Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - S13 Ep 1: James Nesbitt

Episode Date: February 23, 2022

And just like that, we are BACK! LIVE from my new kitchen, finally - Clapham, we’re out, New Cross, we’re in!And what better way to kick off the series than to spend a tequila- fuelled afternoon with today’s guest James Nesbitt (this may become a habit in this series, just call me José).Mum and I are huge fans of James, so we’re thrilled to finally have him join us for Jamie oliver’s trusted pulled chilli brisket, a ‘moist’ clementine cake and a good old chin wag.We talk about sea swimming, bacon pasta, what makes the best fry up, the secret behind James’ mash potato, growing up in Northern Ireland & not getting food in your eyebrows!! What a delight this was. If you haven’t already, make sure you watch James’ latest series ‘Stay Close’ on Netflix - well worth a watch!Raise your tequila shots to another fabulous series! X Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners. I'm Jessie Ware and we are back with a bag and a new kitchen. Oh thank god for that. You do seem rather relaxed today mother. How relaxed am I? Because I haven't slept. I have to say I have pulled my weight. You have and I appreciate you. I brought stuff over. You did and I really appreciate you but I know that you're looking forward to the fact that you don't have to wash up I'm looking forward to all of that just sitting relaxing oh good I'm so glad I'm thrilled to be back me too we have so much to look forward to we have two tours we're doing the UK tour what in April May end of April beginning of May that's the UK and we're going to mid-April we're going to Hollywood so that's what four nights in Hollywood so yeah we've got but really we've also got to just carry on the podcast of cooking and we are Mid-April, we're going to Hollywood. So that's what, four nights in Hollywood.

But really, we've also got to just carry on the podcast of cooking. And we are cooking in my house for the first time in forever. The first time doing a podcast in my new house. Yeah. New Cross, you're not ready for the guests, the calibre of guests we've got lined up. So today I've done the cooking and I have actually done the same meal that I did on New Year's Eve I had a soiree at my house on New Year's Eve and I did Mexican and I think I've done this chili brisket before actually I think I did it for Cheryl and I think I did a version of this for Kiefer Sutherland for brunch, but I added like a bourbon thing.

This is actually, it's Jamie Oliver's chili brisket and it's really good and you can do it the day before. And now my butchers think I am a huge brisket lover, which actually I am. It's so easy. It's really good. And it's quite cheap buying brisket, isn't it? I mean, not that we're doing being cheap, but it's good value

yeah it is actually for what it was like 17 quid that's cheap is it for beef yeah okay anyway it's really delicious we're going to serve it with mum's onion rice obviously and I've done this Tomasina Myers black bean and mango and jalapeno uh coriander red onion salad which i really like the dressing is lime juice and it's also olive oil garlic and cumin seeds which the cumin seeds are really good in it so that's something we're doing i haven't faffed with the child corn on the cob because i set the alarm off last time my child's sleeping and then what else are we doing with it that's it oh no but what i'm going to start off with so when i was having my mexican themed soiree i asked people what tequilas they liked because i actually don't really know i'm quite new to this kind of margarita world

and tequila and i've had quite a bad experience with tequila that sombrero one was probably why um i've got that at home yeah i don't know whether you can cook yeah cooking yeah so i got loads of amazing recommendations from people and which kind of set off a load of tequila companies sending me loads of booze now i have oprah winfrey's favorite tequila here but we we're not going to do Oprah's. Why? Comes in 80 quid a pop. Have you got bottle? Casa Dragones. We should auction it. Oh, my bloody hell.

For charity. Okay. Anyway, no, what I've gone for, local, south-east, maybe, I think they're south-east, south-east London duo. Bloody hell, how many Mexicans are there in south-east London? I don't think they're Mexican,

much like I don't think they're Mexican much like I don't think Rita Ora's Mexican with her Prospero or maybe Kendall Jenner's Mexican with her or George Clooney with his Casar Amigos which everyone did say was very good he does make that in Mexico oh yeah he's working really hard isn't he making squeezing the limes and yeah when he's sitting in Cabo San Lucas looking out anyway so I thought to opt for this as an aperitif. I don't know whether this guest is going to like it. I've got a feeling he's going to be up for it. It's called El Rayo and it's a tequila that you have.

They recommend having it with tonic and a slice of grapefruit juice. So a bit like a kind of zhuzhed up gin and tonic. What do you mean the slice of grapefruit juice? No, sorry, slice of grapefruit juice no oh sorry slice of grapefruit okay um sorry grapefruit so do you suck it and then you shoot it down all right no like like you do with the lime and the salt no i think that's just what we used to do i don't think anybody does that anymore you do you put salt on your hand i. Lick the salt, suck the lime. Coco Bongos, Cancun, circa, you know, 2003. Oh, I thought that's what everyone did.

Yeah, no, I know that. But I actually don't know other people have it like that anymore. Anyway, this is kind of, it's tequila with tonic and a slice of grapefruit. I thought it'd be quite a nice little aperitif. What do you think? I think it'd be great on a Friday afternoon. Yeah, it's Friday. And I've done three days off the drinking.

So I thought, why not come back with a big old celebratory bang and so who we've got i'm so excited james nesbitt who we've wanted for ages i did a unicef soccer aid um event with him and he was really good fun as you expect if you've watched cold feet i mean have you watched the new one well yeah oh wow it is like page turner well that's because it's harlan coburn it's on netflix it's called stay close and i think it's at the door but i don't know um kush gumbo lover and eddie eddie is hard sarah parish sarah parish who's just very beautiful i actually have loved richardmitage since Spooks. You can't stop watching it. I haven't finished it.

