British chef Jamie Oliver’s latest book is about providing a whole rainbow of simple meal solutions and “deliciousness”, and getting it to people’s tables with minimal fuss.
His 5 Ingredients Mediterranean was an unplanned cookbook, urged on by his wife Jools, who told Oliver that because lives are so incredibly busy, his 5 Ingredients books are all parents at school talk about.
“People cook very differently today in comparison to 50 or even 25 years ago when I first started — there’s just so much more we have to fit into our busy lives, and the way tech has grown around us, it has both given and taken time away. Plus, it’s human nature to find the most efficient way to gain back time, but fill it with something else.” This time he has put a Mediterranean spin on it, using the diverse cultures and extraordinary flavours of the region to inspire recipes.
With at least 22 countries with the sea in common, the Mediterranean has inspired plenty of ingredients, flavours and combinations that Oliver has used.
“So, I’ve really tried to scatter these recipes to as many parts as I can with the experiences I’ve had.” Cooking flavourful food with just five ingredients requires being clever, thrifty and resourceful.
“That’s my job here to diplomatically translate some of the essence of different cuisines and bring them back home, through the reality of your local supermarket, into your house, and ultimately on to your family table and into their rumbling tummies. In effect, that means using common sense with regard to what’s readily available, which is why you’ll find plenty of ingredient hacks and flavour bombs throughout these recipes to give you more bang for your buck.”
The book is also part of Oliver’s quest to keep people cooking. With people cooking less than they ever have and the food industry geared towards convenience, people living busy lives lap it up.
“Within the culture of food, the saying ‘Use it or lose it’ is true, and I think we’re all better off as humans if we keep cooking, and keep connected to our ingredients and farmers, and know how to nourish ourselves with delicious meals in good times and bad. Not to mention that warm feeling we get when we cook for someone we love, knowing what’s gone into it.”
THE BOOK
5 Ingredients Mediterranean by Jamie Oliver is published by Penguin Michael Joseph © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2023 5 Ingredients Mediterranean). Recipe photography: © David Loftus, 2023.
Jools’ chocolate dreams
Silky-smooth chocolate, best coffee, pure happiness
Chocolate and coffee are celebrated all around the Med and they’re also my wife’s two favourite indulgent pleasures, so why wouldn’t I create possibly one of the most decadent desserts on earth?
Serves 6
Total time 40min, plus cooling
Ingredients
150g dark chocolate (70%)
125g unsalted butter
50ml good espresso
2 large eggs
125g golden caster sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 120°C. Snap the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl, add the butter, espresso and a good pinch of sea salt, and place over a pan of gently simmering water to melt very slowly until smooth, stirring regularly. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and doubled in size, then carefully fold in the melted chocolate mixture.
Boil the kettle. Divide the mixture between 6 coffee cups or ramekins and put them into a roasting tray. Place the tray in the oven, then carefully pour in enough boiling kettle water to come halfway up the side of the cups. Bake for exactly 20 minutes, then carefully remove from the oven and leave to cool in the water for 2 hours. To serve, I sometimes shave over some extra chocolate, or add fresh fruit like cherries, blood oranges or wild strawberries, with a dollop of yoghurt or creme fraiche.
ENERGYFATSAT FATPROTEINCARBSSUGARSSALTFIBRE400kcal26.8g15.9g3.8g38.6g38.5g0.4g0.0g
Rogue ratatouille risotto
Grilled Mediterranean veg, fragrant basil & tangy goat’s cheese
I love this quick and simple one-pan dish with a passion – it’s a crowd-pleaser, bringing Italy and Provence together. Purists would judge the frozen veg base hack, but I guarantee they’re missing out.
Serves 4
Total time 35min
Ingredients
700g frozen chargrilled Mediterranean veg
300g risotto rice
1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
1 bunch of basil (30g)
100g goat’s cheese
Method
Tip the frozen veg into a large, deep pan on a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until soft, stirring regularly, then remove half to a bowl.
Add the rice to the pan and stir for 2 minutes. Add a good splash of hot stock and wait until it’s been fully absorbed before adding another, stirring constantly for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the rice is perfectly cooked, adding extra splashes of water, if needed.
Pick and finely slice most of the basil leaves and stir into the pan with the reserved veg, most of the goat’s cheese and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and season to perfection.
Adjust the consistency so it’s nice and oozy with a splash of boiling kettle water, if needed.
Divide between plates, then scatter over the remaining basil leaves and goat’s cheese, to finish.
ENERGYFATSAT FATPROTEINCARBSSUGARSSALTFIBRE610kcal26.8g5.4g21g92.5g17.6g0.6g8.6g
Feta filo turnovers
Fresh marjoram, runny honey & pistachio sprinkle
When I was a teenager visiting Cyprus on holiday, I was wowed by the recipes that would cook feta rather than just serve it in salads raw. For me, this is so incredibly simple, satisfying and impressive.
Serves 4
Total time 20 min
Ingredients
4 sheets of filo pastry
200g feta cheese
½ a bunch of marjoram (10g)
25g shelled unsalted pistachios
runny honey, to serve
Method
Lay a sheet of filo on a damp tea towel and brush lightly with olive oil.
Crumble a quarter of the feta across one side of the pastry, leaving a 3cm gap around the edges, and pick over a quarter of the marjoram leaves.
Carefully fold over the filo, press the edges to seal, then fold in half again, pressing down gently to secure. Brush lightly with olive oil.
Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with a splash of olive oil, add the filo parcel and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp, then transfer to a serving plate.
Meanwhile, bash or roughly chop the pistachios. Drizzle the parcel with honey and scatter over a quarter of the pistachios. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, serving each parcel as soon as it’s ready.
ENERGYFATSAT FATPROTEINCARBSSUGARSSALTFIBRE269kcal15.6g9.1g11.4g22g9.2g1.1g1.1g