Welcome back to What’s Cooking, Metro’s food series taking a peek inside the nation’s kitchens.
This week we’re at home with chef, TV presenter and all-round national treasure, Ainsley Harriott.
90s kids out there will remember him best as the host of the BBC’s Ready Steady Cook, but he’s gone on to pen numerous cookbooks, present programmes such as Ainsley’s Caribbean Kitchen, and, most recently, he’s teamed up with HelloFresh to launch a new chef’s badge for the Scouts.
The 69-year-old let us snoop through his fridge, freezer and store cupboard to discover his foodie secrets, entertained us by singing a little ditty he wrote about Northcote Road Market, and was just generally a delight to speak to.
Here’s how our visit to his kitchen went…
First, tell us a secret… what do you like to eat when no one is watching?
My favourite late-night snack is toast with peanut butter and some sliced banana on top – but the key is to add a little squirt of lemon juice.
For me, citrus is the king of kings.
We all need to start adding a little bit of acid to our cooking. A splash of lemon or lime juice opens everything up and tastes really lovely.
Which dish instantly transports you back to your childhood?
Traditional Jamaican rice and peas – my mum always used to make it, and I loved watching the process.
She’d take red kidney beans, wash them and soak them overnight so they’d start splitting. The next morning, she’d add more water, bring it up to the boil, and that was the base for the rice and peas, before adding fresh thyme, garlic, spring onions, coconut milk and scotch bonnet peppers and letting it steam.
As a kid, that, with a good dollop of tomato ketchup on top, was beautiful.
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Name one item that’s always in your fridge…
It might be controversial, but I think chocolate is best from the fridge. It gives it a really nice snap, and if you’ve got something with a soft filling, like a Lindor truffle, it stays semi-gooey, but is less messy, so it won’t get all over your clothes. I’m in my 60s now, so this is important, as everything drips down me. My daughter is always making fun of me for it.
And something that has to be in your store cupboard at all times?
I’ve been using a lot of Asian chilli oils, like Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil, which is really lovely. It’s also quite good, as when you start running low, you can just keep adding more oil to it, give it a shake and re-invigorate it.
What about in the freezer?
I tend to buy a big piece of ginger and keep it there in a plastic tub. When I need some, I just grate it straight into the pan. You’ve got to put it back in the freezer right away, though, otherwise it turns into a soggy sponge.
Frozen pizzas are also essential. I have them in for when I’m playing backgammon with my mates, and we’ve had a few whiskeys.
Do you shop in the supermarket or order your groceries online?
People always ask me why I don’t get food delivered, and it’s because I love wandering around the supermarket. I don’t care whether it’s Morrisons, Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, you name it… I just go off and see what’s new on the shelves and what’s happening.
I do get a lot of people coming up to me wanting to chat about Ready Steady Cook, though. About 30% of the time, they’ll approach with a red tomato and a green pepper.
What’s one thing you’ll always splurge on at the supermarket?
While I’ve been working on the new Scout’s chef badge, I’ve been teaching kids the importance of trying new things, but it’s just as important for adults to keep introducing themselves to new flavours.
It’s all about what you can afford, but I think it’s worth spending a little bit more to try something different.
Can you share the best tip or trick you learned from Ready Steady Cook?
Patrick Anthony, who did Celebrity Ready Steady Cook, always used to come up with great tips, and one of my favourites was about lemons.
He’d say when your lemons were a bit firm, pop them in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds to release the juice, then take them out and use them as normal. It’s so simple, but that’s stayed with me.
Where are your favourite places to eat out in London?
I’m not a bad cook, so I don’t really need to go to restaurants. I could go to my fridge, do a Ready Steady Cook, and 20 minutes later, I’ve eaten.
But I do like Fallow – the food is really interesting, and the staff are great. I also go to my local Good Earth Chinese, which is nice. I get the shredded Beef. The sea bass they do is also magnificent.
Any foods you just can’t stand?
I don’t like cucumbers. I think I overdid it when I was a bit younger.
We used to go down the Northcote Road Market on a Saturday. My mate Johnny worked on the veg stall and would give us a box of cucumbers.
[This is where Ainsley began singing a song he wrote about the market…]
When I got home from school, I’d peel the skin off, sprinkle some salt on it, and just eat a whole cucumber like that.
I ate so many. Every time I have one now, I get a headache.
And finally… what’s been cooking lately?
Last night I made a really gorgeous shepherd’s pie. My kids came home, and my mate Sid came too, and we had a really lovely dinner, with some chilli cabbage.
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