12/02/2017

Download Subtitles

Transcript

0:00:02 > 0:00:03Good morning!

0:00:03 > 0:00:05There's a seriously tasty menu lined up for you on today's show,

0:00:05 > 0:00:07so there's only one thing you need to do,

0:00:07 > 0:00:08and that's sit back and enjoy another serving

0:00:08 > 0:00:10of Saturday Kitchen Best Bites.

0:00:30 > 0:00:31Welcome to the show.

0:00:31 > 0:00:35We have top chefs cooking fabulous food and celebrity guests galore -

0:00:35 > 0:00:38trust me, you won't want to miss any of it.

0:00:38 > 0:00:40Coming up on today's show...

0:00:40 > 0:00:43James Martin serves up a deliciously fresh tuna salad nicoise

0:00:43 > 0:00:44for Alesha Dixon...

0:00:44 > 0:00:46The famous author Adriana Trigiani,

0:00:46 > 0:00:48who also happens to be a pretty good cook,

0:00:48 > 0:00:51makes her Saturday Kitchen debut.

0:00:51 > 0:00:54She cooks up braciole in tomato sauce with green salad

0:00:54 > 0:00:55and oranges with cracked pepper -

0:00:55 > 0:00:59plus another of our favourite Italians, Francesco Mazzei,

0:00:59 > 0:01:02is delivering a dish that is sure to get your mouth watering.

0:01:02 > 0:01:04He serves up wild boar marinaded in liquorice,

0:01:04 > 0:01:08bergamot and spices with turnip tops and a tasty liquorice sauce.

0:01:08 > 0:01:11Battling it out for omelette challenge glory,

0:01:11 > 0:01:13we have Theo Randall taking on Silvena Rowe -

0:01:13 > 0:01:16with only two seconds between them, it's all to play for.

0:01:16 > 0:01:19That's from the days before he made the Guinness Book Of Records.

0:01:19 > 0:01:21Anyway, then it's over to Alyn Williams,

0:01:21 > 0:01:25who's here with his classy version of an all-American feast -

0:01:25 > 0:01:27southern fried chicken.

0:01:27 > 0:01:29The chicken is marinaded in buttermilk

0:01:29 > 0:01:31before being coated in spices and deep-fried,

0:01:31 > 0:01:35and it's served up with a grilled baby gem, sourdough croutons

0:01:35 > 0:01:37and a creamy ranch dressing.

0:01:37 > 0:01:38Absolutely yum.

0:01:38 > 0:01:42And finally, Sue Perkins faces her food heaven or her food hell.

0:01:42 > 0:01:45Did she get her food heaven, hazelnut and chocolate gateau?

0:01:45 > 0:01:47Or did she end up facing her food hell,

0:01:47 > 0:01:50goat's cheese on brioche with redcurrant dressing?

0:01:50 > 0:01:51They both sound delicious.

0:01:51 > 0:01:54You can find out what she got at the end of the show.

0:01:54 > 0:01:57But first it's over to Ben Tish, who's serving up his take

0:01:57 > 0:02:01on a classic Spanish combination - hake, chorizo and clams.

0:02:01 > 0:02:04It's Mr Ben Tish. Great to have you on the show, Ben.

0:02:04 > 0:02:07- Thanks, James. - Thank you for coming on.

0:02:07 > 0:02:08Pleasure to be here.

0:02:08 > 0:02:10Now, you're influenced heavily - we mentioned the Italian,

0:02:10 > 0:02:13- but the Spanish theme, particularly this dish.- Yeah.

0:02:13 > 0:02:14Absolutely, yeah.

0:02:14 > 0:02:17- So, it's hake with clams...- Yeah.

0:02:17 > 0:02:21..spicy chorizo and Arbequina olive oil mash.

0:02:21 > 0:02:23- Sounds good to me.- Yeah, so it's a take on a Spanish dish -

0:02:23 > 0:02:25it's refined a little bit with the addition of the mash.

0:02:25 > 0:02:27Right, so tell us about this hake, then.

0:02:27 > 0:02:29You want to get that on to start off with, I know you do.

0:02:29 > 0:02:34Yeah, absolutely. So, hake, used loads in Spain and France...

0:02:34 > 0:02:37as we spoke to Daniel about earlier.

0:02:37 > 0:02:40- Yeah, super fish. - Yeah, really good.- Really good.

0:02:40 > 0:02:41Cooking it on the bone,

0:02:41 > 0:02:43it's a really good way to cook hake, or any fish, for that matter.

0:02:43 > 0:02:45- Yeah.- Love cooking fish on the bone.

0:02:45 > 0:02:47Particularly with hake - it's quite delicate, innit, really?

0:02:47 > 0:02:50- It's quite delicate... - Can fall apart if you overcook it.

0:02:50 > 0:02:51Exactly - but the bone kind of helps that,

0:02:51 > 0:02:53helps keep it all together.

0:02:53 > 0:02:55But does add that flavour in there, as well.

0:02:55 > 0:02:57So, I've got a nice hot pan, and olive oil in there,

0:02:57 > 0:02:58and just added the hake into there.

0:02:58 > 0:03:01This is a cut of meat that you normally find on salmon,

0:03:01 > 0:03:02- it's called a darne, this one... - Absolutely.

0:03:02 > 0:03:04..cut straight through the centre of the fish.

0:03:04 > 0:03:05Yeah, a darne or a steak,

0:03:05 > 0:03:07as probably a lot of people would know that.

0:03:07 > 0:03:09So, just, like, going in there - thanks, James.

0:03:09 > 0:03:12And just going to get my clams in there now, as well.

0:03:12 > 0:03:13- There we go.- Yeah.

0:03:13 > 0:03:15Cooking away in there.

0:03:15 > 0:03:16Get rid of that, wash the hands.

0:03:16 > 0:03:19In there you've just got a little bit of olive oil. Just a touch.

0:03:19 > 0:03:21Just a little bit of olive oil in there, that's it.

0:03:21 > 0:03:22Just want to get that going -

0:03:22 > 0:03:24want a nice kind of caramelisation on that.

0:03:24 > 0:03:27Now, we've mentioned that the French like it, as well,

0:03:27 > 0:03:29but was one of the first dishes I learnt to cook in France,

0:03:29 > 0:03:31the hake with the beurre blanc sauce.

0:03:31 > 0:03:35- Yeah, that's correct.- Yeah.- And when we went to France, you and I,

0:03:35 > 0:03:40some massive ones on the market in Brittany.

0:03:40 > 0:03:43- Fabulous fish.- Again, inexpensive. There you go.- Very tasty...

0:03:43 > 0:03:45I mean, in Italy they kind of use it a lot, as well -

0:03:45 > 0:03:47we have an Italian influence at our restaurants, as well,

0:03:47 > 0:03:50- so, it's used quite a lot in Italy, as well.- Mm.

0:03:50 > 0:03:51It just seems, in the UK,

0:03:51 > 0:03:53that we just kind of don't get it...

0:03:53 > 0:03:55- So...- It's the name, you see the name in the UK,

0:03:55 > 0:03:58people don't like the name or the look of the fish, they won't eat it.

0:03:58 > 0:04:00- It's always the cod and the haddock that I think you see...- Yeah.

0:04:00 > 0:04:02Crazy, innit, really, when you think -

0:04:02 > 0:04:04there's so many great other fish out there.

0:04:04 > 0:04:05- Particularly this one.- Absolutely.

0:04:05 > 0:04:07So, James, you're peeling some chorizo for me.

0:04:07 > 0:04:12We've got some cooking chorizo here, and this is spicy cooking chorizo.

0:04:12 > 0:04:15It's different to the cured chorizo - it needs to be cooked.

0:04:15 > 0:04:17- Yeah. - It's great when you're cooking -

0:04:17 > 0:04:20when you cook it down, it releases its paprika oil.

0:04:20 > 0:04:23Well, the word "picante" is what you look for in...

0:04:23 > 0:04:25- Picante, exactly. - Which is the spice one, innit?

0:04:25 > 0:04:27You get dulce, which is the sweet one,

0:04:27 > 0:04:29- and picante, which is the spicy one. - Yeah.

0:04:29 > 0:04:32So... Got the clams, they're going nicely, there.

0:04:32 > 0:04:34Turn the hake again, and I'll grab some of that chorizo,

0:04:34 > 0:04:36- James, if I may. - Now, the difference, like I said,

0:04:36 > 0:04:38the cooking one, you can easily tell the difference.

0:04:38 > 0:04:41- Yeah, it's a lot softer. - One's like a sausage, and soft...

0:04:41 > 0:04:43- Yeah.- ..the other one's firm. - Yeah, exactly that.

0:04:43 > 0:04:46- I mean, you CAN cook with the fully cured one...- Yeah.

0:04:46 > 0:04:49..and it also releases a bit of oil, but this is much better.

0:04:49 > 0:04:51- Kind of what it's about.- Yeah.

0:04:51 > 0:04:53So, I just want to get that sweating away, there,

0:04:53 > 0:04:55and it'll start to release all its oil on there.

0:04:55 > 0:04:58- That's really good.- Now, I mentioned the fact that you're a big fish fan

0:04:58 > 0:05:00- with your sea bass. Hake?- Yes.- Tried that?

0:05:00 > 0:05:01You know, I'm just trying to think,

0:05:01 > 0:05:04what family of fish is hake from? Or, what - give me some...

0:05:04 > 0:05:06I would've thought it's probably cod or haddock.

0:05:06 > 0:05:09- Yeah, it's a kind of... - It's called colin in French, and...

0:05:09 > 0:05:12- It's in the cod family, yeah. - Cod, cod...

0:05:12 > 0:05:15OK, cool. So, if you could peel that potato for me, James,

0:05:15 > 0:05:18- and we're going to get that on. - Right.

0:05:18 > 0:05:20Just going to turn that again.

0:05:20 > 0:05:23We've got a nice colour on that now. So that's good.

0:05:23 > 0:05:25And then, here, I've got some white wine

0:05:25 > 0:05:28that I'm just going to add into there...

0:05:29 > 0:05:31Now, tell us about these restaurants, then.

0:05:31 > 0:05:34- ..and some sherry.- You first of all came to London when?

0:05:34 > 0:05:39- I came to London, ooh, about 14, 15 years ago.- Right.

0:05:39 > 0:05:42Started working - um, first job was at the Ritz.

0:05:42 > 0:05:46- Yeah. - Classic place, did that for a year,

0:05:46 > 0:05:49and then ended up working with Jason Atherton

0:05:49 > 0:05:51at various restaurants.

0:05:51 > 0:05:52Um - sorry, James, just to interrupt, there.

0:05:52 > 0:05:54- So, I'm just steaming that away, there...- Yeah.

0:05:54 > 0:05:57..and that's going to finish cooking the fish through.

0:05:57 > 0:05:59- Yeah.- Get the potatoes on, there.

0:05:59 > 0:06:03So, yeah, and then worked at an Italian restaurant called Al Duca,

0:06:03 > 0:06:08which was where I kind of got more into, like,

0:06:08 > 0:06:09the rustic style of things.

0:06:09 > 0:06:12- I'll do that.- OK, cool. - You do that one.- OK, thanks.

0:06:12 > 0:06:15And then, yeah, I had a little detour into Scotland,

0:06:15 > 0:06:19where I worked at a country house hotel up there,

0:06:19 > 0:06:22and I got really in touch with produce and things like that,

0:06:22 > 0:06:24- and moved back to London... - Big mix and match, then, really.

0:06:24 > 0:06:26Mix and match, exactly.

0:06:26 > 0:06:30And then started at Salt Yard, and it's just gone from there.

0:06:30 > 0:06:31Really got into Spanish cooking.

0:06:31 > 0:06:33These are kind of... Talking about Spanish cooking,

0:06:33 > 0:06:36these are modern tapas restaurants, but they're all different, are they?

0:06:36 > 0:06:39Or they're all roughly different.

0:06:39 > 0:06:41No, there's a theme running through them,

0:06:41 > 0:06:43you know, we specialise in charcuterie cheese,

0:06:43 > 0:06:47- Spain and Italy, as well, not just Spanish.- Mm.

0:06:47 > 0:06:48And, yeah - kind of tapas,

0:06:48 > 0:06:50but with a modern twist on them.

0:06:50 > 0:06:52Particularly the iberico, innit, that's what you use quite a bit?

0:06:52 > 0:06:54At Opera Tavern restaurant in Covent Garden,

0:06:54 > 0:06:55which we opened a year ago,

0:06:55 > 0:06:58we've kind of we've kind of become famous for fresh iberico meat, so...

0:06:58 > 0:07:01- Yeah.- Everybody probably knows the ham

0:07:01 > 0:07:03that's carved in Spanish restaurants, the jamon iberico...

0:07:03 > 0:07:06- Pata negra, they call it. - Pata negra, yeah -

0:07:06 > 0:07:09but the fresh meat is delicious, as well,

0:07:09 > 0:07:12and it can be cooked rather like beef.

0:07:12 > 0:07:14You can cook it medium rare.

0:07:14 > 0:07:15So, we do things like tartares and carpaccios,

0:07:15 > 0:07:18- we do a burger.- It's quite unusual with pork, like that.

0:07:18 > 0:07:20When you talk about pork and medium rare, people are always a bit...

0:07:20 > 0:07:21Yeah, they're a bit funny -

0:07:21 > 0:07:24and, you know, because of the breeding, because of the diet...

0:07:24 > 0:07:26- And the welfare. - ..and the welfare, exactly that.

0:07:26 > 0:07:28It's actually the cousin of the one in the Pyrenees, the French -

0:07:28 > 0:07:31Noir de Bigorre, it's the cousin of...

0:07:31 > 0:07:32Yeah, exactly that.

0:07:32 > 0:07:35So, and they're wild, you know, there's nothing bad about them.

0:07:35 > 0:07:38You go and you take on - in the forest, in the mountain.

0:07:38 > 0:07:40- Yeah.- They have a diet of acorns, mainly, don't they?

0:07:40 > 0:07:42- Yeah. - Yeah, that's exactly what it is -

0:07:42 > 0:07:44and so the meat kind of reflects that.

0:07:44 > 0:07:46- Fabulous.- It's fatty - it's a little bit like Wagyu beef,

0:07:46 > 0:07:48I don't know if anyone's tried that,

0:07:48 > 0:07:51but it's kind of got that richness going on.

0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Right.- So, just chopping in a bit of parsley, so, thanks for that, James.

0:07:54 > 0:07:55So, what do you want in this mash?

0:07:55 > 0:07:59OK, so, if you just put me that cream in there, please.

0:07:59 > 0:08:00- Yep.- Thank you.

0:08:00 > 0:08:03Probably about a third of that butter.

0:08:03 > 0:08:05Salt and pepper in there. I've got the cream and butter,

0:08:05 > 0:08:08and then I'm going to add into the mash some Arbequina olive oil,

0:08:08 > 0:08:12which is a delicious spicy olive oil from Spain.

0:08:12 > 0:08:14Now, talking about olive oil,

0:08:14 > 0:08:15you walk about the supermarkets now...

0:08:15 > 0:08:18- Yeah.- Oh, my God! - It used to be Italian, that was it.

0:08:18 > 0:08:20But now you've got stuff from South Africa...

0:08:20 > 0:08:21It's overwhelming. It's overwhelming.

0:08:21 > 0:08:24But you should treat it like wine - they're all very different.

0:08:24 > 0:08:26They're all different, and, in fact,

0:08:26 > 0:08:28this Arbequina olive oil that I'm using

0:08:28 > 0:08:30we use at our restaurants as the table olive oil, the bread -

0:08:30 > 0:08:33and it's the new season olive oil that's come through now,

0:08:33 > 0:08:35so it's a lot stronger than...

0:08:35 > 0:08:40it's a lot stronger than the old season, it's more in-your-face.

0:08:40 > 0:08:41So, it can vary by season,

0:08:41 > 0:08:43as well as by olive oil to olive oil.

0:08:43 > 0:08:46But the Arbequina, of course, is a type of olive itself.

0:08:46 > 0:08:48Yes, yeah, absolutely.

0:08:48 > 0:08:50- And we sell the olives, as well, which are delicious...- OK.

0:08:50 > 0:08:52..as a table olive.

0:08:52 > 0:08:53OK, so that's going nicely, there.

0:08:53 > 0:08:56I'm just going to turn the hake over.

0:08:56 > 0:08:58All right - and this will take quite quickly to cook,

0:08:58 > 0:09:00cos you're cooking this with a lid on, as well.

0:09:00 > 0:09:03Exactly, so, you've got the steam going on there.

0:09:03 > 0:09:05I'm just going to add some parsley into there.

0:09:05 > 0:09:07That's good. I mean, you're doing a brasserie dish later,

0:09:07 > 0:09:10but this is kind of like the brasserie dishes in France...

0:09:10 > 0:09:11- Yeah, it would be.- Yeah.

0:09:11 > 0:09:13That sort of classic beurre blanc sauce.

0:09:13 > 0:09:15You can even say it's home cooking,

0:09:15 > 0:09:17because it's kind of a relation, eh?

0:09:17 > 0:09:18You want some lemon in there as well?

0:09:18 > 0:09:22Yes, please, just a squeeze of lemon to sharpen it up.

0:09:22 > 0:09:24And I think...

0:09:24 > 0:09:27- You're about there. - ..we're nearly there. Lovely.

0:09:27 > 0:09:29OK, that looks good, James.

0:09:29 > 0:09:32If you can put me a spoon of that in the middle, that'd be good.

0:09:32 > 0:09:34- There you go.- Thank you.

