Paapa Essiedu can’t resist our spicy prawn tacos with rhubarb and scotch bonnet salsa

Stories of superstitious drinks and a cheese grudge.

Paapa Essiedu is a highly acclaimed actor, known for his work across stage and screen. After attending Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Paapa joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, making his debut in The Merry Wives of Windsor at the age of 22. Other stage credits include Death of England: Delroy, The Effect and, most recently, All My Sons, a performance which saw him win an Olivier Award.  

Paapa joins Nick and Angela to talk about two TV projects, including Falling, where he plays a priest who falls in love with a nun, portrayed by former Dish guest Keeley Hawes. The show is the first love story written by Jack Thorne, whose credits include Adolescence, His Dark Materials, Toxic Town and Skins. Falling is available to stream and watch live on Channel 4 from May 19.

You’ll also see Paapa in Babies, opposite Siobhán Cullen, as a couple struggling through the experience of pregnancy loss. The series, available on BBC iPlayer, has garnered praise for the poignant handling of its subject matter. 

It’s an episode with a chilli kick, with big-batch spicy margaritas to get things started and then spicy prawn tacos with rhubarb & scotch bonnet salsa to keep things going. The tacos are a recipe by Ixta Belfrage, which is paired by our wine experts with a glass of Tohu Sauvignon Blanc Awatere Valley.

Paapa is a huge fan of big bold flavours, including Thai and Mexican cuisine, and there’s also plenty of love for fresh tomatoes and, thanks to his recent theatre run, white chocolate matcha lattes. And, after recently taking up cooking classes, what skills can Paapa glean from watching Angela in the kitchen? 

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All recipes from this podcast can be found at waitrose.com/dishrecipes

The recipe for the spicy prawn tacos with rhubarb & scotch bonnet salsa was created for Waitrose by Ixta Belfrage

For chocolate mousse inspiration, mentioned at the end of the episode, check out this recipe by Martha Collison.

A transcript for this episode can be found at waitrose.com/dish

If you want to get in touch with us about anything at all, contact dish@waitrose.co.uk 

Dish from Waitrose is made by Cold Glass Productions

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