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00:00Welcome to the taste test restaurant we've been expecting you this is no
00:09ordinary eatery diners it's time to tuck in yes it's where diners put supermarket
00:16foods to the test service on the pass and try before they buy there's a
00:25different cuisine on the menu each week
00:27it looks like you turn the lights out it'll glow in the dark but Tom Reed Wilson
00:33is always in charge oh do come through helping our diners discover which
00:40products pack a flavor punch I want to lick the plate and which miss the mark
00:47that's disgusting as we find out which supermarket favorites really offer good
00:55value for money with that bigger saving who would go for the bargain oh while in
01:01the kitchen chef Mike Reed is on a mission we need to be focused and we need to make
01:08sure our diners are happy yes chef to discover the tricks of the supermarket trade
01:13the supermarkets have one more secret up their sleeve to help you decide where to spend and
01:19where to save for the sake of saving a few Bob I would definitely make the switch
01:24this time hmm actually really nice join us for a feast from the east when we tuck into Chinese
01:34food that tasted wonderful oh gosh from sweet and sour to duck and pancakes and from spring rolls to
01:44spare ribs man you have left that clean our restaurant diners will be giving their verdict on Chinese food in British
01:52supermarkets to discover which deliver on looks and taste they were the most tender and just made me happy
02:01I'm Tom Reed Wilson and welcome to the taste test restaurant today we're transforming the restaurant
02:17into a temple of delights in divine anticipation of the best Chinese food the British supermarkets have
02:24to offer now the restaurant is about to be stuffed like a spring roll with diners all eager to chow down but
02:34whether you think our supermarket offerings of the Ming vase of meals or simply minging meanwhile downstairs in
02:41the kitchen super chef Mike Reed is getting his crispy ducks in a row one of Britain's favorite takeaways today
02:48Chinese we need to make sure we're all over service and we serve some hot and delicious food
02:54yes chef let's get stuck in with the kitchen busy preparing dishes our first diners have arrived at
03:04the taste test restaurant how are you doing oh how lovely you're here tonight's taste testers include a
03:12family of foodies from South London two busy GPs you're right here a pair of students used to dining on a
03:22budget hello boys a couple who are fanatical about fitness your center stage today a trio of Tai Chi
03:33enthusiasts and finally a crew of dragon boat races the merry band is complete the guests will enjoy five
03:44dishes tasting three options from major supermarkets and after every course they'll vote anonymously for
03:52their favorite diners a very warm welcome I am itching to hear all of your opinions today so it's time to
04:03tune up your taste buds because we are going to start with an absolute Chinese classic it is vegetables spring rose
04:14this is a battle of premium versus mid and budget supermarkets they'll be labeled a B and C but
04:26neither the diners nor Tom will know which is which in no particular order they are Waitrose vegetable
04:35spring rolls Morrison's takeaway vegetable spring rolls and Aldi's vegetable spring rolls let's get this
04:45out hot and crispy I don't think I've tried supermarket spring rolls before spring rolls got to be eaten in
04:57your fingers oh okay diners it's time to taste vegetable spring roll egg
05:08it's a bit soggy and not as crunchy as I would like it yeah I don't know if I want any more of that
05:17hi Leo hi Dan hello now you're both students right right so is there a culinary wizard or do you have a lot of
05:25takeaways it's the pesto pasta spaghetti bolognese and that's about as far as what do you think of
05:32spring roll a I think overall like though the wrapping is good in terms the actual the flavoring
05:39itself I think down was a big fan it was very well seasoned I could taste most of the vegetables in
05:43there as well and Leo you think it retained its crispness yeah I think it did it's now time for the
05:53diners to try spring roll B that's good better taste and the outside is much crisper as well I mean I
06:08don't really want them to be that crunchy I want them to be a bit softer yeah I'm team soft
06:14Chloe Rahel vegetable spring roll B well you know how on long haul airplanes you get the rolled up towel
06:26before you actually oh dear Chloe I'm already curdling where's this going a was like that rolled up towel
06:33so crispy so delicious loved it oh that's great on every level I love the filling but I would love
06:41for that to be a bit more of it it sort of seems to be also quite to no knickers at this point no
06:47we can redress this balance I'm quite confident of that Chloe thank you
06:52spring rolls are a variety of dim sum and originated in southeastern China they were first mentioned in
