0:00:03 > 0:00:07We've travelled the world and eaten everywhere from roadside bars to
0:00:07 > 0:00:09restaurants with Michelin stars.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13But there really is nothing like a bit of home cooking.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Coming into a warm kitchen filled
0:00:17 > 0:00:19with the aroma of a tasty meal bubbling away -
0:00:19 > 0:00:23it's one of life's great pleasures.
0:00:23 > 0:00:28There's nothing like comfort food to put a smile on your face.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40Today, a taste of Northumberland.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43It's food fit for a king.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46We're going to do Northumberland lamb meatballs.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50And this is a homage to the lamb we have in Northumberland,
0:00:50 > 0:00:52because the breeds that we have vary. We've got Mule,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55we've got Suffolk, we've got Scottish Blackface,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57we've got all sorts.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04What I've got here is some pine kernels.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07We've toasted off these pine kernels and all we're going to do is just
0:01:07 > 0:01:10crush them a little bit in a pestle and mortar and add them to this
0:01:10 > 0:01:13- wonderful lamb. - You've got the lot, haven't you?
0:01:13 > 0:01:15Cos Newcastle's an amazing city.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17You've got the coastline.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19The salmon rivers - the Tyne's producing salmon.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22Just to the north, you've got the Tweed, and then, of course,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26you've got the countryside. The most wonderful beef and lamb.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Well, I think that's the good thing about the diversity
0:01:29 > 0:01:32of Northumberland. What frustrates me,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34in Northumberland we're not that great at shouting about it.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37- Well, do you know what? - And it is frustrating.
0:01:37 > 0:01:41So, we've got the lamb and the pine kernels toasted and crushed slightly.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44I'm just going to put some breadcrumbs in here.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47I've put a teaspoon of allspice powder,
0:01:47 > 0:01:49a teaspoon of cumin, some nutmeg.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Here, I've got some flat-leaf parsley, some mint,
0:01:53 > 0:01:54some coriander and dill.
0:01:54 > 0:01:57There's a lot going on in these meatballs.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59But, you know, I think when you've got a city like Newcastle
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and that region, which is an embarrassment of riches
0:02:02 > 0:02:03with produce,
0:02:03 > 0:02:07you know, it's justified to use all of these wonderful things.
0:02:07 > 0:02:08Smell that.
0:02:08 > 0:02:13That is as fresh as you get - parsley, mint, dill, coriander.
0:02:13 > 0:02:14A lot of greenery in there.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16One egg...
0:02:17 > 0:02:18Would you like it?
0:02:21 > 0:02:24Right, then, that's just to bind the meatballs.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26- Have you seasoned?- Not yet, mate.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Should I oblige?
0:02:28 > 0:02:31About a teaspoon of sea salt.
0:02:31 > 0:02:32And we like our black pepper.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37Oh, look at that. Now, that's just coming together lovely.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38My hands are really, really clean,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42and it's best to just get stuck in there, and get in,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and just push all of those fantastic ingredients through
0:02:46 > 0:02:49the Northumberland lamb.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52And I know you must be thinking at home, well, "They don't grow cumin!"
0:02:52 > 0:02:54- We know that.- Aye.
0:02:54 > 0:02:58But we do have a history of spice in the North East because of the trade,
0:02:58 > 0:03:00- you see.- Shall I help?
0:03:00 > 0:03:02- Yeah, please, man. - About 20, shall we get?
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Oh, no, that's too big.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06I think walnuts.
0:03:06 > 0:03:11Now, we start these meatballs off in the oven at a hot heat.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14We just need to brown them at 220 degrees for about ten minutes.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18They'll still be raw in the middle, but then we cook them in the sauce.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20- Yeah, get some colour on them. - Oh, aye.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Look at them!
0:03:37 > 0:03:39- Look at that.- It's great.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42- Let's get some heat on. - Right, so, onion goes in.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46And we're going to saute these off for a little bit.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50- This is what you need, as well. - Yeah.- Swiss chard.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Oh! Doctor Livingstone, I presume.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57I'll take the stems off. But we're not going to throw them away.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00I'm going to cut these and shred them finely.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04I'll put those in with the onions and the garlic.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06- They look lovely, don't they? - Absolutely.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08I'll just saute these off a little bit.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14A little bit longer. Mate, would you pass the broad beans, as well?
0:04:14 > 0:04:18Now these, they're frozen broad beans that have been double-popped.
