0:00:02 > 0:00:03Christmas - we love this time of year.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05Yeah, wrapping presents, decorating
0:00:05 > 0:00:08the tree, and generally making merry.
0:00:08 > 0:00:15And nothing beats a bit of Christmas home cooking shared with family and friends.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19Delicious festive food for all occasions, packed with flavour and full of love.
0:00:19 > 0:00:21Ding dong merrily on high!
0:00:21 > 0:00:26And we'll be joined by some familiar faces to get us all into the festive spirit.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Oh, my goodness!
0:00:27 > 0:00:29That is preposterously wonderful.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31- Merry Christmas.- Merry Christmas.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33We'll also find out how to make
0:00:33 > 0:00:35someone's day with delicious,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37home-made foodie gifts.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43So, hang up your stockings, tweak your tinsel...
0:00:43 > 0:00:46..turn on your fairy lights and relax.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48BOTH: We're home for Christmas!
0:01:03 > 0:01:06Christmas is the perfect time of year for feel-good food.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10There are some dishes that put a smile on your face because of their loveliness.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And others that just put, well, a spring in your step.
0:01:14 > 0:01:20We're cooking a delicious nut roast so you can have a break from all that meat.
0:01:20 > 0:01:26Plus, a hazelnut, ricotta and pear cake that makes you happy even before you taste it.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29And Paul Martin joins us for some festive cheer.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32I think one of my best Christmas days was when I was about 12 years
0:01:32 > 0:01:34old, getting a chopper bike.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36- With a gear stick in the middle? - Yeah, in the middle, yeah!
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- Oh!- Handlebars up there.- Yes!
0:01:38 > 0:01:41- I was the leader of the pack, guys. - Oh!
0:01:44 > 0:01:48But first, a couple of great ways to use winter veg.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51We're going to be making some pumpkin gnocchi, then we're going
0:01:51 > 0:01:55to make some wonderful parsnip nests with a winter salad.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57But it's for those days, you know, when you've had enough,
0:01:57 > 0:02:00you've had enough meat, you just want something fresh,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02you want something nourishing and healthy.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04And it's nice. Look, there's a little bit of effort involved,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08but do you know what? It is quite simple effort, and worth it if you
0:02:08 > 0:02:10just follow the steps. I've got some baked potatoes.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Now, they've been in the oven for about an hour and a half,
0:02:12 > 0:02:16as has this lovely, lovely pumpkin.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19And it's a great idea to use pumpkin in the gnocchi.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23It makes the gnocchi lighter. It also gives it a wonderful festive colour, too.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26- It does, it's lovely. - It's like sun-kissed gnocchi.
0:02:26 > 0:02:29Right, so I've got four parsnips here, and what we first do is top
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and tail them and peel them. Then I'm going to julienne them and fry
0:02:33 > 0:02:35them lightly, and form them into nests and bake them.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37So peel them first.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40This is a peeler with a difference, it's a julienne cutter.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Dead cheap to buy, but watch this.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47You just run it round your parsnip and out come...
0:02:50 > 0:02:53..like, parsnip spaghetti.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56We want quite a lot of this, cos we're going to make 12 parsnip nests.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59So we're going to start on the pumpkin now, just taking the flesh out.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04The seeds, we don't want, and the stringy bits we don't want, so
0:03:04 > 0:03:07we're going to take those out the way
0:03:07 > 0:03:10and then just put this flesh to one side.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13I'm looking forward to meeting Paul Martin.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- I love "Flog It!".- Oh, it's great.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17- It is.- He's a nice man as well.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19He is, but he's a vegetarian!
0:03:20 > 0:03:21And he's had an interesting life.
0:03:21 > 0:03:23He's got such incredible tales.
0:03:23 > 0:03:24He has.
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Pumpkin, by its very nature, retains a lot of water, so what we
0:03:28 > 0:03:32need to do is put it into a dry frying pan and dry it out.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36This is like parsnip straw, and we just put that into the frying pan,
0:03:36 > 0:03:39just to make it soft enough to mould into the nest shape.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43Right, I'm quite happy with that.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46That's going to be a brilliant basis to the dough, Si.
0:03:46 > 0:03:48It's lovely. Now...
0:03:48 > 0:03:51..we mix the pumpkin...
0:03:51 > 0:03:52..with the potato.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58I think that's the great thing, now, mate, isn't it, about vegetarian
0:03:58 > 0:04:00dishes? They're part of the mainstream.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04Sometimes it's very good to give meat a bit of a rest for yourself
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and also, I think, for the planet as well.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Absolutely.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11Now, I have to let these go cold cos I'm going to mix an egg through.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14And that's the glue that is going to form the nests.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18If I do that now, I'm going to end up with parsnip scrambled eggs!
0:04:18 > 0:04:20- Not good.- Not good at all.
0:04:20 > 0:04:22Plain flour.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25There we go.
0:04:25 > 0:04:26Mix it halfway.
0:04:30 > 0:04:31We need an egg.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Now we're going to add some lovely
0:04:37 > 0:04:39finely grated Parmesan.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Now, although this is a vegetarian dish, we are using Parmesan cheese.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Now, we know that's not vegetarian, but you can get a very,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52very good vegetarian alternative Parmesan.
0:04:52 > 0:04:53You can, that.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56Now, over here, me parsnips, they've just kind of cooled down.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I've got those ribbons and they're quite malleable.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04I'm just going to stir this through my cooled parsnip straw.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08Just put it into your muffin tin and kind of form it around the sides.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11It looks remarkably like a nest.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14It's a great one to do with the kids cos it sounds Christmassy.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18It feels joyous making nests, you know?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20It could be the nest of a small British bird,
0:05:20 > 0:05:22like, say, a Christmas robin.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Well, that's very good, mate, it looks lush, that, doesn't it?
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- Yeah, it's lovely.- Lovely thing to do.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Now, you pop this into a preheated oven, 200 Celsius,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34for between 15 and 20 minutes.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36And these are the crispy parsnip
0:05:36 > 0:05:39nests that will form the containers
0:05:39 > 0:05:40for our winter salad.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43What a lovely way to serve a bit of salad!
0:05:46 > 0:05:52Now, when you have the required consistency for your gnocchi,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54what we need to do is chill it down.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00That's one that's been rested, Si.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03- Lovely.- We're going to make, kind of, gnocchi sausages.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Then we're going to cut them into little gnocchi shapes.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10Then we're going to put a fork on to make that gnocchi-like indentation.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14Oh, that's great, mate. Bit rustic, bit lovely.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20Now, we need to make the winter salad for the nests and also some
0:06:20 > 0:06:23sage butter for our lovely gnocchi.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26So in this salad we've got some beautiful chicory, little bit of
0:06:26 > 0:06:29taste, we've got some finely sliced onions.
