Keep cooking family favourites with Jamie

Although it has been nearly a year (on and off) since lockdown life began, many of us are still in need of some inspiration when it comes to mealtime.

For many households, Jamie Oliver has been a saviour during the pandemic, regularly showing viewers how to rustle up tasty and affordable meals using kitchen staples.

Jamie, who shot to fame with his BBC series and book The Naked Chef way back in 1999, is now halfway through the second run of his Keep Cooking Family Favourites programme, presenting more easy-to-follow recipes, taken from his latest cookbook 7 Ways.

In the original show, which aired during last summer, the 45-year-old chef’s aim was to show families how they could still eat well, even without many of the sold-out in-demand ingredients that weren’t available in the shops at the time.

From salmon to spuds, each recipe was built around research on the most commonly bought items Brits eat each week.

The show was filmed during the first lockdown at Jamie’s home, with lots of hands-on help from his family, including wife, Jools, and children Poppy, Daisy, Petal, Buddy and River.

Ahead of last year’s first series, Samantha Beddoes, Executive Producer at the Jamie Oliver Group, said: “We’ve all been spending more time cooking at home and need a bit of inspiration to mix it up a bit to keep it interesting.

“Jamie has been at home too, and this new series offers a glimpse into what he’s been cooking for his own family, creating meals that work for real family life.

“Filmed in his garden at home, the cooking is joyful and delicious, offering ingeniously tasty ways to use our everyday ingredients in new ways to create dishes which will become instant family favourites.”

Meanwhile, ahead of this second series, Jamie told The Sun: “Time at home has given me a chance to look at the ingredients we all buy, week in, week out, and come up with new recipes. I’m armed with the ingredients we know and love to create exciting, delicious, affordable meals for my family and yours.”

Tonight’s fourth episode, begins with one of Jamie’s regular “twist” dishes. He takes inspiration from France for a fresh way to cook the always popular roast chicken, adorning it with crisp smoked bacon and fresh tarragon, and serving it on a bed of garlicky spinach lentils rippled with crème fraîche. Jamie also shares some easy ways to use up leftover stale bread, and make it the hero of any dish.

Finally, anyone who has followed Jamie’s career over the years will know that his first job was a pastry chef at Antonio Carluccio’s Neal Street restaurant. It was there that he first gained experience preparing Italian cuisine, and developed a close relationship with his mentor Gennaro Contaldo.

Jamie is joined by his friend tonight, as they cook up a surprising take on a classic prawn linguine.

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