0:09:36 > 0:09:38Thanks, James. Very nice.

0:09:38 > 0:09:39Just get my...

0:09:41 > 0:09:43..fish slice.

0:09:43 > 0:09:44So, there's the hake.

0:09:44 > 0:09:45Lovely.

0:09:45 > 0:09:48- Nicely cooked through.- Do you serve that dish in your restaurant?

0:09:48 > 0:09:50- Er, yeah, we serve... - Probably not as big as that.

0:09:50 > 0:09:51No, not as big as this!

0:09:51 > 0:09:55All the dishes that we serve are tapas dishes.

0:09:55 > 0:09:57- That's a Yorkshire tapas, that. - Yeah!

0:09:57 > 0:09:59I did it as a nod to you, James.

0:09:59 > 0:10:01I thought I'd give you...

0:10:01 > 0:10:03- Trust you to say that. - ..a Yorkshire portion.

0:10:03 > 0:10:05But there we go.

0:10:05 > 0:10:07So, you can see all those lovely paprika juices

0:10:07 > 0:10:08have come out of there.

0:10:08 > 0:10:10And you've put the sherry and white wine in this.

0:10:10 > 0:10:13- Sherry and white wine in there, yeah.- That was dry sherry in there?

0:10:13 > 0:10:15Dry sherry, yeah,

0:10:15 > 0:10:17just gives the sauce a nice kind of bite.

0:10:17 > 0:10:18That's really good.

0:10:18 > 0:10:21This is really popular at the restaurant.

0:10:21 > 0:10:23And sherry's on the up, as well, actually.

0:10:23 > 0:10:27Sherry's well on the up - we sell loads of sherry now.

0:10:27 > 0:10:29OK, so, there you go.

0:10:29 > 0:10:34So, that is roasted hake on the bone with Arbequina olive oil mash,

0:10:34 > 0:10:36clams and chorizo with a sherry sauce.

0:10:36 > 0:10:38- Thank you very much.- Lovely.

0:10:38 > 0:10:40By a guy with his first time on Saturday Kitchen.

0:10:40 > 0:10:42- Well done.- Thank you.

0:10:42 > 0:10:45THEY CLAP SOFTLY

0:10:45 > 0:10:47That was pathetic, over there. LAUGHTER

0:10:47 > 0:10:49- We didn't know... - Just trying...- Yeah, yeah.

0:10:49 > 0:10:52They just want something to eat - there we go.

0:10:52 > 0:10:53There we go. Dive in.

0:10:53 > 0:10:56- This looks amazing. Wow. - Mm!- Look at that.

0:10:56 > 0:10:58- Try that for breakfast. - Yeah, get that down you.

0:10:58 > 0:11:00It is, it is delicious.

0:11:00 > 0:11:01And that's what you say,

0:11:01 > 0:11:03you can use the different types of chorizo,

0:11:03 > 0:11:06but the idea is to use the soft one, really, when you're cooking.

0:11:06 > 0:11:07Yes, most definitely, yeah.

0:11:07 > 0:11:11And then you just get... All the flavour comes out, and, yeah.

0:11:12 > 0:11:13- Yeah?- Fantastic. - You like that? Good.

0:11:13 > 0:11:16I'm usually a bit funny about surf and turf, but...

0:11:16 > 0:11:18- Surf and turf?!- Yeah.

0:11:18 > 0:11:20Beef and lobster?

0:11:20 > 0:11:23It's got a little bit of chorizo in the sauce...

0:11:23 > 0:11:24It's delicious.

0:11:24 > 0:11:26But that does really well - I mean, white fish, particularly,

0:11:26 > 0:11:29with cod, and they do it with all manner of different combinations...

0:11:29 > 0:11:32- Yes.- ..over in Spain. - Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

0:11:32 > 0:11:33Happy with that?

0:11:33 > 0:11:34Very happy.

0:11:39 > 0:11:42Amazing to think that was Ben's first time on the show -

0:11:42 > 0:11:43he is a natural.

0:11:43 > 0:11:47Coming up, James serves up tuna salad nicoise for Alesha Dixon -

0:11:47 > 0:11:49but first it's over to Rock Stein

0:11:49 > 0:11:51in a clip from his first ever TV series,

0:11:51 > 0:11:54and he's keeping it simple with scallops and mullet.

0:12:06 > 0:12:10People that like food that I respect more than anybody

0:12:10 > 0:12:13are those that understand about simplicity in cooking -

0:12:13 > 0:12:16and nothing sums up simplicity,

0:12:16 > 0:12:21pure, delicious simplicity, better than just a dish of grilled queens.

0:12:24 > 0:12:26Queens are just a type of small scallop,

0:12:26 > 0:12:29and all you have to do is brush them with plenty of butter

0:12:29 > 0:12:34and season them liberally with ground black pepper and salt.

0:12:35 > 0:12:37Then you put them under a hot grill -

0:12:37 > 0:12:41and notice the wonderful smell that actually comes from the shells,

0:12:41 > 0:12:43as well as the scallop meat.

0:12:43 > 0:12:45It's like hot beaches -

0:12:45 > 0:12:47and hot beaches is what it is,

0:12:47 > 0:12:51because all beaches are is bust-up shells.

0:12:51 > 0:12:55These are now well and truly cooked...

0:12:55 > 0:12:57and the next thing I'm going to do is to add some seaweed,

0:12:57 > 0:12:59to put some seaweed on the plate.

0:12:59 > 0:13:01In addition to that lovely smell of the shells,

0:13:01 > 0:13:04I want the lovely smell of seaweed.

0:13:04 > 0:13:07That beautiful ozone smell which I'm going to enhance

0:13:07 > 0:13:10just by heating the seaweed up for a few seconds only

0:13:10 > 0:13:13in some boiling water.

0:13:13 > 0:13:14Because when this comes out,

0:13:14 > 0:13:18you get that, oh, indefinable sort of wonderful smell of seaweed,

0:13:18 > 0:13:20which people love.

0:13:23 > 0:13:26Put the...queens on top of that.

0:13:28 > 0:13:30And having done that,

0:13:30 > 0:13:34I go for the final piece, which is, to me, by far the most important -

0:13:34 > 0:13:35the butter itself.

0:13:36 > 0:13:40I'm very pedantic about beurre noisette.

0:13:40 > 0:13:41I don't use a frying pan,

0:13:41 > 0:13:44I use a saucepan, because a frying pan's black

0:13:44 > 0:13:48and you can't see what's going on in the bottom of the pan.

0:13:48 > 0:13:49With a saucepan, you can,

0:13:49 > 0:13:52particularly if it's got a steel lining, like this one,

0:13:52 > 0:13:54and I need to be able to judge visually

0:13:54 > 0:13:57exactly when the right point to stop the cooking is -

0:13:57 > 0:13:59because if you take it too far,

0:13:59 > 0:14:02you've got burnt butter rather than beurre noisette.

0:14:02 > 0:14:04"Beurre noisette" means "nutty" in French,

0:14:04 > 0:14:07and that's what I'm after - a sort of nutty flavour.

0:14:07 > 0:14:10Another pedantic point of mine is...

0:14:10 > 0:14:13Not quite there, but nearly.

0:14:13 > 0:14:15..is I put the lemon juice, which always goes with noisette,

0:14:15 > 0:14:19actually on the scallops, not in the butter.

0:14:19 > 0:14:22Now, that...is plumb right.

0:14:22 > 0:14:23Lovely, lovely flavour.

0:14:23 > 0:14:25Quite dark, but not burnt.

0:14:33 > 0:14:35And, finally, a little finely chopped parsley...

0:14:38 > 0:14:40..to complete the dish.

0:14:42 > 0:14:44That is delicious.

0:14:44 > 0:14:48I think I might just pop one into the old mouth there.

0:14:48 > 0:14:50Mm.

0:14:50 > 0:14:53This is one of the first seafood dishes I ever had in Brittany.

0:14:53 > 0:14:55Never forgotten it.

0:14:55 > 0:14:58Really understood about simplicity and things then.

0:14:58 > 0:15:02You can't beat just a properly made, simple butter sauce like that.

0:15:12 > 0:15:14This is perfection.

0:15:14 > 0:15:16I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world -

0:15:16 > 0:15:21I wouldn't want to be in Australia or Tahiti or Barbados, or anywhere.

0:15:21 > 0:15:23It's such a perfect evening,

0:15:23 > 0:15:26so still it's like a timeless image, to me,

0:15:26 > 0:15:29of everybody's best memories of Cornwall -

0:15:29 > 0:15:31but actually it IS timeless,

0:15:31 > 0:15:34because Brian and his family have been fishing here

0:15:34 > 0:15:37for mullet and bass for generations.

0:15:40 > 0:15:42I don't know anything else.

0:15:42 > 0:15:43That's my problem.

0:15:43 > 0:15:46I've done it since I was eight years old,

0:15:46 > 0:15:49brought up in a river, fishing with nets.

0:15:49 > 0:15:51I've been a fisherman since I left school, so...

0:15:51 > 0:15:53I don't know nothing else -

0:15:53 > 0:15:56I couldn't go and work in an office or something like that.

0:15:56 > 0:16:00Just have one - I think we've got one fish just jumped over the net.

0:16:00 > 0:16:01I think it possibly could be a mullet.

0:16:01 > 0:16:03Do you see it splashing there?

0:16:03 > 0:16:04Yeah, going like crazy, isn't it?

0:16:04 > 0:16:07'Grey mullet are normally rather muddy estuary fish,

0:16:07 > 0:16:09'but these bay mullet - well!'

0:16:09 > 0:16:10They're a nice size, aren't they?

0:16:10 > 0:16:13This is a typical bay mullet, this is.

0:16:13 > 0:16:15- Nice and big.- Yeah. - Clean.- Clean, yeah. Exactly.

0:16:15 > 0:16:16- CHILD:- And they've got another one!

0:16:20 > 0:16:22Grey mullet is a wonderful fish -

0:16:22 > 0:16:24it's so firm, it's so nice to feel,

0:16:24 > 0:16:27like all fresh fish, it's nice to feel.

0:16:27 > 0:16:29Stale fish feels soft, feels soggy -

0:16:29 > 0:16:32fresh fish feels like a piece of elastic.

0:16:32 > 0:16:34Feel like just going like that.

0:16:34 > 0:16:36Anyway, let's get on with the dish.

0:16:36 > 0:16:38A simple Tuscan sauce

0:16:38 > 0:16:42with some green olive oil, some garlic, some red chillies,

0:16:42 > 0:16:44some lemon juice and some sea salt.

0:16:44 > 0:16:46So, first of all, the garlic.

0:16:46 > 0:16:48Now, I'm using this Japanese mandolin,

0:16:48 > 0:16:50which you've got to be extremely careful with -

0:16:50 > 0:16:52every chef that uses it cuts themselves once,

0:16:52 > 0:16:54but you never do it again.

0:16:54 > 0:16:56It says in Japanese on one side and English on the other,

0:16:56 > 0:16:57"Watch your fingers."

0:16:57 > 0:17:00So, that's exactly what I'm doing.

0:17:00 > 0:17:02The most sensible thing to do is not actually to...

0:17:02 > 0:17:03- Ow,- BLEEP!

0:17:05 > 0:17:08So, I'm chopping the garlic with a sensible thin bladed knife.

0:17:08 > 0:17:10Next to the chilli.

0:17:10 > 0:17:13I take the seeds out and also put the chilli

0:17:13 > 0:17:15into a tiny bit of vinegar,

0:17:15 > 0:17:18just to slightly decrease the heat,

0:17:18 > 0:17:21because otherwise the sauce will be too hot.

0:17:21 > 0:17:23I just want a suggestion of chilli here -

0:17:23 > 0:17:25not a sort of massive blast of it.

0:17:25 > 0:17:28If you can hear some noise in the background at the moment,

0:17:28 > 0:17:31it's just the sound of a Japanese mandolin

0:17:31 > 0:17:35being thrown into the rubbish skip just outside the back door.

0:17:35 > 0:17:39So, first, assembling the sauce, this wonderful, wonderful olive oil.

0:17:39 > 0:17:41It's... Oh, gosh.

0:17:41 > 0:17:42It's great, actually.

0:17:42 > 0:17:45It's almost nicer to sniff than to taste, but only just.

0:17:45 > 0:17:47Then the garlic...

0:17:47 > 0:17:50and finally this chilli.

0:17:50 > 0:17:52Just a little bit of the chilli, which I've soaked in vinegar.

0:17:52 > 0:17:54That's all there is to the sauce.

0:17:54 > 0:17:56"Call that a sauce?" I hear you say -

0:17:56 > 0:17:59but the simple things in life are often the best.

0:17:59 > 0:18:01So, now, to cook the fish,

0:18:01 > 0:18:04it's a good idea to put some oil on the bars first of all,

0:18:04 > 0:18:06as a sort of belt and braces measure,

0:18:06 > 0:18:07to make sure the fish doesn't stick.

0:18:07 > 0:18:10I've also greased the fish with olive oil

0:18:10 > 0:18:12and a little bit of thyme and some salt.

0:18:12 > 0:18:16I can use the charcoal grill just to warm this olive oil sauce through,

0:18:16 > 0:18:18because I don't want to heat it right up,

0:18:18 > 0:18:22because it will drive off all those beautiful, volatile flavours

0:18:22 > 0:18:23in this Tuscan olive oil.

0:18:23 > 0:18:25Now, that fish is done on that side, now.

0:18:25 > 0:18:28Look at how that's getting so white and firm now.

0:18:28 > 0:18:31Bit more of a baste with some of this thyme and olive oil mix,

0:18:31 > 0:18:32and some salt,

0:18:32 > 0:18:34and flip it over - and it's so quick, this,

0:18:34 > 0:18:37it's a beautiful hot charcoal grill, this.

0:18:37 > 0:18:40There we are. The sauce, I'm sure, will be just about...

0:18:40 > 0:18:43ready to take off. Yes, it's nicely warmed through. Great.

0:18:43 > 0:18:46And if you're wondering why we're using blue plasters in the kitchen,

0:18:46 > 0:18:48it's so you can see them in the food.

0:18:48 > 0:18:50On to the assembly.

0:18:50 > 0:18:51Just lift that up gently,

0:18:51 > 0:18:53cos once it's cooked it's very, very delicate.

0:18:53 > 0:18:55Take some of this delicious sauce.

0:18:57 > 0:18:59Just a little bit - don't want too much,

0:18:59 > 0:19:03don't want to fill everybody up with olive oil calories.

0:19:03 > 0:19:07Some of this sea salt for crunchiness.

0:19:07 > 0:19:10Nice crunch against that softness - and now the taste.

0:19:13 > 0:19:15Now, that is seriously good.

0:19:15 > 0:19:16That is the sort of dish

0:19:16 > 0:19:19that I like to give to people who don't like fish -

0:19:19 > 0:19:22lots of Cornish people don't eat fish.

0:19:22 > 0:19:25Give them something like this, they would be converted immediately.

0:19:30 > 0:19:34It's amazing to think that Rick's first ever TV series was that.

0:19:34 > 0:19:35What a star.

0:19:35 > 0:19:38Funnily enough, the very first time I cooked on television,

0:19:38 > 0:19:39I did a classic fish dish, too -

0:19:39 > 0:19:43much like Rick, it's very simple - but without the Japanese mandolin.

0:19:43 > 0:19:45I remember, I cooked something for the Bee Gees, would you believe?

0:19:45 > 0:19:47- And now I'm going to cook it for you.- Cool!

0:19:47 > 0:19:49- I'm privileged. - It's a salad nicoise -

0:19:49 > 0:19:52or a classic tuna nicoise, and it's really so simple to make.

0:19:52 > 0:19:54As I say, classic - but the word nicoise comes from Nice,

0:19:54 > 0:19:56but it can vary.

0:19:56 > 0:19:58You can use broad beans in it, it can vary

0:19:58 > 0:20:00- so much with what ingredients actually goes in the nicoise.- Yeah.

0:20:00 > 0:20:03But fundamentally, you've got potatoes, which I've got over there,

0:20:03 > 0:20:06tomatoes, beans, olives, eggs, a little bit of lettuce in mine,

0:20:06 > 0:20:08I've obviously got some tuna, but it can vary -

0:20:08 > 0:20:10you can put anchovies, sardines, white fish -

0:20:10 > 0:20:13- anything, whatever's caught along the coast of Nice.- Mm-hm.

0:20:13 > 0:20:16We've got some anchovies, here, for our dressing, egg yolk,

0:20:16 > 0:20:17bit of mustard, lemon and garlic.

0:20:17 > 0:20:20So, the first thing I'm going to do, fire off straight away,

0:20:20 > 0:20:21is then just take our tuna

0:20:21 > 0:20:25and just cut this into a nice-sized portion, really.

0:20:25 > 0:20:28Going to use these trimmings, here, which are a little bit sinewy -

0:20:28 > 0:20:31- I use these for fishcakes, really, these ones.- Oh!

0:20:31 > 0:20:33Season it up with some salt and pepper...

0:20:33 > 0:20:34That's a lot of salt.

0:20:34 > 0:20:36Little bit less salt...

0:20:36 > 0:20:38LAUGHTER

0:20:41 > 0:20:44Little bit less pepper.

0:20:44 > 0:20:45Olive oil.

0:20:47 > 0:20:49The Bee Gees didn't complain, back then!

0:20:49 > 0:20:51They just got what they were given.

0:20:51 > 0:20:53Right, there we go. There's...

0:20:53 > 0:20:55Move that to one side.

0:20:55 > 0:20:57No wonder mine tastes bland.

