0:00:02 > 0:00:05We're on the road to find regional recipes to rev up your appetite.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08We're riding county to county to discover,
0:00:08 > 0:00:10cook and enjoy the best of British.
0:00:10 > 0:00:11- Come on!- Wayhey!
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Today, we're in search of the real taste of Monmouthshire.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Oh, look at that, dude.
0:00:44 > 0:00:46It's beautiful.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Monmouthshire! Oh, man, we're on the edge of Wales, you know, looking in.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51It feels like it.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55And did you know that Monmouthshire was awarded
0:00:55 > 0:00:58the best food tourist destination in Wales in 2009?
0:00:58 > 0:01:01I did, dude. That's why we're here.
0:01:01 > 0:01:03I mean, what is a food tourist? Are we food tourists?
0:01:03 > 0:01:08I see us more as food adventurers, food explorers on a food safari.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- Right, anyway, we better get on. - Let's head for Abergavenny.
0:01:11 > 0:01:15It's over there, nestled in the hills beyond the Sugarloaf Mountain.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28On our quest to find the true flavours of Monmouthshire
0:01:28 > 0:01:31we visit Chepstow to cook up a county favourite
0:01:31 > 0:01:33as old as the hills that it comes from.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36We find some of the best cured meats we've ever tasted
0:01:36 > 0:01:39and get our hands dirty curing some of our own.
0:01:39 > 0:01:43We taste history with a drink made here for hundreds of years.
0:01:43 > 0:01:47And representing Monmouthshire in the cook-off is Stephen Terry.
0:01:47 > 0:01:48Will we be able to beat him
0:01:48 > 0:01:51in a blind tasting judged by local diners?
0:01:52 > 0:01:54Our first port of call is Abergavenny,
0:01:54 > 0:01:57known as the gateway to Wales.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05Abergavenny, it's bonny. Nestling in Monmouth's Black Mountains.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09Fab, isn't it? And it's a Mecca of all things foodie and local.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Look, there's some wonderful, wonderful traditional shops.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16What's the food of Monmouthshire to you?
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- I don't know. Fish and chips?- Right?
0:02:18 > 0:02:20Nice cakes, pastries.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23Erm... Cawl soup.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Right, what's in cawl?
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Well, anything, really. Vegetable, meat. It's a personal taste, innit?
0:02:29 > 0:02:31I like tripe, my wife doesn't.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33That's the same as me.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35I like tripe, Dave doesn't.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37But I'm not his wife, though.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Si, I know you've been away a long time, but...
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Now, we've just popped into a lovely Welsh tea shop.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46You know, just for a little cuppa. It's lush.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49- Tea shops are really traditional in Wales, aren't they?- Very much so.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Look, proper cups. China, get your pinky out.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Ah, look at that.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58Come and have a sit and a chat.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- Now what have we got here?- That is the traditional Welsh barrow bread.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05It is soaked in fruit and it's also soaked in the Welsh brew tea,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07exactly what you're drinking there.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11And then when it comes in lovely, we slash on the Welsh butter!
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Ah! And it's lovely with a cup of tea.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15It was made to go together.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17That is our whisky fruit cake.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22It's got plenty of organic cherries, lots of whisky, award-winning.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Unfortunately, when it got its gold award,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27trading standards looked into it and said
0:03:27 > 0:03:30there was far too much alcohol to be able to sell that in our shop
0:03:30 > 0:03:32without an alcoholic licence.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35- How ridiculous.- So we get it under the counter for free?
0:03:35 > 0:03:37Hey!
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Welsh products, that's what we want.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45- Oh, cheese, yes.- Are you a big champion of Monmouthshire food?
0:03:45 > 0:03:49I am. There is some fabulous food in Monmouthshire, especially cheeses.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52This is an Abergavenny Y-Fenni cheese,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56made with mustard seed and Welsh ale.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00You can smell the mustard!
0:04:00 > 0:04:04And the ale comes through after a while.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Very savoury.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07- Nice.- Packed with flavour.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10The next cheese, guys, is a Harlech.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12Let's cut you a bit of this to try.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14I like that, Dave.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Quite sweet, isn't it?
0:04:16 > 0:04:18I was just about to say, there's a sweetness to it.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22- And it's got you on the front.- I hope I had a waist like that, dude.
0:04:22 > 0:04:24Is there anything we should look out for in Monmouthshire?
0:04:24 > 0:04:28The steak in the butcher's down here is the best steak in the world.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29I've eaten it all over the place.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31- Faggots.- Faggots, right.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34And sausages, cos you've got such a variety of sausages.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Go and get a hot faggot, beautiful.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40What's the difference between an English faggot and a Welsh faggot?
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- Just the ingredients.- Right.
0:04:42 > 0:04:43What's in your faggots?
0:04:43 > 0:04:47There's a combination of everything to make them so flavoursome.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49Everything's fresh in them.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51Onions and seeds.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- They're fantastic.- Lovely. - Nice flavour?- Oh, yeah.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00You've got the most incredible selection of sausages
0:05:00 > 0:05:01I think I've ever seen.
0:05:01 > 0:05:04I started making them in 1990, I done my first competition.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Since then, I've been Welsh champion three times in a row.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09This is our sort of place, this, it's great.
0:05:09 > 0:05:16These have just won a competition, all local grown herbs.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- So juicy.- Yes.
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Oh, that's heaven.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24There's no doubting Abergavenny's food pedigree,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28but we're still on the look-out for Monmouthshire's signature dish.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Are there any dishes that you had when you were little that your mam made?
0:05:32 > 0:05:34- Well, soups and stew, Welsh cawl. - Welsh cawl?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Yes, soup. C-A-W-L.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39- Oh, right, what is it?- It's a soup.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43It's made with vegetables and lamb.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Just keep filling up the pot through the week,
0:05:45 > 0:05:47as my grandmother used to do.
0:05:47 > 0:05:49Any any chance of coming round your house
0:05:49 > 0:05:51for something to eat? It sounds great!
0:05:51 > 0:05:53Well, I suppose, being Welsh,
0:05:53 > 0:05:58- you get a lot of cawl and that sort of thing.- What is cawl?
