0:00:05 > 0:00:07Hello, I'm Michael Buerk.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Welcome to a brand-new series of Royal Recipes.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13This time, we're at Westonbirt House,
0:00:13 > 0:00:15formerly a grand country house,
0:00:15 > 0:00:18now a boarding school which has played host to
0:00:18 > 0:00:20royal visitors for over 100 years.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23In this series, we're delving even
0:00:23 > 0:00:25further back in time to reveal over
0:00:25 > 0:00:28600 years of royal food heritage.
0:00:28 > 0:00:31You play Anne Boleyn...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33..and I will play Henry VIII.
0:00:33 > 0:00:38And we've been busy unlocking the secrets of Britain's food archives,
0:00:38 > 0:00:41discovering rare and unseen recipes that have been royal favourites
0:00:41 > 0:00:42through the ages...
0:00:43 > 0:00:47..from the earliest royal cookbook in 1390...
0:00:47 > 0:00:51It's so precious, so special, that I'm not allowed to touch it.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54..to Tudor treats from the Court of Henry VIII.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56I can't wait for this. One, two, three...
0:00:59 > 0:01:02We'll be exploring the great culinary traditions enjoyed by the
0:01:02 > 0:01:06royal family, from the grand to the ground-breaking,
0:01:06 > 0:01:08as well as the surprisingly simple...
0:01:08 > 0:01:10I did think that was going to be a disaster!
0:01:12 > 0:01:13Whoo!
0:01:15 > 0:01:18..as we hear from a host of royal chefs...
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Prince Philip would walk past or pop his head in and say,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23"What's for dinner, what are we having?"
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Oh, yeah - it's not just a normal kitchen.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29..and meet the people who provide for the royal table.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32If it's OK for the Queen, it's OK for everyone.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Welcome to Royal Recipes.
0:01:40 > 0:01:44We're gathering in the royal harvest today, and celebrating
0:01:44 > 0:01:49the different kinds of food produced on the royal estates up and down the land.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Much of it graces the tables at meals, from grand royal occasions
0:01:53 > 0:01:55to private family get-togethers.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Today in the Royal Recipes kitchen,
0:02:03 > 0:02:06top chef Paul Ainsworth uses poetic
0:02:06 > 0:02:09license with a fruity cake recipe.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11It just says in there, "Serve with cherry sauce!"
0:02:12 > 0:02:15Not very helpful, is it?I'm going to do the best I can.
0:02:15 > 0:02:22Doctor Matt Green visits Dyrham Park, an estate with a 400-year-old royal connection.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Deer have been in these valleys for hundreds of years.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27Is that what the "Dyr" bit means?
0:02:27 > 0:02:29"Dyr" means deer.Deer, OK!
0:02:29 > 0:02:32And former cook to the Prince of Wales, Carolyn Robb,
0:02:32 > 0:02:35cooks up a right royal pudding.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, was very keen on everything being home-grown.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Whatever was in season was what was on the menu for the day.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46We start our celebration of the Royal harvest with the dish served
0:02:46 > 0:02:49up for a prince's birthday bash.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58I'm here in the Royal Recipes kitchen with Michelin-starred chef,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01Paul Ainsworth. What is it this time?
0:03:01 > 0:03:06So, Michael, we are going to be doing lamb with raspberry sauce!
0:03:06 > 0:03:11Now, this is a version of a dish served at Prince Charles's 50th
0:03:11 > 0:03:15birthday party at Highgrove, private dinner,
0:03:15 > 0:03:19cooked by a lesser-known chef called Anton Mosimann.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20PAUL LAUGHS
0:03:20 > 0:03:23No...What's your version?A legend of our industry.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27I'm going to sort of try and do Anton proud and do a version of what
0:03:27 > 0:03:30I think might have been served on that birthday.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33So, Michael, what I've got here is a saddle. OK?
0:03:33 > 0:03:36OK.Now, you're probably used to having best end or the cutlets, the
0:03:36 > 0:03:39rack.Yeah.That's what that is, but we've boned it out.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41So we're going to season it very liberally all over.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46And your butcher would do that? Absolutely. You'll get saddle of lamb in any butcher.Mmm-hmm.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49OK.So we'll go straight in, like so.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Wahey!Nice and sizzling.Yep.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Add a little bit more of that lovely lamb fat, OK?
0:03:57 > 0:03:59And then we're just going to move it so it doesn't stick on the bottom. Yeah.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02And then we're just going to, basically, caramelise that all the
0:04:02 > 0:04:05way around, so it's a lovely...starts to kind of go a little bit crisp.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Mmm, mmm.OK.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10While we're doing that I'm going to add in some butter, now.
0:04:10 > 0:04:13The butter is just going to add more flavour.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Here, we're going to add some rosemary, some thyme and some crushed garlic.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19Turn your heat down. Now, look at
0:04:19 > 0:04:22that, just caramelised beautifully. Wow!
0:04:22 > 0:04:24It was a private dinner, this 50th birthday party, hosted by
0:04:24 > 0:04:27the then Camilla Parker-Bowles.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Right, OK.And it rather marked the time of her coming out of the
0:04:29 > 0:04:33shadows, year after Princess Diana had died.Yeah.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Quite a few of the royals at this dinner but not, interestingly,
0:04:36 > 0:04:38the Queen and Prince Philip...
0:04:38 > 0:04:41Oh, really?..whether that was because they didn't want, at that
0:04:41 > 0:04:44stage, to put the royal seal of approval on that relationship... Right.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48..I don't know, but, private party, but obviously a big party.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51So, what's next?So now we're just coming to the end of caramelising this.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55See how I've got that lovely gorgeous, even colour, going all the way around?Yeah.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59So now, that, we take off, we turn the heat off, OK,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and that goes into our tray, like so.Yeah.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Now, what do I do with this?If you could take that to the oven.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07The oven's been preheated at 180.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Yeah.That is going to go in there for about 15-20 minutes.OK.OK?
0:05:10 > 0:05:13Remembering we want this nice and pink.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16But only 15, 20 minutes cooking?15, 20 minutes, that's it, that's it.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22OK, Michael?Yeah.Good, and you should find
0:05:22 > 0:05:24next to the rested lamb, another
0:05:24 > 0:05:26little present for you.
