James Martin's Foodie files

TV chef James Martin shares his culinary secrets with Weekend

GREEN BRITAIN

As a farmer’s son I’ve always appreciated the amazing produce we have on our doorstep and my new ITV series, out next year, will tour the UK to celebrate it. The series has inspired me to take a holiday at home this year. I’m flying a fourseater plane around the Scottish coastline, where I’ll enjoy all the fabulous seafood on offer.

FAIR GAME

If you’ve not been to The Game Fair, showcasing country life, then I recommend it. Catering the 2018 event at Ragley Hall near Birmingham last month was manic. We did breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. On one day, we made more than 4,000 Yorkshire puds! We served up shepherd’s pie, best end of lamb with beerbraised onions, pheasant curry, duck confit and rabbit soaked in buttermilk, coated in spices and deep-fried, as well as sticky toffee pudding with buffalo milk ice cream. We turned out 18,000 plates of food.

MARVELLOUS MARINADE

The tomatoes and herbs in my greenhouse are going mad right now. If you want to do something different with herbs, then try this twist on a South American chimichurri sauce. Mix finely chopped parsley, mint and shallots with white wine vinegar, sugar and salt, and you’ll have a great accompaniment for barbecued chicken or steak.

You can use half as a marinade, then spoon the rest over the cooked meat.

SAD FAREWELL

Chef Joël Robuchon, who recently died, had 32 Michelin stars to his name, including one at his London restaurant, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. He was famous for making mashed potato like nothing you’ve ever tasted. My first taste of fine dining was at 16 when I went to his Paris restaurant with my dad while Joël was cooking. You knew it was special because the menu had no prices. I had halibut and a wild strawberry dessert.