0:00:02 > 0:00:07You're buying your ingredients and looking forward to some cooking, but which top chef to turn to?
0:00:07 > 0:00:15We've got all your favourites here. The nation's top TV chefs all in one place on The A to Z of TV Cooking.
0:00:31 > 0:00:38Today we're looking at things linked to the letter S. Here's just some of what we've got on the menu.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42The Hairy Bikers get hands-on with salt and Szechuan squid.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47First off, I need to pull the body from the tube, like so.
0:00:49 > 0:00:54Gennaro wins over Antonio with his sweet and sour bread salad.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56- Oh, come on!- Delightful.
0:00:57 > 0:00:59Yeah!
0:00:59 > 0:01:04And Nigel Slater serves up some sensational sea salt chocolate snaps.
0:01:07 > 0:01:13We've got a triple whammy of Ss in this dish. This is the marvellous Mary Berry and she's come up trumps
0:01:13 > 0:01:18cooking her beautiful salmon with a sorrel and spinach sauce.
0:01:18 > 0:01:24This is sort of a Hollandaise sauce, but there's no difficulty in making it.
0:01:24 > 0:01:28It will not separate. It's everlasting and it's easy.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Not as rich as Hollandaise, either.
0:01:30 > 0:01:37What more could you want? It starts with a tub of low-fat creme fraiche, into the processor with one egg yolk.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41Then I'm going to add the juice of half a lemon.
0:01:41 > 0:01:47So it's a nice lemony sauce. And two level teaspoons of flour to thicken it.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51Like that - one, two.
0:01:51 > 0:01:57And then I've got some melted butter here. Half the amount you'd use in a traditional Hollandaise.
0:01:57 > 0:02:03And some salt and pepper. And I know purists would always use white pepper in a white sauce,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07but I like to see the flecks of black.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10On goes the lid.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14Whizz it together until it's all emulsified.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17And that doesn't take a moment.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Then cook out the flour in a bowl over simmering water.
0:02:21 > 0:02:28This is a really good sauce to make ahead. Hollandaise you've got to make at the last minute.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Often a recipe will say "gently reheat it".
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Half the time, if you try to gently reheat Hollandaise, it separates.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39So this is very un-temperamental.
0:02:39 > 0:02:46So we have in the bowl everything except for the spinach and the sorrel.
0:02:46 > 0:02:52The reason for not adding it now is if you cook sorrel and spinach and keep it hot for a long time,
0:02:52 > 0:02:56it goes grey. So we'll add it at the very last minute.
0:02:56 > 0:03:00While that thickens, we can get our fresh herbs ready.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05I've already got the sorrel here and it's nice, young sorrel.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07And it has a sharp, lemony flavour.
0:03:07 > 0:03:12I'm going to take some of those stalks off. Like that. And then chop it up.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19Sorrel was very popular in Tudor times,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23but nowadays not many people use it. It's so easy to grow,
0:03:23 > 0:03:30but the one thing you have to do is keep cutting it. The leaves get very tough if you don't.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34But it's a perennial and once you've planted it, you've got it forever.
0:03:34 > 0:03:41So I've chopped up the sorrel. Now the spinach. There's no stalk on the spinach. It's fairly young.
0:03:41 > 0:03:47You don't have to be really fussy at doing it small. It's only a matter of working it into the sauce
0:03:47 > 0:03:49at the last minute. Looking good.
0:03:49 > 0:03:53Nice and frothy and fairly thick.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58So we can add the sorrel and spinach, a handful of each, and stir.
0:03:58 > 0:04:02I'm just going to taste that, although I tasted it before.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09It might need a dash of sugar because sorrel is very, very sharp.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14When you're happy with the seasoning, it's ready to serve.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Now this is a beautiful piece of salmon.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24It could be salmon trout, a little halibut or sea bass.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I've cooked it in the oven with a touch of lemon juice.
0:04:27 > 0:04:32It goes really well with the sorrel and spinach sauce.
0:04:32 > 0:04:38And what would I serve that with? I would like that with... Small new potatoes would be good.
0:04:38 > 0:04:44There's a generous amount of sauce, but I'm married to a gravy man. I always make a lot of sauce.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47'And what does it taste like?'
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Truly lemony, sharp and, of course, very inviting.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54It's this lovely bright green colour.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Mmm. That's a bit of all right.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01And I'm going back for another one!
0:05:01 > 0:05:06Thanks, Mary. For our next S, it's one of my favourites.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10It's squid! And these are the Hairy Bikers.
