Lee Mead admits he “just loves eating”.

Lee stars as P.T. Barnum, known as the 'world's greatest showman', in the UK tour of Barnum – the circus musical.

“Food is a massive part of my life and always has been since I was a small boy. Eating is one of my favourite hobbies, you could say," says Lee, who, like the late, great, famous showman Barnum, needs both energy and stamina in the marathon role.

Lee admits he has a regular eating pattern and doesn’t eat before midday. “I start my day with lunch and twice a week I make sure I have steak or I have whatever takes my fancy."

“On a two-show day, between shows I make sure I have a good-sized salad with just about everything on it, including feta cheese and some protein, normally chicken.”

As Barnum, he uses so much energy and burns up so many calories and is dripping in sweat by the interval that on his way to his hotel he often indulges in some cheesy chips, which he takes back to his hotel room.

But there’s one thing Lee must have: his daily fix of cake and a cup of coffee. “I have to have it every day and always explore the area we are playing in, looking for a tea or coffee shop that serves delicious cake. I just love cake, but it has to be served with a fork so you can gather the crumbs in a civilised way," he admits.

“Last week in Portsmouth, I found a place that served the most delicious blueberry and lemon cake – it was truly amazing.”

Lee confesses to not being the best cook. “When I am touring, I always eat out, and at home I will only occasionally cook scrambled eggs using 6 eggs."

But he admits that his wife, Izzy, is a wonderful cook. “When I am home, she cooks the most incredible roast dinners. Along with the meat we always have around 4 or 5 vegetables, including roast potatoes, red cabbage, honeyed roast parsnips, cauliflower cheese and thick gravy, of course.”

One incredibly memorable meal that Lee says he will always remember is one he and Izzy had on holiday in Fuerteventura in Spain.

“We went for a stroll by the harbourside and found this amazing seafood restaurant. We feasted on just about every kind of fish and seafood, from king prawns and monkfish to octopus. It was all wonderfully cooked, and the service was lovely.”

One of Lee’s favourite dishes when he eats out is curry. “I particularly love chicken Jalfrezi, especially when it's laced with lots of spices, and Izzy makes a particularly good one.

Ingredients
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 3 tsp ground turmeric
• pinch salt
• 750g/1lb 10oz skin chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 lemon, juice only.

To serve
• Basmati rice, cooked according to packet instructions
• 6 ready-made chapatis or naan breads
• 2 limes cut into wedges
• 2 handfuls chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 1–2 red chillies sliced


Method
1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion and garlic over a low to medium heat for 4–5 minutes, or until softened.
2. Mix the chilli powder, turmeric and salt together in a bowl until well combined, then add the chicken pieces and mix well to coat. Add the coated chicken to the pan and fry for 10–15 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.
3. Stir the tomatoes, ginger, cumin and coriander into the pan, then reduce the heat until the mixture is just simmering. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a tablespoon of water every so often if the mixture appears too dry.
4. Stir in the butter and add the lemon juice, to taste.
5. To serve, spoon the chicken jalfrezi onto serving plates. Serve with rice, naan and lime wedges on the side.


Barnum tours to theatres in our circulation area over the next few months including:
Bradford – 31st March – 4th April
Sheffield – 28th April – 2nd May
Hull – 2 – 7 June
Blackpool 9-13 June