S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y K.I.T.C.H.E.N - Season 28 - Episode 11: Matt Tebbutt, Paul Ainsworth, Jess Filbey, Tom Parker Bowles, Alex Kingston, And Olly Smith - video Dailymotion

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S A T U R D A Y K I T C H E N - Season 28 - Episode 11: Matt Tebbutt, Paul Ainsworth, Jess Filbey, Tom Parker Bowles, Alex Kingston, And Olly Smith

Transcript

00:00:02G'day! I've bounced back like a boomerang with a delicious array of recipes and fun-filled line-up of incredible

00:00:07guests guaranteed to deliver you some sunshine. This is Saturday Kitchen Live.

00:00:33Hi, welcome to the show. Paul Ainsworth, Jess Philby and Tom Parker Bowles are serving up recipes that will definitely

00:00:39put a spring in your step. And as always, Olly Smith is pouring the perfect pairings to sip alongside.

00:00:44Now, our special guest today already had an army of fans worldwide thanks to her iconic roles in ER and

00:00:50Doctor Who before she entered the Strictly Ballroom.

00:00:52But her dazzling display on the dance floor bought her whole new fandom. She's currently gearing up for a busy

00:00:58five-week run at the Hampstead Theatre, so let's get her well-fed for that. Please welcome the brilliant Alex

00:01:03Kingston.

00:01:03Woo-hoo! Welcome, welcome. Hi, Alex. Hello. How are you? I'm very well, thank you. Happy to be here. Well,

00:01:11nice to have you here. I can't believe it's your first time on the show. Yeah, I know. Huge omission

00:01:15on our part.

00:01:15Now, Alex, you're in rehearsals. Your play starts in a couple of weeks. Yes. It's pretty intense, I hear. Yes,

00:01:21very intense.

00:01:22It's quantum mechanics and the nuclear bomb. Ooh. Yes, yes, it's...

00:01:27Mousers. Couldn't be further from Strictly. Yeah. Or this show.

00:01:31So, a bit of light relief for you this morning. Yeah, yeah.

00:01:34Well, listen, we're going to talk all about that latest fascinating play as well.

00:01:37I was doing my homework on it last night. Right, let's see what else is on the menu today.

00:01:41Paul Ainsworth, you're embracing spring with a Roman classic.

00:01:44I am. So, we're going to do some Cornish Gurnard with a Vignorella stew, which is, as you say,

00:01:49like a stew of vegetables, like broad beans, peas, asparagus, some smoked bacon and smoked butter in there.

00:01:55Very nice. Loving the coat. Thank you. Thank you.

00:01:58A suede. Yeah, yeah. Thank you.

00:02:00I just enjoyed it. It's so fat. I'm thinking that.

00:02:03Yeah, yeah. Do you know what, though?

00:02:05If you get fat on it, the talcum powder.

00:02:07You've been away and I wanted to really make an effort for that.

00:02:09That's so sweet. You really have.

00:02:11I have, yeah, and I just have to say how handsome you all look.

00:02:14All right.

00:02:15The tan is just, I'm loving it.

00:02:18Thanks, man.

00:02:18Yeah, yeah.

00:02:20That's about us.

00:02:21Yeah.

00:02:21So, my Jess.

00:02:22Jess, for the first time on the show, welcome along.

00:02:25Angela Hartner's a huge fan of yours, as is the man here, Tom Parker Bowles.

00:02:30Love the restaurant.

00:02:31What have you got for us today, Jess?

00:02:33I've got a slow-cooked sausage ragu, and then I'm going to show you how to make fresh cavatelli,

00:02:38and then I've got a beautiful spring salad with new season peas.

00:02:40Beautiful. I'm loving the way the food's going.

00:02:42It's much lighter now.

00:02:43Yeah.

00:02:43Bit of sun.

00:02:44Tom, what have you got for us, Tom?

00:02:46Laotian chicken lard.

00:02:47It's like a meat salad.

00:02:48Elaborate.

00:02:49A meat salad. It makes it sound, so it's herbs, and it's lime juice, and it's chilli, and it's chopped

00:02:53chicken,

00:02:53and it's sort of fresh and springy.

00:02:55That's more like it.

00:02:56Meat salad, everyone.

00:02:58Look forward to that.

00:03:00It's got like you and me.

00:03:01Meat salad.

00:03:01Hot meat salad.

00:03:03That's us.

00:03:03Yes.

00:03:04Anyway, before we go on with our usual nonsense, we should say how well Alex did last week.

00:03:09Alex Jones.

00:03:10Well done, Alex Jones.

00:03:11Well done, Alex Jones.

00:03:14Bit too good for my liking, but hey, what do we got?

00:03:17What are we drinking?

00:03:18We've got all sorts.

00:03:19So, I've got two Italian wines for Jess and Paul.

00:03:22For Tom, I've got a historic lager beer from Germany, which is totally scrumptious.

00:03:26And also, Alex is in rehearsals, so off the booze at the moment, so I've got non-alcoholic choices for

00:03:31you as well.

00:03:31Fantastic.

00:03:32There's something for everybody, Matt.

00:03:33Good.

00:03:33Yes.

00:03:34And they're all rather lovely.

00:03:35Look at you.

00:03:36You're very laid back.

00:03:37Yeah.

00:03:38Australian, mate.

00:03:38It is this vibe.

00:03:39Yeah, it's this kind of...

00:03:40You basically are an inner Australian already.

00:03:42I like it.

00:03:42Aggressively friendly.

00:03:43I like to think of you.

00:03:46Now, Alex, at the end of the show, our viewers will decide what you get to eat, so food heaven,

00:03:51food hell.

00:03:52What sort of food do you love?

00:03:54Well, I lived in Los Angeles for 22 years.

00:03:57Nice.

00:03:58So, there was a lot of Asian food all around me there, a lot of sushi, raw fish, everything.

00:04:03So, I think my palate really changed during that time.

00:04:07Sure.

00:04:07So, I would say my food heaven is something that's sort of more Asian-y, Japanese-y inspired.

00:04:13Okay.

00:04:14Food hell is going to be anything sort of...

00:04:17Actually, really, heavy red meat, so I don't particularly eat steak anymore.

00:04:23Okay.

00:04:24Can't stand kidneys.

00:04:27Root vegetables, I'm not great on.

00:04:29I like carrots, but, you know, I can take a lever or lever parsnip.

00:04:34Swede, so that's not my cup of tea.

00:04:37And steamed suet pudding.

00:04:40No.

00:04:41Okay, there you go.

00:04:42Quite a collection of ingredients.

00:04:43Yeah, so what Alex gets to eat at the end of the show is down to you folks at home.

00:04:47But will you go for her food heaven?

00:04:49Taste of Japan.

00:04:50If so, I'm going to marinate a thick fillet of cod in some miso, some sake and mirin.

00:04:54I'm going to roast it in a pan until it's charred.

00:04:56And I'm going to serve it on a bed of wild rice, sushi rice, edamame beans and wasabi dressing.

00:05:02Or will I be able to convince her that steak and swede aren't that hellish?

00:05:06If so, I'm going to make a classic steak tagliata, which combines rare surnoy steak with some rockets and parmesan

00:05:11tomatoes

00:05:12for an extra hellish touch, I'm going to toss in some crispy fried swede gnocchi.

00:05:17That looks delicious.

00:05:18Right?

00:05:20But the other one's nicer.

00:05:22Er, love on the Sunday Kitchen website where you can view the terms of privacy notice and have you want

00:05:26to say.

00:05:27Right, Paul, spring has sprung.

00:05:28Let's do it.

00:05:29Let's make this happen.

00:05:30Let's do it.

00:05:31Er, so where do we begin?

00:05:33Right, so we're going to start with the stew so you can see we've got some lovely ingredients here.

00:05:37The peas, the broad beans.

00:05:38If you could chop the leek for me.

00:05:40I fried off some bacon here and you can see we've got the lovely residual bacon fat.

00:05:45The nice little crispy bits in the bottom.

00:05:46We're going to add those back in.

00:05:47Smoked bacon or not?

00:05:48Smoked bacon, absolutely.

00:05:50And a nice kind of salty bacon.

00:05:52Nice dry cure on it.

00:05:54Now, the beauty of this recipe I love, it's for me, it's midweek tea or it's something special at the

00:05:59weekend.

00:06:00But it's the way that the peas and the broad beans and the asparagus and all the vegetables really cook

00:06:05down in stock.

00:06:06This isn't something that's, as you said earlier, you know, that's kind of, you know, you want it sort of

00:06:11like bright green.

00:06:11It's a real big flavour dish.

00:06:13And we've got some lovely pickled artichokes in here as well.

00:06:15Okay.

00:06:16So the first thing I'm going to do and I really want to talk about is this amazing Cornish gurnard.

00:06:21And we absolutely love it.

00:06:24It's in season right now and I just urge everyone, you know, cod had it great, but please try gurnard.

00:06:31It is absolutely delicious.

00:06:33So a little bit of seasoning, both sides.

00:06:34One of those fishes that in the past it was used as a spiket bait.

00:06:38Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

00:06:40I think because it looks quite scary.

00:06:42It comes out of the sea.

00:06:42It's got red and, you know, it's not a particularly attractive fish.

00:06:45But I'm with Paul.

00:06:46It's so delicious.

00:06:47Now, this is like literally how I cook fish at home.

00:06:51Alex, I know you're a big fan of fish.

00:06:53Yeah, I am.

00:06:53So I've just browned some butter.

00:06:55So that's giving you the roast flavour.

00:06:57So the milk solids have caramelised.

00:06:59You take it off.

00:07:00You can keep that in your fridge.

00:07:01We put the fish on top.

00:07:02Now, I think sometimes for, you know, fish cookery for people can be a bit daunting.

00:07:07And, you know, like how do they do it without overcooking it and getting that sort of cotton wool texture.

00:07:12Baking it in the oven like this is amazing.

00:07:16So I've got the oven there on 200 degrees.

00:07:18We're going to bake that for about six minutes.

00:07:20But the butter will caramelise a little bit more.

00:07:22But it's just slower than the sort of fierceness of the stove and the pan.

00:07:27You know, like in a restaurant environment, that's fine.

00:07:29But at home, this is a great way to cook fish.

00:07:33So we'll turn up the heat.

00:07:34I've seen you talk.

00:07:35Maybe I've read you talking about that in a book before.

00:07:38Yeah.

00:07:39That's your thing, isn't it?

00:07:39Brown butter.

00:07:40Yeah.

00:07:41Yeah, I love brown butter.

00:07:42I mean, we make cakes with it.

00:07:44It's just that lovely hazelnut flavour that you get from it.

00:07:49It's just delicious.

00:07:50So we're back to our pan.

00:07:52All that lovely flavour of the bacon that's been cooked in there, we've added in the leek.

00:07:55Two cloves of garlic, grated in.

00:07:58And again, normally at this sort of stage, at the beginning, I'd put a bit of salt in.

00:08:03But that bacon has got such a lovely salt content that we don't need to add any salt at the

00:08:09beginning.

00:08:10OK.

00:08:11I never peel my asparagus.

00:08:13I'm kind of like, I'm like looking at you.

00:08:15Now, do you know what?

00:08:16You don't actually, that's a really good question though, Alex.

00:08:18You actually don't need to.

00:08:20We're right at the beginning of, you know, English asparagus is not quite there yet.

00:08:25It's just about to come in, but when it's in full seat, you don't need to.

00:08:29You know, it's, but it can sometimes, if it's a little bit woody, just taking that layer of skin off

00:08:34on the outside is great.

00:08:36So I'm showing you basically this one here, Matt.

00:08:39So this is the one that's finished, but I'm going to show you all the way.

00:08:41So, bacon fat, we've got our garlic, our leeks.

00:08:45Here, I've got some smoked butter, which is absolutely delicious.

00:08:49And just, for me, really brings this recipe together.

00:08:53Did you smoke it yourself?

00:08:55We add that in now at this stage.

00:08:56Did you smoke it yourself?

00:08:56You can.

00:08:57We actually use a lovely smokery in Cornwall where we get this from.

00:09:01And it's amazing because it's obviously a cold smoke and it's in a big, like they've got amazing equipment to

00:09:07do it.

00:09:07So, that's on full heat.

00:09:10Now I'm going to start adding the vegetables because I want these vegetables to cook down.

00:09:14I'm not looking for, like, bright green.

00:09:17We want, like, the flavour and all the lovely stock and everything to soak into these vegetables.

00:09:23Smells amazing.

00:09:24Yeah.

00:09:25Really nice.

00:09:25So, if you can just, can you put those artichokes in here as well, please, mate?

00:09:29If anyone's worried about my finger at home, by the way, the old blue plaster, we've got brand new knives.

00:09:36And I managed to cut myself on the brand new knife.

00:09:40And I had two weeks off.

00:09:42Right.

00:09:43What are we at?

00:09:44Right, you want to show you?

00:09:45So, fish is in the oven.

00:09:46We've got our lovely stew happening in now.

00:09:49The butter's melted.

00:09:51Now I'm going to add in that smoked bacon.

00:09:53And, again, when you're using really good quality smoked bacon, you know, a nittle goes a long way.

00:09:58The gurnard, though, is sustainable.

00:10:01It's, I cannot sort of speak more highly of this fish.

00:10:04For me, it's almost got, like, a texture of, like, John Doreen, like a real prime fish.

00:10:08It's super expensive.

00:10:09Yeah.

00:10:09But the gurnard is inexpensive.

00:10:11The texture of it is beautiful.

00:10:13And, yeah, it's just amazing.

00:10:16So, now, white wine.

00:10:17Okay.

00:10:18Goes in.

00:10:19Okay.

00:10:20Heats on full.

00:10:21We'll reduce that white wine.

00:10:22When would you use, you know, coming with your Michelin-style background, when would you use white wine over something

00:10:27more floral, like a Noilly Prat?

00:10:30Something like that.

00:10:31Do you know what?

00:10:32Noilly would be lovely in this.

00:10:33I mean, I'm keeping it really, really classic.

00:10:35Okay.

00:10:35So, the white wine with the lemon.

00:10:36But I love Noilly.

00:10:37I love vermouth and stuff like this.

00:10:39And especially, especially putting fish with it would be, that would be lovely.

00:10:42Okay.

00:10:42So, the white wine's in.

00:10:44We're going to reduce that down.

00:10:45I've got chicken stock.

