0:00:02 > 0:00:05My name is Valentine Warner, chef by trade, greedy by nature.
0:00:05 > 0:00:11I love food and I love eating it when it's absolutely at its best. Wow.
0:00:11 > 0:00:18Having grown up on a farm, I've learnt eating things in season means you get them at their most delicious.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21That's deep, man.
0:00:21 > 0:00:25Tonight, I'll be bagging the best from our autumn woodlands and hedgerows.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27You bugger!
0:00:27 > 0:00:31I'll be engaging in blackberry battle with the Women's Institute.
0:00:31 > 0:00:37- If you put Fairy Liquid in my mixture when I'm not looking...- As if!- ..I'll change your timer settings.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Got one.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Taking a shot for the pot with a clay pigeon enthusiast.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45Melt butter and declare war.
0:00:45 > 0:00:50And getting deliciously hard core with signal crayfish.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51My goodness!
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Most ingredients can be bought in the shops
0:01:20 > 0:01:24but, for me, there's nothing better than grabbing them for free
0:01:24 > 0:01:26when they're in their seasonal prime.
0:01:26 > 0:01:33Today, I've come to the beautiful River Kennet in Berkshire to catch myself some crayfish.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Our chalk streams are totally jammed with signal crayfish.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39They are delicious and, what's more, with a licence -
0:01:39 > 0:01:44very easily obtainable - you're actively encouraged to get them out.
0:01:44 > 0:01:49My trusty crayfish trap. All sorts of stuff are put in these things.
0:01:49 > 0:01:54Some people use meat but I like a good salmon head.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Stake in the ground.
0:01:57 > 0:02:02In it goes. And before long, I guarantee lots of the little critters
0:02:02 > 0:02:07will be scuttling over the pebble bed towards that fat, juicy salmon head.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11And then I'm going to come and haul them out and do bad things to them with butter.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16At this time of year it's almost impossible for me
0:02:16 > 0:02:21to look at the countryside other than through culinary tinted spectacles.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24It's an environment on a plate.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29And a short stroll down the river, I find another ingredient available year round in the shops,
0:02:29 > 0:02:33but now it's thriving at the water's edge absolutely free.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Wild watercress,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38just growing here, gently flowing in the current.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Look, that's really, really good...
0:02:42 > 0:02:44tender,
0:02:44 > 0:02:49juicy and a lot of heat to it as well. It's punchy stuff.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53Although very delicious raw, it can harbour parasites,
0:02:53 > 0:02:59so harvest from fast-flowing water away from grazing livestock and cook thoroughly before you eat it.
0:03:01 > 0:03:06Just next door there is another seasonal goody to be much appreciated.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11This is the hazelnut tree, my favourite tree.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Come late autumn,
0:03:13 > 0:03:15the nuts on this tree are going to be
0:03:15 > 0:03:17much darker with that very hazelnutty taste.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Right now there is more of a delicate thing going on with the green nuts.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27I take its little hat off...
0:03:27 > 0:03:28and break it.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31There. Delicious. A milky nut.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Peas. It tastes like peas.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39They're really yummy, totally different
0:03:39 > 0:03:41from the late autumn nut.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44These are going to go brilliantly with crayfish.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48So, like the little squirrels that also love them so much,
0:03:48 > 0:03:52I've come to collect them before they get their hairy little paws on them.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54What a great day out.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Nuts on board, it's crayfish time.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00The trap's been in the water for just under two hours
0:04:00 > 0:04:03but I can't resist having a sneaky peak.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08Now, how easy is that?
0:04:08 > 0:04:11There's hundreds and hundreds of these things,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14they breed incredibly quickly.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18This is the signal crayfish. It's very, very distinctive.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22It's much larger than our tiny, little English white clawed crayfish.
0:04:22 > 0:04:27It's got these fabulous red mitts but also this incredible blue
0:04:27 > 0:04:31and this rich plum colour on the top. Whoa!
0:04:31 > 0:04:35These things can give you a seriously nasty bite.
0:04:35 > 0:04:40You want to be quite careful handling them, they are always on the defensive, quite rightly so.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42If only they knew where they were going!
0:04:44 > 0:04:45They are off!
0:04:45 > 0:04:53The trick is to get your hands right behind the claws so they can't put them back over their head to get you.
0:04:53 > 0:04:55You can see how aggressive these things are.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57There's a couple here still having a fight.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02Look - this guy hasn't finished. These are greedy things.
