Original subtitles

There is one special place where I worked as a young chef that

has remained close to my heart.

Didn't think I'd come to France and find the Barnsley chop!

And one region in particular that is full of passionate producers

and incredible ingredients.

This is Provence!

We are going to be discovering the secrets of the very best

and simplest French cooking.

That is a discovery!

SHE LAUGHS

Nice and easy, simple dinner for one.

I'll be sharing tips, tricks and techniques...

We've got flavours of Provence.

There's sunshine for you.

..and enjoying a bit of friendly rivalry along the way...

That was close! I'm a little nervous.

LAUGHTER

I knew I wouldn't be able to fool them.

LAUGHTER

..all in the name of bringing you a simple taste of Provence.

There is one thing in France which seems even more important

than food - a sporting spirit,

be it football, tennis or even petanque.

Well, I'm going to be combining both of these French passions,

food and sport, over a match with the locals.

They know us Brits are also fantastic at footie

and tennis, but petanque and a dish to win them over?

I've got my work cut out!

I already have a classic taste of Provence in mind,

but to really set my dish off I'm

on the hunt for something both we and the French adore.

Cheese!

Versatile and cost-effective, a little can go a long way

on many dishes from a classic Welsh rarebit to a French onion soup.

But, with over a thousand varieties to choose from,

finding the perfect fromage won't be easy.

Luckily for me, if there's one person who knows what the locals

like, it's Monique...

Bonjour!

..who's been selling cheeses in Saint Remy for 50 years.

Ho-ho! Paradise!

I would really love to know all about the cheese of this region.

What's the cheese of here?

C'est le fromage de chevre. The goat's cheese?

The goat cheese.

Provence is said to produce the best goat's cheese in France

and Monique sources all hers locally,

offering something to suit everyone's taste,

including selection boxes flavoured with fruit, herbs and spices.

Ah? Ici. Ah, OK.

Donc ici nous avons...

..goat's cheese fresh avec quince.

Quince. Ciboulettes. Chives.

Baies roses. Red peppercorns.

Eh, raisin. Raisin.

This we do specially for aperitif. I like that.

But, as an aperitif? So at the beginning of your meal... Yeah. ..not at the end of the meal?

That must mean that the goat's cheese is quite light in flavour.

It's very light.

It will not have the same taste fresh and matured, you know?

But how old is this? Un jour. It's one day? OK.

Monique doesn't only add her own flavours...

Celui-ci il a huit jours.

..she ripens the cheeses in-house to give them extra depth.

Deux mois. Two months. Two months. Two months.

I love the shape.

The form will change the flavour. Really?

When it's round, small, big... It's firm. ..you have another kind of flavour.

C'est firme, oui. C'est firme? Not, not strong.

I'm not sure a strong cheese is what I'm after.

I need something to please a crowd.

It's like a little collection, it reminds me of petits fours.

Beautiful!

They're all flavours of the region. C'est ca. There's all of the region. Exactly.

It's, it's not just to sell, it's... It's to make better.

Yeah, exactly.

Which would you recommend for me?

Pour, ca peut etre. C'est pour moi? Oui.

Yeah, I'm going to try it. Can I have the, can I buy one of those, please?

Monique may be a keen supporter of local producers,

but does she share an appetite for France's most popular pastime?

I've been invited to play petanque.

Ah, petanque. Petanque. It's my accent! Mm-hm?

Petanque. Petanque.

It's easy to do? It's easy, er...

Is it competitive? You have to drink a little bit of pastis.

Oh, no, I'm not good with liqueurs.

Do you play petanque? Ah, non, j'ai pas le temps. No?

Je m'occupe de mes fromages, moi. Just cheese, just cheese only?

Cheese, cheese, cheese pour mes clients.

Just cheese for the customers? C'est ca! Ah!

Merci beaucoup. Thank you. Merci au, merci au revoir. Au revoir, monsieur.

I may not have got any useful petanque tips,

but at least I've got a taste of what the locals like.

Monique's goat's cheese will help me to win some friends later.

But, to seal the deal, I want to show you a simple yet delicious

recipe that's purely Provence.

Tapenade.

A quick, no-cook condiment to pep up a vinaigrette,

or take a simple tomato sauce to the next level.

Whipped up in a flash, it all starts with shallots.

Quickly just chop them up.

I'm just going to put that into my blender.

Think of tapenade as a Provencal pesto -

a rustic sauce to super-boost any dish.

