I think I have what you're looking for.
So, do you know what it is?
- This? - Yes.
Yeah, this is a tree stump.
Stop it, mushrooms. Come on.
No, you're not even close.
- Really? - Yeah.
- Go on. - Give me a hand.
I have these tools here.
I pull one side and you do the other slowly.
Watch out, you see already?
Oh my God.
Don't be afraid.
Bloody hell.
I'm on the old streets of Havana, Cuba,
and this island is legendary.
It was once renowned as the actual jewel in the crown for
the Caribbean Islands.
And after many decades of being closed to the outside world,
Cuba is now starting to open its doors.
Located in the western edge of the Caribbean,
Cuba stretches 750 miles
from east to west.
There are mountain rainforests,
miles of coastline and lush countryside
filled with thousands of organic farms.
Cuba maybe only 94 miles from the edge of Florida,
but a US imposed trade embargo that has nearly 60 years has
made it my most Uncharted destination yet.
I'm here to find out about the people,
the food and what it takes to be a great chef on this island.
Look at that.
- Good morning, hola. - Hola.
Is that how you go shopping?
Wow.
So, this how it comes to you.
That's amazing. Lucky man.
Gracias.
Now I'm here to meet Chef Luis Batlle,
one of Cuba's renowned chefs.
He's gonna give me an insight to this island.
Oh, wow, look at those cars.
They are beautiful.
Luis!
- Gordon. - Finally.
Wow. How you doing my friend?
- Hola. Nice to see you. - Nice to see you.
Oh my goodness, me.
Luis Ramon Batlle learned to cook in
his grandmother's kitchen before heading overseas to
find inspiration in restaurants in Italy and China.
After returning home, he became one of the nation's
top culinary personalities on television.
As head chef at Old Havana's Calesa Real,
he prides himself on being a passionate ambassador of
Cuban cuisine.
Is this your first time in Cuba?
It is my first time in Cuba and I'm just,
I'm just taking it in.
Oh, wow.
I've been looking everywhere for you.
I didn't know you were gonna hanging out with
my favorite things.
Family and cooking are my first two passions,
but cars, especially vintage cars hold a close third.
This is the car club.
I love them.
Do you want to meet my friends?
Do you know these guys?
- Yes. - Yeah, I'd love to.
- Okay. - Let's go.
Come on, with me.
Come with me.
I love the hat by the way.
Luis's friend Roberto is a member of this local car club,
a group of people who are dedicated to restoring
these beauties and keeping them on the road.
- Welcome to Cuba. - Good to see you.
I am Roberto, nice to meet you.
Look at this man,
the most renowned chef in Cuba.
I'm honored to be here in his presence.
He doesn't look like a chef, does he?
Because I like music too.
- Yeah, he's like a rock star. - Rock star, yeah.
If One Direction was to exist
in Cuba, this is the granddad to One Direction.
Grandpapa.
- Oh, me? Wow. - I'm joking.
Come on. These are beautiful by the way.
Oh my goodness, me.
How old is this thing?
This one is a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air.
Wow.
How did it stay so pristine in today's world?
We use Cuban ingenuity and the help of each other,
that's the way we keep the cars on the road.
To maintain it...
...just like in the kitchen, you have to be very creative.
I love that.
Now, my first time in Cuba and I'm excited
to meet this incredible legend.
But I'm desperate to get inside this beast and drive it.
- I mean, this? - Yes.
I cannot let you drive my car.
I've seen you drive.
- Wow. - Well, sit with me.
I can't come all this way to Cuba and
not drive this historic piece of art.
Okay, just promise me you'll be careful.
I promise. Right.
How do we get the windows down?
- Please wait. - Yes.
Where's the horn? Just in case.
That, right, is.
- Let's go. - Okay.
- Woo! - Yeah, we're going.
I'm so excited to be here in Cuba,
you know that?
This is, for me, a dream come true because it's like
a culinary treasure that's been hidden in
a time capsule for decades.
It's got a reputation for rice and beans,
Cuban sandwich, pork, but
surely there's much more to that.
Yes, there is much more to Cuban cooking...
...because Cuban cooking is ultimately
a mix of many different cultures.
There is the African culture,
Jamaican culture, Spanish culture.
They all form part of this tradition of flavors.
So, I had no idea that there's a,
a strong African influence here as well.
Yes, of course.
It was brought by the slaves that came to Cuba...
...during the Spanish colonization.
And that's also part of the traditional dishes.
With Cuba being closed and sort of shut off to
the rest of the world for so many decades,
it's challenging, right?
Getting things done in Cuba
is like a way of life.
And cooking has been a challenge for us chefs...
...and what we don't have we've had to farm...
...or to practice permacultures on rooftops.
The main thing for Cuban chefs is to wake up
every morning, get your hands dirty,
getting the ingredients is not just going to the market,
it's just getting literally hunting your ingredients.
So, the challenges are being resourceful
having no waste and getting your hands dirty every morning.
I want that while you're in Cuba,
you do what Cuban chefs do...
...get your hands dirty in order to be able cook.
Are you up for that?
It, it, it's, it's music to my ears.
I'm so excited.
It's going to be a great, great week.
Well, Gordon...
...if you're really sure...
...I'm inviting you to a challenge this Sunday so
that we can cook together.
I promise you,
they're big hands but they're not manicured.
I will get my hands dirty and I will see you
at the end of the week.
- Okay. - Let's go Capitan.
Roberto has generously agreed to let me use
his car for the week, but only if he and his car mates get to
be the judges at the big cook,
and only if I'm as gentle with the car as I am with my staff.
If anyone says a word, they're fired.
Roberto, you need to relax.
Honestly, I have driven in dozens of countries.
I know I've got big feet.
But I'll be gentle on the accelerator.
I promise you because this thing is a piece of art.
I'm not babysitting you.
But this is my whole life.
I know.
Plus, I, I thought you might need
some help with language.
I could do with the help.
Because Cuba is surrounded by water,
I'd like to get my hands on some of the freshest seafood
I can find.
To help me do that, Roberto has arranged for me
to go spearfishing.
I'd love to find out about the fish here,
the fish that make it to the plates in Cuba.
We are on an island so we can find many things.
Yes.
But fishing here has challenges,
logistical challenges.
- Right. - Fuel, uh, support.
Even the gear is not easy to get.
And when you have a cooperative business with
the government...
...you have to sell the government 50% of your catch.
- Seriously? - Of your daily catch.
- Every day? - Every day.
Wow.
You know, fishermen in Cuba,
they struggle, they have to be efficient enough to catch more
in order to make our day when we're fishing.
Right.
What a spot.
Hey, what a drive, by the way.
I want to introduce you to somebody...
...Luis and I, we know from long time ago.
The real deal when it comes to spear fishing?
He's an expert diver and a fisherman.
Right. And what's his name?
His name is Pedro.
Pedro. Okay, where is he?
Can you see him right there?
He's over there. He's waving his hands.
Can you see there?
Pedro!
Gordon, Roberto, over here!
What's he doing all the way over there?
He's waiting for us.
There are two ways of getting there.
One, we go all around there,
it's gonna take like a couple of hours.
This skin's from Scotland.
I'm going to be toast by time we get around there.
- It's going to be bad for you. - Yeah, very.
The other way, we take a boat, go over there.
The little boats over there?
No, no, no, no. No, no, I mean, these boats.
Oh, stop it.
That's not a boat. That's a float.
There is no freaking way.
Come on. Seriously?
Trust me, it floats and it has a paddle,
so it's a boat.
Let's, let's see him get one of those
fishing boats over there and then drop us off.
There's nobody over there, if we get on
those boats, they're gonna thing we're stealing them.
So, this is what I have here.
We're gonna get there like 15 minutes maybe.
- On a floatie? - On a floatie, with a paddle.
If it wasn't 90 degrees, I'd walk around.
15 minutes across there, I'm gonna do it.
But I'm gonna change first into my diving gear.
- Let's go. - Seriously.
You hear so much about Cubans vintage cars,
and not a thing about their vintage Styrofoam watercraft.
Nothing like floating on a piece of garbage.
Now I see why.
Okay, I'm on it.
Let me, let me push you out.
Whoops, easy.
Thank you.
It's not lost on me that my Cuban host is dressed
like Johnny Cash and doesn't look like he has
any intention of getting his hair wet.
Come on.
For me, as usual,
it's a different story.
You jump on it like a horse, yeah, okay.
Now, okay, not like a horse.
Seriously?
Oh, [bleep].
This is crazy, man.
I'm 220 pounds, six foot, two.
I wasn't built to float on a piece of foam, let me tell you.
Roberto! Seriously?
This is a crazy idea.
Come on. Come in here.
[bleep], now.
Come on.
Pedro.
Good to see you, sir.
Pedro, agua.
- Man. - Water.
Come on. Come on, I'm waving!
Hey, come on, man, we made it.
We made it. Alive.
Pedro. Good to see you.
How are you? Good to see you, my friend.
Oh my goodness, me.
Man, what a workout.
- Yes, sir. - And I'm amazed.
This thing kept me afloat.
A little piece of Cuban ingenuity, right?
- Yes, sir. - And what are we fishing for?
Lionfish.
All right, beautiful.
But this is way too shallow to spear fish.
Come on, seriously, where are we going?
We have to go across that mountain and
I'm going to show you a beautiful place.
That's where your fishes are.
Come on.
Roberto, I'm gonna kill you.
Lionfish are invasive, predatory reef fish that
have become a terror in that have become a terror in
They are voracious eaters that devour everything in sight,
and leave behind a path of destruction.
Shielded by their venomous spines,
which in humans can lead to painful swelling,
heart palpitations, and on rare occasions, death.
They have no natural predators to keep them in check.
Lionfish are evasive, incredibly detrimental to
the ecosystem but more importantly,
not really featured here on menus, right?
Not very popular, you know?
- Not very popular. - No.
While lionfish are said to be incredibly tasty,
they haven't hit the mainstream yet,
mostly because they're dangerous spines can make
them a tricky fish to catch and clean.
Wow. So, this is the spot?
These fish are dangerous, right?
- Yeah, it's very bad, you know. - Yeah.
Very good for, for eat, you know.
I've dived for them before but
I've never spear fished for them as, what's the technique?
We can use the harpoon.
Hawaiiana, we call it in Spanish.
- Hawaiiana. - Yeah.
Yes, you say it, Hawaiian harpoon.
- Hawaiian harpoon. - Use them by your hand.
Yes. How, how deep are we diving?
Maximum maybe three, four or five meters.
I know you don't want to get your hair wet,
but where's the steps?
There are no steps, so you're jumping.
- Oh my God. - Are you ready?
Yes, sir.
This coastline is rugged.
There's no stairs, there's no,
there's no ladders.
You're jumping.
So, it's, all right, buckle up and go.
The minute you hit the water,
the visibility below is breathtaking.
But it's so still that it's almost spooky.
From the surface, we scan the coral below
in search of our prey and it doesn't take
long before Pedro spots a lionfish,
it's venomous spines sticking out from underneath
a coral head.
From a safe distance, he manages to spear it.
It's not pretty, but considering the damage these fish do,
every one removed from the reef,
gives the native species a better shot at recovery.
Now it's my turn.
And Pedro points out a pair of lionfish.
I take one deep breath and head down and pull back my spear and
aim it at the fish.
Damn, and it's back to the surface for air.
, [bleep], damn.
I take another breath and dive down again.
But the fish aren't anywhere in sight.
I finally spot one of them lurking under a coral head.
I manage to force it out of his hiding spot and spear it.
You got it.
- Woo! - Woo!
Yeah, you got it.
Great job, guys.
My fish may be tiny,
but I like to think that when it comes to lionfish,
size doesn't matter.
The fact that I got one is all that counts.
There was one under the cave.
Well done, bud.
Bravo!
There's a dual dimension with this lionfish at
the table in the final cook.
They're evasive, they need to be eaten.
And so, I'm gonna bring a little bit of heat,
a little bit of sourness, a little bit of sweetness to
this fish and sort of blow their minds.
I finally talked Roberto into letting me
take the car on my own.
So, with my lionfish in the bag,
I'm heading to the far western corner of the island to Viñales,
a region that's a three hour drive from Havana.
I've connected with Miami based Cuban chef Mika Leon,
who comes here often for inspiration,
something I hope she'll help me find as well.
How fortunate am I, the fact that you're here
at the same time?
Coming up for some R and D, right?
Yeah, well, I'm opening another Cuban restaurant
So, what better place than Cuba come back to
my roots for inspiration?
Lucky that you're here and you're trying to beat Chef Luis.
So, what are you looking for?
Personally, you know how competitive I am, right?
I know, so am I.
And don't you ever change that, girl,
let me tell you.
So, Luis has told me to get into the countryside,
get your hands dirty.
And there's one ingredient that I'm desperate to work with...
- Tobacco leaves... - Oh.
Just to see it from the sea to the plant
and then fingers crossed, and getting a couple of leaves
and trying to blend that rich tobacco flavor.
Well, you came to the right place because
one of my dear friends Jose,
is one of the best tobacco producers in the town.
- Really? - So...
What I am noticing immediately is,
is the sparsity.
There's no food markets that are flourishing.
There's no spice markets.
There's no butchers,
no fishmongers, everything's hidden.
It's what we would call the Cuban connection,
who you know and who knows who and trying to find that
ingredient you're trying to work with.
Wow. Wow.
This is gonna be challenging for you.
Girl, are you trying to scare me?
No, I'm trying to get you ready to beat Chef Luis.
Geez.
Consider me your Cuban sous chef.
- Game on. - Let's do it.
Viñales is a fertile agricultural region
where traditional farming methods have been practiced
since the 17th century.
The valley here is known for its tobacco fields,
but Mika's had me stop in a spot where there's
not a tobacco plant in sight.
I'm getting the feeling she's up to something.
Where are we going, please?
I'm taking you on a little shortcut since
that drive was so long.
A shortcut.
To get to the field, the fastest way
is through the mountain.
Through the mountain?
- Through there? - Yeah.
- And why do we need these? - You'll see.
Girl, you've lost the plot, seriously.
Watch your head, Gordon.
What in the hell are we doing?
I think I'm gonna skip my yoga today.
And I think there's gonna be our little workout,
you're gonna have to hunch down.
[bleep].
Careful, watch your head, Gordon.
My God.
Where are we going? Seriously.
Watch your step, Gordon.
What the hell?
What are those kayaks doing down there?
We're kayaking.
Oh my God. Girl, you've lost the plot.
It's, it's faster, Gordon.
You have to be kidding me.
Seriously.
I just want tobacco fields.
I don't want a massive adventure.
Look at these.
I promise it'll be worth it.
You're mad. Seriously.
Gordon.
No, no, let's go. Honestly.
We're trying to make you work for your grub.
Work for my grub?
And if it's not nerve wracking enough being
underground in a kayak, Mika tries to distract me
with another nugget of helpful information.
You know, consider yourself lucky that
it's not raining today because when the water levels go up,
we'd technically be underwater right now.
And if you look up here, there's a little bit of a,
of a chandelier formation.
That is absolutely stunning.
Don't they actually look like
upside down tobacco leaves?
I don't [bleep] know because
I haven't seen the tobacco field yet.
We're almost there, I promise.
- Oh, sorry. - This guy's trying to kill me.
[bleep].
While I do appreciate the Cuban cave tour,
my Scottish butt can't wait to get out of this boat
and into the tobacco fields.
There's light, there's light, girl!
I told you I wouldn't steer you wrong.
I'm gonna have some mojitos and tobacco for you.
Look at that down there,
this is incredible by the way.
- It is beautiful. - Oh my goodness, me.
You know, it's off the beaten path but some of
the most beautiful places that you can visit.
Wow. Absolutely.
Watch out, watch out!
Oops.
- Damn. - Wait.
We made it. We made it.
Yes!
You think of Cuba in the smack, bang middle of the Caribbean.
This is a million miles away from any Caribbean island.
This is, this is real.
Forget the glitz, forget the glamour.
This is Cuba.
With Mika's cruise behind us,
it's out into the fields where she's told me tobacco awaits.
Right about now, I'm wondering why didn't I just
buy a cigar back in Havana?
Hola, Jose.
Hello, friend.
How are you?
Fine and you?
I introduce my friend, Chef Gordon.
It's a pleasure.
We came rowing from the caves for tobacco leaves.
- Sí, sí. - He has tobacco leaves?
You have them?
But... he has to work.
- By doing what? - Oh.
[bleep].
Come on, Jose, seriously.
First of all, the cave.
Seriously? So.
I can show.
Yeah, please, you demo, demo, please.
Got you, so we're just turning it up.
Got you.
- You can try now. - Yes.
I mean, seriously.
But slowly. Slowly.
Not stronger, slow.
The tobacco leaf is like a lady.
It's like a lady.
You have to be slowly.
Slowly. Has he been smoking?
.
- No. - Cigars?
.
A little. A little.
I have other things, more easy for you.
Easier, no, I don't mind working.
Trust me.
- Rolling the cigar. - Rolling the cigar. Shall we?
- Let's do it. - Let's go?
Yes, thank you.
Okay, shall we?
No, no, no, no, no, not here.
- Ooh... - This is my table.
Your table. I just want to sit down.
I think you tried to sit in his seat.
- You have to sit here. - Oh, is this your chair? Okay.
I guess it's the...
I'm joking, I'm joking okay, okay, okay.
Oh my God. Got you.
Finally, look at those.
These are beautiful.
These have spent 45 days after being picked...
...and dried in a plastic bag to cure the leaves.
They smell so sweet, that's what it is.
.
That's incredible.
Do the same thing I do.
First we remove the stem.
First, take the stem off, gently.
No, no... not like that.
- Try again. - Sí, thank you.
Gracias.
Ah, sí.
There we go, I've got it, I've got it.
He's doing it backward.
You're doing it counterclockwise.
Oh, upside down.
- Okay. - Oh.
Ok, that's better.
A lot better now.
This is what you're gonna use to roll the filling in.
Right. This reminds me of rolling pasta.
And you place these on the inside.
- The waste, the ends. - Yes. Yeah.
And then you start rolling it from
the back end forward.
I don't need a cigarette.
I just need to use it for cooking.
You have to roll it and bring it back.
No, no, no, just once.
No, no, no, no.
No, only in one direction.
You have to do faster.
You just go one direction forward.
My children, three years old and
can roll better than, than you.
I think you won't be able to smoke.
He said, "I don't think you're smoking it today."
No, Snoop Dogg could smoke this one.
Jose finishes the cigar by
rolling it in a hand-picked outer leaf.
This guy could teach a master class.
Yeah, come on.
I mean, that is beautiful.
Seriously, I mean, what a work of art.
I, I'll, I'll think of a way I can cook with this,
but I mean, I just, I can't believe we get that from these.
But I can show him something that I've cooked,
that we've cooked.
Serious? As good as this?
- Yes. - Shall we?
- Let's do it. - Let's go.
Oh my God, how difficult was that.
While the tobacco we just rolled won't get smoked
until the final cook,
Jose shows us something that's actually smoking right now.
What the hell is that thing?
Grilled pork.
He made you a lechona.
- Lechona. - Pork.
- There's a pig in there? - Yeah.
Banana leaves.
So these are banana leaves.
Bloody hell.
Kind of like in a hammock method.
The flames hit it, and we add guava leaves
to give it better...
And the method this gentleman here,
he's just swinging the pig?
It has to be here approximately 8 to 10 hours.
I've never seen since a glamorous pig in
a hammock, let me tell you.
What an amazing idea.
Want a taste?
- How crispy is that? - You want to try it?
I'd love some, look how crispy that is there.
We just literally pick it off the hammock?
Oh my God. Gracias.
That's gold.
Oh my God.
And it's a pig from the farm, too.
Crispy.
It's so good. Honestly.
.
Do you mind if I just go and just
take a little bit of the pork butt?
- Sí, sí. - Sí, oh my Lord.
Oh my.
Do you like? Did you like it?
Oh my Lord.
.
That is delicious.
Sorry, [bleep] off.
.
Wow.
It's so succulent and incredibly flavorsome, honestly,
I just want to go in a chair,
knife and fork, and just sit here and eat.
What an amazing way to cook a pig.
I mean, it's delicious.
I'd love to go up against Luis and, and use this.
But how do I go up against him and spend, you know,
from 3:00 in the morning swinging this freaking thing?
I'll volunteer myself as your sous chef.
Serious?
Yeah, I'm trying to get you to beat Chef Luis.
You'll swing the hammock.
I'll babysit your pig.
That would be amazing.
- Let's do it. - One final request.
Can I borrow the hammock just for 24 hours?
No.
This belongs to the family. We don't loan it out...
It stays in the family, Gordon.
But we are family, we look like brothers.
But...
I can help you build one.
Seriously? Exactly like this?
Yes.
I will show you the, the metals.
The metals. So, these are the...
- To make it. - Wow.
The biggest ones.
- The biggest ones. - The biggest ones.
Where are these from, Jose?
.
From the roof of the house.
From the building of the roof of the house.
Wow. Again, resourcefulness.
- Ingenuity. - Amazing.
So, are you ready?
Yes.
To build a hammock, Jose starts by laying out
the rebar in a grid.
It's almost like you're laying the foundation down
where you would normally put cement in something like this.
Mm-hmm.
We need...
To hold it all together,
Jose heads back into the pile of construction leftovers
as one does in Cuba.
...wire to weave it.
But the MacGyver like thinking
doesn't stop there.
So, you're kind of seeing the nail there,
and then he's using the nail to kind of
spin the wire to grab it.
Tighten it until it's a strong hold.
He's good.
You do this more better than rolling the cigar.
Finally, I'm in his good books.
That means a lot.
Seriously, this morning we came out for tobacco,
now I'm making a hammock for a pig.
What an amazing technique.
I'll tighten them up back at the cook.
Seriously, I'm so grateful.
- Mucho gracias. - Gracias, Jose.
You're welcome.
The lechon is the heartbeat.
I mean, that's, that's the one missing ingredient
I needed for this final cook.
Not just the flavor of that beautiful baby pig
but the technique, the hammock.
And now I've got a sous chef.
She's just gonna swing that pig in the hammock.
So Luis said, "Get your hands dirty."
I've gone above and beyond getting my hands dirty.
I'm in it.
With only one day left before the final cook,
I'm heading west of Havana out to an organic farm to get myself
some very special Cuban ingredients.
And there she is there.
Annabelle!
- Hola. - Hola.
Oh, man. Good to see you.
- Cómo estás. - Are you well?
Finally you made it.
I finally made it.
It's so nice to see you, darling.
My pleasure. Welcome to Picato Gan Suca.
It is beautiful.
My goodness, me.
One day left before the cook and I want to get my hands on
something that is gonna surprise Luis.
- Okay. - What makes this farm so unique?
We arrived here 10 years ago and decided to
establish an organic family farm.
- So, all organic? - Yeah.
And then staples, plantain.
And many others.
Uh, plantain...
Is it, uh, is it the season now?
- You have one here. - Where?
Do you think that can work for you?
Ah, yes.
Annabelle, what's the best way to cut them there,
so I don't destroy it?
Well, you're a tall guy so I think you can just grab
it a little bit and clean cut, please.
- So, up there? - Yeah.
Amazing.
All good.
Very good indeed. Thank you.
Yes.
Annabelle's farm is the outdoor equivalent
of a grocery store.
The only thing I'm missing is a four wheel drive shopping cart.
- Is that fresh tamarind? - Yes.
Wow. Look at that.
As much as you want.
That is beautiful.
God, it's so ripe as well, look at that.
You, you must go the opposite way like...
.
- Okay. - Yeah, just pull it.
That's all right. Man.
Let me try one.
- Mm. - Mmm.
Perfect.
That is so tasty.
Yeah.
So, plantain, tamarind, is there anything
else on this beautiful farm?
Follow me.
Another surprise. Where?
Yeah. And these, you will love.
So, do you know what it is?
- This? - Yes.
Yeah, it's a tree stump.
Stop it, mushrooms. Come on.
No, you're not even close.
- Really? - Yeah.
Go on.
Just look around a little bit closer.
And let me show you.
[bleep].
It's a beehive.
Yeah, yeah. But no, no worry.
These are Meliponas.
Friendly bees, which I call them...
...or "earth" bees.
These ones are no stingers.
You can be around without any special suit.
There's a beehive in there?
- Yeah. - And they don't sting?
They don't. So, give me a hand.
I have these tools here.
I pull one side and you do the other.
Watch out, you see already?
Oh my God.
- They're all there. - Bloody hell.
Cracking that thing open,
I honestly thought to begin with she was messing around.
beehive, bees that don't sting.
This is a beautiful,
beautiful hive we found, you have here some pollen.
You can see you have also some honey.
And that, is that pollen there?
- Yeah. - Is that pollen?
Yes.
Can we lay it down?
Can you help me to open it a little bit more?
So, yeah. Oh, watch out.
There you go, oh, whoa, watch out, watch out.
Slow, slowly, slowly.
There we go.
In any other country,
I'd be wrapped up in a bloody bee suit, uh, scared
about those bees creeping in under the suit.
But that was majestic.
That was just incredible.
Would you like to try that?
I have some.
[bleep].
- There you go. - No. Are you?
I am very serious, man.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
This is the way my daughters likes to
have some honey.
Your, your daughter does this?
Every morning.
Thank you.
That is extraordinary.
There you go.
And don't be scared.
That is delicious.
I thank them every day for the honey.
That is unreal.
That is un-[bleep]-believable.
And bursting that little comb and then sucking that
incredible honey, I mean, you can't,
you can't buy that [bleep].
You just, there's, there's, there's no amount of dollars
anywhere on the planet that can buy that experience.
Try some pollen also.
What do you taste here?
- Citrus. - Yeah.
That's incredible.
What a gift, thank you. Seriously.
May I take some honey and some pollen?
Yeah, definitely.
Two very incredible secret weapons
up my sleeve.
Luis has got no idea this one's coming.
Definitely, he will be surprised.
Please.
This country's been shut down for decades.
I've opened the safe.
I've gone in and on every layer,
there's another trinket box full of majestic,
amazing ingredients that I've never seen before.
But the big shock, the bees, the honey.
I'd never quite experienced anything like that.
From a chef's point of view, honestly,
it doesn't get better than that.
Now, it's the day of the big cook.
Mika was kind enough to get that pig started for me this morning.
She's been up since the crack of dawn swinging that
delicious pig in that hammock.
Fingers crossed we've made headway.
Now, Luis may know this island inside out,
but I think I've got some amazing local ingredients that
just may take him down.
Luis. Mika. We good?
- Hey. Hey! - Good to see you, bud.
Oh my goodness, me. You good?
Yes, I feel too good.
How we doing? Early start this morning?
- Hell, yeah. - That looks beautiful.
How's it doing?
Good, it's looking really good.
Let me get a quick look, just to check.
Oh my Lord.
We're having a roasted pig in a hammock, how cool is that?
How was your week?
It was extraordinary.
You said get your hands dirty.
They got battered and bruised.
But the most amazing week honestly, Luis.
Yes.
And the car came back in one piece.
Incredible.
What is that? Ah, what are you making?
La ropa vieja.
- La ropa vieja, ah. - Sí.
Ropa vieja translates directly
to old clothes.
But it's actually a delicious recipe made from shredded beef.
It's also Cuba's national dish.
I'm doing something similar.
What kind of ropa vieja are you making?
I'm gonna do a classic,
but I'm gonna lift it up a little bit.
I'm gonna put a bit of, a bit of a twist on it.
I'm gonna put a little bit of lechon,
I'm gonna serve that with some beautiful, amazing honey.
Yeah?
It's from the bee that doesn't sting you.
.
He's laughing that you're putting pork in
the ropa vieja.
.
He's under the impression that you're making
a lechon Wellington.
A Well...
.
No, I'm not going to make any Wellington, seriously.
I don't think that'd go down too well here, trust me.
The lechon is the star of the show.
So, Luis seems to have thoughts about other ways
to put it to use.
I think he's gonna make his fish there and
pray that pork fat kind of falls into his fish.
I love that.
Are you using any tobacco?
I want to put some of it in the fire
and smoke the meat with it.
Mika, could you get me some pork, please, darling?
Yeah, of course.
Gonna start shredding that.
We'll start off with the butt I think, you know that.
See this, how beautiful is that?
Nice.
Look at that, thank you.
Thank you, darling. Great job, thank you.
What cut is he, what cut would he like?
.
I think he's gonna hit the back, too, of the pork.
Is that right?
Oh my God. So beautiful.
I need you to make the tostones.
Gordon, do you mind doing me a favor and
holding this rope really quick?
- Seriously? - Yeah.
I need to help Luis, too. Yeah.
For how long?
Just for a little bit.
Hey, seriously.
I'm helping him make tostones over here, Gordon.
Is he running behind?
I think I'm on team Cuba now.
I mean, seriously, girl.
So, I'll just multitask and do some leg exercises and pull
and stretch at the same time.
Okay.
Bloody hell, that is hot, man.
That's very hot.
- Woo. - What, what?
You make tostones back in London?
What, what's he doing?
Where, where, hey, seriously.
Now you're his sous chef.
Okay, now I'm gonna go to you.
Can you pass me the tongs?
Just take the, take the...
Wait, wait, I need to help him one more time.
Oh, for God's sake.
.
What the, what the, what, what?
What does that mean?
He's singing his lullabies from
his parents to the pig now.
Okay, listen, forget the lullabies.
Okay, I'll help you out, Gordon, I'll help you.
Well, take over the pig, please.
- I'm Team Gordon again. - Okay, thank you.
Singing lullabies to a pig that
I'm pretty sure is in the deepest of sleeps,
Cuba continues to surprise me.
It's time to unleash the Scottish surprise and show
him that I, too, can get creative.
- Luis. - Yes.
Two seconds.
At the beginning of the week, you said be resourceful.
I'm taking the fat from the pig and tenderizing my lechon ropa.
Wow!
In the what, in the what?
- Ropa vieja. - It's ropa vieja.
Ropa vieja.
I think you're becoming Cuban.
That is, does he like the idea?
.
He loves it, he says you're being very resourceful.
There's more grease in here than
there is in Roberto's hair.
Well, unfortunately,
I have no more hair.
It's cool, think of the money you're saving
on shampoo and conditioner.
Indeed, saving a lot.
Exactly, resourcefulness again.
While Cuba has surprised me at every turn,
it seems Luis is determined to keep it coming.
I made a mango sauce.
Oh, it's lovely.
I'm going to put some of
the mango sauce on my pork.
See, I never thought you'd be
serving mango with pork.
See how good?
These are lechon croquets.
I love the idea of that mango with the pork.
You serving it on the pig skin?
No, now he's getting all posh.
Ah, you got the pig, wow, he's got the pork fat underneath
that now, so it's acting like a little trivet.
Oh, nice.
I think you got to be scared, Gordon.
The guests are due to arrive any minute.
And I think we're both feeling the heat.
And while it's easy for us to fuss over the lechon,
we can't forget about the beautiful lionfish.
Now, I've drudged these lionfish in some smoked paprika,
and I'm gonna get them really nice and crispy,
almost like a nice little sort of lionfish goujon.
How did you use the tamarind?
I roasted it first and I stuck it in the ropa vieja.
It's a fusion.
A fusion.
They're adding a little bit of sweetness to it.
I think you'll return home more Cuban than me.
Hope so.
Just as I'm finishing the fish dish.
Beautiful.
Suddenly, Annabelle and her husband along
with Roberto and the other members of
the car club are here.
Nice to see you.
Welcome! I hope you like the flavors.
Hi, guys.
This is good.
Their arrival is a harsh wake up call.
Time to pull it all together.
Okay, Luis, we good?
You got the use of my fryer.
Would you like some help? Luis.
Yeah, over here also... moving little by little.
Moving fast, Gordon.
Always. [bleep].
It's a race to the finish as we put our final touches
on our dishes.
Chef Luis, do you want help with the fish?
Yes, keep it moving for me.
Would you like some help?
No. No help.
While a touch of honey finishes off one dish,
Chef Luis borrows Mika to help plate his.
- Luis. - Yay.
- Well done. - Gordon.
- Bravo. - Okay.
Good job, girl. Amazing.
Thank God you got a sous chef.
Good luck, guys.
Right. Let's go.
Hola.
Wow.
Dinner has arrived!
Excellent.
Welcome everybody, so nice to see you.
Luis is serving a traditional beef ropa vieja,
paired with glazed plantain,
grilled lionfish, served with pineapples, peppers,
parsley and lemon and
a caramelized lechon served with a mango sauce,
cinnamon and a touch of that precious honey.
My take on the ropa vieja features tobacco smoked lechon
and tamarind and it's served with pork stuffed croquettes
drizzled with honey.
My lionfish has been seasoned and deep fried and
paired with a roasted guava salsa.
And my crispy lechon comes with a mojo sauce
of citrus and herbs.
Amazing. Mucho gracias.
Bon appetit and enjoy it.
Thank you, thank you very much, chef.
I can't tell which one is...
It's really good.
Wow, they're digging in, aren't they?
And it's so nice to see Roberto's, uh, mates
from the car club.
I think they like it...
.
He said that they're really liking his food
a lot more than yours he thinks.
Well.
This fish is good, but I prefer this one.
Mm-hmm, I, I prefer that one, yes, that one, no.
- This one is not dry at all. - Yeah, yes.
The taste is amazing, the sauce.
- Wow. - The sauce is amazing.
It all started with the lechon.
What I'd like to do is take the rest of that pig
back in my suitcase home.
Take the head in your carry-on.
Take the head, leave him the body.
I preferred Luis's ropa vieja, it's very good.
But to be honest, Gordon's is good, too,
so it's a bit like, almost tied.
But I tried this with the mango sauce
and it's really nice.
The meat is not so soft, but the sauce,
the flavor and the onions are amazing.
Right, it looks like they're done,
and it's time to find out the verdict.
I'll see you again in Miami.
I'm more than happy to show you our country.
Right. You ready to prepare your misery?
- Yeah. - Yes? You ready?
- Okay, wow. Well then.
We want to have a round of,
of applause for both of you.
Well done, guys.
Because we have enjoyed this a lot.
I mean, it was difficult for us to decide, being very honest.
Okay, so the pork, both were fantastic, we're,
we're giving the edge to Luis.
It was very good.
Bravo.
.
The mango sauce as a secret ingredient was fantastic.
Yeah, beautiful. Congrats.
Seriously, I'm happy for you.
But it's early days.
So, the second dish.
The fish, we all voted for this one over here
and it was Gordon's.
I mean, it was fantastic.
We loved it.
So, one, one, it all comes down to the ropa vieja.
And both are fantastic.
But we have to be honest, we fell for Gordon's ropa vieja.
Yeah. Come on.
- We, we have to. - Congratulations.
Yes. Just amazing man.
Both of you are great.
We were amazed because ropa vieja is like
our national dish, and for you being for the first time in Cuba
and having done that, you did a great job.
It's been a dream to be part of this experience.
You said get your hands dirty and fingers crossed I've,
I've done justice to your incredible country.
I'm going to miss you all and especially you.
- Ciao, ciao. - Ciao, ciao, ciao.
- Bravo. - Ciao, ciao.
Thank you, God bless.
.
Wow, I've had the most amazing week here
in Cuba, and seeing this stunning island from
a chef's perspective, honestly,
it's a once in a lifetime opportunity.
I've ventured to the coast through caves and countryside to
find some truly unique, extraordinary ingredients from
going spear fishing for venomous lionfish to
making a hammock for a pig,
to sucking honey straight from a beehive,
this country has really opened my eyes and shown me that
nothing is impossible if you set your sights on it.
The resourcefulness, the ingenuity and the creativity
from the Cuban people is second to none.
And as they say here on this island...
See you later.
Off to my next adventure.