All language subtitles for Rick.Steins.Australia.S01E06.1080p.iP.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.H.264-HDFLiX_track3_[eng]

I was 19 years old
when I first saw Australia.

My dad had just died...

..and I was running away
from my old life.

What I found in Australia
changed me...

..and I can remember saying,
"This is me. I've escaped.

"This is my life."

Today, Australia is so much more

than just another
travel destination to me.

My wife is Australian.

- Thank you, Ricky. Scrumptious.
- Scrumptious, eh?

And this country
has become my second home.

- Love them to bits.
- Cheers.

So, after a lifetime
of food journeys,

I'm finally retracing
some of that first trip.

Now I'm ready to go.

I want to discover how Australia
and its food is changing.

I mean, I remember coming
up this coast -

it was so remote. You come back now,
and it's like this.

Takes me right back.

After travelling the outback...

Ow!

..I'm exploring
the New South Wales south coast...

You know, some people think you
should swallow an oyster.

Oh, no!

..before making my way
back to Sydney...

You know, this is
sort of overwhelming to me.

..and I'm bringing my inspiration
home to create new recipes.

Oh, that is delicious.

It's going to be another journey
of a lifetime.

After heading out from Sydney,
up the coast,

around the outback
and down through the inland plains,

I'm winding my way south-east,

over the mountains
of the Great Dividing Range,

about 400 kilometres from Sydney.

This ancient mountain range
runs 3,500 kilometres

down the length
of Australia's east coast

and, as the name suggests,

it divides the interior of
the country from the coast.

This is a great drive.

I've never done it before,
and it's spectacular.

I'm over 1,000 metres above sea level

and, even on this sunny day,
you can feel the chill in the air.

These plains were once prized

as some of the best grazing country
in Australia

but, after decades of overgrazing
and land clearing,

the countryside is rather more bare
than it once was.

Still, I find it eerily beautiful,
in its own way.

I'm stopping for lunch at Nimmitabel,

one of the oldest towns here
in the high country.

It's as good a place as any

to find out what's keeping
these historic communities going.

Well, I'm just driving to the coast,
but it's a long old drive,

and I've just seen this pub.

It just looks like it might be
a bit different.

Let us see.

The Federal Hotel was opened in 1890.

It has a handful of guest rooms,
but its mainstay

is this cosy public bar,
serving food and drink.

I love finding places like this
that have a lot of history.

Is there anything I can get you?

Yeah, I'd like a
non-alcoholic beer, actually,

- cos I'm driving.
- Why not?

I'm a big fan of Aussie pubs,

and they often serve up
a decent steak.

Thank you very much.

- You wouldn't have a steak, would you?
- I do, nice thick rump.

- Yeah, that'd be great, yeah.
Medium rare would be good.
- Perfect.

I can see plenty of events coming up,

mixed with traces
of the building's colourful past...

..and I wonder how the town's been
faring over the years.

If we go back about
a hundred years ago,

it's about a thousand people here.

- Right.
- There were six timber mills,
six hotels.

It was thriving.
If you go back about 50 years ago,

population was about 500,

because the timber mills
were starting to close.

The young people were seeing,
well, where's their future?

They were moving somewhere else.

And, in the last 10 to 20 years,
it got down to about 240.

And this hotel actually
was closed, and I bought it,

and basically we tried
to resurrect it a bit.

So we try to have festivals
and things like that,

and we've pushed that in the last
ten years and it's starting to work.

- It's bringing people into town.
- It is, is it?

It's now about 360 people in town
and they've got new cafes opening.

We've got a petrol station
that's reopened.

Things are starting
to come back again.

You might have been
partly responsible

for the resurgence
of the town then, really.

That's what the community tells me,
which is a great thing -

but the hotel's not just
a drinking hole.

It's a community meeting place.

- Here's your steak, Rick.
- Thank you very much.

Very nice.

I must say...

..in line with its, um...

..the old-fashioned nature
of this pub,

it's very nice to have some
mashed potato rather than chips.

Actually, it's a perfect portion size
for lunch.

That was just what I needed
to get me to the coast.

I'm heading another two hours
down the mountains

to the southernmost stretch
of beaches in New South Wales.

It's known as the Sapphire Coast.

Named after its deep blue,
sparkly waters,

It's a region I've been coming to
for more than 20 years.

It's actually my favourite part
of Australia,

not least because it produces some
of the country's best seafood.

I love this area. I mean, it's just
fabulous scenery, great seafood.

You know, every now and then
you have to open a gate or two.

The population here has nearly
doubled since I first visited...

..but there's plenty of spaces
where nature still holds sway...

..like where I'm going now,

a pristine coastal estuary...

..on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

I love secret places like this.

I've been invited to visit
the family beach retreat

of one of Australia's
most famous historians,

the late Professor Manning Clark.

Clark spent time here with his wife,
Dymphna,

while he wrote
A History Of Australia,

his famous, if controversial,

six-volume epic
about the building of a nation.

Manning died in 1991,

and today I'm meeting
his granddaughter,

who's also a professor of history

and an award-winning author.

Like her grandfather,

Anna Clark has a deep connection
to this place and its future.

Hi, Anna. Very nice to meet you.

I can't believe
how spectacular this is.

- It's pretty remarkable, isn't it?
- My gosh!

- Full of wonder, to be honest.
- Yeah.

Well, I've been coming here
since I was a baby,

and I'm filled with the same
wonder every time I'm here.

My grandparents bought
this property about 60 years ago,

wanting to have a kind of getaway,
I suppose.

So, what was Manning Clark like,
your grandfather?

I really knew him
only as a little kid.