0:05:03 > 0:05:08In the 1970s, these delicious bullies were brought over from the US to be farmed.
0:05:08 > 0:05:13Since then, they have all but commandeered our waterways.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18As a result, our timid, polite, native crayfish have become so scarce
0:05:18 > 0:05:20they are now protected.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24Big, bright, fat, obviously American.
0:05:24 > 0:05:29Very destructive. What I would say to you is melt butter and declare war.
0:05:29 > 0:05:34But before you go running off to do your bit for Queen and country,
0:05:34 > 0:05:36get yourself a licence.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39And should you trap any of our rare, white clawed countrymen,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41throw them straight back in.
0:05:41 > 0:05:43They need all the help they can get.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48Fat, plump, autumn signal crayfish.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Whether they are considered a pest or not,
0:05:50 > 0:05:54I think it only fair to kill them as quickly as possible,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58and a knife cut to the back of the head will finish them off quickly.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02A very nifty trick is here, this middle flap in the tail,
0:06:02 > 0:06:04twist it gently...
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and pull and it will pull out the intestine.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11The last thing to do, chop it straight through.
0:06:14 > 0:06:19If you get a little bit of movement still going on, that's only the nerves.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Job done.
0:06:25 > 0:06:26Next, the hazelnut stuffing.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30This is very, very, very easy.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32You want a good
0:06:32 > 0:06:34amount of butter.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36A good, fat clove of garlic.
0:06:36 > 0:06:41Then some grated lemon zest, about half a lemon.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Pastis, I love this stuff. Heavy aniseed.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48If you've never drunk this before, go and buy a bottle of it immediately.
0:06:48 > 0:06:50About two of those caps.
0:06:50 > 0:06:54Stale bread. I never throw bread away at home.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57I'm going to give this a preliminary whizz.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03Grab a handful of parsley and chop.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06I want it magnifying glass small.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11I feel sorry for ingredients. If I see tiny bits of parsley
0:07:11 > 0:07:16left on the corner of the board I kinda feel I might hurt their feelings if they don't get included.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20A million little voices are always pleading from the kitchen table.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23Don't leave me behind!
0:07:23 > 0:07:27A good pinch of salt and proper bombardment of black pepper.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31And of course, our fantastic green hazelnuts.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36Into the food processor they go with a squeeze of lemon juice.
0:07:36 > 0:07:42If you aren't able to forage any green nuts, shop-bought brown nuts will work equally well.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44Done.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47I'm squidging a small hazelnut patty
0:07:47 > 0:07:51onto each little crayfish body. It's going to be a winner.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53I love eating crayfish simply.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58Just like prawns they are great with a huge bowl of swirly mayonnaise.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02But this dish served with crusty bread is equally quick.
0:08:02 > 0:08:03That is it...
0:08:03 > 0:08:08Every little crayfish has been neatly dressed up for dinner.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11There's no better place for these fellows than under the grill,
0:08:11 > 0:08:19where in just four minutes the bluey plummy shells transform into a vivid coral red, just like mini lobsters.
0:08:21 > 0:08:28Crayfish with green hazelnuts and pastis. That is a very wonderful thing to look at.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32But I don't want to look at it for too long because they are hot.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35What I really want to do is eat them.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39And...
0:08:41 > 0:08:42My goodness!
0:08:45 > 0:08:52These things when they grow together, they work together in total harmony on this plate.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56It's all free and it's all there to be enjoyed.
0:08:59 > 0:09:05Fresh crayfish can be sourced from good fishmongers and crayfish tails are sold in many supermarkets.
0:09:05 > 0:09:09They are a great meaty alternative to prawns.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12I really love them with curried eggs mayonnaise.
0:09:12 > 0:09:19Or for a super quick crayfish supper, flash fry the pre-boiled crayfish tails in hot oil
0:09:19 > 0:09:23and stir in some finely chopped garlic.
0:09:23 > 0:09:30And now for the spice. Smoked, dried jalapeno chillies are guaranteed to give your crayfish a kick.
0:09:33 > 0:09:40Next, chop beef tomato and onion with oregano, cumin seeds and the juice of a small lime.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Blend and add the mixture to a sizzlingly hot pan.
0:09:47 > 0:09:52Then add the cooked crayfish tails to the hot tomato sauce.
0:09:52 > 0:09:59Take your taco shells or warm tortilla and spoon over the crayfish and sauce.
