The Recipe with Theo Randall

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Sami Tamimi, a chef whose food is a powerful celebration of Palestinian heritage and one of the most influential voices in Middle Eastern cuisine. From growing up in the old city of Jerusalem in the Muslim quarter to building a remarkable career in London and co-creating the Ottolenghi empire, Sami's journey is a testament to the transformative power of following your passion, embracing your roots, and cooking with purpose. After spending two decades as head chef and partner at Ottolenghi, Sami stepped away to focus on his own voice, documenting the vibrant, vegetable-forward cooking of his childhood through his stunning cookbook Bostani, which means garden in Arabic. Sami prepares his beloved Couscous Fritters with Preserved Lemon Yogurt, a deeply personal dish that takes him straight back to his childhood sitting on the floor with his siblings, spooning up bowls of his mother's simple couscous with tomato and onion. Using caramelised onions for sweetness, vibrant red pepper paste made from sun-dried fermented peppers, sweet carrots, fluffy couscous cooked like a pilaf, and a punchy yogurt dressing with preserved lemon, capers, and fresh mint, this recipe beautifully encapsulates Sami's cooking philosophy of taking humble, traditional Palestinian flavours and making them accessible, colourful, and bursting with bold taste whilst staying rooted in the soul of home cooking. Throughout the episode, Sami shares his remarkable journey from being kicked out of his mother's kitchen as a young boy to starting his cooking career at 17 washing dishes in a Jerusalem hotel, being promoted to running breakfast service after just three months because he learned so quickly, and why he was a rebellious kid who wanted to be an artist but found his creative outlet through food instead. He discusses moving to London and meeting Yotam Ottolenghi at Baker and Spice where their shared love of cooking, Arabic and Hebrew language, and being two gay guys new to the city created an unbreakable bond, creating the concept for Baker and Spice that introduced Londoners to colourful, vibrant, uncomplicated Middle Eastern food, and why opening the first Ottolenghi restaurant in Notting Hill in 2002 felt like doing the River Cafe but with a Middle Eastern twist.

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Brin Pirathapan, winner of the 20th series of MasterChef UK in what judges described as the most exceptional victory in the competition's history. A veterinary surgeon who traded the operating theatre for the kitchen, Brin is bringing the bold, vibrant flavours of his Sri Lankan Tamil heritage to a wider audience through his debut cookbook Elevate. From growing up in Chelmsford surrounded by his parents' incredible feasts to discovering his passion for cooking at university and eventually winning over fifteen past MasterChef champions with a standing ovation, Brynn's journey is a testament to the power of following your passion, embracing your heritage, and cooking with creativity and purpose. Brin prepares his beloved Jaffna Mussels, a stunning fusion dish that perfectly encapsulates who he is as a cook. Taking inspiration from the classic French moules marinière and infusing it with the aromatic spices of Jaffna in Northern Sri Lanka where his parents are from, this recipe uses black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fragrant curry leaves, roasted Sri Lankan curry powder, fresh turmeric, fenugreek, sweet tomatoes, tangy tamarind, and creamy coconut milk to create a deeply flavoured base that allows the sweetness of the mussels to shine through. Served with toasted sourdough for dipping into the rich, spiced broth, this dish beautifully represents Brin’s cooking philosophy of melting together his Tamil Sri Lankan background with French technique and his British upbringing to create food that is bold, accessible, and full of heart. Throughout the episode, Brin shares his remarkable journey from watching his parents lay on incredible feasts throughout his childhood to turning his nose up at fish curries as a kid because he had to pick out the bones, discovering his love for cooking at university when he realised the food at home was far better than anything available, and using cooking as a way to decompress after long days as a veterinary surgeon. He discusses why his wife encouraged him to apply for MasterChef after hearing him complain about work one too many times, nearly pulling out before filming because of nerves, why his anatomical knowledge from veterinary surgery gave him a technical edge when filleting fish, and how his parents kept asking if he was still going to do veterinary work until he reached the MasterChef final.

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Carlo Scotto, a chef whose cooking is driven by memory, emotion, and fearless creativity. Born and raised near Naples, Carlo began cooking as a teenager after a life-changing encounter with a judge who saw potential in a troubled young man and offered him a path to redemption through food. From his early days washing pots at the legendary Don Salvatore in Naples to mastering his craft in London's most ambitious kitchens including Murano with Angela Hartnett and La Chapelle with the Galvin brothers, Carlo's journey is a testament to the transformative power of hospitality and the enduring influence of Italian tradition. With stints in Paris and experience across Europe, Carlo has forged an extraordinary career whilst staying deeply connected to the flavours and stories of his Neapolitan roots. Carlo prepares his beloved Farfalle Pasta a La Genovese recipe, a deeply personal tribute to his late grandmother who first taught him to make pasta as a little boy. This rich, comforting dish takes the classic Neapolitan interpretation of Genovese, a slow-cooked onion sauce with origins in Genoa that arrived in Naples through the historic port trade, and elevates it with decadent bone marrow, 36-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano, and a silky onion puree made with chicken and beef stock, shallot vinegar, and fresh thyme. The handmade farfalle pasta, crafted from a unique dough taught to him by a British chef using pasta flour, semolina, six egg yolks, one whole egg, milk, and oil for elasticity, is pinched perfectly to hold the sauce whilst achieving that elusive al dente bite. This recipe beautifully encapsulates Carlo's cooking philosophy of honouring tradition whilst embracing global influences, creating dishes that are comforting yet refined, rooted in heritage yet unafraid to experiment. Throughout the episode, Carlo shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Naples surrounded by loud, passionate Sunday lunches filled with family arguments and endless conversations around the table to becoming a quiet, reserved child who found himself in trouble as a troubled teenager following a family tragedy. He opens up about the pivotal moment when a compassionate judge saw beyond his mistakes and gave him a summer job as punishment, leading him to the kitchens of Don Salvatore where he discovered his calling whilst washing pots bigger than himself. Carlo discusses the pride he took in ensuring every plate leaving the pass had no fingerprints, why Angela Hartnett's belief in him when she put him on the meat section as the youngest chef gave him the confidence to push through his mistakes, and how working across Paris and different countries taught him that excellence can come from anywhere.