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Well, it's like a stew, a soup.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03The school made the best cawl ever.
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- Really?- Yeah, a little old Welsh lady, absolutely fantastic.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09- And what was in that?- Everything.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12Lamb, carrots, leeks, onions, potato,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15and a big chunk of cheese and chunk of bread on the side.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18Even as kids, I loved that. Dunk your cheese in
0:06:18 > 0:06:20so it goes all gooey... and then your bread.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- Now that's a top tip. - That's top!- Yeah.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Well, there isn't much doubt about this one.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27The county dish is definitely cawl.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30It's back to the butchers to get our ingredients.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33This is what makes real Welsh cawl.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35- Best end of neck.- The neck of lamb.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38Would you put that on the bone in your cawl?
0:06:38 > 0:06:41- Yes, on the bone - traditional.- Right.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43All of your thickening agencies
0:06:43 > 0:06:46will come from your bone, obviously, in the stock.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49- Cartilage, yeah.- And all that lovely flavour as well.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52You'll have a little thin layer of grease on the top. Nice.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55I think we've got our traditional recipe.
0:06:55 > 0:06:56I think we have.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04We're cooking our version of cawl in Chepstow on the River Wye.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08- Have you been to Chepstow before?- No.
0:07:08 > 0:07:10- Haven't you? It's pretty, isn't it?- Yeah.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13The river is a natural border with England,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17but, for our recipe, our feet will be firmly on Welsh soil.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25We'll be cooking a traditional cawl, a hearty lamb stew,
0:07:25 > 0:07:29using best end of neck with potatoes, carrots, leeks, onions and swede.
0:07:29 > 0:07:35# South of the border, down Monmouthshire way. #
0:07:35 > 0:07:39Over there is England, here's Monmouthshire. We're in Wales! Shwmae, Cymru!
0:07:39 > 0:07:41THEY CHEER
0:07:41 > 0:07:44And I've got me symbols of Wales.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51# There'll be a welcome in the hillside. #
0:07:52 > 0:07:54Will you cut...! We've got to use them.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57- We'll skin them. - That's the River Wye there, look.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- It's beautiful, isn't it?- Isn't it? - It really is border country.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05but this is most definitely in Wales.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07- We're cooking cawl.- Cawl.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08MOCK WELSH ACCENTS
0:08:08 > 0:08:09- Cawl.- Cawl.- Cawl.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- What is it, darling?- "Cowl"!
0:08:14 > 0:08:17No need to be rude, missus, we were only asking!
0:08:17 > 0:08:19- Cawl.- Cawl.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Step one in the cawl, stock.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Now, obviously, lamb stock will be best.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Put a couple of pints of that in a sturdy pan.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Lamb, and this is best end of neck,
0:08:32 > 0:08:35each piece cut into three on the bone.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37Cos there's no thickener in the stew,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40the thickening comes from the gelatine in the meat.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44- You take your meat and you put it in the stock.- Ooh!
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Like that, you see.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54So that's the one we put on and simmer for an hour.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56Here's one that's been simmering for an hour.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00So, basically, we've got a pan of boiled meat.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Next step, it's the vegetables.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06Leeks, carrots, swede or turnip.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- That's a potato. - And onion. The gang of five.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11So, top and tail the leeks, get rid of the outer leaf.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Taking the skin off, cutting the ends off
0:09:14 > 0:09:16and then moving on to the next one.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19We like the leeks cut in rings. I'm gonna wash me leeks.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22This is clean, cold water. Leave to soak there for a bit.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Do you say swede or turnip down here?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27- ALL:- Swede.
0:09:27 > 0:09:28- Never turnip?- No.
0:09:28 > 0:09:30What do you mean?
0:09:30 > 0:09:32It's different, isn't it?
0:09:32 > 0:09:34Ask the Oracle.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37- Madam, what is it?- It's a swede.
0:09:37 > 0:09:39I'll have to go with that, I'm afraid.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45So that's just best end of neck, simmered away in stock.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47We've put in chunks of swede,
0:09:47 > 0:09:49now the leeks...
0:09:49 > 0:09:50Carrots.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53See all the colours. It seems odd, there's no seasoning
0:09:53 > 0:09:57or anything gone in at this point. It's just the pure flavours.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59It's a simple dish, but tasty.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01I think we've got enough onion in there now.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04Yeah. Put in the tatties.
0:10:05 > 0:10:09So, the lid goes on and we simmer that for another hour.
0:10:09 > 0:10:14- Should we season now? - Yes, I would, so it'll boil up nice.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16- OK, darling.- She's great, isn't she?
0:10:16 > 0:10:19What's your name?
0:10:19 > 0:10:20- Marjorie.- Marjorie?
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- Griffiths.- Griffiths?
0:10:22 > 0:10:24- Mm-hmm.- A good Welsh name.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27It is. It's either that or Marjorie Jones, isn't it?
0:10:27 > 0:10:30Marjorie Griffiths, this is your cawl.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34And we simmer that for one hour until the vegetables are soft.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Now, here is one...
0:10:36 > 0:10:39We made earlier!
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Get out of the way!
0:10:44 > 0:10:47Two big pots of lovely cawl.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49Look at that!
0:10:49 > 0:10:51Let's taste it.
0:10:51 > 0:10:52Hmm.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55- Actually, it doesn't need that much seasoning.- No.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56Aw, look at that.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Lots of pepper. The history of it's very interesting,
0:11:02 > 0:11:05because working men and women used to come in from mines
0:11:05 > 0:11:07and the fields and all that sort of stuff.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10And they'd have different shift patterns, wouldn't they?
0:11:10 > 0:11:14My gran, like you said earlier, kept it boiling.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16And it would go on for a couple of days.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19- On the hob.- And it was always there.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22"Go have some stew," you know.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24- Look at that, it's lovely, innit?- Yeah.
0:11:24 > 0:11:26Any tips as to what you have your cawl with?
0:11:26 > 0:11:29- Bear in mind we've...- Bread.- Bread.
0:11:29 > 0:11:30Definitely bread.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32No butter.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- No.- Just bread. - Butter on the bread.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37You have butter? With butter, without butter.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39It's all gonna kick off in a minute!
