Category
🏖
TravelTranscript
00:00I've been a chef for over 50 years, but I've come to realise that the food we eat tells
00:08a story about who we are.
00:13So I'm on a mission to find out what we all like to eat today.
00:17Oh, that is good.
00:19From our traditional dishes.
00:21Long live the Yorkshire pudding.
00:23To those we've made our own.
00:25I mean, that is multi-faceted Britain on one plate.
00:28Our meat producers.
00:29There you see a robot, he's picking them.
00:32I find a lot of craft beers too hoppy.
00:34Don't know why, but it tastes alright.
00:38Some of our best chefs.
00:40We're picking scurvy grass.
00:42Why pick it?
00:43Pretty punchy.
00:44Plus those keeping traditions alive.
00:46We've just got to finish.
00:48I have no hope.
00:49I'll see how food brings us together.
00:52Dig in!
00:53Lovely, that sort of hot garlic, fabuloso.
00:58And from my home in Padstow, I'll bring you great dishes of my own.
01:02Love stuff like this.
01:04So join me as I unearth the stories behind the food we all love to eat today.
01:19My food journey around the UK is taking me today to one of my favourite cities.
01:27Well, I'm driving into Bristol across the Suspension Bridge.
01:30I think it's as distinctive a feature of Bristol as the harbour bridges of Sydney.
01:36It was built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, one of the world's greatest engineers.
01:42And he described it as my first child, my darling.
01:49I'm really looking forward to my time in Bristol.
01:52It's a city in which nearly 70 different languages are spoken.
01:56And that huge cultural diversity has, of course, shaped the food scene here.
02:04Bristol is also the UK's ninth largest city and historically one of its major ports.
02:13It's a city of great wealth, but much of that wealth has been built on the ugliest of trades.
02:20As in the early 1700s, Bristol's harbour was the centre of Britain's slave trade.
02:31As the recent toppling of slave trader Edward Colston's statue showed, modern Bristol is
02:37a city grappling to come to terms with its history.
02:41But there's also a recognition here that, as in many UK cities, the exploitation of
02:47human beings is not, unfortunately, a thing of the past.
02:54I've made my way to a cafe called Huria, which in Arabic means freedom.
03:00It offers safe employment and training to migrant women, some of whom are survivors
03:06of modern slavery.
03:09The kitchen is a hive of activity, and as I try to follow what's going on, a wonderfully
03:16international feast is being prepared for today's lunch menu by Maryam from Pakistan,
03:23Amel from Egypt, and Kim, who is British with West African heritage and runs this fantastic
03:32place.
03:34This is quite complicated because the three of them are doing three different dishes,
03:39but they're not written down the recipes, they're just verbal, oral recipes, so I'm
03:44really having to concentrate on judging how many onions, how much cumin's going in there,
03:49how much pasta's in there.
03:51Amel over there is doing an Egyptian national dish, koshary.
03:56Maryam is cooking chicken palau, and Kim here is doing salt cod fish cakes.
04:01Now, can you get a spare onion for me?
04:04Yeah?
04:05Can you share it?
04:06Yeah, yeah.
04:07Yeah?
04:09They're all talking to each other about what they're doing, and it's just a great way of
04:10learning.
04:12So, Kim, you're not a charity, you're actually a business.
04:15We're a social enterprise, CIC, we're a community interest company.
04:19We have a thriving business now, dishes that you can't get anywhere else.
04:23These ladies, they're clearly enjoying what they're doing because they're their national
04:27dishes.
04:28Yeah, it's nice to show our dishes to the world, our heritage.
04:32There's a lot of pride in their dishes.
04:34To me, it's about allowing people to be relaxed and forget their troubles cooking together.
04:42Yeah, it's our absolute joy to cook and learn from each other, to feed people.
04:46It's a really healing, transformative process, I'd say.
04:52Kim tells me that since setting up Huria, she's worked with a number of women who've
04:56experienced exploitation and racism.
05:01Some have been referred by charities, and some have found their own way here, but once
05:06they arrive, they become part of a supportive community...
05:09Yum!
05:13..in which they can hone their cooking skills and build their confidence.
05:18There are a lot of women in the city who have been extremely marginalised and need these
05:22opportunities because they're so talented.
05:25So I feel really compelled to do something practical to help them.
05:30We are trying to serve freedom through food.
05:33I think it says a lot about Bristol.
