Muddy Stilettos


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="512" height="768" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prue.png" alt="Prue Leith Life’s Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom," class="wp-image-100999" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prue.png 512w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prue-400x600.png 400w" sizes="(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Prue Leith. Credit: The Quarto Group</figcaption></figure>



<p>Prue Leith is as legendary in the kitchen as she is on our screens. As a judge on <em>The Great British Bake Off</em> – it&#8217;s the final this week – she’s become everyone’s favourite straight-talker, but there’s so much more to this culinary icon. A Michelin-starred chef with a glittering CV that includes catering for <em>The Beatles</em> and <em>The Rolling Stones</em>, founding Leith’s School of Food and Wine, and authoring novels, memoirs, and countless cookbooks.</p>



<p>Her latest cookbook, <em>Life’s Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom</em>, is a love letter to simple, faff-free cooking – because, honestly, who has time for faff? It’s loaded with fool-proof recipes, kitchen hacks, and even QR codes for video demos. We caught up with her to talk culinary wisdom, food fails, and what’s in her fridge at 2am. Spoiler: it’s not a stuffed mushroom.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="493" height="768" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prue2.jpg" alt="Prue Leith, author of Life’s Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom" class="wp-image-101002" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prue2.jpg 493w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/prue2-385x600.jpg 385w" sizes="(max-width: 493px) 100vw, 493px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Prue Leith. Credit: The Quarto Group</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-women-inspire-you">Which women inspire you?</h2>



<p>Oh, so many! Dame Harriet Walter for her gorgeous reimagining of Shakespeare’s women in <em>She Speaks</em> – funny, informative, and empowering. Sandi Toksvig for her intelligent campaigning for women, and Joanna Lumley for her <em>Silk Road</em> series, which inspired me to visit Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Multi-talented, witty, and brilliant, all of them.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-career-highlight">What’s your career highlight?</h2>



<p>Definitely the Fourth Plinth project in Trafalgar Square. I was determined to fill that empty plinth! It took five years of campaigning with my committee at the Royal Society of Arts, but we did it. Now it’s a showcase for contemporary art. Every time I see it, I feel a little burst of pride.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ever-cooked-for-any-celebs">Ever cooked for any celebs?</h2>



<p>Loads! My restaurant in the Seventies and Eighties was the place to be. I’ve cooked for most of the Royals, Elton John, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Alec Guinness… the list goes on. They all loved my food – at least, I hope they did!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-biggest-mistake-you-ve-made-in-the-kitchen">What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in the kitchen?</h2>



<p>Once, while cooking for 300 at Vintners Hall, I mistakenly thawed beetroot puree instead of raspberry for the vanilla ice cream. I added sugar and lemon juice, used it anyway, and guess what? Nobody noticed!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-chef-and-why">Favourite chef and why?</h2>



<p></p>



<p>Albert Roux. He was a wonderful mentor. Once, when my restaurant only had nine customers, I called him in a panic. He told me not to worry. His Le Gavroche only had three diners that night. Later, I discovered they were packed. He just wanted to cheer me up.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-go-to-meal-when-you-re-hungry-and-tired">What’s your go-to meal when you’re hungry and tired?</h2>



<p>Greek yogurt straight from the pot with honey and almonds. These days, my husband John Playfair makes the yogurt, and I eat it out of a bowl – more ladylike! And if I’m feeling naughty, Lumi Salted Pretzel chocolate bars are my ultimate guilty pleasure.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-best-dish-for-a-date-night">What’s the best dish for a date night?</h2>



<p>Anything that shows heart. My husband wooed me with haggis, neeps, and tatties smothered in tomato sauce. I married him!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-all-time-favourite-cookbooks">All-time favourite cookbooks?</h2>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="767" height="767" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Blue_Cook_Book.jpg" alt="The River Cafe Cook Book" class="wp-image-101566" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Blue_Cook_Book.jpg 767w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Blue_Cook_Book-600x600.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Blue_Cook_Book-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Blue_Cook_Book-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px" /></figure></div>


<p>Ruth Rogers’ <em>The River Café Cookbook</em> and Ottolenghi’s <em>Nopi</em> are fantastic. But the one I use most is <em>Leith’s Cookery Bible</em>. And, of course, my new book <em>Life’s Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom</em>. It’s full of recipes I adore and shortcuts I swear by.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-favourite-type-of-cuisine">Favourite type of cuisine?</h2>



<p>Middle Eastern. I love the gentle spicing and focus on veggies and pulses. It’s delicious without blowing your head off with chilli!</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-best-kitchen-gadget">Best kitchen gadget?</h2>



<p>My 40-year-old Thermomix. It chops, grates, cooks, and even grinds bones! It’s a beast, and I couldn’t live without it. They offered me the latest model, but I’m sticking with my trusty original.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-underrated-ingredient">Most underrated ingredient?</h2>



<p>Anchovy essence! It’s hard to find but packs an umami punch in everything from stews to pasta sauces. It’s been used since Roman times for good reason.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-favourite-local-foodie-spot">What’s your favourite local foodie spot?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1360" height="907" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2023-04-14.jpg" alt="The Fox Broadwell pub Cotswolds" class="wp-image-101567" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2023-04-14.jpg 1360w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2023-04-14-600x400.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/2023-04-14-1000x667.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 1360px) 100vw, 1360px" /></figure>



<p><a href="https://www.thefoxbroadwell.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Fox Inn at Broadwell</a>. It’s a proper old-fashioned pub with egg and chips on the menu, refreshingly simple compared to the gastro-food overload in some Cotswold pubs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-top-cooking-mantra">What’s your top cooking mantra?</h2>



<p>Enjoy it! Better to make perfect scrambled eggs than stress yourself out trying to replicate a three-star Michelin meal.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-dishes-every-home-cook-should-master">What are the dishes every home cook should master?</h2>



<p>Every school child should learn 10 basics: Shepherd’s Pie, Spag Bol, Pizza, Curry, Salad Nicoise, Omelette, Quiche, Ratatouille, Trifle, and Apple Pie. These recipes will make you a hit at uni and set you up for life!</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1950" height="2560" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FINAL-PRUE-LEITH-COVER-002-2-1-scaled.jpg" alt="Life’s Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom by Prue Leith is out now " class="wp-image-101003" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FINAL-PRUE-LEITH-COVER-002-2-1-scaled.jpg 1950w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FINAL-PRUE-LEITH-COVER-002-2-1-457x600.jpg 457w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FINAL-PRUE-LEITH-COVER-002-2-1-762x1000.jpg 762w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FINAL-PRUE-LEITH-COVER-002-2-1-1170x1536.jpg 1170w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FINAL-PRUE-LEITH-COVER-002-2-1-1560x2048.jpg 1560w" sizes="(max-width: 1950px) 100vw, 1950px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image: The Quarto Group</figcaption></figure>



<p><em><strong>Prue’s new cookbook, Life’s Too Short to Stuff a Mushroom, is out now</strong>. <strong>Get your copy <a href="https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/life-s-too-short-to-stuff-a-mushroom-really-good-food-without-the-fuss-prue-leith/7646318?ean=9780711292505">here.</a></strong></em></p>


From Bake Off to kitchen hacks: Prue Leith dishes on stars, art and lazy food

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