0:11:41 > 0:11:45- Any suggestions?- Bread, it's gotta be almost stale bread.- Oh, yeah.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Old bread, so it sucks up the gravy.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Sucks up the gravy. They're the girls!
0:11:52 > 0:11:53Excellent. Anything else?
0:11:53 > 0:11:55Cheese, a slice of cheese.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00I'm looking forward to this.
0:12:05 > 0:12:09Goat's cheese. Monmouthshire cawl with some goat cheese and bread.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Monmouthshire's finest, fabulous.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16'Now it's the moment of truth.
0:12:16 > 0:12:19'Will the locals approve of our Monmouthshire cawl?'
0:12:19 > 0:12:22- Hello.- Hello. Thank you.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24Who's got knives and forks?
0:12:24 > 0:12:27There you are. Come in, come on.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Right, there's no pressure. What do you think?
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- Absolutely delicious.- Very good.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- Lovely.- Wouldn't have thought it was that simple.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- Have you had cawl before?- I haven't, it won't be the last time.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Gone. Yeah, it didn't touch the sides!
0:12:44 > 0:12:45What do you think?
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Lovely, really nice.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50It tastes like really simple stew, but it's well seasoned.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52That seems to have done well.
0:12:52 > 0:12:53Did you like it? Yeah?
0:12:53 > 0:12:56What was your favourite bit about it?
0:12:56 > 0:12:59- The lamb.- The lamb. - It tastes like it's full of flavour.
0:12:59 > 0:13:02Marjorie, font of all knowledge.
0:13:02 > 0:13:06- It's as good as my gran used to make. Marvellous.- Oh, come here!
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Even our Marjorie thought the version of cawl was authentic.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15Next though, an even bigger challenge is around the corner.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18As always, we're taking one of the county's top chefs
0:13:18 > 0:13:20in their restaurant, using local ingredients,
0:13:20 > 0:13:23to see who can best define the taste of the region.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27It will be up to local diners in a blind tasting to decide whose dish
0:13:27 > 0:13:29best represents the true flavours of Monmouthshire.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Our opponent today is Stephen Terry,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36the chef and owner of the Hardwick in Abergavenny.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Stephen has previously worked with the likes of
0:13:39 > 0:13:42Marco Pierre White and Michel Roux Jnr.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45The Hardwick won a national award for its use of local produce
0:13:45 > 0:13:48and has been named the Welsh Restaurant of the Year.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51My inspiration comes from the produce that I can source.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54And in Monmouthshire, I am spoilt for choice.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Local free-range chickens from Chepstow.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59We have fantastic goat from three fields back that way.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01And pork, everyone breeds pork.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I like to put food on a plate so halfway through eating it,
0:14:04 > 0:14:06it resembles half of what arrived in the first place.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08We don't go for big towers of things,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11because you have to deconstruct the tower to eat it.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14Then it's all over the plate, it looks like a dog's dinner.
0:14:14 > 0:14:18To be awarded the Good Food Guide's Best Use Of Local Produce award,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21throughout the UK, I was blown away by that.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23We just got a letter in the post!
0:14:23 > 0:14:25We got that award from just doing what we do.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29And that is because, being in Monmouthshire, we have the produce.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32To take on the hairy bikers today, my taste of Monmouthshire is
0:14:32 > 0:14:35pressed local pork belly with black pudding,
0:14:35 > 0:14:38roasted sea scallops, broad beans and fennel.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39Have it!
0:14:50 > 0:14:52- Hello.- Hello, guys.- How are you, man?
0:14:52 > 0:14:55- Nice to see you. - Lovely to meet you.- I'm Dave.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Now, there are a panel of nine tasters waiting outside,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01just ready to sample the fruits of your pans.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03Dude, headline your dish.
0:15:03 > 0:15:08We've got today Monmouthshire belly of pork, pressed with black pudding,
0:15:08 > 0:15:11with roasted sea scallops, fennel and broad beans.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13It's all the things I like.
0:15:13 > 0:15:15This is a Gloucester old spot pork.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18What's important is that we reserve the layer of fat underneath the skin.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22And that's what we use to moisturise the layers as we build it back together.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Because the dish, otherwise it would be dry.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27And also, as you know yourselves, fat is flavour.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30So we need to get as much of that in there as possible,
0:15:30 > 0:15:32cos that's going to build the dish up.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Me and him are a cannibal's dream, you know! It's true.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38It goes into a small roasting tray with a little bit of water,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40a few vegetables if you like, tin foil.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45Once that has been cooked for 12 hours, we have the end result.
0:15:45 > 0:15:46That smells brilliant.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49That protects it because sometimes tin foil breaks down.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- You've lost nothing of the flavour there.- No.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- That is unbelievably wonderful. - So that was water when it went in.
0:15:55 > 0:15:59So you can see it produces a pork stock we can use in other things. Have a little taste.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03There is no vegetables or anything, that is just water with the pork.
0:16:03 > 0:16:08- That's unbelievable. - It just makes its own stock.
0:16:08 > 0:16:09Just remove the top layer of skin.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11As I run my finger along there,
0:16:11 > 0:16:14this is the layer of fat that I want to keep.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17You can squeeze it through your hand. There is flavour in that.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20- It's first class. - It's like butter, isn't it?
0:16:22 > 0:16:26So you remove that. That's that fat, we'll keep that there.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30This is the first top layer, so work it off like so.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33It is sort of a man's dish, I suppose.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Generally speaking, more men tend to order this than ladies.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41So once we've it like so, get some of the fat on there, like that.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44This is HG Edwards black pudding, that is fantastic.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Sorts it out for me. Remove the black pudding from the skin.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Slice the black pudding. One of the things I always find,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54especially showing people something different, they think
0:16:54 > 0:16:56"Oh, God, I'll never be able to produce that."
0:16:56 > 0:16:58When you do it at home, no-one will tell you off.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Are you deliberately going against the grain with this piece?
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Yeah, you can go either way. It's like the MDF of the pork world.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08Once all that belly pork is used up with the black pudding,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13we're just going to wrap it up in the Clingfilm, like so.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16And then that'll be pressed overnight,
0:17:16 > 0:17:18so what you end up with is this. It's pressed.