And there we go. So, that's the base.

Now to build the flavour.

I always think that olives are pretty much of a love/hate thing.

You either love 'em or you hate them.

But I know one thing here in Provence, everyone loves olives.

Fresh is nice, but the cheaper jarred olives will do just as well.

A few little anchovies in that.

Pinch of salt. Now you have to be careful with the salt,

because olives are naturally salty, your anchovies are salty,

but what breaks it through are these little capers here.

So that's a lovely little bit of acidity.

A touch of vinegar and a glug of olive oil.

Twist of pepper.

To bring everything together, gently pulse.

This is great through pasta, dip, sandwiches.

Lovely with just a little bit of cheese and bread.

It's so versatile.

Great on a ploughman's too.

Really, really delicious.

Right, I'd better get this into jars.

Tapenade is as Provencal as you can get.

So I'm hoping this will make the perfect half-time petanque snack.

I know they take it really seriously in this part of the world.

Cos I'm not going to win them over with this little bit of tapenade,

I'd better make some more.

Deliciously simple.

There we have it.

I hope it's enough.

This punchy olive spread has got me

hankering for something more substantial.

I've got a quick and crispy twist to transform humble

ingredients into the perfect Provencal meal.

All I need is the freshest goat's cheese I can find.

Thankfully, I'm in the right place -

the pastures of Provence.

These are the perfect living conditions to rear sheep and

goats, providing cheesemakers like Florent with great-quality milk.

A local producer whose family has been living the good life

making goat's cheese for over 50 years.

Today, Florent has agreed to show me what it takes to make

an award-winning French cheese, from milk pail to plate.

Bonjour! Ah, bonjour! Enchante. Merci.

Wow! Wow, wow, wow!

I just hope his herd of dairy goats are up for the challenge.

I don't know what it is with goats, but they're quite naughty.

Yeah.

Hardy by nature, Saanen goats are

prized for their abundant milk production,

which is fortunate, considering what Florent wants me to do!

You have to, to milk by hand.

Yeah, but you've got machinery back there.

Yeah, but you know for you, you have to try it by hand, it's better.

So, I get the feeling that you're putting me

through a bit of apprenticeship, aren't you?

Yeah, yeah. That's what it is.

I've got to do it the old-fashioned way.

Typical! Typical, typical!

HE LAUGHS

Getting hands-on is all part of the job.

How do we do this? Alors. Whoop la!

No!

Ooh! Ah!

Milking by hand gives Florent a daily opportunity to check

the health of the herd.

No. Oh!

Their milk production is also something he keeps a close eye on.

It's hard work. Ah, yes. You've got to be strong. Aye, yeah.

Quickly, quickly, quickly!

I am moving quickly! I can't do it any quicker!

Well, that's not too bad.

If you have one day for one goat, it's OK.

But not, but not for you! Go on, show me, show me.

Will never be my employee.

I'm too slow!

Demoted on my very first day!

Right, I'm, I've got her, I've got her, ah!

She's strong!

The quality and volume of the milk varies with the season,

falling off in the summer, so every last drop counts.

I thought I was doing a good job.

Now I am really embarrassed.

I, I get the message.

FLORENT LAUGHS

Milking over for the day,

it's time for the herd to replenish themselves in the pastures.

I hope you run very well. Oh, I can run, yeah, I can run, trust me!

Allez! Whoa!

Excited by the promise of fresh grass.

Come on! ..this is like a goat Grand Prix.

God, they move quick, don't they? Allez, allez, allez! Allez, allez!

Oi. Oi.

Ow! Whoa!

After a dry summer, the rich green grass will help the herd

and their milk fatten up for the winter, and fat means great flavour!

So strong!

I feel like all they want to do is just knock me over

and get to this bucket of food.

Whoa!

I've had my backside bitten a few times

and it's always by the little ones as well.

Whoa!

Ooh!

I'll tell you what...

..that is not easy.

Argh! Get off!

I can't believe how strong they are, and you know,

when I said you feel like you're walking in a stampede,

trust me, you're walking in a stampede.

They're hungry, we've got the food, we've got to get them from A to B.

In fact...Whoa!

Get off!

Argh!

Was it you that took me over?

Yeah, no point in making friends with me now!

You nearly had me for breakfast!

GOATS BLEAT

Come on.

The goats may be strong,

but the cheese they make has a soft sweet taste in the mouth.

And after a chance to check my bruises,

Florent has brought me to the business end of the dairy,

where everything is done by hand.

