Saturday Kitchen Recipes Today 26 Sep 2026
Sea bass with sweet and sour sauce and green apple and cashew salad
John Chantarasak
John is a Michelin-starred British-Thai chef and co-founder of London’s AngloThai, known for blending traditional Thai flavours with seasonal British produce.
Saturday Kitchen wine recommendation
Irresistible Bacchus, England, 2025
Co-op, £14
Irresistible Bacchus, England, 2025
Irresistible Bacchus 2025 is a bright, aromatic English white made from Bacchus – the grape often called Britain’s answer to Sauvignon Blanc. Vibrant elderflower, gooseberry and nettle aroma, with zesty grapefruit and lime on a dry, crisp, light-bodied palate and a clean, mouth-watering finish. It is typically unoaked to keep that freshness front and centre, so serve it well chilled at 8–10C and enjoy it young while the fruit is at its liveliest.
It’s a great pairing with this dish because its high acidity mirrors the tart tamarind and lime, keeping each mouthful of the rich, fried fish fresh, while its aromatic elderflower and citrus notes echo the apple, herbs and makrut lime leaves in the salad. The wine’s subtle fruit also softens the dish’s chilli heat, making it a genuinely harmonious match for those bold Thai-inspired sweet, sour and salty flavours.
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Pollock with squid and ink mash
Anna Haugh
Dublin-born Irish chef, restaurateur and TV personality, best known as chef-owner of London’s Myrtle and a co-presenter of BBC’s MasterChef since 2025.
Saturday Kitchen wine recommendation
Rugoso Appassimento, Italy, 2025
M&S, £9
Rugoso Appassimento 2025 is a rich, velvety Italian red made in the appassimento style, where partially dried grapes concentrate their sugars and flavour before fermentation – a technique made famous in the Veneto. Expect soft, plummy dark fruit with notes of dried cherry, raisin and sweet spice, wrapped in smooth, rounded tannins and a warming, generous finish. It is full of sunshine and easy charm, best served slightly cool at around 16–18C.
It pairs surprisingly well with pollock with squid and ink mash because the dish’s richness is built on butter rather than heavy meat, so this plush, low-tannin red complements the silky seaweed beurre blanc without overwhelming the delicate fish. The wine’s dried-fruit sweetness plays off the briny capers and dulse, while its soft, fleshy texture matches the tender squid and buttery mash – a rare red that flatters seafood rather than fighting it.
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Matt Tebbutt
Japanese style small plates
Matt Tebbutt
Saturday Kitchen wine recommendation
Exceptional Mas Miralda Cava Rosado, Spain, 2023
Asda, £7.75
Exceptional Mas Miralda Cava Rosado 2023 is a vibrant sparkling rosé from Catalonia, Spain, made in the traditional method that gives Cava its fine, persistent bubbles and toasty complexity. Expect bright aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry and rose petal, with a crisp citrus edge, a delicate creamy mousse and a dry, refreshing finish. Made primarily from Garnacha and Trepat grapes, it combines juicy red-berry charm with real elegance, and at 6–8C it is irresistibly drinkable.
It pairs beautifully with these Japanese-style small plates because bubbles and fizz are the classic foil for fried food – the wine’s crisp acidity and fine mousse cut straight through the golden, oil-kissed bases of the prawn gyoza, cleansing the palate between bites. Its berry fruit and gentle sweetness also flatter the sweet-savoury yakitori glaze, while the chilli warmth in the dipping sauce and edamame dressing is soothed rather than amplified by the wine’s cool, refreshing sparkle. It is a match that makes the whole spread feel like a celebration.
Steak baguette and shoestring fries
Matt Tebbutt
Saturday Kitchen wine recommendation
Exceptional McLaren Vale GSM, Australia, 2024
Asda, £7.50
Exceptional McLaren Vale GSM is a bold, generously fruited blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre from one of South Australia’s most celebrated regions. Expect plush waves of ripe blackberry, dark plum and spiced red cherry, layered with notes of liquorice, cracked pepper and a hint of savoury oak, all carried on velvety tannins and a warm, lingering finish. McLaren Vale’s sunshine gives the blend its opulent, fruit-forward character, best enjoyed at 16–18C, ideally after a brief decant to let the aromas open up.