0:17:18 > 0:17:20It's the pork fat that solidifies,
0:17:20 > 0:17:22acts as the glue that keeps it all together.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25You could do it between two baking trays, couldn't you?
0:17:25 > 0:17:27And half a pint of water on the top.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30As long as the Clingfilm's nice and tight,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33it won't go anywhere, it'll hold it.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35It would need a minimum of six hours, really.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39- I bet it tastes nice, though, now, doesn't it?- It's amazing.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43So we come through the belly pork and remove the Clingfilm.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47- That's fabulous. They chorused. - Then slice it like that,
0:17:47 > 0:17:49and then when you see it on the plate it's like that,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51but with breadcrumbs around it.
0:17:51 > 0:17:56- So, there's no problem in reheating the cooked pork?- No.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59That's them finished. That's the finished breadcrumb version.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01We just pass it through a tray of flour,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04make sure it's all coated in flour, through the egg
0:18:04 > 0:18:06and through the breadcrumbs. That's how you breadcrumb.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09That's the result. So that's the belly pork element.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13Obviously, we've got the scallop element. So these are live.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17I use a knife to separate the shell there,
0:18:17 > 0:18:19just to break the little bond down there.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23And then just pass the knife through there which now exposes the scallop.
0:18:23 > 0:18:24This is the bit I'm going to use today,
0:18:24 > 0:18:26this is the actual scallop meat here.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Pass the knife underneath.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32That comes out like so.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35Once it's like that, we need to remove the skirt
0:18:35 > 0:18:38and the roe and this little mucky bag thing.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40And I do that, there's a little muscle on the side here
0:18:40 > 0:18:43and there's a slight line coming down there.
0:18:43 > 0:18:48I rub my thumb, work it down between the two...he says...
0:18:48 > 0:18:53like so. And then put that one around and it all sorts of...
0:18:53 > 0:18:54comes away like this.
0:18:54 > 0:18:57- A pure nugget of meat.- Yeah.
0:18:57 > 0:18:58Quickly rinse these off.
0:19:00 > 0:19:03So, I'm gonna pop those on there and pat them dry.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09- Look at the sheen on them. - I could just eat those now.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Monmouthshire broad beans and some fantastic fennel.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16I'm gonna pop some of those and blanch them in a bit of water.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18There's a few there I managed to get done earlier.
0:19:18 > 0:19:20Take this top off here,
0:19:20 > 0:19:22slice it really thinly.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25I remember having a salad once with just loads of this fennel
0:19:25 > 0:19:29with lime juice and a bit of lemon zest and a carpaccio of swordfish.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33It was just amazing. I thought, what a good idea.
0:19:33 > 0:19:36I'm just gonna put more dressing on there.
0:19:36 > 0:19:40The dressing is extra virgin olive oil. We use a Greek olive oil.
0:19:40 > 0:19:44- Yeah.- With Amalfi lemon juice.- Oh!
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- Do you want to just blanch those for me?- Yeah, sure.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49How long would you blanch the broad beans for?
0:19:49 > 0:19:52A couple of minutes, I mean, those are tiny.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53You want a bit of a bite to them.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Look at that. It looks almost like spaghetti.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59It looks like grey tagliatelle, doesn't it? Brilliant.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03So that's that. Broad beans can come out about now.
0:20:03 > 0:20:06- That's out, chef.- There we are.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Put cold water in there to cool them down.
0:20:08 > 0:20:13- Thanks, chef.- Make it a little easier so we don't burn our fingers.
0:20:13 > 0:20:17Yeah, that's good. A little bit of that dressing.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19And the other thing I'm going to put on here is sea salt.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21A little bit of that on there.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23What's that for, chef? Deep-fat frying?
0:20:23 > 0:20:26- Do you know what they're for?- No. - Tell him what it says.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- Ah! Onion glasses, dude. - Really?- Yeah!
0:20:29 > 0:20:33So all we need to do now is deep-fry these pork portions.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Place them on there. It is quite a thin crispy coating, so to speak.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41- So pop those on there.- Ah.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45You may have noticed that chef has asbestos fingers.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47At home, don't do it because you'll burn yourself.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52There's not a lot of fat on there. I'll just pass the knife like that.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55So there we have a little cross section, there.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57Just like that for two seconds.
0:20:57 > 0:21:01And a tiny bit of salt on each one just there as it goes in.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02Pop that in the oven there.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04Top shelf. It is hot, isn't it?
0:21:04 > 0:21:06- It is hot. - I've got a non-stick pan here,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09so I don't need to put loads of oil on it.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Just toss the scallops in a little bit of the oil.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Did you season the scallops first?
0:21:14 > 0:21:16I'm a big fan of seasoning them afterwards.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20You could season them now, but where the salt makes contact
0:21:20 > 0:21:24with the raw shellfish, it immediately starts to draw moisture.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26It would almost blemish the scallop,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29so I'd rather put it on after when it's sealed at the edge.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Because they haven't been soaked, and these are the best scallops
0:21:32 > 0:21:36that money can buy, there's no water diluting the flavour.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39And also when you cook them, the caramelisation, that's 100% natural
0:21:39 > 0:21:42just from the natural sugars inside the scallops.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Three lots of fennel for each plate.
0:21:46 > 0:21:50These are ready now. A little bit of salt on them,
0:21:50 > 0:21:52set them on top like so.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54Broad beans, they're all seasoned.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56Salad leaves, we'll pop them in the middle.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59A little bit of nice peppery rocket and slightly peppery watercress.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Your craft is just fabulous.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05I think, anyway.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08That's just Bramley apples cooked down to a puree
0:22:08 > 0:22:11and a little bit of English mustard.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Finish with a bit of rapeseed oil.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17- Balsamic. - That's an absolute delight.
0:22:17 > 0:22:20So, here we have Monmouthshire pressed pork belly
0:22:20 > 0:22:23with black pudding, roasted sea scallops, fennel and broad beans.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25I hate you!
0:22:26 > 0:22:28I quite like you guys!
0:22:29 > 0:22:31- That is beautiful.- It is.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34Let's just hope it tastes horrible.
