Style: September 01, 2022

64 Style | Food
Good golly, Miss Polly
Vibrant, mouthwatering yet accessible, the moreish home-cooked meals showcased on
Polly Markus’ Instagram account @miss_pollys_kitchen have earned her a
hit following (47.4k and counting). This month she releases her first cookbook,
Miss Polly’s Kitchen, and shares two delicious recipes with Style.
Words Polly Markus
I
have only a few rules when it comes to cooking:
1. It has to be a good time. If you’re not having
fun, it’s time to put down the pans.
2. Always make enough to have leftovers.
3. Flavour, flavour, flavour.
I started the Instagram account Miss Polly’s Kitchen in March of
2020 as a place to share recipes with those closest to me. For
as long as I can remember, my love of cooking has generously
overlapped with my social life. Following al fresco weekend
lunches at friends’ houses, or Sunday dinners with my extended
family, people would often ask how to recreate certain dishes.
In essence, Miss Polly’s Kitchen was a place to document
some of the personal recipes I had developed over a lifetime of
loving good food and a three-year stint working as a crew chef
on a superyacht.
Then, in its unforeseen way, Covid-19 happened. So when
my day job as a commercial real estate agent temporarily
drew to a halt, I threw my energy into the place that felt most
natural – the kitchen.
Away from life’s normal routine, I had more time to create
and share recipes. It just so happened that everyone else had
turned to cooking too; they were filling their time with it,
including a few friends who were following my account.
I don’t quite know what to attribute the uptake to, but I do
like to think of the food I create as fairly vibrant and flavourful.
It is also colourful, which I hope has a subliminally uplifting effect
on people. During lockdown especially, I think everyone was
looking for a departure from their everyday repertoire, but
something that was still achievable.
Those who know me best know that one of my biggest fears
is the prospect of going hungry. Outrageous, I know. Beyond
that, I have a knack for homing in on the one thing I feel like
eating at any given time. Generally, I start with a protein – fish,
prawns, halloumi, chicken – before deciding on an ethnicity.
From there I write down all the flavours and think of how I can
magic that up into a dish.
I have a huge love for Asian cuisine; the flavours are so fresh
and bold, and fortunately it’s a genre that most people love to
eat. I’m also big on herbs and adore anything Middle Eastern.
The variation of produce used in that style of cooking is
inspiring and there is so much depth to the spices at play.
If I have to think of what underpins a perfect dish (or
combination of dishes), it is no doubt the social aspect that
comes with eating or sharing a meal.
Ever since I can remember, my parents have hosted dinner
parties and get-togethers at home where there was always an
abundance of amazing food, often with a Mediterranean bent.
My late father was extremely well travelled and just loved these
flavours, and his approach to hospitality was second to none.
Today, my home very much operates with an open-door
policy. My friends and family know that I’m never far away from
preparing or eating a good meal.
Furthermore, I’m a people-pleaser and a very social person.
The real pleasure for me is cooking for others – it’s the old
cliché of bringing people together. To me, it’s the best feeling
to be able to take the pressure off everyone in the room by
preparing food while everyone else relaxes and, eventually,
sitting down together to enjoy it.
Aside from the first few pointers above, I really don’t adhere
to a rulebook when it comes to cooking, only that it should
never be taken too seriously. The head chef who first employed
me on the superyachts said that she had never met anyone
whose eyes lit up so brightly when they were talking about
food, and that is the premise I keep coming back to – pure joy.