The Pepperpot Diaries: Stories From My Caribbean Table

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When you have a pile of cooked breads, tumble the chana dal on top and serve topped with tamarind chutney, hot sauce, and a cucumber relish… divine. Top and skirt, Kitty Joseph; earrings, And Other Stories; ring and bracelets, Bukonla Crown; glasses, Black Eyewear; glasses chain, Frame Chain; shoes, Karen Millen. I love a second-day pot of curry, and this recipe is no exception – if you make a big enough pot it will see you through a couple of dinners in the middle of the week.

The Pepperpot Diaries came about when Oliver was stranded in Antigua for three months during the pandemic (“How awful! Andi Oliver is the award-winning chef and broadcaster you will recognise as the host of BBC’s Great British Menu, Sky Arts Live Book Club, Channel 4’s Beat the Chef and Food Unwrapped, and a contributing chef and host of BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. Oliver shares her favourite recipes, guaranteed to bring the delicious flavours of Caribbean food to your table, plus plenty of tales from her colourful career in food, music and TV. 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.In conversation with her daughter, TV presenter Miquita Oliver, Andi reveals the deeply personal journey of writing her first cookbook, reconnecting with the food she grew up eating, and the vibrant flavours and cherished ingredients that speak to her Antiguan British and broader Caribbean heritage and run through her heart and soul. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain any excess oil.

Food became a scary thing, and it kind of broke my heart – this thing that had been beauty and artistry and love. Puffy bara flatbread with the rich, curry-seasoned chana, zingy cucumber relish and a final punch of tamarind chutney and glorious hot sauce. Form the dough into a ball with your hands, wrap it in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 2 hours.Add the vinegar, sugar, cumin seeds, peppercorns, bay leaf, and 3 1/2 tablespoons of water to a medium saucepan. Combine that with the lemon zest in the barbecue spice rub, and it brings that extra bit of something special to a barbecue. And she’s confident we’ll see more Caribbean flavours in cooking, such as tamarind, already the secret ingredient of HP sauce. 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.

Mix together the diced mango and remaining lime zest and serve a little spoon of this alongside slices of cheesecake, or pile it on top of the cheesecake as well.

To make the bara dough, combine the split pea or chickpea flour, plain flour, baking powder, salt, cumin, curry powder, garlic, black pepper, and chilli in a large mixing bowl. Her career took shape only after she mended her relationship with food: “It was like meeting an old friend, meeting myself again,” she says. Perfect for: lovers of Caribbean food looking for simple, flavour-packed recipes to expand their repertoire. Oliver first rose to fame fronting the band Rip Rig + Panic with Neneh Cherry in 1981, before going on to establish a career in TV.