Sunday Edition

0:00:02 > 0:00:05Good morning. It's time for some adventurous cooking for advent.

0:00:05 > 0:00:07This is Saturday Kitchen Best Bites.

0:00:26 > 0:00:27Welcome to the show.

0:00:27 > 0:00:30We're warming up for Christmas with some fantastic seasonal cooking

0:00:30 > 0:00:33from some truly great chefs for you this morning,

0:00:33 > 0:00:36and a line-up of celebrities with cutlery at the ready.

0:00:36 > 0:00:39Nic Watt gets our taste buds going as he roasts a leg of lamb

0:00:39 > 0:00:43and makes a tangy salmoriglio sauce with tempting almond croquets.

0:00:43 > 0:00:47And the legendary Antonio Carluccio gets creative with a stunning

0:00:47 > 0:00:49vegetarian pasta recipe.

0:00:49 > 0:00:51He covers a rigatoni with a rich courgette sauce

0:00:51 > 0:00:54and serves it with tasty fried spinach balls.

0:00:54 > 0:00:57John Burton-Race brings squid ink into the kitchen.

0:00:57 > 0:01:01He makes the perfect seafood lunch, involving mussels, saffron,

0:01:01 > 0:01:04tomatoes, spinach and black squid-ink pasta.

0:01:04 > 0:01:07Michael Ball faced his Food Heaven or Food Hell.

0:01:07 > 0:01:10Would he get his Food Heaven - pork belly with my poached

0:01:10 > 0:01:13and roasted pork belly with sauteed cabbage and bacon?

0:01:13 > 0:01:15Or would he get his dreaded Food Hell - monkfish,

0:01:15 > 0:01:17with a monkfish and mussel curry with saffron?

0:01:17 > 0:01:20Find out what he gets to eat at the end of today's show.

0:01:20 > 0:01:23But first up it's Strictly Come Dancing's twinkle toes,

0:01:23 > 0:01:26Dave Myers with his tasty Keralan prawns.

0:01:26 > 0:01:29Welcome to the show, Dave. Good to have you on the show.

0:01:29 > 0:01:30What are we cooking then?

0:01:30 > 0:01:33Well, it's one of my favourites. I love South Indian food.

0:01:33 > 0:01:36Kerala parathas are different. They're flaky.

0:01:37 > 0:01:41- This is like a doughy sort of thing. - Yep. It's...- Not a naan bread.

0:01:41 > 0:01:46- I'm kind of northern, it's fried bread.- Go on, mate. Go on.

0:01:46 > 0:01:49But to go with that, again a South Indian curry

0:01:49 > 0:01:52with curry leaves, asafoetida all the lovely things.

0:01:52 > 0:01:54Run through this, cos you want me to do the onions

0:01:54 > 0:01:56and that sort of stuff.

0:01:56 > 0:01:59The basic for it to start off, if you could do some onion, chilli,

0:01:59 > 0:02:02ginger and garlic, and just puree it up.

0:02:02 > 0:02:05What I'm going to do - I'm just going to pop my whole spices.

0:02:05 > 0:02:10I've got some mustard seeds and some fenugreek powdered.

0:02:10 > 0:02:12Did you get this idea from your travels?

0:02:12 > 0:02:15Yeah, very much so. Some curry leaves, which I love.

0:02:15 > 0:02:19You just need to pop them, just to release the flavour.

0:02:19 > 0:02:24Now making bread live on television is a bit of a worry, but here we go.

0:02:24 > 0:02:26Go on, you can do it.

0:02:27 > 0:02:29The bread mix, it's flour...

0:02:31 > 0:02:33- You can smell it already. - Just plain flour?

0:02:33 > 0:02:36Yeah. Ordinary plain white flour.

0:02:36 > 0:02:38Some salt.

0:02:38 > 0:02:39Some sugar.

0:02:41 > 0:02:44All I'm doing is just chopping... Don't worry that's fine.

0:02:44 > 0:02:46Ground glass in your paratha...

0:02:46 > 0:02:47LAUGHTER

0:02:47 > 0:02:49Makes for interesting eating.

0:02:49 > 0:02:52That's an egg. Take care you don't get any eggshell in.

0:02:52 > 0:02:55LAUGHTER

0:02:55 > 0:02:58You know where that eggshell's been to, don't you?

0:02:58 > 0:03:00Oh, I know.

0:03:00 > 0:03:02At least we know that glass has been in a dishwasher.

0:03:05 > 0:03:08Like a lot of Asian food, condensed milk is brilliant.

0:03:10 > 0:03:11Put that in.

0:03:11 > 0:03:17The bread. All you do to make a dough is blitz it. We add some milk.

0:03:17 > 0:03:19Yeah, don't try this at home.

0:03:19 > 0:03:22You don't get this on the late-night shopping channels.

0:03:22 > 0:03:24It's the only way to chop it.

0:03:24 > 0:03:27My spices have popped. Now look, just watch a ball of dough appear.

0:03:27 > 0:03:29Come on.

0:03:30 > 0:03:32We're going to cook this - the onions,

0:03:32 > 0:03:35the chilli and the ginger, and just sweat that down.

0:03:35 > 0:03:37- It's appeared. It's appeared.- It has?

0:03:37 > 0:03:39A ball of dough.

0:03:39 > 0:03:41Now we need to chill that for half an hour, so...

0:03:42 > 0:03:44LAUGHTER

0:03:44 > 0:03:46Why is it always me?

0:03:46 > 0:03:47LAUGHTER

0:03:49 > 0:03:52Have you got one of those you made earlier?

0:03:52 > 0:03:56And here's some dough I made earlier. It's chilled.

0:03:56 > 0:03:58Now this is were it gets interesting.

0:03:58 > 0:04:02- That just needs to sweat down nicely. - You need to do the prawns, yeah?

0:04:02 > 0:04:04Look at those.

0:04:04 > 0:04:05Big, big prawns.

0:04:05 > 0:04:08If you could kind of pop the heads off, peel them,

0:04:08 > 0:04:11leave the tails on for that Balti-house chic,

0:04:11 > 0:04:14cut down the backs so they butterfly and they look like

0:04:14 > 0:04:16a set of boxer's knuckles on the plate.

0:04:18 > 0:04:19Fantastic.

0:04:19 > 0:04:21Cooking metaphors.

0:04:21 > 0:04:22We'll give that a stir.

0:04:23 > 0:04:26The smell is fabulous, mate.

0:04:26 > 0:04:27I know, but I've a lot to do, a lot to do.

0:04:29 > 0:04:31Take a piece of dough, about the size of a lime.

0:04:33 > 0:04:38Dust your board. Now this has to be rolled really thin.

0:04:38 > 0:04:40Why couldn't I ever do a stir fry?

0:04:40 > 0:04:42I've seen chefs do that on here, you know?

0:04:42 > 0:04:45Exactly, you know, you could have done ham like me.

0:04:48 > 0:04:50Really rolled thin.

0:04:50 > 0:04:53Because it's like puff pastry with the butter and everything.

0:04:53 > 0:04:57It's a special paratha and I want two per serving.

0:04:57 > 0:04:58Eh! Eh!

0:04:58 > 0:05:00There's nothing mean about my cooking.

0:05:00 > 0:05:02What do they serve them with then?

0:05:02 > 0:05:04Is it garnish for something or what?

0:05:04 > 0:05:08What the parathas? That's your bread. It's your carbohydrate.

0:05:08 > 0:05:11Is it traditionally served for something or not?

0:05:11 > 0:05:13Breakfast. A lot of these parathas for breakfast

0:05:13 > 0:05:15with idlis and dosas.

0:05:15 > 0:05:18It's heaven. But these prawns go great...

0:05:18 > 0:05:21The thing is, it doesn't matter what culture or cuisine you have,

0:05:21 > 0:05:25if you've got bread, you've got great gravy, you've got paradise.

0:05:25 > 0:05:27Exactly. Bread and gravy, dude. It's the thing.

0:05:27 > 0:05:30Now...dust that over...

0:05:30 > 0:05:34with melted butter like so. This is the trick.

0:05:34 > 0:05:36You make like a concertina.

0:05:37 > 0:05:40- Like that. This is brilliant. - It's origami, isn't it?

0:05:40 > 0:05:43You'll all be doing this come Boxing Day, you know.

0:05:45 > 0:05:46- Prawns.- Yeah, if you just...

0:05:46 > 0:05:50What I'm going to do is just take this little...

0:05:50 > 0:05:54- Yeah, you need to take the black vein out, cos that's it's...- Poop shoot.

0:05:54 > 0:05:56Yeah. Look what I've done here.

0:05:56 > 0:06:00I've got my concertina dough. I'm making a walnut whip,

0:06:00 > 0:06:02tucking the end in.

0:06:02 > 0:06:06You'll see the purpose of this. It'll all come clear. We roll that out...

0:06:07 > 0:06:08..like so.

0:06:08 > 0:06:12- I love these.- They are fantastic.

0:06:12 > 0:06:14But where the butter's gone with the dough,

0:06:14 > 0:06:17it's going to make a nice flaky bread.

0:06:17 > 0:06:18Flaky fried bread.

0:06:19 > 0:06:21Yes, it's a Homer Simpson now.

0:06:21 > 0:06:23It's a minute on each side.

0:06:24 > 0:06:25Is my gas on?

0:06:28 > 0:06:31Is my gas on? Somebody put another 50 in the meter, will you?

0:06:31 > 0:06:34- How are you doing, James?- I'm getting there. Done.- Ah, fantastic.

0:06:34 > 0:06:37- Do you want those in now?- Yeah, I just want those colouring up first.

0:06:37 > 0:06:40I wish you could smell it at home.

0:06:40 > 0:06:44Well, it's what I love about South Indian food.

0:06:44 > 0:06:48- James?- Yes.- Just add a touch of water to that.- Water, right.

0:06:48 > 0:06:50- Is that going? - Yeah, it's going.- Great.

0:06:50 > 0:06:51Do you want the turmeric in there?

0:06:51 > 0:06:55Yeah, the turmeric and a pinch of one of my favourites - asafoetida.

0:06:55 > 0:07:00There's various spellings, but the middle spelling of one is "Fetid".

0:07:00 > 0:07:02It does indeed smell like a dead cat, but a pinch...

0:07:02 > 0:07:04LAUGHTER

0:07:04 > 0:07:07- It's a resin. It's heaven. - In goes the coconut milk.

0:07:07 > 0:07:12- Yeah, just let that boil for a minute whilst my parathas do.- Add cat stock.

0:07:12 > 0:07:13LAUGHTER

0:07:13 > 0:07:15No, I tell you, there's something...

0:07:15 > 0:07:18See in South Indian food for thousands of years,

0:07:18 > 0:07:21- there's alchemy to it and it works. - Oh, it's brilliant.- It is.

0:07:21 > 0:07:25I think the skill, I think what we found when we were in India

0:07:25 > 0:07:29was the skill, the absolute skill of balancing spices and flavours -

0:07:29 > 0:07:31just superb.

0:07:31 > 0:07:33- You know...- This...

0:07:33 > 0:07:35That does look like a little Catherine wheel thing.

0:07:35 > 0:07:39It's Catherine wheel stroke Danish pastry. We just fry those off.

0:07:39 > 0:07:42- Traditionally you just fry them off or bake them in the oven?- Fried.

0:07:42 > 0:07:44It's a paratha. Paratha is fried. Look at that.

0:07:45 > 0:07:47Always fried in oil?

0:07:47 > 0:07:49Oh, yes, or ghee. Ghee would be good.

0:07:49 > 0:07:51That's clarified butter that you can buy.

0:07:51 > 0:07:53Yeah, I like to be healthy, really.

0:07:53 > 0:07:55SI LAUGHS

0:07:55 > 0:07:57Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh.

0:07:57 > 0:08:00Body's a temple, dude, body's a temple.

0:08:00 > 0:08:01Temple? Mine's a Taj Mahal.

0:08:03 > 0:08:06Well, you know, we've been cooking... Oh, this isn't really hot enough.

0:08:06 > 0:08:08That one's going.

0:08:08 > 0:08:11We've been cooking Christmas food with our highly successful

0:08:11 > 0:08:17Christmas special, since September. I was craving something spiced.

0:08:17 > 0:08:20Apart from food, you're on Mastermind, is that right?

0:08:20 > 0:08:22- I am.- Are you?- I am.

0:08:22 > 0:08:24December 28th. BBC One.

0:08:24 > 0:08:26Sorry to be stupid, what is your specialised subject?

0:08:26 > 0:08:29My speciality was the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

0:08:29 > 0:08:32- Really?- He said that with such a smirky grin, didn't he?

0:08:33 > 0:08:36- They look a bit shocked. Don's there...- Look at Don.

0:08:36 > 0:08:38Not half as shocked as John Humphrys!

0:08:38 > 0:08:40LAUGHTER

0:08:40 > 0:08:44I need paddles for Don here. What's happened to you?

0:08:44 > 0:08:46- You can season that. - I can ply my magic and season that.

0:08:46 > 0:08:48The pre...

0:08:49 > 0:08:53- Some lime wedges.- So were they a rock band, dude, or what?

0:08:53 > 0:08:55- I've got you down for it next year.- Eh?

0:08:55 > 0:08:58Look at that. See? Now a good paratha, see how it flakes?

0:08:58 > 0:08:59Oh, look.

0:08:59 > 0:09:02It's soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

0:09:02 > 0:09:05A bit like yourself, mate, a bit like yourself.

0:09:05 > 0:09:07There you go. It's nearly there.

0:09:07 > 0:09:12Outward rock-hard exterior. And, as ever, I like a few sprinkles on top.

0:09:13 > 0:09:16- But it's...- It smells incredible. - Well, it's proper.

0:09:16 > 0:09:19The thing is, all the spices retain their identity.

0:09:19 > 0:09:21It's not a mishmash in mud.

0:09:21 > 0:09:27I think that's the skill in that particular cuisine, isn't it?

0:09:27 > 0:09:30It's really, you know, all the flavours and spices

0:09:30 > 0:09:32are balanced perfectly, so they hit you.

0:09:32 > 0:09:36How could this not taste wonderful? There's not mystery to it.

0:09:36 > 0:09:38It's absolutely banging good grub.

0:09:40 > 0:09:41You want a few sprinkles?

0:09:41 > 0:09:43Yes, please, James.

0:09:43 > 0:09:45So remind us what that dish is again.

0:09:45 > 0:09:47This is Keralan flaky parathas,

0:09:47 > 0:09:50proper traditional Keralan parathas,

0:09:50 > 0:09:54with a lovely king prawn and coconut curry.

0:09:54 > 0:09:57It's designed to be with bread so you just scrape the gravy up.

0:09:57 > 0:09:59- Easy as that.- Yes.- Thank you.

0:10:04 > 0:10:06There you go. Right, over here.

0:10:07 > 0:10:10- Dervla, I know you like your curries.- I do, I love curry.

0:10:10 > 0:10:13Dive into that. That's done in literally no time at all.

0:10:13 > 0:10:15This looks incredible.

0:10:15 > 0:10:17- DON:- It's such a big difference watching it from home

0:10:17 > 0:10:20and actually coming here. The smells of it are fantastic.

0:10:20 > 0:10:22Yeah, it's fabulous.

