Jamie Oliver is set to revolutionize quick cooking with his new Channel 4 series, Jamie's 20-Minute Meals, where dishes are filmed in unedited, one-shot takes against the clock. The chef aims to prove that his recipes are genuinely achievable in the promised time, addressing long-standing skepticism from home cooks.
No More Hidden Helpers
Oliver acknowledges the skepticism: 'I've heard people say for years, Jamie, I'm not a professional chef, there's no way I can make those meals in the time you say... But I want to prove that anyone can do it.' The show's format leaves no room for error, as Oliver explains: 'And it's a promise – if it didn't get done in 20, it didn't make the cut! I have nowhere to hide, if it burns, it burns, if I don't plate up in time, then the clock beats me! But I am super-confident that we'll be just fine…'
The Sweet Spot for Home Cooking
Oliver has researched extensively to identify 20 minutes as the ideal duration for home cooking. 'I have done my homework on how 20 minutes is the sweet spot – for you to make cooking a happy, lifelong habit,' he says. The accompanying cookbook, 20-Minute Meals: Real Fast Food, aims to make home cooking quicker and easier than ever, featuring recipes with a maximum of 10 ingredients.
Recipe: Sticky Orange Chicken
One of the brand-new dishes from the series is sticky orange chicken, serving two people. The ingredients include 500g sweet potatoes, 1 onion (160g), 2 x 150g skinless free-range chicken breasts, half a bunch of rosemary (10g), 2 oranges, 1 tsp wholegrain mustard, red wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, a bunch of watercress (60g), olive oil, 1 heaped tbsp orange marmalade, 50ml brandy, and 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt.
Method: Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 3cm chunks, microwave on full power (800W) for seven minutes until soft. Put a large frying pan on medium-high heat. Peel and cut the onion into eighths, break into petals, add to the pan with 150ml water. Season chicken with sea salt, place on onions, cover and cook for six minutes, shaking occasionally. Meanwhile, strip rosemary leaves, halve oranges. Squeeze juice of half an orange into a serving bowl, add mustard, 1 tsp each red wine vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil, mix, season. Pile watercress on top. Uncover chicken and onions, let excess water evaporate, add 2 tbsp olive oil, fry. Move chicken and onions aside, add rosemary until crispy, then remove. Stir in marmalade, add brandy and flame if desired. Squeeze remaining orange juice, reduce for five minutes on low heat. Mash sweet potatoes with 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, season, divide between plates. Add chicken and onions, scatter crispy rosemary, serve with dressed watercress and yoghurt.
Affordable Cookbook Deals
The article also highlights discounted cookbooks by Jamie Oliver. 20 Minute Meals: Real Fast Food is available at Waterstones for £15, saving 50%. 5 Ingredients: Mediterranean is £12.75 at Blackwells, featuring 125 easy recipes. Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy is £5.98 on Amazon, saving 77%. Jamie's Comfort Food is £18 on Amazon, saving 40%. Prices correct at time of publication.
