Sam Smith is delighted by our lobster rolls with lemon & dill

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0:33ham touching ham touching cheese touching you sweet sandwich time this summer Hellman's mayonnaise makes sandwiches taste so good so good so good Dish from Waitrose is a Cold Glass production This podcast may contain some strong language and adult themes.

1:08Hello, welcome to Dish from Waitrose. I'm Nick Grimshaw. And I'm Angela Hartnett. Hello, Angela Hartnett. Hello, Nicholas Grimshaw. So we are recording this in the sort of the tail end of a quite intense heatwave. Yes, very intense. It's been hot. Very hot. I was thinking about you because I thought, how is it in those kitchens? Very hot. it's hard it's hard drink lots of water eat lots of watermelon keep hydrated hydration that's what we say you were very much all about the hydration yesterday what and nothing past your lips no no I was like staying hydrated and prepared for dish and yesterday it was the Arsenal the parade the parade for winning for winning the Premier League yes number one not the not the Champions League that's next year we'll double it they said it's the biggest parade ever in London and for any football team.

1:59And there was just me and Neil. I mean, the only idiots that came on two bikes trying to get through these crowds. So anyway, we stopped when we just couldn't, we could see New In St. Green. And I said, they're there, Neil. But we cannot get through these thousands of people. But it was great because you just made friends. We made friends with these lovely chaps, talking to other people. The crate of beer I had for everyone, I stood on as my platform to watch. So it was fabulous. It was a great day. And it's also like, we live right by Arsenal. So it's like the whole street, that everyone is about it in our nation.

2:29So it's nice to see you. I like that it was in a neighborhood. Yes, it was in the neighborhood. It was like in the ends of where Aspen was. It did feel very special. It was brilliant. It really did. And then afterwards, everyone was playing football in the streets. We were playing football in the 60s. All the streets were closed. Yeah, and then we went back to Remy's house. She made delicious food and then went home. It was great. Great night. It was a lot of fun. It was lots of fun. And I feel like today's going to be fun. Great guests today. Great guests. We have Sam Smith joining us. and they are fantastic.

2:57They are really fun guests. And you know them very well, yes? Yeah, yeah. I know them from like interviewing them over the years, right from when they were like brand new and starting out and yeah, sort of consistently done interviews forever. Because how long has Sam been in this world now? 2011, 2012. So longer than I thought actually. Yeah, yeah. So like 15 years. Yeah, and they've obviously gone on to have an incredible career. New album out. A new album coming out next month. So yeah, Sam will be with us soon to talk all about that new record. Exactly. So they're big food fans. So yeah, I've made a lobster roll for Sam.

3:28Oh, so I'm ready for that. Yeah, I hope so. Yes, it's that sort of, you know, a little bit of bacon for the hangover. It's perfect. Are you Ross, by the way? I'm feeling, only because, I think we need to contextualise this, that also on Saturday was Champions League. So that was a day of sort of, you know, nervous drinking because it was Champions League and then, of course, celebratory drinking. You know, so it's just been, so now off it for a while. Yeah, till we're in. Till holiday. Halfway through this episode. No. Got to. No, no. Well, before we get Sam in, shall we talk about your new range?

4:05Yes. Because you're a new range. I didn't know about this. I know. I didn't know anything about this. No. So this is the new range at Waitrose, the Angela Hartnett range. I know. Christmas, I did lots of biscotti, and then we did the panettone, etc. And now we've done these lovely Italian range. So we've got some fantastic lasagna. This, I think you and me shall love. Cacio e pepe ravioli. Oh, yeah. And everything, well, the lasagna is made in the UK, but all the pasta and all the sauces, because we have sauces as well, that's all made in Italy. Are you Italian? Oh, shit. You can see you're taking advantage of the facts I'm feeling.

4:37And then we have this spaghetti alla città, which is this fantastic spaghetti, all rolled by hand. Oh, I like that. Yeah. So it's like fresh spaghetti. And then we have a range of sauces. We have puttanesca, we've got sausage sauce, we've got tomato ragu. And then, feel the heft in that lasagna. No. This lasagna is, wow, that is a generous lasagna. That's not for one, is it? That's not for one, no. Even Mish might feel full after that. Maybe. Maybe. Anyone can. Yeah, it's a test. I feel like you can have a few of them today. Yeah, and then we've got some focaccia as well we've made, which is brilliant.