0:20:57 > 0:20:58Is that what you told your dad?

0:20:58 > 0:21:00Cos your dad was a bit of a keen cook - and he still is.

0:21:00 > 0:21:02- My dad's an amazing cook. - A bit of a keen cook, yeah.

0:21:02 > 0:21:03Like he never really cooked,

0:21:03 > 0:21:05because obviously his partner cooked for him...

0:21:05 > 0:21:08I'm not surprised, with you telling him what to put in it!

0:21:09 > 0:21:12He was staying... My dad lives in Thailand,

0:21:12 > 0:21:13but he was staying with me before he went there,

0:21:13 > 0:21:17and I literally had him, you know, summoned to the kitchen -

0:21:17 > 0:21:19and he's fantastic at cooking Jamaican food,

0:21:19 > 0:21:21obviously, cos that's where he's from,

0:21:21 > 0:21:23but he cooks amazing Thai food, as well.

0:21:23 > 0:21:25You say summoned to the kitchen -

0:21:25 > 0:21:27because that's what your new partner wants to be,

0:21:27 > 0:21:29is that what you were saying?

0:21:29 > 0:21:31You want to go out with a chef, is that right?

0:21:31 > 0:21:33Well, it would be good... I don't have to go out with a chef,

0:21:33 > 0:21:35- but it would be good if he could cook.- Right, OK.

0:21:35 > 0:21:37- It's quite important.- It's quite important. There you go.- Mm.

0:21:37 > 0:21:39- Just don't put enough salt... - Yeah, don't put too much...

0:21:39 > 0:21:41- Less salt next time.- Lots of pepper.

0:21:41 > 0:21:44What kind of food did he used to cook you? Jamaican food, or...?

0:21:44 > 0:21:45My dad - like I said, my dad's a great cook,

0:21:45 > 0:21:48but he didn't really cook a lot.

0:21:48 > 0:21:51- My nan's the better cook - my dad's mum...- Yeah.

0:21:51 > 0:21:54..and, you know, we grew up eating things like curried goat and...

0:21:54 > 0:21:57- Curried GOAT? - Curried goat, pig's tail...

0:21:57 > 0:22:00- Pig's tail soup, jerk chicken... - Pig's tail?- Ackee and saltfish...

0:22:00 > 0:22:02What on earth do you do with pig's tail?

0:22:02 > 0:22:03Well, you put it in a soup -

0:22:03 > 0:22:06what the English would call stew, Jamaicans would call soup.

0:22:06 > 0:22:08So, you could have lamb soup -

0:22:08 > 0:22:12- traditionally you use, like, neck of lamb...- Yeah.

0:22:12 > 0:22:15..chicken, pig's tail... Pig's tail's great!

0:22:15 > 0:22:17- Pig's tail's great?- Yeah! - I'm sure it is.

0:22:17 > 0:22:18It's lovely, it's really tasty.

0:22:18 > 0:22:21Ackee and saltfish, which is, like, the Jamaican national dish...

0:22:21 > 0:22:24- Right.- ..which is really lovely...

0:22:24 > 0:22:26and lots of, you know, yams and...

0:22:26 > 0:22:28- dumplings...- I mean, you've travelled all over the world -

0:22:28 > 0:22:30so, you've mentioned all these sort of things

0:22:30 > 0:22:31- that you were brought up on... - Yeah.

0:22:31 > 0:22:34- Mm.- You must have tried some... - Yeah.- ..weird stuff on your travels.

0:22:34 > 0:22:37What's the most weirdest thing you've ever tried?

0:22:37 > 0:22:41I think the weirdest thing I ever tried was when I was with Mis-Teeq

0:22:41 > 0:22:43- and we were out in Norway...- Yeah.

0:22:43 > 0:22:47..recording our album. They used to have a chef come in to the studio -

0:22:47 > 0:22:50to save time, you didn't waste any time when you were recording -

0:22:50 > 0:22:52and they'd cook these lovely meals for us every day,

0:22:52 > 0:22:55but then, one day, I was eating this meat, and it was gorgeous,

0:22:55 > 0:22:56and I was like, "Oh, can I have seconds?

0:22:56 > 0:22:57"This is so nice,"

0:22:57 > 0:23:00and then Su-Elise said to me, "You know you're eating reindeer?"

0:23:00 > 0:23:02I said, "No!" I thought it was a joke -

0:23:02 > 0:23:03and then we got back to the hotel,

0:23:03 > 0:23:05she said, "Alesha, you really was eating reindeer,"

0:23:05 > 0:23:07and I was really disturbed by it,

0:23:07 > 0:23:10cos I was like, "Oh, my God, I've just ate Bambi!"

0:23:10 > 0:23:11It was like...

0:23:11 > 0:23:13No, that's a deer - that's not reindeer.

0:23:13 > 0:23:14Oh!

0:23:14 > 0:23:17- OK, same thing.- You've eaten Rudolph, instead - not Bambi.

0:23:19 > 0:23:21But either way, it was just like...

0:23:21 > 0:23:22It was beautiful meat,

0:23:22 > 0:23:24but I'm quite particular about the meat that I eat.

0:23:24 > 0:23:27I don't like to eat veal and rabbit and all those kind of things,

0:23:27 > 0:23:31but my favourite food, I think, outside of, you know,

0:23:31 > 0:23:33English food, Jamaican food, is probably Japanese.

0:23:33 > 0:23:34- Really?- Yeah.

0:23:34 > 0:23:36But you mentioned your band, as well -

0:23:36 > 0:23:37how did it all start for you?

0:23:37 > 0:23:39Because obviously we mentioned at the top,

0:23:39 > 0:23:43you're quite an accomplished athlete, and a dancer -

0:23:43 > 0:23:45how did the singing start?

0:23:45 > 0:23:50Well, I left college when I was about 18, and then I...

0:23:50 > 0:23:52I mean, I'm from Welwyn Garden City, which is quite a small town,

0:23:52 > 0:23:55and I was really interested in doing street dancing,

0:23:55 > 0:23:57but there wasn't really anything in my area,

0:23:57 > 0:24:00so I kind of went up to Bond Street and did a street dancing class

0:24:00 > 0:24:03on a Sunday, just to keep fit and, you know, for enjoyment,

0:24:03 > 0:24:06and I was approached by a lady called Louise Porter,

0:24:06 > 0:24:08who asked me if I sang - and I said,

0:24:08 > 0:24:09"Well, I love to sing,

0:24:09 > 0:24:11"but I've never considered it as a career," because, obviously,

0:24:11 > 0:24:13you know, I'd planned on being a teacher -

0:24:13 > 0:24:16when you're, you know, 18 and you're from a small town,

0:24:16 > 0:24:18you don't know how to get into the music industry.

0:24:18 > 0:24:20- It's like trying to get to Mars. - Yeah.

0:24:20 > 0:24:22It's a completely different world,

0:24:22 > 0:24:26and she had a production company, started developing songs with me,

0:24:26 > 0:24:30I met Sabrina and Su-Elise at a rehearsal studio down in Fulham,

0:24:30 > 0:24:34and we, you know, we practised and rehearsed and was developing

0:24:34 > 0:24:37as a band for a good four years before we signed our first deal...

0:24:37 > 0:24:39- Yeah.- ..and I suppose it was kind of fate, really,

0:24:39 > 0:24:43that one of our songs was overheard by Tin Tin Out, a song called Why...

0:24:43 > 0:24:47- Yeah.- ..and Inferno Records, at the time, fell in love with it,

0:24:47 > 0:24:50and they signed us, just on hearing the song, and...

0:24:50 > 0:24:52- The rest is history. - Yeah, the rest is history.

0:24:52 > 0:24:56And, of course, famous for Strictly Come Dancing, now.

0:24:56 > 0:24:58- Yes, we have that in common! - I know a little bit about that.

0:24:58 > 0:25:01What else have you been doing?

0:25:01 > 0:25:03Well, I've just back from Japan, cos my album,

0:25:03 > 0:25:07that never got released in the UK, is being released there

0:25:07 > 0:25:10on the 20th of Feb, so I've been out there promoting -

0:25:10 > 0:25:12and eating a lot of beef.

0:25:12 > 0:25:14Oh, my God, I think I ate sukiyaki every night.

0:25:14 > 0:25:17- It's good stuff over there. - It's amazing.

0:25:17 > 0:25:21So, I was in food heaven there, and most of this month, and March,

0:25:21 > 0:25:24I was in the studio recording a new record,

0:25:24 > 0:25:26which I would like to be out by the summer.

0:25:26 > 0:25:27- There you go.- Yeah.

0:25:27 > 0:25:30And because you've talked over the entire one of my recipes,

0:25:30 > 0:25:32people will have to go onto the internet now

0:25:32 > 0:25:34to find out what the hell I was cooking!

0:25:34 > 0:25:36You was asking me the questions!

0:25:36 > 0:25:38Just recap - I've made a dressing with...

0:25:38 > 0:25:41I've made a dressing with egg yolks, little bit of mustard...

0:25:41 > 0:25:43- Have you washed your hands?- Yes!

0:25:43 > 0:25:45LAUGHTER

0:25:45 > 0:25:46I'm joking!

0:25:47 > 0:25:49That does look good, though.

0:25:49 > 0:25:50Yeah, that's all right.

0:25:50 > 0:25:53SHE LAUGHS There's...

0:25:53 > 0:25:55- Sorry, you can kick me off the show if you want.- No, no, it's fine.

0:25:55 > 0:25:57Keep going. Right, we've got some...

0:25:57 > 0:25:58Can I just come here every Saturday?

0:25:58 > 0:26:00Look, we've just made a dressing, all right?

0:26:00 > 0:26:02We've made a dressing...

0:26:03 > 0:26:04- Yeah.- ..with egg yolks...

0:26:04 > 0:26:06- Just eat it. Right.- OK.

0:26:06 > 0:26:07It's the only time I get a word in edgeways.

0:26:07 > 0:26:09It's the only time I'm quiet!

0:26:09 > 0:26:12Egg yolks, mustard, anchovy, olive oil, salt and pepper -

0:26:12 > 0:26:15and then try that, with a little pink bit of tuna.

0:26:15 > 0:26:17Pink bit of tuna. I do love egg.

0:26:17 > 0:26:19- You like egg?- Mm!

0:26:19 > 0:26:22Don't put as much salt on it as I did, next time.

0:26:23 > 0:26:25What do you reckon?

0:26:25 > 0:26:26You should be a chef.

0:26:31 > 0:26:35You never tire of hearing Alesha's laugh - it's so infectious.

0:26:35 > 0:26:38Today, we're taking a look back at some of the tastiest recipes

0:26:38 > 0:26:40from the Saturday Kitchen archives -

0:26:40 > 0:26:43and there's still loads of inspiring dishes to come.

0:26:43 > 0:26:46Up next, author and cook Adriana Trigiani.

0:26:46 > 0:26:49Now this was her first appearance on the show -

0:26:49 > 0:26:51but trust me, you'd never know.

0:26:51 > 0:26:54Not only has she written seven bestselling novels,

0:26:54 > 0:26:56but she's about to direct her first film,

0:26:56 > 0:26:58and has just released a brand-new cookery book

0:26:58 > 0:27:02full of classic Italian recipes from her New York childhood.

0:27:02 > 0:27:05She's flown in from America especially for us,

0:27:05 > 0:27:07and it's brilliant to have her on Saturday Kitchen -

0:27:07 > 0:27:10- it's Adriana Trigiani. TRIGGiani?- Tri-giani.

0:27:10 > 0:27:12- Trigiani. There you go. - OK, first thing. ..

0:27:12 > 0:27:14- Lovely, what are we cooking? - OK, first, a little safety -

0:27:14 > 0:27:17I have a four-year-old, move those...

0:27:17 > 0:27:19You know, don't hang your handles over...

0:27:19 > 0:27:20- Don't hang your handles over the stove.- Yeah.

0:27:20 > 0:27:23- OK, fire away - what are we cooking? - We're making braciole...- Yeah.

0:27:23 > 0:27:27..and braciole is basically a pesto infused meat roll

0:27:27 > 0:27:30- that we make in a classic tomato sauce...- Yeah.

0:27:30 > 0:27:32- ..and then we slice it thinly... - Yeah.

0:27:32 > 0:27:35..and then we're going to make some blood oranges in a Venetian salad

0:27:35 > 0:27:38that my grandmother really served with practically every meal.

0:27:38 > 0:27:40And this is in your book, as well, isn't it?

0:27:40 > 0:27:43This is in my book. First thing, get that meat nice and...

0:27:43 > 0:27:45What kind of meat is this?

0:27:45 > 0:27:47Well, I think this is a sirloin...

0:27:47 > 0:27:50- Yeah. - ..and we've been hitting it all day,

0:27:50 > 0:27:52- so it's in good shape.- OK!

0:27:52 > 0:27:54- Yeah.- We just pretend that, you know, it's somebody we don't like.

0:27:54 > 0:27:56- All right, now... - This is the filling.

0:27:56 > 0:27:57I'd like you to take these...

0:27:57 > 0:28:00- Yeah. This is parsley. - This is parsley...- Yeah.

0:28:00 > 0:28:02- ..and basil.- Yeah. - We say bay-zel, but...

0:28:02 > 0:28:04- You know.- Basil.- Basil.- OK.

0:28:04 > 0:28:07So, go ahead - if you would chop that up really fine for me,

0:28:07 > 0:28:08and put that here.

0:28:08 > 0:28:11- And this is breadcrumb.- Yep.

0:28:11 > 0:28:13- If you wouldn't mind... - Fresh breadcrumbs.- Yeah.

0:28:13 > 0:28:14- Fresh breadcrumb.- Yeah.

0:28:14 > 0:28:17- And Parmesan cheese.- Yeah.

0:28:17 > 0:28:19It's beautiful - and that goes in here, too.

0:28:19 > 0:28:21- Lovely.- You know what? I can help.

0:28:21 > 0:28:23That's all right, I'll keep going. You're all right.

0:28:23 > 0:28:25Really, you're not going so fast. Let me help you.

0:28:25 > 0:28:27You're a little slow.

0:28:27 > 0:28:30- I'm going as quick as I can. - Well, it's not fast enough, James.

0:28:30 > 0:28:33- All right, OK. - OK, it's a show. Here we go. OK.

0:28:33 > 0:28:36- You know why Italian girls can cook? - Why's that?

0:28:36 > 0:28:39Well, they want to keep their men faithful,

0:28:39 > 0:28:41so they really learn how to do this -

0:28:41 > 0:28:42at least we know if we can cook well,

0:28:42 > 0:28:44we can keep them home one night a week, you know?

0:28:44 > 0:28:46- LAUGHTER - You know?

0:28:46 > 0:28:48- Are you married, James? - I'm not married, no.

0:28:48 > 0:28:50- You're not?!- No.

0:28:50 > 0:28:52You're such a catch! Why aren't you married?

0:28:52 > 0:28:53Oh, I just run.

0:28:53 > 0:28:56- You just run? - Yeah, I run very quickly.

0:28:56 > 0:28:57- Well...- In the opposite direction.

0:28:57 > 0:29:00- When somebody mentions marriage, I'm off.- Really?- Yeah.

0:29:00 > 0:29:01Well, you should change that,

0:29:01 > 0:29:05because it would be nice to see if you...

0:29:05 > 0:29:08- You should read some of our tabloid newspapers!- Yeah...

0:29:08 > 0:29:10Shh!

0:29:10 > 0:29:11A man that can cook -

0:29:11 > 0:29:13it's the greatest thing in the world.

0:29:13 > 0:29:15- OK, what have you got in there? You've got the cheese.- Yes, cheese.

0:29:15 > 0:29:18- How many cloves of garlic do you want in there?- You know what, guys,

0:29:18 > 0:29:21just put olive oil in - I'm kind of liberal with it, cos I love it.

0:29:21 > 0:29:22- Right.- Then I use my hands.

0:29:22 > 0:29:24OK, go ahead - you're doing great.

0:29:24 > 0:29:26- Thank you very much.- OK, now it's like you're in a kitchen.

0:29:26 > 0:29:29OK, take off your wedding rings - world's tiniest handcuff -

0:29:29 > 0:29:31- and then just get in here. - LAUGHTER

0:29:31 > 0:29:33See what I mean?

0:29:33 > 0:29:34- I know!- See what I mean?

0:29:35 > 0:29:40OK, so, now be very... Folks at home, be very liberal with this.

0:29:40 > 0:29:42I like it really stuffed well,

0:29:42 > 0:29:45and I also love, as an extra, sometimes,

0:29:45 > 0:29:48if you feel like it, pignoli nuts - but we did it sort of simply.

0:29:48 > 0:29:51- Then roll...- Pignoli nuts?- Yeah. Then you roll...

0:29:53 > 0:29:54..these bundles, OK?

0:29:54 > 0:29:57You roll them like this, and then you take two strings...

0:29:59 > 0:30:00Oh...

0:30:00 > 0:30:02LAUGHTER

0:30:02 > 0:30:06It's really fine. It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.

0:30:06 > 0:30:09But if you're doing the breadcrumbs runs like that, I would do this,

0:30:09 > 0:30:14- if you forget, just make it wet. - They'll be fine like that.

0:30:14 > 0:30:17They're going to be delicious. It smells great.

0:30:17 > 0:30:22- So the new roll them, just like so. - Look at that.

0:30:22 > 0:30:26Now, is this a very traditional Italian or Italian New York...

0:30:26 > 0:30:28You know what? This is barese.

0:30:28 > 0:30:32There's all different parts of Italy and lately what's gotten hot

0:30:32 > 0:30:36is the area on the Adriatic Puglia and this is, um...