0:05:11 > 0:05:16Salt and Szechuan peppercorn squid with a fragrant dipping sauce.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Oh, that accents the squid beautifully.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24It's hot, it's frizzly, it's lovely
0:05:24 > 0:05:28and it celebrates the squid. Now British waters are heaving
0:05:28 > 0:05:31with these creatures. We've got loads of squid.
0:05:31 > 0:05:37I think most people think they come from Greece or the Mediterranean. There's loads in our coastal waters.
0:05:37 > 0:05:43- Our squid's great. You look at him and he doesn't immediately say, "Eat me!"- No.
0:05:43 > 0:05:47He requires preparation to make him appetising and lovely.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49I'll show you how to do squid.
0:05:49 > 0:05:54I've got four here and I'm going to merrily get on and butcher them.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58First off, I need to pull the body from the tube, like so.
0:05:59 > 0:06:05'If this makes you squeamish, you can get your local fishmonger to do it for you.'
0:06:05 > 0:06:12Now peel the fins off and this kind of yucky-looking membrane and underneath you find
0:06:12 > 0:06:16that wonderful pure white meat. That's what we're after.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Now look at what's inside. I've found the quill.
0:06:20 > 0:06:27It looks for all the world like a quill. It looks like it's made of plastic. That's the spine. Remove it.
0:06:27 > 0:06:32Next step is we slash this, open it up
0:06:32 > 0:06:38and inside is a little bit of guts. See that membrane there?
0:06:38 > 0:06:42Peel that off. Just tidy off the edge.
0:06:42 > 0:06:47That wonderful piece of squid meat. Now on to the body.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52Pull the tentacles off here, like so. I tend to pull off the big long one.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55Cut them there, just below the eyeballs.
0:06:55 > 0:07:01Now while Dave's butchering his squid, I'm going to prep what can only be described
0:07:01 > 0:07:07- as the dipping sauce. - But what a dipping sauce! - Oh, what!
0:07:08 > 0:07:14'Put 50ml of water into a pan along with one tablespoon of white wine vinegar
0:07:14 > 0:07:16'and 100 grams of caster sugar.'
0:07:16 > 0:07:23Caster sugar. 'Dissolve the sugar and boil for a minute.
0:07:23 > 0:07:28'Next, take a chilli.' Seeded or de-seeded? What do you fancy? Seeded, eh?
0:07:28 > 0:07:35- Oh, yeah. We like it hot. - 'Chop your chilli along with a thumb-sized piece of ginger.'
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Sliced very, very finely.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41'And two cloves of garlic.
0:07:41 > 0:07:47'Add these to your syrup.' And we let that cook through for about a minute.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- It doesn't take long, does it?- No.
0:07:50 > 0:07:56'Then add one more tablespoon of white wine vinegar before allowing to cool.'
0:07:56 > 0:08:01Have you noticed what we're doing? We're balancing the sweet and sour.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06We've got sugar in there, two tablespoons of vinegar,
0:08:06 > 0:08:12but also we've got a load of spice. Sweet, sour and spice go fantastically well together.
0:08:12 > 0:08:19What they do is they complement each other so well that it pushes those flavours on your mouth
0:08:19 > 0:08:27to the fore. It's such a great, great way of tasting each individual spice.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34Let that just stand and go cool.
0:08:34 > 0:08:40'Before we move on to the next stage, wash the slimy bits off the squid and get rid of any ink.'
0:08:43 > 0:08:47So to get the best out of these fantastic ingredients,
0:08:47 > 0:08:52we're going to have - to a dry frying pan, no oil in it -
0:08:53 > 0:08:56two teaspoons of black peppercorns,
0:08:58 > 0:09:04two heaped teaspoons of Szechuan peppercorns.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09Now this is very interesting. Szechuan peppercorns, they're not a pepper.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14They're a berry. I bet you didn't know that.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18A tablespoon of sea salt flakes.
0:09:19 > 0:09:23And half a teaspoon of chilli flakes.
0:09:23 > 0:09:29And as we push heat through them, the natural oils that are trapped in the drying process
0:09:29 > 0:09:35will be released, thus making them more pungent and a bigger, more rounded flavour.
0:09:35 > 0:09:42It really is the best way to get those flavours out of those spices. They're fabulous.
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Now the squid. I cut the little bunches of tentacles in half
0:09:48 > 0:09:52and they're ready for frying. These big pieces, what we do is this.
0:09:52 > 0:09:58In order to get a decent shape and cook them, you score them with a chequerboard pattern.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Not all the way through.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04But just across like that.
0:10:05 > 0:10:10Now cut those into ribbons. So just like that.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14But when they cook, they're going to go like this.
0:10:14 > 0:10:19And you get twists. Much easier than rings for picking up the sauce.
0:10:19 > 0:10:25The way you can tell that these peppercorns are nearly ready is you can smell them.
