Getting together and sharing a meal with loved ones has never felt so important. Each chapter of Jamie Oliver's Together features a meal, from seasonal feasts to curry nights, with a simple, achievable menu that can be mostly prepped ahead. Jamie's aim - whether following the full meal or picking individual recipes - is to keep you out of the kitchen to enjoy eating with your guests. Together takes the stress out of cooking by teaching you hacks to get organised, get ahead. Inspirational but practical, Together is about comfort, celebration, creating new memories and, above all, the sharing of mouthwatering food. Try some of our favourite recipes from the book.
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Jam jar prawn cocktails
Cocktail sauce, avo, tomatoes & crispy pancetta crumbs
Serves: 6
1 clove of garlic
4 rashers of higher-welfare smoked pancetta
olive oil
100g breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 lemon
Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce
2 little gem lettuces
1 cucumber
200g ripe cherry tomatoes
1 punnet of cress
1 ripe avocado
100g cooked brown shrimp, from sustainable sources
200g cooked peeled prawns, from sustainable sources
cayenne pepper
ON THE DAY Peel the garlic and finely chop with the pancetta, then place in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the breadcrumbs and fry until crunchy and golden, tossing regularly. Leave to cool.
For the sauce, whisk up the mayo, yoghurt, ketchup, half the lemon juice and a dash each of Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce, then season to perfection, tasting and tweaking. Finely shred the lettuces. Halve the cucumber lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon, then chop into 1cm dice. Quarter the cherry tomatoes. Snip the cress. Halve and destone the avocado, squeeze the flesh into a blender with the remaining lemon juice and blitz until smooth, loosening with a splash of water, if needed, then season to perfection.
Line up six clean wide-necked jam jars or glasses ready to fill. Divide the lettuce between them, followed by the cucumber and tomatoes, gently pressing down as you build the layers. Spoon in the cool, crispy pancetta crumbs, top with the cress, then sprinkle in the shrimp and prawns. Drizzle in the sauce and add a pinch of cayenne to each. Spoon over the blitzed avo, cover and you’re done.
PERFECT PRAWNS: A good fishmonger will have a nice selection of prawns – I like to use a mixture here, even a few smoked ones would be great. Have fun with it.
|
ENERGY |
FAT |
SAT FAT |
PROTEIN |
CARBS |
SUGARS |
SALT |
FIBRE |
|
237kcal |
13.2g |
2.2g |
14.8g |
15.3g |
6.8g |
2.3g |
2g |
Watermelon skewers
with cucumber, feta, parsley & ham
"It’s always nice to welcome friends with something tasty and mouthwatering that pairs perfectly with a cold drink. For me, this combo is absolutely delicious, particularly on a warm day. Take pride in putting them together and get prepped ahead of time – they’ll go down a treat."
Serves: 6
¼ of a small watermelon (500g)
½ a cucumber
120g feta cheese
½ a small red onion
1 lemon
½ a bunch of flat-leaf parsley (15g)
optional: higher-welfare serrano ham or pata negra
ON THE DAY Peel the watermelon and slice 1.5cm thick, then into 1.5cm chunks. Quarter the cucumber lengthways and chop into the same sized chunks, along with the feta. Peel and finely chop the onion and toss with the lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper in a shallow bowl. Pick in the parsley leaves, add the cucumber, watermelon and feta and gently toss together. Spend a bit of time skewering everything up on cocktail sticks, then line up on a platter. Spoon over the juices, and pop into the fridge until needed.
TO SERVE Delicious fridge cold, with some good ham on the side.
|
ENERGY |
FAT |
SAT FAT |
PROTEIN |
CARBS |
SUGARS |
SALT |
FIBRE |
|
83kcal |
4.4g |
2.8g |
4.1g |
7.8g |
6.5g |
0.7g |
0.7g |
Smoked salmon oat blinis
Beetroot & celeriac remoulade
SERVES 8
1 tablespoon baby capers in brine
2 lemons
250g natural yoghurt
200g celeriac
200g raw beetroot
1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley (30g)
1 bunch of dill (20g)
1 mug of porridge oats (150g)
1 mug of self-raising flour (250g)
1 large free-range egg
1 mug of semi-skimmed milk (400ml)
olive oil
300g smoked salmon, from sustainable sources
GET AHEAD You can prep this on the day, if you prefer. Put the capers into a large bowl, squeeze over the juice of 1 lemon and stir in the yoghurt. Peel and coarsely grate the celeriac, then the beets, add to the bowl and mix well, then season to perfection, tasting and tweaking. Finely chop the parsley leaves and most of the dill, and sprinkle on top – but don’t toss. Put the oats, flour and a pinch of sea salt into a bowl. Crack in the egg, pour in the milk and whisk into a batter. Cover both and refrigerate overnight.
TO SERVE Put a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. In batches, cook tablespoons of the batter in a drizzle of olive oil for 2 minutes on each side, or until puffed up and golden. Cut the remaining lemon into eight wedges, for squeezing over. Mix up the remoulade, stirring through the herbs. Either take it all to the table with the salmon and let people help themselves, or plate up delicate portions, sprinkling over the reserved dill.
EASY SWAPS:
Beets and celeriac are a great combo, but feel free to swap in other crunchy numbers like fennel, carrot, white cabbage, or even a little apple or pear.
VEGGIE LOVE:
Torn buffalo mozzarella and crushed toasted hazelnuts instead of the salmon will be a joy.
|
ENERGY |
FAT |
SAT FAT |
PROTEIN CARBS SUGARS |
SALT |
FIBRE |
|
334kcal |
10g |
2.9g |
19.3g 44.5g 7.8g |
1.6g |
3.9g |
Epic mixed roast
Stuffed chicken, rolled pork belly & topside of beef
SERVES 8
3 onions
30g unsalted butter
30g dried cranberries
1 lemon
1 bunch of sage (20g)
30ml cognac
300g panettone or breadcrumbs
1 large free-range egg
1.2kg higher-welfare pork belly, deboned, skin on and scored
1.5kg free-range whole chicken
1 bunch of thyme (20g)
1.2kg higher-welfare beef topside, deboned, fat on, rolled and tied
olive oil
GET AHEAD For the stuffing, peel and finely slice the onions, then place in a large non-stick pan on a medium heat, season, and dry-fry for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the butter and cranberries, finely grate in the lemon zest and squeeze in the juice, then pick, chop and add the sage leaves. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until the onions are soft. Add the cognac, carefully flame it if you wish, then let it cook away, turn the heat off and leave to cool. Once cool, tear in the panettone, add the egg, and scrunch together well. Sit the pork belly skin side down on 4 x 60cm lengths of butcher’s string. Pat over half the stuffing, then roll up and tie to secure, poking any escaped stuffing back in. Pack the remaining stuffing into the chicken neck cavity, then pull the skin back over it and tuck under the bird. Put the thyme into the other cavity, then tie the legs together with string, also tucking in the wings and tying it around the middle. Cover it all and refrigerate overnight.
ON THE DAY Get all the meat out of the fridge an hour before you start cooking, rubbing each piece with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and seasoning with sea salt and black pepper. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Roast just the pork in a large roasting tray on the middle shelf for 15 minutes, then add the chicken and roast for another 15 minutes. Add the beef, basting the meats with the tray juices, and roast for 1 final hour, or until everything is
cooked through and the juices run clear. Remove the meats to a platter, cover with tin foil and a clean tea towel, and rest for 1 hour. You can use the tray to reheat your gravy – skim off excess fat, then simmer the gravy on a medium-low heat on the hob until hot through, scraping up the sticky bits. Pour any resting juices into the gravy, then remove the string before carving all the meat.
|
ENERGY |
FAT |
SAT FAT |
PROTEIN CARBS SUGARS |
SALT |
FIBRE |
|
335kcal |
17.8g |
6.6g |
34g 9.2g 2.8g |
0.6g |
1g |
Sloe gin poached plums
Candied puff pastry, toasted almonds & vanilla ice cream
SERVES 10
375g ready-rolled puff pastry
1 large free-range egg
175g golden caster sugar
100g flaked almonds
1kg ripe plums
300ml sloe gin
vanilla ice cream, to serve
ON THE DAY Preheat the oven to 180°C. Unroll the pastry on the paper it came in, and cut into ten equal pieces. Use your knife to lightly tap a criss-cross pattern into each piece, then lift the pastry on its paper into a baking tray. Beat the egg and brush all over the pastry, then, from a height, sprinkle over 25g of sugar. Bake for 30 minutes, or until beautifully golden and crisp.
Toast the almonds in a large shallow pan until lightly golden, tossing regularly, then tip into a bowl. Halve and destone the plums, place cut side down in the pan with the remaining 150g of sugar and the sloe gin, then cover and place on a medium heat. Cook for 20 minutes, or until soft, depending on their ripeness.
TO SERVE Spoon the plums on to your plates, then reduce the liquor for a few minutes until syrupy, if needed. Drizzle over the warm plums and serve with the sugared puff and vanilla ice cream, scattered with toasted almonds.
|
ENERGY |
FAT |
SAT FAT |
PROTEIN CARBS SUGARS |
SALT |
FIBRE |
|
392kcal |
15.3g |
5.1g |
5.7g 50.7g 29g |
0.4g |
2.1g |
Chocolate Orange Crème Brulée
Serves: 2, plus 2 leftover puds
100ml double cream
300ml semi-skimmed milk
100g dark chocolate (70%)
4 large free-range eggs
80g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 orange
Seasonal berries, to serve
GET AHEAD: Pour the cream and milk into a non-stick pan, snap in the chocolate, and place on a medium-low heat until the chocolate has melted, whisking regularly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly while you separate the eggs.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yolks (freeze the whites to make meringues another day) with the sugar and the finely grated orange zest until pale and fluffy. Now, whisking constantly, gradually pour in the chocolate mixture until combined. Return to the pan and place over a low heat, then very gently bring to a simmer, whisking constantly for about 10 minutes, or until you have a custard-like consistency.
Divide between four small heatproof cups or two sharing bowls, then cool, cover and leave to set in the fridge overnight.
TO SERVE: Sprinkle a little sugar over two of the puds, then melt it under a hot grill or using a blowtorch. Serve with orange segments, berries or cherries. The two extra puds will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge, if you can wait that long!
Recipe extracted from ‘Together’ by Jamie Oliver (published by Penguin Random House © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited, photography by David Loftus), out now.
Extracted from Together by Jamie Oliver, published by Penguin Random House © Jamie Oliver Enterprises Limited (2021 Together).
Photography: David Loftus.
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