Original subtitles

Now, I'm particularly excited by this theme

because you have a lot of amazing French food background and training.

Yeah, I do, I do, and it's, you know,

I came through French kitchens back in the UK,

classically French-trained.

So, it's my time to shine, Jacq.

Oh, I have so much to learn!

Look, I'm going to do a very simple spring French-inspired soup,

which is 100% me because I love those cooler days,

but still having those light but warm meals.

Tell me, what am I going to be learning from you today?

I'm going to go to the other end of the spectrum

and do a classic dish of steak frites.

So, I'm going to make some beautiful fries, a gorgeous piece of meat,

and then a traditional Parisian sauce,

which is so bad for you.

(LAUGHS) So bad.

But it is the best thing you would have put in your mouth this year,

I promise you that.

Alright, let's go,

because I have a lot of learning to do here.

Mike, I've got a very light but warming

French-inspired spring soup for you today.

So, would you mind cutting up some vegies for me?

There's a few different... Love to!

..vegie varieties here, which is right up my alley.

We've got some zucchini, some potato, and some carrot.

We want this soup to cook relatively quickly,

so if we can get the potatoes and the carrots relatively small...

OK. ..and then we can have our zucchini

slightly bigger so that all the vegies cook

at a similar time or rate.

And then we've got some beautiful leeks here to pop into the dish.

I love leeks! Aren't they good?

I love them! So under-utilised! I think so.

And they have that lovely creaminess that really pops out in soups

as opposed to...look, I love an onion,

but the leeks are just a much gentler and creamier flavour.

Very French. The French don't use onions in their soup.

It's always leeks as the base. Oh, I didn't know that!

Hey, you learn something every day.

So, these leeks are quite big, so it will be quite a leeky soup.

But that's also a great thing.

A lovely source of prebiotic fibres, which our guts really love.

Our little gut bacteria love prebiotic fibre.

And leeks are a really great source of those.

So, we've got those chopped up,

and we'll get them right into our stockpot to start

and get those sauteing, so they have a beautiful, golden finish.

And so they need probably around six to eight minutes.

What else would you use leeks in, Mike?

Everything... (LAUGHS)

..like as a base. That's a good response.

So, leeks, carrot, celery, onion... Yeah.

..is the base of what we call in France, mirepoix.

You can put it in everything, stews, casseroles, sauces, stocks.

100%, you need it in your stocks... Yes.

..like, it's a beautiful vegetable,

it's a beautiful ingredient to work with.

Do you know the top of the leek as well, the green part,

is actually worthwhile saving to simmer into stocks as well.

Yeah.

And it's a good one because some people can't tolerate

onions and garlic, but they're still wanting to make the stock...

Yeah. ..and the top of the leek

doesn't trouble their tummy, it doesn't affect their digestion.

Oh, really? Yeah, it's a low FODMAP food.

The top of the leek can be used, which is really cool.

Ah, FODMAPs! Yeah!

(SARCASTICALLY) I loved learning all about FODMAPs.

(BOTH LAUGH)

We go... We won't dive in that heavily into FODMAPs.

But it's a cool thing to do because you don't want people

to miss out on the beautiful flavours and experiences of soup.

Absolutely!

So, we've managed to get our potatoes,

some nice big potatoes,

cut into pieces around this big

so that we've got a faster cooking process in the stock.

Same with the carrots.

The zucchini could be a little bit bigger, I suppose...

Yeah, it cooks quicker. ..because the zucchini cooks faster.

And I'm going to cut two four-centimetre pieces

of the lemon rind as well

to pop that in when the stock and the vegies go in.

And that provides a really beautiful flavour throughout the cooking.

And then at the end, we're going to use the lemon

to actually squeeze the juice through the soup as well.

So, our leeks are getting a nice bit of colour in there.

So, we want to get the garlic in there as well,

just for a minute to cook it off.

And then all of our vegies.

Quite a few to get in there but that's how I like it.

If you're going to have soup, not too much broth,

lots and lots of vegies packed in with it

so you get lots of good nutrition in.