He died when I was 12,

and my main memory of him
is as someone who took me fishing,

- actually, if I'm honest.
- Great. I love that.
- Yeah.

It was here.
Like, this is where we went.

Anna has offered to show me
one of her favourite fishing spots -

and even though I'm not
the best at fishing, I can't resist.

- I mean, look at that.
- I know, right? Magnificent.

This lake is around
four kilometres long,

and shallow,
with depths of just a metre or so.

It has some of the cleanest
and clearest waters in the country.

Do you Australians all realise

just how wonderful
a country you live in?

- I think so.
- So do I.
Stupid question, really.

- It's very... Yeah.
- Honestly, I can't believe it.

It's very beautiful, isn't it?

Can't be many places
more peaceful on Earth,

just looking around.

That's it. Perfect.

So, do you think
you're good at fishing?

You've put the mozzer on me now,
cos I won't catch anything.

- Sorry.
- I like fishing,
put it that way.

It's one of my favourite things
to do ever.

Obviously, I love the thrill of
catching fish. There's nothing...

There's nothing better.
It's so exciting.

But when you're in a place...

..and, you know, you're in a place

and still enough to watch
the tide turn or the sun set,

there's something very beautiful
about being in that space

and that time where the fish are
a bonus rather than the main game.

- That's how I see it.
- Well, I mean,
you must be incredibly enthusiastic

- because, of course,
you've written Catch...
- Yes.

..a book about the history of fishing

and also some thoughts about
the future of fishing.

Yeah. I, um... It was a combination
of my two great passions, that book.

I was lucky to be able to do that.

In your book, historically,

Australia has been no
more sustainable

in terms of fishing
than anywhere else, really.

There's a long time
where fishing in Australia

was seen to be a sort of
limitless resource,

and obviously it's not.

I mean,
you must have seen that in your work

with the industry and so on.

- Yeah.
- It's not a limitless resource.

In fact, some of it
is really precarious,

and if you take too much out,
it really stuffs things around.

But, as science has kind of caught
up with understanding breeding

and populations
and how to measure populations,

we're getting better
at understanding

what's sustainable or not.

And increasingly there are places,
you know,

that are being managed
really carefully,

and people are encouraged
to sort of help look after them,

and that emphasis on sustainability,

I think, is making a big difference.

I mean, I think there's some
really good news stories

in Australia about sort of limiting
the catches...

Yes, people are releasing,
or only catching what they need.

Just take enough for tea.
You don't need 50.

- Yeah.
- You might just need dinner.
- Yeah.

I think that - I think that's right.

It's in fishers' interest, isn't it,
to be sustainable,

- because otherwise you can't
keep doing it.
- Exactly.

These sheltered shallows

provide the perfect feeding grounds
for schools of fish.

Perhaps that's why they're not taking
our bait today...

..because, after two hours,
we still haven't caught our dinner.

I'm not sure that luck
is on my side, our side today, Rick,

after I've talked myself up and said
I'm handy on the fishing rod,

- so we might pack up and keep moving.
- OK.

Anna is taking me
to her beach shack kitchen...

..where I can start barbecuing.

Early this morning, before you came,
I caught this beautiful tailor.

It looks absolutely lovely.

I think tailor's called bluefish
in the rest of the world, isn't it?

Certainly in the States
and in Europe, I think,

or in Turkey particularly.

It's a lovely fish,

- oily, perfect when it's fresh
like this.
- Mm.

So, I've just dried it really well.

The drier the fish
before you put it on a barbecue,

the less likely it is to stick.

Is that what you're going
to do with it today?

Yes, I'm just cooking it
over some nice Australian hardwood.

If you can't find tailor,

then mackerel is a great alternative
for barbecuing like this.

And, actually, I think I'm just going
to put a bit of rosemary

from your herb garden on the top.

The bane of everybody that cooks fish
on a barbecue

is it sticks to the grill bars.

Over the years, I've learnt,
A, don't have too brisk a fire

and, B, if you can
put something on there

just to keep it off the bars,
it won't stick.

And the great thing about putting
a bit of rosemary like that

is it just gives it a slightly
smoky flavour.

So, there we go. We can leave that.

Now, I'm just going to make
a little salsa

- to go with it.
- Fabulous.

In go some chopped cherry tomatoes
and some onion.

A bit of colour. These look
really nice, these chives.

- Did you grow them?
- Yeah, they're from our garden.

Chives and olive oil are next.

- Just on top?
- Yeah, you can pour a bit on top.

Just add some parsley and coriander,

the simpler the better, really.

When you've got fish
as fresh as that,

if you start complicating things,
you just lose the point, you know?

And I'm finishing it off
with some finger lime.

- Native citrus.
- Yes, a bit of that
for a...
- Yum!
- ..sort of hint.

I think that'll do.

One of the things I learnt
in Greece, actually, and in Turkey,

is you don't need a lot of heat
to cook a fish,

and it doesn't
have to be sort of bar-marked,

because what you're looking
for is the subtlety of the wood

or the charcoal.

- Ooh, yum!
- Fantastic.

- Thank you, Anna.
- Pleasure.

- That looks very nice.
- Look at that.

- Shall we eat?
- Yes, let's do that.

I mean, I couldn't think
of a better place to have a tailor.

I must say, that does look nice,
don't you think?

- It looks beautiful.
- So nice to
have... I like these tin plates.

They don't break,
which you need around here.

- Such a good fish.
- Oh, good.

Oh, yum!
The rosemary is actually great.

- Isn't it? You can taste it.
- Yeah.

That is just so fresh.
Nice little salad too. Thank you.

Do people eat a lot of tailor here,
then?

They're not a big industry
fish because they don't keep.