This cheese was made yesterday.

So - it's like this.

Push, right turn.

Ah!

Served fresh, goat's cheese like this doesn't need to age

like a hard cheese,

so a turn halfway is all it needs to ripen.

Yeah, OK. Wow.

Same one, but quickly.

OK. Faster. Hup!

LAUGHS

Hup. I knew that was coming. I knew that was coming.

Turning by hand isn't just traditional,

it gives Florent a chance to feel the texture,

which needs to stay creamy.

Is this OK to eat now? I can sell it tomorrow.

Tomorrow? Yeah. Wow.

Well, I'd better taste some before it's all gone!

This is very, very fresh.

In Provence, usually we eat very fresh because of the sun.

We eat with good tomato.

Ooh. Olive oil.

For me, it's the best. OK.

Very soft, this one. Mm.

It's incredibly soft.

Mm!

And I can imagine that with some tomatoes, oil

and a little pinch of salt. It's fantastic.

Can I have another piece, please?

LAUGHS

Fresh from the farm, I'm off to a family-run restaurant

in the heart of Saint-Remy,

that breaks with traditional French cuisine,

while keeping local Provencal produce front and centre.

Chef Jana and daughter Fiona have created a dining experience

that celebrates different food cultures from around the world.

And I'm bringing them some of Florent's fresh goat's cheese

to help make a special dish from this month's Lebanese menu.

Bonjour! Ah, bonjour, Marcus. Ca-va? Enchante.

I love this restaurant. It's unique.

Wow!

It's inspired for travel,

and she adapt her kitchen for the client not be scared... Yes.

..to be more adventurous. OK.

But how hard is that, though?

Here in Provence, they love their tradition. Yes.

They, they adore it, they stick by it.

When something different comes along, do they accept it?

Ah...

Yes, yes, it is. Yes. Oui?

Yes. People are used to eat the same way,

and you know how French people, we are, we are proud

and we want to keep our traditions... Yes.

..but there is a lot of immigration,

and we take inspiration for that too.

It's unique. Yes. Yes.

A real melting pot of culture and cuisine.

I'm intrigued to see how Jana transforms

a simple ingredient like this.

Oh, la la!

I'm sure you'll recognise it.

Ah, le chevre.

Can you show me how you make one of your dishes?

I really am excited about seeing what you're doing. OK.

OK. Allez. Let's go. This way?

Allez!

THEY LAUGH

Jana is going to show me how to make labneh,

a Middle Eastern strained yoghurt.

But using goat's cheese in the base is her own twist on tradition.

So I get the feeling I've ended up here in front of the board,

means I've got some jobs to do. Oui. Oh, yes.

You - you've set this station up very well.

So right, give me a job. What, what can I do?

Tu vas prendre l'ail...

Peeling garlic. What a surprise!

Still, at least sous-chef is a step up from goat herder!

Non? Non, non? Oh, no.

Got it wrong. Oh, la la...

But once again, the apprentice gets it wrong!

Do it. This much? Right.

Tout. Tout, tout. Vouz prenez ca.

Wow. Et vous pilez. Careful.

It's the African vibe, that. Voila.

Tres bien.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah. This is like a weapon, you know. It's dangerous.

THEY LAUGH

It isn't crushed garlic Jana wants, it's garlic cream!

You have to be a muscle.

I'm doing it!

Merci, Marcus.

Creamed to Chef Jana's standards,

before the garlic can be infused,

Florent's soft goat's cheese needs to be loosened.

Lightly beaten, Jana adds Greek yoghurt,

the traditional base for labneh.

Voila. Superb.

Once blended together, in goes the precious garlic cream.

Waste nothing.

She's like, you see, you see.

A season...

..a stir...

..and into a muslin bag to drain.

I've got to clean the bowl out, cos I know she's watching me.

Oui.

Very tight. OK. Tight, tight, tight.

And you can, you can see already the water's coming.

Out comes the excess whey, leaving nothing but the garlicky cheese.

Put it in the fridge.

Now it's time to build a Lebanese spice mix to dress it with,

again, using ingredients you'd find in most French kitchens.

Il faut que a soit de la puree. Boom, boom, boom.

You have to do it a lot.

Oh, wow. You can smell.

All, please. Tout, tout, tout.

The spices and fresh herbs, like mint and rosemary, are universal.

It's how you use them that makes all the difference.

Yeah, I seem to be doing all the work today.

