James Gabriel Martin shares his life in food, from his earliest memories to his favourite flavours and culinary inspirations.
Chef James Gabriel Martin is trained in the culinary arts and is a photojournalist, art director, videographer, and musician. Through Leviathan Food, James and co-founder Ellen Martin develop recipes and host bespoke long-table dining experiences with Whitestown House in north Dublin. This spring, they’ll be releasing an original video series that will shine a spotlight on Ireland’s remarkable food, craft and music scene.
Leviathan, a nine-part travel and cooking series, celebrates the country’s vibrant creative culture, showcasing the stories of wild food foragers, artisan makers, organic farmers and musicians. It’s set to explore the deep connections between Ireland’s heritage, traditions and sustainability.
What are your earliest memories of food?
My earliest food memories involve family. As a child, every summer would be spent at my grandparent’s home in Fanad in Donegal. We would pull up and my grandmother would be holding a freshly baked soda bread or treacle loaf. I always remember the black treacle dripping down the sides of the shiny red and gold Tate & Lyles tin, calling to me from the kitchen counter.
My grandfather and uncles all fished crab, so there would be hand-made crab pots stacked all around the house, and we would feast on Irish brown crab, the best in the world, mixed with the tiniest bit of mayonnaise and lemon and served on soft white bread.
How would you describe your relationship with food?
Food for me is one of the most basic and primal ways to express care. It instantly connects us and soothes our bodies and our souls. There is something ancient and unspoken when we share a meal together, or when we cook for someone else. It’s what brought humans together in the first place, huddling around the fire. I liken it to music. You don’t need any background information to be enticed by food or music, no matter how new it may be. A sound, a smell, something plays on the senses and makes you want it. I also love how connecting it is. Vastly different cultures all over the world can draw throughlines, comparisons and divergences when it comes to their food culture and I think that’s a beautiful thing. If you’re ever stuck for conversation in any setting, anywhere in the world, ask people about what they like to eat. My new video series that is coming out in spring is all about that idea. I travelled across Ireland documenting creatives working in food, culture and crafting, seeing how it brings us together while holding onto our ancient practices.
What was the first meal you learned to cook?
The first meal I learned to cook was probably the humble Irish fry. It reminds me of Sunday mornings in Ireland, as I used to make it at the weekend even from a very early age. My love for cooking came from watching my mother in the kitchen, and asking her questions about what she was doing. I have worked in fine dining settings, but I always try to keep in mind that nourishing feeling that can come from honest food.
How did food become a part of your career?
My life has always revolved around travel first and foremost. I worked as a touring musician for ten years, as well as a photojournalist with clients such as Lonely Planet and BBC. My love for how food connects us evolved further through travel. Anywhere I went, I wanted to try something new and learn about regional cuisine. I began writing more about food, all the while being a passionate home cook.
When lockdown was announced the travel aspect vanished overnight. I spent my time cooking even more furiously, launching my website, Leviathan Food , where I share recipes that I have developed myself. I decided to train properly and applied for culinary school. I am now incredibly lucky that all of those passions have converged under Leviathan. I run a business where I express myself through cooking.
We host bespoke long-table dinner parties called The Dining Club at Whitestown House, an amazing Irish country house on a 120-acre farm in The Naul. Each event has a unique theme and a changing menu. I also get to continue my journalism work. The nine-part video series on Ireland’s food culture will be streaming online on my YouTube channel soon. In that I got to play music with creatives, learn more skills, and interview people about their passion for food.
What’s your go-to breakfast?
Eggs on toast, in whatever form. I love scrambled eggs on sourdough with some fresh-cut chives sprinkled over the top or a fried egg with some avocado, feta and chilli oil. My partner Lauren is from California and to see her respond to the incredible produce that we have here in Ireland brings me such joy. I am able to get farm fresh eggs, and of course, there is our butter and dairy. Breakfast has become a grounding, sacred ritual for us where we pause and appreciate the bounty before us and the roof over our heads before the busy day begins.
If you’re impressing friends and family at a dinner party, what are you serving up?
I love to make fresh pasta and it’s one of those things that never fails to make someone’s eyes light up. I was lucky to learn the ropes in the sensational Mamó Restaurant in my hometown of Howth. Head chef Killian Durkin is very knowledgeable. I think for technical things like pasta, where you need to get a feeling for the dough and for shaping the different pieces and for optimising cooking, repetition is key. So working in a restaurant setting like that is the perfect place to learn. I also like to take ingredients that we have here and add some basic elements to them, like Carlingford oysters with a simple mignonette dressing.
Who is your culinary inspiration?
Saint Brigid. Did you know that she was able to turn water into beer? Aside from her, I am inspired by Sally Ferns-Barnes from Woodcock Smokery in West Cork. She has spent her life working exclusively with wild Irish fish, maintaining the tradition of curing with just salt and smoke, as well as campaigning for the clean-up of our Irish rivers and for ocean conservation. I met her in the first episode of my forthcoming video series and her passion for what she does was infectious.
What would your last meal on earth be?
Amaretto sour with some Jamón ibérico. Then some Moules-frites with a bottle of Albariño. A couple of pints of Guinness. Some Coolea mature cheese with some vermouth. Maybe some Al Pastor Tacos. Sticky toffee pudding and an americano, black.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
A steaming bowl of the OG ramen from Nomo Ramen in Dublin. And their crispy mushroom karaage with a crisp, cold Japanese beer.
What’s the go-to quick meal you cook when you’re tired and hungry?
Most likely plain rice with some pan-fried fish and pickles. I have a rice cooker that I got in Japan which makes perfect fluffy rice every time with no effort. The other elements can be ready in a few short minutes.
What is one food or flavour you cannot stand?
I count myself lucky that I can eat and enjoy just about anything. I like honest food that is made in earnest and with integrity. My issue is more with overpriced food that is made with no care or attention.
Hangover cure?
Beef curry with fried rice and a side of salt and chilli chicken balls from a Chinese restaurant in Ireland.
Fine dining or pub grub?
I feel there is room for both so that’s a difficult one. I would probably be spending more time with the pub grub. Fine dining is a wonderful experience, but not everyone wants or can indeed afford a multi-course meal so often. For me, the best restaurants aren’t necessarily the ones with the accolades and the stars. They can be incredible. You can also walk away more satisfied from a taco stand.
Favourite restaurant in Ireland?
My favourite restaurant in Ireland is The Glass Curtain in Cork. They make comforting food that shows passion and punches you in the face with flavour, but it’s somehow simultaneously elegant and refined without being stuffy. They change their menu frequently. I have been blown away every time I visit there.
Best coffee in Ireland?
Honey Honey Café in Portmarnock and Two Fifty Square in Rathmines.
What are your thoughts on the Irish food scene?
I’m deeply excited by our country here. I think we are all waking up to how good our produce is and how unexpectedly rich and diverse our food culture and history is. I recently got a book called An Irish Food Story: 100 Foods That Made Us by JP McMahon and it’s a compelling reframing of what Irish food and food from Ireland is.
What’s your favourite thing about cooking?
Being creative and expressing myself with living colours and textures, profiles and techniques, to play with flavour and tailor an experience. Spending countless hours perfecting something, to nourish someone — and then, ultimately, our body breaks it down and dispels it as waste. It’s poetic.
What does food — sitting down to a meal with friends, mindfully preparing a meal, nourishment, etc — mean to you?
Sitting down for a meal with friends or new acquaintances is one of my favourite things to do in this world. It offers the opportunity to bond and come together, to know each other a little better, or to simply unwind and be present. I think the dinner table facilitates this better than anywhere else.We drop our guards a little more. In terms of preparing a meal for someone, I think it’s an act of love. My father passed away three years ago and I wrote a piece on my website called, ‘To Love is to Nourish’, and it’s about the idea of food being able to express things that words sometimes can’t.
Food for thought — Is there room for improvement within the Irish food scene?
Yes, there is. I would like to see the government assisting independent businesses that are struggling. The fact that the VAT rate was not lowered to 9% in the last budget is disappointing. I am seeing restaurants closing every single day, only to be replaced by faceless, global brands that are harming our environment. If it continues, we will have no unique culture left. I would also like to see restaurants taking further steps to be eco-conscious and sustainable.
Chef’s kiss — Tell us about one standout food experience you’ve had recently.
I went to Bar Pez in Dublin City recently and had an exceptional meal. The whole menu was very interesting and delicious and the staff were all a joy to deal with.
Compliments to the chef — Now’s your chance to sing the praises of a talented chef, beloved restaurant or particularly talented food family member.
My culinary partner at Whitestown House, Kelly Keogh, along with her sister Aoife Keogh, who does the tablescaping and hosting, and their mother Hazel Keogh are all inspirations to me. Myself and Kelly became quick friends when we met in culinary school, and her rock-solid foundational knowledge of cookery is a thing to behold. Having a good team together in any venture is very important and it makes the process very enjoyable. I’m looking forward to seeing how things grow at Whitestown House, as the ladies there are beginning to host other interesting events like yoga retreats and wild foraging walks.
Secret ingredient — What, in your estimation, makes the perfect dining experience?
Great food that is consistent, as well as service that allows guests to be at total ease. There are many times when I have dined out and the food has been sensational, only for the service to let things down. We are pretty good overall in this country when it comes to service, there is an openness to Irish people which I think translates well to hospitality.
