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.