LAUGHTER

Commis chef.

Ah, apprentice? Apprenti chef. I'm not even a commis chef.

I can't believe that.

I'm not even the sous-chef, the chef de partie, or the commis.

I am the apprentice chef.

The crossovers keep coming, with dried apricots and fresh figs.

Classically French and Middle-Eastern.

Now that I've done all the work...

Time to appreciate some of Jana's hard work.

Yesterday's drained labneh.

You see the texture? Perfect.

It just needs a quick stir to soften.

What's this? La creme fraiche.

Excusez-moi.

Finally, a light drizzle of olive oil gets mixed through

and it's time to assemble.

Jana is doing something with so many different flavours,

and stories from around the world here in Provence with,

with these ingredients. So I think it's great.

This is such a simple, no-cook dish.

Once you have the base, you can add whatever herbs, fruits

and spices you want, to flavour it up.

Rose? Rose.

For the colour and for the smell.

So a little bit of the mint, a little bit of parsley. Oui.

Nice.

Van Gogh. It's a picture.

Oui, oui. Chef de Van Gogh. Yes.

Look at that. Perfect.

I think there's only one thing we have to do now,

and that is taste. Yes.

Manger! Goutez!

It's clean, it's fresh, it's well-balanced.

Superb. Oh, merci.

I think it's delicious, I really do.

With her twist on Provencal produce,

Jana really knows how to beat her fellow locals at their own game.

I've been invited to play petanque.

Does she have any advice for me?

Vous les essuyez bien la petanque, le boule.

Polish the ball? Oui, oui.

OK. That's good advice.

I have another advice.

Technically, you should be drinking Ricard with it.

Oh, everybody says that. Why?

I think because you have to feel relaxed to do your...

To do your hand motion?

C'est Provencal. Ah, it's the Provencal style.

It's tradition here - drink, play the game... Yeah. ..enjoy yourself.

Exactly. Exactement.

Great advice. Thank you.

Merci, Marcus. Merci.

With simplicity in mind,

and some leftover cheese from Florent's farm,

I want to show you a quick and crispy Provencal supper

to try at home.

I just need to pick up one more ingredient on my way.

Ah!

This is what I've been looking for.

Beautiful courgettes.

My dad used to buy lots of these.

You know, sometimes you can buy vegetables,

depends on what you're going to do with them, that aren't perfect.

So you've got some little old baby aubergines here.

You can see they're going wrinkled, and going brown.

Great for ratatouille.

You can buy them if they're a little bit bruised, doesn't matter.

And when I come to marketplaces like here,

I'm looking for value,

and if you're looking for the perfect shape,

I think that's the wrong approach.

Merci, merci, madam, merci.

Like our French cousins, we Brits are fond of fromage,

producing more than 400 different varieties.

As always, our sharp and tangy Cheddar reigns supreme.

And while nothing beats cheese on toast, tastes are changing,

and goat's cheese sales in the UK are on the rise.

Inspired by Jana's take on local Provencal ingredients,

I've got a sharing platter that's simple, cost-effective

and makes veg the star of any table.

Tempura-battered courgettes with goat's cheese dip

and lavender honey.

Here it is, Florent's goat's cheese.

Absolutely fabulous.

A great experience going to his farm,

looking after the goats, feeding the goats,

but also making some fabulous cheese.

Like the labneh I made earlier, I'm flavouring my goat's cheese

adding creme fraiche...

..a touch of seasoning and freshly chopped herbs.

But you could use dried spices, like chilli flakes or nutmeg,

whatever suits your taste.

Right in there.

In goes the zest of half a lemon, and mix.

If goat's cheese isn't your thing, try cottage or cream cheese.

They taste just as good, and are cheaper too.

This type of goat's cheese, a soft goat's cheese,

is incredibly light in flavour,

and the minute you add a bit of salt, a bit of pepper,

lemon zest to it,

it really does just lift it out of the bowl.

And of course, just adding a touch of oregano into it,

sort of one of those lovely herbs that you get in this region,

and it works really well with a light cheese like this.

Dip done, so now I'm turning my attention

to the tempura side of things.

On to my courgettes.

I'm going to transform my cheap and cheerful market buys

into crunchy scoops for the creamed cheese.

This is where a little bit of precision is quite important.

Look at that.

I've got a bit of thinness there and I've got a thickness there.

I don't know what it is with me at the moment,

but my lines are not as straight as they used to be.

