Chat with Jamie Oliver
If you can tick off two things from your bucket list at work within a year, you know you've landed a dream job. Yep, this is a very happy girl speaking. A year ago, I was interviewing the stunning Doutzen with a smile from ear to ear, and just a few weeks ago, I had none other than one of my biggest idols ever on the phone. By the way, he ended our conversation with a ‘thank you darling, lots of love.’ Pick me up, really, give me a British man again. The reason I interviewed the kitchen hero was because of his new book. Perhaps his best book ever. Of course, I asked him everything, or yes, sort of...
Jamie,
Your latest book has just hit the shelves. In it, you provide us with simple recipes that allow you to whip up something delicious on the table very quickly with just 5 ingredients. Why did you choose this topic?
‘For a chef, it’s quite logical and easy to keep adding ingredients to a dish to enhance its flavor. For the home cook, this is anything but easy, as not everyone has a stash of spice jars, bottles of oil, and other flavor enhancers at home. By now, when I cook at home, I only use a limited number of ingredients. Cooking is freedom. And yet, cooking with as few products as possible is very interesting because you really start to look at which flavors pair best together. Additionally, this way, you keep your dish as pure as possible.’
You say: cooking with 5 ingredients, does this also mean your dishes are low budget?
‘Absolutely. Because by cooking with ingredients, you also spend less money on your dish, allowing you to make more conscious choices. No cheap factory-farmed chicken but a very free-range chicken. I really want to focus on quality instead of quantity. By the way, this was not something I wanted to focus on.’
I cook a lot and enjoy it, but I see around me that people often order food or get takeout, while you can easily and quickly put something healthy on the table. Are the recipes in your new book easy to prepare and accessible to everyone?
‘Absolutely. I want everyone to be able to cook consciously, healthily, and easily. It’s a perfect book for people who are just starting to cook; teenagers or even children.’
Can we also find fun, quick bakes in your new book?
‘Of course. On weekends, I love to be in the kitchen with flour on my hands among my kids. I know better than anyone what kind of mess I can leave behind. My new book shows that this is absolutely not necessary. For example, there’s a delicious recipe for real fresh English biscuits. You can have them on the table in half an hour, even faster than if you had to run back and forth to the supermarket. And they’re fresher than fresh and warm from the oven.’
What five ingredients do you always have at home?
‘Wow, that’s a tough one. Good olive oil, lemon, garlic, herbs, chili… With those, you can go in all directions. Asian, Mediterranean, Moroccan… Without these ingredients, I would stop cooking tomorrow.’
Okay, a tough one: what is your favorite recipe from your book?
‘Really hard. That’s like asking me to choose my favorite child.’
Okay, let me phrase it differently. If you had to cook one dish from your book for me (HA), what would you make?
‘Hmm okay, based on our conversation so far, I think I would go for the ‘super green spaghetti’. One of the most spectacular pasta recipes there is, and you can have it on the table in ten minutes. You cook spaghetti and add cavolo nero (or kale) to the water after a few minutes. You blanch it along with it and then blend it with some cooking water, garlic, parmesan, and olive oil. You mix the sauce with the spaghetti and top it off with fresh ricotta. Fantastic.’
Can we find any crazy funky combinations in your new book?
‘There’s a dish in there of perfectly cooked fresh salmon with crispy fried chorizo and a sauce where I only sauté fresh tomatoes in the juices of the fish. It’s a combination you wouldn’t quickly think of yourself, but it’s really delicious.’
We are constantly overwhelmed by food trends. What do you think of this? Yes or no?
‘I’m not sure if I’m a big fan of that. There are so many trends that it’s hardly possible to keep up. Vegan, paleo, superfoods like goji berries and chia seeds… First, flaxseed oil is in, and then coconut oil is healthy for you again.’
I know quite a bit about nutrition and recently completed a study. People often ask me what is healthy and what you should avoid. My motto is: eat as fresh, clean, and honest as possible. What do you think of this?
‘I completely agree with that. I get very frustrated when people say how healthy coconut oil is when it’s absolutely not the healthiest choice. They replace a hundred grams of butter with a hundred and fifty grams of coconut oil and then call their brownie healthy. That’s obviously the biggest nonsense because that makes your brownie anything but healthy. I think the whole vegetarian and vegan hype is good. 65% of what I cook is plant-based, so I absolutely encourage people to eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds, whether you’re a hundred percent vegetarian or also eat a piece of meat occasionally.’
Which cuisines or flavors are on the rise?
‘I see a lot of influence from Peruvian and Iranian cuisine. Turmeric is already a widely used spice, but I think it’s only going to get trendier. I hope so.’
What is your kids' favorite?
‘The taste palette of my kids is slowly changing. I have teenagers who are currently very interested in flavors from other cuisines. They are learning to appreciate spicy food, which I find very nice. Daisy, my middle daughter, recently asked me to make her first curry together. That surprised me, even though they are being spoon-fed it. With the arrival of our newest addition, Jools has had some tough nights. When your daughter suddenly cooks a whole meal, you melt. By the way, the youngest is happy with a simple pasta, which always comes with a salad. By the way, with every meal, even though they don’t think it’s the tastiest thing there is.’
Do you always have time to cook?
‘When I’m home, I always cook. Even if it’s a quick meal. If it gets late during the week, Jools cooks for the kids, and we eat together when our kids are in bed. But Friday night and the weekend are all about cooking, cooking, and cooking. A glass of wine on the countertop and some music on. That’s pure relaxation for me.’
How do you prefer to cook?
‘I really love slow cooking. On weekends, I like to cook with ingredients that I can use for multiple dishes. For example, whole pork shoulders, whole fish, a good brisket. It doesn’t have to be complicated, as long as the quality is good.’
Gas stove or barbecue?
‘Oh, absolutely the barbecue. I love to stand behind it for hours and throw everything on it. But it has to be wood, not charcoal.’
What do you love to throw on the barbecue?
‘The smoky flavor of a platter of freshly cooked mushrooms, a good steak that is perfectly cooked, or a whole trout cooked skin-side down so that the skin becomes as crispy as a papadum. Okay, now I’m hungry, you understand.’
Otherwise, I am, Jamie. Tell me, it’s the weekend. How do you prefer your setting?
‘First, I go to the Saturday market to get a basket full of ingredients, leaving at eight in the morning to come back home a few hours later. I try to be at my favorite stalls as early as possible to avoid the crowds. However, shopping undisturbed is no longer possible, no matter how early I am. When I get home, I dive into the kitchen and I’m not leaving there. In the evening, I light the barbecue with the kids playing around me. Enjoying grilling, eating, and being together all evening. That’s a moment of happiness for me.’
Okay, last question. I’m in love with London, and we both know that it’s the foodie heaven. What is your favorite restaurant in London? Where must I go?
‘Oh absolutely. The River Café. I worked there, it reminds me of my teenage years, and because the food is just very good. It’s expensive, but absolutely worth it. A bit friendlier for your wallet is restaurant Padella, from one of my students, because I’m proud of him and the food is delicious. At both restaurants, you leave with a satisfied feeling, I promise.’
You understand, girls, these were some of the happiest minutes of my life. You better order Jamie's new book now. No more excuses that cooking takes too much time. Or too much money. Jamie proves that again with his ‘5 Ingredients – Quick & Easy Food’. Now in stores.