0:10:25 > 0:10:30They start to have that beautiful, beautiful fragrance.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32Smell them, mate.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- Oh, yeah. Quite nutty. - Aren't they? It's odd.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39What we're going to do is put those...
0:10:40 > 0:10:44- You all right, mate?- It's a bit heavy, like. I was surprised.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48Put those in the pestle and mortar.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53And we're just going to grind them to a nice powder.
0:10:57 > 0:11:04People talk about fast food. OK, there's a bit of faff, but we're talking about a minute or 90 seconds
0:11:04 > 0:11:09to cook these squid strips out. Then you have a whole heap of them.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14You sit with your dipping sauce, cold beer in one hand, that in the other. There's nothing finer.
0:11:14 > 0:11:21And with all our recipes, if you notice what Dave and I are doing with recipes that are quite quick,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25we're prepping everything and it's dead important, that.
0:11:25 > 0:11:31It takes the stress out of your cooking and you just enjoy it more. You have a right good giggle.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33- It's brilliant.- Look at that.
0:11:34 > 0:11:40- Oh-aah!- Fabulous, isn't it? - That's the Szechuan pepper and salt, beefed up with some black pepper
0:11:40 > 0:11:45and chilli flakes. That will set the squid alight.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49- Put that into a bowl. - 'Add five tablespoons of corn flour and five of self-raising flour.'
0:11:52 > 0:11:59Self-raising...five. Mix that up with the spices. It's the ultimate seasoned flour.
0:11:59 > 0:12:06- That's it. - 'Into your wok or medium saucepan pour 2cm of sunflower oil
0:12:06 > 0:12:11- 'and heat it to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.' - That's it. We're there.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15Now take a piece of squid like so,
0:12:15 > 0:12:20dredge it in that wonderful Szechuan peppery melange.
0:12:20 > 0:12:25Pop it in the fat and repeat. And Mr King will man the pan.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28We only want this to cook for about a minute.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39As Dave's dropping them in, I'm not touching them.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43If you do touch them or stir them, the spice flour will fall off.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47- Just leave it alone.- 'They will only need between one and two minutes.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52'Try not to overcook them or they'll end up like rubber bands.'
0:12:52 > 0:12:58Let's do a few tentacles next. I like these. They go like a spider that's deep fried.
0:12:58 > 0:13:05Dave's dropping the squid in. It lowers constantly the temperature of the oil, so keep tweaking it.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Turn the gas up as you go through.
0:13:08 > 0:13:15And the easiest way to do this is with a deep fat fryer with a thermostat. It's also safer.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18But it's easier to see when it's like this.
0:13:18 > 0:13:25'When the squid is done, remove from the oil and drain on some kitchen paper.
0:13:25 > 0:13:31'To serve, put your dipping sauce in a bowl and garnish with finely-chopped coriander
0:13:31 > 0:13:34'and a slice of lime.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38'Then pile up the twists of delectably succulent squid.'
0:13:38 > 0:13:42- Shall we dive in to the spice? - Lime juice?- Yes, please.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49Look at that. It's just so nicely curly. That's how it's meant to be.
0:13:49 > 0:13:56- It's coming through.- And the texture of the dipping sauce is just enough to cling. Proper sweet chilli sauce.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Thank heaven for spice. It defines our cuisine these days.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06- Yeah. - And I'm very pleased we have it.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11'They're so right about the importance of prepping.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15'It makes the whole cooking experience much more enjoyable.
0:14:15 > 0:14:21'If you're after enjoyment, Levi Roots is your man. And he's got an S for snapper.'
0:14:25 > 0:14:30I'm so chilled that I'm going to do my easiest recipe ever.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35I'm going to do my roast snapper with coconut, chilli and lime salsa.
0:14:35 > 0:14:42The Caribbean sunshine kit has got just what I need to give the snapper a tangy stuffing.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47Thyme, ginger and Scotch bonnet pepper. I'll be adding a fresh citrus twist
0:14:47 > 0:14:54with limes and parsley. A succulent coconut salsa is the perfect partner.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57I've got my fish, so let's get it scaled.
0:15:00 > 0:15:04I'm using a really big snapper here because I want really nice flesh.
0:15:04 > 0:15:10The bigger the snapper, the less the bone. Snapper is easy to find in the UK now.
0:15:13 > 0:15:18What you need to do with your fish now so your seasoning gets right in
0:15:18 > 0:15:22is give it a couple of slashes. That's one. Another one here.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Remember not to go too deep.
0:15:24 > 0:15:30Right, that's looking good. Let's put it over there and start making the stuffing.
