James Martin's Great British Adventure Read online

  Publishing director: Sarah Lavelle

  Commissioning editor: Céline Hughes

  Project editor: Samantha Stanley

  Design manager: Claire Rochford

  Photography: Peter Cassidy

  Front cover photography: David Venni

  Cover hair and make up: Alice Theobold

  Cover fashion stylist: Rachel Gold

  Text design: Smith & Gilmour

  Food preparation and styling:

  James Martin and Sam Head

  Props stylist: Polly Webb-Wilson

  Home economists: Sam Head and Emma Marsden

  Production: Tom Moore and Vincent Smith

  First published in 2019 by Quadrille Publishing, an imprint of Hardie Grant Publishing

  Quadrille, 52–54 Southwark Street, London SE1 1UN

  www.quadrille.com

  Text © 2019 James Martin

  Photography © 2019 Peter Cassidy

  Design and layout © 2019 Quadrille Publishing

  The rights of the author have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

  Cataloguing in Publication Data: a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  eISBN: 978 178713 375 4

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  COPYRIGHT PAGE

  INTRODUCTION

  STARTERS & SNACKS

  FISH

  SHELLFISH

  POULTRY & GAME

  MEAT

  PUDDINGS & CAKES

  INDEX

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  INTRODUCTION

  Well, where do I even start with writing about the highlights of this trip. Like the French and American books and shows before this one, my Great British Adventure has so much to offer. The country has changed so much over what is a short period of time in terms of its food history. And what a change! The food is so good all over Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England, thanks in part to the amazing people growing, farming, fishing, making, brewing and working in the food and drink industry, making it one of the best in the world.

  What is so special is the use of old and new techniques and embracing cultures from around the world that gives us – chefs and cooks – the ingredients to make our job a lot easier. From the tastiest lamb I’ve ever eaten in the far north of the beautiful Orkney Islands, produced the same way it always has been (from sheep grazed on the seaweed behind the longest man-made sheep dyke on the island of North Ronaldsay) to the best langoustines I’ve ever eaten, simply cooked and served with mayonnaise on the banks of Strangford Lough in the south-east of Northern Ireland. There’s the amazing wine and fizz made by the guys at the Camel Valley Vineyard in Cornwall and the fantastic gin – the best I’ve ever tasted, by the way – made in small batches at Forager’s Gin in Snowdonia in Wales. All of this and so, so much more has helped to put Great Britain firmly on the culinary map of the world.

  I’ve been involved in food all my life, from when I was a young kid helping out at the pig farm back at home. It was there that I got to understand that great food comes from great ingredients. Not just that, though. By working with food, as I do, I feel you have a much better understanding and respect for it. You realise that producing food – either growing, catching or making it – takes a lot of time, skill and hard work, and without a doubt you respect it and the people who produce it so much more.

  There are certain things I would love to go back and see again, like the crab fishermen off the coast of Scotland, who brave the seas to bring us the best-tasting crab you will ever eat, to the small batch of pro-foragers who, as I witnessed, brave the rugged Welsh coastline in a tiny canoe to grab some rock samphire and other bits from the overhanging cliffs.

  The TV series, of course, only scratched the surface of the amazing things you can find around Britain and I for one didn’t want to stop.

  The same can be said for the places where we can enjoy eating the food we produce. I don’t think there is a country in the world that has managed to change the views that other countries have about their food more than Great Britain, as we found when we had to choose a route around the country. Firstly, I must apologise to the hundreds of food producers and restaurants we didn’t get to see and all the counties we had to just drive through – there was little I could do as we had only a few shows to fit it all in.

  That said, what treats we found! Starting with the Waterside Inn at Bray, set up by two French brothers who, I think, epitomise the food scene and what’s changed over the years. Holding their three Michelin stars for 30 years, the Waterside Inn is a very special place and if it housed a family tree of all the people who have worked there, past and present, you would see how much this place has influenced the industry since it began. There are teams of chefs and waiters in kitchens all over the country who will have had a connection with this place somewhere in their food chain.

  Then there are the two best meals I’ve eaten in this country so far. A big statement, I know, but well worth it. Gareth Ward at Ynyshir is a top-class cook as is Sat Bains, whose restaurant in Nottingham, which sits under a flyover down a pothole-lined road, is one of the best in the world. So much so that I decided to stay after the crew had gone and work the night’s service with him and his brilliant team.

  But there are so many other people I want to thank for their help on this trip, from Michel Roux Snr to the brilliant writer Grace Dent, who I had a great, fun tour of Birmingham’s food scene with. So, there you go – it’s really a massive thank you to them all and to all of you for all your support over what is now 25 years on TV. I hope you enjoy the show and, of course, cooking the recipes in this book as much as I’ve enjoyed making them. Great Britain is a very special place to be and I feel so lucky to live, work and, of course, eat and drink here.