0:22:34 > 0:22:37- I think that highly unlikely. - So do I.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43- Fantastic.- Oh...
0:22:43 > 0:22:47You know that little zap of apple sauce has a really nice bit of
0:22:47 > 0:22:51acidity that just pushes through the black pudding. Perfectly balanced.
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- Fennel and the scallops with that dressing.- Oh...
0:22:54 > 0:22:58I think this is Monmouthshire on a plate, but it's modern food.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00It is pretty perfect, isn't it?
0:23:00 > 0:23:01Right.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04Should we get on then, cos I think we've got quite a lot to do.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It's all very well what we think, but the real judges are the locals
0:23:07 > 0:23:11who will decide whose dish is best in the blind tasting coming up.
0:23:13 > 0:23:15We've got a real challenge on our hands
0:23:15 > 0:23:17to compete with Stephen's dish,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20but we've heard about a small producer
0:23:20 > 0:23:21that might just be the answer.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24Tucked away in an idyllic corner of Monmouthshire
0:23:24 > 0:23:26is Trealy Farm Charcuterie.
0:23:26 > 0:23:31Set up by three mates who are obsessed about great cured meat.
0:23:31 > 0:23:35They source only free-range traditional breeds from local farms,
0:23:35 > 0:23:38but they use techniques they've learned from all over Europe
0:23:38 > 0:23:40to produce award-winning meats.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43One of the owners, James, is showing us around.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46This is a salami hanging room.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48We've got a lot of different types.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51Shut the door, dude. Me and Dave'll be fine.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53This is fabulous.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56We've got venison salami, wild boar and beef.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58How did you learn to do all this?
0:23:58 > 0:24:02Well, we went around speaking to lots of little old men
0:24:02 > 0:24:07in mountain-top villages in Spain, Italy, Germany, Sardinia, France.
0:24:07 > 0:24:09So, you bring your skills back to Wales,
0:24:09 > 0:24:11a Welsh business, using Welsh products.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14All local meat, cos we've got such great pigs in Britain.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Probably better than a lot of what they're using on the continent,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20perfect for this sort of stuff.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23- Charcuterie really is the art of preserving meat.- It is.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25And in that, you can have flavours and textures.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28And it's like a whole palate of food has grown out of it.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Anything that's not fresh meat.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33When I was about 12, I had my first salami.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36And I had a friend, a little girl whose dad was Polish.
0:24:36 > 0:24:38In my town, there's nothing like this.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40I can remember tasting my first salami,
0:24:40 > 0:24:43thinking it was the best thing I'd ever tasted.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Hams, loins and bellies.
0:24:47 > 0:24:48Oh, this is the big boys.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51You can always tell a person's personality by the fridge.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Yours is fairly impressive.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58'It's time for a masterclass from the butcher of the team, John.'
0:24:58 > 0:25:01- What's this cut here? - This is a top rump.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03We use this piece cos you can get two nice
0:25:03 > 0:25:06really lean muscles from it for making bresaola.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09That's the dry cured beef, isn't it? It's beautiful.
0:25:09 > 0:25:10Thin slices on your plate.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12I'll trim it up for you now.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14The butchery in charcuterie is a bit different
0:25:14 > 0:25:17- because we do all seam butchery. - What is seam butchering?
0:25:17 > 0:25:21It's actually breaking the meat down by muscle,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24rather than cutting straight through into joints.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27These two nice solid muscles,
0:25:27 > 0:25:31once they're pressed they come out nice and round,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34so we can get a good shape to it.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36Next up, it's Graham and the curing.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38This is our bresaola spices that use.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41I dunno if you want to have a whiff of that.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44There are cloves in there, rosemary and muscovado sugar.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47It's our own recipe. Put these dry ingredients into your salt
0:25:47 > 0:25:50and make sure they're really well mixed in.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52- All of it?- Yep. All of it.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54That's quite difficult for the salt to penetrate.
0:25:54 > 0:25:56What I want you to do is to give it a stab.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Think shower curtain and Hitchcock!
0:26:02 > 0:26:03Really rub the mixture in,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06and make sure it's rubbed into all of the crevices.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09I'd really love to come on a curing holiday.
0:26:09 > 0:26:13- Vac packs!- If you stuff your meat right into the bottom there
0:26:13 > 0:26:16and try to push it all the way down as much as you can.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22It draws the salt into the product
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and you get an equalisation between, you know.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28This has been in the vac pack for ten days, this is the next stage on.
0:26:28 > 0:26:32What you want is even-drying maturing throughout.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35So, we use an intestine, a beef bone.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38You can see it flakes quite well.
0:26:38 > 0:26:43So what you need to do is pull this over the end quite a lot.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46It's like Nora Batty's tights!
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Push your bresaola, push it right through.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52- That's it, I've got it. - Now we'll cut this off.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57So, the same process with that.
0:26:57 > 0:27:01- If you put it over and pull it all up.- Ah!
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Because the netting is elasticated,
0:27:10 > 0:27:13it will dry back with the product, it'll go back with the product
0:27:13 > 0:27:16so you won't get any air between the bum and the product.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19There it is, me first bit of charcuterie!
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Our very own bresaola needed to be pressed and dried,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25but James had something made for us
0:27:25 > 0:27:28to sample along with a whole range of other meat treats.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32OK. So, we'll have a go at that bresaola that you're holding.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35It's been dried about three, four weeks.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37That's about as much as we'd ever dry it.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40- It's like tissue paper.- It is.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42Some people like it like that.
0:27:42 > 0:27:47- It's fabulous.- Such a small amount of meat, with such an intense flavour.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50Another thing about charcuterie, you use every part of the animal.
0:27:50 > 0:27:51This is a pig cheek.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54Hot smoked and cured.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Here's one we roasted up for you to slice up.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00Unctuous is the word for this, unctuous.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04Oh, that is good.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Oh, oh! That just makes you giggle.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09It's making me lips stick together.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11That is awesome.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14Call it black pudding, call it boudin noir,
0:28:14 > 0:28:16invent a new name for it, but...
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Let's call it boudin Welsh.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22That's been really lightly heated through.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25- Hardly been cooked on at all.- Dude!
0:28:25 > 0:28:30This is, and I mean it, this is the nicest black pudding I've eaten.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33- Really?- There's a sweetness to it, it's absolutely gorgeous.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37Mm, that is really good.
0:28:37 > 0:28:39How about having a slice of pancetta,
0:28:39 > 0:28:43the belly version of an air-dried ham, basically.
0:28:43 > 0:28:44That was a happy pig.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Oh, dude. Definitely didn't expect to taste anything like that.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50This is some of the best charcuterie we've ever tasted.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54It is, without a doubt. That's not for effect. It absolutely is.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57I think it would be wonderful to turn this into a meal.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00You know, I mean, you've done most of the work for us.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04James, we will do our absolute utmost to make it sing.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07Cos I tell you what, it's got a loud voice as it is.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10Making the bresaola was a real experience,
0:29:10 > 0:29:13but it's the piggy products that we want to use
0:29:13 > 0:29:14for our cook-off dish.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18We'll roast a smoked pig's cheek, and serve it on pickled cabbage.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20We'll wrap cured ham in crispy pancetta
0:29:20 > 0:29:22and pair Welsh boudin noir with sausages,
0:29:22 > 0:29:25served up with caramelised apples and onions.
0:29:25 > 0:29:26To complete the dish,
0:29:26 > 0:29:29we're in search of a very historic taste of Monmouthshire.
0:29:31 > 0:29:35Amongst the steep and lofty cliffs of the Wye Valley,
0:29:35 > 0:29:38rises the imposing Tintern Abbey.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Monks from the abbey planted vineyards and made mead here
0:29:41 > 0:29:43from as early as the 12th century.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45Today in the shadow of the spectacular ruins,
0:29:45 > 0:29:47Judith and Colin Dudley
0:29:47 > 0:29:50are continuing the tradition at Parva Farm vineyard.
0:29:50 > 0:29:54I didn't expect to see a vineyard in Wales.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57There aren't many of us, I think there's about 20 altogether.
0:29:57 > 0:30:01It's... not an ideal place for vines, I suppose you could say.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03Perhaps a bit wet sometimes.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07- Well drained, though, it's a steep hill!- Oh, yeah.
0:30:07 > 0:30:09Judith, what's the history of wine-making
0:30:09 > 0:30:11and vineyards in this part of Wales?
0:30:11 > 0:30:13We like to think that there was a vineyard here
0:30:13 > 0:30:15when the monks had the abbey.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17Tintern Abbey is only just across the hill there.
0:30:17 > 0:30:21This vineyard was actually planted in 1979.
0:30:21 > 0:30:23We came here in 1996.
0:30:23 > 0:30:25- And you make mead?- Yes, we do.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27With the wine that you produce.
0:30:27 > 0:30:31The traditional mead is honey and water fermented together.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34Things like wine and cider-based meads
0:30:34 > 0:30:36probably came about because in the old days,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38people tended to drink alcohol rather than water,
0:30:38 > 0:30:41because the water wasn't very safe to drink.
0:30:41 > 0:30:43- Can we have a taste of your mead? - You can indeed, yes.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49This mead was actually made in 2007.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53We find it best when it's been in the bottle for a couple of years.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55- It's a spicy mead.- Oh, yes!
0:30:55 > 0:30:59- Cinnamon, cloves, ginger, things like that.- That is lovely.
0:30:59 > 0:31:04It is quite dry at first, not a sweet, sticky concoction.
0:31:04 > 0:31:06The spices are fab.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10The honey used by Judith and Colin is supplied by local beekeeper
0:31:10 > 0:31:13Richard Liddle, who keeps two hives at the vineyard.
0:31:13 > 0:31:15How much does the honey contribute to the mead?
0:31:15 > 0:31:19Obviously, sort of, half of it really, isn't it?
0:31:19 > 0:31:23When we started making it, we didn't have any beehives on the farm.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25I knew Richard made honey,
0:31:25 > 0:31:28so I asked him if he could supply some local honey.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31He suggested having beehives here. He looks after them.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Of course they have all the natural wildflowers in this area.
0:31:35 > 0:31:39So it's mostly wildflower honey. It definitely gives the flavour to it.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42There is a floral end to it on the palate.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45There is. You get the spices first, I think, but at the end
0:31:45 > 0:31:48you're left with the honey flavour, aren't you?
0:31:48 > 0:31:52Yes, that to me is Monmouthshire in a cup.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55I think this could just give us the edge.
0:31:55 > 0:31:56Cheers!
0:31:58 > 0:32:01So, guys, as they say here in Monmouthshire, what's appertaining?
0:32:01 > 0:32:05Well it's a celebration of Welsh charcuterie, we have a roasted
0:32:05 > 0:32:08smoked pig's cheek, served with a lightly pickled cabbage.
0:32:08 > 0:32:12Cured ham, wrapped in pancetta on some tiny buttered beans.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15Some Welsh boudin noir, and Monmouthshire sausages,
0:32:15 > 0:32:17serve with caramelised onions and apples.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20And mead and thyme jelly to bring it all together.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23But, will the local diners think our dish is good enough
0:32:23 > 0:32:25to beat Stephen in the blind tasting?
0:32:25 > 0:32:29I think mead conjures up Henry VIII or something like that.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32He could have almost been a third hairy biker.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34It's monks, it's monks, dude.
0:32:34 > 0:32:35But this mead is spiced.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39- It's slightly dry. - This is a beautiful, beautiful cheek.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42This is what used to be called a bath chap.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44- Absolutely.- It's cured and smoked.
0:32:44 > 0:32:48We're putting it in the oven for about an hour at about 160.
0:32:48 > 0:32:52- It's a pig fest!- What we're going to do is a lightly pickled cabbage.
0:32:52 > 0:32:57We've got some white wine vinegar.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Some sugar, allspice.
0:32:59 > 0:33:01Just a little bit with a few sour seeds
0:33:01 > 0:33:03and then some water.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06Then what we're gonna do is bring that to the boil.
0:33:06 > 0:33:10It's amazing, you think of all the things that we eat every day
0:33:10 > 0:33:11with sugar and acidity in,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14all the pickling things, it's enough to make your mouth water.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16It's that thing about sweet and sour.
