Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (2019–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Alaska's Panhandle - full transcript
Gordon: Stop it.
Owen: You have...
Gordon: Blow in the lungs?
(laughs).
Gordon: That is a
big pair of lungs.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Big breath?
Owen: Yes.
(exhaling)
almost.
Gordon: Still more?
Owen: Yes. Almost. Almost.
Gordon: This is
southeast alaska.
America's final frontier.
I'm on the southern
alaskan panhandle in the
middle of winter and
I can't wait
to see what this icy
wilderness has to offer.
This narrow
strip of coastline
and offshore islands
is exposed to
all the elements...
And I mean all the elements.
It's one of the most brutal
environments on the planet.
Which is another way of
saying it's bloody cold
and full of animals
that can kill you.
Over the years the locals
have adapted to the harsh
conditions and created
delicious food from
their wild bounty and I
can't wait to explore.
To start my wild adventure,
I'm meeting
a chef and hunter who's
redefining alaskan food.
He wants to take me to
his favorite picnic spot.
That just happens to be almost
3,000 feet up a mountain.
But it's alaska,
which means snow storms so
he sent me this flashy set of
wheels to drive to the top.
Lionel!
Lionel: Gordon!
Gordon: Oh, man!
Lionel: Welcome to alaska.
Gordon: Good to see you, man.
Lionel: Good to see you.
Gordon: Lionel udippa is
one of alaska's top chefs.
He's trained in some
of the best restaurants in
the world and he is now the
executive chef
at salt in juneau.
He's gained a reputation
for creating incredible
flavor combinations from
the wild ingredients of
this glacial wonderland.
Gordon: Oh, boy
it is freezing!
Lionel: A little bit.
Gordon: Did you
bring some lunch?
Lionel: I did.
Gordon: I'm starving.
Lionel: Alright.
Well I'm gonna help you
put these snow shoes on,
we're gonna go on
a little adventure.
Gordon: Snow shoes?
Lionel: Yes.
So what do you think
about alaska so far?
Gordon: Uh, bloody hard.
This is insane.
Lionel: Do you
wanna move here?
Gordon: In the summer, yes.
Lionel has been hiking and
hunting in this freezing
wilderness since he was 18.
Whereas I've lost all
feeling in my face and hands.
Gordon: Any coffee nearby?
Lionel: Coffee?
Gordon: (bleep).
Lionel: What the hell
are you doing, gordon?
Get up, let's go!
Gordon: Taking a rest.
Lionel: Don't you
do triathlons?
Gordon: I do but not
in the (bleep) snow!
(laughs).
Lionel lured me
up here with a promise
of an incredible view.
But in this whiteout
the only thing I can see
is the end of my nose.
Lionel: Wow,
look at this view.
Gordon: I just hope we
can still have lunch.
That is beautiful.
Lionel: This is amazing.
Alaska's all about survival.
Gordon: Yep.
So you're used to
this kind of terrain
for like six, seven
months of the year.
Lionel: Yes, yes.
Gordon: Amazing.
Lionel: When
alaska turns green,
that's when we do
a lot of our foraging...
Gordon: Right.
Lionel: Or hunting
or fishing and we do our best
to preserve these ingredients
so that we have them
throughout the wintertime.
And some
of those ingredients
I've brought with us,
I wanna share with you.
First is this mug.
Gordon: Thank you.
Lionel: I'm gonna
give you some chaga
tea to warm you up.
Chaga's a mushroom that's
harvested on birch trees.
There's a little bit of
fireweed honey in this.
Gordon: Beautiful.
Lionel: Alright.
Gordon: Cheers, lionel.
Thank you. Wow.
Lionel: It's high in
antioxidants along
with other vitamins.
It's a fungus.
Gordon: That's delicious and
that honey helps it as well,
gives it that little
touch of sweetness
in there as well.
Lionel: Yes.
And then I also brought
some other goodies for us.
Gordon: What is that?
Lionel: Moose sticks.
Gordon: Moose sticks?
Lionel: Yes.
Gordon: Stop messing around.
Lionel: No, I'm, I'm serious.
Gordon: Moose sticks?
Lionel: Yes.
Gordon: So it's like
a moose sausage?
Lionel: Correct.
It's light, it's quiet,
I eat a lot of these
when I go hunting or you
don't want the deer to
hear you chew, right.
Gordon: Right.
Lionel: So you gotta keep
as quiet as possible.
Are you still hungry?
This, right here is
king salmon belly.
Gordon: King salmon belly.
Lionel: Huh-huh.
Gordon: That is delicious.
Fatty, delicious,
salty, smoky.
Lionel: Mm-mm.
This will be smoked
for about eight hours.
Gordon: Really?
Lionel: Mm-mm.
Gordon: That's like one
of the most exciting little
backpacks I've ever seen
on a mountain.
Um, my favorite has
to be the moose stick.
Lionel: Thank you.
This is just a small
tasting of what we have
to offer in alaska.
In order for you
to really engage with this
land I'm going to send you
off to hoonah, alaska.
So you're gonna be
going that way, where
you can't see anything.
Gordon: Lionel wants me
to start me journey in hoonah
to learn about the wilderness
from the residents
in this remote community
and then meet him back here
at the end of the week to
cook for some local legends.
Lionel: We're gonna
cook in front of a,
a bunch of fishermen...
Gordon: Right.
Lionel: And let me tell
you they're gonna judge
the hell out of you.
Gordon: Fishermen are the
alaskan food critics, right?
Lionel: Yes.
Gordon: And anything
else to be aware of?
Lionel: Don't get
eaten by a bear.
Gordon: Big bears?
Lionel: Big bears.
Gordon: Wouldn't they be
sleeping this time of year?
Lionel: Bigger than you.
Gordon: They're
bigger than me. (bleep).
(laughs).
I've got one week
and two missions.
Number one,
explore the panhandle and
design a menu based on
it's wonderful ingredients.
And number two, don't
get eaten by a bear.
Chef lionel told me to
start in hoonah to learn how
people live off the land.
Ready to go?
Captain lewis:
Yeah, you wanna give
me a hand tying off?
Gordon: Yes, please.
Captain lewis: Alright.
Gordon: Local fisherman,
captain lewis, has
offered to give me a ride.
Captain lewis:
Just gonna give us a little
shove and we'll be off.
Gordon: Yes, thank you.
Hoonah is located
on the cicagof island,
30 miles west of juneau
and is known to have more
brown bears than people.
Just my luck.
I'm off to meet the most
amazing tlingit community,
they hunt and they fish and
that's how they've done
it for many decades.
More importantly it is
in the middle of nowhere
and I'm hoping these
seas remains somewhat
flat, if not we could
be in for a rough ride.
Is it almost sort of pot
luck to how many boats get
out this time of the year?
Captain lewis: Yeah, I mean
you, you have to be kind
half crazy this time of year.
Gordon: Right.
In the middle of winter,
there's always a threat of
high winds and rough seas.
But so far, so good.
Captain lewis: It can
start blowing and not stop
for four or five days.
Gordon: Wow, I suppose
when you're snowed in you're
embedded but it just reaffirms
how remote and how difficult
in the wilderness it is.
Captain lewis:
Yeah, absolutely.
You gotta have a plan.
Gordon: Yeah.
And a plan b and a plan c.
Captain lewis:
Yes, absolutely.
Gordon: Before we go to
hoonah I'm taking a quick
detour to meet up with a
local forager lionel
introduced me to.
Of course, this guy
asked me to meet him at a
place called chimney rock
because in alaska this is
how foragers roll, apparently.
Alan?
Alan: Hey! How's it going?
Gordon: Good, good.
Alan: Good to see you.
Gordon: Good to see too, bud.
Alan: Yeah.
Gordon: What an amazing place.
Alan: Oh, it's
beautiful isn't it?
Gordon: Lionel said it would
be an adventure but he didn't
tell me we were gonna climb.
Bloody hell.
Alan: He didn't.
We're gonna ascend up
some ropes and go get some
old man's beard at the top
of this cliff right here.
Gordon: Oh (bleep).
Alan: Make some tea with
it and it's very good.
Gordon: And that's
the only place up there
that houses the old man?
Alan: That's the only place.
Gordon: If chef lionel
had told me I was climbing
a 60 foot cliff I would've
packed a 61 foot ladder.
You're nuts.
Alan: Nah, this is
just what we do up here
in alaska you know.
Gordon: (bleep).
First things first.
Alan: Alright I got a
harness for you, grab this.
Put your left leg in here.
Gotta bring the hot
water for the tea.
Gordon: Yes.
People usually
take weeks to learn a
new climbing technique,
I've had five minutes.
Alan: So right hand
as high as it'll go.
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: Now lift up
your left foot, push
your right arm up.
Yeah, there you go.
Now push up with
your left foot.
Push up and get that right
arm up there, you got it.
Gordon: I'm at
the end of my rope in
more ways than one.
So...
Alan: Yeah. You got it.
It'd kinda like a
burst of energy.
Gordon: Yes.
Alan: Explode with
your left foot.
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: And keep
your right arm up.
Gordon: (bleep).
My left won't come up.
(bleep).
Alan: Feel good?
Gordon: Yeah. I think.
Alan:
Look at where we're at.
Isn't this awesome?
Gordon: There's gotta be an
easier way for a cup of tea.
(bleep).
Alan: This is the best way.
Gordon: Quick breather
for ten seconds.
Alan: Yeah.
Gordon: That is a lot
harder than you think.
(bleep).
Alan: Check this out.
We're almost halfway there.
Gordon: (bleep).
Gordon: Oh my (bleep).
Alan: I've got an idea,
let's swing over here.
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: I wonder if that'll
help a little bit.
Gordon: I'm struggling
up at 60 foot cliff
in hoonah foraging for a
medicinal herb to
make a hot drink with.
Afternoon tea
clearly requires a lot
more work around here.
Alan: You're ready to
give it a go again?
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: Alright, let's do it.
Aright, so lean back
away from the cliff and you
gotta get over this edge
and we're pretty
much home free.
Gordon: (bleep),
(bleep), (bleep).
Alan: Look at this!
Gordon: (bleep).
Alan: We're at the top!
Gordon: (bleep).
Alan: Whoa!
Give me high five.
Gordon: (bleep).
Alan: Great!
Gordon: That was amazing.
Alan: Like one of the
most remote rock pillars
in southeast alaska.
Isn't this frickin' awesome?
Gordon: It is incredible.
I mean this is survival
right up here isn't it?
Alan: Oh, yeah.
Gordon: I mean...
Alan: It is.
Gordon: I've gone to some...
Alan: You've gotta be
prepared for anything
coming at you.
Look at this storm
we got rolling in.
Gordon: Yeah.
I was like relaxed because
I honestly thought I was
gonna have to repel down
cause the ascent
was a little bit more
difficult than I thought.
I've never been
a quitter but um, the
adrenalin took over.
Alan: Good job, man.
Gordon: Amazing. Amazing.
Amazing. Amazing.
Alan: Yeah.
Gordon: Oh. (bleep)
look at that over there.
Alan: Yeah!
Gordon: That's it there,
the old man's beard.
Alan: Yeah, this is it.
Gordon: It actually
looks like a beard
as well doesn't it?
Alan: Yeah it does.
Gordon: In terms of,
I mean beautiful.
Alan: I mean look.
How's it look?
Gordon: Exactly.
We're growing a goatee.
Alan: Yeah. Just like that.
Gordon: Amazing.
Alan: Perfect. Alright.
Gordon: (bleep).
Alan: This tea.
Are you ready or what?
Gordon: How old were you
when you first started
these kind of climbs?
Alan: Oh, I was like,
I think I was
13 when I first...
Gordon: 13.
Alan: Tried climbing
for the first time.
I mean it was nothing
gnarly but you know I started
getting in the mountains and
I got hooked.
So here I am.
Gordon: It's amazing.
Cheers for a good job.
Alan: Cheers.
Gordon: Wow!
So that's a cross
between a sort of bailey
stroke mint with a little
touch of rosemary in there.
Alright, so big
difference there.
Alan: Kinda tastes
like it huh?
These are spruce
tips right here.
Gordon: Gotcha. Wow, wow.
Locals have been harvesting
these bitter lemony spruce
branch tips for years.
Gordon: That's amazing.
That's amazing, oh my god.
Alan: Are you about
ready to go down?
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: Walk your
way down, okay.
Put your left arm down.
Gordon: I'm now
getting a sense to how
dangerous alaska is....
Alan: Awesome.
Gordon: If you don't
know how to survive properly.
Bloody windy.
Alan: Nice work.
Gordon: If you're
not prepared boy it's
gonna take you down.
Alan: Woo-hoo-hoo!
Gordon: But what
an experience.
You know for someone who
doesn't climb for a living
that was extraordinary.
Cheers for that.
Alan: Good luck here.
Gordon: (bleep) that's
harder than you think, man.
Alan: Oh, yeah.
Gordon: Oh, great job.
Alan: That was awesome.
Gordon: The good news is
that I'm done with climbing.
But the bad news is that
spruce tips and old man's
beard aren't gonna be enough
to satisfy the
fishermen at our feast.
So, after taking the
scenic route I'm in hoonah,
homeland of the tlingit
community for over 250 years.
The tlingit fish and
hunt to survive with seal
a key part of their diet.
But only alaskan natives
can hunt them which rules
me out because in case
you hadn't noticed
I'm not an alaskan native.
Good job. Yeah.
Captain lewis:
Thank you sir.
Gordon:
Thanks, bud.
Thank you.
So I'm gonna meet a
tribal elder at his smokehouse
to learn how to prepare
this native staple.
Gordon: Owen, good evening.
Gordon: I'm very well,
thank you.
An absolute
pleasure to see you.
Young lady, how are you?
Lia: Good, how are you?
Gordon: Don't worry,
I've had worse on my hands.
Gordon, good to see you.
And your name is?
Lia: I'm lia.
Gordon: Lia.
Tlingit elder, owen,
has been hunting seal
to help feed his community
since he was eight years old.
Gordon: Are they
difficult to catch?
(animal call).
Gordon: Wow, sounds
like my grandad burping!
Owen: Yeah.
Gordon: And they come
up to the surface?
Gordon: What are you
doing there by way?
Lia: Braiding the intestines.
Gordon: You're braiding
the intestines.
Seriously.
Into like a plaint?
Lia: Yes.
Gordon: May I?
Owen: Fine, I'm sorry.
Gordon: No thank you.
Lia: You just grab
that, this part here.
Gordon: Wow.
Lia: And then you
pull it back through.
Gordon: I mean that
is a beautiful braid.
And what do you
use intestines for?
Owen: We'll hang
it in the smoke house
and smoke it through.
Gordon: Wow.
Owen: And when we're
getting ready to cook
the meat we usually cook
the intestines with it.
Gordon: Wow.
And then taste-wise,
is it almost like
a, a sort of jerky,
sort of pork texture?
Or is it a lot more strenuous?
Gordon: Yeah.
Amazing, it's a
beautiful knot.
Is that how you
braid your hair?
Lia: No.
Gordon: No. Awesome.
Alright, well I'm
gonna have a little go.
So you got your fingers
in there, right.
Lia: Then you grab this.
Gordon: Grab that bit.
Lia: Then you
pull that through.
Gordon: Pull that
through, right.
Lia: Yes.
Gordon: And then pull
all the way through.
Lia: Yes.
Gordon: Gotcha. Okay.
And so, again.
So, pull that through
and then push down.
That's incredible.
Owen: That's something
that like we grew
up with I should say.
Gordon: Yeah.
Owen: And...
Gordon: And a delicacy
beyond belief.
Owen: That's true.
Gordon: May I?
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Mind you there's
a pungent smell coming
from them, isn't there?
After seeing how
creative owen and lia are
with the seals intestines
I'm curious to see
what owen's got going
on in his smokehouse.
So you built this
little smokehouse?
Owen: Yes I did.
Gordon: Wow.
Owen: Yeah, this
is seal meat here.
You wanna center
it and hang it on one
of these sticks here.
Gordon: Gotcha.
Owen: While back.
Gordon:
And what cut is this?
Owen: The back flippers.
Gordon: Back flipper.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Of course it is.
And long will you hang them?
Owen: I'll, I'll hang 'em
for six to eight hours.
Gordon: Wow and do you
season it with anything,
is there a rub,
is there a salt, is there?
Owen: No.
Gordon: Nothing at all?
Owen: Nothing at all.
Gordon: Amazing.
Just like hanging
my grandma's washing.
And if you thought
intestine braiding was fun,
wait till you see what
they do with the lungs.
Gordon: Stop it.
Owen: That's right.
Gordon: Blow in the lungs?
(laughs).
Gordon: That is a
big pair of lungs.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Big, big breath?
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Just wipe a
little bit of congealed
blood at the top for me.
Owen: What's that?
Gordon: Could you just
wipe a little, wipe my,
wipe my pipe.
Let's go for d minor.
(exhaling)
in my new hobby of
blowing up seal lungs
do oxidize the meat.
Gordon: Once more.
Gordon: Yes.
Gordon: Gotcha.
Look at the color
of these things.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: What are you
laughing at young lady?
Come on.
Gordon: No, no I'll finish off,
I've, I've got this.
My mother would
never forgive me if I
didn't complete a full
pair of seal lungs, ready?
Owen: Almost, almost.
Lia: Got 'em.
Owen: Ha-ha-ha!
Sweet. You got it.
Gordon: (bleep) oh,
my lord, are we happy?
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: That is incredible.
Owen: Yes, this.
Gordon: In the middle?
Owen: Oh, yes, please.
Gordon: Beautiful,
turn the gas up.
Amazing now the
tlingit community that means
a lot to you and obviously
you're at the helm,
but how far back does it go?
Owen: Well it goes back
to nine generations.
My father's family now.
Gordon: Wow!
Owen: My father lived a
good long life, he was 108
years old when he passed.
Gordon: 108?
Owen: Yes. And his father
was 122 when he passed.
Gordon: 122!
Owen: Yes, sir.
Gordon: Wow!
That's extraordinary.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: And do you think
that was because they
were surviving from the
island and eating...
Owen: Eating well
from food off the land.
Gordon: Yeah.
That's incredible.
Owen: I can only hope
to live that long.
Gordon: Wow.
Gordon: I'd love
to taste some.
To me it looks like
a, almost like a stew.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Yeah.
Owen: Well why don't
you try that first.
Gordon: Thank you. I am
looking forward to this.
Do you mind if I have
a little bit of gravy?
Gordon: Just a little bit,
sorry, it's how chefs are.
So at first with my
fork yeah, it's very tender.
How long has that
been cooking?
Gordon: Stop it, really?
Wow, it's salty,
it's almost a little bit
anchovy, it's quite meaty.
Isn't it?
It is delicious.
Do you mind if I take some?
Gordon: Thank you.
Gordon: Oh, really. Mm.
That's an amazing
treat, thank you.
And if I live to 100,
trust me I've got you
to thank.
Be well.
Hanging up this fatty
meat in that smokehouse
didn't give me that kind of
kickback as if you're
curing meat, pork.
But also when
you start to taste it,
it's got this rich,
fishy, ox tail-y,
meaty texture with this
really sumptuous gravy.
I think I'll leave inflated
seal lungs off the menu.
But I have a feeling this
seal bacon will be a big
hit with the fishermen.
I still need a main course
and with just two days
until the cook I'm
running out of time.
But fortunately, alaska
has two things in common
with my native scotland.
Salmon fishing is plentiful
and the weather is
absolutely bloody freezing.
So it's time to get
out the rod and reel.
Captain lewis:
Nice day though, at
least we can see today.
Gordon: It's beautiful.
Southeast alaska is famed
for its amazing king salmon.
Josh has been fishing
these waters six days
a week for 15 years.
But he assures me
there's still plenty of
fish left in the sea.
Gordon: So did you
grow up fishing?
Josh: Oh, yeah, my whole life.
Gordon: What's the
biggest salmon you caught?
Josh: 56 pounds dressed.
Gordon: Stop it!
When you say "dressed"
what do you mean "dressed"?
Josh: That's dressed, it
means the gills are taken out,
the guts are taken out.
Gordon: (bleep).
Catching king salmon
is very difficult but
josh agrees to share
some trade secrets.
Josh: So I will show you a
couple of baiting techniques.
Gordon: Sure, these are you
own specialized techniques so
did your dad show you this?
Josh: Yeah, dad showed
me it but dad does it
different than I do.
Gordon: Sure.
Josh: It's all about
your relationship
with a piece of bait.
Gordon: So if we don't
catch anything I'm gonna
blame your technique.
Josh: Yeah, sure. Alrighty.
Gordon: Come on.
Josh: Alright, we'll start
with the threading here.
A firecracker,
it's a red herring.
Have you ever seen
anything like this before?
Gordon: No, not
this technique, no.
No. I'm gonna use it when
I get back to scotland.
Josh: Yeah, it might work.
So now the fun begins.
Yeah.
Gordon: So, I'm gonna
thread that through.
Josh: When you
put it through there
you wanna be careful,
the hooks are sharp.
Gordon: Yes...
Josh: You just wanna go
nice and slow and bring her
through, see nice and easy,
nice and easy.
Look at that.
Like a pro.
Gordon: It's a
beautiful technique.
Josh: Alrighty.
You wanna
grab that rod board,
I'll stop
you when she's good.
A little bit more.
That's good.
I'm gonna set that way
back and see if something
might come screaming.
Gordon: Come on baby.
Josh: Come on.
Gordon: I need that fish.
Josh, please.
Josh: I know.
Gordon: Come on.
♪ wild king,
you make my rod sing ♪
♪ wild king,
you make my rod sing ♪♪
after two hours of this
the only thing on the line
is my fishing reputation.
So, we go inside to warm
up and josh tells me what
bears do in the woods.
No, no, no not that.
I'm fascinated
by the numbers of bears,
you had an encounter
with one recently.
Josh: Yes, I did actually.
A couple of years back
I was mauled by a bear
on top of a mountain while
deer hunting
in hoonah, alaska.
Gordon:
(bleep). What happened?
Josh: Well we had
been walking through
some brushy area,
a sow came
out and attacked me.
It ripped my head apart,
my leg, my back, my side.
Mauled me up pretty good
and luckily my friend I had
hunting with me was able to
shoot her off me and
I was able to survive.
Gordon: You're
lucky to be alive.
Josh: It's survival
of the fittest,
there's no room
for the weak out here.
Gordon: No.
Eventually we get our
hands on a king salmon.
Unfortunately, it was one
that josh caught yesterday.
Josh: All right, so here
is a genuine alaskan
winter king salmon.
Gordon: Oh wow,
that's a beauty.
Look at that, man.
Josh: And you can
smell the oil.
Gordon: Wow. Look at that.
Josh: A distinctive smell.
Gordon: That's beautiful.
Shall I filet it, then?
Josh: Yes, sure,
that would be great.
Gordon: I can't wait
to get a taste of this.
At least I know my
cooking skills are way
better than my fishing.
My god.
I'm going to take
the scales off first.
Also, when you take
the scales off it starts
to release the oil
from that salmon first.
Josh: It looks like you've
done this before a few times.
Gordon: Yeah.
God, thousands of times.
Man, it cuts like butter.
Josh, the nice thing about
this is that none of that
stuff goes to waste, right?
Josh: None of it.
Gordon: So back in the uk an
alaskan king salmon like that,
we'd be buying
them from you close to
500 or £600 a fish.
Josh: Wow.
Gordon: Selling them between
80 and £90 per portion.
Josh: Wow.
Gordon: It's that rare.
I want to hear that
noise, that crackling now.
Josh: Oh yeah.
Gordon: In. And see that.
And I'll finish that with
a little touch of lemon.
Josh: Look at that sizzle,
oh my god. Amazing.
Gordon: I've got the best
fisherman in alaska on a boat,
so who better to cook for?
Josh: Look at that.
Oh my gosh, that
smells so good.
Gordon: Guys, jump in.
Help yourself, please.
Josh: All right-y.
Gordon: Look at that,
just the texture.
Josh: It tastes even better.
Oh man, it just
melts in your mouth.
Gordon: We may not have
caught one this morning,
but what I do need
is for you to stay out here
and catch one for me.
Josh: I will.
Gordon: Do you mind?
Josh: Most certainly.
It's my promise.
Gordon: I've got a big cook
at the end of the week.
But that needs to
be the centerpiece.
For me, sampling
that magical alaskan white
salmon was just incredible.
So fingers cross josh
is not going to come
back empty handed.
I'm starting to understand
how hard is to find food
during the alaskan winter.
It really is survival
of the fittest out here.
But after a hard day's fishing
yesterday I need a drink.
So I'm going to break the ice
with a woman who is turning
the local glaciers into
somewhat of a delicacy.
Michelle, good morning.
May I come aboard, madam?
Michelle: Yes, you may.
Gordon: Thank you.
Oh man.
It's a 90-minute ride
to the tracy arm fjord.
Michelle is going to
show me how to harvest free
floating icebergs to turn
into pristine ice cubes.
I'm a big fan of cocktails.
But what's going
to be the significant
difference with the ice
coming from the glacier?
Michelle: When you
have this type of ice,
not only are you having
the best ice in the world,
but you're having
the whole experience
of alaska in a glass.
Gordon: But it soon became
apparent that this particular
alaskan experience wasn't
going to be
confined to that glass,
as we hit some
seriously rough seas.
Man: Where are
we going, gordon?
Gordon: We're going to
the (bleep), we're going...
It feels like we're
going (bleep) under.
We've arrived at the end
of the tracy arm fjord
to search for glacial ice.
Michelle: Oh my god,
it's so gorgeous.
Gordon: It's beautiful.
So we're looking for
what size of ice cube?
Michelle: So what we want
to look for is something
that's very rounded.
Gordon: Right, what
about that one?
That's a...
Michelle: No, gordon,
I don't think that
one's going to work.
That's like your
own private island.
Gordon: Wow, look
at that thing.
Josh: Let's try this
one here to the left.
The white one at 11:00.
Gordon: 10,000
years in the making,
these glaciers produce the
purest ice imaginable.
Michelle: I like that one.
Gordon: Perfect for cocktails.
So, the secret behind this is?
Michelle: Screwing.
Gordon: Screwing these
into the big block?
Michelle: Yes.
And then after that we're
going to hook it up and we're
going to hoist it on board.
Gordon: Got you.
This is the most work
I've ever done for a (bleep)
ice cube in my entire life.
I hope this is going to
make the best cocktail.
Michelle: It's going to be
fabulous, just trust me.
Gordon: Right. You ready?
Michelle: Yes.
Okay, start screwing.
We're going to hook
it up to a d ring, and if
it's not all the way in it's
going to crack the ice.
You have to kind of be like
over the water, you know,
so you're on top of it.
Gordon: (bleep).
Michelle: Let's just make
sure they're really down deep.
Gordon: Are you
kidding me, michelle?
They can't get any
further in there.
Michelle: Okay,
let's just test.
Gordon: Holy (bleep) my
fingers are (bleep) freezing.
Michelle: See, look,
yours is coming out.
Gordon: Mine's coming out?
Michelle: Yeah, you've
got to get that in deeper.
Gordon: Deeper?
Michelle: Yeah, you're
not all the way in.
When we pull
that up on the winch
it's going to crack.
Gordon: (bleep).
Michelle: Perfect.
Gordon: Stop,
stop, stop. Good job.
Michelle: That was fun.
Gordon: Amazing.
So, you take that
outer layer off.
Michelle:
And then you get to some
of those ice diamonds.
Gordon: Look at this.
Michelle: Oh, that's gorgeous.
Gordon: That is so beautiful.
Michelle: Right?
Gordon: Look at
that formation.
Michelle: Shall we
put that in a glass?
Gordon: Shall we?
Michelle: Drop it in there.
Gordon: Wow.
Michelle: Oh, I like
how that, and what do you
think for a little scotch?
It's a good one.
And now we need a
little vermouth.
Gordon: I feel like one of
the luckiest mixologists
anywhere on the planet.
Oh my lord, look at that.
Look at the colors.
Michelle: I think
we've earned it.
Gordon: Cheers, good health.
Michelle: Cheers.
Gordon: Look at that.
What an ice cube. Oh my lord.
(muffled coughing)
holy (bleep), that's strong.
Michelle: I think
it's 110 proof.
Gordon: Amazing.
Michelle: Cheers.
Gordon: Well done.
I have bars, but I've
never ever touched an ice
cube that's that perfect.
And it just tasted so
clean and fresh and slightly
effervescent in the way that
it was almost lightly
sort of, um,
carbonated.
And a great way, I think,
to toast the beginning of
this incredible cook with an
amazing cocktail laced
with glacier ice cubes.
There's only one day
until the cook and I still
don't have a main course.
Josh hasn't caught
a salmon yet.
But I need a meat dish, so
I've enlisted the help of
a local hunter who has been
shooting game for
over 40 years.
Gordon: Now I have no luck
with this alaskan king salmon,
fingers crossed
I'll catch a grouse.
Kenny, how are you, sir?
Kenny: There you are.
Gordon: Pleasure
meeting you, man.
Kenny: Very good to see you.
Gordon: You good?
Kenny: We're good.
Gordon: I've shot
pheasants, but I've never
ever taken down a grouse.
What's the secret?
Kenny: They're going
to be very, very still
and very hard to see,
so you'll be shooting
upward likely,
hold slightly low.
Gordon: Hold low.
Kenny: I've brought you a
real good sporters 12-gauge,
to load it.
Gordon:
Yeah. Safety on.
Finger off.
Up into the shoulder,
firm, that goes up.
And then in the,
beautiful gun.
Now talking about
beauties, what's his name?
Kenny: This is my
very good friend ash.
Gordon: Ash, hey.
Hopefully we are in for a
chance with a grouse, right?
Kenny: We'll give
it our very best.
In the evening,
that setting here for us,
they like to roost and they
like to call in the family.
And ironically in the
morning they don't want
any part of their buddies.
Gordon: You talk about
grouse like an ex-girlfriend.
Kenny: I've messed
with them as much.
Gordon: After you, sir.
Kenny: Here we go.
Go.
Gordon: In scotland,
sometimes the grouse lay low,
but are we looking here in
the trees or on the ground?
Kenny: They'll be
very high in a tree.
Gordon: Got you.
Kenny: Right,
and they might move to
investigate who we are.
If you see so
much as a branch wiggle,
watch it very close.
They're very camouflaged
and hard to see.
Gordon: Wow.
I've just spotted some
spruce tips from an old
man's beard here as well.
Kenny: Yes.
Gordon: So I climbed
up that (bleep) rock
for old man's beard,
because he said it's the
only place it's there.
And it's all here
on the ground.
Kenny: Look, look.
Gordon: Hey old man's
beard, there's a big
(bleep) beard over there.
Honestly, it's everywhere.
Lionel had me scale a
60-foot cliff in hoonah
to pick this stuff.
Clearly his warped idea
of welcoming me to alaska.
Terrifyingly,
we aren't the only ones
on the hunt for dinner.
Kenny: Small moose tracks.
Gordon: That's a small moose?
They've got bigger
feet than me.
Kenny:
They're a large critter.
Gordon: How big
are the moose here?
Kenny: They can be
1200 to 1500 pounds.
Gordon: (bleep).
What do you
do if we see one?
Kenny: We'll just
hope it runs away.
Gordon: But if it
runs towards us?
Kenny: Well.
Gordon: It's going
to charge us.
Kenny: I can run
faster than you.
Gordon: (bleep).
Kenny:
Back, kinda close to that
tree.
Gordon: Yes.
Time for my first
lesson in the alaskan
art of grouse hunting.
(animal call).
Kenny:
If it flies on the other
side of these little trees,
just shoot it like those
trees aren't eve there.
(animal call).
Gordon: In an effort
to lure the grouse to us,
kenny displays more of his
impressive repertoire.
(chest thumping)
gordon: That would have
been a good shot had it been
a grouse and not a branch.
Kenny is unique and
that guy lives to hunt.
However, they didn't come
down to roost and that's what
happens on these islands.
You can't give up.
But with no meat
and no fish I might have
to give up if josh doesn't
come through with that
salmon he promised me
for tomorrow's big cook.
During my week in
alaska I've excelled at
not catching hypothermia,
fish or game.
But now it's time
to meet chef lionel
to prepare our feast.
Hopefully I'll have more
success in the kitchen.
Lionel!
Lionel: Gordon!
Hey, you're alive!
Gordon: I made it, bud.
Lionel: Oh, how was it?
Gordon: Oh my god.
Lionel: How was hoonah?
Gordon: Crazy.
No salmon yet.
Apparently, josh
said he's on his way.
But what an experience.
Lionel: Yeah,
what did you learn?
Gordon: I scaled
a chimney rock,
that was windy and
waving, crumbling as well.
The most amazing glacier ice.
And then, you know,
on this incredible hunt
for grouse, salmon.
And then got to meet owen
from the clinket community
who literally gave
us this sort of
a to z of a seal.
I'm not too sure
if that's going to play
in my restaurant in london,
but you never know.
Fingers crossed that
salmon arrives soon because
it's freezing out here and
the guests will be
arriving any minute.
Everyone keeps
telling me that alaska
is all about survival.
I just hope I can make
it through this cook.
Gordon: I spent a week
wrapping my head around
the bounty of food that
alaska has to offer.
Get that pestle and mortar in.
Now it's time to
test my skills and prepare
a meal that compliments
this rugged terrain.
Josh: Hey gordon,
how you doing?
Good to see you.
Gordon: Am I happy to see you.
Josh: Yeah, I brought
you the king that
you have so desired.
Gordon: Look at that beauty.
Thank god josh came
through with that salmon.
King salmon had to
be the main staple for this
cook because when we get
our hands on those back in
europe it's a prize asset.
I'm serving this incredible
wild salmon three ways.
Right, I'm going
to cut them into the
most amazing portions.
It's hours old, you know,
it's good enough to eat
raw right there and then.
And look at that belly
on there, my god.
Lionel: Wow, that's some
beautiful king you got there.
Gordon:
It's amazing, honestly.
Thank goodness for josh.
But look at that.
Lionel: Look at that,
that's beautiful.
Gordon: My first
dish is gravlax.
I'm making a marinade
of spruce tips, juniper
berries and gin.
I'm actually going to
cure that in the snow.
Who needs a fridge
in this temperature?
Lionel: Well, no,
that's pretty ballsy.
Gordon: Yeah.
Lionel makes a start
on his first dish.
A traditional seafood chowder.
Lionel: Really
beautiful spot prawns.
Just peel them
down to the tail.
Gordon: I may have
agreed to cook outside
in brave alaskan spirit,
but that doesn't mean
I have to like it.
Christ.
Lionel: Oh, it's not too bad.
Gordon: That's not too bad?
Oh my god.
Lionel: Not too bad.
You'll be fine.
Gordon: I'm going to
have to keep on coming back
in here to defrost my fingers
so I can feel them again,
you know that.
Lionel continues
preparing his chowder,
adding the halibut cheeks,
an octopus and searing
them in pork fat.
As I prepare the
cure for my gravlax.
Gordon: So I made
this really nice paste,
season it with
salt and sugar.
Then lionel heats up
his homemade fish stock.
And my boozy
marinade is ready to
layer onto the salmon.
I'm just going to
cover that on there.
I've got that really nice,
sort of wild mountainy
flavor in there.
One perk to cooking
alfresco, this.
Stashing the salmon in the
snow for an hour to chill.
(bleep).
For lionel's second
dish he's smoking black
cod in the smoke house,
for a harvest board
of alaskan treats.
Smart, smart. Nice.
So, I put my salmon
belly on the bottom.
And for my second
dish I'll be smoking
the salmon belly to layer
onto my pumpernickel toast.
Unimpressed with my toast,
lionel is now whipping
up a homemade loaf to
go with his seafood stew.
Lionel: So this is about
ready to rock and roll.
I just wanted to show you,
I'm going to go ahead and
shape it and
then put it in the...
Gordon: So you're going to
bake the bread in open fire?
Lionel: Yes.
Gordon: Amazing.
And will it be as crusty?
Lionel: It will
be really crusty.
Gordon: His loaf may be
delicious, but I've got
the perfect ingredient
guaranteed to get the
alaskan seal of approval.
Right, I'm going
to toast my bread now.
So I'm going
to literally get this
pumpernickel bread and
I've got some
of that seal fat.
Lionel: Oh, exciting.
Gordon: So I'm going to
grill that on top of there.
It's lightly smoked
as well, by the way.
Whilst lionel checks
the seasoning of his stew,
I'm making a
spread for the toast
out of horse radish
and crème fraiche.
I'm using some of that
blood orange as well, okay?
Lionel: Do you need
help with anything?
Gordon: No, you seem
sort of calm and collected,
I'm the one running behind.
But we're getting there.
How's that bread?
Lionel: Oh.
Let's check it out.
Gordon: Oh wow,
look at that.
That is incredible.
You have got that crust
on there, haven't you?
Lionel: Nice and hot as well.
Gordon: That is amazing.
Lionel: Nice.
Gordon: I'm now cooking
my final dish, and yep,
you've guessed it,
salmon again in
a beurre blanc sauce,
served with potatoes,
cooked with owen's seal bacon.
So I've got some of this
seal bacon from owen.
What do you think?
Lionel: That smells
really good, gordon.
Gordon: Does it?
Lionel: Thanks for
being out here.
Gordon:
You're welcome. Honestly.
Lionel: I know you're
freezing your ass off.
Gordon: I have frozen
my ass off (bleep)
week man, oh my god.
Lionel: Are you cold?
Let me, here, here.
Gordon: No, no,
honestly, I'm fine!
Lionel: I wore my
favorite shirt for you.
Gordon: Trust me,
no, no, no, honestly.
I'll get there. Stop it!
Lionel: I'm serious.
Gordon: Honestly,
my mum's watching.
Lionel: No,
come on, here, here.
Gordon: Honestly,
I'll be fine.
Lionel: It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
Gordon: I'm toughening up.
Lionel: Okay, I'm
taking it back because
it's (bleep) cold.
Gordon: It is
(bleep) freezing.
Behave yourself!
Delicious.
Lionel: Oh hey,
the guests are here!
Gordon: What?
Lionel: Hey guys!
Gordon: Oh no, seriously?
I'm out of time.
Lionel: How's everyone doing?
Gordon: Damn.
So, I need to distract
the fishermen the
only way I know how.
Alcohol.
Gordon: Let me
get them a drink.
Damn.
Lionel: Can I help
you with anything?
Gordon: No, honestly
I'll be fine.
Lionel: All right.
Gordon: So, to kick
off a meal like that and
to celebrate with
an incredible gin,
local gin with those
ice cubes harvested
from that glacier,
it's the most
perfect but simplest
cocktail on that planet.
Hello.
Woman: Hello.
Gordon: A little gin and
tonic, help yourself please.
Man: Oh wow.
Gordon: Gentlemen.
Cheers, by the way.
Everyone: Cheers!
Gordon: Time to plate
up my salmon dishes.
Gravlax with honey mustard
sauce, smoked belly on
pumpernickel toast, grilled
salmon served with spruce tip
beurre blanc, and potatoes
cooked with owen's seal fat.
Up against lionel's
harvest board of smoked
meats and his fire cooked
loaf with seafood stew.
Thank you.
Here we go.
Whey!
Group: Wallase!
Gordon: Oh man. There.
Woman: Is it a little
chilly for you, chef?
Gordon: It is freezing.
Come on.
Woman: Thank you so much.
Gordon: Excellent.
Tough one cooking for a
table of fishermen that
really know their stuff.
Woman: Here we go.
Gordon: Also, they
get to taste this kind of
ingredient on a daily basis.
Man: I mean, all the
stuff on the charcuterie tray;
there's a lot
going on there.
Woman: Have you had the soup?
It's got that umami
thing going on.
Gordon: All going well?
Lionel: Yeah, I think
everyone is enjoying
and everyone is smiling.
Man 2: Have you ever
got salmon that is
cooked to perfection,
where it's under cooked
slightly and you can
see that orange in it?
Man: You know you can leave
it kind of raw in the middle
and serve it like tuna and
it's like oh my god!
Man 2: Delicious.
Very good.
Gordon: When he sees
that salmon in so many ways,
for a guy that hunts on
a daily basis for salmon,
yet he's still excited,
it's so good to see.
Everyone: To fresh
fish, alaskan fish!
Gordon: It's judgement time.
Everyone: Woo. Yeah!
Lionel: Hey guys.
Gordon: Good to see you.
Honestly.
Man, I'm going to take
my hat off for the
first time all day.
We good?
Woman: Really good.
Man: Really enjoying it.
It's almost all gone.
Woman: We're just
being polite.
Gordon: That is
a happy problem.
What did you think of the
gravlax on the water cress?
Woman 2: It was a little
salty, but focusing on the
spruce tips really kind of
balanced that out a bit
after I took a second helping.
Lionel: How was the stew?
Woman 2: I just didn't
feel like it really fit well.
Gordon: Man,
these guys are tough.
That stew was delicious.
Woman: And I was
just the opposite.
I just felt like
all of these different
flavors came together,
it had that whole
umami thing going on.
And I just loved it.
Gordon: How was the salmon?
Man 2: Most of us never buy
a salmon in a restaurant because
it's usually over cooked,
but that was
cooked to perfection.
And that needs to be
a feature somewhere.
It was amazing,
it was amazing.
Man: I think everybody
appreciated that you
didn't over cook it.
Lionel: So do you guys
feel like he's captured
the spirit of alaska in the
time that he's been here?
Woman: Yes.
Everyone: Yes, absolutely.
Gordon: Oh boy, I've
had a fantastic week.
From a chef's point
of view, getting that
close to the source,
we say it on a daily basis,
the better the ingredient
the little that needs doing it.
And alaska has
literally come up trumps
from my culinary world.
So, can I come back?
Woman: Yes!
Oh my gosh, please do.
Man: To you! Cheers!
Gordon: When you're
closer to the action
like I've been all week,
it makes it
so much more magical.
But then the stories of
being mauled by a bear and
hunting and
surviving out here and
just how tough it is,
it's pretty difficult.
But here in south east
alaska they've learned to
adapt and I've witnessed
an incredible culinary
resourcefulness.
Embracing the native culture,
hunting and gathering,
delicious wild ingredients.
They've made the best
of a brutal environment.
Their sense of community
has allowed them to not
only survive, but thrive.
Thank you. God bless.
Lionel: Thank you.
Gordon: Chef, good
to see you, man.
I'm coming back, okay?
Hopefully when
the snow is gone!
Captioned by cotter
captioning services.
Owen: You have...
Gordon: Blow in the lungs?
(laughs).
Gordon: That is a
big pair of lungs.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Big breath?
Owen: Yes.
(exhaling)
almost.
Gordon: Still more?
Owen: Yes. Almost. Almost.
Gordon: This is
southeast alaska.
America's final frontier.
I'm on the southern
alaskan panhandle in the
middle of winter and
I can't wait
to see what this icy
wilderness has to offer.
This narrow
strip of coastline
and offshore islands
is exposed to
all the elements...
And I mean all the elements.
It's one of the most brutal
environments on the planet.
Which is another way of
saying it's bloody cold
and full of animals
that can kill you.
Over the years the locals
have adapted to the harsh
conditions and created
delicious food from
their wild bounty and I
can't wait to explore.
To start my wild adventure,
I'm meeting
a chef and hunter who's
redefining alaskan food.
He wants to take me to
his favorite picnic spot.
That just happens to be almost
3,000 feet up a mountain.
But it's alaska,
which means snow storms so
he sent me this flashy set of
wheels to drive to the top.
Lionel!
Lionel: Gordon!
Gordon: Oh, man!
Lionel: Welcome to alaska.
Gordon: Good to see you, man.
Lionel: Good to see you.
Gordon: Lionel udippa is
one of alaska's top chefs.
He's trained in some
of the best restaurants in
the world and he is now the
executive chef
at salt in juneau.
He's gained a reputation
for creating incredible
flavor combinations from
the wild ingredients of
this glacial wonderland.
Gordon: Oh, boy
it is freezing!
Lionel: A little bit.
Gordon: Did you
bring some lunch?
Lionel: I did.
Gordon: I'm starving.
Lionel: Alright.
Well I'm gonna help you
put these snow shoes on,
we're gonna go on
a little adventure.
Gordon: Snow shoes?
Lionel: Yes.
So what do you think
about alaska so far?
Gordon: Uh, bloody hard.
This is insane.
Lionel: Do you
wanna move here?
Gordon: In the summer, yes.
Lionel has been hiking and
hunting in this freezing
wilderness since he was 18.
Whereas I've lost all
feeling in my face and hands.
Gordon: Any coffee nearby?
Lionel: Coffee?
Gordon: (bleep).
Lionel: What the hell
are you doing, gordon?
Get up, let's go!
Gordon: Taking a rest.
Lionel: Don't you
do triathlons?
Gordon: I do but not
in the (bleep) snow!
(laughs).
Lionel lured me
up here with a promise
of an incredible view.
But in this whiteout
the only thing I can see
is the end of my nose.
Lionel: Wow,
look at this view.
Gordon: I just hope we
can still have lunch.
That is beautiful.
Lionel: This is amazing.
Alaska's all about survival.
Gordon: Yep.
So you're used to
this kind of terrain
for like six, seven
months of the year.
Lionel: Yes, yes.
Gordon: Amazing.
Lionel: When
alaska turns green,
that's when we do
a lot of our foraging...
Gordon: Right.
Lionel: Or hunting
or fishing and we do our best
to preserve these ingredients
so that we have them
throughout the wintertime.
And some
of those ingredients
I've brought with us,
I wanna share with you.
First is this mug.
Gordon: Thank you.
Lionel: I'm gonna
give you some chaga
tea to warm you up.
Chaga's a mushroom that's
harvested on birch trees.
There's a little bit of
fireweed honey in this.
Gordon: Beautiful.
Lionel: Alright.
Gordon: Cheers, lionel.
Thank you. Wow.
Lionel: It's high in
antioxidants along
with other vitamins.
It's a fungus.
Gordon: That's delicious and
that honey helps it as well,
gives it that little
touch of sweetness
in there as well.
Lionel: Yes.
And then I also brought
some other goodies for us.
Gordon: What is that?
Lionel: Moose sticks.
Gordon: Moose sticks?
Lionel: Yes.
Gordon: Stop messing around.
Lionel: No, I'm, I'm serious.
Gordon: Moose sticks?
Lionel: Yes.
Gordon: So it's like
a moose sausage?
Lionel: Correct.
It's light, it's quiet,
I eat a lot of these
when I go hunting or you
don't want the deer to
hear you chew, right.
Gordon: Right.
Lionel: So you gotta keep
as quiet as possible.
Are you still hungry?
This, right here is
king salmon belly.
Gordon: King salmon belly.
Lionel: Huh-huh.
Gordon: That is delicious.
Fatty, delicious,
salty, smoky.
Lionel: Mm-mm.
This will be smoked
for about eight hours.
Gordon: Really?
Lionel: Mm-mm.
Gordon: That's like one
of the most exciting little
backpacks I've ever seen
on a mountain.
Um, my favorite has
to be the moose stick.
Lionel: Thank you.
This is just a small
tasting of what we have
to offer in alaska.
In order for you
to really engage with this
land I'm going to send you
off to hoonah, alaska.
So you're gonna be
going that way, where
you can't see anything.
Gordon: Lionel wants me
to start me journey in hoonah
to learn about the wilderness
from the residents
in this remote community
and then meet him back here
at the end of the week to
cook for some local legends.
Lionel: We're gonna
cook in front of a,
a bunch of fishermen...
Gordon: Right.
Lionel: And let me tell
you they're gonna judge
the hell out of you.
Gordon: Fishermen are the
alaskan food critics, right?
Lionel: Yes.
Gordon: And anything
else to be aware of?
Lionel: Don't get
eaten by a bear.
Gordon: Big bears?
Lionel: Big bears.
Gordon: Wouldn't they be
sleeping this time of year?
Lionel: Bigger than you.
Gordon: They're
bigger than me. (bleep).
(laughs).
I've got one week
and two missions.
Number one,
explore the panhandle and
design a menu based on
it's wonderful ingredients.
And number two, don't
get eaten by a bear.
Chef lionel told me to
start in hoonah to learn how
people live off the land.
Ready to go?
Captain lewis:
Yeah, you wanna give
me a hand tying off?
Gordon: Yes, please.
Captain lewis: Alright.
Gordon: Local fisherman,
captain lewis, has
offered to give me a ride.
Captain lewis:
Just gonna give us a little
shove and we'll be off.
Gordon: Yes, thank you.
Hoonah is located
on the cicagof island,
30 miles west of juneau
and is known to have more
brown bears than people.
Just my luck.
I'm off to meet the most
amazing tlingit community,
they hunt and they fish and
that's how they've done
it for many decades.
More importantly it is
in the middle of nowhere
and I'm hoping these
seas remains somewhat
flat, if not we could
be in for a rough ride.
Is it almost sort of pot
luck to how many boats get
out this time of the year?
Captain lewis: Yeah, I mean
you, you have to be kind
half crazy this time of year.
Gordon: Right.
In the middle of winter,
there's always a threat of
high winds and rough seas.
But so far, so good.
Captain lewis: It can
start blowing and not stop
for four or five days.
Gordon: Wow, I suppose
when you're snowed in you're
embedded but it just reaffirms
how remote and how difficult
in the wilderness it is.
Captain lewis:
Yeah, absolutely.
You gotta have a plan.
Gordon: Yeah.
And a plan b and a plan c.
Captain lewis:
Yes, absolutely.
Gordon: Before we go to
hoonah I'm taking a quick
detour to meet up with a
local forager lionel
introduced me to.
Of course, this guy
asked me to meet him at a
place called chimney rock
because in alaska this is
how foragers roll, apparently.
Alan?
Alan: Hey! How's it going?
Gordon: Good, good.
Alan: Good to see you.
Gordon: Good to see too, bud.
Alan: Yeah.
Gordon: What an amazing place.
Alan: Oh, it's
beautiful isn't it?
Gordon: Lionel said it would
be an adventure but he didn't
tell me we were gonna climb.
Bloody hell.
Alan: He didn't.
We're gonna ascend up
some ropes and go get some
old man's beard at the top
of this cliff right here.
Gordon: Oh (bleep).
Alan: Make some tea with
it and it's very good.
Gordon: And that's
the only place up there
that houses the old man?
Alan: That's the only place.
Gordon: If chef lionel
had told me I was climbing
a 60 foot cliff I would've
packed a 61 foot ladder.
You're nuts.
Alan: Nah, this is
just what we do up here
in alaska you know.
Gordon: (bleep).
First things first.
Alan: Alright I got a
harness for you, grab this.
Put your left leg in here.
Gotta bring the hot
water for the tea.
Gordon: Yes.
People usually
take weeks to learn a
new climbing technique,
I've had five minutes.
Alan: So right hand
as high as it'll go.
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: Now lift up
your left foot, push
your right arm up.
Yeah, there you go.
Now push up with
your left foot.
Push up and get that right
arm up there, you got it.
Gordon: I'm at
the end of my rope in
more ways than one.
So...
Alan: Yeah. You got it.
It'd kinda like a
burst of energy.
Gordon: Yes.
Alan: Explode with
your left foot.
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: And keep
your right arm up.
Gordon: (bleep).
My left won't come up.
(bleep).
Alan: Feel good?
Gordon: Yeah. I think.
Alan:
Look at where we're at.
Isn't this awesome?
Gordon: There's gotta be an
easier way for a cup of tea.
(bleep).
Alan: This is the best way.
Gordon: Quick breather
for ten seconds.
Alan: Yeah.
Gordon: That is a lot
harder than you think.
(bleep).
Alan: Check this out.
We're almost halfway there.
Gordon: (bleep).
Gordon: Oh my (bleep).
Alan: I've got an idea,
let's swing over here.
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: I wonder if that'll
help a little bit.
Gordon: I'm struggling
up at 60 foot cliff
in hoonah foraging for a
medicinal herb to
make a hot drink with.
Afternoon tea
clearly requires a lot
more work around here.
Alan: You're ready to
give it a go again?
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: Alright, let's do it.
Aright, so lean back
away from the cliff and you
gotta get over this edge
and we're pretty
much home free.
Gordon: (bleep),
(bleep), (bleep).
Alan: Look at this!
Gordon: (bleep).
Alan: We're at the top!
Gordon: (bleep).
Alan: Whoa!
Give me high five.
Gordon: (bleep).
Alan: Great!
Gordon: That was amazing.
Alan: Like one of the
most remote rock pillars
in southeast alaska.
Isn't this frickin' awesome?
Gordon: It is incredible.
I mean this is survival
right up here isn't it?
Alan: Oh, yeah.
Gordon: I mean...
Alan: It is.
Gordon: I've gone to some...
Alan: You've gotta be
prepared for anything
coming at you.
Look at this storm
we got rolling in.
Gordon: Yeah.
I was like relaxed because
I honestly thought I was
gonna have to repel down
cause the ascent
was a little bit more
difficult than I thought.
I've never been
a quitter but um, the
adrenalin took over.
Alan: Good job, man.
Gordon: Amazing. Amazing.
Amazing. Amazing.
Alan: Yeah.
Gordon: Oh. (bleep)
look at that over there.
Alan: Yeah!
Gordon: That's it there,
the old man's beard.
Alan: Yeah, this is it.
Gordon: It actually
looks like a beard
as well doesn't it?
Alan: Yeah it does.
Gordon: In terms of,
I mean beautiful.
Alan: I mean look.
How's it look?
Gordon: Exactly.
We're growing a goatee.
Alan: Yeah. Just like that.
Gordon: Amazing.
Alan: Perfect. Alright.
Gordon: (bleep).
Alan: This tea.
Are you ready or what?
Gordon: How old were you
when you first started
these kind of climbs?
Alan: Oh, I was like,
I think I was
13 when I first...
Gordon: 13.
Alan: Tried climbing
for the first time.
I mean it was nothing
gnarly but you know I started
getting in the mountains and
I got hooked.
So here I am.
Gordon: It's amazing.
Cheers for a good job.
Alan: Cheers.
Gordon: Wow!
So that's a cross
between a sort of bailey
stroke mint with a little
touch of rosemary in there.
Alright, so big
difference there.
Alan: Kinda tastes
like it huh?
These are spruce
tips right here.
Gordon: Gotcha. Wow, wow.
Locals have been harvesting
these bitter lemony spruce
branch tips for years.
Gordon: That's amazing.
That's amazing, oh my god.
Alan: Are you about
ready to go down?
Gordon: Yeah.
Alan: Walk your
way down, okay.
Put your left arm down.
Gordon: I'm now
getting a sense to how
dangerous alaska is....
Alan: Awesome.
Gordon: If you don't
know how to survive properly.
Bloody windy.
Alan: Nice work.
Gordon: If you're
not prepared boy it's
gonna take you down.
Alan: Woo-hoo-hoo!
Gordon: But what
an experience.
You know for someone who
doesn't climb for a living
that was extraordinary.
Cheers for that.
Alan: Good luck here.
Gordon: (bleep) that's
harder than you think, man.
Alan: Oh, yeah.
Gordon: Oh, great job.
Alan: That was awesome.
Gordon: The good news is
that I'm done with climbing.
But the bad news is that
spruce tips and old man's
beard aren't gonna be enough
to satisfy the
fishermen at our feast.
So, after taking the
scenic route I'm in hoonah,
homeland of the tlingit
community for over 250 years.
The tlingit fish and
hunt to survive with seal
a key part of their diet.
But only alaskan natives
can hunt them which rules
me out because in case
you hadn't noticed
I'm not an alaskan native.
Good job. Yeah.
Captain lewis:
Thank you sir.
Gordon:
Thanks, bud.
Thank you.
So I'm gonna meet a
tribal elder at his smokehouse
to learn how to prepare
this native staple.
Gordon: Owen, good evening.
Gordon: I'm very well,
thank you.
An absolute
pleasure to see you.
Young lady, how are you?
Lia: Good, how are you?
Gordon: Don't worry,
I've had worse on my hands.
Gordon, good to see you.
And your name is?
Lia: I'm lia.
Gordon: Lia.
Tlingit elder, owen,
has been hunting seal
to help feed his community
since he was eight years old.
Gordon: Are they
difficult to catch?
(animal call).
Gordon: Wow, sounds
like my grandad burping!
Owen: Yeah.
Gordon: And they come
up to the surface?
Gordon: What are you
doing there by way?
Lia: Braiding the intestines.
Gordon: You're braiding
the intestines.
Seriously.
Into like a plaint?
Lia: Yes.
Gordon: May I?
Owen: Fine, I'm sorry.
Gordon: No thank you.
Lia: You just grab
that, this part here.
Gordon: Wow.
Lia: And then you
pull it back through.
Gordon: I mean that
is a beautiful braid.
And what do you
use intestines for?
Owen: We'll hang
it in the smoke house
and smoke it through.
Gordon: Wow.
Owen: And when we're
getting ready to cook
the meat we usually cook
the intestines with it.
Gordon: Wow.
And then taste-wise,
is it almost like
a, a sort of jerky,
sort of pork texture?
Or is it a lot more strenuous?
Gordon: Yeah.
Amazing, it's a
beautiful knot.
Is that how you
braid your hair?
Lia: No.
Gordon: No. Awesome.
Alright, well I'm
gonna have a little go.
So you got your fingers
in there, right.
Lia: Then you grab this.
Gordon: Grab that bit.
Lia: Then you
pull that through.
Gordon: Pull that
through, right.
Lia: Yes.
Gordon: And then pull
all the way through.
Lia: Yes.
Gordon: Gotcha. Okay.
And so, again.
So, pull that through
and then push down.
That's incredible.
Owen: That's something
that like we grew
up with I should say.
Gordon: Yeah.
Owen: And...
Gordon: And a delicacy
beyond belief.
Owen: That's true.
Gordon: May I?
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Mind you there's
a pungent smell coming
from them, isn't there?
After seeing how
creative owen and lia are
with the seals intestines
I'm curious to see
what owen's got going
on in his smokehouse.
So you built this
little smokehouse?
Owen: Yes I did.
Gordon: Wow.
Owen: Yeah, this
is seal meat here.
You wanna center
it and hang it on one
of these sticks here.
Gordon: Gotcha.
Owen: While back.
Gordon:
And what cut is this?
Owen: The back flippers.
Gordon: Back flipper.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Of course it is.
And long will you hang them?
Owen: I'll, I'll hang 'em
for six to eight hours.
Gordon: Wow and do you
season it with anything,
is there a rub,
is there a salt, is there?
Owen: No.
Gordon: Nothing at all?
Owen: Nothing at all.
Gordon: Amazing.
Just like hanging
my grandma's washing.
And if you thought
intestine braiding was fun,
wait till you see what
they do with the lungs.
Gordon: Stop it.
Owen: That's right.
Gordon: Blow in the lungs?
(laughs).
Gordon: That is a
big pair of lungs.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Big, big breath?
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Just wipe a
little bit of congealed
blood at the top for me.
Owen: What's that?
Gordon: Could you just
wipe a little, wipe my,
wipe my pipe.
Let's go for d minor.
(exhaling)
in my new hobby of
blowing up seal lungs
do oxidize the meat.
Gordon: Once more.
Gordon: Yes.
Gordon: Gotcha.
Look at the color
of these things.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: What are you
laughing at young lady?
Come on.
Gordon: No, no I'll finish off,
I've, I've got this.
My mother would
never forgive me if I
didn't complete a full
pair of seal lungs, ready?
Owen: Almost, almost.
Lia: Got 'em.
Owen: Ha-ha-ha!
Sweet. You got it.
Gordon: (bleep) oh,
my lord, are we happy?
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: That is incredible.
Owen: Yes, this.
Gordon: In the middle?
Owen: Oh, yes, please.
Gordon: Beautiful,
turn the gas up.
Amazing now the
tlingit community that means
a lot to you and obviously
you're at the helm,
but how far back does it go?
Owen: Well it goes back
to nine generations.
My father's family now.
Gordon: Wow!
Owen: My father lived a
good long life, he was 108
years old when he passed.
Gordon: 108?
Owen: Yes. And his father
was 122 when he passed.
Gordon: 122!
Owen: Yes, sir.
Gordon: Wow!
That's extraordinary.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: And do you think
that was because they
were surviving from the
island and eating...
Owen: Eating well
from food off the land.
Gordon: Yeah.
That's incredible.
Owen: I can only hope
to live that long.
Gordon: Wow.
Gordon: I'd love
to taste some.
To me it looks like
a, almost like a stew.
Owen: Yes.
Gordon: Yeah.
Owen: Well why don't
you try that first.
Gordon: Thank you. I am
looking forward to this.
Do you mind if I have
a little bit of gravy?
Gordon: Just a little bit,
sorry, it's how chefs are.
So at first with my
fork yeah, it's very tender.
How long has that
been cooking?
Gordon: Stop it, really?
Wow, it's salty,
it's almost a little bit
anchovy, it's quite meaty.
Isn't it?
It is delicious.
Do you mind if I take some?
Gordon: Thank you.
Gordon: Oh, really. Mm.
That's an amazing
treat, thank you.
And if I live to 100,
trust me I've got you
to thank.
Be well.
Hanging up this fatty
meat in that smokehouse
didn't give me that kind of
kickback as if you're
curing meat, pork.
But also when
you start to taste it,
it's got this rich,
fishy, ox tail-y,
meaty texture with this
really sumptuous gravy.
I think I'll leave inflated
seal lungs off the menu.
But I have a feeling this
seal bacon will be a big
hit with the fishermen.
I still need a main course
and with just two days
until the cook I'm
running out of time.
But fortunately, alaska
has two things in common
with my native scotland.
Salmon fishing is plentiful
and the weather is
absolutely bloody freezing.
So it's time to get
out the rod and reel.
Captain lewis:
Nice day though, at
least we can see today.
Gordon: It's beautiful.
Southeast alaska is famed
for its amazing king salmon.
Josh has been fishing
these waters six days
a week for 15 years.
But he assures me
there's still plenty of
fish left in the sea.
Gordon: So did you
grow up fishing?
Josh: Oh, yeah, my whole life.
Gordon: What's the
biggest salmon you caught?
Josh: 56 pounds dressed.
Gordon: Stop it!
When you say "dressed"
what do you mean "dressed"?
Josh: That's dressed, it
means the gills are taken out,
the guts are taken out.
Gordon: (bleep).
Catching king salmon
is very difficult but
josh agrees to share
some trade secrets.
Josh: So I will show you a
couple of baiting techniques.
Gordon: Sure, these are you
own specialized techniques so
did your dad show you this?
Josh: Yeah, dad showed
me it but dad does it
different than I do.
Gordon: Sure.
Josh: It's all about
your relationship
with a piece of bait.
Gordon: So if we don't
catch anything I'm gonna
blame your technique.
Josh: Yeah, sure. Alrighty.
Gordon: Come on.
Josh: Alright, we'll start
with the threading here.
A firecracker,
it's a red herring.
Have you ever seen
anything like this before?
Gordon: No, not
this technique, no.
No. I'm gonna use it when
I get back to scotland.
Josh: Yeah, it might work.
So now the fun begins.
Yeah.
Gordon: So, I'm gonna
thread that through.
Josh: When you
put it through there
you wanna be careful,
the hooks are sharp.
Gordon: Yes...
Josh: You just wanna go
nice and slow and bring her
through, see nice and easy,
nice and easy.
Look at that.
Like a pro.
Gordon: It's a
beautiful technique.
Josh: Alrighty.
You wanna
grab that rod board,
I'll stop
you when she's good.
A little bit more.
That's good.
I'm gonna set that way
back and see if something
might come screaming.
Gordon: Come on baby.
Josh: Come on.
Gordon: I need that fish.
Josh, please.
Josh: I know.
Gordon: Come on.
♪ wild king,
you make my rod sing ♪
♪ wild king,
you make my rod sing ♪♪
after two hours of this
the only thing on the line
is my fishing reputation.
So, we go inside to warm
up and josh tells me what
bears do in the woods.
No, no, no not that.
I'm fascinated
by the numbers of bears,
you had an encounter
with one recently.
Josh: Yes, I did actually.
A couple of years back
I was mauled by a bear
on top of a mountain while
deer hunting
in hoonah, alaska.
Gordon:
(bleep). What happened?
Josh: Well we had
been walking through
some brushy area,
a sow came
out and attacked me.
It ripped my head apart,
my leg, my back, my side.
Mauled me up pretty good
and luckily my friend I had
hunting with me was able to
shoot her off me and
I was able to survive.
Gordon: You're
lucky to be alive.
Josh: It's survival
of the fittest,
there's no room
for the weak out here.
Gordon: No.
Eventually we get our
hands on a king salmon.
Unfortunately, it was one
that josh caught yesterday.
Josh: All right, so here
is a genuine alaskan
winter king salmon.
Gordon: Oh wow,
that's a beauty.
Look at that, man.
Josh: And you can
smell the oil.
Gordon: Wow. Look at that.
Josh: A distinctive smell.
Gordon: That's beautiful.
Shall I filet it, then?
Josh: Yes, sure,
that would be great.
Gordon: I can't wait
to get a taste of this.
At least I know my
cooking skills are way
better than my fishing.
My god.
I'm going to take
the scales off first.
Also, when you take
the scales off it starts
to release the oil
from that salmon first.
Josh: It looks like you've
done this before a few times.
Gordon: Yeah.
God, thousands of times.
Man, it cuts like butter.
Josh, the nice thing about
this is that none of that
stuff goes to waste, right?
Josh: None of it.
Gordon: So back in the uk an
alaskan king salmon like that,
we'd be buying
them from you close to
500 or £600 a fish.
Josh: Wow.
Gordon: Selling them between
80 and £90 per portion.
Josh: Wow.
Gordon: It's that rare.
I want to hear that
noise, that crackling now.
Josh: Oh yeah.
Gordon: In. And see that.
And I'll finish that with
a little touch of lemon.
Josh: Look at that sizzle,
oh my god. Amazing.
Gordon: I've got the best
fisherman in alaska on a boat,
so who better to cook for?
Josh: Look at that.
Oh my gosh, that
smells so good.
Gordon: Guys, jump in.
Help yourself, please.
Josh: All right-y.
Gordon: Look at that,
just the texture.
Josh: It tastes even better.
Oh man, it just
melts in your mouth.
Gordon: We may not have
caught one this morning,
but what I do need
is for you to stay out here
and catch one for me.
Josh: I will.
Gordon: Do you mind?
Josh: Most certainly.
It's my promise.
Gordon: I've got a big cook
at the end of the week.
But that needs to
be the centerpiece.
For me, sampling
that magical alaskan white
salmon was just incredible.
So fingers cross josh
is not going to come
back empty handed.
I'm starting to understand
how hard is to find food
during the alaskan winter.
It really is survival
of the fittest out here.
But after a hard day's fishing
yesterday I need a drink.
So I'm going to break the ice
with a woman who is turning
the local glaciers into
somewhat of a delicacy.
Michelle, good morning.
May I come aboard, madam?
Michelle: Yes, you may.
Gordon: Thank you.
Oh man.
It's a 90-minute ride
to the tracy arm fjord.
Michelle is going to
show me how to harvest free
floating icebergs to turn
into pristine ice cubes.
I'm a big fan of cocktails.
But what's going
to be the significant
difference with the ice
coming from the glacier?
Michelle: When you
have this type of ice,
not only are you having
the best ice in the world,
but you're having
the whole experience
of alaska in a glass.
Gordon: But it soon became
apparent that this particular
alaskan experience wasn't
going to be
confined to that glass,
as we hit some
seriously rough seas.
Man: Where are
we going, gordon?
Gordon: We're going to
the (bleep), we're going...
It feels like we're
going (bleep) under.
We've arrived at the end
of the tracy arm fjord
to search for glacial ice.
Michelle: Oh my god,
it's so gorgeous.
Gordon: It's beautiful.
So we're looking for
what size of ice cube?
Michelle: So what we want
to look for is something
that's very rounded.
Gordon: Right, what
about that one?
That's a...
Michelle: No, gordon,
I don't think that
one's going to work.
That's like your
own private island.
Gordon: Wow, look
at that thing.
Josh: Let's try this
one here to the left.
The white one at 11:00.
Gordon: 10,000
years in the making,
these glaciers produce the
purest ice imaginable.
Michelle: I like that one.
Gordon: Perfect for cocktails.
So, the secret behind this is?
Michelle: Screwing.
Gordon: Screwing these
into the big block?
Michelle: Yes.
And then after that we're
going to hook it up and we're
going to hoist it on board.
Gordon: Got you.
This is the most work
I've ever done for a (bleep)
ice cube in my entire life.
I hope this is going to
make the best cocktail.
Michelle: It's going to be
fabulous, just trust me.
Gordon: Right. You ready?
Michelle: Yes.
Okay, start screwing.
We're going to hook
it up to a d ring, and if
it's not all the way in it's
going to crack the ice.
You have to kind of be like
over the water, you know,
so you're on top of it.
Gordon: (bleep).
Michelle: Let's just make
sure they're really down deep.
Gordon: Are you
kidding me, michelle?
They can't get any
further in there.
Michelle: Okay,
let's just test.
Gordon: Holy (bleep) my
fingers are (bleep) freezing.
Michelle: See, look,
yours is coming out.
Gordon: Mine's coming out?
Michelle: Yeah, you've
got to get that in deeper.
Gordon: Deeper?
Michelle: Yeah, you're
not all the way in.
When we pull
that up on the winch
it's going to crack.
Gordon: (bleep).
Michelle: Perfect.
Gordon: Stop,
stop, stop. Good job.
Michelle: That was fun.
Gordon: Amazing.
So, you take that
outer layer off.
Michelle:
And then you get to some
of those ice diamonds.
Gordon: Look at this.
Michelle: Oh, that's gorgeous.
Gordon: That is so beautiful.
Michelle: Right?
Gordon: Look at
that formation.
Michelle: Shall we
put that in a glass?
Gordon: Shall we?
Michelle: Drop it in there.
Gordon: Wow.
Michelle: Oh, I like
how that, and what do you
think for a little scotch?
It's a good one.
And now we need a
little vermouth.
Gordon: I feel like one of
the luckiest mixologists
anywhere on the planet.
Oh my lord, look at that.
Look at the colors.
Michelle: I think
we've earned it.
Gordon: Cheers, good health.
Michelle: Cheers.
Gordon: Look at that.
What an ice cube. Oh my lord.
(muffled coughing)
holy (bleep), that's strong.
Michelle: I think
it's 110 proof.
Gordon: Amazing.
Michelle: Cheers.
Gordon: Well done.
I have bars, but I've
never ever touched an ice
cube that's that perfect.
And it just tasted so
clean and fresh and slightly
effervescent in the way that
it was almost lightly
sort of, um,
carbonated.
And a great way, I think,
to toast the beginning of
this incredible cook with an
amazing cocktail laced
with glacier ice cubes.
There's only one day
until the cook and I still
don't have a main course.
Josh hasn't caught
a salmon yet.
But I need a meat dish, so
I've enlisted the help of
a local hunter who has been
shooting game for
over 40 years.
Gordon: Now I have no luck
with this alaskan king salmon,
fingers crossed
I'll catch a grouse.
Kenny, how are you, sir?
Kenny: There you are.
Gordon: Pleasure
meeting you, man.
Kenny: Very good to see you.
Gordon: You good?
Kenny: We're good.
Gordon: I've shot
pheasants, but I've never
ever taken down a grouse.
What's the secret?
Kenny: They're going
to be very, very still
and very hard to see,
so you'll be shooting
upward likely,
hold slightly low.
Gordon: Hold low.
Kenny: I've brought you a
real good sporters 12-gauge,
to load it.
Gordon:
Yeah. Safety on.
Finger off.
Up into the shoulder,
firm, that goes up.
And then in the,
beautiful gun.
Now talking about
beauties, what's his name?
Kenny: This is my
very good friend ash.
Gordon: Ash, hey.
Hopefully we are in for a
chance with a grouse, right?
Kenny: We'll give
it our very best.
In the evening,
that setting here for us,
they like to roost and they
like to call in the family.
And ironically in the
morning they don't want
any part of their buddies.
Gordon: You talk about
grouse like an ex-girlfriend.
Kenny: I've messed
with them as much.
Gordon: After you, sir.
Kenny: Here we go.
Go.
Gordon: In scotland,
sometimes the grouse lay low,
but are we looking here in
the trees or on the ground?
Kenny: They'll be
very high in a tree.
Gordon: Got you.
Kenny: Right,
and they might move to
investigate who we are.
If you see so
much as a branch wiggle,
watch it very close.
They're very camouflaged
and hard to see.
Gordon: Wow.
I've just spotted some
spruce tips from an old
man's beard here as well.
Kenny: Yes.
Gordon: So I climbed
up that (bleep) rock
for old man's beard,
because he said it's the
only place it's there.
And it's all here
on the ground.
Kenny: Look, look.
Gordon: Hey old man's
beard, there's a big
(bleep) beard over there.
Honestly, it's everywhere.
Lionel had me scale a
60-foot cliff in hoonah
to pick this stuff.
Clearly his warped idea
of welcoming me to alaska.
Terrifyingly,
we aren't the only ones
on the hunt for dinner.
Kenny: Small moose tracks.
Gordon: That's a small moose?
They've got bigger
feet than me.
Kenny:
They're a large critter.
Gordon: How big
are the moose here?
Kenny: They can be
1200 to 1500 pounds.
Gordon: (bleep).
What do you
do if we see one?
Kenny: We'll just
hope it runs away.
Gordon: But if it
runs towards us?
Kenny: Well.
Gordon: It's going
to charge us.
Kenny: I can run
faster than you.
Gordon: (bleep).
Kenny:
Back, kinda close to that
tree.
Gordon: Yes.
Time for my first
lesson in the alaskan
art of grouse hunting.
(animal call).
Kenny:
If it flies on the other
side of these little trees,
just shoot it like those
trees aren't eve there.
(animal call).
Gordon: In an effort
to lure the grouse to us,
kenny displays more of his
impressive repertoire.
(chest thumping)
gordon: That would have
been a good shot had it been
a grouse and not a branch.
Kenny is unique and
that guy lives to hunt.
However, they didn't come
down to roost and that's what
happens on these islands.
You can't give up.
But with no meat
and no fish I might have
to give up if josh doesn't
come through with that
salmon he promised me
for tomorrow's big cook.
During my week in
alaska I've excelled at
not catching hypothermia,
fish or game.
But now it's time
to meet chef lionel
to prepare our feast.
Hopefully I'll have more
success in the kitchen.
Lionel!
Lionel: Gordon!
Hey, you're alive!
Gordon: I made it, bud.
Lionel: Oh, how was it?
Gordon: Oh my god.
Lionel: How was hoonah?
Gordon: Crazy.
No salmon yet.
Apparently, josh
said he's on his way.
But what an experience.
Lionel: Yeah,
what did you learn?
Gordon: I scaled
a chimney rock,
that was windy and
waving, crumbling as well.
The most amazing glacier ice.
And then, you know,
on this incredible hunt
for grouse, salmon.
And then got to meet owen
from the clinket community
who literally gave
us this sort of
a to z of a seal.
I'm not too sure
if that's going to play
in my restaurant in london,
but you never know.
Fingers crossed that
salmon arrives soon because
it's freezing out here and
the guests will be
arriving any minute.
Everyone keeps
telling me that alaska
is all about survival.
I just hope I can make
it through this cook.
Gordon: I spent a week
wrapping my head around
the bounty of food that
alaska has to offer.
Get that pestle and mortar in.
Now it's time to
test my skills and prepare
a meal that compliments
this rugged terrain.
Josh: Hey gordon,
how you doing?
Good to see you.
Gordon: Am I happy to see you.
Josh: Yeah, I brought
you the king that
you have so desired.
Gordon: Look at that beauty.
Thank god josh came
through with that salmon.
King salmon had to
be the main staple for this
cook because when we get
our hands on those back in
europe it's a prize asset.
I'm serving this incredible
wild salmon three ways.
Right, I'm going
to cut them into the
most amazing portions.
It's hours old, you know,
it's good enough to eat
raw right there and then.
And look at that belly
on there, my god.
Lionel: Wow, that's some
beautiful king you got there.
Gordon:
It's amazing, honestly.
Thank goodness for josh.
But look at that.
Lionel: Look at that,
that's beautiful.
Gordon: My first
dish is gravlax.
I'm making a marinade
of spruce tips, juniper
berries and gin.
I'm actually going to
cure that in the snow.
Who needs a fridge
in this temperature?
Lionel: Well, no,
that's pretty ballsy.
Gordon: Yeah.
Lionel makes a start
on his first dish.
A traditional seafood chowder.
Lionel: Really
beautiful spot prawns.
Just peel them
down to the tail.
Gordon: I may have
agreed to cook outside
in brave alaskan spirit,
but that doesn't mean
I have to like it.
Christ.
Lionel: Oh, it's not too bad.
Gordon: That's not too bad?
Oh my god.
Lionel: Not too bad.
You'll be fine.
Gordon: I'm going to
have to keep on coming back
in here to defrost my fingers
so I can feel them again,
you know that.
Lionel continues
preparing his chowder,
adding the halibut cheeks,
an octopus and searing
them in pork fat.
As I prepare the
cure for my gravlax.
Gordon: So I made
this really nice paste,
season it with
salt and sugar.
Then lionel heats up
his homemade fish stock.
And my boozy
marinade is ready to
layer onto the salmon.
I'm just going to
cover that on there.
I've got that really nice,
sort of wild mountainy
flavor in there.
One perk to cooking
alfresco, this.
Stashing the salmon in the
snow for an hour to chill.
(bleep).
For lionel's second
dish he's smoking black
cod in the smoke house,
for a harvest board
of alaskan treats.
Smart, smart. Nice.
So, I put my salmon
belly on the bottom.
And for my second
dish I'll be smoking
the salmon belly to layer
onto my pumpernickel toast.
Unimpressed with my toast,
lionel is now whipping
up a homemade loaf to
go with his seafood stew.
Lionel: So this is about
ready to rock and roll.
I just wanted to show you,
I'm going to go ahead and
shape it and
then put it in the...
Gordon: So you're going to
bake the bread in open fire?
Lionel: Yes.
Gordon: Amazing.
And will it be as crusty?
Lionel: It will
be really crusty.
Gordon: His loaf may be
delicious, but I've got
the perfect ingredient
guaranteed to get the
alaskan seal of approval.
Right, I'm going
to toast my bread now.
So I'm going
to literally get this
pumpernickel bread and
I've got some
of that seal fat.
Lionel: Oh, exciting.
Gordon: So I'm going to
grill that on top of there.
It's lightly smoked
as well, by the way.
Whilst lionel checks
the seasoning of his stew,
I'm making a
spread for the toast
out of horse radish
and crème fraiche.
I'm using some of that
blood orange as well, okay?
Lionel: Do you need
help with anything?
Gordon: No, you seem
sort of calm and collected,
I'm the one running behind.
But we're getting there.
How's that bread?
Lionel: Oh.
Let's check it out.
Gordon: Oh wow,
look at that.
That is incredible.
You have got that crust
on there, haven't you?
Lionel: Nice and hot as well.
Gordon: That is amazing.
Lionel: Nice.
Gordon: I'm now cooking
my final dish, and yep,
you've guessed it,
salmon again in
a beurre blanc sauce,
served with potatoes,
cooked with owen's seal bacon.
So I've got some of this
seal bacon from owen.
What do you think?
Lionel: That smells
really good, gordon.
Gordon: Does it?
Lionel: Thanks for
being out here.
Gordon:
You're welcome. Honestly.
Lionel: I know you're
freezing your ass off.
Gordon: I have frozen
my ass off (bleep)
week man, oh my god.
Lionel: Are you cold?
Let me, here, here.
Gordon: No, no,
honestly, I'm fine!
Lionel: I wore my
favorite shirt for you.
Gordon: Trust me,
no, no, no, honestly.
I'll get there. Stop it!
Lionel: I'm serious.
Gordon: Honestly,
my mum's watching.
Lionel: No,
come on, here, here.
Gordon: Honestly,
I'll be fine.
Lionel: It's okay.
It's okay. It's okay.
Gordon: I'm toughening up.
Lionel: Okay, I'm
taking it back because
it's (bleep) cold.
Gordon: It is
(bleep) freezing.
Behave yourself!
Delicious.
Lionel: Oh hey,
the guests are here!
Gordon: What?
Lionel: Hey guys!
Gordon: Oh no, seriously?
I'm out of time.
Lionel: How's everyone doing?
Gordon: Damn.
So, I need to distract
the fishermen the
only way I know how.
Alcohol.
Gordon: Let me
get them a drink.
Damn.
Lionel: Can I help
you with anything?
Gordon: No, honestly
I'll be fine.
Lionel: All right.
Gordon: So, to kick
off a meal like that and
to celebrate with
an incredible gin,
local gin with those
ice cubes harvested
from that glacier,
it's the most
perfect but simplest
cocktail on that planet.
Hello.
Woman: Hello.
Gordon: A little gin and
tonic, help yourself please.
Man: Oh wow.
Gordon: Gentlemen.
Cheers, by the way.
Everyone: Cheers!
Gordon: Time to plate
up my salmon dishes.
Gravlax with honey mustard
sauce, smoked belly on
pumpernickel toast, grilled
salmon served with spruce tip
beurre blanc, and potatoes
cooked with owen's seal fat.
Up against lionel's
harvest board of smoked
meats and his fire cooked
loaf with seafood stew.
Thank you.
Here we go.
Whey!
Group: Wallase!
Gordon: Oh man. There.
Woman: Is it a little
chilly for you, chef?
Gordon: It is freezing.
Come on.
Woman: Thank you so much.
Gordon: Excellent.
Tough one cooking for a
table of fishermen that
really know their stuff.
Woman: Here we go.
Gordon: Also, they
get to taste this kind of
ingredient on a daily basis.
Man: I mean, all the
stuff on the charcuterie tray;
there's a lot
going on there.
Woman: Have you had the soup?
It's got that umami
thing going on.
Gordon: All going well?
Lionel: Yeah, I think
everyone is enjoying
and everyone is smiling.
Man 2: Have you ever
got salmon that is
cooked to perfection,
where it's under cooked
slightly and you can
see that orange in it?
Man: You know you can leave
it kind of raw in the middle
and serve it like tuna and
it's like oh my god!
Man 2: Delicious.
Very good.
Gordon: When he sees
that salmon in so many ways,
for a guy that hunts on
a daily basis for salmon,
yet he's still excited,
it's so good to see.
Everyone: To fresh
fish, alaskan fish!
Gordon: It's judgement time.
Everyone: Woo. Yeah!
Lionel: Hey guys.
Gordon: Good to see you.
Honestly.
Man, I'm going to take
my hat off for the
first time all day.
We good?
Woman: Really good.
Man: Really enjoying it.
It's almost all gone.
Woman: We're just
being polite.
Gordon: That is
a happy problem.
What did you think of the
gravlax on the water cress?
Woman 2: It was a little
salty, but focusing on the
spruce tips really kind of
balanced that out a bit
after I took a second helping.
Lionel: How was the stew?
Woman 2: I just didn't
feel like it really fit well.
Gordon: Man,
these guys are tough.
That stew was delicious.
Woman: And I was
just the opposite.
I just felt like
all of these different
flavors came together,
it had that whole
umami thing going on.
And I just loved it.
Gordon: How was the salmon?
Man 2: Most of us never buy
a salmon in a restaurant because
it's usually over cooked,
but that was
cooked to perfection.
And that needs to be
a feature somewhere.
It was amazing,
it was amazing.
Man: I think everybody
appreciated that you
didn't over cook it.
Lionel: So do you guys
feel like he's captured
the spirit of alaska in the
time that he's been here?
Woman: Yes.
Everyone: Yes, absolutely.
Gordon: Oh boy, I've
had a fantastic week.
From a chef's point
of view, getting that
close to the source,
we say it on a daily basis,
the better the ingredient
the little that needs doing it.
And alaska has
literally come up trumps
from my culinary world.
So, can I come back?
Woman: Yes!
Oh my gosh, please do.
Man: To you! Cheers!
Gordon: When you're
closer to the action
like I've been all week,
it makes it
so much more magical.
But then the stories of
being mauled by a bear and
hunting and
surviving out here and
just how tough it is,
it's pretty difficult.
But here in south east
alaska they've learned to
adapt and I've witnessed
an incredible culinary
resourcefulness.
Embracing the native culture,
hunting and gathering,
delicious wild ingredients.
They've made the best
of a brutal environment.
Their sense of community
has allowed them to not
only survive, but thrive.
Thank you. God bless.
Lionel: Thank you.
Gordon: Chef, good
to see you, man.
I'm coming back, okay?
Hopefully when
the snow is gone!
Captioned by cotter
captioning services.