The chef and presenter talks to Lauren Taylor about his love of cheese and why we might be seeing more British varieties in the future.
TV chef James Martin thinks we might see a rise in cheese making in the UK – as the costs increase and dairy farmers have to diversify beyond milk.
“It’s tough out there for everybody, really. But farmers, particularly, are finding it tough,” says the 52-year-old. “Farmers are having to diversify at the moment. The costs of everything are increasing, so it’s natural, if you’ve got a dairy herd, you could diversify into making your own cheese, because milk prices are all over the place.
“So you’re going to hopefully get quite a few more cheese producers pop up.”
The James Martin’s Saturday Morning cooking show host has spent nearly eight years on the ITV show, and a further eight presenting BBC’s Saturday Kitchen before that. Cheese-related recipes, he says are “always a hit” with viewers.
Just like wine production is growing in the UK – a reflection of the changing climate and increased depth of knowledge – so too is cheese. “Cheddar has been our number one seller, ” says Martin, a judge at the International Cheese & Dairy Awards (of the Cheddar category, no less), and “people are creatures of habit – nothing wrong with that”.
“The internet is brilliant when it comes to that, it gives you such a big opportunity to be able to purchase such a variety [of cheeses],” says Martin, who’s latest cookbook is simply entitled Cheese.
“You’ve got buffalo mozzarella farms opening up in the UK and you’ve got Pecorino being made in the UK – Yorkshire producers are doing Pecorino.”
His own love affair with cheese began with his grandma’s handmade Cheddar scones, and eating Yorkshire Brack with his grandfather. But from Spain to Italy and France, many amazing cheeses are on our European doorstep.
“Probably one of my favourite cheeses of all is Comté. It’s like the equivalent to our Cheddar but it’s produced on the French-Swiss border,” he says.
“This time of year look for something like a Vacherin Mont d’Or – a modern, classic French-style cheese. You can warm it up in the oven and put it on a cheeseboard, oh my God, it’s amazing, it feels like you can eat it with a spoon, or spread it onto bread, it’s absolutely delicious.”
But what a lot of people don’t realise, he says, is cheese, like butter and cream, changes from season to season. “All you’ve got to do is look outside, look at the pasture and what the cattle are eating,” the Yorkshire-born chef says. “In the summer they’re eating grass and cloves and heather – and that denotes how good the dairy is.
“As winter draws in, the animals don’t have that opportunity so they eat silage – the bales in the black polythene, animal feed.”
It’s a change you’ll notice with small, independent producers reliant on the same herd rather than mass market ones – who might mix dairy from different places.
“The milk content will change, the fat content, and that will change the end product. Colour-wise and the taste ever so slightly will change, it could be the saltiness of it.”
But with an estimated 2,000 different types of cheese available across the globe, what would Martin narrow it down to, for that all-important cheeseboard at Christmas.
“I would have Montgomery Cheddar, because I love it, my mother loves it, she’s down this Christmas. She likes a bit of Stilton, so I’m getting a bit of that. I’ll definitely have a Vacherin Mont d’Or, probably an Ogleshield and maybe something from Yorkshire.
“I love hard cheeses, Manchego, the kind of stuff that can really hold over Christmas – I know people can pick on Manchego so it’s great if you have a little bit of Spanish ham and just serve it for Boxing Day. You don’t need to cook,” he says.
Also on his Christmas cheeseboard will be figs – “there’s figs in my garden” – membrillo, which is a quince jam. Chutney, the inner heart of celery, biscuits and a classic French bread. “Nothing that glamorous,” he adds.
The important thing about cheese at Christmas is thats “nothing goes to waste – don’t waste any of it”. Martin’s hoping his latest recipe book will provide plenty of inspiration for cooking with different varieties of cheese – especially those leftover on the festive cheeseboard.
Following on from his other single-ingredient cookbooks, Potato and Butter, the TV star’s latest offering includes classics like a Welsh rarebit toastie, cauliflower cheese and his ‘best-ever’ cheeseburger, he’s keen for home cooks to push the boat out with pork chops with Gorgonzola maître d’hôtel butter, and tartiflette with Tomme (Martin worked in France for years).
As a pastry chef for over 30 years, he’s partial to a cheese-based dessert too. “You can put goat’s cheese with icing sugar in desserts as well, and serve it with an apple tarte tatin or a lemon tart,” he says, and advises serving a tarte tatin with a little bit of blue cheese, or poached pears with Dolcelatte.
Working at his restaurant, the Kitchen at Chewton Glen, Hampshire (although he owns several across the country) it’s tempting to “pick at bits and pieces” throughout the shift – especially cheese. But he says “everything’s a balance – certainly as you get older with your diet. You get to 52 and you’re working in the kitchen, you run around the kitchen, [but] you’re not 22 any more. You’re still working the hours, your brain is telling you that you can do it, but your legs are telling you otherwise!”
So when it comes to diet and loving cheese, “There’s a happy medium”, he says.
