Jamie Can Be My Naked Chef Any Day
 Mar 12th, 2003
Advantages:
Cooking made easy, fun and sexy for everyone
Disadvantages:
He can& # 8217;t get naked for me because we& # 8217;re both already married
Recommendable:
Yes
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  JJane
About me:
Mum to precious son, married 7 years, renovating a period property and taming a grumpy but loveable ...
Member since:28.10.2002
Reviews:16
Members who trust:16
Review rated by 19 Ciao members on average: very helpful 
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Read Comment
:: BACKGROUND :: In 1999 I vaguely recall channel-hopping and seeing this young and rather brash lad cooking a barbeque for his mates and his missus, Jules. The programme didn’t hold my attention for more than a few minutes because this lad was annoying; really hip, cool and trendy. It was Jamie Oliver and I wasn’t into hip, cool and trendy (they aren’t words you would apply to me at any rate). However, in 2001 I found myself buying a copy of ‘THE NAKED CHEF’, published in 1999 and based on this TV series. I can’t actually remember what prompted me to make this purchase, but I do remember that my feelings towards Jamie Oliver verged more on the side of respect than dismissal.
It’s now 2003 and I have a lot of time for Jamie Oliver. He’s still hip, cool, trendy, a bit of an icon, a new Dad juggling work and family, and he’s doing a Very Good Thing (like Winnie the Pooh). In his own inimitable way, Jamie has cleverly demystified the whole cooking experience and has made it sexy. Jamie’s style appeals to everyone, to a generation brought up on Fanny Craddock and Johnny, to a generation brought up on Madhur Jaffrey and Delia Smith, and to a generation that is only just thinking about what to do when the real world arrives.
:: THE NAKED CHEF ::
This opinion is about Jamie’s first book, ‘THE NAKED CHEF’. Unlike many other books “Accompanying a major (BBC) TV series”, this book stands alone as a really good read and makes you want to get all creative in the kitchen. It also makes you drool rather a lot. Jamie is an advertiser’s dream and is an excellent role model for the “yoof” of today. With Jamie, what you see is what you get - no pretensions, no arty-farty stuff, no estimated preparation times. It’s all about going back to basics and treating food with respect, creating meals that are clean and nutritious and a little bit different from the norm. As I say, what you see is what you get with Jamie, so if you read the following quotes from the inner sleeve of ‘THE NAKED CHEF’, you’ll get the idea:-
“Jamie Oliver is Britain’s most talented, exciting and unpretentious young chef. Charismatic, streetwise and passionate about food, Jamie started cooking when he was eight and has worked with many of the biggest names in British cooking”. “In THE NAKED CHEF, Jamie has applied his “strip it bare then make it work principle” to all his meals – from salads to roasts, desserts to pastas – and has created a foolproof repertoire of simple, feisty and delicious recipes which combine bold flavours with fresh ingredients”.
“THE NAKED CHEF is all about giving people confidence and getting them to feel at ease in the kitchen, and the meals Jamie makes are ones that anyone – even a kitchenphobe - can make themselves and will be as delicious when cooked at home as they are mouth-watering on the screen”.
:: THE BOOK ::
Here
are the sections that make up ‘THE NAKED CHEF’. 1. INTRODUCTION
Jamie tells us that his aim is for the householder to create restaurant-style cooking in the comfort of their own home, where time, space and produce availability are restricted. He tells us a bit about himself, how his passion for cooking evolved from helping his parents in their pub as a lad, studying at Westminster Catering College, gaining experience at Antonio Carluccio’s Neal Street Restaurant, and finding fame whilst working at the River Café, owned by Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray.
2. FIRST MOVE
Jamie’s opening chapter tells you that commodities are vital - ingredients that form the basis of your larder. For example, you should always have sugar, oils, vinegars, salt, pasta, pulses and tinned tomatoes in your cupboard. The idea is that these ingredients, whilst forming the basis of your larder, also form the basis of your cooking. Put salt, vinegars, oils and herbs together and you have a scrumptious salad dressing (my words, not Jamie’s). 3. HERBS AND SPICES
Whilst Jamie will extol the virtues of fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage and bay, he does recommend using dried marjoram and oregano for their depth of flavour. Your larder should also contain essential, non-perishable spices such as cloves, black peppercorns and dried chillies. To get the best from your herbs and spices, invest in a good pestle and mortar (note to Jill to add this to her shopping list).
