Foodie Flies

TV chef James Martin shares his culinary secrets with Weekend

LAMB-TASTIC

British lamb is superb now. Try it Moroccan-style: cut a shoulder of lamb into large pieces and add 1-2tbsp honey, some dried apricots, a handful of almonds and pistachios, 1tsp cinnamon, 1tsp cumin and 1tsp coriander, as well as a little ras el hanout, 2tbsp harissa paste, 3 preserved lemons and 2 tins of chopped tomatoes.

Cook at 170ºc/fan

150ºc/gas 3 for 3 hours.

BEST BAKES

The quality of the flour you use for bread and cakes is crucial, and you should use the best you can afford. If you’re making bread look out for Canadian wheat, and for cakes and eclairs use a really goodquality plain flour, ‘00’ as the Italians call it. I use Moul-bie flours – you can buy them online, but be careful because you have to buy a 25kg bag!

ROOT MASTERS

Look out for the really attractive and tasty heritage carrots that are around now. But try to get them as fresh as you can – a carrot straight out of the ground just with the dirt brushed off is a different thing altogether compared to one that’s spent days after it’s dug up being washed, bagged and placed on a shelf.

GO NUTS

Spicy nuts are a delicious snack. To make your own, lightly whip up 1 egg white for about 30 seconds, then throw in 300g of nuts, such as almonds or pecans, along with 1tsp cayenne pepper and a little sea salt. Fold the mixture together, then spread it out on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Bake at 160°C/fan 140°C/ gas 3 for 10-15 minutes, stirring halfway through, and that’s it. The egg white makes the cayenne and salt stick to the nuts.