The Hairy Bikers Go North episode 1 – Lancashire: The bikers are back, exploring the best of northern British food on an epic road trip from east to west. In the first episode, they visit Lancashire, a region with cuisine to match anywhere in the country, some of the best gastro pubs in the land, award-winning producers of fine food and enough top quality alcohol that the bikers might even have to temper their consumption!
Starting in the Trough of Bowland and ending at Notarianni’s famous ice cream shop, they cook a traditional steak, a mushroom and ale pie, a cheese-lover’s lasagna and a stunning gin and key lime pie.
The Hairy Bikers Go North episode 1 – Lancashire
David Myers and Si King collectively known as the Hairy Bikers, are British television chefs. They have presented a range of television shows that combine cooking with the travelogue format, mostly for the BBC but also for the now-defunct Good Food channel. They have also produced a range of cookery books published to accompany their various television series.
Myers and King have known each other since the 1990s, with both having backgrounds in television production. Their first appearance on UK television was as presenters of The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook, which began on the BBC in 2004 and continued for four series.
The followed this with The Hairy Bikers’ Food Tour of Britain, The Hairy Bikers’ Mums Know Best, Hairy Bikers’ Meals on Wheels, Hairy Bikers’ Best of British, The Hairy Bikers’ Bakeation, Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food and Lose Weight, The Hairy Bikers’ Asian Adventure, The Hairy Bikers’ Northern Exposure and The Hairy Bikers’ Pubs That Built Britain for BBC Two, and The Hairy Bikers’ Mississippi Adventure for Good Food and Hairy Bikers: Route 66
The Hairy Bikers Go North episode 1 recipes:
Gin key lime pie
The inspiration for this key lime pie is the classic partnership of gin and lime; chocolate and lime is another great pairing – think of chocolate lime sweets. If you choose chocolate biscuits for the base, don’t be tempted to skip the lime cordial glaze or the chocolate flavour will overwhelm the filling. If you want to use more gin for the glaze, increase the gelatine to 4 leaves.
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Mix the biscuits with the melted butter until thoroughly combined. Press into a 23cm/9in round flan tin, pushing the crumb mix up the sides of the tin. Bake for 10–12 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool completely.
- To make the filling, put the egg yolks and lime zest in a bowl. Beat until the yolks are foamy and greatly increased in volume, then whisk in the lime juice and gin, followed by the condensed milk. When everything is completely combined you should have a thick, pourable batter. Pour this into the crust, then chill in the fridge for several hours or preferably overnight.
- To make the glaze, soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for about 10 minutes, or until soft, then squeeze out the water. Meanwhile, gently heat the lime cordial in a small saucepan. Stir the gelatine into the warm cordial until completely dissolved. Stir in the gin. Strain into a jug and leave to cool completely.
- Pour the cold but still liquid glaze over the filling and return to the fridge to set.
- To make the chocolate drizzle, melt the chocolate with the butter and golden syrup until very smooth. Allow to cool until just warm but still liquid. Drizzle in lines over the set glaze (make sure the glaze is well chilled, otherwise it may melt).
Hasselback roast new potatoes
Make way for the perfect hasselback potatoes. The secret? Smothering them in garlic butter, of course.
Method:
- Put the potatoes in a pan of cold, salted water, then bring to the boil. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain and leave to cool and dry.
- Meanwhile, mix together the garlic and butter. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
- Put the potatoes, one at a time, onto a wooden spoon. Starting at one end, cut across their width with a sharp knife, making sure the knife doesn’t go all the way through.
- Arrange on a roasting tray and coat in the garlic butter. Roast for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and lightly squash the potatoes with the side of a knife. Increase the oven to 240C/220C/Gas 8.
- Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Return to the oven for another 10–15 minutes, until golden and crisp.
- Serve the potatoes with the chives scattered over.
Steak, mushroom and ale pie
Tender beef in a rich sauce made with beer and bacon, topped with crisp, golden puff pastry – this superb steak, mushroom and ale pie is a perfect autumn warmer.
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the bacon with the onion, stirring regularly, until pale golden brown. Add the garlic and fry for a minute or two more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions, garlic and bacon to a large flameproof casserole dish.
- Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the frying pan and fry the meat in two or three batches until well browned all over, adding an extra tablespoon or two of oil if needed. Transfer the beef to the casserole as it is browned.
- Pour half the beer into the frying pan and bring to the boil, stirring hard to lift all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour this liquid over the beef, then add the remaining beer, stock, tomato purée, thyme leaves and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook in the oven for 1½–2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
- Mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth and stir into the casserole. Return to the oven for 5 minutes until thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then leave to cool.
- Increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Place a pastry funnel in the centre of a 1.2 litre/2 pint pie dish.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for about 5 minutes until golden. Stir into the meat mixture and spoon into the pie dish around the funnel.
- On a well-floured work surface, roll out the pastry until it is large enough to cover the pie dish. Make a small cross in the centre of the pastry for the pie funnel to poke through. Brush the edge of the pie dish with beaten egg. Place the pastry gently over the filling and funnel and press the edges firmly to seal.
- Trim off any excess pastry with a sharp knife and, if you like, use the pastry trimmings to make shapes to decorate the pie. Brush with beaten egg to glaze. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet and bake for 30–35 minutes until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.