4. SOUPS
Jamie gives us his five favourite soups, well three soups and two broths, including Minestrone Soup, Chickpea and Leek Soup, Dry Grilled Chicken with Ginger, Chinese Greens and Noodles in a Herb Broth. Being a fan of Minestrone Soup, I made it as a starter for a New Year’s Eve feast for us and the parents. We were all pretty amazed at how a few well-chosen, fresh, simple ingredients made the tastebuds tickle with delight. Alexander loved it too! 5. SALADS AND DRESSINGS
Having lived in Italy as part of my university course, I am pretty well-versed in the virtues of a good salad dressed with good quality olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs. In this section Jamie gives more scintillating ideas, such as Beetroot Salad with Marjoram and Balsamic Vinegar, The Real Tomato Salad, Baby Spinach, Fresh Pea and Feta Cheese Salad, Mustard Dressing, and Anchovy and Caper Dressing. In all there are fifteen salad ideas and six dressings ideas.
6. PASTA
When I was 15 I made gnocchi (potato-based pasta) and made an awful mess of Mum’s kitchen. Now with my own kitchen and my own food processor, it’s time to open the pasta section and get creative. But where shall I start? There are 12 types of pasta to choose from, including the basic pasta recipe, ravioli, pappardelle, tagliatelle, tortellini (my favourite) and farfalle. Then there are 19 recipes to choose from. Let’s see.. Pappardelle with Mixed Wild Mushrooms... or Tagliatelle with Baby Courgettes, Lemon and Basil... or Ravioli of Borage, Stinging Nettles, Marjoram and Fresh Ricotta... or Spicy Squash, Basil and Ricotta Tortellini with Crispy Herbs... or Farfalle with Artichokes, Parmesan, Garlic and Cream... I’m confused - they all look and sound too good.
7. FISH AND SHELLFISH
When it comes to things that swim I make a distinction. Fish = Jill eats it (cod, salmon, tuna, trout, plaice); seafood = EEEEK (squid, cockles, crab, scallops, sardines and any fish that is really really strong). Thankfully, Jamie caters for us all so I can choose from Fast-Roasted Cod with Parsley, Oregano, Chilli and Lime, Seared Encrusted Tuna Steak with Fresh Coriander and Basil, or Tray-Baked Salmon with Olives, Green Beans, Anchovies and Tomatoes. Other recipes use scallops, john dory, lobster, sardines, skate, trout and red mullet.
8. MEAT, POULTRY AND GAME
I believe the key to a good meat dish is the flavours that are used to enhance it. Again, Jamie comes up trumps with some lovely suggestions, such as Pork Chops with Thyme, Lemon and Pesto, North African Lamb with Chilli, Ginger, Chickpeas and Couscous; Roast Leg of Lamb with Pancetta, Sage and Rosemary; My Perfect Roast Chicken (simply wicked!) and Pot-Roasted Guinea Fowl with Sage, Celery and Blood Orange.I have cooked Jamie’s Perfect Roast Chicken and it is perfect! Jamie’s keen for you, the domestic cook, to experiment with his suggestions, so my roast chicken now has olive oil, red onion, garlic, thyme, basil and rosemary instead of olive oil, lemon, bay leaves and rosemary. I have found the key is to use Maldon sea salt – coarse granules that you can crush between your fingers or sprinkle on whole. The bonus is that I can save a section of salt-free chicken for Alexander to enjoy!
9. VEGETABLES
As Jamie says, organic produce is the best, but it’s so expensive. As a chef, Jamie will only buy organic, but as an average householder he can’t afford to solely buy organic so he compromises. He advises to look for good, fresh produce and try to buy seasonal vegetables. In this section we get two recipes for globe artichokes; four for asparagus and one each for cabbage, Chinese greens, squash, red onion and vegetable tempura. The British stalwart, mashed potato, is given a basic treatment and then five variations. I prefer not to use a mouli because potato is starchy and takes on a very strange texture when mouli’d. My perfect mashed potato is mixed with pre-fried red onion and garlic, then mashed with margarine, olive oil, rosemary, pepper and Maldon sea salt. I also like mashed potato with parsnip for sweetness.
10. PULSES
Pulses are something that I think people tend to overlook. It’s a shame because they are a great source of fibre and nutrition. Nowadays you can buy pulses that do or don’t need soaking overnight and pulses in tins or jars. Pulses are pretty easy to cook – just put them in a pan of water, bring to the boil and then simmer until cooked (anything from 30 minutes to 1½ hours). Jamie gives us recipes for borlotti beans, chickpeas, puy lentils, butter beans, black-eyed beans and cannellini beans (the spellchecker’s just changed cannellini to cannelloni). I made up my own lentil soup and it’s gone down well with both Steve and Alexander. Cook lentils with some celery, vegetable stock and cherry tomatoes for 30-45 minutes and then purée. The end consistency is quite runny and the colour is “interesting” (think red and green lentils together), but the flavour is very nice.
