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France holds a lot of memories for chef James Martin, from family visits as a child to the early days of his food career, and he revisits many of them, along with plenty of delicious dishes, in his wide-ranging road trip series, James Martin's French Adventure.
"It’s where I learnt to cook," Martin explains in the series. "And it was the home and the inspiration for my biggest food hero: Keith Floyd. And what’s more, I’ve bought his motor. This was Keith Floyd’s very own car for 16 years. And it’s now mine. Gives me goosebumps."
On the road in the Languedoc. Source: James Martin's French Adventure
Across 20 episodes, Martin's travels take him across the length and breadth of the country, starting in St Emilion, where his own cooking career began more than 30 years ago, and ending in Paris. Along the way, he shops, eats and explores. There are meals in restaurants, and on boats; visits to beautiful spots such as Claude Monet's house in Giverny, and the floating market at the riverside town of Isle Sur La Sorgue; and the chance to set up his mobile kitchen along the way, which sees him cooking on a yacht, in a vineyard and an olive grove. And back in his own kitchen, he cooks up more food inspired by his travels.
Martin on the Monet bridge in Giverny. Source: James Martin's French Adventure
Starting in the south
Martin's road trip starts in St Emilion, where he first trained to be a chef, and a visit to the kitchen at the Hostellerie de Plaisance brings back plenty of memories of his time there as a very young lad. It also inspires one of the dishes he makes in the first episode: . It was, he explains, a dish he used to make a lot as a staff meal when he was working in St Emilion.
James Martin's chicken chasseur Source: James Martin's French Adventure
On the river at Verteuil-sur-Charentes. Source: James Martin's French Adventure
Gastronomic capital
Next on the tour is the city of Lyon, often called the gastronomic capital of France. Here he tries two sides of the local cuisine, eating at both a rustic Bouchon and one of the city's Michelin-starred restaurants. Back in his kitchen, he makes a rich game terrine, inspired by the cooking he saw at the bouchon, and France's most famous dessert, crème brûlée.
Lake and bake
The lakeside town of Annecy is Martin's destination in the seventh episode of the series. A market visit inspires his cooking when he sets up his mobile kitchen on the shore of the lake, and a meeting with cheesemonger Pierre Gay then inspires a dish Martin cooks back in his kitchen, a .
Baked endive with brioche and two-cheese sauce. Source: James Martin's French Adventure
More cheese, please
Heading east, his next stop is the Jura region, where he visits Fort des Rousses, home to one of France's most popular cheeses, Compte. He also visits a local farmer to find out more about the region's apples and pears. Back home, he puts both experiences to work making an apple tart and lobster mac and cheese. Bresse is next on the agenda, and here Martin meets one of his culinary heroes, Georges Blanc, owner of the 3 Michelin star restaurant of the same name. A mushroom tart and an elegant raspberry slice are among the recipes Martin cooks.
Mustard and markets
Reaching the halfway point, Martin visits Burgundy, a region famous not only for wine but also for its mustard fields. In the region's capital, Dijon, he tries his hand at making mustard, and in a Burgundy vineyard that his hero Floyd visited 30 years ago, he cooks up veal with mustard sauce.
Cooking in a Burgundy vineyard. Source: James Martin's French Adventure
Salt, rice and less-than-perfect pottery
The Carmargue is next, and here his visit gives us a chance to learn more about the region's famous fleur de sal, and how the sea salt is harvested. There's also a visit to a rice farm and an impressive garden. Then it's on to the city of Arles, home to a huge market, where James sets up his kitchen and cooks with ingredients from the stalls around him. He also tries his hand at pottery, where he gets points for enthusiasm if not for the final result, what he describes as a "wonky bottom" dog bowl. After that, he turns his attention to something he's had a lot more experience with getting creative with sugar. In this case, making big, light hazelnut and chocolate meringues.
Hazelnut and chocolate meringues. Source: James Martin's French Adventure
Bridges and butter
The next stop sees Martin at the riverside town of Isle Sur La Sorge, where he buys produce from the town's floating market, and sets up his mobile kitchen on a bridge overlooking the river to cook peaches pain perdu. Back in his own kitchen, he cooks slow-roasted shoulder of lamb with Parisian potatoes. Back on the road, he heads to Normandy - "a region famous for all sorts of things. Calvados, stripy jumpers, and my all-time favourite ingredient: butter, of course" - and drives across the Pegasus Bridge, a regional landmark. He meets a local butter maker, and later, cooks buttery pain au chocolate. The next stop is Giverny, where he visits the Claude Monet house and gardens. Back home, he cooks Normandy tart and a special omelette.
Bayonne ham and cheese omlette. Source: James Martin's French Adventure
The pleasures of Paris
His road trip finally brings Martin to the nation's capital. His first day here has an early start, as he heads off to one of the largest wholesale markets in Europe, Rangis, at 4am. Later, there's a visit to the Poilane Bakery, famous for its sourdough bread, and the kitchens of renowned chef Peirre Gagnaire. Next, he heads to Versaille. As well as the palance and beautiful gardens, there's also a market, where he does some shopping, and the Alain Ducasse restaurant, Ore, where he tries a dish of spelt and wild mushrooms. Travelling east of Versaille, he meets an artist who creates giant chocolate sculptures before casting them in bronze or aluminium. Back home, Martin makes a smaller chocolate creation, chocolate mousse.
Finally, in the last stop of his adventure, he travels to the Bois de Boulogne, a park on the outskirts of Paris, where he enjoys a meal at the Pre Catalan restaurant, and also meets a local mushroom grower - a fitting combination for a trip that has ranged from award-winning restaurants and wineries to gardens and orchards.
"I love France. I love its diversity, the people, places and the food," he says, as his journey ends.
More great French fare
Bresse chicken with morels