0:10:22 > 0:10:24OK, I'm tucking in, I'm tucking in.

0:10:24 > 0:10:25No pressure, no pressure.

0:10:25 > 0:10:28- SI:- It's not that there's pressure, we just want a bit.

0:10:28 > 0:10:30The secret is the onions. The paratha is just...

0:10:30 > 0:10:32I think your dry spices, you need to roast them

0:10:32 > 0:10:35to release the flavour, like the mustard seeds.

0:10:35 > 0:10:38You've got your base with the chillies and the ginger.

0:10:38 > 0:10:41You mix the two together and it keeps that level of spicing.

0:10:41 > 0:10:44The idea with this is literally it just flakes off into pieces.

0:10:44 > 0:10:46Yeah, it's flaky bread, but it's so tasty.

0:10:46 > 0:10:49Of course, you've got the butters in between the layers,

0:10:49 > 0:10:50which is nice, eh?

0:10:54 > 0:10:57That was exhausting, but believe me those prawns were worth it.

0:10:57 > 0:10:59Coming up, I'll be pan-frying halibut for actress

0:10:59 > 0:11:02Julie Graham, after Rick Stein gets some

0:11:02 > 0:11:05inspiration from the Far East on his Christmas odyssey.

0:11:07 > 0:11:09OK, admission time.

0:11:09 > 0:11:13When I saw that wonderful Rogers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific,

0:11:13 > 0:11:16I thought that haunting song Bali High

0:11:16 > 0:11:18was about the island of Bali.

0:11:18 > 0:11:20In a way, I still do,

0:11:20 > 0:11:24because it evokes a type of paradise we all strive for in our minds.

0:11:24 > 0:11:27It's an escape to a place that's calm and serene.

0:11:28 > 0:11:32Although 50 years on I know that the island and that famous song

0:11:32 > 0:11:35was an entirely different place, the sentiment is still the same.

0:11:38 > 0:11:41But my reason for being there was for the special food,

0:11:41 > 0:11:44and it didn't come more special than this.

0:11:51 > 0:11:54Now I know a lot of you will be cooking a pork joint at some

0:11:54 > 0:11:56time over the Christmas period,

0:11:56 > 0:11:59so I thought this might set your juices flowing.

0:11:59 > 0:12:02It certainly had quite an effect on me.

0:12:02 > 0:12:03That is fabulous.

0:12:03 > 0:12:06I just know looking at that that I will never taste more

0:12:06 > 0:12:10succulent or crispy crackling and pork in my life.

0:12:10 > 0:12:12Watching it, I just thought

0:12:12 > 0:12:17when I was setting out on this journey to South East Asia

0:12:17 > 0:12:20that this is the sort of thing I was thinking of -

0:12:20 > 0:12:26wood fire, whole pig, rather hot and sweaty, lovely aromas.

0:12:26 > 0:12:28I mean, this babi guling...

0:12:28 > 0:12:32Babi means pig and guling means tumbling or rolling.

0:12:32 > 0:12:34His skill is marvellous.

0:12:34 > 0:12:37I'm just watching him dampening down the flames,

0:12:37 > 0:12:41cos of course pork is very fatty and it could just all flare up.

0:12:41 > 0:12:46It reminds me more than anything of Tudor England -

0:12:46 > 0:12:47the roast beef of England

0:12:47 > 0:12:51where some guy like this would be right up to the spit

0:12:51 > 0:12:54turning it, getting incredibly hot, as indeed he is,

0:12:54 > 0:12:57just to see that the thing was cooked perfectly.

0:12:58 > 0:13:02Even the cooking process needed the security of offerings to the

0:13:02 > 0:13:06relevant gods in an effort to secure success for the enterprise.

0:13:10 > 0:13:13What I'm learning about Balinese culture is incredible

0:13:13 > 0:13:16intermingling of religion and food.

0:13:16 > 0:13:21This is almost like a religious ceremony in itself.

0:13:21 > 0:13:26It's a new dimension to food to me, the religiousness of it.

0:13:26 > 0:13:31Just thinking, imagine in the Church of England if you went into church

0:13:31 > 0:13:35and you had roast beef and Yorkshire pudding as part of the ceremony.

0:13:35 > 0:13:37I'd be in there every Sunday.

0:13:39 > 0:13:43Perhaps that's one of the things that makes Christmas lunch such

0:13:43 > 0:13:46an essential part of the celebrations.

0:13:46 > 0:13:50The anticipation of the meal is almost as important as the eating.

0:13:50 > 0:13:54I feel with a lot of cookery programmes, myself included,

0:13:54 > 0:13:58that it's too much about the recipes. Some of this goes in, some of that.

0:13:58 > 0:14:02And not enough about appetite, about hunger,

0:14:02 > 0:14:06about the absolute anticipation of watching that pig being cooked

0:14:06 > 0:14:12over that smoky fire and the realisations that the skin was

0:14:12 > 0:14:15going to get ever crisper and ever more delicious.

0:14:15 > 0:14:17So here's to appetite.

0:14:17 > 0:14:19To me, at the moment,

0:14:19 > 0:14:22I'm thinking this will be about ten on the Richter scale.

0:14:24 > 0:14:28One of the most impressive things about the Far East was the way

0:14:28 > 0:14:30they don't waste as square inch of productive land.

0:14:32 > 0:14:35It makes for a lush, green landscape which,

0:14:35 > 0:14:40when you look closely, contains every ingredient you need for a good meal,

0:14:40 > 0:14:44from starters to that all important drink at the end.

0:14:44 > 0:14:48When you reach for the coffee after your Christmas dinner,

0:14:48 > 0:14:51think about this as an exotic change.

0:14:51 > 0:14:53This is civet cat.

0:14:53 > 0:14:57What I'm giving him to eat is what he eats all the time - coffee beans.

0:14:57 > 0:14:59Some very bright Balinese person

0:14:59 > 0:15:05worked out that if the entire diet of the civet cat was coffee beans,

0:15:05 > 0:15:08then they must know a thing or two about the coffee bean.

0:15:08 > 0:15:13Indeed they do, because they always select only the very best beans.

0:15:13 > 0:15:17They reject the acidic ones or the overripe ones.

0:15:17 > 0:15:22Then, well, out they come as civet cat poo.

0:15:22 > 0:15:27This Balinese person noticed that actually the coffee bean is

0:15:27 > 0:15:31only partly digested. This is the husk.

0:15:31 > 0:15:36Inside the bean is retained in its perfect form.

0:15:36 > 0:15:40So don't think that drinking Balinese coffee

0:15:40 > 0:15:45from civet cat poo might taste of anything,

0:15:45 > 0:15:47it only tastes of pure beans.

0:15:47 > 0:15:52It is the best coffee known to man. Also the most expensive.

0:15:52 > 0:15:54# I love coffee

0:15:54 > 0:15:56# I love tea... #

0:15:58 > 0:16:01Well, back in Padstow, I thought it would be a very

0:16:01 > 0:16:06good idea to challenge my staff to a blind tasting of coffees.

0:16:06 > 0:16:10So we gathered together in the cafe courtyard just to see

0:16:10 > 0:16:13if they can actually tell

0:16:13 > 0:16:17if the civet cat coffee does indeed stand out.

0:16:17 > 0:16:19So here we are. It's all set up.

0:16:19 > 0:16:25We've got a Kenyan coffee, a Costa Rican coffee and a Brazilian coffee.

0:16:25 > 0:16:28There's an awful lot of coffee in Brazil as we know.

0:16:28 > 0:16:33And finally the Balinese cat poo coffee, so which is which?

0:16:33 > 0:16:35It's going to be really interesting.

0:16:35 > 0:16:37Bring it on.

0:16:37 > 0:16:39This is coffee A.

0:16:41 > 0:16:42I'm detecting...

0:16:43 > 0:16:44..notes here already.

0:16:45 > 0:16:49I mean, one of the things that's interesting about actually

0:16:49 > 0:16:53the Balinese cat poo coffee is they think that the gastric juices

0:16:53 > 0:16:56of the civet cat actually affect the flavour.

0:16:56 > 0:16:59So I'm sniffing for gastric juices here.

0:16:59 > 0:17:01LAUGHTER

0:17:01 > 0:17:03Well, we move quickly through the various coffees

0:17:03 > 0:17:07in the hope of detecting something of the feline nature,

0:17:07 > 0:17:10but not too much, if you catch my drift.

0:17:10 > 0:17:14Then we were ready to decide which coffee might have come from a cat.

0:17:16 > 0:17:19Who thinks that coffee A is the Balinese cat poo coffee?

0:17:20 > 0:17:21Right.

0:17:23 > 0:17:27B, who thinks that coffee B is the Balinese cat poo coffee.

0:17:28 > 0:17:29Thank goodness.

0:17:31 > 0:17:35Coffee C? Who thinks that coffee C is the Balinese cat poo coffee?

0:17:36 > 0:17:40Zero. Finally, coffee D, who thinks? Two.

0:17:42 > 0:17:45Right, here we go. Right, coffee A.

0:17:47 > 0:17:51- Is Kenyan AA coffee.- Yes!- Yeah!

0:17:54 > 0:17:55Coffee B.

0:18:00 > 0:18:03- Well, what do you think? - B.- Yes!- Yeah!

0:18:04 > 0:18:06Cat poo coffee!

0:18:06 > 0:18:08LAUGHTER

0:18:08 > 0:18:10# Coffee and tea

0:18:10 > 0:18:13# And the java and me

0:18:13 > 0:18:16# A cup, a cup, a cup, a cup

0:18:16 > 0:18:20# Boy. #

0:18:22 > 0:18:26The rice fields of Bali are works of art in their own right.

0:18:26 > 0:18:30They go back over 2,000 years, creating these wonderful

0:18:30 > 0:18:35terraces where the water cascades down as many as 30 levels.

0:18:35 > 0:18:40Rice, like everywhere I went in the Far East, is a key to life

0:18:40 > 0:18:44and never more so than in this dish called Nasi Goreng.

0:18:44 > 0:18:45This will be an excellent dish

0:18:45 > 0:18:48to have on New Year's morning for breakfast.

0:18:48 > 0:18:49Here's how you make it.

0:18:57 > 0:18:59So having got my wok really hot,

0:18:59 > 0:19:01I'm just adding two or three tablespoons of oil,

0:19:01 > 0:19:06ordinary vegetable oil, some garlic and two types of chillies -

0:19:06 > 0:19:11first a medium-hot ones and then just a little hit of bird's eye chillies

0:19:11 > 0:19:15and some sliced shallots. Just stir-fry those together.

0:19:15 > 0:19:17Nasi goreng, it just means fried rice.

0:19:17 > 0:19:21You can get it all over Indonesia and Malaysia as well, as it happens.

0:19:21 > 0:19:23'If you're me, you get it all over your shirt as well.

0:19:23 > 0:19:24'Now some carrots.'

0:19:24 > 0:19:27You just want to take the crispness off them,

0:19:27 > 0:19:29but they still want to have a bit of al dente-ness to them.

0:19:29 > 0:19:33There we go. Now the spice paste. In that goes. Lovely.

0:19:33 > 0:19:37Lots of spice paste, cos that's where all the flavour comes from.

0:19:37 > 0:19:40'If you want to know how the paste is made, wait for it,

0:19:40 > 0:19:45'black pepper, sesame seeds, nutmeg, macadamia nuts, shallots, lemongrass,

0:19:45 > 0:19:49'ginger, galangal, garlic, fresh turmeric, chillies, palm sugar,

0:19:49 > 0:19:54'shrimp paste, lime juice and a little oil all mashed together.'

0:19:55 > 0:19:56Now a little bit of tomato puree

0:19:56 > 0:19:59just to bring the colour up like that.

0:19:59 > 0:20:03Very important in Indonesian cooking, some ketchup manis.

0:20:03 > 0:20:06Obviously where the word ketchup comes from,

0:20:06 > 0:20:10not an American word, Indonesian. Just stir that in a little bit.

0:20:10 > 0:20:17Now for the rice. It is a way of using up lots of leftovers with rice.

0:20:17 > 0:20:21Obviously in that case, this is the perfect dish for turkey.

0:20:21 > 0:20:22In that goes.

0:20:22 > 0:20:25I'm going to put some prawns in there as well to give it

0:20:25 > 0:20:28a bit of deluxeness, make it a really special dish.

0:20:28 > 0:20:31Now I'm just going to put some green beans in there

0:20:31 > 0:20:33just to bring up the colour.

0:20:33 > 0:20:36Again, Indonesians like all South East Asians

0:20:36 > 0:20:39looking for texture as well as lovely colours.

0:20:39 > 0:20:42Now the turkey. I've cut it into inch slices.

0:20:42 > 0:20:46This goes in right at the end cos you don't want to break the turkey up.

0:20:46 > 0:20:47It's already cooked, of course.

0:20:47 > 0:20:50A good lot of spring onions just to go in at the end so you've got that

0:20:50 > 0:20:55slightly raw taste of the onions, some soy sauce, a tablespoon or so.

0:20:55 > 0:21:01Just stir that in very gently. That's it except for my fried egg.

0:21:02 > 0:21:05This is what I had for breakfast nearly every day.

0:21:05 > 0:21:07The fried egg seems to make it just right.

0:21:09 > 0:21:12Oh, by the way, you sprinkle some slightly crispy fried onions

0:21:12 > 0:21:16on top of the egg, almost like a seasoning.

0:21:16 > 0:21:18Then you add a bit of tomato and cucumber as a garnish.

0:21:21 > 0:21:25Malaysian cuisine is made up of three things - Chinese, Nyonya,

0:21:25 > 0:21:30a cross between Chinese and the indigenous Malay, and Indian.

0:21:30 > 0:21:33I was taken to this restaurant where they cook a whole

0:21:33 > 0:21:37variety of curries on the most amazing scale.

0:21:37 > 0:21:39The best time to go there was lunchtime

0:21:39 > 0:21:43and their most popular dish was beef rendang.

0:21:43 > 0:21:46The way I make it at home is like this -

0:21:46 > 0:21:51I'm using some blade or chuck steak, which I fry off in some coconut oil.

0:21:51 > 0:21:54Then I put in a very specific curry paste,

0:21:54 > 0:21:57which I made with a pestle and mortar earlier.

0:21:57 > 0:22:01It's a mixture of fresh turmeric, galangal, chilli,

0:22:01 > 0:22:06grated coconut, shallots, garlic, coriander and cumin.

0:22:06 > 0:22:08Then, in with some coconut milk.

0:22:09 > 0:22:13Now the bit I really like doing, smashing the lemongrass.

0:22:13 > 0:22:19Next, cinnamon sticks. They always remind me a bit of dried up cigars.

0:22:19 > 0:22:21Lime leaves roughly torn up.

0:22:21 > 0:22:23Then some tamarind juice for sharpness.

0:22:26 > 0:22:27A little salt.

0:22:30 > 0:22:32And lastly, palm sugar.

0:22:34 > 0:22:38I ask practically everyone I came across in Malaysia what there

0:22:38 > 0:22:40favourite dish was.

0:22:40 > 0:22:43Without hesitation, they said beef rendang.

0:22:50 > 0:22:53It's great to see some alternative ideas for festive dishes.