- You can't freeze them.
- It's very soft.

Which is good for you and me,

because it means there's
heaps out there,

if you just want
to catch it for a meal.

But, I mean, they've got a lot of
flavour because they're very oily,

aren't they? But I always think,
if you cook fish like this,

that's just straight out of the sea,

- nobody could fail to love fish.
- Absolutely. Freshness is the key.

It does spoil you,
if you like fishing.

SHE SHRIEKS

There's a whale, just jumping!

That was massive.

Gosh, this is so special.

I can't imagine a better
way to return

to my beloved coastline than cooking
and fishing with Anna,

because we both think
there is a future for fishing

as long as we care for our fish.

I'm journeying south.

I'm on my way to another of

the region's great estuaries,
Pambula Lake.

I love driving through
these gum-tree forests.

It's really what attracted me
to this part of New South Wales,

the south coast, originally.

It's just this sort of green
all the way

and then occasional glimpses
of the blue sea.

It's fabulous.

This part of Australia

is traditionally home
to the Yuin people.

One of the things that's really meant
a lot to me on this trip

is the indigenous
people's concept of country.

I want to learn more about
the Yuin connection to the land

and how they care for it.

So, I'm going to meet Nathan,
a Yuin custodian of this country.

Like his ancestors before him,

Nathan Lygon was born
and raised here on Pambula Lake.

- Hello.
- G'day, Rick.
- Nathan, nice to meet you.

Pleasure to meet you too, mate.

Such a lovely day
and such a beautiful place,

and I'm loving the bellbirds.

The bellbirds are always
a treat here in the morning.

- Aren't they?
- Oh, yeah, absolutely.
- It's just heaven, here.
- It is.

Fortunately, I am very lucky
to have connection with this place.

Family's been living here
for quite a while.

It's those old people and ancestors
that, for thousands of years,

have been caretakers
for these lands and waters,

living here
in the forests along the river.

Incredibly rich history here,

and I'm so fortunate to be able
to share with people here.

"Pambula" means "two waters"
in the local indigenous language -

a reference to the two rivers
that flow into this lake...

..and Nathan's taking me to a place

where his ancestors enjoyed the
bounty these waters had to offer -

an ancient midden.

The white shells we can see
on the river bank,

and it's a place where,
for thousands of years

of people harvesting
the abundance of food,

coming back to camp
and sharing that food,

eating shellfish,
among many other things,

and depositing the remains
of those meals there.

If you were to go back
and look back on this place,

you would see some 20 metres
of continuous shell

going back up the hill in some
areas, probably up to three metres,

maybe four metres deep.

- Amazing, amazing!
- Yeah.

One of the sites here on the river

- had dated it to over 3,000 years
old.
- Thousands of years there.

Thousands of years.

And it's a place where,
for thousands of years,

people have been sharing stories,

laughing, crying,
watching children swim.

You can imagine just how pleasant
it would be to come down here

and gather shellfish
on the side of the river like that.

- Yeah, it's not hard to imagine
at all, and...
- No.

..you know, the old people were
clever, and they understood country,

and, you know,
I don't think it's any mistake

- that there's quite a
large site here.
- Yeah.

There's obviously plenty of food
in the water and around the rocks.

- Yeah.
- But also,
this little hill here,

particularly in this cooler period,

is one of the first to get
that really nice sun in the morning.

So, there we go.

- Early breakfast.
- Early breakfast.

Is the river as abundant now
as it used to be?

Unfortunately, Rick, I would say not
as what it used to be.

Some of the sites here have actually
been excavated and documented,

and I think they found
30 different species.

I would say we have lost
a great portion of what was.

Now, when we look at the density
of the shells

- and think about the timescale
and the timeframe...
- Yeah.

..that people were living here
and eating those foods,

it requires a certain mind and
understanding around sustainability.

- Yeah.
- As a modern society,

we've stepped away from that,
and it has affected the abundance.

Yeah.

I think in my lifetime

there's been some really wonderful
and powerful land care projects

popping up around our local area
looking after our tributaries.

Those groups are doing
incredible work.

Everyone has
their little bit to play

when it comes to being responsible

and trying to look after

this magical place
that we have here.

There is one shellfish, however,

that can be found
in great abundance here.

Pambula Lake is home to a number
of large oyster farms

with acres of cultivated beds
stretching out across the water.

Known as Sydney Rock,
these oysters are prized

for their creamy texture
and rich flavour...

..and those grown on Pambula Lake

are reputed to be some of
the best oysters in Australia.

Well, it's really interesting
on Pambula Lake,

because you've got
modern aquaculture, oyster farming,

next to ancient shell deposits,

and I'm asking myself,
are they compatible?

I'm meeting a renowned local farmer
to discuss all things oysters.

Sue McIntyre has spent nearly
30 years farming on Pambula Lake,

earning multiple awards
for her oysters along the way.

She is also a champion shucker.

- Hi.
- Hello! How are you?
- I'm very well.

Well, it's very nice to be here,
such a lovely part of the world,

- on such a lovely day.
- Isn't it gorgeous?

Well, you're obviously busy.

What are you doing here, then,
just as a matter of interest?

- I'm just...
- You seem to be knocking
seven bells out of an oyster.

That's right.
So we've got the main oyster here,

and then we've got some overcatch,

so another little oyster
that's growing on it,

so we're just separating them off

so that we can keep the main oyster
and keep it growing.

Oh, so they're going back in there.

Yeah, so these are
our younger stock,

these ones are only
about two years old -

and we usually harvest our Sydney
rock oysters when they're three.

How many oysters would you grow
in a year, then?

We try and grow about
60,000 dozen a year.

- 60,000 DOZEN?
- Yeah, yeah.

Mathematics...
That's a lot of oysters!

It is a lot of oysters.

I do love them. I mean, you know,
there's not many things

that you get to grow
that are native,

that don't require any feeding,
come in their own packaging,

are good for the environment

and good for people
who are eating them, as well,

- and taste fabulous.
- I guess
that leads me to the question -

how sustainable are oysters,
and your oysters?

Very sustainable.

So, I think, you know, the analogy
I like to use these days

is if you've got a fish tank
and you've got a filter in there

- that's cleaning the water
for your fish...
- Yeah.

..if you think about the oysters
in an estuary,

that's what they're doing
and they're providing

that environmental service
to the whole of the estuary.

And so being an oyster farmer

that is then tending
those little creatures

that provide that service
is wonderful,

and in the 28 years
that we've been here,

I've really tried to be at
the forefront

of making adaptations in our farm

so that as we learn of more
environmentally friendly ways

of farming,
we've moved into that as well.

And the whole of
the Sapphire Coast oyster industry

is really on board with that.

As well as, obviously, creating
something that's delicious to eat.

You're quite good at selling
the whole concept of oysters!

Not... You're preaching to
the converted, I have to say.

All right. Well, how would
you consider the flavour

of the Sydney rocks from here?

Oh, because we have
a nice flow of fresh water

and the oceanic water,

we end up with a lovely, creamy,
salty flavour

with a bit of a vegetable finish
at the end.

- So, yeah, they're really nice.
- This is...

You could be describing wine there!

A creamy, salty flavour with
a vegetable finish at the end.

That's funny,
because our tourism body

wants us to use the term
"shellar door".

"Shellar door"?

- Which...
- How come you Australians
have this sort of habit of punning?

- I've noticed it.
- I don't know!

So many shops, going through
any town in Australia,

- there's a little pun.
- Yeah, that's it. I don't know!

- I quite like it. "Shellar door".
- Easy humour!

Just looking at them,

I just thought maybe we could try
a few, because I do love an oyster.

Oh, I think that's a great idea.

Where should we go?

Do you want to go down
into the sunshine down there

- and sit on the edge of the lake?
- I think that'd be really nice.
- OK.

There we go.
So that oyster hasn't been rinsed,

- hasn't been chilled...
- Great!

..so it should have that full
flavour of Pambula Lake in there.

Hopefully no grit.

No grit. Delicious,

sweet, smooth...

- ..unbelievable!
- Fantastic.

It must be brackish water,
because they taste of ocean to me,

simply because there's
a lot of salt in them.

Funnily, once I tasted oysters,
Chesapeake Bay in the States,

and it's fresh water,

and they just don't taste as good,

because you need that saltiness,
I think.

- Absolutely.
- It accentuates
the sweetness of them.

When we do get rainfall
and the estuary's impacted

with floodwaters coming through,

the taste of the oyster
changes completely,

and even though we might
be able to harvest again

based on environmental conditions,

- we always wait for that salinity
to come back up...
- Yeah.

..because it just
doesn't taste right.

You want that just-dunked-
in-the-ocean kind of experience

- when you have a fresh oyster.
- Couldn't agree more.

There you go.

- I think you can have another one.
- Do you know, some people think

- you should swallow an oyster.
- Oh, no!

SHE LAUGHS

You definitely need to chew them

to release that beautiful flavour
that's in there.

- It's absurd, isn't it?
- It is absurd!

It is absurd. There you go.
You better have one more.

SHE LAUGHS

- This is the last?
- Oh, no, not at all.

- We've got a whole basket here!
- No, no, no. Right. I did think...

I think the Sapphire Coast is lucky,
particularly this part,

because talking to Sue
about oyster farming,

they are totally sustainable,

and I think people around here
are working in harmony with nature.

Because I think we're all beginning
to realise that nature matters.

I'm making my way north along
a stretch of coastline I know well.

I'm lucky enough
when I'm in Australia

to spend a fair bit of time here in
a little village called Mollymook...

..because I have a restaurant here
on the water,

hidden amongst the trees.

It's such a serene and green
and peaceful part of Australia,

the south coast.

It's quite easy to forget
that this is Australia

and things aren't always like this.

I'm referring in particular
to the summer of 2019.

Sas, my wife, and I were at
Mollymook, at our restaurant.

We were gathered to celebrate
New Year's Eve at the restaurant

when Lake Conjola,

the village right across the water,
caught fire.

The fires came within
3km of our restaurant.

And I remember sitting there and
looking at Lake Conjola burning

and thinking, how can we celebrate?

As it turned out, over 90 homes
were burnt in Lake Conjola.

That year, more than
5.5 million hectares of land

in New South Wales
went up in smoke.

It was the most catastrophic
fire season ever recorded.

More than a billion animals
were killed or displaced,

and 26 people lost their lives.

I remember during that time feeling,
well, scared, to be honest.

I mean, you've sort of suddenly
become acutely aware

of which way the wind's blowing -

and where we were, fortunately,
the wind was blowing the other way,

but it could easily
have blown our way,

and I was thinking at the time,

I may end up in the sea, you know,
just keeping out of the fire.

I suppose there's nothing
like that in the UK -

the sort of incredible,
incredible power of nature.

And I will never forget it,
of course.

I can't help feeling we live
in difficult times environmentally.

It's probably due to climate change,

and whether it's bushfires,
droughts, floods,

things are quite radical.

And I guess things are
affecting our seas as well,

so I'm very keen to talk to people
who make their living from the ocean

and see what's happening.

I've arranged to come
to a little jetty

just south of Mollymook
to meet a commercial fisherman

who's spent his life
working on these waters.

I'm off sea urchin harvesting,

and I've never been
sea urchin harvesting before,

so I'm very excited.

- Chris, nice to meet you.
- Hi, Rick. Nice to meet you.

- We're going urchin gathering?
- Yeah, that's right.

So we're going to take the bait out
and see what we can gather.

- Very excited!
- Yeah, great.
- I love my sea urchins.

Do you want to get on first, then,
I guess? See how you do it.

Chris Theodore and his brother

are part of a second-generation
family business.

They grew up diving in these waters
for abalone,

a delicious and
expensive shellfish...

..but in the last 15 years

the business has pivoted
to hunting for sea urchins.

And which particular urchins
are we going...?

- There's various different species,
aren't there?
- Yeah.

So we call them
the purple urchin here.

It's the Centro rodgersii.

I like your Latin. Yeah!

HE CHUCKLES

They're the ones
that we mainly harvest.

A bit closer to the reef,

there's a big ledge
that runs out along here...

..and it's just, yeah,
covered in really big urchins,

so we don't have to go too far
to get them today.

It's a lovely day to be doing it.

I mean, do you go out
in most weathers, then, or...?

Yeah, you do have to go out
in a lot of weather

just to keep the show on the road,
sort of thing, and...

Well, for me, it couldn't be nicer.

- No, no. You've picked
the perfect day for it.
- Yes.

So my brother Jay's
going to do all the diving.

He's had a lot of experience
over the years.

What's a really big urchin?
That big?

Yeah. You're sort of saying
almost, with the spikes,

- the size of a soccer ball, or...
- Yeah, yeah. Good lord.
- Yeah.

- And the spikes are, what,
about that long?
- Yeah.

- Well, we'll see shortly!
- Yeah, yeah.

They're a bit nasty when they get
in the fingers or knuckles, but...!

RICK LAUGHS

Chris tells me that as
the seas here have grown warmer,

sea urchin numbers have increased.

There are now so many of them,

they're destroying the coral reef
and seaweed habitats they feed on.

We've been fishing this area
for the last 15 years,

and they just can't be stopped.

They're a virtually
unstoppable force.

They can chew holes in rock,
it's that strong.

They grow so quickly,
and they're very prolific.

Chris says
Jay will be able to collect

a whole bag of sea urchins
in a matter of minutes...

..and across a six-hour day,

they'll haul in around
a ton of sea urchins.

Presumably the quota's quite high
for urchins, isn't it?

Yes, so, no quota on urchins,

because of all the damage they're
doing and how prolific they are.

I can see them down there.

It's not that deep.
It's really clear.

Surprisingly, sea urchin isn't
a popular seafood in Australia.

Instead, Chris exports most of
his urchin roe to Asia,

where it's considered
a great delicacy.

Occasionally it just looks like
patches of white where they are,

but occasionally
you can see the bag.

Once his bag is full,
Jay sends it up to the surface.

This is the moment of truth.

I love the little parachute
that came up.

Wow, look at that!

God, they're enormous!

- Not too bad for 15 minutes.
- God, and look at the colour of them!

They're just a beautiful
black-purple.

And they're just going like that!

I didn't quite realise
how much movement they have.

You just see them
in the bottom of...

when you're swimming,
and they just look stationary,

but they they're moving
all the time.

They're the biggest urchins
I've ever seen.

Can I get you to cut one open
in a minute?

- Yeah, we definitely can.
- Oh, good on you.
- Yeah.

Yeah, so we'll crack one open, Rick,
and we'll see what we've got inside.

Oh, great.

So as you can see, it doesn't look
like much at the moment.

There's a lot of guts that all
needs to be removed, and the beak.

- But...
- And the beak?
Yeah, so this is the beak.

This is the stuff that does
all the damage to the reef.

- As you can see, it's very strong,
tough beak.
- Wow.

Yeah, so then it's just spooned out
like this, very, very carefully

as to not to break the roe,

and then sort of give it
a shake into the basket.

- There's a lot of roe in them.
- There is, yeah.

And then it's just a matter of
giving it a good rinse.

Got to be careful to get rid of
all the spikes.

We don't want anyone
swallowing one of those.

That's the product.

Always really bright,
vibrant colour here.

That's a big selling point
once we get it over to Asia.

- Right. Well, can I try one?
- You definitely can, yeah.

Oh, there we go.

This is the best way you're going to
get it, straight out of the shell.

Perfect!

Salty and sweet.

Yeah, exactly.
That's the flavour we're after.

It's sort of peak season now,
so they're as good as they get.

- Unbelievable.
- Yeah.

Sort of full of umami and ozone.

I don't know what I'd liken it to.
It's not like...

Obviously not like lobster,
not like oysters.

It's just got its own
sort of seafood flavour, really.

It's got this sort of
fragrance as well.

- Can I have a bit more?
- Yeah, definitely.
- It's just...

Such a delicate, delicate food
from such a harsh animal.

I can't believe anybody
wouldn't like that.

I guess they're put off
by the look of it, really.

Yeah, it seems an acquired taste,
and people that really do like it

REALLY like it, really go out
of their way to get it.

It's so versatile,

how many different ways it can be
cooked with, and eaten raw, and...

Actually, I like it
on an opened oyster.

Just a slice of that on top, raw.

Or I love it in scrambled eggs.

- Yeah.
- It really works
in scrambled eggs.
- Yeah.

My favourite way is just with...
on a cracker with lemon juice.

- It's really nice.
- Is that right?
- Yeah! Yep.

I really enjoyed today,
and I think it's very important

simply because
my livelihood is seafood,

but also because I think seafood

is an essential part of our diet
for healthy living.

So, what Chris is doing in helping
to rid the oceans of a pest,

but also making a living out of it,
it's very good news.

If there's anything I've learnt
in the last few days,

it's that sustainability is
the only future for our planet,

but particularly for our seas.

My interest in sustainable seafood
has sent me

back up the highway to Sydney,

where my journey began.

I'm here to meet a young superstar
of the culinary world.

Josh Niland is one of
Australia's most celebrated chefs,

and he's pushing the boundaries
of what seafood can be.

He's revolutionised the way
we use and eat seafood,

not just here in Australia
but all around the world.

I'm visiting Josh
not at one of his restaurants

but at the shop where he processes
his seafood on the city's fringe.

- Josh.
- G'day! How are you, Rick?
- Very well.
- Welcome.

- Come on in.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
- It's a bit special.
- It is!

What is a fish butchery?

Well, it's what you're looking at.

So working like a meat butcher
does with an animal,

but applying the same theory
to a fish.

There's so much within
the butchery world

that's brought secondary cuts
to life.

You can apply the exact same
anatomical theory to a fish.

So all the offal
that sits within the fish,

the head, the bones,
all these other bits.

Then we get all this great product.

So, basically, it's sort of,

as they say in pork butchery,

everything but the squeal
gets used, then!

Gotcha, gotcha.

JOSH LAUGHS

I'm excited to see
Josh's approach in action.

Beautiful fish. This is bar cod
that's coming to us

out of the west side of Australia.

So we're going to start this.

I've just taken the collar...

..draw the blade down there...

..like that.

And then what we want to do here,

just separated the collars
away from the head,

and then just using the cleaver,

just so that I can cut the head off

as neatly as I can. So...

And obviously this is
going to go into

- some fabulous products.
- Absolutely.

We make terrines,
we make fishcakes,

we make fish pies,
pasta, spaghetti bolognese.

We make sausages
out of the trimmings as well.

And then, we don't want
to shock too many people,

but we take...we actually take
the vitreous humour,

which is where all the collagen
is in the fish eye...

- Yeah.
- ..and instead of using eggs,

we'll use the collagen from the eye
to produce ice cream.

And there is no ambition of making
that ice cream taste like fish.

It's to prove that
the collagen in there

will achieve the same
textural outcome as an egg.

Wow!

JOSH LAUGHS

- So...
- Just look at it!
Just imagine, at fish merchants'...

- Yes.
- ..this would be thrown away.
- Absolutely.

I mean, look at all the meat there,
all the meat there,

all the meat there.

Honestly, this is
sort of overwhelming to me.

- You know?
- Yeah.

Like, there's a fish,
monkfish, in the UK,

they throw the heads away,
always, you know?

But then that beautiful
monkfish liver,

that when...if it's looked after,
like, really looked after,

then that's arguably
better than foie gras.

Well, this is fascinating.
It really is.

When you say it,
it seems obvious, doesn't it?

- Yeah.
- You see how expensive
a fish is,

- particularly the sort of
prime fish...
- Yeah.

..if you can get sales of
all the bits and bobs

- that people don't eat normally...
- Absolutely.

How did this all start for you?

20 years ago, I started cooking,
and a lot of that was born from...

I was unwell as a kid.
I had cancer when I was eight,

and then during the time of
being ill and having chemotherapy

and all of that,
I was watching a lot of TV shows,

and that was cooking shows,
and, you know,

- one of them was yours, and...
- Mine?

Yeah, absolutely.

- Wow! Really?
- And so whether it was
born of the way...

..in particular you communicated
fish, made food really exciting.

So, I started cooking when I was 15.
I had great mentors in Australia,

and I was fortunate
to go abroad as well

and stand in the same kitchen
as Heston at the Fat Duck.

So I think being exposed
to great people

and great product here in Australia

was then the catalyst
for now what we're doing.

Josh opened his first restaurant
when he was just 26,

but the cost of seafood meant
he struggled financially.

I think the fear of
losing a restaurant

that I was personally
responsible for,

that was the key motivator,

and so the solution to my problem
was creativity and innovation.

- Let's have a taste.
- Wow.

So this is your charcuterie?

Yeah, some of the charcuterie.

I mean, your problem surely
is going to be prejudice.

- People are naturally conservative
when they eat things.
- Yeah.

And it's almost your brain saying,
"You're not going to like this

"because it's made out of fish
and it should be made out of meat."

- Yeah.
- So selling
these sort of products is tricky.

Well, I'm trying to use the work
that we do at Fish Butchery

to communicate it to the industry

that needs vast improvement

if the generations ahead of us...

If they're to consume wild fish,
some of this needs to stick.

- So what we've got there...
- Oh, you cut some up for me!

I've got some for you.

This one here, this is sujuk,

so the Turkish...
basically sausage.

What's in there, then?

So you've got ground yellowfin tuna.

- Yeah.
- And it's got all the spices,

so those wonderful warm cumins
and coriander seeds and garlic.

So you can have a try of that one...

And really good with,
like, garlic yoghurt

and tabbouleh and flatbreads and...

But there's no fish on it.

I hate to say this,
but it doesn't taste of fish.

- It just tastes...
- Why do you hate to say that?

I don't know, actually.

I mean, I suppose
I was expecting to taste

- a sort of lesser product...
- Mm-hm.
- ..which tasted of fish,

but actually, it's really nice.

- I can taste the tuna in it now,
and it's delicious.
- Yeah. Good.

This one here,
this is rock flathead.

So flathead here in Australia,
it's our fish-and-chip fish.

- I know it well.
- You know it well!
- Yeah.

Lovely fish, actually.

So, lots of black pepper.
Lightly smoked, as well.

Eat it as a two. It's tasty.

- Well, I thought you might want some!
- Yeah, yeah, I'll have a bit.

Lovely.

Again, it doesn't taste of fish,
but it's sort of...

I mean, I've got to get rid of
my own prejudice, which is terrible.

But if you didn't tell me
that was made from fish,

I would just say that's a very nice,
almost like a sort of boudin blanc,

- you know? It's like...
- That's right.

..very nicely spiced and seasoned.

- This one here...
- Yeah?

..this is our yellowfin tuna
and pistachio salami.

Smells like salami.

Mm. So you have a taste of that one.
That's my favourite.

Well, it's sweet, it's savoury,
got a bit of smoke,

but the overall... You taste it
and you just think, this is lovely.

- Yeah!
- What have we got here, then?

So that's a bit of
swordfish belly bacon.

- What is really nice with that
is the fat in it.
- Yeah.

It's really, really
lovely mouthfeel, isn't it?

We don't sort of readily,
as human beings,

latch on to new things -

and I include myself in that.

I feel rather shamefaced
to say that.

But having been here, I do think
that this is the way forward.

Yeah.

I'm still a fan of
the simple classics done well,

and like all good practitioners,

Josh has that covered too.

All right.

I'm still pretty good
at fish and chips!

Look at the crispness of that batter
and the crispness of those...

- Those chips.
- ..the chips.
- Yeah.

- The fish - very moist.
- Yeah.
- Beautifully firm.

Again, I mean, that's what everybody
wants in batter, isn't it?

It's just incredibly dry
and incredibly crisp.

But it's like eating puff pastry.

- It is.
- Those lovely pastry flakes.

I mean, it's sensational, this.

I know!

HE LAUGHS

And I'm thinking...

Who'd have thought that
I'd be having fish and chips

with Rick Stein in Fish Butchery?

- In the Fish Butchery!
- Amazing.

After my nearly 5,000km
circumnavigation of New South Wales,

I'm on the home stretch.

I'm finally returning to
the small town of Mollymook

on my beloved south coast.

It's a place I've loved
from the moment

I first laid eyes on it
many years ago.

I never dreamt that
my wife Sas and I

would be lucky enough to have
our own beach retreat here...

..and that it would become
my home away from home in Australia.

So nice to be home.

That table, there,

that's where I write
many of my cookery books.

There's me in my college days
with all the other chefs.

And this is where I put inspiration
to work and try out my recipes.

This is my favourite place.

I've spent a lot of my time in here.

There's nothing I like more
than coming up with new dishes

for friends and family.

And tonight is no exception...

..as I've invited
a couple of friends around

for a welcome home dinner.

Well, it's great to be home.

Back in my own kitchen with
everything familiar around me.

So I'm going to do some oysters
from Pambula Lake.

Just simply open,

but with a little bit
of an addition,

which is some sea urchins.

Chris, the other day,
he kindly gave me a box of them.

So, first of all,

some seaweed on this plate,

from a beach, that I've blanched.

That's just to bring the colour up
a lovely vivid green,

and use it as a way of
propping up my oysters.

I just think it looks great.

So, onto there go my oysters.

They're just so sweet
and so plumptious.

Put a slice of sea urchin
on an oyster.

I would have to say, this is not
going to be to everybody's taste.

Chris, on the boat,

he was saying people either
love them or hate them.

There we go.

Three or four wedges of lemon
on the plate.

That looks good.

Now just pop them in the fridge

till we're ready to serve.

Next I'm going to make a fish pie.

Now, this is my fish pie
from my restaurant in Australia.

The great thing about it, actually,

is that it's topped
with panko breadcrumbs,

not pastry or mashed potato.

Makes it a bit easy
and a bit different.

So the first thing I'm going
to do is make the veloute,

and that's the lovely creamy sauce
that goes into every good fish pie.

So first of all, heated up my pan,

and in goes the butter.

Stir it around.

Melt the butter. Flour next.

Stir that in to make a roux.

And now the next thing I do
is to add milk and stock -

in this case it's fish stock,

as it's a fish pie -

in thirds. So, we just add some milk.

And the reason I add it in thirds
is just to avoid it getting lumpy.

Just stir that in.

Just bring that up to the boil

and let the sauce thicken.

Then, when it's thickened,

I add the next third of milk...

..and fish stock.

Again, stirry, stirry, stirry.

And time to put my last third

of milk and stock in.

Do a little bit of a stir.

That's nice and amalgamated.

And now for my aromatics.

First of all,
a couple of fresh bay leaves,

one clove

and then some rasps of nutmeg.

Always find a bit of background
flavour of nutmeg

is great in a fish pie.

There we go.

Let that simmer for 20 minutes,

allowing the veloute
to thicken nicely.

Next I'm sauteing some onions
in a little butter.

So, now in go the onions.

I don't want to brown
the onions here,

I just want to make them
a bit translucent.

Otherwise they won't look very nice
in the finished fish stew.

And now to cook the fish.

And what I've got here is,
first of all, blue eye trevalla -

or you could use cod -

salmon,

prawns, scallops -

if you're a bit short of money,
leave the scallops out.

Just add a bit more fish -

and cooked mussels.

So I'm going to cut the fish up
into chunk-sized pieces.

And the reason for having
such a variety

is you've got the firm texture
and taste of fish,

plus the sweetness of prawns
and the scallops

and the lovely colour
and taste of the mussels.

So, there we go.

I'm going to season this fish,

toss it in flour

and fry it in butter and olive oil.

This is what I would call
a light dusting.

I don't want any colour here.