Rustic Marcus.

My wedges are all over the place.

There we go. Almost perfect.

Finally, dust the courgette rounds with flour...

..and it's time to tempura.

Tempura batter.

It's a crispy, really, really crispy batter.

So plain flour,

cornflour,

equal quantities.

Gently just mix those two together.

Pinch of salt.

Then for the liquid.

Ice-cold, sparkling water.

The carbon dioxide bubbles trapped in the batter

will make it incredibly light.

The principle of making this type of batter

is no different to when you're making a short pastry.

The less you work it, the lighter and crumblier it will be.

So a little fork, bring it together,

get a whisk in there, move it around the base, gently mixing.

As you can see, I'm just folding it in.

Batter done, it's time to fry.

I've got some vegetable oil here. 180 degrees C.

And always just a nice thing to do is just to test your batter,

is just sprinkle a little bit in.

With a tempura batter, you don't wait for it to go brown.

This is not your fish and chip batter.

That's the colour you want it to be.

Nice and light.

Little bit of seasoning.

Mm!

Crunchy batter.

Now I know it's ready.

Wow! Crispies.

Shake any extra flour off.

Dip the floured rounds into the batter,

then carefully lay the courgettes into the hot oil.

Simple.

I love...

..a batter.

For the crispiest courgettes,

don't overcrowd the pan, or the temperature will drop.

Flip for an even colour, and once light and golden, out they come.

Beautiful.

Onto your paper.

While those are hot, sprinkling of salt.

Then it's back to my flavour-packed goat's cheese.

Delicious. Nice and crispy.

Little bit of honey.

A light drizzle and I'm done.

There we have it. Stunning goat's cheese,

crispy fried courgettes, lavender honey.

I know it's big, but I think I'll manage.

Let's give it a go.

The cool, sharp cheese works so well with the crispy courgettes.

Mwah.

And just a hint of sweetness.

Oh! Lavender!

Bit of that goat's cheese.

Today has been a real love affair with goat's cheese,

which all started with an invitation to join the local petanque team

and share our love of sport and food.

I've done my homework when it comes to cheese and tapenade,

but the last time I played petanque was with the kids on the beach.

So I hope I don't embarrass myself too much.

This is the heart and soul of a town,

and I'm going to do my best to fly the flag for Great Britain.

So, here goes!

Bonjour. Bonjour.

Bonjour, Marcus. Bonjour, Monsieur.

You want to play with us? I would love to be able to play.

Petanque has its own etiquette,

and it's tradition to have a drink before you start.

I've brought some pastis. OK.

Ladies first. Yes.

Encore? Non, alors...

Non.

I said I didn't like liqueurs!

You should mix with water.

Oh. I, I don't...

LAUGHS

It's better with water. Is it? Yes.

Oh, next time. Monsieur...

So, how does this game work?

You have to put your ball near, or close to the jack.

That's the one there? Yes.

We show you. OK. OK?

LAUGHTER

It's time to choose my weapon.

And this as well? Voila.

Polish?

I'm ready.

This is a national sport.

We have the same back home.

Bowls.

Allez, Marcus. Is it me? Yes.

This is my moment. Here we go.

With the locals looking on, I make my sporting debut.

Little bit slower. Slow. Slowly!

I was close ,though!

As I start to get into the swing of it,

it's easy to see why this is one of France's favourite pastimes.

THEY CHEER

I've no clue what's happening. I don't know who's winning.

It's being taken very seriously.

That's intense. Marcus, two points.

Two points? Yeah, 7-7.

7-7. Yeah. Seven each.

My beginner's luck may have made it a draw,

but will it be a win for my taste of Provence?

I've brought some tapenade and some baguettes,

to say thank you for inviting me.

Looks promising...

Alors, et le caviar, il est ou? The caviar?

Ou est...? Caviar. OK.

Never happy. Never happy. I always get it wrong.

Everyone's tucking in, but has the Brit pulled off taking

the French a classic Provencal dish to eat?

C'est parfait. C'est parfait. It's perfect!

I'm sure that's a legitimate toast. Right?

Thank you very much. Merci. Merci beaucoup.

I loved that. I absolutely loved it.

My tapenade went down a treat.

It's always been about taking the French on at their own game,

and that's all I could have asked for.

This game just helped me make a few friends, which was why I was here.

Right, I think I'd better go and jump back in the game.

Keep flying the flag!

Voila. Bravo.

You win it! Bravo! Bravo!