0:00:01 > 0:00:04Spring is finally with us and we've got some great recipes
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and guests to get you excited about the new season.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Welcome to Spring Kitchen.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Hello, and welcome. We've got a great line-up for you today.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36We're heading down to Cornwall to visit Nathan Outlaw for a special
0:00:36 > 0:00:40Spring Kitchen recipe of crispy pollock with pickled carrot salad.
0:00:40 > 0:00:44Plus, we take a look into the BBC food archive and join
0:00:44 > 0:00:49Nigel Slater for a simple supper - Thai-inspired prawn noodle soup.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51I'm joined here in the kitchen by Ching-He Huang,
0:00:51 > 0:00:55who is going to be cooking some spicy Asian fare,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58and to go through some of the wonderful herbs and mushrooms
0:00:58 > 0:01:01available at this time of year, our in-house forager, Rupert Burdock.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04- Hello to you two. You OK?- Yes. - Spring a good time of year?
0:01:04 > 0:01:07- Best time of the year.- Fantastic.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13And to share our feast is the host of DIY SOS, Nick Knowles,
0:01:13 > 0:01:18- hello, Nick.- Thank you.- How are you, you all right?- Yes, very good.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Looking forward to summer, as I always do.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Spring, everything is growing and sprouting.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25All the green vegetables coming through.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27- Are you a big food fan? - I'm a big food fan,
0:01:27 > 0:01:30I like to cook, especially with my eldest son,
0:01:30 > 0:01:33who is a big food fan as well. My brother's got an allotment,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35so we get a lot of stuff from that.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37OK. Let's see what we've got on offer today.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39What are you going to be cooking?
0:01:39 > 0:01:42I'm going to make you my spicy lemon grass larb, it is
0:01:42 > 0:01:46a national dish of Laos, so I'm going to try to get it right!
0:01:46 > 0:01:49- It looks absolutely fantastic. - It is really fresh and vibrant.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51Beautiful. Very spring-like.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55OK, and later I'm going to be making a recipe using some lovely
0:01:55 > 0:01:56morel mushrooms.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59I'm going to make them into a sauce to go with some spring chicken
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and a Parmesan risotto. Lovely.
0:02:02 > 0:02:07Lots of chicken, lots of risotto and loads of lovely morels.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09So, Rupert, as an expert forager,
0:02:09 > 0:02:11I hope you're going to like this first dish,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- because it's got a few flowers on it.- Yes!
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Great time of year for flowers!
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Flowers in food, I'm never quite sure about flowers in food.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27- Well, they're lovely. They work very well.- Cauliflower. Broccoli.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31That's not a flower, really, is it? It's not actually a flower.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- I think it is. Bees go to it. - A floret.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35There you go, cauliflower floret.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39At your place, you do, is it a borage soup?
0:02:39 > 0:02:42- We do a soup with borage in it, yeah.- That is a flower.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Borage does flower, doesn't it?
0:02:45 > 0:02:51- It does indeed.- It has a wonderful flavour of cucumber.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53That's right, it has a certain chemical
0:02:53 > 0:02:55which is in a lot of plants, a lot of wild plants,
0:02:55 > 0:02:58it adds that cucumber flavour to it. A lovely smell.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00It is absolutely fantastic.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03Honestly, this is the best thing about having guys like this on -
0:03:03 > 0:03:07even as a chef of 22 years, you end up learning more
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and more stuff, especially about flowers.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16Is he really a Burdock as a name? Is that like dandelion and burdock?
0:03:16 > 0:03:19A forager called Burdock, exactly, it's fantastic.
0:03:19 > 0:03:20Who would've thought it?
0:03:20 > 0:03:25- The Chinese believe you live up to your name, so...- Is that right?
0:03:25 > 0:03:29- So, Burdock, there you go.- People think I'm a bit of a know-it-all.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- That works.- Nick "Know-it-all".
0:03:34 > 0:03:38OK, so the first dish I'm going to be cooking is a bacon chop
0:03:38 > 0:03:39with broad beans.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42Basically, broad beans with marjoram and some broad bean flowers.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45The flowers from broad beans taste beautiful, they are fantastic.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48Broad beans are great, Are you a big fan of broad beans?
0:03:48 > 0:03:51I am, I tend to blanch them and ping them out of their shells,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- because their shells are quite dry. - Honestly, that is music to my ears,
0:03:54 > 0:03:57because that is exactly what you are going to be doing.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59These are going into some boiling salted water,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and at the same time I've got here a bacon chop.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06This is a beautiful, dry cured piece of bacon. It's been smoked.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10So, it's like your back bacon, where you thinly slice it,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12this is just a lump of it.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14You can start getting those smells coming out,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16the caramelisation of that bacon is beautiful.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Then we're going to deglaze the pan with a bit of malt vinegar,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22which is absolutely stunning. Keep it simple,
0:04:22 > 0:04:26the broad beans we're going to pod, heat them up with a bit of butter.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29What's going on in your world, Nick? Tell me.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Well, all kinds. We've got more DIY SOS big builds going on.
0:04:32 > 0:04:35It's become kind of the social conscience of the country now,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38people coming out to help other people, which is nice.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42It continues to be the same bunch of slightly drunk
0:04:42 > 0:04:46and smelly builders I started out with 15 years ago, having a laugh.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49At the same time, it's turned into this big community thing.
0:04:49 > 0:04:53So that's kind of cool. All the quiz shows, afternoon quiz shows.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55That's going good.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57- I do a lot more writing these days. - Really?
0:04:57 > 0:04:59What sort of writing?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Well, I've got a novel on the go at the moment, but also dramas.
0:05:02 > 0:05:05I've just written a film, which will hopefully be made this September,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08and I'm researching a new film on Marie Antoine Careme.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Yes, I've been reading this. That's incredible.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14How much research do you have to do about that, and who is he?
0:05:14 > 0:05:17Marie Antoine Careme was the greatest chef who ever lived, basically.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20I'm sure Gordon Ramsay would have something to say about that.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I think even Gordon would accept that this was the man.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25This was the man who invented puff pastry,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28the first one to wear a chef's hat, this was the guy who was
0:05:28 > 0:05:34born before the French Revolution and grew up named after the Queen
0:05:34 > 0:05:38of France, Marie Antoine for a bloke, and then the Queen gets beheaded.
