.- OK?- You know, these dishes
0:18:09 > 0:18:11weren't the only extravagant thing there.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15They actually had a pastry model of the Royal Pavilion of Brighton
0:18:15 > 0:18:17in the centre of the table,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19and they had a kind of model,
0:18:19 > 0:18:23a mock-up of a Turkish mosque
0:18:23 > 0:18:25made out of marzipan
0:18:25 > 0:18:28that was four feet high in the centre of the table, as well.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Four feet high?! Out of marzipan?
0:18:30 > 0:18:32- Out of marzipan.- Incredible.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33Extravagant or what?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35- Now, look at that.- Wow.
0:18:35 > 0:18:37OK? Roasted pheasant.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39- Right.- Gosh.- Next...
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Same pan, all that lovely flavour.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43Let's just add in a little bit of butter.
0:18:43 > 0:18:44OK?
0:18:44 > 0:18:46- Pancetta.- Yeah.- OK?
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Basically, smoked, cured bacon.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51All right? We want to work quickly here, Michael.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53- OK? So we want that heat back up... - You're moving fast.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55We're moving fast. Right.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58We've got carrot, onion and celery.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01- In, like so.- All very finely diced.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02All very finely diced.
0:19:02 > 0:19:03A bay leaf.
0:19:03 > 0:19:05Just tear it a little bit, let the oils come out.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07Just one, OK? Bay leaf's strong.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Some thyme. Gorgeous stuff.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11Mmm! You're motoring now, Paul.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13We're motoring now.
0:19:13 > 0:19:14- White wine.- Oh, yeah.
0:19:14 > 0:19:15A really nice dry white wine.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- Yeah.- Like that. Just a glug.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23- Now, over here, that wonderful stock that I told you about.- Yeah.- OK?
0:19:24 > 0:19:27- The wings and the legs, they've done their job, OK?- Yeah.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Now we just need that wonderful infused liquor.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Gosh, that looks rich.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35That's marvellous.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38Next, give it a good stir.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Now we go back to our wonderful pheasants.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43Pop those in the pot like so.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Now, stand them up as well, Michael.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47So the breast is on top?
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- The breast meat is on top?- Yeah. The breast meat is on top.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52And now, the lid will go on like that.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55OK? That's going to go in the oven, if you could pop it in there for me.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56- Yeah.- And do you know what?
0:19:56 > 0:19:58It's going to be a lot less than you think.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00- 12 to 15 minutes.- Really? Only 12 to 15 minutes?
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Really. Because remember it's a breast.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06It's not a shin of beef or a shoulder of lamb.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08- It's something so delicate.- Yeah.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10But now, for me, that is the best way to cook pheasant.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- But just 12 minutes? Gosh.- Just 12 minutes. 12, 15 minutes.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- OK?- What sort of temperature?- 170 degrees.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- Oh, right. So quite a low heat as well.- Yeah.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20- You OK with that, do you need a hand?- No, no, I'm fine.- OK.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24And just on the side, Michael, there's another one resting.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26OK. Thanks.
0:20:26 > 0:20:28These dishes are amazing. They're so heavy!
0:20:28 > 0:20:31- Want me to pop it on here?- That'd be lovely. Thank you very much.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- So, we're just going to lift off the lid.- Yeah.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37- Look at that.- Oh, yeah.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Out come our pheasants.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43Gosh, they look good.
0:20:43 > 0:20:44And we're just going to let them
0:20:44 > 0:20:47rest on this platter over here.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Right, so in here I've got some cabbage,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53which has been softened down in the butter, like I said earlier,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55and I'm just now going to add some mashed potato to it.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57I've just seasoned it, Michael,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59with some sea salt and some crushed black pepper,
0:20:59 > 0:21:02- so we're just going to...- And you're mixing that all together,
0:21:02 > 0:21:04- you're not serving it separately? - No.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Now here in my sauce I'm just going to add a little touch of cream.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Not much, just a little touch of cream, like so.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13- One more mix around.- You didn't put much in, though, did you?