James Martin’s best-ever cheeseboard recipe
Up your Christmas cheeseboard game this year.
“A cheeseboard is the ultimate way to finish a meal in style or to showcase your favourite cheeses for a lighter bite,” says chef James Martin. “If you can’t find those listed to serve, you can substitute them with similar cheeses, but try to keep the mixture of soft, hard and blue the same.”
Best-ever cheeseboard
Ingredients
(Serves 8)
2 x 250g blocks of halloumi, sliced in half
1tsp olive oil
For the chutney:
100g caster sugar
100g dark soft brown sugar
1 onion, sliced
100ml white wine vinegar
100g sultanas
250g fresh gooseberries
For the vine-leaf baked cheese:
6 fresh vine leaves
200g Sharpham Savour, cut into chunks
25ml Sauternes
100ml double cream
6 slices of speck
For the rosemary-baked cheese:
2 Tunworth
Freshly ground black pepper
A few sprigs of rosemary
For the fried cheese:
200g Sharpham Elmhirst
50g plain flour, seasoned
2 eggs, beaten
75g panko breadcrumbs
Suggestions to serve:
Fresh vine leaves
Montagnolo Affine
Honey and clover Gouda
Doddington Hotspur
Admiral Collingwood figs, halved
Pickled onions
Crackers
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/400°F/gas 6. To make the chutney, heat a non-stick pan over a medium heat and, when hot, add both sugars. Do not stir but carefully swirl in the pan until the sugars are brown and caramelised. This should take about 3–4 minutes.
2. Once the sugars have caramelised, add the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
3. First, to make the vine-leaf baked cheese, line a 20 x 15cm x 7cm deep ovenproof dish with the vine leaves. Pack in the cheese and pour over the wine and cream. Top with the ham and bake on the top shelf of the oven for 15 minutes.
4. Next, for the rosemary-baked cheese, slice the top off the cheeses and pop them into a 10cm round ovenproof dish, 3cm deep. Crack over black pepper and stud with the rosemary. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 10 minutes.
5. Place the halloumi on a griddle pan, drizzle in the oil and cook on both sides for 1–2 minutes.
6. Finally, for the fried cheese, heat a small pan of vegetable oil to 170°C (340°F). Dip the cheese in the flour, then the beaten egg and the panko breadcrumbs. Fry for about 1 minute until golden and crispy.
7. To serve, cover a very large board in fresh vine leaves, then position the Montagnolo, Gouda, Hotspur and Admiral Collingwood on the board. Add the two baked cheeses, the fried cheese and halloumi all over the board. Garnish with halved figs, pickled onions, small pots of the chutney and some crackers.
James Martin’s Parmesan roasties recipe
Christmas roast potatoes made even better with cheese.
What could be better than a crispy, golden roast potato? Well, the answer is one covered with a dusting of grated Parmesan to provide another layer of flavour and cheesy deliciousness,” says chef James Martin. “These are perfect served as part of a roast dinner.”
Parmesan roasties
Ingredients
(serves 8)
2kg King Edward potatoes, peeled
100g beef dripping
50ml olive oil
50g butter
100g Parmesan, grated
Sea salt
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C (180°C fan)/400°F/gas 6.
2. Cut the larger potatoes in half, then pop them all into a pan of boiling salted water. Bring back to the boil and cook for 3–4 minutes. Drain and shake in the colander.
3. Place a roasting tray in the oven with the beef dripping, oil and butter and when hot and sizzling, tip in the potatoes. Roast for 40–45 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, top with the Parmesan and slightly crush the potatoes with the back of a spoon. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until crisp and golden.
James Martin’s lamb with Stilton gnocchi recipe
A comforting, indulgent dish for winter.
Adding cheese to gnocchi is a great way to bring another layer of flavour to a dish and, instead of the more usual Parmesan, I’ve gone for a punchier Stilton,” says chef James Martin. “This stands up well to the herb-crusted lamb and it’s all brought together with a buttery, herb sauce.”
Lamb with Stilton gnocchi
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
25g flaked almonds, chopped
Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 lamb loins (about 600g)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the gnocchi:
500g cooked potato, riced
125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
75g Stilton, crumbled
2 egg yolks
For the sauce:
25g butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small bunch of mint, chopped
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1tbsp capers
To garnish:
1 small bunch of mint, chopped
1tbsp small capers
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan)/425°F/gas 7. Mix the parsley, almonds, lemon and garlic together and spread all over the centre of the lamb loin. Season. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15–20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5–10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, to make the gnocchi, mix all the ingredients together and season.
3. Then roll into 20cm long sausages, 2cm thick, using a little extra flour. Cut into 3cm pieces, then plunge into boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain.
4. To make the sauce, heat a large frying pan until hot, then add the butter and, when foaming, add the garlic, mint, parsley, capers and gnocchi and stir through. Season.
5. To serve, spoon the gnocchi and sauce onto four plates. Slice the lamb and serve alongside. Garnish with mint and capers.