0:09:59 > 0:10:05Add a decent blob of sour cream, top with a smooth slice of avocado
0:10:05 > 0:10:07and sprinkle with salt.
0:10:07 > 0:10:14A wonderfully spicy, simple snack for these cold autumn nights.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17That really is delicious.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27Year round, the British hedgerow is a unique micro culture full of life.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30And at this time of year, when we all start to sniffle and cough,
0:10:30 > 0:10:34its foraged autumn fruits can be wonderfully medicinal.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Rosehips and elderberries bursting with vitamin C.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42And then there's this tiny bitter plum, the sloe.
0:10:44 > 0:10:50They pull your face inside out but mixed with sugar and steeped with gin
0:10:50 > 0:10:56it makes sloe gin my nip of choice when out in the field and I need a lot of warming up.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59Fill my boots.
0:10:59 > 0:11:05But one of the most generous hedgerow offerings is the bountiful and common wild blackberry.
0:11:05 > 0:11:12And, for me, there is nothing more autumnal than a steaming hot bramble pie.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19Cultivated blackberries can be shop-bought pretty much all year,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21but wild, plump, deep purple brambles
0:11:21 > 0:11:25can be picked absolutely free all over Britain from August
0:11:25 > 0:11:31to the end of September, and have a delicious tangy taste of their own.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34It's my passion for blackberries that's brought me to East Yorkshire.
0:11:34 > 0:11:41Tomorrow, it's the Ellerker WI's annual show and I'll be competing in the bramble pudding section.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44Can I just get involved with this...?
0:11:44 > 0:11:48'First - an opportunity to suss out the quality of the competition.'
0:11:48 > 0:11:52That is the best sponge cake I've ever eaten. Ever.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55'After 80 years of preserving and baking,
0:11:55 > 0:12:00'I'm left in no doubt these charming ladies will be fearsome adversaries.'
0:12:00 > 0:12:07I'm really full here. I've never eaten so much cake and it's beginning to make me feel a bit scared.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09So this is the stash.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11The famous stash over there.
0:12:11 > 0:12:17'WI veteran and fellow pudding entrant Margaret Brooker has agreed to take me brambling on her patch.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21'It feels only gentlemanly to make my intentions clear from the start.'
0:12:21 > 0:12:23We are heading for over there.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25- This big one here?- Yeah.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27You bugger!
0:12:27 > 0:12:31I don't know what you are expecting but this is a competition.
0:12:31 > 0:12:37- My mother has always told me I'm highly competitive.- It's quite sad really. As if I'M a threat.
0:12:37 > 0:12:41- Know your enemy.- A self-taught little jam maker.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47'Blackberries picked later in the season may be smaller and tarter than these,
0:12:47 > 0:12:55'but they're still delicious when introduced to a little sugar in jams, which can then be stockpiled.'
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Ah, you've missed a few here.
0:12:57 > 0:13:05'With our punnets brimming, it's back to Margaret's spotless, well-ordered kitchen for all-out bramble warfare.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08'It's nice and cordial, but this is still a competition.'
0:13:08 > 0:13:10Spatulas at dawn, isn't it?
0:13:10 > 0:13:15- If you put Fairy Liquid in my mixture when I'm not looking...- As if! - ..I'll change your timer settings.
0:13:15 > 0:13:21- Look, WI don't need to sabotage your cooking.- I'll sink to any depths I need to go to.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26'For my competition pudding I'm making a bramble and sloe gin jelly.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29'Margaret has chosen a blackberry and chocolate brownie.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37'My tub of blackberries are going to be simmered with water.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40'If you're using sweet, shop-bought blackberries,
0:13:40 > 0:13:45'to give them that delicious wild, tarty taste, add a squeeze of lemon.'
0:13:45 > 0:13:49- This is where I start getting blackberry juice all over.- I'm watching you.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53'To wow the WI I want a very refined jelly, so when the fruit is totally collapsed,
0:13:53 > 0:14:00'I'm straining it through two layers of muslin into five hefty tablespoons of caster sugar.
0:14:00 > 0:14:08'Finally, to the sweetened hedgerow blood I'm adding a generous glug of my very own 2006 vintage sloe gin.'
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Let's have a smell of that.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14Oh, that is wonderful!
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Shall we have a morning nip?
0:14:16 > 0:14:18Probably not, no.
