Inside Jamie Macdonald's kitchen – cooking blind, Scottish humour and seabass surprises

If you think cooking is all about what you see, Jamie MacDonald is here to prove you wrong. In the latest episode of the 5 O'Clock Apron Podcast, comedian Jamie invites food writer Claire into his Sheffield home for an afternoon of culinary improvisation, Scottish wit and a luxurious seabass supper. It’s a kitchen adventure that’s as much about resilience and resourcefulness as it is about the food.

Curious for more stories like this? Explore other episodes on Good Food’s podcast page or listen to the full episode with Jamie Macdonald from the 5 O'Clock Apron podcast.

A warm welcome, Sheffield-style

The action kicks off at Jamie’s front door, where Claire is met by his two excitable dogs. Inside, Jamie’s kitchen is a blend of accessible gadgets and well-loved kit. There’s a talking set of scales which Claire is enamoured by: “My phone talks all the time. I’ve never seen a scale that has a voice to it”, but otherwise, Jamie’s kitchen is refreshingly ordinary.

Cooking by instinct

The meal of the day is pan-fried seabass with creamy orzo, leeks, lemon and a green salad. The method? Half recipe, half improvisation, all heart. Jamie confesses he’s never cooked less than “a load” of orzo, while Claire wonders aloud why so much is needed. The pair quickly fall into a rhythm, halving quantities, guessing butter by ear and swapping kitchen hacks.

Jamie’s approach to prepping leeks is a revelation: slice down the middle, fan them out and rinse in a bowl of water. The conversation flows easily, with Jamie sharing how his mum’s inventive home cooking in Glasgow inspired him, even if “risotto” was actually “easy-cook rice with bacon".

"Extremely tall and extremely blind"

Jamie’s openness about his sight loss is both moving and matter-of-fact. He describes his kitchen adaptations (talking scales, a smart speaker for timers and a phone that “talks all the time") and jokes, he's “extremely tall and extremely blind”.

He reflects on the realities of growing up with a degenerative condition: “You try and hide it for as long as you can and then you have to just kind of come to terms with it and just [...] crack on.” It’s a sentiment echoed throughout the episode, as Jamie demonstrates a blend of resilience and humour that he carries across his life.

From MasterChef to standup

As the orzo simmers and the leeks sweat, Jamie is no stranger to high-pressure kitchens being a MasterChef quarter-finalist. “This is a much more relaxed experience today because we’ve got two minutes off, we’re chatting. You couldn’t really chat during MasterChef, it was so intense.”

He shares tales of near-misses with sharp knives and the luxury of having someone else wash your pans, a perk he’d gladly trade for a chauffeur. Comedy, he says, was a happy accident after a stint in banking left him searching for something more fulfilling.

The joy of cooking (and eating) together

As the seabass crisps up in the pan, the orzo is finished with crème fraîche and the salad gets a punchy Dijon dressing.

Claire and Jamie laugh over the sharpness of Sheffield-made knives, debates over the perfect olive oil-to-vinegar ratio and a moment of pride as Jamie’s dish is plated up with restaurant-worthy flair.

Claire tastes the finished dish and declares it “perfectly seasoned". The verdict? A triumph of flavour, teamwork and improvisation.

Feeling inspired to cook with orzo? Discover our favourite orzo recipes, plus a brilliant selection of seafood dishes—from seabass recipes to prawn recipes and more.