Mum has. Couldn't put it down. The door has just gone. James Nesbitt on Tegnus. James, Jimmy, thanks for being here. Thank you very much. What should we call you? James, Jimmy, Jim, just call me. Yeah, Jimmy, thanks for being here. Thank you very much. What should we call you? James, Jimmy, Jim, just call me.

Yeah, Jimmy, I think. Well, honestly, this is such a treat. We've wanted you on for so long. Desperate. And you didn't say that to Stanley or anyone like that? No, not at all. We've never said desperate ever. We didn't really want Stanley to.

No, no, we didn't. We just said, well, we'll have him instead of James Despert. But also, I'm local, as you know. Well, I thought this was quite convenient. So we weren't going to do it at mum's. And that's in Clapham, is it? Yeah, you're in Clapham. Fancy.

I just thought, I just, you know. Do you a favour, but then I didn't realise you were in bloody... Well, I was in town today. Yeah, I know. But no, it means I haven't long to go home because I'll certainly not be driving no you absolutely won't and we started with an El Rayo

tequila, tonic and grapefruit and actually I like it it tastes a bit like gin and tonic yeah but it's tequila mother but what's the difference darling well they're completely different spirits I know they are but why I think you're saying that because you can taste the tonic.

Yeah. I mean, I like the tequila. I mean, tequila I really like on... Because I don't drink a lot of money spirits, to tell you the truth. I'm too busy drinking wine. But I love tequila on ice. Yes. Just on its own on ice.

I really love that. Which tequila do you like? Whatever one they kind of have. No, and it's funny because I mean there's so many obviously there's so many people because tequila's very well it's a bit like gin

gin's very easy to make isn't it but like so many people have taken up their own tequila companies like Clooney sold his my daughter's boyfriend Barney

shout out to Barney my daughter Peggy and Mary Peggy and Mary love this show love it anyway but he was he was developing

a tequila brand himself oh Barney Barney do we like Barney we love Barney how long's Barney been Barney's been on the scene for a while

and he's he's not going anywhere I never had a son he's become like he's brilliant he's not going anywhere I'm keeping him fine

whatever happens with him and Peggy I'm keeping him no he's great but he was he was started to develop a tequila brand he's not doing that now but it's he's great but he was started to develop a tequila brand

he's not doing that now but it's he went out there he went out to Mexico and met all the farmers or all the the harvesters that should be the new gap here

that they go I'm just developing a tequila so what's tequila made from then is it the guava guava is that it agave

agave agave agave yeah yeah well these guys are South London El Rayo are South London. El Rayo is South London, which I don't... I like it. It's good, isn't it?

No, his was going to be great, but... Yeah, I've always... It seems to be the thing to do now. Lee Westwood's got a whiskey, I know. Shane Warren's got a gin. Would you do one? In a heartbeat. What would you do, though?

I'd love to see. I'd love to do wine. Every bugger's doing wine. My best mate, Alan Horton, I've got three best mates I grew up with from school, 45 years ago when I moved to Newtown when I was 11. And the four of us have been best friends ever since. It's amazing, actually.

But Al and I want to buy somewhere in spain and somewhere kind of rural spain away from kind of you know brits and irish and all that kind of and he found one recently uh uh in andalusia i think but uh and had its own vineyard but a working vineyard and it wasn't that much money and so i don't know we just didn't get we didn't get a chance to go out there and look at it and buy and then it had gone but i mean just the idea of two old irishmen kind of with with help kind of making their own wine what's your favorite wine my favorite wine is probably a mercer like a really good white burger yeah yeah i had a good white burgundy the other day and i was like oh this is heaven yeah i mean that's great i, it's great. I mean, if you get the Meursaults and all that, they're brilliant.

But you know, you can get really good. There was a fantastic wine that got me through lockdown and then on all my mates in wherever they were. It was called, it was from Asda.

It was called Limo. Oh, Limo is gorgeous. L-I-M-O-U-X. But it was not expensive at all. But I mean, wherever my mates were living, those Asda's kind of sold out. Are they still selling it? They're not.

I was in the other day, because it's so hard to get these things, man. Oh, bugger. You bloody... Look on the way. Let them dry. But it's a nightmare trying to get things. I was in...

I've just come back from Portrush this morning, and it's crazy, the supermarket. It's just the amount of... The lack of things, clearly with bregs and whatever. And it's crazy, the supermarkets, you know, just the amount of, the lack of things, you know, clearly with Brexit and whatever. There's no fruit on the table. It's horrendous. But, you know, what I love about some of the supermarkets

is that they do really good wines. There's a great one in Sainsbury's called Catenia, which is really good, not that expensive. You should have a wine club. Like an affordable wine club. That's a good idea. Dude, you should have a wine club yes like an affordable wine club that's a good idea dude you should but I'm not on social media

really well maybe you could just come on regularly and give us recommendations on the podcast yeah for wine there's a brilliant one

in St. Elizabeth it's kind of it could be our sommelier so the Mo was a Shannon Blanc which was really very good it was a Shannon mixed with a Chardonnay

and that was only £6.99 I mean it was unbelievable yeah and then there's a thing in Sainsbury's called Catena C-A-T-E-N-A which is about tanner and it's sensational Where's that from?

Catena? It sounds Spanish but I actually think it's a French wine But I like the cost of your pricing of your, they're affordable. I've gone full into these bloody... Jesse buys all this shit in red and yellow.

No, I do. But I spend... Where do you go locally? Where's your, like, wine price? Oh, I go to Bruno on Lordship Lane. Oh, which one? Do you know Bruno's Cave on Lordship Lane? No.

Oh, he's a French guy. And it's good. He's sensational. Yeah. He's, oh God, you must go there. And you know, Lord Shipley, when I first moved, so when Sonia and I, my ex-wife and I, got married in 94, and I just started acting and she had just started acting.