0:30:38 > 0:30:43This is a traditional peasant dish, but you had this on fancy holidays.

0:30:43 > 0:30:45You didn't have this on... See, I'm a messy cook, you're not.

0:30:45 > 0:30:47Look how neat it is here. I feel bad.

0:30:47 > 0:30:50I'm going to have to stay and clean and then repaint the set.

0:30:50 > 0:30:53OK, here we go. You just tie up these bundles.

0:30:53 > 0:30:55- I'll look after that for you.- OK.

0:30:55 > 0:30:57Now you're going to cook them with the strings on them.

0:30:57 > 0:30:59- What did you just find? - Nothing.- My ring?

0:30:59 > 0:31:04That's a sign of my husband's love, so I need that back.

0:31:04 > 0:31:07OK, now, we take this out.

0:31:07 > 0:31:11This is a pork bone that we just had to thicken up the sauce, OK?

0:31:11 > 0:31:13So, the sauce is what we've got here.

0:31:13 > 0:31:16- You've got tomatoes or to-may-toes. - To-may-toes or tomatoes, yeah.

0:31:16 > 0:31:18Puree. Bit of water. What are the spices that you've got in here?

0:31:18 > 0:31:20OK, they're Italian seasonings.

0:31:20 > 0:31:24I see black pepper, I see oregano and some garlic salt.

0:31:24 > 0:31:26- And, you know, when we wrote the cookbook...- Yeah.

0:31:26 > 0:31:29..you know I grew up in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.

0:31:29 > 0:31:31We were the only Italians, they called us I-talians,

0:31:31 > 0:31:36so when we were there, you couldn't get the New York Italian seasonings.

0:31:36 > 0:31:38- Just place them gently. - With your sister?- Yeah.

0:31:38 > 0:31:41- You wrote the book with her. - My sisters and my mom.

0:31:41 > 0:31:45- We use sometime the dried herbs. - And the book's called?

0:31:45 > 0:31:49- Cooking With My Sisters.- Cooking With My Sisters, there we go.

0:31:49 > 0:31:51All right, look, you have a little thing here,

0:31:51 > 0:31:52this will help me a little bit.

0:31:52 > 0:31:55And just bathe them in there and it cooks through

0:31:55 > 0:32:00and you can do variations, OK, so if you like raisins,

0:32:00 > 0:32:03the Sicilians will put raisins in this, which is delicious.

0:32:03 > 0:32:05I've had it with aubergine like that once.

0:32:05 > 0:32:09OK, you could. We never ate eggplant in our house,

0:32:09 > 0:32:10- which you call aubergine.- Yeah

0:32:10 > 0:32:14Because it made my father sick, so we never ever had eggplant.

0:32:14 > 0:32:17Cos, you know, my father was the boss of the whole house.

0:32:17 > 0:32:20Obviously if we didn't eat what he didn't want to eat,

0:32:20 > 0:32:21it didn't get eaten.

0:32:21 > 0:32:25Now, over here...they're done, they're gorgeous.

0:32:25 > 0:32:28- We can cut them up.- Now while you're doing that, I'll prepare our salad.

0:32:28 > 0:32:31- While you're doing that, I'll do that.- OK.

0:32:31 > 0:32:33- Now blood oranges... - You understand all this?- Yeah.

0:32:33 > 0:32:36Cos we were talking earlier. Yeah, it's very simple,

0:32:36 > 0:32:39the blood oranges, now this is a Venetian thing.

0:32:39 > 0:32:42See, my family is from four parts of Italy.

0:32:42 > 0:32:47Now the cuisine is very different in those areas obviously but

0:32:47 > 0:32:53this blood orange kind of salad, my grandmother, who's Venetian,

0:32:53 > 0:32:58would serve with everything and it's very simple but you never...

0:32:58 > 0:33:00I've never seen it in a restaurant, you know,

0:33:00 > 0:33:03we make at home all the time and it's very simple...

0:33:03 > 0:33:06You peel and slice your blood oranges thin and you can use

0:33:06 > 0:33:11a regular orange if you want to, and then you take a little pepper,

0:33:11 > 0:33:15- I see a little grinder there. OK. - I'll just dress some leaves for you.

0:33:15 > 0:33:20Really give it a nice dose of pepper. That's important.

0:33:20 > 0:33:22And then you take the best olive oil you've got,

0:33:22 > 0:33:28extra virgin is always good, and then you drizzle over the top

0:33:28 > 0:33:31and you serve it at room temperature. That's important too.

0:33:31 > 0:33:34You know, the Italians don't like anything cold.

0:33:34 > 0:33:36You know, don't refrigerate your tomatoes,

0:33:36 > 0:33:39- don't refrigerate your oranges. - I'll put that out

0:33:39 > 0:33:41for you to slice your lovely delicious cooked beef.

0:33:41 > 0:33:45I'll just dress my salad here. There we go. Bit of that.

0:33:48 > 0:33:49And all you do...

0:33:49 > 0:33:52You see how the bundles have...

0:33:52 > 0:33:56They've cooked through, they're nice and moist,

0:33:56 > 0:33:59they look gorgeous and then we're going to snip that string off.

0:33:59 > 0:34:02I think my great aunt choked on the string once.

0:34:02 > 0:34:06My sister was in charge and really messed it up.

0:34:07 > 0:34:11So how long does take to cook, roughly? About 15 to 20 minutes?

0:34:11 > 0:34:12That's right.

0:34:12 > 0:34:15Something like that. And your sauce, cook it longer.

0:34:15 > 0:34:19We cook our sauce for hours. It could be cooking four hours easily.

0:34:19 > 0:34:21- We're going to snip of our... - Give it a little snip.

0:34:21 > 0:34:24- ..string and two of those. - Mm-hm.

0:34:24 > 0:34:28And see that cheese and that pesto, it holds it all together.

0:34:28 > 0:34:33- They smell superb, I have to say. - You know what's so funny?

0:34:33 > 0:34:34When you eat in restaurants,

0:34:34 > 0:34:38you never realise really all that goes into this, right?

0:34:38 > 0:34:41And you do it so well, and you're neat as a pin.

0:34:41 > 0:34:44I can't understand - you're so neat - why you're not married.

0:34:45 > 0:34:48- I mean, you're not the typical sloppy guy.- Aren't I?- No.

0:34:48 > 0:34:54No, cos I'm too busy cleaning up after you got, that's what it is.

0:34:54 > 0:34:58There you can see it, you can see that delicious filling there.

0:34:58 > 0:35:02Adriana, that looks fantastic. So remind us what that dish is again?

0:35:02 > 0:35:06OK, that's called braciole and this is the blood orange salad.

0:35:06 > 0:35:07Very simple.

0:35:07 > 0:35:09All the way from New York.

0:35:14 > 0:35:16Lovely, lovely, lovely. APPLAUSE

0:35:16 > 0:35:19A round of applause, that's a first, see? There you go.

0:35:19 > 0:35:22I think they're just happy that I made it through.

0:35:22 > 0:35:23- Have a seat.- Thank you.

0:35:23 > 0:35:25- I'll give you that.- Thank you.

0:35:25 > 0:35:27You're getting fed this time, aren't you?

0:35:27 > 0:35:29Bet you can't wait till the end of this.

0:35:29 > 0:35:31Dive in and tell us what do you think.

0:35:34 > 0:35:37- The blood orange, superb. Bang in season now as well.- Yeah.

0:35:37 > 0:35:42I think with the orange and the tomato, osso buco is often finished

0:35:42 > 0:35:47- with a bit of citrus, so the oranges work well with tomato.- Yeah.- Oh!

0:35:48 > 0:35:50Is that scrumptious?

0:35:50 > 0:35:54If you're a vegetarian, you just take that filling and use

0:35:54 > 0:35:58a dense pasta, like the bowties or tagliatelle,

0:35:58 > 0:36:02something thick and you take that and you just make your pasta.

0:36:02 > 0:36:05And there's, like, secrets to making the pasta -

0:36:05 > 0:36:06don't ever rinse it,

0:36:06 > 0:36:10a lot of people do, that ruins it, al dente, don't cook it too long.

0:36:10 > 0:36:11You sort of learn.

0:36:11 > 0:36:15And you put it in the pan and you cover it with cheese first,

0:36:15 > 0:36:19so the cheese adheres and then your olive oil and then put that filling

0:36:19 > 0:36:21on top of it, people will go crazy.

0:36:26 > 0:36:27What can I say?

0:36:27 > 0:36:30What a tasty looking dish and what a lovely velvet jacket, James.

0:36:30 > 0:36:32Love that one.

0:36:32 > 0:36:34Now, I think it's about time we treated ourselves

0:36:34 > 0:36:36to a little Keith Floyd, don't you?

0:36:36 > 0:36:37Here he is.

0:37:02 > 0:37:07I am driving the ultimate "dream machine" - a Corvette Stingray '7.

0:37:07 > 0:37:09Seven litres under the bonnet!

0:37:09 > 0:37:14I've got my pots and pans and my knives because I'm on the BBC maxi-break of a lifetime!

0:37:14 > 0:37:19I'm going to take you to Louisiana, Memphis, New Orleans, Florida,

0:37:19 > 0:37:22California - from shining sea to shining sea!

0:37:22 > 0:37:25To try the food, the music, the blues, the rock and roll,

0:37:25 > 0:37:29the awhopabaloobam of American gastronomy! Let's go for it!

0:37:40 > 0:37:44MUSIC: The Star Spangled Banner

0:38:28 > 0:38:33The Bayou, Louisiana, is the gastronomic heartland of the southern states,

0:38:33 > 0:38:35home of crawfish and file gumbo,

0:38:35 > 0:38:38and lots of other dishes immortalised in rock 'n' roll songs.

0:38:38 > 0:38:41Amongst these stunted trees, destroyed coincidentally

0:38:41 > 0:38:44by Hurricane Floyd, no relation of course,

0:38:44 > 0:38:46you can feel the spirit of General Jackson,

0:38:46 > 0:38:49who beat the living daylights out of the Brits

0:38:49 > 0:38:51at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815.

0:38:58 > 0:39:01That curious machine is a mud-bug harvester!

0:39:01 > 0:39:06Mud-bugs are what the locals call crawfish - an aggressive, lobster-like crustacean

0:39:06 > 0:39:10that lives in the same swamps that produce the wild rice they ultimately meet on a plate.

0:39:10 > 0:39:14This symbol of Louisiana cuisine is farmed in vast quantities

0:39:14 > 0:39:16here in the Mississippi Delta,

0:39:16 > 0:39:19and those not eaten by these winged predators, I'm sorry I don't know

0:39:19 > 0:39:22what they're called, end up in pots with Cajun spices and garlic,

0:39:22 > 0:39:25spreading the gastronomic spirit of Louisiana right across the States.

0:39:25 > 0:39:27As my Cajun chum explained so succinctly...

0:39:31 > 0:39:33HE MUMBLES

0:39:33 > 0:39:36'By the way, he was only scaring those birds, though he eats the occasional one.

0:39:36 > 0:39:40'Anyway, onto cooking sketch number one, with a guy who irritated the hell out of me,

0:39:40 > 0:39:44'but he cooks a great jambalaya, so he can't be all bad!'

0:39:44 > 0:39:47I've got trouble on my hands here, this is Chris, he knows everything

0:39:47 > 0:39:49about Cajun cooking and he's going to teach me to make a jambalaya -

0:39:49 > 0:39:51the classic dish of this Louisiana swamp region.

0:39:51 > 0:39:54Chris, what are all these ingredients here for a start?

0:39:54 > 0:39:56Well, Floyd, before we get started with ingredients,

0:39:56 > 0:39:59I wanna tell you something. One thing about a man making jambalaya

0:39:59 > 0:40:01in South Louisiana - it's an important part of our diet

0:40:01 > 0:40:03and I'm going to tell you something right now before you go too far.

0:40:03 > 0:40:05Told you I was going to have trouble with this guy.

0:40:05 > 0:40:09If you mess up, I got something to handle you! Is that fair enough?

0:40:09 > 0:40:13- That's fair enough!- If you mess up my jambalaya for the people sitting out here,

0:40:13 > 0:40:15we are gonna settle the odds up.

0:40:15 > 0:40:16That's all I wanted you to know.

0:40:16 > 0:40:18We'll keep that back down in the background.

0:40:18 > 0:40:20Let's talk about the ingredients.

0:40:20 > 0:40:22Let's talk about what I put in this pot.

0:40:22 > 0:40:25- Remember what I dropped in here? You thought it was lard.- I did.

0:40:25 > 0:40:27- That's alligator fat.- Alligator fat?

0:40:27 > 0:40:30That's all it was. Not much more than that but really, it was lard.

0:40:30 > 0:40:33Lard has a good flavour. SIZZLING

0:40:33 > 0:40:35- Can you hear that pot sizzling? - Yeah.

0:40:35 > 0:40:38- It's time to drop that sausage in. - All of it?- Yeah.

0:40:38 > 0:40:41I'm gonna give you the spoon from here on out and you can do

0:40:41 > 0:40:44all the work you wanna do. How's that? Huh?

0:40:44 > 0:40:47God! I'll be eating a meal here that somebody else cooked for a change.

0:40:47 > 0:40:49- How long do we cook this for? - What we're going to do right now,

0:40:49 > 0:40:51we're going to cook this down

0:40:51 > 0:40:53- until we get some of the oils out of the sausage.- Right.

0:40:53 > 0:40:55That's all we're trying to do right now.

0:40:55 > 0:40:58- This is hot sausage. You like hot sausage?- I like hot sausage.- Good, good, good.

0:40:58 > 0:41:02- The flavour of this sausage is gonna carry the pot of this jambalaya.- Right.

0:41:02 > 0:41:04That's the flavour that's going to carry it.

0:41:04 > 0:41:08Be careful with that. Don't break 'em all up! Just hit 'em lightly.

0:41:08 > 0:41:10Don't disturb them. There you go.

0:41:10 > 0:41:12Let it saute for a few minutes.

0:41:12 > 0:41:15All we're looking for right now is to get some of the oils out.

0:41:15 > 0:41:18By getting the oils out, it lubricates something you don't know nothing about.

0:41:18 > 0:41:20While that's happening there, what's in there, then?

0:41:20 > 0:41:23- You really wanna know?- I really wanna know what's in there.

0:41:23 > 0:41:26- Mississippi river water. - Mississippi river water?

0:41:26 > 0:41:28- We get a lot of good chemicals come down our river.- Yeah.

0:41:28 > 0:41:31This has very good flavour in it. That's all that is.

0:41:31 > 0:41:32Now I'm telling you, look here.

0:41:32 > 0:41:34Let me tell you what I really have in here.

0:41:34 > 0:41:38I've got chicken stock and a little kitchen bouquet.

0:41:38 > 0:41:40Kitchen bouquet, right.

0:41:40 > 0:41:44- I know you're familiar with that. - Sure. That's a bouquet garni.- Right.

0:41:44 > 0:41:48They give you a good colour and a great flavour.

0:41:48 > 0:41:50We're gonna add a little trinity in here.

0:41:50 > 0:41:54- You know what trinity is? - I can see it now.- What is it?

0:41:54 > 0:41:58- It's green peppers, celery and onions.- That's all that it is. That's exactly right.

0:41:58 > 0:42:01This is a basic seasoning group we use in South Louisiana,

0:42:01 > 0:42:04whether we're making a jambalaya,

0:42:04 > 0:42:08whether we're making a gumbo or a Creole. This is the basic seasoning group that we use.

0:42:08 > 0:42:10We're gonna add this to the pot.

0:42:10 > 0:42:13I'll tell you what else you can add to this dish right now.

0:42:13 > 0:42:17- You can put a little bit of chicken in.- Already?- Yeah, go ahead.

0:42:17 > 0:42:19Drop it in. Heat it up real good.

0:42:19 > 0:42:22- Does that look like chicken to you? - Well, I don't trust you any more...

0:42:22 > 0:42:26What do you mean, you don't trust me? Would I lie to you?!

0:42:26 > 0:42:28- You flew in from England! - I think you might!

0:42:28 > 0:42:33- I think you might!- This is what we had the back part of.

0:42:33 > 0:42:35That was a little bit we had left in the freezer.

0:42:35 > 0:42:38- That's a big chicken! - That's a big chicken, huh?

0:42:38 > 0:42:41How do you like the looks of this baby? You think you can open him up?

0:42:41 > 0:42:43- I wouldn't think so.- Go right ahead. - Oh, my Lord!

0:42:45 > 0:42:49- Floyd, I would not put alligator meat in this pot. You know why?- Why?

0:42:49 > 0:42:54- Alligator is 6.95 a pound!- Right. - Pretty expensive.

0:42:54 > 0:43:01- We're using raccoon today.- Raccoon! - Don't you prefer raccoon?- Oh, dear!

0:43:01 > 0:43:04- Rocky Raccoon!- Rocky Raccoon!

0:43:04 > 0:43:06- How's that looking? - That's looking very good.

0:43:06 > 0:43:11- Fa-a-antastic! How about dropping a little garlic in there?- Garlic...

0:43:11 > 0:43:15This guy's learning how to cook. He's finally learning real food.

0:43:15 > 0:43:18Real, real food, that's what he's learning now.

0:43:18 > 0:43:22Hey, this stock's boiling up away here now.

0:43:22 > 0:43:25- You see how the chicken base has come to the surface?- Sure.

0:43:25 > 0:43:29- Now it's time to pour it in the pot. - This pot?- The handles aren't hot.