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant Nargisse Benkabbo, chef, author, and one of the leading voices in modern Moroccan cuisine. From her upbringing in Brussels as the daughter of Moroccan immigrants to becoming executive chef at La Mamounia in the heart of the Marrakesh Medina, Nargisse has spent over a decade bringing a breath of fresh air to the Moroccan table. With her debut cookbook Casablanca and her latest release Madaq, alongside her residency at The Pilgrim in London, Nargisse is championing bold, accessible Moroccan flavours whilst honouring the traditions and stories behind every dish. Nargis prepares her beloved Tayb’ o’Hari Chickpea, Tuna and Egg Salad, a vibrant and contemporary twist on the humble Moroccan street food snack that has existed for generations. Using tender chickpeas cooked low and slow until soft and creamy, aromatic spices including cumin, paprika, and harissa, fresh coriander, salty olives, perfectly boiled eggs, and crispy golden potatoes, all brought together with a simple dressing of white wine vinegar and quality olive oil. This dish beautifully encapsulates Nargisse’s cooking philosophy of taking traditional Moroccan favourites and making them portable, approachable, and bursting with bold flavour whilst remaining rooted in the soul of Moroccan home cooking. Throughout the episode, Nargisse shares her remarkable journey from growing up in a traditional Moroccan household where only her mother cooked to leaving home and discovering her passion for feeding people during weekly dinners with friends in Paris, her transformative time at Leiths School of Food and Wine after leaving the corporate world, and why focusing on Moroccan cuisine became her way of staying connected to her roots. She discusses the misconceptions around Moroccan food in the UK, why hummus and tabbouleh are not Moroccan, her experience as executive chef at La Mamounia navigating traditional French-trained chefs who wanted to over-garnish her simple plating style, and why most Moroccan families use pressure cookers instead of traditional tagine pots for everyday cooking. Nargisse also opens up about her mission to showcase the fresh, vibrant, and vegetable-forward side of Moroccan cuisine that people don't know, why over 60% of the recipes in her new book are vegetarian, her dream restaurant concept Madaq which celebrates Moroccan tapas, and why using fresh spices that actually smell is the key to bold, flavourful cooking.

This Amalfi Coast cucina povera classic combines sea and land perfectly. The dish traditionally uses a local variety of squid, known as totani, but as this is not available outside of the area, use whatever squid you can find. You can use ready-cleaned calamari rings, or otherwise ask your fishmonger to clean the squid for you. Serve with lots of good, rustic bread and a cool glass of Greco di Tufo white wine, as this will immediately transport you to the sensations of the Amalfi Coast.

In this episode, Theo is joined by the brilliant John Gregory-Smith, a chef, best-selling author, and prolific content creator whose cooking is all about big flavour and food that brings people together. From launching his own spice company to traveling the world in search of the best dishes, John has built a career making global cooking accessible for the home cook. Whether he is filming three new recipes a week on his phone or researching his next cookbook, John’s journey is a testament to the power of "feeding the beast" of social media while staying rooted in authentic, bold flavours . John prepares his beloved Butter Chicken Tray-Bake, a clever, "stripped-back" twist on the North Indian Punjabi classic he first learned in Amritsar. Using chicken thighs poached in a rich sauce of ginger, garlic, Kashmiri chili, and garam masala, and finished with cream, butter, and the all-important "takeaway vibe" of scrunched fenugreek leaves, this dish beautifully encapsulates John’s cooking philosophy of maximum flavour with minimum effort. It is a recipe designed to be easy enough for a Wednesday night but delicious enough to serve to guests on the weekend . Throughout the episode, John shares his remarkable journey from his early days in London, where his sister’s drunken encounter in a bar led to a job at Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road, to the "nightmare" logistics of running his own spice brand during a recession . He discusses the "Q-Mafia" traditions of his large, close-knit family and their legendary Sunday night curries, explaining how being the shortest and youngest cousin originally motivated him to start cooking so he could get to the food first . He also opens up about "fleeing his problems" to travel across Asia and the Middle East, a trip fuelled by a "complete lie" about book research that eventually became his very first publication . John also explores his obsession with "hanging out with old ladies" to learn intuitive, traditional recipes in places like Azerbaijan and Lebanon, contrasting these deep culinary dives with the reality of writing a tray-bake book in a high-pressure three-month sprint . From shocking Theo with his refusal to salt his pasta water to admitting his love for watching Below Deck when he’s too tired to cook, John offers a refreshingly honest look at the life of a modern food creator .