5 O' Clock Apron

Miriam Gonzaléz Durantéz is a force, and Claire loved cooking with her for this episode of 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast. Worth noting here that Claire is keen to get the elephant in the room over with as soon as Claire and Miriam start cooking in Miriam’s immaculate London kitchen with Claire quizzing Miriam on her title of Lady Clegg.

Miriam is quick to dismiss the title, with characteristic grace, as one she doesn’t necessarily identify with, saying it was given to her, because she is the wife of Nick Clegg. Clegg being the one-time deputy prime minister for the U.K. Miriam is a busy woman with a distinguished career to showcase, splitting her week between London and Madrid. An international lawyer, founder of the charity Inspiring Girls and, just as pressing, now shouldering a new responsibility of politician. When Claire and Miriam meet to cook and record this episode, Miriam is in the midst of setting up a new political party in Spain (she can’t say the name of the party at the time of the recording), aiming, she tells Claire; “to stop the country from going further right” and as Miriam says; “I’ve been involved in politics all my life, now is the time for me to stand up”.

For the episode, Miriam cooks a Basque tuna stew called Marmitako, clearly an intuitive and skilled cook, she is also quick to hold Claire to account during much of the cooking process; “no Claire, your peppers need to be thinner” and “no, Claire,this is how you prepare the potato, you need to do it like this and you need to listen for the crack as you cut the potato”. Claire is enthralled throughout, because this, in a nutshell, is what this podcast is all about. Food and cookery knowledge shared through the prism of good conversation, two people cooking side by side, chopping and chatting about why a recipe means so much to them, and how it fits into their lives.

Miriam’s stew is undoubtedly delicious, as the cooking is wrapped up, husband Nick walks into the kitchen introducing himself, meanwhile Miriam’s son waits patiently to eat the dish his mum has just cooked; “he’s always so hungry, he eats all the time, teenage boys” she says with a chuckle. Conscious of the clock, Claire makes tracks to leave, after all Miriam, has got a lot to do, a plane to catch, a country to run and so on and so on….

Miriam's Marmitako, Basque Tuna Stew 

Serves 4 

500g fresh tuna, cut into large chunks

2 tbsp plain flour

2 peppers, green, red or yellow 

2 onions, finely sliced 

3 garlic cloves

Small bunch of parsley 

200mls dry white wine

1kg waxy potatoes, peeled  

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil, quite a bit to fry tuna and shallow fry the potatoes 

 

1. Dust the pieces of tuna all over with the flour and season well with salt and pepper.

2. In a large pan, add 3 tbsp of olive oil and fry the onions and the peppers over a moderate heat until softened, around 10 minutes. Push the onions and peppers to one side of the pan, add a splash more olive oil and fry the pieces of tuna to get a little golden in colour, but not cook all the way through, though this will depend on the thickness of the tuna. Remove the pan from the heat and keep to one side. 

3. Use a pestle and mortar or use a small food processor or blender to blend the garlic, parsley and white wine together. Keep to one side. 

4. Use a small saucepan and fill 1/3 with olive oil (working in batches and using a smaller pan will help you to use less oil). Use a small knife to make small, sharp indentations in the potatoes and “crack off” small pieces of the potato, about the size of a shell on walnut is a good approximation. This is Miriam’s way, and she suggests preparing the potatoes likes this gives them a better texture once cooked, see reel for video explanation. Fry the potatoes in hot oil at 180C until nicely coloured and nearly cooked through.

5. Put the tuna, onions and peppers back on the heat, add the parsley, garlic and wine mix and add the fried potatoes, mixing gently to combine. Bring the pan up to the boil and simmer for 30 seconds. Put a lid on the pan and reduce the heat to moderate – low and continue cooking until the potatoes are soft, the tuna will be cooked through.

6. Remove from the heat, check the seasoning and serve.
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In this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast, Claire drives to Oxford to cook with the Professor of Computer Science and Head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oxford, Michael Wooldridge. Michael’s field of work has been in Artificial Intelligence (AI) since 1989, a landscape which has seen wide-reaching change. Michael’s Wikipedia page, and in particular, the awards and honours section is extensive and hugely impressive. He has written over 350 scientific papers and contributed to many academic books, and his most charming, for the layperson, is the bite-sized Ladybird Expert Book on Artificial Intelligence first published by Penguin Random House in 2018.