0:05:38 > 0:05:42So he is then running around Paris with a girl's name -
0:05:42 > 0:05:45the Queen's name - a dead queen's name - in revolutionary France.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48He then gets to cook for the big cheese, Talleyrand.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Then he cooks for Napoleon.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Then the Tsar of Russia takes Paris,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56so he goes to St Petersburg and cooks for the Tsar.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00Then he cooks for the first Rothchilds making their fortune.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04Then he cooks for the Prince Regent down in Brighton in the pavilion,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07- if you've ever been down there. - Yes, Brighton Pavilion.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- You must have seen the big kitchen. - Actually, I have, it's incredible.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13Built for him when they got him over from France.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16The first celebrity chef to be taken around. I'll start on this.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19- Talk and work, chef. - Taking the wedding ring off -
0:06:19 > 0:06:21I'm only taking the wedding ring off for a second, by the way.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25Just for Jessica's benefit. I ought to take the watch off as well.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29And how long before that is in production and the book's finished?
0:06:29 > 0:06:33For ever. Mostly, at the moment, I'm just going to Paris
0:06:33 > 0:06:36and eating in expensive French restaurants to get the flavour of it.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39I love that. Welcome to my world - it's great, isn't it?
0:06:39 > 0:06:42But the funny thing is, if you go into a French restaurant
0:06:42 > 0:06:44and you talk to the maitre d' about the fact you're doing research
0:06:44 > 0:06:46on him, they instantly fall in love with you,
0:06:46 > 0:06:51because they think you know about cooking and you know about food.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53And they know what you are talking about,
0:06:53 > 0:06:56or they think they know what you are talking about.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57And that's all you need to do.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00It's a great tip, if you are ever in a French restaurant,
0:07:00 > 0:07:01for getting really good service.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04France is brilliant for that, there is so much culture and history.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06That'll do. That's plenty.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10OK, so what we've got is this bacon which is being nicely cooked.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13Lovely sear, lovely caramelisation on the bacon.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15And what happens is, at the bottom of the pan,
0:07:15 > 0:07:19all those crispy bacon bits will stick to the bottom of that pan,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22and what we're going to do is leave it to rest for a little
0:07:22 > 0:07:27bit and deglaze the pan with a bit of vinegar and a bit of butter.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29This is malt vinegar.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Because everyone has malt vinegar and nobody ever uses it.
0:07:33 > 0:07:37It's fantastic, it's got that lovely, rich, dark kind of flavour.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41We're just going to glaze the top of the bacon with it.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46Where the bacon is quite fatty and salty, full of flavour
0:07:46 > 0:07:48and that smoke, that vinegar helps -
0:07:48 > 0:07:53just the acidity cuts through it, and also gives it a lovely glaze.
0:07:53 > 0:07:57When I was little, my sisters all used to go off to dancing school,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and my dad and I on a Saturday morning used to do bacon and beans.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03We used to fry the bacon until it was really hard
0:08:03 > 0:08:06and left that sticky stuff all over the bottom of the pan,
0:08:06 > 0:08:09then pour the tin of beans in and use it to deglaze the pan
0:08:09 > 0:08:13so all the flavour of the sort of burnt bacon went into the beans.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Then you put the bacon back in and softens it back up.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Sir, I've got to be honest with you, I've pinched that idea off your dad.
0:08:20 > 0:08:27This is basically, this is basically bacon and beans! Pretty much.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Thanks to your old man for the recipe.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I tell you what we could also do is pick a few bits of marjoram
0:08:32 > 0:08:35for here. Marjoram is a beautiful herb.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Tell us about the marjoram herb, Rupert. What do you know about it?
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Marjoram is related to oregano and thyme.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45It's a Mediterranean plant, Mediterranean origin.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49It's very good for dispelling yin energy, excessive yin energy.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51So if you are very cold,
0:08:51 > 0:08:56- you should have...- You should have some marjoram, yes, some heat.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59What would your family back in Gloucester say about you stood
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- here talking about yin and yang and herbs?- To be honest...
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Did they tell you I'm from Stroud? That explains everything.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08Rupert lives around the corner, so we've got a lot in common,
0:09:08 > 0:09:10although miles apart!
0:09:10 > 0:09:12LAUGHTER
0:09:12 > 0:09:16So, I deglazed the pan, that's gone over the top of the bacon, and then
0:09:16 > 0:09:20we are just bringing a bit of water, a bit of butter, up to the boil.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24We're going to reduce it and glaze those beans and cover them
0:09:24 > 0:09:28with the marjoram. Marjoram and broad beans go very well together.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31They almost taste a little bit sage-like.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34You know that kind of hard-core sage flavour?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Does it grow like sage?
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Does it kind of take over the world like sage?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41It does, you find it a lot in abandoned gardens.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44It will take over old patios and cracked pavements.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49- It just keeps coming back year after year.- It does in my garden, anyway.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52No, I'm sure, I think sage is exactly the same.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54So, what we've got there, a pinch of salt.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57It's a little bit of water from the broad bean poaching,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00that we cooked them in in the first place,
0:10:00 > 0:10:02so it actually works a bit like a sauce.
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Just going to put the marjoram leaves in,
0:10:04 > 0:10:08and literally we're going to grab a spoon...
0:10:09 > 0:10:10Spoon it over the top.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13So we've kind of got this broad bean and marjoram sauce and stock
0:10:13 > 0:10:15just to go with the bacon.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18This is kind of like the ultimate springtime breakfast.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20This is what you could do for your old man.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23It's a new version of bacon and beans.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25Come on and have a little try of this.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28That lovely broad bean flavour, just because we've taken the outside
0:10:28 > 0:10:30husks off, I know what you mean,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33they can make it a bit dry and pithy.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Then on top of that, we will cover it with the broad bean
0:10:37 > 0:10:42flowers, which make it look beautiful and very spring-like,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45and actually have a fantastic flavour. Look at that.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48That is a big, manly piece of bacon turned into a beautiful,
0:10:48 > 0:10:50feminine little dish.