0:15:30 > 0:15:36I'm going to be using some flat-leaf parsley. I would usually use coriander. It's out of season,
0:15:36 > 0:15:39so there's no harm in using parsley.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43And now some old friends from the Caribbean sunshine kit.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Some thyme, chopped finely. In the pan it goes.
0:15:47 > 0:15:51A bit of ginger, which gives some gentle heat.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56'And, of course, Scotch bonnet pepper, de-seeded and chopped finely.'
0:15:56 > 0:16:04I'm going to need two limes. I'm going to use the zest to give it a nice, tangy, fresh taste.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07Now the same lime - cut that in half.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12And mix everything together.
0:16:15 > 0:16:20That smells lovely. Right, OK. Let's get our fish back on here.
0:16:20 > 0:16:26And now for our other lime. 'Rub the lime juice on the skin and inside the snapper.'
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Now your snapper is ready to be stuffed.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37Start with the slashes first. Really poke that in.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40Get it right in there.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44Now I've got some foil here to wrap my fish in.
0:16:44 > 0:16:49I'm going to use a double amount of foil to make sure all the steam stays in.
0:16:49 > 0:16:55And wrap it up. We're in Jamaica, so I'll do this in a jerk pan, but you can do it in the oven,
0:16:55 > 0:17:00barbecue or roasting tin. Cooking time depends on the size of the fish.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04That's a big fish. I'll leave it for about 40 minutes.
0:17:04 > 0:17:10You're looking for the flesh of the fish to be opaque. Then you know you're on your way.
0:17:14 > 0:17:19The salsa is a variation on the stuffing, but with crunchy coconut.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22You need the juice of eight limes,
0:17:22 > 0:17:29the zest of two limes and into this dissolve a teaspoonful of caster sugar,
0:17:29 > 0:17:32some coconut shavings,
0:17:32 > 0:17:37Some coarsely-chopped flat-leaf parsley or coriander.
0:17:39 > 0:17:44And two de-seeded Scotch bonnet peppers, cut into strips.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48That's looking delicious. I'll leave those flavours to get acquainted.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00I've invited a few friends along
0:18:00 > 0:18:04and the snapper seems to be going down a treat.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06Mmmmm!
0:18:15 > 0:18:19And do you know what? I've even thrown in the entertainment.
0:18:19 > 0:18:26# Don't you give up on yourself Love will see us through... #
0:18:26 > 0:18:32Time for an obvious one now. S for salad, and we've got a great dish for you here.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36The Greedy Italians, with their warm sweet and sour bread salad.
0:18:36 > 0:18:42- Antonio...- Yes? - Look at the view. It is incredible!
0:18:42 > 0:18:47It is fantastic. It's called the table of Puglia.
0:18:47 > 0:18:52- I'm making a bread salad. What do you think?- Fantastic. I like bread.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55Here is the bread. Double-cooked bread.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Almost like a biscuit.
0:18:58 > 0:19:04It's easy. Just pour some water on top. The bread needs to drink.
0:19:04 > 0:19:11That's wonderful. In summer, people, they take this bread. They squash it, ripe tomato.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15A little bit of olive oil. And you have a taste of Puglia.
0:19:15 > 0:19:20So I start first by cutting the carrot in small strips.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24That should be enough for now. And, of course, celery.
0:19:24 > 0:19:30- But remember, celery, I need to keep...- The leaves.- ..the leaves. Only use the tender part.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34They're sweet. If you use the very green ones, they're bitter.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39So, again, cut it. A little strip.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44Then the water is boiling. I need it to blanch a little bit.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47Then I start with red pepper.
0:19:47 > 0:19:53- So you cut it.- I'm salivating. - Then you make little strips again.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58We've got red and yellow peppers.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Then we go to the shallot. Cut it.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05The onions. And then garlic.
0:20:05 > 0:20:10And I've got to strain it because it's almost there.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Oh...
0:20:14 > 0:20:19- Now I'm going to finish off. Zucchini.- Chop, chop, chop.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21- Good.- And aubergines.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Just a little bit with the hard skin.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31- Antonio, the cats. I can hear the cats.- I love it.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33This oil, Gennaro,
0:20:33 > 0:20:38it is the direct pressing of olives just brought in.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40Come.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45- The fruit is there. You drink and...- I know.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48If you put a little teat on top and give it to Antonio, he'll enjoy.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51- I would.- Let's put them inside here.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56I'm going to start with anchovies. I'll put two fillet of anchovies.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59You see? They melted away.
0:21:02 > 0:21:07And then I will add some garlic and some shallots.