0:05:26 > 0:05:27Oh, yeah, I've got it.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32Oh, it's been resting, it's been resting for quite some time,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34because it's, the pan itself is pretty cool.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37And look, look what I've found -
0:05:37 > 0:05:40the fairies at the bottom of the garden have left some potatoes.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Pommes boulangere.Oh, really?Yes. Now, what does that mean?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Well, baker's, bakers...Baker's potato.Yeah.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Called pommes boulangere because the bakers would finish baking all the
0:05:48 > 0:05:52bread, turn their ovens off, and then for dinner they would slice
0:05:52 > 0:05:54potatoes with onions, stock,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57place it in the oven, and just use the residual heat to cook it, and
0:05:57 > 0:06:00then that's where pommes boulangere came from.Oh, right.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02They look nice, beautifully browned off at the top.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05Now, Michael, in this pan here, I've just turned the heat on,
0:06:05 > 0:06:08I'm going to make us a really nice dark lamb gravy.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11OK? So in here, Michael, I've got the bones from the saddle.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Chopped them up, we've roasted them off.
0:06:13 > 0:06:17We have a mirepoix of vegetables, which is carrot, leek, celery and
0:06:17 > 0:06:21onion, some thyme, some rosemary, a little bit of bay leaf, some garlic,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and some white peppercorns.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Next, glug of white wine.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Oh, yeah!
0:06:27 > 0:06:28White wine with red meat?
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Absolutely.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34Now, I often get asked that question and whenever we do lamb sauce we
0:06:34 > 0:06:38always make it with white wine, and the reason being, it's nice and dry,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40bags of acidity, which works really,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43really well with the lamb. And also, lamb's quite a strong flavour -
0:06:43 > 0:06:46we don't want that kind of rich, red wine in there.No.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49What we want to do is reduce that right down. So we're burning
0:06:49 > 0:06:52off the alcohol and just left with those wonderful tannins of the
0:06:52 > 0:06:53wine, giving us that nice acidity.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57OK.Next, lamb stock, obviously, so goes naturally.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00So now I'm also going to add in there some veal stock.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Why? You've got lamb stock there already.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04We've got the lamb stock, but what we get from the veal stock is body,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07and that's coming from the gelatine, out the bone.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09It was a private dinner but obviously a pretty grand occasion.
0:07:09 > 0:07:13According to the newspaper reports, Camilla Parker Bowles actually wore
0:07:13 > 0:07:19a diamond necklace that had belonged to her great-grandmother, Alice Keppel...Right.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21..who'd been the mistress of Edward VII.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Right, OK.It's amazing, the, sort of, continuity.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Yes!"The continuity there," he said delicately!
0:07:27 > 0:07:28PAUL LAUGHS
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Actually, Prince Charles is now the oldest Prince of Wales.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Right, OK.Because Bertie, who became Edward VII -
0:07:36 > 0:07:39Alice Keppel, his mistress - he became king at 60.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43Right, OK.And Prince Charles is a decade older than that already. Yeah.Yeah.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45OK, how's it going?Lovely.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Really important tip here, Michael. Mmm-hmm.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50Can you see that on the top?Well, yeah, a bit of scum on the top.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Yeah, and that's fat.Right.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54So, what you do, just put your ladle into the middle,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58work it to the outside, and then just skim it off like so,
0:07:58 > 0:07:59all the way around.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02Now we're just going to sieve it into this pan.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Goodness!
0:08:08 > 0:08:11We haven't stopped the cooking. See how it's gone straight into a
0:08:11 > 0:08:12rolling boil like that?Yeah.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16So this is where my spin comes in on this raspberry sauce.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18We're going to add raspberry vinegar.Raspberry vinegar?
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Yeah, raspberry vinegar.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Never heard of that. Well, it's just raspberries and vinegar, is it? Yeah, absolutely.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27So, just infuse into...You can buy this in the...?Yeah, get that easily.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29You didn't put much in?No.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32Little bit more.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34Mmm-hmm. I thought so.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35PAUL LAUGHS
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Little bit of butter.Oh, of course.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41It's just going to give it a wonderful glaze.Mmm-hmm.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Fresh raspberries.Yeah.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46Just going to put those in.You're just dropping them in, you're
0:08:46 > 0:08:50not crushing them in any way?Just dropping those in, and now I just want the heat of the sauce just
0:08:50 > 0:08:52to slowly break them down.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55I'm just going to let that, those raspberries just sit there and
0:08:55 > 0:08:57infuse into that lamb sauce.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00It's very much the Scottish national fruit, isn't it?
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Yes.Do you know, in the '50s,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05they used to have trains bringing raspberries down from Scotland that
0:09:05 > 0:09:07they called the Raspberry Specials?
0:09:07 > 0:09:09The Raspberry Specials.Yep, yep, yep.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Ever seen these before? Have a taste.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14Ooh!
0:09:14 > 0:09:17That's mustard.Mustard.And very strong flavour.
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Really strong flavour.VERY strong flavour!
0:09:19 > 0:09:22It's not a, kind of, you know, "I half-think it's mustard."Mustard greens. OK?
0:09:22 > 0:09:24And they're very, they're a Brassica, very much like kale,
0:09:24 > 0:09:27grown in this country and absolutely delicious.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30They're terrific.We're going to keep it really simple, little bit of oil,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33little bit of butter, salt, pepper, done.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36Into the pan like so, seasoning in straight away, Michael.Yep.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40Actually...
0:09:40 > 0:09:43It's really quite hot.Yeah?
0:09:40 > 0:09:43MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:09:43 > 0:09:46What happens, as well, when they cook down like this, they
0:09:46 > 0:09:48actually do...the heat of the mustard mellows slightly.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Ah, right.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51And just a little splash...
0:09:52 > 0:09:57..not much, of water, just to steam it. Just wilt them down, like so. Yep.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Done.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03You know, Prince Charles raises organic lamb at Highgrove and
0:10:03 > 0:10:08apparently supplies some of the local butchers -
0:10:08 > 0:10:12something that was really not public knowledge until quite recently.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14Right, OK.Yeah.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16Oh, it looks good, doesn't it?
0:10:16 > 0:10:17Beautifully pink.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19So, plating-up time.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23See how they've cooked down?My new favourite
0:10:23 > 0:10:25vegetable that I hadn't heard of ten minutes ago.
0:10:25 > 0:10:26PAUL LAUGHS
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Take that beautiful piece of lamb,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30see how the raspberries have just basically just broken down?
0:10:30 > 0:10:33Yep.But we've got that lovely dark richness of the sauce.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36OK?The sauce does look good, doesn't it.It does, doesn't it?