0:43:29 > 0:43:32And now in we go with the stock.

0:43:32 > 0:43:36- Do you know a Cajun philosophy for making a jambalaya?- No.

0:43:36 > 0:43:38You have no idea.

0:43:38 > 0:43:40If it walks, crawls, swims or flies

0:43:40 > 0:43:45and you can catch it, you can put it in that pot! How's that, huh?

0:43:45 > 0:43:48What about the rice? When does that go into the whole thing?

0:43:48 > 0:43:50We've to bring this to a boil,

0:43:50 > 0:43:52- but we need to add a little salt and there.- Salt? Which is where?

0:43:52 > 0:43:55- Put about two teaspoons of salt in there.- Is that this salt?- No.

0:43:55 > 0:43:59- Leave that alone. Don't even touch that.- This is called Joe's stuff.

0:43:59 > 0:44:02- No, that's salt.- That's salt. - I just used Joe's bottle.

0:44:02 > 0:44:05That's pretty close. I'd put a little bit more in there.

0:44:05 > 0:44:07- A little bit more. - You're cooking five cups of rice.

0:44:07 > 0:44:10- Right, OK, it needs a bit more then. - That's what I'm getting at.

0:44:10 > 0:44:12We'll stir this in.

0:44:12 > 0:44:17- Now, get back to the alligators. - I'd love to get back to them.

0:44:17 > 0:44:19They eat anything that gets in their way.

0:44:19 > 0:44:22Female alligators that have baby alligators,

0:44:22 > 0:44:26that's probably the meanest creature you ever run across in your life.

0:44:26 > 0:44:28- Worse than the mother-in-law, in fact.- Well, I don't know,

0:44:28 > 0:44:32my mother-in-law... The first job I ever had was taming alligators.

0:44:32 > 0:44:34You ever tried to tame an alligator?

0:44:34 > 0:44:38I used to have to stand there and run my hands through the mouth

0:44:38 > 0:44:39once I got it open.

0:44:39 > 0:44:42You know who got me that job? My mother-in-law.

0:44:42 > 0:44:45I quit that real quick. I realised what was going on.

0:44:45 > 0:44:47Shall I put the rice in?

0:44:47 > 0:44:49Yeah, that's boiling. What we're going to do now,

0:44:49 > 0:44:52we're going to put the lid on, lower the fire, now lower it real low.

0:44:52 > 0:44:55I am not looking to bring it back to a boil.

0:44:55 > 0:44:57How are we coming here?

0:44:57 > 0:45:00- Let's see what we've got here, Floyd.- Very low. How about there?

0:45:00 > 0:45:03Oh, there you go.

0:45:03 > 0:45:06All I want is a simmer. That is perfect. I'll tell you what.

0:45:06 > 0:45:08- Have you cooked before?- No.

0:45:08 > 0:45:12Well, why do they call you Floyd On Fish?

0:45:12 > 0:45:15I'm just curious. That's all.

0:45:15 > 0:45:18What we've to do now, Floyd, we have to time that for ten minutes.

0:45:18 > 0:45:22- Can you tell the time?- Like nine cans of that and that's ready.

0:45:22 > 0:45:26No, no, one can. This is a quarter can. I need a whole can of Dixie.

0:45:26 > 0:45:28How much do you have left in yours?

0:45:28 > 0:45:30Oh, yeah, we can time it by that.

0:45:30 > 0:45:32By the time you finish that and I finish this,

0:45:32 > 0:45:35ten minutes will be up, then we're going to turn our jambalaya off.

0:45:35 > 0:45:36At that point right there,

0:45:36 > 0:45:39we have to let this thing sit for about 20 minutes.

0:45:39 > 0:45:43- This rice will cook itself, right in the pot and that's what's nice about it.- OK.

0:45:51 > 0:45:54They call New Orleans "the Big Easy".

0:45:54 > 0:45:56It's a city that likes to sleep late and party hard.

0:45:56 > 0:45:58Once extremely prosperous,

0:45:58 > 0:46:01the failing oil and shipping industries have left their scars

0:46:01 > 0:46:03on this most European of American cities.

0:46:03 > 0:46:07It reminds me of a cross between Avignon, Seville and Liverpool.

0:46:07 > 0:46:10The streets rattle to streetcars

0:46:10 > 0:46:14and rock with the jazz that fills the food-scented air in this humid city.

0:46:16 > 0:46:20These flags flying for Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday as you know,

0:46:20 > 0:46:24owe their colours to a British Victorian touring theatre group playing Lear,

0:46:24 > 0:46:26dear, dear Lear, at the local theatre.

0:46:26 > 0:46:30And the organisers of the first carnival borrowed their costumes

0:46:30 > 0:46:32for the carnival king and queen,

0:46:32 > 0:46:35so it's all down to Shakespeare really.

0:46:37 > 0:46:39Laissez les bons temps rouler.

0:46:39 > 0:46:41"Let the good times roll" is the motto of this naughty place,

0:46:41 > 0:46:45the home of Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire,

0:46:45 > 0:46:47Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, etc, etc. I could go on,

0:46:47 > 0:46:51but I'm more into Faulkner, another great Southern writer.

0:46:52 > 0:46:55New Orleans is a superstitious city - palm readers, witches,

0:46:55 > 0:46:59diviners and clairvoyants of all kinds hang out on the streets

0:46:59 > 0:47:02and in dubious little studios, but with its Indian, French,

0:47:02 > 0:47:04Spanish and slaving heritage, it's not surprising.

0:47:04 > 0:47:09# I love you, baby, and I want you to be my girl. #

0:47:09 > 0:47:11Along with fortune-telling and music,

0:47:11 > 0:47:14your Big Easy native is never happier than when eating beignets,

0:47:14 > 0:47:17a French style doughnut in the Cafe du Monde,

0:47:17 > 0:47:19the hangout of musicians, artists,

0:47:19 > 0:47:23tourists and potpourri of New Orleans' demi-monde.

0:47:27 > 0:47:30Ah, I hope you like these little jewels of commentary,

0:47:30 > 0:47:32they're quite important really.

0:47:32 > 0:47:35Anyway, the central grocery store at the turn of the century

0:47:35 > 0:47:37or thereabouts created the famous muffuletta sandwich,

0:47:37 > 0:47:39presumably by Senor Muffuletta.

0:47:39 > 0:47:41They are slices of salami,

0:47:41 > 0:47:43ham and Swiss cheese smothered in olive oil and pickle.

0:47:43 > 0:47:45Do you really like them?

0:47:45 > 0:47:46# Yes, I do

0:47:46 > 0:47:48# Yes, I do

0:47:48 > 0:47:52# Yes, I do

0:47:52 > 0:47:58# And I want you to be my gi-i-irl. #

0:48:07 > 0:48:10I'm not keen on being a tourist and wild horses wouldn't drag me

0:48:10 > 0:48:13on to anything called a Creole Queen.

0:48:13 > 0:48:15I should tell you all about the Mississippi but this isn't

0:48:15 > 0:48:18a look at life and all I know about is that it's very long,

0:48:18 > 0:48:22very wide and the Americans like it very much and if it wasn't here,

0:48:22 > 0:48:24there wouldn't be jazz in the world.

0:48:26 > 0:48:28In the French Quarter,

0:48:28 > 0:48:30you can't move two paces without being tempted to eat something,

0:48:30 > 0:48:33the Creole and Cajun dishes of this place make it the mecca

0:48:33 > 0:48:35of American cuisine.

0:48:35 > 0:48:37Louisiana is rich in produce of all kinds,

0:48:37 > 0:48:39a bit like Provence really

0:48:39 > 0:48:41and its spicy, tasty, uncomplicated dishes

0:48:41 > 0:48:44are a menu-weary gastronaut's dream.

0:48:47 > 0:48:50Now, take, for instance, the oyster po' boy prepared by my chum,

0:48:50 > 0:48:53Lia Chase. "A po' boy?", I hear you cry.

0:48:53 > 0:48:56People say, "That's for a po' boy," because

0:48:56 > 0:48:59he doesn't have very much money and he has to buy

0:48:59 > 0:49:03something that is a lot of food and cheap and can go far

0:49:03 > 0:49:06and the po' boy was a kind of cheap sandwich, you know.

0:49:12 > 0:49:13That is good.

0:49:13 > 0:49:16Then you want to put just a little pickle on there,

0:49:16 > 0:49:19give it a little dash here.

0:49:19 > 0:49:22Nobody comes to New Orleans without getting an oyster po' boy.

0:49:22 > 0:49:24They'll come here to get it when they hear.

0:49:24 > 0:49:26Sometimes I've had people right off the plane, right here,

0:49:26 > 0:49:28"Give me my oyster po' boy,"

0:49:28 > 0:49:31and when they're going back, taking the oyster po' boy with them.

0:49:31 > 0:49:34When my daughter was pregnant, she's in Los Angeles,

0:49:34 > 0:49:35"Send me an oyster po' boy."

0:49:35 > 0:49:37It's what we call an oyster loaf, you know.

0:49:37 > 0:49:40We put the whole bread, ship it to her, an oyster loaf,

0:49:40 > 0:49:42and people never go home without them

0:49:42 > 0:49:44and they're really typical New Orleans.

0:49:44 > 0:49:46You haven't come to New Orleans unless you eat an oyster po' boy.

0:49:48 > 0:49:50SIREN WAILS

0:49:50 > 0:49:53Because the BBC couldn't afford a taxi,

0:49:53 > 0:49:55I flagged down this passing police car and later hitched

0:49:55 > 0:49:58a ride on this fire engine to visit one of New Orleans' most famous

0:49:58 > 0:50:02restaurants, K-Paul's Kitchen, run by my new chum, Paul Prudhomme,

0:50:02 > 0:50:04who believes passionately that cooking is not only good for

0:50:04 > 0:50:08the soul but for the sanity of America.

0:50:08 > 0:50:14Many of our psychiatrists in this country recommend that a family that is under stress,

0:50:14 > 0:50:15where both members are working,

0:50:15 > 0:50:18that have tremendous stress during the week,

0:50:18 > 0:50:22should cook together on weekends because it's relaxing and enriching.

0:50:22 > 0:50:23You can make your life better.

0:50:23 > 0:50:27There's nothing in the world that you do more than eating.

0:50:27 > 0:50:31You don't change your clothes or brush your teeth more often.

0:50:31 > 0:50:34You eat more than you do anything else.

0:50:34 > 0:50:37I think America is finding its... its eating sphere

0:50:37 > 0:50:39and its eating enjoyment and its eating love.

0:50:39 > 0:50:44We're at the head of it in Louisiana because we've been living that way

0:50:44 > 0:50:46for the last hundred years,

0:50:46 > 0:50:52so we have this huge amount of different dishes to offer America and the whole world.

0:50:52 > 0:50:56Cajun and Creole is where it's at!

0:50:56 > 0:50:59This is the time in the programme where I have to convince my hosts,

0:50:59 > 0:51:01in this case Paul, that I know about cooking myself.

0:51:01 > 0:51:07He told me to make him some smothered, Cajun-style okra.

0:51:07 > 0:51:12So I have. I've prepared a sunshine tray of Louisiana food.

0:51:12 > 0:51:17Starting from your left, Clive, we have onions, mixed bell peppers,

0:51:17 > 0:51:22chopped okra, or lady's fingers, as we call them in England,

0:51:22 > 0:51:27skinned, de-pipped and chopped tomatoes, chicken stock,

0:51:27 > 0:51:30Louisiana sausage and butter.

0:51:30 > 0:51:34Swing over to the left of the pan and you can see the first stage

0:51:34 > 0:51:38of my dish going along here - onions, peppers and okra going ahead there in butter.

0:51:38 > 0:51:43Into that we put some more of this magic Cajun mixture -

0:51:43 > 0:51:48the pink wonder, as it's come to be known amongst our crew here.

0:51:48 > 0:51:52Stir that round a little bit, so the dish absorbs the flavours.

0:51:52 > 0:51:56I'd still like to put more butter in that.

0:51:56 > 0:52:00Paul is watching me with an eagle, eagle eye!

0:52:00 > 0:52:02With great interest!

0:52:02 > 0:52:06So, into that, some tomato.

0:52:08 > 0:52:13What we're going to try to do, we've got that lot starting to cook

0:52:13 > 0:52:17and we're going to kind of relay it all again on top,

0:52:17 > 0:52:22so that the food's going to cook in different textures and flavours,

0:52:22 > 0:52:25hopefully. More onions in, more peppers in,

0:52:25 > 0:52:27and now some more okra in. OK.

0:52:27 > 0:52:33Some more of the Cajun magic onto that.

0:52:33 > 0:52:36That's probably a bit too much, but it doesn't really matter.

0:52:36 > 0:52:41Stir round. I'll have to employ some magical television stuff here,

0:52:41 > 0:52:45because if I cook this on camera it will last for about 35 minutes.

0:52:45 > 0:52:49Right now, can I have a quick word with my viewers?

0:52:49 > 0:52:52OK. Lots and lots of minutes have gone by.

0:52:52 > 0:52:54Right, back to the pot again.

0:52:54 > 0:53:00Bit of sausage. This is a spicy sausage. We pop that in.

0:53:00 > 0:53:06Then we're going to add a bit of this wonderful chicken stock.

0:53:06 > 0:53:12How heartening. Back to me again, Clive, if you would. I was amazed at the sophistication of the cooking

0:53:12 > 0:53:14when I came to America.

0:53:14 > 0:53:16I didn't expect to find reduced chicken stock.

0:53:16 > 0:53:18It's really good news, it's wonderful!

0:53:18 > 0:53:19Back into there.

0:53:24 > 0:53:28OK, that has been bubbling for not really long enough

0:53:28 > 0:53:30but I want to add some more tomato,

0:53:30 > 0:53:32because this is okra smothered in tomato.

0:53:32 > 0:53:37Put that in. Plenty of tomato in this.

0:53:37 > 0:53:39Right, now you just stay with that, Clive.

0:53:39 > 0:53:44Just keep looking at that for the next 35 minutes. OK?

0:53:48 > 0:53:51The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

0:53:51 > 0:53:55Mine is the one with the wooden spoon in it,

0:53:55 > 0:53:58and Paul's more mature, more reduced looking one, has the metal spoon.

0:53:58 > 0:54:01All you have to do to see where I've gone wrong, where I've gone right,

0:54:01 > 0:54:03is to taste it, I suppose.

0:54:03 > 0:54:05- Can I try yours? - Yes, and I'll try yours.- OK.

0:54:09 > 0:54:12You really did a wonderful job!

0:54:12 > 0:54:15Matter of fact, since we're identifying them

0:54:15 > 0:54:18by the spoons, we'll switch spoons there!

0:54:18 > 0:54:23The taste comparison is very, very close.

0:54:23 > 0:54:26There's a little more depth in the one

0:54:26 > 0:54:30that's cooked a long time, but this is good.

0:54:30 > 0:54:32Really, you've done a super job.

0:54:36 > 0:54:38Love that man.

0:54:38 > 0:54:40Simply fantastic.

0:54:40 > 0:54:44As ever on Best Bites, we're looking back at some of our favourite

0:54:44 > 0:54:46recipes from the Saturday Kitchen archives.

0:54:46 > 0:54:48Still to come on today's show...

0:54:48 > 0:54:51The fantastic Theo Randall takes on the formidable Silvena Rowe

0:54:51 > 0:54:52in the omelette challenge,

0:54:52 > 0:54:56and with Theo only two seconds ahead of Silvena on the board,

0:54:56 > 0:54:58it promises to be a close one.

0:54:58 > 0:55:01Adam Williams is here to deliver an American favourite.

0:55:01 > 0:55:05He serves up Southern fried chicken in marinated buttermilk

0:55:05 > 0:55:08with sourdough croutons and creamy ranch dressing

0:55:08 > 0:55:10and Sue Perkins faces her food heaven or her food hell.

0:55:10 > 0:55:13Did she get food heaven, hazelnut chocolate gateaux?

0:55:13 > 0:55:15Or did she end up facing her food hell,

0:55:15 > 0:55:18goat's cheese on brioche with redcurrant dressing?

0:55:18 > 0:55:21You can find out what she's got at the end of the show.

0:55:21 > 0:55:23Now time for Francesco Mazzei,

0:55:23 > 0:55:27who's loving the liquorice with his tasty take on wild boar.

0:55:29 > 0:55:32- We've got boar on the menu. - Very, very nice.

0:55:32 > 0:55:35We marinate it fast.

0:55:35 > 0:55:39We're going to marinate this first with these ingredients here.

0:55:39 > 0:55:41We've got liquorice, smoked paprika, bergamot orange

0:55:41 > 0:55:44and we're going to save these beautiful turnip tops.

0:55:44 > 0:55:46In essence it's really simple, classic Italian food,

0:55:46 > 0:55:48but just the marinade is the key.

0:55:48 > 0:55:50The marinade is the key. If you chop all the ingredients

0:55:50 > 0:55:52I can do the turnip tops in the meantime.

0:55:52 > 0:55:56If people can't get boar, wild boar is often a lot darker than this,

0:55:56 > 0:56:00but people if can't get it, you're looking at a good piece of pork?

0:56:00 > 0:56:05Good piece of pork will do but it also works pretty well with game,

0:56:05 > 0:56:08venison or something like that.

0:56:08 > 0:56:12It would work very well with this beautiful marinade

0:56:12 > 0:56:14you are doing now.

0:56:14 > 0:56:17- Now last time we saw you you had opened the cafe.- We opened the cafe.

0:56:17 > 0:56:19Still going from strength to strength?

