Episode 14 Spring Kitchen with Tom Kerridge


Episode 14

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As its spring, we're celebrating this exciting season with

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some fantastic food and even better company. Welcome to Spring Kitchen.

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Hello and welcome.

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We have the very best spring recipes for you to enjoy at home

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using the abundance of great produce available at the moment.

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We start off by heading to the New Forest

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to join chefs Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder as they forage

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for some wild garlic to go with their saddle of goat.

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Plus, we take a peek into the BBC food archive

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and join Rick Stein for a traditional paella recipe

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set against the beautiful Spanish backdrop.

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Italian food is fantastic for showcasing this season's bounty

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and, despite the fact that he's from Surrey,

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one of the best Italian chefs in this country

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is our own home-grown Theo Randall.

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Spring has sprung and there's lots of wonderful greenery around

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to use in the kitchen.

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So, here to advise us is gardening expert Diarmuid Gavin.

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-Hello to the two of you.

-Hi, how are you?

-I'm good. You OK?

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-Oh, fantastic.

-Happy? Spring is here!

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A wonderful time of year for any gardener.

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Any gardener. Everything is green. Everything is growing.

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-Loads of shoots of life.

-Pulsating under the soil. Absolutely.

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-For you, Theo?

-Spring's a great time for me

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-cos I just love vegetables in the spring.

-Brilliant!

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So spring is perfect.

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Now, joining us for seasonal fare, we have a TV presenter

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who loves to escape to the country whenever she can,

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but today, she's here in Clapham. It's Nicki Chapman.

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-Hello, Nicky. How are you?

-Hi. How are you?

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CHEERING

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-Springtime a great time of year for you?

-It is,

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because I spend most of the week outside.

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So, as soon as that sun comes through, the flowers are out,

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the trees are in sort of full bloom and such,

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or the green leaves are coming through,

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you just think, "Well, that's it. Goodbye, winter. I'm ready."

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-Out in to the countryside.

-Yes!

-Fantastic.

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-And a food fan. You're a big food fan?

-Massive food fan.

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-A massive food fan.

-I'm hungry today.

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That's good, because, Theo, what have you got cooking for us?

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I'm going to be cooking a classic Italian minestrone primavera,

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which is just the perfect spring in a bowl, basically.

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You've got asparagus. You've got peas, broad beans, green beans,

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potatoes and then with a delicious pesto.

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-It's very simple, but really delicious.

-Absolutely. Beautiful.

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And then later on, I'm going to be doing a recipe with the lamb.

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I'm going to be using a lamb belly to make some fritters

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and it's served with some spinach and anchovy mayonnaise.

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OK, so, my first recipe, I'm going to be using lemon thyme.

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Nicki, you're going to be coming with me.

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You guys can sit here and enjoy.

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And you can tell us all about the green stuff in a minute, Diarmuid.

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-All Right.

-OK. Sit yourself there, girl.

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-Thank you.

-We're going to get making...

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We're going to be making a lemon thyme custard

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to serve with some raspberries.

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We're going to be doing, kind of like cheat's doughnuts.

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We're going to be doing some sweet scraps or scrumps, as I know them.

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So, they're kind of like batter fritters.

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Cos I'm thinking scraps is what you get when you go

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and get fish and chips.

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It's exactly that. Yeah, exactly that. Scraps, scrumps...

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If you're from Gloucester, it's scrumps, but scraps is fine.

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We're going to do those little bits of batter.

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And we're going to dust them with icing sugar.

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So, they are kind of like... they have that doughnut flavour.

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You know that... You know when you go to the seaside and you have doughnuts

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-from the end of the pier?

-Yes.

-It's similar to that.

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-Lovely.

-And dusted with a little bit of icing sugar.

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We're going to being making a custard using this.

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Now, this is lemon thyme. If you could smell that?

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-Mmm.

-So, this is a...

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Diarmuid, tell us a little bit about more about the lemon thyme.

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Well, it's a Mediterranean plant.

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So, it'll grow in... It wants really great sunshine.

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It wants to be out in a bright, open, sunny position.

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As well as producing absolutely beautiful flowers.

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So, a very useful plant to have in the garden.

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It doesn't need a huge amount of food.

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It doesn't need very fertile soil.

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And you can even grow it in rocks and crevices.

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-Anything that attracts heat or the sunshine.

-It's easy to grow?

-Yeah.

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But I wouldn't like to have to strip...

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So, you've just got to pick all of the leaves, no stalks.

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-You've got to remember. What happens is Theo has a Michelin star.

-Yeah.

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And you can't serve Michelin-starred chefs little stalks.

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-I'm feeling the pressure.

-Yeah, yeah. You're under pressure.

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-You thought you were just going to come on...

-And eat.

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-..and have something nice to eat.

-Exactly. I've got to work.

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Diarmuid, have you ever cooked with the lemon thyme before?

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I wouldn't have the patience to.

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I think Nicki is much more patient than me. I wouldn't take any...

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Actually, what I've got here is the whole thyme

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actually infused with some cream and some milk.

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-Right. And you can strain that out.

-Exactly.

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So, what I'm doing is I'm replacing...

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You know, like you make a custard with vanilla,

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I'm just replacing the vanilla with the herb.

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And because it's got that lemony, almost citrus flavour to it,

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it goes very, very well as a dessert. They say it's beautiful in a garden.

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It's one of those things as you walk past it, the smell from it...

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You know, like when you walk past Rosemary and you knock it.

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-It's quite subtle, isn't it?

-Yes, it is very subtle. Very subtle.

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And you know with any of these herbs even just brushing past them,

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even if you don't use them in the kitchen,

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brushing past them releases those oils.

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And at this time of the year, it's absolutely perfect.

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We are using... we're creating a driveway

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at the moment with a thyme central area in the south of France.

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-So, that's just going to be... Can you imagine that?

-Mm. The smell.

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Just two tracks for the car and then right the way down the centre

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that carpet of green and flowering...

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Yeah, absolutely. So, you can use the flowers as well, can't you?

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And Nicky, you're very busy at the minute.

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-You're coming up to Chelsea Flower Show, I understand.

-Yes!

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So, you're hosting Chelsea Flower Show live for the BBC.

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Yeah. My favourite time of the year. It's my favourite gig, actually.

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If you can call it a gig. It's just the best week ever.

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I've been doing it since 2006.

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And I used to do some work for BBC Breakfast News.

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And the RHS saw my coverage and liked it because I'm not an expert.

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Like I'm not an expert at cooking, as you will see.

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And I have a passion. I'm really enthusiastic and they liked that,

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because I'm surrounded by experts. They don't need another one.

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-Yeah.

-But it's a very magical week, isn't it? It's really special.

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It's incredible. Yeah.

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It's the biggest flower show, I suppose, in the world, is it?

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Absolutely. The biggest, the best, the most intense.

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Yeah. The catwalk. But the good news is you don't have to go.

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If you can get a ticket, you're very lucky,

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but if, you know, it's too far away and you can't make it, etc,

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the coverage the Beeb do is brilliant and you don't have to be

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a passionate gardener to appreciate it.

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It's the catwalk of the gardening world.

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-To enjoy what's going on.

-Yeah. It's stunning.

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People are growing their gardens for it all year round...

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-Oh, goodness, yes.

-Sometimes for years.

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And, you know, from all around the world they'll come.

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They'll ship in the most exotic displays.

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Nicki does a great job there, because she interprets it

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for everybody else. So, it's not a scary thing.

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You know, the way you watch Crufts once a year

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and you don't know anything about dogs, but it's entertaining.

