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Dermot O'Leary's Taste of Ireland Season 2 Episode 3
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00:01The island of Ireland.
00:05Wild. Welcoming.
00:06Soldier. Soldier.
00:08And full of stories I've only just begun to uncover.
00:11I'm so excited. We're literally on the Giant's Causeway.
00:13This place has always meant something special to me.
00:17It's where my roots lie and where some of my favourite memories were made.
00:21It's on. It's on, baby.
00:24Now I'm back.
00:25Woo!
00:26To explore more of this extraordinary island.
00:28This coastline, isn't it? Stunning.
00:30From the rugged beauty of the Causeway coastal route.
00:33Beautiful. So gorgeous, huh?
00:34To the sweeping drama of the wild Atlantic Way.
00:37How could you forget this?
00:39I'll be following the edge of the land,
00:41diving into the life,
00:42and occasionally, the Atlantic itself.
00:45Oh, it's incredible.
00:47Along the way, I'll be meeting the people who bring this place to life.
00:51That is cracking!
00:53The farmers.
00:54Come on. Come on.
00:56Fishers.
00:57They're lobster fishing.
00:58And chefs.
00:59That's Nectar of the Gods.
01:01That is a masterclass.
01:03Slaying it.
01:04That is a dream.
01:04Who doesn't love a lobster roll?
01:06Go on, team.
01:06I'll be discovering the flavours.
01:09Like Winnie the Pooh right now.
01:10The traditions.
01:11So special.
01:13And the stories that define Ireland today.
01:16That was insane. It was so lovely.
01:18This is my taste of Ireland.
01:30My food odyssey is heading west,
01:33along the Cause Bay coastal route in Northern Ireland,
01:36to an area shaped by volcanic activity.
01:41So ever since I started my journey here,
01:44back at Blackhead Lighthouse,
01:45we've been inching our way along the coast,
01:47meeting the most incredible people,
01:48sampling the most incredible food,
01:50and seeing the most spectacular views.
01:52And today, we're looking at the Crown Jewel, of course.
01:55The Giant's Causeway.
01:56What a spectacle awaits on this glorious stretch
01:59of North Antrim coastline.
02:01But before we reach that epic landmark...
02:04Woo!
02:05I get to relive my youth.
02:07It's on, baby.
02:08..fishing for mackerel.
02:09Look at that.
02:11We're on it now, Gordy.
02:12We're on a hot streak.
02:13Yep.
02:14We'll be talking rhubarb and custard
02:16with a drop of good old Irish whiskey.
02:19And it's right up my street, that guy.
02:21And I'll be experiencing the only way to enjoy whiskey.
02:24Sloncher. Sloncher.
02:26On the rocks.
02:27I don't think I've ever drunk whiskey anywhere
02:29more beautiful than my entire life.
02:33But first, my journey has brought me here to Ballantoy Harbour,
02:36a beautiful little sheltered coat on the north Antrim coast.
02:40To meet a man who's keeping some very special traditions alive.
02:43Gordon Neil, or Gordy to his friends,
02:46is born and bred in Ballantoy
02:48and is passionate about his local harbour's heritage.
02:54Gordy.
02:55How are you? Nice to meet you.
02:56So nice to meet you. How are things?
02:57Hi, good.
02:57This is literally the parish for you, isn't it?
02:59Hi, this is it. This is it.
03:00This is it.
03:00So where are we? This is Ballantoy.
03:02This is Ballantoy Harbour.
03:03I suppose it was originally a natural harbour
03:05where these wee islands and rocks formed a wee natural sheltered bay.
03:08And then in the mid-1800s, this was developed for the export of stone.
03:12So that's been like a really industrial area.
03:14And then from the 1900s, it would have been mainly just used
03:17by the local fishermen here for fishing lobsters.
03:20And some of them would have left from here to fish the sweet salmon nets
03:23that started along the coast.
03:25The fishing industry in Ballantoy has fallen away in the last few years.
03:29But Gordy keeps it alive with chartered tools.
03:32Fishing for my favourite fish.
03:35Learning how to fish mackerel is probably one of the most indeniable moments of my childhood.
03:40I loved it.
03:41It's my favourite fish.