00:10:46If you want to use fish stock, veg stock, I personally like the white chicken stock.

00:10:49And then all the trimmings from the bacon, I've infused into the stock.

00:10:53So, that's a nice smoky broth already.

00:10:55We've got some time in there.

00:10:58So.

00:10:59Um, congratulations, by the way.

00:11:01The Michelin Awards have just, uh, come out.

00:11:04Yes.

00:11:04You've retained your staff for 13 years.

00:11:06Yay.

00:11:06Go for it.

00:11:07Well done, you.

00:11:09How are you feeling about that?

00:11:10Yeah, it's amazing, and it's never, ever, ever taken for granted, and it is all, it is

00:11:16just all down to the teams, as in 13 years of teams and different people and the team

00:11:23right now, and it's a good point you make.

00:11:26It's something that is, you know, it's a year.

00:11:29It's not something that is just you get and then you have.

00:11:32You must maintain that.

00:11:33Yeah.

00:11:35Consistency, personality in the food.

00:11:37So, now I'm going to add in the stock.

00:11:39That year would be nice, but longer would be better.

00:11:41Yeah.

00:11:42So, so I think that's a great congratulations, uh, to you.

00:11:46Yeah.

00:11:46Uh, what else is going on?

00:11:47St. Enadoc, uh, you're revamping the hotel.

00:11:50Yeah.

00:11:50So, uh, each time I see you, it's, uh, I mean, what do I say about St. Enadoc?

00:11:56I mean, St. Enadoc is...

00:11:58It's a big project.

00:12:07I do, you know, um, my background has always been, like, independent restaurants and sort

00:12:12of opening a hotel and all the things that go with a hotel, but I don't want it to be

00:12:18labelled as a hotel.

00:12:19I want this...

00:12:20St. Enadoc is for everybody.

00:12:22Okay.

00:12:22It is, it's not about if you're staying with us, it's about if you're in Cornwall.

00:12:27Yeah.

00:12:27Come up that, come up the driveway and come and see us and have a drink and...

00:12:31Yeah.

00:12:31...just take in the views of poor Philly and the estuary.

00:12:35It's, it's magical.

00:12:37You've been there.

00:12:37I have been up there.

00:12:38And you also, you've raised it, so you've got this beautiful platform now.

00:12:41Yeah.

00:12:41So you can see over Gordon's house and onto the estuary.

00:12:44Yeah, basically, yeah, you...

00:12:46Yeah.

00:12:47It's, uh, yeah, it's, it's beautiful.

00:12:49It's beautiful.

00:12:50Can I just show you that, I mean, that's just...

00:12:52What's he off with that?

00:12:53Look at that.

00:12:53He's showing us on that.

00:12:54He just smells the nuttiness of that butter.

00:12:57Amazing.

00:12:58It's just beautiful.

00:12:59Paul, the thing I love about you is you have all the ambition, all these places, whether it's

00:13:02Number Six, Regianos, St. Enadocs, you know, everything you do, you bring people with

00:13:06you.

00:13:07I salute you, mate.

00:13:07Honestly, it's tremendous.

00:13:08You're down there quite a lot, aren't you?

00:13:09I am down there a lot.

00:13:10Yeah, I was down there just before Christmas at Number Six, and I had a fantastic meal on

00:13:13your team.

00:13:14You know, a lot of young people, really well-trained, but their service is impeccable, and their

00:13:16knowledge, passion, and it's all from the top down, so bravo, Paul.

00:13:20Well done, you, Paul.

00:13:21What's going on here?

00:13:22I don't know.

00:13:23I have no idea what's happening.

00:13:23When there was a slight, like, you know, well done, you, Paul, enough of you.

00:13:27Greasy hands.

00:13:27Yeah, yeah, hang on a second.

00:13:29But I'd like to say, do you know, I've not seen you for a while, I'm seeing you.

00:13:33You're radiant.

00:13:33You're looking good, you're looking chilled, yeah, fair play to you.

00:13:37I mean, it's been an easy week.

00:13:40Yeah.

00:13:42So, at this stage, Alex, it's now just, we're just going to adjust the flavour, so we've

00:13:46got some lovely pepper going in there.

00:13:49We'll add, could you add in the herbs, please, Matt?

00:13:51You can throw them in now, the herbs you've chopped.

00:13:53Yeah, thank you.

00:13:54So, I'm just going to add in some lemon juice, kind of, with that richness to the smoked

00:13:58butter, lemon, peas.

00:14:00Matt's just put in there, chervil, mint, and chives.

00:14:05Okay.

00:14:05And now we're just going to turn that heat down, stir in, and now you just let everything

00:14:11settle.

00:14:13Yeah.

00:14:13What are you looking for in the temperature of it?

00:14:15So, you're looking for around 45, and we're just letting that fish kind of, like, just

00:14:18beautifully rest up.

00:14:20Now, I'm just going to hit the fish with a little bit of lemon zest.

00:14:24It's beautifully flaky.

00:14:25Oh, it's incredible, but look at the texture of it.

00:14:28Then I'm going to add a little bit more lemon juice on it, all right?

00:14:32Some lovely sea salt just to finish.

00:14:35Nice.

00:14:35Now, if you want to make Paul's seasonal Italian stew at home, you can find the recipe at

00:14:40pbc.co.uk forward slash Saturday kitchen, or scan the QR code below, and it'll take you

00:14:43straight to this dish.

00:14:45Get in a pan and a bowl, Paul.

00:14:48That is, uh, that is lovely.

00:14:50Yeah, thank you.

00:14:51Nice one, mate.

00:14:52And that's it.

00:14:53Just dish that up.

00:14:55I mean, I put this in the middle of the table, and the fish on top, and everyone digging in,

00:15:00helping themselves.

00:15:01But you're right about the green colour.

00:15:03People are so obsessed now because of food photography.

00:15:05Yeah.

00:15:05Everything has to be bright green.

00:15:07But you're going to get the flavour when it's all there and it's kind of, you know, melted

00:15:12in.

00:15:12So we then just put the fish on top, and then that lovely, just borrow your spoon, that

00:15:17lovely, all the juices from the gurnard, the brown butter, just all over like that.

00:15:22It's that simple.

00:15:24Beautiful.

00:15:24All in real time.

00:15:26Right, what have we got here, Paul?

00:15:27Cornish gurnard, vina rola, spring stew.

00:15:31Nice.

00:15:31Well done.

00:15:32I love you.

00:15:37I'm loving this morning.

00:15:38I love you.

00:15:39Alex, are you hungry?

00:15:41There you go.

00:15:42You know what?

00:15:43You tuck into that?

00:15:43I am salivating.

00:15:45I was sitting here thinking, what on earth is going on in my mouth?

00:15:49You're a big cook, aren't you?

00:15:51I really enjoy cooking, yeah, I do.

00:15:54And I like experimenting and make my own pasta.

00:15:57Very good.

00:15:58Nice.

00:15:59Fantastic.

00:16:00I'm eating a Michelin star.

00:16:02Yeah.

00:16:02Right?

00:16:03Dish.

00:16:03For free.

00:16:04Oh, my God.

00:16:06What's in here?

00:16:07Well, we've got white wine from Italy and, you know, you want to have some freshness to

00:16:11go with the fish, but you also need some richness to go with all of those veggie infused, that

00:16:15wonderful kind of richness of the sauce and the stewiness.

00:16:18This one is Verdeca, which is, you mentioned actually vermouth would be nice in the dish.

00:16:22Yeah.

00:16:22It was a grape that went into making vermouth in Puglia.

00:16:25So, it was nearly extinct.

00:16:27Now, it's having a huge comeback.

00:16:28This is Masseria Pietrosa Verdeca, nine quid in Morrison's.

00:16:31I just love it because it's sort of, it's got a silkiness and a richness and it's almost

00:16:35like a peach in gold leaf pyjamas.

00:16:38You know, it's that kind of bright, but, you know, fruity, but it does the job with

00:16:42the dish.

00:16:43And I think Verdeca also has this lovely, slight, aromatic character.

00:16:46The oak, they put it in oak for a short time, so it sort of makes a texture, but it

00:16:50doesn't interfere too much.

00:16:50I think it's beautifully balanced and a real Italian gem.

00:16:53Off the beaten track, good value for it.

00:16:54Very nice.

00:16:55Very good.

00:16:55Oh, you're Alex.

00:16:56Oh, yeah.

00:16:57Well, for Alex as well, I've got a jar kombucha for you, which is,

00:17:01£3.25 from the Whiskey Exchange.

00:17:03All organic ingredients, yoolong tea, green tea, and it's basically like a sherbet gooseberry.

00:17:08It's nice and bright and effervescent and kind of the venous alternative.

00:17:11And good for your tummy.

00:17:12And that actually tastes delicious with this.

00:17:15Yes, good pairing.

00:17:16How was that, Tom?

00:17:17You tried that in rehearsal?

00:17:18Any thoughts?

00:17:19It's like spring on a plate.

00:17:20Spring has sprung spat.

00:17:22Very nice.

00:17:23Jess, what about you?

00:17:25What do you think?

00:17:25I thought it was absolutely delicious as well.

00:17:27I love Gurnage.

00:17:28I think it's quite underrated.

00:17:28Jess, could you pronounce it properly, please?

00:17:30Well...

00:17:31I pronounce it Vignola, but I'm not sure that's the right way, though.

00:17:34And I pronounce it Vignola.

00:17:36That's right.

00:17:36It's Britallian.

00:17:37Yeah, we're all...

00:17:38Britallian.

00:17:39I like it.

00:17:40It's not a thing.

00:17:40You're happy with that, Alex?

00:17:41Mmm.

00:17:42Good start?

00:17:43Mmm.

00:17:43Great.

00:17:44Sorry, I won't ask you to talk.

00:17:45Remind us what you're doing.

00:17:46I'm doing a slow-cooked sausage ragout with fresh cavatelli and a spring salad.

00:17:51Beautiful.

00:17:51Don't forget, you're in charge of what I cook at the end of the show.

00:17:53So, will you go for Alex's idea of food heaven, miso cod with wild rice and edamame salad,

00:17:58or her idea of food hell steak tagliata with crispy fried sweden gnocchi?

00:18:03Log on to the Saturday Kitchen website now and have your say.

00:18:06Right, let's catch up with Rick now.

00:18:07He's in Sri Lanka visiting an incredible fishing port.

00:18:10Oli, that's amazing.

00:18:16I have to say that I've never been happier anywhere on my travels than when I was here.

00:18:23Everywhere I went, I was greeted with smiles and enthusiasm.

00:18:31I had been told that some of the fishing scenes in Sri Lanka would be some of the most visual

00:18:38I was likely to see anywhere, but I must say it's exceeded all my expectations.

00:18:42I mean, it's like central casting, fishing-wise.

00:18:47I mean, when I first saw it, I just thought of Newland, of those Newland school of painters,

00:18:52people like Stan at Forbes, from the last century, from Victorian times,

00:18:57because all those boats are still powered only by sail.

00:19:01These ones here, which are motorised, just bring the fish into the shore from the bigger boats.

00:19:07But to me, it's just like I can hardly believe I'm here.

00:19:11I met up with Darshan, a famous chef here, half Sri Lankan and half Japanese.

00:19:17Darshan, I've just arrived here. I am totally knocked out by what I'm seeing.

00:19:22I mean, there's lovely, plenty of fish, lovely-looking fishing boats.

00:19:27What are they fishing for?

00:19:29These windplot boats are catching shrimp and prawns,

00:19:32and they bring it out here and then take it back to the market.

00:19:36Most of the time, all these prawns are alive,

00:19:38and it's a wonderful thing to have so close to the capital city of Colombia.

00:19:43I mean, being half Japanese, half Sri Lankan, it must mean everything to you.

00:19:49It's inspiring.

00:19:51I think food, any kind of food, starts with ingredients,

00:19:54not with the other sauces or spices you add.

00:19:56And as long as you have good ingredients, you can do any kind of food,

00:19:59and it'll turn out better.

00:20:00And it's very true for Japanese food and much stronger.

00:20:04Naturally, where fishing boats land fish, there's a market.

00:20:07I only wish I'd bought my old copy of the Observer Book of Tropical Fish.

00:20:12But that's all part of it.

00:20:14I'd never turn down a trip to a fish market.

00:20:16I'd just like to see how different it all is.

00:20:20From where you come, what's the fish market like out there?

00:20:23Well, it's nothing like here, the fish market at home,

00:20:26but, I mean, this is as fresh as you could ever see fish.

00:20:30One of the things we have at home, of course, is refrigeration,

00:20:33as you do in Tokyo.

00:20:35And that is a good thing and a bad thing,

00:20:37because once you've got fish refrigerated, it keeps longer,

00:20:41but all the time it's getting...

00:20:43Out here, the market goes around one.

00:20:45Yeah.

00:20:46And refrigeration, yes, it would be nice to have it,

00:20:48but right now, if it gets sold by one o'clock, we don't need to have it.

00:20:51So that's why we're not using refrigeration.

00:20:52What is really impressing me is there's no smell of fish here.

00:20:55It's all smells of the sea.

00:20:57Everyone thinks seafood smells.

00:20:58It doesn't. It smells only if it rots.

00:21:00Absolutely.

00:21:01So I'm very impressed.

00:21:02I'm enjoying it immensely, Darshan.

00:21:19I was asked if I fancied a trip with a bunch of fishermen

00:21:22further south of the island, near the town of Gaul.

00:21:26There's not many harbours here,

00:21:27so everything is launched with quite a bit of effort off the beach.

00:21:42The boat is called an Oru,

00:21:44and one of this size could certainly cope with ocean storms,

00:21:47but many of them are much smaller than this,

00:21:50and I was told that up to 80% of the local fleet was lost in the tsunami.

00:21:58Anyway, this turned out to be a sort of seine net fishing,

00:22:01with the boat laying out the net in a great big circle.

00:22:06And then they all started to jump ship.

00:22:09This is the strangest way to catch fish I've ever seen.

00:22:15So the reason they keep jumping into the sea

00:22:18is to scare the fish into the back of the net.

00:22:20This is the open end of the net,

00:22:22so they're making as much splash and as much movement with their hands

00:22:26so the fish will all swim down that end.

00:22:29Must be a great job, that.

00:22:31I feel like jumping in myself, actually.

00:22:34Go on, then.

00:22:42Well, I am a water baby,

00:22:44and it was very hot,

00:22:46and it did feel really good to join in.