0:33:16 > 0:33:18COUGHING
0:33:18 > 0:33:20You know when you catch...
0:33:20 > 0:33:24Do you know when the vinegar catches the back of your throat?!
0:33:24 > 0:33:27When reducing vinegar, you normally get the new boys
0:33:27 > 0:33:31- and say "smell that". It knocks them out.- That'd be me!
0:33:31 > 0:33:33That has to simmer for ten minutes.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36- Great. What's next?- The jelly.
0:33:36 > 0:33:38First off, leaves of gelatine.
0:33:38 > 0:33:42Break them up into the bowl
0:33:42 > 0:33:44and top with cold water.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47It won't take long to go flaccid.
0:33:47 > 0:33:49250ml of chicken stock.
0:33:49 > 0:33:51That's the base of the jelly.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53Two tablespoons of mead
0:33:53 > 0:33:56and a tablespoon of wine.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00While it's heating up, I'll strip some thyme.
0:34:03 > 0:34:05See, that gelatine has gone sloppy.
0:34:05 > 0:34:08Now we can just put that into the pan.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10That'll melt down. Give it a stir.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12It's a fantastic thing, setting a few things up,
0:34:12 > 0:34:14it adds an interest to the plate.
0:34:14 > 0:34:20While Dave's chopping that, all I'll do is put butter into a pan
0:34:20 > 0:34:25and about a teaspoon of muscovado sugar.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28I'm just gonna add the onions to it and just let them go.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Nice and gently. I don't want too much.
0:34:31 > 0:34:35All of those onions, just coated. Right, Dave, I'm off.
0:34:35 > 0:34:36Put in a heap of chopped thyme.
0:34:36 > 0:34:42I've got these little dishes I'll just line with Clingfilm.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44And pour.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49- Put that in the fridge. - Put it in the fridge.- Yeah.
0:34:49 > 0:34:51Put those in there.
0:34:51 > 0:34:55- Dude, can you pass that bowl over? - Yeah!- So I can...put that away.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58Is that served at room temperature?
0:34:58 > 0:34:59Yeah, we don't want it mega hot.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01Do you want Clingfilm?
0:35:01 > 0:35:03That would be great.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07All of the steam then will drop back in the cabbage.
0:35:07 > 0:35:08Yeah, yeah.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I'm gonna put the sausages on nice and slow, Dave.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13Yeah.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17- Do you prick them or not? - No. No. Cos I'm gonna fry them.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20It's a bit of an urban myth, that whole pricking sausages.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Oh, yes. Don't prick your sausages. You want that to cook.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27This is your pancetta crisps, they look fantastic.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Nice textural difference, contrast.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Put that in there like that.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33More paper on top.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Then a baking tray on top of that.
0:35:35 > 0:35:40- Fabulous.- Right, on the top. Put the sausage in the middle shelf.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43I put it on the bottom, dude. Yeah, just to slowly roast.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Look at this, man, it's starting to go as we wanted.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49- It's beautiful.- Amazing.
0:35:49 > 0:35:50How fantastic is that?
0:35:50 > 0:35:53That's coming out, that's doing what we want it to do.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55The onions are browning off.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57Let me get the apples on now.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Butter, splash of oil.
0:35:59 > 0:36:00The apples will caramelise,
0:36:00 > 0:36:04but I don't mind if these end up being like toffee apples.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08I've got Granny Smiths, they're pretty sour,
0:36:08 > 0:36:11but I'll put lemon juice on to keep them fresh looking.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14A little bit of sugar. Put the apples in.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17So you've got the cabbage, apples, all on the go,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20the sausages cooking, the pancetta cooking,
0:36:20 > 0:36:23so what's the deal with this black pudding and this ham here?
0:36:23 > 0:36:25- Ah well!- That's next.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26Look at this.
0:36:26 > 0:36:28Come on!
0:36:28 > 0:36:30- Boudin noir? - We're both northerners.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33We love our black pudding, but we've gotta admit we were blown away with this.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36It's different to the black pudding you use,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38- yours was with the fat bits.- Yeah.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41You're doing the butter beans, can you get on with the ham?
0:36:41 > 0:36:42No worries, dude.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44This is one of James' hams.
0:36:44 > 0:36:45It's made with rosemary and thyme.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49It's brilliant. I want this quite thin.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51This may seem wasteful,
0:36:51 > 0:36:55but you can use the rest of the ham in a sandwich.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58- How's the apples? - They're looking canny mega.
0:36:58 > 0:37:01I'm wrapping my rondelle in the pancetta.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04- Is that going to stand, do you want a cocktail stick?- Yes. I think so.
0:37:04 > 0:37:06I wouldn't want it to go wrong for you,
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and you not win because of the cocktail stick.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Dude, he's trying to psyche you out. Ignore him, dude, ignore him.
0:37:12 > 0:37:13Shall we look at the pancetta?
0:37:15 > 0:37:19Dave, make space, quick, dude!
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Right, fingers crossed.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28Oh, yes.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31- What are we reckoning?- Oh-ho-ho!
0:37:31 > 0:37:34That is stiffer than a crocodile with rigour mortis!
0:37:34 > 0:37:37I've just fried off and sweated off some shallots.
0:37:37 > 0:37:41I'm just gonna add a little bit of garlic to that.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43I'm not gonna put too much garlic in.
0:37:43 > 0:37:48Try not to burn it, cos if it burns, it goes bitter and awful.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50The beans are gonna be tossed in that
0:37:50 > 0:37:52just to warm through. I'm just gonna do that now, Dave.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56Butterbeans, again, is fantastic with any pork products.
0:37:56 > 0:37:58- I think we should get the pig out. - Oh, yes.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00That is first-class, isn't it?
0:38:00 > 0:38:02I'm going to use this ring here,
0:38:02 > 0:38:06- I'm gonna start searing off the rondelles.- Great.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Obviously, they're already cooked so you want to caramelise them.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11Yeah, I'm gonna try to seal this edge.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13We're gonna add some lemon zest, as well.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15- Are you putting thyme in there?- Yes.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17The pancetta is wrapped around.
0:38:17 > 0:38:21- It is almost Clingfilm round the top of the rondelles.- Lovely.
