(pan sizzling)
- Hello, and welcome back to Sorted Food.
Now you guys loved our budget battle last time we did one.
So we've got another one for you today.
This is how it's gonna work.
You guys, I want four portions of a delicious mid-week meal,
and you've gotta have all weave ingredients bought
for a fiver, plus we're giving you the chance
to win another budget battle badge.
So this is how the leaderboard stands as it is.
- Are we taking cooking equipment
into the five pound budget?
- I won that at a raffle.
- But there is a twist 'cause everyone at home has suggested
that some of my badge awarding has been a bit contentious.
So this time, whoever comes last will have a badge revoked.
And which badge will be down to you guys to decide
over on Instagram.
- Right chicken, you should have lost that
straight off the bat.
- No, no. - Squid,
it's completely pointless. - Oh come on.
I'm losing enough badges as it is.
- Your 40 minutes starts in 3, 2, 1 battle.
- It's been a while
since we've all been in at the same time.
- I was building my confidence on my own,
but now you guys are here.
- Yesterday I stuck things up my nose
and to the back of my throat,
just so I could be close to you guys in the kitchen.
It was not worth it.
- My budget dish,
I'm making stir fry veg with char siu style pork
and a satay style sauce.
And I know what you're thinking,
how am I gonna get all of that for under five pounds?
And the answer is with some really
clever, smart, great, brilliant hacks.
- So I'm making a Tahchin.
which is a Persian rice based dish with lentilaise.
It's inspired by a Tahchin.
It's not authentic because obviously we've got to compromise
with what I can afford for budget.
So my dish is essentially a rice pie with a lentil filling,
serving it alongside a really delicious
but simple garlicky yoghurt dip.
And I genuinely think that this is gonna win the battle.
- Bazlar, spuds, talk to me.
- I'm going for a mushroom garlic and chicken
flavoured tartiflette.
Now tartiflettes are notoriously associated
with like quite expensive holidays.
I had it a lot when I went skiing.
- "When I went skiing."
- But it's a really basic recipe.
The heart of it is delicious cheap potato.
Yes, they usually chuck in a load of cheese and so on,
but I've got a lot of clever hacks
to make it more accessible.
- So in each case we've asked them to buy
all of their ingredients, everything within the five pounds,
the only thing we're allowing them is oil, salt, and pepper.
- First up I'm slicing my potatoes.
And I'm gonna put that into boiling hot water
and cook it for only five or six minutes.
Now I'm gonna slice up my onion, really fine slice,
get that into a searingly hot pan,
and cook that for as long as I've got.
I think about five or six minutes,
and while that's cooking, chop up some leeks
and some mushrooms, they're gonna go
in there with it as well.
- So here I've got Greek style yoghurt,
which has been smeared onto some cloths
because I basically want to drain it
of all that excess moisture.
It was the cheapest yoghurt that I could get a hold of,
but I need it thick
because it's gonna bind together my dish.
(upbeat music)
First off the bat I needed to fry some garlic,
and this is induction which I haven't used for a long time,
and my garlic went a bit browner than I would have hoped.
But I can't afford to do it again
'cause I bought that garlic, so I'm going with it.
Whenever Ebbers burns something he calls it caramelization,
so I caramelised my garlic.
- I started with my char siu pork-ish.
Number one, it's bacon.
I'm getting that frying off in a lot of oil.
I'll tip out the excess oil, and then in comes
one of my first hacks.
I'm going to be using a curry paste
instead of ginger, lemon grass, chilli,
everything that you'd expect to see in a stir fry.
Curry paste is cheaper to buy, it's quicker,
and it's far far easier.
Job done.
I'm also gonna be adding in marmalade.
And I know what you're thinking,
marmalade in a stir fry, why would you be doing that?
And the answer is, it's cheaper than honey,
it adds a really lovely bitterness,
it has a load of sugar in it which means
it's gonna caramelise amazingly well,
and it's gonna go nice and crispy.
Why wouldn't you use it, it's so cheap.
This is going to be charred, sweet, bitter, crispy,
nutty, delicious and you'll never make proper pork again.
That's a lie, you will.
This is going into an oven for 10 minutes.
I've only got one hand, come on.
- For me I think the lemon
is one of the most important parts of this recipe,
purely because it needs freshness,
and budget wise I could only afford one lemon,
so I've got to stretch it as far as I can.
So I'm zesting it and I'm gonna spread the zest
over everything that I do to kind of lift the dish,
and also use the juice carefully.
A bit now and a bit at the end.
- So for my lentilaise,
I have deliciously perfectly browned crispy garlic,
a whole jar of red pesto.
Red pesto, little bit expensive buying a whole jar,
absolutely not.
It's got garlic, it's got oil, it's got tomatoes,
it's got red peppers.
Think about how much flavour is packed
in that tiny little jar,
and imagine if I had bought those all separately.
I'd have already gone over budget,
so it makes absolute sense whacking the whole thing
in here just for a big punch of multiple flavours.
- It is essentially 20% of your budget,
but it also an absolute powerhouse of flavour.