0:56:19 > 0:56:23The cafe is getting stronger and stronger. Just at the back of L'Anima in Worship Street, EC2A.

0:56:23 > 0:56:26- Can I say more?- Yeah! - It's doing very well.

0:56:26 > 0:56:29It's a bit different than L'Anima.

0:56:29 > 0:56:31We are doing a bit more informal.

0:56:31 > 0:56:35Lovely pizza, great pasta, fantastic rabbit stew

0:56:35 > 0:56:41and we've also got a deli next to it, which sells food, fantastic Italian ingredients.

0:56:41 > 0:56:44You mentioned rabbit stew because they're classics.

0:56:44 > 0:56:47Boar itself is used for a lot of classic dishes in Italy.

0:56:47 > 0:56:52Of course, especially if you go to Tuscany with the beautiful pappardelle cinghiale.

0:56:52 > 0:56:58One of the classics. Basically you cook the meat slowly, slowly.

0:56:58 > 0:57:02A big chunk of meat and then you just flake it and toss it in pasta.

0:57:02 > 0:57:04What would you use for that? Shoulder or something like that?

0:57:04 > 0:57:07Definitely shoulder.

0:57:07 > 0:57:12OK, so we've got all this, beautiful turnip tops which we call cime di rapa in Italy.

0:57:12 > 0:57:15- Cime di rapa?- Cime di rapa.

0:57:15 > 0:57:17Then I've got some lovely liquorice here,

0:57:17 > 0:57:21and some stock, and, to make James happy, some lovely butter.

0:57:21 > 0:57:24That's going to go in at the end! You've got quite strong herbs.

0:57:24 > 0:57:26We've got sage and rosemary, that kind of stuff.

0:57:26 > 0:57:29Yeah, as I said, it's a lovely, bold piece of meat.

0:57:29 > 0:57:32You can give them lots of flavour and lots of strength.

0:57:32 > 0:57:33Some pepper as well.

0:57:33 > 0:57:35Pepper going in there as well.

0:57:35 > 0:57:38And then lots of olive oil which I'm going to get for you.

0:57:38 > 0:57:41Now liquorice, the combination of that,

0:57:41 > 0:57:45you mentioned it with game and I've seen it done with duck and a little bit with fish,

0:57:45 > 0:57:47but it is actually quite strong so you've got to be careful with it.

0:57:47 > 0:57:50It's very strong and it's very sweet so you have to be very careful.

0:57:50 > 0:57:53Usually you have to play with a bit of acidity.

0:57:53 > 0:57:55That's why bergamot, the orange juice into it.

0:57:55 > 0:57:58So gives this a great balance.

0:57:58 > 0:58:00Is this particularly southern Italian?

0:58:00 > 0:58:05It is southern Italian with my twist. It's very good.

0:58:05 > 0:58:07And of course, where I come from, Calabria,

0:58:07 > 0:58:10there is this big factory which makes the best liquorice in the world.

0:58:10 > 0:58:12Soulful.

0:58:12 > 0:58:13We'll get that on.

0:58:13 > 0:58:18What I'm going to get you to do is get this one sealing.

0:58:18 > 0:58:20- I'll do that for you. - You've got this one.

0:58:20 > 0:58:21So I've made the marinade here.

0:58:21 > 0:58:23This one has been here for 12 hours.

0:58:23 > 0:58:25- What cut is this? - It's a loin. A beautiful loin.

0:58:25 > 0:58:30You can use fillet as well if you want but it's a beautiful loin.

0:58:30 > 0:58:33How long would you marinate it for?

0:58:33 > 0:58:3612 hours. Overnight.

0:58:36 > 0:58:38You can't re-use that marinade?

0:58:38 > 0:58:42You can if you want but I will say use the marinade once

0:58:42 > 0:58:44and chuck it away.

0:58:44 > 0:58:47That keeps a lovely green colour

0:58:47 > 0:58:49and of course we've got salt here

0:58:49 > 0:58:52which is very important to keep the green.

0:58:52 > 0:58:55You've trimmed these turnip tops, trimmed the base of them.

0:58:55 > 0:58:58So it cooks quicker. It gets nice and tender.

0:58:58 > 0:59:01And of course you get rid of the hard skin

0:59:01 > 0:59:02which are on the side of it.

0:59:02 > 0:59:07- I'm going to move that out of the way.- Thank you very much.

0:59:07 > 0:59:10I know you want to get these turnip tops cooking as well.

0:59:10 > 0:59:14- I'll move this pan over here. - Thank you very much for that.

0:59:15 > 0:59:18- Great stuff. You've used this before on the show.- I've used it before.

0:59:18 > 0:59:21You've got a bit of crushed garlic,

0:59:21 > 0:59:24- you want to get that started in some olive oil, yeah?- Yeah.

0:59:24 > 0:59:28OK. So this is to sear the turnip tops.

0:59:29 > 0:59:32Flour the oil with a bit of garlic

0:59:32 > 0:59:35until it gets nice and golden and then we add the turnip tops,

0:59:35 > 0:59:37we pan-fry them.

0:59:37 > 0:59:39Look at that, beautiful boar here.

0:59:39 > 0:59:42A busy week for you as well at the moment,

0:59:42 > 0:59:45next week particularly doing this big charity dinner.

0:59:45 > 0:59:48- I did it already. - You did it already!

0:59:48 > 0:59:51It's going to be on Monday, it's fantastic.

0:59:51 > 0:59:54It's a fund for leukaemia, it's 20 top chefs, including me,

0:59:54 > 0:59:57if you believe that. I know you don't believe that.

0:59:57 > 0:59:59This is Monday?

0:59:59 > 1:00:01Monday night.

1:00:01 > 1:00:05It's going to be a great night for us and it's great to be part of it.

1:00:05 > 1:00:08All the chefs are busy Monday night in the UK cos I've got

1:00:08 > 1:00:13a charity dinner with Michael Caines and Pierre Koffmann on Monday as well.

1:00:13 > 1:00:16- So who's cooking then? - Don't know on Monday night!

1:00:16 > 1:00:19It goes in the oven for about seven minutes

1:00:19 > 1:00:21and then of course we let it rest.

1:00:21 > 1:00:25- If you can do this for me. - Straight in the oven, in the pan.

1:00:25 > 1:00:29So the oven's set about 400 Fahrenheit,

1:00:29 > 1:00:32about 200 degrees centigrade, gas five, six degrees.

1:00:32 > 1:00:34Something like that.

1:00:34 > 1:00:39I'm going to get this off now. Out of the water, keeps a lovely green colour.

1:00:39 > 1:00:42If that wasn't enough, you've got a cookery book lined up.

1:00:42 > 1:00:45It's going to be out in September, please watch out for that.

1:00:45 > 1:00:48It is South Italian cooking called Mezzogiorno,

1:00:48 > 1:00:50so I'm not allowed to say any more about that.

1:00:50 > 1:00:56- That's all!- It's going to be great because it talks about

1:00:56 > 1:00:58mamma cooking with chef hands

1:00:58 > 1:01:00but it really talks about South Italy, so it talks a lot

1:01:00 > 1:01:03about liquorice, about bergamot, about spicy 'nduja

1:01:03 > 1:01:06as you have had on the show as well.

1:01:06 > 1:01:11September it's out and I'm looking forward to it.

1:01:11 > 1:01:15Right, now, we've taken the juices from the boar here

1:01:15 > 1:01:18and then this is where we're going to make a sauce,

1:01:18 > 1:01:20but explain to us what we've got going on here.

1:01:20 > 1:01:23We've taken the garlic out and then we're going to pan-fry it

1:01:23 > 1:01:25until it's nice and brownish.

1:01:25 > 1:01:27That was the garlic that's gone in.

1:01:27 > 1:01:28That's it.

1:01:28 > 1:01:32In the meantime we put in some liquorice liquor here.

1:01:32 > 1:01:34Liquorice liquor.

1:01:34 > 1:01:38- And a little bit of liquorice powder.- OK.

1:01:38 > 1:01:41A lot of people will be able to get the liquorice sticks

1:01:41 > 1:01:44so how could they incorporate this?

1:01:44 > 1:01:47The liquorice stick you can probably put in the marinade

1:01:47 > 1:01:48but for the sauce you need that.

1:01:48 > 1:01:51You can use liquorice paste, which is quite difficult to find here,

1:01:51 > 1:01:54but you can find it in Italy.

1:01:54 > 1:01:56I show you...

1:01:56 > 1:01:59- That was smoked paprika you put in there.- Smoked paprika.

1:01:59 > 1:02:01What was the other spice you popped in there?

1:02:01 > 1:02:04Black aniseeds. It goes beautiful with liquorice.

1:02:04 > 1:02:09Then chicken stock. Let it reduce a bit.

1:02:09 > 1:02:12Turnip tops here.

1:02:12 > 1:02:13Very nice.

1:02:13 > 1:02:17- The idea is just getting some colour on this.- It's what you want.

1:02:17 > 1:02:19- A bit of smoke, a bit of flavour. - Flames!

1:02:19 > 1:02:21- Homage.- More flames!

1:02:21 > 1:02:24We are going to make this dish very wild for you!

1:02:24 > 1:02:26Very wild!

1:02:26 > 1:02:30Turnip tops on the side now.

1:02:30 > 1:02:33I'll get the sauce ready. You want a little bit of butter in here.

1:02:33 > 1:02:35A little bit of butter, not too much butter.

1:02:35 > 1:02:38- One?- That's fine.- Two.

1:02:38 > 1:02:41- I knew that.- I'll just put one in.

1:02:41 > 1:02:45- We're reducing this down to thicken it.- Yes, please.

1:02:45 > 1:02:48And look, nice and rested. Cooked all the way through. Perfect.

1:02:48 > 1:02:51This is how you want your boar.

1:02:51 > 1:02:56- How long have you cooked that for then?- About seven minutes, 195.

1:02:56 > 1:02:59A little bit of orange juice going in the sauce.

1:02:59 > 1:03:00To give it acidity a bit.

1:03:00 > 1:03:04You can pass through the strainer.

1:03:04 > 1:03:05That's going to go in there.

1:03:05 > 1:03:11- Then we've got...- Ready when you are.- Beautiful turnip tops.

1:03:11 > 1:03:15Cime di rapa, as we say in Italy. Fantastic vegetables.

1:03:15 > 1:03:18I tell you what's really good as well, cavolo nero as well with this.

1:03:18 > 1:03:21Cavolo nero is fantastic, very Tuscan.

1:03:21 > 1:03:24This is South Italian, but, yes, will go very well with it.

1:03:24 > 1:03:28- That looks wild.- Beautiful.

1:03:28 > 1:03:31Savage!

1:03:31 > 1:03:34- Ready when you are.- I'm going to put this beautiful pork right on top. - Bring it over here!

1:03:34 > 1:03:37Oh, my God, look at that.

1:03:37 > 1:03:39Fantastic.

1:03:39 > 1:03:41Little bit of salt, pepper.

1:03:41 > 1:03:45- Thank you, chef.- There you go, there's your spoon.- Fantastic.

1:03:49 > 1:03:53Give you another spoon because your mother will be phoning up.

1:03:53 > 1:03:56I don't even wash my hands yet!

1:03:56 > 1:04:00What you've got here is just on top of the boar,

1:04:00 > 1:04:01on top of the turnip tops

1:04:01 > 1:04:03because they're quite bitter.

1:04:03 > 1:04:06This is the essence of Italian food, simplicity.

1:04:06 > 1:04:08Simplicity and ingredients on a plate.

1:04:08 > 1:04:12Ladies and gentlemen, marinade boar with bergamot and liquorice with turnip tops.

1:04:12 > 1:04:15- Smells delicious.- Grazie.

1:04:19 > 1:04:24Smells delicious and now it's going to taste delicious as well.

1:04:24 > 1:04:27The food just keeps coming, you see!

1:04:27 > 1:04:29I get the feeling you're quite liking this show!

1:04:29 > 1:04:32He's taking a picture, that's a first.

1:04:32 > 1:04:35What I'm most interested in, these are turnip tops.

1:04:35 > 1:04:37Mixed with the liquorice thing,

1:04:37 > 1:04:39I want to see what's happening with that.

1:04:41 > 1:04:44The sweetness mixed with the bitterness of the turnip tops

1:04:44 > 1:04:47is ridiculous...ly wonderful.

1:04:47 > 1:04:49Mm! Wow!

1:04:49 > 1:04:52- Is it wild enough?- That's wild!

1:04:57 > 1:04:59Looks like full marks from Gregory, there.

1:04:59 > 1:05:00Good idea, Francesco.

1:05:00 > 1:05:03Now it's omelette challenge time and squaring up at the hobs,

1:05:03 > 1:05:07we have Theo Randall taking on the ever-excitable Silvena Rowe.

1:05:07 > 1:05:10And with both of them looking to better their times,

1:05:10 > 1:05:12this will be quick.

1:05:12 > 1:05:15All the chefs that come on battle it out against the clock,

1:05:15 > 1:05:17and each other, to test how fast they can make a three-egg omelette.

1:05:17 > 1:05:20It's started already. Silvena, you have a pretty good time.

1:05:20 > 1:05:22- 35 seconds.- Yeah. - Pretty respectable.

1:05:22 > 1:05:26Can you beat Allegra with that, our fastest woman on the board?

1:05:26 > 1:05:27In style, any day, darling!

1:05:27 > 1:05:29- 25 seconds.- Double whammy.

1:05:29 > 1:05:31I did say to ring. I meant just the omelettes!

1:05:31 > 1:05:33You know what they say about caviar.

1:05:33 > 1:05:35- Caviar is good, but what is better? More caviar.- Well, there you go.

1:05:35 > 1:05:37Theo, pretty respectable, 33 seconds.

1:05:37 > 1:05:39I think we're in for a quick time today.

1:05:39 > 1:05:40- Think so?- Usual rules apply.

1:05:40 > 1:05:43Remember, too, Weakest Link. That's all I have to say to you.

1:05:43 > 1:05:45- Usual rules apply. - Whatever you want.

1:05:45 > 1:05:46- Good luck. - Usual rules apply.

1:05:46 > 1:05:50Three-egg omelette, I'll taste them to make sure they're omelettes, not scrambled egg.

1:05:50 > 1:05:53Time starts when I say, stops when the omelette hits the plate. Ready?

1:05:53 > 1:05:55Got my fork here, handy. Three, two, one, go.

1:05:55 > 1:05:57Oh, God.

1:05:59 > 1:06:02Oh, he's doing it slightly different.

1:06:02 > 1:06:04- He's copying me. - LAUGHTER

1:06:04 > 1:06:05- Copying me.- Will it work?

1:06:05 > 1:06:09Cos most of the people who do this, the omelette sticks to the pan.

1:06:09 > 1:06:12Now, this could work, or it could...

1:06:15 > 1:06:16It's happening, it's happening.

1:06:16 > 1:06:19We've got kind of like a cross between scrambled eggs and...

1:06:19 > 1:06:21- It's...- That's...

1:06:21 > 1:06:23Oh! Hello!

1:06:23 > 1:06:25That's it!

1:06:25 > 1:06:27Silvena...?

1:06:29 > 1:06:31Oh, there we go.

1:06:31 > 1:06:34- This is not finished quite yet. - It's supposed to be on the plate.

1:06:34 > 1:06:36- Oh! - LAUGHTER

1:06:36 > 1:06:38- That's why!- You see? That's a big...

1:06:38 > 1:06:40- Double whammy.- How much is that?

1:06:40 > 1:06:42This is the best beluga, darling.

1:06:42 > 1:06:45Is that a ten-second reduction?

1:06:45 > 1:06:47That's about 1,000 quid in there.

1:06:47 > 1:06:49Right, let me have a taste of this one.

1:06:49 > 1:06:51Well, we call it omelette,

1:06:51 > 1:06:52or we call it very, very mellow, soft...

1:06:52 > 1:06:54I wouldn't call it a seasoned omelette.

1:06:54 > 1:06:56HE CLEARS HIS THROAT

1:06:56 > 1:06:58Tell me how seasoned my one is now.

1:06:58 > 1:07:00And I will feed you if you want some of the best...

1:07:00 > 1:07:02Let's have a little of that.

1:07:02 > 1:07:04- No, I don't need feeding. - Food of the gods.

1:07:05 > 1:07:08It's probably the best omelette I've had...this morning.

1:07:08 > 1:07:10LAUGHTER

1:07:10 > 1:07:12That's good enough for me!

1:07:12 > 1:07:15Right. So, Silvena... Are you on the leaderboard?

1:07:15 > 1:07:18- No, I've not done it, yet. - Oh! That would be interesting.

1:07:18 > 1:07:21- Well done, well done! - Well, James...

1:07:21 > 1:07:23- Think you've done it quicker? - ..I tried my best, but you know,

1:07:23 > 1:07:26- like those male chefs. - Do you think you did it quicker?

1:07:26 > 1:07:29No, but I used more... I used double whammy caviar.

1:07:29 > 1:07:32- You did it...- Come on, come on...

1:07:32 > 1:07:34- 35 seconds was this one.- Yeah.

1:07:34 > 1:07:36- You did it in 34 seconds. - Oh, good.

1:07:36 > 1:07:37One second, not bad, not bad.

1:07:37 > 1:07:39- One second.- Not bad.

1:07:39 > 1:07:41So about the same position. Theo...

1:07:41 > 1:07:43Well, it's got to be better, hasn't it?

1:07:43 > 1:07:46Yeah, but is the omelette better, is the question.

1:07:46 > 1:07:47You think you beat your time?

1:07:47 > 1:07:50Where is he? So many people on here, I've lost him...