0:10:50 > 0:10:57- Amazing.- Very simple but beautiful flavours. Big, powerful flavours.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59The saltiness of the bacon,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02the cure and the heavy smoke coming through, also the vinegar,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06but then the lightness of the broad beans and marjoram, hopefully.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10OK, now, in every show we get out
0:11:10 > 0:11:13and about on special spring trips with some of our favourite chefs.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Today, we are joining Nathan Outlaw in Port Isaac in Cornwall.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20He's going after some pollock to go with a pickled carrot salad.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35What's fantastic about spring for me
0:11:35 > 0:11:38is the change in season which brings so many new ingredients.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40In the kitchens, we get really excited,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43because it means we can start using really fresh flavours, lots of
0:11:43 > 0:11:47fresh ingredients, and Cornwall just comes alive at this time of year.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Today, I've got a recipe for you that I think you'll love,
0:11:50 > 0:11:53but first I need to go get some fish.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- Morning, Nathan. Nice to see you. - I'm after some pollock.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08- Have you got any?- Yes. Line-caught.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11- Are you going to show me how to do this properly?- I'll try.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Pollock's not got much flavour to it, but I quite like the texture.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18I would agree on that one. It's got a good texture.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20- It needs a bit of help on its way, though, doesn't it?- It does.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23There you go, how's that one? All right? I'll wrap it up.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27- Please, that would be brilliant. - There you go.- Thanks for that.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30- Thank you very much. - Take care, have a good day.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Today, I'm going to cook you a lovely spring kitchen recipe of crispy
0:12:44 > 0:12:47pollock, with pickled carrots and a sweet vinegar dressing.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It's got lovely lime zinginess to it,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52sweet smoked paprika as well,
0:12:52 > 0:12:55and I think it's perfect with that lovely crispy batter on the pollock.
0:12:55 > 0:12:59The ingredients you're going to need are obviously the pollock,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03some carrots, some lime, spring onions, little bit of shallot,
0:13:03 > 0:13:08some garlic, green chilli, coriander and some smoked paprika.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13The first thing we need to do to make this pollock exciting
0:13:13 > 0:13:14is to get it marinated.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17I'm going to take the pollock fillet,
0:13:17 > 0:13:21rip off a bit of the coriander, just chop straight through it.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27I'm just going to use half of the chilli,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30the other half I'm going to put into the pickled carrots.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35Pollock is very bland, so don't be afraid of a bit of heat.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41So we chop the chilli quite fine and add that to the coriander.
0:13:43 > 0:13:48Now, the next thing to do is take the zest of the lime.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53The last thing we're going to add to the marinade is this smoked paprika.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56This gives it a smokiness. Just take...
0:13:58 > 0:14:02..the pollock. We're going to cut it into nice chunks.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05I like sort of pieces that sort of size, you know?
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Perfect for one bite.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13Give the whole thing a bit of a mix.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18You can leave that now, ideally for a couple of hours.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24The next thing I need to do is to pickle the carrots.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27You will need four ingredients to make the liquor.
0:14:27 > 0:14:32We've got equal quantities of white wine, white wine vinegar...
0:14:34 > 0:14:35..sugar...
0:14:37 > 0:14:38..and water.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43Once you've got all those ingredients in a pan,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45just bring that to the boil.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49While we're waiting for that, we will get the carrots prepared.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53What you can do is grate the carrots, but I'm going to slice them
0:14:53 > 0:14:57quite thin, because I quite like the texture of carrots.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04So that's all the carrots done. We've got a shallot next.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09A bit of chilli as well.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12As fine as I can.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19And then the last thing we're going to do is use...
0:15:19 > 0:15:23These are fantastic for garlic, these little graters.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27A lot quicker than chopping it.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31So, once you've got all your vegetables ready, just take a bowl...
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Add them all into it.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Essentially, all you're doing is making a pickled vegetable salad.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44And then the pickling liquor has come to the boil.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Just going to pour that over the raw vegetables.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53I'm going to use them once they have softened a bit, but you could keep
0:15:53 > 0:15:58them for up to a month in the fridge no problem, in a tight Kilner jar.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59So give it a bit of a mix around.
0:16:02 > 0:16:03Give that a helping hand as well,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06if we just lay a piece of clingfilm on top.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09It creates a vacuum.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14The next thing we need to do, we've got our pollock marinating,
0:16:14 > 0:16:17our pickled vegetable salad ready, so we just need to make the batter.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Two tablespoons of flour.
0:16:21 > 0:16:23And two tablespoons of cornflour.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29Next thing, we need some ice-cold soda water.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Add the soda water to the flour.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36This batter needs to be quite thin,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38so you're looking for something like that.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Almost like water, but it will work, I promise.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46It's as simple as that.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48OK, that's all your main components of the dish ready,
0:16:48 > 0:16:50all we need to do now is fry the fish.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55The first thing to do is drop the marinated pollock into the batter.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58It's a bit dirty, this bit, but it's all good fun.
0:17:00 > 0:17:02Straight into the fryer.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15They've been cooking for about two or three minutes.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Give them a good shake.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21You probably saw I put a bit of batter in there as well,
0:17:21 > 0:17:25that's because I love these crispy bits, so add them as well.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30So, the fish is ready, so, as quick as I can,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34I'm going to put the spring onions, the coriander, into this salad.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Obviously, that salad is still warm, so you don't want to add
0:17:37 > 0:17:40the coriander too soon, or you lose all the colour.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Lovely salad...
0:17:43 > 0:17:45..to go on the plate there.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50And then a pile of these fried pollock bits.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Don't forget the scratchings. You've got to love the scratchings.
0:17:57 > 0:18:01And a touch of rapeseed oil, just a little bit. There you go.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05That is my crispy pollock with pickled carrots
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and sweet vinegar dressing.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12I hope you agree that it's simple enough for you guys to cook at home,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14and I tell you what, it tastes fantastic.
0:18:16 > 0:18:17Have a go.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26Thank you very much, Nathan, that looked amazing.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Kind of like the best fish and chips ever, just without the chips.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32OK, Ching, it's your time to cook. What are you going to be doing?
0:18:32 > 0:18:35I'm going to make my spicy lemon grass larb,
0:18:35 > 0:18:38so it's a traditional dish of Laos and when Ken and I
0:18:38 > 0:18:43- travelled on our trip to China... - Ken Hom.- ..we passed by Yunnan.