It is a natural partner for a steak baguette with shoestring fries, because the wine’s richness and structure stand up confidently to charred, juicy beef – the Grenache lifts the caramelised crust, the Shiraz matches the meaty depth, and the Mourvèdre adds a peppery edge that echoes any peppercorn or mustard on the steak. The soft, rounded tannins also cut through the buttery baguette and the saltiness of the fries, refreshing the palate bite after bite. It is the kind of robust, satisfying red that turns a steak sandwich into a proper occasion.
SATURDAY KITCHEN RECIPES FAVOURITES
Lemon meringue cheesecake
Roast chicken with Gordal olives and roast hasselbacks potatoes
Peach, taleggio and pecorino crinkle pie with a tomato salad
ABOUT SATURDAY KITCHEN
Saturday Kitchen is a long-running Saturday Kitchen, broadcast live every Saturday morning on BBC One. Each episode features top chefs, celebrity guests, and expertly paired wines alongside the dishes they prepare.
Viewers can follow along with the recipes from each episode, enhanced on our site with simplified methods, equipment lists, FAQs, nutrition information, and suggested wine pairings. This makes it easy to recreate the dishes at home while enjoying the full Saturday Kitchen experience.
Since its launch in 2002, Saturday Kitchen has become a national institution, with presenters including James Martin, Matt Tebbutt, and guest chefs such as Hairy Bikers, Rick Stein, and many others. Each week, viewers can also enjoy the popular wine-tasting segments hosted by rotating experts.
Memorable Moments & Viewer Reactions
- December 2025: The show descended into chaos minutes before serving up a tasty dish after comedian James Acaster found out he wouldn’t be served up his version of food heaven. BBC received more than 200 complaints.
- October 2025: Matt Tebbutt had a bit of a mishap on the show, cutting himself while chopping vegetables, prompting a crew member to dash in. Matt Tebbutt Recipes
- July 2025: Viewers flooded social media with warnings after chef Richard Bainbridge served a roasted guinea fowl that appeared distinctly “pink” and “bloody” on camera.
- November 2024: Josh Widdicombe nearly burns himself in fondue blunder.
- June 2023: Viewers were left unsure where to look after chef Matt Tebbutt rode into a the studio on a bicycle wearing a T-shirt and a pair of cycling shorts.
- April 2023: Guest chef Alison Roman fell off her chair while drinking rose amongst other wines. She made her dessert, brought it to the table and fell down whilst trying to sit after putting the dish down.
- April 2023: Guests collapsed into fits of giggles when during a beer tasting segment, brewer Jaega Wise told viewers that in beer tasting, it is important to “never spit, always swallow.”
- March 2023: Guest chef Poppy O’Toole sent the whole studio into fits of laughter when she meant to say “on a whim” but it came out as “on a quim”.
- March 2022: Presenting chef Donal Skehan lost concentration as he prepped some vegetables for a barbecue alongside guests Julian Clary and visiting cook Jun Tanaka, cutting his finger with a sharp knife.
- September 2021: Matt prompted an open letter posted on Coeliac UKs Instagram page when he blundered and served Sharleen Spiteri, a coeliac sufferer, with cheese and bread containing gluten.
- March 2021: During her guest appearance, Stacey Solomon told the wine expert that alcohol tastes like “nail varnish,” effectively derailing the sommelier’s professional pairing segment before it even began.
- August 2015: Shortly before his departure, James Martin accidentally set a pan of chicken on fire while cooking for Suzi Perry. The studio filled with smoke, and Perry remarked it was hard to concentrate while the kitchen was literally ablaze.
- July 2017: Hairy Bikers, Dave Myers and Si King, repeatedly failed to unmold the dessert, eventually smashing the bowl, causing it to collapse in a mess on the plate. Hairy Bikers Recipes
- January 2010: James Martin accidentally set off a smoke alarm while flambéing a dessert — the clip went viral online and delighted viewers. James Martin Recipes
Saturday Kitchen History
2002–2003: Saturday Kitchen recipes pre-recorded with Greg Wallace
Ainsley Harriott hosted the pilot programme for Saturday Kitchen on 14 April 2001 but it was not until 26 January 2002 that the show was launched.
It was hosted by Gregg Wallace, then a relatively unknown presenter and it was broadcast as a BBC production for the Open University as more of an educational programme than entertainment.
The programme had a low budget and was pre-recorded with Greg being joined by a celebrity chef each week. It included archived content from the likes of Keith Floyd and Rick Stein to fill the show as it still does to this day.
After the first series, the second series went out live.
2003–2006: Saturday Kitchen recipes live with Antony Worrall Thompson
After the success of the first two series, the programme was relaunched with established celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson as the host and the format was adjusted in two ways.