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Nicki is a great interpreter of the excitement, I think, of Chelsea.

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He's being very kind, isn't he?

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He's one of the top designers in the country, if not the world, so...

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Thank you, Diarmuid, for that. It's wonderful. I love it.

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But the amount of shows that I do is so varied.

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They're all quite lifestyle-y.

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We know you, I mean, you started off in the pop world originally.

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You worked with the two great Simons, didn't you?

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-Simon Fuller and Simon Cowell.

-I did. I did.

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-And I've come out smiling.

-You've survived. You've survived.

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20 years in the music industry. I always say I started very young

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cos it makes me sound so ancient,

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But I had 20 years in the music industry as a manager

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and as a publicist and they were the best years of my life.

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And through that, in a show called Pop Idol and Popstars,

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I then got the break to go and do lifestyle-y shows.

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And then, of course, so, your Escape To The Country and...

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-Do you like it?

-Yeah, it's fantastic.

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-We often film your neck of the woods, don't we?

-Yeah, yeah.

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Out towards Marlow way and then also back down into the West Country.

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So, it's based on... that show's based on a lot of people

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-wanting to actually leave...

-And often.

-..the city life.

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The city life, new dream, new beginning, perhaps,

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move into the country or just be nosy and look around

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-beautiful people's homes.

-Nice. OK. I like that.

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-Which one do you reckon it is?

-Well, I don't know.

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There is a lot of voyeurism going on into people's houses, isn't there?

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-Yeah.

-Like houses and cookery and gardens...

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-All those lifestyle shows are very good, aren't they?

-They are.

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They are. I love doing... I love Escape To The Country.

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We've just started a new one called Escape To The Continent. Sorry.

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You should probably be giving me tips on what I should be doing here

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-and I'm...

-No, that's OK. I can recap. Escape To The Continent,

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-tell me all about it.

-It's being going out all this week.

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It's like Escape To The Country. This time taking people abroad.

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-Right.

-We're not just showing them, though, houses.

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We're actually letting them sample life over there, you know?

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-So, they stay abroad? They stay...

-They stay for the week.

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We put them in accommodation.

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Not just a holiday, no? It sounds just like a holiday.

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-No. No, I won't let it be said it's a holiday.

-OK.

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No, they've got to really get into it. Also, it's a reality check.

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You know, when you go on holiday and you think,

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"I'm going to retire here. This'll be amazing."

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You got to think it through. Are you going to learn the language?

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Are you going to immerse yourself in the community?

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There's no point living in Europe and speaking English.

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You know, we moan about that over here the whole time

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and then we do the same when we go abroad. Not everybody, but a lot.

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Don't they say that about a quarter of people who move to Spain

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-move back within a year?

-A lot of people do. A lot of people do.

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France seems to be the most popular place.

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People applying for Escape To The Continent, you know?

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Just so many people want to go live in France and you go over there

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and you can see why. So, in a way, we sort of road test...

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-Sorry, Theo, I've got my back to you.

-Don't worry about it.

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..we road test what it's like to move over there, you know?

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Business opportunities. Is it more expensive? Tax breaks.

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Do you have to pay more tax?

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So, it's good. Really good. They've loved it... They've loved it.

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-And how many people actually stay there?

-Well, the ones we took out?

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-Yeah.

-We have 20 couples and I would say probably three or four bought.

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-OK, they actually want to stay there.

-Yeah.

-OK.

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-And of course you do the Down Under. The show

-Down Under. I know!

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That's sending people even further afield.

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-Yeah, send them even further away.

-Exactly.

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Let me recap what we've got here. So, we've got some raspberries.

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OK and I'm just going to put them into a bowl.

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And into that we're going to add a little bit of...

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This is whipped up double cream.

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I'm just going to mix the two together.

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And then into that... We've done the custard that we've infused.

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Now this is a cooled one with the lemon thyme.

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We're just going to pour a little bit of that into it.

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Then some of this beautiful thyme you've picked.

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Perfectly picked. Theo, if you're looking for someone to work

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-on the garnish section.

-You've got a job.

-Yeah.

-Head of garnish.

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Nicki's got a job. We're just going to mix it together.

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So, we've kind of got this lemon thyme-y,

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creamy raspberry ripple kind of mousse thing going on.

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I'm going to put it into a glass here.

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And then, in front of you, you've got the little scraps.

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What I've done is I've just made a batter using flour,

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a little bit of bicarbonate of soda, some egg white

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and then whisked it up with some sparkling water

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and just dropped it into the deep fat fryer.

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They look really delicate. I'm married to a Yorkshire man

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and scraps don't look as good as this.

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Well, these have just been dipped in

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and we're just going to sprinkle them on the top.

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And I've dusted them with icing sugar.

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Guys, if you want to come on over.

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-We're going to have a little taste of this.

-I'd be quick if I was you.

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-Then a little bit of this lemon thyme on top.

-Oh, my goodness!

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-Stick that on the side there.

-God, that smells delicious.

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Dead easy. Very simple. Let me get some spoons.

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So, how long from start to finish to do that?

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Well, as long as you were talking about Pop Idol

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and the Chelsea Flower Festival.

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A couple of minutes, literally, wasn't it?

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OK. Have a little taste of those raspberries

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and let me know what you think.

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Just that lemon thyme going through and the crunchy bits of scraps.

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LAUGHTER

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Oh, this is dangerous, Tom. This is dangerous.

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Yeah, I wouldn't trust him.

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-Aw!

-Happy?

-Mmm!

-Brilliant! Happy!

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Now, in every show, were getting out and about

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and visiting some of our favourite chefs on their home turf.

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Today, we joined Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder

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foraging for wild garlic at their hotel in the New Forest

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for a recipe using goat.

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The winter's gone. Spring's on our doorstep,

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which is probably the most exciting season for me

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with the beautiful produce that comes through.

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We're so lucky at the hotel that we've got it on our doorstep.

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We certainly have. So, why don't we take a little walk

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into mother nature's larder and see what we can find

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and what we can use for one of our recipes.

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"Mother nature's larder." I love that, Luke. Let's go.

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Just over here. Here we are, Angela.

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Oh, we need to harvest this and take it back to London.

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-There's so much. Look at it!

-Yeah.

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OK. So, when you pick it, just slice it or you actually take...

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You don't take the whole root, do you?

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Well, you can do a couple of things. We nip it here, just to take a leaf.

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-Yeah.

-But you can if you want, and we have done before.

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When you just dig up a little bit.

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Underneath the root,

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there's these little bulbs at the root there

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and they taste like a garlicky water chestnut.

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-So, you can eat the whole bulb?

-Yeah.

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-It's really coming into its prime now.

-How long have you got this for?

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-This will be here for about another month.

-Right.

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You know, once... We've often picked it, and then we puree it

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-and freeze it down.

-Right.

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So, we can keep the risotto going a little bit longer.

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Well, I think we can put this to use in a lovely spring recipe.

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-Yep. Let's go.

-OK.

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So, our spring recipe today is loin of goat

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with some beautiful wild garlic, morel mushrooms

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and then some sauteed artichokes just thrown in at the end.

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OK, Luke, so what part of the goat have we got?

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We've got the rack and what's known as the short saddle.

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And you can see it there.

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So, this is the short saddle?

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That's it. The whole thing, basically.

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What's interesting about goat is

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it's become a bit more fashionable nowadays.

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But it's actually the most consumed meat in the world.

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Before you put that in, where does it come from on this piece of meat?

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So, this is this whole piece.

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-So, we take it down the back there.

-Yeah.

