0:00:20 > 0:00:23Today, The Best Dishes Ever is looking at perfect pairings -
0:00:23 > 0:00:27ingredients that work together beautifully and just seem right.
0:00:27 > 0:00:32This can mean adding a herb or a spice, or mixing sweet with savoury.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Whatever the combination, you know when it hits the spot.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38Let's get things started with cakes from Mary Berry that
0:00:38 > 0:00:41illustrates our theme so well, with apple and cinnamon.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Fruit and spice is normally associated with rich,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51dense cakes, but this loaf cake, with apple and cinnamon,
0:00:51 > 0:00:54offers a much lighter way to spice up tea-time.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00I'm actually going to make two - one for now and one for the freezer.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Start off with the flour.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07200g of self-raising flour.
0:01:07 > 0:01:0975g of butter.
0:01:09 > 0:01:13I find that it helps to have it a bit soft.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17And then, a light rubbing-in and that gets the air in it.
0:01:18 > 0:01:23When the butter has combined with the flour to a breadcrumb texture,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25add 100g of light Muscovado sugar
0:01:25 > 0:01:28and a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32Cinnamon and apple go really well together.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36They use it an awful lot in Europe. Think of apple strudel.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Lightly combine the sugar and spice, then prepare the apples.
0:01:41 > 0:01:47I'm using three Braeburns, which must be cored and peeled.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50If I was using our old favourite, Bramleys,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53they would go in to a mush in the cake.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55Eating apples, sometimes known as dessert apples,
0:01:55 > 0:02:00hold their shape and I want to keep the texture.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02Right, we have three apples prepared.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05I'm going to keep half to go on top of my loaf tin,
0:02:05 > 0:02:08so I'll pop that down there.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11When I was a child, we had a lot of apples in the garden
0:02:11 > 0:02:15and, when it came to picking time, we had to go up the tree
0:02:15 > 0:02:17and have a basket and not let them fall.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21I've always liked climbing trees, so, I must say, I really enjoyed it.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25With the apples chopped, lightly whisk three eggs,
0:02:25 > 0:02:30then add both to the mixture and stir it all in.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33That's quite a soft mixture
0:02:33 > 0:02:37and there's a lovely spicy smell coming up from it, too.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Spoon the mixture into two greased and lined 1lb loaf tins.
0:02:42 > 0:02:48I find that two smaller cakes bake more reliably than one big one.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53It also means I've got one for now and another for the freezer.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56To decorate the cakes,
0:02:56 > 0:02:59cut the remaining half apple into thin slices and place on top.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05And then, to give it a nice crunch, I'm going
0:03:05 > 0:03:09to add a little bit of Demerara sugar.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11I'm just going to sprinkle that,
0:03:11 > 0:03:13I suppose I'm using about two tablespoons,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15all over the top of the apple,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18and that will just sort of melt and become a lovely,
0:03:18 > 0:03:22crunchy topping and a good, even brown colour all over.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25Now they're ready for baking,
0:03:25 > 0:03:30so it's into the oven at 160 fan for about 35 minutes.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35Once the cakes have cooked, turn them out
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and spread with apricot jam.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42It will melt to leave you with a lovely, sticky glaze.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46So, there you go, wonderful cinnamon apple cakes.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49This is a perfect choice for the adults.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51I think they'll be thrilled with it.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Thanks, Mary.
0:03:56 > 0:03:58Now, it's time for something from yours truly,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00and a combination of duck and honey
0:04:00 > 0:04:02that I think works an absolute treat.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06It's my honey-glazed duck with rosti potatoes, creamed cabbage
0:04:06 > 0:04:07and a honey and clove sauce.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Oh, sounds delicious, Ains!
0:04:12 > 0:04:15I'm on a mission to revive British honey and what is apparent is
0:04:15 > 0:04:18that buying British isn't always top of our agenda.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22As far as where my honey comes from, I wouldn't have a clue.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25I buy a branded label, I'm not sure where it's from, maybe England.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27I don't think I've ever checked the back of a jar to find out
0:04:27 > 0:04:29where it's from.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I think our apathy towards buying British honey is alarming,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35but that's just one of the many challenges
0:04:35 > 0:04:37facing the honey industry.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41David Bondi runs the UK's largest honey manufacturer.