0:21:13 > 0:21:16No, I didn't, no. So, I've got a little separate pan here.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I'm going to take some of our chives and I'm going to have some of the
0:21:19 > 0:21:22- chives for the sauce, OK?- Yeah.- Like so.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25And we're going to have some of the chives to go through the mashed
0:21:25 > 0:21:28potato and cabbage, and we're almost there.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30God, it smells so good.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Right. Over here, Michael,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35as I scoop up, I want the bacon and the vegetables.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- Right.- OK.- That, ready to go.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40- OK.- Absolutely beautiful.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41Mashed potato.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45So, we're just going to serve up, Michael, like so.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- Let me just put this out of the way. There we go.- Now...
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- It all looks so good.- Does, doesn't it?
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- Right.- Where are you going to put the...- Ready?
0:21:52 > 0:21:54I'm always interested in where you put the sauce.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56- All over.- You put it all over the top?
0:21:56 > 0:21:59Over the mashed potato, everywhere, around, like so.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Pheasant skin isn't particularly crispy, so don't worry about that.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04It's all about flavour.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08- Wow.- Now, the last thing to go over the top of this is more of that.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- A bit more truffle.- Beautiful truffle.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- Ready?- Mmm, mmm!
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Oh, it does look good, doesn't it?
0:22:15 > 0:22:16Roast Pheasant With Truffles.
0:22:16 > 0:22:21Roast Pheasant With Truffles, or as Marie-Antoine Careme described it,
0:22:21 > 0:22:25"Les Faisan Truffe A La Perigueux."
0:22:25 > 0:22:27PAUL LAUGHS
0:22:27 > 0:22:28Ooh, there we go.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31- Look at that.- And some truffle. - Yeah, absolutely.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38- And that pheasant should be just beautifully moist.- Mmm!
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Ooh, yeah. It is moist. Mmm!
0:22:41 > 0:22:43Wonderful texture, wonderful taste.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46And the truffles really intensifying everything.
0:22:46 > 0:22:49You know, 120 dishes, but...
0:22:50 > 0:22:54..this must have been the highlight.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57A luxurious dish from an extravagant
0:22:57 > 0:23:00banquet, thrown by an indulgent prince.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07A king who knew a thing or two about the high life was Henry VIII,
0:23:07 > 0:23:11and 500 years ago one of his royal palaces was the scene of some
0:23:11 > 0:23:13very lavish spending.
0:23:15 > 0:23:20Leeds Castle in Kent was transformed by Henry into a magnificent
0:23:20 > 0:23:22residence for his first wife, Catherine.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26Dr Polly Russell went along to find out more.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30Henry wanted his Queen, Catherine of Aragon, to feel really at home here,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33and he spent a small fortune, and a
0:23:33 > 0:23:36number of years between 1517 and
0:23:36 > 0:23:391523, renovating Leeds Castle to
0:23:39 > 0:23:41bring it bang up-to-date.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Historian Annie Kemkaran-Smith takes up the story.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Henry VIII spent a lot of money here to improve the castle and
0:23:54 > 0:23:55actually turn it into a pleasure
0:23:55 > 0:23:57palace more than a defensible castle.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01From 1517 through to 1523, we know that the steward here,
0:24:01 > 0:24:06Henry Guildford, was given between £200-300 every year to improve
0:24:06 > 0:24:08the castle and make it into a palace.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13That's somewhere in the region of £100,000 a year in today's money.
0:24:13 > 0:24:15He wanted it to be hung with luxurious tapestries.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17He wanted there to be feasting and partying here.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22There are no records to tell us the detail of all of Henry and
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Catherine's stays at Leeds Castle,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28but one visit is very well-documented.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31We know that there was one particular date
0:24:31 > 0:24:34where an extraordinary feast took place. Can you tell me about that?
0:24:34 > 0:24:39In 1520, Henry and Catherine and their retinue of over 5,000 people
0:24:39 > 0:24:42came here to Leeds Castle and spent one night.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45So, travelling with 5,000 people.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48I mean, that is completely extraordinary.