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OK? Separate it off from the bones.

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-It's nice to keep a little bit of the bone on.

-Yeah.

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That's basically the rib cage. You can see how that fits in on there.

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And then we just trim off any of this excess skin.

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-We've aged it for about two weeks just to improve the flavour.

-Yeah.

0:13:580:14:02

And because of that, this skin gets a little bit tacky.

0:14:020:14:04

Right, but that's... that's a very thin piece.

0:14:040:14:06

You're not going to put that in the oven?

0:14:060:14:08

You're just literally going to saute that in a pan.

0:14:080:14:11

No. This will literally pan-fry. It'll take just a couple of minutes.

0:14:110:14:14

-So, we just whack that in a moderately warm pan.

-Yeah.

0:14:140:14:16

And you get the old, you know, artichoke,

0:14:160:14:18

the most confusing, you know, vegetable...

0:14:180:14:22

but lovely this time of year.

0:14:220:14:23

We're just going to trim the edge off it or the bottom stem off it.

0:14:230:14:27

-Yeah.

-And just take a knife and literally just draw it down...

0:14:270:14:29

-We can use the bottom bit as well, can't we?

-Yes, we can.

0:14:290:14:32

I'll peel a bit off as well.

0:14:320:14:34

We're just when to draw this down, taking off the excess,

0:14:340:14:37

-cos you know the outside part of the artichoke is quite tough.

-Yeah.

0:14:370:14:40

So, once we've taken the bottom part off and the outside green pieces...

0:14:400:14:47

one thing people need to remove is what's known as the choke.

0:14:470:14:51

-Yeah.

-This little furry part here. We literally just take a spoon,

0:14:510:14:54

stick it in, give it a little wiggle and that will all just pop out.

0:14:540:14:58

And then we just roast it like any vegetable.

0:14:580:15:00

It's the same sort of thing as a carrot or...

0:15:000:15:02

The beauty of this is once you take the lamb...the goat out, excuse me,

0:15:020:15:05

we're going to rest it then, in that same pan,

0:15:050:15:07

-we're going to finish all the artichokes.

-Exactly.

0:15:070:15:09

Put in the morels, wild garlic.

0:15:090:15:11

So, it's taking on all of the cooking flavours of that.

0:15:110:15:13

I'm going to chuck in these. Cut these artichokes down a little bit.

0:15:130:15:16

I'm going to chuck them in now, cos they'll take a little more cooking.

0:15:160:15:20

And would you put any vinegar or butter in there?

0:15:200:15:22

-We'll put a little bit?

-Yeah. We'll add a little bit of butter

0:15:220:15:25

and a little bit of vinegar just to deglaze the pan with.

0:15:250:15:28

So, now we've got that colour on that side, we'll add the butter.

0:15:280:15:32

And if we remember, you know, butter flavour...

0:15:320:15:36

-It's nice to always have a little bit more than you should do.

-Yeah.

0:15:360:15:40

Let's take a spoon and then just a light basting of that.

0:15:400:15:43

-Glazing.

-Yeah, exactly.

0:15:430:15:45

OK. Then we're going to have any sauce with that as well?

0:15:450:15:48

-A little bit of sauce?

-Yes.

0:15:480:15:50

We've got a little bit of chef's gravy over here. And we're going

0:15:500:15:53

to finish it off with a little bit of the wild garlic.

0:15:530:15:56

And this we've gathered from outside the back door pretty much.

0:15:560:15:59

So, that's in abundance this time of year.

0:15:590:16:02

If you go for walks in the woods nowadays virtually anywhere,

0:16:020:16:05

-you'll see it growing in abundance.

-Yeah.

-It's a weed-like growth

0:16:050:16:10

and out here in the forest, it just grows in absolute abundance.

0:16:100:16:13

And every year, you know, we're really fortunate.

0:16:130:16:16

We're always desperate to see the first signs of wild garlic

0:16:160:16:19

cos we know the winter's over. So, you can see now that's...

0:16:190:16:22

-And you're basting that little bit there, though?

-Yeah, exactly.

0:16:220:16:25

OK, so, is that ready to come out now?

0:16:250:16:27

Yeah, I think you can feel it...

0:16:270:16:29

It's got that little bit of resistance.

0:16:290:16:31

-When the meat pushes back, you know it's about it.

-OK.

0:16:310:16:34

With this...with goat, and lamb and duck,

0:16:340:16:37

-you really want to cook it medium.

-Perfect.

0:16:370:16:39

And then, with the morels, these are great French morels,

0:16:390:16:42

but as they come over from France, they sometimes tend to dry out.

0:16:420:16:46

So, what we do is just blanch them, just ever so lightly.

0:16:460:16:49

We'll just chuck them in this boiling water here.

0:16:490:16:51

Give them literally... Just give them a little stir.

0:16:510:16:54

-Ten seconds.

-Yeah.

-And it just helps rehydrate the mushroom.

0:16:540:16:59

If there's any grit or any dirt on there,

0:16:590:17:01

you know, it is a wild product so...

0:17:010:17:03

-Straight into here then after?

-Straight into there.

0:17:030:17:05

You can see that butter's all lovely now.

0:17:050:17:07

-Beautiful.

-Lovely.

0:17:090:17:11

And then we finish it with a...

0:17:110:17:13

-So, we've got to get a little bit of sherry vinegar in here.

-Salt.

0:17:130:17:17

That's it.

0:17:170:17:18

-And then, we call the old technical thing deglaze.

-Deglaze. Yeah.

0:17:180:17:22

We'll take up the little flavour of the goat that's been in there.

0:17:220:17:26

A little bit of pepper.

0:17:260:17:27

The thing is when you're seasoning with vinegar

0:17:270:17:30

what's important is just that we reduce it down.

0:17:300:17:33

Cook off that initial strong acid flavour

0:17:330:17:36

and just leave the sweetness of it.

0:17:360:17:37

I've also got here, we call it lazy garlic.

0:17:370:17:39

-We make loads of it in the kitchen. Just garlic oil.

-Yeah.

0:17:390:17:42

We're just going to add a little bit of that.

0:17:420:17:44

So, it's just garlic blended with olive oil.

0:17:440:17:46

-A little teaspoon of that.

-As well as being the garnish,

0:17:460:17:48

it's going to be for the sauce,

0:17:480:17:49

-cos we'll add a little bit of sauce as well.

-Exactly.

-OK.

0:17:490:17:52

-I think we're just about there.

-OK. Wild garlic in or sauce in first?

0:17:520:17:56

-We'll add a little bit of this.

-OK.

0:17:560:17:58

Chef's gravy. Beautiful.

0:17:580:18:01

I'm just literally wilting that down.

0:18:010:18:02

So, that's going to go on there.

0:18:020:18:04

And that's for... OK.

0:18:040:18:07

-OK.

-So, that goes straight into there.

0:18:070:18:10

Yeah.

0:18:100:18:11

Beauty.

0:18:110:18:13

-Just checking your seasoning, Chef.

-It all OK?

-OK. All fine.

0:18:160:18:18

-Good. Lovely.

-And then this goat which has just been rested.

-OK.

0:18:180:18:23

-And I think that says...

-Says spring.

0:18:230:18:26

..says spring in a plate, yeah.

0:18:260:18:28

So, we've got beautiful goat loin with morels,

0:18:280:18:30

wild garlic and artichokes.

0:18:300:18:33

-OK. Shall we taste a bit, then?

-Yeah.

0:18:330:18:36

OK. It looks good.

0:18:360:18:38

-It's lovely and tender, isn't it?

-Mm-hm.

0:18:400:18:43

Beautiful.

0:18:430:18:45

Thank you very much, Ang and Luke. Absolutely delicious.

0:18:450:18:48

-That looked delicious.

-Wild garlic and morels. Beautiful.

0:18:480:18:50

-And then goat. Beautiful. Ever had goat before, guys?

-Never.

-No.

0:18:500:18:54

You should try it. Goat rules! It's good meat. It's good meat.

0:18:540:18:57

OK, now it's time for somebody else to cook.

0:18:570:18:59

It's Mr Theo Randall. What are you going to be cooking for us, Chief?

0:18:590:19:02

So, I'm going to be doing a minestrone primavera,

0:19:020:19:05

which is a spring soup.

0:19:050:19:06

We're going to do a little sort of base of some celery

0:19:060:19:09

and some spring onion. And then we're going to add some potato.

0:19:090:19:12

We're going to cook the potato in with the spring onion and celery.

0:19:120:19:15

Just so it goes soft. And then I'm going to blanch

0:19:150:19:17

asparagus, green beans, peas and broad beans.

0:19:170:19:20

And then we're going to add that to the base.

0:19:200:19:21

And then I'm going to add some stock, bring it to simmer,

0:19:210:19:24

a bit of cream and I'm going to make a delicious pesto.

0:19:240:19:26

-OK. Should we get cracking?

-So could you do me the potato?

0:19:260:19:28

I'll do the potato. "Primavera" - what does that translate as?

0:19:280:19:31

-Basically, spring. It's the new season.

-Right.

0:19:310:19:34

So, it's the season where you have,

0:19:340:19:36

you know, all the kind of green vegetables.

0:19:360:19:38

You know, places like Rome,

0:19:380:19:40

you get the most amazing vegetables and, the trattories in Rome,

0:19:400:19:44

you get fantastic food this time of year.

0:19:440:19:47

You know, they do wonderful soups like this.

0:19:470:19:49

They do this delicious dish called vignole,

0:19:490:19:52

which is with artichokes and peas and broad beans

0:19:520:19:54

and it's slow-braised. And it's just served as a dish. Served in a bowl.

0:19:540:19:57

You know, you kind of celebrate the actual vegetable

0:19:570:19:59

as opposed to serving it as an accompaniment.

0:19:590:20:02

And "minestrone", does that generally mean a vegetable soup? Or is it...?

0:20:020:20:06

Yeah, I mean, minestrone has... You know, it can be a lot of things,

0:20:060:20:09

but generally, it's always quite a rustic, hearty kind of soup

0:20:090:20:13

that is sort of seasonal.

0:20:130:20:15

So, this is, you know, a spring version of it.

0:20:150:20:17

A spring version of minestrone.

0:20:170:20:19

And your love for Italian food and Italian cooking,

0:20:190:20:22

where did that come from, Theo?

0:20:220:20:24

Well, it came, I think, from my childhood in lots of ways.

0:20:240:20:27

I haven't got an Italian bone in my body,

0:20:270:20:29

but I've always loved Italy.

0:20:290:20:32

Probably from my mother, who's obsessive about Italy.

0:20:320:20:34

She's an artist and we used to go on these holidays

0:20:340:20:36

and go and visit these galleries.

0:20:360:20:38

At the end of it, there'd always be some good food.

0:20:380:20:40

We'd always go to a restaurant.

0:20:400:20:42

You know, I was sort of brought up with her cooking

0:20:420:20:45

you know, from Elizabeth David's Italian cook books.

0:20:450:20:48

And, um, so the sort of love came from there.

0:20:480:20:51

And then my first trip to Italy having a dish like

0:20:510:20:54

spaghetti alle vongole and being able to eat the clams with my hands

0:20:540:20:57

and enjoying that. It was just, you know, revolutionary.

0:20:570:20:59

The one thing that I know about Italian food,

0:20:590:21:01

now I'm not big on Italian cooking,

0:21:010:21:03

but the one thing that I always understand is it's always...

0:21:030:21:06

It's very much ingredient based. It's very much about the seasoning

0:21:060:21:09

and about what's good and what's great.

0:21:090:21:11

So, springtime must be perfect for Italian food.

0:21:110:21:13

Well, this is a classic example.

0:21:130:21:15

This recipe is a classic example of Italian, you know, good Italian food

0:21:150:21:18

because it is about using the freshest ingredients you've got.

0:21:180:21:21

Seasonality and keeping it simple

0:21:210:21:23

and getting the true flavour of the ingredients

0:21:230:21:26

as opposed to combining too many different flavours and seasonings.

0:21:260:21:29

You big Italian fans? Big Italian food fans?

0:21:290:21:31

Yeah, I'd always think of pasta, though.

0:21:310:21:33

When I think... Pasta, spaghetti Bolognese and whatever.

0:21:330:21:37

Not so much the veg, but I mean, my mouth is watering

0:21:370:21:40

with this idea of spring shoots and peas and beans

0:21:400:21:43

and especially that asparagus.

0:21:430:21:45

You said minestrone soup is seasonal.

0:21:450:21:47

So, could you do like a summer version or a winter version?

0:21:470:21:50

Absolutely. Yeah, you kind of use whatever's in season.

0:21:500:21:52

You know, so, like in summer, you could do beautiful tomatoes.

0:21:520:21:55

Make a lovely tomato soup, use lots of herbs.

0:21:550:21:58

-And make it lighter?

-And a lot of soups in...

0:21:580:22:00

They tend to use lots of bread. I mean, it's quite a sort of...

0:22:000:22:03

It's using everything up.

0:22:030:22:05

So you might have lots of herbs growing in the garden

0:22:050:22:07

and you'd use the herbs with bread and tomatoes.

0:22:070:22:09

And you'd make a base like I'm making now.

0:22:090:22:11

Like the main base of any good minestrone.

0:22:110:22:13

And then you adapt to, um, you know, what's in season.

0:22:130:22:16

So, if it's in winter, you could use beans.

0:22:160:22:19

You could use a hock of ham or something, you know?

0:22:190:22:21

So, I've got the celery and the onion in there, potatoes.

0:22:210:22:25

I'm going to add a bit of seasoning. And basically just cook that

0:22:250:22:28

for about ten minutes until the potato's soft.

0:22:280:22:30

And I've got one that's already been done here.

0:22:300:22:32

So, the potatoes are soft.

0:22:320:22:34

-So, that potato kind of works as the base for the soup?

-Exactly.

0:22:340:22:37

And then I'm going to blanch the vegetables.

0:22:370:22:39

I've got the green beans in

0:22:390:22:40

and then I've got some asparagus that you've done beautifully.

0:22:400:22:44

-Thank you.

-So you're a big fan of asparagus, aren't you, Diarmuid?

0:22:440:22:47

Asparagus is absolutely fantastic.

0:22:470:22:49

It's very interesting. It's one of the few perennial vegetables.

0:22:490:22:52

It comes back every year and it can last up to 20 years.

0:22:520:22:54

-You can be taking a crop off of the same plant...

-20 years?!

-20 years.

0:22:540:22:58

So, you haven't got to replant it or reseed it? The same one.

0:22:580:23:01

You don't, but when you do...

0:23:010:23:02

When you do plant it initially,

0:23:020:23:04

you was make sure really put in a huge amount of preparation.

0:23:040:23:06

It's a very hungry crop. It likes very fertile soil.

0:23:060:23:09

You dig out a trench, add loads of manure and keep it well watered.

