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