There's one on there.
Yeah. It's a big one.
Yes. That's heavy on there.
You feel it? Yeah.
Huh?
Holy Here she comes.
She's coming. It's totally gone mad!
There you are.
That is mahussive! It's a big one.
Pick it up. Pick it up.
Holy
GORDON I'm in Europe.
In the stunningly beautiful country of Croatia.
This region may not be as famous as it's glamorous neighbor, Italy.
But flying under the radar has kept it's landscape and
culture incredibly well preserved.
This week I'll be exploring the Peninsula of Istria.
Where the hilly wooden interior and the sparkling Adriatic coastline
are teeming with fresh local ingredients.
This is my first time in Croatia.
And I can't wait to discover this country's hidden culinary gems.
Beautiful.
Now this motorbike belongs to
one of the best chef's in Croatia, David Skoko.
And he's asked me to meet him by the water.
Hey, Gordon! David!
Come on. Just walk. Be light on your feet.
Seriously? Come on.
Jesus.
You look like a mountain goat.
This is a mine field.
Careful. Careful.
You said, "Meet me on the Beach."
It's my kind of beach.
GORDON Chef David Skoko is
a Croatian food star.
But at heart he's a fourth generation fisherman.
With access to top quality seafood and
world class chef skills,
he's transformed his family's small taverner, Batelina,
into one of the best restaurants in Croatia.
Normally I get to meet you in a café or a taverner.
No, I'm not that kind of guy.
What, why are we here?
I'm a fisherman's son.
What can we find here that I'm not seeing?
We have this kind of herb.
This is sea fennel.
Wow.
Mm, that's delicious.
Very fragrant isn't it? Very, uh...
Mhm, very, very, very tasty.
Sweet as well isn't it?
Yeah. Really good.
Welcome to Istria.
I'm bouncing around these rocks just trying to get here.
Totally oblivious to what was underneath my feet.
This is Adriatic Citronella.
It's similar to the sage. And here we have Salicornia.
That's more like a, like a fern.
I've got the feeling this week is gonna produce some
unearthed gems that even I haven't seen before.
When I told my chefs back home that I was coming to Croatia
they said it's like the Sleeping Beauty.
Yeah, it's still untouched.
It's still untouched?
I think Istria is what Italia was.
Right.
We try to use everything that nature offer.
From the land.
Everything that the fisherman's net bring up.
Yeah. We try to use.
The trash fish.
We are not choosing our menu from our ideas.
It's just choosing from the catch.
Availability? Yeah.
We have so, so much great stuff.
But you have to put some effort in it.
Go out and find some great stuff.
In a week... Yes?
We're gonna cook against each other.
I'm very competitive.
David is a cool, good looking chef.
I mean he's got the tats, he pulls it off.
He's got the Tom Cruise hair.
What are we gonna go fishing for?
I would love to tell you.
I will show you.
But David is one of the best chef's in Croatia.
Only god knows what he's got in store.
Wrong way my friend. (bleep), hell.
GORDON I'm looking forward to facing off against David.
As we cook for locals at the end of the week.
But I know it's gonna be tough challenge.
First things first. Time to go fishing.
I hope to get some, some eels.
Some eels? Yeah, a Conger eel.
They have big Conger eels here.
GORDON Of course David wants to
go fishing for Conger eels.
They're powerful and enormous.
Just like David's competition, Croatian spirit.
Is that yours? Yes, Yes.
It's by beauty.
Wow, that is a beautiful boat.
Thank you. Alright.
I'm so excited, honestly.
Yeah, you're not gonna go fishing from my sailing boat.
What?
You're not going fishing from my sailing boat.
We're going fishing with my father.
Stop it. In that dingy?
Yeah, it's the traditional way of fishing.
Yeah but hold on a minute.
No, this is for joy, fun.
Let's talk about comfortable first.
Is that really your father?
Yeah. Good morning.
Welcome. Good to see you.
Are you serious. We're going fishing in that?
Yes, yes.
There's me thinking we were on this beautiful,
glamorous sailboat that belongs to David and his family.
But, no.
Shit.
He wants me to become Croatian quickly.
Shall we set sail? Or set sink?
GORDON People told me Croatia was like Italy.
But none of my vacations on the Amalfi coast had me
fishing in a boat, not much bigger than a bathtub.
David's Dad set a line of baited hooks at dawn.
To hopefully catch a Conger eel.
Just be careful for the hooks.
Big hooks. Be very careful.
It's a dangerous thing.
Shit.
GORDON This line has 100 hooks set three meters apart.
Big hooks.
GORDON Grab the wrong spots.
And you've gone from fisherman to catch of the day.