I'm just going to fry them

until the flour is cooked

and the juices are sealed inside.

Now, I'm not going to cook these,

but I'm just going to add them
to my cooked fish.

Toss them like that...

So that's my filling.

But I'm also putting in
some fried mushrooms.

There we go.

To finish off the sauce,

I'm passing it through a sieve
into the onions...

Stir that through.

..before adding Dijon mustard...

We'll just put a little bit in now.

..Parmesan,

cream...

Finally, piece de resistance -

a little bit of truffle oil.

Only a little bit.

It's very, very strong.

Oh, that is delicious.

So delicious.

..and my pie's nearly ready
for the oven.

I just need to add my breadcrumbs

to give it
a deliciously crunchy topping.

I'm mixing them with
a little melted butter...

So just stir that in.

..to keep them from burning.

Because everything's already cooked,

this pie only needs
to be in the oven

for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Perfect for a simple meal
with friends.

Hi, there!

Joining us tonight are musicians
Jimmy Barnes and his wife Jane,

who's also a great cook.

- A couple of little pressies for you.
- Oh, you're always so spoiling!

- Well, I hope you guys are hungry.
- Can't wait!

- Jane, do you want to sit here
next to Ricky?
- Mm-hm.

- And, Jimmy, do you want to sit here
next to me?
- No problem.

Scottish-born Jimmy
is the lead singer

of legendary Aussie rock band
Cold Chisel.

Dinner with a view! We love that.

We've been friends since discovering
our shared love of music and food.

I think the kookaburra wants some,

he's sitting on the porch out there!

- Hello!
- Hello!

Just busy in the kitchen.

Just made a little starter.

I didn't ask, actually, whether
you like oysters or sea urchins.

Are you into these sort of things,
Jane or Jimmy?

Well, I'll have to say,

this is going to be my first time
ever trying sea urchins.

Well, I've been trying to get Jane
to eat them for a long time.

- It's one of my favourite things
to eat.
- Oh, same here.

I haven't had it with oysters,
though, before,

so I think it's going to be
a great combo.

- We'll see!
- So, this is a first!
- But probably just help yourself.

- Maybe just one, Jane, see whether
you like them.
- I shall. Mm-hm.

Oh, I want to see Jane's
face when she tries...

SHE LAUGHS

A lot of people don't like
the texture. I love the texture.

- Delicious!
- Delicious!
See?
- Do you mean that?

- All these years...
- I really mean it.

I am pleasantly surprised.

Oh, thank you, Jane!

- It's the way you shuck 'em, Chef!
- THEY LAUGH

- Oh, yeah.
- What a treat.
- That is pretty fabulous.

- Taste of the sea, isn't it?
- Mm.
- Mm-hm.

Well, I'm glad you enjoyed
the oysters and urchins -

particularly you, Jane!

Now, next, the fish pie.

- Oh, she's never eaten a fish pie,
no!
- Oh, I know, I know!

She's never cooked a fish pie,
have you, Jane?!

I think I might have seen you cook
a fish pie on television before,

- so I'm really looking forward to it.
- You may have done, Jimmy!

Oh, that's a British one.

- This is an Aussie one.
- An Aussie fish pie. OK, yeah...

In the UK, the fish pie
always has boiled egg in it,

which a lot of Aussies
find rather hard,

- and generally smoked fish.
- Which I love.

This one's different,
and you have a mash top,

but this one's got
a panko crumb top.

- Look at that.
- Thank you.
- Yum!

Well, I hope
it's going to be all right.

What fish is in it, Rick?

Right, it's salmon and
blue eye trevalla,

and prawns and scallops
and a few mussels.

- Lovely!
- Great.

It's like a feast.

This is delicious,
I've got to tell you.

The best Australian fish pie
I've ever had.

In fact, it's the only
Australian fish pie I've ever had,

but it's absolutely delicious!

THEY LAUGH

Well, I have to say,
it's great being back at home,

because good food, good friends,
the odd glass of wine...

It's what life's all about.

So great to be back here.

- In your own kitchen.
- Right!

It was such a good trip
and so interesting.

I mean, things have changed so much
with food in this country.

You know, we're just sort
of coming into age, I think.

Yeah. I mean, it's like
a different world, really.

Well, well done, and welcome back.

- Cheers, everybody.
- Cheers! Happy times.

I've always loved
the coast of New South Wales...

..but my trip has given me
so much enlightenment.

I have to say, coming from England,

I mean,
this landscape is just so special.

Just across the river there,
you can see in the sandstone,

there's what looks like
two eyes looking out.

Yeah, I can see that.

I've met so many
really special people.

The best part is that
you've left on their heads.

- Oh, yes!
- This is so
bloody Chinese of you!

THEY LAUGH

You sing to your chicken?

SINGS OPERATICALLY

They taste so good.

If you don't mind me swearing,
it's bloody good chicken!

I think everybody I've spoken to,
in a way, is on the move.

- Is this how you get around?
- Absolutely. This is my farm ute.

- This is your farm ute?
- Yeah.

We're always in a hurry,
and the cops can't book us in it!

For many years, I think Australia
was playing catch-up with food...

I love Australia,
but I'm not that keen on these...

- On the sausage?
- On the snags.
But this is a good one.
- I hope so!

..but now I think Australia's
becoming a bit of a leader,

whether it's because of new ideas...

..or whether it's because things
don't work and they've had to adapt.

I'm not going to make
much money out of this,

so I thought I'd try something else.

And I have to say,
Australia leaves me confident

about the future,
and particularly the future of food.

I feel I'm just starting
to scratch the surface

of what Australia has to offer...

..and I can't wait
to see what lies ahead.