11. RISOTTO AND COUSCOUS
Jill’s quote: “If Risotto be the health club of the kitchen, get those triceps and biceps straining”. To make a risotto, you need two people at the helm; one to stir continuously, the other to add the various ingredients. You also need a lot of patience. But it’s worth it. Jamie says that we think of risotto as “poncy restaurant food”, when it’s actually peasant food. A good risotto should ooze slowly across the plate; the rice should be soft but with a bite and the flavours should complement the nuttiness of the rice. Use Carnaroli or Arborio risotto rice and then add anything you want. The second course for our New Year’s Eve Feast was Borlotti Bean, Pancetta and Rosemary Risotto. This was the first time I’d made risotto and it took about an hour all in. The end result was a bit dry (the risotto stopped slightly short of oozing), the rice wasn’t quite cooked through, but the flavours were divine. With Steve’s help, I have since made Jamie’s Mushroom Risotto with Garlic, Thyme and Parsley, and instead of serving up slightly uncooked rice, we stayed patient and continued to add white wine until the rice was cooked through. The extra white wine only added to the heavenly flavours, so we now know that if the risotto’s not quite ready, add wine, add wine!!! Other risotto ideas include Spicy Squash Risotto with Thyme and Mascarpone; Minted Asparagus and Pea Risotto, and Seafood Risottos – with mussels, clams, lobster, crab and prawns.
Jamie then introduces couscous, which I first encountered whilst living in Avignon (Southern France) in 1993. Couscous is dried semolina rolled into little balls and can be bought either dried for cooking or in the salad section of your local supermarket, ready cooked and marinated in a vinaigrette dressing and bits of salad (I don’t like this version because it’s very bitter). Couscous usually accompanies lamb stew but is also tasty in salads, hence Jamie’s recommendations being Couscous Salad; Spicy Couscous or Steamed Couscous Infused with Caraway and Fennel Seeds. Couscous is quick and easy to cook and can be served hot or cold. I usually add a stock cube to give it some flavour and serve with salmon and salad leaves. 12. BREAD
Having lived abroad, I really do think that we have the best of the bread world here in England. I think we make very good imitations of European breads, although I don’t recall seeing any English rye bread (Schwarzbrot in Germany). I would actually go so far to say that I prefer the English take on a French baguette or a pain Parisien!
Jamie learned to make bread in France but really appreciated the art when under the tutelage of Gennaro Contaldo from the Neal Street Restaurant. Mr Contaldo apparently injects humour, soul and interpretation into his bread-making - just the man to inspire Jamie then! Jamie gives us basic recipes for bread, focaccia and ciabatta, plus associated toppings such as potato and rosemary, onion, basil and olive oil. Use whatever you fancy, but keep it light in weight, ie: olives, herbs, cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes. When it comes to rolls, there is the basic recipe and then some interesting combinations, such as Roasted Hazelnut and Apricot Rolls, and Spiced Squash Rolls. Finally, Jamie gives us his pizza base recipe and suggests making Pizza with Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella, or Pizza with Chilli, Tomato, Oregano and Pancetta.
13. DESSERTS
If I’ve not converted you by now, there’s no hope! Jamie comes up trumps once again with Baked Fruit, flavoured sugars and semi-freddo, a classic Italian dessert with variations such as Praline Semi-Freddo, or Figs and Honey Semi-Freddo. Finally, we get steamed puddings, crumbles, pastries and tarts. Aaaaah (sighs with pleasure).
14. STOCKS, SAUCES, BITS AND BOBS, THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER
I agree that homemade stocks are satisfying to look at, but they do lack that certain je ne sais quoi that the packet version will give you. However, you have complete control over the salt content and that is important when you have a 16-month old’s diet to consider. Here Jamie gives recipes for vegetable, chicken and fish stocks. Sauces include mayonnaise (not for pregnant ladies!), bread, apple, mint and pesto and tomato. Salsas include chilli and fennel, or sweet chilli and pepper. The finale is pickled chillis.
:: THE END? ::
“The aim of this book is to inspire you to get into the kitchen, fired with enthusiasm and confidence”. ‘THE NAKED CHEF’ is a pleasant read with lots of lovely pictures to fire your cooking juices. Some recipes require more effort than others, but you can be guaranteed that the end results will taste just fantastic. It really doesn’t matter whether you are a beginner or a professional cook, this book targets every level of experience. I am not a usual recipe follower, preferring to put things together and see how they turn out (thankfully very few disasters - don’t ask about marmite with rice), but Jamie’s ideas are so fresh and appealing that I get lost in this book. I have bought copies for family members and they have been chuffed with their results too.
So, please, please, please - forget any preconceived ideas about this hip, cool and trendy Jamie Oliver. The next time you’re in a bookshop or your local supermarket, take a look at this book, and the ones that have followed. You just can’t help but be impressed! RRP £18.99 www.jamieoliver.com
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02.12.2004 06:41
I dont like seafood lol. Great op
27.07.2003 23:39
You don't like seafood??? Mmmmmmmmmm. Great op. Chris x
14.03.2003 22:57
Excellent review, but I'm generally too lazy to cook and if I do, I stick to what I know. Pete, on the other hand likes experimenting (!)