Keep it simple, keep it fresh, let the flavours come through – what else would you expect from Jamie Oliver? This festive edition of Jamie at Home covers all the Christmas dinner essentials, from the turkey (or goose) to the vegetables and even some rather unusual mince pies.
Unlike certain other finger-licking TV chefs, whose “kitchen” is a studio in a warehouse in West London, the show is most definitely filmed at Jamie’s home in rural Essex. With an outdoor cooking area plus a vegetable garden to die for, Oliver returns to what he does best – no-fuss, easy to follow recipes, all presented in his typically infectious style. No ultra fancy “cheffy” ingredients or techniques here, just the usual Christmas fare jazzed up with a few unusual twists to bring out the flavour of the food.
All You Need To Know About Turkeys
Being a long-standing supporter of free-range farming, it’s no surprise that Jamie is intimately acquainted with the centrepiece of his Christmas lunch long before it goes into the oven. His chats with the turkey and goose suppliers are not exactly spontaneous, but to Jamie’s credit this does not become a full-blown rant at those who intensively rear birds for maximum profit. He also provides a useful addition to the “how long do I cook it?” debate by not only giving cooking times but three ways to tell if the turkey is actually done. And for those on carving duty this year he offers a simple guide with excellent results.
It seems no visit to Jamie’s place would be complete without dropping in on Bob the Vegetable Man, on hand to discuss different types of cabbage and how to get the best out of a Brussels sprout. Bob even has a handy gardening tip for vegetable patches plagued by white flies – just get out the vacuum cleaner and that will sort them out.
Jamie Cheats!
Yes, Jamie “does a Delia”, but luckily nothing involving frozen mashed potatoes or canned mince. To be fair, few people have the time or know-how to make their own puff pastry or filo pastry, and the resulting mince pies are certainly different from the shop-bought variety. Unfortunately the inclusion of Jamie’s mentor, “Italian stallion” chef Gennaro Contaldo, is the show’s weakest element – the two obviously get along famously, but their reminiscing about the good old days adds nothing to the programme.
All in all, Jamie Cooks Christmas is an enjoyable celebration of what Jamie does best – share has passion for great home cooking. And, unlike his recent Ministry of Food series, not a single swear word in the entire show. That’s more like it!