0:04:41 > 0:04:46His company bottles over a third of all the honey sold in our shops.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Total British honey production is
0:04:49 > 0:04:52only about 10% of everything that we consume in this country,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55and so, clearly, we have to import lots of honey.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58We buy all the British honey that we can. We'd love to buy more.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Our difficulty has been just how limited the supply has been.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05We work with our beekeeper colleagues to encourage them
0:05:05 > 0:05:06to produce as much as they can.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09But they are obviously struggling to keep up with demand,
0:05:09 > 0:05:13so I've come to Buckinghamshire to meet one of the UK's leading
0:05:13 > 0:05:15commercial beekeepers to find out why.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Hello, Jed.- Hi, Ainslie. - How you doing?- All right.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Good, looking forward to meeting your bees.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26'Jed has 200 hives spread across the farm and, in a good year,
0:05:26 > 0:05:29'he can produce up to 15 tonnes of honey.'
0:05:30 > 0:05:33What's it like being a commercial farmer, then, Jed?
0:05:33 > 0:05:37Well, it's changed radically from when I started 20 years ago.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40We've got so much more to contend with these days.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43We've got a lot of problems with disease,
0:05:43 > 0:05:47bee losses over winter, we've also got a lot of the good
0:05:47 > 0:05:49agricultural crops that were grown,
0:05:49 > 0:05:52that were very helpful for beekeepers,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54have been stopped or greatly reduced,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57so it's more difficult to find good sites where the bees can get
0:05:57 > 0:06:00a good crop of honey in the summer.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02What about the production of honey for you?
0:06:02 > 0:06:05How long would it take for a bee to make a jar of honey?
0:06:05 > 0:06:07For a single bee to make a jar of honey, it would
0:06:07 > 0:06:11travel the equivalent of one and a half times round the world.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16Wow. That's why you need about 50,000 in order to keep a hive active.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Yes, I mean, that's the whole idea.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21You get an awful lot of bees and they don't have to travel as far.
0:06:21 > 0:06:25They're just going over there, to the flower meadows.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27That's a mixture of clover and Bramwell.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31- Would you like to try some? - Yeah, get them out the way.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33- That's it.- Dig in. - Yeah, I know. I'm right in there.
0:06:33 > 0:06:39- Go on, they'll all be after me now, all the bees. I'm in there.- Yeah?
0:06:43 > 0:06:45Oh, yeah!
0:06:45 > 0:06:47You can taste the wildness coming through that.
0:06:47 > 0:06:53That's definitely there. Mm. Gorgeous. And a bit of wax, too!
0:06:53 > 0:06:55THEY LAUGH
0:06:57 > 0:07:01So, what can we do to help our bee farmers?
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Planting more bee-friendly flowers would be a start,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06but we can take it further than that.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09The thing that the Great British public can do
0:07:09 > 0:07:11is simply to buy honey.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Let's make sure that British honey, when it's in the supermarkets,
0:07:14 > 0:07:18when it's in the farmers' markets, that people buy it.
0:07:18 > 0:07:20Very simple and we can all do that.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25Wow.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And I'm going to be using this - Jed's honey - for my second recipe.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30And that's going to be...
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Now, the sauce is really fairly straightforward.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40Loads of different flavours going on here, notably the honey,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43cos it really does work so beautifully with this.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46So I'm talking about four tablespoons of honey.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49I know, I just pour things in,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52but that's the real beauty of being a cook, isn't it?
0:07:52 > 0:07:54You kind of measure by eye.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58That's followed by a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce,
0:07:58 > 0:08:01balsamic vinegar and ketchup.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06To that, add a couple of tablespoons of Muscovado sugar and a few cloves.
0:08:07 > 0:08:11When that starts to boil down and that clove oil starts to be released
0:08:11 > 0:08:14into the honey and everything, it's got a real pungency.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17And, last but not least, some beef stock.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Let's get some heat under there now. There you go.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25And all you really want to do is just to bring that up to the boil.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27Let's slice up that onion, shall we?
0:08:30 > 0:08:32You see this end here, where the root is?
0:08:32 > 0:08:35Because I'm using sliced onions as opposed to just chopping them,
0:08:35 > 0:08:38I want to cut a little wedge out of that, either side.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45And the idea of removing that root is, look at that, look,
0:08:45 > 0:08:47the onions just separate beautifully.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50If I hadn't taken that out, then they'd be all glued together.
0:08:51 > 0:08:55Add some butter and oil to the pan, followed by the onions.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01Whilst that's sorting itself out, we can get on with preparing the meat.
0:09:01 > 0:09:05This is what we're going to go with, those lovely, lovely duck breasts.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08And what we want to do is just to score that skin.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11You know, ducks are waterproof, so their skin is like that.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14What you need to do is you need to score the skin a little bit
0:09:14 > 0:09:15to release some of that fat.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21Right, let's get our pan on now. Pan is cold, as you can see.