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Now, what we've done is we've just taken the edge off those onions by
0:06:32 > 0:06:36just putting them in freezing cold water for a bit, and then we've got
0:06:36 > 0:06:39some hazelnuts and some beautiful red cabbage.
0:06:39 > 0:06:41Now, the salad dressing.
0:06:41 > 0:06:43We've got some hazelnut oil...
0:06:45 > 0:06:48..as a base for the dressing, some sherry vinegar.
0:06:49 > 0:06:51Some mustard.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55And we've got the zest of half an orange...
0:06:56 > 0:06:58..and the juice of a whole orange.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00Again, it's quite a festive dressing.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04Isn't it funny that oranges are so kind of tropical and Mediterranean,
0:07:04 > 0:07:08and yet they've become such a big part of all our Christmases?
0:07:10 > 0:07:14- Simon, there's your dressing. - Thank you.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16That's a great winter salad, isn't it?
0:07:16 > 0:07:19It's lovely, lovely, and really, really simple.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Me nests!
0:07:26 > 0:07:29We melt the butter and fry some sage leaves.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35And the sage will just give up all its goodness
0:07:35 > 0:07:38and flavour into that butter.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39Phwoar!
0:07:39 > 0:07:41Right, let's put the gnocchi on.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45And just pop them in carefully.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47And when they swim to the surface...
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- ..they're done.- You sounded like David Attenborough, then!
0:07:51 > 0:07:54I did! I want to build our nests.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Ah, Kingy! Now, that looks Christmassy.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00- Doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02There we go, look, boom!
0:08:02 > 0:08:05It's more of a hatch than a float.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Look at that! These are happy dumplings.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13Just put them in the sage butter,
0:08:13 > 0:08:15let them bathe, let them relax.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18We've tortured them for a minute.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24Oh, man,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26this smells fantastic.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28It's the smell of butter and dumplings.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Now, I would season it at this stage.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36And now we're just going to wilt some spinach down into it.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42And that sage butter has given
0:08:42 > 0:08:44the spinach such a wonderful gloss, as well.
0:08:47 > 0:08:48Let's stick it on that plate.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52- That's enough, we don't want the spinach any more, do we?- No, we don't.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58This is fabulous, and we can't finish off without some wonderful
0:08:58 > 0:09:01Parmesan cheese all over the top.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Now, if that doesn't say Christmas, I'll eat me hat.
0:09:06 > 0:09:07- Which first, Si?- Gnocchi.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09Mr Gnocchi. Yes, I know, this would be our favourite.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11Bit of spinach.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13Mmm!
0:09:13 > 0:09:14That is really good gnocchi.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16It's perfect gnocchi.
0:09:16 > 0:09:17Now, this is fun.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20This is going to make you feel a bit of a giggle.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23That is so tasty.
0:09:23 > 0:09:24It's glorious.
0:09:25 > 0:09:26- Absolutely love it.- Love it.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27It makes me feel good.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29Feel good about the food you eat.
0:09:29 > 0:09:30Marvellous.
0:09:31 > 0:09:34Squash and sage gnocchi, with
0:09:34 > 0:09:36winter salad and parsnip nests.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38It's light and packed with flavour.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Christmas is all about sharing...
0:09:51 > 0:09:54..food, memories and, of course, presents.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Christian Bigland has got a great idea
0:09:57 > 0:10:00that's not only delicious, but good for you, too.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08This is definitely my surprise Christmas gift, and I think it
0:10:08 > 0:10:13will just be rewarding for those who are receiving it.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20So kimchi is a preserved cabbage,
0:10:20 > 0:10:25with Asian heat and flavours added to it.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28For Christmas, I've chosen red cabbage.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31In Korea, for example,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34you would probably take years to make a kimchi.
0:10:34 > 0:10:39What I'm doing today is going to be more the quick route to a kimchi,
0:10:39 > 0:10:43which can actually be eaten straightaway after it's made,
0:10:43 > 0:10:49or you can keep it, and the longer you keep it,
0:10:49 > 0:10:52the more the flavour develops, so it keeps on giving.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56This is looking great. This is looking really good.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59I can't wait to see the looks on their faces
0:10:59 > 0:11:04when they open their kimchi present, because it's a first,
0:11:04 > 0:11:07and it's going to be delicious.
0:11:07 > 0:11:10I'm hoping they're going to eat it on Christmas Day.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19The more time you put in, the more love you put into your gift,
0:11:19 > 0:11:22ie you've made it with your own hands.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25I think they're's far more value in that
0:11:25 > 0:11:28than buying something off the shelf.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Whatever time over Christmas,
0:11:34 > 0:11:39I think kimchi's got a place, and there it is, there it is,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42the alternative Christmas gift.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49It's going to be a cracking kimchi Christmas.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02We're talking about food that makes you feel good, so to join us,
0:12:02 > 0:12:06we have that complete picture of health himself, Mr Paul Martin.
0:12:06 > 0:12:07Hi, guys! Hello!
0:12:07 > 0:12:09- Happy Christmas! - Happy Christmas!
0:12:09 > 0:12:12And it's going to be a vegetarian one, I gather!
0:12:12 > 0:12:16Oh, it is, but really it's just about good food, food for everybody.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18We know you're a vegetarian.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20We've done you our nut roast.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22And it's a break from all those big, heavy flavours as well.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25And this is a great one for the big day itself.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26So you're going to be really creative.
0:12:26 > 0:12:29A lot of people get put off by a nut loaf because it does look like
0:12:29 > 0:12:31- a house brick, doesn't it, really? - It does.- It does.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- And some of it tastes like a house brick.- Indeed, yes.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36Well, we're going to start with some sherry vinegar.
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- OK. - And some cranberries.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41What we're going to do is bring that up to temperature so they plump up
0:12:41 > 0:12:45all lovely. While that is happening, I'm going to fry off some shallots
0:12:45 > 0:12:46in the pan.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50At the minute, I'm just wilting down some spinach in the butter.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53It's been washed well, it's still a bit wet,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55and that's enough liquid to cook the spinach.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57How long have you been a vegetarian for?
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- Since I was about 16. - Oh, really?
0:12:59 > 0:13:00When I grew up in Cornwall. Yeah.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03And was it a moral issue for you rather than the taste of meat?
0:13:03 > 0:13:05It was a moral issue, yeah, yeah. Behind where we lived,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08we were sort of on the coast in Falmouth, and there was an abattoir
0:13:08 > 0:13:11behind and when the wind was blowing in the wrong direction,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- you got that nasty smell.- How strict a vegetarian are you, Paul?
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- Do you eat cheese?- Oh, I love cheese, yeah, eat cheese, eat egg,
0:13:16 > 0:13:18lots of milk. Yeah, I mean, I do...
0:13:18 > 0:13:21Up until about the age of 19, I had a bit of chicken, you know,
0:13:21 > 0:13:24a bit of white meat, but then I kind of thought, "No.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26"If I'm going to do it, do it properly."
0:13:26 > 0:13:27- Do it properly. - Yeah, yeah.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29Yeah, so no meat.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32I think when you're cooking vegetarian food, you have to be
0:13:32 > 0:13:34aware of the flavours and textures.
0:13:34 > 0:13:35Sometimes it's harder to cook.
0:13:35 > 0:13:38Yeah, everything's kind of built around the meat, isn't it?
0:13:38 > 0:13:40You kind of work outwards, so, you know, it's kind of easier
0:13:40 > 0:13:45- to actually serve a meal up. - It is. This is the perfect break.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48- Brilliant.- But it is a bit of a celebration as well,
0:13:48 > 0:13:52because we've still got a wonderful mushroom gravy, we've still got
0:13:52 > 0:13:54a wonderful cranberry sauce, and all the trimmings,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56so it's still a full-blown Christmas meal.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59And it's nice to have everything with it, isn't it?
0:13:59 > 0:14:01You know, the parsnips and the Brussels and the peas.
0:14:01 > 0:14:04I think it's only fair, you know, it's only fair, I think.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08- Yeah, yeah.- So what's Christmas like in the Martin household?
0:14:08 > 0:14:10We put the music on, we've got the CDs on, you know,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12bit of Nat King Cole, and all the Christmas carols.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15Lush. And is food a big part of that?
0:14:15 > 0:14:18Major, yeah. And we all get stuck in, and I prep all the Brussels,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20put the little crosses on the bottom, you know,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24we get the roasties ready, we get the parsnips ready, you know,
0:14:24 > 0:14:25we do the whole thing properly.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27But what do you cook on Christmas dinner?
0:14:27 > 0:14:31- Well, we do a turkey. - Turkey is not vegetarian.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34No, I know, but we do have a lot of, you know, meat eaters.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- And that doesn't bother you? - It doesn't bother us.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38- Oh, brill.- So we put the turkey in the oven, we do all of that,
0:14:38 > 0:14:40we have proper gravy, you know, from the stock.
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- Yeah.- And then we have, you know, like a nut roast as well,
0:14:43 > 0:14:45so it's pretty good.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Actually, that's very similar to our households, too.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Yeah, you know, and everyone shares in with the veggies.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55All of the earthy flavours of the nut roast's now starting to come
0:14:55 > 0:14:58together, so we got the onion, we've got some olive oil,
0:14:58 > 0:14:59we've got the mushrooms in there, and then...
0:14:59 > 0:15:03- I can smell it. - ..I've just grated some parsnip, OK?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06And that again is a sweet note, and really earthy.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07Look at how that spinach has come down.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09Gosh, that's come down to nothing, hasn't it?
0:15:09 > 0:15:12I've just wilted that in butter, and we're leaving that to drain cos
0:15:12 > 0:15:15what you don't want to do in a nut roast is put in wet spinach,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17because it just makes the whole thing fall apart.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21- That's a good tip.- Now, to get a bit of chewiness I've got freekeh,
0:15:21 > 0:15:23which I've just cooked according to the packet -
0:15:23 > 0:15:25it's just been boiled till it's soft.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27You could use spelt. Spelt's really good in this.
0:15:27 > 0:15:31It's a bit like barley, and it gives it a chew, but it's so good for you.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33So you put the freekeh into a bowl.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Now, to that I've got some nuts here, and it's mixed nuts.
0:15:37 > 0:15:39I've got some pecan nuts, almonds,
0:15:39 > 0:15:43cashew nuts, and hazelnuts, and I suppose this is the engine room
0:15:43 > 0:15:46of your nut roast. So we just put that into a little processor.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50You can do this by hand, but this is just so quick, and just blitz this.
0:15:50 > 0:15:53So we don't want it chopped up too much.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55That's starting to smell really good.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59The chopped nuts go in with the freekeh.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04It just smells fantastic. It's got a woody smell to it.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06I'll just give you a little whiff. It's woody, isn't it?
0:16:06 > 0:16:09- Oh, gosh, I could eat that now! - It's all right.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11These are vac-packed chestnuts,
0:16:11 > 0:16:13because if anybody's done it themselves,
0:16:13 > 0:16:16by the time you've tried to peel off all the brown skin,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- you've probably lost the will to live.- Yeah.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22But for the nut roast, these are ideal, and chestnuts and Christmas -
0:16:22 > 0:16:24to me, they go together.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26- They do, actually, don't they? - Yeah.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28You'd be interested in this - somebody bought me
0:16:28 > 0:16:31a Victorian chestnut roaster. You basically open the hatch,
0:16:31 > 0:16:34put your chestnuts in, light your fire underneath
0:16:34 > 0:16:38and turn the drum slowly, and the roast chestnuts are epic.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40- Oh, how nice.- And that's something that comes out every year.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43- I'm not going to put that on "Flog It!", though.- No!
0:16:43 > 0:16:45Hang onto that. That would be a keeper.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48- That's what we say, "It's a keeper!" - "It's a keeper," yes.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Were you always interested in history?
0:16:50 > 0:16:52I think I got that from my mum's side, yeah.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56My mum was a graphic designer, she was an artist, an illustrator.
0:16:56 > 0:16:58- My dad was a teacher. - Oh, wow.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02Yeah. So, yeah, I didn't follow in his footsteps, that's for sure,
0:17:02 > 0:17:04- I didn't have the brains.- Oh, well, I have to say, I don't know,
0:17:04 > 0:17:08I think through the programme you learn such a lot, so I think you're
0:17:08 > 0:17:13an educator as well as a presenter and, you know, it's an amazing show.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15That's kind of you guys.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Now, the chestnuts, I've just chopped roughly and I put them into
0:17:18 > 0:17:21the freekeh and the crushed nuts.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25I'm going to take that spinach and just again chop that roughly.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Do you cook at Christmas?
0:17:28 > 0:17:31No, I get involved with the prep, you know, and I help lay the table
0:17:31 > 0:17:35and organise the booze and stuff like that, you know, the nibbles,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38but my poor wife's there, stuck in the kitchen, doing it all.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Now, the spinach has been chopped, and that goes into the bowl,
0:17:42 > 0:17:44and now breadcrumbs, and we give that a mix.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Now, Kingy's lovely rooty veg mixture goes in with the nuts
0:17:51 > 0:17:55and the spinach. Now, the splash of Christmas, Kingy.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58Sherry plumped cranberries.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Sweet, acidic, beautiful.
0:18:04 > 0:18:08The thing is, though, we need something to hold it together, or else
0:18:08 > 0:18:11we could end up with a tin full of Bombay mix without any flavour.
0:18:11 > 0:18:15- Which would be wrong.- Wrong. It's a roast. So, three eggs.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19Then mix. Now, presents, Paul.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21Are you really good at buying presents?
0:18:21 > 0:18:24I like to buy tactile objects that don't cost a lot of money, you know,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28something like an old wooden turned bowl that's got cracks in it,
0:18:28 > 0:18:31which cost 30 quid, but it's survived 200 years.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33And that, you're holding that history, and that means something.
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- Yeah. Exactly.- I'd far more receive presents like that.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39I'm lucky because I'm in those places where you're foraging around
0:18:39 > 0:18:43old antique shops and markets, and I came across this wonderful old
0:18:43 > 0:18:46tarred brush and it was about that wide and had an old
0:18:46 > 0:18:49oak-turned handle and you could see it was something like a naval brush
0:18:49 > 0:18:51for putting tar on the old ships.
0:18:51 > 0:18:55- Oh, wow!- And it was just to die for, and it didn't cost that much,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58and I actually gave it as a Christmas present to Sir Peter Blake
0:18:58 > 0:19:01the artist, because I know he collects wacky things like that,
0:19:01 > 0:19:03because we interviewed him on the show, twice now on "Flog It!",
0:19:03 > 0:19:06and I've got to know the guy, you know, and went to his studio,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08and I bought him this as a Christmas present, and he just said,
0:19:08 > 0:19:10"It's one of the nicest things I've seen,"
0:19:10 > 0:19:13because it was so tactile, and all the hair was still there.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- Oh, lovely!- It was all clogged in tar at the top.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- And you could smell the tar! - How lovely.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18But where are you going to get another one?
0:19:18 > 0:19:20But it makes a great silhouette on the wall.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22You'll never find another one. Never.
0:19:22 > 0:19:23And that was a Georgian brush.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27- Looks good, doesn't it? - It does.- Yeah.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31We put this in the inevitable 180 Celsius oven for about an hour,
0:19:31 > 0:19:35which gives us ample time to make a vegetarian gravy,
0:19:35 > 0:19:38some cranberry sauce, and to have a nice cup of tea.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41I love a nice cup of tea.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53- Lovely. - Thank you very much.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56- It's great have you on the show, mate.- Thank you for inviting me.
0:19:56 > 0:19:59It really is. It's lovely. We can sit and have a big chat on.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02- I love it.- It's so nice to find out, you know,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05you've done so much telly from "Flog It!" and many other series,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09but you've had such an interesting life, and it all winds up with you
0:20:09 > 0:20:12having such a wonderful grounded Christmas.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16You know, Christmas for me is all about the family coming together,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18you know, and being a happy, loving unit
0:20:18 > 0:20:21and sort of sharing times and memories.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23When my mum and dad were alive, we'd go down to Cornwall,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25and Charlotte's parents live in Cambridge, so we'd go over
0:20:25 > 0:20:29to Cambridge or they'd come to us so, you know, you take it in turns,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32and you move around the country, but you all pitch in, wherever we are,
0:20:32 > 0:20:35we always pitch in, do the washing up, you know, do the cooking,
0:20:35 > 0:20:39the dress setting, and just stuff like that, and kids entertainment.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Do you have many brothers and sisters?
0:20:40 > 0:20:42Was it a big Christmas down in Cornwall?
0:20:42 > 0:20:44I have one sister down in Cornwall.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47We always had a lovely family Christmas down there where we had
0:20:47 > 0:20:51relations come to us. Because they all lived in the Home Counties,
0:20:51 > 0:20:53and Cornwall's a nice place to go for Christmas,
0:20:53 > 0:20:56so everyone would gravitate west, so we always had a house full.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Dave and I have got a present for you.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01I bet you'll never guess what this is, Paul.
0:21:01 > 0:21:05I think I can. Is it a mini pair of drumsticks?
0:21:05 > 0:21:06I couldn't possibly say.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Is it? It feels like it.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10- You'll have to open it. - It can't be pencils.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14- Oh, it is, look.- Yeah! - I can see the little acorn heads.
0:21:14 > 0:21:15Oh, look at that.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27- Perfect!- You see, you had such an eclectic, amazing life, Paul,
0:21:27 > 0:21:29but the drumming has been such a huge part of it, too.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Yeah, it has. I grew up playing drums. I love drums.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35I was taught by a jazz drummer, I learned to read music.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39I played a little bit with Spike from The Quireboys, The Dogs D'Amour
0:21:39 > 0:21:41with Tyla, did an album with him, did a little tour with
0:21:41 > 0:21:44the Average White Band, I was the support group for them.
0:21:44 > 0:21:46Yeah, I've played on a few albums, done a few tracks,
0:21:46 > 0:21:50- never earned an awful lot of money, being a drummer.- You never do.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53You don't, actually, because you don't get the royalty for writing
0:21:53 > 0:21:56but, you know, I was a big part of the rhythm section, and it was a big
0:21:56 > 0:21:58part of my life, you know, because I played at least sort of
0:21:58 > 0:22:02three or four hours a day, I was so passionate about it, and so focused.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05- Yeah.- And nowadays I can pick the sticks up, I've got a kit at home.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08When everybody's out, I can just get on the drums when I'm not filming,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11- and just have a play.- Oh, go on, give us another para-diddle.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18- Hey! Brilliant! - Brilliant, brilliant!
0:22:18 > 0:22:20I think that signals that the nut roast is ready!
0:22:20 > 0:22:22I think it is - I can smell it in the oven!
0:22:22 > 0:22:25Never has a nut roast had such an introduction.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- Absolutely, it's brilliant! - Snare drum rolling.- You're off!
0:22:42 > 0:22:44About ten minutes until the roast is ready.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Right, I'll do a beautiful sauce, mushroom sauce,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51little bit of cream because it's Christmas,
0:22:51 > 0:22:54- to go with your nut roast. - Very nice.- How's that sound?- Yeah.