0:04:18 > 0:04:19Let them thaw out.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22And the white husk around the bean,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25you just pop out these green beans, and it's like a pan of emeralds.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27They are such a good eat.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29They look so good on the plate.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- Oh, man, that smells brilliant. - Doesn't it just?
0:04:32 > 0:04:34Absolutely gorgeous.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41Right, I'm going to put our herbs... Put those in.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43Just roughly chop the herbs.
0:04:43 > 0:04:44Don't worry about the stalks,
0:04:44 > 0:04:46because it is all going to be blitzed.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50So it's actually about equal quantity of chopped herbs
0:04:50 > 0:04:54- as the chard leaves.- I'm going to reserve a fifth of the stock
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- for Dave.- Now, remember, the meatballs have only been browned.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00They need to cook through now in that wonderful, ethereal broth of
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- flavour.- It's so good, this dish.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06The remaining stock goes into a pan.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08So bung this in. I'm just going to sweat that down
0:05:08 > 0:05:11for a couple of minutes in that stock.
0:05:13 > 0:05:15I just want to wilt down that chard...
0:05:17 > 0:05:18..with the 'erb.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24Oh! What?
0:05:24 > 0:05:28- That's fabulous. - Right, I'll take your device and...
0:05:29 > 0:05:32- WHIRRING - ..and puree this green.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43Thank you.
0:05:49 > 0:05:50That'll do nicely.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57Oh, what?!
0:05:57 > 0:06:01Now, we stir this through the meatballs.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03And apart from colour,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06this is completely and utterly flavour-packed.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10- Look at that. - That is beautiful, Dave. Yeah.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13Oh, yeah. This really is the icing on the cake.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Mr Myers.
0:06:20 > 0:06:22There we are, mate, I'll take this off the heat.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25- There we go, mate.- That's brilliant.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27We've tried to make the most
0:06:27 > 0:06:29of all the ingredients, not least your lamb.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32- Let's have a look. - I think we should.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34They're juicy, which I think
0:06:34 > 0:06:37is one of the essential elements of the meatball.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Good old Northumberland lamb, mate, perfect.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- I'll drink to that, shall we? - What a good idea!
0:06:58 > 0:07:02The secret to creating delicious comfort food is using the right
0:07:02 > 0:07:04ingredients.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06The real work is done by the producers,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09who put all of their passion and expertise
0:07:09 > 0:07:13into getting their ingredients just right.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I'm Andrew, and this is my wife Billie,
0:07:17 > 0:07:22and together we farm and mill in the heart of Northumberland.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25We've lived here together for 16 years.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28I've been up here for 24 years.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30We were the first cereal farm in Northumberland
0:07:30 > 0:07:33to convert to organic production.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38The considered wisdom was you could only grow milling quality wheat,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40so baking quality wheat, in the south of England.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42This far north everybody said,
0:07:42 > 0:07:45"You're wasting your time, it can't be done."
0:07:45 > 0:07:50Now we grow milling quality wheat every year under organic conditions.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52This is what we grew here this year.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56This is spelt that's thousands of years old.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01And if you look at any field of wheat anywhere else in the country,
0:08:01 > 0:08:06it's 40, 50 centimetres, and we're growing stuff that's over a metre.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09And these really ancient varieties - the spelt in particular -
0:08:09 > 0:08:13they're so tall that when we grow them in an organic field,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15they overshadow all the other weeds.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18They grow in an environment they were designed for.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20We have very, very deep soils.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25And as much of the plant is growing below the soil as above,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29so these plants will scavenge for their nutrients in a way that
0:08:29 > 0:08:30modern varieties can't.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34And they produce really nutritionally rich grains.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39So, when you walk into the mill, the first thing you see
0:08:39 > 0:08:41is the big 3½-tonne millstones.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44It's two stones. The bottom stone is static,
0:08:44 > 0:08:49and the top stone is driven and mills the wholemeal flour.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53The grains that we mill have an enormous amount
0:08:53 > 0:08:57of minerals and vitamins in them. And if you mill them slowly,
0:08:57 > 0:08:59and you retain those minerals and vitamins,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02then you are bringing to the customer, really,
0:09:02 > 0:09:06the best nutritional delivery system that we could possibly produce.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12It's only half the story to say that we've got grains that have high
0:09:12 > 0:09:17nutritional value. The moment you add water to a grain it'll start to
0:09:17 > 0:09:21germinate and a chemical process will happen.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22And it's exactly the same
0:09:22 > 0:09:25when you add water to ground-down grain as flour.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30The only way that you can stop that process and make those minerals and
0:09:30 > 0:09:33vitamins available to us to digest
0:09:33 > 0:09:36is if you lower the pH of your dough.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40And low pH is sour, it's acidic - it's sourdough.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Every sourdough starts with a good sourdough starter,
0:09:45 > 0:09:46or called a mother.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50And my sourdough comes from a lovely bakery in Newcastle.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Add a bit of flour to it, a bit of water.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Now, what we've done here is called a poolish,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05and that best sits overnight in a plastic bag
0:10:05 > 0:10:08and just let it ferment away.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14So, here's the poolish I made yesterday, and you can see
0:10:14 > 0:10:16it has changed quite a bit.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18We need 200g of this.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23The gluten now begins to develop.