0:09:21 > 0:09:27A lot of chefs will say put it into a hot pan so it sears straightaway.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29I'm not sure whether it really matters.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32I think you can put it straight into a cold pan and we're just going
0:09:32 > 0:09:35to let that render down a little bit, to release some of that fat.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38I think cabbage works wonderfully well with duck.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Cabbage, in my house, is a big, big thing and sometimes
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I cook it down with carrots and bacon and ginger
0:09:44 > 0:09:47and a bit of chilli, one of my dad's favourites.
0:09:47 > 0:09:48SIZZLING
0:09:48 > 0:09:50Hey, can you hear that duck now?
0:09:50 > 0:09:53That duck is just kind of starting to release its fat now.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58Give the cabbage a quick wash and pop it in with your onions.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Just look at that. Crispy.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I'm just going to pour off that excess fat.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Carefully do this, guys.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12They do move around the pan there a little bit.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14That really doesn't need to go to waste.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17It makes the most wonderful roast tatties, or rostis.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19I'm going to be doing a few of those for you later.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20I've got them in the oven, really.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Duck fat is really, really good for that.
0:10:23 > 0:10:27Pop that into an oven, 200 degrees centigrade or 400 Fahrenheit.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31Gas mark six. For that thickness, no more than six to eight minutes.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34I'm talking about just beyond pink.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38If you want it deadly pink, four, five minutes, no more than that.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41OK, and if you like it well-done, which would be a shame,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44because duck doesn't need to be eaten well-done...
0:10:44 > 0:10:46I won't even tell you how long you've got to cook it for,
0:10:46 > 0:10:48but there you go.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51So, back to the cabbage.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54I've lowered the heat so it begins to cook down.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Ears are a fabulous thing when you're cooking.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58My mum always used to say, "Grab the steam".
0:10:58 > 0:11:01When we talked about cooking like that, she'd grab the steam
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and smell, that will tell you a lot. But it's the sound of stuff.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06You can tell that something has reduced down,
0:11:06 > 0:11:08there's no longer any moisture in the pan, it's drying out,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12so I think we just need a little bit of water in there.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17That's it, now. That's cooked down really, really lovely.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22So, at this stage, in with my crispy bits of bacon.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Add a splash of cream and stir well.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31I'll take my duck out now and, for that final minute, all I'm going
0:11:31 > 0:11:35to do is take some of Jed's honey
0:11:35 > 0:11:39and just drizzle on top of that.
0:11:39 > 0:11:44Look at that, it's going to give it that lovely sheen. Beautiful.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46Pop that back in for another minute.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51Now, what we're going to do is just pass off our sauce.
0:11:55 > 0:11:59Oh, it smells of cloves, the honey, it's slightly caramelised.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04OK, let's take those beautiful honeyed ducks out.
0:12:07 > 0:12:08OK, you can see I'm carving it.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11I think it just presents so much better than just having
0:12:11 > 0:12:13that lump there. It's not like a bit of chicken.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15This is duck, it demands respect,
0:12:15 > 0:12:18as my old head chef Malcolm used to say.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20JAMAICAN ACCENT: Respect da duck!
0:12:20 > 0:12:21He wasn't from Jamaica!
0:12:21 > 0:12:23HE LAUGHS
0:12:30 > 0:12:31And there you have it, guys.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Look at that - gorgeous.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Honey-glazed duck, I should say Jed's honey-glazed duck,
0:12:35 > 0:12:39with rosti potatoes and creamed cabbage and bacon.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42I've just got to try that.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48You know, honey just works so well with savoury,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50because it brings out the natural flavours.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52I can taste the duck beautifully.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54It's gone into the sauce and the clove is there, so you get that
0:12:54 > 0:12:59spicy taste followed by that honey, and Jed's honey really is wonderful.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02I think this is what we forget. Honey is just not honey.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05There's so many different varieties, so many different flavours,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08and if you can find out what works with your cooking,
0:13:08 > 0:13:09you're in for a real treat.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Cor, that was lovely.
0:13:12 > 0:13:15And here's another poultry pairing that features honey,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17but the reason I've included it here is because
0:13:17 > 0:13:20it marries together chicken and lavender.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Let's head to France and join up with Rachel Khoo.
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Landes, in the south-west of France, is famous for its chickens.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31They carry the French red label, which is
0:13:31 > 0:13:34similar to our free-range chicken guarantee.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Their lovely strong taste comes from being raised slowly
0:13:37 > 0:13:39and given good-quality feed.
0:13:52 > 0:13:56Because I'm not the best butcher, he's going to take the head off,
0:13:56 > 0:13:58and the feet, and cut it up into bits for me
0:13:58 > 0:14:02because he can do it in five minutes and I take half an hour.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04I'm going to use lavender with this chicken,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07which Parisians use for baking.
0:14:07 > 0:14:10This will add a subtly perfumed taste.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Sticky lemon and lavender chicken.
0:14:15 > 0:14:20You might be thinking, "Lavender in a savoury dish?"
0:14:20 > 0:14:24Right, we're going to start off with crushing some lavender.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26There is lavender that tastes bitter,
0:14:26 > 0:14:31so look for sweet lavender and make sure it's suitable for cooking.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37In it goes. Next step, I'm going to zest the lemon.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42OK.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Right, lemon zest in. And I'm going to grab some thyme.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48I have my Parisian fridge out here.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52In Paris, most people have small fridges...
0:14:53 > 0:14:56..so you stick your stuff out on the windowsill.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59OK, so I'm just going to take the leaves off these sprigs.
0:15:00 > 0:15:05Thyme and lavender go really well together - it's a good combination.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Some olive oil, about two tablespoons.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13So, I'm going to add two tablespoons of honey, some lavender honey,
0:15:13 > 0:15:17which is going to give that stickiness to this dish.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21The lavender honey will reinforce the flavour of the mixture.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23You'll find it in specialist shops in the UK,
0:15:23 > 0:15:26but you can also use regular good-quality honey.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30I need some lemon juice.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34OK, let's juice this lemon.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42That goes in there. A pinch of salt.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47And let's mix this all together.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Once it's mixed up, I'm going to grab my chicken.
0:15:54 > 0:16:00OK, we've got some lovely chicken here. All you need to do...
0:16:00 > 0:16:03is you stick all the pieces in.
0:16:03 > 0:16:09I've got a nice selection of drumsticks, thigh, wings.
0:16:09 > 0:16:14Give it a good mix. That way, all the pieces get coated.
0:16:15 > 0:16:18If you wanted to, you could just cover it with some clingfilm
0:16:18 > 0:16:20and put it in the fridge,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22but because my fridge is so small...
0:16:22 > 0:16:24SHE LAUGHS
0:16:24 > 0:16:29I have to save space on everything, so I'm going to grab a sandwich bag.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32Here.
0:16:33 > 0:16:35I'm just going to tip it in there.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38This dish, a lot of people think it's like,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40"Oh, you should do it for the summer."
0:16:40 > 0:16:43I quite like doing it in the winter, when it's grey and wet.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46And all you need to do is give it some time in the fridge and
0:16:46 > 0:16:48pop it in the oven. All right, so that's going in the fridge.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51FRENCH POP MUSIC PLAYS
0:17:00 > 0:17:02I've grabbed my chicken out of the fridge,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04it's had a couple of hours to marinate,
0:17:04 > 0:17:05and I'm going to put it in the oven.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Cook it for 40 minutes at 200 degrees.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12That's it. Easy.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14Easy-peasy.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19If the chicken is browning too quickly,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21cover it with aluminium foil.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25And it's a good idea to turn the pieces over halfway through,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27so they brown evenly.
0:17:27 > 0:17:32I think the chicken... It's bubbling away, it looks like it's done. OK.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37Yes. That looks pretty amazing.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42You've got lovely, caramelised, sweet, sticky skin on the top.
0:17:42 > 0:17:46If you've got some crusty baguette or some bread at hand,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48you just want rip a piece off and dunk
0:17:48 > 0:17:50that bread in those juices there
0:17:50 > 0:17:53cos it's seriously good.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Serve with green beans or any vegetable with a gentle
0:17:56 > 0:17:58flavour that won't fight the lavender.
0:17:58 > 0:17:59Mmm.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Yeah, good!
0:18:05 > 0:18:06SHE LAUGHS
0:18:09 > 0:18:11The rich, savoury flavour of the chicken
0:18:11 > 0:18:13and sweetness of the lavender,
0:18:13 > 0:18:17a traditional French ingredient used in an unconventional way.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23That looks great, Rachel. Thanks very much for that.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Now, there are loads of great flavours working
0:18:25 > 0:18:27together in this next dish,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30a lasagne from Lorraine Pascale, that contains a nice
0:18:30 > 0:18:33alternative to the usual bechamel sauce.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35I'm going to make this sweet potato
0:18:35 > 0:18:40and butternut squash lasagne with sage, toasted pine nuts and nutmeg.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43There's these lovely golden layers of yumminess and the cheat
0:18:43 > 0:18:48about it is there's a white sauce that takes seconds to prepare.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57First, soften 12 lasagne sheets in boiling water -
0:18:57 > 0:19:00this makes them cook more evenly when layered.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Mash together 600g of cooked sweet potato
0:19:04 > 0:19:07and butternut squash with a little bit of salt and pepper.
0:19:08 > 0:19:13Now, chop a generous handful of sage and rosemary.
0:19:13 > 0:19:19Then, to make your shortcut bechamel sauce, 600g of ricotta...
0:19:21 > 0:19:24..100g of grated Parmesan...
0:19:27 > 0:19:28..two egg yolks...
0:19:30 > 0:19:34..a bit of ginger and then nutmeg.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38Really powerful aromas, really boost the flavour of this dish.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Salt and pepper.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48Then just give this a stir together and we're good to go.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52And now, start assembling the lasagne.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58First, a layer of mashed sweet potato and butternut squash.
0:20:01 > 0:20:03Got some baby leaf spinach here.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Just sprinkle it over and it'll just wilt nicely in the oven.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13Sprinkle over some of this sage and rosemary -
0:20:13 > 0:20:16it's going to add real pungent flavour.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20Scatter over some toasted pine nuts.
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Then the pasta sheets,
0:20:26 > 0:20:32just overlap them slightly, and then my cheat's bechamel sauce.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38Not really bechamel at all,
0:20:38 > 0:20:42but it tastes even better than a standard bechamel, I think.
0:20:44 > 0:20:49Put about a third on there and then use my palette knife,
0:20:49 > 0:20:53just to spread it over the lasagne.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01That's one lot and then I just repeat that two more times.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14Once I complete the layers, I sprinkle over breadcrumbs
0:21:14 > 0:21:18and Parmesan cheese for a crunchy crust.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22And this goes into the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 220 degrees.
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Just enough time for me to clear everything away.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46There you are - butternut squash and sweet potato lasagne
0:21:46 > 0:21:48with sage and rosemary.
0:21:52 > 0:21:56Right, that's it. Now, let's end with a pudding, shall we?
0:21:56 > 0:21:59And this is stuffed with flavours that work really well together -
0:21:59 > 0:22:02blueberry, peanuts and chocolate.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06I know, I know what you're thinking. Take it away, James.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12This is my blueberry galette,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15served with an instant chocolate bar ice cream.
0:22:19 > 0:22:23Now, if there's one place that I love going to when I'm on holiday,
0:22:23 > 0:22:26and that's Paris, and I came across this dessert.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29It's a little galette, very, very simple to make.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32There's a real key thing you really need to pay attention to,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35to get perfect pastry every time, like the French,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38and that's what I think needs to be done by hand.
0:22:38 > 0:22:43First thing to do is put 200g of plain flour into a bowl.
0:22:43 > 0:22:49Next is 150g of chopped, unsalted butter.
0:22:49 > 0:22:53But cold butter, it's really, really important that you use cold butter.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Sometimes, you can actually freeze this to get it really cold.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00I've actually seen recipes where they freeze the pastry as well,
0:23:00 > 0:23:02to get it even colder.
0:23:03 > 0:23:08Throw in the butter to the flour with a good pinch of sugar.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12The secret of this is to actually work the flour as little as possible
0:23:12 > 0:23:15and, by doing so, the gluten in the flour,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17the stretchy part of the flour,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21which you knead when you're making bread, doesn't happen.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25What you end up with is a very short pastry,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29but a very delicate one that just melts in your mouth.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34And even my gran used to rub the butter and flour together to make
0:23:34 > 0:23:38her shortbread while watching Corrie on the box.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41It meant that when you actually tasted this,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44you didn't need to bite it, you didn't need any teeth,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47which, in my granddad's case, was probably a good thing.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49Using the tips of your fingers,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52keep on rubbing it in until it creates a small crumb.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56The more delicate you are with it, the better the end product.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Once it's like this, add one egg yolk
0:24:00 > 0:24:03and bind it all together into a big ball.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Because you've worked it, you need to allow it to rest,
0:24:07 > 0:24:09so I've got one that's in the fridge, just firmed up.
0:24:09 > 0:24:13It'll only take about an hour, two hours - something like that.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16I'm going to create the filling for our little galette.
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Now, this is so simple. You can do this with any summer fruit, really.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23For this galette's filling, I'm using blueberries.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26To this, I'm adding some vanilla seeds, a pinch of sugar
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and a squeeze of lemon.
0:24:29 > 0:24:33What holds all this together is a tablespoon of cornflour.
0:24:34 > 0:24:38And this makes sure the liquid from the blueberries,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41when it does cook, it doesn't leak out everywhere
0:24:41 > 0:24:45and make our galette look like a big pizza at the end of it.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48So what we're looking for is that sort of texture.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51It's almost like a wallpaper paste blueberry mixture.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Looks nothing now, but when it's baked
0:24:53 > 0:24:57it just looks delicious, so a little bit of that to one side.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00You need to roll out your pastry now.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02The secret with this is...gentle but firm.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08And the least amount of flour as possible.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11The more flour you add to anything, the drier it becomes.
0:25:11 > 0:25:16Roll it out on a cold surface until it's about 5mm thick.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21And then I'm going to use one of these rings or tins
0:25:21 > 0:25:23I just have in my kitchen.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25We're just going to cut these out.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28The key to making the galettes is quite simple.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30You make it like a crimped pasty.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33So, you start at one end, crimp it...
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and work your way round.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39You've got these wonderful little tartlets - so simple to make.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Pop them onto a tray.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43You don't need to be too fancy.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48Nothing is too perfect - that's what I love about French patisserie.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53Pop a decent amount of the blueberry mix into the casing
0:25:53 > 0:25:56and put them in the fridge for half an hour,
0:25:56 > 0:25:58which I did with some others earlier.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04It's quite important to do this, it just firms up the pastry nicely,
0:26:04 > 0:26:06just enables us to do some egg wash.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09You don't need to be too fancy with this.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12The final touch is to sprinkle plenty of Demerara sugar over
0:26:12 > 0:26:14the top and then place them
0:26:14 > 0:26:18in the oven at 250 degrees centigrade for 25 minutes.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25While the galettes are cooking, I'm going to make a great
0:26:25 > 0:26:27accompaniment for them - peanut chocolate bar ice cream -
0:26:27 > 0:26:30and that all starts with making a custard.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37For that, I'm going to use sugar, egg yolks, milk and cream.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42Put 300ml of milk and 200ml of double cream into a pan
0:26:42 > 0:26:43and start heating it up.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46While this is happening, whisk together six egg yolks
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and 75g of caster sugar.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56When this is done, add the warm milk and cream into the bowl,
0:26:56 > 0:27:00mix in together and return to the heat and then start stirring.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05I always find the best way is to use a whisk
0:27:05 > 0:27:07and, as the bubbles start to disappear,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10the custard starts to thicken up.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15At that exact time, you take it off the heat before it boils...
0:27:16 > 0:27:18..pour this into a bowl.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23If I was using a normal ice cream machine,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I'd be putting the chocolate bars into the warm custard now.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28That way, the chocolate bars melt
0:27:28 > 0:27:31and, as the machine that you're blending it in starts to
0:27:31 > 0:27:35churn round, it churns it and cools it and freezes it at the same time.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38But I like kitchen gadgets,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42so I'm going to make my ice cream in a slightly different way.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45I've let some of the custard cool down in the fridge.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47To this, I'm going to add some whole peanut chocolate bars,
0:27:47 > 0:27:50which is then frozen rock-solid.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54It's then ready to churn.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57All that happens with this is, there's a blade in there
0:27:57 > 0:27:59and, when I hit this button,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01the blade goes down and comes back up again.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07While that's churning, it's time to take out the galettes from the oven.
0:28:09 > 0:28:13These look like authentic galettes,
0:28:13 > 0:28:16which is lovely, it's nice and delicate, like that.
0:28:16 > 0:28:20The pastry just breaks open, like that. It's lovely and soft.
0:28:22 > 0:28:24I've got MY fancy ice cream,
0:28:24 > 0:28:27but a scoop from a normal ice cream maker, or even shop-bought,
0:28:27 > 0:28:31will go down just as well with this great galette.
0:28:32 > 0:28:36In fact, do you know what? It's my house.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37I'm going to take two.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48It is so, so good. You HAVE to make this at home.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57Thanks for that, James, and thanks to all of our chefs today.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59I think we all blended together beautifully.
0:28:59 > 0:29:01And I hope to see you again very
0:29:01 > 0:29:03soon for more of The Best Dishes Ever.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05Until then, take care now. Bye-bye.