0:18:43 > 0:18:49Yunnan in China borders Laos, and the cuisine there is amazing,
0:18:49 > 0:18:51so there's a little bit of a crossover.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55And I just fell in love with the herbs and spices they use.
0:18:55 > 0:19:02Essentially, larb is like a minced raw dish. Served with salad.
0:19:02 > 0:19:07So, traditionally, you just mince up some pork, chicken and fish
0:19:07 > 0:19:10- and season it with fish sauce. - So it's raw meat?
0:19:10 > 0:19:13So, raw chicken or raw pork or raw fish?
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Exactly, so think of like beef tartare, for example.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17They've got their version.
0:19:17 > 0:19:22But, because of the ingredients, it's really light and fragrant
0:19:22 > 0:19:24and spring-like, and acidic to kind of cook it?
0:19:24 > 0:19:26Yes, to kind of cook it.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28Of course, we're not going to do that here,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and there are lots of different types of wok-fried larb,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34so I'm going to do my spring take,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37with a bit of a kick, spicy lemon grass.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39Spicy lemon grass, that's what I've got in here.
0:19:39 > 0:19:40I've sliced some lemon grass
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and I'm smashing it together in this pestle and mortar.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46Also, in the pan next to you, we've got some rice,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48what sort of rice is this?
0:19:48 > 0:19:51We've got glutinous rice, otherwise known as sticky rice.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53It doesn't have gluten in.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57It's just really nutty and wonderful and aromatic. You toast it up.
0:19:57 > 0:20:03- In Laos cuisine, it's called khao khua.- Khao khua.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05- Khao khua, and it's used as a seasoning.- OK.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08So, you just basically put that toasted, ground,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11and you sprinkle a little bit on top of the larb,
0:20:11 > 0:20:14and it's wonderful, just so delicious.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18So, what I'm doing - I've got chicken thighs there, with the skin removed,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21and I've just sliced the skin into nice bite-size pieces.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- So, this is the skin, this is just the chicken skin?- Yeah.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28And then get chicken thighs and then you just slice it into slices
0:20:28 > 0:20:30and then, using a very sharp knife, a good knife,
0:20:30 > 0:20:32you can mince it up yourself in the kitchen,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34- or you can you get your butcher to do it for you.- OK.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38- Debone, and you can keep the bone for a nice stock or something.- Sure.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40This is really...
0:20:40 > 0:20:44So, we just want it sort of nice, minced pieces.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48- That's it. It's good. - Are these toasted enough?
0:20:48 > 0:20:50- Yeah, they look beautiful.- OK, OK. - Yeah.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53And what I'll do is smash these up again in the pestle and mortar.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Yep, please.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Fantastic.
0:20:57 > 0:20:58There's something hugely intimidating
0:20:58 > 0:21:02about having someone use an axe in the kitchen.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It's a proper piece of cooking equipment.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07It's a wonderful tool.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12OK, so, into this chicken skin we're now going to put
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- a little of this spice?- Yes. - A little bit of the ground rice.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19A little bit of the ground rice, so you season it like that.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21And then here we have some of the toasted...
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Yes, we've got some ground, roasted dry chillies,
0:21:24 > 0:21:28and you've just pounded that as well, so, nice flakes in there.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32- Is that enough?- Yeah, bit more. - We like it nice and spicy, boys?
0:21:32 > 0:21:35- Yeah, yeah.- Bring it on.- Good, good. OK, nice and spicy it is.
0:21:35 > 0:21:36Good generous bit of salt.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39- And then I'll get this on.- Yeah. - Give it a good mix.- Yeah, good mix.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40Pop it on the griddle,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43and then we're going to cook it until it's nice and crispy.
0:21:43 > 0:21:44So, no oil on there, no oil,
0:21:44 > 0:21:49just the natural fats that's going to come from the chicken skin.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Yeah, it's going to render and it's going to be nice.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53- OK.- Looks great, Chef.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55OK, meanwhile, I've got my wok nice and hot,
0:21:55 > 0:21:58so you've kind of got your own little stir-fry there.
0:21:58 > 0:22:00- Yeah, I'm loving this. - You can toss that.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03It feels like some form of Singaporean street food
0:22:03 > 0:22:05- kind of thing.- Yeah!
0:22:05 > 0:22:06Love it.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08- So...- From Laos.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- From Laos, yeah, exactly. - LAUGHTER
0:22:10 > 0:22:14- Singaporean street food from Laos. It's a fusion.- Fusion dish.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17So, what have you got going on in your world, Ching?
0:22:17 > 0:22:18Tell us what's happening.
0:22:18 > 0:22:23My world - well, I've got last finishing touches to my wedding...
0:22:23 > 0:22:24- Your wedding, yeah.- Yeah.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- Is it going to be a big wedding this year?- Ongoing saga.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31Well, I've had the Taiwanese bit with my family, out in Taiwan,
0:22:31 > 0:22:33which was wonderful.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38- Over a tea ceremony we bonded, and we sealed the deal over tea.- How lovely!
0:22:38 > 0:22:40But we've got to do the legal bit now,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- so that's going to be in England... - OK.- ..in a few weeks' time.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46- OK, OK.- Yeah. - The bit that costs money.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Yes!
0:22:49 > 0:22:51- It costs too much money! - And books and television?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54Books and television, have you got things going on this year?
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Yeah, in June, I head off to the States
0:22:57 > 0:23:00and then I film season two of Restaurant Redemption,
0:23:00 > 0:23:07which is about me going to help struggling Asian fusion restaurants.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11- And that was a big hit in the US. - It was, it was. Well...
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- And doing a second series of it. - Yes, doing a second series.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18So, your role is to go into Asian restaurants to see what's happening,
0:23:18 > 0:23:20see where it's going wrong and then helping.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22Yeah, help them with their menu.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Because, you know, in Asian cooking, it's very much about the food.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29We don't really worry about the decor or the service.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31- In some cases there IS no service. - Good, that suits this place.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Suits us - don't worry about the decor,
0:23:33 > 0:23:35just as long as the food tastes nice.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38If the food is great, people will come.
0:23:38 > 0:23:42In that Asian culture, is it normal for a woman to be in charge
0:23:42 > 0:23:45in the kitchen, and tell the guys what they're doing wrong?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48Oh, I'm sorry, but women are always in charge in the kitchen.