We didn't have much money, but her father was very kind and he helped us out to put a deposit. And we'd always lived in North London, because I went to drama school in Central, up in Swiss College. Then I lived in... At that stage, I then lived, funnily enough, in Sandringham Road in Dalston. Oh, I lived parallel to you.

Yeah, I was Alvington Crescent. It was the one next door. Well, because I lived there with Jerome Flynn and Steve Waddington. Okay, we need to know about that Sandringham house. What were you eating and drinking? Or were you eating and drinking? We used to go to a pub called The George. Oh, yeah, it's really good.

Did it do roast potatoes then? It was fantastic, brilliant place. But it was kind of the lost year. Because I think I'd split, Sonia and I, I think I'd split up. We weren't together, but I lived with Jerome and Steve Waddington now Steve Waddington is an actor who you would know, he was in things like

I mean he was unbelievable, he was from Leeds he started off at Royal Shakespeare Company playing kind of sort of a you know spear cower and then Derek Jarman saw him in something and Derek Jarman was doing a film of Edward II

and he wanted everyone to be red haired this is him here he was in he was in Last of the Mohicans he was the he was the main rival

to Daniel Day-Lewis in Last of the Mohicans he was the English officer oh yeah I know him he's burned he's burned at the end of Last of the Mohicans he usually is a baddie

no he's done he's done loads of things but anyway so he was doing great board sorry we don't objectify great board He usually is a baddie. No, he's done loads of things. But anyway, so he was doing... Great bod. Sorry. We don't objectify. Great bod with actually many tattoos.

He's got a tattoo of... I haven't seen Steve in ages, but he used to have tattoos of the girls he went out with. Oh, bloody hell. That's dangerous. How many arms were full? There was an arm full. Okay.

No, but he... Derek Jarman cast him and he was spotted in that and so he was

Michael Mann offered him he did a couple of other things but Michael Mann offered him the main rival to

Daniel Day-Lewis in Last of the Mohicans and while he was filming that Jane Campion flew out to meet him. She was doing the piano, and I think Michael Mann had told her about this amazing guy.

Because he's real animalistic, very funny, but brilliant. I mean, he's a big Leeds lad, but he's very talented. He can do lots of accents. He's got a huge range. And so Jane Campion offered him Harvey Keitel's part in the piano. And Steve turned it down because he was homesick for leads. Oh my god. Anyway, so we were living... Big mistake. By this stage I was living with him and Jerome on Sandringham Road. Sandringham Road was kind of front line type you know and we

were living there together in this house. Was this pre-unclaimed? Pre-marriage. No, it was just, it was during Soldier Soldier. Oh, okay, so. So it was just coming up. I mean, and actually, while we were living there, Jerome and Robson sang Unchained Melody in that, and then Simon Cole offered them the deal. And Jerome came to Steve Wad, I call him Waddenly, and said, do you think I should do it?

And Wad and I both bet him 100 quid that it would go to number one. And he said, no, I can't do it. It's like selling out, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, the rest is history. He did that. He did it wrong. I mean, it's mad.

But anyway, so Steve, we went to see the piano at the Rio in Dalston. I love that place. And we went to a matinee. And there was no one else in there, apart from the three of us. And Steve sat between us. Now, bear in in mind he turned down Harvey Keitel's part. And when it got to the bit where Harvey Keitel seduces Holly Hunter in it,

I mean, you could already see him thinking, why did I turn this down? And when it got to that bit, he just grabbed both our hands and went, no! He also then went on to do a remake of Tarzan. And he was playing, I suppose the English kind of, I don't know what he was playing. He was playing someone in, anyway. I don't think it was his finest art. I don't think many saw that particular remake.

But he was in the, if I remember in some Central American jungle or somewhere, I can't remember. But he phoned us one day, and this was before mobiles really. And he was on a sat phone and Jerome was upstairs, I was downstairs. And he was on a sat phone, and Jerome was upstairs, I was downstairs, and we both picked up the phone. They went, hi, it's Steve. I'm on a sat phone.

I've got to say over at the end of every sentence, over. And we went, all right, over. And he went, my career's over, over. What's he doing now? Oh, he's doing loads now. He's in the new Spider-Man. But I haven't seen him in years. But anyway, so I lived with him. And then Sonia and I got married.

And we decided we wanted to... So we'd always lived kind of north of Rees. She also went to Drama Centre and lived up there. But someone had recommended East Dunwich. So this is 1994, as I say. So we went down. And I just loved it. It was great. Now, there wasn't much on Lord Shipley and there was like one pub it was called the Lord Palmerston there and then became the Palmerston where I probably lived for years when Jamie Younger ran I haven't

been there since there was a phone out between him and the people and I haven't walked in oh no well well Jamie left the Palmerston he's a fantastic person he's now got Beggingbong oh I love the Beggingbong which is amazing oh no Jamie's great and it was and the Palmerston I really particularly when I came back

from New Zealand and I was separated at that stage I used to go to all the time fantastic food great people and then

you used to go to East Dulles Tavern oh yeah I used to go there a lot I mean you used to be spotted by all my friends because I was I started Alleynes

in what 96 and so when did Coalfeet happen about then so like I mean you used to be spotted by all my friends because I started Alleynes in what, 96 and so when did Coalfield happen? About then Rachel Davidson worked there Oh yes But what's funny is when we came to Lord Shipley and East Dulwich

there was the Palmerston there was the East Dulwich Tavern the Cheese Block. The Franklin's has been there. The Franklin's has been there a long time. But then so much has changed, in a good way, but there's still a lot of the independent business out there. Oh, you still run there? Yeah, I'm in Peckham now. Sonia's in, she's still kind of over in the Dalish area, and I'm in Peckham, Camberwell.

