Tom Parker Bowles: “I couldn’t care less about air fryers”

You’re a podcaster these days. Your show, Intoxicating History with drinks writer Henry Jeffreys, looks at the booze through the ages. What’s coming up on it?
All sorts, like Roman food and drinks – which I’m fascinated by. It’s nice to sort of natter away with someone who knows so much about booze. We’ve had some excellent guests, including the queen of the martini, Alice Lascelles.

Talking of which, what are your favourite cocktails as the weather gets warmer?
Well, one would have to be a martini, because that’s a perennial, obviously, but also, a real cliché, Pimm’s. When I was growing up, my dad always had the Pimm’s Vodka Cup No 6. The key to a good one is plenty of mint from the garden (if you’re lucky enough) and lots of fruit in there too, and an extra shot of booze as well. Just to, you know, gussy it up.

What would you order from an ice cream van?
Always a Mr Whippy cone. I sort of like ice cream, but I’m not obsessed. It has to be a really good chocolate one, like the River Café’s. Jude’s salted caramel is nice, but I tend to stick to the classics. None of those comedic flavours, please!

Do you have a favourite kitchen gadget?
I couldn’t care less about air fryers but everyone else seems to think they’re amazing! They all say they cook really fast but so do ovens. My children are obsessed with them. I do have a small deep-fat fryer (even though it stinks the house up when you make chips) and I love a microwave – especially for making sticky rice noodles. I’m also a huge fan of the pressure cooker. We used to be terrified of them as kids but now they’re a lot safer. You can make a stew in 25 minutes and a stock in 35. It’s witchery! Definitely one for winter. Otherwise it lives in the cupboard with my raclette machine, fondue set and cherry pippers.

Have your tastes changed since your book Let’s Eat was first published in 2012?
I still stand by many of my opinions in there. Dover sole, for example, is still a favourite fish of mine, but it’s a real treat as it’s hard to find for less than £30.

I have a huge amount of time for turbot and john dory now too. Back in 2012 I said pollock is awfully dull. I still find it slightly boring. I know it’s sustainable but I wouldn’t eat it unless I had to.

You mention in your book that you once had to taste 30 steaks in a day. What was that for?
It was for a steak competition, Farmers Weekly perhaps. I’ve done hundreds of taste tests like that for Great Taste and so on – eating 50 cheeses has to be the worst. I’m glad to not be doing endless tastings nowadays. Tasting 30 of anything is too much. Those days are over.

In your book you ‘banish… horrific spag bol to the culinary rubbish dump’. What else belongs there, do you think?
Oh God, I wrote that years ago and I’ve grown more moderate in my views as I’ve grown older. If you want to have a spag bol, have a spag bol! It’s a very British thing, and perhaps I was being a bit harsh. But I do think those disgusting fake meats and meat substitutes are awful – I Can’t Believe It’s Not Bacon or whatever. I hate them.

Any other food aversions?
Sadly, goat’s cheese. I want to like it and I love seeing the beautiful pyramids, cylinders and logs, which I dream of eating. I’m forcing myself to try, and I’m slowly growing to like it. But to me it just tastes like licking the farmyard floor.

The subtitle of Let’s Eat is ‘Recipes From My Kitchen Notebook’. Do you have a favourite type of notebook?
I used a beautiful Florentine-style one for jotting down recipes for my book – it was a gift from the lovely [style journalist] Lucia van der Post. I usually use Moleskine notebooks for work, especially when I’m interviewing people on the road. The sturdy hardcover makes it easy to write anywhere, and the pocket at the back is perfect for storing receipts, menus and other bits and pieces. I have piles of them. And I take pens very seriously – especially fountain pens, which I absolutely love.

What special ingredients are in your storecupboard?
That South African Banhoek chilli oil stuff is fantastic. I also love Hochland cheese slices because, honestly, you can’t live without a bit of fake cheese. Shin Ramyun noodles are a favourite too, along with Buldak, the really spicy Korean ones. And of course, I always have crispy chilli oil on hand. Right now, my absolute favourite hot sauce is Susie’s Original Hot Sauce from Antigua. It hasn’t been available here for a while but it’s made a comeback!

Apart from the fool you’ve shared with us (below) what else do you use rhubarb for?
Rhubarb vodka is very good. All you need is a bit of sugar, some vodka and a sterilised bottle and you’ve got this really nice, fruity spirit. Rhubarb crumble, for me, is one of the very best crumbles, because it has that sweetness and sharpness, which is absolutely essential. Rhubarb has a lovely colour and tartness for a sorbet too, and it’s even great pickled and served with smoked fish.

Is there a local restaurant or café you like to go to?
There are two Thai restaurants I love. One is called Fitou’s in North Kensington – it’s amazing. The chef-owner specialises in both northern and southern Thai dishes, and since I’m obsessed with authentic Thai food I appreciate how properly it’s done there. I even celebrated my 50th birthday at Fitou’s, and all sorts of chefs were there – they loved it too. The other restaurant is Thai 101 Kitchen on King Street in Hammersmith. They also have a southern Thai chef and their food brings me so much joy. That kind of food just makes me happy.

The recipe

Tom Parker Bowles’s rhubarb fool
Fool: great name and beautifully simple to make – rhubarb is my favourite version. Ginger biscuits add wonderful crunch and soaking them in The King’s Ginger liqueur makes it finer still. As summer makes an appearance, use gooseberries or raspberries instead.

The recently re-released Let’s Eat: Recipes From My Kitchen Notebook by Tom Parker Bowles is out now (Pavilion Books £26).

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