  BUFFALO MOZZARELLA, BLACKBERRY & BEETROOT SALAD

  It’s amazing to think there are thousands of buffalo roaming the British countryside and those at Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire, run by Formula One World Champion Jody Scheckter, produce some of the best buffalo mozzarella. This is a fresh cheese that needs to be eaten quickly – it’s made by warming and stretching the curd, moulding it into balls and storing it in salted water. This adds flavour but degrades the cheese if kept for too long. (Laverstoke’s ice creams are also mega!)

  SERVES 2

  25ml elderflower cordial

  25ml white wine vinegar

  50ml olive oil

  ½ cucumber, deseeded and diced

  50g blackberries

  200g pre-cooked (not pickled in vinegar) beetroot, sliced

  1 ball buffalo mozzarella

  2 pickled onions, halved and layers separated

  For the curd

  500ml buffalo milk

  juice of ½ lemon

  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  To serve

  small handful of bergamot leaves or herb flowers (optional)

  You will need

  a cook’s thermometer

  Line a sieve with muslin and rest it over a bowl.

  To make the curd, pour the buffalo milk into a medium saucepan and place over a very low heat. Heat to 70°C (160°F) – use a cook’s thermometer to check – then pour in the lemon juice and whisk well. Spoon into the muslin to strain away the liquid for 2 minutes, then spoon the curd into a separate, clean bowl. Discard the liquid. Season the curd well, mix together and chill.

  Whisk the elderflower cordial, v
inegar and olive oil together in a bowl, season and add the cucumber and blackberries. Toss together to coat well.

  To serve, arrange the beetroot slices on a large serving plate and spoon some of the curd all around. Shred the mozzarella and dot around the plate, then spoon over the dressed cucumber and blackberries, leaving the rest of the dressing in the bowl. Scatter over the onion layers, then spoon over the dressing and decorate with the bergamot leaves or herb flowers, if using.

  WILD MUSHROOMS ON TOAST WITH DUCK EGGS & BRITISH TRUFFLE

  Cooking with wild mushrooms when they’re in season is a real delight. There are over 14,000 types in Britain, though, so it’s essential to forage with someone who knows what they’re doing. I was in Scotland with Tom Kitchin and we found masses of chicken-of-the-woods and ceps, which he took back to his restaurant in Edinburgh to cook. Truffles are the king of fungi; I’ve even found some in my local woods. Duck eggs are usually larger then hens’, so need a little more cooking. Keeping them in iced water is a great way to enable you to serve several poached eggs at the same time.

  SERVES 2

  15g butter

  300g wild mushrooms

  ½ garlic clove, crushed

  ½ shallot, diced

  small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

  2 slices of sourdough bread

  1 tablespoon olive oil

  fresh British black truffle, to serve (optional)

  For the sauce

  15g butter

  ½ garlic clove, crushed

  ½ shallot, diced

  100g wild mushrooms, torn

  100ml double cream

  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  For the eggs

  1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

  4 duck eggs

  Start by making the sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat and sauté the garlic, shallot and torn mushrooms for 2–3 minutes, until just starting to soften. Pour in the cream, season and bring to the boil and simmer for 2–3 minutes. Use a stick blender to whizz the ingredients until smooth to make a sauce, then cover, set aside and keep warm.

  Fill a bowl with cold water and ice and put to one side. To poach the eggs, bring a large pan of water to the boil then add the vinegar. Using a whisk, swirl the water around to make a whirlpool in the centre then carefully crack an egg into the centre – you might find it easier to crack it into a ramekin and pour from this. Simmer for 3 minutes then carefully lift the poached egg out using a slotted spoon and gently lower into the bowl of iced water. Cook the remaining eggs and leave them in the iced water. Rinse the pan out, fill with boiling water and keep on a simmer – this is used to reheat the eggs later.

  Melt the butter for the mushrooms in a large frying pan over a medium heat. As soon as it’s melted, fry the mushrooms with the garlic and shallot for 2–3 minutes. Season well and stir through the parsley.

  Toast the sourdough and drizzle with olive oil. Plunge the eggs into the pan of boiling water for around 30 seconds to reheat them, then drain.

  To serve, put a piece of toast on each plate, pile the mushrooms over, top each with 2 eggs, spoon over the sauce and grate over the truffle, if using.

  CARAMELISED ONION, COURGETTE & WENSLEYDALE QUICHE

  ‘Real men eat quiche’ is what the team told me as I made this. I don’t know about that, but I can tell you that Wensleydale cheese is a great addition. It was originally made from ewes’ milk by French monks from the Roquefort region who settled in Yorkshire, but commercial production by large dairies using cows’ milk soon spread throughout Britain. In 2013, Yorkshire Wensleydale was granted PGI (protected geographical indication) status and is now made the proper way in Hawes and is the one to look for.

  SERVES 8

  1 tbsp olive oil

  15g butter

  2 red onions, sliced

  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  2 eggs

  2 egg yolks

  300ml double cream

  100ml full-fat milk

  2 small courgettes, around 225g, thinly sliced, lengthways

  3 courgette flowers, sliced lengthways

  175g crumbled Wensleydale cheese

  For the pastry

  300g plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting

  150g butter, chilled and diced

  a pinch of sea salt

  a few thyme sprigs, leaves picked (optional)

  1 egg, beaten

  Start by caramelising the onions for the filling. Heat the oil and butter in a medium pan over a medium heat. Once the butter has melted, stir in the onions and a pinch of salt. Cover and cook over a low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring every now and then until the onions have softened and caramelised. If they look as though they’re burning, add a tablespoon of water and stir in. Spread onto a plate and set aside to cool.

  Make the pastry. Put the flour into a bowl, add the butter, salt and thyme (if using) and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the egg and mix with a knife until the mixture forms clumps, then bring together lightly with your hands. Add a couple of teaspoons of water if the dough feels dry. Dust a clean work surface with flour and knead lightly and quickly until smooth. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes.

  Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/350°F/gas 4.

  Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pastry to a rough circle measuring about 32cm in diameter. Carefully lift the pastry into a 27-cm fluted tart tin and gently press into the corners.

  To make the filling, put the eggs and egg yolks, cream and milk into a jug and whisk together. Season well and whisk again. Spread the onions over the base of the pastry, arrange the courgettes and courgette flowers on top (see overleaf) and scatter over the cheese. Pour the egg mixture into the tart tin and give it a little shake so that it spreads evenly. Carefully slide the tart tin onto a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 45–50 minutes, until the filling is set.

  Once cooked, take the quiche out of the oven, let it sit for about 5 minutes, then trim the pastry edges. Serve hot, warm or cold with a green salad. Leftovers keep very well for the next day but the filling will be a little firmer after a night in the fridge.

  ONION & STOUT SOUP WITH HOMEMADE BUTTER & SODA BREAD

  I love this soup. It’s so simple to make and the result you get from just a few ingredients is amazing. Stout, of course, is the key, giving it a real depth of flavour, but make sure you cook the onions until golden brown to get more flavour, too. Soda bread is a great one to start with on your bread-making journey as it’s so easy.

  SERVES 4

  2 tablespoons olive oil

  3 medium onions, sliced

  250ml stout

  500ml beef stock

  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  300ml double cream

  200g Irish cheddar cheese

  For the soda bread

  170g self-raising flour

  170g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

  ½ teaspoon sea salt

  ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

  300ml buttermilk

  For the homemade butter

  750ml double cream

  pinch of sea salt

  To serve

  25ml double cream

  25ml olive oil

  50g Irish cheddar cheese, crumbled

  Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/400°F/gas 6.

  Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and stir in the onions. Cook over a low to medium heat for 10–12 minutes until the onions start to soften and turn golden. Pour in the stout and stock, then season and stir everything together. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes.

  To make the soda bread, sift both types of flour, the salt and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk. Use a round-bladed table knife to mix everything together to make a rough dough, taking care not to ove
rwork it or the finished bread won’t be as light.

  Divide the dough in half and lift onto a clean work surface and shape each one into a round about 15cm in diameter and 3cm thick. Dust with a little flour and cut a cross on top using a sharp knife. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 15–20 minutes until golden. To check the bread is baked all the way through, tap each base – they should sound hollow. If not quite there, return to the oven to continue baking and check after 5 minutes.

  To make the butter, put the double cream into the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until the cream separates. Strain the mixture through a sieve lined with muslin into a bowl and lift the solids left in the muslin into a clean tea towel. Wrap the tea towel around them and squeeze out the liquid. (This liquid is buttermilk; you could use it to make more soda bread.) Unwrap the tea towel and place the butter onto greaseproof paper. Sprinkle with a little salt, mix together and shape the butter into a log.

  Pour the cream into the soup, then crumble the cheese in. Season and blitz with a stick blender or transfer to a liquidiser and blitz until smooth. Reheat the soup in the pan until heated through.

  Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with cream and oil, then scatter over the cheese. Serve with the soda bread and homemade butter.

  ISLE OF WIGHT DOUBLE-BAKED CHEESE SOUFFLÉS

  I used to drive past Briddlesford Lodge Farm on my trips to the Isle of Wight but it’s become my first stop when I arrive on the island. The milk from their Guernsey cow herd produces the most fantastic cheese, cream and butter. You can also buy amazing veal from the butcher’s shop on site and they make a mean breakfast in the café! Any cheddar cheese will do for this recipe, though, so give it a try.

  SERVES 4

  40g butter, plus extra, softened, to grease

  40g plain flour, plus extra to dust

  250ml milk

  200g grated cheddar cheese

  1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

  sea salt and freshly ground black pepper