1:07:50 > 1:07:52There he is. 33 seconds.

1:07:52 > 1:07:53Pretty quick.

1:07:53 > 1:07:56But he's been practising. Six seconds quicker.

1:07:56 > 1:07:58- 27 seconds.- Hey!

1:07:58 > 1:08:00Up there with Mr Michael Caines. Pretty respectable.

1:08:00 > 1:08:02- APPLAUSE - Thank you.

1:08:04 > 1:08:06Next time you go to his restaurant, just don't buy that.

1:08:06 > 1:08:08Don't order the omelette!

1:08:12 > 1:08:15Respectable times from both of them, there, and for once,

1:08:15 > 1:08:17both omelettes looked...edible.

1:08:17 > 1:08:19Well, slightly edible, anyway.

1:08:19 > 1:08:22Now time for Alyn Williams, who is here to deliver

1:08:22 > 1:08:25some American-style fast food with a twist.

1:08:25 > 1:08:28Up next is the brilliant and Michelin-starred Alyn Williams.

1:08:28 > 1:08:30Alyn, what are you making for us today?

1:08:30 > 1:08:32- So, we've got chicken.- OK.

1:08:32 > 1:08:33Chicken thighs.

1:08:33 > 1:08:37- We are going to marinate these in buttermilk.- OK.

1:08:37 > 1:08:39Typically, I would do this overnight,

1:08:39 > 1:08:42so I've got some that I've already marinated.

1:08:42 > 1:08:44Do you want me to get on with the...?

1:08:44 > 1:08:47- Yeah, you can cut the baby gem in half.- OK.

1:08:47 > 1:08:48Cut the radishes in half,

1:08:48 > 1:08:51and then we've got some sourdough bread, there,

1:08:51 > 1:08:53that we're making some nice croutons with,

1:08:53 > 1:08:56sourdough croutons that you can just break up, there, as well.

1:08:56 > 1:08:58So, where did this come from? I mean, it's a very American dish.

1:08:58 > 1:09:02It is. I lived in America for a while.

1:09:02 > 1:09:06I did several ski seasons, and I lived in Colorado,

1:09:06 > 1:09:09and I really got into, certainly, things like...

1:09:09 > 1:09:12Really tasty American food, things like the fried chicken.

1:09:12 > 1:09:14The dressing that we are making today is a ranch dressing,

1:09:14 > 1:09:17which I think is probably my favourite dressing in the world.

1:09:17 > 1:09:22Just really aromatic and really, really tangy and tasty.

1:09:22 > 1:09:24This is not, sort of, typical of what you serve, though, is it?

1:09:24 > 1:09:26It's not typical of what I would serve,

1:09:26 > 1:09:28but it's the sort of thing that I like to cook at home,

1:09:28 > 1:09:32- or the sort of thing I enjoy to eat with the kids.- Sure.

1:09:32 > 1:09:37Cos you're quite big into your, sort of, vegetarian menus

1:09:37 > 1:09:40- and what-have-you in the restaurant, right?- That's right, yeah.

1:09:40 > 1:09:43We have a dedicated vegetarian menu.

1:09:43 > 1:09:46- A tasting menu and an a la carte menu.- Right.

1:09:46 > 1:09:48I mean, do you get a lot of vegetarians?

1:09:48 > 1:09:52Or do you get people that just fancy a meat-free evening?

1:09:52 > 1:09:54Loads of vegetarians.

1:09:54 > 1:09:59We've got quite a reputation, now, for our vegetarian menus.

1:09:59 > 1:10:04We have a lot of people coming, full tables of vegetarians,

1:10:04 > 1:10:06so not just, sort of, the odd one.

1:10:06 > 1:10:08We'll have a table of five and they're all vegetarian.

1:10:08 > 1:10:10I mean, do you find that quite hard?

1:10:10 > 1:10:12I always think you have to work harder with vegetarian food.

1:10:12 > 1:10:17Not really. I think it's just about expanding your mind, really,

1:10:17 > 1:10:20because there's so many vegetables, so many things that you can use.

1:10:20 > 1:10:24I mean, the repertoire of ingredients is vast.

1:10:24 > 1:10:25- Mm... - You know, we saw that with Martin,

1:10:25 > 1:10:27what he was cooking earlier on.

1:10:27 > 1:10:30And it's just about not restricting yourself

1:10:30 > 1:10:35to meat and fish and not relying on that protein to inspire you.

1:10:35 > 1:10:37So how did that come about?

1:10:37 > 1:10:38Well, my wife is vegetarian.

1:10:38 > 1:10:40- Oh, right.- Bless her.

1:10:40 > 1:10:42Did you know that when you met her?

1:10:42 > 1:10:44I didn't, not the first time,

1:10:44 > 1:10:46otherwise I may not have spoken to her.

1:10:46 > 1:10:48LAUGHTER

1:10:48 > 1:10:51But she soon turned me round.

1:10:51 > 1:10:53We used to go out to really nice restaurants, often,

1:10:53 > 1:10:57and she would always come away disappointed,

1:10:57 > 1:10:59because, you know, quite often,

1:10:59 > 1:11:01chefs wouldn't pay too much attention

1:11:01 > 1:11:03to the vegetarian dishes and...

1:11:03 > 1:11:05Presumably, she is now spoilt.

1:11:05 > 1:11:07- So now... - You still can't go anywhere else.

1:11:07 > 1:11:10Well, exactly. She just comes to my restaurant, now.

1:11:10 > 1:11:12We've got another one, now. We can go to Ceviche.

1:11:12 > 1:11:15- Yay!- It's quite, sort of, vegetarian-heavy?

1:11:15 > 1:11:18Well, a lot of fish, a lot of meat as well, but...

1:11:18 > 1:11:21Yeah, we love our vegetables, so...

1:11:21 > 1:11:23- A lot of corn dishes - gorgeous. - Right, OK.

1:11:23 > 1:11:26So, what I've got here, I've made...

1:11:26 > 1:11:28This is a dredge, so basically,

1:11:28 > 1:11:31I've marinated the chicken in the buttermilk,

1:11:31 > 1:11:34so the buttermilk, the acids and the enzymes of the buttermilk

1:11:34 > 1:11:35then break down the protein.

1:11:35 > 1:11:39- It's acidic, right, the buttermilk? - Yeah, very acidic. And you've got...

1:11:39 > 1:11:42It breaks down the protein of the chicken,

1:11:42 > 1:11:44or any meat, really, that you...

1:11:44 > 1:11:47- And how long do you marinate it for? - I like to do it overnight.

1:11:47 > 1:11:51- Right.- So I marinate it overnight and it becomes super-tender.

1:11:51 > 1:11:54I am just dredging that in this. This is a mix of flour.

1:11:54 > 1:11:58I've got gram flour, which is chickpea flour, in there, also.

1:11:58 > 1:11:59And why are you using that?

1:11:59 > 1:12:02I find chickpea flour is a really nice, light crunch -

1:12:02 > 1:12:04when you deep fry it, it's nice and crunchy.

1:12:04 > 1:12:07- OK.- It's not heavy, like regular flour.

1:12:07 > 1:12:11- Right.- But I've also got celery salt and garlic powder and onion powder

1:12:11 > 1:12:14in there as well, so it's really a lot of flavour, loads of taste.

1:12:14 > 1:12:16So, what were you doing in the States?

1:12:16 > 1:12:17Were you cooking, or...?

1:12:17 > 1:12:20I did cook. I was a chalet boy.

1:12:20 > 1:12:22- Really?- In a ski resort up in Colorado.

1:12:22 > 1:12:24- Oh, OK.- Yeah. - Are you a big skier?

1:12:24 > 1:12:29- I'm a snowboarder.- Oh, are you? - Yeah. One of them.- OK.

1:12:29 > 1:12:33OK, that's a bit of a dirty word, for me, to be honest.

1:12:33 > 1:12:36- I like...- They always try to take me out when I'm skiing.

1:12:36 > 1:12:38- Could have been me. - LAUGHTER

1:12:38 > 1:12:41- You make a point of it? Is that what you're saying?- I do my best!

1:12:41 > 1:12:43- Letting it down for all snowboarders everywhere.- Absolutely.

1:12:43 > 1:12:45- So, if you pop those in...- OK.

1:12:46 > 1:12:49And then just going to season that lightly,

1:12:49 > 1:12:52a little bit of salt in there, and in here...

1:12:52 > 1:12:54So, we've got breadcrumbs in there,

1:12:54 > 1:12:56and they are eventually going to go in with the lettuce as well,

1:12:56 > 1:12:59so with the lettuce, I've just got, again, a little bit of olive oil.

1:12:59 > 1:13:02- Yeah.- Just a tiny bit of butter.

1:13:02 > 1:13:04Just get it nice and brown.

1:13:04 > 1:13:06I'm going to season the lettuce.

1:13:06 > 1:13:09But what I do is I season through the leaves,

1:13:09 > 1:13:11- so I pull the leaves out... - Oh, right.

1:13:11 > 1:13:14And I put the salt in, right in between the leaves,

1:13:14 > 1:13:18and you end up with a much tastier lettuce, then.

1:13:18 > 1:13:20OK. So you are, kind of, layering it up,

1:13:20 > 1:13:22make sure it gets throughout.

1:13:22 > 1:13:24Yeah. So, my butter has melted, now,

1:13:24 > 1:13:26and what I want is to get some colour on one side,

1:13:26 > 1:13:29and that sort of roasted flavour in there.

1:13:29 > 1:13:31But I don't want to completely cook the lettuce.

1:13:31 > 1:13:33I want it nice and crunchy and fresh as well.

1:13:33 > 1:13:36OK, let's flip the... Don't want to burn these.

1:13:36 > 1:13:38Right...

1:13:38 > 1:13:40- So now making the.. - Chicken is looking good.

1:13:40 > 1:13:41- Yeah?- Brown. Shall I lift it?

1:13:41 > 1:13:44You can. If you lift it out, let it rest for a minute,

1:13:44 > 1:13:48and then we'll pop it back in again for a few seconds, crisp it back up.

1:13:48 > 1:13:51- So, this is my ranch dressing... - Mm-hm.- ..which is...

1:13:51 > 1:13:57- So, what in that?- It's 50-50 sour cream and mayonnaise,

1:13:57 > 1:13:58so half and half.

1:13:58 > 1:14:01And then I've got, again, some onion powder, garlic powder...

1:14:01 > 1:14:03Right.

1:14:03 > 1:14:08Some smoked paprika, should be...

1:14:08 > 1:14:10So, lots of the kind of spices...

1:14:10 > 1:14:14Yeah, and herbs, and really, lots of black pepper.

1:14:14 > 1:14:17- Yeah.- And lots of dill.

1:14:17 > 1:14:20- OK.- It's kind of the essential herb ingredient

1:14:20 > 1:14:22you put into a ranch dressing, dill.

1:14:22 > 1:14:26Those sort of dressings I've seen in American cookbooks,

1:14:26 > 1:14:30they're very, sort of, heavy on dried ingredients.

1:14:30 > 1:14:34A lot of dried herbs and spices...

1:14:34 > 1:14:35They like...

1:14:35 > 1:14:38they like things like dried dill, they like cinnamon

1:14:38 > 1:14:39they like these sort of flavours.

1:14:39 > 1:14:42I think, sort of, fairly pronounced flavours.

1:14:42 > 1:14:43Do you want these turned?

1:14:43 > 1:14:45No, I'm going to keep them like that,

1:14:45 > 1:14:47so if the croutons are ready...

1:14:47 > 1:14:49It's a Southern type of dish, yeah?

1:14:49 > 1:14:51And it's a Southern type of dressing.

1:14:51 > 1:14:52Yeah - well, ranch dressing,

1:14:52 > 1:14:55I think, originated in the South, but it's one of those things

1:14:55 > 1:14:57that is so hugely popular that it's everywhere.

1:14:57 > 1:14:59- Right.- Right.

1:14:59 > 1:15:00Vinegar in there, too.

1:15:00 > 1:15:02Are you done with the herbs?

1:15:02 > 1:15:03All sorted, all done.

1:15:03 > 1:15:06- There's your plate.- Lovely.

1:15:06 > 1:15:08I'm going to put the croutons in with the...

1:15:08 > 1:15:11- In there?- In there. I've got a...

1:15:12 > 1:15:15- The chicken is looking good. - Yeah, good.

1:15:15 > 1:15:17So, we can drain those off in a second.

1:15:17 > 1:15:19Got some parsley going in there.

1:15:19 > 1:15:22So this becomes a bit of a dressing as well.

1:15:22 > 1:15:25- And some lemon juice in with it. - OK.

1:15:29 > 1:15:32Looks like a very famous chicken restaurant chicken.

1:15:32 > 1:15:34- Does it?- Yeah. Which is a good thing.

1:15:34 > 1:15:36- I wouldn't like to say... - A good thing.

1:15:36 > 1:15:38That's what you'd want to try and recreate at home.

1:15:38 > 1:15:40- A little bit of salt? - Yeah, a touch of salt.

1:15:40 > 1:15:42A touch of salt, not too much.

1:15:44 > 1:15:47- I'm quite bad for salt. - If you're cooking this at home

1:15:47 > 1:15:50and you haven't got fresh herbs, could you use dried herbs?

1:15:50 > 1:15:51I know you wouldn't at the restaurant.

1:15:51 > 1:15:53Well, these are fresh herbs that I've dried.

1:15:53 > 1:15:56- Yeah.- But you can use dried herbs. I prefer to do that.- Yeah.

1:15:56 > 1:16:00Dill isn't always easy to get hold of, is it?

1:16:00 > 1:16:03So, this buttermilk, if you couldn't get hold of that -

1:16:03 > 1:16:05but it is quite widely available - you could use yoghurt, right?

1:16:05 > 1:16:07- Absolutely. - Same kind of enzymes in it.

1:16:07 > 1:16:09Similar thing. Tell you what I'm going to do.

1:16:09 > 1:16:11I'm going to cut... Because these are quite big,

1:16:11 > 1:16:14- I'm going to cut these in half. - There you are, chef.

1:16:14 > 1:16:16- OK.- But if you were going to use yoghurt,

1:16:16 > 1:16:18you don't want to leave it in too long.

1:16:18 > 1:16:20That needs a bit more. They need a bit more cooking.

1:16:20 > 1:16:21- Yeah?- Yeah.- OK.- More cooking.

1:16:21 > 1:16:25I tell you what, let's... If I slice these...

1:16:27 > 1:16:29- That's a good one. - Yeah, that'll be all right.

1:16:31 > 1:16:37All this sort of Southern cuisine, Creole, New Orleans, Cajun,

1:16:37 > 1:16:39it's just all buzzing, it's all exciting, as well.

1:16:39 > 1:16:42- I mean... - It is, it is a bit new, isn't it?

1:16:42 > 1:16:44It's a bit fresh.

1:16:44 > 1:16:46- But it's all tasty. - A lot of flavours.

1:16:46 > 1:16:47- A lot of tastes in there. - It is tasty.

1:16:47 > 1:16:49- OK.- OK, are we ready, then?

1:16:53 > 1:16:56Right, they're good, so...

1:16:56 > 1:16:58Great family recipe, it looks like, as well.

1:16:58 > 1:17:01It's a good, fun recipe. It's lovely, the kids love it.

1:17:01 > 1:17:04- Yeah, I bet. - Yeah. They love it.

1:17:04 > 1:17:06Anything from a deep fat fryer.

1:17:06 > 1:17:09I have a mantra, my mantra is,

1:17:09 > 1:17:13"Bacon, butter and batter make everything taste better."

1:17:13 > 1:17:17- LAUGHTER - You say that quickly and many times?

1:17:17 > 1:17:20I do my best. So, there you go.

1:17:20 > 1:17:23- Beautiful. - There you go, and some radishes...

1:17:23 > 1:17:25Deep-fried chicken, you've got the radishes...

1:17:25 > 1:17:28- Health food going on, there! - Exactly, those are your five a day.

1:17:28 > 1:17:30Fantastic. Remind us what that is.

1:17:30 > 1:17:32So, you've got Southern fried chicken

1:17:32 > 1:17:35with classic ranch dressing, baby gem,

1:17:35 > 1:17:37sourdough croutons and radishes.

1:17:37 > 1:17:38Beautiful. Nice one.

1:17:43 > 1:17:46Right, let's go and see what they think.

1:17:46 > 1:17:48Tuck into that, Alistair.

1:17:48 > 1:17:50- Sure that chicken is done now? - Well, we'll soon find out!

1:17:50 > 1:17:53I've got a 16-week tour coming up, I can't be off!

1:17:53 > 1:17:55Let us know tomorrow.

1:18:00 > 1:18:04"Bacon, butter and batter make everything tastes better."

1:18:04 > 1:18:05What a mantra. I like it.

1:18:05 > 1:18:08Now, when Sue Perkins came to the studio

1:18:08 > 1:18:09to face her food heaven or food hell,

1:18:09 > 1:18:11she had a hankering for hazelnuts.

1:18:11 > 1:18:15But would she have to give in to goat's cheese? Let's find out.

1:18:15 > 1:18:17It's that time of the show to find out whether Sue

1:18:17 > 1:18:19will be facing food heaven or food hell.

1:18:19 > 1:18:21Food heaven would be this mass of ingredients,

1:18:21 > 1:18:22that you're probably used to seeing.

1:18:22 > 1:18:26- It's home.- It's hazelnuts, we've got some ground hazelnuts, here,

1:18:26 > 1:18:27turned into a wonderful cake

1:18:27 > 1:18:30with a chocolate cake as well, coffee meringue.

