James May tries to teach Lucy his favourite recipe

Presenter / Channel

• James May (in a “bunker kitchen” setup with Lucy Brown).
• Mentions his cookbook.
• Includes a mock sponsor spot for James Gin (no cooking impact).

---

Dish: Pasta with Anchovies and Tomatoes (with Black Olives & Parsley)

Ingredients (with quantities / notes)

• Canned anchovy fillets in oil
  • Quantity isn’t fully specified, but the recipe is for 4 servings.
  • They reference using “about half a portion” at one point, then add extra anchovies anyway.
• Medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • They discuss using a quarter of an onion for a smaller portion.
• Garlic
  • 4 cloves are listed in the rundown, but James says he’d use 2.
  • They use about 2 cloves, peeled and crushed or very finely chopped.
• Tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon stated, later adjusted to about 1/2 tablespoon for 4 servings.
  • James notes you can “eyeball” it.
• Canned chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can, but they use half a can.
• Pasta
  • 500 g of spaghetti is mentioned in subtitles.
  • James strongly prefers a sauce-catching pasta such as penne (or similar).
• Black olives
  • 125 g (about 2/3 cup), pitted and chopped
  • For one person, they estimate roughly 10–12 olives.
• Parsley
  • “A large handful”, chopped.
• Salt and pepper
  • To taste.
  • Timing is debated: James says after tomatoes, but they also add some earlier.

---

Equipment / Setup

• Medium skillet (to warm anchovy oil and start the base)
• Large frying pan / skillet (to assemble/simmer base and combine with pasta)
• Kettle (to boil water and manage stove logistics; keep pasta warm)
• Pot (for pasta)
• Rubber spatula
• Warm plates (explicit cue: serve on hot plates)

---

Method (Technique + Key Timings)

1. Prep onion & garlic

   • Finely chop the onion. James jokes he initially messed it up, but it “doesn’t matter much.”
   • Peel and crush garlic (or chop very small if no press).
   • Discussion includes not necessarily frying garlic immediately to avoid burning.

2. Start the anchovy-onion base

   • Drain anchovy oil into a medium skillet, then heat.
   • Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
   • Technique cue: onion first, garlic slightly later.

3. Add tomato paste & anchovies

   • Add tomato paste.
   • Add salt and pepper (timing debated, but they proceed).
   • Add anchovies, cutting to distribute evenly:
     • Cut each anchovy fillet into about 3 pieces (they don’t follow an exact count strictly).

4. Add tomatoes and simmer

   • Add chopped tomatoes (they use half a can).
   • Mix, bring to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes.
   • Season with salt and pepper during/around simmering (as timing gets argued).

5. Cook pasta

   • They mention a timer for 9 minutes.
   • Their pasta was earlier slightly overcooked, but they aim for properly al dente pasta for this dish.

6. Maintain warmth / logistics

   • Due to stovetop/induction constraints, Lucy prepares pasta in advance (it ends up soft), and then they make a fresh batch for al dente.
   • Use the kettle to manage stove time and keep things warm without issues (qualitative cue: lowest heat / keep it reasonably warm).

7. Finish with olives

   • Stir chopped black olives into the sauce.

8. Combine pasta and sauce

   • Pour sauce over pasta and mix in the pan so sauce gets inside the tubes (important cue).
   • Stir thoroughly until coated.

9. Serve

   • Serve with chopped parsley.
   • Serve on hot plates.
   • Plating cue: use forks to make a “noodles on fork” look (stringing pasta onto the fork).

---

Chef Tips / Preferences / Common Issues

• Pasta choice matters
  • James dislikes spaghetti because it “doesn’t hold sauce.”
  • Recommends penne (or similar).
• Anchovy handling
  • Cut anchovies into smaller pieces (around 3) for even distribution.
• Sauce thickness / simmering risks
  • Sauce may reduce too much or boil over. They consider adding a little water if it evaporates aggressively.
• Salt timing debate
  • Recipe says salt/pepper after adding tomatoes, but they add some earlier anyway.
  • They conclude salt may not be necessary because anchovies are already salty, and pepper might be slightly more important.
• Common mistake
  • Portion/measurement and overcooking risk—earlier pasta was too soft, and they corrected by using al dente pasta.

---

Variations Discussed (Concise)

• Pasta shape
  • Subtitles mention spaghetti (500 g), but James prefers penne (or similar).
• Portion scaling
  • Recipe is for 4 servings, but they scale down and still discuss using extra anchovies rather than discarding them.
• Tomato paste quantity
  • Given as ~1 tablespoon, but treated as adjustable/eyeballable around ~1/2 tablespoon.

---

Serving / Eating Notes

• Minimal adjustments after tasting:
  • Pepper is “just right.”
  • Salt likely unnecessary due to anchoy saltiness.
• Described as rich, thick/saturated, and very flavorful.

---

Sources / References

• James May references his cookbook (the recipe originates there).
• Mock sponsor mention: James Gin (no direct recipe source).