Lorraine Pascale’s model kitchen
Career chameleon Lorraine Pascale’s latest guise sees her judging Sky Living’s new cookery competition, My Kitchen Rules, with Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton. The model cook tells Keeley Bolger about coping with criticism, her favourite dishes and the secret of dinner party success
Lorraine Pascale knows a fair few things about criticism. The model-turned-TV chef was once, of all things, accused of breaking a customer’s pearly whites with a vanilla cupcake sold in her shop, The Cupcake Bakehouse, in central London.
But the 41-year-old wasn’t about to give up because of one disgruntled punter.
“I thought, ‘You need to get your teeth sorted if they break after eating frosting on a cupcake’,” she says, smiling.
“People have said things about my food and my books, but it’s all about not believing the good and not believing the bad and staying in the middle,” adds Pascale, who has a teenage daughter, Ella, and dipped her toe in hypnotherapy and car mechanics before eventually pursuing a food career.
These words may prove some comfort to the contestants in Pascale’s new Sky Living cooking competition, My Kitchen Rules.
The 10-part series will see Pascale and Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton judge dishes made by six pairs of amateur cooks in their own homes, with the winning couple scooping a £25k prize.
Pascale, known for her BBC Two cookery shows like Baking Made Easy and Home Cooking Made Easy, is adamant that she and Atherton should remain objective and not allow emotions to get the better of them.
“It’s about being constructive,” says the famous foodie, of judging the six pairs of contestants who’ll be representing different UK regions.
“As a viewer, you’ll see if something doesn’t look good, so if we’re saying, ‘Oh, that looks nice’, you’d be at home saying, ‘Well, it doesn’t from where I’m sitting!’
“It’s just about being honest, not being unnecessarily harsh and giving the contestants feedback that they can hopefully take away and use.”
To impress Pascale, she likes her grub to have a “lot of texture, taste and a sense of theatre when it’s presented”.
And there’s one meal she especially loves to eat with her family and friends: “I do like a medium-cooked steak with bearnaise sauce and chunky chips.”
While it remains to be seen if any of the contestants manage the Holy Grail of impressing both Atherton and Pascale, the former model was chuffed to learn some unexpected advice from one of the budding foodie pairs.
“There was a couple from Liverpool who were young, talented and funny,” she recalls happily. “They showed me how to make your hair really big, which they achieve by putting their heads down and using lots of hairspray.”
Despite not throwing too many “lavish dinner parties” herself, Pascale has a grounded approach to dining success, and it doesn’t just lie in the perfect ‘mane’.
“If someone’s cooking for me, I just eat it,” she says. “I don’t criticise or judge. It’s not all about the food. It’s about connecting and talking to people.”
If you fancy a shot at cooking victory, try this delicious recipe, taken from Pascale’s latest book, A Lighter Way To Bake.
BAKED STORE-CUPBOARD CHICKEN WITH LIME, HONEY & SOY
(Serves 4)
8 chicken pieces, skin removed (drumsticks, thighs or a mixture of the two)
8 garlic cloves, peeled and gently crushed
1tsp chilli powder
Leaves from 3-4 sprigs of thyme
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few mint leaves
For the glaze:
3tbsp honey
1tsp English mustard powder
½tsp soy sauce
½tsp Worcestershire sauce
Zest of 1 lime
For the sauce:
300ml chicken stock
2tsp cornflour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220C (Fan 200C/gas mark 7).
Toss the chicken pieces on a large roasting tray with the garlic, chilli powder, thyme, lime juice and salt and pepper. Lay them out in a single layer and pop them into the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the honey, mustard powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lime zest in a small bowl to give a sticky glaze.
Once the chicken has been cooking for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and brush over half of the glaze. Then brush over the remaining glaze after another 10 minutes of cooking. Pop it back into the oven for the remaining 5 minutes, or until the chicken is piping hot in the centre and cooked through.
Remove from the oven, transfer the pieces to a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Put the roasting tray on a high heat on the hob. Pour in all but about three tablespoons of the chicken stock, stirring all the time and scraping up any yumminess from the bottom of the tray. Blend the cornflour with the remaining stock to give a smooth liquid and pour this into the tray, stirring constantly.
Let this bubble away for two to three minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened. The sauce may have a few lumps, which you can just sieve out before serving. Season to taste and remove from the heat.
Serve two pieces of chicken per person with a little sauce poured over and a scattering of mint leaves on top. This is delicious served with some brown rice and vegetables.
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