0:22:53 > 0:22:56I've got something a little different to do with these

0:22:56 > 0:22:58little things over here, Brussels tops.

0:22:58 > 0:23:00- Have you used these before? - No, I haven't.

0:23:00 > 0:23:03The Brussels plant actually comes from the top of it like that.

0:23:03 > 0:23:05This is the flower at the top.

0:23:05 > 0:23:06It's like a little cabbage.

0:23:06 > 0:23:09You see the Brussels are actually just underneath it.

0:23:09 > 0:23:11The smaller ones are at the top, the bigger ones are down.

0:23:11 > 0:23:13It'll come out of the ground about that,

0:23:13 > 0:23:15then you've got the sprout tree off it.

0:23:15 > 0:23:17But the Brussels tops are great.

0:23:17 > 0:23:20I thought I'd do a nice little halibut and seafood-y thing

0:23:20 > 0:23:22for a little homage, cos we've got Nathan here,

0:23:22 > 0:23:25to celebrate his two stars.

0:23:25 > 0:23:27This isn't a Michelin-starred dish, far from it.

0:23:27 > 0:23:30But it is something you can do at home, really.

0:23:30 > 0:23:33We've got a little bit of halibut here, which I'm going to season up,

0:23:33 > 0:23:36just with a little bit of salt and pepper and get that cooking nicely.

0:23:36 > 0:23:38Just in a gentle pan.

0:23:38 > 0:23:42Little bit of olive oil, maybe a couple of knobs of butter as well.

0:23:42 > 0:23:45Those people that are thinking about a diet this Christmas,

0:23:45 > 0:23:46you don't want to be doing this dish

0:23:46 > 0:23:49because there's about two kilos of butter about to go into it

0:23:49 > 0:23:50again in a minute.

0:23:50 > 0:23:55If you are at the gym watching this, run a bit quicker.

0:23:55 > 0:23:59- Who diets at Christmas?- Exactly. Exactly. Diet at Christmas. What?

0:23:59 > 0:24:01What are you doing? In goes the clams.

0:24:01 > 0:24:03Is that just straight into a hot pan?

0:24:03 > 0:24:05Yeah, and then we're going to put some wine in.

0:24:05 > 0:24:09Literally bring this to the boil like that,

0:24:09 > 0:24:11and then this is almost ready.

0:24:11 > 0:24:13We're going to make a little sauce out of it as well.

0:24:13 > 0:24:16You say your first acting job wasn't a receptionist...

0:24:16 > 0:24:18Yeah, I got a job as a receptionist,

0:24:18 > 0:24:21but part of my job was to lure the men in.

0:24:21 > 0:24:23- Right.- The guy said,

0:24:23 > 0:24:25"Your Scottish accent is kind of scaring everybody away,"

0:24:25 > 0:24:27because I think I was a bit aggressive.

0:24:27 > 0:24:28LAUGHTER

0:24:28 > 0:24:30So he asked me to tone my accent down,

0:24:30 > 0:24:32so I ended up doing just a London accent.

0:24:32 > 0:24:35So I got my first sort of acting job, I suppose.

0:24:35 > 0:24:36That was it.

0:24:36 > 0:24:40The rest, as they say. The CV reads, I mean, huge amounts on television.

0:24:40 > 0:24:44Taggart, I remember seeing you, you did a little bit on Taggart.

0:24:44 > 0:24:48At Home With The Braithwaites, you did quite a big stint on that.

0:24:48 > 0:24:50Yeah, we did four years.

0:24:50 > 0:24:52Is that a good way to learn your trade, on television?

0:24:52 > 0:24:55Cos you get such a variety of different roles.

0:24:55 > 0:24:57The best way to learn your trade is to do theatre.

0:24:57 > 0:24:59- You reckon that's still the best way?- Yeah, absolutely.

0:24:59 > 0:25:01I would say to young actors

0:25:01 > 0:25:05if they're thinking of the profession they have to do theatre.

0:25:05 > 0:25:08Because you learn so much and you get time to make mistakes

0:25:08 > 0:25:11and television is so quick these days.

0:25:11 > 0:25:14Is that because you can make the character your own in theatre?

0:25:14 > 0:25:16Yeah, you just have time to explore

0:25:16 > 0:25:20and round the character out kind of talk about the play and what it's

0:25:20 > 0:25:23about and television is so quick now, you've got to be so on it.

0:25:23 > 0:25:26It's a whirlwind and you don't really feel like you've

0:25:26 > 0:25:28learned anything.

0:25:28 > 0:25:33I know. I've been doing it for years and I'm still making it up. Exactly.

0:25:33 > 0:25:34But you've done theatre as well

0:25:34 > 0:25:38but film you dabbled into a bit of that as well, with Daniel Craig.

0:25:38 > 0:25:42Yes, I've done my fair share of movies. They've all been low budget.

0:25:42 > 0:25:44I've done my fair share of movies.

0:25:44 > 0:25:49- No huge films but I just did a film recently called Tower Block...- Yeah.

0:25:49 > 0:25:52..which was a sort of low budget British independent film

0:25:52 > 0:25:54which is coming out next year.

0:25:54 > 0:25:56With the lovely Sheridan Smith and Russell Tovey

0:25:56 > 0:25:58so we had a great time doing that.

0:25:58 > 0:26:01And something new for you now, a comedy.

0:26:01 > 0:26:02- Yeah.- Back into comedy on TV.

0:26:02 > 0:26:05I haven't done comedy since At Home with the Braithwaite

0:26:05 > 0:26:07so it was really nice to do it again and it's a fantastic

0:26:07 > 0:26:10script by a wonderful writer called Michael Winn.

0:26:10 > 0:26:14And it's got Sue Johnston, who is wonderful.

0:26:14 > 0:26:17This is obviously from the Royale Family connection.

0:26:17 > 0:26:20Stephen Graham who is a fantastic actor.

0:26:20 > 0:26:24Elizabeth Barrington, Zawe Ashton, William Ash. It's a great cast.

0:26:24 > 0:26:29- And it's hopefully going to be very funny.- So it's called Lapland.- Yep.

0:26:29 > 0:26:31- I take it the cue is in the title. - Yep.

0:26:31 > 0:26:34So give us a little bit of insight on it.

0:26:34 > 0:26:37Well, it's about a mad family from Liverpool

0:26:37 > 0:26:41and their father has died the year before and that's been their

0:26:41 > 0:26:46last Christmas and this Christmas they want to take the family away.

0:26:46 > 0:26:49So the mother Sue doesn't have to do lots of cooking and take the pressure off.

0:26:49 > 0:26:52So they decide to go to Lapland with hilariously,

0:26:52 > 0:26:55hopefully hilariously bad consequences.

0:26:55 > 0:26:58Right. And this was filmed in Norway, was it?

0:26:58 > 0:27:00Yeah, we filmed in Norway, yeah.

0:27:00 > 0:27:05- Peculiar food in Norway, don't you find?- I ate reindeer.- Yeah.

0:27:05 > 0:27:07Don't tell my kids that.

0:27:07 > 0:27:10Just to recap what I've done. Halibut pan-fried there.

0:27:10 > 0:27:15- Brussels tops they just go in. - I cook cabbage like that.

0:27:15 > 0:27:18A lot of people just boil it but it's much easier, I think

0:27:18 > 0:27:20if you basically saute it off with a little bit of water.

0:27:20 > 0:27:22We've got the pan juices there.

0:27:22 > 0:27:25But this is like I was saying, this is the sauce.

0:27:27 > 0:27:31- Yum. I love butter. - You need more butter in that, James.

0:27:31 > 0:27:35You reckon a bit more, Nathan? Yeah, go on, then.

0:27:35 > 0:27:40Little bit on there. Pop that in. Look at the butter.

0:27:40 > 0:27:43So the whole premise of Lapland is it's based

0:27:43 > 0:27:44on a family on their holiday.

0:27:44 > 0:27:47How many parts of the programme have you got to watch.

0:27:48 > 0:27:53- It's a one-off film. It will be on around Christmas time.- Right.

0:27:53 > 0:27:56Not quite sure when but it's a one-off.

0:27:56 > 0:27:59- I always quite fancied doing a pantomime.- Oh, yes.- See.

0:27:59 > 0:28:00They're all laughing.

0:28:02 > 0:28:06- You think I'd be good at pantomime? - Widow Twankie.

0:28:06 > 0:28:10- Yeah.- I could just see you.- Can you? I quite fancy doing pantomime.

0:28:10 > 0:28:13- I did that when I was a young kid. - Did you? What did you play?

0:28:13 > 0:28:15I was the king.

0:28:15 > 0:28:18Come on, you know you want to squeeze into a corset

0:28:18 > 0:28:19and a pair of heels.

0:28:19 > 0:28:21No, definitely not.

0:28:21 > 0:28:23- I did all that when I was doing Strictly.- Only on the weekends.

0:28:23 > 0:28:28No, I did all that when I was doing Strictly and it's... No, not again.

0:28:28 > 0:28:32I always fancied doing that. A bit of pantomime.

0:28:32 > 0:28:35Mainly because you just have a poster of yourself.

0:28:35 > 0:28:39- You know what I mean. - Feed your ego.- Yes.

0:28:39 > 0:28:42So we've got this little bit of Brussels tops, salt and pepper.

0:28:44 > 0:28:46I don't know what this is going to give you

0:28:46 > 0:28:48but the idea is the Brussels tops.

0:28:48 > 0:28:50You can use up all of the ingredients, you see.

0:28:50 > 0:28:54- I roast my Brussels sprouts, I have to say.- You roast them?- Yeah.

0:28:54 > 0:28:56Do you put a star in the bottom or not?

0:28:56 > 0:29:00I do and I roast them with lots of garlic and olive oil.

0:29:00 > 0:29:04And I just let them roast very slowly with swede as well.

0:29:04 > 0:29:07They're much nicer cos just before they turn all mushy.

0:29:07 > 0:29:10These are our mussels and our clams, you see.

0:29:10 > 0:29:14- They go in the pot. - Look at all that butter.

0:29:14 > 0:29:15In with the chives.

0:29:15 > 0:29:19They go in the pot. And then we've got some cockles, you see.

0:29:19 > 0:29:20These are the pickled cockles

0:29:20 > 0:29:25and it's the cockles that give it that little sharpness, as well.

0:29:25 > 0:29:28- Don't worry about all this butter. - I'm not.

0:29:28 > 0:29:31Well, I would if I were you. Black pepper.

0:29:34 > 0:29:37You just want to melt this nicely.

0:29:39 > 0:29:41Takes a second.

0:29:44 > 0:29:47Here we go. Right and literally put...

0:29:49 > 0:29:52..our mussels and our cockles and everything else over the top.

0:29:52 > 0:29:56And then you need to put a bit of chervil on which is a herb

0:29:56 > 0:29:59and technically a vegetable.

0:29:59 > 0:30:03Which is also part of your five a day. So there you go.

0:30:03 > 0:30:06That looks delicious. Do I have to share this with anyone?

0:30:06 > 0:30:09No, you don't have to share it with anybody.

0:30:09 > 0:30:11- Oh.- Meanwhile I've got my

0:30:11 > 0:30:15Food Heaven soup over here in the pan.

0:30:15 > 0:30:19- Butter soup.- Exactly. - Lovely and crispy.

0:30:23 > 0:30:27- And I've still not done panto. - Oh, yes, you have.

0:30:27 > 0:30:30If you'd like to cook that recipe or have a go at any of the dishes

0:30:30 > 0:30:32you've seen on today's show,

0:30:32 > 0:30:34they're just a click away at bbc.co.uk/recipes.

0:30:34 > 0:30:37We're not live today so instead we're looking back at some

0:30:37 > 0:30:40of the delicious cooking form the Saturday Kitchen archives.

0:30:40 > 0:30:43Now, it's time for a festive treat courtesy of Nic Watt before he

0:30:43 > 0:30:46moved back to his native New Zealand where Christmas is blessed

0:30:46 > 0:30:50with sun, he showed us an amazing warming winter recipe for lamb.

0:30:50 > 0:30:52Take a look at this one.

0:30:52 > 0:30:53- It's behind you.- Cheers.

0:30:53 > 0:30:56- Welcome back.- Thank you. Thank you. - Nick, Mediterranean.

0:30:56 > 0:30:59Why the Mediterranean? You spent years studying Japanese food.

0:30:59 > 0:31:02- Absolutely. - You're still doing that but... - Still doing the Japanese

0:31:02 > 0:31:05but with the influences of Aurelia tapping into the flavours of the

0:31:05 > 0:31:09Mediterranean and the philosophy of what we're serving is the same.

0:31:09 > 0:31:12We have the very best tuna sashimi or salmon sashimi just served like that.

0:31:12 > 0:31:16We have the very best jamon iberico or San Danielle just served

0:31:16 > 0:31:18- beautifully.- Sounds good.

0:31:18 > 0:31:21So this is one of the dishes you've looked at on your travels.

0:31:21 > 0:31:23- Absolutely.- What is it? - I've got a beautiful lamb leg.

0:31:23 > 0:31:26The important thing is we're going to stud it with some rosemary,

0:31:26 > 0:31:28some garlic and some anchovies.

0:31:28 > 0:31:32And just allow all those flavours to get in there while it roasts slowly.

0:31:32 > 0:31:34This would be English lamb, yeah? Yes, it is.

0:31:34 > 0:31:37Don't want any of that New Zealand stuff.

0:31:37 > 0:31:39Not when you're all the way over here

0:31:39 > 0:31:41but when you're in New Zealand it is the best.

0:31:41 > 0:31:44- It's the best. Fed off all those beautiful salt marshes.- Yep.

0:31:44 > 0:31:47So what I'm doing is just studding or starting to spike

0:31:47 > 0:31:50the leg about every inch.

0:31:50 > 0:31:54Now this is the salt marsh lamb that you're using there.

0:31:54 > 0:31:56Why do you think this is so good?

0:31:56 > 0:31:59It's fed off the salt marshes and why is it so good,

0:31:59 > 0:32:02it's the closes you can get to New Zealand lamb all the way over here.

0:32:02 > 0:32:08- It's fed off the New Zealand pastures. New Zealand pastures? - New Zealand pastures?

0:32:08 > 0:32:14The salt pastures and the flavour comes into the lamb without question.

0:32:14 > 0:32:17So nice big chunks of garlic into there.

0:32:17 > 0:32:20I've got some garlic chips here which I'm going to fry.

0:32:20 > 0:32:23- You want these frying off.- I want them fried off nice and golden.

0:32:23 > 0:32:25And it's going to soften the flavour

0:32:25 > 0:32:29but still give you that nice little garlic note coming through.

0:32:29 > 0:32:32And as well as that you're going to do these sort of little potato

0:32:32 > 0:32:37- things. Tell us what am I making? - You're making an almond croquetta.

0:32:37 > 0:32:40- It's going to be the starch or the veg to go with the...- Don't worry.

0:32:40 > 0:32:42- Carry on.- With the meal.

0:32:42 > 0:32:45And the important part is to get some roasted potatoes first

0:32:45 > 0:32:48- so you get that lovely dry roasted potato.- Yeah.

0:32:48 > 0:32:50And instead of bread crumbing them or coating them,

0:32:50 > 0:32:53we'll coat them in a lovely almond crust.