0:22:54 > 0:22:56It's not like a gravy, it's more of a sauce.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Shall I do the cranberry? So, I want the juice and zest
0:22:59 > 0:23:04of an orange, and I can pop in some fresh cranberries.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Look at those. Beautiful.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08I mean, that says Christmas.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10- It does, doesn't it? - Yeah.- It's just that bright red.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12And sugar.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14I know there's quite a lot,
0:23:14 > 0:23:18but you don't eat a whole pan of cranberry sauce.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21You can if you're Paul's size, but you can't if you're our size.
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- That's where I'm going wrong, dude! - I know, it is!
0:23:24 > 0:23:27So, Paul, what was Christmas like for you when you were a child?
0:23:27 > 0:23:31It was fantastic. I think one of my best Christmas days was
0:23:31 > 0:23:35when I was about 12 years old getting a chopper bike, you know,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37a bright orange chopper bike.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- With a gear stick in the middle? - Yeah, in the middle!- Oh!
0:23:40 > 0:23:44Handlebars up there. I was the leader of the pack, guys!
0:23:44 > 0:23:46My mum and dad were too poor to buy me a chopper bike.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Yeah, do you know? They were quite pricey, they were.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51- Yeah, I know!- Do you know they've held their value?
0:23:51 > 0:23:54- Trust you to know that, honestly! - Do you know what I did with mine?
0:23:54 > 0:23:57I went out and bought the tassels to put in the handlebar grips.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00- Yeah!- So they flew, and also I nicked some pegs from the
0:24:00 > 0:24:03washing line, got some playing cards, and made it sound like
0:24:03 > 0:24:05an engine. You know when you clip the pegs onto the forks?
0:24:05 > 0:24:07- Yes!- And you drive along, and it goes...
0:24:07 > 0:24:09IMITATES ENGINE That's exactly what I did as well!
0:24:09 > 0:24:13Great days. Lots of Action Men, lots of football kit.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17You know, the World Cup, Pele, I had a Pele shirt, I treasured that.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20- Oh, you are joking!- No, no, I treasured... Not the real thing,
0:24:20 > 0:24:24but obviously a replica shirt, number ten, Pele, Brazil.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27I recently got two number ten shirts,
0:24:27 > 0:24:32Pele and Diego Maradona, at an auction, I have to say.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- Oh, brilliant. Are they signed? - Yep.- Lucky man!
0:24:35 > 0:24:37How much do you reckon they're worth?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39- Original ones - they played in them. - Oof!
0:24:41 > 0:24:44I'd say about...
0:24:44 > 0:24:45..2,000 to 3,000 each.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49Back of the net!
0:24:49 > 0:24:50So, Mrs King,
0:24:50 > 0:24:55would you be happy if we put a reserve of £75 on the shirts?
0:24:55 > 0:24:56Definitely not.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59That's not good telly. "Oh, yes, oh, no that would be great."
0:24:59 > 0:25:02- "Oh, thank you." - Was that supposed to be me?
0:25:02 > 0:25:03I love it!
0:25:05 > 0:25:08But I tell you what - sport on Boxing Day. My dad used to take me
0:25:08 > 0:25:10to Craven Cottage or to Stamford Bridge, you know.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12Oh, that was a big treat.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15My dad was a Chelsea fan or a Fulham fan, so if one was playing away,
0:25:15 > 0:25:17- we'd go and see the other. - You'd do the other.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- Big treat.- And the trip up there must have been quite something.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Oh, it was epic, yeah. It was really nice, yeah. Good day out.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25So, Paul, what other recollections do you have from your
0:25:25 > 0:25:27Christmas childhood in Cornwall?
0:25:27 > 0:25:29There was a lot more snow when I was younger.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- Wasn't there?- Yeah! - Even in Cornwall!
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- Yeah!- You should have seen it up in Newcastle!
0:25:35 > 0:25:37It was about that deep, you know,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40some Christmases, I can remember it being that deep.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42You'd go out the back door, and it was that deep,
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and we lived opposite the retired Bishop of Rutland.
0:25:45 > 0:25:49- Oh, right, OK.- The Knitting Bishop, he was known as, and, you know,
0:25:49 > 0:25:54I tell you something, he invited us around for a sherry and a mince pie
0:25:54 > 0:25:57when I was about 15, so we all trooped over to his place,
0:25:57 > 0:26:01and when I got stuck into this mince pie, it was a proper mince pie.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05It wasn't like, you know, fruit mince, it was a proper...
0:26:05 > 0:26:06Mince mince! Oh, I quite like them.
0:26:06 > 0:26:09- Oh, it's lovely. - Oh, it's lovely.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11- Well, it is if you like meat! - Yeah!
0:26:11 > 0:26:14Now, look, that's the cranberry sauce.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16As you can see, the sugar - it's like jam making.
0:26:16 > 0:26:20It's changed completely, it's gone syrupy and thick. It's so simple,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24and it's probably the best cranberry sauce you'll ever have.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26- Doesn't that look good? - Yeah.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28- Now, that's Christmassy. - That is very Christmassy.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34- Looks beautiful. - Now, some Marsala.
0:26:35 > 0:26:39We want that sweet note of the Marsala, but not the alcohol,
0:26:39 > 0:26:42so what we need to do is boil that off a little bit,
0:26:42 > 0:26:46reduce it by at least half, and then we're going to add some stock,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49and finish the sauce with a little bit of cream.
0:26:49 > 0:26:51- Beautiful. - Now, our sticky red cabbage.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55I've just got some beans that have been blanched.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57I'm just going to toss those in butter.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59Oh! I can smell that, it looks fantastic.
0:26:59 > 0:27:02- Can I have a quick look?- Yeah. - Oh, I love the colours.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05Do you know? There's something quite special about red cabbage.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08It just looks the part, doesn't it, rather than green cabbage?
0:27:08 > 0:27:10Glossy and lovely.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13I grew a giant cabbage, and I took it to the Malvern Giant Veg show.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- Did you win?- No, I didn't make the table. But, do you know what?
0:27:16 > 0:27:19It took up the whole of the car. I'm not joking.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23It was 1.4 metres across, it was that big, it was huge,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25beautifully formed, got it in the back of the car,
0:27:25 > 0:27:28got it up there, and it was the smallest one there.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32- What?!- Yeah! I mean, they're giant, they're massive, great big things.
0:27:32 > 0:27:36The world of competitive veg growing can be a harrowing one.