0:21:07 > 0:21:12A few olives. OK? Then I go with yellow and red peppers.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16A bit of courgette. Stir, stir, stir.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Now I will add in the aubergines.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23The carrots. And the celery.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27- A bit of salt...- Not too much. - You are right.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31Because of the anchovies. A little thyme. Strip it.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35And then I will start to put one tablespoon of sugar.
0:21:35 > 0:21:40And now I'm going to put three tablespoons of vinegar.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Wow!
0:21:44 > 0:21:48- Ah, wonderful. - Stir it, stir it, stir it.
0:21:48 > 0:21:54Let it reduce a bit. The sugar and the vinegar, they become almost like a syrup.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01I add fresh basil. I do not cut it, I break it.
0:22:01 > 0:22:05But I will roughly chop the celery.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09- And by now the bread... - Breaks very easily.
0:22:09 > 0:22:15It breaks very easy, but it still stays in one piece. It's still a little bit al dente,
0:22:15 > 0:22:21- the crunchiness, which is fantastic. - I can already imagine.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25- Go on.- Come on, come on.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29And just for you, but also for me...
0:22:29 > 0:22:33- Lovely.- I will put a few... - Anchovies.- ..anchovies.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37That's beautiful. Ah!
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- Try to eat this.- Just tell me.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48- Oh, come on!- Delightful!
0:22:49 > 0:22:50Yeah!
0:22:57 > 0:23:02Next, a gorgeous dish from Raymond Blanc. He's going to whip up a classic souffle,
0:23:02 > 0:23:08one of those dishes that many of us find quite tricky. Raymond says it's relatively simple
0:23:08 > 0:23:12and he starts this recipe by choosing the perfect cheese.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23For Raymond's next recipe, a special delivery.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27He needs the right cheese to make a souffle.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32- Hello, Patricia.- Patricia Michelson is a cheese connoisseur and owner
0:23:32 > 0:23:40of two award-winning cheese shops in London. She's got three cheeses in mind for Raymond's souffle.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44- That's for you.- Thank you. - That's...- Emmental.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48- Emmental Francais. - It's got the big hole.
0:23:50 > 0:23:54Very delicate. In a souffle, that would be not strong enough.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- I'll leave that one out.- OK.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Wine, no?
0:23:59 > 0:24:01Hey, Thomas.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03Are you asleep?
0:24:04 > 0:24:08It's for the Beaufort.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10It's got such a lovely smell.
0:24:10 > 0:24:17- Beautiful cheese.- Beaufort is also good for souffle because of its floral flavour.
0:24:17 > 0:24:21- It's not too heavy.- I understand. You are trying to tell me...
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Trying to tell you how to cook!
0:24:26 > 0:24:32But I want a strong souffle. The Beaufort I prefer to put on the side and let's taste the Comte.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Oh, so perfect.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39I'm lucky.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47- It's lovely.- That's lovely. - Voila!
0:24:47 > 0:24:52- To you, Patricia. Thank you. - To you and to our cheese. - Now the day is perfect.
0:24:53 > 0:24:59Raymond has chosen a Comte from his native eastern France for his classic cheese souffle.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08The Comte cheese souffle, I really have a huge affection for it.
0:25:08 > 0:25:13It was given to me quite regularly. People say, "Souffle! Mon Dieu! C'est terrible!
0:25:13 > 0:25:18"If you open the oven door, they'll collapse. If you breathe...!" Of course not.
0:25:18 > 0:25:22They are so simple to make when you know what's happening.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Start by preparing a dish.
0:25:25 > 0:25:30Just butter your dish and the butter will help the rise of the souffle.
0:25:30 > 0:25:35OK, breadcrumbs. Look how beautiful they're coating.
0:25:35 > 0:25:40They're not too fine. I want to have texture, to bite into them.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44- Tres bien. - Then begin the souffle base.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46I'm going to simmer my milk here. Voila.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51The butter. In here I've got 50 grams. I don't want to colour it.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56I just want to melt it down. And, of course, you have your friend here.
0:25:56 > 0:26:01Very close to. She is just perfect. The world is absolutely perfect.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09I don't normally cook like that in my kitchen,
0:26:09 > 0:26:14so it's a treat for me. It's a big treat.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18When the butter has melted, add flour and whisk until smooth.
0:26:18 > 0:26:23I want to give it a bit of colour, a nutty flavour to my souffle.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27The flour will be nicely cooked and very digestible.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36Gradually, add warm milk which has been simmering gently.
0:26:41 > 0:26:45Look. That's it. No lumps whatsoever.
0:26:45 > 0:26:49Then season with salt, pepper and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51Ah, it works.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53OK, a nice lump of mustard here.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03That's what you are looking for in terms of thickness, no?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Next, add three egg yolks.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10That gives a richness to your base.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13And 160 grams of Comte cheese.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14Voila.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19So let the cheese melt very nicely.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23I can see how shiny it is. I love to see that.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27Now put the lift into your souffle with six egg whites.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30I feel absolutely exhausted. I cracked so many eggs!
