In this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast Claire cooks with fish merchant Robin Turner. Robin’s family have been involved in the Cornish fishing industry for 5 generations and what Robin doesn’t know about fish isn’t worth knowing. Learn how to select the freshest fish, how fish change with the seasons, and what Claire will need to do if she wants to catch a mackerel. The podcast is recorded on the beach at Mousehole, near the South West Coastal Path, and attracts the attention of passers-by...

In this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast Claire cooks with RNLI lifeguard Gavin Philpotts. The podcast is recorded in the sand dunes above Sennen Beach, just below the lifeguard hut. With the sun shining bright and the lifeguard’s radios in bleeping distance, Claire and Gavin carve a space to cook with a lifeguard rescue board as their work surface. Claire arrives with some mackerel bought that morning in Newlyn and the pair get busy preparing a tabbouleh to go alongside, Gavin also...

In this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast Claire cooks with the Cornish Witch Emma Griffin. The podcast is recorded in a magical shed at the bottom of Emma’s garden, next door to a graveyard. Alongside Emma is her witches' companion, or familiar, her dog, Walter. Claire and Emma are cooking a ‘Protective’ Potato Salad with chicken and bacon on a camping stove and space is tight, what with the broomsticks and the cauldron, so Emma’s husband Steve kindly boils potatoes in the kitchen. Emma’s...

In this episode of 5 O’Clock Apron Podcast Claire cooks with the wildlife cameraman, TV presenter, author and winner of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, Hamza Yassin. The podcast is recorded in a tent at The Hay Literary Festival. Hamza is there to talk about his latest book ‘Be a Birder’ and Claire was there to cook a date and tomato tagine with him after he finished his long and busy day. Hamza is an extraordinary guest to cook alongside, gracious and charming, he’s a once in a lifetime,...

In this episode of The 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast Claire cooks with NHS respiratory consultant and clinical academic Anna Bibby. Anna chooses to cook red wine risotto with chorizo, and as you hear in the recording, tongue firmly in cheek, Claire ends up apologising to both Italy and Spain. Apologies done and dusted, through their conversation we learn the different characteristics of carnaroli, vialone nano and arborio rice, the physiologically accurate way to stir love into a risotto, and...

In this episode of The 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast Claire cooks with journalist and icon of broadcasting, Mishal Husain. A reassuring voice to so many listeners on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, Mishal cooked not 1 but 4 dishes, home-style Pakistani qeema*, daal*, raita and rice. All this was no mean feat given the 45 minutes from a standing start it took Mishal to cook and present the most beautiful lunch which Mishal and Claire then sat down to eat together. Listen in to hear Mishal discuss...

In this episode of The 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast Claire cooks with wildlife TV presenter, adventurer and naturalist Steve Backshall. Keen to use his brand new BBQ in his garden on the banks of the Thames, Steve cooks a fish curry, inspired by his extensive travels in India, particularly during his time as 'Adventurer in Residence' for National Geographic. Discover what an adventurer eats in the wild and cooks at home with the family. Hear Steve's take on sustainable fishing, river pollution...

In this episode of The 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast Claire cooks with New York clown and physical performer, Tyler West. Tyler is currently on tour with the very fabulous Giffords Circus here in the U.K. Needing to be in one piece for his shows later that day, Tyler was less than keen to be standing too near sharp knives and a smoking hot wok. So, in this episode, Claire cooks and Tyler chats, and this works just brilliantly. Tyler was extremely keen on making Pad Thai for the recording as bowls...

In this episode of The 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast Claire cooks paneer curry with the author Nikesh Shukla. Nikesh has recently written the new Marvel Spider-Man India and has also written books for children and young adults. Nikesh has just moved house and has the builders in, so Claire and Nikesh meet at producer Ellen’s house to record this cookery conversation. It’s a moving one from the get-go with Nikesh instructing Claire that “we will be following an old family recipe, passed down from...

In this first episode of Series 2 of The 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast, Claire cooks with the brewer Alex Lawes. Dublin is a city famed for its pint and Claire wanted to record a cookery conversation with someone synonymous with the city’s brewing industry. Alex Lawes is just that, brewer and joint owner of Whiplash Beer. Their instagram profile reads “@whiplashbeer - Ballyer brewery brewing banging beers.” Join Claire and Alex as they cook in his gorgeous, dinky cottage. They drink a Whiplash...

In this episode of The 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast, Claire cooks with Philippa Perry, psychotherapist, broadcaster and the Observer’s wise and witty agony aunt. Philippa is also a million-copy bestselling author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did), and one half of the Perry presenting duo on hit TV programme Grayson’s Art Club. I absolutely loved cooking with Philippa in her kitchen in London a couple of weeks ago. To say Philippa was...

In this episode of The 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast, Claire cooks with Rebecca Wilcox, journalist, broadcaster, deputy president of Childline and the daughter of Esther Rantzen. The Guardian newspaper have her down as “brilliant… both brainy and funny (a rare combination in a presenter), and a proper investigative journalist as well as a silly trigger-happy prankster." On the day of the recording, Claire drove to Rebecca’s farmhouse, which as all best farms must, comes complete with an aged...

In this episode of The 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast, Claire cooks with comedian, writer and theatre maker Amy Mason. A Funny Woman finalist, Amy has written and performed for Radio 4 and has written for The News Quiz and Hypothetical (Dave). With 3 acclaimed autobiographical shows with Bristol Old Vic, she is a credit to the Bristol comedy scene - STOP PRESS - ‘Amy Mason is a born comic. Can’t wait to see her progress to a national treasure.’ In 2014 Amy won the Dundee International Book Prize...

In this episode of The 5 O' Clock Apron Podcast, Claire cooks with champion gardener Charles Dowding. From a farming family in rural Somerset, Charles’ focus as a gardener and author has always been to grow healthy and health-giving food. Through his teaching on gardening courses around the world and also on his sizeable social media platform, Charles is keen to promote an awareness of nutrition and its links to food production. Charles has accumulated a considerable following for his No –...

In this episode of The 5 O' Clock Apron Podcast, Claire cooks with musician, author and broadcaster Cerys Matthews. Cerys hosts and programmes an award winning radio show on BBC 6 music every Sunday, the Blues Show on BBC Radio 2 each Monday at 9pm and co-hosts Radio 4’s new music show ADD TO PLAYLIST each Friday at 7.30pm. Cerys had a broken arm when we recorded this episode back in February, Claire chops and Cerys instructs on how to make a classic, at least, classically Cerys version of...

In this episode of The 5 O' Clock Apron Podcast, Claire cooks with her friend and academic, Ellen Hughes. Ellen's take on baking an apple cake with no recipe was an eye opening experience for Claire, one she'll never forget. Truth is, we were going to use this recording as a test for the podcast, but on listening to the episode, we all agreed that if anyone could teach Claire to relinquish her need for an accurate recipe when it comes to baking a cake, it was Ellen and her instructions for a...