Episode 3 What to Eat Now

Summer - the most exciting time for the seasonal cook - has arrived.

The shops are crammed full of Mother Nature's summer bounty

and the choice of ingredients leaves me dizzy with ideas.

Wow, wow, wow... Wow!

I'm Valentine Warner. Chef by trade, greedy by nature.

This summer I'm taking you on a foody tour around Britain,

showing you exactly what to eat now.

HE SHOUTS

Now, I didn't expect that!

Tonight, it's all about cooking for special occasions.

I'll be sourcing summer's finest ingredients

for when your cooking needs to impress...

That is a summer belter.

..chasing guinea fowl in Wiltshire for a special birthday lunch...

It's got a very...hah!

..turning a daytrip to the coast into a fishy food-fest with a beach barbecue...

If it was any fresher, you'd have to spank it.

..and giving you my top tips

on how to keep your cool when preparing for your special occasion.

Oh, yummy! Really yummy.

Whether you're celebrating an anniversary, having some friends round to watch the match

or inviting your in-laws to tea,

I believe special occasions deserve to be celebrated with the finest food and drink.

But upping the culinary stakes needn't be complicated, as summer brings an abundance

of luscious produce into our shops and markets.

The vibrant colours and fantastic flavours on offer

make cooking for special occasions a joy.

One of my favourite summer vegetables is the globe artichoke -

serve braised in white wine and you're bound to impress.

These artichokes are great for special occasions cos they're not used that often

and they're fantastic and they've got a wonderful earthy, slightly truffly taste.

When preparing artichokes, it's good to wear rubber gloves

because they can make your hands taste incredibly bitter.

My fingers taste like the stuff my cruel parents

used to paint on my nails to stop me sucking my thumb.

Snap off the outer leaves, trim and hoik out the choke with a teaspoon.

Nip off the bottom and then just take the fibrous skin off the stem.

Pop the artichokes into some lemony water to prevent them from discolouring.

Next, saute some chopped carrots, celery, garlic and onion

with coriander and fennel seeds, bay leaves and seasoning.

Then add your star player.

Just sneak the artichokes in among the sweated vegetables.

It's very pretty in here - pink, orange,

pale greens.

Simmer in white wine for about half an hour and leave to cool.

Serve at room temperature with a generous drizzle of good olive oil

and a handful of parsley.

That is truly delicious. Earthy, fragrant,

slightly bitter, but in a really pleasant way.

That is really sensational.

If you're celebrating a special occasion with friends this summer,

where better to do it than on Britain's beautiful coastline?

Some of my most memorable meals have taken place on the beach.

It's hard to beat fresh fish plucked straight from the water

and cooked simply on a barbecue.

I've come to Newquay in Cornwall to cook some of the local summer fish on offer

and I've roped in a team of anglers to do the hard work.

Using a variety of techniques,

they'll be trying to catch as big a haul as possible.

The deal is - they catch it, I'll cook it.

Good morning, everyone, on what I hope will be a very fishy and eventful day.

-Does it feel fishy today?

-It feels very fishy. I can smell it in the air.

The birds are looking quite active out there.

Yeah, I saw the birds - they're all after something.

Where there's little things, there'll be bigger things.

So the idea is today that you go out and catch it

and then you bring it back and I'll cook it.

We're approaching it differently.

-You're going out on your kayak.

-I am. A sea kayak.

You two are fishing from a boat. And you're spear fishing.

Yeah, I'll be the one getting in the water, getting a bit chilly.

But it seems like a nice day, visibility-wise.

Hopefully there's some quarry for us.

What are the kinds of fish that are going to come back today?

We can look at things like pollock,

gilt-head bream, couches bream, black bream,

gurnard, ling, John Dory, if you're lucky -

they actually breed out here during the summer.

-We might even get an octopus.

-That would be quite fun.

It may surprise some people,

but actually there's a lot of variety around here.

-Yeah.

-And very tasty.

Well, that depends on you, doesn't it?

THEY LAUGH

Shall we get on with it?

-Fishing time is precious.