0:23:090:23:13

And when it produces spears the first year,

0:23:130:23:16

the green part that shoves up out of the soil,

0:23:160:23:18

you don't harvest that. You want that to die back down

0:23:180:23:21

-into the plant...

-You just leave it?

-Absolutely, yeah.

0:23:210:23:23

And wait for two years before you take a crop out of it.

0:23:230:23:26

I had giant asparagus yesterday. Really thick stems. It looked huge!

0:23:260:23:30

Jumbo asparagus. Does that mean it's just been grown longer?

0:23:300:23:33

Or is it a different kind of breed?

0:23:330:23:35

A different type of variety. But it was... Was the taste good?

0:23:350:23:38

-It was tasty.

-Yeah?

-It was very tasty. It just looks...huge.

0:23:380:23:41

Because often when they grow very big, you see them at Chelsea,

0:23:410:23:45

-you know, the big carrots or huge tomatoes or...

-Huge strawberries.

0:23:450:23:48

They really... The huge strawberries. They really...

0:23:480:23:51

-Sometimes, you know, lose out on the taste.

-Yeah.

0:23:510:23:53

But not with the asparagus.

0:23:530:23:55

So, I've just crushed some garlic here with some salt.

0:23:550:23:57

Thank you very much.

0:23:570:23:59

-Just kind of worked it until all the oil's come out.

-Yep.

0:23:590:24:02

And stick it into this blender for Theo.

0:24:020:24:05

So, pesto. So, we've got basil, pine nuts, Parmesan,

0:24:050:24:09

a bit of garlic crushed with salt and the secret ingredient is water.

0:24:090:24:14

Now, I was taught by a Ligurian chef

0:24:140:24:16

that if you add a bit of water to a pesto,

0:24:160:24:19

it brings out the flavour of the aniseed of the basil.

0:24:190:24:21

So, I'm just going to blitz this first, then add a bit of water.

0:24:210:24:24

That's a new one on me. I've never added water.

0:24:240:24:26

Every day's a school day. I like that.

0:24:260:24:28

And if you've... It makes sense.

0:24:280:24:29

If you think about it, the water sort of is bringing everything out.

0:24:290:24:32

-All of that sort of juiciness from the basil leaves.

-Yeah.

0:24:320:24:35

Then we're going to add some oil. Always use a light olive oil.

0:24:350:24:37

Nothing too strong.

0:24:370:24:38

You don't want to overpower that flavour of the basil.

0:24:380:24:41

And the pine nuts in there, are they toasted or are they...?

0:24:410:24:43

I think, if you toast them, it just tends to taste a bit too toasty.

0:24:430:24:47

You end up with that kind of cooked nut taste, which is not very nice.

0:24:470:24:50

You want the basil as the main ingredient.

0:24:500:24:51

Especially for springtime, so it's nice and fresh and clean. OK.

0:24:510:24:54

And the great thing about pesto is you can actually put it

0:24:540:24:57

in like a kilner jar, cover it with oil

0:24:570:24:59

and it'll last a month in the fridge.

0:24:590:25:00

So, if you've got loads of basil growing in your garden,

0:25:000:25:03

-make pesto with it, because it'll last for a long time.

-OK.

-OK, so...

0:25:030:25:06

Of course, you're very busy at the minute. The restaurant is going...

0:25:060:25:09

-Going really well.

-Going really well?

-Yeah, it's been really busy.

0:25:090:25:13

And food festivals and travel...

0:25:130:25:15

Yeah. So, I'm, er... Taste Of London coming up in June

0:25:150:25:18

and BBC Good Food Show. So, they're two very busy events.

0:25:180:25:22

So, at The Taste Of London, are you doing a pop-up or a demonstration?

0:25:220:25:26

We're doing a pop-up. We're doing a demonstration.

0:25:260:25:28

-We're doing... Everything you can do, we're doing.

-OK.

0:25:280:25:30

So, we've got lots going on. OK, so vegetables.

0:25:300:25:33

The peas, broad beans, asparagus and green beans are cooked now.

0:25:330:25:36

So, just sort of cook them until they're kind of al dente.

0:25:360:25:39

They've got a nice little bite to them.

0:25:390:25:41

And then add them to the potatoes, the celery and the spring onion.

0:25:410:25:44

And then what we're going to do is get a little dash of cream.

0:25:440:25:47

Now, you could do this vegetarian.

0:25:470:25:49

You could actually not even use the stock.

0:25:490:25:51

I've added some chicken stock to that.

0:25:510:25:52

You could actually just do it with just the blanching water.

0:25:520:25:56

A bit of cream and then just give that a mix.

0:25:560:25:59

And then were going to get a little hand blender.

0:25:590:26:01

-I love these things! They're great. They're great for soups.

-Yeah.

0:26:010:26:05

They're not so mad about foams, but they're great for soups.

0:26:050:26:08

LAUGHTER Foams - I don't know what that is.

0:26:080:26:11

-So, we're just...

-What we're doing is we're blitzing it all up.

0:26:110:26:14

So, what's going to happen is all that flavour of vegetable

0:26:140:26:17

is going to sort of thicken the soup and also get all those flavours out.

0:26:170:26:21

The thing about soup is

0:26:210:26:22

every mouthful should taste of the ingredient.

0:26:220:26:25

Do you think home-made soup is better the next day?

0:26:260:26:29

Cos we make quite a lot of soup at home.

0:26:290:26:31

My husband's got a soup maker. He loves it.

0:26:310:26:34

And I always think it tastes better the next day.

0:26:340:26:36

I think... Yeah, I think you're right,

0:26:360:26:38

-but this sort of soup tastes great now.

-Fresh.

-Because it's so fresh.

0:26:380:26:41

Yeah, I think that's the same with a lot of things.

0:26:410:26:43

Like stews and casseroles and stuff like that,

0:26:430:26:45

if you leave them the next day, like a ragout or Bolognese sauce.

0:26:450:26:49

Just left the next day, they kind of infuse, you know?

0:26:490:26:51

The flavours get stronger.

0:26:510:26:53

And they kind of all like marry together.

0:26:530:26:55

Yeah, I would agree that,

0:26:550:26:56

but something like this beautiful, fresh,

0:26:560:26:59

green spring vegetables right now.

0:26:590:27:01

Cook, season, eat, perfect.

0:27:010:27:04

-And I'll bring the bowl over.

-You bring the bowl over.

0:27:040:27:07

So, we've got our pesto there.

0:27:070:27:10

And then you can see it's really kind of chunky...

0:27:100:27:13

Nice. A little bit of cream.

0:27:130:27:14

You don't have to add the cream.

0:27:140:27:16

The cream just sort of emulsifies it together.

0:27:160:27:18

-And then...

-It looks absolutely delicious, that.

0:27:180:27:21

Whoops! I didn't do that very well.

0:27:210:27:23

-The asparagus...

-Fantastic!

0:27:240:27:26

Guys, come on over. Come and have a little taste of Theo's soup.

0:27:260:27:29

I don't need to be asked twice.

0:27:290:27:30

We're keen, aren't we, Diarmuid?

0:27:300:27:32

Well, this time, I demand to be fed.

0:27:330:27:36

LAUGHTER

0:27:360:27:38

-It's hot.

-Tell him to behave, Tom.

0:27:380:27:40

A little bit of the pesto on the top.

0:27:400:27:42

A little pesto on the top. And then finish off

0:27:420:27:45

with a little shaving of Parmesan.

0:27:450:27:47

Lovely!

0:27:490:27:51

-Whoops! Don't want that in there. And there you go.

-There you go.

0:27:510:27:55

That looks beautiful.

0:27:550:27:56

There's some spoons there.

0:27:560:27:58

-There we go. Grab some spoons. Dig in, guys.

-Thank you.

0:27:590:28:02

-Go on, Diarmuid, after you.

-Don't be shy.

0:28:020:28:05

Oh, that's gorgeous!

0:28:070:28:09

-Mmm!

-Beautiful?

-That really is.

-It's really fresh.

-Really fresh.

0:28:090:28:12

Those spring vegetables are great. OK. Whilst we eat this,

0:28:120:28:16

let's take a trip into the BBC's food back catalogue

0:28:160:28:18

as we joined Rick Stein for a classic paella recipe.

0:28:180:28:22

He starts off in the rice fields of Valencia

0:28:220:28:24

before cooking against the beautiful Spanish backdrop.

0:28:240:28:27

The origins of paella start in the rice fields surrounding Valencia.

0:28:320:28:37

They were another legacy of the Moors.

0:28:370:28:39

Well, this is the first time I've ever stood in a field of rice

0:28:390:28:43

ready for harvesting. In fact, I've never tasted rice on the ear before.

0:28:430:28:47

But I'm just noticing how fecund everything is.

0:28:470:28:50

Looking around here, there's crayfish,

0:28:500:28:52

there's little, tiny fish fry, there's crabs over there.

0:28:520:28:56

You sort of begin to instantly understand what paella is all about.

0:28:560:29:00

It was poor people's food

0:29:000:29:02

and they added to the rice anything they could get a hold of.

0:29:020:29:05

Judia beans, green beans,

0:29:050:29:09

anything they could get out of the rice fields,

0:29:090:29:11

rabbits, chickens, that sort of thing.

0:29:110:29:13

It instantly becomes poor people's food

0:29:130:29:15

and all the more romantic for it, I think.

0:29:150:29:18

I mean, up until the beginning of the last century,

0:29:180:29:21

the rich people didn't eat rice

0:29:210:29:22

because all of these rice fields were associated with malaria.

0:29:220:29:26

Of course, they were all swamp areas.

0:29:260:29:28

So, it was sort of looked down on as sort of poor people's,

0:29:280:29:32

not the sort of thing you ate.

0:29:320:29:33

They had sort of bean stews like fabada from northern Spain,

0:29:330:29:37

but now, of course, to the people of Valencia, rice is everything.

0:29:370:29:41

Indeed, they say it's a way of understanding life.

0:29:410:29:44

And paella, well, it's not only the most famous dish around here

0:29:440:29:48

and in all of Spain, but also, it's the way

0:29:480:29:51

the rest of the world identifies Spanish cooking.

0:29:510:29:54

Do you know, it's ages since I've cooked outdoors.

0:29:570:29:59

I mean, the last time I can remember was summer in Cornwell

0:29:590:30:02

on a windy promontory somewhere, where everything blew off the table.

0:30:020:30:07

I think that was the last day. We just thought never again.

0:30:070:30:10

But obviously, this is a bit different and paellas,

0:30:100:30:13

or rice dishes like paella, are designed to be cooked outdoors.

0:30:130:30:17

And this one very simple rice dish resembling a paella,

0:30:170:30:20

but my take on it just with monkfish,

0:30:200:30:23

a bit of saffron and some red peppers.

0:30:230:30:25

So, first of all, I'm just going to cook the monkfish to colour it up.

0:30:250:30:28

'Well, I'm not using orange wood,

0:30:290:30:32

'because, knowing me, I'd probably set fire to the whole valley.

0:30:320:30:35

'But the Spanish use these special portable paella cookers

0:30:350:30:39

'and they work a treat.

0:30:390:30:40

'Monkfish is great for this dish,

0:30:450:30:47

'because, as the Spanish say, it's "duro", hard or firm.

0:30:470:30:50

'I've sprinkled them with pimenton, great for colour

0:30:510:30:55

'and even better for flavour.

0:30:550:30:57

'I'm just going to sear with them on both sides

0:30:570:30:59

'and, in just a minute or so, they turn a saffron-y gold.

0:30:590:31:02

'Very appetizing.

0:31:020:31:04

'That's the moment I take them out

0:31:040:31:06

'and start to cook the real point of this dish, and that's rice.

0:31:060:31:11

'But first, chopped shallots and garlic.

0:31:110:31:13

'I add some more pimenton

0:31:160:31:17

'and also some chilli flakes for just a bit of heat.

0:31:170:31:21

'Now tomato.'

0:31:210:31:23

I'm taking my time over doing this little phase,

0:31:230:31:26

because I'm trying to get a bit of a crust on the bottom.

0:31:260:31:28

It's called, in Spanish, "socarrat".

0:31:280:31:31

And it's a sign of a good paella. This isn't a paella.

0:31:310:31:34

It's a sort of a paella without the fancy bits,

0:31:340:31:36

but what I really like in a paella is the rice

0:31:360:31:40

and the pimenton and the saffron.

0:31:400:31:42

So, it's really all about that with a little bit of monkfish

0:31:420:31:45

and a few roasted red peppers.

0:31:450:31:47

I've poured in some fish stock there.

0:31:490:31:51

I made it with the bones and the head of the monkfish.

0:31:510:31:54

Now for the rice. And this is the most popular one.

0:31:540:31:58

It goes by the name of "bomba".

0:31:580:32:00

The grains swell up and really hold the flavour of the stock

0:32:000:32:03

without going creamy and breaking up like a risotto rice.

0:32:030:32:06

Well, I've just added saffron powder there.

0:32:080:32:10

Now, I think saffron powder is a mixture of saffron

0:32:100:32:13

and just some food colour, natural food colour.

0:32:130:32:17

And I've picked up this tip really that you don't use complete saffron

0:32:170:32:21

because it's too strong. You don't want to use all saffron,

0:32:210:32:24

because it gets sort of medicinal in its flavour.

0:32:240:32:27

So, a bit of yellow colour is fine.

0:32:270:32:29

'Now slices of roasted and skinned red peppers.

0:32:300:32:34

'They're really sweet and you can get them in tins.'

0:32:340:32:37

It's funny, but everything I seem to cook over here

0:32:370:32:41

is the colours of the Spanish flag.

0:32:410:32:43

I mean, you've got yellow everywhere in saffron.

0:32:430:32:45

You've got red of pimenton. You've got red of peppers.

0:32:450:32:49

You've got red of tomatoes. Yellow and red everywhere.

0:32:490:32:52

But it seems to match, don't you think?

0:32:520:32:54

'This is the moment the rice starts to work its magic and swell up.

0:32:560:33:00

'A Spanish lady once said to me

0:33:000:33:02

'that, when the rice has had a good drink, he needs to sleep in the oven

0:33:020:33:07

'and only then should he come out to the table.

0:33:070:33:10

'Well, this rice is nearly ready

0:33:100:33:13

'and it's time for the fish to go back in

0:33:130:33:15

'while there's still a bit more of the stock left

0:33:150:33:18

'for the rice to drink.'

0:33:180:33:20

Interestingly, and I think this is really important,

0:33:200:33:23

the Spanish say you never eat paella at night.

0:33:230:33:26

And for me, it's not an evening dish. It's too filling.

0:33:260:33:29

It's something you really look forward to at lunch time

0:33:290:33:32

with maybe a glass of cold red wine.

0:33:320:33:35

So, it's just about there.

0:33:350:33:37

Now, I'm just going to turn the heat off

0:33:370:33:39

and cover it for about five minutes.

0:33:390:33:42

Just make sure that rice is really nice and dry.

0:33:420:33:45

'So, there we are. The moment of truth.

0:33:460:33:50

'I know it's going to be good,

0:33:510:33:53

'because I can hear the sticky sound of the rice

0:33:530:33:56

'coming from the bottom of the pan.

0:33:560:33:58

'I've never cooked it before,

0:33:580:34:00

'but I'll definitely be cooking it again.

0:34:000:34:03

'I add a bit of creamy and very garlicky aioli,

0:34:030:34:06

'which goes so well with the rice.

0:34:060:34:09

'Yeah, this will be in my top ten!'

0:34:090:34:11

Thank you very much, Rick. That looks absolutely incredible

0:34:110:34:14

and that view - better than the view from my kitchen.

0:34:140:34:16

-I don't know about you, Theo.

-Mine too.

-OK. So, throughout this series,

0:34:160:34:19

we're showcasing some key seasonal spring ingredients

0:34:190:34:22

that are at their best at this time of year.

0:34:220:34:24

Today, I'm going to be doing a recipe with lamb belly.

0:34:240:34:27

Theo is here to give me a hand.

0:34:270:34:29

OK, so I'm going to be doing a braised spring lamb breast,

0:34:290:34:33

I suppose, with an anchovy mayonnaise.

0:34:330:34:35

So, it's going to be some spinach leaves,

0:34:350:34:37

-and some pickled shallots, which I need you to get going first.

-OK.

0:34:370:34:40

We've got a pickle mix here,

0:34:400:34:41

which is white wine vinegar, water, sugar and some fennel seeds.

0:34:410:34:44

-A nice kind of aniseed-y flavour coming through it.

-Lovely.

0:34:440:34:47

And then we're going use a bit of that pickle mix

0:34:470:34:49

-to go through the mayonnaise.

-OK.

-All right. So, lamb breast.

0:34:490:34:52

Now, this is a lamb breast or lamb belly, either one.

0:34:520:34:54

It's the same sort of thing. It's the same as a very...

0:34:540:34:57

It's the same cut as a pork belly, but it comes from the lamb.

0:34:570:35:00

So, we're just going to sear it up.

0:35:000:35:02

Get a little bit of colour on it in a hot pan.

0:35:020:35:06

What do you think of spring lamb? Are you a fan of it?

0:35:060:35:08

-For me, I absolutely love spring lamb.

-Yeah.

0:35:080:35:11

I think spring lamb's fantastic. The problem with it is,

0:35:110:35:14

the same as with everything, that once it hits the season,

0:35:140:35:17

right at the start, price wise, it's quite expensive.

0:35:170:35:19

-Yeah, it's crazy.

-It's a little bit...

0:35:190:35:21

You know, which is the unfortunate thing about spring lamb,

0:35:210:35:24

but it does taste beautiful. So, a cut like this using breast of lamb,

0:35:240:35:29

which is, I suppose, one of the cheaper cuts.

0:35:290:35:31

I don't think there's anything... I mean, I don't think there's anything

0:35:310:35:34

as a cheap cut of meat any more, is there?

0:35:340:35:36

But spring lamb, I suppose, the breast of lamb is...

0:35:360:35:39

It's kind of like a shoulder or it's a leg.

0:35:390:35:43

It's one of those cuts that needs longer cooking.

0:35:430:35:47

I always think, the cheaper the cut, the tastier they are.

0:35:470:35:49

Well, that's it. The cheaper the cut, the tastier it is,

0:35:490:35:52

-but more cooking it needs.

-Yeah.

-So, it's not one of those prime cuts,

0:35:520:35:55

but the longer you cook, the more you can get flavour into it.

0:35:550:35:58

And breast of lamb or belly of lamb is fantastic.

0:35:580:36:00

So, I'm just beginning to sear it up.

0:36:000:36:03

Get some nice colour on it. Now, I'm keeping the bones in

0:36:030:36:06

cos, as it braises, the bones will stay in it

0:36:060:36:09

and, once it's gone soft, that's when you can remove the bones.

0:36:090:36:12

If you start trying to remove them now, you're actually going to lose

0:36:120:36:15

a lot of the meat, which you don't want to do.

0:36:150:36:17

-And the bones will adds lots of flavour.

-Exactly. Give it flavour.

0:36:170:36:21

So, we're just going to put it into the pan

0:36:210:36:23

then, on top of that, we're going to put clove of garlic

0:36:230:36:28

and some shallots. Now, shallots have a wonderful sweetness

0:36:280:36:33

and that's just going to slowly cook through the meat.

0:36:330:36:36

And we're going to cover it with some stock.

0:36:360:36:40

And we're going to braise it for about three hours.

0:36:400:36:45

Are you a big lamb fan, Nicki?

0:36:450:36:47

I love it. When we're filming, I did lambing a few...

0:36:470:36:51

It was last year on Escape To The Country.

0:36:510:36:54

We went to a farm and we saw the lambs being born, which is

0:36:540:36:57

quite a sight to be seen and then all we could think of that evening,

0:36:570:37:01

when we went out for dinner, was to have lamb. How awful is that?

0:37:010:37:05

But I just... Especially at this time of year

0:37:050:37:08

and because I travel all over the UK when we're filming,

0:37:080:37:10

it's not just in the south, you know, you go to great pubs,

0:37:100:37:13

great restaurants. They've all gone lamb on the menu at this time.

0:37:130:37:16

Yeah. Absolutely. And it goes so well with things like peas and broad beans

0:37:160:37:21

and even something like Theo's minestrone soup.

0:37:210:37:24

A bit of lamb breast with that would taste absolutely fantastic.

0:37:240:37:27

Really, really good. So, the lamb goes into the oven

0:37:270:37:30

and I'm going to braise it for about three hours.

0:37:300:37:32

Slowly, very gently. And then what happens is...

0:37:320:37:35

Is this the longest cookery show in the history of cookery shows?

0:37:350:37:38

Don't worry. We have one we've already done.

0:37:380:37:40

We have one we've already done.

0:37:400:37:43

And then what you do is you take it from the oven.

0:37:430:37:45

You leave it to cool

0:37:450:37:48

and then you remove the bones.

0:37:480:37:49

Slowly pulled the bones out and then you put it onto a tray,

0:37:490:37:52

put another tray on top and a weight on it and press it.

0:37:520:37:55

And you leave it in there for 24 hours.

0:37:550:37:58

Keeping it in the fridge, so it kind of compresses it.

0:37:580:38:00

Makes it very nice and tight.

0:38:000:38:02

So, this is a cookery show that goes into the following day, then?

0:38:020:38:05

Absolutely! Hey, a lot of the best cooking takes a long time.

0:38:050:38:08

-Ain't that right, Theo?

-Absolutely right.

0:38:080:38:10

This would be a very good weekend dish, wouldn't it?

0:38:100:38:13

Could you prepare it on the Saturday morning

0:38:130:38:15

-then have it for Sunday lunch?

-Absolutely.

0:38:150:38:17

Preparation is everything.

0:38:170:38:19

Preparation is the key to all good cooking.

0:38:190:38:21

-OK.

-You see, that's where I think I go wrong. I rush it.

0:38:210:38:24

Something like this, you can see, is absolutely lovely.

0:38:240:38:27

Where I've pressed it, you've got this beautiful layer

0:38:270:38:30

of meat and fat ratio where it's cooked.

0:38:300:38:33

And it's just all flavour and all delicious.

0:38:330:38:35

And all I'm going to do is cut that in half.

0:38:350:38:39

So we've got some pieces here.

0:38:390:38:42

Now, springtime, Diarmuid, is this...