It moved away from the educational remit and simple meals to more aspirational food. There was an increase in guest chefs, some with Michelin stars and the show now included celebrity guests.
The BBC archive was retained for the revamped format, with Antony Worrall Thompson and the guest chefs preparing dishes. The archive clips used between the live Saturday Kitchen recipes was to allow time to clean-up and reset the studio kitchen.
During the summer of 2004, the programme temporarily moved to BBC One and aired as Saturday Brunch, live from Antony Worrall Thompson’s home.
Subsequently, in January 2006, the show moved from BBC Two to BBC One on a three-month trial. There was controversy when this was made permanent because it moved children’s programming from its regular slot on the BBC for the first time since the 1970s.
Before the introduction of the Heaven and Hell feature of later series, the programme featured Antony and the guest chefs pitching a dish to be cooked, which the public voted on and a running total of wins were recorded by using fridge magnets.
2006–2016: Saturday Kitchen recipes live with James Martin
James Martin took over as host from 24 June 2006 when Antony Worrall Thompson left the BBC to present Saturday Cooks! On ITV.
During James Martin’s time, the audience increased from 1.2 million to around 2.5 million, peaking at 2.7 million on 9 January 2010 and made Saturday Kitchen a national institution.
On 23 February 2016, James announced that he would be leaving the show to concentrate on other commitments, and “to have a lie in” on a Saturday. His last show was on 26 March. Having cooked over 1000 Saturday Kitchen recipes.
2016 – to date: Saturday Kitchen recipes with Matt Tebbutt
Presenters
Since April 2016, Saturday Kitchen has been hosted by a group of chefs on a rotational basis.
The show has been hosted by a diverse range of culinary figures since James’ departure, including Jason Atherton, Antonio Carluccio, Gennaro Contaldo, The Hairy Bikers, Ching-He Huang, Tom Kerridge, Lorraine Pascale, Glynn Purnell, Tony Singh, Rick Stein, and Cyrus Todiwala.
From November 2016, Saturday Kitchen featured a core group of five rotating hosts: Angela Hartnett, Michel Roux, Donal Skehan, Matt Tebbutt, and John Torode—each having hosted at least once since Martin’s departure.
As part of the tender for the production of the programme released in October 2016, it was confirmed that the show and Best Bites will remain on air with 52 episodes and 50 episodes per year respectively. It also confirmed the show will remain live and continue to feature guest chefs and archive content but may see changes to the presenters.
In February 2017, the BBC announced that Cactus TV had been awarded the tender.
In March 2017 Matt Tebbutt was finally announced as the main presenter for Saturday Kitchen. Matt presents and serves up Saturday Kitchen recipes every week along with the guest chefs. Like James Martin before hime, he too has served up over 1000 Saturday Kitchen recipes.
Wine experts
Each week, a wine expert pairs wines to go with the Saturday Kitchen recipes.
Previously, the wine experts filmed on location at various supermarkets and wine shops around the UK. These were typically filmed earlier in the week, and edited in time for the show.
Since April 2017, rotating wine experts have joined the host, the guest chefs, and the celebrity guest in the studio.
The list of featured wine experts are Susie Barrie, Sandia Chang, Sam Caporn, Jane Parkinson, Peter Richards, Olly Smith and Helen McGinn.
Features
Each show typically includes a host chef and two guest chefs, each cooking Saturday Kitchen recipes in the studio.
They are joined by a celebrity guest, usually appearing on the show to promote a forthcoming or current project.
Each guest chefs dish is paired with a wine chosen by an expert. The latest wine experts are Olly Smith and Helen McGinn.
In between each studio dish, excerpts are shown from the BBC Archives. This gives them time to tidy up before the next section. The footage has most commonly come from Rick Stein and Keith Floyd, but also features James Martin, The Hairy Bikers, and Tom Kerridge, among many others.
Heaven or Hell Saturday Kitchen Recipes
Each show concludes with the host and guest chefs cooking the celebrity guest a dish containing their favourite or least-favourite ingredients.
Which dish is cooked depends on an on-line public vote.
As with other Saturday Kitchen recipes, the Heaven-or-Hell selection is also wine-paired.
Omelette Challenge
The omletter challenge is no longer part of the current format each week, the guest chefs were challenged to cook a three-egg omelette, as quickly as possible.
The record-holder is Theo Randall with a time of 14.76 seconds, set on 2 May 2015. The achievement was recognised by Guinness World Records and Randall is officially the world’s fastest omelette maker.