0:00:02 > 0:00:04Fantastic ingredients, delicious dishes,
0:00:04 > 0:00:06and some of the nation's favourite TV chefs.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08Get ready for a gourmet's greatest hits,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10because this is The A To Z Of TV Cooking.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Today, we are looking for things linked to the letter M.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36We begin with an Italian cheese that is traditionally made
0:00:36 > 0:00:38with the milk of a water buffalo.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41This M is mozzarella, and here's Jamie Oliver.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45This mozzarella and chilli salad is absolutely superb.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47It's definitely one of my favourites.
0:00:47 > 0:00:48To get it really good,
0:00:48 > 0:00:50what you have to do is blacken the chillies
0:00:50 > 0:00:52exactly the same as I did the peppers,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54and I just have to prick the skin first
0:00:54 > 0:00:57because I had a bit of a dodgy experience once when I was at work,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00and I was grilling about 30 chillies and, um...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04..all of the sudden they started exploding.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Like, hot, hot exploding all over me and all over my face.
0:01:08 > 0:01:09It really, really burned.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14So, you've got to prick them first and then they won't do it.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15But, they smell wicked.
0:01:16 > 0:01:20I love chillies anyways, but when you've got that milkiness
0:01:20 > 0:01:21of the cold mozzarella
0:01:21 > 0:01:25and the kind of sweet, hot chillies, it's like, ah...
0:01:25 > 0:01:28To me, it's just like... I just love it. I love it to bits.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Also, I've got quite a few veggies, well, quite a few...
0:01:31 > 0:01:33I've got a couple of veggies coming tonight,
0:01:33 > 0:01:34so I want to be able to put
0:01:34 > 0:01:36something in the pita bread.
0:01:36 > 0:01:38You know, something substantial to eat.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41These are basically ready now.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45We just want to make them sweet and make the skin come off quick.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48So, I just pop it in a pot, and cling film it.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52And leave that for about five minutes.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56What I'm going to do now is I've got some nice mozzarella,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00but I reckon the key to make this a really good salad,
0:02:00 > 0:02:03and it sounds a bit funny, but is to have a nice big plate, yeah,
0:02:03 > 0:02:05and instead of cutting the mozzarella up,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09which looks, I think, a bit plasticky, just rip it up.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Any old fashion, really.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I mean, into quarters is kind of a good idea.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17Just so it looks a bit more natural, and a bit kind of more,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19I don't know, rustic, I suppose.
0:02:19 > 0:02:21I just think it looks funky.
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Right, there you go.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Now, these chillies, you can see them, they've been steaming
0:02:25 > 0:02:28a little bit and there's loads of condensation inside.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31I'll just test one and see if the skin wants to come off.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36Yeah, lovely. Right.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39They're really easy to peel. You just push away the skin.
0:02:39 > 0:02:40Comes off really easy.
0:02:42 > 0:02:43So what we're going to do now...
0:02:44 > 0:02:49..is just take the ends off the chilli, cut them in half.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54They smell absolutely fantastic. And I just scrape all the seeds out.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Which is obviously the really harsh, hot bit.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02So, what you're left with is fairly mild then, isn't it?
0:03:02 > 0:03:03Yeah, reasonable mild.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05I'll try one in a minute and if I'm wrong,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08I mean, all chillies are different, different parts of the world.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11So, if you ate a really, really hot chilli,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15like that, what if that is really hot, what do you do?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17It's quite hot. But it's nice as well.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Whoo-ah!
0:03:20 > 0:03:21Yeah, it's quite hot.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25But, the thing is, even though it's quite hot, it's mild hot.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28When it's with that really milky mozzarella, olive oil and stuff,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31it's going to be superb. Whoo!
0:03:32 > 0:03:36What else would you use these for, these chillies?
0:03:36 > 0:03:38Oh, you can do so much.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43You can do them with like, boiled rice, in with noodles,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46and I like them especially in spaghetti or pasta
0:03:46 > 0:03:47and stuff like that.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49Over grilled vegetables, in salads,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Loads of stuff.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52And just a couple, I don't put loads in,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54just a couple just to sort of liven it up a bit.
0:03:58 > 0:03:59Right, so what we do now,
0:03:59 > 0:04:04is just really roughly sprinkle it over the mozzarella.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07Don't be fussy, don't do anything sort of restaurant-y with it.
0:04:07 > 0:04:08Just sprinkle it all over.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12That's beautiful. So, now what we've got to do is get some herbs.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14And we've got some nice herbs.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17We've got some purple basil and some green basil.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20And I'm just going to like rip that up really roughly just over it.
0:04:21 > 0:04:23Purple basil is rather unusual, isn't it?
0:04:23 > 0:04:25I suppose it is unusual,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27but I think you can get it in all the supermarkets now.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29And you know it looks great and it tastes really good.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Does it taste different from green basil?
0:04:32 > 0:04:36Slightly different, yeah, slightly fresher, kind of aniseedy, I think.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39The thing I like about this, is that even an idiot like me can do it.
0:04:39 > 0:04:40You just chuck it,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43no positioning or anything, just chuck it all over the place.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46Black pepper, very important.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Just do it from a height, so it kind of scatters.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Some nice sea salt, from a height again.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55And, I've got some nice olive oil.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00You can be nice and generous. Again, just scatter it.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03Would you say that's a chef's tip, then?
0:05:03 > 0:05:05Well, no, I'm not doing it to be poncey.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08I'm just doing it because if you do it from up high then you're
0:05:08 > 0:05:10not going to get a whole lot of pepper, a whole lot of salt,
0:05:10 > 0:05:12or a whole load of oil in one place.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14It looks a bit, kind of, you know...
0:05:15 > 0:05:18No, just do it. Um, and lemon juice.
0:05:18 > 0:05:22You could go for balsamic vinegar which would look quite pretty,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25but I don't want to hide... balsamic vinegar is quite sweet
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and I don't want to hide the sweetness of the chillies.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30Yeah.
0:05:32 > 0:05:33Lovely.
0:05:34 > 0:05:39Next, M for mutton. And that's a meat from a sheep two years or older.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41The phrase, "mutton dressed as lamb,"
0:05:41 > 0:05:44is probably responsible for giving this wonderful meat
0:05:44 > 0:05:46its bad reputation.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49However, it is absolutely delicious in slow cooked recipes
0:05:49 > 0:05:51like this one from Matt Tebbut.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56There's one thing that I'm passionate about reviving.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59It's been overlooked and overcooked for far too long.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03But when done properly, it can be spectacular. It's British mutton.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Mutton has required a bad reputation as a tough, second class meat,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11when in reality it packs a powerful flavour that I believe is
0:06:11 > 0:06:15even more delicious than the more popular alternative of lamb.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18So, I'm going to be doing my North African inspired dish.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21This is going to be my shoulder of mutton tagine.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24I'm using the shoulder for this dish,
0:06:24 > 0:06:26and this is going to be perfect.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27There's lots of connective fat
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and tissue going through this lovely piece of meat.
0:06:30 > 0:06:31By the time it's finished cooking,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34you're going to be able to pull it away with a couple of spoons.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Start by trimming off any excess fat.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Once the meat is cut to a more manageable size, seal it in oil.
0:06:46 > 0:06:51So, I first came across this dish in Marrakesh, Morocco.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54And this really is one of those classic one pot dishes.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57You know, you throw it in the oven, a couple of hours, bring it out,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00put it onto the middle of the table, big bowl of couscous,
0:07:00 > 0:07:02or rice, or whatever you fancy, some nice flat breads,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04and let everyone dive into it.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06It's a real kind of communal eating experience.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10With just a couple of bottles of wine, it just goes down a treat.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13When the mutton is brown, put it in a pot,
0:07:13 > 0:07:16and add in some exotic flavours of North Africa.
0:07:16 > 0:07:17Coriander...
0:07:18 > 0:07:21..cumin seeds,
0:07:21 > 0:07:22crushed garlic,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24and star anis,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26which works beautifully with mutton.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Then, add a few chopped onions
0:07:30 > 0:07:32and the rinds of some preserved lemons,
0:07:32 > 0:07:34a real secret for a great tagine.
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Take the middle out, you don't want the middle.
0:07:37 > 0:07:41But the edible part is the skin.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46It's got a lovely, citrus, very mild lemony, salty flavour.
0:07:49 > 0:07:54Next, add some saffron, tinned tomatoes, some stock,
0:07:54 > 0:07:55and two chillies.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58And that's going to be just enough liquid to keep it going,
0:07:58 > 0:07:59keep it moist.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00You don't want to, it's not a stew,
0:08:00 > 0:08:03so you don't want to completely cover the meat.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05It's a long, slow sort of braise.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08This is just going to be a beautiful smelling,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10delicious looking pot of mutton and veg
0:08:10 > 0:08:12and it's going to be thickened slightly,
0:08:12 > 0:08:15and you'll get all of those lovely aromas.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17Those sort of Northern African aromas.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21So, lid on, heavy lid, two to three hours
0:08:21 > 0:08:23until you can just flake the meat apart.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Part of the reason that mutton has fallen from grace is that it
0:08:28 > 0:08:31doesn't fit in with the impatience of modern life.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Great food doesn't always come quickly,
0:08:33 > 0:08:35and this tagine is no different.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Here you go. This is the best bit.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43Uff, wow, it's pretty hot.
0:08:43 > 0:08:48OK, so that's exactly what you're looking for. Lots and lots of juice.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Flavours are fantastic,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54but what it needs now is just a little bit more kick.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Freshly chopped mint and coriander will give this tagine a real lift.
0:09:01 > 0:09:09Like that... Stir that around. You can smell it already.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11I'm serving my tagine with couscous
0:09:11 > 0:09:13and - in true Moroccan style - on one dish,
0:09:13 > 0:09:17so everyone helps themselves at the table.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20There you go. That's what you want.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22Big slabs of meat.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24And you can see how well it's cooked
0:09:24 > 0:09:29because if you look at the bone, the bone just comes away, like that.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32And that's what you want. Like that.
0:09:32 > 0:09:34So, on we go with the meat.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37And as you can see it's a pretty sizeable beast.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45So, there you go. That is my North African-inspired mutton tagine.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Looks delicious.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Now, something that appears in traditional cookery
0:09:58 > 0:10:00in countries all over the world - meatballs.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04We've chosen the Chinese recipe for this one from Ching He Huang.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08One great dish that always reminds me
0:10:08 > 0:10:11of family gatherings is lion head meatballs.
0:10:11 > 0:10:12When I cook it,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15I'm reminded of the stories my mum told as she cooked them.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18I've got here about 500 grams of minced beef
0:10:18 > 0:10:20and, it's very simple.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22It's a bit like making Western-style meatballs,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25but with Chinese seasonings.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28So, about a table spoon of Shaoxing rice wine.
0:10:28 > 0:10:33You can always use dry sherry. In with some light soy sauce.
0:10:34 > 0:10:35About two tablespoons.
0:10:35 > 0:10:40Some toasted sesame oil and in with a tablespoon of corn flour.
0:10:44 > 0:10:46And in with a beaten egg.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53Pinch of sea salt. Some ground white pepper.
0:10:54 > 0:10:55Some chopped spring onions.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01And about four cloves of chopped garlic,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04in with some grated ginger for some heat.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08Then, just give this mixture a good mix.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11Stir the mixture in the same direction,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15cos it helps bind all the ingredients together.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17And it does sort of aerate the meatballs
0:11:17 > 0:11:19so they are lovely and bouncy.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23My grandmother used to make this with a big wooden spoon
0:11:23 > 0:11:27in a big, big bamboo bowl.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30My grandmother's my biggest source of inspiration
0:11:30 > 0:11:33because she used to have to cook for all her family,
0:11:33 > 0:11:35and her extended family, my goodness!
0:11:35 > 0:11:36Whenever we used to sit down and eat
0:11:36 > 0:11:40and it was like a huge banquet every evening.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44You can see the meat is all lovely and tenderised.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Now, I'm going to make these into meatballs.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49So, good trick is to wet your hands.
0:11:51 > 0:11:52Because that means that the meat mixture
0:11:52 > 0:11:55doesn't stick to your hands when you're moulding them.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58And in China, the artist would make them
0:11:58 > 0:12:03as big as possible to resemble the head of the lion.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05And the emperor used to eat this dish
0:12:05 > 0:12:07because it was a symbol of power.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11My mother, when she first cooked this dish for me,
0:12:11 > 0:12:14she made a big thing about it. She said,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17"You know, if you eat these lion head meatballs,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19"you'll be strong as lions."
0:12:19 > 0:12:20And I believed her.
0:12:22 > 0:12:23Wok on, oil in.
0:12:24 > 0:12:26Now, the oil is nice and hot.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28We can add the meatballs.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32You don't want a broken meatball.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35That might symbolise broken power.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Spoon oil over the top to help brown them.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Put the browned meatballs in an oven-proof dish.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Set all but two tablespoons of the oil aside for the sauce.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52To go into the sauce, I've got here some dried Chinese mushrooms.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56Really fragrant, it's going to impart a woody, earthy aroma
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and just compliment all the other flavours of the meatballs.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03If you can't get these, then you can use fresh chestnut mushrooms.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Back onto the wok now.
0:13:08 > 0:13:10So, just going to heat the mushrooms
0:13:12 > 0:13:17And it's going to be cooking in the oil that's had all
0:13:17 > 0:13:19the flavours from the meat.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23Next, just add good vegetable stock, or you can use chicken stock.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27And just give that a good stir.