0:23:48 > 0:23:52- Is that right?- Yes. All across China, mostly Southeast Asia...
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Women are always in charge, Nick, haven't you found that?
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Yeah - absolutely. Yeah.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- Let's bail out quickly on that one. - Yeah, yeah...
0:24:00 > 0:24:02I like cooking with you!
0:24:02 > 0:24:06I don't think that's just Asian culture, is it?
0:24:06 > 0:24:07Quite right.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09It's all culture.
0:24:09 > 0:24:15So, we talked earlier about the yin and the yang with Rupe over there.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17The yin and the yang in the profiles of food, what does it mean?
0:24:17 > 0:24:18Explain it a bit more.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22So, yin and yang - it pulls the whole universe.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25The whole universe is based on yin and yang energy.
0:24:25 > 0:24:31Yin is very female, yang is male. Yin is cooling, yang is very fiery.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34And so, in food, we have yin and yang properties
0:24:34 > 0:24:38when it comes to ingredients, and also cooking techniques.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40So, for example, vegetables are really yin,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44and meat is very, very yang.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46So, when you have a dish on the plate that's got meat
0:24:46 > 0:24:48and vegetables, and depending how it's cooked -
0:24:48 > 0:24:51if it's wok-fried, it's more yang, if it's steamed, it's more yin,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53you want to bring a balance of yin and yang.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56- So, it's all about the balance. - Exactly.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59So, I've just sliced some cucumber and some carrots to go with it.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01And you were telling us an interesting fact
0:25:01 > 0:25:02about carrots, Rupert.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04They come from a family of poisonous vegetables.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Er, yeah - well, almost.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09It's a big family, the carrot family, the umbellifer family.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13It's got wonderful plants, edible plants like fennel, parsley,
0:25:13 > 0:25:18coriander, but also deadly poisonous plants, as well, like hemlock,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21hemlock water dropwort, fool's parsley...
0:25:21 > 0:25:23It's just strange,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27usually strains of plants are either all edible or all poisonous,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30but for some reason there's stuff that will make you healthy and happy
0:25:30 > 0:25:32- and stuff that'll kill you.- Right!
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Brilliant. But carrots are all right?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Those carrots, yeah, that's fine. Don't worry about them.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- Fool's parsley?- It is indeed called fool's parsley, yeah.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42It's a giveaway in the name, isn't it?
0:25:42 > 0:25:45- Yeah.- "Deadly parsley" might be a better name for it.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Fool's parsley, fool's parsley.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49How are we doing there? Are we almost there?
0:25:49 > 0:25:51Yes, we are almost there.
0:25:51 > 0:25:52So, the trick with this is,
0:25:52 > 0:25:54you just fry up some of the dry chillies
0:25:54 > 0:25:58together with the lemon grass, you add the chicken thighs in,
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and then you cook it, add a little bit of sake or cooking wine -
0:26:01 > 0:26:04that's just my addition, cos I think it's just beautiful,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- flavours the meat really well.- Yeah.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09Fish sauce with a little bit of sugar just to help it caramelise,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12and the idea is just to cook it until all the liquids reduce,
0:26:12 > 0:26:16- until the chicken thighs have absorbed all the flavours.- OK.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19So, that's what you want to do, and at the end,
0:26:19 > 0:26:20ideally cook that a bit longer
0:26:20 > 0:26:24- and then you just toss through... - I've got the crispy chicken skin,
0:26:24 > 0:26:27- I'm just draining a little bit. - Wonderful.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30And that's on top - that's been seasoned with the ground rice,
0:26:30 > 0:26:33the toasted dry chillies...
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- Yes.- ..and then a little bit of sea salt.- Yes, exactly.
0:26:35 > 0:26:40- And here we've got...?- We're going to garnish with some Thai basil.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42I love Thai basil.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45You could put fresh chillies, if you like to eat fresh chillies.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49- And a little bit of coriander. - Big fan of fresh chillies.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- You in favour of Asian food, Nick? You OK?- Oh, massively, yeah.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53I love it.
0:26:53 > 0:26:57It's the combination of that sort of fiery chilli flavour
0:26:57 > 0:27:00with the fresh flavours,
0:27:00 > 0:27:04like when you get that raw, unripe mango salad
0:27:04 > 0:27:07that's got chilli on it, and it's got the crunchiness,
0:27:07 > 0:27:11- and peanuts and things - lovely combinations. Love it.- Yeah.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13It's very, very clean and it's very, very fresh flavours,
0:27:13 > 0:27:16and you can smell - come and have a taste.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18- I thought you'd never ask! - We have...
0:27:18 > 0:27:19LAUGHTER
0:27:19 > 0:27:22With a dish like this, chicken and herbs are very tonifying.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25It looks beautiful, all those colours, it's very vibrant,
0:27:25 > 0:27:26it's very spring-like, it's very fresh.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29And you're going to garnish it with the crispy stuff.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31- Have we got knives and forks? - Yes, so just dig in.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- Get in there, get digging in. - And some of this khao khua,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36we're going to sprinkle some of this khao khua.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- Some more of the rice on the top. - Yes.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39So that balance of flavour,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41if you've got acidity, you've got sweetness,
0:27:41 > 0:27:43you've got freshness, and then lots of crunch as well.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45- Yes. Hopefully!- Hopefully. I love it.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49Some fresh limes, and traditionally it's eaten with sticky rice.
0:27:49 > 0:27:52- There you go. - Oh, that's fantastic!- Mm.
0:27:52 > 0:27:53The crunchy skin is wonderful on the top,
0:27:53 > 0:27:57and then underneath that you've got all that lovely
0:27:57 > 0:27:59sort of lemon grassy flavours in the chicken.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02- It's delicious, innit? - Absolutely fantastic.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06OK, so it's time to take a dip into the BBC food archive,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and today we're off to see Nigel Slater for another simple supper.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12He's making a Thai-inspired prawn noodle soup
0:28:12 > 0:28:14with chillies, lemon grass and coriander.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Yin or yang?
0:28:16 > 0:28:18- Pretty balanced.- Balanced, we like that.- Yeah.