-Let's go catch some fish.

Their oceanic shopping list has certainly whetted my appetite,

though the fish I'm hoping for above all would be a sea bass.

This wonderful meaty treat

moves closer inshore with the warmer summer waters.

If we could bag ourselves a freebie today, I'd be over the moon.

My fishy gang are using every weapon at their disposal to try and land

the best catch of the day.

There's no knowing what they'll come back with

and that does leave me with the slight dilemma

of what to serve with our pot-luck fish supper.

I'm going to make a really delicious char-grilled red pepper dish

that goes fabulously well with all types of barbecue fishes.

So, take a good pick of peppers,

stick them straight onto the barbecue.

The idea here is to really get them as blackened as possible.

All the taste is in that lovely charriness.

It's very hot, but I have a perverse joy

in working with the pain.

Out on the water, Katy and the guys' expertise is paying dividends.

But if catching fish sounds too strenuous,

seek out the day's freshest fish at the local fishmonger's instead.

While the tide's creeping up behind me, I'm going to peel the peppers.

They're nice and cool. Look how easily this comes away.

Really simple. It just slides off and I can smell them.

It's a sweet smell.

Absolutely delicious.

It's quite slimy work.

It'd be tempting to wash the peppers,

just to kind of rinse off any black bits,

but don't do that or you'll rinse away

all the lovely charred taste that you've achieved.

Tear the skinned peppers into fat finger-sized strips,

add the zest of a lemon and season.

A really good grinding of black pepper - nothing wimpy here.

Finely chop some fresh garlic, add a generous handful of capers

and some chopped anchovy fillets.

Finish off with a liberal glug of olive oil

and some roughly torn mint and basil leaves.

This is really ballsy stuff.

It's sweet peppers, tangy capers and lemon,

kind of really, "Argh!", anchovies

and a real stab of garlic.

It's not subtle cooking, but it's really tasty.

The question is, just what am I going to be serving with my roasted red pepper salad?

Oh, the mermaid returns.

-I've got my legs back.

-What's in the goody bag?

-I caught about eight or nine mackerel.

-Stiff as a board, super-fresh.

-Yeah.

That lovely green, shiny...

I call them the tigers of the sea with that pattern.

Look at that. Good offerings.

-Thank you.

-Go forth to the sea and clean your fishes.

-I shall.

The spear fisherman.

I thought you were going to come out of the sea

like Ursula Andress, holding a spear gun.

-Nothing quite so elegant.

-Look at those.

Two fat pollock, expertly shot through the head.

Spider crabs, which there's not much of a taste for in this country,

but these are really good eating. Those are whopping great mussels.

-Thank you very much.

-My pleasure.

-This is great. Ah. The boaters.

G'day, Valentine.

Wow, you've had a haul, guys.

Let's have a look. Bring your box closer.

-Stick it on the ground here.

-Another fat pollock

and another good fish but not seen a lot on the fish counters,

a ballan wrasse. I think they're delicious.

I've actually eaten a few myself and I think they're quite good.

Well, we might not have got a bass,

but we've got variety and we can have a mixed fish grill.

That's today's special.

It doesn't get more special than super-fresh fish

and so long as you remember my two golden rules, it's super-simple to cook on the barbecue.

If you put them on wet, it's guaranteed that they'll stick,

so they should go on as dry as you can possibly get them.

A good crusty layer of salt

also helps the fish stay slightly raised off the barbecue grill.

It's crucial not to overcook fish on the grill.

That way you'll get the best of its wonderfully succulent flesh.

The smell coming off this fish is really fantastic.

Can we have some mackerel, guys? Mackerel ahoy!

Couldn't get it fresher than that, eh, Valentine?

If it was any fresher, you'd have to spank it.

Help yourselves to a beer, by the way.

-Shall we have these as a little starter?

-I reckon, yeah.

Pop a few of those open. So those can simply sit on the grill.

If you're celebrating a special occasion with friends or family,

it doesn't get much better than this.

Fresh as you like, grilled on a beach barbecue.

