Get set to smile with Ainsley's Fantastic Flavours

Ainsley Harriott is back to make our tastebuds happy with dishes such as Mexican cottage pie and Trini-style fish sandwiches.

Man in vivid blue shirt covered in white squiggles smiles happily while holding a plate with a stack of pancakes.

Ainsley Harriott with his ricotta pancakes. Credit: Ainsley's Fantastic Flavours

— See Ainsley's Fantastic Flavours on SBS Food Saturdays at 12:30pm, with episodes to stream free

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.

Ainsley Harriott in very bright leaf-patterned shirt leans forward, with a big smile, to show off a board that has a saucepan with shakshouka on it, along with pieces of pita bread.
Ras el hanout shakshuka. Credit: Ainsley’s Fantastic Flavours
Fellow chef and spice enthusiast, Thuy Pham is scouring the markets looking for cooking inspiration for her dish, chicken pho, pure comfort in a bowl. TV’s Doctor Ranj pops into the kitchen to cook up a spicy favourite, butter chicken with turmeric rice and mango and mint yoghurt. For his last dish, Ainsley adds a spicy Mexican twist to a British classic –.

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 .
Two women stand in front of a fruit and vegetable stall.
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 .

 
A gold-brown pastry parcel has been cut open to show a cheese and salmon filling. It sits on a green, oval plate along with cooked greens and half a lemon.
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 .

 
A wedge-shaped slice of orange-gold tart sits on a low, pale round plate, with a swirl of cream. The rest of the tart can be seen in the background.
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 .

Three fish burgers in soft buns sit on a long wooden board. A small bucket with golden fries sits beside the board.
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 .

Man in white shirt with a floral pattern and dark waist coat smiles while holding a large oval plate with a chicken and rice dish.
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 .
Two stacks, each with several layers including a rosti pattie and an egg, sit side by side on a white plate, drizzled wiht a reddish sauce. Several pieces of crispy bacon sit on top.
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 .

A rectangularish white platter sits on a teal coloured textured cloth. Several nicely charred chicken skewers sit on the platter, along with rice, cucumber ribbons and a shallow bowl of brown sauce.
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 .


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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only.
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7 min read
Published 4 September 2023 10:47am
Updated 13 May 2024 9:44am
By SBS Food
Source: SBS


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