Potatoes are the star ingredient in the tasty new cookbook from James Martin

NIBBLES WITH WARM CHEESE FONDUE 

This was the most popular dish in the book when this photo was taken. The potatoes work brilliantly hot or cold and dunked in the fondue – what could be nicer? 

Serves 6 

FOR THE FONDUE 

• 100ml (3½fl oz) white wine 
• 3tsp cornflour 
• 500g (1lb 2oz) Cheddar, grated 
• 500g (1lb 2oz) Gruyère, grated 
• 100ml (3½fl oz) crème fraîche 
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

TO SERVE 

• 24 baby potatoes (about 400g/14oz) 
• 12 slices of pancetta, halved lengthways 
• 400g (14oz) chorizo chunks 
• 18 baby carrots 
• 2 small bags of radishes 
• 1 jar of cornichons and pickled onions, drained 
• 1 endive, leaves separated 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ fan 180°C/gas 6. 

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes until just soft. Drain and leave to cool. 

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Fab with fondue. Adega de Pegões Selected Harvest White 2021 (13%) £9.99, reduced to £8.99 in a Mix Six deal, Majestic

Wrap each potato in a slice of pancetta, pop onto a roasting tray and roast for 15 minutes. Pop the chorizo into a small roasting tray and roast for 15 minutes alongside the potatoes. 

To make the fondue, place the ingredients in a non-stick pan and whisk continuously until warmed through. Pour into a fondue dish and keep warm. 

Serve with the carrots, radishes, chorizo, potatoes, cornichons, onions and endive for dipping. 

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Fab with fondue

Adega de Pegões Selected Harvest White 2021 (13%) £9.99, reduced to £8.99 in a Mix Six deal, Majestic 

A glorious blend from Portugal, this has a delightful scent of orange blossom and a rich texture to cover all bases with the nibbles as well as chime with the glossy fondue. Boasting long-lasting flavours and a subtle gingery lift, it should put Portuguese white wine on the map. 

HAM-HOCK BROTH AND SOFT-BOILED DEEP-FRIED EGGS 

HAM-HOCK BROTH AND SOFT-BOILED DEEP-FRIED EGGS

This is a great-tasting soup that uses up leftover cooked potatoes. You don’t have to cook your own ham as you can easily make this with water or chicken stock and just add chopped cooked ham. It’s an entire meal in a bowl. 

Serves 6 

• 1 ham hock 
• 600ml (1pt) ham stock from the cooked hock 
• 50ml (2fl oz) white wine 
• 50g (1¾oz) butter 
• 1 bunch of asparagus, peeled and sliced 
• 50g (1¾oz) fresh peas 
• 1 small bunch of chives, chopped 
• 300g (10½oz) cooked Jersey Royals, when in season, or new potatoes 
• 25g (1oz) plain flour, seasoned 
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 75g (2¾oz) panko breadcrumbs  
• 6 soft-boiled eggs 
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying 

TO DECORATE 

• Wild garlic flowers (optional) 

lace the ham hock in a large pan and cover with water. Gently simmer for 2 hours. Remove the hock from the stock, retaining the stock. 

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Heavenly with ham. Loin de l’Oeil Gaillac 2021 (12%) £8.49

Remove the fat layer and discard, then shred the meat. 

In a large pan, warm the wine and 600ml of the ham stock. Add threequarters of the butter and, when melted, pop in the asparagus, ham and peas. 

Cook gently for 2 minutes. Add the chives. 

In a small pan, melt the remaining butter. Add the potatoes, crush and cook until they are warmed through. 

Place the flour in one bowl, the egg in a second and the breadcrumbs in a third. Dip each soft-boiled egg in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. 

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or large pan to 170°C. Deep-fry the eggs for 1 minute, then drain onto kitchen paper. 

To serve, spoon a mound of cooked potatoes into each bowl, top with a halved egg, then spoon the ham mixture over and sprinkle with wild garlic flowers, if using. 

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Heavenly with ham 

Loin de l’Oeil Gaillac 2021 (12%) £8.49 

A rare grape on supermarket shelves, loin de l’oeil tastes like an appley windfall – imagine a golden delicious apple and you’re not far off its unique autumnal taste. With a bit of gutsy texture too, it’s fabulous with ham. 

THAI GREEN CURRY WITH SEA BASS 

THAI GREEN CURRY WITH SEA BASS

This curry works with any fish or even veg such as aubergine and courgettes. 

Serves 2 

• 400ml tin coconut milk 
• 400g (14oz) new potatoes, halved 
• 200g (7oz) baby spinach 
• 1 whole sea bass, gutted and skin scored 
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

FOR THE PASTE 

• 5cm (2in) piece of galangal (fresh SE Asian spice like ginger, from larger supermarkets), peeled 
• 3 garlic cloves 
• 2 green chillies 
• 1 lemongrass stem, tough outer leaves removed 
• 50ml (2fl oz) vegetable oil, plus extra if needed 
• 3 makrut lime leaves (from larger supermarkets) 
• 1 small bunch of coriander, plus extra to serve 
• 1 bunch of Thai basil 
• 1tsp caster sugar 
• 1tbsp fish sauce 

TO SERVE 

• Fresh coconut shavings (optional) 

Place all the ingredients for the paste in a food processor and blitz to a rough paste. You may need to add a little extra vegetable oil. 

Put the paste into a large pan over a medium heat and fry for 1 minute, then add the coconut milk. Stir through and simmer for 1 minute, then add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Terrific with Thai. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Discovery Collection South African Grenache Gris 2021 (14%) £10

Add the spinach and stir through until wilted. Meanwhile, heat the grill until hot. 

Place the fish onto a baking tray, season and grill for 10-12 minutes. 

To serve, spoon the potato curry into a serving dish, spoon the sauce over and top with the fish. Sprinkle with coriander and fresh coconut shavings, if desired.

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Terrific with Thai

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Discovery Collection South African Grenache Gris 2021 (14%) £10 

This is a genius white made by star South African winemaker Trizanne Barnard. Minerally and bright as stardust with a gentle fragrance, it’s a comet of a wine to lift the aromatics in this Thai green curry without overwhelming the delicate sea bass. If you haven’t tasted grenache gris before, I urge you to start with this one. 

CRAB CAKES WITH KATSU CURRY SAUCE 

CRAB CAKES WITH KATSU CURRY SAUCE

This sauce comes from a good mate of mine, Gareth Ward, who runs one of the best restaurants in the country, Ynyshir, in Wales. It is without a doubt one of my favourite dishes in my new book. 

Serves 4 

FOR THE CRAB CAKES 

• 400g (14oz) white crab meat 
• 400g (14oz) potatoes, peeled, cooked and riced 
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 egg yolk 
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 25g (1oz) plain flour, for dusting 
• Vegetable oil, for frying 

FOR THE KATSU CURRY SAUCE 

• 15ml (½fl oz) vegetable oil 
• 100g (3½oz) onion paste 
• 100g (3½oz) garlic paste 
• 1tbsp mild curry powder 
• 1tbsp ground cumin 
• 1tbsp ground coriander 
• 1tbsp ground turmeric 
• 200ml (7fl oz) chicken stock 
• 20ml (½fl oz) dark soy sauce 

TO SERVE 

• Micro coriander (or other micro herbs) and sliced spring onions 

To make the crab cakes, mix the crab, potato, lemon zest and juice and egg yolk, and season. Dust your hands with flour and form into four 8cm discs, 2cm deep. 

Heat a non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil, then add the crab cakes and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. 

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add the oil and the onion and garlic pastes to a pan and fry for 5 minutes, then add the spices. 

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Cracking with crab. M&S Found Furmint 2021 (12%) £8

Cook for another 2 minutes, then add the stock and soy sauce. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth. 

Spoon the sauce onto plates, top with the crab cakes and sprinkle with herbs and spring onions. 

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Cracking with crab

M&S Found Furmint 2021 (12%) £8 

Furmint is a highly prized local Hungarian grape, and rest assured that thanks to the skill of Château Dereszla, which stretches back many centuries, you’re getting a wealth of know-how in this sub-ten pound wine. Fresh as a pineapple chiselled from an iceberg, it has aromatic depth and immense purity to offset the gentle spice in this dish.

POTATO SAUSAGE TRAYBAKE 

POTATO SAUSAGE TRAYBAKE

I was brought up on this type of food – sausage and mash and simple traybakes. 

Serves 4 

• 8 pork sausages 
• 600g (1lb 5oz) Anya or Ratte potatoes, cut in half if too big 
• 2 red onions, cut into eighths 
• A few sprigs of thyme 
• A few sprigs of rosemary 
• A few sage leaves 
• 100ml (3½fl oz) olive oil 
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

FOR THE ONION GRAVY 

• 25g (1oz) butter 
• 1 onion, sliced 
• 100ml (3½fl oz) Madeira 
• 25ml (¾fl oz) sherry 
• 500ml (18fl oz) beef stock 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Place the sausages, potatoes, red onions and herbs in a large roasting tray. 

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Brill with bangers. Specially Selected Kooliburra The Reprobates 2021 (14.5%) £7.99, Aldi

Drizzle with the oil, season, then roast for 40 minutes. 

For the gravy, heat a pan over a medium heat, add the butter and onion and cook for 10 minutes until the onion is deeply coloured. Add the Madeira, sherry and stock, bring to the boil and reduce by half. 

Season. Serve the gravy alongside the potato sausage traybake. 

Olly Smith’s wine pairing: Brill with bangers

Specially Selected Kooliburra The Reprobates 2021 (14.5%) £7.99, Aldi 

The Aussies make terrifically fun, bold reds like this one, which manages to feel both plush and richly fruity all at once. Spot on for an autumnal traybake featuring bangers, this blend is crafted from grenache, shiraz and mourvedre – the three musketeers of spicy splendour in wine!