— See Ainsley's Fantastic Flavours on SBS Food Wednesdays 8.30pm from 6 September, with episodes available after they air —
It will not surprise anyone to hear that there's dancing on the menu from the very first episode in Ainsley Harriott's new series.
When the man with the infectious grin welcomes 'Doctor Ranj' (doctor and television presenter Ranjit Singh Sangha) to his kitchen, we should have known there'd be some moves happening, given Ranj is known for his turn as a contestant on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing and Harriott often bursts into song or dances around the pans in all of his shows.
In Ainsley's Fantastic Flavours, Harriott is focussing on the flavours that make dishes great, with episodes devoted to themes such as spicy, fruity, cheesy, floral and herbal. "Forget the fuss, forget the frills, forget the spills. Call me old-fashioned but I reckon good food comes down to one thing: flavour!" he says.
Look forward to Harriott's recipes for Mexican chilli cottage pie, Trini-style fish sandwich with tamarind mayo, and stem ginger treacle tart. He's not the only one cooking up some flavourful eats: a small posse of chefs are out and about exploring flavour and cooking a dish of their own, including Thuy Pham, Aldo Zilli, Sam Holland and April Jackson, and in each episode a guest joins Harriott in the kitchen to cook one of their fave dishes.
Here's what you can look forward to:
Episode 1 - Spicy
In the first episode Ainsley explores how spices can work wonders in our food. "I love experimenting with my spices in the kitchen. It adds heat, it adds flavour and it adds fragrance," he says. He kicks things off with a dish perfect for brunch with his.
Ras el hanout shakshuka. Credit: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours
Episode 2 - Fruity
Ainsley is back in his kitchen exploring both savoury and sweet fruity flavours. Starting with breakfast, Ainsley whips up . Meanwhile, chef April Jackson heads to the markets to talk to a fruit and vegetable seller about plantain types and flavours, before sharing a favourite fried plantain recipe. Actor and comedian John Thomson joins Ainsley in the kitchen to make a fruity cherry clafoutis before Ainsley wraps things up with .
April Jackson and Esme Roots at the Brixton markets. Credit: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours
Episode 3 - Cheesy
Cheese flavours, both savoury and sweet, are on the menu in this episode. First up is Ainsley's . Out on the road, Chef Sam Holland meets some passionate cheese makers before using their delicious produce to make a comforting mac and cheese. This week's kitchen guest, actress Donna Preston, has a dish to impress: her cheesy salmon slice. To complete the show, Ainsley makes .
Salmon slice. Credit: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours
Episode 4 – Sweet
Proving sweet flavours aren’t just for desserts, this week Ainsley makes a . After a trip to his favourite bakery, Paul A. Young marries the sweet flavour of cinnamon with chocolate in his terrific truffles. Actress Samia Longchambon joins Ainsley to share a family favourite, Moroccan chicken with sweet cous cous. Ainsley's final dish is an indulgent sweet treat – a delicious .
Ginger and coconut treacle tart. Credit: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours
Episode 5 – Fresh
Ainsley celebrates the freshest flavours, getting the show going with a . Aldo Zilli checks out the world of tomatoes, before making the most of them, cooking up fettuccine chitarra al pomodoro arrosto (homemade fettuccine with roasted tomatoes and red pepper sauce). Pop star and actor Martin Kemp pops in to cook up a fish feast of seared tuna with spring onion mash and roasted tomatoes. And if you’re looking for a fresh dessert, Ainsley has just the ticket with his .
Episode 6 – Herby
This week all the dishes focus on the power of herbs. Ainsley cooks up a brilliant breakfast dish of fresh and herby . After a quick trip to China Town, Thuy Pham marries herbs with a Vietnamese specialty, banh xeo pancakes.
In the kitchen, actress and keen cook Lisa Snowdon makes her pan-fried mackerel with warm herb and rice salad. Ainsley’s final dish is a .
Trini-style fish sandwiches with tamarind mayo. Credit: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours
Episode 7 – Floral
Ainsley gets creative with floral flavours. His first dish is . April Jackson has a rum tasting with an expert before playing on the floral notes in her banana bread with rum-soaked raisins served with rum Chantilly cream. Singer Ella Eyre joins Ainsley to cook a fragrant pork and mint rice bowl. Ainsley wraps up the show up with a delicate .
Ainsley Harriott with a his fragrant chicken kebabs. Credit: Ainsley's Fantastic Flavours
Episode 8 – Meaty
Ainsley and friends make the most of meaty flavours. While Ainsley is on breakfast duty, he cooks up . Sam Holland gets a meat masterclass from Simon the Butcher and uses what he learns to make a great steak sandwich. Presenter Richard Madeley comes to the kitchen to reveal the secrets behind his family’s favourite – adding chicken livers to his Bolognese. Ainsley’s last dish is an aromatic .
Potato rosti with black pudding, poached egg and crispy maple-sriracha bacon. Credit: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours
Episode 9 – Nutty
Ainsley Harriott celebrates the foods that give us nutty flavours. First up, – a nutty start to the day. Paul A Young meets with a Coffee Roaster to learn about the complex flavours in coffee and marries it with chocolate in his indulgent mocha pots. Gymnast Louis Smith uses pine nuts in his prawn and pesto zesty lemon linguine before Ainsley knocks up .
Chicken satay skewers with pickled cucumber. Credit: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours.
Episode 10 – Earthy
This week, Ainsley enjoys earthy flavours, starting with . Aldo Zilli makes the most out of marvelous mushrooms in his gnocchi al funghi. TV treasure Gloria Hunniford goes back to her roots with an earthy one-pot roasted veg with halloumi. Ainsley wraps up the show with .
Want more uplifting Ainsley goodness? Watch Ainsley's Food We Love (episodes available for a limited time); and discover more of the recipes he's shared with SBS Food recipes .
MORE RECIPES FROM AINSLEY HARRIOTT
Ainsley’s ultimate jerk chicken