 

As with every episode, Claire knocks on the front door of Michael’s house having never met or indeed cooked in Michael’s kitchen before. Michael is a bean enthusiast, and to keep within a sensible timeframe, but still wanting to cook with dried beans from scratch, has a huge pot of just-cooked black turtle beans ready and waiting on the hob. Together Michael and Claire cook Michael’s favourite weeknight black bean chilli, a dish he regularly cooks at home for his wife and two grown up children, the question posed throughout the recording by Michael is, “How hot should we go?” More chilli is generally the answer, with some additional extra spicy seasoning that Michael is a fan of. 

 

With the black beans bubbling, Claire quizzes Michael on the future of big tech, on whether robots cleaning our houses and loading our dishwashers will happen any time soon, will AI help with the future of food and farming and food insecurity, what is easier to program: driverless cars or grandmaster chess players? With the potential of AI a near constant topic in the news these days, it is with trepidation Claire considers the future of the workforce as we know it, only to be told by Michael “not to worry, the robots aren’t coming to get us, just yet!”

Cooking with Michael Wooldridge in this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast is a lesson in reassurance. With anxiety levels in society seen to be generally on the up, and for some, at a tipping point, cooking something delicious for dinner, whatever your line of work, is an opportunity for some much-needed calm and - most important of all - something tasty to eat on the table come dinnertime.   

 

Michael’s Black Bean Chilli Recipe 

Serves 4

Ingredients; 

400g dried turtle beans (you can pre-soak the beans in cold water for an hour or two, or overnight, but Michael thinks this is unnecessary, and his beans were, once cooked, delicious)

1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes 

1 whole red chilli

1 large red onion, peeled and finely diced 

150g diced chorizo

2 tbsp of olive oil

2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped 

1 tbsp smoked paprika 

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano, or more to taste 

Dried chilli flakes, to taste 

Jerk seasoning, Michael used Dunns River Jerk Seasoning, to taste 

The juice of 1 lime

Small bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped 

Method;

Put the beans in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of water, bring to the boil, skim off any frothy residue, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for around 1 – 1 ½ hours. Keep an eye on the water levels, top up with more water, if necessary, the beans should be fully submerged, at all times.

Add the tin of the tomatoes and the whole chilli and continue cooking until the beans are fully cooked through and the sauce is thickened and creamy, not too soupy, just right. Put to one side.

In a frying pan, add the olive oil and the onions and fry over a moderate heat for around 5 minutes to soften, add the diced chorizo and the garlic and fry for a further 3 - 4 minutes, until the fat from the chorizo begins to exude in the pan. 

Add the ground spices and the oregano and cook for 1 minute more. 

When the beans are a good consistency in the pan, thick and creamy, add salt to taste and the chorizo, spices and onion mix in the pan. Add the finely chopped coriander stalks and stir to combine and keep warm.

Check the seasoning on the beans, adding salt and more chilli, to taste, if necessary, then add the lime juice and the chopped coriander leaves to serve. 

 

 
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In this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast, Claire is on home turf, in Bristol and walks to Dee Ryding’s house. Dee is an undertaker and owns the funeral parlour Divine Ceremony. Dee calls herself an undertaker and champions the phrase “Lovers in Life – Helpers in Death” as the strapline to her business. It was a blazing hot day in June for this recording, Claire marching the short walk to meet with Dee and cook together in her bright, sunny kitchen in Bishopston. Claire knocks on the front door, to be met by Dee, already in an apron and raring to go with one of her favourite - very much battered and splattered - cookbooks to hand, 30 Minute Indian by Sunil Vijayakar published in the year 2000 by Octopus.

Within minutes Claire and Dee are chopping and chatting together, cooking one of Dee’s favourite curries from the book. It is a recipe Dee swears by, and cooks often for her family. Over the years, because Dee has now been cooking this recipe for a good many years now, Dee has made her own adjustments, tinkering with the recipe to suit her, and her children’s tastes. 

Claire has wanted to cook with an undertaker for the podcast since way back in Series 1, and truthfully, this episode is everything Claire had hoped it would be. Dee and Claire discuss many topics as they cook, from the practical, such as artfully arranged spice drawers and a love of measuring spoons to the more profound, what happens to our bodies after we die and what impact Queen Victoria had on the modern funeral. There is a brief, but poignant moment in the recording, when Dee and Claire’s discussion tackles some of the bigger questions life must throw at us, with Claire having to steady herself, her emotions getting the better of her, composure regained, the pair continue cooking, the curry smelling utterly delicious. 

