Episodes

  • Comedian Jamie MacDonald cooks Seabass with Orzo, ‘Nduja & Leeks
    Jul 9 2025
    For this episode of 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast, number 4 in a series of 10, Claire travels to Sheffield to cook with the comedian Jaime Macdonald. Jamie is blind, extremely tall and very, very funny. The front door opens and out jumps Jamie’s new puppy as the recording begins. Claire is armed with some ingredients that Jamie has asked her to bring along to cook with. It’s a lean shopping list, to say the least and it has Claire asking questions from the off. Some Sea Bass, half a packet of Orzo, three Leeks and a jar of Cream Fraiche, but that’s just the beginning, far from it, ‘Nduja, Lemons, good Olive Oil and a remarkable set of weighing scales that can talk are soon wielded. Cooking alongside Jamie was a riot. Lots of laughter, obviously, the pair discuss Edinburgh fringe, toxic masculinity, wild swimming, noisy owls, so-called Scottish risotto as cooked by his mum circa 1980s and Claire asks the silliest question Jamie has ever been asked. All the while, the fish gets fried, the orzo cooked along with the leeks, ‘Nduja and crème fraiche and together Jamie and Claire make lunch to eat in the sunshine. It was a tonic to cook with Jamie, and apart from his talking measuring scales (Claire wants a set!), Jamie cooks exactly as anyone with sight would cook. Taste, as all good cooks know, is crucial, and Jamie has great taste, in abundance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    51 mins
  • Sex Educator Ruby Rare makes a salad, sexy, naturally!
    Jul 2 2025
    For this episode of 5 O Clock Apron Podcast, Claire travels to Margate to cook with Ruby Rare. Ruby is a sex educator, that is to say, a force of nature with a mission to encourage and include everyone in her task to make the world a fairer and more accepting place when it comes to the enormous and thorny topics of sex, relationships and body positivity. In the podcast episode Claire and Ruby talk about the word ‘woke’ being misappropriated, the correct use of pronouns with Ruby saying she is she / her but “you can chuck a couple of they / thems in for good measure, if you like”, together the two discuss marriage VS non monogamous relationships, queerness, sex with friends, celebrating divorce and winter swimming. And all the while, Claire and Ruby cook alongside each other with a casual ease that Claire finds reassuring as it is enchanting. Surrounded by her father’s paintings and with Ruby’s Sri Lankan gorgeous tableware bought on a recent trip with her family, lunch with Ruby was one of the nicest and most illuminating lunches Claire has had in sometime. Claire leaves Ruby’s tiny seaside cottage with a slightly skewed lens on her world, a good thing, there is much to celebrate in the world with people like Ruby in the centre of it. Oh, and she’s also a great cook, that salad dressing was something else! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    52 mins
  • Waste & Recycling Supervisor Owen Punselie Cooks Spicy Coconut Chicken & Rice
    Jun 25 2025
    In this 2nd episode of 5 O’ Clock Apron Podcast with Good Food, Owen welcomes Claire into his gorgeous kitchen in Bristol and sets about cooking with a confidence and flair that can only come from people cook often and cook well. Owen Punselie works for Bristol Waste and Recycling managing a squad of 12 people working in waste management in the city of Bristol. He’s also an American full football scholarship alumni and fairly new to his role with Bristol Waste; “As jobs go, it’s a great cardiovascular workout,” he tells Claire, “you also end up walking up to 12 miles on shift with each recycling truck being responsible for processing the waste of up to 750 houses each day.” Owen introduces himself as Dutch with Nigerian heritage, mentions he likes Spanish food, not too keen on vegetables, and he really likes coconut milk. Owen tells Claire he’s going to show her how to make Paella, the coconut milk mystifies Claire, there is also Jerk seasoning and Soy Sauce in the line-up, not everyday paella ingredients. Owen can cook, it was his mum who taught him, and so with the pan bubbling and the kitchen smelling delicious, Claire and Owen ditch calling it paella, renaming the recipe instead, Owen’s Spicy Coconut Chicken Rice. Owen was a delight to cook with for the podcast, an absolute gentleman, who recycles with gusto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    44 mins
  • Broadcaster Amol Rajan cooks a Paneer Curry
    Jun 18 2025
