Life

James Martin takes a walk on the sweet side

He may be a familiar face on TV, but James Martin has no appetite for showbiz lifestyles. Chefs should stick to cooking, he tells Gemma Dunn

Yorkshire-born TV chef James Martin is an amateur pilot and collects cars
Yorkshire-born TV chef James Martin is an amateur pilot and collects cars Yorkshire-born TV chef James Martin is an amateur pilot and collects cars

TV presenter, restaurateur, bestselling chef and one-time Strictly semi-finalist, blue-eyed-boy James Martin certainly doesn't do things by halves – and the tradition continues with his latest cookery book, Sweet.

"Every single dessert was shot at my house, and made and plated by me," reveals the 43-year-old Yorkshireman. "My agent was shouting and screaming as they had to take three weeks off, but what with celebrating 20 years in the business, I knew we needed to do this."

Following on from 2007's hugely popular Desserts, Sweet looks set to re-establish Martin as the king of puddings, with over 70 recipes, from simple classic bakes and family favourites, to lavish showstoppers and – wait for it – an all-important troubleshooting section (Hallelujah!).

"People always say, 'I do this but this always goes wrong', and the first thing I would say is buy quality ingredients. It can only be you or the ingredients that are the problem, so if it's the ingredients, change it."

The glossy shots in the book certainly look appealing.

"We used the same photographer this time around, a guy called Peter Cassidy who shoots everything pin-sharp, rather than all that modern, blurry b*****ks. If you're going to do a step-by-step, the reader has got to see what it looks like," states the chef.

With a culinary career that spans two decades, perfectionist Martin has a finger in many pies – but it was his stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 that landed him his biggest gig to date, as host of BBC One's Saturday Kitchen.

And despite 10 years of 4am starts and 6am rehearsals ("I have a big can of Red Bull and two eye drops before I go live"), his passion for the weekend show remains.

"I love it and everything it represents. You're giving chefs that hardly ever cook on TV the opportunity to show their restaurant and skill-set off. Their reputation is on the line, so it's a huge pressure for them.

"Me? I've got the best seat in the world, as I get to be a commis chef in the best restaurants in the world without having to go to them."

As for the pressure that comes with presenting, Martin – a keen flyer and something of a petrol head, with his own car collection – is confident, yet unassuming.

"I would rather do live than pre-recorded, as live grabs you by the balls; there's nowhere to hide and I like that. I don't have any adrenaline – nothing. The buzz is the excitement of the show, or maybe it's the Red Bull that's kicking in..."

While Martin is happy to be ogled on screen, he's equally content cooking undercover in his popular restaurant, James Martin Manchester, and has no qualms admitting he would happily revert back to the role should his fame game be up tomorrow.

"The public will make its own decision, and that's it. If they stop watching me, I'm quite happy to go back home and carry on working, because I've had a whale of a time for the last 20 years. I feel very privileged to do it, but when your time's up, your time's up."

Below are two of recipes from Sweet for you to try at home.

:: BAKED DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PUDDING

(Serves 6)

100g melted butter, plus extra for greasing

3 eggs

175ml milk

250g self-raising flour

50g cocoa powder

1tsp baking powder

150g light brown soft sugar

100g dark chocolate drops (70% cocoa solids), or dark chocolate, finely chopped into 5mm dice

100g milk chocolate drops, or milk chocolate, finely chopped into 5mm dice

For the sauce:

300ml water

200g light brown soft sugar

40g cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 180C/ and butter a 2L ovenproof dish. Whisk the melted butter, eggs and milk together in a jug until smooth. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a bowl then stir in the sugar.

Pour the butter mixture onto the flour and mix well to a smooth batter. Stir in the dark and milk chocolate and spoon into the prepared baking dish.

To make the sauce, bring the water and sugar to the boil in a saucepan, then add the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Pour evenly over the top of the batter then place the dish in the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes. The top of the sponge will be just firm to the touch, but underneath there will be a runny chocolate sauce. Serve hot with double cream or ice cream.

PEACH AND CREME FRAICHE CRUMBLE CAKE

(Serves 12-16)

For the cake:

450g self-raising flour

2tsp baking powder

200g butter, plus extra for greasing

350g demerara sugar

6 eggs

150g creme fraiche

25ml peach schnapps or peach juice

100ml peach puree

7 peaches, halved and stoned, or 2 x 400g tins peach halves, drained

For the crumble:

60g plain flour

1/2tsp ground cinnamon

30g butter, diced

30g demerara sugar

For the topping:

100g creme fraiche

100g cream cheese

50ml double cream

Preheat the oven to 150C and grease and line a 24cm high-sided, loose-bottomed cake tin. To make the cake, place the flour, baking powder and butter in a bowl and rub together to form a breadcrumb-like texture. Stir in the sugar.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, creme fraiche, peach schnapps or juice, and puree together, then pour onto the dry mixture and mix to a thick batter. Pour half into the prepared tin and tap the tin gently to settle the batter. Place the peach halves, cut-side up, onto the batter in concentric circles, then top with the remaining batter, smoothing over the top.

Bake in the centre of the oven for one-and-three-quarter hours until golden and risen. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean – if it doesn't, return the cake to the oven for a further five minutes and repeat. Leave the cake in the tin to cool completely.

While the cake cools, make the crumble to go on top. Turn the oven up to 180C/Gas 4. Place the flour, ground cinnamon and butter in a bowl and rub until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Spread out over a baking sheet and bake for six to eight minutes until golden brown and crispy. Set aside to cool on the baking sheet.

For the topping, whisk the creme fraiche, cream cheese and double cream together, then spread over the cake while it's still in the tin – this will give you a neat finish. Scatter the crumble over the top to cover the cream, then ease the cake out from the tin.

:: Sweet by James Martin is published by Quadrille, priced £20.