03:42Oh, it's beautiful.
03:42I'm so excited.
03:43Hi.
03:45Gordy is taking me out to sea to put my rod-handling skills to the test.
03:50There's something so timeless about this harbour.
03:52It's a lovely old harbour.
03:54And you might recognise it.
03:56This is Game of Thrones territory.
03:58Ballantoy doubled as the Iron Isles.
04:01Right, swimmers.
04:04You know that sheltered Ballantoy harbour?
04:06Just as you leave the harbour sometimes can be the roughest part.
04:14It feels so good to be out here on the water.
04:18It must be so wonderful being brought up and around this coastline.
04:21It's beautiful.
04:22It's beautiful scenery.
04:23This is Sheep Island here.
04:24This wee island we're coming out past.
04:26This one here.
04:26Farmers used to graze sheep on it.
04:29And we're looking for the ideal spot to cast our line.
04:34Right, we'll maybe try a wee duck here.
04:36We might be lucky.
04:38I wish me luck.
04:39Here we go.
04:40See if we can catch our supper.
04:42Handlining is one of the most highly sustainable low-impact ways of fishing.
04:46My pride as a mackerel fisherman is at stake here.
04:52There we go.
04:53You got one?
04:54Not so.
04:55Maybe not.
04:56Maybe I must.
04:56Hold the phone.
04:58I might have something.
05:00Two pollock.
05:01Pollock?
05:02What?
05:04Shall we just put them back?
05:05Yeah.
05:07Ah, pollocks.
05:08Wrong fish.
05:11Isn't it stunning?
05:13This is your office.
05:15This is my office.
05:16If at first you don't succeed, try and try again.
05:20Hopefully we'll catch mackerel here.
05:23Here we go.
05:23Take two.
05:24This time it's personal mackerel.
05:27I first mackerel fished in Wexford when I was about eight.
05:33With my cousin Barry, who was a great fisherman.
05:38And it's just one of my earliest, happiest memories.
05:41I always remember watching Topcat.
05:43And Topcat would always eat a little mackerel boat or a fish boat.
05:47And that's why that would always stay with me.
05:51There's mackerel, don't you?
05:53It's on.
05:54It's on, baby.
05:58Hello, guys.
06:00We're on it now, Gordy.
06:01We're on a hot streak.
06:02Yep.
06:03Woo!
06:04Ladies and gentlemen, we have lunch.
06:09Gordy, it's good to be feeding the family.
06:11Yeah.
06:13And now we have our fish.
06:14Gordy wants to show me the spectacular Caricareed rope bridge.
06:19So the bridge was first used originally to be salmon fishermen from about 1755.
06:24My wife's father, he was the last person to fish the salmon here up until about 2001,
06:302002.
06:31So this was a quite good fishery here.
06:33I think one of the records of the fish being caught here, I think they caught around 365
06:37salmon here in one day at a time.
06:38Yeah.
06:39And in the last year, I think I drew just down to about 250 fish in the year.
06:43Do you feel a bit of a custodian for the traditional?
06:44Aye, I like to.
06:45That's sort of why I do what I do.
06:47Take people out and fish and experience, and especially in the wee smaller boat, you
06:50know, to experience what it was like for the men working in these waters, and try and
06:55keep the sort of boating heritage alive around Ballantoy area.
06:58You need to sort of do something, so that's great.
07:02We are heading back to harbour with our catch.
07:07The Gordy's Boathouse.
07:09Oh, look at that.
07:10I mean...
07:11They're a beautiful fan.
07:12Oh, they.
07:12Thank you, my friend.
07:14To fillet our fish, ready for a mackerel feast.
07:16Wonderful.
07:19There we go.
07:20What's that?
07:21Fruits of our labour.
07:22Fruits of our labour.
07:23They're such a beautiful fish.
07:24First, a splash of local rapeseed oil.
07:27Just a wee bit to start it.
07:28Once they're on and they start cooking, then the oil comes out of the mackerel.
07:31Yeah.
07:31You get a couple of fillets fried.
07:33They always tend to do them skin side down.
07:35Yeah.
07:35You should cook the fish 70 to 90% on the skin side down.