But Bruno used to work in, I think in Oddbins. That may be wrong, but then he wanted to set up his own place. But it's a fantastic, wonderful little French cellar selling amazing wines. Some, you know, some of them... Just who need to go.

No, I know, but I like that, so, I mean, you probably spend a bit more with Bruno. No, no, but honestly, no, you can get really... Oh, no, he does. I mean, he's... It's a superb

one of them, and he's so involved and engages with everyone, and you know, he'll always find the right wine for the right price. So, I want to know, were you born in obviously Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland. Which bit? Well, I was born in County

Antrim, so I kind of grew up my first 10 years where I'm Bruce Sheehan. My dad was his primary school headmaster in a very, very small school of 40 pupils. So he taught me in primary four, five, six and seven. I had three older sisters, so I grew up in the country. And all the other children were farmers. But my mother was from Carnloch, which is a small coastal town in County Antrim.

Her mother married a Smith, so I had a Granny Smith. Granny Smith's three sisters and brother owned what was called the Bridge Tea Rooms and then the Bridge Dining Rooms in Carnough which had a big hall going out into the back they had a dance hall going out into the sea, amazing, I remember as a kid a dance hall into the sea? I remember as a child going to the

dances and all the balloons being released from a big net at the end of the night they had rooms but they served, I mean that was one of the places you went to, one of the staples you went to for on a Sunday or during the end of the night you know and they have they served they had rooms but they served i mean that was one of the places you went to one of the staples you went to for on a sunday or during the week in the summer for roast beef and i used to go into uh so it was great aunt jeannie edith and uncle bob's um uh into the kind of the kitchen where and there was always a massive slab of roast beef and they were just Because they would serve roast beef salads,

which in those days, of course, was just a slice of roast beef, a bit of lettuce, a diced boiled egg, and some Heinz mayonnaise. And that was what people went down to Carnock for. So I grew up not eating a huge, very varied diet. But I did grow up, from a huge kind of very varied diet but you know but I did grow up with my from very early age having lovely bits of roast beef just sliced off and get put into my hand and salt over them and then mum was um mum was a great uh uh mum made the most incredible soup which uh just the most wonderful vegetable soup she did and potato and also I I you know I still potatoes are still

some of my favourite things can I just ask do you want ice with that I will have a little bit of ice thank you you're going to have to tell me what this is like

because I feel I'm very busy this is Oprah did Oprah make this this is Oprah's no it's not Oprah's but it's her fave wow

you and Oprah what are the things that you learn on social media how amazing also it's funny I was watching yesterday I was in the Port Rush last night watching a Rick Stein How many things did you learn on social media? How amazing. Also, it's funny. I was watching yesterday,

I was in Port Rush last night watching a Rick Stein programme from Cornwall. And he was talking about the, you know, it's not really a new fad, but it's been around for a bit, you know, seaweed. But my mother, I grew up eating bags of dulse. We called it dulse. My mum, they used to batter seaweed on the stones on the beach and dry it out, then sold it in little bags.

Amazing, gorgeous. And just eat it like this? Eat it like bits of just dried leaf. But amazing source of iron, but wonderful tasting. Yeah. So tell me what that tastes like. Okay, thank you. What do we think?

Good. Good? Quite a lot going on, eh? Really? I mean, listen, I don't know. What's going on? Tell me. What's going on? Okay.

Smokiness? It's very smoky. Yeah? How did you know it was smoky? Because tequila's always smoky. Oh, is it? What's it made out of? The agave or the agave?

You're asking the wrong chip. But anyway, whatever it's made out of, it seems that that's... It's smooth. It's very smooth. It's not sharp. Okay. But it is very smoky.

But mezcal's more smoky. I mean, I'm going to sound like such a philistine. I think maybe that's it. I don't know. I mean, the thing is, I think it's nice. You like it. Fine. Doesn't matter. Does anybody else want wine? Sure.

What do you want? You want wine? I have a glass of wine. Do you prefer white to red? No, I like both. I don't really... I used to drink beer. I don't drink that much beer now.

I mean, well... Oh, Jessie, that's so ugly. It's gorgeous. It's not as much. It's a shit. It doesn't matter. Lovely. How lovely.

What are we having? It's a bit of a help-yourself situation. I'm delighted. We are having mum's microwave onion rice, which is great, with pulled chilli brisket. Oh, wow. And then this is a Thomasina Myers salad that's avocado, mango, black beans, jalapenos,

cumin seeds, lime juice. Great, and she's fabulous. She's fab. Yeah, she's fun, yeah. She's having a good crack, isn't she? Yeah, so this is what we're having. Hi, it's a spoon, darling. Sorry.

It looks sensational. I haven't got my serving spoons up. I should. Yeah, do it. You might need salt on that. spoon darling sorry it looks sensational this is just so gorgeous thank you really delicious do you cook i do i mean yeah i do so i feel like you like all the finer things in life so it's like you know what are you eating with those delicious balls of wine kind of um i just sort of like you know improvising my daughter is particularly peggy yeah peggy's peggy's the elder one. Yeah. Right. I mean, she's a sensational cook. Is she?

Yeah, sensational. She just throws... She's very good at kind of adapting things. But Mary's also a fabulous cook. And they get great pleasure out of it, you know. But they're great. And I cook... I follow recipes, so I've got...

So there's a few favourites. The other night I did, I love, Nigel Slater does a pork patties with lime and coriander. Oh, that sounds good. It's unbelievable. What is it? Pork patties with lime and coriander. It's meatball.