0:10:36 > 0:10:38You've done a good job on that.
0:10:38 > 0:10:39And now we're just going to...
0:10:39 > 0:10:42Look at these, beautiful pommes boulangeres
0:10:42 > 0:10:44potatoes, and there you have it.
0:10:44 > 0:10:48Lamb with raspberry sauce and boulangere potatoes.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49Let's go.Yes!Let's go.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58Mmm.
0:10:58 > 0:10:59You've got the richness of the lamb
0:10:59 > 0:11:03cut by the acidity of the raspberries and the taste of the raspberries.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06It's not something I would have thought of.It does work.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Do you know, after they had...
0:11:09 > 0:11:11..this dish...
0:11:11 > 0:11:13..they got up and danced to Abba?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15PAUL LAUGHS
0:11:17 > 0:11:20I wonder if it was...Dancing Queen, I expect!Yeah!
0:11:20 > 0:11:22BOTH LAUGH
0:11:22 > 0:11:23Which is
0:11:23 > 0:11:27more than I'd ever be able to do after this!
0:11:27 > 0:11:29A classic joint of British lamb
0:11:29 > 0:11:31with a distinctive, fruity twist -
0:11:31 > 0:11:34a home-grown delight fit for the royal table!
0:11:40 > 0:11:43One type of meat that was, for centuries,
0:11:43 > 0:11:46the preserve of royalty and the nobility is venison.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Originally exclusive hunting grounds,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51deer parks became a feature of many
0:11:51 > 0:11:54royal and aristocratic estates.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Matt Green has been to Dyrham Park near Bath to find out more.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03For over 1,000 years, there were more deer parks in Britain
0:12:03 > 0:12:05than any other part of the world.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09At one time, no royal or nobleman who was worth his salt could
0:12:09 > 0:12:11possibly be without one.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17But setting up your own deer park wasn't a simple process.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19It required a royal sanction.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Historian Neil Stacey tells Matt more.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30So, why did you need an official license for a hunting park?
0:12:30 > 0:12:35Well, the Kings from Norman times claimed sovereignty over hunting, so
0:12:35 > 0:12:37if you wanted a private park in order to hunt,
0:12:37 > 0:12:39you needed a licence from the king.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41Otherwise it was illegal?
0:12:41 > 0:12:44Yes, it was. It was a case of having a park so that you could keep
0:12:44 > 0:12:46other people out.Right.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Nobody else could hunt in your park, and for that you needed a licence.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54So the penalty which is in here is £10...Mmm.
0:12:54 > 0:12:59..which in today's money is about £11,000.
0:12:59 > 0:13:04So it was a hefty fine if anyone was hunting in Dyrham Park without permission.Mmm.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06That was the...Bankruptcy!
0:13:06 > 0:13:10It would break the bank of most poachers in a very serious way.
0:13:10 > 0:13:11Indeed.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Henry VIII granted Dyrham Park a licence in 1511.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25It was a major status symbol, allowing its owner, William Denys,
0:13:25 > 0:13:30to fence in 500 acres solely for hunting deer.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33It was the great Council of England who were issuing,
0:13:33 > 0:13:37and each of their departments would have required a bit of a fee.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40But whatever was paid doesn't appear in the records,
0:13:40 > 0:13:42cos that sort of money doesn't.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47It could take a number of weighty bribes to get a licence approved.
0:13:48 > 0:13:53It's an amazing sort of document here. It's beautifully preserved.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55It is.And wonderful kind
0:13:55 > 0:13:59of hand, the scripture it's in. Absolutely, and with gold leaf in the tag.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01And that's real gold in there? That's real gold in there,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and the Great Seal Of England with the king on it,
0:14:04 > 0:14:08sitting in Majesty with the orb and sceptre.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13To have a licence showed that you were in touch with the Royal Court.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17And possibly a few gentry neighbours thought, "Well,
0:14:17 > 0:14:18"I wish I had one of them."
0:14:19 > 0:14:25Noblemen used their parks for hunting deer and the meat was very highly prized.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30So Neil, where are we?
0:14:30 > 0:14:33We are on the site of the hunting lodge...
0:14:33 > 0:14:37The hunting lodge?..which was converted into farm buildings.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It was here, this was the site, because it has a stunning view.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46It was the place the great and the good gathered to watch the hunt.
0:14:47 > 0:14:51In the Tudor era, being offered venison was a mark of great generosity,
0:14:51 > 0:14:56even affection. It seems a little odd today, but back in 1527,
0:14:56 > 0:15:02a smitten Henry VIII sent Anne Boleyn the carcass of a deer he'd killed on the hunt.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07So would Henry VIII himself have hunted here?
0:15:07 > 0:15:09We can't say. I think it's unlikely.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11William Denys was close to him,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14there's no sign that Henry VIII didn't like him,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and it would not have been a friendly thing for the king to come
0:15:16 > 0:15:18and visit him with his entire court.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Right, cos it would bankrupt you. It would bankrupt, yes.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Deer have been an important feature of Dyrham Park for centuries.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29Dale Dennehey is the man responsible for looking after them.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32So here we have a quintessential park view.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35Yeah.In the distance, watching us very closely, a herd of deer.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38This could have been a scene 500 years ago, you know,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40with the trees and the landscape and the deer,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42then sheltering under there.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45They are a wild herd, contained.
0:15:45 > 0:15:49It's an historic part of the site and we want their condition to
0:15:49 > 0:15:51always remain tiptop.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54We want the deer to remain here forever, because the history of Dyrham is all...
0:15:54 > 0:15:59It's a Saxon name. Deer have been in these valleys for hundreds of years.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01Is that what the "dyr" bit means?
0:16:01 > 0:16:03"Dyr" means deer.OK.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Just as in the 16th century,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09these deer are an important source of food for the estate.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Venison itself is quite a high status food.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16Actually, it was the meat of kings and aristocracy years ago.
0:16:16 > 0:16:17Today, it's for everybody.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20For everybody, yeah.And it's a really, really healthy meat.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22I look forward to tucking into some later.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Yeah, definitely! Go to the tearoom.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26I won't say that too loudly, in case they hear.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34Once, venison and deer parks could only be appreciated by kings and nobility.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Now both can be enjoyed by all of us.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47The royals pride themselves on eating home-grown produce,
0:16:47 > 0:16:50like British asparagus.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53Queen Victoria loved it so much that her gardeners at Osborne House even
0:16:53 > 0:16:57managed to cultivate it for her to enjoy at Christmas.