0:27:30 > 0:27:33A bit of lemon juice here.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37- Whisk until they form soft peaks. - I'm going to be muscle man!
0:27:38 > 0:27:43- Again, I'm so fit!- An electric mixer is always an option.
0:27:46 > 0:27:51You can really beat them as long as you want to. Nothing can go wrong.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55Add a third of the egg whites to the warm base mixture.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00- Mix very fast to lighten the base. - The base must be warm or the mixture goes lumpy.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05- Then fold in the rest of the egg whites.- Go right from underneath.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11My souffle base is ready.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Just a little bit of the Comte on top.
0:28:16 > 0:28:21Voila. So 180-degree pre-heated oven.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25And you cook your souffle for 20 minutes.
0:28:25 > 0:28:30- While the souffle cooks, prepare a sauce.- Voila.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33Boil double cream.
0:28:33 > 0:28:39- Add some Comte.- The more cheese you put in, the more it thickens, so be careful how much you put in.
0:28:39 > 0:28:44A pinch of cayenne pepper and a splash of kirsch liqueur.
0:28:44 > 0:28:50This is cherry alcohol. Interesting how cherry goes so well with dessert, with cheese.
0:28:50 > 0:28:55So now it is beautifully rich and lovely.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59Lovely.
0:29:06 > 0:29:12- Patricia, whoa! You like your cheese and you like your wine, too, eh? - That's right.
0:29:12 > 0:29:14- Sorry!- Me, too!
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Oh, isn't that perfect?
0:29:22 > 0:29:24So...
0:29:24 > 0:29:26So there is no guilt, OK?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Fabulous.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33- Merci, Patricia.- Thank you.
0:29:44 > 0:29:48And here's another French classic. Sole meuniere.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52It's so simple, says Rachel Khoo. See if you agree.
0:29:52 > 0:29:58Most people think French cooking is complicated to do.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01This dish is the exact opposite.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03My super quick supper.
0:30:03 > 0:30:09The key here is the nutty sauce to complement the subtle flavour of the fish.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13I've got here a fillet of lemon sole.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18I'm going to grab some plain flour, about one and a half tablespoons.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21A generous pinch of salt. Two pinches.
0:30:21 > 0:30:24And some black pepper. OK.
0:30:24 > 0:30:29And then just grab your fillet and you kind of dip it.
0:30:29 > 0:30:34This technique of flouring fish and cooking it gently in oil is called a la meuniere,
0:30:34 > 0:30:39which means "of the miller's wife" because of the flour.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Give it a little pat.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43Just tap it off.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45OK.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49Frying pan. I'm going to use sunflower oil.
0:30:49 > 0:30:50So...
0:30:51 > 0:30:53..that's enough.
0:30:53 > 0:30:56We want to get this nice and hot.
0:30:57 > 0:31:03While that is heating up, I'm just going to grab a bit of parsley.
0:31:03 > 0:31:07Scrunch it up and then just run your knife through it.
0:31:07 > 0:31:13This is flat parsley. I always think curly parsley kind of tickles a little bit.
0:31:13 > 0:31:18OK, I think that is getting hot enough, so it's ready...
0:31:20 > 0:31:25You can put it in the pan. What this should do is bubble round the edges.
0:31:25 > 0:31:30Two minutes on each side should be fine. Sole is a delicate fish.
0:31:30 > 0:31:36You want to be able to taste the fish. That's why you don't need many ingredients. OK, turn it over.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38Yay.
0:31:39 > 0:31:44I'm going to cut half a lemon. I'll need that later.
0:31:44 > 0:31:48That's a beautiful, brown, golden brown colour.
0:31:50 > 0:31:51OK.
0:31:51 > 0:31:56And then you're just going to slide it out onto the paper.
0:31:58 > 0:32:04Wrap it up to keep it warm. Just wipe off the excess in there.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Put that on the heat. A nice chunk of butter.
0:32:08 > 0:32:13Now we'll make our brown butter sauce. This is a very quick sauce,
0:32:13 > 0:32:18so don't go disappearing anywhere or you'll come back to a black sauce.
0:32:18 > 0:32:24'As the milk solids in the butter cook, they give the butter a lovely, nutty colour and taste.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28'The French call it buerre noisette, or hazelnut butter.'
0:32:28 > 0:32:34You can actually smell the butter starting to cook. It should get this light, toasty flavour.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36OK, so that is done.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40Watch out. I'm going to add the lemon. It's going to...