Yeah, yeah. But no, I do cook a good bit, and I love it. But I need to be a wee bit more adventurous, I think. This is gorgeous, Jess. Oh, but you know what, though? I do feel like it's a bit of a cheat when you do slow cooked meat

because it always just tastes good but I think but yeah I've been slaving away and you're very welcome and no it's like

so no it's a pleasure it's just really nice to have a kitchen because I was just cooking on one hob for about two years because I live

half the time in Portrush in the very north of Northern Ireland by the sea oh right yeah so you were there this morning I was there this morning Because I live half the time in Portrush, in the very north of Northern Ireland by the sea. Oh, right. Which is out there. Oh, really?

Yeah. So you were there this morning? I was there this morning, yeah. I mean, never run over. I'm fine. I left at about quarter to five, but the snow was unbelievable. It was a real treacherous journey, actually. But I've got a lovely kitchen.

I've got a fabulous kitchen up there by the sea. And it's just so funny. I was there this week, and then my daughter's come over for a few days after Christmas. We were here in London for Christmas. But isn't it, I mean, it's just such a privilege to be having, to have space, you know, to cook and all that, isn't it? Do you want some more meat? I will, actually.

God, that sounds gorgeous. So what are you, do you feel like you cook differently when you're in Peckham and when you're in, what's it, Port Rush? Port Rush. Port Rush is right up, it's the very northern tip of Northern Ireland. And it's gorgeous. So actually, and also I do, for a year I've been doing sea swimming. That was your lockdown thing, yeah?

In the cold? Yeah, yeah. Did you wear a wetsuit? No, in our trunks. Oh my God. No, thank you. I've got a friend, a really good friend of mine over there, Philip Tweedy,

and Amanda Carson, who's the wife of one of my best friends. They decided to start it in November of 2020. And then they did it every single day. And then realised that it was very good for their mental health.

So they thought, well, we could tie this in with the charity. So we've actually been swimming for a year now for Aware NI, which is a mental health charity in Northern Ireland because obviously, you know, lockdown and everything really challenged a lot of young people's mental health. But it's been, it is fantastic though. It's been one of the best things. But yeah, so lockdown, I was in Port Rush mainly

because I was filming Bloodlands and then it finished. We were the last show to finish, to finally be able to manage to complete, because it wrapped on something like the 13th of March. And I was supposed to be coming back to London to see the girls, but then my dad wanted me to represent him at a family funeral so I went to that and then all of a sudden not so you got stuck there

but you couldn't make it back but it was great because I got to spend a lot of time with my father because my dad I lost him last August but I had China he was 91 he died with two older

brothers, can you believe it? Uncle Willie's 100, Uncle George is 96. But Dad and I got to spend all of lockdown, I would drive down, he lived on the sea as well in Castle Rock, and so I would cycle down or whatever and I just, you know, had a chance to spend months with like me in the yard and him in the room just chatting. So it was really good. Will you make old bones? Oh God. You will.

I may have a slightly different lifestyle compared to my father. Okay. Have you got food up your sleeve there? Of course I've got it right down everywhere. Well my daughter's... I think it's my bosom's bigger than everybody else's. I'll have to tell you, because I've had a problem with,

my daughter said to me today, she said, at least you won't get it on your eyebrows, because I've got alopecia at the minute. So I was doing press this morning. So these are stuck on. But it was in the press. But they're coming back.

I don't mind talking about it, because it was in the press and I was kind of trolling and so on. I just sort of think, own this thing. Well, I didn't tell those people. But anyway. They're press and I was kind of trolling and I just sort of think own this thing. Oh my god, I didn't tell those people. They're good falsies. They're good aren't they?

Yeah. But my, and they weren't, I wouldn't have bothered putting them on today but I was doing some other press and they had to be stuck on. But em, but my daughters, that's why I said at least you won't get them, when I said I was coming to do this, you won't get food in your eyebrows. Is that what you used to do? Because they have grown up with just bits of food. And it's like my father.

I always remember my mother telling me the first time they went to a dinner party. And bear in mind, this was in Coleraine in Northern Ireland. And they didn't really have dinner parties then. And Dad must have been in his 50s. But they went to a dinner party. And it was the first time someone had cooked spaghetti for them. And Mum phoned me afterwards and said, James, I said, how did dad get on with spaghetti?

And she said, James, it was coming out of his sleeves. And he just, clearly it was on the fork. And he just couldn't get it. I want to know, how many leading ladies do you think you've kissed? Oh, really important question. Oh, on camera. You're a good kisser. On camera. On and off.

We'll have both. We'll have both. Just for the record. Well, I've worked for a long time. So, I suppose there's a few that I've worked with. I've been very lucky. I mean, well, I don't mean it in that way. Who's the best kisser? Mum, you can't ask him that.

Of course you can. Helen Baxendale. Oh, she's... Is she? Really? She was your love of your life, yeah. She was, Rachel. Yeah.

I love you, Rachel Bradley. Yeah, no, she was great. She was just such a brilliant person to work with. So, Jim. Yeah. I want to know some of the dishes that you like to make that you were making for Jerome Flynn and what was your mate called Waddington Steve Waddington yeah Steve Waddington who was in Derek Jarman's Edward II um yeah no

um so no back in the day I was growing mean, you know, I didn't really eat... I didn't have a salad. I didn't have salad. I mean, as I was saying to your mother... Except the chopped egg and the lettuce. Chopped egg, lettuce, roast beef and a bit of Hamels mayonnaise. I didn't have an avocado until I was, say, 24. I didn't even know there were avocados.

Nor did I. I didn't eat tomatoes. Or broccoli. Oh, yeah, never heard of them like that. Oh, but tomatoes, you got five in a brown paper bag. That was half a pound. But, you know, so when I came over to London, I was very good at potatoes, mince, beans, sausages, things like that.