0:17:01 > 0:17:02What are you cooking now?
0:17:02 > 0:17:04So, we're doing a beautiful Crown Of Asparagus.
0:17:04 > 0:17:08Asparagus, royal favourite down the generations.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Absolutely, with some gorgeous Cornish crab
0:17:11 > 0:17:13and some rapeseed mayonnaise.
0:17:13 > 0:17:17And it's very similar to a recipe in a recent Buckingham Palace cookbook.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Ah, OK. So we've got the white meat and the brown meat and that's what
0:17:20 > 0:17:22we're going to get on with first. OK.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25We're going to make a mayonnaise, OK?Now this is a test of a chef, isn't it...
0:17:25 > 0:17:27One egg...making a decent mayonnaise?
0:17:27 > 0:17:31Yeah, it's been known to be tricky, but...Yeah, yeah...if you know what you're doing...
0:17:31 > 0:17:33Not when you're doing it.No, absolutely!
0:17:33 > 0:17:35So we're just going to whisk this egg, Michael, OK?
0:17:35 > 0:17:39This stage we call the sabayon stage, and what that is...
0:17:39 > 0:17:43Sabayon?Sabayon stage, so what we're doing, we're adding some vinegar,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45white wine vinegar, to one egg.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47We're going to add in a little bit of Dijon mustard.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Dijon mustard rather than English mustard?
0:17:50 > 0:17:53I know, I know.I know people use English mustard in mayonnaise, don't they?
0:17:53 > 0:17:55The Dijon mustard, to be fair,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58is, it's a bit milder...Yeah.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00..and it has a nice acidity. And I love English mustard,
0:18:00 > 0:18:03but we've got to remember, this is the star of the show and the
0:18:03 > 0:18:05asparagus and the crab are very light.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07So you'd prefer something weak and French?
0:18:07 > 0:18:08PAUL LAUGHS
0:18:08 > 0:18:09No, I meant, you know...
0:18:09 > 0:18:11..more delicate, more delicate.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Yes, more delicate, yeah.Yeah. Yeah.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15OK.All right? So we're going to whisk that together like so.Yeah.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18Now I'm ready for you to help me here, Michael.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22OK.In that jug is equal quantities of rapeseed oil and vegetable oil.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24OK?Why two oils?
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Two oils, one, rapeseed now in this country is being produced on a big
0:18:28 > 0:18:30scale, and it's absolutely delicious.
0:18:30 > 0:18:35Yeah.OK, and secondly, it's very strong, and again, crab, asparagus,
0:18:35 > 0:18:37we just want to let it down a little bit with the vegetable oil.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Not too much taste in the oil.Not too much taste. That's it, lovely.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43And you now start to see it going velvety and thick.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45It's looking really good, honestly,
0:18:45 > 0:18:47you'd almost think it had come out of a bottle.
0:18:47 > 0:18:48PAUL LAUGHS
0:18:48 > 0:18:50Sometimes...It's a long job. It is a long job, yeah.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54But it's worth it, isn't it? Because mayonnaise really, really makes...
0:18:54 > 0:18:56You're just enjoying seeing me working like this.I am, actually.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Can we swap in a second?
0:18:58 > 0:19:00Now, come on, you're fitter than me!
0:19:00 > 0:19:02PAUL LAUGHS
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Could you do this with a machine?
0:19:04 > 0:19:07You could, but I've got my very own Michael Buerk standing by,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10so why would I want the machine?
0:19:10 > 0:19:12OK.Last bit, last bit, keep going, all the way, all the way, the lot.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14All of it.There we go.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Fantastic.That's your lot, I'm afraid.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17And look at that, mayonnaise.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I'm just going to move that to the side,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22grab our bowl here and now we're going to add some beautiful,
0:19:22 > 0:19:26sweet white crab meat, which comes from the claw.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28The white meat is lovely.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31Lovely, lovely and sweet. So you've put some lemon zest in?
0:19:31 > 0:19:33Yeah.And the juice as well?
0:19:33 > 0:19:36Now I'm going to add some seasoning, OK?A bit of salt, sea salt, of course.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38Not much, cos you've got that lovely soft kind of salt that
0:19:38 > 0:19:40comes from crab naturally, anyway.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42A little bit of cracked black pepper.
0:19:43 > 0:19:44Some chives...Yep.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47Mayonnaise, just a couple of dollops.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51I do not want to let it go too runny.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53And that looks delicious, doesn't it?
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Right, so now we're going to add the crab into this piping bag.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Yep.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Get that all down to there and we'll come back to that in a second, OK?
0:20:02 > 0:20:06So, these, we'll move over here, and now we're going to come to the
0:20:06 > 0:20:08crowning glory, which is the asparagus.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Now, tell me about asparagus.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12This is a great British ingredient, isn't it?
0:20:12 > 0:20:14A great British ingredient, Michael, you're absolutely right -
0:20:14 > 0:20:17something we grow so well in this country.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21Traditionally, the total season is from St George's Day to the summer
0:20:21 > 0:20:22solstice, so what's that?Right.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24April the 23rd to June the 21st?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27Yeah, that's absolutely spot on.And that's the long season.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31It's interesting, isn't it? We've got the kind of climate where we can't grow everything.No.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36But the things we do grow are really top-quality stuff.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39Really tasty.You would not believe how quick it grows.
0:20:39 > 0:20:44Like, in a day, it can grow up to as much as one and a half inches, two inches.
0:20:44 > 0:20:45Really?In a day!Good gracious.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47It's incredible.Why's it so expensive, then?
0:20:47 > 0:20:49It's only around for a very, very short while.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51For someone growing asparagus,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54it's only a very short time for them to make any kind of money.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56I mean, people say it's very good for hangovers.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00Yeah.People say it's an aphrodisiac.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03But I don't know whether there's any truth in that.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Perhaps that's why it's royal food, do you think?
0:21:05 > 0:21:06PAUL LAUGHS
0:21:06 > 0:21:09While we're going around here, I'll tell you how I've cooked the asparagus.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13So, what I've done is in boiling, salted water, OK,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16we've blanched it for about 45 seconds.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19We then take it out and refresh it into ice water.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23Now, the reason we do that, Michael, is to, one, stop the cooking, but
0:21:23 > 0:21:26also, as well, that'll keep that really nice, vibrant colour.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28It does look fantastic.Yeah.
0:21:28 > 0:21:30Yeah, but it's fiddly, isn't it?
