0:00:02 > 0:00:05If you're in the market for a feast of fantastic food, you're in the right place.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07We've chosen the very best dishes from some of the nation's
0:00:07 > 0:00:10favourite chefs and we're serving them up
0:00:10 > 0:00:13alphabetically here on The A to Z of TV Cooking.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18Today, we're looking at all things linked by the letter J.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Let's start off with something nice and simple to warm us up
0:00:37 > 0:00:39for our journey ahead.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Here's Sophie Dahl and her J is for jacket potato.
0:00:44 > 0:00:49So, I'm going to do twice baked potatoes and a roasted tomato soup.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51It's the food that you want to eat
0:00:51 > 0:00:54when all you're after is a taste of home.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57The sort of thing that you used to get when you were ill, on a tray.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00A nice bowl of tomato soup and some dry toast.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05I'm going to roast the tomatoes, and you want a deep pan
0:01:05 > 0:01:11because they're going to release this incredible, sweet, caramelised juice.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13I want to be able to capture that.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15To join them, two red onions.
0:01:15 > 0:01:20No fine chopping, no endless peeling, it's very straightforward.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24And again, with the garlic, no endless garlic fingers
0:01:24 > 0:01:29because you're just going to cut the clove in half,
0:01:29 > 0:01:34add some whole sprigs of thyme, spoon of sugar to help caramelise
0:01:34 > 0:01:38the tomatoes and just get that really deep, intense flavour.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Some salt, pepper.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43Good, generous glugs of olive oil.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45MUSIC: "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Taken By Trees
0:01:51 > 0:01:56And then that's going to go into the oven for 45 minutes at about 190.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05So, baked potatoes...bake these for an hour and a half.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Very autumnal, baked potatoes, it's Bonfire Night,
0:02:09 > 0:02:14it's Christmas...I can remember going to Camden Market as a teenager,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17going up on the Tube and there was a baked potato stand.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20And we'd sit on the corner in our DM boots and our love beads,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24thinking that we were really cool, eating our baked potatoes.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27To this, I'm going to add goat's cheese.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30It's a preference thing, so you could use cheddar,
0:02:30 > 0:02:31use whatever you want.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33I love goat's cheese.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Add to that two spoons of creme fraiche.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I think this is the more indulgent baked potato.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46I loved my Camden baked potatoes, but they were quite worthy.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49So, I'm going to add an egg.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52The reason I'm going to add an egg
0:02:52 > 0:02:58is because it'll get that lovely, golden, souffle texture.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59Glorious!
0:02:59 > 0:03:02This is something which I think would be delicious with a
0:03:02 > 0:03:04cottage pie or a lentil pie.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07Delicious as a topping.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10I'm going to add some finely chopped chives.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14# Oh, oh, oh, sweet child o' mine...#
0:03:16 > 0:03:20I remember, when I moved to New York, falling totally in love with it
0:03:20 > 0:03:22and thinking, "God, this is home!"
0:03:22 > 0:03:27And then, as I approached 30, kind of realising that England
0:03:27 > 0:03:33and all those familiar things, from baked potatoes to buses to
0:03:33 > 0:03:36phone boxes, you know, all those things were home.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42I think the dead giveaway was when I started subscribing to Country Life,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45when I lived in New York.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47I'd sit in my apartment, looking out the window,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50wanting to live in the cottages in Devon.
0:03:50 > 0:03:55So, I put them in for 20 minutes at about 180 and they come out
0:03:55 > 0:03:58when they're all crispy and golden, bubbling on the top.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Smells wonderful!
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I mean, you could sit there very happily with a fork,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11a bit of mozzarella...mmmm. The mozzarella would melt.
0:04:11 > 0:04:16Amazing, the amount of juice, that sweet, caramelly juice.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18So, before it goes into the blender,
0:04:18 > 0:04:23you just want to squeeze any garlic out that's still in its skin.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25Get rid of these spiny bits of thyme.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29With that, it goes into the blender.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39What's amazing about this is, it has no cream,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42but it retains that thick, creamy texture.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49I'm also going to add just a dash of Worcester sauce,
0:04:49 > 0:04:55in the spirit of England, nostalgia and also just
0:04:55 > 0:05:00a splash of balsamic vinegar...brings out the sweetness of those tomatoes.
0:05:07 > 0:05:08They look lovely!
0:05:14 > 0:05:19Because there's no-one around, this is where I get to go like that.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Mmmm!