07:02writings from the Tang dynasty dating them between the 7th and 10th century the original iterations
07:10included pungent ingredients like onions garlic and coriander to nourish chi the life force that many
07:17Chinese believe circulates through the body the rolls are traditionally eaten during Chinese New
07:24Year and symbolize wealth with their golden color and cylindrical shapes supposedly echoing those of gold
07:31bars but which spring roll will strike gold in the restaurant diners it's time to tuck in to
07:42vegetable spring roll C yeah you look at that crunch yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah I feel like this one definitely has the most flavour
07:52definitely I can't lie for me it's still be now Essie tell me what you think of spring roll C
08:01C is a little bit we agree earlier I would say the flavour is agreeable I think I I would buy it yep but
08:12not not not on a special occasion when I'm coming back from work too lazy to cook I wouldn't mind C
08:19so we need to find your star turn not your everyday dish we need to find your star turn okay okay thank you
08:26so with all the spring rolls tasted it's time for the diners to decide the winner
08:34diners it's time to vote for your favourite vegetable spring roll will it be a b or c while the diners cast their
08:46votes in the kitchen chef Mike's got the lowdown on the supermarket secrets of a spring roll especially
08:54that all-important crispy wrapper that's a super crunch so how does supermarkets get that crunch
09:03essentially it's all about the wrapper too thick and it becomes soft and soggy you want a nice thin
09:09layer of wrapper these are all wheat based wrappers but the secret that the supermarkets use to get that
09:16extra crunch is they introduce potato starch what it does is absorb that excess oil to really help keep
09:24the crunch factor in your spring roll as well as that crunch giving favorite potato starch supermarkets
09:33also keep their spring rolls crispy by ensuring the filling is spun dry before it goes in you can see
09:40here with the waitrose one is sticky but it's not wet which is great so the next one here is morrison's
09:47it's a little bit wetter so it becomes less crispy and then our final one here from audi sticky but not
09:57wet so you've got a nice bit of crisp and as for the winner for me it's too close to call it's going to
10:03be very interesting to see which way the diners are voted in the restaurant the votes have been
10:12counted and it's time to reveal our diners favorite vegetable spring roll diners your votes are in and
10:23something most unusual has happened we have a tie between vegetable spring rolls B and C
10:39vegetable spring roll C is from Waitrose so that was our premium product in the selection but
10:50conversely its tiebreaker vegetable spring roll B was from Aldi and it was the budget offering in
10:59the collection so in the battle of the spring rolls it's a joint victory for Waitrose vegetable
11:07spring rolls priced at £2.90 for 216 grams and Aldi's vegetable spring rolls at £1.85 for 240 grams
11:19with Morrison's take away vegetable spring rolls coming in second at two pounds for a 220 gram pack
11:27now are there any spring roll C voters who would switch to the budget option Rahel you would your hand
11:37shot up I don't see the point in paying double for something that's marginally better and I visited you
11:45when you were busily getting through and you were very pleased with it I absolutely was thank you so much diners bravo
11:55coming up chef Mike reveals the secret to perfectly sticky spare ribs look at these beautiful ribs so soft so tender and the diners are left wanting when they tuck into sweet and sour
12:10it's not bad but it lacks the sharpness that I like
12:14welcome back to the taste test restaurant where we're sampling the supermarket equivalents of the nation's
12:36favorite takeaway cuisine Chinese and we're asking our diners to decide which supermarket offerings are worthy of gracing a table in Chinatown and which should never menace a table again
12:48for each course three supermarket brands will be put to the taste test by our guests
12:55diners I'm going to give you two clues as to our next dish firstly please try not to eat it and get very sticky fingers
13:05secondly please don't be sparing with your critique it is of course spare ribs
13:12for this course mid-market supermarkets go head to head with a premium one
13:22I love a rib I love the flavors I love the stickiness so I'm quite excited to try these
13:28the options are M&S food mini spare ribs Tesco slow cooked Chinese style barbecue spare ribs and Morrison slow cooked Chinese style barbecue pork mini ribs
13:43remember the diners and Tom have no idea which supermarket brand is which
13:49I'm looking at B a lot of color on that yeah diners it's time to taste spare ribs a
13:58in terms of the actual like taste and like flavor of the sauce and he's pretty good man you have left that