- I also have a lot of veg to chop up.
Veg is gonna fill out this dish.
It's really really cheap,
seven P for two carrots, yes please.
The most expensive thing in there
is a pepper, which is 45 P, luxury.
- Okay, in a budget battle it is the flavour
and the budget hacks we're looking for
but time is also money, which is why we've given you
40 minutes for a midweek meal,
and you've had 25% percent of that.
- [Jamie] My bacon fat from earlier going back into the pan.
- What I love about this dish is
there's lots of multitasking, while you're frying one thing
you're chopping another.
That moves over, that moves in,
it's all just kind of happening.
- So in here I have my precooked packet rice.
- In this instance Mike, why packet rice?
- Purely because budget,
and that's not because packet rice is cheaper,
it's because it comes in the sizes that I want,
and again if I bought a huge packet of normal rice,
I'd have loads leftover and it would actually
take me over budget.
So in a very backwards way, and a very non-traditional
and good way, packet rice actually works better for me
in this particular scenario.
Garlic that's been grated in, and eggs,
which is gonna bind it all together,
as well as two tablespoons of my drained yoghurt mix.
- Are you putting your lemon zest in there as well Mike?
- Also zesting in the lemon that I forgot
that Ebbers very kindly reminded me about.
So now I've got to oil a skillet,
because my layer of rice is going to go in, even layer,
on the bottom, on the sides.
Pour in my lentil mixture.
Look at this, look at this.
So now I'm putting the final layer of rice on the top,
because I'm gonna put it over the stove, bake it.
The jeopardy here is when I flip it out,
'cause I'm actually gonna serve this upside down,
so I have to make sure that this is sealed in properly.
(upbeat music)
Let's see eh?
- Now that's burning very slightly
to get a nice little bit of texture and flavour,
now I need to add the liquids,
and this is where it gets clever.
Dairy, that is what makes a tartiflette a tartiflette.
Dairy's quite expensive, so I'm adding dairy in two forms.
I've got evaporated milk, which is a substitute for cream.
It's a lot cheaper, and it lasts forever in a tin.
I'm also adding some cream cheese,
but not just cream cheese,
the cream cheese is a garlic flavoured cream cheese,
because also garlic's also quite expensive,
so two in one made a lot of sense.
The other part that's really important in this dish
is a roux of sorts, and again I can't really afford
to make a roux, so
I got a packet of soup.
A packet of chicken and mushroom soup.
I'm saying it quietly 'cause I know
they'll ridicule me for it.
But basically, this is gonna thicken up the sauce
to make it really creamy, really delicious, chickeny.
If it wasn't for this chicken, the rest of it's vegetarian.
- I don't know why you're whispering, I think that's genius,
'cause you're right, to make roux you'd have to buy
a block of butter and a pack of flour,
and you haven't got the budget for that.
But that has got your thickening agent and your flavour,
it's got kind of stock cube equivalent in there, it's smart.
- Along with my zested lemon and a squeeze of lemon as well.
I'm happy with the flavour.
I'm happy with the consistency.
In with the potatoes.
Into the oven, and then on to the lettuce.
- Moment of truth and proper jeopardy for Mike,
'cause now you need to cook it and colour it
without burning it, but you can't see it.
- What have you done?
- He's made a rice pudding.
- I've made a rice pie.
- [Barry] What is that?
I haven't listened to a word you said,
and that makes no sense. - It's a rice dome
with a very thin bottom.
Not traditional, but needs must.
Filled with bolognese made out of lentils,
so it's not bolognese at all.
- [Barry] That looks like a mistake,
if I'm honest.
- You've had half your time.
- I genuinely don't know what to look for when this is done.
- Too much and it'll be charred at the bottom.
You don't want that.
- I'm taking it off, I'm taking it off, I'm taking it off.
I'm going on the top.
- No I'm on the top, ah you're on the bottom mate.
Oh my god.
- For my satay style sauce I've taken my boiled peanuts,
drained them through a sieve, added them into a jug
with a little bit of the peanut water, curry paste,
and marmalade from earlier, blending it up,
season to taste.
It's going to be amazing.
- Jamie's already got his budget battle badge,
but so far so good.
- It's looking good, it's looking good.
- Can I also just point out that that is all I'm wasting,
everything else has been used.
- Gonna fry some eggs, nice and crispy on the bottom,
and knock up a really zesty, lemony, garlicy,
yogurty sauce to serve alongside.
Excuse me, excuse me, this is it coming out of the oven.
Now going under the grill to crisp that bottom top up.
- Now for the salad.
But I didn't want to just serve up
just like chopped lettuce.
We're gonna chop this iceberg into quarters,
and then char it to give it another kind of dimension
to the dish.
Really really simple, quarter it, oil, salt,
into a searingly hot pan until it burns again,
then out, the lemon dressing over the top
and a bit of pepper.
Simple as that.
(curious music)
- Baz.
- I really want this burned
and it wasn't burning quick enough, so.
- What are you doing?
- It works, it works!
That's what I wanted, it works!
Who needs pans?
I've got another budget hack, don't bother with pans,
straight on the hob.
- Bottom top's grilled, time to take it out.
- I am so excited for Mike's flip,
'cause I kinda know it's gonna taste good
'cause we've already tested the recipes.
- Jay, Jay.
Yours can wait, this could be funny.
- What's going on?
- This is the moment of truth of whether he can turn it out.
- Right, this is it.
This gets served upside down as a ricey dome.
If it sticks it falls apart.
If the bottom isn't cooked and is too thin, it falls apart.
If it comes out and it looks like a ricey dome,
that's what success look like,
so are we all clear.
- All clear. - Real clear.
- So, I'm just gonna have to go for it.
- [Barry] No, no, no, no, no. - No, Mike, Mike, Mike,
Mike, Mike. - Mike come on.
- It sounded thuddy, and it looks perfect.
- Tick tick, success.
- No (laughing).
- Great job.
Last three minutes.
Just gonna need you to start thinking about plating up.
- Oh Ebbers I am so there.
- [Ben] I know, I think you all are,
which is rather remarkable.
- I am relieved.
I mean honestly, the recipe's so good
that even I could get to this point.
- Excellent job Mike.
- Yes!
- One minute!
- I'm gonna plate one portion up now.
(dramatic music)
- If you want to joosh now is your time.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Step away, right let's get 'em to the sexies.
(upbeat music)
Not bad for three pound 75.
- Yeah.
(Jamie muttering)
- Oh. - Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Come on keep up. - Oh.
- Let's dig in and see what we think.
Start with you Jay.
- So here we have stir fry veg with char siu style pork
and a satay style sauce.
- Budget meal, first thing you think, stir fry right?
- Straight off I think it was the most colourful,
most appealing, most attractive of the three.
I like the fact you've kept the texture on the vegetables,
but you've still managed to get some of the char
on the cabbage, and that char siu style pork... and the peanut,
I love it, I think it's genius.
I think it would make an excellent bar snack
even before you put it on top of this
for texture, and crunch, and sweet bitter spice.
It's lovely.
If I had to pick holes.
- Well you don't have to.
- You have to. - Maybe singular hole.
Perhaps the noodles a little bit overcooked
and kind of broken up a bit,
but if that's the only thing that I can find
that's even questionable about it,
I think it's a great dish.
Barry what we got?
- This is a chicken and mushroom tartiflette,
but I didn't put any chicken in it.
- Right, dig in.
(upbeat music)
- Oh that tastes really good.
That tastes really good.
- The marmalade was genius in yours,
and in this one the cream cheese and the packet of soup mix
cuts corners, but also cuts costs.
The lettuce, I think more people should cook lettuce,
'cause the ones that kinda char a little bit
but also the bits that are slightly wilted and warm,
that is brilliant.
I think you chop up your potatoes,
and when you got bored and you got to the end
you left the end, and the end bits
are thicker than the slices
and they are a little on the underside.
- That is a tiny little hole you picked there.
(upbeat music)
- Mike what is it?
- So this is inspired by a dish called a Tahchin,
which is from, it's a Persian dish, from Iran
and that sort of area.
And it is baked rice, it's exactly what it is.
I've cut corners in order to save money,
but I just think it's fascinating and it's,
I thought that looks like a rice pie,
I want to serve that up
and see what you guys think of it.
- [Ben And Barry] Cheers.
- Oh. - Well I did not
expect it to taste like that. - No.
- The texture and the golden colour on that was spot on.
The consistency of the lentilaise in the middle
I think is clever.
Struggling to find anything up with that
other than, and we saw it happen,
but the garlic is slightly tainting it.
Which puts us in a bit of a predicament,
'cause not only have I got to pick a winner today
to win a badge, but also a loser
who will have on taken away.
- I forgot that bit.
- The winning dish
full of smart hacks and tricks, and something new is....
Mike!
- Yes, budget badge!
Not losing a badge!
Yes! - [Jamie] Barry, Barry.
Barry.
- Jamie. - Barry.
- [Ben] Which makes this even worse.
- This could be a really bad day.
- You also both did a great job,
and therefor there is the tiniest execution element
that is dividing the two of you.
The question is, is it the overcooked noodles
or the undercooked potato.
- Just, let me double check the potatoes.
- Yeah try the big bit there.
That's a bit more crunchy.
- It's a helmet.
- You can hear that crunch.
(boys laughing)
I like when you try and do something to prove your point
and it backfires.
Barry is the loser.
It was literally this close,
and I think everyone in the studio
will still happily devour the other three portions.
There's nothing wrong with it, it just wasn't perfect.
- Well over to you guys now.
Go over to Instagram to vote
and see which badge Barry loses,
and if you like this style of budget cooking
then you're gonna love our Meal Packs app.
You can get it for a whole month free
by clicking the link below.
(beep)
- If I had to pick a hole.
- You always do. (Jamie laughing)
- Don't say a-hole.
- Well I'd normally say, if I had to pick holes,
but again I can only pick one.