0:32:53 > 0:32:57- Right.- What I've got here is the rosemary is going in.

0:32:58 > 0:33:02And the important part is to really get it every inch apart because when

0:33:02 > 0:33:06you carve the meat, which we're going to do to this, every slice is

0:33:06 > 0:33:09getting a nice component of rosemary, garlic and anchovies.

0:33:09 > 0:33:11Tell us about the new restaurant then.

0:33:11 > 0:33:14- So you've been open a couple of months now?- No not even.

0:33:14 > 0:33:17It's four weeks. Four weeks now.

0:33:17 > 0:33:21It's in Mayfair and it's a beautiful location we've taken over.

0:33:21 > 0:33:26Split over two floors. Upstairs is a charcuterie,

0:33:26 > 0:33:29bar and salad bar where we're slicing all the fresh hams,

0:33:29 > 0:33:34all the fresh octopus and peppers etc are all sliced up there.

0:33:34 > 0:33:40And then you go downstairs and what we have is an open kitchen.

0:33:40 > 0:33:46As we do in the Rokas. But it has a rotisserie which is new.

0:33:46 > 0:33:51- Cos you're got the old robata grill at Roka.- Absolutely.

0:33:51 > 0:33:54The important part of the rotisserie is when you go into

0:33:54 > 0:33:57so many restaurants you see a lonely quail spinning around.

0:33:57 > 0:34:00This rotisserie you'll see a whole leg of lamb spinning around.

0:34:00 > 0:34:04- You'll see whole five bone ribs of beef spinning around.- Right.

0:34:04 > 0:34:07And they take about an hour and a half to two hours to cook.

0:34:07 > 0:34:10And then they're beautiful and soft. Here we go, it's studded up.

0:34:12 > 0:34:14Little bit of salt and pepper.

0:34:14 > 0:34:17So the reason why we baked the potatoes is just to keep them nice and dry?

0:34:17 > 0:34:19You want a nice, dry potato, exactly.

0:34:19 > 0:34:21I want to just pop this into an oven.

0:34:21 > 0:34:23About 350.

0:34:25 > 0:34:28Could you do this shoulder and cook it for longer?

0:34:28 > 0:34:29You could do it with shoulder.

0:34:29 > 0:34:32The only thing is if you did it with shoulder it's not going to

0:34:32 > 0:34:36carve as nicely as a nice leg like this.

0:34:36 > 0:34:38And you want it to be nice and carveable.

0:34:38 > 0:34:43So next we're going to go for the salmoriglio sauce. Some capers.

0:34:43 > 0:34:46- You don't want these?- No.

0:34:47 > 0:34:49Jacket potato skins. You can't waste them.

0:34:49 > 0:34:53Potato skins roasted in the oven with garlic and rosemary,

0:34:53 > 0:34:54absolutely beautiful.

0:34:54 > 0:34:56Brilliant. That's enough, yeah?

0:34:56 > 0:34:59- Yes, perfect. Perfect. - These are these little garlic chips.

0:35:00 > 0:35:02What I'm doing here is picking down the oregano.

0:35:02 > 0:35:08This salmoriglio sauce is a South American version of a salsa verde.

0:35:08 > 0:35:15- Right.- So, here I've got oregano, mint. Classic combination with lamb.

0:35:15 > 0:35:20And some parsley. Parsley's just to stretch those flavours out.

0:35:20 > 0:35:24- Mint is to give it that nice minty note.- Minty note.- Minty note.

0:35:24 > 0:35:28Right, so in here you've got the egg yolk, little bit of nutmeg.

0:35:28 > 0:35:29Little bit of nutmeg.

0:35:29 > 0:35:34- And you want to just add in a little bit of sliced parsley.- Right, OK.

0:35:35 > 0:35:39- What's this about you opening a Peruvian restaurant, as well.- Yes.

0:35:39 > 0:35:42The next one on the cards is a Peruvian restaurant.

0:35:43 > 0:35:45It's going to be called Coya.

0:35:45 > 0:35:48He only does this to get a free holiday to do a bit of research.

0:35:48 > 0:35:51I'm off to Peru... to Lima, Peru in the first two

0:35:51 > 0:35:53weeks of January for food research.

0:35:53 > 0:35:57- Right. What's in Peru? - What's in Peru?

0:35:57 > 0:36:03The beauty about this restaurant is it's going to have a ceviche bar and tiradito bar

0:36:03 > 0:36:08so you go up there hand have freshly cut ceviche and tiradito.

0:36:08 > 0:36:11And we'll have a big, open wood grill.

0:36:11 > 0:36:14So we're going to tap into the flavours of South America

0:36:14 > 0:36:18with the wood grill and the ceviches and the tiraditos.

0:36:18 > 0:36:20I think the South American

0:36:20 > 0:36:24and Peruvian food movement is coming to the global scene.

0:36:24 > 0:36:27This is going to be in London, as well?

0:36:27 > 0:36:29This is going to be in London, absolutely.

0:36:31 > 0:36:32I've got this in here.

0:36:32 > 0:36:36You want flour, egg and the crumb in here, don't you?

0:36:36 > 0:36:38I'm going to move that down there.

0:36:41 > 0:36:45- It's got to be rolled into little balls.- Flour. Bit of egg.

0:36:47 > 0:36:52- Yes.- And then instead of the crumbs you're going to use some almonds.

0:36:52 > 0:36:54Yes. But we want the almonds crushed up.

0:36:54 > 0:36:57Do you want me to crush the almonds for you? Give them a crunch up.

0:36:58 > 0:37:02There you go. What's this you're making here? Tell us about this.

0:37:02 > 0:37:03This is the salmoriglio.

0:37:07 > 0:37:10I'm going to make quite a rough style pesto

0:37:10 > 0:37:13and we'll use this to serve on the side and drizzle over the top.

0:37:13 > 0:37:15Couldn't you have brought ready-crushed almonds?

0:37:15 > 0:37:18I could have but I wanted something for you to do.

0:37:18 > 0:37:22- It gives it that handmade feel. - Yeah. Flour.

0:37:27 > 0:37:29- About the size of that?- Perfect.

0:37:29 > 0:37:33And we want to make this quite thin to stretch it out.

0:37:33 > 0:37:38- How many do you want?- I think, realistically, we need five.- Five!

0:37:38 > 0:37:42- Right. That's fine.- Shall we go for three?- That's fine. No problem.

0:37:42 > 0:37:45In we go. Finish with the...

0:37:47 > 0:37:50Sometimes you would baste that, wouldn't you,

0:37:50 > 0:37:53- over the top of the lamb while it's cooking?- Yes, absolutely.

0:37:53 > 0:37:55It just gives it that beautiful finishing touch.

0:37:55 > 0:37:59- But what you're going to do is just finish it over the top?- Yes.

0:38:00 > 0:38:06So we got flour, egg and the crumb.

0:38:06 > 0:38:09And these go in the fryer.

0:38:09 > 0:38:12- They don't have to be all the same size, do they?- No, no, no.

0:38:12 > 0:38:15- This is home-made, handmade. - It's lucky because they're not.

0:38:17 > 0:38:18Right.

0:38:19 > 0:38:22I'm going to go over here. It's a bit like a salsa verde?

0:38:22 > 0:38:26It's very much a salsa verde. That's exactly what it is.

0:38:26 > 0:38:29What I'm really tapping into is the oregano. That nice flavour in there.

0:38:29 > 0:38:32We've got our...

0:38:33 > 0:38:35Where's our one that's cooked?

0:38:35 > 0:38:39Our one that's cooked is coming out in just a second.

0:38:39 > 0:38:41Just grabbing some mint tops.

0:38:42 > 0:38:44Have you got a favourite cuisine that you like to cook?

0:38:44 > 0:38:47Cos you've got such a big repertoire.

0:38:47 > 0:38:48I know you're really into your food

0:38:48 > 0:38:50but anything that really stands out for you?

0:38:50 > 0:38:54My two favourite cuisines are definitely Spanish and Japanese.

0:38:54 > 0:38:57And that's why I really like this Mediterranean that I'm doing

0:38:57 > 0:39:00because they're similar.

0:39:00 > 0:39:03It's all about enhancing the flavour and enhancing the ingredient.

0:39:03 > 0:39:05Keeping it simple.

0:39:05 > 0:39:09The great thing about Spain, we talked about it about a month ago

0:39:09 > 0:39:12with Rick Stein is the great larder, the great ingredients they have.

0:39:12 > 0:39:16It's not just great seafood, they have everything.

0:39:18 > 0:39:20Check that out. You can just leave that as it is if you want.

0:39:20 > 0:39:23- You could just serve it like that. - I'll just eat it as it is.

0:39:23 > 0:39:26If you could take that straight to the dining table, that would be perfect.

0:39:26 > 0:39:29I don't know what you lot are having!

0:39:29 > 0:39:33Now he's going to ruin it by poncing around with it, you see.

0:39:33 > 0:39:34No, no, no, no.

0:39:34 > 0:39:35Nice crusty sides.

0:39:37 > 0:39:41Smells great. Hey, they look good.

0:39:44 > 0:39:46There we go.

0:39:47 > 0:39:51We're getting all that anchovy and garlic flavour straight in there.

0:39:55 > 0:39:59- Bring that round. Liking the look of this?- Liking the look of it.

0:40:03 > 0:40:05- That will do.- No, no, no, no.

0:40:06 > 0:40:07One more for good luck.

0:40:10 > 0:40:11We've got these things.

0:40:11 > 0:40:13These colour up so much quicker

0:40:13 > 0:40:16- because you've got the almonds in there.- Yeah.

0:40:21 > 0:40:23Little bit of salmoriglio sauce.

0:40:24 > 0:40:28And a little bit on the side to dip the croquettas in -

0:40:28 > 0:40:29like that.

0:40:30 > 0:40:33That and that. You know I told you to make five.

0:40:33 > 0:40:37- I'm probably going to just put three on.- See, I knew that was coming.

0:40:37 > 0:40:40- And there we have it. - What about my garlic chips?

0:40:40 > 0:40:42Pardon me, that was close.

0:40:43 > 0:40:46- And there we have it. Round two. - What is it again?

0:40:46 > 0:40:50- It's our lamb leg with salmoriglio sauce and almond croquettas. - Pretty good.

0:40:55 > 0:40:58It looks lovely. You can take that over there.

0:40:58 > 0:41:01Meanwhile I'll just finish off this piece of meat over here.

0:41:01 > 0:41:06- Smells...- Looks great, doesn't it? - Yeah. Smells incredible.

0:41:06 > 0:41:09Looks lovely. I would say you can't do with anything else

0:41:09 > 0:41:12but you kind of wouldn't want anything else.

0:41:12 > 0:41:15- Nice and simple. - Roll VT. I might be some time.

0:41:16 > 0:41:20- Would you leave it to rest before you actually carve it?- Yeah.

0:41:20 > 0:41:22Roast it, leave it to rest for about 20 minutes

0:41:22 > 0:41:25and then we just flashed it back in the oven to bring the heat

0:41:25 > 0:41:26back into it.

0:41:26 > 0:41:28And then carve it.

0:41:28 > 0:41:32That is sensational. The crust and that sauce is beautiful.

0:41:32 > 0:41:34I've got a feeling you're not going to get any.

0:41:34 > 0:41:37It's got to get past me first, as well.

0:41:42 > 0:41:43Trust me, I tasted them,

0:41:43 > 0:41:46those croquettes are great with any recipe this Christmas.

0:41:46 > 0:41:49Now it's time for Keith Floyd to travel across the Irish Sea

0:41:49 > 0:41:52and sample some of the delights of the Emerald Isle.

0:41:58 > 0:42:00No cooking programme of mine would be

0:42:00 > 0:42:03complete without a dollop of mythology

0:42:03 > 0:42:04and I'm standing here on the

0:42:04 > 0:42:06Giant's Causeway which it says here

0:42:06 > 0:42:09on my tea towel issued by the National Trust was

0:42:09 > 0:42:12made by Finn McCool.

0:42:12 > 0:42:15You remember Finn McCool and the Heartbreakers?

0:42:15 > 0:42:17Great band in the early 17th century.

0:42:17 > 0:42:21Anyway, he was fighting for ever with his Scottish giant over

0:42:21 > 0:42:22the water there.

0:42:22 > 0:42:25And they built this causeway so they could do battle in the middle.

0:42:25 > 0:42:28But Finn McCool was a smart guy

0:42:28 > 0:42:32and he heard that the Scottish giant was so big that he borrowed his

0:42:32 > 0:42:36son's school uniform, you know short trousers, a blazer and a peaked cap,

0:42:36 > 0:42:38walked across the causeway -

0:42:38 > 0:42:40so petrified the Scottish giant who thought,

0:42:40 > 0:42:42"Blimey, if that's his son, what's his dad like?"

0:42:42 > 0:42:45Threw a little fit of pique and ripped up the causeway.

0:42:45 > 0:42:47And this is all that remains. Ah-ha!

0:42:55 > 0:42:57Ah, the Bushmill's distillery. Yes, I remember.

0:42:57 > 0:43:00Of course taking me there is a bit like giving a strawberry donkeys.

0:43:00 > 0:43:03But simply to make the mash at the first stage you add

0:43:03 > 0:43:05water from the River Bush to Irish barley.

0:43:06 > 0:43:10And the next thing I recall is the heady fumes of the wash.

0:43:10 > 0:43:12This is where the yeast is added which feeds off the sugar

0:43:12 > 0:43:14to make the alcohol.

0:43:14 > 0:43:17Then it's but a few wibbly wobbly steps to the distillation plant

0:43:17 > 0:43:20where the raw spirit is circulated through the system three times.

0:43:22 > 0:43:25I was surprised to learn this is the oldest distillery in the world

0:43:25 > 0:43:30and was first granted a licence in 1608. AD, of course.

0:43:31 > 0:43:34So this is the end of the process, the end of the line.

0:43:34 > 0:43:38This is where this wonderful spirit is stored in oak barrels for up

0:43:38 > 0:43:42to ten years. You know that? Before it's bottled.

0:43:42 > 0:43:44But in the meantime there's some other people getting a real

0:43:44 > 0:43:46kick out of it - the angels.

0:43:46 > 0:43:51Because 20% of the liquor in these barrels evaporates up

0:43:51 > 0:43:54and they call this the Angel's share.

0:44:05 > 0:44:08Because I've got the breaking strain of a hot Mars bar

0:44:08 > 0:44:10I tarried a while, as one does,

0:44:10 > 0:44:12assiduously discovering the differences of the three

0:44:12 > 0:44:13whiskies they make.

0:44:13 > 0:44:18Meanwhile, my devious producer stitched me up by entering me for the

0:44:18 > 0:44:21Taste of Ulster culinary competition at the catering college in Portrush.

0:44:23 > 0:44:26You may start your cooking at any stage now.

0:44:26 > 0:44:31And we shall expect you to present your dishes to the judges at 2:45.

0:44:31 > 0:44:32Good luck to all of you.

0:44:39 > 0:44:42Forgive me but cooking competitions make me very nervous.

0:44:42 > 0:44:45Especially in the company of Ulster's finest chefs.