Mmm. That's absolutely perfect.

Oh, my God.

-Oh, my God.

-Thanks for that, Colin.

Colin? Come and have a mussel. Try that.

They don't need anything on them at all.

-Excellent.

-They don't need a thing.

With starters over, it's time for our main.

Plates of beautifully barbecued mackerel, ballan wrasse and pollock

laden with my cool roasted red pepper salad. Heavenly.

Mmm.

-It's good, isn't it?

-Just completely melts in the mouth, that does.

It's nice. It's really nice. Those peppers are nice as well.

It's lovely.

As we're tucking in, I spot a spear fisherman coming from the waters

and it looks like he's caught something mighty special.

You've got the one fish we've been looking for all day.

Where did you get that?

Just out there, about 20 metres out.

This guy has just come out of the water

and he's got a bass.

-If I cook it for you, could we put it on our barbecue?

-Of course.

-Would you like to come and eat?

-Yeah. Sure thing.

-Great.

-Well done, dude.

-No worries.

What better way to finish the day

than with my all time favourite summer fish, the sea bass?

-You ordered the bass.

-Lovely.

-There you go.

-Can I just pick at a bit?

-Yeah, pick at a bit.

Well done, by the way. You're a genius.

That is nice. You couldn't get more fresher as well, eh?

Really firm,

really meaty.

You can actually taste a slight kind of crabbiness to it

from all the shellfish it's picked up,

as well as the other little fishes it hunts in the sea.

It's an amazing tasting fish.

Absolutely delicious.

You don't need to go to the seaside to enjoy fabulous fish.

Here's a simple sea bass recipe that brings the beach into your kitchen

and makes a really special snack.

Thinly slice a red onion, plunge in boiling water

with bay leaves and peppercorns and leave to soften for 30 seconds.

Dice a couple of avocados, add a squeeze of lime juice,

a poky green chilli, some fragrant coriander

and a dash of sunflower oil.

Drain the onions, smother in the juice of an orange and lime

and sprinkle with dried oregano and salt.

Leave for an hour and they'll turn a punky electric pink.

Sprinkle the sea bass with a perky cumin and chilli seasoning,

then grill for about five minutes.

Layer the ingredients onto a warm tortilla and indulge in these

ludicrously tasty bass tacos with pickled pink onions.

Wow-ee.

Preparing for that special occasion

can leave you feeling hot and bothered,

especially when the temperature is soaring

and your kitchen is the hottest room in the house.

But keep your cool by following these three simple recipes

that can be prepared in advance.

Jazz up a gin and tonic with emerald green cucumber ice cubes.

This is a way to make a refreshing drink even more refreshing.

Use blended cucumbers pushed through a sieve

to collect a luscious green juice, then freeze.

All you have to do, take it out, make someone a drink

and they've got fantastic, vivid green ice cubes in it

which will impart their lovely cucumberiness.

For an extra-special starter, try a refreshing chilled soup.

Gazpacho - fantastic thing to give for a special occasion.

It needs to sit around, so it's something you can prepare well in advance,

put it in the fridge and let it get on with it.

And it's so simple there's no cooking required.

Blend tomatoes, peppers, garlic, cucumbers, bread and red onions

with sherry vinegar, olive oil and salt.

Give it a good taste.

That's sensational.

Serve with croutons, fresh green peppers and grated hard-boiled egg.

Give it a try. You'll love it.

Another great thing to have up your sleeve for a special occasion

is home-made pickles and these pickled peaches are great

with cold slices of ham or one of those really poky cheddars that

make the roof of your mouth go, "Ptt ptt!"

Skin and stone ripe peaches and gently simmer

in a mixture of sugar, red-wine vinegar, shallots and spices.

After a few minutes,

remove the peaches, reduce the sauce to a syrup,

then cover the fruit in that gloriously sticky, aromatic liquor.

Really yummy. It makes for a memorable ploughman's.

A poncier ploughman's, but a memorable ploughman's nonetheless.

The lush grasses of summer make for some of the tenderest and tastiest meats around.