0:10:23 > 0:10:25It's still very stiff.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28So with every knead and with every rest, it will be better.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31And now the long wait begins.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35We put it in the bag
0:10:35 > 0:10:38and let it rise for six hours in a warm place.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44I think it's just one of the simplest pleasures in life,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46to bake bread. It fills the kitchen and the house
0:10:46 > 0:10:48with a beautiful smell.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51It also satisfies something very deeply inside us.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53It nurtures us.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08There was a tradition of ice-cream making in Northumberland.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10And this is why I thought
0:11:10 > 0:11:12deep-fried ice cream.
0:11:15 > 0:11:18Well, I'm working under instruction.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22In this bowl I have crushed ginger nuts and desiccated coconut.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24I suppose this is your crumbs for your frying, is it?
0:11:24 > 0:11:28This is it. The most important thing is, about deep-fried ice cream,
0:11:28 > 0:11:31is your ice cream balls need to be as tight as possible, because,
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- you know, we're going to deep-fry them.- They've got to be super-cold,
0:11:34 > 0:11:35- haven't they?- Super-cold.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37And we're going to put them back into the freezer.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39You want them rock-like, don't you?
0:11:39 > 0:11:44- Yeah.- I've got two eggs and I'm going to stir in some coconut cream.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46So, I can see that we've got the Caribbean vibe coming on
0:11:46 > 0:11:51with the rum, the coconut... I'm beginning to like this, Mr King!
0:11:51 > 0:11:54You see? I know it sounds a bit bonkers, but it's not.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Do you know what, as well, mate?
0:11:56 > 0:11:58I just thought it's a nice wintry recipe for ice cream,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00do you know what I mean?
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Because it's deep-fried and warm on the outside.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05Most of us have got freezers, and I, actually, to be fair,
0:12:05 > 0:12:08most of the time in my freezer,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10- I have to wait for the ice cream to thaw before I eat it.- Yes.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- Should I put the raisins on, Si? - Would you mind?
0:12:13 > 0:12:15No. So, the raisins go into a pan.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- How much rum would you like in there?- About 150ml, mate, please.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- Whoa!- Well, you know what we're like up in the north, dude.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25We don't do anything light.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28- Two, four, six, eight...- Right, I'm going.- Put them in the freezer.
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Yeah, I've got to put them back in the freezer.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32- Don't be long.- I won't.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Now, he said to put a teaspoon of cinnamon.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40As soon as it comes to a simmer, I'm going to grate the zest of a lime.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41Kingy!
0:12:42 > 0:12:45- I'm coming!- I don't want this to catch light because, if it does,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48we'll take the kitchen out. So, I've got the cinnamon, the rum
0:12:48 > 0:12:52- and the raisins.- Perfect, mate, perfect. Right, now...- Oh, wow.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Well, I did some earlier, you see.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57- They've changed character, haven't they?- They have.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- Right, we'd better be quick. - We do. So,
0:12:59 > 0:13:01into here first, and just scrunch it a little bit,
0:13:01 > 0:13:03so you get a nice coating.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06- Now, I've got my eggs and my coconut cream.- Yep.
0:13:09 > 0:13:10And it's back to you, isn't it?
0:13:10 > 0:13:16Yeah. And you cover it again in the ginger nut and coconut mixture.
0:13:16 > 0:13:17And you have to work quick.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20That's one of the fundamental things with ice cream,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22its propensity to melt.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24- I'm getting it, though, Kingy. - Are you getting it?