0:44:45 > 0:44:47These guys had no intention of taking any prisoners

0:44:47 > 0:44:49and are going the whole nine yards.

0:44:49 > 0:44:52When the whistle went, it was chop, chop, busy, busy, bang-bang.

0:44:52 > 0:44:56The competition was simple. Create an original dish from local produce.

0:44:56 > 0:44:59It's a good idea to establish the regional identity of food.

0:44:59 > 0:45:02And I'd like to see a series of nationwide events like this,

0:45:02 > 0:45:05which could result in British dishes being proudly presented in pubs,

0:45:05 > 0:45:09restaurants and hotels instead of being a frail candle in the wind.

0:45:09 > 0:45:12What I'm doing here is frying

0:45:12 > 0:45:15until golden brown some finely chopped onions,

0:45:15 > 0:45:20which are partly done now and some very finely diced red pepper.

0:45:20 > 0:45:24Now I want to make these a little bit golden and a little bit burnt

0:45:24 > 0:45:27because they're going to go into the stuffing of my fish faggots.

0:45:27 > 0:45:30Another name which we'll find before the programme's finished, OK?

0:45:30 > 0:45:32These need to be a bit crisp and golden

0:45:32 > 0:45:34because I want them to bring the sunshine out,

0:45:34 > 0:45:38to be a little bit crunchy, a little bit caramelised, to lift up

0:45:38 > 0:45:43the flavour of the scallops, which is the basic ingredient in my dish.

0:45:43 > 0:45:47I can trust those to simmer. Using your feet walk over here,

0:45:47 > 0:45:50I can explain a bit better exactly what I'm going to do.

0:45:50 > 0:45:52Close up here.

0:45:52 > 0:45:56Look, this is the scallop meat chopped into small dice, OK?

0:45:56 > 0:45:58On top of which I'm going to place the coral of the scallop.

0:46:00 > 0:46:05What's going to happen is that's going to sit on the bed of salmon,

0:46:05 > 0:46:07like that.

0:46:08 > 0:46:11Mixed with the things I'm frying over in the pan over there.

0:46:11 > 0:46:13Then I'm going to cover the whole lot.

0:46:13 > 0:46:15You have to keep coming back with that, you see?

0:46:15 > 0:46:19That's the best I can do cos this is a competition and this is burning. And I don't want to...

0:46:19 > 0:46:21I don't get a second chance on this time.

0:46:21 > 0:46:23We can't do one of those things like,

0:46:23 > 0:46:25"Oh, I already have one prepared in the oven."

0:46:25 > 0:46:28because this is for real.

0:46:30 > 0:46:33'To take the spotlight off me for a bit, have a look at this.

0:46:33 > 0:46:36'Lightly beaten out chicken breasts rolled over a salmon mousse

0:46:36 > 0:46:37'studded with prawns.

0:46:37 > 0:46:40'And here's brilliant dish called Lamb Gortfinbar.

0:46:40 > 0:46:43'Essentially a loin of lamb wrapped in cabbage and pastry.

0:46:43 > 0:46:46'You don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to realise that this lot have

0:46:46 > 0:46:49'really put some thought and effort into this.

0:46:49 > 0:46:51'They are as we say in the trade, cooking on gas.

0:46:51 > 0:46:54'Unlike me, who came on a wild card, a cabbage and a bit of fish.'

0:46:57 > 0:46:59Go away, look at them. Go away!

0:47:01 > 0:47:03This is a secret winning recipe, go away.

0:47:15 > 0:47:19Here you are, come on. Some little bourbon biscuits for you all.

0:47:19 > 0:47:21That's the trouble with being in the public eye.

0:47:21 > 0:47:23You can't even step out of your own front door without finding

0:47:23 > 0:47:27a blasted camera crew there. If it isn't the Daily Mirror, it's the BBC.

0:47:27 > 0:47:30And I'm a shy and retiring person, which is why I live in this humble cottage here in Ireland.

0:47:30 > 0:47:33Where I write my novels and compose my programmes and think very

0:47:33 > 0:47:36deeply about life and the meaning of cooking and stuff like that.

0:47:36 > 0:47:39And as a rule, I wouldn't let you in but the director really begged me

0:47:39 > 0:47:42and said, "Please, please show them your house and show them

0:47:42 > 0:47:44"something essentially Irish to cook."

0:47:44 > 0:47:48So I thought, "Oh, all right." So come on in.

0:47:50 > 0:47:53Potato cakes, potato breads are very important to Irish cooking,

0:47:53 > 0:47:55Irish diet, the whole bit.

0:47:55 > 0:47:58And the best way to get them is to go to Marks and Spencer's and buy a packet.

0:47:58 > 0:48:01of course, we wouldn't do a thing like that,

0:48:01 > 0:48:05we have to stand burning in front of a peat fire in front of an 18th century stove.

0:48:05 > 0:48:06No magi-mixers, no electricity

0:48:06 > 0:48:10and I want to do the real business in the 200-year-old fashion.

0:48:10 > 0:48:12This is a pot of potatoes, OK?

0:48:12 > 0:48:17Back over here, Richard. Close up on this wicker work sieve strainer.

0:48:17 > 0:48:22You pour the potatoes out if you can. Oh, dear. Into there.

0:48:22 > 0:48:24This is very difficult.

0:48:24 > 0:48:29Right. Carefully put them in so as not to damage them.

0:48:29 > 0:48:30There we are.

0:48:30 > 0:48:34You lift those up and it's about this time you begin to wonder why you're here.

0:48:34 > 0:48:36Happily, I'm here with my great chum Fionnuala who knows

0:48:36 > 0:48:38all about potato bread.

0:48:38 > 0:48:40First of all, Fionnuala,

0:48:40 > 0:48:43why couldn't we have saved trouble by peeling the potatoes first?

0:48:43 > 0:48:45That would have been very helpful, wouldn't it?

0:48:45 > 0:48:48Because it's traditional to boil them in their skins.

0:48:48 > 0:48:50Also you can save the skins and you can feed them to the

0:48:50 > 0:48:54chickens or the pigs or you can throw them back in the fire again.

0:48:54 > 0:48:56Do people still eat potato cakes a great deal in Ireland?

0:48:56 > 0:48:59- Or is this a trip down memory lane. - Oh, yes. They eat them still.

0:48:59 > 0:49:02You can buy them from bakeries, you can make them at home

0:49:02 > 0:49:04or you just go to any supermarket and buy them.

0:49:04 > 0:49:08You use them with Ulsterfry and it's very popular still.

0:49:08 > 0:49:09Well, look, Richard, I have to...

0:49:09 > 0:49:13I mean, this is the highpoint of a regular 18th century farmer's day.

0:49:13 > 0:49:14There were no television on those days.

0:49:14 > 0:49:17He would dress in the typical apparel I'm wearing today.

0:49:17 > 0:49:21Silk bowtie, hand chase cufflinks, suede jacket, Rolex watch, everything like that.

0:49:21 > 0:49:24And he would set about peeling these. That's in fact a rather boring process.

0:49:24 > 0:49:27So you take a little tour round this wonderful estate - the Ulster Folk Museum -

0:49:27 > 0:49:31and join us a again when we're at a really interesting bit.

0:49:31 > 0:49:32Right, off I go.

0:49:34 > 0:49:35They're hot!

0:49:35 > 0:49:37Oh, I see. You pick them up with a fork.

0:49:45 > 0:49:46'Every Sunday,

0:49:46 > 0:49:49'they come in their thousands to savour the delights of yesteryear.

0:49:49 > 0:49:52'I think there's a great plan afoot to turn these islands into one

0:49:52 > 0:49:54'great theme park where nobody ever gets old.

0:49:54 > 0:49:57'And where Uncle Mac is still on the radio saying,

0:49:57 > 0:49:59'"Goodbye, children everywhere."

0:49:59 > 0:50:02'Thrilled with the memories of the three Rs, Christopher Robin

0:50:02 > 0:50:06'and I wonder what prayers were said at the foot of this bed.'

0:50:06 > 0:50:09Well, I hope you enjoyed that little mini tour round the park,

0:50:09 > 0:50:11round the estate. Interesting, I think you'll find.

0:50:11 > 0:50:15While you were away, I've been beetling away - ha-ha - this is a beetle.

0:50:15 > 0:50:17Crushing the potato into a fairly smooth

0:50:17 > 0:50:19but still lumpy mixture adding some plain flour.

0:50:19 > 0:50:22You could add wholemeal flour if you want to.

0:50:22 > 0:50:25Bit of butter, bit of salt and now all I have to do is roll it out.

0:50:25 > 0:50:29If I'm a bit strange this morning, they built this cottage with doorways

0:50:29 > 0:50:32five foot three high and I just cracked my head in the most

0:50:32 > 0:50:35monstrous way on the top and it is actually spinning. So I have quick cup of tea.

0:50:35 > 0:50:39Cos they always say in a an emergency have a quick cup of tea, don't they?

0:50:39 > 0:50:41Forgot to put the milk and sugar in. Never mind.

0:50:41 > 0:50:44So we roll those out very quickly. Bit more flour on the top.

0:50:44 > 0:50:47- How thick do you think they ought to be?- A bit thinner than that.

0:50:47 > 0:50:49A bit thinner than that.

0:50:49 > 0:50:53And then the griddle's up to frying speed, you cut out some little

0:50:53 > 0:50:56wedges using another 18th century implement, the eggslice.

0:50:56 > 0:51:00Like that. Whizz on round here, Richard, cos on they go.

0:51:01 > 0:51:06Notice I have the griddle already dusted impeccably. Do a few more.

0:51:06 > 0:51:09Sorry to keep running in front of you but we're not a studio

0:51:09 > 0:51:14production, we don't have 18 cameras and cutaways and stuff like that. We pop those on there.

0:51:15 > 0:51:17Another potato cake.

0:51:17 > 0:51:19And then... You come back here, Richard.

0:51:19 > 0:51:21I didn't say you could leave the stove.

0:51:21 > 0:51:24I want you to take a nice little shot of me roasting.

0:51:24 > 0:51:26Because I have a little thing, what we call a pay off.

0:51:26 > 0:51:28See, in a minute they'll do one of those magic things

0:51:28 > 0:51:31and mixers or a wobbly picture and you'll see us

0:51:31 > 0:51:34enjoying these crisp, cooked, golden delicious potato cakes.

0:51:34 > 0:51:36Close up on there and I'll step out of shot.

0:51:39 > 0:51:42So there you are. 15 minutes later they are cooked to perfection.

0:51:42 > 0:51:46Well, I think perfection. You just place them onto the plate like that.

0:51:46 > 0:51:48Add a little butter, have a little taste.

0:51:48 > 0:51:51- Fionnuala, would you like to have a little taste?- Yes, please.

0:51:51 > 0:51:54So you tell me if they're OK. Bit of butter on there for you.

0:51:55 > 0:51:56Thank you.

0:51:56 > 0:51:59While Fionnuala's chocking on that I must tell you that we've had

0:51:59 > 0:52:02lots of letters from people saying how do you choose your locations?

0:52:02 > 0:52:06We all know you've got griddles at home and 18th century fireplaces.

0:52:06 > 0:52:07In fact, you don't really need this lesson.

0:52:07 > 0:52:10But the way we choose the programmes, in the directors' office there's

0:52:10 > 0:52:14a very large map of the British Isles and three darts and we throw them

0:52:14 > 0:52:16at the board and this one happened to land near Belfast.

0:52:16 > 0:52:18Anyway, enough jokes and things like that.

0:52:18 > 0:52:21Business is business, we've only booked this place till half 11.

0:52:21 > 0:52:26The next party's coming in for one of her real demonstrations so we must be as they say, trotting along.

0:52:26 > 0:52:27See you in the next sequence.

0:52:30 > 0:52:34Right, I'm in fact in a state go. Now, look down here, please.

0:52:34 > 0:52:38I've got my web of caul, OK? This is the fatty bit.

0:52:38 > 0:52:41My bed of salmon sitting there.

0:52:41 > 0:52:45Now, raw chopped scallops as I told you...

0:52:46 > 0:52:51..mixed with my cooked peppers, onions, parsley, bread crumbs,

0:52:51 > 0:52:55egg yolks and cream, OK? Packet that on the top like that.

0:52:57 > 0:53:01Then a piece of splendid Ulster bacon on the top

0:53:01 > 0:53:05and the coral of the scollop on top of that.

0:53:05 > 0:53:09Right, fold that over. I'm going to trim this.

0:53:09 > 0:53:11OK, Richard, you can come back to me now.

0:53:11 > 0:53:13I'm going to trim that into a little packet.

0:53:13 > 0:53:16Now, when I put this into the oven it's going to be

0:53:16 > 0:53:1910 minutes before they judge it. I've never cooked this before,

0:53:19 > 0:53:21I've created it especially for this competition.

0:53:21 > 0:53:24I mean, obviously I can't win but I am trying to use

0:53:24 > 0:53:27the things of Ulster the fish, the cabbage, the bacon.

0:53:27 > 0:53:30I don't know if it's going to come out properly.

0:53:30 > 0:53:33Hopefully, my experience as a cook tells me that it should work.

0:53:33 > 0:53:35I'm trying very, very hard on this, OK?

0:53:35 > 0:53:39This is absolutely for real and you just leave me

0:53:39 > 0:53:41now cos I'm going to put it in the oven.

0:53:46 > 0:53:48'This is the bit that reminds of sitting O-levels.

0:53:48 > 0:53:52'Gazing at the ceiling while everybody else is scribbling furiously away.

0:53:52 > 0:53:56'John Cross Kerry's putting the finishing touches to his bowl of Aughnacloy.

0:53:56 > 0:53:59'I think the judge will probably need sunglasses to appreciate this one.

0:53:59 > 0:54:02'Still, I must say the competition is looking pretty stiff, what?

0:54:02 > 0:54:04'And Archie's lamb is looking tickety-boo.

0:54:04 > 0:54:08'It's got to be up with the leaders, you know, this one.'

0:54:23 > 0:54:27Bacon and cabbage. You see? Little lardons of bacon.

0:54:27 > 0:54:29Fresh Ulster cabbage.

0:54:31 > 0:54:35- Now Chef Floyd, I must tell you that you have five minutes left.- I...

0:54:35 > 0:54:36To bring your dish forward.

0:54:36 > 0:54:39I'll be here, I'll be here, don't you worry about it.

0:54:41 > 0:54:42Thank you, Your Majesty.

0:54:44 > 0:54:45Ouch!

0:54:45 > 0:54:48'Do you ever get that sinking feeling? They're all here.

0:54:48 > 0:54:51'The Lamb Gortfinbar, the Chicken Picasso.

0:54:51 > 0:54:54'And if it doesn't win here I'm sure the ICA will snap it up.

0:54:54 > 0:54:57'Then of course for the Salvador Dali award there's this huge

0:54:57 > 0:55:01'expanse of white Irish linen where my Finn McCool burgers will lie in state.

0:55:01 > 0:55:04'Medallions of beef with a herb sauce and finally it's

0:55:04 > 0:55:08'breast of chicken stuffed with salmon mousse and prawns'

0:55:16 > 0:55:19Richard, I'm not remotely interested in what you're doing, OK?

0:55:19 > 0:55:24If you want to re-shoot this, you've got no chance, because this is where it's happening here and now.

0:55:27 > 0:55:29These are my little...

0:55:33 > 0:55:35My little Finn McCool burgers.

0:55:36 > 0:55:39'Considering I've never cooked this before and certainly didn't do

0:55:39 > 0:55:42'any homework, it's turned out really well. And do you know?

0:55:42 > 0:55:43'I don't mind if I win or not,

0:55:43 > 0:55:46'at least my own sense of honour is satisfied.

0:55:46 > 0:55:47'I've stayed with the rules,

0:55:47 > 0:55:50'I've created an original dish that tastes nice and looks good.

0:55:52 > 0:55:54'The sauce by the way, very simple.

0:55:54 > 0:55:55'Just the old egg and butter routine

0:55:55 > 0:55:58'but all you have to do is beat a couple of ounces of softened

0:55:58 > 0:56:02'butter into two egg yolks over a very low heat for a second or two

0:56:02 > 0:56:03'and pour it over your cabbage.

0:56:03 > 0:56:06'By the way, it's good with anything from asparagus to fish.'

0:56:06 > 0:56:09It's great entering these cooking competitions.

0:56:09 > 0:56:12Look this is critical. My sauce is separating, my cameraman says,

0:56:12 > 0:56:14"Could you do that once again, please?

0:56:14 > 0:56:17"Because there was a shadow." To hell with the shadow, this is

0:56:17 > 0:56:21a taste of Ulster and I'm now going to be disqualified because of you.

0:56:24 > 0:56:28APPLAUSE

0:56:34 > 0:56:37Well, the winning dish was lamb Gortfinbar.

0:56:37 > 0:56:39Well done, Archie Stewart.

0:56:44 > 0:56:46How good is it to see the great man in action?

0:56:46 > 0:56:48We're not cooking live in the studio today,

0:56:48 > 0:56:51so instead we're looking back at some of the great cooking from

0:56:51 > 0:56:54the Saturday Kitchen back catalogue. Still to come on today's Best Bites:

0:56:54 > 0:56:58Jun Tanaka takes on Theo Randall in the Saturday Kitchen omelette challenge.

0:56:58 > 0:57:01One of them actually makes a pretty impressive omelette

0:57:01 > 0:57:03but I couldn't possibly reveal who it is right now.

0:57:03 > 0:57:06So keep watching, you'll find out a little later on.

0:57:06 > 0:57:09John Burton-Race makes a warming portion of squid-ink pasta.

0:57:09 > 0:57:12He creates a stunning seafood lunch involving mussels,

0:57:12 > 0:57:14saffron, tomatoes and spinach.

0:57:14 > 0:57:17And Michael Ball faced his Food Heaven or Food Hell.

0:57:17 > 0:57:20Will he get his Food Heaven? Pork belly with my poached

0:57:20 > 0:57:23and roasted pork belly with sauteed cabbage and bacon.

0:57:23 > 0:57:25Or will he get his dreaded Food Hell?

0:57:25 > 0:57:27Monkfish and a monkfish and mussel curry with saffron.

0:57:27 > 0:57:30Find out what he gets to eat at the end of today's show.

0:57:30 > 0:57:33Now though, it's time for visit from the amazing Antonio Carluccio,

0:57:33 > 0:57:36who shows us that if you're armed with a courgette, spinach

0:57:36 > 0:57:40and rigatoni, you can make a first class meal. Take a look at this.

0:57:40 > 0:57:43- MOF, MOF, minimum of fuss. - Minimum of fuss.

0:57:43 > 0:57:45I'm going to get this on cos I know we've got to cook it.

0:57:45 > 0:57:49- And I do this, yes.- So literally... Salty boiling water.

0:57:49 > 0:57:52What's the name of this dish that were going to make?

0:57:52 > 0:57:56- This is penne usually but we use rigatoni.- Now this is this one.

0:57:56 > 0:57:59This is this one, it's got the ribs on it as well.

0:57:59 > 0:58:03- Yeah, the rigatoni rigate.- Rigatoni rigate. Which is the ribs?- Yes.

0:58:03 > 0:58:06And the reason why it's got the ribs is its going to

0:58:06 > 0:58:10- hold in the sauce, is that right? - Yes, a little more the sauce holding.

0:58:10 > 0:58:13Here, I'm just blanching the spinach because we have to shorten things.

0:58:13 > 0:58:17- A little stir here, no olive oil on top.- OK. So just...

0:58:17 > 0:58:19The secret of cooking pasta is literally just...

0:58:19 > 0:58:22If you could do that, it would be wonderful.

0:58:22 > 0:58:25- It's literally salted boiling water? - Yes.- Don't put any oil in the water.

0:58:25 > 0:58:26No. Right.

0:58:26 > 0:58:31And if you give me now the spinach, squashed and squeezed of all the...

0:58:31 > 0:58:34We start to do the spinach balls.

0:58:34 > 0:58:37So the spinach, what we need to do I just drain this off.

0:58:37 > 0:58:39- Now, I'm going to get a cloth for this bit.- Aha!

0:58:39 > 0:58:43- I'm going to press this through. - Before, I've done it with my hands.

0:58:43 > 0:58:45Yeah, and it's hot, isn't it? There you go.

0:58:45 > 0:58:48So the idea is I'm just going to press out the water for this.

0:58:48 > 0:58:49Fantastic.

0:58:50 > 0:58:54There we go, get rid of all the water. I'll get you a knife.

0:58:54 > 0:58:56There you go, chef.

0:58:57 > 0:58:59- There you go.- Thanks.

0:58:59 > 0:59:01So whenever you come on the show, you never stop.

0:59:01 > 0:59:05- You're always working. - Well, I like working.- Yeah?

0:59:05 > 0:59:09I like working and I do a job that I really like to do.

0:59:09 > 0:59:13So producing food for sharing with people

0:59:13 > 0:59:16and this is the most lovely thing that you can do in life.

0:59:16 > 0:59:19- Yeah, and that's the ethos of your restaurant, isn't it, really?- Yeah.

0:59:19 > 0:59:22- I mean, you've not just got them n London.- No.

0:59:22 > 0:59:25I was out in Dubai, what, three weeks ago? In your restaurant over there.

0:59:25 > 0:59:28That's extraordinary that you were there.

0:59:28 > 0:59:30Because you know that that is a sort of,

0:59:30 > 0:59:34- suppose to be the meeting point of all the ex-pats in Dubai.- Yeah.

0:59:34 > 0:59:36- An Italian restaurant. - An Italian restaurant.

0:59:36 > 0:59:40But the ethos if it is, it's the simplicity and the great ingredients, isn't it?

0:59:40 > 0:59:43- Yes.- Right, now tell us wheat's happening here then?

0:59:43 > 0:59:48This is now the spinach slightly blanched and then we put an egg

0:59:48 > 0:59:51and they'll be coming...

0:59:51 > 0:59:53And a little bit of breadcrumbs.

0:59:53 > 0:59:57- Now, this dish you invented, what, 30 years ago?- This one, yes.- Yeah.

0:59:58 > 1:00:03- Little bit more. Yes.- OK. - A bit of garlic.

1:00:03 > 1:00:06So I've got a bit of chilli here.

1:00:06 > 1:00:11- Now, you're going to Germany this week?- No, I was there.- Oh, right.

1:00:11 > 1:00:15- I'm going tomorrow.- Right, and this is for reviewing a restaurant?

1:00:15 > 1:00:18Yeah, it was reviewing a restaurant. And it's funny,

1:00:18 > 1:00:24- because I was there 40 years ago just after the wall was erected.- Right.

1:00:24 > 1:00:28And I thought that people that would be happy.

1:00:28 > 1:00:31In fact, I cried when the wall came down.

1:00:31 > 1:00:33And I asked some people there, I said, "Are you happy now?"

1:00:33 > 1:00:38- They said, "No, no, we preferred it before." What? - Really? Well, there you go.

1:00:38 > 1:00:41- Can you grate me a bit of Parmesan. - I can great you a bit of that, no problem.

1:00:41 > 1:00:43- So we've got Parmesan cheese. - And the nutmeg.

1:00:44 > 1:00:47- You do your nutmegs.- Nutmeg? I shall get you some.

1:00:47 > 1:00:51- No, you great the Parmesan there and then.- What do you want?

1:00:51 > 1:00:54- You want it on here?- Come on, James, get a grip on yourself, please.

1:00:54 > 1:00:57Listen, you just be quiet over there.

1:00:57 > 1:01:01- There you are.- And I'll grate some Parmesan cheese.- Salt and pepper.

1:01:01 > 1:01:02Yeah.

1:01:03 > 1:01:07- There you go.- So what kind of food was in the German restaurant?

1:01:07 > 1:01:09- Where? In Germany? - Yeah, what kind of thing?

1:01:09 > 1:01:11Well, it was the same as 40 years ago.

1:01:11 > 1:01:14- It didn't change very much.- Yeah?

1:01:14 > 1:01:16And this review's going to be...?

1:01:16 > 1:01:21In the Jamie's magazine. But it's very good food, actually.

1:01:21 > 1:01:23- A bit heavy, but very good food.- Yeah?

1:01:23 > 1:01:28- There you go.- Wonderful. A bit Parmesan. Then a fork, a fork, a fork.

1:01:28 > 1:01:31- Here.- Ill get you a fork. Now you're just going to fry... I'm just going to fry these.

1:01:31 > 1:01:33Can you put me some good olive oil there?

1:01:33 > 1:01:38- I'm going to fry the garlic.- Yes. You're a wonderful assistant.

1:01:38 > 1:01:41- This is your oil in here. - More, more, more, more.

1:01:41 > 1:01:45That's not olive oil though, chef. Otherwise you'll tell me off.

1:01:45 > 1:01:47Yeah, very good. Because...

1:01:47 > 1:01:51good food is the component of many good items.

1:01:51 > 1:01:54Yeah, good olive oil, there you go.

1:01:55 > 1:01:57- There we are.- A bit of garlic and a bit of chilli in there.

1:01:57 > 1:02:00This is for the salt, and put that one...

1:02:00 > 1:02:02My goodness, you know already everything.

1:02:02 > 1:02:05And here we do the balls, look at this.

1:02:05 > 1:02:09Now, this recipe may be 30 years old, but it's in your new cookbook.

1:02:09 > 1:02:12It is, and it is called penne giardiniera,

1:02:12 > 1:02:19and imagine that about ten years ago I had done it,

1:02:19 > 1:02:24and now for the last two years it has been on the menu

1:02:24 > 1:02:27- as a bringer of money for charity. - Right.

1:02:27 > 1:02:33So we have the Action For Hunger

1:02:33 > 1:02:36and in one year we collected £400,000.

1:02:36 > 1:02:41- By 50p per portion. - Fantastic! Fantastic!

1:02:42 > 1:02:46- Very good.- Nearly 800,000 portions. - Yes.- Incredible.

1:02:46 > 1:02:50- Can you put a bit of water on the pasta?- Bit of pasta water in there.

1:02:50 > 1:02:51There you go.

1:02:51 > 1:02:55This is the secret, you were saying, just a little bit of pasta water.

1:02:55 > 1:02:56Incidentally, the spinach balls,

1:02:56 > 1:03:01they are very good for aperitifs, you know, drinks.

1:03:01 > 1:03:04Yeah. So you would use these as little canapes?

1:03:04 > 1:03:07So you just fry them until they are nice and golden brown.

1:03:07 > 1:03:10The breadcrumbs, they hold it together with the egg

1:03:10 > 1:03:12- and that's it.- There you go.

1:03:12 > 1:03:16So in there, just to remind you, you've got spinach,

1:03:16 > 1:03:21you've got bread, Parmesan cheese, an egg, salt and pepper as well.

1:03:21 > 1:03:23Very, very easy, yes.

1:03:23 > 1:03:25- Nice and simple.- It is very simple.

1:03:25 > 1:03:27Did you put some pepper and salt in?

1:03:27 > 1:03:29I can put some pepper and salt in in a second.

1:03:29 > 1:03:31- You didn't?- I haven't yet, no.

1:03:31 > 1:03:33Garlic is there, yes?

1:03:33 > 1:03:35So your new book, what is it called?

1:03:35 > 1:03:39It's called Antonio Carluccio's Simple Cooking.

1:03:39 > 1:03:44- Yeah.- And the idea was to produce recipes,

1:03:44 > 1:03:48simple recipes, with the possibility of upgrading

1:03:48 > 1:03:51and the possibility to use the leftovers, which is

1:03:51 > 1:03:56very important for Italians. The leftovers, use them in something.

1:03:56 > 1:03:58A bit more water, please.

1:03:58 > 1:04:01But you have a lot of recipes for leftovers.

1:04:01 > 1:04:05- I was reading your book in the back with the jam.- Yes, the fruttini.

1:04:05 > 1:04:12I received quite a lot of jam about ten years ago from this place,

1:04:12 > 1:04:14and what to do with it?

1:04:14 > 1:04:18I didn't want to throw it away, so I collected it all in a pan

1:04:18 > 1:04:24and I reduced the moisture until it became sort of a paste,

1:04:24 > 1:04:28- Yeah.- Then I made little bowls, put in sugar

1:04:28 > 1:04:32and I put it in little papers, and this wonderful fruit paste.

1:04:32 > 1:04:36- So it is like fruit pastilles? - Yeah.- How fantastic.

1:04:36 > 1:04:39- You never stop learning in the kitchen.- No.

1:04:39 > 1:04:41The pasta should be, by now, cooked.

1:04:41 > 1:04:44Bear in mind that if you have certain types of penne,

1:04:44 > 1:04:46it cooks longer.

1:04:46 > 1:04:49Are you putting salt and pepper in here?

1:04:49 > 1:04:50I put it.

1:04:50 > 1:04:53- I put a bit of oil in there. - A bit of oil.

1:04:53 > 1:04:56I am going to then take this off.

1:04:56 > 1:04:59- Don't forget the salt and pepper, James.- Sorry?

1:04:59 > 1:05:02- Don't forget the salt and pepper. - Don't forget the salt and pepper.

1:05:02 > 1:05:05I'm trying my best. There you go.

1:05:05 > 1:05:08We've just got, over here, these little balls. These are fantastic.

1:05:08 > 1:05:11- They are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. - That is the point.

1:05:11 > 1:05:13Delicious.

1:05:15 > 1:05:17And the dinner is served.

1:05:20 > 1:05:22- Look at that. That's proper grub. - Yes.

1:05:23 > 1:05:27- Vegetarian, edible by anybody. - Apart from the cheese, of course.

1:05:27 > 1:05:30Well... It's not vegan.

1:05:30 > 1:05:32There you go.

1:05:32 > 1:05:34Decoration, we have the flat balls.

1:05:36 > 1:05:37There we are.

1:05:38 > 1:05:42Like you said, you can use those as a little canape this Christmas.

1:05:42 > 1:05:46- Yeah.- Make them in advance. - And they are tasty and good.- Yeah.

1:05:46 > 1:05:50- Happy with that? - Give it to the ravenous people there.

1:05:50 > 1:05:52Remind us what this is again.

1:05:52 > 1:05:56This is penne or rigatoni giardiniera.

1:05:56 > 1:05:58Cooked by an absolute legend.

