James Martin's best-ever recipes, from meaty mains to fruity desserts
Make it like Martin
Famous for his bandanas, breakfast TV shows and eternal love of butter, chef James Martin has legions of devoted fans and a slew of successful cookbooks under his belt. To help turn your home into a Saturday Kitchen every day of the week, we've rounded up some of James' finest (and easiest to follow) recipes, from brunch and hearty mains to indulgent desserts.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover James Martin's best-ever recipes.
Baked artichokes and eggs
Fancy starting your day with a brunch that's packed with sun-soaked flavours? This garlicky, tomatoey creation – which James calls a 'celebration of Spanish vegetables' – could be your new favourite thing. Once you've prepped and cooked the artichokes and tomato sauce, all that's left to do is put everything in a dish, crack a few eggs over the top and bake to perfection. Serve with plenty of crusty bread on the side.
Chicken livers and mushrooms on toast
The ultimate toast-topper! In this quick and easy recipe, chicken livers are sautéed with mushrooms and bacon, then cooked with white wine and double cream. Smother the rich, decadent mix all over a slice of freshly toasted bread, sprinkle with parsley, et voilà – an impressive dish without the effort.
Get the recipe for chicken livers and mushrooms on toast here
Potatoes with potted shrimp butter
Comfortingly carb-loaded (and surprisingly easy to make), this irresistible side dish combines James' two big loves: potatoes and butter. But this isn't just any butter – it's butter laced with lemon, parsley, spices, and tasty little brown shrimp. It takes just 15 minutes to prepare, and 20 minutes to cook, so it's a wonderful recipe to whip up when time is of the essence.
'The lost village' chicken and morels
This fabulous dish of roast chicken, potatoes and meaty morel mushrooms would make a show-stopping centrepiece for a special Sunday lunch. The secret ingredient? Butter, flavoured with garlic, rosemary and paprika. Gently push it under the skin of the chicken, and it'll keep the meat nice and moist as it cooks. Meanwhile, the juices that drip down from the chicken will slowly mingle with a mixture of stock and white wine, creating the most delicious sauce to coat the potatoes underneath.
Get the recipe for 'the lost village' chicken and morels here
Sesame tiger prawns
This sumptuously spicy starter certainly packs a punch. In this easy recipe, juicy tiger prawns are dipped in hot English mustard and sesame seeds, then fried until golden brown. Drizzled with a chilli, ginger and lime dressing, the accompanying salad of quick-pickled cucumbers, coriander and lettuce keeps things fresh, light and zesty – so you won't be too full to indulge in the next course.
Salmon croquettes
With a crispy shell and a delightfully fluffy centre, these salmon croquettes make a crowd-pleasing starter. This is a great recipe to make with kids – they’ll love getting stuck into mixing the salmon and mashed potatoes, forming little cylinders and coating them in beaten eggs and breadcrumbs. Serve them with sweet chilli jam and watercress for a delectably dippable treat.
Mushroom soup with coriander cress
Sautéed field mushrooms are puréed with cream and butter to make this warming soup wonderfully velvety – and the whole lot is poured over cooked wild mushrooms (chanterelle, cep, trompette, girolle and oyster varieties are great) for an added layer of texture and flavour. Sprinkle over a few snippets of coriander, cress and chervil for a final flourish.
Potato and 'nduja pizza
When it's done right, homemade pizza beats a takeaway, hands down – and this spicy, smoky creation is sure to get your taste buds tingling. Once you've made the simple dough, top it with blitzed-up tinned tomatoes, cheese, cooked potato slices and 'nduja, drizzle with olive oil, then pop it in a pizza oven (or on a pizza stone) to cook. This is one pizza pie everyone will want a slice of!
Fisherman's pie
There's nothing more versatile (or satisfying) than a creamy, warming, mashed potato–topped fish pie. James' easy take on the recipe calls for a tasty combination of haddock, cod, scallops, prawns and Arbroath smokies (hot-smoked haddock from Arbroath, Scotland) – but really, anything goes here. Feel free to tweak the ingredients depending on what you've got in the fridge or freezer.
Pork escalopes with mushrooms and mash
Buttery mashed potatoes, succulent pork and garlicky mushrooms – what could be better? Another fancy-looking dish, this meaty main is surprisingly simple to make; just boil and mash the potatoes, fry the pork for a few minutes on each side and whip up an easy mushroom, sherry and shallot sauce to drizzle generously over the top.
Tagliatelle with salmon
Why not try throwing together this seriously easy pasta dish for a light, fresh midweek meal? Here, tinned salmon, creamy crème fraîche, sweet, crunchy peas, spinach and tangy Parmesan all come together to create a delicious sauce that's lovely with tagliatelle (or whatever other pasta you're in the mood for). Plus, you might already have most of these ingredients in the kitchen, so you won’t need to make a last-minute dash to the shops.
Beef fillet with bacon and mushroom purée
Got a hankering for something a little indulgent? This beef fillet with mushroom purée could be the decadent dish for you. The cep mushroom sauce is really earthy, creamy and umami-rich, making it the perfect match for a hunk of top-quality beef. Meanwhile, Jerusalem artichokes and crispy chopped bacon combine to create a side that’s lighter than a potato dish, yet more decadent than wilted greens.
Get the recipe for beef fillet with bacon and mushrooms here
Pan-fried duck breast with pomegranate sauce
If you really want to wow your dinner guests, try dishing up this pan-fried duck breast in sweet, sticky pomegranate sauce. It's slightly more technical than some of James' other recipes, and you'll need to prepare the sauce from scratch – but it looks stunning plated up with a garnish of watercress, and the effort put in is well worth the final result.
Get the recipe for pan-fried duck breast with pomegranate sauce here
Salmon tart
Tinned salmon is an amazing store cupboard ingredient to use to rustle up the quickest of suppers – and, in this recipe, it's combined with baby leeks, cheddar, onion and thyme in a simple and hearty tart. Tuck in while it’s still warm and, if there are any leftovers, store them in the fridge and have them for lunch the next day. That's two meals sorted in one go!
Sirloin steak with chips and Béarnaise sauce
This isn't just any steak and chips. This is wonderfully tender, perfectly seasoned sirloin steak, paired with golden homemade chips and a creamy, zingy Béarnaise sauce – and even though it's a simple recipe, you'll feel like a master chef making it. What better choice for a special dinner or romantic night in?
Get the recipe for sirloin steak with chips and Béarnaise sauce here
Chicken and wild mushroom pie
This creamy, fragrant chicken and mushroom pie is the definition of comfort food. Feel free to use legs, thighs, breast or the whole bird – the quality of the chicken is more important than the cut here. Poach and shred the meat, stir into sautéed onions, mushrooms, cream, wine and tarragon, then assemble your pie to bake. Who knew it could be so easy?
Lamb chops with mint salsa
For a lighter weekend lunch or dinner, try this clever twist on traditional lamb and mint sauce. On the table in under an hour, this pleasingly easy recipe sees lamb chops and boiled potatoes topped with a mint and lemon salsa, thrown into a big bowl, then scattered with a handful of peppery watercress, ready for hungry dinner guests to dig in.
Saffron haddock
Perched prettily on a bed of herby crushed potatoes, this haddock dish makes a lovely light fish supper. Adding saffron to the poaching liquid gives it a sumptuous flavour – but be careful not to add too much, or it'll overpower everything else. Serve with tender asparagus spears on the side for a balanced meal that tastes as good as it looks.
Tartiflette savoyarde
The ultimate French comfort food, tartiflette savoyarde is usually served up as an après-ski snack, but we think it deserves to be enjoyed all year round – and not just on the slopes. A decadent dish of creamy potatoes, smoky lardons and bubbling reblochon cheese, it's perfect for sharing with friends; just add a few hunks of warm baguette and a dressed green salad on the side.
Walnut and orange cake
A fabulously sticky, nutty take on traditional Spanish orange cake, this easy one-layer bake would be lovely paired with a cup of tea or coffee – or, if you really feel like indulging, you could serve it up with a scoop of ice cream for a sumptuous post-dinner treat. Flavoured with a combination of orange juice and walnut liqueur, the sponge is wonderfully moist, with just the right amount of sweetness.
Coffee éclairs
Pâtisserie may have a reputation as being tricky to master, but this is a recipe that's incredibly easy to follow – and it's fairly speedy, too. Made with the lightest choux pastry, filled with vanilla cream and glazed with coffee icing, these decadent éclairs will have you wondering why you didn’t develop a love for making French desserts sooner.
Fruit meringue gâteau
This show-stopper of a dessert layers crisp, freshly baked meringue, whipped cream and seasonal fruit, then crowns them with a sugary almond drizzle. Strawberry halves, plum slices and figs add a nice pop of colour – but feel free to experiment with any fruits you have in the fridge. This one's perfect year-round, but it's even better in summer as it’s light and chilled.
Baked double chocolate pudding
This devilishly delicious dessert comes with a surprise: when your spoon hits the bottom of the dish, a rich chocolate sauce comes oozing out. It's surprisingly simple to make (taking only 45 minutes to prepare and bake) and will go down a treat at a dinner party or family get-together. Serve it with ice cream or cream for even more indulgence.
Mixed berry gratin
In this fruity recipe, fresh berries – try using a mixture of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants – are served with shredded basil, which heightens their delicate aromas. A sabayon (a foamy sauce made with egg yolks, sugar and pomegranate syrup) is spooned on top, then blasted with heat until the whole thing is nicely crispy.
Cherry and macadamia nut cobbler
Love a fruity bake? Try this irresistible cherry and macadamia nut cobbler, which has a rich compote base made from cherries, raisins and nuts. It’s topped with a thick, biscuity crust, which complements the sweet, juicy fruit underneath perfectly. Serve it up with a dollop of double cream, ice cream or crème fraîche for a treat that ticks all the comfort-food boxes.
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature