The Pepperpot Diaries: Stories From My Caribbean Table

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Recovery was supposed to take six months. Andi gave herself six weeks, her only concession was a little room with a bed, duvet and fridge, created for her on the set of the Great British Menu in case she needed to retreat from filming for an hour or two. Stir together the coating ingredients in a bowl, then toss the aubergine pieces in the mixture until they are evenly coated all over. Oliver, an award-winning TV chef and broadcaster, appears regularly on TV as the host of the BBC’s “Great British Menu”, “Sky Arts Live Book Club”, Channel 4’s "Beat the Chef” and “Food Unwrapped”. She is also a contributing chef and host on the BBC’s “Saturday Kitchen”.

To make the topping, melt the butter and oil together in a wide frying pan. Add the garlic and very gently soften over a low heat for around 4 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and stir them through the oil. Toast for few minutes, then remove from the heat.

Multibuys

There’s something about garnering success as you get older that means you’re ready for it,’ she says. ‘I feel a lot of things would have been overwhelming when I was younger.’ little Caribbean seasoning peppers (about 20g/¾ oz), or a mix of red, yellow, and/or green mini sweet peppers

Toss the fried aubergine in half of the orange, ginger, and chilli syrup (keeping the rest in a sealed container in the fridge for other recipes) and serve it up. Milner said: “I’ve longed to publish the one and only Andi Oliver for so many years. Her love of food is infectious and leaps out at you through her writing – this is truly a dream come true for me. I’m so grateful to Andi, Jess and their whole team for trusting me with this, her first ever cookbook, and I’m determined to make sure that it finds a place in every enthusiastic cook’s home. The Pepperpot Diaries will be a giant of a cookbook.” Put the prawns in a medium bowl and add all the marinade ingredients. Mix well and rub the marinade into the prawns with your hands so that all the prawns are well coated. Refrigerate and leave to marinate for about 20 minutes. I was in a terrible state with ten fibroids, it was like I’d been walking around five months pregnant for a couple of years,’ she remembers. ‘The operation was an exercise in surrender, which is not characteristic of me, but I think the things you find hardest are the things you learn most from in the end. Immediately afterwards Miquita said: “Come here, Mummy”, and I went to stay with her, and she made me healing teas from a hanging herb garden on her balcony. Then my cousin moved in for two months as I couldn’t drive. I felt very loved. These are the circumstances where you find out a lot about the people around you.’To make the purée, soak the raisins in the rum for at least an hour. Blend to a purée in a food processor, then scrape into a bowl and set aside. Wash and dry the food processor for the next step.

Discover a fascinating story of food that delves into the melting pot of cultural influences, history and rich ancestry that has uniquely shaped traditional and contemporary Caribbean cooking. Before they talk, DJs spin some of Andi Oliver's favourite music in the Queen Elizabeth Hall Foyer, where you can also buy some of her very own food and drink recipes from The Pepperpot Diaries. Leave to cool, then transfer to a sealed jar or container and store in the fridge to use as needed. The chutney should keep well for 3–4 weeks. Remove from the oven, remove the beans and paper and let cool slightly. Leave the oven on at the same temperature. Meanwhile, make the frangipane by beating the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy either in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or using an electric hand whisk. Beat in the eggs one by one. Add the almond essence, then beat in the ground almonds. Finally, fold in the flour.

Essential kit

Award-winning TV chef and broadcaster Andi Oliver has written her first ever cookbook The Pepperpot Diaries for DK. Showcasing both traditional and new recipes, cherished ingredients and vibrant flavours from across the Caribbean, let Andi Oliver take you on an exploration of identity and heritage as she shows you how to create simple yet sensational dishes that will bring the unbeatable flavours of Caribbean cooking to your table. The story of food captured in this book will take readers on a journey around the melting pot of cultural influences, history and heritage that has uniquely shaped traditional and contemporary Caribbean cuisine. Put all the biscuits (ginger snaps and Hobnobs) in a sealable food bag and bash them up to fine crumbs using a rolling pin or similar. Getting old is not for sissies,’ she sighs, ‘but what’s the alternative? It’s not a good one. I’m always amazed to have survived another year…’ And then she starts to laugh because, right now, in the run-up to her 60th birthday (‘my jubilee as I like to think of it’), she is having the time of her life.