05:36Yes.
05:37In terms of activism, Bristol has a rich history and a very current movement against slavery.
05:43It's a much bigger problem than I think a lot of people are aware of.
05:47Trying to bring that awareness to people with flavour and pleasure and the event.
05:53Lucky for me, I now get to eat these fabulous dishes.
05:58So well, here we go.
06:00Some of which I've never tasted before.
06:02The koshuri.
06:03Yeah.
06:04Delish.
06:06Lots of carbohydrates.
06:07Yeah, yeah.
06:08Chickpeas, pasta, rice.
06:09Macaroni.
06:10And broiled lentil.
06:11All the carbs in the world.
06:12All the carbs.
06:13And the pulao.
06:14Fantastic.
06:15I like it all.
06:17Lovely.
06:18It's all in the stock, I think, because it's just very, very flavourful to serve.
06:19Yeah, it's lovely.
06:20Finally, the fish cakes.
06:21Excuse my fingers.
06:22Oh, go on.
06:23Get in.
06:24I just love salt corn.
06:25It's quite an unusual flavour.
06:26It's got a bit of a tang.
06:27It's got a bit of a tang.
06:28It's got a bit of a tang.
06:29It's got a bit of a tang.
06:30It's got a bit of a tang.
06:31It's got a bit of a tang.
06:32It's got a bit of a tang.
06:33I just love salt corn.
06:34It's quite an unusual flavour, but once you're used to it,
06:35you can't have enough of it.
06:36So I suppose these dishes remind you of home.
06:38Yeah.
06:39We eat this pulao twice a week.
06:41Really?
06:42Yeah, this is our favourite dish.
06:43Do you all love cooking?
06:44Yeah.
06:45I love it.
06:46All my life I love cooking.
06:49Really?
06:50Yeah.
06:51This place...
06:52I feel in here peace and safe, happy.
06:55We are here like family.
06:56Okay, if I tell her I'm scared to do something and she said no you can do it go and I'm with you
07:02I need hurry up to do hurry up freedom. I can do it like oh
07:08My god, I can't do it. I'm not small chef. No. Oh my god. I can't do it
07:15So it must be very satisfied to you came to create such lovely dishes. I love cooking together bringing our dishes together
07:22It's such an eclectic mix of food. Well, I've just had a lovely morning
07:27I must say it's been really nice watching you work and it's been quite moving in a way
07:31It's just so nice to see people so happy, you know, and I just think that's what food does for us all
07:45Well, this series is about food stories sometimes they really matter and I think this one really mattered
07:52You suddenly realize how important food can be and cooking can be in sort of liberating people
07:58I mean, I think particularly our Mel when she was talking about
08:02What the community meant to her and what Kim meant to her was just so moving because she was
08:10Genuinely saying I've come alive and we all came alive at that moment, I think
08:15For me the dishes I've eaten here at Huria
08:18Represent something special about the power of food to create community and a sense of belonging
08:27And in honor of that I'd like to recreate Kim's delicious salt cod fish cakes
08:34Watching Kim make those fish cakes. It just reminded me of how much I like salt cod
08:39Just reminded me of how much I like salt cod. That's what it looks like when it comes out of the packet
08:44It's basically salted and air-dried
08:47But you have to soak it for at least 24 hours
08:50What I'm gonna do now is poach it for about 20 minutes
08:54Salting cod is an old form of preservation
08:57But by pre soaking it you remove much of the salt and you're left with a very firm fish
09:02Which is a bit of an acquired taste
09:05Your next ingredient is the spuds which I recommend you air dry before mashing
09:11Because watery spuds make watery mash
09:14For this recipe Kim says don't add any butter or milk
09:20But do add some red onion red chilies
09:24garlic
09:26lime zest and a handful of coriander
09:32Once poached break the fish up a bit
09:35I
09:38Did that just to assess how much salt was left in the cod
09:43Then add it to your mix along with some plain flour and an egg to bind everything together
09:51Must say it looks really nice
09:54Plenty of pepper. I know we've got chili in there, but I like the pepper
09:59Time to get your hands dirty
10:01Shape the mixture into patties and cover each one with more flour
10:07Kim's were oval. So I'm aiming for the same, but hers were definitely neater
10:14Deep fry them for three or four minutes
10:18And when they're a deep golden color, they're ready to serve with a wedge of lime
10:25Long last I get to taste them
10:28I
10:32Think if you'd never tasted salt cod before you'd like the this
10:35It's very much in the background and it just gives a lovely warm flavor. I hope Kim doesn't mind
10:42I've added some aioli because I just love garlic mayonnaise with fish cakes
10:48Back in Bristol, I'm continuing my tour of the city's diverse food scene with a stroll around the area
10:55which has since the 50s been a hub for the African Caribbean community
11:04Many arrived in the UK on ships such as the Empire Windrush as part of a government scheme to supply
11:12But instead of the welcome they expected the new arrivals were often met with hostility when they tried to find jobs and homes
11:25The suburb of St. Paul's
11:27Which had been heavily bombed during the war and was known for being the home of many of the world's richest people
11:33The
11:36Suburb of St. Paul's
11:38Which had been heavily bombed during the war and was little more than a slum
11:42Was one of the few parts of Bristol where landlords would rent houses to African Caribbean people a
11:51Group of residents from here got together and in 1968 organized the first St. Paul's African Caribbean
11:59Carnival
12:01It was intended to show the rest of Bristol everything that culture had to offer and form part of a movement
12:08To try and improve things for black people in the city
12:13And it's still going strong today as a citywide
12:18Celebration of the true cultural not to mention culinary diversity of Bristol
12:24And
12:28As you wander around St. Paul's you'll stumble upon some striking murals at the carnival's founders
12:36Including Barbara Dettering who worked as a social worker and was known within the community as auntie Babs
12:43I must say they're very impressive and indeed they were very important figures from the 60s from the Windrush generation
12:51Who at a time of great racial intolerance and prejudice decided that they should get organized
12:58to try and change things for the community in St. Paul's and
13:03Out of it came the St. Paul's Carnival and I've just picked up what Barbara Dettering actually said about
13:10her involvement
13:12She's described them as silent diggers who worked her way in the background
13:17To get their point across and change the lives of future generations
13:21And that's why they're so important and she said don't aim for the trees because you fall at the trees you fall on the ground
13:28You've got to aim for the skies
13:31And then it says don't let anyone
13:34Dissuade you from what you want to do
13:40The African Caribbean community have since established themselves at the heart of the city
13:47And both their culture and of course their food have spread way beyond the confines of St. Paul's
13:56In the suburb of fish ponds is a Caribbean takeaway that's causing quite a buzz
14:03Gulu's kitchen opened in
14:062021 and it's curry goat
14:08Peppered steak and jerk chicken have been a hit with Bristolians of all backgrounds ever since
14:15The man behind it all is Mark Daly born and bred in St. Paul's
14:23Who gave up his car sales business to realize his dream of cooking Jamaican food for a living
14:35Name this place after his dear old dad
14:44He was from a poor family in Jamaica, and so he came over to seek work
14:48So he's one of the first original Jamaicans in Bristol
14:53They call a country man. Yeah, you might not have to cook
14:56He would have me in the kitchen and he used to make me watch everything he was doing
15:00So I took on my dad's cooking skills recipes, but being the new generation. I put my own twister. Yes
15:07Yeah, I want to add more. Yeah, really interesting the way immigrant communities
15:12Started off in an area cooked the food they knew from back home
15:16Yes, and gradually the food goes out to the people at large and now everybody loves jerk chicken
15:23That's right. But yours is so special because because the one upstairs
15:31Mark's going to show me how to make that very special jerk chicken the most popular dish on his menu
15:38I've never seen jerk chicken be made before and they're not really familiar with car for being food at all
15:44So I'm very excited at what we started with them. So this is all-purpose seasoning
15:49Sprinkle over the chicken. I don't really measure just guessing it just sprinkle until I hear my ancestors say to me
15:56That's enough. Just kind of know love it
15:59Mark adds more seasoning including paprika your ancestors are saying
16:05Stop that's enough. Yeah, that's it
16:07Garlic powder
16:10Black pepper and chili flakes again until he says that's enough. I'm going to
16:19I'm not sure what my ancestors would say about all this just really get those flavors working in there
16:26My mom Dory who was a brilliant cook, but of her era regarded even garlic with hearty suspicion
16:34How far tastes have moved on since then?
16:37We have been told that we've got the best jerk chicken in Bristol
16:40Some people's never ever before and they're just like what is that smell and I tell them that's the smell of Jamaica
16:46Oh, that's lovely. You obviously love what you're making
16:52That is the final ingredient the next step is the magic my homemade jerk rub
16:59On top of the seasoning mark will marinate his chicken in a mix containing vegetable oil
17:06Vinegar and onion
17:09most important ingredients
17:11Scotch bonnet pepper, very very hot fearsome deadly smart up
17:18Smell of Jamaica, I guess that's it man secret weapon
17:24As well as the Scotch bonnet in goes time
17:28half a peeled lemon
17:30spring onion the Jamaicans call it scallion and
17:34Garlic
17:35Also allspice or pimento which grows in abundance in Jamaica
17:40Pimento seeds I use in a lot of my seasonings even in the rice and peas. It just gives it that extra flavor a
17:48Few more spices herbs and seasonings go into the mix
17:53And then at the end put in a bit of browning for color and flavor
17:58Browning is a Jamaican sauce made from caramelized brown sugar
18:02I
18:04Think with these ingredients is such an ingrained centuries-old tradition in Jamaica. It even has its own verb jerking
18:15Nice thick paste, that's the one my louder taste. Yeah, of course you can yeah
18:21Once the meat is coated in the marinade, it's left overnight
18:26And that there is the perfect gullu's kitchen jerk chicken and then cook him up on the drip, huh?
18:35In days gone by the cooking of jerk meat would have taken place in a fire pit in the ground
18:40But it wasn't until a few years ago
18:43That the meat was cooked in the marinade
18:45In days gone by the cooking of jerk meat would have taken place in a fire pit in the ground
18:51But the modern equivalent is a steel drum or what's known as a jerk pan
18:57It's a 44 gallon drum, which they also use for the steel vans. I just love that recycling of materials
19:05The meat should be cooked until it's charred on the outside
19:09Topped with a bit of homemade gravy marks jerk chicken is definitely the real deal
19:16Cheers, Mark. Thank you very much rice and peas rice and peas jerk chicken and a little side of steamed veg
19:25That's really good I can see why you're popular
19:28I'm loving that scotch bonnet chili in there that underlying heat is so important to net definitely without it
19:34No sweet, but the contrast of that and the spice is quite exceptional. That's it. It's all about the flavors
19:42Oh flavor for top flavor. It really tastes like it's been on that barbecue
19:47Yeah, that's the authentic Caribbean gullu's kitchen jerk chicken. Glad you enjoyed it. Boom bless
19:54Thanks
19:59With my tastebuds still tingling from all the new foods I've tried here in Bristol. I'm leaving the city behind
20:11And heading further into the wonderful West Country my home turf
20:16But the food I'm going in search of next is another one. That's pretty new to me
20:24My
20:26destination is warm insta farm where veg is grown and then
20:30Fermented to create condiments like kimchi and sauerkraut all the rage at the moment because apparently
20:37Fermented food is extremely good for you
20:42The owner of this beautiful spot is Peter Prescott Peter. Hello Rick. It's lovely part of the country
20:50Who used to run hotels and restaurants in London and now with the help of local chef Byron
20:57Spends his time creating
20:59Ferments as he calls them. We're going to make a ferment called katido
21:03Which is a relish or a slaw from Central America Byron's is kind of core cabbage, which we've grown here at the farm
21:10I'm a lot of people I think put off the idea of fermented vegetables
21:14It's gonna be a bit sour or a bit fizzy, but not this recipe. This is a very light ferments
21:19There is a bit of tangy sourness to it, but it's more about lime chipotle zinginess rather than sourness
21:24It sounds good in Mexican. I must say
21:28Lots of countries have a tradition of fermenting raw veg with a little salt
21:34Just letting time and natural bacteria do their work
21:38But it's a relatively new thing to us here in the UK. I
21:42Mean, it's quite sort of trendy now fermenting things, isn't it?
21:45Why do you think it hasn't got a long history in Britain then? We have more of a culture
21:50I think on a history of pickling, but it's an ancient technique
21:53It's probably older than it is older than cooking preserving things fermenting things. It's ancient process
21:58So what happens now?
21:59So we need to weigh the weigh the ingredients and add 2% of sea salt into there. It's a Cornish sea salt
22:04Oh, well, of course
22:06We do genuinely use that
22:09All vegetables on the outside have a good bacteria
22:12Yeah, and when we combine them with the salt it creates this brine and the longer you ferment it the good bacteria starts to multiply
22:19Because it's alive. It's starting to evolve
22:24The live bacteria in fermented foods
22:27improves your gut health which so they say can boost your immune and digestive systems and
22:34Even enhance your mental health
22:38But what I want to know is does it taste nice?
22:42So Peter and Baron have assembled various concoctions for me to try which have been
22:48Fermenting away for between one and four weeks. So this is the one we've just shown how to make the cotija
22:58Very lovely a
23:00Lot of chutneys and pickles that you get it's just a combination of salt and sugar really and vinegar
23:05Yes, whereas this has got much more fresh taste to it and much better texture. Where do we go next then?
23:12I would try the beetroot red cabbage and garam masala
23:17That's really nice. It's almost like the essence of beetroot. I love that with roast red meat
23:22It just makes cooking the meal so much easier as well
23:24You just focus on getting the roast right and then you've got this perfect accompaniment. Okay next
23:29This is such fun. I would go then though the Jerusalem artichoke with horseradish
23:34It's lovely. I just love the taste of Jerusalem artichoke. Anyway, I've got to ask you
23:39What about the flatulent side of Jerusalem? Well, it's a very good point
23:43Actually, the impacts of the fast chokes is I'm told diminished. I'm not totally convinced
23:49It's worth it though. It tastes so good
23:52You can do this at home
23:54It's very simple to do at home and there's no right or wrong with creating a ferment
23:58I think one of the great things about British cuisine really
24:02Condiments and what you've got here is a wonderful selection of condiments
24:07Just think about I have the day after Boxing Day
24:10Imagine having some sliced ham turkey and a load of these and think of your gut
24:22It's a warm day in Padstow
24:25Perfect for a spot of outdoor cooking. I've decided to use that delicious
24:30Cortido in a Mexican burrito one of those foods from afar, which we've
24:36Absolutely made our own
24:38And I'll pack it with flavor
24:40starting with chicken breasts grilled on the barbecue and
24:44Spiced up with a homemade seasoning
24:47It's a mixture of black and white pepper two types of dried Mexican chilies
24:52Pasilla chilies and chipotle chilies and salt
24:58Those will need to sizzle away for about 10 minutes. They look pretty well done
25:06Slice the chicken thinly and keep it warm under some tinfoil while you get on with the refried beans
25:14Make sure your pan is really hot and then add some lard
25:18The Mexicans always use lard in this dish you can use oil if you like
25:22But I'm very pleased to report that lard smell good for you. It used to be very bad for you
25:28It's now good for you. Well, so some studies say anyway
25:33As your onions start to soften throw in some garlic and oregano
25:39It's really nice cooking things outdoors you feel liberated you feel al fresco
25:47Then add some black beans or kidney beans if you prefer stir them all around
25:54Incidentally refried beans are not as the name implies fried twice
25:59Actually the Spanish word refritos simply means well fried
26:05Once they're done mash them up and that's the hard work over
26:11Yum
26:13To assemble my burritos. I'm using warmed flour tortillas secret with always sort of rolled up things
26:20Is don't have too much for me. So I'm gonna be a bit mean here with the chicken
26:25And again it mean with the refritos as generous as I can with coutido
26:34Some salad for texture and chili for kick
26:38bit of crumbly cheese
26:41Coriander
26:44Dollar for two of sour cream and
26:47Finally at the end some chipotle shop-bought in a spicy Mexican marinade called adobo
26:55So now to roll this up
26:58Just in the sides like that
27:01Then up and over
27:05And there we have the burrito
27:08But how does it taste Oh
27:11Oh
27:13Fabulous fragrance texture wonderful sourness from that ferment and so Mexican
27:28It's so interesting to me that during my time in and around Bristol
27:32I've eaten dishes from all corners of the globe from Egypt to Pakistan
27:39To Mexico and Jamaica
27:43It's perhaps what I love most about food here in the UK that our cuisine is truly one of the most
27:50international in the world
27:57If you'd like to see more episodes of Rick Steins food stories press the red button now to watch on BBC iPlayer
28:05You
28:07Next time I'm in Suffolk
28:10Do you still love what you do? I do. Yeah, can't size. I'm quite as sprightly as what I was during the club. Oh
28:18Over over and hey presto a perfect mackie roll
28:24To create a starter we need is flour and water mine's called Barry baby Barry baby Barry
28:34You
28:58You