I read the other week a fascinating article on the BBC News website about how restaurant chefs were turning to AI to help them devise new recipes. Inevitably, this got me thinking: what would happen if I asked AI to come up with a James Bond-themed dish? I went onto ChatGPT and typed the words, ‘Write a James Bond inspired recipe.’ In an instant, I received its response: ‘007 Martini-Glazed Grilled Salmon.’

Looking through the recipe, I wondered whether ChatGPT had been trained on information from the James Bond novels, rather than the films. The martini in the recipe is of the gin variety, which is more consistent with the literary, rather than cinematic, Bond, and readers of the novels know that Bond is rather partial to salmon. That said, as the salmon tends to be smoked, rather than in the form of a steak or fillet, I wondered whether ChatGPT was drawing from other sources, not least my own website, where there is a salmon recipe that’s not very different from the one ChatGPT generated. (It may also be noted that the AI recipe serves two, just like most of the recipes on my website.)

Whatever the source, I had a go at the recipe and the result was surprisingly good. 

Serves 2

• 2 salmon fillets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the glaze

• 50ml gin
• 25ml vermouth
• 1 tbsp juice from freshly squeezed lemon
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp dill, finely chopped

To garnish

• Thin slices of lemon
• Fresh dill sprigs

Switch the grill onto a medium heat, then prepare the glaze. Put the ingredients for the glaze, except the dill, in a saucepan and place over the heat. Stir the sauce and allow it to come to the boil. Reduce the heat and let the sauce simmer, occasionally stirring, until it has reduced by half. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the dill and put the pan to one side. 

Brush the salmon fillets with olive oil and season generously. Place the fish, skin-side up, on a baking tray and place under the grill. Cook for about five minutes, turn the fish over, and grill the other side for another four to five minutes.

Take the tray from the grill, brush the glaze over the salmon, then pop the salmon back under the grill for another minute or two. 

Remove the salmon from the heat and transfer the fish to individual plates. Garnish the fish with lemon slices and dill, and spoon any remaining sauce onto or next to the fish. I recommend accompanying the fish with green beans or asparagus and new or baby potatoes.