0:32:42 > 0:32:44..splash a little bit.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48The lemon goes in. Parsley.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50And then...
0:32:51 > 0:32:55..just going to add a good tablespoon of capers.
0:32:55 > 0:33:00Right, that's the sauce done. Get a plate.
0:33:00 > 0:33:05Unwrap your fish. Slide the fish on there. And put the sauce on top.
0:33:08 > 0:33:14You can finish off with a bit more parsley on top. And a little slice of lemon.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17And that's it. C'est tout.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20That's supper in a couple of minutes.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Who said French cooking was complicated?
0:33:29 > 0:33:32Now S is for semolina.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36Many may automatically flinch at the thought of it,
0:33:36 > 0:33:42but this is an amazing dish from Anjum Anand, totally different from what you might expect.
0:33:42 > 0:33:47'Although the people of Dorset will certainly have come across tandoori cooking,
0:33:47 > 0:33:53'one dish they may not be familiar with is my delicious savoury semolina cake.'
0:33:57 > 0:34:02It's just really light and fresh and full of vegetables.
0:34:02 > 0:34:08It's a perfect teatime snack. If I could ask you to weigh the semolina
0:34:08 > 0:34:12and you could just give me 165 grams in here. That's fine.
0:34:12 > 0:34:16Perfect. So let me get some yoghurt out of the fridge.
0:34:16 > 0:34:23I'm going to use really good quality, fresh, whole yoghurt. I really want this to be slightly rich.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28It doesn't have much butter or oil and you need to make it slightly moist.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32If we just grate half. Half of that should be enough.
0:34:32 > 0:34:37'It might seem strange to Western taste buds, but adding vegetables to a cake is traditional
0:34:37 > 0:34:40'in any Gujarati household.'
0:34:40 > 0:34:44And just chop them up into not too small pieces.
0:34:44 > 0:34:48But slightly even. Add those in.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53In they go. 'I'm also putting in some frozen peas,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56'some grated ginger and mix.'
0:34:57 > 0:35:02All we need now is a little bit of tarka. Tarka.
0:35:02 > 0:35:08Tarka is heating some seeds up or some spices up in oil and just adding it on top.
0:35:08 > 0:35:15- So the process is called tarka? - Yeah. Or tempering.- I've heard of that! I've heard of tempering.
0:35:15 > 0:35:19- Tarka is the Indian word for that. - All right.- Some cumin seeds.
0:35:20 > 0:35:26Mustard seeds. And sesame seeds. This is a very Gujarati dish, actually.
0:35:26 > 0:35:31They like their things to be slightly sweet and savoury and use a lot of mustard seeds.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34They use a lot of sesame seeds also.
0:35:34 > 0:35:38You bite into a little season. It gives you a new flavour. Delicious.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43Just be careful. Whenever you're making a tarka or tempering spices,
0:35:43 > 0:35:49you want to heat the oil up so the seeds get in the hot oil, but not so hot that they burn.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52They become bitter really quickly.
0:35:52 > 0:35:55I'm going to pour that in there.
0:35:55 > 0:36:01- Can you smell all the seeds and flavours?- Gorgeous.- That flavour will go right into your food
0:36:01 > 0:36:04and flavour the entire batter.
0:36:04 > 0:36:08A bit of bicarb of soda. Half a teaspoon's worth.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10And then...
0:36:10 > 0:36:14the trick is to mix it, pour it into your pan and straight in the oven.
0:36:14 > 0:36:20And then I'll sprinkle some sesame seeds on top, which will roast and toast in the oven.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25- So it'll look nice.- Beautiful. With a little crunch as you bite.
0:36:25 > 0:36:29If you could just spoon it out. Thank you.
0:36:29 > 0:36:34- Take our sesame seeds.- I love that combination of sweet and salt.
0:36:34 > 0:36:39So it'll take about half an hour. I'll have a check with the skewer.
0:36:53 > 0:36:59- At times like this I get peckish. I want the cake now. Patience! - Shall we check it?- Yeah.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02- It should be done. - What's that stick for?
0:37:02 > 0:37:08If the skewer comes out clean, with no batter, it's done. So it's done.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11- Not burning.- Oh, wow.
0:37:13 > 0:37:19- Oh, that looks yum. - See all the beautiful moistness and the peas...- It smells so good.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21And it's crusty.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23Shall we?
0:37:27 > 0:37:32- I think that's yummier when it's hot.- It's good cold, too.
0:37:32 > 0:37:37Our final S is that kitchen essential salt,
0:37:37 > 0:37:43so crucial to so many dishes, but we've chosen one where you might not expect to find it.
0:37:43 > 0:37:47Let's find out more from Nigel Slater.