0:27:36 > 0:27:38- I think we're ready, dude. - We are ready.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40- Should we...? - I think we should dish up.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Now, it is a Christmas dinner, so we want to serve it properly.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48- It's nice to see it on a bit of blue and white.- Yes!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50THEY LAUGH
0:27:50 > 0:27:53But the nice thing as well about antique crockery...
0:27:53 > 0:27:55- You can use it.- You can use it, it looks fabulous.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58You can see the textures all binding together, can't you?
0:27:58 > 0:27:59It's held together beautifully.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03Yeah, it looks like a proper feast that you can get your teeth into.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05- I'm licking my lips. - That's a good thing.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11So, we've got some beautiful, slow-cooked red cabbage,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15we've got some beans tossed in butter, we've got cranberry sauce,
0:28:15 > 0:28:19we got our lovely mushroom sauce to go with our nut roast,
0:28:19 > 0:28:23and, of course, it's not Christmas without roast potatoes.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25It's just full of goodness.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28Looks brilliant. Can I get stuck in?
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Please do, Paul. It'd be our pleasure.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Red cabbage! Oh!
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- Help! - Go on, there's a bit of space.
0:28:38 > 0:28:40That is fantastic.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41- Hey!- Oh, brill.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44- Let's have a go.- That is the best nut roast I've ever had.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- You can taste all the flavours all at once.- Yeah, good.
0:28:49 > 0:28:51- It's just fantastic. - Oh, yeah, that's great.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53It's moist, it's together.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57It's beautiful, sweet, savoury, and it's a good cutter.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00- Yeah. Merry Christmas, Paul. - Merry Christmas. Oh, man.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02He'll be wanting some pudding next.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Yes, yes, I suppose. Would you like pudding, sir?
0:29:04 > 0:29:06- Where's the red wine? - It's on its way.- On its way!
0:29:07 > 0:29:11If you want a break from meat but still want the satisfaction
0:29:11 > 0:29:15- of a roast...- Our nut roast will put a smile on your face.
0:29:22 > 0:29:25If you're looking for a gift for foodie friends,
0:29:25 > 0:29:26then why not make your own?
0:29:26 > 0:29:29Eshe Brown has a beautiful idea for a present.
0:29:34 > 0:29:38It's a great gift because it looks beautiful, and it's lovingly made.
0:29:38 > 0:29:41I think gifts like that are so much nicer because they're personalised,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44and it takes a lot more effort than to just pop to the shop and pick up
0:29:44 > 0:29:46something that's in the gift section, so I think people
0:29:46 > 0:29:48are going to love this as a gift.
0:29:54 > 0:29:58This recipe involves dried rosemary and red currants.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00It's quite nice, you can buy preserving bottles,
0:30:00 > 0:30:03but it's quite nice to pick up ones with unusual shapes,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06so something hexagonal or with bevelling, that sort of thing,
0:30:06 > 0:30:09and it just gives it a bit more of a unique look as well.
0:30:10 > 0:30:13Virgin olive oil's obviously the best to use, but you can just use
0:30:13 > 0:30:16ordinary oil because you're infusing it with lots of flavours,
0:30:16 > 0:30:19so it just makes it taste really lovely.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27It's looking beautiful. It's like little gems in the oil.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30You're not limited at all to just those flavours.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32There's so many different things you can experiment with.
0:30:32 > 0:30:36So this one's thyme, lemon, and orange peel.
0:30:36 > 0:30:39We've dried the citrus fruits out and popped them in there with it,
0:30:39 > 0:30:41and it's going to taste lovely on chicken.
0:30:43 > 0:30:46So this is the same - it's rosemary and redcurrant,
0:30:46 > 0:30:48but I've added edible glitter to it.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50It doesn't add much to the flavour,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52it just looks really pretty and Christmassy.
0:30:52 > 0:30:54It's just like a snow globe. So Christmassy.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Just means that if you're giving it as a gift it looks a little bit
0:30:57 > 0:30:59more special, and a bit different as well from what you can
0:30:59 > 0:31:01pick up from a shop.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10Well, Paul, your wish is our command.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12We got a bit of Malbec!
0:31:12 > 0:31:15- Are you going to join me? - Absolutely.
0:31:15 > 0:31:18- It's Christmas.- The spirit of Keith Floyd is upon us.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22- Merry Christmas.- Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas!- Christmas cheerio.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- Lovely.- Right, so we need to move on to something sweet, a dessert.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28- Yes, indeed.- But how do we follow our rather successful nut roast?
0:31:28 > 0:31:34We have an idea. We're going to do you a pear and hazelnut cake.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36What a good combination!
0:31:36 > 0:31:38It's really special, and it's laced with eau de vie,
0:31:38 > 0:31:40it's laced with hazelnut liqueur.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43This is a proper grown-up treat.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45- That's fantastic.- But it's lighter than an angel's kiss.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47It... Ooh!
0:31:47 > 0:31:49Have you been kissed by an angel?
0:31:49 > 0:31:51I certainly have! A couple of times, really!
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Oh, thanks, mate.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57This is the flour in the cake. Noddle oddle!
0:31:57 > 0:32:00And that is the hazelnut. Now, they have been hazelnuts.
0:32:00 > 0:32:03You buy them, they are already skinned, put them in a
0:32:03 > 0:32:07food processor, and about the same texture as ground almonds.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12Now, while Dave is doing that, I am going to start to
0:32:12 > 0:32:14cream together six eggs and some caster sugar.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17Now, this is very important for this cake.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20You start low like that,
0:32:20 > 0:32:24and then as soon as you've got the first egg in,
0:32:24 > 0:32:26turn it up to full.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30And then just keep adding eggs.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35If you don't get the air into the eggs, into this part,
0:32:35 > 0:32:37your cake will be like a carpet tile.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40So that's quite key, then, to really give that a good beating?
0:32:40 > 0:32:41Yeah, you need to get...
0:32:41 > 0:32:45What we're looking for, Paul, is that the colour will change,
0:32:45 > 0:32:51it will triple in volume, and it will go a really light pale colour.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53Into the hazelnuts, I mix the flour.
0:32:54 > 0:32:58And in this pan, I'm melting down the butter.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02Do you guys go on a diet after Christmas?
0:33:02 > 0:33:04- Yes.- Yes.- Right!
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Flipping heck, yes!
0:33:08 > 0:33:12But, Paul, I gather one of your claims to fame is you actually
0:33:12 > 0:33:14did work on the movie, Santa Claus.
0:33:14 > 0:33:16- I did. - What did you do? Were you an elf?
0:33:16 > 0:33:18No, do you know what I actually did?