1:06:03 > 1:06:06Let's bring it over. Come and have a seat, Antonio.

1:06:06 > 1:06:10Over here, have a seat. We've got some wine to go with this.

1:06:10 > 1:06:15- It is just your type of grub, isn't it?- This is right up my street!

1:06:15 > 1:06:19Do know what I really enjoyed about washing you two cook that,

1:06:19 > 1:06:22is that you have run approximately nine miles around that kitchen,

1:06:22 > 1:06:25and Antonio just stood there.

1:06:25 > 1:06:27"A little bit of this and a little bit of that!"

1:06:27 > 1:06:30- He doesn't need to run, does he? - That's what I do!

1:06:30 > 1:06:33- It will be hot, but dive into that.- Very hot.

1:06:33 > 1:06:37These little spinach balls are fantastic.

1:06:37 > 1:06:39Hmm!

1:06:39 > 1:06:40How fantastic is that?

1:06:42 > 1:06:45Deep-fried, and yet you can taste absolutely everything.

1:06:49 > 1:06:52It's always an honour to work with the great man,

1:06:52 > 1:06:56and you can catch him cooking on Saturday Kitchen Live in just a few weeks' time.

1:06:56 > 1:06:59Jun Tanaka and Theo Randall can always be described

1:06:59 > 1:07:01as two of the nicest guys in cookery, but when they met

1:07:01 > 1:07:05at the Omelette Challenge hobs, it was about to get very competitive.

1:07:05 > 1:07:07Take a look at this.

1:07:07 > 1:07:08Right, let's get down to business.

1:07:08 > 1:07:10All the chefs that come onto the show battle it out

1:07:10 > 1:07:12against the clock and test how fast

1:07:12 > 1:07:15they can make a simple, straightforward -

1:07:15 > 1:07:17I say straightforward because I'm looking at Theo -

1:07:17 > 1:07:19three-egg omelette.

1:07:19 > 1:07:2227 seconds, Theo. Pretty good.

1:07:24 > 1:07:27But on past sort of scores up against this fellow here,

1:07:27 > 1:07:31at 17 seconds, if you were a betting man,

1:07:31 > 1:07:33this is a one horse race really.

1:07:33 > 1:07:34LAUGHTER

1:07:34 > 1:07:37Do you think you could challenge in the top ten?

1:07:37 > 1:07:40- If you give me a ten second start. - I'll give you a few tips.

1:07:40 > 1:07:42He's given me some tips actually, yeah.

1:07:42 > 1:07:44I should improve on that 27 seconds.

1:07:44 > 1:07:46Just make an omelette, don't worry about the tips.

1:07:46 > 1:07:49- Do you think they can beat this? 16.36 seconds.- Probably not.

1:07:49 > 1:07:51I had a few goes last night and made a couple...

1:07:51 > 1:07:54- You see the practice, that's the thing.- The practice!

1:07:54 > 1:07:57You've put in the hundredths of a second which wasn't there before.

1:07:57 > 1:07:59- So actually...- Stop moaning.

1:07:59 > 1:08:02You can choose from the ingredients put in front of you.

1:08:02 > 1:08:04I'll make sure they're omelette and not scrambled egg.

1:08:04 > 1:08:07As normal, let's put the clocks on the screen.

1:08:07 > 1:08:08This is just for you at home.

1:08:08 > 1:08:11Remember, these guys can't see how they are getting on.

1:08:11 > 1:08:14This one, I've got a feeling, could be quick over this side.

1:08:14 > 1:08:17Take a little bit longer. Right, are you ready?

1:08:17 > 1:08:19Three egg omelette, cooked as fast...

1:08:19 > 1:08:21Keep your hands down! Are you ready?

1:08:21 > 1:08:22Three, two, one, go!

1:08:24 > 1:08:28If you want to know how to make an omelette in a hurry, watch.

1:08:35 > 1:08:38- That needs another egg.- Does it?

1:08:40 > 1:08:44- Come on!- I'm not having that one. That's scrambled egg!

1:08:47 > 1:08:52- Look at that! What is that?! - What is that? I mean, come on!

1:08:52 > 1:08:55- I'm going to make an omelette now. - Oh, don't worry.

1:08:55 > 1:08:59It'll be New Year soon.

1:08:59 > 1:09:04- Look at that.- Half is on the stove. - That's terrible.

1:09:05 > 1:09:08Right, the idea is you get the omelette in the pan

1:09:08 > 1:09:11and the eggs in the pan. Look at that.

1:09:14 > 1:09:18- There you go.- There we go. - Right, Theo.- Sprig of parsley?

1:09:18 > 1:09:21It is actually an omelette. I'll give you that.

1:09:22 > 1:09:26Better than the last few efforts.

1:09:26 > 1:09:30How quickly do you think you did it in?

1:09:30 > 1:09:34I don't think I did it in less than 17.

1:09:34 > 1:09:36You were useless anyway.

1:09:36 > 1:09:40But, Theo, this is what he is gunning for.

1:09:43 > 1:09:49- How quickly do you think you did it in?- Er, 25.- 25.

1:09:49 > 1:09:53He thinks he did it in 25 seconds. You did it in...

1:09:57 > 1:10:03You're not even on this board. 35 seconds. Just above. Not quicker.

1:10:03 > 1:10:05Both of you, useless.

1:10:10 > 1:10:12I don't think he was playing fair.

1:10:12 > 1:10:14The eggs were everywhere but in the pan.

1:10:14 > 1:10:16Now, if you like squid-ink pasta,

1:10:16 > 1:10:19then John Burton Race has just the recipe for you. Enjoy this one.

1:10:19 > 1:10:22- Great to have you on Saturday Kitchen.- Yeah, it's good to be here.

1:10:22 > 1:10:24Fantastic. So what are we cooking?

1:10:24 > 1:10:26Well, squid-ink pasta, it's very straightforward.

1:10:26 > 1:10:29It looks horrible, doesn't it?

1:10:29 > 1:10:32It doesn't look appetising but I know it will look fantastic.

1:10:32 > 1:10:35It takes about two minutes to make but you need to rest it

1:10:35 > 1:10:37at least 20 minutes before you turn it into a pasta.

1:10:37 > 1:10:39So these are the ingredients for the pasta.

1:10:39 > 1:10:41Yeah, straightforward ingredients.

1:10:41 > 1:10:45- You've got 250g plain flour, the strong flour.- That's the 00 one.

1:10:45 > 1:10:50The proper pasta flour. You need three egg yolks and two whole eggs.

1:10:50 > 1:10:54And then there is three sachets of this squid ink.

1:10:54 > 1:10:57You can get this in a good sort of fishmonger shop or whatever.

1:10:57 > 1:11:02- Three of these will sort of make that amount, 250g.- Exactly.

1:11:02 > 1:11:04And to bring it all together, right at the last minute,

1:11:04 > 1:11:08just a couple of teaspoons or maybe a tablespoon of good olive oil.

1:11:08 > 1:11:12There's no need to add any salt to that because that's quite salty as well.

1:11:12 > 1:11:15Actually that's a very good point because this dish doesn't need any salt at all

1:11:15 > 1:11:18because the next main ingredients are these things here, mussels.

1:11:18 > 1:11:22- Mussels are relatively cheap, a good source of protein.- Lovely.

1:11:22 > 1:11:25But when you get them like this, with the barnacles on,

1:11:25 > 1:11:28that's an unprepped one, you don't want to cook that.

1:11:28 > 1:11:31You want to take off the beard and with the back of a knife,

1:11:31 > 1:11:32and I'll use one of yours

1:11:32 > 1:11:36because I don't want to ruin one of mine, you just chip of the barnacles.

1:11:36 > 1:11:38Yeah, use my nice new knife, yeah, that's fine(!)

1:11:38 > 1:11:43Chip off the barnacles and then give them a good wash and there it goes.

1:11:43 > 1:11:48Lovely, OK, right, so fire away. I'll switch the pan on for you.

1:11:48 > 1:11:53The first thing we've got to do is roll out the pasta. I suppose...

1:11:56 > 1:11:59A little bit of flour for dusting.

1:11:59 > 1:12:02Squid ink, Mark, do you use it quite a lot?

1:12:02 > 1:12:05We use it really nicely in risotto. So you finish risotto with it

1:12:05 > 1:12:08and you saute off the squid tentacles, put them on top

1:12:08 > 1:12:11and a really nice garlicky parsley butter on the outside.

1:12:11 > 1:12:13- It's really delicious.- Lovely.

1:12:13 > 1:12:18I've just cut a little piece of the pasta, dusted it with flour

1:12:18 > 1:12:20and then start rolling it. Do it gradually.

1:12:20 > 1:12:23- Start on number one and then move it up.- Go on.

1:12:23 > 1:12:27you start it off thick and gradually get thinner and thinner as you go.

1:12:27 > 1:12:31That's right and then it is the cutting which is very straightforward.

1:12:31 > 1:12:33It depends what thickness you want.

1:12:33 > 1:12:36I want a tagliatelle-sized one which is a quarter of an inch wide.

1:12:36 > 1:12:38Can I chop something up for you?

1:12:38 > 1:12:42I need shallots chopped up and some tomato dice made

1:12:42 > 1:12:44and a bit of chopped garlic.

1:12:44 > 1:12:49I mentioned that you're back in the UK and you actually bought,

1:12:49 > 1:12:54a while ago, a very successful restaurant down in Devon.

1:12:54 > 1:12:57- Yeah, the old Carved Angel. - Which was run by...- Joyce Molineux.

1:12:57 > 1:12:58Joyce Molineux. A very famous...

1:12:58 > 1:13:02One of our famous cooks.

1:13:02 > 1:13:05It's called the New Angel now so...

1:13:08 > 1:13:11There we go. Just feed this through.

1:13:11 > 1:13:15- So this is just making the tagliatelle. Mark?- Yes.

1:13:15 > 1:13:18- Come on give us a hand. You can hold that.- Hang out the laundry.

1:13:18 > 1:13:20A broomstick or something. But it's true.

1:13:20 > 1:13:25- That's why you leave them to dry. - Just try and get some air into them.

1:13:25 > 1:13:29- Careful I don't twist it. - Don't want to use that bit.

1:13:29 > 1:13:33- You dropped it on the floor, did you? - No, I didn't drop it on the floor.

1:13:33 > 1:13:36I'll do that. Tell us what else we're doing.

1:13:36 > 1:13:40What are we doing with this recipe?

1:13:40 > 1:13:44Basically, it's like cooking a moule mariniere, so a nice hot pan.

1:13:46 > 1:13:48Are we taking this really fine or...?

1:13:48 > 1:13:51Go to the last one, about number seven on that one.

1:13:51 > 1:13:53You're a lot quicker than he was, James.

1:13:53 > 1:13:57- You're a lot quicker than I was? I know.- A drop of...

1:13:57 > 1:14:01It's one of Mark's first ever TV appearances on his own

1:14:01 > 1:14:04and his mother text him to say best of luck.

1:14:04 > 1:14:07And she even bought him some new shoes saying,

1:14:07 > 1:14:09"You're not going out dressed like that.

1:14:09 > 1:14:13- "Put some proper shoes on." - Have you seen his socks?

1:14:13 > 1:14:16- You got dressed in the dark though? - Yeah, I did.

1:14:16 > 1:14:19Yeah, and he's got matching boxer shorts.

1:14:19 > 1:14:21Listen though, bit of fish stock.

1:14:21 > 1:14:25Like making a cup of tea. Bit of fish stock and some of this saffron.

1:14:25 > 1:14:30It's more expensive per ounce than gold so not too much of that.

1:14:30 > 1:14:34Into the fish stock and you bring it up to the boil to get

1:14:34 > 1:14:38the flavours and the colour out of the saffron. Get the pan hot.

1:14:38 > 1:14:45A bit of oil, butter and your chopped shallots and garlic in the pan.

1:14:49 > 1:14:52I'm just taking the skin of a tomato. Just blanch it.

1:14:52 > 1:14:54Ten seconds or something like that.

1:14:54 > 1:14:58So you just put the saffron in there just to infuse that a touch.

1:14:58 > 1:15:00Yeah, into the fish stock. A few mussels.

1:15:06 > 1:15:07I have to say,

1:15:07 > 1:15:11this isn't actually that dissimilar to my average day at Claridge's.

1:15:11 > 1:15:14Standing here like this watching the guys do it.

1:15:14 > 1:15:18It's all right for you, isn't it? I have to work for a living.

1:15:18 > 1:15:24Right, shallots, garlic, butter, a little oil, a drop of white wine.

1:15:28 > 1:15:31And the fish stock gives you that lovely colour.

1:15:33 > 1:15:37- Infused with saffron. - I'll grab that off you.

1:15:37 > 1:15:40- Cheers, mate. - Get the pasta straight on.

1:15:40 > 1:15:43- Do you put salt in there or not? - No salt in this dish at all.

1:15:43 > 1:15:45The mussels, you'll find, are quite salty,

1:15:45 > 1:15:48especially at this time of the year. And the squid ink is very salty.

1:15:48 > 1:15:51In fact, at the end of this dish, I'm going to put a bit of cream

1:15:51 > 1:15:54in the stock just to take a bit of the saltiness out of it.

1:15:56 > 1:16:00- So these tomatoes just literally chopped.- Put a lid on here.

1:16:00 > 1:16:01Nice and fine, do you them?

1:16:01 > 1:16:04Yeah, you know, just small diced, about half an inch square.

1:16:04 > 1:16:07- What's happening with the spinach? - That goes in at the last minute.

1:16:07 > 1:16:09That's your vegetables.

1:16:11 > 1:16:17It's there for flavour, colour, nutritional value and sweetness.

1:16:17 > 1:16:20The pasta doesn't take very long to cook, does it? Fresh pasta.

1:16:20 > 1:16:21Very, very quick.

1:16:21 > 1:16:24Get the water boiling, pasta in, bring it back up to the boil,

1:16:24 > 1:16:27and it is ready. It literally takes two minutes.

1:16:27 > 1:16:29Can you hurry up with that tomato?

1:16:29 > 1:16:32- You obviously don't cook for a living.- Come on!

1:16:34 > 1:16:37Right, and, James, I hope you're watching, look.

1:16:37 > 1:16:43- 400 in the restaurant tonight. Go on.- Bit of cream.- Bit of cream.

1:16:43 > 1:16:47- You happy with that? Just a bit of cream.- That's enough tomatoes.

1:16:47 > 1:16:51- Is there a more nutritional value in fresh pasta?- Well, look at the eggs.

1:16:51 > 1:16:55You know that in 250g, that's enough to feed a family of six.

1:16:55 > 1:17:00- There's five eggs in it so... - Strain that off?

1:17:00 > 1:17:02Up to the boil, strain it off.

1:17:02 > 1:17:05Tomatoes in and then a little bit of this baby spinach.

1:17:07 > 1:17:09So quick and simple.

1:17:11 > 1:17:17Thank you. Can you just pass me the olive oil, please?

1:17:17 > 1:17:19Touch of olive oil, there you go.

1:17:19 > 1:17:22- Again, no seasoning in there, nothing.- No, absolutely not.

1:17:22 > 1:17:25This is one of those dishes where you definitely don't need any salt.