00:22:49I don't know how effective I was,

00:22:51but I love to get involved.

00:22:54Mind you, getting out again is a whole different ball game.

00:23:03I know a thing or two about fishing,

00:23:05and I'm not expecting a huge catch here.

00:23:08But the general air of expectation

00:23:10sort of burst into frantic excitement

00:23:13as it became more certain

00:23:14that we're indeed fishing the net,

00:23:17and lots of them.

00:23:34Well, I have to say this is a great moment for me,

00:23:37the number of times we go out fishing

00:23:39and never catch any fish.

00:23:41I think it's testimony

00:23:42to how much, how rich the fishing grounds are around Sri Lanka,

00:23:47that there's so much good-quality fish landed there.

00:23:50And those ones, they're called Parawa.

00:23:52Parawa are really good, really good money.

00:23:55So they've done very, very well,

00:23:56and I'm very happy.

00:23:59I really enjoyed that.

00:24:01I mean, like fishermen all over the world,

00:24:03they really bond together.

00:24:04You know, it's one big family here.

00:24:06They look after each other.

00:24:08So Buddha's just told me they're feared.

00:24:10They're really tough.

00:24:11They're quite chunky.

00:24:13I wouldn't like to cross them.

00:24:17Ah, I'm not quite finished yet.

00:24:19I still have to help get the Uru back in again.

00:24:27This is the hardest part on top.

00:24:29And what this chanting is,

00:24:33we want to go to the land.

00:24:35We want to go to the land.

00:24:45Right, oh, action man there, Rick.

00:24:47Diving, shifting boats around, all-round hero.

00:24:50Right.

00:24:51I haven't mentioned it much.

00:24:53Just got back from Australia.

00:24:54Did you?

00:24:55Yeah.

00:24:56Queensland, in fact.

00:24:57Absolutely loved it.

00:24:58Had a great time.

00:24:59First time there.

00:25:00But I found that the food scene in Brisbane was incredible.

00:25:04If you haven't been, you've been.

00:25:05I mean, I don't.

00:25:05You've been.

00:25:07Anyway, so I went to this wonderful restaurant called Stanley's.

00:25:11A fantastic chef called Louis Tickerum.

00:25:13You can find him on Instagram.

00:25:15And I had these two dishes.

00:25:16So the first one, I've got some lamb belly here,

00:25:21and it was braised,

00:25:22and then it's tossed in lots of spices,

00:25:24fennel, Szechuan pepper, coriander seeds,

00:25:27chilies, a bit of vinegar and soy.

00:25:29So, Tom, you're going to do that.

00:25:31So, basically, it starts like this.

00:25:32It then gets braised in some soy and these aromatics.

00:25:36You could just boil it up in some water

00:25:37or simmer it in some water, quite frankly,

00:25:39for about sort of 60 minutes.

00:25:41And then you let it cool and set.

00:25:44Go easy, because, you know, remember rehearsal?

00:25:46Yeah, all right.

00:25:47Remember that kind of race?

00:25:47All right.

00:25:49So, and then you chill it,

00:25:52slice it into its individual kind of riblets,

00:25:55and then we're going to toss it in these spices

00:25:58and, like I said, a lot of chilli and the vinegar.

00:26:01Right, Tom, I'm going to grind those up really well.

00:26:05And I'm going to get on with this other salad.

00:26:08Now, this was delicious.

00:26:10And it's very, very simple.

00:26:12Monchitu, or snow peas, as they call them out there,

00:26:16cucumber, and this kind of soy-sesame dressing.

00:26:20And it's just wonderful.

00:26:22It really is super easy, but...

00:26:25Can you find that the Southeast Asian food in Australia,

00:26:28especially in Queensland, is just out of this world, isn't it?

00:26:30It's amazing.

00:26:32Do you know what?

00:26:32I was hard-pushed to find food

00:26:35that wasn't sort of Asian-orientated.

00:26:39But it's so fresh and vibrant.

00:26:41It's always a pie.

00:26:42I did get a pie.

00:26:43Good.

00:26:44Australians are good at pie.

00:26:44But, you know, I went all that way to get a pie,

00:26:46you know what I mean?

00:26:47You've been there, haven't you?

00:26:48I have.

00:26:48I've been all over Australia, actually,

00:26:50and I completely agree with you.

00:26:51The food is incredible.

00:26:55And, I mean, it's funny because so many Irish,

00:27:00so many Italians, you know,

00:27:02so many people just from all over the world...

00:27:06..but coming together and kind of living

00:27:08in this wonderful way where, you know,

00:27:14everybody is respected,

00:27:15the foods are all encouraged,

00:27:17all the different cultures.

00:27:20It's sort of...

00:27:20It's an amazing country.

00:27:21I absolutely fell in love with the place,

00:27:23I have to say.

00:27:24Now, let's talk about you and your new play.

00:27:27Now, we obviously...

00:27:28The play is called Copenhagen.

00:27:30Now, we know you from, you know,

00:27:31we said sort of iconic roles.

00:27:33You work with some wonderful people.

00:27:35And now you've got a great cast in Hampstead.

00:27:38Yes, yes.

00:27:39Damien Maloney and Richard Schiff and myself.

00:27:43It's just the three people on stage,

00:27:45and we're on stage the entire time.

00:27:48It's intense.

00:27:48It's intense, yes.

00:27:50There's nowhere to hide.

00:27:51And the play basically takes an event that happened

00:28:00where these two physicists met in 1941.

00:28:06And one of the physicists, Niels Bohr,

00:28:09was a sort of mentor to this younger physicist called Werner Heisenberg.

00:28:14And the play sort of is trying to get to the bottom

00:28:22of why Heisenberg came back to meet Niels Bohr.

00:28:26It was the middle of the war,

00:28:28and Heisenberg was basically working ostensibly for Hitler

00:28:34on the nuclear programme.

00:28:36OK.

00:28:37And the play's kind of a thriller.

00:28:41The question, really, that surrounds the play is,

00:28:46was Werner Heisenberg trying to make the nuclear bomb for Hitler,

00:28:53or was he actually stalling so that he wouldn't make

00:28:57the nuclear bomb for Hitler?

00:28:59And that's the question that is examined.

00:29:03And your role in the play is pretty pivotal.

00:29:08Yes.

00:29:08The translator.

00:29:10Yes.

00:29:10Between these two absolute boffins to the public.

00:29:13Yes, completely.

00:29:14And they were physicists.

00:29:16She wasn't.

00:29:17So everything that was...

00:29:20She wrote, she transcribed everything.

00:29:24And basically, her husband, Niels Bohr,

00:29:29insisted that she understood what it was they were researching,

00:29:36what it was they were coming up with, the calculations.

00:29:39So it had to be understandable for her.

00:29:42So in a sense, her name's Margareta.

00:29:46She's the bridge between the play and the audience.

00:29:49OK.

00:29:49And, as you say, boffins, I mean, I have miscalcula.

00:29:53I didn't even know that that's what it was called.

00:29:54I just thought it was, you know, very bad at maths and numbers.

00:29:57Well, I'm terrible at maths.

00:29:58How does that manifest?

00:29:59Well, I just freeze.

00:30:01I go into a panic when I see numbers.

00:30:04When you see a bill?

00:30:05Yeah, yeah.

00:30:06I mean, I still...

00:30:07Vegas, oh, my gosh.

00:30:08I mean, I have to count on my fingers,

00:30:10so I'm useless at anything like, you know, blackjack.

00:30:14I can only do the slot machine.

00:30:17I mean, but, yes, so I can count on my fingers and I can...

00:30:21LAUGHTER

00:30:25But, you know, pi or percentages or, you know,

00:30:28I just, it may, I literally freeze in terror in my head.

00:30:31So that apparently is discalcular.

00:30:34OK.

00:30:35So, me, in a play about quantum physics

00:30:38and all of these mathematical calculations, it's actually...

00:30:44Is that a genuine struggle on stage?

00:30:46Or once you're getting your head around in rehearsing?

00:30:48No, well, the thing is, because I'm not a physicist,

00:30:50I don't have to pretend to be a physicist on stage,

00:30:53I'm just the...

00:30:54Not just, but I'm the woman who's typing it all out,

00:30:57and so I feel quite relaxed that...

00:31:00I mean, she did understand, and I am beginning.

00:31:03We've been rehearsing now for four weeks,

00:31:05and I'm starting to understand what it all means.

00:31:08Are you enjoying that element?

00:31:09I am, actually, quite, yes.

00:31:11Because it must be something really to be had

00:31:12when you're an actor and you're sort of, you know,

00:31:16rehearsing new roles and taking on new information.

00:31:18Yeah.

00:31:19It's quite exciting.

00:31:19Yes, I mean, I'm starting to learn all about nuclear fission.

00:31:23And the U-235 and U-238 and, you know,

00:31:27how to enrich plutonium,

00:31:29or enrich uranium to make plutonium.

00:31:31Do you know too much?

00:31:33I mean, don't put yourself on a watch list.

00:31:35No.

00:31:38It's an amazing cast, though, as well.

00:31:40I mean, there's you, I mean, Adam Schiff.

00:31:42It was the... Richard Schiff, sorry.

00:31:44From the West Wing.

00:31:45Yeah.

00:31:45So, just amazing to have that line-up.

00:31:48Yeah.

00:31:48It must be extraordinary to be rehearsing with them.

00:31:50Well, the thing that's quite funny is that

00:31:55when I was doing ER,

00:31:57we were on the same studio lot

00:31:59when Richard was doing West Wing.

00:32:01Yeah.

00:32:01And John Wells was our showrunner

00:32:04and he was the showrunner for West Wing as well.

00:32:07So, Richard and I kind of would cross over

00:32:12at Warner Brothers

00:32:14and end up at the same sort of weekend parties and things.

00:32:18But I haven't seen him, you know, for decades.

00:32:22Yeah.

00:32:22So, it's sort of quite nice

00:32:24because it kind of reminds me of that time.

00:32:27Yeah.

00:32:28Yeah.

00:32:29It's good.

00:32:31And Damien is...

00:32:33I think he's Bergerac.

00:32:34He's the new Bergerac.

00:32:36So, he's...

00:32:36I'm sorry, they're bringing back Bergerac.

00:32:38Yes.

00:32:39Yes.

00:32:39I'm sorry.

00:32:40Filling the shoes of great job titles.

00:32:42Yes.

00:32:42Hang on, here I am banging on about Queensland and food.

00:32:45They're bringing back Bergerac.

00:32:47Yes, yeah.

00:32:47Jersey.

00:32:48Didn't know that.

00:32:49Yeah, my brother's a huge fan of Bergerac.

00:32:50How excited are you?

00:32:52Very excited.

00:32:52My brother did the Tower of Bergerac on Radio 4.

00:32:55It's a great show, so I'm glad it's back.

00:32:57Oh, Lord.

00:32:58Right, OK.

00:32:59OK, let's talk about food.

00:33:01OK, so Tom is very masterfully...

00:33:03Not burnt this time.

00:33:04Not burnt this time.

00:33:06And so, into the wok, all those spices with the...

00:33:10You seal off the lamb ribs, make them nice and crispy

00:33:14because they're soft and then you make them crispy.

00:33:16Toss in all those spices, a bit of vinegar, a bit of soy,

00:33:18chillies.

00:33:20In here, we've got all the ingredients, I can't remember.

00:33:24Cucumber, mons, too, the enoki mushrooms,

00:33:27sesame seeds.

00:33:28There's the dressing, a bit generous with that.

00:33:32And then give it a mix.

00:33:34But, yeah, I mean, in terms of the food, it's just light,

00:33:36it's fresh, it's exciting.

00:33:38The Asian food, I think it's one of the best Thai food on Earth,

00:33:42outside of Thailand, is in Australia, but, you know.

00:33:43Oh, really?

00:33:44It's just the freshness of the ingredients and everything.

00:33:46I love that country.

00:33:47Right.

00:33:48There you go.

00:33:50Excuse me.

00:33:51Try some of that.

00:33:53Let us know what you think.

00:33:54Do I squeeze lime over it?

00:33:55Yes, exactly.

00:33:56Squeeze a bit of lime over the ribs.

00:33:59Um, but I think it's delicious.

00:34:03I mean, lamb ribs, they're not expensive.

00:34:05No.

00:34:05And lots of flavor.

00:34:06So good.

00:34:07Stealing that one, Matt.

00:34:08Yeah?

00:34:09I'm stealing that one.

00:34:10You're welcome.

00:34:11That is a cracking dish.

00:34:12Nice, isn't it, that salad?

00:34:13Fresh and crisp and lovely.

00:34:15Oh, you haven't tried it?

00:34:16No, no, I'm going to have a go now.

00:34:18Um, your salad.

00:34:20It's so good.

00:34:21Yeah, we all fell in love with it in rehearsal.

00:34:23It's just full of flavor.

00:34:24Mmm.

00:34:25It's OK?

00:34:25Mmm.

00:34:26Salad.

00:34:26The salad is so good.

00:34:27Nice, right?

00:34:28Mmm.

00:34:28So that dressing's delicious.

00:34:30Mmm.

00:34:30Absolutely delicious.

00:34:31And now I pick this up with my fingers.

00:34:33Yeah, yeah, please do.

00:34:35Oh, my God.

00:34:35Nobody's looking.

00:34:37Yeah, Louis Tickerum.

00:34:38Go and check him out.

00:34:39What do you want me to make at the end of the show?

00:34:41Will it be Alex's food heaven, miso cod?

00:34:43If so, I'm going to marinate a thick fillet of cod in miso.

00:34:46Look at that for a shot.

00:34:47Um, miso, sake and mirin.

00:34:51I'm going to roast it in a pan until it's charles.

00:34:53I'm going to serve it on a bed of wild rice sushi.

00:34:55Can I tell you?

00:34:56Yeah, go on.

00:34:57Um, I don't have a problem with eating on camera.

00:35:01Great.

00:35:01That's what we like.

00:35:02Yeah, that's what we like, I guess.

00:35:04Uh, anyway, always looking for food else, steak and swede.

00:35:07So I'm going to make a classic steak tagliata,

00:35:09which combines rare soy-loin steak with some rocket parmesan tomatoes.

00:35:13Uh, for an extra hellish touch,

00:35:14I'm going to toss in some crispy fried sweet gnocchi.

00:35:16Uh, the choice is yours.

00:35:18Log on to the website now.

00:35:20Could we stop focusing on Alex?

00:35:22Anyway.

00:35:24Right.

00:35:25Grab your life jackets.

00:35:25It's time bobbing along the Thames now

00:35:27with Dame Mary Berry to visit a river community

00:35:30with their own fruit and veg growing gardens.

00:35:32Take a look.

00:35:33Oh, my God!

00:35:39The Tidal Thames has some wonderful hidden gems.

00:35:44This is Tower Bridge Moorings,

00:35:46one of its oldest river communities.

00:35:50Seven of the barges here have stunning gardens

00:35:54growing an amazing array of fruit and vegetables.

00:35:59I promise you, I'm as sober as a judge.

00:36:03It's very difficult coming along here.

00:36:05It's just like this.

00:36:06But I'm here.

00:36:09I've been invited to have a look round by Suj,

00:36:12who's lived here for 14 years.

00:36:17What an amazing view.

00:36:19It is.

00:36:19It's beautiful.

00:36:21I feel so blessed and lucky to call this place my home.

00:36:24How many barges are here?

00:36:27We have about 50 barges

00:36:28and over 100 people living here now.

00:36:31And do you all get together for sort of occasions here?

00:36:35We do have a communal barge.

00:36:37So we have a lot of community events,

00:36:39like book clubs, film clubs.

00:36:41Yeah.

00:36:42Hello, you've just popped up from nowhere.

00:36:46They grow everything here

00:36:48from citrus fruits to green leaf veg.

00:36:51There's a crab up here.

00:36:52Yes.

00:36:54I'm going to get out of the rain

00:36:56and whip out something simple and delicious

00:36:58for Suj and his friends.

00:37:02I've cooked in some very strange places in my time,

00:37:05never on the Thames.

00:37:07And I've got Tower Bridge on my right.

00:37:10But what better than a warm chicken salad?

00:37:13It's very simple.

00:37:15The heart of this delicious salad

00:37:18is the mouth-watering dressing.

00:37:20First of all, creme fraiche.

00:37:22And you know me, always full fat.

00:37:27Then I'm going to add some Dijon mustard.

00:37:31Gives a bit of bite.

00:37:32And you need a bit of bite when it's chilly like it is today.

00:37:36A touch of sugar for sweetness

00:37:38and a squeeze of lemon juice

00:37:39will bring out the freshness I'm looking for.

00:37:43Some Parmesan cheese gives it bite,

00:37:45which makes it extra warming.

00:37:52This is so quick and simple,

00:37:54I just need to layer it up.

00:37:56Some iceberg lettuce,

00:37:58which I'm going to start at the bottom.

00:38:00Some spring onion

00:38:01and sprinkle that all over the top.

00:38:04Sweet pickled cucumber,

00:38:06the kind that come in a jar

00:38:07and add a bit of sweetness to it.

00:38:10And then I've got this dill,

00:38:12bright green and fresh.

00:38:14The star ingredient is my pan-fried chicken

00:38:18glazed in honey with paprika.

00:38:22Some extra Parmesan shavings are always welcome.

00:38:26Then a few pea shoots on top.

00:38:30It's looking good, isn't it?

00:38:33Finally, that creme fraiche Parmesan and lemon dressing.

00:38:37And plenty of it.

00:38:42All I need now

00:38:43is a few hungry people to try it.

00:38:52I hope you're starving.

00:38:54We are.

00:38:55We are.

00:38:59How do you like it?

00:39:01Mmm.

00:39:02I love it.

00:39:04It's so cold.

00:39:11I like nothing better than a warm salad.

00:39:14And my idea of indulgent comfort

00:39:17is a rich citron tart to follow.

00:39:22I've made my sweet shortcrust pastry,

00:39:25but you can buy some ready-made if you want to.

00:39:27If you find it difficult to roll it round the rolling pin,

00:39:31get the base of your sponge sandwich tin,

00:39:35slip it underneath,

00:39:38and then, to transport it,

00:39:41just pull that forward,

00:39:44and you know fear of it cracking.

00:39:51Lift up the edges,

00:39:53gently pressing the pastry into the tin.

00:39:58I'm now going to prick the base,

00:39:59because if I don't,

00:40:01it domes up,

00:40:02and I wouldn't get my filling in.

00:40:04Blind-bake the pastry for 15 minutes at 180 fan,

00:40:09then without the beans for a further five.

00:40:18There it is,

00:40:20just as I wanted it to be.

00:40:21All crispy round the outside,

00:40:23pale golden,

00:40:25and beautifully cooked.

00:40:26Pastry's cooling,

00:40:27and now I'm going to make the lemon posset filling,

00:40:30which is to die for.

00:40:33In goes the cream,

00:40:34double-pouring cream.

00:40:36Nothing but the best.

00:40:38150 grams of caster sugar.

00:40:42And then the zest of three lemons.

00:40:45And just stir until the sugar has dissolved.

00:40:52My tip is to let the lemon cream cool slightly

00:40:55before adding some lemon juice to stop it curdling.

00:41:00And the lemon juice has a magic setting quality.

00:41:04You don't need any gelatin,

00:41:06you don't need any cornflour,

00:41:07it's just the lemons that make it set.

00:41:09And you can actually see

00:41:12it's beginning to thicken

00:41:14like magic.

00:41:23Chill in the fridge for a minimum four hours,

00:41:26but ideally overnight.

00:41:37Look at that.

00:41:38Perfect set.

00:41:42Let's hope if I push that down,

00:41:44it'll come off.

00:41:47It did, didn't it?

00:41:51For a finishing touch,

00:41:53some sweet raspberries will work a treat.

00:42:00That is pure lemon indulgence.

00:42:03Happiness on a plate.

00:42:12Thanks for that, Mary.

00:42:13Still to come, Tom Parker Bowles

00:42:14brings a taste allowed to the table

00:42:16with his delicious chicken larp.

00:42:17What do you want me to make at the end of the show?

00:42:20Will it be Alex's Food Heaven,

00:42:21miso cod with wild rice

00:42:22and edamame salad

00:42:23or her idea of food health steak tagliata

00:42:25with crispy fried swede gnocchi?

00:42:27Log on to the website now

00:42:27and have your say.

00:42:29Right, Jess, past the course.

00:42:30What are we making?

00:42:31So we're doing a rich,

00:42:33slow-cooked sausage ragu

00:42:34and we're making fresh cavatelli.

00:42:37Nice.

00:42:37Which I'm going to show you first

00:42:38and you're going to do a spring salad for me.

00:42:40Salad affair.

00:42:41Yeah.

00:42:41Okay, so what's in this pasta there?

00:42:43So this is super simple.

00:42:45It's just durum wheat,

00:42:46semolina flour and water

00:42:48and you need it for about six minutes

00:42:50and then let it rest for about half an hour

00:42:52under a bowl

00:42:53so it doesn't dry out.

00:42:55So do you do that instead of wrapping in cling film?

00:42:57I do, save the planet.

00:42:59Sure.

00:42:59Yeah.

00:43:00Fair enough.

00:43:01So this is quite a basic pasta dough.

00:43:04Very basic, yeah.

00:43:04Where's it from?

00:43:05It's two, the quantities are two to one

00:43:07so 400 grams of semolina flour

00:43:09to 200 mils of water.

00:43:11Okay.

00:43:11It's from Puglia originally

00:43:14and it's called cavatelli

00:43:15because they're shaped like little caves

00:43:17so it captures the sauce really beautifully.

00:43:20Okay.

00:43:21So I've just cut a little wedge off

00:43:23and I'm just rolling it out

00:43:25and this is a really nice thing to do at home, I think.

00:43:28You can do it with your kids if you have kids.

00:43:30You do this in the restaurant?

00:43:31Yes, I do.

00:43:33Um, maybe on a quieter lunch.

00:43:35I was going to say, it's quite sort of labour intensive.

00:43:38Yeah, it is.

00:43:38For a simple pasta dish, there's a lot going on, isn't there?

00:43:42Um, so then I'm cutting each one into little centimetre nuggets.

00:43:46Mm-hmm.

00:43:48Okay.

00:43:49Yeah.

00:43:49And then I'll show you, so with the board,

00:43:51you literally just push down with your thumb

00:43:53and let it roll off.

00:43:55Right.

00:43:56So you can see it's got a little sort of cave in the middle.

00:43:59Sure.

00:44:00And it's got the lovely ridges that capture the sauce as well.

00:44:02And that's the idea, isn't it?

00:44:03Yeah.

00:44:04If you haven't got one of those?

00:44:05If you haven't got a board,

00:44:06you can do it with your fingers.

00:44:08So I'll just show you.

00:44:08So you just push down your two fingers

00:44:10and drag it towards you.

00:44:11Okay.

00:44:12Like that.

00:44:13I would imagine a dish,

00:44:14this kind of labour intensive,

00:44:16makes the chefs very aware of, you know,

00:44:20what they're putting in the finished dish,

00:44:22what they're throwing away, maybe,

00:44:24or leaving in the pasta basket.

00:44:25Yeah, definitely, I think so.

00:44:27So I'm just whacking this thing

00:44:29because it takes about five to six minutes.

00:44:31So I'm going to put this in the water,

00:44:33which I've just salted straight away.

00:44:36Alex, you're quite keen on making it in your own pasta, right?

00:44:39I am, yeah.

00:44:39I've never made that, though,

00:44:41although I think it was,

00:44:42that was in the last Godfather movie.

00:44:45Godfather 3.

00:44:46Good rest of course.

00:44:47Yes, Andy Garcia.

00:44:49Andy Garcia doing it.

00:44:49They're pushing together.

00:44:51That's right.

00:44:51Somebody told me that's in the cinemas again.

00:44:54What, Godfather 3?

00:44:55Wow.

00:44:56Maybe I'm wrong.

00:44:58So now I'm going to brown off the sausage.

00:45:02And a...

00:45:03You should bring it back to food.

00:45:03Yeah, just a few.

00:45:05It's what I do.

00:45:07So let's talk about your background.

00:45:09Yeah.

00:45:10So you started in food PR.

00:45:11Yes, I did.

00:45:12Did that for a number of years.

00:45:13Yes, I did.

00:45:13How did you get into a kitchen?

00:45:15So I think I always...

00:45:16Well, I know I always wanted to be a chef.

00:45:18I was just, I think,

00:45:19a bit intimidated of professional kitchens.

00:45:22And so I worked in food PR for a few years

00:45:25and then I realised I needed to bite the bullet

00:45:28and follow my passion and retrain.

00:45:30That wasn't really cutting it, was it?

00:45:31It wasn't, no.

00:45:32Okay.

00:45:33So I retrained for six months

00:45:35and then I was lucky enough to get a job

00:45:37at the River Cafe where I worked for six years.

00:45:40Wow.

00:45:40Yeah.

00:45:41Okay.

00:45:41So when you say you retrained,

00:45:43you went to Leith, didn't you?

00:45:44I went to Leith for six months, yeah.

00:45:46Okay.

00:45:46So River Cafe for six years

00:45:49and then you did a stint in California, right?

00:45:52Yes.

00:45:52I then went to Chez Panisse

00:45:55and worked under Alice Waters for several months,

00:45:58which was absolutely amazing.

00:46:00Similar in many ways to the River Cafe,

00:46:02but just so beautiful.

00:46:04They have this whole shed outside just for tomatoes.

00:46:06Oh, really?

00:46:07Yeah.

00:46:08I mean, it's one restaurant I would love to go to.

00:46:11It's absolutely amazing.

00:46:12I mean, you know,

00:46:12and it's very much in the same kind of vein and ethos

00:46:15as the River Cafe, right?

00:46:17Yes.

00:46:17Yeah, very similar.

00:46:18Here, it's sort of beautiful seasonal ingredients.

00:46:20Yeah.

00:46:21It's heroing the ingredient.

00:46:23Okay.

00:46:23So I've just added my sofrito there,

00:46:26which I'd already fried off for a really nice long time.

00:46:28And that's got onion, fennel, garlic.

00:46:32I've put fennel in this one,

00:46:34which is, I suppose, a little bit unusual,

00:46:36but I just think the fennel and sausage go so well together.

00:46:39And it's got that kind of spring feel.

00:46:41Yeah, exactly.

00:46:42You could put leek in it

00:46:43or you could put carrot in it

00:46:44if you're a carrot aficionado.

00:46:47Okay.

00:46:47Carrot aficionado.

00:46:49Yeah.

00:46:49Alex likes carrot.

00:46:51You told me earlier.

00:46:53And you're very much about championing women in kitchens.

00:46:56Yes.

00:46:56Like the River Cafe, like Chez Panisse.

00:46:59I've been very lucky that I've worked for a lot of very inspirational women.

00:47:03Ruthie at the River Cafe

00:47:04and then Alice and Angela Hartnett's been really supportive of me

00:47:09since I've opened Canteen.

00:47:10And so I knew that when I started Canteen,

00:47:13I wanted to create a restaurant

00:47:15that really sort of supported and empowered women.

00:47:18Okay.

00:47:18And bearing in mind, you know,

00:47:19Angela runs some exceptional Italian restaurants.

00:47:22Yeah, she does.

00:47:23Uh, she did say recently on a podcast that you're the, um,

00:47:27her folk, the, you know, the restaurant that's doing the best Italian food.

00:47:29She gave me a shout-out, which was so kind of her.

00:47:32Yeah.

00:47:32Yeah, which was lovely.

00:47:33She comes a lot.

00:47:34And last weekend, we actually did a collaboration

00:47:36for International Women's Day.

00:47:38Okay.

00:47:39Um, yeah, I have 14 chefs

00:47:41and 11 of them are women at the moment, which is great.

00:47:43Wow.

00:47:44Yeah.

00:47:44Oh, cool.

00:47:45I mean, how has that changed since the 90s?

00:47:48Yeah, cool.

00:47:48Wow.

00:47:48How many do you have in your kitchen, ladies?

00:47:50Uh, when I worked in London?

00:47:52No, when you cooked in your, in your restaurant.

00:47:54One.

00:47:55One out of four.

00:47:56All right, that's right.

00:47:56You know what I mean?

00:47:57Yeah.

00:47:57That's not bad.

00:47:58It's changed massively, hasn't it?

00:47:59Yeah.

00:48:00Absolutely.

00:48:00But, uh, Tom, you're, you're a big fan, aren't you?

00:48:02I, I thought Canteen is just what you want.

