Jamie Oliver is the most successful chef in Great Britain. He graces our small screens continually and his TV series show us the idiosyncrasies of our concept of food, as well as introducing us to the food of the US and Europe.
It’s a very British pastime to knock anyone who has general public regard. It’s as if a section of the population feel that you are only worthy if you are on the fringes, edgy and unknown. Like the food snob would say of a restaurant, “Oh, it’s always so crowded. Nobody goes there anymore.” Jamie Oliver is popular with the masses. He has introduced a generation of folks to the simple joy of cooking. I guess we have all made his salmon with green beans and tomatoes. We didn’t have school cookery lessons but there was that ‘naked’ chef. We have watched his family grow and that lad become a man; he is a culinary institution.
It’s not all steak and kidney pudding
Jamie’s Great Britain shows, unsurprisingly, the food of Britain – not just those worthy classic dishes but how we actually eat in Britain these days. It’s not all steak and kidney pudding and creamy cakes, although they are indeed elements of our culinary alchemy. British food hasn’t remained stodgy and static, it has evolved with the availability of new ingredients and immigration.
Jamie points out that people are just as much part of the picture as the raw ingredients are. We all know how popular Indian food is. In Britain we have always been open to anything new and exotic and have been wooed by spice. We adapt and incorporate and it’s a culinary strength. A French friend once tried to convince me that we in Britain adopt the food of other countries because we have no indigenous cuisine! London is now considered a culinary world capital (although I believe that Paris does still have a couple of quite nice restaurants). Our food is alive and well.
This is a book of 130 recipes that will be accessible to anyone with a kitchen. You don’t need a chef’s diploma, presentation is mostly freestyle, and manual dexterity is only required for crimping a Cornish pasty. Most of the dishes are comforting and rustic and use produce that you will find on your high street. Nothing too costly, and that’s a consideration these days.
Talking of watching the pennies, 12-hour Rabbit Bolognese is a crowd-pleaser and a dish that can be frozen and gradually consumed by a couple or small family. That one bunny will feed up to fourteen people with a flavourful meal that has more impact than the regular spag bol.
Smart and contemporary
If you have a bit more cash then try Heavenly Potted Shellfish, which expands upon the traditional potted shrimp. Jamie suggests crab, lobster, prawns or smoked trout as alternatives to brown shrimps. The end result is very smart and contemporary. You can easily make this recipe your own by varying the spices.
Lots of tempting sweet recipes here: Retro Arctic Roll is delicious. To anyone of my age it’s just Arctic Roll but Jamie Oliver’s version is a mile away from the freezer-cabinet sorts of the 1960s. An elevated take on that combination of sponge and ice cream is Chocolate Pudding Bomb which includes panettone, pistachios and glacé fruit. This truly would be an alternative to Christmas pud which is seldom finished chez nous but lingers for a week as a reproach to food wastage.
A must-try is Breakfast Crumpies. Jamie Oliver explains that they are cross between a crumpet and a Yorkshire pudding. I guess they could also be called Yorkets but that sounds more like a backing group for a Tamla Motown band. Yes, they work for breakfast but also afternoon tea or as canapés. They are versatile and easy.
Jamie’s Great Britain is a book to use. There is plenty here to appeal to the carnivore, lots for a vegetarian and everything for a family. The dishes won’t break the bank. Cheap ingredients are presented with flair, and costly ones are stretched. Jamie Oliver still has a finger on the pulse of British taste.
Jamie’s Great Britain
Author: Jamie Oliver
Published by: Micheal Joseph
Price: £30
ISBN: 978-0-718-15681-7
Cookbook review by Chrissie Walker © 2018