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James Martin recipes
James Martin

James Martin was born into the chef's life: his father ran the catering side of Castle Howard stately home in Yorkshire and, when he was only 12, James could boast that he'd cooked for the Queen Mother on her visit there.

At 16, he went to Scarborough Technical College to begin his formal training. While there, he was student of the year for three years running. His work was noticed by Antony Worrall Thompson, who brought James to London to work. James then travelled throughout France working in the kitchens of French châteaux.

At 21, James opened the new Hotel and Bistro du Vin in Winchester where, as head chef, he changed the menu every day. His TV career started in 1996 when he became a regular team member on Ready Steady Cook; he went on to present Saturday Kitchen and has appeared in dozens of TV shows since.



Nigel Slater recipes
Nigel Slater

Nigel Slater is one of Britain's best-loved cookery writers. Despite having written for food magazines since 1988, first at Marie Claire Magazine, then for the Observer, then in his own recipe books, it took a long time before he could be persuaded to transfer his skills to TV.

Born in Wolverhampton, Nigel began cooking at an early age. He worked in restaurants around the country from the age of 16, then moved to London and became a recipe tester and a cook for food photography.

Nigel has published several recipe books, the first of which was Real Fast Food, published in 1993. His food writing has won him numerous awards, and his autobiography, Toast: A Story of a Boy's Hunger, earned him a Glenfiddich Award.

Image copyright: Jonathan Lovekin


Delia Smith recipes
Delia Smith

Delia left school at 16 with no qualifications and worked as a trainee hairdresser, then a shop assistant and later at a travel agency. At age 21, she spent time washing up in a restaurant, and this experience piqued her interest in cooking. However, she says it was when a boyfriend kept praising his former girlfriend's talents in the kitchen that she got fed up and started cooking seriously.

Delia studied English cookery books at the British Museum to find inspiration for cooking meals for family and friends, with mixed success. One of her first television experiences was as an assistant on a food advertisement. When someone dropped a pie just before filming began, she volunteered to make the replacement. The rest, as they say, is history.

Since then, Delia has spent more than 25 years showing the British public how to cook. She is one of the leading modern authorities on good basic cooking and is immensely popular and trusted: supermarkets report ‘the Delia effect’ whenever she recommends a product.


Beef fillet with red cabbage and straw fries

James Martin's beef fillet is cooked at a low temperature to keep it tender in this delicious dinner party recipe.
Ingredients

For the beef

*

2 tbsp vegetable oil
*

500g/1lb 2oz middle-cut well-hung beef fillet
*

250ml/9fl oz red wine
*

250ml/9fl oz beef stock
*

1 tbsp Pedro Ximénez sherry vinegar
*

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
*

75g/3oz butter
*

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the vegetables

*

50g/2oz butter
*

1 banana shallot, finely sliced
*

½ red cabbage, very finely shredded
*

3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
*

110ml/4fl oz sherry vinegar
*

3 tbsp soft brown sugar
*

2 apples, finely diced
*

salt and freshly ground black pepper
*

vegetable oil, for deep-frying
*

2 large chipping potatoes, peeled and very finely julienned
*

Preparation method

1.

For the beef, preheat the oven to 60C/140F/Gas ¼. Heat half of the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add the beef fillet and fry until browned on all sides - this should take no more than two minutes in total.
2.

Remove the beef from the pan and set aside to cool.
3.

Wrap the cooled beef fillet in cling film and place onto a roasting tray. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. (NB: Not every type of cling film is suitable for using with all foods. Check the description on the packaging to see which foods and temperatures it can be used with.)
4.

Meanwhile, heat a saucepan until piping hot, then add the red wine and cook until the volume of the liquid has reduced by two-thirds.
5.

Add the stock and return the mixture to the boil. Simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by two-thirds once more, then stir in the sherry vinegar, redcurrant jelly, half of the butter, and some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6.

Meanwhile, for the vegetables, heat a large saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add the butter and shallots and fry for one minute. Add the red cabbage and thyme and stir fry for two minutes, or until just beginning to wilt.
7.

Add the sherry vinegar and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half, then add the sugar and apples and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover with a lid and continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until just tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
8.

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 190C/375F, or until a cube of bread sizzles and goes brown when dropped in. (CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous; do not leave unattended.) Carefully add the potatoes to the fryer and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until just coloured and crisp. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Season with salt.
9.

Check the meat. For medium-rare, the core temperature of the meat needs to be 57-59C (135-138F). Test the meat with a digital meat thermometer and if the desired temperature has not been reached, increase the oven temperature slightly and return the beef to the oven for a further 10 minutes, before checking once more. Repeat until the desired temperature has been reached.
10.

Remove the beef from the oven and heat the remaining oil and butter in a frying pan.
11.

Cut the beef fillet into 4cm/1½in thick slices and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
12.

When the butter is foaming, add the beef and fry for no more than 30 seconds on each side. You will find that there is no need to rest the meat.
13.

To serve, spoon the red cabbage on each of four plates and top with the beef. Place the fries in a bowl alongside then spoon the sauce over and around the beef.


Hand-made pesto with watercress

Nigel Slater’s peppery basil and watercress pesto is a fresh take on an old Italian classic.
Ingredients

*

300-400g/10½-14oz dried pasta (enough for 4)
*

a handful pine kernels, plus extra to serve
*

3 garlic cloves
*

sea salt, to taste
*

a good handful fresh basil leaves
*

a bunch watercress leaves
*

a handful grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
*

olive oil
*

2 large handfuls rocket leaves

Preparation method

1.

Put the pasta on to cook in a pan of deep, heavily salted, boiling water.
2.

Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan – keep a close eye on them and keep moving them around the pan until they are pale golden-brown.
3.

Peel the garlic and crush it with a large pinch of sea salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the basil leaves and continue crushing with the pestle.
4.

Strip the watercress leaves from their stems and add to the basil, continuing to crush until you have a bright green purée.
5.

Add the toasted pine kernels, crush, then add the grated parmesan. Slowly mix in enough olive oil to give a good thick-ish sauce.
6.

When the pasta is cooked (about 9 minutes depending of the variety), drain lightly and tip back into the empty pan. Add the pesto and the rocket leaves, then toss gently to mix. Serve with extra parmesan and toasted pine kernels if you wish.

Fast-roast chicken with lemon and tarragon

Here is a revolution in the best way to roast a small chicken. The flavourings can vary in any way you like - crushed chopped rosemary leaves, sage leaves or thyme can be used, or a mixture of herbs, and you could replace the garlic with a couple of finely chopped shallots. It's a great recipe for adapting to whatever you have handy.

Equipment and preparation: A solid-based, flameproof roasting tin measuringcm x 28cm x 5cm deep/ 9in by 11in x 2in deep
Ingredients

*

1 x 1.35Kg/3lb free-range chicken
*

½ small lemon, thinly sliced and the slices halved, plus the juice of the remaining lemon
*

2½ tbsp chopped fresh tarragon leaves
*

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
*

10g/½oz softened butter
*

1 dessertspoon olive oil
*

275ml/10fl oz dry white wine
*

seasoning

Preparation method

1.

Pre-heat the oven to 230C/450F/Gas 8.
2.

Begin by taking the chicken from the fridge about an hour before you intend to cook it (obviously if it's a hot day give it about 30 minutes only), and remove the string that holds the legs of the bird together so that the joints are loose - this will take the chill off the bird and help it to cook in the shorter time.
3.

Now make a garlic and herb butter by placing the garlic, 2tbsp of the chopped tarragon leaves and the butter in a bowl and combine them with a fork, adding some salt and pepper.
Technique: Making herb butter
Making herb butterWatch recipe0:55 minsMaking herb butterWatch recipe0:55 mins
4.

Then place the herb butter inside the body cavity of the bird, along with the halved lemon slices. Smear a little of the olive oil over the base of the roasting tin, place the chicken in it, then smear the rest of the olive oil all over the skin of the bird. Lastly, season well with salt and black pepper and then pop the roasting tin into the lower third of the oven. Now let it roast for 45 minutes without opening the oven door.
Technique: Making herb butter
5.

When this time is up, remove the bird from the oven. Next put a wooden spoon into the body cavity and, using a spatula to hold the breast end, tip the chicken and let all the buttery juices and slices of lemon pour out into the roasting tin, then transfer the bird on to a carving board, cover with foil and let it rest for 20 minutes.
6.

Meanwhile, using a tablespoon, skim off the excess fat from the juices in the roasting tin, then place the tin over direct heat, add the wine and lemon juice and let the whole lot bubble and reduce to about half its original volume.
Technique: Skimming stock
Skimming stockWatch recipe0:34 mins
7.

Now add the remaining tarragon, then taste and check the seasoning. Carve the chicken on to warm plates and add any juices to the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve.
8.



Required techniques

* Making herb butter
* Making herb butter
* Skimming stock
* Learning to chop: finely chopping celery

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