0:05:21 > 0:05:24That is Thursday afternoons, after games,
0:05:24 > 0:05:27having come home on the train in the rain.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31That's proper "curl up on the sofa in your pyjamas" food.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37We're catching up with Rick Stein now,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40who's in Cornwall on a mission to find the finest fresh fish.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44He settles on John Dory for his recipe but first,
0:05:44 > 0:05:48does a bit of exploring in the fishing town of Looe.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50That's the biggest boat that comes into Looe
0:05:50 > 0:05:53and as you can see, it's not enormous.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56But that's the point about Looe - no bigger trawlers much bigger than
0:05:56 > 0:06:01that can really get into the harbour cos the water's all out at low tide.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03So, they're all day boats.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07They just go out in the morning and come in early evening like this.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11So, whenever you get fish from Looe, it's always dead fresh
0:06:11 > 0:06:14and that, to me, is the best fish in the world.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17And it's the fish that we seek out in our restaurant.
0:06:17 > 0:06:20I think day boat landed fish should have a premium on it.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24Everything's good here, from the humble rod-caught mackerel to
0:06:24 > 0:06:27a fish that sums up Cornish seafood, the John Dory.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Well, this is what I would call a one portion fish.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32It's just the right size and they look great
0:06:32 > 0:06:34when they're dished up, grilled whole.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37But this time I'm going to pan-fry it because actually
0:06:37 > 0:06:41the fillets, I think, are the best fish in the world for pan frying.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44I'll always think that if you don't like John Dory,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47and some people don't, you won't like seafood.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49The people that don't think they're ugly
0:06:49 > 0:06:51but I think they're terribly attractive.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54The thing about Looe Market is that I can guarantee this was
0:06:54 > 0:06:57swimming in the water less than ten hours ago.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02I'm going to do it with pomme boulangere.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06That's just thinly sliced potatoes, not floury ones, softened in a
0:07:06 > 0:07:11chicken stock, flavoured with fresh thyme and some sliced onions.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15When they're softened, layer them into a shallow pan with some butter,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18add some of the stock but don't cover them completely
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and put in plenty of seasoning.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24The reason it was called "pomme boulangere"
0:07:24 > 0:07:27is that before people had ovens in their own houses,
0:07:27 > 0:07:30they used to take a dish like this down to their local bakers
0:07:30 > 0:07:33and have it put in the bread oven after they'd finished baking
0:07:33 > 0:07:35the bread, hence boulangere.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38The reason I like pan-frying John Dory
0:07:38 > 0:07:40so much is that it's a very lean fish
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and it doesn't taste sort of oily when you fry it.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45Things like salmon do.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47I don't care for pan-fried salmon,
0:07:47 > 0:07:50but I certainly care for pan-fried Dory.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53I haven't put any flour on it because it's got such dense
0:07:53 > 0:07:57flesh, that it seals itself and the fat doesn't go inside.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01I remember when this fish was a bit of rarity but they're
0:08:01 > 0:08:06becoming more common around our coast, maybe it's global warming.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Now, in the same pan, I'm going to fry up some mushrooms,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12a mixture of morels and Portobellos and some parsley.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16The potatoes should look rather like the top of a Lancashire hotpot.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Now, this lovely, firm, white fillet and the mushrooms.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24This has become a staunch favourite in the restaurant.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27It's no wonder, really, it just eats like a dream.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33We're travelling further afield for our next J,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35which stands for a style of cooking.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39Jerk cooking, in fact, and it originated in Jamaica,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42and that's where we're going to be meeting Levi Roots.
0:08:45 > 0:08:46For centuries,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49these Caribbean islands have been at the crossroads of global
0:08:49 > 0:08:54trade and their cuisine combines flavours from all over the world.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58But if all this looks a bit exotic, don't worry!
0:08:58 > 0:08:59The good news is, you don't
0:08:59 > 0:09:03have to travel around the world to get your ingredients.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07Everything I'm going to cook in this series, you can get hold of in your
0:09:07 > 0:09:10local shops and to make it really easy,
0:09:10 > 0:09:12you could put together a little treasure chest with the core
0:09:12 > 0:09:15ingredients we'll use again and again.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Let's call it "The Sunshine Kit".
0:09:18 > 0:09:20If you've got these essentials in your kitchen,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Caribbean cooking will be a breeze!
0:09:25 > 0:09:29I've put in ginger, which adds heat as well as flavour.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33- How much?- Five dollars.- That's Jamaican dollars, by the way.
0:09:33 > 0:09:37Allspice, or pimento. Scotch bonnet pepper, my favourite.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41These are one of the world's hottest chilli peppers.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Do you have any nutmeg, dear lady?
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Lord ha' mercy! Fantastic, fresh nutmeg.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Next, some sweet, scented thyme.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52I've got to say, this is really fresh stuff, yeah.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54And finally a bit of bay leaf.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Now, in there I should have everything
0:09:56 > 0:09:59I need to bring a bit of sunshine to your kitchen!
0:09:59 > 0:10:03Lots of these flavours go into the most popular fast-food in Jamaica,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06the legendary jerk chicken.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10You see these oil drum barbecues, called jerk pans,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12everywhere across the Caribbean.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15Jerk has been described as Jamaica's culinary gift to the world
0:10:15 > 0:10:19and it has a rich history.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22Jerk is a spicy seasoning rubbed into chicken, pork,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25fish or pretty much anything!
0:10:25 > 0:10:27The cooking method is said to have been used by Jamaica's
0:10:27 > 0:10:31original inhabitants, the Arawak Indians,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34who laid their meat on pimento wood strips in a fire pit.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Perhaps the world's first barbecue?
0:10:37 > 0:10:39Do you know, jerk is not just about how you cook it,
0:10:39 > 0:10:42it's the spices that you use and what you put in it.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44So, today, I'm going
0:10:44 > 0:10:46to make my sticky jerk wings with sugared oranges.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50This is first-rate finger food,
0:10:50 > 0:10:53a modern twist on traditional jerk flavours.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57I've keep the spice but added a delicious sweetness with honey,
0:10:57 > 0:11:02a fantastic accompaniment of these sugared orange slices,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04which are caramelised on the barbecue.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08First, I'm going to need four spring onions.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Get rid of the ugly bits.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13Just chop them roughly.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Cos I am going to put them in a pestle and mortar.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21Next, I'm going to plunder that fabulous Caribbean Sunshine Kit.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23Two tablespoon-full of thyme leaves.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27I'm not going to chop these, I'm just going to flake off the leaves.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29One scotch bonnet pepper
0:11:29 > 0:11:32and I'm going to choose a red one.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34You know, scotch bonnet pepper is always optional.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Jerk is not about the heat,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39it's about the flavours of the spices that you put together.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44A knob of ginger...and chop that up finely cos I'm going to put
0:11:44 > 0:11:46all of this lot into a pestle and mortar.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49There are two kinds of seasoning for jerk,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52the first one is what you call dry seasoning.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55Then you have the wet rub, which is what I'm going to make.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59I'm going to add 100ml of cider vinegar.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02One teaspoon full of cinnamon.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Three tablespoon full of honey.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Next, I'm going to add pimento or allspice.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Two tablespoon full of olive oil.
0:12:12 > 0:12:13Add a bit of salt and pepper.
0:12:13 > 0:12:16Mash it up and then transfer it to a bowl.
0:12:16 > 0:12:21The sweetness and the spices are a lip-smacking combination!
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Wow!
0:12:22 > 0:12:25I've got some really fresh chicken wings here
0:12:25 > 0:12:27and I'm going to pop them in.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Just going to leave these for about four hours to marinade
0:12:29 > 0:12:31but better still overnight.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35But do you know what? I've got some already prepared.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I've made myself a little barbecue here,
0:12:37 > 0:12:38just as I would as a little boy.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40Nothing fancy, have a look.
0:12:42 > 0:12:43Once you've put them on the barbecue,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46turn them every couple of minutes or so.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52This stunning spot happens to be a sugar plantation.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Sugar has long been a core crop in Jamaica and I'm
0:12:56 > 0:13:01serving my sticky jerk chicken wings with sugared orange slices.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06Quarter your oranges and coat them generously in the sugar.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Yeah, I know, it's exciting.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12I think you can see where I'm going with this.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15Add the oranges, sugared side down.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18Once they get brown you just turn them over.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24These are so easy but so delicious!
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Have a go on your barbecue.
0:13:28 > 0:13:32And now, to round the day off, a little local spectacle...
0:13:32 > 0:13:34burning the cane.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37In preparation for the harvesters,
0:13:37 > 0:13:41the cane field is set on fire to clear away all the leftover
0:13:41 > 0:13:43brushwood, leaving just the cane stalks.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50There is nothing like dinner by the fire.
0:13:53 > 0:13:56What better way than to finish things off by getting stuck
0:13:56 > 0:14:00right into a jam roly poly, with the Hairy Bikers?
0:14:02 > 0:14:04Oh...
0:14:04 > 0:14:10# Summertime and the living is easy...ooh! #
0:14:12 > 0:14:13Are you mad?
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Shall we get on with it?
0:14:15 > 0:14:19This is a true family and school dinners classic.
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Can't beat jam roly poly in the rain!
0:14:22 > 0:14:25A jam roly poly pudding is not a new fangled thing.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Thackeray wrote about it, the jam roly pudding, you know?
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Charles Dickens wrote about a jam roly poly pudding in Bleak House.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Mrs Beeton wrote about a jam roly poly pudding and Beatrix Potter did,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38The Tale of Samuel Whiskers or The Roly-Poly Pudding.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41And Nelson used it as a pillow.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44That's not true, but everything I said was.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47- We'd better get on. - We might as well.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48It's a celebration of suet.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Jam roly poly pudding starts off with self-raising flour.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57And it goes into a bowl, a dry bowl preferably.