And fries, you know, I could do fries. So, I mean, my fry still is potato bread, soda bread, sausages. Which sausage? I think sausages are a bit fancy. I like Richmond sausages. Oh, the old-fashioned Irish sausages. Although, I have to say, in Portrush, Etherson's butchers do a very good pork and leek sausage.

It's amazing. Bacon, just smoked bacon, rashers. do a very good pork and leek sausage it was amazing bacon just smoked bacon rashers yeah although actually to tell you the truth most in London

it was more not rashers it was not streaky gammon yeah mushroom tomato no I don't like mushrooms

I'm not good with mushrooms do you like mushrooms tomatoes yeah I do like mushrooms although funny enough I'm now taking mushrooms you know the mushrooms have you seen that thing on Netflix you're now taking mushrooms no I'm not good with mushrooms. Do you like mushrooms? Yeah, I do like mushrooms. Although, funny enough, I'm now taking mushrooms. You know, mushrooms... Have you seen that thing on Netflix?

You're now taking mushrooms? No, I'm not taking... Yeah. I love that stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Mushrooms have got something. Are we still in the... This is a weird kitchen, isn't it?

No, funny... You're taking... Are you microdosing? No, I'm doing mushroom supplement things. I was told it was good for my alopecia. And has it helped? I think so. So my fry up, that's the fry up.

Tea and chocolate. But also, but the other things I cook. And do you have a cup of tea with it or coffee? Tea. Tea. Tea mostly. But then what else? When I came over, I did a lot of, I cooked a lot of potato.

I mean, I'm very good at mash. So what's your best cooking way of cooking potato? No, but your potato, your mash. What, mash? So what's your secret? Cold water. Oh. You've have to, you must boil the water.

I need to start with cold water. Yeah. Don't put... I've never heard of starting with hot water. No, but I mean boil the cold water. Yes, so don't put boiling water in. Don't put them into this. No, I wouldn't put them into... I'd starting with hot water. No, but I mean boil the cold water. Yes, so don't put boiling water in. Don't put them into just... No, I wouldn't put them into...

I'd start with cold water. Yeah, yeah, do that. Okay, but not... I wouldn't. Right, so when you strain them, what do you do then to make it delicious? I mean, the consistency is the most important thing. What apparatus do you use to get your consistency?

Do you do a ricer? Have you got a ricer? I have got a ricer, no. But I mean, I would just throw butter and pepper and salt in. Milk? I don't do. Do you mash?

Cream? I do mash. I don't put milk or cream in. I put butter. But I get a fork and really do it with a fork. I think that's the key thing. You mash your potatoes with a fork?

Yeah. How long does that take? You can beat it. You can beat it. I mean, sometimes I mash, yeah. Yeah, but if you do it like you beat it... Isn't that like... Is it very silky?

Is it very... Not silky, but it's not lumpy. Okay. But I don't like it too creamy or too silky. I don't think it's... You don't like a puree. Yeah, yeah. It becomes a puree.

Jesse, do you want some food? Should we have some food? Yeah. Yeah, I'd love some. But what else? So pasta's my... Oh, you make pasta? No No I don't make pasta. What's your pasta sauce? The pasta sauce which I'm supposed to be making tonight for my and we call we just call it bacon pasta and it came actually from my ex's, my ex-mother-in-law, Sonia? No my ex-mother-in-law, Penny, she started and it sounds I mean it's just a simple sauce but it's so delicious to the point where Peter Ludlow

one of the four mates his son George had it a while ago in Port Rush and George he was nine or ten at the time and he's a big lad, he plays rugby and he had about four plates and he went home and his mother phoned me the next day and said when they got home, George said

that was the greatest meal I've ever had in my life. Oh, that's the best thing ever. Go and tell us. Tell us the ingredients. Well, it's very simple. It's actually very simple. It's just, we call it bacon pasta. And it's just, although I have to, I mean, I mentioned earlier on the Nigel Stater pork

patties. You should have a go at that. That sounds great. And also the other pasta sauce, before I go into bacon pasta, the other one is Marcella Hazan's original ragu sauce. Ooh. It's a part of the original, I mean, it's like from, do you know, have you heard the name Marcella Hazan?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course I have, yeah. Old Italian chef. Anyway, look at her ragu. So it's, you start with carrots, celery, carrots, celery, onion, then crumble in, just crumble in the beef, and then, ooh, celery, onion, then crumble in, just crumble in the beef and then, oh that looks nice, and then white wine, a lot of white wine, bring that down, then milk, bring that down, nutmeg. Can we talk about the produce, not the bacon? Marcello has answered it. So milk and nutmeg?

Milk, nutmeg, white wine, milk, nutmeg. I don't think I'm putting white wine in bolognese. And then do it for four hours. Have a look. Because I put red wine in. No, honestly, you should have a look at it. Okay, I will. Definitely.

And then, yeah, so the pork patty. There's nothing better than a good bolognese, is there? I love it. To be honest. Also, I love River Cafe. They do aubergine, penny with aubergine loads of parmesan yeah all right but but my so my baking pasta is it's this simple go on so go on if you're listening yeah and it's delicious yeah go on red onion yeah put a couple of red onions in chop them you know yeah dice them fry those up three or four cloves of garlic chopped uh then you know

chopped up pancetta or smoked bacon yeah yeah then add a lot of pesto quite a lot of pesto coast the bacon i've never would never think of putting pesto coach the bacon yes what pesto coat the bacon coat the bacon of putting pesto with bacon, would you, Jess? What? Pesto. Coat the bacon with the pesto. Really get that all claggy and mixed up. Then put in your tomatoes, season. Tomatoes? Oh, yeah. Then put in your...

