On the menu

Jamie Oliver’s new book is all about recipes that feature just five main ingredients for a streamlined approach to cooking – which reflects his pared back approach to life

JAMIE OLIVER’S ‘FAVOURITE FIVE INGREDIENTS’,

as he states in the dedication page of his new book, are his children Poppy, Daisy, Petal, Buddy and River. It’s a reminder that Jamie’s tribe runs from teens to River, who’s just turned one. ‘It’s a very colourful household. Teenagers are all a bit new. Am I a cool dad? I would like to think that I was, but the only thing I know for sure is that I am an embarrassment. The last time I went to school I was told I was embarrassing and as far as I can tell all I was doing was walking and I had a pulse. I didn’t say anything or do anything. I’m still trying to figure out the code!’ he laughs.

He gives himself ‘pretty good marks out of 10’ for his middle two children, Petal, eight, and Buddy, six, but reckons he had the work/life balance wrong when his elder two, now 14 and 15 years old, were growing up. ‘I slowed down but not fast enough,’ he says. At the time, during his thirties, his brand was exploding and at its peak he had 28 businesses and 8,500 staff. By the time he hit 40, and the last time Grazia met him, he was stressed and under pressure. ‘A lot of the businesses worked but a lot of them didn’t and had to be closed,’ he says. ‘Now I’m more focused and streamlined; I’m concentrating more on the idea of connecting through food without the distractions of other cutie things. I’m a much happier boy than I was.’

His new focus sees him returning to his passion – the issue of childhood obesity, which he wants to see halved. ‘I want to make the next 10 years count. If I fail doing it, that’s all right but I absolutely believe it could happen,’ he says. To encourage even more people to cook, Jamie’s new cookbook 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food uses just five main ingredients in each dish. ‘You can find most ingredients in your local supermarket and I’ve also used ingredients such as mango chutney and curry paste to remind people it’s not a compromise if every ingredient is not cooked from fresh. It’s about being realistic. Sometimes the most important ingredient can be restraint.’