Red Red, Croissants and Farmer J's with Paapa Essiedu
And a pumpkin and bean soup to write home about
I’ve got some very cookable recipes coming up for you in November, kicking off with this week’s Pumpkin and Bean Soup. It’s made with my new favourite bean: the glamorous rosecoco (AKA borlotti). The Interview this month is with actor Paapa Essiedu, a man of great talents and strong food opinions. I hope, like me, you will enjoy hearing about his pre-stage eating routine, go-to train carriage meal, and childhood favourite…
Rosecoco beans are my current favourite beans. They are simply borlotti beans by another, more charming name, and are available for £4.50 for 2kg. Very appealing to me and my maternity pay packet. I’m also currently trying to find more easy meals that are nutritious, and this meets the criteria of healthy comfort food quite nicely. I pair the rosecoco beans and their satisfying texture with the season’s most popular vegetable: pumpkin.
I’ve written before about how in general my enthusiasm for orange vegetables is not great, but at this time of year it’s hard not to get swept up in pumpkin fever. Here I’ve used a red kuri pumpkin I picked up from the supermarket, but you could use squash or whatever pumpkin you’ve got to hand (including leftover carving pumpkin – just wash it and roast it for a little longer, as they can be watery). I know eating pumpkin skin is not popular, but the red kuri’s pumpkin skin really is very enjoyable. I love what the intensity of the anchovies and the subtle spicing do to bring the beans and squash alive in this soup. I hope you’ll enjoy it, too. Find the recipe below The Interview!
Paapa Essiedu is a theatre, TV and film actor who you may have seen in I May Destroy You, and this year’s excellent The Outrun (currently in cinemas) among other hits which you should seek out! This year Paapa has also been playing Delroy in Death of England, a one-man stage play. Those who have seen his work will know he’s brilliant in everything he does. I was thrilled to talk to Paapa about queueing for croissants, childhood food memories, aeroplane food, and more…