1:17:25 > 1:17:29There is obviously a quantity of black pepper in those mussels.

1:17:31 > 1:17:37That looks delicious. Just get it on the plate. Look at that. Beautiful.

1:17:37 > 1:17:39Turn this over.

1:17:39 > 1:17:41And the way you know when it is cooked is

1:17:41 > 1:17:44when the mussels start to open, so they are about half open.

1:17:44 > 1:17:48When that they are open you can see they are wet and soft.

1:17:48 > 1:17:50And they continue cooking as they go to the table.

1:17:50 > 1:17:53If you overcook a mussel it goes rock-hard like a rubber ball

1:17:53 > 1:17:55and it's completely inedible.

1:17:55 > 1:17:57Just put some of this on top of the pasta.

1:17:59 > 1:18:07That looks proper food. Remind us what that is again.

1:18:07 > 1:18:12Squid-ink pasta with saffron tomatoes and...

1:18:12 > 1:18:15a little mussels.

1:18:15 > 1:18:17A few mussels.

1:18:21 > 1:18:27Beautiful. Right, let's dive in. Don't worry about my stick.

1:18:27 > 1:18:31Go on, Lesley, dive into that.

1:18:31 > 1:18:36- Diving in.- I love mussels. Where is the pasta? Hang on.

1:18:36 > 1:18:38The pasta's at the bottom. There you go.

1:18:38 > 1:18:41I want to know what this squid ink tastes like as well.

1:18:42 > 1:18:47- It's fishy and salty. - It tastes like mussels actually.

1:18:47 > 1:18:50Can I have a mussel? Have I got to pass this along then?

1:18:50 > 1:18:54- Yeah, you have to do.- I need to have this all myself. There you go.

1:18:54 > 1:18:57We always have arguments about how you should eat mussels as well.

1:18:57 > 1:19:00Whether you just sort of eat them out the shell or use another one.

1:19:00 > 1:19:03You can eat them how you like but, if you get an empty one that's attached,

1:19:03 > 1:19:06- you can use that to pick it out as your fork.- Fantastic.

1:19:06 > 1:19:09- You like that? Simple little dish. - Really nice.

1:19:09 > 1:19:12- How can you call that simple? - It's simple.

1:19:12 > 1:19:14- How long did it take to make? - Sophisticated.

1:19:14 > 1:19:17About 26 minutes, to be honest. No, it's all right.

1:19:17 > 1:19:218-10 minutes and it's done. Easy as that.

1:19:25 > 1:19:28Thanks for holding the stick, Mark.

1:19:28 > 1:19:30Now, as a seasoned stage performer,

1:19:30 > 1:19:33Michael Ball is used to the nerves of live performing

1:19:33 > 1:19:35but when he was faced with his heavenly pork belly or

1:19:35 > 1:19:39his dreaded monkfish, Michael's fate was definitely out of his hands.

1:19:39 > 1:19:42So what did he get? Everybody in the studio has made their minds up.

1:19:42 > 1:19:44- Food Heaven could be pork belly. - Sensational.

1:19:44 > 1:19:47Which I'm going to slowly cook with all these different vegetables

1:19:47 > 1:19:50and then that's roasted in the oven in apple sauce.

1:19:50 > 1:19:52Nice little sauteed cabbage with some Brussels sprouts

1:19:52 > 1:19:54and crispy bacon. Alternatively,

1:19:54 > 1:19:56Food Hell over there is that beautiful piece of monkfish.

1:19:56 > 1:19:59- It's beautiful!- Stunning piece of monkfish over here with mussels,

1:19:59 > 1:20:03- a nice little curried sauce.- Help yourselves. Knock yourselves out.

1:20:03 > 1:20:05What do you think these lot have decided,

1:20:05 > 1:20:07all of our grey team over here?

1:20:07 > 1:20:10Well, I think they are going to be kind, I really do.

1:20:10 > 1:20:14And also you cannot beat crackling. Anybody who's offered crackling...

1:20:14 > 1:20:18- It is actually quite nice stood here.- It's freezing over there.

1:20:18 > 1:20:20You can't beat pork crackling.

1:20:20 > 1:20:22So I think they are going to be kind to me. I hope.

1:20:22 > 1:20:25- They have been kind to you. - Have they?- Yes, they have.

1:20:25 > 1:20:29All the lot of them have so we can lose this. 7-0 whitewash.

1:20:29 > 1:20:32So what we're going to do now or what Jason is going to do is

1:20:32 > 1:20:33make apple sauce very, very quickly

1:20:33 > 1:20:36using some Bramley apple which we've got there.

1:20:36 > 1:20:38- If you can then... - The cabbage and the sprouts?

1:20:38 > 1:20:40The cabbage and the sprouts or choux.

1:20:40 > 1:20:42Choux de Bruxelles.

1:20:42 > 1:20:47And then we got on here... What do you call that? Pointy cabbage.

1:20:47 > 1:20:50- Choux.- Choux. Choux de point!

1:20:50 > 1:20:52Avec un point.

1:20:52 > 1:20:54We've got an apple sauce. We'll thinly slice that.

1:20:54 > 1:20:55Now on with our pork belly.

1:20:55 > 1:20:58The thing about pork belly is it's actually really cheap.

1:20:58 > 1:21:02And often with pork belly you don't get this. These are the bones on it.

1:21:02 > 1:21:05If you buy like that, it is great. But you can take these off.

1:21:05 > 1:21:08- Why is that better, to have that? - It just keeps its nice and moist.

1:21:08 > 1:21:10I'm going to keep the moisture in here.

1:21:10 > 1:21:13Often with pork belly, it can dry out

1:21:13 > 1:21:15because people tend to pop it straight in the oven.

1:21:15 > 1:21:19But a great way of doing it is to take a Stanley knife

1:21:19 > 1:21:22and score the top. Keep your fingers out the way.

1:21:22 > 1:21:27Score it over the top like that. It just scores the fat.

1:21:28 > 1:21:32So that's over the top of there. Then we take a pan over here.

1:21:32 > 1:21:34Pop our pork belly straight in the pan.

1:21:34 > 1:21:36You don't go too deep with the scoring?

1:21:36 > 1:21:39No, you don't want to go too deep. Just on the top.

1:21:39 > 1:21:41Then grab some vegetables we've got here.

1:21:41 > 1:21:44I'll move that to one side.

1:21:44 > 1:21:46We got some carrots, we got some leek and some onion.

1:21:46 > 1:21:51But then I'm going to put some spices in here because,

1:21:51 > 1:21:55with Christmas round the corner, there we go, we're going to

1:21:55 > 1:22:00take our carrots and celery, chop all this up, throw it in there.

1:22:01 > 1:22:04This is what the French call a court bouillon.

1:22:04 > 1:22:07Court bouillon, please, James. Court bouillon.

1:22:07 > 1:22:11We call it a pan of water with a few veg in.

1:22:11 > 1:22:15The onions go in and then we got this stuff.

1:22:15 > 1:22:19These are the two spices, cinnamon and star anise.

1:22:19 > 1:22:21The idea is to bring this to the boil,

1:22:21 > 1:22:25and cook this and get some thyme, a few bits of parsley.

1:22:25 > 1:22:29We cook this now for about two hours. Gently simmer it.

1:22:29 > 1:22:34Take that out over there and we have one, funnily enough.

1:22:34 > 1:22:38Masterclass in how to make apple sauce by Jason Atherton.

1:22:38 > 1:22:41Hopefully it is better than the one he did in rehearsal

1:22:41 > 1:22:45- because he made a complete mess of it.- You're giving my secrets away.

1:22:45 > 1:22:49- This is our pork belly.- OK. So that's two and a bit hours.

1:22:49 > 1:22:50The thing about this...

1:22:50 > 1:22:54- Not looking crispy to me, I've got to be honest.- Hold on a second.

1:22:54 > 1:22:56Hold on.

1:22:56 > 1:23:01Hold on, Michael Ball. Hold on. Then we get some of this.

1:23:01 > 1:23:03Pat it dry.

1:23:04 > 1:23:10The reason for this is we want it nice and soft in the middle.

1:23:10 > 1:23:14We take our pork belly like that and cut it into pieces

1:23:14 > 1:23:17straight through so it is lovely and tender,

1:23:17 > 1:23:19nice and soft in the middle.

1:23:19 > 1:23:24Now, get yourself a pan, grab you some honey...

1:23:24 > 1:23:28This is fantastic honey, this stuff. Right, the cabbage can go in, guys.

1:23:31 > 1:23:35- Straight into our pan there. Put some honey in.- Which pan?- This one.

1:23:35 > 1:23:42There you go. And some butter of course. And a touch of water.

1:23:42 > 1:23:46If you cook cabbage in butter and water, it cooks very quickly.

1:23:46 > 1:23:52- The water evaporates.- Steam and put in the stuff afterwards.

1:23:52 > 1:23:55Can you chop up some parsley for us? Then we take our pork belly.

1:23:58 > 1:24:02- Sorry, what was in there? Just honey?- Yeah. Pork belly goes in.

1:24:02 > 1:24:04Skin side down.

1:24:04 > 1:24:06It's happening.

1:24:06 > 1:24:12Then we move this. Take the entire lot out.

1:24:13 > 1:24:17Leave that to one side. Then for a dinner party, you see,

1:24:17 > 1:24:19you could have this ready now.

1:24:19 > 1:24:23Pop that in the fridge and then you take the entire lot

1:24:23 > 1:24:26and put it in the oven. There you go. That's going to go in there.

1:24:26 > 1:24:28Now, I'm roasting this skin side up.

1:24:28 > 1:24:32If you got a grill and oven at home, even better.

1:24:32 > 1:24:38- Right, how is our apple sauce doing? Silence.- No, no, sorry, chef.

1:24:38 > 1:24:44- I'm all over it.- Bacon. Fry off some of our bacon as well.

1:24:44 > 1:24:46So that's just sweating down some apple.

1:24:46 > 1:24:49Yeah, just sweating down with a couple of knobs of butter.

1:24:49 > 1:24:52- Just letting it cook down in its own steam.- Not sugar.

1:24:52 > 1:24:55No, because it's Bramley apple it makes down really quickly.

1:24:55 > 1:24:57- Hopefully it breaks down really quickly.- He says.

1:24:57 > 1:24:59Right, so that's your cabbage and Brussels done.

1:24:59 > 1:25:03When doing Brussels sprouts this Christmas, don't bother boiling them.

1:25:03 > 1:25:04I just saute them off as they are.

1:25:04 > 1:25:07And then, once your pork's in the oven...

1:25:10 > 1:25:14- You see!- How long has that gone in? - This has gone in there.

1:25:14 > 1:25:17- Crispy, crispy, crispy. Happy with that?- Oh, man! Yes.

1:25:17 > 1:25:20That's gone in there and it goes in there for at least

1:25:20 > 1:25:24sort of half an hour, a good half an hour.

1:25:24 > 1:25:27And you got this crispy, crispy, crispy pork.

1:25:27 > 1:25:29And that'll be long enough if it's been cold before?

1:25:29 > 1:25:32Yeah, yeah, yeah. A good half-hour, that's what it wants.

1:25:32 > 1:25:35A bit of salt on the top and you've got that crispy skin with it as well.

1:25:35 > 1:25:37Look at Michael, he's so excited.

1:25:37 > 1:25:40- It's like he got his first bike for Christmas.- Good call, girls.

1:25:40 > 1:25:43We've sauteed off our bacon now.

1:25:43 > 1:25:47This Christmas, make sure you buy the bacon that dry cured.

1:25:47 > 1:25:50It's very important that it's dry cured, not wet cured.

1:25:50 > 1:25:54When you saute it off, if you use the wet cured bacon, it sweats.

1:25:54 > 1:25:57The only way to solve that is if you basically put it in the pan

1:25:57 > 1:26:00with some water, take it out, Pat it dry and then saute it off.

1:26:00 > 1:26:03The problem is dry cured is much better, I think,

1:26:03 > 1:26:05because it keeps it nice and soft like that.

1:26:05 > 1:26:07Right, apple sauce.

1:26:07 > 1:26:12- Can you season our cabbage, please?- Sure.

1:26:12 > 1:26:15- We got some salt there, some black pepper.- There we go.

1:26:15 > 1:26:18- You got one minute to make that apple sauce.- It's ready, it's done.

1:26:18 > 1:26:20Can I have a little bit more liquid, please, chef?

1:26:20 > 1:26:23- Yeah, of course you can. - Just a touch of liquid in there.

1:26:23 > 1:26:25Right, bacon has gone in.

1:26:27 > 1:26:30Season that up.

1:26:30 > 1:26:33Black pepper. There we go.

1:26:33 > 1:26:36A touch of black pepper on there.

1:26:37 > 1:26:41Put some of Stephan's chestnuts in there as well,

1:26:41 > 1:26:43which will look really nice.

1:26:43 > 1:26:47We got a sauce which is just a bit of pan juices.

1:26:47 > 1:26:52- Deglaze the tray. Some good red wine.- Always.

1:26:52 > 1:26:55Place that on the top and reduce that down.

1:26:55 > 1:26:57So you can see you still get the colour of the cabbage

1:26:57 > 1:27:03if you do it like this. It's kind of an overload of pork, really, this.

1:27:03 > 1:27:07- It's a bit... Oh, look at that, it's done!- There you go.

1:27:07 > 1:27:11- Just sweat down...- You achieved success. Yeah, that's all it is.

1:27:11 > 1:27:14There's nothing to this cooking lark, is there?

1:27:14 > 1:27:18- Which one do you want? Pick which one you want.- Crispy.- This one.

1:27:20 > 1:27:28- There you go. Pop that on there. And that on there.- Amazing.

1:27:28 > 1:27:31Seeing as Jason is here, and he's got a Michelin star.

1:27:31 > 1:27:33We do that at home. This is what Jason does. There you go.

1:27:33 > 1:27:37- That's why they pay the extra money. - That's exactly right.

1:27:37 > 1:27:41£18.50 there, Michael, there you go. And then you can put...

1:27:44 > 1:27:49- ..some of our sauce on the top. - Look at that.- Check that out.

1:27:49 > 1:27:52Shall we just pull you a seat and leave you in the corner?

1:27:52 > 1:27:56- Can I tuck in?- Yeah, dive in.

1:27:56 > 1:28:00Tell me about the port itself because it should be...

1:28:02 > 1:28:04..tender, tender, tender.

1:28:04 > 1:28:08You get that little bit of star anise in there as well.

1:28:08 > 1:28:14- I can hear the crackling. Happy with that?- Yes.

1:28:18 > 1:28:20I'm glad you liked it, Michael,

1:28:20 > 1:28:22and you didn't have to sing for your supper either.

1:28:22 > 1:28:24That's all we got time for today on Best Bites.

1:28:24 > 1:28:26If you'd like to try cooking

1:28:26 > 1:28:28any of the delicious food you've seen on today's programme,

1:28:28 > 1:28:31you can find all of the studio dishes on our website.

1:28:31 > 1:28:33Just go to bbc.co.uk/recipes.

1:28:33 > 1:28:37There are loads of seasonal ideas on there for you to choose from.

1:28:37 > 1:28:40Enjoy the rest of your week and I'll see you very soon. Bye for now.

1:28:40 > 1:28:43Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd