James sets the pace

Now the Yorkshire-born chef has put together his favourite speedy recipes in his latest book Fast Cooking: Really exciting recipes in 20 minutes.

The new book follows hot the heels of his previous offering, Slow Cooking.

“Doing a show like Saturday Kitchen means that I’ve quickly got used to fast cooking,” he explains.

“Most dishes have to be cooked with seven or eight minutes and the presure is really on. So when I was asked to do a book on fast food I jumped at the chance.

“I grew up a farmer’s kid and because of that, British food and its seasons are central to my ethos of cooking.”

Here, James shares a few of his favourites:

CRAB CAKES WITH CHILLI JAM

Bought mashed potatoes are so good, and a really handy shortcut. I’ve seen how they’re made in bulk in the factories – they use butter, and cream too! It’s great as a binding ingredient for fish cakes, saving you so much time and stress. Chopped smoked salmon or any cooked fish would work here, but since it is already cooked, don’t over-fry them. That way they won’t break up in the pan.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 small bunch fresh coriander

75g brown crab meat

125g white crab meat

100g ready-made mashed potatoes

50g panko breadcrumbs

1 tbsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp sesame seeds

25g flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

vegetable oil, for frying

sea salt and freshly

ground black pepper

For the chilli jam

2 fresh red chillies

75g caster sugar

juice of 4 limes.

Method

Chop the coriander and mix half of it with both types of crab meat and the mashed potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and shape into four rounds (you could also make little canapé-sized cakes if you prefer).

Mix together the panko breadcrumbs, poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Lightly coat the crab cakes in the flour, dip them in the beaten egg, and then into the breadcrumb mixture.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the crab cakes and cook over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes on each side. While the crab cakes are cooking, chop the chillies. Put the sugar, chillies and lime juice in a small pan and heat gently. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the remaining chopped coriander, pour it into a dip pot and serve alongside the crab cakes.

PAN-FRIED LAMB WITH CHERMOULA & HERB COUSCOUS

I first tried chermoula in Morocco, but it’s said to come originally from Tunisia. Either way, it’s a great sauce with most meat or fish, so it’s really versatile. The most important ingredients are garlic and coriander; the spices change, but cumin is nearly always included.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 x 175g lamb fillets

200g couscous

1 small mixed bunch fresh

coriander, mint and

flat-leaf parsley

juice of 2 lemons

100ml olive oil

sea salt and freshly

ground black pepper

For the chermoula paste

2 red onions

1 small bunch fresh coriander

1 x 3cm piece fresh root ginger

100ml lemon juice

100ml olive oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp turmeric

Method

First, make the chermoula paste. Roughly chop the onions, coriander and ginger and place in a small food processor with the other ingredients. Blitz to a paste. Cover the lamb with the paste and set aside.

Pour boiling water over the couscous in a heatproof bowl until it is just covered, then cover with clingfilm and set aside for a few minutes until the water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, chop the herbs. Stir them into the couscous along with the lemon juice and 50ml oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan, add the lamb and cook for eight minutes, basting and turning frequently. Remove from the heat and leave to rest in a warm place for five minutes, then slice.

To serve, place a spoonful of couscous in the middle of each plate, top with the lamb and drizzle the chermoula meat juices around it.

BAKED ALASKA with hot chocolate sauce

I went to America a while back, and managed to go to the restaurant that invented this dish to celebrate the US acquisition of Alaska. Why they made it out of ingredients from hot climates I’ll never know, but it’s traditional to use banana ice cream and serve it with an apricot sauce.

Once you master the technique, though, you can make it out of whatever you like.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 ready-made sponge flan base

400ml vanilla ice cream (or any other flavour)

4 egg whites

250g caster sugar

200g dark chocolate,

70% cocoa solids

Method

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas mark 8. Cut the sponge into a 10cm circle and top with large scoops of ice cream shaped into a pile. Put it in the freezer until the meringue is ready.

To make the meringue, place a pan of water on the hob and bring to a gentle simmer. Place the egg whites and 200g of the sugar in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer and place over the simmering water to warm the mixture, stirring the whites and sugar all the time.

After five minutes the sugar will have dissolved. At that point, place the bowl in the mixer and whisk the whites to stiff peaks – it should take about five minutes.

Place the meringue in a piping bag and pipe all over the ice cream and sponge, making sure there are no gaps. Bake in the oven until golden brown – about two minutes.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate sauce. Bring 100ml water and the remaining sugar to the boil in a pan. While they are heating, break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot syrup over the chocolate and whisk until a smooth sauce forms. Serve with the baked Alaska.

Fast Cooking by James Martin is published by Quadrille, priced £20.

James Martin will be at Waterstones Leeds for a book signing on Thursday, October 17, at 4.30pm.