From his home kitchen, James Martin perfects the classics and shares his secrets, from the ultimate Victoria sponge to the best fish baguette you have ever tasted!
James is joined by special guest Brian Turner
James Martin – Back to Basics dishes:
Beef ragu with linguine
James Martin’s classic winter warmer is comfort food at its best – and great for making ahead of time.
Victoria sponge with mixed berries
For a special teatime treat we have this fancy Victoria sponge filled with fresh cream and syrup-coated berries
Battered pollock baguettes with mushy peas and lemon mayonnaise
James Martin makes the ultimate fish finger sandwich, topped with old-school mushy peas and scraps.
The perfect chef’s rump steak
James Martin shows you how to achieve the perfect rump steak, worthy of a top-end restaurant, at home.
Method part 1
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Boil the potato cubes in a pan of salted water for 3-4 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt 50g/1¾oz of the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic and leeks and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until softened.
Add the drained potato cubes and stir carefully to combine. Pour in the white wine and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering, then stir in the cream and thyme leaves and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the potato mixture to an ovenproof dish.
Heat a further 50g/1¾oz butter in a separate frying pan over a medium to high heat. When the butter is foaming, add the brioche cubes and fry for 1-2 minutes on all sides, or until golden-brown and crisp. Scatter the brioche cubes over the potato mixture, then sprinkle over the grated Gruyère. Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden-brown and the mixture is bubbling.
Method part 2
Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a very high heat until searing hot. Rub the steaks all over with the rapeseed oil, and brush the griddle pan with a little of the rapeseed oil, too.
Add the steaks to the pan and fry for 2 minutes, without moving them. Give the steaks a quarter-turn and fry for another 1 minute. Season the uncooked side with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Turn the steaks over and fry for 1-2 minutes on the other side (for medium), or longer until cooked to your liking. Transfer the steaks to a warmed plate and set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
Melt the remaining butter in the pan used to fry the brioche, then brush it over the rested steaks, spooning any liquid that has been released from the meat back over the steaks. Season once more, to taste.
To serve, place a steak on each plate and spoon over the meat juices. Spoon the potato and leek gratin alongside.