0:28:29 > 0:28:31When I'm thinking about what to cook,
0:28:31 > 0:28:34I quite often put things together, I suppose, by instinct.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39And I find that very often what ingredients grow together
0:28:39 > 0:28:41very often go together.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43It's like when you're on holiday,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46you suddenly find yourself treading on fresh herbs
0:28:46 > 0:28:49and you'll suddenly smell a little bit of oregano or a bit of mint
0:28:49 > 0:28:53or thyme, and you look at the goats and the sheep that are grazing,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56and you just think, "Well, yes, these are going to go together."
0:28:56 > 0:29:00The lamb is eating the oregano, or it's eating the thyme.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10My theory of "what grows together goes together"
0:29:10 > 0:29:13doesn't just work for food out of my own garden.
0:29:13 > 0:29:17It also applies to food that has come from around the world.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20I'll show you what I mean with my Friday night supper,
0:29:20 > 0:29:23a delicious Thai-inspired noodle soup.
0:29:26 > 0:29:29When all these ingredients come together,
0:29:29 > 0:29:33they create something really quite dramatic.
0:29:33 > 0:29:37For this dish, I'm using ginger, chillies, lemon grass,
0:29:37 > 0:29:40garlic and fresh coriander.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43All ingredients with their roots in Southeast Asia.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45This is the sort of recipe that I would have looked at
0:29:45 > 0:29:48a few years ago and thought, "Well, I'm not making that,"
0:29:48 > 0:29:50because it had a great, long recipe list.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53But, in fact, when you actually get down to it,
0:29:53 > 0:29:55after you've done the shopping
0:29:55 > 0:29:58and a little bit of chopping,
0:29:58 > 0:29:59there's nothing else to do.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01It's all over in ten minutes.
0:30:01 > 0:30:05For the base of this soup, simply chop your ginger and chillies,
0:30:05 > 0:30:09keeping the seeds if you're feeling brave,
0:30:09 > 0:30:12slice some lemon grass for a hint of citrus,
0:30:12 > 0:30:14cut some garlic and fresh coriander,
0:30:14 > 0:30:17then put them all into a food processor
0:30:17 > 0:30:21with a dash of vegetable oil to avoid making the paste too dry.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27Now, to that very basic paste,
0:30:27 > 0:30:29you can add whatever you want, really.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33I love those very warm flavours.
0:30:33 > 0:30:37Spices like coriander, and like turmeric -
0:30:37 > 0:30:43what they add is a depth and a warmth, and almost an earthiness.
0:30:43 > 0:30:47So, I just crush a few little coriander seeds.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49It's one of those kitchen jobs I just love doing.
0:30:53 > 0:30:58Fresh coriander and dried coriander give completely different flavours.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01There's something almost slightly orangey to dried coriander seed.
0:31:01 > 0:31:05And a tiny bit of turmeric I put in, as well.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Add some stick to the paste.
0:31:11 > 0:31:13I'm using vegetable stock here.
0:31:13 > 0:31:14Give it a good stir.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Then it's time to start making this into a main course.
0:31:20 > 0:31:22I'm going to add some noodles to it, and it can be any noodle.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25It can be the really thick, beefy ones...
0:31:26 > 0:31:28..but there's something that feels right
0:31:28 > 0:31:33about using rice noodles rather than wheat ones.
0:31:35 > 0:31:36And they don't even need cooking.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40All I've got to do is pour over some boiling water
0:31:40 > 0:31:41and just let them sit there.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48To soften the heat of the sauce, I'm adding coconut milk -
0:31:48 > 0:31:51the cream of Southeast Asia.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56At this point I could add anything else I want.
0:31:56 > 0:31:57So...
0:31:59 > 0:32:01..I could put in some chicken.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05If I was feeling extravagant, some scallops.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07I could put in some mushrooms,
0:32:07 > 0:32:11or those wonderful little Thai aubergines.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14But I'm actually going to use some prawns, because...
0:32:15 > 0:32:17..because it's my Friday treat.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Haven't been extravagant this week at all.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27De-vein the prawns if you want.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30This gets rid of the yuck, and also helps to cook them quicker.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Add the prawns, some more fresh coriander,
0:32:35 > 0:32:38and then season with some fish sauce.
0:32:38 > 0:32:40A little goes a long way.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45And I think of it as the very essence
0:32:45 > 0:32:48of the cooking of Southeast Asia.
0:32:50 > 0:32:53Drain the noodles, place them in a bowl
0:32:53 > 0:32:55before ladling in the aromatic soup.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08That ticks so many boxes for me.
0:33:08 > 0:33:12It's hot, it's exciting, it's exhilarating, it's soothing,
0:33:12 > 0:33:15it's everything I want a bowl of food to be.
0:33:16 > 0:33:17Everything.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32I promise, this dish is worth every bit of effort you put into it.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Truly delicious.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42- Thank you very much, Nigel. That looked incredible, didn't it?- Yeah.
0:33:42 > 0:33:44Now, throughout this series,
0:33:44 > 0:33:46we've showcased some real key spring ingredients
0:33:46 > 0:33:49that are at their absolute best at this time of year.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51Today I'm going to be roasting a spring chicken
0:33:51 > 0:33:53with a morel sauce and a Parmesan risotto.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56Ching, I need you to give me a hand. You can get on risotto duty.
0:33:56 > 0:33:58- All right, no worries. - All right, let's get cracking.
0:33:58 > 0:34:01What you need to do first and foremost
0:34:01 > 0:34:03is to chop me a celery stalk and a shallot,
0:34:03 > 0:34:06and we're going to get that sweating off in a bit of butter
0:34:06 > 0:34:07- for the base of the risotto.- OK.
0:34:07 > 0:34:09Now, spring chicken - now,
0:34:09 > 0:34:13what I've done with this bad boy is soaked it in a brine.
0:34:13 > 0:34:20Now, this is a 20% solution, so it's 200g of salt to one litre of water.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22- OK.- And what that process does is kind of -
0:34:22 > 0:34:25although you're putting something in a salt thing
0:34:25 > 0:34:27that you would normally expect to draw moisture,
0:34:27 > 0:34:29it helps to trap and seal moisture in,
0:34:29 > 0:34:32- so the chicken is going to stay nice and moist and delicious.- Lovely.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34A spring chicken - they're not massive things,
0:34:34 > 0:34:37they're probably two people per chicken,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39- so you get a leg and a breast.- OK.
0:34:39 > 0:34:42- Or could you do a whole chicken, Nick?- Yeah, easily.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- I could do a whole chicken. - Party portion.
0:34:44 > 0:34:46Yeah, one-portion chickens.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48OK, so I'm going to roast this.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51And by brining the skin, as well, it gets the skin crispy.
0:34:51 > 0:34:53It does, it helps get the skin crispy.
0:34:53 > 0:34:54OK, so the chicken on,
0:34:54 > 0:34:57and then I'm just going to brush it with a little bit of oil.
0:34:59 > 0:35:00And a pinch of salt...
0:35:02 > 0:35:03..and a pinch of pepper,
0:35:03 > 0:35:07and then we're going to stick it into a very high oven.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09A very high oven.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11And we're going to roast it.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14- If you've got a high temperature on something like a chicken...- Yes.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16..then you're worried that the outside will be cooked,
0:35:16 > 0:35:18and then inside by the bone will still be raw and bloody
0:35:18 > 0:35:21and dangerous, that's my big fear always with chicken.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Well, the brining process - because it's salt,
0:35:23 > 0:35:26it almost helps to cure it a little bit, which means that...
0:35:26 > 0:35:29- It protects the moisture. - Yeah, exactly.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32OK, then I'm going to get on my chicken sauce.
0:35:32 > 0:35:33Now, the sauce to go with this
0:35:33 > 0:35:37is going to be a sauce that we're going to cook the morels in as well.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Now, morel mushrooms are around this time of year,
0:35:40 > 0:35:44and they are a fantastic, beautiful wild mushroom.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46- Mm.- Young Rupert has got some in front of him.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48Tell us about those morels.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51- They're very different to the ones that I've got over here.- Yeah,
0:35:51 > 0:35:54you've got Morchella elata and I've got Morchella esculenta.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- They're both morels. - Ah, I thought that, yeah.
0:35:56 > 0:35:57Yep, yep. I thought that.
0:35:57 > 0:36:01They're not actually that different, it's more about size.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03These are definitely in the top three
0:36:03 > 0:36:07of all mushroom-appreciators' delicious mushrooms in the world.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10They also make great houses for woodlice and slugs and ants...
0:36:10 > 0:36:13- LAUGHTER - You've really got to shake them out.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17I'm not sure that's a selling point of why we're cooking with them.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20But they are a spring mushroom. They're around about now.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23Yeah, this is a good time to go out and look for them.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26Look for them in old apple orchards, anywhere with sandy soil.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28If you live in a sandy soil area, in your back garden,
0:36:28 > 0:36:30where there's a lot of sandy soil.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33- But do make sure you know what you're looking for.- Exactly, yeah.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36You can go out and hold people's hands and find them with them.
0:36:36 > 0:36:39- Yeah, exactly.- Don't go sending people out to pick mushrooms,
0:36:39 > 0:36:42there's untold damage that they can do to themselves.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44Find a local forager, go out with them,
0:36:44 > 0:36:48and then you'll see it first-hand. Or study yourself, you know?
0:36:48 > 0:36:49- Get a lot...- Good guide book.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Yeah, not just one good guide book, lots of good guide books,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55and take it slowly, respectfully, be careful,
0:36:55 > 0:36:57cos there's stuff that could kill you out there.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00- And take some indigestion tablets with you.- Yeah.
0:37:00 > 0:37:02If you think you've swallowed something poisonous,
0:37:02 > 0:37:05stick your fingers down your throat, that's the most important thing.
0:37:05 > 0:37:08- Brilliant.- Not something you hear often on a cookery show, is it?
0:37:08 > 0:37:11- LAUGHTER - Obviously, people,
0:37:11 > 0:37:13don't eat anything that you think is poisonous.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17Get yourself a good guide book or two and pick the right mushrooms.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19It's like danger-eating, isn't it?
0:37:19 > 0:37:22It's like that thing they do with the puffer fish in Japan -
0:37:22 > 0:37:26just enough poison to make you buzz, but not enough to kill you.
0:37:26 > 0:37:27Have you done puffer fish?
0:37:27 > 0:37:29No, that's one thing I can't say that I've done,
0:37:29 > 0:37:32and I'm not sure that I'd like to take the risk, just in case.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34Precisely.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36I think I'm an adventurous eater,
0:37:36 > 0:37:39but then when I see myself with puffer fish, I'm like, "No."
0:37:39 > 0:37:41- Would you eat it, Tom?- Yeah, I'd definitely eat it.- You would?
0:37:41 > 0:37:43Yeah, God, yeah. I'd have a go at most things.
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Chef, does this look good?
0:37:45 > 0:37:46OK, that looks great.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49So, what you've got there is, you are sweating down some shallots,
0:37:49 > 0:37:53some celery, and then you're going to put in the risotto rice.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Now, this is Carnaroli risotto rice, but you can use Arborio.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58It doesn't really matter as long as it's good risotto rice.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02- OK.- And then into that you're going to slowly add chicken stock.- Yeah.
0:38:02 > 0:38:07- Start cooking and heating up your risotto.- OK.
0:38:07 > 0:38:09- We've got one...- Lovely. A little bit of wine, as well?
0:38:09 > 0:38:12- A little bit of wine would be great. - Yeah.- A bit of chicken stock.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14We've got a risotto that we've got going here,
0:38:14 > 0:38:17and this is being cooked with chicken stock.
0:38:17 > 0:38:18So, you start at this point
0:38:18 > 0:38:20- and you're going to end up with this point.- OK.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22- That's what we're looking for. - Gorgeous.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24- It takes quite a while to cook. - Yeah.
0:38:24 > 0:38:28OK, now, I'm just bringing this sauce down over hot pans.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33And this chicken sauce is being reduced down with garlic
0:38:33 > 0:38:36and thyme, little bit of bay leaf,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39and then we're going to put in some double cream.
0:38:42 > 0:38:44- Bring it up to the boil.- Lovely.
0:38:44 > 0:38:49- And it's so easy. So simple!- It is very easy.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52And then, what we're going to do is poach the morels in the sauce.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55Because you need to cook morels, don't you?
0:38:55 > 0:38:58Yeah, you need to cook all mushrooms, really.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01If you're living in civilisation - if you want to be like a wild man,
0:39:01 > 0:39:05like Bigfoot for a while, then just eat everything raw.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08That kind of appeals to me - do you fancy living like Bigfoot, Nick?