14:07on the uni student budget I'm not leaving anything absolutely Mike gentlemen this looks as though it's going down very well
14:18spare ribs eh yeah I mean the marinade sometimes you get a spare rib which is a little too sweet I thought this was just right
14:25and how is the pork the pork was good no doubt about it looking for what to try and B and C
14:31they've got a tough act to follow diners it's time to tuck in to spare ribs B
14:39yes
14:46mmm is it actually really nice a bit too sweet but I think that's what most people like
14:52well it looks like a pretty naked bone to me should I be encouraged by that I've thoroughly enjoyed it the texture for me was good size look taste
15:06very beautiful isn't it this sort of deep red
15:09it was put down I was like yeah that's a bit of me
15:13I sincerely hope that is not a bit of you or we're in quite a lot of trouble
15:19diners it's time to taste spare ribs C
15:25mmm okay extremely soft yeah almost mushy the meat in B was a bit drier although I prefer the sauce of B to C and nothing for mercy
15:40all right you and A get a room
15:43sorry
15:47now I am ineffably excited about this table because I think you met in the most magical way of any of our guests thus far
15:56yeah we were in the Dragon Ball team
15:58oh they're the most majestic things I've seen them gliding up the Thames
16:02they're not meant to be majestic they're really scary
16:04oh
16:06so you bonded over that and have you bonded over Chinese food as well
16:11oh yeah definitely we were fighting over the last last piece of C
16:14C had a depth of flavour and it tasted wonderful
16:18oh gosh well I'm hugely uplifted by that
16:21diners it's that time to vote for your favourite spare ribs A B or C
16:31in the kitchen Chef Mike is investigating how our supermarket spare ribs have been prepared
16:39so these are currently going down a storm in the restaurant upstairs
16:42and I think the reason for that being is this is being cooked already for probably 10-12 hours maybe
16:48so the meat goes super soft and almost falling off the bone
16:52all three supermarkets slow cook their ribs first then a marinade is added afterwards
16:59either straight into the packaging like the M&S version or in a separate packet like Tesco and Morrison's
17:06Mike's going to demonstrate how to deliver a soft and juicy spare rib
17:12so I've just got a rib of pork here
17:14I'm just going to cut it into individual ribs
17:16I'm also going to go for a two-stage process with my ribs as well
17:21to recreate the supermarket two-step process Mike first cooks the ribs in spiced liquor made with some of his favourite ingredients
17:32and for some real authenticity some Chu Hao which is like a garlic ginger paste
17:40some Chinese rose wine this gives it a real almost floral touch
17:46the ribs are then cooked in the liquor until the meat is tender
17:53I'm going to take the ribs out the liquor now
17:57and then reduce down this liquid to make our glaze
18:03the glaze replicates the sauce the supermarkets provide with their ribs
18:08Mike then uses the air fryer for 10 minutes to finish the dish
18:13all right these smell down look at these beautiful ribs
18:17the meat is so soft so tender
18:23I mean the supermarkets do it well but seriously you're not going to see me for a while
18:27back in the restaurant the results are in dear diners we have a clear winner it is spare ribs
18:46which is from Tesco Rahel I know you had a particular passion for these spare ribs
19:00they were the most tender and just made me happy
19:05so in the battle of the spare ribs Tesco slow cooked Chinese style barbecue spare ribs is in first place
19:15at £5.40 for a 400 gram pack
19:20Morrison's slow cooked Chinese style barbecue pork mini ribs is second at £4.25 for 400 grams
19:28and M&S food mini spare ribs comes in third at £5.50 for a 300 gram pack
19:36we've got to keep going guys because obviously we're doing a lot of dishes in a very short space of time
19:45so we need to keep pushing please
19:48well lovely diners now I've got to know you a little bit
19:53I can attest you are much more sweet than sour
19:58which is a whopping great clue as to our next dish
20:04but there's a twist one of these dishes is not all it appears
20:10this round is a battle between the mid-market supermarkets
20:19so our next course is sweet and sour
20:22it's got to be one of the nation's favourites right
20:25it's such an indulgent dish it's almost it's a comfort food for me
20:29the sweet and sour dishes are co-op sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice
20:36Sainsbury's sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice
20:40and the product with a twist Tesco plant chef sweet and sour no chicken and rice
20:47oh thank you
20:49you're welcome
20:50thank you
20:51enjoy it
20:52interesting
20:53B is nuclear
20:55B looks like you turn the lights out it'll glow in the dark
20:58DINERS it's time to try sweet and sour dish A
21:06Van Ethis
21:11sweet and sour dish A
21:13what do we think so far?
21:15it's not bad but it lacks the sharpness that I like
21:19I'm just wondering whether it's because we struggled to find a pineapple in that one
21:23so in the real sauce you'd have you'd have pineapple juice
21:26vinegar
21:27vinegar
21:28yeah
21:29so you would expect a bit more of a tang
21:31yeah no tang in that one
21:32oh give us a tang B
21:34I'll come back and hopefully we'll be tangful
21:38yes please
21:42DINERS it's time to taste
21:44sweet and sour B
21:47I think the chicken's a bit dry then
21:49but it has got a bit more flavour
21:51I think
21:54Chloe
21:55sweet and sour B
21:56I can see pineapple here
21:58yes it's actually present
21:59the chicken was less good than A
22:02less good than A
22:03the chicken is so very dry I couldn't even finish my sentence
22:07alright
22:08duly noted
22:09can sweet and sour C deliver the flavour and texture the diners are looking for?
22:17slightly more sour flavour to the sauce
22:22yeah
22:23yeah
22:24yeah
22:25yeah
22:26oh now
22:27Jed that's the cleanest plate I've seen all day
22:30what is the merit of C?
22:32I think first of all it was a quality rice and there was a certain smokiness I thought to the meat which was quite nice
22:38and what about the sauce?
22:39on that one you've got the tartness has actually gone through on that
22:43clear winner very clear winner and unusually we all agreed
22:46ha ha ha
22:48diners
22:49it's time to vote for your favourite sweet and sour
22:52will it be A
22:54B
22:55or C
22:58coming up
22:59the results of our sweet and sour test
23:02diners
23:03I feel like amping up the jeopardy
23:06and the secrets of beef in black bean sauce
23:09it's a juicy succulent piece of meat
23:16welcome back to the taste test restaurant where we're sampling some of the nation's favourite Chinese foods
23:28our wondrous diners are voting for an absolute classic
23:32but before I reveal their verdict
23:34Mike is going to reveal the secret to a super sweet and sour sauce
23:41in the kitchen
23:42Mike's about to inspect the dishes the diners are voting on
23:45they are
23:46co-op sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice
23:49Sainsbury's sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice
23:52and the product with a twist
23:54Tesco plant chef sweet and sour no chicken and rice
23:58so our diners are up in a restaurant and they're searching for the pineapple in these dishes
24:04and it's often used in recipes to give you that tang and that sweetness
24:09so let's have a little look what's inside this co-op one
24:12you've got 3% pineapple and then you've also got pineapple concentrate as well
24:17so they've gone hard on the pineapple in this sweet and sour
24:20so looking at the Tesco option
24:22we have got pineapple concentrate
24:24but no actual chunks of pineapple
24:27and then Sainsbury's
24:29so there's chunks of pineapple in this one
24:31and also pineapple juice
24:34for me personally
24:36no pineapple
24:37never pineapple in sweet and sour
24:39or pizza
24:40ooh
24:41controversial Mike
24:43Mike's own recipe for sweet and sour sauce
24:46gets the tang without pineapple
24:48without pineapple
24:49I like to do equal quantities of vinegar to sugar
24:52to give you a real nice balance between sweet and acidity
24:57he whisks in tomato paste
24:59and then a slurry of corn flour and water are added to thicken
25:03you see how quickly that's come together to that almost thick gelatinous sauce
25:07in goes seared chicken and vegetables
25:11and the final touch is a dash of soy sauce
25:18for me this is proper sweet and sour
25:21and most importantly not a single pineapple in sight
25:25back in the restaurant the results are in
25:34diners
25:35I'm going to go in reverse order this time
25:37because I feel like amping up the jeopardy
25:43in third place
25:44is sweet and sour
25:46A
25:47which is Sainsbury's Chinese sweet and sour chicken with rice
25:52in the second place
25:55is sweet and sour
25:57B
25:58which is co-op sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice
26:03in first place
26:05is sweet and sour C
26:08which is Tesco plant chef sweet and sour
26:14no chicken and rice
26:17and that won a staggering nine
26:20of your votes
26:23so in the battle of the sweet and sours
26:26the winner
26:27is Tesco plant chef sweet and sour
26:30no chicken and rice
26:32at three pounds fifty for a 400 gram pack
26:35in second place
26:36is co-op sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice
26:39at three pounds sixty five for 400 grams
26:42and last is Sainsbury's sweet and sour chicken with egg fried rice
26:47and three pounds thirty for a 400 gram pack
26:51on this occasion
26:52it's the vegan option from Tesco
26:54made with soya protein
26:56that took the sweet and sour crown
26:58now
27:00our delicious Tai Chi table
27:03the pieces fooled you Jed
27:05the pieces fooled me
27:06can't fault it
27:07would go there tonight
27:08and buy another
27:09I say
27:10that's tremendous news
27:12thank you diners
27:14I'm shocked that Tesco sweet and sour plant-based won the day
27:23like wow
27:24shows you just how far plant-based food has come
27:28diners
27:29one of the most glorious things about Chinese food is the smorgasbord
27:34if I'm allowed to mix my cuisines of flavour
27:37and with that in mind
27:39we're going to leave the picancy of sweet and sour
27:44and embrace the earthiness of black bean
27:48yes
27:50it is beef in a black bean sauce
27:55this round sees premium supermarkets take on a mid-market one
28:02we're on the beef and black bean course
28:05it's a nice generous portion
28:07the diners choices are
28:10Waitrose beef in black bean sauce
28:13M&S food beef and black bean
28:15and Morrison's takeaway beef in black bean sauce
28:21straight away
28:22A looks a lot more appealing
28:25diners
28:26it's time to taste beef in black bean sauce A
28:30oh my god that's delicious
28:34the beef
28:35it is so soft
28:37I'm going to have seconds
28:39do you mind if I come and menace your cherry blossom?
28:44of course
28:45A looks very pretty I have to say
28:48yes
28:49and it also tastes amazing
28:51the water chestnuts
28:52give a special flavour to the dish
28:55the peppers are perfect
28:57oh this is wonderful news
28:59will beef in black bean bee get such a rapturous reception?
29:06Dan, Leo, what do we think of bee?
29:13well what's interesting actually I've never had this dish
29:16never
29:17you're a black bean virgin I see
29:20I've been shocked about how good it is
29:23I thought the beef was amazing in both
29:25but what I would say is that I quite liked though the green peppers in A
29:29I'd say B could be improved by having the green peppers as well
29:33I think that would just take it to another level
29:35the next level
29:36yeah
29:37Chinese black bean sauce gets its distinctive taste from fermented soybeans known as Dou Qi
29:43originating from south central China
29:46originating from south central China
29:49Dou Qi has been around for 2,000 years
29:52it's highly prized for its rich flavour and long shelf life
29:56it's also used in traditional Chinese medicine
29:59including as a treatment for the common cold
30:02in the history of the Han people written in 76 AD
30:06the scholar Ban Gu reported that two of the wealthiest men in the land were Dou Qi merchants
30:13over time a sauce made from these beans became popular in the southern Cantonese region of China
30:20before spreading across the world
30:23but will it be flavour of the month with the diners?
30:27Diners, it's time to try beef in black bean sauce C
30:38Beef's overdone
30:39Yeah
30:40Yeah
30:41And there's no green peppers
30:44Effie, Ban
30:45Hi
30:46Tell me about C
30:48C
30:49Unfortunately is our least favourite
30:52Really?
30:53This to me is a bit dry
30:55A lot in the black bean sauce
30:57Yes
30:58The other thing we noticed is that the beef is slightly tough
31:01Gosh
31:02Disappointing, it's one of my favourite dishes
31:03Oh no
31:04Dear diners, please now vote for your favourite beef in black bean sauce
31:11A, B or C
31:14In the kitchen, Mike wants to take a closer look at the dishes
31:21To see why the diners are finding some of the meat tough to chew
31:26I think beef in ready meals is definitely a common problem
31:32Now how you cut it is very important
31:34You can see here with Waitrose
31:36It's very thick
31:38And you can see where there's some parts where it struggles to pull
31:41If you compare that to Morrison's, again, this is a little on the thick side
31:50But, not a bad pull on that beef
31:55Coming to the M&S one, you can see it's much thinner
32:00It's quite tender to touch
32:02And I know the diners are enjoying this one upstairs
32:07Mike has a chef's trick for making beef more tender when cooking Chinese recipes
32:14What I do with it is an old technique called velveting
32:18And basically all you're doing is adding bicarb soda and water to it
32:23You want equal quantities of bicarb to water
32:26So you almost want to massage it
32:31The bicarbonate of soda relaxes proteins in the beef
32:35Which helps it to retain its moisture
32:38Mike leaves it to tenderize for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing it off
32:43And then we can get it cooked up
32:45A quick flush in the pan over high heat
32:48And the beef is ready
32:50So the velveting with the bicarb soda helps it retain its moisture
32:56And it pulls
32:58It's a juicy succulent piece of meat
33:06Back in the restaurant, the results are in
33:10Dear diners
33:12We have the most colossal victory of the day
33:15All but one of you voted for this beef in black bean sauce
33:22It is beef in black bean sauce
33:25A
33:30And that particular one is from M&S
33:34M&S
33:35I said
33:37In the battle of the beef in black bean
33:39It's a premium victory for M&S food
33:43Beef and black bean
33:44At £5.50 for a 350 gram pack
33:48In second place
33:49It's Morrison's Takeaway beef in black bean sauce
33:53At £4.25 for 400 grams
33:56And in last place
33:58It's Waitrose beef in black bean sauce
34:00At £4.95 for a 350 gram pack
34:05Now, as I say
34:08This was almost unanimous
34:11All but one voter
34:13So who is the lone diner who went for beef in black bean sauce B?
34:18Oh Dan, that's my boy
34:23Yeah, I'd never had it before
34:25Well, I'm so happy that we were part of this with you
34:28Thank you diners
34:35Coming up, it's time for everyone's favourite
34:39Crispy duck pancakes
34:41Mmm, that look crispy
34:43And chef Mike goes quackers over one supermarket bird
34:47I want a nice soft meat
34:49Just pulls apart at the slight touch of your fork
34:52With the touch of your fork
35:03Diners, our final course is pancakes
35:09Pancakes
35:11Duck and pancakes
35:12This final round is a battle between a brand leader
35:19Versus budget and premium supermarkets
35:22Is it a Chinese without duck pancakes?
35:25No, never
35:27It's not, is it?
35:29The options are Gressingham Crispy Duck
35:31Crispy Duck
35:32Aldi Crispy Aromatic Half Duck
35:35And M&S Food Crispy Aromatic Half Duck
35:38Each portion comes with pancakes and hoisin sauce
35:41Wow
35:43Wow
35:47See, that look crispy
35:50Oh, A is a masterpiece of duck
35:54It just basically falls apart
35:56Diners, it's time to tuck in to crispy duck pancake A
36:03Mmm, it's quite nice and soft
36:09It's not too dry
36:11I think I'm going to clean up my plate
36:13I've only finished it
36:15Two huge mouthfuls
36:18Leo
36:20Not even a hint of hoisin left with pancake A
36:25It was good, the duck had good, like, crispy skin
36:28Sauce was decent as well, so I really enjoyed it
36:30Oh, fantastic
36:31Honestly
36:32Fantastic
36:33Literally, I think someone could say
36:34Oh, that was my Chinese takeaway
36:35And I'd believe them
36:36Boys, I'm going to cartwheel away
36:38Well, actually, I can't cartwheel
36:40But I am going to skip away
36:42I'm thrilled
36:44But will crispy duck pancake B
36:46Also have the diners dancing for joy?
36:54Jojo
36:55Hi
36:56Tell me what you think of duck B
36:57I think it could have definitely been a bit softer
37:01Really?
37:02Josh, what about the other elements of B?
37:05I feel like the sauce was great
37:07Nice and sweet
37:08But obviously the meat not being soft enough slack
37:12That's what makes me prefer A over B so far
37:15It was a lot of effort to try and shred it
37:18Yes, actually, it's the only one you've got here that's not fully shredded
37:21No, exactly
37:22Need his muscles
37:28The diners may be unsure about crispy duck pancakes B
37:32But the origins of this classic dish are firmly woven into Chinese history
37:39Earliest mentions of roast duck appear in Chinese texts in the late 13th century
37:44In 1403, when the Ming dynasty Yongle Emperor moved his capital to Beijing
37:51The tradition of roast duck went too
37:54Chefs in the city developed sophisticated ways of roasting duck in wood-fired hanging ovens called gualu
38:01It was during the Ming dynasty that the dish developed some of the elaborate serving methods we know today
38:08But will crispy duck sea go down in history with our diners?