0:13:24 > 0:13:28Yeah, yeah. I think those ice cream balls need to go back in there
0:13:28 > 0:13:31for a couple of hours to firm up.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33I'll bash on with this, but don't linger. I know you -
0:13:33 > 0:13:35once you go out there, that's it, I never see you again.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40I mean, this is possibly the ultimate grown-up
0:13:40 > 0:13:45rum-and-raisin ice cream sauce. Now, we turn the heat off.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47I want the zest of a lime.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49This needs to go cold.
0:13:49 > 0:13:51And whilst the ice cream's getting harder,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54this will be macerating all that lovely lime, cinnamon,
0:13:54 > 0:13:55raisins and rum.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58And those raisins are going to plump up and look absolutely amazing.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Do you know what, I'm beginning to like this recipe, you know?
0:14:01 > 0:14:03But it's very odd being here on my own.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Right, now, we haven't finished with the sauce yet.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18We're going to make a caramel.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Sugar. Do you know how we've always told you not to stir caramel?
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Well, this is a little bit different.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24So, we're taking 100ml of water...
0:14:26 > 0:14:30..and we're just going to stir it until it looks like wet sand.
0:14:30 > 0:14:31So, like that.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36And then, we'll turn it up and let it turn into caramel.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41Now, at this point we definitely, definitely do not want to stir it.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43While that's going, you can see the bubbles now,
0:14:43 > 0:14:44Dave's just swirling it around.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48- And we don't want it to go to toffee, do we?- No.- Just caramel.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51That's it, Kingy, look. It smells of caramel now.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53We don't want it to go any more, so let's get that cream in.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55Now, bearing in mind, when you put the cream in,
0:14:55 > 0:14:57it is going to split and splatter.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59HISSING
0:15:02 > 0:15:07Look at that. And this is very, very, very, very hot.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10- Ready?- Yeah.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17Now, this is what you call a rum-and-raisin sauce.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21Now, we will have to wait for this to go cold
0:15:21 > 0:15:23before we put it on the ice cream.
0:15:24 > 0:15:28Now, THAT is a rum-and-raisin sauce of some calibre.
0:15:31 > 0:15:32And as it cools, it'll thicken.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39Oh, this is nice. I think the nice thing is,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42we should serve this sauce warm, but JUST warm, just tepid.
0:15:42 > 0:15:43Yeah, nice, nice.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47Here we go, mate. So, these have been in the freezer again.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52They are like rock. That's what you want.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55That's what you want. The oil is preheated to 190 degrees,
0:15:55 > 0:15:59and we're going to drop the three balls in at the same time,
0:15:59 > 0:16:01and cook them for 15 seconds.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Take them out, set them aside.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- Right.- Are you ready? Are you counting?- I'm counting, now!
0:16:14 > 0:16:15Five seconds.
0:16:19 > 0:16:21That's the 15.
0:16:22 > 0:16:26Oh, yes, golden and crispy.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29A three-ball scoop of magnificence, Si.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32- Shall we spoon some of this over? - Oh, yeah, go heavy on the raisins.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36- How's that?- I just can't wait to taste it.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38Right, let's do it.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41Remember, the outside of the ice cream is crispy and red-hot,
0:16:41 > 0:16:42and the inside is frozen solid.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51The coconut's toasted, the ice cream's fabulous.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53The sauce is immense.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58Kingy, I'm not really an ice cream man...
0:16:59 > 0:17:01This is the best ice-cream dessert I've ever tasted.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03Well...
0:17:03 > 0:17:05it's always a joint effort.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Nothing beats home-made comfort food,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21but every now and then it's nice to have someone else cook for you.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Thankfully, all over the country
0:17:23 > 0:17:27there are places that make us feel right at home,
0:17:27 > 0:17:29and keep enticing us back.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33My name is Mary Manley,
0:17:33 > 0:17:37and we've been running this bookshop since 1991,
0:17:37 > 0:17:42when we opened in only 800 square feet of the shop,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44which has grown since to 8,000 square feet.
0:17:45 > 0:17:47This building was built in 1888.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50The first room that was discovered, we changed into the buffet,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52was a boiler room,
0:17:52 > 0:17:56for boiling water to heat foot warmers that go in the carriages.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Then the next room we expanded into
0:17:58 > 0:18:01was the gents' first-class waiting room.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05And the third room is the ladies' first-class waiting room,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08which still has the original marble fireplace.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14We get a lot of regulars come in every morning, read the paper,
0:18:14 > 0:18:18have breakfast. Some stay all day, some people come with their dogs.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25What I wanted in the buffet was just simple, good food, local produce.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Creamy mushrooms and a quiche.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Simple but well done.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32And people liked it.