07:39And resist the temptation to fiddle.
07:42There you go.
07:44This will be turning right now.
07:45Go on, Gordo.
07:46This is living the dream, isn't it?
07:48What can be better?
07:50A cooking al fresco with Gordy and a hand-caught mackerel.
07:55Straight out of the pan, Gordo?
07:56Yeah, all right.
07:56Go for it.
07:57Go for it.
07:57Come on, buddy.
07:58Where would you go?
07:59About 11.
07:5911.
08:00Yeah.
08:05And there is nothing finer.
08:09A freshly caught mackerel.
08:10Yeah.
08:10You've caught yourself.
08:11Yeah.
08:13On a beautiful Irish summer's day, eh?
08:15Couldn't be better.
08:17With my new best friend.
08:21Oh, my God, that's amazing.
08:22Mm.
08:23They're good.
08:24Gordy, this ranks as one of the worst days of my life.
08:26It's going to take me a long time to get over it.
08:27I'm traumatised.
08:30Such a special day, mate, honestly.
08:32It's all good.
08:32And what you've got here is so unique.
08:34You know, you're keeping history on it.
08:35Yeah, it's good.
08:36Good to keep the heritage of the Bolton round volunteer life.
08:40Thank you very much.
08:40Great stewardship, my friend.
08:41Lovely to meet you.
08:42Good to meet you.
08:44Some foods are deeply nostalgic.
08:46And that, to me, was a true taste of my childhood.
08:50Oh, what a special day today.
08:52So, I had my first mackerel when I was like, I don't know, six, seven, maybe eight years old.
08:57And I just remember it like it was yesterday.
08:59My mum frying it in the caravan and me just falling in love with this gorgeous taste of it.
09:04Today is the second best mackerel I've ever had.
09:06And it's just been so wonderful to get out there and do a bit of fishing and hang out with
09:12Gordy.
09:12And just, this guy is such a brilliant man and a custodian of sort of history and tradition.
09:17But always looking to the future.
09:19It's been a real privilege to spend the day with him.
09:22I guess it's going to be hard to beat Ballantoy.
09:25A world-famous geological wonder will have to do.
09:28I'm so excited.
09:29We're literally on the Giant's Causeway.
09:41With the taste of that amazing mackerel still fresh in my mind and my mouth, I'm heading down to the
09:46coast to the village of Bushmills.
09:48Home to the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world.
09:52I'm here in the epicentre of the town.
09:55In fact, that is the Riverbush and that is the original mill.
09:58And I'm here to meet a chef who's a bit of a local legend, passionate about using local ingredients.
10:05A tartine multi-award winning chef and owner, Gary Stewart, has built up quite a reputation for his innovative food
10:12rooted in local tradition.
10:16Hey chef.
10:18Ah, welcome to Tartine at Distiller's Arms. Good to see you.
10:21Good to see you Gary. What a place. Absolutely beautiful.
10:23I'm glad you like it now.
10:24How long have you been here?
10:2616 years now.
10:27Yeah.
10:28And this used to be the house of the head distiller?
10:30Yep. Many, many years ago, but it's changed into different guises along the way.
10:35It's these floorboards.
10:36They can tell a story, yes.
10:39And so can Gary.
10:40Once one of Northern Ireland's youngest head chefs, he knows a thing or two about Irish food.
10:46How have you seen the food scene change in the last 16 years?
10:49Well, definitely the food scene in Northern Ireland has developed enormously.
10:53Peace process has provided confidence.
10:55People locally have invested in businesses and are trying different foods.
10:59On the north coast here, we have all types of food as well.
11:02Yeah.
11:02Tartine itself tries to stick to what you would expect to find in North Andrum, if you know what I
11:06mean.
11:06Yeah.
11:07The local ingredients.
11:08And local ingredients in this village means one thing.
11:12Whiskey.
11:13What are you going to do today?
11:14And we're doing rhubarb and custard.
11:16So it's whiskey custard, it's local rhubarb.
11:19And then to go with that, we also have a flake meal biscuit, which we're going to bake today.
11:23What is a flake meal biscuit?
11:24A flake meal biscuit is kind of a local Northern Irish thing, and it goes great with everything.
11:28I mean, if you're at any wedding, wake, party, there's always a flake meal biscuit hiding in the corner, you
11:33know.
11:34All right, shall we?
11:35I've got an apron for you, so let's get to the kitchen.
11:37That apron will travel.
11:40Oh, I'm looking forward to this.
11:43Tommy, slash, kitchen porter, slash, not sure if it can really help for a point for you to Gary.
11:48OK, right.
11:49Well, you're very welcome, Dermot.
11:50So we have 300 grams of rhubarb.
11:52I love rhubarb.
11:53So I'm just going to go in with the rhubarb.
11:56We're just going to add a little bit of sugar.
11:58I want to take a little bit of stem ginger.
12:00Oh, look at that.
12:00And then if you want to lift the wee lid there, could you?
12:02It's not too hot.
12:04And then we're going in.
12:06With the rhubarb stewing away, we can move on to the flake meal biscuits.
12:10So we need 225 grams of butter.
12:12I was going to say, heaven forbid, I haven't seen a massive block of butter today.
12:15So then we're going to add sugar.
12:18So it's 110 grams.
12:21Now, I've got a little bit of local honey here.
12:23So we're just going to put a little touch.
12:24Oh, I love watching this done properly.
12:26There we go.
12:28The honey goes into the mix with the butter and the sugar.
12:31And we're going to mix this up till it's light and fluffy.
12:36Doing okay there?
12:38Yeah, I think so.
12:39I mean, is that light and fluffy?
12:40Actually, that's really good.
12:42So I'm just weighing out the dry ingredients.
12:44So I've got clean flour, a pinch of baking soda.
12:46We've got 30 grams of desiccated coconut.
12:48Yeah.
12:49Then I'm going to add the oats.
12:50So I need 300 grams of porridge oats.
12:53Then the earths join the party in the bowl.
12:56And then we'll give it a bit of a mix around.
13:00You know, it should come together a bit like this.
13:02That's funny, isn't it?
13:03Uh-huh.
13:04Once it's all squished into a bowl, it goes into the fridge.
13:08Lovely.
13:09So our rhubarb, I think we're ready.
13:13So we'll leave that to cool.
13:15Next, we're going to make some whisky custard.
13:19Two eggs, whisked, and half a litre of gorgeous double cream.
13:23I love how cream just comes out.
13:25And hopefully nobody's on a diet.
13:28Just going out of the bottle.
13:30Uh-huh.
13:31Milk's like, all right, let's go.
13:33In goes the cream, followed by a splash of vanilla extract.
13:37No, whisky.
13:39We drown with the good stuff and a sheet of gelatine.
13:43I want to just add one little leaf.
13:45In goes the whisked-up egg and three spoons of sugar.
13:50So, we're going to cook this on a lower temperature.
13:53What we're looking for is 85 degrees.
13:55Yep, uh-huh.
13:5640.
13:58Perfection takes time, doesn't it?
14:00Almost there.
14:01So we're at 79, 80.
14:03Oh, we're getting there.
14:04Yep.
14:05I think we're good to go.
14:06All right, so we'll stop.
14:08Look at that.
14:08Lovely, so velvety and gorgeous, isn't it?
14:11Then we pass our custard through a sieve to remove any lumps.
14:15And we are ready to build our dessert.
14:19First layer, the stewed rhubarb.
14:22Then it's the whisky custard,
14:23before going into the fridge to set.
14:26Two hours at least, and overnight is best, and this will set.
14:33With the custard chilling, we are back on the biscuits.
14:36That's our little biscuit.
14:38Oh, okay.
14:40So, we're going to just put those in the oven.
14:42Okay.
14:44Perfect stuff.
14:45Lovely.
14:45And they'll be 15, 20 minutes,
14:47which gives us time to decorate dessert.
14:49Mmm.
14:50But we're going to whip up a little bit of cream,
14:52as if we haven't had enough cream.
14:55A drizzle of honey into the cream,
14:59which gets whipped up.
15:03A spoonful of rhubarb on top.
15:05I think we're good.
15:08And a dollop of our honey whipped cream.
15:11Finished off with a fresh leaf of mint.
15:15And then I have a little bit of rhubarb syrup,
15:18just to keep the rhubarb content up.
15:22Oh, very hot.
15:25Finally, our baked flake meal biscuits are sprinkled in sugar.
15:29So, there we have our dessert.
15:31So, do you want to tuck in?
15:33Shall we?
15:33Well, it'd be rude not to.
15:36The creaminess and the...
15:38Oh, yeah.
15:39Mm-hmm.
15:40It's really rich, but at the same time,
15:41the rhubarb completely lifts it, doesn't it?
15:44And it's right up my street, that guy.
15:48That was so nice. Thank you.
15:49Well, I'm glad you liked it.
15:50It's sort of a bit of North Antrim on a plate.
15:52Really lovely, mate.
15:53Uh-huh.
15:53Thanks a lot.
15:54Yeah, great to have you. Thank you.
15:57Gary's dessert has really set me up for my final destination
16:01on this leg of my trip.
16:03And what a final destination.
16:06The Giant's Causeway.
16:09It's 40,000 interlocking basalt columns
16:11make this a World Heritage Site.
16:14The ranks in the same league as the ancient city of Petra
16:17and the Taj Mahal.
16:19Mark, I'm so excited. We're here.
16:21We're literally on the Giant's Causeway.
16:22I think people know about this place
16:24and they don't know about this place, right?
16:25Yes.
16:26So, let's start with the myth and the legend.
16:28Well, you want myths and legends,
16:29maybe this is the truth.
16:30Because this was built by Finn McCool.
16:33Yes! I know Finn McCool.
16:33Finn McCool's our local giant.
16:35Yeah.
16:3553 feet tall, which is about four double-decker buses tall.
16:38And he could see all the way over to Scotland that way.
16:41And he could see the Scottish giant, Ben and Donner.
16:44Right.
16:44And he didn't like that.
16:45So Finn McCool wanted to go all the way over to Scotland,
16:47so he took the local rocks, carved them out into the shape they're in today,
16:52and then made a causeway, a pathway across the sea,
16:54all the way to Scotland.
16:56He got over to Scotland.
16:57He saw the Scottish giant, Ben and Donner.
16:59He discovered he was three times the size of Finn McCool.
17:01Got terrified.
17:02Yeah.
17:03Climbed down the cliff, run all the way back up here,
17:06up to his house.
17:07See where the chimney stacks are?
17:08Yeah.
17:08That's his house.
17:09He got into the house and he told his wife, Una, about this giant.
17:13And Una said, would you stop being such a baby about this?
17:17In fact, if you're going to behave like a baby, you're going to dress like a baby.
17:21So Finn got the baby clothes on, squeezed into the baby's cot,
17:24just in time, because there was a boom, boom, boom in the door.
17:27Oh, Ben's there.
17:28Where's Finn McCool?
17:30Una opened the door.
17:31Hello, Ben and Donner.
17:32Finn's not in at the minute.
17:34Would you mind being quiet?
17:35Because the baby's trying to sleep.
17:38At that point, Finn McCool understood exactly what to do.
17:40He started to cry like a baby, started to throw the toys out of the cot.
17:43Ben and Donner stood up.
17:45He strode over to the cot, and he suddenly realised that he had made a huge mistake.
17:50Because in the cot wasn't a small baby, or a medium baby, but a huge baby.
17:55Giant.
17:56Giant baby.
17:5753 feet.
17:58And Ben and Donner thought, if that's the size of the baby, how big will the father be?
18:02Oh, the old misdirection.
18:03So he got out of the house, around the bay, back to Scotland,
18:05breaking up the causeway as he went away.
18:07So that's the true story.
18:09Well, that's all we've got time for.
18:10Thanks.
18:10Thank you very much.
18:11That's good.
18:12Finn McCool!
18:16Geologically?
18:16Geologically, 60 million years ago, the tectonic plates were shifting apart.
18:21As they started to drift apart, it caused volcanic activity.
18:24Lava flowed up and went blablabla onto the landscape.
18:27That's a genuine sound made.
18:28Nobody can disprove that.
18:30Now the lava cooled down slowly and consistently, and it started to crack.
18:34As it contracted into the basalt, those cracks met up with each other to form the shape,
18:39and went down as far as 12 metres.
18:42And that's what gives us the causeway as it is.
18:45Why is it so unique here?
18:46Well, it's not unique.
18:47There's over 200 places around the world, but this is one of the largest.
18:51Yeah.
18:51And quite frankly, prettiest.
18:53Do you know what I love about it, Mark?
18:54Is you look around, and so many places feel inaccessible and out of touch.
18:58What I love about here is it's just people are living it.
19:01They're experiencing it.
19:01They're properly breathing it.
19:02People love it because you can touch it.
19:04You can stand on it.
19:05And you've got these rocks, which are steady for thousands of years.
19:09And you've got that sea that changes every single day.
19:12Yeah.
19:12Thanks, Mark.
19:13Really special, mate.
19:14There's no problem at all.
19:15Shall we just stand here for a while?
19:16Yes.
19:17I think so.
19:19I can't stand too long, though.
19:21I have one last appointment.
19:24To truly get into the spirit of the place with Julie from Bushmills.
19:29I mean, I've had the most lovely time here, but there are few better ways to end the day
19:35than sat here on the Giant's Causeway about to drink whiskey with you.
19:40Well, I'm happy to help.
19:42You're welcome.
19:42So this is Whiskey on the Rocks.
19:44Yeah, a little combination tour.
19:45Because of our history here on the North Coast, I mean, we first got our licence in 1608,
19:50so we've been making whiskey for more than 400 years.
19:53Wow.
19:54So where do we start?
19:55So we're going to start with the one closest to yourself.
19:57So this is our Blackbush.
19:58So it's a premium blend.
19:59Yeah.
20:00It's been around since the 1930s.
20:02It's one of our most award-winning whiskeys.
20:04And there is no right or wrong way to drink it.
20:06We are not snobby in how you enjoy our whiskey.
20:09Our master distiller will have it with one cube of ice.
20:11Our master blender, she'll have it with ginger ale.
20:14Flavour-wise, on the nose, you've got peaches.
20:17Yeah.
20:18There's a nuttiness as it passes the palate, and then you have a lovely spice-warm finish.
20:22The spice is the lovely thing, isn't it?
20:23So good.
20:24So is there a correct way to drink it?
20:26You let that first sip go.
20:28Second sip will give you the flavour of that whiskey.
20:30Oh, you're a two-sip girl.
20:31Oh, yes.
20:32And after that second sip, that's when you decide if you need to add water, ice, or anything else.
20:37Oh, it's going to last more than two sips, is it?
20:38Oh, totally.
20:39Well.
20:40Yes.
20:43Well, that's lovely and smooth, isn't it?
20:45It is.
20:45Now, the next one we're going to is our 12-year-old distillery reserve.
20:49This is the single malt, so it's going to be creamier in texture.
20:51Mm-hmm.
20:52You're going to have flavours now more like apricot, almond, and a fudge sweet finish.
20:56All right.
20:57So, see what you think of this one.
20:59It's like that one.
21:03Oh, yeah, that's so smooth.
21:05It's so smooth, it's almost light.
21:07It is, yes.
21:08I don't think I've ever drunk whiskey anywhere more beautiful in my entire life.
21:11This is so nice.
21:12Thank you for the education.
21:14Sláinte.
21:14Sláinte.
21:22So, I've finished the day learning about legends, but I spent the day with a bunch of them.
21:29And I've eaten some legendary food, too.
21:32It's been a real taste of Northern Ireland, and one I won't be forgetting in a hurry.
21:37There is still some of that whiskey left, though, so if you'll excuse me.
21:43Next time, we'll witness some sea salt sorcery.
21:46It's happening, Claire.
21:48Crystal.
21:48And I'll go a little potty.
21:50It is a ball.
21:51That's not so bad.
21:52I'll be up at the crack of dawn putting in a shift as a lobster fisherman.
21:56Come on, Dermot.
21:56Sorry, buddy.
21:57And we'll be having a crack, making lobster rolls.
22:00It's so sweet.
22:01Yes.
22:01It's a really lovely dish.
22:03.
22:03.
22:03.
22:03.
22:03.
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