    To kick off the new series of 5 O' Clock Apron Podcast with Good Food Claire cooks with the giant of the airwaves, Amol Rajan. Amol is one of Radio 4’s Today program presenters, he also hosts BBC2’s legendary TV quiz show University Challenge. Amol Rajan Interviews on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds platform Amol interviewing momentous public figures from Bill Gates to Greta Thunberg to Sir Ian McKellen amongst others. Amol is a busy man with x4 children under 9 years of age, he’s up early to host the Today program and home late recording University Challenge, to make things easier, Claire and Amol meet at Good Food HQ in Hammersmith to record the episode. Amol arrives on his bike (of course he does!) and apologises to Claire for not arriving as is more customary, suited and booted. If you follow Amol on his social media and on TV, you’ll know this man is a snappy dresser! Claire brings along some of her spice collection from home and Amol sets about teaching Claire his recipe for Paneer Curry and, apart from the stove top tripping a couple of times during the recording, the pair chop and chat like no tomorrow. Cricket, Cooking for Kids, Amol’s upbringing in south London, previous careers, hereditary diabetes and how to chop onions, speedily! Can Amol cook? Of course he can, he’s Amol Rajan! Amol Rajan’s Paneer Curry 2 blocks of paneer, approximately 400g total, diced 2cm 4 tbsp ghee 2 onions, peeled and finely diced 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 300g cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or use diced tomatoes 200g frozen peas, defrosted 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground, or use ground 1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground, or use ground ½ tsp ground turmeric ½ - 1tsp chilli powder, to taste Large bunch of coriander, finely chopped ½ lemon Cooked rice, to serve Indian pickles, to serve 1. In a non-stick pan over a moderate – high heat, add ½ the ghee and fry the paneer with a pinch of salt, in batches if needed, until nicely bronzed on all sides, around 3 – 5 minutes. 2. Remove from the pan and put the paneer on a plate and keep to one side. 3. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining ghee, add the onion and cook over a moderate for around 10 minutes to soften. Add a big pinch of salt, garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the ground spices and cook for 30 seconds more. 4. Add the tomatoes and a splash of water, around 2 - 3 tbsp should do, you want the contents of the pan juicy, but not soupy! Put a lid on the pan and cook for 10 minutes over a moderate heat for the tomatoes to soften and the flavours to meld. 5. Add the peas, check the seasoning, add more salt if needed and plenty of black pepper. Cook for a couple more minutes to heat the peas through. 6. Add the cooked paneer to the pan and stir to warm through in the pan. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, as needed. 7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir through with the chopped coriander and the lemon juice. 8. Serve the paneer curry with some steamed rice and Indian pickles to accompany. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • Introducing the new series of 5 O'Clock Apron
    Jun 14 2025
    Chef and food writer Claire Thomson is back with a brand-new series of the 5 O’Clock Apron podcast with Good Food! In this series, Claire invites another incredible line-up of guests into the kitchen - from a comedian to a Royal Ballet dancer, a waste and recycling worker to a rugby player - and many more. Together they cook favourite home recipes while sharing stories, laughter, and the odd kitchen mishap. Episodes drop weekly from 18th June. Follow now and join Claire for some delicious kitchen companionship! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    4 mins
  • Mackerel and 'Cat's Whiskers' Sauce with Fish Merchant Robin Turner
    Jul 31 2024
    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 intrigued to see the pair cooking such delicious food in the sunshine on a camping gas stove. Robin cooks an old and locally famous dish of Mackerel with 'Cat’s Whiskers' sauce. Intrigued? We certainly were! This podcast is a brilliant listen for anyone heading to the seaside this summer, and for those who want to know more about fabulous local Cornish produce. Thank you Robin for sharing your colossal knowledge of fish. Recipe: Serves 2 2 mackerel filleted 200mls double cream 1 heaped tsp mustard powder 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste Splash of oil, to cook the fish Robin served this with some pink peppercorn and kombucha pickled radishes Baguette or some boiled potatoes, to serve Get a good pan hot over a high to moderate heat. Add the mackerel fillets skin side down, giving them a gentle press to stop them curling up - see reel. Cook for around 2 - 3 minutes then flip and cook 30 secs to 1 minute on other side (depending on thickness of fillets). In a separate saucepan, add the mustard powder and vinegar and mix together, over a low heat add the cream and season well with salt and pepper to taste, warm through and serve the Cat’s Whiskers Sauce alongside the fried mackerel immediately. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Mackerel and Tabbouleh with RNLI Lifeguard Gavin Philpotts
    Jul 24 2024