0:24:48 > 0:24:50I mean, was this typical of his extravagance?
0:24:50 > 0:24:54What do we know about him and his relationship to wealth?
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Mmm. I think it is typical.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58He was used to extravagance.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00He was all about display and
0:25:00 > 0:25:03pomp and ceremony, so for him,
0:25:03 > 0:25:06travelling with over 5,000 people was just par for the course.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09The logistics involved in, you know, all those people,
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- where are they going to sleep, how do you feed them?- Mmm.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Do we have any documents that tell us what was actually eaten, and
0:25:14 > 0:25:18what was actually prepared here, that amazing night?
0:25:18 > 0:25:21Well, we know that the steward here, Henry Guildford, he did have warning
0:25:21 > 0:25:24of them coming for their one night of 5,000 people...
0:25:24 > 0:25:25- You'd hope so!- ..for a big dinner.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29And he got given just over £66 to prepare for it,
0:25:29 > 0:25:30which was a large amount of money.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32A well-paid labourer at that time
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- would have earned about £10 in a year.- Mmm, mmm-hmm.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37So it's effectively the year's
0:25:37 > 0:25:40wages of six full-time workers
0:25:40 > 0:25:41for one night of partying.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- For one night, one night of partying.- Oh, that's not bad.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48You can only imagine what fun and feasting took place here.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Fortunately for us,
0:25:51 > 0:25:55there's a shopping list that gives us an idea of what was on the menu.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57There's this ledger from the time,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59which gives us the household accounts.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02Just the section on fish tell us that a certain
0:26:02 > 0:26:04John of Antwerp was paid
0:26:04 > 0:26:08for supplying an enormous quantity of fish.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12I mean, for example, he provides 9,100 plaice.
0:26:12 > 0:26:17- I mean, imagine just the sight of 9,100 plaice.- Mmm, it's huge, mmm.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20Extraordinary. And then down here,
0:26:20 > 0:26:23it actually suggests three porpoises.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25I mean, that also is extraordinary.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27We obviously don't eat porpoise now,
0:26:27 > 0:26:29- and nor would most people have eaten porpoise.- Mmm.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32That was really the food of kings.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Deer from the Leeds Castle estates were definitely killed and provided
0:26:36 > 0:26:37for this one night.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41We also know that the dairy went into overdrive and provided lots of
0:26:41 > 0:26:44goods for people to eat during their stay here.
0:26:44 > 0:26:45That's really interesting, and
0:26:45 > 0:26:47what documents like this tell us is
0:26:47 > 0:26:50how extraordinary and opulent and
0:26:50 > 0:26:52excessive this event was,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54and this feasting was.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59But that was only the warm up to the main event.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02The gathering was a stop off en route to a rendezvous near Calais
0:27:02 > 0:27:04with the French king, Francis I,
0:27:04 > 0:27:06in a meeting which has come to be known
0:27:06 > 0:27:09as the Field of the Cloth of Gold.
0:27:11 > 0:27:15This is the 5,000 descending upon Calais.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18That this meeting is called the Field of the Cloth of Gold is
0:27:18 > 0:27:23evidence that it must have been extraordinary as a spectacle of all
0:27:23 > 0:27:25the gold cloth, the gilt. I mean,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27these two renaissance princes were...
0:27:27 > 0:27:30They were determined to establish
0:27:30 > 0:27:34- who was the most...- Absolutely. - ..powerful, handsome.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36The whole meeting, I think,
0:27:36 > 0:27:40was about outdoing one another in the friendliest of ways,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42so, instead of going to war with each other,
0:27:42 > 0:27:46they've decided to have this great big event where they meet,
0:27:46 > 0:27:47they joust with each other,
0:27:47 > 0:27:49they even wrestle with each other at some point,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and Francis actually overthrows Henry,
0:27:51 > 0:27:54which I'm sure didn't go down that well.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57But the whole thing on both kings'
0:27:57 > 0:27:59parts was to outshine the other,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01and Henry did his part by building
0:28:01 > 0:28:04massive tents made out of cloth of
0:28:04 > 0:28:06gold that shimmered in the sunlight,
0:28:06 > 0:28:08and had massive feasting
0:28:08 > 0:28:11and dancing and banqueting and jousting.
0:28:11 > 0:28:13It's the ultimate lads' night out, isn't it?
0:28:13 > 0:28:15- It really is.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20The 29-year-old Henry's extraordinary lads' night out had
0:28:20 > 0:28:22lasting repercussions for his reign.
0:28:23 > 0:28:28We know that when he went out to France to meet Francis I for the
0:28:28 > 0:28:29Field of the Cloth of Gold meeting,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32the money that he spent on everything
0:28:32 > 0:28:35out there pretty much bankrupted England.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41When it came to extravagance,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44Henry VIII was in a league of his own - wine,
0:28:44 > 0:28:49food, entertainment - that man could throw a party.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50I just wish that I'd been there!
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Ah, started without me.
0:29:04 > 0:29:09- What are you doing?- I've got some beautiful caramelised lamb's liver.
0:29:09 > 0:29:12- Terrific.- Gorgeous cabbage. Look how beautiful, deep and green that is.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14Cooked in butter, some salt, some pepper.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17I'm just going to chop up this beautiful lamb's liver and fold
0:29:17 > 0:29:19- it through the cabbage.- Where's my fork?
0:29:19 > 0:29:21And then over on the plate there
0:29:21 > 0:29:23I've got some stunning, beautifully
0:29:23 > 0:29:26- cooked, fluffy rice.- Oh, it looks nice.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28Absolutely. Does, doesn't it? Yeah.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30- Absolutely delicious.- Where's my fork?- Uh-uh! No, it's not for you.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32- What?- This is for the corgis.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35BOTH LAUGH
0:29:35 > 0:29:36- Are you serious?- I'm serious.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38- Is this what...- This is what the corgis...
0:29:38 > 0:29:41- ..the royal corgis get?- Royal corgis eat, yeah.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43- Look at that.- God, the royals certainly have the best of
0:29:43 > 0:29:46everything, and that goes for the corgis, does it?
0:29:46 > 0:29:48They do, this is... Yeah. So keep your hands off.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50And then, just on top, I'm just
0:29:50 > 0:29:52going to shave some beautiful truffle.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59You know, she's had corgis all her life.
0:29:59 > 0:30:00More than 80 years, you know?
0:30:00 > 0:30:03The first one her father King George VI brought - Dookie, his
0:30:03 > 0:30:06name was - in 1933, and she's had 30 corgis since then.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08The latest one is called Whisper.
0:30:08 > 0:30:09- Whisper?- Yeah, yeah.- Right, OK.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12It used to be owned by the groundsman at
0:30:12 > 0:30:13Sandringham, up in Norfolk.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17He died, unfortunately, and she's adopted Whisper.
0:30:17 > 0:30:18She loves horses, as well.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- Had a pony when she was four.- Right, OK.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23And of course, famously, has all those racehorses.
0:30:23 > 0:30:252,000 winners, she had.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27- 2,000 winners?!- Yeah, yeah.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29I wonder what she feeds them!
0:30:29 > 0:30:30Yes. Indeed, indeed.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33- The very best oats with a sauce vinaigrette?- Maybe.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36- Or a raspberry coulis, do you think? - Some sliced truffle.
0:30:36 > 0:30:37MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:30:37 > 0:30:39She is a dedicated fan of horse racing,
0:30:39 > 0:30:43and the horsiest event of the year is Royal Ascot -
0:30:43 > 0:30:46one of the most high profile events in the social calendar.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49We know what the Queen's animals eat,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52but what about royal guests at Ascot?
0:30:56 > 0:30:58Someone who's in the know is Michelin-starred chef
0:30:58 > 0:31:00Michael Caines.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04In 2015, he cooked for 180 people at
0:31:04 > 0:31:05the Royal Enclosure at Ascot.
0:31:07 > 0:31:10Today, I'm making a warm salad of lobster with a curry mayonnaise and
0:31:10 > 0:31:13a vinaigrette of mango and cardamom.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15So, to start with, we're going to make the vinaigrette.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19I'm using green cardamom, which is great, but just to break up the
0:31:19 > 0:31:22shells, I'm going to put them in a pestle and mortar
0:31:22 > 0:31:26so that we get the flavour of the seeds coming out.
0:31:26 > 0:31:28So, I chose this recipe for Royal Ascot
0:31:28 > 0:31:32cos it really does champion the best of British, using lobsters,
0:31:32 > 0:31:33a beautiful product, but also,
0:31:33 > 0:31:36a little bit of a nod to the Commonwealth,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40using the spices from India as inspiration for this dish.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43We're going to add the spice to this stock suet,
0:31:43 > 0:31:46which is equal amounts of sugar and water brought up to the boil,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49and we're just going to
0:31:49 > 0:31:52let that cook out just to extract all of that wonderful flavour.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Michael then adds the juice of a lime and its zest.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59This will make a "gastrique" - a sweet and sour sauce.
0:32:01 > 0:32:02The day at Ascot, it's incredible.
0:32:02 > 0:32:04Really, it's a week of celebration,
0:32:04 > 0:32:08so we were cooking for 180 covers
0:32:08 > 0:32:10every day in the top restaurant,
0:32:10 > 0:32:12and of course, when the Queen arrived,
0:32:12 > 0:32:17we also had to send food down for her party as well, and obviously
0:32:17 > 0:32:20the sense of royalty and the royal occasion is something which is not
0:32:20 > 0:32:22lost on you when you're cooking.
0:32:22 > 0:32:23While the sauce reduces,
0:32:23 > 0:32:26Michael makes a start on the salad.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28He's using ratte potatoes, a small
0:32:28 > 0:32:31variety that's packed with flavour.
0:32:31 > 0:32:32We're going to cook them simply,
0:32:32 > 0:32:36using some garlic and lots of thyme
0:32:36 > 0:32:39and bay leaves, and then just water, just to cover.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45As the potatoes cook, Michael prepares the mango for the salad.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48There's always pressure in the kitchen, but in particular,
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Royal Ascot, 180 covers,
0:32:51 > 0:32:52this particular dish,
0:32:52 > 0:32:54we need to execute it perfectly every time.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57There's so much pressure. But at the same time, so enjoyable.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01So, that's the mango ready. Now we're ready for potatoes.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04These are cooked. So we're going to strain them off using a colander.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07And once they're cooled down, we'll peel them and dice them.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12To prevent the reduced gastrique from crystallising,
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Michael adds glucose.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18It's then served and combined with the mango puree
0:33:18 > 0:33:20to make the vinaigrette.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Lid on.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Let's get that blending.
0:33:25 > 0:33:26Now, gradually, add the oil.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31Little bit of seasoning, salt and pepper.
0:33:35 > 0:33:37And there we have
0:33:37 > 0:33:39our mango vinaigrette, and that's ready.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44After steaming for eight minutes, the lobster is ready.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46We must have cracked about 500
0:33:46 > 0:33:49lobsters for the week, so massive job.
0:33:49 > 0:33:52All the lobsters came from Brixham, Devon.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55So all using British produce.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59And I've got some I've prepared already for the actual presentation,
0:33:59 > 0:34:01so I'm just going to use this lobster to dice.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Lobster meat is lovely and sweet and it'll go extremely well with the
0:34:06 > 0:34:08vinaigrette and, of course, the
0:34:08 > 0:34:10curry mayonnaise, which I'll be making next.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14For that, I'm going to be using vegetable oil and we're going to
0:34:14 > 0:34:16heat that with a madras curry powder.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19The curry sauce is added to the mix
0:34:19 > 0:34:21of mayonnaise and Greek yoghurt.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25You can add as little or as much as you like.
0:34:25 > 0:34:29But the main thing to remember is not to overpower those delicate
0:34:29 > 0:34:30flavours of the lobster.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33And then we're going to add a squeeze of lime juice...