0:33:18 > 0:33:20I was in this little tiny art room,
0:33:20 > 0:33:26and I had to make half a dozen pairs of antler horns, literally.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28You know, be creative with papier mache and wire mesh.
0:33:28 > 0:33:32Wow, so how did that transfer itself to antiques?
0:33:32 > 0:33:35I bought a flat in Richmond, right on the river, right near
0:33:35 > 0:33:38Eel Pie Studios in St Margaret's, where Pete Townshend worked,
0:33:38 > 0:33:41and I bumped into Pete. And because I played drums and I was this,
0:33:41 > 0:33:45you know, keen semi-professional drummer and I had a van to carry
0:33:45 > 0:33:48my drums around in, he said, "Do you want to work for me?"
0:33:48 > 0:33:50So I worked for Pete Townshend for a couple of years,
0:33:50 > 0:33:51which was really great.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54You know, as a studio gopher, you know, moving kit
0:33:54 > 0:33:58for Elton John and The Who, and people like that, and yeah,
0:33:58 > 0:33:59so I had a great time there,
0:33:59 > 0:34:02and I met somebody in his studio that was into antiques,
0:34:02 > 0:34:05and on the weekends, we used to go off and do the markets.
0:34:05 > 0:34:10And it was really... Getting the exposure to the Portobello Road
0:34:10 > 0:34:14and Camden Lock and Camden Passage, about the age of 24, 25, 26,
0:34:14 > 0:34:18I kind of thought, "This is what I want to do.
0:34:18 > 0:34:21"I want to be one of those crazy eccentrics," you know, selling stuff
0:34:21 > 0:34:24and having wodges of 50-pound notes in your pocket.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26You know, those were the days.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29- Yeah, but how lovely is that? - Yeah!- How lovely is that?
0:34:31 > 0:34:33So, Paul, what do you have for dessert on Christmas Day?
0:34:33 > 0:34:36- Are you a traditionalist? - Traditionalist, yeah.
0:34:36 > 0:34:37I've got to have it with custard, though.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40I'm not a big sort of clotted cream or single cream...
0:34:40 > 0:34:43- Brandy sauce?- Brandy sauce, yeah, we do set fire to the pud as well.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45- Yeah?- Yeah, we do. And we still hide, you know,
0:34:45 > 0:34:47old sixpences in for the kids.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53- I thought you put sovereigns or the odd groat in yours.- Yes!- I wish!
0:34:53 > 0:34:58Our mission is to preserve that volume, so as Mr King folds gently,
0:34:58 > 0:35:00I'm just going to put the flour and the nuts in.
0:35:03 > 0:35:06So that has held up really, really well.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Because there is quite a weight of nuts in there,
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I will just fold in the melted butter.
0:35:11 > 0:35:12You can't let this set too much.
0:35:12 > 0:35:16No, you can't, because what we want to do, as much as possible,
0:35:16 > 0:35:19is maintain the air in that eggs and sugar.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21I've got two tins here that have been prepared.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24A simple sheet of baking parchment,
0:35:24 > 0:35:26just half in this tin and half in that tin.
0:35:29 > 0:35:33And we want to make sure that the cakes are the same size.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34You don't want a lopsided cake.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41Pop these into a preheated oven - it's 170 Celsius this time -
0:35:41 > 0:35:44for 12 to 15 minutes, until risen and golden.
0:35:48 > 0:35:49- Beautiful!- Beautiful.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54So when the cakes have baked, you need to leave them to cool,
0:35:54 > 0:35:56pop them out of the tin, put them onto a cooling rack,
0:35:56 > 0:36:00- and you end up with two cakes like this.- How lovely.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02- Aren't they lovely? - Oh, they do look good, yeah.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05But there are two elements to the next stage of the cake.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07- OK.- One is the pears. I have to peel them,
0:36:07 > 0:36:11prepare them, poach them in the syrup and eau de vie.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14The water of life. And what are you doing, Si?
0:36:14 > 0:36:16Oh, there's a filling that's as light as clouds.
0:36:16 > 0:36:18Angels sit on it without a care.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22It is a load of ricotta and cream, and then you mix it up
0:36:22 > 0:36:24with some sugar. It's great.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27So, Paul, I think we've established, you're not a strict vegetarian.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29- You will eat cheese. - I will eat cheese, yeah.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32I love my dairy. I possibly have too much dairy,
0:36:32 > 0:36:34- but I couldn't live without it. - Yeah.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Now, I need to get on with the pears,
0:36:39 > 0:36:41so first off, I start making my syrup.
0:36:41 > 0:36:43So I want the juice of one lemon.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46Do you know? My kids love making cakes. They love baking.
0:36:46 > 0:36:48It's a great thing to do with kids.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51Yeah. They decorate them all with Smarties and cover it all
0:36:51 > 0:36:54full of chocolate. It's lovely.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56And now the caster sugar goes in.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59And just let that reduce down to a syrup.
0:36:59 > 0:37:00What I'll do while that's happening,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03I'm going to peel and prepare the pears.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04Now, I do this at the last minute,
0:37:04 > 0:37:08because obviously the pears will go brown. So how did you get
0:37:08 > 0:37:10from wheeler-dealer-ing to where you are now?
0:37:10 > 0:37:13I was sitting in my antiques shop in Marlborough,
0:37:13 > 0:37:15and a researcher walked in,
0:37:15 > 0:37:18and she originally worked on Noel Edmonds' Swap Shop.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21- OK.- She used to run around with dungarees on, she was called
0:37:21 > 0:37:24Patsy's Prizes, giving out the prizes with Keith Chegwin.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27- Oh, yeah, OK. - Cheggers!
0:37:27 > 0:37:29And she came into my shop with a little camcorder,
0:37:29 > 0:37:31so I let her film, and then she said,
0:37:31 > 0:37:34"Can you talk to me about this piece of Queen Anne furniture,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37"this kneehole desk?" So I kind of told the history.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40"Circa 1815, just think, it probably saw the Battle of Waterloo.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43"You know, the Duke of Wellington." And she spent about an hour with me,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45had a couple of glasses of wine, and left,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48and two days later, I had a phone call. They said,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52"Look, we believe you've got the potential to become a TV presenter.
0:37:52 > 0:37:57- "How do you fancy screen testing?" - Result, dude!- But do you know what?
0:37:57 > 0:38:00I was so scared, I was really, really scared.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02And they said, "Look, we want you to present an antiques show,
0:38:02 > 0:38:04"and would you screen test for it?"
0:38:04 > 0:38:06And I was awful. I was absolutely awful.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09Had no idea how to talk to a TV camera.
0:38:09 > 0:38:14So I had a few rehearsals in a graveyard in Sheffield
0:38:14 > 0:38:15on our first day's shooting.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18I got up an hour early with the cameraman and sound man,
0:38:18 > 0:38:20and I was kind of going through my pieces to camera, you know,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22walking and talking, landing on the mark, turning,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25looking in a different direction, and I just couldn't do it.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28So, thanks to some clever editing and some very nice directors and
0:38:28 > 0:38:32cameramen, you know, they kind of nurtured me through it, really.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35- I'm very lucky.- I bet your mum and dad were as proud as punch.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39Yeah, they were. Yeah, my mum was my biggest fan, and my biggest critic,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41- obviously! - Well, of course. But mums are.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44- Yeah. - These pears won't wait much longer.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47What I've done is I've quartered them, I've peeled them,
0:38:47 > 0:38:49and I've cored them.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53Now, into the syrup, we lace it with eau de vie, the water of life.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56So put that in the syrup. Smell that, just a bit boozy.
0:38:56 > 0:38:58It wasn't a lot you put in, was it?
0:38:58 > 0:39:03- Oh, that's good.- Oh, it's grown-up. Now, into this we put the pears.
0:39:03 > 0:39:05I'm going to poach them down.
0:39:05 > 0:39:07We want them to retain the shape, though, we don't want a mush.
0:39:07 > 0:39:10After simmering for about 10, 15 minutes, and left to go cool,
0:39:10 > 0:39:13you'll be left with that.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Right, so now we need to put the pears into that
0:39:15 > 0:39:17wonderful ricotta mix.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21- And this is the filling for your cake.- Mm.
0:39:23 > 0:39:28What we want to do is to pour in about two thirds of the syrup,
0:39:28 > 0:39:32- give it a good mix. - Beautiful.- There we go.
0:39:32 > 0:39:34Right, now it's time to build our Christmas treat.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37The reserved syrup, I'm just going to paint onto this.
0:39:37 > 0:39:39It's a bit of a rum baba thing, really.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42And then we put our ricotta.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45I think that's enough, Si. We're going to make some praline
0:39:45 > 0:39:48for the top, with some jaunty caramelised hazelnuts,
0:39:48 > 0:39:51and then a chocolate sauce to serve.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54- Oh!- This one's for you, Paul. - I can feel the pounds going on now!
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- Don't you worry about it. - No, it's light, it's fabulous.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00Paul, what do you like to do on Boxing Day?
0:40:00 > 0:40:02My kids go pony riding, we've got some ponies,
0:40:02 > 0:40:04so we take the ponies down along the canal,
0:40:04 > 0:40:06and go for a wander around the village, which is quite nice.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09Take the dogs. Just getting out and about,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11- getting outside in the fresh air. - Nice.- Getting out of the house.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Yeah, because you've had your big Christmas dinner,
0:40:13 > 0:40:16you've had your lazy day, you need to go for a walk, yeah, absolutely.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19But we've also got, you know, all the animals on our little
0:40:19 > 0:40:24smallholding, so we've got the pigs to look after, ducks and chickens
0:40:24 > 0:40:27to look after, three cats, three dogs, two ponies, two horses.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29You know, there's a lot to do every morning.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32- So what do you do with your pigs, Paul?- Well, we're just
0:40:32 > 0:40:34fattening them up, really, to go off to market, basically.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37I love it! We've got a vegetarian pig breeder!
0:40:37 > 0:40:39It's brilliant, isn't it?
0:40:39 > 0:40:41It's all right, lads, we've got a nut roast.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Oh, do you know? With the ponies, the kids' ponies,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46we put antlers on the ponies, we've got those stick-on antlers,
0:40:46 > 0:40:48so we take them for a walk around the village with these...
0:40:48 > 0:40:50- Oh, brilliant!- ..furry antlers on. It's ever so funny.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52So basically we pop the hazelnuts in.
0:40:54 > 0:40:56Now, this is the fun part.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59This is going to set like a big slab.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03- That will go hard and brittle, then? You can actually snap it?- Rock-hard.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Now, we need to spread it out, so it's like one layer.
0:41:07 > 0:41:10- Do you have to work fast? - Oh, yes. Yeah.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13So, as I'm doing it, I'm just breaking off odd ones like this.
0:41:13 > 0:41:17I can start with about a dozen. The rest can set into a slab.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19- Well done, mate. - Oh, it's sticky, isn't it?
0:41:19 > 0:41:21- Very, yeah. - It's also very hot.
0:41:21 > 0:41:23- I think that's there, mate. - I think they are.
0:41:23 > 0:41:25And when it's cooled, it looks like this.
0:41:27 > 0:41:29Now, we put that into a food processor,
0:41:29 > 0:41:33and process it into crumbs, and that is praline.
0:41:41 > 0:41:42And that's it.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49I don't mind if there is a scattering on the dish,
0:41:49 > 0:41:51- because I think it looks so lovely. - Absolutely.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54- Yeah, it's kind of frosty. - Yeah. The snowman.
0:41:55 > 0:41:56So, the chocolate sauce.
0:41:56 > 0:42:01Now, all that's in the pan is butter, cream, dark chocolate.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Now we're just about to tickle it with the festive feather that is
0:42:04 > 0:42:07Frau Anjelica, or hazelnut liqueur.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09It's looking like Christmas!
0:42:11 > 0:42:13Oh, look at that chocolate sauce.
0:42:13 > 0:42:17Now look at that. See? Just look at the strata.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20It's firm but fair.
0:42:20 > 0:42:21That's teasing me.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24Paul Martin, Merry Christmas.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27- Thank you.- Merry Christmas.- Merry Christmas, guys. You're spoiling me!
0:42:29 > 0:42:32That's fantastic. Exceptionally light.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35- It is, isn't it?- It's what I would call a slightly grown-up cake.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37It doesn't need an awful lot of chocolate.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39No, it doesn't, does it?
0:42:39 > 0:42:43This cake is perfect for a winter's day.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Put the kettle on, cut a slice, and smile.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51All of this really sums up the essence of Christmas -
0:42:51 > 0:42:53it really does - and great company as well.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56- I'll drink to that.- Cheers. - Cheers, Paul. Merry Christmas.
0:42:56 > 0:42:59- Merry Christmas, mate, to yours. - And Merry Christmas.
0:42:59 > 0:43:01- And Merry Christmas. - Merry Christmas.
0:43:01 > 0:43:02And Happy New Year.