0:14:18 > 0:14:25'If you can't wait to try some yourself, sloe gin can be bought ready-made in shops.
0:14:25 > 0:14:29'Now for judge-impressing wobble factor.'
0:14:29 > 0:14:33I want a jelly that if you tap it it kind of goes...
0:14:33 > 0:14:36I want a really wobbly jelly.
0:14:36 > 0:14:42'I'm taking a real risk by using only six sheets of gelatine dissolved in warm water.'
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Will a jelly of that consistency hold its shape?
0:14:45 > 0:14:49I'm hoping to God. I'm pushing it to the edge.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51'Once my boozy blackberry juice is cool,
0:14:51 > 0:14:55'I added my risky ration of gelatine.
0:14:55 > 0:15:00'I'm going with a rabbit mould because bouncing bunnies have somehow always bought me luck.'
0:15:00 > 0:15:03How am I meant to get in there?
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- Shall I put it in? - Don't you...- Do you trust me?
0:15:06 > 0:15:12'With the competition not until tomorrow, my jelly will have a whole night to perfect its wobble.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21'The next morning, it's straight back to Margaret's kitchen to resume bramble business.
0:15:21 > 0:15:29'Her blackberry brownie pudding is looking fantastic and now it's the moment of truth for my jelly.'
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Has it got the right amount of wobble?
0:15:30 > 0:15:35It's got some serious wobble going on. It's very wobbly.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39That's kind of what I wanted but I don't know if I've pushed it too far.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41- Go on then.- Are you praying for me?
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Yes. I actually feel quite nervous for you.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46I feel really nervous for me.
0:15:52 > 0:15:58'To get the rabbit out of its hutch it needs a quick dip in warm water but timing is crucial.'
0:15:58 > 0:16:03- It's released.- How did you know? - Because I could feel it wobbling around.
0:16:05 > 0:16:06- OK, ready?- Mmm...
0:16:08 > 0:16:11- SQUELCHING - I heard it.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15It's come out. Can I have a piece of kitchen cloth. I want to mop these edges up.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22Oh dear! It hasn't...
0:16:22 > 0:16:25Oh my God, it's a fat rabbit.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29It looks a little bit like a road kill I have to say.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33But I'm sure that it will taste wonderful.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37I think he's gonna give me and my friends a run for our money.
0:16:37 > 0:16:43I don't think I have to tell them it's a rabbit, anyway. I'll just leave that out.
0:16:43 > 0:16:49'Thankfully Margaret couldn't live any closer to WI HQ, it's next door.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54'I just hope my wibbly wobbly rabbit gets a good reception.'
0:16:54 > 0:16:57Dear Lord, you're number two, I've written your name down.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01This lady just said, "Dear God" when she saw my jelly.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Slated before it's even been put on the table.
0:17:10 > 0:17:17'As all the other bramble pudding entries arrive my little bunny is looking ever more deflated.'
0:17:17 > 0:17:21- He's relaxed.- He's a relaxed rabbit.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25I feel a bit like a kind of tattered flag.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29There's nothing I can do about it any more. Judges will be judges and that's all there is to it.
0:17:31 > 0:17:35My professional reputation is now in the hands of judge, Judy,
0:17:35 > 0:17:38who I'm told is a strict but fair adjudicator.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Mmm...that's lovely.
0:17:42 > 0:17:49With most marks awarded for taste in WI cooking competitions, I'm hopeful I'm still in with a chance.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55It's a lovely flavour
0:17:55 > 0:17:57but it's a bit too soft.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Do you see how it moves.
0:17:59 > 0:18:02Normally a jelly would be a little stiffer than that.
0:18:02 > 0:18:09It's several nerve-wracking hours later before we're allowed back in for prize giving.
0:18:09 > 0:18:15Will my wobbly bunny have held its own against stiff competition?
0:18:15 > 0:18:17BELL RINGS
0:18:17 > 0:18:23Good evening, ladies. It's been a fun day. We had a variety of bramble puddings
0:18:23 > 0:18:27and the judge had an extremely hard job deciding who was going to win.
0:18:27 > 0:18:34The first prize, this little one here, is for Carol Parson. Come and get your certificate.
0:18:40 > 0:18:47The second prize, which was the autumn pudding I suppose you can call it, is to Linda Morris.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56And the third prize, which goes on flavour,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58not on appearance...
