Foodie Files

He was the star of Saturday Kitchen, now James Martin shares his culinary secrets with Weekend

BACK TO BASICS

If you want to make a memorable meal that’s also very simple, why not try a rich cottage pie. Everyone has their own recipe, but goodquality, lean minced beef is the key and you can substitute some of the stock for red wine. The topping will be softer and drier if you bake the potatoes rather than boil them. Remove the skins, mash with cream, milk and butter, then either pipe on top of the filling or spread it using a fork.

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Marco Pierre White’s 1990 book White Heat was a fantastic insight into what it’s really like to work in a kitchen. But Too Many Chiefs, Only One Indian by the chef Sat Bains, who runs his own two Michelin-

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If you’ve got leftover whole milk or cream that’s heading for its use-by date, don’t throw it away. Whizz it in a food processor for about a minute, then drain off the buttermilk and you are left with butter. You can use it straight away, or add herbs to it and freeze it in ice cube trays. Then pop them out and keep in a freezer bag so you can melt them over steaks or fish in the summer.

WINTER WARMER

Another great comfort dish at this time of year is a really good mac and cheese. You can use a mixture of cheeses, and add some crispy Italian pancetta, plus a touch of nutmeg and wholegrain mustard. Or for a delicious treat, try stirring in prawns, crab or even lobster. Serve it with a simple green salad.

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