0:34:34 > 0:34:39..and an additional pinch of cardamom spice.
0:34:39 > 0:34:41OK, so now we're ready for the potato salad.
0:34:41 > 0:34:45So, you can imagine being at this restaurant,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48right at the top of the main grandstand
0:34:48 > 0:34:50overlooking the racecourse, with thousands
0:34:50 > 0:34:53of people out enjoying the racing.
0:34:53 > 0:34:56And, of course, the procession of the royal horses coming with the
0:34:56 > 0:35:00Queen on the carriage, but it was such an amazing occasion.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02The salad's different elements are
0:35:02 > 0:35:04now ready to be brought together.
0:35:04 > 0:35:06So, we're going to start off with the mango.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09And then our potato.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13And, finally, the lobster.
0:35:13 > 0:35:18To this, we're going to add our finely-chopped mint, and now
0:35:18 > 0:35:21we're going to mix that with our curry mayonnaise that we made.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26All that remains is to warm the lobster through.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29So, we're going to heat that through the oven for about
0:35:29 > 0:35:31two, three minutes at 180 degrees.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36So, while that's in the oven heating up, we can start to dress our dish.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42And finally, it's time to add those
0:35:42 > 0:35:45all-important and elegant finishing touches.
0:35:47 > 0:35:48And now for a little bit of caviar.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Obviously, for something like Royal Ascot,
0:35:50 > 0:35:53we're using all of the finest ingredients.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57So, there we have it. Warm salad of lobster with curried
0:35:57 > 0:35:59mayonnaise and a vinaigrette of
0:35:59 > 0:36:00mango and cardamom.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03A wonderful dish, and what a great day to remember.
0:36:12 > 0:36:15Every royal banquet, Paul, needs a show-stopper.
0:36:15 > 0:36:16It's a big ask, but you're not going
0:36:16 > 0:36:18- to fall at this hurdle, are you? - Oh...
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- Have you got a show-stopper?- I'll never let you down, Michael.- OK.
0:36:21 > 0:36:23Yes, I have a Marchpane Rose.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25- Marchpane Rose?- Yes.- What's Marchpane?
0:36:25 > 0:36:29A very, very early version of marzipan.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33What they would do is they would bake it, so it goes actually quite
0:36:33 > 0:36:34hard, almost like a biscuit.
0:36:34 > 0:36:36And that's what we're going to do right now.
0:36:36 > 0:36:40And this Marchpane Rose was a centrepiece of one of the most
0:36:40 > 0:36:42extraordinary royal banquets, given
0:36:42 > 0:36:45- for Elizabeth I in 1575.- Right, OK.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47- So let's get on with it.- Yes.
0:36:47 > 0:36:48- What do you do first?- Icing sugar.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51- Into this bowl.- Mmm-hmm.- Ground almonds.- Mmm-hmm.
0:36:51 > 0:36:52Goes in like so.
0:36:53 > 0:36:57And then if you could just drizzle in some of this rose water for me?
0:36:57 > 0:36:59- Rose water?- Yeah.- OK.- OK.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00It's infused and distilled, isn't it?
0:37:00 > 0:37:02Infused and distilled, that's it.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05- You can almost smell it.- You can. - It's almost like a perfume.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07- It is, yeah.- OK. Add it in.
0:37:07 > 0:37:08- OK, slowly?- Slowly.
0:37:08 > 0:37:12That's it, and I'm just going to mix until I basically form a dough.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17This banquet, held in Elizabeth's honour, was the most sumptuous,
0:37:17 > 0:37:20expensive affair, particularly with how much
0:37:20 > 0:37:22sugar was used - and, remember,
0:37:22 > 0:37:26in the 16th century, sugar was incredibly expensive.
0:37:26 > 0:37:32This would have been one of 300 sweet dishes at the banquet.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36- 300?- 300, including sugar sculptures and everything.