0:39:08 > 0:39:10Yeah, every now and again
0:39:10 > 0:39:13I think it's time to go and live up a hillside and drink yak's milk
0:39:13 > 0:39:14and shave me head,
0:39:14 > 0:39:17but no, it only takes a couple of hours before I realise
0:39:17 > 0:39:19what I need is a cafe somewhere on the King's Road.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21Yeah, yeah.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24No, you can never be too far away from a latte, can you?
0:39:25 > 0:39:28There it is. The chicken sauce with double cream.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31We're just going to poach the morels in it now.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34Now, add to this sauce, I'm going to put in a little splash of brandy
0:39:34 > 0:39:37and a little splash of sweet wine.
0:39:37 > 0:39:41Now, served with poached morels normally is a wine called vin jaune,
0:39:41 > 0:39:45from an area in France, and it's made with late-picked grapes,
0:39:45 > 0:39:50so they kind of have this musty, rich, strong taste to them.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53But it's quite difficult to get hold of, so if you haven't got it,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56a little splash of sweet wine and a little splash of brandy.
0:39:56 > 0:40:00It's not the same thing, but it has that same kind of musty flavour
0:40:00 > 0:40:01that goes very well with morels.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04We're just going to bring it up and poach it.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Will that complement the sweetness of the chicken meat?
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Sweetness of the chicken, and it's beautiful.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- How's that risotto doing? - I think it's looking good.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14- We've got Parmesan, mozzarella... - Parmesan, mozzarella.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16If you can get some Parmesan and some mozzarella into that,
0:40:16 > 0:40:18it'd be brilliant.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21And then, into that, we're just going to add a little bit
0:40:21 > 0:40:25of beurre noisette, so I'm going to put some butter onto the melt,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28and we're going to take it to kind of like a burnt butter stage.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30We have the chicken roasting here.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33Now, this has been roasting for about 35 minutes to 40 minutes.
0:40:33 > 0:40:34Chef, a whole mozzarella?
0:40:34 > 0:40:36- Yeah, stick it all in.- OK.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Stick it all in, why not?
0:40:38 > 0:40:40- Do you like mozzarella? - Yeah, course.
0:40:40 > 0:40:42But this would have to be a dish on my...
0:40:42 > 0:40:43If you don't, you're in trouble.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Yeah. This would have to be my "relaxed" day.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48I've been trying to lose weight recently,
0:40:48 > 0:40:50so I have six days where I'm on it, and then one day where I go,
0:40:50 > 0:40:52"I don't care what I'm eating today."
0:40:52 > 0:40:55- And this would be my "don't care what I'm eating today" thing.- OK.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57- So, your cheat day.- Yeah. - Your cheat day.
0:40:57 > 0:40:59So, the chicken is cooked.
0:40:59 > 0:41:00Going to joint it, take it off.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Now, the legs - it's all still beautifully...
0:41:03 > 0:41:05It's still got a little bit of pinkness to it,
0:41:05 > 0:41:06but that's because of the brine.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09So, if you imagine a chicken that's been in brine -
0:41:09 > 0:41:11if you imagine bacon, bacon has been in brine,
0:41:11 > 0:41:13that's what keeps it nice and pink.
0:41:13 > 0:41:16So a chicken in brine is the same thing, it keeps it nice and moist.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18Keeps it lovely.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Just keeps all that flavour in.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25- So pink doesn't necessarily mean not cooked properly.- No.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28Unless you've brined it, well, it probably does, yes.
0:41:28 > 0:41:29But if you've brined it first...
0:41:29 > 0:41:32You can see it's still got a lovely colour to it,
0:41:32 > 0:41:34- it's still nice and moist.- OK.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- Take the breast off... - That's looking great, Chef.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39- Risotto ready?- Yeah. - Let's get that risotto out, then.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46We're going to put the chicken...
0:41:46 > 0:41:49- Here you go, Chef.- ..onto there.
0:41:49 > 0:41:52Then a few celery leaves to go into the risotto would be great, Ching.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57- OK, so just torn in?- Just give them a little slice, that'd be brilliant.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03And actually what we've got... Beurre noisette.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09Little bit of lemon juice, little bit of burnt butter.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15- There you go. We can stir that into the risotto as well.- Lovely.
0:42:15 > 0:42:16- Yum!- Little bit of flavour.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19Stick that into the pan, into the pot.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21- And then I will...- Oh, look at that.
0:42:21 > 0:42:24- ..dress the chicken. - That mozzarella.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- Come on, guys. It's nearly time for you to come on over.- Is it?
0:42:27 > 0:42:28So, this sauce...
0:42:31 > 0:42:33The poached morels sit on top of the chicken.
0:42:33 > 0:42:36Morels and chicken, they're just so good together.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39Sorry...
0:42:39 > 0:42:40That does look the biz.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44There we go. It's one of those most beautiful spring...
0:42:44 > 0:42:48kind of French-Italian crossovers, here. Bit of risotto.
0:42:49 > 0:42:50There we go, guys.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53If you get in there and taste that, that'd be lovely.
0:42:54 > 0:42:57- Little bit more... - How are we doing?- There we go.
0:42:57 > 0:42:59- That's beautiful. - Yeah, we happy with that?
0:42:59 > 0:43:01And the chicken and morels are so good together.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03- Ooh.- That's fantastic. - Chicken and morels,
0:43:03 > 0:43:05they're absolutely beautiful, aren't they? Really good.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07And the risotto? Happy?
0:43:07 > 0:43:10- Risotto's lovely.- That sauce is delicious.- Good risotto, girl.
0:43:10 > 0:43:11It was brilliant.
0:43:11 > 0:43:13OK, that's all we've got time for on today's Spring Kitchen.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17A big thank you to Ching-He Huang, Rupert Burdock and Nick Knowles.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19And, of course, the amazing Nathan Outlaw.
0:43:19 > 0:43:22All of our recipes are available on the website,
0:43:22 > 0:43:25please go to bbc.co.uk/springkitchen.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27Thank you all ever so much for watching,
0:43:27 > 0:43:30and we will see you next time. Bye-bye.
0:43:30 > 0:43:31See you later, bye.