0:21:30 > 0:21:32It is fiddly.I mean, imagine doing it for a royal banquet.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35And with your hourly rates, this would be a very expensive dish,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38wouldn't it?Yeah, you wouldn't want me making this!
0:21:38 > 0:21:39No, no, no, no.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41PAUL LAUGHS
0:21:41 > 0:21:42Last one in.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Now, this will push it against the sides.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49Yeah, yeah. Whoa!
0:21:49 > 0:21:52All the way.Oh, that's wonderful, isn't it?
0:21:52 > 0:21:53OK? Like that.
0:21:53 > 0:21:54Now, with a teaspoon...
0:21:54 > 0:21:57Oh, well done, Paul. You've got a delicate touch for a big man.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59"For a..."!
0:21:59 > 0:22:00PAUL LAUGHS
0:22:00 > 0:22:02I like to say I've got the Midas touch.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04Well, yeah, yeah.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06And there we go.Now, what happens now?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Asparagus crown. That now goes in the fridge for about an hour.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11An hour.All right?OK.OK?
0:22:11 > 0:22:15And out there should be another one for you to bring back and for us to plate up.OK!
0:22:18 > 0:22:20Here we go.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22OK, Michael?Yep.How's it looking?
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Sir Paul, I can offer you the crown.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Thank you very much.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Where shall I put it, down here? Just there, thank you very much.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32So we're just going to get our...
0:22:32 > 0:22:34..beautiful Crown Of Asparagus.
0:22:34 > 0:22:39Ooh, now be careful here, you don't want to leave half of it...Straight onto the plate, like so, OK?Yep.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43Now, we leave that ring on and we just do some nice finishing touches now, OK?
0:22:43 > 0:22:47We're just going to put a nice wedge of lemon on the side of the plate, like so.Yeah.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Now we're going to get some of those lovely chives, just to
0:22:49 > 0:22:51finish over the top, like that.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Bit more lemon zest.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56This is my kind of dish, actually.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Do you like this?I really like it, yeah, I like the fresh tastes.
0:22:59 > 0:23:00Yeah. OK?
0:23:00 > 0:23:02Love crab, love asparagus.
0:23:02 > 0:23:03Rather you than me!
0:23:08 > 0:23:10Oh... Oh!
0:23:13 > 0:23:14And just finish that...
0:23:14 > 0:23:16That looks terrific, Paul. ..with some brioche.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19I did think that was going to be a disaster then.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21You know that lovely rapeseed oil? Yep.Just like that.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Be careful, though.Just down the side so it's just running off that
0:23:25 > 0:23:27asparagus.That does look brilliant.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29And, Mr Michael Buerk...
0:23:30 > 0:23:31..your Crown Of Asparagus.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35Aw! I think it's a shame to spoil it.It is!
0:23:35 > 0:23:36BOTH LAUGH
0:23:36 > 0:23:39But...I'm sure you won't be feeling too guilty for long!
0:23:39 > 0:23:43No. You do it.Please, no, after you, go on.You sure?Please. Yeah, it's for you.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Shall I go down the...?Yeah, go for it.
0:23:45 > 0:23:46A bit of the asparagus...
0:23:46 > 0:23:48That's it.A bit of the crab.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49Whoa!
0:23:49 > 0:23:51PAUL LAUGHS
0:23:51 > 0:23:53It's not easy to eat, this, actually.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58How's that?Oh, that's...
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Oh, it's lovely. And the difference in the textures...
0:24:01 > 0:24:02Mmm.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04..and the explosion of taste.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Mmm!
0:24:07 > 0:24:11It was Louis XIV, the Sun King Of France,
0:24:11 > 0:24:14who said that asparagus was the food of kings.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17Mmm! So you can't have any.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19BOTH LAUGH
0:24:19 > 0:24:20I knew that was coming!
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Freshly harvested asparagus,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27wonderful produce home-grown
0:24:27 > 0:24:28for the royal table,
0:24:28 > 0:24:30wherever it may be.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37The royals are known to take food with them when they travel.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42Former royal chef Carolyn Robb recalls one excursion where she used
0:24:42 > 0:24:46produce from the royal harvest to knock up a classic British pudding
0:24:46 > 0:24:48in a very unlikely setting.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Having spent more than a decade as cook to the Prince of Wales,
0:24:54 > 0:24:58Carolyn Robb is adept at creating the finest meals,
0:24:58 > 0:25:02using fresh seasonal produce from the Royal Gardens.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07Today I'm making apple and cinnamon crumble with a blackberry cream.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11This is a real classic British dessert.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, was very keen on everything being
0:25:14 > 0:25:16organic, everything being home-grown.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19Whatever was in season was what was on the menu for the day.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Puddings made from fruit from the royal harvest are a favourite of the Prince.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30Blackberries and apples are some of the finest fruits of the British autumn...
0:25:32 > 0:25:36..the perfect time of year for a warming pudding.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39When the apples are this big, you only need a couple.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44For the filling, Carolyn coats the diced apples in butter,
0:25:44 > 0:25:46sugar and cinnamon, and cooks them
0:25:46 > 0:25:49over a high heat for about five minutes.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Bramley apples are very tart, but cooking them like this,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56caramelising them slightly, just adds a lovely level of flavour.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01I've cooked in a lot of different kitchens
0:26:01 > 0:26:05in palaces and castles all over the world.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09They were all very different, but the ones that I liked the most were the homely kitchens.
0:26:13 > 0:26:14Nearly there.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19The apples are all cooked now,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23so I'm just going to add in a little bit of finely grated lime zest.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30This smells absolutely wonderful.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Over the years, Carolyn has concocted this crumble in some
0:26:36 > 0:26:39far-flung corners of the world.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I remember making it on a royal tour in Bhutan,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44and the King of Bhutan was coming for dinner.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48We had apples from Highgrove that I'd taken with me,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51as well as some of the wonderful cream from the dairy at Windsor.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Now I'm going to make the apple crumble topping.
0:26:56 > 0:27:00I've got some butter, oats, and some plain flour,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03muscovado sugar, a little bit more cinnamon.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Then I've got a few pecan nuts here. This is optional.
0:27:06 > 0:27:07Some people like nuts, some don't,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09but I just love the flavour that they add,
0:27:09 > 0:27:12so I'm just going to pop in a couple of those,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15and then I always like to put a bit of vanilla in, too, so...
