''The whole atmosphere of the baking show is happy and endlessly encouraging. I think that’s why the audience loves it. Besides, who doesn’t like cake? ''
In the U.S., most of us came to know Prue Leith as the kind but exacting, colorfully dressed judge of TGBBS. But her career in food long predates the popular binge watch. She ran a Michelin-starred restaurant (1) in London for three decades; has opened cooking schools in the UK as well as her native South Africa; and has written several cookbooks. We talked to her about her evolving career and approach to holiday baking, including the glory of simplicity.
EASY SHOWSTOPPER
“When I started out, I was dead keen on becoming really professional, and I liked making multilayered desserts, consommés, and fruit jellies that took hours to clarify,” Prue says. These days, she takes shortcuts as she needs them. One beloved holiday dessert is what she calls an “almost-instant trifle” (2), from her book Prue: My All-Time Favourite Recipes (Bluebird). It’s made with amaretti biscuits and lemon curd. “Even with bought custard it is utterly delicious,” she says.
GET-A HEADTRICK
To save time during the busy baking season, Prue makes chocolate chip cookie dough in advance, rolling it into balls to freeze and bake later. Her dough often contains some tasty add-ins: “caramel, bits of Mars bar, chocolate-covered peanuts, caramelized pecans—you get the idea,” she says.
GO-TO GARNISHES
Pomegranate seeds (4) are always on Prue’s holiday grocery list. “You can sprinkle them on top of almost any dessert, salad, or savory dish to make it seem exotic and special.” In fact, she’s a fan of garnishes in general, keeping items like chocolate buttons, freeze-dried raspberries, toasted almonds, and dried fruit pieces on hand to quickly zhuzh up recipes.
CAREER HIGH
“The most exciting thing about my career is that I have one at all!” says Prue, who in addition to her work in the food world has a line of jewelry at Zsiska (3) and will be touring the U.S. in a one-woman show next year. “To still be working and more in demand than I’ve ever been, at 83, how lucky is that?”
by MIRANDA CROWELL illustration DAVID MILAN
PHOTOS: (PORTRAIT) KAREN DELAHAY, (RESTAURANT) COURTESY OF PRUE LEITH, (POMEGRANATE SEEDS) D_M/SHUTTERSTOCK, (TRIFLE) FROM PRUE: MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE RECIPES, COPYRIGHT © DAVID LOTUS, BLUEBIRD, 2018. ILLUSTRATION AGENCY: CLOSER&CLOSER