One of my favourite summer delicacies is guinea fowl.

Guaranteed to rise to that special occasion,

right now they're plump, juicy and ripe for the plucking.

Guinea fowl is a special bird. It's so delicious -

a bit like chicken but chicken with intrigue and attitude

and we really should be eating more of them.

In West Africa, where it originates from,

guinea fowl is considered a real delicacy.

But in a West African restaurant down the road from my flat,

guinea fowl has never appeared on the menu

because head chef Damaris James

doesn't believe that the birds exist in the UK.

I'm taking her to Woolley Park Farm in Wiltshire

to show her that British guinea fowl are alive and pecking.

Damaris, we're here to convince you that there are

good guinea fowl in this country.

I don't believe there are guinea fowls in England

because I haven't seen one myself.

They are here.

You're not convinced, are you?

I'm not really, until I see them myself.

Are you expecting me to say, "This is a guinea fowl,"

and you're going to say, "That's not a guinea fowl..."

When I see guinea fowl, I know guinea fowl, of course.

We're meeting guinea fowl farmer Roz Candy

and her trusty mutt, Basil.

I can't wait to see the look on Damaris's face

when they all run out.

-Yeah. They like the freedom of being outdoors.

-Oh, right. Yes!

This is guinea fowl.

-Oh, right.

-All right, guys.

-Are you happy now?

-Yes. This is guinea fowl.

-Are you sure it's guinea fowl?

-I know this is guinea fowl.

Definitely? 100%?

This is African guinea fowl.

Yeah. I believe it.

SHE LAUGHS

Do you think they look tasty?

I think they look very tasty. Very, very tasty.

And so they should be.

Guinea fowl love nothing more than foraging in hedgerows for bugs and insects,

which makes for a meat packed full of flavour.

I want to have a close-up inspection of one of these beauties for myself.

Do you think if I dived into the hedge, I might be able to get one?

By all means give it a go, but I can't wait to see this.

THEY LAUGH

Oh, he's going straight in between some thistles.

No, there's no way.

Stealth manoeuvres aren't working.

It's time for guerrilla tactics.

Go on. Go before they come. Run!

THEY LAUGH

Get it!

If you'd rather avoid thistles, you can get guinea fowl

at your local butcher's and in some good supermarkets.

I'd like to have shown you a guinea fowl. They're so beautiful with

their blue faces and their spotted frocks, but they're too fast for me.

Back in south-east London, I'm thrilled to see

great British guinea fowl taking pride of place in Damaris's kitchen at last.

So Damaris, here we are in your kitchen in your restaurant.

So now you know you can get them here,

-you've got lots of ideas going round?

-That's right.

I saw you doing deals with Roz yesterday.

Yes, I was.

You were straight on the phone to your husband doing deals with Roz.

-That's right.

-Are we looking out for Damaris's guinea roasts?

-That's right.

-Good.

Damaris and I are going head to head in a cook-off

to see who can serve up the best guinea fowl dish

for her daughter's birthday lunch.

I'm going to be cooking West African peanut soup

with guinea fowl and you'll love to eat that.

I'm going for roasted guinea fowl with tarragon sauce.

Damaris starts by chopping the guinea fowl into bite-size pieces.

-Whoops!

-Wow-ee.

This is getting scary in here.

Then she adds a sliced onion, two plump ripe tomatoes,

a super-spicy scotch bonnet chilli and a glug of water.

Leaving it to simmer, I'm helping her prepare the peanuts.

We've cooked these fresh peanuts, toasted them,

giving them a good rub to get the skins off and then, Damaris,

-we're going to blend them into a paste, yeah?

-That's right.

Damaris removes the tomatoes and pepper from the pot,

blends to a puree, adds the crushed peanuts and then pours the mixture back in with the guinea fowl.

Careful. Very hot. How is it?

That is absolutely delicious.

And the chilli has just got a very...

THROATY, CRACKLING NOISE

-..but not, "Argh!"

-Hot, yeah.

-That's really fantastic.