0:37:47 > 0:37:53'I love any excuse to experiment and dreaming up a sweet recipe for Surf and Turf
0:37:53 > 0:37:58'has given me the perfect chance to play.'
0:37:58 > 0:38:03You'd have to be a more adventurous cook than me to make Surf and Turf pudding,
0:38:03 > 0:38:07but I do like the idea of salt and sugar together.
0:38:07 > 0:38:13'To get as close to Surf and Turf as I can in a dessert, I'm going to try mixing chocolate
0:38:13 > 0:38:19'with some sea salt to make a wonderful treat. Let's call them sea salt chocolate snaps.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23'It starts with one of my favourite things to do in the kitchen.'
0:38:23 > 0:38:30There's something I love about melting chocolate and yet one thing I'm asked a lot is how to melt it.
0:38:30 > 0:38:36I'm told the easiest way is in a microwave, but I like to do it the old-fashioned way
0:38:36 > 0:38:43with the chocolate broken into small pieces over a pan of simmering water.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48And I don't poke or prod or stir.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52I just leave the chocolate to melt itself.
0:38:56 > 0:39:01I absolutely love pistachio nuts. They remind me of being on holiday.
0:39:01 > 0:39:08Just sitting there with a drink as the sun goes down, shelling wonderful little nuts.
0:39:08 > 0:39:12'A handful of any chopped nuts will be great for this recipe.'
0:39:13 > 0:39:17It's worth keeping an eye on the chocolate
0:39:17 > 0:39:22and just pushing the unmelted chocolate down into the melted.
0:39:22 > 0:39:26So no stirring. Just pushing the solid into the liquid.
0:39:26 > 0:39:32Once the chocolate's started to melt, you can actually turn the heat off.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36The residual heat will do everything we need.
0:39:41 > 0:39:46'I also fancy throwing a couple of handfuls of toasted almonds in, too.'
0:39:53 > 0:39:57This really isn't the time to do other things. I know it's tempting.
0:39:57 > 0:40:01But they burn in a heartbeat, they really do.
0:40:02 > 0:40:07'With the almonds a golden brown, a sprinkling of sugar will add
0:40:07 > 0:40:09'a lovely, toasted caramel flavour.'
0:40:12 > 0:40:17It's extraordinary how nuts straight from the jar taste of almost nothing
0:40:17 > 0:40:23and then give them some warmth and a tiny bit of sugar and they taste amazing and smell like Autumn.
0:40:23 > 0:40:29'Once they're glistening and smelling sweet, they're done. Now comes the bit I love.
0:40:29 > 0:40:33'Just spoon the melted chocolate onto some greaseproof paper.'
0:40:33 > 0:40:39I think these are much nicer when the chocolate is really thin and crisp.
0:40:39 > 0:40:43And there's no right or wrong chocolate for this.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45If you like milk chocolate, use it.
0:40:45 > 0:40:52But I like the idea of chocolate that's quite dark and bitter with the sugar.
0:40:52 > 0:40:54And the nuts.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00'This is where you've got to work fast while the chocolate is soft.'
0:41:06 > 0:41:10You don't need many of these. You don't even need them at all.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14It's just that I like having two flavours of nuts.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18And then the salt. This is where the surf comes in.
0:41:20 > 0:41:25I love the idea of the flakes of salt
0:41:26 > 0:41:31and the sugar and then they'll be earthy chocolates.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33And then I just fancy something...
0:41:36 > 0:41:39..something silly. I'm going to put some...
0:41:41 > 0:41:46..crystallised rose petals on. Could be violets.
0:41:47 > 0:41:55The thing about crystallised rose and violet petals is that they're really sugary.
0:41:55 > 0:42:01So what you get is little explosions of sugar and salt in your mouth at the same time.
0:42:01 > 0:42:08And then, of course, the deep earthiness of the chocolate. That's as near as I get to turf.
0:42:08 > 0:42:16'These are at their best chilled and crisp. Just 15-20 minutes in the fridge ought to do the trick.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19'I can't wait to see how these turn out.'
0:42:39 > 0:42:44It's extraordinary - the grittiness of the sugar,
0:42:44 > 0:42:50the little grains of sea salt, the toasted nuts and then the gorgeous melted chocolate.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55That's really, really wonderful.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00And you get fingers to lick as well.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05These are a must make for everyone.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10Trust me. That sprinkling of salt really is the icing on the cake.
0:43:21 > 0:43:25Well, that's all the cooking we've got time for today.
0:43:25 > 0:43:31A big thank you to all our wonderful chefs and please make sure you join me for more magical moments
0:43:31 > 0:43:33here on The A to Z of TV Cooking.
0:43:43 > 0:43:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd