Jamie Oliver - Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy

Together by Jamie Oliver. Photography by David Loftus, Levon Biss and Paul Stuart. Design by James Verity

Dedicated to the

NHS & KEYWORKERS

FOR LOOKING AFTER US AND KEEPING THE NATION GOING, ENABLING US TO GET BACK together

What weve been through, collectively, is very unusual, and I think a lot of us have realized that perhaps we took some of lifes simple pleasures for granted. Being together is precious. To be in a loved ones presence, to see their face light up, share memories and laugh out loud together, thats what life is truly all about.

And the joyful, amazing thing about food is that it can be anything you want it to be. It can nourish, sustain, help to heal, be fast or convenient, comforting, fun, surprising, or an adventure. But maybe, in its simplest form, it works as an excuse to bring the people you love together. This book is dedicated to just that.

Think good old-fashioned dinner parties, celebrations, special occasions, or just getting your nearest and dearest over for that wonderful end-of-the-week meal. My sole intention here is to arm you with the most trusted, well-thought-out recipes, each written in a specific way to allow you to get organized and ahead of the game, be cool, calm, collected and, most importantly, enjoy your guests. No more being stuck in the kitchen, stressed, sweating and pretending that youre having a great time!

I want to empower you to get into the creative flow and rhythm of planning a really memorable meal. It can be a little bit fancy, or humble and super relaxed, whether its simply you and a loved one, a small gathering, or more of a crowd living it up. Ill show you what dishes go together well, from the most amazing starters, mains, sides and desserts, peppered with nibbles and cocktails, to inspiration for setting the table and serving up these are some of my favourite feasts, ones that make me truly happy.

So, please do use the recipes in these pages as an excuse to reconnect with those youve missed seeing, in the intimacy of your home. Celebrate the power that food has to bring people together, remember the immense joy it can bring, and, more than anything, bank those memories with your loved ones. This is about saying I love you through food.

Each chapter starts with a little menu card for that meal please take a photo of it and you can use it as an invitation to get people over or, of course, you can pick and choose recipes to build your own menu. Ive written each individual recipe so it works not only as a component in the wider meal, but as a standalone dish, giving you maximum flexibility. To guarantee that your meal is as stress-free as possible, recipe methods are signposted as follows:

GET AHEAD refers to jobs that can be done the day before your meal, and in some instances, even a couple of days before this is about getting as much of the hands-on, messy stuff out of the way, in advance. Sometimes were even cooking ahead, ready to simply reheat and enjoy the next day. I have also flagged where something can just as easily be done on the day, in case youre more of a last-minute person, or want to organize your time in a different way.

ON THE DAY refers to jobs that can be done in advance, but are best done the same day that youre enjoying your meal it might be prep, it might be the early stages of cooking, but its certainly stuff that doesnt need to be done in the company of guests.

TO SERVE you guessed it this is what you need to do to get the food on the table. Some last-minute prep, some cooking, some garnishing and finishing, it varies from meal to meal.

When it comes to timings, if you choose to follow a whole meal, Id recommend deciding on the time you want to eat, then working backwards and making a plan of what needs to be done, so you feel totally in control. If you can delegate some jobs, too, thats always a bonus.

As with all my recent books, I presume youve got these five everyday staples in the cupboard. They pop up regularly throughout the book and arent included in each individual ingredients list. They are olive oil for cooking, extra virgin olive oil for dressing and finishing dishes, red wine vinegar as a good all-rounder when it comes to acidity and balancing marinades, sauces and dressings, and sea salt and black pepper for seasoning.

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JERKED ROAST PORK
& golden gnarly squash

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PILLOWY MERINGUES
With roasted pineapple, yoghurt & pistachio dust

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• 500g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 x 7g sachet of dried yeast
• 50g natural yoghurt
• 3 tablespoons runny honey
• optional: 1 sprig of rosemary

GET AHEAD You can do this on the day, if you prefer. Put the flour and 1 level teaspoon of sea salt into a large bowl and make a well in the middle. In a jug, mix the yeast into 300ml of lukewarm water, stir in the yoghurt and 1 tablespoon of honey, and leave for a few minutes. Now, gradually pour the mixture into the well, stirring and bringing in the flour from the outside to form a dough. Knead on a flour-dusted surface, picking the dough up and slapping it back down, for 10 minutes, or until smooth and springy. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. If making on the day, cover with a clean damp tea towel and prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

ON THE DAY Lightly oil a deep baking tray (30cm x 40cm). Tip in the dough, pull and stretch it out to fill the tray, then use your fingers to gently push down and create lots of dips and wells. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle generously with black pepper and a little sea salt, cover the tray with a clean damp tea towel, then prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

TO SERVE Preheat the oven to 220C. Very carefully to keep the air in the dough transfer the tray to the bottom of the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Drizzle and brush with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the remaining honey I like to use a sprig of rosemary to do this and move to a board ready to slice.