MY COUNTRYSIDE
Chef Jamie Oliver
As soon as I was old enough, my dad put me to work
Although I spend a lot of my year cooking, as far as Christmas and Boxing Day are concerned I’m on it like a rat up a drainpipe! I like to take control of the big feasts, while Jools very much holds the fort in the days before and after. We always have the full monty with turkey, and these days goose as well – it’s a big old table of goodies. Having Mum’s retro Seventies trifle for afters is one of my favourite parts of the day. It’s got Christmas written all over it. It wouldn’t be the same if she didn’t bring one out every year. Before the meal I like to secretly take apart the Christmas crackers
my wife buys. I replace the gifts with funnier – and sometimes naughtier – ones. I also swap the jokes and replace them with a couple of innocent gags and then a few deeply inappropriate ones… I’ll place the crackers by specific people’s seats around the table so it all comes together in a genius moment of raucous laughter! We have fun making decorations with the kids to put up around the house. We’ll slice up some citrus fruits, let them dry out in a low oven for two or three hours, and then tie them up with ribbon. Popcorn threaded together also looks great, as does (carefully!) stringing up fresh chillies by their stalks for a brilliant pop of colour. I’m always so impressed by British food producers. When I wrote Jamie’s Great Britain, I travelled the length and breadth of the country and met some incredible makers, but what really stuck in my mind was the bread. British bread has had a renaissance. I love how different areas have their own grains and signatures – local varieties that look, feel and taste so different. If there is one thing people could do to prevent waste, it would be to stop
throwing out bread. If you look at recipes from around the world, you’ll see it’s often designed to go stale and then be used for all kinds of delicious things. Take Italy’s pangrattato – it’s essentially a crispy garnish for salads, risottos and ravioli. Or think fantastic sauces, puddings and dishes such as panzanella. During my childhood, we went on wonderful, classic seaside holidays in the UK. We would go to places such as the Norfolk Broads – now I’ve got a wonderful boat there. She’s nearly 60 years old, all wood, and has the cosiest bed and a tiny little kitchen. We still love exploring Britain – this year it was a tour of Cornwall. We visited beautiful Coombeshead Farm in Lewannick and the kids had surfing lessons in Polzeath. My first experience of great locally produced food was in the kitchen of
the pub I grew up in. My dad cooked every day and worked hard to make sure everything was fresh and delicious. As soon as I was old enough, he’d put me to work peeling potatoes or washing up. He never believed in ‘pocket money’ – I had to earn it. It was great being around the chefs and the food, and I quickly got into helping with the actual cooking.
That’s where it all began. There’s something delightful about embracing a change in season. For me, after the vibrant colour of summer, there’s nothing better than winter salads, hearty soups or more indulgent treats such as my classic, super-luxurious cheesy leeks à la Oliver or beautiful marmalade cake. In my opinion, winter produce is just as gorgeous as summer’s.