On the ITV Saturday Morning show airing 29th November, James Martin hosted a cozy culinary segment featuring special guests comedian Ardal O’Hanlon, celebrated chef Raymond Blanc, chef Tom Shepherd, and gardener David Domoney. Together they prepared comforting home-cooked dishes culminating in a perfectly seared sirloin steak with chips and a classic Béarnaise sauce.
In a lighthearted moment during the cooking, James decided to quiz Raymond’s knowledge of traditional French sauces by exploring variations of Hollandaise sauce. When James asked Tom what adding tomato purée to Hollandaise would create, Tom hesitated, unable to answer. Both James and Raymond quickly explained this transforms it into Sauce Choron.
The quiz continued with James questioning what adding mint to Hollandaise would make, to which Raymond promptly responded, “No, no, I don’t use mint.” James suggested “Paloise,” but the playful tension mounted as Raymond insisted he doesn’t include mint in his Béarnaise sauce.
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Trying another example, James asked about adding blood orange, which creates Sauce Maltaise. Raymond admitted he couldn’t quite recall the exact combination, and was gently “warned” by production to steer back to the recipe. At this point, Raymond exclaimed, “For God’s sake!” clearly amused but ready to move on from the culinary pop quiz.
James wrapped up the segment by joking about “testing the Frenchman,” and reassured the producers that he was enjoying the challenge. The show continued smoothly, offering viewers a charming glimpse into classic French cooking with plenty of humor.
James Martin’s Saturday Morning airs Saturdays at 9:30am on ITV1 and ITVX.