    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 contributes some roasted beets which he brought from home that morning. With the iconic 90’s TV series Baywatch as Claire’s reference for all things lifeguard, coupled with the countless lifeguards Claire and her family spot on Cornish beaches each summer, meeting and cooking alongside Gavin was a real highlight. We talk saving lives, long distance swimming, rip currents, weever fish and where lifeguards go in the wintertime. Huge thanks to RNLI for covering Gavin as he cooked with us, after all lifesaving can never stop, for whatever the reason, my podcast included. Find out more about the RNLI and Sennen beach here: Sennen Beach - RNLI Lifeguarded Beach in Cornwall Follow Claire at 5 O' Clock apron on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5oclockapron Make this recipe. It is the very essence of summertime in Cornwall via The Levant. Serves 2 2 mackerel, filleted 2 tbsp olive oil to fry and 3 -4 tbsp olive oil for the dressing 50g bulgar wheat, soaked in boiling water for 15 mins then drained 1 cucumber, diced small 4 spring onions 1/2 - 1 green or red chilli, finely diced 1/2 red onion, finely diced Around 20 cherry tomatoes, diced small 1 clove garlic, finely grated Big bunch of mint Big bunch of pulses Fruit, any or all, I’m using in season 3 ripe apricots, diced small 1 lemon, 1/2 juiced, 1/2 cut into quarters to serve 1 - 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses 1/2 - 1 tsp dijon mustard (Gavin’s inclusion) Pinch of ground cumin Pinch of ground cinnamon Beetroots, roasted with salt in tin foil until soft, chopped into quarters Seasoned yoghurt, to serve Method; Make the tabbouleh first. Get all the salad ingredients in a bowl and make the dressing by mixing together the mustard, pomegranate, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Dress the tabbouleh and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Get a good pan hot over a moderate - hot heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and heat until just shimmering. Add the mackerel fillets skin side down, giving them a gentle press to stop them curling up. Cook for around 2 - 3 minutes then flip and cook 30 secs to 1 minute on other side (depending on thickness of fillets). Serve the fried mackerel with the tabbouleh, roasted beets and seasoned yogurt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    34 mins
  • 'Protective' Potato Salad with Witch Emma Griffin
    Jul 17 2024
    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 witchcraft is boundlessly positive and together Claire and Emma talk good vs evil, recipes as spells, failed gangsters, sea witches and building towers of yumminess. Claire has never met, not least cooked with a witch before, so the learning curve is a steep and ridiculously joy-filled one. The podcast ends with Claire happy in her newfound kitchen witchery and Emma’s recipe is a brilliant example of just how similar the disciplines of witchcraft and cookery really are. Thank you Emma, we’ll be back! Follow Claire at 5 O' Clock apron on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/5oclockapron Follow Emma on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/emmagriffinwitch/ If you have enjoyed this podcast it would be an immense help if you could rate, subscribe or leave a review. Recipe: ‘Protective’ Potato Salad with ‘Secret’ Ingredient Chicken, Maple and Bacon. To feed x4 2 large chicken breasts, diced 6 rashers of streaky bacon 2 tbsp olive oil 600g small new potatoes Soft lettuce, I used large butterhead 4 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced Dressing: 2 tbsp mayonnaise 1 tbsp thick greek yogurt 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 heaped tsp dijon mustard Juice of 1/2 lemon Salt and Pepper, to taste Secret Ingredient info: Emma used @nandosuk medium chicken seasoning powder, and it was great, Emma is a witch and I’m a chef, so I made my own and this is what I used; 1 heaped tsp unsmoked paprika 1/4 tsp medium heat chilli powder 1 heaped tsp dried oregano 1 heaped tsp ground cumin 1 heaped tsp ground coriander Few shakes of smoked paprika 2 cloves garlic, finely grated 2 tbsp olive oil Zest of 1/2 lemon Lots of black pepper and salt, to taste Boil the potatoes until soft. Drain & keep warm. Marinade chicken in olive oil & the secret ingredients, or do as Emma does & use @nandosuk chicken seasoning powder. Leave for 30 mins, or less. Cook bacon in a pan over a moderate heat in a dry pan until crisping up, remove from pan, leaving fat behind in pan to cook chicken. Add a splash more olive oil to pan & cook chicken pieces over moderate heat until fully cooked through. Remove from heat & rest. Meanwhile, make dressing, mix mayonnaise, yoghurt, lemon juice, maple syrup, balsamic & mustard together & season well with salt & pepper. Dress warm potatoes with salad dressing & add the spring onions. Arrange lettuce on a serving plate & pile on with warm, dressed new potatoes. Add chicken & break up the bacon pieces to serve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    36 mins