The power of five
Jamie’s recipe for happiness
Being a father to five children has brought untold joy into Jamie Oliver’s life – not to mention the unexpected bonus of a dedicated team of recipe testers right at his kitchen bench each day!
“The kids are definitely my harshest critics,” he tells
Woman’sDay, smiling. “Kids are like that, though. They don’t have an agenda – they’re just honest. It was good testing recipes on them because it made me realise five is the magic number – and not just because that’s the amount of kids I’ve got – because with five ingredients, you’ve got the opportunity to keep it simple but also throw in a few nice surprises too.”
Despite being one of the
world’s most lauded chefs, Jamie tells us he’s had an epiphany with his cooking recently, realising that less is more when it comes to recipes. Accordingly, he’s swapped complex dishes for far simpler but equally delicious fare in his new book and Sky’s Food TV show Jamie’sQuick& EasyFood.
“It’s funny that it’s taken me 20 years to finally realise simplicity is the key,” he laughs ruefully. “I’ve realised that for busy people rushing home from work, the biggest barriers to cooking are a lack of time and a long list of ingredients. So I decided to strip things right back and do simple meals, which are quick to make, with just five ingredients.”
To ensure his new dishes still pack a punch, Jamie roped in his wife Jools and their cute brood, Poppy, 14, Daisy, 13, Petal, six, Buddy, five, and one-year-old River. But he admits he isn’t usually the one who cooks at home these days as he’s too busy running his $480 million food empire.
“My wife usually cooks for the kids, but if I’m home, I’ll cook for her because she loves that,” he explains. “It’s my way of showing her I love her. I still enjoy it too because cooking at home is very different from cooking at work.
Grinning suggestively, Jamie adds, “Cooking can be therapeutic, like a massage.”
On the weekends, when there’s more time, the popular chef prefers to mix things up by creating more flamboyant, ambitious and hearty meals for his family. He’s even a fan of our hangi!
Bringonthekai
“I’ve had a hangi on a number of occasions and it’s amazing,” he recalls excitedly. “That kind of primal cooking, with just smoke and fire in an earth oven is magical – the vegetables and meat in a hangi taste like nothing else in the world! In the past, we’ve invited over some Maori guys to teach us how to do it properly and explain the culture behind it.
“You know, New Zealand’s fascinating because it couldn’t be further away from everything, yet it has this amazing coffee culture, a mix of traditional Maori food and also incredible pan-Asian cuisine. It’s a great place to go to!”
Turning 40 two years ago was a turning point for the star.
“I don’t know if it was a mid-life crisis, but I asked myself lots of questions, like, ‘Who am I? What should I be doing? What does a good parent, husband and friend look like?’ I worry about all sorts of things,” he confesses. “There’s always that question of balance. I struggle with thoughts like, ‘Why don’t I take my kids to school every day?’ and, ‘Should I retire and just look after the kids?’”
One of those lessons he’s learnt well is how to skirt celebrity and concentrate on what’s most important to him – family and friends.
“I don’t think success has changed me because I’ve stayed true to my values,” insists Jamie. “I definitely don’t live a celebrity life because I’m not private-jetting everywhere, riding on big boats and I don’t want to own an island.
“I think having a good family, a brilliant wife and
staying friends with 80% of the kids I went to school with has helped.”
The Olivers recently enjoyed a low-key holiday in Cornwall. “We just got pleasure from simple things, like having a picnic, walking to the beach or going fishing. That’s about as exciting as it gets for us. It’s all about the missus and the kids.”
Speaking of which, are there any plans for him and Jools to add to their sizeable brood?
“No, I don’t think so because I’ve already got a house full of kids! Well, not unless I’m tricked because my wife’s good at that,” he teases. And he blames his Australian TV chef pal Ben O’Donoghue for putting him off the idea of a vasectomy.
“I’m frightened to do it because Ben’s went a bit wrong. And when he was going down to surgery, people started taking pictures and asking for autographs. There’s no way I’d want people filming me or taking pics while I was getting that done! But if I could have someone come to my house and do it secretly, then I’d definitely do it. Otherwise, forget it.”