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The ladies of The Forum have voted James Martin as this month's Hot Chef!

Brought up in a farmhouse in Yorkshire, James started cooking when he was twelve years old. James describes his cooking as 'Modern British with a hint of Mediterranean'

He trained in his native Yorkshire and in France and in 1994, at the tender age of 22, he opened the Hotel du Vin and Bistro in Winchester as Head Chef, where he changed the menu every day. Such was the success of the venture, that there was an eight-week waiting list for a table during the weekend.

In 1996, James began appearing on UK television and was an immediate hit. All we're waiting for now is for him to appear on US television!

Amazing Mocha Creme Brulee
 

Ingredients For the Brulee: 5 egg yolks 125g/4oz caster sugar 350ml/11½floz double cream 100ml/3¼floz whole milk 60ml/2floz/4tbsp instant coffee granules To Decorate: 100ml/3½floz double cream 45ml/3tbsp whole milk a few drops of vanilla essence cocoa powder or ground cinnamon 4 cubes of fudge, rolled in brown sugar

Method 1. Pre-heat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas1. 2. Make the Brulee by warming the double cream, milk, coffee and half the sugar in a pan. Add the other half of the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk. 3. Once the cream and milk are hot, pour onto the egg mixture and whisk well. Pour through a sieve to make sure it is smooth. 4. Ladle the mixture into 4 coffee cups and place in an oven tray. Gently pour boiling water into the tray until it comes half way up the cups. 5. Put them into the oven carefully for around 30-40 minutes until just set. 6. Pour the milk into the cream, add the vanilla and whisk or blitz with a hand blender until frothy. Spoon on top of the coffee brulee. 7. Sprinkle with cocoa or cinnamon and serve on a saucer with a spoon and two cubes of sugar coated fudge.

To see more of his delicious recipes, visit his website.

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