Raymond Blanc's Kitchen Secrets - Season 1

First aired: 2/15/2010 8 episodes
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Episodes

1. Chocolate

Aired: 2/15/2010

Raymond focuses on chocolate, creating four mouthwatering recipes: the simplest mousse, an impressive and rich chocolate delice, a fondant with a melting middle, and his impressive signature dessert - cafe creme - a cup sculpted from chocolate filled with a mousse and coffee sabayon. Raymond also visits protege and champion chocolatier William Curley in his test kitchen in Richmond.

2. Fish

Aired: 2/22/2010

Raymond dives into the world of fish. Underused and affordable mackerel is used in his first recipe to create a light lunch or supper of grilled mackerel with a soy lime dressing. Another of the cheaper fish available, pollock, is given a French twist with a sauce Grenobloise made with capers, butter and lemon, all served on a base of creamy mash. Provence provides the inspiration for a pair of Cornish fish soups served in a traditional style and to finish, an impressive but easy dinner party centrepiece - braised turbot with scallops. Raymond also heads to Rye in Sussex, where he joins fishing boat Amadeus on an early morning trip into the English Channel.

3. Apples

Aired: 3/1/2010

Raymond looks to apples for inspiration and returns to memories of childhood with a simple apple tart made with a foolproof pastry and custard filling.

4. Winter Vegetables

Aired: 3/15/2010

Raymond attempts to make roots exciting with delicious recipes including a simple beetroot salad, watercress soup and celeriac puree served with roast duck.

5. Game and Mushrooms

Aired: 3/22/2010

Raymond uses two wonderfully seasonal ingredients - game and mushrooms. His first recipe is delicate cep mushroom tortellini made using fresh pasta. He follows this up with a French version of a pasty called pithivier, filled with a rich mix of pheasant, chestnuts and dried fruits. Next is the simplest fricassee of wild mushrooms with herbs and croutons cooked in the company of restaurant maintenance manager Steve Truman. For the finale, a salt crust baked pigeon uncovers a technique perfect for cooking game and poultry. Along the way, Raymond and Steve join a shoot in Perthshire and go mushroom hunting in the Scottish woodlands.

6. Bread

Aired: 3/29/2010

Raymond focuses on bread and the miracle of yeast. His first recipe is a French classic, brioche, a buttery bread using eggs that is the easiest of bread recipes. Using this as a base, he makes a celebratory gateau a la creme brioche filled with a lemony creme fraiche. To follow, we get down to basics with a French country bread recipe essential to any bakers' repertoire, that is formed into beer-topped rolls, a basket-shaped loaf and an olive-and-tomato-topped fougasse. To finish, there's a delicate yet spectacular dessert of apple croustade made from the thinnest pastry baked until crisp and golden. Along the way, Raymond visits one of the UK's oldest flourmills, Shipton Mill in Gloucestershire, to experiment making bread with gluten-free flour.

7. Eggs

Aired: 4/5/2010

Raymond uses two staple ingredients with infinite uses - eggs and cheese. He kicks off with a classic omelette made perfectly thanks to a secret technique. The perfect sabayon is key to any cooks repertoire and this version makes a frozen parfait before Raymond returns home for a Maman Blanc classic, Floating Islands, clouds of meringue sitting atop a vanilla cream and covered with a chewy caramel sauce. Raymond's next recipe requires the best of cheeses and he is brought a selection by award winning cheesemonger Patricia Michelson. A fine Comte from his home region in eastern France goes to making a family style souffle guaranteed to rise to the occasion. For his finale a greengage casoulette is made from praline and topped with meringue and sabayon. Along the way, Raymond visits his old friend Eric Charriaux at his London fromagerie where they each choose their perfect cheese boards to enjoy at the end of a meal.

8. Tomatoes

Aired: 4/12/2010

Raymond focuses on tomatoes, opening with a simple recipe for a salad inspired by his mother. The lightest tomato essence is not only a dish in itself, it forms the base of a fresh yet creamy risotto. A supper dish of stuffed tomatoes glazed with cheese takes us back in time and for the finale an impressive tomato-themed series of ices and sorbets cleanses the palate with elegance. Along the way, Raymond visits the UK's tomato capital, Preston, to challenge the world of hydroponically grown tomatoes to prove their worth.