0:14:58 > 0:15:02Suet...and it's true to say that there aren't really health giving
0:15:02 > 0:15:05properties to suet, so we can't sell you on that one, can we?
0:15:05 > 0:15:10Well, unless you're cold and thin and need to put a bit of fat on.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Don't just do it, make it with suet.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17A tablespoon of caster sugar and a good pinch of sea salt.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Figuratively speaking, you need to mix the dry goods together.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27"'Anna Maria, make me
0:15:27 > 0:15:30"'a kitten dumpling roly poly pudding for my dinner.'
0:15:30 > 0:15:33"'It requires dough, a pat of butter, a rolling pin,' said Anna Maria,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35"considering Tom kitten with her head on one side."
0:15:37 > 0:15:38Oh...
0:15:38 > 0:15:41- "She borrowed a small saucer..."- Can we get on!?
0:15:41 > 0:15:42Got into that.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45Now, make the dough...we're using semi-skimmed milk.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48You can use water if you're feeling frugal.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50God forbid you use whole milk, you know,
0:15:50 > 0:15:54you might destroy the health giving properties of suet if you did that!
0:15:54 > 0:15:57A bit of mixing and it all comes together into a big lump.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59That's your cue, Si.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03Thanks, mate...anyway, on a dry floured board, ideally,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07give it a bit of knead and then roll it out to a rectangle type shape.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Now comes the reason why it's sometimes known as Dead Man's Leg.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16The jam!
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Now what we do, leaving an edge around it,
0:16:22 > 0:16:26you drop the jam from even distribution from a height.
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Rainwater infused jam is optional.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32But you need a good splurge of any kind of jam
0:16:32 > 0:16:34in the middle of the roly.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Steamed pudding is somewhat heavy but, you know,
0:16:37 > 0:16:39on an English summer's day, there's nothing better than
0:16:39 > 0:16:44sitting by the fire with a slice of steamed jam roly poly pudding.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46Now, roll it up.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Unfortunately, cos of the rain, this is hard, cos it's sticking.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53- Are we downhearted? No.- No.- Never!
0:16:53 > 0:16:59What we want is the seam side to go down...picture!
0:16:59 > 0:17:03- Yes!- Can you see your roly poly pudding forming?- Look, see?
0:17:03 > 0:17:07And when you put that in the oven, it's going to go...ooooh!
0:17:07 > 0:17:10Like a little kid with mumps.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13So, we do a pleat like so, you see?
0:17:13 > 0:17:16And the pleat is going to allow it expand.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19Now, we twist the ends like a Christmas cracker
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and tie that with a piece of string.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Sha-wa!
0:17:27 > 0:17:30But if we were to steam this now, all the juicy goodness is going to
0:17:30 > 0:17:34escape, so we need to put that in another foil overcoat.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38The overcoat needs to have a pleat in it too.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41To create the steam, boiling water goes into a roasting pan,
0:17:41 > 0:17:43which will sit underneath the pud.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46Place it with love.
0:17:46 > 0:17:48All we need to do now is to place our little
0:17:48 > 0:17:52torpedo of lard into a medium hot oven for about half an hour.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57Satisfaction guaranteed, which gives us time to make custard.
0:17:57 > 0:17:58This is a special custard.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01Rich egg yolks and milk with added Madagascan vanilla seeds
0:18:01 > 0:18:03for extra flavour.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Sun shines in Madagascar, doesn't it?
0:18:07 > 0:18:10In the words of the immortal Morten Harket,
0:18:10 > 0:18:12"The sun always shines on TV!"
0:18:12 > 0:18:14Not on our shows.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Always belts it down!
0:18:18 > 0:18:21Making proper custard is easier than you might think but once you
0:18:21 > 0:18:24make it like this, you'll never go for the ready made stuff again!
0:18:26 > 0:18:30Right, go on, Dave, get the poly out. I'll take over the whisking.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Right-oh!
0:18:31 > 0:18:35# Dam-dam-dam-dam-dam, dam-dar-dam
0:18:35 > 0:18:40Now, watch when you do this, there could be a spurt of steam.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42Oh-ho, ho-ho-ho-ho!
0:18:42 > 0:18:44That smells amazing!
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Proper old English puds, you can't whack them!
0:18:47 > 0:18:50If I had a plate, I'd think it was Christmas.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55# Jingle all the way, ready to eat! #
0:18:58 > 0:19:01Jam roly poly...proper!
0:19:04 > 0:19:06Look at the burnt bit there.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09Them are the best bits, they're brilliant!
0:19:10 > 0:19:13But it's light, it's not fattening.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Well, what a delicious way to end today's show
0:19:18 > 0:19:20and I hope you've all enjoyed it.
0:19:20 > 0:19:25Thanks again to our wonderful chefs and I'll see you again next time.