00:48:04It's laid back, beautifully cooked, seasonally,

00:48:08produce-led, all those words.

00:48:09But, you know, it's just food you want to eat.

00:48:11It's really lovely.

00:48:12Can you sit, linger over a long lunch?

00:48:14I'm hearing tales also of a fantastic bar,

00:48:16which I want to visit as well.

00:48:18You can sit at the bar as well, can't you?

00:48:19Oh, upstairs.

00:48:20Upstairs is a bar, yes.

00:48:21The Fat Badger, which has, they have a comedy night

00:48:24and they have live music and it's really fun.

00:48:26Oh, that's cool.

00:48:27Yeah.

00:48:28Jess?

00:48:29Make pizzas, yeah.

00:48:30We've got two wood ovens, so we do fresh pizzas.

00:48:33We make fresh pasta every morning.

00:48:35We have a changing menu.

00:48:36It changes every day, which is really nice

00:48:38so that regulars and locals can come back every day,

00:48:41which is great.

00:48:42And then we've also got a farm in the Cotswolds,

00:48:46which provides us with loads of our produce,

00:48:49which is amazing as well.

00:48:50OK, and you're doing a pop-up?

00:48:51Yes, we are.

00:48:52We're doing a pop-up near the farm.

00:48:54Busy, aren't you?

00:48:55Yeah.

00:48:57A little.

00:48:58So that's opening in, at the end of April,

00:49:02until September, yeah.

00:49:04That sounds great.

00:49:04Right, OK, so where are we at with this?

00:49:06So, sorry, yes.

00:49:08Pork goes in.

00:49:09Exactly.

00:49:10The pork goes in and then we put a little bit of nutmeg,

00:49:12bit of dried chilli, red wine, let that cook off a little bit.

00:49:16I mushed up the tomatoes in my hand.

00:49:18I always think that makes it a bit nicer and more emulsified.

00:49:20Is that because you're not blitzing the seeds?

00:49:22Yeah, exactly.

00:49:22A lot of people say that makes it bitter.

00:49:23Yeah, and you don't want big lumps.

00:49:25OK.

00:49:25And then I'm going to whack that in the oven for two hours.

00:49:28Mm-hm.

00:49:29And then this is the finished product.

00:49:32And you say in a restaurant you've got these beautiful wood ovens,

00:49:35so when they're calming down overnight,

00:49:37after they've done their work,

00:49:38this is the sort of thing you would put in overnight?

00:49:40Yeah, exactly.

00:49:41So we always have a ragu on the menu,

00:49:44and a different one every day,

00:49:46and at night time we put it in the oven.

00:49:49Yeah, we do lovely chicken stocks, veal stocks overnight

00:49:54and come in the next morning and they're absolutely perfect.

00:49:57Really?

00:49:57Yeah, it's so lovely having two wood ovens.

00:50:00That's, well, there's a lot of heat there to be utilised, isn't there?

00:50:03Yeah, so much.

00:50:04I mean, they stay warm all night.

00:50:06It's crazy.

00:50:08Any, was that a bit trial and error?

00:50:11Yeah.

00:50:12Definitely the first week we came in a few times

00:50:14to find some dried up chicken bones.

00:50:16Right.

00:50:17And nothing else.

00:50:18Yeah, I mean, that's...

00:50:19You have to get the liquid quantities right.

00:50:22Getting used to new environments and stuff like that.

00:50:24Yeah, exactly.

00:50:25Right, so this salad, we've got radishes,

00:50:28we've got fresh peas, peach shoots, gem lettuce, shallot.

00:50:33I liked the little touch where you throw the mint into the water.

00:50:37Yes.

00:50:37And even over the peas.

00:50:38Just to get a bit of essence.

00:50:39For a short time.

00:50:42Right, okay.

00:50:43I'm just finishing this with a little bit of seasoning.

00:50:47Okay.

00:50:47And you've got some cream there.

00:50:49Does that go in right at the end?

00:50:50Yeah, so once it's been in the oven for around two hours,

00:50:53then a good glug of cream just to...

00:50:56So is this a traditional recipe,

00:50:59or is this your kind of take on?

00:51:00Mmm, I would say a bit of both.

00:51:03I think I've slightly developed a traditional recipe.

00:51:06Okay.

00:51:06Yeah.

00:51:06That is delicious.

00:51:08I want to get a spoon in it.

00:51:09But I can't, because I've got to read this.

00:51:10If you want to make Jess's cracking cavatelli at home,

00:51:12you can find the recipe at bbc.co.uk forward slash set of kitchen,

00:51:15or scan the QR code below, and it'll take you straight to this dish.

00:51:19Right.

00:51:20I'm just going to finish it with a lashings of parmesan.

00:51:24That's delicious.

00:51:26That's so delicious.

00:51:28How long does the pork cook for?

00:51:29A little bit of pepper.

00:51:30Well, ideally around two hours, yeah.

00:51:33But if you can leave it for longer, or even overnight,

00:51:35if you have enough liquid red wine tomato in there,

00:51:38then it'll be great.

00:51:40That looks beautiful.

00:51:40Jess, remind us what it's called.

00:51:42This is slow-cooked sausage ragu with fresh cavatelli

00:51:45and a spring salad with new-season peas and pea shoots.

00:51:49Awesome.

00:51:49Now relax.

00:51:54Stay there.

00:51:55Stay there.

00:51:56Right, so there's a glass of wine under there for you, Jess.

00:52:00There you are, Alex.

00:52:02Dive into that.

00:52:03Salads.

00:52:04What have we got, Al?

00:52:05Well, it's such a delicious dish.

00:52:07I felt completely head over heels with it in rehearsal, Jess.

00:52:09It's a smasher.

00:52:10It really is.

00:52:10It's kind of in my magic cupboard, along with Frenchie's dish.

00:52:12Do you remember that wonderful...

00:52:13Oh, yes.

00:52:14Yeah, anyway.

00:52:15Salsa-fite egg.

00:52:15Salsa-fite with the egg, yeah, that one.

00:52:17So it's up there.

00:52:18So, got to be an Italian red.

00:52:19And this is also from Puglia, as the dish is inspired by.

00:52:22So this is the Co-op's irresistible Salice Salentino Reserva,

00:52:26for £8.50.

00:52:27Reserva's a key word here.

00:52:28That means they keep the wine back.

00:52:30So it mellows and matures for, like, two years,

00:52:32with six months and oak.

00:52:34Reserve it.

00:52:34Exactly.

00:52:35So it's kind of wine's answer to mellow mocha.

00:52:38You know, it's got that wonderful richness to it.

00:52:39And it does, you know, in the flavour,

00:52:41it tastes really much pricier, I think, than £8.50.

00:52:45You know, sort of think of it like plums,

00:52:47but all wearing velvet romper suits.

00:52:49It's just, like, really soft and...

00:52:50What an image.

00:52:51I'm imagining you in a velvet romper suit.

00:52:53And how are you feeling about that?

00:52:54I'm OK with it.

00:52:56Strangely OK.

00:52:57What am I doing?

00:52:57Am I just relaxing?

00:52:58Keep going.

00:52:59Yeah, anyway.

00:52:59It's so delicious.

00:53:00How is it so cheap?

00:53:01Well, I think it's because Salice Salentino...

00:53:03People don't know really what it is.

00:53:04It's an area of Puglia on the heel, landlocked.

00:53:07It's an off-the-beaten-track grape, Negro Amaro,

00:53:10and it's made by a co-op.

00:53:11So, for those three reasons, the price is very keen.

00:53:13And it also has such character.

00:53:15So it's definitely one to try.

00:53:16And I would say, if you're looking for a gift for Mother's Day,

00:53:18£8.50 well spent.

00:53:19Oh, yeah, good reference.

00:53:21Just saying.

00:53:21Well done.

00:53:21Remember Mother's Day.

00:53:22And for Alex also, I've got the Trip Mindful Blend Blood Orange,

00:53:27which is from £1.50 and widely available.

00:53:29And it's got all sorts of things in it, like Lion's Mane and Ashwagandha and Magnesium,

00:53:33but it basically tastes rather nice.

00:53:35And I think Blood Oranges and Southern Italy,

00:53:37kind of those bedfellows put together.

00:53:39Actually, yes, it does.

00:53:41Both of your pairings have been really spot on.

00:53:43Oh, thank you so much.

00:53:44I'm delighted.

00:53:44How's the food?

00:53:47I mean, I'm not really talking, because I'm just eating.

00:53:51Isn't it something, though?

00:53:52Really good.

00:53:53I just make pasta.

00:53:55And you've got that little bit of spice, creaminess.

00:53:56It's just gorgeous.

00:53:58Well done.

00:53:58Delicious.

00:53:59I mean, got a bib gourmand, right?

00:54:00Yes, we did.

00:54:02Absolutely thrilled to get that, yeah.

00:54:03Pretty good.

00:54:04Soon after opening.

00:54:04Well done, you.

00:54:05Anyone else got anything to add?

00:54:07That wine.

00:54:08I'm dried it, yeah.

00:54:09All right, fair enough.

00:54:10In rehearsal.

00:54:11Yeah, you kind of.

00:54:13Full bodied, yeah, Tom was just...

00:54:15You find, between you and Howes,

00:54:16you find these wines that I always write down, desperate,

00:54:19and then you go to the shop and it's sold out.

00:54:21Yeah, I think this should be one of those.

00:54:23It's one of those ones, I would say,

00:54:24if you see it, because you probably aren't familiar with it,

00:54:26it's one to definitely try.

00:54:27And if you're a fan of, like, rich, oaky reds,

00:54:29like, you know, things like, even Chianti and Rioja,

00:54:31you're going to absolutely love this,

00:54:33but it's turned up to the max.

00:54:34There you go.

00:54:35Paralyzed.

00:54:35You heard it here.

00:54:37Right, let's head to France now with Marcus Waring,

00:54:39and he's uncovering what goes into the classic mix of Herde-Provence.

00:54:49There's one ingredient we have in our cupboards and gardens

00:54:53all over the world

00:54:54that can totally transform a Hondrom dish into a flavourful feast.

00:55:00I'm talking about herbs.

00:55:03Where would tomatoes be without basil, curry without coriander,

00:55:07and lamb without mint?

00:55:09Here in Provence, they've created their own blend of herbs

00:55:12and they've put it in pretty much everything.

00:55:15Herbes de Provence.

00:55:16But with no equivalent in Britain,

00:55:19I want to create my own simple mix

00:55:21that will not only rival the French classic,

00:55:24but turn any dull dish into a truly tasty meal.

00:55:27And there's one man who can help me.

00:55:30Bonjour, Marcus.

00:55:31Marcus.

00:55:32Stéphane.

00:55:33Stéphane.

00:55:33Oui, enchanté.

00:55:34Enchanté, merci.

00:55:36Stéphane has run this herb and spice shop for 20 years

00:55:39and has his own recipe for the famous local mix.

00:55:44Herbes de Provence is, for me as a chef,

00:55:47it's been something that I remember from a young chef

00:55:50that the chef de cuisine would say,

00:55:52go get the Herbes de Provence, go get the Herbes de Provence.

00:55:54It was always a herb that was used in so much cookery.

00:55:58What is in it?

00:55:59Some people can change a little bit

00:56:01because there is no official appellation.

00:56:04OK.

00:56:05For our, we have savory, sarriette,

00:56:08we have thyme, thym, oregano, and rosemary.

00:56:13It's everywhere in France.

00:56:15Herbes de Provence is the joker.

00:56:17You don't know what to use,

00:56:19put a little bit of Herbes de Provence

00:56:21and, OK, it will be good.

00:56:23Lavender is a herb that I have heard.

00:56:27You're laughing at me.

00:56:29You're laughing at me.

00:56:30Yes, yes.

00:56:31Some people put in Herbes de Provence.

00:56:34I don't use...

00:56:36Really?

00:56:37Really?

00:56:37I don't said it's not good,

00:56:39but I don't like it with cooking.

00:56:42OK.

00:56:43And the only person who said,

00:56:46where is lavender in your Herbes de Provence are American.

00:56:49Lavender is, for me, one of my favorites.

00:56:52I use it in jam, I use it with fish, I use it in salad.

00:56:55It's quite unusual.

00:56:56And what I like about it is

00:56:58that when you put it into food delicately, carefully,

00:57:01there's always, ooh, what's that?

00:57:03You can use the lavender to a topping.

00:57:06Yeah.

00:57:07Effectively.

00:57:08OK.

00:57:08In salad for fish.

00:57:10Yes.

00:57:10But for me, Herbes de Provence is really general herbs

00:57:15and lavender, it's not a general herbs.

00:57:19I'm a huge fan of dried herbs.

00:57:21I think they have stronger flavor

00:57:23and are much more cost-effective than buying fresh.

00:57:26You're also far less likely to waste them.

00:57:29I wonder if Stefan feels the same way.

00:57:31The only herbs I prefer really fresh, it's basil.

00:57:37Basil, yes.

00:57:37Yes.

00:57:38It's the only one.

00:57:39We have dry and it's really different.

00:57:43But in winter, you don't have the choice.

00:57:45I think I agree with you.

00:57:46This has been superb.

00:57:47Thank you so much.

00:57:48Before I go, I just have to check out

00:57:51Stefan's collection of spices as well.

00:57:53I feel like I'm in a sweet shop, a chef's sweet shop.

00:57:57This one brings back some memories.

00:57:59This is the one spice that I used very happily

00:58:02on my egg custard tart that I cooked for the Queen

00:58:04on her 80th birthday.

00:58:05I was also told that this was one of the most expensive spices

00:58:09that you could buy back in the olden days.

00:58:12This little nugget of deliciousness.

00:58:16Back to herbs.

00:58:17And I want to come up with my own mix

00:58:19to rival the local favourite.

00:58:22Blending dried herbs is one of the quickest

00:58:24and simplest ways to add a super boost of flavour

00:58:27to your food.

00:58:28And mine is sure to bring a taste of Provence

00:58:31to your cooking,

00:58:32even if it does stray a little from the classic.

00:58:35I've chosen some special ones.

00:58:37Special ones because I think they're packed a punch,

00:58:38they pack flavour,

00:58:39and they're also very familiar.

00:58:41Thyme.

00:58:42Never got enough thyme.

00:58:43Rosemary.

00:58:44There we go.

00:58:45But I've also got a few little pink peppercorns here.

00:58:48A, they just bring a little bit of a fiery touch to this mix,

00:58:52and I just think they just look good too.

00:58:55Just put them on your board.

00:58:57Take a knife.

00:58:58You don't need to chop them or smash them.

00:59:01And just break them.

00:59:03They're quite soft.

00:59:05You just put them in

00:59:07and just mix them up.

00:59:09It looks interesting,

00:59:10it's colourful,

00:59:11and it does now smell good too.

00:59:13OK, so...

00:59:16..we've got here,

00:59:17we've got fennel seeds,

00:59:19oregano.

00:59:19There's something for me

00:59:21really, really nostalgic about dried herbs.

00:59:24And I always used to remember my mum,

00:59:26my lovely mum,

00:59:27when she used to open a packet of sage and onion stuffing

00:59:30for our chicken dinner.

00:59:31The memory of the sage flavour

00:59:33was magical for me.

00:59:35And still today,

00:59:37I use the same stuffing

00:59:38for my roast dinners with my children and my family.

00:59:41And it is nostalgia,

00:59:43it is lovely.

00:59:44Pepper.

00:59:45Lots of it.

00:59:48You know what,

00:59:49the way this is looking right now

00:59:50and the way it's smelling.

00:59:53This could give Herbe de Provence

00:59:54a little bit of a run for its money.

00:59:57Look at that.

00:59:59I can actually smell the heat coming off those pink peppercorns.

01:00:02Fantastic.

01:00:03This, for me,

01:00:04lavender,

01:00:05is the one ingredient

01:00:06that I think's going to mix it up here in Provence.

01:00:09And I think it'll bring something very, very special to this herb mix.

01:00:11I'm always getting teased about how much I love lavender.

01:00:14I've always loved it.

01:00:15The day I got married,

01:00:16my wife had

01:00:17the sort of little lavender plant flower

01:00:19on her wedding dress

01:00:20and also had some of it in her bouquet.

01:00:23There's love for you.

01:00:24There we go.

01:00:25Look at that.

01:00:26There's a herb mix with a point of difference.

01:00:29I really cannot wait

01:00:31to get cooking with this.

01:00:33A little bit of sautéed chicken,

01:00:35sprinkle it over a roast,

01:00:36maybe even just a piece of fish,

01:00:37put it in a marinade.

01:00:39This will just keep giving you so much pleasure.

01:00:42Flavour after flavour,

01:00:43time and time again.

01:00:44There we have it.

01:00:45A little flavour of Provence

01:00:47with a twist.

01:00:54Host for the most,

01:00:55Marcus Waring there.

01:00:55Right, the website vote is now closed

01:00:57and we're going to soon find out

01:00:58whether it's food heaven or food hell for Alex.

01:01:00Tom,

01:01:01let's make this

01:01:03telly gold.

01:01:04Larb telly gold.

01:01:05Yeah?

01:01:05Telly gold, let's do it.

01:01:06What are we doing?

01:01:07This is larb guy.

01:01:07It's a laus.

01:01:08It's a natural dish of a laus.

01:01:09I call it laus, but laus.

01:01:11Beautiful landlocked country in Southeast Asia.

01:01:14It shares obviously huge similarities

01:01:15with Thai food.

01:01:16As I'm talking, I'm going to do it.

01:01:17Chicken stock,

01:01:19minced chicken.

01:01:19They have special knives to do it

01:01:21to chop the chicken very, very finely.

01:01:22I use chicken breast.

01:01:23It's a rare time I use chicken breast, actually.

01:01:26But it does, you know,

01:01:27it gives you the right to...

01:01:27So you like to

01:01:30mince the chicken yourself

01:01:31or chop it up?

01:01:31You chop it.

01:01:32You just slice it into small bits

01:01:33and you can see it's very soothing.

01:01:35I have a cleaver and a larb knife.

01:01:37How long do you just spend over it?

01:01:39Ten minutes.

01:01:40Oh, OK.

01:01:40But you can ask your butcher

01:01:41and he'll be delighted to do it.

01:01:43No, he won't.

01:01:43Or not.

01:01:43No, he won't.

01:01:47Shuck it in the mincer.

01:01:48But like all these dishes,

01:01:49it's about the...

01:01:50Oh, I'm walking over there.

01:01:52It's about the mixture...

01:01:53Do you need a really sharp knife?

01:01:54No, you won't.

01:01:55It's a mixture of the salty,

01:01:57the hot from the chilli

01:01:58and the acidic from the lime juice.

01:02:00So it's...

01:02:01Here we go.

01:02:01So it's really, you know,

01:02:02it's herby

01:02:03and it's got texture

01:02:04from the roasted rice batter.

01:02:05Now, this is here.

01:02:06It's the food that's kind of

01:02:07influenced you the most, isn't it?

01:02:09I love Thai food,

01:02:11Laotian food.

01:02:11I don't profess to cook it like,

01:02:13you know,

01:02:13as a proper Thai chef would do,

01:02:15but David Thompson's one of my heroes.

01:02:17One of the great, you know,

01:02:18sort of speaks Thai,

01:02:20married to a Thai man.

01:02:20Well, not to go on about it,

01:02:22but the fella I was talking about earlier,

01:02:24Yeah, yeah.

01:02:24He used to work for David Thompson.

01:02:25Well, David is...

01:02:26As did so many...

01:02:27In Australia, he's, you know,

01:02:28and across the world,

01:02:30his book,

01:02:30Thai food is possibly

01:02:32one of the great works on Thai food

01:02:33in the English language,

01:02:34seeing I don't speak Thai.

01:02:36Do you still go out there much?

01:02:38Yeah, once a year, always.

01:02:39Oh, really?

01:02:39And go and see David

01:02:41and travel around the north

01:02:42and the south and,

01:02:43you know,

01:02:44and you need someone

01:02:45who speaks Thai

01:02:45and understands it,

01:02:46but for me,

01:02:47Thai food is the most

01:02:49scintillating thing.

01:02:50Anyone else?

01:02:51Thailand?

01:02:52Yeah.

01:02:53Yeah?

01:02:53Yeah, big fan.

01:02:54Yeah, especially...

01:02:55I've never been on my bucket list.

01:02:56You on your bucket list?

01:02:57You?

01:02:57No, lived in Indonesia for a while,

01:02:58loved that food,

01:02:59and Thai food at the door,

01:03:00I lived in Indonesia for a while,

01:03:01I taught English.

01:03:02I'm sure you make this up.

01:03:03I don't make these things up.

01:03:04Have we?

01:03:05Yeah.

01:03:05I lived in Jambi in Sumatra,

01:03:07I worked at the university.

01:03:08What is Sumatra?

01:03:08He's like one of those people,

01:03:10like, how does he fit in?

01:03:10Are you a spy?

01:03:12No, I'm not a spy.

01:03:13Did you work in a university?

01:03:14I did work in a university.

01:03:15And I'm not a spy.

01:03:16I bet you are.

01:03:17I'm blushing out.

01:03:17Somebody check him out.

01:03:19What about you, Jess?

01:03:19I have never been to Thailand.

01:03:21I'd love to go,

01:03:21but I love Thai food.

01:03:22I had a takeaway last night,

01:03:23actually, from Thai 101 in Hammersmith.

01:03:27That's so good, isn't it?

01:03:28Isn't it?

01:03:29Is that where we went?

01:03:30No, we went to Fitu,

01:03:31which is another company.

01:03:32Okay, really hot.

01:03:33Honestly, it's so good.

01:03:34101 is the best.

01:03:35And also, Fitu's great as well.

01:03:37But you have...

01:03:37Don't ever go to those places

01:03:38where they dull down,

01:03:40make it, like, sweet and over-sweet and boring.

01:03:42Get to know the chefs in the kitchen

01:03:43and say,

01:03:44Pet Mat Mat,

01:03:45which means very, very spicy.

01:03:46Pet Mat Mat?

01:03:46And not farang, not farang food,

01:03:48just, you know.

01:03:48Okay.

01:03:49And then you'll start tasting

01:03:50the true taste of regional Thai food.

01:03:53Right, will you pick the herbs?

01:03:54Yeah, I'm doing it.

01:03:55So, I'm roasting this sticky rice.

01:03:56What it does is it brings

01:03:57a really nice, nutty flavour

01:03:59and it brings texture to the dish as well.

01:04:02So, you have this roasted, sticky rice,

01:04:04glutinous rice,

01:04:04chilies as well.

01:04:05When you're doing this,

01:04:06open the windows

01:04:07because it's like tear gas.

01:04:09Just want...

01:04:10If anyone's familiar.

01:04:14You know, we've all done.

01:04:15Got a tear gas.

01:04:18So, yeah,

01:04:18you're just roasting them,

01:04:19not burning them,

01:04:20getting a bit of colour.

01:04:22Actually, it's smelly rather nice.

01:04:24I do love watching you cook, Tom,

01:04:25because obviously everyone knows

01:04:26a great food critic,

01:04:27but also you are a brilliant chef

01:04:29and all the...

01:04:29Well, cook, cook, defo cook.

01:04:31Sorry, cook.

01:04:32But the dishes you actually prepare,

01:04:34the thing I love about them

01:04:35is that they are always

01:04:35full on flavour and balanced.

01:04:37Well, you're very kind to say that.

01:04:39What do you think, Matt?

01:04:40Hear, hear.

01:04:42Pet, nut, nut.

01:04:42Pet, mac, mac.

01:04:43Pet, mac, mac.

01:04:44Mac, mac.

01:04:45OK.

01:04:47Let's talk about you as a critic.

01:04:49Have you been anywhere nice?

01:04:50Do you know I went?

01:04:51I went down to Sevenoaks in Kent

01:04:53in a place called

01:04:54Schwen Schwen by Maria Bradley.

01:04:56I think the review's out this week.

01:04:57OK.

01:04:58I don't know anything about

01:04:59the food of Sierra Leone,

01:05:00but my gosh, it was amazing.

01:05:02Oh, really?

01:05:02It was thrilling and, you know,

01:05:04when you don't know about something

01:05:05and you're learning about a new cuisine,

01:05:07it's just brilliant.

01:05:08And that food was out of this world.

01:05:10I mean, how often now do you go to a restaurant

01:05:12and you get really excited?

01:05:14Because I find, you know,

01:05:16I do go to quite a lot of restaurants,

01:05:18very fortunate like that.

01:05:19Yeah.

01:05:19And, you know, they're good,

01:05:21they're samey, some of them.

01:05:22And then occasionally you hit one

01:05:23and you go, wow, this is stunning.

01:05:25This is like stepping back in time,

01:05:28in excitement.

01:05:29It is, it's, yeah, you know,

01:05:31there's a lot of,

01:05:31it's a tough time for restaurants.

01:05:33Yeah.

01:05:34As you guys all know,

01:05:35it really is, you know,

01:05:36if the government just cut vats,

01:05:38this is getting on to the,

01:05:38cut vats by, you know, 10%,

01:05:40that surely would help.

01:05:41I mean, the government,

01:05:43governments haven't helped restaurants

01:05:44over the last 10, 20 years at all.

01:05:46No.

01:05:47And, you know,

01:05:48the amount of people it employs,

01:05:49I mean, you know,

01:05:50yes, we have touched on about it,

01:05:51but we have the highest vat rate in Europe,

01:05:54don't we?

01:05:54Yeah, it's ridiculous.

01:05:55It's just ridiculous.

01:05:56There's no support.

01:05:56I saw a thing out the other day

01:05:57and everyone else gets a bit of a help out.

01:06:00Yeah.

01:06:01Not here.

01:06:02Not here.

01:06:02Anyway.

01:06:03So, basically,

01:06:04that's what we've done.

01:06:05We've roasted it,

01:06:06put it into,

01:06:06you're a traditionalist,

01:06:07you've done it pestle and mortar.

01:06:08I'd use a spice driver.

01:06:11Let's do the chilies.

01:06:12So, the whole thing is this bun.

01:06:13OK, so the chilies,

01:06:14right, let's have a look at this.

01:06:15So, so this,

01:06:16is this done?

01:06:17That's done,

01:06:17that's done.

01:06:18Do you want me to take it off?

01:06:19Take it off the heat.

01:06:19OK, I'll take that off.

01:06:21These chilies,

01:06:22you know,

01:06:22if you can get hold of those tiny ones

01:06:24called mouse-dropping chilies.

01:06:25Mouse-dropping chilies?

01:06:26Well, that's his polite name.

01:06:29And they have this wonderful fragrance

01:06:31and freshness,

01:06:33piece of it.

01:06:35OK, so you have a crack at this.

01:06:36And do you like chilli?

01:06:37Me?

01:06:38Yeah.

01:06:38You know I like chilli.

01:06:39Well, yeah, you say that.

01:06:40You just make a conversation.

01:06:41You say that.

01:06:42Have we dried up, Tom?

01:06:44No, no.

01:06:44Are we there in this relationship?

01:06:45We're not, we're not.

01:06:46Tom, you were saying you've done this

01:06:48with buffalo meat?

01:06:50Well, no,

01:06:50you'd have it with buffalo in Laos.

01:06:53You'd have it with buffalo meat,

01:06:54buffalo skin,

01:06:54raw buffalo.

01:06:55Yeah.

01:06:56And it's, you know,

01:06:56it's often a raw salad.

01:06:59But it is just,

01:07:00I mean, buffalo's fairly hard to come by

01:07:02around these parts.

01:07:03So, well, not really.

01:07:04I went to a buffalo farm in the UK.

01:07:05Did you?

01:07:05Oh, that's really checked.

01:07:06Was it not that one?

01:07:07No, no, it was Laverstone.

01:07:07Yeah, Laverstone.

01:07:08Laverstone.

01:07:09Yeah.

01:07:09And they use the dairy to make the ice cream.

01:07:12Yes.

01:07:12And the mozzarella and all of that.

01:07:14And the mozzarella.

01:07:14I'm sure there's one.

01:07:16There's another one as well.

01:07:18Yeah.

01:07:19Because they're big.

01:07:20Yeah.

01:07:20They're terrifying beasts.

01:07:21Yeah.

01:07:22But the ice cream.

01:07:22I wonder if the ride was.

01:07:23The ice cream's in.

01:07:23Well, yeah.

01:07:24Maybe it's your spirit animal.

01:07:26A buffalo.

01:07:27Yeah.

01:07:28Maybe.

01:07:29Is that or a peacock?

01:07:30Can't decide.

01:07:31Or a buffalo with peacock's feathers.

01:07:33I saw a koala in the wild.

01:07:35I know.

01:07:36Did you?

01:07:36Yeah.

01:07:36Where was I?

01:07:43We're getting there.

01:07:44OK.

01:07:44So, in Thailand, you would have pork lard, but it would be pounded raw, wouldn't it?

01:07:51It would be pork, it would be raw, yes.

01:07:53Ooh.

01:07:53So that is on region, you know, you're going to find that.

01:07:56It's a great name.

01:07:58Yes, but it's just this salad.

01:07:59And the whole key is all these herbs and vitamins.

01:08:01Let me grab this.

01:08:03Anything you want?

01:08:05Have you got any sugar in there?

01:08:06Oh, yeah, you've done that.

01:08:07So you want that balanced sweetness.

01:08:09Yeah.

01:08:09You want a bit of acidity from the lime.

01:08:10You want the chilli heat.

01:08:11And all of it in some form of balance.

01:08:13Not just in the dish, but on the table.

01:08:16All the different dishes.

01:08:17OK.

01:08:17You know, so you're going to have bland things, you're going to have hot things.

01:08:19How far away are you?

01:08:20Shall I start?

01:08:20Yeah.

01:08:20Dishing up.

01:08:21Yeah, yeah.

01:08:22Right, we've got some rice.

01:08:26That was quite, you know, I thought no stores, but I don't know if I live.

01:08:29Where are you looking?

01:08:30You all right?

01:08:31It's moaning there.

01:08:31OK, why are you moaning?

01:08:32Don't moan.

01:08:33It's all good.

01:08:34Saturday morning.

01:08:35It's very chilled.

01:08:36If you want to make Tom's take on lab at home, you can find the recipe at bbc.co.dk

01:08:42forward slash

01:08:42Saturday kitchen.

01:08:43Or scan the QR code below and it'll take you straight to his dish.

01:08:46So you put the chilli powder in here.

01:08:51I'm turning down the chilli slightly, but not massive.

01:08:54Fish sauce in there?

01:08:54Lots of fish sauce, yeah.

01:08:58So, how do you eat this?

01:09:00This is like, we saw it with a little...

01:09:01Either with a sticky rice with your hands or with the lettuce.

01:09:04OK.

01:09:05Let me just try this for one more.

01:09:06What are you after?

01:09:07I'm ready to go just to try it.

01:09:12There you go.

01:09:14Mm, great.

01:09:15All right.

01:09:17Happy?

01:09:17Happy.

01:09:18Happy, happy, happy.

01:09:19It's quite wet.

01:09:20It is wet.

01:09:20It's meant to be wet.

01:09:21OK.

01:09:22I mean, you could make it a little bit dry if you want, but, you know.

01:09:24OK.

01:09:25Any other...

01:09:25Yes, chef.

01:09:26Any other...

01:09:26Yes, chef.

01:09:28We, chef.

01:09:29Yes, Michael.

01:09:31There we go.

01:09:32And what you're doing with this sticky rice powder, you get this nutty, wonderful texture

01:09:35as well from it.

01:09:36So...

01:09:37All right.

01:09:37Happy?

01:09:38Happy, happy.

01:09:38We there?

01:09:39Ace.

01:09:40What's it called?

01:09:41That is my take on Laotian chicken log.

01:09:44Very good.

01:09:45Well done.

01:09:45Very good.

01:09:50OK.

01:09:51There you go.

01:09:52Tuck in, Alex.

01:09:53Wow.

01:09:54Let's dive in.

01:09:55But this is for all of us.

01:09:56Yes.

01:09:57Yes.

01:09:57Go ahead there, Tom.

01:09:59Oh, he's having a taste.

01:10:00Yeah, he's going to show me how to do it.

01:10:01Just tuck it in.

01:10:02Tom, you should have a drink under the counter somewhere there.

01:10:04Yeah, you do me.

01:10:05Fantastic.

01:10:06There we go.

01:10:06Got it.

01:10:06Nice.

01:10:07Right, what have we got?

01:10:08Well, with Larb, because of the spice, the fragrance, the bold flavours, you want something

01:10:11that's as refreshing as skiing in a swimsuit, you basically need to feel that absolute briskness.

01:10:16It's got to be quenching.

01:10:18And you don't want something that's going to take over too many flavours either.

01:10:20This is a historic lager beer from Germany, and I'm so pleased to see it widely available.

01:10:25I've been, aside from Harvey's Best, which is my favourite beer all the time, this is probably

01:10:28up there with my favourite lagers.

01:10:30This is Agostina Lager Beer Hell, it's £3.30 in Sainsbury's, hell just means bright.

01:10:34So if you think about all the kind of hops that make it fresh, super pure, just barley,

01:10:38yeast, water and hops, and it has this magic richness to it, enthralling.

01:10:44It's easy drinking.

01:10:45Exactly, it's that first sort of beer by the pool, it's that feeling, but it has good complexity

01:10:49as well.

01:10:50They've been going since 13, is it 1328, something like that.

01:10:53And you were saying, you know it, it's a monastery in Bavaria, it's the oldest brewery there,

01:10:57still privately owned, doing a magnificent job.

01:10:58How do you know that, Alex?

01:10:59Sorry?

01:11:00It was round the corner from where my ex-husband grew up.

01:11:04That's a good story, tell us more.

01:11:05Well, I will leap in and talk about the non-alcoholic pairing, which is a scot-free lager from

01:11:12Stuart Burring, it's £2, widely available.

01:11:15I absolutely love this because it's very hard to make a good lager that's alcohol-free.

01:11:20They're using really interesting hops, Magnum, Sars, Tetanangela, floral, spicy...

01:11:25Keep going on.

01:11:25And Herbie, I'm keeping going.

01:11:26Yeah, for me, the guys up at Stuart Burring, Joe and Dave, they've just done a cracking

01:11:30job in Edinburgh, and it has all the weight, the texture, they're using basically a lazy

01:11:34yeast, and, you know, to not ferment out too much, yeah.

01:11:37And the warts, they're doing it so that that's their sort of base liquid, they're making

01:11:41it so that, again, it doesn't have too much an effect on the alcohol.

01:11:43It's hopsy.

01:11:44Exactly.

01:11:44Oh, thank you.

01:11:45Hopsy, full of flavour.

01:11:47Yeah.

01:11:47I think an absolute icon of Edinburgh.

01:11:49I'm a big fan of those guys, yeah.

01:11:50Very nice.

01:11:51Typical.

01:11:52This is a good beer.

01:11:53It's nice.

01:11:53Yeah.

01:11:54Really good.

01:11:55Agostina.

01:11:56Tom, this is...

01:11:56Tom, yeah, what a dish.

01:11:57It's absolutely nice.

01:11:57Yeah, it's just...

01:11:58So good.

01:11:59Blown away at the earth, love it.

01:12:01I love that you're so involved with your food.

01:12:04You really love it.

01:12:05Yeah, it's so nice.

01:12:07Yeah, I really do.

01:12:08I mean, food.

01:12:09Yeah, right.

01:12:10Yes, it is.

01:12:10Food, friendship, a good glass, I couldn't agree more.

01:12:12Yeah.

01:12:13What alcohol is it?

01:12:14Cheers.

01:12:14That's a good question.

01:12:15On that note, we're going to tune by now whether you voted for Alex's food heaven or food hell,

01:12:19but first, the hairy bikers are rustling up a decadent treat to round off their trip around the north.

01:12:23That's so nice.

01:12:24Cheers.

01:12:30Our final cook of the trip, Si, so let's make it special.

01:12:34Yeah, and let's use the formal dining room.

01:12:38And we've certainly got the ingredients for a lordly banquet.

01:12:41We've got the best steak, we've got the best lobster, and some blooming good beer.

01:12:45Exactly.

01:12:46What more could we want, really?

01:12:47Wait, nothing.

01:12:48I'd like the fire.

01:12:49Come on, you.

01:12:50This is going to be epic.

01:12:53Let's do it.

01:12:54The best surf and turf.

01:12:57Fabulous fresh lobster and a magnificent Cote de Boeuf.

01:13:03Served with beer-battered onion rings and a beer-burner sauce.

01:13:07What I need to do is I need to season this beautiful steak and then seal it off.

01:13:12And look, you know, when you get quality of meat particularly this good, that's all you need.

01:13:17It just needs salt and pepper.

01:13:18That's it.

01:13:19So, dude, what I'm going to do is I'm going to take this beautiful fat here and I'm going to

01:13:23render that out in the pan.

01:13:24And then we'll seal either side of it and the ends and then we'll finish it off in the oven.

01:13:29So let's get some lovely colour on it.

01:13:32I'm going to get on with the Bernays while you're doing that, Kingy.

01:13:35Aye, good idea.

01:13:36What beer are you using?

01:13:37Are we using a pale ale?

01:13:38Is it a...

01:13:38Yes, I think it's important for the beer Bernays that it's not a beer-y beer.

01:13:43They're a good brewery, Alnesty.

01:13:45Right, half a shallot, chopped finely.

01:13:48A sprig of tarragon.

01:13:50Half a teaspoon for peppercorns.

01:13:52A tablespoon of white wine vinegar.

01:13:57And about 50ml of beer, not too hoppy.

01:14:00It's half a wine glass full, so let's just...

01:14:04I mean, apart from the beer, it's a pretty classic kind of reduction.

01:14:09That is looking fabulous, isn't it?

01:14:12Right, what I'll do, I'll put that in the oven and we're going to start the 25-minute countdown.

01:14:17I want to get some garlic butter on for the lobsters and also for the dippies for your claws.

01:14:21I've got about 100 grams of butter and I'm going to grate about six cloves of garlic into there.

01:14:26A little pinch of salt.

01:14:28Because that's going to season the lobster tails as well.

01:14:30Some parsley and I'm just going to warm it through.

01:14:32Nice, nice.

01:14:33Now, lobsters.

01:14:35I'm going to take my poultry shears and cut down the shell like so.

01:14:42And then cut down through the tail.

01:14:45And that gives me a cavity to fill with the garlic butter.

01:14:50Beautiful.

01:14:51Now, the garlic butter.

01:14:54I'm going to spoon this on, Kingy, because I want, like, loads.

01:14:56And this leaves plenty for us to dip the claw meat in two.

01:14:59Oh, that looks great.

01:15:01Yeah, yeah.

01:15:02The beef is done.

01:15:03Right, so that's the coat de beurfs resting.

01:15:06Yeah.

01:15:06The lobster tails are ready to go in.

01:15:09Now, it's time to make our beurnaise sauce.

01:15:13This is the reduction.

01:15:15And I'm just going to strain that and whisk the eggs and heat it up, emulsify it, and start adding

01:15:20cubes of cold butter.

01:15:22While you're doing that then, dude.

01:15:23Yes, mate.

01:15:24I'll blanch off these claws so they're perfect to eat.

01:15:28Eggs, go on.

01:15:29Could you hold that for me, dear boy?

01:15:32And the reduction.

01:15:34My God, that's reduced as we're looking at it.

01:15:39All right, first butter.

01:15:42I'm doing one cube at a time.

01:15:44When one blob's gone, you put another one in.

01:15:47And you just keep whisking.

01:15:53Oh, look at that, mate.

01:15:54I've got a proper mayonnaise-y texture.

01:15:56Lovely.

01:15:57Which is what you want.

01:15:59And I will just finish with some fresh herbs at the end.

01:16:02Some fresh tarragon.

01:16:04Whoa.

01:16:09I'm so pleased with the texture.

01:16:12I think that's one of the best mayonnaise sauces I've ever tasted.

01:16:15Spot on, dude.

01:16:17Right, I'll bowl it up.

01:16:22The lobster tails are cooked.

01:16:24Time to plate up.

01:16:26Oh, look at that.

01:16:27Look at that.

01:16:28It's relaxed to a point of apathy.

01:16:30Give us a bit, go on.

01:16:32Want that bit?

01:16:32Yeah.

01:16:34Want that bit?

01:16:34Oh.

01:16:38Makes you go weaker than these, that.

01:16:39That's a good, isn't it?

01:16:40Oh, yeah.

01:16:41This is lovely and rested.

01:16:43That's cooked perfectly for me.

01:16:45These lobster tails.

01:16:48Right, I'm going to put these claws.

01:16:50Where should we put those?

01:16:51There?

01:16:51Oh, I think so.

01:16:52Just provocative.

01:16:54Mate, this is incredible.

01:16:55We've got that beer bernese, garlic butter, the claws to dip in there.

01:17:01We're serving it with some beer-battered onion rings.

01:17:05Amazing.

01:17:06The ultimate surf and turf.

01:17:09Showcasing the best produce the North East has to offer.

01:17:13A fitting last supper for our incredible northern adventure.

01:17:17Come on, dude.

01:17:19Let's dig in.

01:17:19I'm going to...

01:17:21Lobster tail.

01:17:24Yes.

01:17:24Some of this amazing beef.

01:17:26Beer bernese sauce.

01:17:28It's all what you did there.

01:17:29Yeah.

01:17:31Mmm.

01:17:32Oh, this beef's pretty spectacular, isn't it?

01:17:37The beer works great, doesn't it, Si?

01:17:39That is so good.

01:17:41Well, this is a memorable meal that I don't want to finish, Kingy.

01:17:45That's true.

01:17:47Well, yeah.

01:17:48Let's get in.

01:17:49Let's just take my tank.

01:18:01Thanks, that, boys.

01:18:02Right, time to find out whether there's food,

01:18:03having a food for hell for Alex.

01:18:05So, food heaven was Japanese foods, miso, cod, all here.

01:18:10Hell was Swede, root veg, and steak.

01:18:14Thank you to everyone who voted.

01:18:16Oh, it's quite close.

01:18:1755% of people went for...

01:18:20Heaven!

01:18:21Woo!

01:18:21Yeah!

01:18:23It was close.

01:18:25Do you want to put that in the fridge?

01:18:27Of course.

01:18:28Thank you very much.

01:18:29Right, let's go on with this.

01:18:29What are we doing?

01:18:30OK, so, I've got some...

01:18:34Right, I'm going to do this cod.

01:18:36So, the cod...

01:18:37Actually, Paul, if I give you this...

01:18:38Yep.

01:18:38Can you chop that up?

01:18:40Of course I can.

01:18:40Nice and small.

01:18:41Yep.

01:18:41We've got a little dressing here.

01:18:43That's the salad.

01:18:43Right, miso cod.

01:18:44So, I've got some white miso here.

01:18:47I've got some sugar, and I've got some sake and mirin.

01:18:51Give those a good mix together.

01:18:53Then you want to leave it, ideally, for about sort of two to three days.

01:18:58There's quite, obviously, quite a lot of sugar in this.

01:19:03And that's what creates that kind of classic sort of black caramelised look.

01:19:09So, and this was, well, this has come from nobu, right?

01:19:14That cod was a great nobu dish.

01:19:16It was a huge nobu dish.

01:19:17Yeah.

01:19:17It was the one that you kind of, yeah, it became very famous.

01:19:20Yeah.

01:19:20It comes.

01:19:21But, anyway, so, it's very delicious.

01:19:23So, leave that, and it'll firm the cod up.

01:19:25So, then, when you cook it, we're going to grill this.

01:19:28It'll go sort of nice and flaky.

01:19:30You can just sort of push it apart.

01:19:31So, in there, like so.

01:19:35And then, okay, and then imagine that three days later.

01:19:41Three days.

01:19:42Wow.

01:19:42And then we'll put that under grill.

01:19:46Paul, you're cracking on with a salad.

01:19:48Yep.

01:19:49Thank you for that.

01:19:50Right, that goes under there.

01:19:51So, Alex, let's talk about this love of Japanese food.

01:19:54So, it comes from L.A.

01:19:55You spent 20-odd years there.

01:19:56Yes, absolutely, when I was working on E.R.

01:20:00Although, I wasn't on E.R. for 20 years, but I just had settled

01:20:04and then started commuting, actually, back to England to work.

01:20:08That is a commute, I know.

01:20:09Is it hard to leave L.A.?

01:20:11I mean, it sounds glamorous.

01:20:12To be perfectly honest, given everything that's sort of happened

01:20:17in America since 2017, let's say, I'm quite happy to be back.

01:20:25Yeah.

01:20:26Yeah.

01:20:27Sure.

01:20:27And what's the day-to-day like?

01:20:29The day-to-day?

01:20:30What's the day-to-day like living in there?

01:20:32I mean, it's all sunshine and smoothies.

01:20:33It's always sunshine.

01:20:35The funny thing is, it's almost like Groundhog Day,

01:20:37because you wake up and it's always that same blue sky.

01:20:41Sounds horrendous.

01:20:42Well, actually, funnily enough, I think that time passes really quickly

01:20:48if you don't have any markers in the year.

01:20:51Mm, OK.

01:20:52And so, for me, 22 years literally felt like just two years.

01:20:57Yeah.

01:20:57Um, and so I actually much prefer being back in England

01:21:00where you have proper seasons,

01:21:01because I actually feel like that slows time down.

01:21:04Oh, really?

01:21:05Yeah.

01:21:05Well, there's a theory that that's why we're, you know,

01:21:07we produce such great musicians and writers and all the rest of it,

01:21:09because the weather gives us something to talk about.

01:21:11Yeah.

01:21:12So Shakespeare was kind of, you know, looking at all of the kind of

01:21:14chiaroscuro and all thinking...

01:21:15Well, I think I might have done that.

01:21:17Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

01:21:19Very profound.

01:21:20Right, that's...

01:21:21I think it's great.

01:21:22Well, I'm not sure, because it is very traumatic.

01:21:24Lots of times with dark nights.

01:21:25Dark nights, really sunny days, mellows, the way you make...

01:21:28It makes you feel very different throughout the seasons, right?

01:21:30Anyway.

01:21:31I always feel amazing at the sun shining.

01:21:32And you look amazing.

01:21:34Thanks.

01:21:35I wasn't fishing for the covenants, but no, when you wake up in the morning

01:21:38and the sun shining, it makes you just...

01:21:39But, you see, but the thing is, I think, the British,

01:21:41we're so sort of lacking in sunshine a lot of the time

01:21:44that when we do have it, we're so grateful for it.

01:21:47Because everyone's half naked in the pub.

01:21:48Everyone's half naked.

01:21:49Everybody's out on the streets, you know, outside the pubs or whatever.

01:21:52I mean, the Americans would never dream of going in the chilly weather

01:21:55just because there's a little bit of sunshine.

01:21:57But, so, I feel like, you know, we have...

01:21:59Small things please us.

01:22:01That's very true.

01:22:02And I think that's a good way to be.

01:22:04I think everything should be delightable in.

01:22:06Yes.

01:22:07Talking of which, I've got a drink to pour, which is delightable in.

01:22:10Oh, OK.

01:22:10There we go.

01:22:11Amazing segue.

01:22:12Great.

01:22:12That was a segue.

01:22:13It was incredible.

01:22:13Wasn't it?

01:22:14I mean, I was getting there.

01:22:15I completely forgot to go to the drink.

01:22:17You did?

01:22:17But no one had noticed, so I did my segue.

01:22:19But now we're just talking about the segue.

01:22:21It's fine.

01:22:22This is Luscombe's Fiery Ginger Beer.

01:22:25And I'm a big fan of, like, miso flavours, very umami.

01:22:27You want something fragrant and punchy.

01:22:29This ginger beer, I love it because it's Peruvian ginger,

01:22:32which has a lot of gingerol in it.

01:22:33It's a really pronounced flavour.

01:22:35Organic.

01:22:35Organic Sicilian lemons in it as well.

01:22:37Soft down spring water.

01:22:39You know, it's not as sweet as some of them.

01:22:41It's got this nice sense of zing to it.

01:22:43It is...

01:22:44You have to buy 12, £26.50, which is, you know, it's an investment.

01:22:48It is, however, one of the greats.

01:22:49They were the first drinks in the UK producers

01:22:52to get the soil accreditation for being organic.

01:22:54They've got the King's Royal Warrant.

01:22:56And I just love that they create something so pure and delicious.

01:23:00It's absolutely delicious.

01:23:01I think it's definitely worth it.

01:23:02I think so, yeah.

01:23:03It's the nicest ginger beer I've had.

01:23:04Oh, yeah, I'm so happy.

01:23:06But you want ginger beer that has a big ginger punch.

01:23:08Oh, yeah.

01:23:09You want the acidity in the back so it's not too shizley.

01:23:11This is lovely.

01:23:12And, you know, made here but, you know, bringing the world to us.

01:23:15Oh, it's really refreshing as well, isn't it?

01:23:18Oh, my gosh.

01:23:18It's not too sweet.

01:23:19Yeah, that's exactly the thing.

01:23:20It's really sweet.

01:23:21Yeah, they can be.

01:23:22And I think you don't need that,

01:23:23not when you've got ingredients that really sing.

01:23:25Talking of singing, you all right over there?

01:23:27It's set in fire to seaweed.

01:23:28Are you burning some seaweed?

01:23:29Yeah.

01:23:30Is that a ritual, like burning sage and purifying the studio?

01:23:33Oh, well done.

01:23:34It's like those fish.

01:23:34Yes, yeah, yeah.

01:23:37I mean, you've cut yourself.

01:23:38You're going to burn yourself.

01:23:39What's going on?

01:23:41Just another day.

01:23:43So, Alex, how do you feel about...

01:23:44I mean, ER, it was a while ago now,

01:23:46but now it's been introduced to a brand-new audience.

01:23:49It's back on Netflix.

01:23:49It's back.

01:23:49Yes, it has.

01:23:51It's come back.

01:23:51And, oh, I'm thrilled,

01:23:53because I actually think that it holds up.

01:23:55Yeah, it does.

01:23:55Because of the way that we filmed with handheld cameras,

01:23:59you know, it was one of the only shows

01:24:01that ever sort of, like, pushed out and experimented in that way.

01:24:05And so it still has a sort of an energy

01:24:10and an urgency because of the camera work

01:24:13that keeps it, I think, feeling very current.

01:24:16Yeah, and it's Netflix, isn't it?

01:24:18It's on Netflix now, yeah.

01:24:20And it kind of launched...

01:24:20The whole dump of everything, the whole...

01:24:21Yeah, but it launched you and George Clooney,

01:24:24and, you know, as Matt says,

01:24:25it'll introduce you to a whole, you know, new gamut of people.

01:24:27Yeah, my daughter started watching it.

01:24:29That was, you know, 18, never watched it before, obsessed.

01:24:32Oh, my God, have you heard this programme?

01:24:33Yeah.

01:24:33Yes, I have.

01:24:34Yeah, it's iconic.

01:24:35My daughter loves it.

01:24:36What?

01:24:37Yeah.

01:24:38Oh, really?

01:24:38Yeah, lots of people are discovering it, you know, for the first time.

01:24:41You know, it's like the Beatles, isn't it?

01:24:43I remember my children telling me all about the Beatles.

01:24:46And, again, talking about, you know, learning when you're doing something,

01:24:51like me learning now about quantum physics,

01:24:54I learned all about, you know, medicine.

01:24:59And so, alongside the acting, I felt like I was getting a real education.

01:25:03OK.

01:25:04I was very good with the scalpel by the end.

01:25:06Someone says, is there a doctor in the house, you can go forward.

01:25:11Sort of.

01:25:12No, that's when they hold me back.

01:25:15Can I tell you that?

01:25:17Lovely.

01:25:18Thank you very much, Paul.

01:25:19Pleasure.

01:25:20The other thing you, obviously, touched on Strictly.

01:25:23Oh, yes.

01:25:24Another skill.

01:25:24You got it.

01:25:25Were you a dancer before that?

01:25:26No, I wasn't.

01:25:27And, oh, my gosh, I just had the best time.

01:25:31And I could dance forever, actually, if I had the opportunity to.

01:25:35I would just do that.

01:25:36All the time.

01:25:37Really?

01:25:37Yeah.

01:25:38You went down brilliantly.

01:25:39I mean, I was on Strictly Tech Steel.

01:25:40We were loving you.

01:25:41And you and Jojo, what a team.

01:25:43Yeah, we were.

01:25:44We were team joking.

01:25:45You were team joking.

01:25:47Is it scary to do?

01:25:48No, I didn't find it scary.

01:25:49I just love it.

01:25:50Are you asking for a friend, Tom?

01:25:54I enjoyed it so much that that sort of just held me through it.

01:26:02It's exhausting.

01:26:04Exhausting, but in a really good way.

01:26:07Until you get injured, then it's not so great.

01:26:09But for me, being in the studio was like just doing live theatre.

01:26:14So it wasn't so intimidating, I think, for me, as maybe somebody who's an influencer or something.

01:26:20Do you know what I mean?

01:26:21Yeah, it'd be terrible.

01:26:22Yeah.

01:26:23But it was, yeah, it was an incredible experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

01:26:28Was it a sort of snap decision or have they been asking you for a...

01:26:30They had been asking me for, over the years they'd been asking me and it was never like the right

01:26:36time.

01:26:37But this time was right for me.

01:26:39Yeah.

01:26:39And you've loved it.

01:26:41I've loved it.

01:26:41And you know what?

01:26:42You've just got to jump in and do the things that you've always dreamt or hoped that you would do

01:26:46in your life,

01:26:47but been a bit too scared to.

01:26:49Yeah.

01:26:49You've just got to go for it because what's going to happen?

01:26:52You're just going to regret it when you can't any longer.

01:26:55What's the worst that can happen?

01:26:56What's the worst that can happen, exactly?

01:26:58You could end up posting a live TV show.

01:27:04Right, can I have a little bit of that cheese?

01:27:06OK, so here we go.

01:27:07We've got that little salad with that dressing.

01:27:10Oh, that's cool, mate.

01:27:11Nice.

01:27:12Do it the old-fashioned way.

01:27:14And then we've got that cod.

01:27:17Just keep an eye on it under the grill.

01:27:19It won't take long, six, eight minutes, something like that.

01:27:22But that colour is what you get from that sugar and the meat.

01:27:26That's pretty much it.

01:27:28I've just got to say, I can't wait to see you in the show.

01:27:30It's the Hampstead Theatre, isn't it?

01:27:32Yes, Hampstead Theatre.

01:27:33When does it take off?

01:27:33Is it March?

01:27:34We first preview the 27th of March and press is 7th of April.

01:27:38Break a leg, you'll be amazing.

01:27:40What a show.

01:27:41You tuck into that, Alex.

01:27:43Oh, my goodness.

01:27:45Let's know what you think of that.

01:27:46OK.

01:27:46And you've got wild rice in here as well.

01:27:49How delicious is that?

01:27:50I've just got quite into wild rice.

01:27:52I love it.

01:27:53It's not too much of it.

01:27:54Yeah.

01:27:54You need to mix it.

01:27:55It's not a rice, is it?

01:27:56No, it's a grass.

01:27:57It's a seed.

01:27:58A grain, a seed.

01:27:58Is it grass or a...

01:27:59A grass.

01:27:59It's a grass.

01:28:00Is it a grass?

01:28:01Yeah.

01:28:02It sounds even more inviting.

01:28:06But once you put that dressing on here, I think it's really nice.

01:28:08And presumably it's really good for you, wild rice.

01:28:10Oh, my God.

01:28:11It's got to be.

01:28:12Yeah.

01:28:12How is that?

01:28:12Is that right?

01:28:13Oh.

01:28:14Or are you just saying that because you're on telly?

01:28:16No.

01:28:18This is really good.

01:28:20And you marinated this for three days?

01:28:22Three days.

01:28:23Wow.

01:28:23Yeah.

01:28:24Yeah.

01:28:24Oh.

01:28:25Nice.

01:28:26Good.

01:28:26Thanks for that.

01:28:27Oh, that's delicious.

01:28:27That was a nice chilled show, wasn't it?

01:28:29That's all from us today on Saturday Kitchen Live.

01:28:32Thanks to Paul, Jess, Tom, Ollie and, of course, Alex.

01:28:35All the recipes from the studio on the website, bbc.co.uk forward slash Saturday Kitchen.

01:28:39I'll be back here live tomorrow on BBC One at 11.30 for a Celebration Kitchen Ease special

01:28:44with fabulous food and guests.

01:28:46And I'm back here on Saturday Kitchen Live next week as usual.

01:28:50Enjoy the rest of your day.

01:28:52See you tomorrow.

01:28:53Bye-bye.

S.A.T.U.R.D.A.Y K.I.T.C.H.E.N - Season 28 - Episode 11: Matt Tebbutt, Paul Ainsworth, Jess Filbey, Tom Parker Bowles, Alex Kingston, And Olly Smith

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