0:38:420:38:45

This is the perfect time for planting, but if...

0:38:450:38:47

As an amateur like myself,

0:38:470:38:49

what sort of tips or advice could you give on growing things?

0:38:490:38:52

Well, people get scared of getting out into the garden,

0:38:520:38:55

but it is, as it is for cooking,

0:38:550:38:57

it is the most wonderful time of the year to garden. The soil...

0:38:570:39:00

You know, we've had a tough, wet winter.

0:39:000:39:03

Not particularly cold, but the soil is really warming up now

0:39:030:39:05

and it's just ready to take plants.

0:39:050:39:09

If you're planning on creating a new garden,

0:39:090:39:12

just for the first year, sprinkle some seeds around,

0:39:120:39:14

clear way the soil, clear away any perennial weeds,

0:39:140:39:17

rake over the soil and get some wild flower seeds,

0:39:170:39:20

because we really need to attract wildlife into the garden.

0:39:200:39:23

So, sow things like, you know, poppy seeds,

0:39:230:39:26

the poached egg plants, limnanthes or...

0:39:260:39:30

so many ornamental grasses. Just sprinkle packets of seeds around.

0:39:300:39:34

In six weeks, you will have a beautiful flowering meadow.

0:39:340:39:37

Has it been a good spring, then, for gardening?

0:39:370:39:39

I went to Wisley yesterday, which is a massive garden.

0:39:390:39:42

It's beautiful. And everything was in full bloom.

0:39:420:39:44

But I thought we'd had so much rain that it wasn't a good spring.

0:39:440:39:48

Nature has the best way of correcting itself in most places.

0:39:480:39:51

The rain has drained away and it's been a wonderful spring.

0:39:510:39:55

Last year was absolutely terrible. It was so cold. So much frost.

0:39:550:39:58

This year's been great for gardeners and you'll certainly notice that.

0:39:580:40:01

When you go to the Chelsea Flower Show, everybody will be smiling.

0:40:010:40:04

I was down with beekeepers last week...

0:40:040:40:07

up with beekeepers in Sheffield and the bees were out buzzing.

0:40:070:40:11

We were creating new plantations for them.

0:40:110:40:13

They were feeding off of comfrey, they were feeding off apple blossom.

0:40:130:40:17

Producing wonderful honey. It's great.

0:40:170:40:19

Does a bad spring have an effect on the rest of the year in the garden?

0:40:190:40:23

Things have a... We had a bad spring last year,

0:40:230:40:25

but we had a really great summer

0:40:250:40:27

because we had that long, hot summer.

0:40:270:40:29

So we think we had a bad spring,

0:40:290:40:31

but the gardeners are saying it's a good spring, lots of rain.

0:40:310:40:34

-And mild.

-Very mild. That's the real secret to it.

0:40:340:40:38

Not many late frosts, you know?

0:40:380:40:40

Um... And nature catches up with itself.

0:40:400:40:43

So we had a bad spring last year, but an excellent summer.

0:40:430:40:46

So, things do... And a really, really good autumn. So...

0:40:460:40:49

So, things have evened out.

0:40:490:40:51

-Well, you must notice that with your fresh ingredients.

-We do. Yeah.

0:40:510:40:55

As chefs, we are constantly affected by the seasons.

0:40:550:40:59

I mean, as much as the gardens and the growing. OK.

0:40:590:41:02

Right. So, what I have here is the lamb breast that we've pressed.

0:41:020:41:05

And I've just dipped it in a bit of flour, a bit of egg

0:41:050:41:08

and then some panko breadcrumbs.

0:41:080:41:10

Now, panko breadcrumbs are a Japanese-style breadcrumb,

0:41:100:41:13

but they contain honey in them, so, as they brown, they go very crispy.

0:41:130:41:16

They're very lovely and you can get them from supermarkets now,

0:41:160:41:20

which is no problem. And I'm just deep frying them at about 180 degrees

0:41:200:41:23

to take them very crispy.

0:41:230:41:25

And what Theo's done is Theo has made me a lovely anchovy mayonnaise.

0:41:250:41:28

-Are you anchovy fans?

-Yes.

-No.

0:41:280:41:30

No. OK. We're going to convert you. This is kind of like a really great,

0:41:300:41:34

almost like a Caesar salad kind of dressing

0:41:340:41:36

and I know were telling me earlier that you hate Caesar salad as well.

0:41:360:41:39

Well, I started out my working life in a restaurant.

0:41:390:41:42

I was going to be a chef. And I had to make Caesar salads.

0:41:420:41:44

And peeling these anchovies out of the tin...

0:41:440:41:46

-You don't eat fish, though, do you?

-I don't. No. Shellfish, but...

0:41:460:41:50

The anchovy in this recipe... Well, I suppose, it's the same as...

0:41:500:41:53

I mean, a lot of good lamb recipes contain anchovy.

0:41:530:41:56

And what they use... The anchovy, the saltiness of it

0:41:560:41:59

is used as a seasoning. It has a very savoury kind of kick to it.

0:41:590:42:02

Rather than it actually tasting of fish, it tastes of this

0:42:020:42:05

beautiful, savoury saltiness that goes so, so, so well with lamb.

0:42:050:42:09

See, I wouldn't think of putting anchovy with lamb.

0:42:090:42:12

It's a classic. I mean, it's a classic French... Italians...

0:42:120:42:15

Yeah, very much so. Yeah.

0:42:150:42:16

The anchovy just sort of brings out the flavour of it really nicely.

0:42:160:42:19

And it's a fantastic seasoning.

0:42:190:42:20

Come on over, guys. Come and have a little go of this.

0:42:200:42:24

So, this is Theo's, erm, Theo's wilted kind of salad

0:42:240:42:27

where we've had the shallot rings have gone into that pickle mix.

0:42:270:42:32

They do look, as I imagine, deep-fried Mars Bars look.

0:42:320:42:34

Baby spinach. LAUGHTER

0:42:340:42:37

-They're no, they are not.

-How can you say that?

0:42:370:42:39

I'm fairly certain it'll go a lot better with anchovy

0:42:390:42:42

rather than a chocolate bar would. OK. Here, some knives and forks.

0:42:420:42:45

Or you could use your fingers. Pick it up, dip it straight into...

0:42:450:42:48

-I'm going to use my fingers!

-..into the mayonnaise and enjoy it.

0:42:480:42:51

-Are you going to try the mayonnaise?

-Yeah.

-Go on.

-Go on.

0:42:510:42:54

-ALL: Be brave.

-We've all got to try something different in life.

0:42:540:42:58

-That chocolate. That fudge.

-LAUGHTER

0:42:580:43:01

It's delicious. Wow!

0:43:010:43:03

Happy?

0:43:030:43:05

ALL: Mm-mm!

0:43:050:43:06

That is brilliant!

0:43:060:43:08

You expect there to be fish in there

0:43:080:43:09

cos it looks like a posh fish finger.

0:43:090:43:12

-But it's not.

-It's like a posh fish finger,

0:43:120:43:14

but it's all meaty, delicious and flavoursome. Fantastic!

0:43:140:43:17

OK, well that's all from us on Spring Kitchen today.

0:43:170:43:20

A big thank you to Theo Randall, Diarmuid Gavin and Nicki Chapman.

0:43:200:43:23

Of course, Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder.

0:43:230:43:26

All of today's recipes are available on the website.

0:43:260:43:29

Please go to bbc.co.uk/springkitchen and a massive thank you for watching.

0:43:290:43:35

And we will see you next time. Take care. Bye-bye.

0:43:350:43:38

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