0:27:19 > 0:27:21This is a vanilla bean paste, so it's quite concentrated,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23so we just need a couple of drops.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35And that's done.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41This has got a few little chunks in it,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43which makes it all the nicer when it's cooked.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Simple deserts like this, made with the fruits of the Royal Gardens,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50are sure to be a winner.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59Carolyn pops the individual crumbles into a preheated oven at
0:27:59 > 0:28:03180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08And while they're baking, she prepares a blackberry cream.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10For many years, when I was making crumble,
0:28:10 > 0:28:13I always used to just mix the blackberries in with the apple.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15And then one day I decided it would be nice to try something a little
0:28:15 > 0:28:20different, so that's why I now puree them and put them in with the cream.
0:28:23 > 0:28:24These cook down quite quickly.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27The only thing to be careful of is that the liquid doesn't all
0:28:27 > 0:28:30evaporate and then they don't burn on the bottom of the pan.
0:28:31 > 0:28:35But they smell delicious, and, interestingly, when they cook,
0:28:35 > 0:28:39they turn from being black to a beautiful dark red colour.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Carolyn's blackberries are cooked with sugar,
0:28:43 > 0:28:47water and a little vanilla, until soft.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Then they're blended into a puree.
0:28:53 > 0:28:58I'm keeping my hand over the top so I don't get covered in blackberry puree!
0:29:03 > 0:29:07That looks fine. Now I'm going to rub it through a sieve to get rid of
0:29:07 > 0:29:08any pips that are in there.
0:29:08 > 0:29:11I think it's really worth doing this extra little step,
0:29:11 > 0:29:13just to get the pips out.
0:29:13 > 0:29:14There we go, that's looking good.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Mmm. That's delicious, but I think it could do
0:29:19 > 0:29:21with just a little more sugar.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25The puree is cooled in the fridge
0:29:25 > 0:29:28before Carolyn drizzles it over whipped cream.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30BEEPING
0:29:30 > 0:29:33Crumbles are ready now. They're smelling absolutely delicious.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35I'm getting a little bit of a scent of cinnamon,
0:29:35 > 0:29:41the lovely toasted pecans and obviously the lovely caramelised apple smell, too.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43I'm going to present it on a wooden board.
0:29:43 > 0:29:48I've just got some blackberry leaves that I picked in the garden earlier.
0:29:48 > 0:29:50I always like to try and make things as pretty as I can.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55There. I think that's a dessert fit for a king!
0:30:07 > 0:30:12Many types of British fruit are highly regarded all over the world -
0:30:12 > 0:30:16there's even a long history of harvesting cherries here.
0:30:16 > 0:30:18And many of them are grown in Kent,
0:30:18 > 0:30:22which has been known as the Garden of England for over 400 years.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29Cherry orchards were established here back in 1533 by fruiterer to
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Henry VIII, Richard Harris.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41Today, a cherry stone's throw from the original Tudor planting,
0:30:41 > 0:30:45is Brogdale Farm, home to the National Fruit Collection.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Michael Austen, a retired fruit grower,
0:30:50 > 0:30:53knows a thing or two about cherries.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58His family has farmed these soils since the 1800s.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02This area here is right in the centre of the North Kent fruit belt,
0:31:02 > 0:31:05and it's an ideal soil, quite close to the sea,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08so you don't get the very heavy frosts you do further inland.
0:31:10 > 0:31:14These Kentish orchards boast the widest variety of fruit in the world.
0:31:17 > 0:31:21The whole cherry collection is roughly 320 varieties.
0:31:21 > 0:31:25The role of the National Fruit Collection, as with all collections,
0:31:25 > 0:31:29is conserving the old varieties and stopping them from dying out.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34The Royals are keen supporters of the National Fruit Collection.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37In recent decades, the Prince of Wales even helped save it.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42Prince Charles helped keep the collections going when funding was
0:31:42 > 0:31:46withdrawn in 1989, and thanks to the Duchy of Cornwall,
0:31:46 > 0:31:52the money was put up to buy the farm to keep the collections on site and keep them going.
0:31:52 > 0:31:56He actually visited the farm in 1993
0:31:56 > 0:31:59to make sure his money's been spent well.
0:32:00 > 0:32:02It helped to keep the collections going
0:32:02 > 0:32:04and keep them in this one place.
0:32:06 > 0:32:09Prince Charles is well-known for his love of fruit trees.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13There are many planted in his gardens at Highgrove.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16But he's not the only royal to have a particular liking for cherries.
0:32:17 > 0:32:19Back in the 17th century,
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Queen Anne claimed cherries to be the finest of all fruits,
0:32:23 > 0:32:27but it was a Tudor king who was the driving force behind cherry production here.
0:32:30 > 0:32:32Right, so this is the Flemish Red
0:32:32 > 0:32:34which was brought in by Richard Harris,
0:32:34 > 0:32:37who was fruiterer to Henry VIII.
0:32:37 > 0:32:41And Henry VIII was instrumental in trying to revolutionise fruit
0:32:41 > 0:32:45growing, and he brought in a lot of varieties from the continent
0:32:45 > 0:32:48to resurrect the fruit industry in this country.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50A bit on the sharp side.
0:32:52 > 0:32:53Probably not everyone's taste.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Probably much better if they're cooked in a pie.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04For Henry VIII, growing cherries wasn't just about eating them.
0:33:04 > 0:33:05During the Tudor period,
0:33:05 > 0:33:07fruit was an expensive luxury,
0:33:07 > 0:33:11and his orchards were an expression of his wealth and status.
0:33:13 > 0:33:16His love for cherries helped make them the fruit of choice among the
0:33:16 > 0:33:20elite - a trend that continued into the 19th century.
0:33:21 > 0:33:24Right, this is Turkey Heart, which is a Victorian variety.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29And you'll see we're now getting into a much darker cherry,
0:33:29 > 0:33:31and much sweeter.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35There was a great deal of interest in everything horticultural in Victorian times,
0:33:35 > 0:33:38and a tremendous amount of new varieties of all fruits were
0:33:38 > 0:33:42produced through the era, and some of these varieties carried on into
0:33:42 > 0:33:47the 20th century, but now are considered either too small or not
0:33:47 > 0:33:50heavy enough yield to be a commercial variety these days.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Many of the cherries enjoyed by the royals throughout our history have
0:33:56 > 0:33:58been grown here at Brogdale.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02They're still hand-picked, just like in the days of Henry VIII.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05It's a very difficult crop to harvest mechanically,
0:34:05 > 0:34:10so you've got to pick it by hand and when you're picking the fruit,
0:34:10 > 0:34:12you've got to be very careful with it and make sure you take it with
0:34:12 > 0:34:17the stalk on, because if you plum it, or pull the cherry off without
0:34:17 > 0:34:19the stalk, it'll go rotten very quickly.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23These cherries here...