5:10So it's a great range, actually. Looks really good. So it's all done in Italy? Two different families make them, both based up in the Veneto area. One makes the sauces, one makes the pasta. But I met the gentleman, he came over to England, and then Barbara, who helps produce all the range, she goes over and inspects everything. It's up to the standard. I should get you involved in the next taste testing because it's quite fun. Because you have all these different, and you're like a little bit more parmesan, a little bit more butter, a little less this. And they've done a brilliant job, I have to say.

5:38That's really fun. I love the packaging as well. And that's all recyclable. It's all. It's all. Every single thing. This pasta sauce looks good. Puttanesca, that's one. That's yours. That's you. You like that? Let's see. You can now decant it. Yeah, I'll never make it again. I won't. There, there you go. Okay, well, let's welcome our guest. Let's welcome Sam Smith to Dish.

6:04Hi, Sam. Hello. How are you? Oh, thank you. I'm good. I'm very good. Lovely to see you, too. How are you? I'm good. Yeah. I'm excited to be here. Good. We're excited to have you. We're excited to have you, yeah. So excited. I watch it all the time. Oh, do you? Yeah, I do everything you do. Come and sit down at the table. Come in, we'll get you a drink. Here, come this way. And you're going to go there. That's it. I see caviar. Oh, we get all your treats, all your treats. We try to look after our guests.

6:35Let's welcome our guest, Angela. It's time to welcome a fantastic guest to Dish, someone who you all know as a phenomenally successful singer, songwriter and award winner. And just think it could have been a lot different if they'd followed their actual dreams of becoming a fishmonger. It's Sam Smith, everybody. Thanks, Sam. Welcome. How are you? I'm good. I'm still gutted I'm not a fishmonger. When did you, is this real? Honestly, like, I'm not just saying this because it, but I used, I was lucky as a kid, we used to go to Waitrose a lot. And the fish section, I just loved, I just, I like to handle fish.

7:13Right. Right. More information. I don't know, it's very, like, calming. I run hot, you're near the ice. Yeah. Like, I love the smell. Do you cook a lot with fish? I don't cook. Okay, you're right. I try to cook. Yeah. But I'm the worst type of cook. Like, everything I cook comes out, like, a little bit undone. I don't believe that. And I try to cook, like, I have a glass of wine at the ready. I, like, play jazz music. And I'm, like, cutting things up. Take all the boxes. Yeah, yeah. And then the meal just goes to shit. the only thing I've been able to master recently is scrambled eggs because of Marco Pierre White on Instagram okay I followed how he does it slow yeah and now I can make really good eggs okay that's good that's good isn't that like a thing that they teach you when you're learning and eggs is a real challenge scrambled eggs is not easy you know because people can make them and we've all eaten bad scrambled eggs so you know you're starting high there yeah you're starting high I guess it is if you were if I was to place you in a supermarket working environment, I'd immediately put you on the fish counter.

8:18Would you? Yeah, because I think there's something quite glamorous about it. Yeah, it does too. Like grounded, but glamorous. Yes. Thank you so much. I'm glad you saw me. Very practical. And a nice array of things on offer. Get your shift down there. Because my sister has just done to be a butcher as well. No one's choice for a child to dream of. I find it quite cheap. Yeah. I really do. Yeah. Anyway, you're not a fishmonger. I'm not a fishmine. Thank God for all of us. Well, Sam, welcome. Thank you. We're starting with the champagne because we heard that's your favorite. Cheers. Thank you so much.

8:55Recently got into champagne. Yeah. I think it's time. It's really good. I used to always not, like, I don't know what stopped me. It was a mental block. But now you're on. And we have some little crisps with some caviar. Because it goes well with caviar. Yes, exactly. I do bumps of caviar. You just put those through. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Is that the full-on return? A bump? I love the fact you did a bump. I think that's brilliant. There's this great restaurant in London, Punk Royale, and you go there and it's very, it's small. It's sort of half the size of this room. And I walked in, Neil and I were late.

9:29So I went up and I said sorry to the chef and then he called me back. I thought, oh my God, he's going to tell me off. And what they do is they put a lump of caviar on your hand and that's your first course with a shot of vodka. Actually, I'm into that. And it was great. and Neil and I were, this is brilliant. This is fab, you know. First course. It goes well with vodka, right? Yeah, very much so. There's caviar casuilla, the restaurant. Oh, that's right, yeah. I always have a shot of vodka and caviar and a jacket potato. Yeah. That is it. That's it. So delicious. Can I just, as well, before you came in, when Sam came in, before we started recording, you were like, heard about yesterday.

10:05We spoke about yesterday before you joined us and Ange said in the intro, no drinking now. and I've noticed you're actually stuck to that. No drinking. I mean, I get it. I mean, it may happen in a minute. I'm not, you know. It helps for a bit. I'm trying to be quite good because there's been a lot of drinking. You look fresh. Thank you. You look really, really fresh. Oh, thank you, Sam. You do. And thank you, Fran. Shout out, Fran, on hair and makeup. I was hungover yesterday. Yeah, yeah. I said to Fran, I said, not too much, not too heavy. And I said, do I look hungover? She goes, and you're telling me not to put makeup on.

10:42Come here. Plaster it on, please. Fran worked through the night on my face. She had a world cut out. She did, she did, she did. Hey, before we go on and talk about your food likes and dislikes, you went to see Kelly Clarkson on her show. Yeah. And you said something which was perfect for Dish. You said that you maybe like food more than music. Oh, it's not maybe. Oh. It's for sure. It's for sure. I choose food over everything and anyone and everything. Like, I love my mum, but food... No, I'm joking. No, not your mum. No, I love... Because she's the only person that comes before food. Yeah. But I just love...

11:23I love food so much. It, like, brings me so much joy. It's, like, the... It's the anchors to my day. Sure. I'm the one who's eating a meal, planning the next. Oh, yeah, we're... Yeah. Like, the minute I made any sort of money, it was just spent on food. Right. And also the not like people around food. And I love to share food at restaurants with people and go to places where you can share food. It's important to do all that. Yeah, and I get to travel around the world as well with the touring and that as food has been my favorite part of touring. Have you had a particular country that you would never have necessarily gone to?

12:00And then found the food has been incredible. Yeah, I think the Korea in Seoul and going into all the markets and stuff. I love being tested a little bit. So there was scary foods. It was the only time I've ever turned down any food. What do you think was in a market in Seoul? What was the no? It was a gelatin pig hoof. Oh, yeah. Cold. Oh, yeah. And I just couldn't do that. I couldn't do that. But it's been playing on my mind for years. I think I have to... You have to go back. Maybe. But the markets, they're incredible. Food in Japan was amazing. and like I went to, do you ever hear about Gagan?

12:39In Thailand, in Bangkok. That's supposed to be brilliant, isn't it? There's a Chef's Table episode on it and that was an amazing experience. So I've got to experience those but my favorite stuff is always street food and like casual dining. And I guess when you're on tour, like a great excuse to go and try all these things and to be able to go with your team and like create all those moments and not just going venue to hotel and venue to hotel. The only issue is acid reflux and singing. It's horrific. There's been so many times I've like, back to Tomahawk. And then I have to go and perform and I'm like, ooh.

13:19I was trying to deliver, like, lay me down. Burping. And do you have any things that you can't eat? Because we've had a few singers on and they're like, oh, when I'm on tour, I can't have this or I can't do that. Yeah, when I'm on tour, you have to like, the rich food stop on the days you're singing. A lot of people say dairy and stuff. Dairy isn't good. My nose of cheese isn't great. And like tomato-based dishes. Right, okay, anything absolutely. But there's hacks. I'd make alkaline juices and then take before I sing and it can calm the system down. Is there anything that you have to completely avoid when you're on tour and you're like, that I cannot have.

13:55Oh, yeah, 100%, but I ignore it. I mean, a life without cheese for me is just not worth it. It's actually not worth living. I take the risk sometimes. When I did my allergy test, which we mentioned from time to time on dish, one of the things was hard cheese, and I just ignored that. I'm just like... Oh, my God. My partner is allergic to nuts. And he's 30 years old, and he's been allergic to nuts his whole life. And the other day he went and took almonds to the surgery. Right. And to see if he was actually allergic to almonds, because he had doubts that he was allergic to almonds. He had to try an almond in front of the doctor.

14:35And he's not allergic to almonds. Oh, that's true. Which is amazing because I love peanut butter. And I've had to give it all up in the house. Of course. And so now I can have almonds. Shall we talk about your food likes and dislikes? We always like to start the episode with this. It starts with a dish first, which I've never had this. Turnip cake. Talk us through your love of... Never had a turnip cake. Next time we're in New York. Yes. Please message me and I want to take you for some turnip cake. Okay, savoury. Have you had turnip cake at St John in London? No. Well, tell me about your turnip cake.

15:09Mine here is here, tattooed on my... Oh my gosh. I call it turn up cake. Turn up cake. Because it turns me up. What is it? I've never even heard of it. It's Chinese and it's like fried turnips with bacon in it. And it's in like a square. And for some reason, when I eat it, it reminds me of my nan's roast dinner. And it's delicious and you dip it in like hoisin sauce. It just makes me feel at home. I think about it all the time. So turnip cake is on there, so much so that Sam has a tattoo of it. Your loves continue. Peanut butter, butter, chicken wings, cheese, caviar, oysters, fish and chips and everything from a proper fish and chip shop.

15:52Are you having proper... The chip is surely not in New York. No, it's actually one of the disasters of my life right now. I actually get sad sometimes. Apparently it's something to do with the potato I got told and the water in New York. But I have a thing with fish and chips, right? So I love fish and chips from fish and chip shops where the chips stick together. And you've got the silver hot plate when you walk in. But I feel like the gastropub fish and chips, I call them posh fish and chips, I don't see that as fish and chips. Yeah, I know what you mean. And like even in London, I find it hard to find like proper fish and chips.

16:32Like my family from Whitley Bay, my favorite fish and chip shop is called Marshall's there, which is amazing. I bet. But yeah, I just, when people talk about fish and chips, they're not talking about the same fish and chips that I am. I know what you mean. In a pub, no. It doesn't feel right. It feels too clean. Yeah, too clean. It needs to be one of those places where they sell those forks that are like flat with the two prong and you eat it like that. And the fork comes out of a cardboard box. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's what I'm talking about. Heaven. That's Michelin. Oh, it is Michelin. That is Michelin.

17:04That is Michelin, yeah. But not in America, you can't get it anywhere. No, I don't, I don't. Anything lobster or creamy with vegetable. Love caviar and champagne, and I love this sentence. And raw salmon from Norway. I do, though. You're like, I do. I do. There's this place called, there's a festival called Moncho Jazz Festival. Right. And they gave you this sashimi and it was the best thing I've ever had in my life. And it was from Norway, Norwegian salmon. Yeah. I love it. I sound ridiculous. No, I love it. Obviously, I love this. I discovered it at the Montreux. She has to ask him all. How amazing.

17:47I love it. I love it. It's about high and low. Yeah, high and low. High and low. Yeah, yes, you can have a chippy, but also... Also, I can go low. Trust me. but also raw Norwegian salmon at the Montreux Jazz Festival yeah 100 % you gotta mix it nothing in between you gotta mix it you also love French food Chinese food and then the email signs off all food basically yes all food all food basically this is a good guest very good guest is what we like very happy we're very happy well this is why I watch your show all the time because it's just so nice to escape into the world of food has your food taste changed since being in New York um yes actually yeah I think that I can handle spice more.

18:29Food is a bit more overwhelming in flavour in New York, I find. So, yeah, my spice tolerance has gone up. There's a restaurant, if you haven't been, called Thai Diner in New York. I think it's the best restaurant right now, one of them in New York. It's incredible. And when I first got there, I was like, f***, it's hot. And then now I can handle it all. Now you're there. So it's changed in that respect. I've studied more turkey, which is nice. and like I had like a bison steak oh nice like I've met this nutritionist who's telling me about all this wild food lean meat yeah excuse me I'm going to get some lunch oh thank you are we going to eat yes yeah because Angela goes out there quite a lot to New York to New York yeah because her brother lives there oh okay so she goes out quite a lot to eat and we always say like they seem to like not have the energy for something being a bit mid yes yes it's overwhelming to actually eat in a lot and just cook clean foods at home more than I would here.

19:31Yeah. Because it's an overwhelming experience every time you eat out. But you do find your, there's like, I have a few restaurants where you go and you can get really simple, mainly Italian, simple, beautiful Italian food. So I have those key places where you can go to a regular basis. How long have you been there now in New York? Oh, two years. Two years. But I still come back here like five times a year. I'd say to see my family. And be here, which is lovely. And how did you find the change to live in there? Because I presume you'd been quite a lot before you made the commitment. Yeah, when you live there, it's a completely different city.

20:05You have to find peace when you live there. And so you find ways of finding your calm in the city. So there's kind of like there's routes around Manhattan. There's streets that just aren't busy. And so you learn what they are and learn how to walk around. Do you feel you can be more anonymous there? I weirdly can. I think whenever you see someone incredibly famous like yourself in New York, they feel like they're always left alone. I do. I always feel like I'm left alone. And if anyone comes up to me, they're normally very complimentary, which is fabulous for my ego. Instead of like, who the f*** is that?

20:43But it's good. But after two and a half weeks in Manhattan when you're there, you need to get out of the city. Right. And so I go to upstate New York, which is beautiful. The nature's amazing. So I normally go up there and have a few days to get out because it's just there's a hum in New York that's constant. And in London, you can get away from that. I always feel quite safe there because there's like a lot of people around. So I weirdly find that calming, but I've not lived there. I always quite like it. I've got to say at nighttime, I feel like a guinea pig and it's amazing. Yeah. Because you're just like in your little hutch.

21:14Yeah. And if I look out my window, you just see other people like going to bed, turning the lights down. And then even if you wake up at like 3am to go for a piss or something like, someone in their house is still up, like, doing something at night. Like, you feel, so now when I'm alone somewhere, like in the countryside or something, it's really weird. Yeah, I like that feeling. Because my mum always, like, you know, will come to mine in London, and I'm in, like, a terraced street, and then the other, you know, the other people's houses, like, back onto it. She's always like, I can see right in everyone's bloody windows.

21:47They're right. And I'm like, but I like that feeling. It's nice, it's comforting. Yeah, I like that. Me too. Yeah, I like that. Me too, I'm getting more and more used to it. There's a really good book by Vivian Gornick called The Odd Woman in the City. And I read it when I was away with my mum, actually. And it's all about that very thing. I'm going to read that. You need to read it. And it's all about her growing up. And the years she spent in New York with her gay best friend. And now they're older. And that very comfort of having everyone's little lights on around the city. I've got to admit, there is like growing old in New York City looks really fun.

22:17I think so. It's like absolute zany characters walking around the whole time. and it's like wearing all of their treasures. Yeah. I feel like you can be quite free there. I can, I can. It's truly a city for nutters. It's the only city in the world if I wear a miniskirt, I get wolf whistled. That's what I'm talking about. I had a guy like bang my ass once and be like, fancy a kiss.

22:42Food has arrived. What are we having here and what have we got today? So we have a lobster roll with lemon and dill. This is our first lobster, by the way, on Dill. This is amazing. Oh, my God. Yeah. I thought, first lobster. Okay. Oh, my gosh. So, yeah, tuck in. So, you can buy these lobster tails from Waitrose. And then you basically weigh them. And for every 30 grams of weight of the lobster tail, you cook it by one minute. So, you cook them for about four minutes in boiling salted water. Then take them out into fresh ice water. Cut them with the scissors to get all the lobster meat out. So, you remove all the shell, take the lobster meat.

23:18And you're going to dice that all up. and you mix it with some diced apples, some lemon rind, some lemon juice, some chopped dill and creme fraiche. And I've added a little bit of parsley and a tiny little bit of shallot in there as well. And then you've got some pancetta. You lie in a flat cold pan, turn the heat on and it goes really, really crispy. And so we've put a little bit of crispy pancetta in there as well. And then in that fat of the pancetta, you toast the buns. So then you get that lovely fatty there as well. This is delicious. And I love the fact what Sam's done, which is after my own heart.