I've got stiff competition here for best birthday dish, but I'm confident

that my summery roast guinea fowl is a serious contender to Damaris's West African speciality.

Rub the birds with lots of soft butter, season,

and roast in a hot oven for 35-40 minutes.

Once roasted, add a good teaspoon of flour to the juices in the pan

and whisk vigorously.

Wine. A little one for you?

-Where is my glass?

-Where is your glass?

Add a good glug of white wine, the juice of half a lemon

and a generous splash of cream.

Strain the sauce through a sieve and bring to a gentle simmer.

Lastly, add finely chopped fresh tarragon

to give it a liquorice kick.

Do you think your daughter's going to like this,

compared to the West African version?

-I think she's going to like mine best.

-That doesn't fill me with a huge amount of confidence.

It's not too hot.

It's nice.

-It's nice.

-But not as good as that?

It's a different thing, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-OK.

-Don't worry.

-I'm not worried. I'm a bit disappointed, in fact.

-Don't be!

Let's hope the birthday party guests give me a better response.

Guys, what do you think? Do you like the tarragon?

Well, I would say it's actually very different.

However, it's really tasty.

Well, I have to say today, that gets my vote.

-Oh, I'm sorry.

-Mine too.

-Well done, well done, well done.

-You win.

Happy birthday!

-Thank you very much.

-Happy birthday.

-Thank you!

If guinea fowl has got your juices flowing,

why not try it southern fried?

Dip the pieces into beaten egg and evaporated milk,

coat with a herb mix of flour, oregano, thyme, rosemary,

white and cayenne pepper, then deep fry in sunflower oil

for 20 minutes or so.

Turn the guinea fowl pieces regularly

until they're a rich golden-brown colour, then remove and devour.

Bloody hell, that's good.

If you want to make a special meal this week,

here's what you should be buying in the shops and markets.

Cutting a dash on the fishmonger's ice is tasty trout.

It's closer in flavour and texture to wild salmon,

but far less expensive.

Add a touch of class to your creations

with the last new potatoes of the season.

Look for unwashed ones - they're usually much fresher.

For unforgettable summer desserts, how about gooseberries?

They make wobbling jellies, fabulous fools,

tart ice creams and delectable jams.

Or why not buy ripe, juicy apricots?

Wonderful in lunch-boxes but even better

in one of my favourite summer puddings - apricot upside-down tart.

A pud that's guaranteed to wow your guests.

Although it's called apricot upside-down tart,

I think it should be called apricot face-down tart

because it's pretty hard not to eat the whole thing

and then in piggy remorse you'll just have to

go and lie down on the floor, groaning.

Start by halving and stoning eight or nine juicy apricots.

Then make the butterscotch sauce.

Add caster sugar, a splash of water and stick on a high heat.

Once the sugar's browned,

add some chopped butter and let it melt into a deep golden caramel.

Take the apricots and pop them in, cut side down.

Cover the little fellas with a snug pastry blanket, dot with small knobs of butter

and sprinkle with sugar.

Then put in the oven for about 35 minutes

and finally, prepare to turn out this fabulous tart.

Oh, look at that. Fantastic.

I'd like to leave this to cool, so it's at room temperature

but I just can't resist having a little bite.

It's fantastic with creme fraiche - but put it in a nice jug.

I'm always just putting the plastic pot on the table

and it winds my mother up all the time.

Another thing my mother would really disapprove of

is eating off a knife, and this is going to be hot. Hold on.

And another thing that wouldn't go down well,

talking with my mouth full.

Rich, sweet, crispy, apricoty.

So easy to make.

That is a summer belter.

Now you know what to eat and how to make it extra special,

get your friends and family together

and gorge yourselves silly on these summer delights.

Next week it's all about long, lazy, summer lunches.

I'll be foraging for herbs in the hedgerows.

Go on. Open wide.

There you are, darling. Yum yum!

Cooking fresh garden peas with a very special ingredient.

It is very, very nice and tasty.

Gerald, I have to say that you've made my year.

And making the perfect light summer dessert.

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