1:18:30 > 1:18:32Alternatively, it could be the dreaded food hell over here -

1:18:32 > 1:18:35a pile of goat's cheese transformed into a nice little salad.

1:18:35 > 1:18:37- Hm.- It was down to these two, really.

1:18:37 > 1:18:39It was 2-1 to people at home.

1:18:39 > 1:18:40Francesco...

1:18:41 > 1:18:43..liked goat's cheese.

1:18:43 > 1:18:46That would put it level.

1:18:46 > 1:18:47It was up to Marcus.

1:18:47 > 1:18:50- Thankfully, he's been kind to you. - I don't have a sweet tooth.

1:18:50 > 1:18:53You've got food heaven because of Marcus, you see? There you go.

1:18:53 > 1:18:55- Mwah!- Right, lose this, out the way.

1:18:55 > 1:18:58What we're going to do is make a nice sort of sponge with this.

1:18:58 > 1:19:01- Great.- You've probably made plenty of sponges.

1:19:01 > 1:19:03But we're going to do this one slightly differently.

1:19:03 > 1:19:06We are going to make it with meringue and sabayon base,

1:19:06 > 1:19:09cos whenever you add hazelnuts to anything, it firms...

1:19:09 > 1:19:12- It weighs it down. - Weighs it down, yeah, exactly that.

1:19:12 > 1:19:15So we are going to whip up this. If you can then mix me...

1:19:15 > 1:19:17- I will, sir. - ..a small amount of double cream.

1:19:17 > 1:19:19That works for me. That's why it's food heaven.

1:19:19 > 1:19:21- The icing sugar... - ..and the hazelnuts.

1:19:21 > 1:19:24And the hazelnuts... We've got this paste.

1:19:24 > 1:19:26If you can make sure you get all of it out of there.

1:19:26 > 1:19:28Then put it in here.

1:19:28 > 1:19:31If you can crack the eggs, please, Marcus, in there, that'd be great.

1:19:31 > 1:19:34Thank you very much. Then I'm going to start by whipping this up.

1:19:34 > 1:19:36- That's brandy in there. - Very good, too!

1:19:36 > 1:19:39- Happy with that? Have you tried it? - Yeah.- All right.

1:19:39 > 1:19:43- Can you pop me the butter in here? - Yeah.

1:19:43 > 1:19:45And the reason why we put butter in a cake

1:19:45 > 1:19:47is to keep it nice and moist, see?

1:19:47 > 1:19:50The idea being the hazelnuts will dry it out.

1:19:50 > 1:19:52The meringue helps it, but the butter will keep it moist.

1:19:52 > 1:19:55- Why are you cooking the butter first?- We'll just melt it.

1:19:55 > 1:19:58- OK.- Cos I'm not... This is...two types of sponges.

1:19:58 > 1:20:01This is, I think, the lighter one, really.

1:20:01 > 1:20:02Like an Italian...

1:20:02 > 1:20:05Yeah, that's the lighter one, really.

1:20:05 > 1:20:10So, we whisk this up and then, in here, I've got my icing sugar.

1:20:11 > 1:20:12That's going to go in.

1:20:12 > 1:20:14I use icing sugar instead of caster sugar,

1:20:14 > 1:20:17again, to make it a little bit lighter.

1:20:17 > 1:20:18We're going to throw that in.

1:20:18 > 1:20:20In we go with the icing sugar and the meringue, here.

1:20:20 > 1:20:22Whisk this up.

1:20:24 > 1:20:26Not too much, cos the air is going

1:20:26 > 1:20:28to come out of this mixture here, all right?

1:20:28 > 1:20:31- Yeah.- And then all we do, egg yolks and...

1:20:31 > 1:20:34- See these whole eggs.- Yeah. - In we go with the flour.

1:20:34 > 1:20:37- In we go with the hazelnuts. - Look at that.

1:20:37 > 1:20:39In we go with the butter, like that.

1:20:39 > 1:20:41Then if I get a...

1:20:41 > 1:20:43If you can bring me over the tin, please, Marcus,

1:20:43 > 1:20:45that would be great, thank you.

1:20:45 > 1:20:47Then all we do is we throw this lot in.

1:20:47 > 1:20:50Now, I'm sure you've seen this 100 times before,

1:20:50 > 1:20:53but you've got to get this mixture in the oven as quick as possible.

1:20:53 > 1:20:55How come it takes you, like, a couple of minutes?

1:20:55 > 1:20:57We do two whole days in a tent with somebody doing this,

1:20:57 > 1:20:59and then they drop it on the floor!

1:20:59 > 1:21:01That's what always happens.

1:21:01 > 1:21:04I've been a pastry chef for many, many years, that's the thing.

1:21:04 > 1:21:07So, we literally just pour this mixture in,

1:21:07 > 1:21:10but the key to it is speed, I always think, but...

1:21:10 > 1:21:13You need to get that in the oven, which Marcus is going to do.

1:21:13 > 1:21:17Straight in the oven, please, mate. That goes in for about 20 minutes

1:21:17 > 1:21:20and then, over here, we've got our sponges.

1:21:20 > 1:21:23- Now, I've got a chocolate one... - Yeah.- ..which I've made.

1:21:23 > 1:21:25Similar sort of way.

1:21:25 > 1:21:29Then we've got our hazelnut one, which we've made, like that.

1:21:29 > 1:21:33Now, it will rise up and collapse, but when you see it,

1:21:33 > 1:21:36it's very, very delicate, when you slice it,

1:21:36 > 1:21:38and it's fantastic with this.

1:21:38 > 1:21:40- Smells really good. - Hopefully, you'll like it.

1:21:40 > 1:21:42I am going to like it. You know I am.

1:21:42 > 1:21:45- Hopefully, we've got our cream nearly ready.- Nearly there.

1:21:45 > 1:21:48If you can get the cake stand as well, Marcus, that'd be great.

1:21:48 > 1:21:51- We'll bring this across. - Mm-mm.- There we go.

1:21:51 > 1:21:53We can then thinly slice this, so...

1:21:53 > 1:21:55Have we got a serrated knife anywhere?

1:21:55 > 1:21:57There we go.

1:21:57 > 1:21:59We can start off with this one first.

1:21:59 > 1:22:00This is the chocolate one.

1:22:00 > 1:22:02Keep your fingers out of the way, obviously. It's easy...

1:22:02 > 1:22:04What's wrong?

1:22:04 > 1:22:07It's good, no, it's perfect. It's perfect.

1:22:07 > 1:22:10- You're checking the crumb structure! - Yeah, I'm just...

1:22:10 > 1:22:13Yeah, just the density there, of crumb. Oh, it's good.

1:22:13 > 1:22:16- So, this is like an Opera cake. - Similar, yeah.

1:22:16 > 1:22:18And then we put this on it.

1:22:18 > 1:22:21See, the quick tip, next time you're doing the series,

1:22:21 > 1:22:25anybody that is about to join this new series of the Bake Off,

1:22:25 > 1:22:28I always find that Mary Berry likes a brandy.

1:22:28 > 1:22:32Mary Berry likes to start early with a brandy.

1:22:32 > 1:22:34Exactly. LAUGHTER

1:22:34 > 1:22:35I wasn't going to say that, but... Yeah.

1:22:35 > 1:22:37Just constantly topping up with Mary.

1:22:37 > 1:22:40- Constantly topping up. - The flask that she's got with her?

1:22:40 > 1:22:42Her blood type is actually vodka.

1:22:42 > 1:22:46I'm jesting. No, I love Mary, as does the nation.

1:22:46 > 1:22:48- She is an absolute star. - What's not to love?

1:22:48 > 1:22:51Hopefully, she'll be watching this and checking to see if I'm doing it right.

1:22:51 > 1:22:54What people don't know is that Paul is actually about five foot tall

1:22:54 > 1:22:56and wears a Cuban heel.

1:22:56 > 1:22:57He is the Tom Cruise of...

1:22:57 > 1:22:59Well, you know, you're friends with Paul.

1:22:59 > 1:23:01- He is a delightful man.- He is.

1:23:01 > 1:23:04- He's like Thumbelina. - LAUGHING: Thumbelina.

1:23:04 > 1:23:06The Thumbelina of the cake world.

1:23:06 > 1:23:07Right, we are going to slice this.

1:23:07 > 1:23:10- He's going to kill me. - He is, he is.

1:23:10 > 1:23:12He's actually going to attack.

1:23:12 > 1:23:14Look at that. You could read a newspaper through that.

1:23:14 > 1:23:16- That's the idea.- I don't know why you'd want to...

1:23:16 > 1:23:19Then we'll layer this up with more... Mary, if you're watching...

1:23:19 > 1:23:21LAUGHTER

1:23:21 > 1:23:22There you go.

1:23:22 > 1:23:24And a bit more of this - this is hazelnut cream,

1:23:24 > 1:23:28this is the hazelnut puree we've got in here with icing sugar.

1:23:28 > 1:23:30You've got to try this, this is fantastic.

1:23:30 > 1:23:32The secret of this is don't make it too sweet.

1:23:32 > 1:23:34So nice.

1:23:34 > 1:23:35Don't make it too sweet.

1:23:35 > 1:23:37Now, we were talking earlier about your programme.

1:23:37 > 1:23:39We never mentioned the name of it.

1:23:39 > 1:23:42You were too busy taking the mick out of my bandana.

1:23:42 > 1:23:45It was a loving pastiche. It was not taking the mick.

1:23:45 > 1:23:47- I've actually managed to burn my arm as well...- Have you?

1:23:47 > 1:23:50Lightly toast the sleeve.

1:23:50 > 1:23:52It's called Heading Out and it's on next Tuesday, Tuesday week.

1:23:52 > 1:23:54Tuesday week. We'll be watching it.

1:23:54 > 1:23:56A little bit more...

1:23:56 > 1:23:59- There will be a test afterwards. - And a bit more of this.

1:23:59 > 1:24:04In the fridge, guys, you've got a bowl of mixture in the fridge.

1:24:04 > 1:24:06If you can grab us that...

1:24:06 > 1:24:08And all we do...

1:24:08 > 1:24:10The secret... You enjoying that, or something?

1:24:10 > 1:24:12It's just whipped cream, icing sugar...

1:24:12 > 1:24:15This is essentially what I do for ten weeks of the Bake Off.

1:24:15 > 1:24:17- Is it?- I just sit there with a massive mixing bowl

1:24:17 > 1:24:18and just...yeah, eat.

1:24:22 > 1:24:24Lift that over. Now, don't worry about this.

1:24:24 > 1:24:27- Icing sugar.- At this stage, all the audience would go...

1:24:27 > 1:24:29THEY GASP Don't worry.

1:24:29 > 1:24:32Cos then, we take this. This is Italian meringue.

1:24:32 > 1:24:35- And you can let this go cold, if you want.- Yeah.

1:24:35 > 1:24:37This is Italian meringue and butter...

1:24:37 > 1:24:39- The best, of course. - ..whisked into it.

1:24:39 > 1:24:42So do you serve this with a gastric band, this particular...?

1:24:42 > 1:24:45This needs a government health warning, this one.

1:24:45 > 1:24:46It is...

1:24:46 > 1:24:49Now, if you want to ice it, you see...

1:24:49 > 1:24:51- What, another layer? - Well, you can do, if you want.

1:24:51 > 1:24:53But I kind of like... I always think...

1:24:53 > 1:24:56You know, on your show, you would go round the edge

1:24:56 > 1:24:57and make it all fancy.

1:24:57 > 1:24:59This is the sort of stuff that people want to do at home

1:24:59 > 1:25:02and you want to just literally, just...look at that.

1:25:02 > 1:25:04- Oh, that looks good. - Over the edge.

1:25:06 > 1:25:08- Mmm... - I'm just actually speechless.

1:25:08 > 1:25:10Have you got some grated chocolate, please, guys?

1:25:10 > 1:25:12- Oh, look! - We'll use a little bit of this.

1:25:12 > 1:25:15- We can do some, if you want. - No, no, a little bit of this.

1:25:15 > 1:25:19- Oh...- Now, the secret of this is this...

1:25:19 > 1:25:20Meringues.

1:25:23 > 1:25:26- Indulgent, isn't it? - And marshmallow.

1:25:26 > 1:25:27What pattern are you going for?

1:25:27 > 1:25:29I'm not, I'm just random, this is random.

1:25:29 > 1:25:30- Random, Sue.- Chaos theory.

1:25:30 > 1:25:32No, it's just random.

1:25:32 > 1:25:34That's one too many, now.

1:25:34 > 1:25:36Less is more. Less is...

1:25:36 > 1:25:39- I've had to get it out. - You've ruined it, now, look!

1:25:39 > 1:25:40I had to delve into the lake of butter.

1:25:40 > 1:25:44- Then we've just got that in there. - Just getting that sugar high, now.

1:25:44 > 1:25:46Really coming up.

1:25:46 > 1:25:48The producer was saying you really love your desserts,

1:25:48 > 1:25:49so how do you stay so slim?

1:25:51 > 1:25:53Well, basically, I eat during Bake Off,

1:25:53 > 1:25:55put on 3st, and then don't eat for the rest of the year.

1:25:55 > 1:25:56Oh, right! LAUGHTER

1:25:56 > 1:25:58Like the Blue Peter tortoise, I just paint my name in Tippex

1:25:58 > 1:26:00on the back and then go into hibernation.

1:26:00 > 1:26:03- Right, and then... - Little toadstools.

1:26:03 > 1:26:04Right, now, watch this.

1:26:04 > 1:26:06Watch, watch...

1:26:06 > 1:26:07What's going to happen now?

1:26:07 > 1:26:10- Watch this.- I'm watching! Literally, I'm watching.

1:26:11 > 1:26:13Oh, it's very oozy, isn't it?

1:26:13 > 1:26:16Yeah, this is how it should be. Boozy...

1:26:16 > 1:26:18Boozy and oozy.

1:26:18 > 1:26:21Oh...

1:26:21 > 1:26:23- Look at that! - Oh, nice.

1:26:23 > 1:26:26And if you want to be a bit fancy...

1:26:26 > 1:26:29- Sprinkles! - A bit of that on the top.

1:26:31 > 1:26:33That's very... Can I have a mushroom?

1:26:33 > 1:26:36You can have a mushroom.

1:26:36 > 1:26:38You can have two, there you go. Tell us what you think of that.

1:26:38 > 1:26:40The way that you make this cake, you could, of course,

1:26:40 > 1:26:43leave that icing to go cold and spend a lot more time icing it

1:26:43 > 1:26:45and all that kind of stuff, but I actually like...

1:26:45 > 1:26:47It's one of those cakes that you just want to eat

1:26:47 > 1:26:49and go back in and have it again.

1:26:49 > 1:26:51It's very nice. It's really nice.

1:26:51 > 1:26:52Well, the key to this is...

1:26:52 > 1:26:54It is a twist on the Opera, obviously,

1:26:54 > 1:26:57but you would put a chocolate topping over the top of that.

1:26:57 > 1:26:59But I think with that sort of coating and stuff like that,

1:26:59 > 1:27:01it's wonderful.

1:27:01 > 1:27:03I love it. Really good.

1:27:03 > 1:27:05Is it a good bake?

1:27:05 > 1:27:07Ask Mary and Paul. I'll eat it and say it's delicious.

1:27:07 > 1:27:09- LAUGHTER - Really good.

1:27:09 > 1:27:11I'm an eater, not a tester.

1:27:11 > 1:27:13So...

1:27:13 > 1:27:16That's like tar, look at that!

1:27:16 > 1:27:19But it's a bit like, sort of...that coffee essence.

1:27:19 > 1:27:20The topping, by the way -

1:27:20 > 1:27:23forgot to mention, a bit like your programme -

1:27:23 > 1:27:24it's a bit like a...

1:27:24 > 1:27:25It's an Italian meringue.

1:27:25 > 1:27:28It's whipped egg whites, sugar, water,

1:27:28 > 1:27:29sugar and water that you bring to the boil.

1:27:29 > 1:27:32Add onto the whipped egg whites. You had coffee essence.

1:27:32 > 1:27:35Don't add coffee, ie, an espresso,

1:27:35 > 1:27:38because it'll soften the mixture too much, as I've done there!

1:27:38 > 1:27:40Then we've got some butter, which we fold into it.

1:27:40 > 1:27:42But the colder you leave it, the better it is,

1:27:42 > 1:27:45and the firmer the icing will go as well.

1:27:45 > 1:27:47But the recipe is on the website.

1:27:47 > 1:27:50- I think you need that, after today. - Yeah, yeah.- Well done. Well done.

1:27:50 > 1:27:52Tell us what you think of that.

1:27:52 > 1:27:53I'm not a great fan of this sort of...

1:27:53 > 1:27:54- Oh, I like it.- You like this?

1:27:54 > 1:27:58It's nice and raisin-y It's like melted raisins, isn't it?

1:27:58 > 1:27:59Probably...

1:27:59 > 1:28:02And also, it's always at its most fabulous before midday.

1:28:02 > 1:28:04- Exactly.- Of course.- Cheers.

1:28:09 > 1:28:10What a mess,

1:28:10 > 1:28:13but a delicious-looking, oozy, boozy, wonderful mess,

1:28:13 > 1:28:15I'll give you that, James.

1:28:15 > 1:28:17Well, I'm afraid that's it for this week's Best Bites.

1:28:17 > 1:28:19I hope you've enjoyed taking a look back

1:28:19 > 1:28:22at some of the delicious recipes that we've picked out for you today.

1:28:22 > 1:28:25Have a great week and I'll see you again very soon.