You can bend on your knees if it will be easier.
Yeah. Gotcha.
It's a workout and a half.
Yeah, good for your shoulders.
There's one on there.
Hm? There's one on there.
Yeah. It's a big one.
Yes.
When you start feeling that tug all of a sudden,
it's an indication that it's a Conger.
(bleep), that's heavy on there.
Pick it up, Pick it up.
I'm feeling...
Wow.
That's a big one.
I'm talking about a girth of your knee.
I mean they're thick and they're strong and they're powerful.
There's another one.
There's another one down there.
Yes, it's a big one. It's a big one.
Shit. I can feel him.
Ah! That is mahussive.
There's one more on here.
What is under there?
The tug of a Conger eel with a hand line is huge.
You can really feel that thing fighting you.
That's heavy on there.
Shit.
There is that adrenaline, 'cause you're pulling like mad
and you can feel it tug, tug, tug.
Here she comes.
It's coming. It's tugging like mad.
GORDON This line isn't budging.
David says eels here can weigh nearly 30 pounds.
Which is much bigger than anything I've pulled in so far.
This is massive. That's a big one.
Shit.
Whoo!
Wow, that is a beauty.
Look at the size of that thing.
GORDON After my Croatian cross-fit workout,
I'm definitely ready for a break.
I just hope my arms have enough strength left to
lift the eel from the plate to my mouth.
We made some Conger eel, uh, pate.
It's silky and very tasty.
A little bit buttery.
I had no idea it could be finesse to that level of a pate.
It's really good.
Our limit in the kitchen, you know,
it's all in our heads.
An amazing start to my journey.
Let me tell you.
I'll come back at the end of the week and
we'll cook together.
Yeah.
I'll give you a run for your money.
Thank you.
Now, can you get me off this bloody boat?
I never thought a Conger eel could set the bar.
Based on the flavor of that pate,
I think this guy's got other tricks up his sleeve.
GORDON This is gonna be a tough final cook.
I've got my surf. Now for a little turf.
I'm heading to meet some of the best truffle hunters on the planet.
I'm told they're very good boys.
David's told me to use the region to really help elevate my dishes.
So I'm coming out the gate big.
Truffles.
Now Istria has the reputation for some of the best truffles in the world.
And I'm gonna meet a truffle expert.
And her two dogs.
And fingers crossed I'll get my hands on this culinary gold.
Visnja!
Hey Gordon! How are you?
This is gorgeous. So nice to see you.
Yes, so happy to have you.
I'm so happy to be here.
Look at this place. Did you grow up here?
Yes, I grew up here.
I'm the third generation in the family.
Wow.
Doing the truffle business and
basically it's my whole life.
I live with it every day.
This is for you. A special vest.
So, it's like a little gilet or hunter's vest.
We need a special tool,
which is a shovel.
Gotcha. And then we need dogs.
Oh my Lord.
You are kidding me.
Wow. What speed of them?
You get them started. Bloody hell.
GORDON So our fearless leaders have arrived.
Tia's the black one and Broom is the brown one.
Broom. Broom!
GORDON I was imagining some majestic hounds
would be helping us track down these edible gold.
But it looks like we're got a couple of
Paris Hilton's handbag dogs instead.
These are special treats.
Right.
These you need to have in your pocket.
When we find some truffles you have to reward them.
Right.
And the main words you have to know,
means search in Croatian and,
is like a "Come on. Let's go." Like,
That's right. Ready to go?
Absolutely. Let's go.
GORDON So the game plan.
Let these fluffy ping pong balls bounce around and
sniff out the truffles underneath the dirt.
Once they signal, I'll feed them a treat.
And start digging.
This is my kind of search and rescue.
So first they search all around and
then they sniff a bit.
They go away. They come back.
So multiple times.
Sometimes they come on the same place.
You see?
And sometimes they don't wanna give us the truffle.
They lie on it on the floor.
Stop it. So they sit down on it.
They sit down. Yeah, yeah.
Hey, shoo, shoo.
I mean they literally scratch, they sniff and then boom,
they plant their ass and they guard it.
So got get the cookie in there quick before
they start eating the truffle.
And slowly with the shovel we have to, uh,
move the layers of the soil all around.
Ah, see it here. See it?
Stop it. Yeah.
You'd never spot that with a naked eye would you?
Yeah you see.
Just a very good trained dog can do it.
Ah, beautiful piece.
Bloody hell. Good job Gordon!
They look like these house bound pets.
You've got no idea of their nose is at the forefront of a
multi-million dollar business.
GORDON Although truffles are a fungus that
look like rotting potatoes, the white winter variety can
fetch up to $3,000 a pound.
Now we check another spot.
Is it here?
It's not. Show us the place, where is it?
Hey, come on.
They know that you have cookies Gordon too,
in your pocket.
Oh yeah. There you are.
Wait, wait, wait.
Treat man. Treat man.
I don't mind handling a couple of cookies for a couple of
kilo of the most exquisite truffle any day.
One more cookie. One more cookie.
One more. Okay.
For a truffle please.
GORDON The dogs seem to have stopped working
but I can't yell at something so damn cute.
These dogs are gonna ruin my reputation.
Not interested. No, no, no.
GORDON It looks like the smell of treats
is stronger than the smell of truffle.
Broom, help us.
GORDON I'm in Croatia on
the hunt for truffles.
Broom, Broom, Broom.
Come on.
Broom. Broom. Shoo. Find it.
GORDON But I might have been too generous
with the treats because our heroes seem like
they've given up the search.
He's smelling something here.
Smelling something there.
GORDON Then I realize they wanted
treats for a reason.
Ah, you see it! Ah!
We were in the wrong spot.
Broom. Bravo! Bravo!
GORDON They were on the money the whole time.
And now you deserve cookies, yes.
GORDON Lesson learned.
Don't trust me truffle hunting,
or you'll go broke.
You enjoyed? Yeah, amazing.
I'm impressed with those dogs.
Now it's their time to rest and we will do something
with the truffles which we find.
Beautiful. Oh Mom.
Hey!
You see? Here's my Mom.
Hello.
She prepared something special for you today.
Our homemade Gnocchi.
That is beautiful. With truffles.
That looks beautiful. Shall we?
Yeah. Oh my goodness me.
GORDON These eye wateringly priced truffles
make this some deliciously expensive Gnocchi.
Dig in please. Look at that.
Yeah.
Seriously, I mean that is decadence beyond belief.
Mm. Mom!
Thank you.
Oh my God!
That's a first for me. Croatian truffles.
I'm gonna put them up there in the Italian and the French truffles.
Because they're that good.
The smell and the fragrance of these things are incredible.
So that's it.
Italian truffles are off the menu.
The first stop for me.
David said get out into the region and elevate your dishes.
So, can I take one of those please?
Yes, of course.
Do you mind if I go for the rock?
You bag this one. Can I?
You will need it. You will need it.
GORDON Those Istrian truffles are a revelation.
But now I'm off to hunt for a treasure even I can smell.
Stinky cheese.
I'm about to meet an amazing farmer, Ales Winkler.
Who is responsible for making some of the best goat's cheese
anywhere in the world.
And what I'm dying to find out is what's so special about it?
Ales!
Gordon! How are you Sir?
What a beautiful place.
Nice place we have here, no?
Oh my goodness me.
We have 250 hectares and 250, 300 goats.
They are lucky goats. Talking about goats.
They are lucky goats. That looks incredible.
Can I have a quick look?
Yeah, but can you just give me a hand?
We must now, push them into the stable.
You want them herded up first?
I will open the doors there.
If you can just push them inside.
Ah, I'll start down this end here at first. Yes?
Just from the back,
from the backside to go and...
What's the secret of herding all these goats?
Just run around them and drive them into there.
Run around them? Come on. A little run.
Okay, and what's the words in Croatian?
What, what, what do we say?
Hey.
Hey!
Goats can be pretty stubborn.
We're not talking about a dozen goats here.
We're talking about 250 of them.
Hey, come on.
Come on.
Hey.
Thank God for the wolves.
My saving grace was the dogs.
Without them I'd have been screwed.
Go, go, go, go, go.
Come on. Come on.
Hey! Hey!
Wow. Come on. Hey, hey!
Come here, come here, come here.
Hey, hey, hey.
Woo. shit.
Come on.
I almost got there and then one, one goat escaped.
Come here. Come here.
Come on.
GORDON As I get closer to the gate
the goat suddenly bolts for the hills.
Come here. Come on. Shit.
GORDON There was no way I was keeping up
with that thing.
It was like a sling shot.
Igor!
Come here. Come here.
GORDON Thankfully we had fitter and
smarter canine athletes to help me out.
Come on.
Okay, just don't push them now.
Then you will be okay.
GORDON Saved by the fur again.
Wow. That's not so hard.
Bloody hell. Huge respect now for goats.
Let me tell you because they move faster than Usain Bolt.
Even in London, they talk about how good this cheese is.
We have 180 different plants.
And goats eat only outside.
So that means that every day they can choose,
you know, what's the right plant for today?
Beautiful. Try here.
This is ricotta.
Look at how firm that is. Thank you.
Pure Istrian ricotta.
Mm, that's delicious.
Very light. That's classical from...
Thank you.
Bloody hell. That is delicious.
GORDON All the rumors I heard are true.
This cheese is excellent.
Depends on what they're eating depends on the climate, humidity.
Basically every day it's another type of cheese.
This is serious stuff.
That blend and getting that taste and the way they're rolled and
the way they're cured and the way they're pressed.
Oh my God.
I was gob-smacked.
This cook for me is important. David is highly competitive.
I'd love to take some with me.
Okay.
I've got some things to sort of cultivate and
get those ideas going.
It's all starting to sort of come together.
I've got to start thinking about how do I blend that
amazing cheese into those final dishes?
Because honestly, from that tasting,
the cheese is good enough to stand alone.
Excellent. Good to see you.
Thank you.
GORDON I've just some had great success on land.
And now it's time for me to return to the sea.
With two days left until the big cook I'm on my way to meet
up with a local fisherman.
The Adriatic Sea is actually teeming with delicious fish.
But there is one local inhabitant here that could be
a real boost for my final menu.
Cuttlefish.
The ink is messy but, trust me,
it could be a game changer,
especially up against someone like David.
Gentlemen, good morning.
Good morning sir. What a beautiful boat.
Come on board. Thank you.
Good to see you.
Captain! This is Roman.
He's going to drive us today.
Excellent. Shall I untie?
Yes please. Help me with that.
Excellent.
Let's go. Turn.
GORDON Cuttlefish are like
the fatter, uglier cousin to the squid.
Their ink is one of the most sought after ingredients in the world.
If I can reel in just one of these babies I'll have a much
better chance of turning votes in my direction at the final cook.
This is the reef. Now they're drifting that way.
Gotcha.
So we're gonna cast 90 degrees on the drift.
Right. 90 degrees.
Yeah. Perfect.
Slowly drag your lure on the bottom.
Gotcha. Are you a patient man?
No, not very patient.
Are you a competitive guy?
Yes. Should we do a bet?
Hold on, I've never been cuttle-fishing before.
The bet is if I catch the first cuttlefish,
you have to dive off the boat naked.
Okay. I can go with that.
GORDON We never discussed what I would have
to do if I lost the bet.
But that's okay.
I have no intention of letting that happen.
I got one. I got one. Oh shit, really?
And I don't think I'm gonna jump.
No damn. Okay, let's go up.
I'm so excited to see it.
Look at that. That's beautiful, wow.
GORDON Thankfully for me,
and more importantly the viewer,
Nikola doesn't ask me to dive off the boat naked.
Today we all win.
Right. One. Nil.
Yeah. Croatia One.
Scotland Zero.
Come on.
Oh, I just had a bite, seriously.
Go for it. You have it.
I have it on. Yes sir.
I have it on. Oh shit.
You lost it? I think I've lost it.
Try, you need to be a touch quicker with the net.
If the net was quicker I would have got it earlier.
But don't worry.
Cuttlefish are very difficult to catch.
Let's make that absolutely clear.
They're very, uh, they're delicate.
And you don't strike.
You just lift up with the motion.
You do it like this, look.
Oh, right there is one.
Now.
Yes sir. Yes? I think so.
It's a baby but it counts.
Trust me. It does count.
GORDON At first I was hell bent on
catching the first cuttlefish.
But now my mission is to catch just one.
With no dog to save me, it looks like I'm on my own.
Come on cuttlefish, please?
Can you feel the ledge on your rod?
Yes.
That's the most important part.
Yes, I've got one on.
Yes sir. Okay. Here we go.
It's a decent size one as well. Okay.
Pick up the net please. Don't this one up.
Please!
Yes, I've got one on.
Yes sir. Okay, here we go.
GORDON I'm on the sea in Croatia.
Showing off my calm, cool and collected cuttlefish skills.
Okay. Pick up the net please.
Don't this one up.
Please!
Oh, you're gonna win with this one sir.
Yes! Yes!
Yes you did it.
That's a decent sized one, right?
Yeah, yeah, yes. That's the biggest one.
Look at that.
They look almost like prehistoric don't they?
Look. Gotcha.
This is what you want to have in your risotto.
Gotcha yeah. Wow.
When you're fishing, it's not a race.
It's how you finish. Not how you start.
And my cuttlefish has to be the biggest.
Now, I'm complete. I've got everything I want.
And more importantly how fresh are they?
They're super mega fresh.
But you're not done yet.
What do you mean I'm not done?
Roman is not here just for driving.
Right.
He's gonna take you diving.
Diving? Yeah, diving.
Oxygen? No oxygen.
Free diving.
Free diving? You are fit.
You don't need oxygen.
Trust me. You will see.
Let's go Captain.
GORDON I was happy with my cuttlefish ink.
But the Istrian Sea has more in store for me.
I'm going diving for Noah's Arc and Sea Truffles.
Two types of local mollusks that just might be the thing
to give my final meal a boost.
You just follow me down...
...and keep an eye on me.
Right. Okay?
Okay. Are we ready?
GORDON I get going down and
down until the sun disappears.
And with it my air.
Once I finally make it to the sea floor,
the shells are buried under the sand and seaweed.
While my eyes are willing to do the work,
my lungs are not.
Shit. He's still down there.
GORDON While I remain on the surface,
trying to catch my breath.
I've been up twice.
GORDON I make a mental note to
check Roman for gills.
Seriously.
How are you? How are you?
That's the one.
You're insane.
Look at that, it looks like a mussel.
Yeah.
How the hell are we supposed to
spot that thing down there?
It's covered in weed.
And now you go and find yourself one.
This is mine.
GORDON I make it down to the sea floor.
But only long enough to realize I need to leave again.
You're doing everything okay.
But you have to slow it down.
Try to relax as much as possible.
Right.
He stayed down there for over three minutes.
I came up three times.
You swallow a couple of mouthfuls of water and
you start panicking a little bit.
Okay, I'm ready. Mhm.
GORDON I try to take Roman's advice to
stay calm and relaxed.
But I don't think either is in my DNA.
But determination is.
So I force myself to expand less energy and
I'm able to stay on the bottom long enough to
nab my very first Noah's Arc.
Whoo!
Yes. Yes. Good job.
Good job, excellent.
Damn that's hard. Yeah.
Now we've actually caught them
I can't wait to taste them.
GORDON One small mollusk.
That's it.
Roman's got half a dozen Noah's Arc.
Which are best served grill and a few of the coveted sea truffles
which he says are delicious right out of the shell.
Having gorged on amazing truffles on land,
these clam like mollusks have a lot to live up to.
Beautiful, thank you.
That's delicious.
Wow. So tasty.
And the actual saltiness is absolutely spot on.
They are utilizing everything that's in front of them.
From the Noah's Arc to the sea truffle to the conger eel.
I'm a little bit on the back-foot already because
it's ingredients I've never worked with that much.
I have to be very careful what I choose to cook.
GORDON After a day on the sea,
I'm back on dry land and heading for the hills.
But this time cheese isn't the dairy I'm after.
I'm off to a farm, where a local guide named Kristina is
gonna lead me to some amazing milk.
So we're here to taste some good milk, right?
Yeah, but it may not be what you think it is.
Really? Yes.
Hello. Hi, hello.
How are you? I'm Tanja.
Tanja. Gordon, nice to see you.
Nice to meet you.
Beautiful farm by the way.
Yes, it's my paradise.
I'm dying to taste the, uh, delicious milk please.
The milk, okay.
We start. No milk.
We have to milk it.
I thought the cows and goats get milked in the morning?
Yes.
But you're not gonna milk cows or goats.
You're gonna milk donkeys.
Donkeys. Yes.
You milk donkeys? Yes, it's not easy.
But you can try.
I've ridden one. Mhm.
Uh, I've never milked one.
No? No.
Let's go.
Milking a donkey, in Croatia.
What's the word in Croatian to call a donkey?
I call them,
It's like, "Baby. Come, Come. Baby."
We separate mom from the baby.
I milk three, maybe.
Three. Okay. Yes.
So, (speaking in native language)?
First of all, where the are they?
You call him.
I don't know how to call in Croatian, but
It's exactly the same sound as my one year son does
when he's filled his diaper.
They are coming. Okay.
Come here all together.
Okay, they're coming.
See, why don't we just jump on it and ride it there?
You should run, run! I run. Okay.
Yes, yes, faster. Okay, gotcha.
Okay. Right.
Then they came quickly.
Okay, now you separate only the Mom.
Okay. Here you are.
Here you go.
What's that for?
This is a stallion outside.
Okay. Only Linda inside.
So...
Oh we go behind. We go behind.
Yes, but slowly. Oh shit.
They were sort of almost cornered and then bang.
In a split second they disappeared.
Man, this is crazy.
If anyone says donkeys move slow.
Trust me. They're fast.
And they're nimble, let me tell you.
Come on. Let's go. Kristina go right.
Okay. No!
Donkeys forgot running around like a blue ass fly.
I was running like blue ass Scotsman, herding donkeys.
Tanja!
Honestly, it's like being back in Hell's Kitchen.
Come on. Let's go. Kristina go right.
Okay. No! donkeys.
GORDON I'm in the Croatian countryside
where I've come to milk a donkey.
But they're avoiding me like I'm about to judge their risotto.
Come here. Okay.
Come here, I call them.
Well that didn't work did it?
They're not gonna come to my calling.
No please. Be quiet, quite.
I'll hide here.
I'll hide in the bush.
Because they are scared now.
Here they come. Here they come.
Hide. Hide.
Tanja is definitely the donkey whisperer.
And she just came out, almost like, you know, Jesus.
And they just come to her.
GORDON Apparently the difference between a donkey and
a jackass of 16 Michelin stars.
I'll come from behind.
Yes.
Dude, dude.
No. Dude. No. No. No. No.
Tanja!
Please, please. You stay there.
GORDON The cows wanted a piece of me.
But the donkeys not so much.
Inside.
GORDON I lost three pounds of sweat chasing them.
But Tanja only needed to call out twice and
two of them went straight into the pen.
Show off.
She's name is Olga. She is beautiful.
Now I love you dearly. I'm not gonna ride you.
And we're certainly not gonna eat you.
We're just gonna drink you.
Push. Oh yeah.
You see? Oh, it's going.
You can look down.
I'm scared to look down in case she does something.
Last time I was milking I got some crap flaked in my face.
No. Yes.
Please Olga.
And now’s the time not for a number two.
Keep going.
Yes. Yes.
It's enough milk.
Hey good girl. Thank you Olga.
Cheers.
Mm, sweet.
It's very sweet, wow. Really sweet.
But it's not creamy is it? It's not, uh...
It's very light. Yeah.
Very light. Yeah, I like it.
I want to apologize now on all those people I've been upset with...
Calling them a donkey.
'Cause right now, in my eyes,
especially in Croatia, donkeys are asses.
Not assholes.
Sweet, light but really tasty.
The taste was like a sort of a warm,
sweet semi skimmed milk.
How do I cook with that?
Do I poach? Do I think of a desert?
I don't know yet.
But it's certainly got me going.
Thank you.
Thanks. Thanks. Cheers.
GORDON This was an amazing week,
exploring Istria.
David was right.
That if I put in the effort
I'll find some amazing and unique ingredients.
But I'm not done just yet.
Right, it's the day of the final cook.
And I'm feeling really happy about the plan for my meal.
But there's one addition that I know
will take everything to the next level.
And that's the local olive oil.
Now they say that Istria produces some of
the best olive oil anywhere in the world.
And trust me I know my oils.
So I'm dying to see and taste what all the fuss is about.
Lena!
Oh hey. How are you?
Hi. Good, good.
What an amazing place.
It is.
Now this week has been an incredible journey.
I think I've got some of the best ingredients.
But olive oil is that final stroke.
That... Absolutely.
That bit that lifts it.
What is so special about your olive oil?
It's, um, the place we're in.
The micro-climate. The proximity of the sea.
The very rich soil.
We are in the middle of the summer so I'm doing a
bit of, uh, clipping or pruning the trees.
Yes.
We are doing it so we can provide some air to the tree.
And the sunlight to every single leaf.
Wow. Do you wanna try it?
I mean, you might as well.
What is that there? I'm just worried about...
So, this here...
Do they break do they, do they snap in half?
It's, it's pretty safe.
So it's called a,
It's a traditional way to do it.
How old are these ladders?
Uh, more than a 100 years old.
Stop it. Yeah.
I'm worried about cutting the bush with
the olives on there.
Uh, yeah, please don't do that.
Yeah.
Try to pick the ones that don't have olives.
Yeah.
Not that one.
Not that one? Just go a bit up.
Further up? Yeah, further up.
GORDON Pruning branches isn't very hard.
But trying to keep my size 15 feet on this narrow ladder
is one of the most terrifying things I've done all week.
This is, this is insane.
Every tree like this needs to be pruned?
Every tree. So you spend what?
Three or four hours on each tree?
No, we do it in an hour, 45 minutes.
What? Yeah.
At this speed, three hours maybe.
You'll be done with one tree.
That's slow.
Yeah, but you see how high.
We wouldn't employ you.
So I'm not an olive bush pruner.
Bloody hell. They move quick.
They spend 45 minutes.
I spent 45 minutes in one area.
Clearly not good at trimming bushes.
That is beautiful, thank you.
It's very complex aroma.
Oh my Lord. Two varieties.
Look how dark that is though.
Mm. Oh boy. Mhm.
It's got a very bitter, nutty flavor.
Yeah, artichoke, nutty, exactly.
Wow. Artichoke.
When it's, uh, here, it's tingling.
Tingling here, yeah. Yeah.
A little spiciness here.
Yeah. Aye, aye, aye.
Yeah, the spiciness that you feel is the antioxidants
with the Polyphenols, uh, that are found in the olive oil.
Delicious.
That, for me, was the crème de la crème.
I mean that will go up against any fine olive oil
from Italy or Spain any day.
And it's given me that perfect little singular note that
I know can lift a few of my dishes.
Here you go. Honestly?
Thank you so much.
I mean it's like now I've got my secret weapon.
And next time I meet an Italian that tells me
they produce the best olive oil in the world.
You tell an Italian what's the best oil.
Thank you darling.
Take care. Thank you.
Bye.
GORDON It's the day of the big cook.
Heading off an amazing island but forget the beauty.
Let the battle commence.
Thank you very much.
David. What? Really?
GORDON That is definitely not the David I remember.
David! What? Really?
You met my son.
How are you Captain? You good?
You have a new sous chef?
Yeah.
What are you doing there?
I'm cutting up some cuttlefish.
Right and what are you doing with that thing?
Uh, I will cut it and prepare it for the fish stew.
It's our traditional dish.
Don't tell me, your son.
Mom and Dad will be coming as well? I mean.
Yeah, everyone. Whole family.
They said you were a big boy.
You didn't need any help.
Really? Right.
Okay the heat is on.
So he had his son as a sous chef the minute
I arrived on the dock.
That's fine. Trust me.
Scotland.
Croatia.
Don't cross that line.
GORDON Well, two can play that game.
Anton! Yeah.
I need you in two minutes please.
Okay. I'll be ready.
Yes? Get this right, young man.
And you're coming to London for the weekend.
Maybe.
I'll show you some really good food, okay?
And by the way, I have three daughters.
All single.
GORDON If David wants to play dirty.
I'll play dirtier.
Anton! Two seconds please.
GORDON And I'm not above creating a family rift.
Okay.
Touch of flour in the hands like this.
Yeah. Clap.
And then we're gonna make this,
what do you call, it?
Pljukanci, yeah.
Loo, look'n see? Pljukanci.
GORDON Pljukanci is a Croatian hand rolled pasta,
specific to Istria.
I'm using it to make a black truffle pasta the locals will love.
I'll give you a race.
First to ten, ready?
Yeah. Ready, steady go.
One, two.
GORDON I was worried about
the dish being too time consuming.
But thanks to David's sous chef this will go quickly.
Eight.
You're competing with a child.
Nine.
Oh, you got it. You've done it.
Well done. Good job.
Yeah, you too. Well done.
Okay that looks a little bit awkward that one, right?
Yeah and this one. Very good. Very good.
And that, what happened there?
It looks like a tadpole, huh?
Yeah.
Was that yours or mine?
Yours. Are you sure?
Yeah.
But dude really?
Yeah. Dude, hello.
Thank you son.
Now it's time for big boys cooking.
Okay. See you.
Beautiful.
GORDON Now it's mano y mano.
And it's time to kick the competition into high gear.
How competitive are you?
Very competitive. Seriously.
Yeah.
I compete even with my Mom in the kitchen.
You don't compete with your Mom,
for God's sakes, really?
Yes, it happens, I cannot help myself.
Not your Mom. Come on David.
Sweat that down.
Now I'm gonna start the risotto next.
Yeah, I'm gonna use that beautiful ink.
Right risotto.
GORDON In addition to the truffle Pljukanci pasta,
I'm using another ace card.
The cuttlefish.
Okay, ink's gonna go in there now.
The prized jewel inside my risotto.
GORDON I'm using the flesh and
the ink to make a black risotto.
I'm feeling good about my ingredients but I can see
David showed up with a full arsenal too.
This is my special ingredient.
What's that?
Yeah, it's a spider crab, a local spider crab.
A spider crab.
I've putting it in the Brudet.
Right, as in sort of the base of the fish stew?
Yes.
GORDON David is making a spider crab and
conger eel stew.
This has definitely got me nervous.
Because that man knows how to cook his conger.
Listen David.
I just want to beat you on your own soil.
Scotland verses Croatia.
That's not, that's not gonna happen.
Scotland verses Croatia, okay?
Yes, but we are looking for my people.
Yes, with Croatian ingredients.
GORDON This is definitely not gonna be easy.
But we all know how much I love a good challenge.
I'm making the truffle pasta and
David makes ricotta gnocchi with truffles as well.
Now you're chopping super-fast.
Slow down, it's not about the speed.
It's about the control.
Yeah, yeah.
And I'm gonna try and grill the, uh, cuttlefish
on the open grill.
Can I just say it's the first time this week
I've seen you sweat.
Yeah. Are you under pressure?
A little bit, yes. Ah-ha-ha.
GORDON David's Croatian armor is finally
starting to show some cracks.
I'm not gonna lie. I don't mind it one bit.
My Brudet is almost done.
Right.
I will put some conger eel in it.
GORDON As I'm putting on the final touches
I feel like things are coming along.
But apparently David is already done.
Ah! Ready? No, I'm not.
Slow down please.
You said it's not a race, right?
It is a race.
The guests are arriving.
I'm slicing this cuttlefish super thin.
Can I try it? Yes please.
Is it done?
Yeah, well I just marked it, grilled it.
Very nice.
You know it's super sweet!
Isn't it lovely? Yeah.
Olive oil, in.
Oh, our guests is coming.
Guest are coming? They're coming, yeah.
GORDON It's the final stretch and
the people who helped me throughout the week are here to judge this meal.
It's time to get my dishes on the plate and
pray for the best.
Oh, look at that. You good?
You sound like you're having an orgasm.
This truffle is like, it's really orgasmic.
Oh boy. Oh man.
Almost done?
One more dish to go for me.
The risotto.
Ah-ha! Goat's cheese.
It's gonna give it that nice little bit of bite.
Beautiful.
GORDON Despite David trying to mess with
my head, I've made a cuttlefish risotto.
And a truffle Pljukanci pasta with crème fresh sauce.
David has made a stew with conger eel and
spider crab to rival my cuttlefish.
And a ricotta gnocchi, he's not so secretly praying,
will beat my pasta.
That's looking fantastic.
Well done. Best of luck. Good job.
Okay, so nice to see you all, um.
Wow the colors look incredible, um...
Down here we have a beautiful cuttlefish risotto.
Finished with an, it's almost like a marinated cuttlefish salad.
And then onto the beautiful truffle, uh, excuse me, the name?
Pljukanci, Pljukanci. Pljukanci, uh...
With a light truffle crème fresh sauce.
So I was making our Brudet with some polenta.
And we have a ricotta gnocchi with truffles.
So I hope you will enjoy.
Yes, thank you for the truffles.
Thank you for the cuttlefish.
Bon appétit.
Thank you.
Yeah, they're digging in.
Mhm. Silence is good right?
Yeah, on the table, silence is the best.
Silence is the best. They're enjoying it.
Your risotto looks beautiful.
David, you know that secret there for me
was that ink sack, the flavor from that...
Yeah, incredible.
That person's smiling.
That's on my dish.
It is.
Happy faces.
Very happy. Yes.
Goo...
Um, which one's the Mom?
She's mine. It's my daughter.
This gorgeous girl is your daughter.
Yeah.
So you've got one doing the secret tasting.
And your son helping as sous chef.
I'm on my own.
No, this is a family thing.
Family thing. How was the food?
It was great. I love that.
He's seriously competitive, okay?
So who has the edge today?
Well I think in the battle of pasta and truffles, uh, Gordon won.
The secret was the truffle.
Trust me, thank you Visnja.
Gnocchi are a little chewy.
Sorry Dad. Sorry Dad. Okay, thank you.
Okay.
When the chef's daughter confirms that your pasta dish is
better than Dad's I know I've struck gold here in Croatia.
Did you like the, the Brudet? The fish stew?
Yeah, very good.
You can feel that you've grown up with the ingredients.
You can feel the experience.
Nikola, cuttlefish?
There is a little bit of goat cheese inside?
Just a touch. It's a touch too much.
Touch too much? Sorry.
But I didn't really feel the cuttlefish.
Although it's great, it's a great meal.
But I cannot feel the ink because of the goat cheese.
Right. Take him away.
Before I depart, put him out of his misery.
Who, who won today?
You, you did great.
I would say that, uh, in a meal like the Brudet you can
feel that somebody understands, uh, the essence of it.
The essence of our kitchen and
you can feel the experience here.
So I would say David.
In pasta definitely Gordon.
In the rest David.
For me, the Brudet won today.
Sorry.
It's sort of a draw, but Croatia has the edge.
Yes.
Thank you.
Thank you buddy.
Yes, look after yourself.
Next time in London. Next time in London.
Okay, thank you, take care, bye.
GORDON Croatia's been one of
the most exciting adventures ever.
I've learned a lot.
Noah's Arc, Conger eel.
If I see any of those hitting the shores of the UK,
the good news is I'll be in front of every chef in
the UK because I know what to do with them now.
But to see ingredients I use back home, on a daily basis,
olive oil and truffles.
But here has blown me away with the quality and
that will always continue to bring me back here to Croatia.
And now onto my next adventure.