38:14The, the pancake, it's
38:17It's too brittle
38:19I think for me the sauce flavour is so overpowering in garlic
38:24Not very nice at all
38:26And C looked like it been singed to death
38:29But once you take away the pancake and you just have the duck
38:33Actually the duck is good
38:35My dear diners, it's time to vote for your favourite crispy duck
38:40A, B or C
38:45While they vote, Chef Mike wants to get under the skin of the three different duck halves
38:52What I look for in a crispy duck is a beautiful crisp skin
38:57And I want a nice soft meat and just pulls apart at the slight touch of your fork
39:03So I'm going to start with Gressenum, which is a brand leader in duck
39:07It's a small duck and that's a challenge because it's hard to keep that moisture in there
39:13You can see here, there's patches which have started to crispen
39:19But I'd be expecting a little bit more crispy
39:23It's nicely pulling, I'd like it to be a little bit softer
39:27Ducks sold in the UK can come from all over the world
39:31What about our ducks?
39:32It's coming from Thailand
39:35So that's how Gressenum are keeping the cost down here
39:38Because it's much cheaper to bring in poultry from Thailand
39:41Looking at the Yaldi duck
39:43The skin is a little bit crispy
39:46But you can see the fat level in this duck is much greater than that first one
39:51It's a lot juicier to be fair
39:53You can see here, this one is produced using Chinese duck
39:59Again, it's all about keeping that cost down for the supermarket
40:03So coming to the M&S
40:05Now this looks burnt, but it's just the spices that they put on the outside
40:10This has crispened up
40:12Probably the best crunch out of all of them to be fair
40:15How does it pull?
40:17It's a little bit drier
40:19So let's see where it is from
40:22This is made in the UK
40:24That's a big tick for me
40:26So which crispy duck will get a big tick from the diners?
40:30Upstairs, it's results time
40:33Diners, your votes are in
40:37And in reverse order
40:40With no votes
40:42Crispy duck C
40:45From M&S
40:48Oh
40:50Got it
40:52In second place
40:54Crispy duck B
40:56From the brand Gressingham
40:59Oh, that's right
41:01That's right
41:03And in first place
41:05With a whopping 13 votes
41:07Really most of you
41:09Crispy duck A
41:11From
41:13Aldi
41:18In the competition of the crispy ducks
41:21It's victory for Aldi
41:23Crispy aromatic half duck
41:25At £6.49
41:27For 570 grams
41:29In second place
41:31It's Gressingham crispy duck
41:33At £8.70
41:34For 570 grams
41:36And in last place
41:38It's M&S food
41:40Crispy aromatic half duck
41:41At £12.50
41:43For 750 grams
41:45Which also comes with cucumber and spring onion
41:48And with that, our Chinese feast draws to an end
41:54It's been absolutely brilliant
41:58With your rich, complex, elegant feedback
42:02Farewell my lovely diners
42:03The taste test restaurant is closing up for the night
42:13After a wide range of winners from the supermarkets
42:16What a taste test
42:19I feel as though my diners and I have scaled the great wall of Chinese food
42:22So that you know what to put into your basket
42:25The next time you take your taste buds
42:29East
42:30Confucius says
42:32Stop eating when seven tenths full
42:35Well I'm afraid we're a little bit more than that
42:38But crucially, we're ten tenths full
42:41With savvy shopping
42:42Good night
42:44Good night
42:46Next time
42:48Oh my gosh, it's beautiful
42:50Our diners tuck into supermarket versions of the nation's favourite takeaway foods
42:56Storm burnt, I believe
42:58But will they deliver on flavour
43:00Now that is how a popcorn chicken should taste
43:02Or be a fake away flop
43:03Oh no, that's not for me
43:06Quite acrid, isn't it?
43:08Yeah
43:10Tuck into another taste test next Thursday at seven
43:13Tomorrow, a bright spark at Mark's
43:15Change the way we grab lunch
43:17Find out how in the 1980 supermarket tomorrow at seven
43:21Next, Dan and Helen hit a mountain bike trail
43:24Hang out with alpacas
43:26And take in more gorgeous views of Yorkshire great and small
43:29New in just a moment
43:30And just a moment
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43:36
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