0:18:58 > 0:19:00was Valentine.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11I can't believe you let me have a prize at all.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16It's been really, really amazing and I've never won anything, really,
0:19:16 > 0:19:23other than a book I didn't want and a Fray Bentos pie in a tin, so this is really good.
0:19:23 > 0:19:30Could I just say three cheers to the WI for being guardians of British cooking and craft. Hip, hip...
0:19:30 > 0:19:32- Hurray!- Hip, hip...- Hurray!
0:19:32 > 0:19:34- Hip, hip...- Hurray!
0:19:34 > 0:19:36Thank you very much.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48I have to say the ladies of the WI are nowhere near as scary as I thought.
0:19:48 > 0:19:52I'm leaving full of delicious cake with my pride pretty much intact.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01As one of the last soft fruits of the year, blackberries provide a great autumn alternative
0:20:01 > 0:20:04to relive summer favourites like Eton Mess,
0:20:04 > 0:20:10traditionally made with strawberries, but here made bramble style-y.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13First make the meringue.
0:20:13 > 0:20:19Whisk egg whites until they form stiff peaks that defy gravity.
0:20:19 > 0:20:24Slowly add the sieved caster sugar and whisk...
0:20:24 > 0:20:28until it's as thick and glossy as gentlemen's shaving foam.
0:20:28 > 0:20:33Arrange the mixture on a baking sheet like miniature meringue icebergs.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Then bake.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42For the puree, add a big handful of blackberries to a bowl.
0:20:42 > 0:20:45Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49spoon over caster sugar
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and blend.
0:20:54 > 0:20:59To make a mess, whisk double cream.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Carefully crumble in the cooled meringue.
0:21:03 > 0:21:07Be gentle - you want decent sized pieces, not crushed to dust.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15Next add delicious and plump whole blackberries...
0:21:15 > 0:21:20..followed by the smooth puree and carefully mix together.
0:21:26 > 0:21:32Finally, splash with a drop more puree and it's ready to serve.
0:21:32 > 0:21:38A simple and sweet celebration of my favourite autumn berry.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54One of the best perks of autumn is the wickedly tasty wood pigeon.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59Not to be confused with their manky city cousins, these beautiful,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02clean, country birds are considered a pest by farmers.
0:22:02 > 0:22:08Every year they scavenge millions of pounds worth of crops, but there is an upside.
0:22:08 > 0:22:14Fat from a summer of excess, at this time of year, wood pigeons are rich for the taking.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17Handsome, plentiful, plump
0:22:17 > 0:22:24and utterly delicious, you don't have to go very far to find them. Getting hold of them is a trickier business.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26Pull...
0:22:26 > 0:22:31I've come to meet expert clay pigeon shot, Heather Tarbard.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34I want to see if I can turn her on to the real thing.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Wow-ee... That's phenomenal shooting.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Thank you, thank you so much.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44Have you ever hit anything live?
0:22:44 > 0:22:50I wouldn't even dream of shooting anything live. I mean, in my club we never shoot wildlife anyway,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53but it's never even occurred to me to do anything like that.
0:22:53 > 0:22:58'Growing up on a farm, shooting pigeon for the pot comes naturally to me.
0:22:58 > 0:23:03'It seems madness not to make more use of this bountiful, free meat.
0:23:03 > 0:23:09'I've invited Heather to come shooting with me to a popular Enfield pigeon hangout.'
0:23:09 > 0:23:13This is a rape field, a real favourite of the pigeons.
0:23:13 > 0:23:19A pigeon flying over a rape field would be like me walking past an ice-cream shop.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24'Wood pigeon has been part of the British diet for hundreds of years,
0:23:24 > 0:23:31'so it's no wonder they keep a wary distance from humans. Without a hide we wouldn't get a look in.
0:23:31 > 0:23:37'I'm using plastic decoy pigeons, a well known trick for luring them in.'
0:23:37 > 0:23:42This really ups our game because they'll go, "What's that funny thing?"
0:23:42 > 0:23:46but then when they see these they'll go, "This is a safe area."
0:23:46 > 0:23:49Do you want to get your gun out? We'll make a start.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53'Pigeon are a tricky bird to shoot. You have to know what you're doing,
0:23:53 > 0:23:59'but with over 30 years' combined experience, Heather and I should be able to bag some supper.'
0:23:59 > 0:24:03There's already birds coming in over there. Lock your gun.
0:24:03 > 0:24:04Look, look, look. Take it, take it.