0:34:25 > 0:34:27..are absolutely delicious.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Lovely sweet flavour, plenty of juice...
0:34:32 > 0:34:35..and really fantastic.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Nothing like a good Kentish cherry!
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Cherries still feel a real luxury.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50Yes.So it's great to know that they can grow in such abundance here.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Super, super delicious, and guess what?
0:34:53 > 0:34:55We're going to do our old friend Mildred.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Mildred Nicholls?Mildred Nicholls, her cherry cake.
0:34:58 > 0:35:04Mildred Nicholls joined the kitchen staff of Buckingham Palace in 1907,
0:35:04 > 0:35:06as seventh kitchen maid.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08And she was there for 12 years,
0:35:08 > 0:35:14got all the way up to third kitchen maid, and she left this recipe book.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16And here it is, cherry cake.
0:35:16 > 0:35:18Yeah.And this is what you're going to do?
0:35:18 > 0:35:20It's what I'm going to do...OK.
0:35:20 > 0:35:22..to the recipe. And we're just going to do the cherry sauce, quite...
0:35:22 > 0:35:25Cos it just says in there, "Serve with cherry sauce".
0:35:25 > 0:35:27So I'm just going to do...Not very helpful, is it?
0:35:27 > 0:35:30No, I'm going to do the best I can to do Mildred proud.
0:35:30 > 0:35:32Yep.Right, Michael, in here...
0:35:32 > 0:35:34Cream, butter and sugar?Absolutely.
0:35:34 > 0:35:40That's what she says.Just basically dissolving the sugar into our nice soft butter.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42OK, what we're going to do now, Michael,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44is separate four eggs, OK?
0:35:44 > 0:35:47So, I'm going to put the yolks into this bowl and give you the whites to
0:35:47 > 0:35:50whisk up to stiff peaks for me, please.OK.
0:35:50 > 0:35:55So, like so, we're just going to separate our eggs.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Oh, we've got a double yolk-er, Michael, look at that!
0:35:57 > 0:35:58MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:35:58 > 0:36:00I think that means we're going to need to one less egg.Hmm!
0:36:02 > 0:36:03So, in there...
0:36:04 > 0:36:05..is two.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:36:07 > 0:36:09Economical, that's you.
0:36:10 > 0:36:12Another double yolk-er!
0:36:12 > 0:36:16I know about this, because I've got twins and I looked it up previously. Yeah.
0:36:16 > 0:36:20The chances of getting a double yolk-er are 1,000 to 1.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22So we've been VERY lucky today.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26Well, more than very lucky. If it's 1,000 to 1 to get one double yolk-er,
0:36:26 > 0:36:28two double yolk-ers, it must be a million to one.
0:36:28 > 0:36:31Yeah.Mustn't it?Yeah. I told you, it's me and you.
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Yeah, I'm the mathematician, and you're the cook.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Yes.Get on with it!
0:36:35 > 0:36:37BOTH LAUGH
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Right, if you could whisk those up for me, Michael...OK...into stiff peaks.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44Now I'm going to just basically fold these rich yolks
0:36:44 > 0:36:47into our creamed sugar and butter.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53SHOUTS: How stiff do you want your peaks?
0:36:53 > 0:36:54Stiff!
0:36:55 > 0:36:57BOTH LAUGH
0:36:59 > 0:37:01That is absolutely perfect, thank you.
0:37:01 > 0:37:02MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:37:02 > 0:37:04Brilliant.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06You are getting very good at this, Michael, very, very good.
0:37:06 > 0:37:09Just going to put some of our egg white into our mix.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Not all of it?Not all of it, I'm going to fold a little bit in at a time.
0:37:12 > 0:37:16Just before we do fold it in, I've just added in some breadcrumb, OK?
0:37:16 > 0:37:17Would you normally use breadcrumbs?
0:37:17 > 0:37:19No, you wouldn't. In Mildred's book,
0:37:19 > 0:37:23a lot of the recipes are stale biscuits or breadcrumb,
0:37:23 > 0:37:27and that's because after 1918, flour was rationed,
0:37:27 > 0:37:31so this was actually a great way of kind of bulking the recipe and
0:37:31 > 0:37:34giving you that, kind of, cake mix texture.
0:37:34 > 0:37:37Yeah, 1918, end of the First World War, rationing.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41Applied to Buckingham Palace as much as everybody else.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43OK, what now?Now, those moulds next to you Michael,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46they're called savarin moulds. Mmm-hmm.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50They're brilliant moulds for cooking cake recipes like this, because you see the hole in the middle?
0:37:50 > 0:37:52Yeah, absolutely.Yeah...
0:37:52 > 0:37:53BOTH LAUGH
0:37:53 > 0:37:55When you're finished.Sorry, sorry, sorry.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58Basically, the heat will rush up and will give you a lovely
0:37:58 > 0:38:00cooking temperature right the way around your cake.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Consistent across the whole cake? Consistent, right the way.Yep. Mmm-hmm.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06So we're just going to get our piping bag.Yep.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Put in our cake mix.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13With the bag, you've got far more control
0:38:13 > 0:38:15of getting it in nice and neat.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18Now, before I put this cake mix in, you'll see with these savarin
0:38:18 > 0:38:21moulds, Michael, I've brushed them with butter and then I've lined them
0:38:21 > 0:38:24with some of that breadcrumb and that's also going to give us a nice
0:38:24 > 0:38:26texture on the outside of the cake.
0:38:26 > 0:38:29Bit of crunch?Bit of crunch, and you got the butter.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Now we're not going to go all the way to the top,
0:38:31 > 0:38:32we're just going to go round.
0:38:32 > 0:38:34It's going to rise, is it?Yes, because we've got
0:38:34 > 0:38:36that egg in there.Not short-changing us then?
0:38:36 > 0:38:38No, I'm not short-changing you. Hmm...!
0:38:38 > 0:38:40Would I, Michael, would I do that to you?
0:38:40 > 0:38:41Hmm, I think you might, yeah.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43BOTH LAUGH
0:38:43 > 0:38:45And you see, at this stage, do not be alarmed...
