Jamie Oliver's ultimate festive feast recipes
Ahead of his new series, Jamie Oliver is in the kitchen to show us how he'll be entertaining his guests over the Christmas and new year.He's making stuffed salmon with lemon potatoes and tasty greens, an alternative to Christmas pudding and if that wasn’t enough, he’s made cocktails… Royal Mojitos!
Stuffed salmon
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 heaped tbsp baby capers in brine
10 anchovy fillets in oil
2 sprigs of rosemary
10 mixed colour olives
1 fresh red chilli
1 lemon
1.2kg side of salmon, skin on, pin-boned
Method
1. You can prep this on the day, if you prefer. Put the capers into a small bowl, then tear in the anchovies and strip in the rosemary leaves.
2. Squash and destone the olives, tearing the flesh into the bowl, then finely slice and add the chilli. Finely grate over the lemon zest, squeeze in the juice, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and mix well.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight.4. Place the salmon skin side down in the middle of your largest tray and use the tip of a small sharp knife to make deep cuts into the flesh at 3cm intervals.
5. Now stuff each cut, using the knife to help you. I start by dividing up the olives and anchovies, then add the rosemary, chilli and capers. Take your time and enjoy the process. Sprinkle any excess around the salmon.
6. Preheat the oven to 180C. Roast the salmon at the bottom of the oven for 20 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
Tasty greens
Serves 8
Ingredients
800g mixed seasonal greens, discard tough stalks
4 blackberries
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tbsp fennel seeds
Method
1. Prep mixed greens, such as kale, cabbage or chard, discarding any tough stalks. In a small jug, fork up the blackberries into a mush, then mix with the red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
2. Toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan on a medium heat until smelling fantastic, then add to the dressing.
3. Season to perfection, tasting and tweaking, then cover and refrigerate both overnight.
4. Blanch each type of greens in a large pan of boiling water until just tender but still full of life, then drain well and leave until cool enough to handle.
5. Pile the greens in the centre of a clean tea towel, wrap them up, and wring out really well to remove the excess liquid.
6. Unwrap and roughly chop the greens, then toss with the dressing until beautifully coated, and serve at room temperature.
Lemon potatoes
Serves 12
Ingredients
2.5kg potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3cm chunks
2 lemons
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Method
1. Parboil the potatoes in a large pan of boiling salted water for 10 minutes.
2. Drain and leave to steam dry for 2 minutes, while you use a speed peeler to strip the peel off the lemons.
3. In your largest roasting tray, toss the potatoes with the lemon peel and juice, olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
4. Cool, cover and refrigerate overnight (if required).
5. To cook, preheat the oven to 200C. Roast the potatoes for 1 hour, or until beautifully golden and crisp, tossing gently halfway through.
Panettone french toast
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 x 2cm-thick round slices of large panettone
1 knob of soft unsalted butter
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 tsp icing sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1 x 415g tin of peach halves in juice
100g quality milk or dark (70%) chocolate
Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Optional: amaretto, vin santo, Baileys
Method
1. Preheat the grill to medium. Take a small non-stick frying pan, the same size as the panetone, and rub the butter over the base.
2. Beat the eggs with the vanilla paste and icing sugar in a shallow bowl, then dip one of the panettone slices in the eggy mixture until well soaked on both sides. Quickly and confidently transfer to the cold buttered pan.
3. Drain the peaches and finely slice, then lay across the eggy panettone in the pan.
4. Snap up and scatter over the chocolate. At this point, I’ve been known to add a swig of amaretto, vin santo or Baileys - it’s up to you.
5. Dip the second slice of panettone in the eggy mixture, then pour any excess egg over the chocolate and peaches.
6. Sit the second panettone slice on top and press down gently to compact so the egg is absorbed everywhere - don’t worry if the panettone tears, just patch it up, it’s all going to cook into one batch of deliciousness.
7. Place the pan on a medium heat for 3 minutes, to encourage a nice, crispy, bottom then sprinkle over a little extra icing sugar and pop under the grill for 10 minutes or until the top is beautifully golden - keep an eye on it.
8. Safely and confidently tip the panettone French toast sandwich onto a board, and sift over a final extra dusting of icing sugar from a height.
9. Wedge it up and serve hot or warm, with scoops of vanilla ice cream. Heaven.
Royal mojito
Serves 1
Ingredients
50ml white rum
25ml freshly squeezed lime juice
15ml demerara sugar syrup
Leave from 1 sprig fresh mint
Ice cubes
Fizz of your choice
Method
1. Chill a flute, coupe or coupette by filling with ice.
2. Put the white rum, lime juice, sugar syrup, and mint leaves in a little jug with a couple of ice cubes, then stir to chill the mixture.
3. Remove the ice from the glass, then pour the drink through a sieve, putting a couple of pretty mint leaves back in.
4. Top up with the fizz and serve.
Photos courtesy of Levon Biss, featured in Jamie Oliver's Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy Cookbook.