0:38:21 > 0:38:22Give us those black puddings.
0:38:22 > 0:38:24- Yeah.- The boudin noir.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26We could almost put them on that tin, couldn't we?
0:38:26 > 0:38:28Are you guys worried about putting this together
0:38:28 > 0:38:31with so many elements coming together at the same time?
0:38:31 > 0:38:32- Oh, yeah.- No.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35This could be a busy plate, I think.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40- This is the pickled cabbage, the Welsh sauerkraut.- Look at that.
0:38:40 > 0:38:41- That's awesome.- That's amazing.
0:38:41 > 0:38:43That's nice, look.
0:38:43 > 0:38:46They're glistening.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Butterbeans...
0:38:52 > 0:38:54This is the caramelised onions.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57It would be a laugh if someone were a vegetarian.
0:38:57 > 0:39:00They're lost on all accounts, aren't they?
0:39:00 > 0:39:02Right, this is the jelly.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04All you want is little cubes.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06This is really like your chutney.
0:39:06 > 0:39:08This is the Welsh pancetta.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11It goes mega crispy, just cut in shards.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14Are you happy with that, guys? What's the name of the dish?
0:39:14 > 0:39:17It's a celebration of Monmouthshire charcuterie...
0:39:17 > 0:39:20With a mead and thyme jelly.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23Fair play. There is so much to choose from.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25- The pig's face first.- Oh, great.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27With some cabbage.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29Get in there.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34A little hint of vinegar, very nice.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37Beautiful, unctuous texture to the pig's cheek.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39Lots of fat, a fantastic delivery of flavour.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Mead comes in, little sweet delivery at the end. Very nice.
0:39:42 > 0:39:44So far, so good, dude.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48The pancetta works nicely, a slight smokiness there.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51The beans are fabulous. Like little parcels of mashed potatoes
0:39:51 > 0:39:52in these little silk robes, beautiful.
0:39:52 > 0:39:56Apples, pork, black pudding, boudin noir and onions
0:39:56 > 0:39:59is a no-brainer. This has been very skilfully put together.
0:39:59 > 0:40:00It's very good.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03You guys, as far as I'm concerned, have produced
0:40:03 > 0:40:06an incredibly high standard, first-class, fantastic dish.
0:40:06 > 0:40:08- Thank you very much.- Very good.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10- Thanks, Stephen.- Thanks very much.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12It's crunch time. The diners here will taste both dishes,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14but without any idea who cooked which.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17First up is Stephen's pork belly and black pudding,
0:40:17 > 0:40:19served with seared scallops.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27The scallop for me was a little bit undercooked for my personal taste.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30I'm surprised to see the scallops there
0:40:30 > 0:40:33because I don't associate scallops with Monmouthshire at all,
0:40:33 > 0:40:35but I'll always each scallops anywhere.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39Belly pork can sometimes be a little greasy, but this wasn't.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42It was very nice and crispy on the outside.
0:40:42 > 0:40:43I enjoyed the black pudding
0:40:43 > 0:40:46running through it which made it a little moister.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51The fennel, the lemon was absolutely beautiful. Tender, succulent.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Monmouthshire is a livestock-producing county,
0:40:54 > 0:40:55so the scallops were a surprise.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58The pork, I really enjoyed.
0:40:58 > 0:40:59I'm not a lover of black pudding.
0:40:59 > 0:41:02In fact it is something that I would never choose,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04but it went really well with the pork.
0:41:04 > 0:41:06I really enjoyed it very much.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10Some mixed reviews there. What will they think of our dish?
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Fingers crossed.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14It was a much heartier looking meal.
0:41:14 > 0:41:18I can imagine it would appeal to the farmer type in this area.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21You've got pig on a plate, everything but the squeal,
0:41:21 > 0:41:23which I thought was excellent.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25The pork cheek was very nice.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Something that I haven't eaten before in Monmouthshire,
0:41:29 > 0:41:30only in Italy, previously.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32Loved the sweetness of the onions
0:41:32 > 0:41:36with the pork sausage - it was very good.
0:41:36 > 0:41:37The mead and thyme jelly,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41I had no idea what that was doing there. It did nothing for me.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43It tasted a bit like mouth wash, I thought.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45I've never had pig's cheek before.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48It was a little bit on the fatty side for some people's taste,
0:41:48 > 0:41:50but I happen to enjoy it. It was lovely.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53Unlike some, I loved the jelly.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56I thought it reflected Monmouthshire on the plate.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59We do have some really good pork producers in the county.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01I think it really identified with Monmouthshire.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04You had pork in three different ways, so ideal.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06Hello, how are you?
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Well, thank you so much for coming.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15- We've had a wonderful time in Monmouthshire.- We have.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17It's so pretty, isn't it? You are very lucky.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Now, I'm going to name both dishes.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23I would like you to put your hands up for the dish that you think
0:42:23 > 0:42:25represents Monmouthshire on the plate.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29Could I have a clear show of hands, please,
0:42:29 > 0:42:33for the scallop and belly pork dish?
0:42:35 > 0:42:38One, two, thank you.
0:42:38 > 0:42:43Could I have a clear show of hands, please,
0:42:43 > 0:42:45for the charcuterie.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53OK, thanks very much indeed.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56The scallop and belly pork dish was Stephen's.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59The charcuterie dish was ours.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04- Guys, congratulations.- Thank you very much, it was very, very nice.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07You know, no hard feelings cos I loved your dish.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09I thought it was fantastic.
0:43:09 > 0:43:11I'm already a winner cos I live in Monmouthshire anyway.
0:43:11 > 0:43:14I work with the produce,
0:43:14 > 0:43:17you know, I feel very privileged and honoured to do that.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20I thought your dish was one of the nicest meals I've had for a long time.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22It was perfect. We've learnt a lot.
0:43:22 > 0:43:25- Thank you very much. Thanks, Stephen. - Thank you very much for having us.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27'Wow! What a victory!
0:43:27 > 0:43:31'Well, we could hardly go wrong with those fantastic meats.'
0:43:31 > 0:43:35'Monmouthshire is a real foodie county, we'll definitely be back.'
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0:43:46 > 0:43:49E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk