Foodie files

TV chef James Martin shares his culinary secrets with Weekend

ISLE HIGH

After the Taste Of Grampian festival last month, I went to the Orkneys for the first time. It’s beautiful, with some 70 islands, many uninhabited, and I’d never seen puffins before. It’s so far north I was waking up at 3am in broad daylight. I had the best crab I’ve ever eaten, just in a simple salad at a little cafe.

FLOWER FRITTERS

Elderflowers were still out in Scotland. I have them in my garden and make elderflower fritters. Add sparkling or tonic water to equal parts cornflour and flour to make a batter. Dip the elderflowers in, deep-fry at a high temperature, then remove and dust with icing sugar.

SAUCY IDEA

A hearty sauce for steak, lamb or monkfish is a Bordelaise. For four people, dice two shallots and sweat in a pan. Pour in half a bottle of red wine and reduce by half. Add 700ml beef or veal stock and reduce by three quarters. Add a knob of butter, salt, pepper, and mushrooms or tarragon if you wish.

TAKE STOCK

For a good sauce you need decent wine, and fresh stock instead of cubes. The classic Bordelaise sauce above takes about an hour to make, but you don’t have to stir it all the time. Remember, too, that you can put any leftover sauce in ice-cube trays and freeze it, then pop the cubes out when you need them. You can also fill ice-cube trays with herbs (in olive oil) now they’re at their freshest – and in the unlikely event you have any leftover wine you can freeze that too.