0:38:45 > 0:38:49It does feel like it's quite, almost, the texture...Coarse...of it is quite coarse.Yeah.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51That is the breadcrumb.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54OK.But like I say, that's what, you know,
0:38:54 > 0:38:56Mildred was working with what she had, you know,
0:38:56 > 0:38:57so she didn't have any flour,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00so it was a brilliant way of utilising up ingredients that
0:39:00 > 0:39:03would otherwise go as waste.
0:39:03 > 0:39:04What are you doing that for?
0:39:04 > 0:39:05So, just evening the mix out.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08OK.Now, if those could go in the oven, please.Yeah.
0:39:08 > 0:39:10180 for 25 minutes.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12180, 25 minutes, OK.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21Right, cherry sauce time.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23Ah, now, the business!
0:39:21 > 0:39:23PAUL LAUGHS
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Do you like cherries, Michael?I love them.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27And, you know, if sayings are anything to go by,
0:39:27 > 0:39:31they are the ultimate luxury fruit, aren't they?
0:39:31 > 0:39:32You know, you "cherry pick",
0:39:32 > 0:39:34something's "the cherry on the cake..."
0:39:34 > 0:39:37..and all that kind of stuff. "Life's a bowl of cherries."
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Cherries. Now this sauce is really, really simple.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42So, cherries...Whoa!..like so.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44That pan was hot!
0:39:44 > 0:39:45Little bit of brandy. This is cherry...
0:39:45 > 0:39:48Is that cherry brandy? Cherry brandy.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Do you remember... You won't, you were too...obviously, not even born,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54but Prince Charles, when he was under age,
0:39:54 > 0:39:57went into a pub and tried to order a cherry brandy.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Right.When asked afterwards why,
0:40:00 > 0:40:03he said it was the only drink he could think of.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Well, I couldn't imagine him ordering a pint of lager!
0:40:05 > 0:40:07THEY LAUGH
0:40:08 > 0:40:12So in here we've got one star anise, some sugar, some cherry brandy,
0:40:12 > 0:40:15nice full heat, because those, they're morello cherries, all right?
0:40:15 > 0:40:18So they're nice and juicy, nice and soft.Very juicy.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20Then I'm going to add a little bit of thyme.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25Why?Because thyme works with so many things, and it's brilliant with
0:40:25 > 0:40:28fruit, and it's absolutely gorgeous with cherries.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31Right, little splash of water. Mmm-hmm.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35Right, while that's cooking away, that's going to take about ten minutes...
0:40:35 > 0:40:37..I've got two surprises for you today,
0:40:37 > 0:40:39but I'm only going to reveal one now.
0:40:39 > 0:40:40I know what one is.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42Well, we hope it's...
0:40:42 > 0:40:43MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:40:43 > 0:40:45..cakes!Yeah, yeah, yeah.
0:40:45 > 0:40:47It'd be a bit of a... If it's a turkey!
0:40:47 > 0:40:48BOTH LAUGH
0:40:48 > 0:40:49We're really stuffed!
0:40:49 > 0:40:51BOTH LAUGH
0:40:51 > 0:40:52OK.You're on fire.I am.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56Now, over here, we've got some cinnamon and some sugar whisked together.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00We're just going to take one of them into the sugar, all over,
0:41:00 > 0:41:04round like that, and that just adds another texture.
0:41:04 > 0:41:07Lovely flavour of that cinnamon, cherry.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Mmm.So we're just going to...Great combination.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15..shake it off and that's going to go into the middle of our plate, like that.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18So, next, we're going to come back to our cherries.
0:41:18 > 0:41:20Now, could you pass me a lemon, please?Yep.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23And the reason for that, we've got a lot of sweetness in there,
0:41:23 > 0:41:26we just need to add a little bit of acidity, always, just to cut it.
0:41:28 > 0:41:31Now, the thyme's done its job so we're just going to lift that out.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33Thyme out!
0:41:31 > 0:41:33PAUL SNIGGERS
0:41:33 > 0:41:34Michael, stop!
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Look at it.Oh, yeah.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39So we're just going to take some of our cherries and spoon...
0:41:39 > 0:41:42The cherries are still quite whole, aren't they?Yeah, and you want that.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45Aren't you tempted to, kind of, poke them down?
0:41:45 > 0:41:46Put some in the outside.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49Yeah, we can poke them down, but they're very hot!
0:41:49 > 0:41:50BOTH LAUGH
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Yeah.You've got asbestos fingers, come on.
0:41:54 > 0:41:56It's OK, I'll burn myself for you.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59Bit more of that sauce.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00Yeah.
0:42:00 > 0:42:01OK?Yeah.We're still going.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Yep.Ooh, some Devon cream!
0:42:04 > 0:42:07BOTH LAUGH
0:42:07 > 0:42:08CORNISH clotted cream!
0:42:08 > 0:42:10Cornish clotted cream...
0:42:10 > 0:42:11On top, like so.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13That looks terrific.
0:42:13 > 0:42:14But we're not finished.
0:42:14 > 0:42:18Oh, you mentioned...You know I have two surprises for you?I thought you'd forgotten the other one.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22This is Mildred's knife.
0:42:22 > 0:42:23Really?Yeah.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26"Green & Son Cutler,
0:42:26 > 0:42:28"to Her Majesty Windsor."
0:42:28 > 0:42:31And then, even on the heel, right here on the handle, "Pastry maid".
0:42:31 > 0:42:32MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:42:32 > 0:42:36That's amazing.Isn't that amazing? That's Mildred's knife, over 100 years old.
0:42:36 > 0:42:37Over 100 years old.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Wow. Go on.OK.Use it to cut her cake.
0:42:40 > 0:42:43Cherry, clotted cream, beautiful cake.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45That lovely cinnamon sugar.
0:42:45 > 0:42:46Let's have it.
0:42:46 > 0:42:49This is a taste of Edwardian England, isn't it?
0:42:52 > 0:42:54That's good.It's lovely, isn't it?
0:42:54 > 0:42:57Mmm! Love the cherries!
0:42:57 > 0:42:59Cream goes well, but...
0:42:59 > 0:43:01..it's got real texture.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04That's a lovely, lovely combination.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08I think Mildred really deserved her promotion to third kitchen maid,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11don't you?Oh, in my mind she was THE kitchen maid!
0:43:11 > 0:43:12MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:43:12 > 0:43:17Well done, Mildred. Join us next time for more Royal Recipes.
0:43:17 > 0:43:18Goodbye.