66 MEN’S HEALTH
GROOMING: ADELE SANDERSON AT FRANK AGENCY I STYLING: ABENA OFEI | FOOD STYLING: NICO GHIRLANDO AT HERS | T-SHIRT CLUB MONACO AT MRPORTER.COM, WATCH ISAAC’S OWNEat Healthyish – TABLE TALK
Scroll down a fashion thing’s
Instagram page and you’re more
likely to encounter green smoothies
and #mealprep than greasy burgers
and spag bol. But model-cum-chef
Isaac Carew balances a passion for
fitness with a love of real foodDishing
The Dirt
Interview by Richard Godwin
Portrait by Julian BenjaminYou have the fresh-faced
good looks of a young
Elvis and the physique
of Theseus the Minotaur
slayer. But judging by your
Instagram, you seem to
subsist on dirty burgers.
Ha! You can be pigeonholed
when you’re a model. There’s
this idea that we don’t eat and
that we have to restrict carbs.
It’s bullshit. At a certain level
of modelling, you might have
to cut out a few things – but I
just love everything. As long
as you’re using high-quality,
nutritious ingredients, it’ll be
good for you (1). The more you
compromise, the unhealthier
you’ll be. You’ll just end up
with extra temptations.
You’re very fond of pasta.
Do you have Italian roots?
I’m so invested in Italian food,
and I wish I could say I had
some Italian in me. I found my
love for pasta working under
Angela Hartnett at [Michelin-
starred London restaurant]
the Connaught. I started in the
salad section but, one day, a
chef didn’t come in and they
needed an extra person on
the pasta. I was scared at first,
but pasta is so therapeutic to
make. Everything is done by
hand. Proper Italian cooking
always uses the freshest, best
ingredients. What I love about it
is that it brings people together.
What are we getting wrong
about carbohydrates?
Our bodies need carbs for fuel.
But people often feel tired
after pasta because we eat way
too much of it in one sitting in
Britain (2). In Italy, you have
a decent portion, but it isn’t
huge, then you move on to your
steak, or whatever main you
want. Oh, and never put cream
in carbonara: just egg yolk,
Parmesan, guanciale [cured
pork] and pasta water.How do you work it all off?
I haven’t been to the gym for
months, as I recently had spinal
surgery after slipping a disc.
But my usual routine is: boxing
three times a week; cycling,
lifting weights and swimming
at least twice a week; plus, if
it takes 30 minutes to walk
somewhere, I’ll do that instead
of jumping in an Uber or taking
the Tube. One of the reasons
my back got injured was that
I’d neglected my legs. It’s crazy
to get heavier on top if you
don’t have the foundations
below. So, more squats, more
yoga, more Pilates. I’ll never
skip legs day again.What do you avoid?
Diet Coke! I drink normal
Coke. And I’ve tried to cut my
meat consumption to once
a week (3). I eat a lot of fish,
fruit, nuts and dates. But I will
still go out for fried chicken
or a dirty burger. The most
important thing is to enjoy
food. My only bad habit is, if
I’m on a snack binge, I never
know whether to end on sweetor savoury, so I keep going.
Monster Munch, then Haribo,
then Wotsits...How did you get into
cooking in the first place?
I was naughty at school. I was
told I had ADHD, but my mum
and dad didn’t believe it. Then,
I was diagnosed with dyslexia.
Food always calmed me down:
when I was cooking, I was
focused, whereas when I was
doing English or maths, I was
away with the fairies. I started
with Rice Krispies cakes with
my mum. But the first proper
dish I made was a Nigel Slater
recipe. It was apple cider pork
chops cooked with cream and
braised apples, served with
mashed potatoes.You’ve had quite a year.
What’s been the highlight?
As someone who is dyslexic,
releasing my first cookbook,
The Dirty Dishes, has been
mind-blowing. I’ve had a
few meetings with Gordon
Ramsay about possible future
collaborations, and I’m talking
to a friend about opening
my first restaurant. I didn’t
think that would happen for
a few years, but a really good
opportunity has come up...Serves 2- Scotch bonnet, ½
- A garlic clove
- All-spice, ¼tsp
- Ginger, a thumbnail
- Honey, 1tbsp
- Chicken thighs, 2
- A plantain
- Mayonnaise, 4tbsp
- Jerk seasoning, 1tsp
- Spring onions, 2
- Juice of ½ lime
1 / Put the chilli, garlic,
all-spice, ginger and
honey in a pestle and
mortar and crush.
Spread olive oil over
the (skinless) chicken
thighs, then coat with
marinade. Fry each
side for a minute, then
pop in a 200°C oven
for seven minutes.
2 / Slice the plaintain
into thick coins and fry
until golden. Make the
jerk mayo by mixing
with the seasoning,
sliced onions and lime.
3 / Serve in toasted
buns, with mayo
spread on each side.
Layer with plantain,
chicken strips and
baby gem lettuce.Lean Jerk Burger
Protein, vitamins and
flavour – all wrapped
up in a deceptively
dirty packageCan you tell me about it?
It’s a pasta restaurant. I want
it to be quite minimalist: three
starters, six mains, one or two
desserts. It will be focused on
fresh pasta, not small plates!
I hate it when you’re out with
your mates, and you realise
at the end of the meal that
all you’ve eaten is a Padrón
pepper and a piece of ham. I’m
going to have proper plates.Some people might know
you as the ex-boyfriend of
singer Dua Lipa. Is it hard
to cope with that?
It is what it is. When we were
going out, I found it funny to
have the shoe on the other
foot. Look at George Clooney
and his wife, Amal. She’s this
amazing human rights lawyer
but she’s always referred to
in the press as Mrs Clooney. So,
I’m just living through what
women have had to put up
with for generations.And now for something
completely different: what
is masculinity in 2019?
That’s a tricky question. There
shouldn’t be a stigma around
men crying and showing their
emotions. We should be more
open and honest.When was the last time
you cried?
I cry all the time. I cry watching
movies a lot. A couple of
years ago, I lost my stepdad
to suicide. I was watching The
Handmaid’s Tale recently,
and there were a couple of
scenes that related to suicide
that made me cry. I’m OK
with being emotional. There’s
nothing wrong with that.(1) Quality over quantity Focusing on sourcing healthy ingredients, rather than on calories, leads to greater weight loss (Stanford University)
(2) La dolce vita People who enjoy pasta three times a week as part of a balanced diet tend to be leaner than those who avoid it (BMJ Open)
(3) Less is more Men who moderate their meat intake have almost half the obesity risk of committed carnivores (European Congress on Obesity)