0:37:36 > 0:37:37For loads and loads of people,
0:37:37 > 0:37:42because Elizabeth was up visiting Kenilworth with a whole entourage,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45and they went up there for three whole weeks,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and this was the banquet at the end of it.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50- Right, that's going to go...- It's a kind of snowball, isn't it?
0:37:50 > 0:37:52It is, isn't it? So, we're just going
0:37:52 > 0:37:55- to get that bowl out of our way. - Yeah.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57- What next?- And now we're going to move on to
0:37:57 > 0:38:00rolling it between two sheets.
0:38:01 > 0:38:03- Now, like I said...- This is fairly simple so far.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06- Very simple.- This is not stretching you too much.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08In fact, the whole recipe, to be
0:38:08 > 0:38:10- fair, is actually very, very simple. - Mmm-hmm.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Now, just push it down like that.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17- Then we're going to take a rolling pin...- Yeah.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19..and just roll it, and what we want to do, Michael, is,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21we want to keep a circle...
0:38:22 > 0:38:24..and with, you know, like with marzipan now,
0:38:24 > 0:38:28where you, kind of, will leave it sort of soft and use it as, kind of,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31cake decorating, and some of the things you can make out of marzipan
0:38:31 > 0:38:35- are incredible.- I think much of that must have happened at this banquet,
0:38:35 > 0:38:37because a really good story behind it,
0:38:37 > 0:38:42cos she was up at Kenilworth with her whole entourage as guests
0:38:42 > 0:38:44of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester...
0:38:44 > 0:38:49- Right.- ..who, of course, everybody thought was her lover at the time,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52and he rather hoped he was going to be able to marry her.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55So, she was there for three weeks, whole entourage,
0:38:55 > 0:38:57he laid on banquets,
0:38:57 > 0:38:58he laid on everything...
0:38:58 > 0:39:02- Right.- ..because he thought he was going to marry the Queen of England,
0:39:02 > 0:39:06and he spent so much money on it that he almost bankrupted himself
0:39:06 > 0:39:10for the rest of his life for those three weeks, and particularly this
0:39:10 > 0:39:12particular banquet, for what it cost him.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16- That's incredible. - It is, isn't it?
0:39:16 > 0:39:19I'll put that... That will then go into the fridge just to set up.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21- Yeah.- Take that top piece of parchment paper off into the oven,
0:39:21 > 0:39:24150 for about 20 minutes.
0:39:24 > 0:39:25OK? So, baked like a biscuit.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27OK.
0:39:27 > 0:39:28So, you get this.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34- There we go. - OK?- Oh, yeah.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36So, now, in here,
0:39:36 > 0:39:39we've got icing sugar which we're just going to whisk. Again,
0:39:39 > 0:39:40if you could help me out again.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42- If you start pouring water into there.- Yeah.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44- And we're just going to... - This is ordinary water?
0:39:44 > 0:39:45This is ordinary water.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47We're going to make fondant icing.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49OK, swap that one out, and we're
0:39:49 > 0:39:51just going to add a little bit of rose water.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52OK, just for a bit of flavour?
0:39:52 > 0:39:55Just to keep the... Yeah, just a touch. Just a touch. OK.
0:39:55 > 0:39:56- Rose water.- That's enough.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59I bet she liked rose water, because the reason she used to go on tour,
0:39:59 > 0:40:02like lots of medieval and late medieval monarchs would go on tour
0:40:02 > 0:40:05every summer, cos their palaces stank.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- Yeah.- Palaces in London stank and there was always the threat of
0:40:08 > 0:40:11plague, of course, so they used to go on tour during the summer and
0:40:11 > 0:40:15their palaces were all cleaned and fumigated and the cesspits cleaned
0:40:15 > 0:40:18- out and everything, so they smelt all right.- Oh!
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Well, you know, she had the rose water and those pomanders...
0:40:21 > 0:40:24- Yes.- ..they could stick under their nose.- What, orange with cloves?
0:40:24 > 0:40:26An orange with cloves in it that
0:40:26 > 0:40:28she can walk around so she doesn't have to smell all these things.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31I think medieval and Tudor England must have smelt rather bad.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33A very smelly time, yeah.
