James Martin's Foodie files

TV chef James Martin shares his culinary secrets with Weekend

DISH OF THE DAY On holiday in France or Italy we’ll happily eat langoustines, not realising they’re from Scotland. It’s madness we don’t eat more of our own top-class produce – here are a few places to buy fish and seafood online: steviefish.com; campbellsmeat. com/fish; wildharbour.co.uk; thecornishfishmonger.co.uk and flyingfishseafoods.co.uk.

SOUP-ER VEG Celery was seen as the devil’s food; you’d get it with cheese from a tube at weddings and funerals. But it’s great in soup with Stilton. You’ll need to add a couple of leeks or potatoes to thicken it up, but then just cook the veg mixture in some milk and blend it – sprinkle a bit of Stilton on top to serve.

PERFECT PIZZAS

Miniature pizza ovens are trendy now, but you can get a similar effect from using a pizza stone in your oven – you just need to get it super-hot so that it cooks the base first. The important thing with pizza is the mix of ‘00’ flour, which is pasta flour, and semolina flour. And make the dough the day before then put it in the fridge to get the right texture.

FAMILY MAN Chefs are trying to keep busy at the moment. I’ve been working hard in my garden, but Sat Bains, one of the world’s best chefs, with two Michelin stars, has teamed up with his mum [both pictured] to produce homemade Punjabi food – £36 for a box of four curries plus £11 delivery. Visit mommabains.com.