0:24:08 > 0:24:16- I'm so sorry.- Don't apologise - pick your birds. Don't wildly shoot into a group of birds, take your bird.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17God, my heart's pumping.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20'This is completely different from shooting clays.
0:24:20 > 0:24:26'Pigeons are flying in at different speeds from all directions and it's much, much harder.'
0:24:26 > 0:24:28I'm so sorry.
0:24:28 > 0:24:35'Two hours in and Heather hasn't shot a thing. I'm hoping to inspire her with the prospect of dinner.'
0:24:35 > 0:24:39Imagine it's surrounded by slices of pickled walnuts,
0:24:39 > 0:24:42hazelnuts and delicious lettuce leaves and bits of roasted chicory.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45OK, OK, OK, take it, take it...
0:24:48 > 0:24:50'Still no luck and it's getting late.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55'It's up to me to bag a few pigeons before they go to roost.'
0:25:00 > 0:25:03Got one. Excellent.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07'You can buy wood pigeon from good butchers and even some supermarkets.
0:25:07 > 0:25:12'Cheap, lean and healthy, it's loved on the continent
0:25:12 > 0:25:17'but getting it from field to plate in a matter of hours is my favourite way to eat it
0:25:17 > 0:25:22'and I'm hoping I've got just the recipe to turn Heather into a permanent pigeon fancier.'
0:25:22 > 0:25:28So, Enfield's pigeon breast salad with roasted chicory and pickled walnuts. Take the breasts off.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Are you just going down by the bone?
0:25:30 > 0:25:36- You're going down by the bone. I'm surprised it's red meat.- This is because pigeons are very active.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40There's lots of blood pumping through them, coupled with the berries that they eat,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43that keeps their meat rich and dark.
0:25:43 > 0:25:48- There are our two prime breasts. This is chicory. Do you like chicory? - Never tried it.
0:25:48 > 0:25:53We split our chicory down the middle. I really like chicory. It's like bitter chocolate -
0:25:53 > 0:25:57one of those very grown-up tastes. A little butter.
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Sugar...which will sweeten it.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02A little black pepper.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04This is sherry vinegar.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07In they go.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10The object of those is to blast them.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14Pickled walnuts. This is gonna be a real kooky salad.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17Walnuts I've never tasted, chicory I've never tasted.
0:26:17 > 0:26:21These are picked when they're young and soft.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25They naturally go black the minute they're taken off the tree and they're put into vinegar.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27- Right, just normal vinegar?- Yeah.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Next up, oranges for colour and zing,
0:26:31 > 0:26:37chopped toasted hazelnuts and a handful of oak leaf lettuce.
0:26:37 > 0:26:42OK, so I think our chicory is sufficiently blasted.
0:26:42 > 0:26:47Look at those, sticky and sugary there. Totally eatable.
0:26:47 > 0:26:48We need a really hot pan here.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51Butter. This is gonna frizzle around very quickly.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Now our star players...
0:26:57 > 0:26:59I mean, look at that colour, it's pretty beautiful.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01It's been called poor man's steak.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04It does look like a lump of steak.
0:27:04 > 0:27:11You wanna kind of feel that there's a little bit of give. Not completely soft, but a little give.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13I'd say that these are kind of done.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15I'm gonna take them out here.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18Now for my favourite moment -
0:27:18 > 0:27:22pigeon perfectly pink in the middle. A little treat.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24That's it, you eat that little treat.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Then our sherry vinegar and mustard.
0:27:27 > 0:27:32- That's all the autumn colours. - A good, warm autumn salad.- Yes.
0:27:32 > 0:27:38All that remains is for you to get involved with your Enfield pigeon salad.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Yes.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46That's nice, Val.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Very, very nice indeed. I think I'm hooked.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52I think I'd like to eat pigeon again if I've shot it as well.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55Spending the day with you and eating with you has been a total pleasure.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58- Thank so much for being a great sport.- We've had fun, haven't we?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Mmm. We really have.
0:28:04 > 0:28:10Next week my definitive guide to the very best autumn veg you should be eating right now.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12The plumpest of pumpkins...
0:28:12 > 0:28:15I'm surprised you're not fatter.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Too much work to do!
0:28:18 > 0:28:21This is an utterly delicious beetroot.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24And I'll be discovering compost that's out of this world.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28The cow's got a direct link through the horn right up into the cosmos.
0:28:28 > 0:28:30Yeah...