James Martins Foodie Files

FOOD OF LOVE

As an idea for a Valentine’s Day dinner I’ve put a video masterclass up on The Kitchen Chewton Glen website, and jamesmartinchef.co.uk too.

It shows you how to make salmon en croute, with salmon, spinach and prawns, and also a hot chocolate fondant.

Both are really simple dishes, but they look amazing.

SECRET WEAPON

I’ve been buying big tins of San Marzano tomatoes, they really are the best, for pizzas and for ragu. I still remember the best pizza I had in Naples, where the choice was simply with cheese or without cheese, and they didn’t make their own tomato sauce – they just blitzed tinned San Marzano tomatoes.

FERMENTED FUN

Try making healthy kimchi. Thinly slice a hard, white round cabbage, sprinkle with salt and leave for 20 minutes, then wash and drain. In a pan mix 100ml white wine vinegar, 100g caster sugar, some salt, a bit of water and aromatics like garlic, ginger and star anise to taste – you can also add kombu, Japanese seaweed – and bring to the boil. Leave for a couple of hours to cool, then pour over the cabbage and seal in a jar for five days minimum, somewhere dark. When serving, add fresh lime juice, mint, chilli and coriander.

USE THE ROOTS

Sweet potatoes are great in thin strips and deep-fried as crisps, but roasting is the easiest way to cook them. Peel and chop up into chip shapes and toss with rosemary and lots of olive oil. Roast at 220ºc/ fan 200ºc/gas 7 for 20 minutes. Sprinkle lemon juice over when cooked.