This is an extraordinary episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast, listen in, wherever you get your podcasts, as you cook along in your own kitchen and marvel at what a tonic food and cookery can be to everyday life, for everyone. 

Dee’s Chicken and Cashew Nut Curry Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients;

1 onion, roughly chopped 

4 tbsp tomato puree 

1 heaped tbsp Greek style yogurt 

2 garlic cloves 

Thumb sized piece of ginger, peeled

Juice ½ lemon 

¼ tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp garam masala

2 tsp salt

70g lightly toasted cashew nuts 

800g diced, skinless chicken thigh

3 tbsp coconut oil, or use ghee or neutral oil

50g dried apricots, thinly sliced 

300ml hot chicken stock, or use water 

1- 3 tsp hot aubergine pickle 

200g baby spinach leaves

Big bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped 

 

Method;

In a food processor, add the onion, tomato puree, 50g of the cashew nuts, ginger, garlic, turmeric, lemon juice, yogurt, salt and garam masala and process to form a smooth, thick paste.

In a large wide frying pan, add the coconut oil and the onion paste, cook the paste over a moderate heat for around 4 - 5 minutes, until the paste takes on a darker colour and begins to smell very fragrant. Add the diced chicken thighs and mix well to combine.

Add the hot stock to the pan and add the apricots and coriander stalks. Give the pan a good mix and put a lid on the pan. Cook the curry over a moderate to low heat for around 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the lid, stir through the baby spinach leaves and add the hot aubergine pickle, more or less, and to taste. Check the seasoning, adding more salt, lemon juice, spicy pickle or use chopped fresh chilli, to taste. Serve with steamed rice or naan, roti or paratha and add the remaining cashews and the chopped coriander leaf to the top of the curry to serve. 

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Lisa McGrillis is an actor. Born in Carlisle to Irish parents, Lisa grew up surrounded by family, food, and humour - three things that still shape her life today. She studied drama in Newcastle, got her start in regional theatre, and had her London breakthrough when Lee Hall’s Pitman Painters transferred to the National Theatre. Since then, she’s become a familiar face on stage and screen, from Mum alongside Lesley Manville to her current role as the gloriously over-the-top Valerie in Rivals.

When she’s not filming in Bristol or learning lines, Lisa is at home in London with her husband, also an actor, and their two children. Food is central to her family life, a connection that runs deep thanks to her Austrian grandmother — “Big Nanny” — whose recipes still inspire Lisa’s cooking today.

In this episode, Claire arrives at Lisa’s London home to cook one of those beloved family dishes: chicken schnitzel with Big Nanny’s potato salad. Together they peel, chop, and bread the chicken while reminiscing about Lisa’s roots, the chaos of raising kids, life on a busy TV set, and the joys (and nerves) of performing live theatre. There’s also a well-stocked fridge to explore, some very handy kitchen gadgets courtesy of Lisa’s dad, and a celebratory glass of Crémant to toast the cooking session.

The result? A comforting family meal with a side of laughter, memories, and a glimpse into the real life of an actor balancing stage, screen, and supper.
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For this episode of 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast, Claire travels to Bristol to cook with England rugby prop Sarah Bern - just a stone’s throw from Ashton Gate Stadium, where Sarah hopes to be battling it out in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals this September. With her own flat mid-renovation, Sarah borrows a friend’s beautiful (and admittedly “too swanky to be mine”) kitchen for the occasion.

Between whisking eggs and grating Pecorino for Sarah’s pre-match favourite, spaghetti carbonara (no cream allowed - “straight to hell” if you do, so they say), the pair dive into Sarah’s remarkable rugby journey. From earning her first England cap at 18, to playing in two previous World Cups, to preparing for the gruelling demands of the next, Sarah reveals the technical finesse of life as a tighthead prop - part maximum squat, part chess match. Sarah’s instagram @sarahbern3 is a paean to what it takes to be an athlete on the international stage, determination, ambition and a true love of the sport to which you are so utterly devoted to. 

Carbonara doesn't take long to cook, and yet Sarah and Claire manage to fit an awful lot of chat into the time it takes to cook (and record) this classic Italian pasta dish, they discuss the reality of women’s rugby, the joy and rivalry of playing alongside (and sometimes against) her partner Mackenzie Carson, the sacrifices elite sport demands, and Sarah’s big ambitions beyond rugby - namely, swapping the scrum for the cockpit as a pilot. All the while, the guanciale sizzles, the pepper flows freely, and Sarah proves she’s as strong in the kitchen as she is on the pitch.
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