0:18:32 > 0:18:33And we grew.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37Well, they're one of the best bacon sandwiches in town.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40Plus, I have quite an affinity towards the place.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43My father used to work on the railway,
0:18:43 > 0:18:47and he's got his name up on the board along the side there.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51And I have fond memories of coming here as a schoolboy, actually.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54It's been named by one magazine
0:18:54 > 0:18:57as the British Library of second-hand book shops.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01And the difference between this and the British Library is here you
0:19:01 > 0:19:04can see all the books at once and handle them.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07This cafe is wonderful.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11You can take a book in, you can read it over a teacake and coffee.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15The only problem is, you mustn't get the jam on the pages of the books.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17That's frowned upon.
0:19:18 > 0:19:21The thing I love cooking most is the macaroni cheese.
0:19:21 > 0:19:22Cream cheese going in.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27A lot of people say mac-cheese and they think of what they had
0:19:27 > 0:19:30in school, but mac-cheese can be an art.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Put in our magic.
0:19:32 > 0:19:37That's the cream reduction that has the herbs, the wine, the butter,
0:19:37 > 0:19:38the whole lot, really.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Parmesan.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Now we just add the sharp cheddar.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Just warming the pasta through.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52Boiled in water beforehand.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56And in we go.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Sprinkle the crumbs.
0:20:00 > 0:20:01And I love doing...
0:20:01 > 0:20:06a simple dish like that, but really well.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09That's what I'm after in our buffet.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13The macaroni cheese is wonderful.
0:20:13 > 0:20:15You get the bacon bits on the top.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18They're really, absolutely divine.
0:20:18 > 0:20:20Very nice American influence, I have to say!
0:20:21 > 0:20:25The cafe is definitely an added draw for me.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27It's grown so much over the years.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Whenever I come in, I like to come, sit at this table,
0:20:32 > 0:20:33table number nine.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37I've warned the staff that when I die, I'm going to come back
0:20:37 > 0:20:38and haunt table nine.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44The very kind of customers we have
0:20:44 > 0:20:48are the same ones who used to come to the railway station.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52Every age, every...class come here.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54And that is what I aim for.
0:21:11 > 0:21:13The first thing that we're going to do is
0:21:13 > 0:21:17I'm going to give our beautiful brill a bit of a haircut.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19So, it's just...
0:21:22 > 0:21:24Take that off...
0:21:25 > 0:21:26..like that.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29And then the same on the other side.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32This is a celebration of what you have locally.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- Yeah.- What I love about brill, Dave, and I know you do, too,
0:21:36 > 0:21:39the flesh of the brill is quite compact and solid,
0:21:39 > 0:21:43and it flakes beautifully. And also,
0:21:43 > 0:21:47it just imparts this wonderful, wonderful flavour.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49I'm just going to make, like, the steaming vessel now.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52So, I'm making sure that I've got
0:21:52 > 0:21:54enough to wrap around.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Because we want to create some vapour...
0:21:57 > 0:21:59..for the fish.
0:21:59 > 0:22:01I'll put some oil on this side, Si.
0:22:01 > 0:22:06- Yes, please, mate.- So, some oil on here, and a little knob of butter.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10- Beautiful.- A couple there. A couple of bits of garlic.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12And some zest, mate.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15So, we've got, like, the strip of lemon peel, so we'll get the aroma,
0:22:15 > 0:22:17but you're not actually eating the lemon.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Look at this. Gosh, there's some meat on that.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24I've put some garlic just in its inside.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28- And there's some more zest, mate. - And some salt in here.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30Some lemon zest.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35Bits of garlic.
0:22:38 > 0:22:39And now the steaming liquor.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43You can use white wine, water, or vermouth.
0:22:43 > 0:22:44Vermouth is, it's lovely.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47So you want about 100ml of this.
0:22:47 > 0:22:50I'm just pouring it around the sides, cos I don't want to take off
0:22:50 > 0:22:52any of the seasoning that Dave's put on.
0:22:52 > 0:22:54And it's almost cooking in this wonderful,
0:22:54 > 0:22:57- kind of, nice, boozy steam. - That's about there, mate.- Yeah.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00And just gather your foil up.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03We want to do what you call a tent.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07We want the steam to be able to circulate around the fish,
0:23:07 > 0:23:09which it will do.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12So, we need to put this in now for about 15 minutes,
0:23:12 > 0:23:13for a fish of that thickness.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16The oven's being preheated to 200 degrees.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19So, it's quite a fierce oven, but we want the steam.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24- Beautiful. - There we go. Now, we'll time this.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26Again, what do we serve this with?
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Well, you don't want to detract from the quality,
0:23:29 > 0:23:33you want to focus your head on the langoustines, mussels and fish.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35So, I'm going to do some game chips.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38You know, just posh crisps on the side.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Basically, the first one's sacrificial,
0:23:41 > 0:23:45and then you turn it 90 degrees, 90 degrees, 90 degrees, 90 degrees,
0:23:45 > 0:23:50and, look, we get these lovely perforated crisps.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53And I'm going to do an aioli, which, fundamentally,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56is really a garlicky mayonnaise.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58In a bowl, take two egg yolks.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Just to start the emulsification, we're going to put a little,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05little bit of lemon juice in.
0:24:05 > 0:24:07A teaspoon of Dijon mustard in.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10A little bit of salt. I'll give these a whisk.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Suddenly, when you start to make crisps or game chips,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20you realise what a lot of crisps you get out of one potato.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26The game chips are deep-fried at 190 Celsius until crisp and golden.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Now, a key ingredient with aioli is garlic.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34So, we're going to put one lovely fat clove in.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40And, you whisk it until the egg yolks change colour,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44and they go slightly light, and then from that point
0:24:44 > 0:24:47you start to add your sunflower oil.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Just in a little dribble every now and then.
0:24:57 > 0:25:02And then I'm just going to add a little olive oil, just for flavour.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03And then...
0:25:04 > 0:25:06..the saffron.
0:25:07 > 0:25:08Whisk it in again.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13A little touch of lemon juice.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17And I think, mate, just have a taste of that and see if we're there.
0:25:17 > 0:25:18Oh, wow.
0:25:20 > 0:25:22- That's superb.- Yeah?
0:25:22 > 0:25:25Oh, yeah. I mean, it's going to be the richest thing on the plate,
0:25:25 > 0:25:27but I think you leave that to people,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30- how much they want to enrich. - Absolutely.- You forget, you know,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33little garnishes like this add such a lot to a dish,
0:25:33 > 0:25:37and they really are supporting players to that gorgeous fish.
0:25:37 > 0:25:39Right, mate, I'm going to take this brill out.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42- I've got my last batch on. - So, at this point...
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Oh, yeah, mate, come and have a look at this.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49- It's beautiful.- Oh! - We can put our langoustines on.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Yeah. Put our langoustines and mussels in.
0:25:52 > 0:25:53That's an event, isn't it?
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Absolutely. For people who are frightened of cooking fish,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59this is a great way to do it, because it's simple.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03How beautiful is that?
0:26:03 > 0:26:07Now, more butter...
0:26:07 > 0:26:10and then we're going to seal her up again.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Five more minutes, mate.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20I think we've got enough game chips here.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Yes!
0:26:23 > 0:26:25Right, bit of a tidy-up, eh?
0:26:25 > 0:26:27Yeah, and wait for the main event.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- Oh!- Oh, yeah.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39Now, this is a bundle of joy.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43I'm so excited...
0:26:43 > 0:26:45Oh, look at that!
0:26:48 > 0:26:50See, Mr Fish, there you go.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Oh, come on, Si, at least let's get it on a plate.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56Right.
0:26:59 > 0:27:00There we have it.
0:27:02 > 0:27:08Brill with mussels and langoustine from the cold waters around the UK.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10It's completely brill.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11Yeah.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13- Drop of white wine?- Oh, absolutely.
0:27:16 > 0:27:17Langoustine?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Look at that.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23When people say about opalescent,
0:27:23 > 0:27:26white, flaky fish, that's what you want.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29Plain...
0:27:35 > 0:27:38It's the best, Si. It really is.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41Because the pure way we've cooked it, it ticks all the boxes -
0:27:41 > 0:27:44it's moist, it's tasty, it's lovely.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48It's one of those occasions, in cooking,
0:27:48 > 0:27:51where you just let the ingredients speak for themselves,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53because they are of such a high quality.
0:27:54 > 0:27:55Cheers. Here's to Northumberland.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Here's to Northumberland. Cheers, mate, cheers.