What, just ten tomatoes? You've made this one up, haven't you? Well, it came from... Yeah, this was made up. This isn't Marcella. No, no, no. This is when your girls would only eat pesto. And so, and it's great.

And in fact, tonight, I can show you a text from the eldest tonight. Because I'm just back from Ireland. And she said. She's coming tonight. She's coming for the pesto. She said tonight. I haven't seen them. Where is she?

She said, bacon pasta at yours tonight, Deb. Aww. I think my kids would quite like that too. Jesse, I think you should do it. I said, to be fair, I'm eating lunch at this podcast with Jesse. Where? And Peggy said, table manners. I went, yes, I didn't know you were doing that.

And then she said, at least you can't get food in your eyebrows. There you are. Wow. So what we have here is a... Just clementine cake. Scores. What would be your last supper if you were going off to a desert island?

Yeah. You've got a starter, a main and a pudding. Oh, great. I'd start with... And a drink. Linguini alla bongoli. So many people say that. Why?

Where do you have it? What's your best one? I had... The best one I had was in Venice. In a little back street. In a tiny restaurant. Family restaurant. Linguini alla bongoli. back street tiny restaurant family restaurant and then my main would

probably be a curry from tandoori nights in Lordship Lane. Oh my god is it good. Tim's balls favorite place I mean like Muneer who ran it for years the nicest most brilliant man in the world it's been one it's been one of the those Lordship those southeast London places that has stayed forever. See, because I love Two Sisters. All right, I didn't know that. It says two stars in Nunhead. All right.

And it's freaking amazing. I also like Ganapati. Yeah, very good. But it's a bit like, if you want like, Ganapati's fantastic. Yeah. But no, I just can't. Okay, so it's a good Tandoori night.

Tandoori night. But it was Tim Spall's favourite. Okay, I'm... I mean, there's so many people, and I don't know if many are still there, because they've burnt down a bit, and there's been quite a lot of sadness in the family over the years.

But the nicest kind is mine, and everything's cooked fresh. What would be your order? I mean, I'm so sorry, it would be a lamb tikka starter, and I'm sorry to say it, but it would be chicken tikka masala. No, look, when it's not good, it's's the greatest. I do love lamb tikka as well.

I would love a lamb tikka starter and then my pudding would be, well, it would probably be lemon tart. Yeah, I like lemon tart. Because there have been some people in my life who have cooked very good lemon tarts. Do you like ice cream? There's a great, I love ice cream. There's a great place in Port Sturt, very famous, called Morelli's. And they came to, they're an Italian family who came to Port Sturt in the 30s, I think.

And I always loved it because that was Mum's favourite place to go. And my mum, I lost my mum to Alzheimer's in 2013, by the way, or 2012, I must have, but she, when she was getting really confused towards the end, she was in the home, you know, in a really good place after Alzheimer's patients, but the last time I took her out,

I, and she hadn't really, I don't think called me James, maybe in a year or so. I mean, there was like moments of recognition and she was still young. I mean, she had it, she had it really quite badly, my mother, which made it so difficult for family, particularly my dad. But anyway, so the last time I took her out, I took her out to Morellies, back to Morellies. And it's an institution in Northern Ireland, you know. And the Port Sturt Strand is beautiful, high on the, sits in the north of Northern Ireland, the Atlantic coast comes crashing in, there's a big convent called Dominican Convent sitting on the hillside,

which I used to love because I was Protestant, so I was always much more interested in the Dominican Convent girls, because it felt real. See, the minute I mention convents, I think I get it. It's God-crumbs. But anyway, so I took her down there, and actually that's what I would really, I mean, probably if it was your last supper, I'd probably want an ice cream from Morelli's.

Yeah. Because then it's like the things, you know. What was your mum's order? Mint. I don't know, but she'd, because she had Alzheimer's, she ordered one, like three bowls of mint and she had that and then we were sitting and she was and she was in good form but it'd been a nightmare getting out of the car it was it was one of those days where spatial her kind of own body spatial awareness was impossible

didn't know how to kind of move things but then we got in and she was great and bright and there was still you know there was glimmers i and she was great and bright. And there was still, you know, there was glimmers. I mean, she was talking, but it was like I was a stranger that she sort of was familiar with. But anyway, so she had three bowls of, or three, you know, scoops of the mint. And then we talked for a bit.

And then she said, will we have some ice cream? And I said, yeah, okay. And so I got her some warm mint ice cream. Anyway, but we were leaving. And that's what I would definitely have. I would have Morelli's ice cream because that would remind me of this day. And we walked out of the door

and she just couldn't, she couldn't move her legs properly through the door. I mean, she was walking and there was a real glint in her eyes and, you know. But eventually got her through the door and it was cold.

But it was a beautiful kind of April day. Just perfect in Northern Ireland. And she grew up by the sea so I always think when she was near the sea she kind of had a memory of something but anyway and I knew she had gloves in the pocket of her coat so I got the gloves out and it's like well you've got three young ones you know what putting gloves is like on toddlers really they can't get their fingers into it. And it took ages. And I eventually got them on her, and she looked at me, and she went, James, fits just like a glove.

Oh, bless her. You know, and that was the last day. Don't you get to make me cry now. But no, that would be a good thing to have for her, yeah. But it's also, I love the humour of that as well. Can I ask what drink you would choose to have? What drinks? Drinks.

Okay, I love you, God. Could you go for a different one each course? I think with the starter, I would probably have with the Vongole, I'd probably have just a simple kind of a tiny amount of might have just a wee some kind of light a pinot grigio or something I wouldn't want something too heavy okay

with the the curry with the curry well no with the curry I would have I would have some white

and some red yeah you know because I would I'd probably I'd probably have quite a big I mean it's my last supper

yeah so I would have a bottle of Mersa which probably doesn't go with the curry at all when you have your tikka tikka masala do you have any sides with it um yeah i would have uh i mean that's why tangerines grow so great so go down there it's a good well it's just such a good family i just love supporting those old shops you know um i would have uh the the brinjal, it's kind of the aubergine side dish. And also a sag paneer. Oh you like paneer? I love paneer. I hate paneer. That potato gets in

the way of the sagaloo. No I'm a sail man. I would have sagaloo on its own. Okay. But then I would rather have just, like my father and I used to just have, we would just cook, we would have new potatoes, you know, new potatoes with the skins on and just salt and butter, you know. My father used to do a very funny thing, he used to love custard and so he would make custard and then we would have it and then he would have the bowl and we'd sit in the living room and he would finish the bowl, he'd finish the custard out of the bowl and then he'd always fall asleep this is after like school and stuff and about five o'clock in the afternoon if he came back and made some custard and he always fell asleep with his arm up in the air with a spoon my dad used to fall asleep in a chair like

that that was his way of going to sleep was holding his arm sitting in a chair holding his arm up there with a spoon but um and then i would have some red as well i would have a really nice peanut with the um i'd have a really really good burgundy like um sort of a whole brie or something out there um and then with my pudding um with the ice cream i'd have an irish coffee i had one the other day and i forgot how fantastic they are with whiskey in it i don't care what it was I don't even ask the kids had hot chocolates

I had an Irish coffee that's great isn't it and I was very happy and then I'd happily have then I'd go to then I'd be ready for anything which I'd be ready for sleep right

that's the way you want to go have really good food and then fall asleep and then just do whatever you want yeah do you ever sing karaoke do you like karaoke

no I used to sing a bit of karaoke which is your song well you sung very well on Stay Close I have? no I used to sing a bit of karaoke you sung very well on Stay Close I used to sing a lot of Sinatra which would be your Sinatra song? well I sang one in Kofi I sang the Tender Trap but I also sing I used to host a GQ

I used to come on singing a Sinatra song but I changed the words but yeah the Tender Trap your love, your love, your yeah, the Tender Trap. Your love, your love, your love is the Tender Trap. It's,

well, that's sort of it. Kind of it. Shut up. No, I mean, that's the tune. That's so mean. No, I didn't mean that.

I meant that's, but I don't think it goes, your love, your love, your love, you're calling the Tender Trap. What great voice I need to know

so stay close to SoundCloud it's doing amazing I loved it watched it all and have you got anything else coming up

I just also Bloodlands I started filming that but I started filming it yeah I just recently I've been filming

around London doing a thing playing another cop but a really really dark pieces called suspect and it's eight half-hours it'll be shown us four hours it takes place over 24 hours about a beaten disillusioned kind of cop who in the first so it's me with one other actor every half hour, so it's quite theatrical.

So there's Jodie Richardson, Anne-Marie Duff, Richard E. Grant, me, Oliver, Sammy. This sounds exciting. And so at the beginning of it, I am going in to help. I've been asked to help ID, and this isn't a big spoiler, this is the first episode, help to ID an unidentified female. I'm there, I don't want to be there, and I I'm kind of just you're not quite sure what's wrong with me And I'm leaving that's that first episode is with Julie Richardson. She's playing the forensic pathologist

and eventually I'm walking I and something stops me and I go up and I pull back the tarpaulin and it's the are they the cloth the cloth of the corpse and it is the body of my estranged daughter. Oh my God. So I spend the next seven, half hours, 24 hours trying to find her. What's this on? It'll be on Channel 4 on PBS in America. It's by a guy called Matt Baker and it's directed by an amazing Belgian guy

called Dries Ross and it was amazing but quite tough. Oh my god, you do get meaty parts. I know. The thing is I was a comic, I started off in comedy. What the hell happened? But you're lots of policemen. Yeah, well people see the good in me. You didn't get it on your eyebrows. I didn't get it on my eyebrows but I've got cake all over my face. Oh God,

I wish my girls were here to see that. Well, I feel like Jim Nesbitt just blessed the kitchen and table manners at the start of the new year. Quite beautiful. Yeah.

My new baby son is a big fan of him. Yeah. Cooed and giggled and smiled. We're all big fans. What of Jim? I'm going to call him Jim. Why do you call him Jim? He asked me to call him Jim.

Jim. So that was just lovely. Really enjoyed it. I think he did too. I like me to call him Jim. Jim. So that was just lovely. Really enjoyed it. I think he did too. I like when a guest pours themselves wine. How did you feel with me cooking? Me being back on the cooking scene? It's only been two years.

I felt very relaxed, darling. Oh, good. I'm so glad. Thank you for listening. And we will see you next week with another guest on Table Manners. It's great to be back. We are refreshed. This is going to be a great season. It's going to be back. We are refreshed. This is going to be a great season.

It's going to be a great year, Mum. We've got fabulous people. We're going on tour in Hollywood. Oh, and we're going on tour in the UK. Yeah. This is really happening. Yeah. And may I also add, if you don't mind,

I'd like to tell you that my paperback of Omelette, my food memoir that i wrote last year is out this week um you can pre-order it on the um waterstones website i've done loads of signed copies there and you can buy it from tomorrow and the new cover is very fetching and i would love you to all buy one if you fancy it. I know a lot of you bought it the first time around, but, you know, if you fancy trying to make me a Sunday Times bestseller this week, yeah, go on. Thank you for listening.

We'll see you next week.