0:13:27 > 0:13:32When the sauce is bubbling, in with a little bit of light soy sauce
0:13:32 > 0:13:34and some toasted sesame oil.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38Then, all we do now is let the flavours of the stock
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and the mushrooms infuse with the meatballs,
0:13:41 > 0:13:45so just pour them into the dish.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47Now, it's not just the meatballs that's going to finish the dish
0:13:47 > 0:13:49and make them look like lion heads.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52You need the mane, so this is it.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57What we want to do is just slice long, thin strips like this.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Wrap one Chinese cabbage leaf around each meatball.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06Cover in foil and into the oven for half an hour
0:14:06 > 0:14:09on a low heat, about 100 C.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11And after 30 minutes, out they come
0:14:11 > 0:14:13with the Chinese cabbage beautifully wilted,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17the stock infused, and the lion head meatballs fit for an emperor.
0:14:21 > 0:14:22Ok, pudding time now.
0:14:22 > 0:14:27Let's join Rachel Khoo for an M that proves a real taste of France.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34If you really want to impress your friends
0:14:34 > 0:14:37with a Parisian teatime treat, then I've got the recipe for you.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43My motto is: Butter makes everything better.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46So, take your time and let 200g melt slowly.
0:14:46 > 0:14:51Then, it's on to the sweet stuff. Plain caster sugar, 130g.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Three eggs.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Let's do some whisking, some hardcore whisking.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00We're going to get a little workout here.
0:15:01 > 0:15:05And you just want to whisk it until it's pale and frothy.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07This is a great workout to combat bingo wings.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12I've got a tired arm!
0:15:12 > 0:15:16OK, if you've got an electric whisker you could do it with that,
0:15:16 > 0:15:19but otherwise, have a bit of a work out.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23I think we're there.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Ooh! The butter's melted. Ow, it's hot.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29When your fingers have cooled down, mix the dry ingredients.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34200g of plain flour. Baking powder.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41I'm going to zest my lemon. So, you're just going for the top layer.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Smells really good.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48We've got honey from the Grand Palais bee keeper.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51And then I need 60ml of milk.
0:15:51 > 0:15:57And, it's not semi-skimmed, or skimmed, this is full fat.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01French patisserie you kind of do everything full fat.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Nothing half measures.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05If you're going to do a cake, you might as well do it well.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Diet cakes, out the window.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09Just whisk it in.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14OK! I'm going to add the flour.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17While training at Le Cordon Bleu,
0:16:17 > 0:16:20they taught me a special technique when stirring.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23At school you have to move with the bowl.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Don't worry if you spot little lumps in there.
0:16:29 > 0:16:34It's more likely to be little bits of lemon zest. OK.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36And then we're going to cover it and put it in the fridge.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41That's if there's any room, of course.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Will it close?
0:16:49 > 0:16:51It does. Whoo-hoo!
0:16:57 > 0:17:01Traditional madeleines are always baked in shell-shaped moulds.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05But, if you don't have one then you can use a mini muffin tin.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08All right, I am going to use a piping bag.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10What I'm going to do is I'm going to grab my cocktail shaker...
0:17:12 > 0:17:13..from up here.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17The great thing about that is that
0:17:17 > 0:17:20you've got two hands to help put your dough in.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25What we're looking to do to fill our madeleine tins is actually
0:17:25 > 0:17:29you're kind of filling it just a little bit below the shell shape.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31So, you're not filling it right to the brim.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Raspberries go in the middle.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43The French sometimes dip these in chocolate,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45but I think my raspberry and lemon version
0:17:45 > 0:17:48adds a little modern twist to a classic.
0:17:48 > 0:17:49We want the hollow bit facing up
0:17:49 > 0:17:52because we're going to pipe some lemon curd into there.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54We're going to put these in the oven.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Let's have a look at our madeleines. Oh, they're done.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12Lovely golden round the edges. Still a little pale around the middle.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13To make them extra special,
0:18:13 > 0:18:17I'm going to pipe a little bit of lemon curd into the middle.
0:18:19 > 0:18:25So, you take your madeleine, then you just pipe it where the hole is.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28And you want to pipe the lemon curd into your madeleines
0:18:28 > 0:18:29while they're still warm.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32Piping the curd when the cakes are hot
0:18:32 > 0:18:34will help the curd to melt through the sponge
0:18:34 > 0:18:36and make the cakes extra moist.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39Mmm!
0:18:39 > 0:18:41Very, very yummy.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47I hope you've enjoyed all of today's recipes.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50A big thank you to all of our chefs today,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53and do make sure you join us for more, next time.