0:40:33 > 0:40:37Now, we're just going to flood this all over this biscuit.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41Get it all in there like so.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43- That looks good.- OK?
0:40:43 > 0:40:47- Next, we're going to put that one back...- Mmm-hmm.
0:40:47 > 0:40:51..and that, at room temperature, doesn't have to go to the fridge.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53After half an hour...
0:40:53 > 0:40:55It'll set entirely by itself at room temperature?
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- It'll set. Yeah.- Yeah.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00To resemble a bit like your iced bun.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02- OK?- It is like an iced bun.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04It is like an iced bun. Right, here we have...
0:41:04 > 0:41:06Ooh, those are rather nice, aren't they?
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Yes. So, the same mixture.
0:41:08 > 0:41:12So, this kind of Marchpane style kind of biscuit, almost.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15These are Tudor Roses.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17- Tudor Roses, exactly.- That's the emblem of the Tudor dynasty.
0:41:17 > 0:41:18And hearts, by the way.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21- And hearts.- Remember, there's romance here.- Yes, yeah.
0:41:21 > 0:41:22This is Robert Dudley,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25spending all his fortune trying to impress Queen Elizabeth,
0:41:25 > 0:41:26so she'll marry him.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28- Yeah.- Where does the colour come from?
0:41:28 > 0:41:31So the hearts have just been sprayed, so basically,
0:41:31 > 0:41:33you can get that in all good kind of cooking shops.
0:41:33 > 0:41:34It's just a gold spray.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36And then, the Tudor Roses,
0:41:36 > 0:41:40we've just painted with red food dye and all we're going to do is put
0:41:40 > 0:41:44a rose, followed by a heart,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46followed by a rose, all the way around.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48It's a bit of a hint, isn't it, to Queen Elizabeth?
0:41:48 > 0:41:49Yeah, it is. It is. It is.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51I think he was a very, very thoughtful man.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54He was. Not a very lucky man in this case, though, was he?
0:41:54 > 0:41:56- No.- That looks really nice.
0:41:56 > 0:41:57- It does, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:41:57 > 0:42:00And that, Michael, is my Marchpane Rose.
0:42:00 > 0:42:02- How are we going to attack it? - Right.
0:42:03 > 0:42:05I'm going to cut you a nice wedge.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08- Yeah. A segment.- Yes.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Actually, it doesn't feel as kind of...
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Biscuit-y? Chunky?
0:42:12 > 0:42:13Yeah, as, sort of, chunky.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16I was expecting it to be a bit more crunchier as you go in, but
0:42:16 > 0:42:19it's actually very much like marzipan, and I'll just give you a
0:42:19 > 0:42:21little bit of rose here as well.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23- Ooh, yeah. I like a bit of Tudor Rose.- Yeah.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25- There we go.- That looks good.- Go for it.
0:42:25 > 0:42:28It's quite a bit to get in your mouth at one go, you know?
0:42:34 > 0:42:36Very marzipan texture, isn't it?
0:42:36 > 0:42:39The rose petal comes across a lot.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42It's a marzipan-ish, without being marzipan.
0:42:42 > 0:42:44It's nice and sweet, which is what
0:42:44 > 0:42:46- the Tudors wanted, wasn't it? - Yeah.- The sweetness.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49- I'm surprised she didn't marry him after that.- I am, as well.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51All that work and effort.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55Funny, isn't it? To think that we think of Elizabeth with her
0:42:55 > 0:42:58blackened teeth and bad breath and all that kind of stuff as,
0:42:58 > 0:42:59you know, horrible.
0:42:59 > 0:43:03But, actually, she was the height of fashion.
0:43:03 > 0:43:06Having black teeth in Tudor times was a sign you were wealthy,
0:43:06 > 0:43:08because only the wealthy could afford sugar.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11So some of them even painted their teeth black.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13Amazing how it all changes.
0:43:14 > 0:43:171575, actually, a really good dish.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19Well done.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21Join us next time for more Royal Recipes.