Escape to River Cottage was the first River Cottage

River Cottage

River Cottage is a former weekend and holiday home that was originally a game-keeper's lodge in the grounds of Slape Manor, Netherbury, Dorset. From 1998 it was used by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall as a setting for three television series: Escape to River Cottage, Return to River Cottage and River...

 television series in which celebrity chef

Celebrity chef

A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known. Today celebrity chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations via mass media, especially television. Historically, celebrity chefs have included Antoine Carême and Martino da Como.-External...

 Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a British celebrity chef, television personality, journalist, food writer and "real food" campaigner, known for his back-to-basics philosophy...

 takes over a Dorset

Dorset

Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...

 cottage and sets out to achieve a form of rural

Rural

Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

 self-sufficiency

Self-sufficiency

Self-sufficiency refers to the state of not requiring any outside aid, support, or interaction, for survival; it is therefore a type of personal or collective autonomy...

.

Show summary

Along the way, Hugh encountered many challenges largely caused by the weather, pests and his own inexperience.

Every week, Hugh meets up with different members of the Dorset community and gets a different kind of food (e.g., fish, pork) from each of them, usually free or bartered.

Local organic vegetable

Organic food

Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.For the...

 guru Michael Michaud, homecraft expert Barbara and experienced vegetable competitor Roy Gunning all make appearances as the series develops into a fascinating insight into country

Country

A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...

 life.

List of episodes

Ep.	Air Date	Summary
1	18 March 1999	Hugh arrives at River Cottage, and immediately digs up the flower garden to make way for his vegetable plot. Next, he builds terraces with railway sleepers to maximize the amount of space he will have. Hugh goes off to Peggy's pig farm and buys 2 pigs from her, then uses Peggy's trailer to transport them back to River Cottage into a shady copse near the cottage that he has prepared for them. After that, he meets up with Gary, a diving and fishing expert who instructs Hugh on the use of a speargun. Hugh fails to catch anything, but Gary manages to catch 1 mullet and 2 bass, which they promptly cook and eat. Hugh then visits Michael and Joy Michaud, who are organic gardeners. Michael goes back to River Cottage with Hugh to help him with his vegetable plot in return for a ham from one of Hugh's pigs in late fall. Next, Hugh arrives at the mansion belonging to Anthony and Serena Hitches, who have a severe pigeon problem. Every morning, more than 80 pigeons line up on the roof of their stables. Anthony then teaches Hugh how to cull the birds, and promises Hugh the meat of any bird he culls in exchange for his help. Hugh treats them to Pastilla Pastilla It is a pie which combines sweet and salty flavours; a combination of crisp layers of the crêpe-like warka dough , savory meat slow-cooked in broth and spices and shredded, and a crunchy layer of toasted and ground almonds, cinnamon, and sugar.The filling is made a day ahead, and is made by... , a North African treat using the meat of the pigeons he got.
2	25 March 1999	Hoping for a free fish dinner, Hugh joins a gamekeeper named John to help cull the pike Esox Esox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...  population on the River Piddle River Piddle The River Piddle or Trent or North River is a small rural Dorset river which rises next to Alton Pancras church and flows south and then south-easterly more or less parallel with its bigger neighbour, the River Frome, to Wareham, where they both enter Poole Harbour via... . Hugh's artificial lure made from a rubber duck Rubber duck A rubber duck is a toy shaped like a stylised Yellow-billed Duck , and is generally yellow with a flat base. It may be made of rubber or rubber-like material such as vinyl plastic...  is ineffective, but John eventually catches a large pike. To convince John that pike can be a good eating fish, Hugh prepares jellied pike. After River Cottage's first blackcurrant Blackcurrant Blackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....  crop yields a mere seven berries, Hugh travels to a berry farm and works in exchange for fruit. Hugh joins a group of Eastern European students harvesting raspberries Raspberry The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves... . He eats all the berries that are deemed overripe for supermarket shelves. Later, Hugh prepares a dessert of coffee-flavoured floating islands Floating island (dessert) A floating island is a French dessert consisting of meringue floating on crème anglaise . The meringues are prepared from whipped egg whites, sugar and vanilla extract then quickly poached. The crème anglaise is prepared with the egg yolks, vanilla, and hot milk, briefly cooked.There is some...  with blackcurrant syrup for the commune. Hugh builds a chicken enclosure and buys six egg-laying hens from Frank, a local farmer. Hugh uses his first egg to prepare a single-serving soufflé Soufflé A soufflé is a light baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with various other ingredients and served as a savoury main dish or sweetened as a dessert... , which he then eats while reclining in his hammock.
3	1 April 1999	At midnight, Hugh hunts down slugs that are eating his vegetables. The next day, he and Michael Michaud inspect the River Cottage garden and enjoy some carrot Carrot The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh... s, fennel Fennel Fennel is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...  and courgette Zucchini The zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green...  for lunch. Hugh decides to compete in the Beaminster Beaminster Beaminster is a small town and civil parish in the West Dorset district of Dorset in South West England, at the head of the valley of the River Brit. Beaminster is south of Bristol, west of Bournemouth, east of Exeter and northwest of the county town of Dorchester...  Horticultural Society's Summer show, and meets with veteran competitor Roy Gunning and his wife Barbara to get some advice. Hugh prepares a vegetable chutney Chutney Chutney is a a condiment used in South Asian cuisine that usually contains a spice and vegetable mix.Chutneys are wet or dry, having a coarse to fine texture. The Anglo-Indian loan word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. At least several...  to enter in the show. Next, Hugh goes diving for spider crabs Maja squinado Maja squinado is a species of migratory crab found in the north-east Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.-Diet:M...  and prepares linguine Linguine Linguine is a form of pasta — flat like fettuccine and trenette. It is wider than spaghetti, about 1/4 to 3/8 inch, but not as wide as fettuccine. The name linguine means "little tongues" in Italian, where it is a plural of the feminine linguina. Linguine are also called trenette or bavette...  with crab for his diving companions. At the vegetable show, Hugh's raspberry jam and Victoria sponge win first prize. He also presents a selection of six vegetables which wins third prize. Roy once again wins in the category of "longest bean" but narrowly misses winning the challenge cup.
4	8 April 1999	Hugh joins Jan Andrews, who manages the roe deer Roe Deer The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...  population. At sunrise, they stalk a buck, but don't manage to get a good shot at one. Hugh cooks a breakfast of mushrooms and the liver of a deer Jan had killed the previous day. Hugh's cottage is infested by mice, so he enlists the help of vegan spiritualists who—using crystals and meditation—politely ask the mice to relocate to Hugh's shed. Later, Hugh invites the mouse-busters back for a lunch of vegetable risotto Risotto Risotto is a class of Italian dishes of rice cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. The broth may be meat-, fish-, or vegetable-based; many kinds include Parmesan cheese, butter, and onion...  with hazelnut Hazelnut A hazelnut is the nut of the hazel and is also known as a cob nut or filbert nut according to species. A cob is roughly spherical to oval, about 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm in diameter, with an outer fibrous husk surrounding a smooth shell. A filbert is more elongated, being about twice... s from a tree he discovered on his property. Hugh claims that he hasn't seen a mouse they were banished. Hugh takes a sentimental journey back to the Dorset shore, where he's reunited with Dennis Cheeseman, a man whom he met on holiday at nine years old. Just as he'd done as a child, Hugh helps Dennis harvest prawn Prawn Prawns are decapod crustaceans of the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. There are 540 extant species, in seven families, and a fossil record extending back to the Devonian...  pots. Then he prepares tempura Tempura ], is a Japanese dish of seafood or vegetables that have been battered and deep fried.-Batter:A light batter is made of cold water and soft wheat flour . Eggs, baking soda or baking powder, starch, oil, and/or spices may also be added... -battered prawn with foraged sea lettuce Sea lettuce The sea lettuces comprise the genus Ulva, a group of edible green algae that is widely distributed along the coasts of the world's oceans. The type species within the genus Ulva is Ulva lactuca Linnaeus, "lactuca" meaning lettuce... .
5	15 April 1999	Hugh commissions a woven eel trap and baits it with a roadkill Roadkill Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by motor vehicles. In the United States of America, removal and disposal of animals struck by motor vehicles is usually the responsibility of the state's state trooper association or department of transportation.-History:During the...  rabbit (after deciding the rabbit isn't quite in good enough condition to eat.) He then joins a group of cider Cider Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...  enthusiasts as they collect windfall apples. Hugh shares a tortilla de patatas Tortilla de patatas The Spanish omelette or Spanish tortilla, also called simply tortilla in English when there is no confusion with the Mexican maize tortilla, is a typically Spanish dish consisting of a thick egg omelette made with potatoes and fried in olive oil.... with the cider circle and engages in a drunken game of skittles Skittles (sport) Skittles is an old European lawn game, a variety of bowling, from which ten-pin bowling, duckpin bowling, and candlepin bowling in the United States, and five-pin bowling in Canada are descended. In the United Kingdom, the game remains a popular pub game in England and Wales, though it tends to be... . After trapping and skinning two eels from his river, Hugh prepares eels in green herb sauce. Then, Hugh works as a beater on a pheasant shoot and takes home several birds as payment. He cooks a pheasant, pigeon, and rabbit tureen Tureen A tureen is a serving dish for foods such as soups or stews, often shaped as a broad, deep, oval vessel with fixed handles and a low domed cover with a knob or handle. Over the centuries, tureens have appeared in many different forms, some round, rectangular, or made into fanciful shapes such as... .
6	22 April 1999	It's fall, and Hugh has been at River Cottage for six months. It's time for Hugh to take his pigs to the abbatoir Slaughterhouse A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products... . Hugh enlists the help of Victor, an expert in curing Parma-style prosciutto Prosciutto Prosciutto |ham]]) or Parma ham is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked; this style is called prosciutto crudo in Italian and is distinguished from cooked ham, prosciutto cotto.... . Hugh prepares a classic braun, a coarse pâté Pâté Pâté is a mixture of ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. Common additions include vegetables, herbs, spices, and either wine or cognac, armagnac or brandy...  made from the pigs' heads. With Victor and butcher Ray, he starts the hams curing, stuffs a pig's stomach, and makes salami and sausages, the latter of which he smokes in the chimney. Hugh decides to host a pork feast for his friends. But first, he learns how to catch razor fish Razor shell The razor shell, Ensis arcuatus, also called razor clam or razor fish, is a bivalve of the family Pharidae. It is found on sandy beaches in Northern Europe and Eastern Canada, such as Prince Edward Island, where it is most populous in the world. It prefers coarser sand than its relatives E. ensis... , a type of clam, and prepares a clam dish with pork loin and sausage. He serves this and all the other pork dishes to his guests, which include Michael and Joy Michaud, Roy and Barbara Gunning, the Hitches, and all the others who helped him in the past months. As the series draws to an end, Hugh prepares his garden for next spring and decides to stay in Dorset permanently.
Christmas special	Christmas 1999	In Christmas at River Cottage, Hugh spends his first winter at River Cottage. The cider-marinated ham is ready, and Hugh goes in search of a fat goose to accompany it. To buy his goose, he sells homemade products at the local farmer's market. Hugh's marron glacé, brandy butter, and mince pie Mince pie A mince pie, also known as minced pie, is a small British sweet pie traditionally served during the Christmas season. Its ingredients are traceable to the 13th century, when returning European crusaders brought with them Middle Eastern recipes containing meats, fruits and spices.The early mince... s with actual lamb meat quickly sell at his farmer's market stall. Hugh feeds Christmas carol singers visiting the Hitches' mansion with a fish cake of smoked cod. Later, Hugh prepares a stuffed goose neck, a confit Confit Confit is a generic term for various kinds of food that have been immersed in a substance for both flavor and preservation. Sealed and stored in a cool place, confit can last for several months... , and a roasted goose breast. Then, Hugh searches the woods for a yule log Yule log A Yule log is a large and extremely hard log which is burned in the hearth as a part of traditional Yule or Christmas celebrations in several European cultures...  with Star, a local hedgewitch. Five members of the cider circle visit Hugh's cottage, and they feast on ham and stuffed goose neck. Hugh wins a year's supply of cider on a wager on a game a table skittles, a victory he attributes to the magical power of his yule log. Finally, as Hugh settles in to sleep, he leaves a mince pie by the fireside for you-know-who.

External links

• Escape To River Cottage at TV.com