It's what gives it...

Yeah, and it makes it hearty and warming and comforting, right?

Yeah, that's right.

That's how I like to eat my soups. Yeah.

And the beauty of putting the potato in as well is

because, as the natural starches of the potato cook out,

it lightly thickens the soup without having to do too much.

Lots of vegies in there.

Now we'll get our lemon rind in, two generous pieces,

because we really want that flavour to be coming through the soup.

And now we'll make our stock.

Mike, if you could pass me one of those little stockpots.

Yeah. Got our water.

So, about a 1.5L of water.

We'll just let that dissolve.

Then we'll get it in with the vegies.

And we need to let that obviously bring to a boil

and simmer for around 20-30 minutes

or until you taste the vegies

and they have that lovely tenderness to them.

We pop in our cannellini beans, our peas,

and our beautiful spring snap peas as well.

You can see, there's beautiful colour in there.

It's still vibrant, lots of green.

I've turned the heat off and Mike's getting the lemon juice in there.

And this component of the soup

is what makes it so beautiful and French as well, I feel...

Oh, it's just...

..the lemon coming into it.

I love the consistency of your broth as well.

It looks beautiful.

Yeah, the potatoes have really helped to thicken it.

And the zucchini has softened, the carrot,

everything's ready to go, so we'll serve up.

It's my kind of soup, Jacq.

Oh, good to hear! Hearty, filling...

I love the beautiful size of the vegetables in there.

Like, it's just, you know, it's a meal.

It is a meal. Like, it's a hug in a bowl.

Some grated parmesan, please. Thank you.

We'll season it with some salt and pepper.

Is there a thing as too much cheese in your soup?

(BOTH LAUGH)

Alright, do you want to pop the dill on the top?

Thank you. Then we can give it a little try.

I'm really happy with how this has turned out.

You know, soups are such an easy meal,

where you can get so many great ingredients.

You can work to the seasonal foods that, you know, we have on hand.

Let's give it a try. Oh, I can't wait.

Nice thick broth.

Fresh peas.

That instantly transports me back to France.

It's beautiful. Thank you!

The beans, the freshness of the peas.

Love it. Really, really nice.

I know dill's not everyone's herb,

but, in this dish, it really does complement

all of the beautiful flavours -

the lemon, the parmesan

and those beautiful peas and sugar snap peas too.

It's an absolute winner.

Like, the pairing of it,

you've done it absolute justice.

Aw, thanks.

I love butter.

Like, I absolutely, utterly love it.

And for me, it is the classic French training in me, you know?

Like, we're taught to cook with lots and lots of butter.

And this dish is the perfect showcase

for the most amazing, beautiful butter.

There is a lot of butter going on here...

(LAUGHS)

..so I'm keen to know how all of it comes into play.

I'll show you. Trust me, you're going to be...

I'm going to convert you by the end. (LAUGHS)

I hope so. What can I do to help, though?

OK, if you can start off by chopping probably half the chervil

or half the parsley for our sauce.

So, I'm getting the steak to cook first

because we can pull it off and leave it to rest

whilst we get the rest of our sauce and our salad made.

I always say with steak, the general rule is,

however long you cook it for, rest it for half the amount of time.

So if I cook this for 10, I'm resting it for five, OK?

And that is an absolute must

to give those muscles in the meat time to tenderise and relax

and all the flavours and juices to go back into the meat.

And with steak like this as well,

the quality of the pan

that you cook it in is super important.

I want a thick-bottom pan.

A nice pan like that, which holds the heat,

helps with the Maillard reaction.

So you get a beautiful caramelisation on the beef,

breaks down those fats, increases the flavour.

Like, every little bit of the process

is how you get top-quality meat.

So, with the sauce...

..I'm starting with a cold pan.

So, I'm just going to put the heat on this now

because it's a butter sauce essentially,

and I don't want the butter to burn as soon as I add it to the pan.

So, I want it to start cold

and get hot with the shallots already in there.

I used unsalted butter for the steak

and for the sauce, I'm using salted butter.

Why, of course!

OK, because this sauce is an absolute umami bomb.

You know, everyone thinks of umami with your soys and your mushrooms.

French umami is one of the classics.

Anchovies. Yep.

It's an absolute flavour bomb in sauces.

So, I'm starting with just a quarter of the butter

in the pan with the shallots.

Just a quarter? Just a quarter.

(LAUGHS) It's going to grow. (LAUGHS)

And now I've got some confit garlic,

which I've literally just cooked in oil,

covered, 40 minutes in the oven.

Takes away all of that, like, intense garlic flavour.

Now, I've got these beautiful anchovies.

Oh, they are good-looking anchovies! Oh, they're gorgeous.

I've been picking them all morning. (BOTH LAUGH)

Should probably be double the amount that goes in,

but that's just going to get chopped up roughly

and in there as well.

You don't need to be worried about the size of this

because we're actually going to blitz the sauce later as well.

Oh, OK, got it.

And in terms of the anchovies, as well,

what do you think makes a good-quality anchovy

like, when you're looking for it?

Is it size or is it...?

It's the size of the anchovy but also the texture.

You want that almost dark colour to it

and it looks firm,

like, when they look soft and flaky, I would steer away from it.

OK.

Like, when they look firm and juicy and thick and textured,

they're usually a sign of good quality.

That's a really good tip. Yeah, but look at this.

And this is a skirt steak, isn't it? This is a skirt steak.

Yeah, which is not as common a cut of meat...

No, can I get a spoon? ..that people are used to.

No, it's a secondary cut. Yeah.

So, skirts are a secondary cut.

I prefer secondaries to primals... I agree.

..because you get all the flavour with half the cost, you know.

Yes. So, it just goes further.

Like, this piece of meat will feed a family of four

or one very hungry Mike.

And it will be half the price of buying one fillet steak.

Yes.

So, once we turn it, that beautiful foaming butter,

we just, as we would say in France,

"Arroser, arroser, arroser", baste it, just keep basting it.

I know you're not a huge butter person, Jacq,

but how sexy does that look?

It's a damn handsome steak, that one. (LAUGHS)

Alright, and then you can see over here

this is just starting to soften.

You want to soften the shallots and the garlic

and let that all come together.

That smells really good!

And for those that are cooking confit garlic at home...

Yep. ..what's the process?

I use, like a small little pot. Yeah.

You can use foil as well.

A little bit of oil and top, cut the top off, season it,

45 minutes in your oven... Yeah.

..that's it. OK.

And then let it sit? If you do it in a pot in oil,

if you're doing it in foil,

just drizzle it over the top and then let it cool down.

I'm going to get the blender out and start blitzing this up.

Alright.

So we should have a really nice,

almost emulsified sauce in here now.

(SMELLS)

(SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY) Herbaceous, right?

Oh, like the smell and the aroma is really, really...

I think 'herbaceous' is the best word for this

once you get all of that... Oh, it's yum.

..beautiful chervil and parsley in there.

And we're going to add it to some more butter.

(LAUGHS) Why not?

I told you, a lot of butter. It's French.

So, we just mix that through.

And then we go back in here...

..and it looks like it's going to split,

don't worry, it's absolutely fine.

It's one of the reasons we do it in the blender,

so that it re-emulsifies and it does the work for you.

So, we're going to blitz this back now.

And then, over here we're going to make a very simple,

I say we, Jacq's going to make

a very simple French vinaigrette with the mustard,

the egg yolk, the garlic, the lemon juice, the vinegar.

Bring that together with olive oil

for our healthy salad on the side, of course,

(LAUGHS) I'm going to fry off our fries

and then we're going to be back to plate up.

Oh! You ready to see this now? I am SO ready.

(LAUGHS) This is a work of art.

I'm going to carve the steak.

If you can finish dressing the salad for me.

That steak's rested beautifully,

but it should be still really nice and pink.

Oh, look at it. Look at that.

I'm happy with that, really gorgeous piece of meat.

If you haven't tried skirt before, give it a try.

Honestly, it's my favourite cut.

So much flavour

and it's great for the pocket as well.

Alright.

So, steak served.

We've got our beautiful fries

and I've gone proper French-fries style.

Very quick and easy to do at home.

I'm not cheffy-ing this.

This is absolute classic steak frites.

So, we're just going to go

with our fries on one side,

our gorgeously cooked steak on the other.

Look at that. So that's your portion.

This is my, portion?

This is... (BOTH LAUGH)

I don't know what you're eating,

but that is 100% all mine.

For Jacq... (LAUGHS)

And then our classic Parisian sauce.

And look at that colour. The creaminess!

It's just beautiful.

Little dollop of that there.

Rest on the side for you to enjoy.

Not without salad. The health!

The salad brings it together. Of course!

It does! Ties it in with that French vinaigrette.

But my steak frites, Parisian sauce.

I want to tuck, do you?

Absolutely! Let's go.

I mean, you can have the plate.

I'm just going to do this, Jacq. Look at that.

Oh, OK, we're doing it like this.

(LAUGHS) I mean...

Mm!

That's so rich, but so delicious.

The sauce, you have to taste it to believe it.

Umami, I know I've said it a few times,

but it really is an umami bomb.

The anchovy, the shallots, that buttery goodness,

the herbaceousness of the chervil and the parsley.

It's just heaven.

Look, I'm not talking because I'm too busy eating.

(LAUGHS) So, bon appetit.

There you go.

I'm going to channel my inner Cookie Monster now,

and I'm going to make

some peanut butter, pecan and dark chocolate cookies.

We've got some butter, 125g, that we've just cubed up,

that can go straight in.

Try and get it in the mixer, guys. (LAUGHS)

Then we've got two different types of sugar

'cause one isn't enough for this.

We've got white sugar and brown sugar.

Alright, now we're going to get the mixer going.

And we're just going to beat the butter and the sugar

until it's nice and light and fluffy.

Alright, butter and sugar whipped up, looking good.

Now we're going to add two eggs.

Cracked straight in.

Do you know that real estate agents will cook a batch of fresh cookies

when they're trying to sell a house?

Because that smell of fresh cookies

just helps to sell houses, apparently.

And I get it.

That smell of fresh cookies, you cannot beat it.

And we've got some vanilla bean paste here.

We're just going to add a good teaspoon of that.

Sometimes this is nice and convenient rather than a vanilla bean pod.

It can be hard to scrape out those seeds.

Then some peanut butter.

We've got a good-quality crunchy peanut butter here.

We just want to go in

with about half a cup of this delicious, thick peanut butter.

I love peanut butter

and it's going to give our cookies a fantastic flavour.

Mixer back on until that's all incorporated.

That's looking great.

And that peanut butter just smells so damn good!

Alright, next, we're going to go in with the baking powder

to make them nice and light and fluffy.

Some plain flour.

This is a low-protein flour,

which is specially formulated

for bickies, cakes and pastry,

which is going to give our cookies

a really great consistency.

So, two and a quarter cups.

Now the fun part.

We've got some dark choc chips.

Throw them in.

And some pecan nuts.

I love pecan nuts.

They're such an underrated nut.

And a little pinch of salt.

Alright.

We'll give this another little mix

till it comes together in a cookie dough.

Alright, cookie dough is done.

Ah, have a look at that.

You know that's going to taste good and it's not even cooked.

Let's get our baking tray.

Now, I've got the oven set at 180 degrees.

Now, the great thing with these cookies,

it only takes about 10-12 minutes.

So, we're going to roll these into balls

and get them onto our tray and get them in the oven.

Now, you just want to leave a little gap

between each of your cookies

because they will spread out as they cook.

Look at these cookies.

I've let them cool down on the tray.

Let's have a little look in the middle.

Ah, how good does that look?

When I make cookies, I don't like them too crunchy.

I like them a little bit gooey in the middle.

They've got a great consistency.

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar?

I did.

Captions by Red Bee Media